Merritt Herald January 2, 2025 by Merritt Herald

2024 Year in Review

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Merritt first responders collect 1,300 lbs for local food bank

The Merritt BC Ambulance Service has partnered with Merritt Fire Rescue Department to run a food drive to help the Nicola Valley Food Bank.

The food drive was held in a Christmas-decorated ambulance parked outside Save-On-Foods Dec. 20. Around a dozen members of both BC Ambulance Service and Merritt Fire Rescue Department were present as well.

Kristy Friisdahl, a paramedic with Merritt BC Ambulance Service and organizer of the event, said this was the first time in years the medical agency is hosting the drive.

“We hope to make it a continual thing throughout the years,” she said.

The return to running a food donation operation is an event inspired by BC Ambulance’s 50th anniversary.

“We wanted to host a community event that raised engagement with paramedics and the community and fire and first responders,” Friisdahl said.

She said the drive was doing very successfully, yielding over 1,300 lbs of food that afternoon.

This is happening as the Nicola Valley Food Bank is seeing a nearly roughly 20 per cent increase in demand this past year, though Friisdahl said the two events are not connected.

Merritt BC Ambulance Service also hosted a community barbeque in Spirit Square on Dec. 21.

As the winter season gets into full gear, check www.merrittherald.com for updates on

Photo/Kristy Friisdahl

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Truck driver fatally injured near Logan Lake

A logging truck driver has been fatally injured while attempting to tow a truck that spun out amid icy conditions outside Kamloops.

In a statement, the BC Forest Safety Council said this marks the second harvesting death this year. The incident happened on Monday in an area near Logan Lake.

“A log truck driver was fatally injured during an attempt to tow a log truck that had spun out on an icy road,” the BCFSC said.

The safety council said WorkSafeBC and the BC Coroners Service are investigating, and as such, information about the incident’s contributing factors are not available.

“We extend our condolences to the family

and friends of the deceased and our sympathies to all those affected by this incident,” the statement said.

BCFSC noted that winter conditions significantly increase risk for forestry operations, and hazards like reduced visibility, icy roads and cold temperatures can lead to serious incidents.

The safety council encouraged workers to ensure their company has procedures to follow when guiding vehicles that are backing up, and to take steps to prevent unexpected vehicle movement while working around or under trucks or mobile equipment.

Workers are encouraged to anticipate poor winter road conditions and to chain up early to avoid loss of traction on hills.

Kristen Holliday CASTANET

OPINION

MITRA: The adoptive ‘father’ of the Christmas story

Most Christmas songs and carols we sing at Christmas attribute, without fail, praises and adulation to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

But often it happens at the expense of the adoptive father, Joseph.

We hear and sing : “Round yon virgin, mother and child…” without ever giving even a cursory thought to the father-child relationship of Joseph and Jesus.

Just because the birth of Jesus is the main point, it does not mean that it’s the only point. We should not shy away from asking the other points so long as we are faithful to expound the main one.

From the little about Joseph that we can cull out of the Bible, a few lessons pertaining to him can be absorbed pertaining to what it means to be a godly father and a godly man.

Joseph teaches us about:

How godly men care about God’s word.

Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “just man.” While we may read this phrase simply as if Joseph was a “stand up guy,” the word “just” describes Joseph’s posture and orientation toward the Old Testament law.

As a devout first century Jew, he cared deeply about what God had to stay about life. Joseph was a godly man who cared deeply about the Bible and wanted to live it out. How godly men are more concerned with what God thinks than what others think.

The story of incarnation highlights the amazing event of the conception of a virgin – a truth apparently not embraced by Joseph at first.

At that time, a young bride-to-be to turn up pregnant during her betrothal period was a crime punishable potentially by death (Deut. 23). Though ancient Jewish communities didn’t always enforce this law, they often did seek to publicly humiliate the adulteress.

So, being a “just man,” Joseph had to somehow respond to Mary’s perceived indiscretion, or he would have been naturally seen as guilty as well. But even in the wake of her untimely pregnancy, Joseph loved Mary and did not want to see her shamed even if it meant he could clear his name.

Instead, he was willing to endure a measure of shame himself.

How godly men step up and do the right thing even when it is hard.

In the gospel story, when we get to verse 20, the clouds begin to lift. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to fear. God was behind these happenings, so he needs to continue moving toward marriage with Mary.

Simple enough, but this plan included the caveat that Joseph must name and raise a son who will be the Saviour of the world, a son not actually his flesh and blood.

How godly men follow through and pursue purity.

Joseph did all that God wanted him to do. While we know that God is sovereign, let us not miss the significant human responsibility. Joseph’s word was his bond.

Joseph followed through on his commitments. He maintained Mary’s and his own sexual purity until their wedding day.

In this way, Joseph provided a poignant example for all single young men.

How godly men are willing to care for children who are not biologically theirs.

Even from a surface reading of the story, it is apparent that Jesus is and is not Joseph’s son

at the same time. In this light, it’s not a stretch to think of Jesus as adopted.

That Joseph was willing to step in and adopt the boy provided the needed human connection for Jesus to come through the line of David. And let’s not underestimate the lifetime of questions Joseph would have endured by seeking to care for this child.

