Crews respond to abandoned building fire behind the Hamilton Hotel
Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Wiliams Lake Fire Department was called to a structure fire just after midnight Sunday, June 8, behind the Hamilton Hotel.
Assistant Fire Chief Cory Boyd said they were paged at 12:11 a.m.
“Initially when we came there a large part of the structure was already full involved,” he told the Tribune Sunday morning. “We were able immediately to make sure the Hamilton Hotel was OK and they were evacuated.”
It took crews an hour to about an hour-and-a-half to get the fire knocked down, he said.
Firefighters remained on scene to ensure the hot spots were all gone and wouldn’t light up again before returning to the fire hall around 6 a.m. where they were still putting away equipment at 6:30 a.m.
“Nobody was in the structure and nobody got hurt as far as we could tell,” Boyd confirmed.
For its response they used Engine 11, Ladder 11, Engine 14 and two duty pickups.
“The ladder aerial was used to knock down most of the fire throughout to gain access. It being kind of a derelict abandoned building we were just really cautious not to send anyone
inside. We did the best we could and luckily we could access both sides of the building.”
BC Emergency Health Services also responded, along with the RCMP.
In 2023 there was fire at the site and in 2012.
The Hamilton Inn presently operates as a low barrier emergency homeless shelter operated by Canadian Mental Health.
On Monday evening, June 9, there was wildland fire behind Stampede Glass.
Boyd said the fire department responded at 11:30 p.m. and then again as there was a small log involved in the fire.
“This morning at 5:30 a.m. we were also called to a campfire in the river valley,” he told the Tribune Tuesday, June 10. “It wasn’t a hazard but we did some education about it to the people having the fire.”
Boyd said the RCMP attended as well.
“It wasn’t on city land,” Boyd said of the campfire’s location.
RCMP seize drugs, firearms during search warrant, arrest 2 people
Two people were arrested in Williams Lake after drugs, illegal cigarettes, firearms, ammunition and cash were seized at a residence on Smith Street in the city.
Williams Lake RCMP along with the Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit (CC-CRU) executed a search warrant at the location on Thursday, June 5.
The CC-CRU had been deployed in Williams Lake to assist with criminal enforcement actions in local crime.
“On June 4, 2025, during proactive enforcement, police observed a vehicle
whose occupants appeared to be actively trafficking in drugs,” noted a news release from Madonna Saunderson, North District NCO media relations.
Police obtained a search warrant and when the home was searched, they located suspected cocaine, magic mushrooms, fentanyl, methamphetamine, different types of pills, several cartons of suspected illegal cigarettes, firearms, ammunition, approximately $5000 in cash as well other items related to the drug trafficking.
While one adult man was arrested in the residence, police said, a second person, believed to
be a resident of the home, arrived during the search, attempted to flee but was arrested without incident.
“During the arrest police found suspected cocaine in a sealed package on his person.
Insp. Rob Lake, OIC Williams Lake RCMP said the RCMP are committed to proactive, targeted enforcement of the illegal drug trade in our city with public safety being our top priority.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time, more details may be released as they become available, noted the release.
Sid Harry captured the fire on video. (Sid Harry video image)
Williams Lake Tribune Staff
Williams Lake RCMP seized firearms during a search warrant Thursday, June 5. (Photo submitted)
Melissa Coates elected as trustee in SD 27 byelection
Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
Voters have chosen Melissa Coates to sit as trustee on the School District 27 board of education for the remainder of the 2022-2026 term.
Byelection results were announced onJune7,2025,withCoatesgarnering a total of 45 votes to represent trustee Zone 4, which falls in the Cariboo Regional District’s Area F and parts of Area D.
“I am thrilled and deeply honoured to have been elected as a trustee for School District 27,” Coates said in a message to Black Press Media. “I feel truly blessed to be given this opportunity to serve our students, families and schools.”
Neal Matoga and Connor Ikoma were also vying for the role, Matoga collecting 17 votes and Ikoma collecting six.
The board of education has been waiting for a seventh trustee to join its ranks since November 2024 following former trustee and board chair Ciel Patenaude’s resignation.
A byelection to fill the role was first held in February 2025 but was
cancelled due to miss-scheduling and a failure to acquire a list of voters, leading to the election being unable to lawfully proceed.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote and for the incredible outpouring of support online - your encouragement means the world to me,”Coates said. “I’m ready to work hard, listen closely and help make real change where it’s needed most.”
The board’s next regular public meeting will be held on June 23, after which there will be a two month summerhiatusbeforetheboardreturnsfor public meetings in September 2025.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Location: Tatla Lake Community Hall
The Board of Directors of the Cariboo Regional District gives notice that it will hold a Public Hearing to consider proposed Bylaw 5504.
Chilcotin Area Rural Land Use Amendment Bylaw No. 5504, 2025 amends Bylaw No. 3500, 1999 by rezoning part of the property from Rural 1 (RR 1) zone to Rural 2 (RR 2) zone.
If passed, it will allow for a two lot subdivision.
Lot 2, District Lot 181, Range 2, Coast District, Plan 43802 4880 McGhee Rd
All persons who believe that their interest in property may be affected by the proposed Bylaw(s) shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Public hearings are to be held by a delegate of the Cariboo Regional District Board. A copy of the CRD resolution is available for public inspection. Written submissions (via the options below) must be submitted at our Williams Lake Office forty-eight hours prior to the hearing. All verbal and written submissions will become part of the public record.
How do I get more information?
Copies of the proposed Bylaws and all supporting documents are available for inspection on the CRD’s website or at the Cariboo Regional District office at 180 D North 3rd Avenue, Williams Lake, BC, between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, from June 12, 2025 to June 24, 2025 inclusive (excepting public holidays).
For info and submissions:
RCMP respond to 175 calls June 1 to 6
Williams Lake RCMP have provided a weekly report with highlights for the first time in many years.
Between June 1 and 6, 2025, the detachment responded to 175 calls for service with frontline officers responding to numerous calls from well-being checks to assaults.
Frontline officers were conducting proactive patrols along ProctorStreetinWilliamsLakeonSunday,June1,andobserved a man who had an outstanding unendorsed warrant. Officers arrested the man without incident and he was held for court.
A patrol officer conducting patrols in Boitanio Park located a man allegedly breaching his court ordered conditions. The man was taken into custody without incident. Curtis Paul is now accused of one count of breach of release and was held in custody.
On Tuesday, June 3, a frontline officer located a man failingtocomplywithhisconditions.Themanwasarrest ed at a local shop, found in possession of a weapon and drugs which were alleged breaches to his conditions. The man was held in custody,
During a proactive traffic stop on Oliver Street, officers arrested a vehicle’s occupants for an excise offence and located a small amount of drugs, as well as illegal tobacco products.
During a night shift, officers located and removed two vehicles off the roads during traffic stops. Both were separate incidences of impaired driving. Each driver received 90 day driving prohibitions and had their vehicles impounded for 30 days.
the suspect. The suspect was later located and arrested during an early morning patrol.
Williams Lake RCMP attended a report of a theft at a local business. Officers located the suspect who had fled and arrested him. The suspect was released on strict conditions and provided a court date.
Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit and Williams Lake Detachment conducted surveillance on a high drug trafficking location. A Local known drug trafficker was stopped after observations were made that he was conducting drug transactions. A small amount of prescription drugs was seized.
Cariboo-ChilcotinCrimeReductionUnitalongwithWilliams Lake GIS conducted a traffic stop and arrested two occupants of a vehicle observed in a high drug use area. The occupants were arrested. Officers located a small amount of Crack Cocaine and a prohibited weapon, both were seized. Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit conducted a traffic stop with a vehicle that was driving erratically in Williams Lake. The driver had been observed in a high drug trafficking area earlier. The driver was detained for impaired driving by drug. A drug recognition officer conducted a field test and the driver was deemed to be impaired by drug.
A frontline officer doing night patrol located two different people on June 4, on outstanding warrants. A woman with an outstanding warrant was arrested and released and a man was arrested and held for court on outstanding charges.
Additionally, an officer conducting proactive traffic enforcement stopped a vehicle speeding on Windmill Crescent. The driver was found to be impaired and received a 90-day driving prohibition and 30 day vehicle impound.
Duringanothertrafficstop,membersof theCariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit seized bear spray from a vehicle occupied by a known prolific offender in Williams Lake.
Officers of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit also conducted a stop of a vehicle suspected to be engaged in drug trafficking. Cocaine was seized from the occupant.
PolicerespondedtoabreakandenteratalocalbusinessonJune 5. Officers conducted an extensive investigation and identified
DuringatrafficstopCariboo-ChilcotinCrime ReductionUnitmemberslocatedillicitcigarettes and the driver was arrested. The vehicle was searched and additional illicit cigarettes were located and seized.
Officers of Williams Lake GIS and Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit observed a man smoked Methamphetamine at a bus stop in front of the Boys and Girls ClubinWilliamsLake.Themanwasarrestedandasmallamount of Methamphetaminewaslocatedandseized.Themanreported that he was unhoused and in desperate need of services. Officers offered assist the man in seeking out support but he declined. Police were called to the 1100 block of Mackenzie Ave. North on June 6, to a report that a man was waving a knife around. Officers flooded the area and located a man matching the suspect description walking with a screwdriver in his hand. The man was cooperative with officers and apologetic for the call. No criminal offence had taken place.
Officers were called out to an unwanted person at a school. The man reported that he was just lying there to thaw out. The man was advised that he could not be at the school as it is a closed campus. The man was cooperative and left on foot to thaw out.
No representations will be received by the Board of Directors after the Public Hearing has been concluded.
Melissa Coates was elected as trustee for SD 27 Zone 4 on June 7, 2025. (Submitted photo)
Williams Lake Tribune Staff
Sonja Vernon-Wood and her dog Jesus enjoy some outside time
Miguel Mack’s family brings his body home to Bella Coola
The family of Miguel Mack, whose body was found two years after he was last seen in Merritt on Feb. 17, 2023, brought him home to Bella Coola to lay him to rest.
In a statement to Black Press Media Tuesday, the family said when they received the news his body had been found on Monday, June 2, it both shattered their hearts and brought long-awaited closure.
“For years, we have lived with the pain of not knowing… As we begin the difficult process of laying our brother, our son, and a devoted father of two to rest, we carry him home with love and honour.”
