Wednesday April 30, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST INCLUDED
Puppy love Hunter Bowman receives a big, wet kiss from her dog Lulu for helping out at the Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union Relay For Life barbecue and fundraiser held recently in the Uptown SASCU courtyard. The Salmon Arm Relay for Life event will be held Saturday, June 14 at Elk’s Park. To register, go to www. relayforlife.ca JAMES MURRAY/OBSERVER
Residents still evacuated Mudslide: Engineers deem area near McIntyre Creek unstable. By Barb Brouwer OBSERVER STAFF
Two Sunnybrae couples remain evacuated from their homes near McIntyre Creek following a mudslide that occurred just before noon last Wednesday. Emergency Management BC and other provincial agencies received a verbal geotechnical report Monday confirming that a collection of debris remains in the creek channel along with pooling of water. Shuswap Emergency Program (SEP) assistant Cathy Semchuk says Environment
Canada records indicate that 10 to 16 mm of rain fell prior to the April 23 debris flow, and that, combined with the saturated ground from the snow melt, could have been a factor in the incident. “The pooling of water, along with Environment Canada’s weather forecast of more rain for the Shuswap area later in the week, has determined the evacuation order must remain for properties located at the mouth of McIntyre Creek, until remedial work is performed to remove the risk and hazard,” Semchuk says, noting the
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure continues work to repair the damage at the Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Road site. SEP officials met with the residents who have been out of their homes for a week to assure them hotel and meal coverage has been extended. “We’re proactive, we develop relationships with local hotels and restaurants, so when someone is evacuated, it’s a fairly clean process,” she says. The Shuswap Emergency Program stresses that due to the instability of the area and
This week There were medals in abundance for some Shuswap Swimming competitors. See A16. Shred Kelly shared their skills with Salmon Arm students to a harmonious result. See A19.
other safety concerns, the public are asked to keep clear of the incident site. However, if you are required to travel through the work site, be aware that it is a ‘no stop’ zone. In the meantime, Semchuk says several factors, including a complete engineer’s report will be considered before the order is lifted. With both warm weather and rain in the forecast, residents are asked to keep their eyes open and call the 24/7 Provincial Emergency Reporting Line at 1-800-6633456 to report a debris flow.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Muddy mess: Part of the debris flow from the April 23 McIntyre Creek slide.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Sports................A15-A17 Time Out................... A18 Arts & Events ... A19-A22 Vol. 107, No. 18, 40 pages