June 30, 2010 The Valley Voice 1 Volume 19, Number 13 June 30, 2010 Delivered to every home between Edgewood, Kaslo & South Slocan. Published bi-weekly. “Your independently owned regional community newspaper serving the Arrow Lakes, Slocan & North Kootenay Lake Valleys.” Cody Caves park operator may be forced to shut down by Art Joyce permit operator to uphold the park simply increasing fees won’t be public money to hire a grader to run opened a file on the case. He says An iconic West Kootenay park mandate of resource protection, he enough to recoup his losses. over it.” his best hope at this point would be may be seeing its twilight years says. In the ’60s and ’70s, prior to Because the fees don’t go into Normally during the tourism for the Minister of Environment to due to government policy changes. the caves’ protection as a provincial parks budgets, but into general season Cody Caves is a seven day per intervene and make an individual Cody Caves Provincial Park operator park, much damage was done by revenue, he likens it to a hidden tax week operation, but Stanway has had exception, something that is within Kevin Stanway says changes to the partiers. Stalactite formations in or fine for tourists. Meanwhile, parks to let go of seasonal employees so they the minister’s power to do. Failing fee structure for contractors from a caves are extremely fragile and take budgets have been continually cut can find alternate summer work. He that, Stanway would at least like flat rate of $250 per season to $1 thousands of years to form, so once back in recent years. No government is in debt for unpaid fees and will also to see some parks staff presence at per visitor or $250, whichever is they’re damaged they are virtually money was spent in the park for be looking for work. Two high school the caves this year to protect the greater, will probably put him out of irreplaceable. Cody Caves was first about 30 years, until recently, when jobs, five part-time summer service resource. business. Damage to the access road gated and guided in 1982. extensive trail remediation was industry positions, and one career “The death knell of a eco-tour from logging operations has also “You can’t really visit a cave completed. management position in tourism operator in the West Kootenay has made visitor access difficult. park on your own without doing Further impacting Stanway’s and environmental protection have sounded, alongside is the possible Stanway has worked at the caves significant damage. Just a little tourism business has been winter been lost. Stanway has contacted loss of a jewel in the West Kootenay for 12 years, seven of those as the bit of ignorance or neglect can do logging and spring hauling operations MLA Michelle Mungall, who has park system.” permit holder and operator. He lasting environmental damage. To on Cody Caves Road. He estimates oyce J says the fee structure for the permit do equal damage in Kokanee Park, loss of business due to road damage T ar : was changed midway through his for instance, you’d have to actually of approximately $30,000 over the T i five-year term without notice or strip mine the mountain.” past three years. He says it has also D consultation, which contravenes Stanway has spoken with lost him employees, whose vehicles o cre T o H the permit act. Last year there were regional parks staff by conference were not up to negotiating the road. p about 4,500 visitors to the caves but call and at press time the issue According to Ministry of Forests his revenues have left him about was being discussed in Victoria. spokesperson Cheekwan Ho, as of $2,000 short. Canadian Cave Conservancy, a press time the road had been repaired, Stanway is particularly concerned registered charity dedicated to “making it passable for two-wheel about the conservation implications cave conservation, is involved in drive high clearance vehicles and for Cody Caves. Cave parks, unlike the discussions. BC Seleological thereby re-establishing access for other parks, rely entirely on the Federation, another non-profit that recreational and commercial use.” acts as an umbrella group for all She said the road is designated for DOUG PYPER the caving groups in the province, industrial use and cites the rainy is also providing input. According spring weather as the cause of to Ministry of Environment public damage. Ho added that although Photographics affairs officer David Currie, “No industrial users are required by decision has been reached at this time legislation to maintain logging roads, around any changes to the park fee they are not required to maintain it for structure. The fee is a legislated