If you love making home-made lemonade and supporting your community, consider hosting a lemonade stand for Good Lemonade Day coming up on June 8.

All Prestige Hotels across BC are taking part, and Rossland’s Prestige Hotel General Manager, Jesse Steele, hopes you will too.

“Its an initiative to raise money for JoeAnna’s House which helps host families which need to go to Kelowna Hospital.” said Jesse.

“Lots of families in our area have benefited from JoeAnna’s house, so it’s a good time to give back.”

Heading to its third year, the fundraiser has raised over $17,000 to help Kootenay and BC families save costs at their home-away-from-home.

“Families stay at the house for free and it's a great promotion that Prestige Hotels run and every Prestige property in British Columbia will be having a lemonade stand on June 8th and hoping lots other people join in or stop by.”

All participants that host a stand on June 8 will receive a free Good Lemonade Day starter pack that includes two one-of-a-kind t-shirts, lemonade mix, balloons and a sign.

All participants will also be given the opportunity to create an online fundraising page and sell virtual glasses of lemonade to maximize their efforts.

Registration for this event is now open and closes on May 10.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.goodlemonadeday.ca

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post Good Lemonade Day returns to BC appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Castlegar Rebels player, Nate Jackman, has been identified as the person killed in a car accident early on Sunday morning May 5^th, north of Balfour.

Castlegar Rebels President, Mike Johnstone, says its a sad loss for the family, club, and community.

“It’s been a difficult couple of days for everybody.” Said Mike.

“Nate was a very special young man, and he was such an amazing teammate.”

“He was always so supportive to the other players, whether or not he was in the lineup for or out of the lineup on a given night.”

“He came to the rink every day with a smile on his face and just really was a light in our room.”

Born in Nelson, Nate was in his final year of high school, set to graduate next month, and was proud to wear the number 23 jersey for the Castlegar Rebels for one season.

At only 17 years old, it was a life cut too short.

“We've spent time reaching out to our players over the last couple of days.” Said Mike.

“Our players are spread out pretty much over all over Western Canada at this point, so it's been difficult for them being apart from one another.”

“We had a team zoom meeting where we had a chance to sort of see each other's faces and chat for a few moments, so that was kind of special.”

Friends of the Jackman family have created a Go Fund Me campaign that has raised over sixty eight thousand dollars.

“As an organization, we want to pass on our condolences and love to Nate's family.” said Mike.

“They're always in our thoughts and prayers, and I just want to thank really the entire community for their support on behalf of the Rebels organization.”

“We've had hundreds and hundreds of calls and messages and texts, reaching out from people throughout the West Kootenay area and want to thank the community for being there for us in this time of grief.”

Previous story: Fatal single vehicle accident near Balfour - My Nelson Now.

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyNelsonNow News Alerts.

The post Young Castlegar Rebel killed in car collision appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Kaslo RCMP are appealing for information after a single vehicle car accident claimed a life on Sunday, May 5, at approximately 12:30am, at the 1400 block of Highway 31 near Queens Bay, 5km north of Balfour.

"Upon arrival first responders attempted life-saving techniques on both the driver and a single passenger." said James Grandy, RCMP Communications.

"The passenger was treated for non-life threatening injuries and was transported to hospital however the the driver was pronounced deceased at the scene."

The post Fatal single vehicle accident near Balfour appeared first on My Nelson Now.

There was plenty on show over the weekend as hundreds of eager soccer players took to Nelson’s Lakeside fields for the 2024 Terry Walgren Memorial Tournament.

In the tournaments main event, it was Kootenay East who took the title in the under 18s boy’s final, after a close 2-0 finish.

“It was a bit tough for our boys because they had a tough weekend on a personal level.” Said Brett Adams, Technical Director for Nelson Soccer Association.

“There was some personal news over the weekend, and they bounced back and put on a great show.”

“So, that final was an emotional final, but it was a good one and at the end of the day the right team won.”

