The following video was produced by
http://www.smartmeterfilm.com/

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Time is running out for local filmmakers to enter their films into the 2012 Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF).

Local filmmakers have until Feb. 1 to enter this year’s VISFF, which is celebrating its seventh anniversary bringing filmmakers and filmgoers together. The VISFF is an annual event that continues to be the only short film festival on Vancouver Island that focuses on local talent…..

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The battle lines are drawn, and Northern B.C.’s pristine wilderness is the latest front. With hearings underway into the proposed $5.5-billion, dual 1,172-kilometre Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project to transport bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to Kitimat and imported condensate to dilute it from the coast back to Alberta, the fossil fuel industry and its supporters have stepped up the rhetoric. Environmentalists and people in towns, rural areas, and First Nations communities in B.C. have lined up in opposition…..

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Dakar, December 23, 2011. AMARC Africa will be holding its first Capacity Building Conference “Enhancing the Impact of Community Radio Broadcasting in Africa in Dakar, Senegal, on 24 -26 January, 2012. The capacity building and networking event will be an opportunity for more than 70 community radio broadcasters and practitioners from Eastern, Western, Central and Southern Africa, along with partners and scholars, to evaluate the effectiveness of community radios engaged in current projects on water & sanitation, HIV-AIDS, women participation in radio, civil society and good governance in Africa, to share knowledge and to define common strategies to increase the social impact of community broadcasting….

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A complaint has been filed under Section 47 of the Utilities Commission Act requesting an injunctive freeze on the wireless component of the Smart Meter Program without delay. This action is being taken to engage the Commission’s administrative function as a regulator of BC Hydro in accordance with the rule of law; only by operation of the rule of law can the public interest in health, security, privacy and safety be factored into Smart Meter Program decisions….

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Dear Ms. Handel,

Your November 29, 2011 email suggesting that logging DL33 meets SFI’s sustainability requirements, is deceptive in the extreme. The Forest Practices Board report you refer to (FPB/IRC/173 dated January 2011) states on page 2….

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Bell, Canada’s largest Internet provider, has decided to pull back some of the discriminatory restrictions it has been imposing on the Internet for the last several years, namely the slowing (throttling) of online content….

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  The Following does not represent the views of the Radio Malaspina Society   For immediate release.                                                                                    Dec 5, 2011   Walt McGinnis, spokesperson of StopSmartMeters.ca is calling for BC Hydro to instruct Corix, the installers of the new smart meters, not to dispose of the existing analogue electrical power meters.    Come Dec 15, [...]

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The Regional District of Nanaimo Board of Directors has updated its Regional Growth Strategy, setting the course for a more sustainable pattern of population growth and development in the region over the next 25 years. On Nov. 22, the Board adopted Regional District of Nanaimo Regional Growth Strategy Bylaw No. 1615, officially replacing the 2003 [...]

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SURREY, BC, Nov. 25, 2011 /CNW/ – FortisBC has received approval from the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) to adjust the rates it charges customers for natural gas and propane service. Most customers will see no change to the commodity rate, while midstream and delivery rates will increase, effective January 1, 2012.

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Effective today, the executive of StopSmartMeters.ca is serving notice on the government of the Province of British Columbia of our intention to actively pursue a Citizens’ Initiative to demand that the Smart Meter Program be stopped.

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In early November, Les and Debi Alexander from Cache Creek, came home after a doctor’s visit in Kamloops to discover that their analog B.C. Hydro electric meter had been replaced by a Smart Meter. When Debi started becoming sick after the installation, she contacted the BC Hydro office in Cache Creek and requested that they replace her smart meter back to her analog meter…

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“Just over 48 hours after the ballots have been counted, we had the chance to talk to re-elected Mayor John Ruttan, Newly Elected Councillor (youngest councillor) and VIU Student George Anderson and newly elected School Trustee Bill Bard.
Mr. Ruttan answered several questions from the public via Twitter and through phone-in’s!
George got the most phone-in’s, and answered the questions very mature! He is someone to keep an eye on.
Bill Bard who has been a critic for quite sometime, finally gets his chance to be your voice!
Make sure you listen to what each one has to say as they are one of your voices in office!”

Click the title above to listen to the interview

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VICTORIA – The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) Referendum – June 13-August 26, 2011 is now available.

