Tuesday, February 09, 2010
It's the economy (Tuesday, February 9, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- EU believed poised to back Greece
Globe and Mail-- BHP gives cautious outlook
Globe and Mail-- Venezuela's Hugo Chavez declares energy crisis
National Post-- Bernanke to outline plans although hearing postponed due to storm
National Post-- Greece's creative accounting courtesy Goldman Sachs
National Post-- Google launches Google Buzz
Vancouver Sun-- CHC Helicopters part of billion-dollar U.K. SAR bid
Vancouver Sun-- Throne Speech offers tax breaks, more preschool options and cheaper housing
New York Times-- Europeans Discuss Aid for Greek Debt
New York Times-- New European Leadership Faces Economic Hurdles
New York Times-- China Overtakes Germany as Top Exporter
USA Today-- Paulson, Buffett agree: U.S. may profit from bank bailout
USA Today-- Europe searches for way out of debt crisis
Guardian UK online-- Barclays' John Varley: 'Obama reforms won't prevent banking crisis'
Guardian UK online-- The euro's darkest hour
Guardian UK online-- Scrap UK's wind farm plans, says Gazprom boss
Times online-- Britain's trade deficit widens unexpectedly
Times online-- Hector Sants to stand down as chief of City watchdog FSA
Telegraph UK online-- Britain's everlasting deficit
Telegraph UK online-- Warren Buffett's 'Baby Berks' arrive for the masses
Telegraph UK online-- Who in their right mind will bail out the poor relations of Europe?
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Alumina takes price battering
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Woodside pick spot for LNG hub
Brisbane Times-- Rocky start for the great deal of China
Brisbane Times-- Qatar? Be warned
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Back down on $5m misconduct penalty
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Toyota's credit rating is being threatened
People's Daily-- Analysts say China should not yield to Obama's hardline on yuan
People's Daily-- China mounts fight on fake invoice fraud
China Daily online-- Ma: Pact with mainland to raise Taiwan's competitiveness
China Daily online-- Chinese investors turn to Dubai
Times of India-- Domestic car sales jump 32%, bikes up 44% in January
Kitimat faces many hard decisions in the face of shocking population decline forecast

“Municipal services are driven by your ability to pay and by the population you serve,” he explained. “A town of 2,000 people will have a different complement of municipal services than a town of 15-, 20,000. That’s obvious.” -- Part of a briefing to Kitimat City council as the city comes to terms with the state of its economic health.
As the realities of the Eurocan closure hit home in Kitimat, that city's council has had to face some cold statistics over their future, that of the potential decline of the city's population by 4,000 residents.
District manager Trafford Hall delivered the sobering news to Kitimat's council on January 29th, offering up the prospect of hard decisions to come by that city as it tries to determine how best to serve its residents with a population in exodus and a thinly stretched tax base to remain.
The full review of the numbers was provided by Kitimat's Northern Sentinel, (read it here) it makes for an interesting read on how sudden economic reversal can quickly change the dynamic of a community, something that Prince Rupert is more than familiar with.
False alarms, false flags and fanciful imaginations
.
As Vancouver prepares for its Olympic debut on Friday, the anticipation of the start of the latest Olympiad seems to be feeding the anxieties of some and the imaginations of others.
Of mandates and money at City council

“We are here to operate a City and the City is in financial difficulty. We need to look at roads, water and sewer and ensure that they are operating. That is our mandate and that needs to be first and foremost…I don’t think, at this time, our community can afford it,” added Bedard. A quote from a report by the Northern View’s Shaun Thomas, outlining some of the debate of council and Councillor Bedard's thoughts of Monday night regarding the proposed rebate on rent for the All Native Basketball Tournament.
That request required two separate introductions in council, the first on the 12th of January 2009, which was withdrawn pending further comment from staff and then the re-introduction of the motion on the 26th of January 2009, where the resolution was listed as carried in the minutes of that council meeting.
The two situations and requests for assistance of course are not the same, one is for what in effect is a cash donation to be put towards rent on an event that provides a fair amount of revenue to local businesses, and attracts hundreds if not thousands of visitors to the city on an annual basis.
As for that request of January of 2009, beyond the raised eyebrows of more than a few in town over the perceived alliance between the city and a local employment service, we imagine that like today, financially things weren’t much better a year ago than they are at the moment.
We’re not sure what that administrative support for the co sponsorship evolved to, or how much in the end that project cost the city if anything, nor do we know if the city recouped any of its investment of support services towards that project, or if that assistance translated into the successful accessing of funds for Hecate Strait.
But aside from any financial updates on that partnership, the question that comes to mind, considering the tone of debate on the ANBT request in council chambers on Monday is, did the
If council is going to declare standards for mandates, it might be helpful to explain what does and doesn’t qualify for city support, in whatever form that support may come and what that support should or should not consist of.
And the flame goes out as the games come to a close

The convoy of buses began the trek eastbound shortly after the noon hour on Sunday, inside many tired, but enthusiastic participants in Prince Rupert's BC Northern Winter Games.
.
.
