North Island Gazette, April 17, 2014

Page 1

Gazette

See our Comeback Campaign, p. 12, and Home/Garden and Green Section B, inside Ente r NORTH ISLAND our ba by ! c o nte st

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49th Year No. 16

April 17, 2014

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Islanders strike back at CCCU

J.R. Rardon Gazette editor S O I N T U L A — Threatened with the loss of their banking services by the board of Coastal Community Credit Union,

three small island communities are seeking assistance from an unlikely but potentially powerful ally — the credit union’s 100,000-plus members. CCCU announced two

weeks ago the closure of its branches in Alert Bay, Sointula and Cortes Island, effective July 5, claiming they were no longer financially viable. A caravan of North

Islanders traveled yesterday to Nanaimo for CCCU’s annual general meeting. There, they presented a resolution calling for a vote of the credit union’s full membership to

rescind the planned branch closures. “The question remains why it was done,” said

See page 4 ‘Investigation’

• Sweet spot

John Wort Hannam and band close out NICS season. Page 6

• Biz show

Port McNeill Chamber recognizes excellence in business. Page 7

Sweet seat Haley Charlie, Xainya George and Shekinah Munn shout to friends as they whip past on the Scrambler during last weekend’s A O’Toole West Coast Amusements visit to Port Hardy.

• Steerage

Dragon boat society hosts clinic for new helms. Page 10 Letters Page 5 Hot Spots Page 7 Sports Page 8

DEALER #7983

Classifieds Page 9-11

Port McNeill deficit questioned J.R. Rardon Gazette editor PORT McNEILL—Residential tax rates are set to tick slightly upward this year, but the Town’s taxpayers seem to be taking the news well. Council hosted a statutory public consultation meeting Monday on

its draft 2014 budget bylaw, originally released last month, and sat before an otherwise empty chambers. “I have not received any written responses, nor has anyone seen fit to phone me,” treasurer Dan Rodin informed Mayor Gerry Furney and council. “So, I haven’t heard any

Rodin described it as a “status quo” budget, largely holding the line on spending. In response to a question from Coun. Gaby Wickstrom, Rodin

See page 3 ‘Audit slated

Both lease and purchase rates as low as 0% (oac) Plus thousands in Consumer Discounts on all new 2014 Chevy and GMC pick-ups!

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comments at all.” Asked by Furney whether that suggested the public supported the proposed budget, Rodin admitted, “That would probably be a reasonable assumption to make.” In last month’s rollout of the 2014 budget, part of the Town’s proposed five-year budget bylaw,

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