SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
67
-
ISSUE
NO.
49
•
S U M M E R L A N D,
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
B.C.
• T H U R S D AY,
DECEMBER
4,
2014
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Taking office
Members of the newly elected Summerland council took the oath of office on Monday evening.
Page 3
Dramatic talent
Health campaign
A fundraising campaign will purchase beds for the surgical department at the Penticton Regional Hospital.
Page 6
Holiday lights
Hockey action
The Summerland Steam are in second place in their division in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Page 16
YOUR SMILE Cross-country skiing is a great sport — if you live in a small country.
PA G E S
•
$1.15
by John Arendt
Page 2
Page 15
20
Trout Creek homes affected by spike following heavy snowfall
Summerlanders are involved in the dramatic production of a well-loved story by C.S. Lewis.
For one Summerland couple, the festive season is also a time to set up an elaborate light display.
Power surge causes damage •
A visit from St. Nick
John Arendt Summerland Review
Santa made an appearance at the 27th annual Festival of Lights on Nov. 28. The annual celebration, which marks the start to the festive season in Summerland, drew thousands to the downtown area for an evening of lights and music. See additional pictures on Pages 12 and 13.
Police to set up annual road checks Penalties high for impaired drivers by John Arendt Police will set up set up their seasonal road checks beginning this weekend as they watch for tipsy motorists. The road checks will begin on Dec. 5 as part of a national Counter Attack campaign. Cst. Jacques Lefebvre of the Summerland RCMP detachment said the penalties for impaired
driving are significant. Under the province’s Immediate Roadside Prohibition program, a motorist who blows a Warn level of .05 to .08 will receive a 24-hour suspension for the first offence. For subsequent offences, the penalties are three, seven or 30 days. Those who blow a Fail, or a level higher than .08, will face a 90-day license suspension. In addition, the vehicle is impounded for 30 days. The impound is in
place whether the vehicle belongs to the motorist or someone else. In addition to the inconvenience of a license suspension, there are financial penalties. Lefebvre said the cost of recovering a licence can be as high as $6,000. A motorist recovering his or her license after a 90-day prohibition must take a driving course, pay for the cost and installation of an ignition interlock program and pay other penalties of up to $1,500.
Trout Creek residents lost furnaces and appliances as a result of a power surge last week. A heavy snowfall overnight on Nov. 25 to 26 led to the power surge. The snowfall also resulted in downed trees and power outages elsewhere in Summerland. “It’s affected hundreds of homes,” said Devon van der Meulen, manager of utilities for the municipality. “It’s still a little early to determine the full extent of the damage.” Van der Meulen said municipal crews responded to numerous power outages, with the first call at 1 a.m. In addition to the outages, power surges did damage to some of the electrical meters, as well as to computers, appliances and electrical equipment. Mary Trainer, who lives on Miller Street in Trout Creek, said many of her neighbours lost appliances or experienced damages from a power surge on Nov. 26. The surge occurred between 8:30 and 9 o’clock that morning. Trainer said all except one of the houses on her street were affected, as well as at least five others
INCLUDING
GST
in the area. In one new house on Dale Avenue, all appliances were destroyed. In another house, on Kirk Street, the heat pump was lost. Trainer’s house was built in 2008 and had a power surge protector included in the construction. “That was fried, but it did its job,” Trainer said, adding that her furnace and appliances were not damaged. Christine Micallef, a Trout Creek resident, said she estimates $20,000 in damages in her home. Her furnace and major appliances were damaged after the power surge. She is now working to determine if the appliances can be repaired. Van der Meulen said power outages do not normally result in the surges which occurred last week. Don Darling, director of engineering and public works for the municipality, said the power spike was confined to an area of around 200 homes in the Giant’s Head area and Trout Creek area. The homes all receive electrical power from one power line. Of the homes in the area, around 50 sustained damages resulting from the power surge. Municipal staff are working to determine what happened to cause the power surge.