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MCLEOD ME TO WE P. 5 EDITORIAL P. 6
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STURGEON CAPTURE P. 7 MADDY POKER RIDE P. 8-10
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Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tension in Vanderhoof rises with the water Rebecca Watson Omineca Express
Photo by Rebecca Watson
FLOODING: April Powers and Dean Kostiuk of Fort Fraser are seen canoeing up their driveway because of high level flooding that has surrounded their home.
Flooding creates moat around Fort Fraser family farm Rebecca Watson Omineca Express Walking to the bus may be a drag for some teenagers but for one Fort Fraser family, canoeing to the bus has become a
harsh reality. “It sucks,” Destiny Cameron, 15, said. Destiny’s home sits on roughly 102 acres just east of Fort Fraser and has been completely surrounded by water for weeks. The 300 yard driveway is four feet under in some areas. The family must now
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canoe most of the driveway if they wish to leave, sometimes three or four times a day, April Powers said, mother of the two teens who reside at the home. “Our house is literally an island right now,” Powers said. Continued on page 2
Happy 60th Birthday Leanne!! Come celebrate with us with cake and coffee!
Inconsistencies with flow target numbers has caused some heat between Vanderhoof residents and Rio Tinto Alcan. The smelting company, which manages the Kenny Dam and Skins Lake Spillway and controls the flow of waters into the Nechako, held an information session on their flow forecast Thursday, May 28. As it stands, RTA has a flow target for Vanderhoof of 700 m3/s but so many variables could change the forecast day to day, Justus Benckhuysen, operations coordinator in Vanderhoof said at the meeting. “Even now today there is a 60 per cent chance of reaching 700 m3/s and a two per cent chance of reaching 900 m3/s. And 900 m3/s is a big consequence and that’s something we are very aware of,” he said. As of Monday, June 1 the Nechako River sits at 633 m3/s with an expected rise of 30 centimetres since Thursday by mid week. “The numbers can go up and down very quickly, but as of right now 30 centimetres is a safe bet,” Benckhuysen said. During the presentation Benckhuysen spoke about decisions RTA makes daily on whether or not to release more water. He spoke of uncertainties created through variables such as temperature fluctuation, rain fall, climate change and melting snow pack. “But I still struggle with their math,” Vanderhoof mayor Gerry Thiessen said at the meeting. “To me it has to be consistent. The science and math are there and they should know what they’re doing.” At one point, an argument sparked between mayor Thiessen and Mike Long, Kitimat RTA representative, about a phone call council received the day before. “Yesterday morning we were told to prepare for 800 m3/s now it’s gone way down,” councillor Kevin Moutray said at the meeting. Continued on page 2 and 3