Latest Entries »

Twinning of the pipeline from Edmonton

The city of Merritt has the line that Kinder Morgan operates through its subsidiary Trans Mountain Pipeline running by here to Burnaby. If fact it goes right by the airstrip, Saunders Field. The pumping station at Kingsvale required an employee to be here at one time. There is no local contact now however there is pride in the general sence to have had them and for the 60 years they have operated without major problems in the valley  bringing energy to the lower mainland.

The  news letter they posted recently out lines their application and its vastness we hope that people are not deterred by its complexity and will look at it because now is the time they will have voice. To have that voice they need points to communicate concerns that are valid, we hope that people other then press , lawyers or professionals will be able to take the non jargon documents and voice there concerns: Below is their announcement.

The company proposes to build  a pipeline in segments that complete a twinning (or “looping”) of the pipeline in Alberta and BC with about987 km of new buried pipeline.New and modified facilities, including pump stations and tanks.Three new berths at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, BC, each capable of handling Aframax class vessels.

This morning, Trans Mountain Pipelines filed a Facilities Application with the National Energy Board (NEB) for the proposed Trans Mountain Expansion Project. This application filing follows over a year and a half of engagement with pipeline and marinecommunities, a detailed environmental and socio-economic assessment, route assessments, and other various marine and terrestrial risk analyses and studies. This filing is a significant milestone in the development of this project and another step in the on-going engagement we will be having within your community.

When printed, the Application is over 15,000 pages and up to two metres high when stacked end on end. Please visit our Application website at http://application.transmountain.com.

The NEB will hold its own public engagement process, including a hearing on the Application before it makes a decision on the proposed Project. The hearing will allow people or groups who have been granted permission to participate by the NEB a chance to raise issues, present evidence, test evidence, and provide their input. Information on how to participate in this process can be found here: http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rthnb/pblcprtcptn/pblchrng/pblchrng-eng.html

We invite you to visit our website to see how we have addressed community interests along the pipeline and marine corridors. Over the coming months we will be approaching stakeholders to consult on specific elements within the application. We will also be returning to communities where we have visited before in our previous engagements to discuss the application and proposals contained within.

From the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, we wish you the best this holiday season and look forward to continuing our dialogue with you and your community in 2014.

Sincerely,
The Trans Mountain Expansion Project Team

Editors note: we respect all views that are brought in good faith. To carry out that we suggest that you look at the informationin in the application.   In our view we support the application as  we think our local environment would benefit by the effect of a twin pipeline with new pumping stations and technology being so close to the existing line by increasing scrutiny and attention, we think that the use of double hulled ships will be safer then reliance on forgien flags in international waters supplying the demand of  the oil market.

Today in history: December 18th 218

Second Punic war Hannibal defeats the Romans at the battle of Trebia

A hundred years of volunteering

Pursue the Passion Book

Pursue the Passion Book (Photo credit: pursuethepassion)

A hundred years  of volunteering in the Nicola valley! The Local health care auxiliary has a hundred years of volunteering in the area of Merritt. The society operated the local thrift shop nad has links to most non profit charitable groups in the city. It is calling for volunteers in recognition of its hundred years of service and the good work it has done.

Merritt has a hospital and a large government extended care facility as well as two significant private assisted living facilities. The local community college, NVIT has a care aid certificate program.

Editors note: The group is ideological driven and volunteering may be a step up to a career in Health care. The 100 years of service represents more then half the time  of European contact in the Nicola Valley.

They can be contacted at facebook.com/nvhca of nvhcaux@hotmail.com

Today in history: December 17th 1969

Project blue book the United States closes its books on the study of UFO’s

Fortis BC

Gas Natural

Gas Natural (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Fortis BC utility people were here working on one of their isolation valves this week. The technician said that natural gas is sniffed for in residential areas once every 5 years for leaks, 1 yr in commercial areas.

Natural gas is odorless and colorless so the utility adds chemicals to make it smell like rotten eggs.

Editors note: it is not to be confused with Carbon mon oxide which is poisonous and a by-product of burning fuel. natural gas can cause suffocation by displacing oxygen.

For safety concerns:http://www.fortisbc.com/Safety/Pages/default.aspx

Today in history: December 13th 1979

The Canadian government of Joe Clark is defeated in a confidence vote bringing the 1980 election and Pierre Trudeau back.

Beet juice

There was a city truck with a tank of beet juice in the back spraying some city streets this week. A source at the city said that this is the second year that it has been used and it is better then sand to suspend salt in.

