AHN FEB 14 2019 by Alaska Highway News

THURSDAY, february 14, 2019 Vol. A-75, No. 7

Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities

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“The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Tinker’s Dam About the North Peace.”

prehistoric bison dug up at site c

locals off to winter games

lng trades program booming

news A4

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Business A9

Province starts update to FSJ land, resource planning matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

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Ice sculptor Slava Borecki, from Poland, carves out a sculpture in Centennial Park on Feb. 12, 2019, ahead of the High On Ice winter festival this weekend. The city is asking residents to stay out of the park and off the ice slides under construction until opening ceremonies Friday. The main parking lot access to the pool off 100 Street is blocked and will be closed throughout the weekend. Visitors to the pool are asked to use the back access off 96 Street, or park behind the curling club or Pomeroy Sport Centre. For a schedule of events, visit alaskahighwaynews.ca

Four suspects still at large in Peace Region drug investigation CONTACT US

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

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B.C.’s gang task force says there are four people still wanted in connection to an investigation into drug trafficking in the Peace Region. Alena Wallace, Paul Del Grosso, Danick Leger, and Jamie Cormier all have outstanding arrest warrants, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC said Thursday, February 7. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The CFSEU began its sprawling, year-long investigation into street and mid-level drug dealers in July 2015, charging 43 suspects in June 2016, and seizing cocaine, fentanyl, an AR-15 rifle, meth, cash, and other weapons after a series of search warrants and traffic stops. A total of 29 people were arrested in police roundups in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek as part of the bust. So far, 21 have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty, according to CFSEU. Five were either found not guilty, or had their charges stayed. Of the 15 sentenced to date, 4,300 days of jail time has been handed out. Another six are still waiting to be sentenced. Six other accused are either on trial, or awaiting trial. See DRUG BUST on A3

Danick Leger

Alena Wallace

Jamie Cormier

Paul Del Grosso

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The provincial government is looking for public feedback as it updates a key document outlining resource management planning across 4 million hectares of land in the Fort St. John and North Peace area. The Fort St. John Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) is being updated as part of reconciliation efforts with the Blueberry River First Nation and other Treaty 8 First Nations, the province said in an information bulletin released February 7. “Since the completion of the Fort St. John Land and Resource Management Plan in 1997, Northeast B.C. has experienced significant growth,” the bulletin states. “The original plan identifies resource management zones and protected areas on provincial public land, setting out objectives and strategies for how the land and resources are managed.” The Fort St. John LRMP was started in 1993 to identify resource management zones and protected areas over 4.6 million hectares in the Fort St. John Timber Supply Area — about 1.5 times the size of Vancouver Island — and set strategies on how the lands were to be developed. The LRMP was adopted in 1997, and established the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is leading the update to the plan after the province signed an agreement with Blueberry River to address concerns about the cumulative effects of resource development in their territory. An open house is scheduled Feb. 20 at the Pomeroy Hotel in Fort St. John from 5 to 9 p.m. Public comments are being accepted until March 6 at 4 p.m. The province has hired Urban Systems to gather community input on what changes might be needed to the plan through surveys, interviews, meetings, and open houses. A report on that outreach will released to the public in spring 2019, when technical planning work will also begin. See LAND PLAN on A8

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A2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Local News

contents A3 A6 A9 A11 A13 A15 B1 B6

News Opinion Business Court Docket Arts & Culture Coffee Corner Sports Classifieds

service above self

this week’s flyers Rona Staples No Frills Safeway The Brick Wal-Mart Peavey Mart Canadian Tire London Drugs Save-On Foods Shoppers Drug Mart

George Barber was recognized for his dedication and service in the District of Taylor as a councillor, employee, and volunteer at a bingo night in his honour on Feb. 8, 2019. Here, Barber receives a framed series of aerial photos of the district from Mayor Rob Fraser and Couns. Dave Lueneberg, Michelle Turnbull, Brent Taillefer, and Betty Ponto.

Never trust an angry woman with a pork chop GAS WATCH KNOWBEFOREYOUGO Prevailing Prices

B-I-N-G-O! We start this week’s news chewing session in Rideau Lakes, Ontario. Last week police were called to an old folks home. Two ladies, ages 79 and 86, got into a fight over seating at a bingo game. Other elderly residents piled on and police officers had to break up the geriatric fisticuffs. Maybe these old folks should forget bingo and stage weekly fights with wagering on who will win. By the way: When today’s young people get old, do you think instead of playing bingo, residents of old folks homes will play XBox and Nintendo?

know where she shoved the apple sauce. Or where she stuffed the Stove Top Stuffing.

Bob Snyder

USED: A company in Los Angeles sells $80 used tissues that are supposed to boost your immune system. The tissues have been sneezed in, the company claims viruses in the tissues will help you fight the common cold. Other items they offer include used mouthwash and used dental floss. Spend $50, receive one free used Q-Tip.

Chews the news

Peace Country warmed up as the Polar Vortex weakened. You know it’s not quite as Dawson Creek 113.9 cold when your teeth chatter rate is down from 120 chatters per minute to around 90 chatters per minute. The Polar Vortex Fort St. John 127.9 has made us all more aware of climate THAT’S OLD! As life expectancy inCHOKE JOKE: In Fort Collins, Color- change. On CBC last week, a meteorologist creases, a new study puts the human age B.C. Average 124.4 ado: A jogger was attacked by a mountain explained the difference between weather ceiling at 114 for men, 115 for women. lion. He survived It’s kind of similar to the dif- I predict many women will use that ext St. John, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Environment Canada by choking the animal to and climate. https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-78_metric_e.html Alberta Average death with his bare hands. So take note, all ference between “pain in the neck” and tra year to fool around with a 95 year old 97.8 you dogs in Fort St John who chase joggers, “pain in the butt.” By the way, if the Polar hunky stud muffin. it could happen to you. Vortex had happened when I was a kid, my Saskatchewan Avg. 101.0 Dad would have blamed it on me for those BANANA BULLETIN: In Mississauga, TIDY YET? Netflix has a huge hit. It’s not times I left the refrigerator door open. Ontario, a convenience store robbery was Manitoba Average a movie, or a TV comedy. It’s a show with foiled when the clerk attacked the would98.9 guru Marie Kondo teaching And speaking be thief with a banana. OK, here’s my quesHome  Environment and naturaltidiness resources information Weather POLE Local PARTICULARS: forecasts  British Columbia  Weather  viewers how to tidy their home and get rid of of polar stuff, scientists say the magnetic tion: Did they discount the banana? There’s Ontario Average 93.8 all the junk they don’t need. I was going to North Pole continues to move around. It’s no way they should sell it at full price. watch it. But I couldn’t find the TV remote causing navigation problems. This may Quebec Average 106.9 in the huge pile of stuff stacked up in our explain why the GPS in my car told me to WHY WAGER: Experts say more than $6 EXTREME COLD WARNING   living room. drive into Charlie Lake. billion was wagered on the Super Bowl. There is only one surefire way to win at New Brunswick Avg 101.8 LEGO LAFFS: In Peace Country theatres: HAPPY NEW YEAR: Tuesday of last week gambling. Stand outside a casino and The new Lego movie. Have you checked was Airport Chinese New it’s now 12 theFebruary Year of2019 make bets with people as they enter that Observed at: Fort St. John 9:00 AM Year, MST Tuesday Current Conditions Nova Scotia Avg 101.2 t Nelson, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Environment Canada the price of Lego? It’s very expensive. One the Pig. https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-83_metric_e.html On TV an expert said pigs are very they’re about to lose money. store Light has anSnow installment plan: “Kids, Take intelligent. howNNE come6they Condition: Temperature: -17.1°C If that’s true, Wind: km/heat Your Lego Home Today! Pay For It When slop? BATMAN BEN: Finally, in showbiz news, PEI Average 97.8 Pressure: 102.4 kPa Dew point: -19.3°C Wind C… -22 You Grow Up!” (Did you know the MacarBen Affleck confirmed he will not return as Tendency: Fallingcraze was invented by a Humidity: 84% CHOP: And Visibility: 24 km ena dance guy CHOP speaking of pigs: In Batman. Hey, I’ll do it! I have my Batman Newfoundland Avg. 111.5 who stepped barefoot on a Lego brick?) Florida last week, a woman was charged mask from Halloween. I have a cape. I can with assault after she attacked her boy- buy a batpole! CAD$ per litre, prices as of February 12. Home  Environment and natural resources  Weather information  Weather  Local forecasts  British Columbia VERY VORTEX: The weather in the friend with a pork chop. You don’t want to Source: GasBuddy.com

Fort St. John, BC

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Forecast Current Conditions Tue 12 Feb

Forecast issued: 5:00 AM MST Tuesday 12 February 2019 ST.Nelson JOHN Airport 9:00 AM MST Tuesday 12 February 2019 Observed FORT at: Fort

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Sunny. Wind east 30 km/h becoming light in the afternoon. High minus 18. Wind chill minus 40 in the morning and minus 25 in the afternoon. Frostbite in minutes. UV index 1 or low. -17°C -19°C -22°C -30°C -25°C Increasing cloudiness. Low minus 19.

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Flurries. High minus 17. Cloudy with 60 percent chance of light snow this morning. Clearing near noon. Wind up to 15 km/h. High minus 13. Wind chill minus 21 in the afternoon. UV index 1 or low. Clear. Increasing cloudiness overnight. Wind light except south 30 km/h over eastern sections late this 2019-02-12, 9:36 a.m. 10520 - 100 Avenue,Low Fort St20. John, evening and overnight. minus WindBC chill near minus 24.

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Fax: 250-785-5338 • Ph: 250-785-5888 Wed, 13 Feb Cloudy. Becoming a mix of sun•and cloud near Wind light except south 30 km/h over eastern sections Mon. to Wed. and Fri. 6am - 6pm Thurs. 6amnoon. - 8pm in the morning. High minus 11. Wind chill minus 24 in the morning and minus 14 in the afternoon. UV index 1 Sat. 9am - 6pm • Sunday 10am - 5pm or low.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A3

Local News

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC has provided the following update on suspects charged, convicted, and sentenced after a yearlong investigation into drug trafficking in the Peace Region in 2015 and 2016. Investigators seized more than $57,000 in cash, along with various quantities of cocaine, crystal meth, Percocet, GHB, and fentanyl. They also seized several guns, including a .22 caliber rifle, a loaded 12 gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 rifle. • Jamie St. Denis (born 1978) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine, weapons trafficking, and possession of weapon contrary to order. St. Denis was sentenced to 7.5 years jail time and given a 10-year firearms prohibition. • Ryan Holden (born 1980) pleaded guilty and was convicted of unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm. Holden was sentenced to two years jail, given a three-year probation order, and a lifetime firearm prohibition. • Christina Mackay (born 1986) was convicted of trafficking cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Mackay’s sentencing is scheduled for May 2019. • Nuaman Mohamud (born 1986) pleaded guilty and was convicted of six counts of trafficking cocaine, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Mohamud received 90 days jail, to be served on weekends over a two-year period, 18 months probation, and a mandatory firearms prohibition. • Lisa Beaulieu (born 1981) was convicted at trial of trafficking cocaine. Beaulieu was sentenced to 126 days jail and given a mandatory firearms prohibition. • Darcy Beaulieu (born 1985) was acquitted at trial. • Rae-Dawn Campbell (born 1988) was convicted of lesser charges of cocaine possession, and sentenced to an absolute discharge on Dec. 7, 2017. • Preston Norris (born 1997) was convicted of trafficking cocaine. Norris pleaded guilty and was referred to Drug Treatment Court in Vancouver and has biweekly progress hearings. Sentencing will occur after treatment. • Lashway Merritt (born 1994) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine. Merritt was sentenced to 90 days jail, given 15 months probation, and a 10-year firearms prohibition. • Rory Baxter (born 1996) was acquitted of cocaine trafficking and possession charges at trial. • James Beattie born 1993) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine. Beattie is awaiting sentencing scheduled for February 19, 2019. • Isabel Laboucan (born 1972) saw a stay of proceedings. • Tyson Maurice (born 1997) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine. Maurice is awaiting sentencing scheduled for April 4, 2019. • Arin Charleyboy (born 1990) was found guilty and convicted of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Charleyboy is awaiting sentencing. • Sam Tapanila (born 1981) was found guilty and convicted of three counts of trafficking cocaine, one count of traf-

