Club of Powell River
FIND OUT MORE AT prrotaryclub.org
Orphaned wildlife society helps young raptors
PAGE 4
Region’s biking trails continue to draw attention
PAGE 13
TOURING MUSICIANS:
St. George’s Senior Concert Band has included this region in its annual tour this year, performing as guest artists in a special concert at qathet Festival of the Performing Arts. Sharing the stage will be qathet Symphony Orchestra and qathet Concert Band.
PHOTO
A special concert takes place Friday, February 28, as part of the 81st qathet Festival of the Performing Arts.
St. George’s Senior Concert Band will perform with qathet Symphony Orchestra and qathet Concert Band beginning at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the entry is by donation. “The group is excited to embark on a tour of the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island this year,” said Dean Markel, who co-directs the Vancouver-based band with his teacher partner Rob Murray. “This tour will include our first collaboration with community groups in Powell River, further ex-
tending the school’s tradition of fostering meaningful musical exchanges both locally and internationally.”
Markel reached out to contacts in Powell River with dates of the planned tour between February 27 and March 2. Recognizing there would be an overlap with the festival, the board chairs for both qSO and qCB got in touch with festival organizing committee chair Mel Munroe and coordinator Theresa Hargrave. Both showed strong interest in collaborating with the two local groups with a special offering at the festival.
of Performing Arts.”
“This collaborative concert showcases the incredible talent in our community along with the visiting band,” said Munroe, “uniting three unique performances into one unforgettable event that captures the heart of qathet Festival
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Some of the band musicians will be playing with qSO in one segment of the program.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming these fine young musicians to play with us,” said qSO music director Kevin Wilson. “We love having more string players involved. This concert will be a showcase for our community ensembles, as well as a treat to hear St. George’s band play.”
Wilson said he hopes to see more of this kind of collaboration with the qSO, qCB, Saint George’s and the festival.
“It’s great to be part of it,” he added.
St. George’s School has a well-established music program, with its ensembles consistently ranked among the top in Canada. The Wind Ensemble, Senior Concert Band and
and scholar hopes readers can relate to characters and find parallels
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
After spending most of his life studying demographics and pursuing questions around human culture and politics, Gordon F.D. Wilson is trying his hand at fiction storytelling/writing.
One Weekend in May explores complex human conditions such as aging, mortality and relationships.
"One of the main things people are saying is that they really enjoy the characters," said Wilson, regarding feedback from his readers.
He also delves into broader, seemingly dystopian subjects, such as predictive algorithms, rising global population and a rapidly changing world.
"The principal character, Ken Graham, is a demogra-
pher who studied at Oxford University and he essentially gets pilloried from his academic profession because he predicted that absent international control and regulation over population movement and growth was going to lead to unparalleled amounts of international migration, which is exactly what we see today," said Wilson. "What [the main character] predicts is that you're going to have states cracking down and starting to breach human rights, making governments and countries pretty much unmanageable without some kind of international parameters."
Wilson lives and writes on his sheep farm near Padgett Road, where most of the setting of the book takes place. He said he hopes readers can connect with the characters in the book. While there may be some parallels with his life in the story, such as farm life, divorce and relative isolation, that is where any similarities end, he added.
"Ken Graham's ex-wife Lena leaves her palliative care home and finds a way
back to the farm," said Wilson. "It is this incident that brings together the six main characters; they now have to confront realities in their own lives and in their own relationships."
Wilson said Lena, who is suffering through a rare form of dementia compounded by a brain tumour, is convinced she is Gilgamesh, the main character of the epic Persian poem that made up her academic life’s work.
"I use Gilgamesh because historically, it's a poem about the human desire to find immortality," said Wilson. "The other characters are forced to deal with issues that are very uncomfortable to them in their lives; they need to confront those issues and to realize that life is rarely what you want it to be, but is often what it presents you."
Wilson said he included a wide variety of characters to reflect the reality of the world, including an Indigenous female RCMP officer and a queer couple.
"It's an honest portrayal of two women from completely different backgrounds and yet, very similar in terms of the issues they had to deal
with through their childhood," said Wilson. "One [of the women] becomes outwardly open [about her sexuality] and very aggressive in terms of defending her views. The other remained sheltered right up until she was almost 60 years old and decided to hide [her sexuality] from the world."
Wilson emphasized that it's those kinds of issues in the book that hopefully get people to start to think about how, at the end of the day, similarities between people are so much greater than differences.
"We often make assumptions based on false information," said Wilson. "I think all of us, in our relationships, and all of us within our family settings, are dealing with issues very similar to the issues that are being dealt with in the book."
Wilson said he wants people to enjoy the story, but also hopes it will give people pause to think a little bit about what some of the subtext in the book is.
"Humans are human, and the human condition is alive and well in all of us," said
Junior Concert Band have each earned the Dal Richards Award for Best Band in BC at the Vancouver Kiwanis Festival. All ensembles have also garnered Gold Standards and numerous invitations to
the National Festival, MusicFest Canada.
The senior concert band has a rich history of touring internationally, performing in Canada, the United States and Europe. A special highlight of these tours is the school’s long-standing rela-
tionship with the town of Aichach, Germany.
Since 1994, the small Bavarian town has hosted St. George’s students, who perform joint concerts with the Stadtkapelle Aichach every three years. After a twoyear hiatus due to the COVID-19
Wilson. "What affects us are the decisions we make on the assumptions we make, and we need to really think clearly and understand those assumptions may not be correct."
Wilson said he always wanted to be a writer but was discouraged when he was a youth.
"I really enjoy character development, listening to people and hearing their stories," he added. "The more understanding we have [of
pandemic, the band returned to Europe in 2023, performing concerts in Italy, Austria and Germany.
The annual festival, which begins Wednesday, February 26, and concludes Saturday, March 8, with the Grand Concert, has been
each other], the more we're going to be accepting of people."
Wilson will present his book at Powell River Public Library on Saturday, February 15, at 2 pm.
“There's some good characters here, and people who read the book are going to go, ‘wait a minute, this is our community, this is Powell River.’”
Wilson said he is currently in the process of writing his next fiction novel.
supported by the Rotary Club of Powell River for 21 years. It is organized by a committee made up of Rotarians and community members interested in performing arts. More festival information is available on its Facebook page or at musicfestivalreg.com/qathet.
discussions
part of rise and report held last month
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River Council held a rise and report at a January meeting for four items that had been discussed in camera.
