25 SSI Historical Archives (incl. GST) 129 McPhillips Ave Wednesday, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2T6 July 17, 2002 01/01/2.003 F 42ndyear Issue29 32& Lower Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K2V3 Tel: 250-537-9933 Fax: 250-537-2613 Toll-free: 1-877-537-9934 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.gulfislands.net THIS WEEK'S INSERTS • ArtSpring • Mouat's Home • Fields Hardware Hospital • Ganges Village • Pharmasave MOT Market • Thrifty Foods project INSIDE plan 'ready irks to roll' A $650,000 boost from the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation will save an operating room expansion bikers on Salt Spring. The Capital Regional By MITCHELL SHERRIN District (CRD) has approved Staff Writer plans to go ahead with Say goodbye to your Phase 1 of the Lady Minto favourite ruts, cracks and pot­ Hospitaf Redevelopment, holes along Lower Ganges, which involves renovation Long Harbour and portions Creating and expansion of the operat­ of Upper Ganges roads. ing suite and creation of a fibre landscapes Highway crews are set to re­ palliative care room for Laurie Stefler's unique pave stretches of these Salt dying patients. Spring thoroughfares later fibre art is on show at The project was threat­ this summer under a Moby's. Page 23. ened earlier this year when $500,000 project. the Ministry of Health And although Island Trust Services pulled its provision members are applauding the of capital funding, leaving Butterflies plan, a local cycling advocate health authorities to find the has several questions and money elsewhere. and meadows concerns about the proposed That money will now A student studies but­ paving work. come from the hospital terflies in local Garry "It's been our priority for foundation and Vancouver oak meadows. Page 7. 14 years to get a paved shoul­ Island Health Authority der from Portlock Park to (VIHA) which have agreed G anges," said Island Pathways president Claire to cover the 60 per cent Index Heffernan. share, with the island entity picking up $650,000, and Arts ............. 18 She has been unable .to Classifieds . 27 learn details about the loca­ the health authority paying $430,000. Crossword ....... 31 tion of paving work or the _ The hospital foundation's Editorials . 8 parameters for the project. Horoscope ..... 31 "Everyone is being tight share marks a substantial Letters ... .... .... 9 lipped. We don't know what increase from the original $250,000 pledged last year Salt Spring Visitor .. 13 they are planning to do," Heffernan said. to cover costs associated Sports ........ ... 24 with operating room equip­ TV Listings ........ 11 She is concerned that an opportunity to create a wider ment. What's On ........ 14 It road shoulder will go by the also marks the founda­ wayside once again. tion's largest ever fundrais­ "How can we hold their ing pledge. feet to the fire over a resur­ At a meeting last facing job if we don't even Wednesday, the CRD know what their plans are?" renewed its commitment to Heffernan argues that the provide the remaining 40 Ministry of Transportation's per cent, or $719,783. (MOT) own Cycling "The CRD approved Guidelines require a 1.5 wholeheartedly their com­ metre (five foot) paved shoul­ mitment," said Karen der on both sides of the road. Davies, manager of Gulf She also contends that Islands patient care for the MOT has not adhered to the VIHA. 1992 Road Standard "I was really hopeful Agreement (RSA) with the because the project . was Islands Trust to maintain 1.2- certainly a needed addition metre (four foot) shoulders NEW LOOK: Father and daughter - Brad and Nicola Denison - enjoy the to the hospital. I wasn't sur­ handiwork of face-painters Caitlin Laugault and Tomiko Koyama as they get a prised when they recognized _ _BOAD SHOULDER 2 new colourful look in the market at Centennial Park on Saturday. PhotobyDerrick Lundy ___ HOSPITAL 2 ...... Weather Is it possible? The Island couple barges through European adventure weather forecast for By DAVID BALL two and a half years. On the way, travelled through vast networks of when we decided to do the canal the week includes Staff Writer they visited ancient towns, got their linked canals that run through the thing." sun, clouds and What do you do when you feel too boat jammed in a tunnel, and made continent, normally used for trans­ The Olsons first tried barging in showers! Highs to 23 old for sailing? Try buying a barge, lasting friendships. porting freight. the United Kingdom several years C (today turning it into a home, and floating it In August 2000, Ole and Lisa "We've been boaters almost all of before, with friends from Salt Spring. Wednesday) and lows across Europe. Olson