Village Life
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Letter from the Mayor
• Staff have almost completed the transition to a new accounting
program – very time consuming for all the office staff!
Merry Christmas to all of the citizens and visitors to
Radium Hot Springs!
• Council members have attended a number of training
workshops around the region as well as Karen, Tyler and myself
attending UBCM in Vancouver in September.
It has been a year since your new Council was elected, and I
am pleased to report that we have been busy working on your
behalf:
There has been a learning curve for our newest councillor Tyler
McCauley, as well as myself in the new role. We are grateful for
the support of the rest of council – Ron Verboom, Todd Logan
and Karen Larsen and all of the Village Staff.
Some of the work which is happening includes:
• A new strategic plan to guide our work and keep us focused.
• The plans for the new Community Hall are taking shape – we
hope to have some concept drawings for you to review in the
Spring.
• The community hosted a number of successful internal and
external events due to the hard work of our events coordinator,
Patrick, and the amazing team at the Visitor Centre.
Council invites you to join us for a Potluck/Town Hall event
on Saturday, March 26th at the community Hall. This is an
opportunity to meet informally and talk about what is happening
in Radium and around us in the Columbia Valley.
Enjoy the Peace
here in Radium this
Holiday Season,
Clara
CP HOLIDAY TRAIN!
WHEN: Tuesday, December 15th
5:00 – 7:00 pm
WHERE: CPR Crossing on
Horsethief Creek Road
Radium Hot Springs
• Public works completed the Whiskey Jack sewer pump station.
New Tax and Utility Account Numbers!
Effective in August, new account numbers
were introduced for all properties in
Radium:
• Utility accounts now have 14 digits;
• Tax accounts now have 11 digits,
starting with the numbers ‘567’.
If you are remitting your payments via
online/telephone banking, please note
you will need to revise your existing
account numbers to the new format,
otherwise there is a risk that your
payment may not be processed.
NEW ONLINE SERVICE IN 2016!
In January, 2016, Radium property
owners will be able to register for online
services, which will allow them to view
their latest utility and tax invoices as well
as claim (if applicable) the Home Owner
Grant online at tax time. The online link
to this new service will be through the
Village’s website (www.radiumhotsprings.
ca). There will be a new menu tab entitled
“ONLINE SERVICES”.
What does this mean for you?
If you are currently signed up to receive
your utility invoices by email, in January
you will receive, by email, the 3rd period
invoice. You will also receive, in the
mail, a notice regarding the ONLINE
SERVICES, with instructions on how to
register to view your account. If you wish
to continue to receive your invoices by
email, you will be required to register
for the new online service;
Property Tax invoices will not be
emailed in May 2016, UNLESS you
have registered for ONLINE SERVICES,
regardless of receiving emails in the past.
NEW PAYMENT PLAN SERVICE
in 2016 (on the 21st of every month, or
next business day)
F E AT U R I N G :
5:00 - 6:00 pm Pre-Show
Live Entertainment on the Home Hardware Stage
Singing of Christmas Carols
Hot Chocolate/Coffee and homemade cookies
6:00 - 6:45 pm
Holiday Train entertainers
starring Jim Cuddy, Devin Cuddy
and Kelly Prescott
CRAM THE CRUISER
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE COLUMBIA VALLEY FOOD BANK
PLEASE BRING YOUR DONATION FOR THE FOOD BANK!
bill, divided into 12 payments. You are
responsible for making a final payment
in order to clear off any amount not
covered by the monthly payments;
In 2016 the Village will be offering
Preauthorized Payment Plans. This means
that you can choose to have payments
automatically withdrawn from your bank
account, on a date set by the Village,
which will be the 21st of each month,
or the next business day. You will need
to complete a Pre-Authorized Payment
form, which will be available online.
Payment options will be:
Equal Monthly Payments with a final
settlement billing – the amount is based
on an approximation of a past annual bill,
with a final amount being calculated and
withdrawn in order to pay off the invoice.
Monthly Payment - the amount is
determined by you;
If you have any questions regarding these
new procedures, please contact the
Village office and our staff will be more
than happy to assist you.
Equal Monthly Payments – the amount
is based on an approximation of a past
The Village is pleased to be able to offer
these new services to its residents and
property owners. We appreciate your
patience while we continue to move
forward with our new processes.
