the local weekly june 2, 2016

Sunshine Coast, British Columbia www.thelocalweekly.ca Thursday, June 2, 2016Pender Harbour Blues FestivalPage 9

FREEWEEKLYCOMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

THIS WEEK

MEMBER OF

Logging Talk At SCRDPage 5

Volume 14, Issue 22

The future of McNab Creek is being debated once again with the return of an application for a gravel mine in the valley, which opens onto Howe Sound north of Port Mellon. One of the issues is noise, with the valley being described as a perfect amphitheatre. This picture was taken three years ago, during a water-borne demonstration by the Future of Howe Sound Society. See story page 3. JEFF GAU PHOTO

The Sound of Gravel

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5501 Inlet Ave. 604-885-5141

OPEN: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm | Sat 9:30am-5pm Sun 11am-4pm | Catalogue desk is closed on Sunday

Your Hometown Store in Sechelt

2 The Local - Thursday, June 2, 2016

Mark Your Calendar

LEHIGHS ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE

SATURDAY SEPT. 10, 201611AM - 4PM

R001560515

Working Together to Build Our Communities

If you have any concerns regarding Lehigh Materials operations, please call our 24 hr hotline 604.740.2509PO Box 1790 Sechelt BC, V0N 3A0 phone: 604.885.7595 | fax: 604.885.2328 | email: [email protected]

61st ANNUAL BC MINE RESCUE AND FIRST AID COMPETITION

SAFETY 24/7Lehigh Materials is committed to ensuring the safety of our employees. Safety is a key value for us and we strive to ensure it informs HOW we do everything we do. Employees are frequently encouraged to share this safety mindset and various tools with their families at home. Recent initiatives have included things like earthquake and emergency preparedness and home emergency kits.

A current initiative that focusses on safety not only in the workplace but also at home, is called Safestart. The concept? Safety 24/7. After all, the hazards that we face on a daily basis, do not stop the moment we leave the workplace. While workplaces can be dangerous, workers are actually more likely to be hurt on the drive to and from work, doing projects around the house or yard, or while doing many other everyday tasks.

One of the Safestart techniques that is easy to share is to regularly check yourself as you go about your activities. Try it this summer, take a moment to ask

yourself: Are my eyes and mind on the task at hand? Could I possibly be rushing or feeling fatigued? If something were to go wrong, am I in the Line of Fire? These are a few of the states that could be increasing your likelihood of being hurt. The key is recognize the state, you can adjust before anything bad happens.

The Lehigh team is really excited to be adding the Safestart techniques and practices to our safety skill set. We look forward to showcasing more at our annual open house in September.

On June 4, 2016 Lehigh is excited to be competing in the 61st Annual BC Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition held in Kimberley, B.C.

An annual Provincial Mine Rescue and First Aid Competition brings together mine rescue teams from across the province each year and provides them an opportunity to test their emergency response and mine rescue skills. Teams compete in either underground or surface events.

Lehighs Mine Rescue Team is comprised of 11 members ranging in experience from 1 to 25+ years. Team members for the 3 man First Aid Competition include Matt Silvey, Dalon Starnes and Ben Pierre, accompanied by coaches Dave Starnes and Dave McGeachy.

The team is looking forward to gaining additional knowledge and experience while working with some of the best competitors in the Industry during this event.

Special thanks to Dave McGeachy for all the added time and effort put forward to represent Lehigh and Sechelt at this event, and for his contribution to further the success of the Mine Rescue team.

Mine Rescue 3 man team (left to right):Dalon Starnes, Matt Silvey, Ben Pierre

D

Tkb

Satho

The Local - Thursday, June 2, 2016 3

w w w . t h e l o c a l w e e k l y . c a

Burncos proposal for a gravel pit at McNab Creek was back on the agenda at the Sunshine Coast Regional District on May 26 after more than a years hiatus.Burnco Rock Products has proposed a sand and gravel pit, processing plant, and barge loading facility about 10 km northeast of Port Mellon to provide material for their concrete plants in Vancouver. Their initial pre-application process with the BC Environmental Assess-ment Office was approved at the end of 2014, and the com-pany has since been conduct-ing environmental studies to support their full application.An SCRD staff report pre-sented to the Corporate and Administrative Services com-mittee outlined a number of SCRD concerns including po-tential loss of fisheries habi-tat, diminished air quality, noise, and potential impact on tourism and recreation.Area F Director Ian Winn

emphasized the noise issue. I went up to McNab Creek on Monday and its a perfect amphitheatre. It would bring a whole new definition of rock concert, he said.Area A Director Frank Mauro concurred. We have a large gravel pit in the Egmont area and one of the recurring issues there is noise.Winn also stressed that public meetings on the appli-cation must be held in both Gibsons and West Vancouver to allow for adequate public consultation.Ruth Simons of the Future of Howe Sound Society says: McNab valley is a very vul-nerable place. Her group has opposed the Burnco proposal since it first sur-faced in 2010. She noted that although McNab Creek lies outside the Area F Official Community Plan, the SCRD has control of zoning for gravel processing. Some of this hinges on the SCRD board making their

