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Wednesday, January 9, 2019
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Dog virus hits Coast CARE Network says a veterinarian is needed ANDREW BAILEY andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
West Coast dog owners are being urged to ensure their pets are fully vaccinated after a puppy was recently diagnosed with the highly contagious and potentially life-threatening canine parvovirus. James Rodgers of the Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network said the owner of a puppy in Hitacu reached out to the network after their young dog became ill and, based on the symptoms, CARE helped organize a trip out of town. “The closest open vet, because it was the weekend, was Nanaimo and so [the puppy] went to the emergency down there, which of course just reinforces the need for us to have more local resources and professional vet services on the Coast,” Rodgers said. “That pup went down and the vets there confirmed that it was a case of parvo. The number one thing that everybody should be aware of is that all puppies and dogs should be vaccinated for parvo.” Rodgers could not speak to the Hitacu puppy’s current condition, but said that the West Coast sees a parvovirus outbreak roughly once-a-year and a 2018 outbreak killed “more than a handful of dogs.” The virus is spread through bodily fluids, like vomit and feces. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargic behaviour. Continued on A2
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FITNESS RACHELLE: Ucluelet BC Ambulance Station 134 Unit Chief and town councillor Rachelle Cole works on her upper body strength at Tofino Resort and Marina’s Tuff Fit Gym last week. Cole is an amateur fitness competitor, training for the bodybuilding National Championships in the spring.
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A2 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
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The West Coast has been without a licensed veteranarian since Jane Hunt, pictured here at her Westerly Wynds farm in 2012, closed her clinic in 2004. The CARE Network’s key goal in 2019 is re-establishing a local vet service.
Vet pursuit underway From A1
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“It’s a very quick virus and obviously very painful for the animal,” Rodgers said. “It can come out of nowhere and it’s not uncommon for puppy to die within 12 hours.” He said the incident serves as terrifying proof that the West Coast needs increased veterinarian services. “CARE’s 2019 New Year’s resolution is that we will be working with a number of vets to establish services regularly on the Coast again,” he said. “In some cases, it’s literally a matter of life and death. In other cases, it’s just tragic when [a pet] is in pain and an end of life situation and the closest resources to handle that humanely are a bumpy, long, three-hour ride away. Pain, suffering and death are what we’re dealing with.” The West Coast has not had a full-time veterinarian since the College of BC Veterinarians revoked Jane Hunt’s veterinary license in 2004 after new regulations came into play that mandated equipment upgrades Hunt could not afford. She had served as the region’s only vet since 1988. “West Coast communities have been calling for a regular veterinary service since Jane Hunt stopped practicing,” said Tofino mayor Josie Osborne who noted the Alberni Veterinary Clinic currently visits both Tofino and Ucluelet once-a-month. “I think many people are grateful that there are regular visits from Port Alberni based vets for immunizations and check-ups, but practically every family with pets that I know is concerned about quicker and more convenient and affordable access for regu-
“In some cases, it’s literally a matter of life and death.” – James Rodgers lar check-ups and more urgent care.” She added travelling out of town for emergency medical care is not always feasible for pet owners and that a local vet could provide valuable preventative health measures. “It’s important to remember that veterinary services are private businesses and they do have significant capital costs to establish a clinic and many requirements to meet through their governing legislation, the Veterinarians Act,” she said. “I suspect there’s a great deal of work for a prospective West Coast vet to do to determine if it’s a viable prospect in Tofino or Ucluelet, but I know that the CARE Network is working hard to attract and work with prospective veterinarians, and is looking at different models of delivery. We’re extremely fortunate to have a committed and professional organization like the CARE Network.” Rodgers said CARE plans to take a phased approach towards increasing the region’s vet services. “We’re looking at a five year plan to get really serious about this. But, for 2019, we are committed to increasing the amount of service we have on the Coast to save lives and keep families together,” he said. “We need expanded services.” He added that tourists are also contributing to the need. “It’s becoming a more and more frequent occurrence that we’re getting calls from
visitors, in part, because the tourism industry on the coast has really opened to people bringing their furry family members, but we don’t really have a lot of resources to support that other than rooms that are available for dogs or cats,” he said. Carla Anderson owns the region’s only pet shop, Ocean Pet Supplies, and said establishing a veterinary clinic would not be viable without local government funding from all West Coast communities. “Unfortunately, we don’t really have the capacity to have a full time vet here based on the cost of running a clinic,” she said. “I’ve had four different veterinarians from all over B.C. look into opening a clinic up here and it’s literally $1 million-plus to open a bare-bones clinic…Of course the community would benefit from a full time veterinarian, but that doesn’t mean that it’s feasible for someone to go into debt for $1 million to come up here and try to open a clinic.” She said she would “1,000 per cent” support local governments looking into funding a clinic and added that the business community could also be mined for financial support. “Even if it’s bare-bones; open five days a week. It doesn’t have to be glitter and unicorns,” she said. “Five days a week does what it needs to do. If there’s an emergency phone number for days that they are closed, that would be brilliant.” Rodgers encourages any residents interested in supporting a pursuit for a local vet to visit www.CareNetwork.ca or the network’s Coastal Animal Rescue Facebook page.
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
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Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A3
Electrical fire displaces family Community rallies support
Ucluelet / Tofino midislandrealty.com
NORA O’MALLEY nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
Ucluelet family Carly Opheim and her two children Mikko, 10, and Mya, 13, were forced to evacuate their Holly Crescent home on Dec. 23 after a power surge caused an electrical fire in the kitchen. Since the incident, Opheim said they are couch surfing and still without a home. Anyone that knows of a longterm living arrangement is encouraged to contact her close friend Courtney Johnson at 250266-2077 or stop by Image West Gallery. “Carly loves it here. We need to find a way for her to stay,” said Johnson. A neighbour extinguished the flames, according to Johnson, and all the kids’ Christmas presents were burnt. The dog that was inside was saved and luckily the kids were out at the time, Johnson notes. “She didn’t want to tell anyone,” said Johnson. “She’s a shy and private person that doesn’t like to bother anyone.” When Johnson found out about the fire, she made some calls to the mayor and her friends on council. She started a group chat on Facebook to find out how the Opheim family could be helped.
7 Days Tidal Predictions Provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ucluelet THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 TIDE 03:18 08:48 14:39 21:15
Metres 3 1.7 3.1 0.9
Feet 9.8 5.6 10.2 3.0
10°/9°
Periods of rain
FRIDAY JANUARY 11, 2019 TIDE 03:54 09:33 15:20 21:50
Metres 3 1.7 3 1
Feet 9.8 5.6 9.8 3.3
11°/8°
Cloudy; rainy
SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2019
COURTNEY JOHNSON PHOTO
An electrical fire caused damage to the inside of this Holly Crescent home in Ucluelet over the holidays. A family of three was displaced as a result and the community stepped up in support to give them a happy Christmas.
“It made me feel like my community was with me all the way.”
ry Club donated gifts. Cris Martin from the Food Bank pitched in. Within 12-hours, it was done,” said Johnson. “I wanted the children to see that they are loved by – Carly Opheim the people in this community,” she said. For Opheim, the emotional toll “The Ucluelet Co-op donated a that comes from being displaced generous credit. Bronwyn cleaned from her home is still very raw. She the inside of the house. The Rota- said it’s hard for her to talk about.
She sent the Westerly News a few words of thanks to the community for trying to save their Christmas. “It made me feel like my community was with me all the way. Coming to my friend’s house with Christmas all set up was extremely heartwarming. It was the first time I saw smiles on my babies faces. Made my heart warm,” Opheim said via Facebook messenger.
