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coldstreamer@shaw.ca******* Issues related to the District of Coldstream, local government issues, political commentary, local area photos,oddities in the news etc....
Friday, April 23, 2010
Selected articles -- Morning Star, April 23, 2010.
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Some important issues from Wednesday's NORD meeting.
Two important issues surfaced at Wednesday's NORD meeting: the status of the Duteau Creek reservoir and the progress of the Duteau Creek water treatment plan.
Staff reported that reservoir levels are at an all time low: as of April 19 water volume in the Duteau Creek reservoir was 2,500 acre feet (about 3,100,000 cubic meters). Previous low registered at 4,700 acre feet (about 5.8 million cu. meter). The situation is desperate at present. So, prepare your plants for the bad news. Stage three watering restriction are likely to proceed immediately and a number of drought emergency measures will be instituted.
Reporting on the Duteau Creek treatment plant we are told that it is about 80% complete and appears to be within budget. The bad news is: it is three months behind schedule. So far $22.3 million were paid out to the contractor.
Staff reported that reservoir levels are at an all time low: as of April 19 water volume in the Duteau Creek reservoir was 2,500 acre feet (about 3,100,000 cubic meters). Previous low registered at 4,700 acre feet (about 5.8 million cu. meter). The situation is desperate at present. So, prepare your plants for the bad news. Stage three watering restriction are likely to proceed immediately and a number of drought emergency measures will be instituted.
Reporting on the Duteau Creek treatment plant we are told that it is about 80% complete and appears to be within budget. The bad news is: it is three months behind schedule. So far $22.3 million were paid out to the contractor.
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Free cxomputer monitor.
Anyone interested in a 16 inch Samsung analogue computer monitor should drop me an email to coldstreamer@shaw.ca. First come first serve! I'll post it if it's taken.
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Pollution -- Kalamalka Lake.
Randy Schellenberg will make a presentation to Coldstream Council at their next Council meeting on April 26. All interested residents are invited to hear Randy's presentation. To review his brief summary please click on the picture below.
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Some Upcoming Stop HST Petition SIGNING LOCATIONS
- 107-5301 25th Avenue, VernonTue, 04/20/2010 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
- 4803 Pleasant Valley Road, Vernon, BC V1B 3L7Tue, 04/20/2010 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
- 3310 37th Avenue, VernonTue, 04/20/2010 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
- 3417 30th Street, Vernon, BCTue, 04/20/2010 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
- 3101 Highway 6 Vernon, BC V1T 9H6Tue, 04/20/2010 - 2:00pm - 6:00pm
- 4803 Pleasant Valley Road, Vernon, BC V1B 3L7Tue, 04/20/2010 - 2:00pm - 6:00pm
- 2306 Highway 6, Vernon, BCThu, 04/22/2010 - 11:00am - 5:00pm
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
Readers write -- Lost paradise?
In a hundred years or less, anthropologists may be studying the impact of drought and restricted water on the cultural life of this region.
It is almost unthinkable that this oasis might be a paradise lost. Water has been an essential ingredient to a way of life most believed to be secure.
Water made it possible to introduce a historical first for the Okanagan: fruit production on the Coldstream Ranch. Countless retirees moved to this valley with the modest dream that they might enjoy a small orchard, vineyard or a beautiful flower garden.
There are many websites devoted to water and its cultural impact. UNESCO has one that addresses global issues. The link I have attached is from the United States. It documents the many ways drought impacts society. It foreshadows what may be our fate. We need to seriously question the true cost of unsustainable growth on what we value.
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=droughtimpactreports
It is almost unthinkable that this oasis might be a paradise lost. Water has been an essential ingredient to a way of life most believed to be secure.
Water made it possible to introduce a historical first for the Okanagan: fruit production on the Coldstream Ranch. Countless retirees moved to this valley with the modest dream that they might enjoy a small orchard, vineyard or a beautiful flower garden.
There are many websites devoted to water and its cultural impact. UNESCO has one that addresses global issues. The link I have attached is from the United States. It documents the many ways drought impacts society. It foreshadows what may be our fate. We need to seriously question the true cost of unsustainable growth on what we value.
http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=droughtimpactreports
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Let's play a game! -- Crack shack or mansion?
