Answers awaited after abattoir hearing
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
Food security, local food production, and cost savings for farmers were weighed against the potential eyesore and possible reek of a proposed abattoir (slaughterhouse) during a packed public hearing meeting in Windermere on Wednesday, April 24th.
“The intent of this thing is a small-scale micro-abattoir,” explained John Zehnder of the Windermere District Farmers Institute to the crowd of more than 170 at the Windermere Community Hall, many of whom were hearing for the first time the details of the proposed abattoir at the crossroads of Highway 93/95 and …
Leaders debate hardly inspiring
By Greg Amos,
Pioneer Staff
Against my better judgement, I watched the B.C. party leaders debate on TV on Monday, April 29th. In doing so, I subjected myself to 90 minutes of bafflegab, spin, false conviction, hyperbole, attempted interruptions, and mad dashes for the moral high ground.
It’s hard to say who emerged as the winner, though NDP leader Adrian Dix’s zinger on BC Liberal leader Christy Clark running a “fact-free campaign” seems to have generated a buzz on Twitter. Note to readers: do not interpret that as my support for any one …
Morlove is never enough
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
A West Coast collaboration between two strong and unique songwriters is headed to Bud’s Bar and Lounge on Wednesday, May 1st.
Morlove — a duo comprised of Victoria’s Corwin Fox and Montreal’s Miss Emily Brown — will be bringing songs from their critically-acclaimed debut album, All Of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over and their just-released new album, Old Tomorrow, to Invermere.
With the new record only available since April 23rd, Morlove will be bringing the excitement that comes with playing new songs for their fans.
“I played in Invermere …
Candidates face a tough test
By Greg Amos, Pioneer Staff
Despite the reputation they sometimes carry, elected officials, as well as those aspiring to gain office, are no slouches. Being a public representative is no easy task, nor is it a golden ticket to insider benefits or simply a bridge to a well-funded pension plan.
For 215 councillors and rural area representatives gathered in Invermere last week for the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments annual meeting, the majority of three days spent at the Copper Point resort were about getting down to business. Out of 20 …
Candidates pitch policies and platforms at debate
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
The provincial economy, regional employment and one local healthcare issue in particular topped the agenda at the all-candidates debate held at David Thompson Secondary on the evening of Wednesday, April 10th.
With a crowd of 150 packing the high school theatre, three candidates faced ten questions on ten different topics, selected from a pool of 100 questions received by the organizing committee.
“The creation of jobs is the largest issue in the province,” said soon-to-be-confirmed BC Conservative candidate Earl Olsen, 61, a career accountant and businessman who was a …
A sled trip to remember
Fifty years ago this month was an exciting time for four backcountry skiing pals who grew up in the Columbia Valley, as they cruised at seven miles per hour on a home-made snowmobile into the alpine around the Paradise Mine in 1963. The friends stayed in a mine bunkhouse and spent a few glorious days in a place that had been out of reach on foot.
“It was warm; we were outside outside in our T-shirts, watching slides falling down on faces around us,” said Jim Gibb, who along with Doug …
Business Excellence nominees announced
By Pioneer Staff
The Columbia Valley’s own business battle royale is set to unfold in Fairmont Hot Springs on
Thursday, April 25th, as anticipation is building after a list of nominees was recently released.
Nearly 80 businesses and individuals have been short-listed among 13 different categories in the 15th Annual Business Excellence Awards, a joint effort
between the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Radium Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.
The awards dinner takes place at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, and among those eagerly awaiting the chance to spring up from their tables …
Deer drama drags on
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
After a hard-hitting guest editorial last week by former Pioneer employee Joshua Estabrooks, who moonlighted with us for two weeks pending the arrival of our new reporter, Steve Hubrecht (see masthead below), we’ve received ample feedback on the deer issue. One of those letters can be found on this page, and a few more are stockpiled for future use. And a press release sent our way provides further commentary around the political dimension of dealing with deer.
After Kimberley’s attempts to carry out deer hazing were shut down …
Province returns to the access council table
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
With provincial representation and some motorized backcountry users back at the table, the Columbia Valley Recreational Access Council is back on track after holding its first meeting since November 19th, 2012.
Among the 17 people attending the Tuesday, April 9th meeting at the Invermere Community Hall were two Ministry of Natural Resource Operations representatives, two ATV BC members, and council members from Radium Hot Springs and Invermere.
Cranbrook-based moderator David Savage volunteered his services over the two-hour meeting, as the goal of creating a backcountry access plan continues …
Federal funds to help with Pynelogs addition
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
A $10,420 grant thanks to the federal government’s Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund will mean smoother operations at the Pynelogs
Cultural Centre, which is using the money to build a new storage addition to the historic building.
