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2.Comox wants changes to Lorne site plans.
SPORTS
21.Ski Club signing them up now.
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www.comoxvalleyecho.comCOURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA Friday,
December 26, 2014
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NEWSECHOwww.comoxvalleyecho.comFRIDAY.COURTENAY, BC. DECEMBER
26, 20142
For the latest Comox Valley Weather visit:
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Comox Valley Weather
Friday
Light rainLow 2C. High 5C.
Saturday
Mainly sunny.Low 3C. High 6C.
Sunday
Mainly sunny.Low 0C. High 7C.
Monday
Cloudy with 70% chance of showers.
Low -1C. High 3C.
Tuesday
Snow-rain showersLow 0C. High 4C.
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Mail subscriptions availableContact the Comox Valley Echo
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Now availableevery Friday atthe followinglocations:
eral Store
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DOWNTOWN COMOX
Amendments to be made on design of project on former Lorne
siteBY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff
Some amendments are being required to the pro-posed ve-storey
mixed-use building located on the former Lorne Hotel site on 1770
Comox Av-enue.
They are based on the publics concerns expressed at the open
house held in November and also on submissions received by the
town. It was well attended with staff recording 182 en-tries on the
sign-up sheets.
Town planner Marvin Kamenz told town coun-
cil the responses were mixed, re ecting nega-tive and positive
senti-ments.
The main areas of con-cern included:
The character of the building should better re- ect small town
and Co-mox by the Sea theme.
The design lack ar-chitectural detailing
Parking issues Sound attenuation
for residential units above the pub
The positive senti-ments expressed by some are:
Moving forward with the vitalization of the downtown area, in ll
of
the vacant lot Redevelopment of
the Lorne site as a pub and restaurant is consid-ered
continuation of the local tradition
Provision of addi-tional informal public space, gathering
place
Additional residenc-es downtown, support-ing existing and new
businesses
The plan is to build commercial premises on the ground oor that
will feature a pub, a wine and liquor store, and a bistro, and 21
residential units above with a roof top pa-tio. Council has already
given the development
permit application rst reading in October. And on Wednesday
night, council endorsed the amendments to the de-sign and gave it
second reading.
The developer Shawn Vincent will now have to revise drawings
that ad-dress concerns raised by residents. The amend-ments
include:
Emphasis of Comox Avenue and Port Augusta Street corner as the
main focal point and entrance to the building
Consistency of the awning and canopy treat-ments
Replacement of
planters with nautical el-ements, which double as public
seating
Increased pedestrian accessibility to entrances
Replacement of patio wall with marine-themed post and
railing
Heritage/nautical Onsite Lighting Fixtures
Mural of historical Lorne Hotel
Heritage style posts and balcony railings, re- ective of
original Lorne building designs and ma-rine theme
Councillor Hugh Mackinnon said the amendments to the proj-ect
indicated that the sec-ond public hearing was a
correct decision. He waspleased to see the devel-oper take
interest in theresidents feedback andgave considerations tosome of
the suggestions.
Comox council en-dorsed amendments tothe design and upon
sub-mission of the reviseddrawings by the develop-ers, a public
hearing willbe held at the Comoxcommunity Centre forComox Zoning
BylawAmendment No. 1791and Comox Phased De-velopment
AgreementAuthorization Bylaw No.1792: 1770 Comox Av-enue.
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BY DREW PENNEREcho Staff
St. Josephs General Hospital celebrated the groundbreaking for a
new four-bed hospice facility at the Views with an offi-cial
ceremony gilded with a personal touch Dec. 19.
Eric Macdonald, acting CEO of St. Josephs General Hospital, said
the end of life care proj-ect at the Comox facility was the perfect
example of various groups coming together to fashion some-thing
special.
What were doing here is not just about a press release or a
public rela-tions moment, he said. I hope were celebrating
something fresh and new.
