THURSDAYFEBRUARY 4, 2016
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CHANGING FACE OF ART
SOUNDING OFF ON THE GOOSE CULL
Part one of a series examining tumbling art sales in this region
Readers share their views and the city provides a history of the decision to cull
A5
A11, A28
REPORT ON SENIORS’ SERVICES
It’s best at home
Advocate says home care preferred, but hours down CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
While health officials across the country agree expanding home care will best serve a growing senior population, the total number of home-care hours declined in three out of five health regions in B.C. That’s one of the findings in the inaugural report on seniors’ services by B.C. Seniors’ Advocate Isobel Mackenzie, Monitoring Seniors’ Services, released late last month. The report found the total hours of home support delivered to clients was down four per cent on Vancouver Island, where the senior population is growing. Parksville Qualicum Beach is one of the oldest communities in Canada with a median age of 63.9. Mackenzie said there has been an increase in seniors served by home-care workers in most regions, but the hours received by each has declined. She said the data on hours reflects what she has heard from seniors around the province, who report that their home-care services are being reduced. “That’s a big problem,” said Alberni Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser. “Home support is key for senior care. Most people don’t want to leave their home. They want to stay at home as long as possible for quality of life. This (report) shows home support is trending down though the number of clients is increasing.” Fraser credits the government with the creation of a seniors’ advocate office, which he called “positive.” B.C. is the only province in the country with a seniors’ advocate. See DISAPPOINTMENT, APPLAUSE, page A15
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JOHN HARDING PHOTO
FREE LUNCH: Fishing vessels carrying tonnes of hake have been off-loading at French Creek Seafood’s processing plant in the last couple of weeks. It has also brought more than a dozen sea lions right into the marina. Above, local resident Andy Meeker provides one of those sea lions with a hake snack on Friday.
COMPLAINTS REACH BACK MORE THAN A DECADE
City orders house demo JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
The subject of complaints from neighbours for 13 years, a house at the corner of Pym and Soriel in Parksville now has a demolition order placed on it by city council. The house at 526 Pym Street was the site of a fire in October of last year. On Monday night, council unani-
mously passed a motion deeming the property unsafe and ordering it demolished — along with the removal of all materials — within 30 days. The city now has the authority to do the work and bill the owner if the order is not followed. There were no comments from councillors Monday night as they
passed the order. After the fire in late October, neighbour Al Bryans spoke about his frustration related to the house. “I tried to declare the place a fire hazard because of all the junk,” said Bryans. “It was just one hell of a mess but we couldn’t get anything done.” See OFFICIALS EXPRESS, page A8
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