The Ridge Sentinel is no longer being updated, and the site will be taken down soon.Thanks to all those who read it and especially to the advertisers who supported it over the last six months: Shop Easy Foods, KC’s Dollar Store, Avalanche Trucking, MegMar Maintenance, Tumbler Ridge Mechanical and Towing, Moonstone Barber Shop and New Harvest Media.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
One faucet of the local drug supply has been shut off, after an RCMP road check on Highway 29 in mid-April yielded more than half a kilogram of marijuana.
As of today (May 11), Tumbler Ridge RCMP are finalizing their submission to the Crown, who will ultimately determine whether charges will be laid.
The bust was made after police received information from the general public that a person selling marijuana in Tumbler Ridge would be returning from a trip to Prince George with an unknown amount of marijuana on board their vehicle. Continue reading
Kelsey Legault finished strongly in last year's Ridge Ramble event. Greg Amos photo.
By: Charles Helm, Wolverine Nordic Mountain Society
The Ridge Ramble Biathlon will take place in Tumbler Ridge on Saturday, May 26. One of the community’s longest-standing events and now in its 23rd year, the combined cycling and running event is hosted by the Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society, the community’s outdoors group that is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles in a fun setting.
There are kids’ events and adults’ events. The kids start at 9 a.m., cycling a paved two kilometre out-and-back route twice, then running it once (4 km cycle, 2 km run). Roads are temporarily barricaded for the race to ensure a safe event for the kids. Helmets are mandatory for the cycling section. Continue reading
PRIS hopes its dish remains on homes in Tumbler Ridge once the Telus service is made available. Greg Amos photo.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
With Telus’ fibre optic Internet service set to be ready for customers by late spring or early summer, Tumbler Ridge’s existing internet service provider is asking customers to think twice before switching over.
An exodus of high-bandwidth users from PRIS to Telus will dramatically improve speeds for regular Internet users in the district, argues PRIS system administrator Arvo Koppel in letters recently sent to all PRIS customers in the district.
That means Telus’ assymetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) service won’t be as advantageous as many believe, he said.
“PRIS will be encouraging heavy Internet users (those who insist upon using their Internet connection as a movie entertainment medium: eg. Netflix, Torrents, etc.) to migrate to the Telus ADSL service,” wrote Koppel. “We expect the remaining members of PRIS will see significant increases in speed for more ‘traditional’ uses of the net with time, and these speeds will become comparable to ADSL.” Continue reading
TRMF president Jim Kincaid speaks at a March 26 grant in aid request session at town hall. Greg Amos photo.
Updated: 2:00 p.m. on May 8: A meeting has just been scheduled for Thursday (May 10) at 7 p.m. As of last night (May 7), all grant in aid amounts remain unchanged.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
With tonight’s (May 7) council meeting being the final one before the May 15 deadline for setting tax rates, grant in aid applicants in Tumbler Ridge are awaiting decisions from council.
In all, nine groups have applied for a total of $588,719 in grant-in-aid amounts, up from the $549,137 approved last year.
The library’s request for $294,794 is the largest amount, and would allow the library to open on Mondays while significantly upgrading the computers available for public use.
But as is the case in most years, the focus lies on the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation’s (TRMF) request for $200,000 towards operational funding. That’s the amount that was granted to the TRMF last year – and it’s the continuation of a ten-year pledge given by council in 2003, says TRMF president Jim Kincaid. (The exception was 2010, when council gave just $153,617).
“If the current council does not choose to provide that amount, we would have to scale back our operations,” he said. The TRMF has received $85,000 in advanced funding to cover operations until the approval of grants in aid. Continue reading
Sign outside the headquarters of Jim Walter Resources in Brookswood, Alabama. Walter Energy photo.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
Got a bill to settle with Walter Energy’s Wolverine Mine? Just send it to Brookswood, Alabama.
“We are transitioning our accounts payable function to our Walter Energy offices in Alabama on April 30th 2012,” said a recent notice to employees in Tumbler Ridge, a move that means some employees are being moved to the Wolverine mine site.
The change is a matter of finding efficiency within company operations, explained Walter Energy corporate communications manager Nina Ng. Continue reading
A scene from last year's youth soccer tournament. Kelli Dunne photo.
By: Chuck Jensen, director of community services
The golf course opened on April 26 with temporary greens, along with the driving range, and the permanent greens will be available soon. I would encourage everyone to go play a round of golf, or even better pick up a yearly membership.
As many people know, the golf course manager this year is returning pro Burke Lauder. Burke was born and raised in Dawson Creek where he attended and graduated from high school in 1997. Burke started a golf apprenticeship at Lone Wolf golf course in Taylor in 1988, and successfully completed the CPGA playing ability test in the summer of 1999. Continue reading
By: Matt Treit, Fire Chief
The month of April was a slower than usual month for the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department which responded to only eleven calls for assistance during that time. These included four reports of ringing fire alarms, four First Responder calls, one grass fire, one chimney fire, and one report of a gas leak.
Firefighter Dwayne Fry practices a leg lock into a ladder during a practice in April. TRFD photo.
Training in April included the topics of initial attack, forcible entry, fire extinguishers, class B foam, and First Responder training. Congratulations to deputy Diana Vandale, and firefighters Doug Beale, Ian Leach, Mike Thibodeau, Cristal Bertrand, Dustin Curry, Brandon Braam, Dwayne Fry, Russell Colbourne, Darcey Knittle, and probationary firefighters Steve Tory and Chris Dell who all achieved 100 per cent attendance at practices during that month.
