Comox Valley Echo - January 6, 2015

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3.Salvation Army meets its kettledrive goal.

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www.comoxvalleyecho.comCOURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA Tuesday, January 6, 2015

NEWSECHOwww.comoxvalleyecho.comTUESDAY.COURTENAY, BC. JANUARY 6, 20152

For the latest Comox Valley Weather visit: www.comoxvalleyecho.com

Comox Valley Weather

Tuesday

Cloudy. 30% chance of showers in the morning.

High 8C.

Wednesday

Cloudy.Low 5C. High 9C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 40% chance of showers.

Low 4C. High 8C.

Friday


Low 4C. High 6C.

Saturday


Low 3C. High 5C.

14753.65 80.7055.2265.5453.7141.7637.3527.3410.3327.7843.3558.0216.1319.28

36.7118.0945.9026.72

21.4447.54102.944.8221.68

2.68%

1yr: 1.800% 3 yr: 2.200%

5 yr: 2.580%

2.29%1.74%1.31%

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Jody PatrickVERHAEGHE

DOB: 1979-04-21175 cms, 78 kgs, Black hair, Brown eyesWarrant: Breach of probationComox Valley fi le # 2014-16139

Jesse David BAKER

DOB: 1971-06-21185 cms, 82 kgs, Brown hair, Hazel eyesWarrants: Theft under $5000Fail to appearComox Valley fi le # 2014-4127

If you have any information about the whereabouts of either of these two people, call the Comox Valley RCMP Detachment at 338-1321, or Comox Valley Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (1-800-222-8477). You dont have to give your name and you could be eligible for a cash reward.

WANTED

www.comoxvalleycrimestoppers.bc.ca

Comox Valley RCMP re-sponded to the following incidents Dec. 23-29:

On December 23rd the Comox Valley RCMP at-tended to a theft and mischief complaint at the Lewis Centre located at 489 Old Island High-way. It was reported that a young male had broken into several lockers in the change room and had spray painted several ar-eas as well. When police attended it was found that the young male had ed. This investigation is con-tinuing. (2014-16137)

On December 24th po-lice responded to a report of a break, enter and theft at the Serious coff ee shop located at 2760 Cliff e Av-enue in Courtenay. An unknown male suspect smashed a window in the business and once in-side stole an undisclosed amount of cash. This in-vestigation is continuing. (2014-16171)

Police responded to a report of a 3-year-old tod-dler walking a dog in traf- c on Fitzgerald Avenue in Courtenay on December 24th. The investigation revealed that the toddler had escaped from his resi-dence to walk the new pup-py. The mother and child were united without inci-dent. Police wish to thank the concerned citizen that stopped and cared for the child until police arrival. (2014-16184)

Two separate incidences of break, enter and theft, were attended at the Mark Isfeld secondary school, located at 1551 Lerwick Road in Courtenay. Entry to the school was made by smashing a window and once inside the suspect smashed their way into a vending machine and stole items from it. (2014-16316)

During the early morn-ing hours of December 28th police responded to a glass break alarm at the

Too Good to be Threw Thrift Store located at 367 6th Street in Cour-tenay. Unknown persons smashed a large pane glass window in the busi-ness. (2014-16323)

On December 28th po-lice responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision on the 4300 block of Minto Road in Courte-nay. The investigation re-vealed that a vehicle trav-eling down Minto Road had run into a parked ve-hicle at that location. The driver was found to have been consuming alcohol and was issued with a 90 day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and had his

vehicle towed and im-pounded. (2014-16327)

On the night of Decem-ber 28th police located and stopped a suspected impaired driver on An-derton Avenue in Courte-nay. The driver was spo-ken with and was found to have been consuming alcohol prior to and at the time of the stop. The driver was given a 90 Im-mediate Roadside Prohi-bition and had the vehicle he was driving impound-ed for 30 days. The driver was also given a ticket for open liquor in a vehicle. (2014-16358)

The Comox Valley RCMP entered into a Mis-

chief complaint during the early morning hours of December 29th in the downtown area of Cour-tenay. Two young males were seen spray painting a building. Police attended and located and arrested the two males. Evidence of paint was located on both of the males hands. Charges of mischief under $5000 are being laid and they will appear in court on a later date. (2014-16359)

On December 29th po-lice received several re-ports of thefts from ve-hicles in the Ashwood Place area of Courtenay. Numerous vehicles were entered and several items were taken which included identi cation, money and electronic devices.

In all the cases the ve-hicles had been left un-locked. The public are re-minded that locking your vehicles will stop these types of thefts.

On December 29th a report of mischief was re-ported to the Comox Val-ley RCMP. The mischief occurred at a business on the 900 block of Co-mox Road in Courtenay. Two vehicles at that lo-cation had had their rear windows smashed some-time between December 27th and December 29th. (2014-16369)

Property values remainstable in the Valley

Owners of more than 34,000 properties throughout the Comox Valley can expect to re-ceive their 2015 assess-ment notices in the next few days.

Most homes in the Co-mox Valley are remaining stable in value compared to last years assessment roll, said Vancouver Is-land Regional Deputy As-sessor Bill Dawson Most home owners in the Co-mox Valley will see mod-est changes in the -5% to +10% range.

Overall, the Comox Valley Assessment Roll increased from $9,622,255,797 last year to $9,721,134,245 this year. Of note, a total of almost $89,000,000 was added through subdivi-sions, rezoning and new construction.

In general, commercial property assessments have changed within the -10% to +5% range in the Comox Valley but with most properties see-ing very little change. The taxable commer-cial assessment roll is $959,252,803 this year. A total of over $1,700,000 in

new commercial value has been added due to various changes including subdi-vision, rezoning and new construction.

Property owners who feel that their property as-sessment does not re ect market value as of July 1, 2014 or see incorrect in-formation on their notice should contact BC Assess-ment as indicated on their notice as soon as possible in January, said Dawson.

If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by February 2, for an inde-pendent review by a Prop-erty Assessment Review Panel, added Dawson.

The Courtenay assess-ment offi ce is located at 2488 Idiens Way, Courte-nay. During the month of January, offi ce hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Property owners can contact BC Assessment toll-free at 1-866-valueBC (1-866-825-8322) or on-line by clicking CON-NECT at www.bcassess-ment.ca.

Police Blotter

2215 Cliffe Ave., Courtenay338-5411

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www.comoxvalleyecho.comTUES DAY.JANUARY 6, 2015 3

T OWN OF C OMOX

DISASTER FLOOD RELIEFIMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BC

Major flooding on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland from December 8-12, 2014 has caused property and content damages. As a result of the damages sustained from this event, provincial Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) has been authorized for qualifying claimants, such as home owners, residential tenants, small business owners, farmers, charitable organizations and local government bodies, who were unable to obtain insurance to cover these disaster-related losses.

In the Comox Valley, Disaster Financial Assistance has been authorized for: Comox Valley Regional District - electoral areas A, B and C, City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland.

$OODSSOLFDQWVVKRXOGUVWFKHFNZLWKWKHLULQVXUDQFHDJHQWWRGHWHUPLQHif their current insurance policy provides coverage for the resulting damage. Depending on the circumstances, businesses and farmers may have been able to obtain commercial insurance for certain losses. $VSDUWRIWKH')$TXDOLFDWLRQSURFHVVEXVLQHVVHVIDUPHUVDQGcharitable/volunteer organizations will need to provide a letter from their insurer indicating that they could not have purchased insurance to cover these disaster-related losses.

