(ASHLEY LEGASSIC / iNFOnews.ca)
November 16, 2023 - 7:00 PM
A Kamloops non-profit says encroaching tree roots were the cause of its sewage problems two years ago.
Big Bear Child and Youth Advocacy Centre's office is at 388 1 Avenue, where sewage and other debris backed up into the building in November 2021.
It's taking the City of Kamloops and its landlord to court over damages and other expenses, according to a claim filed in BC Supreme Court.
The youth support centre claims both the city and its landlord were aware of the tree roots encroaching on the sewage pipes because the non-profit already investigated previous blockages.
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Its office is behind the old courthouse in the West End, one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, rife with large deciduous trees.
The notice of claim doesn't make it clear whether the trees are owned by the city or the landlord, which is a numbered company.
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It's also not clear just how much the sewage backup cost the non-profit, but it does claim both the city and the landlord knew of the encroaching roots and failed to act before the pipes were damaged in 2021.
Neither the landlord nor the city have responded to the lawsuit and none of Big Bear's claims have been proven in court.
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