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Deuling & Co
Lawyers
Joseph Deuling, LL.B
“Proudly serving Lumby & District”
Miller St. Lumby – 250-547-8827
Wildcraft Forest
The company’s application and Management Plan are now public documents and can be downloaded online. The application activity areas include the Vidler, Cranberry, Simard, Mabel, Griffon, Bews, Begbie and Silver Star mountain watersheds.
The application for expanding heliskiing tenure in the Monashee indicates that a great deal of the region is now covered by heliskiing, operated by companies such as Eagle Pass and Canadian Mountain Holidays.
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McEwan Announces Lumby Mayoral Run
October 10, 2011
Citing his passion for the community and his leadership experience, Jim McEwan formally announced his candidacy Tuesday for mayor of Lumby. McEwan announced that he is running with a pledge to find “local solutions to local challenges.”
“I love this community,” McEwan said. “My wife and I moved here five years ago, and I am passionate about the quality of life Lumby brings its citizens. I am so fortunate to call this wonderful area home – and am a firm believer that Lumby’s best days are yet to come.”
McEwan said his more than 30 years experience in business development, leadership and volunteer roles in several organizations, including the Greater Vernon 2012 BC Winter Games, will be beneficial if he’s elected. His plan is to guide Lumby on a path of economic growth and keep the municipal budget balanced.
“We have a great story to tell about Lumby to companies,” McEwan said. “The mayor should be the chief ambassador to encourage companies to locate in Lumby and make sure the local government is business-friendly from top to bottom.”
McEwan believes with steady growth, good paying jobs and a strong business base, the resulting benefits will support local social programs and organizations such as the Whitevalley Community Resource Centre and others.
“I want to lead our community forward by building consensus,” he said. In the past several months the community has been divisive. We need to unite the region once again and work together to strengthen our community.”
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Village says - Committee explores
economic development opportunities
September 21, 2011 from the Village of Lumby newsletter
Lumby’s new eight-member Economic Development Standing Committee is tasked with developing a plan that creates employment and builds a strong tax base through increased business, industry, and tourism. No small feat, but one that committee members believe is desirable and doable.
The committee — which met first on June 14th — includes mayor Kevin Acton, councilor Lori Mindich, Lumby & District Chamber of Commerce president Bill Maltman, and residents Chris Borden, Dawne Kineshanko, Dwayne Hackett, Joseph Deuling, and Murray August.
Committee members will meet regularly to identify economic development opportunities that build on Lumby’s strengths and the wants and needs of its residents. More specifically, the committee intends to create a plan that:
• increases the commercial/industrial tax to help support essential and desirable services,
• ensures a broad-based economy not reliant on a single industry,
• attracts non-polluting industry,
• supports value-added wood industries and secondary manufacturing, and
• encourages tourism facilities for residents and visitors.
During plan development, committee members will develop guidelines to enhance the impact of potential economic development on the Village’s existing infrastructure and finances, its environment, and the community’s character.
They will also review appropriate funding sources and explore partnerships with other commit - tees and nearby jurisdictions. Residents will be informed of committee progress in quarterly LumbyMatters! newsletters, and are encouraged to share their thoughts with committee members throughout the development of the plan.
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Community Forest Open House
September 7, 2011
The Lumby-Splatsin Community Forest Committee has invited the public to attend an open house on Wednesday September 7th at 6:30pm at the White Valley Community Centre.
The event is a chance to review and discuss the proposed community forest including the management plan and the business plan.
This informal meeting is a chance for the public to become familiar with the proposed Lumby-Splatsin Community Forest. Following the open house there will be an opportunity for written comment and letters of support with templates provided.
The proponents of the proposal are the Village of Lumby and Splatsin First Nations with the proposed area being in Area D of the North Okanagan Regional District.
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Man drowns near Cherryville - another person is missing
August 15, 2011
A Cherryville area creek has claimed more lives this summer. Two men — believed to be in their 20s — were walking along Monashee Creek Saturday afternoon when they fell 200 feet into the creek. One died and the other individual remains missing.
Members of the Vernon Search and Rescue unit were on scene throughout the weekend.
In May, a 31-year-old Vernon went missing in Monashee Creek after he allegedly went into the creek to retrieve his dog.
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River Ridge Golf Course poised for development
August 9, 2011
Rumours continue to circulate as to the size of development planned for River Ridge Golf Course in Cherryville. Recently some residents have begun to voice concerns that the proposed expansion may impact the Shuswap River.
This Saturday, August 13th, Knox Hambley who represents the golf course development will be on hand at the Cherryville Farmers Market to answer questions and address community concerns regarding the proposed development that would see a number of RV lots added to the property.
The development project is being proposed under the guise of a non-profit society. Knox was instrumental in guiding Tween Lakes Campground in Oyama into a non-profit in order to preserve the ecological site that the rural campground is located on.
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BCCLA: Voters Rights for Prisoners
July 18, 2011
As the Okanagan is poised to become home to another BC provincial jail, the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) warns that prison towns and municipalities must set up prison polling stations for municipal elections.
