107th Year - Week 40
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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B.C. RIVERS DAY River enthusiasts float from Quick to Telkwa.
SPORTS/A11
STRANGE EMPIRE Kispiox rancher rides into CBC Western.
A&E/A18
STAFF SHORTAGES Businesses have trouble finding workers.
THREE RIVERS/B1
A Smithers firefighter traverses Trout Creek where a truck hauling a CN transport trailer was driven into Friday afternoon off Highway 16. Fire crews doused the fire that destroyed the truck. The driver was lucky enough to walk away.
Chris Gareau photo
Truck up a creek EMS called to airport By Chris Gareau
INSIDE LETTERS A7 SPORTS A11 COMMUNITY A15 OUR TOWN A17 THREE RIVERS B1 CLASSIFIEDS B2
Smithers/Interior News
A truck driver hauling a CN container is lucky to be alive after he drove his semi into Trout Creek about 20 kilometres north of Smithers Friday afternoon. Smithers EMS and RCMP were called out to the fiery scene at about 2 p.m. Traffic along Highway 16 was stopped for about an hour as crews put out the blaze beside the bridge crossing the creek. Debris from the truck was
scattered from the highway through a gravel parking lot on the west side, leading to the truck hanging over the creek. A Telus pole carrying cables that service the area was splintered and on the ground. Telus workers were surveying the damage while smoke still billowed from where the truck’s cab used to be. Clean up crews soaked up leaks into the creek from the truck. The Calgary driver walked away with a broken thumb. The cause of the crash is unknown.
By Chris Gareau Smithers/Interior News
The pilot and co-pilot of a cargo plane were able to land safely at Smithers Regional Airport last Tuesday morning after a light indicated that the front landing gear failed to lock. Smithers fire trucks, ambulances, and RCMP were called to the airport in the event they were needed. The landing gear at the nose of the Metroliner aircraft flown in by Carson Air Ltd. stayed up and the emergency services were not called upon. Airport manager Rob Blackburn said the response ran smoothly and no
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flights were delayed. An Air Canada flight left as the cargo plane circled the area waiting the few minutes it took for emergency services to arrive and prepare for the landing. Blackburn stressed incidents with aircraft are very rare, and that air travel is statistically much safer than travel by car or truck. He added that the Transport Safety Board will not be needed to investigate. Blackburn also thanked the volunteer fire department. “The response time was phenomenal. I think it’s very important to give kudos to those guys,” said Blackburn. Carson Air did not return requests for comment.
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