News Leader News for April 01, 2008
WELCOME TO VERMILION FORKS
A small committee of Princeton area residents representing numerous pioneer families in the community has launched the second phase of their plan.
The group, CRAP, the Committee to Rename Allison (Princeton), plans to have Princeton officially returned to the name of Vermilion Forks.
The first phase of their plan was to set up a website (www.vermilionforks.ca) with an online poll. After three years of recording votes, the committee says it's ready to move into the second phase of their plan.
The second phase, oddly enough, is to make the formal announcement of their plans on the front page of the News Leader.
A CRAP spokesman says the 12-phase plan will likely be completed by the year 2010, the year they hope to have Princeton officially renamed.
The committee has already accessed funding from the Provincial "Rename Your Town In Time For The Olympics" grant program and hopes to receive additional funds from the Federal "We've Got Money For Your Town, Just Ask For It" grant program.
One of the committee members, who asked to not be identified, said it best with this comment: "We's bin feudin' about dis Princeton name as far back as I kin remember and it's time to just go back to the way it once was."
RESURRECTED BEA PLANS SECESSION
The once defunct Princeton Area Business Enhancement Association (PABEA) has been reborn, and has taken a bold step toward the future of the valley. At a recent meeting, members representing local governing bodies (Town of Princeton, Village of Keremeos, Regional District Directors and Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands) voted unanimously to proceed with a study to explore the advantages of becoming an independent nation by 2010. Despite the fact that it will put a damper on British Columbia's image for the Olympics, PABEA plans to go ahead.
An unnamed spokesperson said, "The Olympics aren't doing much for us anyway."
The new national boundaries will extend from the east boundary of Manning Park and the Coquihalla Highway in the west, and to the Connector in the north as far as Trout Lake and south to Yellow Lake and Fairview to the U.S. boundary. All private property ownership will be respected, but all improvements and facilities currently owned or maintained by the federal or provincial governments will be nationalized.
The study will be conducted by a contracted 'economic development and planning official' and will address matters of the economy, transportation, health care, national security and national defense, conservation, social security, forestry and mining.
Many ideas were tossed around during the first planning session. Members decided national security is not an issue, the new nation will contract retired RCMP officers to take care of policing and linking with Interpol. National defense will probably not be needed, and in the case of any invasion, the government will simply call on all hunters and heavy equipment operators to take care of it. In case of air attack, everybody can just hunker down and put up with it. No attacks are expected, as the country is too small for anybody to want it, and any nation who does want it can probably buy it outright if a decent offer is made.
Forestry will carry on much as it has done, with continued emphasis on fighting beetles and planting trees. Exports will go more smoothly as the U.S. will take years to impose the soft lumber tariff on the new nation. Blue denim pine furniture factories will be encouraged and may become a major export.
All current residents of the valley will be immediately eligible for citizenship documents and any other documents required, such as driver's and fishing licences. Those born in the Similkameen watershed will be eligible for citizenship without question if they apply to move here. Others can sit and wait until legislation is in place for immigrant status. Those not having Similkameen citizenship will not be able to hold a job unless given a "specialist" orange card status.
Indian land claims will be settled immediately. They can have what they've already got, and any other land deemed as "Crown" land by the current government. After secession, the Indian Bands will sell land as they see fit, as there will be no special status or designation for First Nations persons. They will be ordinary citizens, but will maintain their own Councils just as any municipality.
There will be no PST nor GST and no welfare. Every citizen will be expected to work for a living up to age 80 unless physically or mentally handicapped to the point of uselessness, at which point they will be given a small living allowance. Drug and alcohol abuse will be no excuse for not working. Make work projects such as pulling knapweed, picking fruit, removing trash from waterways and highways, will be open to all those unable to secure employment in private enterprise.
How will all of this be funded? PABEA plans to charge high tariffs for goods not produced within Similkameen boundaries, as the first step. Highways will have a toll for all non-residents. (One of the first projects will be to take the kinks out of Highway 3 to make it the fastest route from Vancouver to Osoyoos, thus increasing traffic flow through the valley.) The next project will be to build a dam on the Similkameen to provide both water conservation and electrical power. To achieve this, a local stock exchange will be set up for investors in the dam and any other interests, such as mining and real estate development. Companies wishing to do business in the new nation must pay for the privilege with an annual licence fee based on criteria related to number of employees and value to local economy. The less valuable to the economy, the higher the licence fee.
Food supplies from outside national boundaries will be taxed, but there will be no tax on any food produced within the valley. This should bring down cost to the consumer and increase farm production as a result of meeting the 100 Mile Challenge.
PABEA expects the population will grow dramatically in the first few years, and development to be rapid. Property taxes will be levied to pay for health care and education, to be topped up by grants from the International Monetary Fund during the first few years. Background
This unusual step toward independence has been brewing for some time due to the dissatisfaction of local residents with the way the Similkameen Valley has been discriminated against by both the provincial and federal governments, particularly in the case of handing out of federal and provincial grants.
For example, grants to employ students for summer tourist season have been cut back, and big events, such as Expo or the Olympics have never been proposed for the Similkameen, and services to the small communities throughout British Columbia have declined every time the government wanted to save money. As it is in the resource-based communities where the revenue of British Columbia is generated, PABEA is simply fed up with money flowing out to the coast and very little coming back.
VANDALS HIT SCHOOL TWICE
Princeton RCMP responded to a fire call at 9:00 PM on Wednesday, March 26th at John Allison Elementary School. Princeton Volunteer Fire Department had already responded to the call and were at the scene and extinguished a small fire which caused Overy minimum' damage inside a hallway of the school.
Police have determined the fire was intentional.
"Investigation indicated the fire originated from a suspect or suspects igniting cardboard covering a damaged window which had been broken on the 23rd of March," explained Princeton RCMP Detachment Sgt. Gary Macahonic.
"On this date (March 23) culprits broke the window, set fire to some paper then threw it in the school through the window."
Macahonic says there was no fire damage in that incident as the paper "self extinguished" but says both incidents are believed to be related and investigative steps are underway.
"In both incidents the potential for loss of the school was very real. The Princeton RCMP are conducting a full investigation and all avenues are being looked at. There is reason to believe there may have been a witness or at least someone able to supply additional information regarding this incident."
Macahonic says anyone with information related to these incidents in encouraged to contact Princeton RCMP at (250) 295-6911.
