ARCHIVE - West Shore region breaking news [Feb to May 2016]

Tuesday, May 31 ~ VICTORIA. BC NDP leader John Horgan has today issued the following statement in response to the Christy Clark government’s education announcement today (that ‘administrative savings’ found in 2016-2017 budgets will be issued back to school districts):

“This is not about Christy Clark doing what’s right for parents and kids, this is all about Christy Clark trying to make bad headlines go away until after the election.

“This is the least that Christy Clark could do. The least. This is not new funding and I think that parents and students will see through this cynical election ploy. There are no cheques going to local school boards. All that the BC Liberals are saying is that they won’t be clawing back the $25 million that they were originally demanding from schools across BC.

“Barely a month ago, Christy Clark’s education minister was dismissing the concerns of thousands of parents across BC as ‘just a few vocal groups’ and standing in the legislature defending his government’s cuts to public education.”

“I’m so disappointed that this is what it takes to get Christy Clark to listen – that parents and kids have to mount public campaigns and embarrass the BC Liberals to be heard. This funding flip-flop shows that Christy Clark’s claim that she has no control over local decisions about school closures and education cutbacks is false. Christy Clark has neglected and underfunded public education in BC for far too long, and parents and kids deserve better. What could be more important than public education?”

Local focus: See details of cutbacks in Sooke School District 62 (which serves Langford, Colwood & Sooke) in the May 13, 2016 edition (page 2) and May 27, 2016 edition (pages 1 & 2, including EDITORIAL – ‘How much strain will produce needed action’) of West Shore Voice News. For SD62, $450,041 will now not have to be ‘cut’ from staffing and administration.

Tuesday, May 31. The BC government says they are “redirecting $25 million in administrative savings from school districts back into frontline services for students,” it was announced today by the BC Ministry of Education. These are not cheques being issued, but rather a non-collection of funds that school boards were asked to find in their budgets for 2016-2017.

Education Minister Mike Bernier said: “Districts can use the funding any way they see fit – for hiring new teachers, for programs, or for maintaining schools despite falling enrolment in certain regions”. He continued: “Our government is committed to ensuring that maximum education dollars go into services for students,” Bernier said. “Districts worked hard to reduce their administrative costs and we are pleased to be able to direct that $25 million back to programs and initiatives that will directly benefit the kids of BC.”

“Districts made real efforts to reduce spending on their administration costs – and those efforts have made it possible to help flow those resources into classrooms and services for students. The amount of money being left with districts is equal to the Year 2 of Administrative savings districts were asked to find,” Bernier said.

“The BC School Trustees Association is pleased that the Ministry of Education and government have been responsive to our ongoing advocacy,” said BC School Trustees Association president Teresa Rezansoff. “We thank them for engaging in open dialogue with us regarding the funding concerns of school districts. Local autonomy to allocate the money based on local priorities is important.”

School districts have been informed that they will not have to pay their share of $25 million worth of provincial charges this year, and instead can redirect that money into frontline services for students.

“We are giving districts the ability to invest in their individual priorities,” Bernier added. “This provides a great opportunity for each district to spend the money in a way that will best meet the needs of the students of that district.”

Local focus: The Victoria school board (SD61) will receive back $$827,353; Sooke (SD62) will get $450,041; Saanich (SD63) will get $329,692; and the Gulf Islands (SD64) will receive $99,976.

See details of cutbacks in Sooke School District 62 (which serves Langford, Colwood & Sooke) in the May 13, 2016 edition (page 2) and May 27, 2016 edition (pages 1 & 2, including EDITORIAL – ‘How much strain will produce needed action’) of West Shore Voice News. For SD62, $450,041 will now not have to be ‘cut’ from staffing and administration.

Friday, May 27 ~ LANGFORD. This afternoon there was a good turnout for the opening of Alistair MacGregor’s new MP constituency office in Langford (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford).

Featured VIPs who gave speeches were Randall Garrison, MP (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke) and BC NDP Leader John Horgan.

Garrison reminded guests about how challenging it is to fund a constituency office, especially a second one. MacGregor’s home base constituency office is in Duncan where he lives with wife and two young daughters. Horgan who lives in Langford said he would drop by from time to time.

MacGregor thanked his staff for having his back, every day on the job. There was a big congratulatory cake.

Photo during the festivities at the office opening (from left): BC NDP Leader John Horgan; Randall Garrison, MP; and Alistair MacGregor, MP. The office is at 3202B Happy Valley Road at the corner of Sooke Road, next to a bike repair shop.

Thursday, May 26 ~ VICTORIA. A chemist at the University of Victoria (UVic) has received some new funding to help tackle the Zika virus outbreak. Two promising UVic projects to help prevent spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus have been given the funding boost.

Grand Challenges Canada has awarded a total of $50,000 to UVic chemist Alexandre Brolo for his research on two applications that could alleviate this emerging public health crisis. The virus has been reported in Africa, Asia, French Polynesia and the Americas, especially countries such as Brazil where neurological, auto-immune and birth complications have been observed.

Using nanotechnology, Brolo and his team are creating low-cost strips that detect the presence of arboviruses such as Zika and dengue in saliva. The screening device involves a plastic strip coated with nanoparticles that change colour when they come into contact with infected saliva. With simple-to-use technology, these screening strips would be used by on-the-ground health workers to detect infection trends.

“This funding will allow me to continue to optimize the stability and accuracy of these strips,” says Brolo. The grant will also help cover a small-scale pilot project in collaboration with a virologist at São Paulo University in Brazil.

The Zika virus has caught prominent worldwide attention for one of its most obvious impacts — causing microencephaly in fetuses and newborns. Further to that, it is being discovered that the virus can last up to six months in the sperm of men who have been exposed to the mosquito-borne virus, which can be passed on to women in any part of the world whose pregnancies may also result in babies with microencephaly. Microencephaly in newborns presents as a small head with a dramatically underdeveloped brain.

The mosquito that carries the Zika virus is not thought to be present in Canada, according to Health Canada.

Wednesday, May 25 ~ WEST SHORE. About 30 parents and educational stakeholder reps showed up to the Sooke School District (SD62) board meeting last night for the SD62 May 24 public board meeting, expressing frustration about school board expenditure cuts.

With details from SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge and SD62 Treasurer Harold Cull, the board explained to parents and reps of CUPE and teachers that in having to produce a balanced budget to $110,036,802 there needed to be cuts. Their deficit calculation was almost $1.7 million. That is due, they said, to inadequate revenues. Most of the revenues of the school district come from the BC Government by way of per-pupil funding formula (presently about $7,160 per full-time student). Other revenues are achieved through facility rental, International student programs, and bussing fees.

The 2016-2017 operating budget is $94,775,109 which is up 6% from the 2015-2016 operating budget of $89,334,524. Of the operating budget, $75.7 million or about 85% is spent on instruction, with $8.5 million (9%) on facilities, $3.1 million (4%) on administration, and $2.1 million (2%) on transportation.

In 2016-2017, SD62 will provide educational delivery for a projected 9,804 students (perhaps reaching 10,000, according to Cambridge last night). That’s up from 9,515 students in 2015-2016. SD62 serves students and families primarily in the areas of Langford, Colwood and Sooke (and also Highlands, Metchosin and Port Renfrew). More school space is needed, but for now portables will be relocated around the school district as required to accommodate the influx of more students this fall.

This year’s cuts of about $918,000 are seen almost entirely in staffing — administrative, support, and instructional. This is largely in response to the BC Ministry of Education’s directive to find ‘savings’ in administrative budget areas. Parents present at the board meeting last night were primarily concerned about cuts to programs that require specialized teachers who deliver support to students who require more one-on-one attention outside the larger classroom framework.

Superintendent Cambridge did point out that 12 new classroom teachers are being hire for 2016-2017 to help with expansion of the student numbers in SD62. But non-enrolling support staff numbers are being cut back. “When something right happens (as in increased funding from the government), we can add back in the educational assistants and classroom support mid-year,” said Cambridge. “If money comes in we have a place to spend it right way. We know where our cuts are.” Cambridge said that a per-pupil funding formula is inadequate in particular for school districts with expanding student populations, such as Sooke.

The board passed a motion to send a letter to the BC Ministry of Education to outline the hardship on students and the learning environment by having to balance a budget that the see as inadequate on the revenue side. Notably, having to pay BC Hydro increases, MSP increases and a portion of the province-wide Internet network expansion were considered as onerous to the school district. The teacher’s union and CUPE, the SPEAC parents organization, and other stakeholders will be invited to sign the letter.

Board Chair Bob Phillips and Trustee Ravi Parmar were particularly vocal at the board table about the downloading of costs such as BC Hydro increases and MSP premium increases onto the local school board budget. While all board members seemed to favour the $50 per rider bus fee increase for 2016-2017, Trustee Wendy Hobbs made it clear she felt that there were too many waivers for families who claim they cannot pay, and asked for more accountability in that regard.

The board passed increases in fees for the Academies programs including rugby and lacrosse.

Some new course offerings in SD62 will now include Entertainment (11), Entrepreneurship (11), Lifesaving (10, 11 and 12), Outdoor Education (11 and 12), and Multi-Sport (10, 11 and 12).

Tuesday, May 24 ~ WEST SHORE. The Sooke School District (SD62) that provides educational delivery for students and families primarily in the areas of Langford, Colwood and Sooke, will aim for final approval of their 2016-2017 budget tonight, Tuesday May 24.

The public board meeting is at 8 pm at the SD62 board office, 3143 Jacklin Rd. Meetings are not webcasted.

Over the long weekend a few parents have written to the BC Minister of Education, Mike Bernier, regarding the frustrations for families, the SD62 board, and in fact all school boards, over having to pass balanced budgets, when clearly there are not enough funds to go around. One of those letters has been published on the West Shore Voice News LETTERS PAGE.

