You are presumed to be honest and responsible without evidence to the contrary beyond a reasonable doubt… on the balance of probablilties you are justified by 51 % likelyhood.
Aboriginal Title and the future of British Columbia, October 29th 3 pm to 5 PM:
The NVIT visiting speakers series has three guest speakers coming for a panel discussion on Aboriginal title. Dr. Rosan Danesh, Ba ,LLb, SJD is a lawyer and does conflict resolution, Douglas S. White BA, ID and former chief of the Suneymuxw First Nations near Nanaimo BC, is a graduate of the faculty of law of the University of Victoria, Matthew S. Pasco B.Administration MBA a citizen of the Nlaka’pamux Nation and a member of the Oregon Jack Creek band near Ashcroft BC.
The panel discussion will explore the meaning of the recent Supreme court decision giving title to a BC Band and some of the broader implications for First Nations,Crown governments, industry and individuals:
NVIT is at 4155 Belshaw avenue in Merritt BC , Canada.
Today in history: October 29th 1960
Cassius Clay ( later Mohammed Ali ) wins his first professional prize fight.
One of 8 volumes of the environmental assessment. for the Lower Mainland 500 KV line. Hard copy at Public library. Photo KDG
BC hydro has published notice that it will be doing fall winter burning of wood debris material along its new 500 KV line to the Lower Mainland, they say the work is “weather dependant” and contractors will be instructed to not burn unless the venting index is “good”.
The 247 kilometer line is still under construction and is meant to bring more electric power to the lower mainland and Vancouver Island. Merritt British Columbia is also having a cogeneration green wood waste incinerator worth hundreds of millions of dollars being built to join to the power grid.
Today in history: October 24th 1980
The government of Poland makes the Solidarity Trade Union legal.
On November 8th at 6 PM the Merritt Public Library is having a meet the author and a remembrance by the Merritt Community choir by the way of a singing of ‘ “it’s a long long way to Tipperary”
Please pre-register top the Library at 250-378-4737.
This will be one hundred years since the out break of the conflict that would end all conflicts. November 11th will be the 96th year since the signing of the armistice in the same railcar that once operated on the famed Orient express. The same car that the French were made to surrender Paris in two decades later, and then destroyed when it was in jeopardy of falling into allied hands. Today in history: October 22 2008
India launch’s its first lunar rocket probe Cyahndriann 1
Trans Mountain pipeline the operator for Kinder Morgan and its pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby BC has a proposal for a twinning of the line. the line will bring tar snads crude to an ocean port facility.They operate existing lines in Provincal parks, and this fall intend to submit an application for a temporary relaxation of Park ruiles while construction occurs.
Trans Mountain Pipeline has submitted a draft Stage 2 Boundary Adjustment Detailed Proposal to the Province of BC for review. If approved, the Boundary Adjustment would result in the removal of land required for the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion right-of-way (RoW) from the provincial park or protected area for the period of construction and until restoration is complete. If the lands required for the Project are removed from the Finn Creek, North Thompson River and Bridal Veil Provincial Parks, the Ministry of Environment may seek government approval to establish those lands as a protected area under the Environment and Land Use Act to allow the Minister of Environment to continue to manage those areas.
Following completion of Project construction, the lands removed from the parks through the boundary adjustment may be returned to park or protected area status with operations authorized under a park use permit.
Four BC parks and protected areas are addressed in Trans Mountain’s Boundary Adjustment Application. BC Parks will review the application and make a decision about each location separately. Public comments are an important consideration for BC Parks in considering any boundary amendment proposal. Detailed information and maps for each location are available below.
Trans Mountain Pipeline intends to submit an application in the fall of 2014 for a resources use permit (RUP) to authorize the construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion through Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area. The RUP application will include a similar degree of assessment as the four parks and protected areas.
If approved, implementation of the temporary boundary adjustment and RUP will be subject to the National Energy Board’s approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.
The existing Trans Mountain pipeline traverses an additional three provincial parks that are NOT impacted by the proposed Trans Mountain Expansion Project. These parks are Coldwater River Provincial Park, Coquihalla River Provincial Park and Rearguard Falls Provincial Park.
The RUP application has a local effect on users of the Coquihalla highway, and visitor s to Merritt BC Canada, open comments are closed with BC parks , comments to your local MLA are always relevant at any time.
BC Parks operations are considerably less stringent then a national park, like the one proposed for the South Okanagan Similkimeen. http://action.sumofus.org/a/bc-parks-open-oil-gas-mining/?sub=fb
SOSnationalpark.com
Doreen Collins spoke to the Nicola Naturalists Thursday the 16th and outlined the need to get the province back on board for the National park proposal,” the MLA is blocking support do to a hunters lobby”. The SOS brochure outlines a phasing out of hunting, ATVs and industrial activities such as minerals and oil.
The Nicola Naturalists are a four year old Non profit, president Alan Burger U vic.
You do the math!
Today in history: October 21st 2013
Record smog levels closes public facilities in Harbin China.
