InteriorNEWS THE
109th Year - Week 4 •
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
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89 Days To Go
Dylan Aslin skis down the Trail to Town in the Rick Schmidt Torchlight Parade last Friday. Aslin was the first to come down the hill, bearing a brightly-lit torch. More on A16. Xuyun Zeng photo
Lake Kathlyn Elementary Mayors give state of could be closing this June the Bulkley Valley By Chris Gareau Smithers/Interior News
The Bulkley Valley School District 54 board decided to activate a 60-day consultation period on closing Lake Kathlyn Elementary School on the outskirts of Smithers at its meeting last Tuesday. The decision came after continued low enrolment. A final decision on whether or not to close the school this June will be made at a special meeting at Lake Kathlyn school on April 12 at 6:30 p.m. The number of students attending Lake Kathlyn has dropped 42 per cent since 1998, despite bussing in 29 kids from outside the catchment area. More students from inside the catchment are being bussed out, however, with 87 kids bussed into Smithers due to parent preference for programs like French Immersion at Muheim Elementary. That means the school loses a net 58 students from parent preference. The current enrollment is 81, 38 per
cent of the 215-student capacity. A facilities review report says closing the school would save a conservatively estimated $350,000 per year. Financial protection from the province for declining enrolment went up from $733,000 last year to $850,000 this year. That money is taken away when enrolment turns around and starts going up. The District recommended reviewing the use of Lake Kathlyn school at last April’s annual facilities review. The school was built in 1961, with a wing added for a then-growing population in 1994. April’s review also highlighted major challenges at Silverthorne Elementary School in Houston, including building envelope issues, exterior upgrades, the boiler, field and paving. The school was built in 1954 and last renovated in 1970. It and Twain Sullivan, built the same year, are the oldest schools in the valley. “We have not been asked to consider any schools in Houston or anywhere else in the District,” said District co-chair and Houston trustee Jennifer Williams. See KATHLYN on A3
Smithers/Interior News
The mayors of Smithers and Telkwa presented the state of their communities at the Smithers District Chamber of Commerce luncheon last Thursday. Both talked of the interdependence of the Bulkley Valley as a whole, and specific issues that each community will have to deal with in the coming year. Topics covered included the resource industry and closing of Huckleberry Mine, Smithers airport and new arena, public transportation, infrastructure and how to grow business in the valley. “We’re facing some pretty
severe primary resource industry challenges. We’ve had some very troubling news recently about the Huckleberry mine layoffs,” Telkwa Mayor Darcy Repen told the business crowd. He added that municipalities are limited in facing global mineral prices, but a diverse economy was a strength of the valley. Repen said attracting more business could be done by selling the lifestyle offered here. “[It] stands out above so many other rural communities in Canada, in B.C. I think that’s a huge asset, and I think we’re moving forward with some really positive marketing of that,” said Repen. See AIRPORT on A9
DANCE AND MUSIC WOWS CROWD Performing Company Showcase exhibits the Bulkley Valley’s talents.
GROUP HOSTING TALK ON ISLAM Refugee sponsors will host talks to introduce people to Islam.
WRINCH HOSPITAL HANDOVER Details about the future of its pharmacy and dental clinic unfold.
A&E/A15
COMMUNITY/A16
THREE RIVERS/A27
Friday Only!
see last page in A
By Chris Gareau
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