EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Clark remains confident on road to election Page 3
Old Timers shut out Salmon Arm in tournament Page 7
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 PM40008236
Vol. 55 No. 13 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (HST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Bullseye: Royal Canadian Legion Branch #99 Sicamous hosted the legion’s Provincial Dart Playdown over the weekend. About 100 players participated in the event. Left – Zone Commander Glen Hill and Branch #99 president Cyril Gosse stand with playdown champs Stanley Anderson, Mike Brenton, Stuart Gourlay and Alfred Brenton. The team will be heading to Chester, NS in May for the Dominion Darts Championships. Above – Barry Davies of Vancouver Island looks on as Fraser Valley’s Brad Laffin takes a warm-up shot. Davies and Laffin came in first and second in the Singles category. Photos by Judith Gosse and James Murray
District pushing for disaster coverage for seasonal residents By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The District of Sicamous will be going to bat for seasonal property owners unable to claim disaster aid from the B.C. government. At the May 1 Southern Interior Local Government Association meeting in Salmon Arm, Sicamous council will be seeking support for a resolution urging the province to review its Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program, with a “view to allow all property owners, regardless of principal or secondary occupancy, to qualify.” Sicamous Mayor Darrell Trouton became well aware of the discrepancy after the destructive June 23 debris flows in the Two Mile subdivision as well as Swansea Point, both of which have a large number of properties owned by seasonal residents. “They probably pay three times more taxes in the community than any of the other residences, and yet they’re not recognized,” says Trouton. “My thought is you’re punishing somebody for having a second home or
and investment home, an investment in our mit application to confirm proposed mining community, because they live somewhere activity is within an “area designated by a else.” local official community plan and zoning Trouton recognizes Alberta – from bylaw permitting such mining activity.” where many of Sicamous’ seasonal resi“We just have to nip that in the bud and dents hail – has a similar policy. But he says say that in a residential area, or near a resihe still doesn’t dential or a reagree with it. sort community, Another resothat somebody lution Sicamous can’t come along They probably pay three and excavate the council will be times more taxes in the side of a mounraising at SILGA community than any of the tain for gravel,” relates to the perother residences, and yet says Trouton. mitting process they’re not recognized. under the Mines Two other Act, and how Darrell Trouton resolutions bethere is currently Mayor ing forwarded nothing requirto SILGA are ing applicants to aimed at making seek local government support in advance, life easier for municipal staff, and saving and how applications can be issued without the taxpayers some money. One relates to respect to a municipality’s official commu- the provincial government’s penchant for nity plan or zoning. At SILGA, council will ministry name changes. be asking for the support from fellow local With these changes comes a change in governments to have the province to amend staffing. This, says district administrator the Mines Act to first require a mines per- Heidi Frank, makes it time consuming and
difficult to bring new staff up to speed on certain files. “When the ministry names continuously change, it creates confusion on who the appropriate contact is, not to mention the taxpayers’ expense of all the business card and letterhead changes,” says Frank. “Every municipality across the province then has to update its files. On a provincial level this is a huge soft cost.” Sicamous will be asking for SILGA’s support in calling on the province to develop a policy restricting the change of ministry names to within four months of a provincial election. The fourth resolution relates to reporting requirements for federal and provincial funding grants which, in the eyes of Frank and council, tend to be onerous. “With the limited staffing numbers in municipalities such as Sicamous, we often struggle to complete the reporting requirements in order to receive the funding,” says Frank. “It requires financial, status, and genSee Ministry name on page 2