Oceanside Star by Oceanside Star

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Mentally ill in a small town is challenging

The environment was Phil Carson’s backyard

Mark Willott didn’t have a choice about leaving the Bowser area. His dad ‘kind of left me sitting there’ in the psych ward of NRGH. He was there a long time NEWS, Page 6

Activist, filmmaker and educator Phil Carson was not afraid to speak up about the challenges facing our world. He died this month of cancer at age 65 NEWS, Page 12

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Local news for Parksville, Qualicum Beach and area

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Closures stay in the mix Trustees begin 90-day process to a ﬁnal vote JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

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he District 69 school board voted Tuesday to accept superintendent Rollie Koop’s recommendation to consider closing four elementary schools. Trustees spent close to two hours discussing Koop’s facilities review report and answering questions from the large crowd on-hand. “None of us are taking this lightly. This is a very personal decision,” said board chair Lynette Kershaw. “We still have another hurdle to overcome and that’s the regular budget. We still have to cut.” Last week, district staff proposed closing four elementaries: Parksville, Winchelsea, Qualicum Beach and French Creek. They also recommended eliminating middle schools and reconfiguring the three middle schools into kindergarten to Grade 7 schools. The two high schools would become Grades

District 69 superintendent Rollie Koop and secretary-treasurer Erica Bailey present their recommendations to Tuesday’s packed school board meeting. [JULIE BERTRAND/OCEANSIDE STAR] 8-12. Any closures would be in effect for the start of the 2014 school year in September. Closing and reconfiguring the schools, including moving PASS/ Woodwinds to Family Place, would save the district $1.23 mil-

lion. The district’s annual deficit is expected to grow to $3.6 million by 2018-2019. “We have 2,000 extra spaces in our school system. It’s not fiscally responsible to do that,” Kershaw said. “It’s very important for us to take fiscal responsibility

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and education seriously.” The staff recommendations would also increase school utilization by 19 per cent and eliminate $7.34 million in deferred maintenance. See CLOSURES, Page 4

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Repairs will cost ‘quite a few coffees’ ing on the rootballs of the plants and throwing them at the doors. The tape has been sent to the RCMP’s criminal forensics laboratory in Ottawa to be enhanced for the investigation. Patterson noted the timestamp on the video shows the attack happened just before 9 p.m. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111.

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 3

UPDATE On Tuesday, Pacific Brimm owner Teresa Patterson posted on Facebook that several people have contacted her and her staff “and the same youths’ names (keep) coming forward. I am personally impressed with the youth I have spoken to that have expressed their disappointment that the vandalism occurred. If this is the good that comes from last week, it shows what great kids we have here. It’s only a few that cause the damage. We will be removing the video posts shortly, we are just waiting on police.”

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Pacific Brimm owner Teresa Patterson sweeps up the debris in the coffee shop’s patio. [NEIL HORNER PHOTO] NEIL HORNER OCEANSIDE STAR

he Pacific Brimm coffee shop in Parksville was the target of young vandals Wednesday night last week and owner Teresa Patterson has a hard time not taking it personally. It is, after all, the fourth such incident since she took over the business in early August. Patterson arrived at work at 7 a.m. and was met at the door by cook Mike Thurber, who gave her the bad news – someone had caused significant damage to the rear courtyard. “I tried to open the back door but it didn’t want to open,” she said. “I went around to the side entrance and found the back door had been wrapped shut with wire. I took a look around and, to be honest, I cried.” The culprits, who were captured on the shop’s security cameras, had tipped over two totem poles, smashed old-fashioned globe lights, tore down a trellis and upended and then trampled numerous planters.

“They don’t make the globes any longer, so they have to be special-ordered and they cost $80 apiece,” Patterson said. “Along

with shipping costs, that’s about $700. That’s quite a few coffees.” The video shows the culprits, pre-teens or young teens, jump-

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Final decision may look different, Austin says CLOSURES, from Page 1 The recommendations would require $650,000 in renovations and would increase transportation costs slightly. Trustee Julie Austin abstained from voting, saying that while she appreciates the amount of work staff put into the report, she does not want her vote to signify that she agrees with it.

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“I have fundamental differences with some elements of the report,” she said. “If I were to vote in favour, it would be to kick the 90-day public consultation period.” She noted that the final recommendation may look different at the end of the 90-day process, which concludes with a board vote April 29. “A number of school districts who have gone through the same process started with a recommendation of closing four schools,” she said. “They ended up with closing one school.” The other trustees voted in favour of considering the review report’s recommendations. Trustee Ross Milligan asked school district secretary-treasurer Erica Bailey if identifying a school that could be closed during the 90-day process would start the clock ticking.

Bailey said district staff spoke with Ministry of Education staff, did some soul-searching and concluded that, “The consultation is on a plan to close a school, not a specific consultation. The idea is you can change your mind.” Trustee Eve Flynn cautioned her fellow trustees to be diligent in any decision to close and reconfigure schools. “A number of [neighbouring] school districts revisited [this issue] for the second or third time this year,” she said. During a question-and-answer session following the meeting, an audience member suggested Parksville is getting off more lightly than Qualicum Beach. Bailey disagreed, noting that Qualicum Beach has two elementary schools, with one recommended for closure, while both Parksville elementaries are being recommended for closure.

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Eve Flynn urged fellow trustees to make reconfiguring and closure decisions that won’t require revisiting two or three times.

poor shape to move students to newer facilities (the three middle schools) in good shape,” she said. Other factors included having K-12 in both Parksville and Qualicum Beach (that is, not closing a high school); closing schools on what Koop called “very strategic properties” (Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Winchelsea) that could attract buyers or other revenue streams; and accommodating students who walk or ride their bikes to school (very few; at Winchelsea, 277 of 287 students arrive by bus or are dropped off). District staff are arranging a series of public consultation meetings, with the first two Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., at Springwood Middle School and Monday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m., at Qualicum Beach Middle School.

