May 4 - 2023

208-2514 Spring Bank Ave

2960 Ransom Ave

MLS#172486 $585,000 Th 3 bdrm 4 ba h home eatu es om o ab e v ng n a beaut u b end o con emporar y and mode n fin shes nc ud ng quar z oun er ops, cus om shake cab net y, upg aded sta n ess app ances doo n door r dge and a gas stove En oy he 9 f ce ng beau u gas fi ep ace w h updated feature wa and ove zed w ndow to take n he unn ng v ew

1599 Quilchena Ave

MLS172455 $729,000 Th house has a o a o 4 bed oom p us a arge o fice 3 fu ba hooms n- aw su te and best of a , he home has been comp e e y upda ed ns de w th op qua y fin sh ngs The d veway has been comple e y redone w h brand new cemen wh ch o e s ext a pa king You mus v s t h

2213 Parker Drive

MLS#172088 $599,900 La ge 6 bed oom 2 ba h house on a 39 ac e ot Home has a 3 bay enc osed ca po t wh ch of ers p en y o room for a wo kshop o tor ng you oys The ba ement has an n- aw su te wi h aund y on both he ma n eve and basement P enty of park ng or RV orage outbu d ngs and beaut u v ews

MLS#172010 $630,000 New y sted ca hedra en r y 4 bdrm fam y home w th 2 5 ba h on 2 ac e o n de ab e Bench Loca ion W h on y s eps rom he e emen a y schoo , enn s cou s, d sc go f and outdoo arena h home o fe s he u mo onven ence o you am y and ch d en The home fea ures a a ge pr vate backyard w th ma u e ee eda hedge and cha n nk fen e Ca today o book you appo n men o v ew

$1,375,000 MAGN FICENT LAKEFRONT et ea o e dence a h 3745 sq Luxuy 4 bd m home Beaut u custom k chen boas s g an te oun er ops gas cook top, ennA r dge Ro ng h & b g open sk e we come you o an exc us ve commun y o qua y homes at S ump ake enowned fo w nd surfing wa er sk ng & amaz ng fish ng s o ked w th Kokanee and Ra nbow out En oy win

Healthcare rallies continue at Central Park

Healthcare rallies continue at Central Park

as much as possible, but this week I’m getting ahold of the federal health minister, I think we need to go step above and see what rules and regulations are being followed and which ones aren’t, because I’m not getting all the answers I want.”

as much as possible, but this week I’m getting ahold of the federal health minister, I think we need to go step above and see what rules and regulations are being followed and which ones aren’t, because I’m not getting all the answers I want.”

Goetz said that along with the request for federal assistance, he will be requesting a full tour of the Nicola Valley Hospital with IHA’s executive director due to a number of people raising concerns about maintenance issues at the hospital, such as frozen pipes left unfixed. While he hasn’t verified the claims yet, he hopes to tour the hospital soon.

Goetz said that along with the request for federal assistance, he will be requesting a full tour of the Nicola Valley Hospital with IHA’s executive director due to a number of people raising concerns about maintenance issues at the hospital, such as frozen pipes left unfixed. While he hasn’t verified the claims yet, he hopes to tour the hospital soon.

Opinion --------------------- 6-7

Sports -------------------------23

Classifieds ------------25-27

MLA Jackie Tegart addressed the crowd of over 200 that gathered to protest ongoing closures at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department. Photo/Matthias Wiegand

nizer of the rally.

NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

In the third display of what organizers have unofficially dubbed as Rallies for Healthcare, over 200 Nicola Valley residents gathered at Central Park to show their support and call for action on ongoing service disruptions at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department.

In an hour that included drumming, speeches from local elected officials, raised signs, and demands for action, organizers told the Herald that the issue is clearly top-of-mind for residents of Merritt, and beyond. The hospital’s ER has been closed ten times this year, with the diversions increasing in frequency since they became common last year. During the tenth diversion of emergency department services at the Nicola Valley Hospital this year on April 9, roughly 50 residents of the valley gathered on the hospital’s green space to rally against what many see as a lack of provincial action on the issue.

In an hour that included drumming, speeches from local elected officials, raised signs, and demands for action, organizers told the Herald that the issue is clearly top-of-mind for residents of Merritt, and beyond. The hospital’s ER has been closed ten times this year, with the diversions increasing in frequency since they became common last year. During the tenth diversion of emergency department services at the Nicola Valley Hospital this year on April 9, roughly 50 residents of the valley gathered on the hospital’s green space to rally against what many see as a lack of provincial action on the issue.

Although the ER hasn’t been closed since, many attendees worry the hospital could close again, and organizers of the rally said they plan to continue until the issue is addressed by Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the provincial health ministry.

Although the ER hasn’t been closed since, many attendees worry the hospital could close again, and organizers of the rally said they plan to continue until the issue is addressed by Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the provincial health ministry.

“I go through this crowd, and I hear story after story of people who have had an issue with accessing healthcare in our community,” said Georgia Clement, an orga-

“I go through this crowd, and I hear story after story of people who have had an issue with accessing healthcare in our community,” said Georgia Clement, an orga-

“We’re just as important as everybody else, every community is important. This shouldn’t be happening anywhere. The fact is that we’re a community of 7000 strong, and about 14,000 area. We have these two mountain pass highways that come into our town, and the people that travel them are at risk, because the closest ER is going to be Kelowna or Kamloops. You can’t even get stabilized here.”

nizer of the rally.

“We’re just as important as everybody else, every community is important. This shouldn’t be happening anywhere. The fact is that we’re a community of 7000 strong, and about 14,000 area. We have these two mountain pass highways that come into our town, and the people that travel them are at risk, because the closest ER is going to be Kelowna or Kamloops. You can’t even get stabilized here.”

Clement added that the ongoing closures mean Merritt ambulances are spending too much time transporting people to the nearest hospital when the Nicola Valley ER is closed. She and several others have now penned a petition addressed to Interior Health and the provincial ministry of health, both online and print. The petition calls for action by both parties to investigate and put a stop to the closure.

Clement added that the ongoing closures mean Merritt ambulances are spending too much time transporting people to the nearest hospital when the Nicola Valley ER is closed. She and several others have now penned a petition addressed to Interior Health and the provincial ministry of health, both online and print. The petition calls for action by both parties to investigate and put a stop to the closure.

A number of members of Merritt’s city council, including the mayor, were present at the most recent rally. Mayor Mike Goetz said that at the recent Southern Interior Local Government Association conference in Vernon, a motion calling for an investigation into the ER closures in Merritt and other rural communities, crafted by Councillor Claire Newman and put forward by the city, passed unanimously.

A number of members of Merritt’s city council, including the mayor, were present at the most recent rally. Mayor Mike Goetz said that at the recent Southern Interior Local Government Association conference in Vernon, a motion calling for an investigation into the ER closures in Merritt and other rural communities, crafted by Councillor Claire Newman and put forward by the city, passed unanimously.

“It was put out at the floor at SILGA, which is all of the southern interior’s mayors, governors, and councillors, and there wasn’t a single vote against it,” Goetz told local media.

“It was put out at the floor at SILGA, which is all of the southern interior’s mayors, governors, and councillors, and there wasn’t a single vote against it,” Goetz told local media.

“I still meet with the [provincial] ministry

“I still meet with the [provincial] ministry

Goetz has called for an investigation into the source of the closures, and the province’s regulations on the vaccination status of healthcare workers, but the health authority has not announced their intentions to complete such an investigation. Health Minister Adrian Dix has said publicly in recent weeks that the province has no plans to lift the vaccination requirement, adding that the problem was the virus itself causing sick time and missed work, not the vaccine.

Goetz has called for an investigation into the source of the closures, and the province’s regulations on the vaccination status of healthcare workers, but the health authority has not announced their intentions to complete such an investigation. Health Minister Adrian Dix has said publicly in recent weeks that the province has no plans to lift the vaccination requirement, adding that the problem was the virus itself causing sick time and missed work, not the vaccine.

Interior Health Authority (IHA) recently told the Herald that staff recruitment and retention efforts for the Nicola Valley Hospital are ongoing, with the closures being a last resort measure to address staffing shortages caused by the overall vacancies, short-notice sick calls, and vacation time.

