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MARCH 24, 2 2015 015 | Volume 28 No. 36
‘I don’t think it takes a New York lawyer to o figure out why we are where we are and re reason eason No. 1 might be the 1996-born draft. We just ust haven’t been able to get around it. It was a almost lmosst a complete whiff.’
WEATHER
Cloudy/showers High 13 C Low -3 C SUN PEAKS SNOW REPORT Mid-mountain: 131 cm Alpine: 169 cm Snow phone: 250-578-7232
KAMLOOPS BLAZERS’ MAJORITY OWNER TOM GAGLARDI REFLECTS ON THE SEASON
MUNICIPAL AUDITOR FIRED
Mibroc no longer with Sun Rivers
TOM FLETCHER BLACK PRESS tfletcher@blackpress.ca
The B.C. government has fired its auditor general for local government (AGLG) after accountant Basia Ruta “lost all confidence” of her supervisors to complete audits that compare local government spending practices. “The auditor general for local government’s obstruction of an intended review of her office has created an intolerable situation that compounds the unstable work environment and lack of performance from that office,” said Community Minister Coralee Oakes, who took the action on the recommendation of the government-appointed audit council. Former deputy minister Chris Trumpy was due to start his own review of the new office yesterday (March 23). It is the first attempt in Canada to do performance audits by comparing groups of municipalities, but the performance of Ruta’s office has become the pressing issue. Oakes said Ruta will not be offered severance pay because the governBASIA ment has determined she has been RUTA fired for cause. The work environment in the Surrey office of the AGLG had deteriorated and Ruta’s decision to refuse Trumpy’s involvement led to the decision, Oakes said. Hired to execute an idea proposed by Premier Christy Clark in her 2012 bid for the B.C. Liberal Party leadership, Ruta set herself a target of 18 audits in the first year. Clashes with the staff at her Surrey office and the audit council began to emerge last year. NDP local government critic Selina Robinson said the two-year-old office has lost credibility over spending $5.2 million over two years to produce only one audit. Two more reports were issued last week. The function should be included in the existing B.C. Auditor General office, which is an independent office of the legislature, Robinson said. Oakes said she remains committed to the current structure, which had envisioned three audits in the first year and five in the second, noting it was Ruta who raised expectations far beyond that and then didn’t deliver,
CAM FORTEMS
STAFF REPORTER
cam@kamloopsthisweek.com
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
CYCLING SIBLINGS
BMX brothers Isaiaha Jabs 11, (left) and Brennon, 13, enjoy some time away from computer games with a spring break visit to the Kamloops BMX Track on Ord Road. With Environment Canada calling for sunshine and a high of 20 this coming weekend, it will be a great time to trade in the PS4 and Xbox for some vitamin D.
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Sun Rivers is parting ways with a local developer who designed and constructed three apartment buildings at the heart of the village. Leslie Brochu, vicepresident of marketing for Sun Rivers, said Mibroc Group is no longer expected to be involved with the Talasa development or the larger village. She declined to detail reasons for the end to Mibroc’s involvement in the project, other than to say it appears the local builder is expanding into the Calgary market. Mibroc owner Darryl Caunt did not return phone calls seeking comment. The local firm under the moniker of Cambri Development designed and constructed the first three condominium buildings on the land leased by the federal government through Tk’emlups Indian Band. Two of the buildings were marketed and sold
just before the onset of the Great Recession in 2008. The third was constructed afterward and occupied in 2011. While Mibroc is not expected to be part of subsequent phases of the village centre, Brochu said Sun Rivers is courting other developers to design, build and construct the next phases, particularly its commercial-residential centre at the core of the village. That centre is slated to feature a hotel and residential and commercial space, including a potential grocer and pub. The hotel is expected to house between 200 to 400 rooms. “We’re actively involved with a developer right now,” Brochu said. Brochu said Sun Rivers is not forecasting timelines, noting it will be the decision of the new developer who wants to take on the latest phase. See MIBROC, A6
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