Burns Lake Lakes District News, June 10, 2015

Page 1

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Volume 95 - No. 23

www.ldnews.net

$1.30 GST inc.

BURNS LAKE

LAKES DISTRICT NEWS

Colleymount residents want road conditions improved A petition has gathered almost 200 signatures

FLAVIO NIENOW Colleymount residents have been expressing their concerns over the conditions of Colleymount Road and gathering signatures for a petition to demand change. Frank Lehmann and Rita Lavoie, both Colleymount residents, were recently at the Lakeview Mall in Burns Lake talking to locals and gathering signatures for their petition. The petition received almost 200 signatures over a period of two days. “We heard many stories of concern and outrage [during those two days at Lakeview Mall],” said Lavoie. The Colleymount Road extends from Francois Lake’s ferry landing to km 54 (west corner of Francois Lake). Safety issues include a major increase of commercial and non-commercial traffic; narrow, blind corners and sloughing on both road portions and embankments. There are also maintenance concerns relating to snow removal, sanding, grading and brushing. “This is a very old road that never had a proper base,” explained Lavoie. “Almost 30 km of it has been seal coated, and even sections of that are sloughing, narrow and have potholes.” “This road was not built for the length or width of today’s vehicles,” she added. Lavoie said concerns about Colleymount Road culminated in a community meeting of about 60 people in early ...see COLLEYMOUNT ▼ P7

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Mike Robertson captured this aerial shot of the Cheslatta gravesite. This current flood has not exposed any human remains yet.

Still no solution for flooding at Cheslatta Lake system

“Rio Tinto Alcan is the one to blame,” says Mike Robertson FLAVIO NIENOW

In the story ‘Cheslatta looking to stop the floods’ published in the Lakes District News’ July 9, 2014, Mike Robertson, Senior Policy Advisor for Cheslatta Carrier Nation, said he was confident that a resolution regarding the annual flooding at the Cheslatta Lake waterway system would occur before the end of summer. It’s now been almost a year and the

situation still hasn’t been resolved. “We are definitely getting frustrated,” said Robertson. “Something better happen soon.” The annual flooding of the Cheslatta system is due to the annual summer temperature management spills that are necessary to maintain a safe water temperature in the Nechako River for the migrating salmon. The Kenny Dam was built in 1952 to create a water reservoir to supply downstream hydro-electric turbine to power the Rio Tinto Alcan aluminum smelters. More than 120,000 acres of land were flooded, creating the Nechako reservoir. Since the Kenny Dam was built and the Skins Lake spillway was constructed to release water from the Nechako reservoir into the upper Nechako River, high

Grow, have fun and learn!

water flows and massive erosion have caused extensive flooding of the Cheslatta Lake waterway system. The constant influx and retreat of water levels means that buried graves are occasionally exposed. During the original flooding of the lake and river system, coffins were seen floating on Cheslatta Lake and bones washed up along the shoreline. Since then, Cheslatta gravesites have frequently been disturbed by the regular flooding of the Cheslatta system. Robertson said there are no human remains floating ashore this year. However, he said he won’t know the full extent of the damage until the water goes down. “This current flood has not exposed any human ...see CHESLATTA ▼ P10

It’s time to enroll your child in the CNC Ashurst Daycare for the fall season! A welcoming, nurturing environment for children from birth to 6. Opens September 8, 2015.

Your Community Daycare 250 692 1720

Phone: 250.692.1700 • Fax: 250.692.1750 • Toll Free: 1.866.692.1943 545 Highway 16 West • PO Box 5000, Burns Lake, BC • V0J 1E0 Email: lksdist@cnc.bc.ca • Website: www.cnc.bc.ca/lakesdistrict


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