CANIM LAKE POW WOW JULY 11-13 B9
JULY 9, 2014
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Two sections, 40 pages
Children and Family Development Minister visits
100milefreepress.net
FROTHY FUN
100 Mile
Ken Alexander Free Press
Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux visited 100 Mile House on July 2, during a tour of the South Cariboo that also included stops in Williams Lake and Quesnel. While she didn’t have announcements or a big cheque to hand out, Cadieux said she came to 100 Mile to check out the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre, CFEC’s Early Care and Learning Centre and the Cedar Crest Society for Community Living centre. On May 2, 2014, the minister announced the provincial government had $14.8 million of major capital funding available until March 13, 2015 to create new licensed child-care spaces in British Columbia. Non-profit child-care providers are eligible for up to $500,000, while private child-care organizations can apply for up to $250,000. There are a number of criteria options, including
building, purchasing land and development, renovations or purchasing eligible equipment and furnishing to support an existing facility. The goal is to provide an additional 1,000 spaces with this capital funding program, as well as an additional $17.1 million in the next fiscal year to create another 1,000 child-care spaces, Cadieux explained. June 30 was the last day for applications in the initial intake period, but said it’s too early to know how many groups registered or what the funding requests totalled. “There is a procurement process in place so everything is at arm’s length, so there isn’t any political interference.” She added it will likely take about a month to get through the selection process, but at the end of that time, there will be some “good news” for some communities. For communities, such as 100 Mile House, which still have spaces available for child care, the capital funding isn’t Continued on A5
Chris Nickless photo
Little Sarah Tinney was among the many children diving face-first into cream pies during the children's pie-eating contest at the Lone Butte Rocks event on July 5. The pie-eating contest is always a crowd favourite at the annual festival in Lone Butte.
Teachers' contract mediation impossible at this time Contract talks for public school teachers in British Columbia hit another stumbling block when B.C. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kelleher decided the gap between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the B.C. Liberal government is too wide for mediation to be successful. As has been the case from the outset of the negotiation, the teachers union and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), representing the government, are too far apart on wages and working condition offers.
BCTF, B.C. Liberal government offers too far apart
In a joint statement on July 2, the BCTF and the BCPSEA wrote: “[Justice Kelleher] had some exploratory discussion with the parties and determined that mediation is not indicated at this time.” Noting the BCTF’s total compensation demands are still more than twice what other government unions have settled for, Education Minister Peter Fassbender says the BCTF’s benefit request alone
is worth $225 million annually. These benefits include pregnancy and parental leave, extended health and dental, preparation time and substitute teacher compensation. BCTF president Jim Iker says it’s unfortunate mediation cannot work at this time. By trying to impose a series of unworkable preconditions prior to entering into mediation, he adds the B.C. Liberal government hasn’t provided the flexibility required to make mediation work. “The government wants the teachers to accept Continued on A4