THURSDAY AUGUST 15, 2013
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ROBOT WARRIORS
HI NEIGHBOUR DAY IN ERRINGTON
Team takes top prize in tech competition
Annual festival set to run this Saturday
A20
B1
Service set for Whibley
Friends remember a caring companion BRENDA GOUGH NEWS contributor
A service for popular teen Lukas Whibley has been set to be held at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre (PCCC) on August 17 at 2 p.m. Whibley has been described as the most caring, funny and generous friend in the world and his death has sent shock waves through the community. Born in Whitehorse, Yukon on November 8, 1995, Whibley and his family moved to in Coombs in 2002. They quickly became in integral part of the tight-knit community. Although Whibley went to elemen-
tary school in Errington and high school in Parksville, the 17-year-old’s tragic death has impacted a world of people across the area and many of them will be attending the gathering on Saturday to tell their stories about the young man whose life ended far too soon. It is a loss that doesn’t make sense and for friends and classmates of Whibley — most of them teenagers and young adults — they are facing a massive gap between the way they believe the world should be, with their friend alive, and the way their world is now. See FRIENDS, page A5
Bust slows thefts from cars Mill Road police raid results in four arrests LISSA ALEXANDER reporter@pqbnews.com
Staff Sergeant Brian Hunter reported that although there was a string of car thefts in Qualicum Beach this summer, some arrests have been made. Speaking at Monday night’s Qualicum Beach council meeting, Hunter said after community members reported thefts and suspicious activity in July the RCMP did some investigative and surveillance work. On July 18 they executed a search warrant on Mill Road. “We arrested four individuals and
recovered some of the stolen property from some of the thefts in vehicles, identification, credit cards, but there was still subsequent thefts in vehicles after that,” he said. Hunter said that although Qualicum Beach enjoys a very low crime rate residents are not immune to crime and the community needs to do their part to make themselves less vulnerable. He reminded people to lock their vehicles and not leave valuables in plain view, and report suspicious activity.
FREE DOWNTOWN SHOPPERS’ SHUTTLE
JOHN HARDING PHOTO
MYSTERY SAFE: Hayden Kellett was part of the crew from Parksville Heavy Equipment that unearthed this safe Wednesday during the demolition of the Vancouver Island Insurance Centre building. See story on A3.
Look for these signs July 2 - Aug 31, Monday - Saturday
See schedule at:
parksvilledowntown.ca/free-bus 250-248-8079 PARKSVILLEDOWNTOWN.CA INFO@PARKSVILLEBIA.COM
or scan the QR code to the right. 1. Parksville Visitors’ Centre 2. Tigh-Na-Mara Resort 3. Riptide Lagoon 4. Rathtrevor Park 5. Quality Foods 6. Thrifty Foods 7. Community Centre 8. Beach Club 9. VIP Motel 10. Bench 11. Morison Avenue 12. Dundee Wealth 13. Craig Street 14. Community Centre 15. Pizza Connection