Merritt Herald October 20, 2022

Mike Goetz elected Mayor of Merritt

INSIDE

Opinion

eds

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The race for the office of Mayor in the City of Merritt has come to an end, with former City Councillor Mike Goetz defeating the incumbent Mayor, Linda Brown, and securing a four year mandate in City Hall. Goetz will be the chair of a council that is entirely new, with the exception of Councillor Adam Etchart, who was re-elected in a landslide victory.

The City of Merritt will have a new Mayor beginning November 1, when Mayor-Elect Goetz and his new council will be sworn in at City Hall. Goetz earned a convincing win on Saturday night, garnering 859 votes compared to Tony Luck’s 700, Linda Brown at 565, and Mike

Bhangu at 267. This result came as a surprise to many in the community, with Councillor Tony Luck being the perceived frontrunner for most of the campaign. Goetz said that he is pleased with the result, and looks forward to leading the newly elected City Council to a successful term.

“It feels great, I’m very happy, and I’m super excited about the council that has been elected,” said Goetz.

“I think we’ve got an absolutely strong council that covers all the aspects of what we want to do at City Hall. I’m super happy to be Mayor, and I’m very happy we have elected such a dynamic council.”

This was not Goetz’s first foray

into municipal politics, with him serving a decade on City Council between 2008 and 2018. Goetz said he took a four year break from politics for personal reasons, but entered the race for Mayor earlier after a year of great personal loss in 2021. Now successful in his bid, the MayorElect looks to start work as soon as possible.

Dana Egan, Paul Petroczi, Wendy Charney, Adam Etchart, Manuel Olguin, and Claire Newman will make up Merritt’s new City Council, and Goetz said he gets a “positive vibe” from his new team. Eager to get started, the newly elected local officials will now enter a comprehensive five day orientation. Once sworn in, Goetz said his priority will be flood recovery.

“The flooding funding to fix the dikes, I know there’s been some uncertainty this week about the funding and whether it was actually there or not. We need to get on that right away, and if the funding isn’t there, then we need to find out why it’s not, where it is, and how we can get it flowing so we can get this diking fixed. That will be the main thing we start doing,” added Goetz.

Now-outgoing Mayor Linda Brown says while the result was disappointing, it was not unexpected. Brown said she felt there was a lack of unity at the current city council table, citing the November 2021 flood as a main cause of contention. She also recognized the anger of many residents of Merritt with

the City of Merritt around the flooding event, and said that her role as Mayor made her a target.

“We saw an implosion of Council around the time of the floods,” said Brown.

“I think council overall was part of the problem. We were not united at that point, we weren’t speaking the same language. This was a problem our staff had to deal with. I’m okay with taking the brunt end, if staff stays out of it, but I would have appreciated less criticism. Not to say that they can’t criticise my moves of things that they didn’t approve of, but I think the campaigning began around that time.”

Moving forward, Brown said that she and her husband now plan to retire, which

she had put off to run for Mayor in 2018. Brown said she felt as if she wasn’t finished in public service at that time, but feels okay walking away now after the message from voters. The outgoing Mayor added that she will help facilitate Goetz’s transition into the Mayor’s office.

“I want Merritt to be successful and I want MayorElect Goetz to be successful, so therefore I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get him into his new role. He’s been out of it for four years, so he’s got some catching up to do,” said Brown.

Goetz, along with Merritt’s team of six councillors, will be sworn in at their inaugural council meeting on November 1, 2022 in the Council Chambers at Merritt City Hall.

WEATHER

WEATHER

Oct. 20: Cloudy 13°/4°C

Oct. 21: 80% Rain 9°/1°C

Oct. 22: 70% Rain 9°/-3°C

Oct. 23: Partly Cloudy 9°/-6°C Oct. 24: 60% Rain 9°/-2°C Oct. 25: 60% Snow 8°/-4°C

merrittherald.com Online

INTERNET SCAMS

A local computer tech service here in the Nicola Valley said that the recent rate of calls he has been receiving to deal with scamming cases have dramatically increased.

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FAMILY DAY

Nicola Valley Food Bank have hosted a family day at Smith Pioneer Park on Sunday, October 16, to honour and celebrate volunteers of their November 2021 flood relief efforts.

Search ‘VOLUNTEER’

PEOPLE S

Merritt Herald2021 CPeople’s hoice AWARD

PBest izza

Merritt voters elect new City Council, one incumbent remains

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Merritt City Council will see five new faces pull up a seat at the table starting November 1, when the new council made up of Dana Egan, Paul Petroczi, Wendy Charney, incumbent Adam Etchart, Manuel Olguin, and Claire Newman is sworn in. While two incumbents, Councillors Adam Etchart and Melvina White, ran for reelection, only Etchart made the cut.

A crowded field of 18 candidates for the six seats on Merritt City Council caused some tight races in this municipal elec tion, with Claire Newman nabbing the last seat by just 89 votes, and leav ing only a four vote

difference between second and third place. A total of 2,391 votes were cast during this election, represent ing an estimated 43 percent voter turn out. This is down from the 2018 municipal election, which saw a 47 percent turnout. Elections staff say despite the aver age turnout, those counting were kept busy and worked to serve voters all day and well into the night.

“I’m incred ibly proud of the team that we had in city hall doing the counting,” said Greg Lowis, chief election officer for the City of Merritt.

“This entire counting process was done in full compliance, and following strict

instructions, of division 14 of the Local Government Act. This empha sizes when and where counting needs to be done, who may be pres ent, how the counting needs to happen, how ballot boxes get opened and combined, and procedures.”

After the clos ing of polls at 8PM, ballot boxes were brought to the Council Chambers in City Hall, where candi dates, scrutineers, and members of the media were invited to watch the hand counting of ballots. Due to the high number of ballots cast and a limited count ing crew, results were released in a staggered manner.

Mayoral results were announced at approximately 11:30, while

Trustee results came roughly an hour later. Results for council were not announced until 3:45AM.

While the City used vote counting machines during its last municipal election, ballots were hand counted by election workers this time around. Many locals have questioned the change back to hand counting, which Lowis said took place mainly due to a disconnect between previous election staff and this year’s team. He added that while he apologizes for the confusion and not clarifying commu nity expectations more, the process was fully transpar ent and followed strict protocols.

“I have now discovered that

Escape Room Fun

Last week was the celebration of Fire Prevention Week, a week long observance of fire safety.

VIEWPOINT

IZAIAH REYES HERALD EDITOR

In taking part of this week, our local fire department has decided to organize an escape room in their fire station. Last week, we were invited by Gareth Tilt of the Merritt Fire and Rescue Department to try it out for ourselves, Marius and I happily obliged.

The premise of the escape room was simple, find Sparky the dog in the fire station, clues had been laid out to his whereabouts and we had 45 minutes to find him.

There were six locations we had to clear one by one in order to move on. The objective was to figure out numbers for the various combination locks unlocking boxes of clues.

