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Me = Wednesday, June 15, 1988

THE REVIEW 9781-2nd St., Sidney B.C.

Friends say keep island for park

A group of Greater Victoria residents are lobbying to have
the provincial government purchase James Island in an effort
to guarantee parkland for the future — but one MLA says it

won’t happen.

‘*That’s not a likely possibility,”’ said Saanich and the
Islands MLA Mel Couvelier. ‘‘That’s not the role of govern-

ment.’”’

Couvelier said he has not seen any specific plans from the
Friends of James Island, but he said, ‘‘If and when the island
is offered to the province, 1 will look into it.”’

A founding member of the Friends of James Island says,
“*This is nota political thing, or a controversial thing.

“‘We’re trying to promote the concept of the provincial
government buying the island and earmark areas that should
be open to the public,’’ said Jack Grisley.

“We just want certain areas of the island to be available to

= the public,”’ he said.

The group is planning to. meet with MLAs Terry Huberts

and Couvelier, Grisley said.

said.

“‘We’re prodding the MLAs to keep the thing alive,’ he

‘MLA Terry Huberts says he prefers a joint venture between
‘the government and a private developer.
‘*Y want the people of Greater Victoria and the Peninusula
to continue to have a share of the island,’’ Huberts said.
The island has been owned by Canadian Industries Ltd.

oh

since 1913. It is private property and security personnel patrol
the island, keeping trespassers off, Grisley said..

Boaters may legally land on the island and come as far as

the high water mark, said Jim Hatter, a bioligist who
manages the 400 deer and other wildlife currently living on
the island.

’ The province already has some control over what happens
to the island through the Islands Trust, Huberts said.

He wrote a letter to the Environment and Parks: Ministry
asking that the province consider buying the island. ‘‘The
response was that the government doesn’t have.the money to
buy the island,’’ Huberts said. _

CIL spokesman John D’Eath said purchase of the island
‘has been considered by a number of provincial departments

JACK GRISLEY, a founding member of the Friends of

James Island, with sandy beaches in the background.

He is hoping the province will buy the island to

preserve parkland.

~and they’ ve decided they didn’t want it.”’

The Ministry of Lands and Forests surveyed the island a
couple of years ago and declined 10 purchase it, D’Eath said.
It was also considered as a work camp as part of the prison
system about 18 months ago, D’Eath said:

“‘It was even considered by the Capital Regional District as
a garbage dump,”’ D’Eath said.

‘It’s an expensive island to maintain, ” he said. Phere are
nearly seven miles of coast front.’

New plans for a: private pur-

. Chase of James Island by North
Saanich developer ‘Ed. Wenzel .

will take about six months ‘to:
prepare, Wenzel said last week. —

‘By GLENN WERKMAN
Review Staff Writer

But the island will likely be
sold. within: the next couple of

months,. said a spokesman for

its owner, Canadian Industries

EB tde

“We? ve “dealt with about 30
groups © over, ‘the. past. two
_ years,’? John .D’Eath ‘said.
“Right '..now «there. are: -tWO
-_ groups. that are. very interested ie
“init?

«DD Fath said: the island “could
~be.sold in: minutes if one of the.”

interested parties decided to: buy

it’ forthe $5: million asking
price.‘ Documents have already :

been prepared:and only require

signatures, -

When asked ‘if the island. will

still -be available for purchase

six. months from -now,
replied,. ‘‘I

D*Eath
dupe il _very

last September,

resort.
A new purchase proposal still

in- the works would be made: *

privately by. “Wenzel, the
developer said.
Wenzel is confident he will be
_ the one to buy the island. ‘‘I still
think I’m the guy that’s going to
be developing that island.’’.
D’Eath said, ‘‘CIL would like

‘him to buy it. It’s just a matter

of putting it all together:
"We're. still. on

-he‘said.:

“mecca: It’s perfect for that.’

““Wenzel still has ‘the ‘legal.
right to complete the original
“GIL fis.

deal,’’. :D’Eath ‘said.
waiting for: further .. ‘payment

_ All he has.to do. is.come™
through | he door mn, some

money.’

~The contract is the same since -
D’Eath. said.

“CH has completed all ‘its ‘re-
quirments.’

Wenzel said he is looking at
redrawing conditions inthe con-

“good...
-amicable terms with (Wenzel),’”:- fy
“The best use for the 9 =

~Asland-is:to.turn it into a: golfing:

CI...

contract.

‘acres in size and is located east
_ of Saanichton Bay, a 10-minute

‘Population tell us. that almost 44°:

‘in 1981.

in the September contract.

“It was an internal: thing in
the contract,’’ Wenzel said. He
refused to disclose details of the

James. Island is about... 723

boat ride from Sidney. It was
used as an explosives. manufac-
turing site from 1913 to 1978 by::

ee

ue is a nation on the move. Wee
Results from the 1986: Census of *

per cent.of Canadians lived in a
“different dwelling: than they had =

This’ is, nowever the lowest.
‘Proportion registered since 1961.

Red sky at_
MOPrning...

(PEMBERTON — ee ee
~HOLMESHES?

PROTECT YOUR S

Page A7

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WHERE
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THURSDAY, |
JULY 7, 1988 |

2280 Beacon Ave. | -
656-1176 J

| sailors
take
warning. “

Service.

much,’”. ~
- Wenzel said he continues to.
work extensively on a private
purchase and- realizes others
* have ideas, -
HO CHL can cut a better deal
i with them, they’re welcome.to
2... ity’? Wenzel said..‘‘Our deal has
collapsed but 1 am still looking
at other possibilities.” :
The collapsed purchase pro-
.~ posal was made by Wenzel'’s
-company, United. Homes Ltd.,
«~~ which trades on the Vancouver |
* Stock Exchange. It planned to. .
*  gpend $50 million. to turn: the.
»® isand into a world-class golf

tract and he said that CIL was
unable to meet. some conditions

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