Cranbrook Daily Townsman, October 07, 2014

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TUESDAY

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OCTOBER 7, 2014

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Vol. 63, Issue 193

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Danger exists as fire season winds down TRE VOR CR AWLEY Townsman Staff

Muth. “We establish goals under each strategic plans and those plans are developed through extensive consultation processes with residents throughout the basin.” Next year will be a big year for the CBT, which will mark it’s 28th anniversary. The CBT has grown to roughly 45 staff in four offices across the region since it’s inception.

Fire season is all but over, but conditions are still dry enough to be a danger, according to a fire information officer for the Southeast Fire Centre. “Every day, it gets a little less dry,” said Jordan Turner, a fire information officer. “I know it’s been hot still through the East Kootenay area, so right now we’re keeping an eye on it every day, we still have crews ready for anything that may come up, but there has been a significant decrease in fire activity.” However, as hunting season begins, Turner warns that unattended campfires still pose a danger. “Unattended campfires are a major thing,” Turner added. “People think it’s getting colder, and that’s a big danger right now, so make sure your campfires are completely out, ashes are cold to the touch and never leave a campfire unattended. “As far as your area there, there’s still the possibility of fires starting, so we need people to be aware and keep their eyes out and phone in any smoke you see on hillsides.” It’s been a busy season for the wildfire season in the province, with the largest amount of hectares burned in 30 years.

See CBT, Page 4

See DANGERS , Page 3

BARRY COULTER PHOTO

UNDEAD ON PARADE: The Zombies were out in force Saturday, under blue October skies, for the third annual Cranbrook Zombie Walk, a fundraiser for the Cranbrook Food Bank. The living dead promenaded down Baker Street to Baker Park for a march-ending bacchanal and barbecue. See more, Page 2.

CBT revenue expected to double T R E VO R C R AWL EY

The Columbia Basin Trust is expecting to almost double their revenue over the next four years and will be engaging with communities in the region to discuss funding priorities, according to Neil Muth, president and CEO of the CBT. In a meeting with the RDEK board of directors last Friday morning, Muth gave a CBT year in review presentation that highlighted the new boost in revenue, which is

being generated mostly due to expansions in power projects. “Our revenue is going to double from about $27 million to $55 million,” said Muth. “We have a high degree of certainty about that because of the investments in the power projects. The power produced is sold under longterm contracts so short of a unanticipated outage at one of the plants, the revenue is not pie-in-the-sky dreams.”

This past year, the CBT handed out $22 million in funding across the Basin, ranging from community, economic, water and environment, social, broadband and youth initiatives. Specifically within the jurisdiction of the RDEK, a few projects that received CBT funding included hall renovations at Akisqnuk, Wilmer, Hosmer and Baynes Lake; avalanche transceiver training facility and staffing costs for an East Kootenay com-

munity energy manager through the community development program. Other funding included youth grants for air cadets and social grants for EK child care needs assessment. “In addition to our work with geographic communities, we have four specific strategic plans that govern our work in what we refer to as our sector areas, so the environment, economic, social and our work in our youth initiatives,” added


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