Interior Health Authority (IHA) recently told the Herald that staff recruitment and retention efforts for the Nicola Valley Hospital are ongoing, with the closures being a last resort measure to address staffing shortages caused by the overall vacancies, short-notice sick calls, and vacation time.

Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart was also present at the rally, adding that opposition has been rising in the legislature to speak on rural healthcare issues such as the one in Merritt, and calling the situation ‘appalling.’

Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart was also present at the rally, adding that opposition has been rising in the legislature to speak on rural healthcare issues such as the one in Merritt, and calling the situation ‘appalling.’

“Whoever thought when we were at the opening of the new ER that we would find ourselves here,” said Tegart to the crowd. “In how many years? This is appalling, what IH is doing, and it needs an overall plan. That’s what we asked the minister, we asked him, ‘where’s the plan?’ Where’s the staffing plan? Where’s the HR plan? Where’s the commitment to keep the services where they need to be?”

“Whoever thought when we were at the opening of the new ER that we would find ourselves here,” said Tegart to the crowd. “In how many years? This is appalling, what IH is doing, and it needs an overall plan. That’s what we asked the minister, we asked him, ‘where’s the plan?’ Where’s the staffing plan? Where’s the HR plan? Where’s the commitment to keep the services where they need to be?”

Organizers of the rally added that they look to apply continual pressure to the provincial government to take action, and will likely plan another rally to raise awareness of the issue. To view the online petition from organizers, visit: https://chng.it/ DwxkZP6bDP.

Organizers of the rally added that they look to apply continual pressure to the provincial government to take action, and will likely plan another rally to raise awareness of the issue. To view the online petition from organizers, visit: https://chng.it/ DwxkZP6bDP.

The BC River Forecast Centre is maintaining a High Streamflow Advisory for the Thompson major basin, which includes Merritt, while upgrading other parts of the region to a Flood Watch. For up to date coverage, visit our website.

The BC River Forecast Centre is maintaining a High Streamflow Advisory for the Thompson major basin, which includes Merritt, while upgrading other parts of the region to a Flood Watch. For up to date coverage, visit our website.

Search ‘STREAMFLOW’

Search ‘STREAMFLOW’

MMIWG2S+

Danielle Jack, a local MMIWG2S+ survivor and advocate, will soon head to Cannes, France as a part of her ongoing efforts to bring awareness to the cause. The local activists also recently signed with an international agency.

Search ‘MMIWG’

MLA Jackie Tegart addressed the crowd of over 200 that gathered to protest ongoing closures at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department. Photo/Matthias Wiegand

Marius Auer

In the third display of what organizers have unofficially dubbed as Rallies for Healthcare, over 200 Nicola Valley residents gathered at Central Park to show their support and call for action on ongoing service disruptions at the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency department.

RCMP seek hit and run vehicle

Merritt Mounties are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a truck involved in a hit and run early on Thursday (April 27).

The truck in question, described as a light blue two door Ford F150 with a black rack in the box and nitro blue headlights, was travelling north on Garcia Street around 4:30 a.m., before turning west onto Quilchena Avenue. Upon turning, the

vehicle struck a post on the sidewalk.

“The truck drove onto the sidewalk, striking a steel post and tearing it out of the ground,” said Sgt. Josh Roda, media relations officer with the Merritt RCMP.

“The truck stopped for a brief moment, before fleeing west down Quilchena Avenue. It is believed the truck likely suffered damage on the passenger side from hitting the post.”

Merritt RCMP asked that anyone who recognizes the truck in question contact Cst. Blake Chursinoff at 250-378-4262, or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

This two door light blue Ford F150 is the vehicle Merritt police look to identify in connection with a hit and run in the early morning hours of April 27, 2023. Photo/Merritt RCMP

Marius Auer

The new show features pieces by Suzuki, a former Merritt Secondary School art teacher, and templates that she created as examples for her students throughout her career. The show is on now until May 21 at the Nicola Valley Arts Centre on the corner of Voght and Nicola. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

EDITORIAL

TEGART: Frustration grows with each ER closure

to be determined and hardworking in the face of hardship and challenges.

When community members come together under a common goal and purpose, they can achieve great things. That spirit is typical of the people of Merritt, who have always proved

Years ago, it became apparent that local healthcare facilities needed an expansion and upgrade to meet increased demand and to address aging infrastructure and equipment. Recognizing that the ER at the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre was designed to support the community’s needs a half-century ago, a process got underway to build a larger and more modern emergency department.

Noting Merritt’s location at the intersection of four busy

highways — and the need for high-quality healthcare services not only for current residents, but to attract future residents as well — the people of Merritt were fully behind this plan. They generously contributed their time, energy and funds to make it happen through the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation and the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary.

They came through in a big way — better than anyone expected. They raised a whopping $700,000 to help make this much-needed facility a reality, improving local health care services and benefiting their

community at large. It was an impressive feat, one that still astounds me today.

We often talk about how the people of Merritt are strong and resilient, which is true. But after all that work, just imagine how frustrated they are after ten ER closures in less than 4 months. It’s unacceptable, and the government’s approach thus far clearly isn’t working. I continue to urge Health Minister Adrian Dix to engage in a dialogue to produce better results for our residents. It’s vital that our ER is staffed, open, and can meet the needs of patients and their families.

JACKIE TEGART VIEW FROM THE LEGISLATURE

LETTERS to the editor

Tree topping a form of tree mutilation

Editor,

Having moved to Merritt in 2015 I was distraught to find so many mutilated trees in the city – trees that had been topped, as opposed to healthy pruning or thinning. There are no benefits to topping. Despite what some home-owners are unfortunately led to believe, reducing the height of the tree does not lessen the chance of it toppling from wind or ice. It creates a damaged and weaker tree more likely to fall.

Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources sites some reasons why trees should not be topped:

Height – People are led to believe that topping will control

the height of the tree. However, the topped tree responds by sending out long sprouts that are weak. If the tree does not die it may quickly return to its mature height with a bushier, less attractive appearance that’s more likely to fail.

Safety – One of the main reasons people think topping is good is to reduce the likelihood of limb breakage. In fact, just the opposite results. New limb growth, as a result of topping, is weakly attached to the remaining branch and is more likely to fail than the branches that were removed.

Starvation – The removal of so many leaves and stems results in the inability to manufacture food. Proper pruning practices do not

remove more than ¼ to ⅓ of the leafy crown.

Shock – The canopy acts as an umbrella, shading the rest of the tree. By removing this the bark is no longer protected which could lead to sunscald. Large wounds created by topping compromise the tree’s natural ability to fend off pests and disease. Once decay hits a tree there is no way of stopping it.

Aesthetics – A topped tree is ugly and disfigured even when it regrows. It will never again provide the grace and beauty that a natural tree brings to the landscape.

The alternative to topping is proper pruning or thinning of the crown to help develop a stronger

and more beautiful tree. If you have a tree that is too tall for its location, have it removed and replaced with a more suitable one. Be a wise consumer this Spring and say no to topping. Find a professional and qualified arborist for the health of your tree.

A quick search on the Internet will find much additional information as to why the practice of topping should be avoided.

Desmond Wickman Merritt, B.C.

AUER: Change happens gradually, then suddenly

SPRING CONCERT WELL RECEIVED

There was an impressive amount of singing talent in the Merritt Civic Centre Sunday evening. The Merritt Community Choir’s annual spring concert hosted the Elizabeth Scott Singers from Vernon and the Kamloops Choristers for an evening of choral sound to a crowd of 200.

In my last column I wrote about how the world changes gradually, then suddenly (also

known as the Hemingway Effect, coined after his 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises”). Small changes happen over a period of time until one day, the world is a different place. This does not only apply to the world in general, but also - and maybe even more so - to our daily lives. When you’re living life north of 50, this is how everything seems to happen. Something different hurts every day, and all of a sudden you’re faced with a life-changing situation.

About six years ago, my husband started noticing that he didn’t feel safe and secure standing on a ladder anymore; then kneeling gave him trouble, then the leg cramps started. Symptoms kept adding up and it seemed like that’s just how it is now and you just keep pushing and keep working (hello, Generation X!) until one day the diagnosis of degenerative motorneuron disease came and his world was suddenly a different place.

