SOLD OUT | Fans brave the elements in hopes of buying tickets to see Bryan Adams Feb. 25 in Vernon [A6]
Morning gStar
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Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013
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Plans launched for pellet plant JENNIFER SMITH Morning Star Staff
An opportunity has arisen to fire up the local economy and generate upwards of 50 jobs with a proposed pellet plant in Lavington. Tolko Industries is looking to invest $39 million into the community with the construction of a pellet plant next to its existing planer mill off School Road. “It’s self-explanatory, the potential for the economy with this,” said Coldstream Mayor Jim Garlick. The proposal, which is being forwarded to the Agricultural Land Commission for approval, is for non-farm use on 7.1 acres in the agricultural land reserve (including 5.1 acres of land currently used as non-farm use). Tolko has entered into a conditional partnership with Pinnacle Renewable Energies to construct a pellet plant on the property. The plan is for construction to begin next spring if all approvals are in place, said Garlick. “We’re still in the initial plan-
“It’s self-explanatory, the potential for the economy with this.” — Jim Garlick
ning stages,” said Janice Lockyer, Tolko’s communications manager (acting), adding that further information will be available as plans progress. “We know that there is a great deal of interest in the project.” According to the application report, produced by KentMacpherson, the proposal would provide 20-30 full-time jobs at the pellet plant and approximately 15 permanent jobs related to trucking. “These jobs are critical to the community since the closure of the Owen Illinois Lavington glass plant in 2008, and the loss of 300 jobs,” states the Kent report. The proposed pellet plant
would also create enough product to ship an anticipated 2,500 rail cars per year directly to the west coast for shipment overseas. “This volume of product would help provide security for the rail line through Coldstream for decades,” states the report. “This would also provide security for railway jobs through the Okanagan for CN.” Garlick adds: “The reason the rail has started up again is because of this.” As part of the ALC application to have the additional two acres of Lavington land (which is classified as prime agricultural) granted for non-farm use, Tolko has included a proposal to include 35.8 acres of
TOLKO CONCEPTUAL DRAWING
Tolko Industries is proposing to construct a pellet plant next to its existing planer mill in Lavington. farmland in Spallumcheen in the ALR. The Lansdowne Road property is predominantly farmed as winter wheat and is the site of the annual
North Okanagan Plowing Match. Spallumcheen’s approval of the land inclusion is also needed, and Garlick is hopeful the application can be sent off the ALC in January.
Flames rip through home RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
JIM VANDERTAS PHOTO
RICHARD ROLKE/MORNING STAR
Flames shoot out of a residence in the Sandy Beach Mobile Home Park Sunday. The fire forced a mother and adult son out of the residence. firefighters arrived on scene. “Any time there’s a mobile home involved, you get a fast-spreading fire,” said Lawrie Skolrood, deputy fire chief. “It took awhile to make sure it was out.” There was also a concern that the blaze may spread to other structures.
“We were lucky that the crew was able to stop it at one trailer,” said Skolrood. Samoleski watched the firefighters’ efforts from across the road. “I saw a bunch of smoke and on the front corner there were flames,” he said. The cause of the fire is not considered
suspicious but was under investigation by the RCMP as the fire department does not have jurisdiction on First Nations land. The son told Samoleski that the fire started near an electrical panel. “He said he heard a pop and a flash and it went up fast,” said Samoleski.
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A darkened shell is all that remains of a Vernon home after a fire Sunday. A mother and adult son had to flee smoke and flames at the Sandy Beach Mobile Home Park on Tronson Road at about 8 a.m. “They are all right but there will be a bit of a shock,” said neighbourhood Rick Samoleski, who spoke to the son Monday. The family is insured but they lost two cats in the blaze. The mother and son have been a fixture in the mobile home park since 1975. The unit was fully involved when Vernon