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is the question ANDREW BAILEY and JACKIE CARMICHAEL

Westerly News Public private partnerships to the level of P3’s are non-existent in Ucluelet, where officials say capital projects are often too small for the private sector to find returns on investment. A P3 is a long-term partnership between the public and private sectors where a local government does not pay for an infrastructure project until it is built and taxpayers are not on the hook for any budget overruns or construction delays, according to federal Crown Corporation Public-Private Partnerships Canada. “It’s more difficult to look at P3’s in a small community because the opportunity doesn’t arise very often,” said Ucluelet CAO Andrew Yeates. “We’re often not doing anything large enough that the private sector wants to be a part of it; they have to be able to get their money back over a long period of time.” The Canadian Taxpayer’s FederaSee CHECKLIST page 14

SEE RELATED EDITORIAL ON PAGE 4

Cute in a slippery, whiskery way, those California sea lions at the dock may bark like dogs, but don’t think they’re tame, biologist warns JACKIE CARMICHAEL

Westerly News One of the first things you learn about Ucluelet is that, chances are, the bellow of dogs barking from the harbour is really the sound of sea lions. You may see them hanging out en masse on some bit of rock in the Broken Group Islands, or you may spot one swimming out in the middle of Barkley Sound, heading somewhere by himself. The original noisy Americans, the male California sea lions we see are really the West Coast’s most devoted tourists. They have come swimming 1,700 kilometres to come and haul out here from August until April or May. Then they head south for the breeding grounds in California and Mexico. Male California sea lions started crossing the border in the 1960s, and have expanded their range as See SEA LIONS page 17

Westerly News writer Andrew Bailey snapped the main photo during Pacific Rim Whale Festival on an outing with Subtidal Adventures. Above, a California sea lion preens, hauling out on its native turf at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. (Jackie Carmichael photo)

INSIDE THIS WEEK:

IN SEINE FUN Photo album of Pacific Rim Whale Festival events and friends. PAGE 9 & 10

FEATHER FRIEND Carver ‘Feather George’ Yearsley finds his niche and inspiration PAGE 16

SIGN OF PROGRESS Tofino puts out a new welcome mat PAGE 20

Page 2 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Westerly News (1987) Ltd. is a division of VI Newspaper Group Limited Partnership The Westerly News publishes weekly on Wednesday and regularly posts online at www.westerlynews.ca

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Fate of historic Monk’s Point site in question diesel and one for stove oil. The station was never a huge money maker for the couple, so Harold Sr. also worked at the lifeboat station. Harold Jr. recounted how his mother was really the one who ran the station much of the time. If she was busy in the house and missed a boat coming in, customers would know to alert her by banging on an oilcan. Often that meant she had to tuck the baby in a basket and put the dinner on the back of the stove before pulling on her oilskins and running down

ADRIENNE MASON Special to Westerly News

Hugh Nicholson, publisher hnicholson@glaciermedia.ca Jackie Carmichael, editor editor@westerlynews.ca Andrew Bailey, reporter reporter@westerlynews.ca Paul Schroeder, advertising advertising@westerlynews.ca CONTACT US P.O. Box 317, Ucluelet B.C. V0R 3A0 102-1801 Bay Street, Ucluelet Ph: 250-726-7029 Fax: 250-726-4282 E-mail: office@westerlynews.ca DEADLINES Display ads Monday at noon Call 250-266-0557 office@westerlynews.ca Classified ads Tuesday at 10 a.m. Call 1-866-415-9169 classifieds@westerlynews.ca Online ads Start anytime Call 250-266-0557 office@westerlynews.ca Letters to the editor Monday at noon office@westerlynews.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS Local area: $75.18 Seniors (local): $63.91 Canada: $84.56 U.S.: $155.18 To subscribe call: 1-888-311-7713 or 250-729-4266

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On a high promontory in the corner of Tofino, the state of one of the town’s hidden gems and historic properties is in question. Although today the site is often referred to as Grice Point or Monk’s Point, this location was of significance to the Tla-o-qui-aht people for generations. From the vantage point at Nachiks, observers could see out to the open ocean and across to Opitsat, making it an important lookout and “early warning system” alerting the community to the arrival of people into their territory. The property, which is the hill at the entrance to Tofino Harbour, was willed to The Land Conservancy (TLC) by Harold Monks Jr. Monks had time to arrange the transaction before his untimely death in 2008. He envisioned a place much like the TLC’s Abkhazi Gardens in Victoria, where visitors could visit the historic property to enjoy the gardens, view, and to share a meal. Recently though, the TLC has filed for creditor protection, leaving the fate of this property in question. Harold Monks Jr., grew up on this property with his sister Lois. His father, Harold Monks Sr., first came to Canada from England in 1914 when he pre-empted land on Vargas Island with a wave of other young Englishmen. He worked his half-section for a few years before signing up for World

March 26 Ucluelet RECYCLES

station. The couple was very active in the community. Katie was a huge supporter of the new Tofino hospital, built in the 1950s, and Harold helped start the Legion and kept the books for the cemetery society that started the town’s first cemetery on Morpheus Island. Eventually, the Imperial Oil station was closed, but the property stayed in the Monks family until Harold Jr. bequeathed it to The Land Conservancy. There will be an open house at the property on Saturday, March 29 at 1 p.m. This is a great opportunity to visit the property and to discuss ideas for its future. For more information, call the District of Tofino.

Above, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper of Lennard Island, who built the house at Monk’s Point and an unidentified female and baby. Photos courtesy Gibson Collection. Left, the house today, courtesy Mayor Josie Osborne.

War I, where he served in two for gasoline, one for to the France and Belgium. After the war, Harold ADVENTURE SHOPPING Sr. didn’t return to Varat gas Island. Instead, he Cordially invites all interested persons to our settled in Tofino and started life as a fisherman. He married Katie Ucluelet Community Centre Hacking, a popular Activity Room 2 Quality used Tofino teacher in 1934. housewares, Around that time, clothes, books Sunday, March 30 the couple took over Rafﬂe & music dr the Imperial Oil staPlease feel free Mark aw for tion, which included Hobso to join us at 3:00 OPEN 11-5 n print the house still on the for our guest speaker: a n MON-SAT d histor property today. The ic pho George Gudbranson MAIN ST. UCLUELET tos operation was the (across from CIBC) regarding the inception Method Marine of its Supporting local charities day, with four tanks, of the Ucluelet Volunteer Fire Brigade.

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Opinion

Page 4 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

What do YOU think? Go online to www.westerlynews.ca to answer this week’s poll question: Do you feel your district has sufficient parking spaces for the upcoming summer season? a) Yes b) No c) Walk or ride a bike, it’s good for you. See the results in next week’s Westerly News.

COMMENT

Not always the answer, but don’t rule out P3s Would a P3 model work in the small communities of the West Coast? What could a public-private partnership do for something like Tofino’s long-needed sewer treatment system? I wonder. Admittedly, the choice of going with a P3 model has been repeatedly linked to scale. In 2008, the BC government hiked the threshold for capital projects, making those with a provincial contribution of $50 million or more to be built as public-private partnerships (PPPs) unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise. Smaller-value projects would not likely be a good fit as PPPs, the province said, and those between $20 million and $50 million bear screening for consideration as P3s. At last count in 2013, the pricetag estimate for a sewer treatment system for Tofino was clocked at under $20 million. Small by P3 standards, maybe – but a huge chunk of change for the community – and part of the reason the process has been tossed around for 14 years and is expected not to even get started for another five.

Jackie Carmichael Editor Hard for West Coasters to identify with successful P3s touted by the province, like $131 million on the Sea-toSky Highway, $39 million on the Abbotsford Hospital and Cancer Centre, and $25 million in benefits from the new William R. Bennett Bridge. Generally, in P3s as they stand in Canada, bigger is perceived to be a better fit. “There’s no minimum or maximum size but larger projects have a greater potential to generate the efficiency gains necessary to offset the fixed costs incurred by the public and private sectors during the development and procurement phases,” says the federal government’s website, www.p3canada.ca. A look at a map of federally-collaborated P3 projects within the last few years pinpoints a handful

of projects, mostly big projects in big cities. There are exceptions. The Oceanside Star reported Qualicum Beach built its present town hall in 1999 through a P3 with Noort Development. “The process would have taken years had it been done by the municipality. The town would have had to save for many years,” said Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer. “Once the agreement was signed, it took the developer nine months to build the town hall.” The net project cost in 1999 was $2,030,000. The annual lease fee was $290,184, but the net cost was $168,075, which is $125,000 less than what town would have paid had it borrowed money to build the town hall. One very experienced Alberta contractor has had success pulling off some P3s that don’t fit that mold. At Port Hardy, EPCOR took on what appears to be the tiniest project on Canada’s P3 list, the Port Hardy Water & Wastewater project. The project was recently

turned over to the district after the agreed-upon decade of EPCOR servicing it. The District of Port Hardy liked their deal. “The District Council and Administration would like to thank EPCOR for over ten years of service. EPCOR helped to transform the potable water in Port Hardy and established a solid foundation for water and wastewater treatment in the area,” they said on the district’s website. On EPCOR’s website, corp.epcor. com, the company touts criteria where P3s are a good fit for municipalities – and the list doesn’t mention size. “A need to expand infrastructure; new or emerging regulatory standards; when debt limits have been reached; where funds are required in other core service areas; lack of in-house expertise; inability to fund initial studies; projects needing completion on short timelines,” the site says. Tofino is stuck in some mud. Asking the year-round tax base to bear the burden for a sewer sys-

tem to serve a resort municipality’s million visitors who gotta go is a tough sell. Could the private sector, via a P3, along with the hoped-for federal and provincial funds, help with that burden? Maybe it’s time to ask the question - or ask it again. +++ The newest scam to hit the West Coast is just for the halibut. A couple comes in and orders a nice halibut dinner. After they have partaken, they declare that what they were served WASN’T halibut, but cod. They KNOW because they’re EXPERTS on halibut. Unswayed by assurances they’ve not had counterfeit cod, the couple get testy. To keep the peace, avoid a scene, the restaurant offers more fish, free dessert, a discount - to either no avail or partial mollification. Fortunately, scamsters are the exception. Most visitors are delightful. And congratulations to our talented servers who keep their courtesy and their cool ... you’re amazing.

