Sidewinder How is harm reduction working? p6
20 years: Youth diversion still shining. p3
THE NEWS
Sports Wildcat has a future in wrestling. p44
www.mapleridgenews.com Friday, May 2, 2014 · Serving Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows · est. 1978 · 604-467-1122 · Delivery: 604-466-6397
Toss Fair Elections Act: group We the People protesting at MPs office May 10 by Ph i l M e lnych uk staff reporter
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
On your mark Tiana Bikic at the starting line for the Grade 4 girls during the district intermediate cross country championships Tuesday at Golden Ears park. Results, p45.
The Conservative government has watered down and backed off the Fair Elections Act, but even the proposed changes to it haven’t tempered the anger of We the People. The ad hoc New Democratic group still opposes the bill and says the government should start over. The group held a town hall meeting Tuesday, drawing about 40 people, said former Maple Ridge councillor Craig Speirs. “Definitely, the Conservatives are lost to reason. They’re going to force this through.” People don’t want the Canada Elections Act to be rewritten unilaterally. Instead, all parties and Elections Canada need to have input, he said. See Act, p14
Trustees call on parents to protest CUPE, teaching jobs cut as balanced budget passed by M o ni s ha M ar t ins staff reporter
Monisha Martins/THE NEWS
Trustees Eleanor Palis, Sarah Nelson and Susan Carr at the school board meeting Wednesday.
The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School Board called for a day of protest Wednesday as it reluctantly passed a budget that eliminates jobs. Projected cost increases and enrolment changes for 2014-15 left School District 42 with an operat-
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ing budget shortfall of $5.02 million, forcing the board to cut up to 14 CUPE positions, as well as several with the B.C. teachers’ union – the latter a reduction of 9.43 fulltime equivalents. The board wouldn’t provide exact number of jobs as the finance department calculates it in fulltime equivalents. “It will be up to our HR department now to implement these FTE staffing reductions, and the number of people affected by the cuts will be determined through that process,” said school district
Index Opinion Letters Driveway Homes Regional Sports Classifieds
6 7 17 20 43 44 47
manager of communications Irena Pochop. Parents will also have to pay $215 next year for bus service within their catchment area, but students traveling outside their catchment and those with special needs are exempt. As secretary treasurer, Flavia Coughlan detailed the cuts and corresponding savings to each department, a member of the audience swore loudly. In addition to reducing staff, the school district will use $820,000 from its contingency fund to par-
tially offset the projected shortfall. Trustee Eleanor Palis said to the board room packed with CUPE workers that decisions were deliberated and imposed from outside powers beyond their control. “I’m increasingly dismayed in my role,” said Palis, recalling a meeting she attended as the board representative of the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, during which the former education minister told them try whatever you like, “‘We’re going to trump you anyways.’”
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