B.C. Supreme Court decision may have repercussions in Oceanside classrooms. On Monday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice

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Susan Griffin ruled for the second time that provincial legislation enacted in 2002, which limited teachers’ bargaining rights, is unconstitutional. The legislation took away class-size limits and class-composition guarantees from collective agreements. Mount Arrowsmith Teachers Association president Debbie Morran told the School District 69 board Tuesday that the district has many classes over the size limits. “There are seven kindergarten classes that are over the collective agreement limit,” she said. “There are 20 Grades 1-3 classes over the limit.” She said she’s surprised superintendent Rollie Koop’s school-closure recommendations would keep the same class sizes in the reconfigured schools. Prior to Morran’s presentation, Koop had said the court ruling won’t require significant changes to the school district’s plans. “I’m not seeing this will play into things,” he said. Due to safety concerns, Morran said, shop, laboratory and home economics

classes can’t exceed the class-size limits of the rooms in which the classes are held. “That’s music to the ears of teachers,” she said. During the time the legislation was in effect, she said, 200 schools in the province were closed and there are now 3,500 fewer teachers employed, including 1,500 specialist teachers. “We now have a generation of students who have been short-changed,” she said. “Kids have gone to school with larger classes and less access to resources.” Morran said the Mount Arrowsmith Teachers Association is hoping that class size will be restored and specialists will be rehired. She told trustees their decisions on the subject will be awaited with interest. However, following the court ruling, Premier Christy Clark said that the “likelihood is government will appeal” the decision. “It doesn’t reflect government’s view of the case and the facts in the case,” she said. With files from the Times Colonist

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|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 5

Town council asked to ﬁght closure JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

wo Qualicum Beach residents asked town council Monday to oppose the closure of Qualicum Beach Elementary School. The school is one of four elementaries School District 69 staff are proposing to close to save money. Parents Anne Skipsey and Anna Sjoo told council that the school’s downtown location has been a factor in a number of families’ decisions to move to the town. “The location provides students the opportunity to be part of the community,” Sjoo said. “They can participate in [many activities] and in exchanges with Kwalikum Secondary School students.” The families support downtown businesses, she said, noting she spends more money in town since her children started attending school. “We’re aware of one business that’s put its plan of opening in Qualicum Beach on hold due to the school closure,” she said. Skipsey said the school has 284 students and 24 daycare spaces in the morning and the afternoon, for a capacity utilization of 87 per cent. “There are 109 students who are cross-boundaries, with a waitlist for more,” she said. “It’s

Qualicum Beach residents Anna Sjoo, left, and Anne Skipsey seek council’s support in opposing the closure of Qualicum Beach Elementary School. [JULIE BERTRAND/OCEANSIDE STAR] a desirable school in a desirable location.” Coun. Scott Tanner pointed out that School District 69 says the school has 251 students, and suggested Skipsey was using statistics selectively. Skipsey said she included daycare students in the number. She maintained that the school

building is not as old as the school district says and that the cost of running the school is on par with rural schools. “We’re running efficiently,” she said. “The decision [to close] is so much more than economics,” she said, noting that both QBES and KSS are described in the Official

Community Plan as important to the town. “We must consider the economical impact on Qualicum Beach in the long run.” Skipsey and Sjoo asked council to send a letter to the school district objecting to the closure and to consider providing funding to the school. They said they canvassed in

Trustees approve three student trips JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

School District 69 trustees approved three student trips Tuesday. Students are expected to raise the money for the trips themselves, with no contribution from the school district. Thirty international students will visit the Rockies in April. They’ll stop in Revelstoke and spend two nights in Banff. The projected cost of the trip is $42,000, with a cost per student of $400. Thirty-two band and choir students from Ballenas will go on a six-day field trip to Disneyland in May. They’ll perform a concert at Disneyland and participate in workshops with clinicians. They’ll be accompanied by Ballenas Secondary School music teacher Rick Robson and two chaperones. The projected cost of the trip is $43,200, with the cost per student set at $1,350. Money for the trip will be raised through fundraising and parent

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contributions. A group of nine Ballenas Secondary School students and three adults will tour Greece and Turkey in March 2015 during a 13-day trip. The trip will cost $3,985 per student and $4,615 per adult. The price includes round-trip flights, the use of a motor coach, seven stays in hotels and three stays in cabins, breakfast and dinner, a bilingual tour director, six sightseeing tours and one walking tour as well as entrance to numerous historical sites.

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front of Qualicum Foods last week and heard loud and clear (among 200 responses) that the elementary school needs to be kept in the downtown core. Coun. Mary Brouilette asked for the percentage of children who walk to the school, because she remembered it being low. Skipsey described the district figures as “vague” but “the number was 30 per cent of students who are not cross-boundaries walk to school.” Coun. Dave Willie said he’s upset that none of the four closure options considered by the district included keeping QBES open. “The odds were stacked against us,” he said. “Let’s not fill the public’s mind out there with the expectation that council can be the magic.” Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer asked Skipsey and Sjoo to leave the text of their presentation with council, so it can be used in a meeting with the school district. Mayor Teunis Westbroek later made a motion to schedule such a meeting. At the end of the meeting, resident Jared Shaw told council a survey done by the district as part of the review “was poorly executed and filled with leading questions.” When QBES closes, he said, the community will lose jobs, residents and potential residents.

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6 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Mentally ill in a small community Closer to home is good but the help you need is in the city BRIAN WILFORD OCEANSIDE STAR

s a young man in the Bowser area, Mark Willott was turning out to be trouble. He seemed “a little off the wall,” his father Jim says in the 2013 Paul Manly documentary ‘On the road... to find out.’ Some of his behaviour, like drinking and driving, was more troubling. His family tried referring him to Oceanside-area ‘troubled youth’ programs but they weren’t for Mark. One program director in Parksville told him that most of the youth he dealt with were “here” and Mark was “way out here.” A Parksville psychiatrist referred Mark to a psychiatrist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Mark and Jim drove in for the assessment and then went home.

They returned to the psychiatric unit at NRGH for a follow-up and Jim drove home alone. “He kind of left me sitting there,” recalls Mark. “It was bittersweet. “Things had certainly reached a low,” he says, “but I realized they could get a lot worse. “It was kind of scary... Everything was very confused.” He was in the psych unit “for a really long time” — six months. When he was released, it wasn’t back to Bowser-Deep Bay. Instead, he found himself in one of five residences in Nanaimo operated by the Columbian Centre Society. People should be treated in their own communities because that helps the path of “building on their strengths,” Tom Grauman, the Columbian Centre’s executive director, told a gathering hosted by the Parksville library on Thursday

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Mark Willott and Tom Grauman, of the Columbian Centre Society, with a copy of the Paul Manly documentary film ‘On the road... to find out’ in which Willott and others tell their stories. The society has a weekly podcast and radio show on CHLY, 101.7 FM at noon on Mondays and Thursdays. [BRIAN WILFORD/OCEANSIDE STAR] last week, but the reality is that small communities like Parksville don’t have the resources needed. Grauman spoke on the topic ‘When someone becomes mentally ill in our community, how shall we respond?’ and showed Manly’s film, which looks at three mentally ill people from small towns on Vancouver Island, of which Mark is one. All three were referred to Columbian Centre homes in Nanaimo by Island Health. Martin, a former employee at the Elk Falls mill in Campbell River, suffered a nervous breakdown when the mill closed. He remains in a Columbian Centre group home.