The family embarked on a journey from Kamloops to their homelands of Bella Coola on Thursday afternoon, June 5. It was a journey filled with immense support and spiritual strength, they said.
“Along the way, we were met with open arms—welcomed by elders, children, singers, drummers, chiefs, friends, and family at every stop. From 70 Mile House to Williams Lake, Tl’etinqox, Redstone, Anahim Lake, and finally into the heart of the Nuxalk Nation, each step was guided by love.”
As we arrived, the lights of our caravan illuminated the mountain, a symbol of unity and collective grief. We were greeted at the foot of the hill by hundreds who gathered to honour Miguel—a strong yet gentle soul, so loving, so pure.”
It is a journey the family said they will forever cherish.
“The outpouring of love has lifted us during one of our darkest moments. We thank every individual who stood with us, sang with us, cried with us. Miguel is finally home.”
A celebration of life was held Saturday, June 7, at the Nuxalk Hall in Bella Coola. Miguel Domingo Albert Mack was born in Bella Coola on May 24, 1998.
Mack was first reported missing to Merritt RCMP on March 3, 2023.
His disappearance was deemed suspicious and the Southeast District Major Crime Unit took over the investigation. RCMP Police Dog Services, air services, forensic identification specialists with remotely piloted aircraft systems and family and volunteers all participated in multiple large-scale searches through the Merritt and Nicola Valley areas.
One year after he was reported missing, RCMP said the investigation had shown that Mack’s disappearance was a result of foul play and he was the victim of a suspected homicide.
RCMP said the investigation into Mack’s death is ongoing.
“The investigation into Miguel Mack’s death continues to remain a priority. There are people out there with direct and indirect knowledge of Miguel Mack’s death and we are asking those individuals to come forward and contact the police,” Staff Sgt. Jason Smart, unit commander for the Southeast District’s major crime unit, said.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Mack is asked to contact the Southeast District major crime unit information line at 1-877-987-8477.
– With files from Lauren Collins
HOW TO PLAY:
Fillinthegridsothatevery row, everycolumnand every3x3boxcontains thenumbers 1 through9 onlyonce.Each3x3boxis outlinedwith a darker line Youalreadyhave a few numberstogetyoustarted Remember:youmust notrepeat thenumbers 1 through9 inthesameline, columnor3x3box.
Monica Lamb-Yorski
The late Miguel Mack, centre, was brought home to Bella Coola by his family Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The late Miguel Mack was born in Bella Coola on May 24, 1998.
The late Miguel Mack was an avid ball player.
VIEWPOINTS
• Publisher Kathy McLean • Editor Monica Lamb-Yorkski • Published by Black Press Ltd.
188 N. 1st Avenue, Williams Lake, B.C. V2G 1Y8
Free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad. - Albert Camus
June full of special days
June is nearly halfway over and I’m not even sure where May went.
Congratulations Melissa Coates, our new School District Trustee. You have interesting days ahead.
******
Every month has special days. Not all “Days” are widely celebrated — or even widely known. June 13 is special locally this year because it’s Lake City Secondary School’s graduation. Congratulations Grads as you step into a new Chapter of your lives. Other special days. Pride month began June 1. June is also Candy Month. June 1 was Parent’s Day. June 2-8 was Senior’s week. Most of us know June 15 is Fathers’ Day, but who knew it’s National Milk Day?
June 5 was World Environment Day. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded German held Normandy, France, and secured a foothold in spite of huge casualties. Called D- Day, the invasion was the beginning of the end of WW11.
June 8 was International Oceans Day. June 21, summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. Friday, June 27 is Canadian Multicultural Day.
On June 19, the Tsilhqot’in Nation will celebrate Yeztan Biny Gagghut (Tezan Biny Agreement). After decades of fighting to protect the land from mining proposals, the Nation has reached consent agreements with the Province and Taseko mines. That’s a celebration I hate to have to miss. It took much time and determination, but the Tsilhqot’in Nation finally proved their point on both history and the environment.
*******
I don’t get out or about anymore so I don’t get a first hand look at people and needles and stuff littering public places, but the fires are scaring me. They are a completely different thing. Fires in garbage containers are a worry bu do we add burning city buildings to our concern over wildfires?
Our Viewpoint Congratulations 2025 Grads
It’s hard to believe it but graduation weekend has arrived in Williams Lake.
Graduates from Lake City Secondary School, TRU trades programs, Skyline, Cariboo Adventist Academy, Tl’etinqox School, Tatla Lake School and those enrolled in distant education will be celebrating their achievements.
One of the ways the students and their families include the community each year is by participating in the Dry Grad Parade.
People begin lining the streets early for the event rain or shine just to see the grads in their finery and just how creative some of them are with their floats.
Staging begins at 4:30 p.m. along Second Avenue in front of the City Works Yard with street closures at 5 p.m. The parade will depart at 5:30 p.m. from in front of the School District 27 office.
From there it will wind its way through
Prolific
crime
can’t be ignored
Justaweekago,WilliamsLakecitycouncilwasconsideringdeclaringastateof localemergencyoverthepublic safety,homelessnessandcrimeissuesinthecommunity. Thisemergencymeasurehasbeenshelvedfornow,as theB.C.NDPgovernmentfinallyseemstohaverealized Williams Lake needs support from the province. Small cities like Williams Lake are really not in the financial position to complete the work needed with respect to housing, mental health and addictions treatment, and the level of policing required.
AccordingtoanemailsentfromPublicSafetyMinister Garry Begg to Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, the RCMP committed to deploying the Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit to assess the situation and develop an action plan.
Inaddition,throughthisyear’sCivilForfeitureGrant program, three Williams Lake-based non-profits (Big BrothersBigSistersof WilliamsLake,theCariboo-Chilcotin Partners for Literacy Society, and the Canadian Mental Health Association Cariboo Chilcotin) will receive$90,000betweenthemtofundinitiativesthataim to prevent crime and enhance public safety.
Cariboo-Chilcotin needs all the support offered, but $90,000 is less than a drop in the bucket.
town as shown in the map above, ending at Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex parking lot so that students and families can enjoy taking photographs in nearby Boitanio Park.
There are more than 270 graduates this year. We at the Tribune plan to attend the parade to take photographs and videos which will be shared in a special Grad 2025 section of the paper next week. Congratulations graduates.
Celebrate well, keep safe all weekend, and enjoy the grad ceremonies and the Dry Grad events at the recreation complex Saturday night graduates and guests.
Thank you as well to all the many businesses and organizations who provide funding for the Dry Grad, as well as thousands of dollars in bursaries and scholarships.
As they say, it takes a village to raise a child and see them through to adulthood.
I feel the same way about the $5 million the province announcedtheywillallocatetowardsnewpolicingtechnology and increased patrols to address crime in B.C.’s downtown centres.
Fivemilliondollarsonlyamountstoaboutonedollar per head in B.C. In Williams Lake alone, we are facing assaults in public parks, violent break-ins at local businesses,publicindecency,propertydamageandfires,and open drug use. How far can $5 million really go when downtownVictoria,Nanaimo,PrinceGeorge,Williams Lake, and more are all in a disordered state?
The problems we see in these cities originate with untreated mental illness, brain injury, and addiction. If we truly want long-term success, the mental health and addictions crisis must be addressed.
Look, Williams Lake won’t turn away any offer for increasedRCMPpresenceorformorecrimeprevention funding, but what I’m ultimately asking for is a crackdown on catch-and-release bail.
Prolific crime can’t be ignored, and there must be change with respect to incarcerating prolific offenders. We need a commitment from the NDP government to either keep these repeat offenders incarcerated, or treat them, or both.
The Dry Grad 2025 parade route for Saturday, June 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dianna French French Connection
Lorne Doerkson
VIEWPOINTS/LETTERS
What’s in a name? Rethinking trail names that offend or exclude
I remember the first time I rode a trail with a name that made me cringe. It was clever, yes. It probably got a few laughs when it was first carved into the signpost by a small crew of riders who had no idea how far their work would travel, how many wheels would pass over their creation. But as I stood there with a group of youth from a nearby First Nation, the name felt out of place. Maybe even disrespectful. One of the young women raised an eyebrow. Another looked away. We rode it anyway, but the name lingered long after the trail had ended.
Mountain biking culture, especially in its early volunteer-built era, has always had a rebellious edge. Trails were often built under the radar, their names coded with inside jokes, double meanings, or nods to pop culture. It was a form of expression, a way to claim space,
sometimes to push boundaries. But many of those names don’t land the same way today as they did in the 1990s. They were often coined by groups of white male riders, largely unaware of the impact their words might have on women, Indigenous people, or other marginalized trail users.
In recent years, this conversation has come to a head. Some trails with provocative or sexualized names have sparked public criticism.
In a few cases, the names have been altered quietly, dropping a word or abbreviating the title to soften its tone.
But the issue isn’t just about a few controversial signs in the forest or on a trail map.
It’s about what kind of culture we’re cultivating and who gets to feel at home in it. Women riders, for example, have spoken openly about feeling unwelcome in spaces where objectifying or aggressive language
is normalized. Indigenous riders may encounter names that feel dismissive or disrespectful to their cultures and histories. These aren’t isolated reactions. They reflect a growing awareness that language matters.
The words we choose matter, especially in the outdoors, where inclusion isn’t always a given. Trail names carry more than just direction; they reflect the values of the communities that build and use them.
When those names ridicule, objectify, or rely on outdated stereotypes, they send a subtle message about who belongs and who doesn’t. Updating trail names isn’t about erasing creativity or humour, it’s about making space for everyone to feel welcome and respected. It signals that the trails, and the culture around them, are evolving with the people who ride them.
Trail names also raise important questions about cultural awareness, inclusion, and respect. These are issues that often overlap with the broader movement toward reconciliation in Canada. For many of us
Curfew won’t solve what housing can
Editor:
I’m writing in response to Councillor Scott Nelson’s recent proposal to impose a city-wide curfew in Williams Lake, which was voted down by council. While it’s clear that our community is facing complex challenges—including addiction, homelessness and public safety—the notion that a curfew will address these issues is both shortsighted and harmful.
