TUESDAY MAY 19, 2015
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FIREFIGHTERS PRACTISE
RETURNING FROM A MERCY SHIP
Wildfire season is upon us and crews are getting ready
Qualicum Beach nurse is back from her volunteer work off coast of Madagascar
A4
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HOUSE OF COMMONS
Derelict bill dies
MP Duncan against bill but says gov’t has a plan CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
A private members bill to deal with derelict vessels in Canada drowned at second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Bill C-638 was put forward by NanaimoCowichan MP Jean Crowder earlier this year. It would have made the Canadian Coast Guard the sole receiver of wrecks, taking on full responsibility for aging, abandoned boats in the country. Crowder called the result “disappointing.” “This bill received strong support from British Columbians… Conservatives ignored that support and voted down a piece of legislation that would protect British Columbia’s coast from abandoned derelict vessels which are a hazard to safety and the environment,” she said in a statement after the vote. In March, regional district officials, including both Parksville and Qualicum Beach mayors, pledged their support to Crowder’s bill by sending a letter to Ottawa. The issue hits close to home as Parksville Qualicum Beach is one of many coastal communities plagued with derelict vessels. In Deep Bay alone, at least 15 abandoned boats were recorded last year and RDN chair Joe Stanhope said it’s a problem that’s not going away. “It’s a big thing,” said Stanhope. “This keeps coming up all over coastal communities and we had a recent situation in Deep Bay once again — it was a derelict vessel and there was concern it could pollute the shellfish industry.” He noted a substantial amount of the province’s shellfish industry is rooted in Deep Bay. “To me it’s a big issue and it’s not going to go away,” said Stanhope. See MP LUNNEY DIDN’T VOTE, page A7
BRENDA GOUGH PHOTO
ANT TASTING: The Rathtrevor Beach Nature House opened its doors for a special Victoria Day weekend session that included learning all about ants and, for those who were brave enough, licking the insects to taste their bitterness (above is Mason Levin of Victoria getting ready to lick one). Travis Arnold, a park naturalist with RLC Park Services, took a group of kids ages 5-12 to a massive ant hill located near the nature house at the popular Parksville campsite.
TWO ARRESTS
Police put end to theft spree Port Alberni RCMP have arrested two men they say are at the core of an extensive property crime scheme that victimized owners from across Vancouver Island, including Parksville and Qualicum Beach. Police say both suspects have extensive histories of property theft, and are well known to police on the Island. This criminal group is alleged to have committed truck thefts, breakins, vandalism, and possessed stolen property in multiple Island jurisdictions including Port Alberni, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Campbell River, Nanaimo and Victoria. While
the tally is climbing as the investigation unfolds, investigators indicate that the total loss and damage resulting from these incidents is currently estimated at more than $400,000. Port Alberni Serious Crime investigators say they networked with officers from all of the victimized jurisdictions as they pieced together the information that lead to the identification of the two men. According to police, local Forensic Identification Officers worked to obtain the physical evidence needed to firm up the grounds for the criminal charges. Assistance was provided by RCMP heli-
copter Air8 from the Comox area and the Port Alberni RCMP Police Dog Services as both units tracked several allegedly stolen trucks. On May 9, Port Alberni RCMP arrested a 19-year-old Port Alberni man for his role in the operation and on May 13 they arrested a 26-year-old Port Alberni man. They have been remanded in custody and will appear in Port Alberni Provincial Court on May 20. RCMP say additional arrests and charges are expected in this matter as police continue to comb through evidence and speak with victims and witnesses. — NEWS Staff/RCMP news release
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