EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Students pound the pavement for good cause Page 3
Services ongoing despite ‘no’ vote in referendum Page 6
Wednesday, October 2, 2013 PM40008236
Vol. 57 No. 40 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Carpenter wins council seat Turnout: Three-way race draws more than 350 people to the polls. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
Sicamous voters have chosen Suzanne Carpenter to be their sixth representative on municipal council. Preliminary election results for the Sept. 28 byelection show Carpenter handily winning a seat on council with 208 votes. Lynn Miller came in second place with 90 votes, followed by Terri Sinton with 61. The News hoped to speak to Carpenter about her victory, but she was on vacation. Mayor Darrell Trouton, however, was not, and provided comment in a following news release. “We are happy to have Suzanne join our team,” said Trouton. “I’m sure she will bring a new perspective, and we all look forward to working with her.” According to district chief administrative officer Heidi Frank, 90 voters took advantage of the advance poll on Sept. 18, while 269 cast their ballot on the Sept. 28 election day. As of the Nov. 2011 election, there were 1,953 eligible voters in the district. The Suzanne Carpenter byelection was held to replace the seat vacated by Greg Kyllo, who now serves the Shuswap as its MLA. Frank says she will be meeting with Carpenter shortly to help her understand the role she will be taking and the responsibilities it comes with, and Carpenter is looking forward to working with Trouton and her soon-to-be fellow councillors, Fred Busch, Charlotte Hutchinson, Don Richardson, Terry Rysz and Joan Thomson. “As with every new councillor that has never held office before, there is a fairly significant learning curve,” said Frank, “and we have lots of processes in place to help with that. My best advice is just to jump right in, and I’ll provide all the support I can.” Carpenter recently retired from working with School District #83 and Eagle River Secondary, and is involved in numerous volunteer activities. In a bio written for the News, Carpenter said running for council has been a long-standing dream of hers.
Work in question: Richard Clegg stands next to Sicamous Creek and across from work he said was recently done in the creek by Waterway Houseboats. The province confirms the matter is under investigation. Photo by James Murray
Neighbours’ concerns prompt investigation By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The province confirms it is investigating alleged works done in Sicamous Creek by a neighbouring business. Brennan Clarke, spokesperson with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, said the province is looking into allegations involving Waterway Houseboats and recent work that was done in the creek. Richard Clegg that on Sept. 9, after a weekend of heavy rainfall, he and his neighbours who live near the creek witnessed Waterway personnel in the process of damming a portion of the creek where it had diverted and was heading toward the house-
Sicamous Creek: A dump truck drops a load of rock and debris on the north side of Sicamous Creek after it had diverted towards the Waterway Houseboats property. Photo by Richard Clegg boat company’s property. “At that point, we put a report in to the RAPP line (Report All Polluters) and Poachers,” through the recommendation of someone at the Columbia Shuswap
Regional District,” says Clegg. Clarke says it is illegal under the B.C.’s Water Act to conduct work in and about a stream without a permit from the province. “The possibility of
Fisheries Act violations is also being assessed,” said Clarke. Calls to Waterway Houseboats general manager Neil Millar were not returned. Clegg agrees the creek’s diversion may
have put Waterway’s property at risk. But he and his neighbours argue provincial and federal regulations still have to be followed in relation to fish-bearing streams. “Regardless of whether they felt their property was at risk, they still have to follow the laws,” says Clegg, adding spawning salmon have since been seen in the creek. This summer the province completed enhancement and restoration work in an upper portion in the creek in response to concerns identified during freshet. This was on top of the significant restoration and enhancement work done in the creek, including the mouth, following the June 23, 2012 debris flow.