NANAIMO REGION
New ‘Heritage Days’ a big hit with the crowds Organizers are happy with turnout for the new event that attracted thousands to the downtown streets. A3
NATION & WORLD
Uncertain times
Arrests in U.K. over spectacular jewel heist
Bank of Canada governor vernor Stephen Poloz sayss sliding dollar, cheap oil stallll recovery
The suspects, all British men between ages 43 and 76, were questioned in a London police station A7
Nation & World, A6
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Wednesday, May 20, 2015
» High school rankings
CITY
Council will seek to stay dams order Staff, city lawyer advise against action SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
A report from the Fraser Institute has concluded that Dover Bay Secondary School is the best high school for academics in the city. [ROBERT BARRON/DAILY NEWS]
Controversial list again has Dover Bay at the top ROBERT BARRON DAILY NEWS
D
over Bay Secondary School is once again the top high school for academics in the Nanaimo area, according to the latest report on the province’s secondary schools released by the Fraser Institute. But none of the eight local schools in the report, with one being a private school and the rest public schools, improved academically in 2013-14 from the previous years’s report. In fact six of the schools saw their scores decrease, including Dover Bay. Overall, the eight schools received an average score of 4.7 out of 10. A new scoring system for the province’s public school boards has also been established this year that is based on the results of the report. With an average of 4.4 out of 10, the school board in the NanaimoLadysmith school district was listed as the second lowest in the province, with only Maple RidgePitt Meadows scoring lower with 4.3. Steve Rae, chairman of the local board, said the Fraser Institute’s assessment of local schools and of the board is not being taken very seriously in the district. “It just makes me laugh,” he
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Sunny High 25, Low 13 Details A2
Fraser Institute rankings for district high schools 1. Dover Bay
7.0
2. Ladysmith
5.0
3. Nanaimo Christian
6.4
4. NDSS
5.8
5. Wellington
4.1
6. Woodlands
3.3
7. Cedar
3.0
8. John Barsby
2.9
SOURCE: FRASER INSTITUTE
said. “There are so many things that going on in our schools that the institute has no rankings for. One of them is the health care facility at John Barsby Secondary School. The institute’s report is just a thin slice of what’s happening in our schools and I don’t put much stock in it.” The institute ranks schools based on average marks on provincial exams, percentage of exams failed, differences between school and exam marks, gender gaps in performances, graduation rates and the amount of time it takes students to finish their diplomas.
Dover Bay scored 7.0 out of 10, compared to 7.2 in 2012-13, and was ranked 85 out of the 289 secondary schools across the province that are in the report. The next best school in the region, according to the report, is the independent Nanaimo Christian School, which received a score of 6.4 out of 10, while John Barsby Secondary School came last with 2.9, the same score it received in 2012-13. Wellington Secondary School dropped from a 4.8 in 2012-13 to 4.1 in 2013-14. Wellington has seen its score consistently drop each year from the 5.3 it received in 2009-10. Wellington school’s current principal Chad Lintott was not in his position last year, so he said he couldn’t offer any insight on Wellington’s ongoing drop in the institute’s grading. But Lintott was also principal of Cedar Secondary School when it was listed by the institute as the sixth-most improved secondary school in the province in 2011-12. “I can’t think of anything that was done differently at CSS to raise those scores at the time, and there’s not much I can say about the latest scores either,” he said. Robert.Barron @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4234
Nanaimo city council voted Monday to pursue a broad-based appeal and stay of a provincial order for upgrades at the lower Colliery dam this year, despite advice from the city’s solicitor that the process will likely fail. It also emerged Monday night that GeoStabilization International has told the city it will no longer be involved in the project. City staff said the firm gave notice that it would be unable to meet design specifications set out by the city’s main consultant on the dams, Golder Associates. Council also took the unusual step of having the city’s solicitor, Reece Harding, speak in public on seeking a stay and appeal. That discussion had been set for an in-camera session. Instead, council voted 5-3 to bring Harding into public and waive rights to solicitor-client privilege, against staff advice. On the opposed side was Mayor Bill McKay and councillors Diane Brennan and Ian Thorpe. Coun. Wendy Pratt was absent. Harding himself remarked on the “highly unusual situation” of having to give legal advice to a client in a public forum. “I’ve never been asked to do this in 22 years,” he said. He did not mince words once prompted to state his opinion. “You have a weak appeal and your opportunity to obtain a stay is very low in my opinion,” he said. Harding said the “biggest challenge” the city faces is a lack of
DAILY NEWS
Police announced late last night a new bomb threat directed at Woodlands Secondary School. In a news release, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman Const. Gary O’Brien said the threat was received several days ago but gave no other details.
Cook for health with fruits and vegetables
Fashion historians Ivan Sayers and Claus Jahnke return to the Nanaimo Museum with 25 garments, jewelry, hats, shoes and vintage cosmetics, » Nanaimo Region, A3
Buy something new to your family at least once a month. The Internet and libraries are filled with information on preparing and serving almost any ingredient. » Food, B1
Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports .................................. B2 Scoreboard ........................ B4
Reece Harding, city solicitor
time. The city faces a deadline of May 29 to submit its materials and a decision to proceed should have been made by council last week, Harding said. The city must also select a remediation option by June 1. Harding recommended that the city pursue a “refined” or targeted appeal process, meaning that more time would be sought from the provincial dam safety section to explore a ‘third option’ for remediating the dams. Instead, council opted for a broad-based appeal, which Harding said will contest the entire assertion that the dams do not meet provincial safety standards. Harding said this path will be more difficult and will require a sworn statement from an engineer that will affirm that there are no deficiencies with the lower dam. So far, that has been out of reach, Harding said. Council also voted to request a meeting with provincial officials, with some council members urging increased political pressure. Spencer.Anderson @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255
New high school bomb threat
Style of ‘40s and ‘50s revealed at museum
Local news .................... A3-5 Markets ................................A2 B.C. news ............................. A6
“You have a weak appeal and your opportunity to obtain a stay is very low in my opinion.”
Classified ............................ B6 Obituaries ........................... B6 Comics ................................. B5
“Tomorrow morning, Woodlands school staff, employees of SD68 and Nanaimo RCMP officers will be present and will assess the situation throughout the day,” said O’Brien last night. This is the second such threat at Woodlands this month. A 15-year-old girl was identified as being behind the prior incident.
Crossword .......................... B5 Sudoku ................................. A2 Horoscope .......................... B7
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