TUESDAY JANUARY 29, 2013
www.pqbnews.com
Official newspaper of the Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals
BCYCNA
Silver 2011 General Excellence
ROUTES ELIMINATED
PLAYING A PUBLIC SPACE NEAR YOU
B10
B1
Greyhound reduces service to Parksville Qualicum Beach
Peter Jack Rainbird’s life and career has taken him around the world
MEADOWOOD-DASHWOOD AREA
Runaway monkey! ‘Vicious’ one-metre-tall primate on the loose JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
Residents and a conservation officer were trying to track down a “vicious” monkey on the loose Monday in Meadowood. “Yes folks, you have heard right,” said the post on the Meadowood Store’s Facebook page Monday morning. “There is a monkey running around Meadowood.” Dan Simpson lives on Settler Road. He had a visit from a conservation officer Sunday. “He asked us if we owned a monkey,” said Simpson. “Well, I thought that was kind of ridiculous but then he said there was one running down the road. He said it was grey, redfaced, three-feet-high and not to approach it because it can be vicious.” Simpson said he doesn’t know of any neighbours who own a monkey, and since the neighbourhood is close to the Inland Highway, he had a theory. “It could be as simple as someone pulling over to take a leak and it could have jumped out of his car.” Dashwood fire chief Nick Acciavatti hadn’t heard about the wayward primate when The NEWS contacted him at the fire hall. “I’ve seen a lot of things, but that’s a first,” said Acciavatti. Police confirmed they received a call about a monkey running down the road in Meadowood. “We attended (Sunday) and didn’t find anything,” said Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman. “We called the conservation officer, who said there was no one licenced in that area to own a monkey.” The NEWS could not reach the region’s conservation officer and it was unclear at press time Monday evening if the monkey was apprehended.
NEIL HORNER PHOTO
Regional District director Julian Fell picks his way through trash at Little Mountain.
WAYWARD WASTE
Little Mountain trashed NEIL HORNER
news@pqbnews.com
The view from the top of Little Mountain is one of the best you’ll get in Parksville — as long as you keep your eyes on the horizon. If you look down however, it’s not nearly as nice. That’s because there’s a mountain of trash at the bottom that has been tossed from the top — either because the owners don’t want to pay for
proper disposal or simply for the novelty of throwing something large over a 300-foot cliff. “We see lots of household garbage, appliances, furniture, shopping carts, newspaper boxes, couches, beds, golf balls, golf clubs, you name it,” said area resident Megan Olsen. On Sunday, Olsen led a group of 15 neighbours, politicians and other concerned citizens on a hike to the bottom of the cliff, to show just how
bad the situation has become. The hike, from the intersection of Belleview and Matterson in Errington, winds through scenic woods on a well-graveled path that Olsen said was put in place by a film crew three years ago while filming the movie, Wrecked. The crew, she said, did a cleanup of the site prior to turning on the cameras, but the situation has deteriorated significantly since then. See LIVE WEBCAM, page A6
Stop into Qualicum Beach’s 1 Hour Digital Photo Lab
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Locally Owned for 30 Years, Proudly Canadian! WE DELIVER • MON-FRI 8-6, SAT 9-5:30, SUN 10-5
720 MEMORIAL AVE. QUALICUM BEACH 250-752-3011
and Preserve Your Holiday Memories 19¢ per Digital Print on order of 50 or more Coupon Expires Feb. 28, 2013
Did you know we still print 35mm film? Develop a roll and receive the 2nd set free!