Monday, February 08, 2010
It's the economy (Monday, February 8, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- The making of a housing bubble
Globe and Mail-- Bay Street over Wall Street: Safer – and better pay
Globe and Mail-- MLS challenge could change the way houses are sold
National Post-- Olympics make for market winners
National Post-- Competition watchdog says realtor rules limit choice
National Post-- Ottawa mulls buying Windsor-Detroit Ambassador Bridge
Vancouver Sun-- Hydro offers a glimpse of the future with appliances controlled remotely through the Internet
Vancouver Sun-- Canadian potash producers reach deal in China
New York Times-- Toyota Details Recall of 2010 Prius for Brake Problems
Guardian UK online-- Cost of insuring European national debts hits new high
Times online-- Greek unions threaten austerity moves
Times online-- Sterling falls on fears of eurozone strife
Telegraph UK online-- Greek crisis intensifies as Joe Stiglitz calls for Europe to 'teach the speculators a lesson'
Telegraph UK online-- Ex-Fed chairman Alan Greenspan says he's 'very concerned' over fall in stock markets
Telegraph UK online-- The UK mustn't be STUPID
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Insider gets BHP iron ore job
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Avoca gold for healhty profit rise
Brisbane Times-- Celebrity daze: CEOs are not stars of sport or screen, they're just overpaid employees
Brisbane Times-- Bullying fines deliver a stern message
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- JB Hi-Fi announces record half year profit, flags change of CEO
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Glenn Wheatley tells court his lawyer advised him to send money off shore to avoid paying tax
Podunk Below the Masthead (Monday, February 8, 2010)
(Archive for Daily News Articles for February 8, 2010 to be provided upon posting to Daily News website)
The Northern View
After lengthy debate, City of Prince Rupert providing a conditional grant to All Native Basketball Tournament -- The Northern View once again makes good use of its website, with the first comprehensive report on Monday night's city council meeting where the seemingly controversial topic of a rent reduction for the All Native Basketball tournament was discussed and approved with conditions (see article here)
CFTK TV 7 News
CBC News, Northern British Columbia, Daybreak North
Taking on the HST -- The CBC reintroduces its multi media aspect of their website with a report on the northern organizer for the Fight HST group (listen to report here)
But, but , when could we go to the bathroom?
.
.
.
.
Fraser Institute rankings stir the debate for another year!

Having given the member papers of Black Press (including the Northern View) a sneak preview of their findings from this years survey into education. The Fraser Institute released their numbers to wider circulation Friday, posting their report on the Institutes website.
If the province wishes to make their public schools reach those levels that grace the top twenty of the list, then invest the required capital both in education and social programs to ensure the playing field is a more level one.
Until the province accepts that it has dropped the ball on education and develops a comprehensive plan to make sure that the public schools have all the tools required to the job, the only thing that these studies from the Fraser Institute seem to succeed in doing is highlight the disadvantage that the Government of British Columbia is putting the education of a good portion of its children in.
NaiKun's president is ready for his close up

Paul Taylor, the President and CEO of NaiKun wind energy will be taking his tale of progress on the much anticipated off shore wind power project to the world of business television on Tuesday.
Once they have that step in place, NaiKun Wind says it would then move quickly to finalize arrangements with project co-owners, sign supplier agreements, finalize project permits and procure project financing.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
It's the economy (Weekend Edition February 6 & 7, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- Toyota poised to take action on Prius
Globe and Mail-- G7 reaffirms commitment to bank reform
Globe and Mail-- Big Six banks urge Ottawa to tighten mortgage rules
National Post-- Arctic G7 meeting ends with a whimper
National Post-- Has gold earned its place in RRSPs?
National Post-- If the IPCC were Toyota
New York Times-- European Central Bank in a Squeeze
New York Times-- In Super Bowl Commercials, the Nostalgia Bowl
New York Times-- America Is Not Yet Lost
USA Today-- More consumers just say no to credit cards
USA Today-- 2010 USA TODAY Ad MeterSM tracks Super Bowl XLIV ads
Guardian UK online-- Branson warns that oil crunch is coming within five years
Guardian UK online-- Industry and unions in Ireland join forces to oppose budget cuts
Guardian UK online-- The wider financial impact of southern Europe's Pigs
Telegraph UK-- Gordon Brown to attend crisis talks over Greece
Telegraph UK-- Greek Ouzo crisis escalates into global margin call as confidence ebbs
Telegraph UK -- Wrong time for Tories to start wobbling over spending cuts
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Bank shield removed
Brisbane Times-- Marching to a different drum
Brisbane Times-- Game on in wealth management
Sydney Daily Herald-- Government's switched on energy move
Sydney Daily Herald-- Banker Sung Kyu Chung 'stole $7m for sex with prostitutes'
People's Daily-- China's fiscal revenue rises 55.8% in Dec.
People's Daily-- China to levy anti-dumping duties on U.S. chicken
China Daily -- Chinese vice premier stresses economic structure adjustment
China Daily -- Rio Tinto gets new chief in China
Times of India-- Worst is over, food prices will be stabilized soon: PM
Times of India-- Economy to grow by 7.5% in 2009-10: PM
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Let the competition begin!

