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Education suffers as strike drags on Re: Teachers’ strike The teachers would have us believe that their main goal in the current strike is the improvement of the educational environment for the students.

Education suffers as strike drags on

Re: Teachers’ strike

The teachers would have us believe that their main goal in the current strike is the improvement of the educational environment for the students. Yet for each day that this strike is prolonged the students look less like potential beneficiaries and more like hostages. Parents of students and, in Whistler the users of the community facilities in the schools, are also victims. If the teachers can claim to be representing the best interests of the students, the government can legitimately claim to be representing the taxpayers. Governments do not create wealth; they can only redistribute it. Any increase in funding for schools in B.C. necessarily must come from either other areas of government spending such as health or welfare, or from increased taxes. In this case that means property taxes. Thus those who may be affected by the outcome of this strike goes well beyond teachers, students, and parents.

I note that other government employees’ unions are demonstrating support for the strike. One suspects that they may be at least partially motivated by the possibility that if the teachers achieve their wage demands, these unions will be in a better bargaining position when their turn comes along.

What happens if the strike continues beyond a few days to a few weeks or even a few months? It will certainly mean a wasted year for most students. I observe my daughter, who is normally a very enthusiastic high school student, and her friends worrying about their studies, trying to keep their spirits up, trying to find useful things with which to occupy their time, and watching lots of television. After a certain length of time students in the lower elementary grades will not have developed the essential skills required to move on in school and students in the upper high school grades will not have learned sufficient content to be able to pass the provincial exams or be prepared for university. Does this mean that most students in the system will have to do this year over again? Would the age of students in the system then be pushed ahead one year so that children would enter kindergarten at age six instead of five, or would there be an attempt to push this year’s kindergarten class into Grade 1 along with the students who are presently in Grade 1? What consequences would this have as this bulge of students passes through the grade levels? Would class sizes double, or would extra teachers have to be hired for each grade level and then let go when no longer needed, or would a special contingent of teachers have to be trained to follow this extra large group of students through all of the grades? What happens at B.C.’s post-secondary institutions if there are very few students entering the first year of studies next year? The longer this strike goes on the more chaos there will be in B.C.’s educational system. The best thing that the teachers can now do for the students is to bring them back to their classes. A "flawed" educational system is going to be a lot better than no education.

I have read in the paper that there have been 35 negotiation meetings between the BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association with no items being resolved. If this is true then it suggests deep intransigence and very hardened positions on both sides. Both groups need to soften their positions. The teachers need to go back to teaching and the government, represented by the BCPSEA, should go back to the bargaining table. Both sides need to soften their bargaining stances and negotiate in good faith or agree to mediation or, better yet, binding arbitration. The teachers undoubtedly have legitimate requirements and demands, and so does the government. At this point any continuation of the strike causes far more harm to the students than any improvements to the educational system that might come about as a result of the strike could possibly help them.

John Hetherington

Parent

Whistler

What about class size and composition?

With the exception of Grades K to 3, where there still are actual class size limits, the limiting factor on the number of students in a given class is based on the school district average. The average class size cannot exceed 30 students. As a simple example, having a class size of 25 thereby allows another class to have 35 students. There is no limit as to the number of special needs students that can be in a class. Previous to a contract being imposed in 2002, there were limits as to the number of students that could be in any given class and limits to the number of special needs students.

Of particular concern, given some of the areas I teach, is that high school shop classes and senior science classes (labs) were previously limited to 24 students in any given class. While this limit was established to maintain learning conditions, an even bigger reason it was established was due to a very obvious concern for student safety. When the government imposed a contract in 2002, these class size limits were removed from the contract. In addition to it being a disregard for the learning conditions of students, it is moreover blatant negligence for the safety of students.

The government keeps reiterating that teachers must first return to work before they will discuss class size and composition. What is lacking in this reiteration is that they are willing to change things, willing to examine the impact that their imposed contract has had on education and willing to cease creating laws that attempt to silence teachers from expressing their concerns about public education. Until this willingness is established, this invitation for discussion is the same as it has been in the past, mere lip service.

This decision that teachers have made to withdraw their services is not a decision that we have taken lightly. In addition to it being at great personal expense, we recognize the unfortunate irony that in our attempts to maintain quality public education, our present students are being negatively impacted in the short term.

In fairness, it should be mentioned that while there has certainly been some increase in the challenges of providing students with an education in recent years, I don’t believe that things have changed as dramatically at my school as at others. However, this is not about me or my particular school but rather public education as a whole.

Boyd Hargitt

Pemberton

 

One small step…

After nine months of study, RMOW council made their decision today to accept VANOC’s offer of $20 million, and review recommendations to build a facility on Lots 1/9.

