▼ Celebrating a decade on stage 28
Friday June 12 2015
The
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▶ PETITION DELIVERED AT PORT METRO VANCOUVER’S AGM
THOSE OPPOSED TO COAL PORT VOW TO KEEP FIGHTING JEFF NAGEL
▶ KEY TO THE WHEELS North Surrey Secondary Grade 12 student Naomi Oomen had the only key that started a Kia Rio at her school’s dry grad raffle on June 9. Three students became finalists at the school’s dry grad on May 22, where they had incentive to stay and celebrate their graduation at an alcoholand drug-free event. The car was donated by Applewood Kia. The two runners-up, Michelle Chartrand and Jason Nguyen, were given iPads. BOAZ JOSEPH
HOSPITALS STILL CLOGGED ▶ DESPITE PROMISES FOR IMPROVEMENT, MORE PATIENTS WAITING FOR BEDS IN FRASER HEALTH REGION JEFF NAGEL
Hospitals remain severely congested in Fraser Health and by some measures the problem has worsened despite repeated vows in recent years to improve conditions.
Three years ago this month, a 2012 congestion review warned hallway medicine was so rampant in Fraser Health that staff were “resigned” that the jammed conditions would remain “intractable.” At that time, just 51 per cent of patients admitted through emergency were getting a bed within 10 hours. Fast forward to April 2015 and that measure has worsened to 35.1 per cent of patients getting a bed within the 10-hour benchmark, down from around 40 per cent for most of the last year. It means two-thirds or more of patients now wait longer than 10 hours at
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hospitals such as Surrey Memorial, Abbotsford Regional and Ridge Meadows. The target for timely access to a bed has actually been lowered over the years. Today, Fraser Health is only aiming to get 55 per cent of patients into a bed within 10 hours. Back in 2011, the health ministry gave Fraser a goal of 67 per cent rising to 90 per cent by 2013, but – with the health region falling far short – the province eliminated those targets from subsequent health authority service plans. continued on page 5
Opponents of a planned coal export terminal on the Fraser River are vowing to keep the fight going. They made that clear June 2 at Port Metro Vancouver’s annual general meeting, where Paula Williams, organizer for the group Communities and Coal, presented a petition opposing the plan by Fraser Surrey Docks to load coal onto ships in the river. “There is widespread opposition to your project,” states the petition to Fraser Surrey Docks’ CEO signed by more than 3,000 people and endorsed by 50 businesses and organizations. “We urge you to abandon plans for this coal port and seek a different path forward.” continued on page 4
▶ “We urge you to abandon plans for this coal port and seek a different path forward.” PETITION TO FRASER SURREY DOCKS
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