Merritt Herald March 10, 2022

Nicola Valley’s News Voice Since 1905

MERRITT HERALD THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 •

themerrittherald •

> www.merrittherald.com

THIS WEEK

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FREE THANK YOU to the local participatin

DAMAGE REPAIR

feature a reality . With

to go towards the

/PAGE 17

STORY /PAGE 15

On Sunday, March 13, a huge benefit concert will take place to help victims of the BC wildfires and floods.

DISMANTLING MIDDLESBORO BRIDGE

More than three months after the Middlesboro bridge was washed out by flooding, plans have been made to remove the damaged span from the river. STORY /PAGE 27

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6377 MONCK PARK RD Spectacular Nicola Lake view home. Open concept rancher with a walkout basement has quality features throughout.

There is a rock fireplace up in the huge living room with large windows to let in all the natural light and view of the lake and hills. There is a large island in the gourmet kitchen areas as well comes with all major kitchen appliances. There are 2 bedrooms up and 2 bedrooms down. The master bedrm has a 5 pce ensuite with walk-in closet also some indirect lighting.

In the walkout basement you have a very large rec/games room with rock fireplace and 2 large bedrms as well as lots of storage. Enjoy the sprawling 612 sq.ft. covered deck on main level, great area for BBQ’s plus a 720 sq.ft. covered area below.

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Very nice 2 bed, 1 bath home located in a cul-de-sac on a quiet street, within walking distance to downtown Merritt amenities.

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Beautiful family home on a quiet cul-de-sac. This home has 6 bedrooms and 3.5 baths total, featuring a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom legal suite with separate entrance on the main floor. There has been lots of updates throughout such as some new flooring, new kitchen counter tops, newer appliances, hot water tank and roof around 6 years old.

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1463 Duncan Street

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Beautiful half duplex with large fenced yard in Merritt. This property comes with a large driveway with room for a RV or other toys! Located on a quiet cul-de-sac within walking distance to a school, field and playground. This 3 bedroom home has bathrooms on both floors and a view of the mountains from the master bedroom.

1926 1st Ave

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HUGE house! HUGE flat lot! This 2 level, 7 bed, 2 bath home is centrally located & allows for easy walking to parks, golf & shopping. House has all new paint throughout, HW tank 2015, furnace 2019, wood burning f/p upstairs, roughed in 2nd f/p downstairs. Private yard.

3350 Panorama Place

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Looking for that perfect property! Check out this charming 3 bdrm (could be 4) 2 bath home on over 2 acres! The property is completely fenced, private and all usable. The home has a large garage, plenty of room for vehicles, ATVs, and a huge south facing deck to enjoy the mountain views! You will enjoy the bright open concept living, dining and kitchen areas with large patio doors and windows. There is a separate workshop/storage shed with its own power panel.

Nice 2 Storey–5 bed home w/finished bsmt located on a quiet cul-de-sac, in desired bench location. The home features 3 levels w/upper level offering 4 bed, 4pc bath as well as 5pc ensuite beautifully renovated, updated w/separate soaker tub, shower & 2 sinks. Basement is finished w/a bedroom, large games/rec. room, large office/den & 2 pc bath.

4520 Eight Mile Road

2760 Petit Creek Road

SOLD $989,000

BREATHTAKING VIEWS of beautiful Nicola Lake! Your retreat within just 2-3 hours of the Lower Mainland. Come away to this lovely 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with a 2 car 20’ x 30’ garage/shop. Time to indulge yourself: bright kitchen with warm dark maple cabinets, granite countertop island and heated floors. Garden doors lead out to upper BBQ deck overlooking the lake. Great room featuring a cozy wood fireplace and oak hardwood flooring.

MLS#165139 $1,150,000 BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY PROPERTY! Usable fairly level approx. 10 acres. Lovely 3-4 bed, 3 bath, bright modern getaway, launch pad, or family home w/ 2 wood stoves & great above ground pool.

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Spectacular custom home on 20 acres with a year-round creek! This stunning property is very private and only 12 minutes from Merritt just off the coveted Mamit Lake Road. Wrap around deck and over 2600 square feet on the main floor with high vaulted ceilings, open concept d/r, l/r and kitchen with a gorgeous wood burning fireplace. Quartz counters and a large island.

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Sprawling 2700 sq ft Rancher Home on 119 +/- acres of level hay land. Home has been completely updated including new addition in 2016. Enjoy comfortable living while working/living the ranching lifestyle. House features large country kitchen and dining room, 4 large bedrooms, blaze king wood stove, 2 living areas and large deck with hot tub to enjoy the peacefulness of the night sky. Owners have constructed a 5400 sq ft open barn with attached 1000 sq ft finished/heated workshop .

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 3

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Convoy in protest of COVID-19 mandates Highlights negative impacts on jobs, kids, and liberties

A convoy of Merritonians pass through the streets every Saturday morning in protest of the COVID-19 mandates. Photo/Lori Wright

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM In January of this year, a convoy of trucks and thousands of individuals arrived in Ottawa from across the country to take part in a protest at and around Parliament Hill against COVID-19 mandates.

Inspired by the idea and the support shown to the convoy along the way, but unable to make the journey to Ottawa, citizens in various towns in Canada began holding their own convoys, meeting once per week to drive along a predetermined route or to a specific destination.

In Merritt, residents gather every Saturday to drive through town and out to Lower Nicola and back, in vehicles adorned with the Canadian flag, signs and banners, or painted slogans in support of ending mandates.

Freddy Emmerick is one of the organizers of the Merritt convoy, and he sat down with the Herald to address what he feels are misconceptions about the convoy’s purpose, and to remedy the anger he feels has been directed towards the participants.

“We’re meeting in support of dropping all the mandates that are in place right now, and basically trying to make people

aware of how we can stand together to allow people to have the freedom to choose what they want to do with their own body,” said Emmerick.

“It’s basically to make the mandates stop and allow it to be a choice.”

Emmerick said that the number one concern for the group is the number of people who have lost their jobs in the face of vaccine mandates. The protestors have spoken out about people across all industries who have been told “no jab, no job”, but are particularly concerned with healthcare workers, of which there has been a shortage since long before the pandemic.

“The top one is jobs, people’s jobs that they’ve lost, said Emmerick.

“A lot of them are frontline workers, nurses and doctors, that have made the choice that the vaccine isn’t right for them and they’ve lost their jobs and now, instead of it being a leave of absence, they’re being fired. Government workers are being fired.”

Emmerick and others in the group believe that the investment of years into education, student loans and patient care should be considered above whether or not someone has received a COVID vaccine.

Particularly now as other provinces lift mandates and some permit unvaccinated employees to return to work.

“To be forced to take a vaccine that the science has already proven now doesn’t stop transmission, to lose your job for a reason the science doesn’t prove anymore, isn’t right to any of us,” said Emmerick.

Many in the group are also parents, and have turned their focus on mandates that affect children and teens. After more than two years of lockdowns and restrictions, parents have noticed a change in their children.

According to a COVID-19 mental health study by SickKids, a children’s research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto, “... the latest findings demonstrate a serious, sustained negative impact on the mental health of Ontario children, youth and their families.”

“Not being able to send your kid to any kind of function without masks, or basically being mandated at every age level now to be vaccinated, and limiting their size of groups that they can play in,” said Emmerick.

“Kids shouldn’t be punished like that.

Everybody just wants to see their kids be able to enjoy a free childhood.”

Although many outside of the group are immediately dismissive of what they consider to be “anti-vaxxers”, Emmerick said that there are a number of vaccinated people who take part and come out to show their support as well.

“Those of us that are not vaccinated, we’re not against anyone’s choice to be vaccinated, no matter what their reason was,” explained Emmerick.

“Whether they thought it was the right thing for them personally, or because they were mandated into it to keep their job and disagreed with that. None of us discriminate against anyone for being vaxxed or unvaxxed. It’s strictly about having the freedom to choose what’s right for you, and not having that choice taken away. Nothing

INSIDE THE HERALD Opinion --------------------- 6-7 Sports ----------------------- 26 Classifieds ---------------- 28

WEATHER Mar. 10: Cloudy -10°/6°C Mar. 11: Cloudy -4°/7°C Mar. 12: Rain 70% 0°/9°C Mar. 13: Cloudy 1°/9°C Mar. 14: Snow 50% 2°/10°C Mar. 15: Snow 70% 2°/9°C

Online merrittherald.com

COMMUNITY LEAVE The British Columbia Review Board is deciding whether or not to grant Allan Schoenborn’s psychiatric hospital director ability to allow his patient unescorted leave from the facility up to 28 days.

Search ‘ALLAN’

DOG PARK At the regular council meeting of March 8, council voted unanimously to move the dog park approximately 300 metres south, near Centennial Park..

See ‘WEEKEND’ Page 8

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THURSDAY, March March 10, 3, 2022 4 • THURSDAY, 2022

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City Council Meetings have resumed in-person and residents are strongly encouraged to watch online via www.merritt.ca Tuesday, March 8 - Regular Council Meeting - 6 pm

FRAUD AWARENESS MONTH March is Fraud Awareness Month.

Scams that cost Canadians the most in 2021 was investment scams ($163.9 million).

Phone 250-378-3955 if you have questions related to scams, fraud, internet safety.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

ROAD SWEEPING The City of Merritt Road Sweeping Program will commence Tuesday, March 1st and a contracted sweeper for flood affected areas is scheduled to begin sweeping on March 7th.

Citizens can expect to see the road sweeper out in mid-March, however, the temperatures are required to be above zero degrees for the sweeper to work due to the sweeper utilizing water.

Phone: (250) 378-4224 or E-mail: info@merritt.ca

Communications & Engagement Manager, Lifeguard Instructor II (Full Time), Housing & Support Coordinator (Term), Lifeguard Instructor 1 (Casual), Lifeguard Instructor 1 (Part-Time), Summer Student, Seasonal Outside Worker (Labourer), Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator 1, Deputy Corporate Officer/Executive Assistant (Term), RCMP Clerk – casual..

For more information visit: www.merritt.ca

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

54-year-old walks across Canada to spread MMIW awareness Krista Fox, Lindsey Bishop, and Diane Morin now head to Kelowna after passing through Merritt.

