EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Medical issues play role in rail collision Page 3
Dutch honour fallen Sicamous serviceman Page 8
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 PM40008236
Vol. 59 No. 14 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Waterway makes case for grow op Medical marijuana: Houseboat company looks to transform manufacturing plant. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
Setbacks will be a setback to medical marijuana production on industrial land within the District of Sicamous. This was the argument presented last week to municipal council by legal counsel for Waterway Houseboats during a public hearing on proposed zoning amendments to accommodate medical marijuana production within the district. Lawyer Jeff Robinson of the firm Rush Ihas Hardwick, told council the zoning changes being considered, particularly the proposed increased setbacks, intended to address security, access, noise and odour concerns, could prevent Waterway from making its former manufacturing facility available for the production of medicinal marijuana under new federal regulations. “That facilty is no longer needed for houseboat operations. My client is aware of See Lawyer on page 2
Industrial use: Waterway Houseboats has an opportunity to rent its former manufacturing plant on industrial land for a federally licenced and regulated medical marijuana production facility. Photo by Lachlan Labere
Shuswap MLA among biggest spenders on accompanied travel
Valued perk: Kyllo says Accompanying Person Travel expense beneficial to health of families. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo says a government policy that accommodates spousal visits in Victoria was an influential factor in his running for office. The B.C. legislature recently released a list detailing Accompanying Person Travel expenses for the province’s 85 MLAs. A total of $125,310 was spent last year between April 1, when the province began keeping a record
of these expenses, and also be a constituency or Dec. 31. Kyllo racked up legislative assistant. the fourth highest amount, Kyllo said last year he and the highest among BC used his allotted accompaThe efforts of government… Liberals, at $5,182. nying person trips to bring have gone a long way to make All of the top 10 spendhis constituency assistant, sure families have the ability ers – the highest being Holly Cowan, to Victoria to spend more time together. the BC NDP member for a conference, but “priMichelle Mungall of the marily I think families use Greg Kyllo Nelson-Creston riding at them for spouses.” Kyllo Shuswap MLA $7,806 – were from outsays this travel expense side the Lower Mainland. was a major consideration an accompanying person of the Each MLA may desigbehind his decision to run nate up to 12 trips in a fiscal peri- MLA’s choosing. Typically, it’s a for provincial office. od (April to March) for travel with family member, though it might “Obviously, there’s a remu-
neration package as far as salary, but a big part of the discussion was the fact that I was going to be away from Georgina a lot more,” said Kyllo. “And that was definitely one of the main items that we talked about, as far as wanting to make sure we’re able to spend more time together with the large amount of travel that’s involved.” Kyllo notes the accompanying person travel expense, approved through legislation, has been around for a while, and it’s See Speaker on page 2