Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News, February 24, 2016

AquARiuM OpENs sOON

LOCAL FARM AND GARDEN

Ukee Aquarium launches into new season on March 12

Workshops and pony rides on tap for weekend event

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TOFINO-UCLUELET

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

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West Coast eyeing education economy

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Local leaders invest $70,000 into second phase of educational tourism strategy Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

Visitors to the Coast are looking to do more than put their feet in the sand.

Educational tourism is trending as tourists are seeking out fulfilling experiences that don’t just yield shareable photos of picturesque landscapes but new knowledge as well.

With its uniquely diverse range of ecosystems and cultures, the West Coast seems well positioned to capitalize on this trend and local leaders are strengthening their collective lure.

Recognizing that tourism is a resource they all share, Tofino, Ucluelet, Tlao-qui-aht First Nation and Ucluelet First Nation are working together to promote educational tourism on the West Coast rather than compete as individual communities.

See lOCAl page 8

Hospital fundraiser Shelter’s second annual fundraising dinner looks to match 2015’s success Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

See FOUNDATION page 11

T WEST CBOEAXS PO 2016 JO

ANDrew BAIley PhOTO

GeT DOwN wITh wheelS ON: West Coasters are encouraged to get their groove on at Ucluelet’s Seaplane Base Hall where unique and fun Roller Dance exercise events are held every Saturday from 4-5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend and all the gear you need is included in the $5 drop in fee.

“Strengthening our West Coast Workforce...Locally!”

Local Employers are NOW HIRING!!

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Bring lots of resumes - Dress for success

WEDNESDAY 11AM TO 3PM - MARCH 2ND Best Western TIN WIS - Conference Centre - Tofino

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Tofino’s Shelter Restaurant will host a fundraising dinner for the Tofino Hospital Foundation on April 22.

The funds raised at the dinner will go towards the purchase of a LifePak15, a state-of-the-art defibrillator valued at $25,000, for the local hospital.

This is the second annual dinner Shelter has hosted for the foundation and last year’s event brought in over $40,000, according to the foundation’s president Arlene McGinnis.

“I can’t say enough about Shelter,” McGinnis told the Westerly.

“They provide everything. They have been fantastic…They’ve been so supportive of our foundation; it’s amazing.”

She added the servers at last year’s event donated their time for the cause.

“They signed themselves off of their shift and came back to work volunteering their time to serve,” she said. “I thought that was amazing.”

Page 2 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

MID ISLAND REALTY

Mieke Dusseldorp Happily serving T & Ucluelet Cell: 250-726-3888 s Fax: 888-885-0005 s

www.miekedusseldorp.com

250-726-2228

westerly file Photo

Last year’s ArtSplash event filled Black Rock’s lobby with art lovers and stunning local art.

ArtSplash ready to shine SUZANNE RYLES

Local Voice

The West Coast has a wide variety of artists all with a story to tell with their art, be it painting with watercolours, oils or graphite, photography with a classic dark room feel to it or a piece that has been coaxed a little; playing with different hues.

There are potters, carvers, glassworkers, jewellers and the list goes on and on. Art has no age limit. no beginning or end, it is limitless.

I have seen a picture drawn by a 6-year-old be sold on the first day of the show and carvings from a lady in her later years have to replace her work over and over as it sells so quickly.

Artsplash art show has been happening on the West Coast for many years and each year there are new artists eagerly lining up to show their creations.

I used to feel that because I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable in the art world, not having been to any famous galleries that I would not enjoy going to an art show, that I would feel out of place.

Having coordinated Artsplash for four years now, I was so wrong and would like everyone from all walks of life to be excited to come and take some

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time to stroll amidst the wonders that locals have put their heart and soul into.

The setting within the lobby of Black Rock Resort is by itself spectacular and provides a perfectly peaceful atmosphere to meander through the displays; allowing you to take in the beauty of each piece and consider how much time and effort has gone into them.

Some of you might make an unplanned purchase as you cannot bare to leave without one piece of art that caught your eye.

Some of you might be inspired and come to the conclusion that maybe you could be an artist, maybe not having known all the different mediums of art there are.

There will be artists in action sharing their skills with you and you might leave feeling that maybe it is not so hard, that you could do that.

The Pacific Rim Arts Society would feel a sense of accomplishment if this was the case, as the show is not just for the artists who have taken that step to show their work but to encourage some of you to be inspired, believe and most of all to enjoy the show.

Suzanne Ryles is the ArtSplash! Coordinator.

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The Westerly News | Page 3

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Feb. 24 Ucluelet Recycles Remember –

RedUce , ReUse , Recycle !

SonBird

Refuse & Recycling

250-726-4406

Tides & WeaTher ThuRsday 25 TIde

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FRIday 26 TIde NORA O’MALLEY PhOtO

Shannon Szymczakowski, right, from the Alberni Valley Employment Centre’s Ucluelet Branch helps a local job seeker revamp her resume. AV Employment Centres have fully equipped computer stations and offer free printing, photocopying and fax services.

Job expo comes to the coast

Over 20 local employers expected to be on hand and looking to hire Nora o’malley

nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca

Spring is in the air and summer is just around the corner, which means a massive swell of summer job postings is headed for the West Coast pronto.

To ensure dibs on those summer jobs are awarded to local candidates, the Alberni Valley Employment Centre in partnership with the Nuu-chah-nulth Employment & Training Program (NETP) are hosting a job fair at the Best Western Tin Wis Conference Centre in Tofino on Wednesday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Our goal and objective here is to connect people with jobs and to build capacity for local employment. That is the goal, to strengthen the workforce locally,” said Alberni Valley Employment Centre community liaison Ursula Banke.

“If you’re looking for a job, this is the place for you to come.

Dress for success and bring lots of resumes.”

Banke encourages job seekers to visit one of the Alberni Valley Employment Centres in Tofino (open Mon/Wed/Fri located across from The Shore) or Ucluelet (open Tues/Thu located on Bay St) for free photocopying services and professional help with constructing your resume.

“We are happy to help anyone that needs preparation,” she said.

In addition to providing a free buffet lunch and door prizes, the March 2 event is offering free shuttle service from several West Coast communities including: Tofino, Ucluelet, Hitacu, Esowista, and Ty-Histanis.

“NETP understands that one of the biggest barriers to employment is transportation. So in order for people to get to the job fair we are happily supporting rides through Tofino Bus to the

job fair there and back,” said NETP case worker Evans Hauser.

