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Vol. 70, Issue 58
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East Hill back in the news with solar facility debate TRE VOR CR AWLEY
Cranbrook city council grappled with a zoning referral from regional government concerning a parcel of land that
has been the subject of controversy in the past. The Regional District of East Kootenay gave the city a heads up on a proposed zoning
change to a 2,700 hectare plot of land to the east of Cranbrook municipal boundaries. The proposed change would add a
definition of ‘Solar Energy Facility’ to the existing RR-60, Rural Resource zone to allow the use of new definition, should the owners of
the parcel wish to set up such a facility. According to city council documents, the applicants do not have a specific project in mind
but believe that the nature of any solar development project is unobtrusive and environmentally safe. City staff recom-
mended that the city’s interests are unaffected by the proposed change, something that councillor Norma Blissett took issue with. “Right now, that area is all forested, so you would have to remove all the tree cover of an area larger than all of Cranbrook right now,” Blissett said. “That’s massive, and that does affect us, that’s our viewscape, so we couldn’t say we’re unaffected.”
See EAST HILL, Page 3
Bicycles needed for iRide program BARRY COULTER
was they had said during the campaign to $29.4 billion, and that’s without actually fulfilling a number of campaign promises that they had made,” Stetski continued.
iRide organizers are looking for children’s sized bicycles to use for the iRide School program. The plans are proceeding to introduce an innovative cycling instruction program for youth into area schools is proceeding apace — at least six schools in Cranbrook are participating as well as a couple in Kimberley, and a two-day coaching certification session is scheduled for next week.
See MP, Page 5
See iRIDE, Page 5
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
The Cranbrook Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Store has more than 3,000 square feet of new flooring, thanks to a great and willing community effort. A simple job to replace the old carpet turned into a massive project when asbestos was discovered under and in the tiles beneath the carpet, but numerous volunteers and businesses pitched in, and now the Thrift Store has brand new linoleum flooring and is asbestos free. The store — which last year generated more than $420,000 for the East Kootenay Regional Hospital — hosted the public at a grand re-opening Tuesday, March 22. Pictured left to right: Melanie Dodgson (volunteer), Boonie Close (CHCA President), and volunteers Lorette Ament, Theresa Thibeault and Kathy Simon.
Stetski reacts to Liberal budget TREVOR CRAWLEY
Kootenay-Columbia MP Wayne Stetski is taking a waitand-see approach to the federal budget unveiled on Tuesday. “I think this is the way to look at government budgets,
is that in six months from now, people need to ask themselves if they are better off prior to this budget,” Stetski said. “Are they worse off or has there been no change in their day-to-day lives, other than we now have an addi-
tional almost 30 billion debt. “I think that’s the way we need to be looking at government budgets all the time.” Stetski referenced the Liberal’s projected deficit, projected at $29.4 billion—a monumental shift from their
campaign promise of a $10 billion deficit, as the party advocated turning on the spending taps to fund infrastructure projects across the country. “Interesting that the deficit went from $10 billion, which
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