In my husband’s case

it didn’t make a difference that he kept up with regular blood tests and doctor visits and whatever else preventative testing was offered, but maybe in your case, it will make a difference. All those little symptoms that seem more like a bother than anything serious? Take them seriously. Get to the bottom of them, before your world is suddenly a different place. Physical and mental symptoms, they are equally important. If you’re anything like me - a stubborn Gen

X-er with an attitudethen you’re probably used to just keep going, no matter what. Calling in sick? For wussies. Seeing a doctor? Definitely not. Talking to a counsellor? LOL. Except that you really should do all of those things, in fact, you must. I think that’s one thing we can learn from the younger generations: taking good care of ourselves. Let’s learn this so we can stick around longer and teach the younger generations everything else, okay?

LETTERS POLICY

The Merritt Herald welcomes your letters, on any subject, addressed to the editor. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s name and address. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. Please keep letters to 300 words or less. Email letters to: newsroom@ merrittherald. com.

Population health survey now available

by public health services in the province to inform areas of priority in B.C. communities, as well as guiding planning and programing.

“We strongly encourage everyone living within Interior Health to take a few moments and complete this important health survey, ensuring your voice is heard,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie, Interior Health’s interim chief medical health officer. “Information gleaned will help guide future public health planning and programming for years to come.”

Approximately 400,000 people participated in the first COVID-19 SPEAK survey in May 2020, and approximately 200,000 participated in the second survey in April 2021. The third and current survey will be open until June 25, 2023, and is funded by the BCCDC Foundation for Public Health.

Supp or t to Rental Prop er t y Pro gram

For those impacte d by the 2021 BC Flo o ds and Ex treme Weather Event .

The Survey on Population Experiences, Action, and Knowledge (SPEAK) asks B.C. respondents about their physical and mental health, and social and economic well-being.

The Provincial Health Services Authority and BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) are encouraging B.C. residents to participate in the third rendition of their annual population health survey and share their priorities for health and wellbeing in their communities.

The Survey on Population Experiences, Action, and Knowledge (SPEAK) asks respondents a number of questions relating to their their physical and mental health, along with their social and economic well-being. Survey results are used

We look forward to providing you and your family complete dental care now and in the future.

The PHSA said in a press release that previous surveys informed a number of public health decisions in B.C, including the modelling of vaccine projections, informing COVID19 vaccine program decisions, discussions with community stakeholders to target support and initiatives to improve mental health, and modelling the impact of the pandemic and informing restart plans.

“The SPEAK survey is an essential tool in helping us better understand the health and well-being of our communities and provides an opportunity for British Columbians to have their voices heard,” said Adrian Dix, B.C’s health minister.

“By participating in the SPEAK survey, individuals can help improve the health of their communities and ensure that the Government’s policies and programs will provide better access to health care.”

Those interested in participating in the survey should visit www.bccdc.ca/SpeakSurvey to register and get started.

D o you own a rental prop er t y that was impacte d by the 2021 BC Flo o ding and Ex treme Weather Event?

If yes, please contact the Canadian Re d Cross. You may b e eligible for financial assistance

Photo/Lukas Blazak

Marius Auer

NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Fraser-Nicola MLA hosts critic and community for talk

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

During a recent legislative break week, Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart and Surrey-South MLA Elenore Sturko held a community conversation at the Best Western on Saturday (April 29) regarding mental health, addictions, and community safety. Sturko is the BC United Critic for Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery & Education, and told the Herald that hearing concerns of rural B.C. communities is just as important as sharing their efforts in Victoria.

“As much as we’re presenting information about some of the things that are being done, and some of the things that our party is trying to push the government for, we also want to take some time to listen,” explained Sturko.

“We were in Hope last night, and listening to some of the concerns from community members, and likewise, we wanted to be able to hear from community members in Merritt, because coming to different communities and listening to their concerns actually helps pave the way and inform us of the things that are really of concern

and top of mind for people.”

During their two-stop tour of community conversations, Sturko and Tegart said they heard from a number of concerned citizens on topics such as the effects of homelessness and concurrent mental health and addictions issues, a lack of long-term support for those struggling with addiction, difficulties navigating the healthcare system, and a lack of support for the family members of those affected by addiction. Sturko noted that smaller communities such as Merritt present unique challenges, such as a lack of available treatment beds and other resources.

Sturko added that her party’s plan would see more beds made available by publicly funding private treatment beds and options, therefore removing financial barries and expanding immediate access to mental health and addictions supports. Tegart noted that the event was an opportunity for connection with the community, and to gather input on future policy, not to diminish those working in the front lines to battle addiction and mental health issues amidst B.C’s toxic drug death crisis.

“I want to make it really clear that

We are more than just a Pha

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TRANSFERRING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS IS EASY call 250-378-2155 or on-line at blackspharmacy.com

we are here to talk about policy, where the gaps are, and the bigger picture, rather than talk about complaints about frontline and those kinds of things,” added Tegart.

“Those people who are working front lines are working their hearts out. They are doing everything possible to provide service and support withing the parameters that are there right now. What we’re saying is that there’s not enough, and we need to talk about what that might look like, and how we put that into action. We don’t want to talk forever, we know that seven people a day are dying.”

The pair of MLAs headed back to Victoria after the Merritt event for the last two weeks of parliamentary sessions before the BC Legislature breaks until the October sitting.

WELCOME TO

KINDERGARTEN 2023 STUDENT REGISTRATION

The Board of Education of School District No. 58 (Nicola-Similkameen)

Kindergar ten establishes a strong foundation for lifelong learning , as teachers provide dynamic, play-based oppor tunities to help each child grow and learn. Our child-centered programs de velop a sense of well-being and belonging and offer oppor tunities for exploring , creative play, de veloping language and literacy while ocusing on social responsibility and cultural diversity

Kindergar ten provides our young learners with an enriched learning experience at their own unique de velopmental le vel. We look forward to working with each Kindergar ten child’s family as we welcome you to our child’s ne w school community

Please visit our website www.sd58.bc.ca for a complete overvie w of our online registration process.

REGISTER NOW

For September, 2023:

To register, a child must be 5 years of age on, or before, December 31, 2023.

Parents should register their child at the neighbourhood school.

Please visit our website www.sd58.bc.ca for a complete overvie w of our online registration process.

If you are unable to register online, please contact your neighbourhood school.

When registering online you will need your child’s Bir th Cer tificate, immunization record, Care Card and proof of address when registering

Parents interested in a Kindergar ten distance education program for their child, can contact the South Central Interior Distance Education School at 250-378-4245

Parents wishing to enrol their child in the French Immersion Program are required to register at Collettville Elementary

If you have any questions, please contact your neighbourhood school:

VALE ELEMENTARY

250 - 378 - 2514

Twenty gathered to discuss public safety, mental health, and addictions with MLA Jackie Tegart and critic Elenore Sturko.

Photo/Jackie Tegart

Interior Health encourages immmunization

stop after childhood years, with a number of vaccines recommended for adults. All adults in B.C. can get a booster of tetanus and diphtheria vaccine every 10 years. Those who missed their basic series in childhood, depending on their health, age and other risk factors, could be eligible for certain vaccines.

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Last week, as a part of National Immunization Awareness Week, Interior Health Authority (IHA) encouraged families and individuals to keep up with their immunizations.

Vaccines are available for free to B.C. residents through the province’s Medical Services Plan, and young children in B.C. are offered vaccines at two, four, six, 12, and 18 months of age. As children get older and begin school, vaccinations continue to be offered to develop protection against vaccine preventable diseases. Some vaccinations need booster doses as children enter their teens, and IHA said adults require them also.

“It is hard to imagine a world without vaccines,” said Dr. Fatemeh Sabet, Interior Health’s medical health officer. “I am so grateful for having access to a simple tool that has saved millions of lives and prevented serious consequences of so many vaccine preventable communicable diseases.”

Sabet added that the need for vaccinations does not

A press release by IHA added that vaccines are available to protect against a variety of diseases such as cervical cancer, influenza, whooping cough, meningitis, chickenpox and hepatitis. IHA noted that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine available to all children starting in grade six helps to protect against infection from types of HPV that cause certain cancers, such as cervical and mouth cancers. They added that a 2019 study showed that the HPV vaccine cut the rate of early stages of cervical cancer by more than half in B.C.

