FRIDAY September 28, 2012 Vol. 27 No. 78 ••• $1.25 inc. H.S.T.
COMOX VALLEY
ARTS
SPORTS
Alfred Hitchcock meets Monty Python in the latest Courtenay Little Theatre production. page B1
The Comox Valley Glacier Kings rushed into the win column with two weekend wins. page B11
THIS WE EKEND!
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Mayors divided by pot proposal Scott Stanfield Record Staff
CANCER SURVIVOR JERRY Cubbage (left) loses his locks to raise money in Cumberland for the Tour de Rock. Jean Cameron chats to Comox Valley rider David Thompson as she works. At right, 2011 Tour rider James PHOTOS BY RENEE ANDOR/SCOTT STANFIELD Matsuda shaves the head of Mike Mitchell of Courtenay at Thrifty Foods.
‘Celebrities and superheroes’ visit Erin Haluschak Record Staff
They came, they saw, they biked, and this year’s Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock stop in the Comox Valley brought smiles to supporters big and small. The 14-day, 1,000-kilometre bike trip across Vancouver Island began Saturday in Port Alice, with the goal of raising money for pediatric cancer research and programs for children with a history of cancer. This year’s team rolled into the Comox Valley shortly before 11 a.m., stopping at École Puntledge
Park Elementary, where they were greeted by a student bike parade and cheering supporters. They continued with a short ride to Courtenay Elementary, where students greeted the riders with a rousing rendition of O Canada and cheers. Riders and their support team then stopped for lunch at White Spot, and continued their afternoon with school stops in Comox and Cumberland before ending their night at Crown Isle for a red surge fundraising dinner. “This has absolutely exceeded anything that I could have imagined, any-
BRIAN
thing we could have been prepared for,” said Kyle Slavin of Black Press, one of two media riders with the 2012 Tour. video-online “One of the www.comoxvalleyrecord.com things going through seven months of training, our trainers repeatedly say we’re training you so when it comes to Tour, you don’t have to worry about the biking, you can concentrate solely on the emotional side of it.” Slavin admitted while the biking has been tough, particularly on the North Island, he doesn’t remember a single minute of more
than 400 kilometres biked so far. “I remember that there’s been some hills, and I remember that there’s been some cold parts, but none of that matters. I remember stopping in communities and meeting kids and parents and getting cheered on like we’re celebrities and superheroes,” he explained. “It’s been so much more than I could have ever expected.” Slavin added despite all of the physical training, there is no way to properly prepare emotionally for the ride. “There is so much that ... see CUMBERLAND ■ A3
Delegates to the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria passed a motion Wednesday to call upon government to decriminalize marijuana and research its regulation and taxation. The motion followed a Monday debate where former BC attorney general Geoff Plant urged mayors and councillors to push for a change in federal marijuana laws. Plant called the status quo “failed policy,” citing the consequences of an unregulated, untaxed multi-billion dollar industry created by the ‘war on drugs.’ Comox Valley Regional District board chair Edwin Grieve, who favoured the resolution, believes an annual underground economy of $7 billion is going to be rife with corruption with payoffs through all levels of society. “Bringing that economy into the open and under government control makes suppliers culpable under the law and brings with it all the processes and controls that are needed to protect society,” Grieve said. Courtenay Mayor Larry Jangula, a former police officer, did not vote in favour. “There’s a lot of anger about it and there’s a lot of debate going on,” Jangula said shortly after the vote, noting the lack of elected officials who could not com-
mit to attend for an entire week. “It’s not going to eliminate organized crime. We already have a major problem in some areas with these medical grow-ops. It’s just going to compound that problem, make it 10 times as bad.” If medicinal marijuana is used, Jangula questions why it isn’t controlled and grown by those licensed by the government. Along with being permitted to grow about 50 plants for themselves, he said licensees can also grow for another three or four people. “Tell me where a couple of hundred plants is what you need for your personal consumption?” Jangula said. “In addition to that there are no checks and no controls, so if nobody is checking up on you, why not grow a couple more hundred? Why not grow a thousand?” Jangula notes a suspicion that most medical grow-ops are used for trafficking. He also notes unpleasant smells and mould problems created by grow-ops. “What about our relationship with the U.S., our biggest trade partner?” he added. “Decriminalize is basically legalize. If it’s not criminal it’s legal. “The idea that all these marijuana users are now going to go to the government-run store and buy marijuana and pay taxes on it is an absolute, laughable joke.” ... see ‘AT THIS POINT’ ■ A2
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