ficking heroin and fentanyl, and one count of trafficking oxycodone. Tapanila is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for Feb. 11, 2019. • Troy Romanow (born 1964) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking fentanyl and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. Romanow was given a three-year probation order and mandatory 10-year firearm prohibition. • Curtis Britz (born 1993) pleaded guilty and was convicted of two counts of trafficking cocaine. Britz is awaiting a date for sentencing. • Alena Wallace (born 1990) is wanted on an arrest warrant. • Paul Del Grosso (born 1979) is wanted on an arrest warrant. • David Oster (born 1991) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Oster was sentenced to seven months jail, given a one-year probation order, and a mandatory 10-year firearm prohibition • David Shane (born 1979) was found not guilty at trial. • Ghislain Cormier (born 1996) is awaiting trial. • Wayne Weatherhead (born 1995) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking fentanyl. Weatherhead was sentenced to 122 days jail and given a mandatory 10-year firearms prohibition. • Kevin Danais (born 1997) is awaiting trial, scheduled for April 9 to 11, 2019. • Colby Davis (born 1996) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine and fentanyl. Davis received an 18-month probation order and a mandatory 10-year firearms prohibition. • Andreas Fuchs (born 1989) is currently in the middle of trial. • Marc Renaud (born 1986) is currently in the middle of trial. • Brandon Robichaud (born 1995) is currently in the middle of trial. • Kelsey Gauthier (born 1988) is awaiting trial continuation, scheduled for February 8, 2019. • One unnamed youth at the time of the offence was convicted of trafficking cocaine, and received a nine-month probation order and two-year firearms prohibition. • Jerron Krausher (born 1994) saw a stay of proceedings. • Shane Lyne (born 1997) pleaded guilty and was convicted of trafficking cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Lyne received a suspended sentence, 18 months probation, and a 10-year firearms prohibition. • Josh Carter (born 1997) was convicted of trafficking fentanyl, and received a suspended sentence, a oneyear probation order, and a mandatory 10-year firearm prohibition. • William McWhirter (born 1979) pleaded guilty and was convicted of two counts of trafficking cocaine, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. McWhirter was sentenced to 172 days jail and was handed a lifetime firearms prohibition. • Danick Leger (born 1995) is wanted on an arrest warrant. • Jamie Cormier (born 1991) is wanted on an arrest warrant.

Special Delivery

A summary of charges and sentences in 2015 Peace Region drug investigation

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A4 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Local News

12,500-year-old bison among big finds of Site C heritage preservation plan derrick penner Vancouver Sun

A construction crew digging a utility trench in the fall of 2016 unearthed the 12,500-year-old remains of a prehistoric bison, one of more significant archeological finds in the construction zone of B.C. Hydro’s Site C dam. “This is one of the oldest bison ever found in northeastern B.C. and its discovery forms an important part of the region’s and our province’s paleontological history,” said Hydro spokeswoman Tanya Fish in an email exchange. It is one of hundreds of thousands of artifacts that B.C. Hydro contract crews have uncovered as Site C has proceeded, as part of the utility’s heritage management plan for the project, Fish said. Most of the work required under that management plan is complete, Fish said, but B.C. Hydro recently issued a request for proposals seeking contractors to complete the remainder of the project, mainly to do with realignment work along Highway 29 between Hudson’s Hope and Fort St. John. Site C involves building a kilometre-long earth-filled dam across the Peace River near Fort St. John, which will flood an 83-kilometre-long reservoir along the river valley, sparking a race to preserve as much as possible of the archeological record. The history of B.C.’s northeast, on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, includes European contact from the fur trade dating to the early 1800s, First Nations civilization for many thousands of years and a fossil record that stretches back

to the dinosaurs. Archeological surveys over the decades identified more than 450 spots within areas that will be disturbed by Site C’s construction that need to be investigated and artifacts preserved by archeologists before construction is complete. However, construction crews are required to remain on the lookout for chance finds, which is what happened in 2016 as an excavator dug that trench adjacent to the main contractor’s site offices, and halted work after coming across what looked like an animal bone. Fish said the remains, which were well preserved in soft, silty sand, turned out to be three metres long and the bison would have weighed about 900 kilograms when it roamed the prehistoric plains. Paleontologists excavated the remains over 10 days in August of 2017, documented the find and carefully packaged them for transport to the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, where Fish said B.C. Hydro is attempting to get all of its finds included in that institution’s permanent collection. The Site C heritage plan, which is entering its 10th year, is the largest such study that has been conducted in B.C., Fish said, at the cost of “millions of dollars.” “The vast majority of (artifacts found) are what archeologists call flakes, or debitage — the chippings of rock that are left over from making stone tools,” Fish said However, hundreds of stone tools — broken and complete — including arrow and spear points, knives, scrapers and drills that show evidence of how First Nations people of

png photo

Palaeontologists carefully unearth the bones of a 12,500-year-old prehistoric bison near B.C. Hydro’s Site C dam construction site, which was discovered by construction crews and is one of the more significant finds under the heritage management plan for the project.

the Peace River Valley have also been found. From an archeological perspective, the mitigation work involved in advance of such major infrastructure or resource developments is a race against the project’s clock to preserve and document what ever one can, said researcher Scott Hamilton. “This kind of work, as you can imagine, is a little bit bittersweet,” said Hamilton, a professor in archeology and anthropology at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. As a PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University in the 1980s, Hamilton spent two summers on archaeological digs at one of

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significance. “You can never recover it all, particularly in this very hurried kind of applied-research, salvage context,” Hamilton said, which sometimes “leaves you kind of sad.” The Site C heritage plan has been the source of controversy. In 2017, B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office ruled that B.C. Hydro’s plan was ‘noncompliant’ in mitigation measures related to a sweat lodge site. The archaeological work spelled out in B.C. Hydro’s RFP includes additional geotechnical investigations, response to chance finds of artifacts, and disinterment and reinterment of up to five settler burials.

Illicit drug overdoses killed nearly 1,500 in 2018: Coroner

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two historic fur trade posts that contributed to the inventory of official sites in need of attention under B.C. Hydro’s heritage plan. Hamilton hasn’t done SiteC-related work since then, but has spent a considerable part of his career studying the impact of large-scale natural-resource developments on Indigenous communities in northern Ontario. The task, he said, is “bearing witness to societies that are no more, which often means the salvage excavation of archeologically important sites or simply recovering artifacts and documenting as best as possible sites that are of lesser

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Despite significant efforts to combat overdose deaths in British Columbia, the provincial coroner says illicit drug overdose deaths increased to 1,489, just over the 2017 death total. The BC Coroners Service says that figure is likely to go higher as death investigations conclude for last year. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the illicit drug supply is unpredictable and the opioid fentanyl is implicated in 86 per cent of the overdose deaths. In Northern B.C., there were 80 overdose deaths recorded to the end of November 2018. Of those, at least 53 involved fentanyl. In the Northeast, there have been 20 overdose deaths recorded, 14 of them involving fentanyl. Forty-nine of the 80 overdose deaths in Northern B.C. were recorded in the Northern Interior — the majority of them, 38, in Prince George. Another 11 were recorded in the Northwest.

Northern Health reported the one of the highest rates of overdose deaths for 2018, at 31 per 100,000 individuals, according to the Coroners Service. The Fraser Health Authority region again saw the highest number fentanyl-related overdose deaths at 316, followed by Vancouver Coastal Health at 283, and Vancouver Island Health at 167. Dr. Evan Wood, executive director with the BC Centre on Substance Use, says in a news release that the crisis isn’t slowing down and there’s an urgent need to end the harms caused by prohibition. B.C.’s provincial health officer declared a public health emergency in April 2016 in response to the rise in drug overdoses and deaths. Data from a federal task force on opioid deaths said nearly 4,000 Canadians died as a result of overdoses in 2017, a 34 per cent increase from the previous year. — with files from the Canadian Press

Jackfish Dundee’s pub closed matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Jackfish Dundee’s in Charlie Lake is closed. The pub announced on social media last week that it would be closing at the end of day Sunday, February 10. “At this time it is not yet known when we will reopen, if at all,” the pub posted to patrons on Facebook on February 7. “We appreciate your business and will truly miss you all. Thanks for the memories.” The next day, bailiffs had reportedly shut the restaurant down. The pub’s owners did not return calls for comment. The pub nearly closed in 2015 before former long-time owners Mike Champ and Trynna Dion lined up new ownership in Greg Hornshaw and Bev Hayashi. The pub has been a popular haunt, hosting Bartender Olympics as well as

live local music, including CanolaFest in 2017, and other touring acts from across the world. Both the pub building and land are currently listed for $2.84-million as part of a court-ordered sale. The listing notes the business of the pub is not included. NorthEast BC Realty, which is handling the sale, confirmed the listing is still active and not sold. The pub’s closing underlines how important it is to support local business, a representative said.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A5

Local News

city hall

CDC Month in support of the Child Development Centre. The CDC will host its annual talent show on Friday, March 8, at the cultural centre, and is partnering with a number of businesses on a number of fundraising initiatives in advance of the show. The CDC aims to raise $100,000 to buy sound panels for its gym, upgrade its intercom and phone systems, install a therapy swing, and reduce its mortgage debt. To learn more, click here.

news in brief Highlights from the city council meeting held Monday, Feb. 11, 2019:

• Council approved Privacy Management Council Policy No. 140/19, which sets rules for collecting, using, storing, and disclosing information about city employees, elected officials, and volunteers.

matt preprost photo

Crystal Kalas of the Child Development Centre with city councillors on Feb. 11, 2019.

• Council approved weighted voting assignments for Mayor Lori Ackerman and Coun. Tony Zabinsky, who represent the city on the board of the Peace River Regional District. Weighted votes are used at the PRRD table mainly for money matters — adopting financial bylaws, borrowing, etc. — and each board director is assigned a number of votes proportional to the size of population they rep-

resent. Fort St. John gets seven weighted votes: Ackerman has been assigned four; Zabinsky has been assigned three. • Council wants resolutions drafted for the North Central Local Government Association AGM in May, including one opposing a proposed climate action lawsuit against oil and gas companies, and another calling for improved public consultation

Council is looking to hold the line on tax revenues for 2019 as it awaits the results from a core service and asset management review due later this year. Council gave finance director Mike McPhail direction to draft a budget with the following tax rates for 2019 (2018 rates in parantheses): Residential: 3.4360 (3.4000) Major industry: 43.9548 (44.2208) Light industry: 23.3064 (23.9800) Commercial: 5.5436 (5.5500) Recreational: 3.6988 (3.8880) Farm: 4.5698 (5.2483) Utilities: 34.4735 (34.1250) The proposed rates would raise the same $3.18 million in tax revenues this year as last year. “We’re doing the best we can to hold revenues exactly the same as last year,” Mayor Rob

• February was proclaimed

Re: Cannabis Control and Licensing Act Applica�on for Non-Medical Cannabis Retail Store Licence

news in brief

Budget update

Proclamations

• February 18 to 22 was proclaimed Thinking and Founder Week in support of Girls Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada.

PUBLIC NOTICE

taylor district Highlights from the District of Taylor council and committee meetings on Feb. 4, 2019:

standards from the province, particularly with caribou recovery planning. Resolutions endorsed by the NCLGA are forwarded to the Union of BC Municipalities for consideration. If approved by the UBCM, the resolutions become provincial lobbying priorities for that organization.

• February was proclaimed Women’s Institute Month, celebrated annually across Canada in honour of WI founder Adelaide Hunter Hoodless. There are three Women’s Institutes in the North Peace: Baldonnel, North Pine, and Nor’ Pioneer in Cecil Lake, which meet monthly in the spirit of education, and fundraise to support of various local groups including 4-H, the women’s resource centre, and various schools.

