Slews

TheReview

Wednesday, August 15,1990 — A21

‘Chamber promotes Peninsula in
well-used fourist info-centres

About 9,600 visitors to the Saa-
nich Peninsula made tourist info-
centres on the Pat Bay Highway
near McDonald Park Road and on
Sidney’s First Street near Ocean
Avenue their first port of call in
July, Saanich Peninsula Chamber
‘of Commerce general manager
Marilyn Lee said.

“We provide them with the
B information they need but we also

really market and promote ser-
vices on the Peninsula,’ Lee said.

The 1990 tourist season has
seen a marked upswing in interest
in the area by United States visi-
tors who arrive on the Sidney-
Anacortes ferry, she said.

Consequently, the First Street
Information Centre has expanded
its Operations to meet the needs of
the American tourists, she said.

Since the start of July this year,
it has been open for eight hours

ach day and has been staffed by at
least one full-time summer student
employee.

Last year the First Street Centre

@vas open an average of about three
hours per day, from January until
November 1989, and was staffed
exclusively by volunteers.

“Tn the first week of operations
in July, the centre has equalled the
entire count of visitors for the
month of June,” she said.

Nine summer students help keep
the two information centres open
all day and all week to promote the
Tegion, Lee said.

PAYING A VISIT to the Pat Bay
Highway Infocentre, a Cou-
ple of tourists who have just
arrived on the Island by ferry
look for ways fo spend their
tourist dollars.

The two info-centres are run on
an operating budget provided by
the Chamber because the influx of
tourist dollars is good for many
local businesses, Lee said.

Last year, nearly 50,000 visitors
stopped to inquire about accom-
modation and tourist attractions on
southern Vancouver Island, she
said.

Over the winter, from Septem-
ber to May, the two info-centres
are staffed mainly by volunteers,
who are usually long-term resi-
dents of the Peninsula, she said.

“A lot of these people usually
have time to spare and are friendly
and very knowledgeable of the
area. We’re currently looking for
more volunteers and we have a
training program in the fall,” she
said.

sBeer store supporied, again

The first step toward appealing
the results of a cold beer and wine
store referendum had positive

@esults Aug. 7.

Central Saanich council reiter-
ated a motion made in 1988 to
allow the Prairie Inn’s application
to go to pre-clearance — the first
stae in the Liquor Control and
Licensing Branch license approval
process.

The Saanichton cottage brewery
is appealing the referendum,
which wrapped up in July with a
54.8 per cent majority in favor of
the cold beer and wine store.

A total of 45.2 per cent of those

; polled voted against the proposed
facility.
The attorney acting for the
Prairie Inn said: “Certain imregu-
larities as to the fashion in which
the referendum was conducted
have now come to light and our
client is proceeding to appeal the
results of the referendum .
Ted Anderson, owner of the
Prairie Inn, plans to request a
public hearing be held instead of a
referendum should his appeal be
successful, he said.
Originally, Anderson was given
the option of a referendum or a
~ hearing, by council, last fall.

Anderson’s attorney Richard
Margetts said in a letter addressed
to council that irregularities
included the conduct of pollsters
and inflammatory material circu-
lated in the community.

Further, there was a campaign by
“the responsible Ministry’ to
undermine efforts to obtain the
license to operate the facility, he
said. Apparently unionized liquor
store workers circulated informa-
tion opposing the cold beer and
wine store application.

“There was a failure of the
- pollsters to canvass approximately
175 residents eligible to vote in the
> Vicinity of the Prairie Inn,” he
~ Said.

“We believe ¢ our clients have a

good, strong appeal.”

Mayor Ron Cullis said council
should wait until “a tacit deci-
sion” by the appeal board has
been made before considering the
matter further.

“But I think council is prepared
to indicate the previously indi-
cated pre-clearance will still apply.
This should not prejudice mat-
ters,” he said.

Ald. Ed Hernblad said he
Strongly agreed council had no
reason to stand in the way of
Anderson’s appeal.

“TI would certainly be prepared
to support the application at that
time if the appeal is successful,”
he added.

Keys taken, two
vehicles stolen

Six sets of car keys were taken
from the Budget Rent-A-Car
building on Bevan Avenue but
only two sets were used.

The rental agency was one of
three Sidney businesses to be bro-
ken into overnight Aug. 6-7, Sid-
ney RCMP said.

A white 1990 Toyota Corolla
and a grey 1990 Plymouth Voyager
van were both taken from the car
lot.

As well, the United Carpet store
in the Mariner Village Mall was
entered through a jimmied front
door and a facsimile machine
stolen.

And 48 pairs of sunglasses val-
ued at $7,000 were stolen from the
London Optical store on Fourth
Street after the lock on the front
door was forced open, Sidney
RCMP said.

Police are asking for the pub-
lic’s assistance in solving these
crimes. Those with information
are asked to call Sidney RCMP or
CrimeS toppers.

a

The only year-long full-time
employee of the info-centres is
Lee, who runs the two facilities on
an operating budget of about
$75,000 per year.

The Chamber of Commerce is
the chief sponsor of the tourism
centres, and the operating funds
are primarily raised through mem-
bership of the business organiza-
tion, she said.

“Unfortunately, we don’t enjoy
any municipal funding, though
most other communities in B.C.
do,” she said.

The provincial government’s
contribution to the centres pro-
vides training and wages for most
of the summer employees, as well
as supplying promotional material,
she said.

“They do not provide ongoing
funds to operate these centres, nor
do they offer any financial assis-
tance to the wages for info-centre
managers and other support staff,”
she said.

Ban of motorcycles near

Central Saanich council moved
closer towards banning the opera-
tion of all non-agricultural motor-
ized vehicles at the new site of the
Saanich Fair, Aug 7.

Council give three readings to a
clause that would ban motorized
vehicles from the fairground.

The amendment to bylaw 970
would also help ensure all events
on the site were of an agricultural

Fireworks restricted

Council gave three readings to a
bylaw amendment that would pro-
hibit the sale of fireworks in the
municipality by anyone who
doesn’t hold a fireworks vendor’s
permit, Aug. 7.

The changes to the bylaw would
also make it an illegal to discharge
fireworks in a municipal park, on a
highway or on school property.

The prohibition includes land in
a commercial or industrial zone, as
well as waterfront land.

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nature.

The move came primarily in
Tesponse to concerns that exces-
sive noise from motorized vehicles
taking part in fairground events
would disturb the neighbors of
Cumberland Farm.

The use of a public address
system would also be curtailed so
that it would only be allowed
during the fall fair.

The fairground is being moved
to Cumberland Farm, on Stelly’s
Crossroad, by the North and South
Saanich Agricultural Society from
its site on East Saanich Road in
Saanichton.

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