NEWS
www.nanaimobulletin.com
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
VIU honours Governor General
I
johNStoN addrESSES graduates. By Chris Bush
The News BulleTiN
Vancouver Island University honoured royal representatives and installed its new chancellor at its winter convocations last week. David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and his wife, Sharon, were each presented with an honorary doctorate of laws at the Port Theatre Thursday. The Governor General was in Nanaimo as part of a visit to B.C. for a number of engagements that included Thursday’s convocation, an address to the Vancouver Board of Trade and a tour of the Harmac Pacific pulp mill. Johnston addressed students about to graduate from VIU’s arts and humanities, social sciences and management pro grams, on the benefits of Canada’s education system and of living in a democracy, which provides freedom to
CHRIS BUSH/THe NewS BUlleTIN
david johnston, Governor General of Canada, address graduates at Vancouver Island University’s winter convocation ceremonies thursday at the Port theatre.
learn and seek knowledge. Citing what he characterized as abysmally low voter turnout for elections over the past decade, said Canadians should take a vested interest in their country and its people by participating fully in their democracy, especially when facing the challenges of First Nations issues, aging population, globalization, the economy, alternative energy sources and responsible development of natural resources the gradu-
ates will grapple with. “Of course there is cynicism; we recognize that,” Johnston said. “There are those who distrust those in charge at every level and there are those who even doubt our democratic institutions can create positive change. Yet, there are many more, who know more and more, that they have the potential to and the power to make their voices heard to create a smarter, more caring nation of keener minds and brighter hearts.”
Johnston also congratulated Louise Mandell, one of Canada’s foremost aboriginal rights lawyers, who was installed as VIU’s second chancellor during the convocation ceremony, re p l a c i n g S h a w n A-in-chut Atleo, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Johnston said, in an interview prior to the convocation, he and his wife considered it an honour to be recognized by VIU. “It’s a great honour to be recognized by this university, which has been so special in its community, gone through very interesting stages of evolution and has, perhaps, the largest indigenous population of any university in the country, so it’s very advanced in that respect,” Johnston said. “It has a very large international education component. It’s a non-convention place in the sense that it’s very innovative and we’re pretty excited that, in about an hour’s time, we’ll be members of this community.”
Nanaimo News Bulletin 3
Dam safety Branch losing patience From /1
“They are talking 30-40-footwide emergency spillway and five to six metres deep ... for an event that has never occurred since the beginning of time. It’s spending millions and millions of dollars with no actual benefit,” said Solomon, who adds the dam preservation society didn’t ask for this option and doesn’t believe people will think it’s a good use of money. Solomon said the city needs to figure out if it has to take action and if it does, then it needs to do
something reasonable and practical. “Obviously we haven’t had to do anything for the last couple of years and we haven’t had anything for the last decade, so I don’t think [the city] should be hard pressed to come up with a solution,” he said. McKay, however, still aims to see a decision made by the end of February – a pledge made in his inauguration speech – and said the Dam Safety Branch has told the city it’s losing patience. news@nanaimobulletin.com
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Charges laid against Nanaimo man in stabbing incident Charges have been laid against a Nanaimo resident in relation to a stabbing late Thursday night. Alexander Worden, 22, has been charged with forcible confinement and aggravated assault in relation to the incident. According to a press release from Nanaimo RCMP, police received a call from the B.C. Ambulance Service on Jan. 29 at 11:44 p.m., requesting assistance with a male who had been stabbed. Officers arrived at an apartment on Prideaux Street and found the male suffering
from a number of serious cuts to his arm and head. He was subsequently taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, treated and released. An investigation led to Worden’s arrest. He is scheduled to appear at the provincial court in Nanaimo on Monday (Feb. 2).
Boat fire snuffed out at yacht club marina A fire in a boat at Nanaimo Yacht Club was knocked down before it got out of hand Friday.
Club caretaker Rusty Kostka, who said the fire was minor, and two unidentified yacht club members, snuffed out the blaze in the stern of a small yacht moored at one of the club’s outside slips after they spotted smoke coming from the craft at about 11 a.m. “We were able to get it out with three big extinguishers,” Kostka said. Greg Norman, Nanaimo Fire Rescue assistant chief, said fire prevention officers were sent in to investigate the cause of the fire. No one was injured.
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