Volume 1 Issue 15

Rocky Mountain GoatThe

Your source for weekly news and views in the Robson ValleyWednesday, September 22, 2010 Volume 1 Issue 15

Free!

www.therockymountaingoat.com

More Inside:Marina expansion Multiple suites for local homes

Jail birds will not roost in Valley

Laura [email protected]

Cont’ A3

Joseph [email protected]

The Prison/Correctional In-stitute Facility Committee com-missioned by the Village of Vale-mount delivered its final report to council on Sept. 14th, at the regular council meeting. The committee confirms that there is no interest from federal or provincial correctional agencies to expand facilities to the Rob-son Valley. In addition to this, both Corrections Canada and B.C. Corrections say that their capital plans are already finalized through to 2020. They both add that any construction of new fa-cilities will occur nearer to major

Why walk when you can glide? Valemount resident John Grogan didn’t at-tach his harness to his paraglider last weekend, with mixed results. Grogan seeks other enthusiasts to build a local gliding culture. See A8

centers in order to utilize already existing services. Over the summer, the prison committee has contacted various government agencies including the Minister of Public Safety, Vic Toews. While multiple govern-ment agencies say that nothing is for sure, a recommendation by village council to shelve the pris-on lobby for future reference and dissolve the Prison/Correctional Institute Facility Committee, carried. There will be no more active lobbying for a correctional facility in the Robson Valley for the foreseeable future.

Mcbride weighs in on community forest Good communication with the public, openness and account-ability were the greatest priorities marked by the 38 respondents to the McBride Community Forest Corporation (MCFC) survey, which was commissioned this spring by the Village of McBride. A report on the survey re-leased this month recommends that the MCFC more actively promote information about its decisions and activities in order to enhance its accountability and create a better-informed public that can judge the corporation’s activities.

Photos: Laura Keil

“I agree there’s definitely more to be done,” says community for-est manager Marc von der Gon-na. “We need to be more pro-active in communicating things to the public and given accurate information the public will be a reasonable assessment about what’s going on.” The survey, conducted in May to June, asked residents of Mc-Bride and the forest “footprint” area to select and rank three attributes of governance they believe are most important for their ideal board of directors and to provide a description for each attribute.

A2 Wednesday, September 22, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com


Major boat ramp expansion in store for Kinbasket marina

Dunster flowers part of bridge upgrade

The Valemount Marina Association has big plans on the horizon. Although it was originally supposed to begin this year, major expansions of the ma-rina boat ramp on Kinbasket Lake are going to have to roll over until this spring. According to association presi-dent Don Bennett, the expansion is necessary in order for Kinbasket Lake boaters to enjoy a longer season. “We don’t usually get water to our existing ramp until June or even July,” he says. “We are aiming for the May long weekend, and would like to have access even in April.” The plan to extend the ramp came out of water use planning sessions held between 2001 and 2004, Bennett says. “It has all been approved. BC Hydro must extend the ramp. It was supposed to start this year, but nothing was in place in time.” According to Bennett, work on the ramp can only be completed in April and May due to water levels. While they missed the target this year due to the fact that they did not have a proj-ect manager lined up, Bennett is plan-ning on getting at least the top half of the ramp built this coming spring.

The Dunster Flower Bridge has once again stayed true to its name. Volunteers from the Dunster community repainted bridge sideboards with the running flower designs which have decorated the bridge for years. Recent upgrades by the Ministry of Transportation led to older flower painting being removed. With permission from the ministry, local resi-dents attached white wooden backboards and repainted.

Photos: Curtis Culp

Submitted

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 A3 www.therockymountaingoat.com

Secondary suites one step closer for Valemount land-owners

Basements to roofingBathrooms and decks

Renovations and retrofits

Nusse Construction

If you need a job done right, put 35 years of experience to work for YOU!

Call 250-566-4840, ask for Tim

Professional woodworking shopCompletely self-equipped

Concrete forms

Joseph [email protected] It would seem like a futile fight with city hall no too long ago, but Valemount resident Rhondi Hurlbut is making headway in her request for bylaw changes that will allow secondary suites, or detached multiple dwellings on town lots. At a village council meeting Sept. 14th, the councillors voted to proceed into the legislative process of changing bylaws allowing secondary suites on some lots. Hurlbut’s mother lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta. She lives in a town house with lots of stairs, and Hurlbut says she is getting concerned with her current living arrange-ments. “She is getting older, but she still wants to be indepen-dent.” Hurlbut says she envisions a smaller dwelling indepen-dent from her own house with a ground level entrance for her mother. She says that it will be just big enough for her to be comfortable, but small enough for her to be able to clean and maintain on her own. “Secondary suites, or laneway housing, just passed in Vancouver. The reasoning was both to reduce the city’s ecological footprint, as well as to help address concerns over the high cost of housing in that city.” While multi-generational care is Hurlbut’s main drive, she says she does not think secondary suites should only be granted for relatives’ use. “It is a way to keep costs down. I think low rent might be an attraction to bring more people to the area.” She says that while she understands landlords need to get a reasonable return for their properties in order to maintain services, the advantages of more compact hous-ing outweigh the disadvantages. “The examples I have looked into were not restricted to in-family use. I have been told that there will be restric-tions on it, and the size of a lot will be a consideration.” Since any bylaw changes will be general, the $450 fee has been waived for Hurlbut. While a firm lot size has yet to be decided, half an acre has been identified as a viable target. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation cur-rently offers financial assistance for the creation of a sec-ondary suite for any low-income senior or adult with a disability.

