THURSDAY
Kim Carter comes to Cranbrook
JUNE 27, 2013
The Ombudsperson is on your side
Page 7
McGill joins National Junior Team
Greg Snell and the best job in the world
Kootenay Coach will be at 2014 Worlds
Page 7
Page 8
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Vol. 61, Issue 124
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Water continues to rise in Wasa Lake levels could continue to rise for another four to seven days
SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
Lake water continues to lap against homes in Wasa as levels increased again Wednesday. According to a statement by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK), the lake was expected to rise another 10 to 12 inches through Wednesday. A total of 13,500 sandbags were delivered to Wasa, and a forestry crew from Cranbrook sandbagged around nine homes. Twelve pumps are in the community to help residents remove water
from their homes. Kootenay Pond (also known as the slough) dropped 22 centimetres on Tuesday and is now draining into the Kootenay River. The flap gate between the slough and Cameron Pond is now open and draining. BC Parks closed boat launches on Wasa Lake Wednesday, and the RDEK is urging boaters to stay off Wasa Lake. âThe water is literally lapping at the door of some homes and cabins,â said Information Officer, Loree Duczek.
See WASA , Page 5
CITY COUNCIL
HST repeal keeps aquatic fees steady ARNE PETRYSHEN Townsman Staff
Fees to use the aquatic centre will drop slightly despite a six per cent increase in fees. The savings come as a result of the HST rollback, thereby shaving seven per cent provincial sales tax from the fees. Arena rates havenât changed since a revision a few years ago, when they upped the arena rates by a considerable amount. Leisure Ser-
vices staff recommended to council in this report not to further raise leisure services rates. âOur primary reason we increased the arena rates by upwards of 50 per cent was to also hopefully get 50 per cent more revenue, and weâre at about two per cent, so it wasnât working, weâre losing groups,â said Chris New, director of leisure services.
See LEISURE , Page 3
MIKE TURNER PHOTO
Two Bighorn helicopters are taking part in a search for a missing vehicle and driver. It seems the vehicle went off the Bull River Forest Service Road late Tuesday night.
Man missing in Bull River Search and rescue, RCMP, family and friends working hard to find a 20-year-old man assumed to have crashed into the Bull River on Tuesday, June 25 B A R RY CO U LT E R Townsman Staff
A desperate search is underway of the Bull River above the Aberfeldie Dam for a missing vehicle and driver. Cpl Pat Prefontaine of the Cranbrook RCMP told Mike Turner Wednesday morning that a call came in at 10 p.m. Tuesday night about an accident on the Bull River Forest Service Road. âMembers attended the scene and determined that a vehicle had gone off a sharp curve and down a steep embankment,â Prefontaine said.
âWe couldnât find the vehicle but we did find some debris. Since that time weâve been searching for the vehicle and the 20-year-old driver.â The accident happened about 25 kilometres up the Bull River Forest Service Road from the Fort Steele-Wardner Road, between the first and second bridges. âThere are tracks leading off the road,â Prefontaine said. âItâs quite a drop down. Weâve been searching from that point down to the dam reservoir.â Also involved in the search
are Cranbrook Search and Rescue and Kimberley Search and Rescue. Two helicopters are flying over the river and the banks. Prefontaine said extra ground search and rescue personnel has been called in, as well as Rope Search and Rescue and a Swift Water Rescue unit out of Nelson. RCMP werenât releasing the identity of the missing driver as of Wednesday morning. But family and friends were out in numbers searching, and Prefontaine said RCMP were doing everything to assist them.
People in kayaks were even patrolling the river, searching islands and log jams, Prefontaine said. RCMP and Search and Rescue personnel have been involved in a similar search for a vehicle and two missing occupants in Findlay Creek west of Canal Flats. As in that situation, the water conditions are making the job more difficult. âWeâre at high water,â Prefontaine said. âThe turbidity is very high. As it did at Findlay Creek, it hampers the search.