SPORTS: MBC TEAM ON A ROLL /PAGE 22
NEWS: SUSPECTED ARSONIST ARRESTED /PAGE 8 merrittherald.com
Nicola Valley’s News Voice Since 1905
bcclassified.com
MERRITT HERALD FREE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
SPRING SESSION
EDUCATION NEWS
BACK IN SESSION
HOCKEY ACADEMY TO START THIS YEAR
/ Ian Webster THE MERRITT HERALD
It’s official. Merritt Secondary School will be offering a hockey academy as an elective, beginning this September.
The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward
British Columbia Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon delivered the speech from the throne to kick off the B.C. legislature’s spring session — a speech that doubled down on the premier’s commitment to LNG promises. Full story on page 10.
CITY BEAT
Police complaint stats to be made public Michael Potestio THE MERRITT HERALD
For the sake of increased accountability, the City of Merritt and the local RCMP detachment are taking the advice of a recently released government report. One issue brought up in the report from the Auditor General for Local Government regard-
Maximum Refund Guarantee* Open Year Round 2145 Quilchena Ave, Merritt, BC
250-378-4695
ing the city’s use of its police resources was the fact the RCMP detachment commander doesn’t supply council with reports on complaints against officers. The report added that the city does receive reports on the number of complaints when requested, but the RCMP doesn’t typically provide information pertaining to the nature of the complaints.
Detachment commander Sheila White told the Herald the plan moving forward will be to provide the city with statistics pertaining to complaints the detachment receives about its officers by including those numbers in the quarterly reports it issues. Sgt. Norm Flemming told the Herald the Merritt RCMP has historically kept this information
in house for their own records. The handling of public complaints by the Merritt RCMP typically involves a member of the detachment being assigned to look into the complaint and send a report to the Southeast District headquarters in Kelowna, which determines whether or not the complaint is legitimate.
The formal announcement was made by MSS principal Bruce Bidney on Tuesday of this week, following the second of two public information sessions held on Feb. 4. “It’s confirmed,” Bidney said. “We have at least 20 students now with some more coming. From what I understand, for a community of our size, to get these kinds of numbers in the first shot is quite a success.” Bidney went on to explain the rationale for implementing a hockey academy in a high school setting. “I just look at options for children, the students of Merritt. The more opportunities that we can offer to promote achievement — not just athletically but academically — the better. It is the way provincially that many schools are moving.” The hockey academy will be a joint venture of Merritt Secondary School and RPM Hockey Ltd., based out of Maple Ridge.
See ‘Merritt’ Page 2
QUILCHENA BRAVES 47TH ANNUAL MOCCASIN HOCKEY TOURNAMENT TH, TH, TH,
FEBRUARY 12
13
& 14
AT THE NICOLA VALLEY MEMORIAL ARENA FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Kevin Ned 250.215.4612 kevinned@hotmail.com Jim Billy 250.315.8482 trainer_jim21@yahoo.ca | Dan Manuel 250.315.5754 moccasinwarrior@gmail.com
2016
See ‘Academics’ Page 3