Fulford Day Swimmers $ 25 (incl. GST) Schedule of Events Off to provincials. SEE PAGE 30 1 INSIDE Summer sun Care tips. SEE PAGE 29 GULF ISLANDS Wednesday, August 8, 2007 — YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960 47TH YEAR – ISSUE 32 VITR Safety concerns hold up project Issue winds up in Supreme Court BY STACY CARDIGAN SMITH DRIFTWOOD STAFF Just when you thought it was a done deal, the British Colum- bia Transmission Corpora- tion’s (BCTC) Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement (VITR) project met further holdups this week when a Salt Spring man renewed the fi ght against the controversial plan. John Quesnel has lived on his Rainbow Road property for 11 years and owned it for the past fi ve. His land falls along the provincial right of way (ROW) and, as such, includes a PHOTO BY DERRICK LUNDY number of power poles. PARADING HISTORY: Children aboard the Ganges Village Market fl oat head past Mouat’s during a Saturday parade that honoured Mouat’s 100th Although Quesnel knew anniversary of doing business on Salt Spring. More photos, Page 11. about opposition towards the VITR project, he didn’t get involved because he thought AFGHANISTAN ESSAY the project unstoppable. That all changed when BCTC recently installed the new power lines on his property. Author centre of national controversy The poles, measuring 30 meters (98.4 feet) in height, piece as a blatant example of “insensitive war feature wires that hang just 9.1 Depiction of Canadian soldier’s death in Afghanistan porn” versus defenders of free speech began metres (30 feet) off the ground fl ooding the magazine’s website last week. at certain points, Quesnel stirs censors’ scrutiny “This was an extremely emotional story to said. BY SEAN MCINTYRE A section of the essay describes 25-year-old work on,” said Clara Jeffery, the magazine’s co- Worried for the safety of his DRIFTWOOD STAFF Corporal Kevin Megeney’s fi nal moments on the editor, in an offi cial statement following an ini- family, he contacted BCTC Author Kevin Patterson stands behind his operating table. The young soldier spent his last tial round of comments from irate readers. on July 23 to inform them he essay outlining the daily reality faced by soldiers breaths, Patterson writes, yelling for his mother. “The account of Cpl. Megeney’s death was would no longer allow access and Afghan civilians despite two ongoing mili- Patterson acknowledges the article’s graph- particularly poignant, but there were many other to his property. On July 28 and tary investigations examining his conduct. ic nature and made sure to consult the fam- stories in there of death and injury to soldiers 31, Quesnel, along with neigh- “The reality of the war needs to be made clear,” ily members of soldiers portrayed in the piece and civilians that are hard to read. But, in our bour John Magnus, denied Patterson said, during an interview from his Salt whenever possible. Within days of the article’s opinion, for the greater public to live in denial workers access to the ROWs on Spring home. “Sanitizing writing is in itself gro- publication, however, criticism from some of about what happens in a war does a disservice their properties. tesque.” Megeney’s family members began surfacing in to those soldiers who serve and the civilians who “This is sort of above and Patterson’s 7,000-word essay, published in the their local newspaper in Pictou County, Nova are affected.” beyond where I would ever July/August issue of Mother Jones Magazine, Scotia. Patterson acknowledges Megeney family fi nd myself except it is in my gives readers a sense of the daily grind faced by George Megeney, a spokesperson for the fam- members’ right to change their mind and be left backyard,” Quesnel said. “It soldiers and civilians living in southern Afghani- ily, did not return messages left by the Driftwood alone to grieve in peace, though he remains ada- becomes the health of my chil- stan. at his home in New Glasgow. PATTERSON ARTICLE continued on 2 VITR PROJECT continued on 2 It’s not a pretty routine. Comments pitting those condemning the INSERTS INDEX Health ........................................... 24 -/24'!'%15%34)/.3 • Ganges Village Market Arts .................................................. 15 Horoscope................................ 37 • Ganges Pharmasave ASK!RLENE Classifieds ................................ 34 ............................................. 9 • Thrifty Foods Letters • Home Hardware Editorials .......................................8 Sports ............................................ 30 Ferry Schedules .................. 30 TV Listings .............................. 17 What’s On................................. 23 ",/ *"/ e-mail: [email protected] website: www.gulfislands.net GANGES 10% off Tuesdays TERRY FOX RUN Y ILLAGE ARKET FUNDRAISER BBQ SOMERESTRICTIONSAPPLY (some restrictions apply) V M What s for Dinner? Saturday, Aug. 11 from 11 am - 2 pm LOCALLYOWNEDOPERATED Come enjoy°°°Ì ÃÊÜiiÊÃiiÊ->À> ½ÃÊÀiV«iÊ a great burger & pop & help sponsor Phyllis Waltho in her fantastic efforts toÊ«>}iÊ£{ break her record pledges. "* Ê 9Ên>ÊÊ« 2 | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2007 | GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD CALL GAIL, SEAN OR STACY IF YOU NEWSBEAT SEE NEWS HAPPENING - 250-537-9933 77%347).$$ , 7"" Ê ° #USTOM&LOORING Court forces Quesnel property access 3PECIALIZINGINCUSTOM7IDE0LANK #LEAR$OUGLAS&IR VITR PROJECT But the last-ditch effort to prevent “Every BCTC and B.C. Hydro thing s"RANDNAMEmOORINGAVAILABLE continued from 2 construction of the new power lines you see says stay 30 feet away from s/VER(ARDWOOD3OFTWOODSPECIESINSTOCK has put the project further behind the lines if you want to live,” Magnus dren, so I guess I’m becoming an activ- schedule. It also cost the company an said during an interview last week. £nääÈÈÇÓÓÇx ist.” additional $50,000. “Now they’re putting three times the xÊÊ£ä£nÊV >`Ê*>ÀÊ,>`]Ê-`iÞ]Ê BCTC reacted by serving Quesnel If the project is not completed by power though the lines and they’re 30 and Magnus with a court order. On October 2008, the power supply of feet from the ground. That speaks for Friday, August 3 BCTC was granted a the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island itself.” short leave order, which allowed the could be jeopardized, said Thoren In addition, Quesnel has been look- court injunction to proceed in British Hudyma, a spokesperson for BCTC. ing into information concerning the “THE LOCAL” Columbia Supreme Court in Vancou- “It’s unfortunate that the Quesnels corona effect, involving the ionization ver. have decided to block access that late of air close to a wire. Liquor Store Yesterday (Tuesday) in Supreme in the game,” Hudyma said. “This proj- Hudyma said the corona effect is a Court, Quesnel and Magnus agreed to ect has gone through a number of dif- non-issue as far as BCTC is aware. a consent injunction stating they will ferent regulatory processes.” Quesnel will meet with his lawyer Sometimes... no longer impede any action and con- The provincial government granted next week to decide his next steps. struction will continue. its Environmental Assessment Certifi - “By disputing this, it’s put so that I Despite the setback, the company cate in February. have some rights,” Quesnel said. Bigger IS is unable to sue the men over the inci- “The project is deemed to be very The VITR project will see the current dent, Quesnel said. safe, clearly,” Hudyma added. 138kV overhead transmission lines Better! The court deemed “it was justifi able However, both Quesnel and Magnus replaced with a new 230kV infrastruc- for me to want to feel safe,” he added. have their reservations. ture. Local writer’s war description under fi re PATTERSON ARTICLE aware of what’s at stake. tive of the military police “People are disengag- “In real life, grown up is to determine whether he continued from 1 ing themselves from what’s released any information mant the Canadian public going on,” he said. “There about the treatment and the has a right to read what its is no obvious solution. In problems sometimes measures that were taken troops are doing overseas. real life, grown-up problems before Megeney was pro- “Afghanistan is not sometimes take a long time nounced dead,” said Cap- Iraq. Not yet. In the north to solve and we cannot let take a long time to tain Cindy Tessier. at least, the government our attentions wander.” The Health Services works. The schools are full, “Denial of the cost is investigation, she added, Locally owned & operated • open every day 9 am-11 pm and the economy is grow- obscene,” he added. “It may solve and we cannot will determine if Patterson In Gasoline Alley 537-WINE (9463) ing. But it is not clear that be that the cost is worth it, violated his patient’s right order will endure or, in the but you can’t make a deci- let our attentions to confi dentiality by releas- south, be achieved,” Pat- sion without acknowledging ing his name to the public. terson writes, several para- the cost.” Tessier could not say how graphs after he describes Patterson refused to com- wander.” long the investigation will HONDA Megeney’s death. ment on the two military take. “The fi ghting in Kandahar investigations conducted DR. KEVIN PATTERSON Patterson is the author TILLER SALE is worse than two years ago. by the military police and Author of several books and essays The Taliban’s ranks appear Department of Defence’s including The Water in Ends Aug. 30 to be growing. Skirmishes Health Services group. As such, a Department Between, an account of his have reached the outskirts Though he received his of Defence spokesperson sailing voyage to Tahiti, and of Kabul.” medical training through said, Patterson remains Consumption, a look inside Patterson’s intent, with- the Canadian Armed Forces, subject to conditions the history of an Inuit family. out advocating for either the he visited Afghanistan on a set out by the National He is a specialist of internal pro- or anti-war camps, he voluntary basis as a civilian Defence Act.