GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
Publications Mail Agreement No. 391275
46th Year No. 27 THURS., JULY 5, 2012
EDITORIAL Page 6
LETTERS Page 7
www.northislandgazette.com NORTH ISLAND LIFE Page 9
SPORTS Page 11
PAGE 16 Former Coal Harbour resident honoured for volunteer service with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Newsstand $1.25 + HST CLASSIFIEDS Page 13-15
Teachers, province settle J.R. Rardon Gazette editor With the closure of school for another year came the end of a 10-month job action by teachers, as the B.C. Teachers’ Federation voted last week to accept an agreement hammered out with the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association. The agreement should restore traditional teachers duties in North Island Schools for the coming school year, including filling out report cards and supervising extracurricular activites after regular school hours. “Those activities have always been voluntary,” said Fred Robertson, president of Vancouver Island Teachers North (VINTA). “But that action is suspended as of June 20.”
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Hot wheels
Joey Jorgenson powers his decorated tractor and trailer across the tennis court at the Port Alice Community Centre on Canada Day Sunday. See more Canada Day photos from North Island activities on page 9. J.R. Rardon
‘Teachers relieved’
North Island plugs in to EV future
Port Hardy Mayor Bev Parnham is flanked by Kent Rathwell and Rob MacGregor of Sun Country Highways at the company’s new electric vehicle charging station at the visitors’ J.R. Rardon centre Tuesday.
J.R. Rardon Gazette editor PORT HARDY—Eventually, Sun Country Highway would like to blanket Canada, North America and beyond with the infrastructure necessary to power electric vehicles. Vancouver Island is already up and running. “First Vancouver Island, then the world,” said Kent Rathwell, president and founder of the Saskatchewan-based company, during an open house held at the local visitors’ centre Tuesday morning. Rathwell and other members of
the Sun Country Highway team were in Port Hardy to announce that they have completed the installation of a series of EV charging stations that will allow electric car drivers to travel from Victoria to Port Hardy — and make side trips to Tofino and Telegraph Cove along the way. “We’re here to prove the EV industry can happen,” said Rathwell. “It’s happening today, and this is just the start.” The Sun Country team, including Rob MacGregor, regional director for British Columbia, powered its four-vehicle fleet at a new EV charging station installed
last week at the visitors’ centre. Another charging station was installed in Port Hardy at Orange Tabby Bed and Breakfast and two more were installed Tuesday morning at the North Coast Trail Backpackers Hostel. Port Hardy Mayor Bev Parnham, Chief Administrative Officer Rick Davidge, councillor John Tidbury and staff of the Chamber of Commerce were among those in attendance at Tuesday’s open house. They were treated to a look at
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