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FRIDAYFEBRUARY28
CITY HALL: Major shake up among senior administration
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Snow Story Part Two Bill Phillips editor@pgfreepress.com What changed between February 3 and Monday night? At least a couple of city councillors wanted an answer to that question, but really didn’t get an answer as a staff “post-mortem” on snow removal, highlighting several problems with the city’s efforts this year, was starkly different from a February 3 report blaming contract talks and high expectations from the public for snow removal furor. “The report doesn’t make sense, the last report was completely different,” said Coun. Albert Koehler. “At that time everything seemed to be OK.” At the February 3 meeting Koehler had put forward a motion to have council members involved in the post-mortem study, but eventually withdrew it at the urging of Mayor Shari Green. It’s a decision Koehler now says he regrets. “I don’t understand why administration all of a sudden finds this now,” Koehler said. “Issues are now being detected when just a few weeks ago, everything was fine. That’s not OK.” The post-mortem, presented by Bill Gaal, superintendent of operations, highlighted aging equipment, inadequate communications within city departments, allowing too much staff time off during the heavy snowfalls just before Christmas, and inadequate monitoring of routes resulting in some streets being cleaned multiple times while others hadn’t seen a snowplow, as reasons for the snow clearing mess. Gaal admitted that, fearing a full
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LEGO LAND
Lakeland file off to Crown counsel WorkSafeBC has handed its file on the April 23, 2012 explosion and fire at Lakeland Mills over to Crown counsel. “On (February 19) we provided material to Crown counsel to consider for possible charges under the Workers’ Compensation Act,” said Scott McCloy, WorkSafeBC media relations director. He stressed that any possible charges would not be criminal charges, but under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The explosion and fire killed workers Allan Little and Glen Roche and injured 22 others. Contents of the WorkSafeBC report will not be made public unless Crown counsel lays charges. “It’s not appropriate for us to talk about what is in the that material,” McCloy said. “It’s really up to Crown as to how to proceed. It’s their call.” McCloy also wouldn’t comment on whether he felt the material submitted would stand up in court. WorkSafeBC came under fire earlier this month when Crown counsel said the investigation into the Babine Forest Products explosion and fire was inadequate. He did say, however, that he hoped Crown would make its decision before the second anniversary of the explosion and fire.
INSIDE TODAY: Voices.........................................P11 Community...............................P15 Sign Up......................................P21 Datebook.................................P22 Charities of P.G.......................P23 Boomers..................................P28 Hart News................................P29 Teresa MALLAM/Free Press Sophie Hilton, 5, makes friends with a Lego man at the Great White Toys and Games store at Pine Centre Mall on Saturday.
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TONIGHT - 7:00pm • Feb. 28 • REMATCH - 7:00pm Sat. Mar. 1 Friday is Student Night… Children & Students - $5.25 (incl. tax) 2 for 1 hot dog combos
Saturday… “Raise the Woof” Dog Night Sponsored by The Bone & Biscuit Co. Free admission for all dogs. Free dog biscuit with every purchase.
Victoria Royals