TUESDAY APRIL 15, 2014
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
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LIGHTHOUSE BIZ BOOMING
More than 40 vendors featured at trade show in Qualicum Bay
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HUNDREDS PACK PARKSVILLE HALL
What Women Want show a big success at conference centre on Friday night
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ISLAND POLITICIANS GATHER HERE
Reaching consensus
Mayors and councillors tackle ferries and emergency planning CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
Fukushima, fire sprinklers and BC Ferries were among the many issues brought up by municipalities last weekend at a conference which saw nearly 300 Vancouver Island politicians at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. The 65th annual Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) conference brought together city councillors, mayors, regional district directors and MLAs who discussed and debated issues pertinent to their respective communities. “People are energized about a lot of things,” said Regional District of Nanaimo chair and French Creek resident Joe Stanhope, who sits on the AVICC executive and helped form this past weekend’s agenda. Stanhope said the hot button issue of the conference was BC Ferries. See PASSED TO UBCM, page A9
MP warns delegates JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
The future of rail service on Vancouver Island was not an official agenda item this past weekend, but MP James Lunney sent a letter to AVICC delegates urging them not to take any action regarding the ICF. Regional District of Nanaimo chair Joe Stanhope said he received a letter from Lunney addressed to the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities delegates on the eve of their annual conference this past weekend in Parksville and Qualicum Beach. The NEWS has obtained a copy of the letter. “I can assure you that agreement (between VIA Rail and Southern Rail to re-start passenger service) is in the final days of completion,” wrote Lunney. “I urge you to put aside disappointments and please do not take upon yourselves actions that would scuttle the future of rail on Vancouver Island. If you do, you carry that responsibility into history.” See ICF’S AGM CLOSED TO PUBLIC, page A9
LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO
EAGLE RELEASE: A young eagle was released back to the wild at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre Saturday afternoon by Buckerfield’s Andrew Gent. The Parksville store donates food regularly to the centre. See story page A8.
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