AHN JUNE 28 2018 by Alaska Highway News

THURSDAY, june 28,2017 Vol. 75, No. 26

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.”

hospital foundation hire

swim coach sadownik mourned

FSJ police chief’s exit interview

news A3

sports B1

perspectives b9

City cannabis consultation results

grace & poise

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

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matt preprost Photo

Kristen Auger performs at National Aboriginal Day ceremonies in Fort St. John on June 21, 2018. Turn to B12 to see more.

School district readies for new elementary school matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

School District 60 plans to hire a construction management firm as it readies to build a new elementary school in Fort St. John. The district is still awaiting provincial approval and funding to build the new school near the hospital. But, the district already has an architect in place, and adding a construction manager will position the district with a “shelf ready” project when the funding comes through. “Staff have been directed to

have the project shelf ready,” said Doug Boyd, assistant superintendent of special projects for the school district, said at the June 18 board of education meeting. “Part of that is to involve a construction management firm to assist in the overall design, and we are progressing with that direction from the board.” Bids for the contract closed May 25. The two-storey school is being planned at the northeast corner of the intersection of 112 Avenue and 86 Street. The district will be looking

to do a “repeat build” of the new Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School, opening this fall, with modifications, Boyd said. KMBR Architects Planners Inc. of Vancouver has been hired as the school’s prime consultant and architect, and has come up with two possible options for the school. One option, estimated at $27.8 million, would see a 38,500-square foot building that could accommodate 60 kindergarten students and 325 students in Grades 1 to 6.

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The results are in for Fort St. John’s public consultations on retail cannabis stores. City council heard a presentation from development director Ken Rogers at its committee of the whole meeting Monday. The city launched consultations May 23, receiving more than 800 responses over two weeks through an online survey and public “dotmocracy” events at Totem Mall and the Farmers Market. Here’s a look at what residents at what residents prefer when it comes to letting retail cannabis shops do business in Fort St. John: • Residents showed the most support for allowing retail cannabis shops in downtown core commercial (34%), general commercial (29%), and service commercial zones (22%). Only 15 per cent supported stores in neighbourhood commercial zones. • At 73 per cent, residents overwhelmingly supported a 200-metre setback between stores and schools. Just 16 per cent supported a 100-metre setback; 5 per cent preferred a 50-metre setback, while 6 per cent preferred no setback at all. • When it comes to setbacks from parks, residents were more evenly split — 52 per cent preferred a 200-metre setback while 48 per cent believe 100 metres or less is enough. • 53 per cent of residents prefer a 100-metre or less between stores, with 36 per cent preferring no setback at all; 47 per cent believe setbacks should be set at 200 metres. • A majority of residents, 83 per cent, think provincial legislation is enough to regulate public consumption of cannabis, and that more regulations from the city aren’t necessary. Canadians will be able to legally purchase and consume recreational marijuana starting Oct. 17, 2018. The Senate voted June 19 to pass Bill C-45, the federal government’s bill to legalize recreational cannabis, by a vote of 52-29. City council has set an August 1 deadline to have its zoning rules established. A zoning amendment bylaw permitting retail cannabis uses in the city will be presented at the July 9 council meeting. It will then go to a public hearing on July 23 before final consideration and adoption.

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A2 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Local News

contents A3 A6 A9 A10 B1 B9 B14

News Opinion Court Docket Business Sports Perspectives Classifieds

this week’s flyers Jysk Peavy No Frills Safeway Walmart The Brick London Drugs Canadian Tire Save-On Foods Annette Reeder Home Hardware Brad’s Furniture Shoppers Drug Mart

food bank deposit Save-On Foods assistant manager Dave Heck (left of cheque) and store manager Corey Butler (right), together with store staff, present a cheque for $2,000 to Cameron and Tatjana Eggie with the Salvation Army, to go towards the food bank, on June 22. dillon giancola photo

Clarification In regards to the fatal accident on the Alaska Highway at the 271 Road on June 15, 2018, the driver of the Ford pickup truck involved in the accident was handed sanctions under the Motor Vehicle Act with regard to having alcohol in his system, according to RCMP. The investigation continues.

GAS WATCH KNOWBEFOREYOUGO

114-year-old man admits smoking is bad for his health HOT! Last week, the Peace Country was hit by a heatwave. How hot was it? It was so hot my brain overheated and I couldn’t come up with any of those jokes that start with the words “It was so hot...” Across the BC and Alberta Peace, heat records were broken. In Beaverlodge, folks were worried the big plastic Beaver statue would melt and flood the highway with molten beaver. SOLSTICE STORY: Thursday was the Summer Solstice. The sun gave the longest hours of daylight it gives all year. But I read someplace the sun is old and tired, it’s just a matter of a few million years until it quits. So, enjoy that daylight thing while it lasts.

off-the-shoulder dresses. Her Majesty is the only royal who’s allowed to give people the cold shoulder.

Bob Snyder Chews the news

Star Wars Story was a flop at the box office. So, Disney has put all future Star Wars movies on hold until further notice. Golly gee whiz, we may never get to see Darth Vader: The Kindergarten Years.

9-1-1 LOL: In Halifax, Nova Scotia: A 12-year-old boy dialed 911 and asked the cops to arrest his mom after she served him a salad. Gee, imagine if she’d served Brussel sprouts. He would have called the United Nations. IN CANNIBAL NEWS: On TV news, they had the story of a man whose foot was amputated after a motorcycle accident. He cooked the foot and served it to his friends. I am now working on a joke about liver and bunions.

SOCCER SHOCKER: The big soccer tournament continued in Russia. I couldn’t help noticing those World Cup soccer Dawson Creek players all have very nice hair. Let’s give STRAW STUFF: The cities of Vancouver 128.9 t St. John, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Environment https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-78_metric_e.html SLEEPCanada STUDY: Short, hot nights made those guys credit: It’s not easy, throwing and Toronto may ban plastic straws. I’m hard to sleep. Coincidentally, in a new yourself on the ground and faking being old enough to remember paper straws. Fort St. John 132.9 itstudy released last week, the average injured without messing up your hair. In Before that, if memory serves me, we adult seeking 40 winks needs 8.5 hours of soccer, the only players who can use their sucked our drinks through hollowed out Alberta-B.C. border 137.9 sleep, not 8 hours as previously thought. hands are the goalies. In my opinion, they dinosaur bones. OK, let’s do the math: 8.5 hours equals 510 could improve the game a lot by making minutes. Divide that by 40 winks and we all the players goalies. BIRD BULLETIN: A professor in the Fort Nelson 155.9  Weather information  Weather  Local forecasts  British Columbia Home  Environment and naturallearn resources an average wink is 12 minutes, 45 States says early humans learned to talk seconds. That’s a pretty good wink. SMOKE BLOKE: The world’s oldest by listening to the birds. And if you listen Groundbirch 130.9 man was featured on TV. He lives in South to the stuff some humans say, it’s obvious SUMMER BUMMER: According to an Africa, he’s 114 years old. This is interest- the birds we learned from were cuckoos. item on CBC, thousands of Canadians ex- ing, he says he wants to quit smoking. But Chetwynd 138.9 Observed at: Fort St. AM MST 26 June Current Conditions perience health emergencies every sumat John 114,Airport a daily10:00 coughing fitTuesday is the only ex-2018 MOSQUITO MEMO: This is very scary: t Nelson, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Environment Canada https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-83_metric_e.html mer because they exercise too vigorously ercise he gets. Mosquitoes are smart! In a study by VirTumbler Ridge 142.9Condition: in hotLight weather. to exRainYou know it’s too hot Temperature: 9.2°C Wind: WSW 23 km/h ginia Tech University: Mosquitoes have ercise99.9 when your Fitbit bursts into flames. The next Pressure: kPa Dew point:ROYAL 8.2°C REPORT:Visibility: 16stop km on this good memories, they remember people Prince George week’s news chewing tour is London. Brit- who swat at them, they can recognize cer128.9Tendency: Rising Humidity: 93% STAR BORES: There was bad news for ish newspapers reported Queen Elizabeth tain humans. And so it begins. I, for one, Star Wars fans. The recent release Solo: A has told Meghan Markle to stop wearing welcome our new mosquito overlords. Hythe Prevailing Prices

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A3

Local News

Site C transmission line contract awarded matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Allteck Line Contractors has been awarded a $113-million contract to build the Site C transmission line, BC Hydro announced. The two 75-kilometre, 500-kilovolt lines will be built on an existing right-of-way between the Peace Canyon generating station and the planned Site C substation. The transmission lines will deliver power generated at the dam to other areas of the province, BC Hydro said in its announcement. Work is expected to start this summer and be completed in 2023, according to BC Hydro. Allteck has signed a labour agreement with the IBEW Local 258, with 130 workers on the project expected at the peak on construction in 2019. Allteck, headquartered in

Burnaby and with offices in Dawson Creek, has worked on the Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement project and the Okanagan Transmission Reinforcement project, according to BC Hydro. Earlier this year, BC Hydro suspended logging activities in the transmission line corridor ahead of an injunction hearing set for this summer, where the West Moberly First Nation will ask the courts to stop work on Site C until its claim for treaty rights infringement can be settled at trial. The logging work was taking place in old growth forest in three critical areas to the First Nation, including Trappers Lake, Sucker Lake, and the Peace Moberly Tract. In February, BC Hydro said it had agreed to suspend its work until Oct. 1 or until the court rules on the injunction, in an effort to protect those areas

and resolve issues with the First Nation. BC Hydro spokesman Dave Conway said clearing and road work in the western end of the transmission corridor remains on hold. “The transmission line contractor is expected to start some preliminary work in the coming weeks, which will continue over the summer,” Conway wrote in an email. “The work will include geotechnical investigative works and the installation and testing of helical piles for transmission line foundations in the eastern portion of the right-of-way, the setup of a marshalling yard at Moberly Lake, and shipping/ receiving material to that yard. “Some site investigations, including survey and geotechnical work, will be required in the western portion of the transmission line right-of-way.”

Contractor fined for failing to control silica exposure matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

WorkSafeBC has fined Peace River Hydro Partners $310,000 for silica dust exposure at the Site C work site. The company was fined May 8 following an inspection of drainage tunnel construction. “Work at the site involved bulk excavation, blasting, and crushing of materials, all activities that generate large amounts of silica dust,” WorkSafeBC writes in a report. “WorkSafeBC inspected the site and determined that the firm’s exposure control plan was not up to date, and did not include occupational exposure testing or effective dust-suppression systems.” Tunnelling operations had begun before samples of the tunnelled materials had been taken and analyzed, the agency said. Respirators given to workers were insufficient for the level of exposure, and a high-risk violation, it added. Silica is one of the most common hazards on a worksite, particularly in the construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture industries, according to WorkSafeBC. Silica dust can cause silicosis, a serious and irreversible lung disease, as

well as lung cancer. The total fine was $310,339.36. Megan Adams, spokeswoman for Peace River Hydro Partners, issued the following statement: “The health and safety of our employees is Peace River Hydro Partners’ (PRHP) number one priority. We take incidents like this very seriously and are committed to ensuring our employees have the proper safety programs and procedures in place. “In the spring of 2017, issues were raised following an inspection by WorkSafeBC related to the management of

silica dust for work happening in the right bank drainage tunnel. We stopped the work in the tunnel so that the safety issues could be addressed and did not proceed until an acceptable safety plan was in place. “Since that time, PRHP has developed an appropriate silica exposure control plan, which has been reviewed by WorkSafe, and a respiratory protective equipment program has been implemented. We are continuing to ensure we remain compliant with silica exposure guidelines and are reviewing our options to appeal the financial penalty.”

lieve overcrowded classrooms on the east side of Fort St. John. The district as a whole is at 114 per cent operating capacity. It’s unknown when provincial funding will come through, but district officials are eager for an announcement. The contract for construction management services is contingent upon approval from the education ministry. “We’re hopeful there

will be an announcement,” said Brenda Hooker, secretary-treasurer. “As a district, we’re getting ourselves ready that if we did, by chance, receive a funding announcement, we would hopefully be able to take advantage of the summer building season this year.” If construction is able to start this summer, the school district could have occupancy as early as August 2020.

school from a1

A second option, estimated at $31.3 million, would see a 44,700-square foot school that could accommodate 80 kindergarten students, and another 425 students in Grades 1 to 6. Both are proposed to include a neighbourhood learning centre. An enhanced gym and expanded multi-purpose room, along with a 37seat daycare are also being considered. The new school would re-

Niki Hedges takes reins of hospital foundation matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Niki Hedges has been named the new executive director for the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation. Hedges started her new job on Monday, coming to the foundation from the United Way of Northern B.C. “I am looking forward to building on the great legacy of the immense support that members and businesses of the community have given to the hospital foundation,” Hedges said in a statement. “I am delighted to be part of the team, and look forward to working with the board to further the mission of the foundation to further enhance patient care and comfort.” Hedges worked for the United Way as its community development and campaign officer in Northeast B.C., raising funds to support a number of programs and other initiatives throughout the region. Chris Maundrell, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, noted that Hedges’ long history working with not for profit groups in the Peace Region will serve the foundation well. “Her experience and knowledge of fundraising and organizing events is sure to be

a welcome asset to the foundation,” Maundrell said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of knowledge combined with a positive and fresh personality that is sure to spread throughout our entire community. The board is excited to welcome Niki to our team of dedicated staff and volunteers.” Hedges, who takes over the executive director post from Jennifer Moore, noted she’s joining the hospital foundation at an exciting time as it readies for its 25th anniversary in 2019. Earlier this year, the foundation announced it blew past its fundraising goal over the last fiscal year — raising more than $1 million between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018 — well above its target of $650,000. “The foundation is a very important element for patients and families, where many lives are touched,” Hedges said. “Everyone can play a vital role in the vitality and sustainability of the foundation, and so I am excited to getting acquainted with our many donors and special volunteers, as it’s their passion that has shaped and will shape the future of the foundation.”

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A4 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Local News

Two local students selected for SHAD program

class valedictorian

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Two Fort St. John students have been chosen to participate in the SHAD program this summer. Tristan Hynes, a Grade 10 student at the Energetic Learning Campus, and Somin Park, a Grade 11 student at North Peace Secondary, are among the 1,000 students from across the country selected to take part in the STEAM-based entrepreneurial program this July. Hynes will travel to Dalhousie University in Halifax, while Park will go to the University of Calgary. Through the program, students take part in hands-on workshops, and are challenged to come up with a solution to some societal problem affecting Canada. Learning is focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The program runs from July 1 to 27, and is sending a recod 1,000 students to 16 participating universities across Canada. “We hope program participants end the month not only dreaming big, but empowered with the tools and passion they need to take risks, roll up their sleeves and get going,” SHAD President and CEO Tim Jackson said in a news release.

matt preprost Photo

Valedictorian Alissa Minard gives her address to North Peace Secondary’s Class of 2018. See more from the ceremony on A12.

