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Vol. 89 Issue 42 • Wednesday, October 17, 2012 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25
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Regional Hospital District discusses proposed study By Claire Paradis Arrow Lakes News
The West Kootenay–Boundary Regional Hospital District Board met in Nakusp on Wednesday, October 10 at the Emergency Services Building. Members of the board were treated to tours of facilities in both New Denver and Nakusp earlier in the day. Quick study needs more details The meeting started with Interior Health delegates presenting an upcoming study that will evaluate medical facilities in the region. VFA, Inc. was awarded the five-year contract to assess medical facilities in B.C., and they will start their assessment in the KootenayBoundary region in November, Todd Mastel, Interior Health’s Manager and Business Support for Acute/Tertiary Services told the West Kootenay–Boundary Regional Hospital District directors. The reports from the assessment are targeted to be ready for May 2013. “This is a key element for the overall facilities planning in the area and capital
program planning for the area as well,” said Mastel, “It’s information that will help both Interior Health and the board as we move forward with our capital plan.” Director Andy Shadrack asked if smaller rural centres would be included in the study, and Mastel confirmed this was the case. Steve McEwan, Director, Facilities, Plant and Maintenance told the board that two weeks in total have been allotted for the facilities in the Kootenay-Boundary region, with three days planned to cover Kootenay Boundary Hospital. The VFA assessors will be relying on reports as well as on-site visits as part of the assessment process. Director Walter Popoff said two weeks seemed like a very short period of time to assess all the facilities in the area, and asked if there would be follow-up studies if major deficiencies in the buildings were discovered. “I think this time around it’s up to us to ask that question. If we’re not happy with their assessment, if it’s not thorough enough
The West Kootenay-Boundary Regional Hospital District Board met in Nakusp CLAIRE PARADIS/ARROW LAKES NEWS after touring facilities in both Nakusp and New Denver. and we find it’s full of holes I would expect there would be a follow up,” McEwan told the board, stating that this time around there was a more thorough process in place for the assessments. At the moment, capital planning is done on a year-to-year basis by Interior Health, but Mastel hopes that this assessment will
help for longer-range planning in the future. “This evaluation is a very important one and could set the stage for future expenditures and possible changes in future direction in some cases, said Director John Dooley. “To be truthful with you, I can’t see how
WKBRHD, page 5
Grizzly family transported away from Burton area By Claire Paradis Arrow Lakes News
After some fowl play in Burton, this momma grizzly was tagged and she and her three cubs taken back close to their den. PHOTO COURTESY CONSERVATION OFFICER SERVICE
Burton residents Sterling and Margaret Simpson came home from spending the long weekend away to find a handful of their turkeys and chickens had been killed. Reports had been circulating around town that a grizzly sow with three cubs had been roaming about, looking for food, and they had found their way to the penned fowl. Dixie, their fearless Great Pyrenees, tangled with the bears and was injured but survived a swat from one of the bears. “Tuesday morning we called Conservation and they came out and set the traps the next night,” Sterling told the Arrow Lakes News. At 7 p.m. the traps were set and by 9 p.m., there was one bear in a trap already. The next morning, the mother bear and one cub were in the traps, and the Conservation Officers were able to tranquilize the other two with darts. “It was almost textbook,” said Sterling, who was happy to see the bears taken into custody rather than shot or wounded. “The last thing we want is a wounded bear wandering around.” Arnold deBoon, Conservation Officer Sergeant for the West Kootenay Zone, was also glad to get the bears transported away from
Burton and back to their home. “We ear-tagged the mother and relocated them in the same ecosystem they were caught, at a distance from Burton,” he said. Because they were captured late in October, the decision was made after consulting with bear researchers to release the family back in their home territory near their winter den. At this point in the season, the Officers are hoping the sow will head to her chosen denning site with her cubs. Of course, there’s no guarantee, and there is a chance they could come back, but it likely won’t be this year before the snow hits the ground, said deBoon. When bears’ predation is on larger livestock like sheep or goats, it’s often a different story. “They develop a taste for it, and more importantly they see they’re capable of doing it,” the Officer explained. “We do our best to give them a chance.” But if the bears become a significant threat to humans, the decision to destroy them has to be made, a decision that doesn’t make anyone happy, said deBoon. Fortunately in this case, capturing the grizzly sow and cubs was quick and easy, and the entire family will be back in their habitat and able to get ready for hibernation back in their den.
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