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Ethan and Ryder were among the children from the Sonshine Children’s Centre who spent the morning on August 12th exploring the District of Invermere’s Public Works yard, where district staff offered the children a tour and answered their questions. PHOTO BY BREANNE MASSEY
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Valley-related topics to be tackled at UBCM STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Columbia Valley directors are requesting meeting with various provincial ministers during the upcoming Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention in September. “While these meetings are brief, usually 15 minutes, they do give us the opportunity to speak directly with the ministers about what is happening in our communities,” said RDEK Area F director Wendy Booth. This year the RDEK directors are hoping for meetings with the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development about the status of Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort Municipality; with the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training about the Columbia Valley branding and marketing; with the Environment Minister about the Multi-Mate-
rial BC program and ensuring adequate indicated they are going to proceed recycling services in the East Kootenay; with a scaled-back version of the resort, and with the Minister of Forests, Lands with fewer than 2,000 bed units. The and Natural Resource Operations (FLN- smaller the projects gets, the smaller RO) about using funds from the sale of the permanent-year round population Lake Windermere foreshore properties will be. At 2,000 bed units, which would to help improve public access to the include all guest and visitors beds as lake. Also, the District of Invermere will well as second homes, it seems almost be (separately from impossible that there It will be the RDEK) joining a will be a permanent meeting requested large interesting to see population by Oak Bay municienough to sustain a what comes with a fresh pality (which is near municipality.” Victoria) with FLN- set of ears. Taft said that when GERRY TAFT RO about urban deer MAYOR, DISTRICT OF INVERMERE he’s previously asked management. the officials with MinThe request for the meeting on Jum- istry of Community, Sport and Cultural bo municipality was the idea of Inver- Development what the minimum nummere mayor Gerry Taft. ber of year-round residents needed for “The main purpose it to ask, now with a viable municipality is, the answer the Environment Assessment Certificate he’s been given is 400 — a number Taft expired and the substantial start not said he feels is unlikely to be reached met, what’s the future of the municipal- with a 2,000 bed-unit resort. ity,” he said. “Resort proponents have Taft also said he’s curious to hear
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new Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Peter Fassbender’s position on Jumbo. “The previous minister, Coralee Oakes, flat out said we’re going to agree to disagree. She thought it (the municipality) was a good idea. I didn’t. She had a firm line. It will be interesting to see what comes with a fresh set of ears,” said Taft. The meeting with the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training about the Columbia Valley branding and marketing is to update the minister on progress on the initiative so far, said Booth, adding the project currently has a steering committee that is looking at the concept of a sub-regional destination marketing organization. Both Booth and Taft said the concerns about the Multi-Material BC — the subject of the meeting the Environment Minister — are shared across the East Kootenay. See A8
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