Merritt Herald, January 01, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

future trades for nvit PAGE 5

2014 year in review page 7-18

sports year in PICTURES PAGE 21

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Permanent shelter a 2015 priority for CPO By Emily Wessel the herald

newsroom@merrittherald.com

Merritt’s Community Policing Office gets busier with each passing year, and 2014 was no exception. Armed with a mandate to promote crime prevention strategies, CPO co-ordinators Kelly Donaldson and RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore have a hand in running dozens of community programs. “It’s such a grey area because really, you can make anything fit in crime prevention,” Donaldson said. Some of the initiatives that fall under the crime prevention umbrella are community youth events, social development programs, and traditional crime prevention programs such as Block Watch. One of the CPO’s biggest undertakings is the emergency cold weather shelter, which operates from November to March. Securing funding for that shelter was one of the CPO’s successes for 2014, Donaldson said. However, proving to funding sources that Merritt benefits from a shelter each winter is a double-edged sword for the CPO: the need for funding also shows there’s an ongoing, long-term need for warm and safe places for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to sleep. The CPO works with the Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society to operate the shelter, and the two organizations have shared a goal of establish-

ing a permanent shelter in Merritt since they began. That’s a goal they’ll carry forward into 2015. One success with no caveats for the CPO in 2014 was helping Big Brothers Big Sisters establish a part-time program co-ordinator in Merritt rather than having someone from the Kamloops chapter come down when needed. Big Brothers Big Sisters operates a mentorship program and is one of many CPO programs geared toward youth. Some of the other successes in 2014 were the Kidz Tri It Triathlon, which saw over 80 participants in its third year; Smart Step expanding to include Bring Back Play, a joint effort with Participaction to reintroduce kids to traditional playground games; and the CPO’s second annual Youth Celebration Night, which recognized 30 young people for their contributions to the community. Smart Step also parked a painted piano at Spirit Square over the summer, which was available to passers-by to play. “That brought a lot of positive attention to Spirit Square,” Donaldson said. “People would walk by and notice it and use it, and it did exactly what it was supposed to do.” She said they plan on bringing the piano back to Spirit Square in 2015. Returning volunteers to Smart Step allowed that program to be somewhat self-sustaining this year, Dunsmore said.

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Community Policing Office co-ordinators Kelly Donaldson (left) and Const. Tracy Dunsmore talked successes from 2014 and looked ahead to their goals in 2015 with the Herald. Emily Wessel/Herald

Volunteer retention overall was another unqualified success for the CPO in 2014. About 21 volunteers have actively worked with the CPO continuously since it opened in 2007, Donaldson said. “Year-in, year-out, the same core group of people committed their time to whatever program fits with their needs and wants,” she said. One such volunteer, Pat Lunzmann, expanded her Speed Watch program to incorporate a Cell Watch in 2014. She was recognized for her crime prevention efforts at a Ministry of Justice ceremony in October.

LOOKING AHEAD Youth engagement will continue to be a top priority for the CPO in 2015, the co-ordinators said. Connecting youth and seniors is one of the goals for the new year, and that could include a mentoring program. “Seniors have skill sets that our youth aren’t even taught anymore, whether it’s knitting or fly-tying or card making,” Donaldson said. “We’re always looking for positive role models. Everybody has something to offer.” They also plan to revive their efforts to run a mountain bike day camp for youth who wouldn’t

normally have access to that equipment. Volunteer recruitment and community collaboration are also on the agenda for 2015. Donaldson said she’d like to do more presentations to increase awareness and education in the community and have more partner groups emerge with ideas for grassroots programming. The co-ordinators said they’d also like to put their Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) training to use as well. CPTED is a multidisciplinary approach to crime prevention that’s used in dozens of countries by

police forces, municipalities and even architects. CPTED can range from small-scale design elements, such as use of lights and lines of visibility, to indirect crime prevention strategies such as the Spirit Square street piano. “Public space allows for people to interact and get to know your neighbours, and in the long run, it kind of prevents crime because you know who’s in your neighbourhood and you’re talking to them and you know when somebody’s around that shouldn’t be or something’s going on that shouldn’t,” Dunsmore said.

See ‘Spirit Square’ Page 2

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Central Park project a success for leisure dept. high rankings. This past spring, Diamond Vale Elementary School finished sixth in the province out of 78 schools, and 20th in Canada out of 211 schools. From a resident’s point of view, Plotnikoff said he views the Merritt Green Energy Project as Merritt’s defining project of 2014. That project broke

ground in 2014 and involves the development of a biomass plant that will burn wood waste to produce electricity. “Business activity breeds business,” he said. “It’s like success breeds success.” LOOKING AHEAD Looking ahead to 2015, Plotnikoff said

the leisure services department wants to focus on seniors. Recently, the city’s planning and development department received a $20,000 grant from the province to put toward developing an age-friendly action plan intended to create strategies to help seniors stay mobile, physically active,

socially connected and healthy. The city is chipping in $10,000 to help develop this plan. Plotnikoff said this project will identify the city’s recreational facilities, accessibility in a variety of areas, and areas that need to be addressed to ensure Merritt seniors have a good quality of life.

GAME NIGHT DECEMBER 31ST, 2014 City of Merritt leisure services manager Larry Plotnikoff said programs offered by the city and PacificSport saw an increase in participants for the third year running in 2014. Herald file photo

By Michael Potestio the herald

reporter@merrittherald.com

The City of Merritt’s leisure services department saw some big successes in improving and maintaining its parks and facilities in 2014. Department manager Larry Plotnikoff pointed to phase one of the Central Park improvement project as one of the successes of the past year. The project involves the construction of a multi-sport facility and a dual concession and washroom building, and is currently nearing completion. He also noted the resurfacing of spray park area of Rotary Park with a new, recycled rubber surface to enhance safety and the installation of a new score clock above centre ice at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena

as big successes for his department in 2014. Maintenance of the city’s existing recreational facilities and parks shows that the community takes activities for children and adults seriously and also takes initiative in caring for its facilities, Plotnikoff said. “That’s not a new spray park, but it’s taking care of what we have as well and that’s just as important, if not more important, than just building it,” Plotnikoff said. He said the new multi-purpose lacrosse box will turn Central Park from a good park to a great one as it will encourage people to use the park for a wider variety of activities. He said he expects the multi-sport facility to be flooded for skating purposes early next winter. Plotnikoff said the

leisure services department has also seen a lot of success from its involvement in PacificSport programs and camps. The number of participants in those programs has continued to rise over the course of three years, he said. “This year, PacificSport really established itself in the community,” Plotnikoff said. “We’ve seen that by the feedback and by the numbers, which is really positive.” He also pointed to the success of the 60 Minute Kids’ Club, a national program where elementary school students monitor and record their daily healthy activities. The program has only existed in Merritt for two years, but has seen the local elementary schools notch some

Spirit Square on CPO radar From Page 1 Specifically, Spirit Square is an area the CPO co-ordinators said could use some crime prevention and nuisance behaviour prevention strategies. The layout of the square makes for some partially concealed areas where people can drink or graffiti, and activities such as skateboarding can damage features of the area, including lights set into the concrete. “It’s so disappointing that this beautiful space is treated the way it is,” Donaldson said. Dunsmore said some crime pre-

vention techniques are cost effective, such as signage to deter nuisance behaviour and small metal brackets on concrete barriers to prevent skateboarding. While the CPO will continue running its successful programs in 2015, the co-ordinators said their help is most valuable when it’s based on things they hear directly from the community — whether that’s from partner groups or from people walking in off the street seeking information about crime prevention. “Our goal is always a healthier and safer community,” Donaldson said.

Merritt Centennials

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Guest Figure Skater & Provincial Gold Medalist SHAELYNNE MACAULAY from Coquitlam BC will be performing.

THE CHUCK-A-PUCK POT WILL BE AT LEAST $550! Come out and make some NOISE!! Bring your noise makers, bells, horns, pots and pans, drums!

As of Tuesday, January 13, 2015 tipping fees are changing at all TNRD transfer stations and Eco-Depots. ECO-DEPOTS (WITH WEIGH SCALE)

SMALL TRANSFER STATIONS (NO WEIGH SCALE) Household garbage rates will stay the same at $1/ bag or $10/pick-up truck. DLC rates will increase from $20/ pick-up truck to $30/pick-up truck. See complete volume based tipping fee schedule at tnrd.ca. PLEASE SORT RECYCLABLE/DIVERTIBLE MATERIALS TO REDUCE YOUR TIPPING FEE.

If bringing in bags of household garbage you will be charged $1/bag up to 4 bags. More than 4 bags or 50 kilograms will be calculated at $80/tonne Wood waste, asphalt shingles and concrete/asphalt are $100/tonne with a $5 minimum for loads under 50 kg. Loads of DLC that are not separated out will be charged $160/tonne with a minimum charge of $8 for loads under 50 kg

For more information visit our website or talk k to your your yo ur local loc loc ocal al site sit ite e attendant atte at tttenda For more information visit our website or talk to your local site attendant. TNRD.ca

THURSDAY, January 1, 2015 • 3

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Staying ahead of the curve in 2015 By Emily Wessel the herald

newsroom@merrittherald.com

The first few months of Steve McNiven’s experience as School District 58’s superintendent were somewhat challenging. The teachers’ strike was in full swing, the district was working on its five-year strategic plan, and in November, the general election saw two new school trustees elected to the SD58 board. Now that the dust has settled on those changes, McNiven said all three of them have had positive results. The province’s new contract with teachers should ensure labour peace in the district for the next four years, he said, noting the district will continue to work with teachers to rebuild relationships. “Building relationships is on my mind and I think we’ve had a positive start with that work, and it’s necessary for us to move forward,” McNiven said. Completion of the five-year strategic plan marked the end of the work on the guiding document and the beginning of the work at the school level. The addition of two newlyelected school trustees also brings a two fresh pairs of eyes to the board, he said. But it was the strike, which lasted into the third week of September, that would result in some other successes for the district in 2014. Managing a boom in registrations at the South Central Interior Distance Education School (SCIDES) kept the district busy last year, McNiven said. “Students are choosing to do things differently and we’re going to see more of that: different pathways and different ways of taking courses,” he said, noting that trend is province-wide and SCIDES serves students from across B.C. SCIDES recently began offering three new language courses, and McNiven said more options in the future are likely given the trend toward individualized education. “They’ve been doing good things over at SCIDES, and as a result their program is growing,” he said, adding the district and the school will work on a long-range

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GOOD MORNING! Opinion -------------------------------------------- 6 Health --------------------------------------------- 20 Sports --------------------------------------------- 21 Classifieds --------------------------------------- 24 Today’s HERALD Flyers *Selected distribution Coopers, Safeway, *Extra Foods, *Canadian Tire, *Staples, *Princess Auto, Home Hardware, Jysk

REMEMBER WHEN? From the Herald archives: January 1992

School District 58 superintendent Steve McNiven said prioritizing goals at each of the district’s schools is on the agenda for 2015. Herald file photo

plan to deal with expected growth. McNiven said the success of distance education programs is even reflected in other school models such as learning commons, which Merritt Secondary School changed its library to over the summer. The learning commons at Merritt Secondary School allows students taking a blend of faceto-face classroom courses and distance education courses to access the school’s library resources. Perhaps the most obvious of the district’s successes in 2014 was the completion of the new NicolaCanford Elementary School in Lower Nicola. The school was the largest of the Ministry of Environment’s pilot projects for modular school designs and came with a price tag of about $6 million. “It’s just a fantastic facility,” McNiven said. “I certainly think that school is so much further ahead than what it was and provides a great learning environment for our students.” Internally, the district also did the legwork on its five-year strategic plan in 2014, and identified four goal areas to work on: learn-

ing, organizational excellence, community and well-being. In 2015, the strategic planning process will require teachers, school administration and district staff to prioritize their goals in each area. In the new year, each school will also finalize its own plan with a unified wellness goal across the district. Wellness applies to students, teachers and support staff. “That’s a big step for us,” McNiven said. “We haven’t seen that level of consistency or alignment.” Although graduation rates took a slight dip in 2014 — to 93.2 per cent from 97.3 per cent in 2013 — McNiven said the overall trend is positive. “Our top priority is always student success,” he said. LOOKING AHEAD McNiven said the space at Merritt Bench Elementary will be a challenge going forward as the school is at capacity. Keeping ahead of the trend toward student-driven learning is another area that will present challenges going forward in 2015,

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Pool fundraising campaign kicks off The Nicola Valley Aquatic Committee kicked off their Water Fun for Everyone fundraising campaign for the proposed indoor pool last Thursday. Campaign chairman Dwight Reynoldson and Dr. Margaret Carlson held an information session in council chambers at 2 p.m. The purpose of the fundraising campaign is to supplement the $2.8 million in taxes and lottery grants that have been earmarked for the pool to ensure that the new pool becomes a facility that everyone, “regardless of age or ability,” can enjoy. A prepared release stated that all money raised will go entirely to the indoor pool project and donors may specify what their funds are to be used for. The committee’s first priority is to secure the advertised components: a six-lane pool, a leisure pool area, a whirlpool, a sauna, a diving board and an exercise room for the facility.

