Read about how BC Wildfire Service is preparing ahead with lessons learned from the 2023 fire season.
PAGE 13-15
SPORTS
It was an action packed week for sports as locals took part in softball, ultimate frisbee championships, jiu jitsu and more.
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025 merrittherald.com | x.com/merrittherald
FAMILY NEEDS HELP FUNDING SICK SON’S TRIP TO QUEBEC FOR LIFE SAVING LIVER TREATMENT
GROVER
Contributor
The family of a local boy suffering from a rare and potentially fatal liver disease are calling on their community of Merritt for help funding a road trip to Montreal, Quebec where he could get life-saving treatment.
Kolby Ursulak-McDonald, seven years old, suffers from Abernerthy malformation, “congenital vascular anomaly, where portal blood flow bypasses the liver and drains directly into the systemic circulation. In simpler terms: Imagine the liver as a filter for blood, and in this condition, the blood skips the filter and goes straight to the rest of the body,” says the National Institute of Health.
The condition has an estimated prevalence of 30,000 to 50,000 births according to a 2023 study by the General Hospital of Western Theater Command in Chengdu, China.
Kolby has a history of health issues, including autism and a heart condition.
COMMUNITY: continued on page 3 Want news straight to your inbox? Scan the QR
PHOTO Matthias Wiegand
BARREL SERIES RACE: Rodeo season is in swing, watch ladies sweep the rodeo grounds with blazing speed on page 13.
YASHVIKA
GreatfamilyhomeindesirableareaontheBench with 4bedrms, 3baths,largeliving room/dining roomcombinationwithgasF/P, newlaminate flooring,lightfixtures&
COMMUNITY SUPPORT SO FAR ‘OVERWHELMING’ FAMILY SAYS CAPUTO APPOINTED SHADOW MINISTER
Nyomi Lynn Ursulak is Kolby’s mother, who raises her child alone. Along with Kolby’s godmother, Amber Trolley, the two started this fundraiser right after hearing the news of Kolby’s diagnosis.
The diagnosis came after Kolby was becoming increasingly sick with the flu, back in January and had stopped eating or drinking. Nyomi took him up to the hospital for a routine check and bloodwork and found that his liver enzymes were high. The doctor sent him in for an ultrasound for which they got the results in early May.
The call from the doctor came on Saturday, May 10. It was a call that no mother wants to hear.
Kolby had “concerning spots on his liver” that the doctor wanted to check out immediately. They took him into emergency and were in an ambulance being rushed to Vancouver Children’s Hospital (VCH) in the middle of the night. The trip to VCH lasted three days, consisting of MRI’s, x-rays, bloodwork, a ton of unanswered questions, and anxiety.
At the end of those three days, Nyomi and Amber were told that they would have to take Kolby to Montreal, because there was nobody in western Canada qualified to perform the surgery. Nyomi cannot fly due to medical reasons and realized that they would have to drive approximately 45 hours to complete the journey.
The trip is going to take around a month. The funds that they are raising are going to go towards a rental car, gas, groceries and possibly housing.
Due to Nyomi’s personal financial situation, the trip itself would be financially impossible without help from the
community.
Kolby is described as an energetic kid, full of life. “If I could have a quarter of his energy, I would be the most productive person,” said Amber.
Though right now, having to go through such a complicated and painful period in his life, Kolby has developed anxiety and a fear of death.
“There’s all these doctors, he’s getting poked and prodded, and we’re not telling him everything. So he’s just as we were, we make all of these scenarios. In his head [he is thinking], like ‘what is wrong?” said Nyomi, “And especially at seven years old you know, there’s something wrong with you, you have to go across the country, but you don’t quite understand why, other than your liver is not doing its job. He has a lot of questions.”
Nyomi is a passionate supporter of BC Childrens’ Hospital every year for her birthday through a fundraiser on her facebook that goes directly to the hospital.
“Kolby is a child of the BC Children’s Hospital because of his heart condition and now his liver condition, so he was rushed to BC Children’s Hospital when he was one day old. So that’s why I always support them. They’re absolutely amazing. I have not met one person that I did not like there, that was not understanding or compassionate or caring,” she said.
So far, the community support has been “overwhelming.” Amber went door to door to businesses and said that everyone was supportive and tried their best to pitch in. “Merritt has always bound together. Every time. I’ve lived here since I was six months old, Merritt pulls together every time,” she said.
While the situation is stressful on the family, Nyomi and Amber both said it’s important for them and the community to stay strong.
Those looking to help can do so at https://www.gofundme. com/f/8tks4f-help-kolby-get-surgery.
TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com
Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola MP incumbent Frank Caputo has once again been appointed to the Conservative’s shadow cabinet.
The announcement was made Wednesday, May 21, as opposition leader Pierre Poilievre announced his shadow cabinet.
Caputo was assigned as the Shadow Minister of Public Safety where he will oppose minister Gary Anandasangaree who is a former lawyer specializing in human rights, real estate and business law.
Caputo has experience in the law sector himself. The former crown prosector first ran in federal politics during the 2021 election, when he was unhappy with the current Liberal government.
