Update on Transfer Station

A new report from Elna Strand on the transfer station:

I talked to the TNRD rep. who was issuing the resident's cards at Lac Le Jeune and I learned the following things.

1. The new transfer station hours will begin January 1. They will be 9-12 on Wednesdays and 2-5 on Sundays. I assume the first day will be Sunday January 3rd. (If you are at the transfer station before then please check with Gord to be sure.)

2. The TNRD knows that Dec. 23 was not a good day to issue the identity cards and our new punch cards. There will be another opportunity to pick them up at the transfer station sometime in January. The date has not been decided.

3. If you cannot pick up your card at the transfer station please call Adriana Mailloux at the TNRD office at 1-877-377-8673 or 250-377-7199, to make other arrangements.

4. If you have unused eco punch cards.-(cards with no punches used)- you can take them to the TNRD in Kamloops for a refund.

5. Under the new system, Lac Le Jeune transfer station will only take household garbage and recyclables. Items such as mattresses, large furniture, appliances and construction waste will have to be taken to Logan Lake. You can use your existing purchased punch card to dispose of these items.

I'll let you know when the TNRD will be out at the transfer station again to issue our new punch cards.

Happy New Year,
Elna Strand

Lac Le Jeune Eco-Cards and ID Tags

This letter outlines the process for obtaining a new Eco-Card. From what I understand, the existing Eco-Cards that you purchased are no longer valid. With this window of opportunity to pick up a card falling 2 days before Christmas, my guess is TNRD will be receiving a lot of phone calls about "delivery options"!

Environmental Health Services

December 15, 2009

Dear Resident:

Subject: Lac Le Jeune Eco-Cards and ID Tags

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is pleased to introduce area specific Eco-Cards and ID Tags for Lac Le Jeune residents. The Eco-Card allows you to dispose of your household waste while you can still recycle as much as you want for free. Since the introduction of blue bag recycling at the Lac Le Jeune transfer station, the amount of waste has decreased significantly, and the TNRD would like to congratulate you on your efforts.

Each Lac Le Jeune household will be provided with an Eco-Card with 104 punches for 2010 (allows for disposal of 2 bags per week) and is covered under the new Electoral Area “J” service. An ID card will also be provided to identify you as a legitimate user of the site. During Eco-Card/ID tag distribution, residents are asked to bring a piece of addressed mail for registration. The TNRD is aware that not all Lac Le Jeune residents receive mail at their Lac Le Jeune address so please bring information of some type so you can be registered as a rightful site user.

Residents are invited to register and pick up their Eco-Cards and ID Tags this Wednesday December 23rd between 9am-5pm. If you are unable to pick up your Eco-Card and ID Tag during this time please call the TNRD as soon as possible for information. Seasonal residents who are out of the area during scheduled distribution can contact the TNRD for delivery options.

We look forward to working on this program with you and your community and welcome your feedback. For additional information on this program please feel free to contact Adriana Mailloux at the TNRD office at 1-877-377-8673 (toll free) or direct at (250) 377-7199.

Seasons Greetings from the Burtons

This is a completely home grown Season's Greetings "montage" from the Burton family.

Music composed by Hugh Burton

Photos by Hugh Burton

Guess who on clarinet? Hugh Burton!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Transfer Station Eco-Cards and ID Tags

This letter was received today from TNRD:

THOMPSON-NICOLA REGIONAL DISTRICT

PUBLIC NOTICE

In follow up to public meetings held in your area during 2009, the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is introducing area specific Eco-Cards and ID tags for the Lac Le Jeune Transfer Station. The new cards and ID tags will be distributed during the week of December 14th - 18th for use beginning January 1st, 2010.

Each Lac Le Jeune household will be provided with an Eco-Card with 104 punches for 2010 (2 bags per week) and is covered under the new Electoral Area “J” service. An ID card will also be provided to identify you as a legitimate user of the site. During Eco-Card/ID tag distribution, residents are asked to bring a piece of addressed mail for registration. Please be advised that specific dates and times for registration will be announced shortly.

For any questions please contact the Environmental Health Services Department at the TNRD office at 1-877-377-8673 (toll free) or direct at (250) 377-8673.

Thompson-Nicola Regional District
#300-465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2A9
Phone: (250) 377-8673
Toll Free in BC: 1-877-377-8673
Fax: (250) 372-5048

Skate-A-Thon

From River City Racers

Calling all skaters! Plan to participate in the 2010 Skate-A-Thon to be held atLogan Lake on January 10th. This event will take place at Owen's Oval in Logan Lake immediately after the Polarthon which is scheduled to wrap up around 11:00 a.m. 

The Skate-A-Thon is a fundraising activity for the Kamloops River City Racers Speed Skating Club but you don't have to be a club member to participate, and you can use any kind of skates. One lap is 333 metres, and the pledge-per-lap maximum is 30 laps.

We're offering a great prize! For every $25 you raise you will receive an entry into a draw for four tickets to a Blazers game and a pizza dinner for four.  So the more money you raise, the greater your odds of winning!

Following this event there will be a hot dog roast and hot chocolate around a bonfire.

Download the pledge form (PDF 57 KB) and start collecting now!

Polarthon

Registration is now open for the 2010 Polarthon! This winter triathlon (skate, run, and cross country ski) is an opportunity for people of all ages to come together to enjoy a day of winter fun. You can enter individually or as a team. Why not round up your colleagues at work? This year there is a new corporate team category. A prize is awarded for the best costume and medals are awarded to top finishers.

When: January 10, 2010 9:00 a.m.
Where: Owen's Oval, Logan Lake
What: 3 km skate, 2.5 km run, 4 km ski (any style), 2.5 km run

Download the brochure and entry form (PDF 688 KB).  Register by mail, in person, or online, and pay on the event day.

Drop Off Locations
Runners Sole
#74-1395 Hillside Dr.
Kamloops, BC V2E 2R7

Taboo Cycle
#3-2160 Flamingo Rd.
Kamloops, BC  V2C 4J9

WHY
Village Centre Mall 
Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0

NL Broadcasting
611 Lansdowne St.
Kamloops, BC
V2C 1Y6

Questions?
Brett McIlwain  250-571-1031
WHY Society  250-523-6229

House Sitting Opportunity

If you are going away this holiday season, even just for a weekend, Elizabeth Beeds, a yoga instructor and editor of Kamloop's Yoga Tree Magazine offers clean, quiet, responsible house-sitting. This includes pets and plants! Keep your home insurance valid and feel relaxed while you are away. Book early as her schedule is filling up fast! Contact Elizabeth @ yogakamloops@gmail.com

Dog Bones

Are you looking for some good bones for your dog? Heartland Foods has some in the freezer at $2.00/lb. Of course these bones are also perfect for soup.

