PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Rotary Park 20th anniversary
It’s opening day for the Peninsula Baseball and Softball Association this Saturday, page 8
A Region United
ALLAN R. GREEN
Black Press’ south Island newspapers conclude their series on the amalgamation issue in the CRD, page 3
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Friday, April 19, 2013
Sidney man ‘damn lucky’ Bert Robillard finished Boston Marathon minutes before bombs went off Steven Heywood News staff
Bert Robillard counts himself as lucky and thankful he was able to complete Monday’s Boston Marathon when he did — several minutes before two bomb explosions occurred near the finish line. The Sidney man was running his fourth Boston Marathon, having last done so in 2003 at age 50. Seven to nine minutes after he finished, Robillard said he was among a large group of other runners and event volunteers a couple of blocks away from the finish line. He was picking up a participation medal and other items, meeting up with his wife, Helen and Lori Stenson, who was in Boston with her partner Don Costello. That’s when the bombs went off. “I didn’t hear the explosions,” Robillard said. “No one there did, Submitted photo Bert Robillard of Sidney took this as there was a lot of noise at the photo of a Boston SWAT vehicle time.” Having met up with his wife and and team guarding empty streets. Castello, they went around the corner to their hotel so he could Inside rest. Robillard said they checked the marathon’s interactive website • Greater Victoria runners show to see where Lori was, and noted solidarity with Boston following the her icon was stationary. marathon bombing. They turned on the TV and saw Page 6 the chaos unfolding at the finish line. “That’s when Don and Helen had to go and find Lori.” Robillard said he stayed in the hotel to recover from the run. Lori, he said, was directed away from the finish line as the second bomb went off and eventually made her way to where the friends were to meet after the race. Robillard said the incident left him in shock and he finds himself even now wondering what might have happened if he had paused to rest during his marathon. He said he’s glad to have finished when he did. Don Denton/News staff
PleaSe See: Glad to be home, page 6
Stelly’s Madison Paquette is tackled by an Oak Bay Secondary School player Marie – Anne Dussault Gomez during high school girls rugby action at the Oak Bay school field recently.
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