minds up whether this is the right place to have heavy in-dustry, said Simons.The Burnco proposal is being reviewed by a work-ing group of the BC Environ-mental Assessment Office, which includes representa-tives from the SCRD and the Islands Trust. When the ap-plication is considered com-plete, it will move into a new phase which includes public consultation.The McNab Creek prop-erty was a Canfor log dump until the late 1990s and has been the subject of several failed industrial proposals. In 1997, a liquid LNG storage facility was proposed and re-jected, and then a sand and gravel pit was also turned down. In 2006, Canadian National Investments (CNI) proposed a deep sea con-tainer port and gravel pit, but plans were never completed.

Donna McMahon

Gravel mine moves closer

Bears? Who are you gonna call?

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14A107min

danny Collins - Comedy/drama al Pacino, annette Benning, Jennifer Garner Fri & sun-Thurs (May 8 & 10-14) 7:30pm + sun/Wed (May 10/13) 2pm

sourCe danCeyoung Professional dance Company from Vancouver

sat (May 9) 2pm & 7:30pmTHE NICE GUYS

Fri-Thurs (June 3 - June 9) 7:30pm plus sun/Wed (June 5 - June 8) 2pm

Are you ready for the big one?Join us at Ravens Cry Theatre parking lot in Sechelt on June 7 from 11:00 am to 5:00 p.m. to learn how to prepare for an emergency and to experience a 30-second ride in the Quake Cottage free of charge!

WildSafeBC is a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict and they are happy to announce that the program, in its fifth year, has Marina Stjepovic as its new Community Coordinator for the Sunshine Coast. Its all about keeping wildlife wild, and our com-munities safe, and a big part of that is eliminating attrac-tants such as garbage or oth-er unnatural food sources, says Stjepovic. These attrac-tants readily draw wildlife into our communities and once they become condi-tioned to humans, they can develop aggressive behav-iours that put people at risk.With funding from the Province, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, the Sun-shine Coast Rod and Gun Club and Lehigh Hanson, the program will offer the servic-es of a part-time Coordinator from May 15 to November 30. Each year on the Sunshine Coast, 600 to 1,200 calls about bears are received by the provincial Conservation Officers Service reporting hotline. Also reported to the

hotline are calls about cou-gar, deer, coyotes and other wildlife in conflict with hu-mans. These reports and lo-cations can be viewed by the public at: www.wildsafebc.com/warp/ WildSafeBC plays an im-portant, proactive role in dealing with wildlife in our communities. If we can get our message out there, more people will be aware of how their own actions impact our wildlife, and we can try to

prevent the problems from occurring in the first place, says Stjepovic. In her role as an educator, Stjepovic will visit neigh-bourhoods where problems have been reported, attend community events and de-liver the Junior Ranger pro-gram to schools this fall. You can reach her at 604-885-6800 ext. 6476, or for more information please see www.wildsafebc.com.

Submitted

The conservation office hotline receives hundreds of calls every year about bears on the Sunshine Coast. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Let us know why you would be a great t at:[email protected]

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4 The Local - Thursday, June 2, 2016Editorial Opinion

Letters to the Editor Opinions

A mountain of hurtAs the sport of mountain biking grows in popularity so too does the number of injured riders. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) doctors are reminding riders to shred safe this season so they dont land in an emergency department and cut their riding season short. We see mountain bike riders in our emergency rooms ev-ery day broken bones, concussions, internal bleeding, or-gan damage and head and spine injuries, says Dr. John Carsley, Medical Health Officer with VCH. Last season 100 mountain bikers needed major emergency surgery.Peter Giesbrecht was one of those statistics. In October, while riding a trail on Mount Fromme, the Burnaby resident fell off his bike and landed on a pile of rocks.I went over the handlebars and landed on my head. Even though I was wearing a helmet I broke my neck in four places, the most feared injury in mountain biking, says Giesbrecht. Mountain biking is an inherently dangerous sport. My best tip for riders ride within your limits.One way to learn your limits and prevent injuries is by tak-ing a skills course taught by a certified professional instructor. Skill development can benefit all riders from the beginner to the more experienced. Endless Biking, a mountain bike les-son, rental and tour operator in North Vancouver, is donating a two-hour private coaching session as part VCHs safety aware-ness campaign. Protective gear is also included in the prize package.Wearing the protective gear is key, says Dr. Annie Gareau, emergency room physician, Whistler Urgent Care Centre. About three-quarters of the fractures we see are upper ex-tremity, so we recommend riders wear long sleeves and el-bows pads in addition to the standard helmet, gloves, knee pads, and grippy shoes. A neck brace and body armour are a must if you ride in high speed downhill parks or take jumping features.The majority of the most serious injuries in B.C. last season occurred in Whistler (58 per cent), North Vancouver (13 per cent) and Squamish (10 per cent). Eighty-nine per cent of pa-tients were male. They stayed in hospital for an average of five days. Not surprisingly, an Alberta study showed that bicycling faster than usual increased riders risk of landing in the hos-pital by 2.6 times, says Dr. Carsley. I know youve heard it be-fore, but slow down. The faster you ride, the worse the injuries can be.Other tips from mountain biking experts include checking the bike before riding to ensure its in good working condition and knowing the trail well before riding at full speed.

