Transparency / Accountability

Ross Buchanan

FULL DISCLOSURE…storm sewer system.

In my opinion, everyone living in the village should be aware of this situation. On Dec. 4 the professional engineers (Water Street Engineering) retained by the municipality issued 3 infrastructure reports including the VHHS Storm Sewer Master Plan which essentially put us on notice — and they could not have been more clear.

After years of being told that we have plenty of excess infrastructure capacity, that we could double the size of the village and still be okay the report reveals that this is not the case. Among other infrastructure deficiencies, it is time to stop messing around and get serious about protecting our village from the very real threat and consequences of an atmospheric river overwhelming our storm water system and our community.

For years residents’ concerns over the flood vulnerability of the Miami River have been ignored as council has been distracted by the $11 Million grant to supposedly protect us from the flood of 1894. As many residents have known all along, the real threat, amplified and accelerated by climate change comes from the Miami River, the heart of the storm water plan to remove storm water from our community.

The effectiveness of the storm water system is critical to avoid flooding in the village. A fully functional storm water system is dependent on an adequate outfall from the river into the lake. The report references “debris clogging” at the pump station as a “primary concern”. The entire integrity of the storm water system, designed to avoid flooding appears to be compromised by one very weak link that is in need of immediate correction. On our residential streets, we could have the best storm water collection system in the world but if the outfall to the lake is compromised a back flow situation will develop which would flood the entire village. Important to note that this is not just an issue for those along the river but rather the entire village as the topography of our flat river valley bottom makes all of us vulnerable to an inadequate storm water infrastructure.

Here’s what the Storm Sewer Master Plan (Dec. 4, 2025) prepared by Water Street Engineering and adopted by council states:

“11.2 Recommendations: Twenty-seven capital projects were identified based on the background review and storm sewer modelling. Nine of the projects are recommended.

The remaining eighteen projects are classified as conditional because the risk of damage from surface flooding is low. Where some surface flooding is expected during a 10-year storm, the project is labeled ‘Conditional – Monitor.’ Otherwise, it is labeled ‘Conditional – Assess.’

Assessment of the Miami River Dike Pump Station is the only project identified as ‘High’ priority, based on the significant impact the pump station has on backwater conditions throughout the storm sewer system.”

In short: the engineers are telling municipal council and staff what many residents have been saying all along…our critical storm water infrastructure is vulnerable, and our Community Leadership has been given a clear directive to act with urgency.

…Ross Buchanan

☀️ We Need to Move Out of the Dark

Statement by Ross Buchanan

Residents continue to be kept in the dark on critical issues:

• Dike safety: The Village has refused to release the geotechnical engineering report that taxpayers funded.

• East Sector development: An 18-hole disc golf course and a new public works facility are advancing with no public explanation.

• 60-unit social-housing deal: Millions in development and annual costs are being shifted to taxpayers while the mayor and CFO sit on the developer’s board.

• Land title claims: No clear answers on extent, status, or implications.

• 2026 budget + tax increases: No communication on what’s coming.

• Water & sewer engineering reports: Staff admit they exist but have chosen not to release them.

British Columbia has 161 municipalities, including 42 villages under 2,500 people.
Despite being one of the smallest, Harrison Hot Springs pays the highest council and management salaries of any village in the province—while giving residents less transparency in return.

FOI responses show a municipal culture that not only resists openness but actively pushes back against resident oversight.

A healthy community can’t function in the dark.

The future of the village depends on honest governance, public disclosure, and open communication.
It’s time to kick the door open and let the light in.

…Ross Buchanan

Any and all analysis presented here is based on publicly available records and decisions, several of which were made before current councillors assumed office. The purpose is to document process and sequence, not to attribute intent or motive to individuals.