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Mayor disputes driving ticket Derek Corrigan chastises reporter and says “it’s pathetic” to connect his wife’s campaign against distracted driving to his ticket
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The Burnaby board of education has joined the chorus of voices calling on the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and B.C. Public School Employers’ Association to bring in a mediator to help end their labour dispute. In a letter to Education Minister Peter Fassbender Friday, the board said “decisive leadership” is needed because the ongoing dispute, which shut down schools nine days early this summer, is putting the very foundation of democracy at risk. “We, the board of eduRELATED STORY cation feel On the line: Betty that the curGriffin joins striking rent disrupteachers and recalls tion is putting what it was like to be a the reputateacher in the ’50s. tion of public See page 3 education in jeopardy,” reads the letter. “The loss of faith in and commitment to the public education system may cause irreparable harm to the foundation of our free democratic society.” The letter states morale among teachers and support staff is low, administrators are overworked, and student and parents are concerned about their educational future. Teachers started pushing for a mediator Thursday, calling on Premier Christy Clark to appoint veteran mediator Vince Ready. The province approved the choice, but on Sunday it was reported Ready was unavailable. Burnaby school board chair Baljinder Narang wants the two sides to keep looking. “There are lots of other good Teachers Page 5
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Jacob Zinn While Burnaby MLA Kathy Corrigan is condemning distracted driving in B.C., her husband, Mayor Derek Corrigan, is among the thousands of drivers who were ticketed in 2013 for not giving their undivided attention behind the wheel. In July of last year, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan received a ticket for using an electronic device while driving in Burnaby. The report from Court Services online doesn’t disclose what type of device it was, and Derek refused to tell the NOW the circumstances of the incident. “Are you the judge?” interjected Derek when asked why he thought the ticket was given to him. Derek noted that he is disputing the ticket, which has yet to go to a hearing. “I disagreed with it fundamentally, and I think the officer was wrong and so I disputed it immediately,” he said. “It’s a minor infraction, and it’s one that should be dealt with promptly,” he added, criticizing the provincial justice system. “I would’ve liked to have cleared it up a long time ago and then it wouldn’t give people like you what they believe to be a story.” ICBC acknowledges that distracted driving is a serious issue in the province, noting that it is the third leading cause of fatal car crashes in B.C., with an average of 91 deaths per year, according to the insurance corporation’s latest annual report. The news of the mayor’s ticket comes a week after his wife appeared on Global TV as the Opposition public safety critic, lobbying the provincial government to better stress the dangers of talking and texting while driving as the
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