Regional district wants your input on community trails matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Want to see a trail connecting Fort St. John and Charlie Lake? How about one from Dawson Creek to Pouce Coupe? The Peace River Regional District is starting to study its options for potential trail connections between the communities, and looking for feedback from residents on where the trails might be located, how they should be designed, and what types of activities they should

SAVE

accommodate. “Trends show that people are using trails more and more – to increase their activity, to spend time outdoors, and to reduce their reliance on automobiles,” the regional district says. “As a result, more regional trails are being built to connect BC communities.” The study is being funded with the help of Northern Health, which awarded the regional district an Active Communities grant last fall. The consultations are the first phase of planning for the

trails to help identify community priorities and project costs. Last summer, Fort St. John councillors voted to support the regional district in the endeavour. Residents can weigh in on the regional district’s website at prrd.bc.ca. The regional district will also be collecting feedback at the following events throughout the summer: • Deep Summer Solstice Marathon, Dawson Creek, June 16

• • • • • • •

Father’s Day Fishing Derby, Charlie Lake, June 17 Seniors’ Swim & Tea, Dawson Creek, June 27 Canada Day, Fort St. John, July 1 Canada Day, Pouce Coupe, July 1 Mile Zero Cruisers Summer Cruise, Dawson Creek, July 13-15 100-Year Celebration, Swan Lake Provincial Park, July 21 Colour Me Rotary Run, Fort St. John, July 22

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A5

Local News

BC Hydro ordered to control water runoff, erosion during Site C construction matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

BC Hydro is once again being ordered by provincial environment officers to address and control erosion concerns at a Site C construction work site. An inspection carried out from May 1 to 3 found the company had failed to to control runoff water and sediment after the Portage Mountain Quarry was cleared. According to a May 14 order from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, BC Hydro failed to comply with a previous April 2016 order to put a plan

in place to manage water and erosion and sediment control throughout the project area. BC Hydro, which holds an environmental assessment certificate from the agency required to build Site C, also failed to comply with two other conditions of its certificate related to environmental management planning and sediment transportation. Senior Compliance and Enforcement Officer Warren Fekete ordered BC Hydro to implement measures to control runoff water, soil erosion, and sediment transport by May 16. In a statement, BC Hydro

spokesman Dave Conway said the company has completed more than 10,000 site inspections to monitor compliance with erosion and sediment control requirements since July 2016. “Erosion and sediment controls were in place at Portage Mountain Quarry; however, the Environmental Assessment Office determined that they weren’t sufficient,” Conway said. “BC Hydro takes orders from the regulators seriously. We took immediate action to improve the control measures and provided evidence to the EAO once they were in place.”

School District 60 approves budget matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

School District 60 trustees approved last week a $77.4-million budget for the 2018-19 school year. The budget allocates $65.4 million on operating expenses, the lion’s share of $56.3 million going toward salaries and benefits for teachers, administrators, and support staff. Another $9 million has been budgeted for services and supplies. The budget forecasts $350,000 in tangible capital assets spending, and another $3.5 million in its capital fund. The district has a budgeted $8.1 million in its special purposes fund, which includes

nearly $4 million from the province’s classroom enhancement fund to hire teachers. The district is forecasting a small increase in enrolment of 94 students, and receiving $69.8 million in grants from the ministry of education, up from $68.1 million this past school year. The district receives 98 per cent of its funding through ministry grants, with the rest made up from international and out-of-province tuition, federal grants, rentals and leases, and investment income. The budget forecasts a $736,000 surplus. The school board is required to submit its budget to the province by June 30. An amended budget is filed

in September after enrolment numbers are finalized. Also on Monday, trustees approved a bylaw for $1.6 million in capital spending for the 2018-19 school year. It includes $1.2 million for roof replacements at Bert Bowes, Robert Ogilvie, and Charlie Lake schools. It includes another $400,000 for three replacement buses. The funds were announced by the province in March. Meanwhile, the district was projecting a $795,000 surplus this school year as of May 31, as revenues are up and expenses are down. The bottom line, however, won’t be fully known and could change by the time financial statements are finalized later this year.

Site C agriculture fund appointees announced • Grants from a new fund to offset the loss of farmland from the Site C dam are expected to start being awarded as early as 2019, according to the province. The Peace Agricultural Compensation Fund Board held its first meeting in Fort St. John on May 9, according to a news release from the ministry of energy. The board will be responsible for managing and awarding grants from the $20-million fund in support of agriculture production and related activity. “The timelines for implementing the fund will ultimately be determined by the board, which will first need time to develop the application process and criteria,” the ministry said in the release. “Subject to those decisions, it is anticipated that funds will start to flow from the fund in 2019.” The board is made up five regional agriculture groups, local producers, and the Peace River Regional District. Appointees to the board include: • • • •

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•

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

• •

BC Grain Producers Association - Rick Kantz Peace River Forage Association of BC - Heather Fossum Peace River Regional Cattlemen’s Association Howard Goertz BC Breeder and Feeder Association - Connie Patterson Peace Region Forage Seed Association - Blair Hill PRRD Board - Angela Watson

• •

Gene Gladysz, member -at-large (one-year term) Travis Winnicky, member -at-large (two-year term) Malcolm Odermatt, member-at-large (three-year term) Colin Meek, Peace River Valley agricultural producer (two-year term)

Each industry group, as well as the regional district, appointed its own members to sit on the board. The members-at-large are agricultural producers in the Peace, according to the province, and will serve staggered terms “to ensure that one member-at-large position is open each year.” Talks on the fund began in November 2015. The impact on farmland has been one of the most contentious issues around Site C, which will inundate some 10,000 acres of prime farmland along 83 kilometres of the Peace River Valley. BC Hydro, meanwhile, touts a Joint Review Panel conclusion that the loss of farmland in the valley is not significant “in the context of B.C. or western Canadian agricultural production.” The panel determined the annual value of crops produced in the valley is around $220,000, though it also noted the threat of Site C expropriation has discouraged agricultural investment in the valley. “While this may be due in part to the continuing threat of expropriation, the more important reasons are labour costs and the availability of cheap produce from elsewhere,” the panel report states.

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A6 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Opinion

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On electoral reform, colour me skeptical

his fall, the people of British Columbia will be voting in a referendum on electoral reform — more specifically, whether we should change our electoral system from first past the post to a form proportional representation. With referendums on electoral reform in 2005 and 2009, the results were not surprising then: people did not want to change. In what was an important platform segment for the NDP and Green parties on the campaign trail last April, a report was recently released outlining the details that came out of public consultations. The NDP entered dangerous waters once it was reported that two out of the three systems proposed have never been tested. Yes, you heard that correctly: they are proposing two out of three electoral systems that have never been used anywhere. This sort of reminds me of the now infamous speculation tax implemented by the NDP, it has the “make it up as you go along” feel to it doesn’t it? Remember, when the NDP and Greens formed their

Jeff Richert COMMUNITY VIEWS

coalition paramount to this agreement was a referendum on electoral reform. The Greens want the change because they would potentially be able to garner more seats in a future election, and the NDP would like to prevent the Liberals from ever getting elected again. When compared with past referendums, the process proposed is very troubling — in fact, the fix appears to be in. Well, they hope the fix is in, but the way this process has been managed, the NDP have set themselves up for failure. The BC Liberals have made it quite clear they are against a change in our electoral system. This hardline stance on the issue will be maintained by an age old political tactic. Fear. Fear of change. It will work. What is going to be difficult for the people of British Columbia is separating rhetoric and noise from fact and take

the steps to determine if in fact electoral reform is in our best interests and vote accordingly. The problem is, as with all issues it seems these days, the sound bites, rhetoric, and advertising will be biased and delivered in a manner to manipulate you into voting they way they want you to. This will not be a lesson on educating the public on our electoral system and ensuring people are equipped to make an informed decision — far from it, I’m afraid. The subject of our current electoral system is not simple and what has been proposed, proportional representation, is not simple either. If the current government has not taken the appropriate steps to educate the population on what they are proposing, and have not given the appropriate and reasonable time it will take to do so, they have set themselves up to fail. The ball gets rolling on July 1, and guess what everyone does, including myself, every summer? Check out. Does changing our electoral system solve any problems or does it create more? When I think about politics in British Columbia, I do not think about

our electoral system itself. But, I wonder, if we do change the system, will it stop politicians from lying to get elected? How about government policy based purely on ideology and the absence of fact-based decision making? How about governments that do not take steps to solve long-term issues but purely focus on the short term in order to get re-elected? How about accountability? How about political appointments, giving party insiders cushy jobs and a pension on the public dime? These are a few of the many reasons why I think we have a voter apathy problem in British Columbia, and not for a second do I believe a change in how we elect our MLA’s addresses those concerns. The upcoming referendum is going to be interesting, but something tells me we are going to once again watch a government spend time and money on something that ends up being nothing but a waste of time and money, just like it was twice before. That’s why on this issue you can colour me skeptical. Jeff Richert lives in Taylor.

Team North America coming apart at the seams

am spending this week in the United States. Iowa, specifically, which is a really cool state, by the way. Did you know that its largest industry is insurance? #funfact. Normally, I feel uneasy about airport connection times, how long it might take to go through Customs, or if I forgot to pack something specific, but this was the first time that I have felt self conscious about where I come from. I know what you are thinking, I was surprised too! I am Canadian, doesn’t the world love our Canadian flag and our automatic use of the word sorry? I am feeling self-conscious because, for the first time, I feel like some may view me (us) as the enemy. I am hyper self-aware that there are some folks in the U.S.A. who do not welcome Canadians, especially because of the free trade negotiations and the recent tariff debate. It’s sad really. I don’t know about you, but I always have felt like Americans and Canadians were in this together – Team North America. We were more similar than different. I love to speak to Americans and ask them questions, but this trip I hesitate to talk about anything other than the weather

Judy Kucharuk THE DESK OF THE GREEN-EYED GIRL

and/or the Alaska Highway. During a four-hour delay in Denver, I was seated opposite a forty-somethingyear-old woman and in conversation I asked her, “So, what do you think of the tariffs?” I asked the question because all we see is what we read or watch on television — I wanted to know what an individual might be thinking. She responded quite aggressively with, “I love the tariffs! We should put a tariff on everything! We have to compete with the 200% tariffs you are using against us!” Then, she went on to tell the woman beside her that she loves to attend Trump rallies and that she goes to as many of them as she can, and on and on. The folks next to her asked me quietly, “You are Canadian?” I nodded. It felt strange. I felt so unwelcome for that brief moment and I chastised myself internally for allowing one stranger to

threaten to cloud my judgment of an entire country. I have many, many American friends and I know they would be horrified if I felt uncomfortable. I mean, I asked the question so I can’t be surprised when I got the answer. I was surprised at her visceral response — she became so animated and confrontational. It wasn’t my imagination. My travelmates had watched the exchange as well. I came to the realization that Team North America has changed in the past 18 months. There may not be a wall separating us from the U.S., but there is a cool breezeway. It’s a bit sad. I have had friendships like that before: one day we are both having drinks on the patio and laughing about our crazy families, and the next day you are being ghosted: they are avoiding all communication and things are very awkward. The world is changing. I return home in time to celebrate Canada Day on Canadian soil. This year I will celebrate with a renewed sense of patriotism — I am proud of where I come from. Judy Kucharuk is a lover of sarcasm, witty people and footnotes. Follow her @judylaine

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A7

op-ed

Views on the news Re: ‘Dan Davies: B.C.’s electoral reform referendum is fraught with problems,’ Alaska Highway News, June 21, 2018 I take issue with Don [sic] Davies’ ethics in his presentation of electoral reform, “BC’s electoral reform referendum is fraught with problems.” He is not telling the truth about the referendum in a deliberate attempt to create confusion and fear among the electorate. He states that, “What the NDP and the Green Party really wants is the first option, mixed member proportional representation, because it will redraw the political map of B.C. in favour of the majority of voters residing in Metro Vancouver and Victoria, where coincidentally most of NDP and Green seats are located.” Not true and a favourite ploy among those who don’t want Proportional Representation, a more democratic, fairer electoral system, because it will unstack the deck that has until now advantaged the BC Liberal Party, which has managed to win most of the elections over the last 2 decades. If a fairer and more democratic electoral system is chosen, Don [sic] Davies is in danger of losing his job. Proportional representation will allow most of the voters of BC to have their vote go towards electing a representative in Victoria. At the moment, because of the stacked deck that Davies enjoys, about 50% of votes cast do not

go towards electing a candidate. Those votes are wasted. In Denmark, Sweden and Norway, less than 5% of the votes are wasted. Davies opines that the Green Party and the NDP want MMP as the electoral system. He must have a crystal ball. He brings up the spectre of closed lists, another figment of his crystal ball. He disparages the other 2 systems as not having been tried. They are systems that have been tailored to fit BC’s geography and are reasonable alternatives to MMP. FPTP delivers false majorities and disenfranchises over 50% of the voters one of whom may be you. A Liberal voter in a NDP or Green riding might as well stay home. A Green voter in a Liberal or NDP riding might as well stay home etc. At the moment, the Interior and the North are mostly unrepresented in Victoria, while in many parts of the Lower Mainland, the BC Liberal Party is mostly unrepresented in Victoria. FPTP distorts the reality of the political map and does not serve our province well. — Daryl Sturdy, Vancouver Dangerous road, ugly reality The proportional representation (PR) systems BC NDP Premier John Horgan is proposing may look good at first glance, but once you check under the hood an ugly reality becomes clear. We need only look to European countries that have adopted PR to see the result — ruined economies, the rise

of white supremacy, stalemate governments that can’t get anything done. Think Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Austria. Under a PR system no one party can ever gain enough seats to form a government, so moderate parties are forced to make big concessions to fringe groups to form coalition governments with them. The voices of moderate, middle-ground parties that best represent most people lose ground as those fringe groups gain disproportionate power in fragile coalitions. Think of what’s happening in B.C. today, and how much power just three Green MLAs have in our legislature. Imagine what would happen with PR, when the Green Party could hold a dozen seats and even more radical groups get enough votes to elect an MLA or two. It would be the end of critically-important resource projects – LNG, forestry, mining, Site C, pipelines. Thousands of jobs would be lost, and investment would flee elsewhere. Tax revenue needed for to pay for our hospitals and schools would evaporate. We don’t want to go down that road. If we’re smart, we’ll slam the hood on the PR roadster and stay with the same, reliable first-past-the-post vehicle that’s done a great job for us so far. — Rick Peterson, Edmonton More reading to do Perhaps most referendums ask only one question. In this one, if the answer is yes, then

Understanding Bill C-71, and the new rules for Canadian firearms owners

uring the last week before the House of Commons rose for the summer, I had the opportunity to speak out against Bill C-71, the new Liberal firearms legislation. As you may know, shortly after this bill was introduced back in March, I held roundtables in both Prince George and Fort St. John to hear from residents about how they felt about Canada’s firearms laws. During those meetings many expressed concerns about how this new bill would affect law-abiding firearms owners. It was those residents, and the thousands of Canadians who have contacted my office with similar concerns, that I had in mind when I spoke in the House of Commons. As I have said before, I support legislation that will keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals. However, Bill C-71 does very little to make our communities safer. Instead, this bill targets law-abiding firearms owners by adding more red tape to lawful firearms ownership and to people buying nonrestricted firearms in Canada. Most concerning to me is the fact that this legislation will also mean the return of the long-gun registry, despite promises and denials by the Liberal government. I think it’s important when speaking about this legislation to quote its actual text, which says: The Commissioner of Firearms shall…provide the Quebec Minister with a copy of all

Bob Zimmer MP REPORT

records that were in the Canadian Firearms Registry on April 3, 2015 and that relate to firearms registered, as at that day, as nonrestricted firearms, if the Quebec Minister provides the Commissioner with a written request to that effect before the end of the 120th day after the day on which the Commissioner sends written notice under subsection (2). This establishes a front door registry because it allows for a copy of the long-gun registry, which was supposed to be destroyed, to be passed to the Province of Quebec. The only reason this information still exists is to fulfill an individual Canadian’s access to information request, not so that the Firearms Commissioner can hand it over to a provincial government. In my speech, I also touched on the fact that Bill C-71 will establish a backdoor registry by requiring individuals or businesses who transfer non-restricted firearms (i.e. a long-gun) to call the Registrar for a registration number. The business owner will then have to keep a record of that transfer for 20 years and include details like the

reference number issued by the Registrar, the day the reference number was issued, the transferee’s licence number, and the firearm’s make, model, type and serial number if it has one. A registrar keeps registries and these requirements for non-restricted firearms sales and transfers are clearly an attempt to re-establish the long-gun registry. I’ve heard from many lawabiding firearms owners from across the country since this legislation was introduced and they all share similar concerns. First, that the Liberals promised to not reestablish a long-gun registry, and then went back on that promise and second, that so little time has been given to debate or speak out against this bill. Whether it’s limiting debate in the House of Commons, limiting the number of committee meetings to hear from witnesses, or refusing to travel to hear the concerns of Canadians, it is clear that the Liberal government does not want to hear from the outdoor community. That’s unfortunate. As a firearms owner myself, I will continue to stay focused on actions that keep Canadians safe and ensure that it is criminals who are punished, not firearms owners who follow the law. Bob Zimmer is the Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.