Prince Rupert, your games are on!
Podunk Below the Masthead (Friday, February 5, 2010)
(Archive for Daily News Articles for February 5, 2010 )
The Northern View
Sun Wave takes City of Prince Rupert to court over right to equipment at Watson Island -- The Northern View offers up some background on Sun Wave Forest Products move to litigation over issues surrounding Watson Island (see article here)
Shames Reduces Operations -- Local ski fans have one less day to work with until spring break, as Shames Mountain reduces its days of operation, closing the hill on Wednesday's owing to a lower than average snowfall and a poor economy (see article here)
Airline in for the summer-- Hawkair announces a summer romance with Haida Gwaii, with planned regular service (with the exception of Wednesdays and Sundays) to the Islands for summer months (see article here)
CBC News, Northern British Columbia, Daybreak North
The return of local content on the CBC website continues to experience delays as technical woes appear to be continuing. The CBC has once again revised their start up date for the new service, advising that the site will launch "shortly"
Daily News, front page headline story
A little touch of France comes to Prince Rupert
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
A little Parisian culinary light on North Coast nights sounds like a
good idea.
That’s what the Crest Hotel executive chef Willy Beaudry hopes to prove over the next 24 days as he adds a bit of French flare to his already varied menu.
With help from Parisian chef Domnique Dien, Beaudry will provide “A Taste of France” featuring lunch and dinner menus co-created by chefs Beaudry and Dien, showcasing French dishes and desserts, along with French music playing in the background and a selection of wines to compliment the meal and create an atmosphere right out of Paris.
For Beaudry, this is an excellent opportunity to prove to local diners that Prince Rupert can very well provide the type of dining experience that some may believe to be reserved for the beau monde of big city life.
“This is what we are trying to do with these ‘tastes of’ months. We want local diners to have a variety of experiences when they dine out in Prince Rupert,” explained Beaudry. “That’s why Dominque is here this week.”
Scooping Dien for the week was a culinary coup. The man has a pedigree some chefs can only dream of. And on February 4 and 5 he will be preparing French specialties for guests at the Crest Hotel.
Dien spent years preparing French cuisine at famous restaurants such as Maxims de Paris and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and at restaurants at the Four Seasons, and Sutton Place Hotel groups. His expertise in the kitchen also provided Dien with the opportunity to serve as the chef for the Shah, or King, of Iran and his visiting dignitaries.
Dien has brought that experience and earned knowledge to the North Coast so that the team at the Crest can learn from his gifted discoveries.
One thing Dien has already discovered, from two decades of working in Canada, is that while the country does not have the same kind of history of cooking, it is developing quickly into a passionate and quality nation of cuisine.
Dien arrived in the Great White North in the 1980s as a bushy-eyed 20-year old. Having already worked in a variety of signature restaurants in Paris, he had no idea what to expect. A lot of chefs were coming to Canada from Europe at that time, with most hotel kitchens featuring a staff ratio of 90 per cent European and 10 per cent Canadian.
That’s changed, and some of that can be attributed to the arrival of big name, Canadian-bred chefs such as Rob Feenie – the Iron Chef.
“The biggest difference between Canada and France is the long term commitment. In France we begin cooking at a young age and so the love for cooking is not simply a profession as it is here. People here don’t really decide they want to cook until they are much older, into their 20s. But saying that, the passion in B.C. has changed. The quality is getting closer,” said Dien.
One of the most important messages both Beaudry and Dien wanted locals to understand is, the type of dining experience that they are cooking up does not require diners to break the bank.
Among the many delectable meals are salade de canard tiede (warm duck salad), moules a la crème (French island mussels), bouef bourguignon, cote de veau grille (grilled fresh veal) and ravioli homard (lobster ravioli). And a reasonable price won’t upset the quality.
“It’s important that people realize that they don’t need to get a mortgage to have a special dining experience,’ said Dien.
Friday, February 05, 2010
The Fraser Institute picks its messenger

The Fraser Institute released its always controversial elementary school rankings to the public on Friday, a listing of 876 schools based on the results of the Foundation Skills Assessment tests conducted on an annual basis.
Usually these results would be first released in the Vancouver Sun and Province, but this year the Fraser Institute approached The Golden Star’s parent company Black Press about getting the exclusive rights to run these report cards before any other media in the province. I was initially opposed to the offer because I believe these “report cards” are really nothing more than fodder for this province’s over-zealous right wing.
"I still believe that.
.
Clearly the Fraser Institute was wrong if they thought that by approaching the community newspapers of the province they were going to get a head start and maybe a free ride on the pushing their agenda, without any push back.
Mr. Bennett's full editorial from the Golden Star can be found here, but if nothing else a pair of closing paragraphs from it perhaps provides the most lucid examination of how these rankings can affect education in local communities and more importantly, what they don't seem to address when it comes to what should be celebrated in education in the province.
.
