WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2013
WHAT THE CLUCK?
BACKYARD CHICKEN DEBATE
See LOCAL NEWS page 3
VOLLEYBALL
EKVC MARKS CANADA SPORTS DAY
See SPORTS page 7
THE BULLETIN PROUDLY SERVING KIMBERLEY AND AREA SINCE 1932 | Vol. 81 Issue 230 | www.dailybulletin.ca
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A road no one wants; what to do with St. Mary Lake Road? Residents Association wants problem areas dealt with C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
At City Council’s regular meeting on Monday evening the St. Mary Valley Rural Residents Association attended to speak to the ongoing problem of maintenance of the
St. Mary Lake Road. Over ten years ago the provincial government passed responsibility for maintenance of the first 4.5 kilometres of the road to the City of Kimberley. The City has maintained since then that it was a download and that the province should be responsible. That argument has fallen on deaf ears. In the meantime, those who live up the valley and use the road daily have been
complaining about its deteriorating condition. The Association complained this summer and the City did do some patching. A speed limit of 50 kph was also posted. Residents worry that once the winter has taken its toll, the road will be back to the same poor condition it was. The Association’s presentation to Council pointed out that the City maintains that the road was poorly constructed to begin
with and would cost approximately a million dollars to bring up to an acceptable standard, and there are no taxpayers living along that section. According to the Association 13 residents of the Valley also own property in Kimberley and pay $30,000 yearly in property taxes and three own businesses which pay $17,000 annually.
See ROAD , Page 4
UNGULATES IN WATERSHED
Issues of ownership City wants provincial count of ungulate numbers in watershed C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
Earlier this month Kimberley City Council received a report on water quality in its two watersheds — Matthew and Mark Creeks — from its contractor Aqua-Tex. The report contained a number of recommendations, which the City’s Manager of Operations, Mike Fox, responded to at Council’s request. When Council received the report this week, one recommendation caught their eye. The Aqua-Tex report had indicated that ungulate numbers appeared to be rising in the watershed, which then brings concern about rising coliform levels in the water. Fox wrote that control of wildlife in the watershed may become necessary. “The City can keep an eye on wildlife in the area and see if the counts continue to increase.” Coun. Darryl Oakley, who sits on the Urban Deer Committee, questioned where the information on wildlife numbers was coming from, and also whether the City should take any ownership at all over keeping an eye on it. “I feel we should get an accurate wildlife population estimate from the Ministry,” he said. “Wildlife is not our jurisdiction. The City could be taking on something with considerable costs.” “It’s a good suggestion,” said Mayor Ron McRae. “Around issues of deer management the more data we can collect from provincial resources, the better. It’s a great opportunity to make the case as to who owns the deer.”
CAROLYN GRANT PHOTO
BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER MARK. Workers are installing the new footbridge over Mark Creek, replacing the vehicle bridge on St. Mary Avenue, which was taken out during the first phase of the flume rehab.
New bridge over flume going in C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
The decision to remove the vehicle bridge over Mark Creek on St. Mary Avenue and replace it with a footbridge was not without controversy. Residents of Beale and Leadenhall and members of the Kimberley Food Bank protested, saying exiting all vehicle traffic out of Leadenhall would be a problem. However, the City explained that because the flume would be much wider in
that spot than it had been, putting in a new vehicle bridge would be prohibitively expensive and the plans for the footbridge went ahead. Late last week installation of the timber-frame bridge, built by Tyee Log Homes, began and it is attracting a great deal of attention. City Councillor Darryl Oakley told Council this week that he had some calls from people concerned that the new bridge must be very expensive.
Oakley said he wants Kimberley residents to know that not only was the bridge built with the help of a grant but that Tyee went out of their way to produce such a beautiful bridge. “It was a grant we were lucky to get but it’s also Tyee being a wonderful community partner and going beyond specs.” City funds were also used for the bridge, added Mayor Ron McRae. There are plans for two more pedestrian bridges in the future.