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SEE PAGE 29 INSIDE GULF ISLANDS Wednesday, July 4, 2007 — YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960 47TH YEAR – ISSUE 27 OCP REVIEW WORLD POLITICS Dubai Trustees prisoner hash out has ties to island OCP ideas Canadians asked to Tourism tax, house-size limits free ‘innocent’ prisoner remain in the picture BY STACY CARDIGAN SMITH DRIFTWOOD STAFF BY SEAN MCINTYRE It’s an international tale with DRIFTWOOD STAFF local ties, and islanders are Salt Spring Island trustees walked the fi ne line being asked to help. between jurisdictional reach and enforcement Canadian anti-drug advo- capacity during two days of offi cial community cate Bert Tatham is currently plan (OCP) review meetings last week. appealing a four-year jail sen- “If we cannot do it, it is important to fi nd ways tence after being found guilty to say it,” said Kim Benson, who chairs both the of possession for trace amounts Salt Spring Local Trust Committee and Islands of hashish and two dried poppy Trust Council. fl owers in Dubai. Talk of strengthening the Trust’s ability to Tatham’s mother and father, enforce existing bylaws and instituting a strategic Louise and Charlie, live in plan outlining how to implement OCP items met Ontario; his fiancee, Sara the cold hard reality of inadequate staffi ng, fi nan- Gilmer, lives in Victoria; and cial resources and legislative authority to support Gilmer’s mother, Amanda Spot- the document’s ideals. tiswoode, lives on Salt Spring. “You don’t always know the ‘what for’ and All are appealing to friends, ‘when’ you are going to achieve goals, but you family and concerned citizens have to place yourself in that direction,” said to rally the Canadian govern- Mac Fraser, the Islands Trust’s director of local ment to free Tatham. planning services, refl ecting on the document’s “We firmly believe that our long-term scope. government could, if it wanted, Based on Salt Spring Island trustees’ decisions last put pressure on the authori- week, Islands Trust staff will spend the next three ties in Dubai to obtain a par- months researching and refi ning how recommen- don and get him home,” wrote dations gathered from eight island focus groups will Spottiswoode in an e-mail. fi t into a draft bylaw expected by the fall. “It’s only going to get solved Plan for island-wide DPA ditched through pressure from the gov- ernment,” she added during a One recommendation trustees did not forward phone interview last week. to staff is the Environment Focus Group’s propos- The family feels the govern- al to create an island-wide development permit PHOTO BY DERRICK LUNDY ment is not doing enough and OCP REVIEW continued on 2 CANADA CAKE: Marit McBride cuts the Canada Day cake at one of the July1 festivities to take has launched a letter writing place all over Salt Spring on Sunday. campaign to Foreign Affairs COMMUNITY PLAN Minister Peter MacKay and Prime Minister Stephen Harp- er. “The letters are going to start OCP blog set up for review recommendations landing on these guys’ desks in Accessed through limited at this stage of the process. review recommendations via a blog on the the hundreds,” she said. The June 28-29 sessions allowed Salt Spring paper’s website. They are also developing a Driftwood website Local Trust Committee members and Islands It can be accessed at www.gulfislands.net/ website: www.freebert.ca. Trust staff to discuss recommendations made by blogs/blog_letters or through the Gulf Islands “He is just an innocent vic- Last week’s two days of meetings on the various focus groups and modifi ed by two open Online home page at www.gulfi slands.net and by tim of circumstances and the Salt Spring Island Official Community (OCP) house events. then scrolling down the left-hand side to “Letters Department of Foreign Affairs review at ArtSpring have piqued islanders’ Since interactive online discussion is now the blog.” Once on the blog, simply hit the “Com- has basically abandoned him,” interest in what’s going on with “the plan,” norm in many circles, the Driftwood is offer- ments” button. (It will state “no comments” or Spottiswoode said. but opportunities for public discussion are ing islanders a chance to “talk” about the OCP the number of comments received to date.) TATHAM continued on 4 SANDRA SMITH INSERTS INDEX Health ........................................... 22 -/24'!'%15%34)/.3 • Thrifty Foods Arts .................................................. 14 Horoscope................................ 34 • Field’s ASK!RLENE Classifieds ................................ 30 Letters ............................................. 9 • Imagine That Graphics • Island Art Centre Society Editorials .......................................8 Sports ............................................ 27 • Ganges Village Market Ferry Schedules .................. 27 TV Listings .............................. 