If
Mayenburg signs with hometown team PAGE 14
MINISTERS MEET
MLAs Randene Neill and Brenda Bailey tour region PAGE 19
Riding club hosts working horse classic
TANYA HILL community@prpeak.com
High performance equestrian coach attends event at Paradise Exhibition Park
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Last month, horse enthusiasts and equine competitors gathered at Paradise Exhibition Park, off Padgett Road, for the Powell River Working Equitation Classic, hosted by Powell River Trail Riders Club (PRTRC) and Vancouver Island Working Equitation (VIWE).
In attendance at the classic to compete and support her students, was Sarah Bradley, a high-performance equestrian coach and competitor.
For more than 30 years, Bradley has bred and trained event horses that compete all over North America, while her coaching has produced several national team riders, including one student who used to call qathet home.
The Peak spoke to Bradley about her love of equine sports, her path to becoming a top coach and the PRTRC event.
“I was competing with both of my horses, but I also shared them with clients,” said Bradely. “One [client] was at level five and one was at level seven, which is the master’s level.”
Bradley has two horses: a mare named Holly Golightly and another named Gunner.
“I’ve ridden since I was quite young,” said Bradley. “When I got to be a teenager, my dad said that when I could pay half of the costs of keeping the horse, so not the purchase, but half of the costs of keeping the horse, they would
Powell River Working Equitation Classic,
Emergency centres receive funds
Funding will support equipment and training for staff and volunteers to better respond to emergencies such as wildfires
qathet Regional District and Tla’amin Nation have each been provided $30,000 for emergency operations centres.
qRD general manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms said the grant funding will support a series of tabletop exercises for the staff who train to work in the regional
emergency operations centre, as well as to fund a series of public information workshops around the region regarding emergency plans.
The grant funding is coming from the community emergency preparedness fund, administered by the Union of BC Municipalities, and funded by the Province of BC, said Thoms.
Powell River-Sunshine Coast
MLA Randene Neill stated in a media release that the Sunshine Coast will be better prepared for emergencies with provincial funding for emergency operations centres.
“Emergency operations centres are essential for quick, localized response when the unexpected happens,” stated Neill. “I’m glad to see dedicated funding for equip-
ment upgrades, training, public workshops and supplies to support people during any emergency situation.”
In addition to the funds provided to qRD, Tla’amin’s $30,000 will go toward a mobile trailer, IT equipment, emergency supplies, furnishings and informed EOC materials to establish a culturally responsive EOC.
The province is providing approximately $3.5 million for 110 projects to support local emergency operations centres through the community emergency preparedness fund (CEPF). Emergency operations centres (EOC) coordinate people, actions and resources, and support first responders on the ground, according to the release. They also en-
sure people receive timely information, emergency support services and other vital assistance throughout an emergency.
Coach named alternate rider for national team
1« HORSE SHOW
help me purchase a horse.”
Bradley currently lives on a 10-acre farm in Roberts Creek on the lower Sunshine Coast with her 17-year-old son, and coaches riders to improve their test riding and obstacles with her expertise of both dressage and working equitation.
“Most of my clients contribute to the barn here, by doing chores, and I pay them for the chores they do,” said Bradley. “It makes a huge difference because you really have to think about, ‘Is this something I really want to do, or am I just doing it because it’s fun because someone else is paying bills?’”
She said her first horse was named Harmony Two, which arrived just before her 15th birthday.
“He sustained an injury to a knee when I was about 19 or 20, and we had to euthanize him,” said Bradley. “That was also my first experience with real grief.”
She didn’t own another horse after that until she finished her university studies.
“I was actively involved in the Vancouver branch of an organization called the Canadian Pony Club, which is a worldwide organization focused on teaching youth about horse care and riding,” said Bradley. “Most of what the pony club does is three day eventing, which has a dressage component, a cross-country component and a show-jumping component.”
She said the folks she coaches are all working toward becoming better riders and equestrians, but sometimes pursuing equestrian training in a smaller community can be a challenge.
“If you’re into riding, it’s more beneficial to find yourself a certified coach,” said Bradley. “We have a Canadian National Coaching Certification program and this is not equestrian specific; there are [approximately] 60 sports under the Sport
Canada umbrella.”
She said she highly recommends the Coaching Association of Canada for those interested in pursuing coaching.
“The people who have built those modules are scientists and coaches and really super credible,” said Bradley. “There is also a good program out of the USA called the Certified Horsemanship Association, which runs an instructor development program.
Her horses both work.
“They have kids who lease them, they both do lessons, they both go out crosscountry schooling; they do dressage but we don’t do much pure show jumping because that is an extremely expensive endeavour,” said Bradley. “I have been named as an alternate rider for the Canadian team that’s going to the World Association for Working Equitation (WEWE) World Championships in Spain this coming September.”
Bradley said for a young
person who is interested in horses and lives in a smaller community such as Powell River, she suggests volunteering at a local trail riders club first.
“Go and help trail riders for shows; get to know folks like Milan Jackson and get
to know some of the people who might be willing to let you pay to use their horse to have a lesson on periodically,” said Bradley. “Also if a community has a 4-H club, there is an equestrian component; if nothing else, at least that will get you
started in terms of theory and how to look after a horse.”
To contact PRTRC, go to powellrivertrailriders. com/membership. To find out more about Bradley, go to facebook.com/for. sarahbradley.
A total of $60,000 has been provided to Tla’amin Nation and qathet Regional District to better prepare for emergencies. PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO
High-performance equestrian coach and competitor Sarah Bradley recently participated in the Powell River Working Equitation Classic. MADELYN KEIL PHOTO
Changes recommended for bylaw disputes
City council reviews bylaw with new mechanism to appeal tickets
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
First three readings have been given to City of Powell River’s bylaw notice enforcement bylaw, which would change the way that disputes are resolved.
At a recent council meeting, corporate officer Peter DeJong said in February 2025, staff made a presentation regarding the benefits of the proposed bylaw under the Local Government Bylaw Enforcement Act.
“Council authorized council to proceed, and in April 2025, we received approval to proceed under the act,” said DeJong. “Council directed staff to bring back a bylaw for consideration. Over the past year, staff have been doing due diligence on comparative dispute adjudication registries, bylaws and methods for setting up a bylaw notice enforcement regime under the act and regulation.”
DeJong said a proposed
bylaw has been drafted and steps include an administrative screening officer policy and forms, bylaw notice (ticket) forms, notification letters, templates for enforcement and collection tracing, and draft communications materials for the city’s website.
“Staff also had discussions with City of Nanaimo in respect of joining their dispute adjudication registry system,” said DeJong. “Ultimately, those talks were not fruitful. Nanaimo decided it did not want to add any further to their registry.
local government staff were helpful in sharing experiences in terms of volumes of disputes processed through the registries through a formal adjudication hearing and staff resources allocated. He said both were light and minimal.
“As a result, city staff have pulled together all the requirements necessary to establish our own dispute adjudication registry system (DARS),” said DeJong. “Apart from the initial startup time and training, we expect this will be well within staff’s operational parameters.”
