Comox Valley Echo, February 12, 2016 by Black Press Media Group

www.comoxvalleyecho.com

ISSN 1196-9954 9

771196

995005

COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA • Friday, February 12, 2016

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ECHO

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A Valley home becomes a Dream Home for one of BC’s favorite lotteries BY MARY LEE Echo Staff Nestled in the heart of the recreational capital of Canada is a 3,120 sq.ft. show home valued at close to $1 million, a price that far exceeds the average family dwelling in this region of the country but the craftsmanship and decor are certainly worth it’s price tag. The home is for sale with one limiting condition. It happens to be one of the Dream Homes in the BC Children’s Hospital Dream Lottery.

If a lucky ticket winner choses this upscale contemporary design home located at 1184 Crown Isle Drive, it is off the market. Either way, it’s a win for Crown Isle Realty. This is the ﬁrst home at the golf resort, let alone the Comox Valley, to be selected as one of the lottery’s grand prize dream homes. The only other Vancouver Island region to be featured through the lottery was Victoria. (Continued on page 4)

The Malahat (Source: Crown Isle Realty Ltd.)

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(Continued from page 3) “People love coming to the Island. It’s a recreation Mecca,” explains Maureen Gitersos, Hospital Lottery Show Home Manager. “We try to show different lifestyles from all different regions. It’s exciting for us to showcase the lifestyle of the Comox Valley.” Jason Andrew, Crown Isle realtor, says the idea to feature a home in the Valley has been in the works for a couple of years initiated by an acquaintanceship between a member of the Hospital Foundation Board of Directors and one of the resorts owners. “Crown Isle is a model community the Foundation is looking for,” explains

Andrew. “featuring our home as one of the seven grand prizes will bring great exposure to our whole community.” Crown Isle Dream Home prize includes a $40,000 furniture allowance, a 2016 Nissan Pathﬁnder Platinum and $1,200,000 in cash. The ‘Malahat’ home can viewed online or in person during show hours and Dream Lottery tickets can be purchased on site. Tickets will be on sale until April 30 at the show home, online at bcchildren. com, or by phone at 604-692-2333. BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only full-service, pediatric acute care hospital and serves the close to one million children living in BC and the Yukon.

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City boundary extensions on hold BY DEBRA MARTIN Echo Staff Courtenay is calling a halt to most boundary extensions for the next three years. Two requests are already on the table, and another two came in last week, said City Director of Development Services Ian Buck. Staff, he said, needs the time to come up with a revised fee schedule to charge for boundary extension applications to recover costs, and to deal with servicing issues in the Sandwick area that it was required to take into the city in 2002, plus servicing and land administration issues in the South

Courtenay boundary extension that happened in 2013. The two boundary extensions on the table right now are on Lake Trail Road in the general vicinity of Arden Elementary School. One is for DL 95, a 38.5 hectare property on the western boundary of Courtenay. The applicants would like to build a housing subdivision. The other is for 2574 Lake Trail Road, approximately .07 hectares in size, with an existing single family home and carriage house. The applicant would like to create three new lots. The problem with the DL 95 application, is that

a “doughnut-hole” would be created enclosing an area outside the municipality, in this case the Webdon/Tweed road area which would also have to be annexed to get provincial approval for the DL 95 extension application. That area was canvassed, with a petition resulting in 85 per cent of the residents objecting to annexation. “In most instances the Minister will not forward boundary extension requests to Cabinet if a majority of property owners within the proposed extension area object. Accordingly, with such strong opposition, staff does not feel it is in the best interest of the City to

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pursue these requests at this time,” Buck wrote. The two applications cover land now under the Regional District’s Growth Strategy designation of “Settlement Expansion Areas”. Councillor David Frisch said he was comfortable voting against the extensions because he was generally against urban “sprawl”, turning rural areas into subdivisions which has happened in the past. “It’s not our fault,” replied Mayor Larry Jangula, blaming any “sprawl” on the regional district for approving subdivisions and commercial areas without any servicing. (Continued on page 7)

Boundary extension would create a ‘doughnut hole’

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

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Prior to the RGS coming into effect, the city approved a number of boundary extensions as a “defensive” move, to have control over land use and servicing, said CAO David Allen. Allen said that right now the city has no “cost recovery” mechanism for dealing with boundary extension applications and “that is key”. Buck noted that city staff have an obligation to accept, and bring any boundary extension applications forward to council even if a moratorium is in place. In the end council voted to not proceed with the current boundary extension requests, and to not consider any further requests for boundary extensions until a staff report is provided regarding options for application processes and fees.

Feb 12-14 Museum to show exclusive documentary The HMCS Alberni Museum and Memorial (HAMM) has received special permission in Canada to show the documentary IN LINE FOR ANNE FRANK during BC’s Heritage Week. The theme for this year’s heritage week is Distinctive Destinations: Experience Historic Places. This documentary was chosen to coincide with Heritage week as it portrays stories of people who stand in line, sometimes for hours, to visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Rain or shine, storm or shill; all year long the world is queuing up to see the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Who are all these visi-

tors? Where are they from? And why are they here? This ﬁlm watches the queue through the course of the four seasons, in search of stories from all over the globe. Interviews with people from the line - both before and after their visit to the Secret Annex show how repression, discrimination and dehumanization transcend the boundaries of time. IN LINE FOR ANNE FRANK has been acquired by special permission of The Media Brothers and NOS in Amsterdam for showing at the Anne Frank: A History for Today exhibit currently in its last month of showing in British Columbia show-

Local high school students from 4 local Secondary Schools who have received special training to guide school class groups through the ANNE exhibit during the month of February. ing at HAMM. This is also the only time this ﬁlm will be shown in Canada. Dates for the ﬁlm are February 16, 17, 18 and 19 at 7:00 pm at HAMM.

The ﬁlm runs 55 minutes with time set aside at the end for discussion about how the story of Anne Frank applies to modern era events around the world.

Audiences can also view the Anne Frank exhibit as well as HAMM after the film. The film is in multiple languages so the entire film will be subtitled in English. There is no charge for this film, though donations to the exhibit and museum would be appreciated. Doors will open at 6:30 for both HAMM and ANNE. Seating is limited to 30 per night with no reserve seating. Entrance to the Comox Centre Mall for this event is through the Blue Arch Entrance on the south side of the mall. For more information visit HAMM in the Comox Centre Mall or call 250-339-4322 / mrbarth@ alberniproject.org

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www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

ECHO

OPINIONS

LETTERS

Rabid conservatives are still out there

The Echo Opinion section (Feb 5) included a political letter mustering defeated conservatives together so they can return to govern Canada. The writer is Mr. Gerald Hall of Nanoose Bay, BC. Nanoose Bay? Why the Echo? Has Mr. Hall sent his appeal everywhere? Regardless - I take exception to his obfuscation of the late Conservative party doings under its illustrious’ leader Stephen Harper. Mr Hall claims Harper has distinguished himself from two earlier Conservative leaders but it’s not for what he claims. Harper showed how to control his cabinet to an unprecedented degree and turn them into paltry yesmen. He showed how to (1) clamp down on freedom of information; (2) muzzle independent thought from scientists far more qualiﬁed in matters related to the environment;(3 ) misuse prorogation of parliament(twice, no less) to forestall the opposition’s awkward questions;(4) diminished the sanctity of Canadian’s human rights; (5) cut much needed social programs to’ balance the books’; (6) made Canada look a fool in ‘taking on’ Putin ( how the world laughed at his’ bravery’); caused division among all Canadians as to his preference for ‘Good Stock’ Canadians -whatever that means. . . Need I go on? Harper’s

transgressions were endless. He scuppered the Conservative party with his ego and the Canadian people knew it. But there is Mr Hall, still waving Harper’s banner. When are such rabid conservatives going to realize that governing people is more than a questions of economics, more than ‘good business practices’, and more than restraining social needs to balance the books? Looking after people is certainly not a priority in your equation, Mr. Hall. You should give another party a chance at the helm certainly couldn’t do worse than the last one. David Diver Comox

SAD TO LOSE TREE I was disappointed at the Town Meeting in Comox held on January 20 to gather the public’s opinions about the proposed extension to Berwick to be built at 1666 Comox Ave. There were several speakers who were in favour of the proposed building with its 5 or 6 storeys. This includes the removal of an ancient Garry Oak tree, and the addition of an Ambulance station on the ground ﬂoor. Some of those speakers were residents, or employees, of Berwick, extolling its virtues. This is not the point. The point is that: A. Comox still retains its atmosphere of a village on the ocean. If ever higher

COMOX VALLEY ECHO A division of Black Press Ltd.

407-E Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7 www.comoxvalleyecho.com Phone 250-334-4722 • Fax 250-334-3172 Classifieds 1-866-415-3535 Circulation 250-334-4734 E-mail: echo@comoxvalleyecho.com Publisher Keith Currie Editor Debra Martin Office Administrator Deb Fowler Production Manager Ryan Getz Circulation Manager Elaine Berringer

The Comox Valley Echo is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, PO Box 1356, Ladysmith, B.C. V9G 1A9. For information, phone 1-888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org. All original content in this publication is copyright material belonging to Black Press. Any re-use or reproduction without the expressed, written consent of the copyright owner is strictly prohibited.

buildings are allowed along Comox Ave it will become just another city jungle, with glimpses of the water if you’re lucky. With the Lorne Hotel property and now the Berwick extension being allowed to go to ﬁve storeys, instead of the usual three, it seems that Comox Council has caved to the urgency of developers instead of taking the long view of what is best for all the population. The deer and the birds will vanish, not to say the green spaces. Comox is a special and historic place. Can it not remain so? The new height will seriously affect the buildings behind which currently have their sunshine limited by the ﬁrst Berwick. B: Even with the new hospital opening in 2017 we do not have nursing home spaces for another 60 or so incapable seniors, which the 33 more units at Berwick will surely produce in another 10 years. Residents are lured from across the country with the promise of gracious living and beautiful surroundings, but the reality is that when a senior becomes incapable, which we all will eventually, nursing homes are necessary. St Joseph‚Äôs Hospital currently houses 50 -60 of these people who are waiting for nursing home places, which again is why there are such long waits for surgery. This is already a crisis. C. The Garry Oak trees

on the property are ﬂourishing and should ALL be preserved. They are special trees which grow only on the northwest coast of N America and their range goes no further north than right here. Since the European invasion 90 % of these trees have vanished, and where there used to be large “meadows” of Garry Oaks now there are just a few scattered specimens, of which these are three. The largest one, which is slated to be destroyed, is estimated to be anywhere from 60 to 200 years old, according to which expert you hear, and the expected life span is 500 years. They are adapted to this climate, with its extremes of heavy rain in winter and drought in summer. Apparently they will weather global warming quite well. Every one of these trees is precious! When Retirement Concepts was building Comox Valley Seniors Village‚ over on Headquarters Road they made special arrangements to build around a Garry Oak. It is surrounded on three sides by the building, and provides shade and a pleasant outside area for the residents. Surely Berwick’s clever architects could do the same. If the argument is that there is not enough space on the lot to save the trees and keep the building to three storeys, then I would say that the lot is too small

for this extension. Liz Naish Comox

HOME AND CULTURE Sharing is earning. On behalf of Comox Valley Multicultural Society (CVMS), I would like to, ﬁrst of all, say thanks to all the generous sponsorships in supporting the Comox Valley Multicultural Society to organize and host the Lunar New Year Festival 2016 on Feb 7. Without you, the event wouldn’t be a success. Sponsorships: City of Courtenay, Taipei Cultural & Economic Office, Vancouver; Asian-Canadian Special Event Association, Comox Valley Record, International Students Program SD71, Comox Valley Echo, 98.9dm The Goat, Shaw Community TV, CIBC, Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association, Bamboo Garden Restaurant, Immigrant Welcome Centre, Maple Pool Campsite. CVMS has a bursary program, $250 each to give to four students every year. The event this time has raised $1,275 after calculations, and the money will beneﬁt four students in June. Secondly, thank you to all the participants, you bring the energy and life to the event. It was so wonderful to see children, young parents and grandparents came togeth-

er, my heart was so touched at that moment. The true meaning of Lunar New Year celebration is “family reunion”, as same as the Christmas in western culture. Home is always wherever the parents are; people try to go home as possible as they can when it’s a special occasion. Gratefully, most of the participants are young families, they are the future of the Comox Valley community, aren’t they? Nothing can be perfect that I have to admit; the 10-metres-long lighting dragon was damaged while shipping; that’s the reason why people couldn’t ﬁnd it. My apology. However, the dragon will be ﬁxed and displayed at the Filberg Centre on Feb 24 when the Evergreen Club hosts a Lunar New Year banquet at noon time. Every culture is unique, but how to pass it on from generation to generation is somehow difficult. CVMS would be very happy to work with any of the cultural groups or individuals to promote their root culture; all together, we can perform better and learn from each other in an inclusive way. “You have to taste culture to understand it”. - Deborah Carter ~ Jin Lin President Comox Valley Multicultural Society

10 FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

www.comoxvalleyecho.com

BEEFS & BOUQUETS I WOULD LIKE TO SEND a big bouquet of thanks to the staff of St. Joseph’s hospital. I recently had to go there for some tests & was sent to 3 different departments. In each one I was treated with kindness & caring, which helped make it a pleasant experience for me. So a big

THE COMOX VALLEY’S FIRST AND BEST READER’S FORUM Email to: echo@comoxvalleyecho.com Brandon. A PURRRR-FECT BOUQUET to all the caring and compassionate people who helped in the search for my beloved cat, Sophia. I am very grateful to Cassidy and Kelsey who helped out by posting a notice on Facebook (Comox Valley Lost &Found Pets) and Kelly from Kitty Cat PALS who offered advice & suggestions. Kathi gave me hope and encouragement when I needed it most. Gord, a true animal lover, went “above and beyond” spending hours tramping through thickets and bog. Many others - friends as well as complete strangers- offered up prayers and showed heartfelt concern. I believe each and every kind act helped contribute to Sophia’s safe return. WILTED BOUQUET to the stuffed scarecrow and her posse’s latest self-serving publicity stunt. HAPPY 80TH bouquet, John!

