Pot zoning adopted
District council on Tuesday adopted the proposed bylaw outlining rules for marijuana dispensaries in the community.
The lone dissident was Councillor Doug Race, who proposed a motion to defer the matter until senior levels of government clarify legal changes around marijuana. He cited a Vancouver Sun editorial deriding local governments for making changes before the laws were settled.
However, other members of council spoke in favour of the bylaw, as it will set out local regulations on matters such as proximity to schools. Councillor Susan Chapelle added that it will help those in the community who are looking to get marijuana for medicinal reasons.
“I’m really glad that we’re ahead of the game,” she said.
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said council had discussed the issue thoroughly at each stage of the bylaw.
“We’ve been hashing this out for eight months now,” she said.
Mayors give logging input
The Truck Loggers Association has sought the input of local government officials from coastal communities, including Mayor Patricia Heintzman, for a report on the state of the forest industry in coastal towns.
Following up on a report in 2004, the TLA wants to show how the industry has changed and what this means to communities, such as job losses.
“We need to balance recreation, tourism and all our natural amenities while maintaining a healthy working forest,” Heintzman said.
In all, 27 community leaders were surveyed in 2015 for the new report, Communities Perspectives on the BC Coastal Forest Industry.
TLA Executive Director David Elstone says at least 25 independent logging contractors have left the business over the past decade.
“Contractors are the economic backbone of many rural communities,” he said.
Conscious Goddess Festival
The Conscious Goddess Festival is a three-day festival of conscious, heart-centred speakers, workshops, vendors, performers and artists, shamans and yogis. After taking place in Nelson in 2015, the event makes its debut in Squamish at the Cheekye Ranch this year. It starts Friday at 3 p.m. and runs to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, see theconsciousgoddessfestival.com.
HSS Energy Ambassadors
Howe Sound Secondary students Alexandra Jevons, Christian Smith and Graeme Bowers recently updated the school board on their application for a grant under BC Hydro’s Energy Ambassadors program. Energy Ambassadors is one of the utility’s programs for students aimed at cutting energy costs.
The school conducted its “Take a break” project over one week in May.
“Every single day for a week, we turned off more and more lights,” Jevons said.
If successful, the school will put the $1,000 grant toward sensors to save energy use in the bathrooms and changerooms when they are not in use.
They would install the sensors in about six rooms at the school.
The school is waiting for results on the effects of the week-long campaign.
