CNOY a virtual success
The Coldest Night of the Year event surpassed fundraising goals set up by the organizer. Heather Ney, Comox Valley Transition Society executive director, said she is “pinching myself” upon calculating the total amount raised — in excess of $170,000 — for the virtual event, where participants chose when and where to walk anytime from Feb. 12 to 21. The CVTS and the Dawn To Dawn Action on Homelessness Society co-hosted the sixth annual walk. Proceeds help to fund programs that provide housing and other supports to vulnerable people in the community.
19 arrested at notorious house
The Comox Valley RCMP had access to 20th Street cordoned off between Cousins Avenue and Choquette Road as they executed a search warrant of a problem house on that block. A total of 19 people were arrested in conjunction with the raid. Comox Valley RCMP media relations officer Const. Monica Terragni acknowledged that the property has been the subject of illegal activity, including illicit drugs, for a long time.
2nd cannabis store for Coast Range
Courtenay council has given the green light to Coast Range Cannabis to one a second store in the Comox Valley, this one at the Crown Isle Shopping Centre at the Lerwick/Ryan intersection. This is the seventh cannabis retail application to be approved, even though council had limited the number to six.
WestJet outsources
Following permanent layoffs of more than 3,000 employees announced last summer by WestJet Airlines, a Scottish-based aviation company will now assist in contracting passenger service agents for the airline out of the Comox Valley Airport. Menzies Aviation operates in 34 countries across the world, and specializes in ground services, cargo, fuelling, executive and offline services with a Richmond-base office within the province.
Fatal house fire
RCMP confirmed a fatality in a house fire on Rodeo Street near Downey Avenue in Comox. When a team of firefighters arrived, the house was fully involved. In all, Comox Fire Rescue sent three trucks and 24 firefighters to the scene to tackle the fire. They were on scene for about four hours. An 87-year-old man was located inside and despite lifesaving measures provided by firefighters and Emergency Health Services, the man succumbed to his injuries on scene.
Hammer attacks
Two people were assaulted by a man with a hammer in separate attacks over a five-day span in Courtenay. A man was attacked while walking along the Rotary Trail. A few days later, another man was attacked in a similar fashion while walking along an alleyway near the Canada Post office on Ryan Road. RCMP did release photos of the suspect taken from surveillance cameras in the area.
Airpark upgrades
The Courtenay Airpark has received $159,446 in government funds for infrastructure upgrades. The money is the result of two grant applications filed by the Courtenay Airpark Association to the B.C. Air Access Program. The grants will be used to do line-painting and crack-filling on runway and taxiways and aprons along with upgrades or replace the floatplane ramp.
Stand-off with RCMP
A 55-year-old man was taken into RCMP custody, following an hours-long standoff north of Courtenay. Comox Valley RCMP asked the public to avoid the area of Graham, Cornwall and Pickering roads due to an ongoing police incident at a residence in the area. Police noted the incident was confined to a residence and the public was not considered to be at risk.
Nijhoff named Pats captain
Comox Valley Minor Hockey product Logan Nijhoff has been named captain of the Regina Pats major junior club. He is the 80th captain of the team that competes in the east division of the Western Hockey League. Nijhoff is entering his fourth full season in the WHL. A veteran of 150 regular-season games for Regina, he scored 34 points in 61 games last season.
Top hoops prospects
Two basketball players at Isfeld Secondary in Courtenay have been listed in the Varsity Letters top 15 prospects for B.C. triple-A schools for the 2021-22 season. Temwa Mtwali and Kye Kotapski-Tinga both play in the point guard position and are both in Grade 11.
Large donation
Dr. Janet Green has donated $100,000 to the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation after undergoing a successful fourth shoulder surgery at the Vancouver hospital last May. She has been recognized as a major donor of the new St. Paul’s Hospital under construction at the Jim Pattison Medical Centre at Vancouver’s False Creek Flats — the largest hospital redevelopment project in B.C’s history.
Accolades for Carter
Cumberland mountain bike racer Carter Woods has been named junior male athlete of the year by Sport BC. The 19-year-old Woods is a two-time national junior champion. In 2020, he was named to Cycling Canada’s NextGen mountain bike program for the 2021 session.
