Totally Natural Regional District

Enjoy this video of the wildlife in our region!

Totally Natural Regional DistrictKISS.mp4 from Frank Ritcey on Vimeo.

Have you seen Jacqueline McDermott?

From RCMP Newsroom 

-----

Have you seen Jacqueline McDermott?

Merritt

2022-10-03 13:52 PDT

File # 2022-4720

On Saturday, October 1, 2022, Merritt RCMP received a missing person report. Jacqueline McDermott was reported missing by family as she has not been seen, or heard from since Thursday, September 29, 2022.

Police have learned that on September 30, 2022 Jacqueline had planned to attend a yoga retreat near Merritt but left after a short time. Her vehicle, which appears to have broken down, was located on highway 97 C between Merritt and Logan Lake and local community members recall seeing Jacqueline around her vehicle.

An extensive search on land and in air was conducted by RCMP Air Services, Police Dog Services and Search & Rescue, and no sign of Jacqueline has been found.

Jacqueline McDermott is described as:

• Caucasian female
• 22 years old
• 5’ 7 (170 cms)
• 111 lbs (50 kgs)
• Curly blonde hair
• Fair complexion
• Medium build 
• Nose piercing

If you see Jacqueline, or know where she may be, contact the Merritt RCMP at (250) 378-4262.

Bats: A World of Science and Mystery

The University of Chicago Press free e-book of the month is all about bats!

 

Area J Voting Locations

The TNRD General Local Elections will take place on Saturday, October, 15, 2022.  Polling stations have been finalised. Here are the Area "J" voting locations. 

8:00am - 8:00pm - Tobiano Presentation Centre, 38 Rue Cheval Noir;

8:00am - 8:00pm - Savona Seniors Centre, 6605 Savona Access Road;

8:00am - 8:00pm - TNRD Civic Building, 465 Victoria Street, Kamloops 

8:00am-10:00amam -Hampton Residence, 9772 Meadow Rd, Tranquille Valley;

8:00-11:00am - Burns Residence, 3737 Ridgemont Drive, Lac Le Jeune

12:30-7:00pm Hansen Residence, 5244 Beaton Road, Cherry Creek

Reminder to attend the Meet the Candidates Night at 7pm, October 4th at the Savona Community Hall!

Meet the Candidates for TNRD Director Area "J"

Meet the Candidates for TNRD Director Area "J" 

Michael GRENIER
Corine LEBOURDAIS
Michael MCKELVEY

Savona Community Hall

October 4th @ 7pm

Make an informed decision at the upcoming election!

Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association Annual General Meeting - Agenda

This agenda is also available for download from our Files Section. Here is a direct link to the document

---

LAC LE JEUNE 

CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 

When: Sunday September 18, 2022 - 10:00 a.m.

Where: Lac Le Jeune Provincial Park - day area shelter

Special requests:

- Refer to the minutes of the 2021 AGM (available online)

- Bring $10 for your annual LLJCA membership renewal

- New members can download and complete the membership form ahead of time

AGENDA

1. Approval of the minutes from the September 26, 2021 AGM

2. Lake Monitoring Program - Colleen Kennedy

3. Fire Smart - Bruce Mitchell

4. Treasurer's Report - Cindy Swain

5. Other Business

6. Elections

7. Draw

Lac Le Jeune Sunrise - quilt by Jenny Perry

This quilt, "Lac Le Jeune Sunrise", by Jenny Perry, is featured on the website of Virginia Quilt Museum's upcoming juried exhibition. It is one of 32 contemporary art quilts from the Virginia and North Carolina Region of Studio Art Quilt Associates.

 

Planned Power Outage: August 16, 2022

Here are the details from BC Hydro regarding the upcoming planned power outage. The streets and regions affected are listed on their website. 

--------------------

From: Tuesday, August 16, 2022 09:00 AM (estimated)

To: Tuesday, August 16, 2022 03:00 PM (estimated)

Reason: Equipment Maintenance

Prepare for the outage

Before the outage begins, turn off electric heaters, major appliances and unplug sensitive electronics to protect them from damage. If you rely on electric medical equipment or access doors, have a plan to maintain use.

