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CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2012
Publications Mail Agreement No. 391275
46th Year No. 29 THURS., JULY 19, 2012
GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND
EDITORIAL Page 6
LETTERS Page 7
www.northislandgazette.com NORTH ISLAND LIFE Page 11
SPORTS Page 13
PAGE 9 Youngsters at Port McNeill day camp are treated to a wild-animal safety presentation.
Newsstand $1.25 + HST CLASSIFIEDS Page 16-18
Thinking outside the box Mike Andre of Port Hardy releases a juvenile blue heron at Beaver Harbour Park Friday. The bird was discovered as an injured chick by Andre’s wife last month and spent four weeks at the Mountain Avian Rescue Society in Comox before returning to Storey’s Beach last week. See story, page 12.
J.R. Rardon
81-year-old woman runs bear from home J.R. Rardon Gazette editor PORT HARDY—An 81-year-old Port Hardy woman appears to have created a bear spray made entirely of water. Early afternoon, the spray successfully completed its first field test — in her living room. Jessie Roland, an artist and bedand-breakfast proprietor who first came to Port Hardy in 1937, had just emerged from her bath and sat down at a small table to brush her hair when she heard a noise in the room.
Turning, she saw a yearling black bear that had strolled in through her back door, which was left open to cool the house on a warm, sunny day. “I jumped up and bellowed; I’m sure the neighbours heard,” said Roland, “And I grabbed the water bottle which was right handy.” A spray-top water bottle was right handy? “Well, we’ve got a very ugly cat
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See page 9 ‘Bear encounter not the first’
VIHA promises aid Gazette staff The Vancouver Island Health Authority has responded positively to the report from the Mt. Waddington Local Working Group aimed at stabilizing the health care issues in the region. The LWG, made up of representatives from the medical profession, VIHA, First Nations and government, delivered its report and recommendations to VIHA in May. VIHA responded last week, with the LWG meeting Thursday to discuss the response. VIHA has promised to pro-
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vide $100,000 in funding for the LWG to move forward with its recommendations. The fund is to allow the LWG to form an implementation plan for what it describes as mission critical recommendations in its report. One recommendation mentioned specifically in VIHA’s response is the development of two new integrated Primary Health Care sites, one in Port Hardy, the other in Port McNeill. The ultimate goal of these integrated sites is to provide patients with access to a range of health care services under
one roof, and the LWG also believes these types of facilities will be more attractive to medical professionals considering working in the area. VIHA envisages having mobile integrated health care teams in place prior to the opening of these new facilities to provide seamless transition. In an accompanying statement VIHA thanked the LWG and acknowledged the work done by its members, and stressed again its commitment
See page 3 ‘Long-term strategy sought’
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