District signs agreement
Powell River Regional District (PRRD) has signed an agreement with Canadian Red Cross to provide emergency services in Powell River area.
“[PRRD] is confident that the Canadian Red Cross, as a service provider through an alternative service delivery model, will bring its vast experience and extensive resources to support our local government’s emergency-management responsibilities in the most professional and cost-effective manner,” stated PRRD chair Patrick Brabazon, in a media release. “We look forward to a productive and mutually rewarding partnership.”
Red Cross will build a local team of trained volunteers to support the community immediately after small-scale disasters affecting up to 25 people, according to the release.
VIU proposes increase
Administrators at Van-couver Island University (VIU) have proposed a new student fee that could result in a 6.5 per cent increase in tuition costs for all campuses of the university.
“VIU is proposing new fees that breach the government’s tuition limit policy, and the Minister of Advanced Education appears unable to take action,” stated Alec Patterson, external relations director at VIU Students’ Union, in a media release. “Creating this new fee is nothing short of VIU attempting to bypass the limits on fee increases for students.”
BC student fees have been regulated since 2005. The proposed fee increase of 6.5 per cent exceeds the tuition-limit policy, which restricts fee increases to the rate of inflation.
VIU Students’ Union represents more than 8,000 students.