Drop by Heartland Foods in Kamloops.


View Larger Map

photo uploaded on March 2, 2007
by Elsie esq.

Mr. Meanie plus arrival of the trumpeters

At dawn this morning Mr Meanie - our male bald eagle - eradicated one goose. He proceeded to gorge on it while his mate waited patiently at a safe distance.

After close to an hour of working on the carcass Mr. Meanie decided to share the spoils. They both eventually flew off - greatly overloaded - to the nearest trees on the south shore to digest their breakfast. Now, there are numerous crows, ravens and other small hawks partaking of the remains. Quite the pecking order.

We also had a visit by a flock of trumpeter swans. These arrived at noon.

submitted by Hugh Burton

Logan Lake - Ducks Unlimited Banquet

Logan Lake - Logan Lake Banquet - Dinner Or Banquet - November 14, 2009:
Event Date: November 14, 2009
Location: Blackbull Pub
City: Logan Lake, BC
Contact: Blackbull Pub 250-523-2377 
Tickets: $25.00 each
Time: 6:00pm Cocktails; 7:00pm Dinner

You are cordially invited to share a fun evening with us for our Annual Fundraising Banquet. Raffles, live and silent auctions, a great supper and a fun filled evening in support of Ducks Unlimited Canada's conservation work right here in British Columbia.

2009-2010 Ski Passes

Early bird registration for a season's pass at Stake Lake ski trails ends this week. Visit the Overlander Ski Club site to register.

Electronic waste disposal

This update is from Elna Strand:

The TNRD is having an electronic waste disposal day this Saturday, Nov 7, in Logan Lake, 10 am to 3 pm. One can dispose of: desktop computers, computer monitors, notebook computers, desktop printers, desktop fax machines and televisions.

Photo by Samuel Mann

Mounted Black Bears for Sale

One morning twenty years ago Hana and Miro Struss were driving to Shuswap Lake with some friends. They spotted a bear in the ditch that was probably killed by a car during the night. Since they are crazy lovers of animals, they decided to keep it. It took two big guys to get the bear into their station wagon. They brought it home and put it in big freezer. It stayed there for several weeks while researched taxidermists in the area. They found one in Vernon where they took their little bear to be mounted. But one was not enough! They didn't want the big bear to be lonely so they bought another small baby bear already mounted. The two bears have been keeping each other company ever since.

Now the time has come to part with the mounted bears, and they hope somebody will be willing to take care of them. If anybody is interested in buying them, please call: 250 374 8570 or email: struss@telus.net

Photos by Hana Struss. Click for a life-size view of the bears! ;-)

News about the transfer station hours

This update is from Elna Strand:

The TNRD has informed me that the transfer station will continue to operate normal hours until Jan. 1. At that time the hours will change to 9-12 on Wednesdays and 2-5 on Sundays. Before Jan. 1, identification tags will be issued to residents. They have not yet decided how this will be done.

New hours for transfer station

This report is from Elna Strand, our Lac Le Jeune Conservation Society representative for the TNRD.

Gord has received information that the new hours for the Lac Le Jeune transfer station will begin on November 4th. The hours will be 9-12 on Wednesdays and 2-5 on Sundays. I do not think they will increase the number of hours but the TNRD has said that after the new system has been in operation a couple of months, they will review when the hours occur.

If you have comments about when you would prefer the transfer station to be open please post them here.

A couple notes about posting to the blog. Anybody can post comments. Here's how:

1. At the bottom of a blog post click the link comments
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Questions? I'm happy to help. Just send a note to sylvia@webbedfeat.com.

Practical advice for flu season

Lucy Lindros passed along this advice that was distributed to Royal Inland Hospital staff by email. She says if you have the flu, take tylenol for pain and fever, take vitamin C to boost your immune system, drink lots to keep yourself hydrated, rest, and stay home for at least a week. The catch phrase at the hospital right now is "Fever and cough? Take a week off!"

The email message also included this information from Dr. Vinay Goyal, which has been published on several websites:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) with clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial,etc. Presently, he heads our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, in Malad India. His recommendations to avoiding H1N1 flu:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In an epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe) .
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, cleaning your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, and
   blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Oranges and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Swimming traditions

Jen Wyse is famous at Lac Le Jeune for being the first person to swim in the lake after the ice goes off in the spring. She started a tradition that lives on. Now Jen is starting a new tradition by being the last person to swim before ice on! These photos were taken by Kathy Wyse this week as we're seeing ice beginning to form around the edges of the lake.

B.C. moves to regulate recreational off-road vehicles

This Globe and Mail article published Tuesday, October 13 states we could see new legislation introduced in the coming weeks.

For the first time, British Columbia is drafting a set of regulations to rein in irresponsible users of recreational off-road vehicles and ensure that riders are accountable for how they treat the trails they traverse.

'With B.C. as one of the only jurisdictions where there is no obligatory licensing and regulations and no real clear guidelines on how to operate an [all-terrain vehicle], we have just had huge environmental damage from uncontrolled and unmonitored off-road vehicle use,' said Dave Quinn, spokesman for conservation organization Wildsight.

This will be a step forward in managing the trails around Lac Le Jeune. Better signage, and consequences for those who don't follow regulations is a positive step for owners of off-road vehicles as well as for those who are keen to keep our local trails for quiet and low impact activities like horseback riding, walking, cycling, and skiing. As Cal Kaytor states in the article, licensing and registration regulations could help keep trails open.

"If you see someone being a terrain terrorist tearing up the landscape there's nothing you can do about it. Until we get [licensing] in and some way to actually track people who are destroying the environment, areas are going to continue to be closed."

photo by jmwests

Winnie

Lucy Lindros took some photos of a visitor to her yard. Meet Winnie!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Gardener wanted

Wanted: Part Time Gardener at Lac Le Jeune

We are looking for a person who can do some gardening at our place from early spring until fall, 4 hours a week - watering the lawn, weeding gardens, etc. This would suit a retired person.

