BC’s First Mayor’s Caucus May 21, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , add a commentThe steering committee of Mayors Dean Fortin of Victoria, Dan Ashton of Penticton, Shari Green of Prince George, Jack Mussallem of Prince Rupert, Wayne Stetski of Cranbrook, Lori Ackerman of Fort St. John, Taylor Bachrach of Smithers, Dianne Watts of Surrey and Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam designed this caucus after models used in North America and Europe that have proven successful over the years.
During this time it was discussed that Communities are the economic engine of BC representing front line government closest to the people. They are the first to deal with problems and they do this with limited revenue sources and a balanced operating budget.
It was emphasized that “Mandate Creep” is progressively occurring as both Provincial and Federal governments download responsibilities by discontinuing supplying services , reducing or eliminating grant programs and not increasing support as demand grows for communities. This is being done without consultation or resources directed at local government.
A comparison of 2012 total revenues was presented showing the Federal government at $7,300 per capita, BC government $9,400 per capita, BC communities $1800 per capita. Local governments get less than 10% of total public revenues, it was said.
After this presentation lively round table discussions ensued with comments like “this meeting needs to be a movement, we need to get rid of the grant game, need stable, equitable, regular funding, need to align the priorities of the province with needs of municipalities, need to be recognized as own government, develop a co-operative partnership”.
It was conveyed that the HST and PST is a big concern for border communities, IH needs to look at programs for the medically and mentally challenged, the homeless and those depending on food banks. It was mentioned that staff put in a great deal of resources into grant proposals only to be turned down, the criteria for grants should change, everyone said.
Although it was the first time that large and small communities were united in one room it was obvious that regardless of size everyone was considered a peer. Many of the tiny communities such as Lytton population 225 were vocal, critiquing and adding numerous comments during the meetings.
In a newspaper interview Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong made the statement that “It’s interesting they’re establishing this caucus and obviously looking to find more ways to spend taxpayer’s money, if they believe they need to provide additional services that their citizens want- truly want- they have the ability to increase property taxes.”
This statement was considered insensitive and offensive showing a lack of understanding on what the Caucus was about. It was agreed a partnership with all orders of government has to be arrived at so as to find efficiencies on delivery of services. Local government accounts for every penny in a transparent manner yet an Auditor General has been appointed by the provincial government despite it being voted down by members voting at UBCM last year.
At the end it was agreed that this had been an incredible opportunity to work together as one voice expressing concerns over the volume and extent of issues facing communities regardless of size.
The Mayor’s Caucus then endorsed the following statement.
“BC communities are frontline service providers for our citizens and we are seeking a new partnership with the provincial and federal governments in the best interests of all of our communities. The BC Mayor’s Caucus requests an immediate discussion on the efficient use of existing resources to better address the challenges our residents face”.
The following are specific areas needing to be addressed as determined by the caucus;
Create a Premier’s Round Table with the BC Mayor’s Caucus to discuss public policy changes that affect local government budgets and delivery of services;
Eliminate the ad hoc granting process in favour of one that is sustainable, accountable, quantifiable and allows for long term planning by local governments;
Expand the mandate of the Municipal Auditor General to include an examination of the financial impacts of downloading on local governments;
Develop a round table on aging infrastructure that includes federal, provincial and local government participation;
Affirm the core service delivery of each order of governments
Redesign the cost sharing formula for significant infrastructure projects to reflect the tax revenue distribution;
If services are devolved to local governments, a sustainable revenue source for those services must be identified;
Develop a coordinated approach to how social services are delivered into a community;
Call for a full review of ambulance service delivery;
Establish flexibility around the federal gas tax to be goal oriented to the priorities of the specific communities;
Expand the application of the fair share principles province-wide and to include other industry sectors.
The next Mayor’s Caucus will be held in September.
(Click on for a larger view)
Mine Rescue Awards May 14, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , add a commentLoud cheers of jubilation nearly brought the house down when it was announced that first place went to the team from Greenhills who will now be going to the provincials in Revelstoke, June 9,2012. Coal Mountain took second place and so they also will be competing in the provincials next month. Coal Mountain and Fording River will also be competing provincially in the First Aid category coming in second and first respectively.
The Dan Dunbar award went to Coal Mountain, Best captain (Jack Peters award) went to Stan Armstrong of Elkview Coal.
Nick Burt, President of the East Kootenay Mines Industrial Safety Association and Mine Manager of TECK Coal, Coal Mountain Operations thanked the spouses and families of the team members, adding that TECK has acquired 3 million man hours without loss to injury.
MC Jim Oakes did a great job of MC putting a lighthearted mood to the awards presentations and congratulating all the competitors.
Ian Kilgour, TECK Coal Senior vice-president said there was a lot of people present that could help a community in need, lots of experience was being lost to turnover and retirement, but that experienced people are mentoring younger ones so that the knowledge doesn’t get lost.
Jerrold Jewsbury Ministry of Mines -Inspector of Mines said that today he had seen lots of sweat and passion, “what we did, we did to go out and help our fellow man to make sure they get home to their families, I see the passion everywhere, this is also my passion, so please lets continue with the young one, they are our legacy”.
Other dignitaries included MP Kootenay Columbia David Wilks, MLA Kootenay East Bill Bennett, Mayor Mary Giuliano, Fernie, Lois Halko- Mayor District of Sparwood, Sharon Frazer, Councillor- District of Sparwood, Dean McKerracher-Mayor District of Elkford, Bill Fleming TECK Coal VP Operations and Engineering, Robin Sheremeta TECK Resources, VP of health and Safety, Garry MacDonald Ministry of Mines, Senior Inspector of mines.
MP Wilkes spoke briefly about the Balmer Mine tragedy years ago that claimed 19 lives pointing out that Councillor Sharon Frazer’s father was one of the ones that lost his life. He said the “dedication shown by the team members is unbelievable, the dedication shown today is the same as shown always by the people who become involved with mine rescue”.
