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u Feeding families P. 2 u Manage your money P. 3
u #fortstjames P. 8 u Live what you love P. 3
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WEDNESDAY, January 8, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS
Quiet holiday season
It was a relatively peaceful holiday for the RCMP in Fort St James. RCMP said other than a number of calls on Christmas itself to deal with some drinking-related issues, for the most part, there were no files of note. New Year’s eve festivities were also quiet, with road checks coming up clear and no major incidents to attend.
Legebokoff voire dire The trial of accused serial killer Cody Legebokoff will continue on in 2014. A voire dire for the accused serial killer has been underway in Prince George since October of last year. A voire dire is a “trial within a trial” which examines which evidence will be admissible during the actual trial proceedings and if the accused’s Charter rights were violated at all during the course of the investigation. Because the voire dire reveals important but possibly inadmissible evidence, a publication ban prohibits the coverage of what is revealed in those proceedings. Legebokoff will likely face a trial by jury this year, and is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Loren Donn Leslie, Jill Stuckenko, Cynthia Maas, and Natasha Montgomery. The women disappeared between 2009 and 2010, and Legebokoff was arrested after a chance encounter with a member of the RCMP on Highway 27, when he saw Legebokoff pulling out of an unused logging road at night. The 10-month investigation then led to the three additional murder charges.
PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com
District works to create Winterfest Mush, Mush! These words are famous in the tradition of dog sledding. Some may think this is a dying sport, but this uniquely winter sport is alive and well in this community. In the snowy centre of B.C., Fort St. James is home to the many dog sled teams that still race across the frozen Stuart Lake on a 150 mile race to the finish line. Mushers and their canine companions train year-round for a weekend long event every February to compete, socialize, and show-off their dog mushing skills. Every year 60 to 80 volunteers come out for the event, including students from the neighbouring UNBC tourism department who originate from all over the globe. The Mar. 1 weekend will include: a 150mile race; a four, six and 10 dog race, Junior Musher race, a Kid ‘n’ Mutt race, Politicians Race, 50-mile seven dog race with overnight at Whitefish Bay, and this year for the first time ever they are going to have a 200-mile race the following weekend. Inspired by the inclusivity of the dog mushing world, The District of Fort St. James is working to expand this existing recreational heritage event by initiating a new tradition. Taking a page from the Scandinavian cultures which embrace the winter season, the district will be partnering with local community groups to create a greater community spirit and love of place. For the first time, the dates of the Caledonia Classic 2014 will coincide with a series of winter sports and entertainment activities called Winterfest. This festival features a week of events and activities throughout the town of Fort St. James that support arts, culture, tradition and recreation. So far proposed events include a snow or ice sculpture contest, a nordic ski event, a winter fun triathlon event, a dance recital, family film viewing and a Music Makers play performace. Events will complement the Caledonia Classic by filling the days between the dog sled races with cross-country skiing, triathalon events, snow sculpting competitions, theatre and film and a variety of winter sport demonstrations. This will provide an opportunity for the municipality, local and regional sport organizations and First Nations communities to collaborate on activities that will build relationships within the community and introduce new generations to old traditions through healthy lifestyle activities. Events will take place between Feb. 28 and March 9.
VOL. 36 NO. 45 $1.30 inc. GST
Watch for tracks While there are usually a number of tracks on the lake and through the woods in the winter, the majority would normally be snowmobile tracks. But there is another type of tracks people need to watch out for now - cross country ski tracks. The Stuart Lake Nordic Ski Club will once again be working on introducing cross-country ski tracks in town. They have been grooming 20 km of trail on the lake in the past couple of years, and are working on other intown trail locations such as for Nak’albun School. As they introduce trails, they need help to ensure the trails are undamaged for skier use. Multiple sled crossings and foot prints reduce the safety and enjoyment of skiers. The club would appreciate attention to the trails as hours Some young nordic ski club members help out setting tracks of volunteer labour go into cre- for skiers on Stuart Lake. Kelly Inden photo ating this service for the town. the skis slide in by walking in the middle. We Sledders: Please cross the tracks at right know you can’t stop Fido, but do what you can angles to minimize damage. Try to limit the to keep your own feet to the middle. number of places you cross. The nordic skiers of Fort St. James thank Walkers: Try to stay off the parallel tracks you!
Property values rise Property assessments are up slightly across most of B.C., with dips in average residential values in the Okanagan and on Vancouver Island. The biggest increases were in the Northwest and Peace River regions, where total residential value rose about 10 per cent as natural gas and other industrial development picks up speed. The B.C. Assessment Authority released its 2014 property assessment rolls Thursday, showing continued slight growth in total property values in most regions of B.C. The value of all property in B.C. rose 1.27 per cent, despite declines in most regions for farm, recreational and managed forest land. In the Prince George area, values increased or stayed the same, with Mackenzie and Burns Lake seeing the largest rises in assessed values. “Most home owners in the Prince George Assessment Area will see changes in the minus five percent to plus 15 per cent range,” said Geoff Radtke, Deputy Assessor with the North Region. In Fort St. James, the average assessed value for single family
residential homes rose 1.2 per cent from $166,000 to $168,000. Vanderhoof saw an increase of 6.5 per cent, while Mackenzie saw the largest increase in the area, with a rise in value of 19.2 per cent, from $125,000 to $149,000 in 2014. The total value of commercial properties on the assessment roll increased 1.87 per cent in Fort St. James, from $40,579,000 to $41,338,000. Vanderhoof saw an increase of 9.12 per cent, from $96,739,00 to $105,560,000. Mackenzie commercial property on the assessment roll went up 2.3 per cent from $69,478,000 to $71, 092,000. In the Lower Mainland, most residential values showed modest increases, from almost flat on the North Shore to 1.61 per cent in Vancouver, 0.68 in North Fraser, 1.98 per cent in Surrey-White Rock and 1.53 per cent in the Fraser Valley. Richmond-Delta recorded the only decline in the region, with residential total value down 0.15 per cent. In Southern Vancouver Island, total residential property value fell 2.69 per cent, with similar decreases for recreational and farm property. Central Vancou-
ver Island residential property slipped 1.31 per cent, with similar decreases in industrial, recreational and farm property and a 2.67 per cent rise in business property. Penticton region residential property is down 0.94 per cent, with a similar dip in farm value. Kelowna also had about a one per cent drop in farm value, with residential value steady compared to 2013. Residential value held steady in the Cariboo region, with declines recorded in industrial, farm and forest land. The largest moves in the 2014 assessment roll were for managed forest land, which showed a jump of 15.3 per cent in the Fraser Valley and drops of 10 per cent or more in other regions. Rod Bealing, executive director of the Private Forest Landowners Association, said the value reflects fluctuations in the price of logs, with property value lagging the timber market by several years. Assessments for regions and individual properties are available at www.bcassessment.ca, where property owners can find information on appealing their assessment for property tax purposes.