Wednesday, May 9, 2012
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Volume 92 - No. 19
Downtown revitalization phase one set to move ahead this year. p7
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www.ldnews.net
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$1.34 HST inc.
Dr. Allan Hill says farewell to Burns Lake as he retires to the U.K.. p9
Evidence seized for lab testing WorkSafe B.C. moving forward with investigation REBECCA BILLARD WorkSafe B.C. say it is examining several factors that could have lead to the Jan. 20, 2012 explosion and fire that decimated the Babine Forest Products sawmill. In its latest report WorkSafe B.C. say they are looking at sawdust accumulation, they are also investigating several other contributing factors that could be to blame including production levels at the sawmill, the type of wood being milled, the exhaust and ventilation systems and the effects of cold weather on water pipes and misters. WorkSafe B.C. also say there’s no evidence to suggest oil, oxygen or acetylene, which are known fuel sources to be in the sawmill, contributed to the explosion, but they are refusing to completely rule this out. Other fuel sources, such as natural gas and propane are also being investigated. A natural
gas pipe and valve have been seized from the site for further testing by the B.C. Safety Authority and two propane tanks have also been seized for further testing. An expert lab in the U.S. has also been retained to examine the sawdust samples taken from the sawmill for particle size, and the minimum explosive concentration required to cause an explosion. Evidence from a 50' x 50' area that has been determined to be a key area in the investigation has been seized, however Roberta Ellis, WorkSafe B.C.'s senior vice president, human resources and corporate services said she could not elaborate at this point in time as to where the area of interest was at the site. "I want to reiterate that this investigation is still ongoing and will take another two to three months to complete," she said. Ellis said samples from the site have been sent to three separate labs for testing and she said that there is no evidence at this time to suggest that the explosion was either caused by arson or lightening. "This may seem unlikely but we did receive More on page 2 ...
SUPER MOON Local resident Mike Robertson snapped this photo of last weekend’s super moon coming up over Stick Hill on Uncha Lake Road. It was the biggest full moon of the year because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth. The moon was 356,955 kilometers from Earth, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra big, extra bright moon, known as a super moon. The last super moon occurred during March 2011.
Arena expansion plans upset local business Local business requests council change their plans for a gym REBECCA BILLARD Owners of local business, Lakes Fitness Centre, are concerned that the Village of Burns Lake's plans for a fitness centre to be included in the Tom Forsyth Memorial Area expansion would be unfair competition. Owners Bonny Gibson and Susan Schienbein, who is also a member of village council, recently wrote a letter to the village expressing their apprehension about a fitness centre and work out gym
that has been included in the arena's expansion plans. As reported in the Lakes District News edition of April 11, 2012, the province is chipping in $2.4 million in funding to the approximate $3 million arena expansion project. Once constructed the 10,000 square foot building will join the existing arena and curling rink and will contain a squash court, a climbing wall, a children’s indoor play area, fitness centre and workout gym, a physical therapy area and a multi use
We’re Cookin’ in September
area. In the letter, Gibson and Schienbein congratulated the village on the successful application to fund the project however they said, "Our congratulations is somewhat tempered by the announcement that the expansion will house a workout gym. We believe this is a simple oversight on the part of the municipality and that hard earned tax payers dollars will not be used to duplicate services that already exist within the community. If this is not an More on page 5 ...
Administrative Assistant ...............................Sept. 10 Social Service Worker Certi¿cate ................Sept. 10 Professional Cook Level 1 ............................Sept. 17 Residential Building Maintenance Worker .....................................Sept. 24
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Phone: 250.692.1700 • Fax: 250.692.1750 • Toll Free: 1.866.692.1943 545 Highway 16 West • PO Box 5000, Burns Lake, BC • V0J 1E0 Email: lksdist@cnc.bc.ca • Website: www.cnc.bc.ca/lakesdistrict