Why we plan power outages

Planned outages allow us to safely maintain and improve our electric system, which helps reduce the frequency of unplanned outages caused by storms and equipment failures. We understand that outages are inconvenient, and we appreciate your patience.

Get the latest status

Planned power outages may be cancelled without notice due to safety, adverse weather or emergencies. Get the latest status of your planned outage online or give us a call at 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376).

Thank you for understanding. We'll restore your power as soon as possible.

Press release: Campfire prohibitions to start in Kamloops Fire Centre

 

Campfire prohibitions to start in Kamloops Fire Centre

August 1, 2022

KAMLOOPS – Effective at 12 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, August 4, 2022, campfires, will be prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. This campfire prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2022, or until the orders are rescinded.

The Kamloops Fire Centre is currently experiencing hot and dry conditions and fire danger ratings are generally “high” or “extreme” throughout the fire centre. Category 2 and Category 3 open fires and Section 12 Equipment and Activities (listed below) are already prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

Camping is a long-standing tradition in this province. The B.C. government recognizes that people also enjoy having campfires, so it takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously.

Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused wildfires.

As of noon on Thursday, August 4, the following activities are prohibited:

• Campfires as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• Category 2 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• Category 3 open fire as defined in the Wildfire Regulation
• Fireworks
• Sky Lanterns
• Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description
• Binary Exploding Targets
• Tiki and similar kind of torches
• Chimineas, outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses not CSA or ULC approved

To learn more about the different categories of open burning, visit the Open Burning webpage.

These prohibitions apply to all public and private land within the Kamloops Fire Centre jurisdiction, unless specified otherwise in an enactment (e.g. in a local government bylaw). Always check with local government authorities to see if any other burning restrictions are in effect.

Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The Kamloops Fire Centre would like to thank the public for its continuing help in preventing wildfires. To report a wildfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca

People can follow the latest wildfire news:

• on the free BC Wildfire Service public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS) and Android devices
• on Twitter: twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• on Facebook: facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Contact:

Fire Information Officer

BC Wildfire Service

Kamloops Fire Centre

250 554-5965 

Connect with the Province of B.C. at www.gov.bc.ca/connect.

Lac Le Jeune FireSmart - Help is Available!

Please be advised our neighbor at the ski hill is opening up their property to accept wood waste, these piles will be burnt this upcoming fall. 

Old ski hill will be open to accept wood waste following 3 weekends:

• August 17 - 17
• August 23 - 24
• August 30 - 31

Please contact either Dean Redknap or Clay Govett for access.

• Dean (250-819-1900) 
• Clay (250-819-4779) 

REQUESTS: 

• Open to local residents only 
• Clean wood, branches, limbs, needles (no construction waste) 
• Please dump as close to an existing pile as possible, preferably between them. 

Additional Resources available 

• 2 of the Local Firesmart Representatives listed on the Firesmart BC website are available for educational walk thru of your property - on a volunteer basis! 
  • Bill Miller (bill.miller@ubc.ca)
  • Clay Govett (clay.govett@gmail.com)
• Should you require formal assessments for any reason, fees may be applicable.  
• The Local Firesmart Committee is offering to "call to arms" local volunteers to assist with fire mitigation of local properties for those whom may need some assistance, Contact Bruce Mitchell to offer your assistance or request for some help. 
• Bruce Mitchell (brucej53@telus.net)
• Scott Alan has secured "preferred pricing" for local residents, Scott has access to fire pumps, hose, fittings, sprinkler systems and much more! 
• Scott Alan (250-862-1239)
• Both Dean and Clay have contracting companies that can assist with tree falling, pruning, etc and removal, again we are prepared to offer preferred rates for fellow residents. 

 -- Clay Govett -- 

Save the Date! Conservation Association AGM

"Save the Date" CC-BY 2.0 by wuestenigel

The 2022 Lac Le Jeune Annual General Meeting will be held Sunday, September 18 at 10:00 am. Agenda and details to follow.

