Prince George Free Press, June 12, 2013

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CITY: Tax incentive decision rankles developer A5 Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Canada Winter Games office gets a lift ... literally A3

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FUELLING UP THE Alisha Adams (left) and Kim Williams of Starbucks helped out Sunday at Fort George Park pouring coffee for walkers and runners at the annual Scotiabank MS Walk.

WALK

Te re s s a M A LLA M / Fre e Pre s s

No slice at Pine Valley Golf Course DELYNDA PILON

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City council will not pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Mayor Shari Green informed the public that Pine Valley will remain a golf course, the decision coming after an in-camera meeting last week where council discussed city land sales. “After extensive debates and discussion we will retain Pine Valley as a golf course,” she said. She added meetings during which the business of selling city real estate is discussed will remain closed to the public, however decisions made following council debates are shared with the public. Don Chamberlain, president of Friends of Pine Valley, said although he believes the meeting where the final decision was made should have been open to the public, he’s pleased the golf course won’t be sold – at least for now. “I am ecstatic,” he said. Chamberlain rallied the troops and fought hard by making presentations at council meetings, sharing the

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history of the course as well as many common-sense reasons for the city to retain it. They planned the Rally for Pine Valley, a well-attended event. Two hundred postcards, already made out to the city, stating the attendees’ support for the course, were gone by the end of the evening, most showing up in correspondence. But this isn’t the first time Chamberlain has gone to bat to save Pine Valley. The last time, in 2010, council committed to supporting the course. Thousands of trees were planted. The mayor and MLAs of the time even took part in a ceremonial planting. However, a new council, following the core services review, took a serious look at selling the course yet again. “We have to stay vigilant,” Chamberlain said. “Like I’ve said, eventually my grandchildren might have to take over this fight. “Today we’ve helped save Pine Valley – at least for the term of this council, I think. When elections come around again, I think one of the questions we should put to candidates is to whether or not they support keeping Pine Valley as a golf course.”

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He added he believes it’s time the city put some money into the course. If they invest, he said, the money will be recouped as more people use the course. “It needs a new sprinkler system for sure. Maybe this one can be ‘Band-aided’ through another season, but it needs a new system. The investment can be recovered. “The golf course has been neglected ever since the city sold the driving range.” He said he has no idea where the money, millions he said, earned through that sale went, but some should go back into Pine Valley. “I don’t know of any business that will sell its best asset, in this case the driving range, then try to keep the business going without putting anything into it.” He added a certain future would likely inspire course operators to invest more in the course as well. “Citizens will support it, and the city will get its money back,” Chamberlain said. However, for today he is just grateful there will be no sale in the case of Pine Valley, happy for himself but other users as well, from the very young to the elderly who go to Pine Valley to learn the game of kings and commoners.


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