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FORT ST. JAMES > WHAT'S NEW > Council News

Council News

Published: April 01, 2022 10:00 AM
Caledonia Courier

Community Arts Council Delegation

Monica Grill of the Community Arts Council spoke to council about the RCMP Musical Ride and the Cottonwood Music Festival.

The Community Arts Council gave an update on the RCMP Musical Ride. The council will be hosting the RCMP Musical Ride on July 17 at the fair grounds.

The event is a partnership between the Community Arts Council and the Snowmobile Club. There are 12 members on the organizing committee.

The Council is planning to have afternoon activities such as children games, farmer’s market, food vendors, RCMP dog agility and an RCMP DARE presentation. The Council plans to have a pre-show singer, Karen Cruise of Vanderhoof, entertaining the crowd.

Depending on seating, the bleachers out are estimated to hold 200 people but the Arts Council is looking at getting more seating.

The Cottonwood Music Festival is being held the same weekend, July 17, 18, and 19. The Council has agreed to continue to be the non-profit organization behind the event if sponsorship funds are committed by April 15.

Grill shared that Lionel Conant has take over the leadership of the festival committee from Norm Dagenais. Lionel has been seeking sponsorships and booking acts.

In the past, the District of Fort St. James has been the Arts Council a grant that has been raised to $4,000 this year.

Victoria matches that grant.

Grill said that in the past the money that the District gives to the Arts Council is given to other organizations in town.

Grill said that the grant given to the Cottonwood Music Festival is to help the Festival promote the town and stretching out the Festival’s boundaries into different kinds of music that will be brought in.

The music festival has been making a profit and that money has been held for the sound equipment in the Community Hall.

Fort St. James Humane Society

Angela McLaren, CEO of the Humane Society, shared the progress that the society has been making and what the society hopes to achieve in the future.

The society has been working heavily with the Nak’azdli band to control the pet population in Nak’azdli.

Pet owners are required to have their pets registered, and dogs are to be on leashes at all times.

McLaren shared that there has been a sharp decrease in roaming dogs, and the band has embraced the society with open arms. The band recognizes the pet population problems and is working hard with the society to register and control the pet population.

The hope is to register and tag all the reserve dogs.

More than 100 dogs on the reserve have been registered.

Nak’azdli members can’t acquire pets now without permission of the band.

This is to help aid in controlling the pet population.

McLaren spoke of the importance of a shelter in order to house animals.

The society is looking at ways to build a shelter in order to house strays.

The society is in negations to start a similar program in Tache, Middle River and Binche.

As the program is implemented in these communities it makes the need for a shelter that much more urgent. At the moment all animals in the care of the society are in foster care.

The society is looking to host a sterilization and education project from April1 to August 1.

They are requesting grant and aid of $5,000 to be used for spading and neutering animals and education in the town.

The Nak’azdli band is already doing this and if it is a success will do more.

Airport Committee

District CAO, Nigel Black, brought forward the idea to formally establish a committee to plan for operational and capital improvements at the Perison Airport.

Black suggested it be a select committee of council, with one council member on the committee.