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McNiven said. “As a district, I want to be moving toward that rather than reacting to it, because I believe it is the right thing for our students,” he said. He said encouraging students to plan ahead so the district can also plan and staff accordingly is one of the challenges of individualized learning. “More planning on our part and more ownership on students’ part I think will be the key to doing that in the future,” he said. Inclusivity is another goal going forward, and it goes beyond supporting students to supporting teachers in managing inclusive classrooms. “Our range of learners is one of our biggest strengths because diversity is a strength, but it also requires us to be very thoughtful and supportive so we can provide success for all students,” McNiven said. The district also has some planning to do around how to best use and maintain its technology, and how it communicates with employees, parents, students, government and the community at large, he said.

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4 • THURSDAY, January 1, 2015

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COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR 2015

Job Posting: Building/Plumbing Inspector

Schedule of 2015 Regular Meetings of Council for the City of Merritt to be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2185 Voght Street, Merritt, B.C. commencing at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 13, 2015 Tuesday Jan. 27, 2015

Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Tuesday Feb. 10, 2015 Tuesday Feb. 24, 2015

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015 Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015 Tuesday, March 24, 2015 Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 Tuesday, April 14, 2015 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 Tuesday, May 12, 2015 Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015

Tuesday, June 09, 2015 Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Applications are invited for the position of Part Time Building/Plumbing Inspector for the Planning & Development Services Department in the City of Merritt. For complete details, visit City of Merritt website at www.merritt.ca Detailed resumes attached with a cover letter will be accepted until 4:30 p.m., Monday, January 5, 2015 and should be addressed to: Carole Fraser, Human Resources Manager City of Merritt PO Box 189, 2185 Voght Street, Merritt, BC V1K 1B8 Or by email: cfraser@merritt.ca We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Drop-In Sessions in 2015 with Mayor Menard will be held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., in the Mayor’s Office at City Hall (second floor), 2185 Voght Street.

You’re Invited!

DROP-IN SESSIONS Energy Efﬁciency Requirements for Part 9 Buildings

B.C BUILDING CODE UPDATE Effective December 19, 2014 Sections 9.36 B.C.B.C.

Energy Efficiency Requirements for Part 9 Buildings Beginning December 19, 2014 applications for building permits must comply with the new requirements for energy efficiency in housing, small commercial and industrial buildings. There are significant changes which will affect many trades relating to standard building practices. Please ensure you review all documentation and are familiar with new requirements as described in the referenced documents below. Illustrated guides can be downloaded from the Homeowners Protection Office website: www.hpo.bc.ca Section 9.36 ‘Energy Efficiency’ can be downloaded from the B.C. Codes website: www.bccodes.ca For more information, please visit the Canadian Builders Association website at www.chba.ca

SUMMARY OF CITY OF MERRITT SNOW REMOVAL POLICY WITH MAYOR MENARD

Mayor Menard invites interested citizens to stop by and say hello and discuss issues and opportunities for the City, its residents and businesses. If you would like to schedule a particular time to meet with the Mayor at a Drop-In session please call reception at City Hall 250-378-4224.

NOTE: For purpose of this procedure “Area 1” is designated by heavy black line and “Area 2” is all remaining streets..

All the best of the Holiday Season

Service Level based on Snow Accumulation: 0 – 5 cm: Area 1 only sanded AS PRIORITY 5 – 20 cm: City streets are graded and sanded in the following time frame: Area 1 – within eight (8) hours Area 2 – within thirty (30) hours Over 20 cm: Exceptional Snowfall – will call out such manpower and equipment as may be available and required to maintain city streets in as passable conditions as possible. Priorities: No.1 Emergency access routes to essential services such as hospital, police, fire, ambulance, City services. Dangerous roadways including hills and intersections. No.2 Schools; No.3 Downtown Business Core; No.4 Highway Commercial properties; No.5 Residential properties

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice of Proposed Property Disposition (Lease) Notice is hereby given that the City of Merritt intends to dispose of an interest in land, being the entering into of a lease for the Merritt Lawn Bowling Complex (Remainder of Lot B, Plan 26552 KDY), speciﬁcally the fenced in portion that contains the lawn bowling green and clubhouse within N’Kwala Park, with the Merritt Lawn Bowling Club for a term of (1) one year commencing on January 14, 2015. The consideration to be received by the City for the proposed Lease is the initial sum of $1.00. For more information, please contact Larry Plotnikoff, Leisure Services Manager at 250-378-8618 or via e-mail at lplotnikoff@merritt.ca This notice was given on December 23, 2014 in accordance with Section 94 of the Community Charter.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #1-15 OPERATIONS OF CLAYBANKS RV PARK

HOLIDAY HOURS The City of Merritt office will be closed for the Christmas Holidays on Wednesday, December 24th, 2014 at 4:30 pm and re-open on Monday, January 5th, 2015 at 8:30 am. Please use the letter drop on the right hand side of the building to drop off City correspondence and payments which will be processed on Monday, January 5th, 2015. Payments can be made online with the following banks CIBC, Royal Bank, Credit Union or Scotiabank. Please check our website @ www.merritt.ca for additional information.

“Wishing you a safe & wonderful holiday season!”

This procedure outlines the responsibility of the City, residents, businesses and contractors as it pertains to snow removal in Merritt.

The City of Merritt is seeking Requests for Proposals from qualified proponents for the managing of operations of the City owned Claybanks RV Park. The successful proponent would be responsible for managing the day to day operations of the Claybanks RV Park on behalf of the City under a three-year term contract for the period of April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018. RFP documents are available on the City’s website: www.merritt.ca and on the BC Bid website.

Disposal: Residents, businesses and contractors are not permitted to blow or plow snow from private property onto right-of-ways, streets, lanes or walkways. Residents and businesses in areas with City sidewalks adjacent to roads shall be permitted to place snow from the walk on the road. Sidewalk Clearing: Every owner or occupier of residential zoned property shall remove snow or ice from sidewalks or pathways abutting the said property within twenty-four (24) hours of accumulation except for weekends and holidays. Every owner or occupier of real property shall immediately remove snow, ice or rubbish from the roof or other part of a structure adjacent to a highway or pathway or sidewalk where such snow or ice or rubbish presents a hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Every owner or occupier of commercial or industrial zoned property shall remove snow or ice from sidewalk or pathways abutting the said property by ten (10) a.m. of any day and, as needed, following the accumulation of snow or ice. Complete copies of this procedure can be obtained at City Hall during regular business hours.

Completed proposals must be received in a sealed envelope and labelled: RFP #1-15 - Claybanks RV Park by 4:00pm, Friday, January 30, 2015 at: City of Merritt P.O. Box 189, 2185 Voght St., Merritt, BC V1K 1B8 Attn. Leisure Services Manager Any and all inquiries regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to: Larry Plotnikoff Leisure Services Manager, City of Merritt lplotnikoff@merritt.ca

The City of Merritt reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, modify the terms of the proposal at any time, to waive defects in any proposal document and to accept the proposal which it may consider to be in the best interests of the City. The lowest cost proposal or any proposal will not necessarily be accepted.

Next council meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015 Council agendas and minutes at www.merritt.ca

City of Merritt H 2185 Voght Street, Box 189 Merritt, BC V1K 1B8 H Phone: 250-378-4224

THURSDAY, January 1, 2015 • 5

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

NVIT looks to trades in future By Emily Wessel the herald

newsroom@merrittherald.com

After celebrating its milestone 30th anniversary in 2013, the year 2014 saw more good things happening at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. The school made its first foray into the trades with two courses, which NVIT president and CEO Ken Tourand called “huge.” “I think it’s fantastic for NVIT and fantastic for the Nicola Valley,” he said of the local post-secondary institution running trades programs. The first trades course at NVIT was first-year electrical, offered in partnership with Okanagan College. Its next trades course was a piping and plumbing one offered in conjunction with School District 58 and run out of the old Coquihalla Middle School building. The current session wraps up in February. “We’ve got three high school students taking it,” Tourand said. “Those high school students can take dual credit, so you get credit for high school at the same time you get credit for your first year of plumbing and piping.” Students at NVIT also saw the benefit of their school’s growth in 2014. Last year, NVIT doled out over $51,000 in bursaries and scholarships. Late in the year, NVIT also became one of the first post-secondary institutions in B.C. to waive tuition for students who grew up in the foster care system. “It’s around trying to decrease the number of barriers for students to come into post-secondary,” Tourand said. “It reduces at least that one barrier to try to do that, so it’s something we believe in.” Tourand also noted raising NVIT’s profile nationally as one of the successes of 2014. Colleges and Institutes Canada, which represents 137 member post-secondary institutions, launched its Indigenous Education Proto-

NVIT president and CEO Ken Tourand said the school’s new trades building will be its biggest project in 2015. Emily Wessel/Herald

col on Dec. 3 — something Tourand worked on for two years as the chair of the national committee providing input on that document. NVIT also won a bronze medal for best program from Colleges and Institutes Canada for its chemical addictions program, which is offered in conjunction with University of the Fraser Valley. In fact, last year also marked the graduation year for that program’s first cohort. NVIT has also extended its reach beyond its two B.C. campuses, something Tourand said the college is actively working to promote. The school offers an economic development program in Quebec and a chemical addictions program in Ontario through partner institutions. In March, NVIT hosted its first ever elders’ tea, which Tourand said was an unprecedented success. Over 300 elders converged on the Nicola Valley from around the province for that event. In fact, it was such a success, Tourand said NVIT is planning to make it an annual event and will host another elders’ tea in September. The school’s speaker series also saw its share of success last year. NVIT partnered with the Nicola Tribal Association to bring NHL star-turned-motivational

speaker Theo Fleury to town in February. Fleury was met by a full house. Another full house greeted a panel for its discussion about the Tsilhqot’in decision in October. As he’s watched the school grow and change over his 20 years there, Tourand said one thing keeps NVIT consistent. “When you look at where we’ve grown from 13 students in a band hall in 1983 to where we are now, having just completed our 30th anniversary, it’s not possible without the staff,” he said. “Our staff is absolutely phenomenal: our faculty, our support staff. I’m so proud to work here.” LOOKING AHEAD With a growing focus on trades courses, NVIT is preparing for its biggest project of 2015: construction of a $2-million trades building at its Merritt campus. Construction is expected to begin in March and wrap up by the end of 2015, with classes starting in early 2016. The trades building will feature two workshops at 1,800 square feet apiece as well as some classrooms. “It’ll be our number 1 project this year,” Tourand said. The school is also looking at adding another new trade with introduction to residential

construction expected to start in February. Another session of the firstyear electrical course will begin in September. Tourand said NVIT is also working with the school district to increase dual credit opportunities for high school students. The college is also looking at acquiring a second trades trailer to deliver its Bridging to Trades program, a threemonth, tuition-free introduction to four trades. The trailer, which travels to between 30 and 35 aboriginal communities a year, is in high demand, he said. He said if NVIT can acquire a second trades trailer, it has the option to run welding or firstyear electrical out of it. The current trailer will hit the road again this month with funding from Highland Valley Copper. The school’s third capital project on the agenda for 2015 will see renovations at its library, which will be converted into a learning commons. “The way teaching and learning has gone now, it’s changed,” Tourand said. “There’s much more interaction and group work, and so we really want that library to be the hub of NVIT.” Tourand said he’d like to see more local students take advantage of the lowest tuition fees in the province — which NVIT offers by design. “We’re working really hard on transfer agreements with other postsecondary institutions,” Tourand said. “We want NVIT to basically become a viable option for students in Merritt so they come here, take their two years, then go to any university they want.” Though there’s been no official announcement on a 2015 speaker series, Tourand confirmed the school is planning on continuing those free public sessions. NVIT will also host its first summer institute on First Nations leadership and governance in 2015. No dates for that

program are set yet, but Tourand said he expects it to run in late June or early July. The summer institute will focus on high-level leadership, something Tourand said should to appeal to First Nations and aboriginal politicians and administrative professionals from around B.C. “We’re excited about that because it’s something we haven’t really done before, but there’s a huge need in the province around First Nations leadership,” he said.

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 58 (NICOLA-SIMILKAMEEN)

BOARD MEETING DATES

Regular Meetings of the Board of Education will be held as follows: January 14, 2015 February 18, 2015 March 11, 2015 . April 15, 2015 . . May 13, 2015 . . June 10, 2015 . .

. . . . . .

. Merritt Princeton . Merritt Princeton . Merritt Princeton

Meetings are held in the School Board Office and start at 6:00 p.m.

