THURSDAYAPRIL 3, 2014
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UKULELE WIZARD
THE PAST HAS A GREAT FUTURE
Qualicum Beach Museum celebrates its 30th anniversary with a new look
Man who literally wrote the book performs here Sunday
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ISLAND RAIL
ICF says it has a deal Others remain skeptical about future of service JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
The Island Corridor Foundation says a tentative agreement to re-start passenger rail service on Vancouver Island has been reached between Southern Rail and VIA Rail. No details about potential service to Parksville and Qualicum Beach were revealed, and there remains skepticism that local residents will ever see a train on tracks in this region. The ICF held a news conference Wednesday to announce the deal at the Nanaimo train station. “All train operations will now be based out of Nanaimo, which allows for an early-morning southbound train to Victoria,” said ICF co-chair Judith Sayers. ICF CEO Graham Bruce said the $20 million pledged by three levels of government — federal, provincial and regional districts — will be enough to bring the line up to standard for passenger rail service. “The plan we have laid out with Southern, $20 million allows us to replace approximately 104,000 ties from Victoria to Courtenay and do the other types of work to be able to get your rail system holding and to be able to accept passenger service again,” Bruce said in an interview after the announcement. Regional District of Nanaimo chair Joe Stanhope didn’t sound convinced. “I think the infrastructure deficit is a little more than that . . . I think $100 million,” said Stanhope. The RDN pledged about $900,000 in taxpayer money to the ICF providing the rail service returned to its previous standard for schedules. See NO VIA, page A4
TERRI REID PHOTO
ORIOLE AT SCHOONER COVE: Dozens of people turned out to welcome the HMCS Oriole to Schooner Cove on Tuesday in Nanoose Bay. The Oriole is a sailing training vessel and is the longest-serving commissioned ship in the Royal Canadian Navy. She was launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1952 and continues to provide leadership training for junior officers. She normally carries a crew of 20. The Oriole is 102 feet long, as is its mainmast’s height. For more photos of the Oriole’s visit to Schooner Cove, see page A5 and visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pqbnews.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Rally on Saturday for QBES AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
The effort to save Qualicum Beach Elementary School (QBES) is shifting focus to the community school model and taking the message to the streets. There will be a gathering and walk in support of the school this Satur-
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day afternoon as part of the newlyformed Qualicum Beach Community School Steering Committee’s efforts to reach out. “We believe the funding challenges faced by the Board of Education have presented us with an opportunity to build a healthier, more inclusive and
cohesive school and community,” said committee co-chair Anne Skipsey. The upheaval in the system could be an opportunity to change the way primary education is delivered, she said. “Learning needs to break free of the pedantic pressures of the past.” See QBES IMPORTANT, page A9
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