Up front: As killer sentenced, family remembers Tyler Noble On stage: Cowichan Music Festival Highlights wow once again
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Friday, March 7, 2014
North Cowichan says ‘no’ to using surplus Three percent hike: Push to hold the line at one percent dies without a seconder Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
N Kurt Knock
Stolen Hearts director Patricia Dawn, right, takes a break between interviewing for filming this week at Pine Lodge Farm to embrace one of the subjects of the documentary that’s due to premiere in the fall. from the Piikani and Kainai Tribes of the Ashley Degraaf Blackfoot Confederacy join the project with News Leader Pictorial his film crew. “We approached him in January and he orking from ground level came on board right away,” Dawn said. as a grassroots film project “He’s participated in our Aboriginal Film isn’t such a bad thing. Festival and done workshops here. He’s Especially when people aware of our community and he’s worked from every corner of the in our community before. He’s very much community are popping up to chip in. Filming underway: Child welfare interested in the issues as it affects his comStolen Hearts director Patricia Dawn remunity as well,” she said. counted Wednesday the many folks who’ve documentary coming together Dr. Graham Blackburn is also one of the came forward to help purely out of their documentary’s executive producers. thanks to the support of people own passion for the documentary currently “And his heart’s really in the centre of the being shot in Cowichan. who care project,” Dawn said. Filming for Stolen Hearts began Sunday Many others have also joined, includand addresses the statistical story that the aerial footage of the valley.” ing Cowichan midwife Selina Boily of the number of Cowichan kids in foster care is Most of the filming for Stolen Hearts has Matraea Centre and Duncan photographer well above B.C.’s average. taken place at executive producers Bernie Kurt Knock, while Maeve Maguire, Gill PoThe filmmakers are probing the personal and Marlene Willock’s 29-acre Pine Lodge lard and Dan Cutler have joined the social and cultural fallout of kids being removed Farm in Mill Bay. media team. from their homes and raised by people other “The project itself seems to have a soul of Filming will continue as contributions come than their parents. A first cut is expected to its own,” said Dawn. “When people become in, Dawn indicated, noting $8,000 was raised be shown at Cowichan’s Aboriginal Film aware of the work we’re doing they seem to at a special invite event in January, where she Festival April 22. be attracted and want to help.” presented the project to the community. “We’re filming this morning and going out She was quite enthused to have acclaimed more on page 6 in the helicopter,” said Dawn. “We’re getting Aboriginal film maker Cowboy Smithx
Stolen Hearts is stealing hearts
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orth Cowichanians face an average tax hike of $41 this year, council decided after Wednesday’s long budget debate. That boost is based on a 3.05 % tax increase on the average North Cowichan home worth $325,691. Final budget approval was expected by around May. Last year’s tax rise was 3.7% on the average home, noted CAO Dave Devana. This year’s hike could have been lower if council hadn’t followed plans to fund a raft of community programs, Devana noted. He cited $30,000 for economic development, $20,000 to relocate Jen Woike: good Chemainus’ Neighbourhood business model House , $21,000 for a reserve to replace Cowichan Aquatic Centre equipment, $18,000 for a seniors fitness at Mt. Prevost school, and other programs. “Had council not approved the supplementals — things we were intending last year — (average ‘14 tax increase) would have been $29,” said Devana. Council backed staff’s recommendation to include those community program costs in its 2014-2018 financial plan — and basically lift estimated 2014 net tax hikes from 2.27% to 3.05%. Councillor John Koury’s earlier motion — that failed to find a seconder Wednesday — was to cap the 2014 budget at a 1% increase, then direct staff to draft a 2014-18 plan to include the proposed capital shift and supplementary stuff — without interrupting services. Koury touted using municipal reserves to keep taxes low, and make up differences with municipal growth. “This (proposed ‘14 budget) is an ultra-conservative approach; we’re squirreling money away for every little thing. We always have a healthy cash balance in our account,” said the frustrated councillor. He was warned by Mayor Jon Lefebure to follow council’s protocols of order. Koury persisted. “Let’s start leveraging our surpluses, and use money in the bank to do things. We haven’t spent enough time figuring out how to stimulate our economy.” But Devana and treasurer Mark Frame utilized charts showing how using reserves to drop taxes dug budget holes in recent years — forcing big tax hikes to balance shortfalls. more on page 6
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