PENINSULA Ready to ride
Fashion fundraiser
The 2013 graduation class at Parkland Secondary School held a fashion show fundraiser, page 3
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NEWS REVIEW
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tim Earl is going to be riding in his second Ride to Conquer Cancer next month, page 13
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Crime on Peninsula stays low First quarter stats show the ups and downs in an overall low crime rate Steven Heywood News staff
Sidney’s mayor says residents on the Peninsula are fortunate to live in an area with very low incidents of crime. Larry Cross says his community really is a safe place. He was responding to the crime statistics report from the first three months of 2013, presented to council on Monday, May 13 by Sidney North Saanich RCMP detachment Staff Sergeant Dennis O’Gorman. O’Gorman’s report shows relatively low incidents of crime over the first quarter of the year — yet the total number of incidents (99) appear to be on par with the same period last year. In fact, according to his report, some areas have seen an increase in activity. Vandalism under $5,000 went from 19 over the first three months of 2012, to 37 this year. Traffic collisions causing property damage over $1,000 jumped to 13 this year, compared with only four in 2012. Impaired drivers and traffic tickets were also up, 335 so far in 2013 compared with 291 last year. On the decline were thefts under $5,000 (37 this year, 49 last year), assaults, frauds and thefts from motor vehicles. Among the communities of Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout and Tseycum, calls to the RCMP were generally down the first three months of the year. The only increase came in Tsawout — 96 compared with 87 in 2012. Please see: Police to focus on, page 9
Steven Heywood/News staff
Sidney Mayor Larry Cross and Director of Development Services Marlaina Elliott pose at one of the town’s five new electric vehicle charging stations.
Sidney amped up for the future Five electric vehicle charging stations makes Sidney a leader in the re-volt Steven Heywood News staff
Five new electric vehicle charging stations has put Sidney at the forefront of the green movement among communities its size — and among municipalities on Vancouver Island. On Thursday, May 16, the town officially
unveiled the new charging stations, alongside Rob McGregor of Sun Country Highway, the company that provided the units. “Welcome to the future,” said Mayor Larry Cross. “This is the first of many to come. We’ll be meeting the needs of many electric vehicles.” Cross said the town’s director of development sevices, Marlaina Elliott, led the
charge to get the stations in place. She is also helping the town achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral. “We are looking to reduce that carbon footprint more and more,” Cross said, noting that’s part of their strategic plan. Please see: Charging stations are free, page 4