"The negative impact of these reports should also not be undermined. Because of its flaws, this report casts what are likely very good schools, and ultimately very good teachers, in a bad light. For example, schools in very poor communities are compared with schools in wealthy communities, and while the schools may be equal in size, that is where the equality ends. There might be wonderful things happening in the poorer school, but that day’s biggest challenge might be maintaining a breakfast program so that students learn on a full stomach.
.
"Another reason is because I hope it leads to positive and important discussions between parents and their child’s teachers and the school’s administration. I hope that by presenting both sides of this issue, parents will take the time to find out more about their child’s education and the many successes that are happening within our schools, and I truly believe the successes far outweigh the failures. Ultimately, that might be the best report card any school could get."
.
Bravo to Mr. Bennett, who clearly understands the role of the media in our communities, not as cheerleaders or agents of spin, but as a valuable service that should be dedicated to providing all sides of a story, examining the issues that are of the most importance to a community and speaking out on them when required.
Googles of February 2010
February 5-- Sun Wave takes City of Prince Rupert to court over right to equipment at Watson Island
February 1-- Inspiration glows with shades of green
February 1-- Locked in for growth
It's the economy (February 5, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- Toyota: Too big, too fast
Globe and Mail-- Canada is rising
Globe and Mail-- Recovery teeters as debt threat spreads
National Post-- Eurozone woes add urgency to Iqaluit G7
National Post-- Mont Tremblant not for sale, Intrawest says
National Post-- Has Microsoft become clumsy, dysfunctional and uncreative?
Vancouver Sun-- Take a tour of the Erickson
Vancouver Sun-- Microbreweries duking it out with the giants in hop-sided Olympics beer war
New York Times-- Fiscal Scare Tactics
New York Times-- Toyota’s Chief Steps Forward to Apologize
USA Today-- Questions and answers on Europe's debt crisis
USA Today-- Portugal defeats austerity measures
USA Today-- Toyota president apologizes, will head quality committee
Guardian UK online-- Spain seeks to calm fears it is 'next Greece' as European markets plunge
Guardian UK online-- Jitters in Cameron camp as economy threatens to derail Tory bandwagon
Guardian UK online-- It's still the economy, stupid
Times Online UK-- Time will tell whether the Bank is right to be cautious
Times Online UK-- Greeks don’t care for cuts
Telegraph UK online-- Eurozone 'pigs' are leading us all to slaughter
Telegraph UK online-- Britain in line for blistering economic recovery, OECD indicator suggests
Telegraph UK online-- Bank calls time on quantitative easing
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Harvey Norman sales recover
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Treasurer Wayne Swan welcomes stronger Reserve Bank of Australia forecasts
Brisbane Times-- Week of non-surprises leaves no one gasping for breath
Brisbane Times-- Rational valuation is the elephant in the room
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Miranda Kerr's banker fan David Kiely to keep job
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Reserve Bank modestly lifts inflation forecasts, sees further rate rises
People's Daily on line-- Central emergency reserve systems successfully handle unexpected events
People's Daily on line-- Hu's transformation call signals confidence in recovery
China Daily-- Chinese shares fall to three-month low - Fri
China Daily-- Rio Tinto hires new China boss to improve ties
Times of India-- India may mull Shariah banking
Times of India-- ‘Indian economy set to grow at 8.5% in 2010-11’
Podunk Below the Masthead (Thursday, February 4, 2010)
Plans Proceed for Wood Pellet Plant in Terrace -- Some positive news for Terrace's hard hit forest sector as General Biofuels Canada has moved forward with its plans to develop a wood pellet plant for that northwest city. The company has already secured letters of intent from potential customers in Asia and Europe and hopes to have the plant operational by next year (see article here)
Port's mayor, three others ask for help on the economy -- A delegation of Northwest Mayors presented their concerns on the economic state of the northwest when they met with the government's northern MLAs and to the NDP rural caucus, the Observer outlined some of the concerns that the brought forward during their visit (see article here)
CBC News, Northern British Columbia, Daybreak North
The return of local content on the CBC website continues to experience delays as technical woes appear to be continuing. The CBC has once again revised their start up date for the new service, advising that the site will launch "shortly"
Daily News, front page headline story
Study on child learning links abilities to local prosperity
By George T. Baker
The Daily News
Your child’s learning outcomes may have a lot to do with how much money not only you make, but also what your neighbours earn.
A new study published by the Human Early Learning Partnership is connecting neighbourhood wealth and learning outcomes.
And while the finding might not give a final stamp of approval to preconceived notions that children are simply products of their environment, it does at least lend credence to the notion and that an earlier recognition and commitment to change could mitigate the way a neighbourhood harms educational outcomes.
The study titled “Early experiences matter: Lasting effect of concentrated disadvantage on children’s language and cognitive outcomes,” published last week in the journal Health & Place, finds children who live in neighbourhoods with higher rates of poverty show reduced scores on standardized tests seven years later – regardless of the child’s place of residence in Grade 7.
The study is the first of its kind to compare the relative effects of neighbourhood poverty at early childhood and early adolescence.