Fraser said. In a report to council, McPhail notes the district’s assessment portfolio stayed relatively flat for 2019, with an increase of .271%. New construction in 2018 resulted in a projected increase of $897 in tax revenues for 2019, according to the report. Other business • Council approved a $500 sponsorship for the 40th Annual Government/Hydro/ Telus Funspiel being held on February 22 and 23. • Council waived community hall rental fees for the Phoenix Volunteer Club to hold a St. Patrick’s Day family dinner and dance fundraiser on Friday, March 8. • Council approved the Peace River Regional District - Taylor Rural Fire Protection Service Agreement for a one year period, ending December 31, 2019. The term maintains compensation at 2018 levels. The term length and compens-

ation amounts will be revised in the 2020 Taylor Rural Fire Protection Agreement. • Council approved adding $50,000 to the 2019 capital budget for boiler control system replacement and upgrades at the community hall. • Council authorized staff to start renovations at the Lone Wolf clubhouse kitchen ahead of adopting the 2019-2023 financial plan, at a cost not to exceed $10,000. • Council approved an $18,600 retrofit of the fire department’s Brush 3 truck so it can be used as a utility vehicle when it’s not being used as a brush truck. • Council gave first three readings to Temporary Borrowing Bylaw No. 831, 2019, which will provide interim financing to service the Parcel Z subdivision. • Volunteer firefighter Andrew Wingo was presented with an award for 10 years of service. • Ryan Galay was introduced as the new general manager at Lone Wolf Golf Course.

The Applicant, West Coast Retail Holdings Ltd., has applied to the Liquor and Cannabis Regula�on Branch for a Non-Medical Cannabis Retail Store licence. The establishment, under the name of West Coast Cannabis, is proposed to be located at Unit 2 – 9831 – 98 A Avenue in Fort St. John. The proposed loca�on is in the allowable area of the City’s C-2 (Downtown Core Commercial) zone for a cannabis retail store. Proposed hours of opera�on are from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days per week. Residents and owners of businesses located within a 0.8 kilometre (1/2 mile) radius of the proposed establishment may comment on this proposal by wri�ng to: City of Fort St. John A�en�on: Janet Prestley, Director of Legisla�ve and Administra�ve Services 10631 – 100 Street Fort St. John, BC V1J 3Z5 Email: jprestley@fortstjohn.ca PETITIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. To ensure the considera�on of your views, your le�er must be received on or before Friday, March 1, 2019. Your name(s) and residen�al/business address must be included. Please note that your comments may be made available to the applicant or Government Oﬃcials where disclosure is necessary to administer the licence applica�on process.

www.fortstjohn.ca 540057

• Council tabled a decision to approve updates to Conference Hosting Council Policy No. 82/19, Discretionary Grant Council Policy No. 87/19, and Base Budget Grant Council Policy No. 105/19, which outline how the city awards grants in support of non-profit operations and events. The amendments would co-ordinate grant requests to the city and regional district to avoid duplicating funding for the same event or program. City taxpayers already pay into the PRRD’s grant program through municipal levies, an administrative report notes. Council tabled its decision pending clarifications that are clerical in nature.

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Opinion

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When those five-year plans turn into lifetime plans

eanne Pryndik (nee Roberts) was born in Lacombe, Alta., Nov. 18, 1928; and upon completing high school moved to Calgary for work. Family ties were always strong, and Jeanne returned home to Lacombe almost every weekend. In 1952, Jeanne met her life partner Alec Pryndik, and they were married in 1952. Alec worked in heavy construction, and they moved often, including Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Hinton, St. John’s, and Montreal. In 1959, Jeanne worked as the Hostess for the Montreal Flying Club for two years and found a niche she loved – meeting and greeting people, being an ambassador. In 1962, they moved to Edmonton and Jeanne was the receptionist for the HBC Hair Salon – those that knew Jeanne know she had a lifelong love of classy grooming. In 1966, daughter Kathie was born, and Alec started in the oil rig bit business. They started Pryndik Bit and Supply in Fort St. John, and Jeanne and new son John and young Kathie joined them in August 1969. They intended to stay for five years but spent the rest of their lives in Fort St. John. Jeanne was always deeply involved in the community, often supporting kids’ sports, but also with organizations including the Legion, Oilwives, MS Society, Cancer Society, and many more. For many years, she was in charge of registration for the annual Oilmen’s Golf Tournament. Always passionate about politics, Jeanne

Steve Thorlakson ran for council and was first elected in 1990 and served for 12 years. She became the official City Ambassador, and we knew we could always count on Jeanne to put our best face forward, whether it was hosting the Governor General, Lieutenant Governor, or even the U.S. Ambassador. Perhaps the one achievement that brought Jeanne the greatest joy was her pivotal role in having the provincial government establish the mobile mammography program – something that will save lives and pay dividends for generations. Those who knew and loved Jeanne would acknowledge that she could occasionally be grumpy – but it seldom lasted very long! She loved family, and even offered to be our kids “Special Grandma” – knowing that our nearest grandparents were 800 miles away. Our children always called her “Special Grandma Jeanne” – a testament to how loved they felt. If there was one theme that defined Jeanne, it was that, “You should serve your community wherever and whenever you

Jeanne Pryndik was first elected to Fort St. John city council in 1990, and would serve for 12 years.

can – in order to partially repay former generations for their sacrifices.” Jeanne left this world in September 2015, but her legacy and inspiration will be with us forever. Lest we forget. Steve Thorlakson is a resident and former mayor of Fort St. John.

The joys of parenting become the joys of grandparenting

ne, two… where is three? We have a runner! I can’t find three! This was my husband and I last weekend as we spent a mere two hours grandparenting a two-month-old, a fourteen-month-old, and an almost-four-year-old. I’m proud to report the children were returned in (almost) the same condition of which they arrived. Was it fun? For sure! Was it difficult? Darn rights it was difficult, due in part because we were attempting to feed them all dinner at the same time: Crammed into our kitchen with the travel bassinette, the highchair and the kitchen stool, trying to coax two toddlers to eat spaghetti and sauce whilst the two-month-old decided it was the perfect time to show grandma how he can smile and laugh (there is nothing better! Nana didn’t want to miss a

Judy Kucharuk thing!). My husband took over playing the “I don’t want to eat, but you have to eat” mind game, with the eldest and I wedged myself in between the high chair and bassinette. Have you ever had a child look you in the eye while deliberately tossing food onto the floor? I figured spaghetti would be a win, but apparently on this day, this minute, it was not acceptable and she was sharing her bounty with our imaginary dogs that would be thrilled to get her discarded food. I said to my hubby, “I can’t imagine a parent trying to wrangle three children under

the age of four everyday, all day. How does one person manage?” Dinnertime ended without tears (that’s a win) and after hosing them all off to remove the spaghetti sauce we retired to the living room to play. The baby needed a bottle and a cuddle, and the two toddlers had shifted into overdrive, infused with the spaghetti sauce calories that had now given them both super human energy. “Okay, I will hold Lucas, you watch Dylan and Isla – don’t let them out of the living room.” Easier said than done. You know how you see pictures of grandfathers with their toenails painted, make up on, sitting at a child’s table drinking imaginary tea? That is a man who will do anything to keep his grandchildren entertained. While I fed Lucas, hubby did whatever it took to keep

the other two happy. He MacGyver’d a track for Dylan’s cars to cruise on; he let Isla crawl all over him like a jungle gym while intermittently stopping so she could practice her ‘kisses’ on him, which is basically her coming at you with her mouth open and her sharp, baby teeth on display. You don’t know if she is going to bite you or give you a sloppy kiss. The parents returned and I exclaimed, “Sorry, no one got a bum change while you were gone.” Frankly, who had the time? “How did it go?” they asked. “Pfft! It was fine…easy-peasy. You forget that we raised both of you!” I responded, with feigned indignation. Judy Kucharuk is a lover of sarcasm, witty people and footnotes.

Please Recycle this Newspaper

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A7

OP-ED

Taxing us out of existence won’t fix climate change

f we thought we were bombarded with everything climate change in 2018, just wait while we work our way through 2019. We will only hear more. With every weather event, there will be the usual quotes about “climate change did it.” Every international climate conference will see hundreds of delegates all traveling to get there, ignoring their own carbon footprint and telling us to reduce ours. I write this, not from the perspective that our climate isn’t changing, as it is. I can see that and have observed it firsthand. I have watched most of the small “hanging” glaciers (those that are situated on the side of a mountain versus within a valley) in the Bella Coola valley where I grew up, disappear, to the point where there are very few remaining. I have also lived here in the north long enough to know that the annual -40 and -50 C we used to dread is now seldom experienced, not that I really look forward to ever feeling it again. What I’m not totally sold on is how much climate change is caused by and the result of burning carbon-based fuels. Same for the natural climate variations and/or the plain old smog that is so prevalent around our world. I am also not totally sold on the endless reports written and endorsed by thousands of scientists. Did you know that there is nothing stopping one from claiming to be a scientist? It also seems miraculous that every “good” scientist totally

agrees with each other on what climate change is and caused by, and where our world is headed. It’s also sad to hear that it’s only “bad” scientists who can think otherwise or say, “Wait a minute, not everything is as clear as we might think.” As one who has always questioned things (guess I’m a skeptic), I have a hard time believing that: a) just because someone else holds a particular view what we all must believe same thing; and b) if I think otherwise, or raise any questions, I should be publicly humiliated and chastised. I also know that we all can work towards a lower carbon world, one where, over time, renewable energy replaces carbon-based fuels. But I also know that to accomplish this and make meaningful changes, it will take the entire world, not just Canada, not just B.C., and not just by shutting down our own gas and oil industries. I also know that if we truly want to move to a low carbon future, it must start at the bottom, with individuals making individual choices to be more energy conscious, and not because some half-baked politician thinks taxing us out of existence will do the trick. Under our current democratic system, government edicts and tax laws that punish those who need to use our carbonbased fuels just won’t work. Governments can only go so far. When the economic pain is felt by the majority, we will simply replace them with a new government that promises to

Evan Saugstad restore some sanity back into our lives and our economy. I also know that although it appears our anti-carbon crusaders are winning the battle, they aren’t. Yes, we have many news outlets that keep printing their rhetoric and making it seem real and newsworthy, with each successive story becoming scarier and more apocalyptical, but, despite this, our use of carbon-based fuels just keeps climbing. So what gives? Why isn’t this working? Well, because the average person: a) has already stopped reading the news; b) doesn’t believe what they do read; c) thinks that it is someone else’s problem; or d) believes that why should they do something when the rest of the world isn’t. Rather than just one, it is likely a bit of all four. So why do I write so often about climate change? I write to try and counteract some of the half-truths and “pseudo-scientific” opinion articles that we are bombarded with daily. I write because we need to hear more rural and northern perspectives on these important topics, and not just leave them to our Big City Pundits and their city’s issues. And I write because if we are going to achieve a lower carbon future, it won’t be accomplished

by what we see happening today. It’s great to see cities like Vancouver working to build more mass transit, bike lanes, and re-zoning to higher living densities closer to one’s work, so they can reduce their carbon footprint. And, if they want to tax their residents more for the gas and oil they consume, as an incentive to change faster, go for it. If their view of life and living is without the need of one’s own car, vegan diets, and high-rise condos, great. But that isn’t me or the vast majority who choose to live in our smaller rural and northern communities. Stop measuring us by the amount of carbon we consume and begin measuring us by the amount we need. All that pulp and lumber, minerals and coal, gas and oil, cereal grains and other agricultural products, beef, chicken pork and fish that Canada produces only gets to you and the world’s markets through energy. The workers who produce these products also need this same energy to do so. And it has to be affordable. I don’t care what type of energy we use, it must work. I don’t see any battery-powered combines in our fields, no solarpowered trucks hauling logs, or hydrogen-powered fishing boats on the coast. At least not yet, and maybe not in my lifetime. Someday, yes, we will be there, but in the meantime, we must work within our own means and reality. No government can bring in policies that send our rural people to the bread lines with no work. Fort St. John is not giving

up natural gas and becoming the solar panel manufacturing capital of the world, let alone B.C. Prince Rupert is not going back to row boats to catch fish, Tumbler Ridge isn’t going to use spades to mine coal, and Prince George isn’t going to use horses to move logs. Chilcotin ranchers will continue to raise beef as that is about the only agricultural product that is conducive to that area. The Peace and Columbia River dams will continue to power BC and the northeast will continue to produce natural gas for our industries, business and homes. These are some of what we do well, and we can’t change that overnight. This list could just keep going, but it would just begin to sound repetitive. Simply put, if we truly believe carbon-based fuels are our demise, then we, as individuals, must begin doing with less. Fewer kids, smaller homes and vehicles, and fewer southern vacations are a start. Just stop telling me what I should do and do it yourself. That’s how simple it is to change the democratic and capitalistic society we live in. When you quit buying it, producers quit producing it, and our government doesn’t have to do a damm thing to achieve it. Some day, we may get there, but just try to convince the other 7.7 billion people to do the same thing. Well, maybe, not so simple. Evan Saugstad lives in Fort St. John.