DSC_1438Today in history: December 12th 1963

Kenya gets Independence from the UK.

Walk of stars, mural project

 The week of December 7th this artists pic  went on the Merritt Legion

The week of December 7th this artists pic went on the Merritt Legion

The mural project by Michelle Loughrey that had the downtown of Merritt and its business properties enjoy many country music stars murals has an apparent add on. A small replication of a star is on the Legion on Quilchena avenue. Some years ago the legion cleared its front of a façade in preparation for a full mural however the project ended before acquiring any mural.

Today in history: December 11,1962

Arthur  Lucas is executed becoming the last Canadian to be put to death for a crime.

Respectfully yours

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (Photo credit: Festival Karsh Ottawa)

With respect to the family, friends , colleagues of Nelson Mandela we offer our condolences to the one who according to US President and guardian of democratic freedom Barack Obama ” has joined the ages”.

A quiet spirit and a pragmatic soul has left us to our own ends we hope that the world will build on his legacy as it is far from perfect and a lesson in starting and allowing others to have a part in liberty. KDG

Today in history: December 10th 1906

Teddy Roosevelt wins the Nobel peace prize, becoming the first American to accomplish it.

Diamond anniversary

Today is the 60th anniversary of the parents of a principle at the proprietor review.  The couple were married in Alberta today in 1953.

Congratulations from the Proprietor Review and hope for many more.

Today in history: December 9th 1956

Trans Canada Airlines flight 810 crashes near Hope BC killing all 62 people aboard.

TGIF-Thank goodness its Friday

Merit of Merritt

Its good that it is friday….

Toronto Rally for a Progressive Coalition, Sta...

The winner of the Merritt Library 1000 dollar draw was a child; Ms Latremouille won the draw and an adult Louise  Brown won the 100 dollar prize based on content.

Today in History: December 6th 2008

The Greek riots break out resulting in the police killing of a 15 year old boy.

December 17th

A report is surfacing that at the public meeting of the Merritt Community Theater Society an appeal to local business to come up with three hundred thousand dollars to complete the option of the Coutlee street property for the proposed theater was presented. There was also information given that a Quilchena street property now being operated as a recycling yard would be needed to fulfill the off street parking requirements.

The option to purchase has a deadline for December 17th

Off street parking needs to be within 1000 feet of a development and is regulated by bylaw.

Today in History: December 5th 1945

Flight 19 is lost in the Bermuda triangle

Count duck

DSC_1180No it’s not the cookie monster gone of his program its:

The Christmas bird count is coming and  the ducks are about. The Nicola Naturalist Society does a bird count every year, with teams of counters out and tallying information that is used globally. The count is on Sunday, December 15th and it covers the Nicola Valley and Douglas lake as well bordering on the Mini Lake Bird sanctuary http://www.nicolanaturalists.ca/2013/10/18/merritt-christmas-bird-count-sunday-15th-december-2013/

Today in History: December 4th 1991

Journalist Terry A Anderson is released from Beirut after 7 years a hostage, becoming the longest held hostage in Lebanon.

Snow and cold

With 13 days to the start of winter the Nicola Valley has turned very cold starting with a 6 cm snowfall the temperature then dropped to -11 -15 with wind chill.

The temperature is supposed to be cold for the next week at least and lows may be -20 c.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/14-day-weather-trend/canada/british-columbia/merritt

Today in History: December 3rd 1818

Illinois becomes a State.

5 million dollars

There is a meeting coming up for a society that plans on raising a lot of money for a movie house.  Five million dollars is the top of the thermometer that is posted on the sold sign at the site. With the red marker now covering  from zero dollars to 300 thousand.

The not for profit society is not required to have a business plan that shows a profit but needs to have its articles of purpose prove a social good that they intent to fill as a group.

The contacts for the meeting are listed as Dorothy Molnar and Dana Egan, both are downtown business people one the proprietor of The Grand hotel the other a principle with the Brambles bakery on Quilchena avenue.

The plans show pictures of vintage movie houses with multiple showing venues something that may be considered archaic but in the realm of  historical interest. The cost of architects is about 150 thousand and is displayed in the in the red raised marker on the fundraising thermometer at the site.

The group has the support of two city councilors, Clara Norgaard and Kurt Christopherson.

The meeting is December 3rd at 5 PM at Brambles bakery, the group is called Merritt Community Cinema Society

Today in History: December 2nd 2001

Enron corporation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy