Up front: Former food basket heart honoured as Caring Canadian page 3 On stage: SUNFest country bash heats up the Cowichan weekend page 15 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, August 8, 2012
Photographer wants to be Enbridge route’s pipeline to the people Northern Gateway: Trio ready to ride in bid to document people along pipeline path Don Bodger
News Leader Pictorial
D
uncan photographer and former city councillor Paul Fletcher views the people on the route as the real pipeline to the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project. That’s why he’s decided to travel through the territory to document the feelings of those who would be most affected if the controversial project goes through. He also intends to capture the landscapes and seascape that stand to be negatively impacted by construction or oil spills. Fletcher and friend Daniel Sikorsky of Halfmoon Bay, also a photographer, will be hopping on the Harleys to make the unique three-week trip. They’ll be joined for a week by Duncan councillor Michelle Staples, who w will add a video dimension to the pproject. “It was my idea,’’ said Fletcher of the trip. “I just feel you don’t hhave enough of a voice and we’re nnot really hearing the whole story — how much is real and how m much is exaggerated. I want to ¿nd out the story for myself. Paul Fletcher: “It’ll give us a real sense of what find out ppeoples’ opinions are because you can’t get it from the papers.’’ A llaunchh party t for f tthe Ride The Pipe project takes place Thursday at 7 p.m. upstairs at the Craig Street Brew Pub. “A lot of people are standing up and saying what they feel about it and Cowichan is kind of quiet,’’ said Fletcher. The trip will begin the day after the launch party. Starting from Vancouver, Fletcher and Sikorsky will head toward Bruderheim outside of Edmonton and then begin documenting everything as they head through Mayerthorpe and Fox Creek, Alberta and back toward B.C. through numerous communities, including Tumbler Ridge, Prince George, Burns Lake and Terrace en route to Kitimat. From the ¿nal destination, a boat tour is being arranged of the Central Coast region. Fletcher said he invited Sikorsky to participate because they’re both equally passionate about Canadian causes. Their work will give voice to the people along the route who are against it, but aren’t often heard. more on page 5
Andrew Leong
John Anins, Ian Smith, Glenn Woodman and Dave Clarke of Ken Evans Ford exhibit some monstrous behaviour last week as they welcomed a monster truck. The vehicle (a 1934 Ford) belongs to Bill and Lorna Payne of Straight Up Racing, from Washington, friends of Ken Evans principal Vic Scudder. They had the truck on display for public viewing at the dealership last week.
Driver, pedestrian dead in Cowichan Lake motorcycle tragedy Saturday evening: Motorcycle collides with pedestrian on Youbou Highway just west of Lake Cowichan Tamu Miles
Lake Cowichan Gazette
T
wo locals are dead after a motorcycle hit a pedestrian on the Youbou Highway near Lake Cowichan Saturday evening. A 48-year-old Cowichan Lake woman walking her dog was struck by a 2008 BMW motorcycle heading toward Duncan at the Neva Road intersection at approximately 8:40 p.m. Small crowds of concerned neighbours gathered on both sides of Youbou Highway as Lake Cowichan RCMP, Fire Department,
and B.C Ambulance responded to the scene. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the driver of the motorcycle, a male, and his passenger, a female. Both were taken to Cowichan District Hospital. According to RCMP, the driver, a 60-yearold Chemainus man, died en route to the hospital. The passenger, a 49-year-old woman from Crofton was held overnight, but released the next morning. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. A man believed to be connected with the deceased woman was also on scene trying to come to grips with the reality of the situation. Several friends arrived to offer him some
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comfort and support. The dog succumbed to its injuries. An RCMP spokesperson said the police need to notify family members before names can be released. Because some may be out of province he is not sure of the time frame. The Youbou Highway was blocked from Indian Road to the intersection with Highway 18 for several hours, and police along with a collision analyst were on the scene until approximately 3 a.m. Residents trying to return home to the north side of Neva Road were forced to leave their vehicles on the south side and walk home. The cause remains under investigation.