-and*a® huge..‘ | Wednesday, July 2, 1980 Sandy Prince enjoys bareback hued during evening instruction. see snerieeatettns i aun ae Appeals to Curtis Open letter: to Hugh Curtis, MLA Saanich-and- ihe: . Islands. — A serious tug-of-war is going on.in North: ‘Saanich, Vand we ask you, as our representative, to pullon the side’ . of. your electorate to prevent an irreversible wrong. a _.* At hazard is the bird habitat and ancient Indian burial. ““~ ground: on. 25 ‘acres: of. Tsehum* Peninsula, purchased © wo While... still “in = the. ‘Agricultural Land. Reserve, ‘by ", developer-politician Robert Wright... On the other end of:the rope is. North Saanich counci ‘groundswell group’’: of Northsaanichers <9 “who. have’ petitioned, protested, and ‘préquestioned ~. municipal ‘candidates to ensure protection .of this’ ~ Students eye unique job opportunities A horse management course for 11 grade seven and eight students at Mount Newton school ended on the trail in the Cowichan Valley last week. Students had spent 10 weeks studying the basics of horse management, care and feeding and were able to * as veterinary . medicine, put their knowledge into practice at the Rancho Del Rio, operated by Carol and Gordon Williams. Two Mount Newton teachers - Daryl Drew and Brian Butterfield - headed up the course with help from horse trainer Merle Harrop and many local people, Drew said Friday. Students spent four hours a day in the saddle, along . with brushing and. grooming chores, he said. ‘‘Most students have their own horses or access to a horse. They’re riders - green, but riders.’’ Saanich has been.an equestrian centre since the late 1800s when the Queen’s Plate was first run at Beacon - Hill Park. ‘‘There are many horses stabled on the Saanich Peninsula and as this population increases, employment opportunities arise in many areas - such training, feed sales and retailing tack and equipment,’’ Drew said. For youngsters who have indicated an interest in equestrian-oriented careers, the course provided an insight into the realities of working with horses, he said. There’s.a lot of work.associated. with horses, he added. ‘‘More hours are’ required for training and maintaining these animals than are spent riding them.’ _The. teacher: has. four horses of. his own and his wife’s grandfather “Pop” Hilliard - is the oldest thoroughbred trainer in B.C. - -letters: ——— . world.: We waste . literally 50 per cent of the energy we use. ‘With proper conservation measures we could cut. our energy requirements in half with no decrease in our ‘standard of living.-It has been sone in other t parts of the: world; we know it works. ~ © This year, B.C. Hydro also plans to export about. 40 : per cent. of our. hydro electricity tothe U:S. B.C.” isn’t: going to get. any. bigger, nor can .we ; ‘manufacture farmland. no matter how much energy we: have.” Once ‘it’s: gone -. that’ sit. Farmland is ‘not a: beautiful, -Seologically sensitive, uniquely . strata-titled a area, Previous owners of Tsehum ‘Peninsula had ‘always respected. the strata title they shared with. nature: and natives. '- This is agricultural land, but the petition by Wright to , remove it from ALR has-been agreed to on the grounds. that’ it: is: ‘‘too.;small’’.. Mr. - Curtis, you know. that everything in North Saanich is small with a scaled-down .: beauty vulnerable to big-buck: plans. Why, our total -. “area is.less than: half. Jack: Horner’s medium. sized’ Alberta ranch! Greeks and Asiatics would be ecstatic over. this.25 acres, suited to high return, low acreage, specialty crops such as: wild rice, mushrooms, celery, legislature, Farming i is everyone’ Ss bread and: Butter. Let’s ‘pull. ‘some. plugs; in our. Houses and‘ in. "the: : Michael. Conway-Brown’ = R:R: 3, Nassachuk. Road, ~ Powell River. “Increase un fir Ane open letter to B. c. Hydro. The price of extra electricity used for electric heat has’ ye beeli increased by 172 per cent since 1973 when | had it: - installed in my house with the encouragement of B.C. - along: .with® shellfish farming,. Such: crops would be |. ecologically and historically. compatible with the North Saanich bird sanctuary and environs. : It took nature many thousands of years to evolve this ‘unique combination of mudflats and treed marshland, and it provides habitat protection to many of our en- dangered species such as the osprey, the eagle, and the Great Blue Heron, - Weask fora stay on any perversion of the present use of this land, Time is neéded' to evolve an imaginative » solution: through: agricultural or tourist parkland. use. -, An appeal has been made by North Saanich council to. the minister of agriculture, % We hope you will both pull > by us. a _G. Lawrie, 10285 West Sannich Road 7 or. the rec ord Hydro; over the same time period the price of electricity - for normal. use {electric lights and appliances) has been: | ! increased by only SO per cent. : The 172 per cent increase is unfair and ‘unjustified and « 1 hope that the occupants’ of other electrically