The Chilliwack
Progress Wednesday
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BC Games
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Fraser Valley scores at BC Winter Games.
Changes coming for Party in the Park.
Bluegrass and Brazilian beats with Matuto.
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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • W E D N E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 2 6 , 2 0 1 4
Local teachers to join in strike vote Katie Bartel The Progress Don’t worry yet, parents. That’s the message Chilliwack Teachers’ Association president Clint Johnston had in light of yesterday’s announcement of a teacher strike vote. In a news conference held Tuesday morning, the BC Teachers’ Federation announced teachers would be taking a strike vote next week on March 4, 5, and 6. After a full year of bargaining and more than 40 sessions at the table, the union called the strike vote to increase pressure on the government. They cited major concession demands, an unfair salary offer, and a deliberately confrontational attempt to reverse the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision on class size, composition and staffing levels. The strike vote, however, is just the first step. “Our strike vote does not imply, in any way, that in short order the schools are going to be closed down,” said Johnston. The union’s staged action plan doesn’t involve immediate school closures or disruptions for students. “We really plan to start minimally,” said Johnston. “We’re not even asking teachers to stop extracurricular activities this time … and it’s not going to affect report card communication.” The strike vote is more about increasing pressure at the bargaining table. According to BCTF, the government has offered a wage increase of 0.5 per cent at ratification that’s not retroactive. That means the Continued: STRIKE/ p4
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Mike Harmsen (right) and son Brodie Harmsen chat with a tow truck driver while they wait for a different tow truck to arrive as they were digging out their family member’s car Tuesday morning on Prest Road. The vehicle went off the road and into a ditch the night before. In situations like this, car owners are responsible for removing the snow and making their vehicle accessible so tow truck drivers can remove the vehicle. This stretch of country road, plus others in the area, was a common place for snow drifts and blowing wind. This was just one of a number of vehicles that went off Chilliwack’s roads during the recent snowstorm. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Snow hits hardest on south side of Chilliwack Jennifer Feinberg The Progress It’s being called the snowiest February in Chilliwack since 1990. Final storm total saw 53 cm of snow as of Monday night in Garrison Crossing, according to Roger Pannett, who is a volunteer weather observer for Environment Canada. It was eventually compacted down to about 31 cm, after the three-day snowfall event ended around 8 p.m. on Feb. 24, he said. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, within a few degrees either way throughout, with cold and gusting winds.
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City crews with graders, plows, and a big loader were out on the roads by 4 a.m. Saturday.
“Crews have been working 24 hours since,” reported Jamie Legatt, communications manager
for City of Chilliwack. They were at it again overnight on Monday and into Tuesday and there were 11 sander/plows in operation over the storm. Ultimately the amount of white stuff depended on which side of Highway 1 people were on. Most reported less snow sticking on the north side of town, with fewer gusts and less overall snow accumulation than on the south side of Chilliwack, which also saw considerable challenges on some of the roads. “The east wind is causing major snow drifting problems on all north/south routes, such as Prest
City crews work to keep Vedder Road clear Tuesday morning.
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