False 9-1-1 calls disrupting police Police in Central Saanich are plagued by an increasing number of false 9-1-1- emergency calls. “It’s continual,” said deputy police Chief George Lawson. _ In a hang-up 9-1-1 occurrence, as police refer to it, a patrol has to be sent out if the dispatcher cannot reach the house by telephone after the caller hangs up. If there’s no answer at the door, police have to ensure there isn’t a person inside requiring help, Law- son said. Often, calls are placed by porta- ble, battery-operated telephones when batteries run low on power, he said. In one case, police have been- called out to the same home four times in recent months, he said. Police call home owners when they°ve repeatedly been called out ‘but ask residents to check batteries lo ensure it doesn’t continue. Business break-in Fay’s Brentwood 1 Hour Clean- ers Ltd. on West Saanich Road in Brentwood Bay was broken into and a small amount of cash in change was stolen, Central Saa- nich police said. A rear, ground floor window was broken to gain access to the building, overnight Feb. 24-26, police said. Skylight break-in A skylight was pried open at a business in the 6700-block Kir- kpatrick Crescent, overnight Feb. 28-March 1, enabling thieves to enter the building and take an estimated $10,000 worth of equip- ment. Central Saanich police said that four electronic balances and three large lights were stolen from Safer Ltd. during the break-in. Police are continuing to investigate. School thieves caught Sidney RCMP have appre- hended two youths after about $50 worth of stationery was stolen from Sansbury School about 8 p.m. Feb. 23. Police recovered most of the stolen material. Water woes for James Island developers by Glenn Werkman The Review Officials from the province’s Environment and Transportation ministries plan to review a restric- tive covenant that was placed on James Island because of apparent contamination left from the island’s former industrial owner. If officials determine there is sufficient quality and quantity of water on the island for all uses, the covenant will be lifted, allowing residential development to pro- ceed, Ministry of Environment spokesman AJ Strickland_said Monday. Strickland said the covenant was placed against the island property after Canadian Industries Ltd. did water tests on existing wells in 1987-88. “The results led to the placing of a restrictive covenant on the use of ground water because of conta- mination, ® Strickland said. “That situation has changed somewhat in that the developer has claimed he’s done drilling and found it to be quite safe,” Strick- land said. New route wont affect traffic here A new ferry route from the mainland to the Island will have little impact on local ferry traffic, according to B.C. Ferry Corporation. The new route is scheduled to begin May 1, carrying traffic four times daily between Tsawwassen and Nanaimo. “We really don’t think it will affect the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route too much,’’said B.C. Ferries information officer Pat Stephens. The route will shorten travel time for those going from north Vancouver Island to the lower mainland, she said. The route is expected to relieve traffic at the Horseshoe Bay terminal and to provide an alternative for commercial traf- fic. FOR LEASE. Pacific Parkland Properties Inc. president Marv Holland said his consultants have done a barrage of tests on water from new wells drilled into the island’s natural ground water supply. The Transportation Ministry gave preliminary layout approval to a proposed development of 210 luxury homes last fall on the condition that the covenant be lifted, Strickland said. ‘Holland said: “The ground water there is better than water coming out of taps in Victoria.” He expects the restrictive cove- nant to be lifted soon so his company can get on with design- ing its water delivery system. And he’s upset about a recent news article in the Victoria Times- Colonist that said his island “may be a chemical hell underground.” TheReview Wednesday, March 7, 1990 _ A4 a water quantity — not quality. The desalination plant removes salt from sea water and produces potable water. Because existing ground water supplies could become depleted by constant use, the desalination plant is needed to provide 11 million gallons of pota- ble water annually, and recharge ground water supplies. Ground water from the wells would then be used for irrigation and to top off water traps on the golf course during dry months, Holland said. Original plans called for the wells to provide potable water to future residential homes and sur- face collection ponds to provide irrigation, Holland said the restrictive covenant was placed on the island because C-J-L didn’t want to go through the time, trouble and Over 30 tests were done on each well, then “they gave us a list of exotic chemicals that don’t exist in this part of the world.” Holland said the test results show the water quality is good, but questions about quantity were put forward. He wouldn’t provide quality test results to The Review. “The facts are, the quality is good, the quantity is to be settled on,’ Holland said: Tom Oxland, Ministry of Envi- ronment regional manager for Vancouver Island, said: “Certain samples show it doesn’t mect drinking water standards. “We don’t have any information before us that would indicate any assurance there is a long term water supply from a quality point of view.” The Environment Ministry’s community water supply section expects a formal application from S # “That's unfair, it’s unfounded (Panee 10 lest the water and 10 pacific Parkland for a Certificate and it’s beyond the realms of g ere es of Public Convenience and Neces- decency,” Holland said. “A per- For Pacific Parkland, it’s been sily, which is required to operate a son would have to be an idiot to. 4 enormously long and costly water utility. continue with a project like this if Process, costing hundreds of thou- Meanwhile, the Islands Trust there’s a time bomb in the basc- Sands of dollars, and very ime North Pender trust commitice gave ment.” consuming. three readings to an amending ; et Holland said testing procedures bylaw which would allow con- Holland said an application 10 are to pump cach well at maxi- struction of a desalination plant, build a desalination plant on the mum capacity for 72 hours, then spokesman Cynthia Hocksworth island is a result of concerns about test the last five litres of water. said. 5 = = 4 5 a McDonald’s sign is an ‘eyesore’ — Cullis A tall free-standing sign erected on revenue from highway bill- ment policies intended to provide by McDonald’s Restaurants along boards for economic well-being, a natural eye-pleasing introduction the Pat Bay Highway at Mt. New- McDonald’s has many means of _ to the area. ton Crossroad is an “eyesore” and drawing revenue and customers to “The sign is neither needed nor is “unfair to all other local taxpay- its restaurant. wanted on the gateway to Vic- 4 ing businesses who comply with The sign is contrary to govern- __ toria,” Cullis said. : the local sign bylaw,” Central Saanich Mayor Ron Cullis said. & He wrote a letter to McDonald’s complaining about the sign and ¢ sent a copy to the Provincial P Capital Commission — which voted to support the letter and draft their own strongly worded letter last week. Although the restaurant is on Tsawout band land and is not subject to Central Saanich. bylaws, Cullis said,- “It is a reasonable expectation that a major interna- tional corporation, locating a new facility, would make some effort to be aware of, and to reasonably comply with, the expectations of the local community. “In this instance the local com- munity has been ignored. 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