Information about Disaster Financial Assistance is available on the DFA website at: www.embc.gov.bc.ca/em/dfa_claims/dfa.html. There you ZLOOQGWKH')$$SSOLFDWLRQ)RUP'LVDVWHU)LQDQFLDO$VVLVWDQFH*XLGHOLQHVIRU3ULYDWH6HFWRUDQG2QH6WHSDWDWLPH$*XLGHWR'LVDVWHU5HFRYHU\

Although we encourage people to submit their application to us as soon as possible so that we can have the damage assessment completed promptly, the deadline date for EMBC to receive this form is March 12, 2015.

BY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

The Salvation Army rang in the New Year with cheerful news.

After encountering a slow start to its annual Christmas kettle cam-paign, the community came through in a signi -cant way to help the orga-nization meet its fundrais-ing target of $125,000.

It looked bleak at one stage because we were sig-ni cantly down $5,000, said Pastor Kevin Elsass-er. We went to the public and told them what we needed to end up with.

Their plea for help was heard loud and clear and when the nal amount was tallied, Sally Ann wound up with $128,755.

We did $3,000 over so were very happy with the public, said Elsasser. We want to thank everyone in the Comox Valley for gen-erously giving to the Sal-vation Army.

Elsasser said its only during Christmas the Salvation Army goes out to ask for monetary con-tributions from the com-munity through its kettle campaign.

Its a major fundrais-er he said and the main source of funding for the myriad of services Sally Ann provides in the com-munity.

Its important because if you dont make your budget, you have to start

at looking at cutting costs or cutting programs, said Elsasser.

Elsasser said every year they set realistic goals. In 2013 they raised $133,000 and Elsasser said this year they pegged their target on an amount they be-lieved they could achieve, which was $125,000.

Among the many uses of the money raised in-cluded the annual Christ-mas Hamper. Last month Sally Ann produced 750 Christmas hampers, which were up from 500 in 2013. The funds are also applied to services that in-clude the soup kitchen, its food bank, family services program, and other future programs for the valley.

While Sally Ann is pleased to have met its fundraising target, there are groups or businesses in the valley that struggled to meet their target.

The staff at Coast Re-alty Group held its 26th annual Christmas hamper program. They were able

to distribute 545 hampers, which are down from their previous amount of 580.

In the last couple of years, its been going down. We didnt have as many sponsors which we used to do, said organizer Annette Bowden. Its the sign of the times. There was also a lot of fundrais-ers going on.

However, overall Coast Realty was still pleased with their program as they were able to help out peo-ple in the community.

Despite the numbers going down, Coast Realty will continue to distribute hampers during Christ-mas. Weve been doing this for 26 years now so were not going to stop it, said Bowden. We will keep it going. We might go down a little bit every now and then but it will go up again I am sure as the times change.

The hampers contain around $100 worth of groceries that include in-gredients for a nice turkey dinner. Bowden said they also contain gifts for the children.

Its probably a $200 hamper by the time its all done, depending on how many kids are in the fam-ily, said Bowden.

Coast Realty wants to express their sincere gratitude to the many in-dividuals, businesses and donors that helped make their hamper program a success.

It looked bleak at one stage because we were signifi cantly down $5,000 ... We did $3,000 over so were very happy with the public.

PASTOR KEVIN ELSASSERSalvation Army

New Year baby born two weeks earlyBY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

Lauren and Brendan Somers had a bright and very happy start to the New Year.

Their happiness came in the form of a healthy baby boy, Hunter Dean Donald Somers, who was born at around 8.04 a.m. on January rst at St. Josephs Hospital, mak-ing him the rst baby of 2015.

It was an unexpected bundle of joy for the Comox couple because Hunter wasnt due to be born until Jan. 15.

We knew he was going

to be born early but we didnt think it was going to be that early, said Lauren, who went into la-bour early in the morning and went on to give birth

to Hunter via emergency Caesarian section. We didnt expect him to be born on the rst. So it was a diff erent New Year celebration for us thats for sure.

The proud father, Brendan, sporting a million dollar smile, had their seven pounds, three ounces baby in his arms. Its their rst child.

Its exciting to have a baby, said Brendan. Happy and healthy was more important for us more than anything else.

Lauren said Janu-ary rst will now bear multiple signi cance for them.

We will never forget his birthday, said Lauren. He will always have a stat holiday birthday, a day off for something to celebrate.

The couple of ten years

and married for two years had no preference in the gender of their rst baby.

It didnt matter if it was a boy or a girl, said Lauren. Were happy.

Both are now looking

forward to raising Hunter. Its a new beginning for them and a new experi-ence.

Its pretty special for us, said Lauren. Its a whole new world for us.

Lauren and Brendan Somers are proud parents of Hunter Dean Donald, who was born on Jan. 1 at St. Josephs Hospital.

We will never forget his birthday. He will always have a stat holiday birthday, a day off for something to celebrate.

LAUREN SOMERSNew Year baby mom

Sally Ann meets kettle drive target

www.comoxvalleyecho.comTUESDAY.JANUARY 6, 20154


The residents of the Croteau Beach-Hawkins Greenway neighbourhood feel they were blind-sid-ed by the Comox Valley Regional District when it purchased a parcel of land on Beech Street for the development of the Comox No. 2 sewer pump station.

They said the deci-sion stinks because the board approved the deal without consultation with residents, who are go-ing to be affected by the $11 million development plan.

The vacant property is located in a residential area and smack between two homes. It was as-sessed as the best site for the project by Heuristic Consulting Associations, which was retained by the CVRD to evaluate suitable areas to build the future sewer pump station.

Residents were in-formed about the pur-chase of the land and plan

to build a sewer pump by the CVRD on Dec. 15. It caught them all by sur-prise.

The whole thing stinks, for lack of a bet-ter term, said Mary Lee, whose home will be di-rectly affected by the proj-ect because it is adjacent to the chosen location. There was no public pro-cess. There was no trans-parency. Legitimacy is in question, thats why weve hired a lawyer to look into this.

Lee questioned why the CVRD would choose to build an industrial facil-ity in the middle of a resi-dential area thats been categorized as greenway.

The major project is a high priority in the CVRDs capital plan. Thats because of the en-vironmental risk posed by the beach erosion that was discovered along Wil-lemar Bluff in 2002 that exposed significant por-tions of the pipes that de-liver wastewater from the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox to the

Residents raise stink about CVRD sewer station projectClaims that they were never consulted before RD purchased land

New Comox Valley Regional Board member Rodney Nichol of Area B,left, and Courtenay Mayor Larry Jangula listen to the residents on Beech Street raise their concerns about the property (located just behind the group) chosen for the Comox No. 2 sewer pump station.

Comox Valley water pollu-tion control centre.

In 2005, a study done by the CVRD recommend-ed that a new sewer pump station be constructed near the intersection of Croteau Road and Docliddle Road and that a new inland

forcemain alignment be built from the new pump station to the CVWPCC that will bypass Willemar Bluff.

In determining the ideal site, the company hired to evaluate properties in the area for the project used a

detailed selection method-ology that included techni-cal, environmental and fi-nancial factors. The Beech Road property received the highest score and the CVRD board endorsed the recommendation to pur-chase it for $300,000.

The residents in the ar-ea have written a letter to CVRD chair Bruce Jolif-fe expressing their disap-pointment and outright op-position to the plan. Copies were also sent to Courtenay and Comox mayors Larry Jangula and Paul Ives re-spectively, and also to the ministers responsible for municipalities.

