74

Wednesday, February 18, 1970

PAGE NINE ~

By Ed Gould

I was recently taken to task for
recounting the tale of the Cat

- Woman of Fulford who was asked

to leave her newly-rented
premises when. the landlord
found out she planned to build a

'14-foot fence to keep her 57 felines
off. Morningside Avenue.

The irate Islander said I had
“made the whole thing up’’ to
publicize my book, BRIDGING
THE GULF.

The facts were as stated. And

MacLaurin
presided at the meeting of
Central Saanich council Monday.

Alderman Don

Mayor A. M. Galbraith was
absent through illness and the
resignation of Phillip) Benn
reduced the attendance to five
members.
Trustee Gordon Ewan was
present as accredited liaison
representative of Saanich School
District: 63.

Civil Defence budget of $159.78 —
"was received and passed to the

finance committee. .

installation of two new
pedestrian crossings at Keating
Cross Road and Central Saanich
Road was. approved. Existing
crossing to the west of Central
Saanich Road is to be abandoned.

Police Chief F. L. Brownlee
told counci! he hopes it will be
possible to install a flashing
central. light as additional
protection for school children.

Public works chairman Tom
Michell strongly advised. pur-
chase of a caterpillar tractor for
$20,300.

“Yes,” said Acting-Mayor Don
MacLaurin, ‘‘provided’ your
budget is kept to $105,000, and you
do all. other necessary things.”

“Yl go along providing. all the
other committees do the same,”
retorted Alderman Michell.

Without elaborating, the Acting
Mayor said it had been explained
to the water committee why the
level of Elk Lake goes up and
down. “Everyone is happy,’’ he
commented.

the lady, I can truthfully report,
is now happily ensconced
elsewhere, her 57 charges (plus
additional offspring) purring
from every nook and cranny of a
two-bedroom bungalow.

Outside, the world waits behind
a 14-foot, wooden fence.

Similar stories of excessive
devotion that Gulf Islanders have
for their animals - and that which
the animals have for them - are
easily acquired. ] acquired a few
this week.

First, I would like to tell about
how the rat and mice problem is
kept under remarkable control on
North Pender Island. This is a
true story, just as I lived to tell it.

One summer, a. few summers
ago, my wife and I rented a cabin
on North Pender, just above Port
Washington,.. with an excellent
view. of the ferry lanes and hot
and cold running rodents.

The cabin was small and the

rodents large. They. were also
friendly and my wife swore that
when I blew on my hands’ to
warm them in the morning (it

was a cool summer), mice came

out of the wall to take advantage
of the hot air.

. Our amicable relations with the
furry fiends ended when our son

Jason came down with mumps
and was driven from his bedroom
by nightmares and the largest
racket of rodents I've ever heard. .
We soon gave over that side of the
house to the fur, and barricaded

ourselves: into the remaining
bedroom.
I chanced to mention the

problem while shopping at Sid
Kent's Port Washington store and
a complete strange (actually, no
strangers are complete on the
Islands), asked if the cabin crawl
space was barricaded. I checked.
It was.

The advice was to remove the
boards and let in the mink who
roam the Islands freely and that
would solve the rodent problem.
It did.

For the next month, we listened -

blissfully to the sounds of gulls

crying over the beach, the ferry
whistles in Active Pass, the deer
munching ‘apples in the orchard,
and the mink restoring the
balance of nature under the floor
boards.

But . .. I promised a story of
utter animal-human devotion,
and this is it: Seems there was an
old man who lived on Saturna
who had a huge, brownish-
colored dog of doubtful ancestry
who had an appetite like a horse
and hooves to match.

His master was not so much
afraid that the dog. would bite
strangers as he was that the
beast would trample. them to

».death, being friendly.