The challenge was clear enough that you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed but it was challenging enough that you need to do it quick. In the end we managed to finish the course in 44 minutes and 15 seconds. Yes we cut it close, but winning is winning so I’m happy how it turned out.

In my honest opinion, creative ideas like this escape room really helps promote ideas such as fire safety because the fun experience will always remind people of the important lessons behind it. I look forward to next year’s version and suggest that the station turn up the heat on the thermostat for added effect.

OPINION

Herald Junior Reporters

Grads prepare for Haunted House fundraiser

Speak up

From the Herald archives: October, 1976

GURSIMAR NAGRA MSS

With Halloween just creeping around the corner, it’s finally time to dive into the festivities!

Merritt Secondary

School (MSS) grads of 2023 are getting ready to combine their creativity with the City of Merritt Recreational Department to put together their most anticipated Halloween event of the year: the haunted house.

A few years back, the rec department started recruiting yearly

MSS grad classes to pull off the haunted house fundraiser, allowing for a phenomenal community experience and an equally successful fundraiser. All the money raised from this event will be used to assure that the Civic Centre can be used as the prom venue for grads this year.

On Wednesday,

October 26, from 5 p.m. 7 p.m., grads will be hosting a family friendly night for anyone that isn’t in for the scare. This evening will just be a casual walk through the haunted house, with dim lights, but no pop-up characters or anything extreme (perfect for young children). Thursday, October 27, and

Friday, October 29, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. are Fright Nights! These evenings will be filled with spine-chilling characters, sinister animatronics, and eerie music to stimulate all senses.

Coordinator of the haunted house, Felicity Peat said, “Our goal with the Fright Nights is to have you screaming in fear, want-

ing it to end but being curious to see what will happen next.”

It’s safe to say that residents of Merritt should be prepared for the

fright of their lives on Fright Night! Tickets will be sold at the door (at the Merritt Civic Centre) for $2 per person, or $10 per family of six.

Tegart: “A ‘thank you’ to all who served our communities”

MERRITT RCMP BOMBED

With municipal elections now behind us, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our outgoing mayors, councillors, regional district representatives and school board trustees.

With so many communities represented in our riding of FraserNicola, there are a great many individuals who

served at the local government level, sharing their skills and perspectives to achieve great things. They also forged important relationships with other levels of government and with people in the communities they represented. Their decisions led to important improvements in infrastructure and in the local services and programs we all depend on.

Thank you for your service and commitment to making our neighbourhoods better.

I also want to extend a warm welcome to our

incoming local representatives, and express my commitment to work hand-inhand with you to bring further benefits to our communities. Our cities, towns and villages in FraserNicola continue to face challenges — whether it’s rebuilding from climate events; helping business owners and tourism operators recover from the pandemic; trying to improve people’s access to timely health care; or making our streets safer for all — just to name a few.

Putting one’s name forward for election is never easy. It takes a lot of thought and careful consideration, and a fair bit of cour-

age. Candidates worry about the impact this new role could have on their families.

They wonder if they have what it takes to carry out

this challenging but rewarding job. It’s no easy feat, but I know that all of our newlyelected mayors, councillors, directors and trust-

ees will quickly demonstrate their capabilities and their deep love for community. I wish them well as they embark on this exciting journey.

Investigations are underway into the bombing of a Merritt R.C.M.P. patrol car here recently. According to police sources, an explosive, probably dynamite, was detonated under the car’s left front side at 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 12, 1976. The vehicle was parked behind Merritt detachment’s office. Merritt R.C.M.P. officers are being assisted in their search for a suspect and motive.

LETTERS

POLICY

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

JACKIE TEGART VIEW FROM LEGISLATURE

City of cials comment on voting process

From

it was relatively unusual to have a B.C. municipal election as a hand count, but this was done in full and very strict compli ance with the Local

Government Act. We had candidates and scrutineers watching every step of the process,” said Lowis.

“Although the process definitely wasn’t as fast as I think some people expected it to be,

it was undoubtedly transparent and accountable, and I think that the candidates are all very confident with the result that came out of it , which is the most important thing in an elec tion.”

John Chenoweth, Justin Jepsen, and Gordon Swan were elected to a four year term on School District 58’s Board of Education. A fourth candidate, Robert Leech, came short of

being elected. Mike Goetz beat out incumbent Mayor Linda Brown, and two former City Councillors, for the top spot at City Hall.

For full results, visit www.merritt. ca/election22.

ROMEO & CONSUELO VILLANUEVA Owners, Romeo’s No Frills®

Logan Lake election results

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Residents of the District of Logan Lake head ed to the polls on Saturday, October 15, to elect a new council, and to cast a vote for Mayor for the first time since 2008.

Newly re-elected Mayor Robin Smith sought and secured the con fidence of voters for another four year mandate, fac ing a challenger for the first time since becom ing Mayor in 2011. Smith won over rival candi date Jacqueline Newman with a convincing 71.5 percent of the vote.

Three of four incumbent Councillors seek ing reelection were successful in their bids, with Councillors Peter Martell, Marion Bell, and Garry Youd securing another four years in office. They

will be joined by political newbies

Lawrence Hart, Chris Candy, and Jim McNeely to form Logan Lake’s new city council.

Mayor Smith says the campaign was a chance to engage voters and narrow down what the Mayor and Council’s priorities should be moving forward.

“When you have to go through the process of actually having a bit of a campaign to run, I think that you have an opportunity to also speak to the people and con nect with them. I definitely welcome the competition, it’s never a bad thing,” said Smith.

“We heard a lot through the election that hous ing is clearly on everyone’s mind, mainly affordable housing and senior accessibility. We heard a lot about

youth and what sort of facilities we have available for them. We’re always having to advocate for health and emer gency services, that’s part of what we do on a regular basis.”

Incumbent

Mayor Smith defeated rival Jacqueline Newman by 259 votes, garner ing 425 votes to Newman’s 166.

On Council, Peter Martell was elect ed with 416 votes, Marion Bell with 407, Lawrence Hart with 379, Chris Candy with 351, Gary Youd with 348, and Jim McNeely nab bing the last spot with 327 votes.

Kristina Froment and incumbent Allan Smith did not make the cut, earning 316 and 232 votes, respec tively.

The District of Logan Lake’s Mayor and Council meet twice monthly at

the District office, and meetings are open to the public. Smith said that she and the new council are excited to get to work on the issues that matter most to Logan Lake resi dents.

“I’m really looking forward to sitting down with the new council, we have three returning members and three new mem bers. We’ll be going through the strategic planning process with them and flushing out some of the ideas that they may have, and getting moving on a path to success,” added Smith.

“We’ve got some really good coverage at our table, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do for Logan Lake.”

For full results of Logan Lake’s election, visit https://loganlake. ca/news-releases/

preliminaryelection-results2022-district-oflogan-lake/.