“Our findings suggest that it’s not necessarily where children live later in life that matters for understanding literacy in early adolescence – it’s where they lived years earlier,” says lead researcher Jennifer Lloyd, HELP researcher. “Children’s reading comprehension may be set on a negative course early in life if children and their families are living in resource-deprived places.”
Poverty does not mean immobility. In fact, the report claims that higher rates of residential mobility are associated with poverty, unemployment, family disruption and single parenting. but that those first few experiences in a neighbourhood before turning five tend to stick with a child, regardless of where they live after.
The implications could be significant for Prince Rupert and other economically struggling northern communities.
According to statistics released by School District 52 Superintendent Lynn Hauptman in December, Prince Rupert’s kindergarten students appear to be falling behind when it comes to their readiness for school.
Since the 2006-2007 school year, both basic skills and phonological skills have declined significantly in the first half of the year, leaving educators wondering why.
Theories have abounded, but there is no concrete explanation as to why only 30 per cent of five-year olds last year met education standards for basic skills compared to 66 per cent two years before.
One theory is the cost of economic disadvantage. People who live in poverty have a harder time providing the kinds of educational opportunities that are provided to children of wealthier backgrounds.
Prince Rupert has the highest level of vulnerable children in the province (based on physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge), and the rate has been increasing over the past three years. If there is recognition of the way a community’s economic strength affects a child’s ability to read, then perhaps there is a way to mitigate the disparity between educational outcomes of wealthy and poor kids.
The report suggests the sooner that recognition comes from parents, neighbours and policy makers, the better a child’s educational chances.
“The neighbourhood-level findings are still predicting worse scores seven years later and that’s over and above what we know about the individual children,” said the study’s author, Jennifer Lloyd.
The study could not have come at a better time for locals who have opposed the results. The Fraser Institute leaked its annual report to Black Press, publishers of the Northern View, yesterday, but the results probably won’t shock the community.
In the report, Annunciation School led the way in Prince Rupert with a ranking of 133 out of 876, a significant improvement from it’s five-year ranking of 316th. Westview was next, ranked 485th, followed by Pineridge at 552nd, and Conrad at 716th.
Two Prince Rupert schools, Lax Kxeen and Roosevelt, finished in the bottom 50 with rankings of 846th and 875th respectively - placing Roosevelt second to last in the province.
In Prince Rupert, the South/Ferry neighbourhood that includes much of the local stock of BC Housing residences, is considered one of the most vulnerable blocks in the province. Students attend Pineridge Elementary, Ecole Westview and Roosevelt Elementary, but it is Roosevelt that has had to fight the reputation of being one of the B.C.’s worst performing elementary schools based on Foundation Skills Assessment results. Parents and teachers of Roosevelt have long argued that the school itself is not necessarily underperforming, but that the amount of vulnerable children who attend that school is much higher than the provincial average and this skews the FSA results.
In response, and in conjunction with Success by Six, it is Roosevelt that provides a unique program that acknowledges the challenges South/Ferry faces.
The PACES Hub at Roosevelt encourages parents to drop in for free and improve their reading competency, while at the same time feeling supported as they receive information on how to provide positive behaviour models for home. According to program director Emily Mlieszcko, there are about 200 parents who make use of the program each month.
Mlieszcko said they are starting to see direct benefits from the program in the surrounding community.
“It’s really starting to turn around. The parents are way more engaged in what the children are doing at a young age, and also the parents’ competencies are increasing, too, because they are asking for more support on things they don’t know,” explained Mlieszcko.
Among the subjects they are asking to be educated on is financial literacy. Parents want to know how they can use every dollar to the best of their ability.
“When they can do that, their children are happier because they are able to support their children for a longer time throughout their paycheck periods,” Mlieszcko added.
Jennifer White, one of the Hub’s 200, knows what has to be overcome if she is to give her daughter every opportunity for a full education in Prince Rupert. Before joining the program, she says she was unable to read to her children and felt her illiteracy was holding her children back from receiving a full education. It was also hurting how she related to them.
“The separation between myself and my children in education had definitely become an extra barrier,” said White.
White, 24, lives in the Roosevelt Elementary School catchments area, which is one of the city’s toughest, least economically vibrant neighbourhoods. She knows that she will have to do more with less if those opportunities are going to open up.
With her daughter entering kindergarten, and not speaking very much, White felt that the Hub could improve her child’s communication skills. But it turned out that the Hub was working for her, as well.
White has become more involved in her daughter’s education, and has taken a more active role in her daughter’s life, which she attributes to her time spent in the program. With that increase, explained White, her daughter had changed for the better.
“It is wonderful working and watching her grow. It makes me absolutely happy,’ said White. “She wasn’t really talking and used to only spit out one word sentences, and couldn’t socialize. Now, she loves to socialize.”
But it isn’t just parents that Lloyd’s study hopes to encourage toward an increased positive involvement. She said because it is the neighbourhood factors – external factors – that are shown to influence how a child learns, it was important that the community becomes a positive place for education.
