Campbell River
Halt mailbox installations: council
City council is calling on Canada Post to halt the installation of community mailboxes for Campbell River addresses that still have door-to-door delivery.
At last Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Larry Samson put forward a motion that council write to Canada Post insisting on the temporary suspension of all community mailbox installations.
“It just drives me crazy how they can bring in these policies across the nation and then all of a sudden things change and they’re halfway done doing our community and they don’t know what they’re doing,” Samson said. “I think until such time as the newly elected federal government undertakes its comprehensive review, I’d like to see all future community mailboxes stop.”
Canada Post announced on Oct. 26 that it is “temporarily suspending future deployment of the program to convert door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes.”
However, the corporation said those communities – including Campbell River — that already made the switch will continue to use community mailboxes.
Campbell River
Indecent exposure near elementary school
School District 72 released the following statement:
“We have been informed by Campbell River RCMP that an individual exposed themselves to two elementary students near Penfield Elementary School. The students were not physically harmed and were able to get safely to the school where they reported the incident.
“It is our understanding that RCMP have a person of interest in custody and that this incident is unrelated to a similar episode that occurred near Timberline Secondary in September.
“Parents/guardians are asked to please share this information with your child(ren) and instruct them to call 911 immediately or report the incident to their school principal should they ever experience a similar encounter. For safety, it is also always advised that they walk to and from school with a friend.
Quadra Island
Quadra needs affordable housing
A long-planned and desperately-needed seniors’ and affordable housing facility for Quadra Island is continuing to inch its way closer to becoming reality.
“The housing situation is not very good on the island,” according to Karen Gair, director and treasurer with the Quadra Circle Community Connections Society, one of the partners involved in the housing initiative. “There are lots of people who are living in their campers and that kind of thing, because they can’t get any accommodations, and if they can, it’s too expensive for them.”
“We have close to 70 people who are going to need housing here in the next five years. There are certainly some seniors who need it tomorrow,” agrees Maureen McDowell, president of the organization.
The issues with the lack of housing on Quadra – especially affordable housing – are varied and complicated.
“There are restrictions for where development can take place on the island,” McDowell says, “because we do want to keep it a rural feel. People can (only) develop here in the Q-Cove area, and in parts of the Heriot Bay area.”
Which is why they are hoping to secure a parcel of land in Quathiaski Cove where they could build a seniors’ complex.
Courtenay
Maple Pool dispute finally resolved
A lengthy and costly legal battle between the City of Courtenay and the owners of the Maple Pool campground has ended.
And over 50 low-income residents living at the campground get to stay in their homes on Headquarters Road.
After spending Friday in mediation, the two sides reached a settlement over use of the property, which is prone to flooding in the winter months.
Qualicum Beach
Nutritionist not approved to speak
A rainbow-coloured lollypop sets the backdrop of a poster saying nutritionist Brian Clement will be the featured speaker at Qualicum Beach Elementary School (QBES).
Clement is a Florida-based nutritionist, and co-director of Hippocrates Health Institution, known for allegedly making controversial claims about healthcare, including that he helps patients reverse multiple sclerosis (MS). Clement denied making those claims.
QBES principal John Williams said there was “a misunderstanding.”
School District 69 assistant superintendent Gillian Wilson said Clement was not scheduled to speak at the elementary school — ever.
Ucluelet
Alberta tourist arrested twice in one day
An Albertan tourist got herself arrested twice in one day during a visit to Ucluelet last month.
The woman was first introduced to local police when she wandered into a local residence uninvited around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 26, according to Sgt. Jeff Swann of the Ucluelet RCMP.
“She was no risk to anybody, she was just extremely intoxicated and confused,” Swann said. “We tried to take her to her hotel but she was too drunk to figure out what room she was in.” With the only other accommodation-option being her truck, where she couldn’t be trusted to stay, the woman was detained in cells until she sobered up. She didn’t stay sober for long however as she was arrested again around 5:30 p.m. for being drunk in public.
Black Press