set out from a shipyard in the our lives," Ole Olson said. "When we "We said, 'My God, this is a great to 12 (every day). That's what one Salt Spring couple Netherlands on a barge journey south began to feel too old to be sailing, I did - and it took them more than through Belgium and France. They said, 'How about powering?' That's BARGE TRIP 3 The Internet Gateway to the Gulf Islpnds http://www.gulfislands.net Gulf Islands • No payments for 6 months • 30 day money back guarantee Online • No money down • 0% interest for one year Car and Truck Sales 2224 Douglas St., Victoria 1·866·955·5353 Z • WEDNESDAY; JULY 17, 2002 NEWS BEAT GULF ISLANDS DRIF1WOOD ROAD SHOULDER: 'Bike path opportunity' Driftwood wins From Page 1 on major island routes. "We helped to guide them he said. He hopes to add a one­ Hair-splitting between re­ with what we feel is in the The hard realities of high metre shoulder along the national awards paving work and new road best interest of the communi­ financial expenditures have entire length of road. construction will allow MOT ty," Booth said. "They were forced the Islands Trust to The target is as close as The Driftwood has won a sultant Lorraine Sullivan to evade responsibility to wanting some input from our reconsider an earnest pursuit possible to the RSA plan, but first and two seconds in the were awarded second place adhere to minimum standards views on their projects of how of cycling paths, he said. those standards only apply to annual awards program of for Salt Spring Survivor, a set out in the RSA, she said. they can best meet our needs "In many cases on Salt new construction or road the Canadian Community campaign that ran last fall. "In the past, MOT usually within the limited dollars they Spring, it would require major upgrades, Webb said. Newspapers Association. All the awards were for invoked the resurfacing clause have to spend here." reconstruction to widen road "The first option is to take A story by Salt Spring newspapers in the circula­ to get out of any responsibility Local Trust Committee beds with a cost in the mil­ the standard of the day, then writer Peter Clarke was tion category of 4,000 to to pave the shoulders," said (LTC) members Bev Byron lions." you back off... It doesn't selected for first place in 12, 499. They were present­ Heffernan. "We have to get and David Borrowman con­ A Island Trust Cycling take a rocket scientist to see the competition for best ed at the newspaper associ­ beyond this short-sighted firmed a reluctance to share Route Inventory conducted in the program is not going to feature. Clarke's piece, ation's annual convention, approach and ensure that we information about the paving 1999 projected $18 million to pay for that." entitled The Rescue of a held two weeks ago in get the road infrastructure we plan, saying that MOT would build a bike route between This maintenance project Lifeboat, was published in Halifax. require to make drivirig, issue a press release when Fulford and Vesuvius, he aims to add operational life to June last year. cycling, walking, jogging and they deemed it appropriate. said. the road surface, but does not Photographer Derrick other activities safe_on Salt "We agreed that communi­ Borrowman believes the constitute a rebuilding pro­ Lundy was awarded second Spring roads." cation would come from MOT has been creative and ject, Webb said. place for a basketball photo She added: "They can them;' said Byron. supportive in its efforts to However, he still hopes to entered in the best sports resurface until the cows come Byron indicated that MOT improve the quality of road widen road shoulders where photo category, and two home. We'll never get any­ makes a very clear distinction shoulders on the island. ever possible. Driftwood staffers were thing that way." between maintaining roads "We think islanders will "If we're working on an awarded in the category of Island Pathways built a and widening roads. And that find there are going to be existing road and just want to best newspaper promotion. demonstration bike path at the RSA determines standards some improvements in this add life to it, we figure out Advertising manager Peter Portlock Park last year at a for new roads, not mainte­ respect," he said. what we can accomplish McCully and creative con- cost of $60,000, under rigor­ nance work. MOT district engineering without heavy slugging." ous MOT consultation. Moreover, the main thrust technician Bob Webb empha­ MOT and Island Pathways Now Heffernan's particu­ of the 1992 RSA document sized his desire to reach the have the same goals, he said. larly frustrated by locally was to reduce road standards best road conditions possible "It's a long-term project.