March 18, 2015

B.C. seniors don’t know about money-saving programs: advocate Cowichan Thunderbirds proud of 11th place showing at provincials

NORTH OF 50, Page 28 SPORTS, Page 30

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Crofton ready to fight for skate park LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN

were waiting to be hung on the new home, and neighbours in the 55-plus park were excited about getting to know her.

“She was looking forward to being here,” Jamieson said.

A group of riled-up Crofton residents are ready to fight for their new skate park.

They plan to be out in force at the next budget review meeting.

Gerry Hurst, who helps out with the local skateboard club said earlier that people are upset by rumours circulating around the community.

“Crofton has a club organized and everything and I sort of oversee it and help them out. We raised a lot of funds to start it. We have a modular set up right now. It’s aluminum and above the ground.

It’s getting old and it’s been there for years. It’s getting dangerous now because the ends are curling up at the points.

“It’s in the old tennis court behind the community centre.

There are three pieces that form into a skate park above the asphalt,” Hurst described.

See THE WORST FIRE, Page 8

See I’M NOT ASKING, Page 4

A firefighter from the South End volunteer department removes a piece of furniture from a residence in the Silver Park trailer park after a fire early Monday morning that took the life of a 73-year-old woman. [KEVIN ROTHBAUER/CITIZEN]

Fire claims 73-year-old KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

It had been shaping up as a wonderful spring for the victim of a tragic fire in the Silver Park trailer park early Monday morning.

The 73-year-old woman, identified by the BC Coroners Service

as Helena Molly Quaale, had moved into the park less than a month before, but hadn’t been able to enjoy her time there, due to extensive time spent in the hospital.

Neighbour Chuck Jamieson believes that she returned home

from her hospital stay on Sunday, just hours before the 4 a.m. fire.

“It’s a tragedy on so many levels,” he said. “Although we just got to know her, we are grieving for her.”

Flower baskets, brought over from her previous residence,

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Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

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Raise your glass: Water Week hits home ANDREA RONDEAU CITIZEN

Cowichan water suppliers raised glasses of H2O Monday morning, kicking off national Water Week.

It’s a particularly meaningful observation for the Cowichan region as local water experts and community leaders are sounding the alarm about what could be the most water-challenged summer the area has ever faced.

Last summer was one of the driest on record for the Cowichan River and other important bodies of fresh water in the Valley.

Summer drought dragged on for months into fall and reserves stored behind the weir at Cowichan Lake were within days of running out when rain finally came.

This year could be worse, experts are warning. There is no snow pack to speak of in the hills and levels in Cowichan Lake are already far lower than is comfortable.

Catalyst Mill in Crofton, the operators of the weir at Cowichan Lake under the direction of the Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, announced last week that they have resumed operation of the weir, weeks ahead of the normal start date of April 1.

“While 2014 was a challenging year for everyone in the Cowichan watershed, 2015 is beginning with

Cowichan water purveyors gather Monday morning to raise a glass in a toast to Water Week. [ANDREA RONDEAU/CITIZEN] even more challenges given the minimal snow pack and relatively dry winter,” Catalyst Environment Manager Brian Houle said in a press release. “Current lake levels are very low and that is why control of release rates from the lake are being initiated in advance of the licence-prescribed start date.”

The weir will gradually reduce the flow of water from the lake into the Cowichan River in hopes of preserving water for later in the summer when it is predicted it will be desperately needed to keep the river running.

With little else that can be done short-term to address a potential summer water crisis, the Cowichan Watershed Board is once again this week urging everyone

to take the Cowichan Water Conservation Challenge.

The challenge is to meet or beat the area’s best domestic water consumption rate of 246 litre per person per day or to reduce consumption by at least 20 per cent.

Already signed up for the challenge are the City of Duncan, Cowichan Bay Waterworks District, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Mill Bay Waterworks District, Municipality of North Cowichan, Town of Ladysmith and Town of Lake Cowichan.

The areas to beat so far are Ladysmith, which set the standard last year, and Mill Bay. Cowichan Tribes Councillor Debra Toporowski reminded everyone Monday that the water flow in the Cowichan River is

critical to not only the health of the salmon, which are central to Cowichan Tribes cultures, but also to low future water bills, community health, spirituality and recreation.

“I’m please and proud to be part

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of the process [towards conservation],” said David Slade of the Cowichan Watershed Board.

He showed several slides demonstrating the worrying downward trend of the water table in dry summer months from several observation wells in Arbutus Ridge, which hit their lowest lows in each of the last three summers.

The pattern repeats across the region, he said, with the Chemainus River aquifer also hitting its lowest low ever in 2014.

“The general trend is in the wrong general direction,” Slade said.

The message was that it will take cooperation and effort from everyone involved to address the problem. “We are all here together and we must work together,” Toporowski summed up.

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News

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

‘I’m not asking to cut anything,’ Behnsen CROFTON, From Page 1 “Everybody knows it’s time for a concrete one.

That’s why they brought it up a long time ago.

We want to put it in that area,” Hurst said.

Hurst said that, as far as he understood, “North Cowichan has moved and passed and have a budget in the bank of $250,000 to build us a new skate park. The word was out that it was going to be built in 2015 because basically they have the design now and the people that know what they’re doing.

“They did the Chemainus one so i t wo u l d be a lot cheaper to do

ours,” he said.

So far, so good. So why is everyone worried?

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It stems from a visit by new councillor Joyce Behnsen, who was asking questions in town about the skate park.

“All the rumours started about a week ago, then I heard it,” Hurst said. “People are worried that she wants to take the money and use it for something else, that the kids of Crofton don’t need it, they can go to Chemainus or they can go to Duncan.”

A meeting was held last Tuesday to talk about arranging a delegation to appear before North Cowichan council.

“We needed to voice our opinion that we want the skate park.

All the kids in town have been working their butts off to raise money for it,” Hurst said. “ S h e [Behnsen] has been talking about it, apparently, because I’ve had three phone calls

about it. Now the kids are all upset and I’m upset and a few of the parents that I’ve talked to are choked up. We need to have a happy medium with this and not get thrown out to the wolves,” he said.

Hurst said that he’s hoping some children will be able to attend the meeting.

“They’ll be carrying their skateboards. We’ve got to get onto that soap box to start complaining about it because if you don’t this thing will get snuck through and we won’t get our park. I know they’re trying to cut back on taxes but when it comes to the kids, that’s a priority as far as I’m concerned.”

Behnsen seemed surprised by the furor her visit to Crofton seemed to have caused.

“We’re in a budget review process. I’m not asking to cut anything. I’m looking at each one of the capital projects and asking questions about them. With the Crofton skate park, it’s only a matter of timing that I’m looking at. Is this the right year? When is the right time? I know they’ve been waiting for many, many years,” she said.

The councillor visited Crofton to take a look at

Old and rusting, the Crofton skate park needs to be replaced soon, residents of the community say. [LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN] the projects there, including the seawalk and the skate park.

When looking at the skate park’s location, she said, she wondered about timing and location for construction.

“When I saw it, I thought: this is not a very big space.

Is this where they want it?

Then I looked at the properties down below and beside it. What are the plans for the old school? What about the field beside it?” she asked.

Behnsen said the Crofton local area plan is being discussed right now.

“They’re having a meeting later in March. How will

the skate park fit in with it without planning what else is happening around here?” she asked.

Attending the residents meeting in Crofton last week was an eye-opener.

“I was surprised to hear that I’m taking the skate park off the list. That was the result of my visit to Crofton. I have never said we’re not doing it. Never.

I’m just asking questions,” Behnsen said.

The Crofton delegation told Behnsen they plan to attend the budget review meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 30.

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Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

◆ POLICE BEAT

Cowichan man charged with fraud KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

A Cowichan Valley turkey farmer is facing two counts of fraud over $5,000 following an investigation that culminated on March 12, just in time for Fraud Awareness Month.

The extensive investigation by the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP led to charges against James Hewitt Peach, a former chartered accountant who is accused of defrauding a pair of complainants.

“Friday was a good day,” said Const. Kristen Dunn, who told the alleged victims on March 13 that Peach had been charged. “It has been a long road, but it isn’t over yet.”

Peach was at one time a chartered accountant both in B.C. and the U.S., but no longer holds that designation.

According to police, more than four years

ago, Peach befriended two Cowichan Valley residents, who hired him to perform business and personal transactions on their behalf. Of approximately $155,000 he was entrusted with, none of it has been recovered. In addition to the lost funds and interest, they have been unable to pay off other debts, including house and vehicle payments.

Peach will appear in provincial court on April 14.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is to check the professional credentials of someone you are trusting with your money,” Cpl. Krista Hobday said. “Those who legitimately practise as accountants and investors will not be insulted by your inquiries and will be able to address your concerns in a professional manner.”

40-pound statue stolen from garage sale KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

A thief or thieves helped themselves to a personal item — a statue of a mother and child — belonging to a Duncan resident who was holding garage sale earlier this month.

“A garage sale usually means things are for sale, not for stealing,” North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Krista

Hobday said.

Made of composite concrete, the statue is about two feet tall and weighs about 35 or 40 pounds, Hobday said. It sits on a wooden base signed by the artist, and dates to the 1960s.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact the North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP at 250-7485522 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

OUR VIEW

Minimum wage CPI tie entrenches poverty t’s ironic that an announcement last week about the raising of the minimum wage actually turned out to be a step backwards in terms of making sure people have a living wage in this province.

The Liberal government said they will raise the minimum wage from $10.25 per hour, to $10.45 per hour in the fall.

But here’s the kicker.

Well, the other kicker, aside from the fact that the raise is a pittance.

Future increases to the minimum wage will be tied to the province’s Consumer Price

I

Index, with changes made each September.

There would be no problem with that if the minimum wage was a living wage to start with.

But it’s not.

Groups including the B.C. Federation of Labour have called for a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour to make sure workers can afford to eat, have a place to live, and clothe themselves.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has calculated the living wage at an even higher mark than that — particularly for those living in expensive cities such as Vancouver.

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So with the minimum wage being set so far below the actual living wage line, the new policy just ensures that people working at minimum wage will never get ahead.

If the wage only goes up in proportion to CPI, the situation of minimum wage earners will never improve, as the gap will never close.

Minimum wage will be forever stuck a certain distance below what people really need to live in any kind of comfort.

It’s a small mercy that if CPI actually goes down the government has seen fit to promise that

the minimum wage won’t go down with it.

The Liberals are essentially legislating the continuation of poverty in perpetuity with this policy.

Regular wages haven’t kept up with inflation of prices for everything from groceries to hydro to gas and ferry fares.

Minimum wage hasn’t even tried.

The point of a minimum wage is to make sure working people can afford to live in our society.

