TUESDAY JANUARY 21, 2014
www.pqbnews.com
Official newspaper of the Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals
BCYCNA
Gold 2012 General Excellence
LANDING THE BIG ONE
10TH YEAR FOR VAUDEVILLE
Club offers lessons to those who want to learn fly-fishing
Tickets go on sale Jan. 26 for Errington Hall’s biggest fundraiser of the year
A29
A21
FLU SEASON
Sick at Stanford
Facility on lockdown for days; visitors asked to stay away CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
An outbreak alert in a residential home in downtown Parksville saw five residents on quarantine and four staff members on sick leave. Vancouver Island Health Authority declared the alert in Stanford Place Care Campus Jan. 13. By Jan. 17 the alert was lifted. VIHA spokesperson Sarah Plank said all five of the affected resident’s symptoms have resolved. “Our lab results came back negative for influenza,” said Plank. “So the source of the outbreak was an influenza-like illness.” Though she maintains outbreaks are not uncommon this time of year, Plank still advises that “people avoid visiting” when outbreak alerts are active. She said depending on the severity, outbreak alerts tend to see sick patients isolated, social activities stalled and a more rigorous cleaning process implemented. Additionally, visitors and workers are asked to wear gowns, gloves and masks while in the facility. “We ask that people follow appropriate infection control measures when visiting,” she said. This year, health officials have been adamant that visitors either get a flu shot before visiting residential facilities, or wear face masks in an effort to decrease outbreaks like this one. “Outbreaks are going on at any given time,” said Plank. “Sometimes people bring them into our facilities unknowingly before they notice symptoms, which is why we always advise proper hygiene.” For more information on outbreaks in local residential care facilities visit http://www.viha.ca.
PETER MCCULLY PHOTO
ADDRESSING THE HAGGIS: Chieftain Jack Maclean watches Master of Ceremonies Malcom MacKenzie “Address the Haggis” during the 24th Annual Robert Burns Dinner at Qualicum Beach Legion Branch 76 on Saturday Night. Videos and photos of the event can be found on our facebook page: Facebook.com/PQBNews. The Parksville Legion has its Robbie Burns event planned for this Saturday night. Tickets are $25 — call 250-248-5633 for more information, and for more about Robbie Burns Night events in our region, see story page A21.
BREAK, ENTER AND THEFT IN COOMBS
ATM at closed business robbed Pub’s last night of operation Jan. 10, robbery happens four days later AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
The Oceanside RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter, and theft at the Frontiersman Bar and Grill in Coombs overnight Jan. 14-15. The pub had recently been closed with the only information being a sign in the nearby liquor store window
stating they were closed until new owners took over in mid January. The NEWS could not reach the business for comment. Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said he didn’t have any information on whether the business was operational at the time, but the theft occurred between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday.
An unknown number of suspects “broke into an ATM machine taking an undisclosed amount of cash. There was also damage to the pub’s cash register,” Foreman said. Anyone with information should contact Const. Moxey of the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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