This is far from Caputo’s first time as a lead critic. Caputo had served as the shadow minister for veterans affairs and associate minister for national defence when he was first elected to parliament in 2021.
During that term, he transitioned into becoming the shadow minister for justice and attorney general.
““I’m grateful to Pierre Poilievre for appointing me Shadow Minister for Public Safety.” Caputo wrote in a post on social media.
“I am excited to continue my work in this critical area. Canadians want change and I will be their eyes and ears on the ground, while reflecting their views on the floor of the House of Commons.”
PHOTO/NYOMI LYNN URSULAK Kolby Ursulak-McDonald at the hospital.
FAMILY: continued from page 1
MINISTER OF FORESTS FEELS SUITIBLY ‘PREPARED’ FOR WILDFIRE SEASON
TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com
A worldwide increase in wildfire activity has sparked more investment and interest into defending against these burning disasters.
With this month coming to a close, June is looking to be a pivotal month affecting this year’s wildfire activity according to BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar.
“We’re hoping that we will see lots of precipitation in different parts of the province, in particular the Northeast and the Caribou area,” Parmar said.
The minister also stated that he expects another wildfire seasonal outlook to drop in June.
As of Monday, May 26, there are 35 active wildfires in B.C., the bulk of which are burning the province’s Northeast region near Fort Nelson.
B.C.’s southern interior is also seeing its fair share of wildfires, with three currently burning in the Kamloops region. Most recently, a wildfire 0.2 hectares in size was found on Highway 1 north of Spence’s Bridge. It is currently classified as under control as has actively shrunk.
In February, wildfire expert Mike Flannagan from Thompson Rivers University sat down with the Herald, saying to “be prepared” for an active wildfire season.
As the recently appointed minister of forests, Parmar has previously spent time touring the interior’s logging facilities and conferring with local BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) bases to look at how we can better
CANNABIS STORE
protect our forests.
In March, Parmar visited the BCWS training facility in Merritt, where he announced a record high 1,700 people had applied to join BCWS.
Now, Parmar said that number was higher than previously stated, as BCWS received over 2,200 applications by the February 28 deadline.
To feel suitably prepared for the season, BCWS needs to field around 1,300 members who will be spread across the province wherever the need may be.
To meet that standard, BCWS welcomed 200 of the 2,200 applicants to their ranks who trained at the Wildfire training facility in Merritt during the spring.
“We saw more British Columbians wanting to participate in the wildfire service than ever before. We’ve hired our new recruits. They’ve participated in boot camp, they’ve been trained, and are now ready to help protect British Columbia and support communities as well.”
Parmar said BCWS now has around 30 crews of 20 to 22 people, 151 initial attack crews - which are mobile crews of three or four people who quickly respond to breakout fires across the province - and 60 pair attack personnel.
At the current levels of staff, Parmar said he and BCWS feel suitably prepared to combat whatever this season throws at them. Still, depending on how the season goes, he isn’t adverse to a potential expansion if deemed necessary.
Parmar is also seeing how the effects of
Ravi Parmar at BCWS Merritt training facility in March, 2025.
BCWS TRAINED AND READY TO SUPPORT
MINISTER: continued from page 4
climate change are making for increasingly bad wildfire seasons. 2023 was ranked as the most destructive season on record, and 2024 didn’t come far behind being ranked as the fourth most destructive on record.
BCWS’ 1,300 members make up only a fraction of other emergency services in terms of manpower, but they are also supported elsewhere by local municipalities. The Justice Institute of British Columbia says there are over 25,000 working firefighters in B.C.
With experience battling raging fires in 2023, early this year sending a support team of 12 technicians to help CAL FIREbattle the catastrophic flames down south and currently assisting in fighting fires in Manitoba and Ontario, Parmar said BCWS’ firefighting strategy is constantly evolving.
“(The strategy) It changes weekly, monthly,” he said.
He said they’ve taken expertise from CAL FIRE and other jurisdictions to make BCWS a “world class” organization.
He highlighted the predictive services
team, which he said is renowned worldwide.
Changes to the system in recent years involve moving BCWS to a seasonal to a full-time operation of 500 members. Also pro-active mitigation attempts, using prescribed burnings to stop a wildfire before it stars.
With preparation completed, BCWS will have to stay on its toes during the summer.
“We are well positioned, and I want the people of Merritt and all British Columbians to know that our wildland firefighters have trained up. They’ve participated in their boot camps, and they’re ready to support communities all across the province,” Parmar said.
He said its in everyone’s best interest to practice FireSmart safety over the summer.
“What we do know right now is the biggest factor for wildfires is the fact that their human cost, and so there is an opportunity for all British Columbians to step up when they’re heading into these weekends, often long weekends that they’re doing their part to be fire smart, and of course, doing important work. Communities right across the province need to fire smart their
MERRITT MAN GIVEN 60-DAYS IN JAIL FOR ASSAULTING FORMER GIRLFRIEND
JOSH DAWSON Castanet
A Merritt man has been handed a 60-day jail sentence for assaulting his former girlfriend and telling the two Mounties who arrested him that he would track them down and kill them and their families.