The Knappett Projects Inc. build is just the start of an
ambitious effort by Island Health to double the number of hospice
beds on Vancouver Island to prepare for the grow-ing number of
elderly people.
Its also important that were doing this in
our advent season, because during advent we look for new
begin-nings, Macdonald said. In our tradition in Catholic health
care its appropriate.
Don McRae, Comox Valley MLA, went off script thanking St.
Josephs for the outsized impact the facility has had on his life,
from birth to saving his eye to car-
ing for his mother, who he just finished visiting on the third
floor earlier that morning.
He shifted to the impor-tance of the collaborative four-bed
hospice project, even recalling a special moment with health
min-ister Terry Lake on the Comox facilitys grounds as a dozen
eagles came into view earlier this year.
You know its taken a long voyage for us to get here, he said.
Its taken a whole community not just a year.
As Don Hubbard, chair of Island Health, detailed, it was the
$250,000 grant from the provincial gov-ernment alongside the Island
health authoritys commitment of annual operating funding, the
cooperation and project
Audrey Craig, president of the Co-mox Valley Hospice Society,
ex-plained through tears how pow-erful of a resource the new
facility will be for the Comox Valley.
Architects rendering of new hospice facility.
Its also important that were doing this in our advent season
(when) we look for new begin-nings. In ... Catholic health care its
appropri-ate.
ERIC MACDOALDActing CEO St. Josephs
You know its taken a long voyage for us to get here. Its taken a
whole commuity not just a year.
DON MCRAEComox Valley MLA
HEALTH CARE
New era for end-of-life care in ValleyGround-breaking ceremony
at St. Josephs Hospital for fi rst-ever hospice unit here
management expertise of St. Josephs and the Viewsas well as
planned servic-es from the Comox Valley Hospice Society
andfundraising efforts of the St. Josephs HospitalFoundation that
broughtthe project into reality.
(Continued on page 4)Don Hubbard, chair of Island Health.
www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.DECEMBER 26, 2014 3
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www.comoxvalleyecho.comFRIDAY.DECEMBER 26, 20144
New Patients Welcome
(Continued from page 3)
The Comox hospice con-struction is the first stop on Island
Healths roadmap, which leads to 64 hospice spaces on Vancouver
Island by 2020, if all goes by the book.
Former St. Josephs Hospital Foundation mem-ber Marion Lade spoke
about how she originally started pushing for increased pallia-tive
and hospice care options in the Valley when her hus-band, DArcy, a
Presbyterian minister in Comox, began to need these services in his
50s.
His experience, coupled with that of congregation member David
Martin, underscored the need for better end of live care in the
community.
Martins daughter Liz remembers that time vivid-ly.
I was living outside the country in Indonesia at the time, she
said. My father
(L-R) Don Hubbard, chair of Island Health, Audrey Craig,
president of the Comox Valley Hospice Society, Don McRae, Comox
Valley MLA, Marion Lade, St. Josephs General Hospital Foundation
rep, Chris Kelsey, St. Josephs board chair.
was very ill and it wasnt an option for him to stay home.
Her father started his jour-ney at St. Josephs in the emergency
room and was transferred to the third floor.
Like many people con-fronting the realities when death is at
hand, Liz didnt know the first thing about palliative care.
I didnt even know what a hospice was, she said, adding the
stress on her family was tremendous. My mother was on her own
here.
She has many fond mem-ories of those trying times, thanks
largely to the hospice workers, some of whom even attended the
funeral.
It was a pretty special time, she said, emphasizing the
importance of the com-munitys push to build four new hospice beds.
How do we support this? How do you not support angels?
Audrey Craig, president of the Comox Valley Hospice Society
explained through tears how powerful of a resource the new facility
will be for the Comox Valley.
Architect Bradley Shuyasaid he delved into sympa-thetic West
Coast designelements to plan a facilitythat fostered a
comfortableexperience for everyone whopasses through its doors.
