comox valley echo - july 29, 2014

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By Philip RoundEcho Staff

An accidental release of huge amounts of water into the low-flow-ing Puntledge was a “public safety near miss,” says BC Hydro, which is responsible for controlling flows on the river.

Sirens sounded to warn people of the potential danger as flows suddenly doubled in the lower stretch of the river — and reduced by half further upstream, killing some stranded fish.

And as many more people are

going out tubing during the cur-rent spell of hot weather, Hydro is urging people to be alert to poten-tial dangers as they enjoy the river.

The recent problem, which Hydro spokesperson Stephen Watson said created a domino effect in the river system, began at the Puntledge Generating Station at around lunchtime on July 18.

BC Hydro has been operating in ‘conservation mode’ to keep as much water as possible in the Comox Lake Reservoir during the extended dry period.

The aim has been to delay for as

long as possible the introduction of tougher water use restrictions for 40,000 Comox Valley residents. Stage 2 measures restricting lawn sprinkling came in to force last Friday (July 25) in Comox and Courtenay.

As part of the conservation pro-gram, the generating station had been running at only 20 per cent of its capacity, and was then taken offline completely for maintenance work, said Watson. It has stayed offline since that time to help save water.

“River flows have been main-

tained at about 13-14 cubic metres per second - and none of that flow is passing through the generating station,” he explained.

The flow through the penstock - the big pipe that takes water from the river upstream to spin the tur-bines - had been completely blocked by valves at the power station end so the planned mainte-nance could take place.

But the penstock remained full, as it is also the conduit for the Comox Valley Regional District’s public water supply, and for the water needed by Fisheries and

Oceans Canada’s Puntledge Fish Hatchery.

“On July 18, around lunchtime, an unplanned flow event took place through a piece of equipment within the generating station,” Watson explained. “A valve opened up and released water sitting idle in the penstock into the river. This was due to a maintenance error that in turn caused the device to open.”

As the minutes passed, one problem led to another.

(Continued on page 2)

Public safety ‘near miss’ as power plant accident causes river surge

By Michael BrionesEcho Staff

Jamie Sproule’s family, friends and volunteers who helped search for him when he was missing for six days celebrated his miraculous survival and recovery with songs, stories and poems over the week-end.

Gwyn Sproule, a Village of Cumberland councilor, held a “Jamie is Found” party for the com-munity on Saturday as a way of expressing their gratitude for all the

assistance that was given to her family.

“We had a beautiful party. There was lots of fun. Around a hundred people came out,” said Gwyn. “Lots of people had stories to tell and there were songs that were written especially.”

Jamie is back home after spend-ing two months recovering in hos-pital. He is still on the mend.

“It’s been glorious that he’s back,” said Gwyn, who at one time during the search expected the worse. “I can’t hardly remember

those dark days.”The 65-year-old Cumberland

man, with mild dementia and Parkinson’s disease, went missing May 22 after failing to return home for his daily walk in the woods. An official search was immediately conducted. But after three days, the search was suspended. However, friends and volunteer searchers from the community continued to scour the area.

On May 27, Jamie was found just 300 metres from his home, lying unconscious in a thick brush. He

was flown to St. Joseph’s Hospital and doctors were surprised that he did not suffer any organ damage. However, he was weak, had some deep wounds and couldn’t walk or talk.

Gwyn indicated that Jamie “is getting better every day, better than in the hospital.”

“He didn’t have his meds for seven days, which he has been on for 20 years. So that’s a long time,” Gwyn said about Jamie’s injuries. “He didn’t walk for several days and now has neurological prob-

lems. He is now getting his walking back. He came home with a walker which he has put away already. But he still needs steadying. He’s just getting his balance back now. He didn’t get any walking in the hospi-tal at all. He was just locked in a wheelchair because of concerns that he might fall.”

Jamie is also undergoing major rehab for his sore back he suffered from lying in one spot for seven days.


Community party held to celebrate miraculous survival and recovery

By Drew A. PennerEcho Staff

A housing developer there’s been very little progress made on reviving a rental project he recently pro-nounced dead. Brett Giese of Crowne Pacific Development Corp. says despite optimistic refrains sung by the City of Courtenay, officials just missed a big opportunity to continue preparing a site that had been slated for the creation of a 94-unit apartment block across from Future Shop in the southern end of the community.

“Where we are is not a whole lot different than where we were,” he said. “You won’t see anything hap-pen until next spring - if it even happens.”

Frustrated by improvements to a section of sewage pipe necessary and to difficulties of upgrading the intersection at Cliffe Avenue and Anfield Road, which provides access to the planned Acadia on the Walk development, efforts were put on the back burner, he said.

He admitted there was some positive steps taken since then, but characterized them as small ones.

“They agreed to basically have a monitoring period on the sanitary sewer capacity,” he said, referring to an agreement reached with City staff. “One thing that real-ly held up the progress of this and became a major roadblock was the intersection design.”

An intersection design plan he paid McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. to write up was rejected by the City, although they are now the company retained to do similar work on the City’s side, he charged.


Developer says South Courtenay rental units remain a big ‘If’ for now

There will be another chance to get a bird’s eye view of the Comox Valley - including close-up views of the iconic glacier - this coming BC Day weekend. Harbour Air, which operates the daily seaplane service from Comox Marina to downtown Vancouver, is offering 30-minute scenic tours on Saturday and Sunday (Aug 2 and 3) as an extra attraction in a weekend packed with events. The fights follows the success of a similar initiative during the Shellfish

Festival in June, when more than 100 people took to the sky in one of the company’s 14-seat DHC-3 Single Otter planes. For more information or to book this time around, call 1-800-665-0212. This picture of Cumberland from the air, with the Inland Island Highway and Maple Lake in the foreground, was taken on the previous tour by the Echo’s Philip Round. More pictures of Valley landmarks from that flight can be seen in the slide show ‘On top of the world’ in the Photo Galleries section of the Echo website at www.comoxvalleyecho.com

Get a bird’s eye view of the Valley this weekend

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(Continued from page 1)

“The event caused a domino effect in the river system,” he said. “First the river flow below the generating station more than doubled in a few minutes.

“This fast water flow increase initiated the siren warning system near the hatch-ery, and at Puntledge Park, to warn peo-ple to get off the river. Fortunately, the day was cloudy and generally cool, with fewer recreation users.”

BC Hydro staff quickly shut off the valve to allow river flows downstream to get back to normal within about 10 min-utes. But elsewhere the release had trigged other problems.

Five kilometres upstream of the gener-ating station is where water enters the penstock. There is a dammed head pond across the river, allowing water to be diverted into the penstock, or spill over the dam to run down the river in a natural way to ensure sufficient flows for fish to survive an thrive.

As the penstock was rapidly emptying, water from the head pond was sucked into the pipe to make up for the loss.

“The drop of water flow at head pond from water being briefly pulled into the penstock from the event downstream caused the flows at Nymph Falls and Stotan Falls to decrease by just over half,” said Watson.

“When the device was closed at the generating station, water then quickly built up in the head pond and spilled over the dam again. Ultimately the river flow resumed to normal.”

By the time the reduced flows reached the power station site, the increased level flows from the valve release had subsided.

So flows in the lower stretch of the Puntledge experienced a swing from unexpectedly high to extremely low, before recovering to the scheduled flow rate much later in the afternoon.

Watson confirmed the sequence of inci-dents “had some minor impacts to juve-nile fish and was a public safety near miss.”

He added: “BC Hydro has on-call biolo-gists that were dispatched to key areas of the river and we also worked with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“Through the various river flow increas-

es and decreases, some low number fish mortalities were observed and some fish were salvaged from isolated pools.

“The public safety warning system engaged as intended and provided suit-able warning to downstream river users.

“This may serve as a reminder to the community that the Puntledge River is part of a hydroelectric system where flows may change quickly.

“Please obey signs and warning sys-tems and exit the river if you notice any rapid flow changes. The few people on the river system (that afternoon) would have noticed the flow changes going up and down.”

Watson said BC Hydro considered it important to be open and transparent to the community on its operations, which is why it was offering a full explanation of what had happened.

“We will strive to make improvements on the system so events like this are rare and can be mitigated for the benefit of public safety and fish,” he added. “The public siren warning system is one mea-sure of mitigation.”


“That is the biggest thing that’s being rehabilitated. It’s a very technological type of healing which is really working well,” said Gwyn.

Jamie is still unaware of his horrifying ordeal. Gwyn said she doesn’t want to quiz him on it.

“I just don’t want him to remember it,” said Gwyn. “He knows he shouted a lot the first day and I think he was unconscious in the last six days.”


“They said, ‘We don’t accept this design,’” he said. “I just said, ‘You know what? I can’t give you any-thing more.’”

Giese also claims the City of Courtenay asked him to try to acquire parkland in the area to help with intersection construction possibilities.

“They asked me to make the call to see if we could get it,” he said. “That’s not something the Big Bad Developer wanted.”

City officials recently revealed to the Echo the proj-ect is still in the works, but have declined to comment on the specific status of the project, pending discus-sions with developers about recent engineering work.

“Once we’ve presented some of the findings to the developer we’ll be able to speak a little bit more about what’s going on,” said CAO David Allen.

Observers have noted the multi-million project would add needed rental space to the Comox Valley market.

Public safety ‘near miss’ on the Puntledge

Rental units a big ‘if’

A rescue celebrationGwyn Sproule is happy to have her husband Jamie back home. Jamie went missing for five days before he was locat

ed in a wooded area near his home in Cumberland.Jamie Sproule is back home after two months in hospital(Photo courtesy Dean Stoltz/CHEK News


It’s decision day for the future of the Vancouver Island railway between Courtenay and Victoria.

Later this afternoon (Tuesday), Comox Valley Regional District has to decide whether it is prepared to release its $392,000 share of the

money needed towards bridge and structure repairs.

It is the last of five regional dis-tricts along the 225-km route to come to a decision.

And it’s being made clear if the answer is ‘no,’ the entire restoration project will run out of steam and come to a halt.

In an email to the regional board

received yesterday (Monday), Graham Bruce - the chief executive of the line’s not-for-profit owners, the Island Corridor Foundation - com-ments: “In the regional funding agreements, it is a condition that all five regional districts must agree or the project does not proceed.

“We have four regional districts that have authorized the signing of

their respective funding agree-ments.

“The signed VIA Rail agreement (about the restoration of passenger train services) was ratified by the ICF on July 24 and will be going to the board of SVI (Southern Rail of Vancouver Island, the train opera-tor) on August 15 and the VIA board on August 27.

“Once all the boards have ratified the signed agreement it will be available for you to review.

“The federal-provincial funding (the $15 million offered for the track re-ballasting and replacement of more than 100,000 ties) is contin-gent on the project as laid out being completed - that is, from Victoria to Courtenay, and that passenger rail services recommence.”

In a separate letter to the regional district urging support, the presi-dent of SVI, Frank Butzelaar, notes: “Our funding from provincial and federal governments is subject to completion of the entire track and bridge upgrade from Victoria to Courtenay.

“Regional funding towards bridge repairs must be released and avail-able in order to proceed with any of the required upgrades.

“Funds will only be expended after a thorough review of tenders and confirmation that the entire scope of work between Victoria and Courtenay can be completed within the funds committed to the project.”

And, he adds: “Awarding the bridge and track improvement con-tracts (will occur) only if successful tenders are within the individual funding budget limits for each com-ponent of the work.”

At a committee meeting earlier this month, some CVRD directors expressed concerns about whether the line restoration and passenger

trains would ever get to Courtenay, and sought further assurance on the issues before agreeing to sign the draft agreement to release cash already held in the bank.

CVRD staff note that if the agree-ment is signed, the local share of the funds would not be released all at once.

The first installment would be transferred only when a contract was awarded, the second in 2015 in accordance with a cash flow sched-ule as set out in the agreement.

Chief administrative officer Debra Oakman says it is now time for the board to decide whether or not the conditions they set have been met.

She makes no recommendation one way or the other, but notes that Graham Bruce, along with ICF co-chair Mary Ashley, and the Comox Valley’s representative on the ICF board, Courtenay Mayor Larry Jangula, have indicated they will attend this afternoon’s meeting to answer any questions.

If Comox Valley Regional District says ‘yes’ to the deal, it still does not guarantee the work will go ahead. But such a vote demonstrat-ing unanimity among the five regional districts is crucial to secur-ing the release of the federal and provincial funds.

