Alberni Valley Times, April 23, 2015

Page 1

LOCALLY OW

‘Red-hot’ demand for French Immersion teachers

NED & OPER

ATED

ALBERNI

Alberni Region, Page 3

TOWING

TWIN TRAVEL & CRUISES

24 H O U R

SERVICE

• ICBC Towing • Flat Deck Servic • Lock Outs • Ju e mp Starts • Full Service Storage We buy scrap ca rs, trucks,

Competitive Prices comes with Protection Prot

heavy trucks &

machinery

250-724-405

Redeem your RBC Points with us

0

2490 Timberlane R

d.

4766 Johnston Rd., Port Alberni

New mobile frie

250-724-6501

nd

albernitowinlygw.cebsite! om

BCREG 3144

Serving the Alberni Valley

www.avtimes.net

Thursday, April 23, 2015

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Mental health calls up for RCMP New plan for Port Alberni police detachment puts focus on better understanding of psychological issues ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES

In response to a growing number of mental health-related calls, the Port Alberni RCMP is putting a greater emphasis on dealing with those suffering from psychological conditions over the next year. Better enforcement of mental health-related incidents has been included in the local police detachment’s new Annual Performance Plan for the next 12month period. This puts a focus on improving the public’s understanding of psychological illnesses and decreasing the impact mental health issues have on calls for service. To better handle the prevalence of mental health issues, RCMP members receive training in deal-

ing with emotionally disturbed people compassionately and safely, said Cpl. Jen Allan in an email to the Times. “Mental illness isn’t a crime, however we recognize that it is a common factor in many of our calls for service, and as such we are looking at mental health from both a crime and social perspective,” she said. “In the last five years we have seen a marked increase in calls of suicidal persons, and rarely does a shift pass for our members during which they aren’t managing a call that has some mental health component to it.” The mental health priority replaces youth and substance abuse, two areas of focus police honed in on over the last year, including performing 382 checks

ALLAN

of licensed establishments. Drug involvement in calls to police declined 12 per cent over this period. Other priorities returning to the Annual Performance Plan this year are crime reduction, visibility and engagement in the community as well as traffic

enforcement. While mental health issues are playing a growing role in the RCMP’s workload, the overall number of calls for service has declined by seven per cent so far this year compared to the first quarter of 2014. Violent crime has fallen by three per cent, while property-related offences are up 13 per cent. While Allan said it’s not unusual for crime trends to fluctuate over the course of the year, she attributes the rise in property offences to a sharp increase in thefts of boats and boat parts, both private and commercial. “In response we have implemented crime reduction and prevention techniques that specifically target this activity” she said. “The same evidence-based action

is taken when we identify crime ‘hot spots’ in the community, be it a drug house or a wave of breakins in a certain neighbourhood.” This years’ decline in violent crime is welcome news in Port Alberni, which carries the highest Crime Severity Index of any city on Vancouver Island. This Statistics Canada ranking considers the volume of crime in a community while giving more weight to serious offences. Port Alberni’s overall crime severity index puts the city 21st in Canada for offences, or ninth in B.C. With consideration to violent crime the waterfront community ranks 10th in the country, based on the most recently available statistics from 2013. eric.plummer@avtimes.net

ENVIRONMENT

Edible landscapes: Alberni woman wants to transform property into urban garden KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES

Firefighters’ fundraise for Muscular Dystrophy Firefighters from all over the Alberni Valley will be joining forces for their longest-running collaborative fundraiser: the annual drive for muscular dystrophy. » Alberni Region, 3A

Artist fuses loves of clay pots and green gardens Yolande Fournier looks forward to sharing her love of pottery at this year’s Days with the Arts, a fundraiser for the Community Arts Council. » Community, 5A

Âť Use your smartphone to jump to our Facebook page for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.

A local urban gardener is putting the call out to all green thumbs of the Valley. Jen Fisher-Bradley is looking for people who want to dig in the garden and help transform a property from a blank canvas to an edible landscape. The outcome is expected to be two-fold when it comes to combating climate change. “There are two important things we can do,” Fisher-Bradley said. “One is to not waste the food we buy and the other is to learn how to grow food locally.” Fisher-Bradley has an urban farm on Fourth Avenue that supplies herbs, seeds, vegetables and plants as a means of encouraging small scale sustainability within the community. The property next door is currently bare and will be the project material for an upcoming workshop. The goal is to create a flourishing, edible landscape with the help of local hands. Conducted by Fisher-Bradley and edible landscape designer, Helena Hartwood, the workshops are aimed at teaching hands-on skills and providing people with the knowledge to take to their own home and yards. “If the community has these skills, then it will make us all more resilient,” Fisher- Bradley said. “Consider it an investment in our future. It is about creating a local urban farming community.” Fisher-Bradley also said edible landscapes are not only useful, but are a means of beautifying property. She likes to include fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, herbs and vegetables. “We will teach people ways to make it low maintenance and cre-

Jen Fisher-Bradley wants to see this blank canvas of land transformed into a useful edible landscape. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]

“This will empower, educate and supply other urban farmers with seeds, seedlings and knowledge.” Jen Fisher-Bradley, urban farmer

ate an eco-system that imitates nature,” Fisher-Bradley said. Participants will learn to use perennials, how to manage pests, including deer, without the use of poisonous chemicals and how to work through water restriction

and drought challenges. FisherBradley hopes it will empower people to be less dependent on other food sources. “With the droughts in California, we have to think about where our food is coming from,” she said. She also wants to create a community of urban farmers in the same area of South Port where there are no nearby grocery stores. “This will empower, educate and supply other urban farmers with seeds, seedlings and knowledge,” she said. Fisher-Bradley’s passion comes from her many years of saving

seeds and growing her own food. “Also as a mother and grandmother, I worry about food security,” she said. “Taking action on an issue is good for mental health and that’s a concern of mine. It’s hard work, but I enjoy that and I enjoy being able to create a certain amount of resilience.” Once the workshop is complete, the bounty will be used for continual harvest and sales at the next door property and home of Mirabel Urban Farm Market. Anyone interested in signing up can call 250-730-9413. kristi.dobson@avtimes.net

Inside today Alberni Region 3A Opinion 4A

Community 5A Scoreboard 6A

Sports 7A Drive 1B

Entertainment 2B What’s On 7B

$1.25 newsstand (GST incl.)

ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES VOLUME 66, NUMBER 78

Start to nish at

Classifieds 9B What’s on 6B

BLACK RHINO SAFETY GLASSES 4 Styles to choose from:

15

Stainless, I-Beamz, Prolitez or Lidz Prices start from $14.44 Save on in stock.

% OFF REG.

Prices in effect until April 30th, 2015 or while stock lasts! Cash & Carry only on sale prices!

Windsor Plywood • 4740 Tebo Ave • Port Alberni • Ph: 250-724-5751 • Fax: 250-724-3325


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.