The first item was the proposal for a temporary shelter location at 7104 Barnet Street. It was stated at the council meeting that during a closed special council meeting that same day, council resolved staff be directed to com-
municate to BC Housing that city council supports locating a temporary shelter, and future permanent affordable housing, through the provincial community housing fund, at 7104 Barnet Street, and that council direct staff to communicate to BC Housing that it may begin preliminary site investigations to determine whether it is feasible to establish a temporary shelter and future permanent affordable housing at this location.
The second item was the visitor information services contract award. At the July 30, 2024, closed council meeting, council resolved that staff be directed to enter into a four-year service agreement commencing January 1, 2025, with Tourism Powell River for the
provision of visitor information services in the city.
Additionally, it was reported that the city’s five-year financial plan bylaw 2742, 2024 be amended accordingly, and that council acknowledge that the city will continue to pay $28,000 a year to Sunshine Coast Tourism as the destination marketing organization until July 31, 2026.
The mid-level connector multiuse pathway request for proposals contract has been awarded. At the January 23 closed meeting, council resolved that the mid-level connector multiuse pathway contract be awarded to 0813188 BC Ltd, doing business as MIB Excavating, in the amount of $1,147,851.10, plus GST.
Finally, the appointment of an
interim corporate officer was announced. At the January 23 closed meeting, council resolved that
Stephen Fleming be appointed as the interim corporate officer for the city.
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River Council has given third reading to its remuneration bylaw.
At a meeting last month, there was a recommendation on the agenda to give third reading to the bylaw, but mayor Ron Woznow made a motion that the draft be deferred to a future council meeting after the 2025 financial plan has been finalized by city council.
Woznow said council does not know whether taxes in 2025 are going to increase 15 per cent, 10 per cent, or whatever.
“It’s reasonable that before we deal with changes to remuneration and benefits for council, that we wait and see what that final number is, and then we can address it,” said Woznow.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said the proposed bylaw had no changes in stipend for this year or next year until after the municipal election.
“These changes are proposed for the future,” said Elliott. “There’s no real benefit for this budget for doing that. Piling up work for later doesn’t help us get caught up for things that ought to have been considered quite some time ago.”
Woznow said in response to Elliott’s comments, there is a five-year financial plan that will be coming forward. He said if the plan shows significant tax increases, it would be appropriate at that time to revisit what is going to happen because the plan looks forward into the future.
Councillor Jim Palm said he was in favour of Woznow’s motion. Palm said there may not be a raise in remuneration for council immediately, but the long-term financial situation is unknown.
“There’s so many unanswered questions in terms of the mill site, in terms of reassessments, and all of the rest of it,” said Palm. “We are going to have a better, clearer picture when we settle this year’s budget on a go-forward basis. There’s no need to pass this tonight.”
Councillor Trina Isakson said the city is facing financial uncertainty this year and it will remain true into the future for a few years.
“The question is when to affirm this proposed bylaw,” said Isakson. “Tonight, we’ll be reading it a third time, not adopting it. It’s important for those considering running
for council to understand what they might be going into.
“There’s never a good time to talk about remuneration and benefits. It’s not popular. I would rather be done with it. Delaying it won’t address the underlying certainty that is going to last for a few years. I’m willing to move forward on this vote tonight.”
Woznow’s motion to defer was defeated, with Woznow and Palm voting in favour, and the rest of council opposed.
The original recommendation to pass third reading then came before the assembly. Third reading passed unanimously.
During question period at the end of the council meeting, after a question from the Peak about why council was proceeding with the proposed bylaw when there has been public opposition to the initiative, Woznow said that until council knows what its fiveyear financial plan looks like, the bylaw should not be moved forward.
Councillor George Doubt said the existing council policy is that there be an annual increase.
“When we talked about that at the beginning of 2024, council decided to postpone discussion on the wage increase for 2024 to later in the year,” said Doubt. “The main intention of this, that affects this year, is to not have an increase for 2024 and not have an increase in 2025 of councillors’ wages.
That saves the community money.
“The other provisions for remuneration in different areas take effect after the next election in 2026. The 2025 budget is not affected other than the fact there is no increase in wages for councillors. The 2026 budget is only affected from November until the end of the year. There’s plenty of time, if people think that they can’t afford those provisions, to change it.”
Doubt said he understands what the Townsite and Westview ratepayers groups have said about remuneration and benefits but he believes the bylaw is reasonable and doesn’t have any cost effect until 2026.
“There’s plenty of time to reconsider if people think it is necessary,” said Doubt. Elliott said the reason she supports the proposed bylaw is because the bylaw is intended to be comprehensive.
“I don’t think we can leave our term without a bylaw in place,” said Elliott. “That would not be the usual practice for governments. When folks come in after an election, there ought to be a bylaw in place that deals with remuneration, so they have clarity around that when they first come in.”
Elliott added that council decided to hold wages to zero per cent increase for the rest of the term. She said it could be an election issue, people could campaign on it and the next incoming council can do what they like with the bylaw.
TANYA
HILL
thill@prpeak.com
Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society (PROWLS) members, including founder Merrilee Prior, were busy in January helping out injured and/or lost birds, such as a pair of young eagles and a swan found at Myrtle Point Golf Club with a sprained ankle.
Two recent juvenile eagle rescues are of note, of which Prior and PROWLS volunteers have shared with the Peak
"There were two eagles, a young three-and-a-halfyear-old male from Padgett [Road], and the eightmonth-old female from Cranberry Lake," said Prior. "Both were quite far gone and not at all certain to survive, even with the best care."
The first young male bald eagle to be rescued was spotted in mid-January checking out a chicken coop in the Padgett Road area, and was found to be injured and unable to fly. PROWLS was called out to the area to assess the bird.
Prior has wrangled with raptors hundreds of times over the years, but getting control of the talons is always a challenge, she said.
"Back at PROWLS, we noted he was emaciated and his head leaned a bit to the
right, the iris of his right eye showed signs of trauma, his tail was being held to the right and his stance leaned to the right," said Prior. "He had definitely hit something on his right side or been hit by something."
After speaking with the raptor experts at Orphaned Wildlife (OWL) in Delta, and sending them photos and videos, PROWLS volunteers offered the young eagle some salmon, which he devoured.
PROWLS volunteers said this was a good sign, and that later on he devoured a small chicken drumstick. He was flown out of qathet courtesy of Pacific Coastal Airlines.
The second juvenile eagle to be rescued by the PROWLS team recently was near Cranberry Lake.
"We received a call from a couple who had a large bird in their yard that wasn't doing well," said Prior. "It was a very large, juvenile, female bald eagle, and she was in a bad state."
