PENINSULA Ticket contest inside
Cheering on the team
Guess who’s coming to Sidney? The News Review is giving away some tickets, page 8 Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
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NEWS REVIEW
Open house at Parkland Secondary School had hoops fans out of their seats, page 11 Watch for breaking news at www.peninsulanewsreview.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
services go up, taxes too
Sidney council green lights rate increase; offset to come in Town’s utility bill Steven Heywood News staff
Sidney residents will be paying more municipal taxes for more services this year, but the Town hopes other savings in their 2015 financial plan will keep the overall burden more reasonable. Town council approved their annual budget on Feb. 24, with an overall tax increase of 2.52 per cent. That, says Director of Corporate Services Andrew Hicik, means average homeowners will pay around $12 a year in additional property taxes in 2015. That jump, he continued, is offset by a drop in the sewer user rate. That savings on the annual utility bill should offset the tax increase, he said. The Town noted these are averages based on the assessed value of people’s homes. Hicik said the final tax rates for the municipality are set to be approved in April. On Feb. 24, council refined their financial plan and set their spending priorities for 2015. Those include sidewalk and park improvements around the Anacortes Ferry terminal and along First Street into the downtown core. Hicik noted that the gas tax money earmarked for a proposed pedestrian overpass will pay for much of this project. The overpass was put off for at least a year, pending the financial involvement of the provincial and federal governments. Council also voted to provide additional community support dollars to the Mary Winspear Centre ($255,000, up from $197,000 in 2014), Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre ($65,000) and Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce ($60,000). Please see: Centre working on self-sufficiency, page 2
Angela Cowan/News Staff
Owner Rosemary Scott, left, and her sister and store manager Joanne Waddington celebrated Deep Cove Market’s 10th anniversary on Saturday.
Open for a decade in Deep Cove Sisters say they run the Deep Cove Market ‘hand in hand’ Angela Cowan News staff
Walk into Deep Cove Market and the first thing you’ll notice is the abundance of smiling faces. With the smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air, the charming wood plank floor and woven baskets of produce capping off the aisles, it’s easy
to see why the shoppers are in a good mood. There’s a quaint feeling of discovery that permeates the shop, as though the perfect ingredient is waiting just around the corner. That welcoming personality — both of the store and its employees — was undoubtedly a large factor in the market reaching its 10th anniversary on Saturday and the proprietors naturally invited the community to help them celebrate with cake, coffee and a storewide 10 per cent discount. Owner Rosemary Scott can hardly
believe it’s been a decade since the market’s doors opened. “It’s come up very quickly, but this little market keeps very busy,” she said. “It’s been fun turning a run-down little corner store into a funky market. We’ve really turned it into a community meeting place.” Her sister, and store manager, Joanne Waddington, heartily agreed. “This place has just been a gold mine for the community. People love it.” Please see: Sisters working hand in hand, page 4
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