The tournament boasted teams from all over the Kootenays- Nelson, Trail, Castlegar and the Kootenay East Soccer Association (KESA) which includes Cranbrook, Kimberley and Fernie, as well as others further afield from Canmore and Calgary.

“We are extremely lucky to play where we play soccer down at beautiful lakeside with the backdrop that we have.”

“Not only did we have beautiful weather, but I believe that this was probably one of the most attended tournaments that we've ever done, and that's down to the credit of the people behind the scenes.”

“Lua, who is our chair, and Amanda, who is our Rep Director, just worked incredibly to get all these teams in.”

“And its good for the team to not just play the same teams, that we had a bit of variation.”

And the quality of and contention of the games is only getting better.

“The quality is getting better and better and that's credit to all associations.” Said Brett.

“In our rep program, we heavily support our coaches in giving them content, session plans and we're working to get them as many qualifications as possible.”

“We have a group of coaches that last year went away and did their C -license qualification, which is a recognizable professional qualification, but not only that, we ask all of our rep coaches to go on awareness courses that can be anything to do with conduct and safe sport.”

“Because the level of coaching is rising, the level of play is rising. So, you know, these games are getting tighter and closer and there's no blowout and teams are trying to do it the right way. It's pretty cool to be honest.”

In honour of Terry Walgren

Terry Walgren is a soccer and local legend in Nelson, and it is only fitting the tournaments pays tribute to his contributions.

“Terry was a soccer guru in our area that sadly passed away many years ago, and because he was so influential in the soccer community, there was this event that was named after him.”

“There's always that emotional attachment to it, but the name lives on and the tournament gets stronger and stronger.”

A message from Nelson Soccer Association

“A massive thanks to anybody that attended the tournament from local to further afield.” Said Brett.

“We had volunteers in the community that were just turning up at 6:30am to be part of ten to help with setting things up.”

“Obviously, there is a paid staff group, but there was also brilliant volunteers that volunteered many hours this weekend.”

“We couldn't do it to the level that we did it without those volunteers. So, a massive thank you to them. We just look forward to the next one.”

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post Quality impresses at Nelson’s 2024 Terry Walgren Memorial Tournament appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Early voting on the referendum on curbside collection of garbage, recyclables and compost for Area H, F and J residents is now open, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) wants to hear from you.

The referendum was identified by the RDCK board as one strategic opportunity to help meet their waste diversion goals.

“We've developed the proposal in line with those objectives of meeting our waste diversion goals by providing a green bin program and recycling services and making it easier for people to separate their waste, keep food waste out of our landfills, keep recycling out of our landfills.” said RDCK Organics Coordinator, Matt Morrison.

The RDCK has held five community consultations, three for Area F and H and two for Area J, which Matt describes as lively and interesting public engagement sessions.

“They're really important.” said Matt.

“People express lots of opinions and people have concerns about certain elements of the service, certainly cost being one of them, some of the logistics as well as wildlife concerns, which are all really valid and important concerns and things that, through the development of the service, we've worked to incorporate into the design and concept and propose delivery of the service as well.”

The biggest concerns being raised vocally by the community are cost, safety, and the wildlife.

Dennis Luegner attended the community consultations as a proud North Shore local of over 12 years and identified the benefits of the program- removing food waste and recyclable from local landfill, however, says safety must come first.

As an avid environmentalist, Dennis uses a food cycler, recycles regularly, and limits his garbage to one to two bags into landfill every six week on average. Costing him under $70 each year.

He times his recycling return trips into his regular town visits, adding minimal additional cost to his budget.

But it’s not all about the cost, safety and convenience plays a big part in it.

“It is the safety and the inconvenience of it,” said Dennis.

“If you have a 500-meter driveway, and it doesn't go uphill both ways, but it goes downhill one way and uphill the next, you have to wheel these carts out, but you have to wheel out two carts every week,”

“It's the safety of the person.”

“In winter you have to drive there because you could slip and fall.”

And there is concern the inconvenience could go the other way.