And none of the money will be unlocked from any of the regional, provincial or federal coffers until there is confirmation of legal-ly-binding support for passenger service restoration from the VIA Rail board when it meets in a month’s time.

But what is certain is that a cate-goric ‘no’ vote at CVRD today means the whole project will hit the buffers.

[email protected]

Decision day for Island rail line’s future

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Comox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 A3

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A balanced diet, exercise, genetics, and even certain medications can work in concert to make a person healthy. But a person’s demeanor also can factor into personal health.

The Mayo Clinic says that whether or not a per-son is an optimist or a pessimist can affect many areas of his or her health and well-being, and those who see the glass as half-full may ultimate-ly be healthier than those who see it as half-empty.

Positive thinking can make it easier to manage stress. The body responds differ-ently based on an in-dividual’s mood, and it may produce stress hormones if a person’s outlook is negative. Such stress hormones can compromise the immune system, in-crease blood pressure and even reduce the body’s ability to burn fat effectively. Thinking negatively and being on edge also can increase a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease and aging prematurely.

Conversely, maintaining a positive attitude can be good for your health. Studies have shown that thinking positively can lower rates of depression and anxiety, increase life expectancy and provide greater resistance to certain illnesses, such as the common cold. A 2012 preliminary study from re-searchers at Stanford University found that daugh-ters of mothers suffering from depression were able to witness their own stress levels go down on a real-time brain scan as they switched from negative thoughts to happy ones.

Researchers are unsure why positive thinking has such profound effects. But in addition to lim-iting stress-releasing hormones, positive thinking may inspire people to live healthier lifestyles that make them more likely to get routine physical ac-tivity and eat a healthy diet. Happy people also may be less likely to use tobacco products or alco-

hol as a coping mechanism when dealing with el-evated stress levels, and such people will not have to deal with the side effects that can come with these unhealthy behaviors.

Becoming a more positive thinker can take a little effort for those without a natural inclination for optimism. But because positive thinking boasts such signifi cant health benefi ts, men and women

might want to try the following meth-ods to embrace their optimistic side.

* Exercise. Start an exercise regi-men, as physical activity naturally reduces stress and can improve mood.

* Embrace hu-mor. Surround yourself with others who bring a smile

to your face. Look for ways to laugh as much as possible. Rather than go out to dinner or a bar with friends, head to a comedy club. Choose comedies at the movie theater and fi nd humor in everyday happenings.

* Identify areas that need change. Think about moments in life that may bring you down or inspire negative reactions. If work is problematic, fi gure out ways to make it better and work toward im-proving the situation.

* Be supportive of yourself. Consider what you would say to others and then treat yourself the same way. Would you be overly negative or deroga-tory toward a complete stranger? Probably not, and there is no reason to be harsh with yourself, either. Push negative thoughts away.

* Volunteer. One way to see the world in a more positive light is to help others who may be less fortunate than you. Volunteering not only helps others, but it also can help you put your own prob-lems in perspective. Volunteering also helps you feel good about your efforts, which can translate into positive thinking.

* Think like a child. Take a cue from young-sters and fi nd joy in the little things. Let children be the leaders in activities and mimic what they do. You just may fi nd yourself laughing more and enjoy-ing yourself. Being silly for a little while is one way to recapture the feel-ings of youth.

Positive thinking is more than the subject matter of self-help books. It’s a viable way to im-prove personal health and live longer.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

Explore natural sleep remedies

Laughter and positive thinking can be good for your health.

Laughter is good medicineLaughter combined with positive thinking is a

prescription for good health. Research shows laugh-ter relaxes the entire body, relieving physical tension and stress for up to 45 minutes. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases infection-fi ghting an-tibodies. Endorphins that promote an overall sense of well-being and relieve pain can be released from a hearty bout of laughter. Furthermore, laughter can increase blood fl ow throughout the body, which pro-tects against hypertension and heart attack.

Sleep is a natural process designed to recharge the body and mind. Al-though some people fi nd no diffi culty in settling down for the night, manyothers profess to have periodic or chronic sleep problems. But before askingdoctors to reach for their prescription pads, men and women struggling to fallasleep at night may want to consider some all-natural remedies to help themget a good night’s rest.

Delta Sleep Labs says between 20 and 40 percent of all adults have insom-nia in the course of any year, and more than 70 million Americans suffer fromsleep disorders and wakefulness. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion recognize insuffi cient sleep as a public health epidemic that can result indiffi culty performing daily tasks, hypertension, depression, and even obesity.

While sleeping pills can be effective, they pose the risk of dependence andalso may carry with them dangerous side effects. Some individuals have drivenor engaged in other potentially dangerous activities while under the infl uence of sleeping pills. No such side effects have been associated with natural rem-edies.

When lifestyle changes, such as limiting caffeine intake or creating a sleephygiene program, fail to produce the desired results, the following natural rem-edies, when used as directed, may help men and women get a better night’srest.

* Meditation: Focusing on breathing and employing visualization may helprelax the body into a state where it can drift off to sleep. In addition to calmingthe mind, meditation can reduce stress and hormone levels. Picturing a relax-ing scene and focusing on all the senses involved in that scene may put you in a peaceful state of mind that makes it easier to fall asleep.

* Distraction: Although there are confl icting reports as to whether readingor watching television before going to be can be a help or a hindrance, somepeople with insomnia do fi nd these actions can help induce sleep. Choose abook or a program that isn’t stimulating to distract yourself from anything thatis causing distress. Doing so can create a state of relaxation that makes it easierto fall asleep. Use the sleep timer on the television to automatically turn of the TV after a set number of minutes, so you are not woken from sleep by a loudshow after drifting off.

* Aromatherapy: Calming scents can relax the body. Preliminary researchsuggests that lavender essential oil may lengthen total sleep time, increasedeep sleep and help people feel refreshed in the morning, particularly for wom-en who have a more acute sense of smell than men. Put a few drops of laven-der on a pillow before retiring to bed, or take a relaxing bath with the oil mixedinto the bath water.

* Magnesium: Magnesium is a natural sedative. Foods rich in magnesiuminclude dark green, leafy vegetables, almonds, whole grains, and legumes.Magnesium supplements also are available, and these are usually taken in a specifi c ratio with calcium to be the most effective.

* Valerian: Valerian is a natural herbal remedy that grows in the form ofa tall, fl owering grassland plant. The roots are ground to produce the supple-ment that could assist with sleep. The Mayo Clinic notes that several small studies indicate that valerian may reduce the amount of time it takes to fallasleep and help you sleep better. Other studies have shown valerian to be nomore effective than a placebo. However, with relatively few side effects, vale-rian may be worth a try.

* Lemon balm: This herbal supplement and tea works in a similar methodto valerian. It is said to relieve anxiety and calm nerves, which could be in-fringing on your ability to fall asleep.

* Acupuncture: A study from researchers at the University of Pittsburghconcluded that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for insomnia. Thestudy found that fi ve weeks of acupuncture increased melatonin secretion inthe evening and improved total sleep time.

* Melatonin supplements: A naturally occurring hormone that regulatesyour sleep-wake cycle in the brain, melatonin is produced when darkness falls.According to a Journal of Sleep Research study, time-release melatonin supple-mentation was effective in reducing sleep latency and improving sleep quality.Lower doses of melatonin have been shown to be as effective as higher doses,so less is often more with melatonin.

Insomnia can often be traced to anxiety and an overactive mind. However,it also may be a side effect of medication or a symptom of a larger condition.Speak with a doctor if insomnia becomes chronic or problematic.

healthyhealthyLIFESTYLELIFESTYLE


How to prevent muscle soreness

How to beat the couch potato curse


Daily exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. When paired with a nutritious diet, daily exercise can help men and women main-tain their personal health and put them in a better position to battle many of the physical quirks that come with aging.

But even the most ardent exercise enthusi-ast is periodically confronted with muscle sore-ness, which can interrupt an exercise routine and have a very negative impact on an indi-vidual’s quality of life. Muscle soreness often appears the morning after a workout and can make something as simple as getting out of bed feel as diffi cult as climbing Mount Everest. The frequency and severity of muscle soreness de-pends on a host of factors, including how old someone is, how often a person exercises and how well that person performs certain exercis-es. While muscle soreness may seem like anoth-er unfortunate side effect of the aging process, there are ways to prevent such soreness.

* Stay hydrated. Many people forget to drink water when working out, and such forgetfulness can lead to muscle soreness. Roughly 50 to 60 percent of a person’s total body mass is water, but the body loses a lot of water during exercise, especially when that exercise is vigorous and causes lots of sweating. Losing a substantial amount of water can be debilitating and lead to muscle soreness, as muscle cells need water to recover fully from a workout. So it’s important that men and women stay hydrated both during a workout and throughout the rest of the day. Carry a bottle of water with you when working out. You will be more inclined to drink water and stay hydrated during a workout if you have water with you as opposed to relying on repeat-ed trips to the water fountain. One way to deter-mine if you’re drinking enough water during a workout is to make note of the col-or of your urine in the hours fol-lowing the workout. If your urine is light yellow or clear, then you’re probably drinking enough water to stay hydrated during and after the workout. If your urine is dark yellow or has an orange tint, then you need to make a stronger effort to stay hydrated during and after your workout.

* Get some sleep. Sleep is an-other way to prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing muscle soreness. The body needs time to

recover from exercise, and sleep is an integral part of that recovery process. Adults typically need between seven and eight hours of sleep per night, so be sure to get enough rest so your muscles can recover before your next workout. Muscle soreness may be your body telling you it was not given enough time to fully recover from a previous workout.

* Cool down after a workout. If weight train-ing is part of your workout routine, then it helps to cool down with some easy cardiovascular ac-tivity and light stretching after the weight train-ing portion of your regimen is over. This can improve blood fl ow throughout your body, and improved blood fl ow can speed your recovery time and reduce post-workout muscle soreness by bringing fresh oxygen and healing nutrients to the parts of your body that may feel sore after a workout.

* Don’t fi ght fi re with exercise. Some peo-ple are tempted to fi ght muscle soreness by putting their muscles back to work. But such an approach can lead to injury. When muscles are sore, they also experience a loss of strength, which makes them more susceptible to damage and injury. Rather than fi ghting muscle soreness by challenging the muscles, give them a rest as they recover from soreness and fatigue. Work muscle groups that are not experiencing soreness or avoid weight training in favor of cardiovascular exer-cise and stretching.

For many men and women, muscle soreness is an unfortunate side effect of any active lifestyle. But such active men and women can take various preventive measures to reduce their likelihood of developing sore muscles after workouts.

Diet and exercise make great bedfel-lows for men and women looking to live a healthier lifestyle. A combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise makes it easier for men and women to maintain a healthy weight while lowering their risk of various ailments, including heart dis-ease and diabetes.

A heightened awareness of what makes for a healthy and unhealthy diet coupled with the increased availability of healthy foods has helped many people smoothly transition to a healthier diet. But many people still struggle to fi nd time to exercise every day. Commitments to work and family can make it diffi cult to squeeze in regular workouts, and the call of the couch is often more appealing than a trip to the gym at the end of a long day juggling both personal and professional obligations. But exercise is integral to a healthy lifestyle, so it’s important that men and women take steps to incorporate exercise into their daily routines.

* Figure out when you’re free. Find-ing free time is perhaps the biggest hur-dle adults must clear when attempting to exercise more. Track your daily schedule for a week or two, making note of down times during the day when you might be able to squeeze in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise. If you notice you’re spending your lunch hours catching up on personal emails or surfi ng the Internet, then con-sider joining a gym near your offi ce and turning those lunch hours into workouts. If your mornings are not dominated by getting the kids ready for school, then wake up a half hour earlier each morning to squeeze in some time on the treadmill. You likely have some down time with regard to your daily schedule, and iden-tifying such time is the fi rst step toward making better use of it.

* Make it a team effort. Daily exer-cise is not just good for adults; it’s great for kids, too. Parents looking to fi t more physical activity into their daily routines should consider involving their children, many of whom are dealing with a fi tness crisis of their own. According to a 2014 re-port in the Journal of the American Med-ical Association, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and qua-drupled in adolescents over the last three

decades, putting youngsters at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, prediabe-tes, bone and joint problems, and sleepapnea. Parents can make daily exercisea family affair, which increases the timethey spend with their children while en-suring their kids stay fi t as well. Men and women without families also can makedaily exercise a team effort by workingout with a friend or signifi cant other. The buddy system often proves motivational, encouraging men and women to exercise even on those days when the couch iscalling.

