Latest news with #RobDouglas
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Mayor calls on province to intervene in nearly 5-month-long Vancouver Island transit strike
Social Sharing The mayor of North Cowichan, B.C., says it is time for the province to step up and help end a months-long transit strike in his region. Transit operators with Cowichan Valley Transit walked off the job at the beginning of February in a push for higher wages, as well as washroom breaks and places to take them. The action has halted all regular bus services and limited HandyDART rides to people with renal dialysis, cancer treatment or multiple sclerosis appointments. Now, close to five months in, Mayor Rob Douglas says residents are getting frustrated. "People are really starting to feel the pain." Cowichan Valley Transit serves North Cowichan, Duncan, Ladysmith, Lake Cowichan and smaller and more rural communities in the Cowichan Valley — an area about 45 kilometres north of Victoria, along Vancouver Island's east coast. It's run by Transdev, a private French company that is contracted by B.C. Transit to operate 10 public transit systems in B.C. Negotiators for Transdev and Unifor locals 114 and 333 reached a deal back in April, but it was overwhelmingly rejected by union members. Employees say they want to shrink the pay gap between transit workers in the Cowichan Valley and those in Victoria — which the union says is a difference of $6.72 an hour. Transdev previously told CBC News that its goal in the negotiations is "finding a resolution that supports our employees while maintaining the long-term sustainability of transit services in the Cowichan Valley." Douglas said the strike is taking a toll on his community. He said he and some of his regional colleagues want the province to intervene, echoing calls made earlier by the union. That could mean forcing the parties to go to arbitration. Even though the transit system is funded publicly, the fact that it's operated privately means the labour dispute is between the employer (Transdev) and the employees. That means both B.C. Transit and the provincial government have been reluctant to step in. B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said she understands the strike has made life difficult for people in the Cowichan Valley. She said the Labour Relations Board is providing mediation services to the union and employer, and that she has urged the parties to make use of that support to find a resolution. She's expecting a progress report from the mediator in the coming days. "So we're looking at what other possibilities there are under the [labour] code to assist the parties, once I've heard back from the mediator," Whiteside told CBC News. She would not say specifically whether she would order binding arbitration. A spokesperson for B.C. Transit said in a statement that the agency "understand[s] the frustration felt by customers, and that the job action is difficult for everyone involved in the region." "Our organization strongly believes in the collective bargaining process and hopes the two sides will reach an agreement soon," the spokesperson said. Douglas said he believes in collective bargaining, too, but that the strike has gone on too long. "It's time for the province to take on a bigger role in helping resolve this," he said.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
North Cowichan mayor raises concerns about pedestrian safety in wake of teen's death
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas says he's frustrated the province is not following through on its promise to build a pedestrian bridge over the Trans Canada highway through his community. It comes after a 17-year-old high school student was struck and killed Tuesday night while crossing the same highway — the third pedestrian to be hit on the highway by drivers in the Cowichan Valley in the past month. The mayor says this tragedy underscores ongoing safety concerns in the community, which has been calling for a pedestrian overpass for over a decade. Without it, he says he's worried about residents, particularly students from schools near the highway, who frequently jaywalk to reach businesses and restaurants on the other side. "We've got the Trans-Canada Highway running right through the middle of our community," Douglas said "It is an area that gets a lot of pedestrian traffic, and this does create some pretty major safety concerns." He says he has been in discussion with the Ministry of Transportation since 2023 about putting a pedestrian bridge over the highway at James St. in North Cowichan, near Quw'utsun Secondary School. Douglas said he expected to see it confirmed in the 2025 provincial budget — but was told recently it wasn't going to happen. However, B.C. will fund fencing around the stretch of highway between James St. and Beverly St., plant trees and raise the median to discourage pedestrians crossing. While Douglas is grateful for the barriers, which he says were part of the original plan, it doesn't relieve his concerns. "It's definitely a let down from our end, because we had been promised that already, plus this pedestrian overpass," he said. