From the start, the intentions of the Town and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, were to complete the paving of South Shore Road this year. However, for many different reasons, there will be a delay for completion of the project until the beginning of the 2013 paving season.
Some of the reasons that have factored into this decision were the risk of paving in late October and or early November, costs being well over what was budgeted for and our preference to have a roundabout constructed prior to paving. The ability to save a substantial amount of money to complete this project by waiting a little longer was the most feasible decision we could make. Our decision was we were only going to change the intersection at South and North Shore Roads if we could find partners to cost share with us. Now that those partners have committed, construction of it prior to paving is the most logical step to take.
Sometimes progress comes with obstacles but this delay is a sacrifice we are willing to make for improvements to our thorough way. The final result now will be much more aligned with what we envisioned from the start. While we look at the negative impact of delaying paving to the positive impact of a less costly, more complete roadway, the positive far outweighed the negative.
The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission held a public hearing in Nanaimo on Oct. 16. This hearing was to gather opinions on the newly proposed boundaries and electoral district names. They discussed changes on the proposal to place Lake Cowichan and Areas F and I in the Nanaimo South riding. Most speakers — including MP Jean Crowder, MLA Bill Routley, Area F Director Ian Morrison and myself — expressed our concerns and a preference to be connected with the rest of the Cowichan area, including Duncan and North Cowichan. The judicial panel were very receptive to everyone who spoke and will be drawing their final conclusion after reviewing all the information received.
Another Ohtaki-Date City delegation from Japan has come and gone from our community. This exchange between the two communities has been happening for 23 years now. The 14 students and ten adults that visited this time bring the total to over 460 people who have come here during this exchange and more than 280 from our area have visited Ohtaki.
Our next delegation will be going to Ohtaki-Date City in July, 2013. Anyone interested in being a part of this delegation can contact our town office for information. Many great friendships are formed during these visits and it is a great opportunity to learn the differences and similarities between our two cultures.
It was a great experience to attend Miss Hemstalk’s Grade 3 class at Palsson Elementary School and answer questions from her students. Their enthusiasm and honesty made for a real enjoyable time.
Recently the Kaatza Lakeside Players Society asked me to be an honorary director. This group has provided outstanding entertainment to our community for the past 27 years and having my name associated with it is a great honour.
Service clubs play a very important role in a community and we are blessed to have great volunteers. Having recently been a guest at a meeting of the Lions Club, it reinforced my belief how much these types of groups assist with the needs of our community.
If anyone would like to become involved with our many service clubs, they are always looking for new members. The Lions have a strong mandate to help others and are a good example of how clubs like themselves, the Kinsmen, Lakeside Players and so many others, enhance the community we live in. We appreciate each and every person who volunteers and helps the people in our area.
It was encouraging to see so many local people attending the Our River-Our Future public meeting hosted by a Cowichan organization at the Cowichan Cultural Center. Everyone might have a different opinion on how the flows for the river should be executed, but coming out and gathering information to support your opinion is important. Bringing people together to educate themselves on this subject is an important step as river flow concerns must certainly continue to be addressed in the future.