UKEE’S GOT TALENT
SEA LION SAVED
Local skills shine under Ukee Days spotlight.
Discarded trash nearly killed animal.
7
14
Westerly News
TOFINO-UCLUELET
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
WesterlyNews.ca
$1.25 (including tax)
Eagle ‘OK’ after crash in Ucluelet Local effort gets large bird to wildlife recovery centre
ANDREW BAILEY
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
An injured eagle was transported from Ucluelet to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington on Wednesday night after crashing into a local residence the day before. Ucluelet local Crystal Wright told the Westerly News she was eating lunch inside her Eber Road home when she heard a commotion outside and looked out to see an eagle fly into her window. “I heard of bunch of crows calling and I looked and they were chasing an eagle,” she said. “The eagle looked up for one second and then it hit my back window.” She said she went outside and found the eagle unconscious. “The crows started to come down and try to peck the eagle and try to attack it, so I stayed there for a little bit because it was stunned. It was knocked out. I was trying to get the birds away from him,” she said. “He started coming around so, I thought, ‘I’ll just leave him for a little bit and he’ll hopefully fly away,’ but it didn’t.” After 24 hours passed and the eagle continued hopping around her yard seemingly unable to fly away, she started calling anyone she could think of seeking treatment for the bird. “I knew, at that point, that something was wrong with it,” she said. “I got a hold of the CARE Network and they hooked me up with Ryan Wackett from Westcoast Connect…It was really fortunate for Ryan to come and volunteer to take it down all the way.” See HEAD TRAUMA page 5
ANDREW BAILEY PHOTO
CHAMPION CITIZENS: Ucluelet celebrated the Udell family’s community spirit on Sunday with a Citizen of the Year Award. From left, Percy, Mark, Tucker, Sebastian and Kristi Udell were delighted to be recognized. Read about it on page 3.
Skoda earns top volunteer honours Beloved Ucluetian always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need ANDREW BAILEY
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
Whether it’s masonry work, installing a new roof or driving a fellow local to an out of town appointment, Art Skoda’s commitment to his community never stops. “He’s amazing,” Ucluelet local Mary Christmas told the Westerly News. “If you need something, he’ll come and do it. If he hears about somebody who needs something, he goes and does it.”
Christmas helped lead a local push to honour Skoda with Ucluelet’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award and had collected over 400 signatures by the time Skoda was announced as the award’s recipient on Sunday. “You have to be careful what you tell him, because he’ll come and fix it,” she said. “If people need him, he’ll be there.” She added she herself has been the recipient of Skoda’s tireless volunteerism. See UKEE page 16