Submitted

Letters to the Edi-tor should be sent by e-mail to [email protected]. The deadline is Monday at 10am for that weeks paper. Generally, letters should not exceed 300 words. And all letters must be signed, include the writers community of residence and (not for publication) tele-phone number. Letters may be edited for a va-riety of reasons.

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#213 - 5710 Teredo Street,Sechelt (Teredo Square)

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The Local Weekly is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact [email protected] or 1-604-885-3134. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

Water usersHere we go again. Before spending our money to edu-cate us about water conserva-tion the SCRD needs to edu-cate itself as to the number of summertime users who access it. The last reference Ive seen still cites the census as the source for population figures. Those do not include the population of non-resident property owners, who swell our numbers considerably each summer. That is a figure that can be at least estimated via provincial tax rolls, which reference every property. Nor does it factor in the demands from tourism. The last time the SCRD tried to throw blame for wa-ter shortages on the citizens of the Sunshine Coast they got truly, properly and righteous-ly roasted, and not by the sun.

John Marian,Halfmoon Bay

Tax electric cars(Sent to Sechelt Council and

copied to the Local)We formally protest the unfair taxation of subsidizing electric vehicle charging in the District of Sechelt.We further submit that the District of Sechelt should lead the charge to have charging stations include an appro-priate amount of road tax to cover the extra wear and tear caused to the highways by the use of significantly heavier electric cars. Who will pay to upkeep the roads if any appreciable num-ber of people drive electric cars?In addition, the Applica-tion and Copying Fees Bylaw #333, 1998 is not the appro-priate vehicle for taxing the citizens of Sechelt for the ser-vice of attempting to reduce global warming by promoting electric car use.Bylaw #333, 1998 refers to legislation that was long

ago replaced. We managed to find an old archived mimeo-graph copy of the Municipal Act (1998) and formally chal-lenge the Districts author-ity to charge for the service of providing electrical charging stations, subsidized energy, and software pursuant to this bylaw and the defunct legisla-tion on which it is based. In any case electricity service is clearly not a fee related to ap-plications and inspections.Please regulate according to the current legislation and bring a bylaw in force to deal with this new service pursu-ant to the Community Char-ter 194(1).Please provide the legally required report to the public pursuant to section 194(4) of the Charter on how this fee was determined.

Marc Nixon, Selma Park A Weston victory When my fellow West Van-couverite Garry Rasmussen stood at the microphone on Saturday (May 28) to per-suade over 2,000 Tories to vote for a resolution from our riding, it was a moment of vic-tory for our riding and for all British Columbians. Our proposal is to move Coast Guard from the Fisher-ies to Transport Department, to deal directly with the prob-lem of abandoned vessels, and that the Party should rely more heavily on science and technical expertise in the formulation of maritime mat-ters. For British Columbians especially, this could mean a bolstering of resources on maritime safety, cleaner seas,

and specific responses to the presence of abandoned and derelict vessels. In sum, the resolution promises to in-crease the emphasis on mari-time issues for the Conser-vative Party - and may even impact what other parties do. John Weston, former MP,West Vancouver - Sunshine

Coast - Sea to Sky Country.

Dont bid, dont logSierra Club BC is asking BC Timber Sales to hold off auc-tioning cutblock A87125 in the highly fragmented land-scape near Elphinstone Pro-vincial Park. A recent Sierra Club BC analysis of remain-ing intact forests shows this area among those with the highest levels of ecological risk and very little old-growth left on the south coast, and is the most impacted dry-forest area as a result of logging and development, increasingly combined with climate im-pacts like extended drought conditions. The proposed cutblock is 60 per cent Doug-las Fir forest cover. Permit-ting logging between BC Parks land parcels further fragments the landscape be-yond the point of no return.The current Mt Elphinstone Provincial Park is divided into three separate island parcels protecting only 139 hect-ares of land across the lower mountain slopes, between the growing communities of Gibsons and Sechelt. The Park is about one quarter the size of Stanley park, split in to three separate areas many ki-lometers separated from one another. The surrounding Crown lands offer high-value recreation, and on-going en-vironmental services in an inter-urban zone. BC Parks states that the existing El-phinstone Park is vulnerable to adjacent logging. A park expansion initiative or more logically put, a park connec-tion initiative is needed in order to maintain ecological integrity and connectivity across the landscape.Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) has been advocating for an expanded park since 2011. ELF commissioned biologist Wayne McCrory to conduct an A Conservation Review of the Elphinstone Provincial Park Expansion Proposal. McCrorys June 2015 report

