Trail Daily Times, March 12, 2015

THURSDAY

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MARCH 12, 2015

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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO

SALUTE TO FORMER MAYOR

TRAIL

Big projects won’t impact latest tax bill

Property tax going up 2.5 per cent

BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff

SHERI REGNIER PHOTO

Former Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs said he would only return to council on his own terms – which meant without use of a cane.

The 27-year Trail politician was unable to attend the 97th Inaugural council meeting on Dec. 1 because of recent hip surgery.

Following successful rehabilitation, Bogs kept his word Monday night when he delivered a very moving farewell address to council, friends and family. Besides a standing ovation and reception, Bogs received a commemorative plaque with a rendition of the Victoria Street bridge that he shared with long-time partner and supporter Flo Woodhouse.

Trail landowners might be bracing themselves for the inevitable tax bill this year given all the new projects breaking ground in the city.

After taxpayers said “Yes” to two city loans totalling about $11 million, the assent could have hit the pocketbook hard in 2015.

But the $6.3 million Riverfront Centre will not impact wallets yet, explains the city's chief administrative officer (CAO).

“The debt will not be issued in 2015 given that there has not been any direct expenditure for design or construction of the facility,” said CAO David Perehudoff.

“Therefore there is no increase in 2015 property taxes to service the debenture.”

He said pending the construction schedule, the loan probably won't be issued until next fall, so direct taxpayer impact won't happen until 2017 when the city commences repayment.

And as promised by the previous Trail council, taxpayers won't be footing the bill for the new walking bridge through property tax revenue.

That $10 million project is slated to begin by early fall, with Trail's $5 million apportionment for the foot bridge to be paid through the city's gas tax funds over the next decade.

“The city's capital financing plan for the pedestrian/pipe bridge was based on the city using the annual federal gas tax revenue to offset the debenture debt payment in its entirety,” Perehudoff confirmed.

“Therefore, there will not be any increase in City of Trail property taxes to service this debt.”

See INFRASTRUCTURE, Page 3

SD20 seeking ideas to trim $590,000 from budget

BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff

School District 20 (SD20) is seeking input to help cut over half-a-million dollars from next year’s budget.

Last week, district superintendent Greg Luterbach sent an email out to parents and stakeholders detailing staffing changes, extra charges for bussing and shorter custodial hours as some of the many ideas considered for the 2015-2016 school budget.

Luterbach said anyone with ideas or questions about cuts or generating more

revenue for the district is invited to an information night on April 15 at the Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre (KCLC) in Trail.

“The intent of the evening is to help the public and our stakeholders understand the current budget position, what changes may be made for the 2015/2016 to balance the budget and provide people with the opportunity to provide feedback to the board,” he explained.

SD20 has also opened up an online survey, which has already garnered 20 responses, to gather input ahead of next

month's public presentation As opinions on cuts come in, Luterbach wants people to understand why rollbacks are needed – expenses are getting higher, and the budget, while growing, isn't growing enough.

“We will not be receiving enough money for the next school year to maintain all programs and services,” he said, adding that there is funding coming in for staff wage increases, but it won't cover the difference. “(Even with extra wage funding) if we kept all services at the same levels as we

planned initially for this school year, we will still be $590,000 short.”

Darrel Ganzert, chair of the board, says the trustees are trying their best to work with what they have been given, but staffing numbers may still go down.

“It is very distressing for us to be cutting year after year,” he said. “Our concept has always been to cut away from the classroom as far as we can.

“That has left our buildings in a state that is not good. All other sorts of nonteaching things have suffered.

See BUSSING, Page 3

Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242

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Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

LOCAL Today’s WeaTher Morning

Afternoon

Gold medal for Golden City brewery

Cloudy mix of with sunny Breaks sun and Clouds Low: 6°C • High: 12°C POP: 30% • Wind: S 10 km/h friday

Liz Bevan Photo

Skiers, snowboarders and visitors gathered at the base of Red Mountain last weekend for the second annual Beer Goggles festival. Ryan Arnaud from the Rossland Beer Company pours a sampler for a taste tester on Saturday afternoon. The local beer company won the Fan Favorite gold medal after the two-day event, which featured craft breweries from around the province.

saturday

Low: 2°C High: 13°C POP: 20% Wind: NE 5 km/h

Low: 7°C High: 10°C POP: 80% Wind: S 5 km/h

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Low: 5°C High: 12°C POP: 80% Wind: SE 5 km/h

Low: 3°C High: 11°C POP: 80% Wind: SE 5 km/h

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Army 250-512-7039 Terry 250-364-1838 GARAGE & TRUCK DRIVERS AGM Mar.20th, Trail Legion Happy Hour 5:00pm Contact Wally @250-364-4944 TRAIL LEGION General Membership Meeting Sunday, March 15th at 1:00pm Thank you for attending

www.trailtimes.ca

Rossland

Visitor economy worth over $13 million per year

By Alicia Wallace Rossland News

Tourism Rossland has announced that the 2014 calendar year produced the greatest accommodation revenue to date for the city.

In 2014 total accommodation revenue for Rossland was $4,456,868. This compares to $2,974,000 for the full 12 months in 2012 and $3,532,000 for 2013.

The revenue has been generated by the 10 accommodation businesses, all included Rossland’s Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) or Hotel Tax reporting program. These 10 accommodators meet the governments’ criteria on collecting the MRDT. Combined these 10 properties can sleep a total of 1250 people per night.

Tourism Rossland compiles accommodation revenue reports based on the data from the MRDT. This involves accommodation properties collecting two percent of the nightly rate on stays that are less than 30 nights.

Each month, accommodation prop-

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erties with four or more rooms, remit the two percent MRDT to the provincial government.

The B.C. government then distributes these funds to Tourism Organizations via municipal governments throughout the province. Funds dispersed back to Tourism Rossland are used for marketing initiatives, aimed at creating awareness of the destination and motivating visitors to Rossland.

Deanne Steven says Tourism Rossland has been collecting and tracking the data since 2006 as a means of measuring the status of the visitor economy.

“This is the only concrete number we have for the state of the industry,” she said.

Based on a metric from Destination British Columbia the value of tourism in Rossland is estimated to be $13,264,488 per annum.

This figure is calculated based on the MRDT as a proportion of total visitor spend in a destination.

Steven explains that this accommodation revenue gives us a snapshot of

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visitor expenditure across the service industries. These figures can be used to calculate estimates on new money brought into the economy by visitors and what they spend at local restaurants, gas stations, local stores and on groceries.

Steven puts the increased revenue down to big events and festivals and the addition of snow making at Red Mountain Resort.

“Several factors, have also lead to the success of the tourism industry including; large races hosted by Black Jack and the Red Mountain Racers, the success of the Rossland Winter Carnival, the expansion of Red Mountain, the continued improvements of our trails network, and effective co operative marketing,” she explained.

“By working in a collaborative manner Rossland businesses have been able to continue to grow the local economy in a strategic way”, Steven added.

The data analysis process takes three months to reach full circle. 2015 data is expected next month.

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Trail Times Thursday, March 12, 2015 www.trailtimes.ca A3

Local

Infrastructure a concern for council FROM PAGE 1 What does that mean when Trail ratepayers receive their annual May bill?

The property tax hike sits just above the country’s average inflation rate at 2.46 per cent or $25.46 based on the average residential home valued at $182,679.

“What we’ve really focused on the last month is the operating budget,” explained Trail Mayor Mike Martin. “What we did was set ourselves an objective to try to keep it under three per cent, which we believe is a reasonable property tax increase, but do that without jeopardizing service levels.”

Trail’s current operating budget, which includes taxes the city collects then forwards to other forms of government, the regional district, and regional hospital district, is $25 million.

It’s too early in budget talks to cement what the overall bill will be, pending this year’s tax requisitions. However, last year the average homeowner’s invoice (not including homeowner grant) was about $2,050.

That amount was down about $9 dollars from 2013.

The decrease was related to a loss of regional services like the airport and economic develop-

ment, which offset the city’s actual four per cent tax increase to cover Trail’ recreational services and various infrastructure projects.

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary requisition is not about to trend downward again, however, mostly related to a renewed economic agreement.

Though not yet finalized, Trail will face an increase – $4.25 million in 2015 up from $4.23 million in 2014.

The next phase of Trail council budget discussions relates to more visual improvements in the city, like additional downtown revitalization.

The capital plan is $1.8 million this year, though the list is lengthy and requires long term planning, says Martin.

“We as council remain concerned about mounting infrastructure requirements that we need to pay attention to.”

He said with four new members on the panel, Trail council agreed that this was not the year to make any rash decisions.

“I think as a council in this first year, what we needed to do was rigorously look at how we can move forward.

“Not only to sustain the infrastructure we have but also managing projects going forward.”

He mentioned improving the Trail Regional Airport service and council’s commitment to a second access road to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital as priorities coming down the pike.

“It’s a matter of how do we fund those in the future with all the other requirements we have,” he said. “So it’s going to be a good discussion amongst council and we really want to make sure we maintain what we’ve got, advance what is needed and give ourselves the opportunity to look at how we can move forward effectively.”

FROM PAGE 1 “As trustees, we understand declining enrolment and that we are going to have to look at losing some teaching staff and support staff, but it goes beyond that. There is no increased cost for inflation and there hasn’t been, which is like a loss.

“We try to put the best face we can on it, but we are angry.”

One suggestion listed with the intent to generate funds for the district, rather than cut, is to charge an annual fee to use the school bus system – a route other districts across the province have already gone down.

“Given the budget pressure, one possibility is to charge a flat-rate fee (of either $100 or $50 per year) to recoup part of the cost of the transportation system,” said Luterbach.

“The board’s cost to transport one student averages out at approximately $750 after wages, fuel and maintenance. While a $50 or $100 fee would be a major change and would impact families, it no way covers our actual costs. SD35 (Langley) charges $250 for one student,

SD62 (Sooke) charges $135 per year for one student, SD75 (Mission) charges $240 for one student (and so on).”

District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) president, Rebecca McDonnell, says this isn’t the first time bussing and personnel have come up when SD20 budget time rolls around.

“The list has nothing that hasn’t been on there before,” she said.

“I think parents have always known that this kind of thing was going to happen. Previous years, there has been a very negative reaction from parents.”

It is too early for McDonnell to comment for all parent advisory councils in the district regarding this year’s round of budget issues, simply because they are still looking at all of the options available on the list sent out by Luterbach.

“I can’t give you a DPAC perspective yet because this information is still being disseminated among our members and we still need to find out more information about exactly how

all the parents feel,” she said.

“We represent our entire district so, our reps are talking to their PACs and they are finding out opinions.”

Before the board’s public budget presentation, DPAC, along with the Kootenay Columbia Teachers Union and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1285, all stakeholders with the school district, are going to have an opportunity to address the board of trustees and share their thoughts and ideas.

The first public presentation of the budget is on April 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the KCLC. The second reading of the budget is scheduled for April 27 at 7 p.m. during the board’s regular meeting.

The final reading, with no opportunity for discussion, will take place on May 1 at the KCLC. Parents are also invited to share their opinions through McDonnell at dpac@sd20.bc.ca.

