Sign In Subscribe Now The fire in the log yard at Pioneer Log Homes near Williams Lake is under control Multiple fire crews are on scene at the Pioneer Log Homes of B.C Log decks are on fire on the west side of the property the main log home building site for the company which was featured in the Timber Kings reality television show Partially constructed homes and the construction crane have so far not been impacted by the blaze Traffic is still moving on Highway 97 and RCMP and Dawson Road Services are on scene directing traffic Southbound traffic is reduced to one lane alongside the fire as firefighters work to douse the log decks 150 Mile Volunteer Fire Department is leading the response Williams Lake Fire Department and Miocene Volunteer Fire Department providing support as well.  A prescribed burn took place near the compound last week but firefighters have not yet provided information on the cause of the fire Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Highway 97 has reopened north of Williams Lake Highway 97 north of Williams Lake is closed to all traffic in both directions as of the afternoon of Sunday DriveBC is reporting that a vehicle incident has occurred between Pinnell Road and Lynes Creek Road A detour is available via Beaver Creek Road via Likely Highway no commercial vehicles are allowed on this detour route The next update is expected at 8 p.m. on Sunday (May 4), and the highway is expected to reopen at 8:30 p.m., although this is subject to change. For the latest information, go to www.drivebc.ca The Filipino community of Williams Lake is holding a Luksang Bayan on Saturday, May 10 in memory of the lives lost during the Lapu-Lapu event in Vancouver.  Everyone is welcome to gather with the Filipino community singing and smudging during the prayer vigil and people are welcome to bring candles and flowers it's devastating," said Shelly Herrera of Williams Lake about the tragic death of eleven people and the injury of at least two-dozen people during the April 26 Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver during which an SUV was driven into the crowd. Kai-Ji Adam Lo was arrested in relation to the incident and faces eight counts of second-degree murder let's honour the memories of the 11 lives tragically lost in Vancouver and celebrate the resilience of the human spirit,” wrote Esk'etemc councillor Irene Johnson on her Facebook page as she invited community members to bring their drums rattles and regalia to heal together on May 10.  Herrera estimates there are at least 200 people in Williams Lake's Filipino community she said the community is resilient.  "We are standing in unity and I pray for them We offer condolences to the victims and families affected," she said.  To support those impacted by the tragedy, you can donate to United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund One hundred per cent of donations will go towards Vancouver's Filipino community and those affected by the tragedy through mental health services and trauma counselling food assistance and events and spaces for community to connect and share resources.  For free, confidential support, call or text VictimLinkBC at 1-800-563-0808 or email 211-VictimLinkBC@uwbc. You can also visit the Crisis Line Association of BC’s website With files from Lauren Collins and Karl Yu A new mobile therapy service is up and running in the Cariboo Chilcotin for people up to 19-years-of age.  Denisiqi Services Society and the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre are providing the Indigenous Child and Youth Mobile Therapy Services The mobile services support the Tŝilhqot’in Northern Secwepemc and Ulkatcho First Nations directly within their communities via a mobile therapy bus Some of the services will include speech and language therapy "This is a service that has been in the making since July 2024," noted a news release about the service. "It has officially been in operation since January 2025 At this time there is one bus on the road with another under transformation."  Members of the mobile team includes Nancy Frost Alys Wardlaw, speech and language therapist and Jerusha Alvares, speech and language therapist Currently the program is hoping to recruit two occupational therapists and two physiotherapist to join the team For further information contact Nancy Frost at Denisiqi Services Society 250-392-6500 or Tammy Deausy at Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre 250-392-4481 May 14 there will be a ribbon-cutting and ground-breaking ceremony at 1155 Mackenzie Avenue North from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., for the news site of the future home of Denisiqi Service Society About the Author: Williams Lake Tribune Staff known for his boxing prowess in Williams Lake McLellan had court dates on April 8 and April 11 2025 in relation to multiple alleged assaults The first assault was alleged to have taken place in February 2023 and the last one in June 2024 His next court date is currently scheduled for April 29 None of the charges have been proven in court Heavy equipment worked throughout the night to help establish a containment line around the wildfire near Alexis Creek As of Saturday  morning the wildfire was 30 per cent guarded. BCWS initial attack crews and unit crews are on site More resources are currently being mobilized including contract crews Heavy equipment also remains on site and four helicopters are supporting ground crews.  