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Vol. 89 Issue 49 • Wednesday, December 5, 2012 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25 •
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Columbia River Treaty discussions return to Nakusp traditions. The Columbia provided early residents of this continent Special to the Arrow Lakes News food, water and spiritual mysticism Rather than describing the food at all-in-one. the Columbia Basin Trust meeting Before the dam building began on on November 29 (there were platthe Columbia in the U.S.A. someters of desserts and veggies with a creamy garlic dip, if you’re curious) time in the 1930s and 1940s there I’m going to focus on the interesting were salmon in the Columbia River, bits from a newcomer’s perspective. 1941 is frequently repeated as the If you’ve lived here all your life you year the salmon were no longer found in the Columbia River. As may want to just skip to the middle most folks know, environmental part after I’ve described this stunconcern and consideration is a ningly beautiful valley that we live in, its river system and the Columbia more modern movement beginning somewhere around 1962 when River Treaty… on the other hand, don’t you love to read about the un- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was matched natural beauty and wonder published. Fish, wildlife, First Nations persons and land owners rights of this place we live in? Read on! (where the land would be flooded) The Columbia River System is imwere not major factors under considportant for more than its electricity eration when the Treaty was signed generating capacity; it is unique in and the majority of the Columbia its ecological, cultural and historiRiver dams were constructed. cal aspects. There is archaeological Luckily the world has changed and evidence of people in the Columbia continues to change. First Nations basin as early as 10,000 BC. The river provides for and nurtures vari- groups, as well as others, would like ous wildlife, plants and, well let’s be to see the salmon return to the magihonest, probably a bunch of hippies cal Columbia River and it seems, too. It was an important site for First with recent developments in modern technology and knowledge, that this Nations people, on both sides of may now be technically feasible. the border, long before Europeans Displaced residents and their decame to North America. It was part scendants would like to see an apolof their daily activities, seasonal trading habits, and generations-long ogy for the disturbing treatment they By Sonya Dann
The Columbia River Treaty was up for discussion again November 29, with more input being gathered from the community. Sonya Dann/Arrow Lakes News
received in the process and perhaps for the often insufficient compensation they received for their land. The Columbia river spans 2,000 km, extends into seven U.S. states and has a drainage basin about the size of France. It is the fourth largest river by volume in North America. And, according to Wikipedia, the Columbia River system contributes a third of the United States’ total hydroelectric potential. Presenters from BC Hydro at the meeting noted that the Columbia River Dams
produce around 44 per cent of the power for the province of B.C. While the Columbia River originates in B.C. at Columbia Lake and the Columbia River wetlands and, depending on the source, 20-40 per cent of the water flows from Canada, only about 15 per cent of the Columbia River basin is actually located here in Canada. The remaining 85 per cent of the basin is located in the northwestern U.S., eventually See CRT page 5
Locals deprived of tools, car, and snowmobile by thieves Claire paradis Arrow Lakes News
Early in the morning of Dec. 2, a car was stolen from Hills as well as $800 worth of hand tools. The car was found shortly thereafter, complete with driver
and passenger: two young adult males. The driver was arrested for possession of stolen property, but the passenger was fleet of foot and ran off before the RCMP could lay hands on him. The two men, not local, were travelling through,
said Slocan Lake RCMP officer Constable Spiers. The car was an “easy target,” because it was unlocked with its keys in it, he commented. Spiers recommended that people do not leave their keys in their vehicle, and to keep it locked in
order to avoid the unpleasant surprise of finding it not there. The Salmo RCMP are still on the lookout for the passenger, and would like to talk to anyone who has any info. In other news, the Slocan
Lake RCMP are looking for a green and white 2011 Arctic Cat M8 taken from a Slocan property some time between Nov. 24 and Nov. 30. If you’ve seen it or know anything about it, they’d like if you’d let them know.
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