invermere valley echo, april 29, 2015

A NEW PERSPECTIVEALLEYV CHOE

The Invermere

NICOLE [email protected]

On Tuesday, April 21st, the Conser-vative government released its federal budget and Kootenay Columbia MP Da-vid Wilks is pleased with what he feels is a budget that has the potential to positively affect those in his riding.

“The minister came out with a bal-anced budget and we said in the 2011 election we’d balance the budget be-fore the next election and we did,” Wilks said, “so I’m very happy with the budget that came out today.”

The budget, normally presented in February, was delayed as the govern-ment waited to gauge the impact of low oil prices on the Canadian economy.

In a phone call to The Valley Echo im-mediately after the budget was made public, Wilks read directly from the 518-page document, highlighting the items he believes “will be good for the area.”

He was quick to point out the pro-

posed reduction in the small business tax rate from 11 to nine per cent by 2019, and a one-time investment of $65 million to business and industry asso-ciations to help them work with post secondary institutions to better align curricula with the needs of employers, citing College of the Rockies as an ex-ample, which works with many employ-ers to provide the training they need.

One of the big tick-et items in the bud-get that will have an impact on the northern part of the Kootenay-Columbia riding is the $2.8 billion earmarked for improving infra-structure to heritage, tourism, water-way and highway access located within national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation ar-eas across Canada.

“So that’s a signifi cant amount of mon-ey that I will be speaking to the Minis-

try of Environment about to ensure we get our adequate amount to continue to move forward with improvements to the TransCanada Highway within the national parks,” said Wilks.

He alluded to a forthcoming an-nouncement with regards to Kootenay National Park that had not yet been

made by The Valley Echo’s press time.

“There are other pri-orities as well,” said Wilks. “I do know there will be an announce-ment shortly with re-

gards to Kootenay National Park and in specifi c to improvements to the pool, Radium Hot Springs.”

The announcement has nothing to do with the federal government’s pro-posed plan to privatize the hot pools.

“This has to do with improvements that will be moving forward from a na-tional perspective through Parks Can-ada,” he said. “I’m just not allowed to

say what it is yet but I can tell you it’s coming, very shortly.”

Investment in forestry was also high on Wilks’ list. The Forest Innovation Pro-gram and the Expanding Market Oppor-tunities Program will receive $86 million over to years starting in 2016-2017.

“Canfor has utilized this program in the past to upgrade their technology to better suit the world market and this will give them an opportunity to access that program, to better adapt to world markets as they adjust,” said Wilks.

Tourism in the region stands to bene-fi t from the federal government’s plan to promote Canadian tourism .

“The Economic Action Plan 2015 pro-poses to provide additional support to the Canadian Tourism Commission to embark on a new marketing campaign in the United States in partnership with the tourism industry,” Wilks said. “De-tails will be announced in the upcom-ing months.”

See A4

Federal budget allocates funds for TransCanada upgrades

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Radium fi refi ghter recognized for service2

7On the trail of the mysterious wolverine

Mary O’Brien took her son, Liam Hurst, 4, on the ferris wheel during the opening night of the carnival on April 24th. Much to his mother’s amusement, Liam was astonished by what the bird’s eye perspective from the rising ride revealed: a riot of sights, smells and colours below him. PHOTO BY BREANNE MASSEY

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A2 invermerevalleyecho.com Wednesday, April 29, 2015 The Valley Echo

Snapshot

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SnapshotRUN TO FIGHT CANCER... At least 30 participants donned their running shoes for the valley’s fi rst-ever Daffo-dil Dash (a Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser) on Sunday, April 26th. The 10-kilometre runners were the fi rst to set off from the start line. PHOTO BY STEVE HUBRECHT

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BREANNE [email protected]

After more than 20 years of serving the Radium community as a fi refi ghter, Tim Strub’s hard work and dedication to extinguishing fi res has been rewarded.

The 58-year-old Radium resident is moving back to his Ontario home on May 7th to live closer to family.

He was surprised that roughly 50 peo-ple came together to enjoy supper and

speeches at the Prestige Inn Radium Hot Springs on April 18th to mark the end of his volunteer fi refi ghting career.

“The fi re department in Radium is like my second family,” Tim told The Val-ley Echo, while refl ecting on the time he spent with the volunteer crew. “Ev-erybody takes care of everybody; and we’re just like one big family.”

But the idea of signing up to volun-teer more than two decades ago was ultimately not his decision.

It was thanks to the persistence of his friend, Walter Raven, that Tim enlisted.

“I was working at the same company with a fellow who was on the Radium fi re department at the time,” Tim explained. “He still is a member, but I had just start-ed working here, and I had just moved to Radium. He asked me what I was doing on Wednesday night, which is when our practic-es were back then, and he said, ‘Well, you’re going to join the fi re department.’ So, I did.”

The challenge of fi lling the boots of a volunteer fi refi ghter was not an easy fi t, he added.

“When I started at the fi re de-partment, I knew absolutely nothing about the service,” said Tim. “But I joined (them) as a vol-unteer.”

He became the Radium Fire De-partment’s training offi cer and then began to volunteer as the deputy chief.

“Now I’ve been doing that for 18 years,” he said. “We all have

to learn how to do everything because we never know who can show up, so it’s a con-stant training session.”

The biggest challenge for Tim to get a handle on during his time as a volunteer was learning how to operate all the equipment.

“Everybody’s a little ner-vous about volunteering at fi rst,” he said. “They don’t think that they’re able to do it, but they’re dead wrong.”

He urges prospective candi-dates to apply as volunteers as he values all of the lessons that one can learn from the experience.

“Everybody always com-mented about how much they learned from what I taught them,” said Tim, “but the truth is that it goes both ways: I learned quite a bit from them as well.”

It came as no surprise to the community when Tim’s efforts were recognized at a banquet to mark the end of an era.

“We gave him a couple of small gifts,” said Dave Dixon, Radium Fire Chief. “A watch and his barbecue apron. He al-ways ended up on the barbecue if we had an open house. He liked doing that.

“We’re certainly going to miss his companionship and his expertise, but we wish him the best of luck in the future.”

That his helmet and cooking apron

were both signed by everybody on the Radium Fire Department was a highlight for Tim. He’s pleased these mementos were offered to him to take away.

“I was quite impressed,” said Tim. “Council was there, all of the fi re de-partment was there, their members and their spouses, the RCMP had a rep-resentative there and it was quite the deal. I wasn’t expecting to see as many people there as there were.”

Two decades of service recognized in RadiumOMMUNITYC

Tim Strub poses in the signed apron and helmet he received as going away gifts from the Radium volunteer fi re department. PHOTO SUBMITTED

invermerevalleyecho.com A3Wednesday, April 29, 2015 The Valley Echo

An application to increase the capacity for the licensed patio area has been received by the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch from the Station Inn Pub located at 1701 6th Avenue in Invermere. The current licensed hours are 10:00 am to Midnight Monday to Thursday, 11:00 am to 1:00 am Friday to Saturday and 11:00 am to Midnight on Sunday. (No change)The proposed patio expansion capacity will increase the establishment’s overall occu-pant load from 118 (Interior and patio) to 150 (Interior and patio).Residents and owners of businesses located within a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) radius of the proposed site may comment on this proposal by 1) Writing to:

THE GENERAL MANAGERC/O Licensing Analyst

LIQUOR CONTORL AND LICENSING BRANCHPO BOX 9292

Victoria, BC V8W 9J8OR

2) By email: [email protected]

PETITIONS AND FORM LETTERS WILL NOT BE CONSIDEREDTo ensure the consideration of your views, your comments, name and address must be received on or before the deadline date for public response is Friday May 8th. Please note that your comments may be made available to the applicant or local government officials where disclosure is necessary to administer the licensing process.

NOTICE OF INTENTRE: LIQUOR CONTROL AND LICENSING ACT

APPLICATION FOR A LIQUOR PRIMARY (LP) AMENDMENT

Connect with uscbt.org 1.800.505.8998

Apply Now!ENVIRONMENT GRANTS

We are currently accepting applications for environment projects of up to $10,000. Apply soon. Intake closes on June 30, 2015.

Learn more at cbt.org/environmentgrants.

Take notice that Columbia River Stewardship Society, of Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, has applied to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO), Kootenay Region, for a License ofOccupation, situated on Provincial Crown land located adjacent to the Columbia River near Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, and containing 0.01 hectares more or less.

The Lands File for this application is 4405581. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Front Counter BC, 1902 Theatre Road, Cranbrook BC, V1C 7G1 or email to: [email protected]. Commments will be received by MFLNRO up to May 30, 2015. MFLNRO may not be able to consider comments received after this date.Please visit web at: http:arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jsp→ Search → Seach by File Number: 4405581 for more information

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.

Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land.

invermerevalleyeCHO.com

Breanne [email protected]

A jolt of revenue at the Colum-bia Basin Trust could put the Colum-bia Basin culture in the flush.

