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WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS Hotel gets upgraded REBECCA WATSON Caledonia Courier
When The View hotel in Fort St. James was purchased in 2011 by Bonnie and Scott Cameron the plan was to demolish it. The building had been vacant for years and the decor reflected that of a run-down 1960’s hotel. After talking with the head of construction it turned out the structure was in excellent shape, so they decided to gut the inside and renovate both floors. There are 34 rooms between the first and second floor, which proved not to be enough to cater to a growing demand. On July 1 an additional floor with 28 new rooms was opened after an extensive renovation period. With the new premium top floor, the hotel now has 62 rooms available for service. “It was tough but we knew there was a need. So we took everything, gutted the whole building and brought it up to what it is today,” said Mr. Cameron. Before the Camerons bought the hotel, an outdated bar and beer store occupied the front and dinning room spaces of the run-down building. Lesley Braden, 35, currently works at The View and also worked at Larry’s... Continue on page 2
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Revamping Fort St. James trails The group already has a mock design of the maps made up The Trail Improveso the actually signs ment Project is undershould be seen up by way and trails west and mid August, said Mr. south of Stuart Lake Moll. A project plan will soon be getting a submitted to Northern long-awaited facelift. Development Initiative The Snowmobile Trust has the entire Society owns and project scheduled for maintains a large porcompletion by April tion of Fort St. James’ 2015. “We want recreational trails. In to get the Razor before recent years, the sociOctober so the trails ety has installed three can get groomed before bridges with the help first snow fly. We tried of time-and-material to also work it around donations from various the Caledonia Classic community members to which is in February, help stop obstruction of so it should be done fish streams. Now the before then,” said Mr. main focus has shifted Moll. to improving the trails The Fort St. James with grooming and sigSnowmobile club nage, said Wayne Moll, started in 1972 and vice president of Fort became a society in St. James Snowmobile 1998. They started out Society. with the old 81-acre “With more tourists fairgrounds for their arriving in town we club house and with the would like to improve help of volunteers kept the safety of our trail local trails groomed network with better and accessible. grooming and signage Now, they have 300 to indicate where you km of trail tenured with are, at what kilomethe BC government that Photo by Rebecca Watson tre, on what trail, and are used by residents where to go next,” said FUN ON THE TRAILS: Wayne Moll, vice president of the Fort St. James snowmobile society, and tourists alike for Mr. Moll. stands on a trail bridge, one of three recently put in on the trail system operated by the society. anything from hiking, The plan is to have The trails themselves will also soon be getting a long-awaited facelift with grooming and signage. horseback riding, large colour-coated mountain biking, kilometre signs and cross country skiing, Special options for the Razor used for a machine. Being directional arrows placed colour,” said Mr. Moll. snowmobiles and dog The improvement project including closed doors, a one of the larger donations, throughout the trails, along sledding. with nine large colour-coated has been in the works for a radio and a heater are being it was fortunate that they “We get people coming maps placed at key locations. few years but got rolling this looked at since the average later agreed to have their from Prince George and The society is also in the year with the help of five age of the executive is 63. grant spent on the add-ons Vanderhoof. We even had works of producing hand- key contributors. A total of The two people grooming for the ATV and any left- people from the Yukon and held map brochures to make $41,000 was given in grant the trails last year were Ed over monies on signage and Switzerland inquire about grooming. available at various outdoor money and donated material Hill 82, and Grant Luck 78. coming to learn dog sledding, towards the project. During the grant applying “We’ve been trying for recreation and tourist outlets. so that’s international. The The society plans to use a process, one of the main five years to get the ball “I’ve seen other trail maps trails will be wider, safer and and there black-and-white large portion of the money contributors, Integris Union rolling on this and since better looking. It’s definitely Foundation, April everything has just and it’s hard to figure out. towards a new Razor ATV Community going to bring people to that a newly-donated trail made it known that the popped into place,” said Mr. That’s why were doing it in town,” said Mr. Moll. groomer will hitch onto. money they give is not to be Moll. REBECCA WATSON Caledonia Courier
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