Speaking to a local CO this week we became aware that it is a busy time for the conservation office office. ” hunting season is full on we are busy said a local officer. When asked if court time takes up a lot of his time he replied that not himself but others in the office time is taken up by it. “I will prosecute minor ticketed offences myself serious cases are referred to crown council” Is there a motion for confiscation of sporting equipment? If its evidence it can wind up in a punitive forfeit said the officer.
Merritt is in region 3 Thompson it is always good advice to follow the published regulations. Today in History: October 16th 1997
The Cassini probe is on its way to Saturn
Dr. Don McLeod local patron of the arts and owner of many ex public buildings including the old public library now the Culture club on Granite avenue is inviting people to come and hear his talk on what he got from a dinner with Stephen Hawkings.
The evening at the Culture Club starts at 7 PM on October 16th and will have a recounting of the conversation including black holes, creation of the universe discussed last month.
The Merritt Culture Club is the home of the local say so society ant is at 2058 Granite avenue in Merritt BC Canada.
Say So Expression Society: Come read poetry, sing a song, or speak your mind at the Say So Expression Society! $20 for a year’s membership. For more info call (250) 315-5673
Doctor Mcleods talk on thursday is a free, public service , talk FCFS.
Today in history: October 14th 1947
The speed of sound is broken for the first time by Chuck Yeager in the Bell X 1 rocket powered aircraft.
Royal Astronomical Society, Okanagan observatory. The Astronomical society has a free observatory open Friday’s on the way to Big White ski resort outside Kelowna. they report that they started with a long term lease for a dollar and have put 300 thousand more to convert the old gravel pit into a viewing platform. At a recent presentaion in Merritt, they showed an interested crowd the heavens from the local Public Library parking lot. The equipment they have on site is more powerful and they offer it free on Fridays. http://www.okanaganobservatory.ca/
The Okanagan Observatory hosts free public observing nights every Friday. The Okanagan Observatory is exactly 4 kms up Big White Rd from Hwy 33. That makes it only 35 kms from Rutland Rd. We will be pointing out the Milky Way and constellations with special astronomical laser pointers as we tour the night sky. Club members will have their telescopes on hand and be using the observatory 25 inch telescope to show off celestial wonders such as the Moon, planets, comets, dying stars, stellar nurseries, globular clusters, open clusters and galaxies.
Today in history: October 10th 1967 The outer space treaty come into effect after being signed by over 60 countries.
The Merritt public library is having Al Horne give his presentation on Alexander the Great again this fall. The talks will be on Thursdays at 6 PM October 30th , November 6 & 13th.
In an interview with Al he said that he would be going over some of the tactics of the ancients in war, including getting out of the way of elephants. Al always provides a context to his particular lecture and often brings it to relevance of the present.
Registration is required at the desk in the public library.
Today in history: October 9th 1999
The last flight of the SR71
The local Naturalists had there AGM on September 18th, they reported 63 members after its 4th Year of operation. they have a schedule of monthly meetings in the non summer part of what they do. Speakers included Bruce Archibald ( Fossils of the BC interior),Richard Doucette, ( mine reclamation) Barbara Pryce ( nature conservancy of Canada) and they reported others. The group had outings over the year including the Christmas bird count, Spius Creek Hatchery, and many frogging outings. They had two nature presentation in elementary schools by members. They report their website as having 5 50 visits on average per month, http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/ .They report a healthy balance sheet with a three fold increase in income over last year to $14,119.11 after paying $11,259.62 in expenses they had a net income of 2,859.49. The club has a balance of $6,936.02 in cash and $4,310.26 in assets, with outstanding liabilities of 75 dollars in cheques to clear, and 1500 dollars in liability to BC nature. they report 15 dollars in petty cash reserve. Directors for 2014/15: Alan Burger Norm Hanson D. Kerridge Anne Pang Chris Lepsol Margret Carlson
The next meeting is on October 16th 2014 with Doreen Olson on the Similkameen Natural park proposal, the presentation starts at 7:00 in the NVIT Lecture Theater
Today in history, October 8th 1904 The Canadian City of Edmonton Alberta is incorporated.
The local fire men were in front of the downtown community policing office with an information table on Monday. They were promoting National Fire Prevention week. One of the fire fighters when asked about a national statistic said that 50 percent of people who die in fires did not have a smoke detector. He said that people should have them and make sure they are in working condition.The young man thought that the average live of a smoke detector is 10 years; ” they don”t always chirp when that batteries are low” he cautioned.
The man in response to the question are fires in beds and couches are caused by smoking he replied< "they are down as less people smoke" National Fire Protection Week is coordinated between Canada and the US and always occurs in the week that October 9th is in. this year it is October 5th through 11th, however it should never end.
Today in history: October 7th 1987
Jeremy Brockie, New Zealand , footballer born
Every fall there is a sports car rally in the Nicola Valley,The Pacific Forest Rally is the 4th stop on the national tour and is on October 3rd and 4th this year.Tenty eight competitors are featured in the rally guide and will compete for place and time beginning in a ceremonial start at 5:30 PM on Friday October 3rd, on Granite avenue downtown Merritt.
The rally has an offical charity, The Abilitas Foundation.
Best vantage points:
Lily lake, night special,815-830 PM, Friday October 3rd.
Today in History:October 3rd 1955
The Mickey Mouse club has its debut.