THURSDAY JULY 11, 2013
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OUTDOOR FLICK TONIGHT
NEW MAGAZINE LAUNCHES TODAY
Animated adventure on inflatable screen in park for free
First edition of Oasis full of life and colour; free copies available throughout the region
A29
A4
WILDLIFE AWARENESS
Cougars prowling One shot in Bowser; another seen in city AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
One alarming incident and a couple cougar sightings are a good reminder to be aware, according to conservation officers. “There have been very few spotted in Parksville in the last couple months, a couple in the outskirts, around Little Mountain or Rathtrevor Park,” said Sgt. Ben York, but a “smallish” one was seen around the 300 block of Moilliet Street on the evening of Monday, July 8. Described as knee-high to an adult, York estimated it was in its first year away from its mother and said they responded because it was in an urban area, though he made it clear there were no reports of aggressive or troubling behaviour. Conservation officers responded with dogs but the scent was lost in the heat. He said it appeared to be heading back up the hill away from town. While there has been an application for a back yard chicken coop in the general area, it is unknown where there actually are chickens in the area and mayor Chris Burger suggested, and conservation officers agree, the cougars are more likely drawn in by the high deer populations. York pointed out there hasn’t been an increase in cougar sightings in the area, if anything it’s been a quiet year. Burger pointed out cougars have always been common in the area and are occasionally spotted in town including one that had to be killed beside Community Park in September 2011. In an unrelated incident, a full-sized cougar had to be shot in Bowser on July 2.
PETER MCCULLY PHOTO
It’s opening weekend for the Quality Foods Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition. On Saturday and Sunday, the Coastal Community Credit Union sponsors sand sculpting lessons and demos on the beach. Above, posing with some sculpting tools, from left to right, are: Festival Assistant Noah Faust Robinson, CCCU Parksville Branch Manager Mark Jones and Event manager Trish Smith.
PARKSVILLE’S BUSIEST TIME OF THE YEAR
Beachfest begins Friday It’s the only Canadian qualifier for world championships in Atlantic City AUREN RUVINSKY
writer@pqbnews.com
Parksville’s big beach weekend has arrived and by the time you read this the sand is being piled for sculpting. More than 90,000 people passed through the gates for an up-close look at the Quality Foods Canadian Open Sand Sculpting Competition and Exhibition last year, and organizers hope for even more this summer.
While this year’s “fairy tale”-themed sculptures will be up for the public’s enjoyment until August 18, this weekend, people get a chance to see the world-class sand artists in action. As the only Canadian qualifier for the world championships in Atlantic City, there is a contingent of locals, but also competitors from across the continent and as far as Mexico, the Netherlands and Latvia. And as the master sculptors compete for the worlds and big cash prizes, the public can develop their skills with expert guidance.
See BIG CAT FEASTS, page A6
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