Tag Archive: British Columbia


British Columbia’s best : electric power

A pole waits to be installed at the edge of the Extra foods parking lot,Merritt BC to bring co-gen power to the Highland valley. Photo KDG

A pole waits to be installed at the edge of the Extra foods parking lot,Merritt BC to bring co-gen power to the Highland valley.
Photo KDG

The electric power generating ability of water power in British Columbia is owned by a non profit Crown Corporation BC Hydro Power and Authority. The corporation also owns and operates the transmission grid in the province. Lower rates to the consumer is the mandate of this non profit and it has had good success going back decades to the 1950s.The corporation was mandated and performed well with dams and treaty functions like the Columbia River deal with the Americans.
Merritt is in the middle of a co generation green energy project that is licensed by them and uses the transmission lines the they operate and maintain.A wood waste burner is being built to take 130 KV of power to the Highland Valley from the plant through a revamped Merritt substation that also gets power from other hydro sources.

On this day: February 4rth 2004
The social media site Facebook is created.

Over head work

Kevin Griffiths's avatarThe Proprietor Review

Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard File photo KDG Helicopters doing work can be an overhead hazard
File photo KDG

The 130 KV transmission line from Merritt to the Highland Valley is under way. A legal notice from BC Hydro put in the local paper says that helicopters will be stringing rope lines for the line for less then a week and be finished by mid December. Sources say that the line is a two wooded pole “H style” construction.

The project is slated to finish in 2015.

Today in History: December 2nd 1970, December 3rd 1997

View original post

Bears about!

bears leaving fish in park

A fish dropped by bears when feeding. file photo KDG

A lady reported that bears have been about and one took a piece out of her iron gate. Helen a resident of the north end of Garcia street says that a big black bear is about and a mother with two cubs.

Its been said that when bears are feeding on meat they are more dangerous to people then when eating berries and grubs, regardless care should be taken  the regional district has a bear aware program.

Bears On The Prowl Before Hibernation

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

tnrd.ca

For Immediate Release (November 19/12): The Bear Aware program and the Thompson-

Nicola Regional District would like to remind everyone to ensure their community stays free of

bear attractants this month as bears make final preparations for hibernation. Bears aim to gain

two to five pounds per day during this period, so they are on the lookout for any easy meals.

Surveys conducted in the last two weeks revealed that

garbage bins, barbecues, and yard waste are the top three bear

attractants in many neighbourhoods. Compost, bird seed, and

outdoor fridges make up the rest of the items noted in the surveys.

Bears have recently been sighted throughout the TNRD

and reports indicate that garbage left outside was the attractant

in most cases. Help your neighbourhood be Bear Aware this

year and next by following these simple steps:

• Store garbage inside or in a bear-proof container until disposal. Do not put garbage

outside the night before pick-up.

• Do not place bird feeders outside until Dec. 1.

• Keep barbecues clean and free of residual food and grease.

• Feed pets inside and store pet food indoors.

• Mix compost regularly or treat with lime to reduce odour.

• Pick any remaining fruit and share with friends if you have too much to handle.

The Bear Aware program would also like to extend a warm welcome to two new

enthusiastic volunteers in Clearwater.

To view bear sightings in your area, check out the new Bear Aware interactive online map

at http://www.bearaware.bc.ca that locates bears and identifies attractants. For more on bears sightings,

go to http://www.facebook.com/BearAwareBC.

The Bear Aware program is sponsored by the TNRD and the Ministry of Environment.

Please report sightings or conflicts with bears to the Conservation Officer Service’s RAPP hotline

at 1.877.952.7277.

Bears and humans cannot coexist at some point there will be an action taken.

Today in history September 11 1941:

Ground is broken for the Pentagon</code>

NVIT, visiting speakers series

Dr.Eugene Atleo speaks to staff members and interested public at the NVIT lecture theater, Wednesday November 20th. Re- member

Dr.Eugene Atleo speaks to staff members and interested public at the NVIT lecture theater, Wednesday November 20th. Re- member

Last evening the School NVIT  had a speaker from the lower mainland, of BC. Dr. Eugene Richard Atleo,a chief of the Abbotsford first nations band and the father Shawn Atleo of the Grand chief of the national expression of first nations.

Dr. Atleo is a hereditary chief of  the Ahousaht First Nation and was the first  to earn a doctorate among First Nations people.    Dr. Atleo’s main message is that the cooperative life is sustainable and that dominate life is not. He took ownership of the cooperative life style as being Aboriginal and traditional.

Today in history: November 21st 1953

The Piltdown Man Skull is declared a hoax the the British Natural Museum.

Antarticia, the key wildlife paradise

Merritt, British Columbia

Merritt, British Columbia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alan Burger the president of the local Nicola naturalist Society is presenting at the Thursday meeting of the Society.

Alan is from South Africa and was a teacher at the University of Victoria in British Columbia he is now a Merritt resident.

Burger regularly works as a lecturer naturalist on Eco tourism ships in both polar caps.

The presentation is on Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 PM in the NVIT lecture theater, no food or drinks there is free parking, and membership or donation requested.

Today in History: November 19th 1863

Abraham Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address calling for the preservation of the equality of man under law.

Tota

There was a presentation of the Thompson Okanogan Tourist Association at the civic center, this week. About twenty people took the session in including Merritt’s Mayor Susan Roline, Councilor Clara Norguard, Councilor Kurt Christopherson.

The presentation outlines “what might happen here in Merritt in tourism” Merritt Councilor Kurt Christopherson”

Sandy Curnew the manager of the Downtown Tourist Info center was also in attendance.

The presenter outlined a need that tourism needs to have a continuity  province to province.

