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Sidney Business Improvement Area kicks off a new umbrella share program, page 5
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014
New tenants sought for waterfront SWP doesn’t plan to wait for Sidney to decide what to do Steven Heywood News staff
Plans for Sidney’s Seaport East land could have added value to the waterfront property and cleaned up the contaminated soil at the site, says the proponent of a nowdefunct redevelopment deal with the Town of Sidney. Grant Rogers, Sidney Waterfront Partnership (SWP) principal, said the municipality’s cancellation of a memorandum of understanding on the redevelopment proposal came as a surprise to both himself and his environmental consultants who discovered the contamination. Now, Rogers said he has little option but to try to lease out the existing buildings. “We are planning on finding new tenants for the big building,” Rogers said. “We are considering retail at this point.” The building on the site is currently being used as a film set for the ongoing production of Gracepoint. That could last until May. Rogers said he doesn’t feel leasing out the building space is the best use of the property but added he doubts the proposal to redevelop the site into residential and commercial units can be resurrected. “We’ve been here before,” he said, referencing past plans for the property that went nowhere. SWP hired an environmental consultant to test the soil at Seaport East. They found contaminants such as metals and hydrocarbons, Rogers said, adding they are not hazardous but exceed provincial regulations for residential and commercial development. This prompted the Town council to vote March 3 to end the land exchange process while it looks into its liability at the site. “The risk factor is too great,” said Mayor Larry Cross. Cross admitted the municipality has little understanding of the issues surrounding the land contamination and felt they could not proceed with the memorandum of understanding until they knew more. Please see: Contamination should not have been, page 3
Steven Heywood/News staff
Erin Burrett of Nanaimo was the first female across the finish line at the Bazan Bay 5k race Sunday in Sidney. Saanich runner Geoff Martinson set a new course record in his second straight Bazan Bay win. See page 12 for race results.
Teachers vote in favour of strike action VICTORIA — B.C. public school teachers have voted 89 per cent to give their union authority for strike action in three stages. B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker said there is no set schedule on when work-to-rule action would begin. “There will be no job action tomor-
row; there will be no job action next week,” Iker said after the vote results were tabulated. “It will depend entirely on what is happening at the negotiating table and whether or not the government and the employers’ association are prepared to be fair and reasonable.” After a year of bargaining sessions
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with an expired contract, the BCTF still has not presented a specific wage and benefit demand. Education Minister Peter Fassbender urged the union to present its opening position as negotiation sessions resumed last week. Please see: Class size and composition, page 3
The Cannery Building #205-2537 Beacon Avenue Sidney, B.C.
250-657-2200