Dreams matter Walk aims to highlight issues faced by aboriginal kids. Page 21 Spark needed Slow game starts mean slow season for Timbermen. Page B9 Driveway Hot laps with Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel. Page 7
Ian Tyson performs Page B1
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THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
VOL. 26, NO. 12
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Train attraction proposed to lure cruise tourists
I
SoUTHERn RAilWAy and port authority partner on study. By Tamara CunnIngham THE NEwS BULLETiN
CHRIS BUSH/THe NewS BUlleTIN
Canadian Union of Public Employees members Ann Walker, left, Debbie Silverton and Fiona Hutton walk the picket line on McGirr Road in support of striking teachers Tuesday. Talks between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the government are continuing in an effort to reach an agreement over wages, class size and other issues.
Strike won’t delay exams, grad ceremonies By Karl yu THE NEwS BULLETiN
Provincial exams continue until Tuesday (June 24), despite Nanaimo teachers and their colleagues across the province walking out in a fullscale strike. The B.C. Labour Relations Board ruled that provincial exams, which began yesterday, are an essential service. According to Donna Reimer, Nanaimo school district spokeswoman, the district believes there is enough management staff to assist with exams and if teachers are required, it would only be on a limited basis. Mike Ball, Nanaimo teachers’ Join us on T A JUNE 25TH r a 5:00 PM fo AR FREE SEMIN to on getting e know all th e cl latest vehi d features an Y G TECHNOLO
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union president, said while teachers are behind pickets, they won’t prevent students from taking exams and will only assist if necessary. “The protocol is that they call the union first and we ensure they’ve deployed everybody that’s possible and we have a bank of people that we would be calling to go in,” said Ball. As per the ruling, there will be a special entrance that students will enter to take provincials, so as not to interfere with picket lines and in most cases, but not all, it will be the main entrance to the high school. “There’s specific information about the picket lines, where to enter the school and the picket lines will be open for a half
hour before exams and a half hour after the exams,” Reimer said. School administration will mark exams. Graduation ceremonies will take place June 25-26 at the Port Theatre, with staff taking care of organization. Ball said some teachers will be in the crowd. “My understanding is there are some [teachers] who will be attending but they’re attending, they’re not supervising,” Ball said, adding that it’s unlikely teachers will assist with award presentations. For any exam or bus schedule information, please visit www. sd68.bc.ca. reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
Train-loving tourists could have another reason to board cruise ships bound for the Harbour City. Southern Railway and the Nanaimo Port Authority have announced that they are looking into a new Vancouver Island rail excursion service for cruise ship passengers. Negotiations between Southern Railway, the Island Corridor Foundation and VIA Rail have ended and VIA Rail reports an agreement to resume passenger service is imminent – a move that will trigger the release of $20 million to repair Island tracks. Passenger rail has been suspended since 2011 because of unsafe rail conditions. With passenger service making a comeback, service provider Southern Railway is looking at the potential to add a new tourist train. According to Singh Biln, Southern Railway’s director of community relations, the service would be for cruise passengers only and based at Nanaimo’s south industrial waterfront. It would give the rail company new business and another way to utilize the
track, while giving the Nanaimo Port Authority another product to market. It’s unknown if the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority will also have access to the service. “We are very excited about it and optimistic there is a winning formula,” Biln said. “Vancouver Island has so much to offer in terms of First Nation culture and history, industrial history, the arts and entertainment community and with all that’s going for it, we believe there’s a viable business for an excursion rail operation that would benefit not only us, but all the communities and, of course, the cruise industry.” Southern Railway sees the new service as a way to boost the use of the tracks, which are only expected to see twicea-day runs between Nanaimo and Victoria when passenger service first resumes. It will also give people a different experience than they will get on regular rail, which will use self-propelled cars. The excursions are anticipated to be in passenger coaches pulled by a locomotive – possibly vintage or steam. While the new train wouldn’t be the only solution to increase the number of ships docking in the Nanaimo harbour, it will get the port noticed, according to David Mailloux, the port authority’s manager of communications and public affairs. See ‘FULL’ /4
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