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Year in Review: A look back at Observer headlines from November 2024

November

With the start the new year, the Salmon Arm Observer is taking this time to share some of the stories that made headlines throughout 2024.

November 

A zoning amendment to support the construction of condos on three adjacent properties by McGuire Lake is proceeding to council. The application is to rezone 631, 651 and 671 8th Ave. NE from R-10 residential to R-5 high-density residential, to construct a multi-family residential development. McGuire Manor Ltd. is named as the owner of the properties, while the agent is Salmon Arm developer Bill Laird. The three properties are designated high-density residential in the official community plan (OCP).

What’s worse than dog poo being left on trails? Bags of dog poo being left on trails, according to the Shuswap Trail Alliance (STA), which called on dog owners to do better for the environment, fellow dog owners and “for the very essence of the outdoor experience we all seek to enjoy.” The issue of dog waste being left on public trails is multifaceted, impacting both the environment and the social aspects of outdoor recreation, explained the STA in a Thursday, Oct. 31, post on social media.

The Shuswap Cardiac Society will soon be opening the doors to its new rehabilitation program – part of the society’s efforts to improve the quality of cardiovascular care in the region. Founded about a year ago by Salmon Arm internal medicine specialist Dr. Laurie Main, the non-profit society’s mission is to provide the Shuswap with “evidence-based, high quality, cardiac care,” using a team of local professionals who are “passionate about improving the community through increasing access to cardiac health-related services, and improving patient experience by increasing patient-oriented care and reducing physician burnout.” Part of that effort is the rehabilitation program, which will be run out of the society’s new space on Alexander Street, by the Salmar Classic Theatre. 

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks could boast having two of the BCHL’s top goaltenders, including Andrew Ballantyne whose efforts in net Friday contributed to a 3-0 shutout versus the Vernon Vipers. On Friday, Nov. 1, the Salmon Arm squad travelled south to face off against the Vipers at Kal Tire Place. Ballantyne stopped 44 shots on net, earning him the game’s first star.

A budget amendment was sought to demolish a home on city property for future road improvements. On the agenda for the Tuesday, Nov. 12 Salmon Arm council meeting was a staff request to reallocate $42,000 in the city’s budget for the demolition of a house at 781 20th Street NE. The city acquired this .5 acre property for future road connectivity and improvement, which requires demolition of the existing 2,462 square-foot residence. 

A Salmon Arm business would not be recouping $4,000 in training costs from a former employee. In a recent decision, the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) dismissed a dispute involving Salmon Arm Building Supply Ltd. (SABS), which operates the city’s RONA, and former employee Cameron Scott Iversen. According to the CRT decision, Iversen, at the start of his employment in May 2023, received crane training and certification to work as a delivery driver. Iversen quit the job after less than three months, and SABS claimed he was “contractually required” to repay the $3,990 training cost. Representing himself, Iversen argued he quit because SABS had breached his employment contract to provide full-time work as a delivery driver.

With hazard trees removed, residents may once again walk the trails of Pileated Woods. The park was reopened for public use Tuesday, Nov. 5. “Hazard tree work in Pileated Woods Park is now complete,” announced the City of Salmon Arm via social media. Located east of 5th Street SE between Auto Road and Old Auto Road, the park had been closed since Aug. 16 after the city had a hazard tree inventory and management plan done by Bartlett Tree Experts. Through the inventory process, 208 trees of six different species were found to have “defects or concerns,” and it was recommended 178 of those trees be removed “due to condition or because (of) their location in relation to other trees to prevent competition or damage to infrastructure.”

Salmon Arm’s Snow and Ice Control policy now includes a trigger point for when snow is to be cleared from sidewalks. Approved by council at its Nov. 12 meeting, the updated policy addresses clearing of specified sidewalks, walkways and stairs will commence when snow accumulation exceeds 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) in depth/trigger point during city Parks Department staff working hours (5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday to Friday). When this accumulation is received outside of Parks work hours, snow clearing will begin at 5 a.m. the following calendar day (weekends included) subject to available equipment and staffing. Furthermore, city roads and parks manager Darin Gerow explained staff will now be able to place appropriate budget requests in operation and maintenance to “allow snow clearing outside of regular working hours for sidewalks, walkways and stairs.”

School District 83 will be transitioning to two Grade 8-12 secondary schools in Salmon Arm. The decision to move to a proposed two-secondary model was made by school trustees at the Tuesday, Nov. 19 board meeting. With this model, J.L Jackson and Salmon Arm secondary schools would transition to Grades 8-12, while Shuswap Middle School would offer Kindergarten to Grade 7. Bastion, Hillcrest and South Broadview schools would also move to K-7.

‘We’re so proud of him.” That was evident as Salmon Arm’s Lana McNeil recounted how her 10-year-old son Jack recently followed in the footsteps of Terry Fox and laced up his sneakers to run in support of cancer research that raised just under $1,300. The initiative has long been a goal of the Bastion Elementary student after seeing friends and family affected by cancer, then learning about Fox really inspired Jack to embark on a run to raise funds for research. Initially he wanted to run from Salmon Arm to Vancouver. Though they admired his ambitious goal, Lana and her husband, Sicamous RCMP Sgt. Murray McNeil, convinced him to scale it back to the more manageable distance of Salmon Arm to Enderby, done over two days.

Salmon Arm’s U11 Silverhawks clinched a gold-medal win over the weekend at a Battle of the Biscuit hockey tournament in Kamloops. Salmon Arm Minor Hockey was well represented by two Silverhawks teams, U11 and U13, at the U11/U13/ U15/U18 Female Recreation event held Nov. 15 to 17. The U11 Silverhawks’ final game versus the Kamloops-Chicon, went to 5-5 in regulation and into overtime, when the Silverhawks won in a shoot out. 

Shuswap residents were reeling from the sudden death of Eagle River Secondary principal Lyle Chapman on Thursday, Nov. 14, with condolences and special memories being shared. Though School District 83 hasn’t released an official statement, the school board took a moment to remember the man who made a big impact with his students. “Lyle was a ray of bright light, and he had a smile that would just make everyone feel good when they came into contact with him,” chair Corryn Grayston said, fighting back tears at the Nov. 19 board meeting. “He was so engaged, and so interested in who you were. He just was an amazing individual.”

A two-vehicle crash closed Highway 1 after a semi truck lost control and blocked the road during the area’s first real snow event of the season. On Saturday, Nov. 16, at 5 p.m., Sicamous RCMP responded to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 1 near Cambie-Solsqua Road where a westbound semi truck had jackknifed in the winter storm conditions. “The semi went into the eastbound ditch shearing off a hydro pole and leaving the trailer blocking both lanes of the highway,” Sgt. Murray McNeil said in a media release. An oncoming SUV was unable to stop in time and hit the trailer that was blocking both lanes of the highway, causing “extensive damage” to the vehicle, though no injuries were reported.



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