But again, that’s the kind of thing godly men would do. They care for orphans and widows and see to look out for the fatherless as a reflection of the heart of God.

The story in Matthew, chapter 1, is about the birth of Christ. We should honour it as such.

But isn’t God kind enough to allow us to learn other truths along the way to Bethlehem?

Joseph is a hero in Scriptures who points us to the Hero of the Scriptures, Jesus. Make no mistake: Christmas is about Jesus.

May God give us the grace to follow in His steps.

From the Herald archives: January, 1979 COQUIHALLA CONSTRUCTION

The construction of the Coquihalla Highway should mean an economic boost for Merritt, with a portion of the $50,000,000 payroll being spent in the area.

Merritt has gone through a similar boom a period before, when the Craigmont Mine was opened up during the early 1960s.

Peter Malach, who owned a building supply store, said the town began expanding. There was an increase in the population, businesses improved, and housing starts increased. Everything seemed to build up with it, he continued. Everything improved and the town became more active.

LETTERS POLICY

The Merritt Herald welcomes your letters, on any subject, addressed to the editor. Letters may be edited for length, taste and clarity. Please keep letters to 300 words or less. Email letters to: newsroom@ merrittherald. com.

NARAYAN MITRA You Gotta Have FAITH

APRIL 25

Nurses rallied at the community garden behind the Nicola Valley Hospital to protest emergency room closures.

Nurses in the B.C. Nurses’ Union (BCNU) chanted “What do we need?” “More nurses!” “When do we need them?” “Now!”

Since Jan. 1, the Nicola Valley Hospital (NVH) has had two closures out of the 24 closures across hospitals under the jurisdiction of Interior Health. In 2023, the NVH suffered from 20 emergency room closures due to staff shortage.

“The nurses and all healthcare staff providing care here at the Nicola Valley Hospital and in other facilities here in the area are coming to work every day, caring for patients, despite unprecedented staffing shortages,” said regional council member Scott Duvall. “In fact, our

The Herald counts down the top five stories that affected Merritt and the Nicola Valley in 2024.

5. Nurses protest staff shortage

vacancy in this hospital right now is at about 54 per cent.”

“This isn’t the first rally I’ve been at at this hospital, and what a shame that we have to rally for services that every community should expect to have,” said FraserNicola MLA Jackie Tegart, thanking the local nurses on the frontline as well as mayor and council.

“I would first of all say ‘thank you’ (to Adrian Dix) for recognizing the fact that we

Kenneth Wong

merrittherald.com

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Photo/Kenneth Wong

need to do something, we’re looking forward to seeing staffing increased especially in some of our rural facilities,” said a nurse who asked not to be named.

“I think we still need to keep working together, keep inviting BCNU to all of the tables for discussions on how we can improve healthcare, so I would make that request of him,” said the nurse. “And really just have that open dialogue communication, to say, ‘hey, this is the information that you’re hearing from the front line.’”

“I think we need to also make sure that the information that’s coming from the health authorities needs to be questioned, needs to be authenticated, so the information that’s being provided, the data that we’re basing decisions on, needs to be provided and shared transparently to those people involved and who are

affected by it,” the nurse continued.

In March 2024, the provincial government announced a $237 million investment to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

“In order to implement ratios, there’s a lot of research and data analysis, and really trying to understand what that’s going to look like in practice,” the nurse continued. “The Ministry of Health, in my humble opinion, needs to make sure that they’re a little more eyes on the health authorities and what they’re doing as far as providing data and things like that.”

The rally was attended by representatives from the Lower Nicola Indian Band; NVIT associate dean Ivy McRae; Mayor Mike Goetz and Coun. Wendy Charney; Tegart and Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond; as well as many Merrittonians and drivers passing by, honking their horns in solidarity.

JULY 25

4. City bills Province for ER closures

Kenneth Wong merrittherald.com

Merritt Mayor sends bill to Province and letter to Premier in response to emergency room closures.

Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz has sent an invoice to the tune of $103,831.87 to the Province of British Columbia and a letter to Premier David Eby following many emergency room closures.

The letter, written on July 10, 2024, reads “Since October 2022, when this Council was sworn in, we have had 24 Emergency Room closures: 19 days in 2023 and five days in 2024.”

The invoice of $103,831.81 covers the cost of 497 medical response incidents ($55,125), medical oxygen ($1,132), 19 days of ER closure in 2023 ($33,992.41), five ER closures from the beginning of the year

to July 11, 2024 ($9,069.3), as well as GST ($4,512.47).

Goetz likened it to paying for fuel at the gas station and not getting anything from the pump.

“Do that 24 times and see if you’re going to be asking for your money back, because that’s exactly what’s happened here.”

At the time of press, Merritt’s Nicola Valley Hospital just went through two 26-hour closure between Friday, July 19 and Saturday July 20 and another closure between Sunday, July 21 starting at 6 a.m. ending on Monday July 22 at 8 a.m.

Outside of Merritt, hospitals under the Interior Health Authority experienced a total of 50 closures in 2023, with 17 at the Nicola Valley Hospital, none in Williams Lake, two in Clearwater, 31 in Oliver and

none in Lillooet.

Starting Jan. 1 up to July 22, 2024, there have been a total of 43 across the IHA’s jurisdiction with seven in Merritt, 10 in Williams Lake, six in Clearwater, 19 in Oliver, and one in Lillooet.