LETTERS POLICY: The Westerly News welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, taste, legality and length. We require your hometown and a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Letters must include your first name (or two initials) and last name. Unsigned letters and letters of more than 300 words will not be accepted. Email submissions to office@westerlynews.ca

Opinion II The Westerly News | Page 5

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

OUR VIEW

COMMENT

Bravo to Buckerﬁelds

Battling illegal dumping on West Coast

Bravo to Buckerfield’s. Kelvin McCullough, CEO of Duncan-based Buckerfield’s, which has eight stores in B.C., including Nanaimo, Duncan and Parksville, says the company has no intention of paying for the provincial government’s plans to have Ontario’s Multi Materials B.C. take over its blue box recycling program May 19. It’s always heart warming to see David stand up to Goliath, and Buckerfield’s is one of many businesses who have decided to stand up against Premier Christy Clark’s heavy-handed move to dismantle a program that works, and works well, in favour of MMBC, a move that could be accompanied by job losses and will result in increased recycling costs for all concerned. Even the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, which has unfortunately chosen a path that seems to automatically guarantee rubber-stamping government policy without first soliciting members who would be adversely affected, has acknowledged there are a number of legitimate concerns with the MMBC deal. The B.C. chamber needs to remember that it represents businesses in this province– the vast majority of which are small to medium sized enterprises. It is an organization created to look out for its members, and should never be a pom-pom waving policy cheerleader for the provincial government, whether it says it is “free enterprise” or not. City council has signed on to the MMBC deal, and it is causing plenty of concern for businesses. Particularly the newspaper industry and companies which produce or distribute flyers. The British Columbia Yukon Community Newspapers Association is strongly considering pulling out of the blue box program entirely and starting its own, which poses significant cost issues

In the spring of 2012, the Central Westcoast Forest Society removed roughly 8 tons of garbage that had been illegally dumped on logging roads in the Kennedy Flats Waterfor the program moving forJAIME PASCOE/ shed and in Haa’uukmin ward. As it sits, newspaper is LOCAL VOICE Tribal Park. the most valuable recyclable The cleanup in the box at $120 a ton. That took only loss in revenue would have 3 days and was funded by a grant to be made up somewhere, from the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional and, surprise, surprise, that would be residential taxpay- District. Central Westcoast Forest Society ers and businesses. As BCYCNA president Hugh (CWFS) is a local charity dedicated to wildlife habitat restoration, research, Nicholson says: “Without and creating educational opportunnewspaper recycling, the ities in our region. blue box programs would CWFS has been restoring streams collapse. This is a Trojan and forests in the Kennedy Flats horse, not a gift horse.” As Watershed for the last 20 years. The has been stated earlier, this watershed comprises 12,937 hectares shift to MMBC is part of of land and over 420 km of fish beara larger change in provining streams. Bound by the Pacific cial regulations that would Ocean to the west and Kennedy Lake see the responsibility for to the east, the watershed supports managing the recycling of packaging and printed paper chinook, chum, pink, coho, and sockeye salmon as well as rainbow, steelhead, shift - away from governand cutthroat trout. The area also supments and taxpayers and ports a diversity of wildlife and focal on to industry and their species intrinsic to our area. consumers. As part of this Historical timber harvesting intronew “producer-pay” model, duced an extensive network of roads, businesses selling packaged covering over 253 km in this watergoods or supplying printed paper have to now be legally LETTERS and financially responsible for the costs of recycling. UES grade 7 fundraiser John Hinds, CEO of Newspapers Canada, is also steadWe have a UES grade 7 fundraiser fastly against the plan. happening at our school starting “The current system is this week and continue through until good for the environment, next week. The grade 7’s are hosting a and good for communities silent auction/movie night which will to make decisions about run from Wednesday March 26th until what and how they want to Friday April 4th, items will be set up recycle,” said Hinds. “And in the main foyer of the elementary basically, this is transferschool and throughout the day indiring it to an international or national group of packagers. viduals can come in and bid on items. I’m not convinced that trans- All proceeds will be put towards their graduation trip to Camp Homewood ferring it . . . internationally on Quadra Island which is quickly is going to have any impact approaching. Prizes will be awarded on packaging.” on Friday April 4th at the “Movie So we applaud BuckerfNight”. ield’s for taking this stand We are still collecting items for the and rising its voice above auction!! Please contact the school at the chorus that is taking the 250 726 7793. provincial government to Thanks so much, any questions feel task for the projected change. free to contact me at the school 250 Yes, it is going to be costly 726 7793 or on my personal cell 604 for business to implement, 313 6579. but it is taxpayers who will Carly Green also be hard hit when it’s Ucluelet introduced. The May 19 start date is Thanks, kind stranger just around the corner. Let’s see how finely tuned the govOn Sunday, March 2 at 10 a.m. on ernment’s hearing is to the Hwy. 4 about 50km before Port Albermarketplace.

shed. Scattered throughout this road network are numerous illegal dumping sites. Illegally dumped items often include household garbage, business trash, construction and demolition materials, appliances, furniture, tires, landscaping and yard waste, and chemical waste. Illegally dumped materials can have serious effects on the environment, wildlife habitat and the ability of others to use and enjoy outdoor recreational areas. Harmful chemicals can be released and enter waterways and fish bearing streams. Wildlife can be injured, poisoned, or killed as a result of foraging through garbage. Illegal dumping sites can lead to the habituation of Black Bears and increase the likelihood of human-bear

conflict. This year, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District is pitching in again and supporting our efforts to clean-up the watershed. The garbage removal is scheduled for March 27th through March 29th, 2014. Central Westcoast Forest Society is currently looking for help from people who use the Kennedy Flats regularly and may be able to point out illegal dumping sites that they have come across. Or better yet, if anyone would like to come out for a day and take part in the clean-up please contact us at 250-726-2424 or at info@clayoquot.org. Jaime Pascoe is the Central Westcoast Forest Society project manager.

ni, my car spun out on black ice and was stuck dangerously in a ditch by an embankment. My friend Erin Irwin and I were in shock. A young man stopped, he had a child in his car, and he pulled us from the still-moving car and he helped us so much. He organized the traffic, and he found us a ride to Port. We have no idea who he is, but we are so thankful for him, he was like an angel. Thank you. Nelly Heyduck Ucluelet

in 2013). The JLP is affiliated with the IVUSA, which is a volunteer association that supports disaster relief initiatives. Seventy students with IVUSA travelled from Japan by means of their own savings to assist debris cleanup efforts. The project was very successful thanks to the extraordinary team spirit, fellowship, passion, and teamwork from the students who inspired all of the community partners involved with this project. Cleanup efforts were very efficient and effective. Thanks to elite boat operators, collaborative support from the PRNPR and the RCMP, dedicated volunteers, partner businesses and organizations, and the cooperative weather the group collected an approximate 7 tonnes of debris in an approximate 20 km shoreline area! Sonbird Refuse and Recycling, Dan Mose with Neptune Ice, and Public Works assisted with the sorting of 7 tons of debris. Chris and John Bird will continue to provide assistance by processing and recycling debris material; only a small portion will end up in the landfill. The project exhibited that, by working together, we can make a difference See LETTERS Page 19

Thanks for help with shoreline clean-up Through the assistance of the Japan Love Project (JLP) and International Volunteer University Student Association (IVUSA), the first cleanup associated with the Ucluelet & Barkley Sound Shoreline Cleanup Program project took place on March 9 and 10 along the shores of Salmon and Mussel Beach, and a variety of beaches within the Broken Group Islands. The JLP supports the recovery of the March 11, 2011 earthquake/tsunami through fundraising and beach cleanup activities (this group participated in cleanup projects in Ucluelet

Page 6 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

COMMUNITY PHOTO ALBUM

Members of Ucluelet Secondary School’s jazz band impress at their recent fundraiser, Black Rock & Roll.

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A new lookout spot on Main Street that overlooks Tofino’s working harbour is nearing completion. “The Windy Hill lookout is a ‘pocket park’ in a historic location as one of the high vantage points overlooking the harbour and the original commercial area of Tofino,” said Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne. “Today, it provides an active view of Tofino’s working harbour and reminds us that we are still very much connected to the ocean through fishing, barging and boating.” - Andrew Bailey

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The Westerly News | Page 7

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

UKEE RCMP REPORTS

Intoxicated hitcher gives up, sleeps in middle of road gone by the time police arrived.

ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News A hitchhiker gave up on finding a ride and lay down in the middle of Peninsula Road in Ucluelet around 8:30 p.m. on March 22. “He was trying to hitchhike and nobody would pick him up so he was quite upset,” Sgt. Swann said. The man was still lying in the road when Const. Chris Squire attended the scene. The man was determined to be intoxicated and was given a ride to his father’s house.

Flasher on the lam after barkeep stops the tap A woman became belligerent after being cut-off by a local pub on Sunday night around 9 p.m. After being told she could not purchase any more alcohol, the intoxicated woman became so upset that she exposed her breasts to the pub’s attendance, according to Sgt. Swann. Pub staff contacted the RCMP but the woman was

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NEWS

Is your local TOFINO, UCLUELET PAPER.

