(CHBZ-FM) WILD 1047

Feedback sought for recreation options in Sparwood

Alyssa Conti — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:15:09 +0000

Sparwood residents are asked to share their thoughts as the District eyes new recreation facilities in the area.

With the current Sparwood Leisure Centre now over 50 years old, staff from the Recreation Facility Advisory Committee (RFAC) have been gathering input over the past year to plan activities for the next few years.

Based on that feedback, the RFAC developed four options:

Maintain current facility and plan for capital repairs, $380,000/year, no new costs
Maintain and upgrade current facility, $880,000/year, $5 million in new costs
Maintain current facility and build new dome or fabric facility, $3,100,000/year, $10.5 million in new costs
Maintain current facility and build new traditional facility, $5,300,000/year, $32.5 million in new costs

A survey is now available online through the District of Sparwood’s website.

The Committee is set to report back to Council after the engagement period.

Kimberley council approves permit for Tamarack Valley residential development project

Simone Joseph — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:00:57 +0000

Kimberley City Council have approved a development permit for the first phase of the Tamarack Valley residential development, located north of Waldie Road.

The application returned to the Council after they deferred decision pending further negotiation of cost sharing for required water and sewer upgrades and resolution of permit conditions.

This will be the first stage of a larger multi-unit residential development, currently named Tamarack Valley.

It’s currently before council as a single-unit dwelling, with plans to build an estimated 70 units in the future.

City staff presented the new application with 11 conditions regarding the construction of a private access road, and private sanitary sewer, water and drainage infrastructure.

The land is approximately 20.6 hectares (51 acres) and is located north of Waldie Road between the Townsite and Morrison-Sub neighbourhoods.

It’s often referred to locally as the Legion Track property and contains sections of trail within the Lois Creek trail network.

Community concerns were noted in the application, including the impact it may have on the trail network, parking and the height of the building.

Councillor Kevin Dunnebacke expressed hesitation about the road access, and if it is a private access road, it will need to be upgraded to meet municipal standards in the future.

“Just like now is the time to put all that infrastructure in, make everything fluid so we know where everything is, rather than – oh no, we didn’t know that was there,” said Councillor Dunnebacke.

City staff say the road will be engineer-designed with a focus on accommodating anticipated increased traffic and potential upgrades needed for future growth.

Greg Scott, the applicant, echoed these statements as he said the road is “being designed to municipal standards”.

The permit includes several technical, environmental, and servicing conditions that must be met before construction proceeds.

To read the full application, click here.

Proposed map of Tamarack Valley Residential Development project. (Image Credit: The City of Kimberley)

Kimberley, Columbia Valley SAR rescue injured skier Sunday

Alyssa Conti — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:36:13 +0000

Local search-and-rescue teams are continuing to tackle calls across the region this summer.

Columbia Valley SAR responded to a mutual aid request from Kimberley SAR crews to help extract an injured skier on Sunday, June 21, a week after Golden SAR rescued a 30-year-old woman in the Bugaboos.

CVSAR credited its specialized helicopter rescue certification for its new support abilities, with help from Glacier Helicopters.

“Our newly established CDFL capability not only enhances our ability to safely and efficiently access, package, and transport patients in challenging terrain within our response area, but also allows us to provide valuable support to neighbouring SAR teams when needed,” wrote CVSAR.

Columbia Valley crews first announced their CDFL certification last month, on May 13.

Man charged with multiple sexual offences in B.C. and Alberta, victims urged to come forward

Alyssa Conti — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:54:13 +0000

A repeat sex offender has been taken back into custody after committing more infractions against two other teenagers.

On April 17, Grande Prairie RCMP launched an investigation after a 14-year-old went into the detachment for an alleged sexual assault.

The victim, from B.C., said she met the man on social media.

He then drove to the province to pick her up and drive her back to his place in Grande Prairie, where he held her for about a week until she was able to leave.

Police charged 32-year-old Joseph Kidd with sexual assault, sexual interference, forcible confinement, assault while choking and unsafe gun storage as a result.

He was released on conditions on April 30.

Ten days later, a 911 call from Kidd’s home led police to the discovery of an 18-year-old from Lloydminster, who was allegedly assaulted when she refused to have sex with him.

He was charged with assault, assault while choking, sexual assault and three counts of failure to comply with a release order.

He was released on June 1 by a Justice of the Peace under several conditions and a $7,500 cash bail to attend an Alberta Court of Justice.

A 15-year-old girl then went to police and reported that on multiple occasions between June 4 and 18, Kidd reportedly followed her around and offered alcohol if she got into his car.

She went in once, and he drove back to his home, where he once again sexually assaulted the victim before leaving.

Kidd was charged with criminal harassment, sexual interference, sexual assault and failure to comply with release conditions.

On the same day, the mother of a 12-year-old called 911 after a man driving a yellow convertible Chevrolet Camaro tried to lure her child into his car.

Police found Kidd in the suspect vehicle and charged him with abduction of a person under 14 and failure to comply with release conditions.

He was remanded into custody in Grande Prairie on June 22 and is set to appear in court on July 2.

RCMP believe there may be more victims.

Anyone with information about the incidents or who is a victim of Kidd is urged to contact Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5700 or 5701, or contact Crime Stoppers.

Elkford water disruption update: Pump installation begins and Boil Water Notice remains

Simone Joseph — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:38:51 +0000

The District of Elkford has advised that stage 3 began with repairs to the city’s water system.

Stage 3 of service return began this morning (June 25), but the Boil Water Notice remains in effect until further notice.

Last night (June 24), the pump motor arrived, and crews started the installation.

To avoid risk of damage, residents are advised to leave their main water valve and hot water tank in the OFF position.

The District says opening the lines at this stage can introduce sediment and silt into your home system and hot water tank.

