TUESDAY
SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS
APRIL 24, 2012
The Abbotsford Pilots claimed the Western Canadian title for the first time in franchise history A15
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Waiting for fallout from teachers’ ‘drastic action’ Full effect of ban on all extracurricular activities not yet clear Vikki HOPES and Dan KINVIG Abbotsford News
Teachers, students, parents and administrators are trying to determine how certain activities, such as grad, will be affected following the provincial teachers’ vote to pull participation in all extracurricular activities. The BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) announced Friday that of the teachers who voted, 73 per cent were in favour of
a “resistance strategy” to oppose Bill 22, which prohibits them from striking and imposes a six-month cooling-off period. Teachers have been embroiled in a yearlong contract dispute with their employer, the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association. Jeff Dunton, president of the Abbotsford District Teachers’ Association, said the vote was a difficult one, but teachers needed to take “drastic action.” He said volunteering for extracurricular
activities such as sports, drama productions and graduation ceremonies is not part of their job, although teachers have done it for years because they enjoy it. The vote is a statement to government that they have not been appreciated for their efforts, Dunton said. “Teachers are finally looking and saying they’re not fully respected, and they’ve been treated badly for a number of years, Continued on A3
VAISAKHI CELEBRATION
POLICE SEIZE FAKE MAKEUP A3 Bogus beauty products sold at the Abbotsford Flea Market
STAY AWAY, POLICE WARN A5 Cops say known Abbotsford criminal Chad Weber’s life is in danger
SNOWPACK THREATENING A7 Almost one-third more snow than normal in Fraser watershed
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A15
Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A8
Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . A18
DARK WORKS PHOTOGRAPHY
Bhangra singer Jazzy B had a crowd of more than 2,000 spectators cheering as he performed in Abbotsford on Saturday night. The popular singer was the headline act during the Vaisakhi festival held at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
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