Blast Rocks Sechelt House Fire Claims Child
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Sif^*1*"'' *'?<&* .•'•*vt~ y' »ATIVE LIBRARY ;SS3' £_r1!am©Hi Buildings VidTDRiAj _.C. S<£l/ unexplained Blast rocks Sechelt r A so-far unexplained explosion road near the gouge. No other in the centre of Sechelt around 2:30 damage was caused. a.m. Saturday morning shook peo Members of the RCMP who ple in their.beds and was heard as were in the detachment at the time far away as Davis Bay and Mason the blast occurred immediately Road. went outside and could see a huge puff of smoke on Wharf Road. Besides the sound, which one There was no car or person in view. woman thought was a clap of After investigation it is still thunder striking immediately over unkown what kind of explosive her home until she looked outside device created the blast, although a to discover a lovely starlit night, stick of dynamite is suspected. the only evidence of the blast was a According to Sechelt RCMP gouge approximately 12 inches Constable R.J. Spenard, the per long and three inches wide in the son or persons setting the explosion pavement of Wharf Road in front could be charged with mischief, of Unicorn Pets and Plants. An willful damage and possession of a 18-inch long cord suspected to be weapon dangerous to the public. •; part of a fuse was found on the The investigation continues. , M 13 teachers new to district The grade one to 12 enrollment characteristics of the former Jervis in School District #46 as of Mon Inlet NES Program. day, September 10 was 2,651. This Teaching vacancies which occur Members of the Sechelt Volunteer Fire Department, the RCMP and determine the cause of Saturday morning's tragic house fire which number is six less than the June red in June because of resigna the provincial fire marshall's office sift through the rubble to try to claimed the life of three-year old Dustin Johnson. -m» Bums!* photo figure and is eighty less than the tions, retirements or leaves of number of students anticipated. absence have now been filled. Kindergarden numbers are Teachers new to schools on the In Sechelt holding steady with 247 registra Sunshine Coast include: tions to date compared to 245 in BOWEN ISLAND: Gerri Karr, June. Margaret Keitel, Shaun McGuin- ness, Cynthia Nicolson. Schools report that start-up ac GIBSONS: Lorrie Baglot, Derek, tivities for the 1984-85 school year Janot. House fire claims child have progressed smoothly. Off to LANGDALE: Ann Chow A traeitragic firfiree in the earlyv hours oOff SechelC/v>h*It VolunteeVnluntoor FirI?ir<e» rVmartrripnDepartmenft ningnlnn , approximatelannmvlnutolyv half an Vir.nhour > ePHd outmtt . NNlon foufnn l1 planlnyv is suspectedsiisnerfeH . an especially good start is CHATELECH: Clint Fox, John Saturday morning-completely gut at 6:22 a.m. Though firemen were before the fire was discovered, to RCMP will continue to gather in Chatelech's Native Studies Pro Hibberson . ted a home on Sechelt's Shorncliffe formation for the coroner's report. 1 almost immediately on the scene, return to work at a logging camp at gram under the direction of teacher ELPHINSTONE: Francine Avenue, next to the tourist bureau, the fire was already fully engaged, Seshal Creek ' up Jervis Inlet. In the wake of the tragedy, Ms John Hibberson. Twenty-two In Beaudin, Beverly Burgoyne, Wen and claimed as its victim a three- with flames shooting through the RCMP were unable to contact him Johnson and her baby were taken dian and non-Indian students are dy Caissie. year old child. roof and windows. M. by radio phone, and the tragic to stay and be comforted at the enrolled in this "school within a PENDER HARBOUR: Lynda Wakened around 6:15 a.m., Two other adults sleeping in the message was to be delivered to him home of her in-laws. .. .. school" which retains some of the Shoiya . 20-year old Natan Johnson opened home at the time the fire broke via a regularly scheduled Tyee^ her bedroom door to be greeted by out, Ms Johnson's brother Robbie flight later in the day. M a wall of flame and smoke. Yelling Gibbons ai$ a$najcL.r Johjn, Hpliis, to^try andf rou^ft^tfis^|Je^»t^|, were Ta^y'a^0^i^pcunharmed '^fire'',ma$is^ irt the house, she snatched up her through M the' window of their scene late Saturday morning con six-month old son, in the same bedroom. Flames and smoke ducting an investigation as to the room with her, and escaped, prevented any of the adults from cause of the fire: While no exact through the bedroom window entering a third bedroom where Ms cause has been determined and without injury. Johnson's three-year old son likely won't be, due to the near Running to the neighbouring Dustin was asleep. total destruction of the house, an home of Mrs. Billie Steele, Ms Ms -Johnson's husband, Kevin electrical, propane gas or wood