Inside
◆ GUF rebuild P. 5 ◆ Policing perspective P. 6
◆ Death in Cottonwood P. 3 ◆ Bears relocated P. 2
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WEDNESDAY, September 26, 2012
NEWS BRIEFS Mill inspections not being done
A recent article in the Vancouver Sun brought some shortfalls in mill inspections to light. The article (Many B.C. sawmills not inspected for fire risk; Sept. 17, 2012) shed some light on what might be a big gap in safety. Fire inspections on any public building within a municipality are required by provincial law, but according to research by the Sun staff, appear to not be done in a number of municipalities. Four of nine municipalities interviewed for the story had not been doing regular inspections. Those communities not conducting regular inspections include Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Williams Lake and Houston. Reasons for not completing the inspections cited in the article include a lack of time for fire chiefs who fulfill other roles in the communities, lack of expertise and province-wide reductions in fire commissioner staffing. There is one inspector in the fire commissioner’s office in Prince George who is responsible for northern B.C..
VOL. 35 NO. 30 $1.34 inc. GST
Another year of the Fort After this year’s federal budget led to significant changes in Canada Parks, the local park looks back on what the season held for the local historic site and what 2013 might bring Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Things will not change drastically for the local historic site, but the community can expect some new faces and new events in the coming year. While cuts to Canada Parks in this year’s federal budget will impact the length of season the Fort St. James National Historic Site is open, those changes are at least during the slower parts of the park’s season. Opening day next year will be June 1, two weeks later than in the past, but there will still be the popular Best Dressed Victorian Contest and a free admission day to mark the occasion. “The biggest impact will probably be on school programs,” said Kevin Gedling, product development officer for the park. While there will be two weeks less for schools to fit in visits during the school year, Gedling said there may still be time for the numbers of schools as in the past, but it may require schools to be more flexible in when they come because there will be less times to choose from. The programming and content, however, Gedling said will still be maintained. This year, student visits was down from past years, but this is attributable to teacher job action, which would have made it difficult for schools from outside the more local area to fit in trips to the park. Gedling said he expects this to go back up again. The season at the park will also end a bit sooner next year, with the year-end open house and community picnic scheduled for Sept. 7, 2013. The event will also be combined with Metis Day. This year’s last day will be the same as in previous years, taking place on the final weekend in September, and the open house and community picnic event are on Sept. 29. This year’s event will again offer free admission, free beef dips and some new additions including Highland dancers, and fiddle playing. Other regular features will also be present such as bannock-making and hunting skills demonstrations. With the 2013 calendar of events recently being unveiled, there will be many of the same special events the community has gotten to know, but also with some new combinations and even the resurrecA young girl gets up close and personal with a horse at one of the Fort St. James National tion of a Fort St. James classic, Caledonia Days. In the past, Caledonia Days was a community- Historic Site events this summer. Kyla Pollard of Khas T’an Outdoor Adventure was helping wide festival which included a variety of events from youngsters get a feel for horsemanship with horseback riding at the park. Kevin Gedling/Canada Parks dress-up days to dances to rodeos. But Gedling said Travellers from further away were also down, which Gedling attributes to a the new Caledonia Days will not aspire to be an exact replica of what went on previously, but he hopes it could lead to combination of high gas prices and a difficult economy. “Tourism in general is having a tough year,” he said, and visitation is comsomething bigger and community-wide again. ing more and more from the local community. “Over the time that I’ve been working at the park, a bunch of One other change which will take place next year is the position Gedling people have mentioned they really wish Caledonia Days would come back,” he said. “I figured if we didn’t take the name back, now occupies has been reduced by 25 per cent. While Gedling is still in the position, he will be changing to a new position in November, as the Jasper nothing would ever happen with it.” So, because they were changing some programs they decided Field Unit Partnering and Engagement Officer, a position out of Jasper Nato try something to both increase community involvement on the tional Park. While Gedling will remain in Fort St. James for the immediate future, and August long weekend and to give it some historical significance. Gedling sees it as a great opportunity to create some tourism in will work out of the local park until more is confirmed about other positions changing within Parks Canada, he will eventually relocate to Jasper, where the the community. There will be Heritage Day activities, a bannock cook-off, and a position is actually allocated. While Gedling and some other interpreters which locals have come to know Salmon cook-off over the course of the weekend, bringing together may not be at the park next year, he is still optimistic about next year’s season some smaller special events the park has offered in the past. Overall, this year, Gedling said while school program visitors in Fort St. James, and he is hopeful locals will continue to purchase annual passes and come back again and again in even bigger numbers. were down, free admission days and annual passes were up.