LOCAL NEWS: SAR LEARNS THE ROPES ▼ A3
Times
Thursday, May 14, 2015 ▼ Volume 51 No. 20 ▼ www.clearwatertimes.com ▼ $1.35 Includes GST
THE
NORTH THOMPSON
SMOKEY THE BEAR:
2014
CCNA BLUE RIBBON
Hirsute first responder. See page A3 inside.
Upper Clearwater riding arena now officially open Christine Westerveld riding Marcus carries the Canadian flag as she and other members of Wells Gray Riders Association’s Giddy Up Girls drill team help officially open the new riding arena next to Upper Clearwater Hall on Saturday. Photos by Keith McNeill
First Place Best All Round Newspaper & Best Editorial Page Second Place Best Front Page All of Canada <1,250 circulation 2014 First Place General Excellence B.C. and Yukon <2,000 circulation 2014
Fire ban starts Friday Keith McNeill A ban on open fires will take effect in Clearwater Fire Zone starting at noon on Friday, May 15. Unusually dry conditions caused Wildfire Management officials to move up the open burning ban one month from June 15. “The main reason for the change was that the medium range forecast did not show any significant rainfall for the next 10 to 12 days,” said Vaughn McCaig, forest protection technician at Clearwater Fire Zone. McCaig noted that the open burning ban does not include campfires, but added that even campfires can easily cause forest fires with the present conditions. “Starting last Friday there’s been a pocket of very dry air over Clearwater and the rest of the central Interior,” he said. “We had 12 to 15 per cent relative humidity over the weekend, which is very dry.” Similar drying trends have been recorded at higher elevation weather stations such as at Coldscaur, Berry and Harbor lakes. The BC Forest Service weather station in Clearwater recorded 16 mm of rainfall during April, compared to a 10-year average of 25.
The first part of May has continued the drying trend. The open burning ban applies not just to Clearwater Fire Zone but to all of the Kamloops Fire Centre, which stretches from the northern boundary of Wells Gray Park to the U.S. border. Specifically, prohibited activities include: • The burning of any waste, slash or other materials (piled or unpiled) larger than one-half metre by onehalf metre. • The burning of more than two open fires of any size at the same time. • Stubble or grass fires of any size over any area. • The use of fireworks, sky lanterns or burning barrels of any size or description. Clearwater Fire Zone has responded to two callouts so far this season – one in East Blackpool on April 19, the second in Blackpool near the end of Caroline Road on Monday. Blackpool Fire Department had Monday's fire under control in a short time. The zone has two Initial Attack crews again this year. The new crew leaders are Ben Louwerse and Jessie Akers.
Simpcw elect new chief Times Staff
Overall view gives some idea of the size of the new arena. The site was formerly occupied by a ballfield that hadn't been used for many years.
Karren Brown on Rayne competes in the keyhole event during a gymkhana held as part of the opening day. For more gymkhana results, see page A12 inside.
Fred Fortier, a band councillor for 26 years, is the new chief of Simpcw First Nation. The band held its elections on April 26 and Fortier will be sworn in on June 1. He takes the place of former Chief Rita Matthew, who earlier announced she would not be seeking re-election. Besides Fortier, Christine Donald, Thomas Eustache, Shelly Loring and Don Matthew retained their council seats, while Ronald T. Lampreau Jr. and George Lampreau will be the new faces on Simpcw Council. For another story about Fortier, see page A9.
Highway 5 Little Fort, BC 250-677-4441
Highway 5 Clearwater, BC 250-674-3148
Located on Highway 5
Fred Fortier