West Coast General Hospital opens New Year with infectious illness West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni has been hit with a norovirus outbreak. The first suspected case came to the hospital on Dec. 31, and Island Health put signs up in the hospital advising that the hospital “has an outbreak of an infectious illness” and that visitors “may wish to delay visiting at this time.” As of Jan. 2 there were three confirmed norovirus cases and five suspected cases. An outbreak is declared when there are three or more potential cases, Island Health spokesperson Maribeth Burton said. Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis,
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TIDES & WEATHER
Norovirus outbreak in Port Alberni SUSIE QUINN editor@albernivalleynews.com
MID ISLAND REALTY
“We are asking visitors to stay home if they are sick” – Maribeth Burton an infection of the digestive tract. Outbreaks are more common in the winter, according to HealthLinkBC, and they affect B.C. communities every year. Norovirus usually occurs within one to two days of being exposed, and causes an upset stomach, vomiting and/ or diarrhea. Other symptoms can include nausea, cramping, chills and fever. Norovirus begins suddenly and lasts between one and three days. There is no medicine for norovirus—antibiotics don’t work on
viruses. It is recommended anyone with norovirus drink clear fluids to prevent dehydration. Norovirus usually clears up in three days, but people worried about dehydration should see a health care provider; especially with regards to children and seniors. Washing your hands, especially after using the toilet, changing diapers or before eating or preparing food is the best way to prevent getting norovirus. The virus is spread in vomit and feces of people who are sick with the virus, and can be spread on surfaces like sink taps or countertops. All units remain open to visitors at WCGH, although the hospital is taking extra measures to deal with the virus. “We are asking visitors to stay home if they are
sick,” Burton said. “People who do visit the hospital are asked to practice excellent hand hygiene and to keep visits short.” Staff who are ill have been instructed not to report back to work at the hospital until 48 hours after all symptoms have cleared, which is standard outbreak protocol, she said. “There are added cleaning measures in place at the hospital,” she added. Another outbreak was reported at Cowichan District Hospital where 10 patients were being treated for confirmed or suspected norovirus on Jan. 4. A link to Island Health’s active outbreak list can be found at islandhealth.ca in Frequently Asked Questions about infection prevention control.
TIDE 04:33 10:24 16:06 22:28
Metres 3 1.7 2.8 1.2
Feet 9.8 5.6 9.2 3.9
10°/8°
Rain; breezy
SUNDAY JANUARY 13, 2019 TIDE 05:15 11:25 17:05 23:13
Metres 3 1.7 2.6 1.3
Feet 9.8 5.6 8.5 4.3
9°/7°
Showers; cloudy
MONDAY JANUARY 14, 2019 TIDE 06:02 12:34 18:20
Metres 3 1.6 2.5
Feet 9.8 5.2 8.2
10°/4° Rain
TUESDAY JANUARY 15, 2019 TIDE 00:06 06:54 13:44 19:46
Metres 1.5 3.1 1.4 2.5
Feet 4.9 10.2 4.6 8.2
8°/6°
Cloudy; windy
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 TIDE 01:09 07:48 14:48 21:04
Metres 1.6 3.3 1.1 2.5
Feet 5.2 10.8 3.6 8.2
9°/7° Rain
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A4 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
OPINION
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
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Recycled strategies and gestures don’t help environment The year 2018 ends in a rush of environmental virtue-signalling that looks to carry on into the new year and beyond, around the world and here in B.C. Canada’s December delegation to the 24th annual United Nations climate summit in frigid Poland was pared down to 126 warm bodies, from 161 last year. Thousands of delegates (the Democratic Republic of Congo, noted mostly for corruption, civil war and lawless mining, sent almost 300) came up with rules for measuring greenhouse gases, to take effect in 2020. And that’s about it. Major oil exporting countries including the U.S., Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait blocked an effort to include in the official statement a goal of weaning the world off fossil fuels. Negotiations for a global emissions trading system that is supposed to raise hundreds of billions of dollars were put
off again, to next year’s meeting in a large-scale liquefied natural gas exChile. Canada’s Environment Minport facility with its main compression ister Catherine McKenna declared works powered by gas. How is B.C. doing so far, 10 years it a success, as Prime Minister Justin after leading Canada into a carbon Trudeau unveiled a plan to borrow more money and lend it to struggling tax strategy? The latest greenhouse Alberta oil and gas producers. The gas figures show B.C. emissions indecade-long U.S.-directed scheme creasing. Indeed, the only time they dipped was in a deep world-wide reto “landlock” Western Canadian Tom Fletcher petroleum resources has now becession that began in late 2008. This is come so glaringly obvious and damaging that consistent with UN reports that indicate carbon even the CBC was forced to report on it. While taxes must be vastly greater than what B.C. and the annual circus of unnecessary air travel was lately the rest of Canada have contemplated, to going on, the B.C. NDP government unveiled its force people off carbon-based fuels. glossy vision for a “CleanBC” future, to meet the CleanBC largely doubles down on familiar province’s new greenhouse gas reduction target. strategies that haven’t worked. “Low-carbon fuel” Premier John Horgan insists this is the pathway to regulations are to be stepped up along with the a 19-million-tonne reduction in B.C.’s greenhouse carbon tax, meaning more grain ethanol or regas emissions by 2030, even as the province adds cycled cooking oil added to gasoline and diesel.
When you count up emissions from growing, harvesting and processing the crops, displacing a small part of petroleum fuel doesn’t add up to much. B.C. is going to electrify its natural gas industry, or at least the new parts of it. As someone who used to work in a refinery, I’m wondering how remote drill rigs and sour gas processing plants will operate without burning their own gas. Oh, and in CleanBC, you’ll be discouraged from burning natural gas to heat your home too. You need a heat pump, and the increasing carbon tax you pay will go into subsidies for this technology. Long-time B.C. residents may recall getting a cheque in the mail from the Gordon Campbell government, a “climate action rebate” that arrived not long before the 2009 election. This strategy is going national, coincidentally just in time for the 2019 federal election. Read more at www.westerlynews.ca.
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LETTERS
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A5
Letters to the Editor Deadline: Sundays 2:00pm Andrew.Bailey@WesterlyNews.ca
Trees and power lines
Letters to the Editor must be signed and include your full name, home town and contact phone number. Those without these requirements will not be published. Letters must be 300 words or less and are subject to editing. The Westerly retains the right not to publish submissions.
LET DOGS RUN OFF-LEASH
THANKS FROM FISH AND LOAVES
Re: Tourist claims Tofino has ‘gone to the dogs’ Westerly News, Jan. 2. I am sorry that Mr. Karman is not a happy camper. His claim regarding the District’s liability around dogs off-leash is nonsense. Every day, when in Tofino, I am on Cox Bay Beach with my dogs, who love the freedom of running off-leash. I am always impressed with just how pristine the beach is, not only is there rarely any evidence dog feces, there is also never any garbage left by folks enjoying the beach. We have hundreds of guests annually who inform me that one of the reasons that they and their four-legged friends love visiting Tofino is that dogs can enjoy the beach off-leash. Visiting dogs look forward to the beach and can’t get there fast enough, once they arrive! Interestingly, everyone seems to mellow out on the beach including our pups, I am yet to see a dog fight. Residents and guests love their dogs, let’s let sleeping dogs lie. Tim Hackett Long Beach Lodge Tofino
The Fish and Loaves society works throughvegetation around power lines. out the year providing a hot meal for anyone every Tuesday at the Tofino Legion. We would Trees are a significant cause of power outages and when they come in like to thank our generous donors for the great contact with power lines, it can be dangerous, and could result in serious support we received during 2018. injury or fatality. Your safety is important to us. We are grateful to the Tofino Co-op for providing us with donations and the bulk of the If you see a tree that could fall on a power line, please call BC Hydro at food and Summit and Common Loaf Bakery 1 800 BC HYDRO to report it. for the tasty baked goods. Thanks also to Tofino Parks and Rec that lets us use the hall for the Christmas Feast. The Tofino Legion Ladies Auxiliary Branch is also a great help, especially thru Rene Gibson, who is a consistent 5572 volunteer. Special thanks to the St. Columba pastor Jenn and volunteers who are always serving in whatever ways they can. Thanks also to St Francis and the sisters are much loved co-workers in the help we are giving the community. The Westcoast Community Resources Society helps us get aid to those who need it and the Food Bank on the Edge works with us to provide food for those in need. Beaches Grocery gives food as well as a large donation from selling pumpkins. This year’s annual Christmas Supper was a wonderful event attracting over 300 peoor email office@westerlynews.ca or email ple—a celebration where all were welcomed. Besides the group’s already mentioned there were many more cooking and donating to this event. The Point, Shelter, Wolf in the Fog, Red Can, TinWis, Middle Beach, Crystal Cove, Long Beach, 1909, Rhino, Basic Goodness, Little Ronnies, Sobo, Fish Store, Wildside and Surfside, Bravacados, SeaMonster, TacoFino, Green Soul, and Tofino Coffee, Chocolate Tofino, Sysco and many more made enough food to let people take some home, and also feed 40 people at the Tuesday lunch. We also had many volunteers, some working hard for many days before and after as well. email office@westerlynews.ca or email office@westerlynews.ca Special thanks to the young ‘Angels’ whoorserved tables so well and the fantastic and hard work of kitchen and service under Logan and Tracy Head. The music group was beautiful as well! Many dropped off items or called to have things picked up, which we are happy to do. So many have donated here and there so please pardon if we do not name everyone! If you’re among BC’s approximately 2 million property owners, We are thankful to our faithful staff, all of you should receive your 2019 property assessment in the mail whom volunteer their time to make this happen. early in January. If you haven’t, call us toll-free at 1-866-valueBC. Thank you, and thank God who enables us…
ENFORCE FIREWORKS BYLAW Enforcing Ucluelet’s fireworks bylaw is needed. Fireworks also fall under B.C. provincial law and need to be respected. Halloween is the only time of the year neighbourhood firework displays are legal (with a permit)—and even then, firecrackers, bottle rockets and ridiculously loud explosions are not permitted. Yet, fireworks are happening on New Year’s, Canada Day, any old day! This New Year’s was heralded in with big explosive bangs (probably M-80s), firecrackers and fountains that spew 80 feet into the air—in residential neighbourhoods. The noise from these fireworks causes pets to go into anxiety meltdowns, disrupts children’s sleep; and I can only imagine the terror that is inflicted upon our local wildlife from the concussive bangs and flashes of light. Ucluelet has a firework’s bylaw, but without written complaints, no action is taken by the officer. The message is clear to neighbours who set-off fireworks: ‘It is my right because I always have done so and no one complains.’ If you are among the silent majority who feel that neighbourhood fireworks are getting way out of hand, then file a written complaint to our bylaw officer—e-mail: bashton@ucluelet.ca. Also, speak directly to your elected councillors.