It saves everybody a lot of cost, it can be done a lot quicker and it keeps these kinds of things out of the court system.
PETER DEJONG CITY CORPORATE OFFICER
“Staff had discussions with local governments in the Comox Valley and the lower Sunshine Coast, but in each case, the local governments had set up their own dispute adjudication registry system and were not interested in joining a joint system.”
DeJong said out-of-town
DeJong said advantages and benefits of the bylaw notice enforcement system include statutory authority for local governments to issue tickets with penalties up to $500, and ticket disputes will be resolved locally and in a timely manner. He added that it simplifies and expedites the dispute process by removing straightforward bylaw contraventions from the provincial court system.
“It reduces costs for all parties typically associated with
going to court,” said DeJong. “It includes a systematic means for staff members to act as resource to help residents understand the city’s regulations, their compliance obligations and their options for dealing with bylaw notices.
“It allows for dispute resolution through an independent provincially appointed adjudicator.”
Councillor Rob Southcott asked if this is internal system streamlining for greater efficiency. DeJong said it is keeping the processing of tickets and disputes by objectors to be heard out of court, and to have the process done at a more local, administrative level.
“It saves everybody a lot of cost, it can be done a lot quicker and it keeps these kinds of things out of the court system,” said DeJong. He said the bylaw provides for people to pay at a discounted amount in 14 days, and there is a late payment surcharge if people pay later than 28 days. The regular penalty amount would be paid between 14 and 28 days.
“This is an entire system of bylaw enforcement through a means which is alternative to those that we currently have at our disposal,” added DeJong. “Right now, if we hand out a ticket under the municipal ticket information bylaw, if someone disputes that, we are going to court to deal with that dispute.
It’s a slow, laborious, costly process.
“The idea is not to have to ticket anybody, or go to court, or to proceed to a dispute adjudication system, but you need to have the stick as well as the carrot. This is a system that has been adopted by about 140 local governments in the province, and unanimously, across the board, it is viewed as highly effective and efficient for staff in terms of having another tool to enforce bylaws.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott asked if the city has adjudication hearing processes, or is that new? DeJong said it will be new. Elliott then asked if the city was requiring more or different resources to have an adjudication processor, or is it handled by existing people?
Dejong said this is something that will be within the operational capacity of administrative staff now.
“There is a process that we implement in terms of dealing with disputes for tickets that is set out in the bylaw,” added DeJong. “There will be additional administrative policies to supplement what is in the bylaw.
“To implement this system, you have to have a registry, because you have to provide a means by which people can dispute tickets when they disagree. This is an alternative dispute resolution system that accompanies the ability to enforce through ticket regimes we have now.”
Council unanimously carried first three readings of the bylaw notice enforcement bylaw.
City of Powell River Council gave three readings to a bylaw that would change how enforcement and penalties are dealt with, taking disputes out of the provincial court system. Councillor Rob Southcott [above] asked the city’s corporate officer if it is internal system streamlining for greater efficiency.
PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO
Council approves reserve fund transfer
City moves money to fund unforeseen expenses and overages
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River Council has approved monetary transfers between reserve funds to increase the city’s ability to fund unforeseen expenses and overages that might arise.
Councillors considered three motions at city hall. The first was that $250,000 be transferred from the sewer capital reserve, and $250,000 from the water
capital reserve, into the general fund unappropriated accumulated surplus account.
Chief financial officer Jeff Cadman said the transfers from the two accounts into the general fund unappropriated accumulated surplus account is because at year end, the surplus was less than previously anticipated.
“It’s an important account because these are the funds used during emergency expenditures, and it is also the fund the city draws upon until property taxes are collected,” said Cadman. “It is important that the surplus is maintained at a certain level. This will get revisited as we go into the financial planning process.”
Cadman said in his report to council, there were two re-
serve funds highlighted that are showing negative balances in 2027. He said this is because the balances at 2025 year-end were less than forecasted, so this will be revisited as part of the 2027 fi-
the sewer capital and water capital reserves are part of the general taxation dollars transferred each year into those reserves.
Cadman said a portion comes from fees and an-
It’s important to keep that general surplus at a certain level and not over-allocate out to these reserve funds because that is the city’s emergency fund.
JEFF
CADMAN CITY OF POWELL RIVER CFO
nancial planning process.
“It’s something to highlight but not to be overly concerned about,” said Cadman.
Councillor Cindy Elliott asked if money currently in
Re g ister for the tem
safety information to help our community stay up- to-date in Emergenc y Operations Centre to send voice messages to phones
however, residents must reg ister for the system in order to receive a new reg istration is required.
other portion comes from general taxation. He said the fees from water and sewer are kept in their individual reserves and then there are also funds from general taxa-
tion in the general reserve that get transferred to other reserves at year-end.
“Outlined in the report, there were some significant transfers from general surplus, which is taxation and other fees that are in the general fund that were transferred,” said Cadman. “Where we are at is the general surplus is low, and we decided that some funds needed to be transferred back to top up the accumulated surplus.
“It’s important to keep that general surplus at a certain level and not over-allocate out to these reserve funds because that is the city’s emergency fund.”
Councillor Jim Palm said his understanding was that individual reserve accounts are designated for the pur-
pose outlined.
“How did these reserves, which used to be very plentiful, get depleted so badly?” asked Palm.
Cadman said that is something he would have to look at. He said there have been some substantial capital projects, such as the consolidated wastewater treatment plant that have come online. As for the other reserve accounts, Cadman said he would have to look at the history and report back to council.
Council voted unanimously to transfer $250,000 from the reserve accounts to the general fund unappropriated accumulated surplus account. Council also gave first three readings to two reserve fund transfer bylaws.
Crews rescue woman from Savary Island cliff
Multiple emergency teams arrived on scene while battling challenging conditions
TANYA HILL community@prpeak.com
A dramatic rescue occurred on Savary Island in the morning of Saturday, July 25, after a woman fell part way down a cliff on the south side of the island. She was spotted by people walking on the beach below.
According to the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad (AVRS), the team provided mutual aid with Arrowsmith Search and Rescue (ASAR) as part of the regional CDFL team, a specialized helicopter long-line rescue unit.
"A subject lost their footing near a steep embankment and tumbled a significant distance," reported the AVRS team. "Before ASAR arrived, Savary Island Volunteer Fire Department located the subject and a local bystander with extensive rope experience safely reached and secured them."
The AVRS team reported that despite difficult terrain and strong winds, two ASAR members rappelled to the subject, stabilized and packaged the woman. She was successfully extracted by hoist with ascent helicopters before being transferred to the waiting critical care ambulance crew.
AVSR communication manager Ashley Oscienny was one of two AVSR members on the scene who responded to the emergency on Savary.
"Full credit needs to be given to
Expanded funding receives support
Additional expenditure of $80,000 required for city amenity and development cost bylaws
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
City of Powell River Council has approved an additional expenditure of $80,000 for the hiring of a consultant to review the city’s amenity cost charges (ACC) and development cost charges (DCC).
