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Gas line breaks add to inconvenience RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Some motorists are fuming over a rash of natural gas line breaks on Vernon’s Tronson Road. A gas main rupture Monday was the fifth similar incident since upgrades to the sewer service began in early August. “The contractor is having some challenges,” said Mark Dowhaniuk, the city’s infrastructure engineer. “It’s debatable whether all lines are shown on the drawings but some are clearly the contractor’s error.” Just as during the previous incidents, Monday’s gas line break led to Tronson Road being closed to traffic. That led to long lines of vehicles forming on both sides of the break. One caller to The Morning Star expressed frustration that Tronson Road is the only way in and out of that area and the ongoing closures are a major inconvenience. At one point Monday, a school bus full of students had to turn around after sitting at the roadblock for some time. A strong natural gas smell was evident. “The contractor hit a two-inch gas main,” said Dowhaniuk. “They didn’t check drawings that clearly showed it.” The incident occurred just after 2:30 p.m. and the road was shut down until about 4:45 p.m. “The city’s first priority is pub-
RICHARD ROLKE/MORNING STAR
Motorists are left waiting as a natural gas leak shuts down Tronson Road, at Bella Vista Road, Monday. lic safety,” said Dowhaniuk. Meetings have been held with the contractor about the breaks, and Dowhaniuk says the contractor is responsible for the repair costs and must also keep to its
original schedule to have the sewer work done by November. “We recognize the issue and we’re taking action.” To keep traffic moving when gas line breaks occur, an escort
vehicle for motorists has been initiated. Additional flagpersons are also in place. A media advisory was also issued by city hall Monday. “We are trying to get people
notified about these situations in advance,” said Dowhaniuk of trying to minimize the number of vehicles waiting in line. The contractor could not be reached for comment.
Officer’s heroism earns medal Morning Star Staff
Lake Country RCMP Sgt. Scott Rempel, left, a Vernon native, accepts a Medal of Bravery from GovernorGeneral David Johnston at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
A Lake Country RCMP officer was honoured on Friday with the Medal of Bravery for his actions during a collision in 2009. Sgt. Scott Rempel, a Vernon native and current commander of the Lake Country RCMP detachment, was one of a number of men and women presented the honour by Governor General David Johnston at Ottawa’s Rideau Hall.
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After witnessing a vehicle collision near Vernon in 2009, Rempel, along with several other bystanders, ran to help the occupants who were trapped in the vehicles which had caught fire. “Sgt. Rempel broke the window and climbed into one of the vehicles to pull the disoriented driver out,” said RCMP spokesperson Const. Kris Clark in a press release. Both drivers were pulled
from their burning vehicles. The driver Rempel helped rescue survived. The other driver died. “Rempel was one of four RCMP members honoured whose acts of bravery are a testament to the risks and the noble acts members perform every day, not for recognition but out of a dedication to keeping Canadians safe,” said Clark. A total of 44 people received the medals from Johnston at Friday’s ceremony.
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