Contact Steve Roy - steve@ssni.ca

photo by pdam2

Lac Le Jeune Annual Pumpkin Hunt

photo by Paul Keleher

LAC LE JEUNE ANNUAL PUMPKIN HUNT SUNDAY
OCTOBER 18TH 1:00 - 4:00
LAC LE JEUNE PROVINCIAL PARK PICNIC HUT AREA (& beach)

Join us again for a fun afternoon at the annual pumpkin hunt, followed by face painting, gourd bowling, hot dogs and finger food, more games and a special appearance from LOLLIPOP THE CLOWN!!!

Okay, parents, pay attention, 3 things;

1. This year we will again need you to drop off your purchased pumpkins at Casey Cassidy's house up on 3808 Pine Ridge on the Friday 16th
2. We are purchasing the hot dogs and buns, (once we have our head count), can you bring something? Finger food??? Please let me know - Karen @250-828-7123 ASAP (or @ partyof4@telus.net)
3. There is A LOT of preparation the day of, can you help hide pumpkins that morning? Say 10:00 for a couple of hours? Please let me know - Karen @250-828-7123 ASAP (or @ partyof4@telus.net)

A huge thank you to Mountain Valley Plumbing and Tightline Industries for their generosity in funding this event this year. A couple of our community companies!

submitted by Karen Morash

Lac Le Jeune Lynx Photo Featured

The photo of the lynx shot by Peter Sulzle in Lac Le Jeune during the summer is in the September issue of Nature Friend magazine along with a couple paragraphs describing his encounter. The article is called "The Story Behind the Photo" A wild discovery--Canadian Lynx portrait, and the back issue can be ordered online. Peter now has a new website, and many new wildlife and nature photos have been added to the collection.

Images of the past

Dr. Muriel Whitaker has kindly provided me with these pictures reproduced from her family album. She also provided the information for the associated captions. You will remember that Muriel and John owned and operated Lac Le Jeune Lodge from 1951 till shortly before it was torn down to make room for the existing lodge.

Fire Lookout (ca 1920)

This was the primitive structure erected for the use of the Fire Warden at the top of Ridge Mountain. It seems incredible that there was a phone link from this to the forestry cabin and the lodge. Muriel says she clearly remembers coming across the single wire that ran down the side of the trail. I certainly remember carrying out repairs to the portion of the line, which ran from the lodge to Knutsford during the time I spent guiding for the Lodge between 1957 to 1962. From top to bottom are: Ross Dalgleish, Olive Docker (nee Mclean), Muriel Costly (McDiarmid), Gertie Ellis, and Eddie Docker.

Lac Le Jeune Lodge

This is the third generation of the Trout Lake, Fish Lake, Lac Le Jeune Lodges, the one which was the immediate predecessor of the current lodge. The bridge would be on the left. Note the screened porch, and living room windows facing the lake and the two story construction. The picture was taken some time after the store was added as it can be seen extending beyond the main building at ground level to the right of the lodge. The clinker built row boats are lined up along the shore for the winter. The structure in the lower right hand corner is Dave Lusk’s Hotel which was still in use as smoke, and fish preparation house when I was acting as guide. The tall pine tree at the outside corner of this structure was struck by lightning when I was inside leaving only fragments of the tree and its roots and me deaf for several days.

Cowan’s Lodge and Bar

The Cowan Lodge (1906 - 1926) on the right of the picture, the bar on the left. Muriel says that the bar “Tavern” was converted into a housekeeping cabin with the addition of a screen porch. Later, John Whitaker added a bathroom on the north side to convert it to deluxe unit. Note the “road” and hey, pine trees!!

Submitted by Hugh Burton

Lac Le Jeune Reminiscences by Hugh Burton, Part 2

As mentioned in the previous article, accommodation for fishermen was provided first by the very rough log cabin constructed by Dave Lusk in 1885, then by the improved second version in 1905. As it turns out there have actually been four versions of the lodge. The second one, Robert Cowan’s, served the fishing public till around 1926 when he apparently became too ill to continue. Thomas Costley who had, for a number of years, been enjoying camping in a cabin he built on the little lake, bought the lodge property and decided there was sufficient increase in the number of people attracted to the fabulous fishing to make it worth while building a bigger and better hotel. This new structure was placed in a position of prominence, which provided a wonderful view straight down the lake from both the full width screened front porch and the equally large comfortable lounge. A huge stone fireplace and comfy furniture completed the aura of hominess in the lounge. Behind this was the dining room where guests could have their meals and beyond this again lay the kitchen and eating quarters for the staff. There were several guest rooms on the second floor offering various views of both lakes. Much later a store was added adjacent to the pantry and kitchen areas, which served campers as well as the summer residents. It is really unfortunate that this old lodge couldn’t be saved as a heritage building when the present lodge was built.

Building construction, over the first period of expansion, was hampered by the poor condition of the road and the limited carrying capacity of the transportation available. The original road between Kamloops and Le Jeune was the Goose lake road. Very little of the original road bed was used when the Iron Mask road was put in, so it is hard to get much of an idea of just how rough and twisty the road was even into the early 1940’s. Try, even now, going down the Goose Lake Road just after spring thaw or an extended rainy period and you will get some indication of these early conditions.

As a result, lumber was pretty well restricted to two by fours, eight feet long. The two by fours of course were a true two inches by four inches, since they were not then the dressed form to which we have become accustomed.

Most of the cabins that were built were erected on a foundation of Lodge Pole Pine timbers cut locally. The foundation timbers were themselves raised on vertical posts that accommodated for the variation in levels of the terrain. The posts themselves were bedded on flat rocks to prevent too much settling - a technique only marginally successful. I know from personal experience that frequent shoring was necessary to maintain some semblance of level. Those of us who have since built permanent homes, were loath to tear down these great old structures but the piece meal construction, necessitated by the materials made them impossible to move.

It is perhaps surprising that there were not more log cabins built given the difficulties associated with stick frame construction. I can only think of three. One was the forestry cabin (now Killik’s), another was Vida Morrow’s taken down to make room for Willis’ house, and finally the one in which John and Drenna Baker now live. The Forestry cabin and John and Drenna’s were built with the logs horizontal to the ground while Vida’s was of vertical construction.

