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W Wednesday, d d A Augustt 5 5, 2015
» Advisory
Beach unsafe to swim: VIHA Island Health warns of high bacteria count on the waterfront, test results expected as early as today “I am disappointed in the city. If there is something in the water that is dangerous, why don’t they have proper signs up?.”
KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
The Vancouver Island Health Authority has issued an advisory for Canal Beach. The City of Port Alberni received the notice on Friday and immediately posted signs and online notification for users of the beach over the weekend. The advisory warns of high bacteria counts, making it unsafe for swimming. “The water is tested regularly and has always been good,” said Jake Colyn, horticulture and parks operations supervisor. “Last week it came back irregular so [Island Health] asked to retest.” Those samples were taken to the health unit and on Friday the city was advised of a closure. “The test came back with a bit higher bacteria count than usual,” Colyn said. The samplings were taken near the pier. Colyn said he speculates the bacteria to be from dead fish in the area or the higher number of geese on site. Scott Harrison was not aware of the issue until it was too late. He did not see the sign, on letter-size paper, at the bottom of the information board at the beach.
Scott Harrison, Alberni resident
and the dogs when we got home, and they are all fine, but I was shocked when I found out and went to look for the sign,” Harrison said. Tests continued Tuesday and the results are expected as early as today. “We will be contacted to either continue the closure, or if everything is clear, we will remove the notice,” Colyn said. Residents are recommended not to swim at Canal Beach until the advisory is lifted. Scott Harrison points to the beach closure sign that he saw at Canal Beach after enjoying the water with his daughter and dogs over the weekend. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]
Kristi.Dobson@avtimes.net
Harrison regularly visits t he beach with his dogs and seven-year-old daughter and they were all in the water over the weekend.
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“I am disappointed in the city,” Harrison said. “If there is something in the water that is dangerous, why don’t they have proper signs up?”
He said he often walks down to the water from the upper parking lot and would not see it on the board. “I hosed down my daughter
PUBLIC FUNDING
Airport approval process ends at 4 p.m. today ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Should the Alberni Valley’s taxpayers be paying for the expansion of the regional airport? Those who are against funding the development through residential tax hikes have until 4:30 p.m. today to submit an elector response form at the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s office in Port Alberni. If at least 2,050 residents – 10 per cent of the Valley’s voters – file an opposition to the process the matter will go to a formal referendum later this year, according to a stipulation in B.C.’s Community Charter. Wendy Thomson, the ACRD’s manager of administrative services, said the regional district undertook this alternative approval process to gauge public opinion in a more affordable manner than a formal referen-
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“It is a quicker, cheaper alternative to gain consent of the electorate.” Wendy Thomson, ACRD manager of administrative services
dum, which is estimated to cost approximately $9,000. “It is a quicker, cheaper alternative to gain consent of the electorate,” said Thomson, adding that a report on the number of electors who filed opposition is expected on Friday. With a $7.5-million airport expansion project in its sights, the ACRD is applying for federal and provincial grants through the B.C. Air Access Program, the Build Canada Fund and the Strategic Gas Tax Initiative. Amid the uncertainty of gov-
ernment funding, a loan would guarantee money is in place to cover the project, allowing construction to start as early as the beginning of 2016. The regional district proposes to borrow up to $6 million from the Municipal Finance Authority to move the project forward. If approved by the public, this loan could bring annual tax hikes of as much as $16.80 for a $200,000-valued home over its 30-year term. Maintenance costs at the airport are also expected to increase from $50,000 to as much as $150,000 a year. The airport expansion includes enlarging the runway by 340 metres, installing a global positioning system to allow airplanes to navigate through heavy cloud cover and adding industry-standard lighting to the facility near Sproat Lake. With airports being developed
across Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Victoria to Long Beach on the West Coast, Port Alberni is one of the few municipalities without nearby passenger service. A business case on the proposed development commissioned by the ACRD states that the lack of a GPS has limited the regional airport since it opened in 1993. “AVRA is also underutilized, and Port Alberni is the only mid-size community in B.C. without scheduled air service,” reported the study by Operations Economics. The airport’s largest user is currently Coulson Aircrane, employing 30 people at the facility. An improved airstrip is expected to facilitate Coulson’s work converting C-130 Hercules planes into water bombers for forest firefighting contracts. This work is currently being contracted out to California
and Singapore, but the airport expansion is set to allow the local company to grow locally by employing 15 full-time aircraft maintenance engineers. “The company cannot conduct work at the AVRA because the modified aircraft are too heavy for the existing runway,” according to the business case, which warns that not proceeding with the expansion plans could cause the Valley to miss out. “This highvalue aerospace work will not take place at Port Alberni, and probably not in Canada, unless the runway is extended.” The business case also predicts that the expanded airport would attract an airline for passenger service, generating over 8,000 oneway flights annually to Vancouver through the daily use of an eight-seat aircraft. Eric.Plummer@avtimes.net
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Alberni girl sings with country superstar
A new B.C. record for litres of water dumped on a wildfire in a single hour was set for the Hawaii Mars this week, says the plane’s owner. » Alberni Region, 3
Eleven-year old Lauren Spencer-Smith sang at the SunFest Music Festival in the Cowichan Valley on Saturday night with country superstar Keith Urban. » Alberni Region, 3
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