* Make exercise more interesting.Many workout routines fall by the way-side because they simply do not engage men and women no matter how motivat-ed they are to lose weight. An hour onthe treadmill can seem like an eternity to certain men and women, who can bene-fi t by choosing workout routines that areless monotonous. For example, Zumba isa combination of dance and aerobic ex-ercise that is growing in popularity. Inlieu of spending an hour on the tread-mill or elliptical machine, Zumba partic-ipants get an equally if not exceedingly challenging cardiovascular workout thatmany fi nd more fun than traditional aero-bic exercise thanks to its incorporation ofdance. For those without such happy feet, bring a tablet along to the gym and catch up on your favorite television shows or a good book during your cardiovascularroutines. The more interesting you fi ndyour workout routine, the more likely youare to fi nd time for that routine every day.

* Choose an accessible routine. Whenplanning your workout, make it as acces-sible as possible. While sports like kay-aking and mountain bike racing make for great exercise, such activities are not readily accessible to many working pro-fessionals with busy schedules. Join a gym that’s only a short drive from home,or purchase some gym equipment you can set up in your own home. The moreaccessible a workout routine is, the more likely you are to embrace that routine.

The call of the couch can be diffi cultto ignore. But the side effects of a seden-tary lifestyle can be grave, so men and women should work to fi nd ways to in-clude exercise in their daily routines.

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Strength training can result in muscle soreness if men and women do not take certain preventive measures before, during and after their workouts.

Comox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 A5

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healthyhealthyLIFESTYLELIFESTYLEI want to express my heartfelt appreciation to ev-

eryone who helped make the May 31st Grand Openingof OptimumWellnessFactor a success. Clearly our mostpopular therapy offering so far has been the ARoMA-TOUCH Technique® developed by Dr. David Hill - ChiefMedical Adviser for doTERRA®. This clinical approachto application of Certifi ed Pure Therapeutic Grade®(CPTG®) Essential Oils (EOs) has been specifi cally de-veloped to address four systemic constants we all face.We all need support to heal from stress response, toxicassault and infl ammation response. Finally, we all havea need to restore systemic homeostasis.

This one hour therapy is performed in a very qui-et, relaxing atmosphere on a massage table by a trainedpractitioner and assistant. Eight synergistic EO blendsare used in sequence to address the four systemic con-stants (in the order listed) and promote total mind/bodyhealing and relaxation while soothing and uplifting ourspirits. The EOs are applied along the spine, back, neckand feet using a standard series of hand movementsthat are better described as light touch than deep mas-sage. The reason we focus application on the spine andthe feet is because there are more receptor sites in cellsalong the spine, and because our skin pores are largeston the bottoms of our feet.

As modern life puts us all through the paces, theneed to take regular time to focus on self care and com-plimentary therapies becomes even more important. Ifyou are under the impression that Aromatherapy is justfor ladies or just about experiencing pretty smells, I en-courage you to attend one of my upcoming Introductionto Aromatherapy classes to get informed about the truevalue of Mother Nature’s wonders found in CPTG® EOs.Please contact me through my website http://optimum-wellnessfactor.ca/ to be placed on an interest list for mynext class as seating will be limited. Thank you.

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By Dr. Deidre Macdonald, ND

There was a time when infectious disease was the leading cause of death and people died or suffered from incurable in-fections. The germ theory and the development of antibiotics revolutionized medicine. It was a spectacular success story and life expectancy rose the age of 47 in 1910 to 81 in 2012.

The current challenge in medicine is chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, diges-tive disorders, dementia, allergies, asthma, arthritis, depression, ADD, autism, Parkinson’s, hormonal problems, and infertility. These are the diseases that cause much of the premature sick-ness and/or death in today’s world.

Chronic diseases now affect one in two people and account for 80% of our health care costs. They cause seven in ten deaths each year. Nearly one in two adults live with at least one chronic illness.

Despite new drugs and procedures, the incidence of chronic disease continues to rise. The model that worked for infectious disease was to fi nd the single causative factor and blast it. That same model - the idea that we can reduce disease to one mech-anism, one malfunctioning enzyme pathway, chemical process that can be modulated by a single drug, does not work too badly for acute illness. But it simply will never be the whole solutions for chronic disease. We have drugs that address the symptoms of disease, but we don’t have drugs that address the cause of disease for the most part.

Medications in many cases can provide much needed symp-tom relief in the short term. But if they fail to treat the underly-ing causes of the problem then there is not much chance of long term resolution of the problem. There is room for a different model in medicine that seeks to educate patients on the com-plexity of their health and what they can do to improve it, thus providing long term solutions to chronic health issues.

The questions I like to ask when my patients are suffering with a chronic disease are: what are the factors that created the right internal environment for this condition to develop? What can we do to change that internal environment so that we are working towards real and lasting resolutions to the problem?

The causes of chronic diseases are complex and multifac-toral. The medical model that works best for chronic disease gets to the root of symptoms and restores balance by addressing the multiple underlying causes of chronic illness. Often I can see in a patient’s medical history that for years there has been signs of dysfunction in the underlying systems of the body: the immune, nervous, hormonal and digestive systems. Those dys-functional systems create the environment for chronic disease to bloom. There are also intricate inter-relationships between these systems. Imbalances in the digestive system alone can affect brain function, immune function, and levels of hormones and infl ammation.

Real lasting solutions come from addressing the stresses on these systems and endeavouring to regain proper function. For one person, it may be an untreated gluten intolerance that is contributing to autoimmune hypothyroid that is causing depres-sion and fatigue. For another, it may be industrial heavy metal exposure that is affecting the mitochondrial function in their nervous system and causing neurological disease like Parkin-son’s.

In my clinical experience, and in hundreds of research pa-pers, lifestyle choices are identifi ed as the best prevention for chronic disease. Genetics can play a role in our health, but lifestyle and environmental factors actually affect genetic ex-pression. Health is more a matter of choice than chance.

Naturopathic physicians are university trained doctors who have practiced medicine according to this model for over one hundred years. These licensed physicians explore the complexi-ty of the body to uncover the clues that can solve the mystery of “why me, why now?”. They employ traditional physical exam-ination and lab testing, extensive questioning and naturopathic lab tests to understand the key risk factors in their patients’ health and then coach them on how to use lifestyle and natural medicines to systematically address them. Only then has the right internal environment been created in which the body can heal itself.

Dr. Deidre Macdonald is a naturopathic physician who has practiced in downtown Courtenay since 1997. Her offi ce can be reached at 250 897-0235 or via www.getwellhere.com.

Dentures can improve your facial ap-pearance and self-confi dence, espescially if you have been missing a number of teeth over an extended period of time. By replacing missing teeth, dentures can help you speak better to improve chew-ing of most foods, and restore a natu-ral-looking smile. After a period of ad-justments, proper fi tting dentures will be comfortable, ultimately boosting self-es-

teem. Through modern technology, pros-thesis can be made to closely duplicate or even improve on what Mother Nature has given us. A denturist has the ability and training to fabricate from beginning to end, customized prosthesis to suit the patients individual needs. Services can include dental appliances ranging from 1-2 tooth “fl ipper”, acrylic or cast frame partials, full dentures, and implants sup-

ported dentures. A unanimous agreement from all involved in the dental profession can be wrapped up in one statement: Ev-eryone feels and looks better if they have a nice smile. A sense of well-being and confi dence are achieved when people are happy with their appearance.

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Various things contribute to psoriasis fl are-ups

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“What’s great about these pre-packaged pure proteins is that they offer a variety of fl a-vours and they provide 8 essential amino ac-ids. They taste amazing and people love how easy it is to follow ” she continues “The goal is to fi nd your healthy body weight, maintain it, and adopt healthy balanced food habits once the goal has been reached.”

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Skin is the human body’s largest organ, spanning roughly 3,000 square inches and weighing about 6 pounds on the average human. Flexible and rugged, skin also is susceptible to damage, and conditions that affect the skin can be visible, embarrassing and troublesome.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition blamed on an improperly functioning im-mune system. The body may detect a per-ceived anomaly and attack itself. When a person is suffering from psoriasis, his or her skin cells are produced at an accelerated rate, resulting in red, raised and scaly patch-es on the skin known as plaques. Plaques are well-defi ned and typically appear on the scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of feet.

About one-third of people with psoria-sis have a family member with the disease. Studies show the emotional and social ef-fects of psoriasis are more signifi cant for women than men, but both can be affected negatively by symptoms.

There is no cure for psoriasis, and some people are affected more severely than oth-ers. In addition, certain factors can aggravate psoriasis and lead to fl are-ups. Understand-ing these triggers may help those affected by the disease better manage their symptoms. Although some of these triggers are not

backed up by fi rm scientifi c evidence, many people with psoriasis attest to their accuracy.

* Overexposure to sunlight: Exposure to sunlight and other forms of ultraviolet rays can be benefi cial in reducing symptoms of psoriasis, and some dermatologists may even prescribe UV treatment. However, over-exposure to the sun can worsen symptoms, particularly if men and women get a sun-burn. There is a fi ne line between what is too much sun and enough sun, which is why those with psoriasis should only undergo UV treatment under the care of a dermatologist.

* Stress: Doctors don’t know exactly why, but psoriasis and stress seem to be linked. As stress escalates, fl are-ups of pso-riasis may become more common. In turn, fl are-ups can lead to additional stress. Find-ing ways to reduce stress may result in clear-er skin. Deep breathing, yoga and medita-tion may help alleviate stress.

* Hot water: Bathing or washing in very hot water can worsen symptoms of psoria-sis. Use lukewarm water and a moisturizing soap. Some dermatologists recommend col-loidal oatmeal or Epsom salts in a bath to soften skin, relieve itching and help slough off scaly patches. Additionally, avoid situa-tions that will lead to dry skin, such as expo-sure to hot or cold weather. Use moisturizer and reapply as needed.

* Certain foods: Some people with pso-riasis note that certain foods and beverag-es trigger their fl are-ups. Tomato- and pep-per-based products and acidic or alcoholic beverages may cause fl are-ups.

* Infections: After a bout of strep throat or an ear infection, people with psoriasis may fi nd their condition takes a turn for the worse. Thought doctors don’t quite un-derstand why, certain infections and medi-cations to treat those conditions can cause psoriasis to act up. Discuss your psoriasis with your physician before taking any med-ication.

* Hormones: Women may fi nd that hormonal changes trigger their psoriasis. Research isn’t clear as the connection be-tween psoriasis and hormones, but doctors do know that pregnancy and menopause can cause psoriasis to worsen or even appear for the fi rst time. Others fi nd that an increase or decrease in estrogen levels improves their psoriasis symptoms. But symptoms are unique, and psoriasis outbreaks need to be evaluated on a person-to-person basis.

Psoriasis is the most prevalent autoim-mune condition in the United States, affect-ing as many as 7.5 million Americans ac-cording to recent studies. Certain behaviors, foods and skin care treatments can affect the severity and frequency of psoriasis fl are-ups.

Certain factors can aggravate symptoms of psoriasis.

NewsComox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 A7

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The Canadian Coast Guard believes on reasonable grounds that the vessel Silver King (100’ steel tugboat, ex-Garnet, ex-Taconnet), currently moored at Deep Bay, B.C. is likely to discharge pollutants in the water. The owner of the vessel is responsible for taking action to remove all risks of pollution at his/her own costs and risks. The Canadian Coast Guard requires any owner or any person with interests in the vessel to contact:

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By Philip Round Echo Staff

A final, intensive effort to locate missing hiker Sylvia Apps on the weekend saw searchers scouring the deep rocky crevices of Castlecrag Mountain by helicopter, on foot, and by rope.

The main search had been stood down the previous weekend after discussions with the family of the Courtenay woman, an experienced multi-day hiker who had set off on a five-night hike on July 8. She was due back on July 11, but when she did not return the alarm was raised.

Over a period of days, several of Apps’ possessions were found, including her backpack, walking poles and cell phone — all in differ-

ent places on the mountain. The search effort had involved 19 differ-ent search and rescue teams from across the province working in often harsh terrain.