Melissa Moses/ Submitted

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@ MERRITTHERALD. COM 54 year-old Krista Fox made her way to Merritt last Friday afternoon as she continues her cross-country walk to spread awareness about the missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) in Canada. Fox, along with Lindsey Bishop and Diane Morin, have started this 10-month journey back in February, starting from Victoria, headed towards Newfoundland.

MMIW has been an issue the Indigenous community have faced for years and the disappearance of Fox’s friend, Ashley Morin, has motivated her to do this walk.

“I decided about 2 years ago that we needed a walk across Canada for all missing and Murdered,” said Fox. “Not only keep to their names out there but to bring more awareness to this issue.”

Fox arrived in Merritt at 12:30 pm on Friday, March 4. She was welcomed

by Women’s Representative for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Melissa Moses and her mother Verna.

“I first heard of Krista Fox's journey to travel across Canada for MMIW awareness from her cousin Sheldon Quewezance who lives here in Merritt,” said Moses.

“I was just so inspired by her

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 5

story I said yes I will support her. I have been following her tiktok live videos since she started in Victoria which was also her 54th birthday.”

The three women were then taken to the NVIT MMIW2S Memorial Project where Moses and the travelers “exchanged some powerful and emotional stories.”

Later on, a gathering at central park was held to welcome the three ladiews to Nicola Valley. A number of attendees came to greet Fox and the others, most notably, Fox’s family who first spread the word about her arrival in Merritt.

“When Krista first made the announcement within our family, I had my doubts

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she would be able to make it work even though i wanted it to,” said Sheldon Quewezance, Fox’s cousin. “There were a lot of hurdles to overcome in the short period of time that she gave herself.

Now that I have seen her and her team in motion, I couldn't be any more proud of her.”

Fox, Bishop and Morin, left Merritt on March 5 at 9:30 am headed towards Kelowna.

They are expected to complete their trek, reaching Newfoundland in December.

To stay updated with Fox’s journey, like her Facebook page Krista's Kilometers For MMIW, or follow her on Tiktok @ kristafox68.

As Hughmer Contracting come to a close, we would like to thank all of the people who have supported our business for the past thirty years.

We’re looking forward to slowing down and spending more time with family and friends.

Sincerely

Randy and Cindy Mervyn

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Doug and Donna from TLC would like to let their customers know that they will still provide them the same great service until the time comes that they sell.

BOOK YOUR SPRING CLEAN UP & SUMMER MAINTENANCE WITH US WHILE SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE. If you’re looking to become an entrepreneur give us a call.

We have a proven business that will provide for you and your family.

Call 250-378-4166

NICOLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION SOCIETY WE ARE A NON-PROFIT SOCIETY

that manages the provision of transit services to the residents in our community.

WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING Board Members who will serve a minimum of a two (2) year term and assist

NVTS to maintain and expand transportation services in our community. The Board meets monthly to govern and oversee the management of the organization. Meetings are held monthly on the third Wednesday at noon. All Board members are expected to participate in Committee activities and attend Committee meetings as required.

The Society was incorporated in Victoria, BC on July 4, 2007. Our Society is unique due to the fact that transit services are supplied to the community and surrounding areas via the Society, whereas BC Transit services are operated by private companies in the remainder of the Province.

WE NEED YOU if you have an understanding of our community and a passion for our cause. If you have previous governance experience or financial or background in business this is the Volunteer Experience for you.

PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE

via email at nvtsadmin@telus.net or call 250-378-4080 to obtain an application.

Thank you in advance for your interest.

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VIEWPOINT

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EDITORIAL

Movie Review: The Batman Dear readers, if you are looking for some entertainment this coming weekend, allow me to IZAIAH REYES suggest a HERALD great film.

EDITOR The Batman has just been released and I was able to see it this past weekend. In a word, I would call this movie a masterpiece and let me tell you why.

The story was awesome, it was complex but still easy to understand. I can usually see plot twists a mile away but the reveals of this movie threw me in for a loop. Without spoiling anything, the synopsis of this movie is as follows: Batman must solve the mystery behind The Riddler’s series of murders and put a stop to it.

Director Matt Reeves, hit a home run with his how the movie looks.

The visuals of a movie could make or break it for me and if you’re the same then you can’t stand seeing elements in a movie like a place or an object that feels like it doesn’t belong. Gladly, The Batman did not have this issue.

The look was very gritty, reflective of how the City of Gotham was supposed to be a corrupt and in decay.

The performance by each cast member was top notch, I was most impressed by Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman, Colin Farrell’s Penguin, Paul Dano’s Riddler, and ofcourse,

See ‘THREE’ Page 7

Publisher Theresa Arnold publisher@merrittherald.com 250-378-4241

MERRITT HERALD

Brice Carron, Grade 3 Students, parents, and teachers: submit your student art to newsroom@merrittherald.com for a chance to be featured each week! Submissions are printed on a first come, first serve basis.

Editor Izaiah Reyes newsroom@merrittherald.com 250-378-4241

Reporter Morgan Hampton reporter@merrittherald.com 250-378-4241

Sales Representative Office Administrator Ken Couture kcouture@aberdeenpublishing.com 250-378-4241 Making Advertising Work For You.

2090 Granite Ave., PO Box 9, Merritt, B.C. Phone (250) 378-4241 Fax (250) 378-6818

Copyright subsists in all display advertising in this edition of the Merritt Herald. Permission to reproduce in any form, must be obtained in writing from the publisher.

This Merritt Herald is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact newsroom@merrittherald.com or call (250) 378-4241. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at www.mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 7

OPINION

Speak up You can comment on any story you read @ merrittherald.com

LETTERS to the editor

From the Herald archives: March, 1965

Local 4-H club public speaking event

HOSPITAL SERVICES EXPAND The physiotherapy service began in the Nicola Valley General Hospital last fall on a once a month basis.

Since then the service has expanded with new equipment courtesy of The Legion and The Lions Club and a twice a month visit from Kamloops physiotherapist, Mrs. E. Wolfe.

The service looks to expand even further as interest and support increase as well.

Editor, This past week 4H had our first public speaking event. The speeches were funny, informative and interesting.

There were 16 speakers and lots of topics talked about such as life on a ranch, the Big Bang Theory, sports like figure skating and barrel racing and also lots of animals like bugs, horses, cows, chickens, and bunnies. The Sr. Speaker winner was Silas Mcleod and the Jr. Winners were Mya Martindale (1st place), Stella Elliot (2nd place), and Zoe McVicar (3rd Place).

Thank you to our judges Greg, Andrea, and Tavish. To Mr. Shea for his classroom and Stella and Erica for organizing.

Keep checking for more fun things our club is doing.

Morgan Club Reporter, Grassland Homesteaders 4-H Club

Three hours Bhangu on 2022 of great civic elections entertainment From Page 6 Robert Pattinson’s titular role of Batman.

Lastly, let’s talk about the film score.

It was very somber which goes with the look and feel the production team was trying to achieve.

Also, I want to mention that this movie might have the best Batman theme music. In a weird way, it gave me the vibe of a west-

ern theme song.

Overall I give this movie a 10/10 and it definitely deserves a watch. Granted, I am a Batman fan so it would be easy for me to enjoy this movie but I’d wager someone who isn’t could enjoy it just as much.

If you want three hours of great entertainment, go see The Batman, out now.

Hi Merritt. I hope all are well. This here is a public service announcement.

The Merritt Civic Elections take place at the end of the year, and if you desire to represent Merritt at the Council Table, now is the time to prepare.

The first step is to learn the Community Charter and the Local Government Act, to which the links are below. These will be your dominant governing documents. If you have questions, please ask. Good luck.

Local Government Act https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/ civix/document/id/complete/statreg/ r15001_00 Community Charter https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/

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MIKE BHANGU civix/document/id/complete/statreg/03026_10 Mike Bhangu Former Councilor, City of Merritt

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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.

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NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Weekend protestors want change in pandemic measures

From Page 3

should be forced into anyone’s body,” Emmerick continued.

“We feel this is very much similar to any flu that has been around for 100 years, and if it was ok to have everybody take a flu shot by choice, and there was no discrimination between people for it back then, why is it now that with a virus that has been proven to be very similar to flus in the past, why now does it need to be mandated and why does it need to cause such a division in our people?”

The ever deepening lines of division have also been cited as a driving factor for the convoy by organizers and participants alike.

“It’s sad to all of us,” said Emmerick.

“We feel that there is such a division right now, the division line has become so thick and we seem so far apart now, that we can’t even feel a connection between us and people that don’t think the same way as us. They seem so against what we’re doing. A lot of it is because they don’t understand what we’re doing.

Their opinion of us is that we’re antivaxxers and we’re just against doing what everybody else wants us to be doing, and they’ve put up so much hatred towards us because that’s how they portray us.”

It seems unconscionable that in a country like Canada, a country that prides itself on kindness and tolerance, there could be so much hate directed towards ordinary citizens.

It is even more astonishing that the Prime Minister would make such incendiary remarks painting all those who hold a dissent-

ing opinion as “racists” and “misogynists”, not only accepting intolerant behaviour but encouraging it.

“That’s hurtful in so many ways, and is exactly the opposite of what we believe in and what we’re doing,” said Emmerick.

“We want to bring people back together, it has nothing to do with dividing whether it’s by religion, race, vaccinated or unvaccinated, we want people to come back together and end the division. So, portraying us to be ones that are racist is totally the oppo-

site of what we’re doing. We want the connection to come back for all Canadian citizens, we want people to be able to hug each other again, to show love towards each other again instead of hatred, and that’s what this has caused. It’s caused hatred.”

When it comes to voicing support

See ‘SPEAK’ Page 9

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 9

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Locals against “no jab, no job”

Emmerick and other protestors hope mandates on vaccination will be removed in BC. Photo/Lori Wright

From Page 8 against the mandates, “You are all welcome. We’re standing together for everyone.”

Over the past two years, lockdowns, and later, vaccination policies, have prevented many people from seeing their loved ones in long term care or during end of life. This is something Emmerick said has impacted an unacceptable number of people, and one of the most important things they would like to see change.

“People that are unvaccinated not being able to be with loved ones that are dying in the hospital, or in long term care, that has hurt so many people in the last two years,” said Emmerick.

“Everybody has been hurt so much by not being able to show their love and affection they have for somebody that is on their deathbed. And they pass alone, even though they have numerous loved ones that want to be there with them.

They die alone, and that is wrong. It’s heartbreaking to hear those stories.