What concerns me is not just the proposal itself, but the narrative underneath it: that the presence of vulnerable people in public spaces is a threat best handled by force or removal. We’ve seen this kind of rhetoric elsewhere in Canada, often used to justify policies that criminalize poverty rather than address its root causes.
Scott Nelson is a wealthy man with considerable property holdings in this city, including numerous rental units. With this comes a responsibility to be partof thesolution—notbypushingpeoplefurther into the margins, but by championing meaningful, long-termstrategies:affordablehousing,trauma-informed supports, mental health care, and community-based outreach. These are the approaches that actually work. Declaring a state of emergency to remove the visible symptoms of poverty does not heal the problem; it hides it.
You cannot expect people to heal when they have no place to live. If most of us were out living on the streets with no support, no income, and no safety net, we too would be vulnerable to numbing the
hopelessness and day-to-day fear with substances. It is not a moral failing—it is a survival response.
When your daily life is marked by fear, anger, and hopelessness,howdoyoubegintoheal?Todomore than survive, we need a safe place to rest, food to eat, and support systems rooted in compassion.
We need to deal with this issue with compassion, humanity, and critical thinking to come up with viable solutions. Putting someone in treatment because they are addicted and on the streets—against their will—is not a solution.
What happens when they get out? Where do they go? How do they pay rent? They will have nothing and will be back in the same place. We need to address the underlying issues, not just the behaviour.
We need leaders who understand the difference between safety and suppression. Williams Lake deserves a future built on care, not control.
working alongside Indigenous communities, we’ve come to understand that trails aren’t just paths through the woods. They are layered with meaning, history, and cultural significance.
Recognizing Indigenous land rights includes recognizing the right to name trails. Across the province, some trail systems are now using Indigenous place names, bringing traditional language back onto the land. In some communities names are decided through youth engagement or language revitalization projects. These acts are powerful as they re-center Indigenous presence and ways of knowing.
For example, the Pemberton Off Road Cycling Association has collaborated with the Lílwat Nation to name and rename trails using the Ucwalmícwts language. Trail signs often include QR codes linking to pronunciation guides and cultural information, fostering a deeper connection to the land. Changing a trail name isn’t always easy. It can stir up defensiveness, especially among those
who built the trail or rode it in its early days. But it can also open doors to richer conversations and deeper understanding. Communities that have tackled renaming processes successfully have done so by listening. They engage local riders, Indigenous partners, elders, youth, and long-time trail builders. They create space for education. And they do it with humility, understanding that the trail experience is not just about terrain, but also about story, identity, and belonging.
We don’t have to erase history to build a better future. The spirit of mountain biking has always been about freedom, exploration, and pushing past limits. Perhaps now, the next frontier is cultural. Let’s take the same boldness we use to build features and dig into language. Let’s name trails in ways that honour the land, reflect our values, and invite everyone to ride. Because in the end, trails are for all of us.
Thomas Schoen writes a monthly column on trails for the Carpenter Media’s Cariboo papers.
Jayne Williams-Aleck( Big Lake Ranch, BC Letters to the editor can be dropped off at the Tribune or emailed to editor@wltribune.com. (File photo)
BGC Williams Lake celebrated the organization’s 125 years in Canada and 31 years in Williams Lake with an open house Friday, June 6. The club is always in need of hygiene products for youth and is also looking for a mountain bike leader for Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Executive director Krista Harvey said they have started planning the annual street party for the last Wednesday in August and are looking for volunteers. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
The Tribune welcomes letters to the editor on local, relevant, and topical matters, up to 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, brevity, and legality. All letters and roses/raspberries must include the writer’s full name, daytime telephone number, and hometown for verification purposes. Anonymous letters or those signed with pen names will not be published. The Tribune will make every effort to print all letters and roses/raspberries that meet the above criteria, but cannot guarantee publication in any particular issue. Letters on a variety of topics by a variety of writers will be considered before multiple letters by the same author on the same topic. Letters will be published on the Tribune website at wltribune.com. E-mailed letters are preferred, and can be sent to editor@wltribune.com
Thomas Schoen
Trailblazer Chronicles
Community Events UPCOMING
FORNON-PROFITEVENTS
HAPPENINGWITHIN 2 WEEKS
TIME, DATE & PLACE(NOdollaramounts) ATTENTION ALLNOTICESMUSTBEEMAILED to: lorrie.milsom@quesnelobserver.com Attn: WLCommunity Events
Hours: Tuesday - Saturdayopenfrom11am-3pm We areacceptingdonations.InformationJudy:706-2332orLinda: 396-7118
WILLIAMSLAKEAAMEETINGS
Sunday 7:30pm Open35 Oliver St,Community Church,Rear Entrace
Monday 7:30pm Open1134th Ave,Use LeftDoor at Main Entrance
Tuesday 11:00am Open35 Oliver St,Community Church,Rear Entrance
Thursday 12:00pm Closed,Women”sWoman’sContactSociety Centre, 514 4 th Ave
Thursday 7:00pm Closed, Men’s 35 Oliver St,Community Church,Rear Entrance
Friday 12:00pm Open DennyHouseacrossfrom mainentrance of Cariboo Memorial Hospital
Saturday 9:00am Open CJ’s Restaurant 363rdAve North
Saturday 7:00pm Open Cariboo Friendship Centre, rearentrace
City to receive additional RCMP support from province
Ruth Lloyd
Williams Lake city council voted against declaring a state of local emergency (SoLE) at their special council meeting June 3 after some news from the province.
The six-to-one decision in favour of a recommendation not to declare a SoLE came after the city received an email from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General promising increased RCMP supports from the province.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said the email came just before 4:30 p.m. and he said it provided much of the result the city had been hoping to achieve if it was to declare a state of local emergency. So Rathor put forward a recommendation for the city to wait and give the supports time to take effect during the special meeting being held to discuss a report by staff on declaring a SoLE.
“The RCMP committed to deploying the Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit to Williams Lake to assess the situation and develop operational plans as required,” states the email from Karin MacMillan, chief of staff to the Honourable Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
MacMillan also said the ministry has reached out to connect Williams Lake RCMP to some of the additional funding the province has made available through the Safer Communities Action Plan.
Rathor said in a meeting at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities forum he was at last week, he asked his fellow leaders what they are doing to address issues around crime and homelessness and public safety in their communities.
“There was a pen drop silence in the room because nobody had a solution,” said Rathor. He said afterwards, he was surrounded by leaders asking him about what Williams Lake is doing and all sharing the same issues.
Council all weighed in on the SoLE once again, discussing the issue and the staff report for more than an hour at the Tuesday meeting.
Ongoing open drug use, crime and homelessness have been creating frustration in the community, and putting increasing demands on bylaw enforcement, RCMP and other local resources.
After a heated council debate and public input at the May 27 regular meeting, council passed a motion to request a report from staff on the possibility of declaring a SoLE, which would give authorities special powers for two weeks before the province would have to approve any extension.
Repeated social media posts on vandalism, crime and concerning incidents in the downtown by Coun. Scott Nelson have drawn national media attention and landed the issue squarely in the spotlight.
After the May 27 meeting, staff worked to prepare a report analyzing the city’s option to declare a SoLE, whether it is necessary, feasible and what the implications of doing so might be for addressing public concerns around
threats to public safety.
“Staff acknowledge the considerable complexity of this matter,”writes Evan Dean, director of protective services for the city in the report.
Dean lays out the purpose of a SoLE in allowing municipalities the ability to activate emergency powers, mobilize additional resources, and deal with immediate threats to health and safety.
These could potentially enable the requisition of resources, allow the temporary suspension of bylaws and regulations, and allow the municipality to impose public orders, exert control over personal property, control any land deemed necessary, authorize warrantless entry, and prohibit unauthorized entry in specific locations among other things.
But Dean notes declaration of a SoLE are intended for acute crises and meant for the short-term stabilization of critical situations.
“Street disorder is commonly considered to be driven by systemic challenges, such as limited mental health support, addiction, and inadequate housing, issues that many communities across the province currently face,” states Dean.
The report notes declaring a SoLE may not be enough to address the root causes of the current issues, but potentially could help mobilize additional resources if it gained support at the provincial level.
Coun. Joan Flaspohler said she hopes the provincial resources in the email give the agencies the support they need to help address the longer term issues.
“There is no clean sweep option in my opinion,” said Flaspohler. “Pro-active work is required.”
“I am, on a personal level, very disappointed in the negative media that we have received,” she said, noting the hard work many in the community have been doing and the damage the negative publicity has done to this work.
Coun. Scott Nelson, who had initially brought forward a resolution asking the city to declare a SoLE, continued to voice his support for the declaration.
He raised concerns over more fires in the downtown in recent days and expressed fear a person who is mentally ill may hurt someone and said people are afraid.
“They want to feel safe in their community, and I support that,” he said.
Coun. Angie Delainey suggested helping to bring life to the downtown could keep businesses safer and reduce crime and called for an approach to address more of the systemic issues, making suggestions for dealing with the small number of individuals responsible for much of the property crime.
After reading the report, which indicated the support agencies the staff spoke to did not see a SoLE as a solution, Coun. Jazmyn Lyons did not support declaring one.
“These are professionals that work with these issues daily,” she said, also indicating she didn’t see a SoLE as being a solution to the problem of fires in the downtown.
Coun. Michael Moses made an impassioned plea to his fellow council members not to move forward with declaring a SoLE after representatives from a local First Nation and a leader of the local Pride Society spoke against the initial resolution at the previous council meeting.
“I want you to be wary of this path of discrimination that this council would be choosing and the repercussions of it,” he said, having noted the mandated requirement in the Emergency and Disaster Management Act for meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities.
Coun. Sheila Boehm pushed for more engagement with local businesses and she expressed appreciation for the awareness Nelson’s social media posts and proposal for a SoLE.
“Every other community is watching, because it isn’t just us,” she said. “This is not okay what is happening.”
Council voted in favour of the recommendation put forward by Rathor to wait to give the province’s additional resources time to take effect and therefore not to declare a SoLE. Nelson was the sole voice of opposition, as he still supported declaring a SoLE.
