SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME
67
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ISSUE
NO.
40
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S U M M E R L A N D,
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
B.C.
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T H U R S D AY,
OC TOBER
2,
2014
WHAT’S INSIDE:
PA G E S
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$1.15
INCLUDING
GST
Metering model disputed by John Arendt
A Summerland student has received provincial bursary funding.
Page 19
Water upgrades
The municipality is seeking provincial assistance for two water-related upgrades in the Garnett Valley area.
Page 3
Assistance for Africa
Donations are sought to help construct an orphanage in Tanzania.
Page 7
Fall Fair results
Many youths won in the various Fall Fair categories.
Pages 14-15
Curling action
The Summerland Curling Club is about to begin another season on the ice.
Page 16
A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.
20
Grape grower claims cost of second meter installation and price structure unfair to small farmers
Bursary recipient
YOUR SMILE
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Tea ceremony
John Arendt Summerland Review
Katrina Kirschmann offers sweets during a Japanese tea ceremony at the Summerland Library on Friday afternoon. The tea ceremony was part of the Culture Days events in Summerland last week.
A Summerland man says the cost of installing a water meter and the price he will pay for metered water next year are both unfair. “The cost is rising 350 per cent for myself,” said Glenn Hooper. At present, he has two water connections on his Mitchell Avenue property — connections which have been in place for many decades. One of the services is for his home while the other is for agricultural irrigation, since half of his 0.4-hectare property is used for growing grapes. Properties larger than 0.8 hectares qualify for a second water service for irrigation needs, but Hooper’s property is smaller than that minimum size. As a result, he is left with the choice of maintaining two water services, each with domestic meters in place, or discontinuing one of the two water services. He said the cost of a second meter is $1,500. Don Darling, director of works and utilities for the municipality, said the Hooper’s property is classified as residential, not farmland, even though he is growing grapes. If he opts to keep both services in place, he must have the second meter installed by the end of this year and would have to pay the base rate for metered water. The municipality has set up its rate structure for 2015 when water will be metered, but the rate itself has not yet been finalized. The municipality will pay for one water meter on each property. Because the two water services are in place at present, Darling said Hooper can opt to keep the second service, as long as he also installs the meter at his own cost. Hooper believes his property should be treated as an agricultural parcel, despite its smaller size. See BILLING Page 3
Three more in mayoral race by John Arendt
Three more candidates have put their names forward for the mayor’s role in the upcoming municipal election. Christopher BoisvertGilman, Coun. Orv Robson and Roch Fortin will
join Coun. Peter Waterman in the upcoming municipal election. Mayor Janice Perrino, who has served as Summerland’s mayor since 2008, will not run in the Nov. 15 election. Before announcing
his decision to seek the mayor’s role, BoisvertGilman asked the public to determine whether he should run as a mayoral candidate or a councillor candidate. The results of his penny poll, conducted
downtown over the past month, showed 82 per cent of those who voted in the poll suggested he seek the role of mayor, while 18 per cent wanted him to run as a councillor. Boisvert-Gilman, 63, has roots in the com-
munity dating from 1973, but for many years he had lived elsewhere. His career in corrections included developing a reintegration facilitation program for mentally disordered offenders. See CANDIDATES Page 2