Merritt Herald October 13, 2022

Homelessness Action Week

in

Marius Auer

Homelessness Action Week is an annual event that looks to bring aware ness and understanding to issues sur rounding B.C.’s unhoused population. Through education, advocacy, and social media activity, the week of awareness hopes to inspire people to take action on this issue that is increasing in prevalence throughout the province and the country.

The 2020/21 Report on Homeless Counts in B.C. identified 8,665 indi viduals experiencing homelessness within the province. This included 222 children under the age of 19 that were accompanied by a parent or guardian. Approximately 62 percent of these indi viduals were sheltered, with 38 percent remaining unsheltered. Homelessness Action Week aims to bring attention to these numbers, and advocate for active solutions to the underlying causes.

“By proclaiming Homelessness Action Week in B.C., the Province acknowledges the tireless work of organizations and advocates to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness, which has only proven more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the toxicdrug and affordable-housing crises,” said

Murray Rankin, BC’s attorney general and minister for housing.

“I would also like to acknowledge those currently struggling with home lessness, and peers providing support in unhoused communities. Our government recognizes the disproportionate impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples experiencing homelessness, and the impacts of systemic discrimination and racism.”

The City of Merritt is also focused on supporting unhoused residents, and has said it is working closely with the Nicola Valley Shelter and Support Society (NVSSS) and Endeavour to Be Better program, who both administer social and housing support services. The society also runs the NVSSS shelter on Voght Street.

The Province is looking to increase the amount of affordable housing units available to those needing shelter through its 10-year ‘Homes for BC’ plan, a 2018 report by government which lists a 30 point plan to increase fairness in the housing market. The report suggests tax ing speculators and foreign buyers, while increasing housing available to those in vulnerable communities.

“This year, we committed $633 mil lion in Budget 2022 for complex-care housing, increased support for young

people in and transitioning from govern ment care, rent supplements with health, housing and social supports, and perma nent housing for up to 3,000 people in temporary COVID-19 spaces,” added Rankin.

“We know there is more work to do to help unhoused or precariously housed British Columbians find a stable home that works for them. Government con tinues to use groundbreaking data that is helping us understand, for the first time, how many people in our province experi enced homelessness at any point in a year to get a more complete picture of who is experiencing homelessness and how to address it more effectively.”

A number of ‘tent cities’ have popped up across the country in recent years, a sign of economic downturn and hard ship for many. The City of Merritt has allowed unhoused people to set up tents at N’Kwala Park for overnight use. Those who choose to camp at N’Kwala Park can access hot showers and breakfast at the shelter, and the adjoining Lions Memorial Park offers bathroom facilities.

Those needing support can contact NVSSS at 250-315-1350, or visit the shelter at 2350 Voght Street. For more information on the society and its pro grams, call 250-315-0155.

WEATHER

individu

Coutlee removed from Council

candidate up until he was declared ineligible. While the period of ineli gibility is unclear, the press release states that Coutlee will be unable to run in the upcom ing election. That leaves LNIB with three options for Chief, and 18 for council.

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

A Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) Councillor has been removed from office and barred from run ning for office in the Band’s upcoming elec tion, following an investigation by an independent third party. Spence Coutlee served as a Councillor from first being elected in 2019, until his removal from office by a major ity vote of Council in October 2022.

According to a statement released by LNIB’s Chief and Council, Coutlee breached the duties of his office in the months imme diately following his 2019 election. While the nature of the breach was not made public, a full 54 page report from an indepen

dent investigator details the inci dent. The report is only available to LNIB mem bers, at the Band’s administration hall. Coutlee did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.

“In early 2020, Council became aware of allegations that Councillor Spence Coutlee had breached his duties and obliga tions as a LNIB Councillor as a result of a series of actions taken by him between November 2019 and July 2020,” said LNIB’s Chief and Council in a statement.

“After care ful consideration, Council, by way of a 4-3 majority vote, has conclud ed that Councillor Coutlee violated

the Chief and Council Policy, the Oath of Office, and the LNIB Financial Administration Law, and that he engaged in a conflict of interest and breached his fiduciary duties.”

The statement details that LNIB Chief and Council retained an inde pendent investiga tor to protect the interests of the Band and Coutlee, with the investiga tor concluding in her final report that Coutlee had violated sev eral LNIB policies. LNIB says that the report’s June 30, 2022 release date was delayed by, among other things, Coutlee’s refusal to partici pate in the investi gation.

Coutlee had announced his intention to run for Chief, and was declared an official

“Council also determined that given the seri ous potential harm that those breaches could have caused to the LNIB community, it is necessary to remove Councillor Coutlee from office effective immediately, and to declare him ineligible to run for LNIB Chief or Council in the upcoming elec tion,” added the statement.

“This is a very difficult decision, and it is one that we are reluctant to make. However it is necessary to take these steps in order to protect the interests of the LNIB commu nity.”

LNIB is cur rently holding its general election. Band members can vote online, in person, or by mailin ballot. General election day is October 22, 2022. For more informa tion, visit www. lnib.net/elections.

best

on what is best

our communit y and the people in it

it is impor tant to meet the housing needs of the communit y while maintaining our small town feel

Working as a councillor requires a TE AM E F FORT,

I am excited about working with the citizens of Merrit t, Councillors, and Mayor TOG ETH E R , we will make Merrit t a thriving and beautiful place to live.

Spence Coutlee has been removed from office as a Councillor, and removed as a candidate for Chief in the upcoming

Nicola

Band elections. Photo/LNIB

Important Life Skills

If you were to do an honest assessment of yourself, are you able to say that you possess essential life skills?

In covering this week’s Fire Prevention Week, I had learned that a safe and prepared household is one that has a drawn up escape plan which is practiced at least twice a year and a properly maintained smoke alarm system. I already failed with the alarm system aspect because if there was a unit put in front of me, I wouldn’t know how to operate it, let alone check it, I don’t have the skills for that.

Another realization for the lack of necessary life skills that I had came after reading a CBC article about a mother-daughter tandem who saved a young boy from drowning because they knew Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). I couldn’t help but imagine how useless I would have been in that time frame between the time paramedics were called and when they arrive.

