‘An adventure every time on Backroad Truckers,’ says Barriere’s Dale Kristensen who stars in the show
March 2021
Barriere resident Dale Kristensen is a hometown guy. Born and raised on his family’s ranch, a graduate of Barriere Secondary, and owner of his own hotshotting, excavation, and snowplowing business.
A number of years ago he started to have problems with his back, which resulted in major back surgery a few years later to insert a titanium rod to support his spine, and eventually able to start moving forward with his life.
Unfortunately though, one of the rods in his back instantly snapped when Kristensen had to leap into action and successfully grab his young son Cooper, who was falling down a flight of stairs at the time.
The damage to his back was very serious, and once again he returned to surgery to have a new rod inserted in his spine. After a second successful surgery Kristensen then had to again fight his way through the pain, rehabilitate, and get back working so he could support his family.
“Yeah, I thought that was the end of me back then,” said Kristensen “But I just keep going.
“I had to shut my own company down due to my back surgery. So once I was moving around again I was thinking about getting back into the hotshotting business, and I was in touch with Big Donny Kleinfelder and his son Donny talking about hotshotting.”
Kleinfelder had purchased the old highway maintenance yard in Barriere a number of years ago to run an empire of hotshotting, towing, and recovery, as well as house his massive fleet of trucks and specialized equipment. Kleinfelder also commands a ragtag crew of drivers who may be rough around the edges, but are experts at navigating treacherous back-roads to reach remote businesses that urgently need their cargo delivered.
Kleinfelder is larger than life, and so is his business and crew who have become the stars of the new Backroad Truckers TV series premiering on Thursday, March 4, at 7 p.m. PT on the History Channel.
Kristensen is also part of that crew, and says he can “blame it all on the two Donnys.”
Family speaks out about tragic loss of their parents on Highway 5
Dec. 14, 2023
The grieving family of Gordon and Amber Bjorkman of Merritt, who lost their lives in a head-on collision on Highway 5 on Dec. 2, are speaking out about the tragic loss of their beloved parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
“My wife Keli and I have good moments remembering them, and then something sets us off and the tears start,” Gordon and Amber’s son Dave Bjorkman said in an interview with Black Press on Dec. 7.
The vehicle in which his parents were driving collided with a commercial vehicle while the couple was travelling to Clearwater to visit their grown children.
“I was out on the highway, and I tried to get in touch with my parents to tell them the road was closed due to an accident, and ultimately found out it was them.”
Cpl. Mike Moore, media relations with BC Highway Patrol, said the collision took place at about 10:45 a.m. in the northbound lane. “The initial investigation points to the commercial vehicle entering the oncoming lane, where it struck the oncoming car,” he said.
The couple was pronounced dead at the scene. Moore said that the investigation is now “focusing on the driving behaviour of the commercial truck leading up to the crash.”
Dave is a foreman for BC Hydro based in Clearwater. A certified journeyman lineman, he has years of experience as a Class 1 driver, and was out on a work-related call not far from where the crash took place that same day.
“I spend lots of my time on the highway with hydro. I’m out there all the time and we see too much of this on this stretch of highway.
“There are so many ‘what ifs’. I could’ve gotten up that morning, saw it was snowing, and phoned my mom and told them not to come up during this first significant snowfall, but then again it’s my mom, who wants to come up and deliver Christmas presents. Normally they would have texted us before they left. But she didn’t text me this time, because I would have said not to come. Our family is devastated.”
Five-year-old girl hospitalized after bear spray assault; Barriere man, 71, facing charges
May 10, 2023
Mounties say a 71-year-old Barriere man is facing three counts of assault with a weapon after allegedly assaulting a family, including a five-year-old girl, with bear spray.
The incident occurred on Thursday, March 30 at about 8:53 a.m. in the area of Summer Road and Deejay Road in Barriere, note police in a news release issued May 9.
