TUESDAY
S I N C E
APRIL 23, 2013
1 8 9 5 Iannone MVP for Italy
Vol. 118, Issue 63
105
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Page 11
INCLUDING G.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Cuts to LCIC funding proposed
DAY AT THE RACES
BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
ART HARRISON PHOTO
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from throughout the region gathered at the Waneta Plaza on Saturday for the annual Kub Kar Rally. See story and photos on Page 2
Economic development in Greater Trail has been thrown a curve ball. In a mandated service review of the Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation (LCIC) on April 16, the East End Services (EES) committee, recommended to withdraw funding after its threeyear contract ends in December. “This came as a total surprise,” said Mike Martin, chair of the Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society (LCCDTS). “It is really unexpected to go from three years of full support and funding, to receiving notification that the East End has recommended discontinuing the service.” The LCIC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the LCCDTS, and was created in 2010 to provide economic development services within the lower Columbia region; and to serve as the “first place of call” as opportunities develop. The regional district, in particular the EES, committed to funding the LCCDTS $224,000 per year as flow-through funding for the LCIC until the review, at which time the board could decide if it was desirable to continue with the partnership. Before the axe officially descends on the Trailbased enterprise, the EES recommendations will be presented to the full board at the regional district’s meeting in Grand Forks on Thursday. See FINAL, Page 3
All Candidates Forum slated for Cominco Gym BY ART HARRISON Times Staff
Candidates to represent the Kootenay West riding will be participating in a trio of All Candidates Forum at the beginning of May. The Trail forum, hosted by the Trail and District Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the Cominco Gym on May 6. Other forums will take place in Castlegar on May 7 and Rossland on May 8. With less than a week before the close of the nomination period on Friday, the Kootenay West race continues to have only three contenders – incumbent Katrine Conroy of the NDP, BC Liberals nominee Jim Postnikoff and independent candidate Joe Hughes.
Neither the Green Party nor the BC Conservative Party have managed to produce riding candidates to run in the May 14 provincial general election. The Greens, although fielding candidates in 56 ridings around the province, still appear to be struggling to find a likely challenger to the NDP incumbent and have no regional party coordinator for the Kootenay Columbia region. The Conservatives, similarly, are running candidates in 55 provincial ridings without producing anyone to run in Kootenay West. “There's still a few more days before the nomination period closes on the 26th and there are still candidates being discussed in Kootenay West,” said BC Green Party communications co-director, Nathalie
Down. “We are continuing to consider candidates in all ridings where we haven't got one, with the exception of ridings with Independent MLA's because we support diversity of parties in the house.”
Calls to the BC Conservative Party media contact were not returned. The party did nominate nine more candidates in ridings across B.C. to give them a total 55 candidates in the province's 85 ridings.
Absentee voting under way in Trail BY TIMES STAFF The official election date is still weeks away and the nomination period doesn't end until Friday, but voters can cast their ballot now if they choose. Absentee voting is open for the Kootenay West riding at 1398
McQuarrie St. in East Trail from Monday to Saturday. Don Vinish, the Kootenay West district electoral officer, said B.C. residents were able to vote the day writ was dropped on Tuesday. “We've had a few people in already,” he said.
Vinish explained the office allows people, who might be away on election day or when the advanced voting begins, to cast their ballot. “It's open to anyone from B.C.,” he said. Even if the voter is from outside the riding, See VOTERS, Page 3
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