Three wrecks on Hwy 4; tourist trafﬁc is up, so slow down Ucluelet RCMP responded to three separate car crashes along Highway 4 last week. No one was injured in a single vehicle collision on Highway 4 around 9 a.m. on March 18. The driver was the vehicle’s sole occupant and was headed towards Ucluelet when they lost control coming around a corner east of Hydro Hill, according to Sgt. Jeff Swann of the Ucluelet RCMP. The vehicle rolled over and came to a stop on its roof. The driver escaped uninjured but was checked over by BC Ambulance personnel because of the severity of the crash Swann said an investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Another single vehicle collision was reported on March 22 around 1:30 p.m. near the West Coast Wild

“He was trying to hitchhike and nobody would pick him up so he was quite upset.” Sgt. Jeff Swann zipline. Prior to the crash, police received a complaint from a motorist alleging a vehicle had just sped past her along Highway 4. “She saw the car pass her speeding and then she came across the accident,” Swann said. The vehicle, a 2000 red Ford Mustang, was heading towards Ucluelet when the driver lost control maneuvering a corner and wound up in a ditch to the right side of the road. Const Chris Squire attended the scene and determined the driver had been traveling too fast and issued a $167 ticket for speeding relative to conditions. No injuries were reported and the driver was the vehicle’s sole occupant. The third Highway 4 collision was reported on March 23 near Lost Shoe Creek #2. The driver was headed

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towards Port Alberni when they swerved to avoid hitting an animal but over-corrected and landed in a ditch to the right of the road, according to Swann. He said two people were in the vehicle at the time of the crash but neither suffered significant injuries.

At-large dog becoming a trafﬁc-stopping nuisance Ucluelet police are reminding locals not to let their pets roam through town. RCMP received a complaint of a dog running in and out of traffic on Peninsula Road near the cold beer and wine store on March 20. “People keep calling about that same pet,” said Sgt. Swann. “The homeowner lives in that area and they frequently just let their dog out and it roams town

in and out of traffic on Peninsula.” Swann responded to the report but did not locate the chronically at-large animal and said police will not track a dog down unless it’s displaying aggressive behaviour. “It’s not a police issue but the police get called for it,” he said. “Any time we get a call we will try to respond if we get time...If it’s an aggressive dog then we immediately respond,” he said. Under Ucluelet’s animal control bylaw, dogs can run off-leash but must always be under the control of a person and cannot be running at large.

Alleged smokers booted from vacation rental Ucluelet RCMP were called to a vacation rental on the evening of March 22 where tenants were believed to be smoking inside. The vacation rental’s owner requested the RCMP’s assistance to evict the alleged smokers who left without incident, according

to Sgt. Swann. Swann said police are rarely called to these types of situations. “It’s something that resorts and properties need to handle themselves and go check and do their own investigation; it’s not something we want the police to be called to all the time,” Swann said. “It’s a rare call for us to get, usually it’s handled by other means.”

Toﬁno checkstop nabs two impaired drivers The Ucluelet and Tofino RCMP detachments joined forces over the weekend to conduct a check-stop in Tofino on Saturday. About 100 vehicles passed through the check-stop and two drivers were issued 30-day immediate roadside prohibitions after blowing a “warn” into an approved screening device. A warn means the driver had a blood alcohol level over 0.5. Along with being prohibited from driving for three days they were each issued a $200 fine.

Page 8 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

NATURE

CWFS beach blitz targets Japanese knotweed From left, Lily Burke of the Central West Coast Forest Society shows volunteering Whale Festivalers Aqua Bruhwiler, Emilia Davies and Philip-Maynard Davies, how to remove invasive Japanese Knotweed at society hosted Resotring Big Beach event on March 18. Photo by Andrew Bailey.

ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News The CWFS flossed their successful invasion of invasive species at Big Beach during a Pacific Rim Whale Festival event on March 18. Whale Festivalers got in some karma-boosting hands-dirtying volunteer time pulling out knotweed and planting native vegetation under the supervision of CWFS members Lily Burke and Lisa Fletcher. Burke said knotweed was brought to the West Coast from Asia because of its popularity in ornamental gardens but the species quickly began invading native vegetation. The plant stands about three metres high and grows in dense clusters of green bamboo-like stems with dark green leaves. In May of 2013 the CWFS kicked off its Big Beach blitz against Japanese Knotweed armed with about $7,000 of funding from Ucluelet’s municipal council and a $14,500 TD Green Streets grant. An excavator was brought in to dig up the plants that can grow several metres below ground making hand-pulling extremely difficult and the removed plants and contaminated soil were disposed of by burning to prevent further spreading.

“One gram of a piece of (knotweed) can start a whole new patch so it spreads very easily and that’s why you have to be really careful with how you get rid of it,” Burke said at last week’s event. After the knot-

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wickaninnish Community School Society

April 8, 2014 • 5 pm

Wickaninnish Community School Info: Sheenagh 250-725-2555

weed was removed, the society worked to breathe life back into the native vegetation that had been choked out and restored a stream in the area that had become overrun with knotweed. “You couldn’t even tell there was water flowing here,” Fletcher said.

GOVERNMENT

Invasive species invading Toﬁno; attack planned; CWFS help sought ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News Tofino will strategize an attack plan to prevent invasive species from taking over the town. Council received a letter from Tofitian Kevin Midgley expressing his concerns over Japanese Knotweed spreading towards the road at the corner of Leighton Way and Arnet Street. “I expect that the asphalt surface of the road will be 2010 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD attacked this year. When is the 6.0L, 4 door district going to do something about it,” Midgley asked. Stock# BTD3343 He said the area the knotweed is spreading around is BRENT LANGE critical because of a nearby blange@albernichrysler.com ditch that carries water under the road towards Centennial 250-723-5331 www.albernichrysler.com Park.

24,888

“We don’t think that there’s fish in here but we wanted to replicate it as much as we could and, you never know, they could come back one day now that it’s starting to mimic its natural state again.” Woody debris was brought in along with native species like Red

Cedar, fern, salal and huckleberry. Burke said most knotweed removal projects consist of both mechanical and chemical removal strategies but the CWFS has focused solely on the mechanical so far and hopes to avoid using chemicals. “We’ll just keep attacking it but we’ll see what happens,” she said. Fletcher said it could take as long as five years for the Japanese Knotweed to be fully eradicated from the area and the society continues to hold volunteer events and monitor the area to extinguish any last gasps the species tries to take. “Because it’s winter it doesn’t look like there’s much here but as soon as spring hits you’re going to see it everywhere again so we’ll just keep hitting it,” Fletcher said. Last week’s Whale Festivalers took part in pulling out knotweed and planting native vegetation and all pulling was done under the CWFS’s keen supervision to prevent any spreading. reporter@westerlynews.ca

Midgley spoke against attempts made last year to exterminate the knotweed with a lawnmower that he believes only served to spread the fast-populating plant further. Knotweed is hard to kill and must be completely removed from an area and meticulously destroyed to prevent further spreading. “Where the tiny pieces from that mowing went is unknown but there is every possibility that they went into the ditch and into Centennial Park and possibly beyond,” Midgley said through his letter. “Since every tiny piece is a potential plant, the problem is huge.” Midgley’s letter also targeted Scotch Broom as an invasive species the town

must exterminate and blamed gravel brought in during the 2012 construction of the Tuff City Bike Park for bringing broom seeds into the area. He said the broom’s population is becoming established and must be cut in the spring before they begin to flower. “Perhaps your Worship and council could encourage citizen awareness of these plants as well as their reporting and removal before they irreversibly take over the town,” Midgley said. Mayor Josie Osborne told council she had responded to Midgley directly because of her past experience. “As most of council I think knows this is a topic that I have a lot of interest in and have worked on in the past in

a former job,” she said. Coun. Dorothy Baert suggested Tofino could draw from its volunteer base for help. District CAO Bob MacPherson advised eradicating Japanese Knotweed would require expert assistance and Osborne agreed. “Very small pieces can spawn new plants and you have to be very careful about the way it’s removed and disposed,” Osborne said. District staff has contacted the Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS), which has experience removing invasive species and has made significant efforts to exorcise Japanese Knotweed from Ucluelet’s Big Beach. reporter@westerlynews.ca

The Westerly News | Page 9

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

EAT/PLAY/LIVE: EVENT

Pulling together: Paciﬁc Rim Whale Festival 2014

Top, members or the Ucluelet Aquarium Society led about 130 Whale Festivalers through a beach seine specimen collecting at Terrace Beach on March 20. Food and refreshments were provided by the Terrace Beach Resort. Photos by Larry Chirka of www.larrychirkaphotography.com. Above, at the Ucluelet Aquarium on season opening day. Left, Fisher Thorp took top prize in this year’s Thornton Creek Hatchery Rubber Fish Race. Fisher and her father Morgan are now repeat champions of the annual event that sees over 100 rubber fish speed through Thornton Creek’s rocky water racetrack.

Vaccine and Appointment Clinic

for Dogs & Cats Toﬁno-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce And Tourism Toﬁno

Annual General Meeting Thursday, March 27, 2014 Jamie’s Rainforest Inn Dinner Reception 6:00pm – 7:00pm Meeting 7:00pm – 9:00 pm RSVP at info@toﬁnochamber.org Box 249, Toﬁno British Columbia V0R 2Z0

Tel: 250.725.3153 E-mail: info@toﬁnochamber.org Web: www.toﬁnochamber.org Since 1929

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 Ucluelet’s UAC Hall (located beside the firehall on Peninsula Rd)

9:30 am – noon &

Tofino’s Royal Canadian Legion

Alberni Vet Clinic ph 250-723-7341 www.albernivet.com

1:30 – 4 pm Visit our website

Page 10 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

EAT/PLAY/LIVE: EVENT

Pulling together: Paciﬁc Rim Whale Festival 2014

Tofino’s MacKenzie Beach made for a sandy battefield on Sunday as the annual Tugo-Whale took place. The all-Tofino team defeated the all-Ucluelet team, the all-tourist team defeated the all-local team, and the all-kids team defeated the all-parents team. (Photos Andrew Bailey) Below, see stars are a captive audience at a standing-room-only PRWF program, Return of the Giants with Jackie Hildering of the Marine Education and Research Society, at the Ucluelet Aquarium.

Above, and right, families have a blast at one of several sponsored activities; this one at UCC. Photo by Zoe McEnery

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

GO FOR A WALK, STOP IN FOR LUNCH Join us at the Pointe Restaurant and enjoy our new $35 three-course lunch menu. Our menu is always changing, so call or visit our website for up to date selections. Locals enjoy 15% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages, including the above price. @TasteWickInnBC www.wickinn.com/restaurant 250.725.3106

Showing Monday, March 31st – 8 pm At the Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre, Tofino

THE HOBBIT: The Desolation of Smaug

(Fan/Adv, US, 2013, Rated PG) The dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim their homeland Erebor from the evil dragon Smaug.