states, a total of 83.7 per cent of the Elphinstone study area includes forest cover poly-gons that are provincially at-risk (blue-listed) site series The high proportion of the study area with blue-listed site series potential is another measure that the Elphinstone study area is a core very pro-ductive ecosystem with high biodiversity values.The shshlh (Sechelt) na-tion made a declaration in November 2014 stating their opposition to further indus-trial development in the iden-tified zone. Sections of the ex-panded area (east of Roberts Creek) fall within Squamish First Nations territories who have not made public com-ment.Sierra Club BC is calling on the Provincial Government and local authorities to re-scind the auctioning of this cut block and commence a comprehensive Park expan-sion/connectivity implemen-tation process through en-gagement with the Squamish and shshlh Nations and local communities. Forest licensees and operators are encouraged not to bid on BC Timber Sales auction of cut-block A87125.

Mark Worthing, Sierra Club BC



A fi eld of poppies in Selma Park. These are in the backyard of artist Anita Lindblom, who operates the Bluedot Art Studio. DONNA MCMAHON PHOTO

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Two logging-related issues came before the Sunshine Coast Regional Districts board meeting on May 26: proposed harvesting of a cutblock adjacent to Mt. El-phinstone Provincial Park, and a request that the SCRD purchase a private property to prevent further logging in the Chapman Creek water-shed.Roberts Creek Director Mark Lebbell made a motion to ask BC Timber Sales not to sell cutblock A87125, which lies between two pieces of Mt. Elphinstone Provincial Park. The proposed cut, said Lebbell, would have signifi-cant impact on the ecological and recreational values that are held to be important in our community.Mt. Elphinstone Provincial Park consists of 139 hect-ares of land in three separate parcels above Roberts Creek. Members of the community have been campaigning to expand the park, but the province currently has no plans to do so. The area falls within the Roberts Creek Of-ficial Community Plan, and the SCRD wrote to BC Tim-ber Sales in November 2014 expressing the importance of

A 23-year-olds 2011 Dodge Challenger is sitting in the impound lot after a dangerous stunt in Sechelt last week.Shortly after 9 pm on May 25, a Sunshine Coast RCMP officer on patrol was alert-ed by bystanders of an inci-dent in progress at a park-ing lot near a pub in Sechelt. Moments later, the officer saw a vehicle come skid-ding sideways out of the parking lot, before taking off at a high rate of speed.

The Open Door Group is accepting applications for the Jobs in Demand: Retail & Service Training Cohort. The six-week full time train-ing, funded by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training starts on June 20 in Sechelt and is free to all eli-gible participants. Participants will receive training in small group work-shops, on-site, and on-line, as well as receive personalized one-on-one support.The Jobs in Demand pro-gram is designed to assist youth aged 15 to 29 who self-identify as having a disability, including anxiety or depres-sion. Once the six week pro-gram is completed, Open Door Group helps candidates get their foot in the door by connecting them to top em-ployers in the retail and ser-vice sector. For more information or to apply online, visit us at: job-sindemand.caSubmitted

preserving it.The Sierra Club BC has also called on the Provincial Gov-ernment and local authori-ties not to auction this cut block. Lebbell noted that the mat-ter was urgent, as the cut-block was scheduled to go to auction on June 3. I have concerns about what will happen in the forest above the community in terms of a community response to the piece of land that many hold quite dear, he said.The board unanimously supported Lebbells motion.Ross Muirhead from El-phinstone Logging Focus (ELF) also appeared as a delegation at the meeting, requesting that the SCRD purchase a 400-acre parcel of private land in the Chapman Creek Watershed through a public referendum process.As you know, ELF main-tained a 24/7 roadblock for almost three months this winter, preventing AJB/Sure-span from further logging of the Chapman Creek drink-ing Watershed in the hopes that it would buy time for the SCRD to inform AJB of an in-tent to purchase their private lands, said Muirhead.

Before the officer caught up with the vehicle, the driver pulled over and fled on foot. A nearby resident apparently saw the alleged male driver trying to flee and yelled at him, at which point the male returned to the car and identified him-self to police as the owner of the vehicle. He received a $368 ticket for driving with-out due care and attention, and also had his vehicle im-pounded for seven days for stunting.