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Access and compare property assessment information using our f ree assessment search service at bcassessment.ca. The 2019 assessments are based on market value as of July 1, 2018. If you have questions or want more information, contact us at ٮההזٮɮƏǼɖƺ ! Ȓȸ ȒȇǼǣȇƺ ƏɎ ƫƬƏɀɀƺɀɀȅƺȇɎِƬƏِ Áǝƺ ƳƺƏƳǼǣȇƺ ɎȒ ˡǼƺ an appeal for your assessment is January 31, 2019.
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A6 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
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Goodbye Rainforest Inn, Aloha Hotel Zed NORA O’MALLEY nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
Jamie’s Rainforest Inn is closed for good. Effective Jan. 10, 2019, Jamie’s Rainforest Inn, known for its delicious breakfast menu and family-friendly accommodations, forever closed as new owner Mandy Farmer of Accent Inns prepares to transform the property into Hotel Zed Tofino. About 20 Rainforest employees were let go to accommodate the resort takeover. To ease the transition, Farmer paid the staff two additional months wages and provided free staff accommodations until March 31, notes a press release. “We really want to do the best we can for the staff,” Farmer, the president and CEO of Hotel Zed, said in the press release. “Closing the doors is never an easy decision to make because you worry about the impact on the great people who have served Jamie’s Rainforest Inn so well.” Former front desk attendant Melanie Michaud said she was really thankful for the gesture. “It says a lot about the kind of company they are,” said Michaud, adding that she’s not worried about finding another job. “It’s Tofino,” she said. Andrew Corrigan will remain on the property as acting hotel manager throughout the transformation. “[Hotel Zed] has gone above and beyond to make sure the community knows they want to operate with the community and not just in the community,” said Corrigan.
NORA O’MALLEY PHOTO
Former Jamie’s Rainforest Inn staffers Andrew Corrigan, left, and Kenneth David are now Hotel Zed Tofino employees. Pending District of Tofino permit approval, the funky hotel chain hopes to open their Tofino doors in spring 2020.
“We really want to do the best we can for the staff.” – Mandy Farmer “Everyone found out on Dec. 5. [The news] was really well received. This is literally the best outcome possible. It wasn’t a situation where it was bare minimum corporate requirement. That’s not the company that this is,” he said.
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation member Kenneth David will also remain on the Hotel Zed property as maintenance crew. He has been with Jamie’s Rainforest for the past five years. “I’ve enjoyed my time here. I have zero regrets about signing up. We just came off of a really successful summer. I was happy to stay onboard with the team and see where it takes us from here,” said David. “I’ve worked around town ever since I was 14, in both communities Tofino and Ucluelet.
DISTRICT OF TOFINO
DIST
2019 COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE Meetings will be held in the George Fraser Community Room at the Ucluelet Community Centre located at 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, B.C. DATE January 8 January 22 February 12 February 19 February 26 March 12 March 26 April 9 April 23 May 14 May 21 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 9 August 13 September 10 September 17 October 8 October 22 November 12 November 19 November 26 December 10
TIME 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 2:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 2:30 PM
This is the longest I’ve stayed in one place. The atmosphere has always been great for me and I hope to continue down this road for as long as I can take it.” In Nov. 2018, Farmer collected the Air Canada Business of the Year Award for Accent Inns at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Awards. “We’re a family-owned business,” said Accent Inns and Hotel Zed VP of sales and marketing Trina Notman. “When Mandy decides to do something like this, this is all coming out of their bank account. This is all coming out of their profit. This is all what they want to spend their money on in terms of investing in the people and being the type of company that cares.” “Tofino means a lot to Mandy. Her first getaway without her parents was a girls’ camping trip to Tofino. Trips to Tofino are a regular thing for her family,” said Notman. Jamie’s Rainforest Inn was purchased in March 2018 by Accent Inns. Pending building permit approval from the District of Tofino, Hotel Zed Tofino hopes to be open in the spring of 2020, Notman said. Accents Inns currently operates five hotels in B.C. and two Hotel Zed properties in Kelowna and Victoria. The Hotel Zed chain features funky décor and brands itself as being “fun, playful, and approachable.” Farmer’s first purchase for Hotel Zed Tofino was a gigantic wall Scrabble game for the lobby.
MEETING TYPE Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Harbour Authority Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Harbour Authority Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Harbour Authority Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting Harbour Authority Meeting Regular Meeting Regular Meeting
Box 9, 121 3rd Street Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0
2019 COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE In accordance with sections 94 and 127 of the Community Charter, notice is hereby given of the 2019 regular Council and Committee of the Whole meeting schedules. Council and Committee of the Whole meetings are held in the Council Chamber, District of Tofino Municipal Office, 380 Campbell Street, Tofino BC. 2019 REGULAR COUNCIL meeting schedule: Regular meetings of Council are held at 10:00 AM in the Council Chamber as follows: January 8 January 22 February 12 February 26 March 12 March 26
April 9 April 30 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25
July 9 August 13 August 27 September 10 October 8 October 22
November 12 November 26 December 10
2019 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE meeting schedule: Committee of the Whole meetings are held at 6:00 PM in the Council Chamber as follows: January 14 March 4 April 1
May 6 June 17 August 12
September 16 October 28 December 2
The regular Council and Committee of the Whole meeting schedules are subject to change with notice. This schedule is also available at www.tofino.ca/council-meetings For more information about Council meetings please contact: Elyse Goatcher-Bergmann Manager of Corporate Services (T): 250-725-3229 (E): egoatcherbergmann@tofino.ca
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PROFILE
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A7
Do you have something to say? Andrew Bailey, Editor 250-726-7029 • andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
NORA O’MALLEY PHOTO
Surfrider’s Alys Hoyland, Michelle Hall and Lilly Woodbury, centre, accept a generous donation from the Jamie’s Whaling Station team in Tofino. Jamie’s and Surfrider have two remote beach cleans planned this spring.
