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TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2013
Cops say weekend quiet in lakecity
Proudly serving Williams Lake and the Cariboo-Chilcotin since 1930
VOL. 83. No. 3
BLUE SKIES AND SUNSHINE AT BULL MTN
The Williams Lake Fire Department responded to an electrical smell at the Williams Inn on the evening of Jan. 6. Fire chief Randy Isfeld said the department responded and found an area of concern that the manager is going to look after. Williams Lake RCMP Inspector Warren Brown said the weekend was quiet, with only 55 calls for service with nothing of significance. “I hope the next 51 weeks are as good,” Brown added. Greg Sabatino photo
Haleigh Roi, 12, and brother Jarret Roi, 10, ski along the cross-country trails at Bull Mountain Sunday during the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club’s Family Fun Day.
Inside the Tribune NEWS Rallying for Ontario chief.
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SPORTS Polar Bear Swim a splash.
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BC Services Card to replace Care Card starting February
COMMUNITY A13 Potato House calendar available.
Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer
Weather outlook: Cloudy/ snowy today, high -4 C. Tomorrow, flurries, high of -5 C.
Starting Feb. 15 and over the next five years, eligible British Columbians between the ages of 19 and 74 will be required to replace their CareCard with the new BC Services Card by renewing their enrolment in the Medical Services Plan. The new card can serve as a driver’s licence and act as a photo ID, making B.C. the first province in Canada to issue a combined card. In Quebec and New Brunswick health cards already have expiry dates. Minister of Health Margaret MacDiarmid said Monday people can still choose to have one card or two. “Seventy per cent of people in a poll said they’d rather just have
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one card, but it’s an option. People can choose.” When people go in to get the new card they will have to have ID with them. At issue has been fraudulent use of cards, either by people that are not residents using B.C. health cards, or in some cases where more than one person is using the same card. “We really want to make sure that only people that should be using the cards are using them,” MacDiarmid said.”If more than one person is using a card then a medical history is being built up that could be very confusing, especially if someone is accessing the emergency department at a hospital.” That’s one reason to have the photo ID and the expiry date, she added.
Concerns have also been expressed about the chip in the card and the fear that personal information is contained in the chip. “One of the things I want to be clear about is that the chip is not even activated today, but even once it is activated, it will not have personal information in it,” MacDiarmid explained. “It allows access to that personal information, but the information is not in the card.” Health records will not be available by accessing driver’s licences either, she confirmed. People who do not drive can still enrol at the nearest location where driver’s licences are issued for the new card. Once a person enrols, they will be issued a new BC Services Card, or a combined card, and will need to re-enrol every five years.
$1.34 inc. HST
Attempted kidnapping in Williams Lake The Williams Lake RCMP are seeking information from the public after they received an abandoned 911 call on Dec. 23 at 1:44 a.m. from a female in the area of Pine Street and Second Avenue North in Williams Lake. The female reported to police that a male had opened the passenger side door of his truck as she walked by and offered her a ride. He then got out of the truck and tried to pull her towards the truck. She was able to get away and the truck sped off. The suspect truck is described as a newer, white, four-door, with a British Columbia licence plate possibly starting with the letters ER. The male was described as being in his 40s, bald, about fivefoot-10, and being somewhat overweight. He was reportedly wearing glasses, a brown and grey coat and black pants. In a press release issued about the incident on the evening of Jan. 4, the RCMP asked if anyone has information regarding this incident that they contact the Williams Lake RCMP at (250)392-6211 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crimestoppers also subscribes to web tips at www.bccrimestoppers.com. Williams Lake RCMP Inspector Warren Brown told the Tribune Monday that about 99 per cent of abandoned 911 calls are false. “Most often abandoned 911 calls are pocket dialed from cell phones or children fooling around,” Brown said. Another could be when youth gather at the arena, call 911 from a pay phone, and then hang up.”