July
Over the falls
A local man fell into Mark Creek, went over Marysville Falls and survived. On Monday, July 1, Kimberley Search and Rescue performed a highly technical rope rescue to retrieve the man from the river, something that they train often, but had never before put into practice. KSAR personnel said the fact that the man survived was miraculous.
Duck race
There were smiles on the faces of the hard-working volunteers at the Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank, as once again the East Kootenay Realty Food Bank Duck Race proved itself to the year’s biggest fundraiser. The race raised $17,000 in 2013.
Missing man found
On July 6, the body of missing Jaffray man Ezekiel “Zeke” Fantuz was pulled out of the Bull River east of Cranbrook by Search and Rescue personnel, according to Cranbrook RCMP. The young man was last seen at about 11:15 p.m. on Monday, June 24 after he left a friend’s house to return home.
Wasa water
There were concerns around the safety of water in Wasa after Juneflooding, not only about whether the lake is safe for swimming, but around the water quality in private wells. Interior Health said they were not responsible for private wells and that they were not testing beaches for safety. People were advised to use common sense.
Trudeau visits
The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada made a stop in Cranbrook Sunday, July 21, turning Rotary Park into the local political event of the season. Trudeau was accompanied by his son Xavier, 6, and daughter Ella Grace, 4.
JulyFest success
This year’s JulyFest can only be called ‘the best of the best of the fests’ said Chamber President Darren Close after a hugely successful weekend. And the Kimberley RCMP agreed, Cpl. Chris Newel reporting that the crowds were well behaved and everyone had a great time.
August
Standalone detachments
The cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley, in consultation with
the South East District RCMP, announced the re‐establishment of separate detachments for both cities. There will be no visible impact to either community and jail cells for Kimberley will remain in Cranbrook, under a separate agreement between the two cities.
Bullock pleads guilty
The man charged in relation with a carjacking incident near Creston and police chase in Cranbrook October 2012 pleaded guilty in the case. Nickolas Bullock appeared in court in Port Coquitlam on Wednesday, July 31, and pleaded guilty to six charges, including four committed in Cranbrook.
Marysville Arena
Kimberley City Council had a long discussion over the fate of the Marysville Arena on Monday evening, ending with the decision (not unanimous) to go ahead with phase one of the ice plant upgrade. However, even the Councillors voting for proceeding indicated they did so reluctantly.
Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail committee completed a new routing plan for Kimberley which officially connects the trail into one continuous route and adds a unique loop feature, where the TCT will run two parallel routes on the Lions Way and also the Rails to Trails between Kimberley and Marysville.
Longboarding
The first meeting between the City of Kimberley, RCMP and longboarders occurred on Friday, August 16, 2013, and the consensus was that there are some bridges to build and a lot of education required. The group promised to continue to meet to keep ahead on what is a contentious issue in Kimberley.
Multiple charges
A Kimberley man, aged 20, faced charges of Impaired Driving and Theft of a Vehicle after being involved in an accident on St. Mary Lake Road. Police reported he incident occurred at about 8 p.m. on August 19, when reports were received of a vehicle being driven in a reckless manner on 4th Avenue in Townsite. More reports of the erratic driver were received and then an accident involving a vehicle of that description was called in.
New brand
Kimberley rolled out its new brand; a new look for marketing tools and a unified message that will tell the world that Kimberley is a good place to be. It’s a simple phrase, but it can be used as a marketing element by all sorts of organizations and tourism partners to talk about what is good about Kimberley, from mountain biking to golfing to raising a family.
Prorogation
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced he intended to prorogue parliament and deliver a new throne speech later this fall. The move came under some scrutiny since the Harper Government chose to prorogue parliament in both 2008 and 2009. Kootenay-Columbia Member of Parliament David Wilks said that prorogation of parliament is nothing out of the ordinary.
September
Grizzlies
September would be the month of the grizzlies in Kimberley as repeated sightings of two juvenile grizzly bears were reported. The sightings began on Rotary Drive, then Chapman Camp, then the bears made their way to Marysville. The bears were not getting into much trouble, sticking mainly to fruit trees, but were a cause for concern to Conservation Officers. Eventually one bear was trapped and relocated and the other shot in Marysville.
Theatre evolution
Kimberley Summer Theatre announced they would be evolving from a summer company to a year round production company thus changing their name to the Kootenay Performing Arts Company. Their first show was Classical Enchantment featuring violin virtuoso Pablo Diemecke, along with ballet dancer Sarah Murphy-Dyson.
Sensible BC
The Sensible B.C. campaign for a referendum on the decriminalization of marijuana begn, and canvassers were knocking on doors in Kimberley seeking signatures on their petition. The campaign continued through the fall.
Dix resigns
Adrian Dix’s decision to resign as NDP Leaders was the right one, said Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald, but he would not be seeking the leadership himself. Macdonald said it was almost impossible for an MLA from a small rural riding to win the leadership.
Back roads
An astounding amount of work was done on the East Kootenay’s backcountry roads since the June 2013 floods that caused $5.5 million worth of damage. More than 50 sites and 30 bridges were damaged during the torrential rainstorms that hit the area in late June. Since that time, staff at the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations worked virtually non-stop to repair roads that access logging operations, hunting areas and popular hikes.
Mayors Caucus
British Columbia’s mayors have been getting together twice a year for the past two years to discuss issues of common interests, especially when it comes to establishing a more stable and predictable way to source provincial funding. Meetings are held yearly at the union of British Columbia Municipalities conference and then once in the spring at another location. The next meeting is scheduled for May 8 and 9, 2014 and the host cities will be Kimberley and Cranbrook.
Drug bust
On Thursday, September 26, Kimberley RCMP entered a Marysville home with a search warrant under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Cpl. Chris Newel of the Kimberley Detachment says that inside police found four separate grow rooms in the basement with over 100 plants in various stages of growth. A small amount of marijuana bud was also found. A 36-year old male was arrested.