This nagging feeling of ineptitude just becomes conflated when I start to think about basic technical skills I realize I do not have, whether it be related to vehicles, electricity, or survival skills in the wilderness. There are just so many things I believe I need to know and work on.

I am trying to be better though, and this little tirade of mine is just my public service to the young people out there, and some may even be old, who may not realize that we’ve got some learning to do.

VIEWPOINT

VIEWPOINT

Brooklyn

OPINION

Letters: “Advice from an incumbent Councillor”

Kurt Christopherson

Municipal elections are nearly upon us. We will be asked to choose a leader and a team to make decisions on our behalf over the course of the next four years. I have been honored and privileged to serve as a city councillor for the past decade. I have made the difficult choice not to run in this election. I feel it is time to pass my baton onto others who wish to serve their community. That being said, I am compelled to pass along a few comments to those who have chosen to run in municipal politics.

If successful, you will be in a position to determine policies that impact the residents of the entire city – not just the vocal few who shout the loudest, not just the influential few, not just the most eloquent, not just your

friends. Your decisions impact the entire community. Listen carefully, do your research, study reports, evaluate recommendations, ask questions, debate respectfully –and then vote. And when Council makes a collective decision, respect that process - regardless of your personal feelings, you now own that decision. Running for council, whether as a councillor or as the mayor, is not a popularity contest.

If your goal is to have people like you, stay out of politics. We need decision-makers – not prima donnas. We need people who are willing to serve their term – not quit in the midst of a catastrophe or because of personality conflicts. You have to be made of sterner stuff! You need to be able to think outside the box – to envision what Merritt can become, what it needs to do to grow and prosper, to be able to provide the community

services needed. You need to listen to the quiet voices – they often convey the most accurate portrait of the community.

You need to be able to attend lots of meetings – council meetings, committee meetings, regional meetings, meetings with cabinet ministers, SILGA, UBCM and many others – some with little notice. Life isn’t always organized in neat, predictable order. Being on Council isn’t just one meeting every other week. Get used to being on call.

You have to work at being a part of a team. It doesn’t always come naturally. You don’t have to “like” all your team, but you do have to treat them respectfully and listen to their points of view and work together to come up with the best decisions for the community. You are making a long-term commitment to the entire community

– not just the ones who may have voted for you.

Stay humble. The job, for councillors, doesn’t come with a car or an office. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Learn to listen intently, but don’t share confidential information.

You need to learn to budget. Learn what communities can spend tax dollars on – and what they can’t! Recognize that services cost money. What can we afford to do? What our community needs is sometimes in conflict with what our community wants. What are the citizens willing to pay for? There is a lot more, but serving the public is both a privilege and a responsibility. I want to thank those who have chosen to put their names in the race knowing the limitations imposed on public service. My wish is that we choose wisely.

Auer: “To vote or not to vote in this year’s elections?”

Valley since we moved here from Germany in 2008.

I own and operate a small business and generally prefer if people don’t know too much about me.

What a question! Before I dive into it, I want to quickly introduce myself. My name is Kerstin Auerin Merritt mostly known as Roland’s wife or Marius’ mom - and I’ve lived in the Nicola

In 2016, my whole family became Canadian citizens; I could not wait to vote in the first election that came after this date, and have voted in every election - municipal, provincial, federal - since then. And

this year? I found myself disillusioned with politics and seriously considered not voting. Doesn’t it feel like everyone - regardless of where on the political spectrum they’re on - is part of the problem and nobody is part of the solution anymore?

I shared those feeling with my trusted political advisor - my son Marius - and promptly received a lecture about

civic duty and something about losing my right to complain if I don’t participate. He’s right, of course, and I will vote and do my part. After all, what happens in our community affects us more on a daily basis than provincial or federal politics ever will.

With 18 council candidates and 4 mayoral candidates, deciding who to vote for can get overwhelming

quickly. I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, but I will share with you how I decide who gets my vote - and maybe that helps you decide as well.

Start by thinking about which issues are important to you. Is it health care, housing, flood mitigation, etc.? Make a list of what you would like to see happen in Merritt, and then compare it with each can-

didate’s platform. What does each candidate stand for? What’s their plan to address the issues that are important to you? If you can’t find the information you’re looking for - ask! Be specific with your questions and don’t hesitate to ask for details.

One of the most valuable things I have learned in life was during my time in college. It’s something I have lived by ever since:

Always question authority. That’s right, question away. Anyone being given the power to decide on your behalf as a councillor or mayor owes you an answer. Anyone who has the best interest of your community at heart will gladly give you that answer.

So, the answer to the question “to vote or not to vote?” is yes. Vote and become part of the solution.

Speak up

From the Herald archives: October, 1979

OPENING BONSPIEL CANCELLED

Due to circumstances beyond its control, the executive of the Merritt Curling Club has been forced to cancel the opening bonspiel scheduled for this weekend. In place of the bonspiel the club is going to have an opening season dance on Saturday. October 27, starting at 9 p.m. All people who are going to curl this coming season are invited to attend.

LETTERS POLICY

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

KERSTIN AUER

Trustee candidates talk about school food programs

of healthy eating habits, along with the provision of appropriate foods during a student’s developmental years, is critical to building not only a base for success in school but a foundation for life-long health.

We know students come to school

hungry every day and that only 1/3 of children in Canada eat the

mended

vegetables. School

programs

With the announcement of a onetime $60 million grant for school dis tricts to “expand school meal programs” last month, the Coalition for Healthy School Food is calling on School Trustee candidates to commit to healthy, univer sal school food programs

The Coalition seeks support from Trustee candidates to put in place a program where all students in the school have access to the meal or snack that is offered.

The organization believes that school boards can advocate for sustained pub lic investment by both Provincial and Federal Government in order to develop school food infrastructures across Canada.

The Herald reached out to the four running candidates for School Board Trustee in the upcoming elections on October 15, to see what their thoughts are about the idea of a universal school food program. The following are their responses:

Robert Leech

“It is a fact that proper nutrition improves a student’s ability to learn and retain the knowledge gained. With the announcement of the government’s intention to provide School Districts with $60 million to expand school meal programs, it is important to note if the funding is an annual event or simply a one time infusion of funds. If the funding is a one- time incentive, this gives the Board flexibility to develop new programs that respect cultural and traditional food practices and peda gogies, as has been stated by SueAnne Banks, of the B.C. Chapter of the Coalition. Boards should devel op an infrastructure to meet specific goals and objectives to provide a

greater range of meal options. This might involve facility alterations as well as added equipment pur chased to broaden the scope of meal delivery. If the funding is on-going Boards will have a greater ability to provide culturally diverse menus, thus increasing student aware ness of the different foods that are healthy alternatives. This in itself becomes a learning event.”

