Record
Sunrise Farms
Locally Raised BC Poultry Grain Fed Free Run
Dr. Oetker or McCain
Pizza
3$
Johnsonville
Brats or Italiano Sausages
4 500gr
10
Selected varieties & sizes
99
for
Fresh
4
Pork Back Ribs
99
11.00 per kg
Per
LB
www.qualityfoods.com
an Island Original.
Copyright © 2016 Quality Foods and its licensors. All Rights Reserved. Photos for Presentation Purposes Only • All QF Stores Email: customerservice@qualityfoods.com
99
¢ LICABL PP
EES EF
2lt
PLUS A
Coca-Cola or Sprite
Prices in effect February 05-07, 2016
NEWS
Comox presented financial plan Following their first look at the 2016 - 2020 financial plan, Comox council is considering a 2.7 per cent general tax increase per annum, but is hoping to find ways to reduce it slightly. ■ P7
ARTS
Courtenay to have a Blonde moment Fans will get a healthy dose of music from Yukon Blonde’s newest album, On Blonde, when the band comes to Courtenay for a performance Saturday. ■ P23
■ GOT OARS?
Puntledge Park was filling with water while BC Hydro’s flood-routing was in effect last week. Flow rates were about triple the normal rate in the Puntledge River. Downstream river conditions were a combination of Hydro’s discharge from the PHOTO BY SCOTT STANFIELD reservoir, and high tributary flows of the Browns and Tsolum rivers.
Budget survey garners little interest + 2ND PAIR FREE • Chance to Win Your Purchase!
99
■ P11
An application to develop a 38.5 hectare property and a smaller lot on Lake Trail Road near Arden Elementary has been denied by city council. ■ P3
+ 2ND PAIR FREE • Chance to Win Your Purchase!
5 227gr
Brent Hobden
The Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) has been dealing with an unusually large number of sick birds — specifically pine siskins — in recent weeks. The birds have been dying of salmonella, a preventable condition spread through bird feeders that haven’t been cleaned. ■ P3
Tastee Choice
Shrimp Ring
Coffee with ...
Boundary extension denied
Find us on page 11
3
99
$1.25
MARS inundated with siskins
79 79
5's
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016
starting at 79 Frames $ starting at
Avocados
10
$
1kg
Frames $ $
Mexican "Hass Variety"
Chicken Drumettes or Wings
COMOX VALLEY
VOLUME 31 | NO. 10
THE
e specials! m a g super day FRESH!
349 B 5th Street, Courtenay (250) 334-2043
32 ■ Thursday, February 4, 2016 ■ COMOXVALLEYRECORD.com
■ Scott Stanfield scott.stanfield @comoxvalleyrecord.com
The online Citizen Budget Survey did not garner a significant response from the public, but Courtenay council has nevertheless heeded comments submitted about city services. Just 77 people responded to the first survey in 2014. A third questionnaire that ran last November to January garnered 133 responses — about 0.5
Less than one per cent of populace responded per cent of Courtenay’s population. Because of the small sample size, Coun. Doug Hillian feels the comments are not overly helpful in terms of providing council with policy direction. Still, he notes a significant number of respondents are not convinced that Courtenay needs a new fire hall on the east side of town. He also notes concerns about transportation. The City paid Open North $4,686
to produce the survey for a three-year period. Most respondents (36 per cent) from the 2014 survey gave transportation a ‘fairly poor value’ rating. Protective services, recreation, water and sewer, waste collection and property taxes/ user fees garnered a higher number of favourable responses. Hillian feels there was a “misimpression” among respondents that City Hall is over-staffed. Maintaining infrastructure drew the largest response about top issues that should receive the most attention.
Fundraising dance in Cumberland A dance featuring entertainment by Brodie Dawson and Friends is being held Saturday in Cumberland. The event is a fundraiser for EduAfrica, a Canadian charity that provides education funding for African women and children. ■ P24
SPORTS United heading to Provincial A Cup A win in their final regular season road game has put Comox Valley United on the road to their first-ever Provincial A Cup appearance. ■ P25
FEATURES Business Classifieds
WE SPECIALIZE IN
■ P27 ■ P28
NATURAL QUARTZ, GRANITE AND LAMINATE COUNTERTOPS! 250-334-2126 #1-2989 Kilpatrick Avenue