It has failed to serve this purpose for years.

Time for a real overhaul.

Re: “Local water control critical”.

I wonder when I read articles such as this if we should be establishing a committee to study development and its demands on water and sewer instead of a committee to study how we use our water individually. Yes, as Barry Dixon points out, the Crofton mill uses 36 million gallons a day, and I’m sure that the mill could reduce this amount if pressured to do so.

The question that I wonder about, especially with global warming, an ever decreasing snowpack, and the constant strip mining of the trees that provide shade to slow the melt of the little snow we are getting, is how much development is too much.

We do live on an Island with a finite amount of resources. How much is too much when it comes to demand on a limited resource such as water, and where do we draw the line on the amount of taps drawing from it?

Publisher Shirley Skolos Editor Andrea Rondeau Advertising director Shirley Skolos Circulation manager Audette LePage Newsroom 250-748-2666, extension 235 news@cowichanvalleycitizen.com Advertising 250-748-2666, extensions 223, 227, 228, 229, 230 Classified ads 1-866-415-9169

Complaint resolution If speaking to the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about a story we publish, contact the B.C. Press Council, which examines complaints from the public about the conduct of the press in gathering and presenting the news. Send your written concern and documentation within 45 days to: B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C., V9R 2R2.

Website: www.bcpresscouncil.org.

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Submitting a letter to the editor is now easier than ever — you can do it online by going to the Cowichan Valley Citizen website, www. cowichanvalleycitizen.com, and clicking on the Opinion tab. Then click Send us a letter.

Write 300 words or less on the topic of your choice, include your full name (first and last), and a town you hail from.

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We should be studying development limits

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How to make a desert This method of making a desert is best suited to a Valley bordered by wooded promontories. (Hills, mountains, lateral moraines, etc.) The objective, of course, is to get any precipitation the heck out of the Valley before it can soak in and make vegetation happen.

The easy-to-follow steps are: 1. Get rid of the trees. This allows the water to rush down the hillsides, taking the remaining growth and soil with it.

Then, when the sun shines, the exposed rocks can heat up really, really fast, driving the thermometer up, up, up!

2. Make sure the runoff isn’t slowed down on its way to the

ocean. This may require some dredging where the river drains out of the lake. If you’re fortunate enough to have a weir, you can simply crank it all the way down, saving a bundle on excavator costs.

3. Get your lawns brown as quickly as possible, even if you have to use a hair dryer to get the sucker dried out early in the spring. This is paramount. Never underestimate the cooling effect of green grass! In fact, your desert may never happen if you let that grass get green.

Many civic governments now assist at this point by onerous surcharges for domestic water, above and beyond hefty property taxes. Consequently, your neighbours will be joining in your

efforts because they bloody well can’t afford to do otherwise.

Here’s how it works. Householders are billed for two glasses of drinking water and two flushes per person per day at a set rate, and about the same for sewer. (Neat wrinkle.)

Additional water that might be used to keep the grass green incurs an additional charge.

Ditto the sewer, even though the water that goes on the lawn simply trickles down and finds its way to the river, never once dribbling into the sewage system.

So you can readily see that making a desert isn’t as difficult as you may have thought.

Stu Flinn Lake Cowichan

Gord McAulay Saltair

Doing Mill Bay ferry refit in spring makes no sense Is it any wonder there are so many issues at BC Ferries when they cannot get a simple refit schedule correct? Would it not make more sense to refit the Mill Bay ferry in January and February, which is an off season period, so to speak, so it would be ready to go when spring arrives along with tourists? Next thing we will hear is fares are going up because ridership in 2015 on the route was down or worse.

Alex Currie (Sr.) Chemainus

Opinion

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

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Water authority moves puts cart before horse On Feb. 25, the Regional Services Committee gave their go-ahead to hire a consultant to look at how regional control can be exercised over water resources in the CVRD. It is obvious that this expenditure is putting the cart in front of the horse because the provincial government has not given up any jurisdictional control to local government for water management. The province has already begun rewriting the Act and regulations as if they are still in total control.

No amount of money should be allocated by the CVRD board for an exercise that is clearly not in the CVRD’s jurisdiction.

The proposed tax is similar to the tax we currently pay to fund the Island Rail initiative which I should remind you all has not delivered on a single milestone promised to date.

This is another example of not dealing with the immediate priority and threat in our region to low water flows in the Cowichan River during the summer months.

That problem can be dealt with efficiently and cost-effectively by just getting permission to increase the height of the weir at Cowichan Lake.

However, the CVRD’s priority is to build a new bureaucratic empire that is not needed or provincially authorized. In fact, the proposed bureaucracy would not have intervener status in the rewriting of the new Water Act but would only have observer status.

During Mr. Carruthers’s (CAO of the CVRD) presentation to the Municipality of North Cowichan’s council on the same subject, the CAO stated that this process, which he is recommending, is not even sanctioned by the provincial government. So, we the taxpayer are being asked to throw money at an activity with no legitimacy. Mayor Lefebure also voiced his cautious warning to council that there are no guarantees.

North Cowichan’s taxes are some of the highest on Vancouver Island on an apples to apples comparison. Placing new tax burdens on the CVRD for an activity that has no legitimacy just makes us less competitive in attracting new business and residents.

North Cowichan residents already pay a lot of taxes for services used free of charge or at amazing savings by other jurisdictions in the CVRD. This totally unnecessary tax is one that we all can live without.

Don Swiatlowski North Cowichan

7

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Crowder’s derelict vessels bill debated in Ottawa

T

he House of Commons ed to increase and become unmandebated my private memageable. I will give a very recent ber’s bill on derelict vessels, example of how difficult this is for C-638, on Feb. 26. our communities to deal with.

This is an edited version of the I wrote a letter to the Minister of speech I gave explaining why this Transport, the Minister of Fishissue is so important to people eries and Oceans, and the Minister living on the coast, particularly of the Environment, indicat[ing] Vancouver Island. that on Aug. 31, 2012 — we are COMMUNITY “What exactly is it that Bill Ctalking two-and-a-half years later, REPORT 638 does? It designates the Coast and we have still not dealt with Jean Crowder Guard as the receiver of wrecks the problem — a survey was comfor the purposes of the Canada missioned for the Canadian Coast Shipping Act, allowing them to take action Guard. It said that the Viki Lyne II, also without being directed to by a ministry. It known as the Aberdeen, posed a significant, would also compel the government to create imminent, and ever-increasing threat to regulations for the removal, disposition, or the environment due to her deteriorated destruction of derelict vessels or wrecks. condition and the significant amount of oil Part of the reason I brought this bill aboard. The survey recommended that the forward is that what we have out there is only certain way of removing the threat was a jurisdictional quagmire. We have three to disassemble and scrap the vessel. separate federal government departments More than two years later the vessel that end up dealing with wrecks: Transport remains a threat.

Canada, Environment Canada, and the This is part of the problem. If it is a hazard Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Then to navigation, Transport Canada will step in we have provincial and municipal levels of and secure the vessel. If the vessel is actualgovernment as well. ly leaking oil into the water, Environment We might ask, what is the scope of this Canada will step in and do something. Howproblem? There was a report called “Vessels ever, the problem in this particular vessel’s of Concern Inventory” produced by Transcase is that they pumped out the oil and left port Canada in March 2014. In this report, all of this sludge in the bottom of the vesit said a total of 245 vessels of concern have sel, and the vessel is listing and threatening been identified in this inventory. to sink. The community is waiting for it The age of vessels in Canadian waters is to sink and then maybe someone will step increasing and so the number of incidents in and deal with the cleanup, which would of abandoned and derelict vessels is expectprobably cost hundreds of thousands of dol-

LANDLORDS’ RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITIES Evening Information Session Guest Presenters from LandlordBC Wednesday, March 25, 2015 6:15 to 8:15 pm Sponsored by Cowichan Housing Association To Register contact - Joy Emmanuel joy.cowichanhousing@gmail.com 250-746-1004 Ext 260

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lars more than if the vessel were removed from the bay.”

To follow progress of Bill C-638, please go to my website www.jeancrowder.ca Jean Crowder is the Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Cowichan. She can be reached at 250-746-4896.

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Come in and check out our selection of Evening Purses, Fashion Purses, Betty Boop, Baggallini, Derek Alexander, Backpacks, Fanny Bags, Leather Purse’s, Wallets, Travel Accessories, Computer Case’s, Garment Bags, Sport Bags, Shaving Kits, Wheeled Briefcases and much more....

All store shelving, tables & fixtures for sale.

Cash Deals Welcome • All Sales Final Duncan Mall

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RETIRING GOODBYE

Derelicts have long been a problem in Cowichan Bay. [CITIZEN FILE]

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8

News

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

For the record There were several errors in the Citizen’s story Friday, March 13 about two Cowichan Estuary Restoration and Conservation Association (CERCA) projects in the Cowichan estuary.

Although they are being conducted in roughly the same time period, the work of breaching of the causeway and the efforts at rehabilitation of the salt marsh of Mariners Island are two separate projects, clarified CERCA spokesperson, Dr. Goetz Schuerholz.

The bridge that will be used to cover the breach in the causeway is only going to be 30 feet long. An incorrect length was given in Friday’s article.

The structure shown in a photo on page 14 is not the bridge to be used. Incorrect information was given to the Citizen.

“It actually is a floating dock for a totally different use and destination,” Schuerholz said, adding, “the bridge will be covering a 30-foot breach of the causeway. It will be a double-lane bridge according to highway standards.”

[CITIZEN FILE]

Further, “the fresh water flow facilitated by the bridge does not influence eelgrass in one way or the other,” he said, explaining that in his opinion, the breaching of the causeway will have no effect on the plant.

Temporary Use Permit Notice is given under Section 921(4) of the Local Government Act by the Director of Development Services that the Municipality of North Cowichan proposes to issue a Temporary Use Permit.

Purpose of the Permit The purpose of the Temporary Use Permit is to permit the following temporary commercial uses on an annual basis for a three-year term from 2015 to 2017: 1. West Coast Amusements Midway Event for a maximum of ten (10) days during the period of May to September, inclusive; and 2. Thirty (30 vendor farmer’s market for a maximum of one (1) day per calendar week during the period of April to October, inclusive.

