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Sentinel
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Northern
Years est. 1954
www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 60 No. 39
Running MK as a business Cameron Orr While not speaking to any specifics of existing offers of sale for MK Bay Marina, Haisla Chief Councillor Ellis Ross said a Haisla-owned MK Bay Marina wouldn’t get shut down to the public. “We’re going to keep it public, that’s for sure,” he said on the idea of the Haisla owning the facility. “We want to run it like a business so we can actually attract investments so we can upgrade it.” We sought Ross’ comments following the online posting of documents on the Regional District of Kitimat Stikine’s website showing a draft terms of sale and purchase of the marina to the Haisla. “We’ve been talking about it for years in one form or another,” said Ross. “There’s been a number of offers over the years.” Those past offers fizzled out for various reasons but he said current negotiations are more transparent and sincere, with credit to the current board. “I think it’s got more to do with the board’s willingness to talk about this seriously.” Ross said the Haisla relationship to MK Bay Marina goes back to the 80s when Kitamaat Village offered free water service and use of their land for parking as a show of good faith during tricky land transactions happening at the time. He said that any potential changes to the rates at the marina would make it comparable to the province, speaking to how business-like it’d be run. “I’ve seen the rhetoric out there about how we’re going to kick everybody out, and rates are going to go up...I heard all that, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. While he notes rates on Vancouver Island for instance might be lower than what rates could be up here, that’s a factor of demand, where Vancouver Island could have 10 other marinas in close proximity. “Therefore the demand is actually lower than compared to us,” he said. He said keeping rates low would be artificially keeping the marina cheaper. “I think everybody wants to keep the artificial lower rates in place, so as soon as you start to see this threat of rates being comparable to the rest of B.C., people start parking their boats on the side of the road.” Results from a recent RDKS meeting regarding the marina are mostly held in-camera, but a motion was passed, from Kitimat representative Phil Germuth, that prior to any sale of the marina a press release must be issued explaining the offer to the public.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
$
King Crows and the Ladies from Hell perform at the Riverlodge fields for attendees to Rio Tinto Alcan’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The event was capped off with an impressive fireworks display.
Teachers back in classrooms Cameron Orr and Tom Fletcher With a firm “yes” vote, B.C. teachers have set this week to return to classes. In fact teachers returned to their classrooms this past Monday. “We announced on September 17 how pleased we were that a tentative deal was reached between the government and the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF),” read a letter on the school district’s website Friday, signed by Superintendent Katherine McIntosh. “We waited to learn the final details of the agreement reached and the ratification results to announce the opening of our schools. Those details are now in hand.” The ratification put schools back in to service September 22. “We have well established routines and we will follow our normal opening day routines with a shortened first day,” she wrote. “As you will know, these first days allow us to greet students, set pre-
“We have well established routines and we will follow our normal opening day routines.” liminary enrollment and then prepare in earnest for the coming school days. “I wish to congratulate both bargaining teams. We recognize that both teams put in huge hours and an enormous effort to reach a deal. We should also acknowledge that our teachers and their support staff colleagues have been walking a picket line since last spring.” B.C. Teachers’ Federation members voted 86 per cent in favour of a six-year agreement negotiated with the help of mediator Vince Ready last week. About three out of four of the province’s 40,000 teachers voted. “I’m happy with this deal,” said BCTF president Jim Iker. It gives the province’s
teachers raises totalling 7.25 per cent over six years, improvements to benefits and a fund to hire hundreds of new teachers each year. Iker said the turnout for the vote was higher than the union’s last two ratification votes. Education Minister Peter Fassbender congratulated teachers on the settlement, which ends a bitter strike that shut schools for two weeks in June and another three weeks this fall. “We can now focus on the path forward,” Fassbender said. “This long-term agreement is a historic opportunity to work together for students – to enhance their education experience and to support their achievements.” Premier Christy Clark added her thanks on Twitter. “This is a fair, affordable deal that will let us focus on putting students first,” Clark said.
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Densification a problem for many ... page 2