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THANK YOU to Brandon of Cloverdale Paints for your great customer service this past Sunday morning. Thank you for taking so much time with us and for your expertise in getting the 5 gallon paint that were already tinted one shade to match the ones we wanted. We’ve started our huge job in the kitchen and family room and it’s looking really fantastic. Thanks

and beyond fulﬁlling numerous requests by keeping students’ feet healthy. Thank you. ON SUNDAY like most days I walk my dog, sometimes to the store to pick up a few things. This morning I was at John’s in Comox. I tied my dog to the post and quickly ran inside. When I came out there was another dog,

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A BIG BOUQUET to our local Roto-Rooter operator, Rob, for doing a really good, fast and educated fix on my 92-year old mother’s leaking basement problem. With his professional service he saved her a lot of money and stress. Thank you very much. A BELATED THANK YOU and bouquet of gorgeous sunny spring flowers to the couple who located keys in the Walmart parking lot during the summer, noticed the QF tag and then took the keys to QF staff who kindly found the owner. You saved us hundreds of dollars. A BOUQUET of beautiful spring flowers to Extreme Runners for going above

black and white spaniel type tied as well. Then I noticed a husky cross with no leash or owner going toward my dog. She is a bit shy to say. I yelled at it to leave and it went back to the spaniel. The point is if you want to walk your good dog off leash ﬁne but do not leave it unattended outside. I don’t know your dog and my dog was scared. Also on another note I have noticed a lot of dog poop left around the mall area. Pick up your poop and leash your dog when not attended. Don’t ruin everyone’s day being self centered. Think of others that see the poop or are scared of dogs. THANKS TO SARA for put-

ting a couple of breakfast items on Benino’s menu. This is one of the few places in Comox open on Sundays and holidays so this addition is not only welcomed but needed. Thanks too for the cheerful welcome especially when a customer comes before the official opening time. A BIG BOUQUET of spring ﬂowers to the Echo for letting readers have details of all the winners in this year’s CV Chamber of Commerce Awards, and for proﬁling our new Citizen of the Year and his great volunteering work. And a beef of wilted winter greens to the other paper which, despite having two issues last week to the Echo’s one, only found space to name two of the 14 winners. BOATLOADS OF FLOWERS to all of the wonderful staff and management at the downtown Thrifty’s for allowing the 189 Port Augusta Sea Cadets to participate in our recent grocery bagging fundraiser. The cashiers were very patient and helpful to the cadets while they bagged groceries for the Thrifty’s customers. A huge thank you to all of the customers for their kind and generous donations. All proceeds go towards furthering the training of our local Sea Cadets. Funds will go toward the purchase of training supplies, equipment and supporting training week ends the cadets participate in. The cadets really appreciated this fundraising opportunity. Bravo Zulu Thrifty Foods! A HUGE BOUQUET to all those that made my Retirement Day and Party on January 29 such an unforgettable celebration!! I will cherish these memo-

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ries forever!!! Thank-you all! A HUGE THANK YOU to the people who have written in, citing the issue of motorists failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs in Comox/Courtenay. Without reiterating what has already been said, why hasn’t something been done? There are those who blatantly drive right through the stop, independent of their speed; some that slow up slightly but continue through; and those who ‘roll right through’ and slam on their brakes only when an oncoming car is close. All are equally dangerous. The offenders seem to be of any age and any gender: from grandma or grandpa, to new drivers, and everyone in between. There are 3 options as I see it : 1) educate existing drivers and provide a grace period for people to “buck up” before setting the “ﬁne machine” in motion 2) educate new drivers coming up in the school system (neither of which are mutually exclu-

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sive) or 3) just get started immediately and ﬁne these individuals who, for whatever reason, do not obey the law, and go one step further and impound cars for repeat offenders. The RCMP do a great job in our community and I realize that they are likely to suffer already from being short staffed (like all other public servants), and have other more important things to do than babysit bad drivers, however, wouldn’t the income generated from the ﬁnes more than pay for an officer doing this extra work? I hope the officers would not see this as an onerous task but as one that potentially prevents accidents and saves lives (including perhaps that of his or her own son or daughter, niece or nephew, or neighbour). Based

Feb 12 Sweetheart Supper $8. Dance to the Angie Harriet Sunshine Band 5 - 9pm Feb 13 Meat Draw & Dance to Denny Eddy 2pm – 5pm Feb 16 Euchre 1:30pm Feb 17 Drop-In Darts 1pm Feb 18 Crib & Gueci 6:30pm, Pub Darts 7:30pm Feb 19 Meat Draw, Supper & JAM with Crosstown Express! from 5:30 Feb 20 Meat Draw & Dance 2pm – 5pm

on the number of cars I see everyday violating this law, it wouldn’t take many hours of work to pay for such a salary…. And think of all the money ICBC would save…God forbid, perhaps our rates would start coming down (LOL). But seriously folks, please let’s do something before a life is lost!

www.comoxvalleyecho.com

FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

BEEFS & BOUQUETS

FAMILY DAY FESTIVITIES were full of fun in Royston when the 3rd Annual Polar Bears made a big splash at Royston Road Beach. Generously organized by the Royston Community Hall, everyone who joined in received a lovely polar bear to take home to cuddle. What a sweet keepsake. Everyone was a winner! Community support was in full swing with coffee from the Royston Roasting Company and home made baked goodies to share alongside beach ﬁres to warm up with. Royston

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WE WERE SCAMMED by a local market. (Not the Farmers Market). My friend and I recently had occasion to complain to our local Public Health Inspector. We are 2 people (pensioners) with 3 incidents between us. I had unknowingly bought a package of meat where a sticker had been deliberately placed over the “best before date” effectively concealing the date. My meat, at date of purchase, was actually 2 weeks past the “best before date”. My friend had bought 2 pkgs. of fresh meat, but when opened, the stench was sickening, even though the best before date had not yet been reached. They had obviously been repackaged. And no, we will not receive our money back. The packages are evidence. We gave up our refunds in favour of exposing this fraudulent and potentially dangerous practice. Our Public Health staff are on the

THE COMOX VALLEY’S FIRST AND BEST READER’S FORUM Email to: echo@comoxvalleyecho.com case and we thank them for that. TWO MORE CRASHES on highway 19 on wet roads and 139 KPH allowed. Disappointing that there were no cars towed and no licenses suspended this week. Police presence on high way 19? Reminding drivers not to speed or drink and drive, just won’t do it. Highway 19 - the 6th deadliest in the Province. SOME FOLKS SEEMED ALARMED at the takedown of 14-year old skateboarder in Cumberland by an RCMP officer. Perhaps these folks also ride bikes without helmets, blow stop signs and put themselves and others at risk. We are very fortunate to live in a country with many rights and freedoms, very liberal laws and somewhat lax law enforcement. Many in the Comox Valley put others and themselves at risk on our roads. We are fortunate to have the RCMP presence. Good to see Officers on bike

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- Beautiful Orchids &Tropical Planters - Barefoot Venus Bath products Mon-Sat 8:30-5 Sundays 9:30-5 www.artknappcourtenay.ca patrol in “Dodge City” and Courtenay. WHAT ON EARTH has happened to the CVRD management of landfill costs? Ten years ago, liabilities were estimated at $5.7 millions. In 2010, liabilities were $7.7 million. In 2014, out going directors approved a very expensive $44.5 million plan. The latest proposal is $62.5 million, and property taxes are going up to pay for it! Another carbon tax, down loaded on North Islanders. A LARGE AND COLOURFUL BOUQUET of flowers, to Roy Piper of Home Solutions Remediation. We of the Comox Valley Food Bank thank you Roy, for fixing our insulation problems free of charge. Your kindness and generosity has certainly not gone unknoticed. Kudos to you and your staff. Sincerest thanks, Jeff, Sue and Staff of the CVFB A STUNNING GARLAND OF SUNFLOWERs to the Highland Secondary Interact

Club, who hosted a “we scare hunger” program. during the halloween season, and ﬁlled dozens and dozens of boxes of food for the CVFB. Thank you to each and everyone who participated. Your dedication and kindness of spirit is admired by all. Your efforts have helped many families through the difﬁcult christmas season. Hats off to you all for a job well done. Sincerest thanks, Jeff, Sue and Staff, CVFB. THE COMOX VALLEY FOOD BANK sends a bouquet of roses to the Annual town of Comox Polar Bear Swim. Hosted by the Community Centre and Comox Valley Regional District. Your collection and donations of food is very much appriciated. We thank you very much for thinking of us, esprcially during the new year. Your kindness and generosity to your fellow man is admirable. Sincerest thanks, Jeff, Sue and Staff. CVFB BOUQUETS to the BC Liberals for balancing the budgets - while increasing debt. New Math in the new Millennium. British Columbians live in the best place on earth, but boasting about fudgit budgets seems only necessary when slagging Alberta, which has 1/3 of the debt per capita as BC. Let’s sell our Burrard thermal power and LNG to Alberta to reduce debt and get Canada off the list as number one in GHG emissions/capita. Stop the BS and work together, for a better Canada. Surel , we do not need another NDP Government in BC, to make things right.

THIS WEEK’S WINNER, DRAWN AT RANDOM FROM SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED UP TO TUESDAY, IS: Lorna Locke, of Courtenay Winner of two classic cheese baskets from Dairy Queen Winners, you may pick up your prize certiﬁcates at the front desk of the Echo, 407-D Fifth Street, during regular business hours. Thanks to everyone for the great submissions- keep ‘em coming!

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ﬂowers to thank you both for your continued support. Your professional expertise keeps our van in tip top shape. Also your kind collection of food donations after hours is greatly appreciated. We thank you both for being such great neighbours From all of us, Sue, Jeff and Staff. CVFB THE COMOX VALLEY FOOD BANK wishes to send a bouquet of roses to manager Sean Bullock and staff of Car Star Colison and Glass Sevice. Thank you Sean for ﬁxing, free of charge, the CVFB van. Your generous time, labour and costs have helped so many people KEEP YOUR SWEETHEART SAFE WITH NEW TIRES FROM

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250-338-2424 John Jenkins Proprietor brightly and once again we are honoured to know you. Sincerest thanks to you all, Jeff, Sue and Staff CVFB TO OUR NEIGHBOURS, “Dan and Nadyne of D/N Auto Corp”: Baskets of spring

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS! Our weekly feature, Beefs and Bouquets, is intended to be a light-hearted forum for you, our readers, to express brief views on issues and events in your lives. It’s not intended to hurt people or make unsubstantiated and libelous comments. Names won’t be published with the beefs and bouquets; however, we do need your full name, mailing address and telephone number for verification purposes. Each week someone will win a 2 Classic Cheese Basket Meals from Dairy Queen. Have fun with this!

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in need. As we cannot operate without our food pick up van, it is critical to our day to day operation. Your community spirit is phenomenal. Sincerely, Jeff, Sue and Staff, CVFB. THE COMOX VALLEY FOOD BANK wishes to send a spring bouquet of tulips, to Troy the manager and staff of Prices Lock Smiths in Courtenay. A heart felt thank you Troy for changing free of charge our locks. Your generosity of both labour, costs and positive attitude is truly inspirational.. Sincerely Jeff, Sue and Staff, CVFB.

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Comox Valley RCMP responded to the following incidents between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8: ■ On February 2nd, during the early morning hours, while making patrols in the Courtenay area, a Comox Valley RCMP Constable conducted a traffic stop. An impaired investigation was quickly started and it was found the driver had consumed alcohol before driving. The driver was issued a 7-day immediate roadside prohibition and the vehicle was impounded for 7 days as well. (2016-1222) ■ On February 2nd, while conducting speed enforcement on Hamm Rd, Courtenay, a vehicle was stopped for excessive speeding. The vehicle had been doing 110 Km/h in a 60 km/h zone. The driver was issued a violation ticket for excessive speed and the vehicle was

impounded for 7 days. (2016-1239) ■ The Comox Valley RCMP were advised of a theft on February 2nd. It was reported that an unknown person(s) had taken, overnight, a bright orange KTM SX250 dirt bike from a residence located on the 3200 block of Seventh St, Cumberland. If you see this bike, or have any information about this theft, please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321 or Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) (2016-1241) ■ The Comox Valley RCMP were dispatched to a two vehicle collision at the intersection of Grant Ave and 18th St, Courtenay on February 3rd. The investigation revealed that a car had failed to stop at a stop sign on Grant Ave, hitting the other vehicle travelling on 18th St. A violation ticket was issued

WANTED If you have any information about the whereabouts of this person, call the Comox Valley RCMP Detachment at 338-1321, or Comox Valley Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-2228477). You don’t have to give your name and you could be eligible for a cash reward.

www.comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca David Andrew Pete TOUCHIE DOB: 1990-06-18 178 cms, 122 kgs, Black hair, Brown eyes Warrant: Theft Under $5000 Comox Valley file # 201512506

for failing to obey stop sign. (2016-1280) ■ On February 4th, a

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hicle that was being operated in an unsafe manner near Ryan Road, Courtenay. A traffic stop was conducted and it was quickly determined the driver has consumed alcohol before driving. The driver was issued a 90 day immediate roadside suspension and the vehicle was impounded for 30 days. (2016-1315) ■ Between Friday evening, February 5th and early Monday morning, February 8th four impaired drivers were taken off of local roads. All drivers were found to have been driving while impaired by alcohol and received 90 day immediate roadside prohibitions and their vehicles were impounded for 30 days. ■ The Comox Valley RCMP were advised of a single vehicle collision on Lake Trail Road, in Courtenay, on February 7th. A vehicle had gone off the roadway, striking a power pole and knocking down powerlines. This collision is still under investigation and if you had witnessed

it, or have any information regarding this collision, please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321 or Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) (2016-1402) ■ On February 8th, while conducting speed enforcement on Highway 19, near Trent River, a Comox Valley RCMP Municipal traffic member located a vehicle travelling 165 km/h in the 120 km/h zone. The driver was issued an excessive speed violation ticket and the vehicle was impounded for 7 days (2016-1455) ■ On February 8th, the Comox Valley Municipal Traffic section joined forces with Oceanside Municipal traffic section and North Island Traffic Services, to conduct speed enforcement on the Inland Highway 19 during the BC Family Day holiday Monday. Enforcement action took place near the Cook Creek intersection, in the posted 90km/h zone. (Continued on page 16)

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"It's important to note that properly controlled clinical trials have shown a positive effect from products enhanced with Celliant™. In our study we had a group of approximately 60 Patients with Chronic Foot Pain. The analysis of the pain questionnaires showed a very strong signal that pain was reduced more in the group with the Celliant." Dr. Ian Gordon, MD, PhD - Director of the University of California Wound Clinic, Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California, Irvine and Chief of the Vascular Surgery Section at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. CLINICAL STUDY: Increasing oxygenated blood flow in healthy subjects-University of Texas A&M Houston Texas Summary Results: An average increase in Transcutaneous Oxygen levels from 10%-24%.

"There are a number of benefits that will come out of this product. In the athlete, it will increase oxygen metabolism rates, therefore enhancing performance. It will also aid recovery of people that don't exercise very often. Most often you exercise and become stiff. This will help to eliminate the stiffness. In the diabetic population, it will increase oxygen at the surface, or oxygen to wounds and eventually the wounds will heel on a quicker basis." Dr.Graham McOue, PhD - Research Director, Hyperbaric Treatment & Training Center, University of Texas A&M Houston, Texas. CLINICAL STUDY: Diabetic Blood Flow Study-Loyola University Chicago Summary Results: An average increase in Transcutaneous oxygen levels from 8%-12% in the hands and feet of high-risk diabetics.

"This study shows a significant increase in blood flow in the skin. This improvement might be enough to take patients from being symptomatic to asymptomatic, which for patients that are taking 10 or 15 drugs, to be able to wear a garment with no negative side effects is a tremendous advantage." Dr. Lawrence A. Lavery, DPM, MPH - Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center & Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. CLINICAL STUDY: Sleep disturbances in patients with chronic back pain University of California, Irvine Medical Centre Summary Results: Night time awakenings, sleep quality, and sleep efficiency improved.

