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by Eric Morten

“How's the strike going?”

I'm asked that question often–several times a week.

Ten weeks ago, 12 employees voted unanimously to strike after negotiations stalled over a two-tier wage proposal for new hires at the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial. The idea is that new people coming into the company start at a lower rate than the current lowest rate.

I have had my feet in the river almost every day for the past few weeks, enjoying our great winter weather and river conditions while pursuing the elusive winter steelhead.  The river is very busy again this year with anglers travelling from all over the Island as well as the Lower Mainland and beyond to try to catch and release one of these magnificent creatures.  BC Outdoors magazine just named the Cowichan one of the top ten steelhead rivers in the province.

It’s time to take a look back at 2014, a year that saw progress towards sustainability, increased awareness of climate change, a tragic loss to our stewardship community and hope for positive change in the governance of our watershed.