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February 1, 2012
A division of
Vol. 27 No. 9
COMOX VALLEY RECORD Your community. Your newspaper. www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
Business of year expanded two times
WNHILL GOING DOWNHILL
Mount Washington Alpine Resort Scott Stanfield Record Staff
A local ski club hosted some top racers. ■ 23
COWBOYS FOLLIES
The second annual Have a Heart fundraising weekend of fun-filled dinner theatre will run at the Filberg just before Valentine’s Day. Gloria Herauf has earned a reputation — for putting on a great show, that is. The multiple award-winning musical director, who moved to the Valley from Saskatchewan a few years ago, has already acquired a loyal following of music and theatre fans who know that any show she is involved in is guaranteed to be full of great songs and lots of fun.
... Complete story on ■ 9
FINDER ■ Weather
2
■ Lottery
6
■ Ferry Schedule
6
■ Arts
9
■ Sports
23
■ Classified
25
■ Editorial
32
■ Opinion
33
After completing two $3-million projects, Mount Washington Alpine Resort won Business of the Year honours at the 2011 Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Annual Community Awards Saturday at the Filberg Centre. The resort was among six nominees for the award that recognizes community-minded businesses with the ability to generate employment and income, and with outstanding achievements through the years. “The fact that you get recognized for doing the things that you do is a real pleasure,” said director of business operations Don Sharpe, noting snowfalls over the past few weeks have placed the resort with the second deepest snow base in the world. The mountain typically receives 10.5 metres of snow a year. Last season brought the most snow in resort history. Mount Washington employs 120 to 900 people at various times throughout the year. Most live in the Comox Valley. Since opening in 1979 the resort has expanded infrastruc-
ture and services to become a year-round operation. Expansions include conveyor belts to replace lifts, and a new centre that is a legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Sharpe said the Olympic year was significant in terms of bringing in athletes from all corners of the world to ski and snowboard at the resort. “This year we opened up the Easy Acres area of the mountain, which prior was our green beginner area,” he said. “And we added four Magic Carpets (movable walkways). And we upgraded the whole area to allow for beginners to become better skiers and snowboarders. That was a $3 million expansion we just completed.” In addition, the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society opened the Vancouver Island Mountain Centre, which includes a fitness centre, accommodations and a group meeting area. “It’s been a pretty big year for us to have two $3-million projects go off at the same time,” Sharpe said. Mount Washington had previously won a pair of Chamber awards: the 2000 George Muir ... see AWARD ■ 3
DON SHARPE (left) receives the Business of the Year Award from Andy Carter. PHOTO BY ERIN HALUSCHAK
Berry didn’t have to search for Citizen award Scott Stanfield Record Staff
Paul Berry, manager/president of the Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue team, is this year’s Citizen of the Year recipient. The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce Community Award recognizes outstanding volunteer service by an individual, club or organization. “I’d like to think it’s (award) representative of the work I do with that team,” Berry said, referring to the 60 “humble” volunteers who donate time on a 24/7, on-call basis. Last year the CVGSAR team
conducted 37 rescues, including an overnight mission to rescue a backcountry skier trapped on a mountain ledge on Forbidden Plateau. The search started around noon on Christmas Eve and extended into Christmas morning. “New Year’s day was the same thing,” Berry said. “It’s a very, very dedicated, great group.” The group’s work has increased markedly in recent years, going from 900 hours of operation two years ago to 3,500 hours this year. To say CVGSAR volunteers are willing to risk their lives might be overly dramatic. Berry instead ... see SAFETY ■ 3
PAUL BERRY (left) gets the Citizen of the Year plaque from Keith Pistell. PHOTO BY ERIN HALUSCHAK
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