THURSDAY
S I N C E
FEBRUARY 21, 2013
1 8 9 5 Red Mountain Racers on home turf
Vol. 118, Issue 30
110
$
Page 9
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
MLA says Liberals’ budget ‘abandons’ its responsibilities BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER
have to pay in the future ... It’s a legacy that they are destroyThose with abandonment ing for this province.” issues better not crack open She pointed to the crisis the B.C. Liberals pre-election facing School District 20 budget. (Kootenay Columbia)—as The budget is rife with the board prepares to cut underfunded eletwo schools from ments and disits commun“We know the regarded issues ities to balance issues going on such as health its budget—as an care and edu- with education in example of how the cation, says was not this constituency province West Kootenayhearing the plight and there is Boundary MLA and pleas from Katrine Conroy. school districts nothing for us.” She said people and not increasing MLA KATRINE CONROY should feel abanfunding for educadoned by their tion. government after Finance “We know the issues going Minister Mike de Jong handed on with education in this condown the province’s latest fiscal stituency and there is nothing roadmap, marginally increas- for us,” Conroy said. “How do ing funding to health care, and you justify (no increased fundignoring struggling school dis- ing)? I just don’t see it.” tricts with no new funding. Conroy expected more Promised as a balanced transparency and honesty in budget when it was delivered the budget as the province Tuesday in the provincial legis- committed to increase spendlature, the document also con- ing by 1.5 per cent, but also tains cuts to all of the “dirt” elected to bump up Medical ministries near and dear to Services Plan premiums by West Kootenay residents: for- four per cent in January. estry, mining and the environThe critic for seniors and ment. long term care pointed to mar“It’s like the Liberals have ginal increases to health care as abandoned the stewardship of indicative of the government’s the land that is just so critical misplaced priorities, and lack for our future,” Conroy said. of concern for rural areas like “It’s like they’ve abandoned our the West Kootenay-Boundary. children’s and our grandchilThe province has indicated dren’s future by giving up on there will be health care spendour land and our resources. ing increases of 2.3. 2.7 and 2.2 They have deferred accounts per cent over the next three into the future that we will years, but the small increasTimes Staff
Footprints in snow lead to missing teenager
BY GUY BERTRAND Times Staff
A 19-year-old Castlegar teen has been found after a four-night stint in the mountainous area north of the Nancy Greene junction. Jessie Wright was last seen Saturday afternoon in Castlegar and the RCMP issued a missing person report Monday morning. The four-day ordeal came to
es essentially act as a “cut” to health care funding, said Conroy, as the region struggles to maintain the overburdened services it has. “We have issues with people trying to get access, home support and get surgery ... and for them to cut now it is of great concern,” she said. “Nobody in this area expects to have everything at our regional hospital. They expect to go to Vancouver or Kelowna for some things. But you expect the basics. And when I hear people waiting for basic things that is a concern.” De Jong said Tuesday there will be a one per cent increase in corporate income tax, on top of carbon tax on fossil fuels and the end of the harmonized sales tax that provided input tax credits. And there will be tax increases. Beginning January, 2014, the personal income tax rate on income above $150,000 will increase by 2.1 per cent to 16.8 per cent from 14.7 per cent. Tobacco taxes will increase by $2 per carton effective Oct. 1. However, there will be a one-time $1,200 grant for children born after Jan. 1, 2007, to be deposited directly into a Registered Education Savings Plan. As well, there will be an early childhood refundable tax credit created for families with children under six worth up to $660, starting in April 2015. The tax credit is expected to cost $146 million in its first year.
WINDOW WAVERS
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
Edward Stzukie (left) and Grayden Fennel waved in the late arrivals at Sunshine Children’s Centre on Wednesday. The B.C. government waved in its 2013 budget on Tuesday, which allotted $76 million over three years to be invested in the creation of new childcare spaces.
a happy conclusion Wednesday morning when an RCMP helicopter spotted footprints near a trail that led to a cabin. RCMP members were flown to the cabin where Wright was located. Sgt. Laurel Mathew of the Castlegar RCMP said it was a “stroke of luck” that Wright stumbled across the cabin, where he was able to rest and dry his
clothes. Although initial reports stated he might be headed north, Matthew said it was timely tip that enabled the search to focus on the rail trail between Castlegar and Grand Forks. “Out of the blue a lady called and said she saw him down by Celgar,” explained Mathew. The Celgar plant is near the start of the Trans-Canada Trail
that connects Castlegar to Grand Forks. According to the police report, Wright was walking along the trail when he took a wrong trail and got lost. RCMP and local Search and Rescue personnel focused their search on that region but weather and darkness hampered the ground and air search. See TEEN, Page 3
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