News
Honouring award
When a vehicle collision ignited his gas station, Comox Valley resident Junyi Liu rushed outside to rescue the trapped driver on the evening of May 20, 2023.
In the following months, the 41-year-old man was awarded the Town of Comox鈥檚 Citizen Service Award and the Courage & Bravery Local Hero Award.
Little did he know, Liu鈥檚 local act of heroism would eventually be recognized on the North American stage. On March 25, 2024, the Chinese-born man was awarded the prestigious and a one-time grant of US$5,500.
More spaces
Aspen Grove Children鈥檚 Centre is the latest Comox Valley child care facility to become a $10 a Day ChildCareBC site.
Aspen Grove will offer 28 childcare spaces at dramatically reduced fees for parents.
Spaces in the $10 a Day ChildCareBC program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,120 a month at participating facilities (for full-time, centre-based infant care) to $200 a month, saving families approximately $920 a month per child on average.
Aspen Grove, operated by Comox Valley Children鈥檚 Day Care Society, becomes the seventh childcare facility in the Comox Valley to offer $10 a Day spaces. Aspen Grove has 12 spaces for children younger than 36 months, and 16 spaces for children aged 3-5 years.
A total of 197 spaces are now part of the $10 A Day ChildCareBC program in the Comox Valley.
Connect to east Courtenay
The city plans to move the Connect Centre out of downtown to a proposed facility in eastern Courtenay.
In a phone call to the Record, Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells confirmed the Connect Centre homelessness service is slated to be moved to a proposed facility at 925 Braidwood Avenue. The proposed facility was announced last week and is scheduled to begin construction in 2025.
Business
NIC Shines
North Island College business students placed second in the recent Western Canada Business Competition (WCBC) simulation.
Douglas College鈥檚 New Westminster campus hosted the March 8-10 event.
The NIC team of Joaquin Arroyo Beytia, Akwasi Boateng, Haiden Edwards and Mohammed Amaan Khan went up against seven other teams in the senior division simulation competition and finished in second with their business, Envision Corp.
Legendary lieutenant
Prime Minister Justin 台湾MM裸聊室 confirmed April 5 that former B.C. lieutenant-governor Iona Campagnolo died at the age of 91.
Campagnolo was appointed B.C.鈥檚 27th lieutenant-governor in 2001, the first woman to hold the role. She remained in the post until Sept. 30, 2007.
Campagnolo was born Iona Victoria Hardy on Galiano Island Oct. 18, 1932.
Not running again
North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney announced Thursday (April 4) that she will not be seeking re-election in the 2025 federal election.
Blaney will remain on as member of parliament for the riding, and will be keeping her critic roles, but will be stepping down from her role as NDP party whip.
鈥淩epresenting our community is a true honour,鈥� said Blaney. 鈥淭here is nowhere else like it, and fighting for the people who live in North Island鈥擯owell River has been and will continue to be my priority.
Road expansion
The Ontario-based rideshare company Uride is set to hold a virtual information session for all prospective drivers on April 18, at 3 p.m. This comes ahead of Uride鈥檚 launch in the Comox Valley before the May long weekend.
Arts
Book finalist
A Comox author is being honoured as one of the best in B.C. and Yukon as a Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Book Prize finalist.
The prize is awarded to the author(s) of the book that contributes the most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia and/or Yukon.
Ian Kennedy鈥檚 book The Best Loved Boat: The Princess Maquinna brings to life the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway鈥檚 ship, Princess Maquinna, which steamed up and down the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island during a time when this remote part of B.C. was alive with mines, canneries and now-forgotten settlements.
Sports
Historic appearance
The Comox Valley United men played in the championship finals game of the Sir John Jackson Cup against a Vic West team filled with all-stars and ex-professionals.
They entered this competition in seventh place with a negative goal differential. Vic West were last year鈥檚 champions and finished the season with no losses and two different players scoring more than 20 goals each.
Pro contract
Midfielder Liam Mackenzie has taken the next step toward a soccer career - a huge step.
On Monday, April 8, the Vancouver Whitecaps announced the signing of the 17-year-old Comox soccer phenom to a professional contract.
The deal is an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract, running through the 2026 season.
MLS NEXT Pro is the development league for the Whitecaps. Mackenzie will continue his development by playing for Vancouver Whitecaps FC2.
Record matched
Black Creek distance runner Cam Levins returned to the sport in style on Friday, April 5, matching a Canadian record for the 10,000 metre distance.
Levins, who holds the Canadian record in the half marathon (60:18) as well as the North American record in the full marathon (2:05:36), matched the 10k Canadian record of 28:11 at the Asics Festival of Running in Paris.
The Canadian record was originally set by Kitchener, Ontario鈥檚 Ben Flanagan two years ago.
