March
The Lakeshore News merged with Shuswap Market News, providing an enhanced Shuswap Market News, featuring the best of Lakeshore News including the popular Break Time, Any Time feature. The last issue of Lakeshore News is published on March 17. Lakeshore News publisher Jeff Morrison joined the Observer/Market News sales team as a senior advisor.
Adams Lake band takes steps toward a by-election but Chief Paul Michel said the band’s situation is ‘precarious’ because, without a quorum, the timeline of budget approval would be in jeopardy. Three band councillors were removed from office in October after a community panel of the band responded to a petition contending they had breeched their oat of office.
A hotel tax was approved for the region. The City of Salmon Arm in collaboration with the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society, was notified that its application to introduce a two per cent Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) was approved by the provincial government.
Members of the Shuswap Beachwalkers were determined to make the public aware that beaches below the high-water line is crown land and therefore should be accessible to everyone, not just waterfront property owners. Dan McKerracher, a Shuswap Beachwalker member, led a beach walk on February 18 to bring attention to the matter.
The Salmon Arm Silverbacks had no shortage of momentum heading into the playoffs as they ended their regular season with a five-game winning streak. However, they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Trail Smoke Eaters.
Despite an undefeated run through the round robin and playoffs, Salmon Arm Team Jenkins lost their final game of the BC Seniors Curling Championships on February 26.
After hundreds of high school wrestlers competed their hardest at the BC High School Provincials at the Shaw Centre, four Salmon Arm wrestlers mounted the podium for their weight classes: Rohan Kafle, Shyanne Matthys, Carrie Fromme, and Elijah Lazar.
A Tappen man who was convicted of an impaired driving charge in 2011 that resulted in his young daughter’s death faced more criminal charges from an incident in Nelson. According to a press release, Conan Lee Taylor, 34, took off when an officer directed him to stop and asked for his license.
A $25,000 donation from Shuswap Rotary pushed the Montebello Museum fundraising over the top of the $1.5 million mark. Another $250,000 to $300,000 is needed to complete phase one of the biggest land development campaign ever launched by the Salmon Arm Museum and Heritage Association at R.J. Haney Heritage Village.
The Hit 2 Hit fundraiser was a knockout as local boxers duked it out to promote fitness and fundraising. Altogether $15,000 was raised for local charities. Salmon Arm Mayor Nancy Cooper took on Bulldogs Boxing coach Peggy Maerz, and the Salmon Arm Observer’s Jim Elliot duked it out with Wade Stewart of Ian Gray’s Salmon Arm GM.
Ron Essex was presented with a Public Safety Lifetime Volunteer Award by Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo for his long-time service through amateur radio. After earning his Basic Qualification in Amateur Radio in 1993, Essex joined the Shuswap Amateur Radio Club (SARC) and the Salmon Arm Seniors Radio Club. He was part of every emergency for which the clubs have provided communications since that time.
Kaedan Roseman, 11, wins a $5,000 award for his poem, The Meaning of Home, in the Genworth Canada Support for Habitat for Humanity contest. The $5,000 went to Habitat for Humanity and he received an iPod and a pizza party for his class at Shuswap Middle School.
As one local hockey was beginning to feel forgotten during her battle with cancer, a team of young players stepped in to lift her spirits. One evening cars packed with members of the Peewee Tier 3 Silvertips arrived bringing gift baskets and a Silvertips jersey pinned with numerous gift certificates for Laura Phillips who was diagnosed with colon cancer. The treatments left her exhausted and sometimes feeling depressed.
“We were just in awe, all of a sudden one car pulls up and then another and another one and another one…” said Laura’s husband, Jeff. “We were expecting them but we didn’t know if there was going to be two or 30.”
Council approved the demolition of Orchard House and offered a delay of 60 days in order to give interested parties an opportunity to move the building to a private location.
March Video