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NEWS GAZETTE
ELECTION 2015: Cowichan-Malahat Langford candidates talk environment /A3 NEWS: Construction zone speeders targeted by regional police unit /A8
Wednesday, September 30 , 2015
www.goldstreamgazette.com
Liberal candidate resigns after online posts resurface Manna says she felt no pressure from Liberal Party to step down Katherine Engqvist News Gazette staff
Arnold Lim/News Gazette staff
Metchosin resident Anna Hall stands in the thick of Spellman Park, a property next to her home, which she hopes will stay a designated park and not be sold off to be used for residential development.
Metchosin residents win latest round over rural park’s future Referendum on disposition of Spellman Park won’t come anytime soon Arnold Lim News Gazette staff
The battle for Spellman Park may just be heating up. A proposed bylaw amendment that would have removed park status from the almost five-acre green space at the corner of Spellman and Lindholm roads in Metchosin
was defeated, after more than the required number of eligible voters signed an Electoral Response Form against the change. The District of Metchosin must now hold a referendum on the issue if it wishes to enact the change. Anna Hall, who lives next door to the park and spearheaded the Save Spellman Park campaign, said she was pleased with the response, which saw 566 Metchosin residents sign the form. The process requires at least 10 per cent of eligible voters to indicate their opposition, which is 377, she noted.
Metchosin Mayor John Ranns, clearly frustrated with the result, which was brought up at Sept. 14 council meeting, said there has been a good deal of misinformation about the District’s intentions for the property. “It’s two building lots and in past years, we tried to do something with it. We tried to put a bike jump park and (the public) said they would prefer to put residences in there.” “So we put the bike jump park in PLEASE SEE: Spellman Park saga, Page A4
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After announcing her decision Monday to step down as the Liberal Party of Canada’s federal candidate in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, Maria Manna sounded upbeat. “I’m really okay with it,” the Bear Mountain resident said, having posted a resignation statement on her Facebook page – the very vehi- Maria Manna cle on which she posted what have become her controversial views on 9/11 and the Twin Towers. Manna commented in 2013 on the social media website about the World Trade Centre attacks. She called the official story that the planes hitting the twin towers caused them to collapse a “lie,” and that she believed a different truth. The posts resurfaced and were picked up by several media organizations over the weekend, causing some controversy. Manna would not confirm whether those comments were directly related to her resignation, but when asked whether she felt pressure to step down, she said she did not. She would not comment further on the matter, saying that her resignation statement adequately summed up her response. In her Facebook post early Monday afternoon, Manna said that after stepping back and reflecting on recent events she had decided to resign. She expressed her support for the Liberal party and did not wish her opinions and comments to detract from their goals. She went on to apologize to anyone she may have offended and said she would devote herself to her music and humanitarian work. The Liberal Party of Canada emailed a terse statement to the Gazette confirming Manna’s resignation. When asked to expand on the matter, a party spokesperson refused to elaborate past the comments made in the release. That email also announced that Luke Krayenhoff would be replacing Manna as the Liberal candidate in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding. Krayenhoff was previously nominated to represent the Liberals in the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding but lost his bid to current candidate David Merner. katie@goldstreamgazette.com
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