MLA Bennett said that “we are here to honour what you do”, Mayor McKerracher and Halko also spoke briefly.
The awards banquet followed a day of fun, spirited competitions held in Elkford Saturday May 12. These were the 91st competitions to be held. They were hosted by Coal Mountain Operations Linda Bailey and Bernie Palmer challenged the mines to sponsor a junior team offering to train them for free. Palmer pointed out that municipal, provincial and federal government was represented that evening proving how very special mining is to the valley.
Norm Dortman, said grace stating how much talent there was in the room, and that it was a great day with lots to be thankful for. After a delicious meal of prime rib and all the fixings prepared by CP Catering, Heather Weech presented all prize draws that included a 52 inch screen TV, fly fishing gear, travel vouchers and jewelry vouchers and tool kits.
Acting as Mayor of Fernie, I gave the brief history of mine rescue below stating that modern mining has come a long way since the days of pick and shovel and so has Mine Rescue.
“In the beginning mine rescue techniques, training and equipment were very limited and so not very effective.
But 1909 saw the British Columbia Mines Act re- written and it required that every coal mine was to have a self- contained oxygen breathing apparatus. It also mandated training stations maintained by government.
Hosmer was the first Elk Valley station, built in 1909 it was closed in 1913 and a new one built in Fernie. That year 102 miners were issued certificates of competency, 73 of those were trained in Fernie.
The Department of Mines First Aid competition was held in Fernie on July 1, 1915 on the grounds of present City Hall which is the original Crow’s Nest Coal Company Office.
The first Mine Rescue competition in Crow’s Nest was held in Coleman on July 1, 1916.
In 1919 the East Kootenay Mine Safety Association was formed, this led to more regular competitions including international events. Local teams sustained a reputation for winning, one that is still held today.
Practice and showcasing skills are part of competitions but also the teams get to know and learn from one another. This knowledge is vital in real rescue situations.
Today, it is said that Mining is the safest industry.
Worksafe BC says, “The BC mining industry is very proud to be regarded as the safest heavy industry in BC. Since 1993, the BC Mining industry has reduced its injury rate by 50%, to 1.9 injuries per 100 worker-years”.
It is the diligence and commitment to safety reflected by the workers and the company that produces this result.
On behalf of the City of Fernie, sincere Congratulations to Labour, Management and mines inspection branch for this success.
Congratulations to all that participated today and continued success in the future.
Special thanks and congratulations go to Kevin Rookes and his team for organizing a great event.”
Fernie Rod and Gun Club Awards a Huge Success May 6, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , add a commentFernie Memorial Arena was transformed into a hub of market activity this past Saturday night as the Rod and Gun Club held the annual Awards night and fundraiser.
The perimeter of the space was lined with amazing taxidermy models, tables laden with silent auction items such as guns, fishing gear and framed animal artwork, antlers of all types and sizes, tables of food, and even a free massage area as well as several stations for beverage pickup.
A large, tall stage was situated at one side used for announcements and awards presentations. Tables directly in front of the stage held buckets where people put tickets for items they wanted to participate in for draws. Decorative lighted trees added a festival touch to the room.
Over seven hundred people sat down to a dinner of chicken, roast beef, salads, veggies and dessert sponsored by Overwaitea.
People came from far away to be part of this event that was dubbed by many attendees as the “event of the year.” MLA Bill Bennett said this is the only Club to have such a huge fundraiser. Winner of several awards and long- time member Mario Rocca said they had to turn people away that wanted tickets to the event as they sold out quickly without even advertising.
The evening was made even more festive by the enthusiastic tones of MC and announcer Bronco Horvath who is simply phenomenal in his ability to keep a crowd entertained with his comments and music by Jeff McRae.
Club president Kevin Marasco was also announcer and the presenter of all the awards given out that evening. Especially touching was when his own son won an award and after presenting Kevin gently tousled the top of his head. A lot of visible pride in a simple gesture, and there lies the strength of this organization. As Bronco kept pointing out as child after child came up to get awards for excellence, these tiny ones are the future of the club. The evening was especially significant to me as a non-member in that I saw an event where parents and children were having a wonderful time together, enjoying a meal, receiving awards and being shown that they, the children are a most important part of the organization.
The Club puts a lot of emphasis on family and children. Kevin Marasco and his team of members put a lot of effort into activities like fishing, hunting and archery to teach them a respectable code of principles that will last them a lifetime and will actually lead to successful lives as they grow to adulthood. The pride of achievement reflected on the faces of the kids as they were handed their award and had photos taken was very visible to all and delightful to behold. Proving that the people who belong to this club really do show respect for and value for one another and the environment and who do act as good stewards of the resources available
Congratulations to the Rod and Gun Clubs of this area for a very successful and entertaining event.
Oprah in Toronto April 30, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , add a comment“The body is like luminous stardust, one million atoms, 22 atoms used every time we breathe; when we breathe we are taking in bits and pieces of organs ours and others. Our bodies are entangled on an atomic level with everyone. The soul is our core consciousness where life is orchestrated. It is a place between thoughts called discontinuity, the centre of awareness is what you really are, a drop in the ocean of consciousness, a field that correlates everything going on in the universe of your body’s cells, that is the wisdom of your soul, it mirrors wisdom of the universe”.
Eighty five hundred people sit quietly listening to renowned author, speaker, and spiritualist Deepak Chopra.
We are in Toronto to witness Oprah Winfrey’s life class series streamed live on OWN and on the web. But before it begins we are treated to a three hour show of inspirational speakers that include Tony Robbins, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Iyanla Vanzant and Deepak Chopra. Canadian comedian Jessica Holmes from the Royal Canadian Air Farce provides comic relief as MC.