Conayt Friendship Society Are you an Aboriginal Youth between the ages of 16-24? Are you looking for a job? Do you want to go back to school? Do you need tutoring? Are you looking to get Tickets in First Aid, Food Safe, etc.? Are you looking for something else?

If you said YES to any of these questions, then Conayt may be able help you.

For more information contact:

Charlene Joe or Dorothy Spahan at: 2164 Quilchena Ave. (250) 378-5107 cjoe@conayt.com or dspahan@conayt.com

“Breaking the Chain of Abuse”

Adopt a Pet

Please make an appointment to visit Ph: (250) 378-5223

E: gwc.9@hotmail.com View other future best friends @ www.angelsanimalrescue.ca

Benny

Scarlette

Tikaani

Benny is approximately 2 years old, neutered Scarlette is approximately 1 year old, spayed Tikaani is approximately 1 year old, spayed male, Shepherd cross. He is a nervous boy female, Husky / Malamute cross. She weighs female, Husky / Malamute cross. She is the sister to Scarlette. She is kind, sweet, gentle, and needs a gentle, quiet home with a confi- approximately 50 lbs. She is very sweet, slight- slightly timid and loyal and loves her people dent female canine companion. Benny would ly timid, affectionate and loyal. We are hoping and children. Tikaani walks nice on a leash do best in a home without children and not in to adopt Scarlette and Tikaani together as they and knows some of her basic commands. She Donations desperately needed for spay and neuter services. will require life experiences, a gentle person, a the city. provide much comfort to one another. canine friend and a rural environment.

Donations can be to made to The Angel’s Animal Rescue Society at The Interior Savings Credit Union, Account #1193739.

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6 • THURSDAY, January 1, 2015

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HERALD OPINION editorial

2015: the year of climate adaptation By Tom Fletcher black press tfletcher@blackpress.ca

VICTORIA – It’s time to look beyond the protests and political battles around climate change that dominated 2014, and look at the year and the decade ahead. From the California drought to shifting forest patterns across B.C., there is evidence that our climate is changing more rapidly. Public debate consists mainly of squabbling about the significance of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, rather than what can be done to prepare. A draft discussion paper from the B.C. forests ministry on wildfire control was released in December after an access to information request. “Climate Change Adaptation and Action Plan For Wildfire Management, 20142024” describes the progress made in the province’s community forest fire prevention plan, and its goal to create “wildfire resilient ecosystems and wildfire adapted communities” over the next 10 years. The final discussion paper is to be released early in 2015, but the key research is in. It estimates that by 2017 there will be 788 million cubic metres of dead pine in B.C. forests. Fires in these areas spread 2.6 times faster than in healthy green stands, up to 66 metres per minute. The report calls for fuel management beyond community boundaries to stop “mega-fires” by creating landscape-level fuel breaks, with targeted harvesting, prescribed burning and new silvi-

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‘For the B.C. side, we’re looking at heavy precipitation and potential increase in snowmelt runoff.’ — Act executive director deborah harford

culture practices. It notes that bark beetle infestations and bigger, hotter fires are being seen across North America, with costs rising along with urban development. For example, the 2011 Slave Lake fire in northern Alberta generated the second largest insurance charge in Canadian history.

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The costs of preparing are huge. The costs of not preparing could be catastrophic. Also in 2014, the B.C. government appointed an advisory committee to prepare for the renewal of the Columbia River Treaty with the United States. While this 1964 the treaty has no end date, its flood control mandate expires in 2024. I spoke with Deborah Harford and Jon O’Riordan, members of the Simon Fraser University Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT), who, along with ACT senior policy author Robert Sandford, have written a provocative book on the treaty. They hope it will help lead to a renewed agreement that will be a model for a changing world. “If you’re looking ahead 60 years from 2024, there’s a lot of

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ranite Ave., PO Box 9, Merritt, B.C. Phone (250) 378-4241

climate change projected in that period, for British Columbia and the U.S.,” Harford said. “For the B.C. side, we’re looking at heavy precipitation and potential increase in snowmelt runoff, while in the States, you’re getting the opposite, much less snow. “There will probably be no snowpack left down there, and they’re looking at the prospect of quite drastically lower flows in the summer.” The treaty, sparked by devastating floods in 1948, led to construction of three dams on the B.C. side and one at Libby, Washington that backed up Kookanusa Lake into B.C. Between that reservoir and the Arrow Lakes, 110,000 hectares of B.C. land was flooded, including orchards, dairy farms and the homes of 2,000 people.

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Those dams hold back spring flood water and provide for irrigation that has allowed Washington to expand its agriculture to a $5 billion-a-year industry. The treaty shares the value of hydroelectric power generated by the many downstream U.S. dams such as the Grand Coulee, but it pays B.C. nothing for agricultural benefits that were achieved at the cost of B.C. farms and aboriginal territories. O’Riordan notes that climate shifts create a strategic benefit for B.C. The U.S. has no more dam capacity to exploit, and needs us more than ever, for flood protection and water supply. Tom Fletcher is legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

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This Merritt Herald is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org

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It’s a done deal. The historic Quilchena Cattle Company, which dates back to the 1880s, has been sold to Canada’s largest working cattle ranch. The Douglas Lake Cattle Company, which has nearly half a million acres of protected and managed land, is now even larger after acquiring its long-standing neighbouring ranch, which operates on 28,000 deeded acres. No details on a purchase price have been released, but the deal includes the Quilchena Hotel, the RV park, a restaurant and general store.

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Roger McIntosh and Cheryl Bednar enjoy a hot meal at the Soup Bowl at the Anglican Church Hall on Granite Avenue. McIntosh stops in often to enjoy a meal and Bednar has been volunteering there for about six years. The Soup Bowl is open every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to feed anyone who stops in. The program sees about 50 to 100 people on average in the winter months, said organizer Pam Whitaker. Michael Potestio/Herald

BUDGET 2014

City council begins budget deliberations

By Herald Staff meetings will take place in midnewsroom@merrittherald.com February and the final budgets will be approved in March. City council started the The following is the Herdeliberation process for the city’s ald’s round-up of the initial 2014 budget with a series of department presentations to city high-level departmental overviews council. at three meetings last week. Heads of different city Property tax increase departments presented their first pegged at 2.5 per cent draft budgets to council on Jan. Residential property 20, 21 and 22 to highlight any owners in Merritt could changes or developments. see a 2.5 per cent increase No departments were seeking in their property taxes to approval on their budgets at last recoup city revenue lost week’s meetings. The next budget in other areas of the 2014

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budget. City of Merritt financial services manager Ken Ostraat told council that although the first draft of the budget does not show an increase in property tax, there are a few items that will likely result in the need for a 2.5 per cent hike. Tax revenues for 2014 will be $30,000 less than last year as a result of some changes in classes of properties, Ostraat said. New costs the city will

face in 2014 include a two per cent wage increase for CUPE workers with the City of Merritt – who are in the final year of their current contract – and a BC Hydro rate increase, which will come in April. The CUPE workers’ raise will cost $60,000 and BC Hydro costs will jump nine per cent, representing about $35,000 in 2014. RCMP costs in 2014 will also increase, representing another $30,000, Ostraat

told council. “Just those four items by themselves will put us pretty darn close to that two and a half per cent increase [in property tax],” Ostraat said. The tentative hike is similar to last year’s, which was 2.25 per cent. Ostraat told council the city isn’t looking at changes to utility rates. At the budget meeting on Jan. 21, Coun. Clara Norgaard suggested the city

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name. are printed alphabetically by candidate’s last 11 a.m. byelection for one city councillor. The responses Country Music Hall of Fame between 10 and to each of the six candidates in the 2014 The Merritt Herald sent a list of questions at 7 p.m. and another on Feb. 20 at the Canadian more questions at a forum tonight at NVIT The candidates will also be available to answer • Julie Van Koll Page 11

• Ginny Prowal Page 5

• Neil Menard Page 3

• Mike Jolly Page 3 1. What experience makes you a good candidate for city councillor? I have lived in Merritt for over 40 years. During those years, I have been a volunteer with many organizations: board member for Nicola Family Therapy for over 20 years; secretary for the Nicola Valley Heritage Society for 14 years; treasurer for the Nicola Valley Association for Community Living (Ska-Lu-La) for 12 years; helped with the Merritt Country Christmas concert and recently organized the Children’s Community Choir. I also assisted in organizing Multicultural Day for Merritt’s 100th birthday in 2011. My employment since I came to this valley 45 years ago has been primarily with the public (School District 58) and private (First Nations) education systems as an educator. 2. What made you decide to run for city council? I have the time, background, interest and ambition required to contribute constructively to the decision-making process.

1. What experience makes you a good candidate for city councillor? I moved to Merritt in 2004 from the Township of Langley. My husband Jack and I owned and operated an auto body repair shop so I am aware of the trials and joys of being a business owner. I am employed as an accounting and payroll clerk with the Nicola Tribal Association and I have been a bookkeeper for about 32 years. I volunteered as a 4-H youth leader for 10 years in Langley and in the Nicola Valley. I have been treasurer for for many organizations and I have lobbied government support of community organizaam prestions that I have been involved with. I ently on the board of directors for Community for the Futures Nicola Valley and I am secretary backMerritt Vintage Car Club. I have a strong ground in business and personal finance.

4. What issues represent your priorities for the city? I would like to see more serious public discussion about sustainability issues. City council needs to be aggressively searching to attract stable industry that will supply sustainable jobs.

5. What is the biggest challenge today? 3. Are you familiar with city coun- facing Merritt One of the biggest challenges faccil and municipal government? ing Merritt at this time is our aging and What are your past experiences deteriorating infrastructure. City council with civic politics? needs to be rigorously proactive in the My interest in local government federal and provincial grant began when my father was the treasurer search for opportunities. for Lanark Township in the Ottawa Valley, and local government happenings 6. Merritt has had two byelections were often a topic at the supper table. in two years. Are you committed Since 1973, civic government has been to city council? If you’re elected, a part of my life in Merritt. I often will you run again in the general attend council meetings, public forums election in November 2014? and have directed petitions toward city When elected, I will be committed to council concerning various municipal serving my full term of office. issues.

for city 2. What made you decide to run council? I I decided to run for city council because believe in this city and want to see it flourish. I want to make a difference in the community to service where I live and work. I want to be of the presthe citizens of Merritt. I also feel that and ent council is in need of a new perspective good help in working together for the common of the community. and 3. Are you familiar with city council your municipal government? What are past experiences with civic politics? I have always followed city and municipal have council meetings where I have lived. I

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A pair of Merritt youngsters have been making waves in their respective sports recently. Eleven-year-old Drew Kanigan (above) won a gold medal in the P4 all-around competition at the B.C. Gymnastics in Kamloops two weeks ago. In February, Championships he was a second-place finisher at the B.C. Winter Games in Mission. Kanigan is slated to compete at the Western Canadian Championships in Saskatoon in April. Thirteen-year-old Emily Whitecross (right) is currently the top-ranked, 2001-born female alpine skier in the province. She picked up multiple medals at both the Winter Games and at the U14 provincial championships at Sun Peaks two weeks ago. She will be competing in the zone championships in Revelstoke and at the prestigious Whistler Cup the following this weekend, weekend — against racers from a dozen different countries. For more on these two amazing, young local athletes, turn to page 24. Photos by Leanne Verre and Alpine Images

THE HERALD

A person can only run a dog kennel on lands in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The city’s animal control bylaw says a person can have up to two dogs at a house, and all dogs over six months old must be licensed. Any property with three or more dogs is considered a kennel. The issue went before city council at its regular meeting on Tuesday night, when council agreed with administration not to issue the business licence. D&L Kennels owner

Leona Ehl had a chance to appeal to council on the matter. Ehl told council all she wants is to keep the five dogs she currently has. “All I’m asking for is permission to keep the dogs that I have in my home until they die of old age,” she said. “One of them belongs to my sister who has Down syndrome and I don’t see how we can get rid of her dog. I have a little tiny one that’s never a nuisance to the neighbourhood.”

Besides the five she has, the rest of her dogs were stolen in January, Ehl told council. The city and the property owner have had plenty of contact over the past decade. The information package submitted to council prior to the meeting included letters dating back as far as 2004 regarding nuisance complaints about dogs barking and the unsightly property. “It’s a bit disturbing that it’s gone on for so

long,” Coun. Dave Baker said. The package of information also included reference to six SPCA files on the property, though no details about the findings or nature of the visits were included. Calls to the SPCA were not immediately returned. City of Merritt bylaw officer Bob Davis said it’s not clear how the property acquired a business licence in 2004 or how that licence was grandfathered in as kennels were never a

permitted land use under the zoning bylaws in that area. “All the files are gone. Nothing is there. That file should have been here and it’s not,” Davis said of the original business licence issuance. The decision to shut down the kennel means the property owner is expected to comply with the two dogs per household bylaw, but did not include a formal order on the number of dogs she is allowed to keep.

