Merritt Herald April 3, 2025

PAGE 5-9-10

HEALTH MINISTER

Health minister meets with rural communities’ mayors to tackle ER closures. PAGE 17-22

ORGAN DONATION

Read these inspiring local stories as we celebrate those who have donated their organs to save lives.

KAMLOOPSTHOMPSONNICOLA CONSERVATIVE

MP KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN

LAÍSA CONDÉ editor@merrittherald.com

With federal elections approaching, candidates in the Kamloops-ThompsonNicola riding are out and about in the communities that they represent, hoping to earn voters’ trust.

The Herald sat down with Conservative MP Frank Caputo, incumbent candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola riding, to discuss his background, values and vision for the future of the riding if reelected.

Caputo is a man deeply rooted in hard work, community values, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those he represents.

Born to Italian immigrant parents who arrived in Canada with nothing but determination, Caputo’s story is one of resilience and a commitment to the principles of family, industry, and service.

“My parents taught me the value of hard work,” Caputo shared. “My dad worked at a sawmill, and forestry fed my family. I

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FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON: Merritt hosts the first Tl’kemchEEn Warriors Basketball Tournament since the 2021 Lytton Creek Wildfire, marking its 42 year of the annual tournament. See page 24.

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

be the most outgoing figure, his commitment to his constituents is unwavering.

“What you see is what you get with me,” he said. “I may not claim to be perfect, but I promise I’ll work hard, I’ll be here when it counts, and I’ll always advocate for you.”

A major part of Caputo’s platform focuses on issues of housing and affordability, which he views as intricately connected.

“People are paying sky-high rents because there’s not enough housing,” he said.

He noted that under the current Liberal government, taxes have risen dramatically, and families are finding it harder to make ends meet.

“Affordability is key,” Caputo stressed. “People are having to choose between heating and eating. I believe that a Conservative government will cut taxes, incentivize places like Merritt to build homes, and work hard to make life more affordable.”

‘I’M HERE TO FIGHT FOR YOU’

: continued from page 1

grew up understanding the importance of resources and industry, and I believe that’s something we need to protect and nurture for future generations.”

Caputo’s background spans a career in law, having worked as a prosecutor and parole officer. His experiences with criminal law, especially concerning child sexual abuse, have shaped his political views.

One of his notable achievements during his time in office was passing a private member’s bill to change the name of child pornography to “child sexual abuse and exploitation material.” This, Caputo said, was an important step in recognizing the severity of these crimes and prioritizing the safety of children.

“My next step is to raise sentences for

sex offenses, especially those against kids,” Caputo said. “This is something I’m very passionate about.”

Looking ahead, Caputo is committed to continuing his efforts to raise sentences for sex offenses, particularly those involving minors.

He also aims to bring much-needed bail reform to the Canadian justice system, and remains passionate about addressing the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous communities, including those in Kamloops, the site of the former residential school that has been the centre of national discussions over the past few years.

But Caputo’s approach to leadership goes beyond policy — it’s rooted in authenticity.

He emphasizes that while he may not

People are having to choose between heating and eating. I believe that a Conservative government will cut taxes, incentivize places like Merritt to build homes, and work hard to make life more affordable.

Frank Caputo

Caputo has also been vocal about the federal government’s lack of action on promises made to communities like

Merritt, which was devastated by floods in 2021.

Despite assurances from the Liberal government, Caputo believes that the necessary funding and support have not materialized, leaving communities in limbo.

“Talk is cheap,” he stated. “The Liberals showed up here, made promises, but have failed to deliver. If I’m elected, I will hold them accountable.”

His roots in the lumber industry further fuel his commitment to policies that support local industries and workers.

Having worked in a sawmill as a young man, Caputo understands the struggles faced by those in the forestry sector, and he aims to address the challenges posed by tariffs on wood products and the importance of supporting Canada’s resource industries.

In his bid to represent KamloopsThompson-Nicola, Caputo has been tirelessly engaging with voters on the ground.

“I’ve knocked on hundreds of doors already, and I’m committed to hearing from every community,” he said. “Whether you’re in a small town or a larger centre, you can count on me to work just as hard for you.”

Caputo’s campaign is built on a simple promise: to be a tireless advocate for his community, to stand up for the issues that matter most to his constituents, and to ensure that Kamloops-ThompsonNicola is represented by someone who truly understands the needs of the people.

As the election approaches, Caputo’s message is clear: after years of Liberal leadership, it’s time for change. And he believes that change starts with him.

“I’m here to fight for you,” Caputo said. “I want to bring the values of hard work, integrity, and community to Ottawa. Together, we can make a difference.”

PHOTO/FRANK CAPUTO/X

Conservative MP Frank Caputo toured around Merritt, Ashcroft and Cache Creek over the weekend to talk to community members and kick off his door-to-door campaign.

FIGHT

Miguel Godau has been named the NDP candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola in the upcoming federal election.

NDP ANNOUNCES KAMLOOPS-THOMPSONNICOLA CANDIDATE

KRISTEN HOLLIDAY

Castanet

The NDP has chosen its candidate for the Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola riding.

Miguel Godau, who works for the Department of Child and Youth Mental Health, will represent the party for the upcoming federal election.

In a news release, the party said Godau, a Castlegar resident, was born and raised in Ashcroft, has lived in Logan Lake, and has retained “strong ties to the Kamloops-Nicola region.”

He has served on boards in the arts, sports and recreation world and is a union activist with the BC General Employees’ Union (BC GEU).

Godau said he is running for the NDP based on his commitment to policies that put people first, strengthen public services, and ensure

Canadians are supported.

“New Democrats will stand up to billionaires, bankers and Trump,” Godau said in a statement.

“We fight for Canadian values, and we’ll never give up fighting for better health care, pensions, affordable housing and more, just as we did to bring in Medicare, the CPP, dental care, free diabetes [medication] and contraception, and the fight for human rights of women, labour and Indigenous Peoples.”

Godau will be running against incumbent Conservative Frank Caputo, Liberal Party representative Iain Currie, and Chris Enns, People’s Party of Canada representative.

There’s been no word yet from the Green Party of Canada as to who will carry that mantle in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.

Canada’s 45th general election is slated for April 28, with advanced voting starting April 18.

Liberal Party candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola Iain

LIBERALS ANNOUNCE KAMLOOPS-THOMPSONNICOLA CANDIDATE

MICHAEL POTESTIO Castanet

Iain Currie has officially been named the Liberal Party’s candidate to run in KamloopsThompson-Nicola, while the NDP plan to unveil its pick next week.

Canada’s 45th general election is slated for April 28, with advanced voting starting April 18. Currie was acclaimed as the party’s nominee late in the day on Friday, according to Adrienne Murphy of the Liberal riding association. The nomination cements a showdown between Currie and incumbent Conservative

Frank Caputo — his former colleague in the Kamloops Crown counsel office, where both worked as prosecutors.

Currie resigned his membership with the Green Party and become a Liberal Party member earlier this month. He ran twice locally for the greens, in federal elections in 2019 and 2021.

The People’s Party of Canada will run Clearwater resident Chris Enns, but there has been no word yet from the Green Party of Canada as to who will carry that mantle in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.

Currie.

HEALTH MINISTER MEETS WITH MAYORS TO TACKLE RURAL HOSPITAL CLOSURES

LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

Hospital closures throughout rural interior communities may be getting better under new provincial Health Minister Josie Osborne.

Osborne recently met with a group of mayors whose towns have been struggling to keep their hospitals open year-round.

Lillooet Mayor Laurie Hopfl organized the meet between the municipalities and Province. Merritt’s Mayor Mike Goetz was in attendance.

According to Goetz, the meeting was a necessary “fact-finding mission” for the health minister, where she didn’t - and wasn’t expected to - have a fast solution to their problems.

“I really appreciated the Merritt mayor’s attendance at the meeting, and that with, alongside many other mayors,” Osborne told the Herald.

“(It was) really productive and very useful for me to hear directly from them about the impacts in their communities, and their commitment to wanting to work with us, to do everything that we can to build the healthcare workforce in their communities.

“I certainly learned about the different experiences that each community is having, and it’s not the same in every place. So different communities are being impacted in different ways. I think we all were able to share with each other some of the successes that communities have had, as well as some of the shared impacts that communities are feeling.”

Goetz said he is grateful for the meeting and believes the municipalities and Province will work together to support

each other.

There are expected to be more meetings over the coming months, with Osborne and the mayors hoping to meet face-to-face at the next UBCM conference. Still, Goetz realises he and other mayors have to be patient.

“We all need to realize this is probably a three- to five-year plan,” Goetz said. “There’s going to take some time for this to actually get better, and we all have to understand that.”

For this meeting, Goetz admitted he was disappointed that there was no representative from the Interior Health Authority (IHA).

“The missing piece for me today was the fact that there was nobody from IHA there today,” he said. “We need IHA represented by higher management to work with us, because ultimately, IHA makes a lot of these decisions with ministry help.”

Goetz said the last time the president of IHA has visited Merritt was over a year ago, with the vice-president not being in town for around half-a-year.

He would also like to see more transparency from IHA in regards to the reason for each closure.

Osborne, recently appointed as part of Premier David Eby’s new cabinet, has inherited the historic issues of staff shortages and the subsequent hospital closures in the Nicola Valley and other communities isolated from major city centres such as Lytton.