NICOLA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Thursday November 17 at 5:30 pm

1990 Chapman Street (St. Michael’s Hall)

Join us to learn more about our Volunteer shared harvest program (participate in caring for the gardens and share in the harvest) and Community harvest support program (support to local food security organizations). For more information contact us at nicolavalleycommunitygardens@gmail com

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rlpmerit@telus.net Helping you is what we do.

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Literacy

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Literacy Merritt is looking for volunteers to join the One to One children’s lit eracy program.

The volun teers will assist in developing read ing skills of young children of the Nicola Valley.

One to One is a reading program where volunteers will devote two hours of their time weekly to help develop young students’ reading skills.

Tutors read with three students for 30 minutes each at a local elemen tary school once a week, for 10-12 weeks.

“One to One is a program that promotes children’s read ing skills,” said Literacy Outreach Coordinator Kelly Reid. “Generally we help students up to Grade 4 who struggle with certain aspects of reading. They are identified by student support workers at the school”

The program was developed by reading experts with the Vancouver School Board and volun teers back in 1989. Since then, it has been adopted by local communities throughout B.C. and Alberta.

In Merritt, One to One is available for stu dents in Diamond Vale Elementary, Bench Elementary, Nicola Canford Elementary,

Collettville Elementary, and Merritt Central Elementary.

“We generally start mid-October for session one and it runs until about February,” said Reid. “Session two starts in February and runs until the end of May.”

This year marks the return of the program, as it has been on a twoyear hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thrilled to get back into the schools and read with the children.” said Literacy Merritt Chair Lia Moyes Larson. “By vol unteering just a few hours once a week, tutors can make a real dif ference, and help

in action

a child develop a love of reading to last a lifetime.”

“We’re down slightly for the amount of vol unteers we have compared to when the program was run but there’s several new people that have already come forward from the commu nity,” said Reid.

“We have done this on an annual basis before and some people have stayed on for years.”

The pro gram has lasted in Merritt long enough for some of the students to become volunteers themselves.

“As a child I went to One to One at Collettville, the volunteers helped me so much, they were all kind and patient,” said

volunteer reader, Rory Crerar.

“I didn’t think twice when the opportunity came to me to be a vol unteer tutor, being able to give back to the same pro gram that helped me was a wonder ful experience. The One to One program is a huge asset to our com munity, I hope the program is suc cessful for years to come.”

Volunteers attend a threehour training ses sion and a school orientation before their tutoring sessions begin. Training sessions will be offered in October. For more information, or to register, email literacymerritt@ gmail.com or call (250) 378-7844.

BDC hosts 43rd annual Small Business Week

neurs and local businesses driving the Canadian economy.

To celebrate local businesses and entrepreneurs across Canada, BDC hosts Small Business Week, a week-long event which highlights resources and training for entrepreneurs, hosted by BDC and their many partners across Canada.

“Small Business Week was created by BDC employees in B.C.,” said Flavie Côté, senior advisor for media relations at BDC.

“BDC employees in British Columbia organized a week of small business management training sessions for entre preneurs, so it started out west in 1979.”

Côté also noted that the week-long event was officially launched nationwide in 1981.

important given the current climate of our economy.”

There are a number of challenges faced by small businesses during this period of economic recovery. Inflation, worker shortages as well as supply chain disruptions factor into the struggles of sustaining small businesses.

“What we’re doing this year is invit ing entrepreneurs to dare to do things differently,” Côté explained.

“The idea is to say ‘you can be more productive but how can you improve on it?’ We have tips and advices we are sharing this week as part of our ses sions.”

neurs since 1944.”

This year’s small business week was kicked off by BDC President and CEO Isabelle Hudon, hosting a virtual event on Monday, October 17, discussing entrepreneurial innovation through these uncertain times.

The kick-off event was then followed by BDC’s Vice President, Research and Chief Economist Pierre Cléroux’s talk on Tuesday, October 18. He reveals the results of BDC’s recent research about business profitability, resiliency, and competitiveness.

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The 43rd annual Business

Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Small Business Week is taking place this year from October 16 to October 22. The celebration highlights the entrepre

“Since the beginning, the event has always been balancing two things; cel ebrating entrepreneurs and their spirit, and giving them valuable advice and insights on how to grow their business or how to address current challenges,” she explained.

“To be an entrepreneur, you have to be brave, resilient, and be willing to take risks. This year is particularly

BDC is a Crown Corporation who supports Canadian businesses through financing, advisory services and capi tal. The company has clients who have employed 1 million Canadians and have generated $350 billion in revenue.

“We’re committed to the long-term success of Canadian entrepreneurs and we understand that a business is more than just dollars and cents,” said BDC in their official website.

“We complement the role played by the private sector financial institutions have been serving Canadian entrepre

Simultaneously, several webinar events are taking place with differ ent organizations and Chambers of Commerce across the country tying their events together with Small Business Week.

“The partners that jump in make Small Business Week really big,” said Côté. “Across the nation, everybody’s doing an event. It’s just something that broadens BDC’s reach and we’re just happy that it has been working out this well, since 1979.”

To learn more about Small Business Week and to check out future online events, please visit www.bdc.ca.

Red Cross awards ood affected business owners funding

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Canadian Red Cross is offering small business and nonprofit organiza tions affected by the November 2021 flooding event a one-time tax free pay ment of $5000. The program was origi nally announced in July of 2022 with a September 30 deadline, which has now been extended to November 30, 2022. The Red Cross hopes to support business es in bearing the cost of flood recovery, including lost revenue, insurance deduct

ibles, and non-insurable losses.

A number of businesses in the Nicola Valley have benefited from the funding, including Kyle Hall of Empty Keg Brew House on Voght Street. Hall co-owns the local brewery with wife Kelly, with the Brew House being among the many busi nesses forced to close when the entire City of Merritt was evacuated due to flood ing on November 15, 2021. Hall said he heard about the Red Cross program from another business owner in Merritt.

“I’ve been trying to tell other businesses about it, simply because there are so many

affected by the flooding,” said Hall, who also received the benefit from the Red Cross.

“The application process takes less than five minutes, and there’s up to $5000 in tax free funds available. That’ll help with the loss of revenue during and after the flood. It’s something that will help a lot of businesses and a lot of nonprofits.”

Hall said he has heard of a handful of other businesses taking advantage of the program, and hopes to encourage oth ers to apply before the deadline. Hall is no stranger to the Canadian Red Cross,

having donated funds raised at the Empty Keg to them during both the flooding event and the Lytton wildfire. While most businesses in the downtown core were unaffected by flood waters, the monthlong shutdown and slow recovery period has cost the local economy greatly. The Canadian Red Cross hopes to offset some of the burden with this funding.

To qualify for the funding, small busi nesses and non-profit organizations must meet the following minimum require ments:

From Page 12

• Were unable to operate for 10 consecu tive days or more fol lowing the floods and extreme weather event OR

• Incurred physical damage

to their buildings, equipment or inventory and that is not covered by insur ance OR

• Have expe rienced challenges operating at full (100%) capacity

due to local infrastruc ture issues within the community where they are based (for exam ple, but not limited to potable water avail ability, road access to the business or organiza tion).

