$ 25 (incl. GST) GO GREEN TENNIS 1 HARBOUR HOUSE PUTS WINTER IS NO Wednesday, OUT A CHALLENGE DETERRENT January 31, 2007 PAGE 19 PAGE 32 47TH YEAR ISSUE 5 GULF ISLANDS DriftwoodYOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960 The Big Sale | 21-27 Chamber Page | 18 [email protected] www.gulfislands.net Index Arts ............................ 15 Classifieds ................. 34 Crossword .................. 37 Editorials .......................8 Ferry Schedules ........ 31 Health ......................... 33 Horoscope .................. 38 Letters ......................... 9 Sports ......................... 31 TV Listings ................. 11 What’s On.................. 30 -/24'!'%15%34)/.3 ASK!RLENE ",/ *"/ ON THE CASE: Salt Spring RCMP Const. Matt Meijer looks for fi ngerprints on a door after a thief broke into Jana’s Bake Shop, which Weather has no cash on its premises, and made off with a frozen pie Monday night. Photo by Sean McIntyre Sunny weather is expected to continue with possible showers on the weekend. High to 7 C on Thursday; overnight lows to -1 C Alcohol blamed in dramatic crash on Friday. Speed also considered a cliff and into Fulford Har- ended up on the beach 20 accident revealed alcohol the vehicle. a factor as truck bour as they made their way metres below the road. was also involved. Mark Wildman, 49, of to the ferry terminal Sunday “This is likely a combi- Police, ambulance and Lake Cowichan, Graham Inserts careens off road evening. nation of alcohol and high fi re rescue crews were dis- Lowden, 43, of Cobble Hill, The vehicle was heading speeds,” said RCMP Sgt. patched at 6:45 p.m. They and John Townsend, 47, of • Thrifty Foods By SEAN MCINTYRE toward Fulford on Fulford- Danny Willis. “The vehicle spent the better part of the Victoria were taken to Lady • Uncle Alberts Driftwood Staff Ganges Road when the driv- hit the railing, catapulted evening extricating the indi- Minto Hospital. • Ganges Village Market –––––––––––– er lost control near a bend into the trees and landed on viduals and clearing the “One was treated and • Pharmasave Three men visiting family in the road beside St. Paul’s the beach below. Speed was scene. Traffi c along Fulford- released. The other two and friends on Salt Spring Catholic Church. a factor.” Ganges Road was redirected were transported to Victoria Island are lucky to be alive The truck reportedly A blood sample taken along Stewart Road. Crews North End Fitness after their truck plunged off jumped the guardrail and from the driver following the deployed a crane to retrieve ACCIDENT 3 537-5217 Four-day week picks up Morfi tt dissects ferry minister’s passing grade safety status By SEAN MCINTYRE impressed with how trustees, she said. By STACY CARDIGAN SMITH Driftwood Staff Driftwood Staff teachers and students have Over the past three years, Although a report released last Monday concludes Education Minister Shir- adapted to the shorter school three school districts in Brit- ish Columbia and over 100 B.C. Ferries is operating safely “overall,” it cites a num- ley Bond gave the four-day week since it was imple- ber of areas “where safety and related administrative in the United States have week straight As during mented for the 2004-2005 processes and procedures should be strengthened.” adopted the four-day school a tour of the Gulf Islands school year. The report also describes “observed tension” between week in order to keep costs School District last week. Bond said decreasing B.C. Ferries and the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ down. “Innovative programming enrolment across the prov- Union, and states the situation between the two parties has developed around what ince has forced trustees to While it’s worked in the is “largely dysfunctional.” may well have been an ini- develop creative solutions. Gulf Islands, Bond said, it The report, commissioned by B.C. Ferries after the tial dealing with financial “Across British Columbia, may not be the right solution sinking of the Queen of the North last year, was written ramifi cations for this board,” 55 of 60 school districts are for every district facing a by former B.C. auditor general George L. Morfi tt. Bond said while visiting in decline, but we have to budget shortfall. Morfi tt made 41 recommendations in his 70-page Gulf Islands secondary last remember we are not alone,” “One of the things that is report, all of which B.C. Ferries has committed itself Wednesday. Bond said. “This is a global really important is [a dis- to implement. After walking the halls phenomenon.” trict’s] ability to decide what “Given the scope of the audit, I think Mr. Morfi tt did and sitting in on classes with Since 2001, the number works best with their stu- a very good job,” said union president Jackie Miller dents,” Bond said. students for much of her of public school students in MORFITT REVIEW 2 A year of morning, Bond said she was B.C. has declined by 40,000, MINISTRY VISIT 2 celebration 10% off Tuesdays GANGES Quaker Cereal 100 (some restrictions apply) ILLAGE ARKET • Life V M • Life Cinnamon 97 • Oat Squares LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED 500-730g 2 OPEN DAILY 8am - 9pm 2 ▲ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2007 NEWSBEAT GULF ISLANDS DRIFTWOOD MINISTRY VISIT 77%347).