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Yellowhead highway twinning 3 New McBride councillors 3 Sledders in danger 5 Buehler trial date 6 Figure skating exhibition 10 PM42164515 Thursday, March 9, 2017 Volume 8 Issue 9 $1.75 ($1.67+GST) Ash street burn permit 2 ($1.24 when you subscribe) Valemount benefits via Rural Dividend funding by EVAN MATTHEWS The Robson Valley, and Valemount in particular, will benefit from an added $300,000 via the B.C. Rural Dividend. Three projects in the Robson Valley will see the added funding come from the second intake of Rural Dividend applications. The Village of Valemount will receive $100,000 to develop a modern and com- prehensive technology tool intended to help the Valemount Community Forest CONT’D ON 12 ListingsListings onon P15! Prince George Join us for FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Dinner @ 5 Music @ 7 Valemount Cold Fire Creek Dogsledding donated what was estimated to be a $4,500 day to Valemount’s Winter Festival in order to help raise funds for a new playground. More photos p8–9. / EVAN MATTHEWS Mar 17: St Patrick’s Day Dance Got any mess makers? BY-CHOICE Carpet Care We can help with that! & Maintenance Carpet and upholstery cleaning Duct cleaning | Stain and odor removal Automotive detailing | Move in/out whole house cleans Lee-Anne or Mark | [email protected] 250-566-4578 2 Thursday, Mar 9, 2017 therockymountaingoat.com WE WANT YOU! Robson Valley Telephone Book 2017 2018 Listings are free. Why not get one? Remember, if your home or business uses a cell phone, you`re not in the book unless you call! Call Deanna 250-566-3152 The contractor hired to burn slash piles at 202 Ash Street oversees one of the piles Feb. 28, six hours before its burn permit expired. 250-566-4606 / EVAN MATTHEWS [email protected] Ash Street Burn and air quality by EVAN MATTHEWS was ordered to stop burning. Due to their size, the piles smouldered for several days. Join our team! Before slash pile burning at the 65-acre 202 Ash St Valemount was under an air quality advisory for six property can continue, the Village of Valemount plans to days, while the air quality was listed as hazardous. The Houle, BC's most trusted name in electrical consult with local medical professionals and the Provin- Province said the smog was compounded by increased contracting, is currently searching for cial Air Quality Meteorologist. wood burning by residents during several minus 30 qualified Electricians to join our Service At its Feb. 28 meeting, Council received an administra- degree days. division. Positions are available in multiple tive report from Valemount’s Building and Fire Inspector “I will admit the initial burning that took place prior regions including Valemount, Golden and — and Assistant Fire Chief — Dean Schneider, about an to Christmas… didn’t go off as well as expected,” said Williams Lake. application to conduct open air burning of land clearing Schneider, pointing to the inversions. debris between Mar. 11 and 27. “I understand the concerns from residents,” he said. For more information and to apply today The timeframe of the requested burn would fall outside Some Valemount residents made their concerns known please visit www.houle.ca the dates specified in the Village’s open air burning by- during the public comment. law, which states burn permits will only be issued from “We’re becoming known as the community with the Nov. 1 through to Mar. 1 for land clearing projects. worst air quality in British Columbia, if not Canada,” However, a Provincial requirement states burns can not said Gord Peters, who lives roughly four blocks from the take place within 500 meters of schools in session, which Ash Street property. is why the contractor — in working with Schneider — “We seriously have to look at wrestling the needs of the selected Mar. 11-27, as the kids won’t be in school. cost to a developer — who already made money by log- From a risk mitigation standpoint, Village CAO Adam ging that property and selling the logs — to the health of Davey said either the Village burns now at a time that the entire community,” he said. “might minimize the risk somewhat” or have the piles Councillor Hollie Blanchette asked Schneider at one remain a fire hazard “into the mid-term.” point about the piles being shipped away to a landfill Having worked on the file together, Schneider was of near Prince George, to which Schneider responded, “It NEW LISTING the same opinion. comes down to (being) a huge financial burden to the “The burning that’s been taking place at 202 Ash landowners.” 