Subject Property 2003 University Way, Duncan BC - Lot B, Sections 18 & 19, Range 6, Quamichan District, Plan EPP1231 – PID: 027-694-933

A South End firefighter sprays down the wreckage of a mobile home in the Silver Park trailer park after the fatal blaze on Monday morning. [KEVIN ROTHBAUER/CITIZEN]

‘The worst fire I’ve ever seen’ www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com

ATTENTION RESIDENTS OF ELECTORAL AREA E COWICHAN STATION/SAHTLAM/GLENORA PARKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT! NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING DATE: Monday, March 30, 2015 TIME: 7:00 pm PLACE: Eagles Hall, 2965 Boys Road, Duncan, BC

Inspection of Permit A copy of the application, draft permit and related documents may be inspected in the Development Services Department on weekdays from March 18 to 31, 2015, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Decision The Director of Development Services will consider whether to approve the issuance of the proposed permit by 4:30 p.m. on April 1, 2015, at the Municipal Hall, 7030 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan BC. If you believe your interests will be affected by the proposed permit you may provide your written comments to the Development Services Department by email to planning@northcowichan.ca or by mail received prior to 4:30 p.m. on March 31, 2015.

7030 Trans-Canada Highway | Box 278 | Duncan, BC V9L 3X4 T 250.746.3100 F 250.746.3133 www.northcowichan.ca

Come on out to the Eagles Hall for an informative evening about 2014 accomplishments and proposed 2015 projects and activities for local parks and trails within Electoral Area E - Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora, hosted by your Electoral Area Director and CVRD Parks & Trails Division staff.

The evening will also include the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the Electoral Area E Parks and Recreation Commission. The AGM is to hold nominations and election for five (5) positions for a one-year term. Interested persons can also request to serve on the Commission in one of the four (4) available appointed one-year terms. Parks and Recreation Commission members provide advice to the CVRD on matters regarding community parks.

Please plan to attend to learn more about your local parks and trails.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Brian Farquhar, Manager, Parks & Trails Division, Planning & Development Department at 250-746-2620

FIRE CLAIMS, From Page 1 “The last place she was in wasn’t as friendly.”

Jamieson works a night shift, and was wide awake when the fire started.

“We were up, as usual, and we heard a sound like a loud car door slamming,” he said. “We didn’t know what it was, but we looked up and saw the flames. It was the worst fire I had ever seen in my life.”

Jamieson called 9-1-1, and was impressed with how quickly emergency responders got to the scene.

When they didn’t see paramedics, they believed their new neighbour must have been safe.

“We hoped she was still in the hospital. We saw police and firefighters, but we didn’t see an ambulance.”

South End fire chief Scott Henning said there were about 22 firefighters on scene, and the Duncan fire department was also called out provide a water tender, since the closest hydrants are located outside the park. The flames were extinguished quickly, to the relief of the firefighters and other park residents.

“It’s always a concern with exposure to other adjacent properties,” Henning said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and both Henning and Sgt. Chris Swain of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP confirmed that the fire remained under investigation as of Tuesday morning. Foul play has been ruled out.

News

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

9

Service cuts, fares blamed for traffic loss LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN

There’s been an interesting anomaly in coastal ferry traffic recently, according to Brian Hollingshead, chair of the Ferry Advisory Committee.

In his report on January traffic, he said, referring to the various routes, “What is a little surprising is that the majors are down while the minors are up, out of character for both groups. Much of the increase for the minors is attributable to the restoration of the Powell River routes to and from Texada Island and Comox.

“They were severely compromised due to major terminal work at Powell River and Comox this time last year,” he said.

H oweve r, t h a t a p p e a rs t o be the only bright light on a downward spiral, according to Hollingshead.

“Beyond that, a number of minor routes continue to suffer significant, consistent traffic loss attributable, we believe, to both imprudent service cuts and high fares. These include routes 19 (Gabriola), 21 (Denman) and 22 (Hornby),” he said.

Not surprisingly, the majors are just barely on the plus side while the minors and the northern routes are substantially on the negative side and “destined to stay there for the remainder of the year,” he said, citing substantially greater fare increases experienced over the past decade by the minor and northern routes compared

Factors that would normally drive growth in ferry traffic just aren’t happening with the results that usage numbers are starting to plummet, ferry watchers say. [CITIZEN FILE] with those on the majors.

However, “the good news is that this is the first year the majors are looking to break even and maybe show a slight increase,” he said.

Hollingshead also looked at January traffic results since 2006.

“I wanted to highlight what happened in January 2009...the best January since 2006. [That was a]

$20 Beverage and Burger Night,

bit of a surprise as that was while the global economy was coming unglued. It was also a horrible year for BC Ferries traffic.

“So, what’s missing in this picture? Aha, it was also the January when the government paid for a 33 per cent reduction in all fares! Given January is one of the months with the least discretioni-

JOHNS SOUTHWARD GLAZIER WALTON MARGETTS

Somenos Medical Clinic Welcomes Dr. Simon Glaude and Dr. Jamie Pighin

&

at The Oak and Carriage Saturday, March 21, 6pm

Proceeds to support CMHA services and programs Child & Youth Services, Homelessness & Housing and Mental Health Advisory.

Barristers Solicitors Notaries Public

Call Wendy at 250-748-5000 for tickets

Mediation Services www.jsg.bc.ca

ary traffic, and the surrounding melodrama at the time, the traffic boost is more than remarkable, attesting to the impact of significant fare adjustments. May not be what some want to hear, but it’s quite indisputable,” he said.

Hollingshead also expressed concern about summer tourist traffic and its connected economic boost

for the islands.

Hold-the-line traffic figures would be fine if there was no activity anywhere else.

“But the world around us is expanding in ways that would normally drive ferry traffic growth but that growth isn’t happening.

Think, the guy sitting on the dock of the bay, watchin’ the tide rolling in (apologies to Otis). Water’s rising. But his boat isn’t. Problem here, something’s wrong? Is there a comparison to ferry traffic? We think so,” he said.

“The point is, when tourism is thriving, population is increasing and the GDP is growing, simply measuring traffic performance against last year’s performance... misses the point. No growth means the boat is slowly sinking.”

However, Hollingshead didn’t dump all the blame at BC Ferries’ door, saying the corporation “seems to be caught between the costs of fuel, people and capital needs; providing a prescribed service; and a decade of government underfunding.”

High fares and service cuts have meant that more and more potential customers are turning away from ferry travel, choosing to spend their discretionary dollars elsewhere.

“The meagre traffic stats are the canary in the mine, reflecting the slowly diminishing economic and social state of ferry dependent communities. While fares aren’t the only factor, we believe they are the major one,” he said.

Bob Carfra • ICBC CLAIMS

• PERSONAL INJURY • DISABILITY CLAIMS

• Over 36 years experience • 1st office visit is free 151 Fourth Street Duncan, BC V9L 5J8

Call 250-746-8779 Toll Free 888-442-4042

Dr. Glaude and Dr. Pighin will be assuming the practice and patients of Dr. Karen McIntyre and will continue to operate a full service Family Practice as well as hospital work.

We wish Dr. McIntyre and her family all the best in their future endeavors.

Dr. Glaude and Dr. Pighin will not be taking new patients at this time.

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10

Living

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Cowichan’s ‘outskirts of civilization’ didn’t daunt pioneering Skinner family

Find us on Twitter: @CowichanCitizen

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2940 Ed Nixon Terrace Victoria, BC V9B 0B2 250-475-1345 SteveDraneHarley.com sales • service • parts • collectibles • accessories

CVRD Water Systems

CVRD Water Systems Flushing Notice Flushing Notice The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) will be carrying out flushing of the water systems listed below on:

The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) will be carrying out flushing of the systems listed below on: March 24, 2014 towater March 28, 2014

CVRD Water Systems Fernridge Water System Flushing Notice Cherry Point Water System

Saltair, Woodley Range & Shellwood Water Systems Dogwood Ridge Water System The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) will be carrying Monday, March 2, 2015 to Friday, March 13, 2015 Arbutus Mountain Estates Water System out flushing of the water systems listed below on:

Youbou, Honeymoon Bay, Mesachie Lake & Bald March 31, 2014 to April 4, 2014 March 24, Water 2014 to March 28, 2014 Mountain Systems Douglas Hill Water System Monday, 16, 2015 to Friday, March 20, 2015 Fernridge March Water System Burnum Water System Cherry Point Water System

Fernridge, Arbutus Mountain, Dogwood Ridge Water System Kerry Village & Residents may experience some air in the lines and Shawnigan Lake Estates North Water Arbutus Mountain WaterSystems System discolouration of the water supply during these operations.

Monday, March 23, 2015 to Thursday, April 2, 2015

Should this occur, running a cold water tap for a short period March 31, 2014 to April 4, 2014 will help to restore the water quality to normal.

Douglas Hillmay Water System some air in the lines and Residents experience SHOULD THE PROBLEM PERSIST, Burnum Water System discolouration of the water supply during these please call the CVRD’s Engineering Services Department at (250) 746-2530. operations. Should this occur, running a cold water tap Residents may experience some air in the and for a short period will help to restore thelines water quality discolouration of the water supply during these operations. to normal.

Should this occur, running a cold water tap for a short period will help to restore the water quality to normal.

SHOULD THE PROBLEM PERSIST, please call the CVRD’s Engineering Services Department SHOULD THE PROBLEM PERSIST, at (250) 746-2530.

14-03-13 3 please call the CVRD’s Engineering Services Department at (250) 746-2530.

CVRD Flushing 3x5-75.indd 1

E

squimalt Harbour’s Skinner Cove and Skinner’s Bottom have vanished but Thomas James Skinner is yet recognized by CHRONICLES Cowichan Bay’s T.W. Paterson Skinner Point and Skinner Bluff.

There’s a touch of irony in this. His active career, as pioneering farmer and politician, was spent in, about and for Esquimalt which has allowed him to slip into limbo. His latter, less productive years were occupied in the Cowichan Valley where he’s memorialized in stone (so to speak) by the point and the bluffs which form the entrance to Genoa Bay. A native of Essex, Eng., he began his career with the fabled East Asia Co. In 1852, after several voyages to Calcutta and Rangoon, he made a dramatic career change by joining the Puget Sound Agricultural Co. as a “bailiff.”

Despite its American-sounding name, this Hudson’s Bay Co. subsidiary was establishing a commercial farm at Esquimalt’s Constance Cove (now part of CFB Esquimalt), and Skinner’s title meant he was its manager, not an officer of the court.

He arrived, after a six-month-long voyage, on Jan. 16, 1853, with wife Mary, five children and three servants, to build and operate Constance Cove Farm. Instead of the proper accommodations they’d been promised upon their arrival in Fort Victoria, they (seven Skinners and three servants) were assigned a one-room shack on what’s now downtown Humboldt Street. The first night in their temporary home was the maid’s last; after crying her-

The community of Maple Bay looks a lot more welcoming now. [CITIZEN FILE] self to sleep, she arranged to return to the Old Country on the very ship that brought them by marrying its cook.

A month later, it was in these humble surroundings (with blankets for room dividers) that their sixth child, Constance, was born.

