108th Year - Week 14
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
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SMITHERS BUDGET $10 million for projects in draft budget.
NEWS/A5
TELKWA ON CBC Filming in Telkwa starts April 15.
COMMUNITY/A11
MUSICAL HEALING Alex Cuba delighted a big crowd at the world premiere of his new album, Healer, in Smithers last week. Story, page A19. Alicia Bridges photo
ENBRIDGE DOC Locals in documentary screening April 18.
A&E/A20
University credit course cuts coming to NWCC By Chris Gareau Smithers/Interior News
INSIDE LETTERS COMMUNITY OUR TOWN A&E THREE RIVERS SPORTS CLASSIFIEDS
A7 A11 A17 A19 A21 B1 B4
Northwest Community College is on the verge of cutting the number of university credit classes it offers at its main campus locations of Terrace, Prince Rupert and Smithers. And, in Smithers, it could mean the end of face-to-face classroom instruction. The result will also mean fewer university credit instructors being employed at the college. College communications director Sarah Zimmerman said no decisions have been made but that the college needs to respond to budget pressures and lower enrolments specifically in its academic programs. “What we’re trying to do is minimize the impact,” she said of everything from offering early retirement incentives and voluntary severance packages to instructors, to combining
classes where it makes sense to do so. A number of instructors have already been given notices of at least partial layoffs in accordance with union contracts, said Zimmerman. She was responding to an April 2 release by the Northwest Community College Students’ Union which indicated college officials were about to cut up to 40 university courses — 15 in Prince Rupert, six in Terrace, and 14 in Smithers. Since there are only 14 courses being offered in Smithers, it would mean the end of classroom instruction there, said the union. “The one place locals can start a postsecondary education in our region is Northwest Community College,” said students’ union chair Steve Verblac in criticizing the college’s plan. Trades and other programs, so far, have not been affected. See BLUEPRINT on A9
Friday Only!
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Pedigree Vitality Dog Food 20.7 kg
Midsummer Music lineup announced By Alicia Bridges Smithers/Interior News
Organizers of the Smithers Midsummer Music Festival have announced the headlining acts for the 2015 festival. Toronto act Pick a Piper, a project by Caribou drummer Brad Weber, and Vancouverbased roots musician Buckman Coe are on the list of artists unveiled today. Adrian Glynn of Vancouver folk band The Fugitives will also perform at the festival, along with all-female rock band Miss Quincy and the Showdown, and Random Dander from Mission, B.C. Well-known northern B.C. slide guitarist Rachelle Van Zanten also makes the list, as does Phonotactic, Bobs and Lolo, Old Cabin, and Napoleon Skywalker. For more infor visit www.smithersmusicfest. com or find them on Facebook.
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