Up front: Shawnigan reiterates opposition to soil dumping News: Buzzing cycles excite but raise safety concerns
page 3 pages 5, 25
For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com Your news leader since 1905
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Koury aims to sink two-tier fees at the aquatic centre Adverse effect: North Cowichan asked to implement one-fee-ďŹ ts-all model by the end of the year the higher fee. Staff at the pool, opened in September 2008, said a North Cowichanian pays $5.50 to use the pool and work-out room. motion to end two-tier user fees at the Cowichan Aquatic A person from, say, Cobble Hill pays $11 for the same use. Centre will be debated by Koury called that a regressive policy North Cowichan council next that’s confused users, reduced pool revmonth. Councillor John Koury’s notice of motion enues, and scrubbed programs while some locals may leave Cowichan to to adopt a single-fee structure swim elsewhere, and leaders by year’s end goes to council study ways to create pool equity. Wednesday for discussion on “Front-line staff are dealing Aug. 15. with the mess the politicians w His motion asks council to hhave created. It’s a managerial take the lead and work with its nnightmare. partners toward an affordable, “It has been demonstrated single-fee structure, and work consistently over time that there with its partners — the City of John Koury: is a lack of political will to end Duncan and Cowichan Tribes adverse effect tthe two-tier fee structure at the — “to aggressively pursue a CVRD level, where tens of fair funding agreement with the thousands h d of tax dollars have already been Cowichan Valley Regional District.â€? spent to study fair-funding solutions, to no “The pool’s an under-utilized facility. avail,â€? his motions states. Programs are being cancelled or not being North Cowichan Mayor Jon Lefebure offered at all, which affects Duncan, North explained moving to a single-tier has always Cowichan and Tribes as partners in the been the goal, but council will have to dispool,â€? Koury said. cuss the issue of what’s fair to taxpayers. “That has an adverse effect for our resi“The intention right from the start was to dents. We can’t enroll our kids into lessons see the end of two-tier. This idea isn’t new. because we rely on outside users.â€? “We put two-tier in place in a sense of Taxpayers funding the $20-million pool fairness (to the municipalities and Tribes include the city, North Cowichan and the Tribes. Those folks pay a lower rate for pool building and running the pool), and we committed to work toward bringing in use, as do visitors living outside Cowichan. partners and eventually getting rid of But residents of the CVRD not paying into the pool’s operation through taxes pay two-tier.â€? Peter W. Rusland
Nes Leader Pictorial
A
A man who injured his arm while jumping from the Paradise Pools’ cliffs Thursday afternoon is helped by paramedics after being rescued from the river by two Samaritan swimmers.
Peter W. Rusland
Rebeca Bailey, 11, of the Duncan Dynamics Gymnastics Club does hand-walking moves during Saturday’s Duncan Daze Grand Parade.
Teenage bystanders tow stricken cliff jumper to safety Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
A
swimmer who injured his arm after cliff jumping at the Paradise Pools Thursday could have drowned if not for two accidental lifeguards. “He just jumped off and attempted to do a back Ă€ip, and landed on his shoulder, and he said, ‘I broke my arm,â€?’ explained
Peter W. Rusland
Clayton Sheets, 19. “No one was helping him. We jumped in and saved him.â€? Sheets and pal Luke McLaren, 18, said they leaped into the Cowichan River from the cliff’s highest point, and rescued the Ă€oundering swimmer. “He was in shock,â€? Sheets told the News Leader Pictorial on the riverside. “We kept him conscious. I guess it was just common-sense training. “We helped him to shore and Ă€oated him
on a tube to a (calmer) place on shore.â€? That’s where paramedics tended the man, then took him in a North Cowichan Fire Rescue rig to the nearby Cowichan District Hospital with undetermined injuries. The Pools are a popular swimming hole during the current heat wave, but many users Ă€out the law — signs posted at Cliffs and Banks roads say ‘No public access to river’ — by trespassing across private property to reach the river.
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