Blaze battle
Langford firefighters offer tips for prevention week Page A5
COMMUNITY: Country singer stops in View Royal A3 ARTS: Prisoners stage puppetry in Metchosin A15 SPORTS: National rugby returns to West Shore A20
GOLDSTREAM READY TO MOVE SOLD NEWS GAZETTE
Offer Expires Oct. 23, 2013
GG22
Friday, October 11, 2013
www.vicnews.com
B.C. buyer makes plans for Bear Mountain
Kyle Wells News staff
Charla Huber/News staff
Rugby Canada National 7s players Nadia Popov, Julia Greenshields and Megan Gibbs are excited to begin practising and training at the Langford site along with the men’s team.
Women of rugby anticipate Langford home Charla Huber News staff
While the women on the National 7s rugby team train in Saanich, the men’s team works out of Rugby Canada’s head office at Westhills stadium, but not for long. Rugby Canada is building a new highperformance facility at the Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence in Langford. The women are slated to move to the new facility when it’s complete, expected to be the end of 2014. “It’s great and will help us to build the
formance gym, medical facility, video culture between the athletes, adminanalysis suite and six residential apartistration and staff,” said Megan Gibbs, ments for short-term athletes. The staNational 7s player. dium will enhance the training options Gibbs along with many of her teamfor both the national teams mates started playing rugby VIDEO as they prepare for the World in high school. “Women’s rugby is defiONLINE Cup and the 2016 Olympic nitely growing,” said Gibbs, www.VicNews.com Games in Rio de Janeiro. “Every time I come to this adding with the new Belmont community there is always secondary school being built something exciting going on,” said Granearby the new facility may encourage ham Brown, CEO Rugby Canada. “At the more teens into the sport. The new facility, to be built across the end of the day Rugby Canada is here to support our athletes.” road from the Rugby Canada office on charla@goldstreamgazette.com Glen Lake Road, will include a high-per-
Bear Mountain is set to enter into a new chapter of its so-far storied history after finding a buyer in B.C.-based Ecoasis Developments LLP. Vancouver Islandborn Dan Matthews’ development company has built communities in Hawaii and Whistler and is a founding member of the Canadian Green Building Council. It purchased Bear Mountain for an undisclosed amount and will take over operations, while keeping on all staff already employed Dan Matthews at the resort. Bear Mountain went on the market in May and was in the control of HSBC bank since 2010, after original owner Len Barrie, owing $250 million, was removed as CEO. Matthews, who lives in the Uplands, has family history on the West Shore extending back 90 years. His mother was born in Langford, and his grandfather, Frank Wilfert, has a road named after him in Colwood. Matthews said he’s trying to dig up more information on his family’s history in the area. “It didn’t really resonate or become relevant to me until we started looking at Bear Mountain,” Matthews said. “It wouldn’t be the driver of us purchasing a resort, simply because of roots and location, but it certainly does make it more special and it underpins my resolve to make it a success.”
Sussex Insurance - Westshore Sussex Insurance - Westshore Langford InsideInside Langford
Sussex Insurance - Westshore Autoplan • Private Autoplan • Private Auto • Auto Home••Home Travel• Travel
Inside Langford
860 Langford Parkway,Parkway, Langford,Langford, BC 860 Langford BC Tel: 250 -391-5584 I westshore@sussexinsurance.com Tel: 250 -391-5584 I westshore@sussexinsurance.com
Autoplan • Private Auto • Home • Travel
PLEASE SEE: Changes required, Page A7