THURSDAYSEPTEMBER 18, 2014
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Group with a message of faith to perform Sunday at Island Gospel Centre
Two local couples featured on HGTV show airing Sept. 20
TEACHERS’ STRIKE
Back to the books ‘Yes’ vote today could mean students back Wednesday AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
Teachers across the province are voting on a tentative six-year deal today that could end the long running strike within days, and local representatives are optimistic. “I think it’s likely to pass, that’s my prediction,” said Mount Arrowsmith Teachers’ Association president Debbie Morran. “Teachers are relieved and excited to be going back to class, but there are still lots of questions, people want to know the details.” After marathon negotiations over the weekend, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation leadership is recommending the province’s 41,000 public school teachers ratify the six-year contract. “This is wonderful news,” said District 69 superintendent Rollie Koop, who added there are still many details to work out regarding the return to class. He said if teachers ratify the deal, local boards of education will hold special meetings to ratify the terms and a first day of school will be set provincially. This district will start a couple days later. “As we have shared previously, the first two days that school is back in session will be without students in session so that staff can attend to transitional work associated with the reconfiguration of district schools,” Koop said in a news release. The details of the agreement will not be made public until ratification is complete. The initial indications are that the teachers got less in salary than they were asking for, but the government will put more into class size and composition issues than they were offering. See WATER PIPE BURSTS, page A7
AUREN RUVINSKY PHOTO
These tiny rail cars (called ‘speeders’) and their owners from all over North America visited the Parksville Qualicum Beach area this week.
Speeders roll on local rails AUREN RUVINSKY writer@pqbnews.com
They catch a lot of attention as they clunk down the little used tracks of the mid-Island, with people jumping from cars to take pictures as they cross roads. By today (Sept. 18) the 24 “speeders,” or tiny rail vehicles that were visiting the area from across the continent, have moved on, but the local hosts are confident they will be back, for bigger and bigger events. “This year we made sure they
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stayed on the Parksville side,” said local enthusiast Ken Fyfe who hosts a stop at his property in Coombs where he entertains the visitors, some from as far away as Florida, with his 1908 Sawyer Massey portable steam engine and vintage vehicles. On the three previous tours of the area, organized by the Motorcar Operator West club out of California, part of the North American Railcar Operators Association, they stayed in Port Alberni and did a couple day trips to Parksville.
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But Fyfe and fellow local organizer Gordon Grenon wanted to show the value of the Alberni spur line as a tourist attraction, hosting the 60-plus people in local hotels and restaurants. The group did a series of short trips around Woss Camp and back and forth to Duncan and Port Alberni. The local volunteers spent weeks clearing the otherwise unused tracks between Parksville and Port Alberni, including the use of their unique hand-built three part mowing machine.
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