The topic of vaccination has been front and centre in recent years especially, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting vaccination requirements across the world. Sabet noted that vaccination has helped IHA mitigate some of the severe impacts of the pandemic.

“The single most important factor that helped us reduce risk of severe impacts from COVID-19 and get back to living in a safer environment has been vaccination,” added Sabet. “I am so thankful to everyone who stood up and played their part in protecting themselves and our communities by getting vaccinated.”

For more information on immunizations for infants, children, adults, the elderly, as well as immunizations for pregnant women and for travel, visit www.interiorhealth.ca/health-and-wellness/immunization-andvaccines.

Photo/Herald File

RED DRESS DAY

FRIDAY, MAY 5 - 2023

School District 58 takes on MMIWG2S+ initiatives

The collaboration of the committee yields a range of workshops and events that address the topic in the classroom and beyond. Lara Coutlee, First Nations Support Worker, sees the efforts as part of the bigger picture of truth and reconciliation efforts within SD58.

“Whenever we’re doing our work we are trying to cover all our bases, so all of us can address things like MMIWG2S+ as an act of truth and reconciliation, by all of us learning

School (MSS). Distinguished Professor Sherene Razack from UCLA, who has studied the Canadian criminal justice system extensively and whose research and teaching focus on racial violence, is scheduled to present for 40 minutes with a Q&A session to follow.

“Prior to that, we will be preparing more information about MMIWG2S+ in a Canadian context, and we’ll be sharing that with teachers so they can have a discussion with students in each of these classrooms before we open it up to the distinguished professor,” added Coutlee.

Raising awareness and educating youth about the MMIWG2S+ movement is a community effort, and School District 58 has been working for years from a collaborative approach. Shelley Oppenheim-Lacerte, director of instruction for Indigenous Education, told the Herald that SD58 is part of a committee comprised of representatives from the RCMP, NVIT, Scw’exmx Child & Family Services,

Scw’exmx Health, and the local Union of BC Indian Chiefs Women’s Representative. Together, the committee works to provide education and awareness of MMIWG2S+ issues to students, as well as school district staff, and the community at large.

“We look at localizing this information as well so that when we connect with people they are not thinking ‘oh, that happens way up north or back east’. It’s actually a tragedy that occurs right here in the Nicola Valley,” said Oppenheim-Lacerte.

together at the same time so we’re all on the same page, and we have a mutual understanding between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people,” noted Coutlee.

To honour the MMIWG2S+ Day of Action on May 5, the district is planning a Zoom session for all students and educators at Merritt Secondary

Preparing students for a presentation about this sensitive topic is part of a bigger support strategy; the school district ensures that counselling support is provided on site and pulls additional support from elsewhere in the district if needed. External supports from wrap-around services in the community are also provided during events, a strong signal to the students that they do not stand alone to face an issue that triggers traumatic experiences in so many families.

More educational events are planned throughout the school year, like a conversation between advocate and activist Stephanie Harpe, expert on sex trafficking Cathy Peters, and local RCMP representative Tracy Dunsmore.

Continued Page 13

SD58 students took part in a MMIWG2S+ awareness walk through downtown Merritt last October in an effort to spread awareness and learn more about the issue.

Photo/SD58

Kerstin Auer MERRITTHERALD.COM

‘Whenever we’re doing our work, we are trying to cover all our bases, so all of us can address things like MMIWG2S+ as an act of truth and reconciliation.’

SD58’S

LARA COUTLEE

May 5 is the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

From Page 12

The collaborative discussion within this diverse group took place several weeks ago and yielded a remarkable video that will soon be available on the school district’s website.

“It was so nice to see these three incredibly strong women from all these different places, all on the same page and understanding one another and finding connection through all their different experiences,” said Coutlee.

The importance of standing together to create a stronger learning environment for the future community cannot be overstated. Oppenheim-Lacerte and Coutlee recently attended a conference in Kamloops organized by the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, where they were able to connect with survivors and other community members. Connections like these make it possible to bring even more educational events and speakers to the Nicola Valley, like a recent youth conference that included a self-defence workshop with Jamen Zacharias.

Providing the knowledge and skills for youth to develop awareness and to be able to take care of themselves is one of the goals of the committee’s work. Implementing local cultural and traditional teachings provides additional tools for both children and educators. The work that’s being done in School District 58, like during the district’s summer institute in August 2022, is quite powerful.

“My daughter, Cherish Oppenheim, was murdered in 2001 and so we provided a ceremony which involved our cultural and traditional teachings and connected with staff members so they truly gain an understanding of the tragedy and the trauma that families experience,” shared OppenheimLacerte. “I’m really proud of the work that we’re integrating throughout the school district. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s important work to make a difference for our communities.”

Honouring Red Dress Day: then and now

We acknowledge all missing and murdered women, g irl s, trans and t wo spir ited people across tur tle isl and. Our thought s and prayers extend to their families and communit ies impac ted by missing their loved ones

Any

Ever since Metis artist Jaime Black unveiled the REDress Project in 2010, red dresses have become a symbol of the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada whose loss remained unremarked on for far too long.

The original art installation was, in Black’s own words, a way for “the spirits of the missing or murdered women and girls [to] stand with us.” That imagery reappears every May 5 when red dresses are hung in windows to mark the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People - or, as it was called before it received national recognition, Red Dress Day.

While the abbreviations MMIW and MMIWG are still in wide usage, the spirit of the event has also been extended to include members of the 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual) community as another vulnerable Indigenous group that faces disproportionate amounts of violence.

Here in Merritt, a variety of events and observances have been held on and around May 5 since it was established as a national holiday in 2015. Some have been fleeting and uncredited, like the red dresses that were hung from trees and street signs along Nicola Avenue in past years, while others now stand as permanent reminders of the tragedy that remains on Canada’s doorstep.

The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s Merritt campus hosts two installations honoring Canada’s MMIWG2S: a custom-made red dress displayed in a wood and glass cabinet, and a memorial garden with a bright red pergola tucked into the shade near the lower parking lot.

The dress was made by Heiltsuk Nation’s Mia Hunt, one of the valued elders at NVIT’s Burnaby campus. Each small wooden paddle adorning the skirt was made by a member of Burnaby’s staff and student body and represents one of the individual lives memorialized by the dress.

Even the display cabinet, which currently stands near the Merritt campus’s fireplace but has wheels on its base so that it can be displayed anywhere in the building, was custom made by timber framer Christian Bur.

The memorial garden’s large red pergola, which represents a traditional Nlaka’pamux pithouse known as a s7ístken, provides a place for quiet reflection in the hustle and bustle of student life. It was also built in-house by NVIT’s carpentry class.

Sue Sterling-Bur, vice president for students at NVIT’s Merritt campus, previously told the Herald that their garden acts as both “a coming of home for people who are within that missing and murdered category,” and “a safe place for people who have family members in that category to go reflect, sit, listen, and remember their people.”

“Our students come

Continued Page 15

NVIT hosted an opening ceremony for their MMIWG2S+ Memorial Garden on Monday, March 21, 2022.

Photo/Madeline Baker

Madeline Baker MERRITTHERALD.COM

From Page 14

from across Canada. 80 percent of our student population is Indigenous, so that tells us that every single student in the building is connected to someone that has a family member or knows someone that is missing or murdered,” said Sterling-Bur.

“It really does impact our entire student population, as it does our staff as well.”

Outside of NVIT, numerous memorial walks have taken place in Merritt throughout the years. Both Merritt Secondary School and a collection of School District 58 members led by Cheryl Rule hosted walks through the city in 2022, and the Lower Nicola Indian Band holds an annual walk that also features songs and dances. Their 2023 walk for MMIWG2S starts on May 30, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Shulus Hall.

The phenomenon of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls has been identified as a human rights crisis by Amnesty International and the United Nations. Despite making up less than 5 percent of the Canadian population, Indigenous women account for 24 percent of female homicide victims, and Indigenous groups have estimated that more than 4,000 women and girls have been lost between 1980 and 2012.

