NOVEMBER
• Sicamous council was gambling on the approval of a proposed commercial development prompting the B.C. government to improve traffic safety on Highway 1.
After an hour’s deliberation, which included limited public input, council supported a development permit application for the construction of a gas bar, convenience store and drive-thru at 1305 Rauma Ave. (the former Extreme Power Sports location on the Trans-Canada Highway, adjacent to Tim Hortons).
District staff confirmed the application was for a Centex Gas Station that includes development of a drive-thru Starbucks. As proposed, both would be in compliance with the district’s official community plan and zoning bylaws.
Only Coun. Janna Simons voted against the application, explaining she isn’t opposed to the development, but is concerned for public safety in relation to an already known traffic issue – semi-tractor trailer traffic parking on the shoulder of the southbound lane of Highway 1 so their drivers can access the Tim Hortons.
• Kagen Stephenson was relieved her llama on the lam tale came to a happy ending.
At the beginning of October, Stephenson had picked up four rescue llamas and brought them to her Willow Mist Farm on Cambie-Solsqua Road. Among the lot were three females and a male whose teeth extended beyond his lower jaw. Because of this, and because Stephenson had yet to receive his papers from the previous owner, the male was given the name Snaggletooth.
The day before he was to pay a visit to a veterinarian for treatment, Snaggletooth jumped out of his pen and fled. Eleven days after his adventure began, the llama was back in his new home.
• Residents were assured construction of a Main Street bridge, in conjunction with the replacement of the Bruhn Bridge, will not result in Highway 1 traffic being rerouted through downtown Sicamous.
On Nov. 15, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure hosted an open house at the Sicamous and District Recreation Centre. The information session was an opportunity to view and provide feedback on the three options proposed for the replacement of the Bruhn Bridge. While the meeting was well-attended, Mayor Terry Rysz said he and council were still facing misinformation, especially in relation to council’s preferred option, which would see the Bruhn replaced with a four-lane bridge, with a separate bridge constructed at Main Street.
Rysz then asked MOTI to extend council’s deadline to make a decision on the bridge to accommodate more community input on the options.
• Sicamous had climbed to round two in Snoriders’ SledTown Showdown.
SnowRidersWest.com is once again running its showdown, pitting popular snowmobiling communities against each other to determine which is tops among riders.
• A new remote avalanche control system will be operational this winter in Three Valley Gap, reducing highway closure times and improving public safety.
MOTI announced in June 2015 it would be installing a new automated system and, in Aug. 2016, that Swiss company Wyssen Avalanche Control Inc. was awarded the $2.1 million contract.
• The Sicamous Eagles didn’t shy away from the Doug Birks division-leading Chase Heat during KIJHL action at the Art Holding Memorial Arena.
With three wins under their belts, including a Nov. 4, 4-3 OT win over the Kamloops Storm, the Eagles hit the Heat ice on Nov. 10 with a fire of their own, denying the mighty Chase team any chance to light up the board.
• Three former Sicamous residents returned to the community in the service of the RCMP – Const. Ashley Allen, Colby Franson and Ashley Gravelle.
At its Nov. 23 meeting, council gave three readings to an amending bylaw to revise the district’s non-compliance fee for those who can but were so far not hooked up to the municipal sewer system.