"Participants reported a subjective improvement of their sleep... In addition, objective sleep recordings in subjects showed improved sleep efficiency (more sleep while in bed), a decreased wake after sleep onset time (less total night time awake after initial sleep onset), and an overall reduced number of nocturnal awakenings. I believe that CELLIANT did improve the quality of sleep as well as pain levels of participants. CELLIANT offers the medical community a new tool to improve overnight sleep quality as well as pain levels." Dr. Marcel Hungs, MD, PhD - Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine. Director, Center for Sleep Medicine. PUBLISHED CLINICAL STUDY: Influence on Athletic performance and Recovery Summary Results: Subjects used less oxygen to accomplish the same amount of work.

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These last couple of winter months tend to be a busy time for travelling. Seeking out a sunny beach in an exotic location can be just what the doctor ordered to chase the remaining rainy, blue days away. However hopping on a plane last minute can be a challenge if you have pets at home. Leaving your beloved pet behind on your travels can be difficult, even heartbreaking. Here are some tips to ensure your worry is less during your travels.

Find a good pet sitter. Once you are comfortable with your choice of caretaker, think of the things that you need to prepare for your time away. Naturally, you’re going to leave the essentials: your emergency contact information, the phone number and

address of your veterinarian, your pet’s medication and feeding schedule. But let’s look at how you can go above and beyond to ensure your pets “staycation” goes smoothly. Write It Down Providing a loving environment for your pet may seem intuitive to you, but recalling every detail can be a challenge. Your pet likes routine and breaking out of that can cause some anxiety. Little things like daily trips to the mail box or a car ride to your favorite coffee shop for a doggy treat are all part of your pets “normal” routine. This is something that your pet sitter may be able to continue in your absence. Leave your vet’s information in a visible spot that can be seen easily in case of

emergency. A letter to the vet giving permission for the pet sitter to treat if you cannot be reached and that you will be responsible for the bill is also helpful. Please be specific in this letter, express what to do in the case of an emergency and how to proceed if you cannot be reached. Stick to a Schedule As mentioned abovepets like routine. Don’t believe us, try feeding them dinner 20 minutes late and see how they react. Pet sitters would benefit from knowing your dogs get up around 6-7am and go outside for a little romp in the backyard and then do their business. They then have breakfast and that’s when their morning medication is administered. They are all small details but it can

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be useful to know that ‘Louie’ will try to break into the cupboard and pull out his cat treats if you don’t keep a close eye on him and Millie won’t take her liquid Omega 3’s unless you actually put it on her kibble but leave those kibbles outside of her dish. They then play a little together and then settle in for their morning nap. If you break this routine, they will all just stare at you in disbelief.

and they just want to curl up, paw in hand while watching TV. On the other hand, there are pets that just want to be fed, walked and have the occasional belly scratch but that’s as much affection as they seek and it’s always on their terms. It’s important for your pet sitter to be aware of these personality differences. Too much attention or too little attention can both be anxiety triggers.

Pet Personality Profile Just like people, our little fur-babies have their own personalities and the things they like or dislike. Some pets are the biggest cuddlers and all they want is human contact for as long as they can get it each day. They don’t understand that 80lbs of dog is not the ideal coach candidate

Ruffing up the Rules Just like children, dogs will test the rules!! Make sure your pet sitter knows if your dog is allowed on the bed or if they are allowed table scraps. Routine, routine, routine! Don’t Make a Fuss When leaving, please don’t make a fuss. We

know it’s hard to leave for a few days, we know you’re going to miss your pets, but what about them? Your pet looks to you to know how they should react to a situation. If you are stressed or upset when saying goodbye, they will be to. Take a quick walk to expel some energy and then keep it casual, as if you were going to work or out for dinner. Hopefully your pet is snoozing on their pillow and won’t even notice you’re gone. Of course the big slobbery kisses you’ll get upon your return will let you know they still love you!!!

Submitted by Van Isle Veterinary Hospital

I wish I could say yes. A ‘true’ teeth cleaning goes far beyond making the cheek side of the teeth look white. Like us when we get our teeth scaled the real bad tarter that causes jaw bone and tooth loss is under the gum. You simply cannot see it by looking at the tooth. We can only ‘feel’ it with a metal scaler when we reach deep under the gum You may know how it hurts to have this done on your own teeth. The reason we all have it done is to reset the tarter buildup clock to zero and prevent future tooth loss. Now think about being your doggie or kitty who does not understand and they are expected to accept a metal scaler in their mouth. Not so nice and the chances of getting the scaler where it really counts is pretty much nil. Is there an alternative? Yes. At our clinic we can do a professional deep scaling with sedation only (provided the grade of tarter is 1 or 2 out of a total grade 4). Any grade higher than 2 means your pet is dealing with bone loss and pockets under the gum that need more care or worse, loose teeth that cannot be saved. This is when general anesthesia is necessary for dental surgery. How often for my dog and cat? This depends on their breed. Smaller like the Chihuahua, every 1 to 2 years starting at 2 years or age. Lab size and cats every 1 to 5 years (varies with individual buildup).

Call Us Today 250-339-6555 February is “Flip the Lip” month at the Sunrise Vet Clinic www.facebook.com/SunriseVet

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

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Ten Websites Every Pet Owner Should Know About Many times we go into an exam room, and we hear: “I just read something on the internet…” All pet owners should be encouraged to take an active part in their pet’s health. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there in cyberspace. When people find educational, reliable, and useful information pertaining to their pets’ health, your vet will love it – it takes your discussion with your vet to a whole new level. However, bad and unreliable information can lead to a stressful situation for everybody involved. Some websites are misleading and badly researched. They can lead to wrong expectations, create false hopes, or even advocate potentially damaging treatments. Here are some websites every pet owner

should know about: 1. Veterinary Partner (www.veterinar ypartner.com). This website is provided by VIN (Veterinary Information Network) – a website many veterinarians use for their own research and consultation with specialists. Veterinary Partner provides you with information about disease conditions, medications, and behavioural problems in the form of client handouts. 2. ASPCA Pet Care (www.aspca.org/petcare). The ASPCA Pet Care section has direct links to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, a Pet Loss Center, and Pet Food Recall news. 3. Worms and Germs ( w w w .w o r m s a n d germsblog.com). This university of Guelph

website is put on by the Ontario Veterinary College’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. It focuses on infectious diseases in pets with an emphasis on zoonotic diseases (diseases which can be transmitted to humans from other species). 4. Pets and Parasites (www.petsandparasites.org). This website is by the Companion Animal Parasite Council. It provides information about parasites such as roundworms, tapeworms, heartworm, coccidia, Giardia, etc. 5. Partners in Animal Health (partnersah. vet.cornell.edu). Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has information for pet owners as well as veterinarians. Information

found includes diabetic pet care, a pet owner’s guide to cancer, and other topics. 6. American Association of Feline Practitioners (www.catvets. com). There is a wealth of useful information (care, behaviour, diseases) about our felines on this website. Cat Owner Educational Brochures can be downloaded or printed.

It uses up-to-date information to educate both veterinarians and pet owners. A special focus is put on creating an optimal environment for your pet. 9. Winn Feline Foundation (www.winnfelinefoundation.org ). This is a non-profit

organization with a wealth of information on cat health on its website. 10. House Rabbit Society: ANY questions about rabbits? Go to rabbit.org

Submitted by Shamrock Veterinary Clinic

7. Dr. Sophia Yin (drsophiayin.com). Dr. Yin was a veterinarian and internationally acclaimed behaviourist. Among other things, she authored a great book about raising puppies. 8. The Indoor Pet Initiative (indoorpet. osu.edu). This website is supported by the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

250.331.9000

Bring your pet out for a complimentary “Flip The Lip” Dental Health Check Saturday February 2 , from 11:00 – 2:00 at

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A warm welcome to our new small animal associate Dr. Emily Carrington!

Monday – Friday open from 8:30 – 5:00 Saturdays from 8:30 – 2:00

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

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Man, 64, stabbed; one arrested

A 64-year-old man was airlifted for stabbing injuries after an incident on Tuesday. On February 9, at approximately 10:45 am, the Comox Valley RCMP received a 911 call reporting that an assault with a weapon had occurred in the 900 block of Cumberland Rd, Courtenay. RCMP officers attended and located a 64-year old male, suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to a local area hospital by the BC Ambulance Services for treatment of life threatening injuries. The victim was later airlifted to a larger hospital for emergency surgery. The investigation led members to a residence on Edgett Rd, Courtenay, where a 20-year old male was arrested and taken into custody without incident. The investigation is on-

(Continued from page 12)

Dropping in for breakfast Monday morning turned into a bit of a disaster for this Courtenay White Spot customer. The driver was apparently not familiar with the SUV she was driving and confused the gas and brake pedals. The vehicle crashed into the manager’s office at the busy restaurant. The manager had just vacated the space, which was left in disarray and affected bank card payments for the morning. Courtenay Fire Rescue backed the SUV out of the building and disconnected the battery. There were no injuries reported.

going. The Comox Valley RCMP are asking that any witnesses to

this event to please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-

1321 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-TIPS (8477)

Coldest Nite Walk

Open 11-3 Every Day • 250-337-1941

Join your family, friends, co-workers in raising funds to end homelessness and provide much need supports to the homeless, hungry and hurting in our community by walking on Feb20th

To Register and pledge now at to https://coldestnightoftheyear.org/location/comoxvalley

Catch the excitement as 150 Athletes and 43 Coaches from Vancouver Island - Central Coastal (Zone 6) compete against the best in the province.

Of the 25 violators that were stopped... 22 of them were going in excess of 40 km/h over the posted speed limit. At that time, the vehicle which was stopped going the fastest was travelling 157km/h in the 90km/h zone. They were unable to stop one vehicle coming through at 168km/h in the 90km/h zone. ■ The Comox Valley RCMP are looking for the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle. In the early evening hours of February 8th, the Comox Valley RCMP received a call of a hit and run which occurred on the Comox Valley Parkway, heading into Cumberland. A vehicle, described as a large, loud (possibly diesel), white, Dodge 4x4 pickup, lifted, with an LED light bar between the headlights, had struck two vehicles while driving into Cumberland. The vehicle then left the scene at a high rate of speed. The truck will have damage to the driver’s and passenger side. This incident is still under investigation and, if you witnessed this hit and run, or know this vehicle, please contact the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321 or Comox Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS(8477)(2016-1472)

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.JFEBRUARY 12, 2016

Courtenay draws up strategies for year BY DEBRA MARTIN Echo Staff Courtenay has set its course for the next few years with adoption of its Strategic Priorities for 2016-2018. Council spent two afternoons in December to devise the plan in sessions led by Paragon Strategic Services Ltd. Council agreed upon 25 strategic priorities organized into six “Strategic Themes”. Each of the priorities has been further organized into council’s “Area of Control, Area of Influence or Area of Concern.” The idea is to have an “organizational roadmap” for staff to set the annual Financial Plan and Corporate Work Plan, and for council to use throughout the year when making decisions. The priorities are in broad policy brush strokes, rather than specific projects. In fact, the entire Strategic Priorities document is contained on only one page, using colours to differentiate the six “themes”, and circles, triangles and squares to indicate the “areas” of council’s involvement. The Work Plan is “where the rubber hits the road,” said CAO David Allen. Courtenay’s six ‘themes’ in its Strategic Priorities list are: * We actively pursue vibrant economic growth. * We proactively plan and invest in our natural and built environment. * We value multi-modal transportation in our community. * We support diversity in housing and reasoned land use planning. * We focus on organizational and governance excellence. * We invest in our key relationships. Councillor Erik Eriksson wanted to add amendments to the section dealing with economic growth: changing the airport to an ‘area of influence’, and developing a medical research park around the new hospital. He also wanted to add “develop a stronger relationship with EDS (Economic Development Society).” (Continued on page 18)

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tree! Join us to learn more. Trees will be available for sale. Involved all his life with gardening and farming, Devmurti now lives on a 46 acre organic farm on Denman Island. Through their permaculture-inspired nursery business, they ship trees throughout Canada. For more information visit www.ﬁgsforlife. ca Devmurti also has a passion for living in harmony with the natural world. The presentation will include a demonstration of the Music of the Plants U1 device. The Music of the Plants U1 device is a cutting edge electronic device that registers the inner biorhythmic impulses of a plant and translates this into profoundly moving music. This is an exciting opportunity to witness the interactions between people and nature. For more information about the Comox Valley Horticultural Society, visit www.comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca

Learn how to grow hardy ﬁg trees

The Comox Valley Horticultural Society welcomes Devmurti Khalsa to the February 15th meeting at the Florence Filberg Centre. Doors open at 6:45 and the evening begins at 7:30 p.m.. All gardening enthusiasts welcome. Non members fee is $5. Devmurti will speak on Growing Hardy Fig Trees and other great edibles in the Comox Valley. Fig trees are fast growing, drought tolerant, low maintenance, pest free and easy to grow. Fig trees grow well on the west coast, especially if you have a sunny and protected spot in your yard. Imagine enjoying loads of delicious sun-ripened ﬁgs straight off your

(Continued from page 17) Desert King Figs - just about perfect The regional airport is already included as an area of concern, in that council has no direct control of it, but recognizes it as “a key economic driver.” Allen said the strategic priorities go directly to the Economic Development Society for consideration when it does its Strategic Priorities for the year ahead. Council defeated the proposed amendments with only Councillors Eriksson, Manno Theos and Mayor Larry Jangula in favour. The strategic priorities as presented were approved.

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Celebrate Year of the Monkey at Evergreen lunar luncheon

You are invited to this exciting event presented by the Evergreen Club whether you are a monkey or not! Are you a monkey? You are if you were born in 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, and 2016. Some characteristics include: ambitious, smart, fearless, but irritable, and stubborn. This is a public event and everyone is welcome to come and monkey around with them! Entertainment will be provided by Silk Road Music Duo. Based in Vancouver, Silk Road Music Duo is Andre Thibault and Qiu Xia He, a husband-and wife team. Music lovers will enjoy their innovative Chinese Music & Western music. Enrich your cultural experiences as you wander in the beauty of the Opera masks on display and learn some Asian trivia along the way. Such as; what does the shape of a dumpling symbolize? Which food means long life? There will be more cultural surprises in this

happy event that you will just have to wait and see! The doors open at 11:00 am and will follow with a scrumptious lunch served at 12 noon. A selection of your favorite Chinese food dishes provided by the Bamboo Garden will be served. The buffet lunch will offer six dishes plus tea, coffee, fruit, and dessert. Here’s a chance for you to try selections like the exotic sounding Cashew Nut Gai Ding or the more traditional Sweet and Sour Ribs. This fun (and educational) celebration and delicious luncheon takes place in the Conference Hall, at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay. Tickets are $15.00 and are available at the Courtenay Recreation Filberg Centre office. For more information please call 250-338-1000. Please note that there will be no ‘at door’ tickets. Advance tickets will be available during office hours until Friday February 19th only.

The acclaimed Silk Road duo will entertain you at Lunar New Year celebration

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20 www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

‘Coldest Night of the Year’ Walk will support homeless, hurting Get a team together and support Transition Society, Dawn to Dawn

Walkers ready to roll in the Coldest Night of the Year Walk to help the homeless and hurting

Can we help?

