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Thursday, Thursday, Jan. Jan. 23, 23, 2014 2014 -Alberni AlberniValley ValleyNews News
How would you spend ‘city bucks’? Alberni man gets four years in murder WAWMEESH G. HAMILTON
CITY BUDGET
ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS
A new format, new venue and new addition made for a successful first city five-year-financial plan open house. More than 50 members of the public attended the event, which was held at Echo Centre on Jan. 15. The event was a success by all accounts, Mayor John Douglas said. “The feedback I got was positive. People felt that it was a big improvement over what we had at the Capitol Theatre last year.” A common denominator among those who felt that it was an improvement
was the interaction with city staff. “People could walk around more freely and there was a free-er exchange of ideas than before,” Douglas said. Two of the things Douglas said he was asked most often about were videostreaming council meetings and kitchen waste collection. “There’s a strong interest out there in accessing council meetings over the Internet, either real time or through an archive,” he said. The format at Echo Centre was different than last year’s formal presentation at the Capitol Theatre, resembling one that was held during the
open house about a new Echo Centre. Attendees could wander about stations set up along the room’s periphery. Each station had a placard with information about a particular city department and was manned by at least one city staff member who answered questions. Douglas and some city councillors were on hand to answer questions as well. The new format was more user-friendly, attendee Pamela Day said. “At the Capitol Theatre you felt like you were being sat down and being fed. It was like ‘Open wide and take your Pablum,” Day said. At the Capitol Theatre, people may
have had a question but were intimidated out of asking it as the microphone. “Here, it’s easier to wander about and talk to staff.” Another new feature is the addition of ‘city bucks’. The initiative involves imitation $10 bills called ‘city bucks’. One hundred dollars in city bucks was given to people when they entered the open house. People could write recommendations on the back of the bills then deposit or invest them in one of several boxes that represent different city services. The exercise demonstrates what city services are valued most.
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WAWMEESH G. HAMILTON ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS
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BC Supreme Court Justice has sentenced a Port Alberni man accused of killing his own brother last year to four years in prison minus time served. Madame Justice Carol Ross handed down the sentence to Archibald Thompson, 25, in Supreme Court in Port Alberni on Jan. 21. Ross said she believes he was truly remorseful, and that there was “a strong likelihood of rehabilitation if his alcohol addiction is addressed”. Thompson was granted credit for the eight months he’s already served, reducing his sentence to three years. He will also have to submit a sample of his DNA to the federal criminal data bank, as well as abide by a 10-year ban on possession of weapons. The sentence was the result of a joint submission between provincial prosecutor Gordon Baines and defence counsel Jordan Watt. Thompson pleaded guilty to manslaughter Need help with government services for children, youth or young adults?
found on Redford Street bleeding from an abdominal stab wound. He was taken to West Coast General Hospital where he later died of his injuries. Later that afternoon, Aaron’s brother Archibald was arrested after a short chase in Dry Creek Park. Watt said Archibald has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in prison and taken anger management courses. In her victim-impact statement, the men’s mother Marsha Thompson described being consumed by the death of one son, whom she called ‘my baby’, at the hands of her other son. “I feel lost without Aaron. I feel hurt that I didn’t have the time to get to know him,” her statement noted. “I feel empty even though I have my other kids.” She’s not mad at Archibald but she struggles to make sense of the incident. “I don’t know what happened or why. When I look at Aaron’s picture I think ‘Archie you took my baby away from me.’”
[more-online in Nanaimo Provincial Court in November 2013. “This is a very sad day, and it is more tragic than most,” Watt said. “Archibald will have to live with the guilt of killing his brother for the rest of his life. This never should have happened.” More than a dozen of Thompson’s family attended the proceedings, many telling Archibald they loved him. “This speaks volumes about their character and commitment in the face of the tragic circumstances that have transpired,” Watt said. Standing in the prisoner’s docket dressed in blue sweat pants and a black hoodie, a shackled Thompson spoke to the court. “I’m deeply sorry for what I did. I miss my brother. I wish this never happened,” he said. “It will be a very long time before I forgive myself.” The arc of events began on May 6, 2013 when Aaron Thompson, 21, was
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