%RRN <RXU 7HD DQG 7RXU &DOO WHAT’S INSIDE
ALL ABOARD A5
Weather A2 Hunt for History A5 What’s On N.Islander Letters A8 Classifieds A11 Sports A9
YO UR LO CA L IN SU RA NC E
Scan ad to call
PR
FE SS IO NA LS us directly orOge t a quote
3 1 0 -V II C (3 1 0 -8 4 4 2 ) V II C .C A
Ho m e | Au to | M ar in e | Li fe | Tr av el | Bu sin es s
SCAN WITH
www.comoxvalleyecho.com Tuesday August 19, 2014
Price: 57 cents plus GST
Volume 20, No. 66
Eleventh Street remains first choice for third river crossing A relaxed atmosphere permeated the grounds to the sounds of electronic and live music over the weekend.
By Philip Round Echo Staff
Transformative ‘Atmosphere’ at Cumberland’s newest music festival
Eleventh Street remains the preferred location for a third road crossing of the Courtenay River, according to the final report of consultants looking at the city’s transportation needs over the next 25 years and now adopted by the City Council. The idea of driving a new four-lane highway over the river at some point to ease growing volumes of traffic on both the Fifth and 17th Street Bridges has been an option for 20 years, and after more recent studies 11th Street still remains the #1 choice of engineers. But if and when such a bridge - and the necessary approach road improvements - ever gets built will be guided not only by the pace of traffic growth but also finding the money to build it - last time the cost was estimated, it was put at $30 million. The eventual bill will be heavily influenced by whether The Slough remains in use as a mooring for tall-masted boats for the long term, necessitating a bridge deck that can be raised from time to time. The City already owns some of the land it would need if the project is ever to progress, but further acquisitions would be required, especially on the Cliffe Avenue side of the river. Before council voted to accept the full report on all its transportation options, questions were again raised about whether a new crossing south of the 17th Street Bridge might be a better option than 11th Street, to help siphon off a lot of the traffic going to and from Comox before it gets anywhere near downtown. Councillor Starr Winchester asked if an extension of 29th Street - the Comox Valley Parkway - out over the estuary, mainly on a causeway, had been evaluated so a link could be made not only with Comox Road but also up the hill to McDonald Road. Consultant Jennifer Armstrong said that had been looked at, and it would certainly have the advantage of reducing travel time for many drivers. But the ballpark cost of building such a long link would be at least twice that of a bridge over the river itself, and there would also be very significant environmental impacts to consider when cutting across the estuary. Together, they were two major factors against that location as a crossing point, but if it was not for them 29th Street would - in pure transportation terms - be very close to if not the very top choice, she added.
By Drew A. Penner Echo Staff Atmosphere Gathering was a weekend to remember as some of Canada’s top talent touched down and chilled out in the Village of Cumberland for a weekend of creativity, bass music and interaction. Conscious hip hoppers Chali 2na and Blackalicious, electronic heavyweights A Tribe Called Red and Erica Dee and critically acclaimed acts like Tanya Tagaq - and many more - were collected into an easygoing mix to delight people of all ages. “It’s all about blending the different artforms,” said Vig Schulman, of Cumberland Village Works, one of the organizations behind the festival which attracted about 1,200-1,500 people in the inaugural year. “We were going in this year to test the waters.” The event attracted music fans and curious festivalgoers from far and wide. While many of the partiers came from Vancouver and Victoria for Atmosphere, others came from further afield. Some travelers from Montreal and Saskatchewan made a point of arranging a stop in the Comox Valley because of the quality of talent and the promise of an enriching festival experience. At least one person even flew in from Southeast Asia to be on hand for the event. (Continued on page 2)
Tanya Tagaq displayed some impressive Inuit throat singing chops during this Sunday evening performance at the big top.
(Continued on page 2)
3L collecting signatures to support riverside park By Philip Round Echo Staff In a bid to boost its case, the company wanting to build a major residential development on rural land close to Stotan Falls has been collecting signatures of people enjoying the river this summer. For 3L Developments Inc., Kabel Atwall told the Echo they were asking people if they supported the river and its banks becoming public parkland. He accepted the petition did not spell out what 3L wanted in return for such a land donation to Comox
Valley Regional District, but he believed it was a useful exercise. So far more than 1,000 signatures have been gathered, he said, which was a clear demonstration that people appreciated the offer of land 3L had made as part of its wider project between the Puntledge and Browns Rivers. However, the Echo has not heard any voices raised suggesting a riverfront park would be a bad idea; the opposition relates to the proposed development further back. Although the river in that area has been used informally as a park for decades, its bed and neighbour-
ing bank at that location are actually privately owned by 3L. At any time, the company could choose to permanently block public access and divide up the property to sell to other owners. And much as it would like to see parkland dedicated at Stotan Falls, the regional district has reaffirmed it is not willing to progress an amendment to the Comox Valley Regional Growth Strategy that could pave the way for an intensive development. 3L’s most detailed plans indicate it would like permission for 700 or more homes as well as some com-
mercial property in the area. Atwall said 3L remained willing to be flexible, offering to compromise on the scale and extent of the development, while still offering substantial areas of riverfront land as parkland. But to move anything forward required at least an RGS amendment process to be initiated. “We won’t get everything we want; they won’t get everything they want - but we still believe there is a way forward,” he said. “But it’s a one-way conversation when you’re talking to a wall.” The regional district has taken
legal advice on its stand not to initiate the RGS amendment process, as 3L has previously threatened to pursue the matter through the courts. The CVRD has since publicly noted the procedure it followed to get to this point was “reasonable and appropriate” and it stands by it. The decision keeps faith with a core policy of the RGS - which draws a line down the Puntledge as the limit of urban development - to manage sprawl and protect rural areas from intensive development, at the very least until the strategy comes up for review after five years.