Clearwater Times, January 02, 2014

LOCAL NEWS: STUDENTS HELP FOOD BANK ▼ A7

Times

Thursday, January 2, 2014 ▼ Volume 1 No. 50 ▼ www.clearwatertimes.com ▼ $1.35 Includes GST

THE

NORTH THOMPSON

CAREER CHANGE:

Second Place Best All Round Newspaper Third Place Best Editorial Page All of Canada <1,250 circulation 2013

Santa looks at the NHL. See pages A10 and A11 inside.

Skate with Santa

Second Place General Excellence B.C. and Yukon <2,000 circulation 2013

Valley Connector transit service going to two days per week Keith McNeill

Kalan Priede tells Santa Claus what he wants for Christmas during the annual Skate with Santa event at the Sportsplex on Sunday evening, Dec. 22. Sitting in are Santa's helpers (l-r) Hanna Bromley, Emma Collins and Juniper Wadlegger.

District of Clearwater, Thompson Nicola Regional District and BC Transit announced recently that the Valley Connector bus service to Kamloops will double in 2014 – up from one round trip a week to two.

Starting Jan. 7, 2014 transit service between Clearwater and Kamloops will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Previously, the bus service to Kamloops and back was available on Thursdays only.

Having two trips per week will make making medical appointments much easier, Mayor John Harwood noted during Clearwater town council's Dec. 17 meeting.

Local residents will now be able to take the bus to

Photo by Keith McNeil

Kamloops on Tuesday, stay over Wednesday, and then return on Thursday.

Many motels near Royal Inland Hospital offer inexpensive accommodation, he said.

Harwood noted that many residents of Blue River also appreciate the Valley Connector service. They do not necessarily use it to travel to Kamloops, he said. Often they only go as far as Clearwater for shopping or medical appointments.

The bus makes the trip from Blue River to Kamloops and back once a month.

Customers must book their trips at least 24 hours in advance.

For more information on transit schedules, fares and routes in Clearwater, please consult www.bctransit.com/regions/ clr or call customer service at 250.674.3935.

Clearwater webcams overlook roundabout Times Staff Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure recently installed two new DriveBC webcams near the roundabout on Highway 5 in Clearwater.

The cameras became active on or before Dec. 20.

The first faces west (south) towards the roundabout on

Highway 5 while the second faces east (north) towards Kal Tire.

The new webcams at the Clearwater roundabout join other DriveBC webcams already in place along Yellowhead Highway 5 at Lempriere, Blue River, Messiter Summit, Wire Cache, Little Fort and Barriere.

The DriveBC website was launched in 2005

and is now the government of B.C.’s most popular website.

It receives an average of 2.9 million visits per month.

The website offers a number of other online tools that provide upto-date information on traffic, weather and road conditions.

There are more than 250 B.C. highway webcams on the DriveBC network.

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One of two new DriveBC webcams at Clearwater faces west (south) towards the roundabout on Highway 5. The second faces east (north) towards Kal Tire.

DriveBC photo

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A2 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Blackpool Park to move ahead this spring Keith McNeill Land clearing for a proposed park to be located just east of the Blackpool Hall should get underway as soon as the snow clears next spring, according to Tim Pennell, Thompson-Nicola Regional District director for Wells Gray Country (Area A).

“Kinder Morgan is providing its local crew to do the work,” Pennell said. “They also have contributed $1,000 to the project.”

Plans for the proposed park were brought to a public meeting at Blackpool Hall one year ago. It was hoped at the time that the project would get underway last spring but that did not prove possible.

Progress made on the park project includes entering into an agreement with Star Lake Women’s Institute for use of the property.

The regional district has received a $25,000 grant from Wells Gray Community Forest (2010) Society towards the project.

Staff from the TNRD have modified the plans with input from Kinder-Morgan to accommodate the pipeline right-of-way.

Pennell and TNRD staff say they will be moving forward with Phase 1 in the spring, as budget allows.

They also continue to seek applicable funding opportunities to support the project completion.

As outlined in the plans brought forward last year, the project would include a “rock and ropes” play area for youngsters.

Features would include a spiral slide and swing set, while a safety surface would help prevent injuries after falls.

A post and beam picnic shelter similar to one in the Birch Island community park would allow mothers to stay out of the sun while keeping an eye on their youngsters.

There would be a series of exercise stations along a 250-meter walkway that would loop around the park.

A drawing show the layout of a park proposed for land on Ferry Road next to Blackpool Hall. TNRD graphic

Kamloops city council buries Smith's funeral plan Andrea Klassen, Kamloops This Week Neighbours on Seymour Street would never have seen the bodies.

Had Drake Smith’s plan proceeded, deceased people would have been driven to the property at 905 Seymour St. in an unmarked van and unloaded in a closed garage.

For the most part,

they would have stayed not much more than 48 hours before being taken to Sahali for cremation.

But, for those living in the houses close to the site where Smith hoped to open his funeralarrangement office, even the thought of living next door to the dead proved too much.

“This is not a happy occasion, facing dead people or being reminded of everything that comes

with it — crying, distraught people coming in and out,” said Effat Faridi, who owns a rental property across the street, at a public hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at City Hall.

“It’s not fair for anyone to be subjected to it.”

Smith, president of North Thompson Funeral Services Ltd., was applying to have the property rezoned to

Clearwater and Area Transit

Service Change Effective January 7, 2014

 Service to Kamloops available

Tuesday and Thursday.

Visit www.bctransit.com and click Clearwater for new schedules, or pick up a Rider’s Guide onboard.

3246

District of Clearwater Transit Info 250·674·3935 • www.bctransit.com

permit a funeral service that doesn’t quite follow the typical funeral-home model.

Instead of hosting memorials or offering embalming on-site, the office would be a place for family and friends of the deceased to make arrangements.

Funerals would be held at churches or community halls.

Smith has a similar setup in Barriere and a full funeral home in Clearwater, where bodies would be trans-

ported if embalming was requested.

Under B.C. law, a dead body must be held for 48 hours prior to cremation, Smith said, a service the centre would also provide.

That was a major sticking point for Dick Nguyen, whose home is directly behind the proposed site.

“When you’re of an Asian descent, it’s considered potentially bad fortune when you’re living across from a cemetery or living close to the deceased,” Nguyen said.

Frank Sirianni, who lives next door, said his Italian background and religious beliefs also Serious Issues require made the idea of Serious Lawyers living next to the dead unpalatable.

• ICBC Claims “I understand • Family Law business and I • Real Estate know progression has to happen.

“But, this 250-674-2255 or is almost too much,” said 1-888-374-3161 Sirianni, who Jim McCreight is argued his elderly on location in the mother would Interior Savings be upset seeing Insurance office the business next door. every Wednesday.

He also expressed conwww.mjblaw.com cerns about the effect of the business on the already busy laneway behind the property.

Smith said he didn’t think traffic would be a problem at the site.

“Most funeral-arrangement offices, if we have, for example, one client per week come into the funeral home, that’s a normal week,” he said.

“You might have two cars come at a time and they park in those parking spaces the architect has drawn up and they come inside and we talk, then they go away.”

Coun. Pat Wallace said she has concerns about the alley, which she said is “very, very busy.”

Other councillors felt it was important to be sensitive to the neighbours’ concerns surrounding the deceased.

“When the two neighbours on either side are expressing cultural, religious issues with this — while I would not have those concerns — I don’t want to impose on somebody,” said Arjun Sigh.

“I think it would offend too many people,” added Marg Spina.

The rezoning application failed by a margin of 5-3, with councillors Singh, Spina, Wallace, Ken Christian and Nelly Dever voting against it.

Mayor Peter Milobar and councillors Donovan Cavers and Nancy Bepple voted in favour.

Coun. Tina Lange was absent with an illness.

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A3

BC Hydro studying power upgrades Times Staff Although electric power reliability in the North Thompson is below the provincial average, it is comparable other areas of the province similarly situated away from major load center, BC Hydro spokesperson Dag Sharman said in a recent letter to MLA Terry Lake.

The provincial power utility therefore has no plans regarding a back-up diesel power supply for the area, he said.

“We must balance the needs of all BC Hydro customers in determining the allocation of capital resources and the resultant impact on customer rates,” he said.

BC Hydro is considering options such as increased clearing of vegetation and sustainment of the existing transmission and distribution system.

This would be part of an evaluation of the Valley's power supply reliability and identifying any potential remedies.

The spokesperson pointed out that options such as these can improve reliability without necessarily adding to the infrastructure and do not require major capital costs.

BC Hydro is currently conducting a system impact study into Kinder Morgan's request for increased load in the North Thompson, Sharman said.

The increased capacity would be need for Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

“While it is too early to confirm requirements or specific plans, one of the alternatives being studied is a new 138 kV transmission line reinforcement for the area,” the spokesperson said.

Details of any new power line, including where it would connect to the existing North Thompson transmission line, have not been finalized.

A copy of Sharman's letter was released during the Dec. 17 Clearwater town council meeting.

New backdrop curtains for Sportsplex on the way

Keith McNeill A request from Raft Mountain Skating Club for new backdrop curtains for the North Thompson Sportsplex got the nod Dec. 17 from Clearwater town council.

Council voted to support spending up to $10,000 to purchase the curtains.

Of this, $1,000 would come from the skate club, while another $5,000 possibly would be provided by a grant from Wells Gray Community Forest.

The recommendation to go ahead with the purchase came from the Joint Services Committee, which looks after services, such as the Sportsplex, that are jointly provided by

the municipality and Wells Gray Country (Area A) of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

As such, the $10,000 would be shared between District of Clearwater and Area A. Council approves new dehumidifier A recommendation from the Joint Services Committee that a new dehumidifier be purchased for the curling rink also received approval.

There was some discussion about how viable the Wells Gray Curling Club will be in the long term, because of declining membership.

However, chief administra-

Councillor Ken Kjenstad tive officer Leslie Groulx pointfier system would cost about spoke in favor of buying a new ed out that the dehumidifier $140,000, Groulx said. unit also would be usable for A maintenance company has unit for the curling club.

“It might or might not be a the hockey arena. offered to look at the existing dying club but if they don't have The two units in arena are dehumidifier in the curling rink already past their expected life and see if it can be repaired, she good ice it will die for sure,” he said. spans. noted.

“If we don’t use it in the curling rink, we could use it in the hockey arena,” she said.

Lack of a working dehumidifier means staff must shave the ice once a week, sometimes working overtime.

DISTRICT OF CLEARWATER This costs about $80 www.districtofclearwater.com per week. Cost of a new WHAT’S HAPPENING dehumidifier would be between $10,000 and $17,000.

Clearwater Transit Bus A central dehumidiClearwater Transit Bus will be offering a second run to Kamloops every week. Starting on January

What’s Happening

7th, 2014 the Clearwater Transit Kamloops Bus will be running Tuesday’s and Thursday’s of every week. For more information call 250.674.3935.

Community Recreation Brochure The Community Recreation Brochure has been mailed out with new programming for the winter.

You can register at the District office for a program you are interested in. If you did not receive a brochure in your mail box there are copies available at the District office.

Seniors Mobility Workshop - YOU ARE INVITED! Are you interested in learning about the mobility challenges identified by seniors and older adults in Clearwater? Join us for a 1 day workshop on January 17th, 2014 from 10am to 2.30pm at the CRC and hear what’s been learned and give your input on what you see as important as the community “moves” forward into better mobility!

RSVP by January 10th to Shelley Sim. FMI> shelleysim@telus.net or 250 674 3286. Limited to 35 participants so RSVP early!

Road Maintenance Contacts District of Clearwater Municipal Roads The areas within the boundaries are the responsibility of the District of Clearwater and the contractor Borrow Enterprises Ltd. - Please call 250.674.8776 for road maintenance.

The area outside the boundaries are the responsibility of Argo Maintenance including Yellowhead Highway #5 and Clearwater Valley Road – Please call Argo Road Maintenance at 1.800.661.2025 District office news  If you are in need of a “Snow Angel” or wish to be a “Snow Angel” call or drop in to the District office, phone 250.674.2257 or email: admin@docbc.ca .  The District has begun to prepare the 2014-2018 Five Year Financial Plan and is looking for public input. Please forward any suggestions or comments to Sheila Thiessen, Director of Finance at sthiessen@docbc.ca.

