News Leader News
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS REACH FOR 100 YEARS
As we begin 2006, and Princeton looks to 2010 for its 150 year anniversary, two local institutions are nearing their one hundredth anniversary. Princeton Hospital Auxiliary and Princeton & District Chamber of Commerce were formed nearly 100 years ago to make sure Princeton would be the kind of place where people wanted to invest, live and work. Both organizations have been remarkably successful during their long histories.
Hospital Auxiliary
The Hospital Auxiliary was formed before there was a hospital. The women who began the Auxiliary were prominent members of the community and their campaign to build a hospital was well-supported, despite hard times. The ladies hosted dances, had raffles, and taxed bachelors as part of their fundraising activities, but their main source of income was the generous donations of labour, materials and equipment of local residents. The hospital was open and operating within two years of the formation of the Auxiliary.Today, the Auxiliary operates the Thrift Store, located next to Chaps Restaurant on Vermilion Avenue. The Thrift Shop was an inspiration of the late Joan Ewart, and was originally a much smaller shop located on Bridge Street. During the past 30 years, it has grown to three Thrift Shops. The Thrift Shop has paid for countless items for Princeton General Hospital and
has assisted in a number of health-related initiatives. A popular fundraiser has been the Florence Nightingale Tea, held annually in May.
The year 2010 will mark 100 years of operation of the Hospital Auxiliary.
The Chamber of Commerce
Formed in 1909, today's Chamber of Commerce was instituted as a Board of Trade under the Board of Trade Act of Canada. The Board of Trade Act specifies there must be a minimum of 30 paid members to constitute a chartered Board of Trade, so we know there were 30 local business people who wanted to promote the economic base of the community. The Act further specifies there must be a population of at least 1,500 residents for a Board of Trade to form.The motivation of local business people in 1909 was to ensure the railroad came to Princeton, and to make the most of the opportunity afforded by a transportation link to the rest of the nation. The town grew by leaps and bounds after the arrival of the railroad. Three major resource industries flourished as a direct result: coal mines, a copper mine, and the forest industry.
Princeton's Board of Trade promoted other transportation links, including the Hope-Princeton Highway and the Yellowhead Highway. A cairn located at the edge of Highway 5A (one block east of Santo's Pizza) marks Mile 0 of the Yellowhead Highway.
Although the name "Board of Trade" was changed to Princeton & District Chamber of Commerce, the constitution is much the same, and must remain the same under the Board of Trade Act. The Chamber must "advance the industrial, commercial and civic interests of the Town of Princeton" and "support and encourage the interest of the citizens in municipal, provincial and national issues". The Chamber must not be involved in party politics nor any religious affiliations.
The Chamber of Commerce, under the Act, must hold an Executive meeting at least once a month, and a meeting of the general membership must be held quarterly, with all members advised of the meeting and free to vote at the meeting. Any person interested in the goals may join and vote on issues.
Until the 1980's, Princeton's Chamber of Commerce was primarily financed by its members, but is now primarily paid for by local taxpayers through grants from Town Council. This financial support has seen the Chamber undergo some major changes, beginning with the ability to hire a full-time manager.
Prior to the Town subsidy, tourists were met by unpaid volunteers and summer students receiving an employment grant. One of the advantages of having a manager was the securing of a number of grants for local projects and organizing Chamber events.
Tourism gradually replaced economic development as the main focus of the local Chamber of Commerce. Making Princeton more appealing to tourists was the goal of a number of Chamber presidents, most notably Steve Brodie, who put a lot of personal money and labour into cleaning up the highway frontage. Brodie did not hesitate to call Town Council to task on matters related to Chamber of Commerce goals. The Chamber has supported many downtown projects, from block parties to Christmas Light-up and Christmas Parade, to hiring an economic development officer to organizing the Youth Ambassador program.
Today, the Chamber of Commerce office is located in the Tourist Information Centre just east of the bridge on Highway 3, but it has been located in private businesses, a Canadian Pacific Caboose, a converted service station, and a former railway station. The Chamber owns its present location.
COMPLIANCE REVIEWS PROJECT
Compliance Energy presented its plans to Town Council for a thermal energy plant. At the December 19, 2005, Town Council meeting, Compliance spokesperson John Tapics reviewed the progress of the studies done for a plant to produce electricity from burning a combination of wood waste and coal. Compliance Coal operates an open pit coal mine in the old Blakeburn Mine site south of Coalmont.
The thermal plant would be situated on the former Similco Mine site south of Princeton and would utilize the former mill building, with additions of a boiler (burner) and a bag house (a device where particulate matter is trapped).
Compliance plans to burn a minimum of 50 percent wood waste supplemented by thermal coal. Although the Coalmont coal is lower in sulphur than most coals, Compliance plans to construct a boiler with fluidized limestone at the bottom to absorb the sulphur. Particles will be trapped in the bag house.
The boiler will heat water, turn it into steam and the steam will go to generators that turn the heat into electricity. The power will be sold to BC Hydro using existing transmission lines.
Carbon dioxide emissions will be offset by BC Hydro or by Compliance (offset means reduction of carbon dioxide to equal the amount produced).
Emissions must meet the standards set for all thermal production units regardless of size and even if it were to burn 100 percent coal.
Some questions were raised about waste wood supplies, but Compliance has had two studies done which show adequate supplies of waste wood.
Life of the plant is anticipated at 25 years. If the plant is approved by the Utilities Commission, it would create 35 new jobs for the Princeton area.
EVANS COMES TO PRINCETON
NDP MLA for the Riding of Nelson/Creston Corky Evans will be in Princeton to speak to concerned citizens.His presentation, titled 'The Canada We Want' will be made on Sunday, January 8th at Princeton Legion Hall beginning at 1:00 PM.
The News Leader spoke with Evans last week on two issues of concern in the Princeton area - health care and resource development.
Evans, who lives in Winlaw, about 50-kilometres from Castlegar, has strong feelings on how health care is currently being delivered to Canadians.
"I think what has happened across Western Canada the politicians have given up on the idea of care where we live."
Evans says centralization has had a profound affect on the delivery of services. He says it's been good for specialists who provide the service, but has been harmful to those who need the services.
"We've paid for it with services being withdrawn from where you live. It is not care. Canadians need to decide if they want to actively intervene in order to stop losing control to the experts."
Evans, who has spent many years earning a living from natural resources, also told the News Leader his feelings on coalbed methane development and the use of coal for the generation of power.
"I've always been in favour of resource-based development, however, I am quite concerned about the technology of both as ours is the generation where water and environment are important issues. Climate change is an issue of debate."
Evans pointed to other existing developments in Canada and the United States as reasons to be careful.
"As far as coalbed methane goes, BC is really going to have to invent the best technology in the World or leave it alone."
Evans is being brought to Princeton as a joint effort of CUPE Local 847, CUPE Local 608, Steelworkers Local 1-423 and Princeton District Teachers Union and has been described by organizers as an interesting speaker.