As. with men (and. some
women) everywhere, death came
and in his will the old chap left the
dog to a young grandson and his

Navigation Aids Changes Reported

Department of. Transport
bulietin of February 10 reports
changes in characteristic. of
Sidney shipping light as follows:

Sidney Ferry. Wharf Front
Range LL 231, in position 48-38-
36.5:°N, 123-23-44.5 W, has been

changed in color from fixed red to

fixed yellow.

Sidney Ferry Wharf Back
Range LL 232, in position 315
degrees 10 feet from the front
‘range has been changed in color
from fixed red to fixed yellow.

The white reflector on Sidney

Wharf Buoy UL 113 has been |

changed from white to ‘green.
(CHS charts 3455 and 3449) B.C.
Pilot, Vol.1., 1965, page 164.

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“ wnovINet OF”

WRITES COLUMBIA

speéch|

e990

“THE GOVERNMENT OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA
‘Hon. W, A.C. Bennett, P.C.,

Premier and Minister of Finance
i

na vaatnnd? sina

| duties,

|) MAL THIS
t: G8, Bryson.

tt

I NAME

Pein ieetc)

Largest budget i in ie
British Columbia's history-
balanced and completely:
financed within the
/ of Canada's lowest _ Soles
A | provincial tax struc sture oeeb a!

Depuly Minister of Finance,
Pariament Buildings,
Victoria, ritah Columbia,

“The $1,165, 460, 000 budget iS a 140 % increas :0 over last year g
budget and is a clear indication of the continuing strongth and . ee
‘vitality of British Cotumbia's economy inthe face af) 8 ee
crampant inti ation, tight money and, record high interest rates, E fe |
The pay-as-you-go budget provides increasad funda for services. to’
. people 1a education, health, hospital and medical.care, .

‘social services and urban growth, It provides grants and Jow- -cost |
“mortgages for the purchase of old as wellas now homes... _
Increases Homeownor Grants, .. oxempte homes from succession. ee
| , and expands a growing network of road, rall and mn
“power systems to tap vast natural resources, create new jobs and’,
expand the economic base, Abave.all, it will maintain © > . '
British Golurhbia’s high credit rating by continuing a strong,
debt-free financial positlon that is one of the most effective
weapons agovernment can wiald in the tight against inflation,

For your complimentary copy, please mail the attached today.

vine toon moma tere oe i ete ree UseNe SOe Ahr ee sn ene met sr ns St ake yi Pi te ie te ey te Ma ey u

COUPON EOR YOUR FRE E COPY:

{

“Ploase send maa copy of the 1970°

Gritish Columbia Budget Speech,
{Ploace indicate ILyou require

mote than one capy,) .. :

limits ae :

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wife, who lived. in Vancouver.
(The rumor goes that the
grandson had been buttering up
the old man, hoping to get his
valuable waterfront property.
Instead, he got the dog.)

When the day of--reckoning
came, the young couple came to
Saturna and took delivery of the

. property of Russ Simpson. There
‘tit flows north to the corner of

“| Kalitan Road:
oe Superintendent. of Buildings and
<a when an ‘addition to ‘the school”

o> |was~ built.
. [between ‘the’ ‘oil. tank and. the

Oil Slick Traced
To Installation
Three Years Old

BY A.G. DAGG

Oil. has been discovered. in
North Saanich but no one seems
to be very pleased about it. In
fact it has brought only irritation
and embarrassment.

About three weeks ago several
residents in the Deep Cove area
lodged complaints .with. the
municipality and School District
No. 63 regarding fuel oil running
through drainage ditches. and.
apparently emanating from Deep
Cove Elementary School.

A strong odor pervaded the
communities through. which - it
flowed, and neither a keen sense
of smell nor sharp eyesight were
essential to trace the colorful
liquid to its source in the school
grounds.