Justin Jepsen

“I believe that students that are hungry do not learn as effectively as those that are fed. Children that are underfed or aren’t properly fed can’t focus and retain information in the same way that they could if they weren’t hungry. I think that it is the School District’s responsibil ity to ensure that all our students are reaching their full potential, and Universal Food Programs have proven to be an effective tool in doing so.

SD58 has successful food pro grams in place at some schools, and I believe there is opportunity to expand those programs to others. These programs are most effective when they are available to every stu dent in the school, and that’s how I believe they should be offered. These programs would be ensuring that our students are not only fed prop erly each school day, but teaching them about healthy eating along the way.”

Gordon Swan

“In my past role as President of BCSTA I have advocated to both the provincial and federal Ministers of Health regarding my support and Trustees support of universal school food programs. A key fac tor in ensuring the life-long health and success of children and youth is proper nutrition. The establishment

IGIBL E R ESIDEN T VO T ERS:

healthy foods and decrease the consump tion of unhealthy ones; improve students’ men tal health, improve cogni tive skills; and increase scho lastic success. Establishing these healthy habits will also lead to lower future health care costs.”

John Chenoweth

“I am in support of a universal food program for school aged chil dren. The news release speaks to support for school fees and food programs. Anything the Province can do to support more access to

resources and healthy foods for students will be welcomed by parents and this school district. Our school district cur rently offers a hot lunch program at all schools, but the model is a user-pay model whereby parents must fund the program on a voluntary basis. The funding will support the low ering of these costs and that is welcomed.

However, we can and must try to do better. The pandemic, floods, and fires have exposed how important access to healthy foods are to chil dren and have

stretched our school district’s imagination on how to sup port families during these tumultuous times. We have demonstrated a strong willing ness and ability to advance this topic and we must go further.

I will bring this forward at both the local and provincial levels as a trust ee.”

Aside from being accessible and healthy, foods in the proposed program are also requested to be culturally appropriate. The Coalition operates based on eight guiding principles.

One of which is commitment to Indigenous control over programs for Indigenous stu

dents.

“With this new provincial fund ing, we need to hear and support all voices, and the diversity of Indigenous voices across BC,” said Sue-Anne Banks, Indigenous Lead at the BC Chapter of the Coalition.

“As new school food programs are developed or expanded, it is critical that they respect cultural and traditional food practices and pedagogies.”

School boards are believed to be an integral part for ensuring the Province invests in school food pro grams.

“School boards can develop district-wide poli cies and frame works that support healthy, universal school food pro

grams in their school district, and support schools and teachers in hands-on teaching and learning activ ities that promote food literacy and healthy eating,” said Samantha Gambling, Lead of the BC Chapter of the Coalition.

“We are urg ing school trustee candidates in all 60 school districts to commit to investing in food programs that pro mote health and learning for all students this elec tion.”

To learn more about the Coalition for Healthy School Food. Please visit www.healthy schoolfood.ca.

Apply at redcross.ca/bcfloods/smallbusiness

for info 1- 833 -966 -4225

ex tended, apply by Novemb er 30, 2022

LNIB opens online voting for 2022 General Elections

online, beginning Saturday, October 8, at 9 a.m.

Following the link, https://mem bers.onefeather.ca/ login , voters are given instructions how to register for online vot ing. Band registry number, date of birth, and personal email address are required for regis tration.

has been set for eligible voters to appoint a candi date for the Office of Band Chief, and to appoint seven candidates to form council. The elect ed candidates will hold their position for a three-year term.

The following are the candidates running for office:

On Saturday, October 8, mem bers of the Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) had the chance to cast their vote for Band Chief and Councillors online. The introduc tion of this vot ing option helps members cast votes earlier and from

remote areas. The band has set their 2022 General Elections for Saturday, October 22. In order to further assist voters, OneFeather, the official elections partner of LNIB, have added the option for people to cast their votes

In 2019, 338 in-person ballots, and 61 mail-in bal lots were casted to form the current LNIB govern ment. In addition to online voting, these options will be available for the 2022 Elections.

As per the Lower Indian Band Custom Election Rules, an election day

Chief -ANTOINE, LEONA MARIE -JACKSON, STUART -STERLING, ROBERT JR. Councillor -BEARSHIRT, WENONA -JOE, CHARLENE -BOSE, WILLIAM -JOE, CONNIE -CLAYTON,

DAVID -LAFFERTY, JOANNE -COUTLEE, GEORGE -MANUEL, LESLEY -COUTLEE, LARA -PARE, LAINE -COUTLEE, MARY JUNE -PINYON, TODD (TJ) -DAWSON, ASHLEIGH -SANDY, WILLIAM -DICK, ARTHUR -SEWARD, LUCINDA -HUMPHREY, ROBIN -SWAKUM, SHAWN

Online voting will be available from Saturday, October 8, at 9 a.m. to Saturday, October 22, at 8

p.m. An advanced poll will take place at Shulus Hall on Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the regular poll will also be at Shulus

Hall on Saturday, October 22, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All voters residing outside of LNIB with a registered address will receive a mailing-ballot

package by mail. For any assis tance, please email OneFeather at sup port@onefeather. ca or call (250) 384-8200.

EARN EXT RA CASH

Missing person’s body found

the search efforts.

“Thank you for the outpouring of support we have received in our search for Jaqui. We are devastated to report that her body was found yesterday after exhaustive search es by the B.C. Search and Rescue teams,” read the post.

HERE’S A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME:

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Search and Rescue teams have located the body of 22-year old Jaqueline

McDermott, who was reported miss ing on October 1 after last being seen on Highway

97C between Merritt and Logan Lake. Her body was found on October 8, according to a post in a Facebook group that was created as part of

“Our hearts are forever shattered. Please respect our privacy as we learn how to live in a world with out her. Please keep her in your hearts.”

