An effort by Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson to back-track on the impending shutdown of part of the Noble Creek Irrigation System has failed to gain the support of the rest of council.

Under his right within the Community Charter, Hamer-Jackson had asked council to revisit a Sept 5 vote to start decommissioning at-risk portions of Noble Creek at the end of this irrigation season – which is imminent.

He argues it’s an asset the City should maintain, pointing to the evacuee camp in the area where member of the Squilax Nation continue to live after being burned-out by the Bush Creek East fire.

“Their whole community got wiped out. I really wonder about if they’d had more water…” suggested Hamer-Jackson during Tuesday’s council session.  “I just think that drying up the fields and not giving people time to secure water, I believe, is irresponsible.”

Before the vote, Hamer-Jackson was informed by Corporate Officer Maria Mazzotta that a move to revisit the vote could up-end ongoing compensation efforts.

“To revisit decommissioning itself right now may pose some challenges, given that we already have financial obligations to users of the Noble Creek Irrigation System.”

While council voted on Sept. 5 to begin decommissioning “at-risk” portions of the Irrigation System, it did also vote to look at other, temporary options to keep users going next growing season, including a temporary pumping system along the riverbank.

Kamloops councillors voted unanimously Tuesday to reject the Mayor’s attempt to revisit the decommissioning, causing Hamer-Jackson to proclaim “I can’t believe that.”