The BCCLA has written letters to nine cities in B.C. and Corrections B.C. to ensure polling stations are set up for prisoners to vote in municipal elections taking place in October. The Local Government Act disqualifies from voting those persons who are prisoners serving more serious (indictable) offences and those who are being held in custody after being found not guilty on account of mental disorder. But prisoners who are awaiting trial in prison (remand) and those convicted of summary offences who are in prison have the legal right to vote.
“It is imperative that those who have the right to vote be afforded the means to do so. People held in jail who have not been convicted of any crime should not be denied their vote,” said Robert Holmes, Q.C., President of the BCCLA. “The law and their sentence does not deprive them of their right to vote and municipal governments should not, through inaction, do so either. As prison populations grow, this issue will become more pressing, and this population more and more politically significant.”
Unlike provincial or federal elections, there is not a province-wide body like Elections BC to oversee municipal elections and ensure adequate polling stations and outreach in areas like prisons.
“B.C. has no centralized organization to oversee standards for voting and elections in municipalities. That presents major difficulties getting the message through to many different communities that the law requires they make facilities available so that everyone entitled to vote can do so,” said Holmes. “We expect that cities will recognize their legal duties to ensure that everyone who may vote, can vote.”
The BCCLA has sent letters to Nanaimo, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Prince George, Saanich, Surrey, Kamloops, and Port Coquitlam. The Association has also written to Corrections BC to ask that they work with cities to assist eligible prisoners to vote.
The Village of Lumby is currently competing for a new provincial jail and if successful the community would be home to the provinces largest jail at 700 inmates and would have the distinction of being the smallest community in BC with a correctional facility. This scenario presents a possibility that jail voters could dominate a local vote.
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Jail frontrunner emerges?
July 5, 2011
The end is near.
But for the Village of Lumby the end might come without a prison, or so the Mayor of Oliver might suggest.
MVS has learned that a high ranking delegation which included Oliver Mayor Pat Hampson, local MLA John Slater and Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie visited Victoria last month and met directly with Solicitor General Shirley Bond.
Mayor Hampson believes that their meeting gave the Osoyoos Indian Band pitch for the jail, the inside track.
Hampson told media, “We left the meeting feeling that we place highest on the shortlist at this time.”
Word from local politicians was that the province was going to make a decision on which community would become the Okanagan’s prison town by the end of June, but the province continues to evaluate various sites including Lumby, Summerland the Penticton Indian Band and the Osoyoos Indian Band which is trying to place the prison in an industrial area on the edge of Oliver.
Penticton dropped out of the running after council had voted to abandon the project following a referendum last month that said “no” to the prison.
Solicitor General Shirley Bond told the Summerland Review that ministerial staff is continuing to evaluate submitted sites, but did not indicate when the province might make an announcement.
“I look forward to reviewing final recommendations as soon as possible,” she said.
“We hope to make a decision in the near future. At the same time, it’s important to recognize this is a historic, long-term investment for both the province and the final chosen community and we need to give all of our options careful consideration to ensure we get it right.”
“We’ve always said that community support is a key consideration as we consider various proposals for a new jail site in the interior of the province,” said Bond in commenting on the outcome of the Penticton referendum.
Summerland is hoping that they are the front runner. Support for the facility appears to be higher in Summerland where a poll conducted earlier showed 52 per cent of respondents in favour of the proposed facility, 45 per cent opposed and three per cent undecided.
If Summerland were to win the bidding process against its regional competitors, the facility would be located at the north entrance of the community off Highway 97.
Summerland officials say this location offers many advantages. Summerland, however, has apparently not gone to the lengths of its competitors.
In Lumby, community divisions continue to fester as both the Mayor and the local MLA Eric Foster have suggested that they are eager to bring the jail issue to a confined conclusion.
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Rural D and E Broadband Update
June 24, 2011
Will NORD Area’s D and E have access to Broadband internet in four months?
That’s the question that Area Directors are seeking out today as they hammer out the next phase of negotiation with Telus. Area E Director Eugene Foisy and Area D Director Rick Fairbairn will also be making a pitch to Telus that the company invests the total cost of bringing the bulk of rural residents up to speed.
Currently, the proposal on the table is for area residents to cover part of the upgrade cost through the local tax base which requires more community input, however Eugene Foisy will be suggesting that Telus carry the entire cost and settle in at turning a profit a bit later – this option would allow upgrading to begin immediately and would allow high speed Internet service to be available in four months.
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A Bullish Review:
Incarceratus Stigmata
Stigmata is the plural of the Greek word stigma, meaning a mark or brand such as might have been used for identification of an animal or slave.
Whether you consider it a remand, corrections centre, jail or prison, this expensive event has been well underway for nearly a year and began with a jail proposal which created a negative stigma that has plagued the Lumby area ever since.
In Lumby, BC Corrections staff expounded about the lack of real understanding that the public has about prisons and that the stigmas people have about prisons is not based on reality. The word “stigma” occurs often as a means by which to explain the misguided fears of the public about things like prisons, toxic waste dumps and other things that tend to be quite threatening.
