THURSDAY, august 16, 2018 Vol. 75, No. 33
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
$1.50 inc. gst.
alaskahighwaynews.ca
“The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Tinker’s Dam About the North Peace.”
man fights house demolition
cardinal conquers death race
top honour for local cadet
news A4
sports B1
community A9
Dog park is a go, budget pushed to $868,000
watson cashes in
matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
When You Are Out in the Field, Time IS Money. QUALITY PARTS, EXPERT SERVICE! HoursMon-Fri: 8am - 5pm Sat: 8am - Noon
austin cozicar Photo
Jake Watson stays on his horse long enough for a second-place finish in the saddle bronc event at the 2018 Dawson Creek Stampede on August 10. For more on Watson and the Dawson Creek Stampede, turn to B1.
9224 100 Street, Fort St. John, BC (250) 785-0463
After Hours - Leave Message
Drug dealer wants trial on new charges matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
CONTACT US
phone 250-785-5631 fax 250-785-3522 email circulation@ahnfsj.ca online alaskahighwaynews.ca facebook AlaskaHighwayNews twitter @AHNnewspaper
Dana Nazarek will go to trial on his latest round of drug trafficking and weapons charges. Nazarek appeared in court Aug. 8, where he asked for a Supreme Court trial by judge and jury on four charges of drug trafficking, 14 charges of illegal weapon possession, and one charge of possessing the proceeds of crime. He also elected for a trial on a separate provincial charge of escaping custody. The charges stem from a February 24, 2018, police raid on his home where RCMP say officers seized 800 fentanyl tablets, along with cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, several loaded firearms, and $38,000 in cash. The Crown intends to call two police witnesses involved in the bust. Nazarek’s defence lawyer plans to crossexamine them. Nazarek has not been found guilty of the charges, and will appear in court this week to fix dates for trial. His lawyer has also asked for a preliminary inquiry into the drug and weapons charges. In July, Nazarek was sentenced to 40 months in jail for trafficking fentanyl and other drugs after a police raid on his home in December 2013. In that bust, police seized more than 2,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Oxycontin. Nazarek remains in jail in Kamloops.
supplied Photo
Natalie Small, 4, is halfway through her treatment for neuroblastoma.
‘Like a princess’: Evening of fun, dance planned for Natalie Small matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
An upstart charitable group in Fort St. John is planning a dinner and dance this month in support of a young girl’s ongoing battle with cancer. The Happily Ever After Foundation will host a formal ball on Aug. 25 for Natalie Small, 4, who has been fighting stage four neuroblastoma since last December. “We wanted something that would make her feel like a princess,” said Kate Hadland, one of the organizers. “She’s been in and out of the hospital, so this is something fun that will lift her spirits and that she can remember.” Neuroblastoma is a type of childhood cancer that starts in nerve cells in the sympathetic nervous system.
Natalie is halfway through her treatment, her mother Deanne said, which has included removing a tumour and receiving a successful first bone marrow transplant. Natalie left Monday for her second transplant, and, as of July 6, her bone marrow is completely cancer-free, she said. “She is back to being herself: vibrant, happy, and full of energy,” Small said. “Doctors are very happy with her and have noticeably seen massive improvement with her scans.” Still, the treatment is a significant financial strain, costing the family an estimated $3,000 a month to pay for travel to Vancouver and for Natalie’s medication. That doesn’t include taxi, food, or lodging costs when in Vancouver. See PRINCESS on A3
PAVING % 100 Canadian Owned
Residential • Commercial • Industrial Roads • Driveways • Parking Lots
Fort St. John’s plan for a new off leash dog park at Toboggan Hill is a go. On Monday, city council approved a $705,947 contract to Knappett Industries to build the park, and added an extra $368,000 to cover a number of budget overruns. That brings the total cost of the park’s development up from $500,000 to $868,00, but simply reflects the needs and wants of residents, Mayor Lori Ackerman said. “The beauty about this entire project is we decided we were building a dog park because the community said we wanted a dog park. So, we threw some money into the budget because we had never built a dog park before, and then went to the community and said, what would you like?” Mayor Lori Ackerman said. “What they like is overbudget from what we had thought about putting into the budget. So, there’s no lighting your hair on fire. This is a dog park, and we’re doing what the residents have asked for in the consultation. “For us to do it any other way would mean we would spend exactly that and not listen to our public, and that’s just not the right way to approach these things.” The park’s location was identified as part of an overall plan to refurbish Toboggan Hill Park. Plans include clearing out eight to nine acres of brush and forest along 93 Street, and building three separately fenced areas for miniature, small, and large dogs. The park will also feature a year-round public walking path, a new parking lot, picnic areas, and watering sites. Development also includes site servicing and utilities like water and sewer. Most of the project will be funded through Peace River Agreement monies from the province, which compensates the city for industrial development outside its boundaries. The overruns — which include the extra building costs, consulting and project management fees, and contingencies — will be covered through the city’s federal gas tax reserves, of which the city has a balance of $1 million. See DOG PARK on A11
FREE ESTIMATES
250.719.0686
COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL GRAVEL SALES AND DELIVERY Serving Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St. John & Surrounding Areas
33490