Christmas Carols Through the Ages Members of the North Thompson Community Chorus perform during a presentation called Christmas Carols Through the Ages in the Clearwater ski hill lodge on Dec. 20. The presentation included the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Photo by Keith McNeill

It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep

CONTACT US TO DISCUSS • Your goals and dreams • Your issues and obstacles • Your success and quality of life

BRUCE MARTIN & ASSOCIATES BUSINESS ADVISERS & CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Clearwater (250) 674-2112

Kamloops (250) 374-5908

www.brucemartin.ca

Upcoming Events January 24-26 – Winter Festival January 19th – Rotary Ice Man Days (weather permitting) Upcoming Meetings of Council January 7th, 2014 – Economic Development/Finance and Audit Committee meeting – 5:00pm January 7th, 2014 – Regular Council meeting – 7:00pm January 21st, 2014 – Infrastructure and Parks and Recreation Committee meeting – 5:00pm January 21st, 2014 – Regular Council Meeting – 7:00pm

Civic address: 132 Station Road Box 157, Clearwater,B.C. V0E 1N0 Office hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 - 4:30 District Office Ph: 250-674-2257 • Fax: 250-674-2173 email address: admin@districtofclearwater.com

DISTRICT OF CLEARWATER www.districtofclearwater.com

A4 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Opinion

“ Plunge into the deep without fear, with the gladness of April in your heart.” - Rabindranath Tagore, writer and philosopher editorial by keith mcNeill

It's time for the Wells Gray TRU Wilderness Center

Legion plans monthly breakfasts Editor, The Times:

Clearwater Royal Canadian Legion Branch 259 decided at its meeting on Dec. 16 to hold a pancake and sausage breakfast.

Breakfasts will be once a month beginning on Saturday Jan. 25, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the Legion building.

Proceeds will be shared with the Legion and Food Bank. The price for the sausage breakfast will be

announced in an ad in the Times and on posters around town.

We also ask that you bring a donation for the Food Bank of canned goods or a cash donation to help them fill up their shelves after the Christmas rush. The needs of the Food Bank don't end at Christmas.

For more info call 250-587-6463.

Joanne Mackenzie Legion Branch 259

Local woman rejects smart meter Editor, The Times:

We have been hounded by BC Hydro to get a smart meter. We do not want it but I get repeated phone calls and letters from Hydro!

I am not willing to pay $35 a month when my meter is not going to be read every month. I am willing to pay a $35 for the one time it is going to be read every two months.

BC Press Council

I can and have over the years read my own meter when good old Hydro has screwed up the reading.

I do not take kindly to be threatened. The old couple I look after have also been threatened that they would have their power shut off.

Fay Jones Vavenby, B.C.

The Times is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the BC Press Council.

Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to BC Press Council, 210 Selby St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 2R2 For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org

Times THE

NORTH THOMPSON

www.clearwatertimes.com Established September 23, 1964 Member, BC Press Council

Thompson Rivers University president Alan Shavers was in Clearwater recently, seeking input for the university's five-year strategic plan.

One element of that plan that we would like to see go ahead would be the proposed education and research center for Wells Gray Park.

The structure was to have been built in 2013 but delays in getting permits plus other problems caused it to be put back until next year.

For the Wells Gray TRU Wilderness Center not to be constructed in 2014, the 75th anniversary year of Wells Gray Park, would be a shame and a waste.

The proposed education and research center would be a benefit to TRU in a number of ways.

The park is essentially a very large and unspoiled watershed. It contains a wide variety of ecosystems, all largely untouched by human beings.

There are animals such as wolves and wolverines that do not do well anywhere close to people.

There are a number of unusual volcanic features as well.

There is also a tradition of research in the park, perhaps most notably the work done on moose and other ungulates by Ralph Ritcey in the 1950s.

This tradition has been carried on by people such as Trevor Goward with lichens and Cathie Hickson with volcanoes.

All the research work done to date in Wells Gray Park is presently being collected and made accessible electronically.

TRU (formerly Caribou College) has operated a small education and research center for the park in the former Upper Clearwater schoolhouse since 1992.

Despite the primitive nature of the facilities, the college and now TRU has documented about 15,000 user-days by over 1,200 different users.

The Wells Gray TRU Wilderness Center would benefit the residents of the Wells Gray/Clearwater area as well as the university.

The viability and success of any community these days is largely dependent on the education and training level of its inhabitants.

We don't all have to be academics or intellectuals, but we do all need to be very good at whatever it is we do for a living – and we need to be constantly improving.

The proposed education and research center would attract world class scientists to this area – and those people would be working on problems with direct connections to where we live.

There seems to be an unfortunate perception by some that the proposed Wells Gray TRU Wilderness Center would be in opposition to the local forest industry.

This perception is in contrast to that of a former provincial politician a number of years ago.

He favored upgrading the existing education and research center as the first step to converting Wells Gray Park into a research forest – a forest that could be logged to test various harvesting techniques.

We don't favor either the log-it-all or the preservationist lock-it-up approach.

The proposed Wells Gray TRU Wilderness Center would be an asset to the university and to the people of this area. Let's make it happen in 2014.

Smart meters are a local issue Editor, The Times:

The BC Hydro Smart Meter debacle is a local issue. I have opted out of the Smart Meter program and it has been a fight to keep my analog meter.

Now we are being bullied as the last of us hold out. We are being told that we will have to pay an additional $35 per month to keep our old meter.

I will not enter into a contact with BC Hydro for this. We have been sent letters on 4 different occasions and told we must submit to their demands. There have also been phone calls.

Here is a photo I took this morning of our analog meter.

The BC Utilities Commission has issued an interim agreement to allow the $35 fee increase.

This is a form of manipulation as many people will just give in for fear of having this cost added to their already stretched budgets.

I am not sure what the Clearwater Times can

do but it would be good to open the dialog on this so people can see that there are options to being forced to accept the new meters against their wishes!

Another good person to speak with about this is Cathy Thomson in Kamloops. She is my dentist's wife and is a vocal opponent and advocate for better health and wellbeing via non-electromagnetic radiation.

Thanks and Merry Photo shows letter writer's analog electric meter Christmas! with a Christmas Suzanne Foster decorated wreath. Photo submitted

Clearwater, B.C.

74 young Road, Unit 14 Brookfield Mall, Clearwater, BC V0E 1N2 Phone: 250-674-3343 Fax: 250-674-3410 Email: newsroom@clearwatertimes.com www.clearwatertimes.com

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Publisher: Al Kirkwood Editor: Keith McNeill Office manager: Yevonne Cline

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

In Town / Out of Town Rates 1 year $57.75; 2 years $110.25 Prices include GST

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A5

Question of the Week

?

Do you think 2014 will be a good year for the North Thompson Valley?

Bob Anderson:

I do. There's a good energy in the people and the area. It makes me feel confident that it'll be a good year.

Pam Astley:

It's hard to say. It couldn't get any worse.

Trevor Harder:

I'm not sure. Unemployment is still high.

Taxes keep going up. I hope it's a good year..

Jim Biagioni:

Yes, I think that it will be. The logging industry seems to be stabilizing a bit.

Gerry Martinello:

I think that the progress since incorporation has shown the possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel ... there's just a curve in the tunnel.

B.C. will thrive if it's governed for the middle Editor, The Times:

I once had a boss who was fond of saying, "All you find in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead skunks." I disagree. There's a lot of common sense in the middle of the road, which is where you will find the majority of small businesses – and many, many voters, too.

The middle wants budget deficits eliminated as soon as possible. The middle likes the idea of paying off debt. The middle thinks taxes are high enough. The middle knows regulations should focus on the most important health and safety issues.

Red tape, including unfriendly and unhelpful government service, should be minimized.

When the small business "middle" thrives, the entire middle class thrives.

So where is the middle when it comes to the B.C. government's current policy prior-

ities? Preliminary results from a pre-budget small business survey show strong support for the overall government vision of "a strong economy and a secure tomorrow."

Not surprisingly, balancing the budget and paying down debt receive strong support. The middle knows today's deficits are tomorrow's taxes and tomorrow's taxes eat away their children's standard of living.

Reducing red tape is on the minds of many business owners, with concern running high over the administrative problems with returning to the PST. Business owners need answers to how they are expected to apply sales-tax rules and they need those answers to be in plain English rather than bureaucratese.

Beyond the problems with administering the PST, we will be recommending that Finance Minister Mike de Jong develop a plan to remove PST from machinery,

equipment, software and other business inputs that are important for increasing the productivity of a business. Taxing these inputs makes no sense and goes against the vision of a strong economy. Business owners tell us they would do three things if these taxes were lower – invest in new equipment, pay down debt and increase employee compensation.

Looming on the horizon are some big questions about natural resource development in this province. Where is the middle?

They are squarely in support of further developing B.C.'s resources as long as appropriate environmental protection is in place.

As far as pipelines go, support is strong as long as Premier Christy Clark's five conditions, which include world-leading water and spill response, are met. There is also majority support for increasing the exports

of liquefied natural gas. As debates over pipelines heat up, it will be important that the middle is included.

These aren't just big-business, big government, big-environment policy decisions.

The middle wants its voice heard.

The B.C. election was won earlier this year by the party that talked best to the middle. Now it is getting into the business of governing – where it's easy to lose track of important priorities as they get drowned out by a cacophony from the fringes.

But unlike my old boss, I think all we find on the side of the road is broken down cars and overgrown bushes.

Govern for the middle and the province will thrive.

Laura Jones, executive vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Time to put rural girls on the social map in Canada Editor, The Times:

MONTREAL, QC/ Troy Media/ - Adapt or leave: the stakes of fitting in are high if you`re a girl in rural Canada. With urbanization rates continuing to rise, the need to create thriving rural communities in Canada has never been greater.

Rural girls need reasons to stay. But according to newly released research on rural girls' and young women`s issues in Canada, being a rural girl often means facing challenges that are off the radar for those living in cities.

It can mean having few female role models to inspire dreams. It can mean increased social pressures like staying quiet, not seeking help for depression because news spreads fast in a rural community, or not telling

anyone that you've been raped.

Growing up rural can also have many benefits for girls, like tight knit communities, extended families, the chance to learn hands-on skills, a less stressful lifestyle and opportunities to make deep connections with people and the land.

These are good reasons to stay. In fact, one in five Canadian women lives in rural areas, although these numbers are a far cry from a century ago.

Today, however, living in one of Canada's geographically isolated communities means fewer services that are harder to access.

Think lack of transportation from one location to another, or having access to only one nurse and one social worker for an entire community.

Lack of services

has an especially huge impact on girls.

According to Justice Canada, violence is one of the biggest issues for girls and young women in rural settings. Because of their isolated or remote locations, girls often lack access to rides, rely on hitchhiking as a means of transportation, or stay out all night – all of which puts them at risk. If violence occurs, by peers or in the family setting, girls rarely have access to a shelter and too often face shaming and community silence.

Health is a concern for rural girls.

According to Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information, rural and northern girls are more likely to smoke and drink, have higher rates of suicide, and have poorer men-

tal health made worse by the remoteness of their location. The mortality rate for rural girls is double the rate for those in urban areas.

With such overwhelming challenges, it's no wonder youth are deciding or feel forced to leave rural areas.

At the same time, newly gathered research and case studies show that many rural girls are transforming challenges into creative opportunities.

Gender-specific programs are supporting the development of rural girls' and young women's empowerment, wellbeing and leadership.

Take Girls Night Out, a volunteer-led initiative in Faro, Yukon, a remote community of 400 people.

Every single girl in town takes part in the weekly program where they meet role models, do cultural activities, and talk about important subjects like sexual health.

Programs like these

DINNER IS ON ME I will buy you a $100 meal when you buy a car from me!

Big city selection with small town pricing

DEARBORN FORD Jody Gyger CELL 250-571-9609 Tel 250-372-7101

2555 East Trans Canada Hwy - Kamloops

HOME TOWN girl with HOME TOWN service

are making a difference – but are they enough?

Canada's rural communities are worth sustaining and young people are essential for the future.

Saman Ahsan is executive direc-

tor of Girls Action Foundation, a national non-profit advancing girls' empowerment that recently published a Compilation of Research on Rural Girls` and Young Women`s Issues.

2014 Thompson-Nicola Regional District Board of Directors Regular Meetings are scheduled for 1:15 pm on the following Thursdays in the Boardroom of the TNRD Civic Building located at 300 – 465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2A9.

January February March April May June July August September October November December

16 and 30 20 13 and 27 17 8 and 22 19 17 21 – Out of Town, location TBA 18 9 and 23 6 and 20 11 – at 7:00 pm

A6 www.clearwatertimes.com

45

YEARS AGO:

Mr. and Mrs. A. Schmitz narrowly escaped drowning after he fell in the river while getting a pail of water from the ice's edge.

She went to help and also fell in. They were rescued by Casimir Eustache, who heard the screams and got them out with a rope and board.

Twenty-seven cars in the middle of a freight train derailed near the Clearwater railway station, blocking the CNR mainline.

Two houses and their contents were totally destroyed by fire. On Dec. 31, the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George Heustis burned beside their laundromat. The family was visiting in Seattle at the time. About 30 men from the new volunteer fire department shovelled snow and used garden hoses to save the laundromat

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

and pool room buildings. Then on Jan. 3 the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ove Simonsen burned down. It was located between the Golden Spur store and the Blackpool ferry.

The couple had been married the previous August.

"Sno-Drifters" was to be the official name of a snowmobile club recently organized in Clearwater. The name was chosen during a meeting of 16 interested persons at Ted Mackenzie's on Jan. 5.

40

YEARS AGO: B.C. was to revert to Daylight Saving Time three months early. The move was blamed on an apparent energy crisis.