Nicola Valley Hospital has faced a high number of closures in recent years. Last year, the hospital was closed 20 times.

The hospital has been closed 11 times

PROVINCE: continued on page 9

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Josie Osbourne, B.C. health minister, talked to the Herald about the frequent emergency room closures at several rural communities, including Merritt, and possible solutions.

NICOLA VALLEY VIEWPOINT

SUPPORT CANADIAN, LEAD BY EXAMPLE

PETER KVARNSTROM President of B.C. Operations for Glacier Media

THE past few weeks have certainly been a challenge for us all as we grapple with the constant rhetoric and bluster from the new American president. Has it really only been a few weeks since his inauguration?

I don’t often write columns, but felt compelled to write this one, especially after Premier David Eby and most of the other leaders across the country are calling for a strong response to the tariff threat from us all. The response is simple: buy Canadian, whenever and wherever possible. We must answer the call. We must consider our personal decisions and habits when it comes to supporting those who support us, by buying Canadian from local businesses. T he businesses here in Merritt survive against a host of competitors from south of the border. Most noteworthy are the American companies that were represented by their CEOs at the inauguration, right behind the president. Yes, you all saw them there, leaning into the new president’s agenda: Amazon, Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), X (formerly Twitter) to name a few. These are the richest companies in the world and they are all American.

Premier David Eby is calling Trump’s tariffs exactly what they are –– a fight we didn’t start, but one we’ll still likely face head-on. B.C.’s response was clear in its call for us all to do what we can to support Canadian businesses when spending our Canadian dollars. However, just last year, soon after Meta removed all news from its platform, Eby and the B.C. government doubled down with Meta in its expenditures to ensure that critically important information gets out to you all during crises, like wildfires. This is exactly the

MINORITY

kind of information that we’ve being distributing to the public for decades. Our industry wasn’t consulted on that deal. We should have been.

It is time that our provincial government follows its own advice. Stop spending our hard-earned tax dollars with American digital giants. Same goes for our federal government. There is still a strong local news industry in Canada, against all odds. We are Canadian-owned and operated and we support causes in every community across this country, and yet the governments support our American competitors. It is time to change.

T he B.C. and federal governments need to support Canadian media. By moving all their millions of dollars of advertising to Canadian local media (in print and digital), they would show us the leadership we need to make the same choices. It is time to “buy Canadian.”

L ocal municipal governments, local businesses and our local MLAs and MPs, have been the ones leading by example, prioritizing support for local newsrooms. They understand the importance of keeping small businesses running and of keeping vital information available within the community. So, kudos to our local mayors, councils, MLAs and MPs for getting it right, for putting their money where their mouth is when it matters most.

W hile we all hope that we can avoid a trade war with our neighbour, it is obviously time we all take stock in our situation. We are very susceptible to the whims of the new president and the economy he commands. We need to look for every opportunity to support Canadian businesses in everything we do. We can no longer allow our reliance on trade with America to meet our needs as a sovereign country.

I f you are not an online subscriber to our locally produced newsletter, make sure to sign up now.

REPORT: FREE WILL VS. DETERMINISM

Those who know me more intimately know about my passion for books and movies, especially sci-fi ones. If I am not watching anything horror, be sure that I am looking out for anything that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts.

One of my favourite movies (and short story) growing up was Minority Report. I remember sitting down with my dad at a young age and being really fascinated by that story and the discussions that it opened up. I rewatched Minority Report recently, I was struck by how its themes resonate more today than they did when it was first released in 2002. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Philip K. Dick’s short story, the film imagines a future where crimes are prevented before they happen, thanks to a group of “precogs” who can predict criminal activity. The film follows Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise), a cop who becomes the target of a preemptive arrest for a crime he hasn’t yet committed. What really struck me on this rewatch was how eerily relevant the film’s exploration

of technology has become in today’s world.

In an age where AI, surveillance, and data collection are rapidly advancing, the idea of our lives being controlled by predictive technology feels less like fiction and more like a future that could be just around the corner. Minority Report was ahead of its time in raising important questions about privacy, control, and the power of systems that determine our fate.

The film also left me reflecting on the concept of free will. As Anderton is forced to confront a future that has already been written for him, the tension between human agency and destiny feels incredibly relevant. It’s a struggle that mirrors our own growing concerns about the balance between choice and the systems that increasingly make decisions for us.

Watching Minority Report again reminded me just how prescient it was in its portrayal of technology’s potential to shape our lives. It’s not just an action thriller—it’s a chilling meditation on the ethics of surveillance and the choices we’re forced to make in an increasingly controlled world. And in 2025, it’s more than just a movie. It feels like a warning.

LAÍSA CONDÉ MOVIES’ CORNER

LETTERS to the Editor

UPCOMING ELECTIONS

Editor,

If they win this month’s election, I hope the Mark Carney Liberals won’t neo-liberally solely support the core (‘woke’) social issues — those of race, sexuality, gender, and unrestricted abortion access — while allowing many people to strain to pay for some of life’s basic necessities.

That is essentially what the U.S. Democratic Party turned into. Americans already had/have fiscally callous policies with the Republican Party; and Canadians already had/have that with the Conservative Party, especially with leader Pierre Poilievre.

There’s a very large and growing populace who are too overworked, worried and even angry about food and housing unaffordability thus insecurity for themselves or their family — largely due to insufficient income. Worsening matters, big businesses (via their lobbyists) can get, or are getting, unaccountably even bigger, defying both the very spirit and letter of government rules established to ensure healthy competition by limiting concentrated ownership. It really does seem there’s little or no moral/human(e) accountability when huge profit is involved. ‘We are a capitalist nation, after all,’ the morally lame business-as-usual justification typically goes.

As for Pierre Poilievre’s Tories, they are at least as corpocratically inclined as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals — i.e. being in bed with Big Business and their lobbyists. Mix in promised Conservative austerity measures with the above unaffordability crisis, and you get a breeding ground for worsened economic conditions thus human suffering. Spared from this turmoil, of course, will be the well-to-to, which tend to side with the money-firstminded Tories.

Poilievre criticizes the Trudeau Liberals — a leader/ party for which I voted in 2015 for the first and likely last time [mostly to remove Stephen Harper as prime minister] — for the unaffordability of housing as well as food, even though it’s largely due to real-estate speculation and corporate greed-flation, respectively.

– Frank Sterle Jr.

White Rock, B.C.

BAIL OUT THE BAY

Editor,

The Bay department store chain, also known as HBC (Hudson’s Bay Company), is nearly $1 billion in debt. Canada’s oldest department store, began liquidating 90 of its 96 stores this week, triggering widespread distress among its workforce and affiliated small businesses. As well, HBC will pay up to $3 million total in retention bonuses to 121 managers and executives — but will not pay severance to its more than 9,300 workers, most of whom will soon lose their jobs. Also at stake are pensions, health benefits and long-term disability supports, which according the lawyer representing the employees, affects a group of people that are “extremely vulnerable as they cannot work and are highly dependent on their long-term disability benefits for their livelihoods.”

Hudson’s Bay filed for court protection on March 7 to shield itself from creditors while seeking financing. Unfortunately, the workers of HBC are only entitled to a maximum of $8,800 severance under the federal Wage Earner Protection Program Act, no matter if they worked there for 50 years of their life.That’s a pittance. Furthermore, disabled employees that HBC had been supporting may also be cut off. In addition to employees, small businesses that operated inside Bay stores also face losses.

HBC has all but given up on saving the 90 stores that are closing, and is barely clinging on to hope it can save 6 stores. As it stands, the courts will close the remaining stores by April 8th. Several of Hudson’s Bay’s senior secured lenders — Bank of America, Pathlight Capital and Restore Capital — are eager to take first dibs of their debt back.

Why do patriotic Canadians allow the Bank of America to shut down North America’s oldest company? The government should step in like they during the 2008 economic crises that Mark Carney presided over, after the government bailed out the banking industry to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars (with a temporary loan) recently.

– Robert Nelly

Is B.C. right to follow the federal lead and eliminate the B.C. carbon tax?

A LOOK BACK

APRIL 11, 1979 MERRITT DETOX CENTRE RE-OPENED

After nearly three months of fighting against the move of the Merritt detoxification centre to Kamloops, MLA and Forestry Minister Tom Waterland announced yesterday the centre will remain in Merritt for at least a year.

The announcement came only 10 days after the move of the centre to Kamloops had been completed. As late as March 30, detox officials in Merritt were told that there would be no last minute reprieve for the centre and that the move would go ahead as planned April 1.

APRIL 9, 1980

$150M MINE TO CREATE 900 JOBS

A $150 million copper-molybdenum mine porject 35 miles from Merritt in the Highland Valley is expected to create 900 new jobs in the area, according to Teck Corporation President Normal Keevil. After months of rumour, Teck announced yesterday that it will invest the $150 million to develop the Highmont copper-molybdenum mine near Logan Lake.

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PROVINCE WORKING HARD TO FIX STAFFING ISSUES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

PROVINCE: continued from page 5

this year, forcing the city to rely on its paramedics team in order to transport them to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or Kelowna General Hospital.

During hospital closures, Merritt often finds itself with a shortage of paramedics or ambulances with them being tied up in transporting people to other towns. Goetz said in these times, the city often turns to its firefighters to provide emergency medical service. These firefighters, while able to respond to emergencies quickly, often have to utilize ambulances from other municipalities which could take hours to get to Merritt.

