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www.comoxvalleyecho.com Friday October 3, 2014
Price: 57 cents plus GST
Volume 20, No. 79
Courtenay staff working on improving development process By Michael Briones Echo Staff
John Leung and Jaclyn Casler discuss the legacy of Leung’s grandfather, one of the original owners of the Chinese cemetery.
Cumberland digs deep into genealogy to keep its Chinese and Japanese cemeteries open Grave mapping efforts already underway as Village officials giving support By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff So many Chinese miners were dying in the coalmines that established Cumberland and made Scottish-Canadian Robert Dunsmuir baron rich that something needed to be done with the remains. So in 1897 his son James Dunsmuir handed a section of their vast land holdings to three Chinese businessmen for $40, a group which included John Leung’s grandfather Low Hock Shun. “My grandfather and his two business partners did not register it with Victoria,” the 81-year-old says, walking by his ancestor’s headstone, which overlooks the hillside that became the Chinese cemetery. “This is the unfortunate part. I come into the picture and I find out all these things. I want to get to the root of it.” He’s not the only one. Cumberland has embarked on a comprehensive cemetery planning process meant to prepare both its main cemetery as well as the separate Chinese and Japanese cemeteries for years to come. But the community has been thrust into an historical scavenger hunt because it discovered it didn’t actually own both cemeteries and it doesn’t know where all the bodies are buried. Acquiring the Japanese cemetery was a relatively straightforward process, but the Chinese property was a different story. “This is why I came forward,” Leung says. “I know a fair amount about the Chinese cemetery. I want to have it recorded so that other people will know what’s going on.” Leung has been voluntarily looking after the Chinese cemetery since he was a kid. (Continued on page 5)
Courtenay council has endorsed the ongoing efforts of staff to improve the way the city processes development applications. The uncertainty and slow processing of permits have been the mutual complaints of many developers, some of whom have severely criticized the city. Some have also indicated they would not start another project in the city unless they see concrete changes. Staff presented council a report on Monday highlighting measures they have already taken as well as initiatives to make the process more efficient, less time consuming for staff and have a quicker turnaround for application approvals. Among the moves made by the staff include the hiring of an engineer, who will be the city’s approving officer. His position provides dedicated technical resources within the department to support development inquiries. (Continued on page 2)
Public transit changes approved By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff
John Leung demonstrates the type of rituals Cumberland’s Chinese residents would complete three times a year when he was growing up, including placing fake paper money on graves so ancestors would have money to spend.
Jaclyn Casler worked over the summer as Cumberland’s deputy corporate officer to solve the mystery of the Chinese and Japanese cemeteries.
Low Hock Shun (officially Lei Yeun), John Leung’s grandfather, was one of the original three Chinese businessmen who set up the Chinese cemetery.
Regional District directors voted to bring new transit system routing into effect as of January 1, 2015. This includes a revised Courtenay to Comox express bus route and an amendment to the southbound #12 north valley connecter which will allow North Island College students from north of Courtenay get to campus without having to transfer at the downtown exchange. But it also includes a revamp of the #2 Cumberland bus, and required the support of Cumberland council — and that vote was a close one. “One of the big benefits of this routing is it now gets into this area of Cumberland here on the east side that didn’t really have convenient access,” said Mike Zbarsky, the Comox Valley Regional District’s manager of transit and sustainability told Cumberland councillors during their Sept. 29 meeting in the Village. “A lot of it’s been developed recently over the past few years.” The idea that BC transit, CVRD staff and Village officials came up with was meant to improve both the structure and frequency of the route But any route change triggers consultation. “Right now when the bus comes into Cumberland it come up to Union Road,” he said, noting this section of route doesn’t serve that many people. The new route will come in on Cumberland Road, turn left on Ulverston Avenue, head down 7th Street and then head west on Dunsmuir Avenue. The route change wouldn’t actually cost the CVRD anything to implement. “We heard a bunch of positive comments; we heard a bunch of negative comments,” he said, noting people liked the more direct routing. “We also did hear specifically from some residents at Cumberland Lodge and health centre that they’re no longer able to take the bus from where they are up at the health centre into town.” Not many people actually take this particular trip, he noted. “When you’re talking about higher ridership you’re talking about higher ridership that leaves the Village rather than higher ridership that actually uses it within the Village,” said Coun. Kate Greening. “This isn’t servicing downtown Cumberland other than via Courtenay.” Coun. Conner Copeman said the new routing could have negative impacts on Village businesses, particularly the pharmacy that services seniors. (Continued on page 2)
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