Over 230 contestants came from as far away as Fort St. James, Grande Prairie, Edmonton and Calgary to take part in two days of racing hosted by Clearwater Sno-Drifters

HISTORICAL Perspective

BACK IN TIME

35

YEARS AGO: A television special about Clearwater resident Ida Dekelver's proposal to have Trophy Mountains declared an ecological reserve was creating some local interest and controversy. The Dekelvers had raised sheep and trapped on the mountain.

A letter to the editor from Mergle Smergle, director of public relations for the Society for the Protection of Domestic Vegetables, was asking readers to consider the fate of the poor potato, torn relentlessly from the nurturing earth and

then plunged into boiling water until its skin splits from its body.

30

YEARS AGO: Little remained of a house on Webber Road in Clearwater after it had suddenly been engulfed in flame the evening of Dec. 20.

Firemen had responded to a chimney and house-fire at the residence the night before.

25

YEARS AGO: Police reported that a moose left the scene with the word "Toyota" written across its backside after it ran in front of a vehicle near Avola on Highway 5. Damage to the vehicle, driven by

ADVERTISERS! It’s been 137 years since Alexander Graham Bell first invented the telephone in 1876.

And guess what?

an Edmonton man, was estimated at $2,000.

Darfield Building Products, owned by partners Gary Burkholder and Paul Schilling, was featured in a special article.

Small sawmills produce more value and employment than the larger mills, but timber supply was a problem, said Burkholder.

Clearwater ski hill averaged over 200 tickets sold per day over the holiday season, said hill manager Bruce Macintosh.

20

YEARS AGO: Traveling too fast for road conditions resulted in injuries to eight persons when a van carrying 10 members of two Edmonton families left Highway 5 just north of Vavenby. Police said the accident was a vivid reminder of an accident the previous November in which three young boys had been killed when the van their father was

driving left the highway at Vavenby.

Other accidents occurred south of Little Fort, south of Vavenby, at the bottom of Birch Island hill, Messiter summit, and north of Avola.

15

YEARS AGO: Due to a limited debarker, only about 10 per cent of WeyerhaeuserVavenby’s sawmill production was burned wood from the Elevator Fire, said division manager Dave Hay. This compared to 100 per cent burned wood at Kamloops.

10

YEARS AGO: A carload of participants from Clearwater brought home more than its share of prizes from Little Fort's Polar Bear Swim.

Angelica Monge, a Rotary exchange student from Mexico, won the prize for youngest female swimmer, only to find that another rider in the car, Janel Radmacher, was younger. “They settled it on the ride home,” said Frank Ritcey, winner of the oldest male participant award.

5

YEARS AGO: A propane leak caused the evacuation of Brookfield Mall on Saturday, Dec. 27. According to Clearwater Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Guy Holland, an overhanging roof collapsed, damaging a nearby propane line.

Clearwater residents experienced unusually extreme weather conditions during December, including heavier snowfall and lower than average temperatures.

1

YEAR AGO: Vancouver Foundation approved a $230,000 grant for a project in Clearwater to be called From Front Door to Grocery Store: Getting Seniors Where They Want To Be. District of Clearwater had worked with UNBC to develop the grant application.

A letter to the editor from Laura Soles, wife of Dr. John Soles, commented on remarks by former Clearwater physician Dr. Bob Woollard that being the spouse of a rural doctor was the worst job in the world.

“I consider it a privilege to be the spouse of a rural doctor,” she wrote.

It’s still the best way for your customers to find you and give you their business.

Don’t miss out on the

18th annual North Thompson Telephone Directory

and keep that business phone ringing all year long!

Ad Deadline:

Ph 250-674-3343 and reserve your space.

January 27, 2014 Publication Date:

Ph 250-672-5611 and reserve your space.

February 27, 2014

Memories of Upper Clearwater Upper Clearwater pioneer Mary Johnson listens to the North Thompson Choir directed by Leah Jones at the Upper Clearwater Hall on Saturday, Dec. 21. Johnson recalls many events she had taken part in over the years at the hall. At one time children were put to bed in bunk beds in the back while parents enjoyed dancing. She said her favorite dance was the heel and toe polka, which was the first dance she learned. Wells Gray Country Seniors Society sponsored a bus to the festive event.

Photo by Sandra Holmes

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A7

Forming a human chain

Teacher Doreen Allan (centre) directs students as they form a chain to transfer items for Christmas hampers from Clearwater Food Bank to Raft River Elementary School on Friday afternoon, Dec. 19. The hampers were assembled on Friday for pick up on Saturday. Allan's grade 4/5 class also had a sub sandwich sale on Thursday to raise money for the food bank. Teacher Sheila McQuarrie's social justice group painted and sold bird houses to raise money for the hospice society.

Students from Raft River Elementary School form a human chain to transfer items for Christmas hampers from Clearwater Food Bank to the school on Dec. 19.

Photos by Keith McNeill

District of Clearwater reviewing parcel taxes Keith McNeill Until now, Clearwater Improvement District and then District of Clearwater has had nine separate rolls for its water parcel taxes.

As each stage as the community’s water system was expanded,

a new tax roll was established so the residents benefiting could pay down the debt incurred.

As of 2013 all the outstanding debt related to the water system has been retired, director of finance Sheila Thiessen reported to town council on Dec. 17.

On her recommendation, coun-

cil decided to direct staff to draft two bylaws for levying parcel taxes for the water and sewer systems.

“Parcel taxes enable the District to collect from all the potential users of the utility,” she said, “as opposed to user fees, which can only be collected from those properties that are actually

connected to the system.”

This helps the municipality maintain and improve the system so that it is sustainable and ready for property owners when they chose to connect.

That portion of parcel taxes that are currently being paid but not related to debt servicing are

presently $80 per parcel for the water system and $30 per parcel for the sewer system.

More than 100 properties are currently exempt from parcel taxes.

Changes to the parcel taxes would require the establishment of a three-person review panel.

Fees persuade most smart meter holdouts

By Tom Fletcher, Black Press BC Hydro's imposition of manual meter reading fees has persuaded most holdouts to accept a wireless smart meter.

BC Hydro imposed a $35 monthly fee starting Dec. 1 for customers who refuse to part with their mechanical electricity meters, after offering the 68,000 customers who still had them the option of accepting the new meter with the radio trans-

mission function on or off.

BC Hydro reported the results recently to the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC), which is reviewing the fees.

More than 48,000 customers chose the smart meter to avoid the meter reading fee.

Another 450 chose the radio-off meter, which comes with a $100 setup fee and $20 a month starting April 1 to cover costs of collecting readings.

Another 6,270 customers chose to

keep their mechanical meters, and 13,110 more did not respond to BC Hydro's letters, so they will have the $35 fee added to their bills until they choose another option.

BC Hydro reports that 99 per cent of its customers now have the wireless meter. Most of those have been switched to automated billing, and have their daily electricity use displayed on their online account pages.

Claims of health effects from wireless

meter transmissions have been rejected by health authorities, and also by the BCUC in a review of FortisBC's wireless meter program.

BCUC found that the radio frequency signal from a bank of smart meters is less than 10 per cent of the natural background level, and a tiny fraction of the exposure from a cellular phone.

Citizens for Safe Technology, one of the more active opponents of the wireless grid, was

“When you need us, we’re close by”

Clearwater and District Food Bank

Open: 9am to 12 noon, Mondays and Fridays How to Donate: Cash or cheques can be dropped off at the Food Bank or by mail to 741 Clearwater Village Road, Clearwater, BC V0E 1N1.

Food Donations: dropped off at the Food Bank, Clearwater Credit Union or at Safety Mart Holiday Hours: Closed Dec 24 to Jan. 6 250-674-3402 • info@clearwaterbcfoodbank.ca

When a death occurs, I’m here to help you, every step of the way. 24 hours a day, every day.

If you have made pre-arrangements elsewhere and would like to discuss having your local funeral home take care of you, please feel free to call.

NORTH THOMPSON FUNERAL SERVICES 73 Taren Drive, Clearwater, BC, V0E 1N2

Call Drake at 250-674-3030 or 1-877-674-3030 day or night.

Drake Smith, MSW (Funeral Director/Owner)

represented at the FortisBC hearings

by Donald Maisch.

BCUC rejected

Maisch's claims of health hazards, noting that Maisch's "consulting liveli-

C

apsule

C

omments

hood depends on public fears and concerns about radio frequency exposure."

with MICHELLE LEINS

Knowing how many calories create an extra pound of weight will sometimes help us to be more discipline in our holiday eating. if you eat an extra 500 calories per day in addition to your regular diet, you will gain an extra pound. With all the good food around at this time of year, it’s easy to see how we gain weight.

We’ve just passed the shortest day of the year. Lack of sufficient sunlight during the long winter months can affect our moods, our ability to get a good night’s sleep, our energy levels and general well-being. These are symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and can be relieved by sitting under a special light for about 20 minutes per day. We have information about this.

If you are still a smoker, do yourself a favour and quit. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death. The benefits of stopping begin in the first week. Your doctor will congratulate you, your spouse and friends will thank you, but most of all, your body will thank you. If you want to stop, we can help.

A big thank you to all the doctors, nurses and receptionists and you, our customers, for your help and cooperation throughout 2013. Your positive attitude toward our pharmacy and our profession is much appreciated.

Thanks, to you, our readres, for all your kind comments about the column through the year. We look forward to serving you throughout the coming year with great service from our wonderful staff. From us to you... a happy and healthy 2014.

PHARMASAVE MON. - SAT. 9 - 6

BROOKFIELD CENTRE

CLEARWATER, 250-674-3122

A8 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Forest industry lauds another world first for Canada's innovative forest research sector OTTAWA/CNW/ - The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) applauds the announcement of funding for a new strategic partnership to build and operate the first cellulose filament (CF) commercial demonstration plant. The announcement was made by the federal and Quebec governments at a Kruger plant in Trois-Rivières recently.

CF is a novel and high value wood-fibre based material that could be used in new "superpulps", and for high-performance

tissue, towel, paper and packaging materials. It could also be used as a bio-material in a wide range of non-traditional applications such as reinforced plastics, non-structural panels in building construction and non-woven fabric. The demonstration project is possible because of research and development by FPInnovations.

"This is another great example of Canada leading the way in new innovations that will transform the forest products industry to extract more value from every

tree," says the president and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay. "This type of ground-breaking innovation is supporting jobs and economic growth, especially in rural Canada."

The demonstration project is made possible with the support of $15 million from the federal Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program.

FPAC has asked the government to replenish this strategic fund with $500 million over the next six years to continue to drive forward

world leading innovations that maximize jobs and value creation from Canada's forests.

"We welcome this continued support for transformation from governments. They remain a vital partner in providing the risk capital needed to ensure Canada is developing world-first technologies and flourishing in worldmarkets over the long term," says Lindsay.

FPAC's Vision2020 for the Canadian forest products industry has set the goal of generating

an additional $20 billion in new products and markets by the end of the decade.

FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $57-billion-a-year forest products industry represents two per cent of Canada's GDP and is one of Canada's largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.

Pot and pipelines: 2013 B.C. news quiz Tom Fletcher/ Black Press 1. When Premier Christy Clark took the stage after her upset election win May 14, the first

thing she said was: A: I'm going to Disneyland!

B: Well, that was easy!

C: Oh no, now I have to pay off the debt!

D: Socialism is dead!

2. How many proposed liquefied natural gas export proposals are there on the B.C. coast, according to the premier's latest estimate?

2014? Resolve to keep

moving forward  Spend some time thinking about what is important to you  Define what you want, now and in the future  Explore your options with an open mind  Face your fears and look for ways to overcome them  Keep your eyes and ears open  Take advantage of unexpected opportunities  Keep learning new skills  Gather information so you can make informed decisions  Follow through on your plans  Take advantage of the many resources and services available for job seekers. _________________________________________________ CLEARWATER EMPLOYMENT SERVICES CENTRE 58A Young Road, Clearwater BC V0E 1N2 Phone: 250- 674-2928 Fax: 250- 674-2938 Hours of operation: Monday through Friday 8:00 – 4:00 Email: info@clearwateremployment.ca www.clearwateremployment.ca Operated by Yellowhead Community Services

The Employment Program of British Columbia is funded by The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

A: four B: six C: eight D: ten 3. After winning $25 million in the lottery, Terrace construction worker Bob Erb gave six-figure donations to: A. Local anti-poverty and other community groups B. Pay for $300,000 in dental work for locals who couldn't afford it.

C. Provide cars and trucks for people he considered needy.

D. Sensible BC marijuana legalization campaign E. All of the above 4. How has the province said it would raise money to pay for a promised new bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel?

A. Tax increases B. Toll like the Port Mann Bridge.

C. Small tolls on all Metro Vancouver bridges and major roads D. It hasn't 5. What admission to U.S. border guards did some B.C. residents find can be deemed a "crime of moral turpitude" and result in America barring your entry?

A. Atheism B. Past use of marijuana C. Past conviction for impaired driving C. Past or present membership in the NDP 6. Which of the following wasn't pro-

posed in B.C.'s liquor law review?