Qualifying small businesses and nonprofits must also be in an area that was impacted by the floods and extreme weather event in British Columbia begin ning on November 14, 2021, have 50 employees or less, and have a net income of less than $350,000.

“Our experience has shown that small businesses

and not-for-profit organizations play a vital role in the long-term recov ery of individuals and communities following an emer gency,” said Pat Quealey, vice presi dent of BC and Yukon Red Cross.

“Thanks to the support of our donors, this assistance will help those small busi nesses and not-forprofit organizations impacted by the 2021 flooding and extreme weather event, and ultimate ly the individuals and families who rely on their ser vices.”

For more infor mation on the Canadian Red Cross’s support of small businesses and nonprofits, or to apply for fund ing, visit www.red cross.smapply.ca.

Our Mission

At the Legion, we are guided by three pillars: Remember, Join & Give

Dart Night: Tuesdays at 7:00 pm (sign-up 6:30 pm) & Meat Draw: Saturdays at 2:30pm

nearly 55,000

serving veterans, ex-service personnel, seniors,

and many aspects of

Remembering allows us to reflect and honour long-term veterans and their families, and to be here to support a new generation of veterans.

Joining is all about membership and volunteering—the Legion is where belonging matters, and where you can make a real difference with your time and talent

Giving means saying “Thank You” and “I care about my community”—with your cheque book, credit card—even your cell phone! Your financial contributions make a world of difference.

Branch #96, 1940 Quilchena Ave, Merritt Phone: 250-378-5631 or 250-315-9148

e-mail: jo-libra@telus.net

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Province of B.C. is introduc ing a property tax relief that could potentially aid small businesses and non-profit organizations. Through new municipal property tax rate flexibility

being placed for the 2023 tax year, B.C. Municipalities will have the abil ity to reduce tax rates for eligible property owners. Small businesses and non-profit organizations pay ing high property

taxes because of future development potential may see some financial relief

“Local govern ments have been asking for a tool to help support small businesses and non-profits in their communities under the weight

of increasing costs,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Finance.

“We listened to those concerns and rolled up our sleeves. This new program will empower local governments to provide muchneeded relief with

Story continues on Page 15

an effective longterm solution that fits the individual needs of commu nities.”

A Property Assessment Strategic Review was launched in 2019 to create long-term solutions for small busi nesses with respect to property tax mitigation. The tax change is an outcome of this review, replac ing the Interim Business Property Tax Relief pro gram introduced in March 2020.

“B.C.’s small businesses and non-profits are an integral part of our economy and our commu nities, and this is one of the ways we’re helping them recover and grow,”

said Robinson. “I want to thank the many partners that helped us develop an effective and usable solution to this issue.”

BC Assessment considers the high est and best use of a property when determining the assessed value. However, with the announced tax rate flexibility, munici palities will be able to identify proper ties within their community where property taxes are affected by highdensity develop ment potential. From there, the municipalities can choose which properties receive the relief and set the percentage of land that will be taxed at the lower rate.

“The Province is committed to collaboration with our local govern ment partners to deliver programs and policies that meet the unique needs of each community,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “This tool will empower local governments to help non-profits and small busi nesses thrive.”

The tax relief tool will be avail able to eligible properties for as long as five years, coming at a time when rising assessed values and associated property taxes are leaving some small businesses with unsustainable cost increases.

“The legislation introduced today addresses a con

cern that has been raised by UBCM’s members,” said Jen Ford, president, Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM). “This change enables local governments to provide tax relief for commer cial properties that have seen dramatic increases in the assessed value of their land. Local governments were consulted as a part of the process of developing this legislation, and I welcome the Province’s action to address this issue.”

For more infor mation about the changes to support small businesses and non-profit organizations, please visit: https://working foryou.gov.bc.ca/ legislation.

We understand life happens.

Legal services for your family & business:

• Real Estate

• Wills & Estates

• Business

Call us for a consultation today

Established to suppor t the Nicola Valley business community, the Merritt & District Chamber of Commerce provides it ’s members with exclusive benefits, discounts, and a voice for chang e . Get involved in char ting the course for business and economic development in Merritt by becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce or go fur ther and become a Director! All businesses are welcome to join! Check out the new website at: https://www.merrittchamber.com

Ben van der Gracht & Jacob M Brown

Chamber connects local businesses

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce is reminding the community that they are ready to support local business, and looks to recruit more small businesses and individuals to join their membership. While the Chamber currently has no full-time staff, the organization’s small Board of Directors are determined to support commerce in the Nicola Valley as they look to expand their presence in the community.

The Merritt Chamber was established in 1906 - five years

before the City of Merritt’s own incorporation. Since then, the Chamber has connected local business owners and organizations with

each other, and with a plethora of resources and advocacy services.

Members of the Chamber enjoy a host of benefits, including advocacy services, local

information and contacts, health benefits for business owners, and a number of other resources for businesses in the Nicola Valley. The key focus of the

Merritt Skin and Aesthetics

Dr R. Granger has had a ver y specialized and ver y busy cancer surger y practice. His areas of surgical expertise include liver, pancreatic, esophageal and colon cancer and is also well known for being one of the top melanoma specialists He continues to work on a part time basis as a trauma surgeon and cancer screening for colonoscopy and gastroscopies. He has studied aesthetics for four years now including varicose veins, laser skin care, micro needling, Botox and Fillers. This works well in our practice because he can screen all patients for melanoma prior to removal of any pigmented lesions at our clinic. Aside from this he has recently been certified in clinically proven health and wellness. Diana Granger is a nurse and has practiced for years in ICU, CCU and emergency at Royal Columbian Hospital and in her husbands practice managing the office arranging all referrals and appointments with cancer agencies, surgeries, biopsies, imaging and lab work plus much, much more. She has studied aesthetics for the last four years and is certified for all procedures provided.

•

Laser Pigmented Lesion Removal including age spots and sun spots.

• Safe Laser Facials, and fine Vein treatments.

We offer The Skin Pen the only Canadian Health approved, Physician directed micro needling pen with or without PRP for both hair growth, skin rejuvenation and collagen stimulation. We also treat sun damage ver y effectively with the skin pen and acne which we have a passion for

We offer:

• Derm ID that photographs the skin in UV light to pick up any areas of concern and damage that we need to work on.

• Skin Peels with the AFA system again only physician directed.

• Acne Skin Peel with the AFA system also physician directed.

• The Sylfirm X an outstanding state of the art Micro needling RF system for collagen and elastin induction, acne treatment and skin tightening and lifting.

• AquaFirme Medical Facial for brightening, exfoliating and nourishing the skin. Plus so much more.

continues

From

Chamber is pro viding a network for collaboration between small busi nesses and other community stake holders, and the Board is excited about the possi bilities as the local Chamber expands.

