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2014 Year in Review: What made the news in the Star/Journal from November and December

A review of news items this paper reported on during 2014

Continued from our Jan. 22, 2015, issue...

NOVEMBER

An All Candidates Forum for District of Barriere candidates was held in the Fall Fair Hall for area voters to come out and hear what each candidate had to say with over 160 people attending.

North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association’s (NTFFRA) retiring treasurer, Leslie Stirling, was awarded the Canadian Fair Champion Award for Western Canada on behalf of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (CAFE) after being nominated by the NTFFRA.  Stirling was one of three outstanding women who were selected from nominations from across Canada for their unselfish dedication to community, and for going beyond and above the “call of duty” for their local fair or exhibition.

Also recognized by the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions was NTFFRA past president Donna Kibble, who received the CAFE Roll of Honour Award for distinguished service by an individual or organization to the Canadian fair and exhibition industry.

Up to $20,000 of federal Gas Tax – Community Works Fund revenue allocated to the Thompson Nicola Regional District  (TNRD) Electoral Area O (Lower North Thompson) was approved by the TNRD Board to assist in funding the development of a septage receiving facility in Barriere, which will serve the North Thompson Valley.

Barriere, was notified it is among 16 communities that are included in a human resource strategy being conducted by Venture Kamloops.  The Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation, Kamloops’ economic development agency is conducting the study to look at a 10-year forecast of trends and emerging labour market issues. An end-of-project report is to be created by Aug. 31, 2015. Besides Barriere, the report will provide a human resource strategy for Clearwater, Blue River, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Chase, Clinton, Lone Butte, Kamloops, Logan Lake, Lytton, Merritt, McBride, Sun Peaks and Valemount.

Barriere Elementary School boy’s volleyball team won the TRU Wolf Pack tournament. They were undefeated in the round robin and went on to win the final.

The Thompson River steelhead fishery was extended until Dec. 31, 2014, following confirmation of sufficient returns.

Simpcw First Nation hosted a ribbon cutting and unveiling ceremonies of their new Simpcw Cenotaph at the Spiritual Centre in Chu Chua, on Nov. 8.  The unveiling was then followed by their Remembrance Day Ceremonies.

An armed police presence was visible standing guard outside the Royal Canadian Legion in Barriere on Nov. 11, while Remembrance Day Ceremonies took place inside. A result of the October 2014 attacks on Canadian soldiers in Ottawa and Montreal.

The District of Barriere and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for a Community Benefit Agreement that will see a $290,000 contribution towards improvements in Barriere. The agreement was signed as part of an overall effort underway by Kinder Morgan Canada to work with pipeline-affected communities to identify local opportunities to give something back in recognition of the public inconveniences and temporary disruption created by construction of the proposed expansion.

The North Thompson Volunteer and Information Centre and their After School Program received a grant cheque for $800 from the United Way.

Virginia Smith took the District of Barriere mayoral seat away from incumbent Bill Humphreys by 316 votes in the Nov. 15, municipal election (Smith with 507 votes, Humphreys  191). District of Barriere council members elected included two who are now serving their fourth consecutive term for the municipality, Ward Stamer (561 votes), and Pat Paula (361), while moving into her second term for Barriere was Amanda Sabyan (424 votes).  Barriere’s inaugural mayor, Mike Fennell, was back on council with 406 votes, and newcomers Al Fortin (450 votes) and Donna Kibble (458 votes) joined the team.

Candidates for a council seat that were not elected were incumbent Glen Stanley with 325 votes, Harry Eberts with 271 votes, Christine Janis with 182 votes, and Shane Quiding with 161 votes.  The total number of votes cast in the District of Barriere was 704 from 1490 estimated eligible voters.  Voter turnout was just over 47 per cent.

Barriere’s Bill Kershaw continued on as Thompson Nicola Regional District Area ‘O’ Director after receiving 156 votes over challenger Mike Fennell with 88 votes.

School District #73 Board of Education Trustee Rhonda Kershaw continued on, being elected by acclamation to represent TNRD Area ‘O’ and Barriere during the current term.

B.C.’s backcountry got a boost on Nov. 17, with the  launch of the registration system for off-road vehicles, as well as increases to safe access for highway crossings for recreational off road vehicles. The new registration system is voluntary for operation on Crown land, but will become mandatory on June 1, 2015., with the combined cost of the number plate and registration fee $48.

The North Thompson Aboriginal Cultural Centre Society announced it had been awarded $120,000 by the National Association of Friendship Centres.

The Thompson Valley Players Society announced their 2014 recipient of The Huntley Cooper Rising Star Award was Barriere student Brittany Waite.

The Annual Candlelight and Holly Arts and Craft Sale hosted by the Yellowhead Artists Cooperative took place over three days in the Barriere Legion basement. The event also hosted a dedication to long time Yellowhead Artist Shirley Kristensen for her work with the Co-op and numerous artists over the years.

A group of nine friends from Barriere and area joined together and filled 39 Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoe Boxes to be sent to children less fortunate and are living in other countries.

The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association held its annual pot luck supper and annual general meeting on Nov. 21, in the fall fair hall. New members to the board included treasurer Barb Denton, and directors Brian Sabyan and Darwin Johnson.

The Barriere and District Riding Club celebrated it’s Year End Banquet and Awards on Nov. 22, in the Barriere Legion basement handing out numerous awards to its members.

The Legion Ladies did a great job as the organizers of the 2014 annual No Host Bazaar held in the Fall Fair Hall.

Barriere marked its first noticeable snowfall  on Nov. 24.

Visitors to the Barriere Seniors Annual Christmas Craft Fair on Nov. 29, had an amazing variety of homemade items to admire and of course to purchase.