Rodney Nichol, the CVRD board representa-tive for Lazo North, came out on Friday to meet with residents around Beech Road. And he raised con-cerns and disagreed with the process applied to pur-chase the land by former members of the CVRD

board.This decision was made

in-camera without any pub-lic process whatsoever,said Nichol, who is one ofthe new members of theboard.

Basically they were toldthis is whats going to hap-pen in your neighbourhood... too bad. Thats just notthe way to do business. Thepublic is supposed to be in-volved, theyre supposed toknow whats going on, andwere supposed to listen tothe input before we makethe final decision.

Jangula said he wasnot aware of the land pur-chased and would like tosee this decision deferreduntil the new board has hadthe opportunity to discussthe issue.

The public needs tohear why this area was se-lected, what other optionsor alternatives that couldhave been used, said Jan-gula. The neighbourhoodhas to have input. Theyhave to be heard from.

The CVRD has indicat-ed in the pamphlets distrib-uted to residents that thestation is going to similarto the View Royal Craig-flower pump station of theCapital Regional Districtin Victoria. The differencethough is it is situated in apark and residential com-munity with the closesthome located 150m away.

The Beech Street prop-erty is just over a third of anacre, the two homes besideit are no more than 20maway and the two other res-idents on a hillside within30m.

Lee said the facility isa monstrosity becauseit will be at least three sto-reys high and greatly af-fect the aesthetic of thearea. Theres also going tobe a huge issue in regardsto noise and traffic dur-ing construction and after.There will also be concernsabout the odour.

The inaugural 2015 sew-age commission meetingwill be held at 1 p.m. today.A new chair and vice-chairwill be elected.

Following that , theCVRD will be hosting apublic meeting on January7, 2015 simply to provideadditional information tothe community, concernedcitizens and to addresstheir questions.

The whole thing stinks, for lack of a better term. There was no public process. There was no transparency.

MARY LEEAff ected resident

Residents raised a sign up an a utility pole along Beech Street to indicate where the CVRD is proposing to build the Comox No. 2 sewer pump sta-tion.

Basically they were told this is whats going to happen in your neigh-bourhood ... too bad

ROD NICHOLCVRD director


New year.........Time for anew you!

New year.........Time for anew you!

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318 A Duncan Ave., Courtenay (Corner of Duncan & 3rd St.)

Music, marching, pancakes, birthday cake, bagpipes, politicians, Freemen of the City, police and re ghters, the military, Sid Williams and Komoks First Nations - Happy 100th Birthday, City of Courtenay!

The city celebrated the start of its centennial year on New Years Day with a free pancake breakfast in the upper hall of the Flor-ence Filberg Centre. Just a few hours earlier several hundred partiers had en-joyed a memorable New Years Eve, Memories are Made of This, with musical acts designed to represent the decades of the citys life.

The City was rst incorporated as a mu-nicipality in January 1915, later attaining City status. Courtenays Fire Depart-ment is also celebrating its centennial this year, so its a double celebration.

The pancake breakfast was prepared and served by the experienced hands of the Evergreen Club volunteers, accompanied by the piano and vocal stylings of local entertain-er Rob Petrie, then the Swing Set singers.

The dignitaries were marched to the stage at noon by the Comox Val-ley Pipe Band, followed by a traditional greeting from the Komoks First Nations Andy Everson whose grandfather, the late Chief Andy Frank, had a long-time associa-

tion with, and had great respect from, the City of Courtenay.

The stage featured

representatives from all facets of city and Valley life - Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, Courtenay

Mayor Larry Jangula, Comox Mayor Paul Ives, Cumberland Mayor Leslie Baird, Regional District

chair Bruce Jolliff e, 19 Wing Comoxs Lt. Col Waters, Courtenay Fire Chief Don Bardonnex and Deputy Chief Kurt Macdonald, RCMP Insp. Tim Walton, Freemen of the City Lawrence Burns, Doris Weislein and Ron Webber, former mayors Starr Winchester, George Cochrane, Ron Webber and Greg Phelps. Coun-cillor Doug Hillian was the master of ceremonies.

Edwin Grieve, the Area C representative on the regional board and long-time chair of the citys July 1st committee, did an original musical number in the Century Sam guise of the late Sid Wil-liams, for whom the local theatre is named.

Centennial commit-tee chair Ron Webber then brie y outlined the activities planned for the special year ahead.

Homecoming Week has been declared for June 26 to July 5, with the July 1st parade and festiv-ities schedule right in the middle, on the Wednes-day. Red Robinson, famed broadcaster who grew up here, has agreed to be Parade Marshall.

Therell also be a tail-gate party at the sports centre, to remember all the B.C. Lions football team training camps held in Courtenay; a down-town street dance; neigh-bourhood block parties; and a massive reworks

display July 4 at the air-park. The reworks will be let off from a barge at the mouth of the Courte-nay River.

On August 8 the city will honour its military past with a special Mili-tary Day parade involving 19 Wing, HMCS Quadra sea cadets, the Canadian Scottish regiment, and the sea cadets famous ceremony of the ags at Lewis Park.

Therell be numerous other events throughout the year sponsored by the many local sports and cultural groups.

And, in order to leave a legacy from this centenni-al year, the Comox Valley Community Foundation is setting up a special fund where donations can be made to be invested in perpetuity with the inter-est going each year to a worthy charitable group.

Courtenay Mayor Larry Jangula then read the of- cial notice to close out the offi cial ceremonies:

With deep apprecia-tion for those who have come before, for all that we have and for the promise of all this City may become, we offi cially proclaim this year, two thousand and fteen, as Courtenays Centennial Year, a year of celebration that all may enjoy.

The centennial cake, prepared and donated by Quality Foods, was then cut up and served.

Happy 100th birthday, Courtenay!

Cutting the birthday cake, from l. to r., Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, heritage commissions Lawrence Burns, Mayor Larry Jangula and centennial chair Ron Webber

New Years Day pancake breakfast kicks off start of Centennial Year celebrations for city and fi re department

Sid Williams impersonation, by Edwin Grieve, acting out and singing Century Sam character created by Williams for the B.C. centennial.

CUMBERLAND CULTURE and ARTS SOCIETY

ANNUAL AGM

Cumberland Culture and Arts Society

will hold its annual general meeting

at 7pm on Thursday January 29, 2015.The meeting will be held at Studio Live,

2679 Beaufort St. Cumberland, BC.

Coffee, tea and refreshments

will be served.

Bring your ideas for the

New year and future plans.

My nose pieces are yucky. How do I clean them?

You can't clean them once they become that dirty. They have absorbed the oil and other chemicals from your skin and need to be changed. Bring them in and I can give your glasses a bath and put on new nose pads. Nose pads should be changed on a regular basis however, everyone is different. When you notice they are yucky or your glasses are slipping that's a sign that it's time for new ones.

What should I do if I want my loved one to pass away at home?

Having a planned or expected death occur at home can provide a dignified, personal end to one's life. When it is planned to have a "natural or expected death " occur at home, there are procedures in place for before and after death that have to be followed. You must have an "Expected Notice of Death at Home" form, signed by the doctor. This will allow you to contact the funeral home without having to involve emergency responders, RCMP, coroner for example. Following the death, a minimum of 60 minutes must pass before the funeral home can attend to transport your loved one. If more time is wanted or needed for family and friends to say a private goodbye, you can take as much time after the death occurs that is comfortable.

What are micro-greens and can I grow them inside during the winter?