Jamie’s Whaling Station donates $100K NORA O’MALLEY nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
Several environmental non-profits and oceanic research groups are already experiencing a prosperous 2019 thanks to generous cheques handed out by Jamie’s Whaling Station. The Tofino and Ucluelet based whale watching and adventure tour company recently announced it would be gifting close to $100,000 to non-profits working in the region. Clayoquot Action, Clayoquot Clean Up, Tofino Saltwater Classic, Raincoast Education Society, Strawberry Isle Marine Research, Surfrider Pacific Rim Foundation, and the Ucluelet Aquarium all made the list. Cetacean researcher Jim Darling with the Pacific Wildlife Foundation and marine acoustics researcher Benj Youngson at the Coastal
Ecology and BioAcoustics Society (CEBAS) also received funds from Jamie’s. Youngson said the CEBAS uses acoustic methods to answer ecological and biological questions in the marine and terrestrial environment. The Jamie’s bequest enabled the research team to purchase a hydrophone, a long-term underwater acoustic recorder. “When left on the sea floor, this type of hydrophone allows us to record underwater sound for several months at a time. All organisms produce sound, known as bioacoustics. Collecting year-round bioacoustics data allows us to learn about the animals that live and migrate in Barkley Sound,” explained Youngson. “We are very appreciative for Jamie’s support for this project, as without this donation, this
project would not be possible. We look forward to sharing this data with visitors, staff and our local community.” Surfrider Pacific Rim received over $30,000 for their ‘Love Your Beach Clean’ programming this year. Chapter manager Lilly Woodbury said they plan on using some of the donation to establish ‘Love Your Beach Clean’ signage in Tofino and Ucluelet. “We want to increase our impact and inspire tourists to be beach ambassadors. We’re trying to engage people in doing their own clean ups and not just when they are organized, but every time they visit the beach to do a five-minute beach clean,” said Woodbury, adding that the hashtag for the initiative on Instagram is #5minutebeachclean.
Scientist in the House: Do a kitchen experiment or mix up a batch of playdough.
Take 20 minutes to make learning together part of your everyday.
Remote clean ups are planned for Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound in the summer, notes Woodbury. Surfrider is also partnering up with Jamie’s Whaling for a couple team-building sessions at Lone Cone Hostel in the spring. Jamie’s director of operations Corene Inouye said the team is really looking forward to getting more involved with Surfrider. “It’s not just about contributing the funds, it’s actually about getting physically invested too,” said Inouye. The donated funds were collected through the company’s ‘Research, Rescue and Education’ fee, a $3 surcharge that is tacked on to each passengers’ adventure tour fare. Since implementing the fee in 1997, Jamie’s has raised over $1 million for ocean-minded non-profits.
See all Take 20 learning activities at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca
A8 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
YEAR IN REVIEW
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Do you have something to say? Andrew Bailey, Editor 250-726-7029 • andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
The West Coast’s athletes filled 2018 with inspiration, personal achievements and competitive success. Below are some of the most triumphant accomplishments the Westerly News reported on last year.
The USS senior boys basketball team took top spot at the North Island Championships on Feb. 8-10.
Tofino’s Peter Devries celebrates his eighth National title on Saturday, May 5 at Wickaninnish Beach.
Warriors basketball win North Island Championships Ucluelet’s senior boys basketball team won the North Island Championships on Feb.8-10. The athletic squad travelled to Gold River for a 6 p.m. tipoff time against Nanaimo Christian. They won their tournament opener by 18 points. The next night, they went on to beat Gold River, the host team and Basketball on the Edge tournament winner, 48-36. The weekend’s tournament final saw the Ucluelet Warriors narrowly defeat Nanaimo Christian 51-42. “It was a tough fought battle right down to the end. They had a very hard road to get back to us. They played six games, we played three. They played hard the entire time. We squeaked out a win,” said Warriors team manager Jason Sam. “All the games were really close going into the fourth quarter. We just pulled away when we needed to and won all the games at the very end.” Senior Warrior Matteo Ludlow was named the player of the tournament.
National surf champs crowned at Wickaninnish Beach Surf Canada Nationals was held as a stand-alone event at Wick Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve during the first weekend in May. Tofino surfer Peter Devries won his eighth national title, putting him one step closer to qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “It’s great to see the level of Canadian surfing being pushed. Thanks to all my supporters and sponsors that have supported me for so long,” Devries said at the awards ceremony. In the final heat of the day, which unfortunately featured windy, junky wave conditions, Devries beat out Costa Rican-based Sean Foerster, Hawaii-based Cody Young, and Tofino’s Michael Darling. Californian-Canadian Bethany Zelasko claimed the women’s open title. Sanoa Dempfle-Olin, last year’s champion, was runner up. Hawaii resident and big wave surfer Paige Alms, who is originally from Victoria, was third and Mathea Dempfle-Olin was fourth.
Local kayak guides Alaina McNeil and Shannon Jensen gave a triumphant cheer after crossing the finish line of their circumnavigation of Vancouver Island on June 4. The duo completed their goal in just 28 days. Kayak guides circumnavigate Vancouver Island Local kayak guides Alaina McNeil and Shannon Jensen left Ucluelet in a two-person kayak on May 7 and completed their roughly 1,150-kilometre voyage around the Island in 28 days. “We had really good weather. We were lucky. I expected there to be more impossibly challenging days, we did have a couple but, all-in-all, it went pretty smoothly: no epics, no capsizes, no crash landings,” McNeil said. “It went by really quick. I feel like we left here last week and now we’re back.” Friends and fellow paddlers cheered the pair into Majestic Ocean Kayaking as they crossed the finish line of their Vancouver Island circumnavigation on June 4.
Comox local Stephan Smit celebrates alongside his daughter Madelein and wife Maria after winning back-to-back Edge to Edge half-marathons. 14-year-old Reed Platenius gets carried off the beach and onto the Comox runner takes 19th Edge to Edge race podium after winning back-to-back events at the 12th annual Rip Curl Pro Stephan Smit of Comox B.C. defended his half marathon Jada Touchie, 14, goes up for a shot at the Junior All Native B.C. Basketball Tofino at Cox Bay. title in a time of one hour, 33 minutes and 57 seconds. Tournament. The Ucluelet First Nation basketball prodigy was named a He said he encountered a bit of excitement within the first tournament All Star and helped her team place second. few kilometres of the race. Platenius wins Rip Curl Pro men’s open “I had to stop for a bear at 5k. Luckily one of the drivers Tofino’s Reed Platenius,14, put on an above stellar performance Ucluelet First Nation basketball star earns all-star nod at the 12th annual Rip Curl Pro, taking the men’s open title and saw me because I didn’t know what to do. He got the bear to Hesquiaht Storm guard Jada Touchie led her team to a the under-16 boys title. The weekend before, he claimed the go back into the forest,” he said. It was Smit’s second consecutive Edge to Edge win. second place finish at the Junior All Native B.C. tournament under-16 national title at Wickaninnish Beach. in the spring. Touchie’s strong play earned her a Tournament “I feel like I’m in a good state. My boards are good. Just Former professional triathlon athlete Gillian Clayton placed All-Star award. everything feels good. My body feels good and surfing, I’m first overall in the women’s division of the half-marathon. “It just shows that hard work pays off,” she said adding she stoked about it right now,” he said, adding that he’s excited to “It took longer than I had thought. Almost 10 minutes remains focused on upping her game. compete in the men’s pro division next year. longer than I had trained for. It definitely was a challenging “I felt good about the way I played in each game, playing Mathea Olin, a newly signed Rip Curl athlete, surfed her way course. I was aiming for 1:30 and I came in at about 1:40,” good defence and shooting on offence. I felt a big improvement to the top of the under-16 girls podium and finished second said Clayton, who had an official race time of one hour, 41 since last year, but there’s always time for improvement and in the pro/amateur women’s event. San Clemente, California minutes and three seconds. Edge to Edge race director announced the 20th E2E races practice…I do feel like I need to improve. There’s room to get professional surfer Tia Blanco,21, was crowned the Rip Curl better on defense by not having as much fouls and on offence Pro Tofino women’s pro queen. Elijah Fox, 18, took home the would moved from June to be the end of Oct. 2019. by having a better shot and driving strong to the hoop.” 2018 Rip Curl Pro Tofino men’s pro title. Continued on A9
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Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
YEAR IN REVIEW
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A9
Do you have something to say? Andrew Bailey, Editor 250-726-7029 • andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
From A8
Maxtin Lengyel triumphantly bites down on the gold medal he earned at the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.
West Coast firefighter and paramedic Amanda McRae was thrilled to be named to the 2018 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock bike team.
Giordano Corlazzoli wrapped up his 500 km run from Port Hardy to Victoria on Dec. 6.
