PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Wetland project in Central Saanich
Variety of services at BCS
Nature Conservancy and Distirct of Central Saanich team up to restore Maber Flats, page 5
Sidney’s Beacon Community Services holds its annual holiday open house for community and clients, page 3 Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
Watch for breaking news at www.vicnews.com
Friday, December 20, 2013
Steven Heywood/News staff
Police on the Saanich Peninsula and throughout Greater Victoria - like Central Saanich Police Service constable Paul Brailey seen here in a recent Counterattack roadblock - are looking for impaired drivers this season. While the winter months are a focus for the police, catching drunk drivers is a year-’round priority. See pages 10 and 11 for more.
Brakes applied to district town hall project Central Saanich council to focus on fire hall debt repayment Devon MacKenzie News staff
Central Saanich council has voted to put the brakes on the town hall project that has been talked about for over ten years until a plan to pay back the debt racked up from the fire hall project is underway. The vote was made Monday night during a council meeting after Mayor Alastair Bryson made
a motion regarding the project. “During Monday night’s meeting we were presented with a report from our CAO which we requested, outlining the potential next steps to the town hall project,” explained Bryson Tuesday. “I stepped out of the chair to make my comments and put forth the motion. I appreciate staff had followed through with the report for potential next steps however my thoughts were that the timeline for a November referendum was too quick. The community has limited appetite to entertain further borrowing in the current economic climate. Families and those on fixed incomes are already stretched and they’re hav-
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ties and the exploration ing to prioritize their has been ongoing. personal budgeting and A new firehall was it’s important that counconstructed in the cil reflect that approach meantime to assure a as well,” he said. safe base of emergency The municipality has operations for the fire been looking at the department and emeroptions for a new town gency services. The hall as far back as the $8.9 million project was 1990s. completed this past In 2000, critical upgrades to the police Alastair Bryson summer and the municipality estimates debt wing were made to the servicing fees will round tune of around $300,000. In 2002, upgrades to the adminis- the number out closer to $13 miltrative side of the building were lion total. Bryson said the District will made at a cost of around $200,000. In 2006, the district began seri- now turn its focus to that debt ously looking into the needs and repayment, some of which will desires regarding municipal facili- be achieved through the sale of
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Spring 2013
municipally owned properties on White Road and Verling Avenue. “The community wants to see options to expedite the pay back of the firehall expenses,” Bryson said. “The fact that the motion passed reflects we’re prepared to pay down that debt before we make that next big investment.” Councillor Zeb King said he’s happy with the choice made by council and added the need for a new town hall in Central Saanich hasn’t vanished completely — but it’s not “a compelling need right now.” Please see: Safety concerns, page 2