The RCMP commented that while a police investigation is underway, investi gators do not cur rently suspect any criminal intent.

t ation, and have been since 2011

I have 3 children (8, 10, 15) who are all cur rently at tending school in Mer rit t

I enjoy volunteering with Mer rit t Minor Hockey and Mer rit t Minor Sof tball

have t he uniq ue p er s p e c tive of b eing a for mer s t u d e nt in SD #58 w ho has c hil d re n in t he s ame s c ho ol s y s te m I am d e dic ate d to t his co mmunit y t hat I grew up in, and will wor k to e ns ure t hat SD #58 co ntinue s to p rovid e a s afe and welco ming lear ning e nviro nme nt for eac h s t u d e nt I lo o k for w ar d to re p re s e nting t he me mb er s of t his co mmunit y and p ositively imp ac ting t he w ay t hat we e d uc ate o ur c hil d re n

The

Jaqueline McDermott was found

October

by

Rescue

Photo/RCMP

FIRE PREVENTION

The 100th year observance of Fire Prevention Week

and Dominion Fire Prevention Association (DFPA) both passed resolutions during the 23rd annual NFPA meeting in Ottawa, back in May, 1919. The two groups urged governments in the United States and Canada to support the campaign for a common Fire Prevention Day.

thing that applies across geographies and populations,” she said.

Fire Prevention Week is being observed for its 100th year this week. This national observance week continues to educate individuals and families on how to protect themselves in case of a fire.

Originating

from the U.S., this national observance was put into play in honour of the Great Chicago Fire that occurred on October 8, 1871. The fire lasted for three days and killed more than 250 people, destroyed about

17,400 structures, and burned north of 2000 acres of land.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been sponsoring Fire Prevention Week since 1922. The event always takes place during the week of October 9 to commemorate the Great

Chicago Fire. By 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the week a national observance, making it the longest running one in the country.

In Canada, Fire Prevention Week was first proclaimed by the GovernorGeneral in 1923, after the NFPA

The week always has a theme that the NFPA promotes and it delves into critical fire issues that are based on data collected by the organization. The theme, according to NFPA Senior Director of Public Education Andrea Vastis, is always made to be actionable so that people are empowered and educated.

“It needs to be universal, some-

“For this year, when we were looking at the 100-year anniversary, and we asked ourselves ‘what is different 100 years later?’ There are many strides that we’ve made in the world of fire safety but the big change is that home fires burn hotter and faster than ever, leaving less time to get out safely.”

The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is ‘Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.’ It focuses on the idea of home escape planning. According to NFPA data, 75 percent of all U.S. fire deaths occur in homes and according to Statistics Canada, an average of 220 fire-related deaths occurred

between 2010 and 2020, with 92% of unintentional fire-related deaths taking place in a residential area.

“It is absolutely critical because of the way that homes are constructed, the furnishings, and the contents that we have in our homes,” said NFPA Canada Regional Director Laura King.

“They are all very combustible and toxic. Because we build our homes bigger with more open spaces and stuff it with things that are man made and burn quickly, it is critical that people have Home Fire Escape Plans.”

NFPA asks people to create a Home Fire Escape Plan and to practice the routine at least twice a year, once during the day and once at

night, so everyone in a household is comfortable with the process.

“You have less than two minutes to get out of your homes once smoke alarms sounds,” said King.

“If you don’t have a plan, then it can be chaotic. When there is a fire, the smoke turns black and it’s not easy to see. We see it on T.V. all the time and it looks like we can simply run out the door but that is not true. We want to make people aware that the fire is deadly, the fire is hot, and the fire is fast.”

Fire Prevention Week 2022 runs from October 9 to October 15. For more information about the event and to get safety information and resources, please visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

Merritt Fire and Rescue Department discuss Fire Prevention Week

meeting place.”

Q: How can Merrittonians find an appropriate meeting place for their escape plan?

A: “The idea is that anybody who’s leaving the home, they all know where to go in case of an emergency. When you’re selecting a meeting place, there’s a few criteria you’ll want to make sure you meet. It needs to be a meeting place that’s not going to move. For example, saying you’re going to meet at the car. Sometimes could be a very reasonable sound ing option because it’s usually in the driveway, but what if that one day it’s not? A mailbox, a tree, something that’s stationary and you can find in the dark.”

show up and everybody from the home is already accounted for. It lets us know what our priorities are, if we’re focused on protecting the prop erty or if we’re still looking for other members of the household. At the end of the day, our main role here is to try and work with the community to keep lives and property safe. If people are doing a lot of that work for us, it sure helps. We know that homes burn fast er these days than they used to, so the advanced notice is a really big thing.”

Q: What is the MFRD doing to mark this year’s Fire Prevention Week?

The

Marius Auer

As a part of this year’s Fire Prevention Week, the Herald sat down with the Merritt Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) to chat about safety, fire prevention, and escape planning. Gareth Tilt, firefighter and public education coordinator for the MFRD, is inviting the public to engage in a number of ways with this year’s theme: “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.”

Q: What is the theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week?

A: “The big theme of Fire

Prevention Week starting on the 9th is ‘Fire won’t wait, plan your escape.’ The focus is on homes establishing a home fire escape plan. What that actu ally means is basically to go into each room of your house, sketch a rough diagram of your home, and see if you can find two ways out of every room. Bedrooms, typically it’s one door and a window. You want to make sure those two ways out are functional. Make sure the window does open, and that you then have a route to get safely somewhere else. Then, you’re going to test your smoke alarms, and find a

Q: How often should a fire escape plan be practiced?

A: “We want you to practice it a couple of times per year, kind of the same idea with changing the batter ies in your smoke detectors every six months. Like a fire drill for school, you’re going to run through and actu ally test it, and then post it some where in your home. Something that says in case of emergency, this is where we go, and this is what we do. If you follow the other guidelines with smoke detectors in the right places and closing your doors, your risk of harm is substantially reduced.”

Q: Why is it important that Merrittonians have a fire escape plan in place?

