A recent decision to change street lights throughout Smithers could mean a greener community and fewer tax dollars spent.
As part of Council’s 2015 budget, the town will switch out 245 town lights for LED lighting this fall. Council announced on Monday that the contract was awarded to local company Glacier Electric.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach says this switch will have a positive effect in town.
“Not only are there environmental benefits but there are big financial benefits for the town,” he says, “this is the kind of change that’s long overdue.”
This is expected to save the town up to $10,000 annually. The town will pay back the initial investment over a 10-12 year period.
Most of the lights switched will be decorative ones around town and lights in subdivisions like Willowvale and Silver King.
Not all lights in town will be changed this fall. BC Hydro maintains all lights on wooden poles and has confirmed they will be switching to LED lighting in the future.
Bachrach says Council will be writing a letter to the Ministry of Transportation to tell them about it’s environmentally-friendly change and hopes the Ministry will follow suit with lights along the highway.