2 THE FREE PRESS, Thursday, September 9, 2010 www.thefreepress.ca

Registration is now open for the 2010 Columbia Basin Symposium. Columbia Basin Trust invites you to join in a dialogue about the future of this region and to discuss some of today’s key issues. Register for this free event online at www.cbt.org/2010Symposium, call 1.800.505.8998 or visit a CBT o!ce. Space is limited.

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your town!Ancient tree trail unveiled

Signs for cottonwoodsBy Rebecca EdwardsFree Press Staff

More visitors are now able to view and understand the old-

est cottonwoods in North America in Morrissey, thanks to a series of new inter-pretative signs unveiled last week.

The ancient cottonwoods in Morrissey are up to 400 years old, more than twice the nor-mal age of cottonwoods in North America.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) bought the grove of trees at Morrissey from Tembec in 2003, when University of Lethbridge lec-turer Dr Stewart Rood proved their age and significance.

The interpretative trail has been funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and was officially opened by board member Cindy Gallinger, MLA Bill Bennett and NCC staff at an open day last Thursday.

The trees are believed to have been protected from river erosion by a slab of bedrock upstream, allowing them to survive longer than most cottonwoods.

The forest also includes red western cedar, white spruce and alder trees and provides a nesting place for birds including Swainson’s Thrushes, red tailed hawks

and golden-crowned kinglets and animals including bears.

Dave Hillary of the NCCsaid that, even without signs on the highway, there have been a lot of visitors to the site.

“Every time I come downhere, there are people walk-ing around – it is quite amaz-ing the interest we have had even without a whole lot of promotion.”

Rocky Mountains ProgramManager Nancy Newhouse adds that the trees’ location close to the highway makes it ideal for visitors.

“We have a lot of propertiesthat are difficult to access. It is really nice to have something with the highway so close by.”

Interpretation panels around the trail include explanations of why cotton-woods are more likely to thrive in wet environments and the natural obstacles they had to overcome in order to survive this long.

At the opening ceremonyon Thursday, Columbia Basin Trust board member Cindy Gallinger said: “I had no idea these trees were here all these years, thank you for all the work you have done – hope-fully it means we can see more of these trees.”

MLA Bill Bennett added:“I’m betting we all agree this is a really good idea to pre-serve these majestic old trees and make it a little easier for people to get in and see them.”

Three-year-old Hayden Fraser, of Fernie, gets a closer look at the oldest cottonwoods in North America. Hayden’s mother Carla worked at Tembec when cottonwood grove was sold to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Photo by R. Edwards

Nancy Newhouse of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (cen-tre) cuts the ribbon to the new Ancient Cottonwoods inter-pretative trail, watched by Cindy Gallinger of the Columbia Basin Trust (left) and MLA Bill Bennett (right).

Photo by R. Edwards

Teck family day cancelledBy Rebecca EdwardsFree Press Staff

Teck Coal’s family day – which was due to take place on Sunday – has been cancelled, following a call

from local unions for members to boy-cott it in support of the striking workers at Coal Mountain mine.

The day would have included enter-tainment, games and free food for all Teck employees and had been planned for several months.

Teck Coal president and CEO Boyd Payne wrote to employees last Thursday, September 2, explaining that they took the decision after hearing that the Elk Valley Coalition of Unions was planning to picket outside the event.

He wrote: “In an effort to help our employees and their families to avoid potential conflicts, we have determined that the only prudent course of action is to cancel Family Day.”

He added: “I wish to apologize to each of our employees and their families for this unfortunate outcome.”

United Mine Workers of America local president Gord Nearing said the Coal Mountain members were only planning an information picket at the event and “had no intentions of causing prob-lems.”

But he added: “We didn’t feel that there was anything to celebrate when we are on strike. They were going to get hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone but my members are sitting at home

with no paychecks and no food for theirkids.

“It’s nice for the kids, but we felt thiswas more serious. All the other unionssupported that fully.”

Coal Mountain has been shut downsince August 6 over a pay dispute.

Nic Milligan of Teck Coal said thisweek: “Where we cannot recoup ourcosts for items or services purchased forthe event, we are determining whetherwe can divert them to local not-for profitgroups.

“This includes sending perishable foodto food banks and to local service clubsfor their own fund raising barbecues.Our cartoonist/caricaturist will go to theAlberta Children’s Hospital for a day.”