Top Port Clements high school students going on to college or university will be getting a helping hand from the village, starting next year.
Village council voted Tuesday (Sept. 6) to give out two bursaries of $500 each at next June's graduation ceremonies. Port students go to both high schools on the islands, so one bursary will be handed out to a student graduating from G.M. Dawson, and one to a student from Queen Charlotte Secondary.
Council members Gerry Johnson, Paul Waring and Dale Lore agreed the bursary should be awarded to the Port resident with the highest grade point average at each school.
Mr. Lore said he got the idea after attending this year's grad ceremonies.
"Everybody else gave bursaries and we didn't, it didn't feel very good," he said.
Mr. Lore originally suggested handing out $1,000 at each school, saying post-secondary education has become increasingly expensive. Other council members said $500 each was more in line with what other villages award, and they agreed to go with that amount for now.
In other Port news:
o Mr. Lore said he met with the Council of the Haida Nation in August to discuss the community forest licence which the village is trying to get . The CHN agreed to meet with Port at some point to discuss what area would be suitable for a community forest.
o Port will be writing to BC Ferry Services Inc. supporting full service between Graham and Moresby Islands. The service is being cut back this fall while a barge replaces the Kwuna, which is going for refit, with evening sailings cancelled.
o Port is also writing to the Northern Health Authority to ask why it's seeking proposals for medical-related ground transportation between virtually every community on the north mainland, but doing nothing for the islands.
"I'd like to send a letter to ask why they left Haida Gwaii out of the mix here," Mr. Johnson said after reading the request for proposals. "It didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy reading it."
Council members asked administrator Dana Schmidt to ask Northern Health what its plans are for transportation assistance for patients on the islands.