Yes, with the help of a grow light you can easily grow micro-greens to harvest throughout the winter months. Micro-greens are simply baby salad greens similar to sprouts but grown in soil. The options for micro greens are almost endless; choose arugula and mustard for a spicy bite or sunflower and scallions for a mild flavour. Once you have germinated the seeds and the first sprout is visible you will want to use a full spectrum light such as a T5 grow light, or a grow light garden. Optimal light conditions will keep the micro-greens compact. Make sure to position the light close to the greens, and move up as they grow. You will want to harvest when the first leaf pair opens fully and turns green. Use a pair of scissors and cut what youd like, or pull micro-greens out of soil and rinse. The roots are edible too!

You must present proof of health insurance in order to enter the country. Upon arrival, travelers may be required to present an insurance policy, insurance certificate or medical assistance card valid for the period of their stay in Cuba. Those who do not have proof of insurance coverage may be required to obtain health insurance from a Cuban insurance company when they arrive.

Temporary residents also have to hold valid health insurance policies. Although proof of Canadian provincial health insurance is sufficient for visitors to enter Cuba, your provin-cial plan may cover only part of the costs and will not pay the bill up-front, as required. It is therefore recommended that you purchase supplemental health insurance. Note that some private insurers also require the traveler to pay costs up-front and be reimbursed later. Cuban authorities will not allow anyone with outstanding medical bills to leave the country.

All health insurance policies are recognized, except those issued by U.S. insurance companies, as they cannot provide coverage in Cuba. For additional details on this requirement, please consult the Embassy of Cuba in Canada.

Make your mortgage New Year's resolution!

If you haven't made a New Year's resolution yet - or even if you have! - please take a minute as we start 2015 to think about what you'd like to achieve for your mortgage this year. If you already own your home, now's a great time to evaluate your budget and see if you can commit to larger payments or switch to accelerated biweekly payments to pay your mortgage down faster. You'll feel great ending 2015 when you see that you're 2 or 3 years closer to being mortgage free!

Or, if you are an aspiring home buyer, give us a call to discuss your pre-qualification. We'll help you set goals for saving up for your down payment and closing costs and make sure you'll be ready to buy as soon as possible. Don't put it off another day - give us a call or use our website contact form to book your free mortgage consultation and we'll help you make the most of 2015!

Send your questions for any of these professionals to us by mail, email or fax

Professional:

Question:

COMOX VALLEY ECHO407 - E Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC V8N 1J7or send your question to Keith Currie at [email protected] or by fax to 250-334-3172

TUESDAY. JANUARY 6, 2015 www.comoxvalleyecho.com6

7I am having a hard timehearing my friends andfamily during the holidays.Could I have hearing loss? Jennifer Frey,

Registered Audiologist

Make better hearing your New Years resolution.

Did you know that people wait an average of seven years before they deal with hearing loss? In that time, our brains can get out of practice processing the sounds that are no longer being heard. This is why we recommend that people speak to a professional about hearing loss sooner rather than later, before it affects ones lifestyle or ability to communicate with others.You may have hearing loss if: Its hard to hear when there are multiple conversations

You are asking people to repeat themselves often

Family or friends say your TV or radio is too loud

Its hard to hear a person speaking from another room

Call Connect Hearing today to book a complimentary hearing evaluation. Let this be the year you stay connected to the sounds you love.

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Do I need really need dental x-rays?

Dr. Colleen Clancy & Dr. Ann Lu

Dentists

Cavities between teeth are hard to detect early unless an x-ray is taken. By the time these are visible to the naked eye, the cavity is often large and deep. An x-ray of an aching tooth can show clues as to why it hurts. Infections at the roots, and lesions and cysts in the jaw can go unnoticed until they appear on an x-ray. Dentists practice by the radiation A.L.A.R.A. as low as reasonably possible principle. All reasonable methods are employed to minimize radiation doses. A lead vest with thyroid collar prevents unnecessary chest and neck exposure. We take as few radiographs as necessary to provide an informative picture of your oral health. Additional visual records, in the form of photos with mirrors and with a small camera that can be placed close to your tooth, may be taken to help build a full picture of your oral state.

Dr. Colleen Clancy and Associates#98-1742 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2K8Phone: 250-338-2599Web: www.drcolleenclancy.com

What should I be pruning in the winter months?

Winter is a great time to prune fruit trees, wisteria, kiwi, grapes and ornamental trees because they are still dormant and you can clearly see the structure of the branches. Pruning is necessary if the value and quality of the trees in the landscape are to be maintained. The main reasons for pruning are removal of dead, damaged, diseased or crossing/ rubbing branches; to improve the form, shape or size; to stimulate the formation of flowers and fruit buds; to rejuvenate older plants and for safety and convenience. Careful attention to pruning and training young trees will ultimately determine their productivity and longevity. Good pruning and training will also prevent later injury from weak crotches that break under snow or fruit load. Pruning should be done with an understanding of how the tree responds to each cut. Improper pruning can cause damage that will last for the life of the tree, or worse, shorten the trees life. Never compromise...always hire a professional! We will be starting our pruning in January. Call now for a free estimate.

Is it harmful to read in the dark?

No, it's just annoying. Low light levels make it hard for the eye to focus, so it leads to some temporary strain, as opposed to permanent damage. However, current research is suggesting that low-wavelength blue light (emitted by tablets and cellphones) is potentially harmful just like UV light, and this may increase the risk for cataracts and other eye problems.

I have Athlete's Foot,What should I do.Athlete's Foot is a fungus.

Fungi are microorganisms that grow in warm moist areas, they are also called mold or yeast. Fungi are normal inhabitants of the body but when they multiply they can cause troublesome infections such as thrush, athlete's foot and vaginitis.

Athlete's foot is characterized by redness and irritation, peeling skin, tingling and itching and occasionally fissuring.

Treatment includes keeping the skin dry, drying the skin thoroughly after bathing, wear loose-fitting clothing and apply an antiperspirant. Wearing cotton socks and allowing shoes to dry completely between use can help.

There are several antifungal products on the market. They are typically applies twice a day for two to four weeks. Consult a physician if the over-the-counter products fail to fix the problem.

What are the advantages of a ductless heat pump?

Ductless heat pumps are a great way to save on heating costs and air condition a house without ductwork. The most common applications for ductless heat pumps are houses with electric base boards. A ductless system can provide up to 4 zones of comfort making it easy to cover most living areas of an average home and instal-lation takes no more than a few days. For more information on heat pumps check out our blog at tempriteclimatesolutions.com

Send your questions for any of these professionals to us by mail, email or fax

Professional:

Question:

COMOX VALLEY ECHO407 - E Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC V8N 1J7or send your question to Keith Currie at [email protected] or by fax to 250-334-3172

www.comoxvalleyecho.com TUESDAY. JANUARY 6, 2015


www.20under40.caFor nominations forms and event details, visit:

Nominations accepted until

January 30th, 2015!

www. comoxvalleyrd.ca/boil

For the most

up-to-date information

on the boil water

advisory visit


A sea lion with an en-tanglement around its neck has been spotted in Fanny Bay and has drawn concerns from animal ad-vocates.

A wildlife photographer from Campbell River has alarmed the authorities about this particular sea lion which appears to be in pain from what she believes to be a rope that is deeply cutting into the animals esh.