The report describes the activities Elections BC undertook to administer the referendum. It also contains:

voting results by electoral district, and
a statement of Elections BC’s expenses

The report is available on the Elections BC website at: www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2011-CEO-HST-Referendum-Report.pdf.

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Regulators pull back from usage-based billing after half-a-million Canadians speak out CRTC reconsiders ruling that would let Big Telecom companies control independent competitors, Canadians urged to use indie services November 15, 2011 – The CRTC has released its decision on Internet metering (usage-based billing), and pro-Internet organization OpenMedia.ca is celebrating it as a step forward for [...]

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Residents of Mid Island communities rushed into Nanoose Bay’s DL33 Forest this morning to the sound of chainsaws after the Wilderness Committee Mid Island Chapter, learned that logging roads have been pushed in through private property to access the highly threatened and endangered Nanoose Bay Forest , a public owned rare Coastal Douglas-fir forest that has been identified by government scientists as containing forest and wetland ecosytems that will become extinct.

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The Green Party of BC is calling on the BC Liberal government to instruct BC Hydro and by extension Corix Utilities to stop using threats and intimidation related to the Smart Meter program. Members of the public are contacting BC Greens about both BC Hydro and Corix. People who oppose the installation of Smart Meters [...]

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Johnny was a founding member of the Radio Malaspina Society in 1999 and is excited to come back and assist CHLY. He is currently a Media Technician at Vancouver Island University where he helps faculty, staff and students create audio/visual projects for teaching and learning. He is a certified Macintosh Technician and has been the System Administrator for the Navigator Newspaper since 1998. Johnny is the Director of the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival which he co-founded in 2006 to help local artists and filmmakers showcase their work. He just recently became the Secretary-Treasurer of the VIU Faculty Association.

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An Open Letter to VIU, VIUFA, VIUSU, and the Student Body Week 5: Where I am at… I am a fourth year student in the Child and Youth Care program at VIU. I should be finished classes, looking forward to convocation, and applying for jobs. Instead I have been on an emotional roller coaster (one [...]

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It’s thursday, its sunny out! you ain’t got no school and you ain’t got nothin’ to do. let’s do this like we know how!

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Statement to the VIU Board of Governors at the regular meeting of the Board, March 24th, 2011 When I first joined this Board of Governors, a little under 3 years ago, I understood that our primary objective was to discuss issues and make decisions that are in the best interest of the university as a [...]

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Wednesday March 30th was another action packed day in the world of the Vancouver Island University Faculty Strike. It started off with the Labour Relations Board ruling against VIU in their appeal to allow BCGEU instructors (trades, vocational and ABE) to go back to work. This will allow VIUFA to maintain their picket line. VIU [...]

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Monday March 28th marks day nineteen of a strike at Vancouver Island University. Last week VIU filed an injunction against the Faculty Association with the Labour Board. VIU wants VIUFA to remove pickets from selected parts of the campus and allow BCGEU members to conduct classes. The Labour Board hearing started yesterday and continues today. [...]

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VIU Studen Kristyn Robert

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Members of the Vancouver Island University Board and several senior administrators were served with a lawsuit on Thursday afternoon, just prior to the start of the public VIU Board Meeting in Nanaimo. The defamation lawsuit, filed by the VIU Faculty Association, alleges that the named defendants either participated in, or approved of an advertisement that, in the guise of providing residents of central Vancouver Island with the “truth” about bargaining at VIU, attempted to damage VIUIFA’s reputation and weaken its bargaining position in the ongoing labour dispute.

“This defamation suit is because the University has been lying about our bargaining position in the press and on their website,” said Gara Pruesse. “We would all be better served if they negotiated with us face to face rather than lying about us in the media.” Pruesse explained that bargaining has been stalled for almost a week.

“Unfortunately the only place they want to bargain seems to be in the press and on the web,” said Dan McDonald, VIUFA President. “Bargaining would be far more productive if it was done face to face. We don’t understand why they haven’t come back to the bargaining table to solve these problems.”

VIUFA Chief Steward Dominique Roelants explained that the lawsuit includes allegations that, even after it was pointed out to VIU that their March 16 ad contained false and defamatory content, they republished the same content two days later. “They should stop lying about us and get back to the bargaining table,” Roelants said. “The executive of VIUFA chose to file this lawsuit because we believe it is important to protect the reputation of our members who are on the line, standing up for what they believe.”

