ONLINE ALL THE TIME: BREAKING NEWS AND UPDATES AT KAMLOOPSTHISWEEK.COM
DE K A M L O O P S
Kamloops, B.C., Canada X 30 cents at Newsstands
History lesson at Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Page A3
TUESDAY
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 X Volume 25 No. 79
THIS WEEK
Kamloops family sets record in raising cash for cancer research Page A18 Thompson River Publications Partnership Ltd.
PM looks to Interior in appointing B.C’s lieutenant governor
Roadwork on Grandview Terrace was scheduled to be completed this week, but has been extended to the end of the month. This project, combined with projects on Summit Drive and Victoria and Columbia streets, will create delays through October. Dave Eagles/KTW
WELCOME TO DETOURTOBER By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
Keep your maps handy, Kamloops. The city is asking motorists to find alternate routes as major road-construction projects begin on Summit Drive, Victoria Street and Columbia Street from now until the end of October. On Columbia Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, workers will be replacing the box culvert running under the road, with both road and sidewalk closures expected. “The concrete box culvert that’s under the ground there had just deteriorated over the years and needs to be replaced,” said Jim McNeely, the city’s streets and internal services manager. “There’s going to be some disruption to traffic, but it’s one of those things where it’s better to do it in a proactive way than have it actually collapse and create a much
bigger problem.” On Victoria Street and Summit Drive, road crews will mill off the top couple of inches of asphalt before repaving the routes. On Victoria, work will stretch between First and Fifth avenues. On Summit, work will run from Columbia Street to Springhill Drive. In both cases, McNeely said, the roads have outlived their lifespan and are now patchy, potholed and rutted. “You drive down Victoria Street and you’ll notice. I think that Victoria Street was upgraded almost 30 years ago, when they did the beautification downtown,” he said. “So, that road is that old. Generally, you like to think you get about 25 years out of an asphalt road.” McNeely said the construction will cause delays on both routes, but it will likely be more significant on Victoria, since contractors have more traffic-routing
options on the four-lane Summit Drive. “Victoria Street’s pretty tight. The most expedient way may be to actually close it for a period of time while they go through and mill it,” he said. Residents on Grandview Terrace are also facing another month of street closures as the city continues a major road reconstruction. Capital-projects manager Kristen Meersman said the project — which will see new sidewalks, gutters and a new roadway put in — was originally due to wrap up at the beginning of October but, when the city discovered the water line in the area was set much deeper than it should have been, it elected to install a new one. That decision pushed the project’s end date to late October. “We’ve run into a number of things,” said Meersman. “It is one of the older streets, so we do tend to run into some things that we don’t expect all the time.”
Nicola Valley rancher Judith Guichon has been appointed lieutenant governor for British Columbia, succeeding Steven Point. “She has a deep appreciation for the history and traditions of British Columbia and has spent a lifetime ensuring that we all stay connected to our roots, particularly through her work with the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association,” said Premier Christy Clark of Guichon. “Those deep, abiding roots are what have driven Judith to get involved in her community, industry and province. She never has just stood by, but always sought ways to bring her perspective forward in a positive fashion and make our province better.” Lieutenant governors in each province are appointed to five-year terms by the Governor General on the recommendation of the prime minister. “Mrs. Guichon has dedicated herself to her community, province and country,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “She is a leader in keeping British Columbia’s agriculture and cattle industries environmentally sound and she has worked hard to promote and protect the ranchers of British Columbia.” Guichon has had a successful career in ranching and introduced the holistic management method to ranchers in B.C. She is the owner and operator of Gerard Guichon Ranch Limited on Highway 5A (Kamloops-Merritt Highway). It overlooks Nicola Lake in Quilchena. Guichon lives there with two of her four children. She has worked with several organizations, including the Fraser Basin Council of B.C. and the Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C. and recently completed her two-year term as the president of the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduces Judith Guichon in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 1.
RENT 3 MOVIES
Be COOL ... Be OLD SCHOOL DOWNTOWN 444 ST. PAUL 250.828.9988
FOR
NORTHILLS SHOPPING CENTRE 25O.554.9940
Open 10am to 10pm, Open 7 Days a Week
$
10
RENT NOW!
RENT NOW!
00
PAY NO TAXES!