Economic Demise of the North Shuswap

                A meeting with the North Shuswap Chamber of Commerce, Contractors and businesses  met with myself and the Chief Administrator of the CSRD Charles Hamilton and as well Marcin(in Planning) and Sharen(in planning &  administrative support). 

A somber crowd concerned about the poor state of the economy in the North Shuswap; met at the Scotch Creek Firehall. The businesses and employers are suffering through some of the worst time in memory. Though there are many contributing factors( to the downturn), it was felt that  the CSRD is contributed; in some way, towards the demise of the local economy.    

The impacts that negatively affect the North Shuswap from CSRD where suggested to be; new bylaws without recognition of their impacts to the economy of the region, the lack of enforcement to some of the existing bylaws, lack of science behind the creation of the bylaws, processing of development permits, the lack of flexibility in the Riparian area Regulations, the ability to move applications through the CSRD in a timely manner, the cost of solid waste, consistency with zoning set back rules of buildings and the need to allow Short Term Vacation Rentals in all areas of  the North Shuswap.

 In reaction to these concerns these were some of the answers given: There are changes that are in the process of being made, to improve these impacts but they  have been taking a long time to do; for  various reasons. I think from this meeting there will changes made and as well the thinking will try to better include the impacts of  the economy in the Shuswap(when possible). As well in some cases the CSRD is unable to do anything because we do not have the legislative support from the Federal Government or the Province and in other cases the cost of making these changes is to high; either in monetary value or staff time.

The meeting had great value in the businesses and residents hearing the CSRDs situation in dealing with these problems and as well the CSRD and myself hearing the concerns and solutions from the people.

Hydro future for us

BC Hydro had public meeting in Vernon to ask 5 questions about planning of our electrical future use from the public.

1)      How do you think we should improve our conservancy & efficiency to reduce use of electricity to meet the demands of  power into the future.

2)      What sources of power or a mixture of sources would we use to support the power demands of the future. They are;  Run of the river hydro, Biomass, wind,  Hydro-electric with storage(such as Site C), Natural gas, and Emerging Technologies, such as tidal and wave.  Interestingly Nuclear energy was not included apparently and use of nuclear is Legislated not to be used in BC.

3)      Using other sources of fuel sources to electricity such as cars going from petroleum to electric or switching heating from natural gas to electricity. This is called Electrification and is one of the ways BC plans to support the reduction in greenhouse gases. Produced from the Province.

4)      The need for Transmission corridors and links to carry the power needs of the future; where would they go and how would they be built. The transmission lines take a long time to put in because of the agreements and requirements as well constructing the lines after all those expectations have been answered.

5)      Export market potential – BC sells electricity when it has a short term surplus, it could go further down this trail and be come a net exporter of electricity. Someone brought up the point that this could be a very dangerous road to go down. If we sell electricity as a net exporter, the trade GATT Federal Regulations could tie us into a situation we do not want to be in.

This was a very informative meeting along with the Workbook gives an excellent over view of how electricity is accessed and the options available. It is the first time that BC Hydro has done such a consultative process in BC. Just as well; this is a very important step in the history of BC and we should all respond.  

                To respond by giving feed back;  go to:  http://synosurvey.com/s/bchydro-irp2011/ 
 

                You need information to make your decision; to get the work book (it is 5.6 Mb)  go to: http://www.bchydro.com/planning_regulatory/irp/document_centre/public_consultation.html

                All this information hinges on the fact that there is a need for more power generation and there is another side to this. Normally I would not include the “naysayers” but this report is from UCB, SFU, UNBC and U Vic  are seemingly trustworthy sources. It is long- but the only way I know how to get it out. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorerchrome=truesrcid=0Bx8KIyMwAq0ZTMx N2UwNTMtZTY1Ni00MzViLTg0MGMtZmY3MTkxN2QyMjk3&hl=en

If you go to my blog (http://northshuswapregionaldirector.blogspot.com/) the address will be there and you can copy and paste it on the https bar. 

Citizens On Patrol eyes & Ears

Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.)had a good turnout of about 20-25 people about a ¼ of them came from St Ives who already have their own COP. Troy Beauregard and Jonathan Spooner came from the RCMP to support the start of the North Shuswap COP. The officers made it clear this is not a RCMP program but one of the communities, they are there to support the citizens- not lead them. The RCMP does appreciate the support of the community by being the eyes and ears for the RCMP. There are some good examples of successful COPs in Chase and Salmon Arm. There is also a need for a COP in the Sorrento and Squilax area.

