Friday September 16, 2011 Comox Valley Record

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Vol. 26 No. 74

Your community. Your newspaper.

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COMOX VALLEY RECORD

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September 16, 2011

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FRIDAY

ANNIVERSARY

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NCE 1986

www.comoxvalleyrecord.com

IN CUMBERLAND

Expect the unexpected at this year’s MOMAR. ■ B11

THE BIG BUCKS

PHOTO BY KEN SNYDER

Cougar sightings increasing in Comox Valley Scott Stanfield Record Staff

Cougar sightings and incidents appear to be increasing in the Comox Valley, according to statistics from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. For the 2010/11 reporting year ending March 31, the emergency co-ordination centre (Report All Poachers and Polluters) received 300 cougar-related calls. These range from sightings to pet and livestock interaction or fatalities, to physical contact with humans. For this year, as of April 1, the

Trending upward for five years centre has received 272 cougar calls, 54 from Courtenay. Last year, it received 43 calls from Courtenay. The picture is similar in Comox with 30 cougar sightings or incidents for 2011/12 compared to 11 last year. A cougar sighting was reported on the Labour Day weekend near Hurford Hill Nature Park in East Courtenay. Later in the week, a cougar killed a horse at a Dove Creek property.

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Jerry MacDermott, a wildlife technician with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, said cougar and deer numbers have been increasing steadily throughout Vancouver Island the past five years. A rebounding deer population in the mountains means the cougar population is responding in terms of hunting and rearing more offspring. “A lot of these juvenile offspring are dispersing, they’re looking for

2011

their own territory,” MacDermott said. “I think that’s why a lot more cats are hanging around a lot of the communities. There’s a prey base there. There’s not a big cougar chasing them around as there would be in the mountains.” Though mindful of legitimate complaints, MacDermott said people sometimes think they have seen or heard a cougar when it turns out to be another animal. “I have caught house cats that people have thought were cougars,” he said.

MODEL YEAR WRAP UP

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Some taxpayers who hear about the salaries of municipal employees feel they earn too much for what they do. Here’s the other side of the story. Last year, a total of 45 staffers at the City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland and Comox Valley Regional District earned more than $75,000 each. Twelve exceeded the sixfigure mark.

...Full story on page ■ A3

FINDER ■ Weather

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■ Lottery

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■ Ferry Schedule

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■ Editorial

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■ Opinion

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■ Arts

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■ Sports

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■ Classified

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PURCHASE FINANCING S ON MANY MODEL

Offer available to retail customers in Canada between September 1, 2011 & October 31, 2011. Limited quantities of 2011 models avaiable. See dealer for details. 0% purchase financing offered on approved credit by Ally Credit for 48 months on 2011 Chevrolet/GMC/Buick Aveo, Equinox, Terrain, Traverse, Acadia, Enclave, 24 months on Cruze, 72 months on Malibu and 60 months on Impala. Rates from other lenders will vary. See dealer for details.

A CLOSE SHAVE Cathy Snyder (left) is congratulated by Kymme Patrick after getting her head shaved during Saturday’s annual Dance de Rock at the Filberg Centre. Proceeds, including more than $9,100 raised by Snyder, a sales representative at the Record, go to the Tour de Rock. Patrick, well-known in Comox Valley theatre circles, recently endured cancer treatment.

2145 21 45 Cliffe Avenue • Courtenay • 250-334-2 250-334-2425 2425 • www.brianmclean.ca


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