Comox Valley Transition Society’s Heather Ney and Dawn to Dawn’s Richard Clarke knew they were setting a lofty goal for their upcoming fundraiser – the Comox Valley Coldest Night of the Year Walk. But the excitement, support and momentum the inaugural event is gathering has been inspiring. “We are about a third of the way there,” Clarke said, and with a little more support in the couple of weeks remaining, they hope they will be well on their way to achieving the $50,000 they set out to raise. “I think it’s because we have such a great community!” said Ney about their success to date, “and a great organizing team”. With 35 walk teams, nearly 150 walkers, and over 20 volunteers already registered, Ney and Clarke are hoping to see an increase to 300 walkers taking part in either the 2km or 5km routes on Walk day. Currently, Event Sponsors include Berwick Retirement, Comox By the Sea Business in Action, HUB Barton

Insurance, and Searles Shoes, as well as media sponsors 97.3 The Eagle and The Comox Valley Echo, and generous donations from St George’s United Church, White Spot, McDonald’s, Grains Bakery, Starbucks, and the Salvation Army. In this family-friendly event on February 20, Comox Valley walkers will join tens of thousands of walkers in more than 90 other cities across the country as they fundraise for local charities that help the homeless, hungry and hurting in their own communities. Proceeds from the Comox Valley walk go to CVTS and Dawn to Dawn. The walk begins and ends at St George’s United Church, with registration opening at 4 pm, and the walk to begin at 5 pm. For more details, to register, and to pledge support, visit https://coldestnightoftheyear.org/ location/comoxvalley. Ney and Clarke encourage Comox Valley residents to bundle up, start a team, walk, volunteer, and give. “Because it’s cold out there, and no one should face it alone.”

Since 2011, the Marine Harvest Canada salmon barbeque has cooked up $106,000 of support for local charities from the Comox Valley to Port Hardy. If your charity or society is interested in applying for the Marine Harvest Canada salmon barbeque for the 2016 summer season, please see our guidelines and application at www.MarineHarvest.ca.

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

MONEY MATTERS PEAK DOLLAR THEORY By Tyler Mordy

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once observed that every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized: “In the first it is ridiculed; in the second it is opposed; in the third it is regarded as self-evident.” So too with bull markets - and the U.S. dollar, a classic example, is now enjoying a strong consensus view of perpetual strength that is diametrically opposite the consensus of perpetual weakness that prevailed just after the financial crisis. Is this a sign that the dollar is peaking? As with philosophical truths, in the early phase of a bull market, nonconsensus ideas are swiftly dismissed as fringedwelling lunacy. But slowly over time, roots grow on tiny seeds of skepticism, scale along a trellis of complacency, and finally bloom into full-scale, radiant bull markets. Suddenly, investors wake up to discover the world has changed. The healthy dollar Consider the U.S. dollar’s path. Those not prone to revisionist history will marvel at the transformation in popular perception. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, it was almost universally believed that the largesse of central bank responses (with the Fed as the leading monetary polluter) would create high and sustained inflation, simultaneously hammering the value of the dollar. A persistent flood of ink was spilled warning of the coming “death of the dollar.” While investors luxuriated in the polemics of many well-known bears, money poured into commodity products (not least, resource-tracking ETFs) and other inflation-fighting assets. Clearly, that was not a winning strategy. Inflation has remained stubbornly low and the dollar has been on an unstoppable seven-year rise. The dollar’s ‘self-evident’ stage But all of that is history. Now, perceptions of the U.S. dollar are firmly in Schopenhauer’s third, “self-evident,” stage. Being long dollars has become an extremely comfortable consensus. We, too, have been in this cozy camp. Since 2008, we have argued that postfinancial crisis periods typically produce a chronically strong senior currency (in today’s world, the U.S. remains the monetary hegemon). Investors, still carrying crisis-made scar tissue, tend to cling close to shore. Endless financial crisis fears prevail. And each time volatility erupts, capital quickly flows back to the perceived safety of the U.S., creating a persistently conservative posturing. An aging 7-year bull market Where to next? This is where financial markets depart from Schopenhauerian theory. Truths are universal and, importantly, durable. Their permanency doesn’t fade. Conversely, financial markets - much to the chagrin of those still carrying the torch for the efficient market hypothesis - are driven by ephemeral opinions. “True” financial value is itself a suspect notion. What’s right in one regime will be wrong in the next. It is the consensus view that the chief

beneficiary of the Fed’s December rate hike will be the U.S. dollar. What is not obvious is if the consensus is right about all of this. I wrote recently about active currency management. A critical component of successful analysis involves investor sentiment. Anytime a strongly unified consensus surfaces, investors should take notice, as there may be an opportunity to position differently and outperform. ‘Policy divergence’ consensus Today “policy divergence” is the buzz. Global central banks will soon be traveling very different monetary pathways from the Fed. The consensus-held corollary is that higher interest rates will push the dollar to loftier heights. If only it were that simple. Interest rate differentials are hardly the only factor driving currency returns. In fact, once upon a time, higher rates were viewed as a negative for currencies - an indication that the country was forced to pay higher funding costs because of inflation or other some other illness of the currency. What’s more, history disagrees with the consensus here. The last two episodes of Fed tightening (starting in February 1994 and June 2004) actually produced a weak dollar in the following six-month period, staying suppressed for the following three years. What other factors are important at this juncture? Consider at least four big ones, all suggesting a weakening U.S. dollar directly ahead: 1. “Escape velocity” may be elusive, but the post-crisis climate is fading. One of the primary contributors to a rising U.S. dollar has been an economy saddled with high debt. By definition, high indebtedness is deflationary. As households deleverage, less credit means less supply of currency in circulation, and therefore a strong dollar. Yet we are now quickly approaching an inflection point. On a world scale, the U.S. has arguably most successfully deleveraged. Household debt has fallen to its lowest point relative to incomes in more than a decade. Credit growth is also expanding. Excess capacity is no longer an issue. And encouragingly, incomes are finally picking up. These are not the conditions for a disinflationary backdrop or a strong dollar. A weaker-than-expected U.S. dollar would have enormous investment implications, not least for emerging markets, where a strong dollar has contributed to widespread credit crunch fears and slumping stock markets. 2. “Policy convergence.” To be sure, global central bankers no longer perceive American-style post-crisis policies as avant garde. Whether or not we agree with these approaches, they are now standard operating procedure. The U.S. economy has become a leading indicator of what other central banks will do. In fact, the more the U.S. moves away from stall speed, the more pressure will be on other central banks to “converge” and do more so they, too, will be successful like America. The above may explain the euro’s recent stability. On the surface, recent news from the European Central Bank (notably,

intensifying its QE program to unprecedented levels) should have produced a weaker euro. That has not been the case. What’s happening? Very likely, capital is rewarding the best macro stories - nations with ongoing ultra-stimulative monetary policy and growth moving in the right direction. Combine that with equity valuations that are much better than the U.S., and there is a strong argument for lasting outperformance in both Europe and Asia. All of this is dollar bearish. 3. Dollar valuation somewhere in the stratosphere. Markets are arenas of action and reaction, dialectics of suppositions, beliefs and, yes, flawed assumptions. In Soros-speak, markets are “reflexive”: perceptions of reality - whether accurate or not - often distort underlying fundamentals themselves. The U.S. dollar is today’s reflexive case in point. So positive has been the opinion toward the U.S. dollar that its value has been bid up to dangerous levels (see chart below). Now, like Icarus soaring too close to the sun, the dollar’s wings are melting. This has been especially problematic for corporate America. The strong dollar was a leading contributor to a fall in S&P 500 profits (ex-financials) of 3.6% year-onyear. Expect continued headwinds. 4. Fed hawkishness priced in. Investors should commit and recommit to memory that Mr. Market is very good at discounting future events. What is already well known? That the actions of central banks have become predictable, even boring. Most importantly, investors know that the ECB and Bank of Japan will continue to aggressively expand their balance sheets. That explains the near 14-year high in the U.S. dollar and the nearly unprecedented cheapness of the Japanese yen. This leaves the U.S. dollar highly vulnerable. Any hint of dovishness is likely to lead to a selloff. The Fed can soften its tone in two key ways. First, communicating the speed and duration of its tightening cycle, along with its end point. The gradualism of the Fed and commitment to “lower for longer” is still underappreciated. The recent long bond

rally is forecasting this trend. Second, any selloff in global capital markets or economic slowdown (as we saw this summer) will cause the Fed to hit pause on further hikes. Either scenario is highly probable, but both are dollar bearish.

Irrational exuberance? The dollar has quietly displaced gold as the world’s new cult currency. But is this aging bull market logical and sustainable? Among nineteenth-century philosophers, Schopenhauer was among the first to contend that at its core, the universe is not a rational place. With high overvaluation, negative momentum, and capital outflows increasing, the rationality of an ultra-long U.S. dollar position should be held in question. Like other asset classes, currencies have a history of heading into extremes. The U.S. dollar could certainly move higher from here. But it is a crowded place, and the stakes are enormously high.

Tyler Mordy, CFA, is President and CIO for Forstrong Global Asset Management Inc., engaged in top-down strategy, investment policy, and securities selection. He specializes in global investment strategy and ETF trends. This article originally appeared in ETF.com. Used with permission. You can reach Tyler by phone at Forstrong Global, toll-free 1-888-4196715, or by email at tmordy@forstrong.com.

Notes and Disclaimers © 2016 by Fund Library. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part by any means without prior written permission is prohibited. The foregoing is for general information purposes only and is the opinion of the writer. No guarantee of performance is made or implied. This information is not intended to provide specific personalized advice including, without limitation, investment, financial, legal, accounting or tax advice.

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Offer(s) available on select new 2015/2016 models through participating dealers to qualified retail customers who take delivery from February 2 to 29, 2016. Dealers may sell or lease for less. Some conditions apply. See dealer for complete details. Vehicles shown may include optional accessories and upgrades available at extra cost. All offers are subject to change without notice. All pricing includes delivery and destination fees up to $1,725, $22 AMVIC, $100 A/C charge (where applicable). Excludes taxes, licensing, PPSA, registration, insurance, variable dealer administration fees, fuel-fill charges up to $100, and down payment (if applicable and unless otherwise specified). Other lease and financing options also available. ĭ0% financing for up to 60 months plus up to $4,000 discount available on select 2015/2016 models. Discount is deducted from the negotiated purchase/lease price before taxes. Certain conditions apply. See your dealer for complete details. Representative Financing Example: Financing offer available on approved credit (OAC), on a new 2015 Optima LX AT Sunroof (OP743F) with a selling price of $27,862 is based on monthly payments of $398 for 60 months at 0% with a $0 down payment and first monthly payment due at finance inception. Offer also includes $4,000 discount (loan credit). Other taxes, registration, insurance and licensing fees are excluded. †“Don’t Pay For 90 Days” on all models (90-day payment deferral) applies to purchase financing offers on all new 2015/2016 models on approved credit. No interest will accrue during the first 60 days of the finance contract. After this period, interest starts to accrue and the purchaser will repay the principal interest monthly over the term of the contract. Offer ends February 29, 2016. &Representative Leasing Example: Lease offer available on approved credit (OAC), on the 2016 Sorento LX 2.4L FWD (SR75AG)/2016 Forte Sedan LX MT (FO741G) with a selling price of $29,342/$17,562 (including $500/$1,300 lease credit discounts) is based on a total number of 130 bi-weekly payments of $135/$66 for 60 months at 1.9%/0%, with $0 security deposit, $1,950/$975 down payment and first monthly payment due at lease inception. Total lease obligation $17,554/$8,622 with the option to purchase at the end of the term for $11,142/$6,665. Lease has 16,000 km/yr allowance (other packages available and $0.12/km for excess kilometres). **$500 Competitive Bonus offer available on the retail purchase/lease of any new 2016 Sportage, 2016 Sorento and 2016 Optima from participating dealers between February 2 to 29, 2016 upon proof of current ownership/lease of a select competitive vehicle. Competitive models include specific VW, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Honda, GM, Ford, Jeep, Pontiac, Suzuki, Saturn, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Subaru, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Land Rover, Infiniti, Acura, Audi, Lincoln, Volvo and Buick vehicles. Some conditions apply. See your dealer or kia.ca for complete details. *Cash Purchase Price for the new 2015 Optima LX AT (OP742F) is $19,995 and includes $1,545 delivery and destination fee, $6 AMVIC fee and $16 tire tax. Includes a cash discount of $6,467. Includes $467 in dealer participation. °Additional discounts available at participating dealers only. Some conditions may apply. See dealers for details. Dealer may sell for less. Other taxes, registration, insurance and licensing fees are excluded. Cash discounts vary by model and trim and are deducted from the negotiated selling price before taxes. ‡Model shown Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for 2016 Sorento SX Turbo AWD (SR75IG)/2015 Optima SX AT Turbo (OP748F)/2016 Forte SX AT (FO748G) is $42,095/$34,895/$26,695. The Bluetooth® wordmark and logo are registered trademarks and are owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. The 2015 Optima was awarded the 2015 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for model year 2015. U.S. models tested. Visit www.iihs.org for full details. The Sorento received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among midsize SUVs in the proprietary J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM. Study based on responses from 84,367 U.S. new-vehicle owners, measuring 244 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of U.S. owners surveyed from February to May 2015. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov). Information in this advertisement is believed to be accurate at the time of printing. For more information on our 5-year warranty coverage, visit kia.ca or call us at 1-877-542-2886. Kia is a trademark of Kia Motors Corporation.