                Generally volunteers when patrolling will go out with a partner have ID cards and could also have jackets and magnetic signs to identify themselves as COP volunteers.  Patrols would generally be on weekends, holidays and centered on areas of potential criminal activity. All volunteers in the COP would need to get a record check. It is a simple procedure of supplying; ID to be photo copied and fill out 2 pieces of documents and bring them to the RCMP station. It would take 2-3 weeks to process.  There is no fingerprinting and follow ups are only if something in the application needs looking deeper into. The time commitment would vary; “as a rule of thumb” if there were 12 people, one would only have to go out once every; 5 weeks.  If there was 30 members than it would then be once every; 10 weeks. The time could be from 11:00 PM to 3 to 4 AM. The high profile of COP is to not only see and report unusual activity but; to let people know you are out there and helping the community be more aware that they  can help prevent crime. There are many examples where COP has made a real difference.

                Starting up needs people and the money end of supporting COP can come from many other sources. The North Shuswap Safety & Police Advisory Committee (The Chair Lynda Sutton and committee has been instrumental in getting COP of the ground) has money to kick start the program. I have funds from the CSRD Grants in Aid that can be made available, businesses have been supportive and would likely provide some funding and as well those residents who cannot volunteer often want show cash donations as support. ICBC does offer some funding opportunities for COP groups that take on the "Speedwatch" or other related activities.There is a volunteer insurance from the Province of BC / RCMP while performing volunteer duties. (not sure of the exact coverage)

                The RCMP support  can be quite extensive for COP, especially as they grow, such as; training programs, speed watch (they have a speed board available), most wanted and stolen car lists (lists can be down loaded and accessible to COP) and insurance coverage and though discouraged. RCMP response time to COP reports could be faster (depending on the crime being reported)not with standing  the importance of what the officers are currently busy at. This is where the COP real shines; it is  the information the COP give to the RCMP; which could bring them out faster or save them time by not coming out to a situation that is not so important. An example was; if there are people yelling at each other the police would not likely come unless they had the time. If they were yelling and being physically abusive or weapons came out; suddenly that becomes a top priority and they would likely come out to that incident. It is all about priorities and time management, for the police.  It was made abundantly clear that COP is just the ears and eyes of the police not to do anything further.  In the situation where over an exuberant COP member gets out of line they can be removed. In one of the officers 15 years of experience with COP- that has only happened once, it is a rare case that this happens at all. The program would have policies and expectations of behaviors of COP
volunteers.  Another spin off of being a COP is that you get to know the RCMP members and creates a more personal relationship.  It creates a trust between the police and the public.

They are our friends not tourists

A Workshop on Creating Market Ready  Experiences for BC Visitors.

  Yesterday was a all day work shop about how to attract more tourism to BC, the Thompson Okanagan area  and then he Shuswap(it was sponsored by TOA, Shuswap Tourism and TRU). It was full there were people from as far away as Clearwater and the southern Okanagan.  They gave a breakdown on tourism trends and understanding the competition that we face bringing in visitors to the Shuswap. They gave steps in market ready planning for the new experimental tourist how to attract and keep them in your area.  As well what are 8 elements of creating a package to bring people to your area.  Who and what is an experiential traveler  (they are the largest growing tourist client)? The experimental traveler wants to interact with the community, it was said that people are more with drawn from nature and connectivity to the earth. These  people want to have that experience, so what we are aiming at is a different tourist- in fact they are not so much a tour-ist as a partner or friend coming to share your experience. 
     There was also the practical side of creating this experience; a pricing package for creating tours for your area. An incredible amount of information for  operators to help them get more experimental visitors to their area and the practicalities of how and why they should, bring people to share their, space. More than I can explain here.The main idea is working together we all win; working together we can find out what each other has and working together we can create a better Shuswap experience and pride for everyone..

