FRIDAY
< Tax-free Savings Account
MARCH 13, 2015
Ice’s Hoflin approaches save record | Page 10
Forget it Jake, it’s HIstory of Cranbrook’s Chinatown, Part III | Page 7 Like Us TownsmanBulletin Follow Us
1
$ 10
INCLUDES G.S.T.
@crantownsman
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
Vol. 64, Issue 50
www.dailytownsman.com
Local grasslands ripe for fire danger Dirt bikes, ATVs blamed for two wildfires near Cranbrook this week; Dry conditions a month earlier than normal TRE VOR CR AWLEY
It may not feel like wildfire season, but conditions are ripe. According to the Southeast Fire Centre, there were two fires reported near Cranbrook earlier this week that were double-digit sized
in hectares, which is being blamed on the backcountry use of dirt bikes and ATVs. One blaze was an 11-hectare sized event west of Highway 95A, while the second was a 15 hectare fire 10 kilometres north of Cran-
brook. Both were contained quickly and are extinguished, according to Jordan Turner, a Fire Information Officer. “With how dry and dead the grass has been through that area and the windy conditions we
had on that day, the fires spread quickly and that’s how they got to that size quite quickly,” said Turner. It’s March—not the typical time for fire season, but conditions are hazardous due to the melting snow and that
the grass hasn’t greened up yet. “The main issue— earlier this week there hadn’t been a lot of rain for quite a long time and a lot of the snow cover, with the higher temperatures, had gone and since the grasses in the
area hadn’t had the chance to green up and renew for the new year, the grass has been very highly flammable,” said Turner. Turner said the causes was likely recreational activity involving ATVs or dirt bikes.
“Often times those fires can be started by mufflers in poor conditions or a machine that’s been running for a long time and gets heated up and if it goes through grass, it doesn’t take much for those to start up,” he said. However, the fire was reported quickly and initial attack crews were able to attend right away to contain the blazes.
See MIX, Page 3
No easy fix for Victoria and 3rd Street ARN E PE TRYSHEN
MARINA SIMONS PHOTO
Local dancers with Cranbrook’s Aspire Dance Academy got to take part this week in a special performance with the touring production of the Family Channel’s hit dance show “The Next Step.” Local dance enthusiasts sold out the Key City Theatre for the show on Monday, March 9. Aspire dancers taking part were Nina Simons, Hayley McInnes, Paityn Calder, Olivia Shuflita and backup Halee Bohmer. They’re pictured here prior to the show with “Next Step Live On Stage” members Victoria Baldesarra, Trevor Tordjman, Brittany Raymond, Jordan Clark, Lamar Johnson, Isaac Lupien, Jennie Pappas and Logan Fabbro, and Aspire Director Michelle Navratil. “The Next Step” Season Three is premiering on Monday, March 16th at 7:30 PM ET/PT.
There doesn’t seem to be a simple solution to making the crosswalk at Victoria Avenue and 3rd Street South safer. The intersection presents hazards because of the merging four-lane traffic pattern at that location. As traffic heads north on Victoria, the single lane diverges into two lanes before the intersection. Traffic in the other direction is two lanes that converge heading towards Gold Creek. At council on March 9, CAO Wayne Staudt said the RCMP is looking at reports of speeding on Victoria, which is one of the issues reported by the public.
See VICTORIA, Page 3