He is in very bad shape, said Netonia Chatelaine from Campbell River, who has been photographing sea lions in the region and played a role in the rescue of other sea lions in dis-tress last year. The rst day I took pictures I could see a bit of a rope but now its right down inside where the esophagus is, in the solid area past the blubber.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as the Vancouver Aquarium, are now aware of this heartbreaking situ-ation. There are no plans to do a disentanglement but its uncertain as to when its going to hap-

pen because rescues are resource-intense.

They often take place in remote locations and, because they require the right team, equipment and weather conditions, take time to coordinate.

Deana Lancaster, spokesperson for the Van-couver Aquarium, said

they are hoping to do it earlier this year because they believe there are hun-dreds of sea lions entan-gled in marine debris and garbage.

Regarding the sea lion in Fanny Bay, the BC Ma-rine Mammal Response Network is monitoring him to see if theres a pattern

when hes present, said Lancaster. Were working with DFO to pull together our team, resources and necessary permits to try and help him as soon as possible.

Lancaster added that the best way the public can assist them right now is to continue reporting

any sightings.Last year, the Vancouver

Aquariums Marine Mam-mal Rescue and DFO com-bined forces to conduct two successful rescues of ensnared and injured sea lions near Fanny Bay.

It was led by Vancouver Aquarium head veterinar-ian Dr. Martin Haulena - one of only a few veteri-narians in the world, and the only one in Canada, who has experience im-mobilizing sea lions with an anesthetic drug deliv-ered by a dart.

Rescue eff orts involv-ing sea lions are extreme-ly challenging and can be very dangerous, says Dr. Haulena.

Marine mammal an-esthesia is risky he said. It took a 15-year process to develop an eff ective combination of drugs and protocols to safely dart sea lions for the removal of entangled gear, usually around their necks.

Lancaster would like to remind the public to be careful when discarding garbage, and to make sure to cut any loops in pack-aging.

As well, she advises the public to not dispose of debris into our rivers, lakes and oceans. Shore-line debris can often be confused by marine ani-mals as food or they may become entangled.

Concern for sea lion in distress

Animal advocates are worried about a sea lion, spotted in Fanny Bay, that has a rope cutting into its fl esh


Open Sunday: 11am to 5pm | Open Monday to Thursday: 9:30am to 5:30pmOpen Friday: 9:30am to 3pm | Closed Saturday

JANUARY ISNO TAX MONTH

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Starting January!

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For schedules visit:www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/rec or call 250-334-9622 Follow comoxvalleyrd

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YANA crackerprize creates big surprise

Ted Sauve was sporting a great big smile when he stopped by the YANA of- ce to pick up the grand prize from YANAs annual cracker sale. He received the winning cracker at the Hollis Wealth client appre-ciation Christmas party.

It was a big surprise, laughs Suave. When you open one of these things you just expect a little toy. As well as a toy, he found a special tag. It said Congratulations! You have won a $1500 pair of diamond earrings from YANA.

Of course this wonderful gift would not be possible without the generous sup-port of our community. Every year Mark Dalziel donates the grand prize, a stunning piece of jewel-lery, and Tim Haley do-nates the appraisal.

Mark has a long his-tory of supporting YANA, says Lesley Hunter, YANA board director and volun-teer who coordinates this event. People call Mark the Gold Guy, he de nite-ly has a heart of gold.

YANA is so grateful for everyone who makes this holiday fundraiser a suc-cess; the volunteers who hand craft these fun crack-ers, the local businesses who sell them, and the people who make them a part of their Christmas

celebrations. With the help of the Comox Valley community YANA is able to off er direct funding and accommodation to local families who must travel for the medical care of a child or a pregnant moth-er.

What did he do when he found out he won? I called my wife right away and told her I knew what she was getting for Christ-mas, says Sauve.

We hope she liked her gift!

Winner Ted Sauve with his diamond earrings


LETTERS

An independently owned and operated newspaper published by Echo Publications at 407-E Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7

Phone 250-334-4722

Fax 250-334-3172

Classifi eds 250- 334-4215

Circulation 250-334-4734

E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher Dave MacDonald

Editor Debra Martin

Advertising Manager Keith Currie

Offi ce Administrator Deb Fowler

Circulation Manager Hedi MacDonald

Production Manager Ryan Getz

All material herein is protected by copyright.Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without written authorization from the publisher.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement Number #0661538

COMOX VALLEY ECHO

OPINIONSECHO

To the residents of Cour-tenay & Comox:

The residents of Croteau Beach neighbourhood need your help!

Why? Because your mu-nicipal counselors recently announced to our commu-nity that they decided, with-out any prior consultation, without any public or trans-parent process, to send all of your sewage through our neighbourhood to con-struct Pump Station 2 on a currently empty residential lot in our small rural neigh-bourhood, that lies between Macdonald Park and Goose Spit. We have no elected representative on the Sew-erage Commission that vot-ed for this location.

Why? Because in this neighbourhood we are all reliant on shallow or drilled wells reliant on unmapped, underground streams and aquifers for our drinking water. We are used to practicing due care and diligence with our in-dividual sewerage (septic) systems, for the very reason that we rely on the water beneath us. We can nd no hydrology study examining the potential eff ects of this major construction project on the safety of our drink-ing water.

Why? Because we have been told that the estuary foreshore will be excavated to accommodate a metre-

diameter forcemain and construction of this force-main will require excavation up the Beech Street right of way to Lazo Road and on to the treatment centre.

We can nd no environ-mental assessment or map-ping of existing eagle ae-ries, heron nests, or barred owl nesting sites along that route; unable to nd stud-ies examining the impacts of such construction on the marine wildlife that popu-late Balmoral (Croteau) bay.

Why? Because this proj-ect as currently conceived (regardless of location) promises to use huge quan-tities of your (usually) po-table water to help scrub the inevitable sewerage smell somewhat before it is belched out into the sur-rounding air. Are you re-ally comfortable with using more of your drinking water to scrub your sewage? How does this t with Sustain-ability plan for the regional district?

Why? Because your tax dollars are being committed to a location and a multi-million dollar project that is ill understood by many of your newly elected repre-sentatives.

This has huge implica-tions for your municipal sewerage taxes that already rose 12% in 2014, with proposed increases of 12%

each year out to 2017 as per Tilley Manthey, Feb 2014, City of Courtenay Financial Services Director.

We need your help. We need you, because, as vot-ers, you have in uence on those who have the power to revisit this decision.

We need you to call your elected representatives, to write to them, to go to Sewerage Commision and Council meetings to de-mand that your representa-tives demonstrate a deep un-derstanding of the problem they are trying to solve with this project; to demand that they demonstrate a broad understanding of all of the alternative solutions and sites that were examined and eliminated in favour of this so-called solution to your sewerage problems. If they cannot demonstrate that depth and breadth of understanding, we need you to demand that they cease all planning or construction of any one solution until they can.

We regularly say hello to many of you and your dogs as you walk through our neighbourhood -- a popular walking destination from Comox through Brooklyn Creek and Macdonald Park to Goose Spit.

Next time youre down here for a walk say hello, stop for a chat, ask us ques-tions, and then, please help.

T. Crossin M. Lang

Docliddle Road

COME TO MEETINGI received a letter on De-

cember 19, 2014 from the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) informing me that they plan to divert the large sewer pipe over-land. The CVRD also plans to build a pump station in a quiet residential neighbour-hood near The Spit.

The CVRD refers to the Docliddle Pump Station in February 2014, but did not inform neighbours until December. There has been no consultation with hom-eowners.

This route will cross the popular Hawkins Greenway and possibly Lazo Marsh.