Oops, sorry – Oct. 17th, 2005, acting mayor and council approved staff recommendations, and voted to approve the recommendations. Now, let’s move forward as promised.

Task One: Establish a steering committee consisting of:

• Members of RMOW council

• Project designers

• Community representative

• Village business representative

• VANOC, CPC, IPC, Sledge Hockey Canada

• RMOW staff

Task Two: Author and release a public expression of interest, to seek additional design concepts.

Task Three: Establish draft project scheduling.

Task Four: Retain a project manager.

Task Five: Draft design, planning concepts, provide for public consultation and review.

Task Six: Author and release entertainment multiplex RFP, look for financial partners.

Task Seven: Evaluate RFP responses, and select winner.

Task Eight: Build the new multiplex facility.

Task Nine: Open it in traditional Whistler fashion!

Congratulations to RMOW staff and council for moving this project forward. You must all feel terrific about approving a major project, at this time.

Christopher Raymond

Whistler

 

Tentative first steps

Finally, after years of avoidance, the cries for help emanating from Eva Lake Village have been formally recognized by the municipality. A very brief letter from an administrator indicated they are "interested in working to resolve the situation" and "are working with our solicitor and the other parties to reach a negotiated solution."

Although this has positive overtones it was not the groundbreaking news I hoped for. We are aware that at least one round of unsuccessful mediation has already occurred. This has left me to read between the lines. Is this a sincere acceptance of liability or an unofficial "feel good" gag order to prevent any more harmful media exposure?

My concern is that as long as their "solicitors" (lawyers and insurance companies) are involved they will do what they do best – protect themselves and their client by finding loopholes. They are not interested in politics or goodwill. If the muni is truly sympathetic they may have to sidestep this process and up the ante – with, I assume, the tax-paying public’s approval. (Isn't that kind of what happened with the Emerald Forest deal?)

I don't believe it's in anyone's best interest to let this go to the Supreme Court. So let’s get on with it.

As promised I will continue to bring this issue to the forefront prior to elections. We still need vocal support to persuade the government to do what's morally right, which is to negotiate a settlement that refunds 100 per cent of the repair costs and associated losses. This has to happen now, before residents fall deeper in debt or even lose their home.

Mike Roger

Whistler/ Birken

 

An apology is owed

I was quite shocked and appalled to see in G.D. Maxwell's column last week the encouragement and promotion of vandalism.

This of course refers to his call to action, "grab yer can of spray paint."

There is a lot of passion in this valley. Always has been and I suspect always will be.

A few brave souls take this passion and translate it into a campaign to effect positive change by running for office.

Political signage is a large expense incurred by all the candidates who hope to enter the realm of public service.

To advocate the defacing of these signs is a slap in the face and is totally irresponsible.

I think you owe all the candidates an apology for they are the ones out there trying honestly to make this a better place!

Tom Horler

Whistler

 

 

Divided highway an election issue

It has been over a year since I stated my case for a divided highway between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler. I have noticed in the intervening time that quite a few others have written to present the same argument. Kudos to the most recent writer, Brian Stoddart (Pique letters Oct 13th).

In light of the nine tragic deaths (and counting) on that highway since I first submitted a letter, and my own personal close call a couple of months ago, I think it is time to revisit this vitally important topic.

In early September of this year, my girlfriend, her 8-year-old daughter and I were traveling northbound in the canyon section of the highway, roughly halfway between the old saltsheds and the current one, when a giant SUV invaded my side of the highway and came straight at us. I swerved with such ferocity that the tires screeched and my outboard wheels hit the dirt on the shoulder, and I had to fight to retain control. It was a white-knuckle moment, the kind that induces heart palpitations and a cold sweat. Thank god I wasn’t checking the fuel, or the rearview mirror, or changing the radio station in that instant or the three of us would be yet another road statistic. Our little Mazda was no match for the vehicle coming at us. We’d be dead.

Let’s be clear. The only thing killing people on Highway 99 is head-on crashes. Lots of cars skid off the road, we see the odd T-bone incident or traffic light accident, but the real killers are the head-on collisions. The only way to prevent head on collisions is to divide the highway. I challenge anybody to dispute this basic, obvious fact. Faster and straighter and wider is all very well, but people will still die unless the highway is divided.

Let’s examine the causes of head-on crashes, and there are many. There are so many more distractions for us as drivers than there used to be, what with cell phones, PDAs, onboard satellite navigation systems, fast food drive-throughs, MP3 players, etc. Then there are the good old-fashioned distractions such as screaming kids or too much merriment after a good day of skiing, or just plain fatigue.