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5. What is the biggest challenge facing Merritt today? I feel the biggest challenge for Merritt to today is cultivating growth and development become a community that attracts businesses of and people alike. I do not believe taxation only existing businesses and residents is the answer to raising capital to support community and growth. Improvements to infrastructure development are key to attracting people to our community. in two 6. Merritt has had two byelections council? years. Are you committed to city in If you’re elected, will you run again 2014? the general election in November I will I ran in the last byelection in 2012 and will run in the November election. This term to this city help me serve this city. I am dedicated prosper. and grow Merritt and I want to help

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Did a family member recently call you claiming they were in trouble? Perhaps you have the opportunity to claim a lot of money by replying to an email from someone you don’t know or had a recorded phone message tell you that you’ve won something. These are scams and Merrittonians should be cautious of them, community policing co-ordinator Kelly Donaldson told the Herald. Donaldson said she’s recently had more people than usual inquire with her about potential scams. Within the first two weeks of January, she had about seven people talk to her about potential phone scams as well as suspicious emails.

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The fate of Merritt’s new destination branding tagline “Country with attitude” remains in limbo after two notices of motion regarding the slogan were addressed by city council at the regular council meeting last Tuesday. The first motion was to Local kennel loses business licence appeal rescind the original unanimous approval of the branding on Feb. 11. That vote also directed staff to begin implementation of the new brand, including holding an open house. Home Back By CED hardware That motion was ineligible to U D E building centre Popul ar Dema Rnd! be rescinded because the motion CED U D E itself had already been acted on. R By Emily Wessel

4. What issues represent your priorities for the city? I feel the top priorities for Merritt are economic development and the revitalization of the downtown core. We have a rich heritage of history and outdoor living in this city and the climate for community activities that I am could attract tourists and residents alike. and concerned with the tax costs to homeowners businesses.

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Merritt’s new branding “Country with attitude” faced intense backlash Tuesday night at the regular council meeting, but for now, the new branding remains. A delegation led by resident Dawn Chypyha presented the group’s displeasure at the tagline and submitted a petition signed by about 628 residents in Merritt. With some members of the crowd standing up behind her, Chypyha, in her speech to council, said she’s requesting council drop the tagline “Country with attitude” and to consider other ideas. She said the two other taglines, “Kicking back” and “Country branded”, were unsatisfactory. “We request a public referendum on this issue to prevent further inappropriate choices being made,” Chypyha said.

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consider using electronic billing instead of paper mail to reduce costs. As the process continues, city councillors will go through each department’s proposed budget line by line and request more information or changes as they see fit. City council will vote on the final budgets in March after another round of meetings in February.

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A local dog kennel won’t get a business licence to operate in 2014. On March 12, the city refused to issue a business licence to D&L Kennels, based in Collettville, on the grounds it violates the city’s zoning and animal control bylaws. On March 25, Merritt’s city council upheld that refusal. Under the zoning bylaw, a dog kennel is not a permitted land use in the city.

The fate of the local dance school hangs in the balance of a complicated immigration case. The Love to Dance Academy could be closed as early as this spring — but not if parents of the school’s students have their way. Lizette Nel, the dance school’s instructor, moved to Merritt with her husband Herman in 2012 from South Africa. Their daughter and son-in-law reside here, which is how the Nels came to decide on Merritt. Lizette was due to start up the ballet school in the fall with the start of regular schools, but a large-scale investigation into other files that had nothing to do with theirs bumped their case back six months. The Nels fought to have their case moved up so they could get the school started on time, but it still ended up about three months behind schedule.

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A local man and his family will be recognized for their contributions to ranching at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival this weekend. Dr. Jim Steffens opened the first veterinarian practice in Merritt in 1959. He also established the first vet clinics in Princeton and Logan Lake. In those days, Steffens spent plenty of time on the road travelling between his practices. “It was lots of work, lots of mileage,” he said. Having grown up on a ranch, working with animals made sense. “I was interested in medicine and it seemed a logical choice,” he said. Steffens’ grandfather came to the Merritt area from Germany and began to homestead in 1904 with Steffens’ father and one of his uncles. “That fall, they built a cabin. Then he went back to Lytton, they lived at a store in Lytton, and that following year he brought the rest of his family in. Left the two boys for the winter. A lot of people are shocked because they were eight and 10 years old,” he said, noting it was a different era.

What was the biggest news story of 2014? Ottawa shooting: 60% Ebola outbreak: 20% Malaysia Airlines: 20%

LETTERS POLICY The Merritt Herald welcomes your letters, on any subject, addressed to the editor. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s name, address and phone number for verification purposes. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. Please keep letters to 300 words or less. Email letters to: newsroom@ merrittherald. com.

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

APRIL 2014 MSS DRUM MAKING PAGE 3

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LADIES VOLLEYFEST RESULTS PAGE 24

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THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 • MERRITT

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TAKE AIM Dana Marr lets her arrow fly toward a life-sized foam replica of a cougar at the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club’s 3D Archery Shoot on April 5. On the April 5-6 weekend, participants got to take aim at 30 foam targets split between two trails in the Lower Nicola area. Can you spot Marr’s arrow on its way toward the target? Michael Potestio/Herald

Legacy Water Search society to present in Merritt By Emily Wessel THE HERALD

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The Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society is inviting Merrittonians to attend a presentation to hear how far they’ve come since the drowning deaths of two Langley teens on Nicola Lake nearly a year ago. “Because the community was so involved, we wanted to come back and thank the community and tell them what we’ve been up to,” Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society president Scott Lebus said. “We wanted to give them a full update and briefing

society has enough support to purMay 6, 2013. about what we’ve been up to, its first piece of equipment. Now, the Legacy Water Search chase where we’re going and what our Members of the society will and Recovery Society will take on goals are.” pick up a remote operating vehicle the role of helping in searches and The society was established (ROV) on Monday. An ROV is a recoveries for other families who after the deaths of Austin Kingstethered underwater vehicle that’s need help — and at no cost to borough and Brendan Wilson. controlled remotely and has a those families. The boys went missing on April camera to locate a body. The non-profit organization is 21, 2013 when their canoe overThe ROV will cost about in Canada. kind its of first the turned on the lake. $80,000 on a deal from Nanaimo“We’ve really recognized that After an RCMP search of based Seamor Marine, which is finding people who’ve gone missthe lake turned up nothing, the allowing the society to finance the ing as a result of drowning and families of the boys brought in equipment interest-free. recovering them is vital to the an Idaho-based couple and their Lebus said the society’s partfamilies,” Lebus said. “It’s vital side-scan sonar equipment. The ners recognize that fundraising is to their ability to heal and move couple, Gene and Sandy Ralston, an ongoing effort and will fluctuforward.” have helped recover upward of 80 ate. With about $55,000 of its ultibodies of drowning victims. “Our attitude is very much that mate $350,000 goal raised, the The boys were recovered on

this is a marathon, not a race,” Lebus said of fundraising. Lebus said the purchase of this ROV represents the society reaching its 2014 goal, which was to be operational. They can now help in searches, albeit in smaller areas than they will be able to search once they have side-scan sonar equipment. “If somebody called us today and said can you help, we want to be able to say yes, we can help. Even if it’s a limited capability, we actually can come to a site and help,” he said.

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FLYING OBJECTS IDENTIFIED AS SKY LANTERNS Consider the mystery of the bright orange lights floating over Merritt on March 31 solved by the Merritt Fire Rescue Department. As it turns out, they were flying lanterns. These lanterns are essentially little hot air balloons made of paper and powered by flames from candles or fuel-soaked wax paper. They catch in the wind and drift until their flames burn out. However, in this case, the lanterns kept burning once they hit the ground — at a lumber yard. An employee spotted them coming down at Aspen Planers’ site two on Houston Street and was able to extinguish the flames. A TRIBE CALLED RED TO HEADLINE BASS COAST Ottawa-based critically-acclaimed electronic group A Tribe Called Red will be a headlining act at this year’s Bass Coast festival, which hits the old Mountainfest grounds on August 1-4. The group’s sophomore album, last year’s Nation II Nation, was short-listed for 2013’s Polaris Prize, Canada’s cornerstone award bestowed on an act by consensus of Canadian music journalists that eschews commercial success. “They’re quite revered around the world right now,” said Bass Coast’s Paul Brooks.

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

MAY 2014 DANCE TEACHER LIZETTE NEL ALLOWED TO RETURN

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PELLET PLANT TO START PRODUCTION IN FALL

Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-vacant pellet plant is being revitalized by a Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dance teacher is new company. allowed to return to Canada Diacarbon Energy, a Burnabyafter a bureaucratic debacle based bioenergy company, has that sent her packing for her moved into the property and native South Africa just over a plant on Priest Avenue and month ago. is putting about $9 million in The fate of the dance studio is now in the hands of the TOTA, city narrowing down tagline options changes into the infrastructure in order to begin production of Canadian High Commission wood pellets and biocoal by this in South Africa, which can fall. issue Lizette Nelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work per2W <]X[N <YNLRJU ALL FOU NTAI NS Construction at the plant mit authorization. % will be underway in the next Once thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done, Nel and OFF few weeks, Diacarbon president her husband Herman will begin making travel arrangements back to Canada, the and CEO Jerry Ericsson said, and about 15 people are needed to work during the two stated in an email to the Herald. construction phase. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We miss our friends in Merritt and especially our Once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operational, about 25 permanent dance students,â&#x20AC;? the email states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Judging from emails jobs will be located on-site, he said. and other communications, they miss us too.â&#x20AC;? FREE

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Dual Olympian Clara Hughes high-fived students from Merritt Secondary outside the school as she headed out of Merritt for Kelowna on May 21 for the next leg of her 110-day crossCanada bike tour. Hughes, a medallist in both speed skating and mountain biking, is cycling across Canada in support of Bell Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Talk campaign, which aims to break down the stigma around mental health issues.

During her stop in Merritt, Hughes spoke at an event hosted by Nicola Family Therapy at the Civic Centre on Tuesday evening about her experience with depression and her family history with mental illness. On Wednesday, she gave a presentation to Merritt Secondary School with fellow Olympian Ina-Yoko Tuetenberg of Germany, who also dealt with depression.

The riders have about 4,500 kilometres left to go on their 12,000 kilometre cross-Canada journey before they arrive in Ottawa on Canada Day. Hughes said she is encouraged by the support sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s received for the cause in each of the communities sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visited so far, noting Merritt was no exception.

Emily Wessel/Herald

By Michael Potestio THE HERALD

reporter@merrittherald.com

A new tagline for the city to replace the highly criticized slogan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Country with attitudeâ&#x20AC;? is close to being revealed. After public outcry over the previously approved tagline, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) and Terra Firma Digital Arts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the organizations working with the city to devel-

op its new brand â&#x20AC;&#x201D; took feedback from the public and came up with three new tagline options. The organizations released a survey listing the options â&#x20AC;&#x153;Country inspired,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Country with spiritâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Proud to be countryâ&#x20AC;? for members of the public to rank in order of preference. From those options, there are two clear front-runners and one consensus number two pick, community development specialist Simone Carlysle-Smith said.

In all, 125 people took the survey, most votes because there was no way 16 of whom submitted paper copies. to stop people from voting multiple Carlysle-Smith said the survey times. results showed support for all three Two of the three alternate options. taglines are ideas that came from â&#x20AC;&#x153;And when we asked the question the branding open house back in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;None of the above,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the majorMarch, she said. ity of people did support the three She also said the tagline options,â&#x20AC;? Carlysle-Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Country inspiredâ&#x20AC;? was ranked She said they are using the highly as second choice. survey results as a gauge for which â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interestingly, that one was direction to take, and not necessarranked quite high for second choice, ily looking at which tagline got the but the other two were ranked

higher for first choice, so we know we can move in a certain direction,â&#x20AC;? Carlysle-Smith said. Two more open houses on the branding were held May 12 and 13, which fewer than 50 people attended between the two days. At the open houses, CarlysleSmith revealed highway signage concepts for the three teepee signs around Merritt.

