midweek edition WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010
Vol. 101 No. 34 • Established 1908 • East
25
K&K Canucks haiku A bridge too far
12
Urban farmers stake claim on parkade rooftop Farm will produce fruit, vegetables Sandra Thomas Staff writer
Organizers Seann Dory (left) and Bryce Gauthier will help plant seeds at 211 East Georgia St.
photo Dan Toulgoet
The city’s first rooftop urban farm atop a parkade on East Georgia Street could become a model for similar projects across Vancouver, says Seann Dory, manager of sustainability for United We Can. “This will be a fully functioning farm that will create and support a social enterprise and increase job creation,” Dory said. The farm, slated to start May 8 when volunteers will gather on the roof at 211 East Georgia St. for a “farm raising,” is the second phase of a project called SOLEfood, which began last year with a farm garden on an empty parking lot at the corner of Hawks Avenue and East Hasting Street next to the As-
toria Hotel. With their rooftop location, the organizers behind SOLEfood II hope literally to take the urban farm concept to a new level. The original SOLEfood project grows enough food to supply produce to Downtown Eastside residents and inner city agencies like the Potluck Café and numerous community kitchens. Fresh fruits and vegetables grown through the rooftop farm will be sold to high-end restaurants in the neighbourhood and at farmers markets. The profits will pay the part-time wages of up to 25 urban farmers by the end of this year. Workers at SOLEfood are residents of the Downtown Eastside. Future employees at the rooftop farm will also come from the area. See ORGANIZER on page 4
School board votes to cut 10 days from school calendar Plan should save $1.2 million Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer
The Vancouver school district chopped 10 days off the next school year at a board meeting Monday night. The move will save $1.2 million, but trustees concede the decision wasn’t based on the interest of students.
It’s meant to help manage an overall $16.33 million budget shortfall, down from earlier estimates of $18.12 million. “I didn’t hear anyone saying, wow, this is a great thing to do. Nobody was enthusiastic,” board chair Patti Bacchus told the Courier Tuesday morning. “There was a lot of reluctance, but it was pretty
much a matter of context—we’re doing this in the context of other pretty devastating potential cuts as well and maybe this is less harmful than, say, taking away more psychologists or inner city support.” But Bacchus noted a lack of conclusive research indicating whether cutting the school year by 10 days will be good or bad.
“Mexico has one of the longest school years, but has some of the lowest outcomes. Finland has probably the fewest days in the school year, but the highest outcomes,” she said. “There are obviously so many other variables you can’t really attribute to the length of the year.” The board’s decision means
a week will be added to spring break and more long weekends added to the year to make up the 10-day reduction. Early dismissal days will be cancelled, 16 minutes will be added to elementary instruction time, and 18 extra minutes to high school instruction time. See ONE on page 4
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.VANCOURIER.COM