|
The Town of St. Alban's |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Congratulations Tracey
CBC News - Wednesday, September 12, 2007 A private Roman Catholic school on Newfoundland's south coast has received a substantial financial boost thanks to a donation from two orders of nuns in St. John's. A local committee took over Holy Cross elementary school in St. Alban's, saving it from closure five years ago. Just 18 students attend the school. 
While parents and volunteers look after building maintenance to keep operating costs low, the school's fiscal situation will improve with the donation over the next two years of $120,000 from the Presentation Sisters and the Sisters of Mercy. Parent Gail Hoskins said the money will ease the burden on hardworking volunteers. "This year is going to be much easier for us and we can kind of relax and enjoy it a bit more, and get involved in other things in the community as well," Hoskins said. The school needs about $175,000 each year to pay teachers and assorted bills. Money comes from 50-50 tickets, hockey pools and even dinner theatre nights in the community. The orders are making the donation from a recent court settlement with the Newfoundland and Labrador government. In the 1950s, the two orders built Holy Heart of Mary High School in St. John's. When the provincial government took over the school once denominational education was ended in the 1990s, the orders took the government to court to recover their original costs. Volunteer Tina King said parents and volunteers "all pitch in and help each other" at Holy Cross. "We have a cleaning blitz [in] which we clean everything in the school from the walls to the windows — everything," King said as she brushed a coat of beige paint on a classroom wall. Meanwhile, the committee hopes to see enrolment increase over the next few years, as a result of a boom in the area's aquaculture .....................................................................
Fisheries minister delivers money for South Coast Aquaculture
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By: Clayton Hunt - The Coaster
Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane, 26, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 20. Stephen was born in Newfoundland but grew up in Ontario. His parents, Fred and Moureen Bouzane live in St. Alban's.
The fact that Canada is at war was brought clearly home to Canadians in general last week and to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in particular as Cpl. Stephen Frederick Bouzane, 26, a soldier with strong connections to the province, was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 20.
Cpl. Bouzane was one of three soldiers killed on June 20. The two others who lost their lives were Pte. Joel Vincent Wiebe, 22 and Sgt. Christos Karigiannis. The three were from the Edmonton-based Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, which has lost 27 soldiers since Canada's involvement began in Afghanistan. The incident happened near the town of Sperwan Ghar, southwest of Kandahar.
The three soldiers were travelling in an open-top, unarmoured vehicle in the Panjawaii district at approximately 8 a.m. local time when they hit an improvised explosive device or IED. IEDs, have been responsible for about a third of the Canadian deaths in Afghanistan.
Brigadier General Tim Grant said in Afghanistan the all-terrain vehicle the soldiers were in, known as a an M-Gator, is often used by soldiers to transport small loads. The vehicle can handle rough terrain like the fields the three soldiers were in - fields which were covered in grape vines and riddled with dirt tracks and tall mud walls.
The general said the m-Gator "was appropriate for the task at hand." He added the soldiers were traveling between two checkpoints only 600 metres apart.
Cpl. Bouzane was born in Little Bay, Newfoundland, a community on the Northeast coast near Springdale. He moved to Scarborough, Ontario with his parents Fred and Moureen Bouzane when he was three years old.
Fred Bouzane, 52, is from Little Bay. He met Moureen Snook, 50, from St. Alban's when she was attending trade school in Springdale. The couple moved to Ontario to work and returned to live in St. Alban's five years ago. The couple had two children, Steven and Kelly Bouzane, 30, who still lives in Scarborough. Mr. Bouzane noted that while living in Ontario the family would return to Newfoundland every summer in July to spend two weeks in Little Bay and two weeks in St. Alban's.
Stephen expressed an interest in the Canadian army at a very early age. In a journal entry he wrote on Monday, May 22, 1988, while he was in grade three, he wrote: I like the army because my uncle (Paul) is in the army. He jumps out of a plane and he drives a tank.
Stephen never changed his mind about that and he entered the army when he was 22. He joined the forces in July 2003 and did his basic training in St. Jean, Quebec; Wainwright, Alberta and Shilo, Manitoba. He became an infantry soldier in the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry Regiment in Edmonton, Alberta in July 2004. After being in the army for several years Stephen was deployed to Afghanistan in February of this year.
Mr. Bouzane said his son was fully aware of the dangerous mission that he was involved in. That dangerous mission proved all too real on June 20.
"I got up at 8:30 on Wednesday morning and went out on my bridge to have a smoke. I came back in to put on my boots and when I went back I saw the van pull in. I saw the three soldiers get out, and I knew that something was definitely wrong.