Letters to the editor CUSTOM ELECTION CODE Re: ‘Blueberry River First Nations Family Councillor By-Election set for January 10, 2019,’ Letters, Jan 3, 2019 Linda Chipesia, a former chief and off-reserve member of the Blueberry River First Nations, correctly observed that a Blueberry River First Nations byelection was scheduled for January 10. The purpose of this byelection was to allow the late Daniel Apsassin Family Group to democratically replace their family representative on Council following the resignation of their previous family representative in October 2018. The newly elected Family Councillor is Robin Ewaskow. The byelection was held under the Custom Election Code, which was adopted by a majority band membership vote following a special referendum in 2017. The referendum approved moving away from an Indian Act election process and governing system to the traditional family system of governance that ensures each family grouping has a voice on Council and extends the election cycle from two to four years. The reserved court decision Linda Chipesia references in her opinion piece relates to a legal challenge of the Custom Election Code brought forward by the Edward Apsassin Family Group, who were part of the minority that opposed reverting to the family systems of governance. On January 11, the Federal Court ruled in favour of the respondent in this challenge, Blueberry River First Nations, and determined that “a broad consensus among the Band membership has been demonstrated” in favour of the Custom Election Code, and that “there is no evidence that the Edward Apsassin Family Group is historically disadvantaged or has been historically discriminated against.” Contrary to the negative portrayal of the Band by former Chief Linda Chipesia, the Blueberry River First Nations enjoy an improved financial status since the current leadership took office following the December 2013 election. Although the Band once experienced financial challenges, Blueberry River First Nations is now delivering programs, services and projects on-time and on-budget and is no longer considered a high-risk recipient by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The Band is financially solvent and well-positioned to deliver cultural activities, to take steps to protect its traditional territory, and to preserve its inherent way of life for both the Dane-Zaa and Cree cultures which comprise this community. Membership engagement and transparency continues to be a priority for

the current leadership. The leadership continues to explore ways of improving communication with the membership and is taking steps to do so. In 2018, the elected Councillors conducted three meetings with their family groups (which included lawyers and accountants) to inform members of each of the families about the financial health of the Band, about the legal action concerning treaty land entitlement, mineral rights, as well as treaty rights, and about community programs and services. Further family meetings are scheduled for early February. Additionally, leadership recently arranged meetings for both on and off reserve members to work on a Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP) that provides all community members with the opportunity to voice and share their thoughts on what they want for the future of the Blueberry River First Nations. Leadership has prioritized the protection of treaty rights with the Province of British Columbia and continues to work to ensure that our traditional territory is protected from unsustainable development, which includes protecting areas already devastated by industrial activities. Reclamation of our lands for traditional use and purposes is underway to ensure our children and the generations to come are able to practice their culture and way of life. The focus and energy on these subjects is unprecedented! Blueberry River First Nations has many members who own their own businesses. Our leadership encourages entrepreneurship and contracting opportunities and supports all members in achieving commercial success. There is no reason why our members should not be benefiting from all the industrial activity in our traditional territory. Contrary to Linda Chipesia’s comments, Blueberry River First Nations does have employment opportunities available for qualified members seeking employment with our administration as well as with our business partners. In fact, we struggle to fill all of the many job vacancies that are advertised on our website. We offer training and education opportunities to all members seeking to enhance their qualifications and have very few members on social assistance except those with medical issues. It is important to note that Blueberry River First Nations now has high speed internet/broadband that was brought into the community in 2018, which allows members to take online courses and promotes connectivity through the World Wide Web. A cellular tower near the administration office has also been erected to ensure efficient communication. Cultural nights with

elders and youth, including a men’s night and other training programs have been implemented to ensure job readiness and community engagement. Everyone that wants to be working is working and the leadership continues to prioritize addressing barriers to employment. Leadership has supported students to the maximum allowable as guided by INAC and continues to seek funds to support education. Additionally, training programs are ongoing and available to ensure we have members who are certified, skilled, and who can be qualified for job opportunities. It is our intention, that in time, with further education and training, we can employ many of our community members in administrative and management positions. Finally, it is important to note that perhaps not every community member agrees with the direction chosen by the Blueberry River First Nations leadership, however, everyone should be prepared to recognize that Blueberry’s leadership is acting in good faith with the ultimate goal being that of community prosperity, which can be seen through our numerous positive accomplishments to-date. We want to continue focusing on what our community has in common, rather than magnifying our differences, and encourage our members to do the same. — Blueberry River First Nation Chief and Council A CULTURE OF ENTITLEMENT ON SITE C The clearing for the Site C reservoir is in full swing at Bear Flat, where work is happening up Cache and Red Creek, and downriver on the Peace. Clearing is also happening again on the Moberly River, and along the Peace near Wilder Creek. Death by a thousand cuts is slowly taking place in the valley. It’s noteworthy that a recent report by the CD Howe Institute has pointed out it still makes sense to stop the project despite the money already spent. Obviously, that’s the sign of a really bad project. Site C is not yet “past the point of no return,” and should the project stop for whatever reason, the trees will grow back. However, today I wish to comment on what I view as a culture of entitlement held by many involved with the Site C project. Most recently, this was triggered for me by the extremely expensive nature of the clearing we are witness to from our home at Bear Flat. First, I understand that it is difficult for us to judge what we see happening without fully knowing the challenges on the ground. I also acknowledge that any contractor doing this sort of clearing is up against challenges not normally encountered in a normal

logging show. However, having said that, I feel it is my duty to report on what can only be described as a complete dog and pony show. The clearing contracts currently taking place are Direct Award contracts with no competitive bidding. To my knowledge, that means work is billed out essentially on a cost plus basis. Judging by the incredible amount of equipment and manpower on the job every day versus what is getting done; it appears to me that BC ratepayers are getting hosed. From what I can see, we are likely setting a new world record for the most expensive land clearing ever. Even if you are among those who support this project, you should be upset about the vast amount of money that is being wasted. A recent article in the Narwhal raises concerns with how these Direct Award contracts are being awarded by BC Hydro. Who is looking after the interest of BC ratepayers? How do we know we are not getting fleeced? Is the top secret Project Assurance Board going to do that for us? I doubt it. I think the BC Government and BC Hydro are content to just keep shoveling out the money and not have any bad press. I wonder when we will once again find out the project is over budget? I think many Fort St. John locals know about the inefficiencies and waste with the project. Despite much of the project being out of sight and out of mind for many, town is full of stories about the many gong shows that are happening at Site C. Furthermore, the blame likely falls more on the government and BC Hydro management than on contractors. I take no pleasure with “ratting” on any Site C contractors. I simply find it frustrating that no one is speaking out about a big problem with the project. While I have been disappointed by the lack of whistleblowers, I can understand the reluctance of people to come forward to speak out against what they see as bad practices. There can be consequences for doing so, and it can get complicated. For instance, I have considered talking to the contractor on Cache Creek about acquiring a set of house building logs from the patch of large spruce they are logging up there. Even with the change in the highway design at Bear Flat, the sloughing banks of the reservoir will take away our house at some point. Being a log builder, I would like to build a house with logs taken from the creek near our home; sort of like saving a little piece of what used to be here. However, I decided to write this opinion piece instead. I doubt the contractor will want to work with me now, but I feel better. — Ken Boon, Bear Flat

A8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Local News

North Peace Secondary granted $1,000 for pantry program matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

The North Peace Secondary School has received $1,000 in support of its pantry program. Corteva Agriscience announced the donation Tuesday, February 12 to offset the program’s food costs and support training and workshops. The NPSS pantry program provides snacks to more than 1,300 students between 14 and 19 years old, along with education about local food security. “Statistically speaking, more than 30 per cent of the students in our region live in extreme poverty conditions,” NPSS teacher Melissa Paakkonen said in a news release.

North Peace Secondary staff receiving a donation in support of the school’s pantry program. Twitter/PioneerSeedsCA

PENNY’S

CARDS COINS & COLLECTIBLES

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Employment on BC Hydro’s Site C dam dropped to 3,107 workers in December 2018, down from 3,463 workers in November, according to the latest employment report. There were 628 Peace Region residents employed as construction and non-construction contractors, or 20% of the project’s total workforce. Local workers make up 25% of the construction and non-construction workforce total of 2,510 workers, which includes work at the dam site, on transmission corridors, reservoir clearing, public roadworks, and camp accommodations. There were a total of 2,418 workers, or 78%, from B.C. working for construction and non-construction contractors, and

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in engineering and project team jobs. The dam’s workforce numbers have been dropping from a 2018 peak of 3,746 workers in September due to seasonal layoffs. The project had started the year with 1,743 workers in January. BC Hydro reports 121 apprentices, 253 indigenous people, and 364 women were working on the project in December. The number of international workers was not available before deadline and will be published in January, BC Hydro says. The bulk of the project’s construction and non-construction workforce continues to be heavy equipment operators, with more than 500 employed on the project. There were more than 300 labourers and more than 300 engineers tallied.

Western Canada oil and gas land sales net $13.8 million The Alberta government sits with about half the land sale revenue it did at the same period of last year after another quiet sale. The lone February sale held Wednesday generated $3.62 million for the provincial government on 27,760 hectares at an average price of $130.39. Year-to-date, the province has collected $19.49 million on 105,992 hectares at an average price of $183.88. After three sales last year, the province had taken in $40.83 million on the sale of 154,691 at an average price of $263.93. The next sale will be held March 6.

of over $2 million. Industry paid $10.2 million for 15,230 hectares at an average price of $696.53. The next sale is scheduled for April 9.

Saskatchewan The Saskatchewan government kicked off its 2019 land sale schedule on February 5 with a $10.2 million land sale, which included a top bonus parcel

Manitoba Manitoba will hold is first sale of the year on Feb. 13.

British Columbia There are no parcels posted for February. Industry had requested parcels for the sale, but First Nations asked for more time to review and comment due to Christmas break office closures. The province has just one parcel listed for its March 27 sale, a 1,116-hectare lease in the Laprise and Black Creek areas.

— Daily Oil Bulletin, with AHN files

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“Once the scope of the Fort St. John Land and Resource Management Plan updates and amendments are understood, the technical planning work will begin,” the bulletin states. “Further engagement with First Nations, local governments, industry, stakeholders and the public will also be part of the technical planning. This portion of the land and resource man-

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“That’s why our main goal with the Pantry Program is to give our students both access to food and the knowledge to help provide their own food security.” The funding is part of Corteva’s Growing Today, Leading Tomorrow program, a grant program supporting farm education, farm safety, and food security for youth in rural communities across Canada. “We know that all students perform at their best when they are not hampered by hunger or thinking about where their next meal is going to come from,” said Wayne Hock, territory manager. “We’re proud to support nutrition programs and food security initiatives that have a positive impact on a student’s ability to learn.”

agement plan update process is expected to begin in spring 2019.” Updating the plan is expected to take up to two years, into spring 2021, the province says. To learn more, and to register for the Feb. 20 open house, visit: https:// engage.gov.bc.ca/fortstjohn-land-resource-management-plan-review.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A9

Business

“As a single mom, this opportunity to develop my skills in the electrical trade means steady employment, good wages, and self-respect.” — Marissa McTavish

Milestone: LNG trades program hits 1000th apprentice matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

LNG Canada and the BC Construction Association have hit a milestone in their partnership to train apprentices in the province’s construction sector. Marissa McTavish of Prince George is the 1000th apprentice to go through the Trades Training Fund, the two companies announced Wednesday, February 6. McTavish is studying electrical apprenticeship, and begins her Level 3 training at the College of New Caledonia this month. Her employer, Primus Electric, is also the 500th business to sponsor an employee with help from the fund, the companies said. “As a single mom, this opportunity to develop my skills in the electrical trade means steady employment, good wages, and self-respect,” McTavish said in a news release. LNG Canada launched the fund in 2015, which has since doled out $1.5 million to help train apprentices in high demand trades in B.C. Of the

1,000 students supported by the funding, 150 have gone to the College of New Caledonia. Funding for the program will continue, LNG Canada said. “At LNG Canada we recognize the valuable role all British Columbians play in maintaining a vibrant skilled workforce, not only for the emerging LNG industry, but for the prosperity of industries across B.C.,” said Tracey MacKinnon, the company’s workforce development manager. “We’re proud that our program is connecting people to successful employment in their local regions and acknowledge the leadership of the employers who are sponsoring apprentices.” A 2018 industry survey found 68% of employers had challenges finding skilled workers, according to the BCCA. “LNG Canada is helping to address that gap and opening up rewarding career opportunities for British Columbians across the province,” said President Chris Atchison.