Perhaps the most dramatic evidence of the difficulty of obtaining and transporting construction materials was provided by an addition Dr. Irving made to his cabin. It seems that he wanted to bring some of the comforts available to his family in town, to their summer life at the Lake. So, following completion of the cabin, which had three cedar lined bedrooms, a spacious living room and sizeable screened porch, he decided to have his Chinese cook attend these comforts on site, hence the need for an addition. Rather than build from scratch, he found an abandoned bunkhouse in the meadows west of Little Lake and had it brought to the lot.

This enterprise entailed placing the structure on skids, pulling it with horses to the west shore of Little Lake, then floating it down to where the bridge now stands. The skidding process was then repeated till the bunkhouse reached the cabin site. This sounds like a lot of work but presumably it was more economical than buying and transporting lumber and hiring a carpenter. The newly arrived structure was attached to the main building in a very uneven, haphazard manner that, through the ensuing years, ensured much leaking and shifting - (he definitely should have hired the carpenter). Nevertheless, the cook moved in using the stilted structure to full advantage both as his temporary summer residence and as chicken coupe. By enclosing the area under the “kitchen” with chicken wire, he was able to keep his few chickens, from straying and at the same time protect them from coyote and weasel predation, thus ensuring that they were kept only for the human palate.

There were several dates carved into the wooden wall planks of this building, the earliest of which was 1897. It served heroically as the cook’s summer residence, and cookhouse till Dr. Irving deserted the cabin in the late 1920’s - but that‘s another story.

It also served as our kitchen till we built the new house in 1998.

The forestry cabin was built in 1910 to serve as a residence for the Forest Ranger. The Ranger carried out fire watch over the surrounding forests from a lookout at the top of Ridge mountain - the mountain directly South of the lake up which the old ski hill runs. There was a spectacular 3600 view from this vantage point. On a clear day it was possible to see Mt. Baker in Washington and many of the peaks in the costal range as well as the Raft River range to the North. It was an ideal site for early detection of forest fires that might threaten Lac Le Jeune.

A single phone line connecting the ranger cabin, the lodge and the lookout station provided for the transfer of fire information to the central Kamloops forest service. This tenuous thread that looped haphazardly from tree to tree, swayed precariously over swamps and only in its lowest reaches on the Goose Lake road found purchase on actual telephone poles, was the only means of quick linkage with Kamloops. The phones at the Le Jeune end were of the crank and hope variety and at the best of times provided distorted and patchy transference of information. In fact, I often wondered if the shouted instructions to central (number please lady) couldn’t have been heard just as well had both parties stood outside and bellowed. It was also most inadvisable to use these during thunder storms for fear of severe shock and once the storm passed, communication was frequently terminated anyway, when the line was broken by fallen trees or drowned in the aforementioned swamps.

However, there were times when this much maligned service proved its worth for the summer residents. Our family virtually lived at the Lake from school out in the spring till school in, in the fall. I can remember numerous times when Charlotte, Mother and I would trek down to the lodge in order contact Dad over some need or emergency. Most of the time he had a standard list of things to bring up on the weekend but there were times when the list needed to be augmented with things like lamp oil, wicks or mantels, and of course there were also the occasional emergencies brought on by tooth aches and other ills that made it necessary for him to make a mid week trip. There were even a couple of times when Mother called Dad to come and get us when, in 1948 and 1951, she deemed a forest fire to be too close for us to safely stay on.

More to follow, hb

More garbage dumped

Another dump of stuff at Melba Creek Forest Service Road…a blue couch, chair, perfectly good microwave stand, an old radio, a bag of pillows, baby toys (some of which my walking partner has recycled!), packing boxes, kid’s lego toys, empty “ Export A” cigarette packages, a broken outdoor light stand etc. This stuff was dumped between Sept 14 and Sept 16 early am. What a mess!

TNRD has been notified and will clean it up in 2-3 weeks. They will talk to the Conservation Officer service about increased surveillance and possibly cameras.

Somebody close by has got to be the culprit.

There are bits of garbage all over in the forest. What a shame people cannot be more responsible and take some pride in our recreation areas.

If you have any info please report on the RAPP site or phone TNRD 1-877-952-7277 or #7277 on the Telus Mobility Network.

Submitted by Bev Lorimer

Bears in the neighbourhood

There have been several reports of bears around Lac Le Jeune this month. Lee and Kim Harvey were lucky enough to get this photo of a bear in their yard around 5:30 p.m. on the 17th trying to get at their empty bird feeders. When he left he ran down the street and across the bridge, and sure spooked a lot of other wildlife along the way!

Do you have photos for the blog? Send them to me to post (sylvia@webbedfeat.com) or let me know if you'd like "author" access to the blog.

Cutting Firewood on Crown Land

A few days ago the Kamloops Daily News listed the Crown land woodcutting regulations. It prompted me to check online to see what information is available.

The Firewood Permit page for the Kamloops District on the Ministry of Forests and Range website has information about conditions when cutting is permitted and how to obtain maps. I had always assumed that obtaining a permit would be complicated, but discovered that the Free Use Permit (PDF 56 KB) is available for download. You simply print and sign the form, then carry it with you when you cut wood.

With this permit individuals can obtain 4 cords of firewood for personal use only. Here are the main guidelines to follow:

1. Ensure that the firewood is cut from vacant crown land.
2. Cut and remove only dead standing trees less than 40 cm. (16 inches) in diameter, 30 cm. (12 inches) from the ground; Larger trees may be felled and removed if they pose a threat to personal residential property.
3. Cut and remove only down trees less than 40 cm. (16 inches) in diameter at their largest end.
4. Clear all debris from roads, roadside ditches and streams, and lop all branches from felled trees and scatter them close to the ground.
5. Refrain from:
   a. Cutting any trees marked by the Ministry of Environment for the preservation of wildlife. (See the "Firewood or Wildlife Tree?" brochure)
   b. Cutting any live, green trees (coniferous or deciduous) or removing any material from log decks.

photo by Foxtongue

Reporting polluters and poachers

The web site for reporting polluters and poachers is www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/rapp/form.htm or just google RAPP. This reporting is easy to do online. On Aug 10, a group of us spotted garbage dumped illegally on Melba Creek Forest Service Road. There was a TV, kid’s pool, packing boxes, and lots of cans, bottles and garden material. We posted the information online and the next day I had a call from the Conservation Officer (CO). He told me that there was nothing to identify the polluter at the site, but the TNRD now has an agreement with the CO Services to clean up. He also told me that it was important to notify CO Services as they need to track this information and attempt to identify and prosecute the offender. It just takes a minute so please note your location and follow through with your observations.