Hauser views the job fair as an informal way to get to know employers on the West Coast and he encourages young job seekers to show up ready to talk to employers and dress as if they were going to have an interview that day.

Even if you might not feel qualified for a certain position on the day of the event, Hauser said NETP can help get you the training you need.

“If you’re a young First Nation, Métis or Inuit person living in Nuu-chah-nulth territory, NETP is here to support you in finding employment or building your skills,” he said. “We can help you get your drivers licence for free too.”

Several high profile West Coast players like Jamie’s Whaling Station, Creative Salmon, and Black Rock Oceanfront Resort plan to attend the job fair with the hopes of netting suitable employees for their 2016 summer roster.

For those wanting to link into a trade or continue a stream of education, STEP BC (BC Construction Association) will have a booth set-up, as will Vancouver Island University.

“The employers are going to be there because they’re hoping to get that fit,” said Banke. “One-on-one gets you quickly in the door. Bring your resume and have a one-on-one. If it’s not a good fit, fine. Move on to the next table.”

A free in-town shuttle will depart every 30 minutes from the Tofino Bus Terminal from 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Free out of town shuttles will depart from Ucluelet’s Bus Terminal at 10 a.m. returning at 4:15 p.m. An Hitacu Community Centre shuttle will depart at 10:15 a.m. and return at 3:45 p.m. Shuttles will depart from Esowista (B Court) and Ty-Histanis (M Boxes) at 10:45 a.m. with a 3:15 p.m. return time.

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Page 4 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Westerly Opinion

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Pump up the warning labels Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

When Toronto-based lawyer Rob Shirkey pitched his idea of putting climate change warnings on gas nozzles to Tofino’s council back in September he delivered the smoothest and most well put together presentation this current council had ever received.

His passion for the idea, or at least the passion he presented, mixed with his professional background synched into the perfect pitch.

Some undoubtedly entered that meeting thinking the nozzle idea would be a lark to be met with polite nodding followed by a pleasant, ‘You’ve certainly given us a lot to consider,’ but the smooth-talking Shirkey made mincemeat of that perception.

Was it the idea that struck a chord though, or had a bamboozling occurred?

Let’s be generous and use the word tepid to describe the reception Tofino councillor Greg Blanchette received in November when he put forward the motion to move ahead with Shirkey’s idea.

This would mean a bylaw amendment forcing local gas stations to put warning labels on their gas pumps.

Council approved but the public online chatter since has been more nay than yay.

Humans look inward before looking outward so when we hear of a shiny new bylaw we immediately put our own perspective on it. Those who would not be swayed to use less gas by any sort of label have naturally decided no one else would

either. Those who find the labels compelling fear tourists would naturally find them compelling as well and could be convinced to never drive their vehicles to Tofino, or any other place, again.

There are also those who deny climate change has anything to do with human activity and those who won’t be in favour of anything Tofino does that isn’t related to sewage treatment but climate change is caused by us and a sewage treatment plant won’t be arriving tomorrow so we’ll focus on whether these labels will have an impact and what that impact might be.

There is a precedent to mine for clues as cigarettes have been here before but tobacco use carries very personal and immediate risks to individuals whereas it’s a hard sell to convince adult drivers to consider the consequences of their gas usage a this-lifetime concern.

There is a stark difference in appealing to one’s love of themselves and appealing to one’s love of future generations.

It is very likely that gas will continue to be pumped into cars so that easily walkable distances can be driven regardless of any warning labels but maybe this bylaw isn’t specifically designed to stop that from happening. Maybe simple conversation is the real prize to be won. Commuting is necessary and not all commutes can be walked but burning fossil fuels to drive five minutes down the road is an extremely selfish and outlandish thing to do. Maybe if we started saying that or hearing that more we’d realize that it’s true.

Our dependence on fossil fuels is catastrophic, not potentially but factually. every time you turn your ignition you release carbon dioxide into the air, which joins the carbon dioxide the rest of us have selfishly spawned and the result is heat becomes trapped in our atmosphere. Maybe the fact that we’re warming the planet towards a level our neighbour’s grandkids won’t be able to survive in is something we should be talking about.

Or maybe not. Maybe we’ll just ignore the labels and maybe we’ll even vandalize the pumps we see sporting them but tourists are absolutely going to love them.

They won’t see these labels and decide to never travel again; they will see them as fitting right in line with the community they traveled to. They might even have some fun with it and leave their cars at their resorts and choose to rent bikes or take Tofino’s summer shuttle service and that means more parking for us.

They could end up telling their hometowns’ councils about the labels and at the very least that will help spread the word that Tofino is a fun place to visit.

There’s big business in small town charm and if these labels help buoy the perception of Tofino as a forward thinking community then the very small investment made to purchase them will be returned ten-fold.

It’s a no-risk initiative with possible high and diverse rewards. Why isn’t Ucluelet talking about it?

Question of the week Vote at: www.westerlynews.ca before MONDAYS at noon

Do you support warning labels on gas nozzles?

Last week’s Question

Do you agree with Ucluelet’s new smoking bylaw?

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The Westerly News | Page 5

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

LOCAL VOICE:

CLAYOQUOT ACTION PhOTO

From left, Dan Lewis, Qwyatseek and John Rampanen, Tore Bongo, Beaska Niilas and Kurt Oddekalv arrive to deliver their salmon farm petition to the King of Norway.

Tide change in Norway DAN LEWIS

Local Voice

The Wild Salmon Delegation returned to Canada with a much better sense of the state of salmon aquaculture in Norway, the homeland of over 90% of the BC industry. While overseas, we learned about the similarities and differences between British Columbia and Norway, and the emerging Norwegian consensus that open-net pen salmon farming is a dinosaur technology; and witnessed the tide change unfolding daily in major Norwegian media.

Norwegians were surprised to learn about the nitrogen pump in BC—wild salmon transport ocean-based nitrogen up rivers and fertilize the growth of ancient temperate rain forests. This connection between wild salmon, monumental cedars, and the bears, wolves, and eagles was novel over there. They also wanted to learn about the importance of cedar and salmon to indigenous cultures throughout BC. The Sami indigenous people of northern Norway have depended on reindeer and wild salmon for millenia, and are disturbed by the negative impacts of industries like salmon farming and mining.

