Category: Government Works


Black top

There are number of  tandem dump trucks here, with drivers staying at the local Econo Lodge. One of the drivers says they are hauling asphalt to Savona  from a plant to the west of Merritt.

The motel is has rooms booked for them through  thursday. So visitors may be under pressure  for the higher rate motels to the north end of town. 

Savona is on the West end of Kamloops lake a small town of less than a thousand people.

Savona Italy was the home of Christopher Columbus according to  a driver who grew up in Venice Alberta.

Today in history,   August 28,1913

Queen Wilhelmina opens the peace palace in the Haque.

The new pellet plant idled by technical problems shows up on the property tax assessment rolls at about 3.1 million dollars in actual value. The value contributes to an over all real property value of about 900 million dollars in the small city of Merritt with its population of about 8000 people.

The company that owns it is said to have another in Ontario and are in difficulty at this time with some legal contentions. The plant was to employ about 50 people and did employ and produce a product . The product is said to have had an unsuitable moisture content for burning. A marketing  of the product for animal beds was tried and then an additional dryer purchases and on the property uninstalled.

The plant contributes to the tax base and in the opinion of citizens needs to be used. A belief  exists that it was a good way of dealing with bug killed timber that has started to be a problem in regular sawmills due to dryness.

Today in history: July 31,1970

Black tot day, the British Navy ends rum rations as a official act.

lightning damage

The storm on the weekend has the local hydro crew out repairing damage done to transformers. A source says they had five calls yesterday for fuses in transformers. And one call not in their jurisdiction. Three flagging persons and 3 vehicles deployed to repair. There is also a report of damage at a substation in Lower Nicola. Lightning and cloud bursts over the weekend have also caused people to say that the province was swamped with reports of flooding in places like Sicamoose.

There is little damage is visible here.

Today in History, June 27,1977

France grants independence to Djibouti.

Chargeing station

The public parking lot on Voght street here in Merritt got a quick charge outlet . The 220 volt charge station with a single outlet will charge an electric car in 4 hours. the regular one twenty home charge can take up to 10 hours.

Chevrolet Volt and other electrics can run up to about 80 kilometers on a full charge.

Some electric also come with a small gasoline  engine to charge the battery while running.I talked to a fellow recently that came from Saskatoon with out stopping in an electric pickup so equipped.

Today in history, June 25th, 253

Pope Cornelius is beheaded in execution

Fire season

There are the tell tale signs of impending summer around. A tall young fellow in the signature blue heavily pocketed pants with the forestry tan shirt was in the local Starbucks this morning. A fire fighter. He said he was from the Fraser Valley and wore a ball cap with a helicopter on it and Valley Helicopters written about it. He said he was in wild fire suppression.

There is a a fire camp north of here and training school with in days we will expect to see hopefuls running across Voght Park with heavy equipment to qualify for the fire season. Indications are that people are expecting a more pronounced season this year then last.

A fire hazard sign is at the City Fire Hall leaving Merritt towards Highway 8 West,it is operated by the Ministry of Forests and is strategic for those that may be traveling the Fraser Canyon Route. It is sometimes effected by fires.

Today in History, May 16th 2005

Kuwait allows women suffrage.

TGIF

Merit of Merritt

Its good that it is friday....

A source with on of the contractors for the 500 KV line says there are 850 towers to build, for the project. He thinks that regular BC Hydro, IBEUW workers will build the towers.The source says that the joint venture is putting in the bases and they belong to the Christian Labourers Union.

There are only a few people at the yard leased by Hydro and shared with the joint venure partners Flatron Graham. Early June  is expected by a source to be a time of gearing up.

Today in History April 20,1534

Jack Cartier starts his voyage ending in the finding of Canada.

TGIF

The oh wells, a charming group of young people called the oh wells played at Brambles bakery last evening 2 women and three young men, charmed and soothed about 60 people in a bakery on the 2100 block Quilchena
Avenue. They had just finished a cross Canada tour and were ending it in Merritt before returning to their home in Vancouver.

Merit of Merritt

Its good that it is friday….

Today in history, April 13. 1941

Merritt in winter

Merritt in winter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pact of neutrality is signed between Russia and Japan.

 

 

Smart meter

On the 1900 block Quilchena Ave, in Merritt there is a couple of businesses in the same building. Around the back are two hydro meters one an analog one a digital.(more later)

At this time there are complaints about higher bills then before the utility put in digital meters. The Hydro in BC operates as a not for profit business and lower rates are mandated by law. When the production and distribution of power is efficient, there becomes a benifit to consumers. They can not take retained earnings from year to year except for projects. If people have been not fairly metered in the past by old analog meters then eventually a rate decrease will come through fairer and less defeated metering.