With revenues expected to double at the Columbia Basin Trust from the Waneta Expansion Project in Trail and the Arrow Lakes Generating Sta-tion, the Trust’s projected revenue is expected to reach a total of $48 million in 2016 and 2017, which will translate into more financial support across the Basin region.

“From September 2014 to February 2015, the Trust engaged with residents across the region to understand their priorities and where they would like to see the Trust allo-cate its increasing resources,” said Delphi Hoodicoff, CBT spokesperson. “We expect to have draft recommendations in the next few months with the aim to finalize our strategic priorities this fall.”

Ideas about how the CBT should focus came from multiple community engagement ses-sions in 55 locations throughout the Basin to consult the people it serves about what’s im-portant to them. The CBT collected informa-tion from community workshops, meetings, and online and mailed out feedback forms.

The CBT recorded 3,000 people were in-volved with the process, which garnered more than 17,000 thoughts and ideas.

The action to back some of these projects stems from a 12 per cent increase from the Waneta Expansion Project in Trail this year, which will boost CBT revenues by $4.2 mil-lion next year and roughly $9 million during the following two years, which means a 16 per cent increase of total revenues.

According to the CBT, the $900 million, 335 megawatt Waneta Expansion Project

adds a second powerhouse, immediately downstream of the Waneta Dam on the Pend d’Oreille River, that shares the existing hy-draulic head and generates clean, renewable, cost effective power from water that would otherwise be spilled.

The project included construction of a 10-kilometre, 230 kilovolt transmission line and provides enough energy to power about 60,000 homes per year. Long-term agree-ments are in place with BC Hydro to pur-chase the energy and FortisBC to purchase the capacity from the project.

Project benefits include the injection of over $300 million into the local economy through the purchase of goods and services and wag-es. Employment reached over 1,400 people.

“Trust revenues will be doubling in 2016-17 to about $48 million and will hold steady for the next few years,” she said. “In addition to Waneta, the other significant driver behind the revenue increase is the renegotiation of the Power Purchase Agreement for the Ar-row Lakes Generating Station. It will provide about $16 million starting in 2016-17 — about 30 per cent of total revenue.”

—With files from the CBT

CBT doubles revenue

New development at Columbia Lake in the planning process

OCALL EWSN

steve [email protected]

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors have given first and second reading to a proposed zoning bylaw that will allow for a planned develop-ment on the north end of Columbia Lake.

The still unnamed subdivision-style de-velopment would be on the northwest cor-ner of the lake, near Columere, and would encompass 17 lots with single family resi-dences on 17.84 acres.

“It will have lake access, but not lake front-age. They are all really nice view lots, look-ing across to Lot 48,” said developer Dave Rae. “Columbia Lake is great. It’s warmer and bigger than Lake Windermere and it has only a fraction of the number of boats

that Lake Windermere has.”Rae said the development will have water

and sewer systems and, in terms of driving, is not really all that far from the crossroads outside of Invermere.

“We want to start clearing the roads this summer and fall,” said Rae, adding that the necessary geotechnical reports are al-ready done.

A public hearing on the proposed bylaw will be held at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort on Thursday, May 7th at 7 p.m.

The bylaw would change the zoning from commercial to residential and would per-mit up to 25 single family residential par-cels on the land, although Rae is only plan-ning for 17. The first and second reading of the bylaw came during the RDEK board of directors Friday, April 10th meeting.

OCALL EWSN

The Waneta Expansion Project is now online and generating power. PhoTo suBmiTTEd


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Employment centre readies for influxSteve HubrecHt

[email protected]

The local branch of the East Kootenay Employment or-ganization is ramping up to help Canfor Canal Flats mill employees facing massive layoffs in less than a week transition to other work.

“Currently East Kootenay Employment Columbia Val-ley (located in Invermere) is helping a number of em-ployees from Canal Flats Canfor. Other offices, including Cranbrook, have also started working with Canfor staff. We expect more will request assistance after the official layoff date and we look forward to working with them,” said case manager Jennie Hilder, adding the transition team set up by Canfor has said many mill employees are interested in retraining for other work.

“East Kootenay Employment offices have been prepar-ing for this spike in individuals interested in accessing training services to ensure we are able to complete train-ing plans for all eligible workers,” she said.

Although Ms. Hilder can’t yet predict how many laid off mill employees are likely to remain in the valley in new jobs, she did express optimism about the layoffs coincid-ing with the summer tourist season.

“There are many employers in town looking to hire new employees. This is a good time in the Columbia Valley to be looking for work as many employers are busy prepar-ing for the approaching busy season and are looking to hire,” said Ms. Hilder.

At the local employment office, Work BC is offering the mill workers computer and resume help, career and skills assessments, training and certificates, work experi-ence placements, self-employment, apprentice support, financial support, and a number of employment related skill building workshops.

The organization works individually with people, with each having his or her own unique return to work action plan.

“Each action plan is developed on a case by case basis to ensure all needs are met and all required services and sup-ports are delivered in a timely manner. There is no charge as all employment services are free,” said Ms. Hilder.

This isn’t the first time East Kootenay Employment has dealt with such a situation, with Work BC having first opened its doors in early April 2012, just after the mass layoffs at the Canfor mill in Radium Hot Springs.

For more information, visit ekemployment.org or stop by the local East Kootenay Employment office.

OCALL EWSN

“One of the ones that is significant to me because we were lobbied very hard by the Health Committee is ex-tending Employment Insurance compassionate care ben-efits from six weeks to six months to better support Cana-dians caring for gravely ill family members,” said Wilks.

A comprehensive renewal of the Agreement on Internal Trade, a new home accessibility tax credit for seniors and persons with disabilities to help with the cost of as-suring their homes from being safe, secure and acces-sible, additional resources of $193.4 million over the next five years to Veterans Affairs Canada to continue to improve service delivery to veterans and their fami-lies, and an increase in TFSA contributions from $5,500 to $10,000 were other significant items to Wilks.

“There are 11 million Canadians that participated in the TFSA that have maxed out their contributions,” said Wilks. “One third. It’s significant. A majority of Canadians were asking for an increase to contributions, so that has occurred.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alterna-tives, this particular budget measure for seniors, as well as lowering the mandatory withdrawals from the Regis-tered Retirement Income Fund, underscores the Centre’s criticism of the budget: that the tax cuts overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy and do little to meet the needs of those living in poverty.

“More than half of seniors don’t even have a TFSA. Sixty-five percent of seniors have less than $50,000 in an RRIF or RRSP,” states a Canadian Centre for Policy Alter-natives press release. “Like so many other measures in this budget, the majority of the benefits from the TFSA

and RRIF changes go to those who need it least. A bet-ter way to help seniors would be to cancel the increased age of eligibility in OAS or expand the Canada Pension Plan… let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that either of these measures will have any impact on senior poverty or the retirement savings crisis.”

Wilks couldn’t speak to whether or not the budget ad-dresses the national student debt crisis, which according to the Canadian Federation of Students, has surpassed $15 billion with more than 178,000 Canadians unable to make any payments on their student loans as of September 2014.

“One (item) that is significant to the Kootenay Columbia area,” he said, “is extending the Recreational Fisheries Con-servation Program by providing $10 million per year for the next three years starting 2016-2017 to support the con-servation and recreational fisheries across the country.” Wilks used Kootenay Lake, where there has been a significant decline in Kokanee salmon, as an example of how this could benefit the region. “We don’t really know why that’s hap-pening, but we need to get volunteer groups like Rod and Gun Clubs and fisheries groups to get involved with the process of trying to figure out why we’re having such sig-nificant decline in Kokanee salmon,” he said.

As for criticism levelled at the federal government for its recent fuel spill response in Vancouver’s English Bay, Wilks said $80 million will be provided to the National Energy Board for safety and environmental protection, and greater engagement with Canadians.

“What greater engagement with Canadians means, I don’t know,” Wilks said.

For Kootenay Columbia NDP candidate Wayne Stetski’s reaction to the 2015 federal budget, see his Letter to the Editor on page 6.

FEDERAL from A1


Cautious federal budget ignores the big picture

It is often said that the various communities

and entities in the Colum-bia Valley should work to-gether better. Mixed market-ing messages, the lack of a single municipality and the existence of two Chambers of Commerce are often pointed out as examples of how ineffective or lacking this co-operation is.

Despite the assumptions and some of the above examples, behind the scenes a great number of things are jointly funded and managed, whether it be recreationally focused like the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena, or around library services, or even things related to responses and handling of emergencies and natural disasters.

There has been some work to do with opening communication and training be-tween various valley fire departments, and

hopefully more co-operation will occur on fire services.

The most recent example of collaboration has been happen-ing quietly and consistently over the last year and half with the steering committee for the new Columbia Valley Centre.

The steering committee was set up when the Regional Dis-trict of East Kootenay Columbia Valley directors agreed to pro-

vide some funding to the new facility in Invermere.