Vaccinated and unvaccinated people can still carry and transmit the virus, so what difference does it make having an unvaccinated person in the building versus a vaccinated person?”

Emmerick continued.

“It would be different if the vaccine was 100% effective, and stopped transmission, stopped infection, then that would make sense for those mandates

to be in place... but when the science has proven that you can transmit it the same if you’re vaccinated or unvaccinated, there’s no reason to keep those rules in place.”

Although the convoy in Ottawa has now ended, with the federal government going so far as to freeze the bank accounts of some participants and supporters, Merritt’s convoy organizers say that they plan to continue to protest against COVID-19 mandates until such a time as they are removed.

“As far as meeting every Saturday, we plan to continue, because it makes us feel good about what we’re fighting for,” said Emmerick.

“We plan to continue until the mandates drop.

We’re not about

affecting anybody in any kind of a wrong way, we’re not trying to block traffic, we’re just trying to have our voices heard as far as what we believe is right

and what freedom is about. We don’t want to affect anybody in a negative way whatsoever.”

Convoy participants also plan to expand on their activities by organizing garbage pick up around town and in parks, as well as helping people clean up their flood damaged property by removing mud and debris from yards, offering a helping hand to anyone in need in the community as a means of fostering good will and bringing people together again.

NICOLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION SOCIETY

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2021 Wednesday, March 16th 2022 12:00 pm

TRINITY UNITED CHURCH MEETING ROOM RSVP to nvtsadmin@telus.net Bring your face mask please!

for the victims of Ukraine.

CA NDLE LIGHT PRAYER VIGIL

Sunday, March 13 starting at 8 pm at the

Crossroads Community Church parking lot (beside police station).

Bring your guitars and prayers for those in the Ukraine.

Candles will be provided. Everyone is welcome to attend.

10 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Charges against Gerald Cooper dropped

Attempted murder charges have been dropped against Gerald Cooper, a Fort St John man who was involved in a shootout with RCMP between Merritt and Lower Nicola along Hwy 8 last summer.

A high-speed

car chase involving Merritt RCMP and a suspect occurred after RCMP attempted to stop a white Ford F-350 with a flatbed trailer that had been recently linked to a stolen vehicle file.

When the vehicle was eventually stopped, the suspect and RCMP exchanged gunfire.

Both occupants of the suspect

vehicle, including Cooper and a child thought to be under twelve years of age, were transported to hospital with serious injuries.

Cooper had sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound, but the Independent Investigators Office (IIO) BC did note that the child had not sustained a gunshot

injury.

Cooper was initially charged with five counts of attempted murder involving Merritt detachment RCMP officers.

While these charges have been dropped, two charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000 remain, as do six counts of using a prohibited weapon.

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Cooper is expected to appear in the Merritt Law Courts on March 15 to address the remaining charges.

Consider being a carrier for the Merritt Herald.

You will earn extra money delivering an award winning community newspaper once a week to the homes in your neighbourhood.

If anyone in your family is interested in being a paper carrier, call Ken at 250-378-4241

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 11

www.merrittherald.com

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Rapid antigen tests now free for those 60 and older

Test kits will be available at Walmart, No Frills, and Pharmasave. Photo/(Herald file photo)

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM As of March 7, residents of BC aged 60 and older will be able to pick up free, COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits through community pharmacies.

Eligible individuals can pick up one kit containing five tests every 28 days from participating pharmacies at no cost. Individuals must present their personal health number when picking up the kit or, if others are picking up kits on their behalf, in addition to the individual’s name and personal health number, date of birth must also be supplied.

It is recommended that individuals pick up a test kit when they are asymptomatic for use at a future time should they develop

symptoms.

As of March 3, the Ministry of Health has shipped 3.9 million tests to pharmacy distributors. Of these, 1.8 million rapid tests have been shipped to community pharmacies throughout the province, and as many as 583,000 rapid tests have been dispensed through the more than 1,000 participating pharmacies.

B.C. is expecting to receive an additional 9 million tests from the federal government, which will support the province’s strategy to further distribute tests to members of the broader community.

In Merritt, rapid antigen tests are available at the No Frills and Walmart pharmacies, as well as Pharmasave.

Danielle Blaine Theresa Kendra Martens Martens VanCaeseele Sundher Please join us in welcoming Kendra to our growing team at Black’s!

Kendra has been practicing Pharmacy for over 10 years, is a mother of two young boys, and brings with her invaluable experience.

Being local to Merritt, Kendra appreciates what a small-town Pharmacy can offer and we are thrilled to have her join us.

We continue to provide above and beyond service to everyone that comes through our doors and look forward to seeing you soon!

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 13

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

Art show highlights beloved pets

Adopt a Pet

View your feature best friend @ www.angelsanimalrescue.ca

To make an appointment to meet your new best friend Phone/text: (250) 378-5223 (250) 574-1316 email: aarsrescue@gmail.com

“Breaking the Chain of Abuse” Donations can be to made to The Angel’s Animal Rescue Society by cheque, etransfer or PayPal. We are a Registered Charity - 847488269RR0001.

This feature brought to you by...

The annual community show held at NVAG will feature our furry companions. Morgan Hampton/Herald

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM The beloved community show will be running until March 13 at the Nicola Valley Arts Gallery, located at 2051 Voght St. beside Kekuli Cafe.

Each year a different theme is chosen, and this year the seven week show revolves around the artists’ furry family members.

Creature Comforts features works by renowned

See ‘NVAG’ Page 14

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14 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

www.merrittherald.com

NVAG features furry friends

NICOLA VALLEY NEWS

T H E W U S D O N AT E T O N V H C E F

Sharon and Lap Wu, former owners of the Pharmasave In Quilchena Square Downtown, have donated $50,000 to the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation. Izaiah Reyes/Herald

The show will be running until Sunday, March 13. Morgan Hampton/Herald

From Page 13 local artists Miriam Loken, Cassandra Dolen, Katalin Kovacs and more, showcasing the love between humans and their animal companions.

“This past year has challenged our Nicola Valley community in so many ways,” reads the press release for the Creature Comforts show.

“And one of the recurring challenges has been the care of our creatures - the pets and animals we care for.

During the forest fires and during the river flooding, the stories of animals on the move, lost, found, rescues, and the stories of comfort that our animals have brought to us, all the stories are touching. And they show how our animals are very present in our lives, as livelihood, as companions, as family.”

Community members were invited to submit stories, photos, paintings, clay, mixed media, etc. that shows the challenges and comfort that ani-

mals bring to us.

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 15

THANK YOU to the local participating businesses$who helped make this special feature a reality. With your help,

1480 was raised

to go towards the Hell or High Water Telethon.

16 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

www.merrittherald.com

HELL OR HIGH WATER

A large charity concert aims to help flood and wildfire victims Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@ MERRITTHERALD.COM It is no secret that 2021 has been a very devastating year for BC. We saw wildfires and flooding destroy a number of communities and displace many of its residents.

As folks try to recover from this series of unfortunate events, a few organizations have collaborated to produce “Hell or High Water” a fundraising concert that will take place on March 13.

Melvina White (Tourism Nicola Valley, Experience Nicola Valley), the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly representing the Nooaitch, Coldwater, Shackan, and Cook’s Ferry Indian Bands, Kenny Hess (Founder

of Rockin’ River Music Festival), the “Brothers of Tourism” at EH Canada Travel, and the Rotary Club of Merritt teamed up for this event to help the people of Merritt, Abbotsford, Lytton, Princeton, and surrounding First Nations communities.

“The need was great,” said Greg Girard, Co-Producer of Hell or High Water. “There’s a lot of people who cannot wait for funds to come and we thought we could pull our resources together to do something which has never been done before.”

Hell or High Water is a fairly unique event which is broken down into two parts; first is a 12-hour telethon show online which features over 100 artists, 50 personalized messages for

the flood victims, and appearances by provincial and regional dignitaries.

The telethon will be a number of guest hosts for the event including; Amber Marshall, Shaneen RobinsonDesjarlais, and Roger White.

The other half of the event will be a two-hour concert held at the Clarke Foundation Theatre in Mission, BC. The show will feature names like Tom Jackson, George Canyon, and Aaron Pritchett.

The event will be capped off by the announcement of winners for the prize by donation raffle where entrants could win any of the 13 prizes donated by local Merritt businesses and others.

“Small communities aren’t generally putting

on something of this magnitude together,” Girard said. “I think for all the locals and all the communities participating, it’s something we should be proud of and I think we are going to impress a lot of people.”

The charity concert hopes to raise $3 million dollars which will then be given to each communities’ corresponding Rotary Club.

“The nice thing with the funds is they’re all going to credited charities,” said Girard.

“There’s no middleman, there’s no commissions being taken out of it.”

People hoping to access these funds may do so by filling out an application form from the Rotary Club’s website.

The application is then reviewed by a committee and a cheque will be sent

Thank You Those two small words cannot express how much we appreciate all that you have done!

We are all working together for the good of our community.

Let’s all support the fundraising efforts to help the victims of the floods to get back home.

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heard the story and our need for this not to be another cold case disaster, filed away and forgotten, they said yes.”

The telethon begins at 10 am on March 13 while the live show begins at 9 pm on the same day.

Tickets for the live show will be $40 and are on sale now while the telethon will be a free show streaming on three websites, two social media platforms, and on Shaw TV. People could put in an entry for the prize by donation through donating and filling out a contest form found in their website.

For more information about the show, the telethon, the raffle or how to donate, please visit www. hellorhighwater.ca

Words cannot express

MY GRATITUDE

THANK YOU First Responders For Standing Together With Our Community Through Fire and Water!

WE ARE ALL ON THIS ROAD TOGETHER.

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to the applicant for the amount they are eligible to receive.

“People should be really sharing this link out (www.hellorhighwater. ca) right across Canada, internationally, down to the states, to any and everybody that they know,” said Rotary Club President, Leslee Lucy.

“We can only help as many people as the funding we have coming from the donations through Hell or High Water.”

Hell or High Water is certainly ambitious in size but it was surprisingly easy to have that many people come on board and participate.

“Initially when we started contacting recording artists, they basically went and got friends who got friends,” Girard Explained “With celebrity guest hosts, once they

to all who have and are continuing to work hard to save our homes and our community.

It’s been a difficult year and because of all you, many still have a place to call home.

I for one am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL! I urge everyone to SUPPORT this fundraising effort to HELP those affected.