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Over the past 48 hours the VIU Faculty Association has made overtures to VIU in an effort to restart negotiations that have been stalled since before the labour dispute began on March 10. “With students’ semesters on the line we explored several options to bring management back to the table as soon as possible,” said VIUFA Chief Bargainer Gara Pruesse. “We offered to try a new meditator, we offered to meet face-to-face, and we invited Ralph Nilson to join the table. It appears they simply aren’t interested in returning to the table to discuss the issue at the heart of this dispute, which is financial exigency.”

“We just keep hearing the same old thing,” VUFA President Dan McDonald noted. “They won’t even discuss financial exigency.” McDonald explained that VIU has been fully aware since March 7 that financial exigency was the union’s main concern. “They’ve known for a long time what was at the heart of this dispute. Last week they claimed they wanted to see financial exigency language from us so we tabled that on Saturday, but as they’ve done time and time again, they refused to discuss what we tabled.”

Chief Steward Dominique Roelants noted that the administration’s claims about exigency keep changing. “First they claimed financial exigency amounted to a no-layoffs clause, after that didn’t fly, they claimed it would require them to declare bankruptcy. Now their latest excuse is that financial exigency would interfere with the University Senate,” Roelants said. “Every established university in Canada has both a Senate and a financial exigency clause. If UBC, SFU, and UVIC can make it work, why can’t VIU?”

“Exigency simply requires management to prove that they have a legitimate financial reason for cutting education and laying off faculty,” Pruesse said. “If it is impossible to make exigency work, why is it in virtually every Canadian universities’ faculty contract?”

VIUFA President Dan McDonald said the real issue at the centre of the dispute is a lack of trust. “It’s clear to everyone involved that something is wrong at VIU,” McDonald said. “VIU has never in its 75 year history had a faculty strike. Why now?” McDonald said that the only logical explanation for increasing labour unrest is the current administration. “Labour relations really soured when Ralph Nilson arrived five years ago.” McDonald noted that last year faculty voted 81% in favour of a non-confidence motion against Nilson. “It has only gotten worse. He has now completely lost the trust of his faculty, and the longer he refuses to come to the table and bargain fairly with us, the worse it gets.”

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Where: Wakesiah
When: Thursday March 24, Lunch Time

As the strike continues, VIU students plan to take their frusteration to the streets once again. This time the event is scheduled to start at 12 PM on Wakesiah. At around 3 PM students will march downtown to the Coast Bastion Inn. The Coast Bastion is hosting the VIU Board of Governors meeting on which the alleged agenda items include the review of President, CEO and Vice Chancellor’s Ralph Nislon’s contract as well as a proposed tuition fee increase. CHLY, will once again be providing the beats for the students on Wakesiah as well as bringing you live updates on 101.7 FM

Facebook Event
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=142134945853214

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On Tuesday March 16, VIU Students crammed into Vancouver Island University Welcome Center, to ask the VIU President some questions.

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Contract negotiations between Vancouver Island University and the VIU Faculty Association were adjourned by mediator Grant McArthur at 3:00 pm on Saturday, March 19 after less than five hours of negotiations. “We are disappointed that VIU was not seriously prepared to bargain today,” said VIUFA Chief Bargainer Gara Pruesse. “We were led to believe that they were prepared to move, but they were not. Their position has not changed since Feb 14.” Pruesse said that no further talks were scheduled at this point.

According to VIUFA President Dan McDonald, “We have moved significantly from our no-layoffs position. Today we tabled a compromise that addresses the employer’s need for flexibility. Unfortunately, they came back with the same old line – they want to be able to cut any educational program at any time with no justification. They don’t seem to feel accountable to students at all.”

“We are very frustrated,” said VIUFA Chief Steward Dominique Roelants. “VIU spent three days this week bargaining with another union that is not even on strike rather than coming to the table to try and find a solution to this dispute.” Roelants added, “It’s great that they have an agreement with BCGEU, but when do they intend to take our negotiations seriously and bargain an end to this strike?”

McDonald indicated that VIUFA members were firm in their commitment not to allow VIU to cut 10% from education while management’s compensation continues to grow. “The total compensation paid to administrators has risen over 40% in four years and yet they want to cut 10% from education. Our members feel this administration’s priorities are simply wrong.”