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.JFEBRUARY 12, 2016 to feature at the Envision Surrey Jazz Festival on the mainland. But thanks to the wonderful depth of talented musicians on the Island, the band is happy to be joined by Nanaimo’s Lucas Smart on tenor sax and Dean Boland on trumpet, Rod Alsop from Ladysmith on alto sax and on trombone Courtenay’s favourite, Jeff Agopsowicz. Look forward to a great evening of big band jazz, in a convivial atmosphere. If you’ve never experienced Thursday Night Jazz, don’t

The Arrowsmith Big Band returns Feb. 18 to the jazz society gathering

Enjoy the Arrowsmith Big Band sounds at jazz society Feb. 18 After a new year season which has primarily featured small groups, it’s time to turn the volume up a few notches as we return to big band music. Yes, the fabled Arrowsmith Big Band is delight ed to be returning to Georgia Straight Jazz Society at the Avalanche Bar & Grill on February 18, with a show starting at 7:30 pm. The band, arguably the ﬁnest on Vancouver Island, is based in Oceanside, and has among its members some of the best jazz players on the Central Island. Soloists include Oceanside players Claudio Fantinato (alto and soprano sax) and Dave Stewart (trumpet), as well as Na-

naimo’s Greg Bush (trumpet) and Barry Miller (piano). Originally formed over 40 years ago, the band has enjoyed several incarnations over the years. For the last 14 years the band has focused on big band jazz from established and emerging arrangers. For this visit to the Thursday Night Jazz at the Av, the band has selected charts in a wide variety of styles, from gentle big band ballads to driving swing. The band always looks forward to performances in Courtenay. Due to some conﬂicting scheduling, the band found itself without some regular members, who had already committed

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24 www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

Take a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show at monthly Rhodo Society meeting

The Paperboys link musical genres, cultures BY MARK ALLAN Special to the Echo The Paperboys’ sound is a great example of its sum being greater than its parts. The Juno Award-winning band’s website refers to the “multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-generational, multi-lingual” nature of the band members. The band’s scope has widened, said founder, frontman and primary songwriter Tom Landa in an interview preceding their Feb. 12 performance at the Sid Williams Theatre. “I very much started this band because I loved folk and Celtic music … I’d also grown up on rock music … but it was singer/ songwriter-based,” he recalled. “And then, little by little, we started getting more diverse in our inﬂuences.” Banjo playing introduced a touch of bluegrass and eastern European inﬂuences seeped in for the band’s second album. “And then our musical curiosity grew … but it also became who the members ended up being.” Landa, born in Mexico to a Mexican father and Canadian mother of Irish descent, contributes a south-of-the border style called son jarocho. From the Veracruz area on the east coast of Mexico, son jarocho is “kind of like bluegrass and oldtime music. The singers learn to sing in that amazing kind of tone, to cut above all the instruments

… much in the way bluegrass does.” Longtime Spirit of the West member Geoffrey Kelly is from Scotland and strengthens the Paperboys’ existing fondness for Celtic music with his flute playing. In fact, he introduced Landa to the Celtic sound. Other influences the band has been known to employ include country, ska, soca, African highlife and white-boy reggae. Fiddler Kendall Carson was replaced by Landa’s wife Kalissa Hernandez. Brad Gillard plays banjo and bass, and Sam Esecson is the drummer. Landa said the band is constantly influenced by his musical curiosity. “I just don’t think I would be happy making the same record over and over.” Landa surprised fans and perhaps some band members when he added a horn section “like Van Morrison and Tower of Power.” Trying new sounds and merging varying influences effectively is not easy, Landa admitted. “It is a challenge, and I push myself to that challenge. So do members of the band.” Don’t think the Paperboys play difficult, challenging music. They have a reputation for excellent live performances and being extremely danceable. Although they are primarily acoustic, they really rock at times. They tour relentlessly, including performances Jan. 22 on Denman Island and the next day on

What could be better for the February monthly meeting of the North Island Rhododendron Society (NIRS), than a presentation about a ﬂower show that everyone loves - the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London. The show (also known as The Great Spring Show) has been held since 1912 and is the most famous in England attracting visitors from around the world. In May 2015, two NIRS members who attended the 5-day show, Peter and Antje Guertler, visited 15 gardens, most of which were on National Trust properties but also several private gardens. Among the garden’s many visitors in 2015 were several royals: the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Camilla and Prince Harry. NIRS meetings are usually held every second Tuesday of the month but February’s had to be postponed for a week. The meeting will instead be held on Tuesday, February 16 with doors at the Comox United Church hall, 250 Beach, open at 7PM and the meeting starting at 7:30 PM. Refreshments are served and guests interested in membership are welcome to attend.

The Paperboys perform at The Sid tonight, Feb. 12 Hornby. They have produced 10 recordings in 11 years. Beginning with January in 1993, the Paperboys released their most recent, At Peace With One’s Ghosts, in 2014. Their ﬁrst three studio albums were nominated for Juno Awards. Molinos from 1997 won in the Roots and Traditional Album of the Year category, they earned a West Coast Music Award in the same year. Postcards got them a West Coast Music Award in 2000 and another Juno nomination. Their 2006 release The Road to Ellenside was recorded in England’s Lakes District with engineer Mark Tucker, who worked previously with Jethro Tull and seminal Celtic rock band Fairport Convention. Landa has fond memories of recording with renowned Victoria producer

Jung Society explores archetypes

The Comox Valley Jung Society presents “Our Archetypical Nature” on February 19, 2016 at North Island College The Comox Valley C. G. Jung Society presents Gary S. Bobroff speaking on “Our Archetypical Nature” on Friday, February 19, 2016 at 7:00 PM, Room 203, Tyee building at North Island College. Toni Wolff and C.G. Jung discovered pairs of binary opposites in the psyche that are now known as the Myers-Briggs indicator. They also discovered deeper constructs beyond personality types. Archetypal Nature is a modernization of this system. Each of Wolff ’s archetypes reveals a path to ﬁnd fulﬁllment; they are eternal stories of identity; a lens to better understanding family and social roles;

and with awareness, they can become a portal for generational healing. Using film, television, historic, mythological and pop culture examples, Gary illustrates the qualities that define each archetype and the polarities between them, pointing out the possible shadows and best qualities of each archetype. Gary S. Bobroff, has an MA in psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and is the developer and lead facilitator of Our Archetypal Nature. An international speaker, author and workshop leader, he presents in an accessible and engaging visual format. The presentation on Friday, February 19, 2016 costs $10 at the door, or $5 for Jung Society members. Email cvjungsociety@gmail.com for more info.

Joby Baker. “Working with Joby has been an absolute delight. I’ve done quite a few records with him. “He’s an absolute joy; he’s a gem of a producer.” That’s the kind of rave review the Paperboys typically get from critics. Here’s one example: “This acclaimed Canadian-based band serves up a heady blend of countryfolk-Celtic-bluegrass-rock with a bit of traditional Mexican music thrown in for good measure. It deﬁes labelling but, hey, who cares, it is just brilliant music!” Patrick Donaghy, Rock n Reel Magazine. The Paperboys perform Feb. 12 at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay as part of the Sid’s Blue Circle Series. For details and tickets, visit www.sidwilliamstheatre.com, phone 250-3382430 or visit the Sid box office at 442 Cliffe Ave.

Book marketing with social media

B.V. Bayly will be the guest speaker at the next Comox Valley Writers Society general meeting. He will be speaking on book marketing with social media. This topic will be of particular interest to self-published book authors wanting to understand the major social media platform options. Bayly has a degree in marketing and will be speaking on his experience with his ﬁve book Eden’s Ore sci-ﬁ series. Please join the CVWS on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 at the Valley View Elementary School to learn more about book marketing with social media. This free event begins at 7pm in the school library.

Earthsave dine-out at Zocalo Cafe

On Saturday Feb. 20th at 6:00 pm Zocalo Cafe at 208a 5th St. in Courtenay will host this month’s Earthsave vegan dine out. Owner Catherine Bell with chef Peter have put together the following two course full service menu: Appetizer: Miso Broth with buckwheat noodles, green onions and toasted sesame oil. Main Course: Green Thai Coconut Curry with winter squash and spinach served over fragrant rice, topped with roasted peanuts. After dinner at 7:00 Celtic Cargo Cult will be performing. The cost for the evening including coffee, tea, taxes and tips is $25 for adults and $15 for kids to age 12. The evening is by reservation only. To reserve call Bob at Earthsave, ph. 250-338-0751.

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.JFEBRUARY 12, 2016

Number 5 mine crew posing with mine record: 524 tons in 8 hours. 1912. Cumberland Museum and Archives, C165-002.

■ HUNT FOR HISTORY WITH JUDY HAGEN

Destination: Comox Valley Destination is the end of a journey. The theme for B.C. Heritage Week is “Destinations” reflecting the journey of people who came from other places to settle British Columbia. The first European men who came “West” were adventurers willing to travel far from the world they had known to find a new life. They were drawn by the prospect of finding work in the rich natural wealth of what would become British Columbia. In the earliest years of settlement the land of the Comox people was an unknown and it would not have crossed the mind of any European who “came around the Horn”, to say that they had a specific destination. Then in 1848, the Hudson Bay Company hired miners from England to dig a pit at Fort Rupert. It would be the first of a long line of contract employees to work the coal mines of Vancouver Island. “The men are young and hungry: hungry for change, hungry for a chance. They are as strong as a sparse diet will allow and brave as only young men can be brave. They come from the Black Country of England and the lowlands of Scotland, from industrial Italy and rural China. (Lynne Bowen. “Three Dollar Dreams” p. 13) When the Hudson Bay Company later contracted miners for the coal fields of Nanaimo, they wanted married men with at least two children. It was a five year contract with a specific wage of 78 pounds per year. It would be hard work, but it was a chance for a future they could not have in economically depressed England.

Their arrival in November 1854 would later become commemorated in celebrations that would compare their arrival to that of the Mayflower in New England, but they were hired for a specific trade and they were not leaving because of religious persecution. These miners and their families were greeted by a small group of Scottish settlers, along with members of the five Coastal Salish communities who lived in the area. In 1858, it was the discovery of Gold in the Cariboo that would lure men from the gold fields of California and Australia to the Fraser River. Few arrived in time to strike it rich. Many did not reach their intended destination, stopping first at Fort Victoria where they were encouraged to farm the land. From these hopeful gold seekers came the first settlers for the Comox Valley, arriving in October 1862, their dream of striking the mother lode on a tributary of the Fraser River exchanged for a different chance of making a new life along the Tsolum and Puntledge Rivers. Among the original group was the Harmston family who had made the arduous journey sailing “around the Horn” with no idea that their des-

tination would be the land of the Comox Peoples. In a twist of fate, a fellow passenger, Sam Cliffe, would come to valley ten years later. Sam Cliffe and Florence Harmston were a love story befitting any Hollywood epic. In 1862 he was a 16-years old lad setting sail to seek his fortune far from home and spent time on board with little Florence who was ten years younger. As her father was making a home along the Tsolum River, Sam sought his fortune by working in the coal fields of Nanaimo and then by prospecting for new coal seams. He and five friends discovered the coal deposits in the Beaufort Mountains and formed the Union Coal Company. They had cut a swath of virgin timber in anticipation of laying a narrow gauge track to a coastal port, but they could not get the financial backing for their project. It was apparent that Robert Dunsmuir with his extensive mining interests in Nanaimo had a corner on the money markets. The six partners sold out their Union claim. Sam Cliffe, seeing Florence again, was smitten; they married and eleven yeas later Sam used the money from his mining claim to purchase the Lorne Hotel in Comox.

DESTINATION CUMBERLAND Heritage Day Activities 20 February 2016 Heritage Fair: CRI Hall 10-4 Free Admission Cumberland Museum 10-5 Admission by Donation 11am to 1 Messy Monkey Lantern Making (create a lantern to carry in the Lantern Parade) 2pm tour of Chinese and Japanese settlements Meet at Jumbo’s cabin ( by donation) Lantern Festival 10 am -5 Cumberland Cultural Centre free admission 6 pm. Lantern Parade from Village Square to Village Park to release Lanterns

This new partnership would last for 30 years until Sam’s death in 1908. Florence continued to run the hotel for another four years. Florence had the business acumen and Sam the personality that drew in paying customers. Their hotel/pub at the head of the Government Wharf in Comox was a great success. When Dunsmuir opened up the mines in Union, the local famers had a ready market for their produce right at their back door. No longer dependent on sending their produce by coastal ships to Nanaimo and Victoria they could take it themselves and perishable items such as eggs were not at the mercy of coastal storms. The original swath of land expected to be used for the mining railroad became the rough path to Union. Dunsmuir had chosen another route for his rail line, establishing a deep sea port at Union Bay. “There was no direct road from Courtenay Bridge. We had to take the trail which followed the present Union Bay road to Royston, and then we took the Royston road to Cumberland. The trail was about the roughest imaginable. For long stretches the wagon-wheels rarely touched earth but hopped from stone to root and from to stone and woe to any spring vehicle! Many a day I walked ahead of the wagon throwing out stones, and eggs had to be solidly packed in straw to stand the racket.” (Eric Duncan. “Fifty–Seven years in the Comox Valley”. p. 49) The Cumberland Coal mines attracted workers from all over the world. The nationalities represented by the families went from A to Z with their old world backgrounds providing an ethnic kaleidoscope that enriched the community. By the end of the 19th Century, Cumberland was the centre of the Comox Valley. Where once the dock at Comox harbour had been the landing place for new arrivals in the valley, now there was also the port of Union Bay which was a bustling centre with a Customs Officer and a Police Station. Then in 1914, the E&N Railroad was extended to Courtenay and the “destination” of newcomers changed again. With the arrival of a direct link to Victoria, commerce shifted from Cumberland with many entrepreneurs opening a second establishment in Courtenay to take advantage of the new heart of the valley.

Ask The Dentists! Drs. Manny Karamanis & Brett Burry

Oral Health and Canada’s Sponsored Refugees Dear Doctors - As a country we are accepting thousands of refugees from the Middle East, and I am trying to understand their challenges so that we can be responsible about assisting them wherever possible. Someone mentioned that their teeth may be in bad shape. What programs may be in place to assist in their dental care? Answer - Our location in the Comox Valley has not

been a common destination for refugees in the past (many gravitate to the urban centres), but there are families arriving on Vancouver Island now through private sponsors so we wouldn't be surprised to have some on the north end of the island too. Governments change, and programs change also. What should you expect? This all depends on where they are coming from, and also how long they may have lived in refugee camps. The available diet in these camps is limited, and certainly lack of access to dental care is the rule rather than the exception. Some may have suffered oral/dental injuries during the turmoil in their native countries or the travel time to these camps and arrive with significant problems already. There would likely have been no preventative care other than perhaps some dental 'kits' supplied by agencies such as the Red Cross. Dentists volunteering in some of these camps (some accommodating tens of thousands of refugees simultaneously) tell of extreme pain, overcrowding, stays exceeding 4 years before placement, and dental nightmares with both children and adults. Volunteering dentists see 20+ patients a day and the line never gets shorter. Many are missing teeth, and with a diet of limited refined sugar, cavities can be surprisingly low - but gum disease can reign supreme. Upon arrival here,as they adapt to a more western diet, the incidence of decay becomes greater if they have not adopted a 'hygiene' regimen. Remember, the head of the family may have language challenges and if there is no encouragement toward the children with brushing and flossing the toothbrush may become a toy rather than a tool. When families arrive on Vancouver Island we anticipate they may have experienced years of neglect. There may be some assistance program with governmental agencies, but with private sponsors perhaps not so well defined. Of course, the media has much to say – and there are conflicting opinions on who should pay for what. All we can safely state as dental professionals is that everyone should have a thorough dental examination. There may be significant orthodontic issues for which their society had no real treatment options. Depending on the structured health care program for these refugees, there may or may not be assistance specifically for dental care. First steps first though –that initial examination is needed to determine the next most 'doable' logical step! Call the Dental Hotline at 1-800-617-2936 and schedule a FREE implant information session.

Acreview Dental 750 Comox Road, Courtenay, BC

1-800-617-2936 (Dental Hotline) www.AcreviewDental.com Services are provided by General Dentists

26 FRIDAY.FEBRUARY 12, 2016

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February 2, 2016

February 1, 2016

Bruce Gellatly, 84, died peacefully in Courtenay, British Columbia on February 2, 2016, surrounded b y f a m i l y. B r u c e j o i n s A u d r e y, h i s wife of 60 years, who passed away in 2014. He is survived by his children Barb, Mary and Sean Gellatly, Anne Armstrong; eight grandchildren; and, three greatgrandchildren. Bruce contributed significantly to Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s university community. Bruce helped build the University of Waterloo from the ground up. Working from its inception in 1957 to 1983, Bruce provided financial management that enabled the university to pursue its vision and establish its reputation. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1984 in recognition of his achievements. Bruce joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) as Vice-President Administration and Finance in 1983. In a period of financial restraint, Bruce helped lead UBC from a provincial institution to a leading national research university. Bruce contributed to the community in many other ways. He was active in the Anglican Church, was Chair of the Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic Choir and Chair of the Richmond Hospital Foundation. Bruceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devotion to serving the community was met only by his dedication to his family. Since retiring in 1996, Bruce provided unparalleled care and commitment to his ill wife Audrey. Bruce was also a sportsman; joining the Old Timers Hockey league on trips to Europe and Japan in winter and working on his golf handicap in the summer. A funeral service was held on Tuesday, February 9 at 2 p.m. at Comox Valley Funeral Home, 1101 Ryan Road, Courtenay, British Columbia. Flowers gratefully declined. A donation may be made to a charity of your choice.

