LOCAL GIRLS PLAY ON WINNING TEAM A23 APRIL 10, 2013
$1.30 includes GST
RESIDENTS TRASHING DUMP SITE A6
Business eases back into PST
INSIDE
opinion A8 letters A9 entertainment B3 sports A23 community B1 classifieds A26
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PUPPY LOVE
Resort manager, grocer, restaurateur report smooth transition
Carole Rooney Free Press
STUNNING PHOTOS ON DISPLAY AT PARKSIDE B3
Two sections, 44 pages
The elimination of British Columbia’s controversial Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on April 1 has left marginal to moderate impacts in its wake for some South Cariboo businesses. Despite a decrease in taxes on certain items from 12 to five per cent, such as restaurant meals and golf memberships, consumers seem to have little to say about it so far. Meanwhile, most retailers and many service companies have had to register and revamp equipment and bookkeeping for the return to Provincial Sales Tax (PST), but several indicate they’ve had a smooth transition. Yummers EnRoute restaurant owner John McCarvill notes while PST-exempt meals chopped the food tab, he has not overheard any
customer remark “wow, I saved seven per cent.” “I’ve had no comments from customers whatsoever. [But], when they come to Yummers, they are not spending a lot of money anyway.” One fellow did mention the increased cost for a beer, he adds, with the return to the old system of liquor taxation from 12 to 15 per cent. “He said ‘Holy smokes, the price of liquor sure went up’. And I said, ‘Well actually it was the tax that went up’. ” The HST was “clearly a better way to go” from his perspective, McCarvill says, adding he doesn’t “believe for a second” the industry will get the boost some say it will from the change back to PST. “I just reprogrammed the [cash register] machine and that was that – no issues there. But it is going to make my life
Carole Rooney photo
Local French Immersion students in grades 2, 3 and 4 crowded around Melissa Johnston, right, to see the cute little Schnorkie puppy, Sophie, at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre on April 5.
Continued on A7
Residents urged to attend meeting
Ken Alexander Free Press
District of 100 Mile House mayor and council are inviting municipal taxpayers to a public meeting to learn about, and discuss, the district’s five-year financial plan, covering 2013 through 2017. The meeting will be held in the district council chambers on April 16, starting at 7 p.m. The meeting room is located at 385 Birch Ave., and residents are asked to use the doors on the Fourth
Street entrance. Councillors will have given the Financial Plan Bylaw #1246 three readings at its April 9 council meeting. The purpose of the April 16 meeting is to consult with the public and consider public input before passing the bylaw at a future meeting. The district will have a newsletter, outlining highlights of the financial plan, available for members of the public who attend the meeting. Noting a lot of hard work has gone into preparing the budget, Mayor Mitch Campsall says it is
looking good. “We’re really happy with the things we got and the way things are coming up, and it looks like we can get a fair amount of work done this year.” Noting council wants to start “sprucing and cleaning up” the downtown and get some paving done downtown, the mayor says paving is on the wish list. Campsall adds the district is also looking at constructing a sidewalk from Save-On-Foods to Pioneer Haven this year and expects it will cost between $150,000 and $170,000.