Doors open 7:15, Tix $8. Draw Prizes! Visit www.tofinomovies.blogspot.ca

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P: 1 800 668 2208 F: 1 250 725 3120

The Westerly News | Page 11

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

EAT/PLAY/LIVE: ART

‘Feather George’ Yearsley inspired by Henry Nolla ERIN LINN McMULLAN

Special to the Westerly News Wood carver “Feather George” Yearsley had been coming to Tofino for years, visiting and kayaking, when he met craftsman Henry Nolla. “I eventually got up the courage to walk over to the carving shed and introduce myself to him, and saw what he was doing. I had carved a couple of feathers at home with a Swiss army knife by that time, and so I said to him, ‘Is it okay if I hang out?’ “I think after I started there a couple of times he saw how serious I was about carving,” Yearsley reflects. “The first few weeks I was carving with him I remember looking at him and thinking I saw my future, what I wanted. I thought, ‘wow, if he lets me just hang with him I’d like to carve here the rest of my life.’” Thirteen years later, the selftaught carver now watches over Nolla’s shed and legacy at near the Wickaninnish Inn from February to mid-December each year, accompanied by his 9-year-old dog, Deuce. What Nolla gave him was a positive attitude towards life. Yearsley takes every opportunity to acquaint visitors with who Nolla was as a person and what he gave this town. “That’s one of the driving parts of what I do there,” he said. “The reason I moved to Tofino was to be at the carving shed with Henry but, ironically, I had to go back to construction to make that move,” said Yearsley, now 50, and a

Carver “Feather George” Yearsley in his studio. (PHOTO COURTESY MARK HOBSON)

full-time carver for the past seven years. “To sit and carve and make your living — a somewhat very small living — from carving is amazing but, as Henry would say, ‘everything has its price.’” Yearsley, who began carving in high school art class, now creates exquisite, almost translucent eagle feathers of the same heft and weight as the real ones from the wilderness where the adoptee sought solace, identity and roots. On trips backpacking and kayaking across BC he would attune to an internal voice saying ‘you’re going to find an eagle feather’ — he has discovered 70 to-date.

“They still present themselves to me,” he adds, as an eagle soars beyond the window where he sits. His connection to this image made it his natural subject and put to good use the tools he’d instinctively bid for at auction. “I used every one that first year with Henry at the beach.” “You need to bring honour and respect to the wood that you use because it’s ancient,” he

Tourism Toﬁno site gets top honours Special to the Westerly

Tourism Tofino announced Tuesday that it has been recognized by Canadian e-Tourism Awards Council and Online Revealed Canada with the 2014 digital marketing award for “Best Innovative Use of Technology” for the organization’s website and the “YourTofino” user-generated content initiative. The Canadian eTourism Awards honour the Canadian travel brands that have successfully met the digital challenge, producing effective and creative digital and social media marketing campaigns for the contemporary online travel consumer. The Awards are judged by a volunteer group of tourism marketing professionals, and lead by the Canadian eTourism Council, a national forum of Canadian tourism marketing executives specializing in online communications. Kirsten Soder, general manager of Tourism Tofino, will be accepting the award at the 5th annual Canadian eTourism awards, presented in asso-

ciation with the Online Revealed Conference April 7-9, 2014 in Toronto. Winners of the 2014 Canadian eTourism Awards include: Best Mobile App, TravelZoo; Best Online Campaign, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism; Best Social Media Campaign, WestJet; Best User Generated Comment, Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, and Best Website, White Oaks Resort & Spa. Soder said she was proud of the achievement for an initiative that hasn’t been in place a year yet, citing initial key perforSee AWARD, Page 20

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said, preferring people notice the reclaimed cedar over his art. “A lot of times I think about this wood standing on a hillside, or in a river valley … about all

the bears that might have slept under it, the wolves that might have been around it, owls that sat in the branches, storms it saw, branches that broke off, hot summers it withstood — all its life, all the stories of whatever it’s gone through is in that wood,” he said. Yearsley has also learned when to stop and sit on Chesterman Beach in the sun with Deuce. “Living here, it’s easy to fill up with nature and take a moment — you don’t need to go far,” he said. “I believe I learned that lesson in a place called the Stein Valley … It was the first time I sat on a rock, in the middle of a river — as I said I’ve done a lot of wilderness trips — but I never really just sat for hours on end, purposefully just sit.” He would usually be climbing a mountain or bushwhacking, Yearsley said. “I was on an island, the river went completely around me, so it was like floating in the river on top of this rock.” Part of an artist’s job, after all, is contemplation - and just being present.

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Page 12 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

EAT/PLAY/LIVE: WHAT’S ON 26 WEDNESDAY Improv Workshop- 6 p.m. Clayoquot Community Theatre. Free. Arthritis Information Session 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Coastal Family Place Presented by: Carley Grigg, TGH, Physio Therapist. FREE. Recycling Day in Tofino Preschool Play Group, 10am–noon, Tofino Community Hall. Seniors Social Afternoons, 1:30-4pm, Tofino Legion. Free admission & refreshments. Dominos, crib, board games, pool, snooker & darts. Strong Start, Ucluelet Elementary School, 8:35-11:35. Holy Family Church, 9:30am, 1664 Peninsula Rd. Ucluelet. Ucluelet library, open 1–6pm CWFS hosts Kennedy Flats cleanup this week, see article in this paper

27 THURSDAY CLUES ACROSS

9. Equalize 10. Guillemot 11. Of sound mind 13. Irish elf 17. Makes tractors 24. Father 25. Bachelor’s button 26. Vacuum tube 27. Of she 28. Wedding words 29. Em 35. Pie _ __ mode 36. Feline 37. Sandhurst 38. Snakelike fish 40. Crackbrained 41. Last course 42. Indicates near 43. Indian given name 44. Ordinal after 7th 45. Young women (Scot.) 47. “Taming of the Shrew” city 48. Luster 49. Conflate 52. Person of Arabia 53. Lotto 54. Children’s author Blyton 55. “Untouchables” Elliot

1. Plant anchor 5. 13th Hebrew letter 8. Microelectromechanical systems 12. Number system base 8 14. Doctors’ group 15. Greenish blue 16. Sent by USPS 18. A Communist 19. Southern swearword 20. Get free 21. North northeast 22. Uncommon 23. Commit anew 26. Lion, goat & serpent 30. Irregularly notched 31. Lessened 32. Constitution Hall ladies 33. Fidelity 34. Mother of pearl 39. Help 42. Arouse passion 44. Avoid 46. About roof of the mouth 47. In a very soft tone 49. Periodic publications (slang) 50. __kosh b’gosh 51. Rouse from sleep 56. El Dorado High School 57. Golf ball stand 58. Tranquil 59. Pear shaped instrument 60. Anger 61. Raja wives 62. Dashes THIS WEEKS ANSWER 63. Cardboard box (abbr.) 64. Human frame (slang)

CLUES DOWN 1. Italian capital 2. Organization of C. American States (abbr.) 3. About organ of hearing 4. = to 100 sene 5. Champagne river 6. Improved by critical editing 7. Amber dessert wine 8. Indian plaid cloth

Tofino Chamber of Commerce Creen Breakfast, Thursday March 27, 2014 8:30 am Darwin’s Cafe. keynote speaker Liz McDowell, Executive Director of CRED BC (Conversations for Responsible Economic Development). Healthy Babies Program/Family Ties,

10:30am. Drop-in for expectant, new parents, Coastal Family Place, Free community lunch, noon–2pm, Coastal Community Services Hub, Ucluelet. Info 250-726-2343. The Edge Youth Room, 3–6pm, Ucluelet Community Centre & Youth Nite at the Edge (cooking, movies, art projects & more), 6–8pm, $2. Tofino library, 331 Main St., 3–7pm.

28 FRIDAY Tofino Library Storytime 11:30 a.m.12 noon. 331 Main St. Preschool The Edge Youth Room, 2–6pm, UCC

29 SATURDAY. Monk’s Point Open House,, Toﬁno, 1-3 p.m., with presentation at 2. Ucluelet library, Ucluelet Community Centre, open 10am–2pm. Tofino library, 331 Main St., open 10am–noon & 1–5pm. St. Francis of Assisi Church, mass 5:30pm, 441 Main St. Tofino. AA meeting, 7:30pm, St. Francis Church, 441 Main, Tofino.

30 SUNDAY Christ Community Church, 10:30am,

• Books • Natural Foods • Espresso 243 Main St. 250-726-7668

HOROSCOPE ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 A difficult challenge lies ahead, Aries. Save up your energy for the next few days, and keep socializing to a minimum for the time being. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 The path you have been taking seems more stable, Taurus. This is a good way to go for a while. You will find others are looking to you more for advice. It’s a role you enjoy. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, a string of bad luck is not as bad as it seems. Like most things, this, too, shall pass. Keep your chin up, and hang out with friends to keep your mind busy.CANCER - Jun 22/ Jul 22 A great opportunity presents itself this week, Cancer. Focus your energy on making the most of this opportunity, and you will be glad for having done so. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, speak a little louder to ensure your voice is heard on an important issue this week. Your input is valuable, and those around you will be glad you spoke up. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, a new career opportunity is coming your way soon. Make the most of this opportunity if change is something you feel you need at this point in your career. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Extra spending leaves you a little light in the wallet, Libra. Look for ways to generate some extra income or curtail your spending in the months ahead. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, a bumpy road will soon give way to greener pastures. Ride out this rough patch with a smile on your face, and it will pass quickly without wreaking any significant havoc. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, a relationship is blossoming and you’re not sure in which direction it should be going. Trust your gut instincts, and things will work out fine. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 You are tougher than others suspect, Capricorn, and you will prove your mettle with a difficult task that requires all of your focus and energy to master. Others will be impressed. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Things are changing, but it’s for the best, Aquarius. Instead of going against the tide, let the waves take you where you need to go. Surprises are in store. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Think about moving in a new direction, Pisces. Change can be a good thing, and you will benefit from embracing change this time.