SCRD confronted with logging issues

From the pub to the impound

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According to Muirhead the property owner has been waiting since 2014 for the SCRD to make an offer. The community at large, ELF and Surespan remain perplexed over the lack of initiative on this file by our current SCRD Board, said Muirhead. Taking control or pur-chase of the private lands is what the taxpayers clearly want to see happen. Muirhead urged the board to act immediately, since new logging would not occur for three to four weeks. Theres an opportunity still before the board to contact Sures-pan.Muirhead also warned that the watershed lands should be secured from unauthor-ized vehicle access, which raises the risk of fire. A rag-ing fire is a watershed man-agers worse scenario, he said.Board Chair Garry Norh told Muirhead that the board considers the watershed ex-tremely important. Were working with staff to try and get a resolution thats posi-tive, said Nohr.

Donna McMahon

This driver may have been wanting to show off his driving skills or the cars abilities, but he could have easily hurt or killed one of the other people in the park-ing lot or on the roadway, said Cst Harrison Mohr with Sunshine Coast RCMP. Our officer was in the right place at the right time, and now the driver has earned the ve-hicle a well-deserved stay in the impound lot.

Submitted by RCMP


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Organizers of the 2016 Home and Garden Expo have outdone themselves lining up prizes for their June 18 event at the Gibsons Rec-reation Centre. The annual show, now in its seventh year, is the largest indoor event on the Sunshine Coast, drawing almost 4,000 people in 2015.This years attendees will

be entered to win one of ten prizes, including the grand prize of a six-panel solar ar-ray and electric car charger, sufficient to power an elec-tric car 8,000 km per year for 30 years. Donated by Olson Electric, this prize is valued at $6,500.Other prizes include a ductless heat pump system

Home show packed with prizeswith installation, donated by Gen-Zed Home Comfort Solutions, and a rainwater harvesting system from AJ Pumps and Water Manage-ment. New among this years ex-hibitors will be Green Gallery, who create living wallsverti-cal gardens that are works of art. And North Shore Nissan will offer test drives of the new Leaf electric car, which has a 300 km range on one charge.While looking at ideas for home design, renovation and decor, attendees will also have a range of food and en-tertainment to choose from, including Junior Bad to the Bow and Poppa Greg and the Chilin Dylans on the outdoor stage, and DanceWorks Acad-emy on the indoor stage.And there will be several presentations by organiza-tions such as the Sunshine Coast Community Solar As-sociation and BC Hydro.Coast Cable will showcase their home security systems as well as their TV and inter-net services. Their mobile TV truck will be onsite, sending a feed to big screens inside the arena.The Home Show will run from 10 am to 5 pm on Satur-day, June 18 in the ice arena at the Gibsons & Area Rec-reation Centre. Admission is free.Donna McMahon

Home show organizers pose beside an electrical vehicle charg-ing station behind Olson Electrics Sechelt offi ce. From the left,Dennis Olson, Shirley Van Esch and Cindy Richard from the Coast Community Builders Association. DONNA MCMAHON PHOTO

Spillover from the over-heated Vancouver real estate market is causing an afford-ability crisis for both renters and buyers in the lower Sun-shine Coast.This is a problem weve known was going to be an issue since 2014, said Matt Thomson, Executive Direc-tor of the newly formed Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society. Thomson, a planning consultant for mu-nicipalities and nonprofits, surveyed property managers two years ago when updat-ing the SCRD housing needs assessment.They said that the bulk of properties they managed were investment proper-ties that were waiting for the market to pick up again,

and as soon as it picked up a whole lot of rental stock was going to disappear. Which is what has happened. Thomson added: This can be traced back to the lack of purpose built rentals since the 90s in the Canadian housing market. In a boom, the rental market is first to face the crunch.Russ Qureshi, realtor and associate broker for Royal LePage Sussex, said: This is the hottest market the Sun-shine Coast has ever seen. Ever. And the real hot spot is affordable homes.According to Qureshi, the market first heated up in Gib-sons and Roberts Creek, with the action spreading to Sech-elt and now to Powell River. Were getting a lot of

Rental housing disappears young families looking for affordability and lifestyle. Theyre feeling a desperation to get into the market now. He noted that a lot of these buyers want to be close to the ferry so the main breadwin-ner can commute into Van-couver.The real crunch is com-ing from lack of inventory, said Qureshi. If you sell, un-less youre going to seriously downsize or upsize, you re-ally have nowhere to go. Its nice to list it for 450 and have it sell for 550 but you cant buy back into this market. Facebook groups such as Sunshine Coast BC Real Es-tate for Sale & Rent, are at-tracting posts from desperate renters, many of whom have jobs and references but still cant find anywhere to live. According to the SCRDs 2014 housing study, approxi-mately 80 per cent of Sun-shine Coast households own their homes and 20 per cent rent. The highest proportion of renters is in Gibsons at al-most 30 per cent. Sechelt has only 18 per cent renters.

