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Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Volume 93 - No. 45
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www.ldnews.net
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$1.30 GST inc.
BURNS LAKE
LAKES DISTRICT NEWS
Preliminary regional skills gap data in
A farewell to a community legacy
The Lake Babine Nation (LBN) community along with the rest of the community said good bye to a important piece of their history, Joe Michell, ’Nay Dee T’en’.
Region will have opportunity, but who will take it?
Story on page 5
Furlong claims vindication
WALTER STRONG A skill gap analysis of the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako was announced last year, thanks largely to a provincial grant. Millier Dickinson Blais (MDB), the Toronto consulting company that won the contract to do the analysis, was in Burns Lake recently for a forum as part of the final stages of the report. To date, MDB has been collecting data to form the basis of the final report. The workshop in Burns Lake brought together community leaders, business leaders, and RDBN board members, to lay out the facts and pull comment from attendees to help finetune the final report to the specific needs of the region. The timing of the report will be helpful, especially given the crisis Houston is facing with the announced closure of West Fraser’s Houston Forest Products mill. “This information can be very useful in helping us move forward after the closure of the mill,” said Bill Miller, RDBN chair. “It has strategic value.” At this point, the information exists mostly as data with recommendations to follow. But the data is telling, and could be used to help shape the future of economic development, education and training throughout the region. The total population of the region, as of 2012, is 38,126 people. That’s down from a peak of 41,642 in 1997, but since 2006, it represents a steady increase averaging two per cent ...see SKILLS
John Furlong has broken his silence on the allegations of physical, mental and emotional abuse levelled against him
Story on page 9
Reining in gas tax prespending Terrible accident ...page 2
Story on page 12
▼ P7
Hadeeh!
You may complain about your fuel prices at the pump, but at least some of that cost comes back to benefit you through the federal gas tax program.
FREE! Conversational Carrier Course – Thursdays at lunch hour until December 19th – bring your lunch and join us! FREE! Computer Basics – start anytime – self paced – daytime or evening hours available! Mussi Cho
$7 Pro Cook lunches now being served!
Phone: 250.692.1700 • Fax: 250.692.1750 • Toll Free: 1.866.692.1943 545 Highway 16 West • PO Box 5000, Burns Lake, BC • V0J 1E0 Email: lksdist@cnc.bc.ca • Website: www.cnc.bc.ca/lakesdistrict