In an email Mayor Goetz sent to the Herald as well as multiple other newspapers and members of government, Goetz made reference to an interview Global did with Vancouver-Kingsway MLA and Minister of Health Adrian Dix.

“We had what we call ‘relatively late sick calls’ and so such province-wide systems can’t respond in remote communities,” said Dix. “One of the reasons why we’re attracting doctors and nurses in B.C., is that we support doctors and nurses in their clinical practice. When we disagree with them,

(we don’t) have temper tantrums and call for them to be fired.”

Goetz refutes Dix’s claim that the Ministry of Health receives ‘relatively late sick calls’, stating that he receives notice of upcoming emergency room seven to 10 days in advance. “The director fills me in on the ability for them to get doctors and nurses, they let me know what’s happening with the schedule,” said Goetz in an interview with the Herald. “So either IHA is not sharing that with the minister or the minister just doesn’t check but it wasn’t very hard for me to find it out.”

“We’re coming into a provincial election; you’re asking to be elected on your integrity, your honesty and your transparency,” said Goetz. “So, do I want a government that’s going to be sitting there, that has taken close to $103,000 of our money, and not given us the service and think it’s okay?”

In an email correspondence the Herald had with the Health Ministry’s communications office, “there is no average time (for advance notice). It varies on a case-by-case basis. Health authorities work to fill vacant shifts up until the very last minute.

Aside from the numerous hospital closures across the province, Goetz feels left behind by the Ministry of Health. “Last Oct. 12, 2023, we were part of three communities that got to share $7.5 million for doctor retention: Merritt, Salmon Arm, and Oliver; so that was given we took $2.5 million of that $7.5 (million) and ever since then, we’ve had four doctor closures,” said Goetz.

“We’ve got $2.5 million, but where did it go?” wonders Goetz. “No letting us know what was happening, how that money would be spent; and we don’t even know who is looking after money, the ministry themselves, is it IHA? It certainly isn’t the City of Merritt, so where’d the money go?

Regarding the $7.5 million investment, in a press release from the Province, Minister Dix stated: “This investment will help ensure patients have stable access to emergency care, while we know there is more to do,” Dix said. “Through our Health Human Resources Strategy, we are also committed to train, recruit and retain more people into our workforce, including providing incentives to attract physicians working in rural communities such as Merritt, Salmon Arm and Oliver.”

Additionally, the Province invested $155.7 million “in initiatives that will retain and recruit allied health and clinical support,” reads a press release from the Province.

The millions are split into $73.1 million for retention and recruitment incentives; $15 million over three years for allied health clinical mentorship, peer support and transition to practice support; $60 million to support professional development; and $7,6 million for training initiatives, including tuition credits, bursaries, and new employer-sponsored earn-and-learn

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

opportunities.

Goetz believes that more communication between different municipalities, health authorities, the Ministry, and Province is necessary.

“I think if there was something that was out there that all mayors could see that can see a plan over the next year and a half… if we could all be apart of it, and all see a plan that has where we can get to: how many nurses were hired last year, how many doctors were hired last year, how many graduate, how many stayed in the country, how many left the country, these numbers that we never get,” said Goetz.

“When we hear things like ‘we’re throwing everything we have at it,’ what does that mean? asks Goetz. “What are you throwing at it, what is the process? We don’t know when you throw something at it (if) that means that you’re retaining every single nurse that graduates and not allowing them to leave the country until they do a return on investment? What does that actually mean?”

On Tuesday, July 23, Goetz wrote an email to IHA president and CEO Susan Brown, the email included the Herald and members of municipal and provincial government.

The email regards the closures the Nicola Valley Hospital experienced in the month of July as well as the aforementioned split $7.5 million for Merritt, Salmon Arm and Oliver.

“I am writing today to ask what has happened to that funding, who monitors it and how is it spent, or was it just an announcement that had no teeth of any kind,” reads Goetz’s email. When this funding did come out I asked the Minister at that time if we could use some of it for nurse retention, as that seemed to be one of our big issues at that time, and was told no it was for doctor coverage only.”

“So, since the announcement we have had more ER closures to lack of doctors and not nurses, to say we are baffled is an understatement,” said Goetz in his email. I write today to get some clarification on this funding and why it is not working, or what the plan is.”

PLUMBING &HEATING

Mayor Goetz sent the Province the invoice above for ER closures. Photo/City of Merritt

SEPTEMBER 5

3. New homeless shelter in Merritt

somewhere else that we would like people to camp,” White added.

The local Knights Inn Hotel is set to become Merritt’s new homeless shelter.

At the Aug. 27 council meeting, Cynthia White, chief administrative officer at the City of Merritt, confirmed that she met with BC Housing on Friday, Aug. 23 to talk about the rumours on the new shelter.

“They have confirmed they’ve set a lease with the Knights Inn,” she said. “That lease will start, I believe, Sept. 1, but they are not anticipating being open until probably the end of October.”

White also confirmed that based on the current bylaws that the city has, the new shelter will adhere to the current zoning bylaws for the area as there are no restrictions that would prevent the establishment of the shelter at the hotel.

