TUESDAYSEPTEMBER 2, 2014
Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
www.pqbnews.com
BCYCNA
Silver 2013 General Excellence
ONE HOT BUSINESS
TRAGIC TALE OF A DEADLY BLIZZARD
Qualicum Beach company featured today in our profile
Local author’s latest book is based on tragic event in 1888 in the U.S.
A21
A24
PROPOSED POT PRODUCTION
Residents up in arms Neighbours don’t want facility in River’s Edge JOHN HARDING
editor@pqbnews.com
River’s Edge residents reacted swiftly to news a medical marijuana production company wants to set up shop near their homes in Nanoose Bay. Amber Leppard lives on River’s Edge Drive about one kilometre from where she believes Wildflower Marijuana Inc. is proposing to build a 68,000 square foot production facility on ALR land that was formerly Paradise Acres Ranch. Leppard e-mailed a letter detailing her concerns to Health Canada on Wednesday and called The NEWS after the story broke in the Thursday edition. “The first we heard of this was just a few days ago,” said Leppard. “We have a lot of really upset people here right now.” A neighbourhood gathering about the issue is scheduled for tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. at the corner of Kaye Road and Rascal Lane. “It wouldn’t matter if they were growing tomatoes,” she said. See CRIME, page A4
No school this week AUREN RUVINSKY
LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO
LIFE INSIDE A ZORB: Wyatt Hopps waited in the lineup at the Lighthouse Country Fall Fair to get his chance to jump into a giant colourful zorb ball (this one blue). After this photo was taken, the ball was closed up and Hopps bounced, tumbled and ran, to roll the ball down the field. For more photos from the fall fair, visit our Facebook page: www. facebook.com/PQBNews.
QUALICUM BEACH
Mayor brands survey ‘bogus’ JOHN HARDING editor@pqbnews.com
writer@pqbnews.com
Signs of progress melted away over the weekend as talks broke down between the B.C. Teacher’s Federation and the provincial government. School will not start this week. Meanwhile, people across District 69 and the province were waiting to see when the school year will start, scheduled for Sept. 2 provincially (today) and Thursday, Sept. 4 in this district, due to the school reconfigurations. (Watch www.pqbnews.com for the latest news.) See RALLY SCHEDULED, page A7
Denyse Widdifield says she isn’t surprised by the results of a recent survey that suggests 67 per cent of Qualicum Beach residents agree a proposed development at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort is good for the community. Widdifield said she has been knocking on a lot of doors and talking to a lot of people since she announced last month she is running for mayor. “I’m not surprised by the results of the survey because I believe most people in Qualicum Beach, especially this silent majority we keep hearing about, really can see that we are in dire need of creating a good economic base that
will bring families and tourism back to Qualicum Beach,” said Widdifield, suggesting the town has seen the loss of just under 200 hotel rooms in the last 20 years. “Whether it’s Pheasant Glen or any other development, we need this type of proposal on the table and we need to look at it.” Mayor Teunis Westbroek, the only other declared candidate for the Nov. 15 mayoral race in Qualicum Beach, called it a “bogus survey with loaded questions.” I think its very unfortunate they (the people who paid for the survey) didn’t own up to it when we had a council meeting on Aug. 11,” said Westbroek. “They were in the gallery. That would have avoided a lot of controversy.”
shed BUILDING PACKAGES 1395 W. Island Highway, Parksville
250-752-5565
Monday-Friday 7- 6, Saturday 8 - 6, Sunday & Holidays 9 - 5 Locally Owned & Operated
We have your shed package or we can build it for you!
✔EXPERT ADVICE ❏ ✔SAVINGS ❏ ✔CONVENIENCE ❏ ✔SELECTION ❏ ✔DELIVERY ❏
See MORE SURVEY RESULTS, page A7
10 ADVANTAGES TO BUILD WITH HOME ✔INSTALLATION ❏ ✔STANDARD OR ❏ CUSTOM PLANS ✔STEP BY STEP ❏ INSTRUCTIONS ✔FINANCING ❏ ✔LOCALLY OWNED ❏