“Have you ever thought that there could be a problem, that the people who are really good recycling, all the silver haired people, that they're going to rebel and throw everything in the garbage.”

Areas H and F have over 2100 eligible residents, this includes customers who have their property touching a public road easement.

Share laneways off the main strip are excluded.

If adopted, the fee increase to landowners would be approximately $280 per year, roughly $600,000 revenue in total across the with 56% going to the contracted company to carry out the works.

The RDCK acknowledges the unease of the public and has investigated measures to alleviate concerns.

“Knowing that we live in bear country and have lots of wildlife issues, the design of the service would involve the provision of curbside bins that have an element of animal resistance.” said Matt.

“By providing a weekly green bin program, you can remove the source of attractants that are in people's garbage, that are in people's compost piles, that's sort of just sitting there on a weekly basis.”

“The bins themselves have a wildlife locking mechanism that is meant to make the bins bear resistant or animal resistant, and so the green bins specifically would need to have a third-party certification to classify it as bear resistant.”

In conjunction with proper storage and cleaning of the bins, the RDCK recommends freezing smelly food waste such as meat scraps, for further wildlife encounters.

As for safety logistic around pick up, this service would be outsourced.

“We would rely on the hauling industry and the road safety industry to ensure that this kind of service would be delivered safely, and we know from other communities that trucks who collect waste in a rural, remote roadside environment along highway corridors are able to do so safely.” said Matt.

But RDCK says the project its not without it challenges.

“It may look like people having to slow down at times or there may be some added congestion at a given moment, certainly. But I don't think that the nature of our roads prohibits the ability to deliver the service safely.” said Matt.

“I think it's a matter of looking at the reality, driving those routes, looking at the specific addresses where you might have pinch points and coming up with solutions versus sort of just this blanket assumption that it's not possible because it's a highway corridor.”

“It's definitely not the kind of thing where you can have a one size fits all service, and I get that a lot of people either are resistant because of the proposed cost, maybe it might be a strain on their finances, and I understand that and I feel for those folks.”

“We urge you to informed, try to understand the service in terms of the frequency of the pickup, the accepted prohibitive materials for recycling and food waste, and think if this a service that you are interested in.”

“Is the cost prohibitive or is the cost something you're willing to pay, say $20 to $23 a month for that service:”

Advanced voting is open now with general voting to take place Saturday, May 11.

Proposed Service

Electoral Area J: the proposed service would involve a weekly green bin collection and a bi-weekly, every second week, garbage collection.

The green bin would take any food waste including meats and bones, cook food, dairy, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps.

The existing recycling in Area J would remain in place and be unchanged.

Electoral Areas F and H: the proposed service would involve a weekly food waste with a bi-weekly garbage every second week garbage, alternating with an every second week recycling.

Who can vote

Those who live or own property in the proposed service area, who is 18 years and older, can vote. Tenants included.

Please ensure your are registered to vote at the RDCK Website.

Voting Dates and Locations

All polls open 8am to 8pm

RDCK Nelson Office at 202 Lakeside Drive, Nelson BC
Crescent Valley Hall at 1385 Highway 6, Crescent Valley BC
Castlegar and District Community Complex at 2101 6^th Avenue, Castlegar BC

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post RDCK Curbside Vote appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Be prepared to pay more for parking at the West Kootenay Regional Airport as Castlegar City Council votes to increase fees.

Airport Manager, Maciej Habrych, says the airport hasn't reviewed their fees since 2007, specifically post COVID, and with growing operational costs and inflation, changes must be made.

“The airport, as a whole, is a very high fixed cost to operate,” said Maciej Habrych.

“We understand the fees increasing is not welcome news, but the way we're looking at this is with the anticipated increase in demand, there's a significant increase in operational costs, so we are positioning the airport to remain financially viable from any taxation at the city level, to ensure that we provide the best service for the region that utilises the airport.”

Daily rates will increase from $8 to $10, weekly rates will increase from $50 to $55, and monthly rates will increase from $195 to $200, while hourly rates will remain the same, which Haybrych says matches industry standard for comparable airports.