heated “dwellings will join me.in refusing to pay more than the 50 per.cent increase by recalculating. their Hydro bills at .; the rate of 4.5 cents per kwh for the first 550 kwh and. 1.7 cents per kwh for the remainder. which is a 50 per ot cent increase over 1973 When the rates were 3 0 cents. and 1.1 cents. I think we might: have a good legal case in a. class action against B.C. Hydro for unfair business practices “which: also go against the nation’s policy of con- servation of non-renewable energy resources (such as oil and gas) which encourages the: use of solar. power of which Water-generated electricity is the most important: form. |: Not only is-Hydro electricity a renewable energy, but it is in surplus supply, more of which is to be exported to the U.S. Electric heat is also very clean, Producing no. air pollution whatsoever. |. Nevertheless; ‘should’ B.C: Hydro: still: disproportionately large increase in price, than at least those homes equipped. with electric. heat. before an announced date should be exempted from this punitive increase. ‘That date should not be set until natural gas is ~ piped in as a reasonable alternative which will not be for” ‘T would like to goon record as being stionaly against. e any hotel development on the Resthaven site. 1 feel such development, if permitted; would. lead to shops and ° other commercial development in thatarea, that'would “devastate the downtown core of Sidney businesses and : “split commercial activity, We can’ tafford that, ; “ -Condas or instilutdons fine, but please no hotels away : “f rom prevent commercials core, , Ss me, Sidney. Let’s pull some plugs “Pe ace River Valley residents have Deen f ighting the ~ Joss of their valley a long time now. First the W.A,C. i) Bennett Damir One of the largest power projects in the world’’, » then Peace River Canyon (Site 1), Now B.C, Hydro is planning Site “C"' and Site “E", - and there have been three’ proposals. for Dunvegan, Alberta, that would climinate all of the Peace River. Valley farmland. The valley runs east-west and presents a southern ‘exposure to the many thonsands of acres of Class | and . 2 farmland under tillage, This creates a micro climate. that allows. diverse vegetable.crops:to be. grown so far: north, Such conditions are rare in the north and most produce -is: trucked: in from: California and Mexico, (When gas: hits $3.0 gallon, how much. will Mexican tomatoes cost?) ~ Only about 4 per cent’ of B.C. is considered arable. - and moet aft thot remaining is torstly uninhabitable, Our river valleys are the best agricultural land we've got, B.C, Hydro says we need more power, Statistically, the penple. of 7 (on are mie bipgest energy hors in the: a very long timein Victoria, The. technical reason “why electricity | for: heat: is ‘inherently cheap to supply and should be priced low is : » that lt makes the most economical use‘of the generation. and distribution: facilities because. Ats: power load - ds “steady, ©: Ate ds ‘tenily not ‘only. because heat is required. _ throughout the: day in cold'weather, but because. the EET ta te ay Bob Ward = vot at : 9843» 7 And Street, ‘making _ uneconomical . aL. . distribution and generation systems, even requiring the | electricity used in other appliances such as stoves, lights, - hot. water, also help heat the house whereupon: the - thermostats shut off the electric heaters in proportion, ~ By comparison, non-electrically heated homes make very irregular demands on the electricity supply thus use of .the - investment: in. use of fossil-fueled generators during peak periods, OF course, electric heat has a seasonal variation in’ ~ demand which is fortuitous because the demand is least — - dn the summer when the water supply Is low. ‘Electric heat would be even more economical. if the heaters were to be shut off completely during peak load periods and I suggest homes that do that should pay 1,2. cents per kwh, Initially this program could be started “Immediately. by requiring the occupants themselves to shut off all of their thermostats during hours specified. by. B.C, Hydro, but, eventually it would be more. con: >. venient and reliable to have electronic switches installed “at the maing that would be activated by BUC, Hydro. |: To. minimize: discomfort, during: these .heat-of't “periods, B,C. Hydro should encourage the installation. of electric heating systems which store heat such its hot water rendintars nr, better still, hented flange. _E. Harvey Richardson, PhD, 1871 Elinhurst Place, - a.m. ‘prior to the race. . renewable resource,’ and we're: going | to 0 need a lot more ae | 2443 Beaton. Z oof it'in the future.’ “At-one-end of:the rope is: Wright a aman “with political wna ; power;, ‘ propaganda:.expertise-and connections, ‘pulling *.. -to get the land: out.of the: ALR’ so. he, can‘ build a:sub-- -division:: ‘Tugging: with: chim are his verbal: bodyguard : lawyer; business 1 manager; and planner,” “ want to” '. discourage the: use -of electricity. for’ heat. by: