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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 61 No. 34
A grand stand in tree future?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
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District planners contemplate plaza to house tree, seating Cameron Orr The Gyro Christmas tree remains standing but still no one knows where it will be months down the road. Despite that, the District of Kitimat has put some concepts down on paper, even if there’s been nothing committed too. The Director of Community Planning and Development Gwen Sewell said there are some concepts that involve the tree in a relocated park space, with the development of amphitheater style seating in the area. Any proposed developments relating to this tree would of course depend on its successful transplant to a new location, a process which isn’t guaranteed if it’s even carried out. The Gyro Club have been responsible in maintaining the tree over the past many years, although the Sentinel has learned that it was the Jaycees club, rather than the Gyros, who planted the original tree in the 1960s. The Gyro Club was expected to meet August 20 to talk about their plans on the tree. Sewell said the District has a potential site at the corner of Lahakas and Haisla, effectively right next door to the Haisla Town Centre, that could be used for a new tree location, “in possibly a plazakind-of location with amphitheater seating to allow other events to occur that space.” The tree will eventually have to go one way or another to make way for road access to the Haisla Town Centre development at that location.
Kildala PAC celebrates new playground.
/page 3 Funding boost for Hospital Foundation.
/page 7 PM477761
A sweet smile Kitimat Leisure Services hosted a Picnic in the Park August 20, held in the Lions Park between the library and the Century House building. The event was well attended and there was cake served for those who came out, and whipped cream plates served for this volunteer at the Pie in the Face station.
Golf club seeks $60K from town While the condenser will just provide betThe Hirsch Creek Golf and Winter Club is ter efficiency, the dehumidifier itself will require seeking a $60,000 advance on a financial support “They’re replacement before they can begin making ice application they’ve submitted to the District to definitely in a again. keep them going through their year-end. The cost for the driving range cover is estiThe money would go towards reducing their much better mated at $40,000, but that is a temporary budoverdraft fees and to provide a boost to their opposition than get, and may be reduced once the board finds erations through to the end of the calendar year. they were, out how much industrial donation will fit in to it. The request was not debated or voted on by councillors at the August 17 public meeting. management He said the steel has already been donated, but costs such as equipment are so far unknown. Golf club President Robin Lapointe says the wise and The club’s golf pro Steve Haggard said the club at the moment is $277,000 in the hole, including $196,000 of long-term debt. accountability revenues from curling last year was approximately $50,000. The entirety of the club’s financial request to wise.” Mayor Phil Germuth said the community the town is $162,000. does need it’s golf course, but the council has The club has had a better year than perhaps even the club board would have thought. Operationally they not, by our printing date, debated the financial request from had better revenues, which Lapointe says was partly due to the the club directly. “There’s no doubt they’re getting everything in good weather and an early start to the season. Even that good fortune was tempered with capital order there. The new manager, the new executive are doing a great job,” said Germuth.“They’re definitely in a much betexpenses which had surfaced over the past year. The immense snow dump in February crushed their ter position than they were, management wise and accountdriving range cover and they’ll need to replace that. A techni- ability wise.” Last year the golf club did receive $100,000 support cian’s report on the curling rink’s condenser revealed it would from the District of Kitimat, which was also tied in to deals have to be raised, which is estimated to cost $30,000. Another $30,000 is estimated to replace the dehumidifier which may give the District of Kitimat ownership of certain areas of land near the golf club which the course owns. in the curling rink as well.