MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2013
FOOD BANK HAMPERS
BIG WINNERS
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Kimberley Arts at Centre 64
SELKIRK GIRLS WIN TOURNEY
Kimberley pitches in.
See COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT page 4, 5
WINTER/SPRING CONCERT SERIES Wednesday January 29: Anja McCloskey & Dan Whitehouse with support from Daze of Grace Sunday March 30: Caladh Nua Friday May 30: The Twisters
See LOCAL NEWS page 3
Get Your Tickets Today at: 250-427-4919 • kimberleyarts.com
THE BULLETIN PROUDLY SERVING KIMBERLEY AND AREA SINCE 1932 | Vol. 81, Issue 251 | www.dailybulletin.ca
Like Us TownsmanBulletin Follow Us
@kbulletin
1
$ 10 INCLUDES G.S.T.
DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Reason for optimism A move to revive the BIA is underway C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
CAROLYN GRANT PHOTO
Kootenay Savings Credit Union, represented by Dawn Marchi, celebrates the season of giving with a $6,550 donation to the Kimberley Community Foundation. Accepting for the Foundation is Joanne Kitt.
Santa’s Christmas Eve route Santa will ride along with fire department Tuesday evening C AROLYN GR ANT editor@dailybulletin.ca
Before he begins his work delivering presents to all Kimberley boys and girls, on Christmas Eve, Santa will be riding along with his friends at the Kimberley Fire Department. The fire truck will begin rolling along Kimberley streets beginning at 4:30 p.m. in Marysville. At 5:30
the truck rolls into Forest Crowne for half an hour, then it’s on to Lower Blarchmont from 6 to 7 p.m From 7 to 8 p.m. Santa and the firefighters will be in Chapman Camp. They go through downtown from 8 to 8:30 p.m. and Townsite from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. The route ends at the
ski hill from 9:30 to 10:15 p.m., then Santa heads off for his other Christmas Eve deliveries. One fire truck will be sent ahead with sirens to let you know the decorated truck with Santa is coming. Run outside and give him a wave and listen to Christmas carols as the truck passes by.
Kimberley’s Downtown Business Association got together for a meeting earlier in December, and it appears there is movement towards a revival of the Business Improvement Area (BIA). Coun. Don McCormick, who is the City’s representative on the Chamber of Commerce Board, says a lot has happened since the group met last April, and that there is real reason for optimism in the business community. “We’ve got a vibrant retail industry downtown,” McCormick said. “We’re coming off a good summer and with the early snow, most are feeling good about the winter.” Despite the loss of KIOTAC, which was a concern going into the summer of 2013, McCormick says most businesses had a better year. “That’s pretty spectacular when you think about it.” There has been a lot happening in the downtown business community. “Over the summer, since April there have been five businesses sold, nine new businesses opened, one closed, one under construc-
Coun. Don McCormick
tion and four moved. At the end of the day, that’s 20 transactions, with 19 of them positive. When you consider there are only 70 businesses in the downtown area, that’s huge. I think it’s fantastic.” He says that since last April when downtown businesses first met, a group of about a dozen business owners stepped forward to start taking stock of the business environment downtown and brainstorm ideas for improvement. “A lot of hours were put in to come up with a raw list to improve the business experience downtown,” McCormick said, adding that downtown is not just the Platzl, where there are about 40 businesses, but the entire downtown which includes some 70 businesses.
See BUSINESS, Page 3
Caldwell Agencies
290 Wallinger Avenue, Kimberley ❘ 250-427-2221 ❘ www.caldwellagencies.com
The Hometown Experts with a World of Experience®