The Village of Burns Lake held its regular meeting on July 18 at the village council chambers.
During the meeting residents of Burns Lake brought their issues for the council’s recommendations and considerations.
Martina Zechendorf, Piano Coordinator of Lakes District Festival of the Performing Arts made a petition to the council about their grand piano not being properly accessible at the Island Gospel Fellowship Church. She said, “We’ve been living with that situation for years and years and years. But the piano being there is not accessible. It’s very difficult to access the piano there.”
Her suggestion was to find a new location for the piano and she tried the high school, but most members of the committee did not favour this idea.
She said, “I’m the piano coordinator in the festival committee and my thought was always to make it more accessible to other people to be played on. A beautiful piano like this should be used more often”
Currently, the piano is tucked away in a storage room and Zechendorf said she will not be able to move it by herself. She said, it is stored there for the last 30 years. Due to its inaccessible situation, the piano has been only used once a year, seven days during the festival.
She said, “I heard about the renovations of the heritage church, there came the idea of checking it out with the village and I think it might work to have the piano there on the stage.”
She stated, the grand piano is seven feet long which she measured it herself and comes with wheels which can be locked once it is placed on the stage. Her request is that council to build a ramp so the piano be move up the stage.
Zechendorf commented, “It’s a Yamaha C7 piano and approximately 40 to 50 years old. The value as stated 10 years ago by the piano tuner was $54,000. To replace it, though, would cost us $120,000. It’s a pretty valuable instrument.”
Council heard her petition and decided to move the piano to the heritage church.
Burns Lake resident Wanda Wiebe had requested permission on June 27 to stage a semi-weekly demonstration semi-weekly demonstrations at the Pioneer park. For almost two years, she has been demonstrating about COVID-19 and raising awareness about government’s overreach of vaccines at the village’s downtown RV parking lot.
Bylaw enforcement officer has received multiple complaints from the public, showing concern that her demonstrations are no longer necessary and are no longer aligned with public interest. The bylaw enforcement officer visited her and informed her that her demonstration is blocking the parking lot and preventing people from using it. A sign in the parking lot indicates that the lot is for RV parking only.
The bylaw enforcement officer also told her, “Signs are not allowed on village property without permission as per the Sign Regulation Bylaw.”
Wiebe indicated that, other people who are placing signs for advertisements without permission (such as, yard sales, public notices, and signs for events or itinerant businesses) are not being chased.
In the council report on July 18, it stated, “This is quite true, although, no complaints have been filed against such advertisement signs.” As per the Village Bylaw Complaint Enforcement Policy, if there is a complaint it will be dealt with from public’s interest by the council.
The village states because there are two crosswalks located within 50 meters of Pioneer Park and a challenging corner on Highway 16, especially for heavy long and wide loads, there is a safety concerns for passerby’s and pedestrians.
Flag waving and protest signs endangers drivers and cyclists with distraction driving.
Council made denied her request. They said, “The village does not provide permission to demonstrate.”
She was suggested to seek permission to demonstrate on private property.
Henry Wiebe, Mayor of Burns Lake said, “It is a no to demonstrate in the park. We can’t submit a permit. To choose to do so in the park is an omen.”