Help Gilpins rebuild: Cecil Lake, Goodlow unite to support house fire victims

The Cecil Lake and Goodlow communities are banding together in support of a local family that recently lost their home to fire.

Family friends say the Gilpins lost everything but the clothes on their back when the fire happened in the early evening of April 6.

Coltin and Denise and their young daughter Vivian were all able to safely escape, but the family sadly lost their two dogs in the tragedy.

A family-friendly fundraiser and live auction is being planned for April 22 at the Cecil Lake hall from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Skylar Rowsell and Roadworn are so far scheduled to perform at the benefit, and Brian Baldry will be the auctioneer. Entry and a potluck supper will be by donation.

The family is currently living in a small camper to take care of the remaining animals at their farm. So far, community support has poured in with donations of girl’s clothes, bed and blankets, various small kitchen appliances, as well as dishes, pots, and utensils.

But they still needs women’s and men’s clothing, towels and toiletries, girl’s toys, groceries, building materials of any kind, and anything else needed for daily life, such as basic medication like Advil and children’s Tylenol.

“I am so incredibly thankful for everyone who rushed to help and who are continuing to reach out to help them,” says Carla Fuks, one of the organizers working to help the

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Coltin and Denise and their young daughter Vivian were all able to safely escape, but the family sadly lost their two dogs in the tragedy.

Gilpins. “From the bottom of our hearts, if you are able to help by donating, I thank you.”

For more details, a Facebook page has been set up, Helping Build The Gilpin Family Back Up, for residents to follow and connect with organizers and contribute supports.

Davies excited after party name change

North Peace MLA Dan Davies got a caucus rebrand on Wednesday as the BC Liberal party officially changed its name to BC United.

“I am very excited about our new name, new brand, and a new way forward,” Davies told Alaska Highway News.

“The BC United has been many years coming,” he said. “I heard over and over again while door knocking about brand confusion between us and the federal party - in which we are two very different parties.”

Party members voted in favour of changing their name to BC United last November in an online vote held over three days.

On Wednesday, party leader Kevin Falcon gathered with the local MLAs as well as party members in Surrey to unveil the the new name and logo.

Falcon, who championed the name change during his leadership campaign, said it’s a bold, bridgebuilding move, and voters would have 18 months to become familiar with the new name before the fixed provincial election date in 2024.

The changes capture “an energetic, new feel” that reflects what Falcon described as a bright future for British Columbia.

“It’s about us coming together, bridging our diverse backgrounds, and our perspectives while uniting to genuinely improve the lives of British Columbians,” Falcon said.

The audience cheered as Falcon touted his party’s approach to issues including economic growth, public safety, mental health, housing affordability and climate change. The party will introduce new policy proposals in the coming months, he added.

“BC United is way more than a new name,” he said. “It’s about knowing what we stand for, and fighting for it on behalf of all British Columbians, every single day.”

The new party logo includes a stylized bridge with the words BC United. It replaces the party’s former primary colours of red, blue and yellow with pink and teal tones. He said they still reflect the party’s legacy but with shifting emphasis.

“The colours to me are so great because they are just so not political colours,” he said. “It represents the new, vibrant fresh approach.”

Debate about a name change has been around for decades as some members worried about a perceived — but inaccurate — connection to the federal Liberal party.

“Ninety-six per cent of British Columbians don’t belong to any political party and too often we talk about voters as if they are members of parties,” Falcon said.

“Most people aren’t Liberal, aren’t Conservative or aren’t NDP. They are just people. They’re looking for leadership that is going to get results.”

Davies said he was proud of the party’s accomplishments over the past two decades.

“We are united that we need better health care, better care with those with mental health and addictions challenges, better housing plans, better spending policies, better plans for our incredible resources,” Davies said. “Until the next election we will continue to hold the NDP government to account and challenge Premier Eby on his many poor policies that have made life more unaffordable than ever.”

— with files from Canadian Press

Fort St. John’s advanced care paramedic vehicle doesn’t look like your usual big box ambulance, but it’s still proving to be a lifesaver.

No doubt residents have seen the white and branded SUV patrolling town over the past three years, dramatically changing the scope of care that can be brought to patients.

The vehicle is there to support the other crews on calls and are often the first on scene when a patient requires serious emergency care. The unit is equipped with gear and equipment that varies from a regular ambulance, and enables the paramedic to perform tasks traditionally reserved for doctors.

“I’m what’s called an advanced life support paramedic, which we’ve never had in this area before,” said Ryley Stevenson, who staffs the unit, during a recent tour of the Fort St. John ambulance station. “I came up due to the COVID-19 crisis, and that was morphed into a full-time spot after everything settled down.”

There are three types of paramedics you will see in Fort St. John.

There are the emergency medical responders, the essential entry way into the profession; primary care paramedics, who require 18 months of schooling; and advanced care para

“Historically, advanced care paramedics have only been in the urban centres, so Prince George would be the closest,” said Jonathan Brnjas, clinical operations manager for BC Emergency Health Services in the northeastern district.

“Riley brings a much larger skillset that he can bring to the patients,” Brnjas said. “There’s a lot of things that Riley can do, like placing breathing tubes or IVs, that traditionally only doctors have done.”

