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Audited Circulation 12,933

An Island Publishers Newspaper

Wednesday April 4, 1990 40¢

Inside

BUSINESS

Al4
CALENDAR A2i
, | CLASSIFIEDS B5
COMMUNITY A22
EDUCATION A9
LIVING Al7
‘OPINION A6
OUTDOORS A19
| SPORTS B3

BEYER A13
| BRENNAN AAT,
GRENBY A18
HAMPSON Ai9
TANG Ai6
NASH Aq

TOP OF THE PILE A7

On set shooting
| in Sixth Street
| garden

AS

septic repair costs jolt owners

by Valorie Lennox
The Review

Septic field repair costs of
$15,000 to $25,000 for some lots
have North Saanich council seek-
ing some way to finance the cost
for homeowners — who have been
given three months to correct mal-
functioning septic fields.

Monday night council received
a letter from Philippa Cowan, who
said she could not afford the cost
in addition to the first and second
mortgages already on her home.

Based on an estimate done a
year ago, she expects a sewer
system will cost $15,000 or more.
She also said the three-month time
limit given by the Capital Regional
District to correct the septic field
could not be met, given the
demand and the flourishing build-
ing industry.

Ald. Rebecca Vermeer reported
calls from several homeowners
facing costs of $15,000 to $25,000
to repair their septic fields.

After 112 lots were dye tested in
Deep Cove, notices were sent to 30
homeowners, Vermeer said.
Notices will also go to an esti-
mated 20 homeowners after 78 lots
bordering Lochside were tested,
Vermeer added.

Residents who do not repair
their septic fields before the dead-
line will be taken to court by the
regional district, Vermeer pre-
dicted.

She moved council ask the CRD

fo suspend all notices requiring

repair until the municipality has
arranged 50 per cent financing
from the provincial government to
help cover the cost. But her
motion was not seconded.

Ald. Dee Bailin said council
would be irresponsible to slow the
upgrading of the defective septic
fields, but agreed residents needed
help: = :

Council directed municipal staff
to find some way of easing the
impact on homeowners.

Mayor Linda Michaluk sug-
gested a local improvement pro-

Continued on Page A2

Second meeting on Ceniral Saanich
interchange plans by summerime

by Glenn Werkman
The Review

A second meeting to discuss
specific plans for a highway inter-
change at Island View Road/
Keating Crossroad on the Pat Bay
Highway will be held before coun-
cil will approve Ministry of High-
way plans, Mayor Ron Cullis said
Monday.

“They are still in the early
planning stages (but) we indicated
a need to have an information
meeting based on an updated pro-
posal,” Cullis said. “Council is
not prepared to give support until
something is done along that
line.”

Central Saanich council and a
Highway’s field planner met brief-
ly last week and Cullis said “in
our case there are still questions to.
be answered.”

Highway interchange plans

along the Pat Bay Highway are in” |

different stages in each municipal=
ity, with the Beacon Avenue inter-
change the most advanced follow-
ing Minister Rita Johnston’s
announcement of the project
March 8. :

Cullis said there are two options
available for linking Martindale
Road north to: any interchange —
either developing the Lochside
Drive right-of-way or building a

Continued on Page A2

Smoke from Efhier’s collar
over bylaw amendmenis

by George Lee
The Review

An alderman is burning mad
about what he considers a lack of
council response to his plans to
clean up Sidney’s air.

Ald. Ben Ethier said he’ll keep
bringing his proposals to council.
“We're going to fight some
more,” he told committee-of-the-
whole Monday night.

His proposals to place limits on
the hours of backyard burning
were sent to another council com-
mittee. .

But action is what Ethier wants.
“T?]] make it an election issue if I
have to,” Ethier said.

Ethier believes council could be
found liable for allowing a public
nuisance tO persist.

But others around the table
believe the town is doing every-
thing it can to control burning
under current legislation.

Once again, backyard burning
pitted Ethier against Mayor Norma
Sealey, because of differing inter-
pretations of town bylaws and how
they fit provincial legislation.

Ethier’s plan would allow peo-
ple to burn backyard refuse only
once a month for two hours. But a
staff memo said that’s difficult to
enforce because it requires wit-
nesses to keep track.

The comments weren’t wel-

comed by Ethier, who claimed
administration was going beyond
its authority by making comments
before “council has approved” his
amendments.

But other aldermen said the
comments were in order.

Ethier also brought forward
another point of order — commit-
tee-of-the-whole meetings should
be tape recorded, he said.

Ethier brought up his taping
complaint during a response to his
proposals from Sealey.

“T want this meeting taped and
it should have been from the
beginning,” Ethier said. “All our
policies are Operating on our own
whims.” :
Continued on Page AZ

soul of
Sidney

revealed
Thursday

Thursday’s meeting with the
public will be an excursion into
the psyche of Sidney, the alder-

man from whom it
believes.
The meeting at

came.

Silver

Threads will hearken back to
earlier forms of democracy,
when communities made deci-

sions by calling all the

people

together, Ald. Tim Chad said.

Chad said he hopes the meet-
ing will explore “the philoso-
phy of where the town’s going
and where it came from.”

The public will take to the
microphone starting at
7:30 p.m., and Central Saanich
Mayor Ron Cullis will be mod-

erator.

Chad told committee-of-the-
whole Monday that tapes of the
meeting can be used by alder-

men to help follow up

on the

public’s questions, after the

meeting.

A microphone for the public

and one for the crowd

will be

provided, and Shaw Cable will

videotape the meeting.

Chad said he hopes the pub-
lic doesn’t expect council to
spout “reams of statistics” at

the meeting.

In fact, administration won't
be attending to back council up.

“Ts we and they,
Chad.

22

said