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A6
TUESDAY, November 17, 2015
Ask the
EXPERT BERWICK ON THE PARK
ADVICE & INFORMATION
LOCAL NEWS
THE PARIS ATTACKS
Kamloops is preparing for refugees
We are fortunate in Kamloops to have a variety of communities to choose from. Make a priority list in order of importance. For example, if your parents have always lived on the North Shore then you would only research the communities on the North Shore. There are many different levels of supports and amenities offered.. You will want to research the communities that appear to have the supports and the lifestyle choices that suit your needs. It is best to tour these communities over the course of a few days. It can be tiring to tour more than one in a day and the information can easily be mixed up. Schedule a visit during an event. Pay attention to the staff and how they interact with the residents. If you’re not invited to have a meal ask if that is possible. This allows you to taste the food and experience the atmosphere. Most importantly – trust yourself. Did you feel at ease, does it feel like a place that your parents could call home?
He knows of about three potential families coming to the city through the Refugees and Friends Together (RAFT) program operated out of Kamloops United Church. Lagace, executive director of Kamloops
Immigrant Services, acknowledged the STAFF REPORTER fear and anger being dale@kamloopsthisweek.com expressed toward the Paul Lagace has been refugees — in particular told B.C. is anticipatfollowing reports one ing about 2,500 Syrian of the terrorists behind refugees arriving in the Friday’s attacks in Paris province — and he’s sure may have registered as a some of them will look to refugee in Greece earlier Kamloops as a new home. this year and made his way to France. However, Lagace City of Kamloops added, he expects newcomers to Kamloops will be welcomed for the Activity Programs most part. Activity Programs “The majority in For registration please call (250) 828-3500 and please quote Kamloops is supportive,” program number provided. For online registration visitnumbers Please pre-register. Programs are canceled if the please minimum https://ezregsvr.kamloops.ca/ezreg Lagace said. are not met. Programs are cancelled if the minimum numbers are not met. “But, there is a small Modern Contemporary Ballet $75 group of people, vocal Ages: Ask14-20 a Geologist Day and racist in many ways This is for the advanced dancer. WorkExploration on technique, poise, Thisprogram event is hosted by the Kamloops and religiously motivatand flexibility. will work on the barre of andall centre floor. Group, andDancers is open to the public ages. ed. I don’t care what reliDALE BASS
My parents and I have determined a more supportive environment would best meet their needs. We don’t know where to start. Can you point us in the right direction?
www.kamloopsthisweek.com
Visitors may bring mineral and rock samples Jul 102233 to 14-18 be identifiedCourse: by professional geologists and am to of 2:30hands‑on pm participate in a 1:00 number mining and Rainbow School of Dance geology activities and displays. Admission is by
Jul 14-18
Course: 102233
1:00 am99738 to 2:30 pm Course: Rainbow School of Dance 9:00 am to 11:00 am Day International Children FREE McArthur Island Parkof International Attention kids, in celebration Fairy Tales and Musicals $175 Ages: 9-12Day join the Museum to create a Children’s Children will work on building skills while acting, singing, and Aug 15dancing. Course: 99739 you. special craft that celebrates Stage crafts are also part of this program. Join the gang at am and to am Rainbow forMuseum a fun9:00 afternoon this11:00 summer. Kamloops Archives McArthur Island Park 10:00‑3:30 PM Fri Nov 20 Jul 14-18 Course: 102186 Thu 244344 3:00 am to 5:30 pm
Jul 11
Rainbow School of Dance
wake of Friday’s terrorist attacks in France. But, Trudeau told fellow world leaders and reporters he will live up to a Liberal party campaign promise and bring those planes, pilots and sup$30port personnel back home. Now in Opposition, McLeod
Sunshine Kids Oronge’s Girls Only Skate Clinic $20 Ages: 9-12 Xplore No boys Sports allowed! It does Girls not matter ifOnly you have never stepped$25 on a This sunny experience includes singing, painting, playing, creating skateboard or have been skating for years. We will help all skill levels In this fun, non‑competitive, skill‑based master street,Enjoy transition, and allof themini-hikes, fun skateboarding tricks. Bring and pretending. a 7‑12 week bubbles, water play and environment, girls have the chance to try your helmet, skateboard, bottle, snack, and a positive attitude. more. Bring a snack ourwater picnic. two sports and for a recreational swim. A certified Do not miss out on all the fun. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY.
female coach will introduce the girls to the skills Jul 15-17 Course: 101500 Jul 11 Course: 99738 and games related to their sport or activity. 9:00 am toto 11:00 ampm 11:15 am 1:15 Improve your athletic and confident while McArthurskills Island Park Hal Rogers Centre making new friends!. Instructor: Danielle Duperreault Aug 15 Course: 99739 Tournament Capital Centre 9:00 am to 11:00 am Dec 7 8:30‑4:30 PM McArthur Island Park Jul 22-24 Course: 101501 Mon 245033 11:15 am to 1:15 pm Sunshine Kids Parkview Activity Centre $30 Ages: 9-12 Intructor: Leanna Smeaton This sunny experience includes singing, painting, playing, creating and pretending. Enjoy a week of mini-hikes, bubbles, water play and more. Bring a snack for our picnic. Jul 15-17
Course: 101500 11:15 am to 1:15 pm Hal Rogers Centre Instructor: Danielle Duperreault
Course: 101501 11:15 am to 1:15 pm Parkview Activity Centre To register call 250-828-3500 or visit www.kamloops.ca/ezreg Intructor: Leanna Smeaton
Erin Currie is your local Kamloops Senior Living Expert.