On top of parking fees, there will also be an increase to landing and terminal access fees for carriers.

“Those fees are based off weights of aircraft, and commercial aircraft operating in and out of the airport.”

“Those are increasing over a five -year cycle for business planning purposes for airlines to project ahead.”

Council will make the final adoption of the new fee bylaw in next months council meeting.

Free Cancellation Shuttle continues

On a good note, Habrych says Air Canada will continue their flight cancellation shuttle bus service for another year, following the success of the pilot-program.

“Air Canada has extended the bus service for another year ending at the end of April 2025, with intent to carry that on now, starting immediately all the way through next winter season.” said Haybrych.

“We encourage all passengers who are looking ahead for their travel patterns, that they know that this is an option going forward specifically in the winter operations.”

And there is more good news to come, watch this space.

“I can share we are working on providing the region with an update on the airport projects and the exciting initiatives we have going on.” said Habrych.

“We're just working through those details now, but you can expect an update in the near term with exciting news at the airport.”

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post West Kootenay Regional Airport fees increase appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Shoreacres residents are concerned local tree trimming operations will change the landscape and disrupt wildlife, and they had no for-warning about it.

Fortis contractors are currently in Shoreacres undertaking their tree and bush clearing program, however, there was no communication with landowners.

“The lack of community consultation or any warning that this was going to happen and just having someone show up at your doorstep informing you that they are needing to drastically change the trees on your property is alarming.” said Paula Sobie, Shorecares resident.

“Resident had the options to cut the trees down significantly or have them removed, and because of that we are losing a lot of trees in our neighbourhood.”

Locals fear the changes are not for the better, with trees up to 30 years old being removed.

“It changes the landscape significantly and I was talking with a neighbor who had a large row of conifers right along our property line and she was mentioning to me just the countless owls and birds other critters she saw coming in and out of those particular trees, so it's obviously you know having a significant impact in terms of visually how the neighborhood looks but presumably being a less friendly place for some of the animals.” said Paula.

Fortis says safety is their top priority, and to ensure the reliability of their electricity and gas system, tree trimming is a necessity.

“We have crews out trimming and maintaining trees and vegetation that present a hazard to our lines and to the communities we serve.” said Gary Toft, Senior Advisor Fortis BC.

"Of course, the reason we do that is the trees falling on or touching power lines can cause power outages, they can energize nearby property and they can pose a fire risk.”

“In the last few years, we lost about 100,000 hours of outages because of electricity being put out by trees falling on power lines.”

Fortis says they will notify property owners when hazardous trees need to be removed, but less often with tree trimmings due to the size and scope of the problem trees.

However, they acknowledge they can do better with letting the community what know what is going in.

“I recognize that we can improve how we notify communities.” said Gary.

“The trees are the leading cause of power outages and outages have serious consequences.”

And they are committed to keeping the local wildlife safe.

“Our crews do a sweep for a for nest any time when they're starting work on a site.” said Gary.

“If they find a nest, they report it and they wait till the end of the nesting season to resume their work.”

Prevention is the best solution, and Fortis is encouraging all land holder to plant tree at a safe distance from powerline.

“We ask property owners to plant trees no closer than 10 meters from a power line. So that's about the length of a school bus.”

Regulations around Tree and Powerlines

Vertically, trees and bushes are to be kept three metres away from powerlines, with all new trees recommended to be planted 10 metres away from any hanging wires.

“We do trim trees a fair distance from the power lines because we want to eliminate that risk and not have to come back later and trim again.” said Gary.

“It's property owners' responsibility to make sure that trees and other vegetation on their property pose no risk to neighbouring properties or the surrounding gas and electricity infrastructure.”

“We appreciate the public's patience and understandings, we work together to keep our community safe and to keep power flowing to homes and businesses."

"And again, we encourage everyone to plant safely so we can keep our community safe and decrease service interruptions."

Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-352-1902 or email Vista Radio.