Temperatures are much cooler and there is less wind.  Environment Canada shows the low for overnight Saturday is expected to be -1C while the high is only 10C.  The Dewar Lake wildfire is being listed as under control The Anah Lake wildfire has been listed as under control by BC Wildfire Service Dewar Lake wildfire is listed as being held while the Alexis Creek wildfire is listed as out of control The Anah Lake and Dewar Lake wildfires are being listed as being held by BC Wildfire Service the Alexis Creek wildfire is still listed as being out of control The wildfire burning near Alexis Creek is now measured at 550 hectares as of 8:58 p.m seven kilometres north of Tl'etinqox First Nation BC Wildfire says due to dry and windy conditions the wildfire has grown and continues to display rank 3 fire behaviour Initial attack crews and a unit crew continue to remain on site and additional resources will be mobilized Saturday (May 3rd) morning Heavy equipment will be working throughout the night to establish containment lines around the fire.  It is estimated to be 52 hectare as of Friday evening.  An out of control wildfire has been spotted near Alexis Creek BCWS staff and firefighting personnel are responding to the wildfire A second fire in the region is listed near Dewer Lake east of Williams Lake with the cause human-caused listed by BC Wildfire Service.  The family of a local man who died on Sunday in a vehicle crash says they have found his missing dog.  "There is no words to explain our emotions at this time," wrote Nicole Kendall on Facebook "Junior has been found and is on his way home We are forever grateful for everyone's help locating him safely and for all the condolences that have poured in from everyone."  A local family is asking the public’s help in finding their missing dog after a crash claimed the life of its owner on Sunday “If you live near Likely Road or the surrounding woods and neighbourhoods in sheds and near water sources,” said Mary Sword who has been in contact with the family She also said to check outbuildings and along tree lines or bush trails Junior is described as a large brown dog and a “gentle giant” who Sword said may be hiding resting or circling back to familiar areas He was last seen wearing a collar with tags.  "Bringing Junior home is not just a mission—it’s a lifeline," Sword wrote to the Tribune "He is a living part of the son Nicole and her husband lost Sword said Junior was travelling with his owner at the time of the crash but was no longer at the scene when emergency responders arrived He may be injured and in a heightened survival mode Junior may be acting in extreme caution following the trauma of the crash Sword said not to chase or call out to him keep visual contact of the dog from a distance and contact the family immediately.  "If you're carrying a strong-smelling treat (like liver or sardines) gently toss it nearby to encourage calm curiosity," Sword wrote adding that you should sit down quietly and avoid eye contact if Junior approaches you or if you find yourself in close proximity to him "Let him come to you on his own terms."  Community volunteers are actively organizing searches throughout the area, and the family is urgently asking for assistance from anyone with access to a thermal drone to help search hard-to-reach Construction of Phase 1 at Blackwater Mine is complete and commenced milling operations in the first quarter of 2025 with plans to enter commercial production this quarter the response was given that gold is sold via international markets so to the mine's knowledge tariffs are not applicable and most of the mine's supply chain can be sourced from outside of the U.S.  Carney has had a wee bit of experience as PM so he knows what he's in for Dealing with President Trump is the big one Carney is a statesman and I'm sure he'll handle that with dignity Other challenges could include coping with a negative Opposition and of course there are social and economic issues too.  Carney must show the world we are a proud independent and economically secure country His background will help him with that.  Let's hope city council will continue to involve the public in developing our Community Plan The more people involved the better.  