Sept. 1, 2022
Sockeye salmon return to Williams Lake
Sockeye salmon swam into Williams Lake for the first time in many years.
Guy Scharf, a community advisor with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Salmonid Enhancement Program, said while sockeye making it up into Williams Lake is not unheard of, it is unusual.
Scharf said the sockeye are most likely from the Quesnel stock.
He said sockeye were documented even up as far as Knife Creek in 1956 and Williams Creek used to be much deeper and narrower prior to human activities in the Williams Lake River Valley.
Sept. 1, 2022
Downtown Williams Lake brightened up with Indigenous-themed crosswalk
Marie Sharpe Elementary students and downtown pedestrians will have a more colourful pathway to and from the downtown school starting this week.
A freshly painted Indigenous-themed crosswalk was completed Aug. 31 by Yellowhead Pavement Marking Inc. of Terrace, B.C.
Sept. 4, 2022
Cariboo Memorial Hospital celebrates 60th anniversary with tea
Cariboo Memorial Hospital (CMH) celebrated its 60th anniversary Wednesday, Aug. 24 with a tea in the cafeteria.
In attendance were retired nurses Muriel McFaddin and Jean Bishopp, who were both working at the hospital when it opened.
The first War Memorial Hospital erected in 1925 cost around $24,000 to build and the price tag for was CMH was $1.9 million. The hospital redevelopment expected to get underway spring of 2023 is presently projected to cost $218 million.
Sept. 4, 2022
Cariboo Memorial Hospital upgrade delayed, spring 2023 new target
Construction of the Cariboo Memorial Hospital redevelopment hospital expansion was scheduled to begin this year, but as the end of construction season in our region draws near, ground has yet to be broken on the estimated $218 million project.
Interior Health reports it is still in “active negotiations with our preferred proponent – Graham Design Builders – for the construction part of this project” and expects to have the final project design later in the year.
Sept. 11, 2022
Williams Lake First Nation hosts 1st annual competition pow wow
After three days of traditional song, drums and dancing Sept. 9-11, Chief Willie Sellars said the 1st Annual Speaking Our Truth Pow Wow couldn’t have gone any better.
“I was proud of the city of Williams Lake for how much support it gave our pow wow. That shows we’re embracing this healing journey as a region.”
Sept. 15, 2022
Caribou recovery plan sees 156 wolves culled in West Chilcotin mountains in last 3 years
Sixty-six wolves were culled in the Itcha-Ilgachuz caribou range in the first months of 2022 with more expected to be removed in the coming winter, confirmed the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship.
The provincial government has been doing wolf culls since 2015 as part of an effort to restore caribou herds.
“The decision to reduce predator populations is not taken lightly, and our approach is based on science and sound wildlife management principles,” the spokesperson added, noting it is just one tool used to support the recovery of caribou herds.
“Habitat protection, habitat restoration and maternal penning are also key parts of our caribou recovery strategy. Research has shown that these measures alone are not enough in the short term.”
Sept. 15, 2022
Williams Lake Harvest Fair draws a crowd
Residents and visitors took in the Williams Lake Harvest Fair Sept. 10 and 11. The popular fall event was back after being sidelined for two years due to the pandemic.
Co-organizer Tammy Tugnum said although entries were down, possibly due to the storms over the summer that damaged some gardens this year, attendance was up.
Sept. 15, 2002
Horsefly Salmon Festival celebrates and educates alongside returning salmon
It was a beautiful day in Horsefly, B.C. for the Salmon Festival on Sept. 10 and the salmon came to the river alongside the people on shore. The event is organized by the Horsefly River Roundtable and brought in partners from all over to educate people about the importance of watershed health and the role of salmon in the ecosystem.
Sept. 30, 2022
Orange Shirt Day in Williams Lake
It was a beautiful start to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Williams Lake Friday, Sept. 30 as Indigenous and non-Indigenous community leaders and residents took part in a flag-raising ceremony outside city hall.
After the ceremony at city hall, the Williams Lake Rotary Club hosted a free pancake breakfast outside the Williams Lake Stampede Grandstands.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. the crowd took a seat inside the grandstands to watch more presentations, and the thrilling Indian Bareback Relay Race.
Read more: Horsefly Salmon Festival celebrates and educates alongside returning salmon
Read more: Ceremony, food and horse racing all part of Orange Shirt Day in Williams Lake
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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