COURT FIGHT | Splatsin First Nation pushes for jurisdiction over children in care [A7]
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Puppeteer Sarah Argue, from Ottawa, shows student Connor Robertson how to use a puppet during the Rock the Arts show at Ellison Elementary School.
New top cop on the beat in region Morning Star Staff
He’s no longer the acting head of the VernonNorth Okanagan RCMP, and he’s been promoted. Jim McNamara has now assumed the job officially, promoted from inspector to superintendent on Wednesday after consultation with the communities served by the detachment. “This is a great community to work and live in,” said McNamara. Both he and his wife are active in the community professionally and Jim McNamara personally, and he is a member of Rotary. McNamara has 30 years of experience in policing, primarily in operational and front-line duties. He first came to the Vernon-North Okanagan detachment in 2010, as the operations officer, in
charge of day-to-day operations. The detachment serves a diverse area including Vernon, Coldstream, Spallumcheen, Armstrong, Enderby, Lumby, Falkland and the Splatsin and Okanagan First Nations. “The detachment has an incredible group of competent, capable and dedicated employees, police officers and volunteers,” said McNamara. “And they do a fantastic job of working with the communities to help keep all of us safe.” Before coming to the North Okanagan, McNamara worked in an advisory role for the B.C. RCMP in its southeast district office, and it was there that he honed his relationship building skills, ensuring RCMP detachments in the area were meeting the expectations of the communities they served. His previous experience also includes watch and operations commands, command of the tactical troop and oversight of crime prevention and victim services for a large Lower Mainland
detachment. All of his policing service is within B.C. “During his service with Vernon-North Okanagan detachment, Jim has built strong relationships with local government officials and First Nations communities,” said chief superintendent Brad Haugli, B.C. RCMP southeast district commander. “Those relationships were instrumental in his being named to head the detachment. Policing is very much something we do in partnership with our communities.” McNamara’s appointment has been welcomed by the City of Vernon. “Jim has demonstrated a strong commitment to communication with the city and engagement with the citizens of Vernon and the North Okanagan,” said Mayor Akbal Mund. “His leadership skills and vast knowledge base will benefit the organization, the community and the region.
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Armstrong wants to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 with a year-long party. A community meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m. at city hall to brainstorm possible ideas. “We hope to coordinate groups and organizations, and have at least one major event each month in 2017,” said Armstrong Coun. Shirley Fowler. September 2017 has basically been taken care of, as the city will play host to its 118th annual Interior Provincial Exhibition, and will host a number of events in the B.C. 55-Plus Games, awarded to the City of Vernon, starting Sept. 15, 2017. One of the topics likely to be discussed on Oct. 22 is possible funding for birthday ideas. Funding was to be available through a Canada 150 Community Grant fund, but the fund has been put on hold until after Monday’s federal election. “There are very few grants where organizations in the community can apply for government funding, usually they have to go through city hall, but this is one of them,” said Fowler. “We wanted to make sure as many groups in Armstrong had a chance to look into that fund, think of some opportunities for their group to fall within the criteria of this funding and apply.” If the funding is not available, Fowler doesn’t plan on letting it stop celebrating Canada’s 150th. “We want to have a banner year to celebrate the milestone birthday,” said Fowler.
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