Some individual will have an idea nobody thought of.  and we should make more use of the Thompson Rivers University Williams Lake campus Williams Lake has ample sports facilities but nothing for the arts We do have what I believe is the oldest acting society in B.C.  Many cities our size depend on their universities for their economic security Maybe it's time we looked at our university as our economic asset.  *Editor's note: Diana French prepared different beginnings for this column depending on who won Monday evening's federal election She submits her columns late Sunday so like the old saying goes 'always be prepared.' Diana certainly was.  head to the Laughing Loon or to the Bean Counter to buy a pottery bowl made by members of the Cariboo Potters' Guild Bowls are $25 and donations go towards the local Salvation Army food bank the Women’s Contact Society and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul The Empty Bowls Campaign is coordinated by the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society.  Registrations received for the Horsefly 10 km Fun Run prior to April 15 will include a T-shirt Entry forms can be picked up and dropped off at Clarkes General Store in Horsefly and REMAX in Williams Lake or by email from lprolph@xplornet.ca or 250-620-3512. The run will be Saturday from the Moffat Falls and continue down the 108 Mile Road to the Horsefly Rink.  88th Williams Lake Bull Sale and Show.  the Empty Bowls Campaign includes a free bowl of soup with the purchase of a locally-made pottery bowl at the Laughing Loon or Bean Counter.  Cariboo Chaos wrestling event in the Limelight Theatre presented by Krool Pro Combat and Monster Pro Wrestling tickets are $25 in advance at Rebel Fit Nutrition The 3rd annual Indoor Spring Classic Rodeo in Williams Lake is set to take place April 18 The three-day rodeo will see a rodeo on Friday evening at 7 p.m and again on Saturday and Sunday starting at 1 p.m There will also be a barn dance Saturday night beginning at 8 p.m for 19-plus only featuring LNDN (Lynden Grosso), an up-and-coming DJ hailing from our hometown of Williams Lake On Sunday the rodeo will host an Eggstravaganza Easter Roundup from 10 a.m The Rose Lake/Miocene 4-H Club is hosting its annual Easter Petting Zoo from 10 a.m Interested vendors can contact organizers through The Realm of Toys and Nerd Room Facebook page.  Vaisakhi ceremony and celebration at Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on Mackenzie Avenue at 4 p.m The community is invited to attend the flag raising ceremony and meal Bright Futures 5 km Walk/Run/Bike from 10 a.m starting at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex Registration is $25 per person or $40 per family with proceeds going to the Children's Hospital Foundation The NEXT GENeral Mercantile & Refillery and the Thrift Bucket are hosting a clothing swap in front of their stores from 10 a.m drop off your unused clothing and return on the 27 to pick out a new piece for your wardrobe There will be mending stations and the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society will be around to share their Waste Wise expertise. Wild & Immersive will also be running childrens' activities All clothes must be in wearable condition and freshly laundered Undergarments will not be accepted.  Scout Island will be hosting its 25th annual spring plant and yard sale from 9:30 a.m house hold items, sports gear and much more will be available to purchase To donate plants or small items to the sale The Williams Lake Farmers' Market season is kicking off with Seedling Saturday and Earlybird Farmers' Market from 9 a.m The market will then run weekly on Fridays from 9 a.m Peter's Anglican Church is having a Giant Plant Sale from 9 a.m Get your garden started with the purchase of tomatoes house plants, sunflowers and more.  Vaisakhi ceremony and celebration at the Singhsaba - Western Singh Sabha on Pine Street in Williams Lake Join the community celebration of the harvest,  and flag raising Mother's Day Weekend Pottery & Art Sale at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre in Williams Lake Cariboo Art Society and Cariboo Potter's Guild will be holding a joint sale event Saturday from 10 a.m Volunteers with Williams Lake Community Policing Citizens on Patrol were out reminding drivers of the speed limit along Highway 97 in Williams Lake on April 10 Don Branch and Alex Wasylenko were tracking numbers of vehicles being driven by and how many were speeding Speed watch is a tool to reduce speeding and improve road safety by increasing driver awareness of speed limits and provide data to help inform RCMP resource allocation and improve road infrastructure According to Road Safety BC's annual summary from 2023 67,100 people were injured in ICBC-reported incidents with a total of 293,500 crashes reported to ICBC According to BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit over 760 traffic collisions happen every day and according to a B.C government report on motor vehicle crashes the Interior of the province was the deadliest region to drive in in 2012 with more than 38 per cent of fatal vehicle incidents in the province occurring in the Interior Health Authority the top three most common factors contributing to fatal collisions were speed Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news Williams Lake's river valley remains closed to the public.  