PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Parking plan to seek grant
Sidney to explore employee parking lot options near Mary Winspear Centre, page 3
ALLAN R. GREEN
A Tapestry of Island Art
Sculptor Nathan Scott joins art show next month at the Tulista Art Centre in Sidney, page 14
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Friday, March 27, 2015
Hockey night in North Saanich Panorama has its fingers crossed for Hockeyville Steven Heywood News staff
On Saturday night, we’ll know if the Saanich Peninsula is one of two Canadian communities in the running for an NHL preseason hockey game. Oh, and $100,000 for arena improvements. Panorama Recreation Centre’s Arena B is in the running for the title of Kraft Hockeyville for 2015. It finished in the top 10 across the country and people were voting fast and furiously last weekend to try to get the rink into the top two. This weekend, supporters will know if their constant online clicking was enough. Panorama Rec. Centre is inviting people from across the region to Arena B Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. They’ll broadcast Hockey Night in Canada on a big screen, and keep their fingers crossed. PleaSe See: Laptops and boosted, page 2
Steven Heywood/News staff
Anacortes, Washington Mayor Laurie Gere laughs with Kenny Podmore, Sidney’s Town Crier. Representatives were in Sidney March 22 for the resumption of ferry service between the two communities. Gere also joined Sidney Mayor Steve Price in cutting the ribbon to open the ferry terminal’s new toll booth building.
Six per cent tax hike up for debate Central Saanich council facing tough decisions on preliminary budget numbers Angela Cowan News staff
Central Saanich council had their first budget meeting on Monday, and the introductory property tax increase on the table is six per cent. That would translate to an additional $99 annually for the average residential household in the District, and an additional $335 for the
average business. The increase is by no means firm, and will go through shifts as council deliberates core services, urgency of infrastructure repair or replacement, grant availability, tax rate ratios and necessary surplus contributions. Monday’s meeting was geared to familiarize council with the preliminary budget package, put together
by independent financial consultant Clive Freundlich while District staff are on leave. Making up the base of the increase are wage and benefit increases, and debt servicing for the new fire hall finished in 2013. The wage and benefit increases are non-discretionary, set either by municipal contracts or larger governing bodies outside of the Dis-
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trict. Repayment of the District’s debt for the fire hall is similarly non-discretionary, set by an outside body: the Municipal Finance Authority. Central Saanich is currently scheduled to make a principle payment of $96,000 this year, and $538,603 in 2016 in interest and principle. PleaSe See: District to seek funding, page 2
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