Clearwater RCMP will soon be advertising for a second corporal, Mayor John Harwood reported during a town council meeting held March 4.
The present corporal is in charge of the Traffic Services (highway patrol) unit within the detachment. A sergeant is in overall command.
In addition, a police officer to replace a constable who is leaving has already been chosen.
Harwood said there has been discussion with Thompson Headwaters TNRD director Willow MacDonald about improved enforcement for Blue River.
Re-opening a detachment there would not be practical, he said. Experience has shown that at least three members are needed to make a detachment viable.
Although the members of the Clearwater detachment make an effort to provide coverage to the whole valley, sometimes an incident in Blue River is over by the time a RCMP officer from Clearwater arrives.
Councillor Gord Heisterman said the municipality should bring in a ticketing bylaw so the RCMP can help in enforcing the existing bylaws.
At present, the District can impose a fine if a person is violating, for example, the noise bylaw. However, there is no simple mechanism to collect the fine.
Local residents supporting eco-depot
Clearwater's eco-depot is one of the most heavily used in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, Mayor John Harwood reported.
The facility averages 6.8 users per hour in the summer and 4.8 in the winter.
The level of recycling in the community is also high, he said.
The TNRD's solid waste management committee is reviewing the hours of operation and number of transfer stations, the mayor said.
Some members of the solid waste management committee seem only to speak for their respective areas.
However, when some transfer stations have only one customer per week, it is difficult to justify keeping them open.
Solid waste management is one of the most expensive items on the regional district's budget, he noted.
Harwood said he was recently re-appointed to the solid waste management committee.
New facade
Councillor Jon Kreke congratulated the Clearwater Dollar Store for embarking on a facelift to its building.
The facade will have a heritage western theme, similar to that of the Interior Whitewater building, he said.
More Skills Canada medals
Clearwater Secondary School student Taylor Rhodes won a gold medal at a recent Skills Canada competition, said councillor Shelley Sims, Justin Sutherland brought home a bronze.
Mantracker excitement
Plans by North Thompson Riders Association to hold a Mantracker event this summer are moving ahead, chief administrative officer Leslie Groulx reported to town council.
“They are very, very stoked,” she said, after meeting with club members the previous week.
About 10 six-person teams are expected to participate.
Special guest for the event will be Terry Grant, the original star of the TV series “Mantracker”.
Grant will conduct one or more clinics to teach tracking, she said, but is not expected to actually compete.
Vicci Weller of the Thompson-Nicola Film Commission and local videographer Ken Matheson will work together to produce a film of the event.
The first annual Wells Gray Mantracker Invitational will take place at Nakiska Ranch, July 25 – 27.