Pruesse indicated that she had been hopeful based on what she saw from Capilano University. On Tuesday, Capilano President Kris Bulcroft announced that Capilano was cutting two vice-presidential positions and consolidating its administration in order to avoid cuts to education. “It seems that Ralph Nilson could learn a few things from Kris Bulcroft about how to prioritize education,” said Pruesse. “If Capilano can do this to protect their students’ programs, why can’t VIU?”

Roelants explained that of the four colleges and university-colleges converted to universities in 2008, VIU has by far the largest administration as a percent of overall salaries. “The proportion of dollars spent on administrators at VIU is 30% more than the next closest new university,” said Roelants. “How can VIU possibly justify spending even more on administrative salaries?”

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CHLY will be on Wakesiah again from 1-4 PM,

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Vancouver Island University Faculty Association Bargainer called on VIU to live up to their ad campaign. “VIU paid over a thousand dollars of tax payers money to buy an ad saying they were prepared to meet at any time. We have been trying to get a meeting together for two days and they have not responded”.

Faculty Association President Dan McDonald stated that there are no monetary issues at stake stating that “Ralph Nilson has misrepresented the Faculty position at the bargaining table. We understand that layoffs may be necessary. The main issue is financial exigency language that makes sure financial resources are focused on classroom offerings.”

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Wednesday March 16 10:30 AM – 2 PM. Wakesiah Ave,

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On March 14, 2011 Vancouver Island University Students rallied to show support to the VIUFA

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When: Tuesday, March 15 · 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Wakesiah AVE

Join CHLY live on location. Featuring musicians from the VIU Jazz Departme

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Tune into 101.7 FM today between 10:30 and 12:00PM for live updates from the the 3rd student rally to support VIU Faculty. Or Join us live on location on Wakesiah Ave where will be serving up some BBQ, some and some wicked phat beats.

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Student’s of Vancouver Island University are organizing another rally to support the VIUFA. The event is expected to be the largest event yet, with over 250 people already confirmed attending on the social media site Facebook. Many students have already joined their fellow teachers on the picket lines. The event takes place Monday March 14th 10 – 12PM on Wakesiah Ave down by the gas stations.

Click here to join the FB group
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=208032749211895

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Be The Media Episode #21, hosted by Marian van der Zon and Niel Scobie, begins with an interview with Dominique Roelants, representative for the Vancouver Island University Faculty Association union. Roelants gives an update on the current strike situation at VIU. Scobie, along with fellow Digital Media Studies students Carrie-Anne Wagner, Maggie Rich, and Courtney Fantinato discuss the strike from a student’s point of view. Fantinato is also Student Manager of the Media Studies Department’s Media Research Lab. Next, van der Zon speaks with Doug Routley, NDP MLA for the Nanaimo-North Cowichan District, and Manjeet Uppal, faculty member at VIU’s Cowichan campus about the strike and its impact on the faculty, students, and the community as a whole.

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Dan McDonald, President of the Vancouver Island University Faculty Association expressed disappointment about the failure of the second mediation in a week. “We came to the table to focus on one issue – ensuring that there are no unnecessary cuts to courses at VIU. Unfortunately the employer has not changed its position since February 15, 2011”.

“The employer wants to cut any faculty member or any course without justification” said Dominique Roelants, the Chief Steward of the Faculty Association. The Association has heard that at least six science faculty learned this week that they will be laid off. “At established universities, before they cut courses and programs, they must open their books and justify the need to cut education and layoff faculty. VIU refuses to adopt this standard university practice – what are they hiding?”

Gara Pruesse, the Faculty Association negotiator believes the university’s priorities are wrong. “Over the past four years, while faculty were being cut, the university has increased its spending by 40% on manager’s salary and benefits. That money should have been spent offering courses to the 1500 students who were stranded on waitlists this term. It’s not about budget shortfalls – it’s about the wrong priorities”.

Dan McDonald reiterated that the faculty bargaining team came to the second mediation this week with the expectation that the employer wanted to negotiate. “We came to the table expecting to work hard to resolve the job security issue and end program cuts so that students could get back into class this term, and so that the classes the students need next term will be available. The employer had no interest in negotiating and instead wants to put the future of the students in jeopardy”.

No talks are scheduled. The strike continues.

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At 8am this morning mediator Grant McArthur determined that talks between Vancouver Island University and the VIU faculty association had failed. The Faculty Association will be in a legal strike position on Thursday morning. VIUFA President Dan McDonald said, “We are disappointed with this turn of events. In the end, the employer brought no new ideas to the mediation process. While VIUFA explored several options with the mediator to break the stalemate, the employer’s position remains unchanged since Feb 14.”

