THURSDAY, November 3, 2016
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LOCAL NEWS
Stollery commits $550K for TRU nursing-school facility MLA Terry Lake praises foundation, which says it plans to give $50K now and the remainder if construction is underway by 2019 DALE BASS STAFF REPORTER dale@kamloopsthisweek.com
With the provincial government’s commitment to a new trades building at Thompson Rivers University confirmed, the city’s two MLAs will be promoting the next capital-project goal there — a new building to house the school of nursing. It’s been a priority for TRU for some time and got a big boost this week at a TRU Foundation breakfast, where the Stollery Foundation committed $550,000 — $50,000 now and the remainder if there are shovels in the ground by 2019. Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone said it’s his top TRU-based priority and he plans to do “everything I can do to advocate for a new nursing building.” Stone said he’s aware of the capacity challenge the current area the program uses in a building it shares with the faculty of science
and is equally aware an increased capacity could be filled quickly with students who want to study nursing. Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake, who is also the province’s health minister, said because of the $7.03 million the government is contributing for construction of the new Industrial Training and Technology Centre at the university, he couldn’t make any promises more money would be coming for a nursing school. Lake praised the Stollery Foundation for its donation, announced at the breakfast by Stollery board members Spencer and Janet Bryson. “They’re an important part of the philanthropic community,” he said, “and this helps make the case for the project but we have to look at the capital plan” the government has for investing in projects. The Stollery Foundation supports many non-profits and com-
munity projects in Kamloops. Janet Bryson said the decision to make the commitment for a nursing building reflects its belief “in health, education and alleviation of poverty.” TRU envisions a new building that would cost $32 million to construct. It would enable the university to admit more students who would be able to use innovative technology to learn about complex medical scenarios and fine systems that enhance patient-centred care, as well as enabling the university to offer certificate programs in specialty care areas including critical, emergency, perioperative (the three phases of surgery from pre-operative to post-operative), intensive, cardiac, senior, rural and home-care nursing. TRU estimates construction of the building will result in $47 million in direct and indirect economic spinoffs and create about T:10.3125” 305 new jobs.
FIRST NATIONS
Officials stay mum on potential sites From A1
Jules said there have been cases where the band has had to step in to stop work taking place on sensitive archeological sites, such as 5,000-year-old fish weirs. But, it has not escalated to the level of other B.C. communities, where bands have gone to the province for stop work orders due to development on heritage sites. “The city of Kelowna, the city of Victoria, Vancouver, in all of them there had to be major things that happened before they could come and talk to the First Nations people and I don’t think we should get to that point,” she said. “I think we should sit together and say here is the thing we need to do. There are some additional costs of getting an archeological monitor on site, just to review and then having someone do an archeological assessment.” While maps of known archeological sites exist, city of Kamloops CAO David Trawin
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said they are not made public due to concerns over looting. The city does have copies and advises developers when their projects are close to heritage sites. But, he said high-potential sites have been a grey area for the city. Jules said she thinks most people simply aren’t aware of the area’s archeological significance. She suggested the city look to Prince George, which is creating an archeological risk framework tool to record First Nations heritage sites in the city so they can be preserved as future developments occur. Mayor Peter Milobar said the city has already agreed to consult with the band on storm sewer projects and other public works, in case of historic value. He said he doesn’t see the request as an obstruction to local development. “They’re just saying they want to make sure people are being respectful and getting the full historical protection we can,” he said.