Ukee Special Olympian earns gold at Canada Summer Games Maxtin Lengyel charged his way to two well-deserved medals at the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games. The young track star earned a gold medal in the 200-metre race and also earned a silver medal as part of Team B.C.’s 4×100 relay team. Lengyel was the first local Special Olympian to compete at the national event, which was held in Antigonish, N.S., from July 31 to Aug. 4. The teenager was thrilled to secure a gold medal by finishing the 200-metre race in just 30.17 seconds, a personal best. “It was the fastest I have ever ran,” Lengyel told the Westerly News from his family’s hotel room on Monday night. “I felt very strong.” Ucluetians gathered outside Image West to welcome Lengyel home on Aug. 12. He was given a police escort into town and greeted with cheers, hugs and high fives from his fans.
McRae rocks Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock Tofino firefighter, paramedic and massage therapist Amanda McRae represented the West Coast as a member of the 2018 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock team. The ride involved cycling over 1,000 kilometres across Vancouver Island from Sept 23 to Oct. 5, stopping in roughly 27 communities along the way to raise support and awareness for pediatric cancer research. “I felt like a kid at Christmas. I was so excited to come to the West Coast,” McRae told the Westerly News when the team stopped in Ucluelet on Sept. 29. “Seeing familiar faces and faces that have helped me raise all this money to send kids to Camp Goodtimes; my heart is warm and I’m happy to be here.” McRae raised $22,953.70, according to her Tour de Rock fundraising website, and she said she is grateful for her home coast’s support. “This is my family. This is my home. You guys have supported me from day one,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Corlazzoli runs over 500-km for anti-trophy hunting campaign Ucluelet local Giordano Corlazzoli ran the length of Vancouver Island in an effort to raise awareness on trophy hunting carnivores along the coast. On Nov. 27, he kick-started the run in Port Hardy and within two weeks he had made it to Victoria. The marathon was an effort to raise funds for a campaign, “Safeguard Coastal Carnivores” endorsed by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. The cause buys hunting tags in the Great Bear Rainforest to prevent commercial hunters from being able to hunt bears. He was able to raise more than $6,200. “If you can’t beat ‘em, you buy ‘em,” Corlazzoli said. Corlazzoli ran 40 km per day for 13 days straight, taking as many back roads as possible to avoid highways. He had the support of his parents, sister and friends as they followed him down the Island in an RV, and even cycled alongside him. He said every morning was a bit of a struggle as he realized he had another 40 km to run. “It was tough, but I’d wake up in the morning and stretch my legs and see that they still work,” he said. “I was surprised how good my legs felt, and I was fortunate not to have any major injuries.”
Jasmin Porter won the Bruhwiler Kids Classic, the Surfrider Clean Water Classic, and the Princess of the Peak in 2018.
18-year-old Jonah Downey, right, of Vancouver lands a kick against his opponent Abraham Powery, 17, of the Cayman Islands during August’s Jasmine Porter completes ‘Surftember’ hat-trick Rising Tofino surf star Jasmine Porter had one awesome Purple Dragon Don Jitsu Ryu black belt testing event in Ucluelet. September; the month locals often refer to as ‘Surftember’. West Coast hosts Purple Dragon International Belt Grading On Sept. 15, she won both the under-14 and under-18 girls divisions at the 2018 Bruhwiler Kids Surf Classic at Cox Bay. About 175 martial arts students from around the world filled The next weekend, the Canadian junior surf team athlete the Ucluelet Community Centre on Aug.24-26 for the 145th went down to Westport, Washington for the 17th Surfrider Purple Dragon Don Jitsu Ryu black belt testing. It was the Clean Water Classic and brought home title winning trophies first time the event has ever been hosted in Canada. in both mixed junior divisions. “One of the other reasons we picked Ucluelet is because “[Westport] is a lot more powerful than a lot of the waves somehow it feels like you’re going on a journey. Maybe not to that we surf at home. It can be a lot of fun. I was just riding the people here because you’re used to it, but to us, it’s almost my old board. It was feeling a bit weird for a bit, but I put like a spiritual journey when you have to drive through all these new fins on it and it seemed really fun,” said Porter, a member mountains and just roll the glass down and smell the beauty of of the Ucluelet Secondary School Surfrider Youth Club and the trees and the water,” said Grande Master Prof. Don Jacob. leader of the waste-free lunch program. “I want my students to come from different paths and to be On Sept. 30, Porter capped off the successful month by able to experience my footsteps,” he said. All the students passed winning the Princess of Peak under-16 division at the 9th and received black belt upgrades. Local instructor Senpai Ian annual Queen of the Peak all-female surf contest at Cox Bay. graduated to a fourth-degree black belt and Sensai.
Ucluelet’s Ian Jacobs took on his first snow bike race at Sicamous B.C.’s second annual Sledgehammers Ripped Snowfest from Feb. 9-11. Ucluelet dirt bike racer switches gears to snow A Ucluetian dirt biker enjoyed an extreme winter wonderland experience. Sicamous B.C. hosted its second annual Sledgehammers Ripped Snowfest from Feb. 9-11 where Ucluetian Ian Jacobs took his first crack at snow-bike racing. He said the Snowfest was “a great experience,” though icy track conditions made for tough terrain and a couple falls pushed him into seventh place in the event. “It was super icy,” he said. “Right on the second turn, I went down on the ice and lost my position and I went down twice on the second heat. The ice is pretty unforgiving, that’s for sure.” He said he would definitely participate in the event again.
A10 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
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IMAGE FROM CBT VITAL SIGNS REPORT
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust’s recently released Vital Signs report shows a need to diversify the West Coast’s economy as not all communities are able to take advantage of the booming tourism industry. The full report can be found at www.clayoquotbiosphere.org.
Vital Signs report released ANDREW BAILEY andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust is hoping their most recent Vital Signs report will spark vital conversations about the sustainability of West Coast life. The report, which can be viewed online at www.clayoquotbiosphere. org, offers a bastion of regional data, including populations, average incomes and housing. The CBT has produced the report every two years since 2012 and the Trust’s research director Dr. Laura Loucks told the Westerly that, with its fourth edition, trends are beginning to take shape. “The reason why we produce it every two years is to track the pulse of how we’re doing on the pathway of sustainability,” Loucks said. “We are starting to track trends and we are starting to see significant signs of where we’re doing well as a region in terms of sustainability and where our vulnerabilities are…We’re seeing trends that really point to some vulnerability in declining incomes and increasing costs.” At, $20.11 an hour, the West Coast has the third highest living wage in B.C., behind only Victoria and Vancouver, according to the report. A study done in 2018 showed that food costs were 12 per cent higher on the West Coast than in Port Alberni. “We’re seeing an increase in the percentage households are spending on their housing budget, that’s exceeding the 30 per cent benchmark,” Loucks said. “Anything over 30 per cent that you’re spending on your housing costs is not considered to be affordable. Those are stressors that we know all households are trying to manage.” The report also suggests that unemployment is on the rise and Loucks said the numbers show a need to diversify
“We hope that it resonates with people and their experience.” – Dr. Laura Loucks the West Coast’s economy. “We’re seeing a trend of unemployment in communities that don’t have access to the tourism market and we’re seeing more and more of our economic sector dominated by tourism,” Loucks said. “The hospitality sectors are responsible for over one-third of all of our labour force and yet, communities that are located more remotely don’t have access to those employment positions. That contributes to unemployment and that contributes to inequity in the region.” She added that the region’s tourism economy continues to grow. “In the last 20 years, we’ve seen that growth rise significantly and that’s something we have to really pay attention to because we know that it’s showing up in other stressors,” she said. “I think we need to emphasize that and I think we need to push back a little bit on our uses of the [Municipal Regional District Tax] funding.” The MRDT is a tax collected by accommodation providers in both Tofino and Ucluelet. A policy change made in 2018 made the funds collected through the tax eligible to be spent on affordable housing initiatives if a majority of the community’s accommodation providers approve. “We can apply to use some of those funds for affordable housing, I think that is incredibly positive,” Loucks said. “I hope this report is evidence to support that kind of application and to say, ‘Yeah, we need to subsidize some of the costs of living here
because the tourism sector is actually creating stressors that are exceeding our capacity as taxpayers to support.’” She added that she hopes to see local leaders absorb the information and enact positive change. “The point of this document is to say, where do we really need to address some vulnerabilities and take caution and where do we need to celebrate and what do we need to do more of and how do we prioritize budgets,” she said. “I think it addresses many questions that, hopefully, we’re all interested in knowing: what can we do better to make our quality of life improve?” She said the data offered in the report offers a solid starting point for important conversations. “We know we’re living in a complex time, some of these challenges we have as a region are very complicated but we can have important conversations with local governments and we can bring local knowledge holders to that conversation and we can find solutions that match the complexity of the problem and that’s what we’re hoping will happen,” she said. “That large topic of affordability runs across so many different themes. It’s not just affordable housing, it runs across transportation, it runs across food costs, it runs across healthcare costs; all those pieces.” She added putting the report together was a rigorous task involving the collection of data from local, regional and national sources. “We hope that it resonates with people and their experience,” she said. “We hope people want to have those conversations because it’s not our intention to hold the ‘doomsday hour glass.’ Our intention is to say, ‘Look, it’s complicated, but that means we have our work to do to find the solutions that match the complexity’ and we all have something to contribute to that conversation.”
