With the start the new year, the Revelstoke Review is taking this time to share some of the stories that made headlines throughout 2024.
November
City of Revelstoke councillors voted approve a dog-licensing competition. Leanne Harasym, president of the Revelstoke and District Humane Society, proposed a contest to find the city’s top dog in an Oct. 18 letter to council. In past years, the society has received the first dog tag that is then marketed as the No. 1 dog tag, creating a fun, competitive spirit between dog owners who believe their dog is tops in Revelstoke. “Our hope is to hold a raffle that we can sell tickets for to generate funds for our organization,” noted Harasym. “The winner will be able to claim their dog is indeed No. 1.
Walk, run, bike or scoot down Revelstoke’s newest Multi-Use Pathway. Opened on Oct. 10, the new MUP extends from Airport Way to Park Drive, along Nichol Road. It includes two concrete bus pads and a new pull-out for the Canada Post boxes. The MUP was funded by the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant and completed by the city’s engineering team, general assembly and Lawson Engineering.
The City of Revelstoke was working to build a more wildfire-resilient community. Councillors unanimously approved the creation and terms of reference of a Community FireSmart and Resiliency Committee (CFRC). The recommendation was from fire chief Steven DeRousie and local FireSmart rep Lauren Maefleet in a letter to council. In February 2024, the City of Revelstoke received a FireSmart grant to carry out various community wildfire mitigation activities, one of which is the formation of a CFRC that will oversee the FireSmart initiatives carried out to protect the city of Revelstoke from the threat of wildfire.
The Revelstoke chamber held its 31st Annual Business Excellence Awards on Saturday, Nov. 9, recognizing the the outstanding achievements of local businesses, leaders and organizations. The winners were: • Youth Employer of the Year – Southside Market • Sustainable Business Excellence – Forage & Fill Eco Retail Ltd. • Excellence in Tourism – Apex Rafting Company • Food & Beverage Excellence – The Nest Restaurant at Eagle Pass Lodge • Accommodation Excellence – Boulder Mountain Resort • Excellence in Retail – Universal Footwear • Excellence in Manufacturing – Big Eddy Glass Works • Excellence in Trades and Services – Parallel Vision Contracting • Technology & Innovation Excellence – Selkirk Dental Clinic • Excellence in Social Leadership – Birch & Lace Hair Company • Non-Profit of the Year – Revelstoke After School Society • Employee of the Year – Cathy English / Revelstoke Museum & Archives • Business of the Year – The Roxy Theatre • Citizen of the Year – Taylor Sandell For further information on the chamber and its events, visit revelstokechamber.com.
Some 55,000 unionized Canada Post employees across the country who took to the picket lines on Friday, Nov. 15, after their employer and the CUPW failed to reach a negotiated agreement. “We’re postal workers, but we’re members of the community as well,” said Ellen Bowles, president of CUPW local A23 Salmon Arm-Revelstoke. “What it comes down to is, we want to do a service for Canadians, we want to continue to provide that service, for not just this generation but for generations moving forward as well.” Bowles said the strike was initiated after a year of bargaining with “little progress.”
A development permit application for the proposed rehabilitation of a prominent heritage building and the addition of a hotel and restaurant was headed to Revelstoke council. The application, with requested variances, was for 400 Mackenzie Avenue and the historic McCarty House, now called The Copeland. A city memo explains the owners wish to restore the five-bedroom structure, built in 1900 by the city’s first mayor, Frank McCarty, to an “authentic and historically accurate version of its original state.” They also wish to construct two new additions to facilitate a connecting three-storey, 23-room boutique hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor. Copeland operations manager Conner Platten said plans for the development were changed to address concerns raised at a public information meeting in July.
Resident Percy Woods recently captured a photo of three bears, a sow and two cubs, climbing a fence in the 700-block of 5th and 6th streets of Southside. Shared on social media, the photo elicited comments from others familiar with the trio. Also familiar with them are local conservation officers and Kait Nicol, executive director of the Revelstoke Bear Aware Society, who said the bears have been in the community for about four weeks. “The main thing is that they’re a super healthy weight to go hibernate, but there are lots of incentives for them not to,” said Nicol.