But when governments and corporations use the term, it’s really an oxymoron since a “stigma” is a social reaction that could be true or false but one that transcends reality in the eyes of popular culture. Our society spends trillions of dollars each year debunking or enforcing stigmas – just ask Hollywood - http://www.prisonmovies.net/prison-movies
With a prison in Lumby, the community and its businesses will spend a great deal of money attempting to debunk the stigma of a “prison town” and the question that everyone in this rural area of the Okanagan should ask is – “Do we have the financial capacity to fight back the prison stigma?”
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October 17, 2013
Bullish on the real news in the Monashee
Online Community News for Lumby, Cherryville, Rural Coldstream and Highway 6
We update this website on a regular basis. We are eager to receive your news, events, advertising and letters by email at: mediaservices@uniserve.com
Heliskiing poised to cover most of the Monashee
October 27, 2011
A company is currently applying to expand its heliskiing operations throughout the Monashee north of Cherryville and Lumby.
Eagle Pass Heliskiing based in Revelstoke is applying to the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands for a License to Occupy on crown land. The application contains an area covering approximately 105,700 hectares and will be used for commercial recreation and heliskiing activity north and south of Revelstoke on the western side of the Monashee Mountains in the Shuswap River and Columbia watersheds.
The application is mainly for Heliskiing purposes and is for additional areas to add to their existing heliskiing operation. The company states that in the future, helipads will be necessary within the applied areas, but it doesn’t plan to cut timber right now.
The above map represents a detail of the overlapping tourism tenure in the south Monashee’s. You can download this entire pdf map by clicking the link below.
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LUMBY COUNCIL WATCH
Concerned with the goings-on in Lumby and Area?
Local governance, ecological issues
and economic development options.
Nearly every other week, Area D resident Gordon Judd, packs up his digital recording equipment and sets up at Lumby Village Council chambers. Why? - Because he cares about local democracy and social justice.
Whitevale water advisory rescinded
December 12, 2012
The Regional District of North Okanagan has rescinded a water quality advisory that was put in place for the Whitevale water utility Nov. 20.
“RDNO has been actively monitoring the water quality and all bacterial tests have been clear,” said Zee Marcolin, utilities manager.
“The water from the utility is rated as good.”
A good rating means the water is safe to drink for all customers with the exception of those customers with weakened immune systems.
Customers with weakened immune systems should ask their doctor if they need to take extra precautions.
The advisory was initiated due to emergency work done on the Whitevale well.
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Pet poisoning continues in Lumby
November 20, 2012
Lumby RCMP are alerting pet owners after continuing to receive complaints of animals being poisoned on the west side of the village.
The latest two reports, said Cpl. Henry Proce, involve dogs along Park Avenue.
The detachment has also received reports of cats becoming sick or dying from further up the hill in that area.
“It may be this is a deliberate act or the animals are simply getting into some toxic substance,” said Proce.
“Either way, it is extremely upsetting to pet owners and we’re putting this message out appeal for information.”
Anybody with any information can contact the Lumby detachment at 250-547-2151
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Well known local gardener seeks to correct village tree care
October 15, 2012
For one Lumby resident there are some questions regarding how the Village of Lumby is managing its landscaping. Jane Emlyn a well known gardener in the area says for many years she’s been watching the Village plant thousands of dollars worth of ornamental tress.
“It hasn't been easy watching this process. After seeing the picture in the Lumby Matters Newsletter about the $3500 grant to plant 20 trees in the Cedar Ridge Park, I felt compelled to say something,” said Emlyn.
“I needed to see for myself if they have been planted as poorly as most of the other ornamental trees planted in Lumby and indeed they have.”
Emlyn suggests that the planting practices are terrible, but probably unintentional, but none the less they are detrimental to the success of the life of the trees now and the ones that have been planted in the past. She believes the problem is a lack of expertise, suggesting that it would have been a cost savings and an incredible boost to the success of the trees surviving, if even one staff member was knowledgeable in even the basics of horticulture.
“Every tree I have checked, on Mabel Lake Rd and in the village, should have grown in leaps and bounds this year but they are incredibly stunted. They will never amount to much and I would say they will have very little life span left. They have all been planted much too deep and mulched too heavily. Some of the species were poor choices for the sites,” she said.
According to Emlyn, the flare of the tree should be easily visible and the roots should not be suffocated with too much mulch. Tree's roots need oxygen to breath. Absolutely no dirt should be piled up around the base of the tree.
“Every tree that I dug down around was constricted. Below the ground the trunks that should have been exposed, were substantially smaller in diameter than the trunk showing above the ground. This will eventually lead to the death of the trees. The trees need gentle pruning to form a central leader so they will not become hazard trees in the future”.
Emlyn went on to suggest, that new trees very seldom need to be staked but if done they should be removed after the first year.
“I myself have removed stakes and rubber coated cables from the trees on Mabel Lake Rd because they were choking the tree trunks. Some are still left. Some of the stakes are very close to the trunk and all ready the tree is pushing on them. I hate to think how the root ball was handled on every tree before they were planted.”
Emlyn says that in 15 years time many of these trees will be dead or diseased and become hazard trees. Most will have little growth. She warns that the remedy to save these trees is not an easy task.