HaveYOUR

another action needs to be taken and, in this case, three recommended systems are offered. The public then has additional input. I don’t see the need to fill in a ballot as being an issue — that’s what we do with ballots. In our current system, I’m not sure how many of us had a say in the selection of candidates put forward by each of the parties — see party lists. Should the people of British Columbia chose a proportional system of voting, after two voting cycles there will be another referendum giving us the opportunity to return to a first past the post system. I would encourage Mr. Davies to re-read the executive summary from the Attorney General’s report — I think he has missed some of the concepts and details. — Ron Robinson, Nelson We must continue push for permanent, rural bus service Re: Dan Davies: BC Bus North a start, but no solution Thank you, Dan Davies for

keeping this issue front and centre, and in terms of social responsibility I implore you folks to keep advocating for this service. I am pleased to hear there is an “interim” extension to the bus service for this region. I know everything boils down to cost in relationship to dollars spent, ie. from the private business world – how much of a dollar do you have to spend to make a dollar? Transportation Minister Claire Trevena announced the ‘one-time $2 million program is temporary’ while she evaluates demand. In other words, how many people rode the bus. I read an interesting article from Edwina Nearhood May 10, 2018, Taking the pulse on historical trends. A reminder, 33 per cent of our workforce translates into 12,606 jobs. Eighteen per cent in the Lower Mainland/ southwest area translates into 452,880 jobs. So, on paper, it is not going to look so good dollar wise; having said that, what is the algorithm for a $45 bus ticket in relation to a missing person? — Donna Stolk, Fort St. John

Notice of Amendment to Forest Operations Schedule #3 (FOS) Notice is hereby given that an amendment to the FOS has been prepared regarding timber harvesting activities planned in the Fort St John Timber Supply Area (TSA). The amendment proposes to modify the planned location of timber harvesting and road construction activities and is comprised of the following elements: 1. To add NEW blocks and the roads necessary to access them in the following operating areas: Managing Participant Canfor/ BCTS Canfor Canfor Canfor Canfor/ BCTS BCTS Canfor/BCTS Canfor/ BCTS Canfor Canfor Canfor Canfor Canfor BCTS Canfor Canfor/ BCTS BCTS Canfor Canfor BCTS BCTS Canfor Canfor Canfor Canfor/ BCTS Canfor

Location

# of Blocks

Aikman Creek Apsassin Creek Black Creek Blair Creek Bluegrave Creek Buckinghorse Cameron River Chowade River Cypress Creek Donnie Creek East Farrell Ettithun River Graham River Inga Lake Jedney Creek Kobes Creek Lapp Creek Laprise Creek Lily Lake Minaker Helicopter Creek South Fontas Tommy Lakes Trutch Creek West Farrell Wonowon

22 27 10 3 36 4 5 4 3 5 2 4 1 2 30 30 3 43 5 4 2 40 27 66 13 5

These cut blocks have been designed in light of Government and industrylead initiatives that have temporarily and/or permanently constrained a large proportion of blocks in our current Forest Operations schedule 2. Revisions to existing FOS blocks and roads to capture changes proposed to block configurations in the following areas of the Fort St John TSA. a. Donnie Creek b. Aikman Creek c. Kobes Creek d. West Farrell Creek The proposed FOS amendment is available for public review and comment until 4:30 pm Sept 1, 2018 at Canadian Forest Product’s Fort St John office and/or BC Timber Sales Peace Liard business area. All comments will be reviewed by Canfor and/or BCTS, and may result in revisions to the proposed amendment. Prior to the close of the public review period, written comments concerning this amendment should be made to Canfor and/ or BCTS at the following address: Canadian Forest Products Ltd. RR 1 Site 13 Compartment 2, Fort St. John, BC V1J 4M6 Attention: Stacy Gibbons, RPF Phone: (250)787-3613 E-mail: Stacy.Gibbons@Canfor.com Fax: (250) 787-3622 OR BC Timber Sales 9000 17th Street Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 4A4 Attention: Tony Wipfli Tel: (250) 262-3335 Fax: 250 784-0143 Email: Tony.Wipfli@gov.bc.ca

Do you have something to say or a story to share? The Alaska Highway News wants to hear from you. Email us at editor@ahnfsj.ca with “Have Your Say” in the subject line. Letters should be kept under 300 words, and must be accompanied by your full name, city, and a daytime phone number (for verification purposes only). We reserve the right to edit letters for length, taste, accuracy and libel. Letters will be published each Thursday.

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MLA’s job, political stability in danger with electoral reform

A8 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A9

T:5.875”

LOCAL NEWS

PEACE REGION

COURT DOCKET A summary of sentences and fines handed out in Peace Region courts for the week ending June 22, 2018. Fort St. John Law Courts

Dawson Creek Law Courts • Tyler Scott Hawick (born

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• Marc Andre Renaud (born 1986) was sentenced to 89 days in jail, handed a 12-month probation order, handed a mandatory lifetime firearms ban, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and assessed a $200 victim surcharge for robbery. • Chad Clark Smith (born 1981) was fined $4,000, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and assessed a $1,200 victim surcharge for assault with a weapon or causing harm. • Rodney Thomas Wolsey (born 1961) was fined $500 and assessed a $75 victim surcharge for driving with a suspended licence. • Mason Braaten (born 1999) was sentenced to eight days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaching probation. Braaten was assessed a second $100 victim surcharge for breach of undertaking. • Joseph Francis Wokeley (born 1978) was fined $250 and assessed a $75 victim surcharge for breaching probation.

1982) was sentenced to 30 days in jail, ordered to provide a DNA sample, and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for breaking and entering with the intent to commit offence. Hawick was further handed a one-year probation order and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for unauthorized use of credit card data. • Michael Leslie Sanche (born 1990) was fined $700, handed a nine-month probation order, ordered to pay $300 in restitution, and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for mischief $5,000 or under. • Galen George Primeau (born 1994) was given a oneyear probation order with a suspended sentence, handed a 10-year mandatory fire-rms ban, and assessed a $200 victim surcharge for possession with the purpose of trafficking. • Sereena Marie Locke (born 1991) was given a 30-day conditional sentence, handed a one-year probation order, and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for assault. • Leo William Cameron (born 1990) was handed a one-year probation order with a suspended sentence and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for assault. • Josh Daniel Courtoreille (born 1993) was handed a oneyear probation order with a conditional discharge, handed a 10-year mandatory firearms ban, and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for unlawfully being in a dwelling-house.

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A10 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

BUSINESS

Market recaps offer insights into local housing, labour trends

ere are some quick market recaps and comparison yearto-year to see where we are at in the lifecycle of trends. Overall, the average sale price year to date is pretty stable. Sales volumes continue to be low while inventory of housing is increasing.

THANK YOU TO ALL SPONSORS, PLAYERS AND VOLUNTEERS of the 7th Annual

Arnie Isberg Memorial 1-Pitch Softball Tournament “STRIKE OUT CANCER”

that took place in Taylor, BC June 15-17 Team Sumo and the Tournament Organizing Committee would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you for making this the best year ever and hopefully we will make next year's even better!!

!!!!!STRIKING OUT CANCER ONE PITCH AT A TIME!!!!!

Through the generosity of great companies like you, we were able to surpass our fund raising goal of $16,000 and we are excited to be able to donate just over $21,000 to the FSJ Hospital Foundation's Diagnostic and Treatment Fund. Over the last 7 years we have raised over $100,000 Light for Life - Join the Fight Sponsor •

Northern Spring, Brake & Steering

Platinum Sponsors

• Northern Spring, Brake & Steering • Rudy's Highway Car & Truck Wash. • AFDE Partnership GP • Bank of Montreal • Mighly Peace Brewing Company Silver Sponsors • Western Financial Group • Highmark oilfield Services Bronze Sponsors • Cabre Oilfield Inc • Northern Metalic • Transpeace Construction • Rapid Lube & Wash Gold Sponsors • Roska DBO Inc

In Kind Sponsors • D & T Disposals • The Canadian Brewhouse • Imagine That! • District of Taylor • Macenna Staffing Services • I Design Kitchens • FSJ Petroleum Oilmen's Association • Taryn Industries • Taylor Mixed Slo-Pitch • Sound in Town • John M. Bacso Muscle Therapy Inc • Bold Promotions • Graph-X

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Peace Country Rentals

Attached and detached single-family dwelling sales (year to date as of June 15, 2018): 2018 YTD — 181, average sale price of $364,298 2017 YTD — 206, average sale price of $386,058 2016 YTD — 152, average sale price of $362,567 2015 YTD — 274, average sale price of $371,609 2014 YTD — 363, average sale price of $362,319 There are currently 504 active listings of homes in the area. Labour: Northeast B.C. unemployment rate as at May 30, 2018: 7.9% B.C. unemployment rate as at May 30, 2018: 4.9% Northeast B.C. employed labour force, May 2018: 38,500 Northeast B.C. employed labour force, May 2017: 38,600 Northeast B.C. employed labour force, 2016: 39,100 Northeast B.C. employed labour force, 2015: 40,100 Northeast B.C. employed labour force, 2014: 38,500 Air traffic, North Peace Regional Airport enplane/deplane count: 2018, May 30: 104,409 2017: 252,898 2016: 241,146

Edwina Nearhood LIFE AT GROUND ZERO

2015: 257,274 2014: 252,729 These are the statistics that are available at this time. We are currently waiting on the CMHC rental market survey for some updated vacancy rates. Overall, it would appear that vacancy rates continue to be high and still feeling the impact of a surplus of new housing units at a time when the economy showed signs of decline. It’s interesting to view the passenger traffic numbers continue to be high. Is there a trend of growing temporary workers in the community? As we northerners enjoy the summer, I am very pleased to look around and see the energetic city that we live in. There are numerous community events going on every weekend. The diversity of our community is showing its many colours. I am looking forward to a lot of events on the long weekend, including Taste of Fort St. John hosted by the Fort St. John Multicultural Society, as well as Canada Day festivities. It’s events like these, along with the tireless hours of our many volunteers, that make our vity a great place to live. Come on out and invite colleagues and neighbours out to experience why we love to call the north home. It’s community that makes a city a home. Well done Fort St. John! Edwina Nearhood is a life-long resident of Fort St. John, with 30 years experience in the appraisal industry.

Northeast B.C.’s economic outlook hinges on resources

ith its strong reliance on the resource sector, Northeast B.C.’s economy remained subdued in 2017 and did not move in conjunction with that of southern B.C. Forestry remains a mainstay of our economic growth. Despite strong demand from increased U.S. construction activity, our lumber export volume declined last year. However, this did not impact the value of our lumber exports, which increased in 2017 due to ongoing demand, decline in supply, higher prices, and our currency value against the U.S. dollar. Looking forward, the expiry of the Softwood Lumber Agreement and the tariffs imposed by the U.S. creates an uncertain outlook for our lumber exporters. Mining is another key economic driver. Although the price of coal has recovered somewhat since 2016, benefitting some Northeast B.C. producers, the recovery of this sector has been slow. The Brule mine near Chetwynd re-opened in September 2016, while the Wolverine mine near Tumbler Ridge re-opened in January 2017, both taking advantage of improved coal market conditions. Together they employed over 600 workers in 2017. Coal continues to be the leading mining revenue for the province, with the value of coal exports reaching $5.2 billion in 2017. Lastly, the Northeast’s most important resource sector is energy. Unfortunately, market conditions have stalled energy investment over the past two years. According to CPABC’s Regional Check-Up report, as of the fourth quarter of 2017, there were 20 proposed major natural gas projects on the books for the region, with none showing any signs of going ahead.

Nevertheless, after two years of slumping natural gas exploration and development, our region did see some increases in natural gas activity in 2017. New oil and gas projects generated some new construction jobs. Investment on petroleum and natural gas drilling and exploration in our region reached $173.3 million in 2017, a significant improvement over the previous year’s spending level of $15.1 million. An increase in interest for wind energy projects in our region also contributed to an increase in the value of our major projects, making Northeast B.C. one of the two provincial development regions that experienced an increase. As noted in the Regional Check-Up report, between Q4 2016 and Q4 2017, the total value of our region’s major projects proposed, underway, completed, or on hold, reached $39.1 billion, a one-year increase of approximately $1.71 billion, or 4.6 per cent. Our economy hinges on the wealth of our resources, and ebbs and flows in commodity prices and investment decisions impacts our economic prospects. Although lumber prices are up due to tight supply, ongoing uncertainty around softwood lumber will continue to have an impact on our forestry sector. And while continued mining activity and recent renewed interest in the LNG sector should keep the economy afloat, a major energy project will need to move forward for our economy to fully rebound from the losses in recent years. Ben Sander, FCPA, FCA is a senior partner at Sander Rose Bone Grindle LLP.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A11

Local News

Hudson’s Hope Police Report Hudson’s Hope RCMP responded to approximately 37 calls for service over the last four weeks. During the month of May, the Hudson’s Hope RCMP issued 84 Motor Vehicle Act Warnings and Violation Tickets. Three check stops were conducted in an effort to combat impaired driving. On May 26, 2018, Hudson’s Hope RCMP received several calls regarding a possible impaired driver on Hwy 29. The vehicle was eventually spotted leaving a residential driveway on Farrell Creek Road and failed to stop for police when attempting to pull it over. The driver was identified by a witness and eight charges will be forwarded for charge approval including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, drive while disqualified, drive while prohibited and failing to stop for police. On May 30, 2018, Hudson’s Hope RCMP responded to a complaint of a dog that had attacked a horse on a local street. The dog and its owner had left the scene prior to police arrival and have yet to be identified. A local citizen, Rock Robert, stopped to intervene and sustained significant injuries that required surgery, after being kicked by the horse. The RCMP commends Mr. Robert on his quick intervention and assistance to his fellow citizens. We wish him a speedy and full recovery. On May 30, 2018, Hudson’s Hope RCMP received a report of theft of several barrels of jet fuel from the airport. Anyone with information regarding this incident can call the local de-

submitted Photo

A wildfire burning near the Buffalo Inn at Pink Mountain, June 21, 2018. It was one of five fires sparked by lightning strikes between Pink Mountain and Buckinghorse last week. As of Tuesday, the fire was being held at 15 hectares.

tachment or Crimestoppers. On June 16, 2018, a driver was stopped on Hwy 29 and found to be prohibited from driving. The vehicle was impounded and charges are being forwarded for approval. Anyone with information regarding current or past investigations can contact the Hudson’s Hope RCMP directly at 250-783-5241 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Visit http:// crimestoppersnebc.ca/ for advice on submitting tips online and to browse the area’s “most wanted” page.

