THURSDAY, JULY 4, 2019 Vol. A-75, No. 27
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
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Tony Chimini leads a trail of decked-out tractor parade floats down 100 Street during Canada Day celebrations in Fort St. John on July 1, 2019. A week of rain and thunder tapered off just in time for this year’s festivities, with hundreds turning out and lining 100 Street to catch the parade as it wound its way through city streets and back to Centennial Park. Turn to B4 for more from the parade.
‘We need action’
Province pushed for more funding for Peace priorities CONTACT US
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North Peace residents and organizations want the province to increase funding for rural roads, care homes, schools, teachers, special needs education, fish and wildlife staffing, restorative justice and much more here in Northeast B.C. A dozen people spoke to an all-party committee of MLAs soliciting input on the 2020 provincial budget during a public hearing in Fort St. John on Wednesday morning. And in many respects, much of what was asked for during the hearing has been asked for years. Save Our Northern Seniors is just one group that regularly presents to the committee. The group has been pushing for funding for a third care home at Peace Villa — 60 news beds — year after year. The care home was filled to capacity the day it opened, and a third house there remains a top priority, the group said. “We don’t need any more surveys or any more presentations on statistics. We need action,” Margaret Little said. “We’re up to here with piles of statistics about what’s going to happen, that’s enough
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Margeret Little and Mavis Nelson speak to the provincial finance committee in Fort St. John, June 19, 2019.
already. Let’s get on with it. My question is, is anybody listening? When we say we need more facilities and staff, we mean funding.” Wait lists for senior living facilities continues to grow, at 246 at last count. That problem is compounded by staff shortages and barriers to training care aides, Mavis Nelson said. Forty per cent of the health care workforce is
made up of casual positions, she noted. “We need consistency,” Nelson said. At Peace Villa, when Nelson’s mother resides, there are two aides for 17 patients, she added. That means seniors there are regularly missing their bathing, scheduled snack times and dietary needs, and are often put to bed early because there are no evening activities.
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“I have watched workers run from room to room trying to keep up,” Nelson said. “Once, two of them laughing, laughing in total confusion or frustration. They could have been crying just as easily. They were totally overwhelmed.”
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