Providing education is costly, and is a labour-intensive enterprise. In previous years, cuts were made to classroom services and supplies. Corners have been cut in many places. This year, reductions were made in various areas of administration (including principal / vice-principal positions) and support staffing, but a few also in teaching position opportunities. Ultimately this of course affects the function and performance of classrooms and educational goals.

Information about the SD62 budget process has been made available throughout the last few months, online at www.sd62.bc.ca

Saturday, May 21 ~ VANCOUVER ISLAND. Access to the parking lot at Sombrio Beach has been temporarily restricted for safety measures over the May long weekendto discourage illegal activities, such as parties and vandalism, which have occurred in past years.

The 2.5 km gravel access road leading from Highway 14 to the parking lot at Sombrio Beach trailhead will be closed to vehicle access from Friday, May 20 at 7 a.m. to Monday, May 23 at 12 midnight.

BC Parks will be closing vehicle access to Sombrio Beach with the support of the Conservation Officer Service and the RCMP. Unauthorized activities within the park can impact the social, economic, cultural and ecological sustainability of both the park and the local communities.

All locations within Juan de Fuca Park, including the designated campsites and access trail at Sombrio Beach and the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail, remain open to the public. The three remaining trailheads to the Juan de Fuca at China Beach, Parkinson Creek and Botanical Beach are still accessible by vehicles.

BC Parks wants all visitors to peacefully and safely enjoy recreational activities at the park such as hiking, camping and day use at Sombrio Beach and in the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

Friday, May 20 ~ LANGFORD. Looks like a nice weather forecast for the Langford and west shore area for this upcoming May long weekend.During May 21 to 23 temperatures are predicted by The Weather Network to be spring-time moderate, with the possible chance of rain.

Monday, May 23 is a statutory holiday in BC. The May long weekend (aka Victoria Day, or May 24th weekend) is celebrated across Canada by different names and with varying traditions.

Overall, the May long weekend is seen each year as the first week of ‘summer’, in that people take getaway trips or just time off in the garden or doing activities.

Thursday, May 19 – VICTORIA. BC will invest $45 million in school facility upgrades this year. “We’re calling it our ‘fix it fund’,: said BC Education Mike Bernier in an announcement at the BC Legislature today. There will be 80 projects in 124 schools throughout the province.

“We have a strong economy in BC, and have the opportunity of making investments like this,” Bernier said. The work will include 21 roof replacements; the upgrading of heating and ventilation systems; windows, lighting and electrical system upgrades; and fire protection safety enhancements.

00731-EMCS-front-sep0413-web400 Districts applied to the Ministry of Education in spring 2016 and successful projects were chosen based on need, priority and supporting student learning. Another requirement was that projects had to cost more than $100,000.

Joining Minister Bernier for the announcement was Greater Victoria School Board (SD61) Superintendent Piet Langstraat. “Today’s announcement is about investing in buildings,” said Langstraat. “But it’s much more than that. It’s about investing in safety. And more than that … about investing in the lives of these young students. Not only for today, for for the years to come.”

Also speaking today was SD62 Board Chair Bob Phillips, a long-time trustee in Sooke School District 62 (SD62). Phillips announced that the only high school out in the town area of Sooke — Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) — will be getting almost $465,000 for roof repair and envelope upagrade.

EMCS will soon be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The present school building first opened in 1996. It is the only high school in the immediate Sooke area. The other two high schools in SD62 are Belmont Secondary in Langford and Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood.

Tuesday, May 17. Those first few hours after a disaster strikes can be critical for yourself, your family and your home. Tonight at 7pm the Metchosin Fire Department is holding a free emergency preparedness info session called ‘The First Hours’. They’ll discuss what to do when a disaster strikes. Who to contact, where to go, what to do about injuries.

In Metchosin they have small groups who know each other within a neighbourhood. “Learn how to work within your POD to be most effective during those first few hours immediately after the emergency,” says Metchosin Fire Chief and Emergency Program Coordinator Stephanie Dunlop. www.metchosinfire.ca

Tuesday, May 17. Two public forums on current topics of interest to a broad range of Canadians will be held locally by Randall Garrison, MP (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke) in the coming days.

On Thursday, May 26 (2-4 pm) will be a Defence Policy Review Discussion, at which Garrison will seek public input on Canada’s future defence policy. He hopes people read up ahead of time before attending. The review discussion paper is athttp://tinyurl.com/DefencePolicyDiscussion . The event will be held and co-hosted at the Esquimalt Legion, 622 Admirals Rd.

On Friday, May 27 (7 to 8:30 pm) will be a Climate Change town hall, at which Garrison will seek public input on finding practical solutions to climate change. He hopes people read up ahead of time before attending. The review discussion paper is athttp://tinyurl.com/ClimateChangeTownhall . The event will be held at Esquimalt High School Theatre, 847 Colville Rd.

Garrison was instrumental in having the riding re-named during his first term as MP (2011-2015), to better include the names of the regional areas that the riding covers. It is a broad area from Esquimalt along the west side of south Vancouver Island up as far as the Jordan River, west of Sooke.

Tuesday, May 17. Today, Randall Garrison, NDP LGBTQ critic and MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, welcomed the Liberal government’s introduction of a bill to add protections based on gender identity and gender expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code. The text of government’s legislation is identical to bills put forward in the past by the NDP.

“Today is a good day for the Trans community. Trans and gender non-binary people deserve equal rights and protections and have been waiting for far too long. This is an important step in ensuring equal rights for all Canadians,” said Garrison in a release to media.

Today marks the seventh time in the past 10 years that this legislation has been introduced. New Democrats have a long history of bringing forward legislation to guarantee trans rights. Former NDP MP, Bill Siksay, introduced similar legislation in three previous parliaments starting in 2005 and MP Garrison in 2011 and again in 2015. The bills passed the House of Commons twice, in 2011 and 2013, only to be killed by delay and inaction in the Senate.

“I am hoping the government will now adopt an expedited process for the bill given recent events, including the May 2 arson attack on the only clinic in Canada that performs gender affirming surgery in Montreal,” added Garrison.

Friday, May 13 ~ LANGFORD/COLWOOD/SOOKE. Online bus registration interface is still having technical glitches, says Sooke School District 62 (SD62), and that it will be up and running next week.

Bus fees for 2016-2017 have gone up by $50 per rider, to $225 per student (one or two students). Where they are three or more students in a family who attend SD62 schools, there is a fee discount.

This year the SD62 board wrestled, once again, with where to make budget cutbacks. Most of the cutbacks are in the labour costs — administration, support staff and teachers.

The increase in bus fees in fact does not fully cover the cost of providing the bus service. At a recent board meeting, SD62 trustees were reminded that bussing is not a government mandated service.

Friday, May 13 ~ VICTORIA. The Capital City Jazz Fest is happening today – a tri-district event featuring jazz bands from 18 schools. In SD62 west shore area, the event will take place 9:15 am – 4:15 pm at Ecole John Stubbs. Each band plays three songs then they combine to play one song together.

The local line-up includes the Royal Bay Junior Band at 10:40 am, John Stubbs Jazz band at 11:15 or so, and the Royal Bay senior at 11:30 am. Then all three of those schools plus Shoreline Middle School combine to play the Survivor version of Eye of the Tiger . Dunsmuir Jazz Band will play around 12:30 pm and Belmont Jazz Band around 2:45 pm.

This is the largest fest to date and features schools from Victoria (SD61), Sooke (SD62), Saanich (SD63).

Other SD62 schools have sets with school outside of the district.

Friday, May 13 ~ VICTORIA. BC Hydro is buying lands in the Jordan River area, at a price tag of $3.13 million.

The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board accepted the offer from BC Hydro to acquire lands and rights on lands affected by a potential flood inundation area at Jordan River. CRD is retaining the oceanfront lands within the inundation zone and south of the West Coast Road, including the campground and beach used by surfers. [See map: BC Hydro inundation zone show with red hash marks at waterfront]

A covenant will be placed on these waterfront lands to restrict residential development, but camping will continue to be permitted. [See map: camping shown in dark green area at waterfront.]

BC Hydro also has contributed funds for an early warning alarm system and will help cover the costs of transferring the land. BC Hydro will also give local First Nations the opportunity to acquire these lands.

“The acquisition of these lands and rights helps to address public safety concerns in a region where the seismic risk is much greater than previously understood,” said Chris O’Riley, Deputy CEO, BC Hydro.

“This is seen as a prudent sale that benefits the residents of the region. Retaining the oceanfront lands allows the CRD to continue to provide overnight camping and ensures easy access to the water for beach users and surfers,” said CRD Board Chair Barbara Desjardins. “The funds from the land sale will go to the CRD Regional Parks Service.”

The CRD initially agreed to purchase 180 hectares of land in Jordan River to create a regional park in 2010. The park boundary has not yet been finalized due to the planned disposition of surplus lands. However, this transaction is consistent with the vision for the Regional Park and ensures the primary public interests will be held for future generations to enjoy.

“This has been a long process but at the end of the day, in my view, BC Hydro has fairly compensated the CRD for these lands and rights, “ said Mike Hicks, Juan de Fuca Regional Director and CRD Park’s Chair. “A special thank you to Minister Bill Bennett, MLA John Horgan and BC Hydro President Jessica McDonald for their assistance.”

Wednesday, May 11 ~ PARKSVILLE. The BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations says that effective at noon today Friday, May 13, that Category 2 open fires will be prohibited in most areas of the Coastal Fire Centre.

This is to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. The prohibition remains in effect until Oct. 21, 2016 or until the public is otherwise notified.

The prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown lands and private lands within the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception of the area known as the “Fog Zone” and the Haida Gwaii Forest District.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the US-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii [see map].
The Fog Zone is a strip of land along the outer coast of Vancouver Island, stretching from Owen Point (near Port Renfrew) north to the tip of Vancouver Island and around to the boundary of the District of Port Hardy. This strip extends inland 2km from the high tide point. A map of the Fog Zone is available online.

Specifically, this prohibition applies to:

The burning of any material (piled or unpiled) smaller than 2m high and 3m wide.
The burning of stubble or grass fires over an area less than 2,000 sq m.
The use of fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, or burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description. The use of binary exploding targets (e.g., for rifle target practice).

This prohibition does not apply within the boundaries of a local government that has wildfire prevention bylaws in place and is serviced by a fire department. Before lighting any fire, residents should check with local authorities to see if there are any other fire restrictions in effect. However, recently on south Vancouver Island, open burning has been banned this season by Metchosin, Otter Point and Sooke. A ban by bylaw was already in effect in Langford.

This prohibition does not ban campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. People lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from the campfire area, and they must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire. Campfires must be fully extinguished when not attended.

Any person lighting larger fires (or more than two fires of any size) must comply with open burning regulations and must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717.

Anyone who lights, fuels or uses an open fire when a fire prohibition is in place or fails to comply with an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150 or, if convicted in court, be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be subject to a penalty of up to $100,000 and ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free, or *5555 on a cellphone.

For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: www.bcwildfire.ca | Wildifre updates on Twitter | Wildfire updates on Facebook

Wednesday, May 11 ~ VICTORIA. The BC Government has agreed to help the Capital Regional District (CRD) facilitate a path forward and develop a plan to move Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (CALWMP) forward, toward meeting the 2020 deadline.

BC Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, Peter Fassbender, will speak in camera today at the Capital Regional District (CRD) Board meeting. After the meeting, CRD Board Chair, Barbara Desjardins, will speak to the media regarding Minister Fassbender’s remarks.

The Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan (CALWMP) is a 25-year plan under the Environmental Management Act that outlines the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) wastewater management strategies, including wastewater treatment for the municipalities of Colwood, Esquimalt, Langford, Oak Bay, Saanich, Victoria and View Royal, as well as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. That area serves a population of about 300,000 people. Sooke and the Saanich peninsula already have sewage and wastewater treatment in place.

The current plan, Amendment No. 10 of the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan, was developed under the direction of the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Committee and the CRD Board, with input from experts and the public, and was approved by the BC Minister of Environment in March 2016.

“CRD, with support from the Province of BC, is committed to delivering an innovative project that provides benefit to the environment, responds to our changing climate, and adds value to the residents and businesses of our communities and those visiting our region,” says CRD Communications senior manager Andy Orr.

Wednesday, May 11 ~ VICTORIA. Mainroad South Island Contracting LP will be paving a section of the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) in the Goldstream Park area during Wednesday May 11 through Friday May 13.

The work will be done between 7 pm and 5 am. All lanes in both directions will be affected.

“Please expect delays and follow directions from the traffic controllers.” says Mainroad. Their 24 Hour Emergency Line is: 1-877-391-7310

Tuesday, May 10 ~ LANGFORD. Tonight the Sooke School Board (SD62) will look to do first reading on its 2016-2017 budget of $110,877,186.

They need to balance a $1.7 million shortfall. After a few months of deliberation, their cuts will dig into management, support staff and teachers. Over the course of budget deliberations, management shifted to taking a bigger cut, to spare some teaching salaries from even further cuts.

Also, families will be asked to pay $50 more for school bus transit, per student in 2016-2017, bringing the per-student bus fee to $225.

The cuts are probably going to look like this, according to information released by SD62 this week:

Cuts to management in the amount of $456,000. That will include removing one vice principal and one District Principal. There will also be reductions in speech and language pathologist services.
Cuts to support staff in the amount of $405,000. That will include reducing expenditures on youth & family counsellors, education assistants, IT support, and custodial.
Cuts to teachers in the amount of $816,000. That will include reductions in curriculum coordination, deaf and hard of hearing support, hospital and home bound, and non-enrolling school-based staff.

Tonight’s special board meeting at 7 pm at Belmont Secondary will be followed by an Education Committee of the Whole meeting at which the public is invited to provide comments. www.sd62.bc.ca

Tuesday, May 10 ~ VICTORIA. Due to a fuel spill in Esquimalt Harbour on Sunday, May 8, the public is being asked to avoid the water and shoreline in the Plumper Bay area. It’s believed the spill is primarily contained and/or evaporated, but some fuel may have moved into other areas of Esquimalt Harbour, says Island Health.

As a result, public health officials recommend that people and pets avoid contact with water and shoreline that appear to be contaminated, or smell of diesel. If contact inadvertently occurs, affected skin should be thoroughly washed.

Due to the spill, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is also prohibiting harvest of all fish species in Esquimalt Harbour. The closure order was recommended by Island Health and the First Nations Health Authority, and prohibits harvesting of fish in waters possibly affected by the spill.

The closure is a precautionary measure and will be reviewed when lab results show whether or not the fuel spill is affecting these fish.

There is an ongoing closure for the harvesting of bivalve shellfish which remains in effect in the area. Members of the public and users of the waterway should not attempt to clean up any diesel. Protective gear and proper training are necessary to ensure proper health and safety.

“And please, do not attempt to rescue wildlife that appears to be impacted by the spill,” says Island Health. Oiled animals are highly stressed and should not be approached or treated without proper training. If you come across an animal impacted by a fuel spill, please call Western Canada Marine Response Corporation at 778-991-0003.

Tuesday, May 10 ~ VICTORIA. The taste and odour of Greater Victoria’s drinking water may be a bit ‘off’ but the water remains safe to drink.

Capital Regional District (CRD) Integrated Water Services has today advised residents of Greater Victoria that an increased level of algae in the Sooke Lake Reservoir (reservoir shown in CRD photo) is causing potential taste and odour in the drinking water.

“In the last few days, higher numbers of a golden-brown algae called Uroglena have been observed in the Sooke Lake Reservoir some distance north of the intake tower,” says Ted Robbins, General Manager, CRD Integrated Water Services. This algae has now moved closer to the intake and is entering the water system. This variety of algae can produce a fishy or metallic taste and odour, however, the Island Health Authority confirms taste and odour are aesthetic parameters only – the water remains safe to drink and the aesthetic taste and odour parameters are not a health concern.

Algae concentrations and locations in Sooke Lake Reservoir change with time but the duration of this current event is predicted to be a few days, according to a CRD news release today. The CRD has adjusted the water intake to a deeper level in the reservoir which is expected to improve the aesthetic water quality. CRD staff are monitoring the quality and safety of the water closely and will keep the public informed of any potential health concerns or changes in water quality.

The Sooke Lake Reservoir supplies most of Greater Victoria. It was at full capacity at April 3, and started declining from 100% full by April 10. As of May 8, the level is down to 95.5% of capacity. There has been little to no rain for the past 10 days or so.

Last year the reservoir supply declined slowly but steadily well into September, even into October, but held its own. Water restrictions did not need to be intensified past Level 1 except for in some rural areas.

Monday, May 9 ~ OTTER POINT. The Otter Point Fire Department has banned opening burning as of 7pm tonight, May 9.

The Fire Hazard Level is set at High in Otter Point, as in many places on the west side of south Vancouver Island.

Otter Point is allowing campfires and the use of incinerators. www.otterpointfire.bc.ca

Monday, May 9 ~ METCHOSIN. A ban on open fires will take effect in Metchosin starting at 6 pm on Friday, May 13.

“Due to the dry conditions we are shutting down open burning early this year,” says Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop. “This applies to all open burning, land clearing and incinerator use.”

Campfires are still allowed at this time. Campfires can be no larger than 2 ft X 2 ft. Beach fires are banned completely and permanently.

Thursday, May 5 ~ COLWOOD. Today at 2pm, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Centre for Well-Being in Colwood. The future site of the health and wellness centre is at 324 Goldstream Ave, in the commercial hub of Colwood.

Since 1968, Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA) has been promoting dignity and quality of life for families and individuals across Greater Victoria, especially on the West Shore, through education, counselling and creative programming. In order to meet the demands of rapid growth in our community, PCFSA is working on plans for a new Centre for Well-Being on Goldstream Avenue.

The Centre for Well-Being will provide 15,000 square feet of program space, all based on Trauma-Informed design for service excellence. PCFSA will occupy the second floor and provide 7,200 square feet of street level space for rent by other health and wellness professionals.

The two-acre property backs directly onto the West Shore Child, Youth and Family Centre on Wale Road, which is where PCFSA currently delivers services from. The new site features established chestnut and apple trees that create a tranquil atmosphere for the new centre.

“We’re going to create a wellness hub that’s a really therapeutic environment,” says PCFSA Executive Director Mitzi Dean.

Added May 6, 2016: Front page story in the May 6, 2016 West Shore Voice News.

Monday, May 2 ~ VICTORIA. The Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) says that April 2016 property sales in the Victoria area “continue to exceed expectations”. As prices have been skyrocketing upwards for over a year, the current situation is certainly nothing short of a ballooning market, based on market factors, not the value of the house itself. Bubbles ultimately tend to burst. Growth of any kind always reaches a plateau or a breaking point, and that includes financial markets.

Those with enough money to quickly buy up properties in the currently inflated market are making it quite difficult for normal wage-earners to buy into the market. This has pushed up demand for rental accommodation as well.

The raw average of homes sold in the overall Greater Victoria area was $756,143 in April 2016. That’s up over $200,000 compared to just a few years ago. [Graph shows a 10-year spread from 2006 to 2016, where the HPI benchmark price of a single family home — the red line in the graph — in Greater Victoria went up from about $350,000 to the current $568,100. Townhomes went from about $300,000 to $400,000. Condos rose from about $200,000 to around $300,000 in that 10-year period.

