THURSDAY January 8, 2015 Vol. 30 • No. 5 ••• $1.25 inc. G.S.T.
THIS PUBLICATION AVAILABLE ONLINE AT comoxvalley record.com
COMOX VALLEY
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ARTS
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Vaudeville returns to the Sid page 13
Medal haul for Nordic skiers page 18
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Community rallying around one of its own Crowdsourcing campaign raises $100k in less than 48 hours Erin Haluschak Record Staff
Taking the plunge in the iciest of waters ... Page 3 Council briefs ... Page 4
While facing a seemingly overwhelming diagnosis, Sunday Dennis and her family have reached part one of their goal. Dennis, a volunteer, musician and owner of Sock Soiree in downtown Courtenay, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour requiring immediate medical attention and surgery. With limited resources in Canada, a treatment option is available as part of a funded cancer treatment trial at UCLA which offers the best hope for a positive outcome. Needing to pay for the surgery, hospital fees and more, her husband Jason set up a crowdsourcing site in order to raise $300,000 as soon as possible. Less than 48 hours into the fundraiser, their initial goal of raising $100,000 was met, and a second fundraiser for the mother of three is set for Saturday night at the Waverley Hotel in Cumberland.
... see SUNDAY ■ 4
Firefighters donate camera to SAR ... Page 9
Area B residents up in arms over impending pump station Scott Stanfield
The Hope for Sunday Dennis crowdsourcing campaign has reached $125,000 in less than a week.
Enjoy the respite while you can; the rain returns on the weekend.
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Sunday Dennis and her husband Jason of Sock Soiree in downtown Courtenay are currently in the process of raising $300,000 to pay for surgery and other associated costs after Sunday was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.
Record Staff
Residents of the Croteau Beach-Hawkins Greenway neighbourhood have expressed concern about an impending sewer pump station in Area B of the Comox Valley Regional District. A study recommends construction of the Comox No. 2 Pump Station on Beech Street, and a new inland forcemain alignment from the station to the water
pollution control centre. It would bypass Willemar Bluff near Goose Spit. The district purchased the property last year. The budget for the project is estimated at $10,700,500. The design is expected to be completed this year and construction next year. In an online post, residents say they were “blindsided” by the proposal. “Our intent wasn’t to blindside the community, it was to involve
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the community,” said Marc Rutten, the CVRD’s manager of engineering services. “Our consultants have advised us on the size of property that we would need. We haven’t designed anything yet, and that’s why we wanted to get the community involved at this point.” An information letter and package was intended to provide background and answer questions. “Our intent was to reach out to that community ahead of the
rest of the Comox Valley, out of respect,” Rutten said. “We knew this would be difficult…Wherever it goes, a similar reaction will occur.” Rutten notes the project is constrained by physical factors. The property can’t be too high or too low. “There’s an optimum elevation. That’s a very important factor, and it eliminates a lot of options right off the bat.”
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