out what went on at Woodlands. McCallum sifted through thousands of dusty old Woodlands files and photographs, and her conclusion was that the abuse was indeed systemic and widespread. Justice Satanove has ordered the release of these documents, along with the documents of the Public Guardian and Trustee in their findings of abuse, which includes the sterilization of some residents. WSW is urging the Campbell government to reconsider its decision to appeal. Love Hurts: Douglas College Student’s Sharp propOSal », sie. viitn.rssciserens tio Her answer was yes. Just as the two got in a few quick kisses the stage was flooded with media reporters and cameras taking pictures of the newly- engaged couple. In response to the surprise proposal, Axness replied, “I really had no idea. We had talked about [the engagement] but I would always say, ‘well, I haven’t said yes yet.”” With a tentative wedding date set for May 3", 2009, the couple is looking forward to their new life together, and Johnston said that he is excited to spend the rest of his life with Irene. O; Thursday, October 30", at 3:20 p.m., Douglas College student Kristopher Johnston raised the bar for men everywhere and proposed to his girlfriend Irene Axness while lying on top of a bed of nails during a Science World demonstration. Why Science World? Well, when trying to think of a surprising and exciting marriage proposal, Kris enlisted the help of his sister Rachael Devin, who owns and runs an event planning company called This and That Events and quickly came to the rescue in suggesting the venue. As for the bed of nails, Johnston wanted to do something different, and the Science World demonstration seemed like the perfect fit. After all, the pair met last year while attending the Body Worlds 3 Exhibition. After being pushed in Axness’s direction by his enthusiastic sister, Johnston asked for her email and number on the spot. The two hit it off right away corresponding over MySpace and began dating shortly afterwards. With the help of science facilitator Brian Anderson, the nail- bed proposal went off without a hitch. Anderson taught Johnston some helpful pointers beforehand, stating that he would probably have other things on his mind. Before the proposal, The Other Press was able to speak with Johnston over the phone and although he said that although he was “kind of freaked out, his wonderful girlfriend made the risk worthwhile.” When it came time to pop the question, a long dramatic pause ensued before he confessed to Irene “I love you very much; you mean the world to me,” finally asking her, “Will you marry me?” 5 oo . Kristopher Johnston &-Irene ¥ Douglas College students not exempt FFOM FECESSION 55 ssi oitan, ssc Neos Ese Yet, less than 40% of unemployed workers qualify for Employment Insurance benefits. Fewer jobs and less money to spend will only perpetuate the unemployment problem as people have less money to put back into the economy. Longridge has since found a job at another car dealership. However, she has little job security and fears that she may be unemployed once again. Says Longridge, “I asked [my new employers] if they thought ‘Tae of recession, economic crisis and a predicted stock market crash have dominated local, national and international news over the last few weeks. With increasing financial disparity and a perceived global recession, investors, analysts and market researchers fear the worst; its effects have already been felt at Douglas College. A recession, or the decrease in a country’s spending on government goods, services, labor, and investment (GDP) directly affects many employment sectors, such as the car-manufacturing it could happen. I hope that it doesn’t, but what am I going to do? sector. It’s a risk that I have to take.” Sarah Longridge, a first-year nursing student at Douglas - College has experienced first-hand the effects of the current recession. Enrolled in four courses, she was working at a car dealership part-time in order to offset her tuition costs. However, with the recent economic recession, sales and spending are decreasing. The car dealership, Longridge, worked at eliminated staff last week in order to curb their predicted losses for 2009. She, along with five other staff members, were handed layoff notices. According to the Progressive Economics Forum, labour markets are weakening and employment is continuing to decline. Since 2006, the manufacturing sector has lost over 300,000 jobs. 6 NEWS SHORTS By Ashley Whillans “Ride Share” Program Arrives at Douglas Early last week, Douglas College announced its participation in the Jack Bell Foundation’s Ride Share Program. Ride Share is part of a TransLink- supported initiative to cut down on pollution and traffic, as well as to help make commuting more efficient for students and seniors. Open to all Douglas College students and employees, Ride Share promises to link all registered members through their on-line database. After registering, and filling in a desired destination, the system will look up people who are going to approximately the same place at approximately the same time. Ride Share then provides suggestions and contact information of the suggested match. According to the website, anyone with a Douglas College or myDouglas email is eligible to apply. For more information see www. ride-share.com. Graveyard found in NW A map dating back to 1861 was recently uncovered at the Victoria Title Office. This map offers a “glimpse at the first years of New Westminster,” says researcher Katherine Freund-Hainsworth. In addition to being an important historical artifact, this map also gives the location of the city’s first ever cemetery. The Dufferin Family Cemetery, located at what is now 42 Dufferin Street, contains the remains of 14 Royal Engineers and their families. It is speculated that five of the people buried there were murdered. The most horrific of these murders was that of infant Rosina Crart. Her own mother Elizabeth stabbed her and her two other children, before turning the knife on herself. The map can now be found at the Victoria Land titles office, while the bodies remain buried at 42 Dufferin Street. Money Lending Concerns David Tate, a city council candidate and associate with ACORN Canada (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), says that the proliferation of money-lending businesses in New Westminster is a growing concern. As well as contributing to a vicious poverty cycle, these associations bring “the wrong element to the city” he said, and must be dealt with as soon as possible. ACORN deals with financial institutions to develop alternative services to “pay day loans,” which are intended as short-term loans and charge very high interest rates. Three larger banks are moving into downtown with intentions of developing alternative solutions to low and middle income debt problems.