Mrs. Skinner, as Leigh Burpee Robinson noted in her book Esquimalt, Place of Shoaling Waters, obviously was “made of sterner stuff”.

With the exception of Constance Farm, the Puget Sound Co.’s attempts to create a profitable industry were dismal failures and upon expiration of their contracts all bailiffs were released. This also let the PSAC off the hook for its promise to grant each manager his own estate.

However, as an “independent” (one not employed by the HBCo.), Skinner successfully ran for election to

Vancouver Island’s first legislative assembly.

Some historians have included him among the infant colony’s anti-HBCo. faction but a review of legislative minutes indicate a good attendance record and Skinner’s general concern for the community’s well-being. As early as 1859 he was proposing establishment of a Victoria gasworks. He failed in his second bid for election.

In May 1864 the Skinners were off (by steamship, there being no roads) to Cowichan and what the Colonist termed “distant and lonely residence on the outskirts of civilization”.

Although his former HBCo. masters may not have missed him, the newspaper, although getting his name wrong, wished him well.

See SKINNERS HIKED, Page 11

Special Information Supplement

Vancouver International Auto Show: March 24 - 29 Bigger and Better Than Ever

Do you have anything special planned during the last week of March?

If you want my advice, don’t bother with a sunny vacation down south, or extra time on the slopes. One of the hottest

By Blair Qualey tickets this time of year is the annual Vancouver International Auto Show, taking place March 24-29 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The Auto Show, presented by the New Car Dealers Association of BC, is the largest event of its kind in Western Canada. What’s more, this year’s 95th annual Show will be bigger and better than ever before.

As I told you in this space last month, the Show is taking up 25 per cent more room than last year, or about 300,000 square feet of

ballroom and exhibition space. We’re featuring some never-before seen displays and special features, more details of which I can now share with you.

For example, the Auto Show will feature four concept vehicles that car enthusiasts won’t want to miss including the Cadillac Elmiraj, the Infiniti Q80 Inspiration, the Nissan BladeGlider and the Subaru VIZIV 2.

The Auto Show will also include more than 25 regional debuts. That means almost every manufacturer will be presenting some of their newest models at the Vancouver Show this year.

Thinking of buying a new car or truck in the near future? You won’t want to miss this sneak peek at the latest makes and models manufacturers are about to unveil.

The Auto Show will display a lineup of exotic vehicles, including those from such iconic

brands as Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche and Rolls Royce.

Classic Alley is back this year and will feature vintage vehicles from companies such as Volkswagen, Cadillac, Pontiac and Auburn.

Personally, I’m excited to see the 1920s Model T, which would have been similar to what was on display at the very first Vancouver International Auto Show 95 years ago.

Another big attraction will be the Hollywood North display. It’s a nod to the movie industry in Vancouver and will feature vehicles used in films made here in the city, including the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine and the Grey Sisters’ Taxi from Percy Jackson.

If you’ve never been to the Auto Show before, this is the year you don’t want to miss it. If you’re a regular, be prepared for a whole new look and feel for your favourite event.

To find out more about all of the events taking place at this year’s Auto Show, including online contests and how to save money on tickets, visit the website: www.

VancouverInternationalAutoShow.com. Guests are encouraged to buy tickets online, but they will also be available on site.

Finally, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @ VanAutoShow and ‘Like’ our Vancouver International Auto Show Facebook page. You can also see our cool photos on the Vancouver Auto Show Instagram page.

But don’t just check out this event on social media. This is an experience you’ll want to see in person. See you at the Show!

Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. Email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca.

Living

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Skinners hiked to Quamichan Lake’s shore COWICHAN’S, From Page 10 From Cowichan Bay the Skinners hiked a rough trail to Maple Bay and on to the northeastern shore of Quamichan Lake, packhorses following with their building materials, household effects and two tents for living quarters.

There the Skinners started afresh to build 400-acre Farleigh Farm. It was there, in 1874, that Constance, the daughter born in a shack outside the palisades of Fort Victoria, married Alexander E.B. Davie, local farmer, lawyer and future provincial premier.

Besides being a gentleman farmer, Skinner served as a justice of the peace. The bearded pioneer, politician and patriarch ended an eventful career with his passing, at about 67 years, in the spring of 1889. The stalwart Mary Skinner lived on at Farleigh until her own death, aged 80. She was laid to rest beside her husband in the family plot at St. Peter’s, Quamichan which they’d helped to build.

As far back as 1859 — five years before the family moved to Cowichan — Skinner Bluff and Point had been christened by Capt.

George Richards, RN. Skinner, planning ahead, had already bought land at Quamichan Lake, for a pound sterling per acre.

Esquimalt’s Skinner Cove is gone, filled in during construction of the federal graving dock.

Skinner’s Bottom, once marshland, is now a subdivision.

Farleigh Farm, by the way, was in the immediate vicinity of today’s Quamichan Inn. www.twpaterson.com

ANDREA RONDEAU CITIZEN

The finalists have been named for the 2015 Black Tie Awards.

In Customer Service Don Bodger of the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial is up against Ashley Mulholland of London Drugs and Scott Robertson of Unsworth Vineyards.

Ken Holack of Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association is competing with Sheila Service of Community Futures and Cowichan Seniors Foundation and Colleen Marsel of the Heart and Stroke Foundation for top honours in the Volunteer of the Year Award.

In the Young Entrepreneur category Paul King of Hangaaar, Adrian Southern of Raincoast Aquaponics and Melissa Steers of Steers Meat Shop are the top three.

In Business Achievement one to 10 employees Jean Cardino of Cardino Shoes is up against David and Sandra Beggs of Cycle Therapy and Brenda Burch of Social Media is Simple.

In Business Achievement 11-19 employees the finalists are Fatima Da Silva of Bistro 161 and Vinoteca on the Vineyard, Ian and Jennifer Woike of Farmer Ben’s Eggs and Dave Prangley of HB Electric Ltd. In Business Achievement 20plus employees Randal Huber of the Chemainus Theatre Fes-

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[CITIZEN FILE]

tival will battle it out with Janet Docherty of Merridale Ciderworks Corp. and Peninsula Co-op.

Robin Round of Botanical Bliss, Marilyn and Giordano Venturi and Michelle Schulze of Venturi Schulze Vineyards and David and Diana Pink of Warm Land Irrigation are vying for the best Green Business title.

And John Lore of Live Edge Design, Arnim Rodeck of ShamaWood Find Woodworking and Hilary Huntley of Trial by Fire Pottery will compete for the Art in Business award.

Winners will be announced at the Black Tie Awards and Auction banquet, which will take place April 11 at Brentwood College School.

Tickets to the gala are $89. Call 250-748-1111 or email admin@duncancc.bc.ca to reserve yours, or get them online.

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Just south of the Silver Bridge Check with the guys who know cars!

The annual Diggers Club Show and Sale held at Chemainus Elementary Community School is always a huge draw for people looking for a bargain or a special item but it also offers people a great chance to chat with likeminded folks about a beloved hobby. [LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN]

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

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Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, Co We y, March Marc 18, 2015 015

Bridal Feature 2015 W A R D M O D N A R S I E L P U O C G WINNIN

a c i n o M & Keith Dickens

Keith & Monica Dickens My parents never wanted a party for their 50th anniversary their dream was to take their family away on a dream vacation to the Cook Islands in Rarotonga.

So after years of saving they did just that. My sister and her husband and their two children along with my husband and son, and as special treat their close friends from their home town in England joined us also. Picture was taken at a surprise dinner we threw for them beachside in our accommodations. The picture reflects the love may parents share and win or lose the photo contest I have already won to have great parents like them! submitted by: Michele Baloun

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14

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Simple solutions to save on your wedding ber of people they invite to their wedding. Couples who come from large families may not be able to cut family members from their guest lists without causing a significant stir, so such men and women can look for other areas to trim. Professional colleagues and old acquaintances who you no longer keep in touch with are unlikely to be offended if they don’t make the cut, and removing them from the guest list can save couples substantial amounts of money.

Venue

But as shocking as the cost of saying “I do” in front of family and friends can be, there are some tried-and-true ways to drastically reduce that cost without making the big day any less special.

Perhaps no element of wedding planning is more open to negotiation than the venue where the reception will take place. Many couples now choose venues that can host both the wedding and the reception, and that can save couples the cost of booking two separate locations and transporting out-of-town guests from one location to another. Venues are typically open to negotiation with regard to the price per person for the reception, and few will not have some wiggle room built into their initial quote. If young children and teenagers will be attending the wedding, negotiate lower rates for their meals, as they won’t be drinking alcohol and therefore won’t cost the venue as much as adult guests.

Guests

Location

Many couples save the most money by reducing the num-

Where a couple decides to tie the knot will have a signifi-

Couples who host their wedding receptions on weekend afternoons instead of Saturday nights can save substantial amounts of money.

Couples in the midst of planning a wedding often find themselves overwhelmed by the cost of such a meaningful yet expensive undertaking. The average wedding is as expensive as a new car or a down payment on a new house, so it’s no surprise many couples experience sticker shock when they first begin to negotiate with vendors.

cant impact on their bottom line. Certain locales, such as large cities, are more expensive than others. Couples who come from small towns may benefit from tying the knot close to home, as vendors tend to charge less the further they are from large metropolises. Waterfront venues, regardless of which city they happen to be in, also tend to be more expensive than venues with less impressive surroundings. Couples willing to sacrifice city lights and breathtaking views of the water are likely to find more affordable venues for ceremonies and receptions.

Timing The timing of a wedding also affects a couple’s bottom line. Couples hoping to get married when wedding season hits its peaks, which is generally considered the months of May and June and then also late-September into October, can expect to pay substantially more than couples willing to get married at other times of the year.

Couples also can save money by choosing to get married on Friday or Sunday nights or Saturday afternoon, when many venues charge considerably less per person than they do on Saturday night, which remains the most popular night of the week to get married.

The cost of a wedding is considerable, but couples can cut those costs in several ways if they’re willing to be flexible and negotiate with vendors.

TOO EXCITED TO WAIT FOR 2016?

Afraid you don’t have time to plan? Maybe you are a free spirit that lives in the moment?

Either way, we have a few select premium summer dates that just became available for 2015 at special pricing.* You will find the natural ambiance of the merridale estate creates a unique venue to say “I do”. The quiet rural setting of the orchard and fields, alongside the water’s edge of our pond is perfect for those couples looking for a unique outdoor wedding venue. We are a full service wedding venue, so relax. We cover everything from venue, to food, drink, decorator package, planning, music, gifts, and so much more. Savour a day of memories with family and friends and leave the details to us. Now booking for fall/winter weddings and 2016. *Mention this code (CVC.03.31.19) for special. Reduced pricing only available with mention of code at time of tour and on specified dates.