A: “It absolutely helps us if we

A: “We’ve designed an escape room through rooms of the fire hall, where you start back in our gear room and work your way through and out to the bays. Along the way, we do sneak in some tips and information, and have our puzzles and riddles surrounding elements of fire prevention and safety. You’ll find that some of the puzzles are still pretty challenging and unique, and I think we got a pretty good feel for actually having an escape room experience here. It’s free to the public, and the sweet spot is a team of around four people, but we can take more if a bigger group wants to come in. We can make it a little more on the challenging side, or we can make it more kid-focused as well.”

For more information on fire escape planning, or to sign up for a timeslot in the Fire Hall’s escape room, visit www.merritt. ca/firerescue.

Province hosts Fire Prevention Week contests for students K-12

send one entry for a chance to win prizes by exemplifying their knowledge of home fire escape planning.

theme.

To promote Fire Prevention Week to the youth, B.C. will have its annual Fire Prevention Week contest. The contest aims to promote knowledge in escape planning to all B.C. students K-12.

From now till Nov 4, 2022, K-12 stu dents from B.C. Indigenous, public, and independent schools are invited to submit a completed ‘Home Fire Escape Plan’ (HFEP). Each student gets a chance to

“Normally it’s a poster contest with video components,” said Gayanne Pacholzuk, Prevention Coordinator with the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

Pacholzuk explains that the poster contests in previous years were open themed and the organization kept receiv ing entries that were not necessarily relat ed to Fire Prevention Week’s designated

“We decided that we were just going to really focus on the theme itself. The kids get a copy of the grid and they draw their homes. We encourage them to do it with their families and everyone in the home. We just really want to get the next generation of people practicing fire pre vention.”

BC Office of the Fire Commissioner, BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund, Fire Prevention Officers Association of BC, and First Nations’ Emergency

Services Society have all partnered up to bring this contest to the students. The contest will include 12 iPads and 12 Panago pizza parties as prizes for the winning entries per grade.

The informational activity sheet is designed by the National Fire Protection Association in order to educate students on the basics of emergency prepared ness when it comes to fires. The plan provides students with a grid to map out

the layout of their homes, making them aware of exit points and smoke alarms. The plan also asks students to establish a meet ing for the family after leaving the house.

“We at the NFPA promote using this,” said Andrea Vastis, Senior Director of the Public Education Division

for NFPA. “It’s a especially good because with young children, that’s a way to involve them by drawing. It gives you a con crete way to plan what is going on with your house.”

Aside from the completed escape plan, stu dents are also asked to review the plan with the people they share

residence with before submit ting their plan to BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund, no later than November 4.

“There were so many fire deaths last year,” said Pacholzuk. “Some can’t be prevented, but if people planned better for their home escape then it’s going to make all the differ ence in the world to the statistics

that is come out from the Fire Commissioner’s Office.”

Contest rules can be found at www.gov.bc.ca/ firepreventionweek. Submissions can be emailed to firepre ventionweek@ burnfund.org or can be mailed to BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund, 3891 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5V 3P1.

Fire Department asks residents to properly maintain smoke detectors

are often broken, without batter ies, or unplugged for convenience.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 3 out of every 5 fire deaths are in homes without working smoke detectors.

tors than what peo ple used to think they needed. Back in the day, you’d see them with one in the kitchen and then maybe one on each floor.”

According to the BC Fire Commissioner’s 2021 report, only 42 percent of reported residential structure fires had a working smoke alarm

11 percent had no smoke alarm.

The Merritt Fire Rescue Department is reminding Merrittonians to check their fire alarm batteries, locations, and func tionality as a part of their 2022 Fire Prevention Week activities. The local department looks to raise awareness and increase public safety by ensur ing the proper use

and placement of smoke detectors, which they say has changed in recent years.

Smoke detectors are provincially mandated in all new buildings, according to the British Columbia Building Code. While existing buildings also require smoke detectors, they

“The big thing is location. What the new standard is, and what we’d love to see in the com munity, is to have smoke detectors in every sleeping quarters and just outside every sleep ing quarters in hall ways and things like that,” said Gareth Tilt, firefighter and public education coordinator for the MFRD.

“You’re also supposed to have one on every level of the home, and that includes the basement. It really adds up to a lot more smoke detec

While the MFRD says inter connected com bination alarms detecting both smoke and carbon monoxide are ideal, Tilt added that placement is the real key to ensuring your smoke detectors work properly and accurately. Smoke detectors should be tested monthly and have their batteries changed every six months, the same interval at which home fire escape plans should be practiced.

While previous standards would have smoke detec tors placed in the kitchen directly, updated guidelines

take back this recommendation. Proper placement of smoke detectors, along with a num ber of other fire prevention methods and techniques, reduce the risk of house fires substan tially.

“The idea now is not to have them directly in the kitchen. You want to have them a little ways away from the stove to reduce false alarms. We don’t put any in bathrooms because steam from the shower can set them off,” added Tilt.

“We know that having closed doors gives an opportu nity to reduce flow paths for fires and stop the spread of fires through homes, because you don’t have that flow that works its way through. The motto that fire

departments will often repeat is the ‘close before you doze’ idea. Make sure your doors are closed, and you’ve

got smoke detectors inside and just out side the room.”

For more infor mation on smoke detectors, and other

safety initiatives and programs by the MFRD, visit their website at www.merritt.ca/ firerescue.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week contest will be a departure from previous poster making activ ity hosted by the Province. Photo/NFPA

Be cautious when charging devices

eted in recent years, with phones, TVs, computers, e-bikes, and much more plugged into the grid all over Canada. This Fire Prevention Week, Health Canada is reminding all to be mindful when plug ging in or charging up.

an electric shock, burn, or fire hazard to consumers.”

a fire,” added the statement.

Health Canada is reminding residents to be fire aware, and stress ing the importance of taking safety precautions when charging electrical devices. According to Statistics Canada and the National Fire Information Database, over 10,000 incidents of fire caused by electrical appliances and devices have

occured in Canada since 2015.

The number of battery and electrical fires has increased in three of the past five years, despite the fact that lithium-ion batteries and newer electronic devices are equipped with safety features. The use of personal devices that require batteries or a wall plug has skyrock

“Make sure to use the charger that came with your lap top, mobile phone, vaping device, or any other product that has a recharge able battery. If you need to buy or replace a charger, make sure the volt age and current are compatible with your device,” said Health Canada in a statement.