FROM 0-100K VISITS FASTER

THAN ANY OTHER MEDIA VEHICLE.

In a recent survey of 2,461 Canadians, when it comes to driving traffic to automotive websites, print and online newspapers rank highest. They outperform TV, radio, magazines, autoTRADER, Kijiji and social media.

When it comes to triggering a visit to a dealer or booking a test drive, you got it: newspaper brands come out on top. If you’re looking for better ROI from your advertising, perhaps more of your “I” should be in newspapers.

— Cst. William McKenna, Hudson’s Hope RCMP

8407-112 AVENUE, FORT ST. JOHN, BC V1J 0J5 • WWW.FSJHOSPITALFOUNDATION.CA

Making a Difference

THIS PAGE IS DONATED BY THE FORT ST. JOHN ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS

Welcome back to the Fort St John Hospital Foundation.

The Fort St. John Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Niki Hedges as our new Executive Director. Niki comes from a long history of working with Not for Profit organizations in the Peace Region. Her experience and knowledge of Fund Raising and Organizing events is sure to be a welcome asset to the Foundation. She brings a wealth of knowledge combined with a positive and fresh personality that is sure to spread throughout our entire community. The Board is excited to welcome Niki to our team of dedicated staff and volunteers.” Our thanks to Shelly and Doug Gallagher from Home Hardware for braving the waters of the dunk tank and raising funds for the Foundation. We also want to thank Northern Metallic for having us at their annual fundraising event and they donated $11,255 to the Foundation. The annual Arnie Isberg Ball Tournament in Taylor raised $21,000 for the Foundation. Thank you to all of the ball players and tournament spectators for this great annual event. Our citizens are so generous. The total to date for June for the Cancer Treatment fund is $87,000 and this includes some of Bluey Day. All of this is going a long way towards the treatment of cancer patients in Fort St John. And a big shout out to WL Construction for donating $10,000 worth of materials and soil for brand new planter boxes for Peace Villa. These boxes were built at various heights off the ground so that the residents can work in the planters regardless of their mobility status. We also

Planter Boxes want to thank Pembina for donating $500 for flowers and plants for these boxes. Now that is teamwork! Our next big adventure is getting ready for the annual Angel campaign and planning for the Gala that is part of this fund raiser. Thanks again for your generosity. Without you, a lot of what we do would not be possible.

FSJ HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FSJHOSPITALFOUNDATION

• 250.261.7563

A12 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Local News

npss class of 2018

More than 350 North Peace Secondary students in Fort St. John put on their burgundy gowns and graduated on June 22, 2018. Alissa Minard was the Class of 2018 Valedictorian, and Alexi Bueckert was the Class of 2018 Historian. The ceremony saw $350,000 in scholarships and bursaries announced. matt preprost Photos / see more at alaskahighwaynews.ca/photos

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A13

LOCAL NEWS

Fort St. John Canada Day schedule of events

10 a.m. — Pre Parade Entertainers (100 St) & Farmers Market 11 a.m. — Parade 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Food Vendors 11 am to 3 p.m. — Fort St. John Classic Cruisers Show & Shine 11:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Family Activities in Centennial Park Bouncy castles, balloon animals, face painting, orb balls, sumo suits, photo booth, roving entertainers and more!

Canada Day draws nigh, and the City of Fort St. John is gearing up for a full slate of events. Festivities start this year with a free pancake breakfast at the fire hall from 8 a.m. to 11. Church services will be held at Centennial Park at 9 a.m. There will be pre-parade entertainers on hand, and the farmers market will open at 10 a.m. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. The city will start closing roads around the parade route starting at 8 a.m., including 100 Street between 93 Avenue and 100 Avenue. No vehicle access will be permitted to this area.

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Credit Union Stage featuring performances by: Meagan Clarance, Morgan McGowan & Company, Meag & Company, Sweetwater & and live entertainers from TransflowMations. 10:45 p.m. — Fireworks at Surerus Park (Parking at this location is crowded, please do your best to car pool, walk, bike, or watch from an alternate location).

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8 to 11 a.m. — Free pancake breakfast at the firehall 9 a.m. — Church in Centennial Park (with Evangel) Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on!

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12 p.m. — Opening ceremonies Opening Remarks, national anthem, Land Blessing, Mayor’s remarks 12 p.m. — Pie Sale at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum (available while supplies last) 12 to 4 p.m. — Pizza & A Pint with Beards Brewing Co. (Beer Garden in Centennial Park – must be 19+) 12:30 to 4 p.m. — Live entertainment on the North Peace Savings &

British Columbia is having a referendum on whether to adopt a proportional representation voting system for provincial elections.

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Proponents and Opponents Elections BC will provide $500,000 to one group that supports proportional representation (the official proponent), and $500,000 to one group that opposes proportional representation (the official opponent). The deadline to apply to be the official proponent or opponent group is 4:30 p.m. on July 6, 2018. Information about who can apply, the selection process, and the application forms are available at elections.bc.ca/2018-referendum-funding.

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A14 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

CANADA Day

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1. BE EARLY (parking lots are limited and fill up fast) 2. PARK AND WALK (you won’t be able to get a vehicle too close to 100 Street/ Centennial Park) 3. SAVE YOUR SPOT ON THE SIDEWALK (not the road – bring your lawn chair!) 4. BE AWARE OF ROAD CLOSURES (you will not be able to go your regular route) Our road closures will affect regular routes as early as 8:00am on Saturday.

5. BE PATIENT & POLITE (people running the barricades are VOLUNTEERS) 6. OBEY ALL SIGNS AND ORDERS FROM TRAFFIC CONTROL AND BARRICADE VOLUNTEERS 7. BE SUN SMART AND STAY HYDRATED! 8. SUPERVISE YOUR CHILDREN CLOSELY! 9. STAY INFORMED! Follow the City of Fort St. John Recreation Facebook page for regular updates. 10. HAVE FUN! It is a holiday after all!

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JULY 1 2018 CANADA DAY CELEBRATIONS • 8:00 am -11:00 am

- Free Pancake Breakfast at the Fort St. John Firehall

• 9:00 am

- Church in Centennial Park (with Evangel) Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on!

• 10:00 am

- Pre Parade Entertainers (100 St) & Farmers Market

• 11:00 am

- Parade

• 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

- Food Vendors

• 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

- Fort St. John Classic Cruisers Show & Shine (100 St)

• 11:45 am – 4:00 pm

- Family Activities in Centennial Park Bouncy castles, balloon animals, face painting, orb balls, sumo suits, photo booth, roving entertainers and more!

• 12:00 pm

- Pie Sale at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum (available while supplies last)

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• 12:00 pm– 4:00 pm

- Pizza & A Pint with Beards Brewing Co. (Beer Garden in Centennial Park – must be 19+)

• 12:00 pm

- Mayor`s Kick Off & Opening ceremonies Opening Remarks, national anthem, Land Blessing, Mayor’s remarks, Thank you to our sponsors (bring your lawn chair or a blanket to sit and enjoy)

• 12:30 – 4:00 pm

- Live entertainment on the North Peace Savings & Credit Union Stage featuring performances by: Meagan Clarance, Morgan McGowan & Company, Meag & Company, Sweetwater & and live entertainers from TransﬂowMations.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 A15

A16 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Local News

Bert Bowes students take Water Walk journey matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Women and girls around the world spend an estimated 14 million hours a day collecting water, and on June 14 80 students from Bert Bowes Middle School got a sense of what that daily journey is like. Students from Grades 7 to 9 took to the streets in Fort St. John for a four-kilometre trek around downtown carrying containers of water in their arms and on their backs. “It’s a little hard because I’m not used to it,” said Grade 9 student Brianna Rogerson, who carried a milk jug and

oil container filled with water in her backpack. “I’m definitely going to be sore in the morning.” The WE Walk for Water event was organized by the school’s Students for Change Group, and marked the end of a three-week lesson plan where students learned about water challenges facing families in some of the most impoverished regions of the world. In Africa and rural China, women and girls can spend up to five hours of their day collecting enough water to meet their family’s needs. Globally, it amounts to an estimated 14 millions hours per day.

“I’m trying to teach them how precious water is. We take water for granted,” said teacher Rheanna Morris-Richert. “We can open the tap and get water, but that’s not always a privilege in other places.” For Rogerson, the lessons were enlightening. Water access is a bigger issue in more places than she would have guessed, including China. “When you think of China and think of all the skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle, you forget about rural China,” she said. A lack of access to water “stops many women and children from being able to go to

school and end the cycle of poverty,” Rogerson said. “The more people understand this is a real issue, the more we can help change their lives.” The Students for Change Group has taken on a number of initiatives through the WE Schools program, including WE Scare Hunger in support

of the women’s centre, WE Rise Above to target cyberbullying, as well as the We Walk For Water event. Students have been collecting pledges to support clean water initiatives through the WE Charity, and have raised more than their $500 target, Richert said.

Hudson’s Hope Museum News — June 2018 tom summer Alaska Highway News

Rutledge Building opens with a Grand Slam Over 117 people came out to see the new exhibit. It wouldn’t have been possible without the Powell and Rutledge families, Rodney Rice for concrete work, Basil Szoo at Peace River Taxidermy, Ken Boon from Chinook Log Homes, Ross Peck for research and writing, Kelly Miller for displays, Dave Kyllo and Gerry Sarauer for mounts and trophy placement, and the rest of the Historical Society board. Northern Heritage Fair 2018 cont. Volunteers judged a total of 54 entries on April 25. The museum will be sending

winners Cole Norton, Billie Naisby, Sophie Kehl and Annika Quibell to Squamish for the BC Provincial Fair from July 4 to 8. Students will stay at Quest University, visiting historic landmarks. Famous sites include the West Coast Railway Museum, the Sea to Sky Gondola, a tour of Totem Hall, introductions to First Nations history, a harbor tour, and a downtown walking tour near the Hotel Squamish built in 1910. The Squamish community is celebrating its 130th birthday this summer. Volunteer of the Year Congratulations to board member Dave Kyllo, who was the adult recipient of the Hudson’s Hope Volunteer of the Year Award, alongside district councillor Jade Rowe, who received the youth award.

Next Historical Society meeting July 26 at 7PM in St Peter’s Church Hall. Meetings continue to alternate between 1PM and 7PM. Everyone is welcome. The museum is always looking for help if you’d like to volunteer. Plenty of scanning and accessioning of materials to be done – training is provided. For more information, call (250) 783-5735 or email hhmuseum@pris.ca.

Tom Summer is a Hudson’s Hope correspondent for the Alaska Highway News. Email your news tips to thomas.a.summer@gmail. com.

hudson’s hope museum Photo

Carter St – Named in honour of Bill Carter - Immigrated to Canada from England when he was just 21, working on a farm in Manitoba. Joined the Northwest Mounted Police in 1903, and helped cut the Yukon trail from Fort St John in 1905. Settled in Hudson’s Hope in 1912 - coming to town with Dudley Shaw and Tom Jamieson.

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Steve Sadownik leaves behind lasting impact DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

News that Steve Sadownik had died of natural causes on Saturday, June 16, was greeted with shock by the many people in the community whose lives Sadownik had impacted. A longtime Fort St. John Inconnu Swim Club coach and ultra marathon runner, Sadownik was 46, and leaves behind his two children, Steven and Victoria. His wife Nicole died May 8, 2017, after a battle with cancer. “Steve coached so many kids up here and affected the lives of so many athletes and families. He was the guy I went to for advice all the time, and not just about swimming,” said Inconnu Head Coach Steve Carson. Sadownik had coached swimming for 25 years, and was head coach for a couple of those years. When the Inconnu position turned into a full-time job, Sadownik stepped down, but stayed with the club in an assistant role. He most recently coached kids in the nine to 13-year-old range. “He was determined to stay with the club even in a smaller role, and would sacrifice his own time to help the kids,”

said Carson. One common praise of Sadownik is how much he cared about people and was respected by those around him. “Steve wanted the best for the swimmers, and they respected him because of how he conducted his life, and the focus he showed towards helping kids do better,” said Inconnu President Annette Lang. Carson agreed. “All the kids wanted to swim well for him. He was so funny and charismatic, but would call you out if you weren’t swimming well or giving enough effort. He was very honest and sincere,” he said. Running was an important part of Sadownik’s life. He was an accomplished long distance runner, most notably finishing the 160km 2015 Lost Soul Ultra Marathon in JEN LOUIE PHOTO Lethbridge in a record time of Steve Sadownik, a longtime swim coach with the Fort St. John Inconnu 20 hours, 13 minutes and 30 Swim Club, died on June 16. seconds. “He was in impeccable was only a sprint.” “Steve was one of the major shape. During swim meets Sadownik had a group of factors in encouraging me in Kamloops in 35 degree friends he ran with regularly in to start running distance, weather, he would say, ‘I’ll go Fort St. John. Joshua Slykhuis, and was really instrumental run an easy 20 miles between who finished third at the 2017 in getting me to push my the heats and finals,’” said Emperor’s Challenge, credited boundaries,” Slykhuis said. Carson. “He once told me a Sadownik for his switch to marathon (26 miles) to him longer races. See SADOWNIK on B4

Red Dragon’s Soule and Hackman receive black belts DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO

Back, from left: Red Dragon Martial Arts Master Ben Marsh, Evan Hackman, Stacey Edwards. Front: Cade Hackman and Conor Soule. See B8 for more pictures.

