Murder charge
Jonathan Walter Billy was charged with second degree murder following an incident on 6th Street in Courtenay. On June 30, Comox Valley RCMP were called to a residence at the 500 block of 6th and located 25-year-old Troy Matthew Emmons, who had died as a result of foul play.
Burns and bans
A man was transported to hospital with second to third degree burns resulting from a trailer fire at Maple Pool Campground and RV Site in Courtenay — the same day a campfire ban took effect in the Coastal Fire Centre. Later in the month on Denman Island, a man died in a trailer fire. The man was located inside the trailer in the 5300 block of Denman Road. The cause of the fire was not known. Later in the month, a brush fire off Curtis Road in Comox burned more than 0.5HA near Point Holmes. Comox Fire Rescue, with help from Courtenay, Cumberland, Oyster River, Campbell River and 19 Wing fire departments, attacked the blaze from the ground, while two helicopters dropped water from above.
Happier news
Barry Manning of Courtenay was $500,000 richer after winning the Extra in the Lotto 6/49 and BC/49 draws. He routinely goes to the store to pick up household items, along with a $20 Mega Pack.
“I couldn’t believe that I won $500,000. I had to check it three times!” laughed Manning, who planned to share his winnings with family.
100 years young
Ken Dougan celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and fellow members of 888 (Komox) Wing of the RCAF. Dougan is a decorated Second World War veteran, navigator and pilot.
AAP
The Comox Valley Regional District Alternative Approval Process for the Civic Centre regional office building began July 6 and ran until Aug. 18. The office is an important aspect of district operations.
Wayward driving
A driver took out a telephone pole on Back Road and ran through the back fence of Clayton Wood’s house on Farquharson Drive — replicating an accident 20 years earlier when he lived in the same house with his parents.
In a pickle
Members of the Tennis Club and Pickleball Association squared off at Courtenay council over the issue of court lines. The pickleball players wanted to paint their lines on some of Courtenay’s tennis courts, which the tennis players said would ruin their sport and make it impossible to hold tournaments. Both groups agreed that playing surfaces at Lewis and Martin parks need work due to large surface cracks.
Stop and Give
Comox Rotarians and other caring people appealed to the public at Simms Park to ‘Stop and Give’ to the provincial fire relief effort, to assist those in other parts of B.C. that were ravaged by wildfires. They raised more than $6,000 in a week, and a trailer full of household goods.
On hold
Providence Health Care decided to suspend amalgamation discussions with Glacier View Lodge until the board and society concluded “internal discussions,” the Catholic health care provider said.
Earlier in the year, St. Joseph’s Hospital announced a partnership with Providence and Glacier View. The latter is a local long-term care facility. Like St. Joseph’s, Providence prohibits medical assistance in dying (MAiD).
Island Health was in the process of examining bids for a 70-bed long-term care facility. Though still unconfirmed, speculation suggests St. Joseph’s has submitted a bid.
Entertainment
Rita Coolidge, Bruce Cockburn and the Barenaked Ladies were among the performers at the annual Vancouver Island MusicFest at the fairgrounds. During the festival, it was announced that executive producer Doug Cox would be inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame as a pioneer star.
Sports
Chris ‘Bukwas’ Anderson bumped his record to 6-0 with a win at a mixed martial arts event in Coquitlam. By doing so, the Courtenay fighter won the Battlefield Fight League (BFL) middleweight title. Because he also holds the welterweight belt, Bukwas became the first BFL fighter to hold two titles simultaneously in different weights.
•Valley triathletes Ryan Parton, Tyler McCallan and Derek Vinge qualified for the XTERRA World Championships in Maui.
• The long-awaited skatepark in Cumberland officially opened. The park includes 5,500 square feet of hand-sculpted, butter-smooth concrete shaped into street, bowl, flow, and mini-ramp features.
•And Comox golfer Alex Webber won the U19 gold medal in convincing fashion at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games in Toronto.