Adding to that, even if the area was not zoned appropriately for the shelter, White said that the city still wouldn’t be able to do anything to prevent the establishment of the shelter.

“The operators and private property owners, who are contracted by BC Housing, are immune to zoning,” she said. “They do not have to follow our zoning bylaw.”

White said in the meeting that BC Housing has assured that the shelter at Knights Inn will be a very different setup from the Desert Inn shelter, which faced criticism for its unsuitability.

According to White, the new shelter facility will be equipped with fencing, increased security cameras and additional staff to ensure a more controlled environment.

“There will be a lot more of their typical security operations,” White added. “Only people who are currently sheltered there will be able to access it.”

White acknowledged that it will be difficult for some people to accept it, given what they’ve seen and continue to see with the encampment by Desert Inn, “but ultimately, if we do not have a shelter in the community, we must allow camping overnight.”

“There has to be somewhere in the city that they are allowed to camp. We may want to review the current location and determine if that is the most appropriate location or if there’s

White also reassured that the City of Merritt will be working closely with BC Housing and the operator to ensure that the shelter has minimal impact in the neighbourhood, that they are keeping people in the shelter and its neighbours safe as well as their properties unaffected by the shelter.

The city is also revising its Good Neighbour and Parks bylaws to ensure that all residents, including those in shelters and campers, adhere to standards that maintain the city’s cleanliness and orderliness. These amendments will apply equally to all city residents.

In regards to the current encampment by Desert Inn, White said that it stands on private property and “that is something that precludes us from being able to decamp them.”

“We’ve received reports from RCMP that there are people with weapons in those camps and our bylaw officers are not in any way trained to deal with that,” she said.

Homelessness is not something that bylaw officers are trained to deal with. Decamping people is not part of their training. So for safety reasons, we are not sending bylaw officers into a place where people will have weapons without RCMP support.”

White added that the City has issued notices of the infractions the private property has committed under the Good Neighbour and Zoning bylaws, setting a date for the owner to fall under compliance.

“It is a very complex situation. There are a number of issues, precedents set by court that municipalities must follow, human rights issues,” she said. “People need a place to live, whether that’s unfortunately in a tent, but it has to be a safe place to live and we have to help to make it as safe as possible.”

In an email to the Herald, BC Housing emphasized the importance of providing shelter spaces, especially in communities without one.

“BC Housing is working with non-profit partners to bring critical shelter spaces as soon as possible to ensure that people have access to basic services such as food, a warm indoor space, and support services,” the email reads.

Love to Dance Academy is collecting bottles and cans to raise money for their program.

The local business is hosting their annual winter ‘Post-Holidays’ bottle drive on Jan. 3, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Jan. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Merrittonians who wish to support the program can drop their bottles off at Love to Dance Academy – located on 1976 Quilchena Ave. – and the Lower Nicola Hall – located on 2383 Aberdeen Rd.

Those who can’t drop the bottles off can also request for them to be picked up.

For more information, contact Love to Dance Academy at 780-573-0861

Laísa Condé editor@merrittherald.com

OCTOBER 24

2. New MLA for Fraser-Nicola

Laísa Condé editor@merrittherald.com

B.C. Conservative Party candidate Tony Luck has been elected to the legislature to represent the Fraser-Nicola constituency, according to preliminary results.

Luck received 10,086 votes (54.72 per cent) on voting day, securing a lead over NDP candidate Francyne Joe, who garnered 6,362 votes (36.31 per cent), and Green candidate Jonah Timms, who received 1,628 votes (9.12 per cent).

In his victory speech, Luck expressed gratitude and humility, acknowledging the hard work of his campaign team and the support of his family. “It is an incredible moment in your life when something like this happens,” said Luck. “I could never have done this on my own. There’s no way in the world.”

“I want you to make sure that I keep that humility within me,” added Luck. “I’m here to serve you, it’s not about me.”

Reflecting on the close race, Luck remarked on the seesaw nature of the election results throughout the evening, but ultimately, he felt confident in his victory. “I didn’t want anybody saying congratulations at all until we saw that tick there… but I’m finally feeling very

confident,” said Luck.

Despite this, Luck remains aware of the challenges ahead and is ready to get to work. “We got a lot to work on, opposition or leading party, it doesn’t matter.”

In a post-victory interview, Luck shared his plans for his first days in office, noting that training would be a priority as he steps into a new role in provincial politics. “I’ve never been there before, so they got lots of things to do, and then we’ll see where we go from there,” explained Luck.

Looking ahead to his first 100 days, Luck identified healthcare, housing, and crime as key areas for immediate review and reform. “ I have some ideas for our first 100 days, but it’ll be up to John, he’s the one that will set the agenda, and we’ll go with that,” explained Luck. “I think we’re probably pretty aligned with some of the ideas that we’ve campaigned on, a lot of good ideas, and so there’s some of those things that will have to be done right away.”

“I think there’s, there’s some reviews of some major departments: healthcare needs to be viewed as quickly as possible, we need to get that back on track; BC Housing, just to name a couple to you... and of course, the policing issues too, and the crime we got to get find ways,”

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Luck also emphasized the importance of working across party lines to address the concerns of Fraser-Nicola. “Right now, it looks like we’re a bit of a tie, so we’re going to have to work across party lines to get some of the things we have,” said Luck. “As long as we get the NDP to cooperate with us and work with this, I think we can do well in the House, there’s a lot of things that need to be done, but we’ll need to work on cooperating, as soon as we get some all party committees put together, we’ll work on some of those things, I’m sure.”