A: Licensing alcohol sales at farmers' markets B: Letting children into pubs with their parents C: Serving alcohol for slot players on BC Ferries D: Selling hard liquor in grocery stores 7. Burnaby's Tung Sheng (David) Wu was convicted and jailed for performing illegal: A. Proctology B. Taxidermy C. Electronic waste recycling D. Dentistry 8. Since his triumph in the HST referendum, former premier Bill Vander Zalm has campaigned against: A: An alleged secret global surveillance system using smart meters B: An alleged secret global climate control scheme using "chemtrails" C: An alleged secret European Union plot to control world finance through consumption taxes D: All of the above 9. What's the transportation ministry's solution to prevent the new Port Mann Bridge from dropping more ice bombs onto cars?

A. A system of scrapers and brushes along each cable to remove ice B. Aerial drones that spray the cables with de-icing solution C. A flock of seagulls trained to peck loose

ice chunks D. Closing the bridge and waiting for ice to melt 10. What did Metro Vancouver mayors propose in 2013 as a new way to raise money for cashstrapped TransLink?

A. $5 toll at the border on all vehicles heading south to the USA B. Regional sales tax of up to 0.5 per cent C. Adding magnets to new SkyTrain fare gates to suck loose change out of pockets D. Forcing SeaBus passengers to row to help save on fuel costs E. Installing slot machines in SkyTrain stations 11. The government is considering spending $6 million to stop the B.C. legislature dome from: A: Cracking B: Peeling C: Twisting D: Sinking 12. Which was not a 911 call received by E-Comm operators who begged cellphone users to be more careful about declaring emergencies?

A. Asking who won the hockey game B. Broken TV set C. Big spider in living room D. Politician breaking election promise 13. B.C. pharmacies were ordered by their regulating body to stop doing what?

A: Offering wine tastings at the pharmacy counter

B: Issuing reward points or other "kickbacks" to customers buying prescription drugs C: Refusing to sell prescribed medical marijuana D: Refusing to act as supervised injection sites 14. In 2013, the B.C. government approved: A: Enbridge's Northern Gateway oil pipeline to Kitimat B: Twinning Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain oil pipeline to Burnaby C: A pipeline to carry fuel from tankers on the Fraser River to Vancouver airport D: A pipeline to transport glacial water from Garibaldi Park to Squamish for export 15. The poaching of what prompted Vancouver Island aboriginal groups to post a $25,000 reward?

A: Roosevelt elk B: Abalone C: Seals D: Easter eggs 16. Which B.C. municipal council fended off a court challenge (and death threats) over its deer cull program?

A: Oak Bay B: Cranbrook C: Invermere D: Penticton

Answers: 1-B, 2-D, 3-E, 4-D, 5-B, 6-C, 7-D, 8-D, 9-A, 10-B, 11-C, 12-D, 13-B, 14-C, 15-A, 16-C

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A9

Premier Christy Clark looks back on 2013 After a whirlwind year that started with a come-from-behind election win, Premier Christy Clark sat down with me for the traditional year-end interview in her Victoria office. Here are excerpts from that discussion. A longer version with video can be found under the Opinion tab of this newspaper’s website.

TF: Premier, you surprised a few people this year. What surprised you the most about 2013?

PCC: I guess it was the disconnect between the pollsters and the pundits, and the public. I did have a sense all the time that the citizens were thinking something different in the run-up to the election campaign. I wondered, am I missing something here, or are they missing something? And I guess it turned out that it wasn’t me that was missing something.

TF: The liquefied natural gas export

project is going to use a lot of natural gas, especially in the early years. Will B.C.’s greenhouse gas reduction targets [20 per cent reduction by 2020, 80 per cent by 2050] have to be changed?

PCC: I don’t have a clear answer on that yet. We are working with the companies on exactly how we are going to structure their environmental commitments and costs, and their electricity costs versus using gas, the total royalty tax regime.

We're looking at that as one package.

However that turns out, though, this opportunity to export natural gas to Asia is the single biggest opportunity we have ever had as a province to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world. In shipping this to China, we are going to help them wean themselves off some of the dirtiest coal anybody's burning anywhere in the world.

TF: If B.C. is going to get credit for displacing coal use in Asia, shouldn’t B.C.’s coal exports, even though it’s metallurgical

coal, count in our greenhouse gas total as well?

PCC: I know that the academics and pundits are going to get all mired in competing sets of numbers and studies. For me, we have a chance to do good for the world, and we’re going to take it.

TF: On oil pipelines, your agreement in November with Alberta Premier Alison Redford involves B.C. supporting her effort for a national energy strategy. What do you see it doing in the future?

PCC: The big idea that she’s trying to pursue with that is a strategy that will connect us east to west in energy. Energy grids are much better connected north to south than they are east to west. So she’s trying to pursue a pan-Canadian strategy for the exchange of energy, whether that’s hydroelectricity or natural gas or whatever it is.

We haven’t been intimately involved with it until recently, so we’ll see where it goes.

Waste facilities ready to take trees, lights ThompsonNicola Regional District

Have a happy and safe holiday

EVERYONE Will Be Talking About It … DON'T MISS OUT Subscribe today

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Bare Christmas trees can be disposed of at TNRD waste sites until Jan. 31. Photo submitted

FOR SALE BY OWNER

SELL IT FAST

The ThompsonNicola Regional District’s environmental services department is gearing up for Christmas this year with opportunities for residents in the regional district to recycle their Christmas trees and lights.

All TNRD solid waste disposal and recycling facilities will be accepting, free of charge, bare, natural Christmas trees until Jan. 31.

Broken strings of Christmas lights can also be recycled for free at the facilities’ scrapmetal piles until Jan. 31.

“We know that along with the holiday season can come an increase in waste,” said Jamie Vieira, manager of environmental services for the TNRD. “So we are happy to help residents with these extra recycling options during the holidays, and we hope that people will be thinking

of ways they can reduce and reuse in addition to recycling this holiday season.”

A good way to help cut down on waste this holiday season is to give an experience- or service-based gift instead of a material object.

Another waste-saving idea is to simply reuse old wrapping paper or bags when gift-giving.

TF: There’s a perception out there, fuelled by the opposition, that you campaigned against oil pipelines and now you’re turning the tanker around, as it were, to be in support of them. What do you say to that?

PCC: It’s typical of the other guys to reinterpret and misquote. That’s what they do. They’re in opposition. What I said was, we have five conditions that must be met in order for heavy oil to be considered to go ahead in British Columbia. That has not changed.

The five conditions remain in place.

As of today, none of them have been met. The only thing that is different today, from before the election, is that now I no longer stand alone in supporting the five conditions. I have one other premier supporting me, and that’s Alison Redford.

– Tom Fletcher is legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Twitter: @ tomfletcherbc Email: tfletcher@blackpress. ca

THE

Tom Fletcher

Call and book your ad in the North Thompson Connection and

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Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A11

Santa checks out new career in the NHL during Christmas presentation at Raft River Elementary School

Santa plays floor hockey with Wayne Gretsky, played by Brent Settle. After trying his hand against the Great One, he decided that maybe delivering presents isn't so bad after all.

If there's NHL hockey, there has to be a Don Cherry, played here by Zephram Tino.

Operating the camera is Joshua Foss and interviewing Cherry is Hannah Foisy.

All photos by Keith McNeill

Mrs. Claus and two elves look concerned as Santa considers changing jobs to play hockey in the NHL. Pictured are (l-r) Kyle Dobi, Billy Biagioni, Abby Ransom and Austin Chrystall.

Flyers, coupons deals and money saving tips all in one place!

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Above: (L-r) Abby Elliot, Soren Arduini and Gaby Mann sing for the audience during the annual Christmas presentation at Raft River Elementary School on Thursday evening, Dec. 19.

New contests, money savings tips, top grocery deals and more in our QHZ VDYLQJV FRPPXQLW\

Right: Senior students line up for applause at the end of the Christmas presentation. facebook.com/savedotca

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Students in white tops give a big hurrah during the finale of their dance routine. The gymnasium at Raft River Elementary School was full for the performance.

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Reid Muddiman wears a bear costume as he takes part in the singing.

Above: Rylee Pennock wears a Santa hat while Zion Toscano demonstrates his skills with a guitar.

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CattleBoyz Sauces & Rubs now available

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A10 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A11

Santa checks out new career in the NHL during Christmas presentation at Raft River Elementary School

Santa plays floor hockey with Wayne Gretsky, played by Brent Settle. After trying his hand against the Great One, he decided that maybe delivering presents isn't so bad after all.

If there's NHL hockey, there has to be a Don Cherry, played here by Zephram Tino.

Operating the camera is Joshua Foss and interviewing Cherry is Hannah Foisy.

All photos by Keith McNeill

Mrs. Claus and two elves look concerned as Santa considers changing jobs to play hockey in the NHL. Pictured are (l-r) Kyle Dobi, Billy Biagioni, Abby Ransom and Austin Chrystall.

Flyers, coupons deals and money saving tips all in one place!

View your favourite flyer items in detail, then add them to our new VKRSSLQJ OLVW IHDWXUH and print!

Left: Amanda Zitlau operates a realistic-looking Zamboni to clean the hockey rink.

Find, browse, share and favourite WKH EHVW Á\HUV ZLWK RXU QHZ Á\HU YLHZLQJ H[SHULHQFH

Above: (L-r) Abby Elliot, Soren Arduini and Gaby Mann sing for the audience during the annual Christmas presentation at Raft River Elementary School on Thursday evening, Dec. 19.

New contests, money savings tips, top grocery deals and more in our QHZ VDYLQJV FRPPXQLW\

Right: Senior students line up for applause at the end of the Christmas presentation. facebook.com/savedotca

@saveca

Students in white tops give a big hurrah during the finale of their dance routine. The gymnasium at Raft River Elementary School was full for the performance.

Recruiting SUPERSTARS

Starts Here.

Call 1-855-678-7833 today for more details.

Reid Muddiman wears a bear costume as he takes part in the singing.

Above: Rylee Pennock wears a Santa hat while Zion Toscano demonstrates his skills with a guitar.

Pain Relief Nature’s Gift That Works!

• Arthritis • Carpal Tunnel • Gout • Fibromyalgia • Rotator Cuff • Neurophy • Any Muscle Pain 30 DAY 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

with return of bottle and contents

250-319-7600 • kwc@safe-mail.net

CattleBoyz Sauces & Rubs now available

“the best I’ve ever had”

Located on Highway 5

A12 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Sports Roach wins poker tournament Goldie Krawec Season 8 of the Wells Gray Inn Poker Club has ended. Final eight players for the season tournament were: Goldie Krawec 6,200, Cheryl McHale 5,000, Laurie Marsh 4,500, Jay Osborne 4,400, Jeff Kuhn 4,325, Kim Pendergast 4,300, Fred Roach 4,075, Linda Brown 3,675. Five ladies and three men along with a wild card person that was determined on Wild Card night.

Winning the Wild Card position was Millie Rempel. She attained this position on the last night of play by being highest ranking player of the evening who did not place in previous competition.

The final event of Season 8, the tournament, was held Dec. 18. As usual, the players drew their table position cards and play commenced. All of

Winners of the Season 8 poker tournament were Goldie Krawec (l) in second place and Fred Roach in first. Photo submitted

the players using their own strategies to try and outsmart their opponents, using their own secret methods to try and outsmart their opponents by using bluffing, or just plain luck.

The final winner of the tournament was Fred Roach, followed closely

by Goldie Krawec in second and Jay Osborne third.

This past season, over 34 players participated in the weekly competition. Many people come to compete, some for the fierce competition they feel, some just to meet new people, and some just to learn the game and have an evening out.

These players who learned to play poker on the Internet have an adjustment period when joining as they are now dealing with

real people and the interaction can sometimes be interesting when they are confronted by a living, speaking opponent, instead of just clicking a mouse.

The Texas Hold’m game is held each Wednesday evening at the Wells Gray Inn starting at 7 p.m. sharp.

New players need to register before playing.

Play for Season 9 starts on Jan. 8.

Open for the holidays Julian Dewey (l) and Jacob Merlot get a hand from lift attendant Leevon Levasseur during the first day of the season at Clearwater Ski Hill on Saturday, Dec. 21. More open days were planned for the holidays.

Photo by Keith McNeill

NORTH THOMPSON SPORTSPLEX Hockey Lives Here!

Family Skating

Fridays @ 5pm • Sundays @ 4:30pm • No Charge Jan. 4 & 5 Sponsored by Wells Gray Inm

MINOR HOCKEY GAME SCHEDULE SATURDAY JANUARY 4 & SUNDAY JANUARY 5

Clearwater Bantams hosts mini tournament

JANUARY 11 & 12 Grils Hockey Tournament

JANUARY 13 - 19

Clearwater Hockey Days Wear a jersey and get involved in Canada’s Game!

Preschool Skating 10am Home School Skating Wednesdays 1:30pm Clearwater & District Minor Hockey Still accepting registrations. www.cdmha.info • Register @ 250 674 2594 or nissa1537@gmail.com

Raft Mountain Skating Club Still accepting registrations Register @ www.raftmountain.com

Ladies Hockey • Fridays at 6:45pm Mens Drop In Hockey • Fridays at 8:00 Oldtimers Hockey • Every Wednesday at 8:45 and Sundays at 7:00 Wells Gray Curling Club Call 250 674 3768 for more info.

