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Teachers ready for action
VOL 117 NO. 21
Clara Rides In Page 18
CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette
Teachers across the province will begin rotating strikes on Monday as part of stage two of job action. Local teachers will man the picket lines in front of schools on Wednesday, May 28. “Last week, teachers were hopeful when they saw the government and BCPSEA (B.C. Public School Employee’s Association, the bargaining agent for the government) put out an olive branch by backing off the unrealistic 10-year term,” said B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) president Jim Iker in a press release. “But the next day, hope that this government would start negotiating in good faith faded when the employer announced a series of threats around wage rollbacks, lockouts and attempt to divide teachers, parents and students.” School District 51 (SD51) issued a press release on their website stating: “During a Rotating Strike Day in SD51; schools will be closed, buses will not run and parents are asked to keep their children at home. In the event of increased or changed strike activity, including a full strike, further information will be provided through the school district website, sd51.bc.ca, and on the district Facebook page. Your school principal will also be able to give you updated information.” Norm Sabourin, president of the Boundary District Teachers’ Association, said the rotating strikes are part of the plan which the BCTF voted on at the end of January. “Our number one priority is to come up with a negotiated agreement at the table,” he said. “Barring progress at the table this job action plan would be put into place.” The rotating strikes are on the heels of a month of limited job action in stage one. “We hoped that would put enough pressure on the bargaining table to achieve a deal at the table
Rilkoff’s Store held its popular 8th annual Mother’s Day event featuring traditional East Indian cuisine on that special day earlier this month. The donations have been tallied and Rilkoff’s handed out $4,000 to two local charities: see page 16 to see who was on the receiving end of this very generous gesture.
RAJ KHEHRA PHOTO
Cusack guilty of hotel arsons CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette
The man accused of burning down the Winnipeg and Grand Forks hotels in 2012 has been found guilty. On May 6 at the Grand Forks Law Court, Judge Fabbro found Christopher Cusack guilty of two counts of arson in relation to an inhabited property. There will be a pre-sentence report on June 12, 2014 at the Rossland Law Court for a psychiatric risk assessment. The fires, which were set on March 7, 2012, caused $1 million damage to the Grand Forks Hotel and $10,000 damage to the Winnipeg Hotel. In Grand Forks Law Court on April 9, Judge Fabbro ordered an updated psychiatric evaluation of Cusack
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which was to be conducted by Dr. Hedinger at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam. According to an admission of guilt submitted by Cusack’s lawyer, Ken Wyllie, on his behalf on Oct. 1, 2013, Cusack had been drinking all day at the Winnipeg Hotel the day of the fires. The first fire destroyed the Grand Forks Hotel. The second fire was set on a motorcycle under a staircase at the Winnipeg Hotel. The two acts of arson destroyed the 100-year-old historic Grand Forks Hotel, while the fire at the landmark Winnipeg Hotel was limited to the rear of the building, creating smoke damage. Although there were no injuries reported, RCMP said approximately 20 people were displaced due to the fires. Both hotels have since been demolished with the Grand Forks site currently a vacant lot.
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