KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
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JANUARY JAN NU N UA AR RY 2 29 29, 9, 20 201 2015 15 5|V Volume olum 28 No. 13
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ANOTHER REALIGNMENT ON THE WAY?
Cpl. Jean-Rene Michaud’s wife pens a letter
Say goodbye to the Pioneer and Explorer divisions
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SUN PEAKS SNOW REPORT Mid-mountain: 114 cm Alpine: 142 cm Snow phone: 250-578-7232
Ajax advisory group frozen
WORKSAFE BC PROBES DEATH AT TIRE PLANT Investigators with WorkSafeBC remained at a Dallas retread plant yesterday (Jan. 28) investigating the death of a worker pinned beneath a large tire and a delivery vehicle. WorkSafeBC said the accident took place in the early morning of Tuesday at the Fountain Tire retread and mining tire plant. Despite social-media posts expressing condolences to the victim’s family, an official with B.C. Coroners Service said it is withholding the worker’s name pending notification of kin. The coroner’s office is working alongside WorkSafeBC investigators. Scott McCloy, spokesman with WorkSafeBC, said its investigators were on site Tuesday and yesterday interviewing witnesses and studying training, supervision and workplace procedures. The accident happened some time after the tire delivery. “This is a tragic accident,” he said. “Workers don’t expect to be hurt or fatally injured at work.” A representative from Fountain Tire said the shop stopped operations after the accident and was not restarted as of yesterday morning. The company would not comment on the incident other than to say it is co-operating with WorkSafeBC. McCloy said the report detailing the fatality will be produced to help other workplaces avoid injuries or fatalities on the job.
CAM FORTEMS STAFF REPORTER cam@kamloopsthisweek.com
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
FALLING HARD FOR SKATING
Four-year-old Savannah Thompson appears to be having as much fun learning to fall as she does learning to skate. The youngster took to the ice at Valleyview Arena yesterday (Jan. 28) with mom Laurie.
The province had put on hold all applications to be part of an advisory group for the proposed KGHM Ajax copper and gold mine. The decision comes in the wake of objections to the inclusion of a pro-mining organization into the advisory group. Four groups were told yesterday (Jan. 28) their applications were on hold pending discussion within the Ajax community advisory group, a roundtable of local associations providing input into the proposed mine south of Aberdeen. Len Piggin, a member of the community advisory group by way of Kamloops Fly Fishers Association, said the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office initially accepted three groups — Kamloops Physicians for a Health Environment Society, TRU Faculty human rights committee and Kamloops Exploration Group (KEG) into the fold. However, a number of people on the committee, dominated by opponents of the mine, objected to KEG joining. KEG is an association of grassroots prospectors and geologists that promotes mining in the region. It was singled out to be excluded, Piggin said, based in part on the views of geoscientist Perry
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Grunenberg, who was to be KEG’s appointed member. Grunenberg has written a number of letters to the editor in support of Ajax and the process. “This is a democratic society here and we should be inclusive,” Piggin said. Grunenberg, a professional geoscientist, said the composition of the group is stacked against the mine. “I do not perceive the current composition of the CAG to be balanced. Rather, it is becoming a coalition of representation that is most certainly against the mine ever going into operation, some under the banner ‘Stop Ajax Mine,’” he told KTW in an email. “That is not a fair representation of the community.” After inquiries by KTW, the EAO, which oversees the advisory group, sent a letter to all prospective new entrants, informing them their applications are now on hold. “Following the new membership’s decision, it became clear to EAO that there are outstanding issues to be addressed regarding membership and the role of members,” project assessment manager Tracy James wrote n a letter to the groups. “EAO has decided to put all applications and offers for new membership on hold, pending further discussions with the existing CAG.” See COMMITTEE, A11
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