kamloopsthisweek.com kamloopsthisweek kamthisweek Ownership of the Kamloops baseball entry in the West Coast League will unveil the name and more today. All the details will be online at kamloopsthisweek.com
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | Volume 33 No. 50
TODAY’S WEATHER
Sunny and warm High 29 C Low 13 C
FUNDING QUESTION
SEASON OF CHANGE
PIPELINE PROTESTS
SD73 awaits final enrolment figures amid COVID-19
The pandemic has led to an altered KIJHL campaign
They have begun as construction carries on in Kamloops
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“You almost take
it for granted that someone so generous was among us.” Don Bennett, a prominent Kamloops musician and educator, has died suddenly. Many offer memories of a man a friend called “the definiton of a gentleman.”
READ THE STORY ON PAGE A12
JACOB DOGTEROM PHOTO
TRU will be online for all of 2020-2021 MICHAEL POTESTIO STAFF REPORTER michael@kamloopsthisweek.com
It will be quiet on campus this year as about 90 per cent of students attending Thompson Rivers University will do so via online courses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All theory-based classes will be distributed virtually in both the fall and winter semesters, though some science labs and practicums will occur in person, TRU vice-president of finance and administration Matt Milovick said. Most trades programs will also be occurring on campus as they have small class sizes and distancing protocols in place. “By and large, if it can be delivered online, it will be delivered online,” Milovick said. Universities aren’t bound by the 50-person gathering limit in B.C., but there were a number of reasons TRU opted against bringing students back to campus. Planning for the fall semester had already been completed in April before that exemption was implemented, but university staff were concerned about allowing a mass return of students in the fall, Milovick said. “And the same hold true in winter,” he said. “We have some general concerns about the unpredictability of the pandemic and what it will do in the winter time and we don’t want
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TRU AND THE PANDEMIC LAYOFFS WILL PROCEED:
There will be 80 layoffs in October, but not all will be permanent. PAGE A6 BUDGET CRUNCH:
The university will use surplus funds to bridge an expected $9-million deficit. PAGE A7 to start bringing people back [to campus], only to have to shift back [online],” he said. Milovick said it’s inconvenient to change from one modality of learning to another between semesters and people would be less inclined to make housing arrangements in the winter if not doing so in the fall. Due to the pandemic, TRU transitioned to virtual classes this past March to finish the 2019-2020 school year. When it comes to on-campus housing, which stands at about 30 per cent occupancy, TRU is allowing two people per suite, which normally accommodates four people, unless a quartet makes a specific request to be housed together. There will also be extra cleaning protocols, while a number of common areas will not available for use in residences. See 30%, A7