Goetz also said the frequent hospital closures are a deterrent for businesses and industries looking to come to Merritt.

“There’s a company in town that has to have two level-three first aid people, because of their health and safety (protocols), because our hospital shuts down so much,” Goetz said. “And that’s a problem for a business in our community.”

Previously, Goetz had sent a bill of $104,000 to the Province for reimbursement for the hospital closures. Even more recently, he sent a second bill for the

2024 closures.

Goetz said the city pays around $650,000 each year to the ThompsonNicola Health District for all 365-days of service. He said the city took which parts of the hospital have been closed in their calculations for the invoice they sent to the Province.

While the mayor doesn’t necessarily expect reimbursement in cash, he would like to see a credit system so the amount of money they lost on closures would go towards the city’s next Thompson-Nicola Hospital District bill.

Osborne did not directly answer the Herald’s question on if the Province would provide any kind of financial reimbursement for the closures.

However the health minister provided reassurance that they are working hard to fix issues such as staffing both provincially and at a municipal level for rural communities.

“As a former mayor of a rural community, I think I can really emphasize with the impacts that having a emergency room temporarily close has (on a small town),” she said. “It’s a big burden that’s being placed on them, and there’s a kind

STRUGGLE: continued on page 10

Dr. Evan Snee Returns Home to Join FYI Doctors Merritt

Doctors Carrie-Lynn Snee and Jill Richardson are thrilled to welcome Dr. Evan Snee to the eyecare team at FYI Doctors Merritt (formerly Doctors Eyecare Merritt)! Dr. Evan may be new to his role as an optometrist, but he is a familiar face around town. Not only has he been a Merritonian from the beginning, but he has also worked summers as an assistant at the clinic.

Dr. Evan Snee knew from a young age that he wanted to follow his mother’s footsteps and become an optometrist. With an affinity for science and a passion for helping people, it was a natural fit. What really locked him in however, was going on a third world eyecare mission when he was 16 years old with his father Brian. Brian organizes trips every year with Canadian Vision Care, a charity that provides eye examinations, medication, surgery and eyeglasses to some of the poorest communities around the world. That year they went to help those living in poverty in Jamaica. When Evan saw the difference that could be made in the lives of people by caring for their visual needs, he was all in. After graduating from Merritt Secondary in 2014, Evan went on to attain a 4-year BSC in biology and graduated with Honours from Trinity Western University. In 2020 he was accepted in to the optometry program at the Arizona School of Optometry. After three years of rigorous academic studies and a full year of residencies in Georgia, Florida, Arizona and Colorado, he received his Doctor of Optometry degree in the spring of 2024.

Evan has a passion for advancing the field of ocular healthcare by using the latest technological advancements and by applying healthy doses of what has long been regarded as the best medicine - laughter, of course!

“ It feels great to be back home, working alongside my mom (Dr.CarrieLynn) and Dr.Richardson, and to be serving the community where I grew up”, says Evan. A few days a week he also works in Princeton, a town in great need of eyecare services. In his spare time, Evan enjoys playing the piano, defeating his friends in Nintendo tournaments and, best of all, spending time with the love of his life, Astra and their two adorable puppies, Leo and Poppi.

Dr. Carrie-Lynn Snee welcomes her son, Dr. Evan Snee, as the newest optometrist at FYI Doctors Merritt.

‘WHAT

I SEE IS A REAL STRUGGLE AND A REAL NEED TO ENSURE EQUITY IN HEALTHCARE ACCESS’

of moral distress that it can create when you’re working in an environment where there just aren’t enough physicians and nurses, and that’s why we have to continue to do everything that we can to recruit more to Merritt and to other communities that are experiencing these kinds of impacts.”

Osborne said in January, B.C. made it faster for fully-licensed physicians from other provinces to get licensed here.

The B.C. health ministry is currently focusing on attracting foreign physicians to fill the lack of healthcare workers. They are particularly focusing on targeting workers from the U.S., working with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC to open a fast-track service for American physicians to get their credentials.

Osborne also said the Province is working on a fast-track system for a few other countries with medical standards equivalent to Canada, naming Australia, New Zealand and the UK as examples. For physicians from other countries, Osborne said it’s important their qualifications and credentials are thoroughly checked to meet Canadian standards.

Osborne echoed the fact that it is important to invest in the Interior hospitals and to keep high efforts in recruitment to these regions.

“What I see is a real struggle and a real need to ensure equity in healthcare access for people, so making sure that people who live in small communities, and especially, you know, in the Interior and up north, really the heart of a lot of B.C.’s resource economy, and that they have the access to the healthcare that they deserve and need. In a larger centre, there’ll be things that will attract healthcare workers and others to live there. And I think where sometimes we all struggle is really explaining the value of rural life and just how incredible that can be for healthcare workers who choose to relocate to those communities,” she said.

Currently there are numerous incentives to draw healthcare workers to the Nicola Valley.

Osborne told the Herald that the incentives programs have seen success. She said the Nicola Valley Hospital has hired three nurses since Sept. 2024. There have also been four doctors hired since Aug. 2024 and contract renewals with physician staff.

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FRASER-NICOLA MLA TONY LUCK SLAMS BILL 7 AS POWER GRAB

TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

Despite Eby and the NDP withdrawing some of the most controversial parts of their proposed Tariff Response Act (Bill 7), it remains under critique from others in the government.

MLA for the Fraser-Nicola region, Tony Luck, was recently outspoken against the bill, saying it was an attempt to gain power by the Premier.

“I think it was an attempt by this government, especially Mr. Eby, to rein in some power that he doesn’t normally have,” Luck said.

“(Currently) there’s not a lot that the provincial government can do. Tariffs are federal.”

The original draft of Bill 7 would allow the provincial government to remove interprovincial trade barriers, impose tolls on select commercial vehicles using public highway, direct B.C. government suppliers to exclude American goods such as liquor and allow the cabinet to bypass legislature and implement and amend regulations in response to the “actions of a foreign jurisdiction” or any measure that supports the economy.

Act, introduced earlier this year.

“For 30 years, some of us have been talking about removing interprovincial trade barriers. Why, all of a sudden, is it such an important thing?” said Luck, wondering why the Conservatives’ bill is not being discussed in favour of Bill 7. “(Interprovincial trade) it’s really, really important to do. But if it’s so important, why are we not getting on with it, having our (Conservative’s) bill debated in the house so we can get rid of interprovincial measures?”

Luck also said that if the current iteration of Bill 7 was brought forward he would “love” to challenge Eby to call an election.

I think it was an attempt by this government, especially Mr. Eby, to rein in some power that he doesn’t normally have.

Tony Luck

The Province said the bill was proposed to give them the tools they would need to quickly respond to actions in the U.S. - Canada trade war.

After backlash, the section of the bill allowing cabinet to bypass legislature has been removed.

“If they remove it (Bill 7), that’s a great start. Our preference is to make sure that nothing nefarious comes out of this bill. We’d (The Conservatives) like to see the whole bill removed from the table, taken away, start all over again,” Luck told the Herald.

“I just want to thank the people of British Columbia for standing up to this,” Luck continued. “I think Mr. Eby has heard loud and clear that this is not the road we want to go down.”

Luck has not seen any official amendments to Bill 7. As it stands, he doesn’t think the bill is needed in any kind.

He said the first section of the bill, removal of interprovincial trade barriers, was something the conservatives had already proposed with the Free Trade and Mobility

“Go ahead, call an election, the people aren’t with you,” he said.

Luck said that if the Conservatives were in power, they would focus on some of the same issues, such as removing interprov-

incial trade barriers, but carry a different approach than Eby.

“We’d want to get some things moving, like expediting permits for mines and forestry. We’d like to get people working and diversifying our economy and our trade with other areas,” Luck said.

He said expediting the process for things like mines and windmills, without getting rid of safety protocols, would help separate B.C. from the American economy.

As of now, Luck hopes for an end to Bill 7.

“What I’m hoping is that it’ll (Bill 7) die a quiet death,” he said. “There’s other more important work to do.”

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•James,Carl, RoberMosesJr.,Zack Willows &Phile Congopherduties

•Toallwhocontributed to thehockeyprogram

•Coachesandmanagersofall teamsfor aver ydifficultjob,welldone.

• MerrittarenaandShulusarenacrews, thanks forall yourhard work.

•KimHarr yandallworkerswhosold50/50andsomanyothers.

Thank youfor yoursplendid work.

PHOTO/B.C. GOVERNMENT

Fraser-Nicola MLA Tony Luck criticizes Bill 7 amid growing backlash on B.C. Premier David Eby.

PHOTO/LAÍSA CONDÉ

Anne Kang, minister of post-secondary education and future skills, was at NVIT on March 28 to announce that 12 new townhouses are being added to the Merritt campus.

NVIT TO EXPAND MERRITT CAMPUS HOUSING AND CHILD CARE FOR STUDENTS

LAÍSA CONDÉ editor@merrittherald.com

Students at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s (NVIT) Merritt campus will soon benefit from expanded on-campus housing and child care services, as construction begins on a new family housing complex.