tain boards when asked, but the full process began the night before. On Friday evening, June 22, Hackman and Soule did a half hour of training followed by a half hour of meditation, repeating that cycle all night. Both Marsh and the students agreed that the meditation was the hardest part, as they had to sit cross legged on the floor and not speak for a half hour. “It’s pretty painful to meditate for half hour at a time, and really challenging to stay up all night,” said Marsh. Both Soule and Hackman

agreed that while the formal testing was very pressurefilled, the overnight portion was the hardest part. “We’ve worked so hard to get here it would be a shame if we didn’t try it,” Soule said. Conducting the overnight portion of the testing was second degree black belt Stacey Edwards. After the testing, Marsh presented Edwards, who is moving away for university, with the Red Dragon Taekwondo School Spirit Award, for her dedication to Red Dragon. “She’s been an assistant instructor for five years, and we

Black belts and planes

Dillon Giancola THE DILL ZONE

hen I first came to Fort St. John, I was constantly learning about new sports and skills I had never really heard and didn’t know much about. Whether it was the ins and outs of roller derby, or the fact that goat tying exists, those first couple months were full of wonder. Over time, I became well versed in all of it. Whether it was how the scoring worked in cricket, to what a reigned cow horse is, I was becoming knowledgeable in things I previously didn’t know existed. That is, until now. This week I was introduced to two new fascinating subcultures. The first was the process of becoming a first boom junior black belt. The hour of formal testing the students have to go through is straightforward enough – perform impressive kicks and break boards when the Master tells you to do so. These kids on Saturday were 10 and 12, and yet I’m not sure if I’d even be able to perform one task asked of them. Certainly, I couldn’t break a board with a backwards heel kick while blindfolded. The most impressive thing was that the students had to stay up all night leading up to the test, doing a half hour of training followed by a half hour of meditation and repeating that cycle all night. I can’t sit still in pure silence for five minutes, let alone a half hour, and let’s not even talk about how hard it is to sit cross legged. I think Grade 3 was the last time I could ever do that. I’m no stranger to staying up all night, but I certainly never spent a night working out. Rather, I would just play video games and eat bad food at Denny’s. The other is the world of long-distance paper airplane flying. I didn’t even know there was a world record to be broken in flying paper airplanes, but, rest assured, John Collins and Joe Ayoob will attempt to break their own world record at the Pomeroy Sport Centre on July 11. The current record is flying an airplane for a distance of 226 feet, or 69 meters. I don’t understand how this is possible, I couldn’t even fly my paper airplanes from one end of class to the other when I was young. I think it’s because of my lack of attention to detail when it comes to folding the paper, but that falsely suggests I could become really good at making paper airplanes if I just took the time. In talking with Collins, who designs the airplanes, I learned the whole process of attempting a world record is extremely complex. You have to take into account the air current in the building, and determine your launch angle. You have to throw the plane very hard, and you can’t use a surveyor (apparently this would be a good thing to do). Unfortunately, my chances at becoming a paper airplane genius with a black belt have passed me by, but it’s not too late to pass word of these fascinating worlds to those with the ability to kick above their heads without hurting themselves, and to fold a piece of paper in a straight line.

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wanted to acknowldge all the work she’s put in. She’s very self motivated, and very deserving,” Marsh said. Edwards didn’t know she was receiving the award, and was very grateful. “It was really special. (Red Dragon) has given me a lot of courage and is like another family and it really means a lot,” Edwards said. Hackman and Soule plan to keep moving forward in taekwondo, with Soule saying he wants to get his second boom black belt and get to the top. “The sky’s the limit,” said Hackman.

SELECT

The black belt has a certain mystique about it, something people don’t fully understand, and perhaps think only middle-aged martial arts movie stars have. In reality, a black belt is open to whoever is dedicated enough to put in the work and see themselves through to the goal. On June 23, two Red Dragon Martial Arts Taekwondo students, 12-year-old Conor Soule and 10-year-old Cade Hackman, completed their formal testing in front of family and friends to receive their first boom junior black belts. “It represents five to six years of training, and is the main goal they’ve been working towards since they started with us. Not everybody gets there, and it’s something you really have to sacrifice for,” said Master Ben Marsh. Marsh said the reason Soule and Hackman were in this position was because of their talent, and their self motivation. Both students were happy to earn a black belt, and relieved they could go home and sleep. “It’s amazing. It’s taken me six years,” said Soule. “I started when I was five. This is a really big accomplishment that’s been my goal for a long time,” Hackman said. The formal testing was an hour-long showcase of their skills and ability to break cer-

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Local Sports

Paper airplane team to attempt new world record in Fort St. John Dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

cole andrews photo

Parker Andrews, 6, was instrumental in convincing John Collins and Joe Ayoob to come to Fort St. John and attempt to set a new world record for longest paper airplane flight.

dillon giancola photo

Hannah Sihlis of Ernie Sports Experts shakes off a call from her catcher during a pee wee game in North Peace Minor Baseball’s year-end tournament on June 23. R0021217976

For some people, the world of setting Guiness World Records for the longest paper airplane flight is more than just a fun hobby. It is a way to teach kids the mysteries and science of flight, while having one’s name in the popular record book. John Collins, known as “The Paper Airplane Guy,” along with Joe Ayoob, will make the trip from California to Fort St. John to attempt to break their 2012 world record in the Pomeroy Sport Centre on July 11. The duo set the world record in 2012, flying an airplane Collins designed for a distance of 226 feet and 10 inches, or 69.14 meters, breaking the previous record by 19 feet. Collins and Ayoob have since flown a plan further than their record distance, but have never attempted to break it officially. “We’ve thrown beyond 240 feet multiple times, and I think we have some room in the tank to set a new record,” Collins said. One of the reasons Collins and Ayoob have never attempted to break the record is due to the difficulty of finding an indoor building long enough and wide enough to try it in. Collins said aircraft hangers and indoor sports stadiums, the spaces best suited for a throw, are expensive and hard to rent. When Cole Andrews, father of new paper airplane enthusiast Parker Andrews, reached out to Collins, Collins jumped at the opportunity. “I didn’t know Fort St. John existed until three weeks ago, but the Pomeroy Sport Centre is huge and will be a great place for us to try and break the record,” Collins said. Parker is very excited about the attempt, and has his eyes set on setting a record of his own. “I want to set a world record, at six years old. Then I could bring it for show and tell,” Parker said. When asked what drew them to paper

supplied photo

Guiness World Record paper airplane designer John Collins.

airplanes in the first place, both Collins and Parker said they love things that fly. “All things that fly, from insects to aircrafts, birds and kites, they all achieve the miracle of slipping the bounds of gravity and do so in different and interesting ways,” said Collin, who, along with designing paper airplanes, travels and teaches kids about flight and paper airplanes fulltime. While official Guiness judges won’t be present, there will be judges from the aviation world there to ensure that the flight passes all the requirements, and to be an official witness. From there, Collins sends the paperwork into Guiness, and will await to see if the record is approved. Collins and Ayoob, who is the one that throws the plane, will have 10 official attempts in which to break the world record. It’s not a conventional world record to break , but one that is taken seriously by those in the field. Parker can’t wait until he’s older to try and match Collins’ achievements. “I hope to set a couple world records when I’m older. I’m pretty good right now, and it’s something I really like,” said Parker. The exact time of the world record attempt has yet to be determined, but Collins thinks it will be in the morning.

PRO GOLF WEEKLY UPDATE Golf News, Tips, Trivia & Stats

This Week in Pro Golf

Top News Stories

Answer : d) Chase Elliott finished second last year at Chicagoland Speedway. He has not won a Cup Series race yet, but has finished second multiple times.

Last Weekend’s Race: Martin Truex Jr. won at Sonoma

B4 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

LOCAL SPORTS SADOWNIK FROM B1

Slykhuis and Sadownik were in Arizona in January for the Cold Water Rumble, a 100-mile race, that Slykhuis said didn’t go well for either of them. Slykuis said the two used to joke about how funny it would be to run 100 miles in Fish Creek Community Forest. “When we heard of Steve’s passing, a group of us got together and thought having a 24-hour run in Fish Creek would be a great way to honour him,” Slykhuis said. Following a moment of silence at the trails at 11:45 p.m. on June 23, Slykhuis and 60 others began running

at 12:01 a.m. on June 24. Slykhuis and a few friends ran for 24 hours, with no prolonged breaks, until 11:59 p.m. on June 24. “We wanted to do 100 miles. That was Steve’s best distance,” Slykuis said. What started out as something small was caught on to by the community, as many different groups and individuals joined throughout the 24 hours. Inconnu swimmers and coaches started running at 8 a.m. on Sunday. “It’s a testament to the kind of guy he was, that so many people were impacted by his life,” said Slykhuis.

DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTOS

Left: Laurie Cardinal and Joshua Slykhuis lead a group of Inconnu swimmers during the 24 hour run at Fish Creek Community Forrest in honour of Steve Sadownik. Right: Inconnu Swim Club members hold a moment of silence prior to running some laps in Sadownik’s memory on June 24.

Cameron Weir to join Fort St. John Huskies as assistant coach DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

There will be a new face joining Huskies Head Coach Todd Alexander behind the bench this upcoming season. Cameron Weir, who is moving to town for work, will join the Huskies as an assistant coach for the 2018-19 season. Weir played Junior A hockey in Manitoba, and played at Thompson Rivers University. Recently, he was a minor hockey coach in the Kamloops

area. Weir will help fill the void left by former assistant coaches Andrew Riddell and Braden Latanzzi, who both moved from Fort St. John following the end of the 2017-18 season. Weir has a connection with the Huskies as he went to school with Huskies president Mike Bacso, and wanted to get involved in hockey in Fort St. John. “We thought it was a good opportunity to have a new set of eyes come in to work with the team,” Huskies General

Manager Jeremy Clothier said. Clothier said the team will miss Riddell and Latanzzi, but are confident that Weir will fit in nicely. “It’s always a challenge, but with the amount of returning players we have, a lot of the habits instilled by Andrew and Braden will stick with the players. We look forward to seeing what fundamentals and ideas Cameron will implement with the team,” said Clothier. When asked what excited him most about Weir joining the team, Clothier

Beatton Community 4-H Club Report Club Report: by Harlan Giesbrecht In May, we had a vaccination clinic. Dr. Spitzer came out and talked about how to tell if your horse is healthy or needs vaccination. He also talked about where to put the needle in the horse, and why we vaccinate. He listened to the horses’ hearts and talked about equine health. At the beginning of June, I participated in my first District Judging Rally as a junior member. We got to judge breeding ewes, beef, woolcraft, and an ID table (which is a table with lots of tools on it – you have to try to identify each tool and write down it’s name). We had a hot dog lunch, and it was a lot of fun! Our club is practicing to get ready for our cowboy challenge, trail classes, showmanship and equitation classes at 4-H Achievement Days. We will have to bath and clip our horses and clean our tack. We will be decorating our stalls in the horse barns at the fairgrounds. It is a competition between clubs to see who did the best job decorating. We also have to include our sponsors,

said it was Weir’s desire to be a part of the Huskies’ team culture. “One of the first things (Weir) asked Todd on the phone was what the culture of our team was. Team culture is very important to us, and we’re glad to see that he cares about wanting to be a part of a good culture and about what we’ve already instilled,” said Clothier. Clothier said finding another assistant coach isn’t a necessity, but the Huskies would consider it if the right person came along.

About the writer

and educational information. The seniors and juniors will be performing a drill team performance. (A drill team is a bunch of people riding together in a pattern.) For the second year in a row, Summersend Balance will be putting on a Cloverbud Clinic on both Friday and Saturday for the horse project members. We appreciate De-Anna Lea’s willingness to spend time teaching our youngest members. Please join us Friday, July 6th and Saturday July 7th (9am start on both days) at the North Peace Fall Fair Grounds. There will be a swine show, horse show on both days, sheep show, dog obedience show, beef grooming and showmanship classes, beef conformation classes, and awards presentation before the swine, sheep and beef sale. We will end this big event with a Friends of 4-H supper for all sponsors, buyers, and supporters after the sale on Saturday.

“My name is Harlan Giesbrecht, and my horse is Coco Kilo Bar – or Coke for short! Coke really likes to go fast and so do I. Coke is the perfect horse for me! This is my third year in the Beatton Community 4-H Club, and my first year as a Junior member. This is my second year as a reporter (last year, when I was a Cloverbud, I was the junior reporter). My plans this year is to do some roping with Coke, do some horse shows, and of course, 4-H Achievement Days!”

12864 Rose Prairie Rd., Fort St. John, BC Phone: 250-785-4578 Website: npvc.ca Find us on...

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"Veterinary care founded in our community, for our community"

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 B5

Local Sports

First Nations skate park initiative teams up with design and construction firm

matt preprost photo

Representatives for Doig River, Halfway River, and West Moberly First Nations met with New Line Skateparks at Victory Skateboards in Fort St. John on June 14.

Skateboard camps coming to Fort St. John Dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

There continues to be no shortage of ways for kids to get into skateboarding in Fort St. John, and learn some gnarly tricks along the way. Following the success of the skateboard camps that were held at the Pomeroy Sport Centre last winter, Cole Andrews decided to bring them back for the summer. There will be two one-week outdoor skateboard camps held at the Rotary Skateboard Park. The first one, July 16 to 20, is for ages nine to 13, and the second camp, running July 23 to 27, is for ages 11 to 15. The camps will run from 9:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. every morning, and will be held in the

Pomeroy Sport Centre on any day when it rains. “I ran skate camps all winter long and saw the engage level and passion the community has for skateboarding. These kids will come out of these camps completely different skaters than when they entered,” Andrews said. Andrews said registration details will be available soon on the Victory Skateboards Facebook Page. In between the two camps, on Saturday, July 21, Andrews will host the first annual Victory Skateboards Skateboard Contest. “We’re going to have a lot of good skaters come from out of town and we’re really going to blow it up this year,” Andrews said.

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An initiative to build skateboard parks on First Nations in Northeast B.C. has partnered up with one of Canada’s premiere skate park design and construction firms. Representatives for Doig River, Halfway River, and West Moberly First Nations met with New Line Skateparks at the Victory Skateboards shop in Fort St. John June 15. It was a chance to kickstart discussions about how skate parks should function as community hubs and multi-use spaces, and trade ideas on garnering funding support from community and corporate sponsors. “It’s crucial to have a company like New Line, who are already invested in communities across Canada,” said Connie Greyeyes, who is lobbying for the initiative and working as a liaison for area First Nations. “The fact they are willing to come in to collaborate with nations in the area is of utmost importance.” New Line has an impressive portfolio of skate parks built across Canada and the United States, including builds in Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Prince George, and Chetwynd. It’s also built skateparks on First Nations in both Alberta and B.C. Each are individually designed, and no park is the same. Over the decades, skateboarding has become a vehicle for local culture and a way to promote it, said Everett Tetz, manager of business development and community outreach for New Line. Today, it’s become an even more important vehicle for breaking down social barriers by bridging communities through sport, Tetz said.

