MARCH
A community-to-community forum in Chu Chua identified four infrastructure priorities for the Valley to senior levels of government: better electrical power, high speed Internet and cell phone service, highway improvements and natural gas. The forum included the districts of Clearwater and Barriere, Simpcw First Nation and the TNRD and its electoral areas in the Valley.
For the fourth year in a row Clearwater topped the Great Backyard Bird Count standings in Canada. The 354 checklists submitted more than doubled the output of London, Ontario.
Students from Raft River, Barriere and Vavenby traveled to Blue River to participate in the annual cross-country ski races there.
Two groups of RCMP technicians were in Clearwater to learn survival techniques. The course, taught by Ken Matheson, included two days in the classroom and three days in the local mountains.
Most of the public attending a school board meeting were in favor of the District of Clearwater taking over Dutch Lake School. Even those opposed seemed to favor the proposal in general, even if they questioned certain details.
TNRD staff recommended the regional district board support plans by Telus to install three new cellphone towers in the Valley - at Vavenby, Wire Cache and Blue River.
Telus announced plans to construct new cellphone towers at Vavenby, Wire Cache and Blue River. The towers would go up within two or three years, said a company spokesperson. Total cost of the project, which included three towers elsewhere in the TNRD, would be $2.5 million.
District of Clearwater looked at leasing the building occupied by the Community Resource Center and then sub-letting it back to the CRC. However, the CRC still would find it difficult to pay for it, according to a letter from CRC board chair Ron Hadley. The resource center was discussing partnerships/relationships with Thompson Rivers University and Yellowhead Community Services, he said.
Clearwater Peewee Hawks Girls took on five of the best hockey teams in B.C. when they hosted the provincial championships. They didn’t win any games but all their opponents viewed them as serious competitors.
April
M.P. Cathy McLeod promised to keep taxes low, as Canadians got ready to go to the polls to elect a new federal government. Canfor's planned reopening of its Vavenby sawmill was just one example of how the Conservative government's economic plan was working, she said.
Green Party candidate Donovan Cavers challenged the other candidates to produce less than twice the carbon dioxide his campaign did. He planned to cycle from Kamloops to Clearwater for an upcoming all candidates' forum.
A cube van carrying potato chips went off the Highway 5 bridge across the Clearwater River and burst into flames. The driver escaped without serious injury.
District of Clearwater director of finance Scott Coulson gave notice. He was leaving to work with a First Nations band near Port Alberni.
A preliminary economic assessment of the proposed Harper Creek copper mine showed positive results, Yellowhead Mining reported.
Clearwater Shell and Jim's Food Market were named the number one Shell outlet in Canada. "It makes us feel very proud," said manager Jackson Rempel.
The province should stay away from a proposed two-tier campfire prohibition system, said Merlin Blackwell of Blackwell Park Operations. Under the proposal, commercial campsites would be able to allow campfires even if banned elsewhere, but only if expensive gear and trained personnel were available.
Yellowhead Mining appointed former Simpcw Chief Keith Matthew as an advisor to the board of directors. Matthew had been chief for about five years before stepping down the previous December.
A petition to recall MLA Terry Lake was not submitted to Elections BC by the deadline and was declared unsuccessful. A total of 15,299 signatures representing 40 per cent of the registered voters was needed.
Clearwater's new eco-depot should be up and running by October or November, said Peter Hughes, TNRD director of environmental services. Estimated cost of the facility would be $1.5 million. Three full-time jobs would be created.
A large crowd filled the Clearwater Legion Hall for an all candidates' forum organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Times. Questions from the floor included several about health care and health reform.
Elections Canada reversed a decision to eliminate a polling station in Vavenby for the upcoming federal election. "It was a mistake. We'd like to thank the newspaper for asking about it," said a spokesperson.
CSS students would be carving exquisite designs with a new CNC (computer numerical control) router purchased for the woodworking shop with help from Wells Gray Community Forest. "This puts up several years ahead of any other school in the province," said principal Alan Stel. The school also recently received a CNC plasma cutter for the metal shop.
Town council decided that taxes in District of Clearwater would remain much the same as the year before. "It means we won't be able to put so much into reserves, but we hope to find other places to save as well," said Mayor John Harwood.