rt LATE TS 84 VIC SWAN, Publisher GEORGE LEE, Editor Proprietor: Island Publishers Ltd. | | - Fe a CO : As \@] @ | 9781-2nd St., Sidney, B.C. V8L 4P8 Phone 656-1151 ; 5 F ESTABLISHED 1912 SECOND CLASS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 0128 Wednesday, July 26, 1989 Page Ad Aylard’s past not the issue A segment of the North Saanich community obviously feels betrayed by George Aylard. Some taxpayers have noted in our letters section — and no doubt before council — that this is the second time the farmer has argued survival of his business as a reason for seeking development. The first time, Aylard said a residential development on a portion of his property would allow his family to farm. The council of the day was swayed. | Now, about five years later, Aylard says he. must go elsewhere to earn money at his chosen profession. Hence, the golf course application. This doesn’t sound terribly devious to us. In any case, whether or not the public trusts Aylard is a side issue, perhaps even a red herring. Aylard is going to sell the 350-acre parcel. He isn’t farming it. And the choice is between 50-acre “‘farm”’ residential lots or a golf course. Council, we hope, decided which it wanted based on what is best for the community, not on any lingering animosity _ towards Aylard. It’s not an easy decision to make. One of the troubling things about protecting farmland is that the economic impetus is always for other uses. Land is always worth more, in dollars and cents, as a non-farm development. That’s why systems such as the agricultural land reserve are necessary to "protect farm land — because it has, of course, a value that goes beyond dollars and cents. The province’s Agricultural Land Commission has - decided thet golf courses are an acceptable use on ALR land, -and golf is’a’-sport that is growing in popularity. So municipalities, understandably. enough, are facing more applications for golf courses than ever. Golf courses are no blights. on the landscape. And they. certainly don’t destroy the property for agricultural uses. ~~ But50-acre lots on agricultural land also address a need in the community. Low- -density housing in’ North Saanich’s_ << . “attractive rural setting would undoubtedly attract buyers.. “ys et eg en ee >) | on A wil So North Saanich council made a difficult decision —the [S27 =>, oa ee se fo Gn Dp as _kind North Saanich often faces when development questions . -.. arise. We hope Aylard’s past request didn’ t influence the | -Tejection.- ks LOOKS LIKE I'M GONNA GET A Bet ONE IN THE IAI Why ai Lf SG Qi nsineemee BREET RmanrenEsS Se a EAT i a “Careful wi acts Petitions are handy and useful tools i in building a. case for : - ME ore against government policies. But: they: tend ‘to: be too: "cursory to:mean a whole lot. And they can never replacea - ----eareful examination of: facts. At best, they give a general . Teading of public mood. . The provincial: government pias. full public hearings on. municipal tax reform, The. government is also providing © discussion papers, through its agencies, and municipal offices, to help the public understand a complex issue. “In the meantime, a group of reformers collected more than — 500 signatures, demanding change. The signatures. were gathered over a few hours, near the Sidney Safeway store. But this single-interest group is not the best source of accurate ~ information, the petition’s preamble demonstrates. Ask a homeowner who just paid anywhere from 10 per cent to 30 per cent more on his tax bill whether he. wants change in the system and the answer will almost undoubtedly a litle bit of a Mom-and-apple-pie issue. We believe strongly some kinds of reform in municipal be. yes. This. is taxation are necess: ary. Market demand can force the assessment of homes in a middle-class community up SO- high that taxes are unbearable. Homeowners, in turn, can no. longer afford their neighborhoods, It’s certainly “understandable where the reform movement comes from. But the petition has some serious drawbacks, First of all, its introduction contains errors of fact and some dubious conclusions. Under “whereas,” the petition ‘silys that municipalities. provide services to all residents equally, and “these services are for people not properties. ” This becomes a matter of: semantics. Ifa municipality sewers a new development, for example, does the: neighbor on septic receive the same. “benefit? Services vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, Mooring: locals ‘Editor: © Iam. “F teansiget: ‘liveaboard ~ sailor, who once preferred Sidney as a summer and occasionally. — longer-term moorage. Sidney has - been supportive of my occupation as a.constriction: worker in the past, and: T-in turn supported your © local: merchants. Tt has been with great interest - that-I: followed the controversial construction. of the breakwater, » looking forward to a. safer moor- age. And perhaps even a job on the fabled site (what, no foundation?) I. also looked: forward to: secing old: friends, primarily retirees who “once kept their. boats at the old marina, Old Bob, what a character, he. enjoyed looking out of his — apartment over the marina, his beloved Gala. Now, of. course, there is no moorage available.to locals, nor to myself as a liveahoard (don't peo- ple on vacation. live aboaril?). . As moorage now only available ‘to the wealthy at the “Sidney Yacht Club’? Wasn’tothe breakwater built by. the government? But for whor Canadians or Amer icans? Present COUNCH, Wake BP. Sidney; ‘you’ ve. been . Sold out.. Maybe the. docks ‘could: be- sold ‘ to Jon Parker for $2: You can sce what he’ s $ doing! K. Krupka ‘Aquila: Resign well Editor: In his resignation’ Siaiemeni to The Review Ald. Ron Kubck said, “When I do.something Fike to do it well,” (“Business calls: Kubek resigns from council,” July:19), | May | suggest that ‘he apply that philosophy by. resigning immedi- ° ately instead of Sept, 30? He has not been able to take part. in any decisions on the major issue before: council, the port project since he declared-a perceived con- Hict of