We know of a couple of techniques  the utility is employing to ensure that complaints are legit. Remember that taking any unmetered power, is theft and subject to criminal prosecution.

Today in history, April,10 1983

Born Haig Sutherland Canadian Actor.

ILM

The Interior Lower Mainland project,a third 500 kilo volt line is gearing up, and today, Janis Brooks and Cheryl Brooks are available at the local college takeing  job applicants.

A new 250 kilometer line is going from the Revelstoke Dam site to the lower mainland.

For information on job opportunities call 604-846-1011 ext 215 and leave a message with Kate Fitzer. No man camp is planned.

BC Hydro is looking for a January 2015 in service date for the project.

Today in History: March 12 1947

The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to stop the spread of Communism.

 

 

Garbage

The regional government here; The Thompson Nicola Regional District gave out calendars at new years. This month the calendar picture is of garbage cans , two; one blue and one grey. They are buying a new truck and it will eventually pic up household garbage and recycle at the curbside. The City took out and add asking for a contractor to scan serial numbers and deliver these cans to households in Merritt. The cans will belong to the city and there is a list of maintenance demands published about them, including where to place them how to clean them and where not to put them in regard to snow. One of the chief demands is to keep the serial number in good condition and cleanliness.

A source said they will be collecting solon green to make into oil as a quip that’s  funny however there is getting to be a lot of this with smart meters and  wireless chip cards every where. We can remember when the district started running a landfill here it was completely fenced and had limited hrs. Numbers of people took garbage out to the dump about 6 miles to the west and when confronted with a locked gate they neatly piled  there bags oot side the gate. We think that they had hoped that there neighbours that worked a t the landfill would do the rest as this was new to the rural folks of this valley.Not so the Conservation officer was dispatched and garbage taken apart for evidence and some tickets for littering given. Some were challenged in court but to no avail.

The district conditioned was with a sponsored docu drama The Clean Bin Project  .  The film chronicled a couple that lived on minimal garbage for a year, they had no other point of view and had many awards, however no cautions about propaganda. It was a good public relation film and presented a view point that will lend heavily into compliance to a new waste pick-up system coming on board here.

Opinion :Be ready for similar action over this take nothing for granted as once occupied by the system it robs a big part of your emotional health.

The government takes garbage seriously.

Today in history,February 23, 1903

Cuba leases Guantanamo bay to the United States in perpetuity.

The Whistle Blower

The Nicola Valley Film Society is presenting the film: The Whistle-Blower. White slavery amongst the free enterprise alluding remnants of the Soviet Unions security and military establishment. Not that kind of free enterprise; the corruption of Eastern Europe in the transition to western institutions  is documented in a dramatic film.The presenters are a warning of a rape scene that may be difficult for some people.

The film starts at 7:30 PM, in the NVIT lecture theater, no food or beverages allowed.

Today in history,February 21,1952

The British Government under Winston Churchill abolishes Identity cards to set the people Free.

There is a small airstrip here in Merritt, Saunders Field. It is on a nice little bench just north-west of town. The local city council was inviting people who would be interested to be on the airport committee to contact the city. The strip is 634 meters at 500722 North,1204450 west. It is a public airfield and yes operated by the city.

About two decades ago a premier visited it in a whirlwind working tour and a 600 thousand dollar grant was given to put night landing lights on it. The money was never used and was returned to the Cabinet. However in the last year there has been a new hanger building built and there is a going concern helicopter company at the field.

The Merritt Flying Club operates a website that updates weather every 5 minutes as well as almanac and moon phase.However the last reading shows 29/1/12 and there is a registration offer from ambient weather.

The airstrip has had scheduled  passenger service in its history never lasting long as small planes are not comfortable to use as passengers and there is commercial jet service in both Kamloops and Kelowna, about an hour and a quarter away.

A city committee is usually chaired by a councillor and is a good precursor to running for elected office.

Every now and then the Federal government lands one of its four engine search and rescue aircraft and gets fuel adding to the legitimacy of the strip.

Today in History: February 13,2008

 The Australian Prime Minister makes a historic apology to the aboriginal people ; the indigenous Australians and the stolen generations

Editors note: tomorrow  February 14, 2012, afternoon 12-1, Dr.Cora Voyageur at the local college will be giving a presention open to the public on trends in aboriginal communities: there is also and evening session.