Gail, suffering from substance abuse and depression, was able to return to her home, helped by a mental-health outreach worker. In his Columbian Centre home, Mark says he felt “part of the community.” That’s important, psychiatrist Dr. Joris Wiggers says in the film. “They need social connections or they just drift into their own inner world.” Mark was also “fortunate,” Grauman says, “to have a very involved, supportive family.” As he got better, Mark thought about “being closer to home and family” but he also felt needed by his friends at his Columbian Centre home, “and that’s really important to my well-being. “I love small towns but it can be very JOHN DEERE hard to break out of old HUGE FACTORY REBATES UP TO $1000! habits.” After 10 years

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“away,” Mark, working with an Island Health mental-health worker, got a job as an education assistant with his old hometown’s School District 69. In the film, he’s commuting from Nanaimo and enjoying the drive but, in attendance as “the movie star” for last week’s presentation, he said he has since moved to Oceanside. But in some ways home has also become Nanaimo and he’s thinking of moving back because, as Grauman puts it, “he has become very important to people with mental illness in Nanaimo,” and has joined the Columbian Centre board as a director. Mark says he still has “some lingering bits of depression,” but, “I’m getting to a place where I’m really starting to enjoy myself. “Not everybody progresses at the same rate. Everyone is still trying.”

NEWS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 7

Staff asked to Concerned Citizens calls for report back on more open decision-making larger council T JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

Qualicum Beach residents may soon be asked to give their opinion about increasing the size of town council from four to six councilors. Council voted Monday in favour of directing staff to prepare a report on the issue, with a view to considering a referendum during the municipal elections Nov. 15. Mayor Teunis Westbroek broached the idea during the Jan. 13 council meeting. Town corporate administrator Trudy Coates said council historically has had a policy of reviewing the council’s size prior to municipal elections. “That doesn’t mean you have to take it as a referendum question,” she said. “You could do a public opinion process. [The options] are wide open to council. There is no legislative requirement.” Coun. Mary Brouilette made a motion opposing a referendum, saying the timing is poor and it’s a non-critical issue. “I think this year we have a lot going on [with the fire hall, the school issue and the urban containment boundaries],” she said. “They all require public input. We’re asking a lot of our community. I think it’s too much.” Coun. Scott Tanner said councilors should not make negative motions.

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Bad timing and not a critical issue, says Coun. Mary Brouilette. “If it were to go to referendum, we have until Sept. 8 to prepare the document,” he said. Coates recommended not voting on holding a referendum before that date, since according to provincial legislation, once council passes a resolution, it has 80 days to enact that resolution. Coun. Dave Willie said he had no issue with staff preparing a report. Council may have more questions on the subject and the town may need to hold public information meetings, he said. Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer agreed that a report is appropriate and that “public meetings would be a good thing. It’s a governance issue. We’re asking [residents] how they want to be governed.” Brouilette’s motion failed. Tanner successfully moved that staff prepare a report on the subject.

he Concerned Citizens of Qualicum Beach want the town to establish an open, transparent and accountable planning and approval process, member Graham Riches told council Monday. Following last year’s rapid approval of the Clarion condominiums next to the town hall, he said, the group canvassed more than 1,100 residents for opinions about the process. “We heard that many residents lost faith in the council because the voices of those opposing the project were not heard,” he said. The five-storey condo building was approved within six weeks and amendments were made to the Official Community Plan to remove height restrictions and development cost charges in the village centre. Riches said council can regain the community’s trust by establishing a better planning and approval process which proceeds in a timely manner and encourages meaningful public consultation. “Many residents were frustrated by their inability to ask questions of council and town staff and have them answered,” Riches said. The group wants the town to adopt a policy that clearly defines meaningful public consultation, to redraft the town’s public-information meeting policies and to conduct research into the state of the local economy to produce an economic plan. Coun. Dave Willie asked Riches about the group representation and how often it meets. Riches said a number of the group’s members meet regularly. “To write [your speech], some of you met,” Willie said. “To ask

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me to consider [your speech,] Riches said the process did not would you consider that a fair facilitate dialogue. At the federal process?” level, he said, MPs and senators Riches said the group’s survey are not required to make decicame out of public meetings in sions after public hearings. an open, democratic process. According to the Community Willie asked if the town can Charter, Luchtmeijer said, counhave access to the survey. cillors cannot take further inforRiches said council will get a mation after a public hearing. copy of his presentation. “We are mandated to make a “Whatever we do in the future decision,” he said. “I think someand what information is brought times the backlash is people have forward has to be clear and conthe opportunity to be heard but, cise,” Willie said. “It’s rhetoric if they don’t get the response and words unless there is a betthey want, you get to hear about ter process than ours.” it.” Coun. Mary Brouilette said Mayor Teunis Westbroek said council is very cautious when council does not have to make it comes to projects and doesn’t decisions after public hearings. start from ground zero. 5 Trucks To Service You Better • ICBC Accident Towing Coun. Bill • 5th Wheel & RV Towing Luchtmeijer • Auto & Heavy Duty Recovery noted that • Flat Deck Car Carrier + Additional 30’ Flat Deck “Some of the Full Mechanical processes • GM Specialists • General Repairs “Your BCAA Authorized have been • Motor Vehicle Inspection & more Road Service” stipulated by Additional Service higher levels • Battery Boost, Lock Out Service, Flat Tires & Secure Compound of government. The ONE CALL DOES IT ALL CENTRE Clarion went through the process.”

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31 YEARS IN NANAIMO!! For our Anniversary sale January 18th to 31st, if you refer a family member, friend, co-worker, neighbour, ANYONE to come buy ANY new or pre-owned vehicle, you will receive a $500 referral bonus!! See store for details. Call or email Kevan Threadgill, Andrew Morrison or Sjon Wynia for more information.

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2003 VOLKSWAGEN

2007 VOLKSWAGEN

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 9

Secondary suites bylaw to be amended

R AT

JANUARY Leather CLEARANCE

CEL

Qualicum Beach council introduced amendments to the town’s secondary suite bylaw Monday. The amendments permit garden suites on large, non-Agricultural Land Reserve parcels where secondary suites are already permitted. The maximum size of carriage houses and garden suites will be increased to 90 square metres, the maximum size of secondary suites. The owner-occupancy requirement will be eliminated, so owners won’t have to live on the premises. Development cost charges for secondary suites will be eliminated in the Village Neighbourhood, since people usually build secondary suites after the primary house is built to save on DCCs.