Some things are different in Norway, where for example the biomass of farmed salmon is one thousand times bigger than the biomass of wild salmon, and the wild salmon economy is a thing of the past. In British Columbia, the wild salmon economy is eight times bigger than salmon farming—supporting indigenous, commercial, and sports fisheries, as well as a $1.4B ecotourism industry. Salmon farming puts this pre-existing economy at risk.

A clear consensus emerged over the two weeks, through meetings with wild salmon advocates, academics, and an investigative journalist. The salmon farming industry in Norway is in a state of crisis due to sea lice, disease outbreaks, and genetic pollution of wild stocks. When asked the question, “how can Canada avoid the problems Norway is experiencing with open-net pen salmon farming?”, without hesitation every single person replied: “Shifting to closed containment production is the only way forward”.

Signs of a tide change beginning to sweep the industry were breaking daily in major Norwegian media. Dagbladet, the country’s second biggest paper, ran a story pointing out that catches are plummeting in the Alta, “the world’s best salmon

river” as the amount of farmed salmon in the nearby Altafjord increases. The production manager of Grieg Seafood’s operations in Alta was quoted saying: “The only solution is to get the fish into closed containment”.

The following day the front page of the Bergen paper read: “CEO of Marine Harvest prepared to invest US $100M: if everything works as planned, closed containment systems will replace open-net pen salmon farms”.

While at the Wild Salmon in the North conference in Alta, we delivered a change.org petition to the King of Norway. The petition, started by biologist Alexandra Morton, asked Norwegians to divest from Canada’s dirty salmon farming industry the same way they divested from Canada’s tar sands last year. As King Harald was in attendance, Kurt Oddekalv—leader of Norway’s Green Warriors—was able to hand the petition to the King’s attendant as they arrived.

Out in the lobby during the first coffee break, a ten-metre long scroll with the ten thousand names on the petition was rolled out as Beaska Niilas, leader of the Sami indigenous political party and a member of the Sami Parliament sang a traditional song (a yoik—previously banned, like the potlatch).

Niilas stood in solidarity with John Rampanen and his son Qwyatseek, citizens of Ahousaht and Kelsemaht First Nations, to support indigenous voices calling for removal of open-net pen salmon farms from British Columbia’s waters.

On the final day in Oslo, the Wild Salmon Delegation met with Cermaq, the Norwegian company with 15 salmon farm sites in Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It was a perfect way to end our time in Oslo—because Cermaq’s offices are located at the mouth of the Akerselva River, where we’d recently seen a wild salmon spawner which had literally swum under the cobbles beneath our feet.

We return to Canada better informed about the state of crisis in which the Norwegian industry finds itself; connected to the wild salmon movement in Norway; and more convinced than ever that Clayoquot Sound’s pristine salmon rivers should not have open-net pen salmon farms choking the migration routes of wild salmon.

Dan Lewis is the Executive Director of Clayoquot Action.

Page 6 | The Westerly News

PHOTO FEATURE

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Warriors Wrestling USS PHOTOS

The USS Warrior wrestlers did the West Coast proud at the recent Vancouver Island Championships on Salt Spring Island. The female Warriors took the Island’s top honours and the boys team fought for a well earned third-place finish. The Warriors are headed to Abbotsford to compete at the Provincial Championships from Feb. 25-27.

Coach Mike Rhodes and his USS Girls’ team hoisted their well-earned championship trophy after a hard fought tournament.

Heather Morrison shines with her gold medal.

USS’ Everett Watson focuses on pinning his opponent.

USS Warrior Van Law, top, puts the squeeze on his opponent during the Vancouver Island tournament on Salt Spring.

USS’ Leigha Auld, top, turns her opponent.

Ottis Crabbe, top, gets a beat on his opponent.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Westerly Life

The Westerly News | Page 7

The West Coast’s News Source Nora O’Malley, Advertising Representative

250-726-7029

nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca

ANDREW BAILEY PHOTO

The Ucluelet Aquarium’s curator Laura Griffith-Cochrane and chief biologist Andrew McCurdy are excitedly preparing for the aquarium season’s upcoming kick off on March 12.

Ucluelet Aquarium stoked for new season Such wonderful things surround you.

The Ucluelet Aquarium will swing open its doors on March 12 and the West Coast is ready to pour in and ogle the unique catch-and-release facility’s fresh roster of oceanic critters.

The aquarium synchs its annual reopening with the Pacific Rim Whale Festival to get in on the excitement and help lure ocean lovers to the festivities, according to aquarium curator Laura Griffith-Cochrane.

“It’s a really important time for the community; a lot of people are coming out to the Coast and we love being part of community events,” she said.

While keeping mum on the specific exhibits being set up, Griffith-Cochrane said she’s excited every time the aquarium kicks off a new season and is particularly keen this year because of the significant renovations the facility underwent this winter.

“We saw an increase in the number of visitors last year so we’re trying to make every aspect of the aquarium a little bit more accessible,” she said.

“We’re creating more of a sitting and lounge area in the library so that more families can sit and read with their kids and hang out if they’d like to and we have some new things for people to see when they get here but I won’t spoil them, people can see when they arrive.”

She added the expanded library could help nurture curious young minds.

“There are a lot of great young families on the West Coast and a lot of those kids, because they live on the ocean, are really excited about the ocean so we’d like to be there for them and share our excitement and help them learn more about their own local ecosystem,” she said.

The aquarium began collecting this season’s slew of opening-day specimens last week and Griffith-Cochrane noted there is a formidable process to go through before any animal comes in.

“We can’t just run out and collect willy-nilly, we actually have to submit a species list and get permits,” she said adding the aquarium starts collecting every February and takes about a month to fill its early-season exhibits.

The catch-and-release model allows the aquarium to keep things fresh as new creatures are constantly arriving and providing accurate snapshots of seasonal sea-life.

“We like to be representative of not just what’s possible on the Coast, but what’s going on on the Coast,” Griffith-Cochrane said. “If we’re going out and collecting regularly then we’re showing what’s arriving at that time.”

She added the aquarium’s diverse specimens would otherwise be kept out of sight and, perhaps, out of mind.

“Because our water is so rich it’s not clear so it’s hard for people to see just how biodiverse this region is,” she said.

“If you were to go down to the Caribbean, you could sit on your yacht or your boat and look down and see 60-feet into the water and see all the corals and the fish. You can’t do that here but we have one of the most biodiverse regions in the world so it’s really important that people learn about how diverse and how special our ecosystem is so that they can protect it.”

