Big honour
Victoria poet wins Governor General award Page A7
Holiday Songbook Inside NEWS: New technology gets faster lab results /A3 ARTS: Trumpeter debuts as symphony soloist /A12 SPORTS: Royals scoop up weekend wins /A19
VICTORIANEWS Wednesday, November 26, 2014
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Region faces challenging issues in 2015
New Capital Regional District board to be sworn-in Dec. 10
Andrea Peacock Reporting
A regional sewage plan, disunity and amalgamation have ruffled a few feathers around the Capital Regional District board. And as the board gets set to elect a new chair on Dec. 10, the new chairperson will have to find a way to bring directors together to come up with viable solutions. Victoria Coun. Geoff Young, CRD board member, said the new chair must have an interest in solving issues at the regional level. “It’s not appropriate for a person to become chairperson of the CRD unless they’re interested in the CRD and believe in the CRD as having a role as a regional government,”
said Young, a former CRD chair. “And of course there’s always the issue of how much should be done by individual municipalities and how much by the CRD.” Two local mayors have expressed interest in taking on the chairperson position: Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins and Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen. Although they agree that CRD members will have to work together to solve regional issues, those discussions may not include amalgamation. “That’s not necessarily a discussion that will take place at the CRD,” Jensen said. “That really is a discussion that will take place at individual communities.” Oak Bay was the only municipality with an amalgamation question on the civic election ballot to vote against it. “I don’t think realistically that the CRD will be a place for the discussion of amalgamation,” Young said. PlEASE SEE: Mayors eye chair, Page A4
Kevin Laird/Victoria News
Bear essentials Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island chief executive officer Linda Hughes cuddles up to the teddy bear that she’s sponsoring for Bear Wear. The 14th annual Bear Wear holiday event kicked off at Hotel Grand Pacific on Monday. For more on the event, please turn to page A6.