Volunteers examined the bird and found it was emaciated and had clenched feet and talons; often an indication of lead poisoning, they believe.
"We know Cranberry Lake has a lot of old lead shot in the bottom mud from duck hunting days of the past," said Prior. "Bottom feeder birds ingest the lead shot and eagles eat the bottom feeders; that's the cycle of lead poisoning."
Prior said the two eagles are fortunate to be recovering at OWL in Delta, and that she heard last week that they are both on the road to
recovery.
"We should see their releases," added Prior.
Another swan was found earlier this month wandering through the Westview Ferry Terminal lineup, but was promptly taken by
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
qathet Regional Hospital District directors were presented the second draft of the hospital district’s budget, outlining taxation and expenditures for 2025.
At a January 28 meeting, qathet Regional District general manager of financial administration Linda
Greenan led directors through the draft.
In her written report to directors, Greenan outlined that the 2025 tax requisition for the hospital district is $3,071,890, which is an increase of $82,214 from 2024.
In terms of cost per average home, hospital district taxation in City of Powell River is forecast to be $202.44; in Tla’amin Nation, $141.57; in Electoral Area A (north of the city), $179,21; in Electoral Area B (south of the city), 220.17; in Electoral Area C (south of the city), $237.48; and in Electoral Area D (Texada), $148.25.
Greenan said this will be the fi-
nal draft of the budget, prior to adoption in March. She said with operational costs that go into this budget, there are not a lot of operational costs for the regional hospital district.
Tax rates are expressed as a residential tax rate per $100,000 and are now based on the 2025 completed roll values from BC Assessment, according to Greenan. Actual tax rates will be based on the 2025 revised roll values, which are not released until March.
Greenan said the regional hospital district has had two cost share requests from Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) that the board ap-
proved in 2021, and another in 2022. She said for that the hospital district had borrowed $1.5 million over 10 years, which will be paid off in 2032. Annual payments are $191,000.
There is an additional $591,000 for the second cost share request. The payment on that is $80,677 per year, which will be paid off in 2033.
Greenan outlined a reserve fund the hospital district has, which could be used for VCH cost sharing requests or for any other projects that come up. She said the board had agreed to put $20 per $100,000 of assessed residential value annually into that re-
PROWLS back to Cranberry Lake, where it most likely came from.
PROWLS is in need of salmon, chicken or fish/ meat donations. For more information, contact Prior at 604.483.9787.
serve. She said the contribution is $1,817,000 per year. The balance at the end of 2025 will be $7.9 million, according to Greenan.
“That can be used for asset renewal, replacement, upgrades or VCH cost share requests,” said Greenan.
The hospital board voted to accept draft two of the five-year financial plan as presented at the meeting, and that the 2025 to 2029 financial plan as presented at draft two be incorporated into the financial plan bylaw, to be forwarded to the March 25 hospital district board meeting for first reading through adoption.
Eight people provided alternate shelter after flooding, but all in building were safely evacuated
Lift Community Services (Lift) thanked emergency services and community partners for their prompt assistance in responding to a fire and subsequent flood at its supportive housing building on January 26.
According to a media release from Lift, the fire, which started in an apartment unit, prompted the sprinkler system and resulted in flooding on the second floor of the building. The building was evacuated, and Lift confirms that all
participants and staff were safely evacuated.
“We’re extremely grateful to our staff for getting participants out of the building in a safe and timely manner, and for the prompt response from the fire department,” stated Lift executive director Kim Markel.
Lift confirms that eight participants were initially displaced because of the flood, and that Lift is providing alternative shelter to those individuals who require repairs to their apartments.
“Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated efforts of the 19 PRFR members that responded, no injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control quickly,” stated deputy chief Rocky Swanson.
A 360-degree assessment of the building was completed, and crews established a water supply while deploying a hose line to the affected area. Additional teams checked the floor below to ensure the safety of residents sheltering in place, according to the release.
This incident highlights the value of quick response by fire crews and other agencies.
ROCKY SWANSON POWELL RIVER FIRE RESCUE DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF
According to an account from Powell River Fire Rescue (PRFR), firefighters responded to a structure fire at the local supportive housing facility. The fire was called in to 911 at 5 pm and crews arrived on scene within four minutes.
Fire chief Martin Drakeley acted as incident commander during the response. Upon arrival, crews were informed by the facility manager of a fire in a room on the second floor. Initial inspection revealed multiple sprinkler and smoke zones had been activated.
ity staff to locate residents with special needs, the release stated. After a walkthrough with the facility manager, it was determined that residents could return to their units once the building was deemed safe.
Emergency Social Services (ESS) was contacted to support the approximately 32 displaced residents.
BC Transit dispatched buses for temporary shelter, however, after consultation with the facility manager, it was determined they were not required. Crews also shut off the sprinkler system on the second floor to minimize water damage.
Powell River RCMP provided assistance by working with facil-
An investigation conducted the following day by Swanson confirmed the fire was accidental.
“This incident highlights the value of quick response by fire crews and other agencies,” stated Swanson. “Their combined efforts ensured the safety of all residents and minimized the impact of the fire. A special thanks goes out to the facility maintenance manager, who is always very quick to correct any issues.”
Powell River Fire Rescue acknowledged the efforts of everyone involved and remains dedicated to the safety and well-being of the community, the release stated.
Let’s not allow a 30-day reprieve from the threat of tariffs being imposed by the United States fool anyone. Temporary relief should not lull Canadians into complacency.
Negotiations have bought time in the short term, but a message has been sent to everyone in the country, regardless of what happens over the next 30 days. Our government has responded, now it’s time for the people to continue showing their resolve.
“Buy Canadian” and “Buy BC” are slogans that won’t go away anytime soon, nor should they. How about adding “Buy Powell River” and “Buy qathet” to the mix for residents on the northern Sunshine Coast.
A deal may be reached over the next 30 days, at what cost, who knows? Or, the tariffs do in fact come into effect. Either way, we have to be ready for tumultuous times due to decisions made south of the border over the next four years, and likely beyond.
The ground may be covered in snow at the
moment, but for those who have the space, it’s not too early to at least start planning on what to plant this year, or building more garden beds for growing a different crop of vegetables. Grocery prices aren’t coming down, regardless of what politicians negotiate.
The last two months have provided a wakeup call for everyone in our region. Overrelying on trucks to continue transporting what we purchase to feed our families has been exposed as a weakness.
To strengthen our position, we can support local farmers, and we can all become farmers on a smaller scale. Take stock of what you buy a lot of. Can you grow it? If so, buy some seeds and give it a try.