An investigation confirmed a family was driving away from their home at the Deejay Trailer Park when a verbal altercation took place between them and another resident. The victims continued to exit the park, but the other resident followed them in his vehicle to Summer Road.
It is alleged the resident exited his vehicle and deployed bear spray into the neighbour’s car, while the couple’s young daughter was also inside. Despite their pleas to stop, citing the child’s presence, the accused allegedly continued to spray inside their vehicle.
Police said a physical altercation ensued between all parties. All four individuals sustained injuries from bear spray exposure.
The accused, William Siddall, a 71-year-old, Barriere, B.C., resident, has been charged with three counts of assault with a weapon.
The use of bear spray in this instance led to the hospitalization of all four involved.
The matter is scheduled for trial in Kamloops Provincial Court April 29 - May 1.
Alberta man fined $7,500 for smuggling illegal gun magazines in Osoyoos
Oct. 20, 2023
An Alberta man was fined $7,500 after border agents caught him attempting to cross the border in Osoyoos with illegal over-capacity gun magazines.
Joby Stuart Bishop pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 5, according to a press release from the CBSA.
“CBSA officers at the Osoyoos border crossing and our criminal investigators work hard to keep our communities safe. Over-capacity gun magazines are now off the streets, and the accused has been held accountable,” said Derek Watson, direct of the Okanagan and Kootenay District of the CBSA.
In Penticton’s Provincial Court, Bishop admitted to attempting to bring the magazines across the Osoyoos border in violation of the Customs Act.
On Dec. 28, 2022, border agents sent him to a secondary examination, where they found the illegal items during their inspection.
In addition to the fine, Bishop was issued a two-year firearms prohibition.
Simpcw Resources Group buys Barriere Timber Mart
Jan. 11, 2023
Simpcw First Nation’s economic development arm, Simpcw Resources Group, has announced the purchase of the Barriere Timber Mart.
“Simpcw Chief and Council is excited to announce that Simpcw Resources Group has purchased the Barriere Timber Mart. Shawn and Suzie Fadear have worked hard to grow this integral business in Barriere and Simpcw is looking forward to further strengthening community partnerships,” said George Lampreau, Chief of Simpcw.
Barriere Timber Mart’s origin dates to the late 1950’s, when it was a small hardware store in Barriere, B.C. called Marshall-Wells Hardware. When Shawn and Suzie Fadear acquired the store in 2010, it was an IRLY Building Centre, until 2014 when the new store was constructed on Highway 5, a kilometre from downtown Barriere. The Timber Mart is approximately 9,000 sq. ft. featuring a diverse range of products, building materials, hardware, services, and lumber yard.
Simpcw and the Fadear’s have been engaged in discussions since early 2022. This followed with the idea of Simpcw Resources Group diversifying its core offerings into new local businesses. “We understand the importance of local ownership of this Timber Mart and are excited to be taking on an increasing role in the business community of Barriere,” said Paul Donald, CEO of SRG. This acquisition reflects “how proud we are of growing up in this area and we want to give back to our local community” said Keith Matthew, SRG Board Chair.
Simpcw commemorated the acquisitions and official ribbon cutting ceremony and plans to continue to the tradition of great services and products for years to come.
“We could not think of a better group to take over the operations of Barriere Timber Mart than Simpcw Resources Group. It gives us peace of mind to know that we leave our company in very capable and good hands and we wish them and our wonderful management and staff all the very best. Our family and the community of Barriere have been incredibly supportive of us over the years and we are so grateful. We leave with many fond memories. For that, we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to them all! You are all so special to us” said Shawn and Suzie Fadear.
Simpcw Resources Group (SRG) is the economic development arm for Simpcw First Nation. SRG is a diversified construction resource company providing environmental, management, and operational services while preserving Simpcw culture and heritage with respect towards the environment.
