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Thursday, Th rsda May Ma 7, 7 2015
DEVELOPMENT
Residents to decide on airport Alberni Valley Committee recommends seeking public opinion before securing loans for project ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
The future of the regional airport near Sproat Lake hinges on public approval, according to processes being undertaken by the AlberniClayoquot Regional District. On Tuesday members of the Alberni Valley Committee passed a recommendation to give the electorate a chance to decide on taking out loans to finance ambitious plans to expand the Alberni Valley Regional Airport to allow commercial flights. Now the decision to seek public opinion falls in the hands of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s board of directors at a public meeting next Wednesday. The regional airport has no global positioning system that allows airplanes to navigate through heavy clouds, making Port Alberni one of the few cities in Canada without a regional facility that can service scheduled flights. With estimated costs of over $6 million, the proposed airport project is planned to expand the existing runway by 300 metres to 1,500 metres. If airport lights are added to the runway costs would rise to $7.5 million, but how exactly the project will be financed is yet to be determined, said the ACRD’s
DYSON
chief administrative officer Russell Dyson. “There will be various different decision points in the future on the amount of borrowing, what level of development will be advanced,” he said. “All of that will hinge on the applications that we have for senior levels of funding from the province and the federal government.” The airport expansion would also triple the facility’s annual operating costs to $150,000, but provincial legislation dictates that increasing these expenses or taking out a large loan for the project would require consent of the electorate. See AIRPORT, Page 5
The Alberni Valley Regional Airport is currently unable to service scheduled flights with no GPS and a short runway, but over $6 million in plans to upgrade the facility could change this. The regional district has plans to let the public decide on taking out loans to finance the project. [TIMES FILE PHOTO]
ECONOMY
Postal cuts affect other businesses Alberni taxi company expects monthly losses of $9,000 if home delivery eliminated Fundraisers to help families rebuild in Nepal Residents are helping with efforts for victims of the April 25 earthquake. » Alberni Region, 3A
Family cherishes generations of memories The community lost a rich line of history with the passing of a local centenarian. » Community, 5A
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KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
As momentum grows across the country in an effort to save the jobs of Canada Post workers, so too does the campaign in Port Alberni. Following last year’s announcement of Canada Post’s five-point plan, including the elimination of door-to-door mail delivery, 14 communities across the country have already seen phasing out of the personalized service. This year Canada Post announced nine communities in B.C. are already on the list, including Campbell River, Sidney and possibly Esquimalt. “We are predicting 15 immediate job losses in Campbell River,” said Monica Judd, union president of the Island town. “Temporary workers are already being told to look for work and the rest will be through attrition, which will be interesting.” Cab drivers in Port Alberni have taken on the cause with new window decals. It is not only posties affected by possible job losses if the company’s door-to-door service is eliminated, but cabbies fear cut backs as well. Tom Petrie, a driver for 16 years, said his company could lose about $9,000 per month if they no longer
Mail carrier Tammie hops in a cab, a service used by many postal workers that faces a decline if door-to-door delivery is eliminated. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]
have postal workers to transport to and from their routes. “We do about 25 trips per day, five days a week,” Petrie said. Petrie’s colleague from United Cabs, Brian Harrigan, agrees. “It will definitely affect some jobs because there will be less cars on day shift,” Harrigan said. “We like driving (mail carriers) around. It’s money for sure and no headaches.” Canada Post employee Eric Foster recently moved to Port Alberni
from Vancouver specifically for his carrier position but is now questioning how long he will stay in town. He says the trickle down effect of Canada Post’s decision will have an impact on the community’s economy. “It is not just our jobs,” he said. “A lot of other businesses will be affected. I won’t be buying a house here until I know if I have a secure job. We all live in town and our money is spent in the community.”
Foster’s co-worker and letter carrier Mieka Guerin said the ripple-down effect is expected to continue from the depot through the community. “Our three drivers who deliver the large parcels and our mail bags will also lose their jobs,” Guerin said. “We could lose eight to 10 positions at the post office and three or four cab drivers might lose their jobs. It will affect massage therapists, restaurants, grocery stores and business in general in our community.” Community support can seen on the lawns of homeowners. The number of Save Door-to-Door signs has been growing each week. So far about 1,600 residents have posted the signs showing their opposition to community boxes. The same is true in Campbell River. “We’re knocking on doors and talking to people and they are greeting us with open arms,” Judd said. “People stop us on the street asking where they can get signs.” There is no set date for decisions to be made in Port Alberni but postal workers plan on stepping up the campaign before the upcoming fall election. Kristi.dobson@avtimes.net
Inside today Alberni Region A3 Opinion A4
Valley Faces A5 Score A6
Sports A7 Drive B1
Community B5 What’s On B6
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