Chronicles: Nanaimo had its own soda wars a century ago
LIVING, Page 10
‘Twist & Shout’ celebrates British Invasion at Chemainus Theatre
ARTS, Page 15
WEDNESDAY
RELAY TEAM SETS B.C RECORD /26
Serving the Cowichan Valley
N. Cowichan looking for infrastructure fund boost
www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
ONE BIG SCONE
LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN
North Cowichan councillors are going to see if there’s some way to pry more money out of the Building Canada Fund. This federal transfer to the provinces, estimated at about a billion dollars a year in B.C., is supposed to help municipalities pay for upgrades to failing infrastructure but the provinces only hands over 40 per cent of the money, according to Coun. Kate Marsh. That’s leaving local governments with big bills and no way to pay them, she said at the June 3 North Cowichan meeting. “Local governments collect only eight per cent of total tax revenue in Canada but are responsible for 60 per cent of the infrastructure demands, which contribute to the upward spiralling of property taxes,”, Marsh continued. She urged her colleagues to push the Union of B.C. Municipalities to petition the province to allocate 60 per cent of the Building Canada Fund “directly to local government.” Taxpayers have been complaining locally about bigger tax bills, and with reason, she said. “We’re also hearing concerns about staff increases here. It’s been proven that as provincial governments shed jobs, local governments have increased jobs. The slack is taken up by municipal governments and paid for by local taxpayers. “I don’t think it’s just and I don’t think it’s sustainable.” See B.C. KEEPS, Page 8
Sherwood House Chef Steven Langley challenged himself to bake what is surely the largest scone in the Valley and, as he tells Duncan town crier Ben Buss last Thursday, this is the yummy result. Visit cowichanvalleycitizen.com for more pictures from the event. [LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN]
Compost stink not going away LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN
Coun. Joyce Behnsen was unsuccessful last Wednesday in convincing her North Cowichan colleagues to help find a new location for the controversial Coast Environmental operation but she generated plenty of debate, something the waste management site has done before. In fact, its stink has raised a stink among industrial park neighbours and residential property owners near enough to get wind of its sometimes-smelly compost-treatment efforts.
Behnsen called for council to “take steps to identify an alternative location” for the operation, which is now based beside the Trans-Canada Highway in the Chemainus Industrial park. She also wanted to find some way the business could operate “with zero impact on the neighbouring community.” Coun. Tom Walker warned, “This is a private company operating on private land. How can you move them?” He also pointed out that if Coast tried to move, it would involve transferring a lot of material to a new site.
Walker also raised another point: could council be expected to force other operations to move? “Over the years I’ve had all kinds of people complain about the [smell of] the pulp mill. I’m having trouble sorting this out in my mind. I don’t know where this goes,” he said. Coun. Kate Marsh went even further. “I question whether this is even legal,” she said. “At the moment they are legally there. Can council do this?” See COAST, Page 4
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