The federal government’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was called in 2015 and published in June 2019,

called MMIWG2S “a national tragedy of epic proportion.”

Red Dress Day walks, art installations and events, in whatever form they take, now stand as active cenotaphs in remembrance of lives lost too soon and spirits that could not be smothered by decades of silence.

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

A sign at the entrance to NVIT’s MMIWG2S+ memorial garden on its Merritt Eagle’s Perch campus.

Photo/Madeline Baker

Beading for Red Dress Day

community every day.

“If you imagine a little red dress on your lapel or on your backpack as a person and that person representing that they are missing and murdered, two-spirit, or woman or a child, it brings a little bit of thought to it,” said Julia Munro, wellness coordinator for Nlaka’pamux Health Services.

“If someone doesn’t know what it is you’re able to answer that question and start talking about that sensitive issue; it’s encouraging people to ask questions.”

Preparations for Red Dress Day started weeks ago at Nlaka’pamux Health Services, with the organization holding a beading event in their boardroom in downtown Merritt. The event was open to community members who either wanted to grab a kit for beading red dress pins, work on the project together, or a just have a chat. The goal is to have the pins completed by Red Dress Day on May 5th, with kits containing enough beads to make two or three pins.

The idea to use a beading event to raise awareness about this important issue came from a desire to extend the reach beyond Red Dress Day. The red dress has become a symbol of the MMIWG2S+ movement, and a red dress pin can carry this statement into the

A MMIWG walk is also planned in Lower Nicola on May 30, with all events around the red dress designed to confront and act as a symbol of the racialized and sexualized violence against all Indigenous people.

“We’re confronting and using that power of presence to say we’re still here and we’re speaking for the people who are unable to speak any longer, we have them in the back of our mind.” added Munro.

Nlaka’pamux Health Services hosts beading events with different themes, usually once a month. The events are attended by both first time beaders as well as experienced elders; creating a tangible item with beads is a great way to connect with each other and to have a creative outlet that’s beneficial for mental wellness.

For more information about the events contact Julia Munro at 250-378-9772 or email munro.j@nlxfn.com.

A complete red dress pin. Photo/Julia Munro

Kerstin Auer MERRITTHERALD.COM

Planet Mine opens: ‘First a hum, and then a roar.’

MIN NG MONTH

MIN NG MONTH

May is Mining Month, a time to celebrate and salute the important contributions BC mining makes to communities throughout the province and highlight the growing significance of critical minerals.

May is Mining Month, a time to celebrate and salute the important contributions BC mining makes to communities throughout the province and highlight the growing significance of critical minerals.

British Columbia’s mining sector is a world leading supplier of the critical minerals essential to clean technologies that help fight climate change – like electric vehicles. Mining Month provides the perfect opportunity to showcase how British Columbia’s critical minerals and metals are essential to climate action.

British Columbia’s mining sector is a world leading supplier of the critical minerals essential to clean technologies that help fight climate change – like electric vehicles. Mining Month provides the perfect opportunity to showcase how British Columbia’s critical minerals and metals are essential to climate action.

Mining Month will also feature the significant economic benefits they offer British Columbians, while enabling economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities.

Mining Month will also feature the significant economic benefits they offer British Columbians, while enabling economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities.

Join us in celebrating Mining Month and discover British Columbia’s mining and critical mineral potential. Together, we can drive positive change, foster economic growth and create a lasting legacy of responsible mining for generations to come.

Join us in celebrating Mining Month and discover British Columbia’s mining and critical mineral potential. Together, we can drive positive change, foster economic growth and create a lasting legacy of responsible mining for generations to come.

THE OPPORTUNITY IS RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET.

THE OPPORTUNITY IS RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET.

https://mining.bc.ca/mining-month-2023/

https://mining.bc.ca/mining-month-2023/

Production at Planet Mine, one of the Nicola Valley’s first mines, opened to fanfare and celebration at a openeing ceremony in March of 1923. According to the Nicola Valley Museum and Archives, the event drew over 110 people from across North America, including Mr. George Vatsineas, a millionaire from Chicago, along side mining consults and bankers from Vancouver, who were driven to the location in 40 cars loaned by the Merritt Board of Trade from the Adelphi Hotel to the mine. The opening was one of many prominent events in Merritt’s mining history. To learn more, visit nicolavalleymuseum.org. Photo/Herald File

Highland Valley Copper looks to extend life of mine

“HVC 2040 is currently in the PreApplication phase of the B.C. EA process. In addition to engagement with communities and Indigenous Governments and Organizations through the EA process, HVC is committed to supporting Indigenous-led assessment processes,” explains the Teck website.

and provincial taxes,” adds the Teck website.

Teck is currently in the process of extending those benefits until 2040 and beyond, with their proposed Highland Valley Copper 2040 Project (HVC 2040). Photo/Herald File

Copper 2040 Project (HVC 2040).

While no timeline for approval of the project has been confirmed, it is expected by late 2024; a public comment period was held in the fall of last year and concluded on November 14, 2022. “The next step is for Teck Highland Valley Copper to do consultation and technical studies to develop its application for an environmental assessment certificate, which is required for the project to move ahead” reads the latest process order update on the EAO’s website.

Teck’s Highland Valley Copper operation has long been a significant economic force in the Nicola Valley, both as an employer as well as a supporter to provide funding for important community projects. Teck is currently in the process of extending those benefits until 2040 and beyond, with their proposed Highland Valley

The proposal includes an extension of the existing site infrastructure and addresses both a continuation of the economic benefits to the area, as well as the rising demand for copper in a world that’s focused on a low-carbon future. According to documents filed with the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO), the process was started in September 2019, when the project entered the environmental assessment process.

Extending the operations at their mine location 17 km west of Logan Lake until at least 2040 will ensure that Teck can continue to employ approximately 1,300 people and remain a significant driver of the economy.

“On an annual basis, HVC provides approximately $185 million in wages and benefits, spends close to $137 million on local goods and services, and contributes $75 million in municipal

The demand for copper is expected to double by 2050, with this basic metal becoming increasingly precious as it’s being used in electric vehicles, computers, smartphones, solar panels, and more. Copper also plays an important part in health care thanks to its unique antimicrobial properties. As The Herald previously reported, Teck recently invested into a joint project with the British Columbia Institute of Technology to further develop the implementation of copper in healthcare. Last year, Teck sponsored the first ever copper-outfitted daycare in Canada. The Laugh and Learn daycare in Logan Lake features 150 antimicrobial copper surfaces throughout the facility including; door handles, toilet seats, coat hooks, countertops, and washroom latches.

The continuation of the mining operations at Teck’s Nicola Valley mine as part of the HVC 2040 project will ensure that the company can continue to invest in innovation and the community.

For more information about HVC 2040 and to provide your input and feedback to Teck, they welcome and encourage emails to HVC2040.feedback@teck.com or a phone call to 1-855-523-3429.

Kerstin Auer MERRITTHERALD.COM

Teck partners with BCIT for new ‘Innovation Hub’

The group at Ska-Lu-La would like to say

THANK YOU

to HVC and Copper Mountain Mine for contracting, we are a proud supplier for your companies. We’ve worked hard for the past 31 years with HVC and are very proud to say that we’ve been working with Copper Mountain Mine for the past 5 years.

Ska-Lu-La Workshop

1775 COLDWATER AVE, MERRITT, BC V1K 1B8

Teck Resources, owner of the nearby Highland Valley Copper Mine, has supported a number of projects involving the use of copper in innovative new ways throughout the past number of years.

Through a $1.75 million contribution from Teck, the BC Institute of Technology recently opened the new Teck Copper Innovation Hub, a facility dedicated to the research and development of health devices with copper implementations.

“Copper’s unique antimicrobial properties make it perfect for use in health care, making high-touch surfaces and medical devices like prosthetics safer,” said Teck CEO Jonathan Price.

“The new Teck Copper Innovation Hub will explore innovative new ways to use antimicrobial copper to enhance safety for patients and health care professionals and we applaud BCIT for advancing this important work.”

The Innovation Hub will utilize 3D printing to produce healthcare devices composed of copper and composites. There will also be a focus on real-life applications of copper for health and safety purposes. BCIT leadership said the new partnership will have meaningful impact in the healthcare field, and beyond.