Kyle Peniuk, 34, plead guilty to assault and two counts of uttering threats in Kamloops provincial court on Thursday.
Court heard Peniuk had been drinking alcohol and was loudly playing music at a Merritt residence he shared with his then-girlfriend at about 6:45 p.m. on April 3.
When she asked him to play his music in a different room, Peniuk became angry and began to yell at her.
She asked him to leave and he did, but he returned soon afterward and accused her of taking his house keys. He threw a bag of baby wipes at her, which struck her in the head.
He then grabbed her arm, threw her on the bed and held her down. He let her go and left the home when his girlfriend’s son began to plead with him to stop hurting his mom.
The police were called and Peniuk was arrested a short time later.
He told the arresting officer he was going to get a copy of his file, use it to research the officer’s name, find out where he lived and kill them and their family. He made a similar threat to a second Mountie at the scene.
Peniuk told the court he has struggled with alcohol in the past and is planning to continue therapy and counselling to “nip it in the bud.”
“Hearing back that statement was horrifying emotionally for me,” he said.
“Moving forward, absolutely this was eye opening and I need to put an end to it, because alcohol involved in my life is only ruining it and killing me.”
He said he planned to move to Penticton after he’s released from jail.
The court heard Peniuk has 11 prior convictions, including a domestic assault in 2013, and five prior convictions for uttering threats, the last in 2023.
A provincial court judge handed Peniuk 60 days total in jail for all three counts and 18 months of probation. He was credited with 58 days served.
While on probation, he’ll be barred from having any contact with his former girlfriend or the two officers he threatened. He also won’t be allowed to possess any weapons.
NICOLA VALLEY VIEWPOINT
ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY?: UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS
BONNIE DIXON Healthy
Conversations
“ Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.” — Unknown L istening is simple, beautiful, and risk-free. Yet in our fast-paced, noisy world, it has become a rare gift. We often think communication is about talking—sharing our thoughts, ideas, and opinions. But the true heart of connection lies in listening. Healthy listening isn’t about waiting for your turn to speak; it’s about slowing down enough to let another person truly feel heard. Imagine being so present that you could hear a pin drop. That kind of presence transforms relationships.
W hen we listen this way, we reduce stress. We prevent misunderstandings. We stop making assumptions. Instead, we create space for what is truly needed and wanted to emerge. People feel safe, valued, and respected when they are genuinely heard.
L istening is an act of love. It requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to put ego aside. Healthy listening isn’t about fixing or advising—it’s about witnessing. And in doing so, we build trust, deepen bonds, and create the foundation for honest, meaningful communication.
Start at home—with our parents, children, siblings—and let that ripple out to everyone we encounter: the grocery store clerk, the postal carrier, the bank teller. Everyone longs to be heard.
I’ve often jumped into conversations, eager to help or solve a problem. It’s taken me years to learn that unsolicited advice is often neither wanted nor needed. Sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer is our presence.
Next time you’re in conversation, slow down. Listen not just with your ears, but with your heart. Notice the energy between you and the other person. You may be surprised by how powerful your quiet presence can be.
Healthy listening is free, yet its impact is priceless. In today’s world, it is a healing balm. What could be more important than that?
MURDER MYSTERY: YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE COMFORT MOVIE
he would do years ago.
Murder Mystery starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. A mystery/ comedy, this movie takes you on a rollercoaster ride with many intense action scenes, heartwarming moments between the two main characters and Sandler’s classic humour. This movie is one of my all time favourites, available to watch on Netflix i have recommended it to all my friends and watched it myself around 10 times.
The movie starts with Nick and Audrey Spitz, Nick is a police officer and Aubrey is a hairdresser. In order to spark up their dying romance in their long standing marriage Nick decides to take his wife to Europe, like he had originally promised
The trip turns into something unexpected when they find themselves wrapped around the life of a billionaire’s family and their murders. Audrey meets the handsome mysterious man on the flight she’s on with her husband, while snooping through the first class lounge. The man invites her to their family cruise, for free. After seeing the bus tour that her husband had planned which was extremely crowded with loud kids and tourists, the Spitz’s decided to take the rich man on his offer.
The luxurious cruise and amenities soon start to dissipate in a fog after their first night there, where the billionaire’s father gathers the guests on his cruise, or his family, to talk about his inheritance.
The talk does not go as planned and they witness their very first murder. Nick, being a police officer, jumps on the case right away trying to help the detectives
out, but things don’t go as planned when they are told that they are being investigated for being the main suspects for the murder.
Throughout the movie, they wrestle around with being the main suspects of the crime, becoming internationally wanted criminals to finally, becoming the people who solve the case. Watching the movie, you will find yourself nervous with the intense action scenes or, well, the murders, but Sandler cuts through every time with his impeccable jokes, which makes the entire movie an easy but enthralling watch.
This movie is not a one-time watch, on a day when you’re exhausted and need that sense of familiarity with some comedy, this is the movie you would pick. It has a second part, on netflix, with new adventures but the same feeling and a third one is in the works.