fee non-industrial users. Compliance and for any commercial operator, which enforcement staff monitor the road. cannot be changed to accommodate “There has been a gentleman’s individual operators.” However, agreement to make the road more Currie said operators can increase accessible for tourists,” says Stanway. their visitor fees. But Stanway says “But the Ministry of Forests used The Art Gallery Studio Connexion is proud to present this season’s exhibitions. Over two decades of creative images Y&Z Kate Tupper: June 18 — July 4 Now serving Kaslo and area Blossom, Jetsam, Ligan and Derilect Family • Children • Pets Remember, we travel July 8-August 2: Rose Eysmond throughout the Slocan Nature Morte et Vivante Valley, too! www.dougpyperphoto.com Dustan Tyers lights a candle in the candle lighting ceremony at JV Humphries Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 12 – 4 pm grad ceremonies June 25. Graduates lit candles in honour of art, music, 250-353-9611 203 - 5th Avenue Nakusp drama, science and other worthy pursuits. The Valley Voice is 100% locally owned 2 NEWS The Valley Voice June 30, 2010 BC Hydro operations update for Duncan and Arrow reservoirs by Jan McMurray Hydro system inflow is forecast at 14% The Duncan is expected to reach the maximum level is 1444 feet. the summer. BC Hydro representatives stopped below normal, as is the Mica reservoir maximum elevation of about 1890 feet One of the factors contributing to In the fall, BC Hydro will be in Meadow Creek and Nakusp on inflow. The US side of the Columbia in early August – it will fill later than the higher reservoir levels is the Fall seeking input from stakeholders about June 16 and 17 on their annual tour to Basin is even drier, making this year usual this year, partly because of the Storage Agreement. This agreement, a new Non-Treaty Storage Agreement provide the public with an update on probably the third driest year since low snowpack. It will draft to 1888 feet developed last fall, allowed water that (NTSA). Kelvin Ketchum of BC Hydro their operations. 1961for the Columbia Basin as a whole. by Labour Day and continue to draft to was supposed to be released from the explained that Mica was built with This year, snowpack is below The Arrow reservoir is forecast at 80% near empty in late April or early May. Arrow Lakes in October and November extra storage, and this extra storage normal in most of the province, but of normal; the Duncan at 85% of normal Kootenay Lake was at 1748.7 feet to be released later, in December, was governed by the NTSA from 1984 normal on the coast. The entire BC and Kootenay Lake at 67% of normal. in mid-June, and was expected to fill February and March. This resulted in to 2004. The NTSA was terminated another two feet to about 1751 feet this a historic record high in April 2010. because market conditions changed and year, which is one foot higher than last In mid-June, the level was 1434 feet, it was felt that Canada was not getting year. “We like to keep the lake above which is five feet above what it was a fair share of the benefits; and because 1738 feet so it doesn’t impact ferry last year. July levels are expected to be BC Hydro was not able to keep control operation,” said Gillian Kong of BC between 1440 and 1442 feet. During over Mica and Arrow levels. “We’re Hydro. She said the maximum elevation the summer, levels are expected to be planning a similar agreement, but it may for Kootenay Lake was 1752 feet. within the 1430 and 1440 feet range. On have an impact on levels – there could Despite the low snowpack, the Labour Day, the reservoir will probably be lower levels at certain times of the Arrow reservoir water levels are reach 1435 feet. year – so we want to talk. We’re going expected to be between 1407.5 feet A Summer Storage Agreement to start a stakeholder forum in the fall” and 1444 feet this year. The minimum may be developed, which would likely said Ketchum. More information can level under the Treaty is 1378 feet and result in higher Arrow levels during be found at www.compassrm.com/ntsa. a sure sign that the school year is coming to an end is when the New Denver Nursery School children parade through town on their annual Toddle-a-Thon fundraiser. Interior Health undergoes restructuring by Jan McMurray Boundary Acute Area Director. achieve seamless, integrated care across Interior Health has reorganized its Whereas the previous senior the continuum,” she said. leadership structure. The new structure executive team had positions that were There are fewer leadership positions was created by IH CEO, Dr. Rob geographically based in four health in the new structure.