EA R

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sectional REG $2498 NOW $1898

BroomBusters contract renewed for four years Qualicum Beach council renewed its contract Monday with the BroomBusters Invasive Plant Society for Scotch broom removal services for the next four years. Town engineering director Bob Weir said the contract is essentially the same as the previous one, with the town paying the society $1,000 per year. “At $1,000, it’s a deal,” said Coun. Dave Willie.

Dog-control contract renewed with B.C. SPCA Qualicum Beach council Monday renewed the town’s dog control contract with the B.C. SPCA. Town planning director Luke Sales said the contract is the same as the one which ended in December, with no price increase. “The town has been contracting dog control to the B.C. SPCA since 1991,” he said. The B.C. SPCA will keep $25 of the $50 impoundment fee, $10 from each dog licence sold and 100 per cent of the daily board fees charged to dog owners. The B.C. SPCA will continue providing kennel and impounding services, while the patrol services will be done by the town’s bylaw enforcement officer.

Sectional REG $3298 Sectional REG $2498

NOW $2198

NOW $1698

Sectional REG $1898

Sectional REG $3898

NOW $1498

NOW $2898

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Beach Day needs a committee member The Town of Qualicum Beach is seeking a volunteer to serve on the 11-member Select Committee on Beach Day for a term expiring in October 2014. The Committee meets regularly at 9:30 a.m. on the third Monday of each month to organize Beach Day, to be held Sunday, July 13. To be considered, submit a letter with a brief resume by 4:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31 to: Corporate Administrator, Town of Qualicum Beach, P.O. Box 130, 201–660 Primrose St., Qualicum Beach, BC, V9K 1S7, or email tcoates@qualicumbeach.com.

NANAIMO 1711 BOWEN RD 250.753.8900 VICTORIA 661 McCallum Rd LANGLEY 20429 Langley By-Pass COQUITLAM 1400 United Blvd

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10 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Opinion We want to hear from you. Send your letters to letters@oceansidestar.com or call 250-954-0600

Oceanside Star A division of the Vancouver Island Newspaper Group Limited Partnership

Contact Us: 120-425 Stanford Ave. Parksville, B.C., V9P 2N4 Phone: 250-954-0600 Fax: 250-954-0601 Email: news@oceansidestar.com Classifieds/Obituaries: 1-866-415-9169 classifieds@oceansidestar.com Publisher Hugh Nicholson 250-954-0600, ext. 201 hnicholson@GlacierMedia.ca General Manager Judi Thompson, ext. 205 250-954-0600 jthompson@oceansidestar.com Managing Editor Brian Wilford 250-954-0600, ext. 211 bwilford@oceansidestar.com Reporter Julie Bertrand 250-954-0600, ext. 209 jbertrand@oceansidestar.com Circulation Manager John Sloan 250-954-0600, ext. 207 jsloan@oceansidestar.com Account Executive Tom Eardley 250-954-0600, ext. 202 teardley@oceansidestar.com Account Executive Jan Spink 250-954-0600, ext. 204 jspink@oceansidestar.com

This newspaper’s contents are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal, non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved. Commercial use is prohibited. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the newspaper. For more information, please contact the publisher.

$2.3 million is 766,667 $3 chocolate bars I n an era in which politicians seem to do little except campaign for office, the trustees of School District 69 must surely be mad. All but one were elected because of their opposition to the previous board’s plan to close a high school. They spent two years in obscurity and then, almost a year to the day out from the next election, they embark upon a cost-cutting mission which proposes the closing of schools. The full impact of these clos-

ures will hit in September, two months before the next election. Crazy? Courageous? To their credit, they’ve taken their jobs seriously as trustees, looking after the money for the benefit of the public. They covered a deficit of $583,000 this school year by dipping into a reserve fund. Now that money is gone. To meet the $1.3-million deficit next year, they’ll close four elementary schools, cutting the number of empty seats, the driver of the deficit, in about half.

This, however, only buys a year. A deficit of $3.6 million was forecast for 2018-19, just five years hence, so there remains a deficiency. District secretary-treasurer Erica Bailey says they’ll be looking for “innovative ideas around revenue generation.” With vacancies abundant in the region, it’s going to be a challenge to find uses or buyers for abandoned schools. It’s likely there are more closures to come, and there’s a big target on Ballenas Secondary

School: 950 spaces with enrolment projected to decline from the current 644 to 512 by 2018, the second-worst building condition in the district (behind Qualicum Beach Elementary), $7 million in deferred maintenance costs, and a prime piece of property, especially with the closure of adjacent Winchelsea Elementary, for residential development or a regional sports complex. It’s looking like that shoe, however, will drop after the election.

and we had lots of action on the website (www.pqlights.ca) and Facebook page, with many community members voting for their favourite houses. We can really see the potential for next year and would like to offer to partner with two other non-profits: one in Qualicum Beach and one in Parksville. Please email Penny: yoga@shaw. ca. To those houses that have one of the Oceanside Light Tour signs, you are now honorary members and automatically registered in 2014’s Light Tour! Penny McGuire, Parksville

BRIAN WILFORD

>>Your Letters // email: letters@oceansidestar.com Parrot refuge doesn’t try to find loving homes Here we have the Parrot Lady complaining about the term “used” and yet she sentences her ‘subjects’ to a life behind bars. There are counterparts in the U.S. but they arrange to ‘adopt’ new owners that really care, like Wilton Parrot Rescue in Connecticut, which says, “Our goal is to find permanent, loving homes for surrendered or rescued companion parrots.” The Refuge continuously asks for money to feed and care but never makes any effort to re-situate those beautiful birds in a loving home. We go there now and then and spend time in the room where they are free to interact with people. The ‘kids’ want love, not wire barriers. Sad situation. D.J. McLean, Qualicum Beach

Again looking forward to Horner’s Corner

Change in meds leads to morning blackout

More known about pot than many legal drugs

What a happy ray of sunshine on a drab, foggy morning to see Neil Horner’s smiling face on the front page of the Jan. 23 Star. I treasured reading the witty wordsmith’s update of his life imbued with personal notes that Oceanside readers always look forward to. Horner was like an etheric friend to many, selflessly giving us insights into our own humanity by sharing his. During his absence, he still popped up in conversation when some of his more memorable moments in print came to mind: “trudge, trudge, trudge.” Not seeing his collection of coffee cups through the looking glass on McCarter Street was bittersweet. He and Steve Heywood were a great team. So, welcome back Neil, back to our hearts and minds. Gord Byers, Parksville

