BASS: Wildlife areas will, you know, tend to produce wildlife

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Where to begin?

Go away for a few weeks and it seems like, in reviewing all the news that was inaccessible —  thanks to the reality there is no Internet access or television coverage at the lake to which the Bass family escapes annually — lots of things have happened.

First, sticking close to home, there was a bit of a fluster out in Dallas when a homeowner came upon some coyotes.

Now, having just returned from the depths of Mother Nature’s environment — not to mention having encountered not only coyotes, but a trio of deer and a bear or two in my own backyard — finding wildlife in an area that said wildlife usually calls home shouldn’t be a surprise.

It’s why my cats are not allowed outdoors. That, and it’s a bit tiresome discovering the droppings of other outdoor cats who think my yard is a litter box.

But, that’s another column.

Still close to home, check out our feature on page B1 of today’s edition  on two completely different tours of the same place — the site of the proposed Ajax mine.

The local representative for the Polish company that wants to dig the big hole just south of Aberdeen is taking people through the area, explaining the vision Ajax has for the open-pit mine.

That’s to be expected, but what is truly wonderful is that someone against the project has stood up and started doing the same thing.

Local environmentalist Tony Brumell is offering his own tours of the area, with his own commentary.

No matter where you stand on the issue, it’s good to see someone standing in the same parking lot — and standing up for his beliefs.

I know he’s not alone in speaking out, but the fact Brumell takes the time to give his own version of the tour is laudable.

Meanwhile, has anyone tried to find a parking spot at Thompson Rivers University recently?

For a public institution, it’s pretty darn unfriendly, parking-wise, for those of us who have to go there sometimes.

Even something as simple as adopting our dog from TRU’s animal-health technology program was a nightmare.

Every lot near that building that has spots for the public was full.

Now, being spry and energetic, it was OK to end up parking halfway across campus and trekking over to pick up the dog.

However, I have a friend who had an appointment with a professor at TRU and ended up parking at the Real Canadian Superstore because of the lack of public parking on campus.

I guess the big hint here that the public doesn’t matter would be the fact there is no lot adjacent to the campus Grand Hall.

Time to move out of Kamloops in this catching-up column.

I’m betting Premier Christy Clark finally found her desk calendar.

That would explain why, all of a sudden, she’s stopped with the constant smiling and started with the campaigning.

After all, if things go the way they’re supposed to, we head to the polls 285 days from today.

Just days after declaring her government would remain neutral on the proposed Enbridge pipeline until the project completes a government-required approval process, she blasts into Alberta and demands money to compensate for potential environmental problems before she’ll agree to the pipeline going through her province.

Clark’s posturing might have a bit more weight if she had ensured her government had a seat at the table when the National Energy Board debates the project.

But, when the time to do that arrived, Clark did nothing.

Now, down in the opinion polls, losing MLAs who can smell defeat and just nine months and 12 days till the next election, she speaks out.

Too little. Too late.

Dale Bass is a reporter with Kamloops This Week. Her email address is here. Her blog can be found here.