"It's ironic because Stephen wrote in an e-mail to his sister that you don't have to worry about what you hear on TV about Canadian deaths in Afghanistan - you only have to worry when the soldiers turn up at your door. So, as soon as I saw them I knew something was wrong.
"I said to the soldiers 'you're three guys I don't want to see. They didn't speak immediately, and I knew then that it was the worst."
Mr. Bouzane talked about the point that his son was killed in an open-top, unarmoured vehicle.
"They could have taken another vehicle to carry the supplies or walked from checkpoint to checkpoint. Like anybody, I suppose, they took the easiest way. The IED may have been there a long time or could have been planted recently under the cover of darkness -who knows? I have no hard feelings about the way my son died. However, if the use of an unarmoured vehicle proves to be a significant factor in their deaths, I hope the army will reevaluate the use of these machines. Maybe we can prevent future accidents like this one.
"I want to make it clear that I have no hard feelings toward the military. I have the highest praise possible, because, since this whole ordeal, the army, and especially Master Warrant Officer Roger Dewland of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, have gone out of their way to do everything and anything for us no matter how small or how petty."
Mr. Bouzane said he is very proud of his son.
Of course, I'm not happy my son died. However, I'm proud as hell of the fact that he went to Afghanistan, that he done what he wanted to do and died doing what he wanted to do. The army told us that Stephen did more during the four months he was overseas than most young men his age do in a lifetime.
"Stephen understood fully the risks involved, the chances involved and fully accepted them and wanted to go. We have no other choice but to be proud. He was standing up for what he believed in. He really wanted to make a difference and he must have felt that he was making a difference as he signed on for six extra months of duty. He must have been comfortable in his environment and with his comrades."
Mr. Bouzane talked briefly about Canada's role in Afghanistan.
"I'm not sure if Canada should be over there, but some country has to be there. Most of the people over there want changes in their lives. It's only the Taliban who don't want change. Unfortunately, there's enough of them to use threats and force to scare the rest of society."
Moureen Bouzane talked about her feelings on the death of her son.
"I'm not feeling anything right now," Mrs. Bouzane said. "I cry every now and then when I talk about it. I take his picture to bed with me. I have his picture on my computer. I want to think about him, I want to dream about him, but I have no emotion right now. Right now, as I'm talking to you I can feel it coming but I can't break down.
"I pray to God that when the soldiers get off the plane on Sunday, June 24 that they can tell me what a good job he done. Even if he touched one life over there it was worth it, that's what he wanted to do."
Mrs. Bouzane said the only thing she was scared about is when she got to Ontario was if she couldn’t open his coffin because the body might be dismembered.
"That will be the hardest thing if I can't say goodbye. How can you believe someone is dead if you can't say goodbye."
Stephen expressed a wish to be buried in Newfoundland near his grandfather in Little Bay. .....................................................................
Letter from a fallen soldier
Special to the Coaster - (Wed. June 27, 2007)
According to Fred and Moureen Bouzane, the following letter was written by Stephen Bouzane before he left to serve his tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Apparently, Stephen was going to destroy the letter if he returned from the war. However, he wanted the letter published if he did not return. Mr. and Mrs. Bouzane wanted this letter to be carried for the first time in the Coaster,
However, it was posted on facebook.com by Stephen's friend, Michelle Boorse and has been carried in at least one major Canadian daily newspaper.
I'm not sure exactly what to say about myself or what you will even care to know. I guess I should just start with the basics and let it flow from there.
I was born on the first day of spring in Springdale, Newfoundland. Yes I am a Newfie and I'm very proud of the fact. I lived in a place called Little Bay for the first four years of my life until my parents moved to Toronto. Scarborough actually.
I grew up in what was coined one time by the 'Toronto Sun' as the slums of Toronto. That made me laugh because it wasn't even close to being that bad. There was a lot of crime and it definitely wasn't the best area in the world, however it was interesting.
I went to a Catholic school my entire life and the funny thing is the more I learned about Catholicism the more I disagreed with it. The questions I had, my teachers wouldn't answer or would answer me with such a spin on it that I could never take it seriously. Needless to say I'm not a straight edge Catholic boy. I do however respect the religion enough not to disrespect it. I still follow the little rules I learned in school about certain things. More or less though religion is just another way to enforce morals into people which did make part of who I am and what I believe in.
I was and still am to some extent a hockey player. I started playing when I was in grade one. I started playing competitive when I was in grade three. I played my entire life up until was eighteen and I just decided to give it up. I don't know why, but it was a choice I had to make. I started working full time and I worked nights. It was a job or hockey and I was smart enough to know I was not making the NHL ha ha. Apparently size does matter in some respects. LOL.