Check your knowledge of the real estate values! Click here.
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Decision on massive B.C. hydro project could be near -- The Canadian Press
A map of the proposed location for the Site C dam in northeastern B.C. A map of the proposed location for the Site C dam in northeastern B.C. (Courtesy of BC Hydro)
The province is about to announce a decision on the decades-old proposal to build a massive hydroelectric-generating dam, known as Site C, in northeastern B.C., says Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom.
Lekstrom won't say exactly when the government plans to announce the decision, but suggests it will be soon because the province has promised to deliver a decision in spring 2010.
The Site C megaproject near Fort St. John would cost an estimated $6 billion, but would produce enough electricity to power 460,000 homes.
Heralded by some as B.C.'s energy saviour since the 1970s, the project has been reviled by environmentalists and farmers because of the amount of land it would flood.
"The key issue is that we're going to live up to the commitment that we made. One way or the other we're going to make a determination to either proceed or not proceed," said Lekstrom.
If the government decides to move ahead, the proposed project will undergo environmental assessments and consultations with local First Nations, area residents and governments, he said.
"Ultimately, it will be government's decision to proceed or not proceed to the next stage."
Site C would be the third hydroelectric dam on the Peace River, joining the W.A.C. Bennett and Peace Canyon dams.
Crown-owned BC Hydro says the proposed dam would be located about seven kilometres southwest of Fort St. John on the Peace River.
Site C, providing about 900 megawatts of power, would create an 83-kilometre long reservoir and flood more than 5,340 hectares of land in the Peace River Valley.
Renewable energy vs. vast reservoir
BC Hydro says the dam would create clean, renewable energy while emitting minimal greenhouse gases.
But people, buildings and roadways will have to be moved and wildlife and farmlands will be lost.
Matt Horne, of the Pembina Institute, said he expects environmental groups and some area First Nations to voice strong concerns about any decision to move ahead with Site C.
Environmental groups are concerned that the government appears to be considering huge projects on an individual basis rather than looking at developments and their potential environmental impacts on a more province-wide basis, Horne said.
"It would be concerning to see the province move ahead, or continue moving ahead with the project, without any meaningful decision-making process about the types and scale of projects we're pursuing," he said.
BC Hydro has said the project would undergo a number of reviews and assessments before it could proceed.
"Should the provincial government decide to continue pursuing Site C, the project would be subject to provincial and federal regulatory review including comprehensive environmental assessment and permitting processes," said a report on the corporation's website.
"Effects on the environment include flooding and water flow impacts on fish, wildlife and agricultural land, local air quality impacts and construction impacts," said the Hydro website. Read more!
The province is about to announce a decision on the decades-old proposal to build a massive hydroelectric-generating dam, known as Site C, in northeastern B.C., says Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom.
Lekstrom won't say exactly when the government plans to announce the decision, but suggests it will be soon because the province has promised to deliver a decision in spring 2010.
The Site C megaproject near Fort St. John would cost an estimated $6 billion, but would produce enough electricity to power 460,000 homes.
Heralded by some as B.C.'s energy saviour since the 1970s, the project has been reviled by environmentalists and farmers because of the amount of land it would flood.
"The key issue is that we're going to live up to the commitment that we made. One way or the other we're going to make a determination to either proceed or not proceed," said Lekstrom.
If the government decides to move ahead, the proposed project will undergo environmental assessments and consultations with local First Nations, area residents and governments, he said.
"Ultimately, it will be government's decision to proceed or not proceed to the next stage."
Site C would be the third hydroelectric dam on the Peace River, joining the W.A.C. Bennett and Peace Canyon dams.
Crown-owned BC Hydro says the proposed dam would be located about seven kilometres southwest of Fort St. John on the Peace River.
Site C, providing about 900 megawatts of power, would create an 83-kilometre long reservoir and flood more than 5,340 hectares of land in the Peace River Valley.
Renewable energy vs. vast reservoir
BC Hydro says the dam would create clean, renewable energy while emitting minimal greenhouse gases.
But people, buildings and roadways will have to be moved and wildlife and farmlands will be lost.
Matt Horne, of the Pembina Institute, said he expects environmental groups and some area First Nations to voice strong concerns about any decision to move ahead with Site C.
