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WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014
VOL. 37 NO. 02 $1.30 inc. GST
Bad forestry bridges
NEWS BRIEFS Grants up for grabs People or organizations can now apply for grants from the Fort St. James Community Foundation. The foundation is now accepting applications in order to award two grants of $450 to a group or individual meeting their eligibility criteria and priority areas. Applications can be picked up at The District of Fort St. James office, Nak’azdli Band Office, and the Fort St. James Library. Completed applications must be postmarked to the foundation by April 15, 2014. Individuals are only eligible if applying for scholarship funding for education. Organizations are eligible if they are incorporated non-profit societies or charities. Applicants must operate in the community of Fort St. James or the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako Area C which includes Germansen Landing, Manson Creek and the First Nations of Nak’azdli, Tl’azt’en, Yekooche, Middle River and Takla. The foundation has identified the granting categories of: education, health care, programs for the needy, amateur sport and community recreation, arts and cultural activities and the preservation of lands or buildings of historic or environmental value. The Fort St. James Community Foundation is a registered non-profit which fundraises to accumulate funds for an endowment.
Investigation finds unsafe bridges on forestry roads
Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto races towards the finish line with her borrowed dog team during the Caledonia Classic Sled Dog Races on Stuart Lake in Fort St. James. Yamamoto was one of three MLAs who came to Fort St. James to participate in the Caledonia Classic and Winterfest. Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation John Rustad and MLA Mike Morris were also participating. More photos of Winterfest Page 12. Ruth Lloyd/Caledonia Courier
Caledonia Classic 2014
Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier
Classic cold. It was a harsh wind blowing from the north on the first Saturday of this year’s Caledonia Classic Sled Dog races Mar. 1. But mushers and volunteers alike braved the wind to enjoy the sunshine and action on Stuart Lake at Cottonwood Park. It was the beginning of Winterfest as well, with a barbecue, fires, a sugar shack manned by hearty Integris Credit Union employees, snow sculpting done by Aaron Grant of Nanaimo and warm and cold beverages as a fundraiser for Music on the Mountain. There was also a public art project, by Fraser Lake painter Claire Singleton which many young artists contributed to by drawing dog teams, northern lights or other additions to a winter landscape of Stuart Lake viewed from Fort St. James. The racers had to brave the cold, but were lucky enough to have blue skies and great visibility, though the overnight at Whitefish Bay for the stage racers would have required good gear in -30 C temperatures.
The teams left at 6 a.m. Saturday, instead of their usual 9 a.m. start, due to the cold and running low on firewood. Terry Houghton was one of the volunteers who manned the camp at Whitefish Bay, and had tents set up to protect the mushers, but it would still not have been for the faint of heart, though most mushers are used to these types of conditions. It was also a great turnout for the Politician’s Race, which included local MLA for Nechako Lakes, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation John Rustad, Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie Mike Morris, Mackenzie Councillor Pat Crook, Fort St. James Mayor Rob Macdougall and Nak’azdli Councillor Wayne Sam. Sam won the race handily, and there were a few spills, but the politicians did a great job holding on to their borrowed sleds. The snowmobilers who helped with the race were also subject to extreme temperatures at high speeds, but generous volunteers from the Fort St. James Snowmobile Club came through once again to help make the event a success. Race results Page 12.
An investigation by the Forest Practices Board of 216 bridges on forestry roads across the province has resulted in some unsettling findings. The investigation looked at 216 bridges over three years and not only found non-compliance with legislation but also over two dozen bridges which may not be safe for industrial use. The bridges were from the Chilliwack, Vanderhoof, Rocky Mountain, Okanagan Shuswap and Cariboo Chilcotin districts and the study looked specifically at bridges constructed since January 2010. A full 19 bridges were deemed unsafe, another 13 were questionable. The release said 40 per cent of the bridges did not have complete plans and for 74 bridges, the required sign-off to show the bridge was designed and built correctly was never completed.
“The board was concerned with the growing number of instances of unsafe bridges showing up in recent audits, and so we did this investigation to find out the extent of the problem,” said Tim Ryan, board chair. “What we found is highly disturbing, given the emphasis government and industry have placed on safety in recent years.” The problem lies not with the legislation, said the release, but with some professionals in the industry not meeting expected standards. “We are recommending that the professional associations that govern foresters and engineers take action to improve performance by their members, said Ryan. “We also suggest that licensees ensure their bridges are safe and government compliance and enforcement staff increase their attention to bridge safety.”
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