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Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Volume 93 - No. 33
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www.ldnews.net
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$1.30 GST inc.
BURNS LAKE
LAKES DISTRICT NEWS
Calm fire Two recent search and rescue weekend efforts in Burns Lake area in Lakes District
Fraser Lake area fire continues to burn but is being contained
...see FIRES
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The Vancouver-based mining company is suing the province over the Ministry of Environment’s refusal to sign off on a required environmental assessment certificate (EAC) last October.
Story on page 3
Burns Lake Medical Clinic society
WALTER STRONG
The Peta Mountain fire, approximately 20 kms north of Fraser Lake continues to burn but is reported to be 30 per cent contained. The fire has been burning for more than a week and is currently 250 hectares in size. Eighty-five firefighters, three helicopters, and heavy ground equipment are involved in the fire fighting effort. It is a non-interface fire, so currently there is no threat to property. The Duncan Creek forest service road in the area is closed. An open fire ban and campfires remain banned in the Northwest fire zone, which includes all of the Lakes District and Southside. Currently, there are no wildfires of note in the Lakes District. It was a quiet weekend in the Burns Lake area compared to last weekend when Nadina fire zone personnel where called upon to respond to several spot fires. Rob Krause, forest protection officer for the Nadina fire zone, said that despite efforts to raise public awareness surrounding the dangers of unattended fires during the recent hot, dry spell the region has been experiencing, some campers failed to take the message to heart. “We dealt with five abandoned campfires - fires still burning - over the long weekend,” Krause said. “They dealt with nine in the Terrace area.” One of the fires took more than two
Pacific Booker in court
“We have been a force for articulating a vision of health care in this community that involved a communityowned, not-for-profit, health centre.
Story on page 5 SUBMITTED PHOTO
Brett Smith’s friends have released his photo in the hopes that anyone who may have seen the missing 35-year-old earlier this week will contact RCMP at 250-561-3300 or #CrimeStoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Prince George family mourns for missing man WALTER STRONG
Last Friday, two separate searches where underway in the Burns Lake area following separate reports of two missing individuals. The search for a male boater, identified as Brett Smith of Prince George by north district RCMP, who went missing on or near Takysie Lake, approximately 50 kms south of Burns Lake sometime on or after August 6, the last date that Smith’s family had heard from him. Smith’s boat was found abandoned on the north shore of Takysie Lake, and on Aug. 11, Cst. Lesley Smith reported that search and rescue (SAR) units from Nechako Valley, Houston, Fort St. James and Terrace were involved in the search. A side sonar unit was used in Takysie Lake, and RCMP police dog ser-
There’s no better time than now!
vices assisted with the ground search while a helicopter conducted an aerial search of the lake area. Search efforts were unsuccessful, and the RCMP was sad to announce that Smith is now presumed drowned. Despite this horrible news, search efforts continue at Takysie Lake. In an unrelated missing person report, a well-known 74 year-old Burns Lake resident, was reported missing near Eagle Creek on Friday afternoon when he did not return from berry-picking at an expected time. A search began immediately in the Eagle Creek area, close to Burns Lake. The search involved Burns Lake detachment RCMP, Prince George RCMP police service dogs, Burns Lake and Bulkley Valley SAR, family, and local volunteers. A friend of the family hired a helicopter for the search. The man was found late in the day and taken to Lakes District Hospital, where he was examined, treated, and released at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday evening. He is reported to be in good condition.
Confusion reporting fires Southside Burnaby, Southside Chilliwack, and Southside Vancouver, are all places that will pop up with a search for ‘Southside B.C.” on Google.
Story on page 8
Millwright/Machinist Foundation Program in Burns Lake. Year one: learn the foundational skills to enter an apprentice as an Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) or Machinist Years two, three, four: specialize an apprentice in the profession of choice September 23 to March 7
Register now. Some funding available.
Phone: 250.692.1700 • Fax: 250.692.1750 • Toll Free: 1.866.692.1943 545 Highway 16 West • PO Box 5000, Burns Lake, BC • V0J 1E0 Email: lksdist@cnc.bc.ca • Website: www.cnc.bc.ca/lakesdistrict