THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015
Volume 41, Issue 22
www.starjournal.net
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Grads take home $45,278 in scholarships and bursaries
2014 CCNA
Milions of dollars in unclaimed benefits ..... page 3
What is the TNRD doing about biosolids? ..... page 6
New NHL-size ice rink coming to Sun Peaks ..... page 7
A Lutheran, an Anglican, and a United walk into a church... ..... page 10
2015 BSS Grad Supplement inside this issue
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78195 50017
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STAR/JOURNAL photo: Jill Hayward
A total of $45,278 from 31 individuals, programs or organizations was handed out in bursaries and scholarships at the Barriere Secondary School 2015 Graduation Commencement Ceremonies on May 22. The event filled the Barriere Curling Rink with parents, family, friends and well-wishers; all gathered together to see 28 graduating students take a major step into their futures. The amount of dollars awarded is a strong statement of confidence from the supporters of the school, the students and the communities that this school serves. Pictured is Lower North Thompson Forest Society director Gai Conan congratulating Alex Peterson as she hands out bursaries from the Society of $1000 each to (l-r) Carlea Dunn, Darby Myram, Natasha McInnes, Jordan LeFeuvre, Keaton Noble, and Alex Peterson. The Society also handed out five $2,000 bursaries as well. Find the full list of scholarship and bursary recipients on page 19.
Seniors’ advocate calls for housing reforms By Tom Fletcher Black Press Too many seniors are going into residential care when they could still be accommodated in assisted living, due to rules that are “outdated and too restrictive,” B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie says in a new report. The report found a 10-per-cent vacancy rate for assisted living facilities, meaning space is usually available, at least in urban areas. It calls for a “fundamental redesign” of regulations for registered assisted living, to change
spousal eligibility and reduce the number of higher functioning seniors moving to residential care. More than 90 per cent of B.C. seniors live independently and 80 per cent are homeowners, who should be able to apply for a provincial loan against equity to pay for repairs, the report recommends. “A new roof or the need to fix a dilapidated deck may be a cost that forces a senior out of a house they have loved for decades,” Mackenzie said. “Living in a house that is worth $500,000 or even a million dollars does not mean
B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie much if you’re living alone on $24,000 or less, which is the median income of seniors in B.C., and you can’t find the cash to pay
the bills.” Health Minister Terry Lake said he supports the direction of Mackenzie’s 18 recommendations, and the ministry is working on assisted living changes. Some recommendations, such as providing private rooms with ensuite bath for residential care beds, have “wide-reaching implications for health authorities” and require more study, Lake said. Subsidized assisted living is based on 70 per cent of the resident’s net income, with a minimum of $325 left to the resident. Mackenzie recommends
that minimum should increase to $500 to allow more low-income seniors to use assisted living rather than going directly to residential care, where more costs are covered by the province. A survey of B.C. seniors finds 20 per cent are renters, with one in five of those receiving a rental subsidy. Average rents range from a high of $1,038 in Vancouver to $547 in Quesnel, and the report finds that for remote and rural communities, the biggest challenge is not cost but the availability of suitable housing.
S E R V I N G T H E N O RT H T H O M P S O N VA L L E Y F R O M H E F F L E Y C R E E K TO B L U E R I V E R