CASTLEGAR NEWS Your Horoscope For the Week with Michael O’Connor inside the West Kootenay Advertiser
Girls get busy with basketball program See Page A22
Rauni Naud
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Vol.9 • Issue 50
Breaking news at castlegarnews.com
Thursday, December 13 • 2012
“Carol” reading just like live radio See Page A10
Curtain lifted on transit plans CRAIG LINDSAY
Castlegar News Reporter 250.365.0484 rauni.naud@sunlife.com
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Kevin Schubert, regional transit manager for BC Transit was on hand for an open house on Dec. 5 at the Castlegar Complex. Craig Lindsay photo
Closures pondered by SD #20 Board CRAIG LINDSAY Castlegar News Reporter
School District #20 (Kootenay-Columbia) held it’s regular board meeting on Monday at Blueberry Creek Community School. The biggest item on the agenda was the discussion about the possible reconfiguration/closure of schools in Castlegar and Rossland.
In Castlegar, the discussion is whether to close Castlegar Primary School and move those kids to Twin Rivers Elementary. First reading of the potential bylaw related to reconfiguration or closure is expected to be in mid-February and discloses the language of the bylaw. Second reading, which is when trustees debate the po-
tential bylaw, would follow in another meeting. Third and final reading would be done by the end of February and would be where the nine SD20 trustees would vote on the bylaw. “Certainly the issue that took the most time, and is the most important to the public is that we included one extra meeting with PACs from each of the affected
schools,” said Darrel Ganzert, SD20 board chair. “A group of trustees would meet at each location, Castlegar and Rossland, with the PACs of the affected schools in those communities to have a further discussion about the schools and the potential closures etc.” Ganzert said that PACs from Castlegar Primary... Continued on P. A3
A pair of open houses were held by BC Transit in Castlegar on Dec. 5 at Selkirk College and at the recreation centre. The events showed off the details for the proposed new fare structure and route changes for the West Kootenay/Boundary area. “We’re looking for feedback,” said Kevin Schubert, regional transit manager for BC Transit. “The changes, because they’re regional, are so significant. This is an opportunity for riders, or potential riders, to look at the service and tell us - is there something we’ve missed? What are the improvements? What are the positives? So, it’s a little different, but we’ve got some great feedback so far. I’m really happy with the response.” Schubert admitted the schedules and fare structures for West Kootenay Transit can be hard to understand for many people. Beginning on April 1, 2013, fares are proposed to have just two different structures: local zone and all zones.
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“Probably the two most significant changes riders will experience is that there will be a single rider’s guide to represent all the services available in the Kootenays,” he said. “So you won’t have to necessarily be conscious of what service you’re in. As part of that, there’s a single fare structure. Now you’ll have three different zones you can travel within and once you leave that zone you go to an allzone fare. So, you’re basically looking at two fares. In Castlegar, one of the biggest changes is that the local zone now includes the Kootenay boundary. So Castlegar and Kootenay Boundary together now make up the Columbia zone. So you’ll have one fare to go anywhere in that area.” Local zone trips will cost $2 for everyone, with a ticket book of 10 costing $18 for adults, $15.75 for seniors and students. Monthly passes would be $50 for adults and $35 for seniors and students. All zone fares, which would enable the rider to travel throughout all three zones...
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