The Merritt Herald welcomes your letters, on any subject, addressed to the editor. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
Email letters to: newsroom@merrittherald.com.
LETTERS to the Editor HOPING NEW POPE EMPHASISES JESUS’ FUNDAMENTAL TEACHING: TOLERANCE AND HUMILITY
Editor,
As a fan of Jesus Christ’s unmistakable miracles and message, I hope that, rather than focus on the morality of social issues such as abortion or sexuality, Pope Robert Prevost will strongly emphasize what Jesus fundamentally taught and demonstrated. However strange that sounds, institutional Christianity seems to need continuous reminding.
Notably, that the Biblical Jesus would not have rolled his eyes and sighed: ‘Oh, well. I’m against what the politician stands for, but what can you do when you dislike even more his political competition?’
That too many institutional ‘Christians’ seem to create their Creator’s nature in their own fallible and often angry, vengeful image. They will, for example, proclaim at publicized protests that ‘God hates’ such-and-such group of people. (One wonders how the Divine actually feels when observing all of this extreme theism and theological insanity?)
Often being the most vocal, they make very bad examples of Christ’s fundamental meaning/ truth, especially to the young and impressionable.
Christ was viciously murdered largely because he did not in the least behave in accordance with corrupted human conduct and expectation — and in particular because he was nowhere near being the angry and sometimes even bloodthirsty behemoth so many theists seemingly wanted or needed their Creator and savior to be and therefore believed he’d have to be.
Christ’s nature and teachings even left John the Baptist, who believed in him as the savior, bewildered by his apparently contradictory version of the Hebraic messiah, with which John had been raised.
Perhaps most perplexing was the Biblical Jesus’ revolutionary teaching of non-violently offering the other cheek as the proper response to being physically assaulted by one’s enemy. The Biblical Jesus also most profoundly washed his disciples’ feet, the act clearly revealing that he took corporeal form to serve.
Perhaps some ‘Christians’ even find inconvenient, if not plainly annoying, trying to reconcile the conspicuous inconsistency in the fundamental nature of the New Testament’s Jesus with the wrathful, vengeful and even jealous nature of the Old Testament’s God.
But for many of us, Godly greatness need not be defined as the ability to destroy and harshly punish, as opposed to the willingness and compacity for compassionate forgiveness, non-violence and humility.
– Frank Sterle Jr. White Rock, B.C.
CANADA MUST SUPPORT FUNDS TO END POVERTY
Editor,
As Alberta prepares to host the G7 next month, the focus is likely to be on increased cooperation on trade.
At the same time, these meetings are traditionally ones where Canada puts care of the world front and centre.
In view of the pullbacks by the U.S. and others, we need to step up to end extreme poverty. As the line goes, its sucks that its us! Canada must continue to ambitiously support the Global Fund, nutrition, education, efforts to end TB, all saving millions of lives!
- Randy
Rudolph. Calgary, Alberta
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION
If faced with more financial pressures, would you rather our school district close a school than cut staff?
A LOOK BACK
From the Herald archives
MAY 24, 1989
HECTIC HOLIDAY WEEKEND FOR POLICE
A series of motor vehicle accidents and robberies kept the local RCMP officers busy during the long weekend.
Area highways and local roads were extremely busy and police are still investigating a series of accidents which occured over the weekend.
Four Merritt secondary school students were injured when the car they were travelling in went off the road at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The students were returning from a “graduation warm-up’ party at Second Beach when the accident occurred near the title port on Highway 5A. Although the teenagers had been to a party, RCMP Cst. Brian Magee says alcohol was not a contributing factor in the accident.
MAY 24, 1989
MERRITT GYMNASTS WIN NATIONAL EVENTS
Local athletes Nikki SaVinders, Jana Sasaki and Sheena Teiffel all struck gold this past weekend at the National Gymnastics and Trampoline Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.
Competing for British Columbia, Nikki won individual gold in the Senior Double Mini Trampoline competition, while Jana and Sheena combined to take top honours in the National Novice Synchronized Trampoline event. The three gold medals mark the best performance ever by members of the Merritt Gymnastics Club at the National Championships. In 1987, Merritt athlete Cindy Webster won the gold in the Senior Double Mini event, and in 1988 combined with Kirsten Coke of Vancouver to win the Senior Synchronized title.
MAY 24, 1989
NVIT HOSTS DESIGNER SHOWCASE
For three years now people have been talking about the fashion coming out of Merritt. Fashion Shows staged by students of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Fashion Design program.
INPERSON PAYMENTMUSTBERECEIVED BY JULY 2,2025 |4:30PM RECOMMENDED BANK PAYMENTDEADLINE JUNE23,2025 MENT DEADLINE TO ALLOW FOR PROCESSING TIME
CL AIMYOURBCHOMEOWNER GR ANT Homeowners Grants aremanaged by theProvince of BC .You will need information from your municipal Proper ty TaxNotice to complete theclaim.After claiming your grant, ensure youcompleteyour paymenttoCit yHallatleast oneweekbeforethe July 2deadline. If youdonot claimyourgrant ,a portion of your proper ty taxeswillremainunpaid.