Gary Muraca, chief administrative officer (CAO) for the city, said he would bring back a report on how the RCMP will measure the success or effectiveness of the additional supports as soon as possible.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, second from left, speaks at a special council meeting on June 3. (Ruth Lloyd / Williams Lake Tribune)
New bear sculpture unveiled
downtown Williams Lake
Monica Lamb-Yorski
There’s a new creature in downtown Williams Lake weighing in at 500 pounds and made out of western red cedar
The beautiful brown bear sculpture was carved by Spirit Carver Dean.
On Thursday, May 29, Dean and a crew were installing it between Sam’s Restaurant and the Williams Lake and District Credit Union (WLDCU).
“I went above and beyond, but to be able to do this for the city was so awesome,” Dean said.
The sculpture is the latest public art project made possible with a grant from Downtown Williams Lake BIA with funding from the City of Williams Lake.
Dean said DWLBIA’s executive director Sherry Yonkman was great to work with. He also credited Heather Callendar, branch manager of the credit union, for coming up with the idea to have the bear carved.
“The credit union paid for the concrete you see here,” he said pointing to the ground where the bear was being installed.
Dean works at Pioneer Log Homes of B.C. and said his boss Bryan Reid Jr. was very generous with the wood Dean wanted for the carving, saying Reid gave him a very good deal.
He also thanked Ken Streigler at Longhorn Fencing for their help.
During the winter Dean said he worked on the bear, carving for about half an hour each day
before he headed out for work.
Yonkman said the bear is amazing.
“We love when we can add beautiful art to the downtown,” she said, adding the bear is funded through the 2024 grant. “Weather got in the way of pouring the concrete, etc.”
Diane Baerg, WLDCU business credit supervisor said they are “ecstatic to have this beautiful piece of art.”
Yonkman said Heather at the credit union wanted the sculpture to enhance the nearby mural, not cover it up.
Carver Dean said he carved the entire piece with a chain saw.
“I did extend the arm so he’d have a little more reach,” he explained. “He’s a director of traffic, you cannot miss it.”
Williams Lake Tribune
Upcoming Events Guide
Party in the Park
June 12 6-8 p.m. at Boitanio Park’s Gwen Ringwood Stage. Community-wide invite from Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy to come enjoy cake and live music in the park. Bring water and a lawn chair or blanket.
Father’s Day
Traditional Pow Wow
From June 13 to 15, Williams Lake First Nation will be hosting a pow wow with over 40 vendors, pageants, free tent camping. There will be grand entries Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 15 at 1 p.m. Admission
is free, everyone welcome at the Chief William Pow Wow Arbor.
WL Forestry/ Napa Thunder Mountain Speedway season opener
Racing will take place Friday, June 13 at the WL Forestry/Napa Thunder Mountain Speedway. Qualifying begins at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. while the pit gates will open at noon and the spectator gates at 3 p.m.
Westsyde Boogie Trail Race
Saturday, June 14 exploring the Westsyde Trail Network. The 15km race starts at 9 a.m.,
the 5 km starts at 10 a.m. for competitors 13 years and older. There will also be a 3 km walk/run starting at 10:15 a.m. for all ages. More information at Caribooruncrew. com.
Giant Used Book Sale
June 14, 15 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Daybreak Rotary Club of Williams Lake organizes the massive used book sale located in the back alley entrance behind Home Hardware. Donation bins for used books in good condition are located at FreshCo, Save On Foods, and 150 Mile Centre. Send your upcoming community events to newsroom@ wltribune.com
Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars enjoys dancing Friday, June 14 during the Father’s Day Traditional Pow Wow. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
Spirit Carver Dean with his latest sculpture being installed beside Sam’s Restaurant in Williams Lake. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
School District 27’s 2025 Indigenous Role Models crowned
Lake City Secondary Students Grace Anderson and Finley Testawich have handed off their crowns to School District 27’s (SD 27) new Indigenous Role Models Terrence Ramos and Michaellaine Evans.
A rigorous process of workshops and applications wrapped up in the evening of Thursday, May 22, during the 2025 Indigenous Role Model crowning ceremony at Lake City Secondary School (LCSS) in Williams Lake.
With a record number of 19 students vying for the role, each and every candidate was celebrated by the evening’s speakers for their courage and leadership in stepping up to the opportunity.
“It’s not just about winning,” said Kúkwpi7 (Chief) Willie Sellars of Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) as he welcomed guests to his
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nation’s territory. “A big part of this competition is honouring every single one of you that
had the courage to step forward - putting your name forward and going through the rigorous process from beginning to end. This is exactly what healing, is seeing something through.”
Of the 14 female candidates, Grade 9 Columneetza Junior Secondary School student Michaellaine Evans was selected as the next female Indigenous Role Model for the Cariboo Chilcotin School District. Evans of WLFN was escorted during the ceremony by her young cousin Marcus Alphonse.
In her written submission, Evans said her Indigenous ancestry teaches her to do her best in all she does and that her culture gives her strength. She enjoys jingle dancing and had her very first regalia at the age of three, made and gifted by her mother. Evans attends all the powwows she can including one coming up this weekend and believes a role model should be relatable and easy to communicate with.
and the City of Williams Lake gifted pins to them as well as to Evans and Ramos.
Before handing off their crowns, Testawich and Anderson each shared words about their experience as the 2024-2023 Indigenous Role Models.
“One of those things I learned was just being that Indigenous guy,” said Testawich after expressing his disbelief that the year is already coming to an end. “What I learned about being a role model is being myself and how I am.” Anderson thanked all the chiefs, communities and Indigenous support staffs who helped her in her success as a role model and who contributed to her growth.
“Throughout this year I have had the opportunity to experience many new and exciting things,”Anderson said. “I have greatly enjoyed my year and the support I’ve received as well as my own personal growth.”
Katya at 250-392-7833 or email katya@caribooliteracy.com
In a flurry of handshakes and photos with friends and families following the crowning, Evans told the Tribune she felt amazing. It was hard work to get here she said, but she’s looking forward to the year ahead.
Of the five male candidates, Terrence Ramos was selected to be the district’s male Indigenous Role Model for 2025. A member of the Esk’etemc community southwest of Williams Lake, Ramos is a Grade 10 student at LCSS and is friends with Testawich, whom he exchanged a handshake with during the ceremony.
In his writeup, Ramos said he believes a good role model shows trust and respect in themselves and others and is a good leader. He said role models are aware and involved in their culture and live a healthy lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol. Ramos is a grass dancer and also enjoys attending powwows. He said his First Nations culture has shaped him into the person he is today, and he is proud to learn from his elders to hold onto his culture.
After Evans and Ramos were crowned and given their sashes and quilts, they sent off the outgoing role models with crowns to keep.
The new role models each received a certificate as well as a $500 bursary, handed to them by the district’s superintendent and board of education chair. All of the candidates who were not selected received jackets for their participation,
Elders, chiefs and leaders spoke during the ceremony, acknowledging the students for their hard work and for the leading role they will play in the world’s future.
Esk’etemc Kúkwpi7 Fred Robbins thanked the district for hosting the ceremony, noting how far the district and local communities have come and how important it is to continue moving forward with change.
Ramos and Evans are the district’s 22nd Indigenous role models, a program which Superintendent Cheryl Lenardon said continues to grow.
Along with the newly crowned role models, this year’s candidates included Grade 11 Peter Skene Ogden Secondary (PSO) student Warren Carlson, Grade 11 LCSS student Keira Billyboy, Grade 9 PSO student Sophie Chorney, Grade 11 LCSS student Treval LaRue, Grade 10 PSO student Emerald Emery, Grade 9 Columneetza student Quinshana Setah, Grade 8 Columneetza student Wade Hansen, Grade 8 PSO student Eva Smith, Grade 8 Columneetza student Emma Lebel, Grade 10 PSO student Eden Jones, Grade 8 PSO student Kolby Robins, Grade 10 LCSS student Eva Marie Jalbert, Grade 9 Columneetza student Ash Coleman Stroters, Grade 11 LCSS student Macie Yanko, Grade 9 Columneetza student Kamille Cunningham, Grade 9 Columneetza student Amy Stump and Grade 8 Columneetza student Megan Johns.
Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
Grace Anderson and Finley Testawich hand off the Indigenous Role Model crowns to the newly selected Indigenous Role Models Michaellaine Evans and Terrrence Ramos. (Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative)
Great Bear Cider returns for second year
Bella
Following the success of last year’s pilot, a new batch of Great Bear Cider will once again be available exclusively at the Bella Coola Farmers’ Market this summercrafted from fruit harvested in the Bella Coola Valley on unceded, sovereign Nuxalk territory.
The cider is the result of a growing partnership between the Bella Coola Foodshed Alliance (BCFA) and Lillooet Cider Company, as a creative way to process surplus fruit collected through BCFA’s Community Harvest program. Rooted in food security and sustainability, the initiative prevents local apples and pears from going to waste—while creating something both delicious and meaningful.
“We’re proud to be working with the Bella Coola Foodshed Alliance again,” said Seth Jex, owner of Lillooet Cider Company. “This year’s Great Bear Cider was made in the same traditional way—fermented and aged in French oak barrels for a dry-style cider. It is a little bit more fruity and softer acidity as I left the cider outside in the winter for a couple weeks to slightly freeze, which caused some acidity to drop out.”
Jex notes this year’s production is more limited due to a smaller crop and encourages cider fans to stock up early.
“It may sell out faster than last time. If folks enjoyed it last year, they’ll want to get it while they can,” he said. ““This initiative really reflects what both Lillooet Cider Co. and the Foodshed Alliance stand for—honouring local harvests, reducing waste, and creating something meaningful from community efforts.”
Each year, the BCFA hires a seasonal community harvest coordinator, paid pickers, and maintains the necessary equipment to run the program successfully. In 2024, the support of Community Harvest program funders Bella Coola Heli
Sport, the Central Coast Regional District, and Coastal Foodways, enabled the BCFA to glean four tons of fruit.
The fresh, local fruit, including cherries, apples, and a variety of berries, was redistributed to community members in need via partnerships with 10 local organizations, including the food bank and schools. A large shipment of fresh apples also reached Bella Bella, extending the harvest’s benefits beyond the valley.
In its first year, cider sales raised $4,000 in support of the BCFA Community Harvest Program, strengthening its operational capacity and resilience, thanks to the dedicated work of our staff, and BCFA’s partnership with Lillooet Cider Company. Tweedsmuir Park Lodge also played a key logistical role in the cider project, helping transport the finished product back to the valley.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of fruit tree owners who signed up their trees for gleaning. As cherry season approaches, BCFA is again inviting fruit tree owners to register their trees.