Poor survey response an endorsement of the status quo: forest manager Scores given to the various attributes were weighted, such that those receiving the highest priority also re-ceived the largest score. The attributes receiving the highest scores were, in de-scending order, accountability, profitability, accessibility, knowledge, longevity, and transparency. The report notes these are attributes the public would like to see, rather than the public’s opinion of the actual operations of the MCFC. Descriptions of accountability varied, but in general respondents indicated they intend this attribute to mean that board members, in addition to being re-sponsible for their decisions, avoid favouritism, obey the law, and keep the public informed. The report notes it is similar to other attri-butes such as integrity, openness, professionalism and transparency. The report notes that when grouped together, accessibility, availability, diversity, inclusive and representative represent three dis-tinct concepts a) making infor-mation about the MCFC and its operations more avail-able b) directors and staff considering ideas or concerns shared by residents of McBride and the Footprint and c) the board needing to represent Footprint residents as well as McBride taxpayers. Von der Gonna says the lack of response is as telling as the input they received. “It’s kind of an endorsement of the status quo,” he says. “For the hundreds and hundreds of surveys put out there, to only get 38 back, that’s pretty pitiful.” “There’s a handful of people who feel strongly there’s things wrong with the community forest, and a just as many people who feel strongly the community forest is doing a good job, and then there’s the vast majority that haven’t been budged away from their TV set.” He says people want to see the company accountable, but they also want to see it profitable and sustainble for the long-term. “(They’re saying) don’t be doing things that are fool-ish and don’t be losing money and make sure you’re ac-countable to the taxpayers of the village because they’re the ones bearing the risk here.” As the primary shareholder, the Village of McBride would be the body to look at any changes in governance. Von der Gonna says there are good recommendations in the report. As the report suggests, a public advisory group would likely not be the best solution.

In addition to working on communication and ac-countability, it’s also important to work on the perception of accountability, the report says. “People have been led to believe that there’s all this so-called secrecy in terms of the community forest but in terms of running a business, there’s certain things you have to keep in confidence.” He notes the corporation has to comply with the Free-dom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. He says more than anything else, increased commu-

nication with the public about the MCFC activities is the biggest priority. Compared to other community for-ests such as Revelstoke, Prince George, Burns Lake, Well Gray, to name a few, he says the MCFC has done well in comparison. “You’re in a way comparing apples to oranges. It depends on how differ-ent community forests are structured, what their goals are.” “It’s highly variable but I will say, in a general sense, from what I gather from talking to other community forest managers, we have been very success-

ful in comparison. We’re as successful as any out there.” The majority of respondents to the survey were from the forestry industry and lived in McBride, not the footprint. The full report is available on the village website.

Cont’ from A1

“People have been led to be-lieve that there’s all this so-called secrecy in terms of the community forest. But in terms of running a business, there’s certain things you have to keep in confidence.”

MCFC managerMarc von der Gonna

Weighted scores of the top attributesAttribute McBride and Footprint combined scoresAccountable 54Profitable 31Accessible 18Knowledge 12Longevity 12Transparency 12Available 9Capacity 7Diversity 6Honesty 5Inclusive 5Professional 5Strategic 5Respondents were asked to choose the top 3 attributes they would use to describe their ideal MCFC board of directors. First choice got a weight of 3, second choice, 2, third, 1. Other attributes such as balance-wisdom, integ-rity, representative, respect for local interests, risk aware, independent, open and fair bidding process, respect for important ecosystems, creativity and ethical, scored under 5, meaning low statistical significance.

www.therockymountaingoat.com

Letters

Within Canada ($90/Year) International ($90/Year +Postage)Robson Valley ($70/Year)

Subscriber’s Name:

P.O. Box #:

Street Address:City/Province/Country:

Postal/Zip Code:e-mail:

Phone:

Please check off the appro-priate boxes, fill out all of the lines, cut out the form along the dotted line, and mail with a cheque, or money order to:

SubscriptionThe Rocky Mountain GoatBox 21Valemount, BCV0E 2Z0

Convenience Mail Delivery Subscription For questions, call The Goat at (250) 566-4606, or e-mail [email protected]

The Rocky Mountain Goat is produced and distributed by ‘The Rocky Mountain Goat News’ and is subject to copyright. Reproduction, or distribution of any article, photo, or other content must recieve prior consent from Joseph Nusse (Co-Owner/Publisher) or Laura Keil (Co-Owner/Editor).

Joseph NusseCo-Owner

Publisher/[email protected]

Laura KeilCo-Owner

Editor/[email protected]

Office: 1070, 5th Avenue, Valemount British Columbia

Telephone: (250) 566-4606E-mail: [email protected], or [email protected]: www.therockymountaingoat.comMail Address: Box 21, Valemount BC, V0E 2Z0

The Rocky Mountain Goat is a free distribution newspaper serving a population base of approximately 4,000 residents in Blue River to Valemount, McBride to Dome Creek.

The Rocky Mountain Goat is distributed free weekly

Illustrations by Luke Siemens

A4 Wednesday, September 22, 2010

In my letter to the Editor of The Rocky Mountain Goat on Sept. 8th, I encour-aged the new newspaper and wrote about what I felt it was doing right. I should have stated that those views do not reflect the position of the Valemount Community Television board. The official position of our society, naturally, is that they do not endorse any newspaper. The society is a stalwart proponent of television. Only. Truly, the clarity, brevity and serenity of weekly community news delivered via the magic of television is the only news which can be endorsed. If you want to know more about what the board thinks, tune in to Valemount LIVE! everynight at 7 p.m., with new live episodes every Thursday at 6 p.m.

Andru McCrackenStation Manager, VCTV

TV news only news that can be endorsed

The ins and outs of The Rocky Mountain Goat

Lately we’ve received many comments and requests for information regarding our newspaper. It seems our readers are curious about our plans and how we op-erate. I have prepared the following out-line to hopefully answer any questions you may have about The Rocky Mountain Goat. The Rocky Mountain Goat is entirely owned and operated by myself, Joseph Nusse, and Laura Keil. We are an equal partnership and we both contribute equally to weekly operations of the news-paper. In addition, we employ Leigh Jack-son out of McBride as a sales representa-tive. The daily operations of our paper are very formal and regimented. Who am I kidding! Each week is vastly different than the last. Having grown up here, I have the local expertise and background knowl-edge; Laura, who moved here from Saska-toon and has her Master’s in Journalism, has the experience and credentials to turn stories into professional journalistic cov-erage. Laura tends to do more reporting than I do, and I handle advertising and ac-

