• A Ukrainian wom-an who immigrated to Salmon Arm in 2017 has been fundraising and helping families affected by the war in her home country.
Lena Emmerzael moved to the Shuswap prior to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, both of which have affected her ability to travel home in recent years. Emmerzael didn’t expect such big events to create isolation from her family, friends and home country, and she wants to help those who are stuck in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. Emmerzael said she’s in touch daily with loved ones in her hometown of Zaporizhzhya, and has been collecting donations of money, clothing and anything people need.
• A program aimed to provide needed skilled labour through immigration is beginning to benefit the Shuswap. In October 2022, Community Futures announced the federal government’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) program would be expanding to include Salmon Arm, Sicamous and other Shuswap communities. According to Community Futures Shuswap RNIP coordinator Jenny Kucy, eight candidates have already been recommended through the program to employers in the region.
• B.C.’s move to decriminalize possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs does not extend to the school ground. On Jan. 30, the provincial government and Health Canada announced that after Jan. 31, possession of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA for personal use would no longer be a criminal offence. After the announcement, School District 83 issued its own media release to make it clear that the exemption does not apply to youth ages 18 and under, or to K-12 school premises.
• The Scotch Creek Refuse Transfer Station facilitates all kinds of waste management services. The Share Shack is the place for everything that gets brought to the station that still has life left in it. Pilinka Wiseman worked at the transfer station last summer and said she was dubbed the ‘Fisher Woman’ within two weeks, as she was known for diving into the garbage bins and finding things that could be another person’s treasure. “I would do constant loops to check the garbage bins, see if there was anything worth moving to the Share Shack instead,” said Wiseman. “I ran myself ragged on a mission to save the planet, averaging about 12 to 15 kilometres a day just walking the yard.”
• Marty Gibbons wants to make sure Eagle Bay residents have their say on a zoning application for a proposed development he calls a “game changer” for the area. At its Jan. 19 meeting, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) board gave first reading to a zoning amendment bylaw that would create a comprehensive development zone for property at 5193 Ivy Rd. The amendment would permit a 72-lot subdivision with 67 residential lots of a minimum parcel size of one acre.
• Ranchero/Deep Creek Fire Department responded to a fire at a vacant building off Highway 97B. The building at 5827 Mellor Frontage Rd., formerly home to the restaurant Thai on the Fly, was unoccupied at the time of the fire, said Ranchero/Deep Creek fire chief Marvin Gros. The call came in around 1:15 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 7, as Gros confirmed the building was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.