Wednesday December 9, 2015 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST INCLUDED
Ministry promises upgrade Trans-Canada Highway: Changes designed to improve safety at Sunnybrae intersection. By Tracy Hughes OBSERVER STAFF
Christmas came early for the residents of Sunnybrae, but they will have to wait for summer to receive the gift. After years of complaints and activism from area residents, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has decided to make interim adjustments to the approach of the Trans-Canada Highway at Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road. “Our engineers have completed the review and I can confirm that we will be able to relocate the passing lane to begin west of Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road. This will involve constructing a dedicated right-turn lane for westbound traffic entering Sunnybrae Canoe Point Road,” wrote Steve Sirett with the Ministry of Transportation. Sirrett says design work will start this winter and he expects it to be complete in the summer of 2016, although he notes funding for the project is still to be confirmed. Opal Hendrickson, an area resident who has been advocating for improvements to the highway intersection, says she is thrilled the process is finally moving ahead. “We’ve worked so hard and for so long, close to 10 years, so I’m so excited that we are close to this interim fix.” Hendrickson says the area would benefit from being completely four-laned; however, this new upgrade will improve safety until that can happen. The ministry has not indicated any sort of timeline on when a full upgrade of that section of the Trans-Canada Highway would take place, but it does not appear in any of the ministry’s short-term plans for the next five to 10 years. Hendrickson says a flashing warning signal light is still in the works, but also won’t be installed until spring. The ministry recently completed the installation of new LED street lights at the intersection to improve visibility.
LACHLAN LABERE/OBSERVER
Staying afloat
Shuswap Middle School student Scott Rokosh paddles his team’s vessel to a quick victory during a boat build and race competition between School District #83 middle schools – Carlin, Len Wood and Shuswap – held Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the SASCU Recreation Centre. Rokosh and teammates Willem Biccum, Vivian Kleineniggenkemper, Maureen Moren, Quiana Jacques and Shane Pedroso won gold in the competition. Supported by Skills Canada, the event required each of the 18 teams involved to construct a vessel from cardboard, tape, plastic and a piece of string. For more images, see page A12.
Missing senior found dead By Tracy Hughes and Barb Brouwer OBSERVER STAFF
After an extensive search Monday, the body of Mildred Ekren, 76, was found late Monday night in the waters of Shuswap Lake near the Salmon Arm Wharf. A cause of death has not been released, but no foul play is suspected and the matter has been turned over to the BC Coroners Service. The sad discovery was made after an intensive daylong search by the Salmon Arm RCMP, an RCMP service dog, Shuswap Search and Rescue (SAR) and many other volunteers who joined the effort to find the missing senior. John Schut with Shuswap Search and Rescue said after the woman’s body was spotted by a security guard, the group’s swift water rescue team was called in to
This week The Bantam Chargers run away with the provincial title this weekend in Langley. See A15. It’s a hairy adventure for the whole family at Shuswap Theatre. Find out more on A21.
recover her body from the lake. Ekren had last been seen on Monday, Dec. 7, about 7 a.m. at her residence in the area of Fifth Street and 10th Avenue near the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds. Police were concerned for Ekren’s health and well-being as she suffered from dementia. Shuswap Search and Rescue was called in to assist with the search, which began at the fairgrounds and Blackburn Park and spread outward from there, including some door-to-door searching. Salmon Arm RCMP thanked the public for all their assistance with the search effort. Schut also had high praise for the SAR volunteers, many of whom spent the entire day searching, as well as the many members of the community who joined
EVAN BUHLER/OBSERVER
Looking: Shuswap Search and
Rescue member Rick Granberg searches the fairgrounds on Dec. 7. in or helped out by providing food and warm drinks to the volunteers. “It makes you proud to be from Salmon Arm,” Schut said. “People responded from all over the area, and it was neat to see random people coming to help.”
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............. A12 Sports................A15-A18 Arts & Events ... A19-A21 Time Out................... A22 Vol. 108, No. 49, 40 pages