counting as well as publishing. In addition to our reporting, we scan the horizons for regional and provincial stories and edit them as they relate to the Robson Valley. We feel it’s important to have community content and submissions in addition to coverage by professional journalists. Our newspaper is printed Tuesday eve-nings in Kamloops by The Kamloops Daily News. Our electronic files are transferred to Kamloops via access to their server. As fate would have it, our print is off of the press by 10 p.m. and onto a regular Grey-hound bus by midnight. We really could not ask for a better printing arrangement. We tend to minimize colour content in order to make our advertising affordable, but we can print just about anything our customers wish to order. We now print at least 1,500 copies per week, however we do bump that up to 1,600 copies on occasion. With fewer than 100 copies left on the stands for the last four weeks running, we are the most widely read and distributed newspaper in the valley. We also have a website and ev-ery issue of The Goat is available to view online, in addition to extra photos, videos and multimedia. The paper is distributed to Blue River, Valemount, Dunster, Mc-Bride, Mt. Robson, and Jasper through a combination of Greyhound, paid couri-

ers, or our personal efforts. We operate out of my house 1070, 5th Ave. in down-town Valemount. We now have a sign, and one of us is usually around during normal business hours. We have learned that as a new newspa-per we are shunned by the industry, and told that we do not qualify for govern-ment ads or community newspaper sub-sidies, unlike established papers. I am not really sure why the print world is so en-trenched, but it is, and we are aware that until we exist a year, we will rely on local business ads and community subscrip-tions, the latter of which is difficult see-ing as we distribute for free. We currently have a fairly substantial number of out-of-town subscriptions, as well as a few local subscriptions (local mail subscriptions cost $70 including tax). Our vision is to remain a weekly free newspaper owned and run by journal-ists. We would like to become a kind of journalists’ co-op and avoid the situa-tion where newspaper owners are ab-sent and detached from daily operations. We would also like to be your medium through which all amazing local stories can be told to the millions of people who pass through this valley every year.Thank You,Joseph Nusse

reinstatement fee, possible three-day ve-hicle impoundment and associated im-poundment and storage costs. Second offence within a five-year pe-riod: Immediate seven-day driving ban, $300 administrative penalty, $250 driver’s licence reinstatement fee, possible seven-day vehicle impoundment and associated impoundment and storage costs. Third and subsequent offences within a five-year period: Immediate 30-day driv-

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 A5www.therockymountaingoat.com

New regional parks plan approved; lays out until 2020 There is a new strategy to guide the development and management of parks within the Regional District Fraser-Fort George. Directors with the Regional Dis-trict have approved the new 10-year plan that provides a framework for the opera-tion and management of Regional Parks, as well as guidance for development and land acquisition of future parks. The pre-vious plan was developed in 1986. Petra Wildauer, General Manager of En-vironmental Services with the Regional District says updating the plan has been in the works for a year and has involved a great deal of consultation with the public and stakeholders. “Last fall, we invited the public and in-terested stakeholder groups to share their thoughts about our regional parks. We asked people to identify what they liked, what they wanted to see improved, and where they felt our priorities should be for regional parks for the next ten years,” says Wildauer. That feedback was compiled into a draft


New drinking and driving, speeding rules in effect Canada’s toughest impaired driving law and new penalties for excessive speeders will help save lives by removing drunk drivers and speeders from B.C. roads, says Solicitor General Michael de Jong. “When someone gets behind the wheel of a car and drives drunk or speeds ex-cessively, it’s no accident, it’s a deliberate choice,” said de Jong. “We want to protect all motorists by giving police more en-forcement tools to stop irresponsible driv-ers in their tracks.” Changes to the Motor Vehicle Act intro-duced last spring mean drivers impaired by alcohol will face swift penalties that may take away their vehicle, their licence, and cost them anywhere from $600 to about $4,060 in administrative penalties. Motorists caught speeding excessively – driving 40 km/h over the posted speed limit – will have their vehicle impounded for seven days and face escalating penal-ties for repeat offences. Impoundment is in addition to existing penalties for exces-sive speeding, which include fines, pen-alty points and increased premiums. Data shows the incidence of impaired driving is on the rise in B.C., killing 133 people and causing more than 3,000 inju-ries on average, every year. In honour of four-year-old Alexa Mid-delaer, who was killed by a drunk driver in Delta two years ago, the Province’s goal is to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fa-talities by 35 per cent by the end of 2013. Taking into account projected increases in B.C.’s population, this translates into a re-

duction in the average annual number of alcohol-impaired deaths from 133 to 94.Excessive speeders are also being targeted by changes to the act, as speeding is the number-one contributing factor to motor vehicle fatalities. According to the Insur-ance Corporation of B.C., police catch about 10,000 excessive speeders annually. Motorists caught in the “fail” range (over 0.08 blood-alcohol content), or who re-fuse to provide a breath test at the road-side, will face: An immediate 90-day driving ban, in addition to a $500 administrative pen-alty, $250 drivers licence reinstatement fee, 30-day vehicle impoundment, tow-ing and impoundment costs, mandatory participation in the Responsible Driver Program, mandatory use of an Ignition Interlock device for one year and possible crimi-nal charges. Motorists caught in the “warn” range (between 0.05 and 0.08 blood-alcohol con-tent) will face: First offence: I m m e d i a t e three-day driv-ing ban, $200 administrative penalty, $250 driver’s licence

ing ban, $400 administrative penalty, $250 driver’s licence reinstatement fee, 30-day vehicle impoundment, associated towing and impoundment costs, mandatory par-ticipation in the Responsible Driver Pro-gram and mandatory use of an Ignition Interlock device for one year. Excessive speeding sanctions apply to street racers, excessive tailgating and reckless driving actions, such as wheelies and doughnuts:

report and then taken back out to the pub-lic for their review and comment in June. The plan identifies two main goals - to provide residents and visitors with a range of outdoor opportunities within devel-oped park areas that are designed primar-ily for day use, and which are representa-tive of the region’s natural environment, recreation and heritage resources; and to create or complete trail-based linkages among regional, provincial and munici-pal parks and trail systems. Priority areas for existing parks for the next 10 years include road signs and facility improve-ments at all sites, invasive plant removal at Giscome Portage (Huble Homestead His-toric Site) and Kristian Winther; restore steep bank at Cedarside Park; and erosion mitigation at Ness Lake and McMillan Creek; . Future potential parks have been identified in Tabor Lake area, Hixon area, Horseshoe Lake near McBride and McK-irdy Road near Valemount. The cost to implement recommenda-tions from the draft plan has been esti-mated at $1.5 million over 10 years, not including staff time.