“It fits with our vision around building community as it becomes a hub for social change and positive social connections,” Tetz said of his company joining the initiative. “(Skate parks) become a communal space. Those barriers go away and you become peers and connected in a way that you may not have otherwise.” There are still plenty of steps to go — the working group has secured a grant writer to help access government and corporate funding to help build the parks and develop educational programming. The next step for New Line is to meet with chiefs and councils throughout the Northeast as a start to broader community consultations about the park designs. The vision is to have a skatepark built on every First Nation in the region — a “spectacular park that’s unique to their community,” Greyeyes said. In Halfway River, for example, a skate park would go a long way to complement a new youth centre that was recently built. West Moberly has recreational space it’s looking to open up, and Doig River is looking to invest in activities for its youth. “It creates that environment to go visit,” Greyeyes said. “It’s an avenue for youth to visit other youth and nations in the name of skateboarding.” Costs for a skate park can range between $300,000 and $600,000, depending on size. Though they can take up to 14 weeks to build, the group is hopeful a team can be assembled and mobilized to build multiple parks on multiple nations, starting as early as next summer.

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matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

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B6 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

LOCAL SPORTS

Blizzard club championship

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Irvin Tang was third across the finish line in the Blizzard Bicycle Club Championship race.

The Blizzard Bike Club held its annual Club Championship Road Race on June 24, in conjunction with the first ever Blizzard Poker Ride, organized by Josh Telizyn. The race was followed by a barbecue. The turnout was the biggest for the event since 2003, as 19 people participated. New Blizzard club member Mike Dufresne from Dawson Creek crossed the finish line at the same time as Garrett Richardson from Grande Prairie, but won the club championship since he was the first Blizzard member to do so. Results 2 laps - 50 km 1. Garrett Richardson 1:32:48 2. Mike Dufresne 1:32:48 3. Irvin Tang 1:34:08 4. Lukas Brand 1:36:22 (2017 winner) 5. Ray Avanthay 1:36:28 6. Dawit Feyissa 1:40:46 7. Josh Telizyn 1:41:45 8. Dan Webster 1:41:48 9. Bryan Grennier 1:44:23 10. Richard Wood 1:53:40 11. Dan Bastiaaisen 1:53:40 12. Amanda Mitchell 2:03:53

How do you learn as a family? Tell us #FamilyLiteracyDay fl Have a shapes scavenger hunt, taking turns ﬁnding shapes indoors and outdoors. Then make each shape with your body — kids and adults work together.

LEARN AT PLAY, EVERY DAY.

Imagine your family is anywhere in the world! Pick a spot on the map and learn about that country together online.

Find more ways to learn at play as a family at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca

HOROSCOPE ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 19) This is an excellent day to make your pitch to bosses, parents and VIPs, because people are in a happy mood. Plus, you look good in their eyes. Use this to your advantage! TAURUS (APRIL 20 TO MAY 20) This is a wonderful day to make travel plans. It’s also a great day to explore opportunities in publishing, the media, higher education, medicine and the law. Get on it! GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) Discussions about shared property, inheritances and red-tape issues will be positive today. (And things likely will land in your favor.) Yay! CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) This is a wonderful day to schmooze with others, including members of the general public. Either way, conversations will be upbeat, friendly and optimistic! LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Work-related travel will please you today. If you don’t travel, you still will enjoy involvement with groups, especially people from other countries or different cultures. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) This is a playful, optimistic day! Enjoy parties, fun activities with children, sports events and anything to do with the arts. Meet some friends for happy hour.

For Thursday June 28 2018

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) This is an excellent day to explore real estate opportunities. It’s also a great day to entertain family and friends at home. Invite the gang over for pizza and beer! SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) Because you are in such a positive frame of mind today, you will do well in sales, marketing, teaching, acting or writing. Your words are like gold! (Yadda, yadda, yadda.) SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) “There’s money in them thar hills!” This is an excellent day for business and commerce. You also might see ways to boost your income. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) This is a peaceful, contented day. You have a warm feeling in your tummy, and all is well with the world. Enjoy your Thursday! AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) Today you will prefer to work alone or behind the scenes, because it feels better. You’re in a positive frame of mind; nevertheless, you want a bit of privacy. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MARCH 20) Group activities and your involvement in clubs and organizations will please you today — especially interactions with female colleagues. This is a great day to share your hopes and dreams for the future with someone.

1 lap - 25 km 1. Pat Ferris 52:43 2. Hannah North 1:00:49 3. Matt Mitchell 1:01:14 4. Emma North 1:09:58 5. Jack Webster 1:34:59 6. Sam Keats 1:34:59

No Compassion for Kid With Special Needs Dear Annie: I have a 3-year-old grandson with autism who is nonverbal. “JT” makes a lot of noises (i.e., yells) to let us know what he needs. My daughter, her husband, their kids (they also have an 18-month-old) and my husband were recently at a family-friendly restaurant for lunch. JT was in a really happy mood and making noises to show that. The table next to them asked whether they could quiet him down or remove him from the restaurant. My sonin-law explained that he has autism and there was nothing they could do to quiet him. We always try to engage him and keep him entertained to quiet him, but sometimes he’s too happy to quiet down. I know it can be irritating and annoying, but how do we answer these judgmental people? I need an appropriate comeback to let these people know that although they think JT ruined their lunch, they in fact ruined his family’s. Families with kids who have special needs deal with a lot. Show some compassion. -- Where Is the Love? Dear Where Is the Love: I wish the people at the next

Annie Lane DEAR ANNIE

table had been the ones to write me a letter, because they’re the ones with the problem. Your family handled the situation just fine. As for how to respond in the future, the benefit of the doubt is a good place to start. If it seems possible they really don’t realize JT has a disability, simply say, as your son-in-law did, “He has autism.” You might even try smiling to underscore that there’s no problem. If people are just plain being cruel -- well, there are no magic words that can transform them into compassionate people. But you can tell them exactly what you told me: Families who have kids with special needs deal with a lot; show some compassion. If I hear from other families who have struggled with this and come up with good comebacks, I will print them here. In the meantime, to answer the question posed in your signature, the love is

clearly in your family, especially JT. Dear Annie: I have a friend who was in a similar situation to “Refrigerator Robberies.” His roommate’s brother, “Hank,” crashed on their couch for most of a summer. Hank would eat their food and never replace any of it. My friend fixed that one day when he realized that the large can of dog food was the same size as the “hearty beef stew” can. He switched the labels and put the “stew” back in the cupboard. Later that day, when my friend smelled something strange, he found freeloading Hank heating up the “stew.” “This smells a little funny,” Hank said. My friend replied, “No, that smells fine. That’s really good stew.” I believe that solved the problem. -- Pete in Cape Cod Dear Pete: If there’s one thing this job has taught me, it’s that people get pretty resourceful with their revenge. I suppose all is fair in love and fridge wars. 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, JUNE 28, 2018 B7

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SOLD $210,000 Lot 7 Tea Creek Estates, MLS# R2259459 Located 12 minutes from Fort St John and pavement to the property, you will find this beautiful 4.6 acre lot waiting for a new owner.

High-end 6400sqft office building with detached 48’x36’ shop on 2 acres, located on the SW end of Fort St John.

TODAYS PUZZLE

Prime industrial property available for lease with excellent access to the Alaska Highway.

$2,100,000 8300 - 21 Street, DC MLS# C8015114

8,000 sq. ft. Dream building situated on 2.5 acres in Dawson Creek. Level/graveled yard is fully fenced.

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

AISLE ASCOT BLUSHER BOUQUET BOUTONNIERE BRIDESMAID BUFFET BUSTLE BUTTERCREAM CAKE CALLIGRAPHY CANDLES CENTERPIECE

TODAY’S PUZZLE actor

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

CHAPEL CHARGER CHUPPAH COCKTAIL CORSAGE CRINOLINE DAIS DINNER ENGRAVED FAMILY GOWN INVITATION MARRIAGE

• • • • • • • • • • •

OFFICIANT PLACE CARDS PROCESSION RECEIVING RECEPTION RECESSIONAL SHOWER STATIONERY TIE TUXEDO WALTZ

21. Where buildings are built 23. Chain attached to a watch 25. Holiday (informal) 26. Clod

27. Synchronizes solar and lunar time

28. Australian eucalyptus tree 29. Aerosol propellant

32. Coats with a sticky substance

33. Master of ceremonies 34. The venerable __, British theologian

36. A baglike structure in a plant or animal 37. Witch

38. Strike with a light blow 40. The First State 41. Satisfies

43. A way to fish

semiaquatic reptile (abbr.)

1. Green and yellow citrus fruit

43. Angle (abbr.)

10. Die

45. Cannister

5. Type of clock

14. A hammer needs one 15. Leopard (Hebrew) 16. In the Hebrew calendar

17. Away from wind

18. Type of footwear

19. Malaysian coastal city 20. Arm bones

22. A type of diligence 23. Banquets

24. Home of The Beatles 27. Electromotive force 30. Small amount 31. Type of cola

32. Adult female

35. Astronomy unit

44. Touched lightly 46. Crony

47. Tell on

48. Body of water 49. Sorts out

52. Mammary gland of female cattle 55. Collegiate athletic conference

7. Secret love affair 8. Responds to stimulation

9. Wife

10. Desert mammal

13. __ Kristofferson,

63. Italian seaport

12. Uncommon

46. For each

47. Flower cluster 49. Closes off

50. One who supports fanatically 51. Type of vaccine 52. Approves food

53. Hoofed grazing animal 54. Drearily dull 57. Youngster

58. __ Clapton, musician 59. Take a chance

61. Yearly tonnage (abbr.) 62. Female sibling

64. Agreement

65. Chinese ethnic group

66. University of Miami’s mascot

69. Holds up your head

42. Predatory

6. Inserted strips of fat before cooking

61. Emaciation

60. Protein-rich liquids

39. Places

41. Liquid served with food

5. Mandela’s party

56. Sword

67. People who buy and sell securities

40. Women from the Mayflower

4. Refers to end of small intestine

11. A nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine

37. Hall of Fame

38. Type of gazelle

3. The right to take another’s property

68. Genus of mosquitos

CLUES DOWN

1. Two-toed sloth

2. Impudent behavior

PREVIOUS PUZZLES ANSWERS

CLUES ACROSS

44. Magnetic tape used to make recordings

CO FRO -a -a -a b

B8 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Local Sports

dillon giancola photos

Cade Hackman (top left) kicks an apple off a sword, while Conor Soule (top right) breaks a board at the Red Dragon Martial Arts dojang on June 23. Bottom right: Bo Hedges brings the ball up the court during the sixth annual Bo Hedges Wheelchair Basketball Challenge in the NPSS gym on June 19.

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July 13-15, 2018 C B k e e r C n o s w a D

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Dan and Sharon Bell Dawson Creek, BC

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We were honoured to have our ’59 Ford Convertible chosen in the Sponsor’s Choice at Summer Cruise 2013. My dream care was a ’59 Ford retractable hard-top but the ones we looked at needed too much work or were a bit too expensive for our budget. This ’59 Ford Galaxy convertible was advertised on Kijiji some time ago but had gone off listing, so I surmised it had been sold. We had a car enthusiast friend in Nanaimo where the care was from and he knew the owner of “Darlin” and upon enquiring, found out the owner had done a lot of body and interior work to the car as well as a digital dash, heated seats, new top and disc brakes, to name a few. It had a custom rebuilt engine to a 390 CID with Hollywook mufﬂers. She had the words “Hello Darlin” on the back of the continental kit that lit up when you braked. He had the hood and trunk painted red with white sides, which took us some time to warm up to, but we love it now. We took it for a drive and was it ever sweet! The deal was made and we decided not to drive it home as it had a new $800 windshield special ordered from Tiawan and we knew we could easily get a rock chip driving the 650 miles. We had a moving van bring it back to Dawson Creek on a back-haul. The only thing I have done to it since purchasing, is I had an AM/FM radio/Cassette/CD player installed in the console. My reason for wanting a ’59 Ford Convertible is that I had one back in 1962 when I courted Sharon 54 years ago! It brings back old memories.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 B9

Perspectives

“When I first got here, we barely had a plainclothes section. We had no municipal traffic, no crime reduction unit.” - Insp. Mike Kurvers, B10

Retiring city police chief reflects on career, future of detachment matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

nsp. Mike Kurvers remembers his first shift as an RCMP officer chasing down a kid who didn’t want to get busted for open liquor. Kurvers was fresh out of depot and posted to Moosomin, a small farming town on Highway 1 near the SaskatchewanManitoba border. And, much like high school, Kurvers was the new cop on the block and the challenge was to be expected. “When you go to a new place there’s always going to be a challenge, because you’re the new cop,” Kurvers said. “People want to challenge you, test their boundaries.” The young man ran off from his friends, but it didn’t take long for Kurvers to catch up and haul him to the back of his squad car. “After that, I never had a problem. I gave them respect, they gave me their respect,” Kurvers said. “It was just one incident, minor, testing my boundaries. It was dealt with very quickly and fairly and that set the tone.” Twenty-eight years later, Kurvers spent his final day on the force in Fort St. John earlier this month setting a different kind of tone: meeting with officers and assigning responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition between his departure and when a new detachment commander arrives. Staff Sgt. Steve Perret takes over the job in the interim. “This place will run pretty smooth for the time being,” Kurvers said. Steep learning curve As Kurvers leaves town to return to Victoria with his wife Shelley, the Alaska Highway News sat down with him to talk about his career and the challenges and opportunities facing his replacement. Policing, as it turns out, is much like many careers — the training you get gives you a foundation of knowledge and skills, but there’s a learning curve when it comes to putting it into effective, practical action.

matt preprost Photo

Former Fort St. John RCMP Detachment Commander Insp. Mike Kurvers stands at attention during O Canada.

