100 Mile House
Health foundation fundraising project underway
Diabetic runner collecting cash for Rio marathon
Bluegrass concert toe-tapping good time
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APRIL 4, 2012
• 48 Pages • Two Sections
$1.34 includes HST
Fingers crossed: Junior B hockey may become a reality soon Ken Alexander Free Press
While there are still a lot of hoops to jump through, the 100 Mile House Wranglers Junior B Hockey Club is much closer to acquiring a team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Club president Tom Bachynski says it’s a big step, but “there’s still a lot of little steps to go before somebody shakes our hand.” He notes the club has put in an application for the relocation of the Revelstoke Grizzlies. There is a sale and relocation fee that the league demands, he says, adding the local club has sent that in. “But there’s still a lot of bricks that have to go together before everything is in place.” Noting they have been working to put something together for some time, and while there is an agreement, Bachynski says there is also a number of things that have to be completed. Not the least of which will be getting
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the league governors to approve the relocation at its May 6 board meeting. “We’re thinking this is going to be a fairly simple procedure, but you never know. It’s taken us [15 months] to get to this point; we’re a whole lot closer and able to announce the team we’re working with, but we’re still not 100 per cent in the league.” The club president adds he hopes they may be able to talk to the board in a week or two to see if they move forward a little more quickly. “Now that it’s exposed it’s the Revelstoke Grizzlies we’re acquiring, there’s really no reverse gear for Revelstoke. If they don’t approve us, which I see no reasons that they wouldn’t, the team would have to go dormant for a year.” That would cause a severe financial impact on the ownership, he adds, as well as a severe impact on the league. If all goes as hoped, the local club would pick up the assets of the Revelstoke franchise and have the rights to the players, as well as the opportunity to take over the contracts of the coaches. If 100 Mile gets the franchise, the Wranglers would be in the Shuswap division with Kamloops, Chase, Sicamous and Armstrong. See WRANGLERS… page A4
Heather Nelson photo
Hansen’s medal of memories... Recent Citizen of the Year and Medal Bearer Eleanor Nicoll, centre, participated of The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay in 100 Mile House on March 27-28. Acute Service Manger Deb Runge, left, and fellow registered nurse Annmarie Brown congratulated Nicoll after she completed her leg of the relay at 100 Mile District General Hospital.
Mixed budget bag cuts pensions Carole Rooney Free Press
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government’s budget announced last week has garnered disappointment from seniors’ advocates, criticism from the Opposition, while others have praised the Tories’ pension reform. Moving the eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67 years beginning in 10 years is being denounced by some who are concerned too many seniors live in poverty now, as well as those who believe baby boom-
Cathy McLeod ers deserve to reap the rewards of their nationbuilding labour. British Columbia
Old Age Pensioners Organization regional director Henry Hall says Canada’s pensions are too meagre already to make future seniors work two years longer. The Lac la Hache senior adds he agrees with the Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of BC (COSCO) in its expressing “profound disappointment” in the Tories’ postponement of the OAS eligibility. “Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is trying to save two years’ costs of retirement, so he can cut his deficit.” According to COSCO, Canada spends far
less on pensions than the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. “There was nothing wrong with the system as it works. The amount they pay is not very much if it’s compared to the rest of the nations in OECD.” However, KamloopsThompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says the reform is necessary to make OAS sustainable for the growing population of seniors and the number of working people expected to drop from four to just two per retiree. See BUDGET… page A6