“The power of partnerships can not be overstated, we grow faster and attain common goals when we col laborate with oth ers. I am excited about the possi bilities partnerships create and how we can provide exceptional value to the Merritt business commu nity as a result,” said Margaret Hohner, chair of the Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce.

“The Nicola Valley has always

had a vibrant and inclusive business community, and I want to make sure that we continue to provide relevant support to our cur rent members and invite new mem bers to the table.”

The Merritt Chamber has part nerships with a number of organi zations in the com munity, and across the province. They regularly team up with the Kamloops and BC Chambers of Commerce, along with other local business organizations such as Community Futures. Hohner says these part nerships have been invaluable. The Chamber also partners with the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology

(NVIT) to offer the Access Student Talent program, which provides local small busi nesses with a con nection to a ready supply of student employees from the school.

Meeting on the third Thursday of each month at noon, the Chamber hopes to see more atten dance at upcoming meetings. Hohner says the organiza tion’s Board of Directors is keen to get going with their next projects, and is looking to recruit more Chamber members and directors for the board. With provincial fund ing dwindling, the Chamber is cur rently supported only by their membership fees.

Despite this, they continue to work

hard for small busi nesses in the Nicola Valley. Hohner said it was a labour of love.

“I love being connected to all the different orga nizations and vari ous partners that we have in town,” added Hohner.

“It’s really great to feel like you have some sort of input and repre sentation for small businesses at differ ent tables around the community. We provide a connec tion for businesses in the region to dif ferent partners that we advocate with.”

For more information on the Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce, including upcom ing meetings and membership opportunities, visit www.merrittcham ber.com.

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Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Small Business Week is an annual celebration of entrepreneurship, with thousands of entrepreneurs gath ering to acknowl edge Canadian businesses, learn, and network. A number of events are being offered in the Nicola Valley for this year’s iteration of small business week, and many of them have been organized by Community Futures Nicola Valley (CFNV).

The Herald sat down with Joe Nemeth, loans officer for CFNV, ahead of Small Business Week to discuss their plans, networking, and

the function of the non-profit organi zation.

Q: What does Community Futures do?

“We’re lucky to be in a time and a place where, if you have an idea that’s going to make your cor ner of the world better, you’re free to chase it. Further to that, there’s places like Community Futures, where we’re going to cheer you on and coach you where we can. My posi tion is Loans Officer, but about 50 percent of the time here, I’m going over busi

ness plans, we’re talking about viability and scalability, and where your idea fits in the real world. There’s really no point in bringing someone in and only talk ing about funding when there’s so much more to educate them on. We want to give people the best chance of suc cess. If you have an idea and you want to grow it into something real, start here with us. We will usually either connect you to, or have, the resourc es you need.”

Q: How does Community Futures support existing busi nesses in the

community?

“Small Business Week is such a cel ebration of the entrepreneurial world. I think it’s really impor tant to under stand that when you make the leap to become self-employed, there’s always a jump. You’re going from work ing for a person and receiving a paycheck, to being on your own means. For existing entrepre neurs that are on the other side of that, this whole week is a celebra tion that you’re there and you’re one of the brave. Year round, we recognize that those people

are making their own way, and sometimes they’re going to need questions answered and support provided, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Q: What is Community Futures doing for Small Business Week

2022? “The big goal is to try to bring a lot of education out that is acces sible to people. We’re offering our courses online, and then our in person offering is the hot dog sale. We’re doing a business after business event on

Thursday, where we’ll have the City’s Economic Development Manager, Marilyn Christensen, come and speak.”

Q: What is your favourite aspect of your job as Loans

Officer?

“The whole idea of Community Futures is that individual com munities need to be served by indi viduals in their communities. It’s such a creative community, it

Story continues on Page 19

The

The

at Merritt has been

c offers

the people of Merr tt and area, s nce May 2013

genera dentistry services from simp e fillings dental caps (crowns)

orthodontist (braces

being

from

active

to advanced treatments for straighten ng and

for both k

well

and adults

of the community by sponsoring the Merritt Centennials,

Stroke foundation and serving many personal care homes

well We hope to continue with your support

Providing the best quality dental services, close to your home

J. Sarao-DMD,

From Page 18

really is. I don’t think any week is like the last, and I don’t think any case is like the last. I’m lucky that the way the Community Futures program is structured, I get to spend the time to learn the ins and outs of each individual case, and sort

of be investiga tive and curious like the people who come in the door are. The amount of new solutions to exist ing problems, new approaches, and new ideas that come in, I’m always floored. To have that be your job, it’s amazing.”

CFNV is hosting a number of online webinars on small business topics such as taxes, pro ductivity, business planning, and net working. They will also hold a Business After Business net working event on October 20, from 5:00PM to 7:30PM at the CFNV office. For more informa tion, or to register, visit www.cfdcnv.

com.

Community Futures Nicola Valley is located at 2181 Quilchena Avenue, and can be reached at 250-3783923. Their website can be found at www.cfdcnv.com, where a plethora of information and resources are avail able to small busi nesses.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

R. Dutt-DMD

Self Employment Program

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

WorkBC is mak ing sure that local entrepreneurs have the best chance of making their busi nesses successful.

The Self Employment (SE)

program is a long standing service that WorkBC pro vides for people looking to carve their own path in the business world.

Through the pro gram, entrepre neurs will access financial and edu cational resources to help get their venture up and running.

“They may not know how to mar ket online, how to do their books, or they may not know how to advertise and we are here to help them with

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22

Sh pMerritt

The City of Merritt and the Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce are committed to the growth and prosperity of our local community. Our locally-owned businesses assist in creating a community that is more connected. We are stronger together.

H O P LO C A L

E LO C A L

S H O P M E R R I T T

From Page 20 those things.”

“Basically, peo ple come through us, we refer them, and then they work with our business analysts at Community Futures Thompson Country,” said Deborah Petrovitch, pro gram opera tions manager at WorkBC.

She explained that Community Futures Thompson Country has the contract for WorkBC Merritt’s SE program. She also mentions that even though they

have no relation to the program, Community Futures Nicola Valley help SE cli ents as well.

“Applicants can just visit us in our office and speak to a case manager. We would determine their eligibility and explore their business ideas with them to see if it makes sense then go from there.”

Through the program, clients will have access to the following ser vices and resources:

• free busi ness plan

ning

• four weeks of online work shops and resources to build a business plan

• weekly Q&A group meetings

• business guest speak ers

• worksheets, resources, and assis tance to start a legitimate business

• free ongoing entre preneurial workshops

• free private Facebook group

• free month ly peer to peer groups

• free one on one busi ness coach ing

• $638 per week up to 48 weeks

“Sometimes people come in and they’ve got a concept that’s very solid and they could just apply to the program, start their busi ness planning, and

attend all of their workshops,” said Petrovitch.