At a council meeting, councillor Rob Southcott said the one thing that surprises him is how much it will cost to do the work.
“I am aware the costs for this kind of work are increasing way more than they need to,” said Southcott.
He asked how long it would take to recover the costs of creating a new bylaw.
“There’s so much concern about the cost of the work we are doing,” added Southcott.
Manager of city development Melissa Howey said the increase, if adopted, would be coming from different pots of money, with $50,000 coming from existing DCC reserve funds, and $30,000 from the financial stabilization reserve fund.
She said the DCC and ACC rates, as they are collected, would not be put back to cover the cost of the study. The collection depends upon the rate of growth in the community, which is difficult to predict.
Southcott said he abso-
lutely agrees that the review needs to be done, because it generates revenue.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said in the previous city council term, the city had updated the DCC bylaw, and she was wondering what was done at that point for a study.
Howey said she understands the last DCC bylaw was overhauled in 2019. She said the recommendation from the province is to do a significant update and overhaul every five years.
“A big part of that reason is because DCC rates reflect the projects you are attempting to fund for the collection of those DCCs,” said Howey. “Good practice and guidance from the province is to do a significant overhaul of the DCC bylaw every five years.
“Presently, the city does
not have an ACC bylaw. It’s a relatively new tool from the province. We have yet to enact one.”
Councillor George Doubt said council had originally budgeted $100,000 for the review, and now, the cost was going up another $80,000.
“This is not the only project that this is happening to,” said Doubt. “We don’t have enough money allocated when we finally get the bids in so we have to add onto it.
At some point, we need to find a reason why the budgeting for these things is so much off. Maybe we need to change our practices for budgeting.
“We have a long line of capital projects that have been put off for a number of years and I suspect that most of those don’t have enough money budgeted to actually do the programs any-
more. We have to do something about the ACCs and DCCs, but I was concerned about the choice to take the $30,000 from the financial stabilization reserve fund.
This is money we’ve recently put into the reserve in order to smooth the taxes in 2026 and 2027, to reflect the decrease in tax collection from the mill.”
Doubt said the city has a number of reserve funds, so he was wondering why the $30,000 was being taken from the stabilization fund as opposed to another reserve fund.
“That is going to impact taxes right away,” added Doubt.
Howey said that working with the former interim CFO, the $30,000 from the financial stabilization reserve fund was the recommendation, and was iden-
Arrowsmith SAR as their members were the ones who rappelled to the subject," Oscienny told the Peak. "Their two members who responded have their rope-teamlead course and rope-technicaltwo courses."
She said the team was notified around 12:15 pm on Saturday, and its CDFL/hoist team responded along with BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) with a critical care helicopter resource.
Pat McGuire told the Peak he was at his cabin on Sunset Trail across from the helicopter landing area on the little meadow and was able to observe some of the rescue.
"Extraordinarily lucky there was a climber who happened to be on island, with climbing gear," added McGuire. "This was a very close call."
tified as being the most appropriate source for the money.
Chief financial officer Jeff Cadman said from his understanding, there are two reserves, a property tax stabilization fund, and then there is the financial stabilization reserve fund. He said the property tax stabilization fund is the one to be used for property tax relief in 2026 and 2027.
“The financial stabilization fund is designed for these new projects that come up,” added Cadman.
Council unanimously endorsed the 2026 budget for the ACC/DCC project cost to be increased by $80,000 from $100,000 to $180,000, with $50,000 coming from the existing DCC reserve funds and $30,000 from the financial stabilization reserve fund.
On July 25, Alberni Valley Rescue Squad provided mutual aid with Arrowsmith Search and Rescue after a person lost their footing near a steep embankment and tumbled a significant distance on Savary Island. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Housing societies seek funding
Delegation requests
allocation of tax revenues toward affordable rental housing
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
qathet Regional District (qRD) directors have been requested to consider allocated Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) funding to established nonprofit societies such as Life Cycle Housing Society, Sunset Homes Society and Kiwanis Housing Society.
At a committee of the whole
She said 10 years ago, the province took steps to start addressing the problem by establishing a fund to build rental homes for people who needed them. The program was successful, according to Christy.
In 2022, the province created the Housing Supply Act, requiring local authorities to set housing supply targets for local communities. Public lands were identified for housing and there was legislation around short-term rental housing.
“Those were important moves, but the actual supply of affordable housing has been lacking,” said Christy.
“Our whole region has welcomed
behind the Tla’amin Nation development in Townsite.
“However, even with all this construction, things are not all together for renters. Incomes are stagnant and living costs are increasing. Many must spend more than 30 per cent of their incomes on housing, leaving less for heating, transporta-
oversupply of unsold homes does not create downward pressure on rents, according to Christy.
She said in March, the committee of the whole recommended that the regional board direct staff to report back with options for future use of MRDT tax revenue. The MRDT program draws on special taxation on rooms, such as at hotels, or short-term rentals, primarily to fund tourism marketing, but also to fund housing.
Many must spend more than 30 per cent of their incomes on housing, leaving less for heating, transportation and food.
PAT CHRISTY LIFE CYCLE HOUSING SOCIETY
tion and food.”
“Our delegation asks that this staff report include consultation with local nonprofit housing providers regarding possible uses of this tax
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne asked about the status of the report, and chief administrative officer Al Radke said it was in the staff work plan.
General manager of financial administration Linda Greenan reviewed MRDT tax program requirements, and in an appendix, it asks what kind of program is the money to be spent on, and included providing funding to an existing housing project.
“Based on that portion of the MRDT fund, it potentially can be used for existing projects,” said Greenan.
Electoral Area D director and committee chair Sandy McCormick put forward a motion that the committee recommend the board direct
OPINION »
Premier is reluctant to wield discipline
While premier David Eby is no doubt taking some satisfaction from all the troubles dogging BC Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay these days (more on those in a future column), his own leadership has taken a bit of beating as well.
It’s not just sagging approval ratings that have raised questions about Eby’s leadership, but more revealing perhaps was his inability to stare down a junior cabinet minister who refused to adhere to cabinet solidarity.
In unprecedented fashion, emergency management minister Kelly Greene publicly voiced her displeasure at
the NDP cabinet’s decision to allow Fortis to proceed with its so-called $1billion expansion project of its Tilbury LNG facility. It is a $2 billion project designed to replace dirty bunker oil in container ships and cruise ships with much cleaner LNG.
Greene has opposed the project over safety concerns since before she became an MLA, let alone a cabinet minister. When speaking to reporters, Eby seemed to indicate her long-held opposition to the project gave her an out when it came to publicly breaking with her cabinet colleagues. Sorry, that is not how this
key parliamentary tradition works. If you are in cabinet, you are supposed to be 100 per cent onside with all cabinet decisions, or you are 100 per cent “out” of cabinet.
The decision to build the Site C dam (now called the John Horgan Dam) is a great example of how that tradition works. For years, while in opposition, NDP MLAs Lana Popham and Michelle Mungall strongly opposed the dam project. They both “paddled the Peace” River in protest to its construction. However, one of the first major decisions of the fledgling NDP government in 2017 was to complete the
Standing up to bullies
Summers didn’t used to be like this, eh?
