TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2016
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
www.pqbnews.com
CCNA BCYCNA
General Excellence
FAMILY GETS OUT SAFELY
DIFFERENT YEAR, SAME STORY
Dogs perish in fire near Parksville last week
Search and rescue responds, once again, to Martindale Road flood zone
A3
A5
MARIJUANA PRODUCTION
Wildflower still waiting Company secured building in Parksville with a deposit CANDACE WU
news@pqbnews.com
Wildflower Marijuana is still “optimistic” about moving into Parksville’s industrial park, but the company’s corporate development director Doug Kerr said they’re waiting for direction from the newly-elected Liberal government that promised to legalize, regulate and restrict access to pot. “Everything is stuck in the queue,” Kerr told The NEWS Friday morning. He said during the federal election, Health Canada “didn’t bother to further any applications… including ours.” Wildflower Marijuana committed a $20,000 non-refundable deposit to the City of Parksville early last year securing a piece of city-owned land in the industrial park where Wildflower’s facility is slated to go if they get a green light from Health Canada and city council. Wildflower submitted a Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) application to Health Canada more than one year ago. Right now, Kerr said “it’s too early to tell” how the government will move forward with new legislation which will undoubtedly shape how Wildflower develops in Parksville. “I’m sure they are trying to work their way through how they will roll out recreational marijuana across Canada. Whether they will go with the MMPR program or change that and go back to the old MMAR (Marihuana Medical Access Regulations) program, nobody knows,” he said. “Right now, the feds aren’t saying anything.” Kerr said in three months the company will have a better understanding of how federal regulations will affect their Parksville project. “Parksville wants us there and we’d love to be there,” he said. “We’re optimistic.” See NO REVENUE IN WAITING, page A8
WAYNE DUKE PHOTO
MUM FEEDING NEWBORN: This photo, taken near French Creek by Parksville’s Wayne Duke, won the Best in Show prize at the recent Celebration of Nature Photography 2015 Competition. Entries came from members of 25 clubs throughout B.C. and the Yukon. Duke’s photo also won first prize in the birds category. The 85-member Oceanside Photography Club placed third overall in the competition and Inge Rils McDonald received an honourable mention in the mammals category for her photo of a grizzly bear called ‘Chasing Salmon.’ The club, open to all who enjoy photography, meets twice a month at Ravensong in Qualicum Beach. For more information about the club, visit www.oceansidephotographers.ca.
CONTROVERSIAL TESTS
Requests from parents denied J.R. RARDON reporter@pqbnews.com
Local teachers renewed a call last week for a change to the Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) tests administered to local students. They may not have much longer to wait. Norberta Heinrichs, president of the Mount Arrowsmith Teachers’ Association, asked the School District 69
Board of Trustees during its regular meeting last week to reconsider district policy for families that wish to exempt their students from the controversial exams. “The FSAs have commenced in schools this month, and it’s MATA’s understanding that some parents’ request to withdraw their children from writing the test have been denied,” said Heinrichs. “It is disappointing
that this district doesn’t uniformly accept the request for withdrawal, as such requests are accepted in Vancouver and in our neighbouring district of Nanaimo-Ladysmith.” The B.C. Teachers’ Federation has previously sent letters to parents urging them to exempt their children from the exams, which have been administered by the Ministry of Education since 2000. See TEACHERS SAY, page A8
Winter SPECIAL $59.95* LUBE OIL & FILTER with TIRE ROTATION and 41 POINT VEHICLE INSPECTION includes: • Antifreeze Test • Alignment Inspection • Battery Test
*Includes 5 litres of 5W30 oil. Enviro fees, shop supplies and taxes extra. Additional fees may apply for different grades of oil.
All Makes & Models Offer Expires: February 29, 2016
512 EAST ISLAND HWY., PARKSVILLE, BC • Call 1-888-225-8126 • HarrisOceansideGM.com