Early one morning I got suddenly ill and passed out. My husband phoned the ambulance, which arrived quickly at my home. They checked me out and then drove me to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for further tests. By God’s grace, everything was okay. I had suffered a severe reaction to a change in my medication. I want to sincerely thank Vanessa and her colleagues at EMS - Ambulance, Dr. Prop and his staff at Nanaimo hospital for their patience, gentleness and care afforded to me during this stressful time for me and my husband. I also want to thank Dr. Martin and his staff at Fern Tree Clinic in Qualicum Beach for their continued help. J. Fernandes, Qualicum Beach

I got a kick out of the political cartoon in the Jan. 23 paper. I think it’s time our society woke up and smelled the coffee. The U.S. government actually owns a patent on cannabinoids: Patent 6,630,507 B1. Scientists now know more about cannabis as a medicine than regulators know about many of the FDA-approved pharmaceuticals that the plant could replace. There exist more than 20,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids. Ron Geen, Parksville

Light tour organizers planning for next year The Oceanside Light Tour went really well for its first year

The Oceanside Star welcomes letters to the editor but we reserve the right to edit for clarity, taste, legality and length. Submissions must include hometown and a daytime phone number for verification purposes only. Letters must include your first (or two initials) and last name. For best results, email your submission to letters@oceansidestar.com

OPINION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Star Poll

Son, bone up on the suits Neil Horner Horner’s Corner

hey grow up so fast, don’t they? When he comes down from Quesnel this summer, my little boy is going to be 16 years old, a young man with a license to drive. He’ll be looking for work before you know it. That’s a tough transition to make, from school to the working world and as his dad I wonder what message I can give him besides the usual work hard, dress well, be diligent and don’t be a clock-watcher. After some consideration, I would have to say that if there was just one message I could

gasp out to him as I lay dying it would probably be, “Bone up on the suits.” Before we go deeper, I think I should stress that when I give my son advice I don’t see myself as some sort of radiant saviour figure, beckoning the way to hope and glory. Rather, I see myself more as a hat floating on top of quicksand — an indicator from my own sad experience that he might want to choose a different path. Certainly instructive in this regard would have to be my unforgettable second meeting with Black Press owner David Black. The first meeting was fine — great, actually. I had just started in Fort St. James as a junior reporter with the Caledonia Courier and was pretty much living from chamber of commerce dinner to chamber of commerce

dinner and food was very much at a premium. I did my production for the Courier in Vanderhoof and David stopped by one such Saturday for a chat while on a regional tour of his papers. He brought with him a giant bucket of chicken for lunch. Mmmmmm… chicken! I stationed myself strategically for the speech. Pretty soon I was full and had even managed to stash a few drumsticks for later. It was a memorable gorge. Fast forward a year. It was again production day in the ‘Hoof and I was typing away when I slowly became aware of a presence looming beside me. I looked up at the tall, thin, bespectacled and be-suited loomer. “Hello,” I said, polite but blank. That clearly wasn’t what he was looking for. “You don’t know who I am, do

you?” he said. He sounded cross. Oh-oh! The next second ground on and on and still I drew a blank. Then, wham! It hit me. “Oh yeah,” I blurted. “You’re the chicken guy!” “I’m David Black and I own this newspaper!” he roared. I would be lying if I said we hit it off. So there you go, another muddy puddle with a hat on it. Best to steer clear and learn your boss’s name and their boss’s names, as well. You never know. You might have to introduce them to somebody one day. Got a tip? E-mail to: neilinqualicum@gmail.com

Are you OK with the school closures?

✭ Yes ✭ No Answer online at: www.oceansidestar.com Last poll’s question: Do animals need more legal protection? Yes: 82% No: 18%

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Behaviourists donate to parrots This month, the World Parrot Refuge will be the first Canadian recipient of multiple donations coming conceivably from all corners of the Earth. Let me explain. Dr. Susan Friedman is a psychology professor at Utah State University and a practicing behaviourist. She was among the first, if not the first, behaviourist to bring Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to parrots and their caregivers. ABA is the analysis of the relationship between behaviour and the environment within which it occurs. Parrot caregivers often struggle with parrot behaviour which can be destructive, uncomfortable and/or painful. ABA helps caregivers understand why a behaviour occurs, and identify interventions that will change a behaviour. In 2001, Dr. Friedman designed and began teaching a six-week online course called Living and Learning With Parrots (LLP). Students learn the basics of ABA and learn how to use it to identify and change the behaviours of their parrots that caregivers find problematic. Canadian Lee McGuire has been Dr. Friedman’s teaching partner since 2004. The course has been so successful that the 13month wait to take the course when I took it in 2004 is now at least 24 months. It’s now an eightweek course. Parrot caregivers from all walks of life and many countries continue to register for and take this

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 11

course. And today graduates of that course help teach it, expanding the class size from an original 20 to 80 or so. The fee for this course is a voluntary $50 donation to a charity chosen by Dr. Friedman as that class’s recipient. The January 2014 LLP class donations recipient is the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs. While Dr. Friedman is no doubt excited to know just how much will be donated by January’s students, Wendy Huntbatch and charities like the World Parrot Refuge know that, whatever the amount, every dollar counts and will be appreciated. Pat Phillips, Parksville

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NEWS

12 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Environment part of Carson’s own backyard Environmental activist, filmmaker and educator Phil Carson died Jan. 19 of cancer. He was 65. Carson was a pioneer in green building and a prominent figure in Oceanside-area environmental organizations, including working to protect Cathedral Grove and Coastal Douglas-fir forests. In 2001, he ran as a provincial Green Party candidate in Nanaimo-Parksville, losing to Judith Reid. He was on the board of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Reserve and a leader in the 2011 Oceanside Communities

for Quality Education campaign to save Kwalikum Secondary School from closure. A Qualicum Beach resident, Carson designed and built houses with recycled timber, non-toxic materials, energy-efficient design and construction methods specially tailored to the climate of the building site. He created a series of documentary films and promoted the use of media to raise awareness of sustainability and legislative issues. His documentary ‘May the Forest Be with You’ won the Best Advocacy award

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save lives. As of July 1, 2008, new laws provide more protection to children in BC. They require all drivers to be responsible for transporting all children in an age - and weight - appropriate child car seat until their 9th birthday unless they have reached the height of 145 cm (4’ 9”) tall. Use a Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) approved child safety seat - and use it correctly. You will significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Remember, also, that child restraints have expiry dates! For more information call the Child Seat Info: 1-877-2475551 or www.tsfbcaa.com/child_safety_seats Parksville Community Policing Office 100 E. Jensen Street Parksville Tel. 250-954-2223 Fax 250-954-0410

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Survey to help RDN streamline, improve The Regional District of Nanaimo is asking residents what they think about a wide range of RDN services with the help of Ipsos Public Affairs. As part of an RDN Operational and Efficiency Review, Ipsos is conducting a random telephone survey. Residents in electoral areas are to receive a postcard in the mail advising them to take the survey online or to schedule a time to complete it by phone. “We are looking for ways to streamline and improve service delivery to better meet the needs of our communities,” RDN Chair Joe Stanhope said in a news release Tuesday. The RDN says information will be kept confidential. For more information, call the RDN at 1-877-607-4111.

