TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2015
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CALLING FOR ACCORDIANS
Provincial government funding helps chamber take a walk
Qualicum Beach man is trying to round up enough players to form a club
A19
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PARKSVILLE COMMUNITY/CONFERENCE CENTRE
Society looks for new prez Operating agreement with city set to expire at the end of month JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
The president of the society that operates the embattled Parksville Community and Conference Centre has resigned. Kirk Walper gave the society his resignation letter last week. Walper and PCCC executive director Margaret Spruitt have appeared before city council twice this month and faced a tough line of questioning about the facility’s budget and direction from councillors. The PCCC’s 2016 budget was approved by council this month — the vote was 5-1 with Coun. Sue Powell opposed. The PCCC expects to have $431,258 of income in 2016, $247,294 (57 per cent) of which comes from the taxpayers of the city in the form of a subsidy. Council had a staff recommendation at that same Dec. 8 meeting to renew the operating agreement between the city and the society for five years, but tabled that motion. The current agreement expires Dec. 31. Kirk Oates is the councillor who serves as the liaison to the PCCC society. He said of Walper’s letter of resignation: “it’s not flattering.” He also said he’s hopeful the society’s board “can elect a new board and get on with business.” See A CALL FOR CLARITY, page A6
POSSIBLE SITE FOR A HOMELESS SHELTER
City ponders donation CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
A boarded-up building in Parksville that was once Vancouver Island German Jujutsu Systems may become a homeless shelter. Parksville Coun. Al Greir said he would like to see the city-owned building and property donated to the Oceanside Task Force on Homelessness, but fellow councillors expressed hesitation at last week’s budget meeting when Grier introduced the idea. “As everyone knows we’ve talked about doing something for the homeless… and we haven’t come up with very much,” said Greir, borrowing a line from Coun. Kirk Oates: “Doing nothing is not an option.” See TASK FORCE, page A8
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CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM: Laila Hocker, 20 months, of Nanaimo, grins after petting a goose and getting her sleeve pecked as a reward during the annual Christmas on the Farm celebration at Morningstar Farm in Parksville.
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