4WWW.ETA X.GOV.
AVOIDPENALTIES: Paying throughyourbank or by mail cant akeseveral days to process. To avoidpenalties, payyourt axes wellin advance of thedeadlineorpay in person at City Hall TaxesreceivedbyCit yHallafter4:30pmon July 2, 2025,aresubjec ttoa 10%penalty.
POTENTIALC ANADAPOSTSTRIKE mayimpac t themailing of proper ty taxnoticesand payments The deadline forpayment will notchange. Penalties will applytolatepayment s. If youdonot receive yourPropert yTax Notice, cont ac tCit yHall.
BC PROPERTY TA XDEFERRALPROGR AM:
TheCit yofMerrittisreaching outtolocal businesses,employers, andorganizationstobetter unders tandourcommunity ’s workforceneeds andjobopportunities. We need your voice!
Eligible BC homeowners,including seniorsand families,may wish to participate in theProvince of BC’s low-interest TaxDeferment Program. If youare participating, ensure youhavenobalance owingonyouraccount .Propert yt ax arrears, includingunpaidutilit ybills from theprior year, arerepor tedtotheprovince.
4WWW2.GOV. BC .C A
a fullycom prehensive Accessibilit yPlan. SUBMISSIO ND EADLINE JUNE19,2025 |4PM
TheCit yofMerritthassecured$3.4million in provincial fundingthrough theDisasterResilience andInnovation Funding (DRIF) programtosupport theconstruction of the MiddlesboroPhase 1DikingProject,including asetback dike, whichis designed to allowthe ColdwaterRiver to flowmore naturallythroughthe corridor,reducingthe risk of flooding.
OURCOTTONWOODS: TheCit yofMerritt FloodMitigationteamand LowerNicolaIndianBand(LNIB) Aquatics Department areworking to preser ve Cottonwood treestoenhance riverbankstability,fish habitat, andecosystemhealth. Overthenex t4 weeks, theLNIBteamwill wrap select treestodeter beaverac tivit yina humane way.
Ismaili dancers, Navajo hoop dancer and bear dancers at LNIB May 23, 2025.
MULTICULTURAL DAY AT LNIB
TY LIM
reporter@merrittherald.com
Students at Lower Nicola Indian Band school had a peek into some of the different cultures of the world as they celebrated Multicultural day.
The small school in Lower Nicola learned about Nlaka’pamux culture through three traditional bear dancers, the customs of the Navajo as a hoop dancer performed her dance and the traditions of the Muslim world as a group of Ismaili dancers from Vancouver made the journey to Lower Nicola.
Kids also learned about Indigenous storytelling customs, Scottish and Metis culture and Ukrainian egg painting.
“For me, one of the things that’s important is that our future generations need to know that all generations’ cultures matter,” said Kaxpitza, Cultural Coordinator at LNIB school.
“There’s other cultures out there, and that creates unity with other cultures.”
James Shuter, another culture coordinator at LNIB, said sharing each other’s culture is helps spiritually.
Robert Narcisse and John Tom are brothers from the Nlaka’pamux nation. They became bear dancers as a way to practice sobriety. At multicultural day, they preformed healing dancers on the crowd to cleanse their spirits, as well as taught the children about the traditions of bear dancing.
“You gotta live clean us over lifestyle to do this kind of work. And that’s what we’re aiming to do, is inspire healing and sobriety and culture,” said Narcisse.
“Some of the kids put up their hands when we asked if they wanted to be bear dancers when they grew up. And I thought that was like a really beautiful thing.”
Students were also able to eat a wide variety of traditional foods like labrador tea, deer and salmon.
PLUMBING &HEATING
SAVING SPIRITS OF FALLEN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL VICTIMS
YASHVIKA GROVER Contributor
Victims of the residential school system in Kamloops were honoured last weekend, as a group from the Coldwater Indian Band conducted a ceremony to gather the lost souls at the school and make a trek over a hundred kilometres back to their home in Coldwater.
Coldwater Indian band hosted a four-day “Walking our Spirits Home” event.
The event, from May 22 to 25, was to bring home the spirits of the young children, the C’eletkwmx Nlaka’pamux, who died and went missing in Kamloops residential school back to their home at Coldwater Indian Band.
The walk that covered 114 km was a step towards intergenerational healing. They commenced at 5:30 a.m. by lighting a sacred fire in Kamloops and Coldwater at the same time. By 7 a.m., the group of people including knowledge keepers went floor to floor, with their pine needle basket, gathering the lost souls. They then put 215 flowers, in honour of the 215 souls, on an eagle feather, and started their journey.
The crowd consisted of people of all ages and backgrounds, with some of them being residential school survivors themselves.
Chief of Coldwater Indian band, Terrance Lee, described feeling “heavy” while experiencing the process.
