COUNCIL QUESTIONED N. Saanich Drainage Ditch Offered By Mayor CRITICIZED BY COMMITTEE: | by PAT MANNING Special to the Sidney Review Must one council honour another’s promise? — was the question raised by Ald. Eric Sherwood at last week’s meeting of North Saanich public works committee. The question arose during a discussion. on whether the public works committee were prepared to pay an estimated $2,100 to place piping in a creek on private property at Chalet and Birch Roads. Municipal Clerk Ted Fairs told the committee council had ap- proved extension of the culvert to prevent: further erosion of the creek bank last February, at the request of the awner of the property, Mrs. A. Alger. “What are we (the municipality) doing on somebody’s private property?” asked Ald. Peter Tredgett. Fairs pointed out the creek is a natural watercourse which becomes the municipality's responsibility only if the municipality has previously been involved with or interfered with the natural running of the water. ‘“We haven't touched it yet,” said Tredgett. ; _ He said he wasn’t suggesting anyone was ‘stupid’? but he questioned why a former council would agree to spend $2,100 of municipal monies when it wasn’t obligated to. POLICE DIDN‘T HELP . Despite assistance from ‘Central Saanich police and Sidney RCMP, the Saanich Peninsula Youth Group went down to defeat Sunday night in a floor hockey game against the Air Cadets ‘‘Shorty’s Raiders.” Final score of the game was not known but Central Saanich Police Chief Bob Miles said it was 11 to eight when he left in the last ‘minutes of the game. “The additional help didn’t help them very much,” said Miles, adding “it sure lets you know when you're out of shape.”’ WHARFINGER APPOINTED Allison G. Horton has been appointed wharfinger for the Town of Sidney. . SIXTY -\THIRD YEAR. No. 6 PROMISE “Are there some reasons we don’t know about?"’ he asked. Ald. Wilf Price, who was on last year’s public works committee, said he didn’t remember the committee ever saying they would do something about the erosion problem. Fairs referred to last year’s decision by council and also toa letter written by Mayor Paul Grieve to Mrs. Alger on June 13. In his letter Grieve said ‘‘both council and the works policy committee have considered the request (to undertake drainage improvement work on the water course of your property) and agree that the work should be undertaken.” He advised her funds would not be available in 1974 because of the increased cost of the reconstruction of McDonald Park Road but ‘I wish to assure you that the council considers itself obligated to the drainage im- provement requested and hopes to be able to undertake the work in 1975," he said. ‘What council passed last year doesn’t bind council this year,” said Sherwood. “Once we step in, we become - responsible,’’ he added. The letter to council written on Dec. 19 stated: ‘‘We are now informed that the piping of our creek will be done for sure in 1975. We also understand that you will be fully -responsible for the cost of placing pipe in this creek for the: first 150 feet or just beyond the barn. And from that distance to our fence line will be the responsibility of both parties - the municipality and ourselves.”’ Committee members pressed concern that if the initial culvert work were done, the municipality would be respon- sible if further erosion occured or if other damage was done. Tredgett said he was still un- clear as to why the municipality had become involved in the first place. The committee agreed to table the matter until further in- vestigation had been done and last year’s chairman of public works, John Lapham, was consulted, ex-- Serving Central Saanich, North Saanich, the Town of S SIDNEY’S AWARD-WINNING AIR CADETS received the RCAF Association trophy last week, from John C. Gilmer, honourary president of the association. The presentation ceremonies were at- tended by dozens of parents, representatives of the Sidney Kinsmen Club (the squadron’s sponsors), former cadets and cadet leaders. The 676 squadron were awarded the national trophy as the most e » Friendship Repayed A Sidney citizen, travelling last Winter in Oregon, was having great difficulty in procuring gas. He pulled up at a gas station, and the attendant began to explain that he had no jas; but noticed the B.C. licence plates. “Do you know Sidney?” he asked. “I come from there,” said the traveller. “In that case, come along with me, said the man at the pump, ‘and took him to his bulk fuel ‘dealer where he made sure ten gallons of the best went into the tank. “I was in that line-up waiting for the ferry at Sidney,” he said. ‘“‘No Sidney resident is going to go away from my station with an empty tank!” HOSPITAL PLANNING COULD BEGIN NEXT WEEK | Saanich Peninsula Hospital Administrator John Stevens has received qualified approval to proceed with preparation of a functional plan for the hospital's proposed 75 bed acute care wing, ‘Preliminary’ functional planning, Stevens