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IN FOCUS
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A11
2019 POLAR BEAR SWIMS NORA O’MALLEY PHOTOS Tofino and Ucluelet dove into the New Year on Tuesday by charging into the open ocean as a collective. Ucluelet’s polar bear dip took place at Little Beach this year with about 30 brave participants showing up in bathers ready to ring in 2019. A stampede of about 100 polar bear swimmers attended Tofino’s 9th annual polar bear swim at North Chesterman Beach. Once again, Surfrider Pacific Rim Foundation hosted the event providing hot cocoa and bonfires for all. For more photos of community events, check out our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WesterlyNews.
The annual polar bear swim is a favourite holiday tradition for Ucluetian friends Barb, Norma and Sylva.
Tofino Yoga’s Dede Monette made a brilliant splash in her tropical long sleeve swimsuit during her town’s Polar Bear Swim event at North Chesterman Beach to celebrate the beginning on 2019 on Jan. 1.
Laura and Damien from Courtney went for the full dunk at North Chesterman’s in Tofino.
Emotions ran high after these Ucluelet ladies dove into 2019 together at Little Beach.
Pacific Rim Navigators’ Ryan Orr gives an enthusiastic thumbs up for a prosperous New Year.
A12 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
WEEKLY CROSSWORD
PUZZLE #191210
SUDOKU
GAMES & PUZZLES
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SU191090
THIS WEEKS SUDOKU ANSWER
Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!
Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
HOROSCOPE CLUES ACROSS 1. Homestead 5. More (Spanish) 8. Type of notification 12. Approves 14. Mandela’s party 15. “Mom” actress Faris 16. Predatory insects 18. Where honey goes 19. Canadian flyers 20. Of an earlier time 21. Indigenous people of Australia 22. Organize 23. All over 26. Made it through 30. Between-meals food 31. A quantity upon which an operation is performed 32. German mythological god 33. “Heavy” type of rock music 34. Pharmacy chain Duane __ 39. First responders 42. Mysterious 44. Leisurely stroll 46. Most naughty 47. Plant tissue 49. Small fish 50. Men’s fashion accessory 51. Distant planet 56. Destroy 57. Location in Norse mythology 58. One who is deliberately cruel 59. __ Romeo, car 60. Of the ear 61. Former name of Tokyo
62. Male children 63. French/Belgian river 64. Tide
45. Where rock and rollers play 47. “The Alchemist” author Coelho 48. Choppers 49. Lacks brightness 52. Port in Yemen 53. Brood of pheasant 54. Approves food 55. A type of sign
CLUES ACROSS 1. Grave 2. Alright 3. Sharp tooth 4. Bird genus 5. Important 6. One who studies carefully 7. Not very big 8. Astronomy unit 9. A way to open up 10. Trap 11. Handle of a knife 13. Indicates one from a part of W. Africa 17. Lucky number 24. Doctor of Education 25. Legendary Cubs broadcaster 26. Female parent 27. Mimic THIS WEEKS ANSWER 28. Connects to the rim 29. Small constellation 35. Indicates near 36. Consumed 37. Criticize 38. Shock therapy 40. Type of cigarette 41. The fashionable elite 42. Shed tears 43. Arm or branch of a bone 44. Quell anger
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Look forward to solid and passionate developments in the days to come, Aries. If you’re seeking love, then sparks may soon fly. Be on the lookout. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, after some recent turbulence, rest easy knowing that calmer waters are ahead. Some tranquility and stability is just what the doctor ordered. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, expect some big changes in your love life in the weeks to come. Count your blessings because you deserve all the good news that’s coming your way. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Surprises are in store for Cancers who are willing to take some risks. If you resign from your job, you just may find a dream position shortly after — things can be that dramatic. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Some cosmic goodness is in store for you, Leo. Be excited about your prospects. This year can start out on the right foot, especially as it pertains to domestic matters. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, things in your domestic sector are bound to settle down in a few days. If you planned improvements at home, you’ll sail through those in no time with some help from friends.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, some pivotal changes may come into your life shortly. You may find out your family is increasing or learn that a career change is in the works. Start counting good fortune. SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 A talent that you used to feel insecure about can be an avenue to earn a significant amount of money, Scorpio. Don’t hesitate to monetize and share your gifts. SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 While you have been in a stable relationship for some time now, both parties may be looking to shake things up. It can go two ways: A breakup or newfound depth. CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Venus, the ruler of your career sector, will point your professional efforts in the right direction, Capricorn. Your professional outlook might turn completely around. AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 You may notice people in your social life are more friendly and accommodating lately, Aquarius. In fact, friends have always been there for you because they believe in you. PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, if you’ve been waiting for seed money to start a venture, then your patience will pay off. Expect some good news to come.
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Giant Online Auction OPENS JAN 8TH CLOSES JAN 15TH, 2019 - INCL Late Model Food Equipment - Most used less than 1 year Bailiff Seized Goods Plus Others - LOTS INCL. High End Steam Kettles & Steamers, Mixers, Slicer, Gas CookingRefrigeration & Meat Equip, Combi Ovens, Dishwashers & MORE. VIEW AND BID ONLINE NOW AT WWW. ACT I V E A U C T I O N M A R T. COM - View ONSITE at 295 - 19358 96th Ave, Surrey, BC V4N4C1 604-371-1190 / EMAIL: buyit@activeauctionmart. com
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Counselling IF YOU want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. Alcoholics Anonymous, Ucluelet/Tofino 1-800-883-3968
YOUR NEW CAREER
WITH BLACK PRESS STARTS HERE Black Press Media is the leading North American local news champion with operations across British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Washington State, California, Alaska and Hawaii. Over 2,000 talented employees work with us delivering unique community news and information across a full suite of digital and traditional media channels. We value diverse viewpoints, new ways of thinking and a collaborative approach to delivering results.
Building Supplies STEEL BUILDING SALE...”REALLY BIG SALE-EXTRA WINTER DISCOUNT ON NOW!!” 20X21 $5,726. 25X25 $6,370. 30X31 $8,818. 32X33 $8,995. 35X35 $12,464. One end wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036. www.pioneersteel.ca
Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities
ECE or IT
PET SPECIALS 25.00
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3 lines 3 Neighbouring papers 2 Weeks
$
1 x 1 Boxed Ad 3 Neighbouring papers 2 weeks
ON THE WEB:
BCClassifieds.com
...in your community, online and in print
ONLINE bcclassifieds@blackpress.ca IN PRINT 1.866.865.4460
Cindy Bear’s Daycare is looking for the right, caring, respectful, energetic, independent ECE or IT, to join the team. Position: • part-time could work into full time • application deadline-january 31, 2019 • Job start date March 1, 2019 • Wage above average, to determined by experience Requirements: • Proven experience as childcare / daycare teacher • Excellent knowledge of child development • Methodical, creative, and positive • patience, flexibility, and genuine love for children • strong communication and time management skills • CERTIFICATION current in first aid and CPR • ECE cert. and or IT • must be willing to submit to CRC Email resumes to cindys.bears@gmail.com
MULTI-MEDIA SALES CONSULTANT (CAMPBELL RIVER)
Black Press is looking for a high energy, enthusiastic go-getter to take our leading print and digital advertising solutions to market. Your multi-tasking skills will be put to good use as you balance the day-to-day advertising requirements of existing customers while growing business through dedication to acquiring new customers. You are relationship oriented and understand how to organize yourself to be successful in a deadline driven environment. Outgoing personalities that focus on business needs through creativity, high energy and excellent problem solving are most successful in our industry.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT COORDINATOR (VICTORIA)
We are looking for someone to manage and execute high volume social media campaigns in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You will be responsible for increasing followers and generating traffic to our island properties. If you are organized, creative and have a degree or diploma in journalism, communications, marketing or a similar discipline please apply.