This 30-day pause is not a win, but it can be an opportunity. Enhance your own food security and become less susceptible to policy changes beyond our control.
Avoid complacency; it always leads to regression.
A new year can mean a new you, but issues from previous years can carry over. Some legal issues can seem big if you don’t know where to find the right information.
Every month, this column will guide you through common legal concerns. A different legal topic that most of us face at some point in our lives will be reviewed.
I will provide information to help navigate life’s difficulties, such as: What is an estate? How do I file for divorce? What can I do about my neighbour’s loud noise through the night? How do
By Craig Mracek
I make a contract? Or, why do I need legal advice when buying or selling property? It is hard enough to make ends meet, so keeping up
We respectfully acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional and treaty lands of the Tla’amin people.
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with the latest legal changes isn’t on most people’s list. But, there are new decisions in our local courts, provincial courts and from the Supreme Court of Canada.
These decisions affect your rights and freedoms. From the constitution to the role of municipal fence bylaws, they all work together.
Each month, one of those decisions or laws, and why it matters to you, will be explained. It could be a decision about changing rights as a tenant or landlord, or it could explore what judges consider when sentencing a
person who stole from your yard.
Last but not least, I will answer questions each month with legal information. More people are representing themselves in courts across the country than ever before. There are great resources available online and helpful staff at courthouses. Sometimes, a little information goes a long way.
Other times, I will suggest talking with a lawyer to acquire legal advice. Even a brief consultation from a qualified lawyer can point people in the right direction.
Maybe, when you think
of lawyers, television shows such as Matlock and Suits, or movies like A Few Good Men (perhaps I’m dating myself with that reference) come to mind. Fiery courtroom speeches are not a regular part of any lawyer’s practice.
The reality is that the law moves at a glacial pace.
Anyone who has had a relative pass away knows it takes months, if not years, to move the process along.
Lawyers are, for the most part, stuck behind a computer reading and writing.
The slow pace of the law can be used to your advantage. It allows time to ask
questions and get answers. That might include getting legal advice from a lawyer because they really are there to help with your problems. Or, for legal information, email deardadlawyer@gmail. com. Your message might be chosen for next month’s article (with your personal information removed), so everyone can learn. I’m happy to help.
Craig Mracek is a practicing lawyer and dad living in qathet. This article contains legal information specific to BC only. Speak directly with a lawyer for legal advice.
The main reasons we need to reduce our carbon emissions are pretty much the same as before, but now the consequences are much more present and extreme.
Basically our excessive use of fossil fuels has created a blanket of pollution that is causing the planet, land and oceans to overheat. There is complete scientific consensus on this matter.
This is causing more extreme wildfires, heat waves, crop failures, floods and food insecurity. The economic damage is approximately six times greater than previously estimated.
Four of BC’s most severe wildfires of the last 100 years have occurred in the last seven years. The 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive in recorded history, burning 2.8 million hectares of forest.
The cost of wildfire suppression to taxpayers was more than $1 billion. Compare that to profits made by fossil fuel companies at our expense.
In 2023, global records were broken for surface temperatures, ocean heating and acidification, sea level rise, lack of polar ice cover, floods and glacial retreat. Scientists are worried about what are known as tipping points, at which conditions become irreversible, such as ocean current slowing and/or direction change, and the increased release of methane from the
Regarding your recent coverage of the Conservative rally in Powell River [“Conservative leader outlines policies at political rally,” January 23], I feel compelled to speak out about a glaring oversight in the reporting of this event, in particular the forcible ejection of several members of Tla’amin Nation, on whose ancestral lands the event was taking place.
According to the social media post by Ta’Kaiya Blaney, who stated she and her friend were not expecting to be allowed in but were able to enter the room carrying their drums, after a short while they were surrounded
By William Lytle-McGhee
permafrost.
The cost to us all will be in the trillions of dollars if urgent action is not taken.
In 2021, extreme weather cost BC’s economy between $10 billion and $17 billion, lost worker income, lost productivity and community impacts. By
The cost of renewable energy has fallen rapidly and that ought to be taken advantage of as much as possible.
2050, the annual damage could well reach $3 trillion globally.
LNG is not a bridging fuel to a clean energy future. All factors considered, it is worse than coal. LNG is just another name for methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Leakages during processing and shipping, for example, in pipelines, give it a total footprint greater than burning coal, not to mention the energy required to liquefy it.
We need to move more quickly into cleaner forms of transportation and
by security and RCMP and told to leave as it was against “policy” for them to carry their drums.
In the ensuing confrontation, which was filmed on video and posted, the young women are told it is a “private event” and were threatened with possible arrest for “causing mischief” if they did not leave. By this time, they were drumming and singing in protest.
I was unaware that political rallies were private events; it seems like an afterthought excuse for ejecting these young women. Even if your reporter missed this incident, Global Television was present and subsequently ran their story under the banner “Pierre Poilivre Drums Up
shipping. Progress is definitely being made but there is huge concern that the speed of transition is minimizing effectiveness.
Our buildings need energy efficient renovations, new buildings need passive design and fossil fuel appliances need to be replaced by electric models such as heat pumps.
The cost of renewable energy has fallen rapidly and that ought to be taken advantage of as much as possible. It is estimated that if Canada operated on 100 per cent clean energy, the average household bills would be reduced by 12 per cent. Any decline in fossil fuel employment would be more than offset by newly created jobs in clean energy.
The use of a tax on carbon is not new; it is a tried and true method used around the world to encourage the transition to clean energy. Economists completely support the statistics surrounding the use of a carbon tax and in Canada it has fallen out of favour primarily due to negative political disinformation, not the facts.
Climate change is a global phenomenon, and yes, it requires a global solution. That is why we must all do our part for the future of our families, and all living things for that matter.
William Lytle-McGhee is a member of qathet Climate Alliance.
Support,” again without any mention of the protest, which must have been audible. An unfortunate and possibly tone-deaf choice of words.
Obviously there was con-
siderably more going on than the “ax the tax” protest referred to in your article. Just hoping to set the record straight.
Julia Frittaion Sechelt
The Peak publishes letters it receives regarding the stories on its pages when space allows, as long as letters are signed, dated, and include the writer’s address and a daytime telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters.
The exceptions are those letters which may be libellous, in bad taste, or describe an incident involving other people which, to be fair, should allow both sides to be aired in a news story.
Letters should not exceed 350 words and Viewpoints must be approximately 500 words. The Peak reserves the right to edit based on taste, legality, clarity and length.
Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor and Viewpoints are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Peak or its employees.
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Having grown from 50 members to 300 in two years, Westview Ratepayers Society is active in fostering community engagement, reducing polarization and presenting balanced information, according to its president.
“Westview Ratepayers Society has been growing dramatically since its inception,” said Rick Craig.
“That growth is a result of the fact that we’re trying to walk a middle line and to be very careful and factual about what we do. That is attracting people who are interested in what we’re doing.”
Craig said sometimes, the society is advocating issues, but a major focus is information and education.
“We feel the biggest problem is that many people don’t understand what’s going on and they don’t know where to get the information,” said Craig.
He said the society’s organization is structured to be responsive
to community representation.
The society is run by an executive, which meets monthly, and there are also five committees involving a wide range of volunteers. These committees focus on finance, education, communications, supportive housing and public safety.
“What we are finding is we are getting more information out, which is attracting more interest and more volunteers; the more volunteers we have, the more we can do,” said Craig. “An example is last year, our education committee organized three events. They did an all candidates meeting [for the provincial election]. We did a major meeting on supportive housing. We also did a session on DRIPA [Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act]. This year, we’ll probably do three or four events like that.”
In the coming year, Westview Ratepayers Society has some major goals. Craig said one of them is that the society is going to undertake a major membership drive.
“We think there are more people who are interested and we’re going to reach out to them,” said Craig. “We are also going to continue building the coalition with the other ratepayer groups. We’ve had them come together with us on several presentations to council, and that is only going to get deeper
and stronger. What the coalition does is it allows us to have our local identities, but at the same time, come together and work together and be far more effective than any one of us could be on our own.”
Also this year, the education committee is talking about organizing a finance town hall, because the society wants to bring out residents and explain municipal finances and taxation. There are also plans to have another meeting on DRIPA, with representatives from Pender Harbour coming to talk about concerns they have regarding the dock management plan that affects docks on the lower and upper Sunshine Coast, which has been launched by shíshálh Nation. Pender Harbour representatives will be outlining the court case they have launched.
Craig said if there is going to be a federal election this spring, the society will probably organize an all candidates meeting.
The society has met with Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill regarding supportive housing and there will be continued work on addressing concerns so the model works better, according to Craig. Also in the plans for public safety is a block watch program, and planning for a city-wide block party day so there can be more community building.
RAPID GROWTH: Westview Ratepayers Society president Rick Craig [left] and Neil Abramson, who is secretary of the organization and chair of the education committee, are busy working to represent interests of residents of the Westview community, as well as partnering with other local ratepayer groups to elevate concerns to elected representatives.
“We’d love to get 20 or 30 or 40 blocks all partying on the same day,” said Craig.
Westview Ratepayers Society, according to Craig, is trying to walk the middle path.
“We’re saying, look, we're nonpartisan,” said Craig. “We are not supporting any political group. We want people who represent the diversity of the community and we want all those voices.
“Answers are often complex, but if we can find common ground, we can work together to try to find common solutions.”
Craig said an example of this is supportive housing. He said the society wants to help the clients, but at the same time, wants the
community to be okay and not impacted.
Another function of the society is to challenge city council, according to Craig.
“People get elected and they need to know what the community thinks,” said Craig. “Our credibility depends on us trying to be as accurate as we can be, and as non-polarizing as we can be. That’s the ethos we need to bring to our organization.
“We’re responsive to concerns about anything that affects the quality of life of people living here. It can be provincial, it can be federal or local. If it has an impact, or if it’s going on in the community, we will try to educate on it.”
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
The first qathet School District (qSD) board meeting of 2025 took place on January 22. qSD board chair Jaclyn Miller opened the meeting by acknowledging the resignation of Rob Hill as a school trustee in December.
"On behalf of the board and the entire school community, we extend our sincere gratitude to Rob for his three years of dedicated service and passion," said Miller. "In
light of Rob’s departure, we will soon be sharing information about an upcoming byelection to fill the vacant trustee position."
Elementary schools across the district are currently conducting literacy and numeracy assessments, which help identify student strengths and areas for growth, explained Miller. School districts across BC conduct assessments to allow educators to tailor teaching strategies and strengthen foundational skills.
Miller also mentioned this month’s Pink Shirt Day, which is February 26.
“We’re excited about Pink Shirt Day, an annual event that reminds us of the importance of kindness, respect and standing up against bullying,” said Miller.
A recommended motion to increase an-
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Powell River Fire Rescue captain Christian Phyall was recently recognized for his 25 years of service to firefighting.
At the January 23 City of Powell River Council meeting, mayor Ron Woznow said the British Columbia long-service medal is awarded to firefighters who have completed 25
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
It may be early in the year, but not too early to start planning a paddling or kayak trip to a firsttime or favourite kayaking route or marine park destination on the northern Sunshine Coast.
Many handy guide books have been published on the subject, including Sea Kayak Desolation Sound and the Sunshine Coast by Heather Harbord, who still lives and writes in qathet.
Although for multi-day trips, print-out paper copies (kept in a plastic cover, so it doesn’t get wet) of maps are still highly recommended by seasoned sea kayakers, there is the BC Marine Trails Map, used by an estimated 20,000 folks per year, in order to trip plan.
BC Marine Trails Network (BCMT) recently revamped its digital map, which includes an improved user interface and advanced trip planning tools, according to the BCMT website.
Communications and stewardship coordinator for BC Marine Trails, Sam Cutcliffe, said there are around 100 sites in the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound region.
“That includes launch sites, day-
use areas and campsites,” said Cutcliffe. “In terms of improvements, it’s also now functional on mobile devices, which it really wasn’t before.”
BC Marine Trails Map improvements include: less clutter and more information; a new scrolling sidebar; First Nations information; and multiple photos.
Important for sea kayakers are the trip-planning tools, site-condition reports and route measuring ability.
“Public site-condition reporting is really one of the most notable changes,” said Cutcliffe. “Now that individuals are able to go in and see those site conditions and report in real time, it is really a game-changer.”
Why is this a game-changer for kayakers?
In the past and even now, folks are relying on what could be very old data, due to a website not being updated and/or using an outdated travel book.
“A big new change is our siteselection tool, which is what I just used to roughly count how many sites there are in your region [qathet],” said Cutcliffe. “If you have a GPS device, for example, you can go in and lasso [loop] the 96 sites that are on Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound region, download all that data and then upload it to your device.”
He said when kayakers are out and about on the water, they will be able to access the information of
where sites are and what to expect, making it a lot more streamlined.
