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VOL. 26 NO. 46
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Students squeezed out of city By ANNA KILLEN Two classrooms worth of students have left the Coast Mountains School District (CMSD) here since December because their families couldn't find an affordable place to rent – the latest casualties of the increasingly tight rental market gripping Terrace, B.C. According to numbers provided by the school district, at Cassie Hall Elementary on the south side of Terrace, 14 families totalling 29 students have moved away since
December. And at Suwilaawks Community School in the horseshoe neighbourhood, 20 students from 14 families have left over that same time period, meaning the district has lost 49 students mid-year. The reason given for these particular moves, said CMSD superintendent Nancy Wells: rent increases. “Pretty shocking,” Wells said. “It's very unusual mid-year to see this much ... I don't really know what to say other than it's an unexpected impact and we're really
sorry to lose those kids.” She confirmed it is only these two schools who have lost students and that enrolment at other Terracearea public schools is steady. Calls to private schools in Terrace confirmed their enrolment is also steady. “We did have a spike in enrolment in the primary grades in Thornhill when the school year started this year, and we think that was due to people moving to Thornhill to find adequate housing they could afford,” said Wells. “So, that was on the positive
Homeless census planned
side. But now it would appear that families in the horseshoe and south of the tracks area are having to leave town to find housing.” If this declining enrolment trend continues into next year – and Wells is predicting enrolment will be down more than originally expected – the district will see less money from the provincial ministry of education, which will affect the amount of jobs available for teachers and support staff. The district's budget from the province is tied to the student count that takes
place at the end of September each school year. “This definitely causes an increase in our already declining enrolment – that's two classes. It's not good news,” Wells said. But she said it's “not a crisis. It's something we will manage for our staffing for next year – however, a district never likes to see declining enrolment and we certainly don't like to see accelerated declining enrolment. I guess the question is, will there be more?”
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By JOSH MASSEY The city is preparing to tally its homeless population as part of a larger study being undertaken to determine housing policy priorities. Terrace's housing crunch, which has seen spiking rental costs and an official vacancy for apartments of zero per cent, is causing concern that low income residents might have difficulty finding a place to live. Determining the number of homeless individuals currently living in Terrace is one facet of a $25,000 housing needs assessment the city plans on completing by early spring. “It's a foundation stone that anyone coming to look at housing, whether it’s government or private developers, can utilize to get a better idea of which sector needs this or that kind of housing and where the pressures really are,” said Keith Goodwin, who is the chair of the Terrace housing committee. “It's going to give us a much better idea of what is actually involved in a comprehensive homeless study, and what we are going to need to do it comprehensively,” said Goodwin of the housing study. High homeless numbers could mean that the city will place an emphasis on boosting lowincome and subsided housing options in future policy decisions, said Goodwin. Housing consultants from the Lower Mainland are in Terrace today until Friday to brief city officials and others leading to the homeless count taking place March 15.
JOSH MASSEY PHOTO
■■ Choo choo terrace’s Centennial Planning Committee receive a gift from local artist Peter Braganza last week. The painting commemorates the arrival of the first train called the Grand Trunk Pacific. It chugged into Terrace on April 19, 1914. This April during that week there will be various celebrations commemorating that event.
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Sit for literacy
Nisga’a on LNG
Sweep, sweep
A new education assistant is encouraging children to read \COMMUNITY A11
Nisga’a nation looking at ways to benefit from potential LNG industry \NEWS A8
Special Olympics curlers from across the northwest descend on Terrace \SPORTS A28