TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2015
www.pqbnews.com
CCNA BCYCNA
General Excellence
VICTORIA SYMPHONY
LOCAL BODYBUILDER
Performing at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre Sept. 28
Mike Mothersill has sights set on Provincials next year
A27
A36
QUALICUM BEACH LABOUR DISPUTE
Lockout video proof Town contradicts events during picketer interactions AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
Dash cam video of interactions between union members and a Qualicum Beach garbage truck contradict an Aug. 20 story in The NEWS. Last Wednesday CUPE Local 401 Vice President Laurence Amy told The NEWS that, contrary to a report from town management, union members had not impeded a garbage truck. “Nope, we’re not blocking traffic,” he told The NEWS Wednesday. “We were following the garbage truck to the transfer station.” “We’re making a concerted effort to not have emotionally charged things,” Qualicum Beach Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Sailland said as he showed the video to The NEWS on Thursday. “Ultimately what we’re trying to do is peel the emotion out and say look, these are the facts, lets negotiate around the facts.” The video, shot by a GoPro camera installed in the truck by the town early in the four-week-old lockout, shows the garbage truck trying to turn into the transfer station in Errington on the morning of Aug. 18 and being blocked by five men — four have picket signs and the fifth appears to be Amy. See BOTH SIDES, page A7
TYSON TAYLOR PHOTO
IN THE HOT SEAT: Kiefer Larson, riding Johnny on the Rez, tries to hold on during action at the first installment of the Bulls, Broncs and Barrels event at the Coombs Rodeo Grounds this past weekend. The stands were packed at the grounds which reopened this year after being closed for six years. Another photo A32.
HOT DRY WEATHER
People are still lighting fires in the backcountry
CANDACE WU
news@pqbnews.com
Don’t play with fire. Despite widespread fire bans during one of the most arid summers Vancouver Island has experienced in years, firefighters are seeing evidence of illegal campfire use within Little Qualicum River Regional Park and the adjacent private lands in
the Meadowood area. “It’s not just one event, we’ve seen three obvious recent fire pits,” Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department (DVFD) deputy fire chief Greg Howard told The NEWS Friday. “It looks like it’s happening on a regular basis.” On Thursday, Aug. 20, DVFD posted on
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Locally Owned for over 30 Years, Proudly Canadian! WE DELIVER MON-FRI 8-6, SAT 9-5:30, SUN 10-5 720 MEMORIAL AVE., QUALICUM BEACH • 250-752-3011
their Facebook page: “We received a call from a concerned citizen who witnessed several teenage children with a quad intentionally starting a fire in the Glory Hole area off the Ozero’s access road.” “It should go without saying that a fire that got out of control in this area has the potential to cause significant property
loss in both timber and the houses on Corcan, Galvin and Koskimo.” Campfires and smoking are currently banned in all Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) parks according to a news release. Continued see: $10,000 FIRE, page A8 and related story: STILL HOT, page A3
Sidewalk
SAVE an additional 50% OFF
Sidewalk Sale Clearance Items - Fashion, Jewelry, Giftware & Toiletries!
In Stock items only, All sales final