She suggested the aquarium creates important connections and helps transform fans into stewards.

See OCEAN page 9

73019925

ANDREW BAILEY

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

Page 8 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

When tourists take on Ucluelet’s Wild Pacific Trail they don’t just take in breathtaking sights from its many viewpoints, but a uniquely local education as well.

andrew Bailey photo

Local leaders to market Coast as education destination continued from page 1

These communities struck a regional learning committee in 2014 and, armed with roughly $60,000—$29,950 from the Island Coastal Economic Trust, $24,950 from Pacific Salmon Treaty funds and $5,000 from the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust—kicked off the first phase of an educational tourism initiative.

This work included an inventory of regional assets and tools, a capacity building strategy and an education market research strategy report put together by Royal Road University.

Royal Roads presented the results of its research last March and the committee used this information to design their next step towards boosting the region’s educational tourism capacity.

The committee recently announced the launch of a second phase, which will include developing a website and reaching out to universities and other educational organizations to attract more programming to the region.

The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), which was a key player in phase one’s work, was pegged as the right resource to mine in the next stage and has signed on to fulfill a $70,000 contract for phase two.

The CBT’s executive director Rebecca Hurwitz told the Westerly she’s excited about the project and that it will help establish regional governance for the educational tourism initiative and create strong marketing and communication tools to support program delivery.

She added the new website would serve as a valuable online hub to help tourists hook up with the educational opportunities they’re looking for.

“We want folks to be coming here for educational tourism opportunities but, right now, when they Google that from outside the region they don’t land on a page that actually captures all of the opportunities that are available here,” she said.

“We want to showcase all of those on one website and link them to the organizations and the communities that are delivering them so that people can really see the full suite of opportunities that are here and then we can start to grow that more and more.”

Hurwitz said the West Coast boasts a strong roster of local organizations that provide solid educational offerings for vacationers and field trippers to feast on.

“It’s important for us to be working with the destination marketing organizations locally and with other folks who are doing marketing in our region so that we’re really tied in with who the visitors are and we’re able to appeal to those demographics,” she said.

She said the West Coast’s educational tourism pursuit would bring benefits to locals outside of economic success.

“One of the models that we are testing is how we can ensure that the new opportunities are benefitting locals,” she said. “If groups or universities are bringing field study programs out here, we’d love to see that locals are also participating in the education that’s being offered.”

She added the market for educational experiences is booming and fits perfectly with the West Coast’s strengths.

“It’s really leveraging what we’ve already got going on and it’s a great opportunity to build out those shoulder seasons as well, rather than trying to attract more visitors in the summertime I think there’s a lot of programs that would be

a good fit in the fall and winter,” she said.

“We have a diverse range of ecosystems and communities that people are hungry to learn about and that puts us at an advantage…It’s not just the ecosystems, it’s also our communities of people and the arts and culture that we have to offer.”

She expects phase two to be wrapped up within a year and said locals should be excited about what’s in store.

“They’re going to have new opportunities for their own education and also be meeting with new visitors who are bringing their skills and experience to our area,” she said.

Ucluelet First Nation director of operations Iris Frank said the CBT is the perfect group to take on the task.

“The CBT has a regional mandate,” she said. “It is natural to house this initiative with the CBT who will continue to collaborate with each community.”

Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne has been thrilled with the West Coast’s collaboration.

“Our communities worked jointly to understand the local education assets and needs, as well as educational tourism opportunities,” she said. “By working together, we have laid the foundation to diversify and build the region’s learning economy as well as provide new opportunities for local residents.”

Ucluelet Mayor Dianne St. Jacques agreed.

“We are excited to see the economic impacts of this project, as well as the other opportunities that are opened up as a result of these next steps,” she said.

The regional committee has invited the Ahousaht, Hesquiaht and Toquaht First Nations to participate in phase two, according to Hurwitz.

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The Westerly News | Page 9

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

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Andrew BAiley Photo

Sea star wasting syndrome is attacking local sea stars with gruesome results, as pictured above, and this epidemic is one of several oceanic changes that has local interest in marine life running high.

Ocean connection is key continued from PAge 7 “Creating connections for people is one of the best ways to protect something,” Griffith-Cochrane said.

“If you’ve never been out to the Coast before and you just see the ocean as a big, vast, powerful thing you might not know that it’s actually incredibly fragile and that there are all kinds of little ecosystems and networks.”

This knowledge, she said, is as valuable to locals as it is to tourists.

“We’re so intricately tied to the ocean. We’re a fishing community and a healthy ecosystem means healthy fish, means healthy business,” she said.

She suggested the aquarium’s hands-on marine life experiences provide longer lasting lessons than lectures or pamphlets.

“If you can touch it and have an experience with it and feel it, that’s way more meaningful to people,” she said.

Along with putting eye-popping critters in front of locals and tourists, the aquarium serves as a valuable educational resource and significant changes in the ocean have local interest swirling.

“We saw two strandings of vellella vellala within a year and that’s crazy. We saw all kinds of species last summer that I’ve never seen before…There has been a lot of new experiences on the Coast that people are pretty interested to learn more about, ” Griffith-Cochrane said.

“There’s a lot that we are learning right now and it’s an exciting and important time to be diving in

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and looking at things.”

She added the Coast’s current bout of sea star wasting syndrome has piqued a lot of interest and noted sea stars aren’t just a keystone species, but the reason for the term.

“The term keystone species was coined after observing the behaviours of sea stars in Washington,” she said. “Sea stars are very, very, important…they have a huge impact on the Coast.”

She said the North Pacific Coast has the highest biodiversity of sea stars in the world and these species are key players in the West Coast’s waters.

“Sunflower stars are a big predator on urchins, urchins eat kelp forests, kelp forests are where a lot of rockfish and a lot of other fish species grow strong,” she said.

“Ochre stars create little patches where they eat all of the mussels and barnacles and then other things can move in and lay their eggs and other things come in and eat those eggs.”

She suggested the Coast’s current wasting disease epidemic isn’t the only threat to sea stars.

“One of the big damages to their population is currently the trade in them,” she said.

“A lot of people collect them, dry them out and use them in arts and crafts but because our ecosystems are currently affected with sea star wasting syndrome and because of this trade, most of which is illegal, sea star populations are collapsing and they’re looking at possibly listing some of our species as endangered.”

