Presently, the Interlakes Volunteer Fire Department (IVFD) provides fire and medical response through voluntary fees from property owners and various grants. For most, the cost is $60 a year – although apparently only 30 per cent of the residents are paying. Certifying and converting the IVFD to a tax-based service of the Cariboo Regional District seemed like a good idea; however the June 11 public meeting presented a number of issues that have the neighbours talking. The fact that the homes located at the east end of Lac des Roches are in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and will be out of the protected zone is understandable, yet another reason to question the location of this boundary. The proposed tax is a combination of a per-parcel amount of $100 and $28.12 per $100,000 of building assessed values. This means that bare land will be taxed for emergency services, and although initially there was no limit, an arbitrary maximum of three parcels per property owner was proposed but with no basis other than past practice for other taxes. Since this is a tax and not an insurance policy, why is the assessed value of buildings entering into the calculation? Will the IVFD response not be the same whether the emergency is at a $500,000 home or the $30,000 cabin next to it? There is an assumption that with a certified fire department, property owners will see a reduction in their insurance premiums to offset this tax, but this will not be the case for a bare lot or one that is only used to park a licensed vehicle. Written details and justification of the required $750,000 for upgrading equipment and facilities should be supplied to the public. Clearly, there is more work to be done by the CRD for neighbours to make an informed choice at a referendum vote in August.
Firewood permits
The beetle-killed pine trees in the hills around Lac des Roches are reported to be an excellent choice of home-heating firewood. Dead trees harvested as late as this summer are naturally seasoned so that they can be burned this winter. Due to our proximity to the regional forestry boundary, residents should be sure to carry a free cutting permit for the jurisdiction they are in. Both are available on-line. Kamloops: www.for.gov.bc.ca/dka/permits/FirewoodPermit.htm
100 Mile House: www.for.gov.bc.ca/dmh/forms/Firewood Permit.pdf
Foiled again by a fly
I spoke too soon in my last column about the aspen leaf miner possibly being foiled by our cool spring weather. No sooner was the paper published on June 18 when it became obvious that this destructive bug had returned.
A rural-life lesson
Living in the wilds, few homes can pick up a cellular signal or receive television or radio signals without a satellite or Internet connection. Our neighbour had a harsh reminder of our situation on the July holiday weekend when several of his friends headed back to Edmonton, unaware of the road closure on Highway 16, east of Valemount. They could not receive cell calls so they had no warning. There was also no notice at the junction of Highways 5 and 24 in Little Fort, where they could have chosen a more suitable route through southern Alberta, so, they proceeded north, only to be diverted through Prince George and Grande Prairie. A trip that should have taken 10 hours to drive, took 18 Ouch!