To register call 250-828-3500 or visit www.kamloops.ca/ezreg
To register call 250-828-3500 or visit www.kamloops.ca/ezreg
one most will turn to for services and assistance adjusting to their new reality. Lagace criticized the fearmongers who are expressing racist views about Muslims leaving Syria for new homes. “Real Muslims are not the people who think their god is telling them to go and kill everyone who isn’t like them,” he said. School District 73 “would welcome any refugees” into its education community, said superintendent Karl deBruijn. With a move on to bring more refugees to the province — and country — deBruijn
said children who would enter the local school system would see any issues they might have addressed. That could mean anything from supports for special needs to providing English instruction to adding staff, if that is required. DeBruijn doesn’t anticipate a need for more staff or classroom reconfiguration, however; while some school districts in the Lower Mainland are expecting to see hundreds of children entering the system once they are allowed to come to Canada, SD73 expects there might be just a few.
McLeod urges PM to revisit decision to pull out warplanes
donation. Fairy Tales and Musicals $175 Kamloops Museum Ages: 9-12 Nov 21 1:00‑3:00 PM Children will work on building skills while acting, singing, and Sat dancing. Stage crafts are also part of this program. 244382 Join the gang at Rainbow for a fun afternoon this summer. City of Kamloops Cookie Time Parent $55 CAM FORTEMS Jul 14-18 Course: 102186 1st child FREE STAFF REPORTER cam@kamloopsthisweek.com 3:00 am to 5:30 pm Additional children $25 ea. Rainbow School of Dance Get aActivity head start on your holiday baking. Stock Kamloops-ThompsonPrograms your cookie jar with some new recipes and learn Cariboo Conservative MP Please pre-register. Programs are canceled if the minimum numbers Oronge’s Girls Only Skate Clinic $20 variations and fresh ideas on traditional cookie are not met. No boys allowed! It does not matter if you have never stepped on a Cathy McLeod is urging Prime techniques. Fun for the whole family. skateboard orContemporary have been skating for years. We will help $75 all skill levels Modern Ballet Minister Justin Trudeau to Norkam Secondary Ages: 14-20 master street, transition, andSchool all the fun skateboarding tricks. Bring Nov helmet, 30 6:00‑8:00 PMattitude.reconsider pulling Canada’s This program is for the advanced dancer. Work on technique, poise, your skateboard, water bottle, snack, and a positive and flexibility. Dancers will work on the barre and centre floor. Mon 245234 Do not miss out on all the fun. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY. warplanes from Iraq in the
Jul 22-24
If you have any questions, or would like to chat, please contact Erin at Berwick on the Park, (250) 377.7275 or email her at berwickonthepark@berwickrc.com
gion they have, they’re coming to Canada for a new life. “And, these people need to know the refugees are screened . . . “The terrorists have free run, they’re not going to try and come in disguised as refugees.” Lynda Fisher, one of the RAFT members working to bring in the three families, said there is no timetable on when they’ll be in Kamloops. She said they are still going through security, medical and criminalrecord checks that are mandatory for refugees. Lagace’s agency isn’t involved in bringing refugees to the city but, once they arrive, it is the
criticized that decision. “We clearly have been an important player on the international stage with training, humanitarian aid and air strikes,” she said. McLeod argued those six planes are making both an important symbolic and real contribution as support for Iraqi and Kurdish troops on the ground in the fight against ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. “Our partnership with our allies should continue and we ask the prime minister to reconsider,” McLeod said.
Trudeau has stated the country will instead focus on continued training of Kurds by Canada’s military. McLeod also said she is concerned the Liberal government will make an unwise rush to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees before the end of the year — two-and-a-half times more than pledged by the United States by the end of next year. “To have an absolute deadline, many people are advising against that . . . “We need to see a plan; full security checks and balances need to be in place.”
Sensing a feeling of sadness From A1
“I drove past the stadium de France, where the person blew himself up, but there was no activity,” Langill said. Both Langill and Miltimore encountered increased security at Charles de Gaulle Airport. While Langill boarded the plane with no incident, Miltimore was stopped by security once the 20 hex keys in his bag were seen. “I had no idea I had that many of them with me,” he said of the keys used to tune and adjust the guitars he designed. Security told him they were banned because they are metal. “And, I guess, I could use them to stab someone, but the funny
thing was the knives and forks on the plane were metal,” Miltimore said. “They told me I might also use them to take something apart in the airport.” Both men commented on the tangible sorrow they could sense on the streets on the weekend. “I could sense a feeling of sadness, that France — a long strong democratic country, one of freedoms, culture, expression, art, history, the country of love and care — was damaged at the heart, in venues of human expression, that being sport, music and foodbeverage culture,” Langill said. For Miltimore, the emotions were more closely felt. The colleague with whom he was dining
on Friday when the attacks happened had two friends attending the rock concert at the Bataclan concert hall. The day after the shootings, they were still missing, but Miltimore learned later from his friend they had made contact and were safe. Another friend owned one of the restaurants attacked. Miltimore said he and his friend still had business to deal with on Saturday, so they went out to have lunch, only to find most restaurants closed. They took a subway to another area of Paris. “And, there was hardly anyone on it,” Miltimore said.