To access the online survey about budget cuts, visit w w w. f l u i d s u r v e y s . c o m / s / sd20/1516budgetsurvey/

“What we did was set ourselves an objective to try to keep it to under three per cent, which we believe is a reasonable property tax increase, but to do that without jeopardizing service levels.”

Mayor Mike Martin

Bussing fee proposed to help balance budget

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Peanut Butter And Jam, a Creston-based group, which includes Julie Groot lead vocals, flute and penny whistles; Shirley Cameron lead vocals, electronic wind instrument; Bob Gollan lead vocals, guitar; and Ted Bryant, bass guitar and vocals will perform at the Joe Hill Coffee House on Sunday at the Miners Hall

Joe Hill Coffee House returns

Grapevine is a public service Quilters’ Association presents provided by the Trail Times and is the Travelling Quilt Show. A not a guaranteed submission. For rare opportunity to purchase a full list of events visit trailtimes. quilt (36 available) made by a ca.

Master Quilter for $200 each plus • Tonight, Jazz at the Griff, 7: tax. All proceeds donated to the 30 p.m. for the Clinton Swanson Children’s Wish Foundation of Quartet. A night of chamber jazz Canada. Show runs until March featuring Ian Hartline 16. on alto sax and clari• Saturday, St. net; Swanson on tenor Andrew’s Anglican sax; Rob Fahie, acousChurch, 10 a.m. tic bass; and Doug until 2 p.m. incrEDStephenson on guitar.

IBLE trail’s Seedy Call the box office, Saturday. Seed swap, Events & Happenings seed vendors, garden 368.9669 for info.

• S a t u r d a y , in the Lower Columbia products, educationRossland Miners Hall al booths and more. for an evening with Valdy. Doors Free admission. open at 7 p.m. Post show recep• Saturday, Sacred Heart tion to meet the performer and Church gathering space from 1-3 get poster signed. Tickets $10. p.m., the Sacred Heart CWL in Contact Mike Ramsey m.ramsey@ Rossland is hosting it’s annual St. telus.net or call 362.7787 for info. Patrick’s Day Tea. Cost is $4 per Limited seating, sponsored by the person.

Rotary Club of Rossland.

• Monday, Kiro Wellness • Sunday, Rossland Miners Centre, 2 p.m. the West Kootenay Hall, doors open at 6 p.m. Joe Ostomy Support Group will meet.

Hill Coffee House marches on Guest: Robert Hill, Convatec Rep at 7 p.m. Admission $3, kids and from Vancouver. For further info students free. Coffee, tea and call 368.9827 or 365.6276. goodies. For info call Les Carter Gallery 362.5677 or email retrac01@ • VISAC Gallery showing exhitelus.net. bition by Jerry and Kate Enewold.

Other The Thrums couple brings varied • Today, Comino Gym from talents in silver and beaded jew4-6 p.m. Steps Dance Company elry, paintings, carved masks and invites the community to a full doors. Visit visacgallery.com for dress rehearsal for the Canada details, runs until March 20.

Production number that they will Film be performing in Disneyland and • Saturday, Royal Theatre at on the Carnival Cruise.

9:55 a.m. the Met Opera presents • Today, Rossland Art Gallery Rossini’s La Donna Del Lago. presents “It’s Time for Colour.”

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Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

Provincial

Liberals, NDP feud over price of drinks before April Fool’s Day liquor reforms THE CANADIAN PRESS VICTORIA - British Columbia’s Liberals and Opposition New Democrats are feuding over the cost of drinks in the weeks leading up to major liquor reforms.

On April 1, grocery stores will be permitted to sell alcohol in special sections, government-run liquor stores will be able open on Sundays and the province will adopt a wholesale boozepricing model that is intended to level the playing field in the alcohol market.

Politicians argued in the legislature Tuesday about the impact of the changes - specifically from the new wholesale pricing model, which the government initially said would not significant affect consumers.

The NDP pointed to a recent document from the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch that says wholesale prices will increase for

5,300 products, which the party predicted will mean higher prices for consumers. The Liberals countered by noting wholesale prices for about 83 per cent of the province’s 33,000 liquor products will either stay the same or decrease.

NDP liquor policy critic David Eby said the new pricing scheme will likely see British Columbians paying higher prices for some of their favourite drinks. The Liquor Distribution Branch has the exclusive right to purchase liquor for resale and reuse in B.C. “The attorney general promised that her wholesale price taxes for beer, wine and spirits ‘isn’t about changing prices for consumers,”’ Eby said, quoting Attorney General Suzanne Anton.

Eby said the items that will become more expensive amount to almost one in five

The Corporation of the Village of Warfield The Warfield Pool is now hiring seasonal Pool Staff for the 2015 season These positions are available: Head Lifeguard: The successful candidate must be an experienced, organized, mature, competent, dynamic leader, and team player; who will be responsible in aiding the Pool Manager with the daily operation of the Pool and provide leadership to the Pool Staff. Starts May to August. The following qualifications are a MUST: Pool Operator 1, NLS, WSI, CPR-C, Standard First Aid, LSI. Senior Guard: The successful candidates will work under the supervision of the Pool Manager from midMay to August; show leadership to the Junior Guards; teach lessons; while providing a safe, enjoyable environment to the customers. The following qualifications are a MUST and are current: NLS, WSI, CRP-C, and Standard First Aid. Junior Guard: The successful candidates will have the opportunity to gain valuable Life Guarding experience under the watchful eyes of the Manager and Senior Staff from mid-June to August. The following qualifications are a must and are current: NLS, WSI, CRP-C, and Standard First Aid. Slide Attendant: The successful candidates must be self-motivated, who can work independently and as a team player under the supervision of the Pool Manager; while be responsible for the waterslide from mid-June – August. The following qualifications are a must and are current: 16 years old, Bronze Cross, CRP-C, and Standard First Aid. Cashier: The successful candidate must be reliable, self-motivated, is polite, knows how to handle money, can multitask; can work independently and as a team player under the supervision of the Pool Manager from June – August. The following qualifications are an asset: 16 years old, and holds a current Standard First Aid, CRP-C certificate.

The Summer Student Application Form can be found on the Village’s website: warfield.ca. Send your resume, a completed V of W Job Application with copies of all certifications, to the Village of Warfield, 555 Schofield Highway, Trail, B. C. V1R 2G7; by Fax: 250-368-9354;

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alcohol products sold in B.C. He said those increases will likely be passed on to consumers.

Anton said the government’s wholesale pricing policy responds to calls from the industry and retailers for a level playing field when it comes to alcohol pricing. She said the pricing model was one of the 73 recommendations that emerged from the government’s bid to modernize B.C. alcohol policies.

The liquor branch document said the 5,300 product price increase are small and may result from the weakening Canadian dollar and supply issues. But the report also said suppliers were increasing prices on 156 domestic products and 978 products from outside of Canada. None of the products were named.

“We want to avoid any excessive price increases being passed along to either industry

or British Columbians at the till,” said the document. “For those suppliers who have proposed significant price increases, LDB will continue to work with them.”

Anton said the government still expects to take in about $1 billion in annual alcohol revenues once the reforms, including wholesale pricing, take effect. She said the government is in discussions with suppliers about their prices.

“It is the case that a few products will be going up, but some of that is the result of suppliers taking advantage of the government’s changes on April 1 and raising their prices unnecessarily,” she said.

“We are committed to a level playing field.”

There are 196 government liquor stores, 670 private liquor stores, 221 rural liquor agency outlets and 12 independent wine stores in B.C.

Langley

Woman caught with 15,000 pieces of mail THE CANADIAN PRESS LANGLEY - RCMP say a woman in Langley, has been charged after about 15,000 pieces of stolen mail were found in her apartment building.

Police began investigating after a man found about 9,000 pieces of mail in his storage locker last month.

Mounties linked the mail to 36-year-old Sarah Arnet, a tenant in the building, and searched her suite.

Police say about 6,000 more pieces of stolen mail, plus identification cards, credit cards, computers, cell phones and data storage devices were seized in the search.

RCMP say the mail came from all over Metro Vancouver and several cities in B.C.’s Interior.

Arnet has now been charged with one count of identity theft and is in custody until a court appearance in Surrey on Thursday.

Port expanding to handle an extra 500,000 containers THE CANADIAN PRESS PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. - A container terminal at a northern British Columbia port announced an expansion Tuesday that will increase the facility’s capacity by nearly 60 per cent.

Maher Terminals said it’s expanding its Fairview Container Terminal at the Prince Rupert Port to handle 1.3 million containers per year, from its current capacity of 850,000 units.

Don Krusel, president of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, said construction would begin immediately and is expected to be finished by the middle of 2017. He said the expansion will involve a capital

investment of more than $200 million.

Maher Terminals said the expansion will add a second deep-water ship berth, four cranes, a bigger container yard and more railroad track. Fraser River Pile and Dredge and BEL Contracting will build the new elements.

The port authority said container traffic through the facility has increased at a faster pace than at any other port in North America, with 2014 volume 15 per cent higher than 2013.

The expansion shows that Maher Terminals and the shipping industry expect the growth in traffic to continue, Krusel said.

Kelowna

UBCO sees first enrolment decline in a decade year, raising a couple of eyebrows at the university’s registrar’s office.

For the first time in a decade, the university experienced a decrease in enrolment—albeit very slight. For 2013/2014 there were 8,388 students registered and this school year there

By Kathy Michaels Kelowna Capital News

Student enrolment at UBC Okanagan has been on continual upswing, breaking records for nine straight years.

That upward momentum, however, has come to an end, according to figures recorded late last

were 8,212.

UBC Okanagan Deputy registrar Fred Vogt, said that it’s not a cause for concern at this point, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed either.

“It’s a small decrease,” said Vogt, noting it was bound to happen “sooner or later.”

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“We didn’t want to see a decrease… we would actually like enrolment to be a little bit larger. So it’s something we need to be paying attention to.”

Reasons for the decline, said Vogt, could be simply a matter of supply and demand.

“One thing we do know is that the number of graduating high school students is starting to decline, which means a smaller number of recruits this year,” he said.

It also means that universities are going to have to be a lot more competitive

if they want to keep their coffers full.

To that end, the university recruitment team has been drumming up ideas on how to make the best of a downward trend.

“We’re trying to identify where we we will be most successful in finding students,” he said.

Early estimates on the year ahead have indicated they may have found the right tack, as Vogt said there is some upward momentum in interest.

Enrolment opens mid June and carries on until September.

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National Alberta

Manitoba

Conservative mailer’s terrorism comments called ‘preposterous,’ mocked online

THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG - A Conservative Member of Parliament is being mocked online over questions about terrorism contained in a mailout to his constituents.

The flyer from Lawrence Toet asks people in his Winnipeg riding to choose between two statements - either they agree with him that Canada needs more protection from terrorism, or they disagree and feel “terrorists are victims too.”

The question prompted some acerbic parody on the social media site Reddit.

One Reddit member asked: “Do you believe in mandatory sentencing? Yes! Justice is important to me. No! I believe that child molesters should be allowed into preschools at will.”

Another asked about the proposed Keystone pipeline, with two options: “Yes! It will create thousands of jobs. No! I am an environmental terrorist and should be put in prison.”

Toet was not immediately available for an interview Wednesday.

A pollster who lives in Toet’s Elwood-Transcona riding and who received the mailer at his home called the MP’s question “preposterous.”