From the’ school, the: surface
drainage, complete: with “its
telitaie multi-colored. oil. ‘slick, .
travels south on the West Saanich
Road to Wain Road, then west on’
Wain for about half.a mile to the

Birch and Chalet Roads, through
the Alger property and. on: into
Deep. Cove ' near the foot of

According to. Bryan. ‘Shaw,

Grounds for School. District No.
63, the problem all began in 1967
Faulty installation

furnace. resulted i in the logs. of a.
large quantity of oil. es

“thas also carried a considerable

beast from the old man’s faithful
housekeeper who was staying on

‘in the house. The couple then

repaired to Vancouver to lick
their collective wounds.

About a month went by.

The old housekeeper missed
the big horse of a dog, especially
on those nights when the wind
blew, the trees trembled, and the
fog rolled in right up to the
windows.

On one such night recently, the
wind reached a fever piteh and in
its fury, hurled a 200-foot Douglas
fir across a power line right in the
midst of Mission Impossible. in
the silence that followed, the little
old housekeeper heard a fecble
scratching sound at the kitchen
door.

Heart in her mouth, tears in her
eyes, the little old Jady shuffled
forth, flickering candle in hand,
to let in the faithful old hound.
Bless his $1.97-a-pound, _ beef-
eating heart! All the way from
Vancouver.

She was doomed. to. disap-
pointment. Lying on the doorstep
- in a pathetic heap -. were the
grandson and his wife. They had
crawled all the way from: Van-
couver.

house and home!

Church Demolition
Vote Unanimous

congregation voted. without
dissent: on. Sunday .. on

Fifth St. .

The decision is” “subject to
consideration: by® the.’ Victoria
. Presbytery on February 24, but it
is expected that consent will be

situation, Mr. “Shaw. said’ ‘that:
heavy ‘January rains had’ raised.
} the. water table in the ground and

drainage” ‘ditch,

intended. ‘Lo.remove an. ac-
cumulation of rain water but. it

quantity of the oil.

| agreed that “there still could be a

furnace room.’

be,
school district engineering staff
from

accumulated ~ oil
roadside ditches,

Shaw, the. entire installation. is
gti} under’ guarantee by the
heating’ contractor, Circle
Plumbing and. Heating . of

| | Langford, and’ if a. thorough.
jeheck reveals - any ‘additional: :
leakage in the system, the cone} |
““Ttractor will take: the necessary
-feorrective actiong:

“Ins explaining the “current:

| brought. to the surface: the’ oil.
which: had. ‘escaped _ from the |.
system: nearly three years ago. A’
_ recently. : dug.
“across the: school grounds, was:

When asked if he was satisfied

| that there are’ now’ no- un-
"| derground leaks in the oil storage
and feeding system, Mr. Shaw .

‘| ieak. between ’ ‘the. tank: and the
Furthermore, he admitted that :
oil consumption is suspected to be’
somewhat higher than’ it Should:

“To remedy the situation, the

undertook last week to burn the :
th e

Finally, according to Mr.

Exceptionally weil built ex-
Seutive home in quiet: ‘area
_ Sidney, Three bed-

, toilet, in-law suite ; in: the.
basement.

sively” landscaped. .

‘per. cent,
$31,500, “

dohn Dean Park
Modern.

F ull “price

_ view.
$30,000.

North Saanich

rail Roryieo.

“ w, ‘D, Maclood
“LA, Bruce |
ody F, Nalamith
“Co MeConnan

The dog had eaten them out of

St. Paul’s United Church.

the
‘recommendation of the Church’
Board to demolish the church at
the corner of Malaview Ave and

given, said the Rev. Hori: Pratt. ||
Demolition tender is already in:
hand, and it is planned to clear-.
the site by. the end of. March: ope
Services. will continue inthe |
‘Church: Hall. Beary: and there

Legion Auxiliary
Reports Heard

BY DOROTHY PEARSON

Mrs. W. Booth was initiated

into full membership of. the

Ladies’ Auxiliary to Branch No.

37 The Royal Canadian Legion.at-.
the February meeting.
Mrs. J. McWilliams was in the

chair, and welcomed Mrs. E.

Byford-Clyde back from her trip.

