Blindness knows no boundaries in society, White Cane Society spokesman Vern Short told City council Tuesday.
Short handed three white canes around council chambers and explained the differences between them: the thickest is a support cane for people with vision impairment who also need to lean on it; the thinnest is an identification cane that lets others know the owner has some vision impairment; the third, middle-thickness cane is the one used by most people with definite vision problems.
Short received a proclamation from council for White Cane Week, Feb. 3 to 9.
Events slated for the week include a bowling event with officials and celebrities including City councillors, and a luncheon for group members on Feb. 7 at Desert Gardens. For lunch tickets, call Short at 250-376-4493.
Milobar becomes Prime candidate
Just as B.C. Transit has a board that governs that Crown corporation, so does the RCMP’s Prime information system.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities has three representatives on the Prime board; one just stepped down and Mayor Peter Milobar was asked to fill the space.
Milobar said Tuesday he’ll be going to his first Prime board meeting Monday.
The meetings are held monthly, but there’s no cost to City taxpayers for the travel costs, he said.
Milobar said he was still looking into more details about the board’s role and responsibilities. Its main focus is to oversee the information system that the RCMP use.
City sorts out cost of riverbank protection for homeowners
Ten Westsyde homeowners whose property was threatened by river erosion are getting taxed for riverbank protection works.
The City also had property affected by erosion, and together the group received almost $600,000 in grants, which brought the cost of the works from $952,751 down to $362,549.
City deputy corporate officer Cindy Kennedy told council Tuesday the owners were responsible for 80 per cent of the works to their lots, while the City paid 20 per cent.
That brought the final tally for the 10 homeowners to $290,039, or $1,030 per metre.
Kennedy said the property owners have a choice of paying their entire share by April 19 or spreading the cost over 15 years at five per cent interest.
