Vandals hit kiosk
One of Tourism Powell River’s new trail signs has been vandalized and may be a total loss.
Trail users discovered on August 31 that Squirrel Crossing kiosk’s trail map had been painted yellow to obscure the hiking and biking trail lines.
The map kiosk is part of Tourism Powell River’s recent project to improve recreational area signage in the Duck Lake Trail system.
Powell River Cycling Association director Wayne Brewer said the map will cost $500 to replace and, luckily, vandals did not apply any paint to the kiosk’s wooden frame.
The map had been coated with an anti-graffiti finish, but Brewer said the high-quality paint used by vandals had set and seeped through the coating into the map, despite hours spent by volunteers trying to lift it with various solvents.
Province expands tuition waiver
Youth aging out of BC’s foster care system will have access to free tuition at all 25 of the province’s public post-secondary institutions this fall, premier John Horgan announced Friday, September 1.
Horgan made the announcement at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus. In 2013, VIU was selected to run the tuition pilot program.
Since then, 11 schools have adopted the program where the province provides tuition to former children in care who have less access to post-secondary education and training than those who grew up with family support.
Horgan said the expansion of the program is part of a larger program for children in care.