The project will add 12 townhouses primarily for Indigenous families, featuring a mix of two- and three-bedroom units. This expansion will increase the total number of student beds on the NVIT Merritt campus to 110, with 80 spaces already available for single students. The new complex is scheduled to open by fall 2027.

Anne Kang, minister of post-secondary education and future skills, who was at the NVIT Merritt campus on March 28 for the announcement emphasized the importance of stable and affordable housing for students with families.

“I know that access to secure affordable housing can be a barrier for people who want to go to school and also

focus on their studies, and this barrier is even greater for those people who have families,” she said.

“This can delay their ability to gain the skills needed for a good job and better future. So by creating dedicated student family housing at NVIT campus, students can commit to their studies without the worry of where to call home during the school year and while remaining close to their loved ones.”

The new housing facility is designed to align with NVIT’s Eagle’s Perch concept, which integrates Indigenous knowledge and emphasizes holistic learning.

It aims to create a culturally grounded space where students can maintain connections with their families, traditions, and the land.

“This means more students can make the campus their home, engage with their culture and community and enjoy more meaningful post secondary experience,” the PROVIDE: continued on page 13

PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

PROVIDE: continued from page 12

minister said at the announcement.

Lennard Joe, board chair at NVIT, expressed excitement about the initiative.

“For me, this new housing building and expanded child care services are more than just an infrastructure project. They’re the direct response to the needs of our students,” he said.

“These initiatives show NVIT’s ongoing commitment to providing the critical support students need to thrive academically and personally. These developments are a significant step towards the screen that our students are not only equipped to succeed, but they are also supported in a way that goes well beyond the classroom.”

Keisha Munro, NVIT Student Society president, also expressed her enthusiasm about the initiative.

“With the new housing building and expanded child care services under construction, I’m really looking forward to the future for students and their families,” she said. “This new facility will provide much-needed support for

students facing housing difficulties, helping them focus on their studies and achieve success.”

The Province has committed $19.6 million to the project, which will also include an expanded child care facility with 36 spaces and program areas to train early childhood educators.

Additionally, a secured parking compound will house NVIT’s mobile technology, health, and general classroom training trailers.

Since 2017, the Province has provided approximately $20 million to support NVIT, funding projects such as a green heating and cooling system, a Centre of Excellence in Sustainability of Green Technology, and mobile training trailers. The Centre, which opened in 2018, includes a green lab, greenhouse, classrooms, office space, and a gymnasium.

Graham Hartman, community services maintenance worker, describes how orange flames have exited the boiler casing through the vents, discolouring and warping the covering in a previous instance of

COOLER POOL TEMPERATURES DUE TO BOILER FAILURE AT AQUATIC CENTRE

LAÍSA CONDÉ editor@merrittherald.com

Swimmers at the Nicola Valley Aquatic Centre have been met with cooler-thanusual water temperatures after a boiler failure last week forced the City of Merritt to shut down the main pool’s heating system. CITY: continued on page 15

PRIMITIVERULESAPPLY TO THISRENDEZVOUS. ONSITETHEREWILLBE: NO WATER -NOHYDRONOFIREWOOD -NOGARBAGEBINS: PACKIN PACKOUT FEES: $30.00percamp •$5.00pershooterper event

EVENTSINCLUDE:

•Memorialshoot forTinywillbe at 9amSaturday,followingfreebreakfast.

•PotLuc kSaturdaynight6.00pm •EasterEgg huntSundayam.

•Pistol,Longguns, (Noinlines)HawkandKnife,BigBore,Quailwalk. ALLBLANKETPRIZESMUSTBEHANDMADE.No exceptions.

If youwantotherthingstohappen,likeEasterBonnet, or extrashoot,feelfreetoorganize.

Campfire witha REALfirewillbe availableall 3nights.(bring your chairs)

PHOTO/CITY

boiler failure.

CITY CONSIDERING ENERGY-EFFICIENT HEATING SOLUTIONS

: continued from page 14

City maintenance crews discovered significant fire damage to the boiler, including scorched and disintegrated refractory bricks, which are essential for safe operation.

The high-temperature bricks, which had been replaced last year due to deterioration, were found cracking and falling onto the heating elements before ultimately disintegrating.

The extreme heat also damaged electrical wiring and other sensitive components, with large orange flame scorch marks visible on the remains of the bricks.

The boiler, installed in 2019, cannot function without these firebricks, prompting its shutdown.

The city has since ordered a supply of replacements, which have arrived in Brampton, Ont., and are en route via ground transportation.

Due to their fragility, the bricks cannot be shipped by air. An estimated arrival date has yet to be announced.

In the meantime, while the main pool’s

large boiler remains non-operational, the leisure pool and hot tubs continue to function with their own heating systems.

To partially compensate for the outage, staff have been circulating water between the leisure pool and the main pool to help maintain a relatively comfortable temperature.

Despite this effort, the main pool, which is typically maintained at 82°F, is currently holding at 78°F.

The city has assured residents that updates will be provided as more information becomes available and has thanked pool patrons for their patience.

“I want to give a big shout-out to our City of Merritt maintenance staff, who work hard day in and day out to provide a safe and clean facility for the citizens of Merritt,” said Director of Community Services Dave Zakall.

Looking ahead, city officials are considering alternative, more energy-efficient heating solutions for the pools to prevent similar issues in the future.

Adopta Pet

COMMON ISSUES THAT AFFECT KIDS’ DENTAL HEALTH

Children develop at a rapid pace. Kids’ bodies grow from the moment of birth until early adulthood. Children get taller, more dexterous and expand their knowledge by leaps and bounds as they grow up. Kids’ teeth also are developing over that time.

Children’s teeth are at heightened risk for oral health issues during this delicate time of growth. If left untreated, dental issues can cause poor oral health. WebMD emphasizes that it is essential to keep baby teeth healthy for a child’s overall health and well-being, even though baby teeth are eventually replaced with permanent teeth. Many of the same conditions that affect adults also can contribute to issues with children’s oral health. Here is a look at some common concerns.

Caries (cavities)

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavities, are caused when bacteria in the mouth metabolize sugar and produce acids that break down the teeth. Foods that stick to the teeth for a long time, such as candy, ice cream and milk, are more likely to cause decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 20 percent of

children between the ages of five and 11 have at least one decaying tooth. It is important for children to clean their teeth well, something adults will likely need to assist with to ensure tooth decay doesn’t occur.

Bruxism

Many children grind their teeth at night, which is called bruxism. This habit can damage the teeth and cause misaligned teeth, which affects the bite. Nightguards may be needed to prevent the issue. Addressing any stress that may be causing the grinding also may be necessary.

Thumb sucking

Sucking on fingers, pacifiers or toys gives young children emotional security and comfort. However, thumb sucking continues beyond age five can affect permanent teeth when they start to erupt. This may force them out of alignment. Breaking the thumb-sucking habit can take time, and a child can wear dental appliances to prevent sucking.

Over-retained primary teeth

According to Hines Little Smiles

Pediatric Dentistry, over-retained primary teeth refers to baby teeth that do not naturally fall out to make room for permanent teeth. This can lead to complications in the alignment of new teeth. In some instances, over-retained teeth may need to be extracted to make room for adult teeth.

Bite and alignment issues

As permanent teeth come in, it may become evident that an orthodontist will be needed. Many pediatric dentists will refer children to orthodontists the moment they realize that orthodontic intervention is likely needed. Braces, palate expanders and other treatments might be prescribed so that older children can enjoy healthy, straight smiles.

Parents can work together with dentists to ensure good pediatric oral health.

place patient comfort as our top

and our friendly team of professionals are happy to incorporate state of the art technologies into our

FAMILY TAKES SOLACE KNOWING THEIR DAUGHTER’S REMAINS WILL HELP SAVE LIVES

LAISA CONDE editor@merrittherald.com

A local family is finding solace in knowing their daughter’s passing has given others a second chance at life.

After a sudden medical emergency, 29-year-old Chantel Ashdown was declared to have irreversible loss of brain function. In a moment of immense grief, her mother, Inger Ashdown, and the rest of her family made the difficult but selfless decision to donate her organs.

“We had no warning. She was healthy, she was full of life,” her mother recalled.

Chantel, a devoted mother to a two-year-old daughter, had spent the night before her collapse planning family activities.

But early the next morning, tragedy struck. Her father, Shawn Ashdown, discovered her unresponsive in their home, called 911 and started CPR. Emergency services arrived within minutes, continuing CPR and using a defibrillator to revive her heartbeat before she was rushed to the hospital.

At the hospital, initial tests suggested hope. However, as the hours passed, her condition deteriorated. A second CT scan revealed significant brain damage.

The medical team delivered the devastating news: there was no brain activity. It was then that Inger asked about organ donation.

“She was such a giving person. I just knew she would want to help others,” she said.

As the family processed the loss, they began the process of organ donation. Chantel remained on life support for several days to ensure her organs could be preserved for transplant.

On Dec. 1, 2023, doctors completed the procedures, and her organs – liver, lungs, and both kidneys – were distributed to patients in need. Her pancreas was also taken to be used for diabetes research.

As part of the organ donation process, the Ashdowns have been in contact with one recipient through the organ donation organization.

“We reached out, and this lady responded. It changed her life,” Shawn said. “She had lost her husband within the last year or two, and she was struggling with severe liver issues. She was close to giving up, and now she has a new lease on life.”

