Green education Young students become stewards of schoolyard Page A5
NEWS: Regional district to fund rail upgrades /A3 ARTS: Gallery offers up contemporary art /A17 SPORTS: Red-hot Royals turn pink for fundraiser /A19
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Economic renewal takes root
Addiction care plan a hot topic in Fernwood Public meeting to address area residents’ concerns
Songhees Nation involved in marine training, wellness centre development
Daniel Palmer When Songhees Nation leaders first heard about Seaspan’s $8-billion shipbuilding contract, they knew an unprecedented economic opportunity was taking shape. The late Chief Robert Sam and councillors began talks with the federal and provincial governments in 2011, looking at ways to take advantage of the Songhees’ proximity to the neighbouring Esquimalt Graving Dock. On Tuesday, their hard work and negotiations came to fruition with the opening of the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre, a 1,200-squaremetre education facility on Daniel Palmer Maplebank Road, and more importantly, on Songhees Reporting land. “For too many years, we’ve been excluded from this land,” Songhees Coun. Ron Sam said at a joint press conference that included IMTARC executive director Alex Rueben, Seaspan president Malcolm Barker, B.C. Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Ida Chong, and Lynne Yelich, the federal minister of state for western economic development. “We’re entering into a relationship of mutual benefit,” Sam said. The training centre, comprised of two classrooms, a computer lab and offices, can handle about 50 students at a time and will provide customized curriculum, ranging from
News staff
Sharon Tiffin/News staff
Songhees Nation Coun. Ron Sam sits in a classroom at the Industrial Marine Training and Applied Research Centre, which opened Tuesday on Songhees land. While the hope is that members of the band will be trained in shipbuilding skills at the centre, an even bigger economic driver will be the $16-million wellness centre to be built nearby. safety certifications to project management for the shipbuilding and repair industry. By leasing land for the project, the Songhees were able to secure funding for its planned $16-million wellness centre, a health, administration, tourism, education and recreation facility set to open next year. “It’s going to be our economic engine, part of our nation,” Sam said later in an interview. “There’s going to be a lot of business development through the centre that will spur on a lot of economic development for our people.” While Songhees band council is still ironing out marketing and facility management details, the wellness centre will serve as an anchor for community services and schooling, said Fran L’Hirondelle, education co-ordinator. “We’re going to bring all of our classes, K-12, under one roof,” she said.
The project is on budget and scheduled to open Jan. 22, 2014, said Richard Mandy, project manager. Mandy has been making the rounds at various chambers of commerce and municipal councils over the past few months, scoping out potential tourism, marketing and other business partnerships. “We know there’s got to be a balance of renting it out and keeping time open for band members, but we have to find that balance yet. It’s still a work in progress,” Sam said. For now, there is an abundance of interest from Songhees members who want to get into the training centre at an entry level. “We have members who are very keen to get into this school,” he said. “We hope in working with Alex (Rueben) and his team, our members will have thriving careers in shipbuilding.” dpalmer@vicnews.com
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The Fernwood Community Association is hosting an information session for residents concerned about the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s plans to reach out to the street population in the area. In December, VIHA announced $500,000 in funding for a renewed service model to help the roughly 100 people in the street community with severe addiction and mental health challenges. The plan also renews services at two existing VIHA mental health and addiction facilities: the sobering centre at 1123 Pembroke St. in Fernwood, and the Access Health Centre at 713 Johnson St. A public information session is necessary to ease resident concerns about the level of new service, including the distribution of needles and other harm reduction materials, said association president Tony Sprackett. PLEASE SEE: Services in place, Page A12
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