Fundraising begins for Nelson skatepark

The Kootenay Lake Outdoor Skatepark Society has chosen a fitting title for its first major benefit.  We Got Land! not only kicks off a $400,000 fundraising campaign for the park’s construction, but celebrates the regional district’s final approval of a building site in the corner of the Nelson and District Community Complex parking lot.  The two-part event, co-sponsored by the Shambhala music festival, runs Thursday April 20 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nelson and District Youth Centre in an all-ages format, then moves to Spiritbar at 10 p.m. for the 19-plus crowd.

The gifts of volunteerism

There is an incredible number of volunteers in Nelson! Kim Charlesworth says, “From my perspective both as a city councilor and that of a resident, I am truly grateful to live in a place where people give so much. First there are the service clubs who are our oldest established volunteer organizations.  Then add in the sports organizations, the environmental not-for-profits, the health and social organizations, the arts and cultural organizations.  There’s another aspect to volunteering that helps make our city awesome: it creates a positive feedback loop. Volunteering benefits the volunteer, as well as being a prime mechanism for creating and maintaining social connections.”

Local unemployment rate rises

The Kootenay unemployment rate was 9.4 per cent in March, up from 8.4 per cent in February.  Statistics Canada says about 7,300 people were looking for work, but there were 400 fewer jobs than the previous month.  March’s jobless rate was still lower than the same time last year, when it sat at 10.7 per cent.  The figures cover the East and West Kootenays.  Province-wide unemployment was 8.1 per cent, while the national rate was 7.7 per cent.

Troubled saw mill fires up operation again

Meadow Creek Cedar has partly restarted operations at its Lardeau Valley sawmill, following a series of safety inspections over the last few weeks.  “Some areas are now in compliance and are operational,” says WorkSafeBC spokeswoman Megan Johnston. “Some areas are not operational yet because they’re still trying to meet the requirements of the regulations.”  The company stated in its notice of compliance that it had invested 360 worker hours plus materials in safety upgrades as of March 15, and estimated it would take 500 hours overall. It said it was further revising and updating safe work practices, procedures, and response plans.

Hopping on the local airwaves

The Nelson Business Association  consists of business owners, the self-employed and those otherwise involved or interested in the business community. Weekly meetings are held on Thursdays from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Hume Hotel. Members talk about the issues and activities concerning their own businesses as well as topics related to the NBA. Business issues, collaborative business ideas as well as new ventures for the NBA are also discussed. The NBA warmly welcomes and encourages new members. Membership is free and a donation is collected at each meeting. NBA member and Kootenay Co-op Radio sponsorship coordinator Deb Burnett will discuss NBA matters on her radio program, What Now? which airs every other Friday at 2 p.m on Kootenay Co-op Radio.  For more on the NBA visit the Nelson Business Association.

Waneta Expansion; impacts studied

A consultant will track how the Waneta expansion impacts Greater Trail.  Cathy Scott-May will act as the project’s socio-economic monitor, producing reports on indicators such as employment, wage income, expenditures, economic development, traffic, health and safety, housing population, recreation and community services.  She will present her findings on a regular basis, with the first quarterly report available later this spring.   To date the project has about 160 employees working on site, and together employees have worked a total of 100,000 man-hours.  The project will inject $178 million into the local economy through the purchase of goods and services, and supply 400 jobs and $200 million in wages and benefits over the course of four years.  Residents with questions or concerns can get in touch with Scott-May at 250-359-7831 or via email at cscottmay@netidea.com

Teck gives students a glimpse of the trades

Eighty Grade 8 and 9 students descended upon Teck Metals Ltd. in Trail last Wednesday to learn about careers in the trades during the first “Trades in Action Day.”  Students were able to choose four different trades to explore during their time at Teck, including industrial electrician, pipefitter/steamfitter, machinist, millwright, carpenter, welder, steel fabrication, refrigeration and bricklayer.  Currently, there are 45 apprentices at Teck, many of which the students were able to meet and ask questions.  In the past three years, 29 apprentices have graduated and been hired in Trail fulltime. SD20 currently offers a millwright-machinist program in Nelson, carpentry, welding and electric, as well as professional cooks training and hairdressing. Other programs that can be started in high school for entry into Selkirk College are fine woodworking, general mechanics, esthetics, plant operator and welding.

Awards recognition early-years-friendly businesses in the West Kootenay

A number of outstanding businesses and individuals received awards at the West Kootenay Early Years Conference in Rossland last weekend for their efforts to improve the quality of care and education for young children.  Employers were credited for their efforts to accommodate their employees’ family needs, from child care and play areas to parental leave. Winners were Kootenay Kids in Nelson, the Trail FAIR Society, and Pacific Insight in Nelson.  Businesses were rewarded for their efforts to provide their patrons with services that carefully considered children and families.

Housing project down but not out

Kootenay Christian Fellowship will miss Friday’s deadline to buy the old Savoy Hotel for low-cost housing, but isn’t giving up.  Pastor Jim Reimer says they asked the seller for a three-month extension to secure financing, but were declined because the building is tied up in litigation stemming from a 2007 fire.  The Square Foot to Freedom campaign has raised about $50,000 to date. Another $700,000 is needed for the deal to go through.  Reimer says the best case scenario would be to come up with the cash to buy the building, and then work through the other hurdles of renovating it over two to three years.  The overall project, including purchase and renovation, is expected to cost $2.5 million.

Nelson Kootenay Lake tourism organization launches new logo and slogan

The Nelson Kootenay Lake (NKL) Destination Tourism Marketing Organization has launched its premier logo and slogan for the region.  “The image really calls attention to our region’s unique topography compared to other regions of British Columbia” says Tom Thomson, chair of the Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism Association Board.  Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism is a not-for-profit self-sustaining Destination Marketing Organization, industry-funded, research-based and membership-driven, covering an area from Nelson, Balfour, Proctor, Harrop, Ainsworth, Kaslo and Meadow Creek.  The brand is a likeness of Kootenay Lake’s iconic viewscape and recognizes the significance of the lake in connecting our communities. The new logo and slogan will be used on all Nelson Kootenay Lake tourism advertisements, website, marketing programs and promotional campaigns regionally, nationally and internationally starting this spring.

Kootenay News is a regular feature of Kootenay Career Development Society.