VICTORIANEWS VICTORIA ARTS
COMMUNITY
Erotic lit resurgence
The party that was
The successful Fifty Shades book series has some women thinking anew about their sexuality. Page A3
The region’s residents help Victoria celebrate its 150th birthday, in Centennial Square. Photo essay, Page A5
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Proudly serving Esquimalt & Victoria
TD Canada Trust We’ve got the right mortgage for you
Bruce Read Mobile Mortgage Specialist 250 514 1026
www.vicnews.com
Carbon credits a major expense for Island’s health authority Taxpayer watchdog argues B.C.’s Pacific Carbon Trust actions amount to ‘corporate welfare’ Daniel Palmer News staff
The Vancouver Island Health Authority spent more than $880,000 last year to pay for carbon offsets, something the organization attributes to colder weather in 2011 and the expansion of its hospitals. The 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide produced by the authority is still six per cent lower than 2007 levels, when the province began requiring public bodies to purchase offsets through crown corporation Pacific Carbon Trust. VIHA hopes to reduce its carbon footprint by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020. “Heat recovery from chilled water systems has huge potential and is being implemented at Victoria General and Nanaimo Regional General hospitals,” said spokesperson Shannon Marshall, adding that VIHA is also exploring neighbourhood energy systems with the City of Victoria and Capital Regional District. Pacific Carbon Trust buys carbon credits from energy-efficient companies in the private sector, and then sells them to school districts, health authorities and other government bodies to offset carbon output. Last year, the Trust sold $14 million in credits to public institutions. The system is meant to create an across-the-board neutral carbon footprint throughout the province. PLEASE SEE: City pledge, Page A6
Daniel Palmer/News staff
A Black Beauty Line carriage rolls along Wharf Street, followed slowly by a B.C. Transit bus. The presence of the carriages downtown could be revisited, in the wake of an incident last week in which a carriage horse allegedly grazed by a tour bus got spooked, throwing two people out of the buggy and carrying a third on a wild ride.
Quaint tradition questioned Carriage company, city rethink presence of horse-drawn vehicles downtown Daniel Palmer News staff
After an out-of-control horse-drawn carriage charged through downtown Victoria last week, one city councillor is looking into the incident to determine whether further restrictions should be put on the industry. “I’ll be following up … to see whether
we need to (further) regulate what streets (the carriages) are on, or whether we should continue having them,” Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe said. “But until I know all the facts, I can’t make any concrete decisions on what the next steps are.” Dave Shishkoff advocates for the outright ban of horse-drawn carriages in Victoria through the organization Friends of Animals. He said council would only be following past policies by implementing a ban. “The city has banned rodeos and circus acts with animals,” he said, “so I don’t see why banning … a form of entertainment that exploits horses
couldn’t happen.” Kate Clark, manager of Tally Ho Carriage Tours, said her drivers will not be conducting half-hour tours of downtown until the Victoria police investigation is concluded. “After this incident, it appears there is not enough room for horse carriages and buses to be downtown,” she said. “We’re trying to re-examine our routes at this point in time.” Clark said commercial trucks on Government Street can also create problems for the horses. PLEASE SEE: Cyclist interrupts, Page A4
BARCLAY S FINE CUSTOM JEWELLERS