Making entry into Metro Toronto Convention Centre is an event in itself. Doors open at four states the ticket. My son Peter and his girlfriend Jen navigate busy streets to get us there only to find a lineup over twenty blocks long. As we cruise past thousands of people we think this must be for another event. After finally finding the entrance we realized Julie, my daughter, will not be able to stand for hours as she is recovering from chemo and is still weak. It has always been a long-time dream to see Oprah so Jen bounds up a large flight of steps to inquire from security as to whether Julie qualifies for special needs.
Mary and daughter Jen
We are lucky to have seats close enough to see Oprah looking like a tiny person but the many huge screens on either side of the auditorium give a perfect view.
Deepak continues, “Forgiveness is ability to let go of anger, resentment, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Be better, not to have more, not to do more, it is survival of the wisest.”
Iyanla Vanzant comes bounding from the far back, dancing down the aisle. She surprises everyone who is expecting her on stage. She sings and dances and is very exuberant. People are on their feet dancing along with her. She is funny with a serious message. “God saved me, in my deepest darkest moment, I got quiet and still, I could see my life unfolding, a vision will pull you forward, yes, you will adjust to a level of deficiency, be willing to do the thing that scares you, never judge your clarity on how other people react to it, like doubting yourself. Walk through your fears, eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard, don’t even know what to ask and pray for, but listen for instruction in daily stillness, don’t have to beg and plea just breathe and listen”.
Six foot seven tall Tony Robbins is next. Muscled and lean he is constantly on the move from one end of the stage to another. “I heard all about you in line, you need a hug”, he says to the roar of the appreciating crowd. “Women control 82%, if you succeed and are not happy you’re technically screwed, all deathly afraid were not enough. Love is the answer to fear. Fear and anger tie us up”.
His energy seems contagious. He has the audience on their feet cheering, introducing themselves and hugging strangers. “If someone doesn’t like you in 3-5 seconds, they won’t like you. Feel better? Yes or No? Gift is movement, emotion is created by motion. Moving makes you feel alive.” As Tony speaks paramedics pull out a stretcher with a woman on it. It is obvious the emotion got the best of this person.
Bishop Jakes enters the stage next and says “Work with your core, close distance between who you seem to be and who you are. We are all pregnant with potential ideas and intelligence. We are all busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger. But are you effective in your busyness? Learn to maximize your life, think of yourself as a commodity, reserve yourself to best and highest use, missing your passion? Every moment is a gift of opportunities, maximize what you do. Hardest thing to do is to acknowledge what you do, cant climb the ladder of someone else’s thoughts, giving your power to other people, entrusting them to validate who you are, CAO or janitor, the only difference is in the thoughts they think.”
Sherry Salada and Eric, another producer come on stage and talk about the Power of Forgiveness and how it blocks the energy flow of life. They comment on the number of people who have come to the show. 8,500 at the morning taping and another same amount for this evening live performance. They introduce Oprah to a huge cheer.
She looks exactly like she does on TV, wearing a green sheath dress and four inch heels she takes off to show the audience.
She greets the crowd saying how happy she is to be in Canada,“ I am humbled by your desire to be here, I love Canada even more. It takes a lot of energy to hold a grudge, it holds you, forgiveness is a gift you give yourself” she says.
This life class is all about forgiveness. Deepak Chopra comes back on and they have a conversation. “Holding on to resentment is like holding onto your breath, surrender, detach, detach, how they react is not your business, do something of service atonement”.
We watch as Oprah brings back Robbins, Chopra, Vanzant and Jakes to have conversations with them on the topic of forgiveness. It is especially interesting to see what transpires during commercials. There is a woman who comes out and straightens Oprah’s skirt as she sits on the white leather chair. Someone else fixes her hair and makeup. Another brings a script to talk over, during it all she seems relaxed and jokes with the audience. She states that this is the largest life class she has ever had and something she aspired to, she thanks Canada for making this happen. It is now nearly ten fifteen in the evening.
We came into the building over five hours ago and the time flew. As hundreds of people stream out of the room to get to the escalators I grab onto my daughters arm realizing in this huge throng of strangers it would be really easy to lose each other. She is sad that the event is over, Julie has soaked all of the information and advice and this has been a truly unique experience for both of us. “I am so glad you were here to share this with me” she says. I find it difficult to keep my composure at her words. I was glad to have this first opportunity to go on a trip with my oldest child. As the oldest child in our family Julie was the one that we all depended on for a myriad of help and she never disappointed. Watching her go through the pain of surgery and chemo is heartbreaking to any parent especially when you live two hundred miles away and can’t be with her on a daily basis to provide comfort. This was a trip of a life time for her to see her idol and one for me to be in her presence night and day for several days. I got to reacquaint with my daughter and learn a few inspirational thoughts as well.
Mary’s Council Update March 22, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , 1 comment so farAnother month filled with meetings and interactions. Some good, some disappointing—not for me but for people making requests. It would be fabulous if we could make everyone happy but that’s not possible but council does the best it can.
Yesterday MLA Bill Bennett came to Fernie to present $350,000 to Fernie for soccer fields and $400,000 to Sparwood Mayor Lois Halko for work to their aquatic centre.
BC Hydro has informed that smart meters will be installed soon in our area. There are concerns over these meters however Hydro reassures that they are safe although Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 378 state in a letter that “people are concerned about potential health, environmental, cost and privacy impacts.” They are also concerned about the loss of 400 meter reader jobs. Another issue with Hydro is the loss of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program. On March 1, municipal leaders met with Hydro and provincial reps to discuss this issue. We were told that Hydro has been asked to reduce 1200 jobs across the province, but funding ($4,300,000) for the program will remain and come back to the region with the challenge of producing a new delivery model. It was expressed as whether this might provide employment for some of the people being let go but skepticism bounded as to whether this new model could be done as successfully as in the past if consultants not familiar with the area create it.