Luck emphasized the need for collaboration and practical solutions to address the province’s challenges, urging voters to work together with all communities.

“We need to change things, we need to get moving and bring some common sense back to the province and make sure that we’re working all together here with everybody in our community, including the First Nations,” said Luck. “We gotta resolve some of the issues and get working together hard to resolve them and making British Columbia prosperous again.”

“That’s how we get out of debt, that’s how we make it successful, that’s how we stop some of our children moving to Alberta, we gotta make sure that we’re going to be successful,” added Luck.

Addressing his fellow candidates, Francyne Joe of the B.C. NDP and Jonah Timms of the B.C. Greens, Luck praised their conduct during the campaign trail.

“They were fantastic opponents, they’re really nice people, and we worked really well together. We had a very amicable campaign together, especially at the all-candidates meetings,” said Luck. “We’re very playful and respectful and so I wish them luck in their future endeavors, and all the best as they move forward,” added Luck

As Luck prepares to enter the legislature, he remains focused on delivering the change that voters have called for. “This was a change election, there’s no question about it,” he said, acknowledging the responsibility that comes with his victory. “The electorate wants change, and we got to deliver that to them.”

With preliminary results still to be finalized, Luck looks ahead to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, ready to work for the people of Fraser-Nicola and British Columbia.

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1. Middlesboro Bridge reopens

Michael Potestio CASTANET

The last visible wound on Merritt’s infrastructure from a massive flood in 2021 was officially healed Saturday as the new Middlesboro Bridge opened to public traffic.

The bridge was washed out when an atmospheric river that November sent a deluge of water rushing down the Coldwater River, knocking out the arterial route along Voght Street.

The City of Merritt held a grand reopening ceremony Saturday morning for the bridge that drew about 150 people. The event included a few speeches, a procession of emergency vehicles across the span and a ribbon cutting.

The new-and-improved bridge has been built to withstand more punch than the 2021 storm packed. There’s also a new multiuse path attached to the new bridge that connects to the city’s active transportation network.

“It’s wider, it’s bigger, it’s higher,” Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz said, comparing the new bridge to the previous one.

According to city officials, the new bridge has been built to withstand 500 cubic metres of rushing water per second, whereas the previous bridge was built to withstand 130 cubic metres per second. The flood that knocked the old bridge out was flowing at about 400 cubic meters per second.

“It can withstand significantly more than the last flood,” said Sean Strang, Director of Flood Recovery and Mitigation for the City of Merritt. “Certainly this bridge is built to a much higher standard than the other one was.”

Strang said the reason the former Middlesboro Bridge failed was because it didn’t have support pilings drilled down into the earth, so floodwaters undermined the bridge and it collapsed. He said the new bridge has those pilings drilled down 80 feet

to prevent the bridge from being destroyed again.

“[It’s a] significantly different construction method,” Strang said of the new bridge.

Goetz said the bridge took just a year to construct, and will restore faster access to Collettville and be a boon to the local economy because the bridge is also a link to an industrial part of town, as well as the rodeo grounds.

He said the bridge’s completion also helps make Merritt feel whole again, with the destroyed bridge no longer there to remind the community of the flood’s devastation.

“It’s a very exciting day. It’s a happy day, we’ve got a lot of people here, and we’re just looking forward to having this bridge open again so we can just get back to normal,” Goetz said.

Strang said one unique feature of the 2021 flood was how quickly and without warning the incident happened.

“”It was a bit of a surreal experience,” Strang said of the flooding. “Being here today … it’s like it never happened. We can move on past what happened.”

Merritt resident Ross Stewart lives on a corner lot directly adjacent to the Middlesboro Bridge.

The journeyman carpenter didn’t see the bridge collapse in 2021 because he and his wife had already been evacuated, but he has spent the last year watching construction crews rebuild it.

“They did a beautiful job — I watched every day, and just the quality of the bridge, the engineering, everything is amazing,” he said.

Strang said the hardest part of the bridge project was figuring out how to pay for it.

“A lot of our time was just spent finding the funds and engineering,” he said.

The bridge cost about $14 million to rebuild, with almost all of the cash coming from the provincial government. The City of Merritt chipped in about $800,000 of NOVEMBER 21

its own dollars, but, despite promises, there were no funds sent from Ottawa.

“Feds haven’t given us a penny — all they’ve given us is grief,” Goetz said.

Strang said past federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, while visiting Merritt for the flooding in November 2021, vowed that the government would assistSouthern Interior communities with flood recovery.

Strang said the only avenue the federal government had to do that was a disaster mitigation adaptation fund, for which they invited the City of Merritt to apply. That application, however, was denied.

“They don’t currently have another mechanism, or at least they haven’t told us a mechanism to make good on their word,” Strang said.

“At this current time, we have no word from the federal government on how they plan on making good on their promises, and we’re waiting anxiously to hear from them, because there’s a lot of other work that needs to be done to protect this community.”