The new route-measuring tool is a win for multi-day kayakers who may not be measurement inclined.
“We have a much more functional measurement tool, so you can plan your route along the coast from site to site, and it will give you the length of the entire journey,” said Cutcliffe. “It will give you the length of a leg you’re planning, or multiple days; that’s a big thing.”
Most seasoned kayakers or expedition paddlers will spend multiple hours looking at a marine chart with a protractor, calculating angles from one headland to another, according to Cutcliffe.
But the BC Marine Marine Trails map lets users define a radius, draw a line, or a polygon and find sites within the defined proximity distance, then, site data can be uploaded directly to a GPS device, and printed out.
For example, if a group of kayakers launch from Lund and know they only have the ability to paddle for five kilometres or fewer in a day, they can use the measuring tool to see where the best place to set up camp would be; most likely somewhere on the Copeland Islands.
Cutcliffe said the map revamp is only one part of the mission for BC Marine Trails, which is a nonprofit and a charity.
“When the group started over 30 years ago, it was mostly as public advocacy for obtaining areas for paddlers to go and continued pub-
years of paid or volunteer fire service, dedicated to a community fire department as a structural firefighter. Woznow said Phyall started his service with Powell River Fire Rescue in the Wildwood fire hall in March of 1990. Phyall was hired to a career position on March 24, 2003.
“Chris was promoted to captain in 2018, has been an exemplary member of the department, and has led most of the current firefighters through training and to responses during his tenure,” added Woznow. “We congratulate Chris on his considerable achievement.”
Woznow then presented Phyall with his medal, congratulating him, saying it was well deserved.
BETTER PLANNING: When it comes to planning a multi-day kayak trip on the many marine trails and marine parks in the qathet region, maps and navigation tools are essential. The photo above was taken in Desolation Sound. PAUL BENNETT PHOTO
lic access,” said Cutcliffe.
The organization’s current iteration still focuses on marine trail development with minimal impact on the environment and mapping, but First Nations engagement has become a focus in recent years, along with environmental stewardship.
“Something that’s become very prevalent is our First Nations engagement committee,” said Cutcliffe. “So, what that is, is a project essentially to work alongside every single coastal First Nation in the province and ensure
their approval on all the sites that we are advertising.”
There is a map available for free to the public, and for those who become members of BCMT, similar to the popular AllTrails app for hikers.
“The map available to members is far more robust,” said Cutcliffe. “Check out bcmarinetrails.org/ new-map for comparisons between the two and features of each.”
BCMT also has how-to videos on all map features, that can be found at bcmarinetrails.org/ map-how-to-videos/.
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Rotary Club of Powell River members were recently treated to an overview of the habits of wildlife, such as elephants, and the lessons that humans can learn from them.
Conservation expert David Powrie, now a qathet region resident, spoke at the January 15 meeting of Rotarians, sharing insights from his research on elephants in Africa, emphasizing their strategic behaviour, communication and family dynamics. He highlighted the importance of respect, trust and nurture for people in both corporate and family settings, drawing parallels to elephant behaviour.
Powrie has more than three decades of experience protecting natural resources and fostering community-led conservation initiatives. From managing a 6.33-million-hectare conservation area in Kenya, to introducing endangered species in South Africa, Powrie has dedicated his work toward innovative solutions for wildlife protection, humanwildlife conflict mitigation and sustainability.
Powrie told Rotarians he had conducted full-time research on elephants for three years.
“It was the most liberating time,” said Powrie. “It was amazing to un-
derstand what happens in nature, especially with elephants. They are very perceptive.
“I had to walk very softly and closely, and the elephants knew I was there every time. They would either allow me, or they would not allow me.”
Powrie said he has spoken on how corporations and people in social circles should be more like elephants, and how people can learn from them.
“With elephants, things are very, very focused,” said Powrie. “There’s a reason for everything – what they do, how they do it and how they implement it. In any corporate session, you always look at your strategy, your vision and mission statements. Elephants have got that. Everything is well planned.
“Elephants, the same as each one of us, have a different personality.”
Powrie said in elephant populations, family comes first, hands down, and then comes the herd. He said elephants work to mitigate anything that is going to be a problem for the herd. Communication, also, is vital. When elephants greet each other, they take their trunks and blow into the other one’s mouth, said Powrie. He added that elephants are very tactile and passionate within their family grounds.
“I’ve learned most from elephants and communication,” said
Powrie. “Elephants are always in discussion with each other. They take care of each other. They always know what’s happening. Their whole family system is built around communication.”
Powrie said many humans have diminished in-person interaction, with attention being paid to social media rather than face-to-face conversation.
“That’s the sum of communications we’ve got today, quite often,” said Powrie. “You’re not getting that facial interaction, you’re not getting that one-on-one. We’ve lost that interaction such as with elephants, coming together and greeting each other. Things get taken out of context because we’re not one-on-one. Communication is critical.”
Powrie said trust is also an important consideration, and with elephants, trust is absolute. He said in human corporate life, he finds that as soon as trust is broken, morale is broken down.
“People get stressed, anxious, there can be conflict and staff turnover,” said Powrie. “As soon as I see a company with massive staff turnover, I normally go and find out what’s happening with senior management, because there’s a broken trust somewhere that is not functional. Poor communication is quite often the prong.
“If trust is broken, it’s a really tough scenario to win back and get
that bond back together again.”
Powrie said what he has found is that with companies that are growing and doing well, senior management has taken to heart the importance of their staff and clients, and with what they do and how they do it.”
With elephants, nurture is very important, said Powrie. At the corporate level with humans, if there is not a culture of being the leader and doing things the right way, it’s going to permeate down into the lower levels, he added.
Elephants have a structure, according to Powrie, where each one has their work, they know what to do, how to do it, and they understand each other, because they are in constant communication with one another and know what is
Rachel Blaney
invited to be part of display pertaining to Canadian service people
On January 30, North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney attended the opening of the Love in a Dangerous Time exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Blaney was invited to attend by the Rainbow Veterans Organization.
“I’m honoured to have
gotten to celebrate this historic exhibit,” stated Blaney, in a media release. “For decades, 2SLGBTQI+ members of the Canadian military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and federal civil service were mistreated, interrogated and
removed from their jobs, based solely on who they loved.”
Between the 1950s and 1990s, in what was known as “the purge,” efforts were made to remove these brave people from the workforce, citing that they were a
threat to national security, the release stated. The Love in a Dangerous Time exhibit reflects on this dark history,
happening.
