100 Mile House 70 Mile Birthday celebration
A34 Governor General’s Bronze Medal awarded
A3
New track record set at Mud drags
Hisako Arai follows her dreams
A25
September 5, 2012
B1 • 48 Pages • Two Sections
$1.34 includes HST
Monika Paterson photo
Let’er rip... Engines thundered and mud flew last weekend to the delight of crowds at Scotty’s 100 Mile Mud Drags. Contender in the Paddle Class event, Steve Strell from Langley drove Overdraft through the infamous Cariboo gumbo.
Pinkney: support for a town square needed Ken Alexander Free Press
Rotary Club of 100 Mile House president Maureen Pinkney says now is the time for people to come out in support of the proposed downtown square. The Rotary Club and the District of 100 Mile House are co-hosting a public meeting to determine whether a town square has the support of the area residents and businesses. It will be held in the council chambers, 385 Birch Ave., on
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Thursday (Sept. 6), starting at 7 p.m. The square is proposed for Third Street between the community hall and BJ’s Donuts & Eatery and from Birch Avenue to the alley behind the community hall and the restaurant. The remainder of Third Avenue would be open to two-way traffic. Pinkney notes the club has made several changes to the original proposal she made to mayor and council on June 26, as Rotary has reacted to concerns voiced at that meeting. Most of the changes are due to district requests, with one from the public and the other from the district and BJ’s Donuts. Because of the infrastructure under Third Street, the Christmas tree will be replaced with a water feature, and there will be a log arch and gate at the alley side of the square for maintenance
vehicle entry. The gazebo in the corner of the square will now be a larger amphitheatre due to numerous requests from the public. The district also wants a larger crosswalk across Birch Avenue with a level entrance and no parking
in front of the water feature to better show off the new square. Pinkney notes this will reduce street parking by two stalls. There will also be a change in the alley fencing behind BJ’s Donuts, Pinkney adds.
Although not part of the square itself, the existing entrance would be blocked off by the new square; therefore, a new entrance would be made off the alley with a new two-way street for customers and delivery vehicles.
Otherwise, the concept remains the same, she says, adding most communities in British Columbia have town squares and 100 Mile House is lucky because its square will be in the See SQUARE… page A4
Review highlights fibre potential Carole Rooney Free Press
Ainsworth Engineered Canada LP sees positive steps reflected in the report recently released by the province’s Special Committee on Timber Supply, including some of its own recommendations. Mike Kennedy, Ainsworth’s BC Timberlands forestry manager, had addressed the committee at the 100 Mile House hearing in July. He says the committee had a “very difficult job” in its mandate to come up
with recommendations found “very encouragthat would cover ing,” Kennedy a broad range of adds. interests in British “A suppleColumbia’s formental forest ests. licence is of par“Overall, we ticular interest are very pleased to Ainsworth as with the recoman opportunity mendations, and to better faciliwith respect to tate utilization of Ainsworth’s some of the fibre interests, par- Mike Kennedy that’s out there ticularly the ones right now.” around forest utilizaHe explains anothtion.” er positive action for The committee’s rec- the forest company the ommendation to create committee has advised new types of forest ten- involves a potential for ure was one Ainsworth creating a fibre-based
annual allowable cut (AAC) pilot. “We feel 100 Mile House would be an ideal area to implement that type of an AAC pilot, particularly because the timber supply review is just getting off the ground right now.” Ainsworth also has specific interest in the committee’s suggestion for a review of the legislation policies and administrative framework around forest utilization, Kennedy says. See TIMBER… page A3