Up front: Students host mild walkout as teachers ponder full strike page 3 On stage: Grandkids inspire author’s little mouse to roar page 15
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Friday, June 6, 2014
Out with the trash
Logging truck driver airlifted from rollover in Shawnigan
Officials frustrated: But consensus is the battle against illegal dumping starts with you
Renfrew Road: man injured after truck tumbles into creek
Ashley Degraaf
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Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
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loggingtruck driver suffered undetermined facial, spinal, and rib injuries when his rig rolled into a small creek along Renfrew Road Tuesday afternoon, Shawnigan Lake’s fire chief says. Keith Shields said the 2:30 p.m. mishap, at the bottom of Kapoor Hill on Renfrew, saw the loaded truck roll and land in a small creek feeding the Koksilah River. “He’s extremely lucky,” Shields said of the driver found by passersby, assisted by paramedics, then airlifted to Victoria hospital from a landing site near Burnt Bridge. “When you look at the truck, you wonder how he got out. It was crumpled up pretty good.” The driver, believed to be in his 40s, was conscious when flown to hospital after the rollover that sent some fuel and oil into the creek. The environment ministry was trying to remove the pollutants from the creek, Shields noted. Police were investigating the crash’s cause, but were unavailable for comment by press time.
A photo showing four mattresses dumped near the gravel pullout/parking spot off Allenby Road and the White ot all is sunshine Bridge posted on the News and lollipops Leader Pictorial’s Facebook with the warmer page last month was just one weather having example of what is frustrating arrived. residents and officials alike. Unfortunately, this is when “We can’t account for people locals use water access to cool who do bad things off or picnics and randomly,” Duncan wrapping up spring Mayor Phil Kent cleaning around houses said following the and yards. mattress dumping, And they all need a noting in particular reminder: dumping or people discarding leaving behind garbage household items in isn’t cool. the bushes, rather “It doesn’t matter Chip Seymour: than at their closest where you go on the common sense recycling/garbage river, if there’s a good facility. “If it’s swimming hole, there’s reported to us, we try going to be lots of to respond the best we can.” people there,” said Cowichan “It’s not just an issue just there,” Tribes Chief Chip Seymour. Kent continued. “There are a “If you’ve got some common sense, and you bring food down lot of people who think it’s apthere, you take it with you when propriate and who think they can dump wherever they want. you leave. “It’s been an ongoing issue for “Growing up and when my many, many years and brothers and sisters for lots of people in and their families the Shawnigan Lake would all go down to area and Cowichan the river and barbecue, Lake area as well.” when we would leave, Thankfully, many everything we used Cowichanians are also was put into a black aware and have and garbage bag and came are currently organizwith us,” said Seymour. ing clean-up events. Phil Kent: Unfortunately not Jefferson noted the random badness everyone uses the same group’s annual river principles. clean up in August has Garbage along the been a huge success and they’ve Cowichan River and other teamed with Cowichan Tribes to swimming holes is certainly a cover their area for the past two concern for officials in all local years as well. jurisdictions. But it isn’t a new “For the last two years, we or growing issue. have co-operated with Tribes “It’s just a question of for the lower part of the river. communicating that there’s a Tribes and Roger Hart have problem and we should work together,” said Cowichan River worked very hard together to make this happen,” he said. stewardship group One Comore on page 5 wichan’s Parker Jefferson.
News Leader Pictorial
Andrew Leong
Duncan/North Cowichan RCMP Auxiliary Cst. Beth Avis gives 1 1/2-year-old Blake Windsor a hug at the Cowichan Cops For Cancer Kickoff: A community celebration in the fight against cancer at the Cowichan Sportsplex on Saturday. Avis will be representing Cowichan in the 2014 Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock this fall.
Chopper lifts injured man from Chemainus planer mill
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etails about the condition, identity, and injuries of a Centurion Lumber Manufacturing worker, hurt late Thursday morning in a planer mill near Chemainus, were unknown at press time.
Cpl. Jon Stuart of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP confirmed on scene a man in his mid- to late-50s was seriously injured at 11:33 a.m. in the firm’s mill, then airlifted to hospital. Richmond-based WorkSafeBC is now investigating
the accident. It occurred down a Chemainus Forest Products’ gravel road, hidden from view by trees and small buildings at 3070 Henry Rd. Centurion managers were unavailable for comment. —Peter W. Rusland
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