THURSDAY MAY 8, 2014
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
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SHORTAGE OF PALLIATIVE CARE BEDS
‘Left behind & forgotten’
Courtenay 2937 Kilpatrick Ave 250871-6074 Victoria 3501 Saan Nanaimo 3200 No ich Road 250-382-5269 rth Island Hwy 25 0-756-4114
Residents urged to write letters in support of more beds for this region LISSA ALEXANDER reporter@pqbnews.com
One palliative bed in a district of approximately 50,000 people is not enough. Those were the sentiments of Carol Dowe of the Oceanside Palliative Caregivers when she spoke to Qualicum Beach town council on Monday night. Dowe was appealing to council and members and the public to write to Island Health, MLA Michelle Stilwell and the B.C. Minister of Health requesting funding for more palliative beds for Parksville Qualicum Beach. “We are one of the oldest populations in Canada and we are being left behind and forgotten,” she said. Dowe said that Ladysmith, with a population of 8,000, has two palliative beds, Port Alberni has four, Comox has been awarded four and Nanaimo has 12. Currently, if a local resident has chosen to spend their last days at home, but they suffer from acute pain, they are transported to Nanaimo hospital to use its palliative beds and that makes it very difficult for their loved ones, Dowe said. “It is exhausting physically to drive back and forth as well as emotionally draining,” she said. See ISLAND HEALTH, page 12
Tire slasher sought
A rash of slashed tires in a Parksville neighborhood appears to be a “random” act of vandalism, according to RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman. Police say they received four reports of slashed tires in the area between Lodgepole Drive to Ermineskin Avenue and Pym Street the night of Friday May 2. Foreman said the incidents do not appear to be related and the victims have no relation to one another. “These incidents are needless, senseless acts of mischief,” he said. Police currently have no suspects. Anybody with information is asked to call the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111 or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. — NEWS Staff
1-800-723-5714 512 EAST ISLAND HWY, PARKSVILLE, BC V9P 2G7
HarrisOceansideGM.Service@harrisauto.ca
CANDACE WU PHOTO
POP UP LIBRARY: Parksville city Coun. Carrie Powell-Davidson and Czech exchange student Domis Slaba (who painted the box) unveil the pop-up library at Parksville Beach on Tuesday afternoon. The project was undertaken largely by Powell-Davidson, a self-proclaimed “pop-up library nut,” who said she was thrilled to see the project come to fruition. Community members are encouraged to take books, leave books and more than anything — read books.
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