Editor Brian Lawrence compiled this brief look back at some of the goings on in the Creston Valley over the last 12 months, gleaned from the pages of the Advance.
6 — An analysis of Town of Creston finances reveals that there has been little change to municipal property taxes beyond policing costs, the town finance director Steffan Klassen said at the Oct. 28 regular meeting. The actual tax increase from 2018 over 2011 is 44.6 per cent, which includes 39.54 per cent for policing.
•Three routes are possibilities for the Community Connection Trail, about 70 people learned on Nov. 2 at an event held by Community Conversations and the Trails for Creston Valley Society. Existing road and sidewalks, the CP Rail right of way and the proposed Arrow Mountain highway bypass are all potential locations for the Erickson-Creston-Wynndel trail, a project selected through the Community Conversations project in June. An exciting first for the trails group was the establishment of a regional district-sanctioned trail west of the former Endicott centre.
•On Oct. 20, Chief Warrant Officer Jim Ingram was presented with his CD-3, a Canadian Forces’ Decoration signifying more than 42 years of service. Since its inception in 2007 the CD-3 has been awarded to only 370 members of the Canadian military.
13 — Adam Robertson Elementary School students were treated to a Remembrance Day production to, well, remember, on Nov. 7 as Grade 7 students took to the stage to present an all-local play, Blowin’ in the Wind. Written by their teacher, Tanya Poznikoff, the play depicted young men marching off to war and leaving their wives, girlfriends and families behind.
•Creston voters would be experiencing their first electronic voting ballots when they go to the polls to elect a mayor and six councillors on Nov. 15. Already, 273 voters (down 13 from 2011) had used the new, larger ballots, which they slid face down into a machine the size of an old office copier.
•Lower Kootenay Band members will vote in 2015 on an agreement that will give them Kootenay Lake waterfront property and allow the Regional District of Central Kootenay to extend the life of its landfill site. An incremental treaty agreement proposed the transfer of 176 hectares of Crown land in two parcels to the LKB. One is about three hectares of land known as Burden’s Cut, located on the south arm of Kootenay Lake about 45 kilometres north of Creston. The other is adjacent to the first, and is about 173 hectares. In return, the LKB would sell nine hectares adjacent to the Mallory Road landfill site to the RDCK.
20 — West Creston voters passed a referendum 146-82 in favour of certified fire protection. The vote allows the Regional District of Central Kootenay to establish a service area and tax property owners to provide fire protection service, and to borrow up to $450,000 for a fire hall.
•Creston Mayor Ron Toyota was returned to a third term in office on Nov. 15 as he easily outdistanced four challengers. Coun. Joanna Wilson was returned for a fourth term, joined by former councillor and mayor Joe Snopek, and newcomers Kevin Boehmer, Jen Comer, Jim Elford and Karen Unruh. Creston rejected the party concept, with the Action Creston team of Tom Mann for mayor and Penny A.P. Anderson, Arnold DeBoon and Lon Hansen for council making an unsuccessful bid.
Former town councillor Tanya Wall easily overcame a challenge from Jared LeBlanc, outpolling him 568 to 112 to become RDCK Area B director.
School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) board of education chair Rebecca Huscroft was returned to represent the South Rural zone. She would be joined on the board by newcomer Cody Beebe, who outpolled Huscroft by 20 votes.
27 — Homelinks students earned a temporary reprieve on Nov. 18 after the School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) board rescinded an April 22 resolution that secondary students be supported through the Prince Charles Secondary School’s learning centre in the Pathways building by June 2015. Retiring South Rural trustee Annette Hambler-Pruden made the motion to rescind the resolution because, seven months later, no consultation with Homelinks parents (a stipulation of the April resolution) had taken place.
•Jason Louie was re-elected Nov. 19 and will continue as chief of the Lower Kootenay Band for a second term. Also elected were Destyni Basil and Sandra Luke. Louie topped a ten-candidate slate with 45 votes, with Basil and Luke tying for second with 30 votes each.