FURNACES • NATURAL GAS • PATIO HEAT
The Lennox SLP98V – the quietest natural gas furnace you can buy.
SAVE UP TO 50% OFF 2X1.5 YOUR HEATING COSTS when you convert your existing oil furnace to a natural gas furnace
Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4:30pm 1721–14th Ave, Campbell River
250-287-3108
PROCESS250-334-3621
741 McPhee, Courtenay
www.bennettsheetmetal.com “Your Indoor Comfort Specialist since 1961”
TANKS • BBQS • INSERTS •
Today is the first day of the new year in the lunar calendar
So quiet... it won'tBenett interrupt even the sweetest dreams.
URNACES • PATIO HEATERS • HOT WATER
Happy New Year!
ERS • HOT WATER TANKS • BBQS • INSERTS • SERVICE • NATURAL GAS • PARTS • F
View our eEditions online FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014
Newsstand 85¢
www.campbellrivermirror.com
Laid-off employees face-off with Island Health directors Paul Rudan Campbell RiveR miRRoR
AlistAir tAylor/the Mirror
Du Xuan Pham invites fellow Campbell Riverites to celebrate the New Year in the lunar calender. This is the most important celebration of the year for Campbell River’s residents of Vietnamese, Chinese and other Asian heritages.
Welcoming the Year of the Horse alistaiR tayloR
D
Campbell RiveR miRRoR
u Xuan Pham wishes to extend a Happy New Year to everyone in Campbell River. This is a special time of the year for Pham, his family and friends in the local Vietnamese community. Today is New Year’s Day – Tet in Vietnamese – as it is for Asian nationalities that traditionally follow the lunar calendar, like Chinese, Korean, and others.
It’s most widely known as the Chinese New Year which is the cultural root of the event going back thousands of years but it has its variations in the other nations. It is also called the Lunar New Year and it is known by the corresponding animal of the Chinese zodiac – 2014 is the Year of the Horse. Traditionally it’s a period of feasting, celebration and paying tribute to ancestors and deities. Sitting in the Immigrant Welcome Centre office at Continued on Pg. 9
Maximizing profits at care homes – like New Horizons – at the expense of the lowest-paid health care employees is a governmentmade “disaster,” according to Brenda Leigh. “This is a failed experiment. It doesn’t provide quality care and it doesn’t respect the workers,” said the long-time Area D representative on the Strathcona Regional District. Leigh has also served many years on the regional hospital board, but on Wednesday morning she put aside her political stripes to talk about something far more important: The health and well-being of her elderly mother who’s a resident at New Horizons in Campbell River where all staff were given layoff notices just before the new year. During Christmas, Leigh’s mother fractured her pelvis. The recovery is slow and painful, and Leigh has been at New Horizons daily since the accident to provide extra assistance and company. She’s also seen the quality care provided by staff and witnessed their bitter surprise and frustration when the employer handed out notices informing them of layoffs at the 94-bed facility on April 22. “They (staff ) are running and they’re working their guts out,” Leigh told the Island Health Board of Directors. “To get these layoff notices…was just despicable by the
SAVE 12,000 up to
$
on remaining new 2013 Inventory!
owner.” Leigh’s impassioned speech brought most of the spectators to their feet who had come to the Maritime Heritage Centre for the board’s general meeting which is routinely held in different Island communities. Many in the audience are employed at New Horizons and they sported blue buttons which read: “Campbell River cares! Protect quality care, decent jobs at New Horizons.” And they heard that contracting out has already occurred at several downIsland care homes. However, it doesn’t appear there’s much the board can or will do to support the employees. Dr. Brendan Carr, president and CEO of Island Health, explained the employer has the right in their contract to
Continued on Pg. 3
WebPoll
We asked: Do you support a 2.92% city tax increase?
You said: Yes – 26 (28.6%) No – 65 (71.4%)
Today’s question: Should private contractors care for our elderly? Vote at campbellrivermirror.com
TYEE CHEVROLET BUICK GMC
Tyee Chev 7x2.5 PROCESS
570 – 13th Avenue 250.287.9511
tyeechev.ca
2013 Chevrolet 3500 HD Reg Cab *See dealer for details.
scan here to go to www.tyeechev.ca
DL#10790