THURSDAY
S I N C E
1 8 9 5
SEPTEMBER 13, 2012
Live theatre comes to Arlington
Vol. 117, Issue 177
110
$
Page 2
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
SUNNY STROLL
Trail takes aim at unsightly premises BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
Call it a making good on an election promise. For the last four Trail city council meetings elected officials have been dealing with matters pertaining to unsightly premises. On Monday night at its regular meeting council served notice to two more property owners—1455 Daisy St. and 395 Martin St.— that they were contravening the city’s Unsightly Premises Bylaw and were given 30 days to rectify the matters. The two items underlined what has been a council directive since they were elected last fall, said councillor Rick Georgetti. “It was a big issue during the election that we wanted to clean up the downtown and the whole city, in fact,” he said. “If you clean up the city it will be attract more people. We all believe that.” If you let the city deteriorate, it will negatively impact people’s perception of Trail, he said. “So there is an effort, no doubt about it,” he said, which dovetails into the Trail “It was a big Downtown Plan that was released last issue during the spring. election that we Not all comwanted to clean munities have an extensive bylaw that up downtown covers all aspects of and the whole unsightly premises, city, in fact.” said city corporate administrator RICK GEORGETTI Michelle MacIsaac, but the city has always employed the Unsightly Premises Bylaw— from 25 to 50 per month in the summer. The bylaw covers items such as grass over 15 centimetres, “allowing” graffiti on the property, allow the accumulation of garbage, or permit any structure to “remain an unsightly structure.” The bylaw also covers the accumulation of building materials without a permit, have unlicensed vehicles on the property that are not properly stored, and accumulate “dead animals, paper products, crockery, glass, metal, plastics, plastic containers, wire, ropes, machinery, tires, appliances, vehicle parts, and any other scrap metal, scrap or salvage.” “(The bylaw) is a reminder to property owners to remove discarded materials, we also don’t allow a number of unlicensed vehicles on the property or even the overgrowth of vegetation,” said MacIsaac.
See PROPERTY, Page 3
GUY BERTRAND PHOTO
Cameron Dixon of Barks and Recreation takes a few clients – (from the left) Patrick, Bailey, Oliver and Sadie – for a stroll along the Esplanade on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. There will be plenty of dogs getting healthy walks on Saturday during the annual Scotiabank and SPCA Paws for a Cause beginning at 11 a.m. at the Birchbank Picnic Grounds. Registration begins at 10 a.m. The event will include entertainment, activities, vendors, food and prizes. Among the activities will be dog games, trick/ talent contests and dog training demonstration. The event is a major fundraiser for the organization. For more information contact the Trail SPCA or visit the website at spca.bc.ca/trail.
Strike vote could revive stagnant negotiations BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
COPE 378 union representing almost 150 West Kootenay and Okanagan FortisBC workers undertook a strike vote last night in Trail as the union prepares to force the company’s hand over a contract negotiation impasse.
Although the results of the vote were not known as of press time Wednesday, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) union Local 378 president David Black said the vote could be used as leverage in the negotiations that have been going on since 2010.
“Maybe just taking the strike vote will get them to come back to the bargaining table,” he said. “I think that we certainly know that the members are very serious. We are expecting a very high strike vote … I hope that (the company) can adjust their position once we get the results
Make your banking make a difference. online & telephone banking
mobile web
eStatements
eTransfers
of that.” With around 30 members in Trail, the two sides have largely agreed on wages and the duration of the contract, said Black, but the main sticking point is around benefits. The offer on the table from the company would reduce the benefits plan, Black said.
Contact the Times: Phone: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 Newsroom: 250-364-1242 Canada Post, Contract number 42068012
Where you bank and how you bank makes a difference. At Kootenay Savings, you can protect the environment by going paperless with free online, mobile and telephone banking, online applications, eTransfers and eStatements. Make a change and make a difference today.
better. together.
kscu.com