The group consists of all five District of Invermere council members, two repre-sentatives from the Regional District of East Kootenay (Director Wendy Booth, and Director Clara Reinhardt), and representa-tives from key user/stakeholder groups in-cluding performing arts, the youth centre, the fitness centre as well as some general community members.

The group has being meeting with the new architect for the facility for the last three months to collaboratively transform varying visions and ideas into a realistic and usable design that will be functional and affordable to build.

There have been — and will continue to be — tough decisions to be made in order to keep the new multi-use centre on budget, but by working together and trusting each other, we will produce some ideas and con-cepts that are worth bringing forward to the general public for feedback and input.

In early June, we are hoping that there will be an open house to review the concept design for the new facility, and we hope that this example of collaboration and work-ing together proves to be worthwhile and effective.

Gerry Taft is mayor of the District of Inver-mere and a Regional District of East Koote-nay director for the Columbia Valley. He can be reached at [email protected].

Moving forward with trust and collaboration

NICOLE [email protected]

By The Valley Echo’s press time, there still had been no word about the announce-ment regarding Radium Hot Pools hinted at by Kootenay-Columbia MP David Wilks dur-ing his commentary on the federal budget.

However,, he did confirm it will be regard-ing investment in the national parks, and not along the lines of privatization. It’s prob-ably not to far off to speculate that privati-zation of the mountain parks’ hot pools has been taken off the table, at least for the time being, until the federal election is over and done with. We’ll know more on that front coming up, it seems.

It comes as no surprise that the federal government is veering away from privati-zation talk right now, just as it veered away from any surprise announcements in the budget released last week.

Tax breaks for small business, albeit drawn out over five years, will be welcomed locally, as will investments in infrastructure and rec-reational fisheries. The local retirement com-munity will appreciate the rule changes for TFSAs and RRIFs, but there is zero mention of climate change — and 106 references to oil.

“Once again, no surprise, an anti-environ-mental budget,” the Green Party leader said in an interview with The Huffington Post Canada. While the move to a balanced bud-get with a surplus will help attract outside in-

vestment, this was achieved by trimming the contingency fund to $1 billion from $3 bil-lion, leaving the government with very little wiggle room moving ahead. And though the budget was delayed to give the government more time to assess the drop in oil prices, no new vision or clear changes in strategy are coming out of Parliament Hill at this time. Meanwhile, the Canadian economy stalled in the first quarter of 2015 and house-hold debt is at an all-time high (relative to income). Critics say the budget benefits the wealthy, is back-loaded and focuses on fu-ture spending on the eve of a federal elec-tion. Whether it’s a strong enough document to weather the oil price drop remains to be seen, and Canadians will be watching.

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TREETSTHES

Do you know what a wolverine is (see story on page 7)?

“It’s an animal you might mistake for a bear. I actually saw one between here and Calgary. I didn’t know what it was at the time. They are quite rare and I feel privileged to have see one.”

Bev Rasporich

“It’s a wild animal out in the bush and it’s more fearsome that a grizzly bear. I say up north, past Prince George”

Dan Stebbings

“I think so. They’re small animals, bigger than a raccoon, but with a pointier face.”

Skylar Janzen

NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION:Do you support the federal government

borrowing from the contingency fund to balance the 2015 budget?



QUESTION OF THE WEEKShould additional phases be built now if the District of

Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied for through the UBCM’s Strategic Priorities Fund?

INVERMEREVALLEYECHO.com� ��Should additional phases be built now if the District of Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied

INVERMEREVALLEYECHOINVERMEREVALLEYECHOINVERMEREVALLEYECHO.com.com.com� � .com� .com� Should additional phases be built now if the District of Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied

INVERMEREVALLEYECHO

Should additional phases be built now if the District of Should additional phases be built now if the District of Should additional phases be built now if the District of � Should additional phases be built now if the District of � Should additional phases be built now if the District of � � INVERMEREVALLEYECHO� � � Should additional phases be built now if the District of Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied

Should additional phases be built now if the District of Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied

Should additional phases be built now if the District of Invermere succeeds in getting the full amount it has applied � Should additional phases be built now if the District of � Should additional phases be built now if the District of � � Yes

100%

An angler’s eyeDear Editor:

I’m a little tardy in responding to an article about how the total revenue from fi shing licenses will now go to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. This is the organization that does the stocking of various lakes in the province. The article then went on to list a number of local lakes and what species of fi sh went into them. It must have been a complete surprise to most anglers to learn how many local lakes are stocked with kokanee salmon.

A quick check of the website listed in the article, www.gofi shbc.com/fi shstockingre-ports, would show that none of the local lakes are stocked with Kokanee and prob-ably never have been. In fact, it’s quite rare that any stocking of Kokanee is done anywhere in BC.

BOB HAHNINVERMERE

Editor’s note: Bob Hahn is correct. The only East Kootenay lakes stocked with Kokanee are Monroe Lake in Moyie and Rosen Lake in Jaffray. The local lakes mentioned in the article are all stocked with Rainbow Trout, except Bear Lake in Canal Flats which is stocked with Eastern Brook Trout. The Valley Echo apologizes for the error.

Harper the TyrantDear Editor:

The dictionary defi nes a tyrant as either:a) a cruel and oppressive ruler;b) a ruler who seized power without legal right such as election fraud.Harper fi ts both. He is the very defi nition of a tyrant.

LEO YOUNGVERNON

What the numbers really tell usDear Editor:

When I went to university, I majored in science and minored in economics for my fi rst degree.

Facts and numbers are important to me — you will often hear me responding to information with: “Show me the science behind that statement.” I also have a real respect for history and believe it should help to inform the present. It is from that perspective that I was musing on yesterday’s federal budget.

There is much to be said for balancing budgets. When I was mayor of Cranbrook, we always balanced our budget — municipalities are bound by law to do so, which is why local government is often called the most fi scally responsible level of govern-ment.

When I look at Tuesday’s balanced federal budget, I couldn’t help but be a little cyni-cal, which is not how I approach life in general. That cynicism is based on a couple of things.

How was the budget balanced? $2 billion comes from reducing the government’s contingency fund down to $1 billion. This is the money that governments put aside to cover the costs of natural disasters, or national crises. Another $3.3 billion comes from selling off shares in General Motors.

Let’s put these choices into a context we can all understand. This method of balanc-ing the budget would be the same as you paying your bills using money you received by selling your car at a fi re sale price and cashing in your RRSPs. Your bills might be paid, but there is little reason to celebrate!

My second concern with this budget comes from reviewing recent history. The Harper Conservatives ran defi cit budgets every year from 2008 to 2014 ranging from a low of $6.1 billion dollars to a record high of $58.2 billion.

In the last nine years, Stephen Harper has added $4,400 in new debt for every man, woman and child in Canada.

With this record, it is remarkable that anyone in Canada still believes the spin that the Harper Conservatives are good fi scal managers.

WAYNE STETSKINDP CANDIDATE FOR KOOTENAY COLUMBIA

ETTERSL


Cracking the curber code…When Walt says, “Yes, it’s extra clean...”

He means, “Thanks to the fl ood!” (15% are not from BC)

When Walt says, Yes, it

HH

Get a vehicle history report! Buy from a licensed dealer!Find out how at WatchoutforWalt.com

Geoff HillMaxWell Realty Invermere

[email protected]

250-341-7600

Leave your impression

[email protected]


Breanne [email protected]

Exposing the weaknesses of wolverines could ultimately help strengthen their population numbers between Kootenay National Park and Cranbrook.

Wildlife biologist Dr. Tony Clevenger’s newest study, titled “Mapping the Wolverine’s Way,” is investigating whether or not wolverine populations between the United States and Canada are connected and how best to manage the landscape in an attempt to preserve the wolverine’s habitat.

The scope of the project aims to ensure the safety of one of the most mysterious animals known to mankind.

“The challenges to the project are that we are study-ing a wide-ranging, rare-occurring species that is dif-ficult to detect because of the large home range sizes (males occupy 700 to 1,500 square kilometres) and ex-tremely low density populations,” said Clevenger in an email. “That was on top of the fact that wolverines typ-ically occupy the most remote and rugged habitats in the Canadian Rockies, areas that are difficult to access in summer and particularly in winter. To conduct our survey, we access our hair trap sites by 4WD truck, snowmobile and the most remote inaccessible sites by helicopter. The logistics of carrying out the survey are complex as we set up sites and have to check them every 30 days over a four-month period.”

The cost of Clevenger’s study has also proved difficult.“Having adequate funding for the research is also

a challenge in itself,” said Clevenger. “Because of the large area we survey and the remoteness of many survey sites and how we access them, it is expensive compared to other wildlife surveys.”

Funding for the project is primarily from private con-servation foundations and also the US Fish and Wild-life Service’s Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative grant in 2014.

The wolverine is an enigmatic creature that belongs to the otter, weasel and mink family.