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The City of Merritt has Rotating strikes initiated by OFF AND RUNNING decided to stop working with the B.C. Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Federation the Thompson Okanagan have entered into their second Tourism Association (TOTA) week as the union and B.C. under its case study pilot Public School Employersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Assoproject. ciation (BCPSEA) continue to They have also withdrawn Canada Post to down size Merritt post office butt heads over a new contract from Destination BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comfor teachers. munity Tourism OpportuniSchool District 58 takes ties (CTO) program, which its second turn in the rotating provides funding for tourism strikes today. activities in B.C. communiIt was a cool and windy ties. Thursday morning in Merritt the At its regular meeting first time around the teachers of on Tuesday, city council SD58 stood outside their schools approved the recommendation put forward by rather than inside them teaching class. the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business and economic development At each of Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six schools, teachers manager to stop the pilot project. could be seen wearing signs and waving to cars. Eight-year-old Josh Kooijman (3128) from Lavington, B.C. leads the pack at the start of the five and 10-kilometre races at the 5th Annual Merritt Country Run, held Sunday at Voght Park. Earlier this year, Kooijman completed the Kilimanjaro 5K Run in Tanzania, Africa. Just behind Kooijman, and in red, is 23-year-old Tristan Sandhu from Vancouver. He is a trainer and physiotherapist with the B.C. Lions football team that is currently training in Kamloops. Sandhu, overall winner of the five-kilometre race in a sizzling 17:41, also won the race last year. Winner of the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5K race was 12-year-old Chantel Jeffrey (3185) from Blind Bay, outside Salmon Arm. She completed the distance in a time of 21:35. A total of 293 participants took part in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Merritt Country Run. Look for photos from the run on page 9 of this paper. There will be more pictures and a story in this Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of the Merritt Herald, and complete statistical results in next Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newspaper. Ian Webster/Herald

By Michael Potestio Canada Post expects to have the THE HERALD reconď&#x192;&#x17E;gured post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce operareporter@merrittherald.com tional within the next couple of Canada Post has decided to months. downsize the Merritt post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Staff levels may change but no In a letter to city council dated employee will lose his or her job as May 21, Tom Creech, Canada a result of this change,â&#x20AC;? the letter Post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;cer for delivery operations states. communications informed them There are ď&#x192;&#x17E;ve employees who the company is introducing its new work out of the Merritt post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce. postal service centre model at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of our most popular retail Merritt post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce. products and services will still be The Crown corporationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meravailable. Our retail hours of opritt location has been on its radar eration will be Monday to Friday for potential downsizing for over from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,â&#x20AC;? Creechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a year. Last August, Canada Post letter also states. This means the spokesperson John Caines told the post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce will open a half-hour Herald changes to the Merritt post later than it does now. ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be considered until Canada Post spokesperson 2014. John Caines said the postal service The letter from Creech states centre model being introduced

will probably see the Merritt ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce eliminate one of its two counter stations. Products displayed in front of the stations will be removed from display and housed behind the counter as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The model is to provide for a more efď&#x192;&#x17E;cient post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce,â&#x20AC;? Caines said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of times we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of trafď&#x192;&#x17E;c in the post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ces so our people can be doing things in the back as opposed to standing out at the counters all the time because all the stuff is on display,â&#x20AC;? he said. Products sold at the post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce will still be available to purchase, and employees who work at the counter will be working out of the back but have access to the front of the post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce, Caines told the

Herald. The new conď&#x192;&#x17E;guration will also equip the local post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce with new parcel compartment boxes set up inside the post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce so that postal box customers can access their parcels without waiting in line. Kamloops area CUPW president Lara Plummer told the Herald she received notice from Canada Post regarding the planned downsizing. She said the company has asked to consult with the union regarding the changes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is part of their collective agreement. Caines said not all post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ces are being changed to a postal service centre model. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only where it makes sense,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Caines said each post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce is reviewed individually. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look at the markets and we look at the [customer] trafď&#x192;&#x17E;c and the revenue in those ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ces and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll let us determine what we have to do going forward,â&#x20AC;? Caines said. Caines said customer trafď&#x192;&#x17E;c determines the hours of operation and whether or not a post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce can be converted to a postal service centre. He said the number of packages received at a post ofď&#x192;&#x17E;ce, the number of customers it brings in and transactions made there on a daily basis are taken into consideration.

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Friends & Neighbours Health-care advocate finds place at Thrift Shop Terry Flottvik has been a member of the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary for just over a year, having joined in October 2013. Her connection to the auxiliary began long before she became a member asÂ she has been an avid customer at the Thrift Shop for the past few years. She was asked if she would like to get involved as a volunteer, something that had not crossed her mind before. While it was out of her element and something she had never done before, she immediately felt comfortable on the other side of the counter as a volunteer at the shop.Â Prior to living in Merritt, Terry was a commercial fisherman for about 20 years and she and her husband log salvaged. After one of her family members became terminally ill, she moved from Vancouver Island to Fort Langley to provide support. It was at this time that

Thrift Shop convenor Terry Flottvik found volunteering with the Nicola Valley Health Care Auxiliary a natural fit. Submitted

she began advocating for increased availability of the benefits received under the Compassionate Care Act. Through her dedication to this issue and aided by the support of Langley MP Mark Warawa, the benefit was changed in 2005 to allow the carereceiver to be able to name the caregiver of their choice. Terry has recently filled one of the two Thrift Shop convenor positions. Within

her role as the convenor, she assists with the daily operations of the Thrift Shop and provides support to the volunteers. She believes that the Thrift Shop has an important role in the community and describes it as a meeting place, where customers come to unwind, take some time for themselves and see what special items they can find at the shop. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Submitted by Brittney Parks

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THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ MERRITT

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ MERRITT

Merritt golfer on the brink of a PGA

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per cent of the floor area. That includes businessTHE HERALD related storage areas. reporter@merrittherald.com Delivery of materials Proposed changes to to or from the residence Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home-based vehicles business bylaws have been via commercial up to a would be allowed sent to a public hearing maximum of 16,000 kiloafter a divided vote from gram gross vehicle weight. city council at its regular Under the current bylaw, meeting on Tuesday. home delivery is strictly Council voted 5-2 in prohibited. giving first and second Some slack has been reading to a new draft in bylaw 2177 to the bylaw â&#x20AC;&#x201C; titled bylaw 2177 given issue of employees perâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; but then voted unanimitted to work at a homemously to subsequently business. send it to a public hearing. based Under the current This past spring, a bylaw, only one nonhome-based business employee is perresident task force organized mitted to work at a homeby the City of Merritt based business. recommended changes Bylaw 2177 would such as unlimited parkfor two non-resident allow ing at the residence of a employees to work at a home-based business and business. home-based allowing any number of The task force had employees. previously requested no Some of the task limit. forceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations Parking rules do not made it into bylaw 2177. change under bylaw 2177. One of those recomHome-based business mendations is to allow bylaws will continue to home-based businesses limit parking at a hometo operate in secondary based business to one suites. on-site parking space, Another is to double which is in addition to the the amount of space residential requirement. permitted for a homeCity of Merritt planuse. to based business ning and development Under bylaw 2177, the manager Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Flaherty from maximum increases told the Herald people with 20 square meters to 45 home-based businesses Open in Halifax on the square metres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; doubling after winning the Web.com Tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nova Scotia to have three Sloan kisses the beautiful crystal trophy at the Ashburn Golf the maximum percentage are required HOW SWEET IT IS Merritt golfer Roger of 71 and 70 on the final day of competition rounds shot home, for his spots. putt Texas parking eight-foot Houston, calls sank an of a homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s floor area for weekend. The 27-year-old Sloan, who now sudden-death playoff hole, Sloan calmly with a score of 11-under 273. On the first Open, and moved up from Club to finish tied for the lead after 72 holes home-based business use for his first-place finish at the Nova Scotia of Cathy Sloan to settle for a bogey. Sloan won $117,000 See â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Someâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Page 2 see Herald Sports on page 17. Photo courtesy par while American Derek Fathauer had from 20 per cent to 40 money list. For the full story and more photos,

By Michael Potestio

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The beat never stopped at the Bass Coast electronic music and arts festival that wrapped up its second straight year in Merritt on Monday. Festivalgoers danced and mingled throughout the days and nights in outfits ranging from the mundane to the insane. One woman wore a colourful skirt made of a medley of feathers with a large, purple beak on her nose and round, black sunglasses to complete the ensemble as she

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Going, going, gone The 100-year-old heritage building in the 2000 block of Quilchena Avenue in downtown Merritt badly damaged in a June 30 fire was demolished over the course of several hours on Tuesday afternoon. Handfuls of onlookers watched as the building came down piece by piece as the structure was ripped away by an excavator. For all your landscaping needs call the professionals at

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Canada on Sunday? What went wrong at Sturgis , organizers mum on reason Liquor licence not revoked By Emily Wessel

Classic rock legend Burton Cummings rocked the main stage at Sturgis Canada on Saturday night. Despite a big-name lineup, organizers wrapped up the festival early, cancelling its Sunday, Aug. 24 events. No reason for the early cancellation was available by press time. Emily Wessel/Herald

THE HERALD

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Sturgis Canada ended its inaugural event in Merritt a day early over the weekend. The reason for the Sunday cancellation was unknown at press time as organizers had yet to release a statement. Contrary to rumours, the festival had not had its liquor licence revoked, a spokesperson for the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch said in

an email. Even with no licence, the festival could have continued without selling liquor. That was the case at Boonstock in Penticton over the August long weekend. That festival was denied a liquor licence this year but went ahead with an estimated 9,000 attendees each day. The Bass Coast electronic music and arts festival, which also takes place at the old Mountainfest grounds, does not sell liquor on-site and saw its second consecutive successful event earlier this month. Merritt RCMP, which works closely with the B.C. LCLB, did not recommend the branch revoke the licence either. Neither local police nor the liquor licence inspector knew of the cancellation beforehand. Despite the early closure on Sunday, organizers said they felt the event went well, Sturgis Canada president Joan Hansen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought it went really well â&#x20AC;&#x201D; until Sunday,â&#x20AC;? Hansen said Monday morning, adding she was not prepared to make a statement on the reason for the early closure. There is no word yet on whether refunds will be issued for the Sunday portion of the event, nor how many tickets were sold to the event. It is also unknown if the festival will return next year.

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Over half a million students are back in school today for the first official day of the 2014-15 school year. Schools reopened in Merritt yesterday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon for most students for orientation, and today marks the first full day of classes. The teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strike, which had been going on since June, ended Thursday night when members of the BC Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Federation voted 86 per cent in favour of ratifying a tentative agreement with the BC Public School Employersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association. The agreement includes a wage raise of 7.25 per cent over six years, down considerably from their first request of 13.5 per cent. Teachers will see their first pay raise â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 3.25 per cent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. merrittherald.com

Though it attracts a predomiTwenty-two-year-old festival nantly a younger-looking crowd, attendee Marie (who did not wish Bass Coast isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a festival reserved to give her last name) came from for any single generation. There Edmonton to experience her first were still a few salt and pepper Bass Coast, which was also one of coloured heads in the crowd mixed the first music festivals sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever in with the 20-somethings. been to. Espirito Santo Mauricio, 50, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chill and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun. hails from the Vancouver area and Everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nice,â&#x20AC;? she told has been to four out of the six Bass the Herald. Coast festivals, but this was her first Others at Bass Coast were seaone in Merritt. soned festivalgoers. Mauricio said she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an avid River Easton, from Calgary, festivalgoer in her youth. Married helped with lighting and media at age 18, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start attending at his second Bass Coast. Easton music festivals until she was in her has attended 11 music festivals so late 30s. far this year and became an avid

festivalgoer when he decided he wanted a change in his life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used to work a nine to five and then at one point I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You know what, I want to go to some music festivals,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and I went and I just ditched my life and I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You know what, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to make this my life.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Now I go travel around, going to music festivals, working for the festivals,â&#x20AC;? Easton said. He said Bass Coast has been the most exciting of the events heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been to so far.

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danced the night away on Saturday. When perusing the festival grounds for a couple of days, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear people were there to be free from the rigours of everyday life and explore their social liberties. Around the festival grounds, people sway back and forth in hammocks, smoke from hookahs, dance to the beat of music in any direction their bodies take them, contort into various yoga poses, hoola hoop with zeal and expand their minds through seminars with titles such as Healing with Essential Oils or The Business of Doing What You Love.

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Enough is enough when it comes to a house thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been unsafe and unsightly since a fire destroyed it nearly four years ago, city council members said at their regular meeting last Tuesday. The house at 1950 Garcia St. was gutted by a fire â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which was determined to be an arson â&#x20AC;&#x201D; back in October of 2010. Despite multiple attempts by the city to assist the Lower Mainland-based property owners in addressing deficiency and nuisance issues, the owner continues to dodge requests of compliance and remediation, a report from planning and development manager Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Flaherty stated.

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RED RISING Juno Award-winning Ottawa-based electronica group A Tribe Called Red is joined by a hoop dancer on the main stage of the Bass Coast music and arts festival, which took place in Merritt for the second year in a row over the long weekend. Michael Potestio/Herald

SEPTEMBER 2014

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RALD The Nature Conservancy of Canada has raised the $3.4 million it needs for a conservation project that will protect 1,300 acres of grasslands in the Nicola Valley. Through this project, habitat for migratory birds, rare grassland plants and mammals such as moose and mule deer will be protected. Free spirits reign at Bass Coast festival The protected land is a portion of the Napier Lake Ranch, north of Merritt off of Highway 5A. The funding will go toward purchasing the land and funds for the long-term care, management and monitoring of the land, Lesley Neilson, Nature Conservancy of Canada communications manager for the B.C. region, said.

