I will be publishing a series of articles regarding Union Bay Improvement District potable water (H2O )
Where does Union Bay Get their drinking water?
In 1960, the Union Bay Waterworks (newly formed from the Water Association) bought their water system for a $1.00 from the Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Limited. They also bought the land under Langley Lake for $1,000, one of the few lakes in BC for which the bed is privately owned. The Union Bay Waterworks became the Union Bay Improvement District, which was incorporated by Letters Patent on March 18, 1960 as the authority responsible for providing waterworks to the residents and property owners of Union Bay. Fire Protection and Street Lighting were added to UBID responsibilities in 1972.
UBID is governed by an elected Board of Trustees who are chosen to serve overlapping terms at elections which are held as part of an Annual General Meeting. Trustees are paid a small stipend. Day to day business is managed by a full-time Administrator, who is supported by a part-time Administrative Assistant, along with a Public Works Superintendent and a Public Works Technician, both full time. Union Bay Fire Rescue is a volunteer fire department with a half-time paid Fire Chief. The fire crew are volunteers with modest stipends paid to a couple of senior officers and an annual honourarium paid to the department as a whole.