This subject came up at the meeting on Aug 11 with TNRD. I spoke with Mr May after that meeting and he assured me that the TNRD would deal with the garbage.

As of today that it remains where it was dumped…wonder where the folks at TNRD are?
Submitted by Bev Lorimer

From the CO website:

If you have just witnessed a serious violation, call 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility Network.

If the situation is not an emergency , report the incident online or contact the nearest Conservation Officer Service district office - see Contacts.

West Nile Virus

This information was received today from Martin Dickson, Environmental Services Technologist, Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

Good Morning,
In efforts to keep your respective communities up to date with important news from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District we would like to pass along the accompanying press release that speaks to the detection of British Columbias first case of West Nile virus. This past weekend the British Columbia Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) confirmed two probable human cases of WNv in individuals from the Kelowna area.They have also detected WNv in a mosquito pool collected in the southern Okanagan.

Please feel free to contact our TNRD Mosquito Control Contractor Cheryl Phippen if you have any questions about mosquitoes or WNv. She can be contacted at 250-573-1750 or emailed at bwp@shaw.ca or people can leave messages on the mosquito advisory line at 250-372-5700. Environmental Health Services Supervisor, Dennis Labrie will also be available for any questions you may have. He can be contacted at 250-377-2592.

Thank you for your time and we will keep you all updated as we learn more.

Best Regards,
Martin Dickson | Environmental Services Technologist
Thompson-Nicola Regional District

---

Press Release
August 24, 2009

British Columbia’s First Human Case of West Nile Virus
The first West Nile virus (WNv) infected mosquito pool and the first human WNv cases in British Columbia were reported by the BC Centre for Disease Control this weekend. The positive mosquito pool was collected in the Southern Okanagan and two individuals from the Kelowna area are being investigated with possible infections. Since 1999, when WNv was first identified in North America, the virus has caused nearly 29,000 cases of human illness, including more than 1100 deaths. These are the first ever cases of WNv detected in British Columbia and the first cases reported so far this year in Canada.

WNv is spread seasonally through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The risk of serious illness from WNv is low; however simple measures can help prevent mosquito bites and reduce the numbers of mosquitoes in an area:
• Individuals should apply insect repellents containing DEET (10% for children and up to 30% for adults), wear loose, light colored clothing when outdoors including long-sleeved pants and shirts and avoid mosquito-laden areas at dawn and dusk.
• Tight fitting screens should be installed on doors and windows
• Individuals should eliminate or regularly change any sources of stagnant water around their properties as mosquito larvae will develop in the smallest pool of water. Likely mosquito breeding grounds include the saucers under flower pots, wading pools, used tires, and clogged eaves troughs.

Mosquitoes become infected with WNv when they feed on infected birds, and the virus may be transmitted when an infected mosquito bites a human. Humans cannot get the virus directly from birds nor can humans pass this virus from one person to the next. About two out of every 10 people bitten by an infected mosquito develop WNv symptoms such as fever, aches, nausea and vomiting. About 1 in 150 people infected with WNv develop more serious symptoms such as paralysis, extreme headache and, in rare cases, death. Although people of any age can become severely ill, the risk is highest for persons age 50 and over.

In 2009, the TNRD has been conducting a larval control program for WNv, with the goal of reducing the numbers of Culex species of mosquitoes within the TNRD as if WNv has already arrived in our area. We are confident that everything is being done to reduce the impact that West Nile virus may have on residents and visitors to our area. However, the public must be aware that personal protection using Deet is the best way to reduce the possibility of contracting WNv. Surveillance traps have been strategically placed within the TNRD to collect specimens and monitor for the presence of WnV.

A mosquito control contractor for the TNRD, BWP Consulting Inc, is currently monitoring stagnant water known to produce mosquito larvae. When larvae are present they are being treated with a biological larvicide that is harmless to other insects and animals. As it is late in the season, many known larval development sites have dried up and the contractor is reporting low numbers of larvae and adult mosquitoes throughout most of the TNRD.

The Interior Health Authority and the BC Centre for Disease Control are currently monitoring for the presence of the virus by collecting and testing mosquitoes and birds throughout the southern Okanagan and the southern Kootenay. People in the TNRD can report sightings of dead crows, ravens, magpies or jays by calling the Interior Health Authority West Nile Virus Information Line at 1-866-300-0520 or by accessing the BCCDC On-Line Dead Bird Sighting Report Form at http://westnile.bccdc.org/ .

For more information about WNv, mosquito control or our public education events, please visit http://www.tnrd.bc.ca/mosquito/tnrd_mosquito/index.php or call the TNRD Mosquito Advisory Line at 250-372-5700

Seaplane activity

It was impossible to miss the 3 seaplanes that landed on Lac Le Jeune yesterday. Jim Phillips was able to get this shot of one plane during take off, and noticed "Fire Boss" written across the front of the pontoon. This activity was likely related to the fire near Shumway Lake.

Front Page: Kamloops Daily News

Thanks to Pam Sheridan and Elna Strand, and other residents who shared our concerns about the changes to the Lac Le Jeune waste management system with the Kamloops Daily News, the story made the front page! Here's the full article.

Update, and a response from TNRD

photo by fontplaydotcom

Reminder! The public meeting to discuss the future of the Lac Le Jeune Refuse Transfer Station is Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Lac Le Jeune Resort and Conference Centre. Please attend!

At least 80% of Lac Le Jeune residents have signed the petition opposing "the Plan" to implement curbside garbage collection. Also of note is that, to date, NOT ONE resident has indicated that they were aware of any public consultation with respect to "the Plan".

This letter from Don May was received by John Watson on August 4, 2009.