Possible abduction cause of heavy police presence in Barriere, say RCMP
Nov. 11, 2023
An unfolding police incident briefly closed Highway 5 at Barriere Friday afternoon (Nov. 10) as RCMP investigated a report of a possible abduction.
Multiple RCMP units with heavily armed officers were seen closing a section of Highway 5 and Barriere Town Road at about 3:30 p.m.
Cpl. Kyle Camalush, Barriere RCMP Detachment Commander, told the Barriere ronaldomanosa that the Barriere RCMP received information from Vernon RCMP of a possible abduction and that the two involved were in the Barriere jurisdiction.
“As a result, we took precautionary measures and engaged our Emergency Response Team (ERT), which included Air Services and the Police Dog Section to ensure the safety of everyone involved and our surrounding community,” noted Camalush.
“The RCMP located the female unharmed, in consultation with all of our support units and collaborative efforts. The uninjured female was taken into care and the investigation is ongoing.”
Subsequently, the RCMP have also arrested one male on several outstanding warrants, he added.
“There is no threat to public safety. The suspect was apprehended just off of Barriere Town Road and Highway 5. Our support sections were called in to supplement the investigation and as a precautionary measure, ultimately ensuring public safety. We are pleased with the outcome.”
There was no confirmation there was an abduction, and the RCMP investigation is ongoing.
Crash between two semi-trailers claims one life south of Barriere
Feb. 2
A collision on Thursday (Feb. 2) on Highway 5 near McLure, north of Kamloops, claimed the life of one person.
The BC RCMP Highway Patrol said the death occurred after two semi-trailers collided between Kealty Road and McLure Ferry Road. Highway 5 was closed from 15 kilometres south of Barriere to 14 kilometres north of Kamloops for several hours. Police said the collision occurred at 12:11 p.m.
Any motorists who may have witnessed the collision are asked to call BC Highway Patrol Kamloops at 250-828-3111 and reference file 23-458.
3 people killed, others injured in major fiery crash on Highway 5
March 1, 2023
Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a fiery crash along Highway 5 near Clearwater on Wednesday (March 1).
The crash, which involved two trucks and a SUV, happened at 10:56 a.m., police said in a news release Thursday.
“The initial investigation determined that a southbound Ford F150 pickup truck from Alberta crossed over the center line and side-swiped a Ford F550 truck hauling a trailer before colliding head on with a Ford Escape,” police said.
Two of the people who died were recent refugee immigrants.
Highway 5 between Round Top Road and Petrol Road was closed for several hours as police investigated.
Road conditions were not a factor and the driver of the Ford F150 is cooperating, police said.
Anyone with information regarding this collision, including anyone with dashboard camera video of pre-collision driving, is asked to contact BC Highway Patrol Kamloops at 250-828-3111.
11 taken to hospital after school bus crashes into Burnaby home
Nov. 9, 2023
A Burnaby school bus collided with another vehicle and crashed into a home on Thursday morning (Nov. 9), sending 11 people to hospital.
Burnaby RCMP Corp. Michael Kalanj said the two-vehicle collision occurred shortly before 8 a.m. in the area of Canada Way & 16th Avenue. He said the school bus, which was bound for a New Westminster high school, was crossing over Canada Way when it collided with a sedan that was coming down the road. The bus then went over the curb and drove part way through the side of a home.
Police, fire crews and six ambulances were called to the scene.
The BC Emergency Health Services said 11 patients were taken to hospital, all of them in stable condition. Kalanj said he believed they were all high school students and that their physical injuries will likely amount to bruises.
The driver of the sedan also sustained minor injuries, but didn’t go to hospital, according to Kalanj. The driver of the school bus was not injured and Kalanj said he doesn’t know if anyone was inside the home when it was hit, but that no one there was hurt either.
Calling all dog lovers! Dogs With Jobs returns to Barriere
Many of today’s most popular family dogs, like the golden retriever, were originally bred as hunting companions. Others, like heelers and border collies, have been used to herd sheep and cattle for generations.
