Passion for painting
Oak Bay Art Club celebrates its 70th Page A3
NEWS: Teachers ruling appeal mulled by province /A5 ARTS: Celebrating 25 years as Buddy Holly /A7 SPORTS: Skaters speed to medal finishes /A15
OAK BAYNEWS Friday, January 31, 2014
www.vicnews.com
Good news for Tourism Victoria boss’ first week on the job Hotel occupancy jump bodes well for 2014 Don Descoteau News staff
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Royal Victoria Yacht Club employee Bob Barton, seated, and club member and volunteer David Blair work together to refurbish Dock P, also called the Mini 12 Dock. Many volunteers are helping on the project, and are being very careful not to fall in the drink, since - in boating tradition - they will be obliged to buy a round for the crew.
Members pitch in for renovation Royal Victoria Yacht Club marina undergoes $5-million refurbishment Christopher Sun News staff
Members of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club have started one of the club’s largest undertakings in its 122 year history – a $5-million refurbishment of the marina. Vice commodore Andrew McBride said the project includes replacing 25-year-old decks and 130 of the 154 pilings, which on average, are about 50 years old, with 90 new ones. New six-foot wide docks will replace the current eight to 10-foot wide ones, to
accommodate larger boats. After completion in September, the capacity of the marina will shrink from 258 to 249 boats. “The decks were never pressure treated,” McBride said. “It was time to renew all this stuff. Boats have gotten larger over the years.” New mini-mesh decking will allow sunlight to penetrate the water, which is important to marine life growth, McBride added. That mesh and the new encased plastic floatations will also discourage otters and seals from congregating, which can create a
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strong foul smell in the summer. The club has many retired members who are quite active and because most are mindful of the financial bottom line for the project, many have volunteered to do some of the construction. “It’s great to see 85-year-old guys pull up decking boards,” McBride said with a laugh. “A lot of the pieces of the puzzle are being done by our volunteers and staff.” PlEASE SEE: No waste in new dock, Page A4
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On the surface, a two-per-cent increase in business might not seem earthshaking. For Greater Victoria’s tourism industry, however, that increase – representing the uptick in average hotel occupancy for 2013 over 2012 – is a sign the overall economic picture is brightening, said Tourism Victoria’s new president and “Tourism CEO, Paul Nursey. “What it tells me is that we’re globally has firmly in a recovery phase now,” been really said Nursey, who began his second week on the job Monday. been the “It’s been a challenging few start of the years stemming out of the global financial crisis and other chaleconomic lenges. But Greater Victoria is recovery.” now really starting to see recov- Paul Nursey ery.” The city’s new tourism boss hails from Tsawwassen and already has a good handle on Victoria’s tourism challenges. He comes to the job with a broader perspective, however, having most recently served as vice-president of strategy and corporate communications for the Canadian Tourism Commission. The position allowed him a unique vantage point on the state of the industry internationally, as well as its critical role in world economies. “Tourism globally has been really been the start of the economic recovery,” he said, noting that tourism spending growth has been five to six per cent annually. PlEASE SEE: Hospitality industry seeing increase, Page A3
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