Health authority announces hospice funds
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) announced it has set aside new operating dollars to support a four-bed hospice unit in Powell River.
In an August 31 letter from VCH, chief operating officer Karin Olson informed Powell River Regional District that the funding will allow for 24/7 nursing support and additional costs to support the unit.
The health authority is working with Powell River Hospice Society to determine a location and capital cost estimates for the hospice, stated Olson. The provincial government gave the society $400,000 last year for the project and the society has been fundraising ever since.
Due to the high expense of building a stand-alone facility, Olson added in the letter that the hospice will likely be built as an add-on to an existing VCH facility.
Court postpones hearing
The man accused in a June 17 double homicide in Lund was scheduled to appear in Campbell River Provincial Court on September 11, but his arraignment hearing has been postponed to Monday, September 25. Jason Timothy Foulds, 19, is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder related to the deaths of Braxton Leask and Dylan Buckle and the shooting of Zane Hernandez.
Composting trial set to start
City of Powell River’s pilot curbside composting collection program, expected to last between six months and one year, is set to start on Monday, October 16; 400 households have been selected throughout the city to participate.
The pilot will provide the city with data on the amount of household organic waste that can be diverted from the landfill.
Each of the 400 homes will be provided a 240-litre bin designed to work with the city’s new lift-arm garbage trucks. Bins will be placed out on regular garbage pickup days.
Powell River Regional District’s Let’s Talk Trash team will be involved in educating participating residents about the program.