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uate should the situation THE HERALD change, Pepper said. reporter@merrittherald.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a wildfire in the vicinity of An evacuation alert Murray Lake and the has been issued by wildfire poses an immithe Thompson-Nicola nent threat to people Regional District to an and property,â&#x20AC;? a TNRD estimated 35 properpress release stated. ties on the east side of â&#x20AC;&#x153;An evacuation alert Murray Lake due to a has been issued to prewildfire. The lightning-caused pare you to evacuate your premises and propblaze, west of Murray erty should it be found Lake about three kilonecessary. Residents metres from Highway will be given as much 5, has grown to about advance warning as 150 hectares in size possible prior to the and is a rank five wildevacuation; however, fire. A rank five fire is described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;extremely you may receive limited notice due to changing vigorous.â&#x20AC;? conditions,â&#x20AC;? the press The B.C. Wildfire release went on to state. Management Branch The TNRD also state a rappel crew, air stated that with the alert tankers and helicopters in effect people should responded to the blaze locate all family memTuesday afternoon, bers, gather essential but fire crews had to items such as eyeglasses, be withdrawn as the medication and imporfire was too dangertant papers. People ous, given its aggressive should also be prepared behaviour. to move disabled perâ&#x20AC;&#x153;The conditions sons and children, colwere [such] that they lect pets and, if possible, The couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop the fire Maka-Murray wildfire as seen from the air. The blaze began on Monday south of Merritt move livestock to a safe and has since grown to 100 hectares in size. District issued an evacuation alert to 35 properties when it was small, so The Thompson Nicola Regional near Murray Lake. B.C. Wildfire Management area. Branch it did continue to grow Kelsey Winter said. She estimates that If an evacuation is fire to be with scattered pockets and they were tactically sky lanterns and burnalso said there were 20 to 157 wildfires that 35 hectares in size. required, the TNRD labelled extreme. removed from the fire ing barrels. firefighters battling the have burned over 692 There were about stated people in the Due to the trend of earlier today for safety blaze. The open burning hectares. In total, 98 of 13 firefighters Murray working Lake area will warm and dry weather reasons,â&#x20AC;? fire inforprohibition covers all The wildfire began those fires were humanto contain the blaze need to exit the area by recently, wildfires in mation officer Kayla BC Monday. Parks, Crown As of the and caused and 59 were Wednesday morning. travelling south along the region have been Pepper told the Herald. private lands. Merritt Heraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s press caused by lightning. The fire is suspected to Maka-Murray FSR aggressive She said the 35 and have deadline, the fire was The fine for violatbe human-caused. The 10-year average to the intersection of required additional fire properties consist of ing the fire ban is up to reduced to a rank three. for the fire centre for Highway 5. suppression resources. houses and cabins. $345. The evacuation alert this time of year is 196 Fire ban issued Yesterday, fire supOpen burning is also The fire is about five was still in effect and To report a violation fires burning over Yesterday a camppression efforts were 2,000 prohibited throughout kilometres from those of the campfire ban hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been extended to fire ban went hectares. renewed in the form into the Kamloops Fire structures. within the Kamloops an order to evacuate. effect throughout the There are 18 active Centre. This prohibition Fire Centre, The evacuation alert of helicopters bucketThere is also a please fires in the Kamloops Kamloops Fire Centre. ing water and heavy applies means that people in to open fires of call 1-844-NRO-TIPS fire burning west of Fire Centre. Currently the machinery being used any size, fires with a the vicinity of the fire (1-844 676-8477). Penticton near Apex fire danger rating is To report a wildfire, burn registration numare to be ready to evac- to establish a fire guard, Mountain. The So far this year, Wildfire high throughout the call 1-800-663-5555 fire information officer ber, industrial burning, the Kamloops Fire Management Branch toll-free Kamloops Fire Centre, or dial *5555 fireworks, tiki torches, For all your Centre has responded on your cellphone. landscaping needs

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Wildfire raging in the Murray Lake area

The owners of three businesses are waiting for the result of the fire departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investigation of the cause of the fire that ruined their shops and the apartments above them. Two buildings with three businesses in the heart of downtown Merritt were affected by water and smoke from a blaze that was mostly contained to the suites on the second floor. Nobody was hurt in the fire. It took 24 firefighters nearly 12 hours to put out the fire in the second storey of the building that houses Earthwalker Spiritual Shop and Starz Beauty Salon in the 2000 block of Quilchena Avenue. Nicola Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Voice Since 1905

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LOW ATTENDANCE, VOLUNTEER TURNOUT AT FESTIVAL Sturgis Canada closed a day early because of low attendance and a shortage of volunteers, according to the music festival and motorcycle rallyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president Joan Hansen. Approximately 1,100 tickets were sold in advance of the festival, which ran Aug. 21 to 23 at the old Mountainfest site. Hansen said there were some tickets sold at the gate, but the final ticket count was not known as of press time. She said she estimates there were about 2,000 people at the festival site on Saturday night, when headliner Burton Cummings played. In terms of volunteers, Hansen said they had about 100 confirmed, but only about 45 actually showed up.

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Hwy 5 rollover claims one life

A 27-year-old woman Transport truck hits from Coquitlam is dead folparked car, injuring two lowing a rollover on Highway 5 about 15 kilometres north On Monday, Sept. 1, of Merritt on Sunday. Logan Lake and Elizabeth Joan Savoie was RCMP officers Merritt were called to a front-seat passenger in a a two-vehicle crash on HighMazda 3 driven by a 30-year- way 5 about five kilometres old male at about 6:45 p.m. south of the Lac La Jeune exit that day. at about 5:30 p.m. The car was headed Two males, both aged 19, southbound when it strayed were injured when the parked to the left of the highway. car they were in was struck by When the driver tried to a transport truck. correct the car, it skidded One of the males was sideways before rolling sevairlifted to Royal Inland Hoseral times across the highway pital in Kamloops in critical and coming to rest in the condition. The other had west ditch facing the opposite minor injuries. direction. The car was believed to The driver suffered minor be parked on the side of the injuries and Savoie was prohighway with mechanical nounced dead at the scene. issues, and was partially in the Highway 5 was closed for right-hand lane of the southseveral hours to southbound bound side of the highway. traffic. Speed is not believed to be Speed and alcohol are not a factor in the crash. believed to be factors in the RCMP are continuing crash. their investigation.

Bus crash update

ALL SMILES Get down rodeo clown Jayson Charters and seven-year-old Cooper Harrington winning ride in the mutton bustinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; competition wave to the crowd on Sunday after Harringtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at the 56th Annual Nicola Valley Pro Rodeo. fair events on the Labour Day weekend. Big crowds attended both the rodeo and For more photos, turn to pages 3 and the fall 15. Ian Webster/Herald

Nearly half of the 43 people who were taken to Interior Health hospitals in last Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bus crash on the Coquihalla have been released. However, three people remain in critical condition, while another two are in serious condition. Seventeen people were released with minor injuries. The tour bus was headed southbound on Highway 5 about 30 kilometres south of Merritt when it is believed to

have hit the centre median, overcorrected and slid across the road, eventually coming to rest upright. Fifty-six people were aboard the bus. Nineteen ambulances and six helicopters transported the injured passengers to hospitals in Merritt, Kamloops and Kelowna. No fatalities have been reported in the crash. RCMP are still investigating the cause, and have ruled out speed as a factor.

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BEARS FINDING PLENTY TO EAT IN MERRITT Four bears habituated to humans were euthanized by a Merritt conservation officer last Tuesday morning. RCMP and Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conservation Officer Service responded to a report of a mother and her two cubs who had been feeding on garbage they found on Second Avenue. Conservation officer Jon Paquin told the Herald the sow and cubs were found along a route commonly used by children to walk to school. Paquin said the conservation office had been monitoring the family of bears for a few weeks and found they had become habituated to humans and conditioned to eating non-natural food sources â&#x20AC;&#x201D; targeting garbage specifically. Given these factors, the bears were euthanized for public safety concerns, he said.

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

OCTOBER 2014 COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL MOVING TO MERRITT

HORSEMEN CLEAN UP PAGE 3

NOVEMBER 2014

NEW TENANTS AT CMS PAGE 8

Nicola Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Voice Since 1905

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MERRITT HERALD

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â&#x20AC;˘ MERRITT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

NEIL MENARD ELECTED MERRITT MAYOR

CENTS WIN IN OT - TWICE! PAGE 24

NEWSPAPERS

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k on Parliament Hill; one suspect dead

Merritt is slated to host another country Attac music festival in 2015. The Country Music Capital of Canada will play host to the Rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; River Music Festival, a four-day festival organizers Case of missing Merritt man still a mystery announced Thursday theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be bringing to Family searching for answers a year after disappearance Merritt next August long weekend. The Rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; River Music Festival is moving from Mission, where it has been held for the past six years. Organizer Ken Home hardware Hess told a crowd gathered at the Nicola building centre Valley Institute of Technology for the announcement that the event has outgrown the site in Mission. NEW OWNERS TAKE A SWING AT SAGEBRUSH Parliament Hill was attacked by at least one

gunman on Wednesday morning. One soldier

and one gunman

A community-organized By Emily Wessel ground search on Nov. 13, THE HERALD 2013 also turned up nothing. newsroom@merrittherald.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;There have been several It has been a harrowing searches and we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come year for the family of a local up with anything,â&#x20AC;? Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s man who went missing one mother, Elizabeth Faber, said. year ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody misses him and Dean Morrison, then a just would like to know... It we 44-year-old father of three, would be nice to hear or know disappeared after leaving his something.â&#x20AC;? workplace at Stump Lake Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missing person Ranch on Oct. 22, 2013. file has since been transferred Morrison sometimes stayed to the Kamloops RCMP. He with his sister on his days described as Caucasian, is had she 28, Oct. by but off, five-foot-six, 140 pounds with still not heard from him and brown hair and blue eyes. He reported him missing to the was last seen wearing a quilted RCMP. black jacket and work pants. RCMP conducted an air Anyone with information and ground search on Oct. 31, on Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disappearance is 2013, but came up empty.

A gunman shot and killed a soldier who was standing guard at the Canadian War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The gunman then went to Parliament Hill, where he was reportedly killed after trading shots with Parliamentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sergeantat-arms. Multiple shots were fired within the halls of the Parliament building. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was safely removed from Parliament Hill, and his events for the day Liberal were killed. Herald file photo cancelled.

chase and was shot leader Justin Trudeau and killed when he and NDP leader his Thomas Mulcair were emerged from crashed vehicle with a also reported safe. knife in his hand. MPs were locked The attack on down inside the buildHill ings as police searched Parliament before 7 for any other gunmen occurred just time. involved in the attack. a.m. local legisB.C. the At The attack on lature on Wednesday, Parliament Hill extra guards were took place two days stationed at each after two soldiers in entrance. Tourists Quebec were intenand members of the tionally run down public were prohibited in a car driven by from entering, but 25-year-old Martin pre-booked school Couture-Rouleau, tours were allowed who was one of 90 to enter the buildsuspected extremists ing. The situation in being watched by the Ottawa was ongoing RCMP. as of the Heraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s press Couture-Rouleau deadline. led police on a

Jordan is now staying with asked to contact the Kamloops his grandmother in Vancouver RCMP at 250-314-1800. still trying to recover his In the year since Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and is eyesight. disappearance, the family has â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost every day, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve e experienced more hardship. been to doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices in VanHis sister, Michelle, passed couver,â&#x20AC;? she said. away in late August. Faber said recovering Jorâ&#x20AC;&#x153;My daughter and my son danâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyesight is a priority for â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I lost both of them within the family right now. one year,â&#x20AC;? Faber said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes it just helps to The day before her service, take the focus off something Michelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 23-year-old son she said. Jordan fell ill and was taken to else,â&#x20AC;? Faber said her family is hospital. He spent two weeks thankful for all of the supin the hospital with meningitis port theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve received over the only with hospital and left the last year. Still, she said staying partial vision. strong is tough. Faber said doctors told her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so much trauthe meningitis may have proma in the family. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to voked a dormant degenerative deal with it all.â&#x20AC;? disease.