“Sometimes people come in with just a concept that doesn’t quite connect with the labour market or the community that they’re in, or they may not under stand the prereq uisites that could hold them back. We do concept development with these applicants so we can tweak their concept so we could find a busi ness that we know would really work well in Merritt.”

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pan demic, Petrovich said WorkBC Merritt has, on average, served 15 SE clients per year.

One of their clients during this period was a fledgeling cleaning business.

Terresa Rempel is the founder of Cold Creek Commercial Cleaning, a local cleaning company established in 2020. She recalls com ing across the SE program through a WorkBC ad on an issue of the

Herald’s weekly paper.

“I was strug gling to find some thing that I can really live off of,” Rempel recalled. “I quickly realized that if I wanted to do better in Merritt, that I needed to have my own business.”

The SE pro gram had helped Rempel to solidify her own business plan which before the assistance were only rough ideas in her mind.

“If anyone wants to start their own business, and they feel that they have something that they can offer, they can be successful,” she said. “The Self Employment pro gram can definitely make that hap pen.”

WorkBC’s Self Employment pro gram runs all year round. Applicants are invited to visit Merritt WorkBC and speak with a case manager to create a plan around any venture ideas. For more information, please call (250) 378-5151.

Environmental Assessment of the Highland Valley Copper 2040 Projec t

Invitation to Comment

Teck H ighland Valley Copper Par tnership is proposing to expand the open-pit H ighland Valley Copper mine near Logan Lake, B.C., ex tending operations to 2040 or longer. public comment period from

tober 13 to November 14, 2022

tober 13 14, 2022

Open House

Tuesday, Oc tober 25, 2022 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Vir tual Information S ession Thursday, Oc tober 27, 2022 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Go to gov.bc.ca/EAOPublicComments toLogan Lake Fire Hall Community Room 120 Char trand Ave, Logan Lake, B.C.

Learn more about the projec t and tell us what is impor tant to you:

Search dogs train in Merritt

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

With the perfect diversity of open fields and for ested terrain, the BC Search Dog Association has elected to conduct annual training and evaluations in Merritt. The evaluations will validate the status of BC canines for service.

The BC Search Dog Association have brought out dogs from the dif ferent search and rescue departments across BC to train and conduct evalu ations in Merritt from Wednesday September 28 to Saturday, October 1. The camp will validate the status of search dogs based on the RCMP National Wilderness Canine Standards.

“Annually we have to validate our status so we are tested by the RCMP,” said BCSDA Vice President Roger Bean.

“We also have training happen ing so we’ve got groups out here with instructors and they’re work ing in both wil derness and open field tracking and we also have our annual general meeting and our elections happen ing here.”

Throughout the four day ses sion, the canines were split into two groups, training and evaluations on forested terrain were conducted in the Lundbom Lake area while open field training and evaluations were done at a

field along Airport Road.

“The grasslands here work well and they’re close to accommodations,” Bean explained. “We train in both tracking and wil derness search, or air scenting. The two of them require different landscapes and here in Merritt we have both the for ested areas, which is good for the wilderness, and the open grasslands, which is good for the tracking. It’s kind of a unique area that fits both of those disci plines.”

Bean has been with the BCSDA for six years, he said that this is the fourth year the organization has conducted sessions here in Merritt.

There were 28 dog teams from all over the province who have attended the BCSDA week end events. The search dogs ranged from puppies having their first assessment, to the advanced canines who have been in service for some time and are look ing to get revali dated.

“All of our teams are associ ated with a search and rescue group,” explained Bean, who is a part of the North Shore Search and Rescue team.

“We’ve got peo ple from Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, Kaslo, Golden, and Revelstoke, just to name a few.”

Yvonne Thornton is a han dler from Whistler Search and Rescue. She drove down to Merritt to get Dyna, her yellow labrador retriever’s tracking validation.

“She is five and a half years old,” said Thornton “She’s been in ava lanche service for about four years and shes been in wilderness rescue for three and a half years

Yvonne has been a handler for 35 years, and noted that Dyna is her fifth search and rescue dog.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she said. “It’s a big commitment and it costs a lot of money to do, but being able to work with your dog as their partner, is definitely worth it.”

RCMP’s dedi cated dog handlers called the Police Dog Services, act as evaluators for

the many search dogs.

“We have han dlers helping and testing us out,” said Bean. “We’ve got one from Vancouver Island, a couple from the Lower Mainland, Penticton, Kamloops, they’ve come from all over. They want to see how we are, as a group, when it comes to track ing. Each team this weekend are doing a track with the RCMP to be evaluated.”

With the ideal environment for the training activi ties and evalua tions and the suc cessful turn out of the sessions, Bean notes that BCSDA plans to be back again in Merritt next year.

“We’ve typically done a camp in the spring and a camp in the fall,” he said. “Our spring one is usually late April or early May and our fall one is late September or early October.”

Blankets for Ukraine

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Merritt Civeo Camp, an operation work ing in conjunc tion with the

Trans Mountain Expansion Project, have donated bags of blankets

and duvets to be shipped to Ukraine to aid refugees in the Ukrainian war.

Hungry for Life will be ship ping the blankets

along with pillows in a container that will take roughly three months to arrive, just in time for the winter season.

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

British Columbia will be once again in for a minty treat this fall as Girl Guides BC launch their cookie sale of

mint chocolate cookies. The sales will help Girl Guides across B.C. fund their activities and programs.

An official media launch happened on, Saturday, September 10, 2022 to mark the return of the mint chocolate cookies. Regional warehouses across the province loaded up vehicles, get ting cookies into the hands of local Girl Guides in BC.

“Girl Guides sell cookies twice a year to help raise money for our non-profit programs,” said Diamond Isinger, pro vincial commissioner of Girl Guides BC. “Like many non-profits during the pan demic, we struggled to deliver our usual fundraising and community activities so we decided to only focus on one flavour of cookies, the chocolate and vanilla classic.”

As a result of this decision, the mint chocolate flavour went on a two-year hiatus - with only classic chocolate/ vanilla cookies being baked in Canada since 2021. Fortunately, this fall marks the return of the popular cookie option for Girl Guide fundraising.

“They are a very popular flavour that we’ve sold for many decades now,”

Isinger said. “We’re glad to have them return as another option to help enable our fundraising. So far, we’re seeing that the mint cookies are selling quickly and that folks are excited for their return.”

Girl Guides are returning to the stan dard cookie schedule from prior to the pandemic, with chocolatey mint cookies sold in fall and classic chocolate/vanilla sandwich cookies available in spring.

In the Nicola Valley, 144 cases of cookies were ordered for this fall, each case sells for $60 and contains 12 boxes, which is sold for $5 and contains 18 mint chocolate cookies.

“We actually did a vote and we tal lied people’s choice for their favourite cookie flavour and mint chocolate won,” said Merritt Girl Guides leader Chelsea Werrun.

“We asked families and friends to vote and according to them mint chocolate is the favourite so we’re excited to bring it back to Merritt because we know how much people love it.”