12535 Blackman Road, Valemount Street… is required as a means of mitigating a potential Schneider says the property owners are aware of the fire hazard, first and foremost,” Schneider said. town’s concerns, and have been working with the Village “If those piles remain there through the summer to ensure what happened in December doesn’t happen season, given the right conditions, they could pose a sig- again. nificant fire risk to the community,” he said, making note “If it looks like things are going south, I have no prob- of Fire Chief Rick Lalonde echoing the sentiment. lem shutting it down rather than compromising every- During the 2015 summer, contractors completely one’s health,” Schneider said. logged the privately owned Ash Street property, resulting Council asked about various alternatives to burning, in an extensive amount of slash and debris piles, accord- including transporting the piles to a higher elevation ing to Schneider’s report. and burning, shipping out of town, burning in other In late 2016, the property owners hired a contractor locations, burying, but Schneider said none of the al- to burn the debris and received a permit, but a thermal ternatives were deemed to be possible — mostly due to inversion trapped the smoke and caused a thick smog liability concerns. $625,000 increasing particulate matter to hazardous levels. The Councillor Owen Torgerson motioned to grant the Village revoked the burning permit and the contractor contractor its burn permit, but with Councillors Peter This 4 year-old custom log home is calling you – its Reimer and Sandy Salt absent, the vote fell to Coun. new owner! Loaded with custom details and quality Blanchette. craftsmanship, it offers you open spaces, high ceilings, “My biggest concern is the health of our residents,” said and lots of natural light. The kitchen/living area is Blanchette. open concept with custom, alder cabinets, an eat-up bar, and room for 3 appliances. Three bedrooms, two “People are still going to the clinic with health issues, 4-piece baths, and laundry complete the main floor. people are on puffers that never have been before, so I Upstairs is a finished attic full of light and potential. cannot vote in favour of this,” which resulted in the mo- The basement boasts an independent 1 bedroom Neil Muth tion dying on the floor. apartment, complete with a walk-out entry to the 4 Memorial Council made a motion to defer any decision until acre property. Wood and electric heat keep this 3000+ Scholarship speaking with a local medical professional about the sq. ft. home comfortable and cozy. This home is new, number of health incidents related to air quality, in ad- amazing, and waiting for you. Call me before it’s gone! Are you a local graduate wanting to pursue post-secondary education? dition to its meeting with Provincial Air Quality Meteo- Your personal story of triumph over rologist, Gail Roth. adversity can get you up to $5,000 to Shelly Battensby, Realtor make your dreams come true. The contractor’s most recent burn permit expired on Neil Muth enjoyed skiing at the morning of Mar. 1. Different. Better. the Basin’s many ski hills. Apply now. Deadline April 20, 2017. There is also a controlled burn north of Canoe View Centre City Realty Place planned for sometime in the near future, accord- Cell: 250-566-1086 Office: 250-562-3600 ourtrust.org/scholarship connect with us ing to Schneider, though Council may have to make an www.valemountmcbridelistings.com 1.800.505.8998 exception in order for a contractor to burn outside of the Each office independently owned and operated. bylaw’s specified dates. Valemount | Dunster | McBride | In Print | Online Thursday, Mar 9, 2017 3 Village advocates for highway twinning by EVAN MATTHEWS passes in North America… There are very, very many accidents on this highway,” says Townsend. Owned & Operated Locally With divided highways and passing lanes as proven “There are more transport trucks that are coming from The Rocky Mountain Goat employs local methods to increase highway safety, Valemount’s Village Chicago, to Winnipeg, to Yorkton, Saskatoon, Lloydmin- people and gives 10% of annual revenue Council is hoping its membership within the Yellowhead ster, Edmonton, Tête Jaune and then turning south here back to the community through non-profit Highway Association will prove valuable. and going to Vancouver,” she says. discounts and direct donations. At its Feb. 28 Council meeting, Village of Valemount The Village’s approach, according to Mayor Jeannette Council passed a resolution to support the Yellowhead Townsend, is to shoot for the stars. By aiming for a com- Highway Association advocating for twinning the Yel- plete twinning of the highway, she says the Province may lowhead highway. Council did not specify a specific come back and offer more passing lanes, which increases Fraser Headwaters Alliance portion of the highway at the Council meeting. highway safety in its own right. With Highways 5 and 16 now being the new oversize “We met with Minister (of Transportation and Infra- Annual General Meeting routes into Northern B.C.