District of Clearwater has contributed $48.5 million in economic stimulus to the community since incorporation, according to Mayor John Harwood.
“It kind of surprised me,” he told town council during its Jan. 7 meeting.
Building permits in the new municipality have averaged about $2.5 million per year, for a total of $16 million.
District operations have been worth another $9 million, while highways projects have brought in another $5 million.
Other projects include septic upgrades, UV treatment for the water system, tennis courts, bussing improvements and so on.
Thompson-Nicola Regional District's new eco-depot is worth $1.5 million, while the forest fuel management program done in collaboration with the regional district a few years ago brought in $2.4 million.
Harwood said he is constantly asked why Clearwater seems to be getting special treatment, with funding from senior levels of government helping with projects such as bussing and the roads and trails study recently done by Opus.
The answer is no secret, just a lot of hard work by staff and council, he said.
“You're to be praised as a team,” Harwood said. “We've done a reasonable job at what we've been doing.”