But these aren’t the only hazards. What about all the international, first-time drivers of our mountainous highway, who are jetlagged, inexperienced mountain drivers, who are used to driving on the left, in an unfamiliar car, coping with pouring rain at night on a highway with worn out painted lines and ineffective reflectors? This is no exaggeration. I am a spare driver for Perimeter Transportation, a bussing company transferring tourists to and from the airport, and many foreign visitors wonder how the heck I do it. I completely understand how any first-timer could become confused and make a fatal error, without knowing the highway as well as we do.

It’s only a matter of time before a major passenger carrier gets into a fatal collision, and won’t that be good for our already compromised visitor numbers?

I am uncertain whether the current budget for highway improvement is $600 million or $800 million, but whatever it is, I’ll bet a cement barrier would cost less than $20 million.

Now that we are facing our next civic elections, I am surprised none of the new mayoral candidates have taken this on as part of their platform. I am unimpressed with the current crop of "vision for the future" and "I am a good listener" and "let’s here it for service." What I am seeing in many of the current candidates is "I have no qualifications but I have a big ego and I want to be mayor." Get behind an issue with some substance, please. A highway barrier might not be as glitzy as a Peak to Peak gondola, but what good is that to me if I am dead? Whoever gets this done will be saving lives, and that would be one heck of a legacy to be proud of. You’d get my vote.

As for me, I am cc’ing a copy of this letter to our MLA, Joan McIntyre, and our Minister of Highways, Kevin Falcon. It’s time to get serious about a divided highway. If anybody else out there feels strongly about this matter, unsheathe your mighty pen and write to them yourselves:

Tim Allix

Whistler

 

 

A summer thank you

Before the sounds of nocturnal scraping snow ploughs and daybreak alpine blasts terminate my lingering obsession for summer’s warmth for winter’s white depth, a thank you is in order.

Each summer Whistler-Blackcomb hosts over 300 kids mostly from the inner city of Vancouver who otherwise could not afford to have access to Whistler. We believe that no youth within the Sea to Sky corridor or City of Vancouver should be denied access to the world’s greatest mountain playground – Whistler. Kids need exposure to as many positive physical activities as possible and Whistler offers so much in this regard. The objective is to offer the kids as many mountain activities as possible in one day in the hopes that they will discover newfound positive passions.

This program would not be successful without the staff and resources of Canadian Snowmobile Adventures. The kids’ fun meters break through the stratosphere in a semi-controlled chaos of zip lines, ATVs and Hummer rides around the base of Blackcomb. All of these are kindly donated by the CSA team. Doug Washer, Al Crawford, Matt Davies and all your team: Thanks so much for being once again a great community partner.

Arthur De Jong

Mountain Planning and Environmental Resource Manager

Whistler-Blackcomb

 

 

A little help from our friends

Search and Rescue Wine'd up, volunteers helping volunteers!

Following a great evening this past Saturday, I would like to extend a sincere thanks to all of the people involved in this amazing event. As host Chef of this event, four of the last five years, I again was totally impressed by the generous outpouring of support from our community and suppliers. As all members of our business community know first hand, this has been a challenging year. To walk by the auction table, one would not guess this. Thank you to all of the business owners who stepped up and again showed our community spirit.

The organization team of Sue Stafford, Jenny Villard and Ted Pryce-Jones were on their game and dynamic as usual. Dawn Sleiman, Eric Smith of special events, Whistler-Blackcomb were great at ensuring our teams worked well together.

With all of that being said, as a Chef/owner, I could not be away and do charity functions as this, without my wife Bonnie and our team of talented, devoted staff working in our bistro, pub and liquor store. Not only did the following staff work their shift, but they also came and helped work for the event afterwards. Wow! All of this from young professionals who simply asked how they could help.

Thank you to Mark Crofton for working very hard for two long days, Ryan Liebrecht our restaurant chef, Rachel Kompass and Jamie MacCaulay – needless to say without these people, I would still be dishing out dessert.

And last but not least, our suppliers, Bruce Miller of Across the Creek Organics who donated all of the superbly fresh, organic produce for the dinner, with just one phone call! And a special thanks to Dana Lee Harris who again organized all of the wines and who initiated this event all those years ago.

In closing, for myself I derive great pleasure in showcasing our local products, with local talent, for a great local cause. I am not alone in this venture, as evident by all of the tables of friends and associates in the room. Thank you to all of you, and perhaps we can do it again next year!

Chef Bernard Casavant

Ciao-Thyme Bistro

Whistler

 

What a concept

Thank you to the Affinity boys for opening the Whistler Clearance Centre. What a great concept! Now I don’t need to go to Squamish or the city.

John Stamer

Whistler