There are 33 paramedics staffing the city’s ambulance station, the busiest in the Peace region, and with the second largest coverage area in B.C.

Within the last six months, 10 more positions have been added to the roster, with another 24-hour ambulance added to the fleet as well in October 2022.

During the day, there are three ambulances and seven people at the ready to respond to calls in the area. At night, the station is staffed by four paramedics and two ambulances. Local paramedics responded to up to seven calls a shift, and roughly 5,000 a year.

“All across British Columbia right now is a large push for paramedics, and across the Peace we have been hiring many more local people than transferring in,” said Brnjas.

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Issue

Upcoming Events

Area D Community Meetings

Residents of Electoral Area D are encouraged to attend a community meeting to discuss their priorities with Director Leonard Hiebert.

May 2, 2023 @ 7pm Kelly Lake Community Centre: 107 Kelly Lake Road

June 6, 2023 @ 7pm

Doe River Community Hall: 3816 Rolla Road

Workshop: How to Write a Successful Grant Application (virtual)

April 21, 2023 | 9am to 12pm

April 22, 2023 | 9am to 12pm

Scan the QR code to register:

Planning process for North Peace Leisure Facility moving forward

The planning process for a new aquatics and recreation facility to serve the North Peace is nearing a critical milestone. The Peace River Regional District (Areas B and C), the City of Fort St. John and the District of Taylor are working together to explore options for the proposed North Peace Leisure Facility. A feasibility study that identifies the best opportunities to replace the aging North Peace Leisure Pool is nearing completion and is expected to be put before elected officials for consideration soon.

T.W. BUCK PHOTO

The completed feasibility study will include recommendations on a wide variety of issues including what features could be included in the building, estimated construction cost, proposed location, and the business case for a new facility including some of the operating costs and revenue projections.

No final decisions on project scope or other major considerations have been made at this point. If a decision is made to move forward with a project, voters would have to approve any borrowing required to build the new facility through a referendum.

The planning process for a new facility began in 2018 but was paused due to COVID-19 pandemic challenges. The process got back on track in 2022 with a new round of public consultation and re-launch of the feasibility study development. The feasibility study will balance community input with cost, affordability, and other considerations in recommending what could be included in the facility. To learn more about the planning process for the project and the community input to date visit: haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/.

The North Peace Leisure Facility (NPLF) Replacement Steering Committee, which includes elected representatives from the PRRD Board and Fort St. John and Taylor Councils, is meeting regularly to support the completion of the feasibility study and ensure resident needs are addressed in proposed recommendations.

When the feasibility report and related recommendations are complete, they will first be reviewed by the Steering Committee, and if supported, will be presented to the PRRD Board and the Fort St. John and Taylor Councils for consideration and provisional approval. Elected officials would then determine the process and timeline to seek approval from voters in the affected communities to borrow the funds needed to pay for the project.

New online reservation system for Blackfoot Regional Park

There is a new way to book at Blackfoot! The regional park is now online with Let’s Camp, a digital reservation system that allows users to select camping dates 30 days in advance, view site availability and pay for bookings in one secure transaction. The park still accommodates drive-in reservations and holds eight sites on a first-come-first-served model. Reservation fees are $10 per night for tent sites, $20 per night for RV sites without power and $25 per night for RV sites with power. To make an online reservation visit letscamp. ca. For assistance with bookings, please contact the PRRD at blackfoot.park@prrd.bc.ca or 250-784-3200.

Next PRRD Board eetings:

May 4, 2023 10am | Facebook Live, Dawson Creek

May 18, 2023 10am | Facebook Live, Dawson Creek

Join

Peace River Regional District Official Page

TheBeatton 4-H Club just had their first ride on April 11. We worked on showmanship and the brushing pattern. Our next ride is on Sunday the 22 of April, we will ride on that day. We have been doing a lot of spring care, it is starting to get muddy out and the horses will get all dirty from the mud. If your horse does get muddy, use a curry comb and do a circular motion where the muddy spots are. Also its shedding season and a shedding blade does a lot to help with that if you don’t want fur on you. Picking the hooves is very important in the summer because the rocks are out and if a rock gets into the hoof it can make your horse go lame, and you won’t be able to ride your horse for a while. With summer on the way, we can go on more trail rides outside without it being minus 20 and only riding in an arena if you have one or are near one. At our next ride, we are going to work on our patterns. We are all so lucky to be able to use the Lighthorse Arena and Valley Vista Riding Arena. Thank you for reading my report on our latest riding days and things we have been doing so far, goodbye.

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SILVER MEDALLISTS — Local archers recently took part in the Indoor Provincial Championships in Quesnel April 7 to 9. Above, mother and daughter Melanie Meyer and Kori Meyer proudly show off their silver medals. New Totem Archery club member results — Men’s compound: Andy Fochuck placed 1st with a score of 1184 (104 10s, 16 9s); Barebow guest: Charles Fochuck finished with a score of 783 (6 10s, 15 9s); U15 barebow: Kori Meyer placed 2nd with a score of 579 (3 10s, 6 9s); Women’s barebow: Melanie Meyer placed 2nd with a score of 869. 9 (10s, 27 9s).