PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Making Airwaves
How the race was won
Sidney’s second annual bed races added colour, water fights to Beacon Avenue, page 3
N EE D A BODY SHOP? 6722 Bertram Place (at Keating Cross Rd.)
Canadian country singer Brett Kissel comes to town with a brand new album, page 13
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Wednesday, August 19, 2015
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Jubilee park opens Aug. 22
NORTH SAANICH — A new park will come into existence this weekend in North Saanich. As part of its Jubilee year, marking 50 years since the District was incorporated, North Saanich is dedicating green space on the south side of Mills Road by Holy Trinity Anglican Church as a new, 3.6 acre municipal park. The land was donated to the District by the Victoria Airport Authority and the municipality itself will use tax dollars to develop the park over the next few years. “Our new Jubilee Park will be a welcome and key addition to our community,” stated Mayor Alice Finall in a media release, also noting this will be the District’s 37th park. “I encourage everyone to come and help us celebrate this important event and enjoy a special pancake breakfast.” The dedication takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 at 8 a.m. at the park site, starting with pancakes and offering the public a variety of activities and a planned fly over by the Department of National Defense. With no parking on site, drivers can park at municipal hall, just up the road or at the Institute of Ocean Sciences at 9860 West Saanich Rd. — News staff
Vern Michell kicks up the dirt from his field of crops that are affected by this year’s drought.
Carlie Connolly/News staff
Drought affecting local farmers
Vern Michell says long period of heat means less water, early crops and higher prices Carlie Connolly News staff
Vern Michell of Michell Brothers Farm in Central Saanich says this year’s drought has been the worst he’s seen. With around 400 acres of land and a wide variety of crops, Mitchell said the extended period of heat has caused his farm problems. “This is the worst year that I can remember for drought and heat, and that’s a lot of years,” he said.
With the Peninsula getting only 40 per cent of its usual precipitation from April to July, the Michells have had to supply the rest of what their crops need with their own irrigation. “This year we had to supply 100 per cent of the moisture to keep these plants growing. It’s added a big cost to us, with running these sprinklers 24 hours a day ... and somebody to do the work with irrigating,” he said. With the crops they’ve harvested
to date, Michell said he thinks it has added around 30 per cent more to their cost of growing vegetables and fruit — that cash cutting into their profits. He said when the water is turned on, it takes only about two days for it to completely evaporate, meaning they have to water more often. Because of this, Michell said its added a lot to the cost of just watering alone. As for the impact on their crops, some of their fruit (strawberries/
raspberries) were turned to jam as a result of the heat. Pumpkins and squash, which are very early this year, don’t need rain, he explained, and the hot sun hardens the shell of the pumpkins and might be good until Halloween. Michell said hay has also been affected negatively. The first cut of hay, which starts growing in February and March, was pretty normal. He added they hope for a second Please see: Farmers can only absorb, page 4