Heat warnings here on the coast, extreme heat in Japan sending thousands to hospital, Canada being blamed for unbreathable air, buckling pavement in Winnipeg. A sinking knowing that it’s only going to get worse. For many, it’s still a debate about why because there's been little coverage of how the fossil fuel industry has captured governments, regulators and other agencies. Instead, political parties and reporting often repeat misleading slogans like "axe the tax," as if it were true that carbon pricing was a threat to affordability. Nope.
Canada’s carbon pricing system actually provided a net financial benefit to most citizens, especially those with the least money.
CLIMATE CROSSROADS
By Jan Slakov
It takes courage to stand up to bullying, but it's worth it. Clearly, even politicians who understand the threat of climate inaction are caving in. It's up to us to resist what ecologist Scott Forbes calls the NTO, the New Trump Order. So much is lost already; let's not lose our moral agency, too. For inspiration, look up Dogwood shorts such as How Mark Carney’s Public Grift Funnels Public Money to Wall Street Billionaires.
dam’s construction. By that time, Popham had become agriculture minister and Mungall had been named, ironically, energy minister. Neither of them ever publicly criticized the decision while they were in cabinet.
That is the way cabinet solidarity is supposed to work.
I have a hard time believing former premier John Horgan would have tolerated such brazen defiance from one of his ministers, even though his was a minority government propped up into power by three Green Party MLAs, who opposed the dam as well. Eby also has a tiny majority, yet he seems clearly
reluctant to wield the discipline necessary to keep cabinet solidarity intact. Will Greene’s defiance embolden other ministers who may disagree with other cabinet decisions (most likely around resource projects) to speak out against them? We shall see, but Eby has opened the door to future breaks in cabinet solidarity.
Lucky for him, his chief political opponent – Findlay – is creating one negative controversy after another for herself and her party and that pattern shows no sign of ending. But relying heavily on your opponent’s stumbles is not a long-term political strategy.
The path to remaining in power begins in the premier’s office, and it’s an office that is not looking particularly strong right now.
Keith Baldrey is the legislature bureau chief for Global BC.
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By Keith Baldrey
CROSSWORD
Pushback continues due to double standard
By Allan Drummond
A little information on the coastal ferry system and the general complaint by non-coastal residents that they help subsidize BC Ferries, through their tax dollars, without ever using them.
The precise argument coastal advocates make: provincial taxation is a collective pool, not a pay-per-use tab.
Coastal residents pay provincial income tax, property taxes, carbon taxes and fuel taxes every day—funds that go directly into paving four-lane highways in the interior, maintaining the Trans-Canada Highway, building massive multi-billion-dollar bridges in the Lower Mainland and clearing snow off the Coquihalla. Most coastal residents will never drive on the vast majority of those roads, yet their tax dollars pay for them without complaint.
When non-coastal residents argue against subsidizing ferries, that moot argument logic falls apart on three main points.
One: Highways are "free" at the point of use for everyone else.
A driver from Kelowna can take a $4 billion province-funded bridge across
LETTERS »
Build ships here
I missed the town hall meeting regarding the Comox/Powell River ferry situation pertaining to reservations [“Ferry town hall draws big crowd,” July 23]. Here is my response to the BC Ferries explanation provided in the Peak by senior communications advisor Sheila Reynolds [“BC Ferries explains changes,” July 2]. Reynolds tells us changes were needed due to increased ridership in recent years. The ridership has been increasing for many years with the exception during COVID and per-
the Fraser River, drive hundreds of kilometres on freshly paved asphalt and never tap a card or pay a toll. But the moment a coastal resident needs to drive across a stretch of water, which is listed on provincial maps as the official extension of Highway 101 or Highway 19, they are charged a gate fee just to access the rest of the province.
Two: Infrastructure costs are always distributed.
BC’s entire transportation budget relies on cross-subsidization. Rural highways generate almost zero toll or local revenue, but urban taxpayers fund them so the province stays connected. Transit systems in major cities are heavily subsidized by provincial funds, including contributions from rural taxpayers who don't have access to bus lines.
Following the same logic, marine highways in coastal regions should be treated as shared provincial infrastructure, paid for out of the general provincial tax pool just like the Coquihalla or Sea to Sky Highway.
Three: The double standard on tolls.
When the BC government eliminated
haps the couple of years just following.
If annual spreadsheets indicate lower ridership on route 17, following COVID, it wasn’t because the public did not want to travel. They were unable to travel because the ship wasn’t sailing. There were many cancellations during this period due to: lack of crew causing single sailing cancellations and entire days to be scrubbed; mechanical issues that cancelled sailings and entire days, sometimes while waiting for parts for a foreign-built ship; and adverse weather conditions. The problem started many years ago, when BC Ferries
Resisting harmful plans such as unregulated AI proliferation or paying for yet more pipelines, and other subsidies for destructive corporate resource extrac-
tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges in 2017, the explicit policy rationale was that drivers shouldn't be penalized with extra fees simply for living on one side of a river or channel. Yet that exact same logic has never been extended to the ocean channels separating coastal communities from the mainland.
Free freshwater ferries in the interior are 100 per cent subsidized by the province. The rationale? They need to be free as they are an extension of the highway.
The core disconnect: Inland infrastructure is treated as a public good funded by everyone for the benefit of the whole province. Coastal marine infrastructure, by contrast, gets treated like a commercial utility expected to cover its own costs at the fare box.
This fundamental double standard is why coastal communities continue to push back. Treating a ferry as a revenuegenerating business rather than essential highway pavement ignores the basic premise of how public infrastructure in Canada is supposed to work.
Allan Drummond is a Powell River resident.
and provincial bean counters decided to replace Queen of Burnaby, with a smaller vessel, Salish Orca. Somehow
BC Ferries expected this vessel to meet the communities needs way into the future.
On any given day, with its four round trips, the Orca is, at best, able to provide service to 120 fewer vehicles per day than its predecessor. Did it not occur to them that it would cause congestion at the terminal at some point?
BC Ferries created this problem and a ferry dependent, coastal community bears the brunt of the decision. I do give credit to the ferry crews and shore work-
tion. Reducing our own footprint and making it easier for others to join us by building more pedestrian friendly cities, installing pump-outs for boaters, et cetera.
And connecting with others to am-
ers trying to do their best in these difficult times.
Build a ship sufficient to handle the capacity for this crossing, and in the meantime, put another sailing on each day when the busy season starts. It is time for this government to reel in this crown corporation that provides more apologies and excuses than practical solutions that would best fit the people most affected.
It is also time for this government to start practicing what they preach about buying Canadian. Build ships here!
Barry Rice Marine Avenue
plify our efforts. In other words, check out the qathet Climate Alliance. We find ways to make this work fun and rewarding. Hope you'll join us.
Jan Slakov is a member of qathet Climate Alliance.
