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Vol. 90 Issue 24 • Wednesday, June 19, 2013 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25 •
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Orphans return home after trip to Smithers rehab Claire paradis Arrow Lakes News
Grizzly cubs Blair and Terry will be returned to the area after spending some time in a rehabilitation facility for bears in Smithers. Photo courtesy Northern Lights Wildlife
We’re talking bears; yes, it’s that time. Our hairy neighbours are up and roaming about on the lookout for food again, and two are about to return to the land they knew as young cubs. Last summer, a grizzly sow and her two cubs were spotted in several local backyards browsing for something to eat. The bears had gotten too close for comfort, and their wandering ended tragically with the mother being killed. Fortunately for the two orphans, a pilot program run out of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers, B.C. is rehabilitating grizzly cubs for reintegration into nature. The Society, which has been running rehab programs for black bears for decades, began
their grizzly project in 2007 with two orphan grizzlies out of Prince George. With this pair from the area, they have now had eight of the bears through their program. Like many rehabilitation programs, the Northern Lights one has its skeptics, including the provincial government who originally said no they would not participate in the project, said Angelika Langen, one of the society’s two founders. But persistence paid off, and with grizzly bear numbers dwindling in the province, the government relented. “I can be a real pain in the butt and they got tired of me,” said a smiling Langen at a meeting in Nakusp about the upcoming release of the two bears. The rehab facilitator had come to town to talk about the program and discuss
See Bears page 2
Modern Columbia River Treaty more than power, flood control Claire paradis Arrow Lakes News
The Fauquier-hosted public meeting on the Columbia River Treaty Review was the last attempt to get people up to speed on some of the contemporary challenges facing Basin residents and to get their voice heard by Ministry and local government representatives. In the audience of approximately 70 were local politicians from the municipal to the provincial levels of government. Nakusp mayor Karen Hamling who also sits as the Vice Chair on the Local Government committee for the Columbia River Treaty facilitated the meeting, ensuring that speakers kept time while answering as many questions as possible. Speakers included George Penfold from UBC who spoke on the range of impacts and benefits of the CRT. One critique from the audience commented that his talk spoke more about the benefits than the negative impacts, which Penfold himself did not disagree with. He pointed out that at the time of building, there was no assessment of other losses. The next speaker, Richard Paisley, also from UBC, noted off the top that the only two aspects of damming the Columbia that had been considered important and therefore studied were flood control and power generation. Since then, agriculture, recreation, First Nation and ecological concerns have
been recognized as significant concerns that should be brought to the table. Specializing in the governance of international agreements about fresh water at the UBC Faculty of Law, he also said that it was difficult to take lessons learned from one situation and use them in another because each case was so unique. The one thing he did say that was most common worldwide in terms of water was that “it seems as though benefits seldom flow to the people most affected.” Paisley compared the looming date of Sept. 16, 2014, the day from which either the U.S. or Canada can opt out of the treaty, to Y2K because there’s a lot of concern about something that may or may not happen. In 2024, however, the flood controls originally agreed to when the treaty was signed do expire, and that will have significant impact on both sides of the border. One of the major concerns that wasn’t part of original discussions was climate change, the effects of which certainly will be now. Paisley told listeners that there is a 35 per cent reduction of water occurring in the U.S. side of the Columbia Basin, as well as an increase in glacial melt and extreme weather events. “People are justifiably paranoid about the effects of climate change,” said Paisley. The U.S. demand is doing nothing but increasing, he said, and mostly for non-power generation uses. Irrigation, fish, and recreation all create big water demands, he said.
The U.S. Endangered Species Act, which has nothing to do with power generation, dictates water usage. This is a headache for utilities who pay for water that could be used for power gen-
eration, even though it isn’t (also known as the Canadian Entitlement), said Paisley. Fishing interests aren’t paying for their usage of
See CRT page 2
Child care centre receives award
Joanne Lamarch and Nancy Bone hold the plaque the children’s centre received in recognition of 40 years of service. Claire Paradis/Arrow Lakes News Contributed
A plaque was presented to the Stepping Stones Childcare Centre by the Ministry of Children and Family Development for 40 years of continuous service. Since 1973, there have been many dedicated educators, parents, volunteers, board members, and community businesses that have contributed
greatly to the longevity of the centre and its success. The Child Care Legacy Award from the Ministry recognizes exemplary child care services in Nakusp and surrounding area. The current Board of Directors, along with Nancy Bone, the Director/Administrator for the past 20 years, sincerely appreciate the community at large for making this 40-year milestone possible.
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