Inspector Kara Triance, officer in charge for the Sea to Sky RCMP Detachment, presented to Village of Pemberton council on July 24, giving council a bi-annual update on Pemberton RCMP's work and strategic priorities.
In her presentation, Triance highlighted the trauma informed policing training Sea to Sky RCMP received in March of this year.
Facilitated by Dr. Lori Haskell, the training focused on integrating the latest studies on trauma to the policing environment. The training gave police officers a deeper understanding of the effects of trauma on the brain and how trauma can affect things like statement taking in domestic abuse cases, explained Triance.
Trauma informed training now informs how police conduct investigations as well as provide services to people impacted by trauma, explained Triance.
In her presentation, Triance also discussed the management of a "prolific offender" now living in the community.
"I don't use that term lightly," she said. "A prolific offender receives the designation because they are entrenched in criminality. They are somebody who has a significant criminal record and are prolific in committing crime."
Triance said that when the individual was moved to Pemberton Cpl. Mike Hamilton "put a plan in place to ensure that there was everything we could do to challenge him and support him in making sure he was involved in meaningful employment."
The individual, however, was later arrested on a charge related to fraud, said Triance.
"We will continue to stay on top of that. We are aware of how a prolific offender in a small community can really impact individuals," she said.
Hamilton, who leads the Pemberton RCMP detachment, was attending a training program aimed at bail reform and was therefore unable to present to council.
SECOND QUARTER REPORTS
Staff received second quarter reports from the development services and operations divisions of the Village's Operations & Development Services Department. They show that Pemberton continues to develop apace.
Between April 1 and June 30, the Village received several new development applications, including a three-lot subdivision at 1931 Timberlane Rd. and a four-lot subdivision at 1368 Fernwood St.
The Village issued 23 building permits in total, including two for single-family homes and 12 for renovations.
In total, the Village collected $43,320.34. That figure includes cost charges from the first quarter as well.
Moreover the Village authorized Elevate, a 54-unit contemporary townhouse project at the Sunstone development. The Village also "registered" 19 lots in Tiyata Village.
The operations division report laid out the busy year the department has ahead as well.
The design drawings for the Village's downtown enhancement plan are nearing completion (approximately 90 per cent done), and the Village will be holding a Downtown Enhancement Meeting for Downtown Businesses on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, where it will present the nearly finalized design.
The next steps will be finalizing the design and to issue the Request for Proposal for the construction of the project, explained Village of Pemberton Chief Operation Officer Nikki Gilmore.
Construction on the Friendship Trail Bridge is set to begin in August, with a project completion date of Sept. 17.
Construction on the Village's soccer fields is also underway. The fields are being built on a 20-acre parcel of land on Pemberton Farm Road East. So far, preload has been removed from the site and construction is set to begin on one of the fields at the end of the month. The aim is to have the project completing by October 2018. This will allow for the field to be used in September 2019.
While the latter two projects have already been awarded to two private companies, the Village will oversee them through inspections with its engineers signing off on them.
Gilmore also noted that Tim Harris, manager of operations and development services, recently left the Village to pursue other opportunities. The Village is currently recruiting for his position.
BLACKCOMB HELICOPTERS
Gilmore also presented a verbal report on Blackcomb Helicopter's Crown Land Tenure Application.
Blackcomb Helicopters is applying for a 30-year Commercial Backcountry Recreation Tenure that would allow it to add guided heli-biking activities to its existing Crown Land Tenure and build mountain-bike specific trails.
In coordination with the Lil'wat Nation's Land Referrals Committee, the company has identified six potential areas for heli-biking activities—Mr. Barbour, Mt. Barbour South, Ogre-OW, Mackenzie Ridge, Ipsoot Mountain, Rutherford Ridge.
Council weighed in on the application as a referral group, as the mountains involved in the tenure application are outside of the Village boundary.
Council chose not to support the application.
"As a referral group we feel that we do not express our support for it," said Mayor Richman.
"We felt the community has been very clear about it from different aspects, from the farming community to the wildlife association to mountain bikers," he said.
Increased air traffic, disruption to sensitive ecosystems and wildlife and added noise, are the principal reasons the Village is opposed, explained Richman.
"It's a high level of activity that could have impacts to wildlife as well as disruption to the folks that live down there," he said.
FOURTH AND FINAL
The Village of Pemberton passed its new Zoning Bylaw at the July 24 council meeting.
The bylaw updates rules and regulations for such things as short-term rentals and clarifies language, making it easier to understand for the average person. The bylaw was passed after significant stakeholder consultation.