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Transportation tips: Getting to and from your wedding

Transportation can be easily overlooked when couples plan their weddings.

Couples may recognize they may have to hire a car or limousine to get them to their ceremonies and then their receptions, but what happens when the limousine calls it a night?

While some couples immediately depart for their honeymoons after saying good-

bye to their wedding guests, many build a day in between the wedding and honeymoon, giving them a chance to rest, take stock of their wedding gifts and finish packing. That leaves the question of how a couple will return home from the reception or get to the airport.

The best man may offer to drive the bride and groom where they need to go. But if the best man is from out of town, he may not have a chariot awaiting to escort the newly christened husband and wife to the airport.

As a result, all members of the wedding party should discuss their post-wedding travel plans in advance. Any person who will be arriving in a hired car will need to make arrangements to have their own vehicle available at the end of the wedding or be able to call a taxi or car service to get a safe ride home. Some wedding party members may decide to park a car at the reception site or a hotel the day prior to the wedding so they will have a return ride. It’s also a good idea to ask friends or family members who are not in the bridal party for a ride home.

Safety is an utmost concern after the wedding. Even if wedding party members have a car available, no one should drive when intoxicated. Couples may want to include the phone number of a local taxi service in their hotel gift bags just to be safe.

Mill Bay Centre 250-743-8131

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Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Bridal Feature 2015 Consolation Winners Modern trends in wedding videography

Tim & Saldana Skramstad

we were married on January 15, 2013 at Mt Washington.

The photo was taken just as the sun was setting.

Emmy & Dave Paras Married 50 Wonderful Years.

June 13, 2014.

A couple’s wedding day is often a whirlwind for the bride- and groom-to-be. Happy couples hope to remember every little detail, but that can be difficult when so much is going on. That is why many brides and grooms hire videographers to preserve the memories of their weddings.

Couples who fail to capture their ceremony and reception on film may feel like they missed out once their big day has come and gone. As a result, a professional videographer can be a wise investment.

Today’s wedding videos have come a long way from their poorly produced predecessors. Gone are the potentially cheesy soundbites and elevator music. Many of today’s videos are artfully edited and highly cinematic productions that could have couples wishing they were viewing videos in theaters. The following are some wedding video trends popular among today’s couples. s Brief clips and highlights: Few people want to sit through their entire wedding day frame-by-frame. Montages of key elements of the day are much more popular than a chronological unfolding of the ceremony and reception. Some videographers like to show snippets of what’s to come at the start of the wedding video, then go into more extensive segments later on. s Special filters or film: Filters and lighting effects can give a wedding video an entirely different feel. For example, filming in 8mm can lend a grainy touch to the video and make it seem ethereal or even part of a home movie collection. However, few people want the stark reality of a high-definition camera that highlights every flaw. s Film chapters: Dividing segments of the video into different chapters allows viewers to fast forward to the parts they want to see and pass those they can skip. This saves the hassle of having to watch the video in its entirety. s Cinematic styling: Instead of a stationary camera on a tripod, this method of filming incorporates different angles and close-up shots to give the video a modern feel. It’s shot more like a movie than a documentary, allowing viewers to feel as though they’re really experiencing the event. s Artistic, indy feel: Film buffs may want a wedding video that breaks the mold. Ask videographers to create something that would fit in at the Sundance or Tribeca film festivals. s Same-day editing: Want to revisit the ceremony at your wedding reception? Some videographers will edit portions of the ceremony and preparations for the big day in the time between the ceremony and reception. This gives all guests, including those who may not have been able to make the ceremony, the chance to view the nuptials. s Unobtrusive technology: This trend relates to the equipment used to capture wedding memories rather than the actual finished product. No one wants their view of the ceremony or reception to be marred by a big, bulky camera. Smaller video cameras enable videographers to seamlessly blend in and perhaps capture shots that larger cameras could not.

Preserving wedding memories takes on new meaning when couples explore the growing trends in wedding videos.

Gayleen & Ted Evans

Celebrated 50th Wedding Anniversary

November 28th, 2014 Quamichan Inn.

Helga & Mike Muenzier Married, March 15, 2014 At Hinterquest Manor, Quamichan Lake, Duncan.

Johanna & Ken Shumka Married 50 years young May 15th, 2015

Chanchal Singh Thiara and Amerjeet Thiara Celebrated 40th Wedding Anniversary July 21st, 2014

Willi and Debbie Konn are pleased to announce the marriage of their son,

William to Vanessa daughter of Mason and Lauren Kent of Vancouver, B.C. Wedding took place August 2nd, 2014 at Birds Eye Cove Farm.

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Why marriage can be good for your health

Proponents of marriage may quote any number of reasons why couples should tie the knot instead of living a life of singlehood. A desire to raise children together is one reason many couples wed, but getting hitched might also be better for your health. That’s right, a growing body of evidence has suggested marriage may be beneficial for men and women from a health and wellness standpoint.

A 2006 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community found that, compared with married people, people who are widowed, are divorced/separated or have never married are more likely to die earlier. In addition to a greater combined wealth that may make access to health insurance or better healthcare possible, there are a number of possible reasons behind why mar-

ried couples tend to be healthier and happier. * Safety: Being married and committed to one partner reduces your risk of developing a disease through intimate encounters. Furthermore, married couples tend to be less involved in behaviors that may put them at risk for violent altercations between others. Research by the United States Justice Department has found that single and divorced women are four to five times more likely to be victims of violence in any given year than women who are married, while bachelors are four times more likely to be victims of violent-crime than men who are married. * Health monitoring: Married couples may pay attention to and monitor changes in each other’s health more so than boyfriends and girlfriends. Couples who can recognize the subtle changes in physical or emotional health

* Greater financial security: Money is a primary source of stress for many men and women. But living in a dual-income household can ease some of that stress and the potential health problems that come with it. Some research has indicated that married men make as much as 40 percent more money than comparable single men, even after accounting for education and job history. Marriage could be seen as an indication of security and trustworthiness, traits appealing to a company.

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Kimberly Thompson Owner & Lead Coordinator Cornerstone Weddings & Events 250-732-4469 • www.cornerstoneweddingsandevents.ca

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Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2054

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Which dinner service is right for your wedding?

Weddings are typically the culmination of months of careful planning. After a couple has officially tied the knot, a celebration typically follows. Although music and mingling are integral to a wedding reception, the meal is often the central component of the party.

Couples have options when choosing dinner service for their weddings, and some need not serve dinner at all. An early wedding may consist of a brunch or some passed appetizers, while some couples opt for a cocktail party in lieu of a dinner party. Still, some weddings feature only desserts.

But guests attending more traditional weddings expect to dine at the receptions that follow such affairs. Buffet service and a sit-down dinner are the most popular choices for wedding meals, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Choosing the dinner service that works best for your wedding may involve a careful comparison of the various offerings and keeping your budget and guests’ com-

fort in mind.

Sit-down dinner A sit-down dinner consists of several courses of plated food served by a waitstaff. Guests never have to leave their seats, and sit-down service is usually in line with a formal reception. Some food offerings at sit-down dinners tend to be fancy and presented in a manner that is appealing both to the eye and the palate.

There are several advantages to sit-down meals. Guests can focus entirely on enjoying themselves and conversing with fellow guests rather than getting up to seek out food, and those with mobility issues do not have to worry about maneuvering to a buffet station or trying to balance food. Guests get topnotch treatment and will have a waitstaff on call to fill their every need, which can make an affair more memorable for all in attendance.

But sit-down dinners are typically more expensive as well. Guests are generally given several choices for the main course, and that could mean ordering extra food and preparing it to be ready for guests’ selections. Serving meals may take longer, and sometimes meals may not arrive hot to the table. Guests may be limited to certain food choices, and portion sizes may not be what guests were hoping for.

Sitting idle for a while can affect the mood of the reception and lead to boredom.

Buffet service

Debbie Meiner Team Leader

Congratulations

A buffet-style dinner is served from a long dais table that holds several chafing dishes full of food. Wedding guests will rise from their seats and make their way to the buffet stations, where they’ll be able to serve themselves or be served by staff manning the stations.

Buffets present an array of foods that cater to the various dietary needs of guests. Those at the reception can sample several different foods rather than be restricted to one main course. Guests can limit portion sizes or sometimes return for second helpings. Buffets are generally less formal and allow guests to mingle more readily.

But buffet-style meals may produce long lines as guests pick and choose their

meals. While experienced catering managers and reception site staff should have plans in place to create a free-flow of guests to the buffet stations, there will be a first and a last table called to eat, and guests on the tail end of the service may be stuck with whatever is left over if food is not adequately restocked. In an effort to accommodate everyone, extra food may be cooked for buffet-style dinners, which can be costly and wasteful. In addition, guests are asked to do more work, as they need to get up and retrieve their own food.

A catering company or the banquet manager at a reception site can work with couples as they decide if a buffet or sitdown dinner is the best option for their wedding receptions.

Darren Meiner Buyer’s Agent

Destination

Weddings & Honeymoon Gift Registry

To all the brides and grooms We wish you the kind of happiness that reaches to every corner of the heart, that lingers in smiles and increases with each new tomorrow.

May all your hopes and dreams come true.

All the best from The Debbie Meiner Real Estate Team

Start your fairytale in paradise

Weddings

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Marlin Travel’s Wedding Specialists can help make your dream destination wedding or honeymoon a reality. Every month we work with over 500 brides, planning the perfect fairytale that fits their vision and budget perfectly. Our experience allows us to offer you worry free packages with one-on-one personalized service.

The Honeymoon Gift Registry, offered exclusively at Marlin Travel allows your guests the opportunity to purchase a wedding or shower gift for you in any denomination! Each gift certificate can be applied towards the cost of your destination wedding or honeymoon!

Plus earn valuable AIR MILES® reward miles on your booking* Ask us how to register your destination wedding and honeymoon.

Marlin Travel Unit F - 921 Canada Avenue Duncan, BC V9L 1V2 (250) 748-2594 www.marlintravel.ca/1537

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* Base reward mile offer is 1/$35 on vacation packages, cruise fares and charter flights. Not applicable on scheduled airline or rail tickets, hotel and car reservations paid locally, taxes, service fees, non-commissionable items, foreign exchange and insurance. Other conditions may apply. ®TM Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co., and Transat Distribution Canada Inc. Marlin Travel is a division of Transat Distribution Canada Inc. ON Reg. #50015084, BC Reg. #23567. Head Office: 191 The West Mall, Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON M9C 5K

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

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Living

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

VALLEY Calendar Miscellaneous • Altered Books: Hands on at the Library — find out how to alter a book into a piece of art, workshop, Saturday, March 14, 1-4 p.m., with Joanne Yearsley, Duncan library.

