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DE K A M L O O P S
THURSDAY
Thursday, March 28, 2013 X Volume 26 No. 25
Kamloops, B.C., Canada X 30 cents at Newsstands
THIS WEEK
RCMP PROBES RAILWAY SOCIETY Train off track; investigation into misappropriation of funds By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
While the Kamloops Heritage Railway Society ponders its next move in hopes of getting back on track for 2014, police are investigating an alleged six-figure fraud believed to have been carried out against the non-profit last year. Society president Glen Wideman told KTW the incident took place in early 2012, weeks before bickering between directors caused the board to dissolve and control of the 2141 Spirit of Kamloops steam engine was assumed by city staff. Former Kamloops city councillor Joe Leong was the board’s treasurer at the time of the suspected swindling. “There was definitely funds taken from our bank accounts,” Wideman said. “We trusted Joe. We trusted him implicitly — God, he was a councillor.” Wideman said a police investi-
gation is underway and all board members — past and present — have been interviewed by RCMP detectives. Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Grant Learned said he couldn’t shed much light on the investigation. “The Kamloops RCMP have an active fraud investigation involving the Kamloops Heritage Railway Society,” he said. “As this investigation is ongoing, there will be no further comment.” When contacted by KTW, Leong, who served as treasurer from 2009 until 2012, said he is unaware of any police probe and maintained he has not met with investigators. “I don’t think there was any misappropriation,” he said, suggesting the confusion might have been in regard to a reserve fund set up to perform engine maintenance. “There was some money put away for that,” Leong said.
SPRING IN HIS STEP Ten-month-old Hugh Smith is enjoying the warmer days as the melting of the snow has given him a chance to perfect his walking skills in Valleyview. Little Hugh is going to love the Easter long weekend, blessed as it will be with temperatures approaching the 20 C mark. Allen Douglas/ KTW
X See RED FLAGS A7
On the road with the Kamloops Blazers The Kamloops Blazers are on Vancouver Island tonight to face the Victoria Royals in Game 4 of the Western Hockey League bestof-seven opening playoff round. The Royals’ 2-1 win in Victoria on Tuesday, March 26, cut Kamloops’ series lead to 2-1.
Game 5 will be played at Interior Savings Centre on Saturday, March 30, at 7 p.m. Kamloops This Week sports reporter Marty Hastings (left) has been on the road with the club all week, filing stories, videos and photos to kamloopsthisweek.com.
Turn to page A20 of today’s edition of KTW to read Hastings’ preview of tonight’s tilt and his stories from the road. As always, Hastings will be tweeting during tonight’s game on twitter.com, under @KTWonBlazers.
Meet the Nice Road Trucker Page B1 Thompson River Publications Partnership Ltd.
Last weekend with the HST It’s no April Fool’s Day joke — taking a cab, reserving a camping site, going to the movies and enjoying a meal at a restaurant should all be a bit less expensive as of Monday, April 1, as B.C. reverts to the provincial sales tax (PST) system and sends the harmonized sales tax (HST) to the cash register in the sky. Shortly after being elected in May 2009, the B.C. Liberals announced the province would introduce the HST, a 12 per cent tax replacing the seven per cent PST and five per cent goods and services HOW MUCH IS THAT? tax (GST). For a list of what items will cost under the The HST return to the PST/GST system, go online to increased the http://tinyurl.com/d3l5n8e. price on about 20 per cent of BUSINESSES TAKE NOTE: goods and ser- Businesses need to register to collect PST if vices as items they sell or lease taxable goods, or provide software or taxable services in the ordinary previously course of business in B.C. Businesses may also subject only need to register if they are located outside the to the five per cent GST province but make sales in B.C. The PST phone lines wil be open during the were taxed Easter long weekend. Call 1-877-388-4440 at the 12 per cent HST rate. from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29 and Following from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, Sunday, March 31 and Monday,April 1. a historic petition drive that forced a referendum on the issue, voters in the summer of 2011 decided overwhelmingly to ditch the HST and return to the PST/ GST system. Not everything will be less expensive, however, as alcohol now taxed at 15 per cent will be taxed at 15 per cent (five per cent GST and 10 per cent PST). While the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch will drop markups at the wholesale level by three per cent, it remains to be seen whether that pint at the pub will remain the same price. Some industries — most notably British Columbia’s forestry and filmproduction sectors — will bear more costs as the tax system changes.
HST TO PST