“I have two relatives that died at the school, and one was buried in Douglas Lake, and another was buried in Coldwater and lot of stories that you hear from our families that survived the residential school, so, its traumatic. It weighs heavy on me,” he said, “I can feel the emotional heaviness with my band members, because on the first day we had, we had a couple of survivors that they just made it a little ways away from the school, and then they broke down and just cried and cried, and it was hard.”
On the first day, they went from Kamloops Indian residential school towards Highway 5A, ending at the Knutsford truck stop area. On the second day they journeyed 59 km to Quilchena church. On the third day they continued from the church another 26 km until Merritt. The last day took off in Merritt, starting at 9 a.m., toward the Coldwater Indian band graveyard, where the sacred fire was lit followed by a feast and honouring ceremony at the Coldwater School.
The route was patrolled and escorted by the Indigenous Policing Services from Kamloops and Merritt.
“This helps heal our healing journey for our
spirits. Probably to start to kind of forgive, but you’ll never forget the memories that happened there, the stories I could hear from more people,” said Lee.
The planning and execution of the walk took a year and a half. While the younger generation was heavily involved in the event, Lee described it being a way to protect them from the pain and help them grow.
“We were always taught to listen to our elders and the stories that they had, and some elders will tell stories of what happened at the residential school, and some don’t want to tell no stories, because it was so traumatic,” he said, “They don’t want to pass that on, the hurt to their children and their grandchildren, so part of the reason why we did this was to make sure that for seven generations, they don’t carry that pain that we do growing up knowing the residential school.”
They plan on bringing home the spirits from the Lytton, Mission, and Williams Lake residential schools next. The planning for these is still in the early stages.
PHOTO/YASHVIKA GROVER Group of marchers at Scw’exmx family services on May 24, 2025.
Kids eating in an excavator at Highway-8 site 10A on May 24, 2025.
HWY-8 COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE PROGRESS
TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com
Workers rebuilding the damaged Highway 8 recently celebrated the working relationship between the Nlaka’pamux communities and the project’s constructors Emil Anderson Construction along with other residents along the highway.
The event on Saturday, May 24, was held at site 10A along the under-construction highway 8, south of Spence’s Bridge. It celebrates the reconstruction of the highway route that was destroyed during the 2021 flood.
Ryan Malcolm, Indigenous liaison within Emil Anderson Construction, said the event was a the second ceremony celebrating that working relationship. He said a blessing ceremony was held with Nlaka’pamux communities in February, and now that the cold weather is gone another set of festivities could be held and the communities can see some of the scope of work that has been done on the highway.
“A lot of times there’s a lot of mistrust (with government projects) because a bunch of strangers will come into these communities, build these big, loud projects, and then they’re gone two years later,” Malcolm said.
“For us, on this particular project, (trust) it’s top of mind.”
Nlaka’pamux drummers also took part in the event. Prayers were placed and food was shared amongst the participants.
“I think that, you know, that’s a really positive thing for me personally, and definitely for the project team,” he said. Malcolm said that the project is opening economic opportunities for band members as well.
“My main role is to look for economic opportunities or economic reconciliation for the project,” he said. He listed many of the roles that were provided to people from the neighbouring Indian bands on the project. These roles ranged from labour roles to office administration to Indigenous relationship building.
“Most importantly is after the project and leaving that lasting legacy. Emil Anderson, we’re only an hour and a half down the road in Kelowna. We want to make sure that folks can pick up the phone again, whether it’s employment, whether it’s training opportunities, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be with heavy equipment.”
Roi Joe, a member of Shackan Indian band and a drummer at the event on Saturday, said he appreciated the effort shown by the construction crews to give space to Indigenous peoples.
“It’s good that we’re getting our roads finished,” he said. “I think there’s been decent communication between the bands and construction crews.”
He said he liked seeing the unity between Indigenous peoples and the project workers, and felt welcomed onto the construction site.
Malcolm said a key point in the reconstruction of the highway is that it’s now safer to traverse. The highway was reopened November 9, 2022, a year after the flood.
Since then, construction crews have actively been working on the road, getting it to its finished state where it will be safer for drivers to ride.
“The community travel up and down the corridor safely when the project is finished, I think is probably the number one key component for sure.”
happen.Maybeyouare aresidentwithanold,unwantedvehiclesittinginyour driveway,ormaybeit’stakingupspaceinyourgarage. We areheretohelpwith that. Letourprofessionalteamhelpyougetridofjunkcarsquickly,safely,and foranaffordableprice.
MERRITT HOSTS BC NATURE CONFERENCE
wildlife the Nicola Valley has to offer.
The Nicola Valley has many unique creatures living throughout its forests, grasslands and wetlands which were highlighted to those from all parts of the province last week, as the Nicola Naturalist Society hosted the BC Nature 2025 Conference.
The conference, which lasted from Thursday, May 22 until Sunday, May 25, was the first time Merritt has hosted the AGM for BC Nature.
According to one of the event’s organizers Vic Newton, the conference saw over 180 members - most of which coming from out-of-town from 35 different communities - of BC nature participate in wildlife observation activities which spanned across the Nicola Valley.
This conference has been planned for years, ever since it was announced that Merritt would become the 2025 host.