This past weekend, the Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue team decided on one final push in specific areas of Castlecrag Mountain before gathering up all their equip-ment.

The search included a SAR dog and RCMP K9 team along with SAR members performing open grid sweeps. A specialized rope team was also deployed to perform ‘on-rope’ searches of canyons and chutes near the summit.

Supported by Grizzly Helicopters, the team spent about 12 hours in the mountains on Saturday, but reported

they had found no further clues. “Despite our efforts on Saturday

and the efforts of family and friends over the past week, Sylvia’s location remains unknown,” Paul Berry of CVGSAR told the Echo. “It is extremely disappointing for every-one. We had searched in the same areas before, but we wanted to get deeper into some of the steep and treacherous crevices to see if we could find her, to give some sense of closure to the family. “But there is only so much you can do. The case will remain with the RCMP as a missing persons investigation.

“We thank each and every person and organization who assisted with the search,” he added. “All our thoughts are with the family at this time.”

No new clues in final search for lost hiker Sylvia Apps

Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue’s search effort on Saturday included complex rope work, in this case involving Anne Goodfellow, to explore deep crevices on Castlecrag Mountain. (Photo courtesy CVGSAR)


Good news for all those looking to get soaked, sprayed and splashed in the Courtenay Rotary Water Park - it’s open again.

The facility in Lewis Park had to close down a week ago when City crews discovered a substantial leak in the pipeline carrying water to the various fountains and features in the free, fun park, which is usually open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily.

Repair work got underway Wednesday, but track-ing down, repairing and testing the work done took longer than expected.

However, the park did reopen for the weekend, and with the hot weather forecast to continue it’s expect-ed to be extremely popular in the days ahead.

“Parks staff may need to perform additional repairs,” said City spokesperson Anne Guillo. “They will monitor the situation over the coming days and weeks. But hopefully, if any further repairs are neces-sary, they can wait until after the end of the season in September.”

The closure did not affect the adjacent Memorial Outdoor Pool or the adjacent wading pool, which are also open seven days a week, including ‘open swim-ming’ sessions in the main 30-metre pool every day between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.

It’s all go to get soaked, sprayed and splashed again at Lewis Park


The Comox Valley Regional District wants to improve the medical first responder program for the Hornby Island Fire Rescue Department.

For many years, in the absence of a British Columbia ambulance service station on Hornby Island, HIFR has been providing limited transport of patients to meet the Denman Island British Columbia Ambulance Service for further transport to hospital.

Pre-hospital care is the sole responsibility of the BC Emergency and Health Services. It has developed a consent and indemnity agreement that authorizes the HFIR first responder to provide this service.

However, it excludes the provision of patient trans-port, which the HFIR has been providing using a decommissioned BCAS unit.

CVRD staff wants to enter into discussions with the BCEHS for an enhanced first responder program for the Hornby Island Fire Rescue. That’s because the HFIR volunteers that provide first responders are trained and licensed to the Emergency Medical Assistant - First Responder level only. They do not meet the criteria for the services they are performing.

CVRD’s manager of fire services, James Bast, wrote in his report that volunteers will require Emergency Medical Responder level of training to more safely and effectively manage patient care.

Staff wants to work out an agreement with the BCEHS that recognizes the unique nature of health services on Hornby Island, which is accessed by two ferries from Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island. Its objective in pushing for an enhanced First Responder Model is to ensure consistent, quality, pre-hospital care for the public. Towards this end, the proposed model looks at providing clarity of liability coverage, training and resources.

Hornby Island’s medical service is provided by a resident family doctor from a local clinic with prima-ry care facilities under contract to Island Health. First responder is provided by the HFIR and the closest ambulance service is located on Denman Island, 71 kilometres away. The HFIR responds to an average of 68 medical calls per year.

During emergency situations, the HFIR first responder crews page the local doctor. The doctor is provided with a portable radio for better communications due to poor cellphone reception. The first responders stabilizes the patient and is in communication with the doctor to arrange to meet at the clinic for examination and treat-ment. If necessary, the doctor may attend the scene.

After doctor has examined the patient, it then notifies the BCEHS as to whether off island transport is necessary.

CVRD looks at improving first responder service on Hornby Island

BC FERRIES IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING TERMINAL UPGRADES at the Buckley Bay and Denman Island West ter-minals in order to accommodate the new Cable Ferry. The projected completion date for the terminal construction is December, 2014, and the Cable Ferry is expected to be in full service in summer, 2015. This will be the first Cable Ferry introduced into BC Ferries’ fleet of 35 vessels.

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OpinionsECHO

THE COMOX VALLEY ECHOAn independently owned and operated

newspaper published by Echo Publications at

407-D Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7

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

authorization from the publisher.

Publisher Dave MacDonaldEditor Debra MartinAdvertising Manager Keith CurrieOffice Administrator Deb FowlerCirculation Manager Hedi MacDonaldProduction Manager Ryan GetzPhone 250-334-4722 Fax 250-334-3172Classifieds 250- 334-4215 Circulation 250-334-4734E-mail: [email protected]

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Letters to the Editor

It’s a new world of garbage


Norm:Read your funny letter in the paper

but couldn’t help but notice that many myths were being perpetuated.

First, it is the “Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board” that is the governing body for Solid Waste NOT the Comox Valley Regional District.

Members from Tahsis to Cortez, Kelsey Bay to Baynes Sound and the Islands are tasked by the Ministry of the Environment to implement a “Solid Waste Management Plan” that includes closure and remediation of old non com-pliant landfills in Tahsis, Zeballos, Gold River, Sayward, Cortez Island and Cambell River.

This $49 million plan includes part closure of the Comox Valley site and construction of a modern compliant new engineered cell at the Cumberland site.

Believe me the local elected officials don’t sit around dreaming this stuff up.

In addition to drawing down all our reserve funds, we will need to use a combination of taxes (currently $3.04 per $100,000. per year) and tipping fees for use of the landfill. Yes Norm the

$4.00 “site fee” is a, albeit, a small part of the funding solution.

Recycling does NOT go into landfill but is processed through our contractor “Emterra” from where it shipped to the lower mainland for further processing and sale.

If you have been keeping up on the Multi Material B.C. debate you know that, in order to qualify for recycling rebates, new government regulations dictate that new recycling depots have to be attended, fenced, lite, gated so as to prevent contamination. Communities like Courtenay and Cumberland are already receiving cash to help with their curb-side recycling programs.

It’s a new world of garbage out there. One man’s trash is another man’s trea-sure....I guess.

Edwin Grieve, chairComox Strathcona Waste Management

Board

Dear Mayor and Council,I am writing as a dismayed, disap-

pointed citizen at your decision to not hear the resolution request by Kathryn Askew, a citizen of Comox. A resolution asking you to join with other communi-ties and First Nations in opposition to proposals by Enbridge and Kinder Morgan.

I feel your decision was totally anti-democratic, not allowing a citizen of our Town to at least present her reso-lution. Vote on the resolution as you must but to not even allow it to be pre-sented is amazing.

Your stand is completely disrespectful to the K’omoks First Nation who are opposed to the Northern Gateway proj-ect.

Do you remember what you say on the Town of Comox banner on you web-site?

“We respectfully acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional lands of the K’omoks First Nation”.

I write in the hope that you will revis-it this issue and at least hear the resolu-tion.

Wendy ProtheroComox

Letters

Following ten days of continuous operations, Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue team mem-bers continue to work on the clean up and repair of equipment, documentation and an operational reviews.

On Wednesday evening the team participated in two debriefings, a Critical incident stress debriefing; a process designed to look after the emotional health of the team member following traumatic and stress-ful operations, followed by an informal operation review of the seven day search for 66 year old, Sylvia Apps.

CVGSAR would like to extend its deepest appreci-ation to the Ground SAR Teams from across the province and to the Comox Valley Community for the overwhelming support it received through the seven operational periods of the Sylvia Apps Search.

Ground SAR TeamsAlberni Valley Rescue Squad, Arrowsmith

(Parksville-Qualicum), Campbell River SARCentral Fraser Valley SAR, Coquitlam SAR,

Cowichan SAR, Chilliwack SAR,Juan de Fuca SAR, Ladysmith SAR, Lions Bay

SAR, Nanaimo SAR, North Shore SARPeninsula Emergency Measures Organization

(Victoria), Ridge Meadows SARSaltSpring Island SAR, Shushwap SAR, Squamish

SAR, Sunshine Coast SAR,Canadian Air Search and Rescue Association

(CASARA)Community Organizations/ BusinessesOf particular note was the open door cooperation

and teamwork demonstrated by the management and staff of Mt. Washington Resort who provided the use of Raven’s Lodge throughout the search as well as areas for helicopter landing zones, as well as meals and accommodations for search teams across the province.

Thrifty Foods too opened its doors to provide lunches and gallons of water for thirsty searchers operating in the extreme heat in the first days of the search.

Overwhelmingly the searchers would like to thank the helicopter pilots who worked tirelessly shuttling search team and supplies in and out of the search area from early morning until late each eve-ning. Without dedication and skillful flying of the following companies the searchers would not have been able to cover the hundreds of kilometers of search area. Our deepest gratitude goes out to: Grizzly Helicopters, West Coast Helicopters, E and B Helicopters, Kestrel Helicopters, Talon Helicopters, Black Comb Helicopters and RCMP Air Services.

Many other local organizations and businesses reacted immediately to our operational needs and supported our efforts to find Sylvia. These include:

Comox District Mountaineering ClubComox TaxiColumbia FuelsTim Horton’sStaplesCitizens on PatrolFootprints SecurityRCMP Auxiliary membersOur community is strong. Thank you for your

support.Paul Berry, Search Manager

Information OfficerComox Valley Ground Search and Rescue

Our communityis strong

Get beyond rhetoric on skills gapBy Paul Davidson

It has been encouraging to see leaders in government, industry and education gather at two recent skills summits, in Toronto and Charlottetown, to try to reimagine the future of skills development in Canada and set us on a better path to prosperity.

Much has been said of the skills gap in Canada, but we have gener-ally failed to get to the root of the problem and take action where real challenges exist. Unfortunately rhetoric has drowned out evidence, and anecdote has trumped data. This must change.

Getting things right in education and training for a more prosperous Canada will require three things: better and more accurate labour market information; an approach to skills development that includes all levels of postsecondary educa-tion - universities, colleges, poly-technics and trades; and stronger collaboration between government, educators and business.

Recent efforts to promote skilled trades by devaluing the benefits of university education take Canada in the wrong direction.

Comments about how a whole generation of higher education graduates is lost are corrosive and unhelpful - especially when the evidence shows university gradu-ates enjoy high employment and strong incomes.

Students can’t make career deci-sions and governments can’t make policy decisions based on myth or anecdote or a newspaper story about the situation in the U.S., where the system is very different

from our own.And we must resist the urge to

focus on short-term needs over the next six or 12 months. We need to set our sights on what Canada will need five, 10, 20 and more years down the road.

I was very pleased to see a con-sensus on this issue emerging at the National Skills Summit in Toronto, hosted by Employment and Social Development Canada Minister Jason Kenney on June 25.

Participating leaders from busi-ness, government and education recognize the need for longer-term solutions and to improve collabo-ration. Recent federal reinvestment in enhanced labour market infor-mation is a positive development.

Another important step is to realize that Canada’s skills chal-lenges need to be met on several fronts at once.

Just because Canada may need more plumbers or welders doesn’t mean it needs fewer university grads.

In the fast-paced and rapidly changing global economy, we need more university graduates, more college graduates and more trades-people if we are to develop the human potential of our country to its fullest extent.

Today’s employers need high-level skills at all levels of operations - from the shop floor to the boardroom.

In fact, a recent CIBC study found that the most in-demand occupations in Canada today require a university degree. Yet we’ve fallen from fifth place in university participation to 15th amongst OECD countries.

Finally, government, business and educators have to create more experiential learning opportunities for all students, such as intern-ships and co-ops. We have a good foundation on which to build. Today half of Canada’s university undergraduates have a co-op or internship experience before they graduate. Co-op enrolment has jumped by 25 percent in the last seven years, and more than 1,000 co-op programs are offered at 59 universities.

Universities are dynamic and responsive institutions. Some 45 Canadian universities have devel-oped entrepreneurship degree pro-grams and provide workshops, facilities, mentoring and other sup-ports to students and researchers to help them commercialize prod-uct and service ideas.

