FRIDAY
S I N C E
MARCH 1, 2013
1 8 9 5
Vol. 118, Issue 35
110
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A look back at crowning hockey champs Page 2
INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
LCCDT puts out port of call proposal
JACK IN THE CORNER
BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER
previous port of call was located on the riverbank at the end of the Esplanade’s A move is afoot to re-establish the city seawall, where a large Canadian flag was as a port of call for American travellers. painted. At the time, the port meant The Silver City could be back on the American travellers would report in like map as a watercraft transportation centre they would at any customs and immigravia a port of call motion now advancing tion office to get clearance. through to the Columbia River Treaty People had to phone in and say they negotiations. were coming in, and on the Canadian side If it passes, the motion a customs officer was sent would allow American boaters down from Paterson and they “It’s a real to once again travel up the would inspect the boat and opportunity Columbia River with relative allow it to pass. to revisit ease, and increase tourism and When the designation was give a boost to the Greater lost, the move did not sit something that Trail economy as well as the well with the Trail city counwas there years Kootenay region. cil of the day, and the river ago that will The motion—put forth was charted with navigational under the auspices of the charts as a navigable interreally improve Lower Columbia Community national water. cross border Development Team (LCCDT)— Council also had a port of relations and would restore trans boundary call building designed—at a boat travel, both north and also improve the cost of around $350,000— south, something that was lost and was to be located at utilization of a nearly 15 years ago in the Indian Eddy in Gyro Park. city when international border tremendous asset “However, it would have security was tightened. been the responsibility of the that we have Chair of LCCDT, Mike city to build the facility, there by way of the Martin, said the idea to restore would have been no federal Columbia River the city’s former designation assistance,” DeRosa recalled. was rooted in a belief that it though tourism.” Trail council couldn’t see was a very constructive ecoits way clear to do that, so the MIKE MARTIN nomic development initiative. effort was abandoned. “It was a real opportunity Now a boat would have to to revisit something that was be taken out of the water at there years ago that will really improve the border, delivered to Paterson border cross border relations and also improve crossing for inspection, and then delivered the utilization of a tremendous asset that back and put in the water. we have by way of the Columbia River “New security measures came in and through tourism,” he said. made it impractical to get a boat across the Martin said the LCCDT has had discus- border,” said DeRosa. sions at Lake Roosevelt forum in Spokane, Opening up the border now would add Wash., the Canadian Columbia River to boating experiences if Americans could Forum—a preparatory group of politicians travel north, go through the lock on the and bureaucrats, both federal and provin- Keenleyside Dam, venture up the Arrow cial—and with people with the Columbia Lakes, and, in certain seasons, continue on River Treaty just to see if there was any to Revelstoke. interest in the idea and to generate some Although it was too early to speculate, constructive dialogue. DeRosa saw the potential for commercial “And there is some interest on both ventures springing up around the port of sides of the border,” said. “But this won’t call building in Trail. happen overnight and it will take a while, “When you talk about opportunities, but unless we start the process we don’t that river is our biggest,” said DeRosa. know what else will create it.” “The river used to be our number one The Columbia River Treaty is an inter- (means of transportation), and we lost national water management agreement it.” between Canada and the United States. The LCCDT see itself as a catalyst to The treaty is unique—it is a treaty to man- creating a port of call in Trail, said Martin, age cross-boundary river flows where both laying the early groundwork to first get signatory countries to the treaty share in some interest on the Canadian side of the the benefits resulting from the treaty. border and then see if it can carry over LCCDT member Gord DeRosa said the into the U.S. Times Staff
TIMOTHY SCHAFER PHOTO
Preparations are being made to bring down the former Eagles Hall in downtown Trail as workers make the site conducive to demolition, which begins in earnest March 4.
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