The animal is distinct because it has a broad head, small eyes and short round ears with dark brown fur and a slightly lighter-coloured face mask with a strip running down the side of its body, according to the Defenders of Wildlife website.

Wolverines are a vital part of the ecosystem and sci-entists estimate there aren’t many of the animals left in their natural environments.

“Our work is designed to shed light on wolverine distribution, population size and habitat needs in the vast area between the protected areas of Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks in the north and Water-ton/Glacier Nation Parks in the south,” said Clevenger. “Wolverines were a candidate species for listing as threatened in the contiguous United States in 2014; there are only approximately 35 breeding females left.”

These animals are listed as a species at risk in Can-ada and are still being reviewed for the same status in the U.S. Genetic studies have shown that the future survival of wolverines in the U.S. is tied to the larger population across the border in Canada.

“A critical linkage area for their survival is the area we are conducting our research,” explained Clevenger. “It is an area that is bisected by Highway 3 — there are industrial activities (oil, gas, timber harvesting), motorized recreation and trapping occurring in this area. It is believed that the cumulative effects of these activities have an effect on the persistence of wolver-ines in this area over the long term. Our work is de-signed to identify key habitat corridors for movement and gene flow at a transboundary level so that land management agencies can manage areas for wolverine conservation.”

It is believed that a combination of logging, mining and roadways are threatening the remote block of wil-derness that are imperative for wolverines to survive, but there are many questions about the species that remain unanswered and people from all walks of life are entertaining ideas about conservation.

“I think wolverines are a very important part of the Rocky Mountain landscape and we have very, very lit-tle information, not only on wolverines, but generally on carnivores, especially the furry critters,” said John Bergenske, Wildsight conservation director. “It is that group of animals that have very little research done to understand them; what the population densities are and whether or not they are doing very well.”

Although Bergenske doesn’t have statistics available through Wildsight’s volunteer efforts with Clevenger’s project, he remains well-versed in the importance of raising awareness on these issues in the East Kootenay.

“Wildsight has volunteered to help out and I’ve been helping out with the research in terms of just doing some of the checks at research stations, but generally speaking, wolverines have been found,” said Bergen-ske. “It’s been very, very consistent that they’ve been in the most remote locations and most often, interest-ingly, these remote areas are directly associated with protected areas. There haven’t been any locations in the front country or the lower elevations (such as) Rocky Mountain trench to date but this is, of course, ongoing research.”

See A15

EATUREF

Research aims to protect wolverine habitat

Wolverines are the subject of a new study that is trying to understand the threats to this species that is rarely seen or researched. PhotoS courteSy of highWayWilding.org


TOP: Justin Kinnersley receives his award for Most Inspirational Player from Kevin Nelson.MIDDLE: Al Neal presents Evan Prosser the award for Most Dedicated Player. BOTTOM: Tasha Barsby with Chris Prosser, who presented her with the Female Player of the Year award. Photos by Renice Oaks

The Windermere Valley Minor Hockey Association held its annual awards banquet at the Invermere Community Hall on Tuesday, April 7th.

All the players on the younger Initiation and Novice teams were recognized for their participation with medals, while individual awards were handed out to players on the older Peewee, Bantam and Midget teams.

And the winners are ...

Volunteer of the Year Dave and Renice Oaks Female Player of the Year Tasha Barsby Referee of the Year – Junior: Alex Sinclair Referee of the Year – Senior: Ian Knuckey Coach of the Year Al Neal George Gibson Trophy for

Most Inspirational Player Justin Kinnersley Dave White Trophy for Most Dedicated Player Evan Prosser RCMP Trophy for Most Sportsmanship Team Team Atom White


TOP: The Atom White team receives the RCMP trophy for Most Sportsmanship Team. MIDDLE: The Initiation team are recognized with medals.BOTTOM: Bantam boys players during the awards ceremony. Photos by Renice Oaks

Peewee

Frank Hackler MVP Trophy – Blake Simpson Most Coachable Trophy – Tate Hetherington Most Dedicated Medal – Nick Irons Most Sportsmanship Medal – Michael Kubian Most Improved Medal – Hunter Pike Most Versatile – Brendan Kruger

Bantam

Frank Hackler MVP Trophy – Brennan Nelson Most Coachable Trophy – Lucas Kinnersley Most Dedicated Medal – Margaret Mannarino

and Datton Durning Most Sportsmanship Medal – Andrew Durant Most Improved Medal – Spencer Spiry

Midget Boys

Frank Hackler MVP Trophy – Jake Gudjonsonand Aidan Knuckey

Most Coachable Trophy – Justin Kinnersleyand Evan Prosser

Most Dedicated Medal – Evan Prosser Most Sportsmanship Medal – Aidan Knuckey Most Improved Medal – Isaiah Fedow


Three fi rsts, three competi-

tors! One very suc-cessful weekend! On April 18th, three com-petitors represented the B.C. contingent — Kara Goodman from Fernie and Emma and Graham Norquay from the Invermere Judo Club. Kara and Emma are both on the BC Team and are gaining experience for the Nationals in May.

Both fought extremely well. Kara had a lower level belt competitor and demonstrated true grace in her bouts. Emma, too, was in a division where she showed the same qualities. She was also able to fi ght in another division with equal belted competitors.

In this division, Emma clearly demonstrated her versatility and more in-depth knowledge of the sport. Graham had fi ve bouts. Each bout was won by throwing his competitors with a full point or an ippon.

A coach of an Alberta Club after the compe-

tition came over and complimented all three competitors on their demonstration of skill and sportsmanship. We are very proud how these young athletes are representing us!

To learn more about the Invermere Judo Club, visit invermerejudo.com or email [email protected].

19 - 24th Avenue South, Cranbrook BC V1C 3H8Ph: 250-489-2791 • 888-478-7335

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board of Directors is considering an application by 1817796 Alberta Ltd. to amend the Fairmont Hot Springs Area Official Community Plan and the Upper Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw. If approved, the bylaws will amend the OCP and Zoning designations of the subject property to accommodate a proposed subdivision creating approximately 16 single family residential parcels. The subject property is located on Columbia Lake Road as shown on the attached map.

Bylaw No. 2551 cited as “Regional District of East Kootenay – Fairmont Hot Springs Area Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 1734, 2004 – Amendment Bylaw No. 26, 2014 (Columbia Lake / 1817796 Alberta Ltd.)” will amend the designation of Lot 2, District Lot 4596, Kootenay District, Plan 2929 from GC, General Commercial to R-SF, Residential Low Density.

Bylaw No. 2552 cited as “Regional District of East Kootenay – Upper Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 900, 1992 – Amendment Bylaw No. 294, 2014 (Columbia Lake / 1817796 Alberta Ltd.)” will amend the designation of Lot 2, District Lot 4596, Kootenay District, Plan 2929, from C-2, Service Commercial Zone to R-1, Single Family Residential Zone.

A public hearing will be held at: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort (Birch Room) 5225 Fairmont Resort Road

Fairmont Hot Springs, BC Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 7:00 pm

The Board has delegated the holding of this hearing to the Directors for Electoral Area F, Electoral Area G and the Village of Canal Flats.

If you believe that your interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw, you may prior to the hearing:• inspect the Bylaw and supporting information at

the RDEK office in Cranbrook from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays;

• mail, fax or email written submissions to the addresses/numbers shown below; or

• present written and/or verbal submissions at the hearing.

Submissions cannot be accepted after the public hearing.

All written submissions are public information pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This notice is not an interpretation of the Bylaw.

For more information, contact Jean Terpsma, Planning Technician, at 250-489-0314, toll free at 1-888-478-7335, or email [email protected].

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE - BYLAW 2551 & 2552Bylaw Amendment - Columbia Lake

Regional District of East Kootenay

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?To geT To The

Town hall MeeTing!area g Town hall & Volunteer of the Year:Wed, May 6, 2015 - Edgewater Community Hall

7:00pm - Volunteer of the Year Celebration 7:30pm - Area G Town Hall Meeting

The Volunteer of the Year celebration will be held at 7:00pm. Please join us for refreshments and cake as we celebrate Vi Wittman and her many contributions.

Agenda topics for the Town Hall Meeting include: Edgewater and Spur Valley Water Upgrades, Toby Benches OCP, Directors Report (planning for upgrading the ball diamond and rink, replacing the Post Office and more)

area F Town hall & Volunteer of the Year:Mon, May 11, 2015 - Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

7:00pm - Volunteer of the Year Celebration 7:30pm - Area F Town Hall Meeting

The Volunteer of the Year celebration will be held at 7:00pm. Please join us for refreshments and cake as we celebrate our Area F Volunteers of the Year Terry and Shirley White.

Town Hall Meeing Agenda topics will be posted in next week’s Echo/Pioneer.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN WHY DID THE CHICKEN

Baking is a precise scienceIn my business, people are always asking us

“how do you get your cakes…cookies… breads...to always look, taste so good and con-sistent?” My answer is always the same... “weigh your ingredients!”