The local Tourist association has their AGM Thursday..

331

Today in history: November 14th 1770

James Bruce discovers  what he believes to be the source of the Nile river.

Ten thousand dollars

For non profits there is a ten thousand dollar prize for a video documenting an effort in community sustainability and environment.

According to the BC Hydro newsletter Calling all champions there is a contest starting August 15th and 10,000 dollars are up for the non-profit that gets selected and goes on to public voting ans is chosen for its video of its efforts in sustainability and the environment.

To view the newsletter and the offer go to:

http://www.bchydro.com/news/conservation/2013/community-champions.html?WT.mc_id=c-13-08_champions

Today in history: August 7th 2007

Barry Bonds hits his 756th home run breaking Hank Aron’s record.

Development

On the west edge of the BC Hydro construction of their new substation and on the crest of a 40 meter hill is an extension of Spring Bank road going south toward town.Full water and sewer lines are being added. The view is of the River Ranch across the Nicola River with its green fields and meandering willow stands. The area was serviced with storm sewers decades ago.

A forestry forest fire training facility that features a simulator is being completed at the local airstrip about one mile away. The facility is scheduled for substantial completion on July 26th and for minister opening on the 1 st of August.

There are 3 twenty man training rooms, a laundry lots of offices and a large reception area, two helipads and a stones throw to the airstrip. There is also 4 residential lots that belong to the forest service. The facility is autonomous to the Regional Forestry Office on the other side of the airstrip and an open field away.The training center does not have living quarters.

The airstrip has a live in security person and houses the search and rescue command van.

Today in history: July 16,1212

Pope innocent the third calls European Knights to a crusade.

Premier with a seat.

Today we have a sitting premier in the 85 seat government of British Columbia.Christie Clark won a seat in west Kelowna in a by-election,she carried 63 percent of the vote about the same as the Liberal member that steped aside so that the Premier could be available to the opposition in Question Period during the sitting of the legislature.

A by-election is on for the seat vacated, in the Village of Ashcroft by our Fraser Nicola member  Jackie Taggart.

Today in history: July 15, 1916

Pacific Aero Products, later to be called Boeing is established.

Dispassionate

Have a great weekend!

The electors of British Columbia are seemingly dispassionate with the campaign that ends when the polls close tonight at 8:PM. The voters we talked to do not vote on personality ( other than honesty) but have a dispassionate outlook to vote for the best interest of the management of their province.

Editors note: this dispassion combined with the supremacy of parliament lends to an ability to form a government based on the confidence of the house ( legislature) by a majority of individually selected MLAs from the 85 ridings.

Today in history: May 14th 1925

Virginia Woolf‘s novel Mrs Dalloway!

TGIF

Merit of Merritt

Its good that it is friday….

The Nicola naturalists had a presentation from Les Gyug on the Williamson sapsucker last evening. Sapsucker AKA woodpeckers are of interest here as they were the predator of choice when conversations came up about natural ways of dealing with the mountain pine beetle problem that afflicted the province in the last decade and a half. Les had a great slide show that covered the range and characteristics of the Williamson sapsucker, a close relation to the Clark nutcracker who got its name from the Clark in Lewis and Clark the surveyors / explorers that had the great journey to the sea   and developed British North America. It would seem that these birds were very much documented by people in the Military, engendering the term closet ornithologist.

The specter of the Forest Practices Code ,an attempt  by the NDP to codify forest practices decades ago was brought up with pictures of suitable habitat for the old tree loving sapsucker. The forest practices code was discussed in round tables and was generally a failure as it tried to extent ministry total control to private landowners. However the discussions did cause logging practices to leave  trees for wood packers  and birds in the clear-cut that were being completely striped as per practice.

Pre harvest silvaculture prescriptions on crown land and nuisance civil law remained after the discourse  that was the FPC.

The appreciation for old Lark stands and a care when taking firewood  from old dead tress that may be a birds home was the most useful part of the presentation as well an enjoyment of the wonderful photography was voiced by several. A comment “who’s going to the Amazon ” By Doctor Glenn Carlson also gave a sence of responsible interest in habitat use.

The aesthetics debate of the forest practices discourse became mute when the forest in BC became red and dead from the over population of the Mountain Pine Beetle and Spruce Bud Worm. Giving a rest to the War in the Forest and a stage for the mighty woodpecker to do. Of interest is the fact they are in the Merritt area for people to find when overcoming there reclusive nature.

Today in history: March 22,1995

A Russian cosmonaut returns from 438 days in Space,Valoreriy Polakof; sets a  record.

NITEP

The Native Indian Teacher Educator Plan had a speaker at the local community college last evening. The NVIT lecture hall saw Joanne Archibald present a very neat and clean presentation on the past and the future for  the first nations in British Columbia. metaphors such as the dust settling on the longhouse and a passion of a community to clean up the dust and discover what is good and valuable to continue into the future saw affirming comments given from the people gathered.  The speaker is a associate dean of Aboriginal studies and a professor at the University of British Columbia . Joanne  related the 36 years of the program that recruits and trains first nations teachers.

The program has been responsible for nearly 400 people to become teachers. The school itself has John Chenoweth and Many Jimmie because of the program.

Joanne is a Coast Salish native from British Columbia and gave a sence of balance with the past and future as it relates to difficulties  of the past and the ability to not let them hinder forward looking actions.

The presentation showed lively cultural acting in part from the recent BC olympic games and the participation of the first nations in its opening and support for an open house for BC.

https://www.facebook.com/NITEP.UBC?ref=stream  http://www.nvit.ca/speakerseries.htm

Today in History: March 7,1985

The song We are the World is released internationally.