Donovan Cavers
‘Annoyed’ Kamloops councillor walks out of council meeting
KAMLOOPS - A Kamloops councillor walked out of council chambers in the middle of a meeting yesterday because his colleagues disagreed with him. Coun. Donovan Cavers wanted to see a change in how Kamloops councillors are voted to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board and wanted staff to look at how other communities voted on or...
Arrow Transportation apologizes to residents of Dallas for dust; not for biosolids
KAMLOOPS – While Arrow Transportation Systems has apologized to residents of Dallas for the sawdust which blew into their neighbourhood, the company's vice president would not apologize for its biosolids operation and denies the dust contained biosolids. Arrow Transportation operates a biosolds processing operation at the Blackwell Dairy Farm. The company trucks the biolsolids from Vancouver,...
Councillors for pesticide ban say public and business were appropriately consulted
KAMLOOPS – The decision by Kamloops councillors to approve a ban on pesticides in the city next year was a "foregone conclusion," one councillor says. The issue was all but decided because seven of nine councillors already debated the concept before elections last November, Coun. Donovan Cavers says. “I thought it was a foregone conclusion,”...
Kamloops pesticide ban passes, will be implemented January 2016
KAMLOOPS – Next year residents of Kamloops will no longer be able to hire licensed applicators to spray their lawns or ornamental shrubs. A ban on cosmetic pesticide use was passed today, July 14, in city council to a round of applause from those who remained in council chambers for the decision. The proposed ban,...
Support for late night patios at new Kamloops casino
KAMLOOPS – When the new casino in Aberdeen opens later this summer patrons will be able to sit on a Cascades Casino patio into the wee hours of the morning. Located on Versatile Drive just off the highway near the Aberdeen and Pine View Valley neighbourhoods, council shot down a city staff suggestion to close...
The ‘cost of democracy’ calls for a $160,000 referendum
KAMLOOPS – Residents will decide if they are in favour borrowing $49 million to finance the purposed performing arts centre in a fall referendum, but it was the $160,000 cost of the referendum that recently came into question. Coun. Denis Walsh debated nearly every point raised on the referendum, including the cost of advertising, the...
Council prepares for likely performing arts centre referendum
KAMLOOPS – The results of the performing arts centre open house have been collated and based on discussion at City Hall Tuesday it looks like a referendum will, most likely, happen by late fall. While the topic of the centre produced a lively question and answer session in council chambers Tuesday, May 5, the big...
City agrees to New Afton’s request to increase air discharge rate
KAMLOOPS - There were many opinions to be heard this week as city council tackled New Gold’s New Afton Mine request to be allowed to increase its air discharge to reflect the mine’s new operational status. City staff advised council to agree to New Afton’s request, which the Ministry of Environment asked for city input on....
Cavers’ motion to change environmental assessment timelines for Ajax Mine defeated
KAMLOOPS – There is no appetite around the council table to ask the province to change the deadlines surrounding the environmental assessment process for the proposed Ajax Mine. Coun. Donovan Cavers wanted his fellow council members to ask the province to delay the 75-day public comment period after KGHM submitted its environmental application to give...
KGHM promises information site with ‘plain language summaries’
KAMLOOPS – The company behind the proposed Ajax Mine is once again assuring council, and city residents, of its commitment to transparency with a promise to make easy to read summaries readily available to the public. In a letter to council KGHM Ajax Mine External Affairs Manager Yves Lacasse says there will be ‘plain language...
Kamloops council considers reducing transit fares
KAMLOOPS – Ridership takes precedence over transit expenses, city council has decided, and as a result city staff will now put together a proposal on a fare decrease in an effort to help increase ridership in the city. In an attempt to follow the goals of the Sustainable Kamloops Plan by increasing ridership, and answer...
Transit fare increases to drive council discussion
KAMLOOPS - The challenge of transit service costing the city more money than it makes is no different in Kamloops than it is in any other city in the province and this week city council will discuss a possible fare increase to help offset the cost of the service. Similar to other urban amenities like,...
Councillor to ask province for more time to look at Ajax application
KAMLOOPS - A request for more time to study and provide input on the environmental application for the proposed Ajax Mine will go before council later this month. Coun. Donovan Cavers will be asking council to send a letter to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office requesting the 75-day public comment period on the Ajax proposal...
Province overrules city; transit service increases put on hold
KAMLOOPS - In 2014 Kamloops city council members agreed to adding new transit buses and more service hours but a decision by the province to put a freeze on B.C. Transit funding means there will not be any additional services added this year, or for the next three years. B.C. Transit representatives were before council...
Free transit worth the cost?
COUNCIL WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS OPTIONS KAMLOOPS - Transit is a topic that gets a lot of discussion around the table at City Hall, and rightfully so. Taxpayers subsidize a portion of the public transportation and council plans to again explore whether any form of free transit can be offered and how much is too much...