Some of the activities to see, taste and experience include…

• Cumberland Legion Pancake Breakfast from 9-11am
• Dancing, carving and jewelry making
• Vancouver Island Visitor Centre Building Tours
• Putting Contest, fly tying and reel demos
• I-Spy,Treasure Hunt and Face Painting
• BBQ, tasty treats and much more….

For more information and to RSVP click HERE

VIP GALA
Join us at the Private VIP Gala Event in the evening from 7:00-9:00pm, as we celebrate the Official Grand Opening of this award winning facility, to launch the Friends of the Visitor Centre program, and recognize the hard work of hundreds of companies and volunteers. Local tastes, entertainment and more.

Register HERE now! Tickets are $20 per person and proceeds go directly to the Friends of the Visitor Centre program. Tickets can also be purchased at the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre.

Date: April 28, 2012
Time: Grand Opening: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Gala: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Vancouver Island Visitor Centre, 3607 Small Road, Cumberland
Phone: 1-250-334-2427 extension 222

The food digesters will be on sale from Monday, April 16 until Friday, May 11, 2012. The “Green Cone” takes all types of food waste, including fruit and vegetable scraps, cooked and uncooked meats, fish, bones and dairy products along with other food wastes such as bread and pasta. The digester cleverly turns these scraps into water and carbon dioxide and then the nutrients are absorbed back into the soil. You cannot use the “Green Cone” for any garden waste.

“Using a food waste digester helps divert organic waste from the landfills and it just might be the answer for those residents who do not have a yard or for people looking for an alternative to the Earth Machine backyard composter,” said Koreen Gurak, manager of communications for the Comox Valley Regional District. “The food digester is hassle-free and easy to install. Its cost is higher than the traditional composter but if well-maintained, it should be a lifetime investment for the environment.”

The “Green Cones” are on sale for $130.00. For all your “Green Cone” questions please call a compost educator in your area: Strathcona Regional District (SRD) call Elaine Jansen at 250-287-1625 and in the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) call Patty Rose at 250-898-1086.

“Green Cones” MUST be pre-ordered and pre-paid by contacting or visiting:
Strathcona Gardens recreation complex (for orders in the SRD)
225 South Dogwood Street, Campbell River – Tel: 250-287-9234

Or

Comox Valley aquatic centre (for orders in the CVRD)
377 Lerwick Road, Courtenay – Tel: 250-334-9622

Comox Valley sports and aquatic centre (for orders in the CVRD)
3001 Vanier Drive, Courtenay – Tel: 250-334-9622

For more information on the food waste digesters visit www.cswm.ca/greencones.

To maintain enough water in the system during this time for household and fire fighting needs, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) will move to stage three water restrictions. Residents are asked to use water only when completely necessary.

During stage three the following seasonal activities are prohibited:

• Watering lawns (with manual or automatic sprinklers) or pressure washing driveways or boulevards at any time
• Filling or adding water to a hot tub or garden pond at any time
• Washing a vehicle or a boat at any time

Who this applies to:
This stage three water restriction applies to everyone living in the Town of Comox, the City of Courtenay and the Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco, and Greaves Crescent water local service areas. All of these areas are served by the Comox Valley water system.

Water Quality & Supply
Health regulations require that consumer and business users be aware that the water might be turbid (cloudy) if heavy rains occur. There may be slight discolouration of the water during and after this period. The medical health officer recommends that if this occurs, the water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute prior to consuming. Consumers using water during this time should be aware that water quality could change rapidly. It is advisable to keep an ample supply of potable water on hand or in your refrigerator during the time indicated above. Taste and odour of the water may be affected by the addition of extra chlorine while pumping from the Puntledge River.

Engine Noise near the Puntledge River
Residents living near the pump station can expect some noise from the engines while water is being pumped from the river. We apologize to residents who may be affected.

For more information on the current restrictions including the three stage bylaw visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/restrictions

The water committee also recommended placing an amount of $105,000 from the proposed water efficiency budget into a reserve account for 2012, and furthermore, has directed staff to update the current water efficiency plan. If the CVRD board approves a new water efficiency plan in the future, funds to support it can be withdrawn from the reserve account.

The water efficiency toilet rebate program was offered to homeowners connected to the Comox Valley water system on a first-come, first served basis while funds were available.

The CVRD will process toilet rebate applications with receipts date stamped up to and including March 23, 2012 on a first-come-first-serve basis. All applications with receipts must be submitted by May 31, 2012 to be eligible for the rebate.

For more information on the rebate program including the downloadable application form, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/rebates.

Last year’s pilot rebate program was offered to homeowners connected to the Black Creek-Oyster Bay water system on a first-come, first served basis while funds were available. Owners were eligible for a $75 rebate for installing high-efficiency (4.8 litre flush) or dual flush (usually three and six litre flush) CSA (Canadian Standards Association) approved toilets. Toilets rebates were limited at two per installation address.

The CVRD will continue to process toilet rebate applications with receipts date stamped January 1 – March 30, 2012 on a first-come-first-serve basis until Wednesday, May 31 2012.