I often get a perplexed look so I go and fetch the scale. I love it when someone tells me that they took the advice and made the best cookies ever, which is why I am writing this article.

In baking, precision is a must. Any changes in a baked item recipe will create unwanted re-sults. Too dark? Baked too long or your oven is too hot. Flat? Most likely not enough fl our and/or too much butter. Too light in colour? Too much fl our or not baked enough.

Number one rule — weigh don’t measure. By changing up to this method, you will be faster and your end result will be perfect. Here are some shortcuts to know:

1 cup all-purpose fl our = 150 g1 cup packed brown sugar = 250 g1 cup butter = 225 g1 tsp salt = 6 g1 tsp baking soda = 5 g1 cup granulated sugar = 205 g1 tsp baking powder = 4 gThe following recipe is fabulous – follow the

weights and you will have what I think is the near-perfect cookie.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Copyright from Bill Granger’s Bills Food Cook-

book — one of my favourite Aussie chefs!)Makes about 30 cookies.

150 g unsalted butter, softened230 g soft brown sugar1 egg, lightly beaten2 teaspoons vanilla extract — yes, measure

this one!125 g all-purpose fl our4 g baking powdera pinch of salt235 g rolled oats175 g chocolate chips

• Preheat your oven to 350 C. Line three large baking trays with parchment paper.

• Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl till fl uffy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. Sift the fl our, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix lightly. Add the oats and chocolate chips. Stir to combine.

• Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on baking trays. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in fl our. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or until a pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the trays for fi ve min-utes then transfer to a cooling rack for an addi-tional 30 minutes.

Lara McCormack is one of the owners of From Scratch — A Mountain Kitchen in Fairmont Hot Springs where one can savour great seasonal food, sip from a selection of beverages including B.C. wines and enjoy the views of our gorgeous valley landscape.

OLUMNISTC

PORTSSLocal judokas making an impression

OTTINGSJJudoOTTINGSJ

ERMANNHMAUTHNER

Emma and Graham Norquay (left, Invermere Judo Club) with Kara Goodman (Fernie Judo Club).


WEEKLY Beat

Have an event you’d

like listed? Email it to: production@


THE

April 29th - May 5th

29TH : WEDNESDAY

• 10 - 11 a.m.: Preschoolers and Parents, Plant and Play. Runs every Wednesday morning for 6 weeks. Ends May 13th. By donation, pre-registration requested. Visit groundswellnetwork.ca• 4 - 5:30 p.m.: Summit Youth Centre (SYC) Employment Readiness program. Must pre-register. Email [email protected] or call 250-342-3033.• 5:30 - 9 p.m.: L’il Peeps Art show artist opening event at Pynelogs Art gallery. For more infomation visit columbiavalleyarts.com• 6 - 7:30 p.m.: SYC Skills for life program.• 7 p.m.: Valley Gogo Sisters presents Sharon Henderson, one of twenty two Canadian Grandmothers who visited Ethiopia and S. African Stephen Lewis Foundation communities and projects. VGGS members and guests welcome. Columbia Garden Village. Admission by donation.

30TH : THURSDAY

• 4 - 6 p.m.: SYC Graphic design program. Must pre-register. Email [email protected] or call 250-342-3033.• 4 - 8 p.m.: SYC open gym.• 6 - 9 p.m.: Panorama Adaptive Snow Sports Society AGM at Invermere Health Unit.

MAY 1ST : FRIDAY

• 5 p.m.: May 1st - May 3rd, orienteering training and coaching camp in Invermere. For more information visitkootenayor ienteer ing .com/events/view/1833• 7 - 10 p.m.: Fresh Fridays Open Mic at Pynelogs. Showcasing young talent from the valley. All ages, licensed bar. First Friday of every month.

2ND : SATURDAY

• 5 p.m.: Hospice Society 3rd Annual Butterfl y Gala at Radium Resort. Tickets $50. 3-course meal,

live entertainment by Bruce Childs and Valley Forged. Silent, live and dessert auction.• 8 p.m.: Copper City Saloon presents Canada Star Boxing Fight. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Advanced Tickets $10 at Front Desk only.• 9 p.m.: The Killer Rollbots presents Fantastic Four at Station Neighbourhood Pub. $5 cover, live music, Raffl e Prizes and the offi cial release of Kick Ass Coffee Cream Ale from Arrowhead Brewing Company.

4TH : MONDAY

• Wings Over the Rockies Festival from May 4th to 10th at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre & Art Gallery and various locations throughout the Columbia Valley. For more infomation visit columbiavalleyarts.com

5TH : TUESDAY

• 7 p.m.: Windermere Valley Child Care Society General Meeting at WVCCS in the preschool room. Parents, caregivers and general public are welcome to attend.• 7 - 8:30 p.m.: Get Started on Vegetable Gardening at Groundswell’s Community Greenhouse at 15th Ave. and Westridge Dr. For more information [email protected] or phone 250-342-3337.

May 6th - 12th

6TH : WEDNESDAY

• Wings over the Rockies Bighorn Sheep virtual tour and educational presentation at Radium Hot Springs Visitor Centre. To register visit wingsovertherockies.org• 10 - 11 a.m.: Preschoolers and Parents, Plant and Play. Runs every Wednesday morning for 6 weeks. Ends May 13th. By donation, pre-registration requested. Visit groundswellnetwork.ca

7TH : THURSDAY

• Join Corrina Keeling, her sisiter Jessica Dawn, Emily Malloy and Lola Lush for a night of great music at Safta’s in Invermere.• 5 - 6 p.m.: Every Thursday evening, enjoy the Wine Tasting in the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Lobby. Learn about BC wines from our in-house sommelier $10 per person.• 7 p.m.: Minor Hockey AGM at the District of Invermere offi ces.

9TH : SATURDAY

• 6 - 8 p.m.: Pooch Plunge at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. The pool goes to the dogs in support of GALS and the SPCA Bring your family and doggie out for some fun. $10/ dog, registration required 1-800-663-4979 ext 6056. For more information visit fairmonthotsprings.com or call 250-342-6030.

12TH : TUESDAY

• 7 - 8:30 p.m.: Rot On! Competent Composting at Groundswell’s Community Greenhouse 15th Ave. and Westridge Dr. For more information [email protected] or phone 250-342-3337.

COMING SOON…

MAY 13TH : WEDNESDAY

• 10 - 11 a.m.: Preschoolers and Parents, Plant and Play. Runs every Wednesday morning for 6 weeks. Ends May 13th. By donation, pre-registration requested. Visit groundswellnetwork.ca• 7:30 p.m.: Windermere Valley Rural Range Resource Patrol AGM at Lions Hall, at the crossroads.

MAY 14TH : THURSDAY

• Every Thursday evening, enjoy the Wine Tasting in the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Lobby. Learn about BC wines from our in-house sommelier from 5pm-6pm. $10 per person.• 7 - 9 p.m.: The BC Wolf Cull: Science meets ethics, ecology and politics meeting at Pynelogs Cultural Centre, hosted by Wolf Awareness, featuring guest speaker Brad Hill. For more information visitw o l f a w a r e n e s s i n c . o r g or contact Sadie Parr [email protected]

MAY 15TH : FRIDAY

• 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.: From May 15th – May 28th Permaculture Design Certifi cation at the College of the Rockies and Groundswell Community Greenhouse 15th Ave. and Westridge Dr. For more information [email protected] or call 250-342-3337.• May 15 – Sun, May 17, Crescents Heights Senior High School Reunion, Calgary, 100th Celebration. 1019-1st Street N.W. To register visit crescentheightsalumni.ca or call 1-855-424-2586.

MAY 16TH : SATURDAY

• 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.: Artym Gallery shows Cameron Bird, Bayot Heer and Vance Theoret exhibition till May 22.• 12 - 6 p.m.: Summer Kickoff Party at the Radium Hot Springs visitor centre. Visitradiumhotsprings.com for details.

MAY 21ST : THURSDAY

• 5 - 6 p.m.: Every Thursday evening, enjoy the Wine Tasting in the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Lobby. Learn about BC wines from our in-house sommelier $10 per person.

MAY 22ND : FRIDAY

• 5 p.m.: May 22 - May 24, BCWF’s Wetlandkeepers Course is a 2.5 days workshop that educates participants about wetland conservation. This is a hands-on, free fi eldwork course that provides participants with technical skills to steward their own wetland. For more information contact [email protected] or visit wetlandkeeperswindermere.eventbrite.ca

MAY 23RD : SATURDAY

• Garage Sale at Akisqnuk First Nation arbor. Food and items for sale.• 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Plant Sale and Open House at Groundswell Community Greenhouse 15th Ave and Westridge Dr. For more information [email protected] or phone 250-342-3337.• 10 a.m.: Crazy Sole Nipika Trail Run at Nipika Resort. Register prior to event at new.zone4.ca for more information visit nipika.com/crazy-soles-nipika-trail-run• May 23rd & Sunday May 24th Radium Car Rally visit radiumhotsprings.com for details.