“As a market researcher, if I had a question like this on an omnibus survey ... and then it was released to the public, I mean, people would just laugh and think it was a joke,” said Curtis Brown, vice-president of Probe Research Inc. Brown said the question was more about getting the Conservative message out about the federal government’s proposed anti-terrorism law, which critics say puts the personal information of Canadians at risk.

Toet is far from alone in putting loaded questions in his constituency mailouts. One from New Democrat MP Pat Martin last year asked people what they thought about “Stephen Harper’s unfair election law.”

Quebec

Measles outbreak tops 100 THE CANADIAN PRESS JOLIETTE, Que. Public health officials northeast of Montreal have confirmed a spike in the number of measles cases to 119, including one where a student attended school while contagious.

All of the cases are epidemiologically related and involved unvaccinated children and adults, the officials in the Lanaudiere region said Wednesday.

They have been traced to an outbreak at a California amusement park.

Dr. Muriel Lafarge, who heads the local health authority, said one student attended school on the last day before spring break and was still contagious.

Measles is highly contagious and causes fever, a distinctive red rash and a runny nose.

While most people who become infected will only experience an unpleasant illness, the disease has a complication rate that is significant.

“The level of contact is varied - not all students had the same level of contact with the single case,” said Dr. Joane Desilets.

“It’s one case in three

pavilions, but given the level of contagion, we’re not taking any chances.”

The school has 700 students and staff spread across three pavilions. Fifty-one staff and 114 students were identified Tuesday as not being

fully vaccinated and health authorities began contacting them.

All staff and students will have their vaccination records checked, information will be offered to parents and vaccinations will be offered today.

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Stampede might be more subdued this year as oilpatch pulls back THE CANADIAN PRESS CALGARY - This was supposed to be the year that the “ranch” would be booked up again for the Calgary Stampede - but then oil prices fell by more than half.

Caterer Paddy Sorrenti said by early December, a full roster of clients had confirmed they wanted to use the site - a cowboyed up parking lot in the downtown core where pancakes are flipped and beer is poured But with three and a half months to go to Stampede, Sorrenti says he’s in “limbo.”

He figures six of the 10 events that had been booked are going ahead, but some of those might still be scrapped.

“It’s a little nerve wracking,” he said.

The Stampede is party time for corporate Calgary when suits are traded for jeans and silk ties swapped for cowboy hats, but with the lower price for oil, the mood to celebrate has been subdued.

Oil prices have fallen from highs above $107 around the middle of last year to the $50 range.

It costs Sorrenti around $20,000 a day to run the ranch site, including the lot itself, generators, portable toilets, tents and tables. If not enough parties are held, it might not be worthwhile.

“I guess the jury’s still out for some of these parties. They’re still determining whether it’s feasible to do it or whether it’s responsible to do it. I’m still waiting.”

It took a long time after 2009 - when the financial crisis hit and oil hit the $35-a-barrel range - for bookings at the ranch site to recover.

“This would have been the first year since 2008 that we would have had that site full again,” Sorrenti said.

“It was almost like we were just about there again and then the price of oil went down and these guys pulled right back out again.”

While oil companies pull back, property managers “aren’t batting an eye.” That means Sorrenti might be able to pick up some new business, without having to worry about the cost of running his own venue.

It’s a similar story for David Howard, whose company, The Event Group, gets about 10 per cent of its business from Stampede. He says 40 per cent of his clients have cancelled their parties all-together for this year, walking away from thousands of dollars in deposits.

And he figures events that are going ahead are seeing their budgets cut by about the same proportion.

“We’ve gone from prime

rib to burgers and dogs,” said Howard.

But while some oil companies are scrapping their Stampede parties, they’re holding other types of events for staff and customer appreciation - charitable concerts or keynote speakers, which Howard also plans.

It’s not just about dollars and cents. Companies are wondering if holding their Stampede shindigs gives off the right impression, said Howard.

“You can imagine that if you’re a shareholder at XYZ Oil and the price of their stock has dropped 30 points, they’ve laid off 10 per cent of their workforce and then suddenly they put on a million-dollar Stampede event,” he said. “It shouldn’t happen, quite frankly.”

Cowboys, the bar known for its Stampede-Ground festivities, has a clock on its website counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the 10-day festival kicks off in July.

Paul Vickers, with Cowboys owner Penny Lane Entertainment Group, said he’s not expecting to see a dent in business. He said the slowdown appears to be hitting the higher-end of things, and Cowboys caters more to the $5 beer crowd than the $100-bottle-ofwine set.

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A6 www.trailtimes.ca

OPINION

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

Published by Black Press Tuesday to Friday, except statutory holidays SECOND CLASS MAIL REGISTRATION #0011

1163 Cedar Avenue Trail, B.C. • V1R 4B8 OFFICE Ph: 250-368-8551 Fax: 250-368-8550 NEWSROOM 250-364-1242 SALES 250-364-1416 CIRCULATION 250-364-1413

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All rights reserved. Contents copyright by the Trail Times. Any reproduction of material contained in this publication in whole or in part is forbidden without the expressed written consent of the publisher.

It is agreed that the Trail Times will not be responsible for errors or omissions and is not liable for any amount exceeding the cost of the space used and then only such portion where the errors actually appeared.

We reserve the right to edit or reject any submission or advertisement that is contrary to our publishing guidelines.

New finance ministry fact sheet omits a few things

W

hen something changes from one week to the next for no apparent reason, it sparks some curiosity, as is the case with the B.C. finance ministry’s “Keeping taxes low for B.C. families” fact sheet posted to its website only a week after the provincial budget.

It favours spin right from the top. The first two lines, classic.

“B.C. families generally have one of the lowest overall tax burdens in Canada including income taxes, consumption taxes, property taxes, health care premiums and payroll taxes.”

In certain circles that’s called the bait.

The second: “B.C. currently has the lowest provincial personal income taxes in Canada for individuals earning up to $122,000 a year.”

And that’s called the switch.

It goes on to boast that “a single individual can earn more than $19,000 before paying provincial income taxes.” Bet that line wasn’t written by someone earning $19,000.

An average two bedroom apartment rents for $1,571 a month in Vancouver.

Presuming someone earning $19,000 a year chose to share an apartment their annual rent would be $9,426, leaving them about $182 a week for incidentals such as federal source deductions, utilities, clothes, transportation and food.

And the ministry has the chutzpah to brag about not charging income taxes on a salary of $19,000.

What really jumps out? The four spanking new illustrations. The ones which point out that an individual earning $20,000 a year pays $693 less in provincial income taxes than they did in 2001, a senior couple earning $40,000 pays $774 less, an individual earning $50,000 pays $1,334 less, and a family of four earning $70,000 a year pays $2,027 less.

It’s puzzling why the ministry felt there was a need to come up with new ones, since they tabled six perfectly good scenarios the week before with the budget.

DERMOD

TRAVIS

IntegrityBC

Perhaps the new ones paint a rosier picture? Or maybe it’s because they don’t come with those pesky numbers from other provinces where folk might notice that British Columbians pay taxes that aren’t levied elsewhere?

It also makes one wonder what the numbers might look like if the goalposts were moved ever so slightly and the starting point was, say, 2002 and not 2001 (a year undoubtedly chosen out of thin air) and used the budget scenarios instead.

There can’t be any harm in comparing trends with other provinces, can there? Just as no man is an island, no province is a fiscal island, except P.E.I.

but that’s more happenstance.

In two of the budget’s six scenarios, total provincial taxes went up between 2002 and 2014: by $717 for a two-income family of four earning $90,000 and $276 for a two-income family earning $60,000.

An individual earning $25,000 saw their taxes drop, as they would have in every province. B.C. lost ground, dropping to third lowest among the provinces.

A two-income family earning $30,000 saw their taxes fall by 7.6 per cent.

They fell in six other provinces too, including by 39.9 per cent in Alberta and 44.6 per cent in Ontario. B.C. lost ground again, going from second lowest to fourth.

For an individual earning $80,000 – or nearly $50,000 more than the median income for an individual in B.C. – their taxes dropped by 14 per cent. B.C. picked up ground, rising from second lowest to lowest.

And it can’t hurt to take a peek at how B.C. stacks up in another province’s analysis, strictly as

a check on political selfinterest.

The Saskatchewan government has its annual intercity comparison of taxes that looks at one city from each province.

Figures are readily available online from 2008 on.

An individual earning $25,000 saw their taxes drop in all ten cities between 2008 and 2014.

In Vancouver by $301.

In the other nine? By an average of $523.

For a family earning $50,000, taxes dropped in seven cities and rose in three. Vancouver had the highest increase of the three. A family earning $75,000, saw their taxes drop in seven cities.

Vancouver? Second highest increase.

B.C. may very well have some of the lowest personal income tax rates in Canada, but that doesn’t mean the lowest tax bill.

So doing that “lowest personal income tax” thing is a cute trick, but at the end of the day it’s a trick. And not a particularly empathetic one.

Dermod Travis is the executive director of IntegrityBC.

Trail Times Thursday, March 12, 2015 www.trailtimes.ca A7

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dent of Munich, Germany, uses about 100 litres a day.

Climate change is one reason Canadians will have to rethink their attitude, said Sandford.

Rainfall patterns for large areas of the Prairies are changing. Extreme weather such as flooding in southern Alberta is forcing cities and towns to take another look at their infrastructure.

Hydro dams may not be able to always depend on upstream glaciers to fill their reservoirs.

Sandford’s institute has just released a report that points out some of the ways water and energy policy can work together.

“There are countries that have faced these challenges and have come to innovative solutions,” said report co-author Corinne Schuster-Wallace.

Some use green energy for irrigation. Others have learned how to treat waste water in ways that generate energy to offset that used in the treatment.

TRA

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than 30 heads of state.

Sandford points out that energy is used to purify and transport water, while water is used to create energy.

Alberta’s oilsands, for example, use three barrels of water for every barrel of bitumen mined. Hydroelectricity is generated entirely by water.

But while Canada’s population and economy has grown substantially over the decades, its attitude to water hasn’t.

“Canadians have real difficulty getting their minds around the fact that we have real water issues,” Sandford said. “We’ve had five or six generations of the national myth of a limitless supply. We’re considered around the world as one of the most egregious water wasters, because we have it.”

European waste-water standards are tougher. Water prices are higher. Conservation is a much bigger concern.

Sandford said the average Canadian uses about 329 litres of water a day. The average resi-

TRA

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THE CANADIAN PRESS Climate change is binding together energy and water issues and Canada must learn to think about them that way, says the newly appointed Canadian head of an international water institute.

“It changes the whole definition of water security,” Bob Sandford, who now leads the EPCOR Water Security Research Chair hosted at Hamilton’s McMaster University, said Tuesday.

“Water security means having the water to reliably provide adequate amounts at the right quality for all who need it, including what nature needs,” said Sandford, whose position is funded through the United Nations University, a global think-tank. “Now we’re seeing this is directly tied to energy security also.”

He also sits on or directs freshwater institutes at three Canadian universities and has been an advisoe to a public policy forum made up of more

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Start linking water, energy issues: scientist

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Charlebois

money. Canadian employers will need to conduct more work just to fill fields and plants, never mind making their operations profitable. That said, in Western Canada, the oil patch woes may be good news for agriculture. Some layoffs have been reported in recent months, and many workers may see agriculture as an interesting opportunity to continue their work in Canada. Yet, that remains to be seen.