1419 Peninsula Rd. Ucluelet. Grace Bible Church, 10:30am, Ucluelet Community Ctr., 500 Matterson Dr. Holy Family Church, 9:30am, 1664 Peninsula Rd. Ucluelet. St. Columba Church, 10:30am, 110 Second St. Tofino. Tofino Bible Fellowship at Tofino Legion Hall, 331 Main, at 10:30

31 MONDAY Monday Night Movies, Tofino, 8 pm Clayoquot Community Theatre, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Dr, UK, 2013, 82 min, Rated PG) Director: Peter Jackson Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 19 nominations, based on Tolkien’s tale. Floor hockey, 7–9pm, Ucluelet Seaplane Base Rec Hall. $2 drop-in. Indoor Soccer, 8–10pm, USS gym, $2 Competitive & drop-in darts, doors 7pm, play 8pm, Tofino Legion

1 TUESDAY Every Tuesday, 11:30 to 1:00 the Fish and Loaves free Community Lunch at the Tofino Community hall. Healthy Babies Program/Family Ties, 10:30am. Ucluelet library, Ucluelet Community Centre, open 1–6pm. The Edge Youth Room, 3–6pm, Ucluelet Community Centre Youth night, 7-9pm, Tofino Legion. St. Francis of Assisi Church, mass 5pm, 441 Main St. Tofino. Food Bank on the Edge, pick up 1–3pm, Seaplane Base Rd. AA meeting, 7:30pm, St. Francis

SUDOKU

WEEKLY CROSSWORD

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku THIS WEEKS savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

SUDOKU ANSWER

The Westerly News | Page 13

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Cheap ride: Tuff council removes $2 fee for summer shuttle ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News Exploring Tofino just got a little cheaper. Tofino’s municipal council recently approved removing the $2 fee from Tofino’s Seasonal Shuttle to breathe life into what some councillors believe is a choking program. The seasonal shuttle came online in 2007 and operates annually from July-August to move visitors and car-free locals to-and-fro and to reduce traffic and parking congestion. The program carried an operating cost of $28,901 in 2013 but by making the service free the district expects to pay the shuttle operator a higher contract in 2014 to make up for the $2 fares the operator will no longer retain. The shuttle has been funded entirely through RMI dollars since its inception but council approved a recommendation from district staff to shuffle some money around and use Federal Gas Tax funds to help fund the program. While council unanimously approved the decrease in RMI funding, several councillors balked at using gas tax dollars as a top-up and took the opportunity to express dissatisfaction with service in general.

“I think the seasonal shuttle service model is flawed and not working,” said Coun. Duncan McMaster. He said the program has failed to become popular and while he noted ridership increased last year he attributed this increase to an overall increase in Tofino’s summer visitorship. “I think it’s time to stop pouring money into something that’s not working and step back and look at a transport plan for Tofino whether it’s seasonal or year round,” he said. He noted using gas tax dollars would affect all Tofitian taxpayers whereas the RMI-only funding model came from tourists. Thicke agreed with McMaster and was hesitant to support using gas tax funds without improving the shuttle’s service model. “There needs to be a serious look at this and we need to revamp,” she said. “There’s something in there that isn’t quite right.” Mayor Josie Osborne reminded council they had just passed a motion reducing the service’s RMI funding and gas tax dollars were now needed for the service to continue. Tofino CAO Bob MacPherson confirmed that reducing RMI funding without adding from the

gas tax pot would kill the service’s viability and he suggested council revisit their decision to reduce the RMI if gas tax dollars were out of the question. See FEE, continued on Page 16 Coun. Dorothy Baert spoke in support of the shuttle touting it as valuable service to tourists who do not bring their own wheels to Tofino. “The assumption is everybody arrives here by car and it just isn’t true,” she said. “What I know about tourism planning is you look to either end of the spectrum of traveler; the budget traveler often brings a lot of creativity and youthfulness and dynamic but they don’t have big bucks.” She said the service was an appropriate use of gas tax dollars and suggested council could work with the shuttle operator to find ways of improving ridership. “There could be more rigorous effort toward engaging people to make use of the shuttle service,” she said. “More can be done, I don’t think we should delete it yet.” She noted the shuttle could become vital in light of the parking changes Tofino is set to see with Campbell Street and Main Street improvement projects on the horizon.

“We’re looking at these parking plans as Campbell Street gets changed and Main Street gets changed and we’re moving the RV parking for example further out,” she said. “I think with the shuttle service there’s continuity that’s happening, it’s taken a long time to get where it’s at. I still think it’s early in the game to cut it off at the knees.” Coun. Al Anderson agreed and said it often takes some time for a program to reach its potential especially when it’s only offered seasonally. “I’m worried that if we just cancel it for this year and work on the plan, or council may or may not work on a plan, then you lose that continuity and momentum that’s built up over time,” he said. “There is room for improvements; I don’t agree that it’s fully broken.” McMaster reemphasized his opinion that the service model is flawed and asked staff when the shuttle operator’s contract is up for renewal. Tofino’s manager of RMI service April Froment said the contract would need to be worked out within about six weeks because the service is set to be in place by July 1. “I would only support free ridership if at the end of this season

we review the model for next year rather than six weeks before the signing of a contract,” McMaster said. He made a motion for Tofino to review the seasonal shuttle’s service model before the end of council’s current term in November. MacPherson suggested staff might not have enough information in time for such a review to take place. “Maybe you should stress to the contractor that we need the information for October if he wants his program continued,” McMaster replied. . Osborne said council would leave the October deadline in place and would hear back from staff if the deadline becomes an issue She said she recently “had a pretty long discussion” with the shuttle operator. “I know that, obviously, he has an interest in keeping the contract going for various reasons and I’m sure there’s quite a bit of motivation there and I’m sure he’ll hear about the discussion here,” she said. “It’s very clear there’s some question about the viability of the service and the usefulness of the service.” reporter@westerlynews.ca

Feds prepare to crack down with new medicinal marijuana rules ERIC PLUMMER

Alberni Valley Times There are 10 days to go until medicinal marijuana users are no longer permitted to grow pot at home, and the federal government has pledged to crack down on patients who do not comply with the new rules. Earlier this year, the Port Alberni RCMP stated that under the current legislation police are not provided with lists of who is licensed to grow pot for medicinal purposes, but a notice from Health Canada issued last week said this will soon change. A recent amendment to the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations requires those with pot licences to provide written notice to Health Canada by April 30, confirming they no longer possess dried marijuana, seeds or plants. “Those that were authorized to grow marijuana must also attest that they have discontinued production,” stated the March 14 announcement from Health Canada, noting that growers must submit information on the amount of pot and the number of plants destroyed. “If participants do not comply with the requirement to

notify Health Canada, the department will notify law enforcement. The department will also continue to cooperate with police and provide information needed to protect public safety, as appropriate.” More than 30,000 Canadians are currently licensed to grow their own pot for medicinal purposes, but as of April 1 government regulations will limit this right to approved commercial growers. One producer from Port Alberni has applied to Health Canada to set up a medical growing operation at Bute Street and Fourth Avenue. But with more than 400 applications on file, a response from the federal government is not expected for several months. To date, four commercial growers have been approved by Health Canada to produce under the new

regulations. ber of legal producers has grown drug house busts this month with An Abbotsford lawyer is fighting exponentially across the country a one-week span, both operations these changes in Federal Court from the less than 500 originally just a few blocks away from Alberthis week with a claim that the approved by Health Canada. ni Elementary School. upcoming restrictions violate the One licensed producer was Cpl. Jen Allan of the Port Alberni “right to life, liberty and the secur- charged in January after police RCMP said grow-ops threaten the ity of person” stipulation in the searched his Port Alberni home safety of neighbourhoods, often Canadian Charter of Rights and last October. attracting weapons and other Freedoms. Barry James Sorland faces drug criminal activity. “Everyone who is medically trafficking offences after he Port “The occupants of a marijuana approved to use cannabis has a Alberni RCMP discovered he was grow operation are more susceptright to reasonable access to it as producing beyond his legal limit. ible to extortion and home invamedicine for their health,” said Local police made another two sion,” said Allan in an email to the John Conroy of the Conroy and to everyone who helped Company law make this event such a wonderful success... firm. Since the MariCHOWDER CONTESTANTS juana Medical Black Rock Resort Access ReguCONGRATULATIONS! Solidarity Snacks lations was Judges’ & People’s Choice Award Shelter Restaurant introduced in Starboard Grill-Brad DeClercq Long Beach Lodge Resort Thank-you to our 2001, the numA big thank-you to all of the restaurants, chefs

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CHOWDER CHOW DOWN

Thank-you

Jamie’s Rainforest Inn 4 Spice Restaurant Sea Shanty Restaurant Beachfront Bistro Starboard Grill Wildside Restaurant Offshore Restaurant

spectacular 2014 Judges panel!

Thank-you to our partners: Ucluelet Recreation Commission & Pacific Rim Whale Festival Society

Thanks to: Far West Foods - our event sponsor.

Dave Christensen

and staff that participated! This event would not happen without your support!!

Creative Salmon- for our new net! Black Rock Resort - for the tables.

VOLUNTEERS Helen Williams Maria Kaiser Ed Chernis Julie Chernis Andrea Hanson Maggie Brown Rachelle Cole Karen Smith Marva Chandler Sally Mole Marilyn McEwen Russell Roper

Page 14 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Lunney brings good news for BC’s busiest ﬁshing harbour ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News Nanaimo-Alberni MP Dr. James Lunney was in Ucluelet on Wednesday to announce the completion of $232,000 worth of repairs at Ucluelet’s Otter Street Harbour. The funding came from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada as part of a $7.9 million investment in BC’s small craft harbours. The Otter Street Harbour caters to up to 17 large vessels involved in the hake, sardine, and tuna fisheries and the federally funded improvements included installing a new rope mooring system, float repairs, and a new 20-metre gangway. “The harbour is the lifeblood of this beautiful coastal community where people have earned a living from the sea for many, many, years,” Lunney said. “We’d like that to continue as far into the future as any of us can see.”