DECEMBER

The District of Barriere held its Inaugural Meeting of Municipal Council on Dec. 1, with Judge Cleavley officiating during the official Oaths of Office swearing in the new mayor and council.

The annual Barriere Christmas Parade was canceled, with reason given that no one was willing to take the reins to oversee it.

The Barriere Winter Farmer’s Market made the move indoors for the winter months to the Barriere Legion basement.

Approximately two dozen people gathered at the Rivermount Cafe near Little Fort for the announcement of  funding from the Ministry of Health to complete a feasibility study for the North Thompson Hospice House Society.  The study was expected to be completed by the end of February.

Christmas lunches and dinners were ongoing in the community as the weeks led up to Christmas. These included the Barriere Senior’s Society, Christian Life Assembly Church and Barriere Secondary School all serving up a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

The annual Community Christmas Dinner hosted at the Christian Life Assembly Church in Barriere was made possible by generous donations and the hard work of the Lion’s Club and area volunteers.

The annual Barriere Secondary School Christmas Lunch was cooked and served up by volunteer community members for the student body.

Two of Barriere’s ambulance personal received recognition for their outstanding dedication as paramedics from the BC Emergency Health Services. Both Susan Black, receiving a 25 year Service Award, and Tim Hoffman, receiving a 35 year service award and a 2014 Award of Excellence for career achievement, attended the ceremonies for the presentations.

The Yellowhead Community Services Little Stars Pre-School Concert and Open House on Dec. 11, at the Barriere Ridge was once again played to a packed house of parents, grandparents, caregivers, siblings and friends.

The annual Barriere Christmas Tree lite up and caroling in Fadear Park at the Bandshell, Dec. 12,  was very well attended by area families and individuals.  Santa made a grand appearance, the Grade 7 class ran the craft table and the concession, and Charlie Kibble provided the microphones and sound.  Barrels were kept full of burning logs for hand and butt warming, and aside from some fog the weather was pleasant.  That same evening the Chamber’s late night Passport to Shopping took place.

The Thompson Valley Players Old Fashioned Christmas Variety Show held at the Fall Fair Hall was filled with music, laughter and the spirit of the season.

A hoar frost that descended the morning of  Dec. 16 decorated the valley.

The annual Star/Journal Christmas Story Essay Contest saw the following winners named: Tyson Schilling, Curtis Farrow, Connor Farrow, Grace Farrow, Bobby-Rae Farrow and Maggie Dana.

A number of grade 7 students from Barriere Elementary sang and performed at the Success By Six Breakfast With Santa at the Lions Hall on Dec. 13. The Success By Six Breakfast With Santa was catered and donated by the Barriere Lions Club who were kept extremely busy serving up their famous buffet style breakfast

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District raised tipping fees for household refuse as well as demolition, landclearing and construction (DLC) waste beginning January 2015 at all waste facilities in the TNRD.  The tipping fees for household refuse went from $60 per tonne to $80 per tonne, and tipping fees for DLC waste went from $120 per tonne to $160 per tonne, as per a new bylaw that was adopted by the TNRD Board of Directors.

Barriere Secondary  grad class Christmas Tree Sale took place at the IDA parking lot.

Barriere Elementary School held Winter Night, offering bannock and chilli for supper,  various activity stations throughout the school, and music by the Primary Choir.

Barriere Secondary students were met with hot-chocolate and donuts as they arrived at the school one morning,  all part of the school’s  ‘12 Days of Christmas Surprise’ for the students.

Interior Savings Credit Union Barriere branch delivered food stuffs for Christmas hampers to the Barriere Food Bank that were purchased with funds raised by staff at the branch and at Interior Savings Insurance.

Christmas Hampers were filled at the Barriere Food Bank on Dec. 16, and delivered the next day.

2014 Barriere 911 Emergency Services  Golf Tournament, area youth programs received a total of $6,000 in grants for their 2015 projects, bringing the total given back to the community over three years to $18,000.  Cheques were presented at the Barriere Fire Hall to:    Barriere Elementary School Meal Program, Barriere Secondary Math Program, Barriere Curling Club, Barriere and Area Literacy Outreach, Bonnie Cruzelle-Myram Scholarship, North Thompson Fish and Game Club, North Thompson Recreation Society, North Thompson Volunteer Information Centre-After School Program and the Farm Kids Scholarship Fund.

Barriere RCMP received numerous complaints over a three week period from residents around Deejay Road, Robin Drive, Oriole Way and McLean Road, regarding incidents of numerous houses being egged late in the evening, and also that someone was putting paper items on the front step of houses and lighting them on fire, knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell, then running away.   Police publicly advised “Both of these actions are ‘Mischief’ under the Criminal Code of Canada and are an arrest-able offence”.

Barriere 2014 Citizen of the Year nominations garnered seven candidate names who area residents deemed worthy of this recognition:  Bruce Clary, Todd English, Charlie Kibble, Marnie and Gary Pfeifer, Audrey Rilcoe and Jerry Wenlock.

On Christmas Day, an SUV with poor tread on its winter tires left the road linking Kamloops to Sun Peaks Resort and rolled down a steep, 100-foot embankment, sending six people to Royal Inland Hospital.

As Barriere’s 100th birthday came to an end, long time resident Manne Salle’s 101st birthday took place on Dec. 26.

The North Thompson Agriplex was rockin’ to a sold out crowd of 1000 on New Year’s Eve for the 3rd Annual Farm Kids Fund Bullarama fundraiser.  Thirty cowboys turned out to try their hand at riding some of the best bulls in Western Canada.