Strengthening linkages between universities and employers in all sectors will further enhance the skills that graduates bring to their careers.

Close to one million Canadians will earn their first degree between now and the time we celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial in 2017. Some of them will still be in the labour force when Canada cele-brates its bicentenary in 2067.

If we get skills development right, we will have equipped them to navigate a lifetime of adapting to the labour market of the future - and ensured Canada’s prosperity for decades to come.

Paul Davidson is President of the Association of Universities and

Colleges of Canada.

GUEST COLUMN

An open letter to Mr. Duncan, M.P.:

Good Morning John Duncan, Just thought I’d drop you a line

to express my outrage at the latest assault on Canadian culture by you and your party. The CBC isn’t a business. It is a service to the people of Canada. A service which I have appreciated since I was a child. It is now more than 60 years since I became aware of CBC and I’ve enjoyed it. The pro-posed changes strike me as sim-ply another attack on the CBC by a political party which doesn’t like the CBC. Unfortunately for the Conservatives, killing the messenger will not solve the Conservatives problems.

The CBC hasn’t been all that flattering to the Conservatives, but then there isn’t much to be flattered for.

By gutting their budget, you may hope to solve the problem It won’t. Solving the problem would require the Conservatives change some of the actions and policies.

CBC has produced some out-standing T.V. shows which helped many of us shape our views of this great country and our place in the world.

It enabled Canadians to not only watch hockey but watch and listen to Canadian entertainers. To watch T.V. shows which were made in Canada, with Canadian actors, about Canadian values and stories.

That goes all the way back to Cariboo Country, which I watched as a child. CBC has produced

some of the most informative news stories seen. Things the others never cover, i.e. Global, CTV, etc. The documentaries are excellent. Not only have they been shown on CBC but else-where. How amazing that one country, with not a particularly large population, had all this to offer. Now you and your herd want to take that away from us. Well you do have the majority in parliament, but there will be an election. One I am sure you hope will be not so well covered by the CBC.

When I think of the scandal in England regarding Rupert Murdoch and his papers, you can clearly see what happens when powerful and wealthy people con-trol the news media. They go on to control the politicians. It didn’t turn out so well in England.

If this is the vision you see for Canada, please by all means con-tinue. I on the other hand have another vision for Canada. It a vibrant CBC.

Gutting the budget of the CBCisn’t about saving money. Its about trying to force Canadians to accept the Conservative view of the world. Without an equaL bud-get for the CBC it might save the Conservatives some embarrassing moments.

Who will be around to make the documentaries which have held your feet to the fire? I know, no one and I’m sure the “great helmsman” wants it just that way.

E. A. FosterComox

Cutting funding to the CBCis an assault on culture

LETTER

HEAR THE RESOLUTION

NewsComox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 A9


An 18-year-old who doused a Cumberland resident who owed him money with gasoline to convince him to pay was given 25 hours of community service as part of a 12-month con-ditional sentence handed down in Courtenay Provincial Court July 24.

Judge Anthony Dohm noted Reuban Skene’s punishment was essentially the lightest he could give under the circumstances, but stressed the effects of the crime could have been calamitous.

“The situation was what I would describe as a serious one,” he said, referring to the inci-dent, which took place March 29 at around 11 p.m. “On that day Mr. Skene went into the complainant’s yard for the stated purpose of collecting money from the complainant owed to the defendant.”

He arrived in friend’s truck, who thought to bring a gas can along for the score settling mis-sion. As the supposed debtor didn’t cough up the dough right away an argument broke out.

Skene lost his temper.In exchanging words he splashed gas on the

victim.In fact, Skene had poured enough gasoline

on the victim that when police arrived they

could still smell the fumes even though the victim had changed clothes.

“This is troubling,” Dhom said, adding being a teenager is not an excuse for such behaviour. “You know that is not how you collect money that is owed.”

The crime was particularly heinous since the victim had been smoking at the time of the offence, according to Crown prosecutor Megan Dyler.

“There is a huge potential of bodily harm,” she said, adding there was an element of pre-meditation to the crime. “The gas was brought to the scene.”

Earlier this year Cumberland was rocked when an outdoor gasoline accident left two people with severe burns and caused the com-munity to rally in support.

Skene was charged with assault for the col-lection crime and released March 30 on several conditions, including a provision barring him from consuming alcohol.

Defence lawyer Dennis Evans noted the vic-tim had a marijuana pipe and said it was not clear the pot had been lit.

Yet on May 21 police showed up at a house in the 200 block of Back Road in Courtenay to find him causing a disturbance, clearly intoxi-cated.

An RCMP constable noted he had glazed eyes

and slurred speech, upon investiga-tion.

“It seems he was causing trouble at that point,” Dyler said.

Dohm tried to impress the signifi-cance of Skenes’s rash actions on the young man who sat in front of him with slicked back hair, not diverting his attention from the judge for a second.

He bound Skene to a 12-month probation order and ordered him not to have any contact with his co-ac-cused or the victim.

He must do 25 hours of work ser-vice by Nov. 30 this year.

The previous week his co-accused was also sentenced to 25 hours of community service.

COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR MAN WHO SPRAYED CUMBERLANDER WITH GASOLINE

The CVRD’s aquatic centre has been bustling this summer thanks to Canadian Western Bank supporting our free Saturday swims again this season. Jean-Marc Jaquier, Assistant VP/Courtenay Branch Manager (right) presents the cheque to the CVRD’s manager of recreation services, Jennifer Zbinden, and

sports centre commission chair, Manno Theos, along with some helpful swimmers. The Saturday swims run until August 9, with no swim offered on August 2. For more information about the free swim program visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/rec

Something interesting is happen-ing in our local waters. Project Watershed, a local environmental stewardship organization, is working on a project to learn more about how salt marsh and eelgrass beds in our local Estuary contribute to the uptake and storage of carbon from the atmo-sphere, called Blue Carbon.

Better understanding is required to determine the economic value of estuarine habitat restoration in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere and stored. Any mechanism that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could help offset human-caused carbon emissions.

In the K’omoks Estuary, both salt marsh and eelgrass beds capture car-bon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it in the underlying sediments.

These estuarine habitats are widely recognized as important habitat for marine creatures and for foreshore resilience.

However, before they can be val-ued additionally for the carbon they store, fundamental research is required to link the two.

This activity is being pursued by Project Watershed with funding pro-vided by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation - a tri-country association with Canada, United States and Mexico - commit-ted to community research on envi-ronmental issues. Project Watershed

is one of just three organizations in all of Canada that received funding.

The goals of the project are to develop a protocol suitable for other community groups to assess carbon stores and rate of carbon sequestra-tion in estuarine habitats.

In addition, Project Watershed aims to foster greater community involvement and understanding of the environmental and economic benefits of eelgrass and salt marsh restoration.

The fieldwork for this project com-menced in May of this year and will continue through the summer of 2015. Sediment cores will be collect-ed and assessed for the amount of carbon in the different layers beneath the surface. This information can be used to determine the rate at which carbon is accumulated and stored over time.

Comparisons are being made between sites with eelgrass or salt marsh vegetation and sites void of vegetation to determine if the sedi-ments below vegetated sites store more carbon.

Ultimately, the goal is to place a dollar value on the amount of carbon stored in these estuarine habitats so governments with jurisdiction over the estuary can use these to reduce their carbon tax burden. Says Paul Horgen, Project Watershed Board Chair, “The result is a 4-way win: a win for the estuarine environment and associated fauna; a win for

removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; a win to protecting fore-shores from storm surges due to cli-mate change; a win to governments that are required to pay carbon taxes.”

This type of work relies heavily on community involvement. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Paul Horgen, Head of Blue Carbon team ([email protected]) or phone Project Watershed at (250 703 2871 ) or visit their website, pro-jectwatershed.ca.

K’omoks Estuary at the forefront of Blue Carbon research

Angela Spooner (Royal Roads M.Sc. candidate) and Russell Prentice (UBC student) mea-suring a sediment core.

Project Manager, Christine Hodgson, col-lecting a sediment core

Canadian Western Bank sponsors free swimming

The Vancouver Island marmot has more room, free from the risk of encroachment to the endangered spe-cies’ habitat.

The province has expanded the Green Mountain Wildlife Management Area by more than 40 per cent, add-ing 105 hectares.

The announcement came recently from Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson.

Once the site of a commercial ski-hill, the land is the prime habitat of the endangered Vancouver Island marmot, a rare mammal that is the largest member of the squirrel family.

“Green Mountain is one of the more important colonies of southern Vancouver Island,” said Don Doyle, Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation project co-ordinator.

The Green Mountain Wildlife Management Area was first estab-lished in 1991 to help Vancouver Island marmot recovery efforts.

The marmots are uniquely different from other species found in the Rocky Mountains, in the Canadian foothills and the Prairies.

In 2008 there were an estimated 166 Vancouver Island marmots in the world. Today they number some-where between 280 and 400.

Expanding the Green Mountain Wildlife Management Area is expect-ed to enhance their chances of surviv-al.

Now at 342 hectares, the area is also important habitat for Roosevelt elk, black bear and various threat-ened and endangered species, includ-ing the white-tailed ptarmigan, west-ern toad and northern pygmy owl.

Together, the wildlife area, along with Haley Lake Ecological Reserve “really solidifies the southern mead-ow population, so a lot of the popula-tions of southern Vancouver Island is protected,” Doyle said.

The Nanaimo District Fish Game Protective Association helped clean up the area after the ski-hill was closed.

Doug Janz, a trustee, said the announcement of the expansion is good news for conservation of the species.

- Nanaimo Daily News

Marmot refuge on former Island ski hill expanded


News

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The Panama Canal spring 20 night repositioning cruiseis one to book now. On April 19th we’ll fly you from Van-couver to Ft Lauderdale, you’ll have one night at a 4 starhotel and then board the gorgeous Holland America shipms Noordam (on its first cruise to Vancouver) for 19 days(great itinerary) in a high category balcony stateroom plusyou will have $600 (between the 2 of you) to spend on-board. The price of $3699 CAD pp includes your air, hotel,cruise and all taxes. This is a fantastic deal! If you want toextend your stay or if you prefer to disembark a few daysearlier in San Diego that can be arranged. For those of youwho live or would prefer to disembark in Victoria, this maybe an option, weather permitting. To get the big onboardcredit, you must book by August 4th – and from what I’mhearing, this offer will not likely be extended.

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The huge success of an afternoon tea themed on the television series ‘Downton Abbey’ has resulted in a donation of just over $2,565 to the Anderton Therapeutic Gardens Society, where the event was held. It was the second year in succession the Courtenay Kiwanis Club had organized the fundraising event, which was attended by 150 people - and many of those enjoying the tea wore decorated hats and

some even dressed in period clothing to suit the occasion. Volunteers who served were also appro-priately dressed in costumes familiar to followers of the television series. Accompanied by fellow members of the Kiwanis Club, president Wendy Harris has now presented a cheque for the proceeds to Len Landry, represent-ing the Therapeutic Gardens Society.

Taking tea, Downton Abbey style


The Town of Comox will be receiving a smaller 2014 payment in lieu of taxes for CFB Comox.

But instead of appealing the discrepancy, town council has agreed to accept payment of $2,468,527, which is $411,050 less than the $2,879,577 that was claimed last year.

It is $48,000 more than the difference last year but it is comparable to years before 2013.

Comox’s share of the PILT for 2014 is $1,294,742, which also reflects a slight decline from last year’s amount of $1,310,906, which the town had budgeted for 2014.

Director of Finance, Donald Jacquest said it was a small disappointment but not a sig-nificant shortfall to the town’s overall bud-get.

He also indicated that because there is substantial cost to appeal the shortfall, staff

recommended that council accept this year’s PILT payment without appeal.

After receiving their share of the taxes, the rest of the payment will go towards school taxes, Comox Valley Regional District, the Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District, B.C. Assessment and the Municipal Finance Authority of B.C.

PILT is paid by the federal government to municipalities for federally-owned assets not subject to local property or commercial taxes, like CFB Comox.

Each year, the government calculates how much its own buildings and lands are worth, and pays out the amount to compen-sate the Town of Comox.

And because they based the rates on their own values, Jacquest said that the amount can be substantially lower than the values provided by B.C. Assessment.