The post Shoreacres’ residents concerned over chopped trees appeared first on My Nelson Now.

In another step toward the City of Nelson’s wildfire mitigation efforts, Nelson Fire & Rescue Services (NFRS), with the support of the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), successfully completed a prescribed burn on April 2nd of the area surrounding the Highway 6/3A interchange in the city.

This controlled burn, part of a broader wildfire risk reduction strategy, effectively removed years of accumulated dry grass, significantly lowering the risk of wildfire ignition in the coming summer and subsequent seasons.

Residents in adjacent areas were notified in advance of the operation, allowing for necessary preparations such as closing windows to minimize the impact of smoke. The community's understanding and cooperation were instrumental in the successful execution of this project.

Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We are grateful for the community's support and understanding.  Some smoke was produced as expected, but the residents I spoke with were still supportive as we wrapped up the burn day" stated Rob Leland, the Wildfire Resilience Program Coordinator for the City of Nelson.

The burned areas will rejuvenate with fresh, green grass, creating a healthier and more fire-resistant landscape. This regeneration process follows that of the natural cycle of wildfire and re-growth in less urban ecosystems.

In addition to managing the hazard of the dry grass, the prescribed burn provided a valuable training opportunity for NFRS to work hand in hand with the BCWS as the fire department continues improving its wildfire response capacity.

“We thank the BC Wildfire Service for their support and expertise in making this project a success.  It’s really important that we train with other agencies so that we know how to work together effectively when the time comes” said Nelson Fire Chief Jeff Hebert.

As Nelson looks forward to a safer fire season, the City continues to explore and implement a broad range of wildfire management strategies, demonstrating leadership in wildfire preparedness and community protection.

This dovetails with the broader strategy being adopted across the province as other municipalities and First Nations re-introduce fire onto the landscape through prescribed burning.

The upcoming Selous Creek prescribed burn just outside of Nelson is another such initiative planned to be conducted by the BCWS this spring.

More information about prescribed burning can be found online at: www.prescribedfire.ca

For more information about this burn and other wildfire mitigation activities around Nelson, please visit nelson.ca/wildfire-mitigation.

Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-352-1902 or email Vista Radio.

The post Nelson Fire & Rescue Services Successfully Completes Prescribed Burn appeared first on My Nelson Now.

The provincial government has introduced legislation to protect schools from disruptive or violent protests.

The bill would create a 20-metre buffer zone around schools.

Premier David Eby says, unfortunately, this law is needed.

He notes there have been at least 18 such protests…..so something has to be done to protect students and staff.

Eby says most of the demonstrators have been angry about the sexual orientation and gender identity educational programs.

Attorney General Niki Sharma says people have a right to protest…..but they can’t be allowed to affect the safety of children and educators.

The post BC moves to ban protests, disruptions in the vicinity of schools appeared first on My Nelson Now.

A plan has been unveiled by the province to shift thousands of people away from the provincial health care waitlist and connect them with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Health Minister Adrian Dix told the media today (Thursday) 70 new primary care attachment coordinators will be able to match people who are currently on BC’s Health Connect Registry to a provider.

Starting next week (April 17), the attachment co-ordinators will connect people who are on the list to physicians who have space on their patient panels.

The co-ordinators will then examine the complexity of patients and how long they’ve been on the registry to refer them to practitioners who are accepting new patients.

In addition, family members will also be referred to the same health-care practitioner.

Digital tools are also being implemented to the Health Connect Registry, including allowing people to modify their registration if their health status changes.

Dix stated roughly 310,000 people are currently on the Health Connect Registry and about 67,000 people have been connected to doctors or are close to being matched via the online service.

Last summer, a new Provincial Attachment system was developed by the Ministry of Health.

This included Doctors of BC and the Nurse Practitioners of BC to jointly announce the Health Connect, Panel, Clinic and Provider registries.

Since 2018/19, close to 410,000 people have been attached in BC through the primary care strategy.

