TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2013
www.pqbnews.com
Official newspaper of the Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals
BCYCNA
Silver 2011 General Excellence
PARKSVILLE UNCORKED
WHEN A TRUMPET IS A LAMP
A29
A27
Beach Club and Tigh-Na-Mara team up for popular event
Unique lighting on display at Salish Sea Market in Bowser
OCEANSIDE HEALTH CENTRE
Docs want influence Local physicians got VIHA’s EOI the day after media did JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
Local physicians say they want to influence health-care delivery and policy in our region, but they are not willing at this time to comment on the health authority’s plans for the Oceanside Health Centre. The NEWS has asked repeatedly for comment from the Division of Family Practice — an organization comprised of local family doctors — for comment on various issues related to the new health centre, scheduled to open in June. On Feb. 4, the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) issued a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) “looking for physician partners to join the multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers who will support better health and well-being for Oceanside residents.” The deadline for doctors to respond to the EOI is Friday (Feb. 15). Division of Family Practice coordinator Geri Sera said local doctors didn’t receive the EOI from VIHA until Feb. 5. “After a quick review of the document that afternoon, the Division board met in the evening and realized their membership might want to discuss the EOI as a group,” Sera wrote in an e-mail to The NEWS. “We distributed copies of the EOI document to our members the morning of Feb. 6. We are currently using a ‘Doodle Poll’ to determine a convenient date to meet with our members to provide an opportunity for them to respond to the EOI document. After we meet (date not yet confirmed), we may have more to share about the EOI, but at this time, we’re simply (as a non-profit) organization, seeking consensus from our membership about the document.” See VIHA’S CALL, page A7
JAMES CLARK PHOTO
Skip Andrew Bilesky’s rink from the Royal City Curling Club in New Westminster won the Canadian Direct Insurance Men’s Provincial Curling Championship Sunday in Parksville and will now represent B.C. at the Brier.
PROVINCIAL CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PARKSVILLE
Brier getting B.C. rookies New West rink off to its first national championship after big victory on Sunday JAMES CL ARKE
sports@pqbnews.com
Ah, the enthusiasm of youth. The smiles really did say it all Sunday as Royal City skip Andrew Bilesky and his young rink knocked off Brent Pierce 7-4 to win the 2013 Canadian Direct Insurance B.C. Men’s Curling Championship in Parksville and advance to the Brier.
“Wow,” a beaming Bilesky marvelled in the moments after his final shot in the 10th end to nail down the win, played out in front of a good-sized appreciative crowd. “We’re going to the Brier.” Team Pierce, also out of Royal City, lost to Kelowna’s Jim Cotter rink in a close one here in Parksville on the exact same sheet of ice in last year’s final.
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See BEST TEAM, page A33
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