Citizens On Patrol Eyes & Ears for Police

The RCMP support  can be quite extensive for COP, especially as they grow, such as; training programs, speed watch (they have a speed board available), most wanted and stolen car lists (lists can be down loaded and accessible to COP) and insurance coverage and though discouraged. RCMP response time to COP reports could be faster (depending on the crime being reported)not with standing  the importance of what the officers are currently busy at. This is where the COP real shines; it is  the information the COP give to the RCMP; which could bring them out faster or save them time by not coming out to a situation that is not so important. An example was; if there are people yelling at each other the police would not likely come unless they had the time. If they were yelling and being physically abusive or weapons came out; suddenly that becomes a top priority and they would likely come out to that incident. It is all about priorities and time management, for the police.  It was made abundantly clear that COP is just the ears and eyes of the police not to do anything further.  In the situation where over an exuberant COP member gets out of line they can be removed. In one of the officers 15 years of experience with COP- that has only happened once, it is a rare case that this happens at all. The policies that the RCMP has for are generally well embraced by COP members.  Another spin off of being a COP is that you get to know the RCMP members and creates a more personal relationship.  It creates a trust between the police and the public.

                There was much discussion on if the whole North Shuswap should be patrolled or just certain areas. These are start up issues and it was decided to iron them out after the North Shuswap COP was formed. The area generally covered would be from Adams River Bridge to St Ives although COP can be flexible to change those boundaries. There was no one there from Adams River or Seymour Arm to put input into if they wanted to be involved.  There have been many requests from residents who are not here all year around and if they can be part of the North Shuswap COP. Much of the policing are done in the summer time and they would be welcomed. Part time participants would also have to get a record check by the RCMP, easy enough to do and it has to be done yearly.

                COP can morph into other community support functions. A very effective method used on other lakes in BC has been giving information about safe boating at public boat launches. What often happens is that boaters; launching their boats would be made aware of the safety issues of driving on the lake. They would be reminded to be safety conscious, sometimes that is all it takes is a reminder;  to save a life. COP could start and be part of a campaign to bring safety back to our lakes. Speaking of boats the RCMP is getting to pick up a new police vessel with the proper capabilities to patrol the Shuswap Lake.  It will go 60 mph, has radar is about 7 meters long has a wheel house and chart /plotting capabilities. It will have much better capabilities with dealing with lake enforcement issues.  

Freeman from Scotch Creek

A judge said he will wait a week before issuing an arrest warrant for a Shuswap "freeman on the land" to ensure the man has been properly served with court documents.Judge Hermann Rohrmoser declined to issue a warrant for the arrest of Nicholas Mitra, a Scotch Creek man who is charged with obstruction of justice stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year.The details of that incident were not put before the court, but it's believed Mitra was stopped after he was seen driving without licence plates on his vehicle. His responses - or lack of them - in the ensuing moments eventually led to the man being charged with obstruction of justice.Prosecutor Sarah Firestone said Mitra was issued a promise to appear in court, but he was seen throwing it in the garbage as he was released from custody.The Crown decided to have Mitra served with new documents indicating when he was to appear in court as there was some question on the first notice about when or where he was to appear.Firestone said Mitra was served with a new summons requiring him to be in court in Kamloops on Thursday. He did not show up, prompting the Crown's request to have Mitra brought forcibly to court in custody.Rohrmoser said he would not issue the arrest warrant immediately, however, as an affidavit proving service of the summons had not been filed. He suggested there was little harm in waiting a week to ensure the man has been properly served with the documents.Firestone told the court Mitra claims to be a "natural person" who questions the authority of the state to summons him to court.Mitra's case will be back in court March 31, when Rohrmoser has said he is prepared to issue the warrant and have him brought into custody.Kamloops' other notable "natural person" is former mayoral candidate Brian Alexander, who similarly believes Canada's laws do not apply him.Alexander subscribes to beliefs touted by the Freemen Association of Canada, a group that says Canadian have been enslaved by government. They also purport to be governed by the "common law," not the Criminal Code or other Canadian legislation, which they describe as "admiralty law."Freemen say they do not consent to be governed by such law, and believe they do not have to pay taxes or engage in many other forms of government bureaucracy, including registering vehicles or obtaining driver's licences.Alexander writes his name as brian-arthur: alexander. It's not known if Mitra writes his name in similar fashion.

Citizens on Patrol Part l

Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.)had a good turn out of about 20-25 people about a ¼ of them came from St Ives who already have their own COP. Troy Beauregard and Jonathan Spooner came from the RCMP to support the start of the North Shuswap COP. The officers made it clear this is not a RCMP program but one of the communities,  they are there to support  the citizens- not lead them. The RCMP does appreciate the support of the community by being the eyes and ears for the RCMP. There are some good examples of successful COPs in Chase and Salmon Arm. There is also a need for a COP in the Sorrento and Squilax area.