a wildfire started after a tree top fell onto a power pole Many of the danger trees left standing after the fire have yet to be removed explaining land in the river valley is private At this point Warnock could not estimate when the danger tree removal will be completed.  In the fire some fencing was damaged around ponds as well as about eight power poles that had to be replaced.  The river valley had just reopened to the public in the spring of 2023 after being closed for three years due to the 2020 floods which damaged city infrastructure and swiped out most of the bridges Mountain bikers are accessing trails on the west side of the river valley and entering behind the Station House Gallery Enjoying Reading The Williams Lake Tribune Enter your email to connect to 30 more days worth of stories by journalists living & working in Williams Lake Thank you for supporting local journalism The 2025 Student Vote Canada resulted in a Conservative minority government.  The week before the federal election on Monday which saw the Liberal Party hold onto government and the Conservatives form the opposition intermediate and high school students participated in Student Vote Canada These students came from 5,900 schools across the country with results coming in from all 343 electoral districts with 870,340 valid ballots and 30,453 rejected ballots.  Conservative incumbent Todd Doherty would have held onto his seat comfortably the contest for second place was far closer with Liberal Clinton Emslie receiving 371 votes New Democrat Angie Bonzanno receiving 327 and Green Jodie Capling securing 261.  the People's Party of Canada's candidate Rudy Sans won 108 votes Christian Heritage Party of Canada candidate Jake Wiens won 81 votes and independent Kenneth B 100 Mile Elementary School and Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School both participated in the vote while 100 Mile Elementary voted 53.2 per cent in Doherty's favour at the high school, Capling received the largest share of the vote at 36.4 per cent students at Marie Sharpe Elementary School threw 23 per cent of their votes behind Bonzanno compared to the 60.3 per cent he enjoyed on Monday across the riding. Up in Quesnel Quesnel Junior School and Correlieu Secondary School's students were largely in agreement voting for Doherty 48.1 per cent 51.4 per cent respectively.  the Conservative Party won 165 seats with 36.4 per cent of the vote the Liberal Party won 145 seats and 31.7 per cent of the popular vote the Liberals secured 169 seats to the Conservatives' 144 holding onto 13 seats and 14.5 per cent of the popular vote compared to the seven seats they held during the actual election. Meanwhile the Green Party had two seats to their one in reality while the Bloc Québecois won only 18 seats and 2.1 per cent of the popular vote.  Pierre Poilievre succeeded in winning his riding of Carleton Former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's fortunes the Greens' Elizabeth May and the Bloc's Yves-François Blanchet all held onto their seats in the student vote as well.  a non-partisan registered Canadian charity dedicated to strengthening democracy through civic education teachers educated their students on the various candidates and their policies before conducting the student vote.  No One Covers Williams Lake Like The Williams Lake Tribune Don’t miss out on reading the latest local provincial and national news. Join our community and receive daily news alerts & breaking news West Fraser's Williams Lake sawmill is facing some timber supply challenges leading to a shorter work week for the next two months "Warmer weather than usual this winter and permitting delays have hampered log deliveries resulting in a temporary timber supply challenge," said Joyce Wagenaar director of communications for West Fraser Wagenaar said employees at their Williams Lake sawmill have collectively agreed to adjust to a four-day work week for the next eight weeks to address the supply issue Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters A break-and-enter and theft at Sandtronic Business Systems in Williams Lake has the account manager shaking his head.  "This is a strange one," Andrew Sandberg said Monday April 21 after showing the Tribune where a man broke in through a window just before 1 a.m Security footage shows a man clad in black with a face covering entered through the broken window picked up a monitor inside a box and walked out the back door The first time I came to Williams Lake was in the fall of 1964 It was for a young peoples’ conference hosted by St I distinctly remember two things about the bus trip up from Vancouver – the beautiful rolling countryside with its profusion of gold leaves and its intense blue skies and how cold it was as we stepped off the bus 13th Annual Chilcotin Road Vendor's Market Chilcotin Road School 509 Lyne Road from 4 to 8 p.m.  50 local vendors and great prizes.  with all proceeds going to Big Brothers Big Sisters Williams Lake Williams Lake RCMP actually had less calls this spring than last year but have seen greater number of disturbances in the city And while dramatic social media posts on crime in the city's core may give the impression it is a dangerous place to be RCMP stats suggest recent high-profile incidents being shared on social media are indicative of a shift in the types of issues Sign In Register WorkSafeBC has fined Walmart more than $780,000 for unsafe storage racking practices at stores in Burnaby and Williams Lake The safety violations at the Burnaby store at Lougheed mall were discovered after a hazardous materials incident last July according to inspection reports obtained by the Burnaby NOW A worker had disposed of two containers of a pool cleaning product (HTH Super Sock It Shock) in a compactor and the fire department was called when people noticed a "strong chemical smell" in the back room near the compactor A hazardous waste contractor later determined one of the containers of pool cleaner had broken and its contents released into the compactor Walmart told WorkSafeBC no workers reported health concerns or symptoms relating to the incident but the inspectors found the store's paperwork on hazardous chemicals wasn't up to date They also found safety problems with storage racking in the back room WorkSafeBC ordered the store to have the damaged sections inspected by a qualified person immediately and have them replaced When WorkSafeBC returned in October to follow up an inspector determined Walmart had failed to ensure the racks were regularly inspected by a qualified person and that the racks were not being used "in accordance with the specifications and instructions of a professional engineer." the inspector found the store didn't have proper instructions for workers to make sure loads put on the racks were within the rated capacity of the racks "In discussion with workers I was told that there were issues with pallets stored unsafely on racking in the warehouse," stated an Aug "Multiple workers reported that there are issues with supervisors allowing unqualified workers to operate the forklift and powered pallet jacks in the afternoon shift resulting in pallets and materials been stacked unsafely." The inspectors noted boxes staked on pallets in an unacceptable manner there is a potential for a domino effect if boxes on [a] pallet were to topple," the report said One pallet of material was discovered protruding from a top rack directly above a worker desk WorkSafeBC imposed a $783,068.26 fine for the safety violations at the two stores "All of these were all high-risk violations," stated a WorkSafeBC summary on the penalty There were open lanes for Big Brothers Big Sisters Williams Lake (BBBSWL) fundraiser Bowl for Kids' Sake this year but those who did come were successful fundraisers said the sponsors were great and the event still raised more than $17,000 for the organization considering the low team turnout," she said and the participants had room to spread out at Cariboo Bowling Lanes A photo of the Williams Lake dam in Halifax People living around and downstream from Williams Lake in Halifax and their properties will be safer with the Province’s construction of a new dam The replacement dam will be built to environmental standards that support protection of the lake’s ecosystem and regulate water levels for the enjoyment and safety of users and property owners “The community voiced its concerns about the aging Williams Lake Dam Minister of Public Works and Minister responsible for Build Nova Scotia and the safety of the community and the health of the environment will be a benefit now and for generations to come.” The Province is investing almost $5 million to build the new dam which will include a spillway to address dramatic changes in water levels experienced in recent years and fish passages to support aquatic life will be carried out between June and fall over the next three years to limit the impact on fish and eels Environmental and ecological testing will begin next year and the dam is expected to be complete in 2027 The Elections Canada office is open in Williams Lake at Village Square Voting can take place at the office until 6 p.m There will be advance voting opportunities on April 18 at the Seniors Activity Centre at 