The town in the past has taken issue with this and argued that they fall significantly short of what B.C. Assessment says the lands are worth.

Comox council endorses PILT payment despite the amount being short

ExtraThe COMOX VALLEY ECHO ❑ Tuesday, July 29, 2014

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Basically Brooks - Canada’s Garth Brooks Tribute is at the Courtenay Legion Upper Hall on Friday, 1 August at 7:30 pm.

Tickets $15.00 available at the Legion Lounge or call Marj at 250 335-0656.

See this one man tribute show put on an amazing after-show Dance Party set. Don’t be disappointed limited tickets available.

Comox Valley Road Runners invite you to join in the fun at the Comox Nautical Days 4 Mile Road Race!

The starter’s gun goes off at 9.00 am on Monday August 4th 2014 at the Comox Town Hall on Beaufort Avenue in Comox. Registration is on the day (also at Comox Town Hall) and costs just $10, which includes male & female winner prizes, age category awards, post-race refresh-ments and draw prizes.

The event welcomes both serious runners and all members of the fam-ily to take part over the 4 mile / 6.4 kilometer course through the streets of Comox. The event precedes the Nautical Days parade & other festiv-ities, making it an ideal start to the BC Day celebrations. Please note for safety reasons strollers & pets are not permitted.

This will be the 45th consecutive year the race has been held and is grateful to its main sponsor, Jim Smiley of Remax Ocean Pacific Reality, for his continued support over the last 9 years.

For more information contact the race director Graham Garner at [email protected].

Alzheimer’s disease is the second most feared disease for Canadians as they age. And with many Comox Valley residents 50 years of age or older, dementia is becoming a press-ing health issue locally. To help residents, the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. brings its free work-shop, Getting to Know Dementia, to the area on Thursday, August 21.

This session is only intended for people experiencing early symp-toms of dementia, as well as family members or friends who are cur-rently supporting a person with a recent dementia diagnosis. The workshop is not intended for the general public or health-care provid-ers.

It runs from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lower Native Sons Hall, 360 Cliffe Avenue.

Pre-registration is required. For information and to register contact Courtenay Recreation at 250-338-1000 or Jane Hope at [email protected].

The workshop is free. FMI: www.alzheimerbc.org.

A retired Tutor aircraft in Snowbird colours is a major drawing point at the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre near Cumberland

Visitor Centre enjoys continued growthThe numbers are in, and they

continue to rise at the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre (VIVC). From the number of buses stop-ping at the Centre, to the number of true visitors utilizing its ser-vices, this past spring statistics showed positive trends across the board.

Owned by Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism, the Centre, located on Small Road in Cumberland, was designed to act as the sales fulfill-ment hub for the regions destina-tion marketing activities and tour-

ism businesses, by booking accommodations, activities, ferry passes and event tickets on behalf of guests, and to leverage visita-tion to the region by extending lengths of stays.

April to June saw an incredibly strong ‘true visitor’ numbers; April was 39% increase, May and June saw 29% increase resulting in over 7100 true visitors that were assisted with their trip plan-ning needs by the Centre’s team.

True visitors are defined as peo-ple who live outside of the Comox Valley. Likewise, visitor inquiries

via phone are up year to date with a 39% increase.

While there are a number of reasons for this, Discover Comox Valley’s development and exten-sive marketing of destination level festival and events included in the Destination Marketing Advisory Committee Tactical Plan, includ-ing WinterBites and BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival, helped drive up these numbers.

“The Centre is an integral com-ponent of the Discover Comox Valley marketing team,” said Bill Anglin, Chair of the Destination

Marketing Advisory Committee, “Extensive multi-media market-

ing campaigns have included the Centre as the major call to action, enabling the region to fulfill its marketing and sales cycle, which is an incredibly powerful tool.”

The Centre can book a wide range of activities from tours of Fanny Bay Oysters, cycling trips on Island Joy Rides, harbour tours by Comox Harbour Charters and variety of whale watching excursions to Kayak Trips with Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoes,

(Continued on page B2)

The Vanier Garry oaks are one of Vancouver Island’s natural heritage treasures. They are the remnant pop-ulations of some of the northernmost distributions of Garry oaks in North America, and a vestige of the rich and complex Pentlatch culture that flour-ished in the Comox Valley along the estuary and the Tsolum River prior to the colonization of British Columbia.

As announced April 21, thanks to the generosity of School District 71 and the City of Courtenay a substan-tial part of this heritage is being set aside as a municipal public park. Comox Valley Nature is therefore happy to host a free public interpre-tive natural and cultural history walk around the Vanier and Mission Hill sites, as part of its public educational mandate.

This walk will be led by Dr. Loys Maingon (RPBio). Dr. Maingon is president of Comox Valley Nature and is also a member of the recovery implementation groups of the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team.

Additionally he heads the Comox Valley Garry oak recovery project and manages the only major Garry oak nursery outside of Victoria, which is

currently growing about 4,000 sap-lings for restoration projects around the valley. This is an opportunity to discover and celebrate the wealth of the Comox Valley’s rich diversity.

This walk is scheduled for Saturday, August 2 from 9:30 to 12:00 (approx-imate slow walk time, 2 hours). Participants should meet at the Vanier Recreation Centre (Ice Rink) parking lot at 9:30 am.

Comox Valley Nature is a non-prof-it society affiliated to BC Nature. It fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing free weekly guided hikes for mem-bers, and undertaking a variety of environmental projects. Aside from its main activity as a non-profit, Comox Valley Nature also supports specialized groups ( Birding, Botany, Garry Oak Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Photography and Young Naturalists Club) which have separate monthly activities. Membership in BC Nature and Comox Valley Nature is $30 per adult and $40 for a family.

Anyone interested in participating in CVNS activities: http://comoxval-leynaturalist.bc.ca/

Garth Brooks Tributeshow at the Legion

Come run, have fun,well dun ... in Comox

Get help while livingwith Alzheimer disease

Free Courtenay Garry oakheritage interpretative walk

Dr. Loys Maingon (RPBio) will lead a Garry oaks walk on Saturday

B2 Comox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Community News

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(Continued from page B1)

fishing excursions with Crabby’s Fishing Charters and Caving Adventures with Horne Lake Caves. Bookings via the Centre for these and so many other activities are up 69% from this time last year.

“Not all visitor centres offer the booking capabili-ties we have, so an important part of our role is to educate the visitors so they understand the depth of services offered here,” said Linda Yaretz, Manager of the VIVC.

“We helped a family who recently visited the area and came into the centre last fall inquiring about all that the Valley has to offer. They checked off mostly everything they could squeeze into their vacation, went back to Alberta, sold their home and have since moved into the Valley. They dealt with a

local realtor and have been back to the Centre to book many weekend trips.”

Locals are also using the Centre for their booking services, when planning their own trips, and when they have visitors coming to stay with them.

Businesses interested in learning about the differ-ent booking agreements the Centre offers can call or email the VIVC [email protected] , 250-400-2882. For information on Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism Tactical Plans and the Visitor Services Strategic Plan, visit discov-ercomoxvalley.com/resources

Continued growth at local Visitors Centre

In 1872 after 35 years of living in New Brunswick, Matthew and Agnes Piercy along with their sons John, Matt, Sam, and Walt and their two youngest daughters Agnes and Isabella moved to the west coast after receiv-ing glowing reports of good land and mild winters.

Accompanied by their oldest son Thomas, his wife Jane and four children the clan traveled by railroad to the Great Lakes and then though the United States by rail to San Francisco.

Their trip north to Victoria was made on a freighter were they encountered a rough trip with their bunks below decks near the cattle.

The final leg of the journey was by boat to Comox after a month layover in a Victoria hotel.

The elder Piercys settled the land, which is now occu-pied by G.P.Vanier School, the Curling Rink and Fair Ground, the old Regional District office site and the Presbyterian Church on Mission Hill.

The Church and cemetery land was donated along with land from Samuel Crawford and George Grieve did the work of building the new church for Presbyterian

congregation of the Valley. Matthew Piercy led an active community centered life,

which contributed in the development of the Comox Valley. After several years of shared accommodations with other pioneer families Tom moved his family to Denman Island in 1888.

Tom Piercy was a true pioneer of Denman being the first Justice of the Peace and the first road foreman. He was involved in planning improvements for roads, school, church and logging. He also tended the light-house at Yellow Rock.

In 1902 he was appointed Postmaster and the post office was in their home.

Since 1962 the Piercy family has been gathering to celebrate family. The 2004 gathering saw attendance of approximately 700 descendants of Matthew and Agnes Piercy sharing the joy and bond that only Comox Valley Pioneer Family’s posses.

Registration for this year’s event is underway. Family members can receive more information by visiting our website at www.piercyfamilyreunion.com.

Valley pioneer Piercy familyready for another big reunion


The call came in the middle of the night. And when that call is a direction from the Pope himself to move to Vancouver Island, you lis-ten. This Bishop of Whitehorse, Most Rev. Gary Gordon, has a fondness for natural landscapes and an interest in taking on chal-lenges of education and health care in rural regions.

Local Catholics hope this will serve him well as he takes over from Richard Gagnon, who was installed as the archbishop of Winnipeg last January, to shep-herd a flock of 94,000 Catholics here. He will also be responsible for St. Joseph’s General Hospital in

Comox, which serves much of the North Island.

“As members of the diocesan family, St. Joseph’s General Hospital welcomes Bishop-Elect Gordon to Vancouver Island and looks forward to his guidance and support,” said St. Joseph’s board chair Chris Kelsey in a statement.

Pope Francis officially named Gordon Bishop of Victoria on June 14.

A mass to celebrate Gordon’s installation on the Island will be held on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 in Victoria.

In an interview for Salt + Light Media while serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Whitehorse he recalled an even more significant “call,” describing how he initially got into ministry.

“I really sort of heard God say-ing, ‘I think this is what you want to do. I think this is what I want you to do,” he told the interviewer. “It was like I heard all the stars say ‘Yes!’ And I’ve been saying ‘Yes’ ever since and it just seems to work out. It’s just kind of amazing.”

In the video clip Gordon described a duty to connect with First Nations and acknowledge the

culture-shattering impact of Canada’s encroaching Judeo-Christian-based civilization.

“When you’ve got so many peo-ple who are suffering with wound-edness and grief, it’s natural to want to be there,” he said. “We’re there; we’re present. And where there are people who are hurting we work with them. And it takes a long time.”

Bishop-Elect Gary Gordon was born on June 10, 1957 in Vancouver.

He attended Christ the King Seminary in Mission, BC, and St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ont., graduating in 1982.

He was ordained to the priest-hood on May 22, 1982 for the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

Recently he witnessed his fair share of controversy, as sexual ori-entation and gender identity policy at Catholic schools in Whitehorse bubbled up as a significant issue as many Vanier Catholic Secondary School grads wore rainbow socks to their cap and gown event this year in support for the school’s gay-straight alliance, the Whitehorse Star reports.

On the medical front Gordon thinks Catholic health care organi-zations can act as a light in a rural region.

“When you’ve got catholic nurs-es, they come from an ethos, from the gospel of light; that makes a big difference in our rural nursing sta-tions,” he told Salt + Light Media of his experience in the Yukon.

New Bishop set to take up the cross on the IslandDiocese of Victoria owns and operates St. Joseph’s Hospital

Island Bishop, Most Rev. Gary Gordon

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Community NewsComox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 B3

Last month we did a risk assessment questionnaire regarding falls and discussed some things we could do to reduce our risk of falling. This month we will look at the affect of medications as they relate to the risk of falling.

Taking multiple medications is linked to falls - the greater the number of medications a person takes, the greater the risk of any kind of adverse reaction from a medication, including falls.

The following list of medications is known to increase the risk of falls-Cardiovascular (heart) medicationsBenzodiazepines (eg lorazepam, diazepam,

clonazepam and other “pams”)Opioids (eg codeine, morphine,

hydromorphone and others)Bladder relaxants and other anticholinergic agentsInsulin Sleeping pills Muscle relaxants Antipsychotics Antidepressants

If you are on these medications please do not change the way you are taking them without consulting with your doctor. That conversation should include asking if the medication can be stopped, or if not, can the dose be reduced? Is the time of day that I am taking it appropriate? Is there a safer alternative?