Donna McMahon

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An artists rendering of a condo with a view in the proposed George Marine Residences in Gibsons harbour. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Klaus Fuerniss Enterprises Inc. proudly announces the launch of the new George Ma-rine Residences Sales Centre at 316 Gower Point Road, in Gibsons Landing. Located on the historic Gibsons water-front, the new world-class hotel, expanded marina and private residences will meet the increased demand for waterfront residences and superior hotel accommoda-tion. The project has received overwhelming support from the Gibsons business and residential community dur-ing a three-year public con-sultation and approval pro-cess, including recent Form and Character development permit approval.My vision was always to create a residence and hotel property that Gibsons will be proud to call its own; one that will enhance the existing community, create a sustain-able economic hub and ben-efit the social and cultural fabric of the region, says de-veloper Klaus Fuerniss.Located at the gateway to B.C.s Sunshine Coast, boasting stunning mountain views, the premiere George Gibsons Marine Resort & Residences can only be de-

scribed as the ultimate in wa-terfront living. Here, the 40 luxury private condominium homes will offer ever-chang-ing Howe Sound and North Shore mountain vistas and give discerning purchasers a unique selection of one bed-room to two bedroom and den home designs all with a very high level of quality fin-ishes and features.Once dubbed the Gulf Coast Riviera, Gibsons has always been a popular tour-ist destination - showcased by miles of beaches, kayak-ing, hiking, nearby golfing and some of the best moun-tain biking in the world. To-day, Gibsons Landings full service marina, farm to table restaurants, craft beer, art galleries and eclectic shop-ping have made it one of the coasts top spots for weekend getaways from Vancouver.Multiple award-winning architectural firm Omicron created the contemporary Pacific Northwest design with extensive use of glass ex-teriors providing unobstruct-ed views of ocean, mountains and sky. The adjacent five star service George Hotel will be amenity rich, including a new pedestrian-friendly

The George makes its sales pitchseawalk, expanded marina, marina-side restaurant, 350 dinner seating-sized confer-ence facility, and a 21,000 square foot Health and Well-ness Centre, the first of its kind in the Vancouver region and second only in Canada.Inside the George Resi-dences the attention to de-tail is second to none. Rang-ing from 511 to over 2,000 square feet, each home will feature European - style kitchen cabinetry and im-ported appliances, quality engineered hardwood floor-ing, porcelain, engineered stone and quartz finishes, free-standing soaker tubs, and gas fireplaces along with spacious terraces and pan-oramic waterfront views. Two bedroom homes start at $699,900.This is arguably British Co-lumbias oceanfront resort-style living at its finest. Pri-ority registrations are being accepted for the residences currently, with a sales event to be announced summer of 2016.Register today at www.georgegibsonsresidences.com.

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Sometimes I want a treat just for me. I am vegan and my husband is vegetarian, so he often has cookies, cakes and other treats I dont eat. I also like to keep my saturated fats really low. So what can a hun-gry, craving vegan gal whip up in a few minutes that tastes delicious and satisfies my gi-ant urge to splurge?For me it is Chocolate Mousse. This recipe comes

from the website Chocolate Covered Katie. I use a good dark cocoa powder and I get fresh tofu brought in to Powell River by a local shop. But any silken soft tofu should do the trick. You might want to keep soft tofu in the fridge all the time to add to sauces and dressings. In this case you only have to give up 1/3 of the package to make this delightful dessert.I whip the mousse up in the blender and chill as long as I can stand the wait. I have found, though, that if I leave the mousse overnight

it tastes even better; the fla-vours having mixed more deeply. I add fruit to mine to make it look even more glamourous; strawberries, blueberries, oranges, even apples work just fine. Per-sonally I use maple syrup for the sweetener because I have it, but agave would probably be great. Experi-ment and see what you like. There is only one problem with this dessert, someone else might like to share it with you. In that case double the recipe so you can still have a honking big, beautiful dessert.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FOR ONE 110 grams silken-firm tofu (such as Mori-Nu; about 1/3 of the package) 1/8 tsp vanilla extract 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (dutch processed cocoa or Hersheys special dark) Tiny dash salt Up to 2 tsp liquid (such as water or milk of choice) Sweetener, to taste (sugar, stevia, agave, etc) Optional: almond or mint extract, instant coffee or espresso, peanut

butter, flakes of coconut, or another fun flavoring be creative.Blend in the Magic Bullet or food proces-sor. Then eat like theres no tomorrow! Or make it into a pie.Read more at http://chocolatecovered-katie.com/2009/02/12/mousse-on-the-loose/#l0BAsjQeRFslCeFD.99

Hey Sunshine Coasters! On May 26 members of the Sechelt & Gibsons soc-cer teams were gathered to have a match with members of the local RCMP. You may remember last year that a police emergency arose and the officers were unable to attend.Well, this year a weather emergency, i.e. a thunder-storm, hammered the Chat-elech soccer field bringing lightning and it was deemed unsafe for a game. It was re-scheduled for June 2.Saturday, May 28 was the date for our Volunteer Ap-preciation Banquet. You may have been asked if you want-ed to buy a raffle ticket to support SOSC but when the names were drawn, not one winner was in attendance.