“If you need help picking or want to donate fruit to the community, we’d love to hear from you,” said Riley Millar, gleaning coordinator
and BCFA board member. “Every registered tree helps reduce waste, increase food access, and lower bear conflict.”
Following the celebration of BCFA’s 25th anniversary last year, the organization continues to build on its legacy of running programs whose success rely on a true community effort, made possible by fruit tree owners, funders, staff and volunteers. To learn more about the BCFA’s wide-ranging initiatives, the community is invited to attend the BCFA Annual General Meeting on June 18 at 6 p.m. at the Quonset Hut, Lobelco Hall (Snuqaax).
“We’re excited to present how each of our programs did last year, includ-
This Week’s
ing the Bella Coola Farmers’ Market, Cooking Together classes, the Seed Library, seed and plant sharing events, and the ever-popular Zucchini Race.” said Cornelia Laros, Chair of the BCFA. “The AGM is a great opportunity for members to help shape the future of our organization, especially as we are submitting a special resolution to adopt updated bylaws this year.”
For more information about the AGM, bylaw special resolution, the Community Harvest program or to register your fruit trees for the Community Harvest, visit bellacoolafoodshed.org
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Coola Foodshed Alliance
Great Bear Cider will be back for the second year in a row at the Bella Coola Farmers Market this summer. (Photo submitted)
The fruit gleaning team for the Bella Coola Foodshed Alliance led by Riley Millar, left. (Photo submitted)
2 Rivers Remix, Indigenous trailblazers coming to Tŝideldel
Tŝideldel First Nation is partnering with 2 Rivers Remix to host a Moveable Feast at Bendziny Resort at Puntzi Lake on June 20 and 21.
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, the event welcomes everyone and anyone to sing, dance and connect with contemporary Indigenous musicians including two-time Juno Awards winner Aysanabee to the Tŝilhqot’in’s very own Bannock Dogz band.
“Each event ends up having a very unique personality and experience,”said Meeka Morgan, co-founder and artistic director of 2 Rivers Remix.
Morgan said their moveable feasts don’t quite fall under the description of a music festival, nor can they simply be defined as a touring production. More than a reason for dancing and singing, moveable feasts are an opportunity for First Nation communities to reclaim their own musical histories in a supportive environment, while also empowering Indigenous people to pursue their interests in music.
“It’s a scary thing for our people to feel comfortable bringing live music into our communities,” Morgan said.
One reason for this, she said, is due to the colonial suppression of Indigenous culture.
“Even though art and music is integral to our…value system, our ways and our traditions…we were separated by it legally through the potlatch law,”Morgan said. “We were actually criminalized
to sing our songs, do our dances and gather in any way until very late in this last century…That severely impacted our people and our traditions, cultures and values.”
Morgan said it can be healing for Indigenous people to witness their community embracing music and celebration, whether it’s traditional or contemporary.
As an event open to everyone, she said it is also a way for people to find common ground and understanding.
“Art and music really work to get through those divisions, connect us in ways that maybe are very difficult for us otherwise,” Morgan said. “For people coming from outside, it gives an opportunity for them to see the beauty of community…to witness what has happened and to understand that they truly are guests on our land.”
The free event will begin on Friday, June 20 with jam sessions, a dinner and workshops focused on music, healing and community running from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be horseshoe and lahal tournaments.
Saturday will be the “big proper moveable feast,” Morgan said, beginning at noon with a welcoming ceremony from T]ideldel First Nation and its Elders and an opening performance by Mexika-Tenochka artists Ana Cornejo and Leo Vara.
The day’s events will be headlined by Aysanabee as well as by multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin, a 2025 Juno award-winner.
The all-Indigenous lineup will also include Resident Elder Artist and Inuvialuit folk-rock legend Willie Thrasher and
Linda Saddleback, the only T]ilhqot’in honkytonk band in the world and the “deadliest uncle band going,”Bannock Dogz, singer-songwriter Myc Sharratt of Ts’il Kaz Koh, Lorissa Scriven of Saulteau First Nations, T]ilhqot’in’s own hiphop lyricists and music producers Rich n Beka, Afro-Indigenous artist and music producer Sekawnee and hip hop artist Higher Knowledge, or HK. The event will close with Anishinaabe, Métis and North African DJ and producer Handsome Tiger.
Morgan’s own band, a Secwépemc intergenerational healing roots-rhizome, hip-hop fusionist called The Melawmen Collective, will also be performing at the event.
Those interested in marking Indigenous Peoples Day with dance and song, and those interested in developing their
own musical skills through workshops, are encouraged to pre-register for the event which will take place at Bendziny Lakeside Resort, 3904 Puntzi Lake Road.
“This isn’t just Indigenous for Indigenous, this is Indigenous for all,”Morgan said. “Come on out and experience it, bring comfy chairs and bring an open heart.”
Performances will also be live streamed for those unable to attend in person.
Morgan encourages those interested in getting involved with 2 Rivers Remix to come to the event, attend their workshops, ask to volunteer or connect with them over email.
2 Rivers Remix is a nonprofit society first established in 2018 and has grown from hosting one event per year to at times more than ten a year.
Tomorrow is what BC has to offer.
is on.
When we think of energy, it’s easy to remember the technical terms like kilowatts and efficiency. But what does it really mean to us, as people? It’s warming up the house when it’s chilly. It’s sterilizing medical tools for our doctors and nurses. It’s firing up the BBQ to enjoy some delicious salmon.
Enbridge is proud to be at the heart of what makes beautiful BC thrive—supporting the things you love and driving key industries like healthcare, manufacturing, construction and more. Above all, we’re committed to keeping natural gas affordable, reliable and versatile— empowering BC today and for the tomorrows to come.
Visit enbridge.com/bc to learn more.
Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
The event will include workshops, feasts, live jam sessions and performances from an all-Indigenous lineup including Juno Awards winner Aysanabee and the Tŝilhqot’in’s very own Bannock Dogz band. (Shelanne Justice Photography)
2 Rivers Remix is partnering with Tŝideldel to host a moveable feast at Bendziny Resort on June 20, 21. (Shelanne Justice Photography.)
Uptick in contraband cigarettes, date-rape drugs in Cariboo region: RCMP
Monica Lamb-Yorski
Crime trends in the region show a big increase in contraband cigarettes and an influx of date-rape drugs with a direct link to other crimes such as sexual assaults, RCMP Staff Sgt. Jay Grierson told the Cariboo Regional District board Friday, May 23.
“In the North District, our property crimes are down but our violence offences are generally up,” Grierson said,. He said the date-rape drugs are readily available.
Grierson said there had been many drug overdoses in a 24-hour period in Williams Lake and noted drug overdoses are often directly linked to organized crime in the region.
As advisory NCO for the area, Grierson directly manages RCMP detachments in 100 Mile, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Alexis Creek, Anahim Lake and Bella Coola, plus currently the Robson Valley and all of the Peace Country.
“My role is to provide oversight, guidance and assistance to all the detachments,” he said. “The detachment commanders are the chief of staff, my job is to assist them.”
He also manages the Cariboo Crime Reduction Unit with nine employees, six being officers, that was developed out of Williams Lake in 2017, based on crime violence and gang violence, he said.
Every detachment is responsible to create an annual performance plan which he described as being a report card to the province.
“You’ve probably all had occasions where you’ve been consulted by the detachment
commander on policing initiatives,”he said.
Information from local government officials about what issues they see need to be addressed can help steer those annual plans, he explained.
“Every detachment commanders job is to identify policing issues in the community and come up with
workable, tangible and measurable initiatives to address these. That’s their job. So hopefully, they are doing this, consulting with all of you. That’s what should be happening.”
Detachment commanders should also be regularly communicating with local governments, Grierson said, adding he advises them
to have a communication strategy.
“Many of them will attend mayor and council meetings regularly. I’ve personally run a detachment where I’ve had communities say ‘we only want to see you twice a year.’”
Part of what he does is look at crime trends and help guide detachments, he told the board.
There are issues all detachments must development strategies for as mandated by the federal government. They include road safety, the opioid crisis with prevention and education, plus reconciliation.
“It’s vital that you give that feedback to your detachment,” he said. “I am interested in knowing what you have happening and what you are dealing with.”
Electoral Area D director Steve Forseth said his area is covered by both the Williams Lake and the Quesnel RCMP.
Wells Mayor Ed Coleman complimented the Quesnel detachment commander Richard Weseen who he said communicates and keeps in touch.
“Because of that communication we can get specific quickly and solve the problems,” Coleman said, adding when there have been emergencies, the RCMP response has been “incredible.”
He then asked what happens during emergencies and how the RCMP coverage is back-filled.
“Gone are the days when we are flooding communities with 100s of police officers - we don’t have them,” Grierson responded. “We try to get resources locally first. We have people on call to deploy in a moment’s notice.”
Electoral Area J director Tolin Pare said the Anahim Lake RCMP is also a great detachment and one of the main issues in the area is with repeat offenders.
“We do meet with our (Williams Lake) detachment commander twice a year - in the spring and in the fall - so it might be helpful in the fall to have a broader discussion about what needs input.”
Locally Forseth said he is hearing concerns about speeding on Fox Mountain and home-invasions in Comer Heights.
Responding Grierson said traffic is handled by BC Highway Patrol.
“One of the questions I have, is are you tied to CVSE (Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement)?” Pare asked. “The reason I bring that up is we’ve had a lot of commercial vehicle accidents on Highway 20.”
Grierson told Pare he would recommend the detachment partner with CVSE and BC Highway Patrol.
“Similar if there was a complaint of poaching in a community, we’d partner with the BC Conservation Officer Service,” he added.
Staff Sgt. Jay Grierson, centre, gives an update to the Cariboo Regional District board Friday, May 23, 2025. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
Grade 7 students host French Culture Day at Williams Lake school
Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
French immersion students at Columneetza Junior Secondary School in Williams Lake hosted a day of activities on Friday, June 6 to celebrate French culture with their peers.
