Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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Volume 94 - No. 43
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www.ldnews.net
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$1.30 GST inc.
BURNS LAKE
LAKES DISTRICT NEWS
Cows found dead on Southside of Burns Lake
Election time is here The community is getting ready to choose their new leaders as the official list of candidates for mayor, councillors, regional district electoral area directors and school board trustees has been released.
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CNC trade course are here to help The College of New Caledonia’s Lakes District campus in Burns Lake has made their trades programs a priority to reflect the needs of the community.
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Aerial view of Takysie Lake. Blue-green algae blooms were found at the lake about a month ago resulting in the death of animals and a threat to locals.
Blue-green algae blooms found in Takysie Lake presented threat to locals FLAVIO NIENOW Erin and James Ulmer own a cow-calf operation near Takysie Lake, approximately 64 km south of Burns Lake. According to Erin, their family business owned 44 cows by the beginning of last month. On Sept. 14, the Ulmer’s went out to perform a routine check on their herd, only to find out that nine of their cows and four of their calves were dead. “We had checked on them [the herd] two days before and everything was fine,” said Erin. “It happened all at once.” The couple originally thought their cows were killed in a predators attack involving wolves or
coyotes, so their first instinct was to take the remaining herd out of that potentially dangerous area. The Ulmer’s immediately contacted the Conservation Officer Service in Burns Lake. A conservation officer was sent to the site to do an assessment. “Once he [the conservation officer] saw the water, he knew what it was,” said Erin. The herd was believed to have drunk water from the lake containing cyanobacteria, the scientific name for blue-green algae. Algae blooms are a “common natural phenomenon that occur in lakes during late summer and early autumn,” according to the Ministry of Environment. “In this case, it is suspected the cattle died from ingesting water from the lake, but the animals were disposed of before testing could confirm the cause of death,” said the Ministry. Fifty to 75 per cent of blue-green algae blooms contain toxins that can cause illness in people and death in animals. The toxin is contained in the cells
What do Medical Emergencies and Employment have in common?
of the algae, and once these cells are broken open through force, boiling or when they die - the toxins are released. The Ministry said the concern for area residents is the release of these toxins into the lake once the algae blooms die off. The toxin will in time dissipate and no longer be a health concern, but this process can take two to three weeks. In the meantime, an environmental health officer with Northern Health Authority advised locals to take precaution over those two to three weeks, recommending the use of “an alternate source of water for drinking, teeth brushing and cooking.” Additionally, a regional agrologist with the Ministry of Agriculture was also involved due to cattle concerns. The Ministry of Agriculture has reached out to stakeholders in the area including the BC Cattlemen’s Association and provided them with an update on the situation. Although cyanobacteria is said to be a “common ...see ALGAE
Employers are looking for reliable workers who have their Occupational First Aid (OFA) Level 3 Endorsement. OFA Level 3 ..............................October 27 OFA Level 3 Recertification ...November 3
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Call today!
Phone: 250.692.1700 • Fax: 250.692.1750 • Toll Free: 1.866.692.1943 545 Highway 16 West • PO Box 5000, Burns Lake, BC • V0J 1E0 Email: lksdist@cnc.bc.ca • Website: www.cnc.bc.ca/lakesdistrict
Duck’s Unlimited correction Last week’s issue of Lakes District News we stated the wild game banquet was the same as the Ducks Unlimited Dinner and Auction. Although we know there is a difference we made a mistake and said that they were two of the same.
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