Most importantly, though, the wellbeing of foreign workers themselves should be taken into consideration. They come to Canada with a dream of a better life, a higher quality of life for themselves and their love ones.

We often forget that Canadians are lucky to live in a country where resources abound. We should always remember that Canada is an inclusive society and should offer equal opportunity to everyone. The program does not take jobs away from Canadians. In fact, the program was created due to our lack of interest in these jobs. This new rule may hamper our ability to prosper while offering hope to citizens from abroad.

So, in essence, when considering how regulatory changes will impact agriculture, the Harper government has clearly gotten the temporary foreign workers situation wrong. It should reconsider its position on the program and provide more time so temporary workers can become permanent residents.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is Professor of Food Distribution and Policy at the University of Guelph’s College of Business and Economics.

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ural Canada is local talent in agriculture due expecting a massive to seasonality and working exodus of foreign work- conditions. Some have been ers which can poten- attracted to agriculture, but tially become a losing situation regrettably, it is more an excepfor everyone. tion than the norm. Many jobs As of April 1, temporary for- in farming and food processeign workers who have been in ing expose workers to damp, Canada at least four years will cold, intensive work condibe forced to leave the coun- tions which many Canadians try. Since Canadian agriculture shy away from. Strangely, many employs well over 50,000 for- city dwellers see agriculture as eign workers to a bucolic, romantic support farming way of life. Let’s face and processing it, a job in the agrifood facilities across sector is hard work. It the country, lossis also often physically es to this labour arduous. force will be Local knowledge considerable and about these jobs is Sylvain are really comalso lacking. Training ing at the wrong Canadians in these time. For many jobs will be a chalTroy Media commodities, lenge for many of our current high prices are mak- facilities because most foreign ing market conditions favour- workers are accustomed to our able to more supplies. So, in regulations, practices, organessence, agriculture may face a izational cultures and expected severe, sudden labour shortage. work ethics. Over the years they Some groups are now push- have developed the proper skill ing for a moratorium and a sets for the job at hand. reprieve. In the past, before Food safety, for example, rules changed in 2011, foreign relies on in-house discipline workers could simply reapply and daily, rigorous risk mitigato continue working in Canada tion practices. The report on for their employer. The new the XL Foods major food recall rule limits working permit dur- pointed to the fact that lanations to four years. Workers guage and cultural differences now have to wait four years were not properly addressed after their working permit by the company and may have expires to reapply. A number of contributed to how employees workers are currently at risk of were ill-prepared to manage leaving Canada after working food safety risks. Under new in the country for more than management, one can specua decade. late that the situation has Some may suggest that changed in Brooks, Alberta. the current situation stems Shifts in human capital will from poor strategic planning. drive costs upwards, and not Perhaps, but human capital is necessarily because of higher a very thorny issue in the agri- wages. Foreign workers actualfood sector. ly make a decent living working It has always been chal- in Canada. However, recruitlenging to attract and retain ment and advertisement cost

The Trail Times welcomes letters to the editor from our readers on topics of interest to the community. Letters lacking names and a verifiable phone number will not be published. A guideline of 500 words is suggested for letter length. We do not publish “open” letters, letters directed to a third party, or poetry. We reserve the right to edit or refuse to publish letters. You may also e-mail your letters to editor@trailtimes.ca We look forward to receiving your opinions.

E

The bungling of the TFW program

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TH

Letters & Opinion

1895 - 2015

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Shannon McIlmoyle, staff (from the left; Liz Bevan, celebrating its 120th are local newspaper and its in 2015, the venerable Lonnie Hart and Guy Bertrand) in 1895 to the Trail Times Jim Bailey, Michelle Bedford, From the Trail Creek News Kevin Macintyre, Dave Dykstra, Sheri Regnier, Jeanine Margoreeth, anniversary in 2015.

Newspaper grows from humble

beginnings in 1895

is deserving to all the “cheap” on the back pressed, The price was said to be people who have typed, Oct. 19, The day was Saturday, of The at $2 per year, and the News office written, delivered, or simply read 1 long

BY SHERI REGNIER 1895 when Volume No. be found open all day the 120-year history Times Staff was hot off the would into the night, and future their way into surviving of the Trail Creek News and far of the Silver City's only The source of prosperity expected to hand in course, its presses.

Means readers were newspaper.

Trail Creek county is, of according year, we Under the headline, “This News their subscription at once, so they Over the course of the issue of the peoYou Patronize the magnificent ore bodies, Trail Creek You! When Trail Grow,” Thompson would not miss one you want the will actively seek stories from the first edition of the “If Greater Trail commuat present You Help for Trail newspaper. the News,” ple in the long time subscribers, News. “Our interests the noble writes that it is now in order as news, you must read almost 12 nity such of Trail to subscribe lie centred in and about retired office foot by foot every citizen newspaper, The Trail Thompson proclaimed past paper carriers and structure that is rising for the home have memories to times are decades ago. the hill overhanging or gold workers, who While there's no silver than a share about how the Trail Times has commemoration for morethe Trail impacted their lives. and if the News its growth and magnitude ext 201 and 203 See EARLY, Page 3 century of news reporting, writer and price is right write,” noted the paper's the inau- today is not all right, we will make Times staff decided an honorary pat on 1 Thompson Page W.F. editor 6:20 AM it right in future issues.”

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5N Plus ............................. 2.23 BCE Inc. .......................... 53.38 Bank of Montreal ............. 75.66 Bank of Nova Scotia......... 62.74 CIBC .............................. 92.58 Canadian Utilities ............ 40.84 Canfor Corporation ......... 25.67 EnCana Corp. ................. 14.31 Enbridge Inc. ................... 58.17 Finning International.......... 23.50 Fortis Inc. ........................ 38.87 Husky Energy .................. 25.72

MBT-T MERC-Q NA-T OCX-T RY-T S-T TD-T T-T TCK.B-T TRP-T VXX-N

Manitoba Telecom ........... 24.72 Mercer International ......... 14.05 National Bank of Canada . 45.99 Onex Corporation ............ 72.31 Royal Bank of Canada...... 75.98 Sherritt International ............ 2.08 TD Bank .......................... 53.53 TELUS Corp...................... 42.16 Teck Resources ................. 17.74 TransCanada Corp ........... 53.53 iPath S&P 500 VIX ............ 29.23

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The information contained herein has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable but we cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. This report is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. This report is furnished on the basis and understanding that Qtrade Asset Management Inc. and Kootenay Savings MoneyWorks are to be under no responsibility or liability whatsoever in respect thereof.

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A8 www.trailtimes.ca

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

PEOPLE WEbster School Science Fair

Brian Stefani photo

Kindergarten to Grade 7 students at Webster School showed off their science fair projects to the school community on Wednesday as a part of the school’s annual showcase of budding scientists. The Regional Science Fair will be held April 11 at LVR Secondary School in Nelson. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.sciencefairs. ca/About/Regional-Network/West-Kootenay-Boundary.aspx.

Geoffrey John Portman

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a wonderful gentleman, Geoffrey John Portman, on March 5, 2015 in Kelowna, B.C., with his loving family by his side.

Geoff was born in Rossland, B.C. on January 19, 1931 where he spent his childhood, later moving to Trail.

Geoff was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Anne Portman, his loving wife of 50 years, Alice May Portman, and his precious great grandson Stanley McLean.

Geoff is survived by his daughters Janice (Tom) McLean and Patricia (Larry) Chernenkoff, grandchildren Brad (Debbie) McLean and Erin McLean (Li Shi), his precious great grandchildren Penny Li and Angus McLean, his brother Cyril Portman, and his very special friend Kellie Hipperson.

Geoff was loved and respected by all who had the privilege of meeting him. He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend who was always generous with his time.

Geoff was an avid golfer and member of the Birchbank course for over 60 years. Throughout his life he enjoyed skiing, fishing, the great outdoors, travel, music, dancing, and his greatest joy of all was time spent with his family.

A celebration of Geoffrey’s life will be held on Saturday March 14, 2015 at 3:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Trail.

The family would like to thank Dr. R. Wilson, the doctors and staff at KBRH, ICU and Third Floor; the Air Ambulance team and the doctors and staff at Kelowna General Hospital ICU for the exceptional and compassionate care he received.

In lieu of flowers, and should one wish, donations may be sent to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Foundation – ICU at 1200 Hospital Bench, Trail, B.C. V1R 4M1 or online at www.kbrhhealthfoundation.ca

Jeremy Clarkson

Jean Vanier

‘Top Gear’ host, who tweeted Son of former GG wins Templeton Prize from Trail, suspended from popular BBC show THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON - An off-set altercation has imperiled the internationally known TV car show “Top Gear,” one of the BBC’s most lucrative productions.

BBC News said Wednesday the broadcaster has postponed the three remaining episodes after suspending host Jeremy Clarkson over a reported “fracas” with a producer.

The BBC hasn’t given details about the incident, but co-host James May characterized it as “a bit of a dustup.”

“But I don’t think it’s that serious,” he added.

Clarkson gave Trail a bit of international recognition in November, 2014 when he tweeted a photo of a quiet Sunday in Trail asking anyone to offer ideas for something to do in the Home of Champions while his flight was delayed by weather.

The tweet garnered attention in Britain, which prompted a British radio station to contact mayorelect Mike Martin for an interview.

The blend of car news, humour and blokey banter in “Top Gear” has won it legions of fans. The current series was launched simultaneously in more than 50 countries

and the BBC has sold the format for locally produced versions in the U.S., China, Russia, Australia and South Korea.

It has also attracted controversy, much of it attached to 54-year-old Clarkson, one of three presenters and a self-styled enemy of “political correctness.”

In October, the “Top Gear” crew was forced to flee Argentina after facing violent protests for allegedly referencing the 1982 Falkland Islands war on a license plate.

Clarkson also asked for forgiveness last year after allegedly using the racist n-word during filming for the show. He said then had been given a “final warning” by producers.

In 2011, the BBC apologized to Mexico after Clarkson and his co-hosts characterized Mexicans as lazy and oafish.

Fans clamoured Wednesday for Clarkson’s return. The government’s culture minister, Maria Miller, called the TV personality a “legend,” and said the BBC “needs to be better at managing its talent.”

“There are other organizations that have to deal with larger-thanlife characters,” she said.

THE CANADIAN PRESS LONDON - Jean Vanier, the son of a former Canadian governor general, has joined previous winners such as Mother Teresa, Alexander Solzhenitsyn and the Dalai Lama in being awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize.

It comes with about the equivalent of $2 million and a statement Wednesday said the prize honours a living person who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery or practical works.

Vanier, 86, founded L’Arche in France in 1964.

It’s described as a groundbreaking international network where people with and without intellectual disabilities work together as peers.

L’Arche got its start when Vanier invited two intellectually disabled men to come and live with him as friends in a small house.

He named the house L’Arche, which is French for ”ark and ”arch,” to symbolize Noah’s Ark and an arch or bridge connecting heaven and Earth.

The first Canadian community, L’Arche Daybreak, was founded in Richmond Hill, Ont., and 29 communities are spread across Canada from Comox Valley, B.C., to Cape Breton, N.S. Worldwide, there are 147 residential communities in 35 countries on five continents.

