NEWS
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Thursday, November 1, 2012 Nanaimo News Bulletin
Inbrief
Ferries asks ridership for cost-saving ideas BY JENN McGARRIGLE THE NEWS BULLETIN
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Poppy promotion
The Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign to raise money for programs and services to war veterans kicked off Friday. Showing support at City Hall were Coun. Fred Pattje, second from left, and Mayor John Ruttan, third from right, to legion members Dar Henry, left, Frank Stevens, Bill Hatch, Andrew Farrow and Kay Shultis.
Replica handgun earns charge A pellet gun triggered the arrest of a Nanaimo man Monday. The incident happened at about 2:45 p.m. when Mounties, acting on information a suspect possessed a handgun, stopped a vehicle on Albert Street near the Selby Street intersection, surrounded the car and commanded the suspect to get out. Police spotted the butt of the handgun sticking out of the waistband of his pants and he got out of the vehicle. “The guy turns his POLICE back to them and they can see the handgun,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. After a scuffle to get the pistol from the suspect and arrest him, police got a close look at the firearm and realized it was a replica pellet gun that, at first glance, resembles the 9mm Smith and Wesson service sidearm issued to police. Dustin Derreck Pacheo, 28, of Nanaimo, was held in custody overnight and appeared in Nanaimo provincial court Tuesday morning where he was charged with one count of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace. ◆ Nanaimo Mounties are looking for a male teen who asks homeowners how old their children are and if he
can babysit them. He was last seen Thursday at about 10 a.m. going door to door in the Kenwill Drive area near Rutherford Road. The teen is about 14 years old and also asks for diapers, help and friendship. O’Brien said police believe the boy might be mentally challenged and want to speak with his parents or caregivers to advise them of his activities. “This is not criminal in nature,” O’Brien FILES said. “There’s probably a caregiver involved in his life. Hopefully somebody can identify this male, so we can speak to his caregiver or his parents, so we can let them know what he’s been up to because it’s not a good situation he’s putting himself into.” The male is described as weighing about 120 pounds, has light facial hair and medium brown hair. He has been seen wearing the same clothes every day, which includes a red hoodie and sweat pants. He was carrying a backpack and on one occasion he said his name was Sash. Anyone who might know his identity is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250754-2345 and quote police file No. 2012-29330.
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The province is asking for public input on how to make the coastal ferry service more sustainable, including any ideas on finding $26 million in savings over the next four years. A public consultation process was announced Monday that includes 38 meetings in 30 communities, as well as an online commenting opportunity. A meeting on Gabriola Island takes place Nov. 13 and a small g roup meeting and public open house are scheduled for Nanaimo on Nov. 15. Service adjustments are necessary to ensure the coastal ferry service is sustainable, affordable and efficient and tough decisions need to be made, said Mary Polak, minister of transportation and infrastructure. Rising costs and declining ridership are creating a financial crunch for the ferry system – B.C. Ferries lost more than $16 million last fiscal year and that is predicted to rise to $56 million per year within the next five years. Four main factors are creating challenges for the system: rising fuel and labour costs; declining ridership – last year, B.C. Ferries reported the lowest vehicle numbers in 13 years and the lowest passenger volume in 21 years; under-utilized routes; and additional capital costs – an estimated $2.5 billion for further capital investments in the coming decade will be necessary unless new approaches are taken. Ferry users are being asked to contribute $30 million in savings through service adjustments over the next four years. Service reductions on the major routes between the Island and Lower Mainland will achieve $4 million of these savings and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, working with B.C. Ferries, has identified consider-
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ations to achieve the remaining $26 million in savings. Considerations are: significant annual shortfalls (all routes except three operated at a shortfall of more than $2 million last year); routes with annual utilization levels below 55 per cent; low round-trip utilization routes; maintaining basic levels of ferry service (for example, ferry service to and from work or school); routes requiring vessel replacement; and complexity of multiple-stop routes. Last year, the Departure BayHorseshoe Bay run finished the year with an $11.22-million surplus, but the Nanaimo-Gabriola route logged a $4.59-million shortfall and the Duke PointTsawwassen route registered a $29.86-million shortfall – the largest shortfall of all routes. Mike Corrigan, B.C. Ferries president, said the Duke Point run is primarily used during the week for commercial traffic and is important for taking some of the load off the other two major routes, especially during busy times of the year. John Hodgkins, the Gabriola Island Ferry Advisory Committee chairman, said most of the ferry advisory committees were expecting the province to identify what routes were being considered for service adjustments instead of consulting on the underlying principles, which the committees thought were fixed already since they were written into the new ferry contract last July. “We fully expected that by now we would have seen more detail,” he said. Public consultation ends Dec. 21 and a final report is expected in February. The small group meeting in Nanaimo takes place at the Coast Bastion Inn from 1-3 p.m. and people are asked to RSVP by e-mailing coastalferriesengagement@gov.bc.ca or by calling 1-855-387-7582. The public meeting takes place at the same location from 6-9 p.m. and no RSVP is required. For more information, please g o t o w w w. c o a s t a l f e r r i e s engagement.ca.
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Police catch arson suspect
3956 Victoria Ave.
city scene
Police have arrested a 25-year-old Nanaimo man for allegedly setting fires in garbage cans and dumpsters. The suspect was arrested for mischief and held in custody Oct. 24 after police were called to Millstone Avenue near Rosehill Street to deal with a man throwing rocks and kicking cars and fences. Police were already investigating 10 dumpster and garbage fires that occurred during a five-week period in September and October. “This person was identified early on in the dumpster fire investigation as a person of interest. While in custody he willingly spoke to investigators and admitted his involvement in at least four of the fires,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. The four fires he claimed responsibility for happened Sept. 25, 28 and Oct. 21. All were set near Woodgrove Centre and involved dumpsters and garbage cans. Police have recommended charges of four counts of arson against the suspect who has been released on a promise to appear in Nanaimo provincial court Dec. 4. Six other suspicious fires remain unsolved. Anyone with information about any of those incidents is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-7542345 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 or online at www. nanaimocrimestoppers. com.
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