For more information about the Sportsplex or any programs call 250 674 2143

Learn More. Achieve More.

If you or an adult you know would like to improve reading, writing or math skills, look under LEARN in the Yellow Pages™ or visit www.LookUnderLearn.ca

2941 Upper Thompson Army Cadets

Training year 2013-2014 Tuesday evenings

Legion Hall Branch 259 Clearwater Legion Hall Branch 242 Barriere

Parade times 5:30 pm - 8 pm

For more info please call 250-371-7486 All youth aged 12-18 are welcome

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A13

Obituary IN LOVING MEMORY

Kenneth Ross Hutchinson Dec. 2, 1949 - Dec. 20, 2013 After a 6 1/2 year battle with cancer Ken will rest on the tranquil waters of his favourite fishing spot. Survived by his wife and best friend Susan, children Kaleb (Melissa), Jolene (Ken) Riddle, Jenna, Jonas and Clinton. His precious granddaughters Kalyn and Sadie Hutchinson, Ryann and Reese Riddle.

His furry fishing buddy Carlos. Ken is survived by his stepmother Penny, sister Sharon, brothers Keith (Roblyn), Brian (Mary-Jane), Stephen and numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his father Ed in 2002 and his mother Georgina in 2013.

Ken was born at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. His family later moved to Victoria, where he grew up in the Cordova Bay area, spending his summers on the beach. Graduated in 1969 from Esquimalt High then continued on to work for BC

Parks, building hiking trails and campsites at Manning Park, Garibaldi Park and Mt. Seymour. He then worked for Westcraft Windows in the Courtenay area and Dave Burkhard Construction until moving to Little Fort from Courtenay in the fall of 1980 to farm and raise his family.

There in Little Fort Ken and Susan raised their five children, developed their farm and had the only herd of registered Hays Converter cattle

in the B.C. Interior. During this time Ken worked full time for 26 years at Gilbert Smith Forest Products in Barriere until falling ill.

Ken loved being outdoors, fishing, camping, sledding and fixing cars.

Thank you to the caring staff at Marjorie Willoughby Hospice House for taking such good care of us during Ken's final days. Also to all the doctors and home care support that helped over the past years.

A private family service will be held. Should friends desire donations may be made to Marjorie Willoughby Hospice House, 72 Whiteshield Crescent S, Kamloops BC V2E 2S9 or to the North Thompson Hospice House Society, Box 1, Little Fort, BC, V0E 2C0.

Arrangements entrusted to North Thompson Funeral Services, 73 Taren Drive, Clearwater, V0E 1N2, 250674-3030.

Thoughts from a PK (pastor’s kid) Christmas – a simple nine letter word that brings to mind so much!

Love, family, joy, hope, gifts, shopping, money, and obligations are what come to mind, so much to do in so little time.

With the latter of these in mind, it is difficult to concentrate on what Christmas is truly meant to be.

We forget that spending time with family is more important than gifts; we ignore the fact that most of what we think Christmas to be about is unnecessary.

We neglect giving and showing our love and appreciation the rest of the year in order that we can compile it all up within a mere two weeks. Why do we celebrate and give only on holidays?

Throughout the year we tend to select days to show our love.

Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving – they are all days and times of the year that we use to represent our love and appreciation for one another. It is quite disappointing that we need to make up certain

dates to care, to give.

Christmas is a time we have idolized as joy as well as a time to give.

If we were to use every day as a time to give and a time to spread joy, Christmas would no longer be idolized.

We wouldn’t need a reminder at the end of each year to give and to love, to be happy and give joy.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works.”

If we were to do this every day of the year, there would be no need to exhaust ourselves over two weeks. Giving, caring, joy and appreciation would come so naturally that Christmas wouldn’t need to be a big rush and busy time of the year. It would meet its full potential to bring families together and to enjoy each other’s presence. Instead of worrying about how much the holiday season would cost us, we would be able to concentrate on the one and only aspect of Christmas that brings everyone together,

Think on These Things By Shai Richardson Clearwater Christian Church

LOVE. Merry Christmas!

— Shai Richardson is

daughter of Clearwater Christian Church's Wayne Richardson.

To learn more about diabetes, volunteer, advocate or donate, please contact : Interior (250) 762-9447 glenna.armstrong@diabetes.ca

IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

LEARN TO SKATE WITH OUR ENERGETIC, FUN, PROFESSIONAL COACHES

Join local coaches Teresa Heisterman for Junionr & Senior Star Skate and Chelsea Hindle for Preschool & Canskate

Raft Mountain Skating Club is holding registration at the North Thompson Sportsplex on January 6 from 5pm - 6pm Or register online at www.raftmountain.com Funding is available upon request for those eligible.

For more information visit

www.raftmountain.com We’ve seen great achievements from our skaters so far this year This year should be even better

Lessons begin the week of January 6

Church Directory

Clearwater Christian Church

“an Independent” congregation in fellowship with the broader Christian community in the area.

Your places of worship

Meeting at: 11 Lodge Drive (Behind Fields Store)

Sunday Worship Service 10 am On the Web: www.clchch.com For information 250.674.3841 or 250.674.2912

VAVENBY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

3083 Capostinsky Rd. • Service 11 a.m.

Sunday Morning Celebration Services Ian Moilliet Pastor 250-676-9574 Non Denominational

St James Catholic Church

Sunday Service Mass • 11am - 12pm Tuesday & Thursday 10am 324 Clearwater Village Road 250-672-5949 Father Don O’Reilly

Clearwater Seventh-Day Adventist Church Pastor Bill Kelly Saturday Service - 10am Clearwater Christian Church Ph. 250-674-3468

CLEARWATER UNITED CHURCH Meeting at Catholic Church of St. James

WorShip

Sunday 9am

Rev. Brian Krushel

250-672-5653 • 250-674-3615 www.norththompsonpc.ca

Clearwater Living Streams Christian Fellowship Meeting at New Life Assembly every Sunday 5:00pm

Contact Dave Meehan 250-674-3217 email: livingstreams@hotmail.com Clearwater Community Church open to everyone - all denominations

CLEARWATER NEW LIFE ASSEMBLY Dan Daase - Pastor Sunday Morning Worship 10:30am

(Kids church during service)

Wednesdays Am Ladies Bible Study Thursday 3-5pm Kids Club

Phone: 250-674-2345

308 W Old N Thompson Hwy

COMMUNITY BAPTIST 24E Old North Thompson Hwy

Worship Service 10:30 Pastor Mike Kiewitt 250.674.1332 www.ccbaptist.ca

STONE & COMPANY (Robert Lawrie, Silvia Scheibenpflug)

Certified General Accountants

A14 www.clearwatertimes.com Rison Realty • 32 E Old N. Thompson Hwy.

N

TH RIVE R OAPPLIANCE REPAIR R Four Star Service 250-674-0079

FULLY CERTIFIED 60 FOOT STICK BOOM Itec Enterprises MAN LIFT WITH WINCH Times Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater

DOUG JAMES

We can safely lift you in the cage to put your task close at hand. Pull a pump, lift a tower, top a tree Hourly, daily and weekly rates • Includes operator

Phone: 250-674-2532 • Kamloops: 554-2533 • Fax: 554-2536

PARTS - SALES - SERVICE CALLS USED APPLIANCES

Kindly refer to our website: itecboomtruck.com

Accountant Building -Supply ACCOUNTANT - Certified CERTIFIED

Appliance Repair Carpentry APPLIANCE REPAIRS

Construction Building Supply

STONE & COMPANY (Robert Lawrie, Silvia Scheibenpflug)

R Hazel’s Housing NO

Feb. 1st to Apr. 30th - Every Thursday May 1st to Jan. 31st - By Appointment Hours: 9:30 am to Noon, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Business & Service Directory

Financial Statement Preparation • Corporate & Personal Income Taxes

Certified General Accountants Rison Realty • 32 E Old N. Thompson Hwy. Feb. 1st to Apr. 30th - Every Thursday May 1st to Jan. 31st - By Appointment Winter Hours •9:30 8:30amam - 5pm to Noon, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Hours:

RTH RIVE

APPLIANCE REPAIR Four Star Service • NEW250-674-0079 CONSTRUCTION

DOUG JAMES Hazel Dowds

CLEARWATER, B.C.

Construction Carpentry CARPENTRY

Construction Business & Service DNA Directory Construction

Hazel’s Housing Box 345 Clearwater BC V0E 1N0

Fully Insured

Journeyman Carpenters

Bonded General • NEW CONSTRUCTION

674-4001 Contractor • RENOVATIONS • ROOFING (250) 674-8469

(250)

CLEARWATER, B.C.

tinybldr@telus.net 250-674-4083

Hazel Dowds

John White

Journeyman Carpenter

Contractor Contracting CONTRACTORS

HANS OUNPUU Building Contractor

Paul Jack 250-674-3875 Clearwater, BC • ounpuu@telus.net 250.819.3205 250.299.9510

250-587-0010

Paul 250.819.3205

Contractor Electric Contractors

HANS OUNPUU Building Contractor

40 years experience

Renovations • Additions • New Construction Home Repairs • HAFI Jobs • Project Management

& Bonded 250-674-3875 Clearwater, BC •Licenced ounpuu@telus.net Reg. NO: 99142

JAGER GARBAGE

The Little Gift Shop Closed • Jewelry Jan. 1 - Feb. 3, 2014

Reg. NO: 99142 Serving from Vavenby to Blackpool area

~

Steve Noble Gravel - Sand - Top Soil - Snow Removal Jack 250.299.9510

Electric Contractors ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS

250-587-6175 250-587-6175

Symons Electric SYMONS ELECTRIC

Good Prices • Great Service • Quality Work MONDAYS LARRY SYMONS- •CLOSED LICENSED & BONDED -• CLEARWATER B.C. Reg. - CLOSED MONDAYS - • #24833 B.C. Reg. #24833

GarbageGifts Collection GARBAGE COLLECTION

HOLIDAY HOURS

Residential & Commercial Garbage Collection.

Phone Jager Garbage 250-674-3798 Licenced & Bonded

Construction & Renovations from Foundations to Roof Septic - Installation - Service - Pumping

Dan Arnold

Gifts Florist

Containers available for construction sites, yard clean-up, industrial sites etc.

Construction Contracting

Demolition - Excavation - Backhoe Service Rob Kerslake Trucking - Crane Truck - Water - Dump

Electric GarbageContractors Collection

Residential includes Blue Bag Recycling

Winter Hours • 8:30am - 5pm

New Construction, Renovations, Tiling, Roofing.

- Installationexperience - Service - Pumping 40Septic years

Demolition - Excavation - Backhoe Service Renovations • Additions • New Construction Trucking - Crane Truck - Water - Dump Home Repairs • HAFI Jobs • Project Management Gravel - Sand - Top Soil - Snow Removal

Rob Kerslake Steve Noble

• RENOVATIONS • ROOFING

250-674-4083 Journeyman Carpenter PARTS - SALES - SERVICE CALLS USED APPLIANCES

Tiny Builders QUALITYLtd. WORK

Construction & Renovations from Foundations to Roof

QUALITY WORK

Phone: 250-674-2532 • Kamloops: 554-2533 • Fax: 554-2536

Financial Statement Preparation • Corporate & Personal Income Taxes

250-587-6151

• Gift Baskets RE-OPEN Feb.prints 4, 2014& cards • Framed photo, • Fishing - rods, reels, lures, knives Local artists - and much flowers ~ plants ~ gifts ~• balloon bouquets ~ more Tuesday to Friday: 10 am specializing in weddings, sympathy, birthdays, - 5 pm anniversaries and other importantSaturdays: occasions10 am- 4 pm

73 Taren Drive, Clearwater 250-674-0101 Next1-877-974-2929 to Clearwater Computers Phone 250-674-2929 Toll Free:

JAGER GARBAGE Kathy’s Jewelry & Gifts Residential & Commercial

SCENTSY CERAMIC WARMERS VELATA BELGIAN CHOCOLATE FONDUES Garbage Collection.

A favourite idea for personal or gift giving and home and party entertainment.

Residential includes Blue Bag Recycling Book now or orders placed weekly. No shipping or handling fees

Containers construction sites, Sat.: 10am - 4pmavailable • Sun.: 11:30for - 4pm 343 Clearwater Valley Rd. yard clean-up, industrial sites etc.