The new hub, which has officially

opened, also comes as a new addition to the line up of projects by Teck’s Copper and Health program. The program has installed copper surfaces in a number of healthcare facilities, including Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital, on public transit in partnership with TransLink and Toronto Transit Commission, in attractions including Science World and Royal Ontario Museum, and in post-secondary institutions through partnerships with BCIT, SFU, and UBC.

Last year, Teck sponsored the first ever copper-outfitted daycare in Canada. The Laugh and Learn daycare in Logan Lake features 150 antimicrobial copper surfaces throughout the facility including; door handles, toilet seats, coat hooks, countertops, and washroom latches.

“A cornerstone of Teck is innovation,” said Matt Parrilla, general manager for Teck Highland Valley Copper Operations.

“What we’re really excited about here is this is the first daycare in Canada using antimicrobial properties of copper on high traffic and high touch surfaces. That is part of innovation in practice. We are making it safer for the kids and other members of the community.”

For more information about the role of antimicrobial copper, the Copper and Health program, and other examples of copper in action, visit www. coppersaveslives.com.

Mining

The City of Merritt recognizes MINING as a key economic driver, accounting for about 50% of our resource industries, in addition to forestry and agriculture. With a history of Coal and Copper mining, the area continues to produce several minerals, including Gold, Ore and Copper, and continues to contribute to the economic prosperity of the entire community.

Teck Resources, the owner of nearby Highland Valley Copper Mine, recently partnered with the BC Institute of Technology to launch the new Teck Copper Innovation Hub, which will study the healthcare application of copper. Photo/BCIT

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Granite Avenue named after historical mining town

Bridge NICOLA VALLEY MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES

You may have noticed that the names of a number of the streets and avenues in and around the original part of Merritt follow a bit of a pattern, with the original streets being named after the early settlers to the area, such as Jesus Garcia of Garcia Street, William Voght of Voght Street, and James Chapman of Chapman Street. The avenues, on the other hand, were named after a number of different communities and places around the Nicola Valley, these being Nicola Avenue, Quilchena Avenue, and Coutlee Avenue as some other examples. Many of these communities continue to exist, with one example being Granite Avenue.

Granite Avenue is named after Granite City, a gold mining city that sat on the banks of the Tulameen River to the southeast of Tulameen and Coalmont. It is believed that John Chance discovered gold in Granite Creek on July 5th, 1885, setting off an immediate gold rush in the region that saw people flood into the area. By the end of 1885, there were 60 companies operating in Granite City, with an estimated $90,000 (approx. $2.75 million in today’s money) worth of gold extracted from the area. Not only that, but by year-end, there were already 200 buildings in the community, with Steve Williams writing in an August 1974 Merritt Herald article that those 200 buildings included 14 hotels and restaurants, nine general stores, three bakers, and three blacksmiths, amongst other businesses.

Granite Creek was not the only creek that produced gold, as Murphy Shewchuk notes in his book “Coquihalla Trips and Trails,” there was a gold nugget found in Bear

Creek that weighed nearly 19 ounces, which today would be the equivalent of over $41,000 in gold. This rush did provide an economic boom to the Nicola Valley, as for a period of time one of the only routes to Granite City was through a road that went through Nicola, providing the town site with an economic boost as thousands flocked to try to make their fortune.

The rush, however, was short lived, by 1889 gold production had slowed considerably and as a result, many people began leaving the city. In 1907, a fire burnt down most of the city, and while some of it was rebuilt, it would never return to its former glory. The community continued to survive for many years after the end of the gold rush, On March 31st, 1918, the post office that had been opened in Granite City on May 1st, 1886 closed. By the Great Depression, the city had been abandoned, but the economic conditions brought a handful of people back trying to eke out a living, Bill Barlee noted in his book that by the end of the 1960’s, the last of these last miners had left, and Granite City officially became a ghost town.

Today, Granite City is a recreational park through BC Parks with a nearby campground, beach, and hiking trails. As part of Canada 150, a walking tour was added with placards detailing the history of Granite City. Those placard, alongside a monument, and a handful of old abandoned wooden buildings, are all that remain of Granite City.

The Nicola Valley Museum and Archives is open from Tuesday until Saturday from 10am until 5pm, if you have any questions about the history of Merritt or the Nicola Valley please stop on by, give us a phone call, or send us an email!

Cameron

Pictured is Jack Briggains Hardware Store in Granite City, circa 1890. Photo/Nicola Valley Museum and Archives

Highland Valley Copper 2040

Teck ’ s Highland Valley Copper Operations is proposing the Highland Valley Copper 2040 Project (HVC 2040) to ex tend the life of the operation to at least 2040, through an ex tension of the existing site infrastructure.

HVC 2040 allows for the continuation of social and economic benefits, such as sustaining approximately 1 ,300 jobs, while also helping to meet the growing demand for copper driven by the transition to a lowcarbon future. HVC 2040 would yield approximately 1 .95 million tonnes of additional copper over the life of the Project .

Learn more: hvc2040.teck .com

Share your feedback: HVC2040.feedback@teck .com 1 .855. 523.3429

School District 58 hosts grade six Traditional Games

included traditional and cultural games played by Indigenous peoples in the area for thousands of years. Shelley Oppenheim-Lacerte, SD58’s director of instruction for Indigenous education, said the games are an opportunity for cultural connection and learning.

“Looking at our culture and our ways, we wanted to be able to provide these teachings and these events for an awareness, not only for our students, but for our staff,” said OppenheimLacerte.

“We’re bringing our communities together to enjoy and to practice some of our different games that we were able to provide. Pulling together that information we connect with resource people and some of our Elders, and we talk through some of the things that we’d like to implement.”

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Over 150 grade six students from elementary schools across School District 58 gathered last week to participate in the annual Traditional

Games, a sporting and cultural event organized by a committee of the district’s Aboriginal Advisory Council. Students were placed in groups, which included students from other schools, after arriving at Collettville Elementary for the day of fun and learning. Each group then tried their hand at a number of stations that

The Traditional Games consisted of a number of stations, run by Elders and other knowledge keepers, including lahal, a traditional stick game, hoop jump, spear and rock throw, handball, knobbyball, and big drumming. Knobbyball and lahal used to be separate of the Traditional Games, but the events were later amalgamated for a combined experience.

Members of the Traditional Games organizing committee, which includes input from Oppenheim-Lacerte and support workers Martha Chillihitizia

and Dawn Williams, told the Herald that the event is a opportunity for students to connect with each other, Indigenous culture and knowledge, and have some fun out in the sun. A particularly popular station at this year’s Traditional Games was rock throw, where participants used beanbags to ‘hunt’ plastic chickens.

“A long time ago, when the hunters used to go hunting for small game like chickens and turkey, they used rocks,” explained Martha Chillihitzia, a First Nations support worker with the district who has been involved with the Traditional Games since the event’s inception.

“We have chickens over there and beanbags for target [practice]. We also have handball, so, a long time ago, with knobbyball and handball, when a couple of the tribes would get together, they would have some games against each other. Same with high kick, it was just to see who can kick they highest.”

Organizational efforts for the next Traditional Games are in full swing, and include collaborations with a number of local Elders, organizations, and other resources.

For more information on events held by the SD58 Aboriginal Advisory Council and its committees, visit www. abed.sd58.bc.ca.

Centennials head coach out ahead of next BCHL season

NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Merritt Centennials announced Wednesday (April 26) that they have parted ways with the team’s Head Coach and General Manager, Curtis Toneff. The announcement comes after a lackluster season in which the Cents won just 12 games, and missed the British Columbia Hockey League playoffs.

Toneff took over the reins as head coach in December of 2021, after the team relieved Dave Chyzowski, who went 1-20-1 during his sting with the team. As head coach, Toneff improved the team’s record from a franchise low three wins during the 2021/22 season, to 12 wins in 2022/23. In a statement announcing his departure, the team thanked Toneff for his time in the position.

“On behalf of the Centennials, we would like to sincerely thank Curtis for his hard work and dedication over the past year and a half. We wish Curtis nothing but the best in his future endeavours,” reads the release. “Further announcements will follow as details of our upcoming 51st Consecutive Season in the BCHL unfolds.”