“Most need to be uprooted and the root ball dealt with and the tree be raised up so the flare is showing. The mulch needs to be pulled back directly around the tree and the mulch must be reduced to two to three inches. After this is done the tree needs one year to adapt before it is pruned. Then the tree can be pruned to form a central leader. Sadly, several of the trees will not be able to be saved.”
Emlyn sets out some examples for Lumby to follow like Wolfville, Nova Scotia where the schools have been involved to plant and maintain the trees to reduce vandalism.
“It is disheartening to see people destroy trees but to not even give these trees a fighting chance is also very cruel. It has always been the case that trees add much more than beauty to a community. It is extremely sad to see the thousands of dollars and the hard work all going to waste. Without intervention we will be left with a barren landscape.”
Emlyn has voiced her concerns by supplying a letter to Lumby Village Council.
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Drumming workshop as rhythmic art
World Music and Culture through rhythm, percussion and song
September 26, 2012
The Monashee Arts Council is excited to announce that they are offering an amazing opportunity to explore rhythmic art, world music, and culture beginning October 4th in Lumby. Through a progression of rhythm, drumming, vocal and body percussion, participants will experience and celebrate the joy of drumming and song.
“Expect a high-energy, engaging, interactive experience that will have your whole family singing and dancing!” exclaims Jennifer Greenwood, Arts & Culture Program Coordinator for the Monashee Arts Council.
Participants will take a sound voyage through world music rhythms, beats, songs and chants that promote affirmations of harmony, freedom and social connections via a collection of world percussion instruments and hand drums.
“We are really looking forward to working with Angela Roy putting this workshop and accompanying performance together next month,” adds Greenwood.
Angela Roy is the founder of Expression, an organization that delivers performing art and educational programs within the community and she is also a bilingual artist-educator who has been the recipient of the Prime Minister Award of Excellence in Education and Development.
This is an amazing opportunity for everyone in the community, it’s a wonderful workshop for both adults and youth,” said Greenwood.
Following the workshop, which runs on Thursday evenings (October 4-25th), the class will perform for the community accompanied by the Expression Collective. This five piece ensemble performs songs & chants from around the globe that delivers a message of peace, social-cultural acceptance and harmony.
Anyone wishing to register for the drumming workshop ($63/person) should contact the Monashee Arts Council by phone at 778-473-3029 or by email at monasheeartscouncil@gmail.com before 3pm Friday, September 28th. Spaces are limited so call early to ensure a spot.
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Think Outside: Promote the Monashee to the world
September 10, 2012
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is reaching out the residents of the Monashee to help create a new video to inspire more travellers from around the world to choose Canada for their vacation.
Through its 35 Million Directors project the CTC is calling on residents to represent the region by capturing local travel moments and experiences on video or images and uploading them to www.35MillionDirectors.com.
“We think local towns and cities, deserve a chance to star in this great Canadian production,” said Chris Dagenais, with the project.
“As we all know, the fabric of Canada extends well beyond our major cities and we want to give residents a chance to demonstrate just what their Canada has to offer.”
Footage and photos must showcase great Canadian travel experiences and places. It could be anything from a favourite hike to a favourite diner, or from a music festival to a sporting event.
This is the chance for “directors” from across Canada to show international travellers every facet of our country, from every perspective.
The CTC is offering prizes for submissions, including two that include a dream Canadian travel trip. All contributors whose footage or photo is chosen to appear in the final two-minute video will receive a GoPro HD camera package.
The initiative runs until Sept. 16. The CTC will then select the best entries, and mix in the work of a number of professional Canadian directors to create a grassroots short video to motivate travellers from around the world to visit Canada.
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Local Movie Shoot: Battle at Beaver Creek
August 24, 2012
Battle at Beaver Creek is an independent movie production filming in the North Okanagan by En Queue Films
According to producer Brian Taylor some of the filming is taking place in the Lumby area. Principle shooting began on August 11th. Expected to be 70 to 90 minutes in length when finished, the film spans different locations in B.C. besides Lumby, including the Rogers Pass, different areas in the Kootenays, Armstrong and hopefully Greenwood, which has a main street with old west style buildings.
With all work done by volunteers, who have day jobs and other aspects of their lives that require attention, they can only commit a few hours a week to filming, thus Taylor expects to still be working on it next summer. He’s managed to give 30 hours a week for the past five months that has resulted in just 12 minutes of film, showing just how slow going it is.
A futuristic, philosophical sci-fi action film, Battle at Beaver Creek promises to be a frightening look into a very plausable future.
“It’s a philosophical anti-war movie disguised as a sci-fi battle movie,” he explained.
The science fiction tale is set in the near future, where technology has allowed for easy mind control and programming. Some use the technology to appease the masses; others use it to incite trouble. Now, an unknown force has invaded the far north and a ragtag Canadian Milita is attempting a last stand, in the tiny border town of Beaver Creek, Yukon. Without even knowing who, or how many they face, can they even survive? Will they live, die, win, lose? Will they become mindless zombies? Which is worse?
