Fibre Optics Initiative for Thetis Island - Follow-Up

Please check your email inbox for our committee's follow-up to the eSpokes posting on January 23, 2021 by Peter Luckham (Trustee, Thetis Island Islands Trust), coming from letskeepintouchthetisisland@gmail.com

Thank you to all who have reached out to us so far, and we will continue to reply to your emails. Thank you as well to the newcomers to the island who have emailed us asking to be connected to the PlaceSpeak platform. PlaceSpeak has been and will continue to be open to ALL Thetis Islanders. For those not already signed up, we need your email address as "the key" to accessing the site, so if you haven't yet given us your email address or your email address has changed, then please email us and we will add you to the contact list so you can join the discussions online.  

Thank you very much,

Thetis Island Community Economic Enhancement Corporation
Committee Members:
Rebecca Andison
Lesley Buhr
Denis Gagnon  

Fibre Optic Initiative

Community,

since yesterday's announcement of the Thetis Island Economic Enhancement Corporation.decision concerning the fibre Optic Initiative, I have had a number of questions from community members regarding my involvement in this decision.

I feel it necessary to reply to the community rather than each person to be sure that there are no misunderstandings regarding my or the Islands Trust's Involvement.

I nor the Islands Trust was involved in the decision in anyway. I was invited to one last minute meeting on Monday at 8:30 where a new-to-me proposal to bring fibre optic internet to Thetis Island was introduced by the CVRD.

This is a joint initiative between the Strathcona Regional District under the Connected Coast banner and an Internet provider called CityWest owned by the city of Prince Rupert.

Both of these companies are publicly owned.

CityWest brought to the meeting a proposal for a 2.4 million dollar project to provide fibre internet to 331 homes on Thetis Island via a sub-sea fibre-optic cable. This project would be funded with a 90% UFB grant and a 10% community contribution proposed to be provided by the CVRD. This 10% contribution would be paid back to the CVRD by CityWest thru profits from user fees over 5 years. It is was not clear what would happen with those proceeds after the 5 years ie whether they would continue to flow to the community or reduce service charges.

No further details were learned in the meeting as it suddenly came to an end when it was announced by the Thetis Island Economic Enhancement Corporation representatives that the project was not needed as the TIEEC had an agreement with Telus to provide Fibre Internet to the Island. Despite this announcement very little information was provided to the attendees regarding this other proposal. A request that more information be provided to the Islands Trust and the CVRD regarding the Telus proposal has be refused.

I nor the Islands Trust has endorsed either project, specifically the TIEEC/TELUS project as no information has been provided. I have been unable to access any information from the TIEEC place speak site, despite having been a registered user on that platform for many years. 

I am unable to answer any questions regarding who reviewed the projects, how it was conducted, what criteria was used, what cost analysis has been done or how connections and services will be delivered.

I am concerned about the lack of community engagement and the lack of transparency of the proposal and or agreements that the TIEE Corporation is entering into on behalf of Thetis Islands.

I can only suggest you direct your questions to Board of the Thetis Island Economic Enhancement Corporation.

Peter Luckham,

Trustee, Thetis Island

Islands Trust

www.islandstrust.bc.ca

Preserving island communities, culture and environment

For Sale by Donation

Antique salt pepper Shaker
Collection.
Lots to choose from.

Japanese. Totems. RCMP. Roosters. Tee Pees. Planters peanuts, Cars, silver, blue glass, wood, ceramic, plastic.

Will be on table end of drive way lot 53. 8:00-10:30 am 
Vivian place/Foster Road. Please place a donation of choosing in the piggy bank.

Contactless pick up.

Thx

Help Wanted

Looking for person to perform general labour and handyman services including roof and gutter cleaning.

Willing to pay above going rate for good work.

Please phone Richard Stewart at 250-213-5826

Wanted:

Old skateboard. Deck or complete is fine.  For practice on trampoline. 

Text 2502520699

Chris

Drainage Pipe For Sale

New 8 inch diameter by 14 foot length N-12 WT (watertight) corrugated polyethylene drainage pipe. Great for the rainy season. Paid $94. Asking $50.

Additional 20 foot sections can be joined. See N-12®– ADS Pipe (ads-pipecanada.com) for details.

Phone Paul or Noella at 250-246-6623 to view.

News Release - Public Survey about Updating Islands Trust Policy Statement

https://mailstorm.caorda.com/campaigns/gp922dqm7kcc8/web-version/bz299xot5we64

Grant Funding for our Community Dock

Our Community Dock is currently closed for vehicular traffic due to unsafe structure as determined by an engineering report. A plan to make repairs during the upcoming spring when day time low tides allow is scheduled. 

The Thetis Island Port Commission (TIPC) has applied for a grant to fund this project. And TIPC along with other island organizations is submitting letters of support for this initiative.  

The more support we can muster, the better our chances for success. With this in mind, letters of support from individual islanders  would also be helpful. And so, if you are motivated to act, please send a letter explaining why you believe the Community Dock is a fundamental and critical island resource.

The title of the program is:

Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program for the Thetis Island Wharf Refurbishment. 

The contact person is:

Brian Farquhar,

Manager, Parks & Trails Division, Cowichan Valley Regional District

And the email address to use is : 

Brian.Farquar@cvrd.bc.ca

Free: Love Seats

We have 2 green love seats available for free.  Both in good condition if a little dated. 

250-710-0255 Alisha Rennie 

For Sale

Antique salt n’ pepper shakers.  Many cool themes. Buy separately or all together. 

Mounties. Planters peanuts. Japanese.   Mexican. Totems. Wood. Ceramic. Glass. Blue glass. Metal. Plastic.  

4 each or make an offer on all. 

Text for photos.

Contactless pick up of course. 

2502520699 Chris

Confused about the Venting Index?

Outdoor burning of yard waste is dependent upon the venting index.  If venting is “YES - GOOD” then your smoke will rise far enough up in the atmosphere to mix and diffuse the toxic smoke particles.  If the conditions are such that the smoke will not rise to the necessary mixing height to greatly reduce the respiratory health risks in our region, then the Venting Index will be “POOR - NO”.

Most people are following the rules and waiting for a Good Venting day to produce their smoke.  Unfortunately for the rest of us some misguided people feel that the Ministry of Environment regulations don’t apply to them and they light their burn piles on Poor Venting days.  

The TIVFD investigates all smoke complaints that go through 911.  We are happy to do so because we know that smoke on a Poor-No Venting day might mean a bush fire.  So we must respond.  Fortunately, so far we have only had to educate or re-educate the burners on why they cannot light their yard waste on that particular day.  Most people then extinguish their fire and wait for a day where the venting index is “GOOD - YES” and they are not putting our community’s respiratory health at risk.  If they won’t comply (and we have had instances where the “entitled” person has stated they don’t care about other people’s lungs) the Fire Dept. will extinguish the fire for them.  

You can access the Venting Index map at www.thetisislandfire.ca  

The map is updated every morning by the MOE just after 7 a.m. 

TIVFD 

Community Dock Grant

*Letters in support of the grant for funding repairs to the Community Dock must be in by this Friday, the 22nd.*

For appealing for access to the dock for our First Responders as well as for funding for our Community Dock, please write to:

Brian FARQUHAR
CVRD Manager Parks & Trails
brian.farquhar@cvrd.bc.ca
250-746-2612  

The Thetis Island Improvement District