On March 7, Councillor Iddon and I attended the Community to Community Forum at St. Eugene Golf Resort that was a good opportunity to share information between the communities of the Regional District and the Ktunaxa Nation. It seems to be an excellent way to strengthen relationships and cooperation between us and it was determined that “instead of sending letters we talk to each other on different topics”. The dialogue included topics such as the Columbia River Treaty “Put in money to restore salmon runs to right a historic wrong. Include membership on Advisory Planning Committees to deliver both points of view on joint land use planning such as the Kookanusa OCP and parks planning and joint management. Invite each other at special events like inaugural council meetings, having gardens on Ktunaxa lands, sharing of history and cultural events, storytelling such as when the curse was lifted off Fernie. Also Broadband, emergency preparedness, public transit, and sharing of house inspectors was discussed. “We don’t have to agree or be best buddies we just need to work together and support one another; we need to change our mindset to meet the needs of both parties.”
It was mentioned that the USA has always involved their First Nations people in the Treaty but here in Canada there is none. Locally it was suggested that we could do a survey to find out the number of Aboriginals living in Fernie, fly their flag as a symbolic gesture of recognition of our First Nations neighbours or perhaps use the Ktunaxa word for welcome on our signs so as to show our appreciation of their history and culture in this area.
Don’t know who is taking advantage of BC transit locally but here are some stats, January 2011- 301 passengers, 2012- 537, February 2011- 608, 2012- 587. The Health Connections Bus for January 2011- 196, February- 152, January 2012- 257, February- 244. These numbers are very low in comparison to other communites; I hope that more people take advantage of this service in order to ensure continuation of it.
The Resort Municipality Initiative five year strategy has currently been reviewed and taken to a public meeting of stakeholders who made many suggestions as to how this money should be disbursed. It is agreed that a group of stakeholders, staff and council reps will form a new group to work on this. It is thought that with the HST removal in the future the Province may fund this initiative from a general pool of money instead of from hotel room tax.
Council discussed ways of making City hall accessible to all recently but in light of costs for the alterations needed that would include removing outside and interior walls or adding a new section to the building it was determined that in future meetings that required public hearings for large issues as well as some regular meetings would be held in one of the other more accessible buildings owned by the City. Also if someone is unable to access City Hall they only need to make arrangements by phone to have a staff member or employee come outside to them to provide business requirement. Council is fully aware of the difficulty in accessing City Hall for those with physical impairments and we want to do whatever possible to accommodate them in a workable way.
Council has donated $1000 to the Stars in the Valley Golf Tournament being held in May to raise funds for STARS that provide an invaluable service to Fernie residents in emergency situations by flying them to hospitals where they can get required care.
The OCP implementation committee is working on a survey to be distributed to every person so as to get information to update the Quality of life Index Report. I am asking that instead of just glancing at it and throwing it in the trash instead please read it, fill it out and return it. This will provide an accurate snapshot of life as it is led by the people who live here on a fulltime and partime basis.
March 31 from 8:30 to 9:30 pm is Earth Hour. This is a symbolic event to show how even one hour will save energy and reduce the environmental footprint. If this was done every evening it would save enough to power 4000 homes for an entire year says BC Hydro.
Congratulations to FAR for fifty years of skiing. I recall years ago when the present hill was installed. I remember classmates in grade five and six coming to school on Monday talking excitedly about their skiing experience. As the daughter of immigrants working hard to make a new life in this country I wasn’t given the luxury of doing the same but I still have always appreciated what skiing meant personally and most importantly what it means economically for Fernie.
I asked for comments on whistle cessation. I have received many both pro and against. This coming Monday is a good time to get your voice heard as Council has a whistle cessation bylaw coming up.
Budget discussion is underway; here is some of what your tax dollars get you in the way of services. Water distribution, Sewer, Storm sewer, fire protection, building inspection, bylaw enforcement, parks, recreation ( includes aquatic centre, arena, curling club, disc golf, bocce pits, baseball, tennis, mountain bike trails, dirt jump park, skate park, soccer fields, other trails), street lights, snow and ice control, sidewalks, planning, garbage collection and recycling, dog licensing, streets and traffic, land use, building design, subdivision, signage, business licensing, building permits and inspection, fire prevention, noise control, an amazing Library, assistance to the Arts Centre, Museum and Chamber and roads. It can’t be emphasized enough that half of what is collected on your tax bill is for City Taxes the rest is for other agencies including school, regional district, hospital and policing. This year it was deemed that a 5.2% hike to taxes is what is needed to maintain the levels of service now provided. Several councillors and I have said this is unacceptable so now it is left to our treasurer to come up with a way of making up the deficit of nearly $74,000 annually. My personal point of view and one that I am sure won’t be shared by many is that the $1.5 million in the budget for implementation of water meters in 2014 should be scaled down and used for present needed services instead. Taxpayers should express whether they would prefer to have water meters or not. Regardless budget talks are most important and I encourage everyone to attend the meetings that discuss this very significant topic.
Mary’s Fernie Council Update 02/15 February 14, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , 1 comment so farTwo full months into the job has provided an incredible amount of information to absorb, some extremely interesting, some mind-numbing, all useful in specific ways.
Being mayor is not much different from being a councillor unless you’re the type of person that is impressed by the title. It holds more responsibility because the mayor conducts the meetings and also contributes to the agenda but then any councillor that wants a certain item on the agenda can have it placed there.
What I’m experiencing is that after nine years of being a councillor and listening intently to each person speaking I find myself now doing the same thing so that at times I miss those wanting to speak until it is pointed out. I’m sure to get better looking side to side to view the entire room while still paying attention to the speaker. This may sound like an easy task but believe me previous mayors that have made it seem easy have actually just been very good.