“Make sure to use a charger that has one of the rec ognized Canadian certification marks, such as CSA, cUL, or cETL. Chargers that do not meet the Canadian national safety standards may pose

Ensuring the use of original or compatible char gers dramatically reduces the risk of fire, as incompat ible or uncertified chargers could result in overcharg ing. This has led to battery explo sions and house fires in many cases. Overcharging has been the reported cause of a number of e-bike related fires in Vancouver earlier this year. Improper use, or the use of coun terfeit products, is often the cause of these blazes.

“Make sure you follow the charg ing instructions and do not place a charging product near combustible materials or on soft surfaces, such as a couch or bed. Soft surfaces can trap heat around the battery and result in overheating or

“Counterfeit electrical products can be dangerous because they may not conform to the required Canadian national safety standard. Some signs that a product may be counterfeit include poor qual ity, unusually low price, and spelling or grammatical errors.”

In Vancouver, the city’s fire department has named lithiumion battery fires as the city’s number one cause of fire deaths in 2022. In a release, they reminded all Canadians to never overcharge, mod ify, or leave their charging batteries unattended.

For more infor mation on fire safety with electri cal devices, visit: www.canada.ca/ en/health-canada/ services/toy-safety/ battery-safety.html.

Escape planning for the elderly

To ensure a safe escape from house fires, resi dents must be able to react quickly as well as have an efficiently planned evacuation. This may pose a chal lenge for older

individuals as sens es decrease, motion becomes limited, and disabilities arise. Luckily, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) continues to share tips and resources

for older adults. Through follow ing their guide, the elderly can ensure that they can prop erly react during a house fire.

The Herald sat down with Andrea Vastis, senior direc tor of the public education division

of the NFPA to discuss the topic of escape planning for the elderly.

“One of the things that have changed over the last 40 years is while there may be fewer

reported home fires, they have actually become more deadly,” said Vastis.

“This is espe cially true for older adults for a variety of reasons. One of which, is the pres

Marius Auer

ence of synthetic fibres within our home furnishings. These synthetic fibres burn hotter, faster, and produce even more toxic smoke.”

Vastis explained that open floor plans combined with synthetic materials spell disaster when it comes to house fires.

“Once upon a time, you used to have 11 to

even 17 minutes to safely escape from the time of the ignition of a fire but now were down to about two minutes,” Vastis explained. “If you overlay things like physical mobil ity issues, mov ing more slowly, and homes with unmaintained smoke alarms, older adults abso lutely have a high er risk.”

NFPA’s site fea

tures a page that serves as a guide for older residents, giving them a list of tips on what to do when in a house fire. There are a handful of tips that explore the idea of prepa ration such as maintaining smoke alarms, install ing bed shakers, and making sure a house is free of clutter.

“There is also a video that we made that is embedded on that page. It is a

depiction of a fire service person and an older adult, walking around the house, looking at all the differ ent things that she should be to make sure she can escape.” Vastis described.

“We encourage older adults to do this with family members, maybe with their caregiv ers, to plan what are their escape routes and practice it.”

It is recom mended that older

adults who are have disabilities or are limited in their physical capacity to coordinate with the local health care providers or fire department in order to create a plan specific which considers their spe cific abilities.

For more infor mation on how the elderly can escape plan, please visit: https://www. nfpa.org/Events/ Events/FirePrevention-Week/ Escape-planningfor-older-adults.

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NVIT awards over $120,000 in grants to students

wouldn’t be able to do it without the awards donated from community members and orga nizations as well as the NVIT Board of Governors.”

The Immediate Entry Bursary is awarded to recent high school gradu ates from School District 58 and other areas in B.C. Street noted that the bursary pays for 30 credits worth of classes, amount ing to $2, 784 per

student. Among the 33 students awarded, 28 were from SD58.

“We are still continuing to work in getting the word out to other high schools,” she said.

“It is a very great resource especially for students that aren’t quite sure what they want to pursue in post-sec ondary. This gives them the opportu nity to at least try out the first year, getting their foot on

the door.”

Applications for Year End Awards will be open early 2023. Students interested in learn

ing more about the awards or how to apply are wel come to call (250) 378-3300 or email advising@nvit.ca.

Over $120,000 in entrance awards, bursaries, and scholarships were handed out by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology to students at the beginning of this term. The funding is making it pos sible for students to access post-sec ondary education

with less financial barriers.

NVIT has awarded approxi mately $92,000 to 33 Immediate Entry Bursary recipients and approximately $32,000 to 11 Entrance Awards recipients to aid students with their scholastic endeav ours.

NVIT’s Entrance Awards took place on Wednesday, September, 21 at the Merritt Campus’ Lecture Theatre. Students from both Merritt and other parts of B.C. gathered to receive their mon etary awards.

“I can’t believe we gave out that much money,” NVIT Registrar Amanda Street

exclaimed. “We

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2022 NVIT Entrance Awards recepients line up in front of NVIT after awards ceremony. Izaiah Reyes/Herald

Merritt Secondary School walks for MMIWG awareness

Students from across School District 58 joined in on the high school’s plans to commemorate the National Day of Action for MMIWG, raising awareness and showing their sup port. Marius Auer/ Herald

Marius Auer REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

The National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered

Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) took place on Tuesday, October 4, and saw students of

Merritt Secondary School host an awareness walk through downtown Merritt. MSS stu dents were joined by district staff, students from other schools, and com munity members to

Construction is under way in your area.

bring attention to the ongoing crisis facing the country. Indigneous women and girls continue to be vio lated and marginal ized at much high er rates than other groups in Canada.

The National Day

of Action encour ages Canadians to take action and seek justice to end violence against this segment of the population. Schools across SD58 took part in marking the day. “We’re work

Story continues on Page 21

ing across the country and throughout B.C. to bring awareness to this informa tion,” said Shelley OppenheimLacerte, SD58’s director of instruc tion for aboriginal education.

“We want everybody to be aware so that this tragedy does not continue on, and for our young people, we think about their safety and providing teachings so that they are aware and able to avoid going missing. That’s the work we’re doing right now in the district, and part of that is provid ing traditional and cultural teaching so that they’re taking care of themselves in a good way.”

