• $18,000 has been approved from the areas I and J economic development fund to upgrade Verigin Memorial Park. Area I Director Andy Davidoff said on May 28 the upgrades include work to the Verigin tomb and nearby. The work is to involve repainting and the installation of safety railing at the site.
• DJM Contracting Ltd. or Rossland has been awarded a $209,000 contract for upgrades to the Brilliant suspension bridge. They were the lowest of three bidders. It's the second time they've gone to tender. The previous ones were rejected because the bids were more than double the $100,000 budget.Rec manager Jim Crockett was quoted in the Jan. 27, 2012 Castlegar News, as saying the project was to include building an observation platform between the suspension bridge and highway bridge where interpretive signage will be placed. It also calls for concrete repair on the bridge towers.The project was only advertised locally because the cost was expected to be under $100,000, but the lone bid was more than double what was expected.“We are going to retender it probably in the next month or so,” Crockett had said in late January. “We’re looking at some other design options to get the cost down.”The 99-year-old bridge, a national historic site, re-opened to pedestrian traffic in 2010.
• The RDCK is expected to apply for a license of occupation on the upper and lower Brilliant terraces to establish a regional park. This recommendation came out of this month's recreation commission meeting. • The fate of the Pioneer arena is in doubt again. According to the rec commission minutes, "Concerns have been raised regarding the condition of the mini ice floor beam that supports the side boards. There is also concern regarding the life of the chiller. Investigation regarding cost estimates for repairs needs to be done so that an informed decision can be made regarding the Pioneer Arena." The commission is going to do a walk-thru of the arena in early June.
By Greg Nesteroff, Nelson Star, with files from Jim Sinclair