A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Greater Victoria area in April. Not only is that an increase of 53% compared to 840 properties sold in the same month last year, it is the highest number of properties ever sold in any month under the VREB.

Good properties are being snapped up. Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the VREB MLS at the end of April, which is 34% fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.

“We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market. Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue — low mortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live,” notes Mike Nugent, 2016 VERB president.

“The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. That means about one-quarter of property purchases in the south Vancouver Island area are being made by foreign buyers, as well as buyers from the BC Lower Mainland (about 8.2% in the first quarter of this year, up from 7.4% in 2015).

“It’s also noteworthy that we’ve seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta,” says Nugent. “Last year we saw 5.7%, and this quarter we saw 3.9%, and a small increase in buyers from the USA (from 0.8% to 1.0%. The increase in buyers from Asia was 0.8% this first quarter, up from 0.7%.

The MLS HPI (data-adjusted) benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700 in April, up 17.7% from April’s $684,900 level last year.

“If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you’re looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we’ve seen in years past,” adds Nugent. Many homes are selling far over asking price.

As gently as possible, VREB is suggesting that people — especially first-time buyers — may not be able to afford houses anymore. “As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods.”

HPI price comparisons for single family homes on the west side of south Vancouver Island:

View Royal $573,400 up from $571,700 a month ago, and up from $508,300 a year ago. Actual raw average sale price was $579,645 (22 sales) in April.
Colwood $499,800 up from $488,600 one month ago, and up from $469,000 one year ago. Actual raw average sale price was $577,791 (30 sales) in April.
Metchosin $637,400 up from $628,700 a month ago, and up from $606,100 a year ago. Actual raw average sale price was $629,875 (8 sales) in April.
Langford $449,500, up from $440,200 one month ago, and up from $424,800 one year ago. Actual raw average sale price was $530,055 (114 sales) in April.
Sooke $374,300 up from $366,400 a month ago, and up from $355,000 a year ago. Actual raw average sale price was $455,367 (56 sales) in April.

HPI pricing is data-adjusted to modify actual monthly sales averages based on perceptions about proximity to services, neighbourhood amenities, proximity to schools, etc. Except for Metchosin which generally has larger homes and/or rural acreages, the actual raw averages for each of the west shore sales areas were higher than the HPI (some of them significantly — such as Colwood and Sooke).

VREB stats are available online at www.vreb.org

Friday, APRIL 29 ~ VICTORIA. The Province of BC has introduced legislation this week to make campuses safer and more responsive to the needs of victims by requiring public post-secondary institutions to establish sexual misconduct policies within one year of the bill receiving Royal Assent.

“As parents, we expect our sons and daughters will be safe,” said Premier Christy Clark in a news release on Wednesday, April 27. “And for students, university is often the first place they’re on their own. They have every right to feel safe on campus and today is a step in the right direction.”

Recent attention to sexualized violence on university and college campuses and the emergence of new educational and policy initiatives has provided a new focus.

The University of Victoria issued a release the next day, saying UVic will begin consultations in May to develop a separate policy on sexualized violence that will build on current policies and practices and reinforce the university’s commitment to a safe campus where sexualized violence is unacceptable. UVic president Jamie Cassels initiated the policy review earlier this year that will include widespread consultation, consider policies and practices at other institutions and learn from local, provincial and national conversations on how to respond to sexualized violence, which can have a profound and long lasting effect on survivors.

“Sexualized violence is a significant issue both on our campus and in the wider community and we have an important role to play as leaders, educators and community partners,” says Cassels. More information is available at www.uvic.ca/info/sexualizedviolencepolicy .

Thursday, APRIL 28 ~ LANGFORD. On May 7, 2016 West Shore Detachment RCMP will celebrate the start of National Police Week by hosting an Open House for the citizens of the communities that are served by that detachment. “Our Open House is a popular, eagerly anticipated event amongst those on the West Shore and attracts hundreds of visitors each year,” says Cst Alex Bérubé, Media Relations Officer, West Shore RCMP.

Displays and demonstrations will include:

Watch an RCMP Police Service Dog in action
Experience the Distracted Walking simulator
See the Explosives Disposal Unit’s bomb robot show what it can do
See how a Traffic section constable deals with a suspected impaired driver
Learn how the Identification section processes a crime scene.

Our Open House is our detachment’s opportunity to welcome the communities we service and give the residents a chance to see what we do on a daily basis,says S/Sgt Steve Wright, Acting Officer-in-Charge of West Shore Detachment. This opportunity has become even more important to us since the tragic passing of Cst Sarah Beckett. The outpouring of support from the communities we serve was amazing and we see our Open House as a chance to open our doors and say Thank You to those who supported us.

West Shore Detachment serves five western municipalities in the Greater Victoria area, specifically: Langford, Colwood, View Royal, Metchosin and Highlands, as well as two First Nations – Songhees and Esquimalt. The 64 RCMP members and 20 civilian employees of the West Shore Detachment provide service to a population of over 72,000. There are also over 70 volunteers at West Shore Detachment who serve with programs such as the Auxiliary Constable Program, Keep in Touch Program (KIT), Speed Watch, Restorative Justice and Greater Victoria Police Victim Services. “Our volunteers offer an invaluable service to our communities and our Detachment,”. says S/Sgt Wright.

The Open House will run from 10am to 3pm. West Shore Detachment is located at 698 Atkins Avenue.

Wednesday, April 27 ~ WEST SHORE. Over 2,000 Sooke School District 62 (SD62) elementary students from the Langford and Colwood areas will fill the Q-Centre in Colwood on Monday, May 2 to participate in the annual Music Monday event.

Like a wave of music across Canada, Music Monday marks a day in May when Canadians celebrate music in their schools and communities.

Special guests will include the BC Minister of Education Mike Bernier, Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan, and Adam Con of the BC Coalition for Music Education.

Schools that participate in Music Monday may win instruments for their music programs. Music educators from four regions across Canada will be awarded ‘VIP trips’ for their band and/or strings program, courtesy of one of the sponsors Conn-Selmer.

Sponsors of Music Monday across Canada include the Government of Canada, TD Bank, Yamaha, Long & McQuade, Conn-Selmer, SoCan Foundation, NAMM Foundation, and D’Addario.

Tuesday, April 26 ~ VICTORIA. The new McKenzie interchange will be built as a partial cloverleaf reflecting the preferred option of 75% of those who participated in the public consultation, it was announced today by BC Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone today. This design is also the safest, most efficient option and best meets the long-term needs of this region, it was stated in a news release. Construction is slated to begin this fall.

“I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to let us know their thoughts on the McKenzie interchange project, as this input is fundamental to ensuring the interchange meets the needs of those who will be using it,” said Stone. “We heard overwhelming support for the partial cloverleaf design, supported by the team’s ongoing technical analysis, and now our work continues in discussing further details with stakeholder groups and the public as we finalize the design.

The first open house was held Nov. 17, 2015 with 610 attendees. The second open house was held February 24 2016 at which 353 people attended (see February 26, 2016 West Shore Voice News, page 1).

The McKenzie Interchange project is costing $85 million. The BC government is spending $53 million and the federal government portion is $32.6 million. The project was first announced on July 22, 2015 along the roadside of Hwy 1. See July 24, 2015 Sooke Voice News, page 1.

Technical analysis shows that the partial cloverleaf will operate more safely and efficiently than other option – the diamond interchange. The partial cloverleaf reduces the chances of collisions and, as such, is expected to provide $4 million in additional safety benefits over the other options in just the first 20 years. As well, with no stop lights for vehicles turning left onto McKenzie, travel will be more efficient for traffic now and for expected traffic volume in the future.

The design also improves access for cyclists, pedestrians and transit users, making travel better for transit users and safer for cyclists and pedestrians, says MOTI. It provides a separated route for a wider Galloping Goose Trail with a new path over the highway and McKenzie Avenue, avoiding the lights and vehicle traffic. The project will also include bus lanes, transit priority signals, and improved connections to bus stops.

“Saanich’s interest in this project has always been to ensure that the preferred option addresses the long-term needs of our community,” said Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Province of BC on this important transportation initiative.”

The partial cloverleaf has a larger footprint on the surrounding area affecting Cuthbert Holmes Park. The BC Government says it remains committed to developing the project in an environmentally responsible way and in the best interest of residents. As the project moves forward, staff will continue to work closely with stakeholders, including the District of Saanich, community associations and park stewards in preparing a comprehensive plan to mitigate the impact on the environment, and ensure there is no net loss of park land.

A third open house is coming up on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 (3:30 to 7:30 pm) at St. Joseph the Worker Parish Hall, 753 Burnside Road West. Meetings will also continue with stakeholder groups to develop the remaining details around cycling and pedestrian connections and noise mitigation strategies. The ministry will showcase the final plan at a third open house scheduled for

During the second round of public engagement in February, 75% of respondents supported the partial cloverleaf option (59% strongly agreed; 16% somewhat agreed). As well, 75% of people agreed with the pedestrian and cycling facilities proposed as part of the interchange project (45% strongly agreed; 30% somewhat agreed).

The McKenzie Interchange project team has reviewed more than 1,580 pieces of feedback. Since its launch, the McKenzie Interchange project website has been viewed more than 17,000 times. Results from the second round of consultation can be viewed at:http://engage.gov.bc.ca/mckenzieinterchange/

Monday, April 25 ~ VICTORIA. Pay parking will be in effect at Sooke Potholes and Thetis Lake Regional Parks for the 2016 summer season from May 1 to September 30, as announced by the Capital Regional District (CRD) today. The parking fee is $2.25 per day, or $20 for a season’s pass. Revenue collected from parking fees helps to offset the costs of park services for visitors.