Environmental groups are concerned that the government appears to be considering huge projects on an individual basis rather than looking at developments and their potential environmental impacts on a more province-wide basis, Horne said.
"It would be concerning to see the province move ahead, or continue moving ahead with the project, without any meaningful decision-making process about the types and scale of projects we're pursuing," he said.
BC Hydro has said the project would undergo a number of reviews and assessments before it could proceed.
"Should the provincial government decide to continue pursuing Site C, the project would be subject to provincial and federal regulatory review including comprehensive environmental assessment and permitting processes," said a report on the corporation's website.
"Effects on the environment include flooding and water flow impacts on fish, wildlife and agricultural land, local air quality impacts and construction impacts," said the Hydro website. Read more!
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Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Public Forum “Redirecting Progress”
- Immediate PRESS RELEASE –
April 13, 2010
The rapid pace of climate change is forcing governments around the world to take action.
Professor Kenneth Carlaw of UBC Okanagan is helping them formulate plans to mitigate the worst calamities of food shortage, drought, inundation, migration, pandemics. “Those of us working on the ‘Climate Justice Project’ believe the preponderance of climate science, which demonstrates that today’s rapid change in climate is fueled by our unprecedented emission of post industrial greenhouse gases. The majority of GHG results from burning fossil fuels. That means we must de-carbonize future industrial production & consumer consumption”, professor Carlaw told an audience in Armstrong attending a Public Forum, Sunday, on ‘The Economy & Towns in Transition’.
BC’s industrial output is based on resource extracting industries, transportation & manufacturing that emit high amounts of GHG. Reducing BC’s carbon footprint will require technological change in these industries. Government must also create policies to encourage value-added products that can be shipped with less bulk, shorter distances for both export & domestic consumption, professor Carlaw explained.
“Responding to climate change could produce more ‘green jobs’; jobs that provide decent, well paying, creative work with social benefits, while minimizing GHG emissions”, he said. “The boom-to-bust cycle of many BC communities is unhealthy for workers’ families, bad for the environment, & not sustainable. Governments need to plan for long term growth in a future low carbon economy”. How we produce energy & whether it is owned by the public, individual homeowners or private industry will have an important impact on future wellbeing.
Consumers ultimately have the power to drive industry toward carbon neutral production & distribution systems. By demanding high quality, locally produced goods with a reduced carbon footprint, professor Carlaw believes consumers can lead the transition to green jobs & sustainable living. This may mean “Less is best” or “Growth is OK”. The point is; “Consumer choices matter”.
While change is difficult, professor Carlaw warns that personal & industrial habits must adapt quickly to avoid the worst effects of climate change. “Humans love to solve problems. Engineers, scientists, construction workers, nurses, etc are trained to solve problems. But governments need to set policies that facilitate change in coherent & meaningful ways. They need to decide what sectors of the economy should grow & how to make it happen”.
Professor Carlaw spoke Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Armstrong, following The Annual General Meeting of the Okanagan-Shuswap Green Party.
CONTACT: Greig Crockett; 250-260-5877; clhull@telus.net
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Selected articles -- Morning Star, April 14, 2010.
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OSOYOOS LAKE NOTICE OF DROUGHT YEAR OPERATION
The U.S. National Weather Service’s April 1, 2010 forecast for volume of flow in the Similkameen River at Nighthawk, Washington, for April through July 2010 is 865,000 acre-feet. This forecast meets the criteria for a drought-year declaration for Osoyoos Lake as specified in Conditions 8a of the International Joint Commission Order of Approval dated December 9, 1982. Between April 1, 2010, and October 31, 2010, the State of Washington is required to maintain Osoyoos Lake at a level between a minimum of 910.5 feet USCGS (U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey), and a maximum of 913.0 feet USCGS. This drought declaration will be rescinded before October 31 if hydrologic conditions change such that none of the drought criteria specified in Condition 8 continue to be met.
International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control
April 8, 2010
For additional information contact:
In Canada: Mr. Daniel Millar, (604) 664-9345
In the United States: Mr. Robert Kimbrough, (253) 552-1608
http://www.ijc.org/
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
First contract for Grid Road approved.
