SIGN UP FOR NEWS ALERTS AT KAMLOOPSTHISWEEK.COM
DE K A M L O O P S
KTTA cited for bullying ying and harassment assment Page A3
TUESDAY TUESDA A
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 X Volume 27 No. 97
Kamloops, B.C., Canada X 30 cents at Newsstands
THIS WEEK “It’s not like we’re preaching our religion,” Pavendeep Singh Gill says of his decision to ride his motorcycle without a helmet. Adam Williams/KTW
Unbeaten Broncos prep for showdown with Kelowna rivals Page A13 Thompson River Publications Limited Partnership
Tax-payment centre cost $49K: report By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
TURNING
HEADS ‘This is who we are, this is what we believe — and we ride motorcycles’ By Adam Williams
F
STAFF REPORTER
adam@kamloopsthisweek.com
EW WOULD ARGUE WEARING A helmet on a motorcycle is optional. But, if you’re a turban-wearing Sikh, it’s riding with a helmet that’s not an option. The Sikh Motorcycle Club came through Kamloops last month as a part of the Gurdwara (Sikh temple) Motorcycle Ride. The two-day tour aimed, in part, to help raise awareness of the rights of Sikh motorcyclists. It was also meant to dis-
Fresh • Local • Sustainable •
tribute information about the Sikh community and causes important to it. “This was formed in order to educate people about the religion . . . just to show people who we are, because there’s a lot of people who don’t know who Sikhs are,”
Remarkable
Pavendeep Singh Gill said of the club. It was formed in 2002 and has about 160 members — including three in Kamloops, of which Gill is one. The members visited both of Kamloops temples before continuing on their journey. The group made stops in Vancouver, New Westminster, Surrey, Abbotsford, Oliver, Princeton, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon and Merritt on July 26 and 27. “It’s not like we’re preaching our religion,” Gill continued. “It’s just to show people this is who we are, this is what we believe — and we ride motorcycles.”
Sikhs who wear turbans are exempt from wearing helmets while riding their bikes. The exemption is one of a number of areas in which the club tries to increase awareness in. The helmet exemption came into effect in 1999, two years after one of the club’s first members, Avtar Singh Dhillon, filed a human-rights complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Commission. Dhillon’s complaint was successful and led to an amendment of Section 221 of the Motor Vehicle Act of B.C. X See ‘THIS IS’ A6
SIP INTO SUNSET
Its cost raised some eyebrows, but a remote property-tax payment centre set up by the city at McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre in June could return for 2015. The city set up the second payment site to discourage the public from paying their taxes in person at Kamloops City Hall, where major roadwork was underway. While originally budgeted at $45,000, a staff report headed to council today (Aug. 19) shows the full cost of the project was $49,140. The McArthur site siphoned off about 30 per cent of in-person payees — some 2,616 residents, of the 8,709 who paid in person. “The majority of those residents provided positive feedback on the location and the excellent customer service,” the report states. “Many residents thanked council for providing this alternate site and requested that it be considered in future years.” According to the report, the number of taxpayers paying in person is declining, with more and more people headed online. This year 9,186 people paid their taxes online — more than at city hall and McArthur Island combined. Taxpayers also have the option of going to banks or mailing a post-dated cheque to City Hall. While staff aren’t recommending a repeat of the McArthur program outright, they are suggesting council put another $45,000 payment centre on the list of items to consider at budget time in 2015, leaving it to the next elected council to decide whether to spend the cash. According to the report, the cost of operating the centre won’t drop off much in its second year, though the city would not have to pay for the staging area the city built for the payment site, which is in storage for the time being. City finance director Sally Edwards told KTW earlier this year most of the costs for the payment centre were staffing related.
Come join the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra in sampling a variety of BC wines and enjoying locally produced food prepared by Terra Restaurant, all served at the gorgeous Harper's Trail, Kamloops' first winery. Get your tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/713164 or in person at the Kamloops Symphony Society office - 6-510 Lorne St. terrarestaurantkamloops
LUNCH - Mon - Fri 11:30am - 2:00pm, DINNER Mon - Sat 5:00 - 9:00pm
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24TH, 2014, 5:00PM
HARPER’S TRAIL WINERY - 2720 SHUSWAP ROAD E.
250.374.2913 326 VICTORIA ST. RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED