Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (May 04/01) - A fourth lien has been added against the Village of Fort Simpson's sewage treatment plant.
Camillus Engineering Consultants Ltd. (CECL), the contractor on the project, filed a lien in the amount of $673,099.15 on April 23. According to Cam Marianayagam, president of CECL, that amount is to cover the costs incurred for constructing the plant as well as all costs of the sub-contractors, two of whom had already filed their own liens. CECL also has a lawsuit pending, Marianayagam added.
Foothill Industries Inc., the project's Calgary-based technology supplier, has filed the remaining lien, despite being forced into receivership by an Alberta judge in March. Foothills is seeking close to $400,000 for unpaid invoices, according to Kathy Valentine, office and accounts manager for the company. An arbitrator has been appointed.
The $1.8 million plant was supposed to be completed in last year.
Marianayagam said the project was finished on March 30 despite a notice of default and breach of contract registered by the Village.
"They wrote us another letter saying that we were trespassing on the job site, so we basically told them to fly a kite, and we finished the job regardless," he said, adding that his company also wanted to complete the project to protect the interests of its sub-contractors.
He added that the plant was turned over to the Village on April 12. The municipality of Fort Simpson is now buying the chemicals for the plant, paying the wages for staff and paying the utility bills, he added.
Fort Simpson mayor Tom Wilson said the Village may be running the plant, but it is not yet legally in the Village's possession.
"Things are in the hands of lawyers right now," he said. "Cam (Marianayagam) is responsible for lifting all the liens... then we can go ahead and get those payments done. It's not as if the money is not there for the payments. It's there."
Further, Wilson noted that sewage and water samples have to be sent out for analysis to verify whether the plant is meeting standards.
Marianayagam predicted that once Foothills' lien has been dealt with, then the rest of the outstanding payments will be made.
Pat Waugh, co-owner of Kiwi Electric, which was a sub-contractor on the sewage treatment plant, said her company is owed $50,000-$60,000. The lack of payment is costing her company dearly each month, she added.
"It's like everybody just says, 'Oh well, it will get sorted out,' but you try paying these bills when you don't have the money," Waugh said.