“We’ve been doing this every year,”said Colin O’Keefe who helps organize French Culture Day at the school. “This has been a long tradition at Columneetza…it’s a great way for all the kids who take part in French to come out and see the fun of it and to practice a littleun petit peu - of the language,” O’keefe said.
“It gives the Grade 7’s a chance to show some responsibility, run some stations, leadership,” said Lacy Custance, the school’s current Grade 7 French immersion teacher whose students were the ones hosting French Culture Day.
Custance’s students spent the day running stations for visiting classes, offering their peers a chance to learn about french culture through food, art, trivia and sport.
“Nous est entrain de faire les choses de la culture en française comme les masques, le bocce ball, les crâpes et les fromages,”said Mya Hill, one of the French immersion students, as she explained what they were up to. Hill said the students were doing things from the French culture such as making masks inspired by the Mardis Gras traditions in Louisianna,
playing pétanque which is a game similar to bocce ball, eating crâpes and, of course, eating lots of cheese.
“We’re sharing all the stuff we’ve been learning,” said Khloe Bremner, another student helping with French Culture day.
In School District 27, students based in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House can register to the Early French Immersion program.
To learn about French Immersion programs visit the district’s website or contact Tracy Becker at education@sd27.bc.ca.
One Arrow Left: new book explores the life of Cecilia Dick-DeRose
Monica Lamb-Yorski
A new book about the life of Cecilia Dick-DeRose is a page turner.
I sat down and read all 192 pages on the Monday of the May long weekend and while there were things I already knew about her life, there were many details I did not know about.
A Secwépemc knowledge keeper and language teacher, DeRose is also a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
It was nice to see her children’s voices featured in the book.
Cecilia has won many accolades for her efforts including a BC Language Champion Award in July 2011, a 2018 Indspire Award for Culture, Heritage and Spirituality, and in 2024 she received an honorary doctor of letters from Thompson Rivers University. Her parents were Matthew Dick and Amelia Joe who were married on Feb. 1, 1930. Cecilia was born on Jan. 14, 1925 at Esk’et, the fourth of 10 children. The family often lived in a meadow, following their father’s work as he ran a guide outfitting business and had hay leases on three meadows in the area.
“We had a house at Esk’et, but our main home was at Moose Meadow, about twen-
ty-five miles away toward Lac La Hache,” she writes in the book. “It took a day and a half to get there by team and wagon from Esk’et.”
Cecilia and her siblings attended St. Joseph’s Mission Indian Residential School and later she worked there as well.
Williams Lake author Sage Birchwater helped Cecilia write the book, building on a friendship the two have shared for more than half a century.
In his foreword, Birchwater talked about the strength of the DeRose family and the support Cecilia’s children give her now as she is a senior.
“This care and devotion is heartwarming, and deserved,” Birchwater noted. “Cecelia fought like a lion for her chil-
dren and kept reminding them they had one arrow left: education. And her kids are indeed using it wisely.”
There will be a book launch at Thompson Rivers University Williams Lake Campus at the Gathering Place Thursday, June 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. and a book signing the following Tuesday, June 24 at the Station House Gallery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Meanwhile the book, published by Caitlin Press in Qualicum Beach, B.C., is available at Save-on-Foods book section, the Station House Gallery, Native Arts & Crafts (the Friendship Centre gift shoppe), The Open Book, the Tourist Discovery Centre/ Museum and Likely Museum.
Cecilia Dick-DeRose, centre, with help from Sage Birchwater, right, has written a book about her life. Here De Rose’s good friend Jean William joins them for a photo op at the Tourism Discovery Centre Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin during the recent BC Historical Federation Conference held May 1 to 4, 2025.
Students at Columneetza Junior Secondary School made masks inspired by Mardi Gras as part of French Culture Day. (Submitted photo)
SPORTS
Wild West Riders hosting open house
The Wild West Riders have been practising twice a week in preparation for the upcoming Williams Lake Stampede.
They meet Monday and Thursday evenings at the Stampede Grounds and are inviting people to come and watch them on Thursday, June 19.
Practices go from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“We want to get friends, family and the public out to get some clapping and noise. Some of these horses have never even had the experience of being in the arena with a crowd,” said coach Nicole Roberts. “It’s a chance to get a small crowd, get the girls used to it and the horses used to it. It’s all about our family and friends who have been there to support us through the year.”
Roberts grew up in Williams Lake.
She has been on and off with the team for about 10 years and coach for about five years.
After the riders left the Stampede Grounds for a ride through downtown together on Thursday,
June 5, Roberts told the Tribune there are some new riders this year.
“It’s actually a nice combination of older and newer people so it’s actually a nice combination - to get some new faces.”
They’ve changed the pattern up from last year and there are few manoeuvres that some of the
riders have never done before, she explained.
“We really enjoy switching it up and giving the crowd something new to enjoy.”
When the Wild West Riders got started about 2010, her mom was one of the riders which is what got her interested, she said.
“One of the biggest challenges is just learning to keep an eye on everybody else around you. You are going in there with 12 different girls and you kind of have to be seeing everything at the same time. It’s hard to not only focus on what you are doing but what 11 other riders are doing at the same time.”
Burn survivor finds confidence, capabilities at strongman
Warren Ray has always been a bit of a stubborn guy, determined to prove others wrong when they told him he couldn’t do something.
He’s also always been athletic.
Ray’s determination faced one of its greatest challenges in 2002 when an accident while he was in the military led to 80 per cent of his body being burned.
“I lost multiple digits on my hands,” Ray said. Eventually his left foot was also amputated.
After the accident, Ray thought he would never be able to work out again. The nurses in Toronto who treated him, however, wouldn’t have it.
“They wouldn’t let me quit,” Ray recalled. “The nurses there were not in the military, but they acted like it…they were really hard on me, in a good way.”
Ray couldn’t walk when he first got back to the gym. At the time, he didn’t yet have a prosthetic foot, so he had to get around either by using crutches, or by crawling.
Now, Ray said he practically lives at the gym, and through it all he met his good friend Stefan Hall who owns Rebel Fit Nutrition in Williams Lake.
Hall trains for strongman competitions, and Ray soon found himself giving it a try.
Ray can’t do all the events in a strongman competition, but he’s sure to have done all the events he’s capable of. He competed in his second ever strongman competition in May at the Eighth annual Cariboo’s Strongest in Williams Lake.
Thunder Mountain opens season
Friday, June 13
WL Forestry/Napa Thunder Mountain Speedway opens it racing season Friday, June 13.
There will be Hornets, Legends, Thunders racing as well as the WESCAR late model touring series.
Qualifying begins at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. while the pit gates will open at noon and the spectator gates at 3 p.m.
On Sunday, June 8, the racing club hosted a meetthe-drivers event at the Williams Lake Stampede Grounds from 2 to 6 p.m.
Despite the heat, people arrived to check it out, including a cooling kiddies pool.
Board member and public relations coordinator Brielle Gagnon said it was an opportunity to acknowledge the volunteers and sponsors who support Thunder Mountain.
She said ECO360, under the direction of area fleet manager Shawn Lapp, has come on board to sponsor WESCAR this year.
“They painted all our garbage cans,” Gagnon said.
Gagnon has been involved with Thunder Mountain since 2008 as a first aid attendant.
“They asked me if I would come on the board,” she said.
Attending the event were Central Cariboo Search and Rescue, Daily Stash Cannibas, Wild and Immersive - the forest school, Inland Truck and Equipment, some food vendors and some of the drivers.
Asher Hollet, 16, is a Grade 10 student at Lake City Secondary School who is just starting to race this year for Riske Creek Racing.
“I was in the pit crew last year and helping out a year ago with the track truck,” he said. “I always wanted to race and when Riske Creek Racing told me they didn’t have a driver I decided to do it.”
As he showed off the 1991/1992 Mustang he’ll be driving, he said he doesn’t own it.
“I went to the gym on crutches… crawled on my knees to get around because it was faster,” Ray said.
He said going to the gym takes a lot of stress away, and it helps him feel accomplished.
“It makes me feel good…it makes me feel confident,” he said.
It certainly wasn’t easy getting back into the gym, and Ray said he felt insecure. But he soon realized
something about going to the gym – everybody there is working towards a goal, meaning they aren’t yet at the point they aspire to be, and in that sense, he said, everybody is starting at the same spot.
“There aren’t many things in life you can say that about,” Ray said,. He said the gym is the most open place in the world, and there’s something there for everyone.
“Warren exceeded his limitations and deadlifted his heaviest, personal best 320 pounds,” wrote his wife, Cherie Ray, in an email to the Tribune. “A man with so many limitations yet he defied them all. This is inspiration at its finest.”
“If I didn’t become disabled, I would never have gotten into this,” Ray said about participating in strongman competitions as well as powerlifting, which he also does.
“Being physically disabled limits you…but if you’re open-minded, it’s limitless in other aspects.”
Monica Lamb-Yorski
Asher Hollett, 16, will be racing for the first year at WL Forestry/Napa Thunder Mountain Speedway this season. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
Emily Thomas is excited to return for her fifth season racing at WL Forestry/Napa Thunder Mountain Speedway. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
Warren Ray turned to the gym for rehabilitation following an accident leading to 80 per cent of his body being burned. Today, you may find him competing in powerlifting or strongman competitions. (Submitted photo)
Monica Lamb-Yorski
Members of the Wild West Riders go for a group ride Thursday, June 5 in Williams Lake. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
The Wild West Riders have been preparing for the 2025 Williams Lake Stampede, practising Mondays and Thursdays at the Stampede Grounds. Here they take a group ride together after the practice June 5. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
The 40th Annual Big Lake Fishing Derby took place the first weekend in June. Organizers said despite the heavy rain on Saturday, the weekend delivered a lot of fun and prizes.
Winners:
Adult - Rainbow Trout
First - Rick Dubreuil, 1020 grams
Second -Pat Griffin, 910 grams
Third - Gil Van Riel, 855 grams
Marianne Woods with the Big Lake Community Association shared the weekend’s results with the Tribune, saying they had 200 participants.
