VE
The Invermere
April 16 2014
1
6
Vo l . Highway 93 crash data mapped
9 56
S er
he
ALLEY CHO ue
10
BERNIE RAVEN CHRIS RAVEN 1-866-598-7415 TEAMRAVEN.CA Offices in Panorama, Invermere & Fairmont
caught snacking 3 Cougar in residential area
1
$
05 INCLUDES GST
MaxWell Realty Invermere
CRAFTY KIDS
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 7856
Six-year-old Everett Friesen and his sister Alyssa, three, smile after completing their hand-made bunny decorations and receiving a gift. The two were taking part in the Easter Craft Program at the Radium Public Library on Saturday, April 12th. PHOTO BY DAN WALTON
Agricultural and Jumbo resolutions to get provincial vote STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Provincial government funding for Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort continues to generate talk in the Kootenay region and last week was the subject of a resolution at the annual Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Government (AKBLG) meeting in Creston. The amended resolution, introduced by Invermere, was for the association to inform the province that it is strongly opposed to the funding of any municipalities without residents. “It (the resolution) received strong support; there were only a handful of people that voted against it,” said Invermere mayor Gerry Taft. The issue of public funding for Jumbo municipality has leapt to provincial attention in recent weeks, after the resort municipality released a five-year financial plan projecting about $200,000
a year in revenue, the main source of ed resolution asking the B.C. governwhich is B.C.’s Small Community Grant. ment to delay passing Bill 24 (which The district of Invermere had, after proposes changes to the Agricultural discussion at the March 25th Inver- Land Reserve) in order to consult with mere council meeting, written a letter the public, the Union of British Coto the provincial government asking it lumbia Municipalities (or UBCM) and to re-allocate the grant money (which is other affected parties. A group of Cresavailable to all B.C. municipalities with ton area farmers gathered outside the fewer than 19,000 people) earmarked meeting to protest Bill 24 and several for Jumbo to the Association of Koote- farmers and food producers in the Conay and Boundary Local Governments. lumbia Valley, including Winderberry The issue prompted radio commentary Nurseries co-owner Oliver Egan, had by Mr. Taft and expressed concern Jumbo mayor Greg about the bill earliDeck and sparked er this month. a heated exchange The association in the provincial meeting also inlegislature. cluded information Association sessions on broadmembers at the band service gaps meeting also in the Kootenay passed (with a A handful of agricultural producers voiced region; efforts by few dissenting their opinion outside the AKBLG meeting. Canadian Pacific to voters) an amendCRESTON VALLEY ADVANCE PHOTO use new technol-
VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator 4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
ogy to help prevent train derailment on its longer trains; and a presentation from the Columbia River Treaty Local Government Committee on enhancing the Columbia River Treaty. There were also several workshop on provincial legislation tabled this year that would see municipal government terms increase from three years to four years and would put limits on campaign spending in municipal elections by candidates and by third parties. The Canadian Pacific session was particularly informative, according to Mr. Taft. “They have sensors on the train that detect heat and other factors that could cause problems with a wheel or axle; they are using this technology to try and identify problems before they result in derailments,” said Mr. Taft. Both the Jumbo-inspired resolution and the Bill 24-inspired resolution are now referred to the UBCM convention in the fall for further consideration.
• Excavators • Mini-Excavators • Bobcats • Dump Trucks • Water Trucks • Snow Plow • Sanding Equipment • Crane Truck • Road Building • Land Clearing • Controlled Burning • Rock Walls • Rip Rap • Top Soil • Sand & Gravel CONTRACT OR HOURLY MACHINE RENTALS AVAILABLE