The winners are being con-tacted by phone. Local Coordinator, Pat Stu-art, read a Year in Review to a packed audience at the Gibsons Legion. Volunteers and athletes who are gradu-ating this year from high school were recognized, in-cluding; volunteer coaches Callum Fallis and Caytlin Ko-peck who are leaving for uni-versity in Victoria. Athletes Josh Stanley, Adam Crane, Kody Pries, Dustin Archer and Coco Vito are headed for further studies as well.New athletes were wel-comed as well: Olivia Wensel, Michael MacDon-ald, Mathew Siska and Sarah Black, who was the only one able to be there to receive her Special Olympics tote bag. New coaches and vol-unteers were also welcomed with gifts and thanks. Service pins were award-ed to Annette Bertrand and Cathy Verge for five years of dedication to SOSC and ten year pins were awarded

to Laurie Miller and Allyson Pearson. Their time and ef-forts are invaluable to us all. Jordan McCourt made a VERY generous donation of $1,000 dollars to SOSC. Thank you Jordan.Annette Bertrand, Pro-gram Coordinator, put on two fabulous slideshows showcasing coaches, volun-teers and athletes at play. Wonderful.All athletes are all work-ing hard and training harder for this years Regional Qual-ifiers. They all take place in the merry month of June: Softball in Coquitlam; Track & Field in Langley; Bocce in Vancouver and Soccer in Abbotsford. Finally, golf will hold its qualifier locally at the Blue Ocean Golf Club in Sechelt. If you would like to learn more about Special Olympics on the Sunshine Coast, take out your smart phone, open your preferred browser and enter http://www.specialo-lympicssunshinecoast.ca

Volunteer coaches for Special Olympics on the Sunshine Coast pose at an appreciation ban-quet May 28. RICHARD HOATH PHOTO

Sport

Mike Oswald SC Special Olympics

After more than 40 Ques-tion Periods, 26 Govern-ment-sponsored Bills (all passed), 37 Private Mem-bers Bills (none passed), 240 two-minute statements, and numerous Motions, the 5th Session of the 40th Par-liament of the Province of BC has just ended in Victoria. The Bills proposed by gov-ernment were generally not contentious, and, with the exception of the Budget Bill and the Greenhouse Gas In-dustrial Reporting and Con-trol Amendment Act, which incidentally reduced our emissions targets, all Bills became law without a vote being called. During this Session I raised concerns about a man with dementia who has been in an acute care hospital since July

of last year, often restrained in his chair, instead of in a facility where he could live with more dignity. His wife made sure her appreciation for the healthcare workers was noted.I repeated my concern about the DriveABLE tests for seniors to the third Minister of Justice responsible. I told him that the tests take too many capable senior drivers off the road. Government is planning to make changes to the program in 2017.Along with my colleagues I raised concerns about the changes in disability support payments that barely cover the new charge for a monthly fee for bus passes. Recently a group of 160 organizations called for the government to reverse their changes.I informed the Minister of Transportation that special BC Ferries deals for tour-ists to Vancouver Island hurt the tourism industry to the Sunshine Coast. He said he would look into the matter.

I was told home-porting the new Salish Orca which arrives in August in Powell River, would cost too much, and that he was aware of the Horseshoe Bay Langdale on-time performance prob-lems.The Minister Responsible for Housing is acutely aware of the housing issues now fac-ing the Sunshine Coast. New initiatives to find ways to address the affordable hous-ing crisis will be required to ensure our communities re-main healthy and viable.Two Upper-Sunshine Coast residents were awarded Com-munity Achievement Awards at Government House. Edu-cator Jay Yule and Choral Conductor and Educator Don James who is already a Mem-ber of the Order of Canada were celebrated for their con-tributions to the community and to the Province.Festivals, parades and summer fun are all part of the season. I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy themselves.

