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MARCH 3, 2016
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Vol. 65, Issue 43
Growing curling to the corners of the country
Overdose deaths on the rise in EK Interior Health concerned by fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the Kootenays, and a market for illicit drugs that’s “clearly having some success” BARRY COULTER
An increase in overdose deaths is accompanying an increase in availability and type of illicit drugs in southeast B.C. According to Interior Health and ANKORS (Aids Network Outreach & Support Society) recent BC Coroner statistics show there has been a gradual increase in opioid related overdose deaths over the last 24 months across B.C., including communities within Interior Health. In addition, community agencies continue to re-
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Kevin Martin talks of the importance the Grand Slam to places like Cranbrook
T R E VO R C R AW L E Y
sage from Kevin Martin, a Olympic gold medalist in the sport who was in Cranbrook on Tuesday to help generate some buzz for
The Grand Slam of Curling coming to Cranbrook is a big deal. That was the mes-
the tournament. The Grand Slam of Curling circuit is important to the game because of it’s purpose, according to Martin,
which was to provide a competitive outlet to junior curlers. Junior curlers would go up against the old guard — guys
ceive reports about individuals experiencing fatal and non-fatal overdoses. Dr. Trevor Corneil, Medical Health Officer for Interior Health said that with a general increase in the number of overdose deaths, related to illicit drugs, more than 80 per cent of them have an opioid involved or detected post mortem. The majority of overdose symptoms are being reported after using opioid drugs such as OxyContin and heroin.
See OVERDOSE, Page 4
Youth pleads guilty to Laurie school arson RCMP
See MARTIN, Page 5
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TREVOR CRAWLEY PHOTO
Chef Rusty Cox, and his Lemongrass ginger chicken with vegetable soup of The Heidout, is the champion of the 2nd annual Kootenay Granite Stone Soup Challenge. See more, Page 2.
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A Cranbrook youth has pleaded guilty to arson. Early on Nov. 11, 2015., the Cranbrook Fire Department responded to a fire at Laurie Middle School in Cranbrook. Cranbrook RCMP also attended the scene. Arson was suspected as the cause of the fire. An extensive investigation by the Cranbrook RCMP General Investigation Section led to the arrest of a 14-year-old male who was charged with arson. On Monday, Feb. 29, the youth pled guilty in Cranbrook Courts receiving a one year intensive support and supervision order. The Cranbrook RCMP would like to thank members of the public for helping ensure that this case came to a successful conclusion.
like Martin and Glenn Howard — and lose in the play down season — while the winners went on to the big tournaments such as the Tim Horton’s Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. So the Grand Slams, which began with one event in the early 1990s, was created to give those junior curlers a competitive outlet. Now, from one event, the Grand Slams have expanded to seven that get rotated throughout communities in Canada. “From the Grand Slam point of view, getting the young curlers to play a full season … so we still have today, the junior Canadian Championship on or around Christmastime,” Martin said. “So anybody who doesn’t win, the juniors don’t curl after Christmas. So how are they supposed to get any good? “It made no sense to me. How are you going to get any good if you only play half a season? So the Grand Slams started.” In 1998, curling became a medal sport at the Nagano Winter Olympic Games that gave curling a higher worldwide profile which helped attract younger players as well. “Now with the younger ages winning, you’ve got the athletes looking so fit, they’re jacked in both the mens and women’s now, which draws corporate awareness,” Martin said.
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