Strang said the last big piece of infrastructure that needed to be restored in the

city was the Middlesboro Bridge and he’s looking forward to future flood mitigation work.

Strang said he has “a laundry list” of those projects.

He said there was some diking that was also wiped out in the 2021 flood that needs to be built to a higher standard that gives the rivers more room to move.

“We can’t constrain the river into a small kind of bowling alley corridor, because you’re going to get a flood and it’s going to rip that through,” Strang said.

He said the city currently is prioritizing a naturalization project at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers, in which they are buying out flood destroyed properties and naturalizing the corridor to give the river a chance to decelerate and avoid transferring the risk from fast flowing water downstream.

During the ceremony Goetz said there are still residents fighting for insurance funding for their losses during the flood and Strang said there are still people who have not been able to return to their homes.

SPORTS

Centennials leave BCHL, fresh start in KIJHL

Josh Dawson CASTANET

After celebrating their 51st year in the BC Hockey League, the Merritt Centennials will be making a fresh start in the the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

In a news release, the KIJHL said the Junior A club will be joining the league after being awarded an expansion franchise. The Centennials are withdrawing from the BCHL after having played in the league since 1973.

The club will continue to be known as the Centennials and will begin play in the new league for the 2024/25 season, joining the Bill Ohlhausen division.

The club will move from community-owned to private ownership under Brad Anstey and Daniel Schofield.

The KIJHL said Centennial fans should expect “a number of immediate rivalries to develop” with the Kamloops Storm, Princeton Posse, Kelowna Chiefs and Chase Heat — all located less than 90 minutes from Merritt.

The KIJHL said further details on ticket information, spring camp dates and locations and staffing announcements will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The Centennials have a rich history and this year celebrated their 51st consecutive season of continuous junior hockey in the City of Merritt,” says KIJHL commissioner Jeff Dubois.

“Brad and Daniel have a great vision for a successful and sustainable KIJHL franchise, and our Board of Governors was thrilled to see the tremendous support that exists within the community for a transition to our league.”

The KIJHL said Merritt’s expansion application was unanimously approved by the KIJHL’s Board of Governors and the Centennials will take the place of the Summerland Steam, following that franchise’s relocation to Williams Lake.

“We guarantee our commitment to grow the Centennials brand while building a competitive team with the best of sporting cultures,” Anstey said.

“We are proud to become a member of a league that provides development opportunities for local and provincial players to continue to pursue their hockey goals and dreams.”

MAY 16

MSS Ultimate team wins Okanagan championship for third time in a row

Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz said the upcoming season will hold a “whole new and exciting team” as well as opponents that haven’t previously been seen in the Valley.

“We are very pleased to see the Centennials become part of the KIJHL and we have signed a long-term lease to make sure this new brand of hockey stays and grows in Merritt,” Goetz said.

“We continue to see one of the longestrunning Junior Hockey franchises secure its position for years to come, and we also welcome the new owners and appreciate their investment in keeping Merritt as one of the top hockey cities in B.C.”

Goetz said the city looks forward to drop the puck in the new season.

In a news release, Centennials president Ken Carruthers said the difficult decision was made after an “in-depth analysis” by the club’s board of directors.

“The Board members past and present have worked extremely hard to maintain 51 continuous years of operation in the BCHL but have finally conceded that continuing into the future is no longer viable,” Carruthers said.

“We are confident that the current players and staff can have a great run into the upcoming playoffs. To our community, we hope you will attend over the playoffs and we fill the barn in celebration and pride to the end of 51 hard fought years.”

Laísa Condé editor@merrittherald.com

Merritt Secondary School Ultimate frisbee team clinched their third AA Okanagan Championship in a row.

Taylor Larter, MSS ultimate frisbee team coach, calls the achievement “impressive.”

“Some of these kids have just picked up ultimate this year, some of them joined last year, but there is a core group of students who have had every year that we’ve won, so it’s kind of exciting for them,” he said. “It’s their third year with a banner. We’ve got them displayed up at the front of the school right now and then we’re gonna put them up on our gym wall, so it’s really exciting.”

“I knew it was gonna be tough, so when we had that victory confirmed, it was just like ‘guys, we did it’,” he added.

Larter said that the MSS ultimate team had tougher games during the AA Okanagan Championship since they faced teams that they’ve lost to in previous tournaments.

“There’s some rivalry (between the teams) and added pressure to get back at this team and also prove that we are the better team,” he said. “It was a really tough first game, but we wonn and it was really close.”

The MSS ultimate team will join the other 31 teams heading to provincials now which are set to happen for the first time ever in the Interior.

The tournament capital of Canada, Kamloops, will be hosting the ultimate provin-

Photo/Taylor Larter

cials set to happen between May 23 and 24.

“I’m really excited that it’s in Kamloops, especially since the sport is growing in the Interior,” Larter added.

Larter added that at the end of the day, their goal at provincials is to make into the top eight.

“I mean be cool, like to win it all, obviously, but there’s some really, really good teams that we’re gonna go up against, but it’d be cool if we can make it into the top eight,” he said. “But even if we don’t, we’re still top 16 in the province, we’ve been top 10 for almost an entire season. That’s not something that’s been really held on to before by a Merritt team I think over a decade.”

