Winning ways Jr. A Timbermen lacrosse team picks up first victory of the season.
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
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VOL. 26, NO. 103
Staff cuts proposed for school budget I DISTRICT FACING $4-million shortfall for coming year. BY KARL YU THE NEWS BULLETIN
CHRIS BUSH/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Aimee Greenaway, interpretation curator at Nanaimo Museum, shows a dried squid, one of the herbs and medicinals that might have been kept in a Chinese herbalist’s apothecary chest. The museum will be part of the first project in B.C. to compile an online inventory of Chinese artifacts and historical records.
Artifacts available through online inventory BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM THE NEWS BULLETIN
The collection of Chinese history at the Nanaimo museum is going digital. The first-ever online inventory of Chinese Canadian artifacts and historical records in B.C was announced last week as a “milestone” by the B.C. Ministry of International Trade. The Chinese Canadian Artifacts Inventory Project, piloted by the Nanaimo Museum, is aimed at opening up collections of B.C museums in a keystroke and bringing the cultural history of Chinese Canadians to the
forefront. It’s a multi-partner initiative led by the University of Victoria and will see a $75,000 investment by the provincial government. It follows last year’s formal apology on behalf of B.C. legislative assembly members to Chinese Canadians for historical wrongs committed by past provincial governments. Aimee Greenaway, Nanaimo Museum interpretation curator, says it will be more than just an artifact listing. People will be able to see pieces of Nanaimo’s collection and the stories behind them, whether it’s the 90-drawer apothecary chest
used by a drugstore owner in Nanaimo’s Chinatown or the Nanaimo General Hospital pin worn by the province’s first Chinese Canadian registered nurse. “A lot of people are aware of Chinese history in British Columbia or in their community, but to be able to go in and look at the artifacts really makes the history that much more interesting,” Greenaway said. “You can actually see the things that people used and that people, in some cases, imported from China or things that they made while [they were] here.” See ‘HISTORIC’ /4
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Staff reductions are among proposals in the Nanaimo school district’s 2015-16 budget as trustees grapple with a $4-million shortfall. The proposed school budget was presented at a meeting Thursday, with an aim of financial sustainability. Current maintenance staff numbers amount to 46 full-time equivalents. It is proposed that be reduced by 15.9 per cent. Custodial staff is approximately 68 full-time equivalents and a reduction of about 22.6 per cent is proposed. Rob Zver, president of CUPE Local 606, the education support workers union, said the CUPE job eliminations would lead to a savings of approximately $1 million. Cuts to custodial staff could lead to health issues and heavier workload. “Of course, if you have a dirty building, you increase sickness, you increase kids spreading germs because things aren’t maintained,” said Zver. “In this district we’re probably at the highest end of square footage for maintaining and they’re going a step to add ... another 25 per cent of the square footage to people because you cannot perfectly balance the schools. “So they want to try to raise somebody’s cleaning level by 25
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to 30 per cent more than they’re currently doing and upwards of 50 per cent, depending on where it goes,” Zver said. Additionally, a freeze on hiring elementary school vice-principals will mean five positions will not be filled. Deputy superintendent, budget manager and assistant operations supervisor are also proposed administration cuts, leading to savings of $445,720. At the meeting, Jeff Solomon, trustee and vice-chairman of the business committee, said the process was difficult, but the reductions were necessary. Ninety-per cent of the budget was being spent on salaries, according to the report. “The bottom line is that there’s going to be pain and there is pain every year and there are cuts every year and we need to really be on this,” said Solomon. “We actually need to take steps in a certain direction and I really believe that these are important steps. “I know they’re very, very painful and I know we’re talking real people being affected and I’m hoping some of that’s going to be mitigated, especially with the amount of CUPE workers ... but if we are going to get on a solid [footing] in this district, we’re going to have to make very difficult decisions and choices.” Budgets must be finalized and sent to the province by June 30. reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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