TUESDAY MAY 6, 2014
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SUCCESS FOR JOB SEEKERS
A PASSION FOR FAERIES IN QB
Hiring Fair in Parksville attracts hundreds looking for work
Local woman teaches faerie-making at The Old School House
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SCHOOL CLOSURES
What’s next for buildings? Parksville mayor floats carefacility idea for empty schools AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
Now that the school board decision has been made to close four elementary schools, parents and community leaders agree there still a lot of work to be done. “We understand the difficult nature of the decision and why it was made, and now we have to shift the conversation to what has to be done to to repurpose those buildings,” said Parksville Mayor Chris Burger. Burger is also a parent of a student in a closing elementary school and one in a changing middle school. (Four elementary schools were closed: Parksville, Winchelsea, French Creek and Qualicum Beach.) “Both my kids will be impacted like all kids in the district whether their school’s being closed or they are taking new students,” he said, but wasn’t too worried about the impact on them, echoing a sentiment mentioned at least once at most of the public consultations — kids are resilient and they’ll get over it quicker than the parents.” See CALLS FOR A FORMULA CHANGE, page A7
At-risk species double CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com
The number of species at risk in the waters off Parksville Qualicum Beach has doubled in the last 10 years, according to a SeaDoc report unveiled at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle last week. The report states that scientists recorded 119 at-risk species in 2013, up from 60 in 2002 — leading environmentalists to call for a special international body to co ordinate research and conservation in the three bodies of water that make up the Salish Sea: the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. “The border is a false line,” said SSEC executive director Christanne Wilhelson. “We (Canada and the United States) need to connect.”
LISSA ALEXANDER PHOTO
FIRE AND ICE: Peter Chiu won second place for his pirate sculpture at the Fire and Ice Street Festival in Qualicum Beach on Saturday, when the streets were packed with thousands of people enjoying both the ice sculptures and chili-cooking contest. For more from the festival, including all the results, see our story on page A4. For more photos from the festival, visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/PQBNews.
See SHARED WATERS, page A7
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