To see if your home is on the pipeline route, go to www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/comox2pumpstation or come to a Neighbourhood Meeting on Jan. 7 at 7 pm at dEsterre House, 1801 Beaufort.

Vivian MuirVictoria

LIVING WITH NATUREAnother urry of letters

calling for a third vehicle crossing off 29th Street and across the estuary, as a re-action to recent ooding events, requires a response.

The building of a bridge/causeway to cross the es-tuary is a non-starter on a number of fronts, including ecological, cultural, and eco-nomic to name but a few.

The root causes behind Courtenays ooding issues have also been raised in sev-eral letters.

I agree with those that point out that the removal of mature forests from our watersheds is more than likely a contributing factor to the problems we face.

It has been the case in other areas that mature, forested hillsides have evi-denced a much better abil-ity to retain heavy rainfalls and so prevent the rapid, turbulent runoff which oc-curs on logged-off slopes.

Road developments with hard surfacing, culverts and ditches, which all channel-ize water runoff , can also create problematic drainage issues: the more water that accumulates, the bigger the problem.

The excessive turbidity created in our drinking wa-tershed (Puntledge River/Comox Lake), which has necessitated the recent ex-tensive boil water adviso-ry can also be attributed, at least in part, to these fac-tors.

Of course, had the city not extended development onto an historical oodplain, this problem would not exist.

Extensive channelization through the now-developed oodplain has been done in an attempt to route the run-off from three major water-sheds through a pinch-point at the 5th Street Bridge.

This is not good hydro-logical thinking. Huge wa-

ter ows after heavy rain events are denied their his-torical relief route over the oodplains (the agricultural lands) and into the estuary.

These issues could pos-sibly be addressed by rais-ing the arterial/emergency routes, such as Highway 19A, Ryan Rd.and the Old Island Hwy, as required, which would allow for water movement underneath via box culverts and/or bridges. Secondary streets, such as Puntledge, Tsolum and Rye Roads, could be lowered to allow for these ows to reach their historical ood-ing areas and then drain into the Komoks Estuary through Dike Slough and/or under an elevated Comox Road.

Continued attempts to tame extreme ooding events by further channel-ing with concrete and steel when we should be attempt-ing to work with nature and traditional ow patterns makes no long-term sense.

Lets learn from the City of Calgary (watch http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/epi-sodes/weather-gone-wild), by practicing oodplain re-treat and making Room for the River.

Extreme weather events, a changing climate and sea-level rise around the planet are part of the new nor-mal and we had best get back to learning how to live with nature.

Bill HeidrickComox Valley

Croteau Beach residentsneed your support


4143

-2 Transit Info 2503395453 www.bctransit.com

Comox Valley Transit

Service ChangeEffective January 5, 2015

34 C2C Express: new express serviceCourtenay to Comox

12 North Valley Connector: direct service to NICfrom north of Courtenay on weekdays

2 Cumberland: improved routing east side of Cumberland

Fare ChangeEffective January 1, 2015

Adult Senior Youth Post-SecondaryCash Fare $ 2.00 $ 1.75 $ 1.75 $ 2.00Tickets (20) 18.00 15.75 15.75 18.00Monthly Pass 52.00 42.00 30.00 44.00Day Pass 4.50 4.00 4.00 4.50

Child 4 or under, free.

Pick up a new Riders Guide on board or visit www.bctransit.com

Courtenay Legion to host Burns Dinnerat branch on Jan. 18

The Courtenay Branch of the Royal Canadian Le-gion is holding a Robbie Burns Dinner on Jan. 18.

It will be held at the le-gion starting at 2 p.m.

The dinner is a fundrais-er of the Courtenay legion and the cost is $15 for a home-cooked roast beef dinner with haggis and all the trimmings.

The event will also fea-ture the formalities of a Burns dinner with excel-lent entertainment by so-loist Jacqueline Lambeth, the excellent Celtic band the Travellers, and piping.

Tickets are available from the Royal Canadian Legion, Courtenay Branch 17 located at 367 Cliff e Av-enue, Courtenay.

Those wishing to attend can contact the legion from Tuesday to Saturday at 250-334-4911 or you can call from Ken MacLeod at 250-338-924.

Tickets are limited, so if you would like to attend, get your tickets soon. Robbie Burns

SINGING

Choral Society rehearsals start tonightBach to Beethoven to Bernstein on the menu for spring concert performances

The singers of the North Island Choral Society are still glowing with success from their sold out sea-sonal performances of Handels Messiah.

Audience feedback showed these concerts were their best perfor-mances so far thanks also to superb accompaniment by the very well-rehearsed NICS Orchestra (concert-master Corrine Innes) and pianist Elvera Penner, all under the skilled direction of artistic director Paul Colthorpe.

The Choir starts re-hearsals on Tuesday 6th. January for their Spring Concerts 2015, featur-ing choral music from J. S. Bach to Beethoven to Bernstein and beyond.

There is no guessing what work by Bernstein will be performed, but pre-tend you are in New York and once lived in Puerto Rico.

The highlight, though, of the two upcoming per-formances in April will be the last movement of Beethovens Ninth Sym-

phony, also known as Ode to Joy from the fa-mous poem written by the German poet Friedrich Schiller. The symphony and particularly the fourth movement have become strongly associated with the celebrations of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

The NICS April con-certs are popular with au-diences, who travel from well beyond the Comox Valley to hear the perfor-mances. Choir members come mainly from the Co-mox Valley, although some come from neighbouring Campbell River and else-where.

This year is an impor-tant milestone for artistic director Paul Colthorpe. He is celebrating his 20th. year with the Cho-ral Society. He makes the rehearsals a delight and the performances memo-rable. Thanks to a skilled perception of what the choir needs to hear as it rehearses, accompanist Elvera Penner brings mu-sical certainty to the sing-ers.

New singers join the Choir every year.

We really need more tenors, says President Brbel Raynolds. Our tenors are great, she adds, ...we just need more of them and they can be male or female! Raynolds

thinks the variety of songs to be sung in the upcom-ing concerts should at-tract new singers. NICS welcomes those of all ages who want to sing classi-cal choral music and there are no auditions to scare you off ! It is a choir of the

community.The rst New Year re-

hearsal is on Tuesday January 6th at 6.30 pm to allow for registra-tion. The rehearsals are at Mark Isfeld Second-ary School, 1551 Lerwick Road, Courtenay. The re-

hearsals usually start at 7.00 pm and end at 9.00 pm.

Membership is $50 (Students - $30) for the Spring Session. The rst rehearsal is free.

For more information: northislandchoral.ca/

North Island Choral Society in dress rehearsal for the recent performance of Handels Messiah.


