FriDAY July 5, 2013
stampede
off to the parade
The Kimberley float marches in Calgary. See LOCAL NEWS page 3
Counting strokes in Revelstoke > Local golfers at BC Junior Golf Championships | Page 8
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Proudly serving kimberley and area since 1932 | Vol. 81, Issue 129 | www.dailybulletin.ca
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Bear attack
Bear attacks two Fernie residents on Mt. Proctor Two men injured after attack by grizzly sow Tamar a Hynd Fernie Free Press
Photo submitted
Shauna Jimenez with Friends of Burma takes the children of the Paw refugee family out on the water at Wasa Lake.
EKFOB success stories Successful integration takes years of commitment C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
It has long been the belief among the volunteers with the East Kootenay Friends of Burma that settling refugees into small towns can be a more rewarding experience for all involved. Certainly that has proved to be the case in Kimberley and Cranbrook. Without the anonymity and sheer numbers of large urban centres, refugee families get to know their sponsors, and their community, in a personal way. A case in point is the family of Karen refugees from Burma, which EKFOB began
bringing into Kimberley five years ago. The Paw family settled in Kimberley, stepping into Western civilization after spending most of their lives in a refugee camp on the Thai Burmese border. It began with one young couple and their daughter and gradually over the years, EKFOB has been able to bring in more of the extended family — parents, grandparents, in-laws, cousins. For Friends of Burma volunteers, settling a family is not just a case of finding them a home, it is a commitment to help the family deal with their change in circumstances over a long period of time. “Settlement and integration work by EKFOB volunteers continues for years after refugees arrive and covers an amazingly broad range of ac-
The kids enjoy Wasa Fun Day where they took first place in the parade. L to R (left to right) Hsa Dri Htoo, Ku Gay, Hay Tha Sher, Hay Tha Htoo, Ta Hay Tha. tivities — from participating in local community events like the Wasa parade, to learning to ski and skate, to practicing with prosthetics, attending doctors appointments, swim and kayak days
at Wasa lake and even road trips to encourage other rural communities to follow Kimberley’s lead and sponsor refugees,” said FOB’s Shauna Jimenez. See FOB, page 3
The details are still under investigation but it has been reported to the BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) that two Fernie men are recovering after they were attacked by what appeared to be a sow grizzly bear on the ridge top of Mt. Proctor on July 3. The two men, who are in their mid thirties, were hiking along the ridge top of Mt. Proctor around 9 am. A bear charged towards them and began attacking one man, biting his upper arm and chest area. When the man discharged pepper spray into the bear’s face, the bear backed off but then ran at the second man. The second man had a shotgun and discharged one shot at the bear at a very close range. The bear continued to attack the second man for a few seconds. Following the attack on the second man, the bear fled into the bushes. One cub was seen with the sow. Both men were able to apply basic first aid to each other and then quickly made their way down the mountain. The men arrived at the Elk Valley Hospital in Fernie where they were treated for their injuries. Authorities were notified at this time. Sergeant Joe Caravetta from COS confirmed that
“When the man discharged pepper spray into the bear’s face, the bear backed off but then ran at the second man. The second man had a shotgun and discharged one shot at the bear at a very close range. ” currently there are five officers in the area investigating this incident with the aid of a helicopter and one of the injured men to locate the attack area. “We have officers on site at the attack area just now conducting our investigation,” Caravetta said Wednesday. “We still need to confirm that it was a grizzly bear. “The incident did not happen in the Fairy Creek/ Mt. Proctor Recreation trail area but for public safety, we have closed that area. We ask that people stay out of that area until we have finished our investigation.” Caravetta added, “We don’t know why the attack happened yet. We don’t want to jump to any conclusions so we are investigating.” Both men were taken down to the ground during the attack and suffered nonlife threatening injuries to their arms, legs and upper body.