Dean Morrison has been missing since Oct. 2013. Herald file photo

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FREE The Merritt Centennials are pumped and ready for this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BCHL action at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Friday, they play against their arch-rivals, the West Kelowna Warriors, starting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Coast Divisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victoria Grizzlies who come to town for a 2 p.m. matinee game.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parents Weekend! The Centennials will have plenty of motivation to play well on the weekend. Not only are they looking to get back on a winning track after suffering three losses last week, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parents Weekend. Family members from across North America will be descending upon the Nicola Valley to watch their sons play, experience Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warm, friendly hospitality and take in the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful fall scenery. Saturday night, the Merritt Centennials organization will be hosting its 20th annual Icebreaker gala at the Civic Centre with delicious food, fantastic entertainment and the official introduction of the 2014-15 Centennials team. Merritt and Nicola Valley residents are encouraged to take in this weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Junior A hockey action on Friday and Sunday, and give a rousing welcome to our many visitors from out of town. last Wednesday. The Cents were edged 4-2

Mike Jolly in race for mayor of Merritt

Brings mayoral candidates in Nov. electio n to three By Emily Wessel THE HERALD

newsroom@merrittherald.com

Local business owner Mike Jolly has added his name to the ballot in Novemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race for mayor of Merritt. In an emailed statement to the Herald, Jolly said he chose to run for mayor

because he sees a â&#x20AC;&#x153;massive disconnectâ&#x20AC;? between the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration, council and residents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This disconnect has led to much misunderstanding within the populace. I feel this has had an adverse effect on our ability to be a connective hub with trust in and amongst everyone that

lives in Merritt,â&#x20AC;? Jollyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stateâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Beautification comes ment reads. when the work at the core Jollyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement says is done. We need to get off most of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget the kick on beautification items fall into two categories: â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is, after all, only health and safety, and beauskin deep and work with the tification. deeper issues.â&#x20AC;? He said infrastructure In terms of challenges issues must be addressed the city faces, Jollyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s email before the city spends money identifies an information on attempts to beautify. gap between the city and

Jolly co-owns A&M Holistic Wellness with his wife. The pair relocated their family to Merritt from the Lower Mainland seven years ago. Jolly joins current councillor Neil Menard and incumbent Susan Roline on the campaign trail for mayor.

With a golden golf club, Newmark Group Chief Operating Officer Nathan Schauerte took a swing on his first day as the official new owner of the Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club. Saturday marked the official handoff of the Quilchena golf course from receivership to the Langley-based development corporation Newmark Group. Negotiations with the court-appointed receiver took about a year. Now closing out its sixth season, the golf course will see action on its original vision as a golfing destination under Newmarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charge.

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MERRITT HERALD

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014

â&#x20AC;˘ MERRITT NEWSPAPERS

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Health minister tours hospital

Centre on after the annual ceremony at the Civic Day parade makes its way to the legion lay wreaths at and honour Nicola Valley veterans and PARADE ROUTE The cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Remembrance young and old came out to remember Ian Webster/Herald Tuesday. Always well attended, Merrittonians the local cenotaph.

would need to be assessed, and By Michael Potestio would need a concept plan and THE HERALD a business plan before getting reporter@merrittherald.com final approval. The Interior Health He said the project would Authority has put the expanneed to fit into both the IHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sion of the Nicola Valley capital plan and the overall Hospital and Health Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provincial capital plan. emergency room at the top of Lake said the Nicola Valits priority list for rural hospiley Health Care Endowment tals. Foundation owns land around IHA administrator Bernathe hospital which would be dine Easson shared the news looked at for expansion. on Monday when Health MinTegart said figuring out how ister Terry Lake was in Merritt to get architectural planning on to tour the local hospital for an emergency room expansion the first time, which he comcompleted in a timely fashion mitted to earlier this year. is a concern. She said that Lake told the Herald the would need to be done by the main concerns he heard of IHA to know how much the on his tour were the facility project would cost. operating over capacity and Roline said Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emerthe need to upgrade its busy gency department is one of emergency department. the busiest rural emergency Lake toured the hospital departments in the province. with MLA Jackie Tegart, MerLake said the emergency ritt Mayor Susan Roline, IHA department at the local hosmanagement staff and reprepital deals with about 11,000 ValNicola the from sentatives cases per year, a significant ley Health Care Auxiliary. number given the size of the The tour consisted of visits facility. to each department, where â&#x20AC;&#x153;They do an amazing job department heads explained given the limitation of the how their particular areas of space, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no question the hospital function and what that it needs to be expanded their needs are, Roline told the and modernized,â&#x20AC;? he said. Herald. Tegart said she and Lake provincial Lake said the will meet with president and government sets priorities CEO of Interior Health Dr. based on the corresponding Robert Halpenny at some health authority. point to discuss the upgrade. He said several steps would No date has been set for a be involved along the way to meeting yet. upgrading the Merritt hospital. Tegart said the hospital â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just as simple as foundation indicated a willingsaying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to expand ness to fundraise and work the emergency department,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? with IHA on this project. he said. Lake said a potential emerSee â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Emergencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Page 3 gency department expansion

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MERRITT HERALD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2014

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â&#x20AC;˘ MERRITT NEWSPAPERS

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GOING PROVINCIAL Merritt Secondar Secondary School sent a very youthful yoouth quartet of swimmers to the B.C. High School Championships iin Richmond on the weekend. The foursome wa was comprised of (left to right) Jen Jensen Cavaliere (Grade 9), Haley Zabek (Grade 8), Maddie Shea (Grade 11) and Laura Lefebvre (G (Grade 8). To read how they did, tur turn to page 29. Photo courtesy of Stef S Zabek

Outgoing mayor, councillor say farewells

By Michael Potestio off,â&#x20AC;? she said. THE HERALD Roline told reporters after the reporter@merrittherald.com meeting sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proud of some of With a tap of her gavel to end the things she and council accomTuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s council meeting, Susan plished while keeping taxes at a Roline officially marked the end steady level with no major spikes. to her final term as Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Roline noted the new Provinmayor. cial Wildfire Training Centre at Roline was unsuccessful in her the Merritt airport, enhancing De bid for a third term, losing the Wolf Way, and working with varimayoral election to current counous partners such as the provincillor Neil Menard. cial and federal governments as As Rolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time as mayor well as First Nations as highlights came to a close that night, she from her time in office. had some emotional words for She also noted working with her fellow council members. new projects such as the Merritt â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to just congratulate Green Energy Project and the all the new councillors and new Diacarbon pellet plant. mayor and wish you luck in your â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a nice six years. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve new roles, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy my time enjoyed it, I put a lot of time in,

Home

but I learned lots from it too,â&#x20AC;? Roline said, noting she thinks the city is better off now than it was when she first became mayor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always your goal; to leave it at a better place than what you came in to,â&#x20AC;? Roline said. She said what she will miss most about the job is the interaction with people. Coun. Mike Goetz told Roline heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enjoyed working with her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re passionate for the community. I thank you very much for your service,â&#x20AC;? Goetz said at the meeting. He also thanked outgoing councillor Harry Kroeker for his service, although Kroeker was not

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at the meeting. Coun. Kurt Christopherson said he echoed Goetzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments regarding the outgoing councillors and mayor. During the notice of motion period, Roline made a motion asking for the new council to direct staff to prepare a draft code of conduct policy that would be focused on the actions of council members and their duties. She also made a notice of motion asking the new council to direct staff to prepare a public engagement policy to be used by the City of Merritt. The intent of this policy is to lay out the roles of the city, its council, staff and its citizens in keeping the public

engaged and informed on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. Come December, Roline will be replaced by Menard, who also had some parting words for the outgoing mayor and councillors. Menard thanked Roline for her guidance, as well as that of fellow councillor Clara Norgaard, and noted how closely heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked with Kroeker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look forward to hoping to be as successful as you were,â&#x20AC;? Menard said. Kroeker was unsuccessful in his bid to serve the community for another term, while Norgaard chose not to run for re-election.

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a project thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a long time coming. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted to replace Nicola-Canford for probably eight years,â&#x20AC;? School District 58 secretary-treasurer Kevin Black told the Herald. On Thursday, Nicola-Canford Elementary opened its doors to members of the community for a tour of the new facility thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s replaced the old school where it once stood. The $6 million pilot project to replace the old school with a new, modular one involved building the new rooms off-site and assembling them on-site in Lower Nicola. SD58 chairman Gordon Comeau said the fact the district had funds to put toward the project helped make it a reality.

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residents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People need to be informed, much more so than they currently are,â&#x20AC;? the email states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not just on policy, but on the basics of what the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals are, OCP [Official Community Plan], and participating in making conscious decisions that move us forward.â&#x20AC;?

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From left: Centennials players Diego Cuglietta, Shane by the Interior Division-leading Vees. Ian Webster/Herald Poulsen, Rhett Willcox and Josh Teves celebrate one of their teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals in Penticton

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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a shake-up in the makeup of Merrittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city council. Neil Menard was elected the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mayor by a landslide, earning about 54 per cent of the votes. Menardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 994 votes were followed by incumbent Susan Rolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 522, and rounded out by 297 votes for Mike Jolly. Menard said his reaction to the election results â&#x20AC;&#x201D; announced at about 8:30 Saturday night â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one of shock because it was the result heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been hoping for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was one of those things where you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know,â&#x20AC;? Menard said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very secretive. I worked hard and had a lot of people who did a lot for me, and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say anything more than thank you to the whole community.â&#x20AC;?

RENTAL HOUSING INDEX PAGE 5 merrittherald.com

Prize

Winners are

MERRITT ON SHOPPING LOCALLY

From Nov. 20 - Dec. 17, 2014 Merritt shoppers spent nearly $1,300,000 at the 23 participating merchants that took part in our 6th annual Passport To Christmas Contest. The Passport to Christmas program was able to help support the local food bank as well with double stamp days.

Jacqu

2nd

n - $80

row ie Nutb

Prize

3rd

Prize

Kristi

Mayor Neil Menard picking the winners

Morris

on - $5

50 350

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da B Aman

12 â&#x20AC;˘ THURSDAY, January 1, 2015

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THURSDAY, January 1, 2015 • 13

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MOVING REAL ESTATE BC LTD. #102, 2840 Voght Street, Box 236 Merritt, B.C. V1K 1B8

250-378-6166 – TF 1-877-841-2100 www.century21.ca/movingrealestate January 1st - January 14th, 2015

FEATURE HOME

EXECUTIVE HOME ON THE BENCH 1721 Sunflower Avenue Beautiful 4 bedroom home in very desirable neighbourhood. This home has quality throughout with Brazilian HW floors, Merlot kitchen cabinets, gas F/P, central A/C, full bsmt. Private backyard with patio, U/G sprinklers, RV parking and double garage. #2360

LOCATION, LOCATION

NEW

Clean, spacious 5 bedrm heritage style home with newer floors & kitchen cabinets, vinyl windows & soaker tub with shower. Mature landscaping with U/G sprinklers. Single garage.

#2349

$249,900

GATED COMMUNITY

INDUSTRIAL LOT Light industrial bare lot only moments away from the downtown core. Flat site zoned M-1 for your business opportunity. Call for more details. #2356

$64,900

Nice views of Nicola River in park-like setting, this 3 bedrm home has open design living & dining room, galley kitchen with nook, partly fin. Basement, hobby & rec. rooms. Double carport.

Flat commercial lot zoned C-3 on one of the busiest streets in Merritt. Prime location for your business. Service to property line. Now is the time to start a business or relocate.

#2151

#2359

$89,900

IMMACULATE RANCHER

NICE MOBILE HOME

4 bedrm, 2 bath home on the Bench, meticulously maintained with many upgrades such as windows, doors, furnace, HW tank in 2011 and central A/C. Private backyard, lots of extra parking.

Nice 2 bedroom mobile home, comes with all appliances, has new plumbing and heat tape. Close to golf course. Quick possession possible. Pad rent $346 per month. Call today.

#2283

#2334

$299,900

EXCELLENT LOCATION

n ew

www.facebook.com/c21movingre 6 bedroom home, nicely renovated with 3 bedrms up and 3 down in ground level inlaw suite. Large fenced yard with detached garage/shop. RV parking. New floor, kitchen, bathroom & paint.

#2357

$298,000

Home has 2 full floors plus bsmt, 2 car garage and legal 2 bedrm daylight rental suite on main with rear entrance. Bright kitchen with island, living rm with gas F/P. Nice covered deck in back.

#2214

$299,900

www.pinterest.com/c21movingre www.twitter.com/c21movingre

COMMERCIAL LOT

N EW

$219,000

NICELY RENOVATED

$498,900

From All of Us at Century 21 – wishing everyone a prosperous New Year. We look forward to serving you in 2015. We are excited about the new projects in our area!

$57,000

Coldwater Hills

Grandview Heights

sale

APPROX. 10 ACRE LOTS

Prices Starting at $128,000 + GST Beautiful 10 +/- acre parcel with gorgeous views of the Coldwater River, just 10 minutes from Merritt. Power at lot line & many lots have preapproved building & septic sites. Some lots have wells, but all have a gov’t required hydrology study to assure Buyers of ample domestic water. Call for complete details. #1869

RESIDENTIAL VIEW LOTS

Lots 1 – 4 - Reduced to $99,000 ea.

