DocumentsOtherFeb 7, 2022Pages 35–36

Included News / Media Clippings

External news clippings included in the package covering regional items such as the closure of a medical clinic and local councillor statements; included for Council information.

Key facts

Eagle Creek Medical Clinic to close April 15, 2022, affecting about 3,000 patients
Doctors named: Dr. George Zabakolas and Dr. Chelsie Velikovsky (leaving practice)
Local news item: Langford Councillor Lillian Szpak stated she does not plan to run for mayor (article date context within agenda package)

Included News / Media Clippings

Loss of two doctors will see 3,000 without a GP

Three thousand people will lose their doctor in April as the two doctors at Eagle Creek Medical Clinic in View Royal have announced they are leaving and closing their practice.

Dr. George Zabakolas and Dr. Chelsie Velikovsky are moving to work out of the United States via private “online-only” clinics, according to the Eagle Creek clinic’s website. Their general practitioner practice, as well as the walk-in clinic, will close as of April 15.

“Because our walk-in clinic is already barely functional as is (re. local physician shortages), and we cannot possibly handle the influx of 3,000 newly orphaned patients, we have made the impossibly difficult decision to close this as well on April 15th, 2022,” the clinic added on its website.

While the clinic’s other doctors and nurse practitioners will continue to work out of the clinic, the walk-in clinic will pivot to a doctor-of-the-day program.

In a letter to patients, Zabakolas said the clinic would try and place high-needs patients with other physicians, but ultimately they could make no guarantees.

Among the people who are bracing for the loss of their doctor are View Royal Mayor David Screech and his wife.

Screech said it is sad to see the doctors leave and he was concerned about the prospect of becoming one of the more than 100,000 people on the Island currently without a family doctor. Screech posted about the news on Facebook, calling out the province for their lack of support for general practitioners.

“Why would any GP really want to open up a family practice at this point, when they have to worry about rent, hiring staff, the whole nine yards,” Screech said in an interview with Black Press.

“To me, the whole model is broken. And the province has a responsibility, because there’s a lot of people, my wife and I are soon to join them, of people that are getting subpar health care.”

In a previous interview with Black Press, Langford Coun. Matt Sahlstrom said one solution in the future could be a new health-care centre he’s proposed which would rent clinic space for doctors at lower rates than they’d normally pay.

While Screech said local municipalities could contribute to keeping GP’s and that View Royal would look at every option, municipalities can’t make significant changes and the province would need to step up.

“There always tends to be an attitude with doctors that, ‘Oh, they’re okay, they make so much money,’” he said. “Clearly we’re losing them because of that pervasive attitude and I think the province has to take the lead and get that attitude to shift and get a bit of public sentiment on the side of the doctors.”

Eagle Creek clinic manager Aziza Yassin said it has confirmed the hiring of one new general practitioner who is set to arrive in August. They will be able to take some of the patients who lost their doctors, but not all 3,000, she said. The clinic has put out job postings, but hiring is proving difficult, Yassin added.

Bailey Moreton
News Staff

Photo caption: Eagle Creek clinic in View Royal (news staff photo)

Notice of Public Hearing

The City of Langford has received an application to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 300 by means of the proposed Bylaw noted below. All persons who believe that their interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw will be afforded an opportunity to be heard by presenting written submissions prior to 3 pm on the day of the Public Hearing or by making oral submissions at the Public Hearing. Please be advised that no submission may be received by Council after the close of the Public Hearing and any submissions made to Council, whether orally or in writing, will form part of the public record.

PLEASE NOTE: This meeting will be held electronically, and not in-person. Information about how to connect to this meeting is indicated in the table below.

Meeting Date and Time	Meeting Place	Bylaw No.	Location
7 February 2022, 5:30 pm	City Hall Council Chambers, Third Floor, 877 Goldstream Avenue	2015	3216 Happy Valley Road as shown shaded below

Purpose: To amend the City of Langford Zoning Bylaw No. 300 by amending the zoning of 3216 Happy Valley Road from Rural Residential 2 (RR2) Zone to Residential Townhouse 1 (RT1) Zone to allow for the development of approximately 18 Townhouse units

Teleconference # 1-855-703-8985 (Canada Toll Free) OR 1-778-907-2071 (long distance charges may apply)
Meeting ID #886 4630 6785 – Zoom.us or Zoom app on your mobile device

Council will not answer questions about the proposal or proposed bylaw except to provide clarification. The purpose of the Public Hearing is for Council to hear the views and opinions of those members of the public who wish to make comments. Please have all your questions answered in advance of the Public Hearing by contacting the Planning Department as noted below.

The Agenda, including material that Council may consider in relation to the bylaw, will be posted to the City’s website: https://www.langford.ca/city-hall/agendas-and-minutes/ the Friday afternoon before the public hearing.

Correspondence may be submitted, in writing to planning@langford.ca or by mail to Langford City Hall, 2nd Floor, 877 Goldstream Avenue, Langford, BC, V9B 2X8. You may also contact the Planning Department at (250) 478-7882.

Marie Watmough
Acting Director of Corporate Services

Bylaw No. 300

Page 35–36

Szpak says ‘no’ to mayoral run

Langford Coun. Lillian Szpak does not plan to run for mayor in the upcoming municipal election.

While Szpak acknowledged rumours circulating that she might consider a campaign – in part fuelled by the divided nature of the current council – she told Black Press Media she has no plans to run for the top job.

“If I wanted to run for mayor, I would have run for mayor a long time ago,” she said, noting she has interest in the position. “I have thoroughly enjoyed and valued my position as a councillor for the City of Langford and it’s been a real privilege to serve in that capacity.”

Szpak has yet to decide whether she will run for council again, she added.

Mayor Stew Young, in the position since 1993, said in a previous interview he plans to wait until the summer to make his decision on running for re-election.

Langford’s seven councillors have a combined 163 years of experience on council between them. Three were elected before the new millennium – Young, Coun. Denise Blackwell who was elected to council in 1992, and Coun. Lanny Seaton, who was elected in 1996. Szpak was elected in 2002, the same year as Coun. Matt Sahlstrom. Coun. Roger Wade was elected in 2008.

The most junior member of council, Norma Stewart, was elected in 2018.

Szpak hopes other community members will consider running and said she would be happy to mentor anyone who does want to run.

“We need to refresh ourselves. This is a long serving council,” she said. “Diversity is a very good thing. It strengthens decision making. It builds confidence in the community when you can draw from the community with fresh voices and fresh perspectives. So I think it’s healthy to have that outreach.”

“We’re not elected to squabble and have disputes in public, we’re elected to debate in a respectful manner what is on the table,” she said. “I think that your community will lose confidence if they think, ‘Oh, this is council, all they do is they squabble and they let personal issues get in the way.’”

The Union of BC Municipalities has workshops on council conduct which could help improve the situation, Szpak added. COVID-19 and the proliferation of people criticizing council on social media has also fuelled tensions among councillors, she said.

“There’s a command and control feeling from the chair, which I think is not conducive to good open dialogue.”

In an interview Young acknowledged there had been tension with some councillors who didn’t agree with the rapid development that’s been happening in Langford in recent years.

“It hasn’t been easy this year because some of the councillors have been combative, I guess you might call it, with what’s going on,” he said. “But that’s natural. Eventually, Langford will probably be like the other municipalities around us that really don’t get much done and (are) complaining. I’m just not like that. I move forward and have a solution.

“I’ve got broad shoulders; nobody has to agree with me, but this is the path that I’ve taken for 30 years and it’s brought Langford to a great space,” Young added.

Bailey Moreton
News Staff