Photo: Laura KeilThe new trail in George Hicks Park in Valemount is one of the newest additions to the slate of regional park improvements from the Regional District of Fraser Fort George’s parks plan.

*Shop Welding & Fabricating*Portable welding-air arc

*Custom aluminum welding / work*Bumpers / roof racks, etc.

Real Tree Wood Products Ltd.

Robert JohnsonPO Box 11, McBride, BC V0J 2E0Phone (250) 569-2459 Cell (250) 569-7912 Fax (250) 569-0399Email: [email protected]


SILVER SPONSORSAirborne Engines Ltd.Alpine Aerotech Ltd.Avialta Helicopter Maintenance Ltd.BDO Dunwoody LLPChinook HelicoptersDART Helicopter ServicesDavid CrestDawson Construction Ltd.Eagle CoptersGreen Mountain Aviation ProductsJoey’s OnlyNorthwest Fuels Ltd.Onboard Systems InternationalOverland West Freight LinesPacific Resins & Coating Ltd.SEI IndustriesStandard Aero LtdTamarac AviationTD Canada TrustValemount Pines Golf ClubVector Aerospace

BRONZE SPONSORSAviall Canada Ltd. Helicopter Accessory Service Ltd. CanadaRoyal Bank of CanadaSelect Helicopter Services Ltd

GOLD SPONSORSBell Helicopter Textran Canada Ltd.Best Western Valemount Inn & SuitesCanadian Air PartsSkyTrac Systems Ltd.

PLATINUM SPONSORSSheppard Insurance Services Inc.Valemount Home HardwareYellowhead Helicopters Ltd.

Sincerely,

Carl Forman (250-566-4401)Yellowhead Helicopters Ltd.

Yellowhead Helicopters Ltd. hosted their 14TH Annual Charity Golf Classic on September 11th of this year. The Tournament was held at Valemount Pines Golf & Country Club where 64 golfers participated in the event. Participants of the golf tournament traveled from Vancouver, Toronto, Okanagan, Prince George and Edmonton to enjoy the weekend and the spectacular scenery offered in our valley.

The Tournament raised over $5 000, which will be donated to local charities and clubs to be used within the community. We are currently accepting written requests (mail, fax, email) for the use of these proceeds. In your request, please include: the name of the Organization, a description of the use of the funds, and timing of when the funds are needed.

We would like to express our thanks for the generous support of our sponsors. The success of this year’s Tournament is in no small part due to their participation.

YELLOWHEAD HELICOPTERS LTD.14TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC

IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL CHARITIES, PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

250-566-4401 TEL.250-566-4333 FAX

P.O. BOX 190, VALEMOUNT, B.C.

Business Watch:

Kiwa will once again be serving coffee – but in a much different sphere. Shona Thorne, Marcia Languay and Marion Farquharson are re-opening the busi-ness as a hobby house, a place locals and tourists can experiment with dozens crafts and workshops. Most important-ly, they say, everything is ready for use as they step in the door. “I think that anyone who does crafts dreams of having a space that’s magically set up,” says Thorne. “The glue guns are already plugged in, the kits ready. For myself at home, by the time I get everything set up, the kids are home.” Thorne says one of the biggest ben-efits for patrons of Kiwa’s Crafts will be the ability to try out crafts they’ve never tried before without the start-up ex-pense. But it’s also a place to visit, share craft ideas, and stay warm during winter

months. In the multi-coloured space, which includes a kitchen and sofas, patrons will be able to choose pre-packaged kits geared for certain projects. For begin-ners, the community of crafters will be able to help them out on something new.

In addition to regu-lar crafts, there will be workshops such as chocolate making, eth-nic food demonstra-tions, and scrapbook-ing. Workshops are 50 per cent off with a 6-month membership.

“People say they’re not creative, but we’d really like to get those people here,” Thorne says. “We want them to just play. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart.” A drop-in pass is $15, monthly pass $30. Hours are 9a.m. – 12p.m. and 3p.m. – 8p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10a.m. – 2p.m. on Saturday

Kiwa returns with a new flavour

Photos: Laura KeilKiwa has found a new found sense of creativity

Ads come in all sizes!

Call Joe for custom quotes.250-566-1444

ACCEPTING RESUMES IMMEDIATELYMill Positions

Fax – 250-569-3433, Email – [email protected], Or deliver in person.


Village Council minutes:Village of Valemount Regular Council Meeting, September 14, 2010-09-20

VARDA A.G.M. and Village Rep. The Annual General Meeting of the Valemount and Area Recreational De-velopment Association was held on September 14. Councillor Cynthia Piper will be the representative for the Village of Valemount for 2010/11.

Secondary suites proposalThe council receives a review of a re-quest by Rhondi Hurlbut to explore the option of allowing secondary suits on her property. After review, it has been determined that secondary suits would not contravene The Official Community Plan. As such, amendments to zoning bylaws may proceed. The council votes to proceed with legislative process and waive the $450 fee as any zoning chang-es will be general and not specific to any one property. Winter InfoCentre useThe council receives a request to use the Tourism Information Center for the office of the Valemount Tourism Com-mittee. The council accepts a motion to allow use of the information center and to close the rental agreement currently in place with the Learning Centre.

Community Hall renos. Rennovation proposals for the Vale-mount Community Hall are tabled. Proposed improvements include paint-ing, replacing the existing floor and sub-floor, replacement of restroom counter tops and the installation of acoustic panels. Budget proposals include a grant of $27,170 and a loan of $19,340 from the Northern Development Initiatives Trust. The total budget for the project is proposed at $81,510. Motion to con-tinue with the upgrades carries.