HOURS

INVERMERE LIBRARY

• Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.• Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

RADIUM LIBRARY

• Tuesday: 6 - 8 p.m.• Wednesday - Thursday: 1 - 4 p.m.• Saturday: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

WINDERMERE VALLEY MUSEUM

• Tuesday: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.


CLUES ACROSS 1. Printing speed measurement 4. Fed 7. A domed or vaulted recess 11. Macaws 12. Neck garment 14. A billionth of an ohm 15. Local area network 16. Cleve. basketball hero 18. Wounded & disfigured 20. Civil Rights group 21. Master of ceremonies 22. Smallest artery branches 26. Ref 27. Exist 28. Diagram of earth’s surface 29. SE Asian sarsaparilla soft

drink 31. Fire remains 35. 3rd tone 36. Before 37. It breaks down lactose

39. A waterproof raincoat 40. Atomic #18 41. NW Canadian territory 42. Hindquarters 44. Follows sigma 46. Rural delivery 47. Point that is one point N of

due E 48. Excels 53. Berkus and Silver 56. Famous for fables 57. Philippine capital 58. Meg Ryan’s ex-husband 62. Doleful 63. Arugula genus 64. Nursery verse 65. The 7th Greek letter 66. Container for shipping 67. Charge for services 68. Immature onion plant CLUES DOWN

1. Swedish statesman Olaf 2. Baltic flat-bottomed boat

(alt. sp.) 3. Fingernail treatment 4. Breezed through 5. Check 6. Stray 7. Ancient computing devices 8. Something cheerleaders

wave 9. The woman 10. Ambulance rescue initials 12. In a drowsy manner 13. A set of type of one style 14. Not completely closed 17. No (Scottish) 19. Microelectromechanical

system 22. Having the wind against

the forward side 23. Reestablish 24. Khloe K’s former husband

25.Verse forms 29. Places to sit 30. Chilean pianist Claudio 32. Rounds of poker 33. Spanish be 34. Sing and play for somebody 38. Chemical symbol for gold 39. Praying insects 43. Israeli politician Abba 45. 7th planet from the sun 49. Br. plural of a penny 50. Largest continent 51. Distress signal 52. Senate and People of Rome 54. Fill with high spirits 55. Egyptian statesman Anwar 57. Non-verbal entertainer 58. 12th calendar month (abbr.) 59. A major division of

geological time 60. Ultrahigh frequency 61. Yes vote

Answers to last week

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fi ll each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. Figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers named, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

UDOKUS

ROSSWORDC

RAINB AINGAMES

Friday May 1

Mainly sunny 15oC

Saturday May 2

Mainly sunny 14oC

Sunday May 3

Mainly sunny 15oC

EATHERWWeekend

A look back through � e Valley Echo's archives over the last 56 years

REMEMBER WHEN?

50 years ago (1965): The decision was

made to restore the old school in Windermere for a centen-nial project. There was a dance held May 22nd to raise money for the initiative.

40 years ago (1975): Winners of the Girl

Guide “Miss Cookie” Contest in 1975 were selected on April 19th. Lynneth Stuart-Hill rep-resented the Invermere pack and was named “Miss Junior Cookie.” Nicola Tegart of the Windermere Guide Company

was dubbed as “Miss Cookie.” Each competitor had to chron-icle the importance of wearing their uniforms.

30 years ago (1985): Premier Bill Bennett

welcomed Cancer advocate Steve Fonyo. Fonyo crossed into B.C. during a chilly, snowy spring. He was greeted by many shivering but enthusias-tic crowd of 200 supporters.

20 years ago (1995): World Wristwrestling

Champion Judy King suc-cessfully defended her title in Russia. She returned to the Columbia Valley on April 26th and began training for the 1996 Olympic Games held

in Atlanta.

15 years ago (2000): A 33-year-old Calgary

man was being held in cus-tody for a break and enter at Hidden Valley Ranch. He stole numerous fi rearms on April 21st. However, the court date was postponed until June 12th in Cranbrook.

10 years ago (2005): Thick plumes of

smoke rose above Radium Hot Springs on April 21st, as Parks Canada conducted a prescribed burn in the Red-streak Restoration area adja-cent to the Redstreak Camp-ground.

2010 — Const. Chris Ralph demonstrates how the new

ASD, Alcohol Sensor Device, works on a willing member

of the Columbia Valley Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Invermere detachment.

ECHO FILE PHOTO

invermerevalleyecho.com A13Wednesday, April 29, 2015 The Valley EchoThe Valley Echo Wednesday, April 29, 2015 www.invermerevalleyecho.com A13

CHURCH SERVICES DIRECTORYWINDERMERE

VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY

ANGLICAN-UNITED100-7th Ave., Invermere

250-342-6644Reverend Laura Hermakin

wvsm.ca Every Sunday: Bacon, Friends

& Faith, 9:30 a.m Worship, 10:30 a.m.

Christ Church Trinity, Invermere

1st and 3rd Sunday, 9 a.m.: All Saint’s, Edgewater

2nd Sunday, 7 p.m.: June - October at St. Peter’s Windermere

All Saint’s, Edgewater.St.Peter’s Windermere

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

250-342-6167Pastor: Father Gabriel

Confession: 1/2 hr. before MassCanadian Martyrs Church

712 - 12 Ave, InvermereSaturdays, 5 p.m.Sundays, 9 a.m.

St. Joseph’s ChurchHwy. 93-95, Radium Hot

SpringsSundays, 11 a.m.

St. Anthony’s MissionCorner of Luck and Dunn,

Canal FlatsSaturdays, 4:30 p.m.

RADIUM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

#4 - 7553 Main Street W, Radium

250-342-6633 250-347-6334

Worship Service Sundays, 10 a.m.

Bible Studies Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Kids’ Church Edgewater Hall

Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.

Loving God, Loving People

LAKE WINDERMEREALLIANCE CHURCH

326 - 10th Ave., Invermere 250-342-9535

Pastor: Trevor Haganlakewindermerealliance.org

CelebrationSunday May 3rd

10:30 a.m.“Let Us ... Spur One Another”

Guest Speaker, Mr. Matt Moore ministering.

K.I.D.S Church for children age 3 to Grade 1; and grades 2-7, during the

morning service..

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

Hwy. 93/95, 1 km northof Windermere250-342-9511

Pastor: Murray Wittkevalleychristianonline.com

Sunday Service10 a.m. Worship & Word

Kid’s Church Provided

Sharing TruthShowing Love

Following the Spirit

ST. PETER’SLUTHERAN MISSION

OF INVERMERE100 - 7th Ave., Invermere

250-426-7564Pastor: Rev. Fraser ColtmanPastor Rev. David Morton

Worship ServicesSundays1:30 p.m.

Christ Church Trinity,Invermere

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER

DAY SAINTS5014 Fairway,

Fairmont Hot Springs250-341-5792

President: Adam PasowistyColumbia Valley Branch

Worship ServicesSundays

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Part and Full-time Positions Available

Start date: ASAPFood Service Supervisor

Permanent, ShiftJob Description Available in Store

7 positions availableNo education required

One to two years experience required.Nights/early mornings/weekends

$12.12/hour + medical/dental/group benefits.

Food Counter AttendantPermanent, Shift

Job Description Available in Store12 positions available

No education or experience required.Nights/overnights/early mornings/ weekends. $11.05/hour + medical/dental/group benefits.

Apply in person, via email ([email protected]) or by fax (250-341-3177) for both positions.

0911611 BC LTD o/a Tim Hortons496 Highway 93/95 Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K2

Box 600Golden, BC

V0A [email protected]

250-344-6784

Well established Logging Company currently looking for opportunities in the Golden area.

We offer all phases of logging and conventional or cable logging. We have been in business for

years in Golden are afe Certi ed ith the C C and have completed raining ith L . We pride ourselves ith being an eco

friendly operation and offer competitive rates. lease contact or

[email protected] for more information.

Announcements

InformationALCOHOLICS Anonymous - If alcohol is causing problems or confl ict in your life, AA can help. Call 250-342-2424 for more information. All meetings are at 8 p.m. Invermere: Satur-day, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday groups - Colum-bia United AA at the BC Ser-vices building, south end, 625 4th Street Invermere. Radium Friendship Group: Friday, Catholic Church. All meetings are open with the exception of Tuesdays.

PersonalsALL MALE Hot Gay Hookups! Call FREE! 1-800-462-9090. only 18 and over.

Lost & FoundFound: A hearing aid, in the handicap parking lot in front of the Invermere Legion, enquire inside or 250-342-9517.

Found: Cat in Invermere, white short hair, blue eyes, tat-tooed, neutered male. Call ICan. 250-341-7888

Found in Wilmer, gold ring. Please call to identify & claim. 250-342-1486

Lost or stolen: From Winder-mere beach on Sat. April 18th, a red Liquid Force 12m kite-boarding kite. Please call Mike at 250-342-1048.