Letters to the Editor/Viewpoint
The Peak publishes letters it receives regarding the stories on its pages when space allows, as long as letters are signed, dated, and include the writer’s address and a daytime telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters. The exceptions are those letters which may be libellous, in bad taste, or describe an incident involving other people which, to be fair, should allow both sides to be aired in a news story. Letters should not exceed 350 words and Viewpoints must be approximately 500 words. The Peak reserves the right to edit based on taste, legality, clarity and length.
Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor and Viewpoints are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Peak or its employees.
Powell River Logger Sports carving competition
2026 first place
winner Kamron Garbe carved “In the thick of it,” inspired by the mission statement of local clothing/ design company Thick [top].
Second place in the 2026 Powell River Logger Sports carving competition was awarded to Shea Larking, who carved a dragon [bottom left].
Powell River Logger Sports carving competition 2026 third place winner was Stephanie Penner, who carved a mother moose with her calf [bottom right].
TANYA HILL PHOTOS
Logger sports take over beach
Local competitors joined international entrants in annual event
TANYA HILL community@prpeak.com
More than 50 competitors faced off at this year's Powell River Logger Sports two-day event, which took place on July 11 and 12 at Willingdon Beach.
Local entrants included Tyler Brady, Julian Welp, Michelle Silvester, Verjall Ham, Danielle Ceulen, Willy Mowat, Brenda Mowat and Rosalea Pagani.
Logger Sports Memorial Bowl included Welp, Brady and Mowat. Here are some of the results:
NOVICE OBSTACLE POLE
First place, Kenji Boyko; second place, Julian Welp; third place, Wyatt Brochert; fourth place, Verjall Ham.
NOVICE STANDING CHOP
First place, Wyatt Brochert; second place, Verjall Ham; third place, William Mowat; fourth place, Brad Constantine.
NOVICE UNDERHAND CHOP
First place, Morgan Bischoff; second place, Wyatt Brochert; third place, Kenji Boyko; fourth place, Brad Constantine.
NOVICE AXE THROW
The carving competition took place on the upper Willingdon waterfront from July 8 to July 12. On Sunday, the final day, judges made the call and three artists were chosen as the winners of that competition.
First prize went to Kamron Garbe, who carved the piece titled “In the thick of it,” which was inspired by the mission statement of local clothing/design company Thick; second prize went to Shea Larking, who carved a dragon; third prize went to Stephanie Penner, who carved a mother moose with her calf.
Local athletes who topped events in the
First place, Matt Little; second place, Wyatt Brochert; third place, Tristan Mercer; fourth place Connor Robertson.
INTERMEDIATE OBSTACLE POLE
First place, Morgan Bischoff; second place, Harry Hardie; third place, Chase Gunderson.
INTERMEDIATE HUSKY CHALLENGE STOCK SAW
First place, Julian Welp; second place, Tyler Brady; third place, Bradely Read; fourth place, Harry Hardie.
Otago women compete in sevens tournament
Team made up of Powell River and Comox players attend event at SFU
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
While the men’s Powell River Otago Rugby side has wound down for the season, the women’s players have been active, playing in the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Highland Sevens tournament in the Lower Mainland.
Six players from Otago Rugby Club and six from Comox Valley Kickers Rugby Club travelled to the sevena-side tournament at SFU on July 18, calling themselves
Kick-Tago. Participants from Otago included: Sophie Slakov, Sian Cornwell, Thea May, Silvia Morales, Cait Stewart and Akane Mori.
“We had three games, winning two of them and losing one,” said Slakov.
She said the SFU summer tournament is one of the better-known tournaments, now in its 42nd year. She said both women’s and men’s teams competed.
Slakov said games played at SFU were the inaugural matches for two of the team’s Powell River women.
“It was the first time they played contact rugby,” said Slakov. “They have been with the club for a little over a year, getting prepared for games. Unfortunately, one of them was injured in the last game.”
Playoffs were decided by a “boat race,” where the most
proficient drinkers were given a playoff position. KickTago lost the boat race.
A team that Kick-Tago had defeated won the tournament. The tournament ran late and the Comox players had to leave for their ferry reservations, so there were not enough players left even
if Kick-Tago had qualified. Slakov said this tournament will be the last contact rugby game until fall.
Some of Otago’s women players had a good season with the Comox Valley Kickers. Slakov said four players were committed to playing women’s rugby
with the Kickers, who were BC champions in 2025. The team’s bid for another provincial title came up short when the Kickers were defeated in the league semifinal by Capilano. Up until then, the Kickers had an undefeated season.
Otago will be holding a
Kings announce hometown signing
Former minor hockey player added to BCHL club’s roster
Powell River Kings have announced the signing of a hometown player, defenceman Kyle Mayenburg, for the upcoming 2026/2027 BC Hockey League season.
“This is a great day for the Kings, Kyle and his family, and the community of Powell River,” stated Kings general manager Tyler Kuntz. “Kyle is a smart, dependable defenceman who brings consistency and reliability to our blue line. He’s dedicated to his craft both on and off the ice, highly coachable, fiercely competitive and someone we’ll count on to provide stability and leadership within our group.”
Mayenburg, who is 19, joins a list of Powell River Minor Hockey alumni who have worn the Kings jersey over the years, including Brad Bombardir, Chad Vizzutti, Randall Smisko, Sean Maguire, Jack Long, Hunter Findlater, Ethan Schmunk, Nic Porchetta, Caleb Parkhouse and Nick Peters.
Mayenburg’s hockey journey began at Powell River Recreation Complex, where he first learned to skate before developing through the minor hockey system. One of his favourite memories came during the U13 provincial championships, when his team captured a silver medal on home ice. He later suited up for North Island Silvertips AAA, developed at Delta Hockey Academy, and played for Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
Over the past two seasons, Mayenburg has also gained valuable
touch rugby tournament on August 22, and touch rugby practices leading up to the tournament are being held at Oceanview field from 5:30 to 7 pm on Thursdays. Both men and women are competing. Ages 12-plus are eligible and all are welcome to the practices.
experience as an affiliate player with the Kings, making his transition to a full-time roster spot a natural next step.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Kyle to the Kings family,” added Kuntz. “His signing is another important piece in building a championshipcalibre roster while strengthening our connection with the Powell River community.”
Looking ahead to the 2026/2027 season, Mayenburg is eager to help usher in the next chapter of Kings hockey.
“As a young hockey player growing up in Powell River, the dream is to play for the Kings,” said Mayenburg. “We grow up watching them, so to have the opportunity to live that out is incredibly special. I’m looking forward to being part of rebuilding a winning culture and reconnecting the Kings with the Powell River community.”
Powell River Otago Rugby Club women combined with players from Comox Valley Kickers to play as the Kick-Tago team in the Simon Fraser University Highland Sevens tournament. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Kyle Mayenburg, a product of the Powell River Minor Hockey system, is the latest addition to the roster of the 2026/2027 Powell River Kings.