Mrs. Clyde's annual Resthaven

Hospital report was read, also

Mrs. W. Hemens'’ home visiting

report.

Mrs. K.O. Herrington an-
nounced coming events: two
weddings, a V.U.33 party and an
Easter Monday golf flight
tournament, Sometime in. April
dinner is to be served to 200
members of the Power Squadron.
On. April. 3, the “Legion. and.
Ladies’ Auxiliary will hold).a
Members’ Pot: Luck Supper,
which will take the place of the
Old Veterans’ party.

Mrs. R. Tutte, chairman of the
sick visiting committee gave a.
report.on visiting, including —
Veterans’ Hospital, and asked ~
that the Maeflower Resthomes be _
included. Mrs. Tutte paid special
tribute to Mrs. A. Murphy. who
has sent out cards for many
years.

-On the recommendation. of the os
executive a substantial cheque
will be sent, to the Branch, ear- —
marked to reduce the mortgage —
‘on the Hall. The annual cheque ~
for $50 will be sent, to. the
. Scholarship Fund. : oe

-It' was ‘decided. to ‘invite the.
Zone Council to Sidney for its
May 29 meeting.

Mrs. .J.) Pearson pointed: ‘out 7
that the Presidents’: Chart: chas
now been brought up to. ‘date by”
Stuart: Stoddart, ‘with the’ joint.
names of Mrs. Bea Hadfield, and.

d+ Mrs. Ellen. Krasniuk; ‘who ‘held

“the chair for six months. each

~ during : 1968. tA letter: of: thanks

: will be written’ Mr. Stoddart :,

Mrs. M.. Chappuis! presented

- Mrs. ‘Krasnuik with: her. Past:

President: ‘s pin, and. medal, and
“fr i

benes one. with en suite.

Wall to ‘wall
'¢ arpet throughout, Expen-...
“Sub-)
i stantial mortgage at 6.1/4 :

‘d-bedroom- home :
with: beautiful | pastoral:
(Owner must. fell. a

iz Waterfront eee
800. ft. of superb water=
frontage property $150,000

- SIDNEY REALTY. LIMITED

“We solicit your insurance enautries and offer, return i

ie ch a
/$55,0 terms available

Caen Saanich .

8: 19° acres ° operating” as
chicken: and berry farms.
Ideal. ‘subdivision: for the
one@ar. ‘future. Nice home,
7 Beautiful butldings. -'Cen-
tral.» Saanich, $86,000,
‘Terms, available, uf

3 bedroom family. hin on.f
large lot, $5, 000 will handle. t

on Retirement home in Sidney ,
“close to: shopping,: tran- §
/, Sportation, 2 bedrooms. i
‘$16, 00 We beak

- 950-2281 :
658-3041 |

MISSING: DOGS
PUZZLING |
CONTROLLER -

The disappearance. of.
about 15 dogs In the North:
- Saanich municipality iss

> puting dog controller

Colin Nelthorpe. (

Pets have been reported :

tilwsinig ducing the past
foo nnontha ogisd > Mi:
ccoMelibarpe saya itis oan
J bnaual pceurrenet.

Ho far, 189 dogs have
been Hcensed and the
indinalanidthe-loose — aida

~ on ts well under. contrat,
Moat eamplainte: arn
hivds or | aheep ind ;
 Neltharpe feels (int) ln
wome ences, the nntinnte

are nol sufflelenty -
 prategted with) proper
» lewebeg.

from people owning game

\

pene Bey

ewe aie tH

hinge

: nies Raped ae rastewn:

LIS S. $7 ER. yb anee
PROPULSION & AUXILIARY. MARINE.

AR AND 7 WATER COOLED ENGINES
. 8 TO.100 HP. nat

FOU) PME |
Wend ¢ oniee:
say ROWE aTAEey, VANCOUVER 1.

0, BAILEY x
NANAIMG, NORTH KAMLOOPS, WELBON

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