GRAPHIC ARTIST – MAGAZINE (VICTORIA)
Black Press Media is looking for a full time, skilled graphic artist to join our magazine creative services team. This position requires the successful applicant to be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat Professional in a Mac environment with an eye for detail. The focus is on print publications although experience in digital media would be an asset.
MULTI-MEDIA JOURNALIST (NANAIMO, GOLDSTREAM)
The right candidate will have outstanding and diverse writing abilities, specifically suited for both online and print with the ability to work well under deadline pressure. This position will be a key contributor to our websites and social media engagement. Advanced video and photography skills will be key attributes, along with an extensive knowledge of social media best practices and a strong understanding of how to tailor online content accordingly. You will have a diploma/degree in journalism, including training in broadcast media and be comfortable working in a variety of environments.
FLYBOY (LADYSMITH)
There is an immediate opening for a part-time (23-26 hours per week) flyboy for night shift at our Ladysmith location. Duties include lifting papers from stacker to skids, helping the pressman with repairs and learning to use a forklift.
APPLY today WITH YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO CAREERS@BLACKPRESS.CA , BE SURE TO REFERENCE THE JOB AND LOCATION YOU’RE APPLYING FOR. PLEASE NOTE ONLY SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED. For more information on these vacancies and other regions throughout BC visit: www.blackpress.ca/careers
A14 January 9,News 2019 Wed, Jan 9, 2019 A14 Wednesday, Ucluelet Western
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
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C O M M U N I T Y
events
CALENDAR
WILD PACIFIC TRAIL SOCIETY BOARD MEETING, Wedneday, Jan. 9. 7pm at the UCC. Members of the public are invited to attend, observe and learn about one of the West Coast’s top attractions. RAINCOAST SPEAKER SERIES: ZOOPLANKTON, Thursday, Jan. 10. 7-9pm at Tofino Botanical Gardens Ecolodge Classroom. Whether your interests lie in landing a tyee, orca ID, or maybe just plankton taxonomy, as a westcoaster, chances are you are involved and engaged when it comes to marine matters. Here is your chance to get informed! The Raincoast Education Society is proud to present the 2019 edition of our Speaker Series – this year’s theme is “Predator and Prey”. This Thursday, learn about the Foundation of the Food Web with DFO zooplankton taxonomist Moira Galbraith. $5 donation at the door. OFFICIAL’S SPORTS LOUNGE FINAL WEEKEND, Friday and Saturday. 3pm2am at Officials in Ucluelet. Come on down. Have one last round.
ongoing
WEST COAST AA GROUP, Mondays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. 1663 Peninsula Road, Ucluelet.
FEATURED EVENT OF THE WEEK
KARAOKE AT THE LEGION, Wednesdays, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tofino Legion. CHI GONG, Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30am, UCC Main Hall. $2 drop-in. BADMINTON, Sundays, 7-9pm. USS Gym. $2 drop-in. DARTS, Mondays, 7pm. Tofino Legion.
MOVIE NIGHT, Monday, Jan. 14. Doors at 7:15pm, show at 8. Clayoquot Theatre. Tix $8. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ A chronicle of the years leading to Queen’s Live Aid appearance in 1985.
KENNER REITE’S
SHREDDER UP
paper shredding ~ pick up / drop off PHONE: 250.724.4055 CELL: 250-816-7565 EMAIL: kennerreite@yahoo.ca
TINY ARTISTS, Tuesdays and Fridays, 10-11 a.m. Come in and hang out with your tiny artists for some designated creative time in the Ultramarine Art Studio. Each craft will be inspired by a different children’s story. Parents are asked to attend with their children. $15, includes materials. UCLUELET ALANON GROUP, Wednesdays, 7:30pm. 1663 Peninsula Rd. Ucluelet.
RATES: 68L Tote $20 // Banker Box $10
January 7-13 FREE FITNESS WEEK AT THE STUDIO To help kick start any fitness goals, all classes at The Studio in Ucluelet are FREE this week! From Bodhi Flow Yoga on Thursday evening and Surf Circuit workout on Friday morning to Parent and Tots Yoga on Saturday, now is your chance to set yourself up for an amazing start to 2019! Take time to focus on your health + wellness! Visit www.bbkallday.com for complete winter schedule or check out The Studio Ucluelet on Facebook.
service
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH, Sunday Mass 10 am. Weekday Mass: Wed 9:30 am and Fri 7 pm. Ucluelet. ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC CHURCH Saturday, 5pm. ST. COLUMBA CHURCH Sundays, 10:30am. GRACE BIBLE CHURCH, Sundays at 10:30am at UCC.
Early Bird ends Jan 11
service
TOFINO BIBLE FELLOWSHIP Sundays, 10:30am. Tofino Legion.
March 11-13, Vancouver Save $400 with Early Bird pricing BCTECHSummit.ca
ST. AIDAN’S WITHOUT WALLS, Service: Sunday at 4 p.m. at Ucluelet Community Centre. Except for first Sunday of each month when service is at St. Columba.
To submit your activities, e-mail: office@westerlynews.ca, fax: 250-726-4248 or drop by: #102-1801 Bay St, Ucluelet. We accept your Arts & Entertainment, Service Group, Non-Profit Organization, Church, Library, Fundraiser, Open to the Public Notices on a first come, first served basis.
Every Ad You Place Runs Call 250.726.7029 in Print and Online or email westerlynews.ca nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca WHO:
One of Canada’s top stylists will be sharing all of her fashion secrets, every Friday across the Black Press Media network! Style by Kim XO will be the star of Fashion Fridays only available on the Life channel across Black Press Media websites. Kim Appelt will give style tips and ideas to help you look your very best.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 A15
WATCH FOR IT EVERY FRIDAY!
Tofino Consumers’ Co-operative Association is a community owned and operated business affiliated with Federated Co-operatives Ltd. (FCL) for over 60 years. Tofino Co-op has 3,500 Member owners that reside in Tofino, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, as well as other communities.
Creation of a vibrant, progressive, and stable Pharmacy Department, WHO: WHAT: Tofino Consumers’ Co-operative Association is a community owned and which will be the first FCL Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) operated business affiliated with Federated Co-operatives Ltd. (FCL) for on Vancouver Island. FCLAssociation has supportedisCo-op pharmacies owned over 60 years. Tofino Co-op has 3,500 Member owners that reside in Tofino, WHO: TofinoPharmacy Consumers’ Co-operative a community Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, as well as other communities. in the prairie provinces and on the lower mainland of BC, and has and operated business affiliated with Federated Co-operatives Ltd. developed its own brand-name health products for sale in its 68 WHAT: Creation of a vibrant, progressive, and stable Pharmacy Department, (FCL) for over 60 years. Tofino Co-op has 3,500 Member owners that pharmacies. which will be the first FCL Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) Pharmacy reside in Tofino, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, as well as other on Vancouver Island. FCL has supported Co-op pharmacies in the prairie WHERE: The pharmacy will be conveniently located in the Food Store, so you provinces and on the lower mainland of BC, and has developed its own communities. can have your prescriptions filled while you shop. Department layout brand-name health products for sale in its 68 pharmacies. is being designed by Federated Co-operatives Limited and its WHAT: Creation of a vibrant, progressive, stableregulations. Pharmacy Department, WHERE: The pharmacy will be conveniently located in the Food Store, so you can have Pharmacy Department to meet Britishand Columbia your prescriptions filled while you shop. Department layout is being designed which- will be the first FCL Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) WHY:by Federated Co-operatives Limited and its Pharmacy Department to meet To provide Members with long-term, stable access to Pharmacy Pharmacy on Vancouver Island. FCL has supported Co-op pharmacies services. British Columbia regulations. in the- prairie provinces thePharmacy lower mainland of BC, WHY: To provide Members with long-term, stable access to Pharmacy services. To provide Membersand with on weekly sales flyers that are and has developed its own brand-name health products for sale in its 68 provided to the other 68 Co-op Pharmacies. To provide Members with weekly Pharmacy sales flyers that are provided to To provide Members access to Co-op private label CARE+ health the other 68 Co-op Pharmacies. pharmacies. products. To provide Members access to Co-op private label CARE+ health products. - To providewill Members patronage on their health WHERE: The pharmacy be conveniently located incare thepurchases. Food Store, so you To provide Members patronage on their health care purchases. - To compliment and strengthen the Tofino Co-op’s diversified can have your prescriptions filled while you shop. Department layout business model. To compliment and strengthen the Tofino Co-op’s diversified business model. is being designed by Federated Co-operatives Limited and its WHEN: Summer 2019 – stay tuned! WHEN: Summer 2019 – stay tuned!
