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Thursday, September 24, 2015
COURTS
Man attacks campers with chainsaw Judge gives 30-day sentence for campsite rampage near Great Central Lake, defendent has past alcohol issues MARTIN WISSMATH ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
A camping trip last April threatened to turn into a scene from a B-rated horror movie, according to a case in Port Alberni provincial court this week. Cody Gordon Schram, 22, assaulted people and threatened them while wielding a chainsaw at a campsite by Great Central Lake on April 18. He pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, assault, uttering threats, and breaching probation orders. He was sentenced in provincial court on Wednesday to 30 days in jail and two years of probation. Schram had “gone crazy,” while he was with a group of friends,
“He has taken the matter very seriously.” Charles Beckingham, defence lawyer
consuming copious amounts of alcohol, according to Crown prosecutor Gordon Baines’s account of events. Port Alberni RCMP were called out to the campsite but couldn’t locate Schram, who had run off after threatening to cut and stab people. They called in a police dog at approximately 4:30 a.m., which sniffed out Schram while he was hiding in the bushes. He was
arrested while “grossly intoxicated,” Baines noted. Witnesses gave statements to police describing what happened. There were approximately 15–20 people at the campsite, Baines noted. For no apparent reason, Schram began felling trees with a chainsaw, close to where vehicles were parked. When confronted, he started “freaking out,” according to witnesses. He pushed a girl to the ground, falling over an embankment. After threatening at least one person with the chainsaw, he struck another camper in the head with an axe handle, and threatened to stab others while brandishing a knife. He threatened to kill one victim’s
10-year-old brother – who was not present. One camper managed to snatch the chainsaw and carried it off, another threw Schram’s knife into the fire. Schram had a previous conviction for a violent offence and was already under probation orders to abstain from alcohol consumption. Baines recommended a jail sentence of 60 days and two years’ probation. Defence lawyer Charles Beckingham told the court Schram is “a young man with a lot going for him.” Schram has moved to the Nanaimo area and has not touched alcohol since the April incident, Beckingham said.
“He has taken the matter very seriously,” Beckingham said. Although he “regrets putting people through this matter,” Beckhingham added, “he has very little recollection” of the incident. Schram is currently unemployed but Beckingham recommended a suspended sentence with no jail time. Judge Thomas Woods noted that Schram’s pre-sentence report indicates he has an underlying mental health condition involving depression and anxiety. Despite the defendent’s free time, he has done little to seek treatment, Woods said. See COURT, Page 3
FORESTRY
EDUCATION
Hundreds of local students gather at McLean Mill to discover job prospects
Student records go missing
KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Approximately 350 elementary students from six schools were at McLean Mill on Wednesday to learn about the forest industry. The field trip was a part of a new initiative organized by the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations as part of National Forest Week. Typically acting as hosts for an open house and pancake breakfast each year, a collective group of forest professionals came together to introduce various aspects of the industry to young children. Students from Grades 4 through Grade 6 6 were exposed to demonstrations and hands-on activities in logging, fishing and fire fighting. It was a chance for the younger generation to find out what career opportunities will be available in the future. “We know that B.C. is good at growing trees and they grow fast here,” Andrews said. “Over the mid- to long-term we are growing a lot so we will have a timber supply for youth to manage into the future.” Andrews said forestry will continue to be a major driving force behind the economy of Port Alberni. “We are definitely trying to inspire our youth and equip them with choices as they further their education.” She said there are more than just opportunities as loggers in the forests. The ministry hires professionals in technology, biology and engineering. Rhonda Morris, district manager for the South Island Natural Resource District, said the key to future industry sustainability is diversification. “Our forests are much more than just trees in terms of the econ-
KRISTI DOBSON ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
said forestry will still be an important part of the local economy. “There is a proud heritage here,” she said. “I was just speaking to a volunteer on the steam donkey who’s grandfather harvested trees in the Valley in the 1930s to 1950s and he himself works in forestry,” Morris said. “I hope that generational knowledge, pride and drive continue to be passed down through families.”
What could be the largest data breach in B.C. history could impact former Port Alberni students. The B.C. government announced the loss of an unencrypted hard drive storing files of millions of the province’s students on Tuesday. A representative told the Alberni Valley Times that there is a “good chance” that former students attending schools in Port Alberni are included in the lost information, because the hard drive includes records of 3.4 million people who went to school in the province. The majority of databases contain information on students enrolled in K-12 and post-secondary schools in B.C. from 1986 to 2009. Included in the files are names, gender, postal codes, grades and personal education numbers. Social insurance numbers, driver’s licence numbers, personal health numbers and banking information were not stored on the drive. Among the information included on ADSS graduates from the early 1990s is date of birth, GPA, special needs status, status of residency, home language, school attending for each year, and withdrawal details from 2008. There are some files that contain health information of more than 1.8 million students enrolled from 1991 to 2009, including physical and mental illnesses, learning disabilities and chronic ailments. The missing storage drive was one of two backups created by the Ministry of Education in 2011.
Kristi.Dobson@avtimes.net
Kristi.Dobson@avtimes.net
Luke Bouma from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, shows Grade 5 student Isaac Maskell how firefighters perform initial attacks on wildfires during a field trip at McLean Mill on Wednesday. [KRISTI DOBSON, TIMES]
omy,” Morris said. She noted opportunities in recreation and tourism, sports fishing, hydroelectricity and furniture making. She also said non-timber products are increasingly being explored, including salal, mushrooms and berries for preserves. “It is a cottage industry, but an important one,” Morris said. She said forest management and improving logging practices continue to be an important part of
the work they do to ensure future growth. “We have had the Forest Practices Board come to the district office in the past year for an audit and overall we are doing well and are in compliance with legislation,” Morris said. “There is always room for improvement.” She said they are continually learning by studying evaluation results from the Forest and Range Evaluation Program. Despite changes to the industry, Morris
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