THURSDAY, may 2, 2019 Vol. A-75, No. 18
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
$1.50 inc. gst.
alaskahighwaynews.ca
“The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Tinker’s Dam About the North Peace.”
fallen workers mourned
flyers in search of new coach
25 years for toastmasters
business a9
sports B1
news A11
UPHILL CLIMB
AHN wins silver and bronze at news awards
When You Are Out in the Field, Time IS Money. QUALITY PARTS, EXPERT SERVICE! HoursMon-Fri: 8am - 5pm Sat: 8am - Noon dave lueneberg photo
Blizzard Bike Club racers climb a steep hill during Stage 7 of the Spring Stage Series on April 23, 2019.
Burn bylaw aims to stop wildfire threats 9224 100 Street, Fort St. John, BC (250) 785-0463
matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
After Hours - Leave Message
CONTACT US
phone 250-785-5631 fax 250-785-3522 email circulation@ahnfsj.ca online alaskahighwaynews.ca facebook AlaskaHighwayNews twitter @AHNnewspaper
The District of Taylor is drafting a new open air burning bylaw to help prevent the threat of wildfire. The bylaw would apply mainly to Class 2 and 3 fires in the name of public education, and give district fire officials the power to assess burn and property conditions within Taylor’s fire protection zone before a registered burn is allowed to begin. “That saves a lot of problems before they actually have the burn,” Fire Chief Steven Byford said. The district was put on high alert in 2016 when record-breaking heat and high
winds kicked up a massive wildfire on the South Taylor Hill overlooking the community. Last week, a grass fire got out of control during a windy day in the same area, stoking another wave of early season wildfire fears. With the bylaw, “we could have those conversations that allow them to understand why we don’t want to burn on a windy day, or why we don’t want them burning right next to the woods … why they have water on site to help control,” Byford said. “This is not a financial thing, this is more public education and prevention so such fires like last week don’t happen in the first place.” Last week’s fire, which was
small and quickly contained, was not permitted, Byford said. “If they would have done that (gotten a permit), we wouldn’t have been able to go out and educate them … before they got the permit,” Byford said. “But at least we would have known about it, and here we didn’t even have that, until it’s too late.” And while that property wouldn’t fall directly under the district’s open air burning bylaw once passed, it might one day under a similar bylaw also being considered by the regional district. Inspections in the areas around Taylor would likely fall to the fire department. The bylaw remains before council’s protection committee.
Trail connections to Charlie Lake matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
Planners have identified two potential trail routes to connect Fort St. John and Charlie Lake. Jana Zelenski, a landscape architect with Lanarc Consulting, gave city councillors an update Tuesday on a study underway that’s looking to connect the two communities. “These are all just conceptual at this stage ... this is a starting point for discussion,” Zelenski said. “This is a very challenging project, but also a very exciting one that’s been in people’s minds for a long time.” While Fort St. John has plenty of advantages as a starting point, there are few trails in between the city and
Charlie Lake, Zelenski said. That makes for a “challenging connection” that needs to take into account private lands and the potential for opposition, rural roads and utility right-of-ways, and major road crossings, Zelenski said. The first proposed route would start at the West Bypass Road and run northwest alongside Fish Creek and through the planned Parkwood subdivision before connecting with the 244 Road and continuing on to Rotary Park at Charlie Lake. It includes potential connections to the Charlie Lake Cave and elementary school, as well as the provincial park. The route, around 7.5 kilometres, would be mostly along public land, which means less need to try to buy up private
property and get landowners on board, Zelenski said. The route is estimated to cost between $4.8 million and $7.7 million, which is proposed to be split between the Peace River Regional District and senior levels of government, or other funding partners. A second option proposes to run straight along the Fish Creek corridor through the Parkwood lands and connect more directly with Charlie Lake. The route, same length, is estimated to cost between $5 million and $7.5 million. Though the route is the community favourite with strong public support, acquiring all the land is its most significant hurdle, Zelenski said.
PAVING % 100 Canadian Owned
Residential • Commercial • Industrial Roads • Driveways • Parking Lots
See TRAILS on A5
It was a silver and bronze medal finish for the Alaska Highway News at this year’s Ma Murray newspaper awards on April 27. For a third straight year, Alaska Highway News won bronze for newspaper excellence in its circulation class. The award recognizes everything from a newspaper’s content, photography, advertising, design, print quality, and online presence. “Nice use of colour throughout, with easy-toread and organized sections throughout,” the panel of judges wrote. “Editorial and op-ed sections are interesting, clear, and attention-grabbing! Great sports section that reflects the community well.” Sechelt’s Coast Reporter won gold, while Whistler’s Pique Newsmagazine won silver. Managing Editor Matt Preprost won silver for feature writing, for an article last spring about delays in police response to a drunk panhandler causing trouble at a seniors apartment block. “A hard news story about a would-be break-in that expanded into an examination of community policing,” the judges wrote. “(Preprost) employs multiple sources and adds a layer of depth by also delving into further research of police call times and prioritization. He also cleverly points out some of the ironies of police response times and capacity, which is of certain community interest and relevance.” Tyler Harper of the Nelson Star won gold for a story about the mysterious disappearance of a local artist; Jackie Hong of the Yukon News won bronze for an story about Environment Yukon’s necropsy laboratory. The Alaska Highway News won bronze for newspaper excellence in 2017 and 2018, and also won awards for its breaking news photography and editorial writing those years. The Ma Murray Awards are held by the BC & Yukon Community Newspapers Association, which represents 98 member newspapers. The awards are named after Ma Murray, who founded the Alaska Highway News in 1944 and went on to be an acclaimed Canadian newspaper editor and publisher appointed to the Order of Canada.
FREE ESTIMATES
250.719.0686
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL GRAVEL SALES AND DELIVERY Serving Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St. John & Surrounding Areas
33490