The Chilliwack
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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 5
District makes plea for new southside school
■ W ORKING O N T HE R AILROAD
More than 400 new students this year Jessica Peters The Progress The Chilliwack School District desperately needs a new elementary school, according to a staff report laid out for the board on Tuesday. There are 404 new students in the district this year, mostly in primary grades. That’s enough to fill an average-sized elementary school — if only Chilliwack had an empty one. The opposite is true. Chilliwack’s schools are bursting at the seams, with about 70 portables in use across the district. The new students are spread across town, but the most striking growth is at sites on the south side, where schools were already at a critical breaking point. Home construction has been steady in south side neighbourhoods, including Promontory, Garrison and Peach Road, and the growth is showing no signs of abating. Chilliwack is expected to reach 100,000 residents by 2021, according to the city’s official community plan. The school district’s secretar y treasurer, Gerr y
Slykhuis, said populations are booming across the Fraser Valley, and that trickles down to the school level. Having a bolstered student population is generally a good news story, as each student equals more funding from the government. But that money is directed to operational costs. For capital projects, there is a different funding process. And it’s one that had been held up for a few years, as the province reviewed capital plans. That review is complete. “We don’t know yet if there’s any money for new schools,” said Slykhuis. But the board is writing to the ministry of education to plead their case in support of a new school. Where that school would be built remains a bit unclear yet. Slykhuis said the ideal plan would have been Promontory. “That would be ideal, but if you could find 10 flat acres up there for under a billion dollars…,” he said. And expanding Promontory wouldn’t work either, he said. There already is limited field space at the hillside school. So, the search is on for a suitable site. As the school district appeals to the ministry, Continued: SCHOOL/ p10
Al Hunnisett of the Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club lights butane to create steam for a locomotive at the Mount Cheam Lions Train and Hobby Show Saturday at Chilliwack Heritage Park. JESSICA PETERS/ PROGRESS
Police seeking information after remains found of missing man Vikki Hopes Black Press Human remains found Oct. 8 on Norrish Creek Road, a remote logging area north of Mission, have been identified as David Charles Urquhart, 26, a man reported
missing from Maple Ridge and known to frequent Chilliwack. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) reported Wednesday morning that the BC Coroners Service had identified the remains, which were found by a hunter.
Mission RCMP called in IHIT, which is now heading the investigation into what they have deemed a “suspicious death.” Urquhart was last seen in the Maple Ridge area in late August and was reported missing to Ridge Meadows RCMP on Aug. 31.
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On Oct. 5, police issued a press release about his disappearance, saying “new information (had) surfaced, leading investigators to seek the public’s help” with the search. Urquhart was known to frequent areas such as Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Mission.
ANNIVERSARY
IHIT media relations officer Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said it is hoped that the people he associated with will come forward to share their knowledge of his whereabouts in late August. Continued: URQUHART/ p4
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