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Vol. 64, Issue 168
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STEWART WILSON PHOTO
The dwindling body of water known as Idlewild Lake may be a relatively small place, but its population is surprisingly diverse and vibrant. Along with the resident painted turtles and wildfowl, Canada’s greatest rodents make Idlewild their home. These furry aquatic neighbours include the beaver (left) and muskrat (right) — these particular individuals were photographed by Stewart Wilson during a recent excursion.
Cracknell trades stick for shovel to contain wildfire T R E V O R C R AW L E Y
After a professional hockey career runs its course, Adam Cracknell can now add firefighting to his resume. The former Kootenay Ice standout was out in Moyie on Saturday afternoon, helping community members douse a small wildfire that flared up after a windstorm knocked down a power transformer. “The power went out and we saw smoke coming in from the highway,” Cracknell said, who is currently skating with veterans at Kootenay Ice training camp this week. “I called it in right away and they said they got a lot of calls on it. “My neighbour and I looked at each other and you could see the flames, and just knowing how dry it is and what’s going on around here, we figured let’s grab some shovels and go help it out and try to contain it.”
And so, Cracknell, along with a few others, headed up a hill roughly five kilometres south of Moyie Lake with shovels and water jugs in hand to tackle the budding wildfire. “There was a path that, we felt that if it jumped the path, it could’ve really gotten out of
control because there was no way of getting above it and there’s no way we could’ve climbed the hill to try and contain it,” Cracknell said. “We felt if we got above the fire, with the wind…we had a good source of sand there, we could just use our shovels and launch sand on it.”
Luckily, one of the group was a retired forest firefighter who was able to keep the volunteers safe as they worked on the small blaze for 45 minutes before an initial attack crew and helicopter arrived on-site.
See CRACKNELL, Page 3
Helicopter pilot battled heavy winds, wildfire near Moyie BARRY COULTER
Residents of Moyie are grateful for the quick response and bravery exhibited in fighting and putting out a wildfire near Moyie on Saturday. The fire was started when Saturday’s heavy windstorm took out a power pole. “What happened was in the
middle of that terrible windstorm, a branch came down on a transformer and sparked the fire,” said Charlotte Stoneking, a longtime resident of Moyie. “Fortunately, someone driving by — and it was on the same side of the townsite — stopped and called 911 at the Moyie store.”
Goats move in a yard infested with knapweed.
?Aq’am’s goat grazing project deemed success C AROLYN GR ANT
Stoneking had great praise for the Moyie Emergency Response Team — “a wonderful volunteer group. They were on scene right away, and realized they couldn’t actually get to the fire. BC Forest Service was then immediately on scene.”
This past summer, a unique noxious weed trial involving target-grazing goats was performed on the St. Mary Band lands. Cailey Chase of Cailey Chase’s Plants worked with Rocky Ridge Vegetation Control on the month-long ?Aq’am Goat Grazing Project. Chase sent a report on the project to Kimberley City Council, who had indicated some interest in the use of goats for weed control.
See RESIDENTS, Page 3
See GOAT, Page 3