The CRD recently added a third parking lot to Sooke Potholes Regional Park near the Spring Salmon Place (KWL-UCHUN) Campground. The new parking lot will accommodate up to 56 vehicles.

A seasonal parking pass is valid at both parks and can be purchased from CRD Regional Parks headquarters (490 Atkins Avenue, Langford), Robbins Parking (1102 Fort St, Victoria), the main ticket dispenser at Thetis Lake, or the Parking Lot #2 dispenser at Sooke Potholes. Visitors purchasing a pass from CRD Regional Parks’ headquarters or Robbins Parking are also required to purchase a $10 refundable decal deposit.

CRD Regional Parks reminds visitors that Sooke Potholes is open 8am to 9pm and Thetis Lake from sunrise to sunset.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 ~ LANGFORD. The Fire Danger Rating in Langford was at Moderate yesterday, but it was moved to Low in two of three areas monitored by Langford Fire Rescue. “The weather forecast is for more seasonal temperatures and precipitation this next week, so the rating will likely be back to Low by the end of this weekend,” says Chris Aubrey, Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention, Langford Fire Rescue.

“That being said, this year is shaping out to be another record dry summer and we have already begun discussions on our strategies to mitigate the interface fire risk,” says Aubrey. “We will need the public to be as diligent in being safe outdoors this summer as they did last year.” Education and awareness will be key in keeping the island safe this summer. Last summer the public was reminded that “Bark Mulch and cigarette butts don’t mix. Please use your ashtray.”

Aubrey says he cannot recall the rating being raised to moderate this early before.“Our discussions with wildfire officials have indicate that the wet winter we had will not have much of an effect on reducing the fire risk this year,” he said.

Burning regulations were updated in Langford in October 2014, but “people were still learning the regulations this past fall”, particularly with regard to changes to the previous allowance for open burning two days per month. “There is now no open burning in Langford until November. although currently campfires are still permitted,” says the Assistant Fire Chief. Campfires are only permitted on residentially-zoned land.

Burning is prohibited for commercial and industrial purposes within the City of Langford. And no person may burn or allow to be burned any garbage, rubbish or noxious material, as outlined in Langford Burning Bylaw 1532.

THURS APRIL 21 ~ VICTORIA. As part of recognizing Earth Day, on Friday, April 22, the Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, will host an event for students on the Government House grounds in Victoria. The activity is being undertaken in partnership with Growing Young Farmers and the Friends of Government House Gardens Society.

Students from Sir James Douglas Elementary, Oaklands Elementary, Tillicum Elementary and Happy Valley Elementary will learn about organic farming, growing their own garden and the importance of different species to the ecosystem, including bees and ducks, all in a fun and hands-on environment.

The students will come together for closing ceremonies at the bandshell where the Lieutenant Governor will speak to them about the importance of learning about the natural environment.

FRI APRIL 15: The Independent Investigation Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) is investigating the fatal Langford collision involving the death of Cst. Sarah Beckett on April 5, 2016.

The April 5 fatal collision occurred in the intersection of Peatt Road and Goldstream Avenue, resulting in the death of Cst Beckett. The criminal investigation is being led by the RCMP Island District General Investigations Section (GIS), while the Saanich Police Department are overseeing the collision scene investigation.

On April 15, the IIO BC confirmed they will be conducting an independent investigation into the events leading up to the fatal collision and whether the actions or inactions of any police officer may have been a contributing factor.

THURS APRIL 14 ~ TOFINO: Emergency Management BC will be kicking off Tsunami Preparedness Week in British Columbia with a “high ground hike” in Tofino on Friday, April 15.

Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness, Naomi Yamamoto, will be joined by Tofino Mayor, Josie Osborne, and children from Wickaninnish Elementary that are participating in the first-ever Tofino High Ground Hike.

The students will receive emergency kits for participating in the 1 km route that follows the Tofino tsunami evacuation route to the district’s high ground assembly area.

BC’s $1.2-million earthquake exercise taking place in Port Alberni on June 7-10, 2016 will be BC’s first-ever, full-scale, earthquake exercise to emergency response throughout the entire provincial landscape, said Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness Naomi Yamamoto today in Victoria.

TUES APRIL 12 ~ WEST SHORE: The funeral service for Cst. Sarah Beckett will be held at The Q Centre, 1767 Island Highway in Victoria, BC on Tuesday April 12, 2016. The service will begin at 2pm.

There will be a march to the funeral composed of Cst Beckett’s Depot troop mates, her fellow police officers from Westshore Detachment, as well as other police officers from the RCMP and several partnering municipal police departments and uniformed enforcement agencies.

The procession will begin on Wilfert Road at approximately 1pm, turning south down Island Highway. Viewing access to the Procession is recommended at the corner of Wilfert Road and the Island Hwy. The march will continue south down the Island Highway and turn left at the Juan de Fuca Greater Victoria Public Library, continuing down the service road, behind the Westshore Parks and Recreation Centre and finishing at The Q Centre.

The memorial service will include music, a video collage and scripture (Psalm 23:1-6… The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want). After a rendition of Amazing Grace two dignitaries will speak: Commissioner Bob Paulson – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, Commanding Officer of the BC RCMP (“E” Division).

To watch live online, the service can be viewed online athttp://www.livestream.com/rcmpgrc .

MON APRIL 11 ~ WEST SHORE: About 3,000 people took part in a candlelight walk and vigil on Sunday night, April 10, in downtown Langford.

The short walk from the crash site to the central Veterans Memorial Park brought the many participants together for a quiet vigil with singing and speeches, to remember Cst Sarah Beckett who died in a vehicle crash April 5 while on duty. In attendance were RCMP, first responders, fire departments and many others from the community, including young and old, and families.

A regimental funeral is being held on Tuesday, April 12 at The Q Centre in Colwood. Road access on Island Highway in the business strip of Colwood will be blocked 11:30 am to 2pm (see details posted April 10). People are asked to wear red on April 12 in memory of Cst Sarah Beckett.

SUN APRIL 10 ~ WEST SHORE: People through much of the west shore area and Victoria are preparing for the regimental funeral for Cst Sarah Beckett [shown in photo],which will be held on Tuesday, April 12 in Colwood. There will be a procession of RCMP, police and military along Island Highway ahead of the 2 pm funeral. That stretch of main road in Colwood will be closed to traffic (from Wilfert Rd to Wale Rd) during 11:30 am to 2 pm. There will be no entry/exit to or from businesses along that route during those hours, says the City of Colwood.

RCMP spouses ask people to #WearRed on Tuesday, April 12 in memory of Cst Sarah Beckett.

Flowers were laid outside the West Shore Detachment within hours of the April 5 early morning crash. Ahead of the Sunday, April 10 memorial candlelight walk (which starts at 8:30 pm), during the afternoon several floral bouquets were piling up at the corner of Goldstream Ave and Peatt Rd where the fatal crash happened. The candlelight walk will start at the corner of Peatt Road and Goldstream (where the fatality occurred) and head over to Veterans Memorial Park.

Cst Beckett was killed while on duty, in a motor vehicle collision in Langford. She was in her cruiser when a large pickup truck made significant impact to her vehicle around 3:30 pm. Around 4:00 pm she was pronounced dead at the scene, after attempts by first responders to save her.

Cst Sarah Beckett, 32, was in her 11th year of service with the RCMP on Vancouver Island. She leaves behind a husband and two young children; she had just returned to active duty following maternity leave.

The driver of the pickup truck was at first taken into custody but released. No charges were laid. The fatal crash remains under investigation. The body of Cst Beckett was flown to Vernon on Thursday, April 7, to undergo medical testing.

A book of condolences is available to sign, inside the detachment and online atwww.bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca (search ‘condolences’) .

BC Ferries has offered free ferry travel to emergency first responders who are travelling to Vancouver Island for the funeral on April 12 (and return, April 13). Advance reservations recommended by calling 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779). www.bcferries.com

Page 1 coverage (and page 2 memorial editorial) about the crash and memorial activities is in the April 8, 2016 edition of West Shore Voice News. The coverage includes a list of other RCMP officers who were killed while on duty on Vancouver Island.

FRI APRIL 8 ~ VANCOUVER / VANCOUVER ISLAND: BC Ferries is offering free complimentary travel for emergency first responders who are travelling to attend the memorial service for Cst Sarah Beckett on Tuesday, April 12. As well, an additional Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay sailing has been added for 10 a.m. on April 12. The Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. at The Q Centre in Colwood.

West Shore RCMP Constable Sarah Beckett, 32, was killed in a motor vehicle incident while on duty in the early morning hours of April 5. See more about the crash and Cst Beckett on the West Shore regional news page (April 6 entry, updated April 8).

“With 47 terminals around the province, BC Ferries works closely with all police services in BC and we sincerely appreciate their support,” said Corrine Storey, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Customer Services. “This offer is a small gesture to show our support and appreciation for all officers and first responders around the province who work diligently to keep our communities safe.”

Complimentary travel for Emergency First Responders is valid on April 12 and 13 on any BC Ferries route travelling to and from Vancouver Island for the Memorial Service. Officers and Emergency First Responders will be asked to identify themselves to ticket agents by uniform or official ID. For those travelling to attend the Memorial Service, advance reservations are recommended by calling 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779).

WED APRIL 6 ~ WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND: Coming up this weekend in Nanaimo is the annual convention of the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC), April 8 to 10. Municipalities from around Vancouver Island and coastal areas of mainland BC come together to discuss common concerns, issues and initiatives.

