FREE
Seniors directory INSIDE n Informatioce & Resour for Directoryrs Senio o in Nanaim
Wounded Warriors Run raises awareness of stress disorder. PAGE 11 World traveller Musician Jesse Cook performs in Nanaimo. PAGE 29 Winning ways VIU Mariners volleyball squad wins provincial title. PAGE 3
i
DIRECTORY
URCE SENIORS RESO
SPRING 2014
Celebrating
1988
nt to the Nanaimo A Special Suppleme
News Bulletin
2013
Years
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014
www.nanaimobulletin.com
VOL. 25, NO. 94
Water deal waits on council vote I
AGREEMENT LINKS Nanaimo system to Lantzville. BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Chain reaction
Amrik Biln, a truck driver from Surrey, tries to install chains on the drive wheels of his tractor trailer rig after it became stuck in snow Monday morning at the corner of Terminal Avenue and Comox Road. A heavy overnight dumping of snow fouled streets and knocked out power in neighbourhoods across Nanaimo.
Silent witnesses just as culpable in bullying BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
While bullies will get attention tomorrow (Feb. 26) as part of Pink Shirt Day, there are people just as culpable who aren’t held to account, according to a Nanaimo school administrator. Like other schools, Ecole Quar ter way Elementar y School will have students wearing pink shirts, an antibullying-themed assembly and various songs and presentations, but vice-principal
Karina Younk said the focus will also be on the silent witnesses. “There are statistics that say that within 10 seconds, the bystander can stop the bullying in most situations. So the kids are showing skits about how they can do that either [with] cyberbullying or taunting on the playground and just being able to remove the victim from the bully and taking away the power,” Younk said. Students don’t have to watch silently as someone is
victimized by bullying - they can speak out, step in and do something, she said. Bullying can’t be eliminated but much can be done to severely curb it. “What we really try and focus on is bullying will always exist. It’s really about recognizing it and stepping in,” Younk said. “We’d like to erase bullying – but we may not get there – but if everybody stepped in when they saw it happening, it wouldn’t be effective.” ◆ See ‘SCHOOLS’ /5
Lantzville mayor Jack de Jong says he’s on the edge of his seat as he waits to hear if Nanaimo city council approves a new water agreement with his rural community. The City of Nanaimo released a report with the final terms for pumping water into upper Lantzville. The staff report recommends politicians move ahead on the deal. Under the agreement, 225 homes already on a municipal water system will be hooked into the city water supply for a $1.3-million connection fee and 211 additional homes on private wells will have the potential to tie into the new system in the future. Any new connections for development would be limited to 50 each year. It’s much the same as the negotiations revealed nine months ago, according to de Jong, except the community will be billed by use instead of development cost charge rates and must support the city “politically and financially” in its quest to secure future water supply. The agreement also shows that Lantzville will have to build new infrastructure, buy into regional services and potentially pay for future expenses, like feasibility studies and capital costs for
Nanaimo water system changes that are needed to provide water to the rural community. There are also no guarantees Lantzville residents will always get water, which Nanaimo is entitled to reduce or temporarily cut off if there’s a shortage, delay or interruption due to issues like an act of God, a labour strike or orders from governmental authorities. The City of Nanaimo was slated to vote on the contract at an open meeting Monday. De Jong says the deal has been a long time in the making and could be a breakthrough in water service, but if passed, it also means another political challenge ahead – convincing Lantzville residents it’s a good idea. While the supply is seen by some as a solution to limited water and contamination in private wells, others like Carl and Linda Westby have expressed concerns that the Harbour City is offering an unfair deal. Regional service contributions act like a ‘water tax’ for the whole community even though not everyone will benefit from the new service, Linda Westby told the News Bulletin last summer. Coun. Denise Haime recently suggested a referendum on the water deal, pointing out that she’s heard there are resident concerns, and former mayor Colin Haime has sent open e-mails to the media and politicians with claims the agreement puts Lantzville residents at “considerable financial risk” and that it promotes urban development in rural areas of the community. ◆ See ‘LANTZVILLE’ /6
Repair&Wea Goldsmith on location
JEWELLERS
Goldsmith on Location
P. 250.585.1648 www.marshandson.com 3392 Norwell Drive, Nanaimo | Tues - Sat 10am - 5pm
Repair & Wear P. 250.585.1648
www.marsh-son.com 3392 Norwell Drive, Nanaimo | Mon - Sat 10 PRIVATE PURCHASES
.
ESTATE JEWELLERY
.
APPRAISALS