told The Review, will not be able to reach completion until the role of the new beds has been defined by hospital consultants Agnew, Peckham and Associates, . Stevens said Monday that he had received a letter from the capital regional district telling him to proceed, with the assistance of the B.C. Hospital Insurance Service, to write the functional program, This is to be done, however, he added, subject to the role that is still to be defined by Agnew, Peckham and approved by the regional hospital board's new health and hospital planning commiasion, The role definition, he said, will be done in conjunction with a study of the total acute care needs for the entire region. The decision to proceed with functional planning at this stage is really one of allowing two levels of the planning stage to proceed at the same time, This decision, Stevens said, was "to speed things up,’ Whatever program is finally prepared for the hospital, he said, is subject to several factors: including the role definition, planning commission agreement and BCHIS approval or direction, Although he would offer no time estimate on when the planning for the hospital might be completed and construction started, Stevens said he is hoping to meet with BCHIS officials next week, “T expect," he said, “if all gocs well, a start will be made before the year is ended,” Call Stevens said he will have to wait for the Agnew, Peckham report and its acceptance by the regional planning commission before he knows whether the new structure will include obstetric or pediatric beds, Controversy over provision (or lack of it) of obstetric and pediatric facilities in| the new hospital wing was raised in January by the medical staff at Rest Haven hospital. In a letter to Health Minister Dennis Cocke — a copy of which also went to the regional board -—~ Dr. HC. Worrall argued that the new hospital ought to include beds for both simple obstetric cases and treatment of un- complicated children's ailments, Regional Hospital Board Chairman Art Young, however, told The Review that a board approved policy motion calls for only one obstetrics unit for the entire capital region. “| wy ete }, a4 H.A. (BARNEY) TAYLOR Harry Alfred (Barney) Taylor, an alderman in North Saanich from 1970 to 1973 and an active community worker, passed away Feb, 1, aged 68 years, He is survived by his wife Olive; son Robert, daughter-in-law Gladys and four grand-children, all of Edmonton; two sisters Kit and Betty, both of Calgary; also nieces and nephews. Mr. Taylor was a member of the Association of Professional Engincers of Alberta and a longtime petroleum engineer in the Alberta oilfields, A message of sympathy to Mrs, Taylor from the council of the District of North Saanich, approved in resolution form Monday evening, recognized Mr. Taylor's contribution to the municipality by expressing “the appreciation of all the residents of the district for the exceptionally energetic and productive services rendered to the community by the man known affectionately as ‘Barney.’ By family request flowers are declined and no service will be held, ISLAND FURNITURE MAR Twn. THE STORY OF PINE 656-3032 is as old as Canada itself, The final pine product, expertly worked by KILGOUR craftsmen and surfaced in the “KANT-MAR" baked on finish, stands for the ultimate in home comfort and sophistication, Ask your KILGOUR FRANCHISE DEALER to show you his complete collection, There is a piece for every taste and every corner of your home, “Come in NOW and SEE our show case selection --- we're proud of ony PINE! SIDNEY ~ 656-3724 _ idney, and the Guif Islands proficient in Canada — an honour they have held provincially five times. Commanding officer of the squadron is Capt. J.H. McLeod. The local cadets were selected for the trophy from among the 380 other squadrons in Canada. For the first time this year, the squadron also includes young women, wearing for the first time last week, new air force tartan kilts. There is growing controversy in the Sidney area over the affect homecraft licencing is having on local commercial operators — witha particular problem cited in the case of beauty salons, ‘To my estimation, hair- dressing is nota homecraft, it is a profession,” Pink Kitten Beauty Salon manager Mrs. Crowhurst _ told The Review, adding that she did not agree with all the homeeraft licences that have heen issued in the last year to home salons. Mrs, Crowhurst tnaintains that the home-based heauty parlors are huring all) downtown ANDERSEN ELECTED LIBRARY HEAD Sidney Ald, Chris Andersen has been elected chairman of the Vancouver Island Regional Library system, He will preside over a 27 member board, The regional library area is approximately 20,000 square miles in area, It has 24 branch Nbraries, three hook-mobiles, eight deposit stations and nine catalogue stations which serve the public. Direct mail and hoat service are used in some arenas too remote for standard library service, Tn 1074 1,808,519 books und materials