Village Propane SupplyThe village has been given an Annual Price Plan Renewal option with Superi-or Propane. Superior Propane has been supplying the village since 1998. A com-petitive bid was received in 2009. A mo-tion to sign a Guaranteed (Fixed) Price Plan Renewal carries.

Prison Committee reportThe council received a report from the Prison/Correctional Institute Facility Committee. Corrections Canada and B.C. Corrections are not looking for new sites for correctional facilities in the near future. Future developments will favour larger centers where services pre-exist. A motion to accept the report and dissolve the committee carries.

The McBride Communication Foun-dation has awarded five organizations $250 under its first mini grant program.The two-year-old foundation received only five applications, so every applicant was awarded funds for community ini-tiatives run by charitable organizations. The funds were donated by the Village of McBride through the community for-est, and were matched by the Northern Development Initiative Trust to create a $100,000 endowment fund. The interest from the invested money will be distrib-uted each year to local charities. The charities (and their partners) who received a mini grant are as follows:*The Robson Valley Support Society and Stepping Stones Children’s Centre will provide licensed child care provid-ers with funds to travel to Prince George to gain further knowledge in supporting children.

*The Fraser Headwaters Alliance and Dunster Fine Arts School Society will use the money towards maintaining the local fine arts school, which the society is attempting to acquire from the school board.*Save the Cedar League will produce and distribute an Ecoguide to highlight the valley’s best-kept secrets, its wildlife and ecological teasures.*The Robson Valley Arts and Culture Council and Kathy Molendyk will host professional community dance lessons for children aged 2 to 18 and belly danc-ing for adults.*The Robson Valley Arts and Culture Council will build a produce display in conjunction with the Fraser Heri-tage Festival as an opportunity for local crafts people to show their wears.

Over $1,000 awarded to local charitiesLaura [email protected]

The Dunster Fine Arts School So-ciety is awaiting a response from School District #57 regarding the society acquiring the vacant school building for local education. “They’re coming back to us with their end of the negotiations,” said Seth MacDonald, chair of the school society on Monday. “It felt positive. Negotiations are moving ahead.” Parents and teachers have been hosting classes in heated tents next to school grounds since the begin-ning of the school year to protest the building’s closure. The school district has offered the building to the society for $39,000. The society offered $10 for the prop-erty, which they say was on the ad-vice of school district officials.

Dunster School negotiations to proceedLaura [email protected]

Meanwhile school district officials continue to say they will work with the society to consider a Wells mod-els of teaching for the 2011-2012 school year, where the district would provide the teachers, but the local school society would maintain the building and supplies. For more on this story visit our website: www.therockymountain-goat.com

Comments? [email protected]

Village of McBride Regular Coun-cil Meeting, September 14, 2010-09-20

Changes from Northern HealthCouncil discussed a letter from North-ern Health on a new initiative called CHAllies, which is intended to increase information between regional communi-ties. The letter explains that CHAllies is a voluntary network of associations and other groups who will receive and share electronic health information for the benefit of communities. Northern Health will send pertinent health information or messages to the email address of the president of chair of the group to share with members, preferably electronically by email. Examples of the health infor-mation that maybe shared include an-nouncements and information on vac-cination schedules and vaccine eligibility, pandemics, outbreaks, school closures, air quality, food safety and drinking water quality advisories, etc. Council-lor Mike Moseley brought up concerns about whether or not Northern Health would no longer contact the hospital and village directly if the village signs onto CHAllies. Councillor Rick Thompson suggested he take this information to the Robson Health Association in order to identify a lead and act as their contact.

Library expansion

Council discussed the library expansion and bylaw change needed. The Bylaw number 703 is changed so that the mini-mum side setback be changed from 10 feet to two feet, and the maximum site coverage from 33 per cent to 57 per cent. The motion carried unanimously.

Accounts payableCouncil approved the accounts payable for July.

Water Conservation PlanThe draft water conservation plan was disseminated to council. Councillors have until Oct. 1st to give their com-ments on the report, which looks at how the village can stay within its limit of wa-ter use as to still be eligible for govern-ment grants.

Fraser boat launchCouncil discussed the steps necessary to move the boat launch from the east to the west side of the Fraser River to the location of the old transfer station. The Ministry of Fisheries and Wildlife says the boat launch cannot remain where it is.The B.C. Ministry of the Environment and federal Ministry of Fisheries and Wildlife recommend the input of a hy-drologist, and environmental assessment firm, and an engineer. Mayor Frazier says he will look into how much it would cost. If it’s over $5,000, he says they may need to reconsider.


ADULT COMPUTER CLASSFree at the Library

Monday Nights6:30pm-8:30pm for 4 weeks

First session starts September 13thSecond session starts October 25th

Sign up at the LibrarySeating is limited!R E S T A U R A N T

CANOE MOUNTAINGardening with PetePeter AmyoonySpecial to The Goat

Pete Amyoony is a gardener in the Rob-son Valley of central B.C. high in the Rocky Mountains near Mount Robson. He has lived, worked and gardened in the Dunster area for over thirty years.

With a few light frosts around the Valley the rush of harvesting fall crops begins and the garden seems to be calling out that it is time to put it to bed for the winter. At times, the amount of produce and the chores to be done can seem almost overwhelming but “one step at a time” gets it all done. At the first sign of frost, remember to harvest squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, peppers and other tender crops. With

the leaves black and wilted by frost, there is no protection for the fruits if the frost strikes again. Two columns ago, I outlined how to cure and store pumpkin and squash so they will keep long into the winter. If you find yourself with dozens of green tomatoes you can make green tomato pickles, relish, or if you are from the Maritimes, you will more than likely make a “batch of chow-chow”.