(Beside O’Bryan’s in the Laundromat at the TNT Building Entrance to Wells Gray Park)Garbage 250-674-3798 Phone Jager or call 250-674-3763 or Vavenby 778-208-5359to Blackpool area Serving from

Motor Licence Licence Office Office Motor

Plumbing & Drains

Plumbing & Heating Septic Service

MOTOR LICENCE OFFICE ICBC Agent

NEEDNORTH A PLUMBER? THOMPSON

VANDENBORRE

District of Clearwater

NTPD

NORTH THOMPSON

NTPD

PLUMBING AND DRAINS

Got Leaks? Plugged Drain? New Installs

250-674-2733 250-674-2733 132 Station Road, Box 157, Clearwater, B.C. B.C. V0E V0E1N0 1N0 157, Clearwater, Office Hours: Monday to Friday - 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Open through the Noon hour

Fully Insured • 100% Guaranteed • 250-674-8151

Snow Removal

Storage Storage

PLUMBING DRAINS Wells & Pumps ≈AND Yearly Maintenance ≈ Frozen pipes We are right around the corner

JASEN MANN 250-674-8151

Covered RV & Boat Storage

Phone 250-674-1470

NOW AVAILABLE

Commercial & Residential

John Chaytor Box 561 Clearwater, BC V0E 1N0 johnfullsteam@gmail.com

Off the Hook

STORAGE Mini Storage Units

LUMBING &

EATING

& PORTABLE TOILET RENTALS

Furnace Installation • Heat Pumps and Air Conditioning Give us a call it’s too• late!

BEST rates in town Radon Gasbefore Mitigation Serving Blue River - Little Fort

“Interior Health approved” YOUR FRIENDLY REPAIR MAN WATER WELL SERVICES POTABLE WATER SERVICE

Jim Vandenborre • Fully insured jhepv@hotmail.com

250-674-3562 visa, debit, mc accepted

250.674.2688 250.674.8552

Taxi Service TAXI SERVICE

FULL STEAM

Snow Removal and Sanding

P H SERVICE CLEARWATER SEPTIC

PROPANE & ELECTRIC FURNACE REPAIR

250.674.0145

WELLS GRAY

TAXI

AVAILABLE 24 HOURS • 7 DAYS A WEEK

250-674-2214 • 250-674-1542

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A15

Business & Service Directory Towing

CLEARWATER TOWING LTD. 24 Hour Service Free Scrap Car Removal 516 Swanson Road Used Auto Parts

On

Septic Service - Pumper Truck . . .

L L A C AT ON IT ALL... Bobcat and Backhoe WE DO Plumbing -Soils - Gravel

all SERVICES

CERTIFIED HEAVY DUTY MECHANIC

250-674-0145 CHECK YOUR MARKET

250-674-3123 NELS HINDLE OFFICE: or CELL: 250-674-1427

a Arrow Lake News (Nakusp) a Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal a Caledonia Courier (Ft. St. James) a Castlegar a Eagle Valley News a Golden Star a Houston Today a Invermere Valley Echo a Kamloops This Week a Kelowna Capital News a Kootenay Advertiser (Cranbrook)

Contracting

OR

®

CONCRETE:

a Burns Lake District News a Merritt Herald a Valley Express (Merritt) a North Thompson Star Journal (Barriere) a North Thompson Times (Clearwater) a Northern Sentinel (Kitimat) a Omineca Express (Vanderhoof) a 100 Mile House Free Press a Penticton Western News a Princeton/Similkameen a Prince George Free Press

Starting at $165.00 m3

+ $15 delivery fee within Clearwater

a Quesnel Cariboo Observer a Revelstoke Times Review a Salmon Arm Observer a Shuswap Market News a Smithers Interior News a Summerland Review or Bulletin a Terrace Standard a Vernon Morning Star a Weekend Advertiser (Kitimat) a Williams Lake Tribune a Williams Lake Weekender

the about e m k nd As Mainla Lower ouver c & Van d Islan

90 plus publications serving British Columbia

Al Kirkwood Advertising Manager

672-5611 or 674-3410

email: al@starjournal.net

Three Blind Fellows From Avola sing at Vavenby event Robyn Rexin Vavenby Christian Church held its annual Christmas in the Village on Sunday morning, Dec. 15.

It started off with everyone singing Christmas carols. Isaac Moilliet told some funny jokes and then the band Three Blind Fellows From Avola plus Wilf Rothwell played and sang some songs. After Pastor Ian Moillet’s brief sermon about Christmas Day, Valerie and John Gerber sang a duet.

There was no play this year with both Vienna and Krystle Moilliet being away.

After the singing everyone enjoyed a delicious pot-luck feast, guests going first. Nicely decorated tables were set up in the sanctuary for all to sit at. The church was full. The singing, visiting, and sharing put everyone into the spirit of Christmas.

Youngsters sing and do crafts at Christmas get-together Vavenby Primary School held a Christmas get-together on the last day of school before the holidays – Friday, Dec. 20.

The students greeted

Rudolph Hunter Crystall holds up his completed candy cane mouse.

Vavenby's Wilf Rothwell (l) plays with "The Three Blind Fellows from Avola. The band members are (l-r) Gilles Leger, Ron McRobert, and Monty Lutz.

Vavenby News By

Robyn Rexin

their visitors and put elf hats on the heads of willing parents/ grandparents. The children were dressed as reindeer.

The get-together began with the stu-

dents reciting a poem using Santa finger puppets. Then they each read an acrostic poem that they had written. To end the performance all of the children sang Santa

Claus is Coming to Town with hand actions. There was a big round of applause when they were finished.

Everyone took part in crafts next. There were many different activities for the students and guests to enjoy. The stations were: making candy cane mice, colouring, painting pictures on paper and on tiles, and making Santa, angel, tree, and reindeer finger puppets.

The guests were really involved with their children and with working on their own. Christmas music played in the background.

The students were clearly enjoying themselves and very excited about the holidays.

Right: Reindeer Iannah Toscano displays her completed crafts.

Photos by Robyn Rexin

A16 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

FEATURED COURSE

January 1st, is the first blank page of a 365 page book.

Write a good one.

INTRO TO MIG WELDING

Gain skills in GMAW (MIG) wire feed welding. Several different types of wires and shielding gasses will be utilized in a variety of welding positions. Cutting and fitting of joints will be stressed, with the opportunity to plan and begin a small project. Participants are encouraged to bring their home welders.

JAN 5 – 28, 2014

OFA LEVEL 3

This course covers emergency medical techniques currently considered to be the responsibility of the Level 3 attendant. Emphasis is on primary action approach and patient assessment. This program leads to Work Safe BC certification.

JAN 20 - 31, 2014

UPCOMING COURSES

OFA Level 1 First Aid Jan 26 & Feb 28

$90

OFA Level 3

Jan 20 - 31

Gymnastics (various age classes) Jan 7 – Mar 13

$780 Various prices

Intro to MIG Welding Jan 5 - 28

Wells Gray Country Jan: 3-4: Girl Guide Bottle Drive. Contact Judy 250-674-2319 Jan. 6: Raft Mountain Skating Club registration, NT Sportsplex, 5-6 pm

Conversation Spanish

$80

Red Cross Babysitting First Aid

$75

Jan 21 – Mar 11

UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan 24 & 25

REGISTER TODAY

Curling Club. Guaranteed 4 – 6 end games. Cash prizes. Reg/info 250-6743847 or docbc.ca

TEL: 250.674.3530 IN PERSON: 224 Candle Creek Rd. EMAIL: sarduini@tru.ca • www.tru.ca/regional_centres/clearwater

Jan. 17: Seniors Mobility Workshop, 10 am – 2:30 pm, Community Resource Centre, Jan. 7: Regular council meeting, 7 pm, Counrsvp Jan. 10 to 250-674-3286 cil chambers, 132 Station Rd. Jan. 11 & 12: Mens Skins Spiel @ Wells Gray

ONGOING EVENTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Tuesday Morning Coffee (TMC): Meets 10am – 11:30 @ Clearwater Community Baptist Church. All women and children welcome. (9:30-10 am Bible Study). Info 250-674-3624 • Clearwater Bridge Club: Wednesdays, Sportsplex lounge, 7 p.m. sharp, info 250-674-2195 • Raft River Rockhounds: 3rd Sat of the mth. Clw Lodge 1pm 250-674-2700 • Women in Business Luncheon: 2nd Thurs. of the mth at Wells Gray Inn, 12–2 pm. Preregister at 250-674-2700 • Clearwater Choir: Youth 3:30 - 5 pm; Adult 6:30 - 9 pm, Tuesdays, Clearwater Christian Church • Crafts & Conversations with Cheryl. Tuesdays 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the North Thompson Aboriginal Sharing Center.

Phone 250-674-3703 for more info.

• Clearwater Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9:00 am – Noon. For more info please call Anne at 250-674-3444.

• Clearwater-Vavenby Lions Bingo: Every 2nd Tues. Elks Hall.

250-587-6269 • M&M (Mrs. & Ms.) Social. Last Sun of the mth Wells Gray Inn. 1pm: 250-587-6503 • Blackpool Community Hall Coffee House; Local musicians – every 2nd Fri. of the mth. 6:30pm. Concession, $3 or 2 for $5.

• Clearwater Elks Bingo - every 2nd Thurs. Elks Hall. open 5pm • Cribbage Wed. at the Royal Canadian Legion. 12:30 pm.

• Fun Darts Fri. at the Royal Canadian Legion. 6 pm.

CHILDREN & FAMILIES • Racoon StrongStart - Raft River Elem school days Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 8:45-11:45am • Racoon StrongStart - Vavenby Elm school days Wed 8:5011:50am • Clearwater Breastfeeding Group: 3rd Wed. of every month 7:30pm @ YCS • Mother Goose - Mornings, reg. Kerry 250-674-2600 ext 227 • NT BC Home Schoolers: Meets Fri. afternoons. Call Leanna 250-674-0057 for details • Kids Club: Clearwater New Life Assembly. Meets every Thur.

3-5 pm. Ages 5-12. For info contact Bobbi @ 250-674-3346

HEALTH & HEALING • AA Meetings: every Wednesday, #11 Lodge Dr, 250-6741923 • Shambhala Meditation Group: meets every Tuesday at Forest House 6:30-8:00 pm. Info: 250-587-6373.

• Connections Healing Rooms - Fridays 1-3pm (except stat. holidays). 86 Young Rd. No charge. Sponsored by Living Streams Christian Church. www.healingrooms.com.

• Healthy Choices – Tues 9am Clearwater Christian Church bsmnt (behind Fields). $2/wk drop-in free. Call Kim 250-6740224 • Clearwater & District Hospice 3rd Mon. Sept-Jun 10am Legion.

RECREATION • Drop-in soccer: May-Sept. Tuesdays & Thursday at 7pm at CSS field. Everyone welcome!

• Bowling: Mon. 10–12pm & 1-3pm; Thurs., 1-3pm. Seniors Centre at Evergreen Acres. 250-674-2699 • Clearwater Sno-Drifters: 1st Thurs every mth. 250-676-9414 • CNT Rod & Gun Club: 3rd Tues. of the mth. Blackpool Hall 7pm Nov., Jan., & Mar. AGM in May • Volleyball: Tues. 7:30-9:00 PM, Nov. 5 - Dec. 10, at Clearwater Secondary School Gym, $2 drop in. Info: 250-674-1878.

• Yoga Tree – Call or email Annie 250-674-2468 annie. pomme@hotmail.com • Core Strength Fitness. Tuesdays. 10-11am 250-674-0001 • Walking Club: Indoors: Wed., 6:45-7:45am, & Thurs, 3:304:30pm, Nov. 20-Dec. 12, 2013 at Clw Secondary School, FREE. Info: 250-674-1878 • Drop-in Curling: Fri. Jan. 11 - Mar. 8, 7:00 PM, $5. Brooms and sliders available.

• Badminton: Mon & Wed, Oct – Mar, CSS gym, 7:30-9:30 pm, $3 drop-in fee, info 250-674-2518 • Drop in Basketball: Fri., 7-8:30pm, Nov. 1-Dec. 1, $2 drop in at Clearwater Secondary School Gym. Info: 250-674-1878 SENIORS • Wells Gray Country Senior’s Society 3rd Sun Social Meet at the Wells Gray Hotel at 12:30pm for lunch or dessert, & chat • Wells Gray Country Senior’s Society Book Club Last Thursday of the month at 2pm at the public library. All seniors welcome.

TO ADD YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT OR ORGANIZATION PLEASE CALL THE TIMES AT 250-674-3343

$350

this ad is sponsored by

Bayley’s Bistro

in the Brookfield Shopping Centre in Clearwater Eat in or Take out Fried Chicken

250-674-2674

North Thompson Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A17

Your community. Your classifieds.

250.674.3343 fax 250.674.3410 email classifieds@clearwatertimes.com

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9am -5pm Brookfield Mall, Clearwater Ph: 250.674.3343 • Fax: 250.674.3410

CLASSIFIED RATES AND DEADLINE

Travel

Employment

Services

Timeshare

Work Wanted

Photography / Video

CANCEL YOUR Timeshare.

No risk program. Stop mortgage and maintenance Payments today. 100% money back guarantee. Free consultation. Call us now. We can help! 1-888-356-5248.

HAFI GRANTS Notice to low income seniors and persons with disability.

You may qualify for a grant up to 20,000. to modify and adapt your home for improved safety and accessibility. For details contact your local HAFI expert Hans Ounpuu, Building contractor @ 250-674-3875.