This includes an expansion to primary care capacity, which includes the following:

• 239 family physician contracts active under the New to Practice Incentives Program;

• 236 nurse practitioners working in longitudinal primary care under service contracts.

• 4,089 family physicians now registered with Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model;

• 700+ additional family physicians working in longitudinal primary care, year over year between December 2022 and December 2023.

There are currently between 800,000 and 900,000 British Columbians without doctors.

The post Province announces steps to streamline primary care services appeared first on My Nelson Now.

The Nelson Police Department, in conjunction with the Salmo RCMP, are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Aza Tobias Hanbury.

Mr. HANBURY is currently wanted in relation to numerous charges from multiple jurisdictions for offences including Flight from Police, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Police Obstruction.

He is described as 6’1”, around 185lbs, medium build, Caucasian with greying hair.

He could be driving a dark grey, 2017 Dodge Ram pickup with black rims, stolen out of Salmo.

The truck has been spotted with and without the black canopy (pictured).

If you have any information as to his whereabouts, please contact any of the following:
NelsonPolice Department – 250-354-3919 or
dispatch@nelsonpolice.ca
Salmo RCMP – 250-357-2212
CrimeStoppers – 1-800-222-8477

The post Wanted: Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Aza Tobias Hanbury appeared first on My Nelson Now.

B.C. officials warn of potential droughts as the province's snowpack sits at an average of 63 per cent of normal - the lowest recorded in 50 years.

The Kootenays fare slightly better than the provincial average, with the West Kootenay sitting at 72 per cent and the East Kootenay at 76 per cent.

The East Kootenay dropped five percentage points since March while the West Kootenay remained the same.

The province's annual snowpack levels are the lowest they have been since 1970, and provincial officials are warning of the possibility of more droughts.

"The latest snow survey and water supply bulletin from the River Forecast Centre indicates we may be facing drought conditions in B.C. once again this year," said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

"The experts at the River Forecast Centre tell us these low levels and the impacts of year-over-year drought are creating significantly higher drought risk for this spring and summer."

Jonathan Boyd, River Forecast Centre hydrologist the low snowpack can reduce the likelihood of flooding.

"The flood hazard from snow melt is low and it's especially noticeable for larger water systems," said Boyd.

However, the risk of floods is still there.

"It is still possible for extreme weather to adverse weather to cause flooding in the spring like sudden and extreme rainfall or persistent periods of heavy rainfall can still cause flooding," explained Boyd. "This is especially so for small and medium rivers in the Interior. Spring is typically the wet season for the Interior."

While the province is anticipating severe and prolonged droughts, Boyd said conditions could change unpredictably.

"The causes of drought in B.C. are multi-faceted. While snowpack can play an important role in some areas, other factors such as the rate of snow melt, spring and summer temperatures, and short and long-term precipitation trends may all have equal or greater importance in the emergence of drought this summer," said Boyd.

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post B.C.’s April snowpack lowest recorded since 1970 appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Police are seeking public assistance to locate Creston man, Jesse Wood.

The 43 year old has been missing from his residence since 2pm Sunday March 31st.

Jesse is described as Caucasian male, 5’7, around 170lbs, balding but has longer dark brown/black hair on the sides and brown eyes.

He was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, dark sweatpants, yellow foam-type sandals and backpack.

He is not associated to any vehicle and is known to usually be seen “cigarette butt hunting” on foot downtown.

Associates have informed police that he may have gone to Cranbrook, although this information cannot be corroborated at this time.

If anyone knows of the whereabouts of Mr. Wood, please contact you local RCMP Detachment so that an Officer can confirm Mr. Wood’s wellbeing.

Photo attached is from social media. When last seen he had longer hair on the sides.

The post Missing Creston Man appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Ever met someone who loved losing? Didn’t think so!

If you love winning prizes, head over and like or follow 103.5 The Bridge on Facebook!

We’re drawing one lucky winner at the end of the month from our followers and likers, new and existing, to win a $100 gift card for Granite Pointe Golf Club!

But you can’t win it if you’re not in it.

Head on over to Facebook and give us the thumbs up.