However, the process of communication

is delicate. Some people need time to heal and the time has to be right for them, so it might take a while.

“We have to go through the organ donor society, and everything is anonymous unless both parties choose to connect further,” Shawn explained.

As part of the organ donation process, both Shawn and Inger attended a donor medal ceremony hosted by BC Transplant in September 2024.

The ceremony honours the memory of deceased organ donors, which also offers families a chance to connect with others who have had a similar experience, and to hear from those who have had their lives changed through organ donation.

“It’s a completely first-class organization,” he said.

“They had the ICU doctor from Kelowna there, and he gave a presentation. He talked about how he sees the worst side of medical emergencies and how deeply it affects him. It was interesting to hear that perspective.”

The ceremony also included stories from other donor families, including one mother who lost her son after he had turned his life around following struggles.

“It was really emotional,” Shawn said. “You hear how organ donation has given others hope. It turns something so tragic into something positive.”

PHOTO/ASHDOWN FAMILY Memorial for Chantel Ashdown

‘WE’RE JUST HAPPY TO KNOW THAT WE HELPED SOMEONE’

HELPED: continued from page 17

Inger reflected on the impact of the organ donations.

“It amazes me that we could save that many people,” she said. “And when Chantel’s daughter gets older, we can tell her, ‘Your mom saved lives.’ She already knows. She says goodnight to her mom every night.”

Though their grief remains, the Ashdowns find comfort in knowing Chantel’s legacy lives on. They hope to one day hear from more recipients.

“I understand why some people struggle to reach out,” Inger said. “It’s not that they owe us anything, but we’re just happy to know that we helped someone.”

They encourage everyone to consider signing up as an organ donor.

“It doesn’t erase the pain of a tragic event, but it does help knowing your loved one lives on by saving another life,” Shawn said. “If everybody did it, imagine how many people could be helped.”

LOCAL MAN SAVES FRIEND’S LIFE WITH KIDNEY DONATION

TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

Two locals in Merritt who have gone through the organ donation and reception system are now advocating for more people to become donors.

In 2021, Merritt local Jaymie Brundage was told she had stage-4 kidney failure. She was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a kidney disease which causes the build-up of abnormal antibodies, which eventually leads to problems with the kidney’s filtration system.

“I didn’t even know. There were no symptoms at all,” Brundage said, mentioning she had only gotten her blood levels checked due to a spot in her eye. Prior to that, she might have been living with the kidney disease for three to four years.

“You don’t realize you just, like, I honestly just thought, like, I was tired all the time. I had no energy, no strength, and I thought even in the early stage it was because I was getting older,”

UNEXPECTED: continued on page 19

PHOTO/TY LIM (Left) Kidney donor Nathan Schwarz. (Right) Kidney recipient Jaymie Brundage.

AN UNEXPECTED HEALTH DEVELOPMENT

UNEXPECTED: continued from page 18

she said.

When she was first diagnosed, Brundage expected she had more time until she needed to get it treated. She said doctors had told her it was expected that the disease would slowly progress, seeing as how it hadn’t progressed quickly prior to the diagnosis.

She said she didn’t expect to need a transplant for around 15 years.

Her luck turned on her a little more than a year later.

Before her diagnosis, Brundage enjoyed the adventurous pleasures of life. She has a few hobbies that the natural landscape of Merritt allowed her to partake in hunting and dirt-biking, particularly finding a hobby in the latter.

In 2022, Brundage was attending a motorcycle race in Kamloops. She was watching close to the track when one of the riders lost control of their bike. The rider fell off the vehicle and it launched into the crowd, hitting Brundage in the head.

She ended up with a brain hemorrhage. When in the hospital, she was put under multiple tests like MRIs and CT scans. Some tests included the use of contrast dyes, which are used to highlight specific organs in said scans.

“The dye that they use is fine on a healthy person, but when you have kidney failure, it’s way harder on your kidneys,” Brundage said.

Following this, her kidney health started declining faster. It became necessary for Brundage to get a kidney transplant.

She started checking to see who would be eligible within her immediate family and friends as soon as she could.

Before getting diagnosed, Brundage nor her family knew much about the organ donation process.

After seeing that nobody in her family matched her blood type, her family started looking into other ways to get a donor. One of these methods was trying the Kidney Paired Donation program. This program allows two pairs of unsuitable donor and recipients to swap donors, giving a matching kidney to each person.

Brundage’s family looked into this briefly. Nathan Schwarz was working with Brundage’s partner at the time driving logging trucks.

He remembers when he first heard of Brundage’s condition.

“He (Brundage’s partner at the time) was talking about it at work, and he said that it looks like she’s gonna need to get a kidney,” Schwarz said. “I remember him saying what her blood type is, I just thought to myself, ‘Oh, I think I’m that type as well.”

Schwarz did his research on kidney donation without telling anybody he was thinking of donating.

“I knew that it was a thing of course, organ transplant in general. But I had never considered it. I never studied it. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t aware of how many people are out there that have kidney failure and other kidney diseases,” he said.

According to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, one in 10 Canadians are living with a kidney disease. Over 53,000 Canadians are being treated for kidney failure.

After doing his research, such as learning that kidney donors are able to live a fully capable and healthy life after transplant, Schwarz had decided to become a donor.

“I called her up and said, ‘Hey, so this is what I was thinking, for a match, I’ll give you a kidney,” he said.

Schwarz said that he was never nervous about going through with the transplant, especially with the help of the doctors around him educating him and always letting him know it was okay to back out.

“I never hesitated, not once. And even in the hospital, the day of the surgery, they (the doctors) asked me there too. They’re like, ‘you know, like it’s not too late if you want to back out.’ And I laughed. I’m like, ‘no, not backing out.”

Even when a donor is found, the procedure leading up to the transplant takes months at minimum to complete when dealing with a live donor. Those in dire need of a kidney could use an organ from a deceased person, though the testing on these organs isn’t as rigorous and complications and future transplant needs are more likely to occur.

During the wait, Brundage was put on dialysis to treat her rapidly deteriorating health. She had dialysis treatment three days a week, each time having to travel to Kamloops to do it. The Dialysis treatment took around four hours each time she had to go. During this time, her kidney failure progressed to stage-five.

“Up until the point of dialysis, I was really sick, and then had no energy. I couldn’t really do anything. I was asleep all day,” Brundage said. “

Once the two completed their medical screenings to ensure both of them would live healthy lives after the transplant, they had the surgery in Vancouver.

Leading up to the surgery, Brundage tested positive for COVID-19. The procedure was cancelled to her and Schwarz’s disappointment.

They were able to reschedule the surgery to about a month later, in fall of 2023.

The recovery process was quick but painful as they

ORGAN RECEPIENT AND DONOR ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER, SAVE LIVES

ORGAN: continued from page 19

adjusted their bodies to the change in organs.

“It’s a short term pain for sure that you have to deal with, but at the end of the day, it’s not going to reduce your life expectancy,” Schwarz said about being an organ donor. In two months following the surgery, Brundage was able to go back to work, a much faster timeline than she or even the doctors expected.

Now, Brundage is able to live a completely healthy life doing the things she loves like riding her bike. Schwarz had the same experience.

“As a donor, I didn’t notice any difference whatsoever. I was down for about six weeks, after six weeks, I went back to work,” he said.

After going through the ordeal, both have a different outlook on life and organ donation.

“I would have died. There’s no other there’s no way around it, I would have died eventually if I hadn’t got it (the kidney),” she said. “For my blood type, it’s one of the longest waits for a deceased donor. It’s probably about three to four years on the waitlist on average.”

“I wish I had another kidney, because I

would definitely give (it),” she said.

“I just 100 per cent encourage everybody to register as an organ donor, either deceased or living. And I really encourage people to be living donors as well. I look at Nathan and I know, it’s just an amazing feeling that he has. I mean, he basically saved my life.”

For Schwarz, he has no regrets about being an organ donor.

“I would do it again (if I could),” Schwarz said, saying he would even recommend his kids do it too.

“(Organ transplants) makes you understand how fragile life really is, how fragile we are actually. But it also shows you that there are people out there that will kind of step out of their comfort zone to help you out too. That in a combination with good doctors and surgeons, but it makes you very aware of how quickly life can be changed. We have one life. Make the best of it.”

Those interested in joining living kidney donor programs in B.C. can contact these numbers.

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program Kidney - 604-875-5182 or kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

St. Paul’s Hospital Living Donor Program, Kidney - 604-806-9027 or donornurse@ providencehealth.bc.ca

KIDNEY WALK RAISES $15,000

TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

Merrittonians are encouraged to participate in a local walk that raises money for a Canadian organ transplant charity.

For the last three years, Merritt residents haven taken to the streets for a fundraising walk on behalf of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

In 2022, the first year of the fundraiser in Merritt, the Kidney Walk generated $7,000 for the charity. More recently, they’ve raised just over $15,000 according to organizers of the walk Heather and Marcus Ouimet.

Before the 2022 event, Merritt had no walk to fundraise for organ donation. It wasn’t until earlier that year that someone in the community was given the idea to start one. In the beginning of that year, unfortunate circumstances would fall on the Ouimet family.

Their daughter, Marissa, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

Heather and Marcus said the news was both “shocking” and “devastating”.

Marissa was 15 at the time of her diagnosis.

