LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- April 22, 2008
To The Editor;
On behalf of the members of the Princeton District Teachers' Union, I offer my sincere condolences to all workers and their families who have been touched by workplace injury and death.
In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress declared April 28 as an annual National Day of Mourning. In 1991, the Canadian Parliament passed Bill C-223 (An Act Respecting a Day of Mourning). The day was first recognized by the B.C. government in 1992.
A National Day of Mourning for workers killed and injured on the job is now recognized in nearly 100 countries around the world. On April 28, let us all pause in recognition of the sacrifices made by those who went to work and never came home again.
It is a shocking reality that in the wonderful province in which we live, injury and death in the workplace are commonplace. Last year, WorksafeBC accepted 160 workplace death claims. Twelve of those deaths were young workers aged 15 to 24. In 2005 accepted death claims numbered 188. To put that in perspective, it means that we can expect at least one worker death every second work day in this province. In addition, each year thousands of workers suffer disabling injuries. These facts are simply unacceptable.
Prevention is the key. Everyone who reports for work for the first time needs a comprehensive orientation to the workplace. Every worker should receive thorough, appropriate, and ongoing safety training.
All workplace health and safety committees should be functioning and its members properly trained, and they should have the time and resources to conduct proper inspections.
Every incident needs to be thoroughly investigated and measures put in place that will prevent the incident from ever happening again.
Everyone has the right to return home from work healthy and safe.
- Robert Tarswell, President
Princeton District Teachers' Union
Dear Editor;
I really connected with your April 8th 'Current Comment' titled "Get Ready For Big Costs To Come," about rising food prices and how people can adjust to that.
I have actually been thinking about the same things and felt like this article had been plucked from my head.
Being out of our own garden produce right now, we are back at the produce department at Overwaitea (and looking forward to the May Healthy Harvest Box, before our garden is producing). Trying to find local stuff in the grocery store can be a non-event. We have also felt directly the effects of rising food prices as we buy our grain and flour from Anita's Organic Grain Mill in Chilliwack.
Less than a year ago we bought a 20-kilogram bag of fresh stoneground organic whole wheat flour for $25.50 and now the price is somewhere over $45.50 (another price increase took place April 1st, 2008).
Your suggestion on buying fresh, non-packaged foods are good starting points for people. Baking your own cookies and bread can also be very cost effective. Investing in a bread machine can also help save time and money, in the long run.
However, it does take an adjustment in lifestyle to use fresh foods. For example, you will spend more time preparing foods and cooking them. But, when I thought about how people could do it, I thought, most people spend too much time in front of the TV or on the internet. Maybe even 30-minutes more per week on food preparation would make progress in the right direction. Then, there is the idea of cooking in big batches or dedicating one day a month to making many meals to freeze.
Reading about canning and planting a garden, and picking free berries and fruit from neighbours properties were ideas that may require more research and know-how. My husband just recently joined the Garden Club (more details below). It would be neat to see this club be a resource to new and aspiring gardeners. I wonder if they could play a role in facilitating people learning some gardening basics (seed selection, composting, fencing), canning or organize berry picking evenings or afternoons. Evening seminars on gardening basics could be a neat start. I have heard there are some award-winning gardeners in that club - tips for growing in our area could help a new gardener immeasurably.
I think gardening can be a real essential life skill. I am going to learn about growing potatoes and some greens this year. These are small steps, but I think growing your own food can be very important considering the constant flux in prices/availability and quality of food from the grocery store and the environmental impact of how far that food traveled and how it was grown.
The Princeton Gardening Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at 1:00 PM. Call President John Sandness (295-7827) to confirm times and meeting place.
Also noticed http://myhomeandgardennews.blogspot.com resource by the News Leader.
- Cara & Andy Abrahams, Princeton