Pharmacy Department to meet British Columbia regulations.
WHY:
- To provide Members with long-term, stable access to Pharmacy services. - To provide Members with weekly Pharmacy sales flyers that are provided to the other 68 Co-op Pharmacies.
A16 Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News
www.westerlynews.ca
Garry oak falls onto Saanich family’s car Freddy Gracia had just climbed into his car in his Saanich driveway on Thursday when the massive Garry oak from his front yard crashed down on top of him. “Scared the hell out of me,” said Gracia, who survived the ordeal untouched but is still dealing with the stress. “I couldn’t get out of the car. My door was blocked by branches, I was panicking.” The tree fell during the heavy rains on Jan. 3. For now the family is unsure exactly why the tree fell. Gracia was fine, but the roof of his car caved in enough that he had to kick open a passenger door to get out. “I was waiting for my wife to come out,” Gracia said. “She had just run back in to get something.” Luck was an understatement. The Gracia home is also a daycare. If it was next week, there very well would have been children playing in the front yard, if not somewhere else the oak crashed as it came onto the house, the yard’s three playhouses, the fence, the car, and other play features. The family guesses it’s about 100 years old. “It was here when we bought the house, 35 years ago,” Gracia said. “Scary.” Mariah Gracia, who lives in the home, was standing in front window when she heard a loud crackling noise. The neighbours thought it was an earthquake. “It was a shock, for sure,” Mariah said. “We had people come a while ago to trim the branches, [away from the electrical lines] and we asked if the tree was okay, and they said it was fine.’ It’s the only place it could have fallen without doing more damage, Mariah said, as it avoided the house and the power lines. – www.saanichnews.com MLA candidate under fire for Trump hat A provincial byelection candidate is being criticized for a fashion faux pas from three years ago. Tony Harris, the B.C. Liberal candidate for Nanaimo, once dressed as Donald Trump in order to lampoon the now-President of the U.S.A., and since Harris was announced as the Liberals’ intended candidate, the Instagram photos have been continually shared via social media.
candidate. Malcolmson said that the photos of Harris as Trump are “not part of our campaign” or any kind of consideration. “It’s a whole new world on social media. Traditionally, parties vet their candidates’ social media and there’s a bit of a clean-up exercise, but you know, we’re all learning,” Malcolmson said. “It’s certainly not front of mind for me or my campaign. It really shouldn’t take up any air space.” The Nanaimo byelection is Jan. 30. – www.nanaimobulletin.com
TRAVIS PETERSON PHOTO
Freddy Gracia was in his car when this mature Garry oak from his front yard collapsed on top of him and his house. He escaped injury, but his family is now left with a massive cleanup and potential house damage.
ISLAND IN BRIEF Harris said the photos were taken on a ski trip in the Rockies in 2016, a few months before Trump became the Republican nominee for president. “My group of friends and I, just like Saturday Night Live and everybody else was doing at the time, we just thought we’d have some fun with it and make fun of Donald Trump,” Harris said. This past Wednesday, the day the byelection was called, Ravi Kahlon, NDP MLA for Delta North, shared on Facebook one of the photos of Harris in a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat with the comments, “I’m not sure if Mr. Harris likes Trump or thought this was a joke but what he should realize is that this has become the symbol of hate and racism”
and added that wearing the hat “shows a lack of judgment.” Harris said he’s not a Trump supporter and “Trump’s politics certainly aren’t mine.” He suggested any politician under 40 probably has some social media posts that can be taken out of context. “What the NDP are doing right now is a key reason that young people avoid politics altogether, because of the personal slandering and stuff like that,” he said. Harris said he thinks voters recognize the photos were a joke. “They see that I have a sense of humour and that I’m a real guy and I think that people want to have real people in politics,” he said. “I have a sense of humour; I like to have fun … If we lose our sense of humour then we have to look in the mirror.” Harris said he and his party will “stay focused on what really matters, which are the issues of Nanaimo.” Kahlon indicated he will be in Nanaimo to knock on doors for Sheila Malcolmson, NDP
SOMETIMES, EVEN THE SOMETIMES, EVEN THE MOST NATURAL BEAUTIES MOST NATURAL BEAUTIES NEED SOME TLC NEED SOME TLC
Grant-in-aid Application Deadline is January 31st The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District provides Grant-in-aid assistance once a year in order to assist local non-profit organizations that provide a benefit to one or more electoral areas in the Region or the entire Regional District. The Grant-in-aid policy and application form can be found on our website at www.acrd.bc.ca For more information, please contact the ACRD @ (250)720-2700
The Wickaninnish Inn will be closed for maintenance starting The Wickaninnish Innmeantime, will be closed foraccept maintenance starting January 2nd. In the please our thanks for January 2nd. In the meantime, please accept our thanks all your support this year. We look forward to welcomingfor you allback yourwhen support this year. We look1st forward welcoming you we reopen February at 4 pm!toPlease feel free back when reopen February atCertifi 4 pm!cates Please free to call us we at 250.725.3100 for1st Gift or feel to book to Ancient call us at 250.725.3100 for Gift Certifi cates or to book Cedars Spa or The Pointe Restaurant in 2019. Ancient Cedars Spa or The Pointe Restaurant in 2019.
Torrential rains break records The rain that pounded much of Greater Victoria Thursday was the result of a stalled weather system dropping record amounts of precipitation, according to Environment Canada. From midday Wednesday until Thursday evening, 56 millimetres of rain fell at Victoria International Airport, besting a one-day record of 27 mm that dates back to Jan. 3, 1936. “It was really the nature of the lack of the speed of the system that contributed to the rainfall,” said Carmen Hartt, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.While it may have felt like there was a chill to the air, temperatures were considerably mild, Hartt said. In Greater Victoria it reached a maximum of 9 C; the historical average for Jan. 3 is 6.5 C. The torrential downpour caused flooding across the Island. In the Comox Valley a boil water advisory is in effect, on Goldstream River in the West Shore saw increased water levels washing out trails and flooding Finlayson Arm Road. Central Saanich Police reported at least three different stretches of road closed to traffic Thursday evening due to heavy rain. Much of the flooding, Hartt said, was because the ground became so saturated with rain coming down so quickly. At the Malahat highway station, 120 mm of precipitation was recorded. “Rainfall is a bit tricky to prepare for,” Hartt noted. “The big precaution is really in driving. You just really have to slow down and watch out for hydroplaning.” – www.vicnews.com
SOMETIME MOST NATU TOFINO LEGION NEED S
MEMBERS & GUESTS - Info: Call 250-725-3361
All Canadian Citizens and Others are TheMany Wickaninnish Welcome to Join – No Military History Needed
Inn will b January 2nd. In the meantim your support this year. W SPECIAL all EVENT back when we reopen Febru to call us at BASS 250.725.3100 OVER BOARD VOL. 1 A night of extreme Ancient Cedars Spa or The P Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019
Abstrakt Sonance +19
MUST HAVE 2 PIECES OF GOVERNMENT ID
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PRESALES
@ DOOR
REGULAR EVENTS GAMES & SOCIAL FRIDAYS 4-9pm • Drop in Pool, Ping Pong, Foosball, Darts INDUSTRY NIGHT TUESDAYS No cover, drink specials DART LEAGUE TUESDAYS 7-9pm BINGO! WEDNESDAYS 7-9pm THE OUT TO LUNCH BUNCH Monthly seniors’ lunch and socializing at the Legion. All seniors welcome. For details: 250-726-6655.