Observer SALMON ARM
Wednesday August 8, 2012 www.saobserver.net $1.25 HST INCLUDED PM40008236
Plans for projects proceed
Adams Lake: Gaming, retail centres on band land move ahead. By Martha Wickett OBSERVER STAFF
While development at the northwest end of town is on hold at the moment, plans for the south side of the highway are proceeding. Plans for a shopping centre on the Adams Lake Indian Band’s Lot 7, land that lies between the Trans-Canada Highway and the back of the Mall at Piccadilly, beside Braby Motors, are moving ahead, say Chief Nelson Leon and band manager Albert Quinn. A 49-year lease on the property was secured with the federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada several months ago and, since then, negotiations with the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure have nearly been completed. Quinn said word was just received from the ministry that the road design has been accepted. “Mike’s (Fowler) engineers and MOTI are just putting the finishing touches on that. That’s the biggest move in four to six months,” Quinn said, adding that the final design is expected in the next few weeks. Although Glen Bury, formerly with SmartCentres but more recently representing Full Circle Shopping Centres Ltd., was handling the development of Lot 7, Quinn said Mike Fowler has taken over the reins. Fowler could not be reached before press time. Initial plans included two large box-type stores and 12 to 15 smaller businesses. Once the design is finalized, “they could start stripping the top and loading the fill so by next spring they can commence construction,” Quinn surmised. He said he doesn’t know when the road work would start. “I presume they will try to start the same time as SmartCentres. It’s something MOTI See Concerns on page A2
JAMES MURRAY/OBSERVER
No fire: First responders and police look over the wreckage of a light plane that crashed Monday afternoon in a recently plowed field near the former KOA Campground off Highway 97B.
Four survive plane crash By Martha Wickett OBSERVER STAFF
Four people now have a tale to tell that few can – and a tale that few people would want to experience. A light plane carrying a pilot and three passengers crashed on the outskirts of Salmon Arm Monday afternoon, and all four people survived the impact. The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. According to initial reports, the pilot of the Skyhawk Cessna 172 had just taken off from the airport in Salmon Arm. When the plane had difficulty maintaining
elevation, the pilot attempted to turn back to the airport but was forced to make an emergency landing. She landed in a recently plowed farmer’s field near the former KOA Campground off Highway 97B and 10th Avenue NE. The aircraft sank into the soft dirt and then flipped onto its roof. Fortunately, the wreckage did not catch fire. Occupants of the plane were taken to hospital for examination. The three passengers were released and the pilot remained in hospital. Salmon Arm RCMP report that all four suffered non-lifethreatening injuries.
This week The Canadian women’s basketball team puts in a great showing in London. See page A13. A storm Monday night in the Shuswap took its toll. See page A3.
JAMES MURRAY/OBSERVER
On scene: Paramedics prepare to transport the pilot, one of four occupants of the plane, to hospital following Monday’s crash. A spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board says the accident has been deemed a Class 5,
meaning the board will not be doing a full investigation or final report. The decision was made, she said, because
doing an investigation would not “advance transportation safety.” No names have been released.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports .............. A13-A16 Arts & Events ... A17-A19 Time Out................... A20 Vol. 105, No. 32, 44 pages