So the developer who bought the land around Stotan Falls is having a temper tantrum because the Comox Valley Regional District won't allow him to develop it as he sees fit. It's his own d**n fault for not reading/heeding the regional development plan before plunking down his millions. As for closing off all access to the falls and demanding the CVRD pay $9 million to purchase the area around the falls to restore what Comox Valleyites have enjoyed for generations, here's an idea of how the regional district can regain access. According to British Common Law upon which our own civil court system is based, if citizens have had access, or passage through, a piece of land continuously for 25 years or more, and it is suddenly blocked off, those same citizens can sue to have access restored. This would cost an infinitesimal fraction of the $9 million in question. And if this doesn't happen, people can walk along either river, or hop over the gate to get to the falls, since the developer can't put a fence across the rivers.
No one is going to succeed at stopping people from going to the beautiful Stotan Falls. This is a gift from God for our community. It would take the army to stop citizens from swimming there. The river and the waterway are our national heritage.
I'd like warn gardeners about an unscrupulous trucker who is high-balling his customers. If you decide to order mulch for your garden, make sure that the person delivering your materials isn't adding extra charges to his trucking fee. One man with a large truck is charging people $4 extra for each yard of $16 Skyrocket. Honest truckers will charge their standard trucking fee but will only ask their customers to pay for what the materials cost at the loading site, on top of this. Then there are the middlemen, who stockpile materials from elsewhere and charge up to 250 per cent what they cost at the source. Once such company was charging $40 a yard for Skyrocket. Don't get ripped off; do your research first.
Having lived in many "underprivileged" Countries, I am mystified and cannot understand why we in a "developed" treasure land have so many empty buildings, including tax-free places of worship and yet have living persons with no places to be. Do we have an outcasts tribe?
For going the extra mile, Jim and his friendly staff at Comox Valley Nissan have earned my repeat business. Two years ago, a pre-owned SUV was all my budget would allow. They gave me a great deal and their after-sales service was excellent. So recently I returned and bought a new Xterra SUV and again, it was a great experience. Lots of smiles, knowledgeable staff, prompt service makes buying new or pre-owned from CV Nissan quick and easy! Thanks to Jim and his crew!
The John Howard Society of North Island (JHSNI) would like to thank all of our KidStart mentors for giving their time, energy, and encouragement to local children and youth every week. We so appreciate you! Happy National Volunteer Week! For more info about KidStart, visit www.jhsni.bc.ca/kidstartchampion.html,
I have a new building that has not been connected to hydro since its completion in November 2012 when BC Hydro refused to connect power unless I accepted a smart meter. I refuse to accept a smart meter, as I am sensitive to the electro-magnetic radiation that they put out. I was informed that BC Hydro policy was to use only smart meters on all new buildings, as the BC Liberal government put that into legislation. I have a problem with the government forcing me to accept a device on my property that will negatively affect my health! I was under the impression that we are living in a democratic country. Even California has an opt-out option for smart meters. Why is it in Canada whenever a political party gets into power with a majority government the party leader turns into a dictator?
The Comox Valley Book Friends recently held another successful annual fundraising book sale, raising over $17,000, which will benefit non-profit groups in our community. Thanks to the generous donations of material, there was something for each of the over 1,500 people who attended. The Book Friends would like to thank Comox Centre Mall and their helpful staff for their assistance in making the sale possible. Thanks also to the following who helped in various ways: Comox Firefighters, Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School, Mrs. Dahl, and the local media. A special thank you, as always, to our year-round drop-off partner, Zen Zero and our biggest supporter, Second Page Used Books. Items found amongst the donations this year included a lovely wartime photo of a young soldier, who was somewhere in France, with an inscription “to Daisy from Charlie”. Also found was a Telus cell phone in a child’s blue case. To reclaim either of these items, please phone or e-mail via the information below. Books, puzzles, games, CDs and DVDs are gratefully accepted continuously and may be dropped off by going through Zen Zero to the rear of the business where our drop box is located. Please take your good quality donations in bags or boxes that you can leave there. We hope to have more books for sale at Market Day in downtown Courtenay in July. New volunteers are always welcome. For more information, please contact Ruth at ruthdilts@gmail.com or 250-338-2750.