October
7 – Locked out International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 213 reject a mediator’s recommendations to end the dispute with FortisBC. Both sides were presented with recommendations from mediator Vince Ready. Union members in the West Kootenay and Okanagan soundly rejected the proposal.
9 – Montrose council heard from concerned residents over an upcoming smart meter installation by FortisBC. Council stopped short of calling for a meeting to inform residents, although it did support its residents taking the initiative to hold a community meeting.
10 – A draft of the master plan for Trail’s recreational services was presented to the public. Among the issues raised was the need for a skatepark, ending the Trail Resident Pass and better use for the Trail Memorial Centre.
10 – Salmo representatives and provincial counterparts were on hand for the official ground breaking of the affordable housing project in the village. The site will include 20 apartments and eight townhouses for seniors.
14 – West Kootenay Transit’s expanded bus routes have been attracting more riders, said the service operator. Ridership in the Columbia zone (that combines Trail, Castlegar, Rossland and Slocan) increased by 19,000 trips said a transit spokesperson.
16 – The City of Trail announced it will host the 2014 provincial Community in Bloom awards conference next fall.
17 – Recycling in Genelle underwent a major change with the arrival of the curbside blue box program. The program eliminates the need for residents to take their recycling to a designated site.
21 – Trail council approves voting by mail for the next municipal election in 2014.
27 – The City of Trail garners another five-bloom award in the international category of the Communities in Bloom competition.
29 – Alex Atamanenko, MP for BC Southern Interior, announces that he will not run in the 2015 federal election. Atamanenko served the region for three terms as a member of the NDP.
November
1 – Locked out FortisBC workers rejected the latest offer from the company to end the four-month long lockout.
4 – The City of Trail gets a combined total of $150,000 from ICBC and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for its improvements to pedestrian safety and the replacement of its ageing infrastructure as part of its downtown revitalization project.
7 – With over 15 centimetres of snow falling at higher elevations, Environment Canada issued its first weather warning of the season for the Greater Trail region. The snowfall caused several accidents in the area as commuters adjusted to the driving conditions.
11 – Over 1,500 people attended Remembrance Day ceremonies in Trail and Fruitvale.
12 – The Greaer Trail Filipino community rallied for support in the wake of a devastating typhoon that ripped through the Philippines leaving death, destruction and millions of citizens displaced.
16 – Trail Mayor Dieter Bogs, Bruce Dumont, president of the Metis National of B.C. and Marilyn Taylor, regional director of Kootenay Metis Nation of B.C. were on hand for the raising of the Metis flag at Trail City Hall. It marked the first time the flag was flown in Greater Trail.
18 – Trail’s new parking system has resulted in more tickets and more revenue for the city’s coffers. The city issued 1,000 more tickets than over the same span in 2012 resulting in over $180,000 in revenue.
21 – The Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail could use a $44 million infusion to upgrade the facility according to an Interior Health facilities study.
23 – A dispute between Sensible BC petitioners and Ferraro Foods goes viral after the grocer demands the petitioners stay off the store’s property. The petitioners return the next day and Ferraro Foods offers an olive branch of cookies and tea as well as an online apology to its customers who may have felt uncomfortable over the confrontation.
25 – Citing bus driver safety, BC Transit announces there will be no free New Year’s Eve bus rides following recent incidents, including 2012 where intoxicated youth surrounded a bus in Rossland.
26 – Trail City Council decides not to pursue a plan to allow backyard chickens based on the response of a recent survey.
December
1 – Over $3,300 was raised for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The West Kootenay Filipino Canadian Society held a fundraising event in Genelle, which included baked goods and items donated by local businesses. All funds were sent directly to families in need after the devastating storm displaced more than one million people.
5 – Sensible BC organizers in the West Kootenay said they reached their target of 10 per cent of eligible voters in the riding supporting its proposal to decriminalize marijuana. However, the provincial body said it came up short in its quest.
5 – Mill workers at ATCO lumber in Fruitvale signed a new contract, which includes a 13 per cent increase over five years. Workers had been without a contract since July.
6 – The Beaver Valley Recreation, Parks and Trails Committee, representing Fruitvale, Montrose and the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s Area A, announces it will not renew its Recreation Services Agreement with the City of Trail. The five-year deal, which saw Trail receive approximately $200,000 annually, expired Jan. 1, 2014.
7 – Labour leaders and politicians gathered in downtown Trail for a rally in support of the locked out International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers by FortisBC.
10 – It took 35 firefighters to control an early morning blaze behind JF Auto in Waneta. The fire consumed 28 vehicles that were stored in the facility. The cause is still under investigation.
12 – Canada Post announces it will end door-to-door service within the next five years. There are 12 letter carriers in the Trail office.
13 – Local Search and Rescue groups in Rossland and South Columbia receive $63,000 and $84,500 respectively in gaming grants. The Rossland SAR plans to purchase a new snowmobile for its service.
17 – The six-month lockout of FortisBC electrical workers comes to an end after both sides agree to binding arbitration.
18 – the City of Trail announces it has a deal with the regional district to purchase the Trail Regional Airport for $1.28 million.
18 – Trail RCMP apprehend a robber at the downtown 7-Eleven. The 28-year-old male perpetrator brandishing a knife took cash but a 911 call alerted police, who caught him at the scene of the crime.