While you’re there, keep up with current Nelson events, new contests, and all things 103.5 The Bridge FM.

The post Win a $100 gift card to Granite Point Golf Club appeared first on My Nelson Now.

The weekend's season finale up at Whitewater Ski Resort didn't disappoint, as crowds flooded the hill for one last run.

The biggest crowd-pleaser was the highly anticipated Slush Cup.

The legendary pond skim saw young and old take on the challenge, with some more successful than others.

Despite chilly weather, over 30 brave souls signed up to take the plunge, plummeting down into icy waters donning a dazzling array of costumes, to a cheering crowd below.

Following the spectacle, the party continued with a DJ on site and the drinks flowing as snow-lovers farewell the 2023/2024 season.

Missed the slush cup or just want to relive it? Check out our coverage from the event at our Facebook page: 103.5 The Bridge FM - CHNV Whitewater Splash Cup.

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post Whitewater makes a Splash to close out the season appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Whether you are headed into the backcountry for a hike or to camp, Ladysmith Search and Rescue says preparation is the key to survival.  

President Faye Hjort says survival training and preparation isn’t just limited to hiking and camping and people who venture into the backcountry should be prepared every time they go out. 

“Search and rescue are busy all year long, we have a beautiful area for camping, snowshoeing and hiking,” she says.

“In all weather people go out, so really there isn’t much of a slow period for callouts.” 

Hjort says calls for service vary depending on the situation and even minor scenarios, although they appear to be trivial, can quickly escalate.  

“They can be simple as someone getting injured from slipping on a rock to miss a scheduled time for coming back that causes someone to get disorientated,” she says.  

According to the BC Search and Rescue Association website, calls for service have been on the rise throughout the province since the beginning of 2023 across the province with 15 per cent of the incidents happening from hiking.  

Hjort says while they have policies in place to find people who have wandered off, the best advice she can give is to just stay put and wait for rescue teams.  

“The best thing is to just stop, don’t panic and take a breath,” she says.

“If you feel you are lost, being in one place makes it easier for someone to find you."

“If you have cell service that is great but stay put and someone will come across you.” 

She says if you are going into the woods, you should always carry essentials including food, shelter, water, a fire starter, small knife, repair kit, first aid kit, and another source of light besides your cell phone. 

If you are planning on having a backcountry adventure, Hjort says downloading the Adventure Smart app would provide anyone with detailed instructions on what to bring and how to plan. 

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post Search and Rescue suggest survival tactics for backcountry enthusiasts appeared first on My Nelson Now.

RCMP officers are appealing for witnesses after reports of a single vehicle incident on Highway 22, near Oasis on Tuesday, April 2.

A frontline Trail and Greater District RCMP officer responded to the call, where they found a 53-year-old Greenwood woman was still on scene and reportedly uninjured.

She told police that she was driving to Castlegar when her and her vehicle left the highway, flipped over, and crashed into a marsh. The vehicle ended up partially submerged.

The woman managed to exit the vehicle and received assistance from other motorists. The woman alleged that she was cut off by a black Dodge Ram truck which caused her to veer off the highway.

An officer seized drug use paraphernalia and one gram of a substance believed to be Fentanyl. The officer believed that drug impairment may be a factor in the cause of the crash.

"If you witnessed this incident or have dash cam footage, please contact the Trail Detachment at 250-364-2566 tpo speak to an investigator," said Sgt. Wicentowich.

Something going on in your part of the Kootenays you think people should know about? Send us a news tip by emailing news@mynelsonnow.com.

The post Woman drives off highway and into marsh near Oasis, BC appeared first on My Nelson Now.

For the first time in 15 years, BC Hydro has issued a call for more power.

The provincial government says Hydro issued a request for 3,000 more gigawatts per year of electricity, making it their first in 15 years. If approved, it could power 270,000 homes or one million electric vehicles.

As efforts to fight climate change continue, Minister of Energy, mines, and low carbon innovation Josie Osborne says the need to switch to clean energy has never felt more urgent.