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Page 10 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

LEAH AUSTIN PHoTo

Adorable Gemma mindfully waters the herbs in her mother’s garden. Children will have access to a seed planting table at the Farm and Garden show this weekend at the Tofino Botanical Gardens.

Farm and Garden Show Weekend event will include workshops and pony rides Nora o’malley

nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca

Garden enthusiasts, and families looking for an inexpensive way to entertain the kids, will be happy to hear the first-ever West Coast Farm & Garden Show is taking place on Feb. 27 and 28 at the Tofino Botanical Gardens.

Pioneered by Cindy Hutchison and Leah Austin from the Tofino Community Food Initiative (TCFI), the weekend event is jammed pack with fun activities for the whole family, plus free childminding with Tofino Nature Kids for parents who want to attend a workshop or graze the co-operative market unbridled.

“People are hungry for this. They want to know about local food, they want to know about gardening. It’s so big right now,” said Austin.

“Gardening has become kind of a trend,” said Hutchison. “It’s become the flannel of the world.”

Kicking off the weekend on Friday evening at Darwin’s Cafe is the book launch of Cedar, Salmon and Weed written by Louis Druehl from Canadian Kelp Resources.

Druehl also headlines the weekend’s educational lineup with a Saturday workshop focusing on the uses and potential of kelp. Other draws include long-term planning in the garden, beekeeping with local beekeepers and composting with Louise Rodgers from Tofino Urban Farms.

“You can purchase a weekend workshop package for $20 and that basically gives you access to everything. Or we’re doing a suggested donation of $5 for workshops,” Hutchison said adding that anyone interested can buy advanced workshop tickets at picatic.com or simply show up on the day of the event.

Saturday night will be the Meet Your Maker Grazing Fundraiser for the TCFI, which involves bringing together local producers from the Alberni Valley with Tofino’s culinary talent.

“To start the evening off we’re going to do a wine and beer tasting from 6:30 to 7 p.m. with Tofino Brew Co. and Millstone winery out in Nanaimo.

Then it’s just going to be kind of a grazing, canapé not really sit down thing. We want people to mingle with the producers that are there,” Hutchison said.

“We’re hoping to really let people have a conversation and maybe spark some networking opportunities to bring food from the ACRD region and Vancouver Island to here.”

For the kids, the big excitement of the weekend will be interacting with the barnyard animals, and that includes pony rides from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re also going to have planting tables set-up so kids can come and plant a pea seed and take it home,” Austin said.

“Because there are so many challenges with farming, the more that we can get the kids interested when they are younger, the better chance of them perhaps pursuing farming in the future. But if they’ve never seen a cow, a horse, a chicken or understand where their food comes from they may never even think that that’s an option for them. It’s a way to introduce children to farming.”

All the money raised throughout the event will go towards helping the TCFI carry on with organizing garden workshops, local food swaps, and edible garden tours.

With the amount of vendors, farmers, and producers arriving from the Alberni-Valley region, Hutchison and Austin are confident the inaugural Farm and Garden show will be a growing success.

“With the amount of people coming, it should be a full house,” Hutchison said.

“I know that the farmers in Port Alberni are super supportive and really glad that we are doing this.,” Austin added.

“It’s really never been done. There’s never been something like this before.”

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Oliwa says Civics needed Councillor suggests course important for local youth Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

A Ucluelet councillor wants Civic Studies to be taught in local classrooms.

Civics teaches students about responsible citizenship, democratic duties and the political process, which are things Coun. Randy Oliwa believes the next generation should know about.

“We should actually be teaching this in school,” Oliwa said during a recent council meeting. “It’s community engagement, it’s volunteering, it’s all the stuff we talk about but somehow it’s out of our curriculum.”

He said the idea came to him during a Local Government Leadership Academy (LGLA) forum last month.

“It was really a successful week,” he said of the forum, which was held in Vancouver.

“I feel invigorated and reenergized and more focused because of it so thanks to the community for believing in us and sending us to this great educational opportunity.”

He said local students should learn about how democratic engagement works and that it would be “amazing” if the district could work with local partners to put Civic Studies onto the local curriculum “It teaches so much. It’s integrity, it’s local politics…it’s community minded, it’s volunteerism, it’s everything,” he said. “It’s the whole gamut.”

Oliwa told the Westerly News after the meeting that civics could be brought to Ucluelet Secondary School’s desks and noted the school’s Parent Advisory Council has successfully lobbied for curriculum adds before.

“I understand with budget cuts and stuff like that how it’s not there anymore but, do we have the opportunity? Absolutely,” he said. “Programs absolutely can be developed, we’ve had a number of successes there.”

He said the high youth turnout in Canada’s 2015 federal election should be fostered into a long-term trend.

“There is a trend right now where youth are getting involved in politics,” he said. “How do we keep that momentum up? How do we build on that energy that was there?”

He said Civic Studies would help West Coast graduates enter adulthood with the necessary tools to engage.

“They would have a really clear understanding of the political process and volunteerism, engagement, how boards of directors work; the spinoff would be huge,” he said.

“You’d have those graduating kids with that knowledge and then, if they moved on to running for OFF municipal or provincial politics, they would at least PASSENGERS have a clearer understanding of what the commitSElEct SAiliNGS SAiliNGS. All ROutES ROutES. ment is when you put your name in.”

He added this could also rejuvenate local boards and committees.

“If you had this new energized group of youth coming out of a graduating class that were very familiar with the process, it would just be a natural fit to join a board,” he said.

USS principal Carol Sedgwick told the Westerly sail together, save together. that Civic Studies 11 is one of three options for BC Spring is the perfect time for a family getaway, with 30% off high school students to fulfill their Social Studies regular passenger fares. Choose from over 1,500 sailings. Restrictions apply. graduation requirement but USS focuses on the other two. south coast routes north coast routes “In order to graduate in BC students need to take March 10 – 29, select sailings* March 10 – 29, all sailings** at least one of the following: Social Studies 11 (SS Mon – thurs and saturdays 11), BC First Nations Studies 12 (BCFNS 12), or Civic Studies 11,” she said.

For full details: She said SS 11 is the most common so is ofVisit bcferries.com or call 1-888-BC FeRRy fered every year as well as BCFNS 12.

30% Off Regular Passenger Fares promotion is applicable on adult, child, BC Senior, student and persons with disabilities regular passenger fares.