According to Powrie’s LinkedIn page, his extensive experience of stakeholder engagement at all levels includes government, Indigenous people, the private sector, members of the public, the media and public and private funding agencies. This included working closely with various donor agencies, NGOs and governments. The page stated that Powrie has made a lifetime commitment to protecting nature and improving the livelihoods of Indigenous people and local communities who are stewards of biodiversity. He brings clarity of vision and proven skill in executing on strategy within soundly crafted commercial, social and governance structures, according to the page.
according to the release.
“This is an important exhibit and serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come,”
stated Blaney, “but also how far we need to go in making sure everyone is safe in the workplace.”
SHANE CARLSON editor@prpeak.com
Powell River Regals travelled to Wyoming for a pair of exhibition games versus Jackson Hole Moose on January 25 and 26.
Jackson Hole exacted revenge after dropping both games in Powell River last October (10-3 and 5-2), by sweeping the latest two games on their home ice.
Ethan Schmunk and Mitch Williams scored first period goals in game one to give the Regals a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes, but the Moose responded with three goals in the second period.
Williams added his second of the night to tie the score 3-3 heading into the third period.
Regals coach Tod English said his team controlled play from the opening faceoff, but the game turned in favour of the Moose during a Regals power play early in the second period.
“We had a commanding start in the first game,” said English. “We had numerous chances and carried most of all of the play, but we gave up a shorthanded goal in the second period.”
Jackson Hole scored three unanswered goals over the final 20 minutes en route to a 6-3 win.
“The 6,200 feet above sea level took effect around the middle of the third period,” explained English. “We gave up a power play
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goal and couldn’t recover; they sealed the win with an empty-netter.”
The home team had the better start the next night, outscoring the Regals 2-0 in the first period. Both teams found the back of the net twice in period two; Bryson Cecconi and Schmunk provided the offence for the Regals.
Jackson Hole built on the 4-2 lead in the third period with a trio of goals while Schmunk and Jack Long replied for the Regals to make the final 7-4.
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Trevor Burnett. “That forward line accounted for four of the seven goals we scored.”
The coach was encouraged with the team’s power play unit over the two games.
“We scored four power play goals, which is key moving into our playdowns,” he said. “Schmunk had three goals and has fit well into the power play group.
Regals returned home, then travelled to Nanaimo for game two of the McCallum Cup series on February 1, which they won 8-1. Game three (Lake Cowichan at Nanaimo), game four (Regals at Lake Cowichan), game five (Nanaimo at Regals) and game six (Lake Cowichan at Nanaimo) take place later this month.
PLAYER PREPARATIONS: To stay sharp and ready for McCallum Cup playoff games, Powell River Regals recently travelled to Wyoming to face Jackson Hole Moose in a pair of exhibition games. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Powell River hosted game one of the three-team tournament to determine the west coast senior hockey championship in January and skated to a 10-6 win over Lake Cowichan Appollos. Two points are awarded for a win in the playoff series, one point for an overtime loss and one point in the case of a tie (no shootouts). The team with the most points after game six will be awarded the McCallum Cup.
TANYA HILL thill@prpeak.com
A qathet region secret is slowly becoming not so secret for those in the know, such as semi-professional mountain biker Johanna Jackson.
The northern Sunshine Coast is becoming a mountain biking mecca, not only because of the plethora of trails offered here, including on Mount Mahony, but because of the generous hospitality toward those who come to visit.
Jackson was one of three finalists who made winning pitches for the Sunshine Coast Spark program. She was awarded a $3,000 seed grant to help prepare to launch Ride Mount Mahony.
"I moved here specifically for mountain biking and saw the potential Powell River has to be a mountain bike destination," said Jackson. "I'm starting Ride Mount Mahoney, which is a shuttle service, primarily to allow users to access our growing trail network."
The seed grant and mentorship offered by the Spark program is to help folks get started with new tourism ideas that could potentially increase year-round visits to the Sunshine Coast.
"Everybody in the core community of mountain bikers in BC is talking about Mount Mahony and Powell River," said Jackson. "Everyone's coming to check it out, and there's been a lot of hype."
qathet Regional Cycling Association (qRCA) has played a big part in drawing attention to mountain biking in the region and is working on a trail-building project on Mount Mahony, which broke ground last February. The gap Jackson
noticed for mountain bikers who come from out of town is lack of accessibility for some to Mount Mahony.
"If riders are coming to Powell River, let's say for a weekend, if they're just peddling, it's nearly impossible to explore all of our trails without lift access," said Jackson."So for visiting users, booking the shuttle will allow them to ride all of our trails in a limited amount of time."
Jackson has partnered with Sunshine Coast Shuttles, a company that offers service to places such as the Sunshine Coast Trail.
"We have partnered with Sunshine Coast Shuttles, and we've outfitted a lifted suburban with a seven-rack bike rack," said Jackson. "Currently we have seven passenger capacity and are operating on a by appointment basis."
Jackson said she is also partnering with qRCA and acknowledges all the work that group has done to make Mount Mahony a destination.
"We encourage our guests to have a membership with [qRCA] and support them in any way that we can," said Jackson. "We're also going to be doing merch and fundraising initiatives to help support our community partners like Jordan Marciniak, who does coaching and guiding, and Ride Free Apparel, a local custom jersey company.”
Jackson's winning pitch was not just about promoting her tourism idea but also to connect local businesses with each other in order to make a trip here as seamless as possible. She said her team wants to partner with local Airbnbs that have secure bike storage and are on board with hosting mountain bikers.
"The unique thing about Powell River is that we don't have seasonal riding like Squamish and Whistler," said Jackson. "We have a ton of potential here to draw in tourism revenue
MAHONEY CONNECTION: Semiprofessional mountain biker Johanna Jackson was one of three finalists who made winning pitches for the Sunshine Coast Spark program. The awarded seed grant and mentorship will help launch Jackson’s new tourism idea called, Ride Mount Mahony, this coming spring.
KEILAN GUILD PHOTO
year-round."
Even in the middle of winter Jackson said the conditions for riding are great.
"We're planning a launch party for the May long weekend, because that is typically when we see more visitor traffic," said Jackson. "That kicks off the rest of the biking season in BC, so we're going to do a free shuttle day and community barbecues."
She added that winning the Spark program helps build momentum for the launch.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow adventure tourism in our community,” said Jackson. "And I'm incredibly excited to launch Ride Mount Mahony and introduce mountain bike shuttle service to Powell River.”
For more information about the launch, go to ridemountmahony.com.