LET OUR FRIENDLY, KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF HELP YOU

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 17

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Flood victim denied by insurance and DFA

It was never disclosed to Rupert that there was an oil tank buried underneath the house upon purchase. Rochelle Rupert/Submitted

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM Thousands of people were forced from their homes when the Coldwater River rose to unprecedented levels and spilled its banks on Nov. 15, 2021.

When flood waters receded, some residents were fortunate to return to undamaged homes, others had to undertake extensive repair and restoration work, and still others found that their homes had been swept away or destroyed.

However, in Rochelle Rupert’s case, there is a limbo of being caught in between. Unable to live in her home as it is, unable to repair it, and unable to tear it down, Rupert has been caught

ALPHA DESIGN

between insurance and Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA), receiving no help from either.

Her story begins, like many others, being awoken by emergency personnel at 3:30AM on the morning of Nov. 15 at her home on Hamilton Ave. near Merritt Secondary School.

“They didn’t come until about 3:30 in the morning to tell us to leave, and that was a pretty confusing experience because I didn’t really understand why the Coldwater was going to flood,” said Rupert.

“I have two cats, and I had two chickens at the time but they both died in the flood because I couldn’t do anything

“If you can dream it, we can build it!”

Proud to be part of such a supportive and resilient community.

with them at 3:30 in the morning. I’m pretty surprised that we didn’t have more warning than that. By 4:00 or 4:15 in the morning, the water was rushing onto the streets. I literally just had time to get both my cats and one suitcase of clothes before I decided to leave.”

Confused, exhausted, and unsure where to evacuate to or how long she would be out of her home, Rupert went first to a friend’s house where she spent the remainder of the night. The next day she went to another friend’s house where she had to stay in the garage as her friend was allergic to cats. From there she went to a colleague’s house where she stayed for three days before going to Kamloops

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and staying in the basement of a former colleague for two weeks. When she was able to return to Merritt she moved into a basement before trying to stay in a borrowed RV trailer outside her home.

Because there were a number of fans and dehumidifiers placing a significant strain on the power supply, she was unable to plug the trailer in, and the temperature dipped down to more than -20°C. Using a diesel generator, which required fuel every six hours, to run two space heaters which kept her from “freezing to death”, before returning to a friend’s basement. Unfortunately, that house is now going up for sale and once

See ‘OIL’ Page 18

HEARTFELT THANKS

to all the men and women working tirelessly in our communities during the recent fires and floods

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HELL OR HIGH WATER

Oil spill costs woman hundreds of thousands in damage repair HELL or CLASS OF HIGH 2018 WATTER

LET’S HELP BRING EVERYONE HOME Rupert had moved from Ontario to Merritt where she bought her home. Rochelle Rupert/Submitted

www.millcreekdesign.ca • 250-378-6311

From Page 17

again, Rupert will be looking for a place to stay.

In the meantime, Rupert, who still had water flowing through her house and yard on Nov. 16 when waters elsewhere began to recede, attempted to make an insurance claim. This was promptly denied as Rupert did not have overland flood insurance.

The situation was only to get worse.

“My biggest problem is that I don’t just have flood damage,” said Rupert.

“In the 80s or 90s, someone converted the home www.canadiantire.ca from an oil furnace to a gas furnace, and they buried the oil tank, still full of oil, in the crawl space. When the 250-378-1818 flood waters came in they filled the tank with water and 2761 Forksdale Ave, Merritt BC pushed all of the remaining oil out of the tank, and then the oil floated on top of the water... My house didn’t flood from the outside, it flooded from the basement filling up so high. So, the basement completely filled with bring a sense of well being to those people displaced. water, the oil was floating on top of the water, and it got pushed through into the house.”

However, Rupert had no idea this was the case when she first returned home, and she had already spent $10,000 gutting the interior of her house to fix what she 121-1700 Garcia St. Merritt, BC 250-378-9004 assumed was just water damage.

Half of Rupert’s home sits on a dirt crawlspace and the other half sits on a cement basement. In the flood, river mud filled the basement and also contaminated the dirt of the crawl space, which began to mold within days.

To clear this mess, Rupert brought in a hydrovac truck.

“When we were cleaning up, taking out chunks of True Heroes and Warriors come in every size and shape. They work tirelessly to keep their communities and families safe.

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wood pieces and rock that got stuck in the hydrovac that was sucking up the mud, as we were doing this process, one of my friends said you know there’s an old oil tank back here, right?”

Rupert had lived in the house for three years but had no idea that the oil tank was buried in her crawlspace.

This had never been disclosed to her, and despite extensive plumbing work performed by the former owners in the basement, it is unclear whether they were aware of the issue either. Not even a pre-purchase home inspection gave Rupert any indication of the existence of the tank.

“And then everything clicked,” said Rupert.

“The smell, what I was seeing on the floors, I couldn’t understand. A few days after the flood I returned home to get some belongings, before they really cracked down, and when you opened the door it just smacked you in the face, this horrible smell.”

Friends had been at Rupert’s house before she returned and began the process of pumping the water out, realizing after the tank was found that what they had witnessed in the strange colouration of the water and the odour was actually an oil slick.

“We pumped all that water and mud onto my backyard,” said Rupert.

Now, her home and entire lot have been contaminated, being considered not just a flood zone but an environmental hazard. Quotes from environmental remediation companies have been between $350,000 to $500,000, with one sending an employee from Kamloops.

“When she saw the house she pretty much told me it

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From Page 18 was a teardown,” said Rupert.

“Everything I own smells like oil, there’s oil in the wood of the floors, oil in the wood of the walls. The whole house reeks of oil, you can smell it from outside even before you enter.”

Although Rupert’s home is entirely unliveable, she was inexplicably removed from the evacuation order that otherwise includes the rest of her neighbourhood. Her home was initially yellow tagged, and her neighbour sent her a picture proving such, however, by the time Rupert was next at her house, the tag had disappeared. This was in December, and it was only a few weeks ago she was able to have the City return her to address to the evacuation order.

In the meantime, Rupert was told her Red Cross supports were ending on Feb. 15, and despite filling out all of the appropriate paperwork and knowing that supports have now been extended to March 31, she has not heard back. The owner of the home where she is billeting has not been paid since Feb. 15.

Although Samaritan’s Purse wouldn’t enter her home due to the overwhelming smell of oil, a project manager called Emergency Management BC to inquire about DFA on her behalf. At that time, she was informed DFA wouldn’t cover any damage related to the oil.

“I don’t understand how they’re going to differentiate what was damaged from water vs. oil because the water was carrying the oil around the house, and the only reason the house was a total loss is because of the flood, and because the tank was flooded, otherwise this wouldn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have known about the tank still,” said Rupert.

At the beginning of Dec., Rupert went ahead and applied for DFA anyway, but has yet to hear back.

Still, even if DFA paid out the maximum 80% of the cost of damages, Rupert’s house was assessed at $243,000, which would amount to a pay out of $194,400. This would not even cover the $226,000 Rupert still owes on her mortgage. And even if she could come up with the remaining $31,600 the hundreds of thousands of dollars in remediation work would still need to be done before she could even begin to build a new home or sell the lot.

Rupert also attempted to file a new insurance claim for oil damage rather than flooding, but more than a month later, her insurance company hasn’t given her an answer.

“DFA wants to deny oil, and the insurance company

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wants to deny the flood and I don’t know about the oil, but even if both of them would just cooperate and help me with this, I still don’t know if I could make this happen without several hundred thousand coming out of my own pocket,” said Rupert, who initially tried to be positive and grateful that her home didn’t float down the river.

“All I can think now is that I wish it had. It would have been easier to deal with. Dealing with an environmental contamination like this is just going to be years of headache and money.”

Perhaps most heartbreaking is that this home represented a fresh start for Rupert. When her mother passed five years ago, everything was left to her stepfather except an RRSP which was divided between Rupert and her sisters.

From this Rupert received $60,000. Immediately following her mother’s death, Rupert’s boyfriend at the time convinced her to purchase a house with him. Three months after receiving $40,000 from Rupert, he kicked her out of the house and informed her that she was not on the title and would not be receiving a dime of her money back.

Rupert took the remaining $20,000 and moved from Ottawa, Ontario to Merritt, where she put a downpayment on her home on Hamilton Ave. A home that will never be lived in again.

Without a lot of assistance from somewhere, Rupert will remain stuck in a nearly unsolvable problem for years. At this point, she has considered giving up on everything she has worked for and walking away from the house, defaulting on her mortgage in the process.

“I don’t know what else to do, without half a million dollars I can’t do anything,” said Rupert.

“My credit will go down to nothing, and the way that the market is right now without being able to sell a home and have equity back and have a downpayment for a new home, there’s no way that I’ll be able to re enter the market again.”

Although she is reluctant to return to renting after being a homeowner, availability is almost nonexistent anyway. Rupert has only seen two pet friendly rentals that would accept her and her cats since the flooding, one was $1,300/month and the other $3,000/month. Both were rented within days.

“I’m wondering where the governments are in all of this, where is the help coming for the City of Merritt?”

Rupert questioned.

“I just want to go home.”

When you are running away from an EMERGENCY First Responders are running towards it.

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20 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

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HELL OR HIGH WATER

ESS volunteer helps evacuees amidst own displacement

ESS volunteer Bonnie Horel was also a victim of the November 2021 floods Bonnie Horel/Submitted

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@ MERRITTHERALD.COM Emergency Support Services (ESS) provides short-term, basic supports to people who have been impacted by disasters such as the wildfires and floods that caused widespread destruction in the Nicola Valley and surrounding areas in 2021.

Bonnie Horel has been volunteering, almost entirely by accident, with

ESS since 2019, during that year’s wildfire season.

“I just walked in one day and asked is there anything I can do, and Lonni (Boszco), who heads up ESS in this area, she started talking to me and asked if I would come in and do registrations,” explained Horel.

“She wanted my background in social work.”

Since that time, Horel has been a steady vol-

Some people run from problems Others run to them....

unteer with ESS and has assisted hundreds of people who, in many cases, are experiencing the worst event of their lives.

“You’re dealing with people at a very stressful point in their life,” said Horel.

“They come in and you don’t really know what you’re getting when they walk through the door. You have some people that are in control and very capable, you have some people that have no control and no skills, they just really don’t know where to turn and what to do, and as a volunteer, part of what we have to do is find out what they do need.”

ESS volunteers register evacuees and then determine what, if anything, they may need.

