Nanaimo Daily News from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada • 1

lis fiOT grains gians ixop iuto iU (tart GST) $1J00 Since 1074 Friday, July 25, 2003 Fori Dug mm it IS Public warned as hot, dry weather increases chance of 'major incident' By Paul Walton Daily News -U Bathtubbing never tasted better Special guests at Wednesday's official cake cutting to Quality Foods, LNBS Commodore Bill McGuire, Randy kick off the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society Marine Fes- Romano of Quality Foods and Miss Nanaimo and tival at the Northridge Village Thrifty Foods store princesses, Stacey Brow, Sandy Sidhu and Charmaine included, left to right, Kip Sihota and Dan Gigliotti of Ng. (Mark BrettDaily News) mmm alerted! Ami -wee Hot, dry weather and a light breeze have combined to significantly increase the fire hazard in the mid-Island area, forcing the City of Nanaimo to ban outdoor burning of any type and the Ministry of Forests to warn there is potential for a "major incident." The fire rating, which has five levels from very low to extreme, is now nearing the extreme point in the mid-Island. Cedar, south of the city, is currently at the extreme level according to the Ministry of Forests Protection Branch Web site. The rest of the Nanaimo area is now at high, one level below extreme. Insp.

Doug Bell, with the city fire department, said Thursday's ban now covers camp fires, cooking fires and ceremonial fires. The city ban is just one in a maze of fire bans set by provincial ministries and different munic-' ipal jurisdictions. The Ministry of Forests has not yet announced a camp fire ban in the Coastal Fire Area, which extends south from near Bella Bella. But the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection has banned fires in various parks, mcluding Newcastle Island. There is a permanent fire ban in Strathcona Park.

Fires are also banned on Gabriola Island. A spokeswoman at the Coastal Fire centre, Donna MacPherson, said people need to be especially careful when in parks or the back country. "We have a potential for a major incident, so we are asking the public to be very careful," she said. Bell said city fire fighters have been busy with many small brush fires. He fears it may not be long until something larger erupts if people are care-" less.

"We've had such a rash of fires lately, and it's only going to get worse through this weekend," said Bell Thursday. He said one of the biggest problems is people discarding cigarettes into dry brush or bark mulch, found In many gardens. "We're still finding people just throwing their cigarettes away," he said. "They smoulder, but sooner or later they'll burst into flame which causes real problems when close to a structure." I MacPherson said they are waiting to hear the causes of any new fires before issuing a camp fire ban in the Coastal Area. Camp fire bans are already in place in the Kamloops, South East and Cariboo Fire Areas.

"We're holding off on a camp fire ban until we notice people are not being responsible," she said. Anyone seeing a wildfire outside of the 91 1 area is asked to report them to 1 800 663-5555 or on a cell phone at 5555. By Walter Cordery Daily News When it is noticed on city land, municipal staff remove the plant, he said. When city staff notice the weed on private property, the property owner is informed the plant can be a health hazard. -yv- To ensure city workers don't come into contact with the noxious weed, the city's procedure sheet urges them to wear "disposable coveralls with a drawstring hood, rubber gloves and a faceshield." Workers are also told to "tape the wrists of the coveralls to the gloves to prevent the sap from running up your forearm under the sleeve." Laidlaw said the city has found "a fair bit" of the plant along city trails.

David Coomb, of the Vancouver Island Health Authority's environmental health office, said he's heard of isolated cases of people coming into contact with giant hogweed but not in large enough numbers for his office to consider it a public health issue. The City of Nanaimo is trying to eradicate the weed before it establishes here, said Laidlaw. The City of Nanaimo is warning its workers to be careful when they come into contact with the noxious plant giant hogweed. And this is the first year the city has started removing the plant, said Andy Laidlaw, the city's manager of community services. The acrid sap from giant hogweed (Heracleum man-tegazzianum) is strong enough to inflame and ulcerate the skin, states a safework procedure sheet the City of Nanaimo is circulating to staff members.

"Severe skin rashes and persistent blisters can result when the sap touches the skin and the skin is exposed to sunlight," the procedure sheet states. "These burning blisters can develop into blackened scars." Laidlaw told the Daily News giant hogweed "can be found in quite a few areas in the city." toaiiiira tadsiiinig) tod Tourists still visiting city despite world woes Ottawa holds fire in war of By Valerie Wilson Dairy News 5,139 during the first six months of 2002. Traffic at Nanaimo Airport is also on the rise. In June, 10,288 passengers departed from the local airport, compared to 8,921 during the same month in 2002. Year-to-date, passenger traffic at the airport is up 3.84, with 52,055 Nanaimo appears to be bucking a gloomy tourism trend that's hit other B.C.

cities hard, a Victoria consulting firm reported Wednesday. words with ran Despite a decline in tourism due to world events including the SARS outbreak, war in Iraq, mad cow disease passengers using the airport compared to 50,128 during the first six months of 2002. CanWest News Service and national airline woes, more peo- TiWi Hotel and motel businesses who pie traveled to and from Nanaimo rrV reDort their monthlvactivitv to Grant during the first six months of 2003, Thornton are also seeing increases so far this year in average occupancy, daily room rates and revenue per available room. Average occupancy for the first six months of 2003 is 54.32, compared to 53.98, daily room rates are up by $1.52 for the first six months of 2003 compared to the same time frame last year. officer with a machete.

Tehran demanded a rapid, transparent inquiry with wording that mirrored the Canadian-government demands for an investigation into the death in custody of Zahra Kazemi, 54, and the prosecution of those responsible. The government in Tehran's new offensive began less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced he was pulling Canada's ambassador to Iran back to Ottawa to protest Kazemi's killing and her burial Wednesday in Iran, contrary to the wishes of her son and the Canadian government. The government is mulling further penalties on Iran, including economic sanctions and curbs on government-to-government contacts JEAN CHRETIEN and travel. Stephan Hachemi, Kazemi's son in Montreal, and the Canadian government had demanded the body be returned to Canada for autopsy and burial. Iran dismissed as unjustified Canada's decision to recall Canadian Ambassador Philip MacKinnon, and began publicizing its complaints about the killing of Tabesh.

"Why have the Canadian police, who should safeguard the security of the people, committed this disgraceful crime which scared Iranian citizens living in Canada," Iranian state media quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi as saying, OTTAWA The Chretien government held its fire Thursday after Iran launched a new volley in the diplomatic row over the death and burial of a Montreal photojournalism accusing police in British Columbia of the "criminal" killing of an Iranian. "We're not going to enter into a war of words here," Foreign Affairs spokesman Rey-nald Doiron said. "Based on what we know, we don't think the situations can compare." Iran's charges stemmed from an incident in Port Moody, during which Iranian Keyvan was shot and killed on July 14 by a police officer after he allegedly lunged at the plainclothes compared to me same ume irame in zuuz. Whether looking at ferries, buses, air travel or hotel occupancy, the picture in Nanaimo is rosier than elsewhere. "Given the poor hotel results achieved across Canada this spring in most major city centres, the Nanaimo market has done extremely well," said Frank Bourree, a partner in Victoria-based Grant Thornton Management Consultants, which analyzed the data and published a report Wednesday in its monthly tourism bulletin.

During the first six months of this year, B.C Ferries carried 2,091,895 passengers and 80270 vehicles on its Departure Bay-Horseshoe Bay and Duke Point-Tsawwassen routes. That amounts to 32,362 more passengers and 11,639 more vehicles than January to June, 2002. Combined bus traffic on the two routes is also up. To date this year 5,218 buses have been welcomed aboard B.C. Ferries compared to Weather.

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