Prices Starting at $85,000 + GST

Located Off Lindley Creek Road

Fully serviced residential lots with fantastic views of the Nicola Valley and surrounding mountains. Close to shopping and college. Start building your dream home today!

This premier subdivision offers a rural living experience with expansive views of the Nicola Valley. Minimum lot size of 0.5 acre up to 0.96 acre, offers privacy and room to landscape. The cul de sac design guarantees no thru traffic and crown land surround entire property. Road are paved with city services in place. #1928 Call for details.

#1726

#102-2840 Voght St., Merritt, B.C. - 250-378-6166 - Toll Free: 1-877-841-2100

14 • THURSDAY, January 1, 2015

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THURSDAY, January 1, 2015 • 15

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Century 21 Moving Real Estate BC Ltd. Doug Beech (Owner) 378-4219

Don Gossoo Managing Broker

Moving Real Estate BC Ltd.

NEW HOME

GOOD STARTER HOME

MOVE IN READY

CLOSE TO SCHOOL

Brad Yakimchuk Personal Real Estate Corporation

315-3043

Moving Real Estate BC Ltd. EXECUTIVE HOME

1/3 ACRE LOT

NEW

NEW New 2 bedroom home with great country kitchen, open floor plan on the main, and bedrooms above. 2.5 baths and 5 pce ensuite. Master bedrm has W/I closet and deck. Single garage.

In new subdivision, this 2 bedroom home features an open floor plan, country kitchen, master with W/I closet, 4 pce ensuite & 13x10 deck. Single garage. Includes appliance package.

Located in quiet location, across from elementary school. This 3 bedroom home is on a concrete foundation, electrical is up to code, has had some updates. Nice flat lot, has carport and 11x12 storage shed.

New 3 bedrm home with great country kitchen, open plan, powder room on main, 2 full bath up, master with W/I closet & deck. Hot water on demand. Double garage. Incl. appliance package.

Nice 5 bedrm home with single garage and fenced backyard. 3 bedrms up, 2 pce powder on main, 2 bedrms down in partly finished bsmt with laundry. New windows upstairs, new HW tank & new washer.

4 bedrm executive home in desirable neighbourhood. Quality throughout, Brazilian HW floors, Merlot kitchen cabinets, F/P, central A/C. Patio in back, U/G sprinklers, 2 car garage, RV parking.

#2320

#2319

#2348

#2318

#2355

#2360

$324,000

EXCELLENT LOCATION

Nice home with 3 bedrooms up & main bath, 2 pce powder rm on the main, partly fin. basement with 2 bedrms & laundry. 5th bedrm could be family rm. Single garage, fenced backyard.

#2355

Don Ward 315-3503

Ray Thompson 315-3377

#102 - 2840 Voght St., Merritt, BC • www.century21.ca/movingrealestate

BRAND NEW HOME

CLOSE TO SCHOOL

250-378-6166 • Fax: 378-4344 or Toll Free: 1-877-841-2100

Janis Post 315-3672

$147,000

$299,900

NEED A SHOP?

$99,900 CORNER LOT

$339,000

NICE HALF DUPLEX

$147,000 LARGE SHOP

$498,900

GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD

Home has 2 full floors plus bsmt, 2 car garage and legal 2 bedrm daylight rental suite on main with rear entrance. Bright kitchen with island, living rm with gas F/P. Nice covered deck in back.

3 bedroom home on quiet street close to school & park. Home has updated windows, furnace, laminate flooring, U/R sprinklers & central A/C. Shop in back is 22x30 with 220 wiring.

3 bedroom 4 level split home on large, fenced corner lot in Lower Nicola. Home has 3 baths, large living rm with F/P, big family rm, bright kitchen and a unfin. Bsmt for storage. Large sundeck, lots of parking.

Well maintained home in good family area & close to school. Bright living room, spacious kitchen, huge family room, 3 bedrooms up, 2 baths, newer vinyl windows & fenced backyard with patio.

This spacious rancher has 3 bedrms, 2 pce ensuite, galley kitchen with nook, large family rm with gas F/P, large living rm, office & storage room. Large detached shop with 2 bays. Lots of RV parking.

Spacious home with 3 bedrms up, 3 down, 1740 sq.ft. per floor, 3 baths, central A/C, large porch, and huge, fenced backyard with garden area, double garage & RV parking.

#2214

#2291

#2333

#2345

#2346

#2050

$299,900

$224,900

$307,000

$159,900

$324,900

$329,900

Immaculate 3 bedrm home in Lower Nicola, nicely landscaped. Home are large open kitchen with eating bar, skylight, lot of cupboards, gas F/P in living rm. Master bedrm has 4 pce ensuite & W/I closet.

#2295

$239,000

WALK TO SHOPPING

UNFINISHED

CLOSE TO SHOPPING

FANTASTIC VIEWS

INVESTORS

DESIRABLE LOCATION

LOCATION, LOCATION

HUGE YARD

INVESTORS

BROOKMERE

2 bedroom mobile in Eldorado Mobile Home Park. New plumbing with heat tape, 1 bath, comes with all appliances. Quick possession. Close to golf course. Pad rent $346 per month.

Unfinished house on 2 city lots, close to river and amenities. This house is in the rough framing stage and a renovation will need a new building permit before completion. As is where is.

Immaculate 2 bedrm rancher with updates, living room with woodstove, new carpeting & paint, updated bathrm fixtures & paint. The nice backyard has lane access, 12x24 shop & shed.

Beautiful 4 bedrm home with 3 baths, spacious gourmet kitchen, formal dining & living room with balcony, and the fully fin. Walkout bsmt has large games room with wet bar, Lots of parking.

Good revenue property. Side by side duplex of 1600 sq.ft., 5 bedrms and 2 baths per side. New furnace, 100 amp upgrade and separate backyard. Total income is $1868. Tenants pay utilities.

Large family home with 3 bedrms up plus a 2 bedrm inlaw suite at ground level. New paint & flooring on main, oak kitchen, HW radiant heat& 3 baths. Fenced backyard with garden area.

Clean, spacious home with 3 bedrms up, 2 down, newer floors & kitchen cabinets. In desirable area close to shopping & amenities. Newer vinyl windows, detached garage, fenced backyard.

3 bedroom rancher in a park-like setting with detached single garage on huge 13,520 sq.ft. lot. Home has newer vinyl siding & windows. HW tank & furnace new in 2009. Close to shopping.

7 strata titled townhomes, all within walking distance from downtown. Close to all amenities. Being sold below assessed value at only $88,167 per unit. All are currently rented. Call for full details.

Great recreational area all year round. Lovely 2 bedroom home with attached double garage with guest room & 3 pce bath. Maple kitchen cabinets, S/S appl, island sink. RV parking.

#2334

#2311

#2339

#2358

#2289

#2309

#2349

#2341

#2343

#2292

$57,000

ADULT ORIENTED STRATA

$195,000 WHY RENT?

$179,900

LARGE FAMILY HOME

$479,000

$319,900

$319,000 APARTMENT

IMMACULATE RANCHER

One of the nicest gated communities in Merritt with views of the Nicola River. Has 3 bedrms, 2 baths, open design living, gas F/P, galley kitchen with nook, laundry on main, hobby & rec.rm down.

You could own this 3 bedrm strata townhouse in Merritt, close to shopping & amenities. Fenced yard, newer windows. Now’s the time to get your own place with low interest rates.

Spacious 5 bedroom home with huge master bedrm with jet tub in ensuite, open kitchen & family room, Cherry stained cabinets in kitchen, 2 huge sundeck in private backyard plus covered sitting area.

Spacious home with 2 bedrooms and a den or 3rd bedrm, generous living & dining room plus office. Both bedrms have ensuites. Large covered deck, 20x16 detached shop.

Newer 2 bedroom apartment in “The Summit” comes with stainless steel appliances, 1.5 baths and laundry room. No more shoveling snow! Great place to live, close to transit.

#2151

#2344

#2183

#2227

#2340

$219,000

$99,500

$445,000

GARDNER’S PARADISE

Clean & bright 3 bedrm rancher with full bsmt, vaulted ceilings, large open kitchen with new countertops, family rm with gas F/P, 2 car garage, RV parking with sani-dump and a private backyard.

4 bedrm, 2 bath home on the Bench, meticulously maintained with many upgrades such as windows, doors, furnace, HW tank in 2011 and central A/C. Private backyard, lots of extra parking.

Nice 2 bedrm home with newer kitchen & bathroom, furnace upgraded, skylights. The private backyard has concrete patio, workshop & storage shed, and fantastic gardens.

#2226

#2283

#2285

$339,900

$299,900

$168,500

2 bedrm mobile in one of the nicest parks. 1 bedrm on each end with an open concept kitchen eating area & living rm in the center. The addition has a large enclosed porch & family rm.

Older 2 bedroom home in nice neighbourhood, close to the downtown. An extra large 13,780 sq.ft. lot with subdivision potential. Lane access, huge backyard with single garage.

Enjoy the private setting in Lower Nicola on 0.33 acre lot with several fruit trees and is close to school. This home is perect for a starter home or retired couple. Great views off the deck.

Clean 3 bedrm mobile with covered deck & parking stall. New HW tank & new motor in furnace. Home is move in ready, comes with appliances. Pad rent $346 per month.

Nice 2 bedroom rancher close to downtown and seniors center with newer furnace and HW tank. Concrete foundation, and fenced private yard with shop. Quick Possession.

#1967

#2167

#2299

4 separately titled side by side duplexes, a total of 8 units rentable. Some long term tenants. Each side has 2 bedrms, 1 bath, kitchen & living room, Fenced backyards. Newer roof, 100 amp service.

#2352

#2212

#2336

#2350

IN LOWER NICOLA

$74,500

NEWER APARTMENT

Country home on 0.35 acres with creek and 24x28 detached shop with power. 2 bedrms up, 1 down, open concept, large living room, fully fin. bsmt with new carpets, paint & HW tank.

Good starter home or perfect for retiree. Close to schools, shopping & golf course. Fenced yard, single garage. Basement has second living quarters for inlaws.

Urban living in one of the finest strata developments. Nice one bedrm apartment with granite counters, shaker style kitchen cabinets & incl. appliances. Clean and ready to move into.

#2234

#2351

#2312

$159,900

IMMACULATE RANCHER

FIRST TIME BUYERS

Large 6 bedroom home in good area, close to school. 3 bedrooms up, 3 down, 2.5 baths, 2 fireplaces, huge sundeck, fenced backyard, skylights and double garage.

$229,000

QUIET LOCATION

OVERLOOKS RIVER

2 bedrm panabode home on 0.32 acre lot with RV parking. Features kitchen with nook, large living rm with fireplace, full unfin. Bsmt with laundry, rec.rm & storage. Deck in back. Roof only 3 yrs old.

GREAT AREA

$339,000

ATTENTION INVESTORS

SPACIOUS MOBILE

IN LOWER NICOLA

$155,000

$529,000

RURAL SETTING

INVESTORS

$269,900

$209,900

Call us for a FREE Market Evaluation.

$174,900

EXTRA LARGE LOT

IN LOWER NICOLA

$239,900

$249,900

$139,000

Nice 2 bedroom mobile home on 0.23 acre lot. Neat home with new siding, shingled roof, skirting & insulation and new garage. Has enclosed deck & porch. Fully fenced yard with workshop.

#2186

$214,900

$135,000

$229,000

#2163

$649,000

$54,900

$148,500

OPPORTUNITY

Excellent Condition

NICE STRATA UNIT

CLOSE TO SHOPPING

INVESTORS

Good corner lot on a quiet street with plenty of room to build a shop. This 2 bedroom home is awaiting your ideas. Home needs some TLC, but is priced accordingly.

1800 sq.ft. rancher only 6 yrs old. 3 bedrms plus a bonus room above garage. Open design kitchen with all appliances, HW floors, crown moldings, 9 ft ceilings, 4 pce ensuite and a fenced backyard.

Why rent when you can own? 2 bedroom strata unit with balcony and storage. Large living and dining room. Great for retirees or first time buyers. Strata fees are $212.70 per month.

Large 2 bedrm rancher with 2 baths and living room with fireplace. Yard is nicely landscaped with mature shrubs & fruit trees. Unfinished storage in part of crawl space for HW tank & furnace.

Side by side duplex with 100 amp service, 2 bedrms 1 bath, kitchen & living room per side. Total of 864 sq.ft. or 432 sq.ft. per side. Fenced backyard. Easy walk to shopping.

#2098

#2278

#2192

#2324

#1982

$99,900

$299,000

$59,000

$217,500

$169,900

www.century21.ca/movingrealestate • 378-6166 • www.century21.ca/movingrealestate • 378-6166 • www.century21.ca/movingrealestate • 378-6166 • www.century21.ca/movingrealestate • 378-6166