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Murdered woman’s sister speaks
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Tofino’s Delilah Terriak seeks federal inquiry for issue of missing, murdered aboriginal women JACKIE CARMICHAEL
Westerly News Left with vivid memories of a vibrant and gifted sister, Delilah Terriak has pledged to continue where Loretta Saunders’ work left off. Terriak, a recent addition to Tofino, was called back to the East Coast when her sister was murdered Feb. 13. A couple who had shared Saunders’ apartment were charged with firstdegree murder after the 26-year-old Saint Mary’s University student’s body was found beside the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick. Saunders, who was working on her thesis about missing and murdered aboriginal women at the time of her death, was Inuk from Coastal Labrador. Terriak helped edit her sister’s work, and told the Westerly News on Monday See MURDERED, Page 17
ANDREW BAILEY
Delilah Terriak, left, of Tofino, and her sister, Loretta Saunders, share a sisterly moment. Saunders’ February murder has ignited a national cry for justice for missing and murdered aboriginal women.
BEGGAR’S CHECKLIST
Research shows district staffers rise above pay fray ANDREW BAILEY
Westerly News Editor’s note: This is the first article in a Westerly News series, the Beggars’ Checklist. Over several weeks, the Westerly will take a deeper look into municipal spending habits. The Beggar’s Checklist is a tenpoint rundown of suggestions for municipal governments to
Damaged dam needs expensive repairs
manage costs before relying on raising property taxes or seeking assistance from other levels of government. It was introduced by the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, an advocacy group promoting accountable government and lower taxes. Ucluelet and Tofino spend simi-
lar dollars on their respective district staffs and councils. Ucluelet CAO Andrew Yeates received $133,068 in 2012, which was right in line with the $132,744 salary Tofino’s then-CAO Braden Smith made in 2012. Their salaries were both dwarfed by Port Coquitlam (pop. 56,342) CAO Tony Chung’s $429,566 salary and to a lesser degree by Nanaimo
(pop. 83,810) city manager Al Kenning’s $230,315 salary. Ucluelet’s population is around 1,627 and Tofino’s is around 2,000. Yeates and Smith’s 2012 salaries put them in the ballpark of Parksville (pop. 11,977) CAO Fred Manson’s $146,246 and Port Alberni (pop. 17,743) city manager Kenneth Watson’s $154,833. See WAGES, Page 5
Westerly News Tofino’s almost 40-year-old Sharp Creek Dam is falling apart faster than expected and district officials believe it’s high time for a face-lift. Tofino’s manager of public works Bob Schantz said he first noticed signs of the dam’s cement decay in 2012, so he contacted a consulting firm. An assessment done in 2013 confirmed repairs are needed, he said. “It isn’t imminent, the dam is not in immediate danger of causing any issues, but it’s something that we should plan for and put in motion,” he said. He recommended, and Tofino’s municipal council agreed, that dam repairs be included in future See DAM, page 8
Moss and decay on Tofino’s Sharp Creek Dam.
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