PHOTO
Cup competition
On June 12 and 13, the waterfront park at tišosəm in Tla’amin came alive with energy, community spirit and friendly competition as the 2026 Thichum Cup welcomed participants for a weekend of ball hockey under sunny skies and stunning views of the Salish Sea. This year’s theme was ʔaʔaθəm (ah-ah-thum), which means sharing. The Thichum Cup was originally founded and organized by Sam Hackett as a memorial tournament honouring the late Adam Louie and Lloyd Hackett. After a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thichum Forest Products revived the tradition in 2022, partnering with Hackett to rebrand it as the Thichum Cup.
BRADLEY PHOTOS
August 7, 8, 9 August 14,15,16 August 21, 22, 23 August 28, 29, 30
Foundry qathet receives donation
Energy company provides money to help establish youth service centre in community
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
Powell River Energy Inc. (PREI) has made a donation to Foundry qathet to assist with establishment of many youth services in Powell River.
While PREI did not disclose the amount of the donation, Foundry qathet project manager Delyth Harper said that Youth and Family Powell River, which is hosting the foundry, is incredibly grateful for the donation and is appreciative that PREI recognizes the importance of Foundry qathet, and how it is going to benefit the youth and caregivers in the community.
According to the Foundry qathet website, it will be a health and wellness centre in qathet region providing free, confidential and dropin support for youth aged 12 to 24 and their families. Harper said Foundry qathet will offer the following core services: mental health care, physical and sexual health care, education and community support, peer services and substance use health.
“This is a very welcome addition,” said Harper of the PREI donation. “We’re super thankful for the community support, and as more companies step forward to support financially, I find it brings out more and more financial support.”
She said that if a corporation wants to make a larger donation, she is pleased to provide a presentation on
what Foundry is, how far it has come with the project, and how it is going to benefit the community.
“We’re looking at a mid2027 opening date right now,” said Harper. “We are making great progress. We have so many interested community organizations that want to offer services in Foundry, to help our youth and caregivers. Our goalto-gap has significantly decreased in recent months.”
Chris Roddan, Brookfield Renewable manager environment and community relations, said PREI has contributed to Foundry qathet because PREI has a strong commitment to the development of this community, and Foundry is bringing something new to the community.
“Foundry is something innovative that is going to result in a lot of help for the youth and families in this community,” said Roddan. “We’re strongly in favour of that. We like the innovative approach that Foundry is taking and it is in line with our values as a company. We feel this is the right organization for us to support.
“I’m really proud of
the work we do with the community.”
Roddan said Brookfield, of which PREI is a subsidiary, supports organizations such as Grace House, Powell River Action Centre Food Bank, Friends of qathet, International Choral Kathaumixw, qathet Academy of Music and Arts, Powell River Logger Sports and a number of other initiatives.
Harper said Foundry organizations have been successful in all the communities in which they have been established.
“It’s amazing when I see a youth who knows what Foundry is,” said Harper. “You can see their face light up when they realize one is coming to town. I haven’t heard a bad word about Foundry or the services offered to youth.
“I appreciate that PREI recognizes the importance of Foundry qathet and how it is going to benefit youth and caregivers in our community, because there is currently a lack of easy, accessible, funded, barrier-free youth services.”
People or organizations wanting to donate to Foundry
This week I heard one angler state that he was spending more on parking at the harbour than fuel fishing. With the price of fuel right now, that’s quite the commentary on local fishing conditions right now.
It’s true we are blessed to have so many great locations to fish, so close to home, but anglers are tubbin’ out and winning derbies by simply leaving the harbour, dropping the kicker, and trolling…either direction. If you’re pressed for time, or boat gas, it’s good to know you can limit out without ever getting on step.
As far as hot spots go, take your pick. I haven’t heard or observed as many boats at Coho Point as usual. The top end of Grant Reefs was lights out, and Rebecca keeps producing, but the reef between Rebecca Rock and Harwood Island has been some of the best salmon fishing I’ve ever experienced, and it just keeps producing.
website at youthandfamily. ca/foundry and click on the donate button on the top of the home page.
It’s great to hear the diversity in tactics, from buck tailing, stripping flies and jigging, to trolling both shallow and deep. Personally, I’ve been running a dummy flasher and a spoon recently, and it’s been both productive and fun.
Tight Lines!
qathet can go to the
Conversing with Lois Dam in the background are [from left] Collette Sinkewicz, executive director of Youth and Family Powell River; Jules Gareau, Brookfield Renewables director of BC operations; Delyth Harper, Foundry qathet project manager; and Chris Roddan, Brookfield’s manager environment and community relations. Brookfield subsidiary Powell River Energy Inc. has donated to Foundry qathet to help the organization establish an operation in Powell River.
PAUL GALINSKI PHOTO
Runner sets time between terminals
Chase Martinig ran from Langdale to Earls Cove and back again
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO Coast Reporter
Over nearly 32 hours, a
Coquitlam man recorded the fastest (and only) known time from ferry to ferry to ferry on the Sunshine Coast. It was as a heat wave crested and record high temperatures pummelled the coast on June 13 and 14 that Chase Martinig took up the challenge of running from Langdale to Earls Cove, and back. That’s about 178 kilo-
SUDOKU
metres, 5,300 metres in elevation gain, over 31 hours and 51 minutes.
The idea came to Martinig a couple of years ago, when he and some friends did the run one way.
“When we finished, somebody jokingly said, 'Oh, you want to turn back?'” said Martinig. “And me, I was like, 'Yeah, you know, maybe one day I will.' I just kind of kept that to myself.”
Although he lives in Coquitlam, Martinig grew up in Powell River and the Sunshine Coast is a place that means a lot to him. He looked into it, and nobody else had ever recorded running both ways in one go.
“So I figured why not be the first and set a new record in doing so.”
Leaving the Langdale Terminal at 6 am on June 13, Martinig ran up the hill into Sprockids Park. His route was mostly through trails and service roads, only really touching pavement as he passed through the isthmus of Sechelt — and at the ferry terminals at either end.
“It was quite a mix of some real nice trails, some long service roads and a little bit of pavement.”
Martinig had tweaked the route from the one he did a couple of years ago to allow for more opportunities to meet up with his support crew, anchored by his wife, who met him every 20 kilometres or so with water, snacks and fellow runners.
“I had people run with me basically the whole time,” explained Martinig.
Over the course of the run, somewhere around 12 people joined him for segments of the journey.
“I had a lot of good friends that would come out and support me,” he said. “I had not planned on that many, but it just kind of turned into — once word got out on the Sunshine Coast in that run-
ning community they have out there — a lot of friends of mine wanted to be part of it. So they would just jump in where they could.”
The biggest surprise was Martinig’s brother — who wasn’t as much of a runner — flew in from Edmonton and joined him for a total of 53 kilometres (not all in one stretch).
“Which was a complete shock to me and an incredible feat on his own.”
Martinig reached Earls Cove at about 8 pm that day and ran through the night, arriving back at Langdale at about 2 pm on June 14.
This was Martinig’s second longest run — last year he did the Cocodona 250 in Arizona (402 kilometres) — in record heat and rainstorms. This year, running in 30 degrees Celsius temperatures along exposed service roads felt reminiscent of last year’s endeavour.
