WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13, 2016
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Vol. 65, Issue 08
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SCHOOL DISTRICT 5
Board calls for training funding for teachers TRE VOR CR AWL EY
The local teachers’ union president is calling on the B.C. government to fund part-time teachers to attend workshops on implementing a new province-wide curriculum. The provincial government unveiled a new curriculum redesign last August with a three year transition period. The new plan focuses on core competencies—intellectual, personal and social skills—along with essential learning and literacy and numeracy foundations. Under the current funding model, teachers who are employed full-time are funded for sessions in mid-January and the end of April, however, parttime teaching staff are not.
See SD5 BOARD, Page 3
RDEK seeks fire dispatch services TRE VOR CR AWLEY
The Regional District of East Kootenay has signed a contract with the City of Cranbrook to extend fire dispatch services for the next six months. Currently, the City of Cranbrook Fire and Emergency staff provide the service for RDEK service areas and member municipalities. However, a five-year contract between the two governmental organizations expired in December. Now, the City of Cranbrook is teaming up with the RDEK to find a new fire dispatch service that won’t require use of a local firefighter to take on dispatching duties. The RDEK and member service areas and municipalities are hoping to have a new dispatcher service in place by June 30, 2016. The six-month contract for the continuation of the service comes at a cost of $55,927—a two per cent increase from the 2015 contract year.
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
Baker students Leonardo Clark (left), Hope Antonio (standing, right) and Kalista Lizée were at work hanging the latest MBSS art exhibition — “Up All Night” — at the Cranbrook and District Arts Council, 1013 Baker Street in downtown Cranbrook. The works of art by around 100 art students are developed around emotions, issues, concerns and celebrations that “keep us up all night.” The show officially and enthusiastically opens to the public today, Wednesday, Jan. 13, with a special evening event from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will include performance pieces and other installations.
Translocation study to begin mid-February C A RO LYN G R A N T
A study on the translocation of mule deer in the East Kootenay is set to get underway in Cranbrook, Kimberley, Elkford and Invermere in mid-February. In advance of that Kimberley City Council amended its deer feeding bylaw this week to allow for deer to be baited with food so they can be tranquilized and moved. The window for the study is from mid-February to midMarch. What residents of any of the communities where the study is being carried out can do, says Kimberley City Councillor Darryl Oakley, is stay away if you happen to see the trapping and tranquiliz-
ing happening. Oakley, who is the council representative on Kimberley’s Urban Deer Committee, says the whole idea is to make the translocation happen with as little stress to the animals as possible. “It’s really important that people realize that this is a full on scientific project,” Oakley said. “There will be biologists from Vast Resource, Ministry biologists and veterinarians. To keep this project going people need to make sure when they see them doing their work, leave them alone. The less people around the better, to minimize stress.” The deer will be trapped using clover traps, but a smaller, lighter trap than was used in any of the
controversial culls. These traps squeeze in from the side, which will immobilize the animal and allow the vet to administer the tranquilizer. “They will move does and fawns together,” Oakley said. “But if you catch a doe in a trap, it’s likely that the fawn will be around too. Animals not caught in traps will be darted so we can keep family units together.” The study will pick areas of each community where there is a large enough space to allow for darting and to give the animals room to roam around until the FILE PHOTO tranquilizer takes effect. The mule deer translocation
study will begin in a couple of See TRANSLOCATION, Page 3 weeks.