U9s switch weekends because of scheduling
A scheduling issue with ice time resulted in U9 Powell
River Queens facing off on a different weekend from the other Queens’ divisions.
The main annual Queens Cup Jamboree takes place on Family Day weekend later this month.
Recently the U9 team played host to squads from
Vancouver, Comox and Campbell River in a threegame round-robin format.
In a spirit of sportsmanship, two teams share the same bench, and all four teams were on the ice, which was divided into two mini-rinks. Each con-
(Entry to all sessions by donation)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
BAND – 9:30 am and 12:30 pm Max Cameron Theatre
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27
VOCAL – 9:30 am and 1:30 pm
James Hall, Academy of Music COMMUNITY CHOIRS – 7 pm Evergreen Theatre
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
CHORAL – 9 am and 1:15 pm
COLLABORATION CONCERT - 7 pm Evergreen Theatre
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
PIANO – 9 am, 1 pm and 6 pm
James Hall, Academy of Music
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
STRINGS – 2 pm
James Hall, Academy of Music
MONDAY, MARCH 3
SPEECH ARTS – 9:30 am and 1 pm Evergreen Theatre
TUESDAY, MARCH 4
SPEECH ARTS – 9:30am
WEDNESDAY MARCH 5
DANCE – 9 am, 1 pm and 7 pm Evergreen Theatre
THURSDAY, MARCH 6
DANCE – 9 am Evergreen Theatre
Saturday, March 8 • 7 pm Evergreen Theatre
Tickets - $20 adults, $15 seniors and students
cludes with every player on each side participating in a shoot-out.
“Girls hockey is all about friendship and connections,” said Elise Statham, whose daughter Audrey is a member of the Powell River team.
Available at Academy of Music, the Peak or at the door
Established in 1945
Supported for 22 years by Rotary Club of Powell River Rotary Club of Powell River
• Perform automotive repairs and maintenance tasks on various vehicles
• Diagnose and troubleshoot mechanical issues using appropriate tools and equipment
• Conduct inspections and tests to identify any potential problems or issues
• Follow repair manuals, schematics, and technical specifications to complete repairs
• Maintain accurate records of all repairs, services, and maintenance performed
• Assemble, disassemble, and reassemble vehicle components as needed
• Weld and fabricate parts as necessary
• Provide excellent customer service by addressing customer concerns and answering questions
EXPERIENCE
• Previous experience as an Automotive Technician is required
• Strong mechanical knowledge and understanding of automotive systems
• Proficient in using power tools and diagnostic equipment
• Ability to read and interpret repair manuals, schematics, and technical specifications
• Experience working in a dealership or automotive repair shop is a plus
QUALIFICATIONS:
• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Valid driver's license
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Ability to lift heavy objects and perform physical tasks as required
1949 Dodge Meadowbrook - $12,500 Good condition. Flathead six. Three on the tree. 604-483-3506
2025 By-Election: The Board of Education School District 47 (qathet)
Public notice is given to the electors of School District 47 (qathet) that a by-election will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
Take notice that the qathet Regional District, Powell River, BC has applied to the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS), South Coast Region for a Lease for Community Park situated on Provincial Crown land located at Emily Lake over parts of:
Lot G (Reference Plan 4061) District Lot 1 Texada Island District (PID: 015-792-218)
District Lot 1 Except Portions In (1) Plans 6958, 10405, 11006, Reference Plans 1595, 2974, 3774, 4061, 5029 And (2) The Surfaces Surveyed As Lot 157 Marble Bay Fraction No. 2 Mineral Claim, Lot 140 Toothpick Fraction Mineral Claim, Lot 131 Volunteer Mineral Claim, Lot 133 Europe Mineral Claim And Lot 155 Marble Bay Fraction No.1 Mineral Claim; And (3) Block B; Texada Island District (PID: 015-792-277)
District Lot 14 Except Those Portions In Plans 777, 834, 6958, 12480, 13250, 18202 19426 And Lot 201 Surveyed As Cornell Mineral Claim Texada Island District (PID: 015794-717)
District Lot 16 Except Portions In Reference Plans 2972, 5091 And In Lot 47A Victoria Mineral Claim, Lot 48A Texada Mineral Claim And Lot 131 Volunteer Mineral Claim Texada Island District (PID: 015-794-873)
WLRS invites comments on this application. The Lands File is 2412694. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to the Senior Land Officer, South Coast Region, WLRS, at #200-10428 153 Street, Surrey, BC V3R 1E1. Comments will be received by WLRS up to March 8, 2025. WLRS may not be able to consider comments received after this date. Please visit the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision Database website at http://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ for more information.
Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov. bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.
Nominations for the office of: School Trustee | one (1) to be elected
For a term ending October 2026, nominations will be received by the chief election officer or deputy chief election officer as follows:
WHEN: 9:00 am, February 25, 2025 to 4:00 pm, March 7, 2025
WHERE: School Board Office | 4351 Ontario Avenue, Powell River, BC V8A 1V3
HOW: Nomination documents may be delivered by hand, by mail or by other delivery service, or by fax or email, with originals to follow. The deadline for receiving originals of nomination documents is 4:30 pm, March 14, 2025.
Nomination documents are available at the School Board office, 4351 Ontario Avenue, Powell River, BC V8A 1V3 during regular office hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays and weekends) from February 11, 2025 until the close of the nomination period (March 7, 2025 at 4:00 pm)
Nominations documents are also available for download on the School District website www.sd47.bc.ca
Candidates should call 604.414.2600 to make an appointment with the Deputy Chief Election Officer to submit your nomination papers.
A person is qualified to be nominated, elected, and to hold office as a School Trustee if they meet the following criteria:
Canadian citizen;
18 years of age or older on general voting day April 12, 2025
Resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day nomination papers are filed; and
Not disqualified under the School Act or any other enactment from voting in an election in British Columbia or being nominated for, being elected to or holding office as a trustee, or be otherwise disqualified by law.
CAMPAIGN EXPENSE AND THIRD-PARTY ADVERTISING LIMITS
The expense limit for candidates established by Elections BC for the 2025 School Trustee By-election is $9,840.60. The third-party advertising limit is $809.84.
For further information on the nomination process, please contact:
Twyla Slonski, Chief Election Officer info@sd47.bc.ca Steve Hopkins, Deputy Chief Election Officer steve.hopkins@sd47.bc.ca
For information on campaign expense limits and third-party advertising limits, please contact Elections BC:
Toll-free phone 1.855.952.0280
Email: lecf@elections.bc.ca Website: www.elections.bc.ca/lecf