Teen - Rainbow Trout
First - Lucas Gentles, 765 grams
Second - Jacob Burnham, 660 grams
Third - Nathan Keene, 625 grams
Child - Rainbow Trout
First - Riley Munt, 710 grams
Second - Avery Smith, 700 grams
Third - Connor Bryant, 690 grams
Largest Kokanee
Henry Hengstler, 590 grams
Largest Sucker
Jack Munn, 1295 grams
Toni Hooker - $1,000 registration draw winner
many volunteers and generous sponsors. On Father’s Day, June 15, the community will be having a pancake breakfast at the firehall from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and there will be heritage market on Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Big Lake Heritage Site.
Monica Lamb-Yorski
40th Annual Big Lake Fishing Derby volunteers Toni Hooker, left, Peggy Bennison and Norm Bennison on table duty Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eileen McIntyre, left, Eileen Alberton and Carol Ashby run the concession stand Saturday morning, May 31, at the Big Lake Fishing Derby.
Deb Howes, centre, won the ATV while Vic Woods, left, and Vince Sorely, right, were big ticket sellers.
Jenna Mennie, left, and Gordon Swan are among the 200 people who participated in the Big Lake Fishing Derby. Here they are Saturday, May 31, with their boat the Lady Kathleen.
Jace Leski, left, visits with Nicole Torgalson during the Big Lake Fishing Derby Saturday, May 31.
Craig Hilker, left, and Jeremy Roberts come in from the rain Saturday, May 31, at the Big Lake Fishing Derby.
Williams Lake council receives update from safety coordinator
Williams Lake city council heard from Sylvia Dubray, community well being and safety plan coordinator at their May 30 regular council meeting.
Dubray presented while about 25 people sat in the audience; it was the same meeting the city council would discuss a memorandum brought forward by Coun. Scott Nelson which proposed declaring a state of local emergency and imposing a curfew on the community in order to address issues in the downtown.
Dubray, who works part time as a contractor for the city, provides connections between service agencies and supports programs aimed at addressing social wellness issues in the city. Her position is largely grant-funded.
She spoke about the community well being and safety plan’s reasons for existing including providing structure, guidelines and clear goals.
“Law enforcement plays a vital role when it comes to criminal statistics, but they cannot be the only organization responsible for safety, it requires a coordinated effort,” Dubray said.
She said police, first responders, health care providers, educators, social service agencies and community organizations all play a role.
“Together, all of these partners can keep Williams Lake and the surrounding communities safe, healthy and resilient,” she told council.
A well being and safety plan includes helping ensure all of the different services are accessible and timely, explained Dubray.
She said the plan helps share knowledge and prevents duplication of services in the community across service providers.
Dubray also said the community has a number of organizations which help address social and wellness issues and she divides her time between meetings and collaboration
with a number of them.
This includes the Cariboo Chilcotin Acute Response Table, the Mental Health and Wellness Resource Guide, the Collaborative Approaches to Addressing Homelessness and Encampment Challenges Committee, the Traumatic Event Committee, the Integrated Youth Team, Safety for Seniors, Restorative Justice, Community Policing and a pilot project with Canadian Centre for Safer Communities.
She said this list represents less than half the committees or projects working on safety in the community.
“One of the things that I’ve learned is that safety is seen in
Longtime Cariboo search and rescue volunteer pilot honoured
The Cariboo’s Dave Ireland has reached a landmark few, if any, can claim.
Irelandhasdedicated50yearsof service to search and rescue in the province through the Provincial Emergency Program Air service (PEP Air).
PEP Air, a member of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, provides air support to the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP andB.C.groundsearchandrescue crews. PEP Air also gets called in during emergencies to help with photographic assessments for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness BC. Ireland, the retired pilot and committed volunteer, was honoured in Kelowna on May 7 for the incredible feat of half a century of important and life-saving service.
Central Cariboo Search and Rescue’s (CCSAR) Rick White said Ireland was already doing his work with PEP Air when White joined CCSAR in 1997. While PEP Air is separate from CCSAR,
“I don’t know what we would have done without PEP Air,”said White, explaining the air support was critical in many instances by providing the “eye in the sky”they needed to initiate ground searches.
When people were reported missing but there was not a last known location from which to initiateasearch,itwastheairsupport which could help give the ground crews something to start with.
White himself said he was a spotter in an airplane on one incident, and while he said the experience was “neat” he also said it was very hard.
a lot of different ways and arises at a lot of different times,” she said.
She elaborated on some of the list, explaining what each does and how they address issues in the community, including working to help individuals at high risk of self harm or of harming others.
She shared the six most common risk factors for people in crisis, with the most common being a lack of appropriate housing.
She said the collaboration has enabled faster referrals and has helped RCMP to ensure more situations are transferred to more suitable agencies.
“We are freeing up our valuable RCMP members’ time to do the other important work that they have to do,” she said.
She also announced the upcoming release of an updated Mental Health & Wellness Resource Guide, which will come out this summer.
Finally, Dubray shared some details on a pilot project Williams Lake is involved in as one of 10 cities from various parts of Canada taking part.
Halifax, Montreal, Sudbury, Edmonton, Kelowna and other much larger communities are part of the pilot as well.
“It gives us data-driven information, evidence-based information, and allows us to work with other communities who are also looking for upstream solutions to much of the issues we are facing,” she said.
Dubray said this allows her to connect with others working on similar issues in other higher-crime communities.
She thanked city staff and council for supporting her in her work.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor thanked Dubray and praised the city’s staff.
All of the present council members spoke in support of the work Dubray is doing, with some connecting her work to the current concerns for public safety in the downtown.
Coun. Joan Flaspohler said she believed this is where the city’s focus needs to be, on proactive work.
“In my opinion, this is exactly how you fix problems in your communities,” said Flaspohler. “Reactive will not solve the creation of these issues.”
“I really like when I hear data-driven and evidence-based solutions, that’s music to my ears. As governors, we require that information in order to make good decisions,” said Coun. Angie Delainey. “This is a long game, this isn’t something that we can fix overnight.”
“Using reactive tools, in my mind, is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” said Delainey, pointing out how it can result in duplication.
“We have to be patient and we have to work together.”
Later in the same meeting, the council voted four to three in favour of having staff prepare a report on declaring a state of local emergency and to have individuals displaying signs of public intoxication or severe mental health issues brought to the hospital for review of involuntary treatment. Staff were also to provide a report on options the city might undertake in collaboration with local stakeholders and RCMP including arresting individuals engaged in unlawful activities and escorting unhoused individuals to a shelter or other facility for appropriate support.
After a report presented at a special council meeting held on June 3 and a notification from the province announcing the city will be receiving additional RCMP supports, the city voted against declaring a state of local emergency.
Ireland’s group of local air support used the CCSAR building for their meetings and worked with CCSAR for some rescue operations.
Ireland volunteered his time and his airplane to support ground crews in search and rescue missions through PEP Air. White said the air support Ireland provided the ground SAR efforts over the years has been invaluable.
“I have a lot of respect for Dave and his team,” said White.
While the use of drones and electronic signalling devices have changed a lot about how search and rescue operations work now, with many operations now being rescues instead of searches, White said the work over the years by volunteer pilots like Ireland has been instrumental.
“He’s devoted most of his life to it, he’s saved a lot of lives and he’s made our jobs easier,”White said.
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Dave Ireland is honoured for 50 years of search and rescue volunteer work in B.C. (Linda Ireland contributed photo)
Ruth Lloyd
Ruth Lloyd
Sylvia Dubray, community well being and safety plan coordinator for the City of Williams Lake, speaks to council at the May 30, 2025 meeting. (Ruth Lloyd / Williams Lake Tribune)
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APerfect Peace
Thispast weekend,I hadthe opportunityto spendsome hoursout ata nearby lake.Itwas a hotandsunny day, perfectfor this typeofactivity.Somefriends ofoursbrought paddleboards to gooutonthe water, which I have nevertriedbefore.AsI paddled outonto thecalm waters forthe firsttime,I began to understand why somany peoplehave taken upthis form of exercise.It is a pleasant activity.Thelonger I wasoutthere, themoreIfelt at peace and a calmnessthat usuallydoesnot pairwithphysical exertion forme.Ifeellike Icouldeasilyspendhoursoutonthe water, moseyingaround, orjustlyingdownonthe board enjoyingthesunandtheflow ofthe water.
oneactivityto another, from onetask to another, andfrom one to-dolist to thenext.We don’t prioritize thisinner restful feeling.We arefocusedonbeing productive.There is a sayingthat it wouldbegood toconsider: “We are humanbeings, not humandoings.”
In thebookofIsaiah,itsays,“You willkeepinperfect peace allwho trustin you, allwhosethoughts are fixedon you!”(26:3NLT) TheHebrew words for“Perfect Peace” are “ShalomShalom,”forwhen aword is repeated, itamplifiesitsoriginalmeaning. Thisis a peacefulpeace.So, what this verse issayingisthatforthosewhotrustin God, theywill experience an extraordinaryfeeling ofpeace, akin to witnessing awaterfall for hoursortheentirety of a sunset.
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Iknow thatI have had experienceslike thisbefore—amoment when I have just felt a calmness wash over my spirit, often accompanied by witnessingbeauty in nature.Theonesthatcome to mindare the AuroraBorealisand a hiddenstreamflowing downinto ShuswapLake, surrounded by brightgreenmoss-coveredlogs.Overthese experiences,I have learned to slow down andsimplybeinthemoment.To allow this momentto beabsorbeddeeplywithin myself.It cantake different amountsoftime, dependingonhow heavy orchaoticlife has beenlately
In our world, itcanbechallenging to find thesemoments—timeswhen we cansimply be.We areconstantly working, shiftingfrom
Aswe journeythroughlife, having a relationshipwith a higherpower, withour Creator, canhelpusfind a senseofpeace that many ofuslong for—knowingthatwe are notinthisjourneyalone.It takessomeofthe weight andpressure offourshoulders.Thisis oneofthebenefitsof walkingin relationship with God: a lightnessand a senseof relief.For some, this comesquicklyintheir walkwith God, and forothers, ittakestime, trusting for many takestime
Isthis afeelingthatyoulong for? A peace thatwashes over youandgets to the centre of yourbeing? It might betime to find a peacefulspotandperhaps communewith the Creator.
PARSONSPEN BYTREVORHAGAN
Mixed narrative found in review of Cariboo Chilcotin School District
Andie
An external review of School District 27’s (SD 27) climate and culture has revealed a mixed narrative around school safety measures within the Cariboo Chilcotin school district.