Dear John Watson:

Thank-you for your letter and comments regarding the future of the Lac Le Jeune transfer station. My apologies for not responding to you on Friday. I will try to answer the questions and concerns you and the other community members raise in your July 23, 2009 letter and others to the TNRD. This turned-out a bit longer than I intended, but I have tried to give you a bit of background as well.

With regard to public consultation concerning the future of the Lac Le Jeune Transfer station:

The TNRD started work on updating their Regional Solid Waste Management Plan (Plan) in 2004. Committees to assist the regional district were established in 2005, including a public advisory committee, technical advisory committee and a political steering committee. The Plan was developed through a 3 stage process developed by the Minstry of Environment and there was public consultation required at each stage of the process. This was done by open houses, media advertising and mail-outs throughout the process of developing the new Plan. The final round of open houses to explain the Plan was done in 2007 and the Plan was approved by the TNRD Board and Ministry of Environment in 2008. The Ministry was satisfied with the level of public consultation in developing the Plan. We are now implementing the new initiatives.

A major issue that needed to be dealt with was the ever increasing cost of operating the TNRD's solid waste system. There were 32 transfer stations and 5 landfills and new transfer stations were being opened at a steady pace and costs to develop and operate the system had more than doubled. There were considerable problems encountered with the unattended transfer stations in terms of dumping of hazardous materials, overloaded bins, bear problems, and litter and unsightly site conditions. To attempt to control the costs of the system and limit the number of sites that the TNRD would need to upgrade the Plan identified a core number of about 18 transfer stations that should be upgraded to the new eco-depot standard, including recycling. All other sites and particularily those where an alternative service could be developed would be scheduled for consolidation or closure. The Lac Le Jeune site was identified as a site where an alternative service could be provided, with the preference being curbside collection.

To back up a bit to consultation again. Once the Plan had been approved by the Minister of Environment and adopted by the TNRD Board of Directors it then gained considerable force in its own right. Section 24 of the BC Enviromental Management Act gives regional districts the authority to adopt Bylaws for the purpose of implementing a Plan without a petition or assent of the electors. The attached Bylaw 2248 was adopted by the TNRD Board on January 8, 2009 to give the TNRD the ability to tax for a new collection and recycling service in Electoral Area "J". The meeting on August 11 is part of the continuing consultation process.

Through input received during the development of the Plan it was determined that curbside collection was the best way to achieve the most diversion through recyling and that a system of collection carts, one for refuse and one for recycling (similar to the Cuty of Kamloops system) achieve better diversion rates than a depot type of recycling system. However, the TNRD is aware of the problems with wildlife and proposes that the garbage carts will be provided with bear-proof lids. The carts are provided to residents and businesses by the TNRD as part of the cost of the new services. A collection vehicle is also provided as part of the service. Residents would receive 65 gallon carts and businesses would receive 95 gallon carts. This system is being rolled-out in Avola in August and we will get a good idea how it will work in bear country.

The issue of scheduling curbside service for those residents and vacationers that may only be in the area on weekends and/or for holidays is one of the down sides of a curbside system. The pick-up would be done on one weekday and carts would need to be at the curb or road edge by 7:00 a.m. For those that are not in the area on the collection day there are a couple of possibilities including arranging with a neighbor to put their carts out or hauling their materials back to their primary residence. The service is intended for local residents and businesses only and does not cover contractors looking after area Parks and doing renovation and the like. There are other drawbacks of a curbside system that include service to remote areas, service during winter conditions on steep roads etc.

Another option for alternative service to the Lac Le Jeune area is a limited use of the existing transfer station, but the site would need to be operated in a different way than it currently is so that the operational costs are reduced. In effect the site would be closed except for very limited hours - say 6 to 8 hours per week (say 2 openings at 3 to 4 hours each as determined by needs of the community). Ideally the site would be removed from the general service and be solely operated by and for the local area. In this scenario the TNRD could pay the Lac Le Jeune Community Association to operate the site. Punch cards could be issued to all local residents and businesses in a quantity equivalent to a 2 bag per week limit (to encourage recycling) - recycling blue bags would still be free and part of the general service. Businesses may receive more punch cards based on their tax assessments. Identification cards would also need to be issued. Only those with a valid ID card would be authorized to use the site. In this way the number of bin services per year would be reduced and the cost of the site controlled.

To meet the requirements of the TNRD Plan there are two criteria that must be met. First, any alternative service must promote and encourage diversion of waste and recycling. This is the main reason why the TNRD developed the new tipping fee system for waste disposal and initiated the blue bag recycling system in 2008. The new fees are incentive to reduce and recycle. The second is that the alternative must be less expensive to operate to achieve the goal of reducing the overall cost of the system. Another criteria is that no waste transfer site is left open and unattended.

I hope this information will be helpful to you and the Lac le Jeune community. Please feel free to distribute them as needed. As you can see there are many details to work out that depend on which option the local residents and businesses wish to proceed with, and we will provide some more information at the meeting on the 11th.

Thanks again for your interest and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Regards,

Don May

Manager of Environmental Health Services

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

300 - 465 Victoria Street

Kamloops, BC

V2C 2A9

Office (250) 377-8673

Toll free 1-877-377-8673

Direct line (250)377-7057

FAX (250) 372-5048

Cell (250)319-6965

dmay@tnrd.bc.ca

Swamp Ladies

photos by Hugh Burton

On this July day Hugh Burton conveniently had a camera with a good zoom lens while walking Rosie up the hill at Lac Le Jeune Park Drive West. He took a series of pictures of the "swamp ladies" finding their way through the maze toward the ranch at the end of the little lake. In case anyone is curious about the end of the story, we did find our way out! Thanks to Hugh for the photos and also for a new fitting name for a LLJ ladies' kayaking group!

LLJCA meeting

Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association
Annual General Meeting September 12, 2009 @ 9:30am
At the Lac Le Jeune Resort (downstairs)

Agenda

1. Approval of AGM Minutes of July 20, 2008
2. President’s report
3. Treasurer’s Report
4. Enhancement Plan Update
5. Garbage Collection Update
6. Reforestation – Seedling Purchase
7. Ski Hill Rezoning Update
8. Pumpkin Hunt for Kids
9. Opening or Rep in Upper Subdivision
10. Block Watch
11. RCMP Report
12. Question Period

Lac Le Jeune Reminiscences by Hugh Burton: Part 1

photo by Nurmsook
A number of people from around the lake have asked me to provide some anecdotal Lac Le Jeune history. My own memories of names and events related to this area go back reasonably faithfully to around 1945, but the earlier events I will present are sourced either from oral history or articles I have read.