NEBC unemployment at 5.5% to start 2019 matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

The unemployment rate in Northeast B.C. edged up to 5.5% in the first month of 2019. There were an estimated 39,900 people employed in the region in a labour force of 42,100, according to the latest Statistics Canada labour force survey released Friday, February 8. There were 2,300 unemployed. Year-over-year, the unemployment rate is up from January 2018 when it sat at 3.8%, and when 37,700 people were reported to be employed in a labour force of 39,200. The region finished 2018 with a 4.7% unemployment rate in December, when 40,300 were employed. Canada saw 66,800 net new jobs in January, fuelled by a hiring surge in the private sector. More people also searched for work last month, which pushed the national unemployment rate to 5.8%, up from its 43-year low of 5.6% in December.

B.C. is continuing its rally of monthly job gains, adding another 8,700 positions in January. But as more people entered the workforce last month the province’s unemployment rate edged up 0.3 percentage points to 4.7% between December and January. According to BC Stats, the province saw job gains in agriculture, up 1,100 jobs, and utilities, up 500 jobs. Employment in the accommodations and food services sector grew by 5,600 jobs, and transport and warehousing employment grew by 6,400 jobs. The province saw job losses in fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas, down 4,800 jobs, and in manufacturing, down 3,500 jobs. Alberta, hit hard by the oilprice decline, shed jobs for a second-straight month and saw its jobless rate rise to 6.8 per cent, up from 6.4 per cent.

lng canada photo

Marissa McTavish, an electrical apprentice from Prince George.

BC OGC completes survey of decommissioned oil and gas wells The BC Oil and Gas Commission recently completed an aerial survey of 103 decommissioned oil and gas wells in the Fort St. John area and found two sites requiring repair. As part of a mandate to ensure the integrity of decommissioned wells, the survey, conducted in October 2018, used a laser-based methane detection array mounted on the underside of a helicopter which completed multiple passes over the decommissioned wells. The surveyed wells were randomly selected and included open-hole abandonments, Aerial survey helicopter on tarmac. cased-hole abandonments, and wells with a previous history of surface casing vent flows which son by OGC staff. The source of were repaired at time of well the emissions at one location abandonment. The methane was identified as a pipeline detection algorithm was set to riser with trace levels of meththe highest level of sensitivity ane escaping as a result of the to ensure even small methane pipeline not being properly leaks would be identified. isolated. The source of the The two emitting sites were emissions at the other location subsequently inspected in per- is confirmed as an abandoned

bc ogc photo

well leak. Both permit holders have been notified that repairs are required under the Pipeline Regulation and the Drilling and Production Regulation, respectively. — Daily Oil Bulletin

— with files from the Canadian Press, Business in Vancouver

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A10 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

BUSINESS

Moving, divorce, estate planning — Oh my!

easonal trends in the appraisal world include employee transfers, divorce, and estate planning. As we do our best to stay warm and the length of winter begins to settle in, I’m reminded of advice that I have offered many newcomers to the North over the years: Don’t make any rash decisions in January or February. This too shall pass. Stick with your five-year plan despite the challenges of a long winter. The deep freeze has fogged up your brain. The lack of sunlight is darkening your thoughts. Deep winter is the worst time to sell your house! Let me repeat – you do not want to sell your home in winter. I could rephrase this from another viewpoint: Winter is a very good time to buy if you are ready to move now.

The seasonally lowest months are typically in January and February. Price reductions and motivated sellers begin to appear for those empty homes that are at risk for frozen pipes and broken furnaces during the deep freeze. I walked into a vacant home one frozen January to an odd dampness, frosted windows, a basement filled full of water, and no heat source. These are the nightmares that have sellers begging people to buy. What is one homeowner’s nightmare can be another’s opportunity. Are you prequalified and ready to buy? Winter is one of the best times to buy a home. I didn’t say it was the best time to be moving. Ask for summer photos of the exterior and yard. Early January and February are often identified as divorce season. We are seeing a trend

Edwina Nearhood LIFE AT GROUND ZERO

of requests for the valuation of assets for the purpose of division of assets. Valuation of assets is a challenge in todays market, as it has yet to recover to the pricing in 2014 or early 2015. Impacts on the local real estate market include mortgage rate stress testing, large volumes of active listings, smaller pool of purchasers, pockets of continued economic stresses, and reduced confidence in the market. There’s more optimism that in the previous past three years. Sales volumes have increased, and average house

prices appear to have stabilized. Sales on high-end rural acreages have a noted decline in volumes and pricing. When setting market value, a reasonable marketing period that is typically less than 90 days is considered. This has potential to impact final value estimates for properties priced above average sale prices in the region. One of the most vulnerable sectors in our market is that of estate planning. Disposition of estates can be challenging on numerous levels including emotional ties, family disputes, inability to look after details due to health challenges, etc. Real estate assets that are owned by the vulnerable, aging, sick, etc are at risk on numerous levels. Owning real estate can be a challenge when long-term care is required. Ability to move and

dispose of properties is often left to caregivers. If there are no caregivers present, there is an opportunity to be taken advantage off. It’s best to set a plan in place with caregivers and family before these items are a challenge. Those are often hard discussions, however, if your assets and disposition or long-term plans are important, then it is best to plan well ahead. I have noted numerous sales of homes sold by aging seniors that could no longer take care of them. What would you do? Where will you go? Who will look after you? Who will look after your business? Do you have a plan? Do you want a plan? Food for thought. Edwina Nearhood is a lifelong resident of Fort St. John, with 30 years experience in the appraisal industry.

www.alaskahighwaynews.ca

Board Remembering Fred Jarvis

Remuneration Bylaw

The Peace River Regional District dedicated a page on the January 10, 2019 Board meeting agenda to the late Fred Jarvis.

The Remuneration and Expense Bylaw was adopted and will be revisited in six months. The PRRD Remuneration Bylaw provides direction for payment of remuneration and expenses for the Regional Board Chair, Directors, Alternates, and Commissioners.

Delegations 1. North River Midstream external affairs officer, Jay Morrison, updated the Board on the Brookfield, North River and Tupper West Expansion projects in the Region. 2. Steelhead LNG Vice President Corey Goulet, presented the Kwispaa LNG project, a liquefaction, storage and export facility at Sarita Bay on Vancouver Island, and a separate pipeline project which is proposed to begin in Chetwynd and end at Sarita Bay. 3. Jane Butters and Mona Lowther introduced the Tumbler Ridge Mountain Bike Association to the Board. The newly founded Tumbler Ridge non-profit society vision is to create a world-class mountain biking mecca in Tumbler Ridge and the Peace Region. 4. Catie O’Neal and Kiel Giddens from TransCanada updated the Board on the Coastal GasLink Project, advising that all necessary regulatory permits have been obtained for the project, $2.8 billion worth of pipeline construction contracts have been awarded, and 20 project and community agreements with Indigenous bands have been signed. 5. Aaron Cahill and Bethany Ladd presented an overview of the UBC Energy and Environment Research Initiative. This is a research collaborative based out of UBC Vancouver whose mission is to better understand the environmental impacts of shale gas development, focusing on fugitive gas migration.

PRRD Board Requests an Alternative UBCM Meeting Location The Regional Board will write a letter to Mayor Jack Crompton of Whistler, BC to express disappointment in his letter addressed to Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. regarding climate change. A second letter will be sent to UBCM requesting that Whistler and Victoria not be considered as viable UBCM conference host communities, as the locations are not central for those travelling from other regions in BC.

ALR Applications 1. The Regional Board supported the Trevor Kersey ALR subdivision application to proceed to the Agricultural Land Commission. The applicant is applying to subdivide a 76-acre parcel located near Taylor BC in Area D into four residential lots ranging in size from 7 to 50 acres. 2. The Board refused the Mark Woloschuk ALR subdivision application to proceed to the ALC, as the proposal is not consistent with the OCP which states that non-agricultural uses should be directed away from existing agricultural areas. 3. The Regional Board supported the McNary ALR subdivision application to proceed to the Agricultural Land Commission. The applicant is applying to subdivide his 19.40-acre property into two residential lots.

Grants to Community Organizations, Special Events The North East Native Advancing Society grant request for $2000 to host a career forum and award banquet was approved. February 14, 2019 10:00 | Dawson Creek

Next PRRD Board Meetings:

February 27, 2019 Special Budget Meeting 10:00 | Dawson Creek February 28, 2019 10:00 | Dawson Creek

FEBRUARY 2019

Farmers Advocate Review MNP presented their findings of the Review of the Farmers Advocate Office to the Board. Short Term recommendations included renewing the FAO agreement and funding for a transitory period of one and a half to two years, to continue to strengthen relationships with stakeholders, and to increase the use of methodical reporting tools to gain a better understanding of the demographics served by the FAO. Long term recommendations included exploring alternative service delivery models, cost recovery models and expanding the scope of services. Recommendations made by MNP as part of the evaluation will not be considered until staff have consulted the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture on their willingness to continue the program.

Electoral Areas Support South Peace Health Services Society Initiatives Electoral Area Directors of Area “E” and Area “D” supported the Peace Health Services Society Bulterys Community House project with a $25,0000 grant from each Electoral Area. The $50,000 grant will go towards purchasing and renovating patient and health professional accommodations.

Electrical Extension Grant A Fair Share Electrical Extension Grant was approved for $2,682 for Raymond Smith from Electoral Area E, Fair Share Funds.

Cemetery Grants A grant was authorized to the Sunset Prairie Cemetery Association in the amount of $1,200, for the purposes of annual maintenance and upkeep of the grounds at the Sunset Prairie Cemetery. A multi-year grant was authorized in the amount of $1,240 to the Sunset Prairie Cemetery, for three years beginning in 2019, payable from Electoral Area E, Cemetery Grants. A grant was authorized in the amount of $1,200, to the Tomslake and District Recreation Commission for the purposes of annual maintenance and upkeep of the Tomslake Cemetery.

Funding Commitment for a New Chetwynd Library

The Peace River Regional District met with Provincial Government Representatives about Caribou

A funding commitment of $753,756 from Electoral Area E, Peace River Agreement funds for the purpose of constructing a new library in Chetwynd was endorsed at the Board on January 31st. The PRRD has also applied for a federal grant through the Rural and Northern Communities Program for this project which could cover up to 90% of project costs.

On January 23, 2019 representatives from the PRRD and Concerned Citizens for Caribou Recovery met with the Provincial Ministers of Environment and Forests and Lands at the BC Natural Resources Forum. The meeting concluded with a commitment from the Province to initiate public and stakeholder engagement in early February on the draft Partnership Agreement to recover caribou in the Peace region. As part of the engagement, the Province committed to sharing data and analyses on potential impacts of the Agreement and made a commitment to work with the PRRD to evaluate impacts of the Agreement on Peace communities. The Agreement will not be finalized until engagement is complete and potential impacts on communities and workers are understood. The PRRD has requested confirmation of the public engagement schedule from the Province.

Rural Loan Request

Electoral Area Happenings

A three-year grant to the South Peace District Crime Prevention Association from Electoral Area D in the amount of $1,400 per year, beginning in 2019, was authorized.