Coast Routes: Offer is valid on select sailings from March 10 to March 29, 2016, Monday to Thursday and Saturdays on the following routes: “Due to a variety of reasons including the num- *South Metro Vancouver; Vancouver Island; Sunshine Coast; Southern Gulf Islands; Northern Gulf Islands, in either direction. Not valid on March 24 or March 28, 2016. **North Coast Routes: Offer is valid on all sailings March 10 to March 29, 2016, on the following routes: Inside Passage; Haida Discovery Coast Connector; Skidegate – Alliford Bay, in either direction. Not valid on March 24 or March 28, 2016. Experience™ Card users ber of students registered in Grade 11 in any given Gwaii; who receive a discount rate that is less than 30% will be increased to match the promotional discount on promotional sailings. Experience™ Card who receive a discount that is in excess of 30% off the regular passenger fare will not receive an additional discount, however will continue year, admission requirements for post-secondary users to receive the Experience™ Card discount rate on all sailings. Resident and Group discounts will be increased to match the promotional discount on promotional sailings. Offer is not applicable on BC Ferries Vacations pre-bundled packages. Limited time offer. Other conditions may apply. schools, and the fact that more than half of our stu- Please visit bcferries.com for full details on applicable sailings. BC Reg. 48839. dents are Aboriginal we are able to offer two of Client: the BC Ferries Insertion Date: Feb 24, Mar 9 three possibilities and choose to offer SS 11 and File Name: 21012285_P_30Off_4.3125x5_TW Material Due: Feb 18, Mar 3 BCFNS 12,” she said.

Actual Size: 4.3125" W x 5"H Publication: The Westerly 4C Contact: “I would expect that some schools as smallColours: as Date: February 17, 2016 3:21 PM Operator: MFinn ours only offer one of the three options and schools as large as ADSS [Alberni District Secondary School] PrinTer nAme: The WesTerly only offer two of the three options as well.”

All Insertion Dates: Feb 24, Mar 9 Main Version She noted Civic Studies is available to local stuAd#: BCF_285_P_TW dents through distance learning.

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Foundation helps hospital thrive continued from page 1 McGinnis said the event was a tremendous success, in part, because of the restaurant’s social ambience.

“It’s mostly a means to relax and socialize,” she said. “I think that’s why it was so successful last year, people were able to socialize and they really enjoyed it.”

Tickets to the event are available and anyone wanting to attend can contact McGinnis at 250725-3310.

She hopes locals answer the call to support the foundation’s vital work.

“It’s your hospital and we want the best for everybody in our communities and this helps us help the hospital and its doctors and nurses to provide the best care for the people in our communities,” she said.

She added the foundation has a small roster of dedicated volunteers who devote their time to ensure locals and visitors have access to the best care possible.

“We really do work hard for our little hospital here and we appreciate any help that we can get from the general public,” she said.

“We are an isolated community, so if you don’t support the hospital here and you’re in need of

The Westerly News | Page 11

some of this special equipment that we’re trying to provide the hospital with…you’re going to have to go to Port Alberni, which is a ways away and it could affect somebody’s outcome.”

She added it is important for the hospital to have the “latest and greatest” equipment not just to be able to serve their patients effectively but also to retain high-level doctors and nurses.

She was thrilled to see Shelter step up so strongly in support and hopes other businesses recognize the value of the foundation’s work towards strengthening the West Coast’s reputation as a family vacation destination.

“It benefits local businesses to have a good hospital with good staff in our community,” she said.

“It benefits them because a lot of the activities that go on in this area are tourist related so by having nothing but the best care we can ensure visitors to our community get nothing but the best of care when they come.”

In the past eight years the foundation has raised over $350,000 for its local hospital and these funds have spawned an impressive list of new life-saving equipment including a $63,000 portable ultrasound machine, a $47,000 Arjo tub, a $38,000 fetal heart monitor and a $30,000 portable ventilator.

Page 12 | The Westerly News

GAMES & PUZZLES

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

NORA O’MALLEY PhOtO

MONDAY NIGht KICKS: Holly McPhail laces up for indoor soccer at USS on Monday night. Anyone can play, just show up with appropriate footwear and a $2 drop-in fee. The balls come out at around 7 p.m.

TheUcluelet Westerly News News | PageA13 13 Wed, Feb 24, 2016 Western

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

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Page 14 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Community support needed outside class Completion rates have capped five years of steady improvement JOHN MCKINLEY

john.mckinley@blackpress.ca

A rich smell of cedar seeps through the expansive foyer of Ladysmith Secondary School.

Rough-hewn planks bound to posts form walls and floor as a traditional Coast Salish house begins to take shape around students as they pore through textbooks and chat about teenage interests.

The house will be home to a two-year education project centred around a master carver.

John Marston will be adzing out a welcoming figure as the student body’s daily stream ebbs and flows around him, and he shares his wisdom with those who wish to learn.

Ultimately, the carved figure will become a token of the hospitality being offered to those who walk in the school’s front door. But the project itself — called Nutsumaat Syaays, or Working Together as One — is something more.

It is a manifestation of a welcoming process occurring behind the scenes that is quietly powering one of Vancouver Island’s most significant education stories.

In a trend being repeated in many school districts across the Island, First Nations students are graduating in numbers unheard of a generation ago.

Those close to the situation credit the steady progress to a concentrated effort to create a sense of connection and belonging that may have been lacking in the past.

“It brings our culture into our school,” Ladysmith student Brittany Elliott said.

“Our” is the possessive pronoun of choice for Elliott and her classmates Kyle Joe and Sha-lena Horne when talking to Black Press about LSS. Members of the Cowichan and Stz’uminas First Nations, each student is actively involved in the school — be it in an academic, sports, or leadership role.

They talk quietly but with obvious affection about the classes and activities they enjoy, the teachers they like, the hum of the school’s social life and their plans after high school.

Each is also on track to graduate this spring.

According to a report commissioned for the Assembly of First Nations chiefs, Canadian indigenous students were graduating high school at a rate of about 36 per cent just seven years ago — exactly half the overall national

Instead of avoiding school, Horne and Elliott have embraced it. Each is planning to pursue a teaching degree after graduation.

Joe’s immediate priority may be different — he wants to pursue an opportunity playing rugby — but his attitude about education can be boiled down to pure pragmatism.

“School is a very important thing because you can’t get good jobs without going,” he said.