Lost or stolen in Invermere area. Fuji camera (Lg with view fi nder) was in black camera case, with all cords & memory cards. Has all art work pics & most recent picks of mountains. Please call 250-341-7498.

Travel

TimeshareCANCEL YOUR Timeshare. No risk program stop mort-gage & maintenance pay-ments today. 100% money back guarantee. Free consul-tation. Call us now. We can help! 1-888-356-5248.

Employment

Business Opportunities

Career Opportunities

AREA SUPERVISOR – LOUISIA-NA-PACIFIC CANADA LTD - MAL-AKWA WOODLANDS DIVISION LP is seeking a highly motivated indi-vidual to supervise harvesting, road construction, road maintenance and other forestry operations in the Mal-akwa BC area. KEY RESPON-SIBILITIES: - Supervision of Con-tract Harvesting, Road Construction & Maintenance Activities. - Inspec-tions for Compliance and quality control - Review fi eld layout working with Planning Forester. - This is a fi eld oriented position; 80%+ of time will be in the fi eld. QUALIFICA-TIONS: - Driver’s License required. - Strong communication, negotia-tion, interpersonal and computer skills. EDUCATION: - Forest Tech-nician diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Forestry is preferred; Or equiva-lent combination of education and experience. EXPERIENCE: 5 + years’ forestry and supervisory ex-perience. Apply with Resume & References to:[email protected] by May 23, 2015.

Services

Financial ServicesGET BACK ON TRACK! Bad credit? Bills? Unemployed? Need Money? We Lend! If you own your own home - you qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB.

1-877-987-1420 www.pioneerwest.com

LARGE FUNDBorrowers Wanted

Start saving hundreds of dollars today! We can easily approve you by phone. 1st, 2nd or 3rd mortgage money is available right now. Rates start at Prime. Equity counts. We don’t rely on credit, age or income.

Call Anytime1-800-639-2274 or

604-430-1498. Apply online www.capitaldirect.ca

Home ImprovementsFULL SERVICE Plumbing from Parker Dean. Fast, re-liable, 24/7 service. Take $50 off your next job if you present this ad. Vancouver area. 1-800-573-2928.

Help Wanted

Merchandise for Sale

Heavy Duty Machinery

A-CHEAP, LOWEST PRICES STEEL SHIPPING Dry Storage Containers Used 20’40’45’53’ and insulated con-tainers all sizes in stock. 40’ containers as low as $2,200. Also JD 544 & 644 wheel Loaders & 20,000 lb CAT fork-lift. Ph Toll free 24 hours 1-866-528-7108 1-778-298-3192 8am-5pm. Delivery BC and AB www.rtccontainer.com

Misc. WantedPrivate Collector Looking toBuy Coin Collections, Silver,Antique Native Art, Estates +Chad: 778-281-0030 in town.

Help Wanted

Misc Services Misc Services

Place of Worship Place of Worship Place of Worship Place of Worship Place of WorshipPlace of Worship Place of Worship

AGREEMENT It is agreed by any Display orClassifi ed Advertiser requesting space that the liability of thepaper in the event of failure topublish an advertisement shallbe limited to the amount paid bythe advertiser for that portion ofthe advertising space occupiedby the incorrect item only, andthat there shall be no liability inany event beyond the amountpaid for such advertisement. Thepublisher shall not be liable forslight changes or typographi-cal errors that do not lessen thevalue of an advertisement.

bcclassifi ed.com cannot be re-sponsible for errors after the fi rst day of publication of any ad-vertisement. Notice of errors onthe fi rst day should immediatelybe called to the attention of theClassifi ed Department to be cor-rected for the following edition.

bcclassifi ed.com reserves theright to revise, edit, classify or re-ject any advertisment and to re-tain any answers directed to the bcclassifi ed.com Box Reply Ser-vice and to repay the customerthe sum paid for the advertis-ment and box rental.

DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION Advertisers are reminded that Provincial legislation forbids thepublication of any advertisementwhich discriminates against anyperson because of race, religion,sex, color, nationality, ancestry orplace of origin, or age, unless thecondition is justifi ed by a bonafi de requirement for the workinvolved.

COPYRIGHT Copyright and/or properties sub-sist in all advertisements and inall other material appearing inthis edition of bcclassifi ed.com.Permission to reproduce whollyor in part and in any form what-soever, particularly by a pho-tographic or off set process in apublication must be obtained inwriting from the publisher. Any unauthorized reproduction willbe subject to recourse in law.

ON THE WEB:

INDEX IN BRIEFFAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTSTRAVEL

CHILDRENEMPLOYMENT

BUSINESS SERVICESPETS & LIVESTOCK

MERCHANDISE FOR SALEREAL ESTATE

RENTALSAUTOMOTIVE

MARINE

250.341.6299

email [email protected]

our community. our classi e s.

Services Services

BCDaily

Register Online atwww.bcdailydeals.com

• 24/7 • anonymous • confi dential • in your language

YOUTH AGAINST VIOLENCE LINE

[email protected] up. Be heard. Get help.

A14 invermerevalleyecho.com Wednesday, April 29, 2015 The Valley EchoA14 www.invermerevalleyecho.com Wednesday, April 29, 2015 The Valley Echo

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NOTICE

We/I, CertainTeed Gypsum Canada Inc., 1564 Windermere Loop Rd., P.O. Box 217, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0, intend to submit an application to the Director to authorize the discharge of air/effluent emissions, from a gypsum mine and rail load-out facility. The sources of dust emissions are associated with drilling, blasting, and crushing of gypsum at the mine site as well as handling of materials at the rail load-out facility. The source of discharge is associated with storm water run-off within disturbed areas at the mine site or dust at the rail load-out facility.

The land upon which the mine facility is situ-ated, and the discharge will occur, is located 10 km northeast of Windermere, B.C., within the Windermere Creek watershed; the land upon which the rail load-out facility is situ-ated on multiple lots bordering Windermere, Columbia and Dorothy streets ( Lots 10 to 21, 24, Parcel A, Block 42; Lots 9,10, 20 to 23, Block 43; Lots 8 to 15, Block 46; Lots 10 to 23, Block 37; Plan 1143, DL 267 KD), within the District of Invermere.

Rates of surface discharge vary with the mag-nitude of storm water events and disturbance area; there is no process water associated with the mining operation. Air emissions are strictly associated with dust generation at the mine site and rail load-out facility. The oper-ating period for truck loading at the mine site is 12 hours / day, five days / week. The rail load-out area operating period is 10 hours / day, 4 days / week for rail car loading; up to 12 hours / day, 4 days / week for trucks deliv-ering gypsum to the site. The characteristics

of surface run-off are as follows: suspended sediment that includes silts and sands as well as calcium sulphate (gypsum) and dust parti-cles from road surfaces or gypsum stockpiles. The types of treatment to manage surface run-off include erosion control structures to minimize sediment transport and multiple sediment control ponds to intercept mine site drainage. Sediment-laden water exfiltrates to ground with no surface discharge to atten-dant water courses. Progressive reclamation is incorporated to minimize overall distur-bance area. Fugitive dust at the mine site is managed by a variety of measures that in-clude paved haul roads and calcium chloride application to gravel surfaces while mitigative measures at the rail load-out include road surface washing, provision of a dust hood on the feed hopper, dust sock to railcar loading chute, installation of a cattleguard on the access road at the rail load-out to minimize the transfer of gypsum from truck tires to the road way, and operation of a sprinkler system to gypsum piles during hot, dry conditions to minimize effects of wind action.

Any person who may be adversely affected by the proposed air and effluent emissions and wishes to provide relevant information may, within 30 days after the last date of posting, publishing, service or display, send written comments to the applicant, with a copy to the Regional Manager, Environmen-tal Protection at 205 Industrial Rd G, V1C 7G5. The identity of any respondents and the contents of anything submitted in relation to this application will become part of the public record.

Application for an Authorization to Discharge Waste Under The Provisions of the Environmental Management Act

Dated this: 23rd day of April, 2015Contact person: Steve Rasilainen

Telephone No. : 250-342-9410

Application No. 338669

Real Estate

Mobile Homes & Parks

RETIRE IN Beautiful Southern BC, Brand New Park. Af-fordable Housing. COPPER RIDGE. Manufactured Home Park, New Home Sales. Kere-meos, BC. Spec home on site to view. Please call 250-462-7055. www.copperridge.ca

Rentals

Acreage

Rare opportunity to purchase private 150 acres

5 minutes from Cranbrook BC.

Borders crown land on 3 sides.

Mixture of timber and fi elds. Not in the ALR zoned RR60.

Serious inquiries only, $675,000.

