OCTOBER
• Chainsaw artists from throughout the Interior, and as far as Medicine Hat, carved through rain and cold in support of The Burner Grille’s inaugural chainsaw carving exhibition in Malakwa, Oct. 6-9. Participating chainsaw artist Randy Gauthier of Moberly Lake called the exhibition a soft start to what he and his fellow participating carvers want to see become an annual event.
• The district had identified a 40-acre property in the Old Town Bay area that might be utilized as a community campground. In June, Mayor Terry Rysz confirmed the district had received consent from the landowner to apply to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for conditional approval for a land use application for non-farm use.
“We’re not looking to move it from the ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve), we’re just looking to find some sort of mechanism in which we can have a community campground on ALR land, because that’s all we’ve got, that’s what surrounds Sicamous,” said Rysz following meetings with several provincial government officials at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention.
To be successful with the ALC, Rysz explained he and council were advised at UBCM that the district would have to develop an agricultural use for the property while it is also being used for camping.
The District of Sicamous will be obtaining input before seeking permission to establish a municipal campground on agricultural land.
• The Columbia Shuswap Regional District was to receive $32,000 from the B.C. government to create an economic development strategic plan for Shuswap communities.
• Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberal Party acclaimed incumbent MLA Greg Kyllo as their candidate for the Shuswap riding in the May 2017 election.
Kyllo is the Parliamentary Secretary for the BC Jobs Plan to the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. He is also a member of the Treasury Board, the Cabinet Committee on Strong Economy, and the Cabinet Working Group on Core Review.
• During the public question period of a regular council meeting, Mayor Terry Rysz and councillors heard from resident Pam Beach, who voiced concerns about the annual Stomp motorcycle event.
Beech said she’d submitted a letter to council that Rysz and Coun. Gord Bushell responded to personally, but she wanted to make her concerns public.
“I do want to be assured though that we’re going to really look at whether or not it needs to be the Stomp because I think there is a fair amount of concern out there about that event in particular, and the perception it creates to visitors and just the branding… I’ve said all of this in the letter to you,” said Beech. “The public hasn’t seen it though and, just out of respect, I’m remembering comments… about how nice it is when the concerns are brought up to council first so they can deal with it and it doesn’t go to the paper… I just feel it would be nice to know there’s going to be more public discussion and public input around the pros and cons to that event. I’m sorry, it’s isn’t all rosy for everybody.”
In response, Bushell said a survey is in the works that will be made available to the public over the Internet. In addition, Bushell said the district would be going to individual businesses in town to have them fill out surveys.
• A School District 83 surplus/deficit report for individual schools listed Eagle River Secondary as having the biggest surplus in the district at 59 per cent.
The secondary school’s budget for the 2015/2016 year was $89,426 with a surplus of $52,508.
“We reached out to the schools and had each of the schools provide an explanation as to why they had a surplus and how they intend to spend it in the following year, or why they had a deficit and how they plan to address it,” said secretary treasurer Nicole Bittante.
School officials said they had spent conservatively in the year due to an uncertain future. About $20,000 of the surplus will be intended for a reserve use for any programs, equipment and technology purchases required if there is a school configuration change. Another $21,000 will be reserved for curriculum resources, with remaining funds for additional purchases of equipment and supplies.
• A Sicamous couple was without a home following a Hillier Road residential fire on Oct. 15.
Fire chief Brett Ogino said he and his crew were having a going-away party for one of their firefighters when the page came in at 8 p.m. While en route, Ogino said he could see the house was already fully involved.
• Turning the Sicamous Eagles’ season around will involve more than a change in coaching staff.
Matt Stang didn’t mince words when he talked about the team he inherited when he was hired by the club earlier in October to take on head coaching duties. He said there was a lot of complacency and not a lot of accountability, let alone a will to win.
“This is a pretty big mess I was left with and it’s not going to change overnight, but every day we’ve taken strides in the right direction,” said Stang. “There was a mentality in that room when I got there that it was just OK to lose because that’s all they’ve known, that’s all that they’ve done for the last two years.”