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Snow Removal
The Village strives to
maintain its streets and
sidewalks in as safe as possible
condition. The municipality’s
main objective is to provide
a cost effective program of
snow removal and ice control
which allows for the safe
and orderly movement of
emergency equipment, vehicle
traffic, and pedestrians within
the municipal boundaries. Service is available on 24 hour
coverage for sanding and
snow removal on arterial and
residential routes during the
snow season (mid Octobermid March). We remind all
residents when clearing snow
that it is unlawful to pile,
throw or shovel snow onto
the Village’s roads or right
of ways. Each storm brings
its own challenges, and not all
residents can be satisfied as
quickly as we would like. We
thank you for your patience
as we move into the winter
season.
Fireman’s Children’s
Christmas Party
Radium Firehall
Sunday December 13th • 4 to 6 pm
games, crafts, snacks, sing-a-long
Visit from Santa
Event appropriate for ages 1-10.
Volunteers Needed for the
Radium Fire Department Contact
Fire Chief Dave Dixon at 250-342-5733
nay National Park Repo
Koote
rt
Like many parts of British Columbia, Kootenay National
Park saw an overall increase in visitation this summer.
At the Radium Hot Springs pools, visitation increased
by 8.22% over the 2014 season. Newly installed Red
Chairs on the Marble Canyon trail and in Sinclair Canyon,
Burgess Shale guided hikes, Redstreak Campground, and
popular hiking trails such as the Rockwall, Tumbling Creek
and Stanley Glacier continue to draw visitors, increasing
the park’s visitation by 7.6% over 2014 numbers.
Parks Canada had another successful season
collaborating with the Radium Hot Springs Chamber of
Commerce to operate the visitor centre in Radium Hot
Springs. Working together, Radium’s visitor centre has
become one of the busiest in the province serving over
71,000 people so far this year. The Radium Chamber of
Commerce is now selling Parks Canada’s day use passes
and Discovery passes throughout the winter.
Each year, Kootenay National Park attracts thousands of
winter enthusiasts. Please remember to play safe while
ice climbing, snow shoeing and skiing in the park. You
don’t need to go far to be in avalanche terrain. Not all
sign posted trails are safe for winter travel. Visit http://
www.parksmountainsafety.ca for tips from Parks Canada’s
visitor safety team and check the latest avalanche hazards
bulletin before you head out by visiting http://avalanche.
pc.gc.ca. If you plan to travel in avalanche terrain, take
an avalanche safety course, carry a shovel, probe and
beacon, and know how to use them.
Weather changes quickly in Kootenay National Park. All
travellers are reminded to abide by posted speed limits
and to check http://drivebc.ca and http://511.alberta.ca
for up-to-date conditions, closures and delay information
prior to leaving.
A number of infrastructure improvements were
made in Kootenay National Park this summer
including:
• New highway directional signs at Floe Lake,
Numa Falls, the Paint Pots and Stanley Glacier
trail heads, including exit signs directing visitors
to Banff and Radium Hot Springs.
• Rock slope stabilization work in Sinclair Canyon
to increase highway safety.
• Installation of an additional 10.5 km of wildlife
fencing and six underpasses between the Dolly
Varden Picnic Site and Hector Gorge Viewpoint.
• Replacing the Tumbling Creek suspension
bridge and reopening the Tumbling Creek trail.
• Installation of a new wildlife crossing
interpretive exhibit at the Radium Hot Springs
pools highlighting the world class work being
done in Kootenay and Banff national parks to
restore wildlife habitat connectivity.
Additional infrastructure improvements to
Kootenay National Park were announced this past
June. Improvements at the Radium Hot Springs
pools include structural repairs to the building,
upgrading the mechanical and electrical systems,
repairing the retaining wall surrounding the hot
pool and renovating the café on the upper deck.
The majority of this work will be done during the
fall and winter over the next 5 years in order to
minimize disturbance to our visitors.
Tree
Lights
of
An Evening of Commemoration and Remembrance
Friday, December 11
5:30pm at Meet on Higher Ground in Radium Hot Springs
Purchase a light in commemoration of a loved one - $10 per light
Special Thanks to our Tree of Lights Sponsors
Please find your Tree of Lights forms at Meet on Higher
Ground or the Hospice Office in Invermere and return it
by December 4th to either location.
