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www.northernsentinel.com
Volume 61 No. 21
Goal met for new playground Cameron Orr After careful consideration of their policies and procedures, Kitimat Council were almost tripping over themselves trying to offer more money to the Kildala Parent Advisory Council. The PAC were asking for up to $20,000 towards their fundraising goal to construct a new school playground to replace their aged and small one. Council had sent the request back to town staff to reflect and comment on policy and to look for ways to offer cost saving measures. Ultimately staff recommended that the town offer a grant of just over $15,000, even though there were efforts to simply pony up the full $20,000, both to benefit the PAC and to save time in the future if they still needed a bit of extra money. The $15,457 does bring the PAC to their fundraising goal, which caps off years of fundraising efforts by the parent group. “We’re at the goal and ready to proceed to the next level which will be the installation,” said PAC President Kim Wasyleski. “We hope to have it in the ground before the next school year.” She said everyone on the PAC is “elated” that it’s all almost over. The playground was a project started by the past PAC executive, which managed to raise $4,000 before the new committee stepped in. Wasyleski said between them and the current group it’s been about two-and-a-half years to get to here. She said each person has taken on commitments of time, from selling treats in the school to organizing Subway orders to bottle sorting every weekend, all of which went towards getting the children a new playground. Continued on page 3
Cyclists embarked on Kitimat River Challenge. /page 3 Students engineer popsicle stick bridges. /page 12 PM477761
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
$
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
Remember to wear your sud-screen Grade 6 students at St. Anthony’s School wash cars for an afternoon on May 21, a fundraiser to support Nepal following the damage of a recent earthquake.
Students get immunized from meningitis in clinics Janet Munro has been leading the charge over the past 10 years to have comprehensive meningitis vaccines brought to B.C.’s youth, and even as the campaign to have them incorporated in to the public health system moves on, she’s brought clinics to Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary to get the ball rolling. Munro and her husband lost their son Bradley to the Y-strain of meningitis while he was studying at Thompson Rivers University. The incident kicked off a major push by the family to raise awareness and get other youth protected. The Munros are part of a coalition of parents advocating for the vaccines, called MeningitisBC.org. The recent clinic on May 20 was the second of three taking place in Kitimat. Two are for the two doses of the B-
strain vaccine while the third is for the four-strains of meningitis. Munro says the B strain takes two doses because of the complicated nature of its make-up. “The B is the hardest of the strains to curve because there are so many different bacteria that make up the B,” she said. The four strain covers A, B, W135, and Y. Through the efforts of these schoolbased clinics, Kitimat is at the forefront of protection against the disease. “These kids here in Kitimat will be the first kids in the entire province of B.C. that’ll be vaccinated against all five common strains of meningitis,” said Munro. These meningitis strains are not covered under the public health system in B.C., although eight other provinces
have incorporated them. Their existence outside of the public system does create cost barriers for parents. A single shot of the B strain vaccine, for instance, costs $120. Certain health care providers will cover the cost of the four-strain version. This cost barrier is something MeningitisBC is looking to overcome for parents and offers some financial assistance for parents who need it. Three Kitimat students were eligible for assistance. “When the parent is not covered you’re looking at $360 to get these vaccines before they go off to university,” she said. “We’ve been trying to raise money so we can support some parents to cover the cost of these vaccines.” Continued on page 2