Delegations Mike McConnell of the Cattlemen’s Association, attended the January 17, Electoral Area Directors Committee meeting to discuss the new requirements under the Water Sustainability Act regarding licensing groundwater for non-domestic purposes. Although Mr. McConnell has had meetings and discussions with provincial officials, it is still unknown what the expectations of the new regulations will be. The Electoral Area Directors will be sending letters to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to ask for clarification on the proposed regulations, definitions and its expectations.

Dawson Creek Office

Tel: 250-784-3200 Toll Free: 1-800-670-7773 Email: prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca

Fort St. John Office

Tel: 250-785-8084 Toll Free: 1-800-670-7773 Email: prrd.fsj@prrd.bc.ca

A loan, with a term of 10 years, in the amount of $181,000 from the Rural Loans Fund, was authorized contingent on the approval of Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club’s grant application to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to the Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club to build a day lodge in Beatton Park.

Grow Series on Co-operative Development Electoral Area B and Area C supported the Young Agrarians and the Northern Cohort with a $1000 grant from each Electoral Area. The Grow Series workshop was held in Fort St John January 26-27. 14 regional farmers were in attendance to learn about co-operative development and to develop skills to enhance their farm financial management.

South Peace District Crime Prevention Association

Youth Travel Grants The Chetwynd Secondary School Senior Boys Volleyball team received a youth travel grant in the amount of $150 to assist with the costs to attend provincials that were held in Prince George from November 22 – 24, 2018. The Dawson Creek Secondary Grade 9 Girls Volleyball team received a youth travel grant in the amount of $250, to assist with the costs to attend provincials that were held in Surrey, BC from November 16-17, 2018.

To view board schedules and minutes visit:

prrd.bc.ca

Peace River Regional District Ofﬁcial Page

diverse. vast. abundant.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A11

Local News

peace region

court docket A summary of sentences and fines handed out in Northeast B.C. courts for the week ending Feb. 8, 2019. Fort St. John Law Courts • Jacob Mathew Rommann (born 1995) was sentenced to 60 days in jail and handed a 12-month criminal driving ban for failing to stop after an accident. Rommann was sentenced to 45 days in jail for breaching probation. • Patricia Lynn Bagan (born 1992) was sentenced to a single day in jail for possession of a controlled substance. • Benjamin Kelvin Neil (born 1995) was given an 18-month probation order, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and handed a five-year discretionary firearms ban for uttering threats to cause bodily death or bodily harm. Neil was given an 18-month probation order and a five-year firearms ban for a charge of common nuisance. • Sonya Dawn Morgan (born 1967) was handed six months of probation with a suspended sentence for theft $5,000 or under. • Justin Cody Gibbs (born 1992) was fined $500 and handed a one-year driving ban for driving while prohibited. Gibbs was further fined $500 and handed 12 months of probation, for each of the following charges: fraud $5,000 or under,

theft $5,000 or under, and mischief $5,000 or under. • Talbit Wade Bergmann (born 1982) was handed a 30day conditional sentence and a 12-month criminal driving ban for care or control of a vehicle or vessel while impaired. Dawson Creek Law Courts • Mckenna Rae Seaby (born 1995) was handed a six-month conditional sentence, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and given 12 months of probation for assault causing bodily harm. Seaby was given a sixmonth conditional sentence and handed a 12-month probation order for assault. • Pamela Marie Lambert (born 1982) was fined $500, handed a 12-month driving ban, and assessed a $75 victim surcharge for driving with a suspended licence. Chetwynd Law Courts • Clinton Wayne Asleson (born 1972) was fined $1,000, handed a six-month driving ban, and assessed a $150 victim surcharge for dangerous driving causing bodily harm. • Lyle James Bremner (born 1980) was fined $2,000 and assessed a $300 victim surcharge for providing false or misleading information. • Brandon James Cusack (born 1987) was fined $500 and assessed a $75 victim surcharge for driving with a suspended licence. — Tom Summer

Man sentenced to probation after Totem Mall bomb scare matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

A man arrested after a bomb scare at Totem Mall in Fort St. John last fall has been sentenced. Court records show Benjamin Kelvin Neil was sentenced to 18 months probation and given a five-year firearms ban for a charge of common nuisance on February 4. Neil was arrested in the mall’s parking lot shortly after 12 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2018, after he allegedly told a mall security guard twice that he was carrying a bomb intended for the Winners store. Officers discovered that Neil was only carrying food, water, and hunting knife in his duffel bag, but say he was behaving erratically, talking to himself, and slow to follow orders when they arrived. At one point, he yelled at officers to shoot him,

court was told. In a statement to police, Neil said he was only joking. Neil was wanted on an arrest warrant at the time of the incident, for a charge of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm toward a police officer after he was found sleeping in his car in McLeod Lake in May. Neil was given an 18-month probation order, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and handed a five-year discretionary firearms ban on that charge. Neil’s lawyers weren’t immediately available for comment on Monday. At a bail hearing last fall, Neil told the court that he was not a threat, grew up in a good Christian family, and was well known in the community and active with a local mountain biking club. A judge at the time denied Neil’s release citing public safety.

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Don’t fall for internet scams cause it is too embarrassing for some, others want to protect friends, or they don’t want parents/guardians to find out. •Tell someone they trust or report to police if they or someone they know is being sextorted, so they or their friend can get support instead of suffering alone. There is no age too young to try to teach online safety. Zoe & Molly Online is a website supported by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and designed specifically for children between the ages of 8 and 10 years old. Through online comics, an interactive game and quiz, children have the opportunity to have some fun while increasing safety confidence. This site also lets them practice online safety skills that gives them the tools and knowledge in order to respond to unwanted solicitation online and to make safe responsible choices. For additional information visit: ProtectKidsOnline.ca or Dontgetsextorted.ca. — Cst. Chad Neustaeter, Fort St. John RCMP

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The online world can be a wonderful place but it needs to be navigated safely for the protection of our youth. Here are some tips to protect your children (and maybe even yourself) and possibly help others along the way. Teach your children to: • Always limit the amount of information that is shared online, whether that be in pictures/video or what you write. Keep addresses, phone numbers, school names and logos off the web. That information can be put together to know quite a bit about you or your family. • Only befriend people they know. • Respect themselves and not to digitize their body by taking pictures or video of themselves that they wouldn’t want their grandma to see. • Block and report offending social media accounts/game players where they receive requests for nude pictures or videos. • Tell someone they trust or report to police, if pictures get sent to your child of someone they know. Offenders count on people keeping this secret be-

A12 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

business

New research grades earthquake risk in Northeast B.C.

GEOSCIENCEBC photo

Map showing study area where data was acquired.

A report and maps released by Geoscience BC today provides new information about where there’s an increased potential of amplification of ground motion from earthquakes associated with hydraulic fracturing and fluid disposal in Northeast B.C.’s Montney play. The research can be used to better anticipate movement at the surface. The report’s recommendations include collecting more high-quality geotechnical and other borehole data to refine geotechnical mapping and acquiring additional shear-wave velocity data to improve models of the subsurface. Called Mapping the Susceptibility to Amplification of Seismic Ground Motions in the Montney Play Area of Northeast British Columbia, the report focuses on understanding where seismic waves can, in some situations, be amplified due to local shallow geological conditions.

A team of researchers from Monahan Petroleum Consulting, Quaternary Geosciences Inc., Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd., Frontier Geosciences Inc. and the University of Victoria compiled technical information from surface geology maps and boreholes. They produced a preliminary map of the soils, sands and gravels in the Peace region, and indicated which units are more likely to amplify seismic ground motions. The report grades areas in the Montney development area according to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program standard developed by United States federal agencies. “Hydraulic fracturing rarely causes earthquakes that are felt at surface, according to data from regulators. Nonetheless, understanding where amplified seismic ground motions are more likely to occur is important for public safety and protection of infrastructure,” said project lead Patrick Monahan of Monahan Petroleum

Consulting. “Seismicity has increased in northeastern B.C. in recent years due to hydraulic fracturing and fluid injection associated with natural gas production. This project identifies areas where amplified ground motions could occur.” “This report shows how geology can dictate why smaller earthquakes are sometimes felt at the surface because seismic waves can be amplified as they travel through the ground,” said Geoscience BC Executive vicepresident and chief scientific officer Carlos Salas. “This new research can help industry, regulators, communities and First Nations better understand areas with the potential of increased ground motion associated with natural gas extraction in the Peace River Regional District, thereby improving industry processes and protocols to manage felt events.” — Daily Oil Bulletin

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TransCanada Corporation will move forward with an $85-million expansion of its NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. system that will connect growing Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin natural gas supply to a proposed new petrochemical facility near Grande Prairie. The expansion project will be used to deliver natural gas to Nauticol Energy Ltd.’s proposed $2 billion methanol facility. The company has executed long-term firm delivery service contracts for 308 mmcf/d beginning in Septem-

ber 2021 to underpin the project. “The WCSB has extensive low-cost competitive gas supplies and the connection of new value-added markets is important to the long-term economic viability of the basin” Tracy Robinson, TransCanada’s executive vice-president, Canadian natural gas pipelines, said in a statement. “With more than $9 billion in proposed expansion projects for the NGTL System, NGTL remains strongly focused on connecting existing and new WCSB supply with in-

tra-basin and export markets through its safe and reliable pipeline infrastructure.” The project consists of approximately 28 kilometres (17 miles) of 24-inch pipeline and a new delivery meter station. NGTL expects to file an application for approval to construct and operate the facilities with the National Energy Board in the first quarter of 2020. Pending receipt of regulatory approvals, construction will begin as early as the fourth quarter of 2020. — Daily Oil Bulletin

House

of the

VERCELLI

Both the cooking and dining areas have unique features. When a meal requires just the right wine, the host or hostess needn't go far. An arch-top door in the dining room leads into a large wine cellar with a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

And in the kitchen, the wood-burning pizza and bread oven has equal billing with the modern gas range and oven next to it. The extra-long work island boasts a veggie sink and is rimmed on one side by a raised eating counter. Two large walk-ins -- pantry and cooler -- are

Light spills in through windows along the rear wall. Arched openings on both sides of the free-standing wood stove lead into a large playroom with built-in storage cabinets. A gas ﬁreplace could be installed here, if desired.

A guest suite is also on the lower level. Upstairs, three vaulted bedrooms share a large central bathroom. The balcony that overlooks the foyer and gathering space leads to two more spacious rooms: a vaulted theater/exercise room, and a roomy library/ofﬁce. Associated Designs is the original source for the Vercelli 30-491. For more information or to view other designs, visit www.AssociatedDesigns.com or call 800-634-0123.

Covered Patio

Owners’ Suite 17' x 15'6"

Guest Suite 11'4" x 12'2"

Shop/Hobby 26' x 13'2"

Gathering Room 14'5" x 19'10"

Play Room 20'9" x Up 16'6"

Patio

Foyer

Kitchen

Utility

The Vercelli's owners' suite has a ﬁreplace along with two walk-in closets, one double the size of the other. Other luxuries include: a spa tub, walk-in shower, private toilet, dual vanity, and direct access to a private patio with a hot tub.

Garage 22'6" x 25'6"

Dining 14'9" x 16'10"

Vaulted Porch Arbor

Balcony 20' x 11'

Vercelli

PLAN 30-491

First Floor 2847 sq.ft. Second Floor 1529 sq.ft. Living Area 4376 sq.ft. Garage/Hobby 1078 sq.ft. Dimensions 107'6" x53'

ICF WALLS This plan specifies Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) exterior wall construction.

Vaulted Theater/ Exercise 20'9" x 16'2"

Open to Below

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nearby.

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Looking at the tile, stucco and overall details of the Vercelli, you might imagine you've been transported to Tuscany. This Mediterranean-style villa is clearly evocative of sunny climates. A fountain and graceful wooden arbor welcome you as you walk under a stucco arched entry at the front porch.