I have taken the liberty of obtaining information of these events from newspaper items and several articles written by Mary Balf who was an employee of Kamloops Museum.

First of all, our lake has not always been called Lac Le Jeune. It had previously been called Trout Lake and Fish Lake. The original map of the Township, on the North Shore of the lake was filed under the name Trout Lake, from the survey produced by D.C. Taggert D.L.B. in 1911. Prior to that it had been popularly known as Fish Lake, presumably in reference to the amazing number of fish it produced for the summer native population and the few enthusiastic anglers who were hardy enough to make the day long trek by horse. This was the name I as a child was familiar with and all the early residents used for many years. However, it seems there were just too many “Fish and Trout Lakes”, so in 1928 the National Geographic Board officially changed the name to Lac Le Jeune in honour of Father Le Jeune, who worked among the Indians of the Kamloops region between 1879 and 1929.

In these early days there appears to have been only two structures close to the shore that could accommodate anglers. Dave Lusk had built a log house in 1885 not far from where the present lodge stands, though it would have been much closer to the water. The other was a trappers cabin that, according to legend, was built in 1901 and was the precursor to what became the N.S. Dalgleish “Jubilee cabin” in 1908. This cabin is still standing immediately east of the Killik’s cabin.

In 1905 Dave Lusk, in partnership with Robert Cowan, built the Fish Lake Hotel - a pretty heady title for such a humble dwelling. Nevertheless, it was sturdy enough to stand up till the current lodge was built, though for a good part of its life it was relegated to boat repair shop, fish storage, and smoke house duty. In the late 1950‘s and early 60‘s I spent many hours in its cramped, dark, confines while preparing fish during the time I was employed as a guide by John and Muriel Whittaker’ who were the owners of Lac Le Jeune Lodge.

Dave Lusk gave up the business in 1906 leaving it to Robert Cowan who very shortly began construction of Rainbow Lodge approximately half way between the current Lodge and the waterfront.

It turned out to be very successful, drawing many avid anglers from the Kamloops area and beyond, some of whom over the next ten years would build their own cabins. Among these were: F.J. Fulton, A.C. Claxton, S.C. Burton, and Dr. Irving. To date four and five generations of these families have enjoyed the peace and beauty of this place.

There is one portion of history which appears to have been missed out, and one that quite probably had a bearing on family settlement. In the first few years of the 1900’s infants in Kamloops were at risk of contracting a serious cholera-like ailment that struck in the heat of the summer. The disease proved life threatening, so many of the sick were brought to a tent camp that was set up about half way along the north side of Rainbow drive, which was then called Pine Street. The idea was that the cooler, purer air, clean water and absence of contaminated flies would restore them. The camp was attended by a nursing staff and overseen by Dr. Irving, the founder of the Irving clinic.

My father was among those who were brought here for the cure, and grandfather credited the move with saving Dad’s life. Grandfather, S. C. Burton and Dr. Irving were already enthusiastic fishermen and it is likely that this event clinched the desire to build. I have often wondered if the development of the children’s camp wasn’t, in part at least, an attempt to lend legitimacy to an extended fishing expedition. At any event, Dr. Irving built his cabin in 1906 where our present house now stands and Granddad built in 1915 on the lot immediately east of Dr. Irving‘s. These were the second and third cabins constructed in the original town site. Granddad’s cabin still stands and is the summer residence of Sidney and Neil Burton and family. Unfortunately, we had to tear down the Irving cabin in order to build our full time residence. However, the kitchen portion is intact, has a history of its own, and now stands behind the current house.

Hugh Burton Aug. 02, 09

More to follow...

Wildfires

It's the time of year that we love living in Lac Le Jeune -- perfect for spending those long, warm days enjoying the outdoors. Unfortunately, the hot, dry weather also brings thunder and lightning. In this area that also means threat of wildfires.

But if lightning were our only concern we would be feeling much more at ease. Alarmingly, the 50% of wildfires in British Columbia are caused by humans. In fact, looking at the statistics since 1998, there are several years where human-caused wildfires tipped the scale. Look at 2005, just two short years after the devastating fires around Kamloops: 60.9% of the wildfires that year were human caused.

There are occasions when fires are started intentionally, but those aren't very common. Sadly, the reason is usually that these people are careless, and are simply unaware of the consequences of their actions. The tourist I saw yesterday smoking at the far end of the little lake probably has no idea how brutally dry the grass is, and that a flick of those ashes could lead to an evacuation of our community. The ATV riders I saw coming off the logging road past the provincial park don't realize the risks of extremely hot exhaust systems. In fact, avoid parking a CAR on dry grass is on the list of ways to prevent wildfires. Do most people know that? Probably not. The only solution is education, and there are a lot of people out there that need to be educated.

photo by Sylvia Currie

How to prevent wildfires (taken from BC Ministry of Forests and Ranges website and other sources)

• Be aware of burning regulations. (Obviously right now campfires and yard burning are prohibited. There's a whole list of related precautions I'll leave out.)
• Smoke only on concrete or on naked, brushless dirt.
• Put your cigarette out on something nonflammable. Never put it out on a stump.
• Do not discard smoking materials from vehicles; use interior ashtrays.
• Never use lawn mowers and weed trimmers to clear dead grass and vegetation during the heat of the day. Just the simple spark from a mower's blade on a rock can start a wildfire.
• Lawn & farm equipment should have properly working spark arresters to prevent sparks from exiting through the exhaust pipes. While spark arrestors are not 100% effective, they GREATLY reduce the risk of starting a wildfire.
• All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) produce an enormous amount of heat and can ignite brush from their exhaust systems.
• Don't park your vehicle on dry grass.
• Don't use fireworks.
• Make sure matches are cold before they leave your hands.
• Keep several fire extinguishers in your house, and know where they are!
• Do not leave a barbeque unattended, and be prepared to deal with flames and sparks.