Students gathered at the main doors to the high school on Chapman Street, dressed in their

red shirts adorned with a studentdesigned artwork commemorating the MMIWG cri sis Canada faces. They walked throughout the downtown core, including along Quilchena Avenue and Garcia Street. Pedestrians, those driving by, and those inside down town businesses watched as the sea of red shirts car ried their signs and brought awareness to the ongoing MMIWG crisis.

Attendees said the work being done by the district is unlike any other in B.C.

“I haven’t seen this work to this extent in a school district in BC, so what we’re seeing here in Merritt is something amaz ing,” said Melissa Moses, women’s representative for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.

“Including your high school and elementary students to spread the awareness and safety throughout the school district here, it’s beautiful work.”

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report in 2019, calling on all levels of govern ment and to com mit to the report’s 231 Calls to Justice. These calls include two calls for edu cators, including collaboration with Indigenous people to develop cultur ally appropriate curriculums.

“We stand with all women, chil dren, and families who are impacted by this,” said the District’s Assistant Superintendent, Jane Kempston.

“This is not the work of the Indigenous com munity to do on

their own. We stand beside, and we learn, and we listen. I think, ultimately, this moment is really about empower ment and empow ering a commu

nity to say ‘not our kids, not our families, not our community mem bers.’”

For more infor mation on the

MMIWG crisis, including the national inquiry’s report, visit www. mmiwg-ffada.ca.

Pukaist Heat hosts fastpitch tournament at Central Park

Nine teams battled it out on the diamonds at Merritt Central Park, the weekend of September 17 as Pukaist Heat hosted their invitational fastball Tournament. The games served as the last tournament to cap of a summer of men’s softball.

From September 17 to 18, nine teams, hailing from Kamloops all the way to Richmond, congregated at Central Park to showcase high level of fastpitch play.

“It’s good to see this many teams out, playing high-level ball,” said organizer, Kyle Minnabarriet. “We have some high calibre players and pitchers in this tourna ment.”

Aside from being the tournament organizer, Minnabarriet also dawns the uniform for the host team, Pukaist Heat. Pukaist is a traditional community in the Highland Valley area, located between Ashcroft and Spences Bridge.

Though there are many places that could host the tournament, Minnabarriet favoured the quality of our local dia monds.

“They’re really good fields to play at,”

he said. “We like the town of Merritt, it’s a really good place to be. We just wanted to give the people a fastball tournament again because it’s been a while since we had a tournament here.”

Making the tournament, a family event, Minnabarriet believes that it would serve the younger players some good to see a higher level of play.

“With the kids starting in their minor leagues now, they can see here, the men’s fastpitch league to get an idea of where they can go with it as well. This is some thing for the kids playing in minor leagues to watch and look up to. “

This invitational will serve as the last tournament before men’s play begins again next April.

Izaiah Reyes

Pukaist Heat face off against Westbank Cardinals in the tournament on September 18. Izaiah Reyes/Herald

Little Britches Merritt finish season in Peachland

pete in their final LBR and young talent establish themselves within the rodeo circuit.

From September 24 to September 25, Peachland hosted its Little Britches Rodeo, marking the final rodeo of the season. The event saw both a senior and junior girl from Merritt win the All Around Buckle.

Kelsey Starrs and Sadie Stewart receiv ing the senior and junior girls all around buckle, respectively, shows that Merritt Little Britches has talent in all age groups.

Being in her senior year, Starrs had lofty ambitions to cap off her riding days with LBR.

“This year was a different year for me because I entered in steer riding because I wanted to gather up as many points as I could to win the year end all around saddle for the season,” the 15 year-old explained. “It was pretty exciting to make my first qualified ride at Williams lake LBR and I won it!”

Saddle.

Starrs will receive her saddle later on November 5, at the Little Britches Awards Banquet in Kamloops.

For the younger rider, Stewart, her days with Little Britches are in its early stages with her only starting in June of 2021.

“When she first started rodeoing in Kamloops last year, she actually was so nervous and so afraid to go,” Shelly Stewart recalled.

Stewart is the mother of Sadie. She said that rodeoing has been a family tradi tion with both her and husband, Rob rid ing in their youth.

“It’s really neat to watch her and the other kids grow as competitors. To see where they start and see how much they can grow and develop just in a matter of months or weeks is just amazing.”

es in Peachland. The following are their results:

Junior girls

Sadie Stewart: 3rd place - goat tail tying, 3rd place - dummy roping, 5th place - poles, 3rd place - barrels

Stella Elliott: 1st place - dummy rop ing, 8th place - poles,

Maiya Anderson: 4th place - goat tail tying,

Junior Boys

Timber Mobbs: 6th place - stakes, 6th place - goat tail tying,

Senior Girls

Kelsey Starrs: 9th place - barrels, 2nd place - poles, 1st place - goat tying, 8th place - breakaway roping, 4th place - coed steer riding

Myra Goss: 8th place - poles, 8th place - breakaway roping

Senior Boys

Izaiah Reyes NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

It was the final rodeo of the season for Little Britches Rodeo (LBR) in Peachland last month. The event saw seniors com

After tabulating all the cumulative points throughout the season, Starrs has successfully scored the most points for all events in her division. In doing so, she has earned herself the coveted Year End

Stewart notes that her 10 year-old’s confidence drastically improved after training with the Starrs sisters, Kelsey and Maya.

“They are girls that she looks up to because they compete at the higher level.”

Other riders from the Merritt Little Britches also gave impressive performanc

Keaton Antoine-McRae: 9th placestakes, 6th place - breakaway roping, 7th place - coed steer riding

With the season coming to a conclu sion, Little Britches will have its awards ceremony at a banquet in Kamloops on November 5, and will begin their new season next year.

Local artist creates Orange Shirt Day logo for WHL

“I was honoured to collaborate with the WHL to help bring Truth and Reconciliation awareness to the forefront not only at this time of year but as an ongoing practice” said Vizi-Carmen. “To see professional athletes that are impor tant role models display the logo on their helmets has certainly been gratifying”

Hailing from Sunshine Valley, ViziCarmen opened her business 20 years ago and has since provided her services to cli ents such as the City of Merritt, Tourism Merritt, Hack Electric, and the Merritt Herald.

Vizi-Carmen had been collaborating with Metis Nation BC, when a colleague from there referred WHL to her.

healing, and peace, while moon serves as a protector, guardian spirit, and represents transformation.