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Skyrocketing building code fees in Areas D and E?
July 24, 2012
There is a proposal in front of the Regional District of North Okanagan to hike the notice on title fee from $157 to $850 in the five electoral areas including Rural Lumby and Cherryville.
According to RDNO the move is intended to force property owners to comply with the building code and to take out building permits on rural and remote properties.
“We don’t want people to have notices on title. We want them to conform - this may be a way to get people to go by the book,” said RDNO director Shirley Fowler.
Notices are placed on title when a property has violated the building bylaw.
Area D and Area E directors are cold towards the idea at least when they talked to media.
RDNO staff say the hike to $850 reflects their time to handle notices on title, but there’s no support for the proposal from director Eugene Foisy.
“It’s a huge jump - some are for an old building that’s been there for 40 years and some guy has bought it. They’re not all people trying to be criminals. They’re caught in circumstances.”
Director Rick Fairbairn is also against the idea.
“The numbers are not based on time sheets. It should be in the $450 range,” he said.
But other board members say the financial burden of the building service should be on those not conforming with code and not taxpayers.
According to RDNO staff such a move eliminates the Regional Districts liability if someone were to be injured because of a flaw in construction.
Notice on Title makes prospective purchasers aware of deficiencies. When a property owner seeks compliance with the building code, a fee must be paid to have notice on title removed.
The RDNO building inspection department has been struggling financially since the building permits slowed and their revenues dropped. RDNO is also considering notice on title fees for municipalities it contracts the building department service to which includes the Village of Lumby and all other jurisdictions except for Vernon and Coldstream.
Mayor Kevin Acton of Lumby commented on the fee hike proposal by saying, “We need an ability to get people to stand up and notice there is a building code.”
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Province claims victory for BC softwood lumber
July 21, 2012
Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell has responded to British Columbia and Canada’s total victory in an arbitration panel’s ruling on B.C.’s timber pricing policies under the 2006 Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA).
This weeks ruling by the London Court of International Arbitration proves that British Columbia’s market-based timber pricing policies are fully consistent with the SLA, and that B.C. has always honoured its commitments under the agreement. The arbitration panel dismissed the U.S.’s complaint in its entirety.
A 2011 complaint filed by the U.S. alleged that B.C. was selling softwood at less than market value, given an increase in the harvest of low-grade timber. The increased amount of low-grade timber in B.C. is the result of the unprecedented and devastating mountain pine beetle infestation. B.C.’s auction-based pricing system ensures that the full value of timber has been captured by government.
B.C. and Canada have maintained it would have been far more productive for the U.S. lumber industry to join them to increase demand for wood products across North America, such as what B.C. is doing with its Wood First initiative.
“This is a total victory for British Columbia and Canada and is great news for B.C.’s lumber workers and their families. Our government has worked hard to defend and create jobs for British Columbians and to demonstrate that the U.S.’s complaints were unwarranted and groundless.”
In the meantime, British Columbia has diversified its lumber export markets during the arbitration period. As part of ‘Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan’ and through recent trade missions abroad by Premier Christy Clark and Bell, the B.C. government has focused on developing Asian markets, experiencing tremendous growth in recent years. For example, B.C. has more than doubled its lumber exports to China each of the past three years, helping to put people back to work in mills throughout the province.
B.C. will continue to support the SLA, originally signed in October 2006, to create a predictable trade environment and to provide stability and certainty to producers and consumers on both sides of the border. Canada has signed an extension to the agreement to October 2015.
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Flood watch for Shuswap River
June 18, 2012
Monashee residents should remain concerned about high water levels.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the Shuswap River upstream of Mabel Lake, near Lumby. The Shuswap River near Lumby was at 250 cubic metres per second Sunday and rising at two centimetres per hour.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for the Shuswap River, downstream of Mabel Lake, near Enderby. As of Sunday, the Shuswap River at Enderby was at 430 cubic metres per second and rising 0.8 centimetres per hour hour. River levels may level off today (Monday) but an additional surge is expected on the Shuswap River on Tuesday or Wednesday. Overall rises of 15 centimetres above current levels is possible.
The forecast centre is also maintaining a high streamflow advisory for the North Okanagan.
The Emergency Operations Center is advising the property owners in low lying areas prone to flooding to move your livestock to higher ground. If you are in an area that has flooded before sandbag your property and continue to monitor it closely and be prepared to evacuate in short notice.
Officials from the Regional District as well as Emergency personnel will continue to be monitoring river levels closely and will contact media outlets to keep everyone informed of any changes.
For updates please continue to go to the Regional District of the North Okanagan’s web site at www.rdno.ca.
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Heavy rains in forecast and flood watch continues
June 15, 2012
Duteau Creek water levels may increase with more rain in the forecast. The Shuswap River is very high upstream from Shuswap Falls, but there is a greater concern of flooding on the Enderby end. The Emergency Operations Center for the Regional District of the North Okanagan has received updated reports from Environment Canada and the River Forecast Centre.