Ucluelet Mayor Bill Irving listens as Nanaimo-Alberni MP Dr. James Lunney, right, brings news for the Ucluelet Harbour.

He said nearly 90 per cent of Canada’s commercial fish harvesters rely on small craft harbours representing about $1.5 billion in landed value, and he added that Canada’s West has 54 harbour authorities managing 81 core fishing harbours. “This is now as the (Ucluelet) Mayor likes to remind me, either is or it’s rivaling

the largest landed seafood port in British Columbia so on this side we’re cheering for Ucluelet to be the largest,” Lunney said. He said the improvements made to the Otter Street Harbour were a high priority because safe harbour facilities are crucial to Ucluelet’s fishing industry. “Regular maintenance and

repair of the harbours keep them safe and functional and these investments ensure that harbour facilities continue to meet the needs of commercial fisherman and harbour users,” he said. “The Government of Canada is proud to support our West Coast communities and our small craft harbours across the Nation;

we recognize harbours like Ucluelet’s West and Otter Street facilities directly benefit commercial fisherman, local economies, and coastal communities.” He acknowledged the members of Ucluelet’s Harbour Advisory Commission in attendance and thanked the community for laying the foundations that allow the local fishing industry to thrive. “We appreciate the good work of the people here, the community working together, everything in life is teamwork; we try to do that at the federal level but in delivering these services to small craft harbours it’s the people on the ground, the ones who use the facilities, the ones who are here good weather and bad helping people with their products and the ships coming and going that are driving the economy here,” Lunney said. “We’re very proud to partner with you on that and look forward to a successful future for the fishing and

commercial industry here in Ucluelet.” Ucluelet Mayor Bill Irving gave high accolades during his introduction of Lunney at the announcement ceremony held at Ucluelet’s inner boat basin. “It’s really our privilege and opportunity to thank the federal government for the work and investment they’ve done in Ucluelet; it’s tremendous,” he said. “I want to acknowledge James’ response to our needs and really our well wishes as he’s decided not to run again he’s been a great advocate for us and were really sorry to see him go.” Lunney responded jokingly that it is too early for such a eulogy and that he’s still “working (his) butt off.” In October 2013, Lunney announced he would not seek re-election in 2015 and cited the redistribution split of his riding as the primary reason. reporter@westerlynews.ca

Toﬁno council mulls public art policy ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News Tofino will prepare a public art policy to help avoid hullabaloos like the one sparked by the Weeping Cedar Woman statue. Coun. Cathy Thicke brought the motion forward at a recent council meeting and said a public art policy would ease discussions surrounding the acquisition of public art. She also noted the district’s Arts and Culture Master Plan, adopted in December, recommends estab-

lishing a public art policy. “On account of those two things I think it’s appropriate now to consider the public art policy and that we put some funding towards it because I don’t believe it is within the staff capacity to undertake this,” she said. “I recognize that it’s a little bit of a chicken and egg scenario it’s not a perfect world perhaps it would have been best if this had been developed last year but we’re a community of 1,876 people with a small staff and budget and we’re

Community Open House Monks Property, Tofino Saturday March 29, 2014 1:00 – 3:00 pm with short presentations at 2:00 pm Please join Tofino’s Mayor and Council and the Tofino-Clayoquot Heritage Society for this public open house to tour the Monks’ home and garden and to discuss the preservation and future use of this historic property. Representatives of The Land Conservancy (the property owner) will also be in attendance. Location: North end of Main Street past the Whalers on the Point hostel. Parking is not available on site – please park on Main Street or elsewhere downtown and walk in. For more information: Shanen Porter Tofino-Clayoquot Heritage Society 250-266-0662

J o s ie O s b o r n e , M a y o r 250-266-5229 osborne@ tofino.ca

The much-debated Weeping Cedar Woman statue.

working really hard to do things right but it doesn’t always work out perfectly.” Council voted to have staff prepare a draft policy for council’s consideration but balked at hiring a consultant to do the work. Thicke’s motion had suggested the district allocate up to $5,000 towards creating the policy. “I don’t believe that it will take anywhere near that amount but I just wanted to put a round number there for consideration,” she said. Coun. Duncan McMaster supported developing a public art policy but doubted $5,000 would be needed. He said he had reviewed various public art policies used by com-

munities throughout Canada and the United States and he believed all were within Tofino’s internal capacity. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that 90 per cent of them are all the same so to pay $5,000 for a cut and paste job...I realize staff are busy but I’d like to think there was enough interested councillors or individuals that might be prepared to take this on,” he said. Coun. Dorothy Baert suggested the district could draw from the expertise within Tofino’s community but cautioned that developing the policy may be beyond the volunteer sector’s scope. Coun. Al Anderson said he needed more information before voting on any allocation of funding including an examination of how the policy would fit with other district policies. He noted a public art policy might not exclusively deal with sculptures like the Weeping Cedar Woman but also live performances and other artistic endeavors. “I do want to move on this but there are a couple things I’d like to further explore,” he said. Osborne suggested council could give staff the go ahead to begin working on a policy and remove

the $5,000 allocation from the motion. “I feel like there’s general consensus that ‘yes’ council wishes to move ahead with developing a public art policy and I think we should get that underway today,” she said. “I hear the conversation about determining how that can be done and sources of funding for that or whether any staff resources exist for that.” Council agreed to approve the motion without the funding allocation and district CAO Bob MacPherson said staff would begin crafting the policy and bring a report back to council if any additional resources are needed. Earlier in the meeting Tofino local Menno van Barneveld presented as a delegation regarding the potential public art policy. Van Barneveld recently spoke out against the district’s actions surrounding the potential acquisition of the Weeping Cedar Woman statue and he stressed to council that public art should go through a legitimate public consultation process. “There are many creative people and local artists that aren’t members of art societies and organizations that should be able to See PUBLIC ART page 19

The Westerly News | Page 15

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

NDP: Province handing over recycling will hurt business JEFF SLAGEL

Black Press The NDP is accusing the provincial government of handing over control of B.C.’s blue box recycling system to Toronto-based multinational executives who will be unaccountable while B.C. businesses and households pay higher costs. Opposition small business critic Lana Popham raised the issue of Multi Material BC in the Legislature Monday, calling on the province to change course before the agency’s new system for recycling packaging and printed paper takes

effect May 19. “If government doesn’t take a step back, B.C.’s recycling system is going to end up in a giant dumpster,” Popham said. “The control of recycling should never have been outsourced to the large corporate interests based in Ontario and abroad. This is a profound failure. This program needs to be paused and the entire concept reconsidered.” Popham’s comments follow the launch earlier this month of a campaign against MMBC by a coalition of business groups, including the newspaper industry,

who say they can’t afford to pay high fees imposed under the new system. “The Liberal government loves to claim they’re getting rid of red tape,” she said in an interview Monday. “So it’s quite ironic because MMBC is a Godzilla-sized red tape monster.” Although MMBC is registered as a society, Popham called it a “dummy corporation” because two of its three directors are Torontobased senior executives with Loblaws and Unilever, while the third is MMBC managing director Allan Langdon.

The Saanich South NDP MLA said the province should force MMBC to give B.C. stakeholders majority control. Popham said the MMBC system will be “dangerously close to monopoly” resulting in less competititon and innovation in recycling. She also said municipalities have been pressured into signing contracts with inadequate compensation for their costs, the threat of penalties for contamination and a gag clause. MMBC’s new recycling fees on businesses will be passed along to consumers through higher prices,

Popham said, calling it a “hidden tax” that won’t be transparent to consumers. Meanwhile, she says cities are unlikely to rebate property taxes that households already pay for recycling. “The slogan for MMBC should probably be ‘Recycle once, but pay twice.’” In some cities where MMBC won’t provide services, such as Kamloops, residents will pay for nothing, Popham added. MMBC says it will take new types of containers and packaging See RECYCLING Page 16

Hardy and established a solid foundation for water and wastewater treatment in the area,” they said on the district’s website. The Oceanside Star reported Qualicum Beach built its present town hall in 1999 through a P3 with Noort Development. “The process would have taken years had it been done by the municipality. The town would have had to save for many years,” said Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer. “Once the agreement was signed, it took the developer nine months to build the town hall.” The net project cost in 1999 was $2,030,000. The annual lease fee was $290,184, but the net cost was $168,075, which is $125,000 less than what town would have paid had it borrowed money to build the town hall. Yeates said many partnerships exist between the district and local community groups and he cited the Wild Pacific Trail (WPT) Society as an example of the success such partnerships can bring to the community. “They’ve got

expertise in areas that we don’t, they have the personnel and the people for certain functions that we don’t, so it’s a perfect partnership,” he said. “Ucluelet is blessed with a ton of community groups that pull off absolutely phenomenal events and projects year after year after year and they’re all doing it...When council can partner with any of those groups to do something it’s a win-win all over the place.” He suggested partnering with local groups allows the district to save taxpayer money and pull off projects it couldn’t otherwise dream of. “There’s either a savings or in some cases without those groups it wouldn’t get done at all we’d have to bow out, so it’s either a saving to the taxpayer or it’s a saving of a project that probably wouldn’t have gone forward otherwise,” he said. “Typically with the Wild Pacific Trail Society we do projects on a 50/50 (funding) basis so were doubling our money and

their doubling theirs; it’s perfect.” The Wild Pacific Trail’s innovator and manager Oyster Jim Martin said the WPT society has received “overwhelming” support from the district since the trail’s inception. “You could do this project in another place and not have that kind of cooperation and it would be a hard slog,” Martin said. “It can’t be said too loudly or longly how much their involvement has been appreciated over the years, certainly by the directors of the society and then, of course, by the residents as well.” The Wild Pacific Trail was recently named Vancouver Island’s top attraction on Trip Advisor. Yeates said the effectiveness and proficiency within Ucluelet’s community organizations make partnering with them an easy “nobrainer” decision. “We certainly do our part and do what we can when we’re asked, but they’re a very self-sufficient bunch,” he said. reporter@westerlynews.ca