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Bruce Gellatly

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CREMATION AND RECEPTION CENTRE 1101 Ryan Road, Courtenay

250-334-0707

James George May of Comox, passed away peacefully at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital on Monday, February 1, 2016, aged 91. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Jean in 1997. Private cremation arrangements, with interment in his homeland of Scotland at a later date.

Comox Valley

FUNERAL HOME CREMATION AND RECEPTION CENTRE 1101 Ryan Road, Courtenay

250-334-0707

Mary Tollefsen Mary passed away suddenly and peacefully on January 30th to be with the Lord. She was 84 years old and often stated that she had already been blessed with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;good lifeâ&#x20AC;? and was ready to go whenever she was called. She is survived by her children, Larry (Carol) Kozuback and Cathy (Tom) Schott and five grandchildren, Jason, Daniel, David, Paul and Dale. She is predeceased by her husbands Alex Kozuback and Rolf Tollefsen and brother John Putio. Mary was born in northern Alberta (Wanham) to William (Bill) and Marushka (Mary) Putio. She completed her schooling there, met Alex Kozuback and was married at 21 years of age. Together they had several businesses including the Wanham General Store, Co-op Bulk Oil and then later moved to High Prairie and Bently, Alberta where they ran the Royalite Oil Agency and the Shell Service Station respectively. They then retired to 1980 to Salmon Arm, BC and later to Comox/Courtenay, BC. Mary was very active in her time in the Comox Valley being involved in the hiking and dance clubs, golfing and volunteering with Senior Peer Counseling and Hospice. She also loved to garden, cook (especially for family) and cross country ski. She started painting (oils/water colour) in later years to everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight. She was a consummate scrabble player and enjoyed winning. She will be deeply missed by all those who knew her. Donations in Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory may be made to Courtenay Hospice and Senior Peer Counseling or Glacier View Lodge and or Gideons Canada.

A thought of sweet remembrance from one who thinks of you.

L O C A L

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FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEATHS

Phyllis May Johansen (Cottingham) May 13, 1929 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Feb 6, 2016 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our Mom, Phyllis after a lengthy battle with COPD. This brings an end to the era of the original Cottingham family. Phyllis was the youngest of seven children of William (1978) and Maryanne (1963) Cottingham who homesteaded in Lazo in 1927. Mom was born and died at St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital in Comox. Phyllis was predeceased by her parents and all of her siblings (Cyril Cottingham (1943), Beryl Grieve (1981), Ronald Cottingham (1984), Bill Cottingham (1990), Glyn Cottingham (2006), and Doreen Webber (2006). She was also predeceased by her ďŹ rst husband Ken Greenhill (1979), and her second husband Joe (Hugh) Johansen (2012), daughter, Patty (1992), and son Ross (2002). Phyllis is survived by her daughter Brenda (Glen) Lange, Vern (April) Greenhill, Glen (Cindy) Greenhill, Son-in-law Ken Crane, sister-in-law Patricia Cottingham, 9 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Specialâ&#x20AC;? niece Joy (Paul) Beaulieu, and numerous nephews and nieces of the Cottingham, Webber, and Grieve families. Mom led a simple and quiet life and was very much a homebody! What brought her joy was her family. Mom also reďŹ&#x201A;ected fondly on her childhood growing up on Ryan Road near the air base. Mom worked for many years in the laundry dept of HMCS Quadra (Goose Spit Sea Cadets), and later in the cafĂŠ at Leungs groceries. Mom did not want a formal service, but the family will be holding a private gathering at a later date. Mom loved all animals especially her cat Mitzi. In lieu of cards and ďŹ&#x201A;owers, a donation to the SPCA would be appreciated.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITY Manager Of Parks & Facilities Maintenance

The City invites applications for the position of Manager of Parks & Facilities Maintenance in the Public Works Services Department. For complete details and to apply, go to www.courtenay.ca/jobs

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AREA MANAGER

Please go to http://careers.nic.bc.ca for further criteria, required qualiďŹ cations and information on how to apply to posting #101088.

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28 www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

WHAT'SON In the Comox Valley 12 FRIDAY COURTENAY LEGION • Meat draws every Friday, 5-7 pm. COMOX LEGION • Meat draws every Friday, 3 p.m. Open to all Legion members and signed in guests. Friday is still drop in darts night 7.30 pm toe line, $2.25 per person.

Management Group can help you find answers to your questions. Meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at the Comox Valley Nursing Centre, 1615 Tenth Street Courtenay. For more information please check out our website: www.pipain.com COMOX VALLEY WOOD CARVERS • If you are interested in any type of wood carving please join us at the Royston Community Hall every Tuesday from 9:30 AM to 3 PM for a day of carving and learning about carving. No experience necessary. FMI call Al at 250-331-0156 or Jim at 250339-5350.

13 SATURDAY 17 WEDNESDAY COURTENAY LEGION • Meat draws every Saturday 2-5 p.m. in the lounge. COMOX LEGION • Meat draws are held every Saturday 3 p.m.

15 MONDAY Svend Robinson (Photo: Ric Ernst/Vancouver Sun)

Mental Health and Restorative Justice are topics for 5th Annual Campagnolo Lecture Svend Robinson: “Broken Minds & Broken Laws”

When the biography “Svend Robinson: A Life in Politics” was published in 2013, the Vancouver Sun commented: “Svend Robinson, former Burnaby MP is usually remembered for two spectacular moments: His decision in 1988 to become Canada’s first politician to go public about his homosexuality, and his stunning career self-immolation when he stole an expensive diamond ring in 2004.” But Robinson has always been involved with much more throughout his life. And the “ring thing” may have been the end of his political career, but not the end of his advocacy for the issues he cares about. That event, which led to his diagnosis of hypomania, a mild form of bipolar disorder’, added mental health to the range of issues he chooses to address. The 5th Annual Campagnolo Lecture, on Thursday, February 25th at NIC’s Stan Hagen Theatre at 7:30 will bring his thinking on mental health and restorative justice to the Comox Valley. His lecture is entitled: “Broken Minds and Broken Laws: Restoration and Justice”. It will reflect his experience and understanding of the possibilities of restorative justice when encountering mental health concerns. At the Comox Valley Community Justice Centre, a quarter of all files have significant elements of mental health and/or addictions issues. Prior to his withdrawal from federal political work as a the longest serving member of the House of Commons, he was engaged in so many areas of Canada’s and the world’s social fabric. His passions obliged him to take forceful public positions on issues like environmental preservation and the authority of Aboriginal here in BC, and with the Penan indigenous peoples in Sarawak, Malaysia. Over the course of his career, Robinson has steadily pursued what he sees as just and right relationships between people, places, and ideas. He has championed environmental protection on Haida Gwaii and in Clayoquot, always with the invitation of, and in collaboration with, the First Nation on whose traditional territory the action would be carried out. At Robinson’s sentencing for his participation in the Clayoquot blockade, Justice Wally Oppal noted Robinson’s earlier conviction for his actions on Haida Gwaii, but he observed that such civil disobedience, like that of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, has been “instrumental for many great human purposes.” Robinson has been active in the right to physician assisted death and was present at

the death of Sue Rodriguez, on February 12, 1994. In his media interview following the event, he was questioned about his role as a Member of Parliament and the duty to uphold the law. He replied : “The highest duty of a Member of Parliament is love.” Robinson was also the first Canadian MP to come out as gay in 1988. He was quickly followed by other public figures and other MPs. His work for protecting gay rights in the Charter in 1991 was unsuccessful, but again, being ahead of his time, he had to wait. In 1995 the Supreme Court read sexual orientation rights into the Charter. Likewise, pension rights for same sex couples, the abolition of discrimination against gays and lesbians in the Canadian military, and finally, the Supreme Court order that same-sex couples could legally marry in 2005 paved the way for his own quiet wedding to Max Riveron in 2007. But the crowning achievement of his work for gay rights, in his own view, is the fact that his private member’s bill, C-250, not only passed the House of Commons, but also the Senate and was given Royal Assent in April, 2004. It added sexual orientation to the grounds included in the Criminal Code sections relating to the promotion of genocide and the public incitement of hatred. Robinson’s extraordinary career was based on his adoption of a set of views which were years ahead of his time. He has worked in the areas of progressive social change all his life. Following his retirement from politics in 2004, Robinson publicly acknowledged his own mental health issue and took up mental health as an additional one of his advocacy concerns.. Robinson now works for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, based in Geneva. As Senior Specialist for Parliamentary Affairs, he is responsible for relations with the legislatures of donor and recipient nations, co-ordinating the country donations of the funding needed (over $22 Billion in the decade from 2002 – 2011). The Global Fund, founded by former UN Secretary General Koffi Anan and Microsoft’s Bill Gates is now recognized as one of the most effective and reputable international agencies working to bring healing to the most vulnerable populations of the world. Tickets for the 5th Annual Campagnolo Lecture are available at Laughing Oyster Books or on-line through www.picatic.com/ Campagnolo_Lecture_Feb_25. Limited numbers of tickets are available at $10 each and are going quite quickly.

PLEASURE CRAFT THEATRE • presents a zany ongoing improvised play which is a satire of school themed storylines such as Archie, Footloose, Glee and Gossip Girl. Recurring characters and plots carry on throughout the six episodes of the show, which creates itself as it goes along, with on the fly lighting, music and direction. The show is suitable for all ages, costs only 5$ and runs every Monday night from Jan 18th to Feb 29th. Show starts at 7pm sharp! At the Cumberland Masonic Hall, 2687 Dunsmuir. CRIBBAGE • Every Monday night, 7:00, at the Royston Hall, corner of Old Island Highway and Royston Road. LADIES AUXILIARY DROP-IN BINGO • Comox Legion Ladies Auxiliary Drop-in Bingo, upper hall. Doors open 6 pm, bingo 7 p.m. All money goes to charities. Free coffee and tea.

16 TUESDAY NORTH ISLAND RHODODENDRON SOCIETY • For its February 16 meeting, the NIRS visits the most famous annual flower exhibit in England—the Chelsea Flower Show through images taken by NIRS members Peter and Antje Guertler. Along with visitors from around the world, the Guertlers also visited 15 private and National Trust gardens. While NIRS meetings are usually held every second Tuesday of the month, February’s had to be postponed for a week. Doors at the Comox United Church hall, 250 Beach, open at 7PM and the meeting starts at 7:30 PM. CANADIAN FEDERATION of UNIVERSITY WOMEN (CFUW) COMOX VALLEY • Monthly meeting today (third Tuesday of each month.) 11:30am. Eagle Ridge Club House 2200 Manor Drive, Comox. An opportunity to meet with like minded women, join book groups, share in community projects and support University students with bursaries. FMI phone Gail 250-339-5656 or Marianne 250-871-2796. THE NORTH ISLAND MYELOMA SUPPORT GROUP • Is having its monthly meeting on February 16, 2016 at the White Spot Restaurant, 2299 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay. Come for lunch in the meeting room at 12:15 (optional, buy your own lunch), meeting starts at 1:30. Keep up to date on the latest info on myeloma and enjoy socializing with others affected by the disease. RSVP Linda at: lindalathamcr@gmail.com or 250-204-9055 if you plan to attend or for more info. COMOX VALLEY PAIN SELF-MANAGEMENT GROUP • Do you struggle with persistent pain? Do you feel like your pain is holding your life hostage? Find it difficult to talk about your pain? Join us for an morning of education and understanding at the Fraser Valley Peer-Led Pain Self-

HEART SUPPORT GROUP • Comox Valley Chapter.Monthly Meeting February 17, 7PM, Comox Recreation Centre, 1855 Noel Ave. Our group is a support group for anyone who has had a heart procedure, is about to undergo a heart procedure and their spouses. Our guest speaker will be “Tim Cowan” Pharmacist from the Medicine Shoppe in Comox. There is no charge for our meetings & all are welcome. For more information, please call: (250) 339-3668 THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL ASSOCIATION • Holds it’s Monthly Meetings at 1:00 P.M. in the Upper hall of the Comox Legion on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. February meeting will be held on the 17th Guests are more than welcome. COPD SUPPORT GROUP • (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)-Drop In February 17th at 1:30 pm Place: Comox Valley Nursing Centre, 615 Tenth St. Courtenay. Guest Speaker: Greg Okasanen, pharmacist from Living Room Pharmacy. Topic: New Medications for COPD BINGO • Play and support the Cumberland Community Schools Society! Running every Wednesday at the Cumberland Legion with proceeds for CCSS. Doors open at 6:30. Game starts at 7. Beginners welcome!

18 THURSDAY

CV HARD OF HEARING SUPPORT GROUP • Is now holding their meetings on the THIRD THURSDAY of the month (February 18, 2016) at the COMOX RECREATION CENTER (1855 Noel Ave, Comox). Meetings are held in Room A – on the second floor. Both an elevator and stairs are available. Our speaker for February will be Val Johnson who will share with us her experience in ‘Living with a Chochlear Implant’. Room booking is for 2 hours only – plan is to start promptly at 10 am. Hope to see you there! FMI call Glenda at 250 338 -7792 COMOX VALLEY WRITERS SOCIETY • B.V. Bayly will be the guest speaker at the next general meeting. He will be speaking on book marketing with social media. This topic will be of particular interest to self-published book authors wanting to understand the major social media platform options. Please join the CVWS on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 at the Valley View Elementary School to learn more about book marketing with social media. This free event begins at 7pm in the school library.

