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Electric vehicle chargers to increase in Burns Lake

Being installed at downtown municipal parking lot
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Electric vehicle travellers passing through Burns Lake as well as locals will soon have another place to charge their vehicles while in town.

That’s because the Vancouver-based Community Energy Association’s network of charging spots through the region called Charge North is going to place one Level II charging station in the municipal parking lot beside te Tweedsmuir Hotel.

Level II chargers can power up an electric vehicle within two hours to four hours and the installation here is one of more than 50 installations going into 30 locations from Haida Gwaii east to Prince George and south along Hwy97 through the Cariboo.

While the majority of the cost of the chargers is being borne by a series of senior government grants, local contributions are required and in this circumstance, the Village of Burns Lake has committed $5,000 to the installation here. The total project cost for the station at Steelhead Park is $22,966.

To help promote the use of electric vehicles and the addition of charging station options, Danielle Wiess, a project manager for the Community Energy Association’s Charge North project, will be at the Burns Lake Farmers’ Market Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon.

She’ll be driving a Ford Mustang electric vehicle and there will be the opportunity for test rides.

Level II chargers are being viewed as a way not only for people travelling through an area to charge their vehicles but as an attraction point by communities. While a vehicle is being powered up, its occupants can then visit local stores and restaurants.

As it is, Burns Lake is already a host community to a BC Hydro Level III charging station which powers up vehicles at a faster rate than can a Level II charger. That installation is also at the municipal parking lot.

There will be no charge to use the Level II station but BC Hydro does charge for its stations.

“The Village of Burns Lake contributed $5,000 to the ‘Charge North’ project for a 2019 grant application submitted by the Community Energy Association (CEA). CEA received the funding notification for the installation of Level 2 charging stations for the ‘Charge North’ project and they have been working to have the stations installed by the fall of 2022. Our new Level 2 has not been installed at this time, it should be soon,” said Valerie Anderson, Deputy Corporate Officer for the Village of Burns Lake.

Here’s a list of where Level II chargers will be installed:

* 100 Mile House (two stations)

* Ashcroft (two stations)

* Barriere (two stations)

* Granisle (one station at the tourist information centre)

* Haida Gwaii - Masset (one station); Tow Hill (one station); Sandspit (one station); Queen Charlotte (one station)

* Hazelton (one station at Bastion Park)

* Houston (one station at Steelhead Park)

* Kitimat (two stations, one at Nechako Centre and the other at Mountainview Square)

* Logan Lake (two stations)

* McBride (four stations)

* Nisga’a Nation (five stations, including one at the Nisga’a National Museum in Greenville)

* Prince George (12 stations)

* Prince Rupert (two stations)

* Quesnel (two stations)

* Smithers (two stations)

* Stellat’en First Nation (one station)

* Stewart (one station)

* Sun Peaks (two stations)

* Terrace (two stations at the visitor information centre on Keith Ave./Hwy16)

* Valemount (two stations)

* Vanderhoof (two stations)