176 Fourth Ave Voters on that day must vote a the place indicated on the voting card they will be receiving in the mail any day In the Cariboo Prince George riding there are seven candidates as confirmed by Elections Canada on Wednesday Jodie Capling Todd Doherty Rudy Sans Kenneth B. Thomson Jake Weins, Christian Heritage Party The Tribune will be publishing a question and answer section with all of the candidates who choose to respond in the April 17 2025 edition and on the website at www.wltribune.com Williams Lake Wildfire Risk Reduction and FireSmart Coordinator Taya Vanderkop-Girard presented to city council at the regular council meeting on April 1 Vanderkop-Girard attained a Master's degree in Environmental Public Health and studied at the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at the University of British Columbia she began her new role with the city to help implement the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) which is currently in development The Highway has re-opened following both vehicles involved in the collision being towed away Highway 97 has been closed both way north of Quesnel near Ten Mile Lake on Wednesday BCEHS and Barlow Creek Volunteer Fire Department are on scene.  hail and cooler temperatures the Easter Festival in downtown Williams Lake hopped its way into the hearts of locals.  Two blocks of the downtown were cordoned off for vendors and activities while a DJ sent out upbeat music as the festival got underway.  Jazmyn Lyons and her mom Joan Douillard of The Realm of Toys and The Nerd Room organized the three-hour event and were out checking in on vendors right at noon to make sure they were settling in The city of Williams Lake held a special council meeting to discuss "homelessness and community safety in the downtown." While there had been a planned break in the council meeting schedule this week the last-minute meeting was called as a response to reports said to be coming to Coun Scott Nelson and Mayor Surinderpal Rathor.  While the emergency meeting was listed as being held to discuss homelessness and community safety some of the more than 50 people in attendance raised concerns the meeting was confusing homelessness with crime while others called for more services like mental health and addiction help forced some evacuations Thursday evening (May 1) which is 56 hectares and burning out of control was discovered on Thursday and is believed to be human caused Wildfire Service says 12 firefighters are responding alongside the Fort St along with two helicopters and an air tanker The Williams Lake Ladies Soccer League is gearing up for the season which gets underway Monday Anyone who is interested in checking the league out is invited to an exhibition game on Monday "We play at the Esler fields," said Ashleigh Lyons Normally there are four teams of seven players "We do a draft and place players evenly on the teams," Lyons said Williams Lake city council heard about the pending launch of the public part of the official community plan (OCP) development process at their meeting April 8 In the committee of the whole meeting in the Rick Hansen boardroom at city hall council provided some initial input and heard from both Beth Veenkamp manager of economic development for the city What should the city do with the lake weed harvester and federal authorities will let them use it some day to clean the weeds out of the lake? Or will they listen to why the authorities are balking about that plan?  If the listen to the authorities they'll leave the lake alone and sell the harvester Jarret Moon arrived Thursday night from Alberta to play in the Guns and Hoses Charity Hockey Game taking place Friday March 21 between the RCMP and the Williams Lake Fire Department.  The winner of the game will be presented with the first-ever Dale Moon Memorial Cup honouring Jarret’s father who was the city’s fire chief from 1988 to 2008 and a member of the department for 40 years Assistant Fire Chief Cory Boyd said the WIlliams Lake Fire Department received a call at around  6:20 a.m to a business fire on Mackenzie Avenue North on Thursday "We had a duty officer on scene right away and he observed a large portion of the building already fully involved.  The first Engine arrived at 6:30 a.m.  The building had no fire separation causing it to spread quickly." and three command vehicles responded and a total of 26 firefighters were on scene "The cause is undetermined," he said.  