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WEDNESDAY, May 1, 2013
VOL. 36 NO. 09 $1.30 inc. GST
NEWS BRIEFS Court report For files appearing before the Fort St. James Provincial Court on April 23, 2013. Linda M. Basil was released on conditions and $500 bond for assault. Christopher S. Bird was fined $500 and charged a victim surcharge of $75 for driving without due care and attention. Cecil G. Martin was fined $500 plus a victim surcharge of $75 and prohibited from driving for one year for driving while prohibited. Haleanna A. Prince was released on conditions for 12 months with the allegation of $500 for assault. Leslie M. Prince was given 25 days in jail, two sentences of 12 months suspended sentence and 12 months probation as well as charged a victim surcharge of $50 for theft under $5,000 and uttering threats. Nadine C. Sam was released on recognizance on conditions for one year with a $500 bond to keep the peace.
Truck taken
April 21 at 10:14 a.m., a resident on Highway 27 called RCMP to report they had recovered their stolen 2005 Dodge Ram pickup 13 km south of Fort St. James. The vehicle had been taken from Russell Transfer yard. There was no damage to the vehicle, and RCMP said they have no suspects at this time. Those with info should contact RCMP or Crimestoppers.
Firefighters work to extingiush the smoking remains of a shed next to the Our Lady of the Snow Church on Nak’azdli Reserve on April 23.
Ruth Lloyd/Caledonia Courier
Fire department saves church from blaze
Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier
Father Frank Salmon is crediting the quick response and training of the local fire department with saving his church. A fire destroyed a shed on the Our Lady of the Snow Catholic Church on the Nak’azdli Reserve in Fort St. James, but was close to taking the church and rectory as well. Salmon’s rectory, which is on the back of the church, also has an attached wood shed which had just caught fire when the firefighters arrived on the scene. The storage shed next to the main building was completely engulfed when the firefighters arrived and the shed and its contents
were completely destroyed in the fire. “The quick response of the fire department saved the church for sure,” said Salmon. Had they been five minutes later, Salmon thinks the wood shed would have been too far gone to stop it from destroying the rest of the entire structure. While the rectory was damaged with some melted siding visible from the outside and possible smoke damage, Assistant Fire Chief Don Fraser said it looked like the structure itself of the rectory and church were not seriously firedamaged besides the siding. Two fire engines and one water tender were on site to fight the fire, one working primarily on the destroyed shed and one on the grass fire
which had burnt the hillside below the church. Salmon said the shed was used to store a number of items both belonging to himself and to the church, including his kayaks, camping gear, canoe and the church’s ride-on lawnmower. He is hopeful insurance will cover some of the losses. The cause of the fire is still under investigation but properties below the church had grass still burning while crews were at the scene, so the fire may have started down slope. RCMP are reminding residents to take precautions with fires - do not leave them unattended and make sure to have water and equipment on site to deal with a fire should it begin to get out of control.
One woman stabbed, another faces charges Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier One women was taken to hospital and another has been charged after a stabbing at the Fort St. James Trailer Court April 22. On the Monday at 3:10 p.m., RCMP responded to a report a woman had been stabbed at a residence in the trailer park.
Upon arrival, RCMP report they found a seriously injured woman suffering from multiple stab wounds and arrested another woman at the scene. Maybeline John has since been charged with assault with a weapon in relation to the incident. The victim was transported to Vanderhoof for treatment of one of the stab wounds to her knee, but the injuries were deemed not to be life threatening.