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at the Missoula International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana. Another film of his on the challenges facing First Nations was discussed in the House of Commons. His documentary on Wood Buffalo National Park drew attention to clear-cut logging permitted in the park, home to the last Whooping Crane breeding grounds. The park was soon made subject to full protection. Oceanside naturalist Christopher Stephens considered Carson to be a friend and mentor. “He cared for the wolves, salmon, orca, wild birds and forest watersheds as if they were part of his own backyard, not afraid to speak up on their behalf and hold decision-makers accountable,” Stephens said. “He was always A celebration of life for Phil Carson will take place this conscious of the challenges Saturday, Feb.1, 1 p.m., at the Errington War Memorial Hall. facing the world our generation would pass on to his eight children and the wider comthe community will always be munity as he sought improvement.” remembered.” Carson’s ‘Cree for Kids’ program taught native A celebration of Carson’s life language, while his iTreasure project focused on will take place this Saturday, documenting community assets. Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Errington “Phil will be deeply missed,” Stephens said. War Memorial Hall. “His presence in our lives and contribution to

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This Burrowing Owl was seen sitting on beach logs below the Comox sand bluffs. [SUSAN MOREAU]

Endangered avians taking refuge in central Island CHRISTOPHER STEPHENS SPECIAL TO THE STAR

his winter is bringing an especially intriguing episode of Island birding. Last month two nationally endangered avian wanderers were found taking winter refuge in the central Island. An elfin creature with bright-yellow eyes showed up on a sandy, log-covered beach below the Comox sand bluffs: the Burrowing Owl. One of Canada’s rarest birds of prey, this small, robin-sized predator flaunts extralong, stilt-like legs as it parades around its

treeless breeding habitats. Burrowing Owls have many odd habits, including sharing prairie-dog burrows and using cow manure to attract insect prey or to add moisture in burrows. Originally native to the interior of B.C. and the Prairies, the Burrowing Owl has become limited to Alberta and Saskatchewan. With populations declining 90 per cent due to land-use changes and possible pesticide impacts in the 1990s, Canada’s Burrowing Owls have become a federally endangered species. See AVIANS, Page 15

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 15

A Healthier You

EXPO Sunday • February 23rd • 2014 10am-4:00pm, Parksville Community Centre

The Rusty Blackbird surrounded by Brewer’s Blackbirds, a close relative. [CHRISTOPHER STEPHENS]

Blackbird Canada’s rarest AVIANS, from Page 13 In B.C., reintroduction efforts are underway but the highly migratory nature of these birds complicates matters as they sometimes take extended siestas on wintering grounds in Mexico and the American Southwest. The appearance here of a Burrowing Owl late last month attracted considerable attention and will be subject to close review by the BC Bird Records Committee of the BC Field Ornithologists. This wild Burrowing Owl likely flew into B.C. from Northern California, or strayed earlier in the year from the Alberta or Saskatchewan breeding grounds. Frequenting the airport area, the bird is likely searching for voles. A second endangered bird appeared a couple of kilometres away. On Dec. 28, I photographed a rare Rusty Blackbird with bright-yellow eyes at Point Holmes, Comox on Lazo Road. This endangered relative of the Hooded Oriole nests in Canada’s Boreal wetlands but winters in the swamps of the southeastern U.S. Declining over 80 per cent in recent years, this rarest of Canadian blackbirds is of international conservation concern. Accidental shooting during grackle culls, pollution and habitat loss are threats, but this individual has found a safe winter refuge.

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Further up-Island, a vibrant prairie songbird known as a Dickcissel was spotted by visiting Ontario birder Alex Gray at the end of 2013. Sightings have continued. Gray found the yellow, grey and chestnut-colored bird attending feeders. This enigmatic species usually spends the winter in such locales as Venezuela. Christopher Stephens is a field ornithologist studying through Royal Roads University, nature writer, and the birding tour leader for BC’s Pacific Rainforest Adventure Tours. To book a tour, call 250-248-3667. Call 250-954-3724 if you have a question about wild birds for the author.

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DR. JOHN CLINE, MD will speak on “Things YOU can Do for a Healthier YOU!”

Rosemarie Barnes, conﬁdence trainer, BA in Drama, Music and Education will speak on “Embracing the potholes in the road, why conﬁdence is key”

Carla Fliegel, Respitory Therapist, will speak on “Sleep Apnea, Sleep

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16 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

So many help make wildlife centre world-class Sylvia Campbell Wild & Free

here are many people who love animals. We are very fortunate here at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre to have so many supporters. The Big Qualicum Fish Hatch-

ery has been supplying the centre with fish for over 20 years, hand-selecting every fish that comes to us. Parksville Buckerfield’s have been supplying the centre with food for the last decade and, for

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Michael Recalma from the Big Qualicum Fish Hatchery hand-picks the salmon that they donate to the centre. that incredible donation, we have named our new and improved Nature Trail after them. Quality Foods has been a partner for years and will be donating food to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Network of BC conference to be held here in March. So many others have helped us with Family Days and online auctions. Without the support of the community, NIWRA would not be the world-class wildlife rehabilitation centre and tourist destination it is today. Between 400 and 500 animals come to the centre each year — hummingbirds, eagles, owls, vultures, crows, otters and more. It’s an expensive endeavour. The Parksville White Spot has opened its doors for a Burger and

Beer night fundraiser Wednesday, Feb. 12. To join the fun and help wildlife at the same time, call the centre for tickets at 250248-8534. There will be live music and a great silent auction. Opening day for the public is March 10. You’ll see some incredible changes this year to enhance your visiting experience. Go to www.niwra.org to see the upcoming events such as Brant Festival Eagle Release, Earth Day and Family Day. As spring approaches, remember to clear land in the fall or winter to allow the nesting animals to raise their young. Leave fawns where they lie or be sure to call us first before you act. To volunteer, email wildlife@ niwra.org or call 250-248-8534.

