TUESDAY
S I N C E
MARCH 18, 2014
1 8 9 5
Vol. 119, Issue 43
105
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INCLUDING G.S.T.
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Warfield withdraws from recreation deal BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
Looks like followthe-leader is the name of the game in Greater Trail now that Warfield will not be renewing its five-year recreation and library services agreement with the City of Trail. The decision to no longer cost share with the city under the Trail Resident Program (TRP) was made during an in-camera council meeting last week, which means Trail taxpayers are now on the hook to cover the loss of Warfield’s $74,500 contribution towards recreation and $32,500 annual payment toward library services. “This is very disappointing news,” said Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs in a Monday news release. “Negotiations and discussions with Warfield were seemingly proceeding
very well up until the city was advised of this decision,” he explained. “Therefore we were quite shocked to hear the village decided not to renew the agreement.” The news of Warfield council’s decision blindsided Virginia Clover, a long time village resident who keeps fit at the Trail Aquatic and Leisure Centre, avidly plays pickleball in Trail facilities, and regularly visits the Trail and District Public Library. “I am heart sick,” Clover told the Trail Times. “Once again I see this as another grievous blow to community participation after so many years of cooperation between Trail and Warfield.” The retired teacher wrote a letter to Warfield council stating her belief that the village should not “go the way of the other
dissident councils in the area,” by withdrawing from cost sharing in recreation and cultural services. “I am very disappointed that I did not receive a response from council,” said Clover. “The fact that this decision was made in camera appears sneaky and opaque and leaves people in our community feeling betrayed.” The village “went over a couple of offers,” said Warfield Mayor Bert Crockett. “We noticed that all the other areas are looking at costing so we have got to make sure we get the right costs for our citizens,” he said. Since 2009, the village has been paying between $71,000 and $75,000 per year to the city for Warfield users to access Trail recreational facilities, and to See REFUND, Page 3
TRAIL REGIONAL AIRPORT
City works through audit BY VALERIE ROSSI Times Staff
The City of Trail and its new airport manager are working diligently at developing a corrective action plan in response to findings just released from a Transport Canada audit. The audit, better known as a Process Validation Inspection (PVI), found that the Trail Regional Airport is not in compliance in three “moderate” cases and one “major” finding. Among these, the report concludes the need of renewing an expired offset approach surface agreement; that a recent runway construction project was not done to compliance and that training and daily
practices and procedures were not being recorded. “It really does take somebody on site everyday to know the nuances of the airport, to know what training requirements are and to document those and ensure that everybody has the proper tools to do their jobs,” said new airport manager Don Goulard. He doesn’t want to take away from the volunteers who’ve kept the airport running smoothly but he expects that in future he can make sure staff is filling out required paperwork that validates what has been agreed upon in the airport’s operations manual. See CITY, Page 3
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
Seniors at Columbia View Lodge have been dancing their troubles away for an hour every Wednesday evening since last fall, when John Orr and dancing partner Hanne Smith (background) introduced dancing sessions that encourage participation on two feet, with the help of a walker or from the security of a wheelchair.
Sessions get seniors dancing BY SHERI REGNIER
she thought it would be a great idea to come up here.” A group of dancers is using Orr is a familiar face in passion for the ballroom Trail’s volunteer community, by encouraging seniors at having spent countless hours Columbia View Lodge to cha- coaching kids on the soccer cha-cha their way into fitness field and running in the Silver every Wednesday. City Day marathons and Terry The energetic Fox Run every fall. sessions began in Two years “We used to love September when ago, he decided the music and it dance enthusiast to switch out his feels good John Orr, a retired white sneakers Teck pipe fitter, for a pair of black to dance.” approached the ballroom shoes TED WILTSHIRE facility’s recreation and brought his therapist with an enthusiasm for offer to cut-a-rug with residents rhythmic step to the communfor an hour each week. ity’s seniors after completing “Once I reached the inter- lessons under the tutelage of mediate level of ballroom, I Louis Martinelli, a Castlegar wanted to start teaching people dance teacher. with a handicap,” said Orr, in “I said I’d come up to his thick Glaswegian accent. Columbia View for a month “After I had an interview with and give it a try,” he explained. Margot (Wright, rec therapist), “Now, as you can see, we can’t Times Staff
stop it.” What began as a small gathering in the lodge’s common room with Orr and dance partner Hanne Smith leading the way, has grown into more than 30 avid seniors ready to jive on two feet or with the assistance of a four-wheeled walker, or by tapping toes from the safety of a wheelchair. For Ted Wiltshire, an 88-year resident at the lodge, Wednesday evenings evoke happy memories of a time when he and his wife would “nightclub it in the valley.” These days, Wiltshire is confined to a wheelchair, but that doesn’t deter the longtime Rosslander from having a good time because he can move his feet to the music, sway his arms to the tunes, and dance from his chair when Smith floats by. See FITNESS, Page 10
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242
More time to shop! Sidewalk sale is on now... Just in time for Spring break
Late Night Shopping
Thurs. & Fri. to 9pm Free kids playroom and ball pit
www.wanetaplaza.com
5 min. east of Trail on Hwy 3B
Canada Post, Contract number 42068012