TUESDAY AUGUST 6, 2013
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PARKSVILLE DEVELOPMENT
Balancing charges Debate heating up over city’s plan to increase DCCs JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
A potential 45 per cent increase to the costs developers must pay the city is sending the wrong message and flies in the face of other Parksville housing policies, says the CEO of the local chamber of commerce. While any actual increase will be a matter of debate for council in the months ahead, the numbers being floated currently in relation to development cost charges (DCCs) would have a city bill for the construction of a single family home jump to almost $21,000 from its current $14,000. “This sends a negative message to developers, which is compounded by the fact that the development process in Parksville remains difficult,” Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce CEO Kim Burden said last week. “Developers are just not going to come.” The last time Parksville raised its DCCs was 2008. In the four years following, the total value of all building permits issued in the city plummeted 58 per cent. It was a bad time for the economy in B.C. and the world, but during the same four years, B.C.’s building permit values dropped 17 per cent in comparison. If Parksville goes ahead with DCC increases as they have been floated (approximately 45 per cent), the city will enter the top 10 of the most expensive DCCs in the province, according to the most recent data from the provincial government (December, 2011), which compiles and lists the DCCs for more than 100 B.C. communities. Parksville would move ahead of communities like Kelowna, Harrison Hot Springs, Whistler and North Vancouver. See MORE ACTIVITY, page A9
BRENDA GOUGH PHOTO
MUSICAL RIDE: Arbutus Meadows in Nanoose Bay was packed with spectators for three shows of the famed RCMP Musical Ride on the long weekend. For more photos from a busy and beautiful holiday weekend in Parksville Qualicum Beach, see inside today’s edition of The NEWS, and check out our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PQBNews.
IN QUALICUM BAY AREA
Cougar shot after attacking dogs JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
“Nina the Wonderdog” has fought off snakes in Arizona, a protective mother deer in Princeton and a truck that hit her in Parksville last month. Last week, the six-kilogram (13-pound), eight-year-old Chihuahua who recently moved to Qualicum Bay survived what may have been her toughest battle of all — a skirmish with a young cougar.
Joe Sparrow was sitting in his backyard in Dunne’s Mobile Home Park July 29 with Nina close by and on a leash when the cougar came out of the nearby bush and attacked. Joe’s wife Sherry was inside the house when she heard what she called a “terrible noise.” When she ran to the backyard, she saw Nina in the jaws of the big cat and Joe holding on to Nina’s leash. The cougar was dragging all three into the bush. Joe gave Sherry the lease and went
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to fetch a stick. Sherry said the lease was cutting into her hands as the cat kept trying to drag them into the bush. Sherry said she stuck her hands under Nina’s collar while the dog was still in the jaws of the cougar, trying to free her pet. Sherry said later “that may have been the dumbest thing to do.” Within seconds, Joe was back at the scene with a four-foot-long piece of lumber and proceeded to beat the See NINA, page A4
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