Unit 103, 926 7th Ave (Frater Landing), Invermere, BC
(250) 688-1143 • hospicesocietycv.com
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The Rocky Mountain Learning Centre (RMLC) which is
based out of the Village Office in Radium, has been
having a particularly successful year. Active students
include families who have decided that Home School
is the best option for their child (Kindergarten through
grade 9) as well as high school students who are looking
for a different way to graduate. Becky Blakley (teacher)
also informs us that she has had at least six adults
working with her this year, completing high school
courses that will eventually provide them with an Adult
Dogwood Certificate (high school diploma).
The RMLC is a location that is part of the Rocky
Mountain Distributed Learning School which is
part of Rocky Mountain School District #6. As
a result, all students are actually School District
#6 students undertaking a different avenue to
obtain their education! The Centre supports
learners with a variety of programs:
a) Home Schooling (Learning@Home):
This program is designed for students
(Kindergarten to grade 9) and families who
prefer to complete their education primarily
from their home. The school district provides
the curriculum, learning resources, teacher
support and reporting. Since these students
are part of the school district, they are eligible
to participate in all enhancement programs
that are available to students attending brick
and mortar schools. Sporting, musical and
cultural development can also be funded by
the Learning@Home program via a monthly
allowance that families can use to augment the
curriculum. Some students spend part of their
week in the RMLC receiving direct instruction
while others only connect with Mrs. Blakley
electronically or through other avenues that
are mutually agreed upon.
b) Distributed Learning: This is often referred
to as “on line learning” for students taking
grades 10 – 12 courses. Mrs. Blakley also has
students from around the province enrolled in
specialized courses such as Equine Studies 10 12 amongst many other courses that can allow
for a wider course selection than may be found
in their neighborhood school.
Rocky Mo
untain Learning Centre
c) Adult Education: Adults (those 19 years of age and
older) who have not yet graduated can take courses free
of charge through the RMLC. There is now a charge for
Adults who have already obtained their High School
Graduation Certificate and are wanting to take upgrading
courses for employment purposes or to qualify for a postsecondary program
A Village Christmas Dinner
RADIUM
Everyone welcome
Visitors & Residents
December 25th
at
La Cabina Ristorante
Best Western
Radium
Feastival
Tickets must be
purchased in advance
(cash or cheque only)
Adults $20
Children/Seniors $15
Children under 5 free
Open Seating
All run by local
Volunteers!
Doors open
at 4:30 pm
& close
at 6:30 pm
All profits will go back to Tourism Radium to enhance our Visitors’ experiences
RADIUM
HOT SPRINGS
Tickets are available at:
LA CABINA
RADIUM
Hot Springs Chamber o
m
u
i
d
f Comm
Ra
e
On behalf of the Radium Hot Springs Chamber of
Commerce, Tourism Radium Hot Springs and the
Radium Hot Springs Visitor Centre staff we would
like to introduce the new 2015-2017 Board of
Directors; President, Doulgas McIntosh - Chattan
Holdings; Vice-President, Mike Grey - Horsethief
Creek Pub and Eatery Secretary, Char Shultz-Char’s
Janitorial Treasurer, Nazir Rahemtulla - Radium Park Inn
Directors: Assunta (Sue) Miller - La Cabina Ristorante,
Michael Anderson - True Key Hotels & Resorts, Joe
Evanoff - Radium Golf Group, and Ryan Haynes Mountainside Market. The Radium Hot Springs Chamber
of Commerce Board of Directors looks forward to
supporting business in our Village, Valley and Region.
The Radium Hot Springs Visitor Centre has had its
busiest season ever! January through November the
Visitor Centre has welcomed over 73,000 visitors to our
Village. We’ve exceeded the 2014 numbers by 14,475
visitors. The Radium Hot Springs Visitor Centre has seen
an increase of travelers from within our own Province,
Alberta and the United States. We are optimistic the
Visitor Centre numbers will continue to remain above
average throughout the winter.
The professional taxidermy display of local wildlife in the
Visitor Centre has been a huge attraction for visitors and
locals entering our building. We receive many questions
regarding the animals, each animal in the Visitor Centre
has its own unique story. We encourage you to stop in
the Visitor Centre, learn about the display and explore
the topographical map, and enjoy the other displays
that help make the Radium Hot Springs Visitor Centre
remarkable.
rc e
In 2017 the Visitor Centre is excited to welcome
a life size Grizzly Bear this 605 pound massive
bear will bring new life to the evolving display. We
would like to thank the 2015 Feastival Committee
for once again donating proceeds to the Radium
Hot Springs Visitor Centre wildlife display.