Werrun said that there will be 16 local Girl Guides that will sell cookies at the concession stand during select home games of the Merritt Centennials.

“We try to help each girl set a goal,” she said. “Every girl gets a minimum of 3 cases of cookies to sell, and if someone needs to sell more, we help them reach that goal.”

“We offer youth empowerment programming that helps girls get to know the world around them, under stand themselves and other people, and give back to the community,” Isinger explained.

“We develop a new generation of girl leaders with the support from the sales that we get from the girl guide cookies and every one of the $5 boxes help go towards running special activities, camps, sleepovers and other fun activities for local youth.”

The Merritt Girl Guides will be present at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, selling their cookies during the Centennials home games on October 21 (7pm), October 23 (2pm), and October 30 (2pm).

For more information on Girl Guides BC or to find other times and places to purchase cookies, please visit, www.girl guides.ca.

Have a sports story tip? Tell us about it by calling

emailing newsroom@merrittherald.com.

Co-ed slo-pitch team hosts tournament at Central Park

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

As temperatures are beginning to drop and cold weather starting to come in, Local slo-pitch team, Caught Looking, hosted the ‘Beat the Heat’ tournament. The two day tournament served as the last set ball games for attending co-ed teams this year.

On October 8 and 9, nine teams all met up at the diamonds in Merritt Central Park to take part in the ‘Beat the Heat’ tournament. The invitational is set up by the co-ed team from Coldwater Indian Band, Caught Looking.

“It’s one of the last tournaments

here in Merritt every year,” said Gerald Mackay, organizer of the tournament. “It’s been an ongoing thing for the past nine years. I just want to keep it going because everybody wants to play ball.”

The invitational saw 5 teams from out of town, ranging from Vernon to the Lower Mainland, each vying for the championship.

“The turnout was decent, we’re happy with the teams who joined because every year there are teams who drop out right before the tournament.”

In the end, it was the Slow Pokes from the Lower Mainland who took the gold while Gwanden and Strikers took second

and third place respectively.

Co-ed teams now take a break from play and will hit the diamonds again next spring.

Centennials

hockey with local youth

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The Merritt Centennials hosted the community for a casual game of street hockey, with team members facing off against local youth in Central Park. The Cents played a number of games with the young hockey fans in the park’s multi-use sports box, taking advantage of the unusually warm weather and their free weekend schedule ahead of the BCHL showcase.

Members of the public were wel comed to join the Merritt Centennials for a drop-in session of street hockey, and dozens of young Merrittonians

accepted the offer. The sports box was packed with players and youngsters alike enjoying the sport and the warm weather. Cents coaching staff said the players were excited to engage with local youth.

“Today we are playing some street hockey with the community,” said Head Coach Curtis Toneff.

“I think it’s a good idea for our guys to keep active and put some faces to names for some youth in our commu nity.”

Team members of the Merritt Centennials can often be seen attend ing local events such as the Terry Fox

Run and Samaritan’s Purse Community Connect Day, but often host their own events to engage the community. The Centennials will host their annual Icebreaker event this Saturday, October 22, at the Merritt Civic Centre. The evening includes casino games, a silent

auction, guest speaker Scott Casey, and music by the Coquihalla Coyotes.

While events like the Icebreaker raise funds to support the community owned team, the Merritt Centennials often host events to connect with the com munity. Drop-in street hockey was one such event, and Cents players said the connection was welcome after COVID-

19 pandemic restriction hindered past events.

“It’s good to get out and spend time with some of the kids and some of our fans, we haven’t been able to do it much over the last couple of years,” said Left Defenseman Chase Cooke.

“I came out to some of these as a kid, I remember it was always the best

time in the world, you think you are playing with superstars, so I think it’s really important that we are out here having fun just getting involved in the community.”

For more information on the Merritt Centennials, including upcoming games, standing, and Icebreaker tickets, visit www.merrittcentennials.com.

Local boys bring Merritt pride to various hockey leagues

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Local talent is on full display this hock ey season as a number of home grown players compete in various levels of hock ey both in and out of the Nicola Valley.

Starting off with our home team, the Merritt Centennials, we have Chase Cooke. The 19-year old defenseman is a Merritt local and has been with the club since 2019.

“Chase Cooke is an extremely big part of our team,” said Head Coach Curtis Toneff. “He’s a very good leader and he definitely cares about the team and his teammates.”

Even before playing, Cooke has been brought up loving hockey and loving the Cents, taking part in youth camps as a

“For my team and I to play together in the Prince George Aboriginal Youth

in Kamloops. Following in his footsteps is younger brother Aiden, who currently plays for the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association’s Jr. Blazers U13 team.

“We used to play a lot at home and the outdoor rinks in Merritt,” said Van Rensburg. “Up in Bench, there’s the out door rink where we used to play every night, especially in the winter.”

Playing since the age of three, young Aiden continues to show development in the sport, from his days with the Merritt Minor Hockey to present time with the Jr. Blazers.

game, developed in part, because of out side influence.”

Kernachan notes that her boys have a cousin who also plays a competitive level of hockey in Spokane, Washington.

“I think there’s really an all around love for hockey in our family and my boys just love to compete.”

Lastly, we have Jake Voigt, another local talent playing in Kamloops, this

child to running them as a player for the team.

“It was cool as a younger kid to have the Cents player running the groups,” he recalled. “They seemed something like stars to me.”

The Cents are a Junior A hockey pro gram, competing in the BCHL. Moving down the line comes Junior B hockey. There are a couple of leagues in the Province where homegrown talents are making names for themselves, namely in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) and the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL).

Playing for the Princeton Posse is 17-year old Jalen Mcrae. The young for ward has secured himself a spot on the roster for a KIJHL team.

Mcrae has been very active playing this year. Earlier in April, the local played for the Nicola Valley Jr. Grizzlies, win ning gold at the Prince George Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

Hockey Championships after COVID was so much fun,” he recalled. ”Playing in an arena full of my people cheering for and against us is a different feeling; it’s elec tric.”

Similarly, another 17-year old from Merritt is playing Junior B hockey. This time with the PJHL, the Abbotsford Pilots have added to their club goalie Nathan Van Rensburg.

Playing since he was five years old, Van Rensburg quickly adopted Canadian cul ture by playing its most beloved sport.

“I started playing when we moved to Canada from South Africa,” he said. “I’m hoping to get a scholarship into the states and hopefully play hockey down there.”

Through his determination, the young goalie had impressed scouts which landed him a spot with the Pilots.

“I went to their I.D. camp in Abbotsford and they invited me to their main camp and they signed me two days

“He’s got a very big love for Hockey, it’s what he lives and breathes right now,” said father, Sydney Van Rensburg. “His progression has been going steadily and he’s just been getting better and better.”

later.”