Her kidney disease ended up with her getting end-stage-renal-disease, which means her kidneys were no longer able to work for her to operate in daily life.

Marissa was soon hospitalized, on dialysis and she was placed in the living organ donation program, a program which helps her find a matching donor.

Soon, the Ouimet family started the walk in Merritt, with their daughter even participating in one of them.

“The walk is for kidney disease, but also for organ donation as well, because that’s a big part of it,” said Marcus. “There’s no cure (to kidney disease), it’s just the best treatment.”

In B.C., the transplant has to be done in Vancouver. Patients getting transplants will have to stay in Vancouver for a long period of time before and even after the operation. Organ recipients could have to stay for up to seven months.

“Some people were living in motorhomes, some people were at Ronald McDonald House,” Marcus said.

“Some people couldn’t afford the cost of Vancouver, so they moved to Calgary.”

Money raised from the Kidney Walk financially assists The Kidney Foundation of Canada in providing housing from those about to go into operation. The money is also used to provide financial incentives for people to be organ donors.

Later, luck found the Ouimet family as SICK: continued on page 22

SICK GIRL FINDS HEALTH AND FUTURE

SICK: continued from page 21

Marissa was able to heal and come off dialysis.

“I think she got sick so quick, they were able to heal a little bit and she was able to come off dialysis,” said Heather.

“She was very fortunate to put a pause on it and come off the organ donation list,” Marcus said. “That almost never happens.”

Marissa still will eventually need to get a kidney transplant. Currently, she is stable and the 19-year-old has just completed her first year of nursing school.

Heather mentioned that in 2023, the Kidney walk in Merritt might merge with the walk in Kamloops.

ORGAN DONOR REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE AT MERRITT HERALD OFFICE

Signing up to be an organ donor can save lives, and all it takes is a few minutes.

For the month of April, the Merritt Herald will open our office to help anyone who wants to register as a donor - we’ll guide them through the process.

Anyone with a BC Personal Health Number can register to be an organ donor - a title you can carry with pride. Stop by the office this month and we can personally help you join the other 1.6 million organ donors in British Columbia.

BREAKING THE STIGMA

Merritt takes a closer look at homelessness

TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

A representative from a Canadian homelessness prevention organization visited Merritt, providing insights into the root causes of homelessness.

Heidi Walter, program designer and training consultant with A Way Home Canada, held a presentation to interested parties about homelessness through a nation-wide lens at the Merritt Civic Centre on March 31.

Walter has 25 years of experience as a social worker assisting the unhoused across the country. With A Way Home, she focuses on supporting communities and providing a brainstorming platform for ideas to help homeless populations.

“I like to think of it as wanting to sit with people, to learn about their communities and to be able to share other solutions and possibilities,” she said.

In attendance were members from Conayt Friendship Society, the Nicola Valley Food Bank, BC Housing and Merritt City Councillors Manuel Olguin, Paul Petroczi and Wendy Charney.

The most recent Merritt homelessness count by BC Housing in 2023 says there are 67 unhoused individuals.

Merritt has numerous resources for people experiencing homelessness to reach out to, from affordable housing like Juniper House, to the shelter at the Knight’s Inn motel and AskWellness.

As the homeless population in Merritt has risen to 67 persons from 42 in 2020, Walter wanted to share insights into the problem that could help Merritt citizens with or without a home to go to.

Her presentation drew on statistics obtained by A Way Home staff.

“All of our data comes from individuals who have experienced homelessness or are unhoused, and their families and natural supports,” she said. “It’s not helpful to just say this is what’s going on. It’s to learn. It’s to learn from the individuals and from the communities that are sitting within the service sector.”

A large part of her presentation was explaining some misconceptions surrounding people experiencing homelessness and the origins of their circumstances.

She said 80 per cent of unhoused people are not fully reliant on support services, meaning most homeless people are going back and forth across the poverty line.

“I started thinking about some of the individuals that I’ve seen recently in shelters and I met a human rights lawyer who lost

their job during COVID and wasn’t able to gain any footing. There was a former professor out of York University (in Ontario) who was accessing shelter,” she said.

Inflation and the rising cost of housing across Canada also added to the issue of homelessness.

“We’ve worked from lots of individuals that they are often choosing between paying rent and having to put food on the table.”

For other causes of homelessness, Walter said a lot of the reasons are due to trauma in a person’s past.

Walter said she learned from speaking to many members of the adult unhoused population that their first experiences with homelessness was before they were 16-years-old.

According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, there are up to 40,000 homeless youth aged 16 to 24 in the country.

Of the general homeless population, these youth make up 20 per cent of the unhoused population.

Walter explained that many of these individuals were formerly in the foster-care system. Once graduated, these people had no transition support and had to rely on shelter services once they came of age.

Walter said some became homeless even younger than that while trying to escape the foster-care system.

She recounted a story of a boy who went from a foster home in 100 Mile House to living in the bushes in the backyard of a Calgary church to escape his situation.

“He was a part of children’s services, but then he was in a very abusive foster home. And so he decided that he would rather live homeless than continue to be abused. That was the choice he made.”

According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, there are multiple possible bad effects for those young people who leave home at an early age. The organization states that those who leave home early are more likely to experience multiple episodes of homelessness, have poorer mental health and a higher risk of addiction as well as increased possibility of becoming victims of crime, including sexual assault.

To assist those experiencing homelessness or are on the verge of becoming homeless, Walter said the best approach is one of prevention that puts housing first. Housing first is a five-step program.

1. Housing supports

2. Health and well-being

3. Access to income and education

4. Complementary supports

at A Way of Home presentation

5. Social inclusion

Walter said there is a need across the country to build more permanent, affordable housing instead of temporary shelter. She did recognize the work BC Housing has done creating permanent housing.

Another key point in combating homelessness is a peer group or sense of community. While drug-addiction may be common amongst the homeless population, it is not a root cause. Walter said having a social network of people one can rely on is key in helping curb drug-use as well as providing a safety net where one could rely on others for potential housing solutions.

She said this social circle could be family. Walter saw at the shelter at the Knight’s Inn that many family members of the residents would come and bring gifts like food.

“They’re showing up and saying that they’re still here for you, and when the time is right for you, we’ll be by your side,” Walter said.

“It was lovely to hear that individuals are still supporting them.”

Petroczi, who does loss prevention at Canadian Tire, said he deals with people that may be experiencing homelessness come into the store.

He said he’s found that many of them have ties to Merritt.

“What I get from a lot of people that I watch at the store is, ‘I used to live in Merritt.’ So they’re coming back. They have family here, they have roots here. That’s what I feel, that there are homeless in Merritt that do have roots in Merritt.”

For those experiencing homelessness in places where they don’t have connections, Walter said it’s important for them to

participate in the community through hobby groups or volunteer opportunities.

She made an example of a homeless Muslim-immigrant living in Calgary. The woman had started swim lessons when she first came to Canada. There, she met and bonded with a group of other Muslim women who eventually took her into their community and home.

Another topic that was brought up is the rumour that homeless people are being bussed to different communities across the province.

Walter reassured that the federal government was not spending money on bussing people from community to community. She did say A Way Home occasionally helps people get back to their own community.

Olguin followed up on this, asking if there were any control measures in place to monitor whether people were really going home or if they were free to jump off at any town.

Walter said A Way Home continues to support these people after they leave, checking on their needs and contacting their families.

She also mentioned that Merritt, as a highway town, is more likely to see transient people from other towns.

“We do know that people have a lot of hope in smaller communities. There’s sometimes the thought that, you know, maybe if I go to a smaller community, I can get help quicker,” she said, mentioning a possible reason why Merritt is seeing more homeless foreign to the city.

She said acts that help those experiencing homelessness could be as small as telling them the resources available to them.

PHOTO/HERALD FILE

A June 2022 file photo shows a tent city erected in N’kwala Park in Merritt.

NICOLA VALLEY SPORTS

SNOWMOBILE CLUB MEMBERS RECOGNIZED WITH PROVINCIAL AWARDS

TY LIM reporter@merrittherald.com

Local snowmobiling enthusiasts have taken home two provincial awards for excellent service to the sport.

A local snowmobile enthusiast has won a provincial award for Snowmobiler of the year.

Two members of the Merritt Snowmobile Club were recently recognized by the BC Snowmobile Federation last weekend.

Simon Rizzardo, vice-president of the Merritt Snowmobile Club, was named B.C.’s snowmobiler of the year.

Merritt Snowmobile Club also took the award for the best groomer of the year, with Adam McDonald winning the award.

“The BCSF Snowmobile Excellence Awards honour individuals, snowmobile clubs, associations and businesses in British Columbia who have made a significant contribution towards showcasing the popularity and the overall appeal of the sport, have made a remarkable effort to promote solidarity and responsibility within the snowmobile community or who have offered exceptional quality of service to snowmobilers over the past year,” BCSF said about their Excellence Awards.

“You have to be an example of exemplary, going above and beyond just your

club,” Rizzardo said, who was first nominated for the award due to his service assisting other towns’ snowmobiler clubs with his expertise in technology.

Rizzardo has helped make videos for clubs in Sicamous and Kelowna. One of those video projects helped bring attention to a charity snowmobile-ride raising money for a child’s heart surgery.

“These are all projects that you know are near and dear to me, because you get out there in the community and you go to these events, or you go help these clubs, and it just makes it better for everybody else, not just our club. And it’s one of those feel good things,” he said.

