A6 NewsLeader Friday, November 2, 2012
OPINION NEWSLEADER’S VIEW:
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ADRIAN RAESIDE:
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Protest or apathy? If the number of people sitting on the steps of B.C.’s legislature or pounding signs into the lawn in protest of oil tankers on our coast and pipelines crossing the province is any indication, one has to ask just how many British Columbians are actually against Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline project? Approximately 3,000 people were in Victoria Monday for the Defend Our Coast protest – a far cry from what organizers anticipated to be the largest act of civil disobedience on the oil sands issue in Canada. Disobedience included staking a 235-metre black banner (the length of a super tanker) across the legislature’s lawn. While protesters were prepared to go to jail for the cause, Victoria Police simply watched the banner – and the event – unfurl. If the media coverage and politicking by B.C. Premier Christy Clark and NDP leader Adrian Dix is to be believed, opposition to the oil issue has blanketed the province, with tens of thousands of residents fearing for the pristine coastline and super natural forests and valleys. If so, where were all these opponents when the chance to voice an opinion and hopefully make a difference presented itself ? Could it be a good number of residents see the project as a good thing for the province? Do they see jobs for B.C. residents? Or tax dollars generated to pay for the services needed in Canada? Or perhaps the majority considers the projects a done deal and all the posturing is nothing more than a bunch of rhetoric – and that the oil will flow because the powers-that-be want it and to hell with the desires of the people and the future of the environment. Or even worse, they don’t care. It wouldn’t be the first time apathy raised its ugly head in British Columbia. —Black Press
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Time to try some new chairs Let’s start with some assumptions. The New Westminster School District has many great programs. Great teachers, principals, special education assistants, support staff and so on. And of course, great kids. But the dynamic on school board needs work. Most trustees agree. Most residents who follow school board affairs would agree. And it’s not about arguing, which is what passionate people often do. Or about politics, which they say creeps in any time you’ve got more than two people in one room. It’s about effectiveness. The New West school board isn’t as effective as it could be, as the recent “surprise” $2.8-million deficit, the third in 11 years, makes plain. Two weeks ago I suggested the board hire a communications person, because SD40 does a poor job sharing information in the community. Misunderstandings are common, and controversial issues tend to
Chris Bryan editor@newwestnewsleader.com
blow up rather than dissipate. While some agree with my suggestion, others have told me such a person will not be effective until a better spirit of cooperation develops on the board. So how can the board be more cooperative, and hence, more effective? A good start would be to elect two fresh faces as chair and vicechair. For years, those positions have been held for the most part by current chair James Janzen, and current vice-chair Michael Ewen. Typically they swap roles when they come up for renewal each year. Both are long-time veterans— Ewen, for instance, with more
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than three decades of service on the board—who have made a substantial contribution. But a dynamic has developed and switching things up will open the door and let in some fresh air. It’s time to pass the torch, and let others have a chance to grow into the role. One of the newly elected trustees from 2011, either Jonina Campbell, David Phelan or MaryAnn Mortensen, should be named chair the next time around. All are knowledgeable, hard working and able. Campbell and Phelan are backed by the New Westminster & District Labour Council, while Mortensen is a member of the Voice slate. For balance, if a labour trustee is named chair, the Voice trustee should be named vice-chair, or vice versa. The importance of these two roles cannot be overstated. In particular, the chair of the board sets the tone not only for school board meetings, but also
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helps establish the tenor of the conversation and the image of the board in the community. An effective chair is like a good captain of a hockey team, resolving disputes, building understanding through tools like reflective listening, and striving for consensus. According to a document from the Saskatchewan School Boards Association, titled “Becoming a Better Board Chair,” an effective chair runs “efficient and productive board meetings,” is a “leader who helps others achieve defined goals” and “is a good policy leader who clearly understands the roles and responsibilities of both the board and of the school division administration.” Neither Jonina Campbell, David Phelan nor MaryAnn Mortensen has had a chance to prove they’re capable of being this kind of chair. But it’s time they were given a chance to try. editor@newwestnewsleader.com
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