THURSDAYJULY 23, 2015
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RIOTS IN GREECE
WHO DOESN’T LIKE BANGING A DRUM?
NEWS reporter Candace Wu’s first-hand account
Errington World Music Youth Camp August 17-28 is filling up quickly
A5
A18
DROUGHT CONDITIONS
Drastic measures City, residents have to make tough decisions JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
The City of Parksville says it is doing its part to conserve water in these drought conditions. Council passed a bylaw Monday night authorizing its officer to levy a fine of $100 to those who use water contrary to conservation levels. The city is at level 4, which basically means no outdoor watering whatsoever. (See below for details about level 4 and the new fines schedule.) During the discussion about the bylaw, Coun. Sue Powell called for a $500 fine, saying the $100 levy was a “joke.” Coun. Teresa Patterson voiced concern about what the city is doing to watch its water use. “We are not always compliant,” said Patterson. “We have sprinklers on the roads. We are wasting water.” The city released some information Tuesday about what it has been doing to reduce its water usage. “We have now shutdown all possible irrigation without causing permanent damage to our assets,” said a news release from the city. “We are prepared to lose perennials and shrubs but not major trees.” Other actions by the city include (read the entire news release at www.pqbnews.com): - purchased 180 gator or tree bags which are being filled with non-potable water by the city’s water truck. The bags allow the water to slowly seep from the bag applying water to the root zone of the newer tree. - boulevard grass areas for the most part have been turned off with the exception where irrigation is in common with trees and ornamental shrubs. See SAVING, page A8
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LARRY MACDOUGALL PHOTO SUBMITTED BY PARKSVILLE TAI CHI
TAI CHI PARTY: Parksville Tai Chi celebrated its second anniversary with a summer gathering and some tai chi in Nanoose Bay recently. The group holds classes at St. Edmunds Church in Parksville, plus invites everyone that enjoys tai Chi to join them at the Parksville Community Park band shelter every Sunday at no charge. For more info, contact Eva Grodt 250-954-1002.
RESCUE OPERATION OFF TEXADA ISLAND ON MONDAY
Air Force, Navy help troubled boaters AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
A large land and sea rescue operation successfully rescued two people on an 18-foot boat in rough waters near Texada Island on Monday. On July 20 the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Victoria received a 911 call about the boaters, reported 19 Wing Public Affairs Officer Captain Trevor Reid. A CC-115 Buffalo aircraft was launched from 19 Wing Comox to assist in quickly pinpointing the boat, which they did shortly before 2 p.m.
“We located the boat in distress on the southern tip of Texada Island and dropped smoke markers to help other rescue vessels distinguish it from other boats in the area,” Lieutenant Stephan Germaine, CC-115 Buffalo navigator said, according to Reid. Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy vessels were then able to reach the boat, with the three agencies remaining in close radio communication. “The Buffalo crew remained overhead and in radio communication with rescue vessels until the two
boaters were transported to safety in French Creek by members of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Cape Cockburn,” Reid said. 19 Wing’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron is the main aviation search and rescue unit in the Victoria Search and Rescue Region which includes 920,000 square kilometres of mainly mountainous terrain across B.C. and Yukon, about the size of Egypt or Pakistan. They cover an area extending 965 kilometres into the Pacific Ocean with a cormorant helicopter and the Buffalo.
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