McDonald, on the other hand, won his award for his mechanical expertise helping to keep Merritt Snowmobile Club’s grooming machines running and therefore keeping the trails maintained and operational.

McDonald’s skills were integral in fixing a machine that had a leaking hose attachment. If it wasn’t for his services, the club would have had to pay a lot of money to get it fixed.

“It’s (about) just being that all around guy that you can call on and doesn’t expect anything back in return and pour his heart and soul into making sure that the CATs are running, because if the

CATs aren’t running, we can’t have smooth trails,” Rizzardo said.

He also made sure to note that all of the work he and the rest of the Merritt Snowmobile Club do is on a volunteer basis, doing it for the passion of the sport.

For Rizzardo, his passion for helping snowmobiling communities wherever he can is inspired by seeing his son grow up doing the sport.

“It’s cool because that’s his and my fun time, and it brings us together,” he said. “It’s definitely, definitely something I’m passionate about, because I like seeing the next generation coming into it,

because if we’re not doing it for them, there’s nothing that’s going to be left with.”

Rizzardo said snowmobiling brings excitement and another way for Merritt to increase its tourism revenue.

He recounts meeting people who come up for a weekend to try the snowmobiling course and being hospitable, convincing them to come back.

He hopes to continue the popularity of snowmobiling in Merritt. With sustained activity, the club can continue to keep those snowmobiling back roads and pathways open and maintained.

MERRITT HOSTS 42ND ANNUAL TL’KEMCHEEN BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Contributed

This is the first tournament the Tl’kemchEEn Warriors Basketball Committee has held since the 2021 Lytton Creek Wildfire, however we celebrated that this was the 42nd Annual Tl’kemchEEn Warriors Tournament (our first ever year not being hosted in Lytton). Due to limited accommodations currently available in Lytton, we decided to move the tournament to Merritt for this year as it is within Nlaka’pamux Territory. We had teams and players from across the Province (Interior, North, West Coast, Okanagan, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island) enter and even a team coming from Regina, Saskatchewan. We are proud of the talent that comes from across Western Canada to compete in our tournament. Our local team ( Tl’kemchEEN Eagles) in the Men’s Division lost their first game but battled through the consolation side of the bracket all the way to the Finals - they played with heart and humility. Similkameen won the Men’s Division.

In the Women’s Division, Rez Coast and Sacred Hoops battled in the final, with Rez Coast taking first place. Rez Coast had lost to Sacred Hoops the day prior but won their game in the losing side of the bracket and making it to the final through the back door to win the tournament. A very competitive Women’s final with multiple former U-SPORTS Canada (formerly CIS) players on the court. The Tl’kemchEEn Warriors Committee thanks all of our sponsors (Lytton First Nation and Nlaka’pamux Health) and volunteers to make this event happen, it definitely was good to be back in a big way and continue “In the Spirit of the Game”. We would also like to thank the City of Merritt and Merritt Secondary for welcoming us, it was good to see the MSS bleachers full cheering on basketball in a city that I would say is hockey, baseball and rugby driven. It was also good to see the Nicola Valley Grizzlies enter our tournament for the first time! It goes to show how much basketball is growing in Nlaka’pamux Territory and across B.C./Canada in general.

PHOTOS/MERRITT SNOWMOBILE CLUB

Adam McDonald (left) and Simon Rizzardo have been recognized by BC Snowmobile Federation Awards for their outstanding contributions in snowmobiling.

ADAM PHILLIPS

NICOLA VALLEY COMMUNITY

resident Robin Coutlee won $200,000 after buying a Scratch & Win at a convenience store in Merritt.

MERRITT RESIDENT WINS $200,000 FROM SCRATCH & WIN

‘I gave the ticket to the clerk to scan it for me. They were very excited for me!’

LAISA CONDE editor@merrittherald.com

A lucky Merritt man has some extra money to him and his family after winning $200,000 after he won the Scratch & Win prize.

Robin Coutlee was still in the convenience store where he purchased the winning scratch on Nicola Avenue, when he learned that he won the massive prize.

“I scratched the ticket and saw three crowns, then I scanned the ticket on the machine at the store,” recalled Coutlee of the moment he realized he won.

“I gave the ticket to the clerk to scan it for me. They were very excited for me!”

According to a press release by British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Coutlee plans to save his winnings and has no other immediate plans for the money.

10:00 a.m. Merritt Baptist Church 2499 Coutlee Avenue (at Orme) Sunday service 10 am, Phone (250)378-2464

Merritt Lutheran Fellowship in St. Michael's Anglican Hall • 250-378-9899

Service Time: 3rd Sunday each month 1:30 p.m.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Corner of Jackson & Blair • 250-378-2919

Mass Time: Sundays 9:00 a.m.

St. Michael’s Anglican Church 1990 Chapman St. • 250-378-3772

Service Times: 2nd and 4th Sundays only - 10:00 a.m.

Trinity United Church Corner of Quilchena & Chapman • 250-378-5735

Service Time every Sunday - 10 am

Somang Mission Community Church (SMC) 1755 Coldwater Ave. (The Cadet Hall) Sunday Service Time: 4:00 pm • 250-280-1268

Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church 1950 Maxwell St. • 250-378-9502

Service Times: Sunday 10 am

Motion Church Merritt 2114 Nicola Avenue • 250-434-3333 Meets the first Sunday of the month at 10am

ColdwaterIndianBand

JobPosting

SOCIALDEVELOPMENTCOORDINATOR

TheSocialServicesCoordinatorisresponsibleforplanning,budgeting,funding,developing, delivering,communitycommunication,andadministeringtheColdwaterIndianBandSocial DevelopmentProgramsandServices.

AreaofResponsibilities:

•Develops,coordinates,andadministers,inconsultationwiththeBandAdministratorand CommunityMembers,aSocialDevelopmentProgramPlanfortheCommunity

•ConsultwiththeBandAdministrationstaff,BandAdministrator, Chief&Council,andColdwater CommunityMemberstoidentifyandanalyzesocialandhealthconcernsandneedsandto jointlyplanandimplementinterventionstrategies

•CoordinatesandfacilitatesgroupandindividualmeetingswithColdwaterCommunityMembers tounderstandtheirneedsforSocialDevelopmentProgramsandServices

•Supervises,coaches,and evaluatestheperformanceofemployeesintheSocialDevelopment department

•Developmentsinconsultationwiththe FinanceCoordinator&theBandAdministratorannual operatingbudget

•Develops,secures,andadministersallfinancialandprogramfundsandrecords

•PreparesandsubmitsrequiredreportingtoINACandotherfundingagenciesandorganizations

•LiaiseswithCommunityHealthresourcesinsupportoftheColdwaterCommunityMembership, includingScw’exmxCommunityHealthServicesSocietyandScw’exmxChild & FamilyServices Society, andmonitorstheservicesprovidedtoMembership

Qualifications&Skills:

•Bachelor’sdegreeinsocialworkorequivalent

VALUEADDED LUMBERREMANUFACTURINGPLANT PRODUCTIONWORKERS (FT/PT)

•Wages:starting$20to$28 (dependsonexperience& attendance)

•Steadydayshiftwork

•Studentswelcometoapply

•Noexperiencenecessary

•Willtrain

TRUCKDRIVERSWITHCLASS1 Localsteadywork

LICENCEDSECURITYGUARDS

Excellentmedical& dentalplan

PLEASESUBMITRESUME INPERSONTO 1195HoustonStreet,MerrittB.C. 250-378-6161

• Post-secondarycoursesand/orformal TraininginSubstanceAbuse/Alcohol,Drug Counselling,CommunityHealth, Family Violence,HumanResources,Budgeting,Critical IncidentManagementandConflictResolution,anasset

•1-2yearsofsupervisoryandprogrammanagementexperience

•Experienceinthedevelopmentoffundingproposals

•Demonstratedexperienceinfiscalmanagement

•Preferredrelatedexperiencein FirstNationsOrganization

•KnowledgeandunderstandingofgovernmentpolicyandregulationsgoverningSocialServices

•Excellentcommunication,organization,andproblem-solvingskills

•Abilitytoalwaysmaintainahighlevelofconfidentialityandethics

•Proficiencyintheuseofcomputers andInternetapplications

•SatisfactoryCriminalRecordCheckandBondable

• Validdriver’slicenseandreliablevehicle

SalaryRange Minimum Pay$30.00.Commensuratewithexperienceandqualifications.

Position: 7Hoursperday, Monday-Friday,benefitspackage,aprobationary periodof6months, andperformance evaluation.

Pleasesubmitadetailedcoverletterandresumeexplaining howyoumeetthejobpostingrequirements.

Applicationswillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonApril11,2025. Attention:ColdwaterHumanResourcesCommittee Email:kristopher@coldwaterband.org

JOBPOSTING

AMA7SWA7NURSE

Full-timePermanent (35hrs/week)

Ama7 Swa7Nurseis responsible forprovidingqualityhomecaretoXwistenClients thatarereferred to theHomeandCommunity Care Program.

DutiesandResponsibilities

•Assistsindirectnursingcareasrequiredwithand forclients to achieveoptimum healthin varioussituations:chronicdisease, acuteillness,injur y, woundcareand palliativecare.

