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By Joni MacFarlane Editor
Gallery of Sight and Sound Your Telus Store with More 12701 20 Avenue Blairmore, AB
Looking for your little one to learn to ski/snowboard (ages 2-5)
Only $50
for a half day lesson from 1:30pm
Castle Mountain Resort T: 403-627-5101 F: 403-627-3515 www.skicastle.ca www.powderstagecoach.ca
Text or call for appt 12323-20 Ave, Blairmore Hrs: Tues, Fri, Sat.
Coleman, AB 403-563-5227
Lyons Creek log jam gets go-ahead for removal
New Management Tavern, Liquor Store, Clean Rooms DJ and Karaoke, Thu, Fri Sat
403.582.1211
Friday and Saturday March 21 and 22nd
Vol. 1 Issue 20
Where Your Friends Are..
Design Stylist
Night of Fun & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Crowsnest Pass
Thur s da y, Ma r ch 2 0 , 2014
Linda Germo
Grand Union Hotel
Kiera and Aislyn Wheelock performed the Stepsister’s Lament from Cinderella at the Crowsnest Pass Music Festival Showcase Concert on Sunday, March 16. The concert was a compilation of performances throughout the Music Festival and ended with the Medallion Awards and adjudicators’ Provincial Competition recommendations. For more photos see pages 6 and 7 as well as our Facebook page at CNPFreePress. Photo by J. MacFarlane
A log jam with the potential to bring catastrophic flooding to east Blairmore has been given the green light for clearance. Last week, council approved Speers Construction Inc. from Revelstoke, B.C. to begin removing logs in a steep walled canyon of Lyons Creek. The log jam occurred last spring when debris remaining from the Lost Creek fire was transported downstream and became stuck at a sharp turn in a rock gorge with a width of only 10 metres. A large Douglas Fir became stuck cross-wise and debris piled up behind it. It has been identified as a significant risk to east Blairmore in the event of spring flooding. There are 300 to 500 cubic metres of material, equal to 13 standard logging truckloads, trapped in a gorge 120 to 150 metres deep. The log jam is on crown land but within municipal boundaries. Stephen Burnell with ISL Engineering said Stantec Engineering identified Speers Construction who have significant experience in backcountry emergency work. They were asked to give alternative methods of removing the log jam with pricing and came back with four options. The first option was to bring in small equipment for machine removal of the log jam from the west bank, and then cutting and burning the wood away from the bank of the creek. The cost was $138,600 including GST. The second option was a forestry yarder set up on top of the gully, said Burnell, to pull the logs up and out of the creek. The cost was in the $225,000 range, said Burnell. The third required a helicopter to fly in and remove the logs. The cost was $200,000 to $300,000 and involved a lot of risk, he said. The fourth option was to send in a crew with chainsaws and hand tools to remove the logs and burn the wood on site. The cost was in the range of $255,000. “There was significant discussion and review between Stantec, municipality, provincial and federal regulatory authorities,” said Burnell. “The option identified with the least impact and most efficient and economic approach was the small equipment machine removal of the log jam from the west bank.” Cont. next page...
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