«News ’ Sidney ratepayers criticize council and Review during inaugural meeting by Glenn Werkman The Review Town council and the local com- munity newspaper were slammed by various residents about to become members of the Sidney Ratepayers Association during its inaugural meeting in Sanscha Hall, Thursday. But several residents also called for a positive approach to munici- pal issues. “Tm sure we all have concerns about town council,” said former. alderman Jim Lang, later elected president of the new association. Lang said council is secretive and a promise that the Port of Sidney documents would be released hasn’t been kept. “To this date they have not been made public and they’re very hard to get to,” Lang said. “I have a teputation for being troublesome at times, but my aims and objectives are to make sure my taxes are being put in the right place, for everyone,” Lang said. Lang has been critical of a deal the Town made with Sidney Pier Holdings in which land he says should have been appraised at $1.6 million was sold for $750,000. Some of the over 40 residents said association members should attend council meetings on a regu- lar basis. Resident Chuck Harvey said he’s gone to council meetings and got the cold shoulder from council Malo z A SETTING SUN glitters on the waters of the Saanich inlet in this photograph, which reflects the beauty of the Peninsula. Efforts fo make the inlet a marine park would preserve the area. members and felt that council members wondered what he want- ed. “The questions I’ve asked are positive ones but it’s hard to get a positive answer,” Harvey said. “T’ve heard, and it’s only been suggested, that the press has been told not to report on certain things,’ Harvey said. Apparently municipal staff received a pay increase of between $400-$500 per month but it wasn’t reported in The Review, Harvey said. “If that was CUPE it would be headlines,” he said. Arthur Gregg said if “they take the opposition they'll lose their advertising.”” He said Eaton’s and Simpson’s pulled advertising from a publication in the east because of _ displeasure in editorial treatment. “This may well be the case here,’ Gregg said. Don Munro, former MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, said he got recent minutes of a council meet- ing and tried to figure out what a bylaw to amend the annual indem- nity bylaw 1016 passed May 28 actually was. He got a copy of the bylaw and found it said that bylaw 934 be further amended to substitute the figures 13,608 for 12,960 and substitute 4,536 for the figures 4,320. “That didn’t tell me anything,” Munro said. Two sets of minutes for Committee A meetings Munro received are “not really all that revealing.” “T do encourage you to come up here and look at various things we've tried to put together.” Elected vice-president of the new association was Ray Wilson, Cy Relph was elected secretary and Harry Norquay was elected to the post of treasurer. Scheduled guest speaker, Saa- nich and The Islands MLA and Finance Minister Mel Couvelier, called to cancel during the meet- ing because of an urgent family matter. One resident said after the elec- tions, “I suggest the first challenge of the executive is to challenge them to get out to these meetings and try to get more people out at these meetings.” The association plans to work toward the next municipal election in November and intends to endorse candidates for mayor and alderman. , Niblett elevated to volunteer hosiess | The lady in the park is now the official lady in the park, with a uniform, responsibilities and a new outlook on the future. Bernice Niblett, 73, is pleased she’s able to stay in McDonald Park provincial campsite. She was threatened with evic- tion because of a 14-sday maxi- mum stay permitted under provin- cial park regulations. But last week, park officials asked her to stay as a volunteer hostess. “T’m here until the end of the month, then possibly I'll go to Sidney Spit (provincial park) for a month,” Niblett said Monday. She said the park host and hostess system is a new initiative taken by the provincial ministry and there may not be enough hostess to cover all the parks initially. But there seems to be a need. “People come in and want to know where places are and how to get there,” she said. “I’ve lived and biked around here often enough to know where everything is. “Tt tell them nice places to go like Sidney Spit or Island View Beach.” One thing she’s learned with the hot weather and a growing influx of tourists is that the campsite fills up pretty fast on Friday nights. “You have to get here before the 6 p.m. ferry lands to camp on the weekends,” Niblett said. She’s also surprised by a high number of people who vacation on bicycles. “Most people are friendly, after all they’re all out for a holiday.” But Niblett hasn’t forgotten about getting into subsidized hous- ing. “TI haven’t heard more on the subsidized housing except I’m having to wait for the place to be built on Third Street,” she said. “But even if I was in an apart- ment I'll still come in (to be campground hostess) four hours a day.” BERNICE NIBLETT TheReview Wednesday, July 11,1990 — Ad North Saanich engineer crossing waiter “‘Very similar to North Saa- nich,” is how municipal engineer Igor Zahynacz describes his new job as municipal engineer for Port Coquitlam. Zahynacz leaves Friday after Going on a picnic or boating? Give us a call. municipal engineer for 18 years. Pe > ae “A PLACE TO CROW ABOUT” Home of the Wedgie Fries five-and-a-half years as North Saanich municipal engineer, then Starts his new job Monday. “That gives me two days holi- day,” he said. Like North Saanich, important issues in Port Coquitlam include recycling, parks and composting, Zahynacz said. Unlike North Saanich, the Van- couver suburb has a population of 36,000 and a large industrial area bordering the Fraser River. Zahynacz has bought a home in northern Port Coquitlam and will move his wife and three children from Oak Bay to Port Coquitlam early in August. He has been working as a Golf Lessons $500 45 min. $6 5004 lesson series Dave Cormier CPGA Professional By appointment Evenings 656-741 — OUT Foo, aS Special of the Week SNAC PAC With Wedgies or Fries and Coleslaw Noe Reg. $4.29. EXPIRES JULY 25TH, 1990 ISLAND POTATO CHIPS OPEN SUNDAYS 10 am - 4 pm until Labour Day Open Thurs. and Fri. until 6 p.m. Our natural gourmet potato chips are kettle cooked in small, individual batches then sorted and packaged entirely by hand to ensure the highest quality. They are preservative and salt free; however, a salt package is enclosed in each package if desired. 10025 GALARAN ROAD, SIDNEY, B.C. V8L 3S1 PHONE 655-4404 MODEL #ST155 169.99 FULLY ASSEMBLED & ALF BECKER & SON LT TRIMMERS Great Selection at \. Great Values