I started playing again two years ago when I joined the army and made it through all my training. It's still fun but it's definitely not the same. It's definitely not like riding a bike. You do lose a lot when you don't work at it constantly. I don't suck, but I'm definitely not as good as I used to be.
Speaking of the army. I joined the army when I was 22 years old. I wish I would have joined earlier and believe me I did try when I was seventeen. However, me being honest with the army and telling them that I did a couple different drugs didn't work out so well for me at the time. It was probably a good thing though in certain respects.
I dated a few girls that have honestly changed me into who I am today. At the same time though I think every experience in life slowly molds you into a new person. The one girl that made the biggest impact on my life was a girl I dated for three years. I lived with her for close to the same amount of time and it was definitely a good experience. I think I grew as a person from knowing her. Things were crazy at times and amazing at others just like any other relationship. However, while I was with her I decided to go and sign up for the army once again. This time I didn't get turned down.
I left for the army in July of 2003 and only seven weeks after my departure I was single again. Away from everything I've ever known, in basic training of all places. Unable to do anything about a girlfriend of three years telling me it was over. It was definitely something that cut me deep.
I carried on though because really what was I going to do? Quit on my life because I got hurt? That wasn't me and that would have totally been contradictory to what I was doing in the army.
Training continued and it brought me to a lot of different places that I would have never set foot in if I had never joined. I started in Quebec, and I used to go to Montreal from time to time with friends. I had never been to St. Jean. I probably never would have. My next step in the training process took me to Wainwright, Alberta. I was looking forward to it until I finally got there. It was definitely a culture shock. I mean the army itself was a culture shock. I grew up in a predominately black part of Toronto. I grew up with predominately Asian friends. The army was predominately white. Wainwright, well what can I say about Wainwright?
I had a lot of fun there besides the fact that it's a place I would die if I had to live there again.
My stay in Wainwright was brief however. We were sent to Shilo, Manitoba a few weeks after we landed in Alberta. Took a chartered bus across the prairies. It was definitely interesting, really boring but I could now say that I had driven through most of Canada.
I used to drive from Toronto to Newfoundland every summer with my parents for God knows how many years.
So I got to Shilo, and well, talk about a scene out of a typical army movie. The bus didn't even finish stopping and we were being yelled at louder and by more people that I ever experienced before. It was crazy. I look back on it now and I can't help but smile and remember all the good times I had there. The bad times, the times when you think you've entered hell, in time becomes something pleasurable to look back on as funny as it sounds. It becomes almost comical to think of it.
I spent ten weeks of my life there and once again I was back on a bus to Wainwright to sit and rot for six months of my life. Talk about feeling like you're on welfare. LOL (Laugh out loud).
Nothing to do because it's a tiny ass town in the middle of nowhere. You're not allowed to go out during the week. The only places to go on weekends are the bars. That made me reconsider a lot of things. It made me rethink my life and if I really wanted to be in the army. What the hell was I doing in small town Alberta with -70 degree temperatures? I stuck it out though. I finished my training in July of 2004 and moved to Edmonton, Alberta.
That's where I currently live. Funny enough in the not so nice area once again. This time though there is good reason I live here. It's close to work. That's really the only reason.
I am an infantry soldier in the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry. I'm currently getting ready to go over to Afghanistan. It's something I've always wanted to do. Not exactly Afghanistan but to put myself in as similar situation. I didn't join the army for the schooling, I didn't join the army for the money. I joined the army because I've always wanted to be a soldier. Playing guns as a little kid, watching movies and wishing I could do that. It's been a life long fantasy that I fulfilled on my own.
To me going to Afghanistan and getting myself in that conflict is like taking the ultimate test. Pass/Fail. You pass, you survived hell.
You put yourself through the most stressful, most intense, most emotionally, mentally and physically draining experience that exists in this universe. You fail, you die. Now there is the chance of passing with poor grades if you will. Coming home with a body part missing or being mentally and emotionally injured. That and that alone is what I fear. I do not fear death because my belief is that when I die I won't know I'm dead. I will just be dead. Who knows if I'm right, who knows if I'm wrong? That's just a thought like a million other thoughts floating around the world.
Getting back to why I want to take the test. The way I look at it is like this. I come back with all my body parts where they belong, I come back with my head in the same place that it is now with a new experience and an acceptable change of personality. I will be able to accomplish anything that this world has to put in front of me. I will have gained strength and endurance through hell. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right. Well six months of facing death and not ending up dead makes you super man. That's if that saying holds any truth. I do believe it does.