Need a professional

Buy a Classified in the Star/Journal Buy a Classified in the Times and goes the The Times FREE. andyour your adad goes intointo the Barriere Star/Journal FREE. Regular Rate: 8.50 + GST Maximum 15 words .20c per word extra Special Rates: 3 Weeks; $22.15 + GST Free Ads: Lost, Found, Student Work Wanted Free ads maximum 15 words will run 2 consecutive weeks.

Travel

PHOTOS

CENTURY PLAZA HOTEL Best Rates. 1.800.663.1818 century-plaza.com

by Keith McNeill

Happy Occasions: Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, etc.

1 column by 3 inch - $18.49 + GST Deadlines: Word Ads: Mondays 12pm 5pm Display Ads: Mondays 12pm

Services

Financial Services

It is the policy of The Star/Journal and The Times to receive pre-payment on all classified advertisements.

Ads may be submitted by phone if charged to a VISA, MC or an existing account.

CHECK YOUR AD! Notice of error must be given in time for correction before the second insertion of any advertisement. The paper will not be responsible for omissions or for more than one incorrect insertion, or for damages or costs beyond the cost of the space actually occupied by the error.

Advertisers are reminded that Provincial legislation forbids the publication of ads which discriminate against any person because of race, religion, sex, color, nationality, ancestry or place of origin or age, unless the condition is justified by a bona fide requirement for the work involved.

Readers; in ads where ‘male’ is referred to, please read also as ‘female’ and where ‘female’ is used, read also ‘male’.

NOTE: When ordering items out of province, the purchaser is responsible to pay provincial sales tax. Do not send money in response to an advertisement without confirming the credentials of that business, and be aware that some telephone numbers will be charged for by the minute

IF YOU own a home or real estate, Alpine Credits can lend you money: It’s That Simple.

Your Credit / Age / Income is not an issue. 1.800.587.2161.

Legal Services

Announcements

Announcements

Coming Events

Information

Daytime Stick Curling Afternoon league/drop-in Starting in January Wells Gray Curling Club For Info call Larissa 250-674-3373 Wells Gray Curling Club Mens Skins Spiel Jan. 11 & 12 Guaranteed 4 — 6 end games Cash prizes Registration $200/team Ph. Mel @ 250-674-3847 or sports@docbc.ca to register

Information

The most effective way to reach an incredible number of BC Sportsmen & women.

Two year edition- terrific presence for your business.

Please call Annemarie 1.800.661.6335 email: fish@blackpress.ca

Help Wanted

Safe Home Response Providing a safe place to escape for women and their children.

Volunteers always needed.

Call 250-674-2135.

HOSPITAL AUXILIARY THRIFT SHOP

Located across the railway tracks in Vavenby, B.C. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Digital and film photographs.

Phone 250-674-3252 or email:kmcneill@mercuryspeed.com

Wilkeekon Services Handyman & Cleaning Residential & Commercial Moving in/out, DIY projects, construction site, interior/exterior, light hauls Bonded Gayle Peekeekoot Ray Wilson 250-674-2775

DISCONNECTED PHONE? National Teleconnect home phone service. No one refused! Low monthly rate! Calling features and unlimited long distance available. Call National Teleconnect today! 1866-443-4408. or visit online: www.nationalteleconnect.com

Employment Business Opportunities

Merchandise for Sale

Misc. for Sale 2 saddles, good condition, $300 each. Also vet supplies.

250-672-2086

Education/Trade Schools INTERIOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SCHOOL. NO Simulators. In-the-seat training. Real world tasks.

Weekly start dates. Job board!

Funding options.

SignUp online! iheschool.com 1-866-399-3853

Help Wanted Experienced parts person required immediately for James Western Star in Williams Lake.

Full time, competitive wages, benefits and signing bonus.

Fax resume to 250-398-6367 or email: nwejr@jamesws.com

629 Barriere Town Rd. V0E 1E0 • 250-672-0036 • Fax: 250-672-2159

E-mail: mail@barriere-employment.ca • Website: www.barriere-employment.ca EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR – Yellowhead Community Services CB0250 SUPPORT WORKER – Yellowhead Community Services CB0259 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR/MANAGER – Yellowhead Community Services CB0262 GENERAL LABOURER – Woodco Sawmill B0266 MYSTERY SHOPPERS – In-Touch Insight Systems B0268

Go To: http://www.wiegele.com/employment.htm for information on jobs with Mike Wiegele.

Skill Development: If you have been on Employment Insurance in the past 3 years (5 years maternity) & are currently unemployed, you may be eligible for re-training dollars. Book an appointment to see one of our counselors for information.

We look forward to seeing you: come in and we’ll personally see that you get the information you’re seeking or call and make an appointment.

• Free computer & Internet access • Free resume help • Free information on many services.

“The Employment Program of British Columbia is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia” In Partnership with Barriere & District Chamber of Commerce and Yellowhead Community Services

CLEARWATER EMPLOYMENT SERVICES 58A Young Road, Clearwater BC V0E 1N2 • 250-674-2928 • Fax 250-674-2938 E-mail: info@clearwateremployment.ca • Web Page: www.clearwateremployment.ca

Logging Truck Driver: Seasonal/ Clearwater #C0269 German Speaking Tour Guide: FT/ Seasonal/Clearwater #C0264 Professional Driver: Casual/Seasonal/ Clearwater #C0263 Early Childhood Educator/Facility Manager: FT/PT Barriere #CB0262 Support Worker - Child care programs: 2 positions/Clearwater #CB0259 Traffic Control: Casual/Clw #C0256 Early Childhood Educator/Educator Assistant: FT/PT Clw/Barriere#CB2050

Barriere Alcoholics Anonymous Call: 250-672-9643 For Al Anon Call: 250-672-9643, 250-677-4234

Clearwater: AA meetings Every Wednesday, #11 Lodge Dr., side door. Roll call 8 p.m.

250-674-1923, 250-674-7313

Help Wanted

Free Workshops

Trades, Technical JOURNEYMAN AUTOMOTIVE Service Technician(s) in Hanna Alberta. Hanna Chrysler Ltd. offers competitive wages, relocation allowance, negotiable depending on experience. Bright, modern shop.

Full-time permanent with benefits. Friendly town just 2 hours from major urban centres. More info at: hannachrysler.ca. Fax 403-854-2845; Or send by email to: chrysler@telusplanet.net

Help Wanted

Maintenance Technician (Instrumentation): FT/Clw#C0248 Cook: 2 positions/Clw #C0240 12 Postings/Blue River: PT & FT #CB0222 Chef Garde Manger, Assistant Pastry Chef, Sandwich Maker, Marketing Coordinator, Registered Massage Thqerapist/ Lodge Employee, Lodge Employee/Kitchen Helper, Registered Massage Therapist-Albreda Lodge, Maintenance Manager, Guide, Fine Dining Server, Registered Massage Therapist, Housekeeper

to help with your work search are available. Please contact us to register for one or all of these free workshops.

“Back to Work Boot Camp”: Jan. 6th – Jan. 10th: Workshops will be as follows: ‘Discover You’ (Assessments) Workshop: Mon. Jan. 6th Resume, Cover Letter and Interview Skills Workshop: Tues. Jan. 7th Networking, Cold Calls & Dress for Success Workshop: Wed. Jan. 8th Internet & Email Basics Workshop: Thurs. Jan. 9th Accepting, Maintaining & Starting Employment Workshop: Fri. Jan. 10th

FOR THE AFTERNOON CUP...

Great deals - low prices

Personals

Help Wanted

NORTH THOMPSON JOBS BARRIERE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Handypersons

Telephone Services

TRAIN TO be an Apartment/Condominium Manager online! Graduates get access to all jobs posted with us. 33 years of success! Government certified. www.RMTI.ca or 1800-665-8339, 604-681-5456.

ADVERTISE in the LARGEST OUTDOOR PUBLICATION IN BC The 2014-2016 BC Hunting Regulations Synopsis

photographer?

Portraits, weddings, special events, pet portraits, commercial.

Affordable memories that last a lifetime. Seniors rates.

Book now avoid & disappointment.

Sorry no passport photos Jill Hayward 250-319-8023/250-672-0055

Help Wanted

Resumes & Interviews: Go hand in hand, so the better prepared you are the greater the impression you will make to your future employer. Please drop in and our friendly staff will assist you.

Targeted Wage Subsidy (TWS): Are you currently on Employment Insurance or have you been in the last 3-5 years? If you have, you may be eligible for wage subsidy. Ask us for further info.

Funding for Skill Enhancement: Recent or active EI clients with a career plan in mind seeking assistance through Service Canada are required to book an appointment with one of our Employment Counsellors.

• Blue River Library: An employment consultant comes to the Blue River School. Next visit is Tuesday January 14th from 12:30-2:30. If a one on one appointment is required, please call to set up a time prior to the drop in.

Operated by Yellowhead Community Services The Employment Program of BC is funded by the Government of Canada & the Province of British Columbia

A healthy local economy depends on you

SHOP LOCALLY

Help Wanted

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The Key To

Your New Career

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

A18 www.clearwatertimes.com

Merchandise for Sale

Thursday, January 2, 2014 North Thompson Times

Rentals

Transportation

Misc. for Sale

Homes for Rent

Auto Financing

HOT TUB (SPA) COVERS. Best price. Best quality. All shapes & colours available.

1-866-652-6837 www.thecoverguy.com/ newspaper?

Clearwater: 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath, newly reno’d, close to schools, medical center, Weyerhaeuser Sub. Avail Jan. 1. Please call 1-250-600-3885

STEEL BUILDINGS/Metal buildings 60% off! 20x28, 30x40, 40x62, 45x90, 50x120, 60x150, 80x100 sell for balance owed! Call 1-800-4572206 or visit us online at: www.crownsteelbuildings.ca

Misc. Wanted Used Postage Stamps

Support International Scouting by donating used stamps which are sorted & sold to raise money for the International Development Fund of the International Scout & Guide Fellowship. This fund pays for training for Scouters in the third world.

Drop stamps off at front counter of the Star/Journal in Barriere, or call Margaret at (250)672-9330.

Clearwater: Site #24 Thompson Crossing. Deluxe 2bdrm hm, incl all appl, cov’d ft entry, addit, storage shed, $825/mo.

Avail imm. Ph. 250-587-6151

Rooms for Rent Clearwater: Room for rent, incl internet, shared facilities/living sp, Dutch Lake Trailer Court, ref req. $300/mo. Male perfered. Ph. 250-674-8300

WANTED

Suites, Lower Birch Island: 2bdrm suite. $600/mo. Incl sat tv, utilities & laundry. Available Dec. 1.

Ph. 250-674-1768

Real Estate Lots LAKEVIEW LOT FOR SALE ON BOWRON LAKE, B.C. 2.58 acres, unserviced, small trees on it. 100 ft. from lake. $250,000. Call: 1-250983-2594

Transportation

Auto Financing Legal

Mobile Homes & Parks

Legal Notices

Mobile Home for Sale downtown Barriere: 66’x12’, in quiet 55+ park. New: F/S, roof, flooring & pellet stove.

Upgraded insulation. Quick possession. $16,900 w/2mo free pad rent. 250-457-6604

FOREST Stewardship Plan.

The Adams Lake Indian Band is preparing an amendment to the Forest Stewardship Plan #311 for the Thompson Rivers Forest District. The amendment is to reflect the latest Old Growth Management Areas implemented by government.

The amendment is publicly available for review and for written comment until March 1, 2014. The amendment is available at the Natural Resources Department at 6453 Hillcrest Road in Chase, B.C. The department is open from 9am to 4pm from Monday to Friday. Please call Stuart Parker at 250-803-0181. Written comments may also be sent to P.O. Box 588 Chase, BC V0E 1M0, attention Stuart Parker, RPF.

Rentals Apt/Condo for Rent CLEARWATER, 1-Br @ Woodside. Quiet, clean, updated.

Common laundry.

NS/NP, DD + refs. $575/mo.

604-790-2482 For Rent: 2 bdrm appt. in Barriere, Dunn Lake Rd. Heat & power incl.

NP/NS DD $750/mo. 250-319-5220 or 250-672-9958.

This Crossword Sponsored by

WELLS GRAY HOME HARDWARE

Homes for Rent Barriere: 3 bdrm house, 5 new appliances. RR, NS, pets neg. $1200/mo, avail Feb 1. 250672-9362

86 STATION RD., CLEARWATER

674-3717

AJ pa n r .i l2 2- 3 J a- n .2 98 ,, 22 001142 Perceptions vary, This week is all Capricorn.

Just about give and take, because you Capricorn.

Dofeel for strongly someothers, andabout they will thing mean do for doesn’t you. A special another will event calls for view some it the same way.

Accept extra-special gifts.

March 21– December 22– that your passion April 19 January 19 will not always be reciprocated.

January 20– February 18

February 19– March 20

Aquarius, Some habitseven are hard though will be to break, it Aquarius. aLook busytoweek, you a mentor to aren’t likely to feel help and you will wiped There succeed.out.

A fitness will be achieved time for goal still is easily fun. outofa with Figure a new piece day to do something equipment. enjoyable.