Beaton supports the work being done by local schools, but says there is another element that has to part of the solution: community support outside the classroom.

He said with only 20 per cent of a child’s time spent in the classroom, it is essential that we address what is going on in the other 80 per cent of their lives. Poverty, lack of skills training, food insecurity — getting your homework done JOHN MCKINLEY PHOTO can become secondary when your Ladysmith Secondary School Grade 12 students Sha-Lena Horne, Kyle Joe and Brittany Elliott inspect a mas- family is struggling to keep a roof sive burl that is part of the carving project underway in the school’s foyer. Each student is poised to graduate over its head and food on the table. this spring, and is an example of a positive trend for aboriginal learners across Vancouver Island.

He also stressed that education graduation rate.

“A focus is collective responsi- across the country, while Elliott is not just a K-12 endeavour and In December of 2015, the pro- bility,” she said. “Students receive was interested in taking in how work has to be done at the previncial government announced extra support and it is everyone in non-aboriginal classmates were school level. Free daycare with exposed to aboriginal thinking and skilled early childhood educators B.C. aboriginal completion rates the system supporting.” would help tremendously. had capped five years of steady Part of that is adding visible experiences.

On a more general level, Beaton One can’t discount the signifiimprovement with a record high of First Nations components to every63 per cent. day school routines that confirm cance of that change. Tenning, for supports a continued emphasis on The Port Alberni, Comox Val- the culture’s strong presence in example, had no knowledge of res- creating a two-way street of comley, Qualicum and Sooke school the greater community. This in- idential schools until she became munity connection. He said there districts all matched or exceeded cludes initiatives like verbally rec- an adult, despite the fact her moth- is little need for new standalone structures for Indigenous people. the provincial rate last year. Nanai- ognizing traditional territories at er attended one.

Instead, the mission is to make “I think back to when I was in mo, Campbell River and Victoria public meetings, using films, books missed the cut, dropping to 58, 51 and essays created by aboriginal high school and it had such a small indigenous culture an everyday and 60 per cent respectively, but thinkers and artists as resource presence,” she said. “With this aspect of the community, while at that was after each posted rates material, and an elder-in-resi- generation of learners it’s becom- the same time making everyday of 64 per cent in 2014. However, dence style program being pilot- ing common knowledge.” Discus- aspects of the community part of with the overall B.C. completion ed at Nanaimo District Secondary sions about the residential school indigenous culture.

He said it can be as simple as rate hovering at 86 per cent, there School. But it goes beyond the system may be helping today’s is still work to be done to close the exterior trappings and into what students engage, but the system’s taking aboriginal kids using the gap. is actually being discussed in legacy played a significant role in Boys and Girls Club to a downtown Chris Beaton is the executive the classroom. The local Hul’qu- the education — or lack thereof yoga class so it feels like a natural option as they get older. director of the Nanaimo Aboriginal mi’num dialect being taught as a — of their parents.

“I don’t need to build a new Beaton said poor experiences in Centre, an independent First Na- credit language course is a good the residential system embedded childcare program or a yoga stutions service and advocacy group. example. distrust for public education in a dio,” he said.Tenning said we are “Our vision is to support the The conversation is generation of First Nations people, seeing progress in that area with vision of 100 per cent graduabeginning and we can’t which manifested itself in the way an increased aboriginal presence tion,” he said. “You’re right that stop it. some encouraged their children. on school clubs, teams and othit’s trending in the right direction, Beyond that, the fractured families er initiatives. “I think that it’s just but there is still a long way to go. I - Chris Beaton the system created also took a toll. happening naturally. Those extrawould challenge you to find anyone “There’s no handbook on par- curriculars are signs that they are who is happy with the pace.”

Just as significant are the seri- enting. You learn from your role connecting more to school,” she Beaton said schools are succeeding when they create an en- ous talks taking place in class on models,” he said. “My mom’s role said. Being able to interact with vironment that makes aboriginal the subject of colonialism and its model was not my grandmother, it teachers and other professionals effect on the indigenous popula- was staff at a residential school.” who are aboriginal matters, as learners feel at home.

Tenning agreed the residential does seeing aboriginals in posi“I’m seeing an indigenization of tion. Tenning said great effort has tions of influence, like Nanaimo’s the curriculum,” he said. “We’re not been made to inject First Nations school legacy is an issue.

“That is definitely a challenge new city manager. According to pulling four kids out of the class- issues and culture into the curricufor a lot of families, rebuilding that Beaton, every success story can room and building dreamcatchers. lum as living, breathing things.

“Before when we were studying trust,” she said. “We are inviting feed another.

The curriculum is embedded into “Every indigenous person who First Nations people it was like we them into the schools, finding the whole student body.”

Front-and-centre in the cam- were studying people out of a mu- ways to include families. There is breaks that glass ceiling becomes so much of a difference that can a role model,” he said.Still, change paign are educators like Nanai- seum,” she said.

The students back that up, say- make, not just to aboriginal stu- is slow, and if the goal is to reach mo-Ladysmith district vice-princigraduation parity, Is it going to take pal of aboriginal education Anne ing their First Peoples English and dents, but to all students.”

B.C. First Nations Studies classes Joe said his dad has talked to another generation to get there?

Tenning.

“I hope not,” Beaton said. “The According to Tenning, her dis- engaged them in a way previous him about the racism he experitrict has adopted the holistic ap- English and Social Studies classes enced in school, and his class- conversation is beginning and we mates agree that the environment can’t stop it. I’m confident for the proach of making sure a First Na- had not.

Joe appreciated the perspec- today is much better for them than first time in my life that it will haptions perspective is addressed in pen.” tive offered on other First Nations it was for their parents. every aspect of school life.

The Westerly News | Page 15

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

community calendar

To submit your activities; e-mail: office@westerlynews.ca, fax:250-726-4248 or drop by: #102-1801 Bay St, Ucluelet

WED. fEb 24

featured Event for the Week

TUFF CITY IDOL

feb. 27 - 28 fARM AND GARDeN SHOW

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The West Coast Farm & Garden Show will connect local producers and backyard enthusiasts with the tools and knowledge they require to grow and farm here on the West Coast. There is something for the whole family at this full weekend event from the young to the young at heart. Tofino Nature Kids is offering free childminding and there will be pony rides. Show being held at the Tofino Botanical Gardens.

