| 2008-12-24 Highway makes poor playground |
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| Snowboarding tracks down the cut banks on the Boultbee Road corner of Highway 24 are a sign of reckless behaviour. This corner already has the dubious distinction of being one of the more dangerous corners along the Lac des Roches stretch of Highway 24 due to the slow traffic entering and exiting the highway for the side road and the nearby popular rest stop. |
| Motorists often drift over the centerline on the corner, evidenced now by the sound of tires on the new centerline rumble strips. The sudden appearance of a snowboarder gliding down the bank toward the highway could cause a motorist to swerve. If conditions are icy or there is oncoming traffic, the results could be disastrous. So, a plea goes out to snowboarders in the area; please find a safer place for your sport, away from the highway, for your safety and the safety of motorists. |
| Ice is everywhere |
| Winter certainly came fast and furious! The freezing rain in early December took its toll on many trees. We have several 20-foot aspen saplings that are bent over to the ground due to the weight of the ice coating their branches. |
| Many walking routes are challenging as the tree limbs, once high over one’s head, hang at face level due to the weight of the ice and snow. |
| Although it appears that we have almost a foot of fluffy snow everywhere, underneath the top 10 inches of snow is a two-inch layer of ice, impossible to penetrate with a plastic snow shovel. Road and path clearing requires a lot of extra effort and some heavy-duty hardware like a steel shovel to get down to the dirt and gravel below. While Little Lac des Roches has been iced over since Nov. 25, the ice only covered the big lake on Dec. 14. |
| The cold snap should freeze the layer of slush on top and thicken the ice from below for safe use by Christmas but, as always, sledders on the big lake must be mindful of the areas where there is often thinner ice due to the underwater springs that reduce the ice buildup from below. |
| Cattle eluding capture |
| The few remaining stray cattle that survived the livestock hauler accident in October are being cared for by area residents. Although they are still “at large,” they are receiving feed and water daily. While these animals can be hazard to unsuspecting motorists, they move slower than the wildlife often spotted on the highway and should be easier to avoid. |
| Birthday wishes |
| Congratulations to our neighbour, Lorraine Jollymore, who celebrated her “seventy-something” birthday on Dec. 6. Her husband Bill arranged an open house for friends and neighbours but it seems Lorraine did most of the baking. |
| She claims she enjoyed it, so I guess it was a gift to her, letting her bake for those who attended. I wonder if that means Bill should do all the baking for his upcoming 75th birthday party. |
| Newsletter online |
| Our new Area L Cariboo Regional District director, Bruce Rattray, took office Dec. 12. Bruce is anxious to include all residents and interested parties on his regular emailed newsletters. |
| This is an excellent way for residents, especially those who live permanently elsewhere, to keep informed of CRD and area activities. Check out Bruce’s website www.brucerattray.ca and send your contact information to bruce@brucerattray.ca to be included on his mailing list. |
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| 2008-12-10 Area book mentioned on CBC |
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| On the Nov. 25 edition of CBC’s radio program BC Almanac, their guest panel developed a list of suggested books for Christmas gift-giving. One caller spoke enthusiastically about a book he had read on the history of our area. It was The Rainbow Chasers by Ervin Austin MacDonald. It is an account of the life of Archibald MacDonald and his pioneering family, which homesteaded the north shores of Lac des Roches and who were instrumental in developing the area roads, establishing a post office and starting the first school. It is a good read and the newer edition includes plenty of recognizable photos of the area, before we had aspen trees growing in the grassland! All of us at the lake live on a piece of the old MacDonald farm and can claim a piece of the land’s history as our own. While new development will change our landscape, it is comforting to know that some of its history is documented and preserved forever. |
| Birthday wishes |
| Belated birthday wishes are extended to our neighbour and friend, Ed Stacey, who turned 70 on Nov. 23. Ed is so energetic and active in the neighbourhood and community, that we couldn’t believe his age - and Ed admitted that he couldn’t believe it either! With his much younger wife, Judi, by his side for 47 years, Ed continues to give his time to the area community. When he is not working on his own home or helping neighbours with renovation projects, he is volunteering with several local community groups. Since living here, Ed has served with the Interlakes Lions for 17 years, is an active member of the Bridge Lake Community School, maintains the information sign on Highway 24 and monitors the radio for Citizens on Patrol, to name just a few of the organizations Ed assists. Ed is probably best known for wearing an apron and holding a spatula as he seems to be in every indoor and outdoor kitchen in the area. Whether it’s a spaghetti dinner at the community hall, pancakes at the rodeo or turkey dinner at the school, Ed will be likely there, tending a griddle or oven. Ed, we wish you many more birthdays and continued good health. |
| Ice on |
| Despite the strong winds that stirred up the waters and kept the ice off the big lake throughout November, a few chilly nights was all it took to cause Little Lac des Roches to ice over on Nov. 25. As with many of the smaller lakes in the area, the ice is forming a little later this year than last year. It was confirmed that the Canadian Navy Dive Team will be returning to the Lac des Roches resort for their annual training exercise in January. They will position their protective tent on the little lake and train their divers below the ice. |
| Local information |
| Birding enthusiasts should note that the annual Christmas bird count, led by Wendy Marshall, is on Jan. 3, starting at 9 a.m. |
| The website for Friends of Bridge Lake has changed to www.friendsofbridgelake.org. |
| Several neighbours enjoyed the Bridge Lake School’s dinner and auction on Nov. 21 and we will watch for you all again at their upcoming Christmas dinner and concert on Dec. 18. |
| Log hauling on Wavey Lake Road is expected to wrap up by Christmas. Due to dry weather, snow plowing and snowmobiling safety on adjacent trails has not been a concern. |
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| 2008-11-26 Development process continues |