Vaulted Bedroom 15' x 10'10"

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A13

ARTS & CULTURE

Tracking

Adam Winn reflects on growing Northern B.C. roots with new album MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca

When Adam Winn moved to Fort St. John more than a decade ago, he knew he was headed north to where a good job as a firefighter was waiting for him. But work only gets a man so far, and soon after arriving and immersing himself in the community and church, Winn quickly realized he had found the city he would stay and call home. The firefightin’ troubadour has penned a new ode to his adopted home and Northern B.C. called Song For The North, released digitally and on the radio on February 15. “I just wanted to write a song about living up here and being happy with being here, and just to be proud of this place. It’s a good place to live,” Winn says. Adam Winn will release his new album Roots this spring. Facebook/adamwinnmusic “We catch a lot flak sometimes from other parts of the country. I wanted to affirm to chase one’s ambition, alongside Canadian musician take my songs to the next level that a lot of people feel that whatever it may be. and producer Ryan McAl- in production.” way.” “Up here, I find if you’re lister at Five Acres Studio in McCallister has played with Winn originally hails from wanting to do something usu- Abbotsford. the likes of Sam Roberts, Willie Creston, a small town of 5,300 ally you can find the means to McAllister was strongly re- Nelson, and Carly Rae Jepsen, nestled in the Kootenays. do it and the support from the commended by friends, and and produced Tim Neufeld & It’s a laid-back town that community,” Winn says. recently recorded an album The Glory Boys’s Hootenanny moves at a slower pace than Song For The North is part with Fort St. John’s Last Horse album, which won a Juno the Northeast foothills, say of Winn’s upcoming album Standing. Award in 2017 for Christian/ Winn. While he immortal- titled Roots, slated for release “I felt he was a trustworthy Gospel Album of the Year. ized his hometown in a trib- this spring, and now available person in the music industry Winn has a unique blend ute on his debut EP in 2017, for pre-order. who could give me honest of storytelling that mixes altWinn says Fort St. John and Winn recorded 12 songs feedback on my songs,” Winn rock and country, McAllister Northern B.C. is a good place for the album, and is working says. “He really helped me says.

“There’s not a lot of guys that can pull that off, then he has these nice love songs he’s written,” McAllister says. “I’m not a big fan (of love songs), but the way he sings them, he’s got a bit of an edge to his voice that makes me believe him. He’s got this grit in his voice that’s very believable.” The approach to recording and producing is different from one song to the next, depending on whether its an outlaw cowboy tune or a love, McAllister says. “You frame the sentiment in the right way,” McAllister says. “It’s nice to see a songwriter get excited when the canvas surrounding their music starts filling in. It just comes to life.” Roots is a reflection of where Winn has come from and where he’s rooted at now in life. Winn says he grew up without much direction in high school — now, he has a career, a wife, and one big family with five kids, and a sixth on the way. “I’ve definitely been blessed with a good life up here. That doesn’t surprise me, but … a lot of people would be surprised to see where i am now,” Winn says. “I got firmly planted roots in the ground.” Listen to A Song For The North at adamwinnmusic.com

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A14 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

arts & culture

submitted photos

This past Christmas, The Lido raised funds during its Christmas parties and donated to five local charities: the SPCA, the Salvation Army, the Firefighters Charitable Society, the Robert Ogilvie Christmas hamper, and the Women’s Resource Society. Above, Brian Kirschner and Cindy Mohr at the SPCA with Drake the dog.

Brian Kirschner and Cameron Eggie of the Salvation Army.

Brian Kirschner and Adam Winn of the Firefighters Charitable Society.

Brian Kirschner and Amanda Trotter of the Women’s Resource Society. Brian Kirschner and Carlene Andrews of Robert Ogilvie Elementary.

HOROSCOPE ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 19) For the next six weeks, you will be more focused on earning money and spending it. Financial matters and a busy cash flow will be the nature of things. TAURUS (APRIL 20 TO MAY 20) Fiery Mars is in your sign for the next six weeks boosting your energy and making you a force to contend with! Get more physical exercise to blow off any pent-up steam. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) This is an upbeat, happy day for you! In particular, you will enjoy hanging out with friends and partners. Don’t be too quick to pick up the tab. (Don’t overdo it.) CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) This is a feel-good day for you. Ironically, you might withdraw from the busyness of everything around you; nevertheless, you will be happy in your own company. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Discussions with friends and groups will be upbeat and happy today. People are full of big ideas, and you are right there with them! VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) People will admire you today. They see you as successful and probably richer than you really are. Enjoy this great press.

For Thursday February 14 2019

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) Travel plans sound big and look exciting! Before you book things, you might want to wait a day or two to make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew. (Or pay for!)

Sad Valentine’s Day Memories

Dear Annie: Each Valentine’s Day, I am filled with incredible sadness. Two years ago, my husband and I were expecting our first baby girl. Her due date was SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) Valentine’s Day, and we were so If discussing how to divide or thrilled with love and excitement share something today, like an at the arrival of our baby girl. Her inheritance, be careful you don’t name was going to be Valentine. give away the farm. Generosity Sad to say, Valentine was born is a wonderful thing, but so is Feb. 14 as a stillbirth. It was withcommon sense. out a doubt the most difficult day SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) of my husband’s and my lives. We Discussions with others are have since given birth to a beaueasygoing and upbeat today. tiful boy, who has brought us joy However, you might be tempted and hope, but we will never forto promise more than you get our sweet Valentine. My huscan deliver. Keep this in mind band and I have gone through before you make any offers. lots of grief counseling together, and it has helped tremendously. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) But every Valentine’s Day serves This is a feel-good day at work as a reminder. How can we move because people are upbeat, past this? -- Heartbroken on friendly and helpful. Travel Valentine’s Day plans might be too ambitious. Dear Heartbroken: I am so (Consider this.) sorry for your loss. Words canAQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) not begin to do your grief justice. This is a playful, social day! The very fact that you and your Enjoy fun activities with kids. husband took the steps necesGrab a movie or participate sary to heal is incredible. I’m not in or watch a game. Anything sure that you will ever completely to do with the arts and the heal. My guess is that there was entertainment world will life before you lost Valentine and delight. there is now a sort of different understanding of life after her. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MARCH 20) Family discussions are warm You sound like an amazing and friendly today. In fact, mother, wife and overall human they are so friendly someone being. Thank you for sharing might go overboard and be your story. As best you can, try to too generous. (Don’t hold this let the love of your sweet Valenperson to this later.)

when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE

tine fill you up. Her spirit remains with you and your family. Your letter made me think of what the real meaning of love is. One of my favorite poems comes to mind, and I will share it with you. It is widely known as “Footprints.” Its author has been disputed: One night I dreamed a dream. I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to me and one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. “Lord, you said once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why,

He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” I want to wish you and all of my readers a very happy Valentine’s Day. Life is like a sailboat. Sometimes it is smooth sailing, and sometimes the weather is choppy and bumpy. For you, my sweet mother, Valentine’s Day will always be a choppy one, but I hope you can find a bit of comfort in knowing that the love you feel for baby Valentine is true love. What I mean by “true love” is best summed up in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Love is all around you. May you never feel completely alone and always know that you are loved. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2017 CREATORS.COM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 A15

CoffeeSCorner OLD $269,900 8820 92A St, MLS# R2336952

Excellent starter home located across the street from Mathews Park and a short walk to the mall and restaurants..

$549,900 14466 275 Rd, MLS# R2299430

Located 18 minutes NW of Fort St John on a gorgeous 1/4-section of land. The property features: a 16x76’ SRI modular home built in 2010,

TODAYS PUZZLE

$999,000 Part Sec 7 Charlie Lake, MLS# R2276256

$449,900 9314 N 97 Hwy MLS# R2307879

$15.50/sq. ft + NNN C, 10503 - 89 Ave, MLS# C8012981

150-acre property located on Charlie Lake offering approximately 500 meters of waterfront bordered by rock cliffs on both sides.

10.87 acres of prime R5 land with a 48x60’ shop/garage 13 minutes NW of Fort St John.

3600 sq. ft. attached shop available for lease. Office reception area +3000 sq ft 2 bays shop. No drop-ins.

$1,895,000 13134 Lakeshore Drive, MLS# R2301347

$1,189,000 13793 Golf Course Road MLS# R2316215

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One of a kind custom executive lakefront home on 4.67 acres. This prestigious 5000sq ft beauty also includes a 40x60 shop,

Stunning waterfront property with high-end features, located next to the Charlie Lake Golf Course.,

Custom built 3300sqft log home lodge and outdoor retreat sitting on 662 acres.

hOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3x3 box. PREVIOUS PUZZLES ANSWERS

• • • • • • • • • • • •

ANNIVERSARY ARROW BOUQUET CANDY CARDS CELEBRATION CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE CUPID DESSERT DOVES EMBRACE

• • • • • • • • • • • •

FEELINGS FLIRT FLOWERS GIFTS HEARTS HOLIDAY HUG JEWELRY KISS LACE LOVE MARRIAGE

• • • • • • • • • • • •

MEMORIES MUSIC POEM RELATIONSHIP ROMANCE ROSES SAINT SERENADE SWEET TRADITION VALENTINE WOO

TODAY’S PUZZLE

PREVIOUS PUZZLES ANSWERS

35. Bar bill CLUES DOWN 36. Alfalfa 1. Czech monetary unit 41. Type of dishwasher soap 2. Able to arouse feeling 45. Witnesses 3. Elk 46. Ancient ItalianGreek colony 4. Muscular weaknesses 47. Newspapers need them 5. Earlier 50. Discuss again 6. Lightweight fabric 54. Small group with 7. One who greets shared interests 8. Soldiers sometimes 55. Support wear one 56. Wool 9. Officially prohibit 57. Take hold of 13. US political party 59. Likely the first Meso-American civilization 60. Woman (French) 61. Automobile 62. Popular Georgia rockers 63. Soviet Socialist Republic 64. A major division of geological time 65. Make an effort

ANSWER : 2 AND 6

CLUES ACROSS 1. Chop or cut 4. Political action committee 7. Male parent 10. Doctors’ group 11. Ottoman military commander 12. A metal-bearing natural material 13. Lively ballroom dance 15. Male Gypsy 16. Once-popular card game 19. Occurred just once 21. __ Streisand, singer 23. Shiny yellow minerals 24. Get hitched again 25. See (Latin) 26. Lies between the Caspian and Persian Gulf 27. Scourges 30. Sentence 34. Supervises flying

14. Used of a number or amount not specified 17. Make a mistake 18. Biopic starring Jamie Foxx 20. Ancient Media inhabitant 22. About aviation 27. Popular American sports league 28. Cologne 29. Partner to cheese 31. When you’ll get there 32. Not pleased 33. One point east (clockwise) of due north 37. Respects 38. Shake up 39. Ethiopian river 40. Intrinsic nature of something 41. Principal parts of the brain 42. Brews 43. Where ships dock 44. One who wassails 47. Shock treatment 48. Popular average 49. Things 51. A type of “bear” 52. Utilize 53. European Economic Community 58. Swiss river

A16 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

arts & Culture

Fort St. John student exhibits at Alberta University of the Arts Fort St. John high school student Wonhye Jeong has landed her paintings on the walls of the Alberta University of the Arts, and a chance to win a lucrative entrance scholarship. The North Peace Secondary student has been selected to showcase her work as part of the university’s high school art competition and exhibition called Show Off! The exhibition curates the best in art from Grade 10 to 12 students across Western Canada and the territories. Up for grabs are $30,000 in prizes, and an entrance scholarship that covers not only the winning student’s first year of tuition, but gives a matching grant to the student’s school art program. Jeong’s work will be displayed in AUArts’ Main Mall from March 11 to 23.

Stage North getting ready for some live action Dungeons & Dragons the 90’s, totally average, until her family dies in a terrible car crash. Agnes finds herself alone, with a Dungeons and Dragons adventure that her geeky little sister Tilly left be-

hind. When Agnes recruits a “dungeon master” to walk her through the campaign, we dive into a world of supermodel elves, warrior demons and other D&D monsters.