Aside from the Pilots, Van Rensburg also has playing history with Tier 1 teams

Another pair of siblings raising the pro verbial Merritt flag are the Streak broth ers. Both playing Tier 2 AA hockey, Wyatt and Austyn Streak have made the U13 and U18 Kamloops teams respectively.

“Both my boys are very athletic

time for the Thompson U13 team of the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA).

“We were just looking for a winter sport for our child to do and hockey was the most available one here in Merritt,” said mother Selena Voigt. “He started out a lit tle bit hesitant but now he is fully invested, always giving it his 100 percent.”

Prior to playing Tier 1 AA hockey, Voigt played for the U13 rep team of the Merritt Minor Hockey Association.

“It was all on him to play in Kamloops, trying out for the better teams,” said Selena Voigt. “He just really enjoys the game.”

Voigt will play in his games scheduled every weekend until the end of the year.

and they love to compete,” said Darcie Kernachan, mother of the Streak broth ers. “They definitely have the love for the

COMMUNITY

Do you have a community story idea? Tell us about it by calling 250-378-4241 or emailing reporter@merrittherald.com.

Harm reduction convention at the Civc Centre

community,” said George. “I’ve had fam ily members and friends pass away from overdose so it has definitely reached our community.”

George explained that through a First Nations Harm Reduction grant received from the First Nations Health Authority, SCHSS was able to fund the two day event that acts as both and educational and cultural experience for attendees.

“We’re trying to incorporate some traditional and cultural stuff like bringing in elders to brush off people to keep them safe and protected,” she said. “We’re hav ing drummers come in, powwow dancers, and we’re also going to talk about the sig nificance of dancing in sobriety.”

Scw’exmx Community Health Services Society’s Harm Reduction in Community will begin on October 20, at the Merritt Civic Centre, with doors opening at 1 p.m. For more information on the event please visit SCHSS’s official Facebook page.

CONTAIN-IT STORAGE

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The opioid crisis has been an ongoing problem that British Columbia is fac ing for the past few years. Over the past months, reports from the B.C. Coroner’s Office have highlighted the consequences of the toxic drug supply that has been cir culating throughout the province.

The Nicola Valley, unfortunately, is also vulnerable to this issue. Local orga nizations such as Scw’exmx Community Health Services Society (SCHSS) are looking to educate people to prevent any cases of toxic drug use in the community.

Through the support of a Harm Reduction grant, SCHSS will be hosting a two-day harm reduction convention

at the Merritt Civic Centre on October 21-22. The event will inform attendees about the resources available within the community for harm reduction and safe drug use.

“We’ve created a two-day event where people can come, gather information, and listen to presentations,” said SCHH Manager May George. “We’re going to feed people, we’re going to provide enter tainment while having our culture inte grated as well.”

The 2022 calandar year has been a year of alarming toxic drug use cases in B.C. In a recent report from the B.C. Coroners Service, it shows that 1468 lives in B.C. have been lost to toxic drug use from January to August this year.

“This crisis is absolutely a crisis in our

SCHSS invited a number of notable organizations at the event such as Interior Health, Ask Wellness, Conayt Friendship Society, and City of Merritt. For enter tainment, the event will feature a musi cal performance by Indigenous blues artist George Leech and an appearance by actress Michelle Thursh. Guests will also be treated to a meal on both days as well as numer ous door prizes throughout the event.

“We want to target our youth, adults and elders through this event,” said George. “We want to educate them and whether they’re using or not, we want to open our doors for them to come, learn, and gather some informa tion from the 20 booths that will be set up at the Civic Centre.”

THE CHURCHES OF MERRITT WEL COME YOU

Crossroads Community Church 2990 Voght St. • 250-378-2911

Service Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m.

Merritt Baptist Church 2499 Coutlee Avenue (at Omre) Sunday ser vice 10 am, Phone (250)378-2464

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

Service Time: 3rd Sunday each month 1:00 p.m.

Sacred Hear t 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 ever y 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 Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m.

READY FOR WINTER

CLASSIFIEDS

September 3, 1951 - October 7, 2022

The family is saddened to announce the sudden passing of Ronald Lee Lovestone, age 71, of Victoria, BC. Born September 3rd, 1951, in Oxbow, Saskatchewan, he is predeceased by his parents Rita, Russel, and Tom.

Ron is survived by his siblings Bev (Larry), Guy, Terry (Sherri), and Wendy (Don); children Paul, Jamie, and Josh (Tanis); and grandchildren Terron, Mai, and Linden; greatgrandchildren Luka and Malakai. Ron will be missed dearly by his many beloved family members and wonderful friends.

Ron spent his working life in the newspaper industry where he built successful platforms to connect his communities. Ron met his wife (Debbie) while working in the newspaper business and they raised their family together in Salmon Arm, BC.

As a true lifelong learner, Ron focused on continual self-development, he strived to help and be of service to others, and always positively impacted those around him.

His kindness, generosity, and genuine care for others was evident in every interaction that he had. Later in life, Ron's inquisitive nature led him to develop a passion for travel which took him around the world, and he enjoyed exploring and experiencing new cultures with his loved ones. More than anything, Ron cherished quality time with his family and felt great pride watching them grow into the people they are today

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to hear special memories of Ron. Please share stories and condolences directly to: memorieswithron3@gmail.com or www.mccallgardens.com

Traffic Control company looking to hire CER TIFIED TRAFFIC CONTROL PEOPLE

Must have valid BC Driver s License

Full time, par t time, lots of over time if interested. Rate of pay based on experience

Positions star ting ASAP

Call 250 469 3469 or email: coralie@allsafetraffic com

Marlene Joan Baase

October 4, 1939 October 8, 2022

Marlene, nee Wonnick, was born in Steinbach, MB, moved to the New Westminster, BC area with her family as a child. She went to school in Burnaby Married husband Robert (Bob) in 1958. They moved to Merritt in 1960 & over the next several years raised 3 children; Craig, Paul, Janice to school age & she then began working at Nicola General Hospital in Merritt as a nurse’s aid. She was also active in recreational golf & curling & spent many weekends & holidays with family & friends camping at the many lakes in the area. She was a great cook & always loved to entertain.

In 1982 Marlene & Bob moved to Houston, BC, when Bob was transferred to Equity Silver Mines. Again she found work as a health services coordinator until retiring with Bob to Kamloops in 1996. They spent many years travelling around the world, including much of the USA, Europe, N. Africa, Asia, Australia/NZ as well as a number of lengthy cruises until Marlene began suffering from dementia.

Marlene was a kind, loving, generous lady remembered by family & friends.

Besides her children & husband, she is survived by granddaughter’s Mandy & Heather, great granddaughter Hailey & sister Norma Hodgson.

We would like to thank Dr Vlahos, IHA Nurse’s & Ponderosa Care Home for their kindness & care.

Condolences may be sent to the family at DrakeCremation.com

250-377-8225

Ronald Lee Lovestone

C ASUAL LIBRARY ASSIS TANT AT THE MERRITT LIBRARY

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