Infrastructure, continued from Page 1 tion published a Beggars Checklist in 2009 that touts P3s. “Massive government-led capital projects often result in substantial cost overruns,” the organization said. However, Yeates said, Ucluelet’s largest local government-led capital project in the past decade came in under budget. The Ucluelet Community Centre (UCC) was completed in 2010 at a cost of $9,139,251; about $245,790 lower than its $9,385,000 budget. Yeates did not work in Ucluelet’s district office when the project was planned so he could not speak to whether a private sector partnership was ever sought but he suggested the district did the right thing by flying solo. “Entering into an arrangement with the private sector to lease back the community centre when we could finance it ourselves doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said. “The private sector can bring expertise to the table, no doubt about it - and there’s some areas where we wouldn’t have the expertise, (so) that going to a partner is a good idea...Why we would let them jointly own or run a project is the question. If I could just hire a contractor to do it then I retain the control and still get the expertise.” Ucluelet hired a contractor to build the centre and retained control rather than signing onto a partnership with a private company. “We had the best of both worlds; our control and input and the expertise of an outstanding builder,” Yeates said. Yeates said there is nothing in the district’s five-year financial plan where a P3 partnership will be applicable. “Our projects of late have been repairs or small add-ons to existing systems,” he said. “We’ve never done a complete major infrastructure build from scratch so there hasn’t been the opportunity; you’re not going to do a P3 on replacing

a lift station for $1 million - it just doesn’t work that way.” The Ucluelet Aquarium was not led by the district but by the notfor-profit sector and it is within this sector that Yeates sees a goldmine of partnership potential. Through fundraising and grant proposals, the Ucluelet Aquarium Society was able to bring the roughly $2 million state-of-the-art facility online. “That was an effort of a not-forprofit society and people with a dream for making that happen,” Yeates said. There are examples on the Island of smaller communities using P3s with some success. At Port Hardy, EPCOR took on what appears to be the tiniest project on Canada’s P3 list, the Port Hardy Water & Wastewater project. The project was recently turned over to the district after the agreed-upon decade of the Alberta company servicing it. “The District Council and Administration would like to thank EPCOR for over ten years of service. EPCOR helped to transform the potable water in Port

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Page 16 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

GOVERNMENT

Citing confusion, council renames MUP ANDREW BAILEY

Westerly News A trail by any other name is still a trail but an unapt name could confuse tourists. Tofino’s municipal council decided to keep it simple and name a new trail that connects the Multiple Use Path (MUP) to the Tonquin Trail: the Tonquin Trail Connector. The new walking and biking trail meanders through about 1.3 km of forest from Tofino’s community hall to the top of Industrial Way. The trail is nearly complete and an official name was needed before signage and maps could be updated using Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) dollars. “The project name MUP Connector Trail, conceived for the purposes of grant funding and contracting project work, is not particularly alluring and hardly inspires residents and visitors to explore what is a substantial and pleasant

addition to Tofino’s growing trail network,” Tofino’s manager of RMI services April Froment said in her report to council. Council was asked to pick from a list of five suggested names that Froment said were put forth by local organizations and residents with “relevant knowledge” of the area’s natural and heritage features. The suggested names were: Red Legged Frog Trail, Anchor Creek Trail, Guppy Trail, Forest Bog Trail and Tofino Connector Trail. Red Legged Frogs are rare and endangered but can be found in a bog located along the trail. “Naming the trail after this threatened species would raise awareness of the many fauna that live in the forested area in an around Tofino,” according to Froment. Anchor Creek is one of two creeks the bog drains into with the other being Tin Wis Creek and

Froment cautioned naming the trail after the latter could confuse visitors because the trail is not located near Tofino’s Tin Wis Resort. “Naming the trail after Anchor Creek would help identify a local stream and support the preservation and enhancement of our community’s waterways,” her report said. Guppy Trail was suggested as a shout out to the Guppy family, early Tofino settlers who were reportedly local naturalists for at least three generations including prospector historian, author, and avid hiker Walter Guppy. Walter lived in Tofino for 80 years penning several books on the community’s history and the small freshwater fish “guppy” was named after his grandfather Robert John Lechmere Guppy, according to Froment. Forest Bog Trail described the trail’s terrain but Froment feared

this name would cause confusion with the Pacific Rim National Park’s Bog Trail and Rainforest Trail. Tofino Connector Trail described Tofino’s trail network of connected walking and cycling paths. According to Froment’s report, smaller trails may be added to this network connecting users to various local neighborhoods. After reviewing the list, several councillors wondered if it was appropriate for the trail’s name to be determined by council without a full-blown public consultation process. “Could this be something that we put out to the public,” asked Coun. Cathy Thicke. “Is this council table the right place to make this decision; is there a better way?” Coun. Garth Cameron agreed and asked for clarification on where the suggested names came from. Froment said the names were chosen based on consultations

with community members and organizations and she added she would be hesitant to undertake a public naming process for the trail. “We did do that in the past and we ended up with a name that we have now 10 years later changed and it’s lead to some confusion so I’m somewhat hesitant to do that,” she said referencing the Tonquin Trail’s former name: the Lighthouse Trail. Coun. Dorothy Baert asked if the district has a policy on using the names of individuals and Froment responded there is such a policy for street names but not for trails. Council seemed satisfied with staff’s explanation on the process but unsatisfied with the options in front of them. “I find them all rather confusing to be honest,” Thicke said of the suggested names. She suggested calling the trail See CONFUSION, Page 17

lion in revenue, generate less than one tonne per year of packaging, or operate as a single outlet. “We’ve got all kinds of validation on this — chambers of commerce, local government, opportunities for local government to either continue the way they’re doing it or to have MMBC put their con-

tractors in there to pick up,” said Foster, who serves on the government’s environment and land use committee. “MMBC came forward as an opportunity to change people’s way of doing business and to put the onus on the original producers of the waste product or the recyc-

lable product to reduce.”an interest in keeping the contract going for various reasons and I’m sure there’s quite a bit of motivation there and I’m sure he’ll hear about the discussion here,” she said. “It’s very clear there’s some question about the viability of the service and the usefulness of the service.”

Recycling, continued from Page 15 not collected in B.C. before. But Popham noted glass will no longer be collected curbside in many cities and there’s little evidence the system will improve recycling rates overall. She said a smarter approach would have been to extend the beverage can deposit-refund sys-

tem to more containers, such as milk cartons and laundry detergent jugs. Liberal MLA Eric Foster (Vernon Monashee) responded in the Legislature, saying the province made changes to exempt most businesses from MMBC fees and paperwork if they earn less than $1 mil-

Man unaccounted for after explosion Attention Boaters Get ready for boating season by getting your pleasure craft licence and proof of competency now. Pleasure craft licence In Canada, all recreational boats with a motor of 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) or more must have a pleasure craft licence. A pleasure craft licence provides a XQLTXH LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ QXPEHU WKDW PXVW EH displayed on your boat. This allows Search and Rescue personnel to access important information in an emergency. Pleasure craft licences are valid for 10 years. Operating a pleasure craft ZLWKRXW RQH PD\ UHVXOW LQ D ¿QH Proof of competency Everyone who operates a power-driven boat also needs proof of competency — something that shows they understand the basic rules and how to safely operate a boat. The most common proof of competency is the Pleasure Craft Operator Card. You can get the card by taking a boating safety course in-person or online, and passing the test at the end of the course. For more information on how to get your card or to get an Application for a Pleasure Craft Licence, visit www.tc.gc.ca/boatingsafety or call the Boating Safety InfoLine at 1-800-267-6687.

A 64-year-old man remains unaccounted for after an explosion on a floating home in a remote area south of the Alberni Inlet last weekend. The man’s two-storey float home caught on fire and sank 19 metres below the waters of the Uchucklesaht Inlet. “He has not been seen or heard from since,” said

Staff Sgt. Mike Coady of the Port Alberni RCMP. “We are looking for his remains.” The man was living in the Snug Basin on the north side of the Inlet, far away from any other float homes in the area and without road access. Police believe the home caught on fire Friday or Saturday, based on accounts from residents in the area who investigated the accident after hearing an explosion. “It was unwitnessed, so we’re relying on others who came upon it,” Coady said. RCMP crews have been at the site all week. The focus turned to an underwater search Tuesday after a police dog and helicopter were unable to find any trace of the missing man on land. A local aboriginal police services RCMP officer and a handful of divers, including two from the RCMP’s National Underwater Recovery Team Training Centre in Nanaimo, were back on the scene Thursday to find any trace of the lost individual. The remains of the float home, which measured approximately six by nine metres, has created a hazardous situation for the underwater crew, Coady said.

