B.C. NEWS: SMART METER COMPLAINT REJECTED W A7 Monday, March 12, 2012 W Volume 47 No. 11 W www.clearwatertimes.com W $1.40 HST Included at Newsstands
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NORTH THOMPSON
TWG gets reprieve KEITH MCNEILL
Tourism Wells Gray has got a reprieve – but with conditions. A few months ago the local tourist industry promotion agency received approval from District of Clearwater and Wells Gray Country (Area A) for bridging funding to carry it over until a locally collected hotel tax began providing funds. The hotel tax was to have started last spring but was delayed until fall. Because most Clearwater and area tourism businesses get the majority of their clientele during the summer, TWG directors do not expect to start receiving significant funds from the tax before the middle of this year. The two local governments, which had earlier provided startup funding to get TWG going, then stepped forward with bridging funding to fill the gap. Part of that funding would be contingent on TWG providing certain deliverables. However, the tourism group also underwent a management change, with the departure of tourism and marketing manager Heather Steere last fall and the hiring of her replacement, Adrian (Brad) Bradley early this year. During last Tuesday’s District of Clearwater meeting, town council agreed to a recommendation from the joint services advisory committee that the deadline for TWG to provide the deliverables needed to receive the bridging funding be extended from Mar. 31 to June 30. As part of the deal, TWG would be paid the funding in a stepwise fashion. For example, 10 per cent of the $32,000 remaining would be paid on the establishment and implementation of a communications plan. Another 35 per cent would be paid upon receipt of an updated Tourism Wells Gray business plan.
CANDLELIT: Walking to end child exploitation. See page A13 inside.
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Proposed roundabout raises questions KEITH MCNEILL A proposal to build a roundabout on Highway 5 at the junction with the road to Wells Gray Park did not seem to get much support during the first of two public information sessions held last Wednesday afternoon at Clearwater Secondary School. Those attending a second session held that evening seemed to look more favorably on the idea, although there were still many questions raised. A roundabout would address two objectives the highways department has for the intersection, said roads area manager Bart Chenuz. Those objectives are controlling speeding and giving a better emphasis to the road Ralph Sunderman (l) discusses a proposed roundabout with roads area manager Bart Chenuz during one of two public to Wells Gray Park. information sessions held last Wednesday at Clearwater Secondary School Photo by Keith McNeill About 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles per day use Highway 5, he section design will become inadequate within The longest loads permitted on the highsaid. They do not have five years, he said. way now are 18.3 m long. The roundabout a firm number on how many turn off onto Regional project manager Dave Shibata would take loads up to 20 m long. Clearwater Valley Road but the park gets felt many of those attending did not give Construction would take about three over 100,000 visitors each year. truckers the credit they deserved. months and would cost between $1.7 and A roundabout would be safer than stop“They’re used to roundabouts,” he said. $2.3 million. lights at the corner, he said. Simply reducing the speed limit would not “They go through plenty of them here and in People have a tendency to speed up to the U.S.” adequately address the speeding issue. beat the light. They also tend to ignore the Shibata said they might also look at what District program manager Shawn Clough light if distracted. can be done at the Clearwater Village Road said he had found 75 per cent of truckers The proposed design would accommodate intersection by Wells Gray Inn. That junction going through the intersection were under the extraordinary large (up to 16 feet wide suffers from poor sight lines, he felt. by 16 feet high) loads that sometimes use the the speed limit. Only 40 per cent of other “This is an unfunded project,” the regional vehicles were. highway. project manager said about the proposed The highway is seeing a two per cent Such loads typically travel between midroundabout. “If the community does not want increase in traffic every year, said Clough. night and 5 a.m. and so most local residents it then it’s not going forward.” If that trend continues, the present interare not even aware of them.
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