Author: Jason Hewlett
-
Photo courtesy of the BC Wildfire ServiceNight vision, quick response credited for late-season wildfire success
Several factors helped forest service firefighters turn the tide when a late-season heatwave sparked a series of new blazes across the Kamloops Fire Centre this past summer. According to regional wildfire coordinating officer Dale Bojahra, the addition of night-vision equipment to helicopters made a major difference in how crews tackled fires during the crucial late-season…
-
Suspicious fire closes Westmount Elementary
RCMP seeking information No one was harmed and the school was saved, but the act of arson which forced Westmount elementary’s 250 students to temporarily locate left its community rattled. “Everybody is super shell shocked. How could somebody do this?” asked Jelena Hansen, chair of the school’s Parent Advisory Council. “Parents in general are outraged…
-
Grade 2 students from Bert Edwards Science and Technology School learn about salmon at a recent Rivers Day event.Rivers Day connects students with nature
For nearly two decades, students at Bert Edwards Science and Technology School have learned firsthand about the value of spending time outdoors — and the importance of protecting the Earth’s natural environment. That tradition continued last month when the school’s 250 students made their way to the banks of the North Thompson River for the…
-
District faces budgetary woes in coming years
Although operating with a budget surplus at the moment, declining enrollment and rising inflation means the Kamloops-Thompson School District’s financial woes are far from over. The district started the 2025-2026 school year with a $5.1 million operating surplus; which interim secretary treasurer Harold Cull and administrators scrounged together after the previous secretary treasurer was fired…
-
District faces budgetary woes in coming years
Strong leadership skills, a future focused mindset and the ability to work well in a team environment are among the qualities school-board trustees are looking for in their next superintendent. An official posting for the Kamloops-Thompson School District leader — as well as a new secretary treasure — was distributed across the province and nationwide…
-
North Shore initiative expands in Valleyview
A North Kamloops-based initiative to clean up city streets successfully moved into the downtown core is now putting the shine on East Kamloops neighbourhoods. The Clean Team has been picking up needles, wiping clean graffiti, and removing human waste and other garbage from Valleyview to Campbell Creek since July. The team, an initiative of the…
-
Tree-planting partnership brings hope to fire-devastated homeowners
As British Columbia recovers from another season of destructive wildfires, a new partnership is offering landowners and First Nations communities a path toward renewal. Forests Canada, a national non-profit charity, has teamed up with forestry consulting firm Cariboo Carbon Solutions to restore burned landscapes across the province. Together, they are helping private landowners and First…
-
Space still a concern as school year kicks off
Amidst the buzz of excitement as students return to classes this week there is a ripple of concern over classroom space amongst the district’s top brass. To ease that pressure, SD73 would appreciate some prompt capital announcement’s from the province for the construction of new schools, or for the expansion of existing institutions, especially in…
-
Photo courtesy of the BC Wildfire ServiceMixed bag summer weather cools fire season
Cooler overall temperatures amid a rainier-than-expected summer made for a calmer wildfire season than officials anticipated. “It’s been pleasantly slower than the last number of years,” said Dale Bojahra, regional wildfire coordinating officer for the Kamloops Fire Centre. For several years the province’s Interior has endured, in Bojahra’s words, “pretty tremendous” fire seasons, with significant…
-
Cedar program only part of Fire Smart initiative
Tiny embers falling to cedar hedges and clogged eves pose a bigger risk to communities like Kamloops than a wall of flames from a wildfire. “Embers can typically cast two to three kilometres ahead of the fire,” said Kathleen Cahoon, the City’s FireSmart liaison. “Even if you’re not on the edge of urban/wildland interface, you…