CITY PANNED | Environmental group opposes possible effluent discharge into Okanagan Lake [A6]
Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012
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Blaze prompts quick response RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
An Okanagan Landing neighbourhood was on alert as a grass fire sparked to life Tuesday. The blaze was noticed on a hillside on Tronson Road, near Bella Vista Road, just after 2:30 p.m. “I heard an explosion, a bang,” said Rob Wylie, who lives across the street. “I saw flames and came running down and grabbed the neighbour’s hose. It’s amazing how quick it went.” There were some anxious moments for Max Burke as the blaze approached his home. “It was pretty crazy,” he said. “It could have really been a serious issue.” Crews from the Okanagan Landing and Vernon fire departments were soon on scene and dousing the flames with water. Jack Blair, Vernon deputy chief, says his main concerns were adjacent homes and power lines crossing the vacant lot where the fire began. “If the trees had started candling, it could have been a far different situation,” he said. The grass in the lot was about knee-high, and Blair. “Conditions are still far from favourable. The ground and grass are still very dry,” The cause had not been determined at press time.
RICHARD ROLKE/MORNING STAR
Rob Wylie uses a garden hose to keep a grass fire from reaching his neighbour’s property on Tronson Road Tuesday afternoon.
Armstrong exhibition ends on a high note RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
The 113th annual Interior Provincial Exhibition is being declared an overwhelming success. By the time the midway lights were dimmed Sunday night, 150,170 people had passed through the gates during the five days of the Armstrong fair. “Once the gates closed Sunday, 150,170 people had attended the 113th event over five days. “It’s our third best year,” said Bryan Burns, general manager. “Sunday was a really big day — 40,000 people.” About 153,853 people attended the fair in 2011 and
the record of 159,734 was set in 2010. North Okanagan residents made up the majority of the people on site, but there was also strong representation from Kelowna, the rest of the Interior and Alberta. Burns believes people were drawn to the IPE this year because of the focus on agriculture, as well as popular activities like the midway. The West Coast Lumberjack Show also drew them in. “People want shows like that and we added new ones, like Xtreme Wild, and they were flocking to them too,” said Burns.
“The rodeo was one of the best ever. We had most of the top cowboys in North America and they put on a great show,” said Burns. Between livestock, produce, baking and crafts, there were 7,000 entries on exhibit during the event. Burns is pleased with the steady feedback he received from people. “There were lots of great comments about how clean the grounds were and our cadets deserve credit for that.” He believes everything went as expected, but he admits there is always room for improvement and the goal is to make next year’s IPE the best in terms of
ANDRE LODDER/MORNING STAR
Matty Quigley, left, and Rachell Stubbert get a spectacular view of the fairgrounds during the Interior Provincial Exhibition Sunday. The grandstand was jammed most nights for
the Canadian professional rodeo.
organization. “We’ve started that process already. We’ve already had meetings,” he said of planning. “We’re constantly striving to make things better.” Much of the success of the fair is a direct result of community participation behind the scenes. The IPE has 450 volunteers itself and then numerous non-profit groups have volunteers helping out at their exhibits or concession booths. “The amount of volunteer hours is fantastic,” said Burns. “Most of them take a week’s holidays or more and the team effort is terrific.”
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