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TheReview Wednesday, February 19,1992 — A5

‘Doors closing at Panorama for C. Saanich

Restrictions on Central Saanich
residents’ use of the Panorama
Leisure Centre were to be deter-
mined last night by the recreation
commission, member Sheri Willi-
ams warmed Central Saanich coun-
cil Monday.

“There is no more status quo,”
she said. Measures being consid-
ered by the recreation commission
include surcharges on Central Saa-
nich residents using the facility
plus a two-week delayed registra-
tion for facility programs.

~ There is going to be some very
surprised people when they come
in the door if they have not read
our brochures carefully,” Williams
told council.

Central Saanich council have
voted to maintain the status quo
but to survey residents on recrea-
tional options for Central Saanich,
including contributing to operation
of the leisure centre.

At present, North Saanich and
Sidney residents are alone in con-
tributing through taxes to the cost
of operating the centre. Increased
enrollment has led to waiting lists
which are sometimes longer than
the list of filled classes, Williams
explained.

“We have to be looking after the
people who are paying: taxes for
the facility. If they’re on waiting
lists, they shouldn’t be.”

AN operating report on the
centre estimated 40 per cent of the
“®rsers come from Central Saanich.

Central Saanich council wants
the recreation commission to pro-
duce statistics on Central Saanich
residents’ use of the centre over
the past three to five years.

Central Saanich youngsters
account for 47 per cent of minor
hockey registration, Peninsula
Minor Hockey Association presi-
dent Doug Saville said.

He urged Central Saanich coun-
cil to join North Saanich and
Sidney in operating the centre.

“You're getting full use of it and
not paying a cent into it,” he said.

Backed by a group of parents, he
warmed council that dwindling ice
time may lead to exclusion of
Central Saanich youngsters from
minor hockey next season. The
issue is to be debated at the March
24 annual general meeting of the
hockey association.

“There’s a problem coming up
in September,” Saville said.

Mayor Ted Jones said council
received the operating report on
the centre in December, has con-
sidered the report over the past two
months and will hold public meet-
ings on the issue next month.

The proposed survey of resi-
dents will be included in tax
notices which will be mailed in
mid-April, he said.

Ald. Arlene Box said the com-
munity needs to be educated about
the issues before the referendum is
held.

Supporting operation of centre
is estimated to cost individual
taxpayers an additional $100
annually in municipal taxes.

“It's a big dollar bill. It’s also
an important dollar bill,’ Box
said.

Several residents urged council
to hold a referendum on the issue
immediately, despite warnings
from council members that an
immediate referendum could be
defeated.

“We want a referendum. We’ll
take a chance. It’s our responsibil-
ity to get out and vote,” Robb
McInnis told council.

Williams said she had hoped for
more cooperation from Central
Saanich council.

“We want them in. We want

everybody to have access to recre-
ation,” she said. But cooperation
by all three municipalities is
required for the centre to be
expanded to handle the increased
demand, she said.

“It’s so discouraging, we really
felt we had a council that would
forge ahead and do something.
Every day that they delay is
another day down the line.”

The present facility is debt-free,
she noted. Although Central Saa-
nich residents have used the centre
for 15 years without contributing
taxes to Construction or operation,
the commission will admit the
municipality as an equal partner.

If the leisure centre was a busi-
ness, Williams suggested Central
Saanich would be expected to
match Sidney and North Saanich’s
past contributions before joining
as a partner.

The only restriction on Central
Saanich residents using the centre
was imposed three years ago.
Since 1989, North Saanich and
Sidney residents have been able to
register one day early, in order to
get first chance at popular pro-
grams.

Jones said Central Saanich
council was still willing to work
with the recreation commission
but wanted to survey residents
before making any further deci-
sions.

- “If the survey comes back as a
good majority, we're prepared to
go for it.”

Exasperated by residents’
demands, Ald. lan Cameron called
for an immediate referendum on
the issue. His motion was backed
by Bolt, who had earlier predicted
an immediate referendum would
probably be defeated by voters.

Council defeated Cameron’s
motion.

Town waiting to repair Lochside wall

Repairs to the tumbled Lochside
Drive seawall will wait until the
weather tums warmer, a commit-
tee of Sidney council decided
Monday night.

“This procedure will leave the
-gesite unsightly and subject to more

ciiticism, but will be the most cost

effective in labor and machine
costs,” writes engineering and
development superintendent Dick

Kamikawaji in a letter to the

operational services committee.

The committee’s decision is rec-
ommended to for ratification at
next Monday’s council meeting,

The committee agreed to a pro-
posal for repairing the 135-metre
section of the concrete block wall

_ near Frost Avenue, which crum-
bled toward the sea during a Jan.

10 storm.

Repairs are estimated to cost
$13,000 to $25,000, depending on
the-cost of reworking the retaining
wall and backfill.

The wall was built with a grant
from the Provincial Capital Com-

=mission, but the Town is responsi-
ble for maintenance.

The collapsed section juts out
about two metres from the rest of

the wall, in part to accommodate
parking at street level.

The bank did not have to be as
steep with the wall out further, and
it was more easily maintained.

Town staff in a report say the
reasons for building out closer to
sea “are still valid, but cannot be
re-entertained without expensive
and extensive reinforcing works.”

The committee agreed to move
the blocks back to where the
natural boundary would be.

Staff say this would be safer
from storms and allow a wider
foreshore area for the public.

The concrete blocks can be
recovered — one reason they were
picked by Town staff over a con-
crete wall.

The collapse was caused by the
combination of heavy seas, rains
and higher than normal tides.

The wall had been slowly separ-
ating from the bank, and would
have been repaired when weather
and tide conditions improved,
reported Town engineering staff.

C.N. Ryzuk and Associates,
geotechnical engineering consult-
ants, was retained by the Town to
review the cause of the collapse.

The company said the tide on
Jan. 10 was about one-half a metre
higher than forecasted.

There was pressure in the back
of the wall from sea water washing
over it, creating “excessive lateral
loading,” as well as erosion at the
base caused by waves. Both could
have had something to do with the
tipping.

The consultant said there was no
merit in moving the seawall inland
to its natural boundary. A new
location would be equally subject
to the whims of nature as the
present forward position,

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