interest in September 1988, “An immediate resignation would “benefit-us all, Kubek could. get on with his business and a new face on couns cil mightat last be able to find out for the taxpayers whatis really: - going on al the port, and how meh it is costing. us, Th is underst: inde that the “botched up. the project, does not ™ ~~ want-a new face at:the table who. -: -might not: tow-the line, ‘before it: decides what to-do if Sidney Pier: fails to live up to the construction deadline of Oct: 17. ~The taxpayers, however, nced a friend on. council now, not some- time next October.or November, ~ ; We need a byelection as soon as . legally possible rather than. months of delay’ for political rea- . sons, John Wood . Sldney Advance date Editor: ; {tis gratifying to learn that Ald, Ron Kubek, who does not live or work in our town, has resigned » from Sidney council offective Sept. 30, What is puzzling about the resignation. is that while Ron quotes a “wish to devote more lime to my business and family” ws the reason for resigning, the resignation is not effective for ‘almost three, months, AS Council meets very: infre- “quently, (or it did when | served) * during July and August, surely it” wes has. could Po he ms Ron Hust wishes Fewer | subscribers - Lo colleck ‘the stipend for those = leisurely months?. Come on, Ron; advance the date, : and let’s: have the byelection as” soon as possible, Some citizens: -~ wish to senda message to council — “prior to the October expiration of - _ the Sidney Pier Holdings agrec- ment. No! I I don’t plan on running, ~~ Cy Relph “Former. Alderman Town of Sidney Editor:: “An article in last wwcak’ $ Review (“Channels and charges inereas- — ing”): said: that Shaw Cable has “almost. 12,000 Peninsula sul scribers.” I've looked at Shaw*s fee increase proposals in: their Sooke office, Shaw's 8 applications “say its Saanich operation has only 11,100 subscribers, Sooke/Lang- ford has 11,600. Perhaps Shaw. got. the two figs ures Mixed up, The number. is. important because the CRIC divides Shaw's ~inercased expenses by the number. of subscribers tov atrive atthe» C ontinued on Page AS ” although: municipalities make every effort to distribute them | ~~ equally, And some improvements in service are of far more, value to the owner ofa home than a renter, Sewering might: make a house easier to sell, which has no benefit toa renter, Next whereas: “B.C. school boards have the: power to levy taxes on residential property owners only,” This is true ~~ but incomplete. Other property owners pily for education by » contributing, via their niunicipal tax bill, to a province-wide pot of revenue used for providing basic education, So the implication that residential property owners are the only people paying for education is false. -. . ‘Third whereas: “The B.C. Assessment Authority conducts _ ‘unfair biennial property re- -evaluation exercises tO-extract more property tax from homeowners. only.” This is simply. notirue. All properties in... there are about 1.3 milion of them ~-- are evaluated every two years, Homeowners aren! on > the only property owners who face re-assessment. —. $O based on this, the reformers want fairness and wyuity i the tax system, and they want the. government ad 0) rescind) _ forthwith” the power of school boards to raise taxe a —Porthwith is a lithe too soon for any change. to the syster m, particularly based on the scanty and inaccurate information the tax reformers are using in their battle. The a ~ reformers bring welcome attention to an important issue, But othe public will be well served bya thorough examination that . : BUGS beyond i) collector wt wb pbbalibe 3 foam fed Up aa: payed, ty . 7 : ; ‘tummy Abraithwaite On-HS rrant cover, ft) nicmber of the RC, team. Inside, she’s identified as a’ player from: Stoney, And we thought: Const, George Braithwaite was Wintec Burn; iby, nor Stoney. Oh well, We Justean’t decide which is better «~ Sydney or ‘Stoney, * hey LOTS or summer fun is happening nt the Sidney Museum, The. ‘stall: promise a diverse solection of artifacts, from buzz siws to hat. pins, await. Also, the Deep Cove Weavers and Spinners will show you how fabrics and garments were made in the past, fram Eto 3 pan. a every Tuesday of the summer, ‘The museum is Open cae " day except . a a _ : 7 i —. Thursday from 10 au. to.4 pan. , . ed i ; THE PANCE 1 “family refer to lormer Nowth Sauinich mayor ! ‘loyal Harrop as “Grindpa Lloyd Nennallyy he’s wo rekuion to dhe Portugese clang who launched: youn, Diane Panel's new alham Friday, night. Harrop introduced her first song af the evening, A * family friend for about 3 years, Harrop firstaner Michiel Panel wher he bought a boat from him, And they've been friends ever since: see event though MN Wop. sold the boat a while later for $500 profit, 5 . wo oe! — SENSITIVE. MEMBERS OF THE GENE RAL public would he woll advised to stay clear of The Review's kitchen/wastinnany sink: Office manager and all-round stati Mom Sandi Burchill finally lost her coal about dirty dishes and threatened “murder by soap suds". - — carefully inelided within a two- “Tue, prominently posted Hlatrite, There Hate been fewer dirty dishes since, iy: IT WAS JUST: your avernge day in court sort of, After the morning break Thursday, Judge Alan Filmer cotered, everyone rose, and the court recorder’s machine. made a series: of fast-forward, garbled sounds, Sa everyone Tse and Filmer retired to the judge's _. chambers. Hectried again a few minutes later. The defence attorney jtoted hat the Crown jiasceulon was now ablscnt “Van could le in. “av better position then, could you?” the judge. said, Quipped Crown’ prosecutor Derek Lister upon his return, "Well, its niceto be the last “one info the courtroom, your honan’?’ And then, (o-top. off the: - * MOM, the judge informed a Review reporter that charges against him had been stayed. This. was particularly: gratifying, if conbusing, news for the reporter, who hia nat been hanged with HN anything in the vf irst place, ow a ge Bak THE StIMME UR issue of Softh: Ml R. C. hi x caphota of locatathtere +e &