TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2016
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HIGH PROFILE AND IN LIMBO
SCRATCHED OFF THE BUCKET LIST
Owner of boarded-up beach resort meets with the mayor
Oldest member of Eaglecrest cards his first hole-in-one after 65 years of golf
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HOMELESSNESS IN PARKSVILLE
Tent ban developed City moving forward with law to protect some parks JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
Parksville city council is one step closer to prohibiting overnight camping by homeless people in key areas of the city, including Community Park. Council directed staff Thursday to come back with a bylaw at a future meeting that will likely ban camping in Community Park, Springwood Park and anywhere within 60 metres of the ocean. That would leave open the possibility for the homeless to camp from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. in other city-owned lands like Foster Park. The city is trying to get its legal house in order in reaction to recent court rulings that limit a municipality’s ability to prohibit the homeless from camping on public land. Essentially, the courts have ruled that if there are no shelter options for homeless — there are none in Parksville — people can set up tents in public parks. The court rulings do allow municipalities to prohibit the homeless from camping in sensitive park areas. “The tourist season is coming and we have to have something in place,” said Mayor Marc Lefebvre. “In the absence of such a bylaw, it can happen in all public places,” said Coun. Kirk Oates. Coun. Leanne Salter made reference to a letter from the Friends of Foster Park, correspondence that was not part of the council package Thursday night. “They are also not wanting people to sleep in their park,” said Salter. Keeva Kehler, the city’s director of administrative services and the author of the report before council Thursday, acknowledged residents would not likely be happy with tents in any city park. See SALTER PREDICTS LEGAL BATTLE, page A4
J.R. RARDON PHOTO
BRANT FEST BEGINS: Maisie Cope, left, and Jack MacMillan of Victoria, both 8, stop on their way from the pool to greet Lucie the Brant Goose during Saturday’s Brant Wildlife Festival opening gala at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville. For more photos from the event, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PQBNews.
MUCH-ANTICIPATED RE-DEVELOPMENT IN NANOOSE BAY
Schooner Cove work starts AUREN RUVINSKY
writer@pqbnews.com
The building and launch ramp will be saved and the interior demolition is underway at Schooner Cove Marina in Nanoose Bay. “We have a tentative plan, but right now we’re just gutting the interior,” said Daniel Galpin, Vancouver Island General Manager of owner Seacliff Properties. He said there isn’t a lot of detail to tell the public yet, but that
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they will soon be putting out a public call for someone to open something like a pub, beer and wine store and/or a “country market.” He said people were happy they decided to keep the launch ramp, and there is a lot of interest in the project and improvements to the building, which is meant as the first step in a redevelopment of the area. “We’re taking it step by step,” Galpin said of whether the hotel will be
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re-opened. Vancouver-based Seacliff purchased Fairwinds, including Schooner Cove, for an undisclosed amount last July. Fairwinds includes a championship golf course, 700 homes and zoning approval for 2,100 more 750 acres of undeveloped land. The total Fairwinds holdings covers about 900 acres, with a potential development value of $2.3 billion.
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See POPULATION, page A14 th