New online tool helps Canadians assess their risk of heart disease Each year, the Heart and Stroke Foundation declares February Heart Month to raise awareness about the high numbers of deaths and hospitalizations from cardiovascular disease in Canada. One important way you can mark the occasion is by taking the time to assess your risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem. Thankfully, doing so just got a whole lot easier. A team of Ottawa researchers led by Dr. Doug Manuel has developed an online calculator that makes it easier for Canadians to assess their risk of heart disease and change their unhealthy habits. Its algorithm was created by using data compiled from Statistics Canada health surveys of more than 100,000 Canadians along with data on hospitalizations and deaths from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). The tool calculates your risk of dying or being hospitalized for cardiovascular disease within the next five years by asking you a series of questions about factors like your family history, diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking habits. It also takes into account less

(250) 787-6071 8815-96A Street • Fort St. John

importance of empowerment and acceptance.” The show kicks off for a twoweek run Feb. 22 at the cultural centre. Call 250-785-1992 for more details about the show.

HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS DIFFER IN MEN AND WOMEN.

obvious factors that affect your chances of developing heart problems, including socioeconomic status, education, stress levels, environmental influences, ethnicity and other health conditions like diabetes. The researchers hope that Canadians will use the tool to assess their cardiovascular health and talk to their health-care providers about how their lifestyles are impacting their hearts. To try out the Heart Attack and Stroke Calculator yourself, visit the Project Big Life website at: projectbiglife.ca/cardiovascular-disease.

HEART MONTH Even small changes can make a big difference

“Agnes learns how to fight, how to heal, and discovers the sister she never really knew. She Kills Monsters is a geeky comedy, full of professionally trained combat, that relays the

Although heart attacks are common in both genders, men who experience heart attacks usually report intense chest pain, whereas women may experience unusual fatigue, anxiety, dizziness and upper back pain instead.

FSJ

EXERCISE is the most effective way to reduce your risk of heart disease. People with low physical ﬁtness levels have nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease than more active people.

LAUGHTER is good for your heart. When you laugh, the tissue that lines your blood vessels (the endothelium) expands, which increases blood ﬂow. Your heart can pump 7,600 litres of blood each day. On average, your heart beats 70 times a minute, with each beat pumping 60 to 90 millilitres of blood. That means every minute, your heart moves 5 to 7 litres of blood.

Healthy alternatives you can feel good about it.

R RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK or STROKE & ACT 9123 100 Street • 250-261-5477

8808 96a St #4 Fort St. John Unit 103 - 11404 8th Street Dawson Creek 48142

Stage North is gearing up for its next production, She Kills Monsters. From the synopsis, “In a time before Facebook and Netflix, Agnes Evans rolls through

FEBRUARY IS HEART MONTH

Remember to schedule regular check ups with your doctor

FEBRUARY IS Do your part to take care of your heart... eat well, stay active!

Dan Davies, MLA Peace River North

Phone (250)263-0101 • Fax: (250)263-0104 Toll Free: 1-877-332-0101 Dan.Davies.mla@leg.bc.ca 10104 - 100 Street , Fort St John, BC V1J 3 Y7

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Sports & Leisure HUSKIES POISED TO CLINCH FIRST

STEPHEN CULLING WINS IN FORT WORTH

SPORTS B2

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2019

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I’m ready for the Canada Day of Winter

Dillon Giancola THE DILL ZONE

I DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO

From left: Coach Jenn Gibson, Yuna Lovell, Amanda Mitchell, Josh Telizyn and Brooke Braun at a practice on Feb. 4, 2019, prior to heading to Red Deer for the Canada Winter Games.

Elks skaters face toughest challenge at Winter Games DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

For Brooke Braun, Josh Telizyn, Amanda Mitchell ,and Yuna Lovell, the 2019 Canada Winter Games have been circled on their calendars since 2015. The multi-sport event comes once every four years, and is the biggest national speed skating competition for the 15-19 age group. The four Fort St. John Elks skaters have all competed at Age Class Nationals and Canadian Junior Championships before, but the Canada Winter Games are a step up. For one, everybody is thrown in the same age group, with every race counting and no margin for error for skaters who want to place well and

make their mark with Speed Skating Canada. The four Elks skaters make up half of Team B.C. Long track skating begins on Feb. 16 in Red Deer, and runs until Wednesday, Feb. 20. “It’s really exciting. I’ve never raced at an event this big before, it was an accomplishment just to make the team,” said Braun, 15. Because of her age, Braun is the only one of the four who will still be eligible to compete at the Canada Winter Games in 2023. For the others though, their time is now. Mitchell and Lovell just finished racing at Canada Cup 3 as well as the B C Long Track Championships,

while Braun and Telizyn were just at the 2019 Age Class Nationals, and all are primed to skate their best next week. “I’m extremely excited to be able to compete there. The last month has gotten me used to the pressure and help me to still perform to the best of my ability,” said Mitchell. Lovell, meanwhile, is looking forward to the atmosphere of being around that many athletes, spectators, and coaches. Telizyn has been battling some hip injuries this season, but is ready to leave it all on the oval, and is excited for the 1,000 and 1,500m races. Mitchell is the club’s long distance master, and is looking for a Top 10

finish in the 3,000m and a Top 15 in the 1,500m. Lovell is going for the opposite, as the sprinter excels in the short distances and would love a tTop 10 finish in the 500m. Besides the typical distances, the four skaters will also be in the Team Pursuit. All four are very excited, but don’t know what to expect. Telizyn has raced in it once, while the girls have done it only in practice. Fortunately, with three of the girls being from the same club, the team has had lots of practice. “Practice for the team pursuit has been interesting, but I think we have it figured out,” Mitchell said.

Brayden Sims on a roll entering Canada Winter Games DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

When Brayden Sims first found out he had made Team B.C. for the Canada Winter Games, the boxer didn’t know much about it, just that it would be a cool experience and a new challenge. On the eve of the competition, Sims eyes have been opened to how big of a deal the Canada Winter Games are, and the eyes that are on the competition. Sims fought at last year’s 2018 Super Channel Championships, Canada’s national boxing tournament, and will be attending this year’s championships in 2019. But the Winter Games, which come once every four years, are an even bigger deal to some, including Boxing Canada, than nationals. Sims is coming off a dominant performance at the Alberta Golden Gloves, where he beat Alberta’s defending national champ,

Kyle Oliver, to win his third Golden Gloves title. He’s as hot as can be, and will step in the ring against the best in Canada twice in the next two months. “It feels awesome to have this momentum going into the games. It’s a big confident booster and I’m just going to keep getting better,” Sims said. The Canada Winter Games begin on Feb. 16, with boxing starting on Sunday, Feb. 17 until Feb. 20. Sims will be in action on Sunday, competing in the 60kg division against Nova Scotia’s Liam Dempster. The DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO rest of the schedule remains to be seen, but a possibility Brayden Sims, in his Team B.C. gear, is ready to step into the ring at the of a rematch against Oliver Canada Winter Games. exists, which seems to be in Though he has fought on I’ve had other coaches help Sims favour. the national stage before, out before and I’m used to “I’m super proud of Sims won’t have Donally it,” Sims said. him. The way he’s fighting in his corner at the games. The Canada Winter heading into Canada Winter Still, he knows his Team B.C. Games are just the next step Games is really impressive,” coach Bill Watson, and said in what is a promising future said Sim’s coach with it won’t take long to adjust to for Sims, 17. It’s also the best Fivestar Boxing Academy, the new voice in his corner. possible tune up for boxing Justin Donally. “It will be different, but nationals.

BANNISTER

don’t like to complain about the cold. You’ll hear me say this everytime someone complains about it, and, for the most part, it’s true. We live really far north and that’s how it goes. It’s like if Edmonton Oilers fans were to complain about their team constantly being bad — what did they expect? But let me tell you, these last two weeks have been incredibly cold. It feels like the coldest two-week stretch I’ve had in my life. That’s probably not true, but I won’t forget it anytime soon. And I also won’t shed any tears when it finally goes away. This time of the year is when I’ve decided I’ve had enough time inside or at the arena, and try to go have some fun outdoors. I haven’t gone skiing in awhile, and skating would be nice too, but the weather hasn’t been great. Until this weekend, that is, timed perfectly with the High On Ice Winter Festival. Unfortunately, it’s still going to be at least -17C every day, but compared to the last couple weeks it’s practically icecream-eating weather. I’m super excited to try some new things this weekend, I just don’t know where to start. The obvious answer is the city’s new crokicurl rink. It technically opened last Saturday, but, like I said, it was cold and nobody was there. The rink will be buzzing all weekend long, I have no doubt, except it’s just a two-player game. Which means I’m going to be there bright and early, perfecting my skill so when I go back on Sunday morning I’ll hold court until noon. That’s right, when your kid asks you when that old man is going to give someone else a try, he’ll be talking about me. I love crokinole, and I’m becoming a decent curler, as you’ve no doubt heard by now. The crokicurl rules are a bit complex though (turn to B3 for an explanation), and a younger me would be that annoying kid at the rink telling all the other kids that you don’t just try to hit other rocks. What a coincidence it is that I still don’t have any friends. Last year, I tried out dodgeball. It was great, but one year’s enough for me. This year, I have my eyes set on sledge hockey and broom ball. Nothing says Dillon Giancola than the chance to become bad at a new sport. After that, I’ll be heading out to Baldonnel for the dog sled rides. Secretly, I’ve always felt like I was meant to be a musher. This is my chance. You’re never too old to be pulled on a sled by dogs. Even if these options don’t sound appealing to you, there’s twice as many that I didn’t mention. It really is the best. It’s Canada Day of Winter, where everyone is outside together and happy. People are never all happy at the same time, so Canada Day and High On Ice are a big deal. As for the theme this year, “The Return of the Mukluk Rendezvous,” I don’t know what it means, but it sounds great! It’s hard to find mukluks that fit on my feet, but if you find a pair that are size 13, I’ll come meet you for a game of crokicurl. It’s the least I can do.

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B2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019

Local hockey

Flyers raise $10,000 for Coy Cup

Huskies two points away from clinching first place

The numbers are in from the Fort St. John Senior Flyers Coy Cup Gala on Feb. 2. The team raised $10,200 at the event to go toward the cost of hosting the 2019 Coy Cup and lodging and travel costs for the visiting teams. “We turned to our community for support, and you delivered. We had a blast at the event and cannot thank you enough for your generous support,” said Flyers Manager of Media Relations, Brittany Doncaster. The Coy Cup will run from Mach 26 to 30 at the North Peace Arena. Playoffs In the meantime, the Flyers are in the midst of a tough first-round playoff

series against the Grande Prairie Athletics, and are hoping to advance to the second round and have a long playoff run. So far, it hasn’t been easy. The Flyers hosted the Athletics for Game Four on Feb. 12 after press time, trailing the series 2-1. The next game in the series is Game Five in Grande Prairie on Thursday, Feb. 14. If the Flyers can get a win, they’ll host the Athletics for Game Six on Friday, Feb. 15. Both games start at 8:30 p.m. The Flyers play well at home, winning Game Two by a score of 6-3, but struggle on the road, especially when it comes to playing the Athletics. The Flyers have lost all five games they’ve played in Grande Prairie this season.

dillon giancola photos

Fort St. John players cheering with opponents looking on in despair has been a common sight lately for the first-place Huskies.

Dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

The last couple weeks couldn’t have gone any better for the Fort St. John Huskies as they look to achieve their goal of finishing the NWJHL regular season in first place. The Huskies have received at least a point in each of their last six games, and with three games left in the regular season, need just two points to clinch first place. The Huskies (21-9-3) currently have 45 points and are one point up on the Dawson Creek Junior Canucks (22-13) with two games in hand. Finishing the season in first not only gives the Huskies a first-round

bye, it also grants the team homeice advantage for the entirety of the playoffs, which the team had last year and capitalized on by winning the championship. The Huskies start the weekend on the road with a game against the last place Sexsmith Vipers on Friday, Feb. 15. The Huskies host the fifth-place Fairview Flyers on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m, and the fourth-place County of Grande Prairie Kings on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. Both games are part of the team’s Fan Appreciation Weekend. Special draws will be held during both games, including free Tim Hortons for a year and Edmonton Oilers tickets.

R0021217976

dillon giancola photo

Kristen Baker of the North Peace Eagles had two goals in the game against Sturgeon Lake on Jan. 9, 2019. The game was part of the Hockey Day in Canada activities put on in the city. Marissa Jordan had a hat trick, and Nikki Ford played an excellent game in goal.

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