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RAPIDS FIRST U18 team captures Smithers Cup.
SPORTS/A7
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
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Horse shot on Cote Road
SIZZLING OUT
By Ryan Jensen Smithers/Interior News
MIDSUMMER NIGHTS Cuba and band play festival Friday night.
A&E/A15
ROCK THE NORTH Annual fundraiser runs July 11 to 13.
THREE RIVERS/B6
INSIDE LETTERS A5 SPORTS A6 COMMUNITY A10 OUR TOWN A11 THREE RIVERS B1 CLASSIFIEDS B4
A Smithers family is worried about their personal safety after one of their horses was shot last Wednesday. Oscar and Earlene Steinhilbert and their son William rent a home on five acres on Cote Road. They have lived there with three horses for about a year. On Wednesday afternoon, Oscar noticed their nineyear-old gelding Tico acting differently but it wasn’t until later that night that the bullet hole was discovered. One bullet grazed Tico’s foot and the other went about an inch and a half into his upper right shoulder. The Steinhilberts believe the incident happened at about 2 p.m. on June 25, after a neighbour approached them and said they heard at least one shot being fired at that time. Luckily, Tico wasn’t killed but it could have been much worse, Earlene said. If the bullet had penetrated a little further, it would have shattered the bone. If that had happened, Tico would have been euthanized. See HORSE on A2
Members of the Gitanyow Volunteer Fire Department blast their hose in the first evolution of the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C’s safety expo in Smithers Saturday. For more, see Page A3.
Kendra Wong photo
Parking requirements reduced By Ryan Jensen Smithers/Interior News
Smithers council has reduced the parking requirements for new retail businesses in the C-1 zone on Main Street, between Railway Ave. and Highway 16. At the regular council meeting June 24, councillors voted to amend the parking bylaw to require new retail businesses in the C-1 zone to develop one parking space per 100 metres of store space. The change was first brought up by councillor Phil Brienesse during the regular May 13 meeting. Brienesse
had originally proposed reducing the parking requirement for retail uses in the C-1 zone between Railway Ave. and Highway 16 from one space per 60 square metres of floor space to one space per 180 metres. It was eventually agreed by councillors to amend the parking requirement to one space per 100 square metres of retail space. The bylaw amendment was an effort to retain new business and encourage redevelopment to keep Smithers’ downtown unique and vibrant, Brienesse said. Mayor Taylor Bachrach said the intent is to help new business owners keep costs as
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low as possible when they are beginning a new venture. “At the end of the day, it has to do with the costs and part of that involves parking,” Bachrach said “If we can give them even an incremental leg up over online retailers and people going out of town, than I think it’s our responsibility to try it. If the sky starts falling, we’ll reverse course as quickly as possible but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Previously, building owners were required to provide one parking space per 60 square metres of gross floor area. Their options were to build the spots on site, provide parking on
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another property within a certain distance if they are granted a covenant by the property owner or pay the town $9,500 for each space. Any funds collected by the town go into a special reserve which is only used to develop parking lots. Councillors Charlie Northrup and Mark Bandstra were opposed to the motion. Counc. Northrup said he felt their needed to be more consultation done before the change was made. “It’s a major issue,” he said. “I think we should have at least had a discussion with the developers and landowners.”