NATURE

Sea, land, river

PEOPLES

Community

For earlier materials see Table of Contents

September 5^th	We See
	Council meeting Tuesday

Bruce Burrow’s reading at Rainforest Books

Council meeting Tuesday – typical Mussallem fare – all interesting stuff ‘in camera’

Plus other stuff seen around town

	A busy time
	Here being passed by 3 ships on various missions – from sport to business --- note the hull of the freighter --- ballast pumped and not too much growth on hull – ‘no hitch-hikers’ --- ‘invasive species

	Bruce Burrows gives a reading of his new mystery thriller --- River Killer
	Not that many people showed up to listen --- but an enjoyable evening --- mainly Bruce read from novel and then signed copies --- 2 local fishers bought numerous copies --- and both already knew him --- Bruce said he launched book here at suggestion Joy Thorkelson --- since here already and Rupert such a fish town

Early part of novel describing fisher’s life

Begins with a huge set/ catch done in Johnstone Straits in sockeye season 1996 --- ‘from a fishers perspective’ – the drama, the hope, the bonanza of 100T lb set of sockeye --- At this point one might think the River Killer referred to the seine itself --- that big a catch could easily wipe out a small tributary ---- but no – the real villain here is DFO and not poor ever suffering fishers

Big set ---- shapes the rest of book

Not only is Danny Swanson’s share enough to pay for his University education –but propels him into his subsequent job working for DFO – first in Ottawa and then back in BC on the Central Coast managing that herring fishery

But that set also provides the Franken-fish that was caught in that same set --- and which provides the story line for the rest of the novel ---- The weird looking and ‘tagged’ fish was taken to DFO lab in Nanaimo by another young crew member after the season over --- and then ‘Billie’ disappeared --- never to be heard from again

Plus by luck some sockeye seen while doing the Herring fishery ---in April – not summer --- which then unfolds the rest of the story

So give it a read --- a good mystery --- that sacrifices ‘fast moving narrative’ for any depth of character or nuances

Bruce said he wrote this while fishing ‘idiot’ fish on west coast of Haida Gwaii --- a ‘lowly’ crew member – who retired to his bunk after his shift – to write on his laptop --- and it shows --- the hero sees conspiracies everywhere --- and sex provides the sub narrative

Bruce promised a sequel --- and it is not too hard to see where it will go given the present real life drama of the Cohen commission – and DFO biologist Kristi Miller testimony about weird virus found in Fraser River sockeye brains --- the real ‘river killer’ --- and the ‘complicity’ of DFO brass etc --- see lawyer McDade questioning during Cohen hearings ---- the ‘real story’ stranger than the fiction

Boring

The ‘real’ action done in camera before ‘public meeting’

Council meeting Tuesday

Preparing an annual report? --- Last one just came out a few months ago – and an election will intervene between now and the next ‘annual report’ due date

In camera – that is the way a Mussallem Council works --- everything behind locked doors ---‘taking care of business’

Of course there is the usual – personal information --- property sales etc --- done every meeting --- but check this one out

A Mussallem council seems to like ‘back room’ deals – with as little public involvement in decision making as possible

	Take the RCMP ultimatum to the city
	No mention of that on the City agenda package ---

	I see work going into the ‘old’ Detachment building
	I bet they are just burning up the $$ budgeted for the cell make over --- with superficial paint etc

	I wish there was ‘room’ on Council ‘agenda’ to discuss our options
	I think the real issue is not upgrading cells – or providing more of them – but involving the community more in turning the tide of vandalism and petty crime etc – more later

	I see too where the Payne ‘lookout’ reaching ‘enclosed’ stage
	Still one wonders how come ‘they’ had to get outsiders (from Terrace?) to do most of the work --- Buy local you say?

	Church renovations moving right along
	But Mondays wind and rain might put some dampers on RCMP painting and churches siding work

More on RCMP ultimatum later

New drug store down here --- using 2/3rds of the space of former grocery --- but I hear Wal-mart move not until mid September – or even end of month when ‘lease runs out’

Created by LG on 9/5/2011

Last updated on Monday, September 05, 2011

NATURE

PEOPLES

For earlier materials see Table of Contents

We See

More on RCMP ultimatum later