• Christina Laforge was taken into custody to begin a two-year jail sentence for the death of Troy Charlton.
Laforge, a former Malakwa resident, pleaded guilty in September 2015 to the charge of criminal negligence causing death. Her sentence, delivered on Feb. 1 by Salmon Arm Provincial Court judge Ed de Walle, included a three-year driving prohibition to begin upon the date of her release.
• For the second time in a week, volunteer members of Shuswap Search and Rescue (SAR) were out in the cold of night instead of in their beds. SAR search manager John Schut said the report of two missing sledders in the Sicamous backcountry near Owl Head was received at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26. Fourteen SAR members were assisted by several members of the Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club.
• Salmon Arm’s Cindy Derkaz was elected president of the North Okanagan-Shuswap Federal Liberal Association. Derkaz, who finished second to Mel Arnold in the riding in the October 2015 election, was elected at the association’s annual general meeting.
• Megan Senn and her Karen Quinton received the best of gifts for their upcoming February birthdays.
Quinton said Megan’s leukemia was in full remission. Megan, 16, was diagnosed with leukemia in August. Since then she had been in Vancouver, undergoing treatment at BC Children’s Hospital. Megan’s birthday is Feb. 26 and her mom’s, Karen Quinton, Feb. 11.
• The 25-year-old puzzle of how get the Sicamous channel dredged is one the current district council hopes to solve.
Resident Terry Martin dredged up the dilemma during question period of the recent regular council meeting, asking what the town has invested to date. Mayor Terry Rysz, chief financial officer Kelly Bennett and town manager Evan Parliament each took turns explaining that $100,000 had been set aside in reserve for future works related to dredging, such as consulting services that would help move the district closer to the physical job of dredging the channel.
“So if we had to access that $100,000, we wouldn’t be taxing the residents in 2016 to pay for that because it’s already been set aside,” said Parliament. “But in terms of the big picture, we know what the obstacles are in dredging. It’s a big project, there’s huge environmental questions and concerns. All we’re saying is, we’ve got $100,000 set aside…”
The district dredging issue is Coun. Jeff Mallmes bailiwick. He said been an ongoing discussion in the community for about 25 years, and that he is trying to get some answers relating to feasibility and cost.
• The Shuswap Waterfront Owners Association (SWOA) is preparing a grant application to the Pacific Salmon Foundation to help fund research into the effect docks and beach modifications have on fish habitat.
Armed with a letter of support from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the association sought and got approval for a letter of support from Columbia Shuswap Regional District directors at the Jan. 21 board meeting.
A comprehensive Foreshore Inventory and Mapping project was completed by the CSRD in June 2009 and handed over to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO).
• BC Assessment will have some explaining to do.
Responding to an invite from the District of Sicamous, BC Assessment’s Katrina LeNoury, deputy assessor for the Thompson-Okanagan Region and Blaine Porsnuk will be attending this evening’s district council meeting, beginning at 6 p.m. in council chambers. Their invite was prompted by council’s concern regarding this year’s property assessments and, in particular, the inclusion of commercial water leases including marinas.