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New language classes get the go ahead

PUNJABI CHILDREN could be taking classes in their own language before Christmas this year.

The school district is talking about starting a pilot project in the Pun- jabi language for grades five to seven at Clarence Michiel Elementary.

That school is being considered since it has the highest numbers of Punjabi students, says school district official Ravi Gill Bob Peacock who is co-ordinating the effort.

Other students from around the district could trans- fer to the school, or come over for that one class.

The school district will provide the instructor, facilities and resource materials, said Peacock.

Students would take two 30-minute Punjabi classes

twice a week. It would be squeezed into their sched-

ule by taking 15 minutes from their lunch hour, and 15 minutes from the first afternoon class.

“It would be a good beginning,”’ said Ravi Gill, a Punjabi author who spearheaded the drive to have the language offered by the district.

The Punjabi community was backed by a new ex- panded language policy from the education ministry.

The ministry says that provided there is sufficient students and community interest, schools should offer instruction in Punjabi, as well as Mandarin, Japanese, German, Spanish and French.

Gill didn’t feel the school district was taking the demands of the Punjabi community seriously enough, and that resulted in a petition to the board last sum- mer.

“The district was very slow,’’ said Gill, But he says this pilot project sounds like a good compromise.

Right now the board only plans to offer the course ~ to students from a Punjabi background.

That’s because many of those students are already fluent in their native tongue, and it would be difficult to combine them in a classroom with non-Punjabi speakers, explained Peacock,

He says the resource materials for the course have already been ordered. All that’s left is to meet with the Punjabi parents, and to hire a teacher.

As for whether the school district plans to offer

Punjabi language courses at the junior high and high

school level in the future, Peacock can’t say. ”**Tt’s up to the school board,’”’ Gill hopes to see the course offered up to grade 12. He says the language would be valuable for stu-

dents considering careers in trade, commerce or:the...

foreign service. 7

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a as a News in Brief

MP backs prison time

SKEENA MP Mike Scott is backing a private mem- ber’s bill calling for increased and mandatory sentences for impaired drivers who cause death.

But Scott says the bill being proposed today in Ot- tawa by fellow Reformer Dick Harris of Prince George may fail.

“| would like this at least to go to the committee stage for further study,’’ said Scott last week. ‘But it’s a very tare event if a private member's bill ever gets

ssed,”’

The bill being proposed by Harris would impose a seven-year minimum sentence on impaired drivers who cause death,

Harris says he was prompted to do so after the im- paired driver of a car that struck another vehicle, kill- ing former Prince Rupert resident Jim Ciccone and his two children, received a sentence of three and a half years.

Scott said public pressure may be the only way for the Harris bill may come out of the committec stage and back into Parliament for a vote.

Internet for Stewart

SCHOOL DISTRICT 88 is looking into ways to help Stewart residents gain access to the internet.

The Stewart Public Library is hoping to hook up at least four terminals in the library to the net, They also want to add four to six telephone lines to provide dial- up access for the general population, since no commer- cial provider wants to establish internet service in Stewart.

NDPers meet in Rupert

THE NDP caucus is coming to Prince Rupert in a few weeks and no, they wou’t be driving in the first pilings for a bridge froin the coast city to Digby Island.

Instead the gathering of all NDP members of the provincial legislature is a regular affair designed to take them out of Victoria and into the regions.

Past regional caucus meetings have been held in Prince George and in Surrey.

The caucis session takes place Sept, 24-26 and fea- tures a City of Prince Rupert-sponsored reception at Prince Rupést’s Performing Arts Centre and a dinner hosted by the North Coast NDP association members.

Put a lid on it, city told

THE CITY should get tougher in its enforcement of garbage container rules te stop the debris problem in Terrace.

That’s the call from the Terrace Beautification Society’s Chris Hansen.

A closed container system — no open dumpsters and no uncontained bags — would help solve the garbage problem, Hansen said in a letter to council last week.

Councillor David Hull agreed, and requested the mat- ter be referred to next Tuesday's finance committee metting,

NOTICE OF

HOW TO MAKE A SUBMISSION

You may make a submission in writing at any lime up to October 18. Forward your submission to the mailing address or fax number below. All written submissions will be included in the public hearing record and receive consideraton.

Those wishing to make an oral presentation, please notify the Secretariat for Regulation Review before the hearing date.

Oval hearings are scheduled from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, except at Prince Rupert, Cranbrook and Fort St. John, where hearings will be held from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS

You can get a copy of the proposed regulations from the Secretariat for Regulation Review, or from any WCB office. The Secretariat's mailing address is:

Secretariat for Regulation Review,

Workers' Compensation Board,

PO Box 5350,

Vancouver, BC, V6B 5L5. The telephone number is 604 231-8600 or toll free in B.C. at 1 888 992-6622. Fax: 604 279-7604, ON

Prince George Fort St. John

Richmond Tuesday, September'17

Victoria Wednesday, September 18 Harbour Towers Campbell River Friday, September 20 Coast Discovery Inn Richmond Saturday, Seplember 21 WCB Auditorium Prince Rupert Tuesday, September 24 ~Highliner Inn Terrace | Wednesday, September 25 Coast Inn of the West

- Thursday, September 26 “Friday, September 27

Kamloops - ‘Monday, September 30 - Stockmen’s Inn Kelowna “Tuesday, October 1 Coast Royal Anne Cranbrook Wednesday, October 2 Inn of the South Castlegar Thursday, October 3 Castlegar Inn Richmond Friday, October 4 WCB Auditorium

WCB Aiditorium

_ Ramada Hotel Pioneer Inn

*\ WORKERS). i. COMPENSATION. - BOARD totic:

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you have questions about the upcoming hearings, please contact the Secretariat at any if the above noted numbers, or in writing at the mailing address above.

This notice is issued pursuant te 8. 71{1) af the Workers Compensation Act and s. 4{DiaHlit of the Workplace Act. :

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