Attending AVICC this weekend from the City of Langford will be Councillors Roger Wade, Denise Blackwell and Lillian Szpak. Langford has put forward a resolution with respect to the Island Corridor Foundation.
Attending AVICC this weekend from the City of Colwood will be Mayor Carol Hamilton and Councillor Cynthia Day. Colwood has put forward a motion about youth in care.
Attending AVICC this weekend from the District of Sooke will be Mayor Maja Tait, and Councillors Rick Kasper and Ebony Logins all of whom have attended previous AVICC conventions. Councillor Kerrie Reay will also attend this year (her first AVICC convention).

On Friday afternoon, delegates will be addressed by the Hon Peter Fassbender, BC Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. There will also be a Keynote address by Chief Dr Robert Joseph of Reconciliation Canada.

A full day on Saturday includes an address by UBCM President Al Richmond, a presentation about Municipal Insurance, and a presentation by FortisBC. Workshops on Saturday include Conflict Engagement and Communications, and on Social Procurement: a new approach to economic development. The City of Nanaimo will be offering a tour of their new water treatment plant.

The half-day on Sunday has a high-power lineup. Leader of the Official Opposition, John Horgan will address the convention, as well as Leader of the Green Party, Dr Andrew Weaver. A talk called Moving forward with integrated asset management (looking after infrastructure) will be presented at 10:45 am.

TUES APRIL 5 ~ LANGFORD: The RCMP is deeply saddened to inform the public that earlier this morning a police officer with West Shore RCMP was killed while on duty, in a motor vehicle collision in Langford.

Cst Sarah Beckett — in her 11th year of service with the RCMP on Vancouver Island, was 32 years old. She leaves behind a husband and two young children; she had just returned to active duty following maternity leave. A large pickup truck crashed into the driver side of the police cruiser that Beckett was driving, landing almost on top of the cruiser.

rcmp_crest=sm The fatal crash that occurred around 3:30 am in Langford town centre at Goldstream Avenue and Peatt Road remains under investigation, though it was implied that alcohol was a factor with the driver of the truck. Police may have been following the pickup truck before the accident occurred.

BC Premier Christy Clark issued a statement around 1 pm today, including: “My thoughts are with Cst Beckett’s colleagues in the RCMP, and especially with her husband and her two young children. Nothing anyone can say will ease their pain during such a dark time. In the years to come, I hope they will take comfort in the knowledge that their mother was a hero. Each and every day, police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe. We should all take the opportunity to thank them more often.”

Around noon Pacific time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his condolences: “On behalf of the government, I offer my condolences to the family of RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett, who was killed today in the line of duty.”

Langford Mayor Stew Young said on local TV news this evening that it’s the worst tragedy that’s happened in Langford in the 23 years that he’s been Mayor.

People are laying flowers in memorial outside the West Shore RCMP detachment. A book of condolences is available to sign, inside the detachment and online.

UPDATES April 8, 9 and 10:

A public memorial candlelight walk for Cst Sarah Beckett will take place on Sunday, April 10 at 8:30pm, along Goldstream Avenue in Langford. The candlelight walk will start at the corner of Peatt Road and Goldstream (where the fatality occurred) over to Veterans Memorial Park.
An RCMP regimental funeral for the fallen officer will be held on Tuesday, April 12at 2pm at the Q Centre arena in Colwood, where about 3,100 people can be accommodated. Island Highway between Wilfert Rd & Wale Rd will be closed 11:30 am to 2 pm for a regimental march by RCMP, police and military; no entry/exit to or from businesses along that route during those hours.
Free ferry travel offered to emergency first responders who are travelling to Vancouver Island for the funeral on April 12 (and return, April 13). Advance reservations recommended by calling 1-888-BC FERRY (223-3779). www.bcferries.com
Public condolences can be posted online at www.bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca (search ‘condolences’).

TUES APRIL 5 ~ SOOKE AREA: A land opportunity ‘too good to pass up’, is very much front and center for the board of the SEAPARC recreation commission that serves taxpayers in Sooke and the Juan de Fuca (JdF) Electoral Area.

A public open house to explain the proposed 23-acre land purchase was hosted by SEAPARC Chair Mike Hicks (in photo) and SEAPARC manager Steve Knoke yesterday evening, April 4, at the JdF Services Building in Otter Point. This first open house is being followed by four more opportunities to view display boards and chat with SEAPARC reps coming up in other areas of the served area: Shirley, East Sooke, Port Renfrew, and the District of Sooke. Details at www.seaparc.ca

The 23-acre property at 6518 Throup Road is presently used by private owners as a revenue-generating golf course. The aging owner is offering up his property for sale for the negotiated sale price of $999,000. SEAPARC’s plan is to transfer $250,000 from their coffers as the down payment on the land purchase, with the remaining $750,000 to be funded by Bylaw 4052, which requires taxpayer approval.

After having paid off the debt for installing a pool in the SEAPARC Leisure Complex 20 years ago, SEAPARC will be debt free this year with funding in place for construction of a 4,000 sqft expansion in 2017 including exercise and weight room expansion. Upon retiring of the debt for the pool, SEAPARC’s financing plan does not include consideration of repaying $350,000 to taxpayers; the current tax rate is projected to fund the payment for the land and continue to build the reserves towards the facility’s exercise and weight room expansion.

SEAPARC hopes to at first operate the land in its present capacity as a golf course, and eventually hope to put in ball fields on that land. The land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), with permission from the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for use as a golf course at this time. The ALC would need to be approached for permission to use the land for ball fields, or any other purpose than its present use as a golf course, Hicks explained at the April 4 public open house.

A referendum asking Sooke and JdF taxpayers about the financing of $750,000 will be held on Saturday, April 30 at SEAPARC Leisure Complex, 2168 Phillips Road (8am to 8pm) as well as Port Renfrew Rec Centre, Shirley Community Hall, the CRD planning office on Butler Road, and East Sooke Community Hall. Advance voting will be available on Wednesday, April 20 & 27 (8am to 8pm) at East Sooke Community Hall and Sooke Community Hall. The referendum itself will cost $25,000, said Hicks last night at the open house in Otter Point.

Mike Hicks also chairs the JdF Electoral Area, which stretches from just west of Sooke out to Port Renfrew, as well as East Sooke.

FRI APRIL 1 ~ GREATER VICTORIA AREA: Bus fares in the Greater Victoria area have changed effective today, April 1, 2016. Increases or loss of discounts are in effect for seniors and youth.

If adults buy a sheet of 10 tickets, the cost per ticket is lower than the cash fare (same as before). The fare increases come into effect on Friday, April 1. BC Transit says there hasn’t been a fare increase for three years.

Although there was public input, it seems counter-culture to increase fares for the two most income-challenged segments of the community — many seniors and likely most youth. If not able to afford the increase, the fallback goes onto families or otherwise diminishes general affordability for young and old.

BC Transit released this information today: “Following consultations with the general public and transit operators, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission decided to keep most fares the same. This includes the regular cash fare of $2.50, Adult Tickets at $22.50 for a sheet of 10, the $5.00 DayPASS and the $85.00 Monthly Pass for adults. As well, the price for the Monthly Pass for seniors and youth will remain at $45.00, as it has for the past three years. Paper transfers, the multi-month Youth Pass and the Youth/Senior (green) tickets will be discontinued.”

Paper transfers have been eliminated. “Previous paper transfers allowed one-way travel within a 60-minute time period. Now customers needing to travel on more than one route during a trip may purchase a DayPASS for $5.00 (or by exchanging two tickets), allowing them unlimited travel for that day. DayPASSes are only sold on board buses, exact change required. Eliminating transfers also supports a safer work environment for transit operators and customers, as disputes between operators and passengers often involve transfers.”

Monthly passes and tickets are available at more than 150 dealers around the Capital Region. Tickets are sold in sheets of 10 for $22.50 ($2.25 per ride). Here is the price grid as released by BC Transit:

Fare Product	Before March 31	As of April 1
Single Trip	$2.50	$2.50
DayPASS	$5.00	$5.00 (sold on bus only) or two tickets
Tickets (10) Adult	$22.50	$22.50
Tickets (10) Youth/Senior	$15.00	$22.50
Monthly Pass Adult	$85.00	$85.00
Monthly Pass Youth/Senior	$45.00	$45.00
Youth Pass (6-12 months)	$35.00 (per month)	discontinued

WED MARCH 30 ~ LANGFORD. A bit of a skirmish ‘in a drug deal gone wrong’ has left a 40-year-old Duncan man with a gunshot wound to the leg, say West Shore RCMP. The man is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The March 28 incident took place in the 2800-block of Hwy 1 in Langford. The attempted robbery leaves RCMP looking for a male suspect (late 30’s, 6’2″ tall). The public is not considered to be at risk.

TUES MARCH 29 ~ SOOKE: On Saturday evening, March 26, 2016 at 9:30pm, the Sooke RCMP received a report of two men overdue from a fishing trip. They had departed from a boat launch in Port Renfrew, earlier that evening.

The coordinated search and rescue operation for these men has now been called off. The men, ages 34 and 51, both from Langford, are now considered missing persons. Sooke RCMP will continue to investigate.

“The men are thought to have gone down in rough waters while fishing in the Port Renfrew area,” says Sooke RCMP Detachment Commander S/Sgt Jeff McArthur.

FRI MARCH 25 ~ VICTORIA: A University of Victoria (UVic)-led mission that will deepen knowledge of rare and threatened baleen whales and help protect them from ship strikes is underway off Flores Island in Clayoquot Sound, north of Tofino, BC. Over the next three weeks, a 2-metre underwater ocean glider equipped with acoustic sensors, sonar and hydrophones will allow researchers to track whale movements by listening to and recording their sounds along the shelf break in Clayoquot Canyon.

