Fire Update, Friday July 10

Update #9

Baynes Lake Fire (N10269)

·         Update: This fire is 100% contained.  Crews are continuing to mop up hot spots. The Southeast Fire Centre is no longer considering this as a “Fire of Note”.  Unless a significant change occurs, there will be no further updates on this fire.

·         Forecast:  The forecast is calling for the chance of thunderstorms this afternoon with possible gusty winds of up to 60 km/hr. There may be limited precipitation in some areas.  More active thunderstorms are forecast for the weekend which may bring more significant showers.  Fire Danger is rated as “High”.

·         Alerts and Orders:

o    None.  All alerts and orders have been rescinded.

Spillimacheen Fire

·         Size: 54 hectares - no growth.

·         Location:  The fire is burning next to the Highway north of Spillimacheen.

·         Update:  This fire is classified as 100% contained.  Because of the proximity to the highway, BC Wildfire Service crews will be continuing to reinforce the containment until they are 100% confident the containment will hold.

·         Resources:  31 firefighters

·         Alerts and Orders:

o    An Evacuation ALERT remains in place for the area south of the RDEK Boundary, east of Columbia River south to Westside Road in Spillimacheen.

Other

Wildfires can impact backcountry recreation, resulting in area closures or restrictions. Campers and provincial park visitors should check with BC Parks for fire restrictions and closures.  Recreation site and trail users should check with Recreation Sites and Trails BC before making plans.  Please share this information with your neighbours.

·         A Province-wide fire ban remains in effect.

·         If you spot smoke, flames or an unattended campfire, Call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on your cell.

·         NEXT UPDATE: Saturday, July 11/15 early evening (unless there is a significant change)

Tracy Van de Wiel, Information Officer

250-489-9677

Heritage Awards move to Heritage Week

HERITAGE BC AWARDS

The Heritage BC Awards will now take place during Heritage Week

The Heritage BC Awards are moving. Shifting from our annual conference in October we have shifted our popular Awards Program to become part of Heritage Week in February 2016.

The Heritage BC Awards Program recognizes achievement by individuals, associations, businesses, and governments in the field of heritage conservation and awareness. We celebrate the stories and images about award-winning conservation projects, advocacy & planning initiatives, interesting books and the dedicated people who bring heritage alive.

We are very much looking forward to the awards becoming part of the annual Heritage Week offerings. Nominations will open this fall. Keep an eye on our social media for announcements!

Six Feet of Snow

Cranbrook Courier, Jan 6 1965

Click to enlarge

Accessibility grant benefits Kelowna but Cranbrook’s much larger grant sits idle

KELOWNA, BC, April 10, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development, and the Honourable Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna–Lake Country, today announced improved access for Canadians with disabilities to programs and services in their community.

The Starbright Children's Development Centre is receiving just over $3,000 from the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) to improve accessibility for Canadians with disabilities. The funding will be used to install electric door mechanisms at two of the Centre's main entrances to improve access to the building in a safe way.

Cranbrook had the opportunity to improve accessibility to Firehall No 1 with a $50,000 grant obtained by the Cranbrook and District Arts Council in the fall of 2014, for that purpose.  Cranbrook City Council’s decision to sell the Firehall means those dollars will very soon need to be returned to the government unused.  Meanwhile the Firehall sits empty with no improvements having been made since the asbestos was removed in 2014 under the Memorandum of Understanding that was part of the Arts Council Agreement.

Local Election Expense Limit Recommendations, Report Released

http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/40thParl/session-4/leel/reports/PDF/Rpt-LEEL-40-4-FinalReport-2015-JUN-26.pdf

In October 2014, the Legislative Assembly appointed an all-party Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits with a two-part mandate: first, to examine and make recommendations on principles for local election expense limits; and, second, to examine and make recommendations by June 12, 2015 on expense limit amounts for candidates and third party advertisers. The Committee issued its first report on December 15, 2014, recommending that the principles of fairness, neutrality, transparency and accountability inform the development of legislation on expense limits for candidates, elector organizations, and third party advertisers. The Committee also recommended that third party advertising be included in an expense limits framework, with an overarching, cumulative limit as exists in provincial elections. The Committee’s report was presented to the Legislative Assembly on February 11, 2015.

To read the entire document, go to the link above.

What's Happening........

Saturday July 11th

Cranbrook Farmer's Market

Tenth Avenue South
9:00 am- 1:00pm

Fort Steele

This Saturday (July 11^th at 1:30) is the Grand Opening of the McVittie House and Land Surveying Office at Fort Steele.