                Generally volunteers when patrolling will go out with a partner, have ID cards and could also have jackets and magnetic signs to identify themselves as COP volunteers.  Patrols would generally be on weekends, holidays and centered around areas of potential criminal activity. All volunteers in the COP would need to get a record check. It is a simple procedure of supplying; ID to be photo copied and fill out 2 pieces of documents and bring them to the RCMP station. It would take 2-3 weeks to process.  There is no fingerprinting and follow ups are only if something in the application needs looking deeper into. The time commitment would vary; “as a rule of thumb” if there were 12 people, one would only have to go out once every; 5 weeks.  If there was 30 members than it would than be once every; 10 weeks. The time could be from 11:00 PM to 3 to 4 AM. The high profile of COP is to not only see and report unusual activity but; to let people know you are out there and helping the community be more aware that they  can help prevent crime. There are many examples where COP has made a real difference.

                Starting up needs people and the money end of supporting COP can come from many other  sources. The North Shuswap Safety & Police Advisory Committee (The Chair Lynda Sutton and committee has been instrumental in getting COP of the ground) has money to kick start the program. I have funds from the CSRD Grants In Aid that can be made available, businesses have been supportive and would likely provide some funding and as well those residents who cannot volunteer often want show cash donations as support.  ICBC will support programs if COP wants to take them on, such as preventing people; talking on cell phones and not using seat belts  while driving and If all that fails there could be fund raising programs also to supplement any funds needed for COP.

Back and C.O.P

Hi
  Sorry for the space of  blank time on the BLOG while I was gone. Today is the Citizens on Patrol meeting at 2 PM down at the North Shuswap Community Celista Hall. The North Shuswap Safety & Police Advisory Committee is trying to get interest in having a community crime watch program, to keep our community safer from crime.
    If you cannot make it contact Lynda at:

                On March the 28th is the NS Chamber  meeting at the Creekside Restaurant 7 PM. Agenda includes Medical services, Community signs, mapping sign, Tourism office, Roadside cleanup, website, Christmas dinner and Directory.

March Board meeting highlights for North Shuswap

The CSRD Board Meeting in March we discussed  Independent Power Project (IPPs), Roger Beardmore was shown our appreciation as he was retiring. A Grant In Aid for $3,000 was given to the Skmana Cross Country Club.  First Reading was passed for a Subdivision Bylaw, A Lakes Bylaw ( Buoys & Docks) and a proposed campsite in Magana Bay.

Not Connected

I'm in areas with out internet connection so I will be sporadically connected for the next few days.

Shuswap Poster

I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it.

The bulk of work will be in the Shuswap & Mara Lakes and as well MoE will expand on the present testing that has been done. The testing will include many more things that are not tested for and there will be; coordination with all other agencies such as; IHA, Municipalities and the CSRD. For example; Salmon Arm has been taking samples in the lake but the information has not been interpreted; in this process SLIPP will help with interpretation.  Historic reports of samples will be going as far  back as to 1970 these have suggested suggest that the water quality is good in the lake. The exception is that the Salmon Arm  and Blind Bay have anthropic (man made) nutrient signatures. To date there are minor changes showing increasing nutrients consequently it is a good time to pay more attention to these slight changes.

In China there is a lake that is in a non-recoverable state and it would be very expensive to change to any improvement to the lake at all.  Going into the lake is actually dangerous to your health, apparently. The sediments are so toxic that they say, there is no hope of ever recovering the lake to any health standard. Lake Winnipeg is another lake badly affected by pollutants. Not to say the Shuswap lake is anywhere near this situation but it is proof how lakes can get polluted and to what degree. In 2008 a warning of brown yellow algae came into Shuswap Lake. Two years later in 2010, on Mara Lake another algae came to surface. More monitoring is needed to find out what causes it. In April to May there is a natural process occurs and could also be part of bringing this growth. There is a high amount of oil in these algae, in fact oil companies are trying to use this specific algae family to derive oil from the plant as a source of oil. What a great idea! Turn our lake; into a putrid multicolored slimy cover so we can make oil out of it. Then convert the oil into fuel so we can drive through it. A win-win situation! Swimming, ahh it is over rated that is what swimming pools  are for, anyways. Drinking water!  Why we can buy it from the Americans. Of course I say this tongue and cheek.