MONDAY
DECEMBER 23, 2013
< Watch out for this guy
Kimberley Arts at Centre 64
WINTER/SPRING CONCERT SERIES
Canada-wide warrant issued for Neil Elliott Collins| Page 2
Wednesday January 29: Anja McCloskey & Dan Whitehouse with support from Daze of Grace Sunday March 30: Caladh Nua Friday May 30: The Twisters
World Junior round-up > Reinhart still in as roster solidifies | Page 8
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Vol. 61, Issue 248
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
www.dailytownsman.com
Conditions good for a backcountry Christmas SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
If you don’t mind dodging boulders, it’s a good time to be out enjoying the backcountry, according to Canadian Avalanche Centre. “Conditions in the south of the province overall are fairly conducive to backcountry travel right now,” said public forecaster James Floyer.
Kootenay avalanche situation mostly low in the lead-up to Christmas
There’s actually not much snow cover in the South Rockies and Kootenay Boundary regions, he explained. “We’re still dealing with some early season hazards: not so much avalanche hazards but rocks and stumps and trees and open water at lower elevation.”
The avalanche risk right now is mostly in the north of the province, with the risk getting lower the further south in B.C. you area. “The low snow amounts are actually keeping the avalanche hazard relatively benign. We are seeing, typically, moderate avalanche hazard in the alpines, some-
times at tree line, and low avalanche hazard below treeline,” said Floyer. “But of course, the flip side of that is there’s not so much powder snow to ride.” Avalanche testers have identified what could become a hazard in the South Rockies, however. On Thursday, a snow-
pack test revealed a buried surface hoar – a weak layer – in the Flathead. Watch the test on video at blogs.avalanche.ca/category/southrockies/. The weak layer forms on the surface then gets buried by more snow, Floyer explained. “It acts as a failure plane
within the snow pack. When you have the combination of the surface hoar layer and you get a sufficiently stiff slab above it, that’s when you get conditions that are ripe for avalanches.”
See CONDITIONS , Page 4
Bomb threat suspect kept in custody RCMP looking for woman who lent her phone to the suspect Thursday morning SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
COURTESY TRACY ADAMS
4-H clubs across Canada, including the Cranbrook club, raised 75,675 pounds of food for food banks in their communities, in time for the Christmas season. This far surpassed the goal of 26,000 pounds, or one pound for each Canadian 4-H member. Above are pictured Cranbrook 4-H District members, who collected over 700 pounds of food.
Police would like to speak to a “helpful female” who lent her phone to the man who called in a bomb threat to Cranbrook’s courthouse on Thursday, Dec. 19. “During the investigation, police learned the subject borrowed a phone from a helpful female in order to make the phone call citing a bomb was in the courthouse. Police would like to speak to her,” said Cpl Newel. “He allegedly asked to borrow her phone as his was out of minutes. This occurred in front of the CIBC bank on Baker Street between 8:30 a.m. And 8:45 p.m., Dec 19. If you are that person, please contact the General Investigation Section at Cranbrook RCMP Detachment, 250 4893471.
See SUSPECT, Page 4
Caldwell Agencies
290 Wallinger Avenue, Kimberley ❘ 250-427-2221 ❘ www.caldwellagencies.com
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