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 17

Ed draws caricatoons to make you laugh â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing this all my life,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are not true caricatures because people would throw mud at me.â&#x20AC;? Phillips said his caricatoons brings out the qualities of people that they can laugh at themselves. The walls of Phillipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; studio are covered with cartoons and caricatures of famous people, as well as Canadian and local politicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I use mostly opaque, watercolour felt markers,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Parksvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ed Phillips has been drawing all his life. [JULIE BERTRAND/OCEANSIDE STAR] JULIE BERTRAND OCEANSIDE STAR

hile Parksville resident Ed Phillips may be retired, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean he has stopped picking up his pens to draw.

Since moving from Winnipeg to Vancouver Island, the former advertising agency employee and industrial design teacher can often be found at public events drawing caricatures of people, which he calls caricatoons.

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It takes him an hour or two to do a cartoon or caricature. At public events, he mostly does sketches due to time constraints. Illustration cartoons and caricatures are a disappearing art form, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to find who people who illustrate,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything is computerized. Artists are not needed anymore.â&#x20AC;? JBertrand@OceansideStar.com; (250) 954-0600, ext. 209

18 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

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COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 19

What’s making you crave a pleasure-seeking quick-ﬁx? Diane Hancox The Joy of Being Jung

his is the time of year when we often set resolutions. For the most part, these are promises and hopes made to ourselves that we will change specific behaviours. We try to establish new boundaries or limits on eating, drinking, fitness, spending or other activities. When we overeat or eat when we are full or not hungry, we are surpassing our bodies’ signals and satiety limit. Impulse spending, living beyond our means, and careless or no budgeting indicate the inability to set and keep monetary limits. Why is it so hard to keep these limits with ourselves? The impulsive and often uncontrollable nature to continually break our promises indicates the underlying power that drives such actions; and MRI scans show exactly what brain activity is involved.

Executive control, which involves choosing an action to meet an internal goal, is managed by the brain’s prefrontal cortex which regulates decisionmaking based on the memory of feelings. When we recall a pleasant feeling associated with an activity (e.g., going for a walk, seeing a positive bank balance, etc.) we are more likely to repeat that activity. Positive feelings associated with recent success help motivate us for future longterm successes. However, parts of the midbrain also have a large role in decisionmaking. This region makes its decisions based upon dopamine (the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter) levels. Eating sweet foods, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, gambling, and risky behaviour all trigger the release of dopamine. A part of us gets a short-term reward (e.g., eating cake) while another part of us would rather have opted for the long-term outcome (e.g., better nutrition, weight loss). We need to be aware of underlying thoughts and feelings leading up to making decisions. When we are thinking about an unnecessary shopping trip

or piece of pie, identify what is causing the craving for a pleasure-seeking quick-fix in the first place. We are most likely wanting to rid ourselves of an uncomfortable feeling such as anxiety, depression, anger, loneliness, boredom, stress or sadness. Go further with the feeling. Why are we depressed, sad, etc.? Now that we’ve stated what is bothering us, we can take measures to address the situation in healthier ways. We can lie down and cry, have a bath, call a friend, watch a favourite movie, etc. In most cases, merely naming (and accepting) the feeling is enough to ground us and divert the midbrain from a quick-fix decision. The part of us that chooses the quick-

fix is often our wounded child, still coping with distressing situations using old, habitual and unhealthy ways. The undeveloped, scared and hurt part of us prefers the easier short-term option; if only because that is all it knows. It takes 66 days to create a new habit. With this in mind, we need to compassionately and patiently teach the undeveloped part of us

healthier, new ways in which to deal with uncomfortable feelings or situations. Diane Hancox is a counsellor and presenter based in Parksville. She is the author of ‘Soul Reflections: Living a More Conscious & Meaningful Life,’ available for $15. Visit www.corecounselling. ca for workshop and counselling information. Reach her at 250-5867380 or diane@corecounselling.ca.

LIMITED EDITION BOOK

100th Anniversary of Canadian Scottish Regiment

Considering life’s losses “Loss,” says psychoanalyst David Peretz, “is an integral part of human existence, a fact which has profound consequences from birth to death.” Even subtle losses, such as breaking a family heirloom, can throw us off balance in painful, disorienting ways. With loss comes grief, a process with which many people are uncomfortable. What do we do with the void that is created when loss occurs? In the Feb. 18 presentation ‘Life’s Losses: Change, Void & Transformation,’ you can learn about the types of losses encountered throughout life and the role that loss has in lives. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a job, a role we no longer play, or a cherished object, most losses create a crisis, an inner

struggle that asks, “What do I do now?” Losses also provide an opportunity for change, letting go of some aspect of ourselves or our lives, allowing transformation to occur on some level. The presentation is Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7-9 p.m., at the Parksville Community & Conference Centre. Admission is by a $10 donation to the Oceanside Hospice Society. Refreshments will be provided. To register, call 250-752-6227 or email info@ oceansidehospice.com.

Church Directory Sunday Services

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20 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

COMMUNITY

OCEANSIDE EVENTS E-mail events@oceansidestar.com

JAN. 30 ■ Teen Book Club, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Parksville Library, 100 Jensen Ave. E. (city hall), last Thursday of each month. Inaugural meeting chooses the book for February. Free pizza. Info: 250-248-3841 ext.4. JAN. 31 ■ Home Networks. Free workshop at the Technology Learning Centre at Family Place, 494 Bay Ave., Parksville. Provided by Building Learning Together. Info: 250-947-8258. ■ The Sun’s Return – Songs and Music for a Winter Evening, 7:309:30 p.m., MAC, Parksville. Tickets $15 at the MAC. Info: www. mcmillanartscentre.com. FEB. 1 ■ Seedy Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St. Admission by donation. Speakers,70-plus vendors, farmers’ market, seed swap, master gardeners, Milner Garden’s Shoots with Roots children’s program, Seedy Café, door prizes, raffle, QB Garden Chemicals collection truck. Info: www. qbseedysaturday.com. ■ Minute to Win it Skate, 2-3:30 p.m., Oceanside Place. Wacky contests taken from the popular TV show. Prizes for best times. Regular admission. Info: RDN 250-248-3252. FEB. 3 ■ Taoist Tai Chi Beginners Class, 10-11:30 a.m., Lighthouse Community Centre, 240 Lion’s Way, Qualicum Bay. Register at 1st class. Info: 250-240-3387.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014 ■ Arbutus Toastmasters Club 3rd annual soapbox forum, ‘So You Think You Can Speak?’, 6:459 p.m., Parksville Community Centre. Free. Info: http://arbutus. toastmastersclubs.org; Kirk Walper 250-228-4275. FEB. 4 ■ Dad’s Night Out free skate for dads and kids, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oceanside Place. Sponsored by Building Learning Together. Info: RDN 250-248-3252. ■ Qualicum Beach Probus Club meets 9 a.m., St. Stephen’s Church Hall, Qualicum Beach. Speaker is Ross Peterson of the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association. ■ Parksville & District Rock and Gem Club meets 7-9 p.m., Arrowsmith Hall, 1014 Ford Rd., Coombs. Info: 248-6177. ■ Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver’s support group meets the first Tuesday of the month, 1:30-3 p.m., Stanford Place, 250 Craig St., Parksville. Info: Jane Hope 1-800-462-2833. FEB. 5 ■ Taoist Tai Chi Beginners Class, 9-11 a.m., St. Stephen’s United Church, Village Way & Memorial, Qualicum Beach. Register at 1st class. Info: 250-240-3387. ■ Arthritis Fibromyalgia SelfManagement Program, 6 free Wednesday workshops for people with arthritis and/or fibromyalgia and their caregivers, Feb. 5 to Mar. 12, 1-3:30 p.m., Qualicum Beach Seniors’ Centre, 703 Memorial Ave. Must pre-register: Phone UVic’s Centre on Aging Program Office, 1-866-902-3767 (toll free) or www.selfmanagementbc.ca/upcomingworkshops. ■ Errington community choir meets Wednesday evenings. See www.moresingingplease.com or call Jenny at 250-586-5890. FEB. 7 ■ Managing Photos (Part 2), free