However, if you have a lot of large light green toma-toes which are clean and without blemishes, you may want to store them in a cool place (50F – 10C) and let them ripen slowly through

the fall and early winter. Some varieties such as Burpee’s Longkeeper and Mystery Keeper have kept until March for me. Of course stored tomatoes do not taste as good as the fresh vine-ripened ones we have had up until now, but they are much better than the store-bought, chemical-laden hybrids in my estimation. For years, I wrapped each tomato in newspaper and put them away in boxes in my cool basement. Checking them ev-ery week was a chore when I had 10 – 15 boxes. Then I read about a much simpler method and find it so much easier. Just ask the local grocery store (or gen-eral store) to save a few apple boxes with the dividers in them. The dividers are a blue pressed cardboard with an indenta-tion for each apple so the fruit sits in the

box without touching the one next to it. I place the larger heavier tomatoes on the bottom layer, then

a layer of medium size ones on the next divider, and finish with a layer of smaller ones. By putting only one tomato per hole, the tomatoes never touch one an-other. This is the main cause of rot while in storage. I then place another divider or piece of cardboard on top to protect them from dust. It is so easy to lift out each layer to pick out the ripe ones or the ones that are beginning to rot. You can check 10-15 boxes in a few minutes – so much easier than unwrapping dozens of tomatoes in newspaper. Another advantage I have found is the fact that there is no newspa-per ink on your hands or tomatoes with this method. I only save the medium to large light green tomatoes and use the dark green ones for pickles and relish as they rarely ripen before they shrivel up or rot. Keep an eye on Helen Burchnall’s column in the Times for some more ideas on using up green tomatoes.

He took his first lesson one year ago, but Valemount resident John Grogan says that he is in no rush to get into the air before he has mastered the fundamentals of his new sport. But Grogan is already seeing the huge potential of paragliding in Vale-mount’s end of the valley. “I was on top of Five-Mile the other day looking for a future launch site. Canoe Mountain also looks good to me,” he says. “It would be nice to get a club or associa-tion to build a launch site.” While he has yet to run off a mountain and let his feet dangle free, Grogan says that he will continue using the open winds of the Valemount airport to practice his ground work, and he looks forward to launching sometime in the near future. First developed during the mid 1980s, paragliding has become one of the fast-est growing sports worldwide. It is hugely popular in Europe and Japan. But it hasn’t caught on as quickly in Canada. Ben Blixrud of McBride has lived in Mc-Bride since 1972 and has been paragliding for seventeen years. He learned to fly in Cochrane Alberta. “On McBride Peak we can launch if there is a wind going either way,” he says. “There are three active members here

in McBride. Five to six years ago we used to get quite a few paragliding tourists. It seems that lately everybody is just going to Golden to fly.” Blixrud says that Golden B.C. has really embraced the sport, and facilities have been built to attract international gliders. “A gentleman from Europe just fell in love with the place and he bought the landing site and turned it into a camp-ground. They have one basic launch site you can drive to and one hike in launch site.” Blixrud says that Golden has always had a strong local culture. If locals do it, the tourists usually catch on as well. “In Smithers they used to have a lot of locals, but as they moved away, less tourist gliders came. It’s way better if you can do it with a group of people.” While the valley does not have a huge local culture, Blixrud says it has many nat-ural mountain features which make for a great gliding experience. “There are a couple of sites between McBride and Valemount that could make good ridge soaring. One guy has launched from McBride and landed in Valemount after going by Mt. Robson. There is good potential for cross country here.”

Paragliding dreams soaring for Valemount residentMcBride enthusiast endorses a Valemount launch site...(from lead on front page)

Blixrud says that other than the large gap between McBride Peak and the Homes River, which is only crossable in ideal conditions by experience gliders, the con-tinual ridges paralleling the valley could make hosting a paragliding competition possible. In such a competition, gliders launch in a mass start. Three to five way-points are predetermined. The first glider to reach all waypoints and land wins. “We would need a good launch site to mass start. McBride Peak is great; we launched twenty-five gliders for a fly in once. Valemount would need this too. When we had our fly in years ago, it was really cool. There were people on Main Street in their lawn chairs looking at all the colours in the air.” He says that down in Golden it is like this all summer. Glenn Derouin owns and runs Paraglide Canada, a training school near Vernon B.C. where Grogan took his first lessons. According to Derouin, the Robson Val-ley is likely the perfect spot to become a paragliding destination with the proper facilities. “You do not necessarily need a high launch site, it just needs to be the right aspect. South, southwest, facing the sun.

It needs to be high enough to catch ther-mals and close enough to a safe landing site. You need a launch that is safe and a landing that is safe.” Derouin says that ideally a launch is on a slope, but not too steep. “You need to be able to take three to five steps and still be able to shut down and abort. You don’t want a cliff to jump off of. A rounded knoll is what you want.” He says that he is familiar with Canoe Mountain and while this site does work for hang gliders, it is likely too high for paragliders due to the stronger winds at such high elevations. He adds that even cut blocks can make a good launch site. When asked if he would come help de-termine a suitable location for a future launch site Derouin jumped at the invita-tion. “For sure we could come out with guys from our club and check it out. We could see what the valley has for potential.” Derouin says that he encourages any-body who is interested in the sport to pur-sue their interest. “It is like motorbike riding. If you do stupid things, stupid things happen. You can also fly safe for 20 or even 30 years.”

[email protected]



The Tourism Directory

The Business Directory

Teepee Meadows CottageSpectacular mountain and marshland scenery

Located 3 km west of ValemountHosts: Claude, Alke & Noland Germain

545 Jack Adams Road, Box 786Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0

Phone:250-566-9875

$40 for 4 weeks, or $20 for one weekCall Joe at 250-566-1444 or

[email protected]

Open at 4:30 pm daily

1002 5th Avenue Valemount, B.C.