Visit www.tofinocommunityfoodinitiative.com for more info.

Jack’s Pub, 9:30 p.m.

5-7 pm, WCS, all ages welcome.

POOL NIGHT 7-11 p.m. Tofino Legion

DROP-IN BASKETBALL 7- 9 p.m. WCS gym

SENIORS SOCIAL AFTERNOONS

1:30-4 p.m., Tofino Legion.

ST. COLUmBA CHURCH 7 p.m. 110 2nd St.

ARTS GROUP

7-10 p.m. Tofino Legion.

DROP-IN VOLLEYBALL 7-9 p.m. USS. $2.

thu. fEb 25 BINGO 7-10 p.m. Tofino Legion.

HEALTHY BABIES PROGRAm/ FAmILY TIES

thu. fEb. 25

Sun. fEb 28

MOn. fEb 29

YOUTH BASKETBALL

DROP-IN BADmINTON

UCLUELET AA

7-9 p.m. USS gym. $2.

8pm. Holy Family.

CHRIST COmmUNITY CHURCH

TOFINO ExPRESSIVE WRITING WORKSHOP FOR WOmEN

5-7 pm, WCS.

CWFS SPEAKER SERIES 7-9 p.m., UCC.

fRI. fEb 26 DROP-IN BADmINTON 7-9 p.m. USS gym. $2.

YOUTH GAmES NIGHT 7-9 pm. Ages 10+, WCS.

10:30am, 1419 Peninsula Rd.

GRACE BIBLE CHURCH 10:30 am, UCC.

ST. COLUmBA CHURCH 10:30 a.m. 110 2nd St.

UNITED/ANGLICAN SERVICE 4 p.m. UCC.

KARAOKE 10 p.m., Officials Sports Lounge

ST. LAWRENCE CHURCH

BOOK LAUNCH

11:00 a.m. Ahousaht.

7:30 p.m. Darwin’s Cafe. Cedar, Salmon and Weed by Louis Druehl

TOFINO BIBLE FELLOWSHIP

AA mEETING 7:30pm, St. Francis.

10:30 a.m. Tofino Legion.

HOLY FAmILY CHURCH

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

DROP-IN SOCCER

7-9 p.m. WCS gym. $3.

5:30 p.m.

8 p.m. Clayoquot Theatre

Distribution day, 1-3 p.m.

YOUTH BADmINTON 6-7 P.m. WCS.

UCLUELET ExPRESSIVE WRITING WORKSHOP FOR WOmEN

6:30-8:30 p.m. 250-726-2343

6-8p.m., ANAF Ucluelet

7-9 p.m. USS. $2.

Booze thief urged to come clean Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

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7-9 p.m., Tofino Legion.

Children’s production of Aladdin, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. WCS.

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8-10 p.m. Tofino Legion.

MOn. fEb 29

DROP-IN SOCCER

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10 a.m. , 1663 Peninsula Rd. Ucluelet

SAt. fEb 27

Need a new ride?

Ucluelet police hope a man who broke into the Blue Room restaurant and stole only alcohol comes clean before they have to arrest him.

Detachment commander Sgt. George Jenkins told the Westerly News there is surveillance video of the man smashing into the restaurant on Feb. 11.

“A culprit that we have on video broke the side window with a rock, entered through the window, went straight for the cooler and stole a number of liquor containers,” Jenkins said.

The thief loaded several Lucky Lagers and some ciders into a small backpack before exiting out a side door, according to Jenkins.

“We have an idea who did it and hopefully they come forward before we actually go to speak with them,” he said.

Jenkins is urging the thief to own up to the crime.

“It’s the right thing to do for one thing,” he said.

“It’s a crappy thing to break into somebody’s house or business but it mitigates things somewhat if you come forward and,

as I like to say, ‘fall on your sword;’ admit to what you’ve done and give some kind of remorse.”

He said such an act could be more meaningful to the thief’s victims than a court proceeding.

“Quite often, victims of crime are much more moved by that than they would be with that person getting a sentence in court, whether it be a fine or jail or probation,” Jenkins said. “most people would like some kind of reconciliation with an offender that’s done them wrong.”

He added this approach is not appropriate for all crimes; violent crimes for example he said belong in the hands of the court, but for property offences like this one it’s best to just own up to it.

He suggested the restaurant’s owner wants an apology above all else.

“He would like the person to come forward and makes amends and we can certainly work within that framework,” Jenkins said.

The crime cost the restaurant an estimated $2,000, factoring in the broken window and the restaurant’s forced closure the next day as police collected evidence.

Notice of Intention to Issue a Park Use Permit Per Section 20 of the Park Act, this advertisement serves as notice that the Ministry of Environment (BC Parks) intends to issue a park use permit(s) for the following purpose(s): Name of Park

Activity

Vargas Island Park

Commercial Recreation-Multi Year: Guided Kayaking

If you have any questions concerning this notification, please contact the Ministry of Environment Regional Office at (250) 954-4618.

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Page 16 | The Westerly News

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Quick report saved Comber the sea turtle Andrew bAiley

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca

Parks Canada is heralding the heroics of a local woman who played a key role in saving a sea turtle’s life.

Comber the Green sea turtle continues to recover at the Vancouver Aquarium after being found washed up and hypothermic on Wickaninnish Beach in January.

Ucluelet local Liisa Nielsen reported the turtle to Parks Canada staff immediately upon discovering him while walking her dog Pearl along the beach and the Pacific Rim National Park’s resource management officer Jennifer Yakismishyn told the Westerly News that Nielsen’s quick reporting was vital to the turtle’s survival.

“Because the turtle was reported so quickly to Parks Canada staff, we were able to get to the animal right away, assess the situation, and coordinate with our partners to get the animal the specialised care it needed,” Yakismishyn said. “We are thrilled that the turtle continues to recover, and pleased to be part of that success.”

Yakismishyn hopes Comber’s experience serves as a valuable reminder to locals and visitors to always report their sightings within the Park to 250-726-3604.

“Immediate action can sometimes make a big difference in the survival of injured wildlife, and particularly rare species,” she said. “We would also like to remind people that it’s important not to touch the animal and give it some space as human contact can add to the animal’s stress and have a negative impact on the aniVANCOUVER AQUARIUM PhOtO Comber the Green sea turtle is alive and recovering thanks to the local who reported his arrival on Wickaninnish Beach quickly. mal’s health.”

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