VE
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
The Invermere
ALLEY CHO Co
lu
er 17 Decemb 2014
e5
1
Vo l .5
Close call for local’s ice fishing shack
ey
9
BERNIE RAVEN CHRIS RAVEN 1-866-598-7415 TEAMRAVEN.CA Offices in Panorama, Invermere & Fairmont
12
1
$
Local girls shine in soccer showcase
05 INCLUDES GST
Maxwell Realty Invermere
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 7856
Anna Stevens sends a rock down the ice during the Invermere Curling Club’s first Turkey Bonspiel in almost a decade on Sunday, December 14th. According to organizer Rob Dunn, it was a smash success, with 32 curler on eight teams taking part. The teams vied for prizes of a big turkey (first place), a small turkey (second place), ham (third place), chicken (fourth place) and cornish hens (fifth place). PHOTO BY STEVE HUBRECHT
Invermere deer cull set to proceed in 2015 STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Invermere’s urban deer issue will likely see some action in 2015, with Invermere council having made the deer cull operational in May and the district having since secured a deer cull permit for a cull. “It is likely (deer will be culled) if we get complaints about aggressive deer,” District of Invermere chief administrative officer Chris Prosser told The Valley Echo. Invermere council voted in May 2014 to make proceeding with a deer cull operational (allowing district staff to go ahead and work on the cull) with a cap of no more than 30 deer culled each year and with costs of the cull capped at $30,000 a year. A permit from the provincial government was necessary, since the deer are technically the jurisdiction of the provincial government.
Prosser said there is no specified time Though the idea of relocating deer is for the cull although the district will still a topic of discussion — not only in not cull deer during the animals’ birth- Invermere, but in other communities in ing season and other sensitive times. the East Kootenay that are inundated Complaints from residents will allow with urban deer — it is not likely to see the district to target problem deer in much progress in the coming year. specific neighbourhoods. “It’s definitely being worked on, but Volunteers — who were members of it’s definitely not a quick and easy projthe district’s previect,” said Invermere ous deer committee mayor Gerry Taft. It is likely (deer — carried out InverSeveral communiwill be culled) if mere’s annual deer ties, including Invcount two weeks we get complaints about ermere, have exago on Saturday, aggressive deer. pressed interest in November 29th and helping fund a relocounted a total of CHRIS PROSSER cation pilot project DISTRICT OF INVERMERE or study, but any re165 deer within disCHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER location project retrict boundaries. “That’s about avquires provincial aperage compared with other years, giv- proval and support. Invermere has also en the temperature and time of day offered to fund any private organization (morning). It was a really cold day,” or individual that can relocate deer to said Prosser, speaking on the number the tune of $300 per deer. of deer. “The District of Invermere did indi-
cate our interest in funding the relocation of deer. We indicated that the entity doing the movement of deer would need to have approval and support from the province, and that we would be willing to fund up to $300 per deer,” said Taft. He said that several conference calls involving East Kootenay communities were held on the topic this past summer and fall, which resulted in several companies being invited to submit proposals on what a urban ungulate relocation study would look like and cost. However, one hurdle is that the local Ministry of Environment staff based in Cranbrook would need time to work on it. “In the fall of 2014, the local Ministry of Environment staff indicated that they may not have time in their work plan until 2017 to participate in overseeing the deer relocation pilot study,” said Taft. See A9
pynelogs art gallery
Artist Call-Out guidelines & application on-line
What does ART www.columbiavalleyarts.com mean to you? Follow Artist Resources page Visit columbiavalleyarts.com for our current events calendar, or call 250-342-4423.
Happy BirtHday to pynelogs!
1914 - 2014
Celebrating 100 years