“Kids are influenced, not only by their own individual traits and characteristics, but obviously also by the parents, by community members, educators, by community resources and a whole milieu of influences that will impact a child. Having a a large network around you that are all working together to help you thrive is crucial for a child to do well in life. It does not just come down to parents,’ said Lloyd.
And where a community has a higher level of involvement in each other’s lives, there is a support network for children to fall back on both socially and academically. For instance, where there are higher levels of aboriginal concentration, aboriginal children learn at a faster pace. And the thinking is, said Lloyd, it takes a village to raise a child. That seems to be more based on the involvement of friends and family in each other’s lives and less than it being an ethnic result.
“The predominate school of thought there, and it is not something that is specific to Aboriginal kids – you could do that with Chinese kids, German kids or whoever – the thought is that when you are around people who share your world views and your cultural values – and can look out for one another to build a healthy community – then that can have beneficial effect for learning development,” said Lloyd.
The question now is whether or not PACES will continue on in its current neighbourhood. It is one of Success by Six’s programs, but Roosevelt faces closure along with Westview and Port Edward Elementary. Roosevelt has serious infrastructural upgrades that would be very costly for the school district to fix. For now, the future of the PACES program is cloudy.
Diane Hopkins runs the day–to-day operations of the program and hopes it continues. Sitting down as children play noisily around her, Hopkins said she believes that the program is important for the South/Ferry area.
“In a sense, this program teaches parents that it is not the money that helps education, it is the people,” said Hopkins.
Down the hall from Hopkins is Charlie Carlick’s office. Carlick is Roosevelt’s Childcare worker and has been involved with children’s early education in Metlaklatla and Prince Rupert for some time. The success he’s seen when neighbourhoods are stable and residents are encouraged to be involved in a child’s education astounds him. That’s why he is fighting to save Roosevelt from closure. He does not want PACES removed from the area.
“It’s important because education is a big part of our economics. If we are going to develop, we need to educate our people. The more education we have in Prince Rupert, the better off our city will be.”
You say you want a referendum, well we all wanna change the tax...
Chief Electoral Officer, Harry Neufeld, granted approval for Vander Zalm’s initiative petition application on Thursday, a move that will see the former Premier begin his quest on April 6th. A process that will have him seeking to collect enough names within ninety days, compiling the signatures of at least 10 per cent of the registered voters in each of the province's 85 electoral districts. As a condition for the petition to be accepted as valid, those who sign it must have been registered to vote on the date the petition was issued.
If his initiative is successful, it would set in motion the process that could bring an end to the agreement between the federal government and B.C. to establish the HST and reinstate the PST with the same exemptions as were in effect as of June 30, 2010.
And while the emotions of the stop the tax movement may get pretty heady in the short term, history dictates that initiatives of this type don't have much success.
Since the initiative process was approved and came into effect in 1995, initiative petitions haven't fared very well, three failed to gain the required amount of signatures, one was withdrawn and two were never submitted into the process.
What remains to be seen this time around is if this cause is one that will motivate the population to ally themselves to the former Premier, or if much of that original anger over the tax has dissipated into a sense of acceptance, leaving this one as a battle that won't in the end be fought.
.
BC Local News-- Vander Zalm-led petition to drive out HST gets green light
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Requesting a course change from Chairman Hahn

Gary Coons, the MLA for the North coast has added his office to the list of local officials and residents seeking to change the mind of BC Ferries CEO and President David Hahn, who last November appeared in Prince Rupert to outline his plans to introduce the Tsawwassen to Prince Rupert route to the BC Ferries travel itinerary in the summer of 2011.
.
Prince Rupert Business line owners could pay more to CityWest in March

Prince Rupert's beleaguered business class can add on one more expense this spring, as CityWest announces pending increases to their business line services effective in March.
Also on the website, and something that we're sure won't escape the eyes of local business operators is the review of the recent expansion of services in Kitimat, the completion of the fibre optic link to that city and the recent purchase of a new office building to serve that city.
It's the economy (February 4, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- Financial system fix at G7 tested by competing national interests
Globe and Mail-- Europe's debt crisis threat to recovery
Globe and Mail-- Canadian companies poised to win exemption from Buy American
National Post-- Iqaluit G7 preview: debates about relevance, financial reform
National Post-- Buy American exemption reached
National Post-- Lost productivity could cost each Canadian $30,000: Carney
Vancouver Sun-- Tolko president Al Thorlakson steps down
New York Times-- Investors Fear Europe’s Woes May Extend Global Slump
New York Times-- Cuomo Sues Bank of America, Even as It Settles With S.E.C.
New York Times-- Mystery Men of the Financial Crisis
USA Today-- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway no longer rated AAA
USA Today-- Heinz revamps ketchup packets
USA Today-- Stocks tumble on worries about jobs, European debt
Guardian UK online-- Bank of England halts quantitative easing
Guardian UK online-- British Gas cuts gas prices by 7%
Guardian UK online-- Markets fall on widening deficit fears and rising US unemployment
Times Online UK-- Shell to cut 1,000 jobs and close six refineries
Times Online UK-- Revived but on life-support
Telegraph UK online-- Toyota is the latest embarrassment for Japan
Telegraph UK online-- Fears of 'Lehman-style' tsunami as crisis hits Spain and Portugal
Telegraph UK online-- How long before the lights go out?
