The school board approved several field trips when it met Tuesday (April 24) in Queen Charlotte, although it’s not clear at this point if the trips will be going ahead. That’s because the BC Teachers’ Federation voted last month to stop participating in all voluntary activities like after-school sports coaching and overnight field trips as a protest against Bill 22, the provincial government’s back-to-work legislation. Superintendent Angus Wilson told trustees that some trips may still be able to go ahead with supervision by principals, vice-principals, other staff and volunteers, and others may have to be cancelled. Trustees voted to approve four proposed trips: a Queen Charlotte Secondary grad trip to Gwaii Haanas at the end of May, a Queen Charlotte Secondary kayaking trip to Limestone Island in May, a G.M. Dawson Secondary YMCA youth exchange trip to Toronto in May, and a Sk’aadgaa Naay grade 7 trip to Jasper in June. In response to a question from a member of the public, Mr. Wilson said it was not yet clear whether teachers could continue to be involved in these trips and if any will have to cancelled. At least one trip is definitely off, he said. Queen Charlotte Secondary’s trip to Limestone Island for junior students has been cancelled, but the senior trip is still on for now. The teacher action could also affect the Mount Moresby Adventure Camps which have been planned for this month, he said. The school district has already committed $13,000 to this camp, but students won’t be able to go if the district can’t find qualified people to supervise, he said.