This could include things as urgent as shelter and food, and other everyday essentials such as toiletries and clothing.

Attending to the evacuees emotional and mental needs, however, is often where the real work

takes place, requiring much commitment from the volunteers.

“I’ve had people break down, come in really strong and within ten minutes of talking to them they’re a puddle of tears and they’re broken,” said Horel.

“You have to try to pull them together, pick up the pieces and try to bring some calm to their life. They’re tired, exhausted. When the Lytton fire happened, those poor people came in and they were going from centre to centre because every time they went to another centre, the fire was so out of control that that centre got evacuated. They were tired of running, they were scared.”

This can place quite the toll on volunteers, who may hear the stories and absorb the tragedies and hardships of dozens of people in one shift.

“You’ve got a lot on your plate when you’re dealing with all of the different emotions that are running through

people,” said Horel, who praises Boszco for acting as a “mother hen” and ensuring all volunteers are taking care of themselves and receiving the support they need.

“It’s quite emotionally draining on the volunteers, you get home at the end of the day and you’re exhausted, not from physical work but just mentally and emotionally you’ve been taxed all day, listening to people’s stories, the heartbreak.”

Horel is well versed in assisting others, drawing on her experience as an Interior Community Support Worker, supporting the most vulnerable in the community, such as those with disabilities or mental health issues.

Horel knows the importance of being a good listener and applies this to her work with ESS. “You need to listen, you need to let them get it out of their system, let them talk about it,” said Horel.

“That’s the first step to healing, is to be able to

talk about it. I let them teach me about them.

They’re the experts on their situation and I’m the student. They teach me what they’ve gone through.”

Horel was on the other side of the equation when her own home flooded in Nov. 2021, juggling being an evacuee herself and still working with ESS to assist others. Fortunately, the close relationships she had formed with other volunteers gave her some people to lean on.

“We’ve formed a bit of a family,” said Horel of the ESS team.

“I can’t say enough about ESS, when there is a disaster or something happens whether it’s flood, fire, house fire, whatever and that call comes in, all hands on deck, everybody shows up. Everybody. Merritt ESS in particular, in the past we’ve handled so much more than the larger centres like Kelowna or Kamloops. It’s a well oiled machine, what ESS does. They do a very good job.”

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 21

City of Merritt explores six sites for post flood housing solutions

The City is exploring 3D printed homes as one of several options for alleviating the housing shortage that was intensified by the 2021 flood.. Greg Lowis/City of Merritt

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM Following a devastating flood that saw thousands of people evacuated from the city and hundreds of homes damaged, the City of Merritt is looking to get creative when it comes to interim housing solutions.

“We had a housing crisis before the floods and the flood has only deteriorated this much further,” said Andrew Nielsen, Housing Coordinator for the City of Merritt during a Public Information Session on March 3.

Although roughly 900 people remain displaced, the estimated number of homes considered a total loss is around 100, with approximately 57 of those being mobile homes. Footage of one such mobile home floating first down the Coldwater and then Nicola River was widely circulated on social media in the days following the flooding.

TOGETHER we RISE

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Fraser Nicola 2–2152 Quilchena Ave., Merritt, BC 250 378-8831 Jackie.Tegart.MLA@leg.bc.ca

“Our goal is to bring 100 new homes into Merritt in the coming months,” said Nielsen.

Six potential sites have been considered by the City for this purpose.

“Our first priority was of course temporary, short term housing,” said Nielsen.

Site 1 and 2 off of Douglas St. were put forward as an ideal location for oilfield, camp style housing. As it was near both the downtown and the flood impacted areas, residents would have access to necessities and be located not far from their damaged homes.

“Unfortunately, this proposal was unsuccessful in funding from the province,” said Nielsen, although the reason for this was not mentioned during the Information Session.

Site 3, a 1.1ha strip of property near Quilchena Ave., will be utilized for small footprint, 3D printed homes, created in partnership with the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Thank you to all the helping hands raising funds, so everyone can go HOME!

“Our goal is to use a 3D printer that can produce homes about 600 square feet in size, so they would be classified as a tiny home,” said Nielsen.

“The printer is able to produce these homes at a rate of about one every 48 hours using just a printer and a crew of one to two people.”

A similar structure was constructed near Nelson, BC, and is the world’s first 3D printed concrete tiny home on Airbnb.

The 3D printed tiny homes would meet many of the National Housing Strategy principles by being net zero, highly insulated and have the ability to be supplemented with solar energy, if necessary.

The City hopes to have 18 to 20 of these homes completed this year.

Site 4, off of Voght St. near the Coldwater River is currently being reviewed by the City.

Site 5, next to the Diamondvale Mobile Home Park, has been selected as a potential new neighbourhood. Development

Disaster Recovery is a community undertaking

No one should have to take a crack at it alone 250.378.5634 info@merrittchamber.com

work was started in the area roughly eight years ago, meaning water, sewer, and natural gas services are available. The City hopes to work with the landowners, the province and a modular home company to bring 40 homes online in this neighbourhood, beginning this summer.

Site 6 is the Diamondvale Mobile Home Park, which currently has 41 sites available for mobile homes. “It would go a long way to replacing or adding to the Merritt inventory of the 57 mobile homes that were lost in the flood,” said Neilsen.

Alternatively, the park can support roughly 80 RV camper trailer units, which is a form of housing the City is encouraging residents to utilize as a means of coping with the housing shortage.

In addition, much of the city is zoned R2, which would allow for a laneway or carriage home.

“I encourage you to work with building services to find something that works on your lot,” said Neilsen.

22 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

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THANK YOU to all the supporters and sponsors of the

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HELL OR HIGH WATER

Scouts to donate care packages on March 12

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The scouts have established multiple avenues to receive donations from both in person and online. Photo/Azlim Rajwani

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM The 13th Burnaby Scouts have organized a donation drive to give goods to the people of Merritt.

The scouts would be handing out a total of 150 care packages to victims of the flood on March 12 at the Railyard Mall parking lot.

“We agreed that it would be a worthy cause to build up on.” says KIan Sonawala, 16, who together with his brother, Aahil, 14, have brought the idea of the drive to their scout group. “We needed help from a team, we couldn’t just do it alone.”

Sonawala along with the rest of the scouts started handing out flyers in their neighbourhood, in local parks, and to local businesses to raise money and awareness for their drive. The group also collected donations online

Nicola Valley & District Metis Society

Nicola Valley & District Metis are one with all effected by the flooding.

May we all be home soon.

If you would like more information on our society please call 250-378-5015 or 250-378-0076 email: mcdomic@shaw.ca • Facebook: Nicola Valley Metis

Thank You

through an Amazon wishlist of household items donors could donate and a Gofundme link where they have raised over $1400.

Since starting the project, other scouts have also joined in for their cause. “We plan to give out 100 bags and because of our alliance with the Fort Langley Scouts we decided to raise that to 150,” Sonawala said.

The City of Merritt and the Disaster Management team, and Merritt Support Centre have coordinated with the scouts to organize the drive.

The 13th Burnaby Scouts will be at the Railyard Mall parking lot on March 12, Saturday at 2 PM. Donations will be handed out on a first come first serve basis.

The scouts are still welcoming donations through their Amazon and GoFundMe links seen below. https://gofund.me/d66d8e22 https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ ls/36OX0NGECBL2T?ref_=wl_fv_le

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 23

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HELL OR HIGH WATER

Catastrophic flooding in BC will have long-term detrimental impacts

A BC Hydro power pole that was washed away from the community in Shackan has ended up in Boundary Bay. Photo/(Herald file photo)

Jacob Cardinal Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (ANNews) – Back in November, a major storm in B.C. has caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides within the province, causing mass-destruction to highways and supply chains.

Atmospheric Rivers The storm that hit B.C. is known as an “atmospheric river,” which is a large stream of water vapour that can stretch up to 1,600 km long and 640 km wide.

According to research at the University of California, these types of storms on average hold an amount of water equivalent to 25 Mississippi rivers.

While these storms provide large portions of moisture for many regions across the globe, atmospheric rivers can become dangerous depending on their strength and duration.

Farnworth also added that there have been almost a dozen atmospheric rivers since mid-September.

“Having several destructive storms in a row is not anywhere near normal,” he said.

Multiple areas across the entire province have been heavily impacted by the flooding and are on a race against time to repair damages and to prep for the next set of storms.

Crews in the Sumas Prairie, an area which has seen many displaced peoples and thousands of animal deaths, are working to repair and strengthen their dike; the military has entered Princeton to help sandbag and protect the area from more flooding; and the route situation between Merritt and Spences bridge “remain very dire,” said Farnworth.

The impact on Indigenous Peoples Many Indigenous peoples in B.C. were critically impacted by the flooding and mudslides, with numerous communities becoming isolated from the rest of the province.

The Shackan First Nation in B.C.’s Nicola Valley was evacuated, with roads and bridges connecting the reserve to the province being completely washed away. Chief Arnold Lampreau said it could take years before the infrastructure is rebuilt to allow residents to return.

The Chawathil First Nation is currently being assisted by the military after the Nation was cut off from power, Internet, and connection to the outside world due to the flooding and highway closures.

There are many more First Nations in the province that have been severely affected by the floods, said Stewart Phillip, Grand Chief of the Union of the B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). “I’ve been on Zoom calls for the last three or four days, listening to stories directly from the chiefs of communities that have been devastated,” he explained.

“It’s all over.”

“This cannot be framed within traditional notions of a one-time weather event, where we simply make superficial repairs to transportation infrastructure and then expect things to be OK,” said Phillip. “The devastation will have very serious long-term detrimental impacts on the land itself.”

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24 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

FRONTLINE

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Province commits $18.4 million to Lytton recovery

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Thank you for putting yourself in the way of danger to save others, to save the public.

This what it means to be a HERO. THANK YOU for everything you do

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HELL OR HIGH WATER

The additional aid will cover costs for debris removal from more than 200 properties Photo/Province of BC

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM The Province is committing a further $18.4 million for the recovery of Lytton.

This funding will cover the substantial costs of debris removal, archeological work and soil remediation for municipal and all uninsured and underinsured properties in the village.

“By supporting debris removal, we are literally clearing the way for the rebuilding of Lytton to begin in a tangible way,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

“We are doing everything possible to speed up the progress and support the community through the very challenging and ongoing task of rebuilding Lytton.