For more information on the rebate program including the downloadable application form, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/rebates.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.

CSWM and CVCS have each launched websites to get people to show their commitment to the environment through an online pledge. The pledges work in unison: the CSWM’s “Solution to Zero Waste” pledge focuses on the five Rs of waste reduction – rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle — and the “Count me In” pledge is a CVCS initiative that supports a more sustainable community through further reducing our ecological footprint in areas such as energy and water.

“The goal of both organizations is to increase awareness through a public commitment and for us to monitor how people and businesses support waste prevention behaviours,” said Koreen Gurak manager of communications for the Comox Valley Regional District. “The value of these pledges is to trigger or to increase the likelihood that people will follow through with some small behavioral changes that can make a huge difference.”

“By taking the pledges you can replace a sense of powerlessness with a sense of action and hope,” said Kerry Dawson, education coordinator for the Comox Valley Conservation Strategy. “Join a community of people who care and want to become a part of the solution for a better future.”

This Valentine’s Day go online to www.cswm.ca/zerowaste and take the “Solution to Zero Waste” pledge and to www.cvconservationstrategy.org/pledges to take the “Count me in” pledge.

The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) service is a function of the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and is responsible for two regional waste management centres that serve the Comox Valley and Campbell River, as well as a range of transfer stations and smaller waste-handling and recycling facilities for the electoral areas of the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District. The CSWM service manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material and oversees a number of diversion and education programs.

The Comox Valley Conservation strategy (CVCS) is a regional conservation plan that aims

This bridge will act as a keystone link for the pedestrian and cycling network growing in the Comox Valley and a safe river crossing for non-vehicle traffic.

The bridge will create an artful and long lasting tourist attraction in Courtenay and be a focal point for downtown Courtenay while enhancing traffic safety and help to decrease congestion downtown.

For more information about this project, or to become a supporter visit their official Comox Valley Bridge Project website.

Proposed Location of the Bridge to be at the foot of 6th Street in Courtenay

This 30-year rent free lease was offered just in time as the existing lease was scheduled to run out just next week. It is estimated that as many as 20,000 people visit the park, ideal for hiking, biking, and swimming, each year.

An increase in the parks budget is being proposed for the next five years to help with parking expansion and other maintenance issues. The past five years saw a budget of $60,000 – the proposed new budget is $95,000 for the next five years.

The low budget is largely made possible by the incredible volunteer help provided by many Plateau Road residents.

You can drop off your tree at the firehalls in Comox and Courtenay on Saturday, January 7 and Sunday, January 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, one-day tree chipping events are being held at the City of Campbell River’s Sportsplex on Saturday January 7 and in Cumberland at the fire hall on Sunday January 8, hours for both locations is 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The fire departments in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland are also offering a special home pick up of Christmas trees for a $5 donation, just by calling the firehall for the area in which you live. The donations go to support local charities.

Christmas trees that are cut in half with each half no longer than three feet in length will also be picked up on regular yard waste pick up days in Courtenay and Comox. Curbside pickup of Christmas trees for Royston residents is Thursday, January 5, 2012.

You can also take your Christmas tree to the CSWM’s waste management centres, in the Comox Valley at 2400 Pidgeon Lake Road, Cumberland or in Campbell River at 6700 Argonaut Road.

Christmas trees will be accepted free of charge at both locations. Both waste management centres are open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The waste management centres will close at noon on December 24 and 31 and will remain CLOSED Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

No matter what disposal method you choose, be sure to remove all of the tinsel and decorations first.
The Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) service is a function of the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and is responsible for two regional waste management centres that serve the Comox Valley and Campbell River, as well as a range of transfer stations and smaller waste-handling and recycling facilities for the electoral areas of the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District. The CSWM service manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material and oversees a number of diversion and education programs.

The rebate program started in 2010 in the Comox Valley as part of the water efficiency strategy to encourage residents to reduce their water consumption inside and outside their home. Toilet and rain barrel rebates were also added to a pilot program for the Black Creek-Oyster River local water service area in 2011.

“In 2012, it will be important to refocus on reducing outdoor water consumption. Rain barrels and cisterns can provide this however staff is currently investigating options that would broaden the range of water-saving mechanisms that would be eligible for a rebate,” said Marc Rutten, senior manager of engineering services.

Applications for a rebate must include a receipt for purchase of a rain barrel and/or a cistern, date-stamped prior to the end of this year to be eligible. The toilet rebate program will continue with the same eligibility criteria in 2012. A $75 rebate will be issued on a first come, first serve basis while funds are available for installing high-efficiency (4.8 litre flush) or dual flush CSA (Canadian Standards Association) approved toilets. There is a maximum of two toilet rebates per installation address; this includes any toilet rebates received under the 2009, 2010 and 2011 programs.

Toilet rebates are available to property owners connected to the local water service areas including; the City of Courtenay, Town of Comox and the Arden, Comox Valley, England Road, Marsden/Camco, Greaves Crescent and Black Creek-Oyster Bay. For more information on the rebate program and to download an application form visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/rebates.

The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.