Pisces, The oddsyou mayare be torn between beingyou, crestacked against ative Pisces,and but following that doesn’t convention at work. mean you won’t come Ask a colleague for out on top with a little some input. ingenuity.

A weekend endeavor requires a leap of faith.

April 20– May 20

May 21– June 21

Thanks the and chilly Speak up,toAries, weather, a beach the problem will be vacation you, solved. beckons A little miracle Aries. at homeStart makesplanfor an ning an excursion interesting weekend. to aTravel warmplans locale that come allows together.you to escape the daily grind.

ACast sporting aside allevent doubt, orTaurus. something The offerthat is draws large genuinea and willcrowd bring isyou just where youA many rewards. need be begins— this test oftofaith week, Taurus. be strong.

MoneySurwoes round ease. yourself with people who share your interests.

Give anblessed issue in your Feeling relationship the conthese days, Gemini? sideration it merits, Pay it forward.

A Gemini.

Though compromise at home itraises might not seem everyone’s like it and now, spirits funtaking ensues time to work this all weekend long! out will ultimately strengthen your relationship.

June 22– July 22

Cancer, the final A business relationship stages of with a project blossoms an you haveAbeen workaddition. larger-thaning on are ready life personality drops begin. by with Don’t an offerbe you afraid to take can’t refuse.

Oh credit boy, when of your oh boy,all Cancer.

September 23– hard work pays off October 22 in a big way.

You Ladymay Luckhave smilesbeen on bouncing you, Libra, around and there aimlessly for some is nothing beyond your time, But reach. Libra.

A treasured now is the week to heirloom resurfaces, get all ofback your affairs bringing many together and put fond memories. your plan for the future in motion.

July 23– August 22

Obligations work Oops, Leo. Youtofall and family leave you behind on a project, short personal raisingon some time, Leo.Not Though eyebrows. to your is worry.schedule You will get hectic, time to back on make track sooner unwind and you will than you think, thanks be glad for having October 23– to an innovation. done so.

November 21

Restlessness The tiniest of can sometimes a changes makebea vast dangerous improvementthing in a for you, Scorpio.

Chanproject.

A rejection is nel any restlessa blessing in disguise. ness into aforworthy Be grateful what project that Scorpio. makes you’re given, good use of your boundless energy.

ItSpend mayless, takesave a while more toandconvince someone you’ll definitely togetgo along with more, Virgo. More your idea, Virgo. in your bottom line Yet once you peace haveofthis and more person’s support, mind. Flowers provide they will be fully on a great pick-me-up. board.

August 23– November 22– September 22 December 21

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY

Sagittarius, make News from afar gets the of juices a the best creative situation that flowing, and youneeds changing. accomplish You more than might not able you have in be some time, toSagittarius. affect change, A game but of that wits does at the not officemean you can’t improve proves challenging. the situation with a positive attitude.

Young and singlelooking for the perrrrfectman.

If you enjoy live comedy shows and struttingyour stuff call...

FIND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS.

N O R TH

TH O M P S O N

The Times

Clearwater Times Thursday, January 2, 2014

www.clearwatertimes.com A19

Rodeo Rednecks have successful 2013 Submitted

Rodeo Rednecks 4-H Club has completed another successful year!

Concluding the year with 24 members the club, leaders and families would like to say thank you to the community members and sponsors that supported the club this year! Without your support this club wouldn’t be where it is today.

We kicked off 2013 with public speaking. The members were involved in weekly speech practices for six weeks leading up to a club speech night at the end of February. Each member stood on stage with microphone in hand in front of a panel of judges to engage the crowd with his or her own handwritten speech.

The judges were Kevin Podbisky (RCMP), Tim Pennell (TNRD), Lindsay Arcand (Barriere ISCU) and Sheena White (community member).

Congratulations to our top Junior member Mackenzie Ross and runnerup Keltie Arndt, and top Senior Gareth Hewett and runner-up Jessica Rotzetter.

Ross and Rotzetter represented our club at district speeches in Kamloops the first week of March.

Once speeches were complete the members moved into judging. Judging is where the member determines the advantages an animal or item has over the next. Members take part in six weeks of judging practice, then take put their knowledge to the test at District Judging Rally in Kamloops.

Our club then participated in weekly lessons with their horses. Lessons took place at the Noble Quarter Horse Farm in Sunshine Valley every Tuesday and Thursday from April to September. Ed Noble donated his knowledge, arena and time to the Junior and Senior members. Dani Noble put in her knowledge and time to the Cloverbuds' lessons. All lessons were free to members.

Ed also spent one day a week giving lessons to the parents and their horses.

Throughout the year, the club members work hard with their horses in their lessons and on their own to achieve horsemanship levels created by Equine Canada and adopted by BC 4-H. In addition to getting evaluated on their levels twice a year the members also partake in fun activi-

ties with their four-legged friends. This year the club attended Summer Sizzler in Salmon Arm. This was a weeklong camp out of funfilled day involving group dinners, swimming, lessons with their horses and a muli-club horse show.

A few members participated in horse shows around Kamloops, 100 Mile and Barriere to qualify for Heritage Finals put on by Horse Council BC. This year’s finals were held in Kamloops. Qualifying members were Shaye Turcotte, Mackenzie Ross and Dani Noble.

The club held Achievement Day in August. With tones of enthusiasm and great club spirit we had an awesome day! Judge was Jill Malanka from Logan Lake. Argo watered our riding arena and many volunteers helped make this day happen.

Congratulations to our hi point winners: Cloverbuds: Ali Settle and Owen Thon; Juniors: Kaya Breda and runner-up Mackenzie Ross; Seniors: Shaye Turcotte and runner-up Jessica Rotzetter.

The members then got down to perfecting their riding, judging and showmanship skills for Provincial Winter Fair in Barriere Sept.

26 – 30. The fair brings together all members of the region to compete for thebig trophies. The weekend finishes off with an awards banquet, dinner and dance.

Congratulations to Indigo Johnson for winning the Provincial Winter Fair Roy Wai Citizenship award, Makayla Breda for placing third in horse judging, Shaye Turcotte and Mackenzie Ross for winning the show and fit competition, and to Shaye Turcotte for bringing home sixth place in round robin judging.

We concluded our year with a club awards banquet on Nov. 10, sponsored by Imperial Metals. The club was given $2500 to go towards the banquet in addition to funds raised by the membership through the year.

Highlights for the night included: • Achievement and participation awards: Owen Thon, Mia Thompson, Rose Thon Haileigh Goodie, Ali Settle, Isabella Graffunder, Addison Lee, Reid Parlby, Mackenzie Ross, Paige Weninger, Luke Ovenden, Kaya Breda, Makayla Breda, Keltie Arndt, Zandreya Richards, Julie

Members of Rodeo Rednecks 4-H Club pose for a photograph. Pictured are (back, l-r) Reid Parlby, Jessica Rotzetter, Keltie Arndt, Kaya Breda, Zoe Ovenden, Gareth Hewett, Shaye Turcotte, Indigo Johnson, Znadreya Richards, (middle, l-r) Mackenzie Ross, Julie Pisarczyk, Rose Thon, Paige Weninger, Isabella Graffunder, Addison Lee, Haileigh Goodie, Luke Ovenden, (front, l-r) Makayla Breda, Mia Thompson, Owen Thon, and Ali Settle. Submitted photo

Pisarczyk, Joleigh Traub, Shaye Turcotte, Gareth Hewett, Indigo Johnson, Jessica Rotzetter, Zoe Ovenden, Sam Jensen, Keio Breda.

• Equitation award: Pre-Clubber, Owen Thon; Cloverbud, Ali Settle, Haileigh Goodie, and Rose Thon; Junior, Mackenzie Ross, runner-up Reid Parlby; Senior- Jessica Rotzetter, runner-up Shaye Turcotte.

• Most challenging project: Makayla Breda • Record books: Cloverbud, Rose Thon; Junior, Paige Weninger, runner-up Mackenzie Ross; Senior, Indigo Johnson, runners-up Zoe Ovenden and Shaye Turcotte.

• Husbandry: Junior, Luke Ovenden, runner-up Paige Weninger; Senior, Indigo Johnson, runner-up Zoe Ovenden • Art Young memorial trophy (PWF) Junior, Luke Ovenden, runner-up Makayla Breda; Senior, Jessica Rotzetter, runner-up Zoe Ovenden.

• Judging: pre clubber, Owen Thon; Cloverbud, Ali Settle, Haileigh Goodie and Rose Thon; Junior, Keltie Arndt, runner-up Paige Weninger; Senior, Indigo Johnson, runner-up Jessica Rotzetter.

• Top fundraising members: Shaye Turcotte, Indigo Johnson, Paige Weninger, Mackenzie Ross. runners-up: Gareth Hewett, Zandreya Richards and Jessica

Mackenzie Ross receives the Hi Point Junior award during Rodeo Rednecks 4-H club's awards night in November.

Rotzetter.

• Most improved: Pre Clubber, Owen Thon; Cloverbud, Ali Settle; Junior, Kaya Breda; Senior: Jessica Rotzetter.

• Most sportsmanlike: Indigo Johnson.

• Most outstanding leadership award: Indigo Johnson.

• Most outstanding member: Shaye Turcotte.

Public speaking: Pre Clubber, Owen Thon, Mia Thompson; Cloverbuds, Rose Thon, Isabella Graffunder, Keio Breda, Sam Jensen; Junior, Mackenzie Ross, runner-up Keltie Arndt; Senior, Gareth Hewett, runner-up Jessica Rotzetter.

Hi Point Senior award goes to Indigo Johnson during Rodeo Rednecks 4-H club's awards night in November.

• Hi point award: Junior, Mackenzie Ross, runnerup Keltie Arndt; SeniorIndigo Johnson, runner-up Jessica Rotzetter.

With the inspiration of “being the best we can be” our club has fundraised our hearts out through spring plant sales, Gary’s Meats, bottle drives, Moonlight Movie Night, First annual Ukrainian dinner, ongoing used car battery fundraiser, Blazers tickets, hot dog sale, poinsettia sales and many more. We have also shovelled snow for the elderly and visited Forestview Place with a mini pony. We participate in the annual community clean-up in Little Fort, donate to the food

bank and sponsor a family for Christmas.

The members of this club have really defined what 4-H is really about, Head, Heart, Hands and Health. Thank you to our amazing sponsors plus community members from Vavenby, Birch Island, Clearwater, Blackpool, Little Fort and Barriere, parents, volunteers and club leaders.

The club will get together on Jan. 4 at the Blackpool Hall for its annual general meeting/elections and membership sign-up. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Dani Noble, club leader at 250-674-8591 Happy Holidays!

A20 www.clearwatertimes.com

Thursday, January 2, 2014 Clearwater Times

Welders learn at CSS Left: Sparks fly as Larson Wadlegger takes part in a welding program at the Thompson Rivers University Trades Trailer next to Clearwater Secondary School recently.

Photo by Kennedy Ash

Icicle chandelier A ring of icicles stuck in the snow around a single lit candle create a beautiful chandelier. About 14 Avola residents took part in a bonfire and candle-lit path recently to celebrate the winter soltice.

Photo by Eleanor Deckert

B.C. students among best Ministry of Education VICTORIA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fifteen-year-old students in B.C. are once again among the best in the world at math, science and reading, according to a major international assessment released recently by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is conducted every three years and is one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in the world.

Among the 65 participating countries and economies, only one jurisdiction statistically performed above B.C.'s range in reading, only two jurisdictions in science, and nine jurisdictions in mathematics.

On a straight numerical rank basis, B.C. is sixth in both reading and science and 12th in mathematics.

B.C. also demonstrated high equity in student performance, which is the gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students, showing the system is delivering high student achievement in an equitable manner.

This maintains B.C.'s historical position as one of the top perform-

ing jurisdictions in the world and, depending on the subject, puts B.C. 15-year-old students in a range above other high-performing jurisdictions such as Finland, Germany and Australia. In comparison to the other Canadian provinces, B.C students were top ranked in reading and science, and second only to Quebec in math.

It is important to note that while B.C. students did well in PISA 2012, student performance appears to have plateaued. Science and reading scores have been relatively stable over the past decade. Scores in mathematics are down from PISA 2003, but changed little since PISA 2006.

These foundational skills will be measured again through PISA 2015 but the OECD will, for the first time, also assess student competencies in collaborative problemsolving. Balancing the focus on both foundational skills and key competencies is a goal underlying the current transformation of B.C.'s K-12 curriculum.

The PISA 2012 results follow last year's Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, which also demonstrated B.C.'s Grade 4 students were among the best readers in the world (ranked seventh among 45 jurisdictions).

Left: Tori Barstow checks out valves on two tanks. A total of 10 high school students plus two from the general public took the course.

Photo by Morgan Spencer

Above: Gareth Hewett adjusts a jig as part of the welding course. The program is offered jointly by TRU and School District 26.

Photo by Morgan Spencer Left: Tyler Rhodes lays a piece of metal on a grate.

The Trades Trailer visits secondary schools within the school district on a rotation basis.

Photo by Morgan Spencer