WEDNESDAY
August 10, 2011
A division of
Vol. 26 No. 63
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COMOX VALLEY RECORD
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ANNIVERSARY
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NCE 1986
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
CFB Comox officer Piir first of her kind
MOTORBIKES CAME
Lindsay Chung Record Staff
The Cumberland Motorcycle Roundup beat expectations. ■ 3
RECORDS IN POOL
MASTER WARRANT OFFICER Miina Piir was the Honour Guard MWO when Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk visited 19 Wing Comox. Piir is in Winnipeg and about to begin training as the first non-commissioned officer in the Aerospace Systems Course. PHOTO COURTESY 19 WING and it was originally designed as a course for officers at the rank of captain, explained Piir. “The course itself has changed as technology has changed, and this is the first year they opened it up to non-commissioned mem-
bers of the Air Force,” she said. “I’m in a sense the guinea pig for the course.” Piir’s background is in telecommunications. “As the first person to go in, I’m the first aerospace telecom-
munications information systems technician,” she said. “My background is we support all the telecommunications for the Air Force — telephones, computers and up to radar systems.
... see ‘GUINEA PIG’ ■ 3
Apartment residents scramble to safety in city Early-morning fire contained
Scott Stanfield Record Staff
Residents of an apartment building in Courtenay wound up stranded outside early Saturday after their building caught fire sometime before 5 a.m. The blaze was contained to one unit on the fourth floor at Pines Apartments at 1055 10th St., thanks in part to the efforts of a pair of tenants who combed the hallways before vacating the
premises. Riel La Boucane and another man checked each floor after hearing the fire alarm. On the fourth floor, La Boucane grabbed an extinguisher when he noticed smoke billowing underneath a door. He and the other tenant entered the suite and saw flames coming from the bedroom. He opened the door as much as
he could and doused the flames he could see, thinking he had extinguished the fire. He then closed the door and continued checking the building to ensure people were outside. “We have a number of elderly people, some that would have a tough time getting down the stairs,” La Boucane said. “Main concern was making sure people
Five Comox Valley Aquatic Club Sharks travelled to Montreal for the Canadian Age Group National Championships. The five were part of 1,665 competitors from 189 clubs from all across Canada that gathered at Parc Jean Drapeau for five days of fast racing. Drew Kuhnert, Brooke Lamoureux, Cheyenne Lindsay, Mikhaila Lindsay and Devin Pelletier represented the Sharks. They set several club records.
were getting out. While I was getting the flames out there were other people knocking on doors making sure everybody was getting out, because (we) had a sense the fire was going to be more than just a small flame.” Later, La Boucane returned to the suite that had burned, concerned the female occupant was still inside. When he found the woman outside, she indicated a cigarette caused the fire.
... see ‘LUCKY’ ■ 2
...Full story on page ■ 31
FINDER ■ Weather
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■ Lottery
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■ Ferry Schedule
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■ Arts
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■ Classified
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■ Sports
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■ Editorial
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■ Opinion
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A woman who spent four years at 19 Wing Comox will become the first non-commissioned officer in the Canadian Forces to take the Aerospace Systems Course. Master Warrant Officer Miina Piir recently moved from Courtenay to Winnipeg to begin training. The Aerospace Systems Course (ASC) is conducted at the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Studies in Winnipeg and aims to provide suitable Air Force candidates with advanced education and training, enabling them to fill appointments associated with the definition of operational requirements, acquisition and analysis, and evaluation of aerospace systems, according to Canada’s Air Force. “I look forward to the course,” Piir said by telephone from Winnipeg. “It is in some ways a daunting task to be the first to do this, but at the same time, I’m looking forward to it and to the challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing how I can use the course in the future. “I’m proud of our military. People don’t realize it, but our military puts a lot of effort into making sure we’re trained well. This is one of the cases where the military ensures that it’s making sure our people have the best tools.” The ASC is run once a year,