Additional congratulations go to firefighter Dustin Curry who completed his NFPA 1001 training as well as his completing his written and practical apparatus operator evaluations. NFPA 1001 is the Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications. This is a very significant event as it marks the first time in ten years that a firefighter has completed this level of training while a member of the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department. Continue reading
The band rocked out before the students were talked out. Greg Amos photo.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
Tumbler Ridge students learned a bit about psychosis at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School (TRSS) yesterday afternoon – a message delivered with more witty humour and live music than scare factor.
Singer, keyboardist and accordion player Barbara Adler and her band, Proud Animal, were in town as part of the Reach Out psychosis intervention tour that targets teens and young adults.
The message was delivered in Adler’s own laidback and irreverent style: psychosis is a medical condition of the brain requiring medical treatment, and is nothing to be fearful of.
“There’s no need to think any less of anybody who’s going through this,” she explained to the students sitting in the bleachers. “Psychosis is treatable; if you catch it early on, you can go on and have a totally normal life.” Continue reading
By: Greg Amos, Editor
Budget gets first reading
Council gave first reading to the 2012 – 2016 financial plan and tax bylaw at last Monday’s (April 23) council meeting. The budget, which predicts revenue of $12.59 million, and spending of $14.04 million ($9.32 million on operations and $4.72 million on capital costs), will not be finalized until it receives third and final reading.
At yesterday’s (April 30) follow-up budget meeting, a few changes were made. Most of the capital spending slated for the Murray River boat launch upgrades was deferred until 2013. Just $50,000 towards the project remains in the 2012 budget, in order to begin design and engineering work this year, which will be a precursor to project grants that can be applied for in the future. Continue reading
Updated: 6:45 p.m. on May 1
Last Saturday’s (April 28) TR Junior Idol competition finals went well for Karien Scheepers, 17, who won the age 13-17 category, and took home a new boom box for her performance. All performers had to memorize the lyrics to each song and perform it in front of a large audience, making the experience a much bigger undertaking than simply singing karaoke. In all, nine competitors graced the stage in community centre rooms four and five, performing for a large crowd of families and friends. Other performers included Halle Zavaglia, 7, Angel Weipert, 9, Austin Lungard, 9, Krystianne Cabanayan, 10, Jade Reid, 10, Levyn McPherson, 11, and Karissa Bowerman, 13. (Summer Breckeridge, 8, was ill and could not perform on Saturday). Photos by Greg Amos and Darcy Jackson. More photos below.
A caged canary, once used to detect dangerous gases in underground mines, is featured on CUPE's Workers Day of Mourning flag which flew outside town hall last Saturday (April 28). Greg Amos photo.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
A day of mourning held last Saturday (April 28) for workers across B.C. was especially poignant in light of the recent explosion and fire at the Lakeland mill in Prince George.
A Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Day of Mourning flag flew at half mast outside of town hall in Tumbler Ridge, as a sawmill safety crackdown is underway across B.C. in the wake of the April 23 disaster and the January explosion at a Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake.
“Every worker has the right to go home in the same condition they showed up in that morning,” said United Steelworkers local 1-424 business agent Don Iwaskow, who marked the occasion as one of nearly 300 attendees at a ceremony in Burns Lake. (The United Steelworkers represent workers at Walter Energy’s Wolverine mine, and would represent workers at Teck’s proposed Quintette operation.)
“It was very quiet,” he said of the ceremony. “We had several speakers talk about safety and the direction they’d like to see WorkSafeBC take in the future.” Continue reading
An aerial view of Teck's Quintette plant. Inset: a PH 4100 electric shovel, which is slated to be used if the mine re-opens. Greg Amos photo illustration.
By: Greg Amos, Editor
If all goes as planned, Teck’s Quintette mine is about six months away from approval, and a year and a half from re-opening and production.
Mothballed in 2000, the mine and plant still boasts “world-class facilities,” Teck senior vice president of coal Ian Kilgour explained to the public at the opening of Teck’s town office on April 18.
Two days later, Teck’s Mines Act permit amendment was submitted to the province, triggering a review process that is hoped to last no longer than six-months. That should coincide with the completion of a mine feasibility study that sets the table for 12 years of metallurgical coal production, and a workforce of nearly 500 people. Continue reading
By: Greg Amos, Editor
After facing an uncertain future heading into their annual general meeting (AGM) earlier this month, the Tumbler Ridge Youth Soccer Association (TRYSA) is on track for the summer.
The first soccer practice took place at Tumbler Ridge Elementary on Wednesday (April 25), about three weeks after the AGM, where 15 people came out and volunteered to fill various coaching and board positions. Continue reading
By: Chuck Jensen, director of community services
Our manager, Burke Lauder, is back, and the Tumbler Ridge golf course is getting closer to opening. I took a walk out on the course over the weekend and the snow is going.
It looked like an early start compared to last year, but we ended up with snow on April 13 and 14, which set us back a bit. I’m looking forward to getting out on the course and among other things renewing my golf challenge with my partner, my son, versus Councillor Rob Mackay and his son.
Last year they beat us on the third extra hole. The bet was, if they win, I have to wear a Maple Leafs jersey, and, well, we lost. Memberships to the golf course can still be purchased at the Community Centre as well as the golf course when it opens. Continue reading