The Williams Lake Fire Department is responding to a fire on Mackenzie Avenue at a used and new goods store Thursday morning Station 99 is housed in a former warehouse on the west side of the road RCMP on scene told the Tribune the fire started around 6 a.m When the Tribune interviewed the owner in March 2024 she said items in the store come from estate sales and store closures plus several vendors including Reclaimed Classics Editor's note: this story has been updated with images as the fire progressed BC Wildfire Service and the Cariboo Regional District with support from Williams Lake First Nation will be doing some burning near Highway 97 in Williams Lake Bellevue Drive and Highway 97 is planned to take place April 5 and 6 The burning is aimed at reducing wildfire risk in the area and will cover approximately six hectares near the Welcome to Williams Lake rest area south of Williams Lake on the north side of Highway 97 Williams Lake city council said they will continue to do what they can to push the province to find a way to save Atlantic Power's Williams Lake biomass plant The council discussed their options at length during the Feb 2025 regular meeting at city hall and by Thursday Manager of Economic Development for the city, said the city was ready to step it up The Daybreak Rotary Club in Williams Lake is having a used book sale on March 1 The Giant Used Book Sale will be held from 10 a.m each day in the back-alley entrance behind Home Hardware.  Donations can be made in the Collection Bins at Freshco The theme for the 2025 Williams Lake Stampede Parade will be "hockey is our game." announced this year's parade will take place on Saturday Registration will open in early May and Dye reminded potential participants handouts are allowed but items can not be thrown or tossed they must be handed individually to maintain the safety of parade watchers and participants Some who donated dresses to the Glass Slipper Boutique in Williams Lake were surprised to see their dresses show up on Marketplace this week A post advertising a formal wear sale surprised some in the Williams Lake community and sparked comments on the post asking how the dresses came to be for sale in Quesnel when they were supposed to be for youth who needed them in Williams Lake City council voted to once again give their support for the Indoor Spring Classic Rodeo through the use of city staff time and equipment council unanimously supported the move to assist with the event put on by the Interior Rodeo Event Association The city will donate staff time and the use of dump trucks and a loader to help move the dirt into the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex Williams Lake city council was split down the middle and a motion for council to sell the city's lake harvester to recoup some of the costs to the city was defeated staff had presented a report providing some options for the council on how to proceed with the lake harvester: sell it pay for further study and a report and potential limited operation of the machine or defer action until something changes The film Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy follows Kainai First Nation in southern Alberta as the community’s approach to treating addiction shifts amidst a drug-poisoning crisis March 29 at the Cariboo Memorial Complex’s Gibraltar Room Kímmapiiyipitssini documents life-saving changes taking place in the Blackfoot community directed and co-produced by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Kímmapiiyipitssini embraces the community’s teachings of empathy and compassion as means of survival Twelve citizens were selected on April 28 in BC Supreme Court to hear the trial of Marvin Russel Moore Moore has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual touching involving a person under 14 and one count of sexual assault The charges stem from the time period between 1996 and 2000 in Anahim Lake There is a publication ban on the identity of the alleged victim City council voted in favour of a grant application to Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) to continue building economic development capacity Council supported a 2025 application by staff for NDIT funds up to $50,000 to help offset the wages of the economic development manager The city applies for the grant from NDIT every year to support economic development projects The council voted unanimously to support the application for funds to help build capacity Representatives of Atlantic Power appeared at the April 1 city council meeting virtually to thank the city for its support in saving the Williams Lake power plant "I really want to express my sincere gratitude for all your help to keep this plant open," said Sean Gillespie senior vice president of operations for Atlantic Power "The determination and perseverance of this mayor and this council were absolutely amazing," he said Emergency services will be temporarily unavailable as of noon on Friday 15 at Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Williams Lake.  