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Family upset Maple Leaf shown disrespect at site Construction work at Wellington Secondary School off Departure Bay Road led to the school’s flag pole and the Canadian flag that it flew being taken down after the pole was damaged. A3
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» Animal welfare
CITY
Pit bull home, recovering after being shot with rifle
Nanaimo mayor aims to make trip to China SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
Tracey Janvier and her dog, Jack, pictured at her house Thursday. Jack is recovering from gunshot wounds. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Vet pulled bullet fragments from dog’s back SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
T
he owner of a pit bull shot with a .22 calibre rifle says she is still struggling with the pain and suffering inflicted upon her pet. The dog, named Jack, had been missing for five days before it turned up Sunday with wounds to its neck area and lower back. Owner Tracy Janvier said her grandson had let the oneand-a-half-year old pit bull out of their Chase River neighbourhood home into the backyard, which is not fenced. The dog then wandered off and got lost, Janvier said. Police are asking the public to come forward with any information to identify who may be responsible for shooting the dog. Investigators
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“He’s in a lot of pain, he’s not the same as he used to be.” Tracy Janvier, dog owner
are also unsure of the exact location where the incident happened. The Nanaimo RCMP says the dog was found by another resident and eventually taken into the care of the SPCA, which contacted Janvier. Police had received calls from residents about gun shots in the area. One woman said she had also heard a dog yelp. Dr. Ken Langelier, the veterinarian who treated the dog, said he found bullet fragments in the skin on the dogs rear back, with one large fragment
near the dog’s spine. There were also fragments located in the dog’s neck, as well as what are possibly bite marks from another dog. Langelier said he was unsure if the fragments were from the same bullet that hit the rear of the animal, or from a second shot. “It looks like he was shot sort of from the back end,” he said. Langelier said the pit bull was “probably” in a fight with another dog when the incident happened. “It certainly wasn’t a good day for this dog,” Langelier said. Luckily, none of the fragments hit the dog’s spinal column or any organs. Barring an infection, the dog should make a recovery, Langelier said. The fragments were left in to avoid complications that might result in removing them.
Janvier said Jack is “moving OK, he’s just a little bit slow, he’s on pain medication and antibiotics.” “He’s in a lot of pain, he’s not the same as he used to be,” she said. Janvier said she thinks her dog was singled out for being a pit bull breed. “I’m assuming that’s what it was,” she said. “He’s the sweetest dog,” she said, adding it gets along well with other dogs as well as her cat. “I’ve never, ever had a complaint (about) Jack, ever,” she said. She said whoever is responsible for injuring her dog should be responsible for paying the veterinary costs. Spencer.Anderson @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255
Mayor Bill McKay is seeking council support to head to a series of meetings in China to boost the city’s profile amongst prospective investors. One of stated reasons behind the trip is to meet with investors in the proposed Hilton Hotel project on the city’s Front Street. The mayor is asking council to approve approximately $11,000 in travel expenses for the trip, which he said would take place some time in September. The request will be considered at Monday’s council meeting. “The importance of face-to-face meetings and relationship building in Chinese business culture cannot be underestimated,” McKay says in a report to council, stressing cultural differences between Canada and China. “It is important to show that the municipal government is supportive of new investment and that it places an emphasis on maintaining a positive business environment.” The trip would follow a September 2014 trade mission to China by the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation, led by outgoing CEO Sasha Angus. McKay said the timing of the proposed trip is not connected to a sinking Chinese stock market or the collapse of the city’s deal with tourism firm SSS Manhao to build a hotel next to the city’s conference centre. “We have tremendous interest in Nanaimo from companies in China,” said McKay. “. . . I’ve had three groups (in my office) in the last week.” McKay said he would likely be joined on the trip by “at least one” representative from the NEDC and another from the Insight Holdings, the firm behind the Hilton project, although he said the city would not bear those travel costs. Under city policy, council members must get approval for out-of-town travel unless certain conditions are met. McKay said further meetings are being organized for the trip, including with a company interested in investing in a local business that sells phytoplankton as a nutritional supplement. McKay said the conference centre hotel “may come up in discussion” during the trip. Spencer.Anderson@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4255
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Fatalities hit 50 in massive China blast
Housing markets in more cities troubled
There was no indication of what caused the disaster in one of China’s busiest ports, and authorities were keeping reporters well away from the site. » Nation & World, A8
Toronto joins Regina and Winnipeg, in the high-risk category in April. At the time, Toronto was only labelled as facing a moderate level of risk due to overvaluation. » Nation & World, A9
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