There are several ways to keep up-to-date on the wildfire situation in the province:

• The BC Wildfire Management Branch website has a list of all the fires, with background information and maps.
• Kamloops radio NL has news on the hour and regular updates -- 610 on the AM dial, or listen via the internet.
• The list of evacuation letters and other correspondence such as "state of emergency" notices can be found on the TNRD file server under Wildfire Information.
• BC Forest Fire Info on Facebook has regular updates. The headlines of the Facebook updates are on the LLJ blog on the right sidebar.
• You can also read shorter updates on twitter.
• Toll free number: 1‑888‑3FOREST (1‑888‑336‑7378)

After fire storm around Kamloops by pentaboxes

Letter to TNRD

Here is the letter we sent off to TNRD this week. If you have written letters and would like to share them on the blog please send them my way (sylvia@webbedfeat.com). It might inspire others to write letters as well!

July 27, 2009

Mr. Don May, Manager, Environmental Health Services

Thompson Nicola Regional District

300- 465 Victoria Street

Kamloops V2C 2A9

Dear Mr. May:

We are writing with respect to the future handling of garbage and recycling in the Lac Le Jeune area. By now you will have received several letters outlining the many reasons Lac Le Jeune residents are opposed to a change to our current system. The reasons are very obvious to residents, but perhaps not as apparent to individuals who do not spend time in our community. They include:

• Our current system works. We are especially pleased with the recent introduction of an attendant and recycling bins at our transfer station.
• The current punch card system encourages recycling. With curbside pick up there is no incentive to recycle.
• Curbside garbage attracts bears and other animals.
• This plan is in conflict with BC Ministry of Environment advice for rural communities to “seriously consider eliminating curbside pick up”.
• Several residents are part-time, making it difficult to comply with scheduled curbside garbage pick up.
• We are concerned for the safety of children who wait for school buses, given the higher risk of dangerous animals in the area resulting from garbage.
• Curbside pick up would require that we invest in new containers. It is more likely that residents will need to store these large containers outside, which is odourous and, again, will attract animals.
• Many residents have long and/or steep, gravel driveways. It is difficult to wheel containers to the curb.
• Garbage containers on the streets are unattractive.

We are permanent residents of Lac Le Jeune and are actively involved in our community. We are particularly interested in enhancing communication among our community members so that we are aware of challenges and issues and make informed choices together. We maintain the Lac Le Jeune blog (http://laclejeune.blogspot.com) where residents are posting information regarding the plan to implement curbside garbage collection. There is currently a petition being circulated that has quickly filled with signatures of local residents opposing the planned change to our garbage collection system.

We were relieved to receive your notice last week of a public meeting to discuss the future of the Lac Le Jeune refuse transfer station. To our knowledge, this will be the first time Lac Le Jeune residents have been consulted about changes to our garbage collection system. Our initial correspondence received (but not by all residents) June 22, 2009 from Mrs. Ronaye Elliott stated that the decision to implement curbside garbage collection resulted from “the meetings that I have attended to listen to the people”. It was certainly a surprise to our community that a new “plan” was already underway; we were not included in the meetings Mrs. Elliot refers to.

We understand from your letter that at the August 11, 2009 public meeting you will be outlining options for future handling of garbage and recycling. We assume one option includes maintaining the current system. We are confident that when TNRD representatives read our letters, and listen to our reasons for opposing curbside garbage collection, they will agree that our current system should not be changed.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert C. Brown and Sylvia Currie

PO Box 5037

Lac Le Jeune, BC V1S 1Y8

(250) 377-0063

gonefishing@webbedfeat.com

cc:

Mr. Steve Wasylik. Conservation Officer Services

Mr. Greg Toma, Chief Administrative Officer. TNRD

Mr. Peter Hughes. Director Environmental Services. TNRD

Mr. Martin Dickson, Environmental Service Technologist. TNRD

Mrs. Ronaye Elliott, Director Electoral Area "J" (Copper Desert Country)

Reminder: Worm Composting Workshop

There are a few spaces left in the Worm Composting Workshop this Thursday evening! Call TNRD to register: 250-377-8673.

Raising awareness: garbage and bears

In light of the upcoming public meeting to discuss the future of the Lac Le Jeune Refuse Transfer Station, and the ongoing discussions about concerns regarding curbside garbage collection, these excerpts from articles may help to raise awareness regarding garbage and bears.

This is from the BC Ministry of Environment website:

As more people — and more garbage — move into traditional bear habitat, more bears are becoming garbage-conditioned, and have to be destroyed. It’s a terrible waste of life. It’s also costly: the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks' Conservation Officer Service spends about $1 million a year dealing with bear/people conflicts.

The B.C. government is doing more than responding to bear/people conflicts. We’re encouraging people to take responsibility for garbage and other bear attractants to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. That requires the cooperation of the public, local governments, and industry.

On the BC Ministry of Environment website "Public education and research" is listed as one of the solutions. In our community we are already practicing the solution. Moving to curbside garbage collection would certainly be a step backwards.

More public information and education is needed to change public behaviour about dealing with garbage and other bear attractants. Government is also addressing other issues — studying the effectiveness of translocation, and considering garbage management options such as direct disposal of garbage from homes to bear-proof collection bins, incineration of garbage, and odor control at landfills.

This article was published in the July 17, 2009 edition of Logan Lake Weekly.

BEAR AWARE PROGRAM

Council was shown a Bear Aware PowerPoint on the computer by Megan Robertson from BC Conservation; there is a real problem with the humans leaving garbage out, Garbage Disposal containers can also be a problem if not locked tight, as well as bird feeders, un-cleaned Barbeque equipment and fruit trees as they attract the bears. To date there have been 40 complaints so far this year, a fair amount of complaints for a town this size.

Ten Bears have been removed and destroyed, as they will return to the area. The population is definitely growing in our area. There is only one Bear Trap in our area.

Bear resistant Garbage Bins are now being used and the new cans won't open for the bears. Please don't put your garbage out the night before pickup, pick ripening fruits and knock flowers off to prevent the fruit growth. Anyone encouraging the bears can be fined $575.00.

Councillor Youd said that he had called in to report a bear here on the weekend but the call was not returned. Apparently all calls go to Victoria, B.C.

While bears are not are only concern with the planned changes to our waste management, they certainly are top on the list. We want to avoid the consequences of garbage bears in our area -- certain death of the bears, risks for children waiting for school buses, encounters with residents and pets...the list goes on.

photo by Walkadog