With the new year around the corner, the Revelstoke Review is taking this time to share some of the stories that made headlines throughout 2024.
February
The City of Revelstoke voted in favour of updating the city’s corporate logo. In a discussion paper prepared by communications coordinator Francesca Williams, she stated that with the upcoming 125th birthday of Revelstoke, revamping the logo would be timely. Williams further explains how the current logo does not meet best practices when it comes to logo design.
A 42-year-old man from Revelstoke was taken to Kelowna General Hospital Sunday night (Jan. 21) after his hand was run over by a freight train. Revelstoke RCMP were called out around 1 a.m. on Jan. 21 to respond to a ‘severely injured’ male on Victoria Avenue near Wynn Street. Upon investigation, the RCMP said the man attempted to board a moving westbound CPKC train.
Revelstoke’s first pet loss support group met Friday, Feb. 2. What support is available to those grieving the loss of their pet? Celine Rytz this scenario as a missed gap, which led her to organize a pet loss support group. When it comes to pet loss, Rytz said the impact is multi-faceted. “Grieving a pet can be complicated by societal attitudes that may not fully recognize the depth of the bond we had with our animals,” she said. “This can lead to what’s often referred to as ambiguous grief, where people are grieving but may not receive the same level of support socially as they would with human loss.”
Three cross-country skiers from the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club were named to Canada’s list of athletes set to compete in the World Cup Period 4 Team in February. Marlie Molinaro, Maeve MacLeod and Alexandra Luxmoore were named to the Canadian World Cup team ahead of the competition, taking place Feb. 6-19 in Canmore and Minneapolis.
City council approved a development permit for a multi-family building strata in Arrow Heights. The move will add 30 new homes to Revelstoke’s housing stock. The property is set to be developed at 1679 Arrow Dr. and would include one duplex and seven fourplexes.
The city hosted a short-term rental (STR) information on Tuesday, Feb. 6, offering residents an opportunity to learn about the city’s STR regulations and a look ahead at regulations proposed by the province. In October, legislation aiming to curb STRs was passed, providing municipalities with new measures to reign in STRs, though the city already had its own control measures in place, making for some confusing overlap. Attended by more than 100 people, the info session started with an overview of Revelstoke’s existing bylaws surrounding STRs.The floor was then opened to questions and comments. Some asked questions about why the city chose to restrict STRs to certain areas. Some complained about bylaw infractions on behalf of illegal STRs. Concers were also raised around the ongoing commodification of housing during a housing crisis. Others referenced positive experiences with STRs, commenting that they offer families a more affordable option than a hotel, with room for parking and a place to cook their own meals. The city would be revisiting the principal residence element of Bill 35 in the fall.
Changes to transit services were announced, an extension of the Route 5 Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) shuttle until 2:30 a.m on weekends and holidays. “This change is being made to help encourage safe transportation through Arrow Heights, Southside and Columbia Park during the ski season,” stated BC Transit.
Valentines were snow in love at the top of Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) on Feb. 14. For the fifth year, RMR offered matrimony services, complete with a justice of the peace, champagne, cupcakes, and the backdrop of the Columbia Mountains. There were 23 couples wed, including Bergie Buhler and Jonas Spreuer who tied the knot in dinosaur costumes. While the newlyweds’ dino-pack of friends opted to ski down after the wedding, Buhler and Spreuer decided to take the gondola back since they’re not skiers.
The City of Revelstoke and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 363 workers reached a two-year agreement to represent all municipal workers in Revelstoke. “We are pleased that our partner has ratified this agreement,” said the city chief administrative officer Evan Parliament in a press release. The agreement was reached after collective bargaining between CUPE and the city’s management bargaining team.
A train derailment which occurred about 13 kilometres east of Revelstoke was under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board due to “significant consequences that attract a high level of public interest.” Those ‘significant consequences’ included two people injured in the incident and sent to hospital. On Friday, Feb. 16, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a westbound train struck a stationary train east of Revelstoke, causing seven cars to be derailed between both trains.