This recovery is a partnership, and the Province continues to have the backs of the people of Lytton.”

To help the village and residents of Lytton get to the rebuilding stage, the Province will pay for the removal of debris including ash, soot, metals, bricks, and other building materials from more than 200 properties. The debris removal will start with municipal properties on Tuesday, March 8, and expand to residential properties when that work is completed.

“Our government is continuing to take steps to support the village and residents of Lytton in rebuilding,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Municipal Affairs.

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HELL or HIGH WATER

See ‘LYTTON’ Page 25

It has been a trying year, but as long as we work together we can get our whole Proudly servingGET theBACK forest industry sincecommunity 1985.

HELPING VICTIMS HOME! back home.

Proud to help support the HELL or HIGH WATER feature.

Fundraising Event!

We have a special something for anyone on your list.

250-378-5575

1974 Quilchena Avenue - Merritt, BC

Bases in Hope and Merritt, BC Toll Free: 1-877-869-2131 info@valleyhelicopters.ca This message brought to you by in Hope and Merritt, BC www.valleyhelicopters.ca

Bases in Hope Bases and Merrit BC Bases in Hope and250-378-5121 Merritt, BC Toll Free: 1-877-869-2131 Toll Free 1-877-669-2131 1301 Nicola Avenue info@valleyhelicopters.ca Toll Free: 1-877-869-2131 Merritt, BC info@valleyhelpicopters.ca www.valleyhelicopters.ca www.norgaardreadymix.ca info@valleyhelicopters.ca Serving the Nicola Valley since 1960. www.valleyhelicopters.ca

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THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 25

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Lytton to receive large provincial aid 3499 Voght Street, Merritt, BC Entrance at the front of the Royal Lepage building.

Telephone: 250-378-9446 Fax: 250-378-5257

Please support HELL OR HIGH WATER Helping our community get back home!

Proud supporter of

HELL OR HIGH WATER Telethon

Community helping each other!

Call: 250-378-7122

ESS volunteer Bonnie Horel was also a victim of the November 2021 floods Photo/2 Rivers Remix Society

From Page 24 “This $18 million in new funding will pave the way for people to return to their homes by funding critical debris removal, archeological, and site remediation work.”

Following the debris removal, the Province will co-ordinate and fund archeological work that would otherwise be covered by the residents.

This is an area of cultural importance, and this work aims to identify and preserve any findings in the area, and further reconciliation and collaborative resource management between the Nlaka’pamux Nation and the Province.

This new funding will also address costs of reme-

email: jason@adpm2005.ca

diation work to transform the ground into new livable space. Soil remediation will remove any contaminants from the ground and restore the landscape into a safe site where the village and residents can rebuild.

To keep work moving forward, the Province is funding temporary accommodations for as many as 30 staff, consultants and construction workers, who are doing this work. In addition, this funding will support project management, engineering design work and security.

This new funding complements the $9.3 million the Province has recently provided to support Lytton’s ongoing operations and recovery.

The village site will be ready for the next phase of rebuilding, such as permitting, this fall.

We wish to express our

Heartfelt Concern

for all the victims of the floods and fires of 2021. #110-1700 Garcia St.

(Located downtown in the Railyard Mall)

250-378-4000

www.cascadedental.ca

We are all working together to get

Thank You

All of Merritt BACK HOME! Let us all be a part of this fundraising event!

to all our First Responders Those t wo words are not strong enough to express our gratitude!

2676 Nicola Avenue

1-888-292-1581

www.mariostowing.com

Please help support the HELL OR HIGH WATER Fundraising Efforts Message brought to you by

Like us on

www.yrb.ca

@YRBNicola

DOWNTOWN MERRITT: #120 1700 Garcia St. Railyard Mall

250-378-5217

250-378-9241

26 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

SPORTS

www.merrittherald.com

Have a sports story tip? Tell us about it by calling 250-378-4241 or emailing newsroom@merrittherald.com.

I-SPARC to host track and field camp for aboriginal youth

H O N O U R I N G T Y P O Z Z O BO N

The camp will take place on March 26-27 Photo/ Team BC

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@ MERRITTHERALD. COM The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I-SPARC) will be hosting BC Indigenous Athletics Development Camp on March 26-27 in Kamloops, BC. I-SPARC has partnered with Tk’emlups te Secwepemc and the Province of BC to host this free two-day track and field camp held at the Hillside Stadium .

Indigenous youth (First

Nations, Métis, Inuit) ages 10 through 17 are invited to participate. The camp welcomes all levels of athletes from beginners to experienced.

Jack Miller, Team BC NAIG coach, will lead the camp and activities will include long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus, sprints, relays, and middle distance.

Registration now open and will close on Wednesday, March 23.

Please visit www.isparc.ca to register and to learn more about the event.

The Merritt Centennials celebrated Mental Health Awareness Night last Friday, March 4. where they were able to honour Ty Pozzobon through his family and the Ty Pozzobon Foundation. Izaiah Reyes/ Herald

KidSport BC to launch 50/50 online raffle

The 50/50 Raffle will be the first of its kind done by KidSport BC. Photo/ KidSport BC

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@ MERRITTHERALD. COM

KidSport BC has launched its first ever online 50/50 raffle in support of KidSport BC’s Provincial Fund The Fund aims to help kids across the province where there are no KidSport Chapters, like Merritt, to play a season of sport. KidSport is able to help these kids by giving them an allowance up to $400 which helps pay for registration costs.

“The past couple of years have been difficult for fundraising.

Merritt Centennials vs

Many of the sectors we’ve relied on for support in the past have experienced their own challenges through the pandemic and are focusing on their own recovery, and not being able to host events has meant that our fundraising revenues have been down,” said Angela Crowther, KidSport BC’s Fundraising Manager. “We’ve been fortunate to receive support from the Province of BC to ensure we could continue granting through this difficult time, but now we need to ramp up our fundraising activities to ensure we can meet the anticipated increase in demand for grants.”

Over the past four years KidSport BC was able to help 46 kids from Merritt play sports. Hockey and soccer were the two sports that locals applied for amounting to $17,000 total in grants.

2022 is already shaping up to be a bigger year as early on it had already surpassed 2021 with the number of grants handed out.

The winner of the 50/50 raffle will receive half of the jackpot while the other half will go towards the Provincial Fund.

Tickets are on sale now until Friday, March 18 at 11:59 pm.

3 entries will be sold for $10, 20 for $20, and 100 for $50 at kidsportbc.rafflenexus.com.

The final draw for the winner will be on Monday, March 21st.

MARCH 16 - VERNON VIPERS: 7:00 P.M. MARCH 18 - WEST KELOWNA WARRIORS: 7:00 P.M. AT THE NICOLA VALLEY MEMORIAL ARENA!

FOR TICKETS DROP BY 2001C VOGHT ST, OR CALL THE OFFICE AT 250-378-3604

www.merrittherald.com

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 27

Do you want to nominate a business? Tell us about it by calling 250-378-4241 or emailing reporter@merrittherald.com.

CONTAIN-IT STORAGE

Voght Street bridge to be removed

The Middlesboro Bridge has been deemed impassable since November 2021. Greg Lowis/City of Merritt

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@ MERRITTHERALD. COM During a Public Information Session on March 3, plans for flood recovery were discussed at length and livestreamed for Merrittonians to watch.

Several projects, broken down into short and long term categories, were presented by Darcey Hormann, Critical Infrastructure lead with the City of Merritt Recovery Operations Centre. The first of which will be the removal of the Middlesboro or Voght St. bridge from the Coldwater River.

The bridge collapsed some-

time during the night of Nov. 15, 2021, or the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2021.

Residents who had not yet evacuated from the west side of the Coldwater River, such as those in the Collettville neighbourhood, were then trapped as the remaining bridges were declared potentially structurally unsafe.

The bridge has remained in its collapsed state and completely impassable, for more than three months now.

However, beginning this week, the bridge will be lifted from the river.

“Essentiallym the contractors will be mobilizing

tomorrow and in the next couple days, with that work planning to take about two to three weeks,” said Hormann, who also noted site meetings were held with contractors and engineers on March 3.

“The purpose of that work is essentially to remove the collapsed span, the abutment or the concrete that the span was sitting on, and also the balance of that bridge, and that’s to allow for the eventual replacement of that bridge with a new span.”

Mid-term plans include the shoring up and stabilization of the banks of the Coldwater River

near the bridge as well.

“If you’ve walked around there you can see that the embankment is eroding,” said Hormann.

“There’s a couple of hydro poles there that are on the near end of the bank, so we need to protect that embankment to prevent further erosion.”

The City currently has an open tender and hopes to choose a successful bidder to complete this work, which would include placing riprap and armouring the banks against further erosion before spring freshet, by the end of next week, with work beginning the following week.

In addition to this project, dike repair has been slated at an additional six locations throughout the city, including in the vicinity of Pine St., Claybanks and Garcia St. Hormann cautions against getting too close to the ongoing work.

“All three of these sites will be active construction areas,” said Hormann.

“So, though it may be tempting to go and observe what’s happening, there’s probably some good vantage points on the other side of the river if you’re interested in seeing the works, I would certainly want to discourage anyone walking

through or near those sites just because there will be active construction equipment, large trucks moving back and, forth and it won’t be a safe place to watch from.”

Residents anxiously await the planned repairs and bank reinforcements as spring freshet could be less than two months away.

Approved mini-storage ■ On-site rentals ■ Secured ■ Sale of New & Used storage containers ■

1750 Hill Street ■ Phone: 250-315-3000 PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER

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

Sunday service (indoors), 10 am. Phone (250)378-2464 for more info and for prayer support.

Merritt Lutheran Fellowship

in St. Michael's Anglican Hall • 250-378-9899 Service Time: 3rd Sunday each month 1:00 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 Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m.

IS YOUR FURNACE READY FOR WINTER Don’t get caught off guard by a broken heater when you need it most.

Give your furnace a tune-up before the cold hits.

BE SURE TO KEEP THE FAMILY WARM & SAFE THIS WINTER

250-378-5104

2151 Coutlee Ave., coppervalley@uniserve.com

28 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022

www.merrittherald.com

CLASSIFIEDS

Deadline for placing a classified ad is 5 p.m. on Monday.

To place an ad please call 250-378-4241 or email: publisher@merrittherald.com Announcements

For Sale - Misc

ALANON Meetings Are Held Every Monday 7 - 8 pm.