Bring a book.

• Documentary night at the library in Duncan Monday, March 16, 6-8 p.m., “A People Uncounted: The Untold Story of the Roma” about a people who have been both romanticized and vilified in popular culture, politics and art and have endured centuries of intolerance and persecution.

Free.

• Considering a midlife career change? Learn 3 mistakes women 50-plus commonly make that keeps them struggling to balance finances and a life they love, Wednesday, March 25, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., with Janine L. Moore, career counsellor with over 20 years experience. Free, Chemainus library, registration limited, call 250-246-9471.

• Cowichan Fish and Game Association Glenora hosts Canadian Firearm Safety course (PAL and RPAL) starting Friday, April 3. Info and registration: canadianfirearmsafety@shaw.ca or Mike 250-748-0319.

• Parents Unite Garage Sale, 66 tables of children’s toys, clothing and family goods Saturday, April 11, 9 a.m.-noon, free admission, tables $20, Island Savings Centre multipurpose hall, info: 250-748-7529.

• St. Joseph’s School annual garage sale, Saturday, April 11, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the St. Joseph’s School Gymnasium, 9735 Elm St. Chemainus • Friendly Visitors wanted! Volunteer Cowichan program connects an isolated or lonely senior in the community with a Friendly Visitor. Interested? Call 250-748-2133.

Ken & Kelli We put your Best Interest First

250-746-8123 • www.kenandkelli.ca

SMOKE CONTROL BYLAW NO. 3716 RESTRICTS BACKYARD BURNING WITHIN CVRD ELECTORAL AREAS A, B, C, D, AND E KNOW THE RULES BEFORE YOU BURN. FAILURE TO COMPLY CAN RESULT IN PENALTIES OF UP TO $750 For all lands in Electoral Areas A - E (Agricultural Land Reserve included), open burning is allowed: • from Mar. 15th - Apr. 15th or Oct. 15th - Nov. 15th ONLY; • when the Provincial air quality ‘Venting Index’ is rated as “Good” (please refer to website noted below); • for untreated natural wood, prunings, or branches only (no leaves, grass clippings, garbage or construction waste); • a minimum of 10 metres from any property line; • if it is limited to one pile 2 metres (W) x 2 metres (H); and • between 7 AM and sunset of the same day.

Burning garbage or yard waste in your backyard spreads invisible, toxic chemicals throughout the region. Be a good neighbour: drop off yard waste for free at any CVRD Recycling Centre or at Central Landscape Supplies in Cobble Hill.

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON ALL CVRD BURNING BYLAWS, RULES AND ALTERNATIVES TO BURNING, PLEASE VISIT: www.ClearTheAirCowichan.ca or call the CVRD at 250-746-2500 or, after hours, Bylaw Enforcement at 250-746-2600.

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250-748-2666 ext. 225 arts@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

A&E

‘Anytime you’re Lambeth way Any evening, any day, You’ll find us all doin’ the Lambeth walk.

Ev’ry little Lambeth gal With her little Lambeth pal, You’ll find ‘em all doin’ the Lambeth walk.’

Yes, these performers from the Chemainus Seniors Centre are having a great time rehearsing for their upcoming show and you’ll love watching the finished product.

[LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN]

20 acts take seniors’ stage in Chemainus The production includes 20 different acts so showgoers can enjoy comedy, music of Like the idea of An Old Fashioned Music all kinds, skits, dancing and singing.

Hall and Vaudeville Variety Show?

There’s even a sing-along section so tune So do the lively performers from the Che- up those pipes. mainus Seniors Centre.

The cast and crew of more than 30 memThat’s the name of their annual stage pro- bers are preparing a two-hour program. duction this year, building on the success of Even though there are lots of individual 2014’s successful show Way out West. acts, don’t worry.

Ken McEwan, director, co-producer and emcee promises, “there’s three big production dance numCOWICHAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE PRESENTS bers” as well.

Choreographers Lesley Lambert and Cathy Schmidt have been putting the performers through their paces, so look for plenty of hot stepping, especially in the blockbuster Lambeth Walk.

Building on that wonderful travFriday, March 27 elling children’s comment, “Are 7:30pm we there yet?” the show starts with McEwan trying to deal with a cast that keeps asking, “Have Regular: $27 we started yet?” while trickling Series: $20 inopportunely onto the stage.

And the show just gets better and better from there.

“6 Guitars is We won’t give away anything note perfect.” to spoil the surprise but after we saw a demonstration of one of the -Ottawa Citizen men’s acts, our cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. Watch for it.

Shows are scheduled for Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 starting at 7 p.m. with a Sunday matinee, March 29 starting at 2 p.m.

All seats are reserved and tickets 2687 James Street, Duncan for the show are $15 per person.

You can get yours at the Che250.748.7529 cowichanpac.ca mainus Seniors Drop-in Centre from 9 a.m. until noon, Monday to Friday.

LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN

Name_______________________________________________

A&E

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

‘Corner Gas’ funnyman headed to Duncan theatre

YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE WEEK

LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN

Funnyman Brent Butt, creator and star of Corner Gas, is coming back to the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, Tuesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.

It’ll be a welcome return for fans of the prairie boy turned superstar.

At age 12, Butt was inspired by watching a stand-up comic on television and immediately told his mother he was going to be a comedian.

Starting in high school, he performed stand-up comedy and moved swiftly up the ladder to be showcased at the world’s largest international comedy festival: Montreal’s Just for Laughs.

He’s widely known for creating and starring in the TV comedy hit Corner Gas, which ran from 2004-2009 and made Butt and the rest of the cast household names in Canada. Corner Gas has been nominated and won numerous Gemini Awards, Canadian Comedy Awards, Director’s Guild of Canada Awards, Leo Awards and was even voted Funniest Show on TV by TV Guide readers.

He brought the cast back together recently for a feature film.

Corner Gas became a weekly hit of prairie profundity drawing an average weekly audience of a million viewers.

In March of 2005, The Hollywood Reporter noted, “For the first time in a generation, the highest-rated sitcom on primetime schedules here is a Canadian show, not American.”

When the last episode of Corner Gas aired, over three million viewers tuned in to see the finale.

Now living in Vancouver, Butt

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◆ STEPPING OUT

Dancing • Learn to square dance. Lessons at Girl Guide Hall, 321 Cairnsmore St., Duncan. Info: 250-748-6056 or 250-748-9140.

• Cowichan Valley International Folkdancers meet Mondays, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Mill Bay Community Hall, beside Kerry Park Arena. $5 drop-in fee, $80 yearly membership. First night free. Call Kate 250-743-5068 or Lyn 250-743-2686.

• Cowichan Ballroom Dance Club welcomes all fellow dancers to regular 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night practices at Valley Seniors Centre. Info: 250-597-1132.

• Cowichan Valley Scottish Country Dancers, 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at Chemainus Seniors Centre. Singles and couples welcome.

• Argentine Tango Classes: Teens through Seniors. No partner required. For schedule call 250-743-5995.

Need a laugh?

BRENT BUTT with Ivan Decker Star of

Ben Rossouw, a Grade 6 student at Queen Margaret’s School, is a talented young musician.

Apart from piano studies at Grade 5 level with Rykie Avenant, he also plays the clarinet in the school band and studies classical guitar with Massimo Pintus. When Ben needs a break from his musical and academic pursuits, you’ll find him hanging out with his cats.

Brent Butt’s quirky brand of comedy helped make ‘Corner Gas’ a huge TV hit. [SUBMITTED] continues to tour the country.

For this visit to Duncan, he’s bringing Ivan Decker with him.

A Vancouver-based comedian, Decker has been heralded as a hilarious funny man. A 10-year stand-up comedy veteran at age 29, he reveals the humour hiding in the everyday trials of today’s young adults.

You may have heard him on his many appearances on the popular CBC Radio program The Debaters.

Tickets for this comedy fest are $45 each. Get them in person at the Cowichan Ticket Centre, online at www.cowichanpac.ca or by phone at 250-748-7529.

and Vaudeville

VARIETY SHOW!

Tuesday, March 24 / 7:30pm

COURTESY COWICHANMUSICTEACHERS.COM

The Met: Live in HD Tchaikovsky

IOLANTA

Sat Mar 28 9:30am (Encore) Bartók

DUKE BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

“It’s just one guy and one guitar but it’s amazing.”

ORLANDO SENTINAL

Sat Mar 28 Follows Iolanta (Encore)

Friday, March 27 / 7:30pm Rossini

LA DONNA DEL LAGO

Sat Apr 11 9:55am (Encore)

An Old Fashioned

Music Hall

and

Ballet Victoria

AMADEUS

Dances with Wolfgang

From Queen to Mozart

Mascagni

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA Sat Apr 25 9:30am Leoncavallo

Comedy, Music, Funny Skits, Dancing, Singing An Evening of Fun and Entertainment!

Friday and Saturday: March 27 & 28, 2015 @ 7:00 PM Sunday Matinee: March 29 @ 2:00 PM each. Reserved seating only.

$15.00

Chemainus Seniors Drop-in Centre 9824 Willow Street, Chemainus BC

PAGLIACCI

Sat Apr 25 Follows Cavalleria

Friday, April 10 / 7:30pm

COWICHAN CENTRE cowichanpac.ca 250.748.7529

COWICHAN CENTRE cowichanpac.ca 250.748.7529

24

A&E

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

ARTS Calendar

◆ COMING UP IN THE ART5

Chemainus concert explores Persian music Chemainus Classical Concerts is offering a show entitled Persian Spring with Faraidoun Akhavan, Douglas Hensley and Arian Aminalroaya on Sunday, March 22 starting at 2 p.m. at St. Michael’s Church in Chemainus.

For 3,000 years Persians have begun their New Year, Noruz, at the spring equinox.

This musical event features Ensemble Daryâ in a new year’s treat of compositions and improvisations based on the 12 modes that underlie classical Persia’s musical palette.

Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance.

Check out www.chemainus classicalconcerts.ca to see where you can buy them in your area or call 250-748-8383.

Mbira Spirit set to release first album

Tafadzwa and Amy Matamba have a hit on their hands with Ferry Me Home from their new album. [LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN]

MARCH i n g

H ea lt h y Liv

R e ci p e

Sausage & Peppers Baked Pasta 8 ounces whole-wheat penne Four Sliced mixed peppers (your choice) ½ medium onion 6 ounces turkey sausage ( 2 links) crumbled 2- 8 ounce cans no-salt-added tomato sauce 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp salt ½ cup reduced-fat cottage cheese ¾ cup Italian blend shredded cheese.

Preparation: Cook Pasta in a post of boiling water according to package directions.

Drain. Meanwhile, heat a large ovenproof skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add Peppers (can be frozen) onion, and sausage. Cook stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid from the vegetables has evaporated. 10-15 minutes.

