WHAT'S UP

Student population grew

School District 47’s student population increased last year.

Student population as of September 30, 2021 was 1,864 while the total headcount as of September 30, 2022 was 1,941. Not all students (such as international and French students) are included in this head count. When the Partners in Education program enrolment figures were factored in enrolment figures were up by 112 students.

Tla’amin soccer star honoured again!

Larry Louie scored twice in the soccer honours department last year.

The first time was in June when he was inducted into the Powell River Sports Hall of Fame. Larry was honoured again in November when he became a member of the Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia.

According to the Soccer Hall of Fame and Heritage Archive, Larry, who is from the Tla’amin First Nation, was an outstanding youth player. He was the winner of the 1963 Sun Tournament Soccer Boy MVP award, and later played for the Pacific Coast League North Shore United, semi-professionally with the Vancouver Spartans, and for many years with the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Braves in All-Native Tournaments.

Family Literacy Week

Each January, families, schools, libraries and communities across BC celebrate Family Literacy Week to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. In 2023, Family Literacy Week will be celebrated from January 22 to 29.

On January 24, Literacy Week gets underway with an open house in the Elsie Paul Literacy Centre at the Powell River Public Library from 10 am to 2 pm.

There will be information available on upcoming tutor training workshops at Vancouver Island University and general information about volunteering and tutoring adults, says Megan Dulcie Dill, Literacy Outreach Coordinator.

The Powell River Public Library’s Sonia Zagwyn and Mel Edgar have been busy planning some great events for literacy week. “We’ll be running a “Print-a-Baby” workshop with early literacy resources for new parents on Thursday, January 26,” said Sonia.

“Mel will also be overseeing a “Choose Your Own Adventure Guide to Reading Discovery” with personalized reading recommendations based on a questionnaire.”

qathet Living magazine publisher Isabelle Southcott and her two Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Jigs and Zunga, will take centre stage at the library on Wednesday, January 25 from 10:30 to 11 am for storytime. Jigs and Zunga invite you to join them for this “doggy-themed” storytime in the Anne Woznow Children’s Room while Isabelle reads their story: Toller Tales, Jigs and Zunga Take A Trip, and meet them afterwards.

There will also be fun doggie songs and rhymes, more dog tales and the usual lively fare of stories, songs, action rhymes, fingerplays and more, added Sonia.

New parks volunteer program formalized

The qathet Regional Board adopted a Parks, Properties and Trails Volunteer Program in November. The new program was initiated after several organizations asked to volunteer their time to supporting regional park, trail and property projects in the qRD.

This volunteer program will support community organizations that would like to volunteer their time to help in regional parks, properties and trails projects. For more info visit qathet.ca/ parks-and-recreation.

All children and family services to be provided by Tla’amin, for Tla’amin

Tla’amin (ɬaʔamɩn) Nation and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) have signed a Letter of Understanding titled: ʔaǰuθmɛt– To Understand What Someone is Saying.

This letter is a step that moves Tla’amin forward on its journey towards exercising full jurisdiction over child and family services, states a press release issued by the Nation last month. It sets the foundation for Tla’amin and the Province to develop a stronger and more collaborative relationship in the provision of child and family services.

“As a Modern Treaty Nation, ɬaʔamɩn Nation understands the significance of achieving full governance jurisdiction for our čičuy and ǰɛʔaǰɛ (children and families), said Hegus John Hackett. “This LOU represents a positive step in our reconciliation journey, but there is still much work to do. Our Nation is committed to working in partnership with the Province on future agreement development to ensure ɬaʔamɩn čičuy and ǰɛʔaǰɛ flourish for generations to come. ƛoƛɬayɩmštəm (we will raise the children).”

Refurbished Macs given to families in need

A total of 31 refurbished Apple computers were donated by PR Macs to the Powell River Food Bank in December for distribution to families in need under the “Misfit Macs Adoption Program”.

PR Macs (at 4691 Marine Avenue, Powell River) initiated the Misfit Macs program in December 2018 as a way to clear out older unwanted Apple Computers traded in by customers over the year. Originally a “pay what you want” program, owner-operator Corey Matsumoto shifted to a giveaway model when the COVID pandemic struck in March 2020.

PR Macs established a formal partnership with the local food bank in 2021 to distribute refurbished Apple desktop and laptop computers to food bank clients. The partnership proved to be a smashing success with over 20 computers finding their way directly to families who needed them the most last Christmas.

The bulk of the donations are older computers declared as “obsolete” by Apple yet are still useful for many common computer-based activities such as word processing, family entertainment, social media engagement, home budgeting, internet research, etc.

The program is expanding in 2023 to include unused and unwanted Apple iPads and iPhones. Donations from the Powell River community are accepted at PR Macs all year long between 10 am – 5:30 pm, Tuesday – Friday. Data is securely wiped on donated devices at no charge.

Historic bell to be moved

The historic bell from St. Gerard’s Catholic Church in Wildwood will be relocated to the Powell River Regional Cemetery Mausoleum. The church has been deconsecrated and sold, so moving the historic bell “seemed like the right thing to do,” said Regional Board chair Clay Brander. The bell is inscribed in Italian in memory of Armando Bombardir and Devozione dei Parrocchiani – devotion of the parishioners. It also has an image of St. Joseph. The 500-pound bell was installed in St. Gerard’s new bell tower in 1972.