Visit us at www.caribougrill.com

@ Country Wide Sales & Services LtdConveniently located downtown @ 1160-5th Ave

CRACKMASTERWindshield Repair/Replacement Specialists

PET SUPPLIES-HOME ELECTRONICSSHAW DIRECT TV-SIRIUS RADIOS

FLAT GLASS-MIRROR-SCREENS CUSTOM VINYL SIGNS-BANNERS-VEHICLE

GRAPHICS-MAGNETIC SIGNSWOOD & PELLET STOVES & SUPPLIES

WOOD PELLETS

Open 9 am -5:30 pm Monday thru Friday 250.566.4380

For Drywall ServicesCALL TODD

@WAHOO ENTERPRISES

250-569-0320

New Construction, RenovationsAdditions, Framing, FinishingCabinetry & Wood Doors

Certified Septic InstallerBobcat Skid Steer With

Various Attachments

G & A Moore Ventures

Gerald Moore

Contractor

www.mooreventures.caMcBride, BCTel: 250.569.2269 Cell: 250.569.7147

Eatery and Gift Shop1152 - 5th Ave, Valemount B.C.250-566-0154

STR8 UP Renovations New Construction, renos, form building.

shops, decks.

Journeyman carpenter, 17 years experience.

Call Jeff Wagner, 250-569-7906

Place your ad here!

only $40/4 weeks!

Locally owned, locally operated!

Just like you!

Call Joe at 250-566-1444, to place you ad.

Salvaged metal siding for sale. Perfect for any out-building or shop. Approxi-mately 550-600 square foot coverage. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444

Building Materials

Twenty for a Toonie: The Classified Ads Plain Talk HoroscopesBy Craig Elder, M.A. Economics

Aries: Play a game of chance today, I feel i deserve a share of any winnings... (and dissolve myself of any responsibility for losses)Taurus: You go too far this week and make an en-emy out of rum.Gemini: The look on your face when you get sur-prised today will be priceless.Cancer: Others look to your life for entertainment so expect them to take things out of context and an aggressive advertising campaign.Leo: The universe ruled and it doesn’t look good for you, but you may be able to get time off for good behaviour.Virgo: You can’t be good at everything, and no one expects you to be so play off their low expectations.Libra: You have become someone’s puppet, don’t let on that you know so you can see how far this goes.Scorpio: Damn... you are looking fine today.Sagittarius: The fates are smiling at you, and you realize that immortals have horrible teeth.Capricorn: Your actions today will build your reputation greatly, it will take weeks of apologies to undo this.Aquarius: No one is listening to you, as frustrating as it is, it is liberating to tell the jerks what you really think of them.Pieces: Enjoy the simple things in life, and maybe start planning your finances better so you don’t have to for long.

Trusses for sale. Approxi-mately 42 foot span. 14 units. Single slant, could be modified with a chalk lineand skill saw. Now consid-ering offers! Call Joe 250-566-1444 and skill saw. Now considering offers! Call Joe 250-566-1444


To submit your classified ad, e-mail or call the goat, or place your ad in an envelope with pay-ment and drop it in our mailbox, 1070 5th Ave

How to submit an ad

500 gal. single-wall fuel tank. Asking $200. Call 250-566-5069, ask for Jared

For Sale

Nanny Needed

Classified ads policy

If it is for free, it is free. Up to 20 words for $2, 30 words for $3, 40 words for $4 etc. If the asking price is over $499, then it is $5 for 20 words, $6 for 30 words etc. Non-business an-nouncements are wel-come at the same rates. The Rocky Mountain Goat reserves the right to refuse to print any classified submission that is not an advertise-ment of a private sale, or rental arrangement.

Mobile Home with full ad-dition, and large garage on a lot, in Valemount re-cently renovated. comes w/ fridge stove washer dryer. Currently rented. Asking $110.000.00 O.B.OCall 778 328 7285 leave a message.

For Rent

Shared Accommodation - dwntwn McBride Incl: lge bdrm with private entrance, ADSL, phone/voice box, furniture. Shared: util, TV, house/yard. NS, ND/A (no drugs/alcohol), No Pets. Refs plse. $450 - 569-8807 $295 plus shared utilities.

1 bedroom in 2 bedroom apartment in Valemount. 250-566-4044

Roommate Wanted

Flooring, Wide Plank Fir, 8”, T&G, new, kiln dried, select grade, $2.95/sqft. Please call 250-573-1817 evenings.

Nanny Required. Sept – Dec part time. Requires 2 days in Crescent Spur, 2 days in Dunster Jan–Apr – full time live in at Crescent Spur. Sal-ary based on experience. Pls email resumes or inquires to [email protected]. You can reach me at 250-553-2300 or 250-968-4486.

Mazda B4000 4/4 1994. C/W Canopy, 2 sets of tires on rims, well maintained, kept all receipts, 293K. Rea-son for sale; family got big-ger. Asking $2500. Call JF at 250-566-8411.

Glass carboys, $20 each (re-tail $40) and multi-purpose plastic tubs 30L, $15Call 250-566-4606

For Sale

Under the authority of Section 403 of the Local Government Act, the following properties will be offered for sale by Public Auction to satisfy taxes due to the Corporation of the Village of McBride. Said sale shall take place at the McBride Village Office, 100 Robson Centre – 855 SW Frontage Road, McBride, BC, on Monday, September 27, 2010 at 10:00 am, unless delinquent taxes and interest owing are paid before that date.

FOLIO CIVIC ADDRESS LEGAL DISCRIPTION

1. 00075.000 1057 3rd Avenue Lot 13, Block 6, Plan 1373, DL 5316, PID 013-918-397 2. 70350.122 #12 – 151 Columbia St. Manufactured Home Reg #61395

3. 70350.150 #15 – 151 Columbia St. Manufactured Home Reg #13662

4. 70350.190 #19 – 151 Columbia St. Manufactured Home Reg #32937

Eliana ClementsCAO

THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF MCBRIDE TAX SALE

Free ads! For any item or service you want to give away. Just sub-mitt by e-mail, [email protected], or drop off your ad in our black drop box at 1070, 5th Av-enue, Valemout.

For Free

Braun Juicer.-Multi-press MP-50. Fruits and veggies, gently used. $45. Pressure canner “Wearever” $70. Lv msg: 250-566-1588.

Two used satellite dishes. As is, taken off of house. Open to offers, 250-566-1444.

Older 2 bedroom house on 6th Ave. $450/month plus utilities. 250-566-4790.

