THURSDAYJUNE 18, 2015
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THURSDAY JUNE 18, 2015
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INSIDE
B7-12
1819 Gibbs Road, Errington
MEET MATT BREEDLOVE
PARKSVILLE TAXES
Clubs may get break
Local Moves and Across the Country Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed. *Full details and Guarantee Certificate available from your moving consultant.
Parksville 250.248.8805 Pt. Alberni 250.720.2291
Nanaimo 250.754.1500 Duncan 250.748.5900
Email: parksvillesales@bekins.ca
BEST PRICE + BEST QUALITY + BEST SECURITY = BEST SOLUTION! For All Your Residential & Commercial Moving & Storage Needs • www.bekins.ca
Matt has been awarded the Royal LePage Diamond Award, recognizing the top 3% of Realtors for Royal LePage, The Directors Platinum Award recognizing the top 5% of Realtors and The Award of Excellence and is now a Lifetime Member of The Award of Excellence. He is also a recipient of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board REALTORS CARE award in 2013 which is among the highest honour the VIREB can bestow upon a member. These awards are presented to individuals who
of Vancouver Island Realtors.
MATT’S’ FEATURE HOME
An Awesome Real Estate Investment ! A private fully fenced 5 acres with 2 houses, large over height workshop + 2 additional Suites not in the ALR. 3 house numbers plus 3 Hyrdo meters, 3 wells & 2 septic systems. Plenty of good water for irrigation for the garden areas & fruit trees. Your own pond & windmill, nice meadow areas plus a nice forested area. The main house was built by Pickard Construction for his own family & he oversaw the extensive renovation in 2012.Quality construction & craftsmanship, high energy efficient w/heat pump, low E windows, extra insulation, metal roof & back up generator. Open concept living with large picture window overlooking the 5 acres. Lower level ideal for suite or B&B. The 2nd home is 1830 sq ft with 4 bdrms & 2 baths. The Workshop is 1680 sq ft w/a bthrm & sep. meter. Plus 2 - 1 bdrm suites w/in suite laundry & self contained. $1,228,000.
1819 Gibbs Road, Errington
250-954-9033 breedloverealestate.ca
Curling club among those that stand to benefit JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
City council has asked staff to bring back changes to the permissive tax policy that would effectively give the curling club tax-free status. An issue that has dogged council for years may get some form of closure at an upcoming meeting if council endorses the policy changes staff suggested on Monday night. Even Coun. Al Greir, who has fought to reduce the amount of taxes forgiven in the city, was behind this latest measure, which would give up to 100 per cent tax exemptions to organizations that spend more than 30 per cent of their revenues on operating and maintenance costs. The curling club, according to a city staff report, spends 38 per cent of its revenue on operating and maintenance costs. Greir gave council a bit of a history lesson, explaining that Parksville was “the highest in the whole area when it came to permissive taxes.” Work by committees, councillors and staff over the past two years has whittled the amount of taxes not collected by the city through permissive tax policy to $198,000 from $235,000. At one time on the life of this debate, the previous council adopted a policy to cap the amount of what can be forgiven. “We have some room if everyone wants to give the curling club a break,” said Greir. According to a report prepared by Debbie Comis, the city’s director of administrative services: “Organizations such as the curling club are in a unique position as they are responsible for the operation and maintenance of an older building which can be a financial challenge to maintain.”
JESSICA SKELTON PHOTO
SUMMER AND POPCORN BY THE SEA: Kasen, left, and Kiana Jepson were having fun at the Crescendo Kettle Corn booth on Tuesday during the first Summer by the Sea Street Market of the season. Hosted by the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce, the annual summer event features vendors from all over Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The market in downtown Parksville (centred around Craig Street) is every Tuesday night from 6-9 p.m. until early September.
FRENCH CREEK WATER RATES
Residents facing 38 per cent increase AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
A representative of the French Creek Residents’ Association is upset with a 38 per cent increase to water bills and wants his neighbours to consider other options. While a smaller increase than proposed, residential water rates in French Creek are going up 37.8 per cent over three years after a decision by the B.C.
Comptroller of Water Rights. “The association is disappointed with the final decision by the comptroller but at this stage there is nothing further to be done,” said French Creek Residents Association vice-president Rob Williams. “We don’t have a lot of confidence in what the comptroller has done. We believe we have reason to question whether the comptroller is able to handle situations like this,” he
said, adding that with 2,000 customers, French Creek is the third largest of 1,700 water services Epcor, a City of Edmonton-owned company, provides. Epcor applied in February to increase water rates 46 per cent over three years. After a review by the comptroller, the average monthly water bill will increase from $45.30 to $62.42, or $3.75 less than proposed. See WE WOULD, page A9
Join us the patio is open West Coast cuisine and libations at Pacific Prime Restaurant & Lounge 250-947-2109 reservations@beachclubresort.ca
181 BEACHSIDE DRIVE , PARKSVILLE , BC