Cable bits
After more than a month of finding bits of plastic washing ashore on the beaches of Denman Island from the Baynes Sound Connector ferry cable, residents took the matter into their own hands. For weeks, large and small pieces of plastic from the cable of the ferry had been found. Earlier in the month, ocean debris was caught up in one of the cables of the BSC, which caused delays. BC Ferries said it was a manufacturer’s defect that should not be occurring.
Machete attack
A crowdfunding campaign generated $25,000 in less than two days for Bob Plumb, 89, who was attacked in downtown Courtenay July 31. Plumb was in his vehicle in the 400-block of 5th Street at about 4:15 a.m. when a man on a bike asked for a cigarette. The man attacked Plumb with what appeared to be a machete. Plumb sustained several slashes to his face, and was in danger of losing vision in his left eye.
Senior assaulted
A 78-year-old woman with dementia was attacked in Courtenay Aug. 27, around 5:10 p.m. near Menzies and 3rd — the second incident involving a senior in less than a month in the city. Thanks to several witnesses who stopped to intervene, 32-year-old Katherine Devlin of Vancouver was arrested a short distance away. She has been charged with one count of assault and one count of robbery.
Senior skydiver
85-year-old Margo Bonnell put another check-mark on her bucket list when she parachuted to raise money for prostate cancer research. The Courtenay resident and Order of the Eastern Star member had never before tried skydiving. She made the jump from 10,000 feet.
No longer top man
Sundance Topham’s days as CAO for the Village of Cumberland came to an end. Mayor Leslie Baird was not in a position to say whether the decision was Topham’s or the Village’s.
New safe home for women
A new housing project for women and children leaving violence opened in Courtenay. Managed by the Comox Valley Transition Society, the complex provides eight units for up to 16 women and children. Rents range from $570 to $965 a month.
Student housing
North Island College prepared for initial architectural design work for a new student housing project at its Comox Valley campus. NIC president John Bowman said rents will be affordable, likely in the $500 to $600 range. The priority is to house domestic students, though Bowman expects a significant proportion of the housing to be occupied by international students.
Courts favour district
The BC Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Comox Valley Regional District on a petition filed by 3L Developments, a Nanaimo-based company that had hoped to build homes on its property around Stotan Falls. The ruling dismissed 13 claims made against the district regarding the management of 3L’s application for its proposed Riverwood development in Area C. Costs were awarded to the CVRD. On two previous occasions, 3L had won court decisions after challenging the CVRD about due process. Due to liability concerns, 3L had closed access to its property, which includes hundreds of acres along the Puntledge and Browns rivers.
BUSINESS
Chef inducted
The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame announced that chef Ronald St. Pierre of Locals Restaurant was to be added to this year’s class of inductees. A peer-voted award, induction signifies that customers and restaurateurs recognize an individual has reached a high level of professionalism and excellence.
A&E
Wild time
Cumberland Wild featured two days of live music and DJs on two stages, Aug. 17-18 in Village Park.
SPORTS
Standing tall
Comox Valley lacrosse goalie Haydin Gibson helped the B.C. bantam girls team win a gold medal at the Minor Box Lacrosse Nationals in Coquitlam. The 14-year-old tended the pipes in a 3-2 win in the championship final against Ontario.
Rugby medals
Several Comox Valley rugby players were part of the B.C. U16 and U15 girls teams that won gold and silver respectively at the U16 Western Championships in Kelowna.
Happy winners
Repeating their feats in 2016 and 2017, the Happy’s Islanders won the 57-plus division at the 2019 Canadian National Oldtimers Federation baseball championship on the August long weekend in Airdrie, Alta.
Drew wins again
Campbell River’s Thomas Drew, who won his second consecutive men’s club championship in July, won the Men’s Tillicum at the Sunnydale Golf Club in Courtenay.
