Social Activism | The Proprietor Review

Category: Social Activism

Eclectic population

Filed under: Enterprize, Environment, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment

April 7, 2015

1917 diploma from NVGH , Nurse training
Photo KDG

The calendar has brought to light a number of items from history in the Nicola Valley, 100 year anniversaries of the drill hall, and the center piece of the the town ” the Coldwater Hotel” indicate a great effort by a small population. The approximate 700 people of Merritt at the twentieth century produced a lot of “golden age ” construction on the coin of three coal mines but may have often suffered from a sense of abandonment from time to time with the draw of events like World War 1 .

An accounting of 2000 men working on the Kettle Valley Rail Way, resulting after construction in a local Doctor becoming an engineer,brakeman and passenger may be a personality quirk of those that wanted a future here or real abandonment. One of the signatures of the local doctors on the nurses qualification went on to be the local MLA after antics like ” riding a boxcar” down from the Kettle Valley as a mode of transportation.

At this writing a electric co gen plant is under construction on in the area of the ruins of ” Merritt Light and Power” a progressive project of the people of the era at the turn of the twentieth century as well. That activity certainly suffered from abandonment more then once in its completion. According to John Chase, a local official the present plant is a huge partnership with two other similar projects in BC, (one at Fort Saint John). They are too big to suffer abandonment.

Editors Note: The recent 500 KV lower mainland transmission project and its completion as well as Teck corporations mine expansion projects in the billions give a sense of security . However kudos to those who have found the joy of risk in a reasonable way that have resulted in expression and spiritual joy. For those that found themselves in frontier with or without abandonment or even risked modern travel or invention, the trying of something new, good on you and we hope some of it spills over on us.

On this Day: April 7th 1890

The completion of the Lake Biwa Canal:
hose

Tags: BC Hydro, Charging station, Electric car

Comment

Public Meeting Bio Solids

Filed under: Enterprize, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment

January 27, 2015

A demonstrator outside the public meeting for the information of waste dumping in the Sunshine valley
Photo KDG

Monday saw the Merritt Civic center with about 200 people listen to speakers talk of the Bio solids being dumped a the 300 acre Dry lake site in the Sunshine Valley area of Merritt. A trucking company has two five-year contracts to dump Class A and B bio solids from two municipality including Abbotsford in the lower mainland. The business has the use of a public access forestry road to the area that they improved from a four-wheel drive access to haulage truck.

An unincorporated association called Friends of the Nicola Valley ( a face book group) were on hand in an information room with information and a petition against the activity. The group says they have a lawyer to see to their interests. The biggest concerns were smell , the effect on property values and future demand for more such land.

The municipalities involved are not part of the local regional district and appear to have come in under the radar with the only regulatory obligation being to given notice to the environment ministry.
On this day: January 27th 1973
The Paris accord ends the American war in South East Asia.

Tags: bio waste, Merritt British Columbia, Organizations, public meetings

Comment

Nicola Naturalists: Ice Dams of the Nicola Valley

Filed under: Environment, Social Activism by Kevin Griffiths — Leave a comment

January 7, 2015

Norm Hansen a local naturalist is presenting at the societies January meeting.

Did you know that, a few thousand years ago as the last ice-age was coming to an end, the Nicola Valley was deep under a series of huge lakes. Massive chunks of ice blocked valleys to create these lakes, and as the ice melted the water rushing out of the lakes carved deep gorges. Today you can still see the lake shores of these ice dams, high in the hills around the Nicola Valley, and travel along the gorges that they carved out. Norm Hansen, a long-time forester from Merritt and NNS director, has for many years researched the history of these ice dams and their remnants and will share this amazing story with us.

Norm had a career in forestry including the private sector as a consultant after securing a degree from the university of British Columbia, Norm was raised in Golden BC in the Rocky Mountains and has a good appreciation of natural process and the wonder of the natural environment. Norms talk will be on January 15th at the NVIT college lecture theater, starting at 7:pm the society says that all are welcome,and membership or donation requested. Membership applications are available on the groups site:http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/ The non-profit group takes responsibility for the winter bird count and are involved in scrutiny of frogs and other creatures here, they are members in good standing of the provincial naturalist organization.

Today in history: January 7th 1835 The HMS Beagle reaches the Chonos Archipelago