New FDC exhibit tells the story of The Great Fire
A&E, Page 10
Both Piggies men’s teams on to the Island finals
SPORTS, Page 17 Inside
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014
DEDICATION: MS WALK FINAL TALLY WOWS Brilliant sun and great weather pulled a huge number of supporters out to the Cowichan Sportsplex track Sunday morning to start the annual Cowichan Valley MS Walk. The family and pet-friendly event always attracts all kinds of people, from those who have been directly affected by multiple sclerosis to those legendary Valley folks who simply love to support a worthy cause. The MS Walk, of which the ‘Cowichan Valley Citizen’ is a proud sponsor, raised an eye-popping $117,000 this year. Dedicated teams and individuals start fundraising well before walk day and it paid off when the total was announced. [LEXI BAINAS/CITIZEN]
Declining enrolment leaves $1.4M shortfall LEXI BAINAS CITIZEN
Despite leading the provincial pack in receiving funding protection, the Cowichan Valley School District is looking closely at ways to reduce a budget shortfall of $1.4 million. Trustee Mike McKay and his executive team closed several schools last year and rearranged many more but there is still work
to be done because enrolment is still declining, according to district secretary-treasurer Bob Harper. He told the audience at the last board meeting that the district had just received its figures from the province. “Our total funding dropped by just over a million dollars but that’s what we expected because the province has made a com-
mitment to us. We are in funding protection, which means that our funding drops at a slower rate than it would otherwise because of declining enrolment. “What we hear from our neighbours on the North Island is that they are facing the same kind of challenges we are facing — declining enrolment and having to somehow reconcile that they’ve got more capacity than what they
need to service those students. “On the funding protection side of it, we have the dubious distinction of being the highest funding protection in the province this year. We are at the top of that list,” Harper said. What it all means is that the provincial government is giving Cowichan Valley 98.5 per cent of what it got last year. “And that percentage and a half
difference works out to a decline of just over a million dollars,” Harper said. Without this funding protection the district would have been looking at a budget about $3.4 million less. “At that rate of about a million per year we can see we will have another three or four years See INTERNATIONAL, Page 4
Is your health the best it can be? Can we improve the health and well-being of all the citizens of the Cowichan Valley? Our Cowichan-Communities Health Network invites you to help answer these questions by taking a few minutes to complete a health survey.
The health survey can be easily accessed online at www.cchn.ca “Citizens of the Cowichan Communities Enjoy Good Health.” Cindy Lise | Regional Facilitator Our Cowichan email cindylisecchn@shaw.ca www.cchn.ca