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Keep your ghouls safe: RCMP issue safety tips for trick or treaters News A3
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Abram: Ferry consultation complete sham KRISTEN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
BRIAN KIERAN/THE MIRROR
St John Ambulance Administrator Kaye Burke checks the wealth of life saving supplies in an emergency preparedness backpack modelled by branch administrative assistant Charlotte Doyle.
Quake wary residents put run on St John BRIAN KIERAN CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
Campbell River’s St John Ambulance Branch sold out of emergency preparedness back-
packs Monday as earthquake wary residents learned a lesson from Saturday’s 7.7 magnitude shaker near Haida Gwaii. The earthquake was only felt in low lying parts of the city but
it left a wide-spread impression. St John Ambulance administrator Kaye Burke says her branch’s supply of first aid, emergency backpacks quickly sold out MonContinued on A4
Strathcona Regional District Director Jim Abram says the province’s upcoming public engagement process to find savings within BC Ferries is “a complete sham.” Abram, director representing Quadra Island, revealed Monday morning why a group of coastal regional district chairs rejected the provincial Ministry of Transportation’s public consultation proposal presented to the group at a meeting Oct. 17 in Nanaimo. “The insulting part of the whole thing was the fact they passed out three documents – two were charts of sailings and ridership, basically usage of the ferries, and they would not let us keep those,” Abram said. “They collected everything at the end of the meeting except for a question and answer form they wanted us to fill out at the meeting before going back to our boards or communities.” Abram said the meeting lasted just two hours and the chairs
were not allowed to see the material covered prior to the meeting, nor were they given an agenda, though the group asked to see one weeks before the meeting. “I was rushed like I’ve never been rushed, we were jumping from page to page, we were not even allowed to see the material before we got into the room,” said Abram, who feels the government is trying to wrap up the process before the next provincial election, tentatively scheduled for May 14, 2013. “The pre-consultation meeting was basically to try and tell the consultant companies and the ministry whether they had it right. “We were able to answer that question clearly because they absolutely did not have it right. The consultation process they’re completely blowing, it’s just a complete sham.” Abram said the biggest problem with the ministry’s proposal was it did not include public consultations in every ferry dependent community, rather only the bigger communities such as Continued on A4
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