Story:
Buddy Boyd of Gibsons Recycling want to see School District No. 46 (SD46) implement a waste audit in all schools on the Coast.
His presentation to the school board April 12 talked about the great strides schools in Brazil are taking to become zero waste schools, and challenged Coast schools to do the same.
The first step to becoming a zero waste school, Boyd said, is having students take part in a waste audit. He said the waste audit would see students sort and weigh all garbage produced at their school within one week.
"By doing that they might find out there is a lot that was thrown out that could be recycled," Boyd said, noting there is no real budget needed for the project.
He felt the upcoming Earth Day on April 22 would be a great kick-off to the event, that is meant to raise awareness and get students involved in actively "re-thinking, re-imagining, re-using, refusing, reducing and recycling."
"There is no Plan(et) B," he noted.
School board trustees said they would take the request to the next principal's meeting to see if there is interest at the school level.
SCTA bargaining
In board chair Silas White's report he noted the provincial teachers' contract expires on June 30 and bargaining has started.
The local bargaining team is made up of superintendent Deborah Palmer, trustee Dave Mewhort, human resources officer Tara Sweet and White.
"On April 6 we signed off on protocol, exchanged proposals and started our interest-based bargaining process," White noted.
Dangerous intersection
The board received a letter from Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Shirley Bond, who said ministry staff are "exploring the possibility of moving the pedestrian crossing on Gibsons Way closer to North Road and enhancing pavement markings on each crosswalk alerting motorists to watch for pedestrians."
The board brought the dangerous intersection to the minister's attention after concerns were brought forward by the Gibsons Elementary School Parent Advisory Committee (PAC).
The letter noted SD46 engineer Sharon Goddard has met with the school principal and representatives from the PAC, the school board and Town of Gibsons to discuss the concerns in detail.
"The ministry will continue to work with the Town of Gibsons, the school district and the PAC on safety improvements at the intersection of Gibsons Way and North/School Road," said Bond in her letter to the board. "Ms. Goddard will be sure to update all parties in the spring, following the engineering analysis. I understand Ms. Goddard is also working with Gibsons Elementary School and PAC to arrange a time for a presentation on pedestrian safety."
