midweek edition WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2010 Vol. 101 No. 44 • Established 1908 • East
33
Bad writing reborn Disputed housing strategy
7
Elementary teachers target bottled water in schools Union notes environmental impact of plastic Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer
VESTA vice president Glen Hansman wants students to drink tap water.
photo Dan Toulgoet
Vancouver elementary school teachers want bottled water banned from the school district and replaced with safely accessible tap water at all schools and district worksites. The Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association (VESTA) raised the question of bottled water during the last school year. On Monday night, it asked for a progress report at the district’s management coordinating committee meeting. Glen Hansman, VESTA’s third vice president, said the availability of bottled water sends students the message that it’s the “good” water. “Vancouver has awesome water, so there’s no reason
why school communities shouldn’t be able to access that at school,” he said. He added the environmental impact of plastic containers and transportation costs associated with bottled water conflict with what he said was a belief among Canadians “that everyone should have access to clean water in their communities.” Kevin Millsip, the district’s sustainability coordinator, is preparing an overall sustainability strategy for the board, which will address concerns about bottled water among other environmental questions, according to committee chair and Vision Vancouver school trustee Mike Lombardi. It will be ready later this month or by September. See BOTTLED on page 4
Sports equipment importer touts ‘fair trade’ soccer balls International sources say almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan Megan Stewart Staff writer
As spectators pull out country flags and perfect their nation’s chants in anticipation of the World Cup in South Africa, a Vancouver businessman is leveraging the hype in hopes of changing how soccer is played in the city.
James Milligan, who imports fair trade sports equipment, says Vancouver athletes are connected to child labour through the soccer balls they use for practice and competition. According to Amnesty International and other international sources, almost three of every four soccer balls are made in Pakistan where Milligan
says manufacturers are criticized for paying salaries below the county’s minimum wage and for employing children. Breaking the cycle of poverty begins with education, said Milligan, who founded Social Conscience five years ago while working with Rogers Communications. Now a full-time self-employed entrepre-
neur, Milligan wants to expand online sales and also develop his partnership with Talon Sports, a northeast Pakistan manufacturer that employs 2,500 people and is increasing the amount of fair trade gear it makes. Milligan, who has yet to visit the factory, supports the audited fair trade system because it al-
lows workers to earn a livable wage so their children can attend school instead of toiling alongside them on assembly lines. He hopes fair trade sports equipment will appeal to the purchasing might of an influential Canadian demographic. “Soccer moms are pretty powerful,” he said. See SCHOOL on page 4
YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.VANCOURIER.COM