Where am I today? Today I'm going through a change once again. An important experience has yet again started to mold me and has been for the last six months of my life. It has made me a better person through pain and stress. It has taught me a lot and has been the first time since that girl I used to live with in Toronto that my heart felt emotion and I know what it was like to care for someone again. Although it's ended, it's definitely ended with a good memory. I'm now a stronger and better person for knowing her. I hope she can say the same.
I'm definitely hoping that the new experience I'm about to take on is even better and more meaningful than the last. I have a good feeling it will be. So I smile, even though I hate it. haha
I've rambled on about myself and who I am and where I've been. However, at the same time you know nothing about me and you know nothing about what I've seen. You don't know the places I've been and the experience I have had. All you've done is read the back of the book. If you try to create your book report from that limited and generic information then you're not going to know the real story. Your information and outlook will be incorrect. Try reading what's inside to get the full story.
I think I should stop using definitely so much. Haha
Steve
.....................................................................
Fisheries and Aquaculture
As part of the Provincial Government’s plan to diversify the economy,
Budget 2007 will see major leaps forward in fisheries and aquaculture
development. The last two years have seen the budget of the Department of
Fisheries and Aquaculture more than double and Budget 2007 continues to
make significant investments in fisheries and aquaculture.
"Newfoundland and Labrador was built on the fishery and we understand that
it continues to be a critical component of the provincial economy," said
the Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
"Clearly, investment in developing and diversifying our fishery is a
priority for government. To ensure the fishery continues to support the
development of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, our government remains
committed to making strategic investments in fisheries and aquaculture."
Specific investments in Budget 2007 include:
$12.5 million is allocated under the Aquaculture Capital Equity
Investment Program;
$1.2 million toward the establishment of a new Aquatic Veterinary
Diagnostic Facility in St. Alban’s in support of the aquaculture
industry. The total cost of the building will be $4.3 million to be
completed in 2008;
$1.9 million for wastewater treatment equipment for the aquaculture
industry;
$180,000 in support of aquaculture industry support programs;
$340,000 to continue to address trade and market barriers that hinder
our fishing industry;
$100,000 to continue to counter misinformation regarding the sealing
industry; and,
$100,000 for expanded participation in seafood trade shows.
Just recently, the Provincial Government announced $15 million in direct
program activities for Fishing Industry Renewal initiatives. As part of
this plan, Budget 2007 includes $5 million in total for enhanced marketing,
research and development initiatives, occupational health and safety
initiatives and the implementation of fish auctions. Other initiatives of
the total $140 million Fishing Industry Renewal commitments by the province
include an estimated $100 million loan guarantee program and approximately
$25 million to fund the province’s share of the capital gains exemptions
that were recently announced for harvesters.
As part of the Fishing Industry Renewal initiatives, the Provincial
Government will provide adjustment support measures should fish plants
close permanently. This will include a comprehensive suite of counseling,
training and adjustment measures to assist during the transition period. To
this end, a total of $850,000 is allocated for the workforce adjustment
program in Budget 2007. The Provincial Government has allocated $2.55
million for this initiative, over the next three years.
.....................................................................
Aquaculture Industry Association Optimistic
The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association believes that sector offers one of the greatest opportunities for economic development in rural
areas of the province.
Executive Director, Miranda Pryor, says Newfoundland and Labrador has the capacity to become one of the largest producers of
aquaculture products in all of Canada. She noted cod aquaculture, for example, is one area that has huge potential to grow in rural parts of the
province and there are also exciting developments taking place in the mussel and salmonid aquaculture sectors.
Meanwhile the Association is opening an office in St. Alban's to be closer to the expanding industries along the south coast.
.....................................................................
BMO supports minor hockey in Bay d'Espoir
The Bay d'Espoir Minor Hockey Association would like to express a sincere
thank you to the Bank of Montreal in St. Alban's for continuing to support
minor hockey in Bay d'Espoir. On Saturday, January 13, 2007, BMO showed its
corporate community side again by donating a set of 14 hockey jerseys to
the Bay d'Espoir Blizzard (Novice division). BMO did a similar donation a
couple of years ago and is still an existing sponsor of the Midget
division.
This time however, the jerseys are a bit different as they proudly show the
Bay d'Espoir Blizzard logo on the front of the jersey with BMO directly
underneath it - a first for a Bay d'Espoir team.
Lou Willcott, president of BMHA say, "We're always pleased when a corporate
sponsor steps forward to show their support for minor hockey and we take it
as an encouraging sign that they are behind us all the way in encouraging
fun, recreation, and development of hockey skills for the children
involved. We certainly thank BMO for their contribution to Bay d'Espoir
minor hockey".