BC Hydro Scheduled Power Outage

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

There is a scheduled power outage planned for Lac Le Jeune so that work can be done on equipment.

When: Jul 18, 9:00 a.m. to Jul 18, 3:00 p.m. 

Regions: 

• Logan Lake
• Merritt
• Mamette Lake
• Chuwhels Mountain

FireSmart: There's No Place Like Home!

 

Thanks so much to everyone who has been rolling up their sleeves and applying the FireSmart principles in and around their yards (Zone 0-2)! It’s time to move to the edges of our yards and into our community (Zone 3: 30 – 100m). Things to think about in Zone 3 are much the same as in Zone 2, it is about removing low hanging branches within 2m of the ground, spacing trees 3m apart and removing smaller coniferous trees that could act as a ladder up to the branches of larger trees. Remember to consider the health of trees in this process and removing diseased trees over healthy ones! It is also important to consider our neighbourhood and the steps we can take to ensure that our street addresses are clearly marked and that we clear vegetation from access routes! 

Note: Want a deeper dive into these tips? Download the FireSmart Begins at Home Manual.  This manual outlines the steps you can take at home to reduce the potential impacts of wildfire.

There’s Something’s Happening Here! 

You may have noticed some work happening in and around Lac Le Jeune. In addition to what’s happening at the resort, BC Parks is working on the Parks side of the Gus Johnson trail and the Ministry of Forests has plans to undertake fuel reduction efforts. Julie Maxwell, Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and the Land and Resource Coordinator with the Ministry of Forests, joined the Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee (LLJFSC) meeting in April to share plans for fuel reduction. The map below outlines about 30 hectares of Crown Land around Walloper Lake that is scheduled for spacing and fuel reduction this year and further areas that will have treatment in 2023. 

To support community efforts, the LLJFSC is working with regional and provincial partners to help mitigate the risks in our community! Locally, the Committee has a few additional things underway: 

• We now have 3 trained FireSmart Representatives who will be able to help homeowners identify priorities for managing wildfire fuels on their property. We are planning a series of pilot assessments in June. Watch these updates for how to access this service! 
• We are working on accessing a chipper to help homeowners remove excess brush from properties.
• We are putting together a list of fire suppression equipment and pricing to assist in planning for and accessing necessary equipment and supplies.
• We have representatives from each neighbourhood in the LLJ area - except Walloper Lake and the little lake: 
• LLJ Subdivision: Clay Govett & Dean Redknap 
• Lookout Road: Jim Phillips and Bill Miller 
• Rainbow Drive/Water Street: Brian Gordon 
• LLJ Road East: Glenn Sparrow, Brad Smith 
• Cowan Pond: Chris Murray 

• Stay tuned for an upcoming Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Community meeting – date, time and location to be announced soon! We hope you will join us and learn more about how you can take action to keep your home and our community safe! 

Calling All Walloper Lake Residents!

 

The Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee is looking for a representative from Walloper Lake to join community FireSmart efforts! Please contact Bruce Mitchell (brucej53@telus.net) or Colleen Kennedy (colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com) to learn more!

FireSmart: Zoning Out!

In the last post, we explored FireSmart Zones 0 and 1.  So...you've got the area immediately around your house cleaned up and the yard closest to your house is golden, now is the time to move a little further out in your yard to the 10-30m area (or Zone 2 in FireSmart)!

In this zone, you really want to think about tree spacing (3m apart for coniferous trees) and pruning the tree branches within 2m of the ground. This step may involve removing smaller coniferous trees that could allow fire to move into the treetops. You don’t need to clear cut your yard here, this is about selectively removing trees to protect your home, while still maintaining Lac Le Jeune’s natural beauty! 

Not sure how to prune your large trees? The FireSmart guide even provides tips and tricks for that! There is also a wonderful landscaping guide and hub to help shape your future choices! 

