Columbia Valley RCMP Staff Sgt. Marko Shehovac delivered his quarterly report (see Invermere council briefs on A5 for bulk of report) and the proposed Citizens On Patrol (COP) program for the Village of Radium Hot Springs was raised. It was noted that three people had stepped forward so far, and Shehovac said that he would like to see another three volunteers (to bring the total to six) before beginning training. Council noted that there should be no difficulty getting three more volunteers, and mayor Dee Conklin said the business community would be a likely source, as the COP program would probably focus on patrolling in the area of Radium businesses.

With a number of visitors spending Christmas in the valley, Conklin said she had been contacted by several motel owners who were worried about the lack of dining accommodations for visitors. With so many restaurants closing for Christmas, the idea was brought forward to hold a community Christmas dinner at the community hall in Radium. There was also discussion about a village Christmas party on December 7 at the CasaVino Wine bar in Radium. Details for both events will be finalized at a later date.

As part of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund, the Village of Radium Hot Springs is set to receive $77,800 to replace about half of its current playground equipment. MP David Wilks is due to visit Radium during the first week of November to present the funds intended to upgrade and improve Radium’s playground safety overall.