workshop, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Technology Learning Centre at Family Place, 494 Bay Ave., Parksville. Info: (250) 947-8258. FEB. 10 ■ Taoist Tai Chi Beginners Class, 7-9 p.m., Parksville Clubhouse, 491A E. Island Hwy. (across from Tim Horton’s). Register at 1st class. Info: 250-240-3387. ■ RDN BC Family Day free swim, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Info: 248-3252. ■ RDN BC Family Day free skate, 1-5 p.m., Oceanside Place. Info: 250-752-5014. ■ Coombs Fairgrounds Family Day, 1-4 p.m., 1014 Ford Rd., Coombs. Free admission, free hot dogs, drinks, popcorn, games, activities, displays. Info: coombsfair.com; 250-248-4458. FEB. 11 ■ Qualicum Beach Garden Club meets 7 p.m., QB Civic Centre. Carol Dancer speaks on Government House Gardens in Victoria. All welcome. FEB. 12 ■ Mount Arrowsmith Rhododendron Society meets 7:30 p.m., Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. Speaker: Gardening guru and TV personality Ciscoe Morris. Everyone welcome! Non-members $5 at the door. Info: 752-3694. FEB. 13 ■ Transformation — Purposeful Shift in Action, with Dr. Norm Detillieux, 7 p.m., Parksville Community & Conference Centre. How core healing and the associated rise in consciousness is your gateway to personal and global evolution. By donation. Shift in Action, Eva 954-1002. ■ CHRCO tea dance, 2-5 p.m., Coombs rodeo grounds hall. Old country music, tea, coffee, goodies. $5 at the door. Musicians welcome. Info: (250) 738-1661.

BOARD MEMBERS: People with experience in one or more areas of social work, education, marketing, law enforcement, finance, business and/or management to attend meetings every 3rd Thursday of the month. COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS: Dynamic committee members for fund development, program and recruitment. Quarterly meetings. MENTOR: One-on-One mentors for children aged 6 to 16. Kids are anxiously awaiting a mentor to have fun with for a few hours per week. IN-SCHOOL MENTORS: Mentors for in-school mentoring program. One hour per week during the school year. WATERSHED HABITAT MONITORING: Assist with monitoring watershed habitat areas. Training provided. GARDEN HELP: Care for new Therapeutic Front Garden-weeding, planting, watering, mulching etc. Independent worker (actively part of a gardening team of volunteers). Learn best practices from organic gardener. Monday mornings. STREAMKEEPER STEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEERS: Enjoy the outdoors and care about protecting and restoring the local habitat for a healthy watershed for fish, wildlife and people. BOOKKEEPER /TREASURER ASSISTANT: Someone needed with basic bookkeeping skills;

|| OCEANSIDE STAR || 21

entry of data into computer; accounts payable and receivable. Flexible times. TAX PREPARERS: Assist lowincome clients with basic income tax returns. In-house program runs March 1-April 30. Must have previous experience using electronic filing programs. Computers provided. KITTY CAT FOSTER HOMES: Foster domestic kitty cats while recuperating from neutering/spaying or vaccinations, anywhere from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks. No cost to foster parents. All food and costs covered. Other pets must be spayed/neutered and current vaccination proof required. ACTIVITY ASSISTANTS: Assist residents at seniors’ facility to and from weekly bus shuttle to grocery store (Wednesdays (9:00 am - noon)); help prep for big events (making coffee, organizing, etc.). HAPPY HOUR ASSISTANTS: Outgoing people to serve refreshments and appies to seniors, possibly dancing with seniors, and clean up after Happy Hour (Mon., Wed. or Fri. - 3:00 - 4:45 pm). VOLUNTEER BUDDY: Assist Munchkinland coordinator with children & families, meet & greet, hold babies, help with art activities and share valuable life experiences! WOW BUS DRIVER: Drive bus to different locations - welcoming families on board. Class 5 license required. Tuesday 9 a.m. to 12 noon or Thursday 9 a.m. to 12 noon or 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT: Working in the Technology Learning Centre or on the mobile Tech bus to reach out to youth, adults, seniors so they can try computers & ask questions about technology. There are many more volunteer opportunities. The Oceanside Volunteer Association is at 10221 Second Ave. West, Qualicum Beach, V9K 2S5; (250) 594-2637; oceansidevolunteer@shaw.ca.

COMMUNITY

22 || OCEANSIDE STAR || THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Notable children’s books from 2013 Melissa Legacy Good Reads

Art Skipsey poses a question during a provincial candidates debate last April at The Gardens. [STAR FILE PHOTO]

Mr. Qualicum tells his story F

ormer Qualicum Beach mayor Art Skipsey will be introducing his biography ‘Mr. Qualicum’ at a meeting of the Qualicum Beach Historical & Museum Society Tuesday, Feb. 4. The book is a compilation of Skipsey’s memories as told to Lorne Tetarenko. Skipsey was born in 1927 in the Alberni Valley. He lived there until the mid 1960s when he moved to Qualicum Beach, where he resides today.

He lived through the Golden Days of Vancouver Island, when the Island had logging, pulp and paper plants, mining and fishing. Port Alberni had full employment and the wages were as high as any place in Canada. There, Skipsey was a businessman, church elder, Scout leader, family man and volunteer. In Qualicum Beach, he was all of that, as well as a teacher, town councillor and mayor. He initiated the town’s first