In remarks prepared for the announcement, he made a plea for global peace.

“Before being Christians or Jews or Muslims, before being Americans or Russians or Africans, before being generals or priests, rabbis or imams, before having visible or invisible disabilities, we are all human beings with hearts capable of loving,” he said.

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Province gives fisheries its due

Jim Bailey photos

Above: Rock Island’s Mauro Cavazzon (34) puts up an effective screen for Eddie Shepard (7) as he drives to the hoop. Meanwhile (left) Kade James (22) goes untouched for this lay up as Rock Island won the Trail Men’s Basketball League title Monday with a 70-64 victory over Rossland.

Rock Island savours first TMBL title

By Jim Bailey

Times Sports Editor

The Trail Men’s Basketball League crowned a new king, as Rock Island defeated last year’s champion, Rossland, 70-64 in the final to win its first ever TMBL title on Monday at the Rossland Seven Summits school.

Despite a short bench, Rock Island Tape Centre broke away from an experienced Rossland team on the strength of a combined 39 points from Kyle Soukeroff (20) and Kade James (19), that included two three pointers in the final minutes from James and one from Miles Larsen to set the dagger firmly in the defending champions’ hearts.

“I’m glad we could bring

the trophy back down the hill to Trail,” said James. “We brought 100 per cent tonight, and Rossland brought a good game tonight and left everything on the floor.”

Rock Island jumped out to an 11-5 lead early but Rossland fought back to tie it six minutes into the match when Gent Harrison drove to the basket for two and added a single for the harm.

Rossland enjoyed a brief 16-13 lead midway through the first half, but Rock Island would battle back tying it at 20 with 7:34 remaining and go up front on an aggressive rebound and tip in from Larsen. A Rossland three pointer would pull them within five points with two minutes to play in the first

half, but a couple of steals from James and Soukeroff would translate into easy layups for a 33-25 half-time lead.

Rossland would fight back to tie it 41-41 and would take the lead with 13 minutes left on the clock, but back-to-back steals by Rock Island’s Eddie Shepard would result in a 47-45 lead and give the Island the momentum it needed going down the stretch.

James would sink his first of two three-pointers to make it 52-47, and Mauro Cavazzon pulled up and sank a brilliant turn-around jump shot from the top of the key to give Rock Island a seven point lead. Rock Island would increase the lead to 12 points

Jim Bailey photo

Rock Island claimed its first TMBL championship with a 70-64 victory over Rossland on Monday. From left: Brian DeMiao, Gordie Lee, Eddy Shepard, Kyle Soukeroff, Kade James, Miles Larsen, and Mauro Cavazzon.

after Larsen dialed in his own three pointer from beyond the arc, and with time winding down and Rock Island up 65-54, Rossland would be forced to foul in an effort to claw their way back into the match. A Rossland repeat was not to be, however, as the Island’s consistent free-throw shooting down the stretch and solid defence would seal it in the end.

“It was kind of a surprise, but all the games this year were really close and it was a good, competitive year and everybody played well,” said James.

Mota Automotive finished atop the regular season standings, but were stunned in a 56-55 loss to fourthseed Rossland in the semifinal, while number-two seed Rock Island won handily over Northport 73-69 to get to the title match.

Last year’s MVP Harrison netted 25 points for Rossland in the losing cause.

Mota would win the consolation final with a 64-53 victory over Northport.

Trail Men’s Basketball League Regular Season Stats Points per Game Player Team PPG Kade James RI 24 Steve Mota Mota 20 Wannes Luppens Rossland 19 Kyle Percy Rossland 14 Assists Per Game Kyle Percy Rossland 6 Steve Mota Mota 5 Miles Larsen RI 4 Jess Corcoran NP 3 Rebounds Mauro Cauazzon RI 8 Dylan Fitzpatrick Mota 7 Wannes Luppens Rossland 6 Kyle Jorgenson Mota 5

By Times Staff The Provincial government and the Freshwaters Fisheries Society (FFSBC) reached an agreement earlier this week that will see 100 per cent of revenue generated from fishing licences go directly to benefit anglers.

Effective Apr. 1, the total amount to be transferred to the society for 2015-16 will be approximately $10 million, an increase of about $3 million annually over what the society currently receives.

“This announcement is good news for the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and our partners, but it is great news for the province’s freshwater recreational fisheries,” said Don Peterson president of the FFS. “This will allow us to invest in recreational fishing opportunities and truly make fishing in B.C. even better.”

Previously the society’s activities were focused primarily on stocking of smaller lakes. The additional funding will allow the society to work with provincial biologists to improve angling opportunities in small lakes, large lakes and rivers. This includes angler access improvements, stock assessment to help inform management decisions, and resources to enhance capacity for compliance monitoring and enforcement on both stocked and wild waterbodies.

The FFSBC 2015 trout-stocking plan for Greater Trail area lakes include: Second Champion Lake with 3,000 all-female-triploid Blackwater rainbow trout, Third Champion Lake 2,000 catchable triploid Fraser Valley rainbows, Cottonwood Lake near Nelson 2,000 of the same Fraser Valley rainbows, Nancy Greene Lake 6,000 all-female-triploid Blackwater rainbow, and Rosebud Lake near Salmo 750 all-femaletriploid Pennask rainbow trout.

These lakes have seen ample stocking in the past, with almost 15,000 trout stocked in the five lakes in 2014 and up to four different strains.

Whether Gerrard, Pennask, Fraser Valley, of Blackwater, the FFSBC chooses a particular strain of trout for a certain water body based on a number of factors, from physical lake characteristics ie: pH, presence of inlets or outlets, depth and size, temperatures and oxygen levels; to the biological component, which considers the presence of other fish species, and the predator-prey relationship, as well as competition for food. The society also considers fishing pressure, location urban, rural, or remote - and its classification ie: family or trophy fishery.

The size and type of fish are also factors when stocking bodies of water. For example, the 3N “triploid” undergo a process of hydrostatic pressure shocking to the eggs shortly after fertilization. This sterilizes the trout and rather than expend energy on spawning, it is diverted to body growth, often producing larger trout and what fishermen fondly refer to as footballs.

Surcharges on licences for the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund will not be affected by the new arrangement. The fund will continue to receive 100 per cent of the licence surcharge dedicated to habitat conservation under the new arrangement.

In 2003, the Province signed a 30-year contract with the FFSBC to be a non-profit delivery partner with a mandate to conserve and enhance freshwater fishing opportunities in B.C. The agreement is now amended to reflect the additional revenue that will be directed to the society. The society is now recognized as one of the most progressive and accomplished fisheries management organizations in North America generating economic benefits and providing world-class angling opportunities.

A10 www.trailtimes.ca

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

Sports West Kootenay champions

Midget Tier 2 Smoke Eaters

1. Brandon 13. Brad Baldwin 15. Tyler Ghiradosi Youngson Goalie Forward Forward

The Greater Trail Midget 2 House team went undefeated in the playoffs on their way to the West Kootenay Championship earlier this month. The players include Mike Isernia, Brett Watson, Kayla Miller , Devin Ghirardosi, Tyler Ghirardosi, John Ferguson, Darren Bella , Lucas Billingsley, Brad Ferraro, Spencer Piccolo, Martin Vickers, Nicolas Doskoch, Jacob Mozak, Adam Mackay, Colton Epp, Dawson Koerber, Jessica Bonacci, Coach David Ferraro, and assistants Terry Ferguson, Paul Marrandino, Pablo Doskoch, Derek Davis and safety Mike Mozak.

masters curling

Will, Lepine take Masters Curl BC NANAIMO– The 2015 BC Masters Curling Championship titles were won by two past champions as experience proved to be the key to success.

Ralph Will, the defending champion, once again led his team to victory as they took gold in the Men’s event. On the Women’s side it was Karen Lepine, the winning skip in 2013, who topped the podium at Nanaimo Curling Club.

Team Will, who curls out of Cranbrook, secured their second provincial crown by defeating Team Marshall 7-5. The team, of skip Ralph (lead rocks), throwing fourth Gerland Kent, third rocks Laddie Pavlis and second rocks Peter Sweetman, had a strong week building a 7-1 record in the Championship.

Chilliwack skip Doug Marshall, and his team of third Russ Knutson, second Vic Miller and lead Howard Grisack, put up a stern fight but a threeender in the seventh by Team Will was enough to secure the title.

The Boss is Away

WINTER BLOW

Breed Education Day

SALE

Saturday, March 15 10am - 3pm at Waneta Plaza, Trail

Room #105 (beside Reitman’s)

40

% OFF

In Stock winter tires and wheels

March 16 to 20 only At both Trail and Castlegar Locations

Cash & Carry

The West Kootenay Kennel Club would like to invite the public to come out and meet our club members and their purebred dogs.

We are accepting applications for new members. Information and application forms will be provided on March 15th or contact Linda Wishneski at 250-368-6541 or email rosefield@shaw.ca.

31. Devin Ghiradosi Defence

30. Cole Gallo Goalie

The Greater Trail Midget Tier 2 Smoke Eaters host the B.C. Midget Tier 2 hockey championships this coming week and will face teams from Kelowna, Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Smithers, Saanich, North Delta, Castlegar, and New Westminster.

All games go at the Cominco Arena starting Sunday and will finish up Wednesday with the final scheduled for 8 p.m. The Tier 2 Smoke Eaters will open their B.C. championship against the Kelowna Midget Warriors on Sunday at 11 a.m. and again Sunday versus Williams Lake at 8 p.m.

These seven players round out the Smokies roster that was presented in the Times over the past three days. Good Luck Midget Smoke Eaters.

Spring breaks out at B.V. Rec Hot Shots Hockey goes TuesdayFriday from 4-4:45 p.m. at the B.V. Arena. Fee is $20 and children must wear full hockey gear.

Tiny Tots Skating is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday both weeks of Spring Break from 3:30-4 p.m. Cost is $40 for the 8 classes.

Please dress your child in a helmet, snow pants and mittens.

Zumba is on Mondays at the Fruitvale Hall and on Thursdays at

the Montrose Hall from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Punch passes can be purchased at class from instructor, Jodie Moretti.

Drop in Hockey for ages 7-10 is Monday-Friday from 6:15-7:15 p.m. at the BV Arena. Cost is $2 and full hockey gear is required.

Spring Break Public Skating is Monday-Friday, from 1:30-3 p.m.

For more information, please call Kelly at 367-9319.

PLAYOFF HOCKEY Kootenay Conference Finals

Beaver Valley Nitehawks Host

Kimberley Dynamiters game 2:

Thursday, March 12 @ 7:00pm

www.integratire.com 1995 Columbia Ave Trail 250.364.1208

WEST KOOTENAY KENNEL CLUB is hosting

OUT

UP TO

Team Lepine, who plays out of Langley and Cloverdale, were decisive in their 11-3 victory against Team Gallaway. The rink, which consists of skip Karen Lepine, third Susan Beuk, second Agnes Sigurdson and lead Donna Christian, won the game with a draw for two in the seventh end. Lepine also won the Seniors championship, along with her husband when it was held in Trail in 2013.

