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JANUARY 19, 2015
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THE BULLETIN PROUDLY SERVING KIMBERLEY AND AREA SINCE 1932 | Vol. 83, Issue 12 | www.dailybulletin.ca
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Wolf cull opposed by Ktunaxa, Wolf Centre Helicopter hunt a “narrow and short term approach” says Ktunaxa Nation; “morally indefensible” says Northern Lights Wolf Centre C AROLYN GR ANT Bulletin Editor
PHOTO COURTESY KEVIN BLADES
The Spirit Rock Climbing Centre in Kimberley recently hosted a bouldering event, which attracted climbers of all ages. See more on page 4.
Water main breaks considered ‘act of God’ Check with your insurance provider, City says C A R O LY N G R A N T Bulletin Editor
There has been much talk about infrastructure renewal lately, and it is no secret that Kimberley’s in-ground infrastructure is aging. Water loss through breaks in the lines is a problem. City CAO Scott Sommerville says that the Operations Department keeps a log of all water main breaks, and prioritizes line replacement based on break frequency, age of materials, and type of materials. Given the massive cost of replacement — the Water Loss Management written by Kerr Wood Leida estimates it will cost about $500,000 per year for 15 years to replace all the aging pipes — it will be a slow process.
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This piece of pipe from a break in Chapman Camp was installed in 1940 So watermain breaks are going to occur and they are more likely to happen during extreme temperature changes, Sommerville says.
A case in point is a break that occurred a couple of weeks ago in Chapman Camp.
See WATER , Page 3
“The City’s Flowworks software showed that the break happened at 12:20 pm, a resident called at 12:30, and crews were on site at 12:35,” said Sommerville. “The City crew had the leak under control within 40 minutes, and cleared catchbasins to remove as much water as possible. “Crews worked until almost midnight in -20C weather to repair the break and restore water to the neighbourhood.” In that case, the break to the watermain on 106th was likely due to a large rock under the bell of the main line, he said. This 8-inch cast iron pipe was installed around 1940. But as a homeowner, what is your responsibility if a watermain breaks in your neighbourhood? It would be best to check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered for watermain breaks, Sommerville says.
Opposition to the provincial announcement of a wolf hunt conducted by helicopter to reduce numbers in order to protect the endangered mountain caribou population in the Selkirk mountain region has been swift to arrive. The Ktunaxa Nations says it is deeply concerned about the plan. “We are worried that this approach to conservation is extremely hasty,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair. “We are deeply concerned about the very low numbers of caribou in the south Selkirk, but we believe that management efforts should focus on increasing the population of caribou. Wolves are not the primary cause of the caribou population decline in the region and killing wolves at this scale will have to continue for many years to effectively reduce the risk of wolf predation. Killing one species of animal to benefit another species is contrary to Ktunaxa stewardship values.” Teneese says the caribou may be better served by a multi-faceted approach which includes restriction of access to and restoration of key caribou habitat, decreasing vehicle mortality and establishing breeding programs, including maternal penning. ““This approach requires cooperation and commitment from all partners in Ktunaxa territory. We support monitoring of predation impacts, however, we strongly feel that these actions are a narrow and short term approach.
See WOLF, Page 3