“I think it’s important to include Indigenous artists,” said Vizi-Carmen. “To take it a step further, it’s important to get local artists involved. I think it’s an honour to even be asked or considered. Anything that I can do to help support local awareness of the Orange Shirt Day is an honour for me to do.”

Shirt Society, in a recent press release.

“It is also building a bridge and creat ing relationships between the WHL and Indigenous communities – an important step towards Reconciliation.”

A local Merritt company collaborated with the Western Hockey League (WHL) to create an Orange Shirt Day logo that was used as a helmet decal for players last week. The logo serves as an important step in the leagues efforts to collaborate with the Orange Shirt Society and to promote the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

From September 30 to October 9, players across the WHL donned helmets adorned with an Orange Shirt Day logo created by Kim Vizi-Carmen, a Metis art ist and owner of Pinerock Ridge Graphic Design.

“The WHL actually contacted me last year because they wanted to do something but I didn’t have time,” Vizi-Carmen recalled.

“This is what came out of it and I’m kind of glad that it worked out because I was more prepared this year.”

The logo has meaning behind all its details. The WHL logo is anchored by a medicine wheel, bringing various mean ings such as the four directions of north, east, south, and west. The four stars at the upper part of the logo represents a compass, as well as the four divisions of the league; East, Central, B.C., and U.S. Honesty, truth, and wisdom are represent ed by the two feathers while the antlers featured represents courage and strength. At its base, the sun represents warmth,

The WHL is one of the three major junior hockey leagues that makes up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). It is comprised of teams across all Western Canada provinces: B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The league also has U.S. teams from the states of Oregon and Washington.

Through their collaboration with the Orange Shirt Society, the league plans to;

• Support Indian Residential School Reconciliation;

• Create awareness of the individ ual, family, and community inter generational impacts of the Indian Residential Schools through Orange Shirt Society activities, and;

• Creating awareness of the concept of “Every Child Matters.”

“This partnership will help raise awareness and education about the impacts of residential schools,” said Phyllis Webstad, Founder of Orange Shirt Day and Ambassador for the Orange

The WHL also plans to participate in the Orange Jersey Project, where orange jerseys are used by various sports teams to facilitate conversations about Truth and Reconciliation. The league is looking to take part in the initiative in February of 2023.

For more information about this proj ect please visit www.orangejerseyproject. ca.

Kelsey Starrs (left) and Sadie Stewart (right) hold up their All Around Buckle from Peachland LBR. Photo/Tanya Starrs

Izaiah

WHL Orange Shirt Day logo. Photo/Kim ViziCarmen

Game day helmet with Orange Shirt Day logo. Photo/Kelowna Rockets

Merritt Library introduces new Branch Head

tion.

Merritt Friends of the Library recently hosted an event to introduce the new Branch Head of the Merritt Library, Claire Sabiston. Marius Auer/Herald

Marius Auer

The Merritt Library officially welcomed its new Branch Head last week, hosting a meet and greet to encourage local use of the public library. On Friday, October 7, Friends of the Library hosted its meet and greet event with Clair Sabiston, a former local who has returned to the Nicola Valley to take on the top position at the Merritt Library.

Sabiston moved to the Lower Mainland a number of years ago, but always knew in the back

of her mind that she would return to Merritt. Last year, she did just that, moving back to the Valley and officially joining the Merritt Library team in early 2022. Sabiston sat down with the Herald to chat about her new job, her inter est in literacy, and new programs the library is offering.

“It’s been great to be back, it’s a good place to stay connected to your community,” said Sabiston.

“My favourite part is interacting with the people who come in and

are looking for some assistance, a lot of them are people that I knew when I lived here before. It’s been nice reconnecting with people, some of them even from my high school years.”

Sabiston worked at Save On Foods, then called Overwaitea Foods, when she last resid ed in the Nicola Valley. In the Lower Mainland, she worked as part of a school district. She says this journey has been leading her to working in a library all along, citing lit eracy as one of her main passions and sources for inspira

The Merritt Library has thou sands of books, DVDs, and other resources in its vast collection. Sabiston can be seen at the library, manag ing day to day operations and the library’s catalog. She can also be seen donning the conductor’s hat to send the library’s model train for a spin around the track on request. Sabiston’s passion for her job is evi dent.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a library. I have a strong interest in all different kinds of literacy, so the library is a great place to be front and center in that effort to support the community,” added Sabiston.

“There’s lots of chances to partner with dif ferent community groups. We’ve got a program that we just started, where we’ve partnered up with the Grade 12 students at MSS to provide tutoring for people who need assistance with their devices. We’re also trying to do some things with the Indigenous com munities.”

Sabiston said these new initia tives are going well, adding that more are available at the library on a regular basis. Art classes and book clubs can often be seen taking place at the Merritt Library. Patrons can also borrow guitars, birding and literacy kits, as well as passes to com munity facilities such as the Nicola Valley Aquatic Centre.

Friends of the Library, a commu nity organization focused on support ing the needs and operations of the Merritt Library, hosted the meet and greet as part of its regular pro grams and services. While the organiza tion was created initially to help along the library’s initial creation, it has remained an active supporter of the public service.

“Normally, before COVID, the Friends of the Library would try to host something whenever there were large staff changes,” said Chelsea Werrun, an organizer with Friends of the Library.

“Friends of the Library is a

very grassroots thing. When the library was origi nally proposed and designed, at that point the bud get wasn’t high enough. We came along to provide some support and fundraising dollars to put the furniture in the library space. We keep Friends open so that if there are opportu nities for fundrais ing or additional support to our library, we can step in and help with

that.”

For more infor mation on Friends of the Library, or to become a lifetime member, contact nvlibrary

friends@gmail. com. For more information on the Merritt Library, visit tnrl.ca, or go to 1691 Garcia Street.

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

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Sunday ser vice 10 am, Phone (250)378-2464

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

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

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

Mass Time: Sundays 9:00 a.m.

St. Michael’s Anglican Church

1990 Chapman St. • 250-378-3772

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

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

Service Time ever y Sunday 10 am

Somang Mission Community Church (SMC) 1755 Coldwater Ave. (The Cadet Hall)

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

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