“That’s why we are working in collaboration with BC Hydro, First Nations and the independent power industry to generate more of the electricity that B.C. needs,” said Osborne.

Along with powering up homes, there is also hope that the extra electricity could bring $2.3 to $3.6 billion in private capital spending across B.C. through developing energy projects.

The province says electricity demand is expected to go up by 15 percent between 2024 and 2030 because of population growth, housing construction, and having more homes and businesses switch to clean electricity.

BC Hydro says they will expect to make more calls for power in the future, with the next one to be issued in 2026.

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyKootenayNow News Alerts.

The post BC Hydro issues first call for more electricity in 15 years appeared first on My Nelson Now.

The post RCMP warn of speeding scam appeared first on My Nelson Now.

Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston, met with community climate leaders in Nelson to discuss how Budget 2024 can help support people in the region to transition to a low-carbon economy and meet shared CleanBC goals.

“Our government’s budget this year reflects the strong action we must take to achieve our CleanBC emissions goals and create sustainable jobs for British Columbians, while transitioning to a low-carbon economy,” said Osborne.

“Funding for these climate programs is so much more than a line item in a budget. It's an investment for a clean and healthy future for our children and grandchildren.”

Osborne and Anderson held discussions with local climate leaders about the issues that affect people in local communities and throughout British Columbia, and how the climate programs in this year’s budget can help address key concerns and benefit more people.

In addition to climate action, Budget 2024 prioritizes measures to help make life more affordable for people in British Columbia. The B.C. Electricity Affordability Credit will give people a break on their electricity bills by helping households save an average of $100 over the course of the year based on their prior year power usage.

“People in our communities are seeing and feeling the impacts of climate change right now,” said Anderson.

“As British Columbians, we all have a shared responsibility to work toward our climate goals, and our government is committed to leading the way in the transition to a cleaner economy.”

Budget 2024 also reaffirms the Province’s climate-action commitment with $318 million to continue to fund grant and rebate programs for clean transportation, energy-efficient buildings and communities, and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In addition, another $90 million will help people and communities reduce emissions:

• $40 million for additional heat-pump rebates for households with low and middle incomes to provide access to affordable, clean energy;
• $20 million for active transportation grants to communities; and
• $30 million to continue the implementation of electric-vehicle public charging infrastructure.

This year, the Province launched the first phase of a new made-in-B.C. Critical Minerals Strategy to build a clean economy by expanding the critical minerals sector in alignment with the B.C. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. In addition, B.C. has made significant progress on exploration-permitting timelines, including a 52% reduction in the backlog of permits.

Budget 2024 reaffirms commitment to a low-carbon economy with $24 million ensuring resources stay in place to continue to reduce permitting backlogs, enabling access to the critical minerals needed to produce components in clean-energy products, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, electrical transmission lines and batteries.

“Decarbonizing our energy system will not be easy but I believe Minister Osborne and MLA Anderson, representing a new generation of leadership in B.C., are up to the task,” said Rik Logtenberg, councillor, Nelson.

“Over the years, I've watched them tackle climate change head on with urgency and compassion and the candid dialogue at the forum provided clarity regarding government's pathway to a clean-energy future.”

B.C. is taking action to build a cleaner, stronger economy in partnership with First Nations and industry, while training people for in-demand jobs and creating more opportunities. B.C. continues to lead on climate action and sustainable job growth through the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030.

Quick Facts:

• Under the B.C. Electricity Affordability Credit, commercial and industrial customers will also receive savings for as much as 4.6% of their electricity consumption. The average small business will save $400 yearly.
• People and businesses will see the credit on their bills starting in April 2024.
• Phase 1 of the critical minerals strategy was announced in January 2024.
• Critical minerals, such as copper, nickel and molybdenum, are essential components in products used for clean energy, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, electrical transmission lines and batteries.

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyNelsonNow News Alerts.

The post Budget 2024 prioritizes actions for low-carbon economy appeared first on My Nelson Now.