15 • Lifestyle Market What’s On................................. 21 ",/ saltspringhomefi nder.com *"/ 537-5515 SALT SPRING REALTY e-mail: [email protected] website: www.gulfislands.net A year of “Book your Tune-Up for Summer VacVacationat ion Soon!Soo celebration GANGES AUTO MARINE 100 SERVICE AND REPAIRS FOR ALL DOMESTIC & IMPORT CARS & LIGHT TRUCKS #3 - 290 Park Drive Below Dagwoods, behind car wash Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm 537-9221 2 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2007 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD CALL GAIL, SEAN OR STACY IF YOU NEWSBEAT SEE NEWS HAPPENING - 250-537-9933 ICBC CLAIMS - PERSONAL INJURY • 25 years successfully representing injured persons Trustees take a look at islander ideas • NO FEE until you collect OCP REVIEW homes constructed during that time “Disputes arise because of the OCP’s •Free confi dential consultation were larger, said Ehring. silence on the issue,” said Lamb. “It continued from 1 Tourism tax an just can’t hurt to be clear on the issue.” area (DPA). Language in the current OCP states PAUL B. JOYCE Under DPA classifi cations, property “intriguing idea” the Trust “will not support the opera- Barrister & Solicitor owners would need to apply for a Trust tion of transient accommodation units (250) 537-4413 (24 hours) permit before undertaking any work Trustees agreed to seek staff input on in residential zones . .” on their property. a proposed tourism tax. Focus group According to McNamara, the lan- Citing a legal opinion obtained by members proposed funds collected be guage “leaves the interpretation door the Islands Trust, trustees considered used to improve tourism infrastructure wide open.” +POJTMPDBM*OWFTUNFOU the plan “unwieldy” and “a logistical on the island. The fund could include Energy effi ciency meets "EWJTPSZ4FSWJDFIBT nightmare.” anything from off-island marketing “While I am sympathetic to the idea, campaigns to improving public wash- aff ordable housing BOFNQIBTJTPOUIF the proposal is somewhat problematic room facilities within the Ganges core. Trustees balked at Energy Strategy IJHIFTURVBMJUZ from a legal perspective,” said trustee “This is not an attack on the tourist task force recommendations for more QSPGFTTJPOBMBEWJDF Peter Lamb. “We must fi rst decide what industry,” said Sam Sydneysmith, a stringent energy effi ciency standards BOETFSWJDFBMPOHXJUI we want to protect before creating new member of the Economic Sustainabil- on the grounds they may discourage JOUFHSBUFEXFBMUI development permit areas.” ity, Jobs and Tourism focus group. “The development of affordable housing No mercy for monster future has got to see us expand and projects on the island. NBOBHFNFOU develop a diversifi ed economy.” “We have a moral obligation to get homes The proposal met opposition from people out of chicken coops, but I 1SPUFDUJOH Trustees did, however, pass a resolu- residents who felt the tax would dis- draw a distinction between the imped- tion calling on staff to provide more courage visitors. iments of energy standards overriding BOEHSPXJOH input into a proposal that could place “I think the ferry fares are already incentives for more affordable accom- a 3,000 square-foot limitation on the a tax,” said Kevin Bell, general man- modations,” Ehring said. ZPVSXFBMUI size of all homes constructed on the ager of Mouat’s in downtown Ganges. Recommendations for affordable island. “Then there are questions about how housing projects and new residential “This deals with the issue of the we collect it.” developments to meet industry-lead- character of the island,” said trustee According to Cathy McNamara, a ing effi ciency standards are essential to George Ehring. “Personally, I feel the planner contracted by the Trust to minimize the quantity of greenhouse island is not suited to large modern lead the OCP review process, other gases emitted from island homes, the .FFU+POJ(BOEFSUPO homes and, if the community agrees, Canadian communities found that task force said. we should have a discussion.” broad-based support from commu- Trustee Lamb recommended the ,°ÊÊ>`iÀÌÊ Ê * “I’d like to hear more from the com- nity groups, including the Chamber of Trust take steps to create a housing ÛiÃÌiÌÊ`ÛÃÀÊ>`Ê>V>Ê*>iÀ munity. People who are concerned Commerce, is essential to the project’s needs assessment survey to determine xÎÇ£Èx{ÊÊÊÊÊ about monster homes need to speak success. the precise demands for affordable +ÕiÃÌöÊÊÊi>Ê°>`iÀÌJL«V`°V out about why they should be limited.” Tighter language needed housing. ÜÜÜ°}>`iÀÌ°V Limits need be considered to increase A full list of recommendations and Áʺ "Ê­L>ÀÊÀÕ`iÊÃÞL®»ÊÃÊ>ÊÀi}ÃÌiÀi`ÊÌÀ>`i>ÀÊvÊ >ÊvÊÌÀi>]ÊÕÃi`ÊÕ`iÀÊViVi°Êº iÃLÌÌÊ ÕÀûÊ>`ʺ "Ê for short-term rentals iÃLÌÌÊ ÕÀÃÊ`Û>ViÊ*À}À>»Ê>ÀiÊÀi}ÃÌiÀi`ÊÌÀ>`i>ÀÃÊvÊ "Ê iÃLÌÌÊ ÕÀÃÊ À«À>ÌÊÌi`]ÊÕÃi`ÊÕ`iÀÊViVi° affordability and minimize impacts on results will be available at the Islands the environment, he added. Trustees agreed stronger language is Trust offi ce and online at www.island- The average home constructed on required to reinforce the Islands Trust- strust.bc.ca later this week.