The forecast is for rain, heavy at times with estimates of 20 mm in the Vernon area increasing as it moves north with up to 50 millimeters in the Malakwa region. The Shuswap River remains a concern and expectations are for continuous rise in levels from Mabel Lake right through to Mara Lake. The rise could be significant enough to cause flooding in this area, and especially around the mouth of the river near Mara Lake.
The Emergency Operations Center is advising the property owners in low lying areas prone to flooding to move your livestock to higher ground. If you are in an area that has flooded before sandbag your property and continue to monitor it closely and be prepared to evacuate in short notice.
Officials from the Regional Districts as well as Emergency personnel will be monitoring river levels closely over the weekend and will contact media outlets to keep everyone informed of any changes.
For updates over the weekend please continue to go to the Regional District of the North Okanagan’s web site at www.rdno.ca.
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Village Public Works Update
June 11, 2012
According the Lumby Matters Newsletter which is a publication that is produced by the Village of Lumby and then circulated to taxpayers in the village a number of public works activities are reported to residents.
In keeping with the Pavement Management Plan, paving of Shuswap Avenue (Mable Lake Road) to the north boundary of the Village of Lumby will be continued. This will include improved ditching and shouldering. If funds are available, the Shuswap Avenue section from Duteau Creek bridge south will be considered for repair.
Design engineering will be completed for the Park Avenue portion of the Sidewalk Capital Plan, which is budgeted for construction in 2013. Detailed engineering has already been done for Grandview Avenue, which will allow for improved drainage and pedestrian movement.
Stage 1 of Lumby’s three stage Liquid Waste Management Plan, is under way and will identify innovative and cost-effective solutions for processing sewage treatment effluent while ensuring watershed sustainability. The success of Stage 1 depends on public involvement. The village asks residents to stay tuned for how they can contribute either as a member of the LWMP Single Advisory Committee or through a number of community feedback opportunities being planned.
Village Public Works claims that water use in the village has droped by almost a third since 2008. Since introducing its Water Conser vation and Drought Contingency Plan in 2006, the Village of Lumby reports a 27-percent drop in water use from 97.6 million Imperial gallons in 2008 to 70.9 million in 2011. A key success factor is the water meter program implemented in 2008.
When less water is pumped, less power is used, thereby reducing energy costs. Equipment longevity is increased, as is the life span of sanitary sewer facilities. This delays the replacement or expansion of costly capital infrastructure. The Village forecasts that water and sewer rates will rise, but not because use has dropped.
According to the Village, increases will ensure that utilities are self-sustaining, and that there are reserves to help fund future upgrades and replacements.
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Highway 1 is now open: Lumby still out of gas
June 7, 2011
Update: Highway 1 is now open.
The Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) remains closed between Revelstoke and Golden due to a mudslide and Needles Ferry is working around the clock. Motorists on the Highway 6 detour need to know that there is no gas in Lumby.
Between Vernon and Edgewood, motorists can fill up in Cherryville and Lavington. Gas pumps are being replaced at the only gas station in Lumby and fuel services will not be operational for another two weeks.
The local gas shortage was amplified last week when the Lavington Shell station pumps were also being replaced causing the only other station, Lavington Esso to run out of fuel. The lack of notification regarding the pump replacements left over 4000 area residents, commuters and tourists without fuel service between Vernon and Cherryville.
Highway 1 has now been closed now for more than 24 hours as crews attempt to clear the mudslide in Glacier National Park, 60 km west of Golden. The mudslide hit early Wednesday morning trapping motorists on either side of the busy Trans Canada route.
According to DriveBC, a lack of precipitation through the night enabled crews to make progress with the control and clean up of debris flow.
Travelers should adjust travel plans accordingly and consider alternate routes and make sure they fill up their tanks. Delays at inland ferry crossings due to high traffic volumes are taking place.
DriveBC is estimating that the highway will be open sometime on Thursday, however, their level of confidence is only moderate.
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High Speed Internet: Is Aircom pulling out?
May 10, 2012
Local rural access to high speed Internet may have taken another twist. MVS received an unconfirmed report that Aircom has cancelled its May 17th public meeting with Cherryville residents and that they won’t be rescheduling it. In an email circulated to some residents they also said, “Aircom is shutting down its operations and we will not be coming to Cherryville or Lumby etc. and will be closing our operations in Vernon, Kelowna and Victoria as well”.
MVS has contacted Aircom in hopes of confirming this information and we are attempting to find out more details as to why the company has made this decision.
Aircom was attempting to provide a wireless Internet solution for rural Lumby and Cherryville. Last week, Telus told community organizers that they were temporarily removing investment funds dedicated for providing ADSL Broadband to Areas D and E for 2012. Local community organizers believe that the investment funds will be reallocated for 2013.
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BREAKING NEWS
ADSL Unplugged for 2012
May 1, 2012
It appears as though Telus will not be bringing high speed internet to rural Lumby and Cherryville in 2012. There are unconfirmed reports that Telus has reallocated the funding for bringing ADSL Broadband to Area’s D and E. Previously, Telus had committed to covering 50 percent of the infrastructure costs required for bringing high speed Internet to rural residents. However, because there was no movement politically for the effort, the company has removed their funds at least temporarily and at this point it is hoped that funds will be returned for a 2013 upgrade.
