FRIDAY
$1.25
inc. H.S.T.
May 4, 2012
A division of
Vol. 27 No. 36
COMOX VALLEY RECORD Your community. Your newspaper. www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
WHITECAPS S VISIT
Carl Valentine was here to spread the soccer gospel. ■ B11
GROWS THAT WAY
Grows that Way got me in trouble the other night. I was reading it in bed and kept laughing out loud and waking my partner up. I’m long past being a young adult but the original plot, feisty characters and fresh writing kept me reading — and stifling chuckles — until the wee hours of the morning. Comox Valley author, Susan Ketchen, will launch her new book at the Muir Gallery this evening at 7 p.m.
... Complete story on ■ B1
FINDER ■ Weather
A2
■ Lottery
A6
■ Ferry Schedule
A6
■ Editorial
A28
■ Opinion
A39
■ Arts
B1
■ Sports
B11
■ Classified
B21
COME FLY WITH ME Some visitors to the West Coast Amusements midway became airborne on the Yo-Yo. The carnival’s annual visit was again located at Driftwood Mall in Courtenay. PHOTO BY MARK ALLAN
Much needs to happen before shovels Renée Andor Record Staff
Rezoning of the land slated for the new Comox Valley Hospital likely won’t be complete until the fall, according to Courtenay CAO Sandy Gray. Premier Christy Clark announced North Island College as the chosen site for the $334million new hospital last week, and said the procurement process is set to start right away with a hope to have shovels in the ground early next year. Although Gray noted council
is fairly supportive of the chosen location, he said the land must be rezoned with full public process before councillors cast their votes — which will take some time. “Procurement is one thing,” said Gray. “To go through a rezoning of this size, I’m sure you’re talking, if we’re into May now, it will be September/October before a process would be satisfied enough to get rezoning. “My guess is that they’re not going to go ahead with the purchase until they’ve got zoning.” Gray noted the process could be rushed through in two to three
months, but the City wants — just like with any project of this size such as Costco — full public consultation during the rezoning process, and the City doesn’t plan on “pushing anything onto the community over the summer.” About 10 acres of the chosen site is owned by NIC and about 2.3 acres belongs to the City of Courtenay, both of which would have to be rezoned with full public consultation, according to Gray. He also said the City “may hold back because we want to control something like design, because part of what we want to do is we
want to make sure we don’t lose the use of the property.” Council traditionally doesn’t have approval authority on institutional design, but Gray said Courtenay and Campbell River — as a $266-million hospital was announced there — sent a draft agreement to the Vancouver Island Health Authority some time ago regarding project design, adding design is a “critical issue” for the City. Gray said VIHA met with city staff Wednesday to discuss transportation and traffic issues, and ... see MEETINGS ■ A2
AND
#1 SELLING BRAND IN CANADA! SPRING STOCK HAS ARRIVED!
MAKE YARD WORK QUICK EASY $ $ 349 95 $149 95 179 95 $199 95 PRICED TO SELL!
www.westernone.ca 250-339-4518 662 Anderton Road, Comox
LOWEST PRICE EVER!
MSRP $21995
BG B G 5555 Ga Gas as B Blower low werr
GREAT SAVINGS!
MSRP P $37995
MSRP M SRP $249995
MSS 170 M 70 G Gas as Chain Ch hai Saw w
LIMITED ED TIME ONLY!
HSS 4455 Ga H Gas as Hedge H edgge Tr Trimmer rim mm merr
FS 38 Gass Tr Trimmer
MSRP M SR RP $1189 8995