The review, ordered by the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) and conducted by Safer Schools Together (SST), explored the day-to-day experience in schools across SD 27 in response to questions of safety and inclusivity.
“It’s a big move forward moment for us,” said Cheryl Lenardon, superintendent of SD 27, following the publication of an executive summary on the report in May.
The 171-page report is currently being analyzed and redacted for privacy by ministry staff. Over 2,575 community members took part in the review which began by holding meetings with school and district leadership in December 2024.
“Our job is to capture the strengths and stretches of districts,” said Rob Rai, senior executive consultant with SST, whom the ministry has referred to as B.C.’s safety experts.
Rai explained that SST conducts reviews across North America, helping schools see how they are doing and what they can improve on.
“It’s no different than self-reflection,” he said.
SST met with community service providers in January and with local First Nations on Feb. 3. Surveys were then finalized by SST and distributed to district staff, caregivers and students in grades six to 12 across the district between Feb. 18 to Feb. 27. Rai said this is a standard method of collecting information as objectively as possible.
“We report back what the data tells us as opposed to what we feel… because we’re only here for a snapshot,” Rai explained. He said it was also important to focus on the data alone because the researchers’ initial impressions could be impacted by their biases.
“We have a vested interest in honouring the culture and climate,” Rai said, adding that SST’s review process is not about looking to find something but rather it is about asking the right questions to determine what the culture and climate is, good or bad or in between.
Rai said the surveys did include some pointed questions along with universal questions. They were sent to school administrations, and teachers were expected to direct their students to answer the surveys online at school. Parents and caregivers were able to answer the survey online or request a hard copy from the school. Online questionnaires were automatically sent back to SST once submitted, and paper copies were sealed and mailed back to SST.
There were also 188 printed copies sent home, one with each eldest child in a family. Only five print-based questionnaires were returned to SST.
“It appears that some schools may
have delayed sending them home,” the executive summary notes.
A total of 1,844 students - out of a total district population of 4,600 students - 375 educators and 400 parents completed the surveys, which provided opportunities for responders to share anonymous feedback.
The survey has not gone without its criticisms. Community leaders from Esk’etemc, a First Nations community southwest of Williams Lake, and members from the group Concerned Parents and Caregivers of Williams Lake (CPWL) have cast doubt on SST’s independence from the ministry. They have also raised concerns about the survey’s effectiveness, distribution and design.
MECC has repeatedly referred to SST as B.C.’s trusted, independent safety experts.
Four main categories of recommendations can be pulled from the executive summary, and SST suggested the district may need external support to develop and successfully implement a comprehensive plan.
“It came with some good validation of some of the work that’s being done, and it came with some really good recommendations that we will be taking as a mandate,” Lenardon said when asked what her main takeaways were from the review.
She said the report showed many of the families in the district have had a positive experience, and that school-level communications seem to be a strength. She also said the report found the district was doing so much work on visibly honouring and respecting local Indigenous cultures that some responses said there was an over-representation.
“Which means that we’re doing a good job, and we’ll keep doing that.
It’s really important and we’ll keep doing education around why that’s important,” Lenardon said.
She said the district has made “huge strides” when it comes to addressing anti-racism and specifically anti-In-
digenous racism, noting it’s become part of the regular school experience to honour local Indigenous cultures. She also said every professional development day includes sessions on anti-racism and on local Indigenous cultures.
However, Calvin Dubray, education director with Esk’etemc and a past SD 27 employee, feels lots of the work being done around honouring Indigenous cultures and providing anti-racism training is simply so the district can ‘check a box.’
“You can send teachers to trauma-informed workshops, but how does that relate back into the classroom,” Dubray said. “Until you address the deeper roots of what’s happening…you’re really not addressing what’s happening.”
Communication was another aspect the review said would need addressing and Lernadon said the district has already begun work on this.
“It’s about ensuring that students and families have ways of reaching out if they do have something that’s concerning to them,” she said.
Part of the work the district will be doing is revisiting policy and procedures to ensure they are up to date and align with each other. This will include changing how the district communicates the avenues through which community members with individual concerns can reach out.
This has been a particular point of contention among families and community members in recent years with some who have claimed they were silenced or ignored when coming forward with concerns of violence and bullying in schools. George Hobi, a member of CPWL, and Dubray have said following the district’s communication protocol simply sends you through never-ending loops.
When asked if adjustments to communication protocols would be made, the superintendent said there would not be.
“That’s not going to change be-
cause it’s about communicating and solving your problems at the level at which they happen and then having ways to escalate that if all the avenues are exhausted,” Lenardon said.
“That’s a pretty universal process and it makes sense, and it fits within the pattern that you would expect, and it works.”
Lernadon said work has already begun on improving school safety and culture as well, another theme identified in the review. The district has changed how schools are accessed, replacing keys with fobs which can be deactivated if lost, and district staff are receiving the latest threat assessment training. A series of student assemblies and corresponding presentations for parents are being planned for the next school year, with presentation themes pulled from the SST review as well as from consultation with the District Parent Advisory Committee. Assemblies will also be held at every school in the district upon return from summer, Christmas and spring breaks to review the code of conduct and to learn about the erase Report It tool and how to use it.
Lenardon said students can use the tool if they are uncomfortable speaking with a trusted adult in their school. She said there are times throughout school days when students are permitted to use their mobile devices or can access laptops, computers and workstations within the school through which they can use the reporting tool.
However, Dubray and Hobi feel the tool is not proactive, claiming responses to reports can take weeks.
Dubray, who sits on FNEC, said when the council asks the district what their plan is to address bullying, violence and racism, the response is the reporting tool.
While the SST review may bring awareness to their cause, Dubray is not satisfied.
“The piece that’s still troubling is
that they (the district) don’t want to sit down and talk through solutions.”
Dubray said the review is “laughable,” and that it doesn’t serve what Esk’etemc and CPWL have and will continue to call for, which is an independent investigation.
Black Press Media asked Rai from SST if the review could be considered an investigation, and he said it was not.
Dubray also reiterated an ongoing concern he and CPWL have had with the review which was their inability to participate in its co-development.
“It’s not the end of the road for us…we’re still calling for an investigation,” Dubray said, adding there needs to be an opportunity for school and district staff to share their experiences without fear of being reprimanded.
Rai assured Black Press the surveys were anonymous and sent directly to SST without the district’s involvement.
Hobi also said CPWL would continue to call for an investigation, adding that the group felt unheard and unrepresented in the SST report. CPWL, in fact, was not invited by SST to meet prior to the distribution of the surveys and was only able to attend such a meeting because Esk’etemc invited them to the Feb. 3 meeting with SST.
“MECC needs to recognize that the community, in particular CPWL, lost the complete trust in the personnel of the trustees and superintendent to solve the bullying and violence crisis,” Hobi wrote to Black Press.
Lisa Beare, minister of education and child care, met virtually with Esk’etemc Chief Fred Robbins, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and members of CPWL in early May.
The ministry said it expects SD 27 to take immediate action in partnership with First Nations and community partners as it works on the recommendations set out in the SST report.
Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative
A report on the culture and climate in School District 27 reveals a mixed narrative around school safety measures within the district. (Monica Lamb-Yorski/Williams Lake Tribune)
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Remembering Loved Ones
Place your condolences online. (Visit your local newspaper website, obituary page)
Nor passed away on May 17,2025 atCariboo emorialHospital.
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NOTICE TO REMOVE PRIVATE LAND FROM WOODLOT LICENCE W0585
Please be advised that Daniel John Hamblin and David Zirnhelt are proposing to remove 29.78 ha of private land from Woodlot Licence W0585.
W0585 is located west of Beaver Creek, BC.
Legal land description: DL 8243, Cariboo Land District, PID 015-265-391; and Part E ½ DL 8241, Cariboo Land District, Fractional PID 005-994-098.
Inquiries/comments about this proposal must be submitted to Matthew LeBourdais RPF, Cedar Creek Silviculture Ltd. at 922 Birch Lane, Williams Lake, BC, V2G 3R5 by June 29, 2025. Responses provided only to written inquiries received by the above date.
Please contact Matthew LeBourdais, RPF at (250) 398-9010 or mattycan@telus.net for any information about this proposal.
FOREST OPERATIONS MAP - INVITATION TO COMMENT
The public is invited to review and comment on this Forest Operations Map (FOM). The FOM shows proposed cut block development and proposed road construction under the listed Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) within Forest Development Units in the Cariboo Chilcotin Natural Resource District. This FOM has a validity period of 3 years beginning June 12, 2025. During the validity period, the licensee may apply for cutting permits containing cut blocks and apply for road permits to construct roads shown on their FOM.
Forest Operations Maps are available for public review online at: https://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects. The Forest Operations Maps are also available for in-person review and comment, by appointment, at the address listed below. Business hours are between 9:00a.m. and 4:30p.m., Monday to Friday.
Comments will be accepted between June 12, 2025 and July 12, 2025. Comments may be emailed to the e-mail address listed below, delivered in person during business hours, or mailed to one of the addresses listed below.
Williams Lake First Nation
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Legion spring fashion show sells out
It was a full house for the Royal Canadian Legion 139 spring fashion show in Williams Lake.
Held Wednesday, May 21, the event attracted 150 women who enjoyed a meal and a show featuring fashions from three local businesses.
Nancy Giesbrecht was one of the cooks and said they served chicken cordon blue, a rice pilaf, veggies, coleslaw and a lemon cheesecake dessert - all for $25.
Businesses supplying the fashions were Suzanne’s, managed by Heather Wolstenhome, Shero Fashion Shed - a home-based business operated by Dora-Lee Wheeldon and CARAbootique, owned by Tara Henry.
“I was definitely privileged to be involved,” said Henry, who opened her shop in 2023. “They had not done it for a few years because of Covid. The Legion does an amazing job.”
Modelling were sisters Ramona Ludwar and Selina Staples, Alison Barr, Andrea Gustafson, Bev Atkins, Melanie Englebrecht, Christina Bouwknecht, Michelle Schutte, Corry Williams, Deanne Rife, Dora-lee Wheeldon and Heleen Scooby.
Tracy Lynn, an entertainer from 100 Mile House, performed some comedy and songs, getting some of the women onto the dance floor after the fashion show was done.
