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Thursday October 13th, 2016 Join us for
FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE Dinner @5 Music @7 Valemount
Volume 7 Issue 41
Lockdowns across School District 57
by EVAN MATTHEWS
A few social media posts caused a partial lockdown at Valemount Secondary School last week, as much of the school district followed protocol. At roughly 10:00 AM on Oct. 6, the secondary school released a statement via its Facebook page. “Our school is on ‘Partial Lockdown’ or Code Yellow this morning… as a precaution,” the post reads.
“We have been notified there have been unusual or worrisome circumstances in Prince George causing schools to follow protocol. We are doing the same as a precaution,” it says. Superintendent of Schools for School District 57, Marilyn Marquis-Forster, confirmed the lockdowns were directly related to social media posts, but would not elaborate on what the posts contained. “There were two separate events,” Marquis-Forster says.
“One post against all schools, and… one post was directed to Prince George schools, specifically,” she says. The RCMP was brought in to investigate, and issued a statement the following morning. “RCMP investigators determined the threats are non-credible and in some cases, outdated,” says Corporal Craig Douglass in a press release. Schools were advised to return to normal at that point, according to Cont’d on A03
Stops of Interest Renovations A03
Lovelocks visit Valemount A06
Winter Driving, the dos and don’ts A08
Photo: Gerry Porrier 95-year-old Ann Porrier and her granddaughte, Marley, sit in chat. Marley arrived to visit her grandmother by train, the same way her grandma did 85-years-ago. Read more on A02.
Valemount Public Library gets renos
Listings on P15!
by EVAN MATTHEWS
Prince George
Shirley honoured
A14
Renovations at the Valemount Public Library are in full swing. The new additions will see an enclosed set of stairs at the back of the library, with the ultimate goal of installing a wheelchair accessible lift to access the basement. “(The stairs) should be done by the end of October,” says Wendy Cinnamon, librarian at the Valemount Public Library. “We just started last week… the contractor
dug a big hole at the back of the library,” she says. The contract, according to Cinnamon, has been awarded to Ian Woolsey. “He’s got the footings in, and now he’s got Styrofoam forms in the right spot to pour the concrete into place,” she says. The next step is to get the concrete truck here, Cinnamon says. The library has also applied for a grant, which would allow for a wheelchair accessible lift to be installed.
“We made sure we had the proper specifications for the lift when we started the stairs, so that we can accommodate for it,” says Cinnamon. “If we don’t get this grant, we’ll apply for another.” The library should find out by the month’s end if they will be receiving the grant. Once the stairs and (potential) lift have been completed, Cinnamon says the library will be doing more renos in the basement. Basement renovations should be complete by the end of December, Cinnamon says.
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