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FRIDAY JULY 12, 2019 | Volume 32 No. 54
STARTING FRESH
Shear Furfection Dog Salon owner Sarah Robinson wants people to know she is not connected to former owner of the location A3
BAN BANNED
Victoria’s plastic bag ban struck down by B.C.’s highest court A10
PLAYOFF TIME
Kamloops Venom host South Okanagan tonight at Memorial A28
WEEKEND WEATHER:
Sunshine on Saturday, followed by showers High 29 C Low 15 C
Shtuka documentary to be screened Monday MICHAEL POTESTIO
STAFF REPORTER
michael@kamloopsthisweek.com
Heather Shtuka is anticipating an emotionally difficult viewing experience at the Paramount Theatre in Kamloops next Monday. The mother of missing Alberta man Ryan Shtuka, who in February 2018 vanished from a house party in Sun Peaks, will be at the premiere of a Telus Storyhive documentary about her son produced by Kamloops residents Russell Walton, Jared Featherstone and Allan McVicar. The trio of filmmakers, known as Past 11 Productions, has spent the past year producing the 20-minute film — Peaks and Valleys: The Search for Ryan Shtuka — thanks to a $50,000 grant they received from the telecommunications company, which will begin screening the film on Telus Optik and YouTube on July 15. Ryan’s parents had an advanced screening
Twenty-year-old Ryan Shtuka vanished after leaving a party in Sun Peaks on Feb. 17, 2018. A documentary about the missing-person case will premiere this Monday at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Kamloops.
of the film. Heather said she felt the film was “beautifully done” and is pleased with how it turned out. But, she added, it is hard to watch from an emotional standpoint. “It just makes it real,” Heather said, noting it’s difficult to process that this kind of production is about her son. Heather said she hopes people will get a sense of the vastness of Sun Peaks when view-
ing the film to better understand why she and husband Scott continue to return to the ski resort to search for Ryan. “It raises awareness about missing people in general,” Heather said. “At the end, they ask the public to keep an eye out for people [missing] in their area.” Walton said there were emotionally intense moments during shooting, noting they formed bonds with the people they interviewed. “We’re happy to be through and to have something that people can see and be screened to help bring attention to Ryan’s story because he is still missing,” he said. The documentary tells the story of the impact Ryan’s disappearance has had on his loved ones and the type of person he was. The film also details search efforts and looks at theories surrounding his disappearance, Walton told KTW. See NO SIGN, A6
DAVE EAGLES/KTW Built Solid Construction owner Josh Huber (left) and Dhaliwal Green Acres Farm owner Mota Dhaliwal said lengthy delays caused by CN trains are impacting business — and lives — near Heffley Creek.
WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
JESSICA WALLACE STAFF REPORTER jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
Residents, farmers and business owners are tired of waiting for the trains at Haslett Road near Heffley Creek. Nu Leaf Produce Market vans routinely get stuck on one side, wasting hours of staff time with fresh produce on board. Farmers and residents are worried about safety while stuck behind the tracks with no alternative exit. And contractors have no way of planning pricey jobs. They’re wasting time and money and feel unsafe. “I’ve got 30 people working [and living] here,”
Dhaliwal Green Acres Farm owner Mota Dhaliwal told KTW. “Sometimes we’ve got emergencies. Sometimes we’ve got problems. What are we going to do?” Dhaliwal has owned the produce farm on Haslett Road for three decades and has noticed the issue of trains blocking the crossing worsen. He said he has waited for up to four hours for trains to move. In addition to his farm, Heffley Farm (unincorporated and owned by Dhaliwal’s relatives), two homes (unrelated to the family), a recreational island and the Tolko chip yard are south of the tracks, with up to 50 people on that side at any given time, KTW was told. See PUBLIC CROSSING, A6
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