Comox Valley skip Sandra Gallaway, and her team of third Mary Holden, second Mary Ellen Werner and lead Elaine Starchuk, had beaten Lepine in the round robin stages earlier in the week but were unable to repeat the feat in the final. The bronze medals were won by Team Watson, who plays out of Vancouver Curling Club, and Royal City’s Team Kathy Smiley a former Trail resident.

The two gold medal winning teams will now travel to Whitehorse in Yukon to represent BC in the Canadian Masters Curling from March 29 – April 5.

17. Brendan Mackay 20. Callum O’Shea Forward Defence

1507 Columbia Ave, Castlegar 250.365.2955

Tickets available at KSCU Fruitvale branch

www.bvnitehawks.com

Trail Times Thursday, March 12, 2015 www.trailtimes.ca A11

Leisure

Moving out won’t solve family’s problems Mailbox

Marcy Sugar & Kathy Mitchell

do I make my husband see that the kids should have jobs? -- Expect Better Dear Expect: Well, if you are out of the house, no one will push those kids to find work, and your husband will be supporting everyone.

Perhaps he will then realize that keeping the children dependent and childlike is not in anyone’s best interest and insist that the kids contribute somehow to the household. But it won’t solve everything.

We hate to sound like a broken record, but counseling could help both of you deal more respectfully with each other and more effectively with your kids.

food to take home. If he’s told there is no food to take, he suddenly has no problem eating everything on his plate within 15 minutes.

Uncle Lucius has become so difficult that I am reluctant to pick him up and take him places. Any suggestions?

-- Anonymous Dear Anonymous: We think Uncle Lucius is lonely and uses these outings as an excuse to be the center of attention, and he wants to prolong the experience.

You are a kind soul to pick him up and have him for dinner, but we can see that your patience is wearing thin.

Let Lucius know that any food he doesn’t finish at the time you are ready to leave will be put in a plastic bag for him to take home. Then do it. You also might visit with him in his care facility, asking him to show you around or perhaps visiting at a time when there is an activity you can do together that takes the same amount

of time as you would have spent having dinner with him. Please try to be tolerant.

Dear Annie: “Frustrated Pastor’s Wife” complained that her husband is not paid for officiating. It seems that customs vary among denominations

and even among individuals within denominations.

Our last pastor would not accept any payment, saying that officiating at such occasions was part of the pastoral care he provided. -- Mike Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy

Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast. net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Today’s PUZZLES 6

7 8 9 1

8

Difficulty Level

6

9

6 5

2 1 2

8 3

Today’s Crossword

By Dave Green

1 2 9

4

3

7

3

4 8 2

3/12

Sudoku is a numberplacing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Solution for previous SuDoKu 5 8 1 9 2 3 4 6 7 7 6 2 4 5 1 9 3 8 9 3 4 8 6 7 1 5 2 3 7 8 5 9 4 2 1 6 1 4 5 6 3 2 7 8 9 6 2 9 7 1 8 3 4 5 8 1 3 2 7 5 6 9 4 2 5 6 1 4 9 8 7 3 4 9 7 3 8 6 5 2 1 Difficulty Level

2015 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Annie’s

Even if your husband won’t go, counseling could help you work out better ways of negotiating so that you have other choices besides frustration and walking out.

Dear Annie: My “Uncle Lucius” is 88 and has lived in an assistedliving facility for several years. He’s not crazy about living there, but recognizes that he can no longer live on his own. He also has no interest in senior activities or much else.

Here’s the problem: When taking him to a restaurant or bringing him to my home, he frequently refuses to leave at the end of the evening. Uncle Lucius has a normal appetite, but spends most of the time talking instead of eating. When everyone is nearly finished and he’s prodded to eat, he routinely says he is too rushed, even if two hours have passed, and that he can’t chew his food, even if the meal is soup. He’ll demand new

2015 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Dear Annie: I have been married for 22 years. I started working when I was 14 and didn’t stop until I started having medical issues two years ago.

The problem is my family. My husband doesn’t think it is important that our two kids, ages 20 and 21, have jobs. I have tried repeatedly to help them find employment because they won’t bother to try on their own. But they’ll stay at a job for a month or two, and then they leave. My husband doesn’t think there is a problem. When I bring it up, my son yells at me, and my husband doesn’t care. He says at least our son attends night classes twice a week. Our daughter’s self-esteem is very low, and I am worried about her.

I am sick of the arguments about the kids not doing more around the house and not finding work. I have moved out of the house and in with a friend. Was I wrong to do this? How

3/11

A12 www.trailtimes.ca

Leisure

YourByhoroscope Francis Drake For Friday, March 13, 2015 ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This is a pleasant day, and it is especially pleasant for travel or exploring new places and talking to people about religion, politics and philosophy. This is an interesting day!

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You might be concerned with inheritances, shared property and certain money issues. If so, deal with these in the morning or midday. After that, wait until Saturday.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be accommodating with others, because the Moon is opposite your sign today, which means you have to go more than halfway. It’s that simple. It’s how it works.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Co-workers will be supportive today. In fact, if you want help for anything, just

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

ask. In turn, others are likely to ask for your creative input on how something looks: furniture arrangement, layout, design, something.

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) Enjoy this playful, funloving day! Vacations, flirtations, sports events, fun activities with children and opportunities to explore the hospitality industry will please you. Book a table!

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) A family gathering will be a lively affair. Discussions with a female relative will be interesting and informative.

People will genuinely enjoy each other’s company today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) This is a social day for your sign. You will enjoy schmoozing with others, especially siblings and neighbors. It’s also a good day for writers and those who sell, act and teach.

(Your words are like gold.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Business and commerce are favored today. Things at work will go well, because co-workers are supportive.

Looking good!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Today the Moon is in your sign dancing with fair Venus, which makes you feel friendly and sociable with everyone.

Grab every opportunity to enjoy the company of others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Solitude in beautiful surroundings will please you today. You will like working quietly, by yourself, on any project that you choose.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Conversations with a friend or members of a group will be friendly and mutually beneficial today. In fact, a casual acquaintance might become a flirtatious

possibility.

PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20) People will notice you today, especially people in authority. And the good news is that they notice that you are charming, friendly and gracious to everyone.

Major brownie points.

YOU BORN TODAY You are courageous; in part, because you are fatalistic.

You like to explore beliefs about patterns and subse-

ANIMAL CRACKERS

TUNDRA

BROOMHILDA

MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM

BLONDIE

HAGAR

Looking to open the door to a new home?

Check out our classified pages and beyond for local real estate listings.

News • Sports • Leisure Count on us.

SALLY FORTH

quent consequences because you always want to improve yourself. This is the year to settle your debts, so you can prepare for financial accumulation in the next three years. To eliminate debt is the thrust of this year.

Consolidate your affairs for future growth. Looking good!

Birthdate of: Neil

Sedaka, singer/songwriter; Kaya Scodelario, actress; Noel Fisher, actor.

Trail Times Thursday, March 12, 2015

www.trailtimes.ca A13

Your classifieds. Your community

250.368.8551 fax 250.368.8550 email nationals@trailtimes.ca

ON THE WEB:

In Memoriam

Personals ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 250-368-5651

PHONE:250.368.8551 OR: 1.800.665.2382 FAX:

250.368.8550

EMAIL CLASSIFIEDS TO:

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DEADLINES 11am 1 day publication.

prior

to

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Combos and packages available - over 90 newspapers in BC.

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It is agreed by any Display or Classified Advertiser requesting space that the liability of the paper in the event of failure to publish an advertisement shall be limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for that portion of the advertising space occupied by the incorrect item only, and that there shall be no liability in any event beyond the amount paid for such advertisement. The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. bcclassified.com cannot be responsible for errors after the first day of publication of any advertisement. Notice of errors on the first day should immediately be called to the attention of the Classified Department to be corrected for the following edition. bcclassified.com reserves the right to revise, edit, classify or reject any advertisement and to retain any answers directed to the bcclassified.com Box Reply Service and to repay the customer the sum paid for the advertisement and box rental.

DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION

Advertisers are reminded that Provincial legislation forbids the publication of any advertisement which discriminates against any person because of race, religion, sex, color, nationality, ancestry or place of origin, or age, unless the condition is justified by a bona i de requirement for the work involved.

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Copyright and/or properties subsist in all advertisements and in all other material appearing in this edition of bcclassified. com. Permission to reproduce wholly or in part and in any form what-soever, particularly by a photographic or of set process in a publication must be obtained in writing from the publisher. Any unauthorized reproduction will be subject to recourse in law.

Give life .... register to be an organ donor today!

DALLA LANA In Loving Memory of FILOMENA ´Love¡V greDWeVW gifW 5ememErDnFe ¾ (ver in oXr WKoXgKWV Family

FOR INFORMATION, education, accommodation and support for battered women and their children call WINS Transition House 250-364-1543

Help Wanted Employment

Information The Trail Times is a member of the British Columbia Press Council.

The Press Council serves as a forum for unsatisfied reader complaints against member newspapers.

Complaints must be filed within a 45 day time limit.

For information please go to the Press Council website at www.bcpresscouncil.org, write to PO Box 1356, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1A9 or telephone (toll free) 1-888-687-2213.

Help Wanted

Terra Green Lawn Care LTD. A Best of Business Platinum Award winning business has two available openings for seasonal work. Terra Green requires one person to head up the Lawn Maintenance portion of our business and another as a Lawn application technician. Please refer to our website for further information or contact us. Please send resumes to: Jeff Papilion jeff@terragreen.ca COLANDER RESTAURANT is now taking applications for Line Cook. Career training available. Bring resume to 1475 Cedar Avenue, Trail.

Drivers/Courier/ Trucking

Houses For Sale

Houses For Sale

Class 1 (Driver) – West Kootenay Local P&D Van-Kam Freightways Ltd. Group of Companies requires class 1 drivers to work summer relief out of our Castlegar Terminal to provide P&D services for the West Kootenays region of BC. This position will be expected to: • Daily deliver all LTL (less than truckload) freight • Ensure all pickups and deliveries are on time • Provide exceptional customer service • Treat company property with respect Preference will be given to applicants with LTL/P&D experience and knowledge of the West Kootenay region. A $1000 hiring bonus is paid upon completion of probation.

To join our team of Professional Drivers, email a cover letter, current resume and current driver’s abstract (within the last 30 days) to: Careers@vankam.com Or FAX 604-587-9889 Or drop them off at our terminal at: 1360 Forest Road Castlegar, BC V1N 3Y5 Van-Kam is committed to equal opportunity and environmental responsibility.

**WANTED** NEWSPAPER CARRIERS TRAIL TIMES Excellent Exercise Fun for All Ages Call Today Start Earning Money Tomorrow Circulation Department 250-364-1413 Ext. 206 For more Information

IN FIND IT THE CLASSIFIEDS

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Ron Darlene 250.368.1162 250.231.0527 ron@hometeam.ca darlene@hometeam.ca

WWW .H OME T EAM . CA at Gre

e enu Rev perty o Pr

d Yar

825 11th Ave, Montrose Cute and Cozy

$

456 Rossland Ave, Trail

Well built solid house ready for your ideas

179,000

69,000

$

e efre Car ving Li

cre! nA

a On

We thank you for your interest in Van-Kam, however only those of interest to us will be contacted.

WANTED

PAPER CARRIERS

241 Mill Rd, Fruitvale

Executive Style Family home with lots of room!

