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Chilliwack teachers to strike May 29 Katie Bartel The Progress
Continued: STRIKE/ p3
This vacant building that used to house Family Place on Wellington Avenue will be transformed into Cyrus Centre Chilliwack, a shelter for homeless youth. JENNA HAUCK/ PROGRESS
Cyrus Centre finds downtown home Jennifer Feinberg The Progress A youth shelter with four emergency beds for homeless youth could be opened in Chilliwack by the end of the summer. The vacant building owned by City of Chilliwack that formerly housed Family Place on Wellington Avenue will be rented out to Cyrus Centre Chilliwack, according to a lease agreement the two parties just inked. “Although the possession date has not yet been finalized, our goal is to be fully operational by late summer,” said Les Talvio, executive director of Cyrus Centre. Some renovation work has to be completed first at the site, but they’re happy it’s over since the
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search for a location has been exhaustive. Council passed a resolution to assist Cyrus reps with the hunt for a suitable space. “We provided our criteria, and there were 19 properties considered,” he said. The Wellington Avenue spot suits their needs in terms of size, location and layout. They liked how it’s set back from the road, and has a courtyard out back. “It’s just ideal,” Talvio added. Part of the reason for Cyrus coming to town, is that Chilliwack agencies identified “a crucial and urgent need” for housing services for homeless and at-risk youth. Aside from the Cyrus Centre in Abbotsford, there are no shelter beds anywhere for at-risk
youth in the vast expanse spanning from Metro Vancouver to the Okanagan. “The addition of Cyrus Centre in Chilliwack will help address the important need for a youth shelter space and help protect one of the most vulnerable groups in our community,” said Mayor Sharon Gaetz in a release. “One strong point made by the 2014 FVRD Homeless Count report was that we need to work with community partners, both government and non-government, to find innovative ways to reduce homelessness. This is just another innovative way that the City of Chilliwack is addressing that need.” The building at 45845 Wellington Avenue will house the new youth facility, and it’s across
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the street from Decades Coffee Club, where a controversy erupted when Cyrus was considering purchasing the building a couple of months ago, which could have displaced the local coffee shop. Now that’s all been worked out and Decades gets to remain where it is. “We’re looking forward to have Decades as our neighbours,” Talvio said. Cyrus Centre will be a starting point for teens in trouble. “That meal we serve to them could be the very first point of contact for youth who are on their way to exiting the streets,” said Talvio. The centre will provide youth with meals, shelter, clothing, advocacy, referrals, showers, laundry, Continued: CYRUS/ p4
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All Chilliwack public schools will be closed to students next Thursday as part of BCTF job action. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation announced Tuesday it would be starting one-day rotating strikes at schools around the province on Monday. In Chilliwack, that means teachers will be picketing at all school district facilities, including schools, the school board office, and maintenance yard throughout the day on Thursday, May 29. As well, L’école La Verendrye, located on Lickman Road, which is part of School District 93, will also be closed. Chilliwack Teachers’ Association president Clint Johnston said the strike is necessary. “We’ve been at the bargaining table for 16 months,” he said. “I hope people see that for what it is, a true effort to resolve things without involving other parties. That’s what we want to do, we want to sit at the table and bargain in good faith. But unfortunately, what we’ve seen is basically a stalemate.” The escalated job action comes on the heels of BCTF rejecting the offer of a $1,200 signing bonus for an agreement by the end of the school year. BCTF president Jim Iker said Tuesday the bonus doesn’t make up for the government’s wage offer of 6.5% over six years. A simultaneous threat to cut teacher wages 5% or more because of strike action is “just so disrespectful, so unnecessary, and we’ll be dealing with it at the Labour Relations Board,” Iker said.