If you’ve never had the chance to see working dogs in action, be sure to check out Dogs With Jobs at the North Thompson Fall Fair & Rodeo Grounds in Barriere July 29 and 30.
“This is our second year of what we hope will become an annual event,” says Brenda Wilson, co-founder of the North Thompson Stock Dog Association and one of the event’s primary organizers. “The event was well received last year and we anticipate the same enthusiasm this year. Dogs With Jobs is an opportunity to celebrate working breeds and educate the community that these dogs are so much more than just companions.”
This two-day special event includes a variety of demonstrations, clinics and a trade show. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to see your favourite breeds doing what they love!
B.C. deficit increases by billions as affordability crisis continues
Oct. 22, 2023
Opinion piece by MLA Lorne Doerkson
By nearly every metric, life in B.C. is getting more expensive.
We know that inflation is taking a real toll on people. Over 50 per cent of households in B.C. are less than $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month and people are turning to government, wondering what is being done to address these significant challenges.
Unfortunately, there is not much good news for those looking for relief. In fact, the recent quarterly report on B.C.’s finances revealed that the deficit has increased by $2.5 billion in the first quarter, bringing the total forecast deficit to $6.7 billion. That’s a massive increase in just a few months’ time.
This astounding figure raises numerous questions about how taxpayer dollars are being spent. However, the main question on my mind when hearing this news, is how are British Columbians benefiting from these billions of extra dollars being spent by government?
B.C. plane wreck ‘verified’ by RCMP is revealed to be fake crash training site
Nov. 24, 2023
Plane wreckage that made headlines this week when officials announced a hunter had stumbled on what police thought was a decades-old crash site in the B.C. Interior was actually placed there deliberately for training purposes.
A notice posted Tuesday on the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System says the RCMP inspected the site north of Kamloops and “verified” the wreckage was at least 20 to 25 years old, and it carried no registration or identifying marks.
But Fred Carey, executive director with volunteer air safety group PEP-Air, says their group planted the fuselage there two years ago “at the most,” marking it with tags to let people know it wasn’t a real crash site.
The wreck has no motor, wings, doors, seats, or propeller.
Carey says the report about the wreckage “made no sense,” and his group, which is part of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, had contacted RCMP to let them know it isn’t a real crash site.
RCMP did not immediately respond to questions about the site, near Knouff and Community lakes.
Carey says the training site on private property has been in use for about 18 months, and has been registered with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
Oliver Creek Wildfire near Louis Creek now rated a Rank 2 slower spread at 7:35 p.m. August 18
Published Aug. 18
Fire Number K22810 - Oliver Creek Wildfire in Louis Creek area near Barriere, B.C.
BCWS reports there are currently six BCWS personnel on the ground at this wildfire and two helicopters bucketing water to the area. There were some initial water sourcing delays but crews have located a good water source and are establishing a five-foot blackline around the perimeter to allow the firefighters to begin to work from the outside in towards the fire.
On August 17, 2023 a new out of control fire started in the Oliver Creek area and is visible in Louis Creek. The fire is listed as Fire Number: K22810 with lightning suspected to be the cause of this blaze, which is now known as the Oliver Creek wildfire.
According to Kamloops Fire Centre as of August 18 at 1:00 p.m., this new fire is estimated now at over 8.3 hectares by BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
‘Nothing left’: West Kelowna resident reveals shocking wildfire damage
Aug. 30, 2023
Bear Creek Road was among the first streets to be placed on evacuation order from the McDougall Creek Wildfire.
A property owner, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons and concerns of looting, escorted Black Press onto his property to show what’s left of his personal paradise.
The evacuation order came at 1:25 p.m. on Aug. 17. The home and everything else on the property burned to the ground that same day.
The property owner believes only four structures remain standing in the Bear Creek area.