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| The proposed 43-lot subdivision at Muddy Lake, on the headwaters of Lac des Roches, is a significant change to the area's agricultural landscape. At the public meeting on Nov. 14, several Lac des Roches residents voiced concerns about the location of the main highway access at the bottom of the Lac des Roches hill (the site of last month's livestock hauler accident), the added pressure on Little Lac des Roches for summer and winter recreation and the compounding effect this proposal will have on the area with other development proposals being contemplated. |
| Several other issues were raised as well, as there was a strong show of support for the development - especially for its economic value - by local entrepreneurs. The next steps are a first and second reading at a Cariboo Regional District board meeting (likely Dec. 12) followed by a public hearing to be scheduled in January or February. The proposal detail is on the CRD website, www.cariboord.bc.ca, but has been reproduced for easier viewing on the Friends of Bridge Lake website, www.friendsofbridgelake.org. |
| Cattle still missing |
| Grazing permits on Crown land have expired for the year so any stray cattle in the area are likely one of the still missing 11 head of cattle that survived the accident on the Lac des Roches hill on Oct. 17. Any sighting of wayward cattle may be reported to the owner's local contact, Monty Timmons, at 250-593-4399. |
| Area well-represented |
| Residents appreciate that both of the candidates for regional director, Bruce Rattray and Ray Carlson, took the time to visit our neighbourhood prior to the Nov. 15 election. Residents look forward to sharing the same interest in our area with our Bridge Lake neighbour and new director Bruce Rattray, as we did with our previous area representative Maureen Pinkney, who has chosen to leave the South Cariboo. Congratulations to each of you. |
| Traffic increases |
| Active logging is once again underway a few kilometers up the Wavey Lake Forestry Service Road. Vehicle operators should be extra cautious of the trucks now hauling logs down the road and along Highway 24. |
| Warming hut |
| Years ago, nine snowmobile enthusiasts got together and built the Bridge Lake Bushwacker Snowmobile Club's clubhouse and warming hut. Credit for the hut goes to Dan Buchanan, Nicolle Dupont, Charly Enzmann, Linda Enzmann, Rod Hanzel, Joan Hanzel, Greg Lundihn, Lynn Lundihn and Matt Palmer. Since the fall of 2003, the hut has been towed up the Wavey Lake FS Road to provide a dry shelter during the snowmobile season. This summer the hut received a significant makeover thanks to Boultbee Road residents Al, Arnold, Frank and George. The hut will be a little warmer and brighter this year and it will be particularly nice to have a place for sledders to shed their outerwear and actually see each other's faces during a warming break. |
| Bear not seen |
| The black bear that was often seen around the lake this fall may be hibernating. The conservation office agent said that the bear needs to ingest about 10,000 calories a day right now. The scarcity of a natural food source may have forced it into hibernation, despite our mild temperatures. We'll keep a look out for it, but it is likely gone until the spring. |
| Swans a-swimmin' |
| Lac des Roches is a popular stopover spot for migrating birds and we have enjoyed watching seven swans swimming in the quiet bays. They have been feeding alongside the few ducks that remain and seem quite intrigued by the busy muskrats that are feeding and burrowing in the lake bed nearby. |
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| 2008-11-12 Low water levels challenging |
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| The water at Lac des Roches is at its lowest level in years due to the lack of precipitation this fall. The channel between the big and little lake is passable, but only when using a shallow drive option on outboard motors. Since this area of calm water is the first to freeze, the anticipated cold weather in November will soon cut off this transportation link. It will reopen once again for the winter when the ice is thick enough for travel. Low water levels also means there is plenty of newly exposed shoreline and the absence of unfrozen water in the shallow bays. This will force the muskrats, otters and beavers to look for new homes this winter. Unfortunately, the pair of muskrats which chose our floating dock as their alternate winter nesting site are out of luck. We have to repair the damage caused by these furry and ambitious little shore mates! |
| Public information |
| Another development near the lake is being considered, but this one, despite its location on the headwaters of Lac des Roches, will have significantly less impact on the area than that of the government's proposal we first heard about in 2004. The Crown's plan, which initially proposed 500 homes, two resorts and a golf course on the southeast shores of the lake had residents and visitors of the area extremely concerned about the environmental impact on this pristine area. That project was officially "set aside" in November 2007. The latest development proposal for the area, northwest of Lac des Roches, has landowners considering a 43-lot subdivision around Muddy Lake. Helga and Manfred Zeiner have invited the public and Lac des Roches residents in particular, to learn about their development ideas on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Interlakes Community Hall. Maureen Pinkney, Area L representative for the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) indicated that the CRD is committed to better informing residents of significant development proposals than has been exercised in the past and residents applaud both the developers and the CRD for hosting this information meeting. |
| Very good water |
| The last of the official water testing was conducted on Oct. 30 by the Minister of Environment. Despite the cold weather and breaking waves that filled their boat with water by the end of the test, Gord and Wendy Marshall managed to assist Marg Sidney of Kamloops in completing a full water analysis of the big lake. Wendy reported that, as she has found with her bird activities, waterproof paper and pen are must haves for outdoor recordings and they couldn't have recorded the results without them on that day. The results were as expected, indicating that the water quality is "very good". Now, we all have to do our part to keep it that way. This testing completes the 3-year program of in-depth analysis by the Ministry. Sidney will return to Lac des Roches in five to six years unless the annual monitoring done by the resident lake stewards indicate significant changes in water quality which could warrant an earlier visit. |
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