How can we help? We have a variety of mobility aids, bath safety aids, and hip protection garments that we can recom-mend. As well, our pharmacists can do a private medication review to go over your medications to help you better understand all of your prescription and non-prescription medications especially as it pertains to the risk of falling. There may or may not be a charge for that service depending on the number of medications that you take This review process will look at the systems you have in place for administering your medication. If necessary we can provide a system (blisterpack or PacMed) to ensure you are taking your medication regularly and at the appropriate time. We will also make sure you are getting adequate calcium and vitamin D to keep the bones strong.

Don’t let pride go before a fall – come in and talk to us and get the information or products you need to keep you safe.

Shoppe Talk July 2014Fall prevention part 2 –

Medication and Falls

No collection required. Great exercise!Call Comox Valley Echo • 250-334-4734or drop by 407-D 5th Street, Courtenay

COURTENAYRt. 8105 – 29th to 27th, Moray

Rt. 8106 – Anfield Centre (Walmart), Kilpatrick, Cliffe

COMOXRt. 1103 – Pritchard, Totem, Skeena, Orca

Rt. 1120 – Sandpines Area

Rt. 2129 – Sylvan, Parry, Aspen, Idiens

CROWN ISLERt. 3120 – Monarch, Royal

Rt. 3134 – Crown Isle Dr., Birkshire, Sussex

VALLEYVIEWRt. 3110 – Back Road, Glen Urquhart, 10th St. E.,

Hobson, 6th St. E., Aston

Rt. 3123 – Nechako, Chemainus, 5th St. E.,

Cowichan, 6th St. E.

Rt. 3132 – Inverclyde, Carstairs, Hebrides, Fife

Rt. 3135 – Hawk, Swallow, Whiskeyjack

Earn extra $$$$ for Earn extra $$$$ for all that fun stuff that all that fun stuff that mom won't buy!mom won't buy!

CARRIERS WANTED

The theme for this year’s art exhibit at the Comox Valley Airport is called “Wanderlust Vancouver Island”.

The Comox Valley Airport Commission, in partnership with the Comox Valley Community Arts Council, is now seeking submis-sions for the 2014 Art and Culture Program that will run for six months from November 2014 to May 2016.

In this call for submission, the airport is seeking two and three dimensional art pieces that celebrate the theme of Wanderlust Vancouver Island. This could include represen-tations of the region’s landscape, environment, people, places, activi-ties, or the artist’s own unique inter-pretation of what makes Vancouver Island such a wonderful place to experience.

Art submissions may be in the form of paintings, original prints, photography, mixed media, textiles and/or sculpture.

“The definition of Wanderlust is a strong desire to travel and we are looking for submissions that explain why tourists would want to come and visit our beautiful island,” explained Dallas Stevenson, Executive Director of the Comox Valley Community Arts Council. “We are really excited about this theme and anticipate an excellent response to our call for entries.”

The Comox Valley Airport is the first point of entry for many Vancouver Island tourists. Part of the airport’s responsibility is to help form passengers’ first perceptions of the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island. This provides an ideal oppor-tunity for YQQ to host an annual art exhibition featuring the work of local artists.

Open to all artists residing in the Comox Valley Airport’s catchment area of Northern Vancouver Island. Boundaries include Parksville, Port Alberni and Ucluelet in the south; the Pacific Ocean to the west; Powell River to the east (including Texada, Denman, Hornby, Quadra, Cortes,

Alert Bay and Sointula); and the Pacific Ocean to the north.

Entries will be accepted from August 1, 2014 to August 31, 2014. To view the submission guidelines go to www.comoxvalleyarts.com or visit www.comoxairport.com and look under Airport Services/Art and Culture Program or follow the links on the Comox Valley Airport’s Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Call for entries for 2014 Art and Culture Program issued; YQQ looks to celebrate ‘Wanderlust’

Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism (CVEDS) has announced its final call for applications by sport, festival and destination level events and meet-ings that will drive visitation, over-night stays, and investment in the Comox Valley, through its success-ful Sport and Event Expansion Fund.

Funding is available thanks to the Comox Valley’s additional two per cent hotel room tax (AHRT).

The Destination Marketing Advisory Committee (DMAC), which developed a tactical plan to market the area with the funds from the AHRT tax, developed this grant program to assist with attract-ing new and further develop exist-ing events to the valley.

Successful applicants will receive what is often needed most to be successful - cold, hard cash.

Phase two funds will be dis-bursed to Comox Valley events as chosen by a DMAC Sub-Committee, a committee made up of industry leaders.

“Phase one of the Sport & Event Expansion Fund, assisted three events and festivals and helped build Comox Valley’s profile for having the capacity to draw people to our region, organize successful tournaments, and launch new festi-vals,” says Bill Anglin, chair of the Destination Marketing Advisory Committee.

“The funds are available to a very broad spectrum of events - dance competitions, car shows, bridge competitions or a naturalists gathering. The goal is to increase room nights for the hotels during

the shoulder season, however many hotels have available rooms for groups on long weekends, such as the Canada Day long weekend.”

The final deadline for 2014 appli-cations is Aug. 31, 2014. Submitted applications will be reviewed by the committee and selected based on meeting the criteria outlined below.

After this date, applications will be accepted and evaluated as funds remain available.

Interested parties may apply by visiting:www.discovercomoxvalley.com/resources.

Eligible expenses that may be supported by the fund include online external marketing and print advertising; capital funding for new tourism infrastructure projects; bid fees for new events and confer-ences; and site inspections and travel costs for new events and con-ferences, prior to the event being awarded.

Two local events that were sup-ported in the first round of 2014 funding included:

* Hosting of the Vancouver Island National BMX Race (July 18-20, 2014), supported by Coal Hills BMX.

* Expansion of the Comox Valley Half Marathon (March 21-22, 2015), presented by Comox Valley Road Runners.

In 2013, events that benefitted from the first phase of the Sport & Event Expansion Fund included:

* Mini World Cup Event present-ed by the Comox Valley United Soccer Club.

* BC Seniors Curling Event, held by the Comox Valley Curling Club

* PGA Tour Canada Spring Qualifying School at Crown Isle Resort.

Criteria that each application will be ranked against for Phase two include:

- How will the event or festival drive overnight visi-tation to the Comox Valley now and in the future?

- How many room nights will the event generate?- How much experience does the applicant have in

event hosting and marketing?- Does this event or festival support many sectors of

the tourism industry, and if so which ones?“We look forward to supporting the growth of exist-

ing events and festivals and investing in new destina-tion level events, helping to draw visitors to the Comox Valley, and increasing the economic impact on the region,” says Anglin.

For more information on the fund and a copy of the application form, visit www.discovercomoxvalley.com/

Comox Valley Sport & Event Expansion Fund phase two deadline set for Aug. 31

Crown Isle Resort was one of several groups to receive approvals from Phase I of the Sport and Event Expansion fund, to support securing the Comox Valley as the host destination for the PGA Tour Canada Spring Qualifying School this spring. From left to right Bill Anglin - Chair of the

Destination Marketing Advisory Committee, and Crown Isle team mem-bers including Jason Andrew, Real Estate Division, Mike Kearns - golf Course Superintendent, Ron Waugh - Accommodations Manager, Mike Boyd, F&B Manager and Rod Prieto - Director of Golf

Comox Valley farmers are opening their back gates for an in-depth, behind the scenes tour where cyclists can explore, taste and experience the best of farm life and product during the fourth annual Comox Valley Farm Cycle Tour, Aug. 9 & 10.

This year, Comox Valley Farm Cycle Tours include three options:

Saturday, Aug. 9: * Rural Ramble: The shortest loop among the Farm

Cycle Tour options at only 21 Km, the Rural Ramble is the perfect option for families and casual cyclists. The tour takes cyclists through fields that include a dairy, berry farm, winery, and meat producer. Allot 2 hours leisurely riding between 10am to 2pm.

* Back Roads Bliss: This route can be done in loops ranging from 29 to 55 Km, and features the largest number of farms. Farms along the Back Roads Bliss tour include dairy, berries, perennial plants, sprouts, garlic, and wine. Allot 3 hours moderate riding between 9am to 4pm.

Sunday, Aug. 10:* Bayviews: Ranging in length from 15 to 45 Km, the

Bayviews route lives up to its name, featuring views of the Salish Sea. The Bayviews Farm Cycle Tour is designed to be customized, allowing cyclists to visit as many farms as they wish, along with a number of stops to rest and recharge. Stops can include dairy, cinnamon buns, season-al produce, ice cream, coffee, baked goods, berries and a ‘food oasis’. Allot 3 hours between 9am to 4pm.

The cost to participate is $15 per person, per tour (limit one tour per day). Two-day registration is $25 while kids under 15 ride free. The tours will happen rain or shine.

Those who register by Thursday, July 31 will be entered into the Early Bird Contest and have a chance to win an interactive cooking and pasta making experience with Sarah Walsh of Prontissima Pasta Studio located in TinTown.

The winner and nine friends will learn about the ingre-dients, processes and magic of creating various types and shapes of fresh, flavoured pasta.

All tickets, Early Bird Registration Contest details, and accommodation options can be booked online or through the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre by calling 1-855-400-2882, or visiting www.cvfarmcycletour.com. One can also join the conversation at #CVFarmCycle.

Comox Valley FarmCycle Tours backagain Aug. 9 and 10


Sports and Recreation

Generations of family fun.

BecauseWe Care

1421E Island Hwy., Nanoose Bay, BC1421E Island Hwy., Nanoose Bay, BC(on the edge of Parksville) Toll Free: 1-800-492-2869(on the edge of Parksville) Toll Free: 1-800-492-2869

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Come See the Difference!Come See the Difference!

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Buy 1 Mike Burger & Receive Next Burger Half Off• Expires September 1, 2014 • Bring This Coupon During Purchase

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Unique Cowichan Bay

Mt. Brenton Golf Course

The Cowichan ValleyWELCOMES YOUR VISIT!

Here in the Cowichan Valley, we love to celebrate the abundance and diversity of our arts, culture and heritage.

Ongoing Summer Events Totem Tours – Downtown DuncanHarbour Tours – Ladysmith, Cowichan BayHistorical Tours – BambertonHistorical Walking Tours – Cowichan Bay Artisan’s Garden Tour – Ladysmith District ( June 1 to Sept 14)

Ladysmith Arts Council

SaturdaysHoneymoon Bay Outdoor Market Duncan Farmers’ Market

SundaysConcerts in the Park – Ladysmith – July & AugustSouth Cowichan Farmers’ Market – April to October

July

25 - 27: Rock of the Woods Music Festival - Sahtlam26 - 27: Bluegrass Festival – Chemainus 26: Lavenderfest – Cobble HillJuly 31 - Aug 3:

SunFest Country Rock Festival – Duncan

August

1 - 3: Cowichan Bay Regatta 2 - 3: Ladysmith Days 3: Kids’ Day at BCFDC8 - 9: Chemainus Accordion Days 23: Cobble Hill Fall Fair 23: Chemainus Jazz Festival24: Arts on the Avenue – Ladysmith24: Cittaslow Cowichan Bay White Dinner at

Rocky Creek Winery

September

1: Labour Day at BCFDC5 - 7: Cowichan Exhibition – Duncan26 - Oct 5: Savour Cowichan Festival ~ a

Celebration of Taste 27 - 28: Salmon and Mushroom Festival at

Lake Cowichan

Birds of Prey Pacifi c Northwest Raptors

Duncan

Kingfisherspa.com 4330 Island Highway South, Courtenay

$10 Menu and $5 Beverages Join us for Happy Hour Specials 3 – 5pm Daily

JULY 16 ~ AUGUST 31

Sepak Takraw may sound like a weird name for a sport, but it’s more simply put as Kick Volleyball. The object is the same as volleyball or badminton, get the ball over the net and you score the point.

Anyone who loves Soccer, Hacky Sack or Volleyball will be intrigued with Sepak Takraw. Instead of using a raquet or even your hands, you use your: feet, head, knees and chest to get the ball over the net.

The game originates in South East Asia and is played there as regularly and with as much respects as Hockey is here. In Malaysia and Thailand, ‘Takraw’ is taken to the next level. Players regularly add out of this world jump-ing back flip roll-spikes to the game, making them almost impossible to return.

In Thailand the athletes train from a young age and compete for the ‘King’s Cup’, Locally it is just played for fun!