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth, who didn't rule out a bridge at some later date, says he believes the fencing will be a significant first step for the community and denied the decision was due to funding issues. Once the barriers are installed, he says the ministry will be conducting additional studies to "discover what additional safety measures are required." "We take these safety concerns very seriously," he said. 3 pedestrians struck in a month RCMP say a semi-truck hit a 17-year-old on the Trans-Canada Highway at Trunk Road in Duncan around 8:40 pm on Tuesday. The teen died in the hospital from their injuries. The 17-year-old was a student at Quw'utsun Secondary School, according to Jeff Rowan, the assistant superintendent of communications and community relations for the Cowichan School District. "It's tragic," he said. "We're certainly working with staff and students and the community to do all we can to support." Last month, two pedestrians were struck and injured, one critically, on the Trans Canada Highway in North Cowichan between York Road and Beverly Street, near Quw'utsun Secondary School and close to the intended location for the pedestrian overpass. Rowan says it's a busy area, one that students often cross on their lunch breaks to reach fast food restaurants across from the school. "People are coming in at highway speeds and then they're told to slow down, [but] it is still a fast area," Rowan said. "Our concern, of course, is for the kid's safety; we have schools on either side of the highway." Rowan says the community is seeking additional answers from the Ministry of Transportation about the new barriers, including whether they could be climbed, what results other communities have seen from them, and what they will look like. Student's death 'heartbreaking': Cowichan Tribes chief Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels said the community's cultural workers are reaching out to support students and youth in the wake of the tragedy. "It is heartbreaking for our community to experience another Cowichan youth being fatally injured as a pedestrian in our community," she said in a statement. "I extend my deepest condolences to the family members, friends, peers, and teachers as they grieve this loss. For many of our people, walking is their primary way to get to and from their daily activities," she wrote. "With vehicle traffic continuing to increase, we continue to need safer options for pedestrians through the highway corridor."
Chicago Tribune
17-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Helicopter Easter egg drop planned at Aurora church
Treats will be raining from the sky at Faith Lutheran Church in Aurora on Saturday, as the church at 3000 Liberty St. celebrates the day before Easter by dropping candy-stuffed plastic eggs from a helicopter as part of an egg hunt for children. The community event is open to children up to 10 years old, who to need bring their own basket for the egg hunt, church officials said. More than 15,000 plastic eggs will be available during the hunt, with some 3,000 pouring down from the helicopter. Doors for the event open at 10 a.m., with the helicopter drop around 11 a.m. Prizes will be given from some special golden eggs dropped in the field near the church. Officials recommend that everyone who wants to take part in the event be at the church by 10:45 a.m. Volunteers will be on hand to steer the children into groups by age to collect the eggs. Afterward, a photographer will be on hand or participants can take their own photos when they see the Easter Bunny. Free tickets for the event are available at Eventbrite, but there is a cost for parking. There are shuttle buses from an off-site location to the church and back, officials said. The Rev. Rob Douglas of Faith Lutheran Church said the Saturday event is a party for the community. He said Easter services are planned at the church at 6:30, 8 and 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information, call Douglas at 630-248-5515 or email pastor@ NAMI DuPage celebrating 40th anniversary with May gala NAMI DuPage, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will host its Shine a Light Gala to celebrate the nonprofit's 40th anniversary of helping people with mental illness. The black-tie optional event will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the Chicago Marriott Naperville, 1801 N. Naper Blvd. in Naperville. Proceeds will support the organization's free and low-cost services, including mental health education for middle and high school students, support groups and career education. Funds raised also will help expand programs and continue providing support, education and advocacy for individuals and families affected by mental illness, organizers said. The gala will include dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions, and cash raffles. Tickets are $200. A pre-dinner gathering at 4:30 p.m. will feature Meg Kissinger, author of 'While You Were Out' and the recipient of the organization's Lightkeeper Award. Tickets are $75. This year's Community Partnership Award will be presented to Greg DiDomenico of Community Memorial Foundation. For more information, go to
