Serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra since 1984
FRIDAY
December 21, 2012
9
The Tri-Cities were in a festive mood with the arrival of the CP Holiday Train
Your source for local news, sports, opinion and entertainment: www.thenownews.com
SD43 board chair: No savings
The province’s ministry of education appears to have a fight on its hands for asking school boards to find savings in order to pay for support staff. School District 43 board chair Melissa Hyndes said she’s hoping the local board will follow the lead of other school districts around the province in opposing the government’s request. “There are no savings,” she told The NOW. The issue stems from a letter sent to school boards across the province earlier this month asking boards to find savings of 1.5 per cent for support staff salaries this year, and an additional 1.5 per cent next year. However, the boards have been told the savings must be real and measurable and must not have a negative impact on educational programs or transfer costs on to the public. “Where do you find savings like that?” Hyndes questioned, noting some districts will have a surplus next year and could use that as a one-time offering. However, in the case of SD 43 and many other districts in B.C., she hinted next year would be very difficult financially. Hyndes said she didn’t know what kind of an impact a 1.5 per cent cut would have on the district. The board is expected to sit down before Christmas to discuss a response to the province. Though Hyndes said she couldn’t speak on behalf of the other politicians, she wants the board to take a united stand with the other boards and oppose the request. — With files from the Vancouver Sun
Lisa King/NOW
COOKIE TRAIN: Jason Peters, 3, and his sister Rhyana, 5, decorate cookies at the CP Holiday Train event in Port Moody on Tuesday night
Snow removal budgets intact
Both Port Moody and Port Coquitlam still have snow removal money to finish 2012 Jeremy Deutsch jdeutsch@thenownews.com There could be some good news for Tri-Cities residents after this week’s winter wallop. The snowfall may have left a mess on the roads, but it didn’t appear to blow a hole in the snow removal budgets of at least two of the three municipalities. In the case of Port Moody, the city has spent $191,634 on snow removal in 2012. The snow budget for the year, which works off the calendar year as opposed
to the traditional fiscal year, is set at $280,991. It leaves the City of the Arts with just about $90,000 to play with for the remainder of December. “We think that this will get us through the rest of the year,” said Mayor Mike Clay in an e-mail to The NOW, adding failing that, the city has $200,000 in reserves for snow removal. It’s a slightly tighter situation in Port Coquitlam. The city has spent $228,000 on snow removal this year. The 2012 budget for snow removal in PoCo was set at $251,000. PoCo city officials noted the snow removal budget changes from year to
year to reflect inflation rates, increased fuel costs and any new inventory. The City of Coquitlam did not respond The NOW prior to press deadline. Though Tuesday’s sudden snow wreaked havoc on the roads around the Tri-Cities, Wednesday was a much quieter event, unless you travelled the new Port Mann Bridge. According to a story in The Vancouver Sun, falling ice on the newly opened $3.3-billion Port Mann Bridge hit dozens of cars and injured at least one person Wednesday, raising questions about safety and bridge design. The bridge — which normally sees
daily traffic of about 110,000 cars — was closed at 2 p.m. and reopened at 6 p.m. There were reports of the ice, which fell from the bridge’s soaring support cables, damaging windshields, and of one person being knocked unconscious. RCMP said ice started falling about 1 p.m. On Thursday, it was reported the Transportation Investment Corp., which operates the bridge, will cover the deductibles of any drivers who filed claims. — With files from the Vancouver Sun
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR from and And as always. . .My New Year's wish to all is
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