“This support will help turn the Pynelogs Cultural Centre into a more flexible and ideal gallery and meeting space,” said Columbia Valley Arts Council manager Jami Scheffer. “Everything presenters and gallery shows need will be at hand, and we will now be able to clear precious floor area for larger events.”
The infrastructure …
Furniture salvaged from Pano fire on sale Saturday
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
Dining tables, chairs, bed frames, TV stands and more quality goods salvaged from the 1,000 Peaks Lodge at Panorama will be up for grabs at a sale to benefit the Columbia Valley Food Bank at North Star Hardware/RONA store in Athalmer on Saturday, April 6th.
Furniture and kitchenware from rooms on the first and second floor of the building, which was
destroyed by flames, smoke and sprinkler-induced
water damage in a Wednesday, February 27th blaze, will be available at deep discounts.
“The items have been brought down, dried and cleaned; …
Inquest sheds some light
By Greg Amos
The Coroner’s inquest that wrapped up in Invermere last Wednesday produced more than just a few ways to prevent the next fatal car accident on Highway 95 north of Radium Hot Springs — it should also spur authorities to think harder about the dangers of bureaucracy.
The fatal crash that claimed the lives of three Lower Mainland men on January 19th, 2011 was caused by human error — but with a few changes to how we maintain and design our highways, it’s possible to engineer our way past one …
Inquest into fatal 2011 crash concludes
By Pioneer Staff
Seeking answers after a Highway 95 crash that killed three men near Brisco in early 2011, a three-day BC Coroners Service inquest wrapped up in Invermere on Wednesday, March 29th.
Nearly 20 witnesses were called over the course of the inquest, which produced four recommendations:
• In the future, if the Trans Canada Highway is closed for any length of time and Highway 95 is used as the alternate route, Highway 95 should be deemed a Class A highway.
• An acceleration and deceleration lane should be built at the Spillimacheen …
Entrenched in silly season
By Greg Amos
As of today, the May 14th provincial election is exactly 45 days away. This means, of course, that from here on in, there will be no avoiding the partisan preachings of political hopefuls, desperate to turn their foe’s smallest discrepancy into the largest advantage.
Every election season, media pundits like me decry this predatory activity to the same utter lack of effect: politics does not change based on our notions of how noble our elected officials should aspire to be.
Politics is a bloodsport, and even those in it …
First activity planned for Jumbo municipality
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
While wheels continue to turn on solidifying governance for the Jumbo Glacier mountain resort municipality, the first commercial activity in B.C.’s newest community is set to begin this summer.
Summer snow-cat operations aimed at competitive ski racers are set to begin on Farnham Glacier July 1st, in what’s being promoted as the first operational facet of Jumbo Glacier Resort within the 6,000 hectares that comprise the mountain resort municipality.
In the meantime, more Village of Radium Hot Springs staff are assuming their dual roles as employees of the Jumbo …
Purcells picked for climbing camp
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
The Scotch Peaks of the Purcell Mountains will be hosting a rare kind of wildlife this summer.
The Alpine Club of Canada is choosing the mountains northwest of Radium Hot Springs to host its 2013 General Mountaineering Camp, a six-week series of wilderness exposures for guests ranging from hardened mountain men and women to grinning greenhorns.
In a tradition that dates back to 1906, the biggest non-profit climbing association in Canada has chosen a chunk of valley granite for its fine aesthetics and rarely-climbed routes and walls.
“One of the …
Salmon more than an emblem
By Greg Amos
Last Saturday, B.C.’s provincial government made what was meant to be a monumental gesture: designating the Pacific salmon as our official fish emblem.
It’s a nice notion, but hardly the solution for what ails our wild Pacific salmon. While sockeye, coho, chinook and their kin continue to test positive for European salmon viruses associated with farmed fish, federal politicians are standing pat on the results of the $26-million federal inquiry into the
collapse of the Fraser River sockeye run. The Cohen Commission’s final report was tabled in Parliament last October. …
Merged water system pursued for Eagle’s Nest
By Greg Amos
Pioneer Staff
A critical one-year extension on a $400,000 grant has opened a path of opportunity for Canal Flats as the village pursues a merger of two water systems in the hopes of providing a cost-effective potable water solution.
Referenda are on the agenda following a five-hour meeting in Canal Flats on Saturday, March 9th, where residents and councillors agreed a merged water system and pipeline from the village water source is the best way to provide drinkable water for the Eagle’s Nest
neighbourhood, which has been under a boil …