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 →

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 →

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
• Water rates flowing upwards
• Artists request visitor centre use
• Concerns linger on Finavera project
• B.C. mayors caucus
• Councillor’s comments

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 →

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

• Six months from green light
• Learning through experience
• Housing a workforce

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: Naomi Larsen, Chetwynd Echo

LONE PRAIRIE – A proposal for five wind turbines along the ridge of Sandy Hill in Lone Prairie is meeting some opposition.

A not-so-public meeting regarding the proposed 15-megawatt wind farm was held by Aeolis Wind Energy last Thursday (April 19) at the Chetwynd Secondary School library.

Neil Davies, a Lone Prairie resident who was at the meeting, said he was on one of about 25 people who attended, and says it’s not a matter of “not in my backyard” – it’s a matter of not in his front yard.

“The problem we’re having with this proposed development is that it will be in our front yard, right in our faces,” he said. “Everyday we will have to look at those rotors turn while the owners, who all live somewhere else are getting rich. Somehow that doesn’t seem fair to this country boy.” Continue reading →

Chetwynd's Red Rock Cinema is contemplating serving liquor at some films, after the province introuduced new liquor rules on April 11. Liz Brown photo.

By: Liz Brown, Chetwynd Echo

CHETWYND – When Chetwynd’s Red Rock Cinema owners Glenda and Henry Garbanewski heard that movie theatres were eligible for liquor licenses, they wanted to learn more about the particulars.

“Sounds like a good idea and a good way to make ends meet,” said Glenda Garbanewski.

On April 11, Energy and Mines minister Rich Coleman announced that movie theatres and live-event theatres in B.C. could now apply for a license to serve alcohol during the screening of a film.

“These changes strike an appropriate balance between allowing liquor service at theatres and limiting minors’ access to alcohol,” said Coleman. Continue reading →

This graph explains how much each assessment class is paying towards the district's total tax bill. Capture from District of Tumbler Ridge document.

By: Greg Amos, Editor

Major industries located within Tumbler Ridge’s boundaries are picking up 47 per cent of the total tax burden this year, while light industry (20 per cent), homeowners (16 per cent), utilities (11 per cent) and businesses (6 per cent) are covering the remainder.

Tax revenue for the district is based on the values of all properties and infrastructure within the district’s large (1,574 square kilometre) land area. That area includes both existing mines and parts of the Quality Wind Project. Continue reading →

A glimpse of Tumbler Ridge's 2012-2016 financial plan. Greg Amos photo.

Updated: 11 p.m. on April 24

By: Greg Amos, Editor

After spending two and a half hours at a meeting last Thursday (April 19), Tumbler Ridge council edged closer to a final budget for 2012 – one that’s balanced after council found $800,000 between some cuts and drawing on $527,000 in Gas Tax reserve funds for revenue.

In council’s first budget of their three-year term, a trend is being set towards improving amenities to make the district more attractive for families. To re-surface some badly neglected tennis courts, council will spend $150,000 this year, while committing $100,000 to start planning on a proposed water park, $30,000 to a bowling alley feasibility study and $20,000 towards a ski hill task force. Continue reading →

Sections of fibre optic cable are now being pushed into place around Tumbler Ridge. On Mackenzie Way, Jett Industries worker Colin Bordeleau went underground today (April 23) into a service conduit to get things ready for the steam-powered process of “jetting” the fibre into place, which should happen tomorrow. Telus says the fibre optic Internet service will be available in Tumbler Ridge by the summer. Greg Amos photo.