The BC project led by UVic geographer David Duffus, director of UVic’s Whale Research Lab, is part of the national WHaLE project (Whales, Habitat and Listening Experiment) which seeks to define whale habitat and develop, test and implement a near real-time “whale alert” system to reduce the risk of ship-whale collisions.

The project is funded by the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) based at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. The multi-disciplinary team is focusing on ecologically sensitive whale habitats on the coast of Atlantic Canada and now off western Vancouver Island. Initial success has been met on the East Coast in known habitats of the critically endangered north Atlantic right whale.

“Ocean gliders are a new technique for gaining insights into whale ecology on Canada’s West Coast,” says Duffus. “Many species of concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act are termed ‘data deficient.’ We need more information on whale habitats and whale feeding ‘hot spots’ so we can put in protective measures, such as real time whale-alerts for shipping traffic.”

Large baleen whales—such as humpback, sei, blue and the very rare North Pacific right whale—are difficult to survey, mostly due to how much time they spend underwater far from land as they feed on tiny zooplankton and/or small fish. By listening for characteristic whale vocalizations, researchers will track the whales’ movements and distribution.

Since ocean gliders can monitor at night and in poor weather conditions, researchers will have more in-depth data to map baleen whale habitat and key feeding spots. The data will guide conservation efforts to protect whales from shipping traffic and noise in key marine locations.

The three-year WHaLE initiative is funded by MEOPAR with researchers at UVic and Dalhousie University and—for this mission—with support and/or collaborators from Ocean Tracking Network, UVic’s Ocean Networks Canada, the University of British Columbia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Pacific), and 17 other agencies (see complete list of partners).

SUN MARCH 13 ~ WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND: Strong winds and rain started picking up around 4pm. Branches have been flying off trees. Sure enough, more power outages, as tree limbs fall onto power lines and other wind-related actions. As of 5:30 pm:

3,976 BC Hydro customers without power inColwood/Langford since between 4:54 pm and 5:15 pm. Seems to have a relatively short ETO time.
1,642 BC Hydro customers in Sooke (with many of those also in Metchosin) as of 5:09 pm. Seems to have a relatively short ETO time.
The power’s been out for about 66 BC Hydro customers since 12:57 pm out there on West Coast Rd at Sheringham Pt Rd. No ETO given.
For current updates as the storm blows on, visit www.bchydro.com
Update March 14: A tree limb crashed into the roof at the Sooke Region Museum during the windstorm last night. See page 1 in March 25, 2016 edition of West Shore Voice News.

FRI MARCH 11 ~ SOOKE: The weekly print/PDF edition of West Shore Voice News — March 11th edition — will be published as a Sunday edition this week.

WED MARCH 9 ~ GREATER VICTORIA AREA: Bus fares are going up in the Greater Victoria area – but just for youth and seniors. If adults buy a sheet of 10 tickets, the cost per ticket is lower than the cash fare (same as before). The fare increases come into effect on Friday, April 1. BC Transit says there hasn’t been a fare increase for three years.Although there was public input, it seems counter-culture to increase fares for the two most income-challenged segments of the community — many seniors and likely most youth. If not able to afford the increase, the fallback goes onto families or otherwise diminishes general affordability for young and old.

Fare Product	Before March 31	As of April 1
Single Trip	$2.50	$2.50
DayPASS	$5.00	$5.00 (sold on bus only) or two tickets
Tickets (10) Adult	$22.50	$22.50
Tickets (10) Youth/Senior	$15.00	$22.50
Monthly Pass Adult	$85.00	$85.00
Monthly Pass Youth/Senior	$45.00	$45.00
Youth Pass (6-12 months)	$35.00 (per month)	discontinued

WED MARCH 9 ~ WEST SHORE / VANCOUVER ISLAND: “Strong winds that may cause damage are expected or occurring, it was issued by Environment Canada this morning, March 9. “Winds up to 70 km/h will occur overnight and into Thursday morning as a strong cold front crosses Vancouver Island. The threat of strong winds will pass by noon on Thursday. Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.”A Wind Warning is issued by Environment Canada when winds are expected to be 70 km/h or higher of sustained wind and/or gusts to 90 km/h or more.

Specifically for Sooke weather, The Weather Network indicates winds reaching around 50 km/h tonight and into Thursday. Heavy rainfall began around 2 pm this afternoon (Pacific Time). Due to wind (onto trees/lines), early this afternoon 874 BC Hydro customers lost power in the West Coast Road area and in the Connie Road area about 5 customers are without power (last update 4:45 pm).

Around 4:25 pm, about 198 BC Hydro customers lost power in the Phillips Road / Sunriver area. At 5:54 pm, about 125 customers lost power in the Belvista/Sea Lion Way area. By 10pm, it seems most of the wind has passed through the Sooke area, but most of the outages are not yet resolved.

For Langford weather, winds are forecasted to be around 30 km/h during this storm. There were no power outages in the Langford area midday but as of 8:43 pm there were 2,266 BC Hydro customers without power in Langford/Colwood.

WED MARCH 9 ~ WEST SHORE: It’s school budget season. The SD62 Sooke School Board met last night for several hours of in-camera meetings, plus a 1.5-hour public board meeting, at the school board office. The budget for 2016-2017 is the board’s main focus from now until the final completion before the end of April.Making a presentation that compared figures from the actuals for 2013-2014 through 2015-2016, to projections for 2016-2017, SD62 Treasurer Harold Cull rolled out an overview of where financials are heading for the school district that serves students and families in several municipalities and regions including Langford, Colwood, Sooke and Port Renfrew.

Enrolment has been increasing in SD62, up to a projected 9,804 for 2016-2017 from 9,075 in 2013-2014), 9,135 in 2014-2015, and 9,515 in this current year 2015-2016.

The number of ‘educators’ is shown as increasing from 508 (2014-2015) to 530 (2015-2016) to a projected 545 (2016-2017), with a student-educator ratio increasing slightly over three years from 17.86 (2013-2014) to 18.0 (2016-2017). Apparently this is pretty much on par with the BC provincial average. Educators are defined as not just teachers but also educational assistants (EA) and anyone else who guides children in the classroom. Classroom count is certainly higher than 18 (figures to come).

The higher number of students in SD62 is in large part because they can now be accommodated (two new high schools opened in September 2015), and due to increased residential populations in the Langford, Colwood and Sooke areas where families are finding housing to relatively more affordable than in in other parts of Greater Victoria.

Operating revenues have steadily increased, from $80,848 in 2013-2014 to a projected $90,628 for 2016-2017. Revenues come from various fees (including in-school fees and buses), as well now from the space rental at the new high schools.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the ‘Safe Routes to School’ initiative in SD62 was launched to encourage parents to find other options for their children to arrive at school and get home after school, other than using school buses. The cost of managing the bus service has continually increased, including the acquisition of additional buses. However, there is no societal evidence that use of trails for walking or cycling is any safer than it used to be, unless that is done in groups. School bus service provides some level of tracking (and presumably security) of student whereabouts during transit to/from school.

Of the overall budget for 2016-2017, $75.7 million will be spent on instruction, with $3.1 million on administration, $8.5 million for facilities, and $2.1 million on transportation, said Cull.

Budget pressures include having to spend a projected $41,000 more to BC Hydro in 2016-2017, as well as an increase in MSP fees (paid by SD62 for all their employees) coming in January 2017. This is money not going directly to classrooms. SD62 will also be contributing $178,500 in 2016-2017 as their share for the New Generation Network (a $10.5 million Internet connection project across BC).

The public is encouraged to engage with the SD62 budget process. A series of meetings are available for the public to attend (and participate), as well as access to information at www.sd62.bc.ca where input by email is welcome. The meeting schedule is:
• April 12 at 7 p.m. at John Muir Elementary in Sooke – Education Committee of the Whole (ECOW)
• April 26 at 8 p.m. at the School Board Office – Board meeting
• May 10 at 7 p.m. at Belmont Secondary – ECOW meeting
• May 24 at 8 p.m. at the School Board Office – Review, debate and approve budget during Board meeting

THURS MARCH 3 ~ WEST SHORE: Bridge-washing season is coming up soon. Mainroad South Island Contracting will being their annual bridge washing program soon. From mid-March to mid-April their crews will be washing all of the bridges in their South Island contract area. That includes along Hwy 14 between Metchosin and Port Renfrew, as well as Duncan and along the Pacific Marine Circle Route.

There will be some minor traffic delays, as traffic will flow single-lane for 5 to 10 minutes at a time. “Please obey our traffic controllers and have patience with our crews while they perform our spring maintenance,” it was stated in a Mainroad news release today.

During March 14 to March 31 all bridges in the Sooke area will be swept and washed with water. That includes the Sooke River Bridge, McKenzie Bridge on Hwy 14 (just west of the 4-lane), Stoney Creek Bridge on Hwy 14 (just west of Coopers Cove), and 25 bridges on West Coast Road between Sooke and Port Renfrew. In April, Mainroad crews will do the bridges in Duncan and the Pacific Marine Circle Route – those are the colder areas – so they leave those til last.

“The bridge washing is done in a short fisheries window, before the fry emerge,” says David Turenne, Bridge Manager, Mainroad South Island Contracting. “First we sweep all debris. Then we block the drains so that water goes through abutments and through vegetation, so it’s not going directly into the creeks or rivers,” he told West Shore Voice News today.

Top photo by TranBC. Second photo by Sooke Voice News.

0126-retainingwallonWishart-Feb2516-WSV-web400

THURS FEBRUARY 25 ~ COLWOOD: Regulating walls & dust. The City of Colwood held a 3-hour public open house this evening about issues with retaining walls in local property developments, and a proposed bylaw to regulate and maintain these walls that are popular if not necessary on sloped or hilltop properties. There were also several complaints last summer in dry hot weather about dust produced from excavating and building projects in the municipal area, which have led to a proposed dust control bylaw.“The City needs to adopt a basic set of standards for retaining walls to keep pace with increasing development in Colwood, and to prevent negative impacts to the natural landscape and surrounding areas,” it was stated among the displayed materials at the open house that drew about 50 members of the public, including developers and builders. “The City hopes to provides clear direction for developers and builders.”