“It takes a long time to organize something like this,” Newton said.
As a member of BC Nature, Nicola Naturalists Society makes up one of the 64 clubs which represent the province-wide organization.
It was the first time in the Merritt club’s 15 year history they were able to host the event, and therefore showcase the diverse
“(The wildlife from the coast to the interior) it’s a huge difference,” Newton said. “A lot of the people are from the Lower Mainland or the island. You can see moose, mule deer, white tailed deer, Cougar, badgers, a whole host of different types of ducks that aren’t on the coast.”
He also said the Nicola Valley is host to a lot of different species of inland bird that one typically wouldn’t see on the coast.
Newton said the event is mostly funded by money raised through an auction held during the conference. Some items on sale included wildlife books and art created by Kelowna artist Lyse Deselliers.
According to him, the event was also helped with grants from the City of Merritt as well as TNRD.
Guests at this year’s conference were able to learn from a variety of speakers within the community. There were presentations on fish habitats in the Coldwater River, turtles and wildfire in the BC Interior.
The event’s keynote speaker was on First Nations Stewardship and the history of its application in the Interior by Lennard Joe.
Attendees were invited on 35 field trips within the City of Merritt and TNRD. These featured nature photography, hiking expeditions, plant foraging and sightseeing
some of the famous geological sites in the valley.
Linda Guy, an attendee at the conference coming from Victoria, said the conference allowed her to stop and take in the sights of an area she had only really thought of a passing town.
“Often Merritt is just a coffee stop, bathroom stop or a quick bite to eat stop, but it always looks so beautiful from passing by on the Coquihalla. So it’s great to stop for a little while,” she said.
“It’s an incredibly biodiverse area. My
husband and I just said, ‘Oh well, should we move to Merritt?’ It just looks like a really incredible place to explore.”
Nicola Naturalists society thanks the many volunteers who assisted organizing and participating in the BC Nature Conference and AGM. They also thank local businesses, ranchers, teachers, forestry professionals, professors and many members of the general public. The Nicola Valley Arts Council was also a great help in making the event successful.
CELEBRATE YOUR GRADUATE’S ACHIEVEMENT
PHOTO/TY LIM
Display of animal skulls turned into guessing game at the 2025 BC Nature convention.
NICOLA VALLEY SPORTS
MERRITT BODYBUILDER SHINES ON THE BIG STAGE
TY LIM
reporter@merrittherald.com
Merritt’s guns were on display as two local body builders went and crushed in the 2025 BC Cup Naturals.
Chris Thuvenson and Paul Bacani, two Merritt locals, competed in the 2025 BC Cup Naturals earlier this month on May 3, taking home a suite of awards.
Thuvenson saw the podium three times over the weekend. He won overall best for the Masters Division (Ages 35+), 1st place in the 35-and-up bracket and 1st place in 40-and-up bracket. He also won a bronze medal for the overall competition.
Winning the best overall in the Masters Division awarded Thuvenson the opportunity to go to Toronto to compete later this year.
The 41 year-old bodybuilder is continuously training for his next challenge on the national stage.
To maintain a shredded physique, Thuvenson has been in a caloric deficit for the last six months.
“It gets tiring, but you do kind of adjust,” he said. “I could stop. I could go and get a quarter pounder if I wanted or something. I’m totally free to do whatever I want, but I’m choosing to do this because I want certain results. I want a certain end product.”
As Thuvenson continues to work hard, he also makes sure not to take training too seriously, saying that he feels privileged to be able to compete.
Thuvenson is also a parent of five kids and a proud owner of two dogs. Together with his loving wife, he believes he’s carved out a good life for himself, something he attributes to the help of his faith.
“The energy and the kind of discipline, determination, all that actually comes from my faith in Jesus Christ.”
He said his ability to compete in bodybuilding has given him a platform to be able to share his mind about his faith.
Thuvenson has only recently gotten into bodybuilding competitively. While he had also described himself as active and in the gym all throughout his life, it was only until November, 2023 that he decided to start training for a debut show at the 2024 BC Cup Naturals.
“I always kind of wanted to try, because I knew just genetically, I had a good shape for it, but I never had push. I never took leaps, so to speak, until about a year and a half ago,” he said.
In training, Thuvenson’s life revolves around a strict schedule as he tries to balance spending time with his family and spending at least an hour in the gym everyday.
His diet lacks fat, the frivolous kind. The bodybuilder eats only the essentials - chicken, rice, peanut butter and broccoli - to maximise his muscle gain and trim on bodyfat.
Last year, the rookie bodybuilder won the 2024 BC Cup Naturals best overall. He said this year there were more competitors, leading to a harder competition. He said he had to adjust his expectations of what a win is.
“I had to readjust what the win was for me. And there was there was a point where I was in tears because I knew at that moment I was in the best shape of my life. I was so pleased with the look that I presented and how my body, how I felt in my body, and I’ve never felt like that before,” he said.
Thuvenson thanks his wife, kids, family and the community of Merritt for all his success.