As they focus on provincials, Larter said that, in terms of strategy, the main thing that they want to be sure of is that every player is comfortable while being on the field.

“We’re really working on having flow in our movements on the field, that’s our biggest thing. If we have flow, we can tackle whatever comes up against us,” he added. “We got also a couple of tricks up our sleeves with some plays, but we’ll see what happens there.”

“It’s been an amazing season. We’ve won West South three years running, we’ve won Okkanagan for three years running, we’re going to provincials for a third time. I don’t know the last time there’s been a team sport at the high school that’s had such success nor such positive community building experience.”

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

OCTOBER 31

Indigenous coaches lead local athletes to historic performance at lacrosse competition

Two local Indigenous athletes and two Indigenous coaches made history at the Men’s World Sixes lacrosse tournament in Vancouver.

Coaches Wayne Kaboni and Bernard ‘Buzz’ Manuel led the charge, bringing their extensive knowledge and passion for the game to inspire the young athletes.

Kaboni, who has been coaching lacrosse for over a decade, emphasized the importance of cultural representation.

“Never even thought in my wildest dreams that I would be coaching against two Olympic teams,” he said. “It was just an honour to be able to get the kids motivated to understand how important it was for them to show up and represent their communities.”

Manuel added that the team was there representing their families, communities, nation and Indigenous Peoples as a whole, not just themselves.

“We were all pulled together by the Creator to come and play this game for the people and to spread awareness and spread the love of lacrosse,” he said.

Joining them at the tournament, local athletes Dakota GrismerVoght and Marcelo Raygn Bose have been pivotal in their community’s lacrosse scene.

“Being able to represent my community was very cool,” Bose said. “It’d be nice if we got to do it more.”

“It was really cool to be able to represent not just one nation, but everybody,” Grismer-Voght said. “It was awesome to be able to show everybody that (lacrosse) is a native sport.”

Throughout the competition, Team Indigenous played against both Team Canada and Team Mexico Olympic teams. During two matches against Team Mexico, Team Indigenous came very close to winning but the final score were 17-15 and 18-17 to the Olympic team.

“It was an opportunity that we wouldn’t usually get, especially Merritt kids,” coach Kaboni said.

“Before our first game there were lots of little hiccups, but the team evolved and in the second game we got better, and in the third game we got better… They were fairly close games for the most part. We were beating Team Mexico in the last two games and we ran out of gas, not knowing how to play under pressure.”

For a team that was put together at the very last minute, coach Kaboni praises their achievement.

“It was a pretty good achievement for the kids. We had a great coaching staff too, we balanced ourselves in terms of technical skills, motivation and getting the key team to keep thinking ahead and looking at the opportunity,” he added.

Manuel shared his most memorable moment of the competition, highlighting the game against Team Canada.

“I think it was our second game on Saturday night. The boys were down, we were playing Canada and their energy level was so high, but their concentration level was even higher,” Manuel said.

“For them to put the egos down and to just come together and play as a team that was a really powerful moment, because there was a lot of tension built up in the first two or three games, and then they eventually outgrew that for a few minutes, and they all played really hard as a team, and that’s when we scored the most goals against Canada.”

As for young Indigenous players aspiring to compete at higher levels in lacrosse, all four of them advise them to never lose hope.

“Keep your head down and keep working, the opportunities will come,” Bose said. “There shouldn’t be any reason that you should quit, because the opportunities are what makes sports… you should always strive to be a better version of yourself.”

“Play hard, have fun and be open to learning and playing other positions, be open about playing with a different team, different coach, different town, different kids and just have fun,” Manuel added.

For Grismer-Voght, focusing is the key for success and future opportunities.

“I feel like the work is not actually training and practice, it’s focusing on that goal and not getting distracted by what your friends want to do,” he said.

“If you love it, stick with it. I think that’s the biggest advice.”

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THE CHURCHES OF MERRITT WELCOME YOU

Crossroads Community Church

2990 Voght St. • 250-378-2911

Service Time: Sundays 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

Laísa Condé editor@merrittherald.com

Photos/Wayne Kaboni

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

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MERRITT &DISTRICT HOSPICE SOCIETY

When you provide an opportunity for a dying person to tell their

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Email: merritthospice@shaw.ca

&DISTRICT HOSPICE SOCIETY

Listening is sacred. Whenever you can do that for someone, you are honouring them.

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Email: merritthospice@shaw.ca

MERRITT &DISTRICT HOSPICE SOCIETY

There is much talk these days about ‘closure’. Saying good-bye to someone we love, even after they have died, doesn’t require that we put an end to the relationship.

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RaymondPreston Finlay

September24,1933 -December8,2024

Itiswithgreatsadnessthatweannouncethe peacefulpassingofRaymondPrestonFinlayon December8,2024withhislovingfamilybyhis side.

RayissurvivedbyhislovingwifeMargaretof 69years,hisdaughterLaVerne(Dan)McCuaig ofKamloops,BC,sonDelbert(Jean)Finlayof LoganLake,BC.Alsosurvivedbyhisgrandchildren Christine,Nicholas(Amanda),MitchellandLance (Kathryn)andhisgreatgrandchildrenJosephine, Maximus,GabriellaandAyla.Raywaspredeasedbyhis sonWilliamEarlin1977andhissonMathewin1964.

