February
• Frank Block has been the voice of many things. His vocal talents have been employed to promote everything from restaurants to canoes. The Tappen voice actor has narrated more than 450 audiobooks about vast array of topics including music instruction, history and health and wellness to biographies about Terry Fox, Chief Dan George, Tommy Douglas and Donald Trump, to name a few. Salmon Arm residents may be more familiar with Block’s voice from Salmon Arm Silverbacks home games, for which he shares public address announcing duties with Myron Crown. Block got into the profession through hockey. Not by playing, but by doing public address announcing for his son’s minor hockey team in Alberta.
• Residents of a Shuswap community are breathing a sigh of relief after receiving news BC Timber Sales (BCTS) had
backed down on proposed cutblocks in the Bastion Creek watershed. “Cheerfully received good news was announced this week for a group of Salmon Arm citizens who lobbied against a specific logging operation in the Bastion Creek community watershed due to the high risk it presented to residents and homes in the area” said Catherine Spanevello, spokesperson for residents of the Totem Pole Resort strata, referring to the decision by BCTS to not allow logging of three cutblocks.
• A community service group is ready to roll thanks to financial support through gaming grant funding and the Shuswap Community Foundation. On Friday, Jan. 28,
Sherrelle Anderson and Launa Payne, with the Rise Up Indigenous Wellness Society, picked up a van from Salmon Arm’s Braby Motors. The van was needed by the non-profit society, which focuses on supporting Indigenous children, families and youth through holistic landbased programming “Our programming includes providing opportunities for young people and their families to connect with teachings on the land, this often requires transporting people to sites,” said Payne, Rise Up’s executive director. “Rise Up also requires transportation for delivering food to families.”
• The
Chase Health Centre has a new X-ray machine. According to a Feb. 2 Interior Health (IH) media release, the new machine and accompanying health centre upgrades cost $620,000. The machine began serving patients on Jan. 31. The money also paid for a renovated radiology room and an electrical upgrade to the building.
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ShuswapYear in Review
