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Your Source for 44 Back to School Supplies n 12
Thursd a y , Se p tem b er 1 0 , 2015
Pizza & pasta
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Feast and Fest - Page 12 GHOSTRIDERS
Regular season starts this week - Page 20 SPARWOOD
For the sixth year in a row, dirt bike jumpers competed in the Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam at the dirt jump park behind the Fernie Aquatic Centre. Due to Saturday’s rain, the event was postponed to Sunday afternoon and evening. For more on this story turn to page 19. Photo by L. Scheitel
Invasive mussels are a potential harm to B.C. lakes
Eyes in the Forest Page 14
ELKO
By Leah Scheitel Free Press Staff
T
Construction of new fire hall - Page 2
he East Kootenay Invasive Plant Council (EKIPC) wants to warn people about the dangers of transporting invasive aquatic life into East Kootenay waterways. Zebra and quagga mussels can be detrimental to a local
OurHarvest
area, as they can colonize on multiple types of surfaces. Boats, docks, dams and beaches can all be populated with the mussels, which have been known to clog water treatment facilities and dams. Todd Larsen is the program manager for the EKIPC and says that none have been found in the area
yet, but there is a push to keep them out of B.C. “In Canada, the closest they are is in Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. And then in the U.S., they are in California, Arizona and New Mexico,” said Larsen. “We are fortunate that there are other states and provinces between us that are also looking for them
Saturday Sept 19th
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from being introduced. But B.C. is now stepping up with provincial inspection stations with regional committees that are raising awareness and changing behaviours so people aren’t spreading mussels as well as aquatic plants from lake to lake.” The invasive mussels are transported from lake
to lake by sticking to the bottom of boats, which has huge environmental and economic impacts for invaded areas. “Just because they reproduce so rapidly – the same individual will produce millions of eggs – they will colonize anywhere that they can,” said Larsen. Continued on page 2
Sunday Sept 20th
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featuring a locally grown feast prepared by Chef Barrie Elliot @ Community EcoGarden
biggest veggie contests miniature ponies cake walk & pie auction demonstrations harvest farmers market potato sack races
Tickets at Wildsight Office & wildsight.ca
10am-4pm @ Prentice Park