United Church Hall 1899 Quilchena Ave Call for more info (250)525-0262

INTEGRITY POST FRAME BUILDINGS since 2008. Built with concrete posts. Barns, shops, riding arenas, machine sheds and more. Sales@ integritybuilt.com 1-866-974-7678 www.intergritybuild.com

GET RESULTS! Post a classified in 95 newspapers in just a few clicks. Reach almost 2 million people for only $395 week for 25-word text ad or $995 for small display ad.

Choose your province or all across Canada. Best value. Save over 85% compared to booking individually. www.bccommunitynews .com/advertise or 1-866-669-9222

merrittherald.com

Wanted 2 Seniors paying Cash for Old bottles, license plates, coins, tokens, tins, guns, mining & railroad items, signs, postcards, siphons, early Chinese items, estates.

Larry 250-545-7140 sumas@shaw.ca

•

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GET RESULTS!

RVs / Campers / Trailers

Reach almost 2 million people in 92 papers for only $395/week for a 25-word text ad, or $995/week for a formatted display ad bccommunitynews.com/ advertise

1998 ITASCA MOTORHOME FOR SALE

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Book by province or whole country and save over 85%!

32 ft motorhome, solar, inverter/ converter, generator, a/c, awning, walk around bed, all appliances in good working order. Clean unit, great family camping getaway rv, loads of storage space.

Phone: 250-579-9477

Only $25,000

Obituaries

Legal & Public Notices

Obituaries

August 21,1930 to October 21, 2021

Legal & Public Notices

Woodlot 1860 Woodlot Licence Plan Interested parties are requested to take notice that the holder of Woodlot Licence 1860 located near Wallace Creek, south of Merritt, BC is preparing a Woodlot License Plan (WLP) in the Cascades Forest District to replace the current WLP. The WLP identifies resources on the Woodlot area, past harvesting, approved harvest areas and existing roads. The plan also identifies performance measures consistent with the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and its associated Regulations. The plan does not show specific locations of proposed harvesting or roads as they will be referred to stakeholders and First Nations in the future.

As well as public review, stakeholders are invited to provide information about specific resource features that may be unknown to the proponent so that they may be incorporated into the planning practice.

Merritt Funeral Chapel A Division of Service Corporation International (Canada) ULC

Celebrating each life like no other REGULAR OFFICE HOURS On Call 24 Hours A Day

Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri.: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m

www.MerrittFuneralChapel.com 2113 Granite Ave., Merritt, BC

250-378-2141 or 1-800-668-3379 MERRITT & DISTRICT HOSPICE SOCIETY

ADVANCE CARE PLANNING provides the family with direction when they need to make decisions on behalf of their loved ones.

P: 250-280-1701

www.merritthospice.org Email: merritthospice@shaw.ca

In accordance with FRPA, the draft WLP is available for public review and comment until April 11th, 2022. Please contact Shaun Hales, RPF to view the plan.

Shaun Hales, RPF Copper Canyon Consulting Ltd. s.hales@coppercanyon.ca 250-510-3083

Obituaries

Obituaries

May 26, 1941 - February 24, 2022

Elizabeth is lovingly remembered by her family, her children; Sherry (David), Wendy, Andrew, and Christopher. Grandchildren; Sarah (Harry), Charlotte (Clayton), Marnie, Erik, Christian and Ryan. Great grandchildren; Hailey, Zoey, Madison and Morgan. Her sister Joyce and many nieces and nephews in England.

Elizabeth was predeceased by husband Albert, son Colin, brother David, and her parents Thomas and Jeannie of England.

Mom “Betty” as she was known to many, was born in St. Annes on the sea, England. Mom visited Canada in 1958 and loved it so much that she went back to England and decided to move to Canada. In 1961 she packed up her trunks and boarded the ship Britannic. Mom visited Yellowknife where she met her husband Albert and they were married the same year.

Dad was a mining engineer and they moved to many provinces and territories including Gunnar(SK), Uranium City(SK), Texada Island(BC), Edmonton(AB), and Horseshoe Bay(BC) then finally to Merritt where they made their forever home. Mom was able to fly home to England in 2005 and enjoyed her visits with all her family and friends, but was shocked at how it had changed in 45 years.

Celebration of life to be held in spring of 2022 The family wishes to thank all the first responders who attended, and the Merritt Funeral home.

Donald Bruce Ellis 1947 - 2022 Whitehorse, Yukon, Passed away February 20,2022.

Leaving his “True Love, Carol”, Whitehorse, with friends, relatives across Canada.

Obituaries

Janice Lillian Reimer

Elizabeth Jean Montgomery

As you share the stories and the memories of how they lived their lives and how very much they meant, may you find comfort...

Legal & Public Notices

Obituaries

Fond memories linger every day, Remembrance keeps them near.

Janice Lillian Reimer (nee Mushaluk) was born: May 26, 1941 in Vita MB, the second of four children. She died peacefully February 24, 2022 in Kelowna BC Janice grew up in Piney Manitoba until 1946 when the family packed up and moved to Prince George. It was from all accounts a rather harrowing journey through the glaciers areas with both Janice and her mother getting out and walking on more than one occasion. Janice enjoyed many shenanigans with her older brother John including youth group and learning to drive Janice married the love of her life, Elmer Reimer on July 11, 1964. They lived in Prince George at the start of their marriage but eventually settled in Merritt, a community they both loved and made many dear friends. Janice was a Registered Nurse and did her training at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops and later worked at the health unit in Merritt. Janice was involved in the community in a variety of ways from Rotary with Elmer to helping with Communities in Bloom. They hosted many Rotary exchange students and remained close to them, often visiting them or having them come back and visit in Merritt. An avid golfer she was a fixture in the ladies night golf evenings in Merritt.

Janice and Elmer travelled the world. They travelled to Egypt, China, India and South Africa and wherever they went they brought a little memento home. Their home in Merritt had many little treasures from far away lands. While some of these trips were for pleasure, some were with the Rotary Club and they helped give out Polio vaccinations to people in need in India.

Janice was an excellent skier. She owned a condo in the original Todd Mountain Burfield Heights development and she taught many of her nieces and nephews to ski. Skiing well into her 70’s, she was an all weather skier (unlike Elmer who was a self professed fair weather skier), she would ski no matter what the weather or conditions. She will be missed by the group of friends she had there.

Janice was everyone’s favorite Aunt. She would take her nephews and nieces camping in their VW van, taught them to swim in her pool, baked them cookies, and spoiled them rotten. Their children became her honorary grandchildren and the cycle of fun began with a new generation.

She is predeceased by Elmer (June 8, 2013), nephew Byron Mushaluk (September 16, 2014), sister in law Sarah (February 14, 2019) and her brother John (on the same day she passed away February 24, 2022). Left to mourn are her siblings: Roger (Laurel) Mushaluk, Donna (Jake) Tosoff.

Elmer’s sisters and brothers: Myrna (Bill) Davis, Leola (Alf) Romanuik, Alvin (Karen) Reimer, Dwayne(Cathy) Reimer. Her nieces and nephews: Jeremy (Claire) Tosoff, Clint (Val) Tosoff, Matt (Tami) Tosoff, Jane Tosoff, Jeff (Lindsey) Mushaluk, Ashley (Jon) Shore, Jaclyn (Matt) Inkster, Cynthia Mushaluk, Lana (Ken) Ryan, Laurel (Bruce) Patterson, Brian (Stephanie) Reimer, Tracy (Gerry) Leonard, Janine (Cory) Thompson, Daryl (Radmila) Reimer, Teri (Carlos) Salazar, Allison Reimer, Brent (Tanya) Davis, Scott(Rosalie) Davis and many many great nieces and nephews and dear friends all over the world.

The family is planning a celebration of life May 28 from 12:00-3:00 at the Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church in Merritt.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Canadian Parkinson Society or to the Charity of your choice.

TODAY'S PUZZLE A NSWERS

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 29

www.merrittherald.com Employment

Employment

Employment

Employment

Employment

Employment

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 58 (NICOLA-SIMILKAMEEN)

School District No. 58 is accepting applications for a Carpenter.

Salary and benefits will be in accordance with the C.U.P.E. Local 847 Collective Agreement. The successful applicant must have the following: • Grade 12 or equivalent • Completion of a recognized apprenticeship and at least six months experience in the trade; • Competency in the use and care of tools and equipment common to the trade; • Class 5 B.C. driver’s licence.

• Qualified Tradesperson (B.C. T.Q., Inter-Provincial T.Q., or Red Seal)

For further information please contact Darrell Finnigan – Operations Manager at 250.315.1113.

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 58 (NICOLA-SIMILKAMEEN)

NOON HOUR SUPERVISORS School District No. 58 is accepting applications for Noon Hour Supervisors at Merritt Bench Elementary This position is Monday to Friday, five (5) days per week and one (1) hour per school day. Previous experience working with students would be an asset.

CASUAL LIBRARY ASSISTANT AT THE MERRITT LIBRARY The Thompson-Nicola Regional Library is seeking a casual Library Assistant who creates a welcoming environment and a superb library experience for all. Candidates with a strong customer service orientation and a keen attention to detail are encouraged to apply.

Duties include providing technology assistance, library programming, and supporting patrons through reference and readers’ advisory.

The position is subject to the provisions of the Collective Agreement with the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union, Local 705. The Library Assistant is a grid 9, which pays $24.32 per hour plus 18.2% in lieu of benefits. There may be additional casual hours available as a Library Assistant or a Page, which is a Grid 3 position that pays $17.02 per hour plus 18.2% in lieu of benefits.

A division of 0741858 B.C. Ltd.

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional Library is seeking a temporary part-time Library Assistant who creates a welcoming environment and a superb library experience for all. Candidates with a strong customer service orientation and a keen attention to detail are encouraged to apply.

Duties include providing technology assistance, library programming, and supporting patrons through reference and readers’ advisory.

The position is 28 hours per week and is subject to the provisions of the Collective Agreement with the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union, Local 705. Evening and Saturday availability is required.

The Library Assistant is a grid 9, which pays $24.32 per hour plus 18.2% in lieu of benefits. There may be additional casual hours available as a Library Assistant or a Page, which is a Grid 3 position that pays $17.02 per hour plus 18.2% in lieu of benefits.

You Want It We’ve Got It Find Whatever You’re Looking for in the Classifieds.

Complete details of the position and required qualifications are available on the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library website: tnrl.ca/jobs.