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Asciano signs big haulage deal
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Mixed retail and building results
Brisbane Times-- Relish a revival of abundance, beware snakes
Brisbane Times-- Hanging out with bad company
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- $17m on failed tender not a waste
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- 'Down Under' ripped off Kookaburra tune - Judge
People's Daily on line-- Soros: China seen as a motor of global economy
People's Daily on line-- China's first lottery hotel starts construction in Hainan
China Daily-- Faster economic adjustment 'brooks no delay': Hu
China Daily-- China-Africa economic co-op committee founded
Times of India-- Get set to pay more for petrol, diesel
Times of India-- No real gain from extended trade hrs
Mr. Stewart enters the Lions den
.
Podunk Below the Masthead Archives February 2010
School District school closure consultations continue through February and March

School District 52 continues its process of consultations this month, as they provide forums for parents at Westview, Port Edward School and Roosevelt Park School to share their thoughts on the potential closure of any or all of the three schools effective August 31, 2011.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Podunk Below the Masthead (Wednesday, February 3. 2010)
Prince Rupert Prepares for Northern Winter Games --The start of the Northern BC Winter Games are less than a day away and CFTK TV 7 provided some background on the final preparations to welcome the participants on Thursday evening (see article here)
.
.
By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Daily News
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay rolled into Prince Rupert on a gorgeous sunny day.
“I’m really happy about how things went,” said the city’s recreation director Michael Curnes who was part of the local task force organizing the event.
“The weather was amazing. VANOC told us we were very organized considering we had the most complicated show.”
The local Special Events Society had a contract to help City crews handle the logistics and 25 local volunteers worked with VANOC doing everything right down the mascots, explained Curnes.
MC Richard Thompson, formerly of Prince Rupert, told the crowd the local torch task force intended to put the Seafest Parade on the stage and in many ways they succeeded. While there weren’t any floats, there was a plethora of entertainers from varying cultural backgrounds. The colourful backdrop of the travelling stage made the costumes and regalia look stunning.
Dancers from Haida, Nisga’a, Tsimshian, Punjabi and Portuguese background, along with students from Spectrum City Dance, took turns sharing their talents.
Singers Kimberly Truong, Tom & Kate, The Mermaid Café, Sall Gibson, the Sweet Adelines Pacific Mist Chorus and Prince Rupert Community Choir were also all part of the line up.
A trio of drummers sponsored by Coke and a performance painter sponsored by RBC were featured and afterwards RBC donated the painting to the City’s recreation centre and announced they were donating $2,500 to the Friendship House.
From the opening welcome by Hereditary Chief James Bryant to the singing of Happy Birthday marking Prince Rupert’s upcoming centennial on March 10 sung by Danielle Dalton, MLA Gary Coons, MP Nathan Cullen, Mayor Jack Mussallem and Karin Ljungh, it was a full evening.
Chris Cain, regional programming manager for CityWest, was on the roof of City Hall filming the entire event and estimated there were over 1,500 people lining Third Avenue.
He confirmed Tuesday evening that the torch celebration will be broadcast on Channel 10 Wednesday and Thursday at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Curnes said all of the performers will receive a CD of the recording and that the dance groups were each given an honourarium to use toward costumes.
Four sets of bleachers were purchased for the event and used in conjunction with three that already belonged to the recreation department. “We are able to keep those and use them around the ball parks,” said Curnes.
Prince Rupert’s torchbearer, Charlotte Rowse, emerged from an initial list of 54 names generated by the torch task force.
To narrow the list down to a top three, Curnes said the task force extended the decision making to mayor and council.
“We had to submit three names to VANOC in order of preference and we had to contact all three to let them know there was a chance they’d be carrying the torch.”
Six weeks ago, Rowse received confirmation that she would be the one.
The party in Prince Rupert marked the 95th day of the relay and the final countdown to the 2010 Olympic Games which begin on Feb. 12.
It's the economy (February 3, 2010)
Globe and Mail-- U.S. headed for another bubble: TARP watchdog
Globe and Mail-- Don't drive recalled Toyotas: U.S.
Globe and Mail-- Major potash exporter raises spot price
National Post-- Are we back in the 1970s?
