The Hope
Standard Office: 604.869.2421 www.hopestandard.com
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
news@hopestandard.com
A4 TRASH TO TRASH
THIS WEEKEND
Annual community event provides an opportunity to get rid of unwanted items
A11 BALL HOCKEY
FUNDRAISER IN HOPE Tournament on June 28 at Memorial Park sport court benefits ALS Canada
embrace life A RESOURCE FOR 55+ LIVING
KERRIE-ANN SCHOENIT / THE STANDARD
Chawathil powwow B1-8 EMBRACE LIFE
Members of the Chawathil First Nation make their grand entrance on Saturday to kickoff the traditional powwow at Hope Arena. For more coverage of the event, see page A3.
IN THE COMMUNITY Special section offer a summer guide to 55+ living the area
INSIDE
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . A6 Community . . . . A9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . A11 Classifieds . . . A13 $
1(PLUS GST)
School board votes to close C.E. Barry Trustees voted 5-2 in favour of recommendation Jessica Peters Black Press
C.E. Barry intermediate school will close, and its 150 students will be accommodated at other schools within the district in the fall, including Hope secondary. The closure is the combined result of costly seismic upgrade work that needs to be completed, and falling enrolment numbers. The school district has engaged with the public through a number
of community forums over the last week, and heard overwhelmingly that the K-7 model is preferred. Superintendent Karen Nelson said they needed to make a decision quickly on the future of C.E. Barry so that families could know where their children would be attending school next year. “We need to get this done as soon as possible,” she told the board Tuesday evening. “People want answers.”
The board voted 5-2 in favour of closing the school and moving Grade 5 and Grade 6 students to Coquihalla elementary, and giving Grade 7 students the option of attending either Silver Creek elementary or Hope secondary. Trustees Pat Furness and Tom Hendrickson voted against the recommendation. It is being called an interim decision, with the long term plan being the K-7 model at the elementary level, and a return to a Grade
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8-12 model at Hope secondary. Still, the school board’s decision hit a nerve with teachers who attended the meeting at Kent elementary Tuesday night, with some leaving the room in tears. Others used the question period to express their anger. “As a parent I said I was going to hold you accountable,” said teacher Lenora Poulin. “The decision you made tonight was wrong.” Continued on A4
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