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Tooting his horn
Suspicious fire
Big band conductor Robin Bannister acts as role model for local musicians. Page A19
RCMP allege son involved in fire that damaged parents’ home and sent brother to hospital. Page A6
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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Haitian orphanage ready to help PST return lets business pay online Langford officials, volunteers celebrate after long road Kyle Wells Tom Fletcher
News staff
Black Press
After all the fundraising, all the volunteer work, all the trips, all the tragedy, tears and sweat, the Haitian orphanage that the City of Langford vowed to rebuild two years ago is complete. It’s now open and once again helping some of the hardest-luck people in a hard-luck country. On April 29, most of the major players involved in the project, including Langford Mayor Stew Young and fire Chief Bob Beckett, gathered in Meyotte, Haiti, to celebrate the completion and opening of the orphanage. About 200 people gathered for the celebration, which included speeches from the project leaders, performances by some of the children in the orphanage and even a cake, which Young served. About 40 children are back in a sound facility that, from all accounts, is far better than what they had before the earthquake. “Everybody was pretty excited,� said Young. “It’s as good a building as you’ll ever see in Haiti, I can tell you.� The original orphanage was destroyed in the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the nation in 2010, killing thousands (the exact death toll is not known) and leaving just as many homeless. PLEASE SEE: Langford helps Haiti, Page A9
Courtesy of City of Langford
Volunteer Shivonne Kerr holds a child during the City of Langford’s most recent visit to Haiti, to celebrate the reopening of an orphanage destroyed during a 2010 earthquake and rebuilt thanks to the efforts of the Langford community.
We’re speechless.
The B.C. government has tabled its longawaited legislation to kill the harmonized sales tax and return to the old provincial sales tax, with some modernization to make it easier for small businesses to administer and pay the tax. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon said Monday the PST will return as scheduled in April 2013, with exemptions for haircuts, restaurant meals, bicycles, movie tickets, gym memberships and all the other rules it had before. The only sales tax breaks that won’t return Kevin Falcon are temporary exemptions that would have expired by now, including energy-conserving windows and appliances, and fuel-efficient cars. Tax changes that were made along with the HST will be maintained. That includes a 12-per-cent provincial tax on privately sold used cars, making the tax equal to that paid at a car dealership. Provincial tobacco taxes were increased seven per cent when the HST came in, and that tax will continue. Liquor taxes will also be adjusted to keep retail prices the same as they are now. NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston said the legislation is relatively simple, with regulations listing the many rules and exemptions still to come this fall so businesses can prepare for next spring. PLEASE SEE: PST rules announced, Page A9
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