Note: Don’t want to wait until our next FireSmart Tip? You can go right to the FireSmart site and download the FireSmart Begins at Home Manual. This manual outlines the steps you can take at home to reduce the potential impacts of wildfire. Watch for a print copy on your door step in the coming weeks – if you we haven’t already reached your house!  

Handyperson Wanted

"Toolbox" https://flic.kr/p/c4QJzC

Looking for a person to help out with general maintenance like painting, landscaping, splitting wood, etc.

Preferably someone who lives at Lac Le Jeune or the surrounding area.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Brian @ 604 841-9572.

Lake Monitoring: All the Cool Kids Are Doing It! Training Date Set!

We are delighted to report that the LLJ Lake Monitoring program is back in action!  The probe is working and we were able to get measurements on the big lake in January and February, but we need your help.  We are still looking for volunteers to assist with this important program to ensure our lake stays healthy. 

With a few more volunteers,it will only be a teeny, tiny commitment to participate! We have a training date set (Thursday, May 12, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 3840 Rainbow Drive on the lakeside lower deck) and will provide all the resources you need. All you need to do is volunteer a few hours of your time!  

Come on out, join us and learn more (and we promise there will be treats). As an added bonus, you have an excuse to get out on the lake (either summer or winter)! 

Please contact Colleen Kennedy (colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com or 778-921-0095) if you are interested in learning more!  Can’t make the orientation on the 12th? No worries, we can also provide 1:1 training at a later date. If you are signing up, please advise if you have access to an ice auger for the winter monitoring. For those who have already signed up – we’ve got you! 

Help wanted at Cowan Pond log cabins

 "We are hiring" by focusonmore.com

The log cabins on Cowan Pond (formerly Woody Life Resort) are now under new ownership and doing vacation rentals. We are looking for a supervisor to assist in managing 22 – 30 cabins. We are also looking for someone to do minor repairs and painting for both cabins and our amenity building. 

For more information, please contact Mona Murray – mona@mcmrealestate.ca or phone 250-319-0813.

Want to Play in the Lake?

                                                                                                               Image: Ron Lyster, 2021

Are you looking for an excuse to get out on the lake? If so, we hope you will join us and volunteer for the Lac Le Jeune Lake Monitoring Program. This initiative helps measure the health of our two lakes by lowering a probe into the lake to capture information like temperature and dissolved oxygen!

The old adage rings true - many hands make light work! So, with just a few more community volunteers, the time commitment of each person will be less than 2-3 hours per year!  The good news is that the fabulous Hugh Burton is planning a brief orientation session in the coming weeks (date and times to be finalized) and he will teach you everything you hoped to learn and more! 

If you are interested in joining us, please e-mail colleenkennedy.apple@icloud.com with your phone number and preferred e-mail address and we will notify you when the orientation is happening!

FireSmart Colouring Contest

Crayon Tips by chrismetcalfTV 

For those with kiddies at home, the TNRD library has partnered with FireSmart for their April colouring contest for kids 12 and under! The contest features Ember, the FireSmart BC mascot!  You can pick up colouring sheets at your local branch and enter for a chance to win an Ember plush toy by showing a completed colouring page to staff at the library desk.

FireSmart: It Starts at Home!

At a community level, we are working to reduce the risk of wildfires, but did you know that FireSmart offers helpful steps that you can take right in your own back yard? As we are all itching to get outdoors this time of year, we thought there was no better time to walk you through each of the four FireSmart zones (Fig.1). 

Figure 1: FireSmart Zones - Credit FireSmart - Click image to enlarge

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing simple steps in each of the zones to help reduce your wildfire risk. This week we’re starting with the non-combustible zone - this is the area 0 – 1.5 m from your home. Why worry about this zone? Well, those embers falling from the sky might seem small, but did you know that 50% of home fires caused by wildfires start with sparks and embers? Regular work around your home (e.g., cleaning up wood debris, leaves and other flammable items) can make all the difference!  FireSmart invites you to consider things like your roof, chimney, gutters, eaves & vents, siding, windows, doors, decks and fences/outbuildings and offers some simple, low-cost steps you can take to reduce your risk (Fig. 2 below)!

