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www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 61 No. 32
Working together to reclaim the River Cameron Orr The issue of the use of the Kitimat River bank continues as a sore spot for some, but for others it’s an opportunity waiting to present itself. A citizen-formed think-tank on the Kitimat River, and what to do with it, formed around a conversation made on Facebook, which lead to the creation of Reclaiming the River, a Facebook page dedicated to sharing thoughts about what to do about riverbank camping and other recreational use. But if there’s one thing the group’s founders want clear is that they’re not a group intent on giving the boot to river bank campers. They just want a way for everyone to just get along. “What we’re doing right now is coming up with a list of people who are identified as the stakeholders and we’ll try to meet with them either individually or as a group, after we’ve actually had a public meeting where we can get some idea of public input,” said Liz MacDonald, a cofounder of the group along with Maryann Ouellet. “We want to find something that will be happy for all people to enjoy the river,” said Ouellet. “And come up with a sustainable plan that’s going to work for camping, for people who just want to just go down to spend the day. So right now we’re just taking people’s opinions.” If there’s a sticking point to their concerns, it’s not that people are camping for free, but that people are camped for months at a time, which further begs the question what is happening to all the waste and sewage being generated by those campers. “We’re not saying their necessarily dumping their refuge on the river bank, but if they’re not using their tanks they’re certainly using a washroom somewhere,” said MacDonald. Continued on page 8
New life at Centennial Park begins.
/page 3 ATV safety put in the spotlight.
/page 9 PM477761
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
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The Gyro community Christmas tree, which once stood to the delight of patients at the former hospital, now faces possible destruction with the development of Haisla Town Centre. Cameron Orr
Gyro Christmas tree is now facing an uncertain future Cameron Orr Just like an advent calendar, the community Christmas tree’s days may be numbered. The Gyro Club’s community Christmas tree at the old hospital site may soon disappear with work ongoing at the Haisla Town Centre. The possibility of losing the tree has divided some, with a loyal group of history-minded residents concerned for its possible loss. That includes the Kitimat Gyro Club, who was responsible for planting the trees in the 1960s and maintaining the tree through it’s life. At least immediately though the tree isn’t going anywhere, even if it looks like the developer is moments away from uprooting it. The Sentinel did not get an immediate reply from Kerkhoff Construction through e-mail requests for an interview, but e-mail correspondence between
Leonard Kerkhoff and the mayor show that the work being done right now is to connect the District of Kitimat’s utilities to their property. The tree will stay for now, said Leonard in the e-mails to the mayor, until a plan is made to deal with it. Mayor Phil Germuth shared the knowledge that the professional opinion so far given to Kerkhoff is that the tree relocation would cost $60,000 with no guarantee it will survive the move. The uncertainty around the tree has the Gyro Club on alert. We’re looking at different locations maybe, with a different tree,” said longtime club member Chris Rigoni. He said he’s heard the same reports that the tree may not survive an attempt at relocation. They have no firm plans at this time though and will discuss new locations at a Gryo meeting. Rigoni says the tree was ini-
tially planted in 1964 by Kitimat’s Walter Bors. “He wanted to get the Christmas tradition from his native Germany,” said Rigoni. “That’s how it got started.” Also, in no small part, the tree was meant to give patients at Kitimat General Hospital something to look at. “There was something [to] give them a little Christmas spirit seeing the tree decorated outside.” he said. “That’s what he planned it to do.” The Gyros re-strung LED lights on the tree about six years ago, he added. While the Gyro club is responsible for the tree, maintenance of it has gotten more challenging for members, he said. “When your in your 30s or 40s most of the work was done by the members. Now everybody is reaching 60, 65, 70, and nobody is going to tackle going up on the tree.” The Gyros are a club of 17 at the moment.