Position rack in upper third of oven, preheat broiler.

Stir tomato sauce, garlic powder, oregano and salt into the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in cottage cheese and the pasta.

Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Top with shredded cheese.

Place in the skillet under the broiler to brown the cheese.

1-2 minutes.

If you’ve been one of the many Valley music lovers who’ve been following the rise of the musical duo Mbira Spirit, there’s news on the horizon.

Amy and Tafadzwa Matamba come from different worlds but they combine to offer a powerful and engaging sound.

Playing African, reggae, folk, spiritual and gospel music this musical couple, who make their home in Mill Bay, have been busily spreading the good word about bridging communities and cultures with a host of appearances around the Island.

They are now on the cusp of releasing their first CD, entitled One World, One Love, which includes a break-out hit, Ferry Me Home, a tribute to Vancouver Island.

It was recorded at the Duncan Showroom at a sold-out concert on New Year’s Day. The song is already being played on CBC Radio, Zim Radio in Zimbabwe, and many local stations on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands as well as

in Vancouver.

If you want to hear it yourself, go to youtube.com and then type in Ferry Me Home.

“The music and song that you create as a loving couple is truly inspirational and soul lifting indeed. You are creating something unique and far reaching as no one else in these parts are making such wonderful, moving and magical moments with music,” raves DJ Skyy Powers, Vancouver Coop Radio 100.5FM. Because Mbira Spirit wants to make a positive change with their music, all proceeds from their music and performances will go towards two cultural arts centres, one on the Island and the other in Magunje, Zimbabwe.

Singer Cari Burdett’s ‘Magnolia’ tour timely Valley chanteuse Cari Burdett has spent a long time working towards this moment: the release of Magnolia, an album of what she calls gypsy jazz.

The gypsy must surely refer to the journey she and her voice have taken the past few years.

After earning a vocal music degree from McGill University and a master’s degree from London’s Royal Academy of Music, she has lost her voice, got it back, survived a car accident, lost the will to sing, moved to Sweden for four years to raise children, and finally came to the place she finds herself now, back in the Cowichan Valley and passionate about singing again.

So, what’s in a name?

“They [magnolias] are the first flower to bloom in spring and last the longest throughout the season. A year ago, I planted a magnolia in my garden to represent this new birth [as if] I was saying ‘yes’ to giving myself permission to sing and perform.”

S h e r e l e a s e d h e r a l bu m March 12, and will follow that with a tour hitting Vancouver before returning to Vancouver Island for shows March 19-22 in Sooke, Mill Bay, Victoria and Saltspring Island.

Win Passes Weekly

to CAPRICE THEATRE Question:

2014 Academy Award for the Best Picture.

Answer: __________________________ PASSES DRAWN WEEKLY THROUGH MARCH AND APRIL 2015

Name: __________________________ ______ Phone: __________________________ ______ 251 Jubilee St, Duncan

Arts • Ladysmith Camera Club presents “How to Photograph Smoke” with tips and demonstrations by Sean Sherstone and Brad Grigor of Island LEAP photography group, Tuesday, March 24, 7 p.m., Hardwick Hall, High Street at 3rd Ave., Ladysmith. Nonmembers $5 drop-in fee. Info: www.

LadysmithCameraClub.com • Warmland Calligraphers meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m.-noon, Mellor Hall, Cowichan Exhibition grounds. Info: warmland calligraphers@shaw.ca or http://mem bers.shaw.ca/warmlandcalligraphers.

• Cherry Point artists weekly painting sessions (September to June), Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Cowichan Exhibition fairgrounds.

Experienced and beginners welcome. Info: Jack 250-746-4795 or Olive 250-746-8020.

• Cowichan Valley Artisans year round studio tour: 14 professional studios to explore. From Mill Bay to Ladysmith. www.cowichanvalleyartisans.com for details of each studio’s hours. Admission free.

• Enjoy ‘Ways of Writing’ - short stories, memoirs, poems - Wednesdays, 12:24-3 p.m. at the Seniors Centre in Lake Cowichan. More info: 250-749-4176.

• Tzouhalem Spinners and Weavers Guild meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 5800 Church Rd., Duncan. Everyone welcome. Info: www.tswguild.wordpress. com or Alison 250-746-6330.

• Cowichan Valley Heritage Quilters meet Mondays at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Maple Bay Road, Duncan, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $1.50 drop-in charge, $10 annual membership. All skill levels accepted. New members welcome.

Info: Darlene 250-748-9738.

• Valley Writers meet alternate Monday mornings to share their works and improve their skills. New members welcome. Call Stephen Watson 250-746-7637.

Music • Cowichan Consort Orchestra rehearsal Mondays, 7:30 p.m. Sylvan United Church. Come play with us. All strings welcome. Info: 748-8982.

• Cowichan Consort Choir Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., Sylvan United Church.

Come sing with us. Info: 743-7445.

• Chant Circle at the Art House (1756 Wilmot Ave., Shawnigan Lake) first Thursday of the month 7:30-8:30 p.m. By donation. Vocal experiments, techniques and world chants in a safe, sacred and playful environment to explore the power of the voice. Info: www.MoonDanceArts.ca • Enjoy a jam of old time music every second Thursday at Twisted Sisters Tearoom, 9885 Maple Street, Chemainus. Info: Steve Heizer at 250-722-3115 or Peter Sussman 250-929-8226.

• Jubilate Choir rehearses Monday nights 7:30 -9 p.m., St. John’s Anglican Church Hall, Duncan. Early and contemporary sacred songs, Eastern European, African songs and more.

Info: 250-701-0687.

• BRATZ Music Jam Sunday evenings 9 p.m. to midnigh, Roadhouse Pub, Grand Motel, Duncan. Bring your instruments or your ears. No cover.

Info: 250-715-8115.

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

25

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Community partnerships

Cowichan Valley Citizen | Wednesday, March 18, 2015

27

Maple Bay Elementary students build their own boat COWICHAN BAY MARITIME CENTRE

Twelve Maple Bay Elementary School students presented the Polliwog to their school last month.

The Polliwog is a 7.5 foot dinghy built by the students at the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre over a six week period in the fall.

Students travelled to the centre one morning each week to work on the boat. Tony Own, facility manager for the Maritime Centre taught the students how to built the vessel, with help from a handful of Cowichan Wooden Boat Society members who were happy to share their time and expertise, said Sharon McLeod, Maritime Centre general manager in a press release.

“The boat is now ready for the water,” she said.

The Polliwog will now be raffled off by the school as a fundraiser.

Tickets are $5 and you can get them until the end of the school year from the school.

The Maritime Centre is looking to run another boat building course for children this spring or fall with another school in the area.

For more information, contact Sharon McLeod at 250-746-4955.

Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre facilities manager and course instructor Tony Owen and Grade 7 Maple Bay Elementary School student Dominick Slee pose proudly with a boat they built along with 10 other students in the fall. [SUBMITTED]

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

Cognitive testing for drivers TIM SCHEWE SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN

I

am often asked about driver testing, particularly now that some older drivers are being given cognitive testing as part of the mandatory medical evaluation at and after age 80.

This is called the SIMARD test and was developed at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. It allows the doctor or their medical staff to quickly and accurately identify people who are having cognitive difficulty that would compromise safe driving.

The first of four parts has the examiner slowly read a list of 10 words to the subject. When all the words have been read, the person is asked to repeat as many of those words, in any order. Once

completed, the task is done for a second time using the same word list.

Part two is a number conversion exercise. The subject is given a sheet of paper with a column of numbers and asked to write the numbers in words. An example of the task is seeing the number 5 and writing the word five.

The third challenge is to name as many items as possible that are sold in a supermarket within one minute. The maximum score is achieved by mentioning 30 distinct items.

Finally, we return to the word list in part one for the final test. The subject is asked to recall as many of the words read to them in part one as they are able.

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North of 50 Seniors don’t know dollar-saving programs Results from a recent survey conducted

by B.C.’s Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie show seniors are often unaware of key programs currently in place to support them.

“We were surprised to learn of the lack of awareness among seniors, particularly lowincome seniors, of government programs and subsidies available to assist them,” Mackenzie said.

“This is a reminder that it is not sufficient to provide supports. The results of the survey clearly show we need to do a better job of connecting seniors, particularly lowincome and older seniors, with subsidies available to them.”

Premium Assistance, which subsidizes MSP premiums, is an example where seniors living on $22,000 or less could save up to $864 per year, yet 60 per cent of seniors surveyed, living on $30,000 a year or less, reported they don’t know about the program.

The survey, conducted in late 2014, surveyed seniors’ knowledge and awareness of a range of programs and grants designed to support them, including the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER), Medical Service Plan Premium Assistance, Fair Pharmacare, Property Tax Deferment Program, Home Adaptations for Independence and the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) programs. Across the board, the survey showed that awareness was lowest among the seniors over the age of 75 and those with incomes of less than $30,000 a year.

“Even those seniors who access subsidies are struggling, so I can only imagine how much greater the challenges are for those who aren’t accessing their entitlements,” said Mackenzie.

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The survey also found a high number of seniors, particularly low-income seniors, reported they would need to move in the future because they would not be able to afford to remain in their home. At the same time, a high percentage believed that the provision of daily home support would allow them to age in place.

“Those of us who work in home and community care have always believed that increasing support was the key to allowing seniors to remain at home. However, it appears we have missed a crucial piece, which is affordable housing for seniors to live in while they are receiving these supports,” says Mackenzie. “The results of the survey reinforce what I am hearing from seniors and is a focus of our first systemic report on housing, where we are looking across the housing continuum from independent housing to assisted living, to residential care, and asking three key questions — is this type of housing affordable, accessible and appropriate?”

Among the many issues in the survey, the Office of the Seniors Advocate also probed the degree to which seniors had benefit programs to help to defray costs for ancillary health care needs such as eyeglasses, hearing aids, mobility aids and dental care.

Overall, 50 per cent of seniors reported having some form of benefit coverage, but 65 per cent of those with household incomes below $30,000 said they had no coverage.

“This means that low-income seniors, the ones with the least amount of disposable income, are also the least likely to be covered for key ancillary health care needs,” said Mackenzie. “I continue to be concerned about low-income seniors’ lack of access to ancillary health supports.”

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30

250-748-2666 ext. 236 sports@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Cowichan Valley Citizen

U16 Lightning 4th in B.C. KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

After winning the Island U16 field lacrosse championship, the Mid Island Lightning went on to unknown territory in the provincial championships late last month.

Having missed out on the Richmond tournament last fall, the Lightning hadn’t played any of the Mainland or Interior teams, and went into the provincial tournament unsure of what to expect. When all was said and done, they ended up among the most competitive teams there, just missing out on a medal as the fourth-best team in their division.

