Trail Daily Times, October 21, 2014

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TUESDAY

S I N C E

OCTOBER 21, 2014

1 8 9 5

Vol. 119, Issue 164

105

$

INCLUDING G.S.T.

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Cannings to carry NDP banner in federal election Page 3

PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO

Engaging young voters would boost turnout BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff

It's the Greater Trail young adults who will soon be buying the houses, paying property taxes and maybe one day, taking a run for council. Tax bumps, recycling, and the future of the regional landfill top Billy Bain's list of matters the new Silver City council needs to address. The 22-year old Trail native is ready to exercise his right to vote in the upcoming civic election for a second time – though this is the first time he can vote in a new mayor. “It's important for our age group to vote because houses are being bought and we are becoming a bigger part in the community and taxes will go up,” said Bain. “If you don't vote then you shouldn't complain.” Another local ready to cast his vote for local government is Zach Perehudoff, a 21-year old with sagacity that echoes Bain's. “I think it is important for my age group to vote because young people have just as much right as the older

population to have a say in the direction of the community,” said Perehudoff. Moving the city forward is a main issue, he noted, adding, the pedestrian bridge and proposed riverfront centre are examples of valuable assets that will improve the city for the future. Locally, there isn't a means to record voter demographics, but according to Elections Canada, 38.8 per cent in the 18-24 age group cast a ballot during the 2011 federal election. Three years ago, voter turnout, of all age groups, was only 31 per cent in Trail's civic election. So engaging that age range is key for political candidates, including the city's four mayors-in-running. The question is, how can more young adults be drawn to the polling stations on Nov. 15? Young adults will take more notice when issues that concern them are made a priority, says Doug Jones, one of four Trail mayoral See USE, Page 3

SD20 returning $1.1 million in strike savings to province BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff

The province wants its money back and School District 20 (SD20) has over $1 million to return After students were back in the classroom on Sept. 22, the Ministry of Education asked for the portion of the annual budget that remained unspent for the days where teachers were still on the picket lines. Natalie Verigin, secretary-treasurer for SD20, says the school board will be paying back 100 per cent of savings during the strike to the provincial government. “(There was) $1,146,000 estimated savings in teacher wages and cost sensitive benefits,” she said of the 13 strike days in September. “(It is) about the same amount of savings as June. There were 13 strike days in September and 12

strike days in June, but in June, we also had to deduct 10 per cent for the remaining days due to the lock-out.” School boards across the province were instructed to return 80 per cent of budget savings from June. Verigin isn't sure when the money will be going back, but she thinks she knows why they want 100 per cent back this time around. “My thoughts are that it is likely related to the Temporary Education Support Program (TESP) that the government promised parents,” she said, referring to the $40 per day of the strike being paid out to parents with kids age 12 and under. Parents who qualified and applied for the TESP will start receiving checks from the province by the end of October.

LIZ BEVAN PHOTO

Guglielmo Di Domenico and Luigi Bedin, the two surviving stonemasons in the area, cut the cake at a dedication ceremony honouring their work as stonemasons over 50 years ago. The gazebo at Gyro Park was full of supporters and family members there to help the Rock Wall Project Entusiastico Society unveil the bronze plaques that are now hanging on rock walls throughout the city, commemorating the hard work the masons put into the project.

Trail’s rock stars saluted BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff

Building a rock wall in the dead of winter with just a strong back and bare hands would test the mettle of any modern mason. Two of the many stonemasons who did just that were in attendance at the Rock Wall Project Entusiastico Society's bronze plaque dedication ceremony in Gyro Park on Sunday. Both Guglielmo Di Domenico and Luigi Bedin were front row centre for the ceremony honouring the work they did over 50 years ago. Bedin says he had no idea he would one day be honoured for his handiwork while he was building the walls. “It feels really good,” he said after the ceremony. “I would never have thought that it would go to this extent, with the plaques and

everything, while we were working.” One thing Bedin remembers about his time as a stonemason in Trail was working in below freezing temperatures. “It was a lot of hard work,” he said. “They wanted to do (all the stone work) in the winter. In the winter, they would get the grants from the government and they tried to take advantage of that. It wasn't fun at all. It was wet and miserable.” Di Domenico, 97, and said he loved seeing the crowd of around 60 people gathered at Gyro Park to honour his and his brother Carlo's work. “It's nice,” he said. “There are lots of people and it is really nice. I built the rock walls all over the place. See PLAQUES, Page 3

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Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242 Canada Post, Contract number 42068012


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