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7353 2nd Street Grand Forks 250-442-2213
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Gayle Holmes
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THISTLE POT GIFTS
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014
$1.10 (includes tax)
Brian Thate 250-442-7370
www.brianthate.com LITTLE OAK REALTY
Grand Forks Gazette
With no settlement between the teachers and the government, parents had to find other options for their children on Tuesday. With reknowned negotiator Vince Ready on hand and both sides meeting for long hours, it was hoped a settlement could be made before school started, unfortunately the sides were too far apart. Teachers began limited job action last March before escalating to a full-blown walk-out in June, just before final exams. Key issues in the contract dispute include wages, class composition and class size. In a press release on Aug. 30, Peter Fassbender, minister of education, stated, “Today veteran labour mediator Vince Ready determined that the parties are too far apart for mediation at this time. I’m very disappointed for students, parents and teachers. What should be a time of excitement and anticipation will instead be marked by frustration and uncertainty.” Fassbender went on to say he couldn’t see any quick or easy solutions, and didn’t know when school would return. • See STRIKE page A7
GFSS teachers like David Dunnet (far right) picket outside the high school on Aug. 28. Despite last minute negotiations between the BCTF and BCPSEA and super-negotiator Vince Ready, a settlement has not yet been reached in the teacher strike.
Craig Lindsay photo
Woodstove program returning to RDKB The RDKB board of directors received a report from Theresa Lenardon, RDKB manager of administration, regarding the 2014-15 Provincial Wood Stove Program. In her report, Lenardon stated that the program is designed to encourage British Columbians to change their older smoky wood stoves for low-emission appliances including new CSA/EPA certified clean-burning wood stoves. Communities benefit from better air quality and individuals benefit from increased efficiency saving money and reducing pollution. The program has been in place since 2008 and has gone really well. “We’re really supportive of the wood
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VOL 117 NO. 36
CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette
Bon Air Motel
Bruins back on ice Page A14
Teacher strike delays start of school
CRAIG LINDSAY
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stove program,” said Grace McGregor, RDKB board chair. “It has been very successful. Most of the electoral area directors provide a bit more money to go with that incentive to go along from our grant-in-aid to encourage people to trade in their stoves which had emissions.” The key goals for the program are: 1. To improve community air quality by providing incentives to change out old smoky wood stoves with cleaner burning options, and 2. provide education on clean burning techniques through Burn it Smart workshops, brochures, websites and social media. Lenardon recommended that the board approve participation in the 2014-15 Wood Stove Exchange Program and that it be called “The RDKB Wood Stove Exchange Program.” The RDKB would act as the administrator of
the program and distribute the grant funds. The program will be managed and administrated by RDKB CAO John MacLean and the program “team” will include a director from each community. John Vere of Grand Forks will act as program coordinator. Vere has been coordinating the program since March of 2008. He sits on the Boundary Air Quality Committee and was responsible for the research and successful drafting of the Wood Burning bylaw for the City of Grand Forks. The Wood Stove Program will be a partnership between the RDKB and the Boundary Air Quality Committee, local credit unions, BC Lung, insurance agencies, Interior Health, media and local retailers. The program goal for 2014-15 is to exchange 30 old appliances through the RDKB.
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