As my request for a newsletter to the public hasn’t yet materialized, to be as personally transparent as possible I will continue to write updates, of course if anyone wishes to speak to me I am always available to hear concerns or advice.
Deer culling has become a very contentious issue in Cranbrook, Kimberly and Invermere. Fernie doesn’t have the type of problem with deer that those municipalities have but in a start to prevent future problems I have initiated deer education that will be done by Kathy Murray who delivers the Bear Aware program so successfully.
There are several items being considered by council to combat vandalism and noise downtown such as a nuisance bylaw, cameras and brighter wattage in the light posts. I want to hear your opinion on this. How do feel about cameras downtown, do you think it would be a deterrent to crime?
Snow removal is another lively topic. Snow removal is done with a rotation that begins in a different area of town each time that means that sometimes your area is cleared early or much later. It’s still difficult to realize the schedule of moving vehicles from one side of the street to the other for some people but it’s impossible for the streets to be cleaned properly when vehicles are in the way. Snow clearing begins at four in the morning, I have received concerns about noise disturbances to the public but we have to understand that it is a safety issue to beep loudly when the equipment is working. Another question, are you willing to have your taxes increased in order to have windrow clearing service for everyone?
I have been informed that there is a lot of rumor and misinformation regarding paving of roads specifically Ghostrider Industrial Park. For many years this area has been ignored for paving due to costs. Presently, Manitou Road is in the budget for paving next year. This is the main road fronting the highway; the interior of the Park will have to wait for more years unless owners of the businesses are willing to be involved in a parcel tax to make this happen.
The City has an overall paving plan that identifies where and when roads get paved each year. Last year by condensing the work on Ninth Avenue from three years to one as had previously been planned over a million dollars was saved.
This year research is being conducted to see if paving can be done in a green manner that would result in more roads being paved with less cost. Council and staff are very aware of the work that needs to be done with infrastructure. Fernie is over one hundred years old; our infrastructure is in need of replacement in many areas of town.
Another contentious issue is the possibility of a new fire hall. Previous councils spent much time discussing a building that would have included a fire hall, police, ambulance and search and rescue. Many areas of town were looked at as possible sites to house such a building. Regulations set where a fire hall can be situated, for instance it has to be within the two bridges and it can’t be across the train tracks. Unfortunately there is not much available land, when the soccer field across from 901 became available it was purchased for $700,000 and considered as a possible site. It was conceivable that this might not be the best place however it was explained that a building could be esthetically pleasing while facing the tracks and no sirens would sound so as not to disturb the residents nearby. Of course none of this would transpire without first having consultation with the public, a referendum to borrow the large funding to make this building a reality would also have to be considered giving the public opportunity by voting whether this is something that is wanted or needed. Present fire hall is in need of repair, a new fire hall is a priority but definitely not in the budget this year. Council wants to make the right decision of whether the present building gets repaired and remodelled or a new fire hall built by borrowing. Fiscal reality is front and centre as is safety for our firefighters. Regardless of the decision arrived at the City does have an asset with the ownership of the soccer fields, but ultimately it will be up to the residents to choose what they want. However I do appreciate the strong opinions out there.
Fernie has been extended an invitation by the province to host the 2016 or 2018 winter and summer games. Do we have the volunteer base to work on such a large project? I would definitely like to hear from all of you regarding this request.
There is a large group of people who are consistently feeling their lives are disrupted and their peace destroyed by the sound of the train whistle. As with all issues there are those who feel that the whistle is the sound of prosperity and also part of Fernie’s history. Council has requested a meeting with CPR to address this situation once again.
Good news for West Fernie, 1.5 million dollars has been awarded towards the West Fernie Dike upgrade project. This will take two to three years to complete.
I will be at the Fernie Heritage Library on Wednesday February 22 at ten o’clock to meet with all business owners that would like to come and discuss concerns, ideas or thoughts.
As always I am here to answer questions and hear concerns and suggestions, email me at mary.giuliano@fernie.ca, or call at 250 423-6817 to book an appointment. I will do my best to accommodate your time schedule.
Mary’s January Update January 19, 2012
Posted by admin in : News , add a commentWe started Council in 2012 with a very informative presentation by MP David Wilks who noted that Canada has had the strongest economic and jobs recovery in the entire G-7 since the worst of the global recession, but while Canada is doing better than most it is still vulnerable to shocks from beyond our borders like possibility of further slowdown of the US economy and uncertainty concerning growing debt and the concerns about the debt crisis spreading to more European countries.
Regional District held a session with noted Parliamentarian Eli Mina who provided information on how to run meetings and advice on making motions (don’t do them on the fly- it’s a minefield, it’s risky to move too quickly) how to deal with the public (procedural fairness, need to give notice, not only on what you decide but by how you decide) council must remember assets are not yours but the community’s. So must be responsible. There should be partnerships between staff and council and above all it must be transparent. Trust is an essential commodity; everyone works as a cohesive team, with knowledge. About conflict he said, “it’s not good or bad it just is, deal with it and gain trust.” Decisions should be made with a back and forth input in a safe, learning environment not a combative one, and it has to be inclusive and transparent. Staff must impart knowledge to council because we need objective, professional advice not just tell us what to do. Speak up even if knowledge is not popular, and always be respectful. It should never be about the individual but about the process. So far I am finding Regional District very interesting and a huge learning curve.
January 9 had presentation from City directors to inform new council on their job description and what their work load entails. There is vast responsibility for directors who have a myriad of duties and employees to look after, most of the work done extremely well and for the benefit of our citizens. I attended the “Online reputation management course offered by Tourism Fernie, very helpful for business owners as it showed use of social media to help grow business.
