“I’m not a fence inspector, I’m just a guy who wants all of us to play by the rules,” said Councillor Alvin Derksen, bluntly addressing his Reeve during the most recent meeting of La Broquerie Council.

Derksen has made a point of bringing up the fence during almost every Council meeting to ensure progress is being made. As has almost become expected, Weiss responded to the inquiry by noting that something was amiss. This time it had to do with the impending election. 

A conditional use permit issued 13 years ago required Lewis Weiss to build a fence around his auto wrecking yard. The fence now stands partly complete and Weiss was hoping to finish it off by hiring Evolve Green to set up a solar panel wall, acquiring a 25% rebate from the Liberal Government in the process.

Read more: The Weiss Auto Fence Saga Remains Ongoing

Now, it appears that the impending Federal Election is further complicating the matter.

Evolve Green Owner Lorena Mitchell explains: “The holdup for the Weiss family is that they have applied for a refund from the Liberal’s Climate Action Incentive. However, once the writ dropped, the government dissolved and cannot formally make any decisions.”

This means that until elections are over on October 21 Weiss’ fence build is effectively at a standstill. According to government regulations, if they start setting up the solar system even one day before the funding is approved, it could be withdrawn entirely. Furthermore, if after the election a non-Liberal government takes power, Mitchell says there is a chance the rebate will no longer be offered at all.

“It will be up to the incoming party to decide if they want to continue with the Climate Action Incentive Fund for small and medium-sized businesses.”

Weiss recognizes that this setback may be frustrating to the people of La Broquerie but he assures them that he will accomplish what he can as he waits for Parliament reassembles.