100 Mile House
Energy efficiency increased for hospital
Heine receives prestigious award
Local artist sees painting as therapy
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APRIL 11, 2012
• 48 Pages • Two Sections
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Taseko exec predicts boom Brian Battison, Taseko Mines Ltd. corporate affairs vice-president, visited 100 Mile House on April 5 to talk about its New Prosperity Mine proposal to mine the largest goldcopper deposit in Canada located west of Williams Lake. He met with the South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of 100 Mile House and others to discuss potential benefits the large mine would bring to the region, including the South Cariboo. If the mine project gets the required federal approval to proceed, the first of these benefits will come in the form of initial employment, followed by long-term job creation and the associated development of business opportunity, he says. “It’s 700 people working for two years around the clock, essentially, to build it. And once up and operating, it’s roughly 500 direct employees.” See TASEKO… page A4
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Heather Nelson photo
Whoops... One-year-old Alexis Walker’s Easter basket was almost the same size as she is and just as heavy. Alexis had fun searching for Easter eggs at the Cariboo Christian Life Fellowship Easter celebrations on April 7.
Green Lake OCP revised once again Carole Rooney Free Press
The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) board has rescinded third reading of the Green Lake and Area Official Community Plan (OCP) because the province won’t sign off on it, noting the regional district didn’t follow the guidelines of First Nations engagement. The directors gave the OCP bylaw third reading more than a year ago after a lengthy review process, but since that process didn’t follow First Nations procedures for review and endorsement, the document needs to be modified again. The project began in 2009 in
response to the community’s desire for local governments to provide long-term planning objectives and policies for protection of the natural environment of the plan’s area. After multiple public hearings and the efforts of an advisory committee, CRD Area L Director Bruce Rattray notes the board understands the community surrounding Green Lake is looking forward to the OCP’s final approval and release. “It’s been a long process with a lot of community consultation leading up to the plan that we currently have. “It’s been disappointing that it has taken so long to get final
approval of it, but it appears this is the final hurdle and we’re looking forward to the final adoption of the plan in the not too distant future.” After the third reading in late 2010, both the CRD and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), which share common boundaries within the OCP area, sent the plan to Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong for the signed approval required by law, he explains. The ministry’s review identified a concern that Section 12.2 did not refer to the province’s Guide to First Nations Engagement on Government
Statutory Approvals (Interim). Then talks went back and forth between the regional districts and the ministry last year. “We obtained legal advice about changing Section 12.2 to meet the ministry’s requirement and were advised to write to the First Nations advising of the change and give a 60-day response time, and then follow up with a public hearing.” The proposed amendment states engagement with First Nations will take into consideration the province’s interim guide and its First Nation guidelines. See OCP… page A6