PENINSULA Great Teachers in Greater Victoria
Making a difference
There is still time to nominate an educator from a school in your community, page 5
Three local high school students organize benefit for Doctors without Borders, page 3 Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
M E D I A
NEWS REVIEW
Friday, May 23, 2014
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School strikes to start Monday Kyle Slavin News staff
Parents of students in the Saanich and Greater Victoria School Districts are being asked to keep their kids at home one day next week, as the B.C. Teachers’ Federation plans to hold one-day rotating strikes. Unless there is some compromise on major issues in the ongoing nego- Rotating tiations between teachers and the job action provincial govern- in School ment, the Saanich School District will District 63 be behind pickets The BCTF strike on Tuesday, May schedule has 27, while Greater teachers in Victoria schools School Distirct will be closed on 63 (Saanich) — Wednesday, May including Parkland, 28. Stelly’s and local “The School Dis- elementary and trict encourages middle schools parents, students off the job on and volunteers Tuesday, May 27. not to cross picket lines on May 27 as no instruction or any other activities will be taking place,” Saanich school district superintendent Nancy Macdonald said in a release. “Our other union employees (CUPE) will very likely respect picket lines, so we cannot confirm that there be any bus transportation service on May 27.” PLEASE SEE: One-day strikes with picket lines, page 7
Steven Heywood/News staff
Tulista Park playground is closed until July 1 as the Town of Sidney and Sidney Lions Club replace the equipment and upgrade the park.
Digging up the sandbox Tulista Park playground improvements paid for by the Town and Sidney Lions Club Steven Heywood News staff
Tulista Park’s popular children’s playground is closed until July 1 as the Town of Sidney and Sidney Lions Club replace aging equipment. In February, Lions Club members started a fundraising campaign to raise $70,000 for new playground equipment. The plan was for
the Club to raise money by selling bricks for a memorial wall to be built at the site. The Lions have been involved with the playground for more than 10 years and replaced a portion of the equipment during their 40th anniversary. This year is the Club’s 50th anniversary. Sidney town council agreed on April 14 to contribute $30,000 to the project, topping up the fundraising and setting the project in motion. Work being done includes removing the sand, adding new accessible equipment, improving site drainage, enlarging the picnic area and placing it on artificial grass (the rest of the playground will be on wood chips), revised seating and tables as well as expanding the playground by 123 square meters. editor@peninsulanewsreview.com