Talking to Martinig the week after he finished the Sunshine Coast run, he had physically recovered from the exertion, but was feeling the disquiet that comes after achieving a goal.
“It's always hard after I finish something,” said Martinig. “You spend so
much time training and mentally preparing for something, and then when it's gone, you kind of miss it.”
Martinig’s run — including route details — will be logged on fastestknowntime. com.
“Someone can challenge it one day if they desire and beat my time,” he said.
“Somebody will eventually.
But that's another small reason I did it.”
For those thinking of taking on the challenge of the run?
“Anything's possible,” said Martinig. “I'm not a guy that was really a runner up until a couple of years ago. And I got into it.
“I just trained and gave myself these goals. And I mean, it's achievable if you really set your mind to it. And anything, anything is possible if you work for it.”
Chase Martinig [centre, with long hair] and some of his support crew, fellow runners and cheer crew at Langdale Terminal on June 14, after he completed his run from Langdale to Earls Cove and back. PHOTO COURTESY KYLA TRETHEWEY
Runners turned around at Earls Cove at about 8 pm on June 13. PHOTO COURTESY KYLA TRETHEWEY
BUSINESS »
Finance minister tours region
Brenda
Bailey says opportunities for growth in this community are ‘quite something’
PAUL GALINSKI reporter@prpeak.com
BC finance minister Brenda Bailey, after spending a full day in Powell River, said the opportunities for growth in this community are “quite something.”
Bailey, having come to qathet region on July 29 at the invitation of Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill, said that Neill has described a lot going on with regard to what businesses are doing, what is happening in the tourism sector, and regarding some of the investments made by the province in this region.
Bailey, in an interview, said she had just spent a constructive hour with Powell River Chamber of Commerce, hearing about concerns it has and some of the challenges small businesses have, as well as some of the opportunities. Bailey added that she had met
with Tla’amin Nation, as well as Cranberry Business Park, which is looking at some “really amazing opportunities.”
Bailey said what stood out about the meeting with Tla’amin is how entrepreneurial the nation is, and how it is looking at growth that benefits its community, and the community more broadly.
“I hadn’t met with Tla’amin previously before this trip,” said Bailey. “They have some really great work underway. I was deeply impressed by their entrepreneurialism.”
In terms of BC’s economic position, Bailey said she spends every minute thinking about it.
“When I put my head on the pillow at night, I’m thinking about the deficit, and when I wake up in the morning, I think about the deficit,” said Bailey. “It is the most important thing facing the ministry of finance, and frankly, a very important aspect of all our work across government.
“These are unprecedented times. The impact that the trade wars have had on us is real. I spend my life in numbers. It’s not overstated.”
Bailey said since being elected in 2017, the NDP government has been building more per capita than any other province.
“We’ve been building hospitals,” said Bailey. “There are 38 new health-care facilities that we’ve built out, either by expanding hospitals or building new hospitals.
“We’ve been building schools, we’ve been making investments in communities broadly, and we have been impacted in some of that budgeting by the growth in costs we saw coming out of the pandemic. Everybody knows that it happened and that has impacted our deficit.”
Bailey said something has to be done and the credit rating agency has made it very clear to the province. She said in the 2026 budget, there will be a reduction in the public service by 15,000 people.
“That’s a very hard thing for a progressive government to do, but we’ve made that decision,” said Bailey. “We have moved forward with efficiency reviews in every ministry. We’ve seen growth in administration and we’re looking to reduce it. Efficiency reviews are bringing in savings for us and you’re going to see that expressed in the bottom line.”
Bailey said it is important to point out to people that projections are for a $13 billion deficit, and it’s the work of the government to make sure those numbers don’t be-
Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA and minister of water, land and resource stewardship Randene Neill
invited BC finance minister Brenda
to the northern part of the riding to speak to businesses, Tla’amin Nation and other representatives about challenges and opportunities in current economic times.
come true.
“Keep your eyes open, because we’ve got an announcement coming out about where we close off 2025/2026,” said Bailey. “Some of this work is showing real results. What I would say to the Peak’s readers is that we’re taking this work very seriously.
“At the same time, we’re not will-
ing to go too far, to the point where we’re going to impact health care. We’re not willing to cut doctors and nurses. We’re not willing to cut teachers, so there are certain areas we are protecting, and those are the priorities of British Columbians. You’re going to see us protect those areas while we do the work to bring down the deficit.”
[left]
Bailey
PAUL GALINSKI PHOTO
SCENE
AROUNDTOWN
Hike for Hospice
A fundraiser for Four Tides Hospice Society was held at Willingdon Beach in May. The annual event allows the society to provide compassionate support to individuals at the end of their lives, and to their family and friends who are grieving. Hiker Chicks With Heart won the 2026 Fashionista Award for best dressed hikers and the Beach Crashers provided musical entertainment.
TO BOOK YOUR AD »
Muriel (Min) Higgins (née Cowley)
Muriel (Min) Higgins, age 95, passed away peacefully at home on July 27, 2026. She was born March 14, 1931, and was proud to call Powell River home for over 90 years.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her loving husband Robert (Bob) Higgins. She is survived by two sons Steve (Glynis) and Rick (Catherine), along with four grandchildren Erin (Alan), Mike (Louise), Ashley (Spencer), and Brittany, as well as three great-grandchildren Alexa, Shayne and Wesley.
At her request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. She will be greatly missed.
PaulaSampsonKathryn
October 23, 1948 - July 10, 2026
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Paula Kathryn Sampson.
Paula was born in Ketchikan, Alaska, and died at her home in Powell River. She was a beloved wife, stepmother and grandmother, mentor, professor, academic, colleague, co-op member, activist, priest and friend.
Paula called many places home over her life. She will return to Ketchikan to be interned with her parents and grandparents at the Bayview Cemetery.
Paula was diagnosed with ALS in January of this year. Her desire was to live at home until her death. Many people and organizations made this desire a reality for Paula. Thanks to all who supported her to live the remainder of her life with grace and dignity.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of these organizations that supported Paula: Four Tides Hospice Society, ALS Society of BC, or the Technology for Living Society of BC. Or you can donate to a scholarship that Paula set up in her late husband Ian’s honour with UNBC, The Rev. Ian MacKenzie Memorial Award.
A funeral service will be held at 2 pm on Friday, August 14, at St. David & St. Paul Anglican Church, located at 6310 Sycamore Street in Powell River. Reception to follow.
William “Bill” Oliver Snyder
October 22, 1948March 14, 2026
A memorial service will be held at Lang Bay Hall in Powell River on Saturday, August 15, 2026, from 11 am to 4 pm. Feel free to bring an appetizer if you can. Bill loved his snacks!
All who wish to celebrate Bill’s life are warmly welcome to attend.
Thomas David “Dave” McLay
July 16, 1947 - July 17, 2026
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dave, who died peacefully with family by his side on July 17, 2026, at the age of 79.
Dave was born July 16, 1947, in Fort St John, and moved to Powell River in 1950. He is survived by his loving wife Frances, his cherished sons Brent and Blair, his sister Heather McCartney (Bob), brother-in-law Roy Vizzutti (Mary); many nieces, nephews, cousins and wonderful great friends.