Notes from the Upper Mainland

Nicholas Simons M L A , Powell River and Sunshine Coast

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Events on the Sunshine CoastJune 2Gardening instruction, Ocean Ave. between Cowrie St. & Dolphin St., Sechelt, 5pmJune 2SoundOut vocal improv, spon-taneous vocal compositions, Gumboot Cafe, Roberts Creek, 7:30pm, suggested $10 dona-tionJune 3Opening of three-day Pender Harbour Blues Festival, free-$25, www,penderharbourbluesfestival.comJune 3Opening of three-day Simply Warehouse Art Show, 1877 Field Rd., Wilson Creek, 5-9pm(Sat. & Sun. 11am-5pm)June 3Dinner music with Gaetan Bergevin, Blue Ocean Golf Club Grill, 6-9pmJune 3Dinner music with Dave Phil-ley, Roberts Creek Legion, 6pm, donations to musicianJune 3Wailin Walker, Garden Bay Pub, 8pm (Sat. 8pm, Sun. 2pm)June 4Truth and Reconciliation dia-logue circle, Lutheran Church, Davis Bay, 9:30am-2pm, bring potluck lunch, rsvp at 604-740-6400June 42963 Seaforth Highlanders Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps ceremonial review, Chatelech Secondary, Sechelt, 11:15amJune 4Photographer Craig Cochrane discusses camera function and photography, Arts Centre, Sechelt, 1:30-2:30pm, freeJune 4Opening reception for new exhibition of acrylics by Kim LaFave, Gibsons Public Art Gal-lery, 2-4pm, by donationJune 4Music Makers spring concert, St. Johns United Church, Davis Bay, 7pm, $15June 4Brothers in Farms, Roberts Creek Legion, 9pmJune 4Neil Diamond tribute, Sechelt Legion, 7pm, $25June 4-5DanceWorks year end recitals (primary), Heritage Playhouse, Gibsons, 2pm, $15, children$10(Sunday 2pm & 4pm)June 5Low tide beach exploration, hosted by Ruby Lake Lagoon Society and Sargeant Bay Soci-ety, 11am-3pm, Sargeant Bay Provincial ParkJune 5Vivaldi Chamber Choir pres-ents Beautiful & Bright, St. Hildas Anglican Church, Sech-elt, 4pm, $15June 5Retired forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon discusses the part-nership of plants and fungi, SC Botanical Garden, West Sechelt, 7pm, members $15, others $20June 7Thirty-second ride in and earthquake simulator, Ravens Cry Theatre parking lot, 11am-5pm, free

ARTS & CULTURELocalthe

June 8 Dinner music with Grant Olsen, Gumboot Restaurant, Roberts Creek, 6pmJune 8Five-course northern Italian dinner paired with seven wines, La Trattoria Italiana, Ruby Lake Resort, 6pm, $60, 604-883-2269June 9Fifty-voice Suncoast Phoenix Choir presents From Here and There, St. Hildas Anglican Church, Sechelt, 7-9pm, by donationJune 10Dinner music with Sasha Kay, Roberts Creek Legion, 6-7:30pmJune 10Sandy Bone and The Break-down, Garden Bay Pub, 8pm (Sat. 8pm, Sun. 2pm)June 11Vocalist Verna Chan and guitar-ist Paul Steenhuis, Gibsons Pub-lic Library, 1-2pm, freeJune 11Kevin Crofton, WOW Art Cafe, Sunnycrest Mall, Gibsons, 1-2pmJune 11Fifty-voice Suncoast Phoenix Choir presents From Here and There, Calvary Baptist Church, Gibsons, 2-4pm, by donationJune 11Fabric artist Janet Tufnall gives a demonstration, Arts Centre, Sechelt, 1:30-2:30pmJune 11Country swing with Tube Radio, Persephone brewery, Gibsons, 2-4pmJune 11Dinner music by Charlotte Wrinch, Chasters Restaurant, Gibsons, 6-9pmJune 11Pender Harbour Choir presents music in the air, St. Johns United Church, Davis Bay, 7-9pm, $20June 11Rotary club wine tasting (Aus-tralia and New Zealand), Sarah Wray Hall, Garden Bay, 7-11pm, $75June 11-12Success dance spectacular, by Coast Academy of Dance, Ra-vens Cry Theatre, Sechelt, 2pm & 7pm, adults $24, seniors/students $18June 11-12DanceWorks senior recitals, Heritage Playhouse, Gibsons, 1pm & 4pm, $15, children $10June 12Jazz Group of Seven, Gibsons Public Art Gallery, 2pm, $10June 12Wanda Nowicki Quintet, Perse-phone Brewery, Gibsons, 2pmJune 12Pender Harbour Choir presents music in the air, School of Music, Madeira Park, 7pm, $20June 14Karen Graves and Budge Schachte, Sitas Spag & Suds, Gibsons, 7pm, reservations 604-886-7721June 15Anagram, Blackfish Pub, Gib-sons, 7pm

Art Review

Anna NobileFreelance Creative Writer, Arts & Culture

The 13th Annual Pender Harbour Blues Festival takes place June 3-5 with an im-pressive line-up that includes Jim Byrnes, Tim Hearsey, and Gary Comeau, , just to name a few. Multi award winner David Gogo, who makes Na-naimo his home, will also be performing at the Festival, in-cluding a free concert on Sat-urday, June 4 at the Pender Harbour Community Hall.Gogo is only 47 years old, yet his career already spans 30 years. I cant remember a time where I

the local weekly june 2, 2016

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