FRIDAY
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SPORTS
October 5, 2012 Vol. 27 No. 80 ••• $1.25 inc. H.S.T.
Cumberland comes alive this Saturday with the Foggy Mountain Fall Fair. page A17
Martin Reader sharing Olympic experience while back home in Comox Valley., page B7
COMOX VALLEY
RECORD A division of
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Ferry fare hikes just won’t stop
Drought drying up our water
Scott Stanfield
Erin Haluschak Record Staff
A number of stakeholders are keeping an eye on the dropping levels of water around the Comox Valley, and with little rain and warm weather predicted for at least the next week, concerns are rising. The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), BC Hydro and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) are working together to assess conditions of both the Puntledge River and Comox Lake. “There’s definitely a potential for an extreme low level if the dry spell is prolonged,” said Marc Rutten, senior manager of engineering services for the CVRD. Water levels at Comox Lake are dropping around three to four centimetres a day, and it would take a drop at that level for the next 20 days or so to reach an extreme level, he added. The CVRD, which has implemented Stage Two water restrictions, would shift to Stage Three, essentially prohibiting any excess water usage, including sprinkler use. Rutten noted as of Oct. 1, the Comox Valley water system typically moves to Stage One water restrictions, however given the
restructure it. It’s going to kill the West Coast. “We’re the most expensive Hornby Boat Rentals route here on Hornby and owner Steve Tovell has we make the most money of all the small routes,” Tovell been in business 16 years. It had been turning a added. “The working class profit until 2009 when is being squeezed off these he said things “started to small communities. They dive,” adding last summer don’t want us here for some provided a “taste of what’s reason. “I guess we don’t contribto come.” This week tipped the ice- ute enough to the tax base. berg a little farther when That’s the feeling over here, that we don’t the BC Ferry matter.” Commission The Ferry — the indepenFares will Advisory Comdent regulator continue to grow mittee Chairs of BC Ferries are concerned — released much faster than that fare hikes details about people’s incomes price cap deci- unless government are double the inflation rate. sions that allow “Fares will fare hikes of faces the causes of continue to about four per the affordability grow much cent for each of crisis. faster than peothe next three Tony Law ple’s incomes years. unless govern“The days of my business and my sea- ment faces the causes of the sons are numbered,” said affordability crisis,” said Tovell, who works as a car- Tony Law of the Hornbypenter in the off-season. He Denman FAC. According to the FACCs, a feels the ferry system has been mismanaged since it January commission study went out of government’s found ferry fares were at hands into an at-arm’s- the tipping point of affordlength quasi-private sta- ability, causing hardship in coastal communities. It tus. “Ever since the Fer- also noted fuel surcharges ries took over it’s a steady will change with future fuel decline, and I’m almost at prices. The FACCs said the the tipping point,” Tovell said. “We’re still paying for commission calculates fare those fast cat ferries, and increases based on numthen they’re selling these bers from BC Ferries and government. Key numbers used ferries off to Mexico. “The government needs come from government’s to take it over again, get rid response to the commission of the dead weight and ... see SERVICE ■ A2
Record Staff
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THERE’S NOT MUCH of the Puntledge River left to fish in and, as of Thursday morning, all fishing in the Puntledge and Courtenay rivers is banned until Nov. 1 due to low water levels. PHOTO BY ERIN HALUSCHAK steady decline of reservoir levels since the middle of July, water conservation efforts need to be imple-
mented. Although the CVRD did switch to Stage Three restrictions recently,
Rutten explained the restriction happens regularly twice a year when ... see DAM ■ A2
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