Wee town rising outside Duncan for kids to play
LIVING, Page 11
Cowichan High boys strong against Island rivals
SPORTS, Page 19
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DUNCAN ELEMENTARY CELEBRATES 100TH
Friday, April 11, 2014
Farm gets ALC nod for controversial gravel plan ANDREA RONDEAU CITIZEN
Duncan Elementary was packed last Saturday as former staff and students gathered to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary. Clockwise from top left: former students Darrin St. Amand and Kim Kovacs (nee McKelvie) open a time capsule they helped put together in 1988; students from other area schools paid tribute to Duncan El’s centennial; Duncan mayor and former Duncan El student Phil Kent shares some memories with the crowd; former students and staff sign the guest book. Visit www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com for more photos. [KEVIN ROTHBAUER/CITIZEN]
Shelley and Oliver Balme were pleased with news that their controversial plans to restore a portion of their property to viable farmland have taken a step forward with an approval from the Agricultural Land Commission to extract gravel. “The Agricultural Land Commission has recognized that this proposal is in the best interest of agriculture,” said Shelley Balme in an email to the Citizen. “We respect their decision.” The plot in question is a steeply graded section located east of the Trans Canada Highway near Valleyview Centre. The Balmes propose to extract the gravel, re-grade, import clean fill and make the land into a farmable piece of their property through a nine-phase plan that could take up to 15 years. Some of the farm’s neighbours have objected to the plan. Concerns have included dust, noise, traffic, and disruption of
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agricultural operations, according to the Agricultural Land Commission decision, where it was noted they received “a significant amount of correspondence from the public regarding the use of lands within the ALR with respect to the proposal”. The CVRD board had forwarded the Balmes’ application with a recommendation of refusal. Their reasons were that there was no certainty that in the long term the project will enhance the agricultural capacity of the land and ensure it is returned to agricultural production; that there may be better options for the land, such as vineyards, that should be explored before such a project is undertaken; and that the community expressed concerns that the project would have “lasting detrimental impacts to their health and safety, and the quiet enjoyment of their operations”. The ALC’s approval is just the See OPERATION, Page 5