PHOTO/CHRIS THUVENSON FACEBOOK
Chris Thuvenson at 2025 BC Cup Naturals in Kelowna.
NICOLA VALLEY INAUGURAL GIRLS TOURNEY
Contributor
Nicola Valley Girls Classic 2025 results.
U13
- First place: Chilliwack Royals
- Second place: Langley Wildcats
U15:
- First place: Kelowna Heat
- Second Place: Abbotsford Bandits
MSS ULTIMATE TEAM SHOW OUT IN PROVINCIAL COMPETITION
TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com
Athletes from Merritt Secondary School played their hearts out in a provincial level championship for ultimate frisbee.
After winning a local tournament earlier in the month, the Panthers booked their ticket to the provincial ultimate frisbee 2025 Provincial Championship in Surrey, B.C.
The inter-grade team fought hard earning seventh place out of 16 spots.
For the Panthers, coming from a smaller school than some of their opponents, their goal this season was to improve on their previous season, in which they placed 10th in the same competition.
“(The players) really played their hearts out,” said coach John Bolton on his team’s performance.
“that allowed us to accomplish our goal of improving on last year’s 10th place finish.”
The placement marks the highest finish the MSS ultimate frisbee team has ever gotten in the Provincial Championship.
“That’s obviously a super big deal, super big accomplishment for a small town like Merritt,” Bolton said.
The team’s other coach, Lara Condello said the team’s high placement was a collective effort, in which each aspect of their team played a part.
Firstly, the seniors put on a strong performance for what was their last ultimate frisbee game for MSS.
“This was obviously their last time playing ultimate, so they really left everything out on the field. And they led their squad to a very strong finish for the year,” Condello said.
She also shouted out the girls on the team who have stuck with the ultimate frisbee team, saying the team isn’t complete without them.
The team’s younger players were instrumental as well, fielding many Grade 10 athletes that Condello looks forward to coaching in the future.
Overall, the recent success of the team will not be forgotten anytime soon.
“There were a lot of smiles and laughs during the last games and I think that’s key,’ she said. “I think the atheletes will remember the experience we had for years to come.”
PHOTO/LARA CONDELLO
MSS ultimate frisbee team seniors during provincial championship last weekend in Surrey, B.C.
PHOTOS/YASHVIKA GROVER
Nicola Valley Girls Classic Tournament on May 24, 2025.
YASHVIKA GROVER
BJJ PRACTITIONERS SHINE IN MERRITT
Merritt was the host of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition over the weekend ran by Grappling Industries.
Competitors from across the province came to challenge their martial prowess against others.
Despite facing tough competition, Merritt’s home club, Adelphi Grappling, still managed to shine.
The home team took home six medals; one bronze, three silvers and two golds.
In the Kids & Teens division, Adelphi Grappling was named the ninth best team out of 21.
a.m.
Trinity United Church Corner of Quilchena & Chapman • 250-378-5735
Service Time every Sunday - 10 am
Somang Mission Community Church (SMC) 1755 Coldwater Ave. (The Cadet Hall) Sunday Service Time: 4:00 pm • 250-280-1268
Valley Evangelical Free Church 1950 Maxwell St. • 250-378-9502 Service Times: Sunday 10 am
PHOTOS/TY LIM
(Top) Kasey Wycotte from Adelphi Grappling in Merritt holding his opponent in a rubber guard. (Bottom) A Gi match where one competitor takes down another and submits him with a kimura.
When?
CLASSIFIEDS
Deadline for placing a classified ad is 5 p.m. on Monday. To place an ad please call 250-378-4241 or email: publisher@merrittherald.com
Information Centre. You mayalso view ma pand listat www.loga nlak e.ca.
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
For more info call 250-5236225 or email: anlake.ca
Take noticethat we,ReachHydrogen,from Vancouver,BChaveapplied to theBritish Columbia Ministr yofWater,LandandResourceStewardship(WLRS),Thompson-Okanagan region for anInvestigativeWind Powertenuresituatedon ProvincialCrownlandlocatednorthwestofthe CoquihallaSummit.
WLRSinvitescommentsonthisapplication.TheLands Fileis3413975. Wr ittencomments concerningthisapplicationshouldbedirected to theSeniorLandOfficer,ThompsonOkanagan region,WLRS, at441 ColumbiaStreet, Kamloops,BCV2C2T3. Commentswill be received by WLRSuptoJune23,2025.WLRSmay notbeable to considercomments receivedafterthisdate. PleasevisittheApplications,Commentsand Reasons forDecision Database websiteathttp://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ formoreinformation. Beadvisedthatanyresponse to thisadvertisementwillbeconsideredpar tofthepublic record. Access to these records requiresthesubmissionof aFreedomofInformation(FOI) request. Visithttp://www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to lear nmoreaboutFOIsubmissions.
NOTICE TO REMOVE PRIVATE LAND FROM WOODLOT LICENCE Wl736
Please be advised that Iron Mountain Ranch Ltd is proposing to remove 140 hectares of private land from Woodlot Licence Wl736 located in the vicinity of Gwen Lake.
