While Cranbrook ended up placing third in the Kraft Hockeyville contest, organizers were delighted with the surge of community spirit and the national exposure for the City.

Speculation mounted as to who will succeed MP Jim Abbott as the Kootenay Columbia candidate in the next federal election. In April, provincial MLA for Kootenay East, Bill Bennett, took himself out of the running, saying he "loved" his job as MLA. By year's end speculation on Bennett's future was rife again, however, as the embattled MLA was tossed by the provincial Liberals. Sparwood Mayor David Wilks was the first to formally announce he'd run for Abbott's seat.

The anti-HST petition hit the ground in the East Kootenay and immediate showed signs of having some legs. Organizers were pleased with initial response and were determined to keep at it until enough signatures were obtained.

Delta Airlines announced that they would not be flying into Cranbrook International for the summer of 2010. Delta said that the summer flights had been a test and they just didn't get the required response. At this point hopes were still high that Delta would offer the winter service.

Despite missing the all-candidates forum due to illness, Mick Henningson won the by-election for Bob McWhinnie's vacant Council seat handily - with 756 votes. Bev Middlebrook was next with 290 votes and then Lori Pearson with 223. Henningson was pleased with the victory but disappointed by the low turnout. Only 25 per cent of Kimberley's eligible voters turned out to the polls.

Kimberley's electorate also approved the purchase of a new fire truck on April 24. The City's fire department had argued that it was more cost effective to lease/buy a combination ladder truck/engine as Kimberley's No. 1 engine was due for replacement in a few years.

The community turned out in force to celebrate the life of Bob McWhinnie at the Kimberley SkatePark on April 24, 2010. The date marked the 100th day since the popular Councillor's death.

The lack of judges in the East Kootenay was brought into focus when an alleged cocaine dealer was let go when the judge ruled there was an unreasonable delay in having his case brought to trial. The move had an almost immediate effect as a new judge was announced in the first week of May

By the end of April Doug Cosier, who was heading up the anti-HST campaign in Kimberley, announced that he already had more than the required number of signatures for the petition.

Meanwhile in Victoria, the Liberal government invoked closure on the legislation paving the way for the HST. Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald said he had never seen a government so out of step with the desires of its citizens.

May

Kimberley Alpine Resort announced it would not run the chair lift to the mountain top as a tourist attraction in the summer of 2010. The Resort cited a difficult economy and said they would focus their attention on Trickle Creek Golf Course.

The City of Kimberley presented its budget the first week of May The big news was property taxes up 7.3 per cent, due to a stagnant economy and less revenue than projected.

The Aquatic Centre Parcel Tax was also up $10 to $146 per property.

The City finished the year with a net loss of $157,186, which they covered by allowing the Surplus Fund to dip below $1 million for the first time.

Kimberley's oldest citizen, Mary Toews, celebrated her 106th birthday on Sunday, May 9, 2010. Mary lives at the Pines.

The Kimberley Hospice Society quietly folded after many years of providing palliative care in Kimberley. Part of the problem was that Interior Health was no longer designating the Palliative Care room at the Pines as strictly for palliative treatment. Society members felt some of their donations were being moved out of the unit and used elsewhere.

Three bears were put down in Lois Creek on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - a sow and two cubs. A number of bear sightings were reported all over the City, with one Townsite home being entered by a bear. A trap was set out and entered by a cub. The sow and another cub stayed near the trap and all were put down by Conservation Officers.

Selkirk Secondary's Class of 2010 graduated with Jadine Jarrett receiving the top scholarship, the college of the Rockies Scholastic Distinction Entrance Award of $3300.

Despite last minute snafus in legal paperwork, Kimberley and Cranbrook residents were out in droves enjoying the Rails to Trails link. While it took several months longer to completely tie up legal ownership of the lands, it was impossible to keep people off the trail.

Two people were killed in a home invasion on a Highway 3 property just outside of Cranbrook at the end of May. The two victims were 43 year old Leanne Laura McFarlane and 42 year old Jeffrey Todd Taylor. It was later determined that the shooting could have been mistaken identity as the house had only been residents for about three months. Police had visited the house before they moved in, in a matter related to a shooting at the Sam Steel Inn in Cranbrook in October 2009.

Anti-HST petition organizers that the signatures of over 10 per cent of eligible voters had been obtained in all 85 ridings in British Columbia.

June

The Kimberley Relay For Life committee announced that the 2010 Relay, scheduled for June 12, 2010, had been cancelled. Not enough teams had signed up to make the huge logistic and volunteer effort worthwhile, the committee said.

Conservation Officers put down another bear in early June, this time a cinnamon colored black bear believed to be the one responsible for entering a home in May.

The City announced it would poll its citizens to find out what they think about the urban deer population, and whether something should be done about it.

The BC Liberal Party's tumultuous year to come began with Energy Minister Blair Lekstrom resigning from the Party over the way the HST was implemented. MLA Bill Bennett, with his own tumultuous year still to come was appointed to Energy.

The Kimberley Pipe Band hit the road for Halifax to perform for the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and the Queen of Eng