20 SATURDAY

COMOX VALLEY COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR WALK • Saturday, February 20, 4pm-8pm A fun, family-friendly winter fundraising walk for Comox Valley Transition Society and Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness, we aim to attract 230 local walkers to help us raise money to support Comox Valley’s homeless, hungry and hurting. We are NOW recruiting walk teams and walk sponsors - get involved at: coldestnightoftheyear. org

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.JFEBRUARY 12, 2016

Alternative calendar talks have parents concluding a 4-day instruction week will be the new norm in this district BY MARY LEE Echo Staff

BC School District students enjoyed one less day of formal instruction this week thanks to a province-wide Family Day but could a four-day week become the norm for Comox Valley students. Adopting an alternative calendar is not a new topic of discussion among Board Trustees. Since as early as May 2015 Trustees have discussed budgetary concerns and options of saving money through altering the school calendar. Now with a growing amount of speculation by parents that a four-day week is on the horizon, the District Public Advisory Council is asking trustees what is the long term solution for the budget shortfall. At the January 26 Regular Board Meeting, Trustee Janice Caton made a motion to formally turn talk into action. “[I move] for senior management to commence a consultation process to look at the alternative instructional week and provide updates at subsequent board meet-

ings.” The motion was carried. Caton cautions that a solution does not necessarily equate to a four-day week. “There’s nothing written in stone ...we need to hear what options are out there to best suit the needs of our district in these difficult educational budgetary times.” A move to a four-day school week is widely viewed as a measure to close budget gaps Other school districts in BC have considered it or have already adopting it in effort to stop the budgetary bleeding, a situation resulting from the Liberal Governments Education Funding Model. Okanagan-Similkameen is presently considering this option in the face of declining enrolment to avert cuts to program and services. Boundary School District 51 switched all of its schools to the four-day week during the 2001-2002 school year, a switch that helped stave off school closures, Superintendent Kevin Argue told CBC in a report last September. SD71 anticipates a bud-

get deﬁcit of $2.2M for 2016 / 17 based on information they know today. Shortfalls are largely due to the projected declining enrolment, an increase in operational costs and an increase in employees’ salary and beneﬁts. Figures recently provided to Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) from Sheldon Lee, Acting Secretary Treasurer, reveal that the SD71 student population is anticipated to decline by 143 which

translates into a reduction of $1,033,000 in basic funding. Salary and beneﬁts increases for all employee groups will yield a combined increase of $1,276,000. Parents are voicing concerns that budget implications will cost student’s another day of education and PACs have turned to social media to post detailed information on the pros and cons of four-day week. “The impacts this would

Fall Proof Balance & Mobility training classes start Monday at Courtenay Rec Are you 55+ and want to improve balance, strength and walking ability? If so sign up for Fall Proof Balance & Mobility Training at Courtenay Recreation. FallProof is a nationally recognized program that challenges an individual’s capability through centre of gravity control, sensory reception, postural control strategies and gait training enhanced with upper and lower body strength, ﬂexibility and endurance work. The goal of this program is to promote functional independence by improving or modifying risk factors contributing to heightened fall risk in the older adult. Exercises are matched to ability and are done sitting, standing and

Instructor Kim Hamilton

walking. Pre-program assessments determine the right exercise with an end of term review to track progress. Instructor Kim Hamilton is a personal trainer in working with the 50+ age group and specializes in working with people who have Osteoporosis and less mobility. The next Fall Proof class starts Monday, February 15. Classes are Monday and Thursdays from 1 – 2 pm for 6 weeks. To register participants must be able to walk a city block without stopping and without the use of a walker or cane. For more information please contact the Courtenay Recreation at 250-338-5371 or 250-3381000.

have on our children are huge. The kids will be losing out on valuable learning in the classroom, only to supposedly gain extra hours to an already long day,” expressed a parent who asked to remain unidentiﬁed. “This generation in many ways is already struggling to get the education needed to compete with the global economy for post secondary education and jobs; they do not need more cut backs.”

Nick Moore, Comox District Teachers’ Association (CDTA) President, concurs that the two most important components in education are the teachers and the students. Any change that reduces the number of teachers will result in a reduction in services to students. “It’s just not possible to cut spending without hurting students,” shared Moore, adding the CDTA does not favor any changes that will see the elimination of teachers. Moore explains there are really only three items where significant saving could be made: changing the weekly schedule, eliminate busing or school closures. “No other reductions will result in the savings needed to balance the budget next year without seriously affecting programs for students. “The CDTA would like to see significant administrative reductions made first before any other budget decisions are made.” SD71 administration has already begun consultations with partner groups on options for an alternative calendar week. “The culture in the district is to have management do work and then bring partner groups in for consultation. Partner groups such as the CDTA and parents are looking for a change. We want to be a part of those conversations from the start to help shape the work.” (Continued on page 30)

Just a reminder that Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the day!

Feb 12th - 18th CAPTIVIEW AVAILABLE IN THEATRE #1 & THEATRE #4 “Dead Pool” 14A: coarse language, violence, sexually suggestive scenes, nudity In Theatre # 1 – Friday –Sunday Night’s: 6:40 (8:40) & 9:40 (11:40) In Theatre # 1 – Monday – Thursday Night’s: 5:40 (7:40) & 8:40 (10:40) In Theatre # 1 – Saturday & Sunday Matinees: 12:50 (2:50) & 3:35 (5:35) “Hail, Caesar” PG: In Theatre # 2 – Friday –Monday Night’s: 6:50 (8:45) & 9:20 (11:15) In Theatre # 2 – Tuesday – Thursday Night’s: 5:50 (7:45) & 8:20 (10:15) In Theatre # 2 – Saturday - Monday Matinees: 12:40 (2:35) & 3:35(5:30) “Kung fu Panda” G: In Theatre # 3 – Friday – Sunday Night’s: 6:30 (8:15) & 9:15 (11:00) In Theatre # 3– Monday – Thursday Night’s: 5:30 (7:15) & 8:15 (10:00) In Theatre # 3 – Saturday & Sunday Matinees: 12:30 (2:15) & 3:15 (5:00) “How to be single” 14A: coarse language, sexual content In Theatre # 4 – Friday –Sunday Night’s: 7:00 (9:00) & 9:30 (11:30) In Theatre # 4 – Monday – Thursday Night’s: 8:00 (10:00) & 8:30 (10:30) In Theatre # 4 – Saturday & Sunday Matinees: 1:00 (3:00) & 3:45 (5:45)

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30 www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

BC Lions players present powerful message to youth BY MARY LEE Echo Staff High school students at Highland had the unique opportunity of having BC Lions players Shawn Gore and Rolly Lumbala hang out in their gym Tuesday afternoon last week. But these two robust athletes weren’t out to showcase their football talents, shoot hoops, promote athleticism, or pose for selﬁes. Their purpose was quite speciﬁc and the message far more profound. Members of the BC Lions Football Club were visiting communities around metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island last week in support of the club’s tremendously successful social campaign, Be More Than A Bystander. Be More Than a Bystander is a groundbreaking partnership between the BC Lions and Ending Violence Association (EVA) BC that capitalizes on the persuasive power of sports icons to spread the message that violence - physical or verbal - is wrong, should not be tolerated and can stopped with key tools used to intervene. The education component connects youth with BC Lions spokespersons in an up-close and personal presentation. “We want to reach the entire student body when we come out to speak,” explained Gore adding that by simply explaining certain behaviour is wrong, youth can recognize it when it occurs and feel empowered to do something. “All it takes is to be told it is wrong. It triggers emotions that carry on with them.” Gore and Lumbala delivered their message using straight forward language and examples of what violent and abusive behavior is, how impactful and hurtful it can be toward women and girls and then delivered practical ideas about how to speak up and against it. “It isn’t a superhero ap-

Shawn Gore of the BC Lions Football Club addresses the student body at Highland Secondary Tuesday on the highly successful program Be More Than a Bystander which engages youth on how to speak up and how to communicate that violence and abuse towards girls and women is not acceptable. proach,” remarked Lumbala. Following the mass presentation, Gore and Lumbala led a smaller group of senior students through a scenario-based discussion to uncover more deeper issues surrounding violence against women and girls. “They don’t realize how actions affect other people”, Gore explained. “The thing is, they become leaders and it only takes one or two of them to step forward to get others to follow. It’s called friends being leaders.” In the program’s ﬁrst four years, 54,000 students throughout British Columbia have been targeted through in-school presentations. Now in its ﬁfth year, the publicity reach of the program has won several awards, been highlighted in a global session at the United Nations, and is directly responsible for a number of spin-off campaigns across Canada. Founding partners of the Be More Than a Bystander initiative are Status of Women Canada, the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development and Encana Corporation.

(Continued from page 29)

The province sets the minimum hours of instruction for districts, but not the speciﬁc days of instruction for school calendars. According to the BC Ministry of Education School Act, the minimum amount of instruction hours that a board must offer students for the next two school year are 848 hours

Principal Dean Patterson welcomes BC Lions players Shawn Gore (right) and Rolly Lumbala to Highland Secondary for their presentation designed to empower youth to break the silence and speak out against violence. Presentations were delivered to students at Mark Isleld and G.P. Vanier on Wednesday.

Waverley Hotel and Pub seeks Village support for increase in its occupancy load BY MICHAEL BRIONES Echo Staff The Waverley Hotel and Pub wants to increase its licensed capacity to 350 patrons from 210. Owner Don McLellan has an application to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for Structural Change to Liquor Primary and Liquor Primary Club establishment at 2692 Dunsmuir. He is seeking the support of village council. The Waverley has undergone renovations to its building that include relocation of the women’s washroom and a kitchen addition. Its new dimensions will allow the pub tp boost its capacity. Cumberland ﬁre chief Mike Williamson and building inspector Glen Grieve checked out the changes done to the establishment. Grieve, however, recommended the capacity increase be capped at only 280. Around 95 property owners within 125 metres of the Waverley were notiﬁed by mail of the proposed changes and were

of instruction for students in kindergarten, 873 hours for grades 1 to 7 and 947 hours of instruction for students in grades 8 to 12. How those hours of instruction are arranged are determined by each district. The school act also directs boards to consult with parents and with staff involving proposed changes or amendments to the school calendar.

The historic Waverley Hotel and Pub on Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland advised to submit written concerns about the application. Under the Liquor Control And Licensing Act, a local government may provide input on liquor applications and resolutions that include comments and recommendations based on residents’ views and concerns. The village did receive some comments and they were focused more on the issue of noise and policing

Tom Demeo, Acting Superintendent, says conversation have already begun in the consultation process that will involve community engagement. Demeo explains that to start the conversation administration had to ﬁrst create a sample schedule to present to district principals and staff as a baseline. With staff feedback they can begin to shape a sample

in the area. They want to make sure that they are controlled and monitored. Council, based on the building inspector’s calculations, agreed to endorse the Waverley’s application to the LCLB with the occupant load limited to 280 people only. There are no changes to the Waverley’s operating hours of Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Coun-

calendar week to present to the public. “We will schedule public meetings for each of the communities to engage parents in a dialogue around options for an alternative instruction week and share the sample in hopes of encouraging others to share their ideas and thoughts, explains Demeo. “We need to begin with a starting point.”

cil recommended that the closing times be maintained as there is potential for noise or negative impact on the community with this type of use. Council also agreed once the Waverley’s application is approved, it can have a positive impact on the economic development of the community. It also has received support of a great number of local and out of town clients.

Consultation into an alternative instructional week is expected to wrap up before the end of the current school year. A ﬁnal decision on the upcoming school calendar will rest with the Board Trustees. Dates on public meetings will be released on or before the next Regular Board Meeting, scheduled for February 23, and will be available on the district website.

Committee set to raise funds to buy Maple Lake land

BY MICHAEL BRIONES Echo Staff

The committee working on acquiring the Maple Lake grounds is set to get its fund raising campaign to purchase the property in motion. To tap into the myriad of possible sources of grant funding, the Maple Lake Fundraising Committee has sought a formal letter of support from Village of Cumberland. Mayor Leslie Baird has written a letter favouring the acquisition of Maple Lake land and it was endorsed by council on Tuesday night. The Cumberland letter

$ completes the package the committee has created to be used in applying for grants and funding assistance. The committee was formed in 2013 with the purpose of going after grant funding either directly or through partnering organizations, regionally promote public donations to the village, and to raise funds towards the purchase of Maple Lake property and surrounding wetlands to be turned into a public park. Since 2014, the committee has been garnering letters of support from different sectors of local governments, community

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Offers available from February 2 - 29, 2016. 5Payments cannot be made on a weekly basis, for advertising purposes only. +Offer is administered by Nissan Canada Extended Services Inc. (NCESI) and applies to any MY15 Micra/Sentra/Murano and MY16 Versa Note/Rogue/Pathfinder models (each, an “Eligible Model”) leased and registered through Nissan Canada Financial Services Inc., on approved credit, between Feb 2 – 29 from an authorized Nissan retailer in Canada. Eligible only on leases through NCF with subvented rates. Offer recipient will be entitled to receive a maximum of six (6) service visits (each, a “Service Visit”) for the Eligible Vehicle – where each Service Visit consists of one (1) oil change (using conventional 5W30 motor oil) and one (1) tire rotation service (each, an “Eligible Service”). All Eligible Services will be conducted in strict accordance with the Oil Change and Tire Rotation Plan outline in the Agreement Booklet for the Eligible Vehicle. The service period (“Service Period”) will commence on the purchase or lease transaction date (“Transaction Date”) and will expire on the earlier of: (i) the date on which the maximum number of Service Visits has been reached; (ii) 36 months from the Transaction Date; or (ii) when the Eligible Vehicle has reached 48,000 kilometers. All Eligible Services must be completed during the Service Period, otherwise they will be forfeited. The Offer may be upgraded to use premium oil at the recipient’s expense. The Eligible Services are not designed to meet all requirements and specifications necessary to maintain the Eligible Vehicle. To see the complete list of maintenance necessary, please refer to the Service Maintenance Guide. Any additional services required are not covered by the Offer and are the sole responsibility and cost of the recipient. Offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain offers NCESI reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. Additional conditions and limitations apply. Ask your retailer for details. &Representative monthly lease offer based on a new 2016 Rogue S FWD CVT (Y6RG16 AA00)/2016 Rogue SV Special Edition FWD (Y6SG16 AA00)/2015 Murano S FWD (LXRG15 AA00). 1.49%/1.49%/2.9% lease APR for a 60/60/60 month term equals monthly payments of $280/$308/$387 with $750/$750/$0 down payment, and $0 security deposit. First monthly payment, down payment and $0 security deposit are due at lease inception. Payments include freight and fees. Lease based on a maximum of 20,000 km/year with excess charged at $0.10/km. Total lease obligation is $17,393/$19,228/$23,213. *Representative monthly lease offer based on a new 2016 Rogue S FWD CVT (Y6RG16 AA00). 0% lease APR for a 24 month term equals monthly payments of $433 with $0 down payment, and $0 security deposit. First monthly payment, down payment and $0 security deposit are due at lease inception. Payments include freight and fees. Lease based on a maximum of 20,000 km/year with excess charged at $0.10/km. Total lease obligation is $10,387. ‡$3,250/$5,500/$6,500 NCF standard finance cash (includes bonus cash) available on new 2015 Micra 1.6 SR (S5SG55 AA00/AA10)/(S5SG75 AA00/AA10)/2015 Sentra 1.8 SL (C4LG55 AA00), 2015 Sentra SR Premium CVT (C4LG15 RP00)/2015 Altima 2.5 SL (T4LG15 AAOO)/(T4TG15 NV00)/(T4SG15 NV00) models when financing with NCF at standard rates. VModels shown $37,008/$25,998/$45,258 Selling price for a new 2016 Rogue SL AWD Premium (Y6DG16 BK00)/ 2015 Sentra 1.8 SL (C4TG15 AA00)/2015 Murano Platinum AWD (LXEG15 TE00). See your dealer or visit Nissan.ca/Loyalty. *X±&VFreight and PDE charges ($1,760/$1,600/$1,760) air-conditioning levy ($100) where applicable, applicable fees (all which may vary by region), manufacturer’s rebate and dealer participation where applicable are included. License, registration, insurance and applicable taxes are extra. Lease offers are available on approved credit through Nissan Canada Finance for a limited time, may change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers except stackable trading dollars. Vehicles and accessories are for illustration purposes only. 2016 Rogue recognized as IIHS top safety picks when equipped with Forward Emergency Braking. For more information see www.IIHS.org. The Nissan Sentra received the lowest number of problems per 100 vehicles among compact cars in the proprietary J.D. Power 2015 Initial Quality StudySM. Study based on responses from 84,367 new-vehicle owners, measuring 244 models and measures opinions after 90 days of ownership. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in February-May 2015. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. See your participating Nissan retailer for complete details. ©2016 Nissan Canada Inc. and Nissan Canada Financial Services Inc. a division of Nissan Canada Inc.

www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.JFEBRUARY 12, 2016

ernments in the Comox Valley. No funding from Cumberland revenues is expected to be contributed to the acquisition of Maple Lake or to any required expenditures of the committee. “As the valley continues to develop, it is important that we work collaboratively to attain park status and return this natural resource to public hands,” said Baird. Cumberland’s vision is to connect Maple Lake and its future trails to the existing and future recreational trail network. It will allow residents to bike and hike to the lake from the village. As well, the goal is for the lake to be accessible to all with a public road access and parking area.