This project has been ongoing since 1992 and has been a joint project between the Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors,

Fort Steele Heritage Town and The Friends of Fort Steele.  All are welcome.  

Monday July 13

Cranbrook Council Meeting
6:00pm Council Chambers
Open to the public

Ongoing to July 31st

Cranbrook and District Arts Council Gallery

presents

Abstracts and Eccentrics Exhibit

Register now for CDAC's Summer Art Camp Programs

250-426-4223

Summer Sounds

Every Wednesday 6:00-8:00pmand Saturday 11:00am -2;00pm

Rotary Park Cranbrook

Schedule - see side bar

Past and Recent History of Residential Schools and Reconciliation

More background:

http://activehistory.ca/papers/history-papers-13/

Residential Schools and Reconciliation

By Dr. J.R. Miller
“Reconciliation” is a word that has gained great currency of late. It has been frequently used in discussions surrounding the Idle No More movement during the winter of 2012-13. But the term has a longer history in discussions in Canada concerning Native-newcomer relations. Notably, Chief Justice Antonio Lamer in the Supreme Court of Canada’s rulings in both the Van der Peet and Delgamuukw cases in 1996-97 made the point that the purpose of Section 35 of the constitution adopted in 1982 was “the reconciliation of the pre-existence of aboriginal societies with the sovereignty of the Crown.” That conception of the place of reconciliation in Canadian life is also relevant to the topic of residential schools and their legacy.

Although the history of government-First Nations relations contains many policies for which reconciliation is necessary, none is more significant than the residential schools that four Christian churches ran on behalf of the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA). In general, DIA policies from the 1880s until at least the 1960s interfered with First Nations’ culture and practices in the area of governance, land tenure, spiritual observances, and economic development. Although some of these measures had unforeseen and unintended positive effects – such, as stimulating resistance to colonialism among First Nations leaders – collectively their overall impact was decidedly negative. Their net effect was to reinforce the idea that the majority of the Canadian population did not respect or value Indigenous ways and beliefs. Residential schools similarly delivered the message that non-Natives did not think highly of their society to First Nations youths, and accompanied the denigrating view with widespread neglect, abuse, and substandard pedagogy. Historically, residential schools have been the worst of a phalanx of government policies that damaged First Nations society and created the conditions that make reconciliation a pressing national necessity in twenty-first-century Canada.

For the full article go to the link above.

Fritillary on Maltese Cross

Evacuation Alert Rescinded

Fire Update July 7, pm

Good afternoon everyone.  Here is the update.  They are making good progress on things.

With the potential for gusting winds this afternoon, we will be watching the weather closely.

Loree

Baynes Lake Fire (N10269)

·        Update: Fire is now classified as being 75% contained and is mapped at 117 hectares.  The burn off yesterday on the southwest corner of the fire went well and helped created a containment line. They are focusing on the southeast corner of the fire today.  The Rocky Mountain Unit Crew that has been on the fire is getting relieved by a Sustained Action Crew that has been brought in from Ontario.

·        Forecast:  The forecast is calling for the chance of a thunderstorm system to cross the area. If that system materializes, it could have gusting NW winds of 60 km/hr.  There may be limited precipitation (showers) with that system.

·        Resources:  47 firefighters, 4 pieces of heavy equipment, helicopters and tankers as needed today. 

·        Alerts and Orders:

o   Evacuation ALERT - Baynes Lake, Kragmont and South:  An evacuation ALERT remains in place for Baynes Lake and the area previously under Order (the area south of 1347 Waldo Road, including the community of Kragmont and an area south of the river). 

Spillimacheen Fire

·        Size: 54 hectares - no growth.

·        Location:  Classified as 30% contained. It is burning in an area next to the Highway north of Spillimacheen.  It continues to be active on the north side. They are continuing to work on increasing containment.

·        Resources:  43 firefighters, 5 heavy equipment and aerial support. The RDEK’s Windermere Fire Department Structural Protection Unit has protected two homes close to the blaze.

·        Alerts and Orders:

o   Evacuation ORDER:  An evacuation ORDER remains in place for one home north of Spillimacheen.

o   Evacuation ALERT: An alert is in place for the area south of the RDEK Boundary, east of Columbia River south to Westside Road in Spillimacheen.

Other

·        A Province-wide fire ban remains in effect.

·        Next update: Wednesday, July 8/15 mid-afternoon (unless there is a significant change)

Loree

250.919.3489