He worked in the mill for 38 years as a carpenter, retiring in 2005, and enjoyed doing small carpentry jobs for family and friends, fishing and working in his garden.
Dave went on many holidays, cruises, touring Europe and his favourite, Maui, where he met many friends over the years. He found great happiness in his daily walks around town until 2023 when he no longer could, and looked forward to his Thursday morning coffee with the guys.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Dr. Schweitzer, Dr. Uhlmann and the compassionate ICU nursing staff. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Powell River Hospital Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. No service by request.
Douglas Wayne Ruff
March 26, 1959 - July 20, 2026
With great sadness, we announce the passing of Douglas Wayne Ruff of Powell River, who passed away in North Cowichan on July 20, 2026, at the age of 67.
Doug was an avid car enthusiast, a dog lover, a devoted family man and a true friend. He had a special ability to make others feel valued and was known for his generosity and incredible work ethic. Following a long career at the Powell River mill, Doug enjoyed retirement surrounded by those he loved.
Doug was predeceased by his wife of 39 years Ramona Ruff (née Roberts) and will be lovingly remembered and missed by his daughter Sylvia; sisters Sandra Gibson, Maureen Bryson (Garth Duey), Christine (John) MacDonald and Carol Tiffin; brother Rodney (Tracy) Bryson; nieces and nephews; as well as by many other extended family members and friends.
The family extends sincere thanks to his cancer care team and all those who loved and supported him throughout his journey. He will be greatly missed.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Sands Funeral Chapel in Duncan, BC. 250.746.5212.
GARAGE/BAKE SALE
Saturday, August 8 & Sunday, August 9
9 am to 9 pm 3465 101 Highway North (by Craig Road) Something for everyone Bring the kids Fresh baked goods for sale
Building and Licensing Clerk (part-time)
Personal Trainer – General (part-time)
All applications must be submitted online through the Employment Opportunities page at www.powellriver.ca
• 604-485-6994
• 604-223-1270
• 604-414-5232 (Texada)
FRIDAYS, 7:30 to 8:30 pm
qathet General Hospital, third floor
SUNDAYS, 8 to 9 pm Union Hall, 5814 Ash Ave
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 •MARINE AVENUE 6-10 PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 • WILLINGDON BEACH 12-8 PM
NOTICE TO MARINE AVENUE
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES
Please be advised that this year’s Blackberry Festival Street Party will take place Friday, August 21, from 6 to 10 pm. This event occupies the entire Marine Avenue from Alberni to Duncan Streets, blocking all thru-vehicle traffic and access to some driveways from 4 - 11 pm.
We thank you for your patience and accommodation of this festival to bring locals and visitors together for this fun-filled evening of shopping, food and entertainment. PR Chamber of Commerce • office@powellriverchamber.com
mix.
604-414-8595
Can you be a super helper?
Currently running as a busy Airbnb up with seller accommodations down, this 3-bed, 3-bath home on the Salish Sea may be just what you have been looking for - take over the summer bookings for some passive income! Level-entry main floor offers amazing views, 2 beds and 2 baths, with the living room, dining room, kitchen all looking at the ocean. Step out on to the resurfaced south-facing deck with new stairs and new aluminum railings leading down into the backyard. Recent addition office / flex space with three-piece bath also enjoys an ocean view. Good access to the beach via tiered stairs down on this 0.56 acre waterfront lot. Walkout lower one-bed suite renovated in 2017 also has good view and covered patio area. Other improvements include 200amp electrical service, heat pump, lots of updated windows and new hot water tank. Affordable waterfront with low rural taxes and limited restrictions in a quiet peaceful neighbourhood. Call now!
“ We‘re not just a landmark, we are a destination.
Inn offers vintage luxuries at affordable prices
Hotel and bistro a dream come true for chef and owner Kelly Belanger
The Old Courthouse Inn is a stunningly-preserved 1939 boutique hotel, located in the heart of Powell River’s Townsite neighbourhood, on BC’s northern Sunshine Coast.
The historic inn offers travellers the chance to spend a night or two inside a former courthouse, jailhouse, sheriff’s office or judge’s chambers, all with unique and vintage French décor, carefully curated and designed by inn owner, operator and chef Kelly Belanger.
The story of this building began in 1938, when the government allocated money to construct a structural masterpiece.
“They used the best materials,” says Belanger. “When I bought it [14 years ago], had, of course, a building inspector go through, and he was just amazed.”
Belanger explains that the previous owners took on the
monumental task of converting the building’s original office layouts into charming guest rooms.
“They completely revamped the interior by replacing all the electrical systems, updating the plumbing and installing private bathrooms in each room,” he adds. “They did most of the work; I just went in and put the makeup on.”
Belanger has turned the property into a living gallery of regional history, with a 1930’s French aesthetic and style. Some recent creative endeavours include replacing the inn’s front gates with the original jailhouse doors and sprucing up the garden space by handcrafting an outdoor landscape design from beachcombed driftwood.
“I’m always upgrading and finding antique furniture,” explains Belanger. “I get a lot of vintage décor from locals because some of them say their
kids don’t want it.”
Each room uses heritage colours and décor.
“I want guests to feel like they are visiting a family member,” says Belanger.
While the atmosphere channels the 1930s, the amenities are firmly anchored in the present. Guests sleep on plush, modern pillowtop mattresses layered with premium cotton sheets. The bathrooms feature glass-enclosed, walk-in rainfall showers. Tech-forward touches such as fast Wi-Fi and big-screen smart TVs with digital streaming complete the experience.
“I’ve upgraded the internet here, so we have the best that a business could have.”
In the morning, hotel guests are welcome to enjoy a madefrom-scratch breakfast at Edie Rae’s Café, located on the first floor of the inn.
“People are coming from all around the world because it’s all fresh and it’s homemade,” explains Belanger. “Folks who stay at the inn get a free meal.”
Unlike typical hotel continental spreads, Edie Rae’s serves up a full restaurant menu highlighted by locally sourced and organic ingredients.
“We opened the patio fully in the second week in June, and it is now wheelchair accessible. The patio is partially covered, but we’ll be fully covered hopefully by the end of summer, early fall.”
The large bistro patio is also dog friendly, and has an ocean view.
“We now have 16 bennies to choose from, and we’ve added platters, so if you want to try two different bennies, we do have the double benny. We also have traditional breakfasts using good quality sausage or bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and toast.” Belanger, who is a chef by trade, makes his hollandaise from scratch, and now smokes his salmon and beef in-house, and the baked beans are now vegan.
Belanger has welcomed Frankie’s Place Day Spa, operated by holistic therapist Frankie Lutz, to the Old Courthouse Inn, in room one. The spa offers hot stone massage, massage therapy and reflexology, as well as mani-pedis and waxing service. To make an appointment at the spa, call 604.223.7133.
The Old Courthouse Inn, Edie Rae’s Café and Frankie’s Place Day Spa are located at 6243 Walnut Street in Powell River.