Over his tenure since 2008, Hicks brought in Official Community Plans and growth strategies for every area in the Juan de Fuca District, negotiated key parkland acquisitions and, hammer in hand, helped to build the area’s new office building at Otter Point. Hicks has the ear and friendship of Premier John Horgan, who is also MLA for much of Hicks’ territory, and is famous for his staunch defence of all things rural and being the lone political voice at the CRD board table for more than 4,500 residents. Hicks, 70, said Tuesday he’s not running in the October 2022 election, and wanted to announce early so others have time to consider running.
“We were very enthusiastic when they contacted us,” said Santowski, noting the district has more than 700 licensed businesses, most of them “invisible” as they operate out of homes or online. “Our town core runs from a traffic circle to a traffic light, so when these businesses grow, they have nowhere to go,” she said. “The more space we can provide in town, the better.” Santowski said without added office and commercial space, businesses are likely to consider relocating to other parts of the region. “We need to not just nurture new businesses and start-ups but the businesses we have and enable them to grow in our town.”
“Students are tired of taking a backseat when it comes to transit,” she said.
The groups put forward a motion to direct the commission’s chair to write to the minister of transportation and infrastructure in support of creating a voting student seat. The motion was defeated in a 6-2 vote.
Instead, the commission passed a motion directing staff to explore options for an educational advisory committee.
Lowan said students will continue advocating at a provincial level and are trying to arrange a meeting with Transportation Minister Rob Fleming. Creating a voting seat requires a change to the province’s Transit Act.
Highway 14 traffic has always whizzed by the southern wall of the pub within a few metres but all that is going to change.
The new highway will take an arc north of the 17 Mile for a four-lane stretch to Glinz Lake Road, removing dangerous curves and the difficult turn onto Gillespie Road. The improvements are also expected to trim commute times for Sooke’s growing population.
The current route past the pub will be repurposed as an extension to Connie Road. A westbound exit off the new highway will loop northeast of the 17 Mile around a pond and continue through an underpass beneath the new highway to provide a new route to Gillespie Road, taking vehicles through to Roche Cove and on to Metchosin and East Sooke.
VICTORIA British Columbia’s provincial government had pledged that people who are 80 years old and over and reside in the community would get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in February or March, but delays in vaccine supply have slowed things down somewhat. Still, B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix said Friday that first doses for this highly vulnerable demographic could be expected by mid-March. “You can expect to be vaccinated between March 15 and the end of March,” said Dix, after noting that the lack of supply of the vaccines has been the only impediment to faster administration of the shots.