Two fires ignite 4 minutes apart in Barriere
July 10, 2023
Two fires were discovered in Barriere roughly four minutes apart and are still burning in the Lower North Thompson and District of Barriere fire area.
On Sunday night (July 9) near Poison Creek, just before 6 p.m., a spot fire was discovered and listed as out of control, according to BC Wildfire Services (BCWS). There are currently four fire personnel attending to the fire currently trying to get it under control.
‘My breaking point’: Denver Broncos fan in Kelowna has had enough
Sept. 27, 2023
A Denver Broncos fan in Kelowna has had enough.
After years of losing records since winning the Super Bowl in 2015, a 70-20 loss on Sunday, Sept. 24 was the tipping point for a fan in Kelowna.
On Sunday after the massive loss to Miami, Facebook user Charlie Bischoff took the marketplace by posting all his Broncos gear for free with the title ‘Retiring Broncos Fan’.
“Been a strong fan for 10+ years but this week’s game was my breaking point,” said Bischoff. “Getting rid of my memorabilia willing to trade for therapy sessions and highlights of Super Bowl 50.”
Despite being a fan when Denver won the Super Bowl in 2015, the Broncos are 44-73, including an 0-3 start to this season since then.
Bischoff went back into the post and stated the post is a joke and added “[I] am loving the kind and not so kind words from fellow NFL fans.”
Maybe a change of heart will happen if the Broncos beat the also winless Chicago Bears this Sunday, Oct. 1.
Valley Voices: The McLure Fire of 2003
July 23, 2023
The 2003 fire season was one of the most catastrophic in British Columbia’s recorded history. Due to an extended drought in the southern half of the province, forest firefighters faced conditions never seen before in Canada. Lightning strikes, human carelessness, and arson all contributed to igniting nearly 2,500 fires involving more than 10,000 firefighters and support personnel, and burning more than 265,000 hectares at a cost of $375 million.
The extreme volatility of the dry forests, compounded by the province’s difficult terrain, created unprecedented fire behaviour, and made fire suppression almost impossible. The ongoing fires put extreme pressure on human and equipment resources, and the daily outbreak of new fires (218 fires on one day alone) added an even greater burden on suppression teams.
While fire crews often fought uncontrolled fires that travelled at more than seventy kph, and leapt several kilometers over highways, waterways and fire breaks, human safety remained a priority and not a single firefighter was lost on the fireline. In addition, there were no civilian lives lost, nor any civil unrest associated with the largest evacuation in B.C. history to that date, which involved more than 30,000 people.
Tragically, two air tanker crew members and a helicopter pilot lost their lives while fighting the fires in British Columbia: Ian MacKay, Eric Ebert, and Bernhard Georg Freiherr “Ben” von Hardenberg.
On Wednesday, July 30, 2003, the careless discarding of a cigarette butt into dry pine needles and withered grass, began a nightmare for those who lived in the North Thompson Valley. What witnesses say started as a small wisp of smoke, quickly ignited, and then took off like a rocket up the west hillside behind the property, which was situated close to the McLure Restaurant.
The McLure fire was reported to the BC Forest Service at 1:02 p.m. Crews and airtankers were dispatched within 22 minutes. Machinery followed within the second half hour. The fire spread up the hill, grew from half a hectare to six hectares in under an hour and three-quarters, and challenged the retardant lines. Within the next 15 minutes, the fire was reported at 10 to 12 hectares.
By 4:16 p.m. it was reported at 30 hectares, with very aggressive behaviour on all perimeters. The retardant line on the top of the slope was holding at this point. The fire was occasionally torching trees, and the wind was throwing debris over the line to start spot fires.
Airtankers continued to work until nightfall. Resources on the fire for that day reported; airtankers dropped a total of 400,000 litres of retardant, 87 firefighters were on site (45 of which worked through the night), four helicopters, five bulldozers, two excavators, and three water trucks working with the McLure Fire Department. At the end of the day the fire size was estimated at 195 hectares.
