The South Cariboo Meat Co-op (SCMC) held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 24 for the new abattoir it will construct along Canim-Hendrix Lake Road.
About 50 people attended the ceremony at the building site, many of whom also turned out to hear updates from the SCMC board at a meeting that followed in the Valley Room.
Several building renditions depicting different views of the design were posted for folks to peruse while they munched on snacks and posed their questions to the various board members.
After a recent change moved the site to its current location, SCMC chair Gus Horn noted that after a related delay from the relocation, and to ensure all key aspects are in place and proper planning is done, the construction of the new facility will have a revised schedule.
He explained that to qualify for $150,000 in provincial funding, which is available to help the industry conform to regulation changes, the abattoir must be operational by December 2012.
"We fully intend to be ahead of schedule by next year. The 2011 fall slaughter will still take place at Findlay Meats through the Class C licence it operates under."
SCMC secretary Christine Jordaan added the Class B licence requirements for the new abattoir would be met as long as the project is still demonstrating progress and the critical predetermined milestones are met.
Horn explained the board's plans for a drilled well for potable water, as well as for an engineered septic system for wastewater. He added it would be sufficient for the volume output of less than 5,000 gallons per day.
He said the back-up plan would be to hook the facility into municipal water and sewer. Horn added those utilities are "within sight" of the facility, but would be "fairly costly" to tap into.
Jordaan noted if cost overruns do occur beyond what falls within the 10 per cent contingency fund, it may be possible to sell additional shares to offset that issue because they have not yet capped that limit.
Horn also thanked the members for their support of the project.