ON NOW AT YOUR BC CHEVROLET DEALERS. Chevrolet.ca 1-800-GM-DRIVE. Chevrolet is a brand of General Motors of Canada. Offers apply to the lease of a 2016 Cruze Limited LS (1SA) and 2016 Equinox LS, and to the purchase or finance of a 2015 Silverado 1500. License, insurance, registration, administration fees, dealer fees, PPSA and taxes not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited time offers which may not be combined with other offers, and are subject to change without notice. Offers apply to qualified retail customers in BC Chevrolet Dealer Marketing Association area only. Dealer order or trade may be required. * Offer valid to eligible retail lessees in Canada who have entered into a lease agreement with GM Financial and accept delivery between February 2 and February 29, 2016 of a new or demonstrator 2016 model year Chevrolet model excluding Chevrolet Colorado 2SA. General Motors of Canada will pay one month’s lease payment or two biweekly lease payments as defined on the lease agreement (inclusive of taxes). After the first month, lessee will be required to make all remaining scheduled payments over the remaining term of the lease agreement. PPSA/RDPRM is not due. Consumer may be required to pay Dealer Fees. Insurance, licence, and applicable taxes not included. Additional conditions and limitations apply. GM reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time without prior notice. See dealer for details. ¥ Lease based on a purchase price of $12,724, including $446 Owner Cash (tax exclusive), $3,000 lease cash and a $1,500 manufacturer-to-dealer delivery credit (tax exclusive) for a new eligible 2016 Cruze Limited LS (1SA). Bi-weekly payment is $50 for 24 months at 0% APR, on approved credit to qualified retail customers by GM Financial. Annual kilometre limit of 20,000 km, $0.16 per excess kilometre. $0 down payment and a $0 security deposit is required. Payment may vary depending on down payment or trade. Total obligation is $2,592 plus applicable taxes. Option to purchase at lease end is $10,132. Price and total obligation exclude license, insurance, registration, taxes and optional equipment. Other lease options are available. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Limited-time offer, which may not be combined with other offers. See your dealer for conditions and details. General Motors of Canada Company reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. > Purchase price includes $750 Owner Cash (tax inclusive) and a cash credit of $3,000 and applies to new 2016 Equinox LS FWD models at participating dealers in Canada. Purchase price of $24,995 excludes license, insurance, registration, dealer fees and taxes. Dealer may sell for less. Offer may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. GM Canada may modify, extend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without notice. See dealer for details. ^ Offer available to qualified retail customers in Canada for vehicles delivered between February 2 and February 29, 2016. 0% purchase financing offered on approved credit by TD Auto Finance Services, Scotiabank® or RBC Royal Bank for 84 months on all new or demonstrator 2015 Silverado 1500 Double Cab 2WD WT / Crew Cab 2WD WT and Silverado HD’s WT 2WD with gas engine. Participating lenders are subject to change. Rates from other lenders will vary. Down payment, trade and/or security deposit may be required. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Example: $40,000 at 0% APR, the monthly payment is $476.19 for 84 months. Cost of borrowing is $0, total obligation is $40,000. Offer is unconditionally interest-free. 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RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. † $10,380 is a combined total credit consisting of a $3,000 manufacturer to dealer delivery credit (tax exclusive) for 2015 Silverado Light Duty Double Cab, $1,000 Owner Cash (tax inclusive), a $1,200 manufacturer to dealer Option Package Discount Credit (tax exclusive) for 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Light Duty (1500) Double Cab LS equipped with a Custom Edition and a $5,180 manufacturer to dealer cash credit (tax exclusive) on Silverado Light Duty (1500) Double Cab WT 4WD, LS, LT or LTZ which is available for cash purchases only and cannot be combined with special lease and finance rates. By selecting lease or finance offers, consumers are foregoing this $5,180 credit which will result in higher effective interest rates. Discounts vary by model. †† Offer applies to eligible current owners or lessees of any model year 1999 or newer car that has been registered and insured in Canada in the customer’s name for the previous consecutive six (6) months. Credit valid towards the retail purchase or lease of one eligible 2015 Silverado or 2016 model year Chevrolet car, SUV, crossover and pickups models delivered in Canada between February 2 and February 29, 2016. Credit is a manufacturer to consumer incentive (tax inclusive) and credit value depends on model purchased: $500 credit available on 2016 Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze LTD, Malibu LTD, All-New Malibu (except L), All-New Volt, Camaro; $750 credit available on other 2016 Chevrolets (except Corvette, Colorado 2SA, Silverado Light Duty and Heavy Duty); $1,000 credit available on all 2015 and 2016 Chevrolet Silverado’s. Offer is transferable to a family member living within the same household (proof of address required). 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Visit jdpower.com. ¥¥ Based on GM Testing in accordance with approved Transport Canada test methods. Your actual fuel consumption may vary. ~ Visit onstar.ca for coverage maps, details and system limitations. Services and connectivity may vary by model and conditions. OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity is available on select vehicle models and in select markets. Customers will be able to access OnStar services only if they accept the OnStar User Terms and Privacy Statement (including software terms). OnStar acts as a link to existing emergency service providers. After the trial period (if applicable), an active OnStar service plan is required. ‡‡ Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar. gov). ** The 2-Year Scheduled Lube-Oil-Filter Maintenance Program provides eligible customers in Canada, who have purchased or leased a new eligible 2015 MY Chevrolet (excluding Spark EV), with an ACDelco® oil and filter change, in accordance with the oil life monitoring system and the Owner’s Manual, for 2 years or 40,000 km, whichever occurs first, with a limit of four (4) Lube-Oil-Filter services in total, performed at participating GM dealers. Fluid top offs, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc. are not covered. This offer may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives available on GM vehicles. General Motors of Canada Company reserves the right to amend or terminate this offer, in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice. Additional conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ^^ Whichever comes first. See dealer for details.

32 www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.COURTENAY,BC FEBRUARY 12, 2016

A walk to think about murdered and abused women The unparalleled natural beauty and the people who live in the Comox Valley make all of us proud to call this our home. Despite this, we have a very serious national problem and our community is no exception. Approximately every six days a woman is killed by her intimate partner. Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence since the age of 16. By these numbers, we can assume that we have approximately 15,000 women and girls living in our community who have experienced gendered violence. There is a high need for response services in our community. Last year our local transition

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Courtenay Little Theatre features comedy reading

Courtenay Little Theatre’s Event Night on Tues., Feb. 16th will feature a reading of Woody Allen’s comedy, Play it Again Sam directed by Alana Gowdy. When his wife walks out, Allan Felix (Brian Mather) has very little luck in meeting women. To help him succeed he has advice from his good friends Dick and Linda Christie (Terry Penney and Michelle Sinclair). However, he has other assistance. The most effective, and certainly the most straightforward, suggestions come from the supportive spirit of Humphrey Bogart (Keith Dessler). In a series of entertaining flashbacks and fantasies, Allan tries his best with numerous women. These minute, extremely small, microscopic roles are played by a number of daring CLT members – Adele Bailey, Kate Fairley, Enid Farmar, Jean Higginson, Nancy Parker, Camille Soper, and Heather Rapin. Will Allan ever succeed in finding the perfect mate? Who will be his chosen companion? Does the Bogart approach really work? As he tells Allan, “Dames are simple. I never met one who didn’t understand a slap in the mouth or a slug from a fortyfive.” But is that Allan’s style? The fastpaced reading of this witty comedy will provide an entertaining evening. Don’t miss it at CLT’s Space, 1625 McPhee Avenue, Courtenay (fenced lot at 17th St. and McPhee), at 7:15 pm. Admission is by donation to the bursary fund and seating is limited. For more information, see www.courtenaylittletheatre.com

Sing Happy Birthday to the Queen The Queen will celebrate her 90th birthday on April 21 of this year, although the occasion is marked “officially” in Canada on Victoria Day. The Monarchist League of Canada is organizing a birthday project as a celebration from our national family to the head of the nation. Thus it is asking Canadians as individual, as choirs, in various groups, and with family and friends, to record with a video or phone cam a verse of “Happy Birthday to You.” Full details about how to participate appear on the League’s website at www.monarchist.ca

Valentine musical variety show will beneﬁt food bank

Show your sweetheart some energetic love this Valentine’s weekend and take him or her out for a night on the town. A Valentine Musical Variety Show to beneﬁt the Food Bank will be held Saturday, February 13 at the Little Red Church. The perfect event to beat the February blahs. The idea to hold such an event came from local Valley resident Ian Christopher who wanted a way to break the monotony of the winter grayness often felt this time of year. “There’s a need and I ﬁlled it,” shares Christopher. “I couldn’t do this alone and once people caught on, they stepped up to help.” Volunteer organizations lending support through donations in-kind include John’s Independent Grocer, Marty Douglas of Remax, Sure Copy, the Komox Grind Coffee and Smoothie Bar, and Compass Adventures. Musical performances include but not limited to Alan Jossul (pictured),

Alan Jossul will perform Jess Lee, Jeremy Karagianis, and Andy Lorimer. “It will be a good time party and bring your dancing shoes,” remarks Christopher. Doors open at 7:00 PM with performances running from 7:30 to 10:00 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door and can be purchased at Blue Heron Books and Red Carpet Boutiques and Antiques in Comox. In Courtenay, at Laughing

Oyster Books and Benjamin Moore House of Colour. Tickets are also available at both Grind Coffee and Smoothie Bar locations in Cumberland and Comox. Cash or non perishable item are also welcome at the door. Coffee, tea and goodies will be served. For more information phone 250-339-3148 or email tres.bian@gmail. com

Singers will deliver a musical Valentine to your sweetie

Members of the Forbidden Plateau Singers delivering messages of love in the Comox Valley, They will come to your home, workplace or restaurant and sing love songs to your “sweetie”. The cost is $50 which will include three songs, a card and a flower, all proceeds will go to the Comox Valley Prostate Support Group. Past recipients have commented how memorable the occasion was and how popular their partners were afterward. To book please call Al at 250 3393668

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City gives first reading to new DCC bylaw BY DEBRA MARTIN Echo Staff New Development Cost Charges for the City of Courtenay are likely to remain about the same as they are now. But the single family home residential rate is slated to rise 5% - which, of course, will be added onto the cost that builders sell homes for, to you, the buyer. Kate Berniaz, of Urban Systems, the consulting company that reviewed the DCC bylaw for Courtenay, presented the findings to council Monday night last week. The current DCC bylaw was adopted in 2005. Council decided last year that it needed updating based on additional property that became part of the city through boundary extensions, a new infrastructure projects list, and project costs being revised to reflect current costs. DCCs are levied on new development to help finance the cost of upgrading or providing infrastructure services (water, sewer, roads and drainage) or acquiring and developing new parkland needed to support new development. It’s a development finance tool based on the principle of “developer share, not developer pay.” There’s a somewhat complicated formula used to determine the DCC rates including the anticipated population growth rate, infrastructure required to service that growth, allocating the benefits of that infrastructure to the new and existing population, and

the timeline for the projects required. Campbell River, for instance, bases its DCC rates on a full build-out over the next 65 years. Courtenay’s proposed new DCC bylaw will cover 20 years. The initial bylaw proposed last year drew heat from the development industry and the general public. General comments were that the proposed rate increase was too high; assumption about the growth rate was too low; support for waivers for affordable housing; and questions about DCC projects and how the

DCC system worked (i.e. which developers beneﬁt). As a result of that consultation, the growth rate was revised upward from 1 to 1.5 per cent based on the recent growth rate and development information. Single family residential rates were based on the assumption that many new homes will include a secondary suite, now allowed in the city. There is no additional DCC levy for these suites. And, multi-family DCCs will now be based on a square metre basis rather than per unit. Provinicial legislation also allows municipalities

check your

Pulse

to waive DCCs for notfor-proﬁt rental housing; for-proﬁt affordable rental housing; subdivisions of small lots designed to result in low greenhouse gas emissions; and developments designed to result in a low environmental impact. Council would have to pass a separate DCC waiver bylaw, following the adoption of the DCC bylaw, to implement any of these exemptions. On top of the DCCs that the city charges, come the DCCs from the Comox Valley Regional District. DCCs must be kept in a separate statutory reserve fund. A local government

may only spend DCC monies, and the interest earned on them, for the category of projects for which they were originally collected. For example, DCCs collected for sewer may only be spent on new sewer infrastructure included in the DCC program. The DCC program is funded by both developers and the municipal government. The basic DCC ﬁnancial model is that the total program costs are calculated and the portion related to existing development is removed. The remaining costs are recoverable through the DCC program. Council gave ﬁrst reading to the proposed new bylaw last week. That will allow for a month’s worth of additional consultation with the development community. Council will consider the bylaw for second and third reading in March before sending it off to the provincial government for review and approval. The timeline calls for bylaw adoption in April.

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Fatal mobile home fire not suspicious BY MICHAEL BRIONES Echo Staff A mobile home fire early morning on Lazo Road near Comox claimed one life. A 94-year-old man was found dead after crews from the Comox Fire Department doused the flames that fully engulfed the house located near Butcher’s Road at around 4 a.m. in the morning. “I arrived there first to find the house fully involved, with fires coming out of the openings mostly from doors and windows, things like that,” said Fire Chief Gord Schreiner. Neighbours had reported there might be an occupant inside, said Schreiner. “We made a quick knock out on the fire and we breached the building, cut a hole through a wall to enter the bedroom,” said Schreiner. “We searched the bedroom and we didn’t find anybody. We

subsequently found him in the hallway. There was nobody else in the trailer.” The cause of the ﬁre is still being investigated by police and also the BC Coroners Service. Schreiner said it doesn’t appear to be suspicious at all. “We just don’t know how it started,” he said. Schreiner said the damage to the double-wide mobile home is extensive. “The building would be a total-loss,” said Schreiner. “I am not sure what the trailer was worth but it’s a total write-off.” There is a car parked in the driveway and Schreiner said that too suffered damages from exposure to the heat. The Comox Fire Department had around 25 crew members and quickly had the ﬁre under control. The Courtenay Fire Department assisted with its water tanker truck due to the absence of hydrants in the area.

0 GET

Monkey business Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil? Well, they are politicians. L. to r., Comox Mayor Paul Ives, Courtenay Mayor Larry Jangula and Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams paraticipated in Lunar New Year festivities Sunday at the Native Sons Hall. Also attending was Tom Lee, the Taiwan Director General based in Vancouver. The Lunarfest displays and activities that included craft making enjoyed by the kids, was presented locally by the Comox Valley Multicultural Society in partnership with the Asian Canadian Special Events Association. 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. The lunar new year began Feb. 8. For more photos of the event please see our Facebook page.

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