Fernie residents Mary Menduk and Doug Marteinson sent me information regarding citizen engagement. Doug said that Calgary Council has implemented a 1-2-3- Go initiative, an interactive website that asks residents three things, “What am I good at? What do I care about? What do I have to say about it? People are encouraged to take three minutes to write answers and speak with three people about what they wrote. This feedback is to engage residents in conversation about what area of Calgary they live in so they can express what’s on their mind. “This website was built by volunteers with free, off- the- shelf software available to anyone with internet access, a little bit of determination and a willingness to experiment”, states the website. It is felt that if every person did at least three things for their city they would have over 3 million actions making Calgary an even better place. This type of interaction is something that might be of benefit to Fernie as well to engage citizens in becoming even more involved with the Council they elect.
Fernie has a decorations committee of which I am part of that has been looking at town beautification for winter and summer. This interest is very dear to my heart that began when I was first elected ten years ago. I initiated the flower basket and wrap around garland with lights on Second Avenue but have always felt that we needed to do more. This committee has representation from the public and they have amazing new ideas on how to beautify our town. The beautiful decorative lighting on Second Avenue is a result of this committee, next will be working with the Fernie Chamber to participate in “Communities in Bloom”.
Council members went to IDES to physically present responses to the letters written by students from Patrice Mann’s French Immersion grades five and six class. The students were happy to receive the letters and made new inquiries. They wanted more doggie poop bags for the fields next to the school and expressed safety concerns about speeding on 13th Street and the street along the Aquatic Centre. The speeding comments were relayed to Staff Sargent Lorne Craig who said he would have someone check both streets. He also informed that the Elkford detachment office had to be closed due to high Radon readings of 3000(safe threshold is 800) so police offers are working out of the Sparwood and Fernie office until it safe to return.
Council held a committee of the whole meeting last Monday that had Councillors present goals for a long list of accomplishments they would like to see done by the end of this term. This list included a tool kit of information for business and development that would streamline City Hall process, revisit some decisions made by previous council, paving of Ghostrider roads, quarterly newsletter to inform the public of plans and projects, cameras for downtown, OCP and zoning rewrites, Convention centre, and many more.
There are several committees that will need new members so please come forward and be involved. Being on committees such as the Official Community Plan provides you with opportunity to guide how our town will look in the future.
All meetings held by Council except in camera meetings are open to the public. Council welcomes everyone to come and listen to what is discussed and offer your opinion. I invite anyone to call me with concerns or ideas. I want to personally and also on behalf of the City of Fernie thank all of the people who have served on all of the committees that have stepped down and those that continue to serve. As a member of the OCP and the Quality of Life subcommittee I know how much time was spent working on these two alone. We met bi-weekly, sometimes weekly when the Quality of Life document was being produced. Chair Casey Brennan put a lot of time and effort into these committees and I want to thank him for his contribution. I hope that it will be possible to produce a newsletter about what is happening at Council so that you the public is informed. Of course you are also able to watch council meetings online at fernietv.com and on Shaw Community Channel as well as checking out the City web page for further information.
A whirlwind of a month December 21, 2011
Posted by admin in : News , 1 comment so farIt has been a whirlwind of a month filled with information and events about a myriad of topics of which some have to be mentioned.
Council attended a training session in Rossland that proved to be an overwhelming session of municipal information that hopefully no one will test me on too quickly. All kidding aside experts George Cuff and Eli Mina provided amazing material for newcomers to councillor and mayor positions.
Regional District training was interesting as well as the strategic planning. One hundred eleven requests were put forward and then condensed to ten, of which none of mine were considered. I had hoped to place the proposed trail linking Fernie to the ski hill on their radar again, as Mike Sosnowski had already done previously, but with a price tag of over one million dollars other directors felt that this could wait. I must say I was very impressed with the way the five directors from the Columbia Valley stuck together to get their projects on stream. This is something that I think could be done by Elk Valley directors as well so that united we can get more achieved for our valley collectively and for our individual communities.
Council received six well written letters from students of IDES. These were placed on the agenda as I felt their requests were very important and showed much initiative on their part.
Rylee Whitson wrote requesting that council promote “Every first day of the month a community litter pick up day.” Rylee has been noticing much litter and thinks “It would be spectacular if we could have a first class community” without litter. I agree Rylee and councillor Joni Krats has generously offered to work on this. Neve Richards believes that here in Fernie we could do just as good a job of recycling as they do on Prince Edward Island. Neve recommended recycling stations at different points in town that “Could accept compost, plastic, paper, glass and tin can. It would encourage more people to recycle and in turn much less waste would go to the dump. It would also set an example for our visitors and show that we care for our environment.” Liam Smith, age 10, asked if Christmas lights could be put up in the Airport Subdivision, something I have been asking for in past years. Liam says that “it would light up the darker roads. It would look amazing for visitors who come to ski or who come to visit family”. Emily Dykhuizen and Jillian Folvik asked about soccer fields. “There are three reasons why we want the soccer fields fixed. The first reason is there are lots of holes and bumps, fixed it will be safer, second if they are fixed it will be more fun, finally if there are more fields more people can play soccer at the same time, doing this will make our community healthier.” Cole Zimmerman and Dryden Gris asked about an outdoor skating rink. “We have such beautiful weather in Fernie in winter; it would be magnificent if the citizens of Fernie could have an outdoor rink”. An outdoor rink has been in place by the Aquatic Centre for several years, thank you Cole and Dryden for making the suggestion so as to make sure it happens again this year. Abbi Vernier and Chrisma Vandergrift also wrote regarding streetlights on Park Avenue. “More streetlights on Park Avenue are in your and Fernie’s best interests because it would make Fernie a safer place to be. Park Avenue is a road where people drive fast. In the night the cars can’t see you and you can’t see the cars. It’s a safety hazard.” I truly appreciate these letters from the students and want to reassure them that Council is taking their requests seriously and thanks them for their interest in wanting their town improved.