The Westerly News | Page 17

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Sea lions, continued from Page 1 Then they head south for the breeding grounds - rookeries - in California and Mexico. Male California sea lions started crossing the border in the 1960s, and have expanded their range as far north as Alaska, said West Coast marine mammal biologist Wendy Szaniszlo. While in B.C. there are probably about 3,000 of them, there are some 250,000 of them in the Pacific – about ten times the number of the larger Stellers sea lion, which ranks as a “species of special concern” under Canada’s Federal Species at Risk act. (A special subpopulation of Stellers in Alaska is considered endangered, its population having plummeted 70% in Western Alaska.) The adult male California sea lion weighs 800 pounds. He’s a chocolaty brown (Stellers are blond, and can weigh 2,000 pounds), and he has a bark to his vocalization, while the Stellers growls. He’s sluggish-looking on land, but he can swim 25 mph. He can dive to depths of almost 900 feet, and he can travel 100 kilometres a day easily. He is a yoga king, with a spine so flexible he can bend back and touch his neck to his flippers. Like most animals, California sea lions are driven by two things – food and the breeding season. They like the Ukee harbour for the protection it affords. And they are bewitched by the smell of Neptune’s docks and other fish unloading places, like Woolley’s. Szaniszlo counted 27 California sea lions hauled out near Eber road. So what are they barking at? “No one really knows – communication. They could be negotiating seating arrangements, or where they’re fishing next, but they vocalize day or night. Anyone living on Eber Road can probably tell you that,” Szaniszlo said. Sea lions are smart enough – and trainable enough - that the U.S. Navy uses them in operations along with dolphins. Their memories are good enough that a sea lion mother – fiercely maternal - can find her pup among

Left, a male California sea lion is captured digitally by Westerly writer Andrew Bailey during a Pacific Rim Whale Festival excursion with Subtidal Adventures. Below, Wendy Szaniszlo’s photo of a sea lion, top left, being slowly strangled by a packing band.

thousands, going by vocalization and scent, Szaniszlo said. Sea lions of all sorts are vulnerable to killer whale predation. They are also vulnerable to being entangled in human cast offs old fishing lines. Plastic packing bands used for bait boxes are a real threat, and Szaniszlo participates in rescue operations with the Vancouver Aquarium to dart and tranquilize sea lions strangling on packing bands, and then to remove the lethal collars. But perhaps their biggest enemy is perception – the notion among the fishing public that sea lions are “stealing the good ones.” Sea lions get a bum rap, she said. They love to chow down on sand lance, small prey fish. They are also fans of herring and salmon, but will eat whatever’s in abundance. Sea stars, dogfish, eels. But their favourite food, hands down, is octopus and squid. “They have a very diverse diet,” she said. “But the public perceive they’re eating all the fish, and that they need to kill them.” “Generally, there’s a perception by some individuals that they’re pests. But there are situations where human behavior teaches them to do behavious that are considered annoyances later on,” Szaniszlo said. Wendy Szaniszlo has a short list of ways to keep the human/nature balance with the California sea lions. Do obey the law, and don’t feed the sea lions, Szaniszlo said, recalling (indignantly) the sight of a sport fisherman feeding a sea lion out of his hand during the recent Pacific Rim Whale Festival. “If they are rewarded for coming to a boat or a dock, they’re going to learn very quickly to go to that spot where they learned to get food. They’ve got incredible longterm memory, and just like a bear or a wolf will become habituated, sea lions will too,” she said.

Confusion, continued from Page 16 the Tonquin Connector. Coun. Al Anderson said he liked the idea of naming it the Red Legged Frog Trail but Coun. Duncan McMaster said this name was too hard to say and Thicke said it did not give any indication of the trail’s location. “It doesn’t connect for me where it is,” Thicke said. Cameron agreed with Thicke and said the Tonquin Connector

label would be easy for visitors to understand. Council opted to nix any potential confusion among users and aptly name the trail the Tonquin Trail Connector. The word ‘trail’ was added in an effort to prevent visitors from thinking they could follow the Tonquin Connector straight to Tonquin Beach. reporter@westerlynews.ca

“Don’t feed sea lions. Feeding marine mammals is illegal. It is also potentially dangerous,” she said. “Don’t release fish or discard fish parts in the presence of seals or sea lions.Dispose of waste through land-based facilities at marinas and fish cleaning stations, Szaniszlo said. And if you see them “hauled out” on a beach or a dock, don’t approach them, no matter how whiskery cute and big-eyed they seem. Sea lions are not tame, and can be dangerous. “They’re really bears with flippers,” Szaniszlo said, quoting a friend. editor@westerlynews.ca

by rezoning Lot 3, DL 282 Clayoquot District Plan 30931 from R-1 Single Family Residential to VR-1 Vacation Rental.

Page 18 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Westerly News | Page 19

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Letters, continued from Page 5 with the protection of our marine environment. The project also served as an opportunity to work together to build resiliency as a community, and expand on our emergency preparedness and response capabilities. During the JLP and IVUSA visit, the District of Ucluelet hosted a 3rd anniversary memorial event to remember and honour the 2011 T hoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11. This date acts as a reminder to all of us to prepare

ourselves and families for an emergency. The District of Ucluelet would like to thank the following individuals and organizations: IVUSA and the JLP; Brian Condon with Subtitle Adventures; Scott MacDonald, Corene Inouye, and the deckhands with Jamie’s Whaling Station; Gary Bostrom with Devotion Fishing Limited; Peter Clarkson, Randy Mercer, Natalie Verrier, Renee Wissink with the PRNPR; Cst. Chris Squire, Cst. Marcel Mid-

lane, and Sgt. Jeff Swann with the RCMP; Chris and John Bird with Son Bird Refuse and Recycling, Stephen Holland, Ed Chernis, Paul Freimuth, Ingrid Pongratz, Cris Martin, Pete Ashbee, Oyster Jim Msrtin, Lawrence Charnell, Dave Ennis, Dan Mose with Neptune Ice, Curtis and Lori Fendelet, Shino Abacus A huge thank you to everyone else that helped to make this project and memorial event so special: Christ Community Church,

Yuułu ił at and Tseshaht First Nations, Ted Eeftink with Majestic Kayaking, Dave Payne, Ucluelet Elementary and Secondary School, Black Rock Resort, Ucluelet Volunteer Fire Brigade, Ucluelet’s Emergency Coordinating Committee, Wild Pacific Trail, Kimoto family, Ucluelet Chamber, Sew West, Reflecting Spirit Gallery, Tom and Judy Schmidt, Ucluelet Council and staff, particularly Public Works and Parks and Recreation, NHK Japan Broadcasting Cor-

poration, Canadian Made Tours Inc, Westerly News, CTV News, Global News, Chek TV News. Thank you Japan Love Project, the International Volunteer University Student Association, and West Coasters for supporting this cleanup project and taking time out to remember March 11, 2011! Thanks! Regards, Karla Manager of environmental & emergency services, District of Ucluelet.

Friday marks 50th anniversary of tsunami The Times Colonist

Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 tsunami that hit the West Coast of Vancouver Island, a monumental event that somehow left everyone in its wake alive. The surge of water, propelled by the funnel effect through narrow Alberni Inlet, grew from a 9.2-magnitude earthquake in Alaska. It reached Port Alberni just

after midnight. Cars were lifted up and buildings shifted on their foundations. Former Port Alberni mayor Ken McRae, a 19-year-old mill worker at the time, said one of the worst things was all of the logs strewn around after coming loose from their booms. There was no warning system in place, but people banded together and managed to stay out of harm’s way.

Public art, continued from Page 14 voice their opinion,” he said. “The citizens of this community should have first hand involvement in the public art approval process, not just a small group of friends should decide how this town is decorated.” His presentation included examples of public art in other communities some popular and some not. He cited a Traveling Light sculpture in Calgary, which was selected by a citizen-panel and cost the city about $471,000 but has since become unpopular with citizens including Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Van Barneveld said music is a

“universal art form” and should be included in the realm of public art. He requested council kick off a fundraiser and allocate funding towards bringing the band Sick Of It All to Tofino; he showed a music video for the band’s song District during the meeting. He also requested council send a letter to the Westerly News because he believes locals who come forward to present to council get “smeared” by the local reporter. Council did not make motions regarding either of these requests but received van Barneveld’s presentation as information. reporter@westerlynews.ca

“No one was killed,” McRae said. “That was the main thing.” Emergency Management B.C. has organized a “road show” around Vancouver Island to spread the message of disaster awareness and preparation. Earthquakes and tsunamis are among the topics covered by Alison Bird, a Natural Resources Canada seismologist, or earthquake expert, and others. Eleven presentations in all will be made in Island communities, including Monday’s in Ucluelet and yesterday’s in Tofino. “We’re just really keen on getting people aware of the hazards the earthquake, the tsunami how to respond, how to prepare,” said Bird, who works out of the Natural Resources Canada facility in North Saanich. Preparing for a disaster begins with individual knowledge, she said. “That is probably the most important part because it really does come down to the individual. There certainly aren’t enough government resources even if you bring all the different levels of government together in order to help everyone after an event.” But there is certainly strength in numbers. Bird has an emergency plan

with a neighbour so they can combine resources. “That sort of thing goes a long way,” she said. Bird said that being ready for a disaster comes with the territory in her line of work. “I don’t think I could do what I do and not be prepared,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to feel confident in my life in general, knowing what I know. I think of earthquakes and tsunamis every day.” Bird is part of a team that processes earthquake data for western Canada. “We usually locate about 4,000 every year of varying magnitude. But the number of earthquakes being recorded has gone up dramatically over the last two years just because of the number of aftershocks from the 2012 event.” That quake had a magnitude of 7.7 and was centred off the coast of B.C. in Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. The resulting tsunami was the largest one in the world that year, Bird said. “It was a very focused tsunami, so it certainly hit the west coast of Moresby Island [in Haida Gwaii] and it hit part of Hawaii.” People in Hawaii fled to higher ground, but the tsunami had little

effect. Bird noted that Natural Resources Canada is working with the University of Victoria-based NEPTUNE project an extensive subsurface array of cables that collects ocean data to develop an early-warning system for tsunamis. “We’re players in that, one of the stakeholders,” she said. “It’s a very exciting initiative.” Bird said preparing for an emergency involves basic messages that always bear repeating. “I do start to feel a bit of a nag,” she said. “But it’s only because I’m so eager that people are aware of the hazards, that they do prepare for them and they do respond properly.” Tried-and-true advice is often the best, Bird said. “For earthquakes, it’s ‘drop, cover and hold on.’ We can’t stress enough. Really, it’s the best thing to do,” she said. “And then when the shaking stops and you know things are settled, if you’re in an area that is at risk [for a tsunami], then get to higher ground.” That includes the Victoria area, as well as the open coastline around Sooke and Port Renfrew.

Page 20 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Award, from Page 11

Far left, Pacific Earthworks employees, from left, Hotu Broughton, Hailey Till, Justin Stecky get some landscaping done outside Tourism Tofino’s Cox Bay Visitor Centre in preparation for Tofino’s new welcome sign to be unveiled. Left, Tofino tourists Zachary Thomas of Wales city of Cardiff and Megan Claase of England get welcomed by Tofino’s new welcome sign on their way into Tofino for a two-day stay. “The new “Welcome to Tofino” sign has two functions - a friendly welcome to Tofino as well as a respite from the rain for Tofino shuttle riders,” said Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne.

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