Some community organizers working for over five years to bring ADSL to rural D and E are both angry and very disappointed at the political behavior that has taken place which caused this delay to occur. MVS is currently preparing a detailed report on this story.
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Lumby water utility in question
April 10, 2012
The Village of Lumby appears to be faced with serious water management issues which stem partly from the installation of water smart meters.
There are unconfirmed reports that a local company operating in the village industrial area has had a major problem with metered rates, and the event has caused village council to rethink the way it manages the village owned water utility.
Apparently the company operates one of a handful of drying kilns located in Lumby which require water for cooling. For years they were paying a flat fee for their water consumption and were billed every month by the village owned water utility. However, that changed when the village installed water smart meters to track water consumption. The company’s meter had apparently malfunctioned and wasn’t repaired for a few months – but when it did start working, they discovered that they were paying substantially more than what they were paying under the previous flat-fee formula.
The issue emerged on the Village Council Meeting Agenda as Bylaw 735 and an effort to amend the Water Rates and Regulations Bylaw. The amendment was intended to offer a water rate discount to some commercial and industrial users, but that caught the attention of Councilor Jo Anne Fisher.
Fisher asked, “Are residential users going to be subsidizing commercial and industrial users - are we looking at a long term plan for the utility?
Concerned about the overall picture she also asked whether there was any analysis done in advance of installing the water smart meters?
Council learned that there was very little analysis done in advance of the metering being approved and installed, and Fisher became concerned that the utility might be operating as a “for-profit-business” as opposed to a service designed to build a “capital reserve fund” but then to break even.
Village Director of Finance, Ken Klassen reported to council that the utility was not operating as a business but then shared with council the present condition of the utility.
“The water revenue is about $2.5 million annually but long term, the utility is in the hole because there is $8 million worth of water related infrastructure that needs to be replaced every 40 years. This requires the utility to set aside $200,000 per year in order to replace that infrastructure – at present we are putting aside about $26,000 per year,” said Klassan.
At that point, Mayor Acton suggested, “That 50 percent of any shortfall needed to replace infrastructure would probably be covered by the feds and the province.”
Strong agreement emerged to closely examine the long term management of the utility and to create a more fair and equitable system that considered both residential and commercial consumers and to base a billing model on conservation and stewardship incentives.
It remains uncertain as to how council will address specific issues related to water smart meters malfunctioning, along with “treated” water being used to cool drying kilns. Council did pass first reading of the bylaw while they examine and consider various options.
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Former MP seeking to challenge Foster
March 31, 2012
Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster may have been dealt more stiff competition for his re-election bid. Former MP Jim Hart has just declared that he will seek the B.C. Conservative nomination in the provincial riding of Vernon-Monashee.
Hart was a Member of Parliament for the Penticton area riding from 1993 to 2000, representing the Reform Party and then the Canadian Alliance. He stepped down to create a byelection that resulted in a victory for Stockwell Day, then leader of the Canadian Alliance.
Hart has launched a bid to enter provincial politics, after failing to win a seat as a school trustee in this past civic election. About 40 party faithful came out to support his intentions. .
"It's great to see so many people come out to hear what the B.C. Conservatives have to say," said Ian Tribes, the party's constituency association president.
"It shows that more and more people are realizing what a mess the NDP and the Liberals have made over the past two decades, and that we need a new direction."
Reports had surfaced in 2000 that Hart was paid $50,000 after he resigned. At the time, Alliance officials insisted no deal was in place before Hart quit. The RCMP investigated but concluded in 2001 that no criminal charges should be laid. Under the Criminal Code, it is an offence to resign from elected office for money or a reward.
Since leaving federal politics, Hart has worked in the Republic of Georgia as a parliamentary adviser. He has also worked in Iraq in a job aimed at promoting greater democracy in that country.
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Village of Lumby Council Meeting
March 21, 2012
A growing cooperation and respectful communication between council members including the Mayor continues to emerge at Lumby Village Council meetings. At the March 19th meeting of council two delegations were welcomed and included a presentation from the RCMP regarding the present state of policing and an overview of establishment and operations in 2011. Supt. Reg Burgess, OIC Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP Detachment made the presentation and was accompanied by Insp. Jim McNamara of the RCMP North Okanagan Detachment.
A second delegation included the Lumby and District Chamber of Commerce. Stephanie Sexsmith updated council on the Chamber’s current participation within a tourism tradeshow in Vancouver.
Other council highlights included issues regarding the fire inspection service, water rates and the state of the village water utility, street banners and backyard chickens.
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What’s “good” about taxes? - Envision the “Next Economics”
March 10, 2012
The Okanagan Shuswap Green Party is inviting the public to "occupy" the Vernon Schubert Centre, Monday, March 12th, at 7:00 pm for a provocative discussion on the reform of capitalism with UBC Guest Professor of Economics, Dr. Ross Hickey.
According to the Greens, national leaders around the world are seeking solutions to put the Western Economy back on track. Is capitalism the right train? Are growth, globalization and corporate dominance the right track?