This past Sunday Fernie Heritage Library held its annual Community Christmas Celebrations. Over 350 adults and children came to enjoy crafts, stories, photos, musical entertainment and a huge array of international desserts, Congratulations to Library director Emma Dressler, Marilyn Razzo, Tina Hayes, Haley Feller, Sandra Summerfield, board members and volunteers who worked to make this wonderful event such a success.
Fernie Beta Sigma Phi Sororities held their annual dinner at the Blue Touque Restaurant, where long-time member Rosa Rocca was bestowed the Laurate degree and crowned with a circle of laurel leaves, this group also decorated the Senior’s Drop In Centre for Christmas, something they do each year for the Senior’s Club as well on December 3 they delivered several boxes of toiletries and sang Christmas carols to the residents of Rocky Mountain Village.
The Fernie Academy held two evenings of performances for Baboushka. I attended the one where grades one to three performed and was completely delighted. These small children are extraordinarily talented. They acted and sang and looked fabulous in amazing costumes.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. Best Wishes to all for a Happy New Year filled with many Blessings, good friends, much love and most of all good health.
(Click on images for larger view)
I promise to work diligently November 23, 2011
Posted by admin in : News , 1 comment so farMy life began in the small town of Castelsilano, Italy, a place I still feel a strong connection to.
But when I first set eyes on Fernie I immediately fell in love. The similarities of small town, mountainous surroundings, fragrance of pine and fields of yellow made this town instantly home.
As the oldest child of Italian immigrants Pietro and Giuseppina Aiello I worked alongside my parents in the gardens, spent summers sawing and chopping wood for winter storage and helped with younger siblings Rose, Joe and Rita who also had chores to do as our parents worked several jobs to get ahead.
This work ethic has served me well in life as it taught valuable lessons, notably that anything worth doing means hard work and if you want change you have to be part of it.
In high school I worked full-time as a telephone operator evenings and weekends. Later on I worked part time at the Tom Uphill Home facility and Sears order office as well as being manager of Kootenay Promotions.
I met Nick on the corner of Second Avenue and 11th Street, just a block up from where we have lived for over forty years. Mom and I were walking home when we met her friend Carmela and her young brother who had arrived from Italy the previous week. I was almost fifteen, Nick six years older. Attired in a grey, finely tailored suit and tie, Italian shoes and gold ring on his pinkie, he was breathtakingly handsome and I fell instantly in love. It took a couple of years for him to notice me but we married four years later. We have four children Julie, Pina, Nicky and Peter and in 1995 added Brandon to our family.
Moving from Fernie was never an option for us as Nick had good jobs first at Elko Mill and then Line Creek Mine. As well both of our families were here. But mostly because we both love Fernie and felt there was no better place to call home.
Over twenty years ago I was asked to write for the Free Press. I’m extremely appreciative of this as it has been an avenue to showcase the contribution to our town by people of all ages as well as to feature profiles of those that tend to stay in the background yet still have such powerful, interesting stories to tell.
In the past couple of years I have also been given opportunity to write for fernie.com. Thanks to Dan Savage this also gives opportunity to showcase businesses, events and individuals from this great little town, as well last year Ian Cobb of e-KNOW provided space to continue my passion for writing about Fernie and its people.
In 1998, Randal Macnair recruited me to co-ordinate Festa Italiana. With my brother’s camera I videotaped everything. Ken Odland, then manager of Monarch Cable offered to edit eight hours of events into two shown often on the Community Channel. He then suggested I produce a show I agreed on the condition that it would be taped out of my home so I could make guests comfortable. This volunteer show is also seen on Shaw Community Channel and fernietv.com.
Ten years ago when it became known that a company wanted to bottle Fernie water by joining directly to our water source my father requested that I do something about it. Dad understood the need to protect water as our home town in Italy often experienced shortages. I had finished reading Blue Gold by Maude Barlow about how companies were ruining water sources in different countries I did research and discovered that although not proven under NAFTA when one company is allowed to bottle the water any number of companies have the right to also bottle water until the source is dry and there is absolutely no recourse legally or otherwise to stop them.
Armed with a petition that Sherry Earl and I had collected signed with 1200 signatures we went before council and presented our opposition. We were met with resistance but Council sought legal advice and hookup to Fernie’s water never proceeded. This resulted in much encouragement for me to run for council. I had also become known for my involvement in doing activist work to bring a dialysis unit to the Elk Valley and helping to organize demonstrations in support of keeping the operating room at our hospital. Who can forget the day Pepper Sterling and I stopped traffic on Highway Three, something I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone attempting ever again but it got us Canada wide coverage for three days on CTV News Net. I also found that it was easy to get coverage by Alberta and BC television stations for issues such as health care and certainly used my connections to get us as much coverage as possible.
Looking back I never planned to do the work I have done. I have always just acted on a need that I saw in the community and strived to find a solution to it. The volunteer work, the show, the writing, the activism, I saw opportunities to help. Being on council provided even more opportunity. It’s not my nature to be discriminatory so I try to help everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe in. I’m extremely appreciative of opportunity to achieve the Miner’s Walk, beautify the town with flowers and lights or help Home Support recipients to have better service. Being given the privilege to now serve as mayor of the town that I love so passionately is the greatest honour and gift of my life, and I promise not to let anyone down. Thank you to all that supported me. My friends that gave advice and helped with distributing brochures, my sorority sisters that were so supportive in every way, especially Alice, Ellen and Diana, Mary L, Mary M, Helen, Alan, Betty, Keith, Judith, Dennis, thank you so much. Patrick thanks so much for your help with the webpage, Chantel, L’wren, thank you. To everyone your constant support was pivotal to me once I committed to entering the race. My family especially my husband thank you for all your help There are so many that supported me with encouragement, you know I will remember who you are and will never forget your kindness and expression of help. To those that didn’t rest assured that I am here for everyone because it is all of us together that gives strength to the wonderful tapestry that is Fernie.
