PENINSULA
NEWS REVIEW Greenway
Painting out pathways
John Dean Park re-opens
AUTOMOTIVE
Victoria-based plein air painters look for inspiration around Sidney’s Tulista Park, page 14
The Friends of John Dean Park area ready for a new season in North Saanich, page 3
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N E W S
M E D I A
Friday, March 18, 2016
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Hitting housing target Town of Sidney will waive taxes, fees to accommodate attainable housing
SPECIAL
Steven Heywood
REPORT
News staff
A proposed 56-unit, five-storey condo building had its way cleared by the municipality this week. The building, set forth by the Greater Victoria Rental Development Society, is planned for Fourth Street north of Beacon Avenue. The Society asked for and received a variety of financial concessions by the Town, in order to meet its goal of offering lower rents of approximately $800 to $920 per month. The municipality and the Society, said Chief Administrative Officer Randy Humble, are now working on a housing agreement to ensure affordability for middle-to-low income working people and families. Please see: Town agrees to waive fees, page 5
File image
An artist rendering of the proposed 56-unit, five-storey building in downtown Sidney.
Photo by Arnold Lim/Black Press
Black Press journalists Don Descoteau, left, Pamela Roth and Dan Ebenal join photographers Don Denton and Arnold Lim at Clover Point. Their five-part investigation into the $1 billion sewage treatment project begins today.
IN TH E
CRD
Community newspaper investigation:
Tackling the treatment issue Don Descoteau Black Press editor
The subject of sewage treatment has been a contentious one for more than 30 years in Greater Victoria and has so far cost taxpayers millions of dollars. While some in the region have already begun treating wastewater – Saanich Peninsula started in 2000, while Sooke completed a system upgrade in 2005 – the region’s core and West Shore municipalities send untreated sewage into Juan de Fuca Strait. The cost, siting and engineering of a regional treatment project make this a complex undertaking from a technical standpoint, but also from a political one, as coun-
cil representatives from seven municipalities debate plans. In the past six years alone, the Capital Regional District has spent tens of millions of taxpayers’ dollars on research, consultant fees, land purchases and construction. Completion of the project is estimated to cost more than $1 billion. Annual operating costs will add to the amount for which homeowners and commercial property owners will be on the hook. It’ll be up to municipalities and the CRD to determine how the tax burden is divided. But who’s making these decisions, and who is holding them accountable? To help readers gain a better understanding of where we’ve been, where we are now,
who’s involved and what the future holds, Black Press assembled an investigative journalism team to provide perspective and help simplify this complex topic. Starting in today’s Peninsula News Review, our five-part series will tackle issues ranging from where money has been spent and the sites being considered to what other cities have done and what scientists say. We’ll ask for feedback along the way and encourage you to connect with your community newspaper. Write letters to the editor or comment on Facebook and Twitter. This special Black Press presentation aims to give you new insights into this complicated issue. Turn to page 12 to get started.
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