Taxation, CEO Salaries & Leveling Income Inequality are all part of the many things that the "occupy" people are complaining about. Professor Hickey tackles these issues and then unrolls a blueprint for change:
A teacher of Tax and Public Economics at UBC, Professor Hickey (PhD) reveals inequities and opportunities in Income Tax, HST and the International Financial Transaction Tax. He provides insights about corporate governance and offers tools for effective income distribution in a post-OCCUPY world where capitalism is reformed.
Admission by donation.
The event is part of “Guest Professors” which is a non-partisan public information series hosted by the Okanagan Shuswap Green Party, their website can be found at: www.okshswapgreens.ca or for more information phone 250-260-5877.
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B.C. Forest Service celebrates 100 years of excellence
February 27, 2012
“Today we celebrate the centennial birthday of the BC Forest Service, a truly significant milestone in our province’s history. I would like to thank the thousands of men and women within the ministry for their dedication and hard work to ensuring the lasting legacy of B.C.’s forests,” said Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson.
One hundred years ago today, the Province created the first government agency to preserve B.C.’s forests through forest fire prevention, use of timber management areas, tree planting and the diversification of tree-growing.
Since Feb. 27, 1912, the BC Forest Service has been in charge of managing and protecting the province’s forests and range lands. The dedication and hard work of the men and women of the BC Forest Service have resulted in 100 years of excellent forest stewardship in British Columbia.
The BC Forest Service has marked many milestones over the past 10 decades, including:
- 1927 – Opening of one of the province’s first experimental forest nurseries in Victoria.
- 1938 – Planting the one-millionth tree.
- 1940s – B.C. forest surveyors were used in World War II for the D-Day invasion to fly over French territory and describe the topography.
- 1955 – Helicopters were first used for forest inventory and mapping.
- 1970 – Creation of styro-block and plug system that revolutionized the planting and growth of seedlings, leading to an exponential increase of seedlings planted.
- 1981 – Planting of the one-billionth tree.
- 1994 – Forest Practices Code was introduced.
- 2004 – Forest and Range Practices Act and regulations came into force.
- 2008 – Planting of the six-billionth tree.
During 2012, the ministry will host numerous celebratory events throughout the province. For more details and a complete list of events, contact your local district office or visit the BC Forest Service Centenary website at: http://www.bcfs100.ca/bscripts/index.asp
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Lumby Council Watch: Proposal to change voting rules
February 22, 2012 - By Gordon Judd
Former Lumby councilor Janet Green was at Monday night's council meeting to deliver Elinor Turrill's presentation asking council to forward a proposal to SILGA in the hope of changing the electoral rules for Lumby Village Council. They'd like to exclude Area D residents from running (or anyone else who doesn't live in the village).
You can view the entire presentation here: http://vimeo.com/37283890
Acting Mayor Nick Hodge opened the meeting to questions (discussion) from the large audience and you can view that here: http://vimeo.com/37284699 and you can view council's decision to defer to next meeting here: http://vimeo.com/37233258
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MAJOR FIRE IN DOWNTOWN LUMBY
Nap’s burns to the ground – no casualties
February 7, 2012
Fire has destroyed one of the historical buildings at the entranceway to the Village of Lumby and fortunately no lives were lost in the blaze.
The Nap's Laundromat building that includes Nap's Vacuums and a newly opened gift shop on Vernon Street were destroyed by a fire that began at the back of the building at about 8:30 p.m. Monday and raged through the night. Two residential apartments on the second floor of the building were also completely destroyed, however firefighters managed to save Doug Brown’s accounting office next door.
"The building is a total loss," according to Lumby fire chief Tony Clayton, whoi added that by the time they arrived the fire was “fully involved”.
The fire was so large that 49 firefighters were called as Coldstream, Lavington and BX fire departments were called in to help.
As of 7am the fire was brought under control and is now in the mop up stage where hot spots are still being dealt with. Highway 6 has been closed with a short detour in place.
The Highway is expected to be closed until mid morning.
According to Clayton, the fire was a major challenge that included cold weather hazards. Clayton says their air packs were freezing up and they had to rotate crews due to the cold weather
.
“It’s sawdust (insulation) filled and there's been lots of add-ons,", adding there's a concern that an unstable wall may collapse. It's not known how old the structure is, but it's construction proved challenging for the firefighters.
It's unknown how the fire started at this point.
"We're trying to make it safe so we can investigate," said Clayton.
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Foster: Prison decision next month?
January 30, 2012
A KISS FM report cites an interview with MLA Eric Foster who told the Vernon radio station that he believes the prison facility is still under consideration, and he expects to get an update when MLA's return to the legislature next month.
The provincial government has been very quiet months after they said they were going to make a decision. Lumby, Summerland, along with Osoyoos and Penticton First Nations are in the running for a 360 cell facility.
Vernon's MLA's says he continues to push for more hospital funding to officials with BC's Health Ministry. Foster says he's hopeful of an announcement in the near future to proceed with beds on the shelled-in floors of the new Polson Tower.
Foster says the recent HST deal with Ottawa should give his government a chance to move forward with some projects..
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