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www.comoxvalleyecho.com Friday May 9, 2014
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Volume 20, No. 37
Objection period opens over $1.9m curling rink borrowing By Philip Round Echo Staff
Cpt. Dave Howard hauled cargo and repatriated fallen soldiers during the War in Afghanistan. He’s glad to have a chance to pay his respects to fellow veterans May 9. (Photo by Drew A. Penner/Echo Staff)
Canada reflects on costly Afghanistan mission Day of Honour for veterans thrown together in a rush By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff The year Cpt. Dave Howard spent at war in Afghanistan he flew supply missions on the CC-177 Globemaster III in and out of Kandahar, but sometimes he had to fly coffins of fallen Canadians back to Trenton, Ontario. “On one of the trips I had to transport the body of a 19-year-old soldier,” the member of 407 Squadron said. “At the time I had a 19-year-old boy. That hits home. It’s tough.” As a veteran of Canada’s longest war he’s glad the country is holding a Day of Honour for soldiers May 9, including observing two minutes of silence for those who didn’t make the journey home. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “It’s kind of like a mini-Remembrance Day. Whether you believe that Canada should have been there or not these are people that laid down their lives. When you sign on you make that commitment.” While Howard points out that in the past it has taken the government much
19 Wing Comox will commemorate the Day of Honour with a ceremony and Honour Guard at Wing Headquarters at 10 a.m. today, During the ceremony, we will pay tribute to the fallen, the sacrifices of the wounded, and the special burden borne by families. Residents of the Comox Valley and surrounding areas are welcome to attend. As part of the National Day of Honour, 19 Wing’s ceremony will include addresses by MP John Duncan, 19 Wing Commander, Colonel Jim Benninger, and Afghanistan veteran LieutenantColonel (Ret’d) Dave Berry. longer to recognize veterans of some wars - Korean vets just got their proper due last year - many are angry the May 9 festivities were put together at the last minute and
weren’t publicized effectively. Critics charge the government decided to create an additional day of reflection as a way to score political points. Across the country many military families have been left scratching their heads wondering where to go to take part in ceremonies. “I know a lot of people who have family members who were in Afghanistan - a couple lost limbs,” said Royston resident Bruce Langlands, whose son Jonathan served in the war as a member of the army. “When you can’t find where to go to pay your respects it’s pretty sad.” As a part of the armoured Lord Strathcona’s Horse regiment his son came back in one piece, but had a few close calls. In 2013 while on a training mission the soldier was driving through the streets of Kabul in an SUV when a bomb exploded just down the street. “He said that was just a terrible experience,” his father explained. “It’s lawless there.” (Continued on page 3)
The official period for registering objections to the planned borrowing of $1.9 million to upgrade Comox Valley Curling Rink has opened. Electors from almost any part of Comox Valley Regional District - including all three municipalities, but excluding Denman and Hornby Islands - have five weeks to sign official forms if they oppose the plan. Comox Valley Regional District’s board has approved the use of the ‘alterative approval process’ to judge the reaction of electors rather than holding a referendum. That means only opponents have to register their views - supporters need do nothing. If 10 per cent or more of the electorate signs up in opposition, the proposed borrowing will be put on hold for further thought. Ten per cent equates to 4,737 out of the 47,370 valid voters in the area, excluding the two islands. In order to be counted, signatures must be on forms that can be printed off from the CVRD website at www. comoxvalleyrd.ca/curlingcentre or collected as hard copies from the CVRD office at 600 Comox Road, Courtenay. Completed forms need to be back at the CVRD office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 13. The curling centre facility is more than 50 years old and the main components of the refrigeration plant are now well beyond their life expectancy and in need of replacement. There are also serious concerns that the old concrete slab floor could crack, rendering the facility useless, so it should be replaced. It has been estimated that energy efficient building and mechanical upgrades will add an estimated 30 years of life to the CVRD facility and ensure that a multipurpose year round facility, with curling as its main focus, is available to the residents of the Comox Valley. If the borrowing goes ahead, the loan will be paid back over 20 years through an increased tax requisition estimated at $0.0138 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. “For a property assessed at $300,000 the cost would be $4.14 per year per household,” said CVRD’s senior manager of recreation facilities, Darcy Walters. “This amount would be in addition to the $103.32 that the same property currently pays annually for the Comox Valley recreation complexes service.” That charge is primarily to fund the main sports centre and arenas on Vanier Drive and the aquatic centre on Lerwick Road. The CVRD can proceed with the adoption of the bylaw authorizing the money to be borrowed as long as the number of valid signatures is less than 4,737 by the deadline. But if the returns show a higher figure, the CVRD board cannot legally go ahead unless it agrees to run and then wins - a full-scale referendum.
Rotary wants City on board for train station restoration The value of the materials and donated labour to date has been estimated at around $30,000. Now the effort must continue, they wrote, particularly as this year is the 100th anniversary of the train station’s opening and next year sees celebrations marking the centenary of the incorporation of the City of Courtenay. “Now is a wonderful time to make this a reality,” they suggested. The station is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation, which would like to see the heritage-designated station restored, but which has no money of its own to achieve that goal. “Rotary is committed to raising funds and spearheading the project,”
By Philip Round Echo Staff The full restoration of Courtenay train station should go ahead whether or not passenger services are ever restored, say local Rotarians. This week Courtenay Rotary Club president Dave White and the club’s train station project coordinator, Art Meyers, submitted a joint letter to City Council seeking support for the project. They said their Rotary Club, working with Strathcona Sunrise Rotary Club and the Young Professionals of the Comox Valley, had put a new roof, fascia and gutters on the building before last winter set in.
wrote White and Meyers, but they added they needed the City as a partner in order to secure a longterm lease of the building from ICF before investing substantial restoration funds and labour. “It is most important to understand that the Rotary Club of Courtenay wants to be involved in the restoration of the train station whether the trains run or not,” they explained. “This building and its location, in conjunction with the Rotary Trail (which runs alongside the tracks) has the opportunity to be a real hub in reinvigorating this area and becoming a great focal point for all the citizens of the Comox Valley. (Continued on page 2)
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