People facing life-threatening emergencies Emergency services can be accessed at 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel or Bella Coola General Hospital in Bella Coola during this time All other inpatient services continue to operate at CMH If you are unsure whether you require an emergency visit, call the 24 hour, seven days a week HealthLink BC line at 8-1-1, or visit HealthLink BC's website Interior Health announced the temporary closure at 10:07 on the morning of Feb No reason was given for the service interruption This is the first interruption in the Williams Lake ER since August 2024.  The City of Williams Lake is fighting to save a biomass power plant there that is set to go dark in the coming weeks which has become an all-too-familiar refrain in B.C pulp mills and other wood processing businesses The Atlantic Power plant in Williams Lake burns wood waste to generate about 66 megawatts of electricity annually Atlantic Power – acquired in 2021 by Squared Capital -- was among the many independent power producers that built renewable energy projects in the 1990s through electricity purchase agreements (EPAs) with BC Hydro Electricity from wood waste is considered renewable since the waste it uses is burned anyway Prior to plants like Atlantic Power being built tonnes of wood waste from timber harvesting is still burned in slash piles Many of the EPAs signed in the 1990s expired a few years ago Atlantic Power managed to get a 10-year extension to its contract in 2019 But the company that owns the plant announced one year ago that will have to shut down as it will no longer be economic to operate due to fibre insecurity and insufficient electricity rates from BC Hydro Local politicians in Williams Lake argue that the rates offered to Atlantic Power do not take into account the inflation that has increased Atlantic Power’s operating costs They say only way to save the plant from shutting down is if BC Hydro increases the rates it pays for power and that it makes no sense to be shutting down a renewable power source at a time when B.C due to drought affecting hydro dam reservoir levels "I've talked to other plants that have very similar concerns that BC Hydro just simply will not in a fulsome way renegotiate those contracts," said Lorne Doerkson the BC Conservative MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin.  "Although I cannot confirm this -- because so many of these agreements are not for public consumption -- it appears that they're actually paying more for power from Washington and Alberta than they are willing to pay a company like Atlantic Power." The power plant is Williams Lake’s single largest industrial taxpayer Scott Nelson -- providing $1.7 million in taxes to the city annually The plant itself employs close to 50 people but in total supports a total of about 150 jobs directly and indirectly including through contracts with wood suppliers “They have a litany of First Nation contractors as well that they work with underneath the banner of supplying fibre,” Nelson added “So it would be a significant and dramatic punch to the gut for Williams Lake if we lost this.” the company gave a12-month notice that it would be shutting the power plant down allowing it to continue running for another couple of months But unless it can get a better rate for its power and assurances of a fibre supply Williams Lake council has been told the plant will shut down by the end of the first quarter Nelson said Williams Lake council has been assured by Premier David Eby that he has four of his ministries working on trying to prevent that from happening The council has urged BC Hydro to reopen its contract with the company to provide a more favourable rate Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor made an “urgent appeal” to the premier to direct BC Hydro to reconsider the rates it pays to Atlantic Power through its EPA “I understand that BC Hydro is an independent Crown corporation that makes its own decisions,” Rathor writes “I would urge your government to provide it with direction that will help to support our infrastructure here in British Columbia.” the problem is not necessarily a lack of wood waste Tonnes of wood waste are burned in slash piles every year in B.C because there’s simply no economic incentive for loggers to collect and deliver it to those who can use it it’s a matter of economical fibre,” Doerkson said Their challenge is finding economically usable fibre There are multiple cull piles around the community within an hour’s drive Many of those piles are often burned.” It's not just a problem for bioenergy -- pellet and pulp plants in B.C have also been facing a shortage of wood waste despite the fact there is no shortage of it “I have been trying to understand what part of legislation actually is creating this nightmare where we have logging companies and forestry companies that are actually burning this fibre rather than us making use of it,” Doerkson said BIV has reached out to the Ministry of Forests for an update on its efforts to ensure a reliable source of fibre for the power plant [email protected] twitter.com/nbennett_biv