In this stage, water pressure may return gradually, and residents may experience uneven pressure, temporary interruptions, or changes in clarity while the system stabilizes.

The non-potable and potable water stations remain open and accessible throughout this stage.

For further information, visit the District of Elkford’s website here.

Kimberley begins stage 2 water restrictions on July 2

Simone Joseph — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:54:02 +0000

To help conserve Kimberley’s water supply during the summer months, Stage 2 water restrictions will come into effect on July 2.

This will include limits on outdoor lawn watering and other non-essential water use.

Even-numbered homes can water on Wednesday and Saturday.

Odd-numbered homes can water on Thursday and Sunday.

Only water between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. OR 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

No watering on Monday, Tuesday or Friday.

For full details, including watering schedules and exemptions, visit the City of Kimberley website here.

It’s spring fawning season in East Kootenay

Simone Joseph — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:00:19 +0000

A reminder for East Kootenay residents that during spring fawning season, deer can be extra protective of their young.

A doe may follow you or even bluff-charging to encourage you (and your pets) to move away from a nearby fawn.

Dogs, especially small dogs, are at risk, as deer may see them as predators.

Please take a few simple precautions if you are out and about:

Keep your dog on a leash to avoid unexpected encounters
Leave fawns alone—if you spot one, move along, as the mother is likely close by
Give deer space—never approach wildlife
If a deer starts following you, stay calm and slowly move away—don’t run, and try to give it plenty of space
Stay aware of your surroundings, especially in areas where deer are common

For more information on how to keep wildlife and you safe, click here.

Kimberley council gives first reading to Townsite land rezoning bylaw amid concerns from residents

Alyssa Conti — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:30:42 +0000

Kimberley City Council has given its first reading to a zoning bylaw in Townsite, north of Tadanac Boulevard, that has raised some concerns among residents.

If approved, Bylaw 2813 would rezone the parcel of land at 505 4th Avenue from low-density residential to multi-unit mixed-use residential, accommodating at least 112 housing units, or about four times the size of Gatehouse Gardens.

The land had been developed for a former property, but remained vacant for several years.

Councillor Woody Maguire, who voted in favour of moving ahead with the first reading, argued that the project would secure the City’s infrastructural future and help tackle the housing crisis.

“This is a brownfield site. It’s a contaminated site that’s being turned into a residential and commercial space, which is a real win in a lot of ways,” said Maguire at the Council meeting on Monday, June 22.

“[W]e need houses. We need beds. We need places for people to live, and this reduces stress on that front.”

Councillors Sue Cairns and Kevin Dunnebacke then echoed sentiments that a number of residents have written in about regarding emergency planning, servicing, traffic safety, affordability and timelines.

“That’s a five to six-story building. [It] creates a massive wall for everybody behind it, which would mean their sun that they grew their gardens would be gone, their views as well,” said Dunnebacke.

He then asked for more information to fully understand the project’s impact on the community and joined Cairns in opposing the first reading.

Council and planning staff will review further amendments at the second and third readings at a later time.

Council approves covenant release for residential development project at Spruce Ridge

Simone Joseph — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 22:00:43 +0000

New Dawn Development’s building permit can now proceed, as Cranbrook Council approved the covenant release for the Spruce Ridge residential project.

Developers are proposing to build a four-plex on the Spruce Ridge property at 100 10th Street S.

During the council meeting on Monday (June 22), they considered whether to authorize the release of a covenant to build a four-plex.

While the City’s Zoning Bylaw allows one primary structure in the form of a four-plex on the parent parcel, the existing covenant limits the property to one residential dwelling until further subdivision occurs.

New Dawn also applied to subdivide the property, but the subdivision has not yet reached the stage at which the covenant would typically be released by registration.

As the Council authorized the release earlier, the building permit can proceed before subdivision registration, with site servicing required before occupancy of the four-plex.

Country Thunder Alberta 2026 cancelled for this weekend

Simone Joseph — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:56:39 +0000

Country Thunder Alberta 2026 has been cancelled, which was set to be held this weekend.

Officials with Country Thunder Alberta announced the decision today (June 24) in a news release, citing “city-created safety and operational barriers” as the reason behind the cancellation.

“After exhaustive efforts to find a workable path forward, we have determined that conditions created by the City of Calgary, including active construction surrounding the festival site and new restrictive sound limitations, make it impossible to stage the event for 2026,” they said.

In the release, officials say they worked with the City of Calgary to resolve a series of infrastructure and regulatory challenges tied to the new arena development.

Officials cited the following conditions that remain unresolved:

Traffic Reduction of 9th Avenue and additional construction in the area, interfering with the safe and essential access routes for production, emergency services, and attendee movement
Loss of key site infrastructure required for functional festival operations
A last-minute installation of a water line bypass pipe through areas designated for festival use, rendering critical sections of the site unusable
A reduced decibel noise permit that prevents the event from operating at standard production levels

“We do not take this decision lightly,” says Kim Blevins, Executive Director, Country Thunder.

“Our fans travel from across the country to be part of this experience and we owe them an event they can enjoy fully. The city-driven conditions in Calgary this year make that impossible.

“Proceeding would have meant compromising on not only safety but also the fan experience and that is not something we are willing to do. We want our fans to feel the music, lose themselves in it and leave having had the experience they paid for.

“The new sound limitations placed on this event would not have allowed us to deliver that experience.”

All ticket holders will receive a full refund. Ticketholders who purchased their tickets online directly through Front Gate Tickets will receive an automatic refund within 30 days to the original form of payment.

Winners of our contest will be called or emailed to let them know of the cancellation. As per our contest rules, there are no replacement options.

Fans with additional questions can contact Country Thunder Alberta at info@countrythunder.com.

To read the full media release, click here.