FRIDAY
S I N C E
River ranks high
1 8 9 5
MARCH 30, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 63
Page 15
110
$
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
POWER DOWN FOR EARTH HOUR
FEDERAL BUDGET
Cuts concern Atamanenko BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
MP Alex Atamanenko can’t get behind a budget that has nine times more cuts than job creation tactics, he said Thursday after the Conservative government introduced the 2012 federal budget in the House of Commons. The budget puts some 19,200 pubic servants out of work with an estimated 12,000 of those cut and the remaining positions eliminated through attrition. “It seems the government’s only job creation strategy is to facilitate super tankers and dirty oil pipelines over our most pristine land and waterways while gutting environmental assessments,” he said, referring to the government’s plans for sweeping legislative and regulatory changes to environmental assessments and over $100 million in funding to expedite resource extraction. Job stability wasn’t the only concern he had for his Southern Interior riding. The New Democrat says the government’s plan to raise the eligible age for Old Age Security from 65 to 67 will force seniors to work two years extra while denying jobs for younger workers, all while making low-income seniors in B.C. live two more years on degrading rates of social assistance.
See BORDER, Page 3
Business owner peeved over parking BY VALERIE ROSSI
VALERIE ROSSI PHOTO
FAIR practicum student Kelly Woods, board member Gisele Picard and Gail Lavery, executive director, will rely on candlelight from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday during Earth Hour. Residents who pledge online (www.fortisbc.com/earthhour) to switch off during this time will add to their community’s chance to win the FortisBC Earth Hour Challenge. The community with the highest votes will receive bragging rights and $5,000 worth of energy-efficient upgrades for a non-profit of its choice. Trail’s Family and Individual Resource (FAIR) Centre Society is one local non-profit hoping to update its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in its main three-story building along with replacing some older windows.
thetist has a personal choice on whether they withdraw their services or not,” he said. “As soon as possible that we know the anesthetists are not there, we notify patients that their procedure would be postponed.” Meanwhile, the B.C. government responded to the potential services withdrawal on Thursday with a legal
See GOVERNMENT, Page 3
See COUNCIL, Page 3
Anesthesiologists’ dispute and shortage may impact KBRH BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
People who have been on the wait list for surgery in the West Kootenay-Boundary could have a longer wait after April 2. Not only are the province’s specialist anesthesiologists threatening to withdraw their services to all but emergency and urgent patients after their contract expires Saturday,
the five-person department at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital will be operating at less than capacity. As a result, elective procedures and surgeries may be impacted as part of the job action because some anesthesiologists have said they will not provide support for elective surgeries. Unfortunately, job action could impact people in the
Greater Trail region, said Dr. Robert Halpenny, president and CEO of the Interior Health Authority. Patients affected by a service withdrawal have been sent letters to notify them of the possibility that their surgery may be postponed. These letters are not the formal notification of surgical cancellation, Dr. Halpenny explained. “Obviously … each anes-
Times Staff
A Trail business owner who looks to diversify his downtown operation said he feels like he’s being held “hostage” with hefty city parking fees. After nine years of service, Jim Berukoff, owner of Valu Office Supplies, is converting 2200 square feet of the first floor storefront on Pine Avenue from retail to professional and business office use to house an engineering firm. Based on the size of office space being converted, a city-zoning bylaw requires that four off-street parking spaces be provided for the business or office use that will most likely see people parking for longer periods of time. If this parking can’t be provided on the property, the city allows downtown owners to pay $3,000 in lieu of each off-street parking space required. For Berukoff, this means $12,000. “I believed enough in Trail’s business community and invested another $90,000 to offer a professional office space for an international company to stay in Trail,” he said in a letter recently presented to Trail council.
Contact the Times: Phone: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 Newsroom: 250-364-1242
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