The Visitor Centre has seen a number of people coming
to The Village of Radium Hot Springs especially on the
Headbanger Festival weekend to view and photograph the
Bighorn sheep in their traditional head butting ritual. The
festival participants are either staying within the Village
or coming to spend the day. We had a special guest
who attended the Headbanger Festival that produced a
wonderfully written piece about Radium Hot Springs and
of course the Bighorn Sheep. See Andrew Penner’s article
from the Calgary Harold at http://calgaryherald.com/life/
headbanging-in-radium-hot-springs.
The 2016 Radium Hot Springs Magazine designed in
partnership with the Columbia Valley Pioneer Staff and
Tourism Radiums’ very own Kara Cassidy, goes to the
printer next week and will be available early in the New
Year. We are excited to be distributing the new magazine
at the first trade show of 2016. The Calgary Motorcycle
show takes place the second weekend in January and we
anticipate handing out 1,000 copies of the magazine. This
year there will be 15,000 copies printed for distribution.
Please check your email we will advise as to when the
magazine is ready for Radium businesses to pick up.
Rotary Gardens Update
Rotary Gardens had a successful first summer. Following
its August grand opening celebration, the gardens
were transferred from the Radium Rotary Club to the
Village of Radium Hot Springs. A Garden Committee
now oversees day-to-day garden operations. The Garden Committee thanks the many sponsors and
volunteers who helped fund, build, plant and maintain
the gardens. Ongoing volunteer efforts will be required
to maintain this incredible community space. Garden beds have been assigned for the 2016 garden
season. The Garden Committee will maintain a wait list
for garden beds as they become available. Interested
residents are invited to submit their name and contact
information to [email protected]
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Radium Public Library Update!
The Radium Library had a busy summer! Continuing with our
new ‘look’, we had bright new signage installed above our
front door and on the sign board in front of the Library. We
completed our branding transformation by purchasing book
tote bags, book marks and new membership cards! Patrons
and new members now have wallet-sized, colourful plastic
membership cards. We look forward to presenting all our
members with these new cards! Come in and get your card
if you haven’t done so already, and enjoy our great book
collections as well as the e-book program.
Once again the Library partnered with “Adventure Radium” this
past summer and offered the Summer Reading Program. This
program is a great opportunity to promote reading during the
summer months. The children received a sticker for each book
they read and prizes were given out at the end of the program.
With thanks to the Horsethief Pub, the Library benefitted
from the Pub’s community fundraising initiative, “Give Back
Sundays”! We hope to see this again in 2016!
The Library sponsored popular children’s author, Vicki Grant,
who visited Edgewater School to discuss her books with the
students in grades 4-7. The students thoroughly enjoyed her
visit!
On Tuesday evenings the Library hosts the popular Lego Club
for kids! What a great way to spend a cold, dark winter evening!
Come and check it out!! There is always a jigsaw puzzle on the
go in the Library, with a jelly bean treat for those who fit a piece
into the puzzle!
The Radium Public Library is a comfortable and inviting place
to visit, especially as we make our way into the cold winter
months. We would like to thank all our patrons for visiting, as
well as our volunteers, who contribute their time and resources
to make the Library such an asset to the area. We wish
everyone a wonderful holiday season!
Unit #2
7585 Main Street
Please check our website
for more summer activities –
www.radiumpubliclibrary.bclibrary.ca
Phone 250-347-2434
Email [email protected]
Library Hours
Saturday 10:00 – 1:00 pm
SundayClosed
Tuesday  6:00 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday  1:00 – 4:00 pm
Thursday  1:00 – 4:00 pm
New Year’s Eve
Party!
Come join us at Brent’s
Shack for the Village’s
annual birthday party
and New Year’s Eve
Celebration.
The event kicks off at 3pm
with hot dogs, chili, hot
chocolate and birthday cake,
in celebration of the Village’s
25th birthday! The day is
capped off with a fantastic
fireworks display, courtesy
of the Radium Volunteer Fire
Dept. Donations for the fire
department are gratefully
accepted.
See you there!
Numbers to Know
911 • Police, Fire, and Ambulance Services
250-347-6455 • V
olunteer Fire Chief
Dave Dixon
250-342-9292 • Non-emergency RCMP
250-342-2055 • N
on-emergency
Ambulance Service
250-342-9201 • Invermere District Hospital 1-800-665-4929 • R
oad Hazard Reporting
24 hours
250-347-6455 • Village Office