LIGHTING THE NHL LAMP
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2015
Abbotsford’s Jake Virtanen pots first goal with Canucks A22
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$50M school district ‘wish list’ New schools in
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FOOD BANK BLESSING
five-year capital plan
MAN’S BODY DISCOVERED
Tyler OLSEN Abbotsford News
The Abbotsford school district’s new capital plan includes more than $50 million of upgrades and new schools over the next five years – with the hope that funding will materialize from the provincial government. The plan includes a new Eagle Mountain elementary school, new middle and secondary schools in the eastern part of the city, and upgrades to Yale and W.J. Mouat secondary schools. Whether the district gets provincial money to build those items is another matter. The capital plan is the first that Abbotsford and other districts around B.C. have been requested to prepare for the province since the 2013/14 fiscal year. Trustees were set to vote on it Tuesday evening after The News’ press deadline. If approved, it would be forwarded to the provincial government, which will use it and similar plans from B.C.’s 59 other school districts to decide where to allocate capital funding. “It’s a wish list based on our best guess for growth and need of school space,” school district spokesperson Dave Stephen said. The new schools are toward the bottom of the list, behind more pressing and less costly concerns such as lighting system upgrades, and roof and school bus replacements. But as schools in the city’s east side fill up, the district is looking for funding to serve the increasing number of students in the area. “Almost all our elementary schools in what we call the east side are full,” Stephen said. “So we anticipate needing schools sooner rather than later … and as more elementary students go through, we know we’re going to need more middle and secondary space.” As students returned this fall, classes were added at four elementary schools, and subtracted at two. With Sandy Hill and McMillan elementary schools at Continued on A5
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HEARING CHECKED?
A7 Patrol officer finds corpse in wooded area, close to makeshift camp
RESTRICTIONS ON MEMORIALS A3 City eyes time limits on roadside memorials erected at fatal accident locations
APPEAL STILL POSSIBLE A3 Mayor says decision is pending on how to apply court ruling on Gladys homeless protest camp ■
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BOB FRIESEN Mission Record
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Michael Miller, Archbishop of Vancouver, blesses the new St. Joseph Food Bank building in Mission on Saturday. More than 100 people turned out for the grand opening celebration of the new location at 32550 Seventh Ave. Last year, 4,376 people were helped by the food bank.
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