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East Sooke artists hold fine arts show. Page 13
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Local rugby players getting serious.
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Agreement #40110541
Wednesday, APRIL 25, 2012
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25-year-old salmon derby cancelled Local economy will suffer Sharron Ho
Sooke News Mirror
Cyclist injured Sharron Ho photos
A young, male cyclist, above,was struck on the corner of Anna Maria Road in front of Home Hardware around 2 p.m. Monday afternoon. According to a witness, the 18-year-old cyclist was coasting against traffic on Sooke Road and turned right on Anna Maria Road, where he was struck by a mid-sized truck. The witness said the vehicle was stopped and was about to turn onto Sooke Road. The cyclist was attended by paramedics, and taken into an ambulance. Sooke Fire Chief Steve Sorensen said the cyclist suffered from a severely cut up hand and was still conscious, but Sorensen did not know the full extent of his injuries. The bike and truck on scene did not appear to be damaged. Below, a vehicle sheared off a telephone pole on Otter Point Road on Monday resulting in a power outage which lasted a number of hours.
Hydro pole taken out
Sooke’s largest derby will be cancelled for the first time in 25 years due to late notification from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on fishery restrictions in the Juan de Fuca Strait. George Wetherell, president of the Juan de Fuca Invitational Salmon Championship Society, said this year’s derby, scheduled for Father’s Day weekend on July 17-18, has been cancelled due to a lack of time and uncertainty. “Unfortunately, we had to cancel our event because we’re running out of time to get everything organized,” Wetherell said. He said the society could not produce $20,000 worth of hats, shirts, regulation books, and tickets for the derby without knowing the chinook fishery status for the summer. “There’s just so many things to do that I can’t leave all those businesses and people involved with the event to the last minute,” he said. And with ticket sales slated for May 14, Wetherell said the society needed to know whether or not the retention of large chinook salmon would be permitted by mid-April at the latest. He met with DFO on a few occasions and sent letters
regarding the chinook fishery, but received no updates. “I’ve waited and waited and agonized over it (the derby),” he said, but added an event of that magnitude could not be planned within a few weeks time. “This derby is a first class event, always has been. And if we can’t do it right, we can’t do it at all.” In prior years, the DFO has opened fishing for large salmon at midnight on the
to the local economy. The invitational has had such steady attendance, that the waiting list was thrown out, after no spaces opened up over the past 10 years. “Seven hundred people will be really disappointed when they hear the news, and they’ll have to find something else to do for Father’s Day after 25 years,” Wetherell said. Over the years, approximately$200,000from the derby have been donated to salmon ‘This derby is a first class en han cem en t and restoration, event, always has been. the main And if we can’t do it right, with benefactor we can’t do it at all.’ being The --George Wetherell Pacific Salmon President JdF Invitational Foundation. “We put way Salmon Championship more fish back Society in the streams than we’re taking day of the derby. A move out,” he said. that may still happen, but Wetherell, 62, is a announced too late. co-founder for the event “Chances are they could and has maintained his do the same,” Wetherell said, position as president since but he added a decision on the derby’s institution 25 the chinook fishery should years ago. have been made in January. “It’s kind of been my little “I can’t throw my business, baby watching it grow,” he and my family life into chaos said. “I’m still working, I run and try to slam together an a construction company, event this huge because of and I have a family life. You time appropriated to me by don’t want to let the baby the DFO.” go, but sometimes you don’t Last year the derby saw have control over things.” 700 entrants come into town According to Wetherell, from all over the province, there may be a derby next Washington State and year. Ontario, bringing in $400,000
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