Nature school Youngsters benefit from outdoor learning Family, Page A11
NEWS: Violence against teachers addressed /A3 ARTS: Sporty artist-in-residence at Empress /A15 SPORTS: Grizzlies open playoffs against Kings /A17
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Anglicans mull new direction on marriages Traditional weddings could be removed from church offerings, pending a national decision Daniel Palmer News staff
The outgoing bishop of the Anglican Diocese of B.C. hopes a recently adopted decision to allow same-gender blessings will become the norm for all marrying couples in the church. Bishop James Cowan supports ending a centurieslong tradition of legal marriages in the Anglican church and hopes its national decision-making body embraces the “European model” of performing only religious consecration ceremonies. “If marriage is something that the state wants to keep an eye on, then let state officers do it,” he said. “Why should the clergy be instruments of the state, and (do it) for free?” Currently, Anglican parishes in B.C. are able to conduct both civil and religious blessing ceremonies for heterosexual couples, while local parish members can choose whether or not their church can perform samesex blessings. On March 3, Victoria’s Christ Church Cathedral approved the decision to include same-gender blessings with the support of Rev. Logan McMenamie, dean of the parish. “There might be a time for the church to bless all marriages. ... It really depends if the clergy are willing to move in that direction,” McMenamie said. The possibility of ending church-administered civil marriage was broached in 2010 at the Anglican Church of Canada’s national conference, known as general synod, Cowan said. PLEASE SEE: Area church leaders, Page A4
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Juggling is a sport Six-year-old Will McCauley works on his juggling skills at the Pacific Institute of Sports Excellence spring break camp at the Vic West Community Centre. Fellow campers are reflected in a mirror behind him.
Errant driver leaves rec centre in dark Damaged power box shuts Esquimalt Rec Spring break camps and beforeand after-school care programs were relocated from Esquimalt Recreation Centre on Tuesday due to transformer damage that severed power to the entire facility. The damaged box, located outside the building off Fraser Street, had been struck by a vehicle between 5:30 and 6
a.m. Sunday. The damage didn’t immediately affect the power supply, said Jeff Byron, Esquimalt’s manager of recreation services. He said a fire started in the box around 7:45 a.m. when three fuses blew, cutting off all power to the centre. Workers got the system up and running again about 4:30 p.m. after spending all day on it, but the system failed again early Tuesday, leaving recreation staff to set up shop at the nearby Archie Browning Sports Centre.
A temporary generator installed later Tuesday was expected to produce about 60 per cent of the building’s necessary power, Byron said. The pool remained closed as of Wednesday. ICBC and the municipality’s insurance company will cover the cost of the repairs, Byron added. Pool users are asked to visit esquimalt.ca for updates, or visit Esquimalt Recreation on Facebook. editor@vicnews.com
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