Together with

Personally, I’m not an insurance person. When I buy electronics and they ask if I want a three-year extended warranty, I decline. The worst that can happen is I’ll have to pay to repair or replace the computer, but the cost of insurance comes with an unknowable reward. I'll take my chances, thanks. 

Health insurance however, I’ve always been grateful to have. Which is why the conundrum some Westshore patients face hits so hard. Their doctor is in the process of de-enrolling from the Medical Service Plan, our provincial health insurance. Patients have limited options: lose their primary care doctor but stay with the public health program—which comes with a slim chance of having a primary doctor—or pay the monthly fee plus an unpredictable amount of fees for referrals and tests as health issues arise. As one patient said to me, it’s like choosing to buy insurance or risk going without. 

Reporter, The Westshore

HEALTH

How private is health care allowed to get? 

Since The Westshore broke the news of a local doctor who planned to charge her patients a monthly fee to remain patients, we’ve heard one thing over and over: “I didn’t think this was allowed.” 

Dr. Perpetua Nwosu’s proposed $125 fee was first presented as a “non-medical fee,” but was quickly withdrawn while it was under investigation. Finally, she decided to de-enrol from the Medical Services Plan (MSP) and go ahead with the monthly fee beginning in November. 

Patients have expressed their alarm, but as the Saanich-based doctor has continued to roll out her plan, some have been surprised to learn that it’s completely legal, if discouraged by the authorities.

According to the Ministry of Health, there is no limit to what a practitioner can charge patients if the doctor is not part of MSP. If the doctor works in a publicly funded facility, like a hospital or care home, they have to charge MSP rates ($32 for a basic visit) at their clinic. But if they only work in a private clinic, such as Dr. Nwosu’s Perpetual Health Care, there is no cap. 

“I was surprised when I read your article, to see that doctors can actually operate outside of the auspices of MSP—that that's actually allowed in Canada,” said a now-former patient of Dr. Nwosu, Sukhvir Virk. “That is not consistent with the Health Care Act. That makes no sense to me.”

Virk’s family were patients of Dr. Amarjit Nirwan, but were dropped when Nwosu took over the practice just before the pandemic hit. His mother has complicated health issues which require regular medical care, and he knows she’s not alone. 

“We are going to need a lot more care for the aging population. The Health Care Act, I thought, actually ensured that these people who are now in need of this service would get it. They paid into the service through their taxes, and now they're just asking for it back,” he said. 

“For the paradigm to shift on them now? We shouldn't allow this as easily as it seems to be happening.”

ELECTION

Five-term councillor announces bid for mayor of Metchosin

Kyara Kahakauwila announced this week she will run for mayor of the rural district, after serving 17 years as a councillor—and losing once in a campaign against longtime Mayor John Ranns, who has said he will not run for re-election this year. The Westshore caught up with Kahakauwila to learn about her vision for Metchosin. Our interview has been edited for brevity.

You’ve worked with Mayor John Ranns for five terms, and he’s been the mayor for much longer. How will your leadership differ from his?

Our leadership styles are different. He definitely likes to have consensus, where I'm more about collaboration, about openness and transparency. I don't mean that negatively against John, but that was one of the reasons why I ran against him previously. People said he would do backroom stuff. Nothing illegal or anything like that, it was just his way of working through ideas. I'm different. I like to be forward and upfront with the community.

One of the things that I would like to work with with the next council is creating an open space to go through ideas in a public format, without any repercussions. [Such as, she suggested later, a committee of the whole, which Metchosin doesn't have.] I also want to encourage mentorship to bring more people into this role. I've spent 17 years as a councillor, but at 44, I'm still the youngest at the table. So how do we encourage a diverse or diversified group of people putting their name forward? 

Part of the challenge is from how vitriolic and nasty it’s been over the last couple of years. We need to find a way to end that, because why would anyone want to put themselves out there to be personally attacked when they're trying to do good for the community?

What are the main issues facing Metchosin right now?

One of the most pressing is policing. Contract negotiations are in process, so that’s imminent. [Editor's note: Metchosin contracts service from the Westshore RCMP detachment, and the contract is up. Plus, Metchosin’s population passed 5,000 in the last census, and is now on the hook for 70% of its own policing costs.] 

Broader issues that I think will come up during the campaign will be things like bylaw enforcement. Do we want to [stay] with our current model of subcontracting from CRD? People are always concerned with maintaining the rural atmosphere of the community, and we just had a presentation in regards to tiny homes and the homelessness issue. So I suspect that will come up during the election.

