The heat’s on in Enderby – wood waste heat that is.

Enderby Mayor Howie Cyr, Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes and Rhona Martin from the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) joined city staff and others for the official opening of the newly completed city’s bio-energy heating system.

“This is just a great investment with 250 tonnes annually saved in greenhouse emissions and an annual reduction of $85,000 in operating costs. The other benefit is you have a local company providing this,” Mayes said at the opening ceremony.

The waste wood burning biomass energy system built by Enderby’s Fink Machine, will heat several of the city’s municipal buildings at the works yard site on McGowan Street. The wood waste being used would have otherwise gone to a landfill or burned without capturing the heat.

The majority of the $296,700 needed to build the system came from a $276,700 federal gas tax fund contribution with the remaining costs provided by the city of Enderby.

“We’re grateful for the funding provided by the federal gas tax fund which represents excellent collaboration amongst UBCM, the federal and provincial governments as well as the city of Enderby,” the mayor told the small group in attendance.

Burkhard Fink, from Fink Machine, was also on hand as well to give the crowd a look at the boiler room and express his appreciation for the work put in by the government and city staff to bring the project forward.

“I’ve been building these systems for 12 to 13 years and it’s nice to build in our own community, close to home, and to work with local people. It’s very encouraging,” said Fink.

The mayor credited city staff who dedicated many hours to grant application and working with Fink to see the project through to completion.

“When the rubber hits the road they (staff) make us politicians look good,” Cyr chuckled.

Fink Machine also provides biomass heating to Enderby’s outdoor Lions Pool and several businesses in town.

The federal gas tax fund transfer provides long-term funding to municipalities across the country to build and revitalized their local infrastructure. The federal government has invested over $10 million to date in municipal infrastructure through the program and has passed legislation to make it a permanent transfer of $2 billion per year.