TRANSITION TOWNMEETING JAN. 8

Transition Town Comox Valley is kicking off 2015 to a running good start. Thursday, January 8, 7--9pm at the House of Now ( 536-A 5th St. Courtenay) groups and individuals are warmly invited to share action strategies for revitalizing the Comox Valley Sustainability Strategy as the most accessible and doable path to creating a sustainable Comox Valley.2015 is the 5th anniversary of creating the Comox Valley Sustainability Strategy (CVSS)-- a visionary document that clearly identi es what a Sustainable Comox Valley would look like and describes the actions needed to achieve it. Everyone attending will be invited to share their view on how our valley can move toward a more sustainable Comox Valley and especially how CVSS can be used as guide and reference for individual actions and collective strategizing.FMI: Contact: Norm at [email protected]; 250-338-0155

CVCAC OFFERINGART WORKSHOPS

The CV Community Arts Council and Alice Grange team up to help you open up blocked ideas, inspirations and motivations... and start 2015 on a fresh foot.Are you a creative person who is feeling blocked in any way? Do you frequently hear the voices of family members, teachers, or friends who have belittled your artistic eff orts in the past?We have a workshop designed expressly for you. Unlocking Your Creativity! With Alice Grange, The Tapping Detective. Two diff erent dates & times to choose from: Tuesday evening, Jan 6, in Downtown Courtenay at the Centre for the Arts (above CVAG), and Saturday afternoon, Jan 17, in Cumberland at the Abbey Studio. Full details at www.comoxvalleyarts.com/creativity-workshopLearn more about EFT and Alice Grange, the EFT Tapping Detective, at www.tappingdetective.com,Registration for the workshops is now open www.comoxvalleyarts.com/creativity-workshop - $50 for non-members, $30 for members of the CV Community Arts Council. If you are not a member yet, you can get your annual membership online athttp://www.comoxvalleyarts.com/membership

CLIMATE CHANGECOURSE JAN. 8

Comox United Church and the Comox Valley Unitarian Fellowship are sponsoring a six session course on The Climate Change Era. The Fourth session, entitled CLIMATE CHANGE, EARTH LAW AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE will take placed on Thursday, January 8, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. in the main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive in Comox. Cost by donation. Long before there was human law there was Earth Law-and there still is. Earth Law has existed since time immemorial. It guides the development of nature, sustains its eco-systems and ensures their survival. Human law should ow from Earth law but that is not happening. Weve turned things on their head. Our human laws are now invading and controlling Earth Law. One of the most severe results is carbon induced climate change.This workshop will discuss both the limits of human laws and the

FIDDLER, CELLISTIN CONCERT

What better way to march into the new year than with a rousing ddle and cello concert with two of the worlds top celtic/world music entertainers. On Friday, January 9th, sizzling Scottish ddler, Alasdair Fraser, and explosive American cellist, Natalie Haas, will be in concert at the Big Yellow Merville Hall. The pair are on tour throughout the North American west coast and, lucky for us, the Big Yellow Merville Hall is one of their venues.The Friday concert starts at 7:30 and doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $18 adult/$10 youth and will be on sale at The Music Plant in Campbell River, Blue Heron Books in Comox and Long & McQuade in Courtenay. At the door, $20 adult/$12 youth. Call 339-4249 for more details.

etc.ECHO

EVERGREEN DANCEFRIDAY NIGHT

The Evergreen Club Friday Night Dancing is presenting our favorite western band CROSSTOWN EXPRESS Friday night, Jan. 9.Join us in the Rotary Hall at the Filberg Centre.Great dancing music, sorry no bar service but of course our usual coff ee, cookie break at 9 pm.The fun starts at 7:30 pm till 10:30 pm. Non-members are welcome.

bene ts of Earth Law. The session will be led by Mike Bell. For further information contact Mike at 250-890-3671 or [email protected]

GEORGIA STRAIGHT JAZZ SOCIETY

A farewell show Thursday nightfor young musician John Lee

Welcome to a new year featuring ne live jazz music every Thursday evening at the newly renovated Avalanche Bar and Grill.

Not resting on our lau-rels following the memo-rable sold-out Christmas concert by B3 Kings just before the break, 2015 kicks off with a special and sentimental perfor-mance at 7:30pm when The Andrew Janusson Quartet will be playing an exceptional farewell show for one of our ne young jazz musicians, John Lee, much respected by jazz society members for his exciting appearances in 2014.

After a brief stay at home in Nanaimo, John will be heading back to Boston, Massachusetts to Berklee College of Music to nish his Bachelors Degree in music.

The quartet will be play-ing a selection of classic jazz standards, and hard hitting bebop tunes with a special emphasis on the virtuosic music of Charlie Parker.

John Lee is perhaps one of Canadas best young jazz musicians. The high-ly talented, multi-instru-

mentalist has performed in major cities such as Toronto, New York City, Boston, Vancouver and Washington D.C. in many high pro le venues and festivals.

He was awarded the Slaight Family Music Scholarship for Canadian high school students that gave him a full ride to the world famous, highly prestigious Berklee Col-

lege of music in Boston, Massachusetts. More re-cently he has blown away his Courtenay audiences as a stunning saxophon-ist and drummer. For this farewell performance John will be on the drum kit.

Admission is $10 for members and $12 for non-members.

If you like, plan on meeting friends for din-

ner prior to the show; theres always a Thurs-day night a la carte three course supper special, including a vegetarian option.

For more informa-tion about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society and its forthcoming events, please visit www.georgi-astraightjazz.com, look for us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

John Lee will be on the drum kit for this farewell performance

Neil Osborne, lead singer and chief songwriter of 54-40, who achieved critical acclaim having released a dozen albums in more than three decades. Osborne has penned and sang such fabulous signature 54-40 songs as I Go Blind, One Gun, Since When and Ocean Pearl which have crossed from the realm of rock to a broad-er base. Neil will be performing an intimate solo concert at Crown Isle Resort on January 22. Tickets at winterjam.ca

54-40 FRONTMAN PERFORMS

Philosophers Caf asks the question Dont people care about the future of our country?

We say we are proud to live in a country like Canada. We seem to know democracy is to be trea-sured. Choosing our gov-erning offi cials is a privi-lege not shared in much of the world.

And yet voters often de-cide not to take part in our Municipal, Provincial, and Federal elections.

Only 61 percent of Ca-nadian voters cast a ballot in the 2011 federal elec-tion, in BC it was only 56 percent. In the Comox municipal election, nearly 60 percent of eligible vot-ers didnt bother. And it seems that the trend is toward even less voter participation. Why? What, if anything, should be done?

Come to the Philoso-phers Caf as Tony Daigle leads a discussion on apa-thy in our democracy. Tell us if you think there is a problem, and if so what should we do about it.

Once a month a speaker will introduce a theme to

the Caf, and then all who attend can join in respect-ful, non-partisan conver-sation, or just sit back and listen. You are welcome to propose topics and intro-duce them at future Ca-fs. Themes should be of broad interest and nation-al signi cance, and have an element of controversy to them.

As with each Caf, Tony Daigle will have just 10

minutes to introduce the topic, and then the oor is open for 50 minutes of moderated discussion.

When: Wednesday, Janu-ary 7, 7:00-8:00PM

Cost: FreeLocation: Comox Qual-

ity Foods Caf (in the so-larium)

2275 Guthrie Road, Co-mox, BC V9M 4G1

More Info: peter@peter-schwarzhoff .ca

Tony Daigle will lead the discussion



Just before New Years day, Sunday Dennis, a local business owner in Courte-nay, was diagnosed with a very aggressive and life-threatening brain tumor.

After undergoing tests at Victoria General Hospi-tal, the neurosurgeon Dr. Even Frangou had indicat-ed that Dennis, who owns Sock Soiree in Courtenay, possibly has high grade Glioma, a fast growing and aggressive form of brain cancer also known as Glio-blastoma.

Treatment for this type of cancer in Canada is lim-ited. It can be removed and dealt with radiation and high levels of chemo, but its not a cure, according to Dennis husband, Jason McMahon.

However, a friend of the family, who does brain tumour research and ad-vancements of curing these types of cancers, recommended that Den-nis can seek treatment in the United States by tak-ing part in a clinical cancer treatment study thats be-ing conducted at the Uni-versity of California, Los Angeles. McMahon said it

offers her the best hope for a positive outcome.