Mayor Ranns has been known for trying to preserve Metchosin’s rural farming characteristic. Meanwhile, property values are among the highest on the South Island. What's your approach on whether Metchosin needs to stay rural, or start to develop a little?

In that regard, I guess you could say that I'm aligned with Mayor Ranns. What makes Metchosin unique is the fact that we put so much priority on our rural values, on large, open green spaces, on farming.

One of the things I am concerned with is our larger farmers: they’re all aging, and there's not a lot of new people coming in to pick up after them. So what happens when they retire? We need to have a discussion as a community about how we are going to support our current farmers and attract new farmers. I don't have a silver bullet for that, that’s a discussion to be had with members of council, the farming community, and the community at large.

It seems like an age ago when you went to Mexico during a pandemic-related travel ban. The public reaction was strong, and you weren’t alone. Matt Sahlstrom in Langford and Sharmarke Dubow in Victoria also traveled internationally. Dubow has decided not to run again, at least in part because of the racialized backlash he got. How did that factor into your decision?

The trip to Mexico was a whole combination of things. People were angry and stressed and I became a focal point, and so did Sharmarke. I don’t know what his reasons are for not running again but for me, I made a misstep. I’m not perfect, and I held myself accountable. I stepped down as deputy mayor, and there were other repercussions, too. The personal toll it took was extreme. I did debate whether to put my name forward again because of the vitriol.

Ultimately, it happened and I can’t take it back. I have done what I can to make amends  with the community and continue to work forward. If people want to hold it against me, that’s their right. But I hope my record of being a conscientious councillor for 17 years will stand on its own. We’ve all made mistakes we regret, and all we can do is learn from them and take responsibility.

Around the ’Shore

🧑🏼‍🚒 Fire in View Royal was a ‘bit of a miracle.’ Man was asleep when a suspected electrical fire ignited. He managed to save most of his pets, save for one bird. [CTV] 

🛵 Someone in a mobility scooter fell into a hole near a Langford construction site, and was taken to hospital. [Black Press] 

🚔 Wellness check ends in arrest because of a stolen gun. Westshore RCMP checked on a 68-year-old man who was suspected to have a gun. It turned out to be a loaded shotgun that had been stolen from Cold Lake, Alberta, in 2015. The man was taken to hospital and then released. He is scheduled to appear in court in November for possession of stolen property, careless use of a firearm, and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

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Community Events

👨🏻‍🎤 Long weekend music fest in Sooke: The annual Sooke Music & Art Festival is back, and free to attend. The father-daughter duo, A Family Curse, is headlining. Other performers include singer-songwriter Leeroy Stagger, noir pop group Vox Rea, country blues singer Brandon Isaak, and more. Sept. 2-4 at John Phillips Memorial Park and the Sooke Legion. Get a taste for the music by listening to the Smaaf 2022 playlist on Spotify. 

🎹 Choral Evolution is looking for new singers to join the choir. The first practice is on Sept. 7 in Sooke. Read our feature on the choir from their first season.  

🦁 Sooke is hosting a town hall to talk about John Phillips Memorial Park. The Sooke Lions have proposed a multipurpose building with a parking lot, but the idea has been controversial. Sept. 25.

What’s Offshore?

#1 🚢 The Saga Spray is a General Cargo Ship built in 1994 and is sailing under the flag of Hong Kong. It is sailing from 🇺🇸 San Diego, CA ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive yesterday.

#2 ⛴ The MSC Bremen is a Container Ship built in 2007 and is sailing under the flag of Liberia. It is sailing from 🇺🇸 Seattle, WA ➡ 🇨🇦 Vancouver and was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday but seems to be delayed.

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Westshore Eats

🍉 The Westshore has partnered with Tasting Victoria, Vancouver Island's largest food-themed Instagram account, to curate a must-try recommendation on the Westshore.

🌼 Tasting Victoria recommends: Wild Mountain

🍕 This hidden gem of a restaurant in Sooke is worth the drive. Chef/farmer/forager Oliver Kienast and his partner sommelier/cook/gardener Brooke Fader have worked for the last six years to source the best ingredients from farms and growers as close as they can get. That means the menu is always fresh. 

🥗 Must-try item: Since nothing stays the same at Wild Mountain—though there is always a fire pizza option—we suggest trusting your server’s recommendation.