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Vol. 63, Issue 146
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Coming soon to the airwaves near you CRTC approves new radio station for Cranbrook, East Kootenay B A R RY CO U LT E R
The airwaves of Cranbrook will soon be a richer, busier place, with the addition of a new radio station. On Tuesday, July 29, the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the application by Clear Sky Radio for a new FM radio station for Cranbrook.
The station will be known as “Summit 107,” and will have repeater FM frequencies in Fernie, Sparwood and Invermere. The music format will be “Adult Contemporary” and the station will feature significant local news and community information. “We are thrilled that the CRTC continues to believe in our goal of
bringing exciting, innovative and creative radio stations with a focus on community service to markets in which we apply” said Paul Larsen, president of Clear Sky Radio. “We do not take the Commission’s trust in our company lightly and look forward to launching an exciting new radio station to serve this dynamic region of British Co-
lumbia in the near future”. Summit 107 will broadcast at 107.5 FM in Cranbrook and Kimberley, 107.9 FM in Fernie, 107.1 FM in Sparwood and Elkford and
107.7 FM in Invermere effectively covering the whole East Kootenay. Clear Sky Radio, one of Western Canada’s leading independent regional broadcasting companies, operates radio stations CJOC-FM Lethbridge, and CJCY-FM Medicine Hat, as well as Clearly Interactive, a local digital agency offering website development, social media consulting, and other interactive marketing tools to small and medium size businesses.
Whiteswan fire largest in area 150-hectare fire burning between Canal Flats and Whiteswan Lake
SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
Playwright Drew McGowan recently went for the first time to check out the production of “The Almost Shooting of Charlie Runner,” onstage at the Wildhorse Theatre at Fort Steele Heritage Town. The play runs every day at 1 p.m. until the end of August. See more, Page 3. McGowan with the cast, left to right: Michael Carr, Jade Duchscherer, Drew McGowan, Tessa Charlton, Carter Gulseth.
A vaudevillian romp at the Wildhorse BARRY COULTER
A
ccompanying the playwright — who’s seeing the production of his play for the first time — to Fort Steele is an interesting experience. One would be constantly watching for his reaction, except one gets distracted by the vaudevillian romp taking place on stage at the Wildhorse Theatre. “The Almost Shooting of Charlie Runner” is Fort Steele
Heritage Town’s summer production. It was written by Drew McGowan of Cranbrook, and is part of a fourpart play series based on extensive research of the history of Fisherville and the characters who inhabited that gold rush town, which was located near Fort Steele in the last years of the 19th century. The original concept, McGowan said, was to have two plays running one week, and the
other two running the next week in an alternating cycle. However, budget concerns ultimately meant that only the first play was chosen for performance over the summer season. “Charlie Runner,” directed by Elizabeth Adler, is a comedy with vaudevillian touches, as befits the setting. Its plot centres around a poker game at Fort Steele — suddenly a legal activity — between the
tunnelling, imbecilic Charlie Runner and the thoroughly evil Big Bad Billy. Also involved are the gunslinging frontier woman Shirley Shirlton and the southern belle personality of Samantha, who also functions as hostess to all and sundry. The game, of course, goes totally sideways, and chaos ensures, to the delight of the audience.
See PLAY, Page 3
A large forest fire is raging near Whiteswan Lake, southeast of Canal Flats. The 150-hectare Whitetail Brook fire was sparked by lightning during last week’s storm, but wasn’t detected until Sunday afternoon, July 27. It quickly grew in size, and is now being fought by 40 firefighters from the Southeast Fire Centre, as well as three water tenders, three bulldozers, one excavator, three medium helicopters with buckets, and one light helicopter for administrative use. While no homes or structures are currently threatened, it is the largest fire currently on the radar in the Southeast fire zone. “So far, access to the hot springs (Lussier Hot Springs) and the park (Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park) is not closed off, but there is security blocking access to some back roads and they might close more if the need arises,” said Fanny Bernard, fire information
officer with the Southeast Fire Centre. This week’s hot temperatures and dry conditions are affecting the fire’s behaviour, Bernard went on, so officials are asking the public to be very careful not to cause any further fires. “We need our crews to be able to respond to any naturally occurring wildfires, so we really rely on the public to be extra vigilant with their campfires, and also to report any suspected wildfire or unattended campfire,” said Bernard. She reminded people that campfires are permitted, but can be no larger than a half-metre by a half-metre. “You are required to have at least eight litres of water on hand or a hand tool such as a shovel to make sure the campfire is completely out before you leave the area,” said Bernard. “Completely out means the ashes should be cool to the touch.” You can report wildfires and unattended campfires at 1-800-6635555 or *5555 on most cellular networks.