Size: 1.5” (w) x 2.5” (h) PRINT • Sept 15/15
PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW
Finger Eleven in town
Awarding top business
Canadian rockers to perform with local talent on Halloween night, page 11
The Chamber of Commerce held its Crystal Awards gala, highlighting business, page 3 Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
Downtown Sidney Oct 31 3pm to 5pm
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Watch for breaking news at www.peninsulanewsreview.com
Downtown takes look at Gateway Victoria Airport Authority outlines early plans to Sidney merchants’ group Steven Heywood News staff
Sidney’s newest business organization wants its members to have an influence over a proposed retail development in town, but will stop short of becoming a full fledged lobby group themselves. Susan Simosko, president of the Sidney Business Improvement Area (SBIA), says as an organization, they want to provide their members the best information available and allow them to make up their own minds about the Sidney Gateway project. The SBIA is not, however, looking to take a lead role for or against the proposed commercial development. “We are not a lobbying organization,” Simosko said. “We are an organization that works for (downtown business owners).” That said, she added the Susan Simosko board of the SBIA knows that the Gateway is on many people’s minds. As they see one of their roles as providing information to their members, the SBIA hosted a meeting Oct. 20 to talk about what’s known about the Gateway right now. The meeting was a follow-on to the SBIA’s membership survey on the Gateway project, completed last month. They invited James Bogusz, vice-president of operations at the Victoria Airport Authority (VAA) and Peter Laughlin of Omicron, hired by VAA to develop 10 acres of land on the west side of town, across from the Mary Winspear Centre. Please see: VAA to take Gateway plans public, page 9
Through the looking glass
Carlie Connolly/News staff
Artist Rick Silas peers out from a hole he cut into his creation from a piece of tempered glass. Silas was one of the Saanich Peninsula artists who opened their studios to the ArtSea Fest Studio Tour on the weekend. See page 17.
Remembering the life of Larry Orr Celebration of life Thursday for a man who influenced many Steven Heywood News staff
Larry Orr is being remembered this week, for more than just his volunteer hours and dedication to the hockey community on the Saanich Peninsula. On Thursday, starting at 1 p.m., there will be a celebration of life for Orr, who died earlier this month after an illness. It
takes place at Panorama Recreation Centre’s Arena B, where a memorial banner will be hung in his honour. Jason Fletcher grew up knowing Orr and most recently the pair worked together on winning the Kraft Hockeyville title in North Saanich. Fletcher says Orr was an example he looked to and based his own community work on Orr’s dedication.
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“I saw him giving back and I’ve tried to live my life in a similar fashion,” Fletcher said. “He was an example of someone who did the work, and didn’t just talk about it.” Thursday’s celebration will focus on that work ethic. Please see: Orr had big impact, page 2