What can you expect to find on this site? Anything related to life in our community -- events, celebrations, wildlife alerts, stories, photos, conservation news...
Here are the details from BC Hydro regarding the upcoming planned power outage. The streets and regions affected are listed on their website.
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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.
Campfire prohibitions to start in Kamloops Fire Centre
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 This campfire prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2022, or until the orders are rescinded.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
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