8106 DeVito Dr, Trail

Immaculate duplex, non-strata, 3 Bedroom

489,000

323,000

$

$

e som Awe iews V

at Gre tion a c Lo

Excellent exercise, fun for all ages.

Fruitvale

Genelle

Montrose

Route 362 20 papers 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Evergreen Ave Route 366 18 papers Beaver St, Maple Ave Route 369 15 papers Birch Ave, Johnson Rd, Redwood Dr, Rosewood Dr Route 375 12 papers Green Rd & Lodden Rd Route 379 18 papers Cole St, Nelson Ave Route 380 23 papers Galloway Rd, Mill Rd Route 381 7 papers Coughlin Rd Route 382 7 papers Debruin Rd & Staats Rd Route 384 19 papers Cedar Ave, Kootenay

Route 303 15 papers 12th Ave, 2nd St, Grandview Route 304 13 papers 12th & 14th Ave

Route 341 24 papers 10th Ave, 8th Ave, 9th Ave Route 344 17 papers 10th Ave, 9th Ave Route 345 12 papers 10th Ave, 9th Ave Route 347 16 papers 10th Ave, 9th Ave, 9th St Route 348 19 papers 12th Ave, Christie Rd Route 346 27 papers 8th, 9th & 10th Ave Route 340 24 papers 10th Ave, 7th St, 8th St

West Trail Route 149 7 papers Binns St, McAnally St, Kitchener Ave

Warfield Route 195 12 papers Blake Crt,Whitman Way

Sunningdale Route 211 26 papers Hazelwood Dr, Olivia Cres, Viola Cres.

Route 219 15 papers Hazelwood Drive

Rossland

CARRIERS NEEDED FOR ROUTES IN ALL AREAS for more information 1-800-663-6189 www.transplant.bc.ca

Houses For Sale

Call Today!

250-364-1413 ext 206

1167 Second Ave, Trail Solid House Close to Gyro Park

7992 Birchwood Dr, Trail Top Notch Quality Beautiful Finishing

124,900

438,000

$

tral Cen ation Loc

$

st Mu

557 Rossland Ave, Trail Great Finishings, Great price

$

138,500

!

See

1842 2nd St, Fruitvale

Nice Location in Fruitvale, Family Home

229,000

$

Let Our Experience Move You.

Until there's a cure, there's us.

A14 www.trailtimes.ca

Classifieds

Services

Merchandise for Sale

Rentals

Rentals

Financial Services

Heavy Duty Machinery

Apt/Condo for Rent

Duplex / 4 Plex

Francesco Estates, Glenmerry,spacious 1-3bdrms. Adults only (45+). Secure building w/elevator. N/S, N/P. Ongoing improvements. Ph. 250-3686761

FRUITVALE, 3bd., renovated, w/deck. $900. heat incl. F/S, N/S. Avail. Apr1 250-368-3384

Glenmerry 1bdrm. apt. F/S Heat included. N/S. $595./mo.

Avail. Apr.1st. 250-368-5908

GLENMERRY HALL, 250364-0352, 250-368-1312.

Please leave a message.

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Garden & Lawn

A-STEEL SHIPPING DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS Used 20’40’45’53’ and insulated containers all sizes in stock.

Trades are welcome.

40’Containers under $2500!

DMG 40’ containers under $2,000 each. Also JD 544 & 644 wheel Loaders & 20,000 lb CAT forklift.

Wanted to buy 300 size hydraulic excavator.

Ph Toll free 1-866-528-7108 1-778-298-3192 8am-5pm Delivery BC and AB www.rtccontainer.com

Misc. Wanted Private Collector Looking to Buy Coin Collections, Silver, Antiques, Native Art, Estates + Chad: 250-499-0251 Local

Apt/Condo for Rent 1/2 MONTH FREE RENT

WANETA MANOR Please call

Bella Vista, Shavers Bench Townhomes. N/S, N/P. 2-3 bdrms. Phone 250-364-1822

Garden & Lawn SPRING YARD CLEAN UP aerating, de-thatching, pruning Book now. 250-368-5552

TRAIL, 1BDRM. Apt, partially furn. $600./mo. util.incl. N/S 1pet negotiable. 778-456-4565

TRAIL, 2bd. apt. Friendly, quiet secure bldg. Heat incl.

N/P, N/S. 250-368-5287 WARFIELD, 1bdrm. condo.

Laundry on site. Free parking.

N/S, N/P. Available immediately. $550./mo. + electricity.

250-229-4149 WARFIELD APARTMENTS. 2-bdrm, N/S, N/P. Long term tenants. 250-368-5888

Commercial/ Industrial

250-368-8423

M.Olson’s Yardcare, Book Now for dethatching, aerating 250-368-5488, 250-364-0075

GLENVIEW APTS. Spacious, quiet 2 bdrm. apt. available.

250-364-2401

W.TRAIL 2-bdrm. main floor. f/s,w/d,d/w. $700./mo. plus utilities. 250-368-1015

Suites Avail Now

Call for your FREE ESTIMATE 250-231-5245 888-304-5296 jeff@terragreen.ca www.terragreen.ca

Glenmerry 2bdrm. apt. F/S Heat included. N/S. $695./mo.

Avail. Apr.1st. 250-368-5908

TRAIL, 1bd. Ross. Ave., w/d/f/s. ns/np. $600./mo. utilities inc. 250-368-1361

Rentals

• Aeration • Power Raking • Fertilizing & Weed Control • Weekly Lawn Maintenance

Ermalinda Estates, Glenmerry, spacious 1-2bdrms. Adults only. Secure building w/elevator. N/S, N/P. Ongoing improvements. Ph.250-364-1922

SHOP/ WAREHOUSE, 4300 sq.ft. Ample outside space.

Good access. 250-368-1312

Halls/Auditoriums

RETIRED, DOWNSIZING? E.Trail, 2bd., just renovated, F/S, W/D, $850./mo.

N/S,N/P.Ref.req.250-368-9692 Shavers Bench! 3 Bedroom, full basement, F/S, N/S, N/P. $900/month. 250-364-1551 TRAIL, 4b/r home, 1 reno’d bathrm, central A/C, f/s/w/d, ns,np, full bsmt, rv carport, nr Safeway, 1534 4th Ave. $1150. + util. 250-364-3978 TRAIL, newly renovated bachelor suite, very bright, private patio, shared laundry.

N/P. N/S only. $575./mo. incl. utilities. 250-231-4546

GLENMERRY, Clean 3bd townhouse, covered parking, F/S, D/W, central air. NS. No Pets. $925./mo.

Available immed. Ref.req. 250-367-9607

Cars - Domestic

The link to your community

Houses For Sale

Houses For Sale

Houses For Sale

E.TRAIL, 2BDRM Gyro park, heat, hot water & cable incl. $650/mo. 250-362-3316

YOUR NEWSPAPER:

OPEN HOUSE

Friday, Mar 13 starts at 4:30pm

Saturday, March 14 11am-1-pm

1258 4th Ave Lane

149,000

$

Nathan Kotyk 250.231.9484

Trail

we will insert and deliver your flyer right to your customers’ doorsteps.

We can design and deliver your flyer into other communities as well!

Call your

rep today!

250.368.8551

Lonnie ext.201 • l.hart@trailtimes.ca Dave ext.203 • dave@trailtimes.ca

Houses For Sale

Houses For Sale

WWW.COLDWELLBANKERTRAIL.COM Must See Home

Great New Price

Rob Burrus

$

169,000

Nathan Kotyk 250.231.9484

119,000 Trail

$

$

Trail

94,900 Warfield

189,900 Fruitvale

$

250.231.9484 Nathan Kotyk

Nathan Kotyk

250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

129,000 Trail

$

250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

250.231.9484 Rob Burrus

Rob Burrus

$37,000 Fruitvale 250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

$

499,000 Fruitvale

$

250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

219,500 250.231.4420

e Corner Suoitm ro n Su &

119,000 Fruitvale

$

$

285,000 Trail

250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

$

215,000 250.231.4420

the Room form ily Whole Fa

s 5 Bedroom p & New Sho

Trail

2 Suites

1680 Tolmie St

New Price

Trail

Houses For Sale

1252 Bay Avenue, Trail 250.368.5222

1st Trail Real Estate OPEN HOUSE

65 per 1000

$

Transportation

WARFIELD 2bd condo totally renovated 250-362-7716

E.TRAIL, 1&2bdrm. apts. F/S, W/D. Yard. 250-368-3239

For as little as

Townhouses

WHERE DO YOU TURN

TO LEARN WHAT’S ON SALE?

We can deliver your flyer right to the door!

Homes for Rent ANNABLE, 2bd. suite. Large yard, single car garage, shared laundry, available immediately. $850./mo. including utilities.

Non-smokers only please. 250-231-4546

1988 & 1992 Honda Civic LX, 4dr sedan, one is automatic and one is 5 speed standard.

Power windows, power mirrors, power locks, both in exceptionally clean condition, very well maintained, 180k & 235k, $1,800. & $2,800. New radiator and timing belt and ball joints. 250-442-0122 / 250-493-1807

Houses For Sale

Trail

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

319,000 Trail

$

$

250.231.4420 Jack McConnachie 250.368.5222 Rob Burrus

239,000 Christina Lake $1,000,000 250.231.4420 Rob Burrus

250.231.4420

Trail Times Thursday, March 12, 2015 www.trailtimes.ca A15

Regional Golden

Back-country skier swept away by avalanche The Canadian Press GOLDEN — A skier was killed Monday when an avalanche swept down a slope in the Selkirk Mountains about 75 kilometres northwest of Golden.

The skier was part of a group of experienced back-country skiers who had spent several days skiing out of Sorcerer Lodge, a helicopter-only access area.

In a statement released through a communications firm, Tanis Dakin of Sorcerer Lodge said she and the lodge staff are shaken by the death of the skier.

She said the skier, whose name has not yet been released by the RCMP, was well-known at the lodge and highly respected.

The avalanche struck at about 5:30 p.m. in an area near Ventigo Lake, a route on the way to Mount Iconoclast, a 3,251 metre peak northwest of Golden.

The skier was recovered about a half hour after the avalanche and was flown to a Golden hospital by helicopter where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

“Our hearts go out to the family of our friend, and we will do all we can to support them at this very difficult time,” said Dakin.

Rural rep convinces Nelson council to revisit recreation funding

By Bill Metcalfe Nelson Star

Rural representative Tom Newell says Nelson city council and the regional recreation commission are punishing taxpayers in his area. Last week, council agreed to look into his complaints about changes to regional recreation funding.

Newell represents regional district Area F, which comprises the North Shore from Bonnington to Kokanee Park.

The question is how much rural residents should pay to support recreational facilities in Nelson, and how that should be decided.

In some rural areas, residents are taxed for those services (such as the pool, the ice rink, and the playing fields) through their property taxes, and in other areas they are not.

Since 1973, the costs of regional recreation (including the aquatic centre) have been borne through taxation based on property assessments in the City of Nelson, Area F (the North Shore from Kokanee Park to Bonnington) and the west part of Area E (Blewett).

Currently, according to Nelson’s city manager Kevin Cormack, 60 per cent of the cost of regional recreation is paid by Nelson, 28 per cent

by Area F, and 12 per cent by area E. Recently the City of Nelson attempted to bring more equity to this situation, and it chose as its entry point a discussion at a meeting of the regional recreation commission about the upcoming costs of the renovations to the aquatic centre.

