Spruce Kings
Council voted unanimously to send Mayor Chris Beach to Prince George for a meeting in July about a planned exhibition game between the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Merritt Centennials. BC Hockey League players are expected to lead hockey workshops for children following the exhibition match, which is slated for late August.
Holey highway
Lakes District Maintenance (LDM) has told the Village of Burns Lake that they’re planning to repair the area of Highway 16 near Home Hardware in June, according to Chief Administrative Officer Sheryl Worthing. LDM previously told the Lakes District News that the stretch would be permanently repaired in late May.
LDM told village staff that other damaged sections of Highway 16 passing through Burns Lake would be repaired in 2019, Worthing said. “It’s not in their budget for this year,” said Worthing.
The issue came up after Councillor Susan Schienbein said the road’s quality was worsening. “To cross the intersection at Fifth Avenue, I’m going to wear out the shocks on my car,” she said.
Painted bikes, rainbow crosswalk
Council gave its support in principle to a pair of “quick start projects” brought forward by Councillor Michael Riis-Christianson on behalf of the Burns Lake economic diversification committee, which he chairs. The initiatives are meant to add a splash of colour to Burns Lake.
The projects include painting fire hydrants and bike racks and installing “bike art” around town, which would involve a contest in which residents would paint old bicycles.
“You could actually insert them in various locations around town as art pieces,” said Riis-Christianson. During the discussion, Councillor Kelly Holliday also brought up the possibility of establishing a rainbow crosswalk near Alternative Grounds or another central location in Burns Lake.
Art gallery alternatives spurned
As for the proposal by local artists Claire Singleton and Hilda Earl to turn the shuttered Anglican Church into an art gallery, it’s still in the works, according to Worthing.
The artists told Worthing they’re not interested in alternative sites, but would rather wait for possible upgrades to the former church. “They’re willing to wait until next year if they have to,” said Worthing.
Fire chief Rob Krause said in April that repairs and upgrades would be necessary to make the site safe for the general public, and a consultant is expected to provide an estimate about the potential costs in the coming weeks.
