EaglE VallEy
NEWS
Fire on former grow site under investigation Page 2
Legion president honoured with Jubilee medal Page 5
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 PM40008236
Vol. 55 No. 21 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Feedback all positive for Summer Stomp By Jessica Klymchuk Eagle Valley News
Sicamous is welcoming the Summer Stomp and Burnout. The Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce and the Stomp committee heard positive feedback at their public forum held May 13. About 30 people attended the town hall meeting to update themselves on the events slated for July 18 to 21. “It was 100 per cent positive feedback from the community,” said Steve Hammer, Summer Stomp events chair. “The community is very accepting and embracing the event with open arms.” The committee and chamber took comments, questions and concerns surrounding the Stomp. Chamber executive director Michelle Wolff said the biggest concern that arose was access to Main Street. Main Street will be closed Friday and Saturday to regular traffic to accommodate the carnival-style Burnout event. Traffic will be restricted to bikes, emergency vehicles and necessary traffic for businesses. “There was a misconception that we were shutting down Main Street for four days; it’s technically just slightly over 48 hours including set-up and tear down,” Wolff said. Security has been hired. Wolff said organizers want people to feel comfortable with leaving their vehicles downtown. There will be paid traffic control on standby to assist volunteers. Shuttles will be running between downtown and the Stomp grounds at the dog park to allow safe movement between events. The events downtown are free to attend. Volunteer sign-up and information for vendors is available online as well as a full list of events for Burnout and Summer Stomp. “Everybody seems very excited about the whole situation, so it’s been very positive,” Wolff said. A related noise bylaw amendment will be presented to Sicamous council tonight during their regular meeting. District staff is recommending council approve the amendment, which would allow bands to play until 2 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, 1:30 a.m. on Friday, July 19, 3 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, and 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 21. The amendment spans a nine-day period covering the event, as well as the time needed for setup and tear-down.
Go deep: Malakwa Learning Academy student Ethan Dunham monitors his experiment, Bug Dive Suit, to see if insects can live underwater when provided oxygen (they did) during the school’s recent science expo. The academy is one of the groups currently using the former Malakwa Elementary facility, which the Columbia Shuswap Regional District is in the process of helping the community acquire as a community centre. Photo by Victoria Rowbottom
CSRD pursuing former Malakwa school
Community centre: Proposal will go to referendum for approval. By Barb Brouwer Eagle Valley News
Malakwa is two steps closer to a permanent community centre. Columbia Shuswap Regional District directors supported recommendations to move forward with the process of acquiring the Malakwa school facility and develop a draft Community Property Acquisition Policy. Area E Rural Sicamous director Rhona Martin says a report prepared by Suda Management was well-done and well-received. “Dave Morris (of Suda)
presented the report and thinks it’s a worthwhile project,” said Martin Friday. “Part of that was putting forward a suggested policy because we don’t have a policy for taking over other people’s agencies.” Following closure of the school by School District #83 in 2010, the Malakwa Community Centre Association leased the building using $150,000 from the electoral area’s Economic Opportunity Fund as seed money – money that will be used up by June. The facility currently houses the Malakwa Learning Academy, Eagle Valley Community Resource Cen-
tre, post office, school and pottery classes, and they just started having drop-in floor hockey for the kids about six weeks ago, says Martin. A number of potential community uses and opportunities were expressed at a meeting with current users of the building: • Expanded student base – currently limited by transportation; • Okanagan Community College – need for community learning programs; • Community garden; • Transportation – link with school busing. Feedback Suda acquired
from the school district officials indicated an appreciation of the facility’s value to the community and the potential for a long-term lease arrangement, although they would rather sell the property. Martin says the next step will be to take the matter to Area E residents in a referendum to be held at the end of September. “We will be going to the public to ask them if they would be willing fund the centre,” she says. “We’ll have to make sure we have accurate information to go out to the public first.”