Burning ends
BC’s Coastal Fire Centre, which encompasses the Powell River area, is prohibiting open fires beginning at noon on Monday, May 16. The ban on category two open fires will be in place until October 3 to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect the public.
Specifically, this ban prohibits burning any material, piled or unpiled, smaller than two metres in height and three metres in width, including burning barrels. It also prohibits burning stubble or grass over an area less than 2,000 square metres (0.2 hectares).
The ban does not prohibit campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller or cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. People lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water nearby to properly extinguish the fire.
People lighting larger fires, or more than two fires of any size, must comply with burning regulations and obtain a burn registration number by calling 1.888.797.1717.
The ban covers all BC parks, as well as Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have open fire bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. The City of Powell River regulates open burning within its boundaries. The Powell River Regional District does not regulate burning in any of the electoral areas.
Anyone found in contravention of an open fire ban may be fined $345 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person may be subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Clark wins
BC Premier Christy Clark will be representing Vancouver-Point Grey in the BC legislature after winning a by-election on Wednesday, May 11.
Preliminary results from Elections BC showed Clark won with 7,371 votes, or 48.9 per cent of the vote. New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate David Eby came close to defeating Clark, with 6,776 votes, or 44.97 per cent of the vote.
The riding had been held by Gordon Campbell, former BC premier, who resigned in March, after Clark was elected leader. In the 2009 election, Campbell won the riding with 50 per cent of the vote.
Although Clark edged out Eby with only 595 more votes, the win broke a 30-year precedent in BC politics. No member of a governing party has won a by-election for three decades. Kevin Sigouin, president of the Powell River-Sunshine Coast Liberal Riding Association, said the party also broke another, longer record. He said it had been 80 years since a BC premier had won a by-election.
A group of riding association members went to Vancouver-Point Grey on Tuesday to help out with Clark’s campaign, Sigouin said. “We can’t take any vote for granted,” he said. “It’s all about the volunteers and how important that is. It’s about every single door-knocking, every single phone call.”
The BC Liberal Party remains committed to maintaining its coalition, Sigouin said. “Clark continues to build solidarity and unify the party. That’s a good thing and her getting in is a great thing.”
Stop-smoking help
BC’s government will offer stop-smoking aids to smokers for free, starting September 30. As well, smoking cessation prescription drugs will be covered under PharmaCare.
“Tobacco is the largest single cause of premature death and disease in our province and while a lot of progress has been made, there is still more we can do,” stated Premier Christy Clark in a release about the announcement.
British Columbians will have the choice of either nicotine gum or patches to help quit tobacco with a free supply for up to 12 weeks, or obtaining coverage of prescribed drugs through PharmaCare. The program will cost an estimated $15-to $25-million, based on the number of individuals who use it.
