THURSDAY
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JANUARY 9, 2014
Art-rock funkster at the Byng Saturday, Jan. 11 | Page 15
East Kootenay birds of December > Results of the Cranbrook Christmas Bird Count | Page 7
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Vol. 63, Issue 6 XX
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Silt level in Idlewild Lake backing up Joseph Creek BARRY COULTER
A Cranbrook area resident whose property backs on to Idlewild Park is expressing serious concerns about the state of man-made Idlewild Lake, and the problems he says are being caused by the fact that the lake hasn’t been dredged in many years, something that is necessary for the health of the lake and the integrity of the surrounding land. Indeed, Idlewild Lake was designed to be dredged regularly, of silt build-up and a system to allow Joseph Creek to bypass the lake while dredging was undertaken was incorporated into the lake’s original design. However, Peter Kleindienst, who lives on the last private property where the creek goes into the lake, says the lake hasn’t been dredged for more than 20 years, and the resulting silt build-up has left the lake shallow and malodorous, and caused the creek to backup on Kleinsdienst’s property.
“The deepest part of the lake is only two feet,” Kleindienst said. “By only having two feet of water, there are virtually no fish left. Plus, the vegetation growth is so great, the plants grow so easily, that there’s a smell resulting from dying vegetation. Which is one reason they’re keeping the water level so high. Around the lake you can see the trees dying, because the trees are underwater.” The amount of sediment in the lake is slowing the streamflow, Kleindienst said, so instead of dropping sediment in the lake, it’s dropping the sediment in the portion of the creek that runs through Kleindienst’s property. “The creek bed on my property has risen one-and-a-half to two feet. Part of my field is under water, turning it into a swamp. The backside of a cottonwood grove on my property is underwater. A big wind could bring those trees down, onto my house.”
See SILTY, Page 3
PHOTO BY MARCUS HARTMANN/ALPINE CANADA
Josh Dueck of Kimberley is pictured in competition at the 2013 World Cup in La Molina Spain. Dueck is back at World Cup competition this week at Panorama, as more than 100 para-alpine athletes from 20 countries will be trying jostling for a place on their nation’s Paralympic team.
Panorama hosts World Cup Kimberley’s Josh Dueck leads Canadian team into Sochi with warm up event C AROLYN GRANT
Panorama Mountain Village near Invermere is hosting World Cup racing this week, and more than 100 para-alpine athletes from 20 countries — including Kimberley’s Josh Dueck — will be trying jostling for a place on their nation’s Paralympic team. That’s something Dueck doesn’t have to worry about.
The silver medalist in slalom from Vancouver 2010 has already met the qualifying criteria for Canada’s Paralympic team and will be heading to Sochi next month. Dueck’s attitude has always been to strive for excellence while enjoying the mountains and he told the Bulletin before Christmas that he was beginning to find
again that real joy in skiing that took him to the podium in 2010. He also said he really feels he can medal again. That’s the goal. “With less than 50 days to go before #Sochi2014 I am once again enjoying being in a space of wonder and playfulness with my skiing,” he said in his blog. “My objectives for the journey ahead of
me can be measured in two ways, qualitative and quantitative. My priority is to go and have fun in Sochi and play with whatever the mountains and courses have to offer. I want to show the world how fun our sport is and the power of movement and momentum.
See DUECK , Page 4