Johnson turned in the alarm to the August, had left earlier in the mor stove cause has definitely been rul fflsers protest Sewer hiked At its regular meeting of future sewer system problems running these plants;. when the September 13, the Sunshine Coast would create rate burdens too ex shortfall is paid, the rates will go Regional Board was presented with cessive for individual homeowners. down." a. detailed an_ strongly worded The group recommended that no It was also pointed out that the petition from the West Sechelt private sewer system takeover oc figures submitted by the West Sewer Users Group. Members of cur until full capacity has been Sechelt .Sewer Users Grop the group were "unanimous in: reached, thus enabling costs to be overlooked certain maintenace their objections ' and concerns- spread over a larger number, of costs such as hydro, quality, control regarding present regional policy" users. Recommendations were also testing, and pump-out costs. on "sewer system takeovers. made concerning servicing and Director Gurney stated that the board "recognized the real hard monitoring procedures. Happy to stay after school and learn all about the equipment and teaching aids available at the District The delegation stated that if ship to homeowners", but felt that ^Spokesman Michael Shanks Resource Centre are the 11 teachers new to School District #46. Around the circle, beginning to the right reiterated a number of times, 'that there were no changes in regional the region had taken steps to lessen the group was most upset that fees policy with regards to the situation, the blow by spreading the deficit of the doorway, are Lynda Shioya, Craig McGuinness, Cynthia Nicolson, Gerry Karr, District Resource payable to the region had increased they would consider taking other over a three year interest-free Centre Co-ordinator Dave Short, Wendy Caissie, Bev Burgoyne, John Hibbeson, Clint Fox, Lori in excess of 400 per cent since the action—either non-payment of period and by granting a payment Baglot, Anne Chow and Francine Beaudin. -FranRurmideph<>t<> takeover two years ago, and that it sewer charges or payments equal to extension to the end of the year. was difficult to find a logical those made by sewer users in Director Burnside expressed the reason for this. Comparisons with Sechelt. opinion that, "We should have previous servicing and main notified and explained as clearly as School District #46 tenance costs seemd to indicate During the Public Utilities Com possible the reason for the rate in that increases in these, areas were mittee meeting section of the agen creases. It's that neglect of 'people ..also excessive. --M da, chairman Jon McRae explain detail' which makes the regional Property owners expressed con ed that "these dramatic increases board seem like big uncaring Student enrolment down cern that no notification had been were necessary to make up the government." given prior to billing, and question deficits which resulted from the The PUC agreed to do an in transportation for secondary kindergarten and a combined school students who live within a ed; the fairness of the plan not to takeover", as "there is always an depth analysis of the brief by Maryanne West grades one and two. charge future property owners the extra cost in the early years for new presented by the delegation and to One of the basics in getting the three mile radius of the school. A large delegation of parents It was one thing for children to $500 connection fee. equipment. The 1983 shortfall oc return to the regional board with school year off to a smooth start is came to the school board meeting MFears were also expressed that curred because we lacked ex an evaluation and recommenda how many kids will turn up, how walk to school years ago when cars on September 11 headed by Mrs. were few and far between, but following a user pay approach, perience in estimating total costs of tions. will the actual enrolment stack up Janet Amberg, to plead for a se to the forecasts made in June. todays traffic and the lack of cond full time teacher. Reminding sometimes even a wide shoulder to There have been years when a sud the board that their children Clubhouse, RV\ and foreshore den influx has resulted in 50 more walk along makes walking in many already lack many of the facilities areas a hazardous option. students than were expected in one other schools take for granted such school, but this year, in almost all as learning assistance, a gym Secretary Mills has been riding schools enrolment is down, to the nasium and library, she pointed the buses, as he does at the beginn Gibsons planning items tune of 80 less students than ex out that they have more children in ing of each school year to deter mine trouble spots and reported to estimated at $250,000.