Raywasbornona farmnearPortageLaPrairie,Manitoba,thesecondoldestof 11 children.Heleftthefarmattheageof14tomakehisownwayintheworld. RaywenttoworkinVirden,Manitobaandafterseveralyearsmettheloveofhis life,MargaretBlack.RayandMargaretmarriedin1955andforseveralyears movedaroundbetweenBCandManitobaworkingindifferentoccupations.In 1966RayandMarg broughttheiryoungfamilytoMerrittBCintheNicola ValleyandRaywenttoworkasa miner.HeworkedundergroundatCraigmont mineuntilthemid70’sthenworkedatvariousminesintheHighlandValleyuntil hisretirementin1997.

RayspentseveralyearscoachinghissonsinminorhockeyinMerrittandhis teamswonseveraltournamentsoverseveralseasons.

RayandMargaretspentmanysummerstravellingbacktothePrairiesintheir motorhometovisitfamilyandfriends.

Raywasespeciallyproudofhishomeandyardtakinggreatpridewhenthe neighborswouldcommentonhowimmaculatehisyardlooked.Raywasknown as“TheKingofCastillou”ashespenthourskeepingthesidewalksand roadwaysclearedofdebrisforhisneighbors.Raylovedhisgardenandlovedto spendtimenurturingiteveryyear.Hebelievedintheterm“don’tfencemein” andneverhadfencesinthefrontorbackofhisproperty.Thedrawbackover theyearswasthelocaldeerpopulationfeedingoffhisprideandjoy.

Raylovedtoplaytheguitar. Whether“jamming”atfamilyget-togethers, playingwithhisbandattheSeniorsCenterinMerrittorstrummingbyhimselfat home,healwaysenjoyedplaying.

Heenjoyedhunting,fishing,golf(andunlimitedmulligans)andespecially lovedplayingpoolathishomeorathisson'swithhischildren,grandchildren andfriends.Raywasverycompetitiveandwouldn’tletyoustopplayinguntilhe wontherubbermatch.HelovedplayingcribandWiiGolf.

Raywasfortunateandblessedtoliveinhishomeuntil ashortperiodbefore hispassing.

Ray’sfamilyareverygratefulforthecareRayreceivedattheNicola Valley Hospitalandwonderfulstaff there,fortheyearsofcarehereceivedfromhis familyphysicianDr. McLeodofMerritt,BCandforthecarehereceivedfrom Dr.ShawnaSuchiyaandthestaffatPonderosaLodge,wherehelivedforhislast fewweeksbeforepassing.

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HOURS: FullTime–35hrs/wk

DESCRPTION: ReportingtotheSocialDevelopmentCoordinator,theCommunityConnections Navigatorwillberesponsibleforhelpingcommunitymembersnavigatechallengeswhile supportingthewellbeingofindividualsandfamiliesinaholisticmanner.TheCommunity ConnectionsYouthNavigatormustuseacollaborativeapproachwitheachcommunitymember tosupporteachpersoninachievingtheirgoals.

SpecificDutiesandResponsibilities: PerformsalldutiesandresponsibilitiesinaccordancewiththeColdwaterIndianBand policies,standards,andprocedures,andasdirectedbytheFinanceCoordinator.Maintains confidentialityinallmatterstotheaffairsoftheColdwaterIndianBand. 1.Provideinformationandlinkagetoappropriatecommunityservices; 2.Guideandmotivateduringimportantperiodsofdevelopmentintheirwellnessjourney; 3.AcceptreferralsfromCommunity,SocialWorkers,othercommunityservicesandetc.; 4.Outreachandengagementinthewiththecommunity; 5.Developandmaintainparticipantdrivenintegratedwellnessplans; 6.Advocateforparticipants’needs; 7.Supportparticipantstobuildcapacityinareassuchascommunication, self-advocacy andrelationships; 8.Participatewithteaminprovidingdeliverableactivitiesorinformation. 9.Participateinteammeetings; 10.Maintainaccuraterecords; 11.Otherrelateddutiesasassigned.

RequirementofCommunityConnectionsNavigator •DiplomaorDegreeinSocialWork(otherrelatedfieldswillbeconsidered); •ExperienceworkingwithFirstNationsCommunity; •AccesstoreliablevehicleandcurrentDriver’slicense; •PassableCriminalRecordCheckandDriver’sAbstract; •Ableandwillingtoworksomeeveningsandweekends.

Deadlineforsubmissions:January26th,2024 Onlythoseapplicantsselectedforaninterviewwillbecontacted. PleaseforwardResumeandCoverLetterto: CynthiaL.Jager,SocialDevelopmentCoordinator,cynthia@coldwaterband.org POBox4600,Merritt,BC,V1K1B8

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Email:

ACelebrationofRay’slifewillbeheldintheSpringof2025athis son'spropertyinLoganLake,BC.

SUDOKU

Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

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1. Americans’ “uncle”

4. Chair

8. Ancient kingdom

10. Egyptian city 11. Alaskan glacier

12. One from Somalia

13. Ancient alphabets

15. Relating to vocabulary

16. Small mongrels

17. Natural settings

18. Weekend entertainments

21. Line from which light seemingly streams

22. Your own private code