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MINOR HOCKEY AWARDS PAGE 9
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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
New fire base boosts airport land development
Work is progressing as scheduled on the new wildfire management base in Merritt. Paul Gelineau/Mireau Contracting
By Craig Lindsay THE HERALD
newsroom@merrittherald.com
The new wildfire management base on Airport Road is a few weeks away from completion, but it’s already paying dividends for Merritt. “It’s an anchor tenant for our Airport
subdivision,” said James Umpherson, economic development manager for the City of Merritt. “Council decided a few years ago to develop the airport and create a subdivision. Ironically, just as we finished building the subdivision last fall, we were entering into
negotiations with the Ministry of Forestry about their new training centre. As such, they ended up leasing six of our sites up there. So, essentially, they’ve filled a considerable amount of our subdivision right from the get-go. The cost we’ve had to incur to
develop won’t be in vain, because we’ve already got our first tenant, which is great.” Umpherson said the only current tenant in the subdivision is the Merritt Flying Club but he added that the city is in talks with several other businesses. “We’re in discus-
sions with a few potential tenants,” he said. “We’re also trying to market it with our current property developers up at the airport. We’re working with the Ministry of Forestry to enhance the services they’ll require (for the base) when they move in.”
The wildfire management base is expected to be completed in time for fire season, which begins in May, said Umpherson, who added that the base will bring several economic benefits to the region. “It’s important to the city to build up that area,” he said. “We have some retail and commercial up there as it is and if we can densify the area, it just brings more and more business and more and more people to the area. The other side of that is the airport itself, which offers a new industry and new types of businesses that wouldn’t normally be there. What we’re talking about is airport industrial and airport commercial. It’ll bring in new types of skills and trade people we
don’t have here. It diversifies our business sector and our labour force.” Construction on the building is on schedule, said Kayla Pepper, information officer for the Kamloops Fire Centre. “Right now, the anticipated date of completion is June 30,” she said. “The project is going on as planned, on schedule, and under the $4.74 million budget that was announced by Steve Thomson (minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations) last fall.” The base will house the Kamloops Fire Centre’s expanded Merritt fire zone office as well as a wildfire training centre.
See “Wildfire” Page 5
Community band invited to play at Government House By Emily Wessel THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
The Nicola Valley Community Band is warming up for a slew of upcoming performances, including a special performance at Victoria’s Government House on the invitation of LieutenantGovernor Judy Guichon. Guichon, who once played flute in the band, invited the group to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation on June 2. “It’ll be fun. We have a lovely bandstand on the grounds,”
Guichon said. “It’s a special honour to be invited to play at Government House,” tuba player Steve Rose said. “It’s a huge special event. There could be upwards of three to four thousand people at this thing.” The band, which has about 20 members, is holding a fundraising concert at the Culture Club on April 5 to cover its remaining travel costs after receiving $800 from Government House. Rose said the show will be a departure from the band’s usual marches.
“It’ll be a cabaret-style, relaxing sort of a concert,” Rose said. “It’s going to cost a lot of money for this trip down to Victoria, but Victoria’s probably going to be our highlight of the year.” The band is also performing on April 26 at the Civic Centre for the Nicola Valley Community Arts Council’s 30th anniversary celebration before hitting the road for Langley on May 31 for a joint concert with the Langley Community Band.
See “Community” Page 5
The Nicola Valley Community Band warms up during a regular weekly practice at Merritt Secondary School. Emily Wessel/Herald
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