$$ From Page 1 , 7"" Ê ° “If you look at how other school teachers, 130 schools funding for rural schools.” districts across the province have closed their doors since Failing to account for dis- #USTOM&LOORING have handled their budget 2001. Despite recent enrol- tricts the size of France or as 3PECIALIZINGINCUSTOM7IDE0LANK challenges or successes, they ment trends, there were transportationally challenged #LEAR$OUGLAS&IR didn’t choose to go to a four- still roughly 100,000 more as the Gulf Islands, she said, s"RANDNAMEmOORINGAVAILABLE day week, they made other students enrolled in the places school trustees between s/VER(ARDWOOD3OFTWOODSPECIESINSTOCK decisions,” she said. “It’s not province’s public schools in a rock and a hard place. £nääÈÈÇÓÓÇx about one size fits all. It’s 2004-05 than there were 15 “The minister is saying xÊÊ£ä£nÊV >`Ê*>ÀÊ,>`]Ê-`iÞ]Ê about looking at how you do years earlier. you can choose to cut off education in this province. Is While declining enrolment your left foot or your right it going to change? I think it is has had a limited impact, arm,” Sims said. THE and I think we all know that.” said BCTF president Jinny A recent $470-million cash In February, school trust- Sims, the prevalence of four- infusion to address teachers’ Local Liquor Store ees in the Cowichan Valley day weeks and school clo- salary increases, she added, School District will vote on sures has more to do with did not directly improve the whether or not to close three provincial government fund- quality of education received of that region’s 34 public ing cuts. by students in the province’s Exceptional schools. “You don’t see people talk- public schools. According to figures ing about a four-day week “There are very few Wine for obtained from the British in Vancouver or in Burnaby options for boards with not Columbia Teachers’ Federa- and enrolment is on the way enough money,” Sims said. Exceptional tion (BCTF), the union rep- down there too,” she said. “The government has to stop Education Minister People resenting BC’s 38,000 public “The cause is inadequate passing the buck.” Shirley Bond MORFITT REVIEW From Page 1 on Friday, referring to the ing operational safety issues He went on to make “We keep our eyes cast audit’s terms of reference. and ensuring continuous notes concerning the need behind us to make sure we One area of note was the improvements to the SMS,” to “ensure that staff are not don’t make [further mis- Safety Management System wrote Morfi tt. assigned to positions for takes],” she said. (SMS), employed in 1997 to However, he noted B.C. which they are not quali- However, Bob Jones, chair maintain safety both ashore Ferries has been working to fi ed;” to make sure that all of the Salt Spring Island and on ships. improve operational safety staff, particularly seasonal Ferry Advisory Committee, Although pointing out and security, recently creat- ones, receive proper train- believes B.C. Ferries “must that staff can be committed ing the position of executive ing and orientation; and “to have an incredible amount Browse our full selection for every taste! of confi dence” in their orga- to operational safety with- director for safety, security, establish criteria for crew nization to have a third party out being committed to the health and the environment. selection and assignment to SMS, Morfi tt wrote, “Sup- In addition, Miller said come in and thoroughly OPEN DAILY 9 AM - 11PM promote greater cohesion port for the SMS was not B.C. Ferries is working in investigate it. #108-149 FULFORD-GANGES RD. 537-9463 (WINE) and synergy among bridge practised uniformly across conjunction with the union He added that neither the organization. Some to resolve many of these crews for each watch and insurance agencies nor believe that not all senior problems, which is a step in shift period.” the Transportation Safety GET THE operating staff has ‘bought the right direction. He also wrote: “The one Board of Canada, to name $ 95 JOB DONE into’ the SMS.” “In order to have a safety area of concern expressed just a few of the regulatory 419 Miller agrees this is the culture with fully engaged by those we interviewed agencies with an interest, MS 290-20 with a STIHL MS 290 is the profi ciency of some required such a study. Chain Saw greatest area of concern.