Figure 2: Non-Combustible Zone, Credit FireSmart - Click image to enlarge

Well, that should keep you busy for a few weeks! Stay tuned for more tips from FireSmart. 

Don’t want to wait until our next tip? Check out the FireSmart site and download the FireSmart Begins at Home Manual  (PDF) and get all the juicy details yourself! The manual outlines the steps you can take at home to reduce the risk of wildfire and even offers a FireSmart home assessment.

 

 

 

 

 

March 2022 Update from the Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee

Province of British Columbia Fuel Management Demo CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

The Lac Le Jeune area now has a FireSmart Committee with 11 members who represent all areas of our community. This should assist us in accessing government funding and assistance to prepare for any future wildfire events in our area. The Committee includes Bill Miller, Colleen Kennedy, Brian Gordon, Glen Sparrow, Clay Govett, Jim Philips, Rod Faust, Scott Alan, Bruce Mitchell, Chris Murray, and Brad Smith. Tim Cole, a LLJ resident who is also a Professional Forester, has agreed to participate in an advisory role. 

So far we have had two organizational meetings and we have gathered important information to get us started toward being a FireSmart community. Activities completed or initiated so far include:

• Recruiting of committee members from most neighbourhoods of the Lac Le Jeune community. Our Committee includes members with fire suppression and fuel management experience.
• Checking in with the LLJ Resort owners to see what level of involvement they would like to have with our FireSmart initiatives.
• Planning regular FireSmart informational updates to share with Lac Le Jeune residents.  These articles will describe how we can all make our properties more FireSmart and, therefore, more likely to survive a wildfire event. The first of these bulletins was shared on the Community Facebook page in February, 2022.
• Reviewing Forest Ministry maps of our area to see where timber removal and fuel management activities are planned on Crown and private lands near our properties.
• Visiting with Doug Wilson, the Chief of the Logan Lake Fire Department to get advice on how to become a designated FireSmart community, as well as what is the best fire suppression equipment for our residents, as well as for the community at large, to have on hand in case of a wildfire.
• Checking in with Ronaye Elliot, our area representative on the TNRD, to access what funding available to assist us in educating our members, purchasing supplies or renting necessary equipment. We are currently putting together a budget to submit to the TNRD so that funds can be provided to us.

The FireSmart committee are now looking for a Forestry Professional who can assist us in developing a FireSmart Community Action Plan that will guide us toward becoming a designated FireSmart community.  The Forester will survey our entire community and assist us in getting maximum protections with focused fuel management activities and astute equipment acquisitions.

Please watch the Lac Le Jeune Community blog, the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association Facebook page, and the neighbourhood bulletin board (by the mailboxes) for more FireSmart suggestions. If you would like more information on FireSmart, check out www.firesmartcanada.ca. If you would like to assist with future projects, or have expertise to share with our Committee, please contact Bruce Mitchell at brucej53@telus.net or call me at 778-257-0855.

FireSmart in Lac Le Jeune: Join Us!

The summer of 2021 was the third worst wildfire season in BC with many of those fires burning through or near residential areas. Communities in the Thompson Nicole region were among those most at risk of the devastating effects of wildfire. The threat for our community is real. This past summer the township of Logan Lake showed that action can be taken to reduce the risks. 

FireSmart practices, along with forest management, are key to reducing the threat of wildfire. Logan Lake is considered a model of how adopting a FireSmart plan should be done. The collective and individual efforts made by Logan Lake residents helped save the town.

We are taking action and invite you to join us! The newly formed Lac Le Jeune FireSmart Committee is looking for action-oriented individuals to assist in developing and implementing plans to help our community prepare for the future.

Current memberships includes:

• Bruce Mitchell (Chair)
• Clay Govett
• Rod Faust
• Colleen Kennedy
• Bill Miller
• Jim Phillips
• Glen Sparrow           

To join us, please contact Bruce Mitchell (brucej53@telus.net).

Image: Wildfire by Laymik from NounProject.com