The recreation commission is a Regional District of Central Kootenay body that oversees regional recreation including the community complex.

Its members are Area E representative Ramona Faust (chair), Area F representative Tom Newell, Nelson mayor Deb Kozak, and Nelson councillors Valerie Warmington and Janice Morrison.

As a result of that meeting, the RDCK board agreed to discussions over the coming months that would revisit the relationship between rural residents and regional recreational funding.

And it agreed that the city

will stop paying $184,000 per year to the recreation commission, a payment that originated in 2001 when the city expanded its boundaries to include the dams on the Kootenay River so it could tax them.

That $184,000 per year was intended to compensate the regional district for tax money it lost when the city started taxing the dams directly.

Those discussions were, and still are, difficult because of differing interpretations of historical events of more than a decade ago, and some documents from those days that gradually surfaced during and after the current discussions.

Area F director Tom Newell is not happy with the rescinding of the annual $184,000 payment.

In an interview this week he said his Area F residents will have to pay an extra $18 more in taxation on a $360,000 house, in order to make up the funding shortfall. He said this amounts to penalizing Area F residents.

“The burden will fall on the ones that are already contributing the most,” he said.

Newell said his message to council is “taking more money from Area F is not fair. Area F is not the problem, we are on the same side as you.”

At the council meeting last week, Kozak said, “I was approached by director Newell from Area F and he has asked us to reconsider the decision about the $184,000 he has concerns about the impact it might have on his constituents, and he has asked if we would reconsider.”

Council agreed to reconsider even though it was not council but the regional recreation commission that made the decision in the first place. Councillors Valerie Warmington and Janice Morrison expressed reluctance to agree to Newell’s request.

“By taking it off the table again, the window we have opened up to have that discussion might close again,” Warmington said.

Council agreed to ask staff to bring a report to the March 16 special council meeting with options and a historical overview including the financial arrangements regarding the $184,000.

Trail’s Future is Bright!

Victoria Street Buy-a-Light Fundraising Campaign • Showcase a Feature Landmark • Celebrate our City & Community Spirit • Enhance the Esplanade • • Create more Excitement & Energy around the Downtown Core • Reconnect Downtown with the Columbia River • • The LED Lights will complement the lights to be integrated in the soon-to-be Pipeline/Pedestrian Bridge •

Light-up our Bridge for only $200/light!

The Downtown Opportunities & Action Committee (DOAC) is well on their to reaching their $190,000 fundraising goal. Show your support too! Buy-a-Light after March 2nd for $200* and you will receive formal sponsor recognition at the west entrance of the Victoria Street Bridge.

*96 lights available.

Charitable donation tax receipt available. Forms available at City Hall & online. Image is rendering only.

More info at www.trail.ca/en/inside-city-hall/Buy-a-Light-Campaign.asp or call 250-364-0834

A16 www.trailtimes.ca

Thursday, March 12, 2015 Trail Times

Money

What’s new for personal tax preparation

N

ew things you employed by the department might like to know and must perform at least about for your 200 hours of volunteer ser2014 personal vice including call-out time, tax preparation – but first, training time and at meeta disclaimer – this is an ings. If the rescuer is also a overview. Do your research. volunteer firefighter, those Talk to a tax professional or hours should be included Ron visit the Canada Revenue to achieve this 200 total Agency (CRA) website. because only one claim is The Children’s Fitness allowed – either the Search Tax Tips & Pits Tax Credit has been & Rescue or the Firefighter. increased from $500 to A letter from the depart$1,000. ment stating 200 hours of service must This is a 15% non-refundable credit be supplied or CRA will deny the claim. meaning that the $1,000 actual expense By the way, if any amount of CRA’s you fork out translates into a $150 allowable $1,000 income exemption is credit, and since it’s a non-refundable claimed on a T4, this expense credit credit, if you don’t need all of it to cannot be claimed in addition to that reduce your tax liability to zero, the bal- income exemption. The $1,000 income ance is not paid to you. However, next exemption is more beneficial. year it’s suppose to become a refundable Some new items have been added to tax credit so any balance will be paid to the eligible Medical Expense list. The the taxpayer. cost to design a personal therapy plan There’s now a Search & Rescue in some situations is now deductible, as Volunteer Tax Credit. This mirrors the are the costs for service animals to aid Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit intro- persons with severe diabetes. As always, duced a few years back. It’s a $450 check the CRA website. non-fundable tax credit based on 15% of The amount claimable for Adoption $3,000 “assumed” expenses (no receipts Expense has been increased to $15,000. required).

This is a non-refundable tax credit calcuTo qualify, the rescuer cannot be lated by adding up eligible expenses and

Clarke

The Local Experts™

FOR RENT

Trail

Good rental or starter home with 4 bdrms, country kitchen, rec. room, single carport, and view deck. Plumbing in basement for a second bathroom. Located an easy five minute walk to town.

Call Art (250) 368-8818

$162,000

Directly across from Butler Park and near the proposed new walking bridge, this home has tons of character. Wood floors, antique wall sconces, gas fireplace, and caw-foot tub. Upgrades include new kitchen and some new flooring. This is a fantastic package.

Call Terry 250-231-1101

THE CANADIAN PRESS VICTORIA - The B.C. government says it hopes to move more families living on income assistance back into the workforce by increasing the amount of extra cash they’re allowed to earn and keep.

Currently, families with able-bodied and disabled children can earn an extra $200 and $300 a month, respectively, without the government clawing back income-assistance payments.

The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation says it will raise those exemptions to $400 and $500 a month starting Sept. 1.

Under the same plan, the government will allow families to participate in supplemental dental, optical and medical coverage for a year after leaving income assistance.

About 10,600 families are expected to benefit from the program that the ministry hopes will encourage people to pursue work, even if it’s part time.

Last month, the government made a separate announcement, saying it would eliminate social services clawbacks for about 3,200 families on income and disability assistance.

WE CAN SELL YOUR HOME. NOBODY HAS THE RESOURCES WE DO!

1358 Cedar Avenue, Trail • 250.368.8818 www.kootenayhomes.com www.century21.ca

1345 Thom Street, Trail

$45,000

subtracting reimbursement received, if any. The net amount can be split between adoptive parents.

As discussed in the last column, the biggest addition to 2014 tax prep is the new Family Tax Cut. This is a nonrefundable $2,000 maximum tax credit for eligible couples with a child under 18. For all the specifics, visit the CRA website.

By the way, effective April 1, 2016, the Government of Canada is switching to direct deposits for all federal payments to individuals so if you aren’t set up yet, it’s simple to do during tax prep using form T1-DD. CRA is also pushing taxpayers to email communications. You have to set-up your CRA “My Account” because CRA, for security reasons, only sends emails to you directing you to check your in-box in your CRA “My Account”.

Reminder that the safety deposit box deduction is gone.

Finally, coming soon to an App Store near you, a mobile application for your smart phone so you can access CRA anytime, anywhere! Lucky you.

Ron Clarke has his MBA and is a business owner in Trail, providing accounting and tax services. Email him at ron. clarke@JBSbiz.ca.

KOOTENAY HOMES INC.

STING NEW LI

572 Spokane Street, Trail

Income-assistance families can work, keep more cash

1894 Mountain Street, Fruitvale

$60,000

Thinking of building this spring?

Placing a modular? This 66x105 lot is serviced and ready to go.

Days are getting longer and Spring is less than 60 days away!

Call Tonnie (250) 365-9665

2 bdrm renovated upper suite .............................. $800/mo 3 bdrm renovated house .............................. $750/mo 2 bdrm renovated upper suite .............................. $750/mo

Great rentals available now!

If you have a property you would like professionally managed, call to set up an appointment.

Terry Alton 250-231-1101 Tonnie Stewart (250) 365-9665

Mark Wilson

ICE NEW PR

250-231-5591

mark.wilson@century21.ca

Terry Alton 414 2nd Ave., Rivervale

$149,900

This bright cheery home features upgraded, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, roof, wiring, plumbing, most windows, tastefully decorated, beautiful decks and low maintenance landscaping, and garage. Such a fabulous little package! Call now!!

Call Deanne (250) 231-0153

250-231-1101 966 Upper China Creek Road, Genelle

$254,000

This 4 bed/1 bath home offers privacy and 2 acres! Many upgrades! (wiring, plumbing, heating, roof, fencing, landscaping). Call your REALTOR® now to view.

Call Deanne (250) 231-0153

Spectacularly renovated home overlooking Trail. New wiring, plumbing, heating. Open floor plan with gorgeous kitchen and high ceilings. 3 bdrms/1.5 baths and covered parking.

Call Mary M (250) 231-0264

$229,000

250-231-0264

mary.martin@century21.ca

Mary Amantea

1216 Columbia Ave, Trail

2705 Columbia-Kootenay Road, Rossland

This home is in a great location.

Enjoy the low maintenance yard and large deck. This home has had extensive upgrades including new deluxe kitchen and bathroom and many mechanical upgrades too. Call today!

Call Richard (250) 368-7897

Overlooking Happy Valley, this extensively updated home has so much character and charm.

Spectacular views, bright kitchen, private sundeck and fireplace. All this on 1.13 acres. Price includes a separate 2 acre parcel too. Call now!

Call Mary M (250) 231-0264

$199,000

250-521-0525

mamantea@telus.net

$670,000

926 Black Bear Drive, Rossland Spectacular 2 bdrm home situated on .27 acre treed lot. Completely renovated including new windows, wood stove, new kitchen, flooring, bathroom, exterior deck, wiring.

Close to the ski hill, plenty of hiking, biking and riding trails right at your back door.

Call Christine (250) 512-7653

Mary Martin

richard.daoust@century21.ca

Bill Craig

250-231-2710

bill.craig@century21.ca

Deanne Lockhart 250-231-0153

25 Hillside Drive, Trail

$329,000

$239,000

tonniestewart@shaw.ca

250-368-7897

$52,500

1354 Mountain St, Trail

Tonnie Stewart

250-365-9665

Richard Daoust

1830 Topping Street, Trail Up/Down duplex!

Great opportunity to live in the main unit - then fix other unit as a mortgage helper. Great location close to downtown and on bus route. Super views of the river.

Call Mark (250) 231-5591

terryalton@shaw.ca

1952 McLeod Avenue, Rossland

$289,000

Immaculate 3 bed, 2 bath home with many upgrades including a bathroom, heated floors and sleek lines. Fully finished rec room, workshop and private fenced yard.

Call Christine (250) 512-7653

For additional information and photos on all of our listings, please visit

kootenayhomes.com

Rare Find! This home features open floor plan with lots of windows and views of incredible landscaping. Enjoy the main floor solarium, “round” fireplace and updated kitchen with spacious dining area. Lower level is completely finished with fabulous rec room with patio doors to yard.

Call today for your viewing!

Call Mary M (250) 231-0264

deannelockhart@shaw.ca

Art Forrest

250-368-8818 c21art@telus.net

Christine Albo 250-512-7653

christine.albo@century21.ca

Dave Thoss

250-231-4522

dave.thoss@century21.ca

Dan Powell Christina Lake 250-442-6413

powelldanielk@gmail.com