In the Comox Valley, the ‘Red Giants’ are the only active group playing the sport regu-larly. The level of play is consistently on the rise, but newcomers are always welcome and may find the sport easier to jump into than expected.

You won’t see any roll-spikes, but your teammates will be helping you get on the right track to dominating a new sport!

During the summer months the sport is played outside in the field between Lake Trail school and Puntledge Park school at 7:30pm every Wednesday evening.

Come on out if you want to watch it in action or give it a try! There’s no cost to trying and you may make some new friends!

For more information call Phill @ 250-702-6774

- Submitted by Phill Fuller Pieter Vorster going for the kill, while Nicholas Williams and Aaron Sorenson await the return. (Owen Embree photo)

Sepak Takraw: A strange name but a great sport to try out

Diamond Sponsor

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A special thank you to all of our valued sponsors this year!

EVENT RENTALSPromo t i ona l Produc t s & G raph i c s

GERMAN AUTO IMPORT NETWORK PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

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Face paintingCrafts Stations Bouncy CastlesTom Thumb Pedal Cars

Flyby Air Show Live Music

Live Auction

Gourmet BBQSpecial collection

In a private hangarAnd Much More!

Sunday, August 17 | 11am-2pm9800 McDonald Parkd Rad, Sidney BC

Register your vehicle today at www.motorgathering.com

In Support of


Comox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 B5

(250) 334-32325291 North Island Highway,

Courtenay, BC V9J 1S7

9 & Dine is Back at Sunnydale!

•$20.00 plus gst•includes 9 holes of golf and

your choice of meal from the grill menu, or the daily special.

•Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm•Book tee-times at the pro-shop

LAWN SPRINKLING RESTRICTIONSNOW IN EFFECT

STAGE 2Watering times: 4am to 9am and 7pm to 10pm

Even numbered addresses on Tuesday / SaturdayOdd numbered addresses on Wednesday / Sunday

Restrictions apply to residents living in the Town of Comox, the City of

Courtenay and the Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco,

and Greaves Crescent local water service areas.

Stage two will remain in effect until further notice. For updated

information on the current restrictions including the bylaw, visit

www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/restrictions

Follow comoxvalleyrd

The Comox Ladie’s Golf Club played for the McQuinn Cup Tuesday, July 22nd.

The McQuinn Cup is a two ball tournament played with one high handicap and one low handicap player as partners. It is a true alter-nate shot format.

This year’s winners were Gi Carlson and Nancy Riva with a net score of 67.5. Mary Buchanan and Barb Buchanan were second with 68; Third- Patti Harris and Pat Ailes-70.5; Fourth- Suzy Venuta and Louella Dooe- 71; Fifth-June Fraser and Pat Schmidt-72; Sixth-Phyllis Taylor and Linda Diamond-72 and Seventh- Rosalie Williams and Linda Verdenhalven- 72.5.

Winners of the skill prizes were: Closest to the bucket- Bernice Sutherland; KP 3rd shot #4and 13- Nancy Riva; KP #5 and 14 Linda Verdenhalven; KP 3rd shot #7and 16- Sue Leakey; Longest putt went to Jean Kirby.

On an overcast Thursday evening , July 24th, Janice Nicklin won Low Gross on a countback with Jan Dafoe with a score of 42. For Overall Low Net, also in a count back, Phyllis Taylor beat out Linda Callender with a 33. Phyllis Taylor, Sue Leakey and Janice Nicklin won low putts with 14.

Winners of the skill prizes were: Longest putts were Mary Buchanan and Sue Leakey. Closest to the buck-et- Donna Woodman; Longest drive (0-23)- Jan Dafoe; Longest drive (24+)- Brenda Good; KP#5 (0-23)- Linda Callender; 2nd shot #9- (24+); 3rd shot for all #4 was Laurie Appleyard; Water shots- Barb Siska; Sand Draw- Sue Leakey. Donna Ermantraut had a chip in and her group was rewarded with chocolates. The green fees for non members was won by Sheila Doncaster.

Remember to sign up in the pro shop 250-339-4444 or in the locker room. Tuesday mornings are a shot-gun start at 8:30 am. You must be there by 8. Thursday evenings the shotgun is at 6pm but sign in by 5:30pm.

The ladies club would like to thank all their generous sponsors:

Signature Wines, Arizona Gifts, Thrifty’s, Gibby’s Pro Shop, The Tee Box Restaurant, Kathy Branch Hairstyling, Chinook Forest Products, Mid Island Gifts, Panago

Pizza, Looneyrama(Comox Mall) and Playtime Gaming.

- Submitted by Nancy Riva

68 golfers braved glorious sun-

shine on Sunday morning at Comox.Mike Simmons eagled #8 and

Scott Fraser eagled #11.0-16 low gross Josh Edwards 70,

Dan Bailey 7217 + low gross Pat Riva 80,

Kevin Loga 83 Low Nets Marc DeWinter 60,

Ken Simmons 61, Tony Vanuta 62, Burt Meek 63, Vic Crisp 64, Art Karpus 64

KP Prizes : 10 2nd shot 0-16 Gary Cramer

Bowlzy Brkfst Comox Pacific Express

12 Long Drive 17+ Brian Slater Westview Ford Sales

13 2nd shot 0-16 Gord Baudais Men’s Club

5 All Kaj Petersen Men’s Club14 All Rick Siddall Men’s Club15 2nd shot 17+ Jim Poulson

Bowlzy Brkfst Comox Pacific Express

16 Long Drive 0-16 Scott Fraser Westview Ford Sales

17 2nd shot 0-16 Dane Petersen Black Fin Pub

9 All Dan Bailey Men’s Club18 All Larry Kulish Men’s Club2 Golf passes to Sunnydale won

by Rick SiddallMany thanks to Rick Curiston for

supplying our computer.See you on the greens 3rd August

8.30 start.- Submitted by Vic Crisp

28 golfers played Stableford Wednesday night at Comox with the following results:

Gi Carlson on the right and Nancy Riva on the left with the McQuinn Cup at Comox

1st. Rick Curiston 23pts. Stu Holland 23, Gavin Haigh 22, Ian Leakey 22, Rob Burrows 21, Mike Naso 21 Pts.

KP Prizes 1 2nd shot 0-16 Gary Snider Men’s Club

2 3rd shot 17+ Ian Leakey Men.s Club

3 Long Drive 0-16 Rob Burrows Men’s Club

4 2nd shot 0-16 Charles Lawlor Thrifty’s

5 All Mike Naso Men’s Club7 Long Drive 17+ Jeff Townsend

Scott Fraser Royal Lepage8 2nd shot 17+ Errol Flynn

Boston Pizza3 Deuces, Rick Curiston, Lawry

Willis, Mike Naso.See you July 30th 5.30 for 6 pm

- Submitted by Vic Crisp

Many thanks starting from the groundskeepers all the way up to Bill Kelly and his team at the pro shop for making the 2014 Glacier Greens Ladies Club Championship a great success. Mother Nature gets a nod as well.

Janet Edwards, Ellie Nicholas, Glenda Kinney, and Sue Guitard also worked tirelessly to foresee this tournament to its end. A great thanks to Club Captain Kevin Hunt and Men’s Tournament Director Richard Martin for their help and support.

Thank you to our donations from Chances Casino & Bingo, and Bob Scott Bob Cat Services for their con-tinued support and to our Ben Gill

for providing BBQ chicken breasts, salads and the like at the completion of the tournament. Much appreciated was the ice cold bottled water donat-ed by Canadian Western Bank and handed out by Rick Verbeek.

The overall low gross score was a tie at 166 between our defending Champion Tobi Norris and Gene Renaud. A playoff hole had Gene Renaud emerging as the winner and her mile wide smile could not be missed as she strode off to collect her beautiful vase and pro shop prize.

The overall low net score was also a tie at 134 between Bernice Henderson and Rosslyn O`Rourke. A countback in this case took much more figuring and Rosslyn O’Rourke

was the decided winner and she happily accepted her beautiful vase and pro shop prize.

Following are the rest of the results:A Flight1st low gross Tobi Norris 1662nd Angie Krahn 1763rd Ellie Nicholas 1831st low net Liz Van Boeschoten

1402nd Judy Brown 144 on a count-

back3rd Marie Israel 144 on a count-

backB Flight1st low gross Bernice Henderson

182 2nd Janet Edwards 1883rd Lynn Pringle 1971st low net Rikki Farrell 1362nd Carmel Horochuk 142

3rd Irene Perry 144Saturday KP`sHole# 4 Liz Stirrett #7 Marie Israel #12 Judy Brown #15 Jean Tonks #17 Tobi NorrisSunday`s KP`sHole #4 Joanne Braun #7 Angie Krahn #12 Janet Edwards #15 Bernice Henderson #17 Gene RenaudLastly, greatest thanks to all the

ladies who entered the tournament.= Submitted by Lori Cameron

Left to right: Gene Renaud low gross winner, Bill Kelly Head Pro, Janet Edwards, Ladies Club Captain

Low Net champion Rosslyn O’Rourke

GOLF NEWSMcQUINN CUP PLAY AT COMOX

SUNSHINE AT PARADISE

LATE RAIN IN COMOX

LADIES CHAMPS AT GLACIER GREENS

Comox Valley Echo Tuesday, July 29, 2014 B7

CARRIERS WANTEDEARN $$$$$$$$

No Collection RequiredCall COMOX VALLEY ECHO

250−334−4734or drop by 407−D 5th Street, Courtenay

COURTENAYRt. 8105 – 29th to 27th, MorayRt. 8106 – Anfi eld Centre (Walmart), Kilpatrick,

Cliffe

COMOXRt. 1103 – Pritchard, Totem, Skeena, OrcaRt. 1120 – Sandpines AreaRt. 2129 – Sylvan, Parry, Aspen, Idiens

CROWN ISLERt. 3120 – Monarch, RoyalRt. 3134 – Crown Isle Dr., Birkshire, Sussex

VALLEYVIEWRt. 3110 – Back Road, Glen Urquhart, 10th St.

E., Hobson, 6th St. E., AstonRt. 3123 – Nechako, Chemainus, 5th St. E.,

Cowichan, 6th St. E.Rt. 3132 – Inverclyde, Carstairs, Hebrides, FifeRt. 3135 – Hawk, Swallow, Whiskeyjack



The fish will be jumping and tossing again at the Comox Nautical Days Second Annual Fish Tossing event, 4 pm, Saturday, August 2nd in Marina Park.

The second annual event “spawned” by Simon’s Cycles and Salish Sea Foods, is free of charge and open to the first twenty teams that register at the Nautical Days Info booth in Marina Park on August 2nd.

Teams of 2 must be 10 years and older, and those under 19 must have a parent/guardian signed waiver. All protective gear and Chum salmon will be provided.

The event will proceed in the style of the

World Famous Pike Street Market Fish Toss, similar to the age old Egg Toss and or Water balloon toss fashion.

Five teams will compete in heats with the winner of each heat proceeding to the final. Drop the Fish and you are eliminated.

The Grand Prize Toss Team will win free processing of their tossed Chum salmon at Salish Sea Foods in Comox, other prizes donat-ed by Simon’s Cycles.

All fish will be donated to the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Centre post event.

Visit www.comoxnauticaldays.ca for more info on the Free Festival of Family Fun.

SOMETHING FISHY AT NAUTICAL DAYS

It’s a slippery slope to fun and prizes at the Fish Tossing event, Aug. 2

Show your Chum tossing skills at Nautical Days event

Join the Whistle StopNFL Club

for a chance to win a trip to

How: See Barry or Tammy at the

Whistle Stop or Rick at Visual Sound

Perks: Weekly winner gets $100.

End of season winners

get rest of joining fees:

1st - 50%2nd - 30%3rd - 20%

Every Monday night 1 person

will win a chance to choose

a jersey of the two teams

playing that night

Every Monday night 1 person

will win a chance to choose

a jersey of the two teams

playing that night

Cost: $100

Watch NFL at the Stop Sunday & Monday and receive 2 entry forms for 2 tickets to the

Super Bowl plus hotel airfare when you purchase a jug of Budweiser or Blue or a bucket of Budweiser,

Blue, Kokanee or Corona50/50 Draws Monday nights

Lots of other prizes on Monday nights50/50 Draws Monday nights

Lots of other prizes on Monday nights

comox valley echo - july 29, 2014

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