The UCLA study is led by world renowned neu-rosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau. The study is on Dendritic Cell Vaccine. It involves taking some of Dennis blood and training its den-dritic cells to destroy tu-mours.

The withdrawn blood, after its been reformed, is then re-injected back into Dennis system and hope-fully eliminates all Glio-blastoma cells.

But for Sunday to quali-fy for the study, the proto-col requires the tumour be removed by Dr. Liau at the UCLA Medical Center. The cost is going to be signifi-cant for the family because they have to pay part of this operation themselves. Fol-lowing that, every other procedure will be covered by the clinical study.

An online fundraising ef-fort was quickly organized on Jan. 2 and in a couple of days, over $100,000 has been raised. But the goal is to raise around $300,000 by the end of this week in order to get Dennis the treatment she needs.

There is an urgency be-cause of the aggressive-ness of the tumour and risk of it spreading throughout Dennis brain. The amount, McMahon said, will cover most of the cost.

If you have money or anyone that you know has money I am asking for sub-stantial donations to be made for Sundays care,

Community raising fundsto help with US treatmentMom diagosed withaggressivebrain tumour

Sunday Dennis.She owns a downtown business,

BENEFIT CONCERT

On January 8th at 7:00 PM the Comox Valley Growers and Seed Savers will host their first meet-ing of the New Year.

In our ongoing quest to find varieties that can be considered to be All Comox Valley Winners or outstanding perform-ers year after year despite climate change and our multiple habitats, we will discuss all Comox Valley Squash winners and how to find possible winners in the seed catalogues.

The search for the All Comox Valley squash will be led by Royann Pe-trell (director).

She will point out the differences between the different species as well as describe basic seed saving tips. The seed cat-alogue discussion to be led by Sylvain Alie (Chair) will pertain to varieties and quality of service and product.

Your input on how those suppliers have served you are important to us. Bring us your sto-ries as well as new and old catalogues to share with others.

The meeting will also have an overview of the Seedy Saturday volun-teer requirements led by our Seedy Saturday Coor-dinator Sue Moen. Mark your calendar. March 7th is Seedy Saturday. Our theme this year is Preparing for Climate Change.

As this is the first meeting of the year annu-al membership dues will be collected. The cost is $20 for singles and $30 for families.

Following the meeting there will be free delicious refreshments and oppor-tunities to speak to ex-perienced growers. The meeting is free for mem-bers and by donation for nonmembers.

Creekside Commons is at 2202 Lambert Street. From Cumberland Road take Willemar to 20th St. Turn right, three blocks to Lambert Street on the left. There is limited parking at Creekside, so please park on Lambert. Please bring slippers as shoes are not permit-ted inside to protect the floors.

For more information contact Sylvain Alie at 250-336-8632

Search for the AllComox Valley squash

said McMahon. This is my wifes life

and the momma of our three children, so I am not afraid to ask. Please help us in any way that you can.

Know that any con-tributions made will help save Sundays life and con-tribute to saving hundreds more, as it will help in the advancement of this kind of groundbreaking tech-nology, Dendritic Cell Vac-cine.

A fundraiser Bright Light for Sunday has been organized at the Waverley Hotel in Cumberland this coming Saturday starting

at 7 p.m. The artists perform-

ing that night include Ju-no award-winner HelenAustin, The Moon Band,Joshua David a.k.a. Klame,Pamela Tessmann, Joan-na Finch, Marc Atkinson,Casey Ryder, Corwin Fox,Kevin Jay Flesher, TheCumberland Brothers andThe Willowwishes fromQuadra Island.

Anyone wishing to do-nate and help Dennis cango online at http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/hope-for-sun-day-dennis/286076#.VKrMBZ7Fsaz.facebook

BY DREW A. PENNEREcho Staff

Kmoks First Nation members gave Rob Everson an-other term in the chiefs chair and a huge vote of con dence with sizeable win over the lone contender, former councillor Stewart Hardy, during the band election Jan. 5.

Out of 128 ballots cast Everson wound up with 89 to Hardys 39 (two ballots were rejected).

The reelection will allow Everson to continue his vision of KFN as an economic pow-erhouse in control of its own

aff airs. The band has pursued an

agenda of stability and devel-opment over the last term, developing partnerships with government agencies and busi-nesses across a wide variety of sectors and planning an expansion into the lucrative world of geoduck, sea urchin, sea cucumber and horse clam cultivation.

With 74 votes Joshua Frank secured the second-most sup-port in the councillor election. He joins incumbents Melissa Quocksister (with 81 votes) and Barbara Mitchell (with 68 votes).

The election displaces coun-cillor Ken Price who got 62 votes. Katherine Frank got 54 votes, while Bernadette Savoie got 36. In total 129 ballots were cast (one was rejected).

Kmoks First Nation is a community of around 200, which grew 62.5 per cent from 1996 to 2006. Around 40 per cent of the community was un-der 30 years of age at the time of the 2006 census.

Kmoks First Nation is in the process of following in the footsteps of First Nations like the Nishga, Maanulth and Tsawwassen, which have all developed modern treaties with

the federal government. KFN is entering the nal stages of negotiation and as of Febru-ary 2014 expected to either obtain more than 2,500 addi-tional hectares of land through the treaty or other acquisition methods such as purchasing property outright.

Everson, Quocksister and Mitchell were all part of the Comprehensive Community Plan process that highlights the unique opportunities for the band due to the Comox Val-ley setting and illustrates the course of community develop-ment from 2014 to 2024.

The Comox Valley Regional

District was scheduled to dis-cuss a Community to Commu-nity forum with KFN, during its Committee of the Whole meeting Jan. 5. CVRD staff recommended regional district directors vote to set $5,000 aside for the event.

Back in 2010 the regional district signed a protocol agree-ment for communication and cooperation with KFN.

After some other British Columbia First Nations com-pleted their treaty process with the federal government the communities have chosen to become part of the regional government in the area.

Rob Everson re-elected chief of KmoksOverwhelming support from voters of local First Nation band


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100% LOCALWhat does

mean to you?

Heres what it means to us:

Over the course of 70 years, our members and clientshave helped us become the largest financial services

organization based here on the islands.

Visit the branch nearest you and talk to us about how we can help youmeet your goals while strengthening the communities where we live.

Plus, be sure to enter to win a gift basket lled with 100% local treats!

100% of our employees live and work here.

100% of our board members live and work here.

100% of our decisions are made here.

100% of staff volunteer hours go to local communities.

100% of deposits are reinvested to benet members and local businesses.

C R E D I T U N I O N | I N S U R A N C E | I N V E S T M E N T S | B U S I N E S S S E R V I C E S

Comox Ryan Road 4th Street202 - 1797 Comox Ave 1045 Ryan Road 291 4th St

cccu.ca/local 1.888.741.1010

A01COMTUE20150106.pdfA02COMTUE20150106.pdfA03COMTUE20150106.pdfA04COMTUE20150106.pdfA05COMTUE20150106.pdfA06COMTUE20150106.pdfA07COMTUE20150106.pdfA08COMTUE20150106.pdfA09COMTUE20150106.pdfA10COMTUE20150106.pdfA11COMTUE20150106.pdfA12COMTUE20150106.pdfA13COMTUE20150106.pdfA14COMTUE20150106.pdfA15COMTUE20150106.pdfA16COMTUE20150106.pdf

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Comox Valley Echo - January 6, 2015

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Transcript of Comox Valley Echo - January 6, 2015