By Colleen Palumbo
A couple of years ago, we digitized the Golden Star, which has been incredibly helpful for us as we do our research here. However, it is difficult to go through the papers looking for one thing and not be struck by other stories. Here are three I thought might jog your memory.
The Golden Star – August 1, 2001 – Canyon Creek bridge project well underway
There is a flurry of construction taking place in Nicholson at the bridge crossing the Columbia river.
A new bridge next to the existing one is being erected by Coquitlam Ridge Construction, out of Coquitlam.
The $1.5 million Canyon Creek Bridge project, funded by the Ministry of Transportation, is scheduled to have its first phase completed by the end of September.
This sub-structure phase includes piles, caps and girders. Once this is completed the project will shut down and resume next spring for the deck phase of the program, said Brent Shypitka, representative of the Ministry of Transportation in Cranbrook.
The new bridge will have four 32-metre spans, two abutments and three piers. It will be two lanes wide and will also have a sidewalk. The existing one-lane wood bridge will be torn down once the new bridge is completed.
The Golden Star – October 31, 2001 – New pharmacy to open in medical clinic
As the extensive renovations to the Golden Medical Clinic near completion, a much talked about addition is starting to take shape: a new pharmacy.
“I think it will be convenient for patients who will be able to go straight from the doctor’s office here and pick up their medications right next door,” said Dr. Rob Drysdale, a partner in the clinic. “There are a lot of people interested in the pharmacy.”
The pharmacy, in actuality, will be a dispensary as it will issue prescription drugs and other medical supplies such as bandages, but it is not a complete pharmacy, said Drysdale.
“This is still pretty tentative,” added Drysdale. “We still don’t have an agreement signed…We’re not running the dispensary, we’re renting the space.”
Gourlay’s pharmacy out of Banff/Canmore has been looking at opening another store in Golden for several years and has expressed much interest in using the clinic’s space.
“We know that there is a need in Golden,” said Darren Belik, co-owner of Gourlay’s.
As for when the dispensary will be open Belik said that is dependent on construction. It is hoped that the main renovations will be complete by the end of November, and they could be open for business as soon as early December.
It is expected that Gourlay’s will employ at least three people in the Golden pharmacy. It is scheduled to be open during the regular business hours of the clinic, and may have some extended hours when the clinic is not open.
The Golden Star – June 14, 2006 – Boo – the KHMR grizzly escapes refuge
As of press time, Boo is still on the loose after a week of wandering the mountains with a female companion.
Boo, the resident grizzly bear at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (KHMR), escaped last Monday and staff have been keeping tabs on him via helicopter ever since, .
The plan is to bring Boo back to the refuge and then neuter him, so mating season won’t cause these types of problems next year.
Rusty Noble, director of resort operations, says staff are taking time to bring Boo back to the refuge so the safety of crew, Boo, and the sow are all insured.
“We’ve got people in the air, and obviously their safety is paramount,” says Noble. “Second is the safety of not just Boo but the female companion who’s with him.”
Safety concerns for the crew include flying too close to trees and having someone leaning outside of the helicopter with a dart gun. The tranquilizer must be shot within 20 feet of the bear to be effective.
Also, they have to be careful where they tranquilize Boo because apparently grizzlies have been known to head for water when tranquilized and within the four to seven minutes it takes to knock a grizzly out, Boo could end up in a creek and endanger himself.
Sunday, June 4, staff at the refuge left around 5 p.m. with the four and a half year old Boo safely inside the 22,acre enclosure. When they arrived about 8 a.m. Monday, June 5, Boo was not waiting as he typically does for breakfast.
Staff did a fence walk and quickly discovered that Boo had dug under it and escaped.
