Observer SALMON ARM
Wednesday August 1, 2012 www.saobserver.net $1.25 HST INCLUDED PM40008236
No green light for camera
Ministry: Approval still on hold for intersection. By Lachlan Labere OBSERVER STAFF
The B.C. government appears committed to not committing to putting up an intersection camera in Salmon Arm. The latest piece of correspondence related to the city’s ongoing pursuit of a camera at Alexander Street and the Trans-Canada Highway came to council in the form of a letter from Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure area manager Peter Gooch. The letter states the ministry would be pleased to assist in the camera’s implementation but its traffic safety branch has not yet been contacted regarding site selection. “Once our traffic branch has a better understanding of how Alexander Street was selected, over other intersections along the arterial, they would be better prepared to provide comment on the city’s request for signage,” writes Gooch. Coun. Debbie Cannon called the letter a disappointment, stating the city appears to be facing more bureaucracy and red tape. “Maybe, after my third term of being on council, perhaps we might see an intersection camera,” said Cannon. Coun. Alan Harrison commended Cannon for understanding Gooch’s letter, which left him with questions. City administrator Carl Bannister agreed the letter is worded awkwardly and guessed that, in his above comment, Gooch is saying the ministry doesn’t want to put a sign up until a camera is in place. Harrison then asked if the ministry is looking for feedback on why Alexander was chosen. “I mean, to me it would be pretty obvious that Alexander is the place where we would want it because of the pedestrian route there,” said Harrison. “Are they asking us for some input as to why we picked Alexander?” Bannister said he thinks the ministry is ex-
JAMES MURRAY/OBSERVER
Meeting the people: Shuswap MLA George Abbott listens as Premier Christy Clark speaks to a number of issues and answers questions at a town hall meeting held Monday at the Comfort Inn in Salmon Arm.
Clark tackles pipeline By Barb Brouwer OBSERVER STAFF
She came, she spoke, she answered questions. A confident Premier Christy Clark spoke to a room full of receptive women Monday in a Women’s Town Hall meeting at the Comfort Inn. “One of most important things we can do in government is talk to each other, and the way to do that is to listen,” she said, noting she likes to invite women to meetings
when she travels the province because women see things differently. “If we do want to change governments, we have to change the way they do things.” Clark launched into her recent experience at a premier’s meeting in Halifax where she protested the proposed Enbridge pipeline. “There are all kinds of environmental issues and we don’t have a spill response in B.C.,” she said, noting people from across the world visit
this province because of the spectacular scenery and clean environment. “It has to meet the environmental review process and it has to get First Nations approval.” Clark also insisted the project would have to provide benefits to the people of B.C. “My fundamental premise is if we want parents to do the hardest job, raising kids, we have to provide jobs that can provide for families,” she said. “I’m not willing to take this risk in our province
if we’re not gonna benefit by more jobs and more revenue so we can support health care and education.” While she maintains the future of the Alberta pipeline may be in question, Clark said five pipelines are being built in northern B.C. to carry natural gas to the Coast for processing, before it is frozen and shipped to Asia. Describing it as “a-trillionand-a-half dollar industry,” See New jobs on page A2
See Delays on page A2
This week Former resident tackles problems of global food supply. See page A8. Okanagan Sun and Kamloops Broncos pay a visit. See page A17.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports .............. A17-A20 Arts & Events ... A21-A23 Time Out................... A24 Vol. 105, No. 31, 52 pages