The Nicola Valley Seniors Residence (The Florentine) is a high-end care facility offering residents two levels of service: independent land assisted living. Our facility supports 71 assisted & independent living suites. We are located in the beautiful Nicola Valley, Merritt, B.C., with plenty of outdoor amenities right outside our doors. Check us out at: www.theflorentine.ca. We are currently hiring for the following: Position Title: Assisted Living Worker (RCA) w/Medical Certification Status: Part-time • Wage: $24.00 DESCRIPTION: The successful candidate will have excellent communications skills, empathy, patience, and concern in providing excellent service to our residents.

Duties will include but are not limited to: • Providing personal care services to residents • Assist residents in activities of daily living • Perform routine health care procedures • Perform clerical and other general related duties • Alternate activities coordinator • Resident outings (Shopping, Dr’s appt’s, etc)

Skills and Abilities: • Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing • Ability to deal with others effectively • Physical abilities to carry out the duties of the position • Ability to organize work • Ability to operate related equipment • Clear Criminal Record • First Aid Certificate • Class 4 Drivers License an asset • Clean drivers’ abstract

NOON HOUR SUPERVISORS School District No. 58 is accepting applications for Noon Hour Supervisors at John Allison Elementary - Princeton This position is Monday to Friday, five (5) days per week and one (1) hour per school day. Previous experience working with students would be an asset.

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

QUALIFICATIONS Education, training and experience: Grade 10 education plus graduation from a recognized Care Aide program & including Medical Certification or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 58 (NICOLA-SIMILKAMEEN)

If interested, please send your resume along with three references to Dena McDermott at dmcdermott@365.sd58.bc.ca or online at www.sd58.bc.ca, click on Jobs, Support Positions, and Current Job Opportunities (Job Code 3130042).

To advertise in To advertise in Employment Employment call 604-630-3300 Call 250-378-4241

Complete details of the position and required qualifications are available on the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library website: tnrl.ca/jobs. This posting is open until filled.

If interested, please send your resume along with three references to Dena McDermott at dmcdermott@365.sd58.bc.ca or online at www.sd58.bc.ca, click on Jobs, Support Positions, and Current Job Opportunities (Job Code 3163396).

LIBRARY ASSISTANT AT THE MERRITT LIBRARY

Employment

Catch your next job in our employment section.

CARPENTER

Qualified candidates are invited to apply online at www.sd58.bc.ca, click on Jobs, Support Positions, and Current Job Opportunities (Job Code 3197285) complete with cover letter and resume outlining relevant background and work experience and three (3) professional references. Please include all relevant certifications during the application process.

Employment

Check Out Our Website: vancourier.com merrittherald.com http://classified.van.net

Our key expectation for this position is to provide assistance in a variety of areas that is warm, safe and healthy, thereby promoting a home-like environment for the residents.

Interested applicants are asked to provide a letter of via email to: exedir@theflorentine.ca No phone calls please.

30 • THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 Employment

Employment

Nooaitch Indian Band 2954 Shackelly Road

SUDOKU

Employment

Ph: 250-378-6141

JOB OPPORTUNITY: SOCIAL WORKER COMMUNITY SERVICE: SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Nooaitch Indian Band Social Worker is responsible for program delivery to individuals, families and groups. Programs include but not limited to Child Welfare, Social Assistance and Drug & Alcohol referrals. The Social Worker assists the management team in the planning and development of programs and services focussed on the health, security and well-being of community members. The Social Worker is also responsible for program reports to related funding agencies as required.

Reporting directly to the Band Administrator, the Band Social Worker maintains working relationships with other members of the management team with regard to community support services for Nooaitch members and provides Chief and Council with periodic updates on social development activities and services on an as-needed basis.

External relationships are maintained with Ministry of Children and Families, Scw’exexmc Child & Family Services, all other relevant social service agencies and institutions and community members.

MAJOR DUTIES: PLANNING • Participates planning at the staff and community levels as needed and assists in the planning for the development of community resources and services, including well-being programs, cultural gathering, etc.

PROGRAM DELIVERY Social Assistance • Income support for community members who t the program criteria • Homemaker services for qualied Elders and persons with disabilities Child Welfare • Liaises with Ministry of Children & Families and other Bands regarding any child (ren) who may be at risk.

• Keeps abreast of new changes in the Family, Child and Community Services Act. • Assists and Supports families within the scope of funded programs and services of Nooaitch Indian Band General • Provides intervention counseling and then refers clients to the appropriate services.

COVID-19 • Due to COVID-19 the incumbent will need to rely on telephone, online meetings and social distancing while working in order to maintain a safe working environment. He/ she will have to be at least double vaccinated against Covid-19.

NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING, ABILITIES AND SKILLS: • A Bachelor’s degree in Social work combined with at least two years’ experience in the eld of social work and counseling. In the absence of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, a minimum two year diploma in Social Work and substantial experience in the social work and counseling elds is required.

• Knowledge and understanding of First Nations communities, culture and issues are essential.

• Knowledge of funding sources.

• Knowledge of other related agencies in this eld and the services they provide.

• Knowledge of Xyntax nancial management software (On-the job training is possible.)

EMPLOYMENT AND REMUNERATION: • Full-time with a 3 month probationary period with the possibility of conversion to permanent employee status. Wage is based on the level of training and experience.

• Comprehensive Benets package includes: Group Pension Plan and Extended Health Benet package introduced after the 3 month probationary period.

HOW TO APPLY: Forward your resume and cover letter to: bandmanager@nooaitchband.ca Phone: 250-378-6141 Extension 107 Application deadline: Posting open until position lled.

Thank you for your interest, however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

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Employment

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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.

PUZZLE ANSWERS ON SEPARATE PAGE

ACROSS

1. Central mail bureau 4. Member of the family 7. Partner to flow 10. __ Angeles 11. Military mailbox 12. Patriotic women 13. Shallow lake 15. Tear apart 16. Middle Easterner 19. Eat to excess 21. Stained 23. Certain peoples of equatorial Africa 24. 1st day of month 25. Skin disease

26. Skating figure 27. Annelids 30. Gracefully slender 34. Kids need it 35. Swiss river 36. Indents 41. A sheer fabric of silk or nylon 45. Belgian River 46. __ Spumante (Italian wine) 47. Originate from 50. Rugged mountain ranges 54. Made less clean 55. Professions 56. 3s

57. Scarf 59. Yellow light 60. Bird noise 61. Opposite of start 62. Bar bill 63. Northeastern Mass. cape 64. American rocker Snider 65. Midway between northeast and east

1. Scandinavian drink 2. Washington river 3. Fast-running flightless bird 4. Nerve conditions 5. Indicates near 6. Immediate relevance 7. Things you can eat 8. Receptacles 9. Retired Brewers great 13. Month 14. Happy New Year!

17. Exclamation to convey truth 18. Passports and licenses are two

20. Ebert’s partner Siskel 22. Long skirt 27. Part of company name 28. Drugmaker __ Lilly 29. Electronic countermeasures 31. Klutz 32. Chinese statesman 33. Stir with emotion 37. Flat-bottomed boat 38. Go-between 39. This (Spanish) 40. A plot of ground where seedlings are grown before transplanting 41. Small waterfall

42. Modern tech necessity (abbr.)

43. Utter repeatedly 44. One of the bravest 47. Sun up in New York 48. Space station 49. Chilean seaport 51. Hasidic spiritual leader 52. They __ 53. Soviet Socialist Republic 58. Single unit

DOWN

THURSDAY, March 10, 2022 • 31

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SERVING MERRITT & AREA FOR 40 YEARS!

Helping you is what we do.™

3499 Voght Street, Merritt BC, V1K 1C6

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JOHN ISAAC Ph: 250-378-1586

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KEVIN DUNN

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3225 PETIT CREEK ROAD

2961 MCLEAN AVENUE

This 2007 Chalet style home is situated on 5.63 acres of land with stunning mountain views. The fenced yard is complete with u/g sprinklers, plug and septic for RV in driveway and detached shop with attached carport. Check out you tube video. 165779

Near new home on cul-de-sac with large back yard. Good natural light in main living space that has open floor plan for living ar-ea. Three bedrooms with full bath up as well as 3 piece ensuite in master.166055

6881 OLD NICOLA TRAIL

2550 COLDWATER AVENUE

$1,100,000

$699,900

Call one of our agents to see what your home is worth.

1874 DOUGLAS STREET $249,000

1925 COUTLEE AVENUE $199,000

D

L SO

$2,288,888

$599,000

W

This 2 story townhouse style home has plenty of room with 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms. With a full basement there is lots of room for the family. Updated flooring and 100 amp electrical. 165700

1887 NICOLA AVENUE $579,000

A great holding property with tremendous development potential in downtown Merritt.

The C-6 zoning bylaw allows up to six stories of commercial and residential mix.165962

1619 MILLER ROAD $1,125,000

W

NE Lovingly cared for 3 bed, 2.5 bath rancher with full finished basement . Laundry is conveniently locat-ed on the main (Dryer 2018/Washer 2022) with access to the double garage. Detached 24 x 14 wired, insulated shop off lane and RV parking.. 165919

NE This beautiful, custom built luxury home sits on .95 acres and is situated on the east side of Nicola Lake. With more than 4200 sqft of living space and a 659 sqft garage, this home comes with luxury finishes and option for suite. 165739

This immaculately kept home is a must see!

The home was built in 2009 with many recent updates. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the main floor with a 220 sqft loft area. The main living space is open and bright. 165964

Welcome to the Real Estate Sales Team Kevin Kevin Dunn has been a resident of Merritt since 2017, coming here from the Fraser Valley. He was born in Manchester, England and spent 30 years as a police officer there before moving to Canada in 2009. Kevin was a business owner in Abbotsford, running a successful residential and commercial cleaning company. He enjoys keeping up with premier league football (soccer!) and is an avid follower of Manchester City Football Club. Kevin also enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, enjoying the beautiful local scenery.

9.91 acres on Miller Estates. The home & shop sit away from the road and up in elevation giving you lots of privacy. There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on the main floor.165965

Kevin Dunn

Over the past 4 years, Kevin has appreciated working with owners and tenants to assist with their housing needs as a Property Manager at Royal LePage. He has now become a Realtor and is excited about the opportunity to share his expertise to home buyers, residents looking to sell their existing home, and those looking to invest in the rental property market.