It makes you feel differ-ent, he said. Its not hardand cold.
Using more wood in theconstruction and eschewingmaterials like
stucco andmetal where possible, theidea is to burst the
stereo-types of what end of life care means.
Each of the four private rooms will be about 350square feet.
The whole key is to be warm and inviting, he said.It makes you
feel better, psychologically.
This is welcome news for Liz Martin, who lauded the design
principles that will benefit future patients and families.
Its really exciting to behere, she said.
Its going to be a littlemore like home.
Construction has alreadystarted and is expected to becompleted
in the spring of2015.
Ground-breakingfor new hospice
Our health is the single most precious asset that we possess,
but the gift of health is not one that all of us are blessed with.
Some of you have incredibly challenging regimes that you have to
live with in order to enjoy what most of us take for granted. Life
is often not the way it is supposed to be. It is the way that it
is. The way we cope with it is what makes the difference. Our
mission at the Medicine Shoppe is not only to help you cope with it
or manage your circumstances but also to provide information and
guidance to help stave off future challenges.
Normally I like to impart specific pharmaceutical wisdom in my
Shoppe talk article. This month however I simply want to thank all
of our current patients for their patronage during the past 14
years. There are many choices in health care providers out there
and we are glad that you have chosen us. We hope that by entrusting
your health to us we have made your lives better in one way or
another. For those of you who do read the Shoppe Talk regu-larly
but have not yet made us part of your health care team, I
personally invite you in to meet our staff and discover the
services we offer.
On behalf of our staff I wish you Merry Christmas and Happy and
Healthy New Year.
Best Regards, Tim Cowan
December 2014
Shoppe Talk
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www.comoxvalleyecho.comFRIDAY.DECEMBER 26, 20146
SaleSOFA
GREY FABRIC SECTIONALCanadian made in BC
$899SALE
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Reg $3,999
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CABINET BED. made in Canada. available in all sizes. memory
foam. solid wood ( no pressboard ). 50 colors to choose from. opens
easily. stores quickly
Reg. $8000
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WING BACK RECLINER BURGUNDY OR GREEN
Reg. $2.499
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Solid Oak Table4 Chairs & Bench
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$698
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Queen Mattress & Boxspring Sets
Queen Mattress & Boxspring Sets Reg. $1299
Queen StorageBed Reg. $1699
$299SALE
$799SALE
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www.comoxvalleyecho.com FRIDAY.DECEMBER 26, 2014 7
Wishing you a warm, cheerful, family holiday season
Wishing you a warm, cheerful, family holiday season
Wishing you a warm, cheerful, family holiday season
Wishing you a warm, cheerful, family holiday season
Wishing you a warm, cheerful, family holiday season
Thank youfor your
support!
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www.comoxvalleyecho.comFRIDAY.DECEMBER 26, 20148
Just in timefor ChristmasJust in time
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$49.95ONLY:GIFTCARDS!!!!Available in ANY Amount.Only $40 per
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The annual Polar Bear Swim at Goose Spit will be making anoth-er
big splash on Boxing Day.
Last year, over 130 participants that included visitors from
abroad took part in the popular event thats organized by the Town
of Comox Recreation Department.
Registration starts at around 11
and the dip into the chilly waters will start at noon. There
will be prizes for the best costume as well as for the oldest and
young-est swimmer. There will be hot chocolate for everyone.
Organizers are inviting people to come out, take the plunge and
have a good time.
Polar Bear Swim on Dec. 26 Jazz Icon Show AnnouncedJazz icons
the Marcus Roberts Trio will performat the Sid Williams Theatre
(Jan. 31) as part ofthe WinterJam100 festival in the Comox
Valley.The trio is known for its virtuosic style that isstrongly
rhythmic, melodic, and fi lled with dy-namic contrast, presenting
an entirely new ap-proach to jazz trios. Concert tickets and
detailsavailable at winterjam.ca
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