Chief Steward Dominique Roleants said, “VIU claims that it cannot negotiate any limits on its plans to cut courses and lay off faculty because of the government’s net zero mandate. This is simply not true. Maintaining the current level of instruction at VIU would in no way violate the net zero mandate. The BC Government itself has agreed to no-layoff language for thousands of public sector employees. Maintaining current levels of educational opportunities has always been, and will continue to be, the top priority for VIUFA in this dispute.”

VIUFA members have been without a contract since April, 2010. Roleants said, “Our members believe they deserve a contract and are frustrated with this administration’s continued stalling.” He stated that Management cancelled all bargaining between May and November, and have been unwilling to move at all in the last three weeks of negotiations. “Virtually every university in Canada has language that severely restricts cuts to education and faculty layoffs, yet VIU won’t even meet to discuss this issue with us,” he said.

McDonald said, “This dispute is really about budget priorities. The cost of administrators’ salary and benefits have risen over 40% in the last four years while courses have been cut and thousands of students have been stranded on waitlists. Now VIU president Ralph Nilson is cutting a further 10% out of education, throwing our members out of work and hurting even more students. What’s wrong with this picture?”

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Click the title to listen to the audio podcast

Episode #19, hosted by Marian van der Zon, begins with an interview with Dominique Roelants, representative for the Vancouver Island University Faculty Association union, as they examine the ongoing negotiation between the VIUFA and VIU. Next, van der Zon speaks with Ross Desprez, instructor at VIU, about the play “We Too”, which Desprez directs. The play is about the history of coal mining and the struggle for workers’ rights on Vancouver Island. The two also discuss the Arts and Humanities Colloquium happening on March 4. Desprez will be presenting “History on Stage: Transforming History into Relevant, Entertaining Musical Theatre.” The episode finishes with CJ Rice, a Digital Media Studies student at VIU. Rice interviews two contributors to the Living Legends Festival in the Cowichan Valley: Richard Waganese (guest storyteller at the opening ceremonies) and Edgar Rice (lead carver). Show’s theme is media and media literacy – television, radio, books, internet, audio. Brought to you by Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Media Studies Department and Media Research Lab.

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Original Production by Kendall Hanson of CHEK TV. Thanks so much to Kendall for donating the original footage to Radio Malaspina. To find out more about the locally owned and independently operated CHEK TV please visit their website at www.cheknews.ca to find out more about the ban or to support CHLY please visit www.mynanaimo.com

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To find out more about the CHLY ban, the proposed teachers strike, and other activities on V.I.U. Campus click the link above

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Manda Gryba, The Daily News
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011

In talking with many fellow students over the past few days, I have not heard one person express concern with how a possible Vancouver Island University Faculty Association strike will affect our classes

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Faculty Association Sets Strike Deadline
February 17, 2011
Nanaimo – The Vancouver Island University Faculty Association announced today that they have set a strike deadline of March 4, 2011. “The main issue in this strike is ensuring access to education for students. In spite of deep cuts for the past two years, and significant enrolment increases, the employer wants to cut more sections next year – and those sections were full this year,” said Dan McDonald, President of the Faculty Association. To get more on the V.I.U Faculty Strike please vist

www.mynanaimo.com

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click the title to listen

Headlines
Students beware rental scams
Day of Action for US Steel Workers in Hamilton, ON
Canadian University Press Annual NASH Conference

Features

Midwifery is in peril in Nova Scotia: This is Part 2 of Birthing An Ancient Practice Place for Midwifery in Nova Scotia, produced by Gianna Lauren and CKDU in Halifax.
Black History Month is vital says University of Toronto Equity Professor Rinaldo Walcott. This special interview originally broadcast on Voiceprint.

Community Radio Report

CKLN 88.1 in Toronto has had its license revoked, but the while the decision is under appeal, the station continues to broadcast. Community stations across Canada are supporting the station. Courtney Kirkby in Montreal reports.

This edition brought to you by CHLY Radio Malaspina in Nanaimo, B.C
Hosted by Tara Thurber and Bob Hansen
Music by Pigeon Hole
Production by Dylan Perry
Thanks to Lauren Neish, Courtney Kirkby, Gianna Lauren, WEROCK Hamilton,

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