250-489-9234

Seasonal Accommodation

For rent: 2 RV Moyie River front lots, fully serviced, side by side, 100x40, at 3 Valley Resort in Yahk, BC, $1000/year each including ser-vices. Email for more info:[email protected]

Transportation

Boats

Legal NoticesLegal Notices Legal Notices

www.pitch-in.ca

Become a GREEN

SHOPPER!

The eyes have it

Fetch a Friend from the SPCA today!

spca.bc.ca


Join our Facebook Group:“Summit Youth Centre Events & Updates”

to stay in the loop

Interested in Volunteering? Contact us!

[email protected]

www.invermeresummityouthcentre.orgUpstairs: 709 10th St.

Box 133, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

painting a brighter

future

Showcase your products and services in any or all of these

popular features in

May• May 6th: Mother’s Day• May 20th: Spring Gardening• May 27th: all Things Racing

Will ouR ReaDeRS See youR aD?


upcoMinG FeaTuReSFor more information

or to book an ad, contact

amanda nason250-341-1111

[email protected]

250-342-4433 • Open 7 days a weekNATIONWIDE GUARANTEE

• Tires• Suspension• Alignment

• Brakes• Oil Changes• Air Conditioners

Your Winter Tire Super Store

Bruce Dehart 250-347-9803 or 250-342-5357

• Complete sewer/drain repairs• Reasonable rates - Seniors’ discount• Speedy service - 7 days a week

• A well-maintained septic system should be pumped every 2-3 years• Avoid costly repairs

Septic Tank PumpingPortable

Toilet Rentals

NEWSEWERCAMER

A

READY MIX CONCRETE• CONCRETE PUMP • SAND & GRAVEL

• HEAVY EQUIPMENT RENTALS • CRANE SERVICE

For competitive prices and prompt service call:

250-342-3268 (plant) 250-342-6767 (office)

Proudly serving the Valley for over 50 years.

Sales ~ Service ~ Installation

UNIVERSALDOORS & EXTERIORS

Arnold Scheffer250-342-6700

[email protected]

Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential

[email protected] Highway 93/ 95, P.O. Box 1019, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

Sponsored by:

www.TheColumbiaValley.ca

Business of the Week

Walkers Repair Centre LTD. is a full service, automotive repair and maintenance shop serving the Invermere area with many years of consistent and friendly service. We understand that sometimes car repair can be stressful and we do everything possible to make our customers feel welcome, comfortable and satisfied with their service experience. We offer early bird and night-owl drop-box service and local shuttle service to your home or office. Visit us for all of your maintenance and repair needs. We are an AC Delco Repair Center and ASE Certified Shop.

www.walkersrepair.mechanicnet.com

Sholinder & MacKaySand & Gravel

Complete line of aggregate productsfor construction and landscaping

Office: 250-342-6452 • 250-342-3773 Cell: 250-342-5833

To advertise, call: 250-341-6299SERVING THE VALLEY

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

Amanda NasonAdvertising Sales


#8, 1008 - 8th AvenuePO Box 868, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0Ph: 250.341.6299 • Cell: 250.341.1111

[email protected]

The study area includes the area proposed by Wildsight and the Flathead Wild Coalition for a Wildlife Management Area and Flatland National Park Reserve. It is part of an area known as the Crown of the Continent that runs down the core of the core of the Rocky Mountains from Banff to Missoula, Montana.

The Canadian portion of the Crown of the Continent ecosystem has been crucial for wol-verines north of the United States of America.

“Wolverines are really the largest of the weasel family,” Bergenske added. “They’re very signifi cant in terms of letting us know where things stand in the health of the backcountry and some of those higher el-evation landscapes because they really de-pend on that remoteness.

“There are concerns that, over time, wolverines depend on snow cover. They’re directly linked up to the areas where there is snow cover later into the year and, with the climate changes, there are a lot of concerns that wolverine habitat zones will be decreased so following wolverines also gives us information on a lot of the

changes that have taken place.”There have been 46 hair traps set up with car-

casses and the scent of musk near trail cam-eras to collect samples of hair and photos and obtain information on the wolverine popula-tion and habitat relationships in the region. It is expected the project will last for three years.

“I’m just helping out and Wildsight has been really supportive of the work, but it’s really a project that Tony’s headed up in the area,” Ber-genske concluded. “If people are interested in wolverines at all, there’s a book called The Wol-verine Way by Doug Chadwick and it is one of the best natural history books a person’s going to read for information’s sake. It’s a very, very entertaining book and when people talk about wolverine’s, I always promote Chadwick’s book because I put it at the very top of the list of

natural history book that I’ve ever read. It’s a really fun book and you get a lot of information about these animals, their habits and what they do.”

For more information about the project or to get involved, visit www.wolverine-watch.org.

—With fi les from John Bergenske, Wildsight conservation director

One of the study’s 46 hair trap sites that are checked every 30 days over a four-month period. PHOTOS COURTESY OF HIGHWAYWILDING.ORG

RESEARCH from A7


Question of the WeekDo you plan to take a driving vacation this summer? If so, where?

Safety Tip:An average of six youths are killed and 1,660 injured in

crashes during grad season (April to June) in B.C. Car crashes are the top cause of preventable deaths for young people in B.C. If you have teenagers, ensure they have a safe ride to and from grad festivities.

OF THE WEEK!

?QUESTION

Go to DrivewayCanada.ca for the question of the week

follow us…

/Driveway

@DrivewayCanada

Nothing staid or stodgy about this family station wagonCanadians have fallen in love with small SUVs but there is still a hardcore group of family station wagon fans. Volkswagen has continued to produce a wagon in the Golf line for years, and there are a few premium offerings like the BMW 3 Series wagon and Mercedes E-Class, but even the wagon is getting the crossover treatment with cars like the Subaru Outback, the Audi Allroad and even the larger Volvo CX70. The list of wagons really is rather small. There is one new entry into this club that should be considered by anyone who wants the versatility of a wagon but yearns for the precise handling that a sedan offers, the Volvo V60. LooksVolvo, as a brand, has been struggling in North America due to the lack of fresh, new products. In a few months, the outdated, 12 year-old CX90 SUV will be replaced with an all-new model. To help keep the product lineup somewhat fresh, Volvo has introduced this V60, the wagon version of the S60 sedan. Yes, a limited market but for those that like a wagon, this is a very nice option. The lines are sleek and stylish and the R Design model, seen here, has larger 18-inch or optional 19-inch wheels and a suspension that sits a tad lower. The back sports meaty looking exhaust tips and the front has a two-tone spoiler to help round out the dynamic look. This setup will cost a whopping $51,700. To be fair the base model without the R design and smaller engine and front wheel drive, starts at $40,200.InsideWhat Volvo does better than most car companies

is create interior designs that really stand out and provide optimal comfort. Buyers can look everywhere and have a hard time finding seats that are more comfortable than Volvo Seats, especially these sportier R Design seats. The dash is well designed with a centre console that has easy-to-understand graphics and layout. The dash and doors are covered in soft touch materials. This, along with polished metal trim makes the interior look and feel rich. The graphics in the instrument cluster are projected onto a screen with a modern feel that brings this car up to date. The screen in the centre of the dash is a different story, looking rather small by today’s standards. The back seat has plenty of room, even for adults, but because of the curvy exterior shape, the back cargo area isn’t as roomy

as the rather square VW Golf Sportwagon.

DriveThe V60 is available with a number of engine choices and the base engine might just be the best overall value. It comes with a 2.0L direct injection turbocharged 4-cylinder, putting out 240hp. This base T5 Drive-E unit is only available with front wheel drive but comes with an 8-speed automatic; all the other V60s come with a 6-speed unit. The next step up is the T5 all wheel drive with a turbocharged 2.5L 5-cylinder with just slightly more power at 250hp. The top model is the T6 R Design with a 300hp turbocharged 6-cylinder. What this car has is standard AWD and a refined ride that produces smiles at every corner. The way Volvo has been able to marry comfort and handling performance and grip is superb.

Verdict

To counteract the wagon stigma, Volvo has even added a crossover version of this wagon called the V60 Cross Country. If you like a sporty and great handling car with supremely comfy seats and enough power for any task, this V60 T6 is fantastic.

The LowdownPower: 2.0L with 240hp, 2.5L with 250hp and 3.0L with 300hpFill-up: 9.8L/6.6L/100km (city/highway) Sticker price: $40,200-$51,700

Write to [email protected]

Visit the Volvo CX70 gallery at DrivewayCanada.ca

‘‘ If you like a sporty and great handling car with supremely comfy seats and enough power for any task, this V60 T6 is fantastic.’’Zack Spencer

DrivewayCanada.ca | Welcome to the driver’s seat

Question of the Week

is create interior designs that really stand out and provide optimal comfort

Verdict

ewayCanada.ca

to the driver’s seat

6 Websites for the Price of 1.

/localwork-bc @localworkbc

Just one of the reasons to call LocalWorkBC.ca for all your job recruitment needs.

1-855-678-7833

invermere valley echo, april 29, 2015

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