News from July 16 to 22, 2010

Hotel demo called off  ’til Fall

The Impending demolition of the City Centre Motel in Castlegar is now postponed until the BC Supreme Court rules on an appeal made by the owners to have the motel removal order reviewed.

Castlegar residents may go to polls for rec reno

A $25 million proposed expansion of the Castlegar Recreation Complex will be put up for Castlegar resident vote if the referendum is approved by the RDCK board at the end of July.  The expansion would address current facility problems areas along with the development of a brand new recreation building which would host a new sheet of ice.

For some at Rossland market, health rules hard to swallow

BC Health Officials are meeting market produce and food vendors with tougher food regulations.  Food products are being divided into low-risk and high-risk, depending on their ingredients and how and when the products are prepared.  Some products now require testing to comply with health standard, others now (such as alfalfa sprouts) have been deemed too high a risk to be sold.  Before vendors are permitted to sell their products, they must provide health officials with a detailed ingredient list, test results and have certain wares prepared in commercial kitchens.  Market vendors in Rossland are currently navigating this new process.

Housing situation dire:  report

On July 20, the 2009 Annual Report on Homelessness for Nelson is being presented to community organizations.  The report details that a significant number of low-income individuals are spending 70 to 80 percent of their incomes on housing.  This leaves very little left for food, which would explain the large volume of people visiting local soup kitchens and food banks.  There is a very real shortage of affordable housing in Nelson.  Youth, especially those with mental health issues, represent a very large percentage of the homeless population.  The municipal government has commissioned a ”need and demand” study in order to figure out how to address these issues using currently existing spaces within the community.  However, there is no financial support coming from either the provincial or federal governments.

Telus:  no changes to cell tower plans

Telus plans to continue the construction of its cell phone tower in New Denver within the next two weeks.  The company claims that it has followed the original transmission level guidelines, created three years ago.

Progress on CP Railway Station

Phase One and Phase Two of restoration is well underway and will be completed by mid-fall.  These two phases include a new roof, washroom facilities and a foyer.

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