•Promotesandprovideshealth relatedk nowledge, treatmentservicestoclients, caregiverswhilesupportingindependence.

•Per form assessments;evaluations;plans;goals;deliveries;treatmentplanorcare plan.

•Maintain confidentialdata recordsanddocumentation

•Coordinate nursingcareserviceswiththeclient, physician,hospital,rehabilitation, long term careprogramsandother community services/programs.

•Coordinate,developand teachnursingcarestrategies to assistclientandfamily.

•Provideinformationandcreateworkshops regardinghealthrelatedissuesand preventativemeasuresasneeded.

•Maintainfinancial recordsandbudget

•ESDRT(ServiceDelivery Reporting Template) reportstoFNHAmonthly

Qualifications:

•Graduatedfromanapprovedschoolofnursingandmusthold acurrent Registered NurseLicensewiththeBritish Columbia CollegeofNursing Professionals(BCCNP) orLicenced PracticalNurseLicense(LPN)

•Knowledgeofculturalsafetyprinciples, work ingwithinFirstNation'sHealthand Social Developmentareas

•Criminal Record Check:Vulnerable Sector

•ValidDriver'sLicense: Reliable Vehicle

•Excellentcommunicationskills -writtenand verbal;

•Abilitytodevelopandmaintainbudgets, anddofinancialandadministrative reporting;

•Filingand record keepingskills;

•Experiencesupervisingotheremployees

PostingClosingDate:Positionopenuntilfilled.

Wage:$35.00 -$49.00(dependinguponLPNorRN)perhourminimumand dependingupon experience.While wewelcomeallcandidates,onlythoseselected foraninterviewwillbecontacted

ForwardResumesto: Gary Forsyth, Administrator PO Box190LillooetBCVOK1VO Fax:(250)256-7999

FINANCEMANAGER

ColdwaterIndianBandrequirestheserviceofa FinanceManager.The FinanceManagerwill reporttoandbeunderthesupervisionoftheBandAdministrator. Thispositionisresponsiblefor theday-to-daymanagementofthefinancialadministrationoftheColdwaterIndianBand,including management,reporting,andcontroloffinancialinvestmentsandassets.Alldecisionsandactions mustmeetthepolicies,legislations,andproceduresoftheColdwaterIndianBand,includingthe FinancialLawandotherLawsendorsed by theColdwaterCouncil.The FinanceManagerwill overseeallthepayroll,accountsreceivable,accountspayable,andotherstaffsupportingthe department.Thiswillensuretheday-to-day operationsarecurrentandupdated.Thesuccessful candidatewillpromotethegrowthandrenewaloftheColdwaterIndianBandfinancedepartment. Thefinancemanagerwill overseethefinancesoftheProgramsandServices,includingLand, Wills&Estates,Public Works,Education,ColdwaterSchool, TransitionHouse,Coldwater FireHall, SocialDevelopment,EconomicDevelopment,and FinancialInvestments,BusinessEntitiesand Assets.

GeneralRequirements,QualificationsandExperience:

•Prefer Post-SecondaryDegreeinarelevantfieldsuchasBusinessAdministration, Financial Administration,orequivalentcombinationofeducationandexperienceworkingfora First Nationsorganizationorworkingtowardsanaccountingdesignation

•ExperienceinallrelatedareasofAccounting(A/P, A/R,payroll,financialmanagement, budgeting,andfinancialreporting)

•ExperienceinthedevelopmentofAccounting PoliciesandProcedures

•Abilitytoorganize,prioritize,andmanageworkload

•Strongsupervisoryskills

•KnowledgeoftraditionallanguageandcustomsoftheColdwaterBand

•GoodworkingknowledgeofXyntax,afinancialoperationsystem

•Exceptionalintegrityandprofessionalism

•Abilitytoconsistentlydemonstratetact,discretion,andsoundjudgment

•Abletowork independently/withminimalsupervision

•DemonstratedknowledgeofrelatedGovernmentRegulations

•Knowledgeof FinancialAdministrationLaws(FirstNations FinancialManagementBoard)

•SatisfactoryCriminalRecordsCheck

ValidDriver’sLicenseandreliablevehicle

•Preparemonthlyfinancialstatementsandsubmitthemtothe FinancialAdministrationReview CommitteeandCouncilforreviewanddiscussion.

•Preparedraftannualbudgetswithamendmentsandallitsentities

•Administerandmanagethechartaccountsandallentities

•Ensurethefinancialadministrationsystems,policies,andprocedurescomplywith Financial AdministrationLaw

•Administerandsuperviseallmaintenanceof thefinancialsystemandrecordspertheannual audit

•Satisfactory CriminalRecordsCheckandBondable

SalaryRange Minimum Pay $32.60.Commensuratewithexperienceandqualifications.

Position: 7Hoursperday, Monday-Friday, benefitspackage,aprobationaryperiodof6months, andperformance evaluation.

Pleasesubmitadetailedcoverletterandresume explaininghowyoumeetthejobpostingrequirements.

Applicationswillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonApril11,2025. Attention:ColdwaterHumanResourcesCommittee

Email:kristopher@coldwaterband.org

ColdwaterIndianBand

JobPosting Receptionist

TheColdwaterIndianBandiscurrentlyrecruitingforafull-timeReceptionist.TheReceptionist isresponsibleforprovidingthereceptionfortheColdwaterIndianBandOfficeandclerical, administrative,andsecretarialsupporttotheBandAdministratorandAdministrationstaff.The ReceptionistperformsalldutiesandresponsibilitiesinaccordancewiththeColdwaterIndianBand JobDescription, Policies,standards,andproceduresandasdirected by theBandAdministrator.

SilvicultureManager

StuwixResourcesJoint Ventureisa well-establishedfibermanagement andmar ketingcompanythatisowned by 8 FirstNationsCommunities withitsofficelocatedinMerritt,BritishColumbia.Stuwixensuresour local Fi tNationsste rdshipprinciples&valuesareinco oratedin

ProudlyrecognizedasMerritt'sBestBookkeeper/Accountantofthe2019,2020,and2021 People'sChoiceAwards.It'sbeenourpleasureandprivilegetoserveourcommunityforover20 yearsandwelookforwardtobringinganothercommunitymembertojoinouroffice.Attentionto detailandbeingateamplayerisparamount.Salarywillbedependantonexperience.

Maintaingeneralledgersandfinancialstatements. Calculateandpreparechequesforpayroll. Prepareotherstatistical,financial,andaccounting reports. Keepfinancialrecordsandestablish,maintain,and balancevariousaccountsusingSage50. MustbeefficientinMicrosoftExcelandWord. Please email resumeto cjrbook@telus.net, or mail to Attn.ConnieRauch(Owner) CJRBookkeeping&TaxServicesInc. POBox2402.Merritt,BC.V1K1B8

Pleasedonotcontactbyphone.

HEADSTART/DAYCAREMANAGER

Full Time PermanentPosition

Wage$30-$35hr.

Reporting to theHealth Manager, theAdministratorwillbe responsibleprimarily forthe overallSupervisionoftheHeadstart/ Daycareprogram.Thisincludesandunderstanding to staff supervisionandscheduling,ensuringalllicensing,and reporting requirementsarebeingmet,andensuringa quality land-based programisbeingoffered to childrenandfamilies.

Onlythoseshor tlistedwill be contac tedand to apply submit resumesand coverletter: Gary Forsyth, Administrator

Fax:250-256-7999E-mail:administrator@xwisten.ca

To pickupanEnrollmentRegistration Package.

Positionopenuntilfilled

HOME COMMUNITY CARE WORKER

Full-Time (35 Hrs. perweek –FlexibleHours)

Wage$21-$27hr.

Workingas amemberofthe Ama7 Swa7Home &Community Care Program,UnderthedirectionofHomeand Community Care Nurse, thesuccessfulcandidate willprovidedelegationoftasks setoutby HCCNaroundpersonalcaretoclientsliving at homeon reser ve.In this role,youwilltravel to homeswhereclients requirepersonalcare. Daily/ WeeklyJournaling LogsaretobesubmittedtoHCCNasper client list

Onlythoseshor tlistedwill be contac tedand to apply submit resumesand coverletter: Gary Forsyth, Administrator

Fax:250-256-7999E-mail:administrator@xwisten.ca

To pickupanEnrollmentRegistration Package.

Positionopenuntilfilled

NOTICE OF TEMPORARY USE PERMIT Thompson-Nicola Regional District

When?

The Board of Directors of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District gives notice that it intends to issue a Temporary Use Permit for TUP 77 in the TNRD Boardroom, 4th Floor - 465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC.

What is Temporary Use Permit No. TUP 77?

TUP 77 will enable a sole –proprietor trucking business for three years at 2527 Aberdeen Road in Lower Nicola, BC (PID: 026–579391) as shown outlined on the inset map.

All persons who believe that their interest in property may be affected by the proposed Temporary Use Permit and wish to comment may do so by making a written submission to the Board of Directors via the options below. All written submissions must be received prior to noon on April 15, 2025. The entire content of all submissions will be made public and form part of the public record.

How do I get more information?

Copies of the proposed Temporary Use Permit and all supporting information can be inspected from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday (except statutory holidays) at our office, from March 31, 2025, until 1:30 p.m. on April, 17, 2025, or please contact us via any of the options below.

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VETERINARY CLINIC

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Kruse N’ Style

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