Things worked out alright in the first game as the Lightning eked out a 10-9 win over North Shore, the No. 4 seed from the Mainland, despite taking 11 penalties to North Shore’s two. Brian Robb, James Taylor and Lucas Nagel each scored twice, while Dallas Johnson, Colton Lidstone, Clayton Vickers and Thomas Vaesen had one each, and game MVP Mathieu Jung added two assists.

Despite Ridge Meadows getting called for two illegal sticks, including one belonging to their goalie, Mid Island lost their second game 11-4 to the Mainland’s No. 2 seed. Nagel, Taylor, Vaesen and Seth Negaard scored for the Lightning, and Vaesen was named game MVP. The third game was another close one for Mid Island, who slipped past Kelowna 6-5 after taking a 2-1 first-half lead. Robb, Kyle Page, Jacob Taylor, Jaeden Ashbee, Jack Chicquen and game MVP Brayden Zunti scored as Mid Island locked up a playoff spot as the second-place team in their pool.

Despite the efforts of game MVP Parker Teufel in net, Mid Island wasn’t able to win the semifinal against top-ranked Richmond. James Taylor scored twice and Vaesen added one.

The battle for bronze ended up being a rematch between Mid Island and Ridge Meadows. Jung, Nagel, Negaard, Robb and Ashbee scored to give the Lightning a 5-2 halftime lead, but Ridge Meadows came back with six consecutive goals and led 9-6. Mid Island fought back and Robb scored with 58 seconds left to force overtime, where Ridge Meadows managed to pot the winner. Teufel collected another game MVP award.

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T-Birds proud of 11th in B.C. AAAA PROVINCIALS:

Cowichan senior boys go out on a winning note KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

Being the 11th-best AAAA boys basketball team in British Columbia might not have been the Cowichan Thunderbirds’ goal as they headed into the provincial championships last week, but the team was still pretty proud of the result.

“There were a lot of teams that weren’t there, so to finish 11th out of 16 teams that were there is pretty good,” head coach Sandeep Heer said. “We were hoping to be in the top eight, but 11th is still good.”

Winning the first game of the provincial tournament is vital, as the winner moves directly to the top eight, while the loser can finish ninth, at best. The TBirds had defeated their opening-round opponents, the Semiahmoo Totems, twice during the season, but that trend didn’t continue into provincials as the Totems won an offensive duel 93-72.

Josh Charles led Cowichan with 31 points and 12 rebounds, while Noah Charles chipped in with 15 points and 12 boards.

Heer couldn’t fault his players for their effort, as the balls just happened to fall in Semiahmoo’s favour.

“We were good for the most part,” he said. “I thought we played hard, played well, but it was kind of their day. We were confident going in that we had a good chance to win, but luck was on their side.”

The T-Birds came back in their next game, beating the Queen Charlotte Saints 56-43. Josh Charles again led the way with 22 points and added nine rebounds. No other T-Bird had more than Noah Charles’s seven, but Tyler Hudson had a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with his six points.

Heer was pleased to see his team recover after the disappointment of the opener.

“It was nice to see our guys back on track after the first game, when our goal was to be somewhere else,” he said.

Familiar aspects of the game against Semiahmoo resurfaced in the third round as Cowichan again faced a team

Cowichan’s Noah Charles gets tangled up with a Walnut Grove player during the provincial tournament in Langley last week. [HEATHER COLPITTS/LANGLEY ADVANCE] they’d had some success against during the season, and again lost an offensive showdown. The T-Birds had split two games against the Walnut Grove Gators during previous months, but lost 91-79 when they met at provincials.

Josh Charles had 33 points and nine rebounds, and Hudson contributed 11 points.

“It was another high-scoring affair,” Heer said. “Both teams were making shots. Unfortunately for us, they made a few more shots. Every team in the tournament is pretty good, and you never know how things are going to go. But we played well; our offence was clicking. On a different day, we’d have a great shot at beating them.”

The T-Birds decided they wanted to go out on a winning note, and executed perfectly, pulling away in the third quar-

ter as they defeated David Thompson 66-54.

“The guys buckled down,” Heer said.

“They wanted to win that last game.

They turned it up a bit.”

Ending their careers with that victory were Cowichan’s six Grade 12s — Josh Charles, Hudson, Jordy Frost, Graham McKinnon, Kain Melchior and Alucious Gray. A seventh, Travis McDonald, missed the entire season with an injury.

Still, Heer thinks his team will be strong next year.

“That’s a lot of guys, but we started two or three Grade 11s, so their experience and leadership will give us a good start,” he said. “[Returning to provincials next year] is a very strong possibility. That will be our goal for sure. If they put in their time and work, I like our chances.”

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31

Chargers persevere to finish 10th at 1A provincials KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

The Duncan Christian School Chargers lived up to their billing at the provincial single-A boys basketball championships last week, entering ranked 10th in B.C., and finishing in the same position.

Things might have been different, however, if the Chargers had been healthy throughout the season or at provincials.

Of the 27 games the team played during the season, in only eight did they have the full roster available and injury-free. Even at the B.C. tournament, they only had star post Nick Kapteyn available for the entirety of two contests. In the third game, he played hurt and made it through the game despite being unable to jump in the second half, and in the fourth game, he lasted just a minute and a half.

Mike Brandsma, meanwhile, was just coming back from a broken wrist, while Johnny Caron just managed to be fitted for a brace for his badly injured knee in time for provincials.

Several players stepped up throughout the season and into provincials: Adam Kapteyn, who became the Chargers’ “rebound king;” Jesse Van Wingerden, whose ball-handling and scoring kept the team alive; Matt Brandsma, who came into his own as a passer; and bench players including Grade 12 “rookie” Gabe Lachmanec, who played his best game in the season finale, putting up two points and three rebounds in just three minutes.

“Based on all of this, a 10th-place seed was pretty fair I thought,” head coach Jim Brandsma said. “Although I was hoping the

The Island champions and provincial 10th-place Duncan Christian School Chargers. [SUBMITTED] No. 1 seed off the Island would have gotten a higher seed.”

This proved even more problematic when St. Patrick’s, the top-ranked team all year, ended up seeded seventh at provincials, setting up a very difficult opening match for DCS. “We practiced really hard all geared to playing St. Pat’s, “Brandsma said. “As the game went on we ended up losing our edge which was made worse by our shots not wanting to go into the hoop. We missed a lot of shots and everything St. Pat’s threw up went in and we lost putting us in the losing bracket.”

The final score was 75-43 for St. Pat’s.

Stingrays qualify four at Spring Break Invitational KEVIN ROTHBAUER CITIZEN

Nearly 300 swimmers attended the Duncan Stingrays’ annual Spring Break Invitational meet at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre on Feb. 28 and March 1, but the contingent of 30 Stingrays still managed to stand out in the crowd.

Four Stingrays managed remarkable achievements with their first-ever qualifying times for various provincial and regional competitions. Mary Paridaen vanVeen, nine, had her first-ever provincial 11 and under AA qualifying time, her time of one minute and 33.21 seconds beating the Swim BC standard of 1:33.90. Jeremy Kissack, 15, marked his first-ever provincial senior/open AA qualifier, his time of 1:08.27 in the 100m backstroke surpassing the standard of 1:08.28. Mathias Bell, 17, achieved his first-ever provincial senior/open AA qualifier, his time of 1:16.77 besting the standard of 1:17.74. And Anita AgopyanMiu, 17 and one of two swimmers in their first competitions as Stingrays, achieved her first-ever Vancouver Island regional qualifying time, meeting the regional standard of 31 seconds in the 50m freestyle.

Bell was also one of eight Stingrays to set personal bests in each of their events, joining Jotei Browne, Ty Dahlstrom, Katelyn Seery, Cody Shewchuk, Ava Smith, Savanah VanNieuwkerk and Robyn Zinkan.

Another 11 Stingrays, including Kissack and Mary Paridaen vanVeen had personal bests in all but one of their races: Kaylee

Kaylee Adair had personal bests in all but one race at the meet. [KEVIN ROTHBAUER/CITIZEN] Adair, Jamie Bell, Jessica Castle, Lily Cochrane, Mila Ellis, Sophie Paridaen vanVeen, Montana Prystupa, Mya Smith, and Brielle Woodruff.

Coming just two races shy of 100 per cent personal bests were Allie Bell, Sofie Bloss, Cailine Keirstead, Jasmine Kremer and James Ogihara-Kertz.

Rounding out the Stingrays pack were Olivia Campbell with four personal bests, Megan Lewis with three, Emma Hender with two, and Malia Prystupa with one, while Agopyan-Miu and Keegan Smith made their competitive debuts.

Head coach Leanne Sirup praised the work of the volunteers under meet manager Steve Ridenour, and expressed her gratitude to main sponsor Cowichan Technology.

Nick Kapteyn led the way with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while Van Wingerden had 10 points, and Adam Kapteyn had nine rebounds and four points.

The Chargers won their next two games, defeating Ron Pettigrew Christian 71-52 and getting past Northside Christian 47-42 “We got great passing from all players, better ball handling, better shot decision, and better composure setting up the offence and defence,” Brandsma said.

It all came to a head in the last four minutes against Northside. Although one of the Northside players was getting very physical, the Chargers kept their cool and went on a 5-0 run to get the victory.

“A ref watching our game was super impressed with our composure and not retaliating to all the unsportsmanlike play of the opposing player,” Brandsma said.

Nick Kapteyn had a huge game against Pettigrew, with 23 points and 23 rebounds, while Van Wingerden had 18 points and five steals, Adam Kapteyn had 13 points and nine rebounds, Mike Brandsma had 12 points and eight boards, and Caron grabbed nine rebounds to go with his five points.

Mike Brandsma was the top scorer against Northside with 14 points and seven rebounds. Van Wingerden also hit double digits with 10 points and five steals.

Closing out the tournament against Bulkley Valley, the Chargers didn’t click until it was too late for a comeback and had to settle for a 67-45 loss. Van Wingerden had 21 points and six rebounds, and Adam Kapteyn finished with nine points and 14 boards.

“Our bench really played a huge role in keeping us going in our last game,” Brandsma said. “Over the course of this year, the best lesson, the lesson of persistence was learned. Over and over again the guys had to persist and even when things looked bleak, they kept working hard and believing and more often than not it paid off with a win. Being a Christian school we talked all season about playing at a level that is honouring and glorifying to the good Lord who gave us the ability to play this game.”

Three players will be graduating from the team this year: Caron, the hard-working guard; Lachmanec, who improved significantly over the course of the season; and Nick Kapteyn, a frequent all-star at tournaments throughout the season.

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