As part of the Provincial Government’s plan to diversify the economy, Budget 2007 will see major leaps forward in fisheries and aquaculture development. The last two years have seen the budget of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture more than double and Budget 2007 continues to make significant investments in fisheries and aquaculture.
"Newfoundland and Labrador was built on the fishery and we understand that it continues to be a critical component of the provincial economy," said the Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "Clearly, investment in developing and diversifying our fishery is a priority for government. To ensure the fishery continues to support the development of rural Newfoundland and Labrador, our government remains committed to making strategic investments in fisheries and aquaculture."
Specific investments in Budget 2007 include:
$12.5 million is allocated under the Aquaculture Capital Equity Investment Program;
$1.2 million toward the establishment of a new Aquatic Veterinary Diagnostic Facility in St. Alban’s in support of the aquaculture industry. The total cost of the building will be $4.3 million to be completed in 2008;
$1.9 million for wastewater treatment equipment for the aquaculture industry;
$180,000 in support of aquaculture industry support programs; $340,000 to continue to address trade and market barriers that hinder our fishing industry;
$100,000 to continue to counter misinformation regarding the sealing industry; and,
$100,000 for expanded participation in seafood trade shows.
Just recently, the Provincial Government announced $15 million in direct program activities for Fishing Industry Renewal initiatives. As part of this plan, Budget 2007 includes $5 million in total for enhanced marketing, research and development initiatives, occupational health and safety initiatives and the implementation of fish auctions. Other initiatives of the total $140 million Fishing Industry Renewal commitments by the province include an estimated $100 million loan guarantee program and approximately $25 million to fund the province’s share of the capital gains exemptions that were recently announced for harvesters.
As part of the Fishing Industry Renewal initiatives, the Provincial Government will provide adjustment support measures should fish plants close permanently. This will include a comprehensive suite of counseling, training and adjustment measures to assist during the transition period. To this end, a total of $850,000 is allocated for the workforce adjustment program in Budget 2007. The Provincial Government has allocated $2.55 million for this initiative, over the next three years. .....................................................................
Aquaculture Industry Association Optimistic
The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association believes that sector offers one of the greatest opportunities for economic development in rural
areas of the province.
Executive Director, Miranda Pryor, says Newfoundland and Labrador has the capacity to become one of the largest producers of
aquaculture products in all of Canada. She noted cod aquaculture, for example, is one area that has huge potential to grow in rural parts of the
province and there are also exciting developments taking place in the mussel and salmonid aquaculture sectors.
Meanwhile the Association is opening an office in St. Alban's to be closer to the expanding industries along the south coast.
.....................................................................
BMO supports minor hockey in Bay d'Espoir
The Bay d'Espoir Minor Hockey Association would like to express a sincere
thank you to the Bank of Montreal in St. Alban's for continuing to support
minor hockey in Bay d'Espoir. On Saturday, January 13, 2007, BMO showed its
corporate community side again by donating a set of 14 hockey jerseys to
the Bay d'Espoir Blizzard (Novice division). BMO did a similar donation a
couple of years ago and is still an existing sponsor of the Midget
division.
This time however, the jerseys are a bit different as they proudly show the
Bay d'Espoir Blizzard logo on the front of the jersey with BMO directly
underneath it - a first for a Bay d'Espoir team.
Lou Willcott, president of BMHA say, "We're always pleased when a corporate
sponsor steps forward to show their support for minor hockey and we take it
as an encouraging sign that they are behind us all the way in encouraging
fun, recreation, and development of hockey skills for the children
involved. We certainly thank BMO for their contribution to Bay d'Espoir
minor hockey".
The Bay d'Espoir Minor Hockey Association would like to express a sincere thank you to the Bank of Montreal in St. Alban's for continuing to support minor hockey in Bay d'Espoir. On Saturday, January 13, 2007, BMO showed its corporate community side again by donating a set of 14 hockey jerseys to the Bay d'Espoir Blizzard (Novice division). BMO did a similar donation a couple of years ago and is still an existing sponsor of the Midget division.
This time however, the jerseys are a bit different as they proudly show the Bay d'Espoir Blizzard logo on the front of the jersey with BMO directly underneath it - a first for a Bay d'Espoir team.
Lou Willcott, president of BMHA say, "We're always pleased when a corporate sponsor steps forward to show their support for minor hockey and we take it as an encouraging sign that they are behind us all the way in encouraging fun, recreation, and development of hockey skills for the children involved. We certainly thank BMO for their contribution to Bay d'Espoir minor hockey".