National Post-- Potash Corp shares gain as BPC raises potash prices
National Post-- Spain could cause nightmare for EU
Vancouver Sun-- B.C. boosts film production tax credits
Vancouver Sun-- B.C.'s tech sector betting on 2010 recovery: survey
New York Times-- E.U. Warns of Tough Supervision of Greece’s Budget
New York Times-- Transportation Chief Hastily Backtracks on ‘Stop Driving It’
New York Times-- Bernanke Takes Oath at Fed, Quietly
USA Today-- Toyota pedal fixes underway, but new crises emerge
USA Today-- Bernanke voices economic concerns as he's sworn in
USA Today-- Movie Gallery files bankruptcy protection again
Guardian UK online-- Service sector slows prompting double-dip recession fear
Guardian UK online-- Ofgem: UK cannot trust energy companies to keep the lights on
Guardian UK online-- European commission dictates 'intense' scrutiny of Greek spending cuts
Guardian UK online-- Finance ministers promised a meal of seal at G7 summit in Iqaluit
Times Online UK-- Europe takes legal action over Greece's debt data
Times Online UK-- Britain must take a cold, hard look at itself
Telegraph UK online-- Tories will need emergency Budget for Britain to avoid the risk of a Greek mess
Telegraph UK online-- Greece under EU protectorate as funds shift fire to Portugal
Telegraph UK online-- US commodities market under attack
Melbourne Herald Sun-- Akron collapse delivers $18m hit for ANZ
Melbourne Herald Sun-- A pause, but rates will go higher
Brisbane Times-- Banker busted appraising model's assets
Brisbane Times-- Oiling those squeaky wheels of government
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- Failed broadband tender cost $30m
Sydney Daily Telegraph-- What a degree's really worth in earnings
People's Daily on line-- What's next for China's monetary policy?
People's Daily on line-- China to focus on a stable exit strategy in 2010: economist
China Daily-- China should increase social spending - OECD report
China Daily-- China firms continue global hunt for lucrative commodities
Times of India-- ‘It’s a myth that only leaders know things’
Times of India-- Biyani opens community shops
Sun Wave and the City head back to court!!

The latest twist in the Watson Island show seems to be that of adding the prospect of a trip back to the court room for the City of Prince Rupert.
Podunk Below the Masthead (Tuesday, February 2, 2010)
There was no updated news provided on the CFTK website for Tuesday.
CBC News Northern British Columbia, Daybreak North
The return of local content on the CBC website continues to experience delays as technical woes appear to be continuing. The CBC has once again revised their start up date for the new service, advising that the site will launch "shortly".
Daily News, front page, headline story
The Daily News
Last night 85-year-old Charlotte Rowse stepped out of her realm as a Civic Pride champion and was revealed as Prince Rupert’s mystery Olympic torchbearer.
Holding the torch high, dressed in the 2010 Olympic torchbearer’s issued outfit, she made her way from Sixth Street along Third Avenue to the stage outside of City Hall to loud cheers from the people lining the street.
As she stood on the stage after lighting the cauldron, she heard praise of her efforts in Prince Rupert.
Rowse organizes community garbage cleanups, planters for the downtown and Cow Bay, finds funding for the school banner project each year, has accompanied many choirs and is active in the local Rotary Community Choir.
In earlier days she helped fundraise to build the Mount Hays Ski Hill and taught children how to ski. This past November Rowse’s efforts were recognized when she was the recipient of a Civic Appreciation Award by the City of Prince Rupert.
When it was her turn to speak, Rowse said Prince Rupert is a great place to live and a great place to raise kids. “I still don’t think I should be here,” she said as she waved the torch.
Anyone looking down would have noticed Rowse was wearing her trademark - a pair of red shoes. “I bought those in Spain,” she said afterwards, “It was before I knew I had been chosen to be Prince Rupert’s torch carrier.”
Once described as a “little old lady” after she made a plea at City Hall for funding for planters, Rowse’s reputation is anything but. She skis regularly and is always out walking.
“I’m the secret,” Rowse laughed as people came up to congratulate her. She admitted she knew months ago and had to keep it quiet. She only told her husband Dennis, but her son Judd knew because he was also in the running to be the torchbearer.
“She beat me out,“ Judd said chuckling as he arrived to congratulate his mom after taking photographs from the top of City Hall. “Mom has a little more community spirit than I have. I’ll have to pick up more garbage, a lot more garbage, and I might have to teach some kids something.”
Rowse stands 5 ft. 2 inches so the onus was on her to hold the torch up high for people to see as she did her leg of the relay.
“Was it heavy mom?” Judd asked.
“It was heavy, but I did okay,“ Rowse replied, adding that she had practiced a few times walking around the house with a milk jug held up high, yet eventually gave up the routine, confident that she would be okay to carry the torch.
People walking by, congratulating Rowse, said they had a hunch she had been picked to carry the torch.
“You’re a celebrity,” one woman said, giving her a hug.
Two other torchbearers from Prince Rupert were 17-year-old competitive swimmer and Nisga’a dancer Justin Barton, who ran the first leg, and retiring city engineer Bob Thompson who ran the second stretch.
Barton wore his running suit and held his torch, but donned a traditional headpiece to join the Gitmaxmak’ay Nisga’a dancers when it was their turn to perform. He proudly danced at centre stage.
Thompson lingered near the stage with three other torchbearers - Sally from North Vancouver and Mike and Linda from Vancouver. And all four were smiling. It was the first time the three from out of town had been in Prince Rupert.
Linda and Mike arrived on Saturday. “Prince Rupert is very friendly and you have great coffee,” said Linda with a smile.
Describing his leg with the torch as “great” and “fantastic”, Thompson said once he reached Sixth Avenue there were people lined along the streets. He had only learned a few days before that he had been picked so it was all a big surprise.