Minolta 2050 copier with two bottles of toner. Ask-ing $300 OBO. Black and White copying only. Upto 11x17 size, also double sided. Older machine but still reproduces well. Handy for someone who needs to make copies of maps, book-lets, handouts, etc. Call Rashmi at Infinity 250-566-4225. Available for testing / viewing at Infinity Office & health, Valemount.

www. Sudoku-Puzzles.netSudoku, Kakuro & Futoshiki Puzzles

Sudoku 9x9 - Hard (132689422)

7 4

4 3 1 5 2 6

8 1 4 7

9 1

2 3

2 8

9 4 8 1

5 7 8 6 3 4

4 3www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Solution:

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Classified adsStarting at $2!

With the highest distribution in the valley, get the best exposure you can!

Place your ad here ____________

for only $2


Community EventsSeptember

Got a community event or announcement? Let us know!

[email protected]

Every WednesdayFarmer’s Market in JasperLocation: Jasper Legion parking lot10 a.m. Valemount Seniors’ Music Night7p.m.

Every ThursdayCribbage tournament, everyone welcomeLocation: Valemount Golden Years Lodge lower level1-4 p.m.

Every FridayIn Valemount:Musical jam at The Gathering Tree cafe, 7 p.m.Hamburgers and drinks at the Legion, 5:30 p.m.

Every second SaturdayValemount Circle Dance 7pm - 9pm Contact Micah: 250-566-1782

Ongoing diversions

Robson Valley WeatherWednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

13-4

Monday

9-1

P.O.P. 60%

134

157

P.O.P 60%

169

P.O.P 60%

168

P.O.P. 60%

Sept 25A Woman’s Voice Conference8:30-4p.m.Valemount Learning Centre, 99 Gorse St.

Sept. 25-26Fraser Heritage Festival and World Rivers DaySat, 25th: Visual Arts Day10 a.m.-3 p.m.Sun 26th: Performing Arts Day11a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Location: Robson Valley Community Centre in McBride

Community AnnouncementsAs of September 5, services at the Anglican-United church in Valemount will be at 9 am and in McBride at 11:30 am. Sunday school programs are provided at both services. All are welcome!

What was the weather last week?Sept. 11-13 - high 17.5, low 0, 18.2 mmSept. 14 - high 18, low 1.5, 1.6 mmSept. 15 - high 10.5, low 4, 4.8 mmSept. 16 - high 16.5, low -3, 0 mmSept. 17 - high 16, low -2.4, 0 mmSept. 18 - high 15, low 3, 1.6 mmSept. 19 - high 15, low 2, 9.2 mm

Source: Elder Creek weather station

Dancing Bear

Sept 26Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour7:30 pmLocation: Valemount Community Theatre (Valemount Secondary SchoolTickets $20

OctoberOct. 2Winter Coat Swap9 - 12 p.m.Location: Valemount Community Church, 5th Ave.Drop off clean winter items to Medical Centre or 1133- 6 Avenue (on deck). Bonnie 250-566-4213

Curtis and Bonnie Culp caught these two dancing bears on their wildlife camera recently. The picture was taken with a Digital Moultrie game camera, which detects movement and is often used by hunters. The camera has an infrared flash so the pictures at night are black and white.

Corrections:In the article titled “Higher education options coming to the Robson Valley” which ran the week of Sept. 15, it was reported that “The NORE program will not operate every other year.” The sentence should have read “The NORE program will now operate every other year, with continuing education classes filling in the gap years.”

From top counterclockwise: Zachary Schneider and Ian Foreman hang out at the VCTV green screen, Logan Foreman plays cameraman while Mackenzie Booth and Dustin By-ford make recordings on the VCTV cameras that were set up for demonstrations. Megan Pawliuk took care of the VARDA booth with dad Curtis Pawliuk.


Photos: Laura Keil

The Right Agent... For Today’s Market

RE/MAX Centre city • 1679 15th Avenue • Prince George BC V2L 3X2 • 1-250-562-3600

Each office is independently owned and operated

250-981-5742 or 250-569-0125 or Toll Free: 1-877-732-5767 • [email protected]

MCBRIDE, VALEMOUNT, AND AREA View all listings at: www.robsonvalleyrealestate.ca

Data is from sources believed to be reliable but accuracy is not guaranteed.

AL Miller THE HARD-WORKING NICE GUY

12300 Crown Rd, Tete Jaune Cache

3270 Hwy 16 E, McBride

- Log home on 4 acres-Awesome gardens & views

- Large 2032 sq foot home- Fenced & private

- 79 treed view acres- Southern exposure

- Year round creeks- Good access in

Riverbend Rd, McBride

806 4th Ave, McBride

14510 Blackman Rd, Tete Jaune Cache

Mountainview Rd, McBride

- Nice one bedroom home- Good location

- Zoned M3 Industrial- Excellent for Shop

- Private 3.5 acre parcel- Right on Dore River

$79,000

$209,000

REDUCED

- Large lot in town- New doors & flooring

$69,000

$350,000

- Older nice mobile- Fenced 1/2 acre lot

- Close to Mt Robson- Awesome views

$159,000 - Riverfront parcel- 217 prime acres- Semi treed & cleared- Lots of wildlife & elk

$349,000

13292 Bunbury Rd, Tete Jaune Cache

- Secluded homestead-On 10.32 treed acres

-Awesome views-2 storey 3 bedroom

$315,000

13710 Glacier Rd, McBride

- Level 2 acre Lot- Mostly treed

- Building sites in- Has water on parcel

$115,000

Row upon row of vehicles were parked outside the Valemount Community Hall last week as Valemount hosted its first an-nual Community Awareness Night. Organizer Darryl Polyk says 150-160 people packed the hall to learn about ac-tivities and clubs in the area. “Everybody thought it went really, re-ally well,” he says. “Everyone we spoke to said it was a great event. All the organizers were pleased.”

While no decisions have been made yet, Polyk says the positive turnout to the event means it is likely to happen again next year. The organizers were an infor-mal ad hoc group. Polyk says they will consider handing it over to another local group that is established. The organizers thank everyone especial-ly the village for the free use of the com-munity hall space.

Volume 1 Issue 15

Documents

Transcript of Volume 1 Issue 15