News
Strike over
The nearly two-month-long transit strike affecting riders in the Comox Valley and Campbell River areas is officially over.
On Feb. 1, Unifor 114 members voted 80 per cent in favour of the new agreement, which was reached by the bargaining committees.
According to a statement on the wages will increase in this contract at 9.5 per cent in the first year, 3.5 per cent in the second year and 2.54 per cent in the last year.
And as of April 1, 2026, all job classifications will get a wage adjustment of 83 cents an hour.
The new agreement also stipulates that the employer will pay 2.75 per cent of gross wages into the union group RRSP after the probation period. And that the RRSP will increase to four per cent on April 1, 2024, if employees match the employer鈥檚 contribution at minimum.
Fatal hit-and-run
The Comox Valley RCMP has made an arrest in relation to the fatal hit-and-run on the Comox Valley Parkway on Feb. 8.
On the evening of Feb. 8, Rod Kelly was run down while cycling on the Comox Parkway, between Courtenay and Cumberland.
On the afternoon of Feb. 11, Steve Squires appeared before a judge and was charged with first-degree murder and failure to stop after an accident resulting in death.
Safe site in Courtenay
On Feb. 5, Island Health gave the green light to the region鈥檚 first safe inhalation site.
Project co-ordinator Taija McLuckie, responsible for spearheading this peer-led initiative, expressed that this milestone has been a long time in the making.
After advocating for a year and a half for the approval of this project, the young woman with lived experience emphasized that this has the potential to save numerous lives.
Alongside Island Health鈥檚 outreach team, the safe inhalation services are set to operate up to seven hours a day, seven days a week.
Hosted in a walled tent for the first few months, the safe inhalations site is to eventually be relocated to the parking lot of Courtenay鈥檚 Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) at 941 England Ave., away from Courtenay鈥檚 city centre, to alleviate the pressure caused by the ongoing homeless crisis on neighbouring businesses.
Cake not
On the morning of Feb. 1, a Comox Valley mother shared that she allegedly found a pill encrusted inside a Starbucks cake pop.
Isabelle Piper told news sources that she made the not-so-sweet discovery as her five-year-old son bit into the treat as she was finalizing her payment at the coffee shop鈥檚 drive-thru.
The woman made a complaint and the on-location managerial staff took back the item in question.
Toy usage
The Comox Valley Toy Library is setting records in its 10th year.
鈥淥ur last Saturday opening was our busiest yet,鈥� said board member Ruby Franklin. 鈥淲e are delighted to see a big increase in membership post-pandemic.鈥�
鈥淲e are so busy we sometimes don鈥檛 have the volunteer numbers required to open鈥� CVTLS saw 728 members borrow 2,218 toys (last year).鈥�
The Comox Valley non-profit lets families pick toys and bring them home for their children.
This is done through an annual $20 membership fee. Members gain access to a library several times a month to trade-in and exchange five toys at a time.
Sports
World records
Age group wins, podium finishes and a world record were among the highlights provided by Comox Valley runners at the the Cobble Hill 10K on Jan. 28.
The second event of the 2024 Vancouver Island Race Series was contested on a warm foggy morning 鈥� which made for a comfortable race in the picturesque landscape.
Local legend Roz Smith, who broke the world record for the F75-79 age group with a time of 49:11.
CVRR member Andrea Wilson was the top local finisher in the women鈥檚 division, with a personal best placing second in the F45-49 age group in a time of 40:53. Cabiri Calisto also had a fantastic race with a ninth-place finish in the very competitive F40-44 age group, with a time of 45:36.
Wrestling contingent
Eighteen wrestlers from School District 71 will be competing for provincial glory after an outstanding team performance at the Vancouver Island championships.
Leading the charge was Alice Clements from Vanier Secondary, who not only clinched gold in her weight category but was also named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.
Sailing representation
Twelve-year-old Callum Douglas has qualified to represent Canada in the Optimist Class Sailboat this summer in Paraguay.
Douglas sails with Comox Bay Sailing Association and is thrilled to represent Comox and Canada on the world stage. He trains with an incredibly fun and hard-working team each week on the waters of Comox Bay and he credits his teammates and his coaches for the quality of training that has allowed him to qualify for this prestigious event.
Douglas will travel to Encarnacion Paraguay, where he will race on the Parana River against up to 300 competitors. He races in the Optimist class, a single-handed sailboat that is about eight feet long.
Golden feeling
Vancouver Island鈥檚 cross-country ski club, the Strathcona Nordics, travelled to Whistler on the Feb. 10-11 weekend, to compete in Teck BC Cup #2, the second of the BC Cup racing series.
For many of the young athletes, it was their first ski race off Vancouver Island.
More than 350 athletes, ranging in age from 7 to 62 years old, travelled from all areas of the province to compete in the two days of racing at Ski Callaghan.