During his time with the Centennials, Toneff amassed a 14–64–8 record.

Over 150 students from school across the district took part in the grade six Traditional Games at Collettville Elementary School on Thursday (April 27). Marius Auer/Herald

Curtis Toneff was head coach of the Cents from December 2021 until April 2023.

Photo/Merritt Centennials

Marius Auer

Rotary club to revamp rose garden in namesake park

Marius Auer NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Merritt Rotary Club is revamping the former rose garden in its namesake park, looking to attract collaborators, donors, and, most importantly, pollinators. The garden was originally dedicated to Princess Diana, before being rededicated in recent years to Liz Laird, a late Merritt radio station owner and avid volunteer.

The new local effort is part of a Rotary District 5060 wide effort to create a mappable ‘Pollinator Garden Highway’ throughout the district, which spans from southern B.C. to southern Washington State. Merritt

Rotary said it looks to collaboratively engage like minded groups, organizations, and individuals to partner with them to build the garden.

“It will have perennials, and be augmented each year with annuals, and Rotary will do our best to look after it,” said Melodie Grabner, president-elect of Merritt Rotary.

“It’s all pollinator plants that are going in. Nothing that’s invasive, there will be no milkweed or any of that type of stuff. On our website, we’ve put a list of all the plants we’re looking for.”

A pollinator garden is a type of garden designed to grow specific nectar and pollen-producing plants to attract pollinators such as birds, bees, butterflies, moths, and flies, which are essential to the local ecosystem. Out

of four beds currently designated for the rose garden, only two have roses remaining, as the garden has struggled in recent years. Grabner hopes to use locally sourced and donated plants to plant the new pollinator garden.

A list of preferred plants, both perennial and annual, and planned planting dates for the new garden are available on the Merritt Rotary website. The service club is inviting the community to get involved with the new project in any way they are able.

“Pollinator gardens are a community gathering place where volunteers from partner organizations can build relationships while working side by side,” reads the site.

“The garden can function as an educational site for youth and encourage community service. We want to

make this a community wide project involving, gardeners, naturalists, environmentalists, youth, artists, influencers and educators.”

For more information, got to www.rotarymerritt.com under ‘Our Projects.’

Crossroads Community Church 2990 Voght St • 250-378-2911

Ser vice Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m

Merritt Baptist Church

2499 Coutlee Avenue (at Omre)

Sunday ser vice 10 am, Phone (250)378-2464

Merritt Lutheran Fellowship

in St. Michael's Anglican Hall • 250-378-9899

Ser vice Time: 3rd Sunday each month 1:00 p m

Sacred Hear t Catholic Church

Corner of Jackson & Blair • 250-378-2919

Mass Time: Sundays 9:00 a.m.

St. Michael’s Anglican Church 1990 Chapman St • 250-378-3772

Ser vice Times: 2nd and 4th Sundays only - 10:00 a.m.

Trinity United Church

Corner of Quilchena & Chapman • 250-378-5735

Ser vice Time ever y Sunday - 10 am

Somang Mission Community Church (SMC)

1755 Coldwater Ave. ( The Cadet Hall)

Sunday Ser vice Time: 4:00 pm • 250-280-1268

Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church

1950 Max well St • 250-378-9502

Ser vice Time: Sundays 9:00 am and 11:00 am

The new pollinator garden will take the place of the existing rose garden at Rotary Park. Marius Auer/Herald

& DISTRICT HOSPICE

www.MerrittFuneralChapel.com

2113 Granite Ave.,Mer ritt, BC 250-378-2141 or 1-800-668-3379

Coldwater Indian Band Job Posting EDUCATION COORDINATOR

The Coldwater Indian Band is seeking an individual to fill the Education Coordinator position. The Education Coordinator is responsible for the planning , administration and coordination of Coldwater Indian Band Education Programs and Ser vices and repor ts to the Band Administrator This position will be wor king from the Mer ritt Office

Responsibilities and Duties

Planning – Annual and Long-ter m Education Plan for Coldwater Indian Band, member ship and as directed.

Human Resource – Super vises and valuates the perfor mance of anyone with direct repor ting relations to the Depar tment when applicable

F inancial – Develops Education Program budgets in consultation with the Band Administrator and administer s the budgets as approved by Chief and Council and all other associated duties.

Policy – Administer s the approved Post-Secondar y Education Policy

Liaison and Representation – Par ticipates as Ex-Officio when required on the Band School SAC; Represents the band in negotiating the Local Education Agreement; Attends School District 58 meetings where applicable; Liaises with Post-Secondar y Institutions/Schools in suppor t of the Coldwater Indian Band Education Policy and programs; Liaises with SD #58 re: L.E.A., F.N.A.C, and staff where applicable; Advocates for Coldwater students within School District 58 & students attending different PostSecondar y Educational Institutions; Liaise with Indian Ser vices Canada in suppor t of the Coldwater Indian Band Education Depar tment programs

www.merritthospice.org

Ema

Rick Saunders

September 24, 1949 - March 31, 2023

Mr Rick Saunders, (Moe) passed away peacefully at home with his daughter by his side on March 31, 2023 at the age of 73.

He will be met on the other side by his son Sha Saunders, mother Ethel, father Jim Saunders of Merritt BC and the many friends that have crossed over that Rainbow Bridge that Rick has held near to his heart for many years

He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter, Nikki Saunders-Mckernan of Merritt, BC, grandchildren: Allyssa /Jared Leitch of Chilliwack, BC, Chase Mckernan of Parksville, BC and the Johnston families of Langley and Nunavut, BC, great grandchildren: Thomas Leitch and Aurora Grace Leitch of Chilliwack, BC, along with many friends in the community

A celebration of life will be held on June 10th for family and friends 1-3 pm @1550 Douglas St.

Many thanks to Merritt Home Healthcare Team of Nurses /Care Aides Palliative Care Staff/Services and Dr Ross and the at staff Nicola Valley Hospital

“The road goes on forever, but the party never ends” Rick

Post-Secondar y Program Administration – Administer s the Post-Secondar y program as per Job Description.

General Education Administration – Administer s all per tinent Education Program funding through Xyntax; Develop and maintain individual student confidential files; Maintains records of all Education programs, ser vices and funding associated with this depar tment; Keeps the Band Administrator infor med of sensitive and impor tant issues and events in relation to the operation of the Education Programs; etc.

Position Qualifications:

Post-Secondar y Diploma (prefer minimum Business or Public Administration diploma)

• OR an equivalent combination of post secondar y education and directly related wor k experience.

• Proposal writing an asset

Lifestyle consistent with the impor tance of the responsibilities of the position

• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, tact, discretion and sound judgement

• Demonstrated commitment to fiscal management

• Superior communication skills, written and oral

• Wor king knowledge of Xyntax an asset

• Knowledge of Nlaka’pamux and Coldwater Community an asset

• Ability to organize and manage wor kload

Good negotiation skills (Local Education Agreements)

• Able to wor k independently and in a team environment

Satisfactor y Criminal Records check

• Valid Driver’s License and Reliable vehicle

Send your resume with references and cover letter : Attn: COLDWATER INDIAN BAND H.R. COMMITTEE c/o Band Administrator (lantoine@coldwaterband.org .) or fax 250-378-5351 PO BOX 4600, MERRITT, BC V1K 1B8

Deadline for resumes: May 19, 2023

Only successful applicants will be contacted for an inter view

Scw’exmx Child & Family Services Society Employment Opportunity FINANCE MANAGER

Scw’exmx Child and Family Services Society (SCFSS) s family-centered and gu ded by nle?kepmx and sy lx trad tional know edge and principles

SCFSS ut lizes prevention and protection strategies with the collective goa to keep children with their fam lies and commun ties SCFSS recogn zes h storical challenges and is gu ded by traditional strength and wisdom to bu ld fam ly and community capacity in a monumental shift from protection to prevention

As an Indigenous organization serving the nle?kepmx and syilx communities, SCFSS prioritizes the hiring of nle?kepmxand syilx community members

Following commun ty member priority and pursuant to Section 41 of the BC Human Rights Code, preference may be given to qualified appl cants of Ind genous ancestry

Status: Ful -time | Per manent

Hours: 35 hours per week | 8:30 - 4:30 | Monday – Fr day

Wage: Start ng wage commensurate with experience|Range: $44 40$62 86

Closing Date: May 11, 2023 (3:00 pm)

Benefits: Comprehens ve Benefits Package | Public Service Pension Plan

Location: Merritt BC

The Opportunity:

The Finance Manager effect vely manages the provision of financia services accurate accounting and payroll r sk management services adm nistration of pension and benefit p ans, and general administrative support for the organization These services include budgeting, financia planning, report ng and support for audit functions The Finance Manager promotes the achievement of the goals and ob ectives of Scw’exmx Ch ld and Family Services Society by he ping employees understand financ a infor mation, provid ng accurate, confidential nfor mat on, and providing input to all planning cycles The Finance Manager prov des leadership to the Finance team, including per for mance management, human resources, and professional gu dance.

Full job description available upon request

Success for ALL Learners, Today and Tomorrow

CURRENT JOB OPPOR TUNITIES

We are currently inviting applications for the position(s) of:

Volunteering

We can’t do it without you

The BC SPCA cares for thousands of orphaned, abandoned and abused animals each year.

Volunteers are urgently needed to care for animals and assist with BC SPCA events. If you can help, please contact your local shelter today.

SUDOKU

Qualified candidates are invited to apply online at https://www makeafuture ca/bcschools-and-districts/nicola-similkameen-school-district-no-58/ All applicants must provide a cover letter and resume outlining relevant background and work experience and three (3) professional references for each position they want to be considered .

Only those applicants selected for an inter view will be contacted

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

PUZZLE ANSWERS ON SEPARATE PAGE

APPLY NOW

• Apply now on our website

[https://www scwexmx com/employment-opportunities]

• Comp ete the application form on our website, attach your cover etter and resume

• We thank all candidates for their interest, but only those selected for screening w ll be contacted

JOB P O S TING S

IN V E N TOR Y C OORDIN ATOR

IN V E N TOR Y A S SIS TA N T

T he Nic ola Valle y F o o d B ank ha s t wo s t a f f p o s it ion vac ancie s t o fill T he s e paid p o s it ion s pr ov ide opp or t unit ie s f or p ot e n t ial c andida t e s w ho ar e c ommunit y s e r v ic emot i va t e d and w ho ar e in t e r e s t e d in mak ing a p o s it i ve c on t r ibu t ion t o t he we ll - b e ing o f t he F o o d B ank ’s clie n t s

IN V E N T ORY C O ORDIN AT OR

Unde r t he dir e c t ion o f t he G e ne r al Manag e r, t he Inve n t or y C o or dina t or is r e s p on s ible f or t he or g aniz a t ion and or de r l y main t e nanc e o f pr o duc t inve n t or y, including dail y r e p or t ing t o t he G M on s t a t us o f s upplie s and e quipme n t T his p o s it ion wor k s ve r y clo s e l y w it h t he t e am o f F o o d B ank volun t e e r s a t t he he ar t o f t he dail y op e r a t ion s in or de r t o e f ficie n t l y me e t t he ne e ds o f clie n t s T he inc umb e n t als o pr ov ide s g e ne r al dir e c t ion r e t a s k pr ior it ie s t o t he Inve n t or y A s s is t an t

IN V E N T ORY A S S I S TA N T

T his p o sit ion ha s t wo di f f e r e n t ar e a s o f r e s p on s ibilit y :

1 Op e r a t ion o f t he F o o d De s k dur ing clie n t ac c e s s hour s (10 a m t o 1 p.m )

2. A s s is t an t t o t he Inve n t or y C o or dina t or.

T he incumb e n t is r e s p on s ible f or F o o d De s k op e r a t ion s (pr ov iding clie n t s w it h pr o duc t s), a s s is t s w it h t he handling o f pr o duc t inve n t or y, and c an als o b e c alle d up on t o a s s is t t he De li ve r y Van Dr i ve r w it h pr o duc t pick- up and de li ve r y T his p o s it ion wor k s ve r y clo s e l y w it h t he t e am o f F o o d B ank volun t e e r s a t t he he ar t o f t he dail y op e r a t ion s in or de r t o e f ficie n t l y me e t t he ne e ds o f clie n t s IMP OR TA N T N O T E : In t e r e s t e d applic an t s mus t r e ad t he f ull job de s cr ipt ion s w hich ar e available a t t he F o o d B ank on Q uilche na A ve (har d c opy) or available b y e - mail up on r e que s t (f o o dbank @ t e lus ne t) P le a s e s ubmit your le t t e r o f applic a t ion ac c ompanie d b y a c ur r e n t r e s ume w it h r e f e r e nc e s t o De r landa He w t on, G e ne r al Manag e r, Nic ola Valle y F o o d B ank C l os ing d a te: Op e n un t il c andida t e cho s e n

BA I LL I E H O U S E A S S I S TAN T - 3 POS I T I O N S

I f yo u e n j oy m e et i n g a n d ta k i n g to p e o p l e f ro m a a ro u n d t h e wo r l d t h e n t h s m a y b e t h e j o b fo r yo u T h e B a l l i e H o u s e h o s t s t h e M e r r i t t V s to r I n fo r m at i o n Ce nt re We a re a l s o a h i s to r i c s i te We cu r re nt y h a ve 3 j o b o p e n n g s N o ex p e r i e n ce i s re q u i re d a s we a re w n g to t ra n t h e s u cce s s f u a p p ca nt s To u r s m V s to r I n fo r m at o n Co u n s e l l o r t ra i n i n g w i l l b e p rov d e d D u t i e s i n c l u d e g i v n g v i s i to r s n fo r m at i o n a b o u t M e r r i t t a n d t h e N i co l a Va ey g v i n g s te to u r s s te m a i nte n a n ce i nve s t g at i n g v i nta g e te m s a n d reta s a l e s

Hours: 32 hrs per week W l include some weekend work Wa g e s: $19 0 0 p e r h o u r To s u b m i t re s u m e p l e a s e d ro p of f at t h e B a e H o u s e o r e m a : b a l l i e h o u s e @g m a i l co m Ca l 2 5 0 - 378 - 0 3 4 9 fo r m o re i n fo r m at o n

is looking for a FULL-TIME LABOURER. $21/hour

• must have a valid dr iver ’s licence

• landscaping exper ience an asset but not required.

• hardwor king individual

• exper ience with power tools

Please fax resumes to 250-378-4166 or email: tlcpond1@telus.net

1. Dull and flat

6. Baking measurement (abbr.)

9. Education-based groups

13. Not behind

14. Runners run them

15. Japanese ankle sock

16. Grave

17. Japanese industrial city

18. People of southern Ghana

19. Particular designs

1. Actor Damon

2. A call used to greet someone

3. Part-time employee

4. Emaciation

5. “Westworld” actor Harris

6. Gains possession of

7. Relaxing spaces

8. 23rd star in a constellation

9. Northern grouse

10. Monetary unit of Bangladesh

21. Device fitted to something

22. Infections

23. Pirates’ preferred alcohol

24. Expression of sympathy

25. Rock guitarist’s tool

28. Neither

29. Ancient city of Egypt

31. You __ what you sow

33. Ruined

36. Narrations

38. Body art (slang)

11. Manila hemp

12. Unites muscle to bone

14. Makes deep cuts in

17. 18-year period between eclipses

20. Member of a people inhabiting southern Benin

21. Synthetic rubbers

23. Unwelcome rodent

25. Expression of creative skill 26. Some is red 27. Seems less

39. Fencing sword

41. Apartment buildings

44. Type of missile

45. Fathers

46. Extremely high frequency

48. Type of school 49. Incorrect letters 51. Two-year-old sheep 52. Nasty manner 54. One who accepts a bet 56. Indian prince 60. Asian country

61. Rhythmic patterns in Indian music

62. “Uncle Buck” actress Hoffmann

63. Detailed criteria

64. Son of Shem

65. Talked wildly

66. Discount

67. Not good

68. Growing out

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KEVIN DUNN Ph: 250-525-0073 1kevindunn@