were cireulated by the system. et Lg pe ti fy Pa _his report, - Beauty Shop Owners BUTLER BROTHERS | 2046 KEATING X ROAD | Telephone: 652-1127 | SIDNEY LOCKOUT COULD COME ON MONDAY Capital Region Move Expected Today OUTSIDE CONTROL OVER. C.UP.E. SAYS ALDERMAN by GEORGE MANNING Special to the Sidney Review Sidney municipal employees could find themselves out on the street as early as Monday, The Review has learned. “We anticipate ‘we'll be prepared to lock out on Monday morning,” Ald. Peter Malcolm Sidney’s representative to the regional bargaining group, said in a Review interview. Malcolm added that council has prepared ‘‘various con- tingency plans with respect to office hours and staffing’ should a lock out in the town occur. The decision to follow other lower Island municipal organizations in locking out members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees reached late last year as a way in which participating municipalities, the capital regional district and the Victoria school board could present a unified front in annual bargaining with the union. Malcolm has said previously that the union was not really bargaining on an individual basis, and it was for this redson that the regional bargaining group was formed. Malcolm said Monday. that Sidney will likely ask -provincial mediator Clark Gilmour to file at- a negotiating VS. Homecraft Hairdressers LICENCING CONTROVERSY CONTINUES businesses, because the customer that comes into town to have her hair styled will likely do other shopping while in the area, . Mrs. Crowhurst points to- the hairdressers’ association and the Sidney town council as the two main forces that have allowed the situation to develop. “The hairdressers’ association do absolutely nothing about it,” she said, “it is a very lax organization, If they wrote a note. to council it would probably make a lot, of difference,” But she adds, “The council wants to build up the downtown area and then they licence these shops that take people away.” It adds up to a double problem as far as she is coneerned, ‘T sincerely hope ~ that something is done about it,” she said, GREGORIG AGREES Cameo Beauty Salon owner Twen Gregorig agrees with Mrs, Crowhurst, “Tt must affect us," she told The Review when asked whether the home businesses took customers nway from her shop, “They can afford to charge lower prices because they don't have high rent to pay — it's really hard on us." Mrs, Gregorig added that her business was harmed because of what she deseribed as unfair competition, She said that she Continued on Page 2 was” meeting scheduled for today © (Wed.). ; The Review has also learned from an informed source that the district of Saanich, municipality of Oak Bay and the capital regional district will likely not. wait for Sidney to conform to legal requirements for a lock out, . - and will close their doors to CUPE workers as early as today. Sidney must wait until Gilmour | -files his report with the province, before actually putting its em- — ployees out of work. This could not happen before’ Monday, Malcolm said, adding that lockout notice has already been served on the union, leaving only notification that Gilmour’s report has been received in the, way of a lockout. Ss Malcolm said last week that the regional bargaining group had decided not to pursue lockout activities ‘‘until the mediation — process has been exhausted, or — until the situation appears hopeless.” ‘ The bargaining committee, he | said then, were very concerned that mediation meetings have — taken over a month to ; ‘materialize and have’ been . postponed. “Tam a little discouragéd,”’ he * said, ‘‘at what appears to-be an - inclination on the part of the — mediator to tolerate the abuses of ~ the unavailable for meetings.” | Malcolm also has_ strong - criticism for CUPE’s apparent non-local control. “I suspect that CUPE’s tactics | and stand in this matter,” | Malcolm said Monday, ‘‘are dictated from Vancouver or | elsewhere and the local union : representatives have very little Say.” . “They scem very vague,” he concluded, ‘‘and indecisive in their discussions with our negotiators,” READER’S DIGEST REPRINTS ARTICLE An award. winning Review feature article has been re- printed in this month’s issue of the Reader's Digest. The short article written by Review Publisher John Manning, dealt with his blind son, and the experience he had with the boy on. his first walk down Beacon Avenue. The sume piece won a B.C. journalisim award. PRISONER RUSHED TO HOSPITAL | A Brentwood man wanted in connection with the passing of a N.S.F, cheque at the Hotel: Vancouver was apprehended . Jan. 31 by Central Saanich police, The man was placed in Sidney’! RCMP cells overnight and was’ discovered the following morning Unconscious, apparently suf. fering from an overdose of drugs, police said, ; John Michael Vaux, 33 of Brentwood Bay was rushed to.’ Royal Jubilee Hospital where ho was reported Tuesday by hospital authorities.to be in “fairly good condition,"