Eight tenders have been received for the first phase construction of the Grid Road on the west side of Coldstream. Council has reviewed the bids and awarded the contract to CGL Contracting of Vernon. Information relating to the bidding are presented below.
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Selected articles -- Morning Star, April 11, 2010.
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Council Meeting, April 12, 2010
REGULAR MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM
TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010
IN THE COLDSTREAM MUNICIPAL HALL
9901 KALAMALKA ROAD, COLDSTREAM, BC
5:00 PM
A G E N D A
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OF THE DISTRICT OF COLDSTREAM
TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010
IN THE COLDSTREAM MUNICIPAL HALL
9901 KALAMALKA ROAD, COLDSTREAM, BC
5:00 PM
A G E N D A
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Sunday, April 11, 2010
HST Petition Locations in Vernon
You can sign the anti-HST petition at the following locations:
| http://www.danthorburn.com/locations Schubert Centre 3505 30th Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 2E6 | Larry Hareuther | Google Map | |
| KT's Family Restaurant Vernon 3127 30th Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 2C4 | Matt Lennox | Google Map | |
| Walmart Vernon 2200 58 Avenue, Vernon, BC V1T 9T2 | Matt Lennox | Google Map | (250) 558-0425 |
Photo gallery - Kal Park spring! Courtesy: Debbie Gibson.
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Friday, April 9, 2010
B.C.'s solicitor general resigns - By BOB MACKIN, QMI Agency
VANCOUVER -- British Columbia's top cop says he is quitting because the RCMP is investigating alleged campaign financing irregularities.
Kash Heed said in a written statement that he was informed March 24 that the RCMP was investigating his successful 2009 campaign in the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview. Heed said he informed Premier Gordon Campbell on March
26 of the investigation and learned Tuesday that the RCMP wanted to interview him.
Heed retained a lawyer on Wednesday "out of abundance of caution" and claims he did no wrong.
A special prosecutor has been hired to investigate.
"The appropriate action is to step aside pending the outcome of this investigation," Heed said.
A replacement has not been named.
Heed is in his first term in provincial politics after a 30-year policing career.
The former Vancouver Police deputy chief was hired as West Vancouver Police chief in 2007. He quit in 2009 to run for the B.C. Liberals on a law and order platform in a riding vacated by attorney-general Wally Oppal.
Ex-B.C. Supreme Court judge Oppal was parachuted into the South Delta riding but narrowly lost a recount to independent Vicki Huntington.
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For further info visit Cash Heed.
Kash Heed said in a written statement that he was informed March 24 that the RCMP was investigating his successful 2009 campaign in the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview. Heed said he informed Premier Gordon Campbell on March
26 of the investigation and learned Tuesday that the RCMP wanted to interview him.
Heed retained a lawyer on Wednesday "out of abundance of caution" and claims he did no wrong.
A special prosecutor has been hired to investigate.
"The appropriate action is to step aside pending the outcome of this investigation," Heed said.
A replacement has not been named.
Heed is in his first term in provincial politics after a 30-year policing career.
The former Vancouver Police deputy chief was hired as West Vancouver Police chief in 2007. He quit in 2009 to run for the B.C. Liberals on a law and order platform in a riding vacated by attorney-general Wally Oppal.
Ex-B.C. Supreme Court judge Oppal was parachuted into the South Delta riding but narrowly lost a recount to independent Vicki Huntington.
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For further info visit Cash Heed.
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NORD to create Environmental Committee.
At the April 7th NORD meeting Directors agreed to set up an Environmental Committee. The decision was made in response to presentations by Randy Schellenberg and Trina Koch.
Trina’s excellent presentation can accessed by clicking on Trina.
Trina’s excellent presentation can accessed by clicking on Trina.
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We must protect our rights and freedom! (Photo courtesy of D. Gibson) Click on eagle to watch EAGLECAMS
About Me
- Coldstreamer
- I have been a resident of Coldstream since 1976. I have had 15 years of experience on Council, 3 years as Mayor. As a current Councillor I am working to achieve fair water and sewer rates and to ensure that taxpayers get fair treatment. The current direction regarding water supply is unsustainable and I am doing all I can to get the most cost effective water supply possible.