a

August 30, 1991 76 pages

Ab

Classifieds 986-6222

Province chops funding for
North Van school program

A MOVE by the provincial government te cut a
substance-abuse program in North Vancouver schools has
raised concerns from both school board and municipal of-

ficials.

Last year the North Vancouver
District 44 School Board (NVSB)
received approximately $75,000
from the Labor and Consumer
and Corporate Affairs Ministry's
TRY program to hire two
substance-abuse counsellors to
work out of the district's four
secondary schools,

But that program, shich was
being hailed as a success by the
NVSB, has been cut this vear due
to a fack af funds.

**We were told restraint was the
bogyman here,’’ said Chris Kelly,
NVSB assistant: superintendent of
student and program | services.
“We're very concerned that such
a vital program is being elimi-
nated. It definitely had an im-
pact.”

He added thar the program was
being used by several North Van-
couver secondary school studems
and their parents. Kelly said there
is the chance that those using the
program may again begin to abuse
drugs and alcohol.

“It runs the risk. In the absence
of those workers, you’re not
reasonably able to fill that void,”
said Kelly. ‘“‘There won't be a
person to supply it. Our natural
reaction was that you don’t initi-
ate a vital program like this to see
how it works and then drop it.”

Both North Vancouver District
Mayor Murray Dykeman = and
North Vancouver City Mayor
Jack Loucks have written fetters
to Labor and Consumer and Cor-
porate Affairs Minister Jim) Rab-
bitt asking him to reinstate the
program's funding.

North Vancouver City Ald.
Stella Jo Dean said she is worried
about the loss of the program,

“He's a known fact that we have

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

more substance abuse with vouth
on the North Shore than anywhere
else in BoC.) E think its a very
traumatic situation on the North
Shore," sitid Dean.

West Vancouver School District
45 (WVSB) assistant: superintend-
ent Bob Overgaurd said the
district, received a $71,000) grant
from othe Labor and Consumer
and Corporate Affairs Ministry in
1990.

The WVSB put that money into
a trust fund and then used it to
contract) services from) Van-
couver’s Alcohol and Drug
Education Service in) Vancouver,
which supplied the district with a
resource person,

Overgaard said the WVSB is in-
terested in estabsishing its own
substance-abuse program and that
the resource person has just com-
pleted a needs study, complete
with recommendations on how to
set up such a program.

“It talks about substance abuse
and it makes several recommenda-
tions,”’ said Overgaard.

He added that substance abuse
is a major problem among. stu-
dents in West Vancouver.

“There's a problem with
substance abuse, there’s no ques-
tion about it. We, too, are disap-
pointed that funding for the pro-
gram has dried up,’’ said
Overgaard,

He added that the WYSB trust-
ees will receive the needs study
report and its recommendadons at
its regular meeting on Sept. 8.

Index
EB Automotives. ..0..0.00.. 230 WKids Stutt oe 24
SM Clasified Ads. ........-. 29) M Trevor Lautens ... 4
@ Ecolnfo. 0.22. 17) @MMailbo. ........ . 7
i Editorial Page... 20... 6 BPs St. Pierre |. .. 9
GH Home & Garden ....... 41300 B What's Going On .....20

Weather

Saturday. periods of light rain, Sur day, cloudy wits showers.
Highs 20°C

Second Class Registraion Number 3885

FRIDAY

Test drive the
Hyundai Elantra

Automotives: 23

Office, Editor‘al 985-2131

Display Advertising 980-0511

AS PART of an annual maintenance program, North Van
Fabio Chiesa paints this fire hydrant in Lynn Canyon Park.

OOR ON THE NORTH S

Distribution 986-1337

NEWS photo Stuart Davis

District Firefighter

HORE SINCE i969

ae