To everyone who ran for council Congratulations! Regardless of whether you made it to a seat or not you are to be praised for having the courage to run the race.
Thank you to everyone that voted for me, I promise to work diligently to keep Fernie the great place it is for everyone.
Hat into the ring for Fernie Mayor! October 13, 2011
Posted by admin in : News , 6commentsAfter nine years as councilor I have decided to throw my hat into the ring of the mayor position. You might ask why I would do so. I have many reasons but first and foremost is my long held passion for Fernie.
I moved here as a child and from the first moment I stepped off the train at the Fernie station and looked around at the magnificent mountains surrounding me it took my breath away and I knew that I was home.
Over five decades and four generations later I still catch my breath as I look at the splendid backdrop of nature that is about us here in the Elk Valley.
Fernie has much to offer those of us who choose to live here. My husband Nick spent 19 years working at the Elko Mill and another 23 at Line Creek Mine. Resource extraction has given us the high quality of life enjoyed by our family of four children, Julie, Pina, Nicky, Peter and later our grandson Brandon.
It is the mining and forestry industries that keep other families appreciating their life here as well although in later years Tourism has been added. I understand how we need to keep stability between resources, nature and tourism so that people can keep jobs, hunt, fish and recreate in our magnificent outdoors.
But we must never lose sight that people are our greatest resource and without a strong population, Fernie could wither. For that reason I believe in community investment and development in order to give it a good economic base and keep it sustainable.
I KNOW that I can provide the leadership required to help Fernie grow, to provide that very important community development needed for growth.
I believe in putting FERNIE FIRST WITH ACTIVISM AND LEADERSHIP
Please read the following to get a glimpse of some of what I have been involved with and accomplished in the past.
This will show in part that I have always put Fernie and its people FIRST with ACTIVISM AND LEADERSHIP.
• Lobbied the provincial government with resident Colleen Ashton for a dialysis unit, I brought constant national and local media attention to those travelling to Alberta or Trail for this lifesaving treatment resulting in a dialysis unit placed at Sparwood Health Centre
• Helped to organize demonstrations in support of health care, specifically keeping the operating room at Elk Valley Hospital, brought local, provincial and national media attention to an event organized by me and Pepper Couelle Sterling that stopped traffic on Highway Three for hours
• Organized a protest with Andrea McKay in support of people being evicted from their apartment homes and brought local and provincial media attention to this issue
• Brought attention to the homeless in Fernie, responsible for securing help for residents in an apartment block when one was behaving in a way that was putting other residents’ health at risk
• Brought constant media attention to the Home Support delivery model in the Elk Valley resulting in a positive change by Interior Health to their scheduling system thereby reducing missed visits
Initiatives
• Initiated a petition of 1200 signatures with Sherry Earl that resulted in stopping the direct hook-up to Fernie’s water source by a water bottling plant (today the City of Fernie has determined that they need a secondary water source in the form of a well, under NAFTA that water bottling plant could have drained Fernie’s source dry without any legal repercussion)
• Initiated a new counter plus another work station for the front City Hall office
• Initiated a Friday opening for Fernie Heritage Library
• Initiated the flower baskets and Christmas decorations for downtown light posts
• Initiated and coordinated the commemorative Fernie stamp and celebration to recognize the 100th anniversary of the 1908 great fire
• Initiated and organized a society to save and rehabilitate the Oil Derrick and the site and is lead person and fundraiser
• A long- time member of the Fernie Miners Walk Society, lead person and main fundraiser
• Initiated the windrow clearing by the City for seniors and people with disabilities
• Was an original founder of Fernie Media Society and initiated a television show on Shaw community Channel Ten also seen on fernietv.com. Has been running for nearly ten years and involved volunteering time, home and refreshments in order to showcase local talent, interests, businesses and accomplishments
• Initiated in council the City sponsored Junior Achievement Award
• Supported strongly formation of the dirt bike jump park
• Has been the constant and active representative to Fernie Family Housing for council working on securing the Tom Uphill Home and turning it into a residence for seniors and those with disabilities
• Was a member of the Fernie Heritage Library board for nine years, then served another six years as the City representative, has organized the annual volunteer dinner for 28 years and contributed table decorations
• Is one of the original members of the Fernie Kid’s Society dedicated to bringing a Boys and Girls club to Fernie and that are now offering subsidies for kids after school care
• A 28 year member of Beta Sigma Phi holding positions of secretary and president
• A 38 year member of the Catholic Women’s League, in the past organized teas and other church events and acting as MC for special events
• Councillor for nine years, serving as an active participant on many committees and boards, notably, Fernie and District Arts, Fernie Heritage Library, Fernie and District Historical Society, Fernie Family Housing, Fernie Gateway Project, Signage Committee, Decorations Committee, Canada Day Committee, Discretionary grants, Liquid Waste Management committee, Pest Management Task Force, George Majic Spiritus Award, Official community Plan Committee, Quality of Life Subcommittee
• Placed a motion to acquire the Hydro building by the City to be used as a museum and info centre, worked with the historical society to make this happen
• Has volunteered time to write biographies and letters for individuals, has constantly volunteered for community events such as coordinating the Festa Italiana in 1998, a year long celebration of events honouring Leonardo da Vinci art and all things Italian in Fernie
• Volunteered annually for the Taste of Fernie, raised money for Griz Most Wanted, was a member of PAC volunteering for school fundraisers, in the class room, organizing grad banquets, and helping with all kids related organizations.
Please call me with questions at 250 423-4009 or email me at mariag@elkvalley.net
Thank you for making time to read this message.