Where’s the photo page?
Time change
urban deer
Fall back
Anti-cull groups unite
A gremlin ate the Bulletin’s Halloween photo page on its way to the press on Thursday. Watch for the photos in Monday’s Bulletin.
It’s time to set your clocks back one hour, Sunday, November 4 at 2 a.m.
See LOCAL NEWS page 3
FriDAY
November 1, 2012
The Bulletin
Weddings, Maternity, Newborn, Families and everything in between.
427-9833
studio by appointment
JODI L’HEUREUX PHOTOGRAPHY
1
Proudly serving kimberley and area since 1932 | Vol. 79, Issue 112 | www.dailybulletin.ca
$ 10 INCLUDES h.s.t.
Hard times
Food bank use increasing Tough economic times see numbers rising nationally and locally C AROLYN GR ANT bulletin@cyberlink.ca
Annalee Grant photo
MADD Kimberley/Cranbrook officially launched its first ever red ribbon campaign at Cranbrook City Hall on November 1. Firefighter Brandon Cavener tied a ribbon onto one of the city’s fire trucks as Mayor Wayne Stetski and Cpl. Pat Prefontaine did the same to a city vehicle and an RCMP cruiser. See Page 4 for story.
A recent report, HungerCount 2012, says that the number of Canadians turning to food banks for help is at an all-time high, with 882,000 people (339,000 of them children) seeking some assistance from a food bank this year. After dipping slightly in 2011, food bank use in Canada increased by 2.4 per cent this year, and is now 31 per cent higher than before the 2008-2009 recession. Right here in Kimberley, food bank usage is up 7 per cent, says Food Bank director Heather Smith. A slight bit of good news is that the increase this year is a little less than the year
before when 10 per cent more people accessed the food bank. “But we still have a lot of people,” Smith said. And a lot of them are children in Kimberley as well. Smith says the Food Bank handed out regular hampers to 874 children and their families, and emergency hampers to 563. As the Food Bank gears up for the Christmas season, Smith expects between 190 and 200 seasonal hampers to go out as well. Fundraising for the Christmas hampers is underway, but the Food Bank continues to rely on donations for regular hampers as well. “So far donations are a little slow for this time of year, but that will pick up,” Smith said. “We are still supported very well by the community.”
See FOOD BANK , Page 4
Spending report
Macdonald’s travel expenses third highest Two NDP, one Liberal in top three provincial travel expenses C AROLYN GR ANT bulletin@cyberlink.ca
For the first time ever, the provincial government has released MLA travel expenses. The expenses released are for the first six months of this fiscal year, April 1 to September 30, 2012.
The biggest spender was New Democrat Robin Austin (Skeena), who billed $53,606 during the period, followed by Liberal Bill Barisoff (Penticton), the speaker of the house, whose expenses were $46,410, and Norm MacDonald, Columbia River Revelstoke, who billed $45,332. MLA Bill Bennett, from Kootenay East just to the south, billed $26,800 in travel expenses. Katrine Conroy, Kootenay West, billed $30,482.
Macdonald says his travel expenses are high due to a number of reasons, one of them being the location and size of the Columbia River Revelstoke riding. “Golden is about as far away from Victoria as you can get; there is no airport near, so any trip to Victoria involves driving as well. It’s a huge riding, five and a half hours to cross by car and obviously you want to visit as many residents as possible.” Macdonald also travels as the NDP For-
estry critic to many meetings and industry events. “Right up until August 15, I was on the Forestry Committee which visited many communities across the province. I travelled from the end of the session all they way through.” Macdonald explained that the actual committee travel is not charged to the MLA’s individual travel expenses, but the travel to the starting point did.
See EXPENSES Page 4
Stay flexible. term deposits
TFSAs
profit sharing
RRSPs
Being flexible keeps you open to opportunity. Our Kootenay Saver term deposit is fully redeemable or transferable without penalty after 90 days. For great rates and flexibility, trust Kootenay Savings.
better. together.
kscu.com