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Creston in 2011: A look back at February

3 — Jason Louie was sworn in as chief of the Lower Kootenay Band, taking over the reins from Chris Luke Sr...
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Jeremy Lysohirka as Dracula’s Jonathan Harker

At this time, we present our annual year in review, looking back at the events of 2011 as recorded in the pages of the Creston Valley Advance.

FEBRUARY

3 — Jason Louie was sworn in as chief of the Lower Kootenay Band, taking over the reins from Chris Luke Sr., who led the LKB for 30 years and did not stand for re-election.

As chief, Louie said he recognized the importance of Lower Kootenay working together with the Town of Creston and Regional District of Central Kootenay. He won the support of his council in his decision to hold an inauguration in Prince Charles Theatre.

• A number of factors combined to make the 2010 Creston Valley Farmers’ Market the biggest and best year ever, said manager Jen Comer. In 2010, the Creston Valley Farmers’ Market attracted 110 different vendors, many of which reported their best year ever for sales. By once again moving to Morris Flowers Garden Centre in the fall, the Creston venture had the longest market season in the Kootenays.

• After stopping a speeding Alberta vehicle, Creston RCMP arrested a 35-year-old male and seized 18 pounds of marijuana.

10 — Organizer Wesly Graham said it was unlikely that the Goat Style Bike Festival would be held in Creston again. The Creston town councillor said the event cost “a minimum of $140,000,” despite a large contingent of volunteers who donate their time.

• Rumours that Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett had opted to stay in provincial politics left Creston Coun. Wesly Graham optimistic that he could seize Conservative Party nomination for the federal riding of Kootenay-Columbia.

“Public service is a passion I have,” he said. “People see that and they know I’ll work hard for the Kootenays.”

17 — Creston’s waste water treatment plant, located west of Highway 21, was deemed to be in need of major upgrades and the town was successful in receiving infrastructure grant money from senior levels of government in 2010. But unexpectedly high costs prompted the town’s department of engineering and public works to suggest that other alternatives be explored, including the use of settling ponds.

“The information we have been given indicates there are probably cheaper, equally effective options to our current system,” Toyota said. “Credit goes to our staff for being proactive after the upgrade bids came in so high.”

• If eyebrows were raised around the province when Bountiful Elementary-Secondary School placed at the top of Fraser Institute rankings, principal Merrill Palmer’s weren’t among them.

“In my opinion, our high ranking is a result of a conscious effort on the part of dedicated teachers to ensure students meet the desired learning outcomes in time for the dates of FSA (Foundation Skills Assessment) administration,” Palmer said. “This requires a real increase in the work ethic of the students, an understanding of the exam format and procedure by the teachers and, oftentimes, an overhaul of the curriculum to offer more appropriate resources.”

• Following a win and loss against the Nelson Leafs, the Creston Valley Thunder Cats finished the season with 57 points, in second place in the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. In the season’s final games, the Leafs beat Creston 4-3 before Creston visited Nelson and returned the favour, also with a 4-3 score.

24 — At the Feb. 22 town council meeting, Coun. Judy Gadicke introduced a motion that would have added an opinion poll question regarding daylight time to the November municipal election ballot, but the motion was defeated after debate. Regional District of Central Kootenay Area B director John Kettle suggested council consider asking Areas A, B and C to join in the opinion poll, but not as part of an election.

• Another milestone in the upgrades to the Creston and District Community Complex would be reached on Feb. 26 with the grand opening of the fitness centre and PhysioWorks and More.

The fitness centre, located inside the fitness track on the second floor, overlooking the aquatic facility, is accessible by stairways and an elevator. It is adjacent to PhysioWorks and More, a privately operated physiotherapy business owned by Michael and Candace Foy.

• After finishing the regular season in second place in their division, the Creston Valley Thunder Cats continued to prove their worth in the first round of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs, winning four games of a possible seven-game series against the Golden Rockets.

• Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall said a study she initiated in 2010 could become a template to promote food security and production in and around the Creston Valley.

One issue was the need for Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) buffer zones that insulate populated areas from the sights, sounds and smells of agricultural activity. She said the B.C. government continues to be “dead last” among all Canadian provinces in its financial support of agriculture and that there were some quick, simple actions that could help immediately.