0132-Colwood-openhouseWALLS-staff&public-Feb2516-WSV-web400 The key technical aspect of the proposal is that “no retaining wall or fence on a retaining wall may exceed 4 ft (1.2 meters) in height, or if higher than 4 ft must be terraced in 4-ft sections”.Information and discussion boards from the open house about Retaining Walls & Dust Control are online, where it states that the upward angle cannot be steeper than 45 degrees.

At least one developer who was present this evening said developers will use up the land that they have — in other words, they won’t stop building. But he did say that the new bylaw would challenge the profitability of developments, as more land would be used for the retaining walls which would likely reduce the number of housing units that could be constructed.

0131-Colwood-retainingWall-ApprovalProcess-wSV-web400 Some public input in recent months has been about the aesthetics of the walls — some of them just aren’t visually attractive. Safety was the other concern — if stacked up rocks aren’t assembled properly, there could be issues. Colwood staff said that all existing retaining walls have been built to geo-technical standards, but that the bylaws would ensure greater safety and likely improved aesthetics.
If the bylaw goes smoothly through the process, it could be passed by Colwood Council by sometime in May. Tonight’s open house was attended by planning and communications staff, a planning consultant, and at least two Colwood councillors – Cynthia Day and Rob Martin.

THURS FEBRUARY 25 ~ VICTORIA. An open house to present and discuss two refined options for the new McKenzie Interchange was hosted yesterday by the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure (MOTI) and BC Transit. Over 330 people attended the 4-hour community consultation at a community hall in Saanich. This Phase 2 presentation was based on further technical work and feedback received to date from the public and stakeholders. Public input could be made through conversation, or in writing, or using wireless computers at the ready.

Notably, the Burnside/McKenzie intersection was brought into focus, which was not part of the first proposed set of plans; an additional southbound lane would be part of the final plan, as well as 2-lane flow from McKenzie onto the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1). And based on strong public feedback about ‘no tunnels’, all pedestrian and cycling corridors will be overhead, and the grade for those access ways will be no greater than 4 degrees. The highway interchange itself (whether cloverleaf design or diamond shape) will go over top of Hwy 1 at McKenzie & Admirals.

This $85 million venture is in large part to ease the so-called ‘Colwood Crawl’ — i.e. traffic congestion to and from the downtown core (and the high-employment areas in Saanich at UVic and Camosun), for travelers and commuters living in the west shore and beyond. This week an additional northbound bus lane on Douglas Street (approaching Hwy 1) was announced, to further support the movement of road traffic from downtown to the west shore, particularly for the head-home commute.

Construction on various aspects of the project will begin later in 2016. One portion that could be done early in the project is to relocate a CRD water main that runs down the middle of Hwy 1, said MOTI District Manager Janelle Erwin. Another early aspect of the project could be making the Galloping Goose a safer right-of-way for cyclists, Erwin told media at the February 24 open house. Overall construction is expected to take about two years.

The project is expected to remain within the budget of just over $85 million, said MOTI officials yesterday. The BC government is footing $53 million of that cost, with the federal government contributing $32.6 million.

An associated project called the Westshore Parkway Extension was not discussed in detail at yesterday’s open house. That stretch of road will better connect the Langford area to Hwy 14 (Sooke Road), improving access to Sooke. Construction is expected to get underway later this year as well. The Westshore Parkway Extension budget is $22.5 million, of which 3-way contributions include federal ($7.45 million), provincial ($7.45 million), and City of Langford ($7.6 million).

Anyone unable to attend yesterday’s open house can still provide input on the BC Ministry of Transportation McKenzie Interchange website. | Photos Copyright 2016 West Shore Voice News ~ request publication rights

WED FEBRUARY 24 ~ VICTORIA: Phase 2 Public Input on McKenzie Interchange today. Based on further technical work and feedback received to date from the public and stakeholders, the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure (MOTI) ministry present two refined options for the new McKenzie Interchange at today’s public open house.“We’ve received considerable input from the public about traffic flow at the interchange, congestion at the McKenzie/Burnside intersection, park impacts, and accommodation of transit, cycling and pedestrians,” said MOTI Minister Todd Stone. “The public and stakeholder input has been invaluable and has helped us fine-tune the two remaining options, which will be made available for further public comment today.”

MOTI made a number of changes to incorporate the public’s input into the two designs that are being presented today. For example, the public showed strong support for an efficient interchange with the highway going under McKenzie/Admirals, noting concerns about visual impact, highway noise, extended construction schedule and higher costs. Based on this feedback, the ministry is no longer considering the option with the highway going over McKenzie/Admirals.

The project team heard that the community wants to see improvements to the McKenzie/Burnside intersection included in the project. In response, the design has been revised to add an additional southbound lane on McKenzie through the Burnside intersection, combined with a dual right-turn lane to the Trans-Canada Highway westbound. The project team also received feedback around facilitating and encouraging transit use and, as such, additional work has been done to show the bus-on-shoulder lanes, transit stop locations, and how the corridor will be protected for possible future LRT. Other areas where input has been applied include the grades and connections of the pedestrian and cyclist facilities, and ways to mitigate the impact to the park land.

Strong opposition was voiced regarding the use of roundabouts at this location. Combined with the results of additional technical analysis, there will be no roundabouts included in the McKenzie Interchange project.

The open house runs from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm at St Joseph the Worker Parish Hall, 753 Burnside Road West. For those who can’t attend in person, there is information and an opportunity for feedback online. As well, comments or questions may be emailed to the project team at mckenzieinterchange@gov.bc.ca or by phone: 250-387-8700.

Input on this phase will be gathered until March 18. Feedback from this round will be considered, along with technical and financial information, as the ministry moves forward to select the preferred option and finalize the design. Discussions with key stakeholders including local governments and community associations are continuing, and the project is on track for construction to begin later this year.

Last summer by the roadside on a sunny July 22, $85 million in provincial and federal funding for the new interchange was announced by VIPs, attended by a large crowd. The first open house was held November 17, 2015, with 610 attendees. Over 1,100 pieces of feedback were received during the first round of engagement. Learn more.

TUES FEBRUARY 23 ~ COLWOOD: Life in Colwood rates high in citizen survey. The 2016 Colwood Citizen Survey results are in, showing that “citizens in Colwood enjoy a high quality of life and that they value living near the ocean in a peaceful city with abundant access to outdoor recreation,” says the City of Colwood website.

The City launched its first citizen survey in January 2016 to give Council a clear understanding of citizen needs and expectations. Four hundred citizens provided input by phone and another 75 onine.

The highest rated City services included fire service, snow and ice removal from roads, and city parks and trails. Lower satisfaction was indicated for diverse and affordable housing options, developments, safe routes to schools and availability of public washrooms. Read more.

Image result for bus on douglas street, victoria

MON FEBRUARY 22 ~ VICTORIA: New bus lane for downtown Victoria. Construction of a northbound bus lane (heading out of the Victoria core) on Douglas St in downtown Victoria will see southbound traffic flow reduced down to one lane during construction this fall. The project will also widen sections of Douglas St to create an additional northbound lane. The new lane will accommodate both buses and cyclists. The BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure (MOTI) has committed $6.45 million to the project “to reduce travel time for northbound bus users on the busiest transit corridor in the Victoria region,” said BC MOTI Minister Todd Stone.

“During rush hour, 40% of people are moving along the corridor on transit, but our buses are actually only 3% of the traffic on the road,” said Susan Brice, chair of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and Saanich councillor. “It not only makes sense to give buses a priority – it’s the right thing to do. This project will result in shorter travel times and improved reliability, and help encourage transit ridership in the Victoria region.”During the first round of consultations on the McKenzie interchange project (in the west shore area, beyond downtown) in Fall 2015, 92% of people said that accommodating transit was important. This new lane is a key step to make the trip from downtown to McKenzie more convenient for transit users along the corridor, to help reduce the so-called ‘Colwood Crawl’. “MOTI is working on a future plan to connect this new bus lane with the transit improvements that are being constructed as part of the McKenzie Interchange project,” said a BC Government news release today.

SAT FEBRUARY 20 ~ BC GOVERNMENT: Province provides over $5.7M in gaming grants for public safety. BC non-profit organizations dedicated to public safety received over $5.7 million in the most recent round of community gaming grants funded by the Government of British Columbia, said Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Peter Fassbender today. “Public safety community gaming grants help support the important work of non-profit organizations throughout the province that provide a range of services and educational programs to protect the safety of British Columbians in their local communities,” says the BC Government.

Eligible organizations include: volunteer fire departments, search and rescue groups, crime stoppers associations, marine rescue societies and community justice centres. The Otter Point Volunteer Firefighters Association has received $13,000. For on-water rescue, the Oak Bay Sea Rescue Society received $57,200 and the Victoria Marine Rescue Society received $100,000. The Victoria Restorative Justice Society was granted $46,000. In Sooke, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (Pacific) Inc has received $225,000 from the BC Government in the form of a gaming grant. The JdF Regional ParkWatch Society received $8,000. The Juan de Fuca Marine Rescue Society has received $60,000. For afull list of public safety grant recipients: http://ow.ly/YdPzd

Contributions of articles, insights and photos welcome. Write to:editor@westshorevoicenews.com or tel/text 250-217-5821. Twitter: @WestShoreVOICE .

ARCHIVE – West Shore region breaking news [Feb to May 2016]

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