NANAIMO REGION
Cold case arrest made in Port Alberni killing Larry Darling, 51, charged with first-degree murder in death of 28-year-old Kristi Morrey in 2006. Page 5
SPORTS
Tragic ending
Brendan Gaunce looks to skate with Canucks
Amber Alert cancelled by y RCMP late Tuesday afterr und human remains were found
Gaunce scored 11 goals and 18 assists in 74 AHL games last season, with four goals in 21 playoff games. Page 6
Nation & World, Page 9
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Wednesday, September 16, 2015
DAM BATTLE Two arrests, more than a dozen bylaw tickets were handed out Tuesday at Colliery Dams Park
Roberta Dixon, 17 months, sits between Terry Lee Wagar and Andy Porter, who had chained themselves to a tree marked for removal at Colliery Dams Park. [SPENCER ANDERSON PHOTOS/DAILY NEWS]
Protesters say process was flawed SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
T
wo people were arrested for mischief following a day-long series of protests at Colliery Dam Park in Nanaimo on Tuesday. The demonstration was in opposition to the city’s plans to build an auxiliary spillway at the lower Colliery dam, work that will require the removal of approximately three dozen trees in the park. The event delayed workers from moving into the park to begin cutting for much of the day, but the city confirmed work would begin later in the day once protesters had left the park. Protests began at approximately 7 a.m. at the site of the proposed spillway. Demonstrators gathered in the fenced-off area said that about 40 people had turned up initially, but by 9 a.m. the number had dwindled to approximately 25 people. Some of those assembled chained themselves to one of the trees, while others held up signs.
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Cloudy, light rain High 14, Low 9 Details Page 2
William McCallum receives a ticket from City of Nanaimo bylaw officers. Several other residents also received tickets for refusing to leave the area Tuesday morning.
City bylaw officers asked protesters at the site to leave, and later returned to hand out bylaw infraction tickets to those who remained on site William McCallum was one of the residents who received a $187 ticket for remaining when directed to leave under the city’s parks bylaw.
“I don’t really give a rat’s ass about getting a ticket, I give a rat’s ass about the park,” he said afterwards. “I’m here because I am unhappy with our democratic situation in Nanaimo,” said another protester, Wesley Marus. Coun. Jim Kipp, who had voted with the rest of council to build
the spillway, also showed up to protest and received a $187 ticket from bylaw officers. Kipp indicated he was dissatisfied with how the motion had been carried out and slammed the city and the province’s dam regulator for proceeding with the project, which he said was based on “anecdotal information.” Kipp said he attended to “show my disregard for this process and how it is gone,” and said he was there as a private citizen, not a councillor. Coun. Gord Fuller also attended the protest throughout the day, but did not receive a ticket. He predicted political fallout from the work, which he admitted would not be stopped through protest. “We are going to do a full forensic audit of this,” vowed Fuller. Protest organizer Dave Cutts had urged the assembled group to scatter themselves around the park and not identify themselves to bylaw officers. “We’re going to make this as difficult as possible,” said Cutts. Bylaw officers asked media to leave the fenced-off section of
MLA visits cafe that helps disabled to work
Court says niqabs OK for citizenship events
The Coco cafe located in Cedar, which has 23 employees, 13 of whom suffer from development disabilities, was vistied by MLA Michelle Stilwell. » Nanaimo Region, 3
Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the government’s appeal of an earlier ruling that said banning face coverings at such ceremonies was unlawful. » Nation & World, 9
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the site shortly before 11 a.m. By the afternoon, Nanaimo RCMP officers attended at the request of the city. Most of the protesters had left the fenced-off area by 2:30 p.m. RCMP officers later arrested and escorted two men out of the fenced off area within the park. RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O’Brien said approximately 15 bylaw tickets were issued throughout the course of the day, but said “five or six” of the people who received the tickets gave false names. Leon Cake, one of the people chained to a tree, said he was leaving “Because I respect the law.” “There’s nothing I can do. They’re going to do what they’re going to do. I tried.” Spencer.Anderson @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to yourletters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
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