CHICKENS BANNED
OTTERS EXCEL
No Backyard Chickens for Smithers.
Smithers Otters Swim Club ready for challenge.
NEWS/A4
“Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” 46 days ‘til Relay for Life, May 26th.
Sports/A17
THE INTERIOR NEWS 105th th Year - Week 15
Smithers,, B.C.
Wednesday, y, April p 11,, 2012
www.interior-news.com
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Council tops up arena fund By Dan Mesec Smithers / Interior News
CENTENNIAL PLANS Plans for the Smitherss Centennial 2013 are underway.
COMMUNITY/A10
INSIDE OUR TOWN A5 LETTERS A7 SPORTS A17 COMMUNITY A10 THREE RIVERS B1 CLASSIFIEDS B9
FEATURES RAYZ BOARDSHOP A5
WEATHER Wednesday HIGH: 14 LOW: 4
Thursday HIGH: 12 LOW: 3
New Hazelton Elementary students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 paraded around the gym last Thursday showing off their creative hats in the 1st Annual Hat Parade. Winners were chosen through a draw. Shannon Hurst photo
Friday HIGH: 11 LOW: 3
Saturday HIGH: 12 LOW: 4
Sunday HIGH: 13 LOW: 2
During a committee of the whole meeting last week, Smithers Council carried several motions to bring the town closer to building a long awaited second arena. “We’ve been working on this for 15 years and each time we get close they decide there’s another problem,” said Councillor Norm Adomit. “The problem is, we don’t have enough ice for the kids to skate on. We need more ice, so lets build more ice.” Council first moved to vote on a recommendation to approve the extension of $650,000 in borrowing funds from 2006. Although there was discussion to send the issue to a referendum, council ultimately approved the funds to bring the total available for the project to $3,655,658, sending a clear message council is dedicated to seeing this project completed soon. The project is currently
in the middle of a Ice Arena Schematic Design process to formalize the specifics of the construction of the project. Council will also be approaching the Regional District of BulkleyNechako to determine if there is interest in using Gas Tax Funds for the construction of a heat recovery unit that would use excess heat from the new arena to warm the BV Pool, as well as sharing the operating costs of the new facility with the Regional District. During the meeting, Director of electoral area A, Stony Stoltenberg said he was ready to apply for a grant from UBCM that would be specific in covering the costs of the heat recovery system in the hopes of cutting heating costs for the pool which exceeded $65,000 in 2011. After hearing the support from Stoltenberg council carried the motion unanimously.
See ARENA on Page A4
Illegal guiding charge nets total fine of $10,000 By Percy N. Hébert Smithers/Interior News
After almost one year of investigation and more than six months in the courts, Andrew Maillot pled guilty to one count of Illegal Guiding, section 49(1) of the Wildlife Act at the
Port Coquitlam courthouse. The guilty plea stems from a complaint received by the Conservation Officer Service in Smithers, B.C, in September 2010. The complaint alleged Maillot was illegally guiding fishermen on the
Zymoetz (Copper) River near Smithers, BC. An investigation, including Conservation Officers Kyle Ackles, Cam Schley (resigned) and Sergeant Kevin Nixon, was launched and charges against Maillot were filed Aug. 30, 2011.
Maillot was charged with acting as a guide without a proper licence, angling without a licence or permit as required by regulation and acting as a guide without a proper licence. All charges were filed under the B.C. Wildlife Act.
“Investigating illegal angling guides can be difficult,” Ackles, a conservation officer based in Smithers said. “In order to prove the offence we need to prove compensation or reward for guiding services.” In sentencing Maillot, the judge
also remarked on the difficulty of investigations involving illegal guiding and noted such activities put legal guides at an economic disadvantage. Maillot was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. See FINE on Page A2
see page A-28