New twists Regional district shakes things up during earthquake drill. PAGE 7 Flu campaign Shots free for high-risk individuals, health workers. PAGE 15 Pilot honoured Military museum remembers distinguished war hero. PAGE 3
Bucs’ fall at home PAGE 22
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012
VOL. 24, NO. 75
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
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Protest over B.C. pipeline hits Nanaimo BY TOBY GORMAN THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Firefighters stabilize a Nissan Sentra after it crashed into an apartment building at 1500 Boundary Cr. Wednesday. Emergency crews said the incident happened at about 4 p.m. when the Nissan, northbound on Boundary, collided with a GMC SUV eastbound on Graham Crescent that allegedly lost its brakes. The woman driving the Nissan was checked out by paramedics. The woman driving the SUV, and a couple watching TV in the apartment struck by the Nissan – which shattered the sliding glass doors to their living room – were also uninjured. Police are investigating.
Government reviews teacher-bargaining process
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B.C. LIBERALS want a 10-year agreement with teacher federation. BY TOM FLETCHER BLACK PRESS
Premier Christy Clark announced a review of teacher bargaining
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Wednesday, with a goal of reaching a 10-year agreement that would put an end to decades of battles with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. Clark and Education Minister Don McRae acknowledged at a Vancouver news conference that changing the culture of confrontation between the B.C. government and teachers won’t be easy, and vowed to put even the most contentious issues on the
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table for discussion. That includes class size and special needs support, key issues in contract disputes and court actions in recent years. “Our first goal is long-term labour stability with teachers in British Columbia,” Clark said. “Our second goal is to improve how government interacts and works with the BCTF." ◆ See ‘‘NET ZERO /4
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More than 40 communities in British Columbia will participate in a provincewide rally to show growing public opposition to Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. In Nanaimo, a rally is scheduled outside Nanaimo NDP MLA Leonard Krog’s office, 4-77 Victoria Cres., on Wednesday (Oct. 24) at noon. The original Defend Our Coast rally, set for Monday (Oct. 22) in Victoria, is being organized by the Dogwood Initiative with the help of Leadnow.ca, an independent advocacy group working to improve democracy. It is expected to be the largest act of peaceful civil disobedience on the oil sands issue in Canada, according to organizers. Barb Kohlman, organizer for the Nanaimo rally, said the goal is to encourage government to pass legislation that would not allow for an increase in oil tankers on the B.C. coast as well as generate public awareness on the issue. “That’s the whole gist of this,” said Kohlman. “The pipeline won’t go ahead if there aren’t any tankers coming to get the bitumen.” Kohlman added that environmental risks posed by the pipeline and increased tanker traffic is a threat to all coastal communities. “Would it affect us here in Nanaimo? You bet it would,” she said. “I was recently in Tofino gathering 1,700 signatures for a petition. They get it there. If there is a spill, Tofino becomes a ghost town. No whale watching, no fishing, nothing.” Krog said that the NDP is categorically against any pipeline spanning B.C. “The NDP is opposed to the building of the pipeline,” said Krog. “We see significant risks to already valuable resources, it could be and probably will be an environmental disaster, with very little, if any, fiscal upside.” He added that if the NDP were to attain power in May, the party would “do everything reasonably and legally possible to ensure that the pipeline is not built.” ◆ See ‘PEOPLE’ /2
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