NANAIMO REGION
Writers gathering goes ahead at farm in Cedar Regional District of Nanaimo had originally warned farm owners it would contravene zoning rules. A3
SPORTS
Little libraries es
Former VIU Mariners star signs pro contract
Nanaimo neighbourhood ood libraries let residents take ake a book and leave a book ok
Justin King, a former star basketball player at Vancouver Island University, is headed down under. B1
Page A3
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Tuesday, September 1, 2015
WEATHER
Thousands left without power
Water quality was not affected by storm; more rain expected before sun returns for long weekend
ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS
Power outages related to the weekend wind and rain storm that struck Nanaimo left approximately 3,000 homes, mostly in the south end of the city, without power for several hours. BC Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said falling trees and branches caused the power outages, which also impacted parts of Ladysmith. He said the outages were quickly dealt with by BC Hydro crews.
The Nanaimo area also received up to 30 millimetres of rain during the storm, which has led to the Coastal Fire Centre and the City of Nanaimo lowering the fire risk from extreme to moderate and allowing cooking fires for the first time since early summer. Bill Sims, Nanaimo’s water manager, said there was less rain than expected in the city during the storm, so residents didn’t need to boil their water. The city issued a water-quality advisory that drinking water
may appear “cloudy” as a result, and suggested that those with compromised immune systems should boil their drinking water for one minute. Sims said the city’s watershed received approximately 130 millimetres during the storm because of its higher altitude. That’s because of a weather phenomenon called a “rain shadow” that occurred as a result of the weekend’s storm coming almost directly from the west. As a result, the weather system
had to climb the spine of mountains in the middle of the Island, and the precipitation was largely “squeezed” out in the higher altitudes. That resulted in the eastern coastal sections of the Island getting much less rain than other areas. “The water level in Jump Lake raised 15 centimetres over the weekend,” Sims said. “But the city’s Level 2 water restrictions are scheduled to stay in place until Sept. 30 and, unless something dramatic changes, I
expect that will remain the case.” Lisa Coldwells, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said another system is expected to hit Nanaimo Tuesday that could dump another 15 to 20 millimetres of rain on the city. “The next few days will be cool with showers, but it should warm up a bit and become sunnier for the long weekend,” she said. Robert.Barron @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4234
POLICE
CANADA VOTES!
Candidates share economic strategies
Raiders player suffers nasty head injury DAILY NEWS
DAILY NEWS
Canada heads to the polls on Oct. 19. During the federal election campaign, the Daily News will offer a series of profiles, issue pieces and more to help readers with their voting decision. Today marks the second in a series of questions posed to local candidates. Their responses (candidates listed alphabetically) are listed below. MacDONALD
MALCOLMSON
MANLY
TESSIER
of the world, and the Prime Minister’s guidance allowed Canada to escape relatively unscathed through the 2008 recession. I see tremendous opportunities for economic growth at the Nanaimo Airport for possible secondary manufacturing or aircraft repair. Vancouver Island University has room to grow, and local First Nations offer options for private sector investment, with Chemainus First Nations’ Oyster Bay development being a great example. A foot passenger ferry to Vancouver would allow
commuters to live and spend here while earning their living in the lower mainland. Other ideas include the underwater exploration centre/maritime museum concept floated recently by deepocean explorer Phil Nuytten, a 5,000-plus seat entertainment and sports multiplex, and easier access to Mount Benson and its panoramic views, perhaps like the Grouse Grind. These would be excellent tourism magnets.
Question: “What will you do to stimulate the economic activity on Vancouver Island?” Nanaimo-Ladysmith Mark MacDonald, Conservative It is important to recognize the primary role of private sector businesses in job creation. Government jobs require taxes to create and support them. Therefore, government policy must maintain an environment where businesses can create jobs by investing and risk taking. Without that, individuals and families will not have the jobs they need. To that end, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative government has lowered the personal income tax rate to the lowest level since the 1950s, and lowered the corporate tax rate to 13.5 per cent, along with continuing to push for the elimination of progress-strangling red tape. The results are clear: Our economy remains strong today in the midst of an unstable global economic climate, as Canada’s economy is ranked at the very top
» Use your smartphone to jump to our website for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.
Cloudy with showers High 19, Low 10 Details A2
Sheila Malcolmson, NDP The NDP will stimulate the
economy by transitioning to a green, community-supporting economy. The Conservatives have dismantled laws that protect our environment while handing massive subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. New Democrats have a different plan. We’ll kick start our clean energy sector, something our coastal communities are well-positioned to participate in. And we’ll make predictable investments in transit. New Democrats have been calling for an end to the senseless export of raw logs for a long time. And we’ll end the Conservatives unconditional handout of billions of tax dollars to large corporations and create an innovation tax credit for business that invest in machinery, equipment and property used in innovating-boosting research and development. We’ll cut the small business tax rate from 11 per cent to 9 per cent as this sector creates 3/4 of all jobs in Canada. And we’ll extend the accelerated capital cost allowance for manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment to help businesses attract new investors, grow their exports and create family -supporting jobs. Dedicating an additional cent of the existing gas tax to ensuring roads, bridges and other vital infrastructures are there when we need them will grow and support local economies as well. See ECONOMY, Page A3
Raiders crush winless Huskers 53-0 at home
Nanaimo family swims from France to Canada
The Vancouver Island Raiders are in a second-place tie with the Kamloops Broncos after a shutout win on Saturday against the last-place Valley Huskers. » Sports, B1
Jason Hare and his children swam 7.2 kilometeres from Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Newfoundland’s south coast, French territory, to Little Green Island. » Nanaimo Region, A5
Local news .................... A3-5 Markets ................................A2 B.C. news ............................. A5
Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports ................................... B1 Scoreboard ........................ B3
Classified ............................ B5 Obituaries ........................... B5 Comics ................................. B4
A Vancouver Island Raiders football player may miss the rest of the season after suffering a head injury following an offfield incident early Sunday in Nanaimo. Tyler Harvey, 19, said he was walking home with a friend from a party held to celebrate the Raiders’ win against the Valley Huskers on Saturday. He said he woke up in the hospital with a severe concussion (and a wound which required 30 staples) a few hours later with no memory of what happened. According to Harvey’s mother, Jen Harvey, police told her that her son had been struck in the head with a tire iron. Police could not confirm any details of what happened, citing privacy issues. Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O’Brien said there is an ongoing investigation into an incident in the 4000 block of Departure Bay Road that took place at approximately 3 a.m. “There was a disturbance and during the disturbance an individual was struck by a metal object,” O’Brien said. The injuries to one individual required hospitalization, he said. O’Brien also said “alcohol may be a contributing factor” in the incident. No charges have been laid and O’Brien said he could not offer further comment.
Crossword .......................... B4 Sudoku ................................. A2 Horoscope .......................... B2
Nanaimo Daily News and nanaimodailynews.com reach more than 60,000 readers each week in print and online. General inquires: 250-729-4200 | Newsroom: 250-729-4224 | To subscribe: 250-729-4266 | Copyright 2015. All rights reserved
The
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