“You’re new, and you have all these new powers of police authority, and it’s a steep learning curve,” Kurvers said, reflecting on his first posting in Moosomin. “Depot gives you the foundation of how to be a policeman, but it doesn’t really tell you how to deal with the public and deal with interaction and investigations. It gives you scenarios, the basics. In the real world you have to put all that stuff to work for you.” Kurvers has practically seen it all and done it all through his career with the RCMP. From Moosomin, he transferred to Richmond and then Mission, spending 10 years in uniform and general duty policing. It was in Mission where he had his first opportunity to switch to plainclothes, working in general investigations and major crimes. Mission “was the end of the road for people from Vancouver,” Kurvers said. “Mission was way out there,

very rural, so we had a lot of cars being dumped, stolen cars. We had Stave Lake and all these back roads, and every now and then a body would show up. That’s where we started learning homicide investigations.” No logistics, no operations From there, Kurvers spent time investigating fraud, money laundering, and other economic crimes when he was posted in the West Shore and Burnaby detachments. Kurvers got his first taste of police administration in Richmond as a sergeant, dealing with human resources, procurement, records keeping. Operations doesn’t work unless you have the logistics behind it. “I actually learned a lot that served me well coming into this job, because you have to learn that administration side of the RCMP to understand the operational side,” he said. “As a constable or corporal, just give me the tools to do

the job and go arrest bad guys. When you get to be a sergeant or a staff sergeant or even an inspector, you got to know how to get those things. You have to put in budgets, you have to go through procurement — how do I get these items to make the detachment run? It’s a different perspective.” In Richmond, Kurvers also spent time in general investigations and crime reduction, overseeing a bike squad and the emergency response team. But his best memory was working as a liaison officer for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and overseeing operations of events and celebrations there. “I was very lucky. I don’t know if it was by design or being in the right place at the right time,” Kurvers said, noting the city was host to Holland House, a perfect match as he was born in the Netherlands. “It was two weeks of fun, I think I had one day off.” There wasn’t much trouble

either, he recalled. “You’d be surprised — when an event like that comes to town people behave,” Kurvers said. “Everybody’s in a good mood, you’ve got international guests. People put their best foot forward.” From Richmond, Kurvers went to work for the Island District in professional standards, and then went to work in the Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit, dealing with commercial crime and border integrity. He took the top post in Fort St. John at the end of 2014. “I’ve been lucky, very fortunate,” Kurvers said. “It’s a fantastic job, a lot of good experiences. I’ve done a lot things, seen a lot of things. Some moments I wish I didn’t see. Some of the things humans can do to each other are not so pleasant. you got to learn to deal with that stuff and not take it personal.” See Q&A on B10

B10 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

PERSPECTIVES

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Q&A: Insp. Mike Kurvers on policing in Fort St. John and retirement Insp. Mike Kurvers retired from the RCMP this month, and from his post as detachment commander in Fort St. John. Alaska Highway News sat down with Kurvers to talk about his time in Fort St. John, and the challenges that will face his replacement. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Alaska Highway News: What’s the role of a detachment commander; what was your average day like? Mike Kurvers: Some days, it’s hard to say. You’re responsible for the administrative and operational requirements of the detachment. So, investigations. Typically, anything general duty-related, Staff Sgt. Perret deals with. We have a sergeant downstairs that deals with plainclothes. But, I still need to make sure they have all their needs, and that there’s a budget, and resources and the tools to do their job. A lot of time spent on human resources, transfers in and out. The process, talking about staffing, dealing with that issue. Dealing with concerns that come, public complaints at the front counter. Things that come up from E Division, things that are required, making sure they’re tasked and completed. I need to do reports. If I get tasked with something from out of detachment, like direct a review or something, I have to take care of that. Usually it’s a policy or something that’s happened elsewhere, and they want an external person to take do a review. I put an ops plan in if we want seasonal policing, if we want to get a budget to get out on the rivers or on the lakes, I got to build those to get approval. It’s a lot of planning. I’m not on the road so much. Human resources chews up a big part of time.

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Insp. Mike Kurvers at his last city council meeting on June 11, 2018.

AHN: Do you miss the beat?

MK: My role’s different here, so it’s not the operational side. I think the staffing and the morale part of it go hand in hand. I know there’s a continuous cycle of people coming and going, but having a process where we keep the staffing levels at a good level where it doesn’t affect the membership and the members on the road — that does a lot for morale because they’re happy to come to work, they’re not overworked, overburdened, and they know that we’re working for them to keep those staffing levels high. That cycle has to keep going. There’s always going to be somebody transferred, we just got to get the body in, that’s the biggest battle.

MK: Not so much anymore, but it’s taken quite a long time to get to that point. Staff Sgt. Perret and I, and even Sgt. Tyreman, when we go out we still enforce traffic and different things. When we’re going out, we’re writing tickets, we still get called to court. I was involved in a file where I did surveillance and I was called to court on that. So, we are still active on the operations side, not as much as we’d like, but we do. Last year, I had Sgt. Tyreman and Staff Sgt. Perret working evenings with the watches, just to give that oversight and to see and show that we still want to come out at night. Put in simple terms, lead by example. I’m out writing tickets, AHN: Outside of staffing stopping cars. People see that and morale, and looking at so they understand that we’re the detachment overall, what still cops. would you say is the biggest accomplishment while you AHN: What advice do you were here? have for the new detachment commander? MK: Everything revolves around staffing. When I first MK: Step back, and watch got here, we barely had a and listen. The old storyline: plainclothes section. Drugs don’t fix it if it isn’t broken. I was upstairs, reporting to the don’t know what the new per- ops support. There was a lot son is going to be like, every- of fragmented components; body comes up with new ideas. we had no municipal traffic, I’m not the stakeholder of all no crime reduction unit. the ideas. Communication is We only had two people in what we really have here. I talk plainclothes. to everybody and ask for inI sat back and watched and put, and then I come up with observed, to see how things a decision, and everybody has worked and started making input in it. That communica- moves in how we could put tion really helps and gets buy- our plainclothes unit togethin to what the solution is. er. It took some time but now it’s a sergeant with nine indiAHN: What’s the biggest viduals, so you got 10 people opportunity and challenge in plainclothes. We have a that’s going to be facing the dedicated crime reduction new commander? unit, we got a drug unit, we got a serious crime unit. We MK: The same challenge I have two people on municipal had when i got here: keeping traffic, which is something the this place staffed. We are that city really appreciates because northern post. We typically get they are strictly municipal recruits. The lateral interest traffic within the boundaries is not that high here, except of Fort St. John and they’re a when it’s promotions. very productive unit. When I first got here, the Same with our people downmorale was not that good be- stairs: we want people that are cause of previous happenings. self motivated, gung-ho, and People did not want to come a lot of our drug dealers and to Fort St. John, regardless. traffickers are under a lot of That’s changed. People are scrutiny from our teams, so we wanting to come here. When do displace them quite a bit. we have promotional oppor- Disrupt and displace, that’s a tunities, we have a lot of in- good accomplishment. terest. That’s really changed. Again, it’s about staffing and Part of that is the people that morale. Budget wise, pretty are leaving have been here for good, The city’s on board, the change and the positives, (protective services director) so now they’re delivering that Jim Rogers was really helpful message wherever they go. in building this vision here. We do get reports back from As you know we got the new down south that people like detachment coming up here to work here now. It’s a good shortly, we’re still working on place to be. There’s a lot of that. opportunities here. It’s a nice I was able to convince them town, we just got to send that that we needed a couple extra message. I know Mayor Acker- sergeants because I wanted to man was trying to get on that have sergeants on the watches. bandwagon as well, trying to So we have two positions maybe go to depot and send already, and that will push ana message that we got a lot of other body on the road. We’ll good stuff in the north. We got have more resources on the to send that message to the road and you’ll see a lot more south because they don’t see police presence. Visibility is a past Hope. crime reduction strategy. AHN: Thinking back over your four years here, are there any cases that weigh on you, business that’s been left unfinished?

Continued on B 11

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 B11

perspectives AHN: What are the biggest challenges facing policing here over next five years?

AHN: What are you going to do now in retirement?

MK: It’s hard to say about the legalization of cannabis yet, that’s going to be a whole new learning curve for everybody. We have to see what our powers of arrest are and we have to see how the public is going to react to that. We are in the process of training of traffic members to be drug recognition experts, division wide, but we do have them here, three in the office that we can rely on to those roadside tests for drug consumption. As you know, we’re a post detachment, which means we’re split 90 per cent municipal, 10 per cent provincial. So, anything we do for the detachment, or resources, has to be split that way. That’s where the challenge comes in, because we have to petition the province for funding to keep this a post detachment. There was talk of making just a municipal detachment and having another one for the rural and provincial resources. It won’t work in this environment. We need to stay together and work together. That’s the best approach.

MK: People ask me how I feel, and I’m not sure how I feel yet. It’s going to take some time for that retirement to settle and click in. I have a family business I’m going to with my brothers; we’re contractors, commercial. It’s a family business, been around for 45 years. So, that’ll keep me busy. It’s not retirement, it’s just moving to a different job. It’s going to be an interesting feeling. I just listen to other people and how they transition from work to retirement. It just takes awhile for that to settle in and sink in, and say, OK, I don’t have to report to the police station anymore, I don’t have to show up for work there. With (my wife) Shelley, she’s already engaged with the art community in Victoria, getting back into it. That’s great for her, some different perspectives and art styles, she enjoys that.

Panelists listen to Fort St. John RCMP Insp. Mike Kurvers outline policing in Northeast B.C. during a forum on the impacts of resource development on Indigenous women

This detachment has a 25-year plan to it, so it’s going to have the space to allow us to grow because this building has outgrown its purpose. It’s going to be on slab up, no more dungeon. Downstairs, there’s no lighting, you’re in the dark, it’s a bit difficult on the people down there. So it’s going to be above ground, and it’s projected to have the space to grow. But, that’s resources and they need to keep up with the times. The city is pretty good at doing that, it’s the provincial side that needs to step up and provide those resources to keep up with demands, because our rural component is huge. We need to be able to cover those spots. We have a new truck, which is rural truck, and we’re making people do patrols. We’re getting some positive feedback from Montney and Prespatou areas saying, ‘it’s great to see you out there.’ They had some concerns about impaired driving and different things going on, so we want that visibility. Again, I don’t know if its a direct correlation or not, but visibility is a crime reduction strategy because people aren’t going to think about misbehaving when

AHN: What challenges do you see with social media. Everybody’s an eyewitness, posting things to Facebook. MK: We’re well aware of that. We have policies for social media. We tell the members, you’re always on camera. We make sure we’re training people on social media, we try to get people on the media relations course, and work towards some reporting requirements. Our interaction with local media is very important, I think, to keep those open lines and talk about things and make sure we have the right message. Positive stuff is good, some of the negative stuff we still have reporting requirements from our communications group, so we still have to follow those guidelines. AHN: The city is working on a new police headquarters. What other investments do you see needed here in the city? MK: We need to grow as the city grows.

they see a policeman. AHN: On top of rural policing, what about First Nations policing? MK: We have two members, always have two members engaged in First Nations policing. They have community offices there in different band offices and they’re spending time there. They’re on the road a lot, but they do have community offices. They spent a half a day here, a day there, they do all the community policing. They’re very engaged with the schools and the kids, they go to all the functions, the meetings. I go to meet the elders and the chief and council. I think two is enough for now, there may be a need for a third, but I think they’re meeting their mandate with the two of them. In the past, everybody who’s been in those positions has been really engaged with the communities. We meet with band chief and council all the time to see what their priorities are, we do our annual performance plan and we go sit with them yearly and ask them what they want to deal with. It’s their choice.

AHN: Any farewell remarks to Fort St. John? MK: People got to realize what Fort St. John has to offer. Truthfully, this is my northern posting. I used to joke, Mission was my northern posting because it was north of the Fraser River and because I hadn’t been past that. I had done Saskatchewan, but it was still southern Saskatchewan. When I came here I really didn’t know what I was getting into. No one told me the insider information about the detachment, I came in and had to learn for myself. I had good support from the city, and mayor and council is really good. The city has a lot of good stuff for families, for kids. If you’re a hunter or fisherman, or if you like the winter activities, it’s a great place. I ended up playing hockey with a lot of good people, senior hockey league with a lot of people that want to have fun. It was a good time. There’s a lot of good people here. Like anywhere else, we have that element that are not so good. But I enjoyed coming here, I enjoyed the city. People have to give it a chance, they really do. They need to understand the north, and this is a very good place to do that.

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B12 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

perspectives

aboriginal day

Hundreds turned out to the Northern Lights College campus in Fort St. John to celebrate National Aboriginal Day on June 21, and took part in an afternoon filled with dancing, medicine walks, cave tours, and more. Here are some sights from the opening ceremonies. matt preprost Photos / see more at alaskahighwaynews.ca/photos

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 B13

PERSPECTIVES

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Email: bpiper@ahnfsj.ca | Office: 250-785-5631 9916 98 Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 3T8

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B14 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

Classifieds We are looking for a number of posi�ons to work in our new Child and Youth Residen�al program in Terrace, BC. This includes:

RESIDENTIAL CHILD & YOUTH WORKERS - TERRACE, B.C. As a Residen�al Child and Youth Worker you must have a passion to promote and safe guard the wellbeing of children and youth by providing a normalized and caring living environment and encouraging posi�ve growth by u�lizing therapeu�c interven�ons. You will a posi�ve and coopera�ve team member. Full �me and part �me posi�ons are available. These are union posi�ons with a compe��ve salary and excellent beneﬁts.

RESIDENTIAL COORDINATORS - TERRACE As a Residen�al Coordinator you will be highly mo�vated and experienced. You will be responsible for the day to day func�oning of a group home and of maintaining a normalized and therapeu�c se�ng for the residents. You will be an experienced prac��oner who can offer guidance and solu�ons to the staff members. This is a unionized posi�on with a compe��ve salary and excellent benefits.

MANAGER, CHILD & YOUTH GROUP HOMES - TERRACE As a full �me Manager in our Child and Youth Residen�al programs you will be a skilled, experienced and self-directed individual. You will have significant experience as a Residen�al Child and Youth Worker. Current knowledge regarding the child and youth delivery system in BC is preferred. Supervisory experience and knowledge of trauma informed prac�ce are assets. You will be an inspira�onal leader, an excellent communicator and a team player who is able to build rela�onships. This is an excluded posi�on with a compe��ve salary and excellent benefits. The first review of applicants will occur on July 6, 2018. This posi�on will remain open un�l filled. Only those applicants chosen to proceed in the selec�on process will be no�fied directly. Please apply with your covering le�er and resume to Brenda Prosser at bprosser@tcsinfo.ca.

52646

Please visit our website at www.tcsinfo.ca.

LegaL/PubLic Notices

WOODLOT LICENCE PLAN FOR W1913: REVIEW & COMMENT Notice is hereby given that a proposed Woodlot Licence Plan for W1913 located between Mile 88 and Inga Lake Road on the Alaska Highway (#97) is open for public review and comment to persons interested or affected by forest activities under the plan. The Woodlot Licence Plan is available for review and comment until July 30, 2018 by prior appointment with Jeff Beale, at the following location: 9416-105th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC, V1J 4V7. Contact Jeff Beale at jbeale@telus.net or mobile 250.219.4780 for appointments. Written comments on the proposed Woodlot Licence Plan for W1913 will be accepted until Noon, July 30, 2018.

52654

Coming EvEnts

Career OppOrtunities

General employment

Business services

I haven’t been able to say bye to everyone!! I will cherish and miss you all. fsj triple amputee...Darlene Thomas

Mile “O” Quilter’s Guild meets every Tuesday & Thursday in Dawson Creek at KPAC in Studio #10 at 7pm

South Peace Historical Society Meetings Third Wednesday of the month. In Dawson Creek at the Calvin Kruk Centre Archives Room at 2 pm.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! In-demand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employertrusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1855-768-3362 to start training for your workat-home career today! SANDMAN INNS RURAL BC recruiting management couples, both full-time and part-time roles available. Ask us about our great employee perks and accommodation. Apply on https://sandmanhotels.prevueaps.com

Child Caregiver: 7 year old girl & 17 month boy. $12 per hour. Permanent-40 hours per week. Employer’s home/94 Ave, Completion of Secondary School, some college/ CEPEG/Vocational or technical training in child care or related field. 1 to 2 years supervision of children. Assist children on personal hygiene. Plan, prepare meals for children, participate in games, reading and may perform light housekeeping. Accomodation could be made available on a live-in basis at no cost. But not a condition of employment. Apply by email: herbert_barateta@yah oo.com

Arctic Duct Cleaning, Furnace & duct cleaning, Chimney sweep. 250-787-7217 (FSJ) GET RESULTS! Post a classified in 98 newspapers in just a few clicks. Reach almost 2 million people for only $395 a week for 25-word text ad or $995 for small display ad. Choose your province or all across Canada. Best value. Save over 85% compared to booking individually. www.communityclassifieds.ca or 1866-669-9222.

TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINING BCCSA/WCB Certified FSJ: July 26 & 27, DC: July 23 & 24, PG: July 4 & 5, 30 & 31 1-866-737-2389 or roadsafetytcs.com

LegaL/PubLic Notices

X THIS IS WHERE YOUR AD SHOULD BE

General employment

Thursday at 9:30 amNew Beginnings Baptist Church in DC, 10221-18th St.-TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). Phone: Gail at 250-782-7208 for more info. Tuesday July 17th, 2018 at 5:30 to 7:00 pm at Dawson Creek, Community Bridge1200 102 Ave. AN INTRODUCTION TO FOSTER PARENTING- Are you in the process of applying or contemplating about applying? Come meet the network of professionals you will be working with including: foster parents, social workers and support workers. Please join us with all your questions , concerns, & the desire to support children and youth in care. Register before July 13th by calling 250785-6021 ext. 235 Contact: Tiffany Butt

ESL Teacher The Fort St. John Literacy is seeking dynamic and energetic instructor to teach English as a Second Language Classes in Fort St John. The successful candidate will be assessing the needs of immigrants who are studying English as a second language, responsible for lesson plan creation and development of learner-based curriculum, and program output reporting. Position requirements: • TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate preferred or experience in teaching English as a Second Language • Two years teaching experience, preferably with adults • Certificate in Canadian Language Benchmark levels literacy would be an asset • PBLA (Portfolio Based Language Assessment) experience would be an asset • Organizational and time management skills • Excellent interpersonal skills • Great oral and written communication • Self motivation and excellent team work skills • Ability to work independently and be flexible

Lost Lost June 20 − Men’s Wedding Ring Dawson Airport or Shell Gas Station − Simple men’s gold band with small dia− mond. Inscription inside: "Diana loves Bruce 10−09−87". Truly sentimental. Reward for good Samaritan. Send photo if found to confirm & collect reward. 604−992−1718 jbrucepollock@gmai l.com

Terms of employment: • 35 hours a week • Wage dependant on experience and qualification

Obituaries

How to apply: Send a cover letter with a resume to executivedirector@fsjliteracy.ca

LegaL/PubLic Notices

SUNDAYS: FAMILY TREE HELP - Peace Country Roots Group Meeting - Fourth Sunday of each Month at the CALVIN KRUK CENTRE in Dawson Creek 1:30pm

General employment Are you looking for a part-time job? This may be the job for you! Part-Time Retail Merchandisers needed in Fort St John. A Hallmark Retail Merchandiser maintains the Hallmark department in assigned stores, including ordering, receiving and merchandising of product. They maintain inventories, participate in in-store revisions and renovations, and new store installations. Please go the following website to learn more about the position and to apply: https://www.candidatecare.com/srccar/RTI.home?c=1137 & d=hallmark3.candidatecare.com&r=5000274102410 Burger King Fort St John is hiring Crew (Starting $12), Supervisors (Starting at $15), Assistant Manager (Starting at $17) and Managers (Starting $18.75). Previous experience an asset, but not necessary as Crew will be trained. Business management, training, schooling is an asset for Supervisors, assistant managers and Managers. Please send resumes to bkfsjco@gmail.com

Obituaries

53929

At TCS we pride ourselves in our innova�ve, ﬂexible and crea�ve approach in the service of individuals, families and communi�es. Fundamental to our purpose is the selec�on and support of commi�ed staﬀ members.

250-785-5631 classifieds@ahnfsj.ca

Announcements

Coming EvEnts Acquired Brain Injury Support Group: ABI Support group meets every 2nd & 4th Thursday of month at 6:00pm at the Northern Brain Injury Association office: #11-1405 102 Ave Dawson Creek. Please call 250-719-4673 for more information. http://nbia.ca/ Alexander Family Reunion August 3, 4, 5th at South Taylor BC Contact Doreen 250261-1008 Box 581 Taylor BC V0C 2K0. Looking for some help, funds & items. smallspuds@hotmail.com Dawson Creek Seniors Hall Activities 1011 McKellar Ave. Floor curling, carpet bowling, pool, line dancing, bridge, crib, darts, bingo, Wellness Exercise, craft classes. Schedules are available at the hall. Come and see our hall and try out our activities. SATURDAYS: LEARN YOUR ROOTS - Genealogy information NAR PARK ROOTS BUILDING 10:00am peacecountryroots.ca

ApArtments/ Condos for

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For Jonathan A friend, A brother, a son, a cousin, and now an angel up in heaven. He is a memory that will be with us forever. Such a joyful noise that came from his mouth, and a laughter like no other. He has a smile that made the sun pale in comparison. He left warmth and his presence is near. Since he loved to be outside, God made him a special track, along with trails for his bike, dirt bike and quad and when snowfall hits for his ski-doo and snowboard. He really loved to play videogames and to make things explode. He had an adorable baby face and now the angels get to enjoy it. Everyone loved him and to be around him. he made friends in an instant, he made them laugh and he was so goofy and spontaneous. He loved his hair like a fat kid loves cake, and he also loved to build things and ﬁx them in any way he could. Sometimes he could be rambunctious and he had a temper that ran a short fuse, but he always made the best out of everything, no matter what it was. Jonathan, we still all miss you very much.

ApArtments/ Condos for

Li-Car Management Group

We have a variety of apartments, town homes, executive homes, and duplexes for rent. To apply for these,please email reception@licar.ca or visit our website at www.licar.ca

Phone: 250-785-2662

CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer Employment/Licensing loss? Travel/Business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: Criminal Pardon. US Entry Waiver. Record Purge. File Trades Help Destruction. Free Consultation 1-800-347Mamic Transport Ltd 2540. accessleHeavy Duty Mechanic galmjf.com

Currently seeking Jour− Mobile/Manufactured neyman heavy duty HoMes for sale mechanic, with 5 years experience. CompetitivePine Ridge Modular wages and benefits, ac−Homes 14’, 16’ & 20’. commodations/reloca−Double Wides available tion services available. S.R.I. Homes (250)262-2847 250−788−5261

Trucking & TransporT

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Mamic Transport Limit− ApArtments/ ed Heavy Haul Lowbed Condos for Operator BIRCHVIEW MANOR Experienced up to 11 Furnished and Unfuraxles. Competitive wages/benefits, Campnished 1 Bedroom available. RotationalSuites. Adults Only, schedule More infor−Senior Discount. Bus Stop at Front Door. mation 250-784-5817 250−788−5261

For Sale MiSc Classic Fender 1983 White Strat. Guitar with Vibrolux Amp. 2004.5 Polaris 500 Sportsman Quad. 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 PU. 250-782-5026 SAWMILLS from only $4,397 - MAKE MONEY & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill - Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info & DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com/400OT 1800-567-0404 Ext:400OT. SAWMILLS from only $4,397 - MAKE MONEY & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info & DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com/400OT 1800-567-0404 Ext:400OT.

Business OppOrtunities HIP OR KNEE REPLACEMENT? Arthritic Conditions/ COPD? Restrictions in Walking/Dressing? Disability Tax Credit $2,000 Tax Credit $20,000 Refund. Apply Today For Assistance: 1-844-453-5372. RESTRICTIONS WALKING OR GETTING DRESSED? Hip or knee Replacement? The Disability Tax Credit $1,500 Yearly Tax Credit. $15,000 Lump Sum Refund (on avg). For assistance Call: 1-844453-5372. TYPE 1 DIABETES? TROUBLE WALKING? Hip or Knee Replacement, or conditions causing restrictions in daily activities? $2,000 tax credit, $40,000 refund cheque/rebates. Disability Tax Credit. 1844-453-5372.

Obituaries

Dawson Creek Northern Lights Apartments has 1 Bedroom/Bachelor Apartments Available. Cable/Heat, Water/Hot Water Included. Please Phone : 250-782-7130. ASK FOR INCENTIVES

Basement suites 1 Furnished Basement Suite in DC. Includes Utilities,Working Adults, Non Smokers. Phone: 250-782-5873

Mobile/Pads Mobile Home Pad available in Forest Lawn Mobile Home Park for new 16’ or 20’ wide home. 250-262-2847

Rooms FSJ Motor Inn. 10707-102 St. Furnished & private rooms. $750/month. Full kitchen, bathroom, T.V. & Wi-Fi, utilities included. Call Gary/250-682-1982 Steel BuildingS / granarieS STEEL BUILDING SALE... “MEGA MADNESS SALE - CRAZY DEALS ON ALL BUILDINGS!” 20x23 $5,798. 23x25 $5,744. 25x27 $6,639. 30x31 $8,488. 32x35 $9,954. One End Wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036 STEEL BUILDING SALE... “MEGA MADNESS SALE - CRAZY DEALS ON ALL BUILDINGS!” 20x23 $5,798. 23x25 $5,744. 25x27 $6,639. 30x31 $8,488. 32x35 $9,954. One End Wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036. PLACE YOUR AD IN THE

1 5-563 2 50-78 2 Ph: 2 0-785-35 5 2 : x F AND MAYBE SOMEONE WILL

CIRCLE YOUR AD!

Obituaries

General employment MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! In-demand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employertrusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1855-768-3362 to start training for your workat-home career today!

ASUCHAK, Robert W. Jul 15, 1944 − Apr 18, 2018 It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our wonderful husband, incredible dad and amazing grampa, Bob Asuchak on April 18, 2018. A celebration of life will be held at the family home in Chase on July 1st from 1pm to 4pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018 B15

Alaska Highway News Reader Survey 2018

This survey is part of an effort to build a stronger relationship with our communities, learn more about their reading habits, and build a better news organization heading into our 75th year of publishing in Fort St. John and the North Peace.

SECTION 1

Tell us a little bit about yourself… Where do you live? o o o o o o o

Fort St. John Taylor Charlie Lake Hudson’s Hope Northern Rockies Regional Municipality First Nation, please specify: Rural area, please specify:

What is your age? o o o o o o

Under 18 18 to 25 25 to 39 40 to 55 56 to 55 65 and older

What is your gender? o o o

Female Male Transgender

What is your income? o o o o o

Under $25,000 $25,000 to $50,000 $50,000 to $75,000 $75,000 to $100,000 $100,000 and over

SECTION 2

Tell us about your news reading and viewing habits… How much time do you spend reading and watching the news on any given day? o o o o

Less than 30 minutes 30 minutes to an hour One to two hours More than two hours

What sources do you use to find out information about your community? Check all that apply. o o o o o o o o o

Alaska Highway News CBC Daybreak North CJDC TV News Energeticcity.ca Shaw TV News Facebook Other websites (Town Wall, FSJ Now, government websites, etc.) Radio Smartphone app

What is your go-to source for local breaking news? o o o o o o o

Alaska Highway News CBC Daybreak North CJDC TV News Energeticcity.ca Shaw TV News Radio Other

What is your go-to source for local in-depth news, opinion, and analysis? o o o o o o o

Alaska Highway News CBC Daybreak North CJDC TV News Energeticcity.ca Shaw TV News Radio Other

What is your go-to source for community news features? o o o o o o o

Alaska Highway News CBC Daybreak North CJDC TV News Energeticcity.ca Shaw TV News Radio Other

What sources do you use to find out information about BC and Canada? o o o o o o o o

Vancouver Sun The Province CBC News Globe and Mail National and/or Financial Post Global News CTV News Other

Do you subscribe to any print newspaper or magazine? If yes, which publications?

Do you subscribe to any digital news publications? If yes, which publications?

SECTION 3

Lifestyles 1 2

How do you access the Alaska Highway News?

Local charity fundraising 1 2 3 4

Local sports 1 2

Opinion/editorial/letters 1 2 3 4

Travel and tourism 1 2 3

When it comes to reading the Alaska Highway News… o o o

Weekly print edition alaskahighwaynews.ca website via social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Tell us briefly why you read the Alaska Highway News. How does it fit into your local news reading habits compared to local online and TV news?

The Alaska Highway News is a trusted source for local news and information. o o

Yes No

The Alaska Highway News is an essential and vital part of the community. o Yes o No How many of the last four print editions of the Alaska Highway News have you read? o o o o o

1 2 3 4 None

How much time do you spend reading our weekly print edition? o o o o

15 minutes or less 15 to 30 minutes 30 minutes to an hour More than an hour

How much time do you spend reading our website daily? o o o o

Do you regularly submit in your club/ organization news? o o

Yes No

What features do you read regularly in the newspaper?

15 minutes or less 15 to 30 minutes 30 minutes to an hour More than an hour

Yes No

What columnists do you read? Check all that apply. o Bob Snyder (Chews the News, humour) o Judy Kucharuk (Desk of the Green-eyed Girl, life) o Jeff Richert (Community Views, politics and current affairs) o Matt Preprost (Editorially Speaking, local affairs) o Tom Summer (Court Docket, crime) o Angela Mary Griffin (Peace Reflections, faith) o Dillon Giancola (The Dill Zone, local sports) o Edwina Nearhood (Life at Ground Zero, real estate) o Stephenie Sutherland (Health Hacks, life and wellness) o Don Pettit (Watt’s Happening, energy) o Rick Koechl and Mike Kroecher (Two Old Guys With Issues, energy and current affairs) o Bob Zimmer (MP Report, federal politics) o Richard Neufeld (Senator’s Report, federal politics) o Various veterinarians (North Peace Creature Feature, pet wellness)

Are you a member of a local community club/ organization? o o

o o o o o o o o o o o

Weather outlook Gas watch Special Delivery baby notices Coffee corner puzzles Horoscopes/Dear Annie Pro Golf Weekly Update Pro Racing This Week 4-H Community Club Update Classifieds & Obituaries Movie Listings House of the week

What issues in the community do you think are not getting enough coverage by local media?

SECTION 4

Diving into our newspaper…. When you read the Alaska Highway News, what section do you read first? o o o o o

Local News Opinion/Op-Ed Business Sports Arts & Culture

What local news topics interest you the most? Please rank them from 1 (least interested) to 5 (most interested). Circle Number Arts and culture 1 2 3

Business and economy 1 2 3 4

City hall news 1 2 3

Courts and crime 1 2 3

Community events 1 2 3

What Alaska Highway News products do you read? Check all that apply. o o o o o o o o

Federal and provincial politics 1 2 3 4 5 Health 1 2

History 1 2

Thank you for your input!

We’re offering weekly incentives to readers who fill out the survey. Please provide your name and phone/email address to be included in our draw. Drop off completed surveys to our office at 9916 98TH AVE, FOrT ST. JOHN, BC

People’s Choice Awards High School Graduation Book Holiday Song Book CKNL Fort St. John Trade Show Century 21/Remax Real Estate Guides Pipeline News North Northern Horizon Angler’s Atlas

Which of the following Alaska Highway News events have you attended? o o o

Human interest/community news features 1 2 3 4 5 Investigative reporting 1 2 3 4

What types of columnists would you like to see added?

If you could add a feature to the Alaska Highway News, what would it be?

Education and school board 1 2 3 4 5 Environment 1 2

What type of reporting do you want the Alaska Highway News to focus on?

What type of events would you like to see the Alaska Highway News organize and host for the community? o o o o

NAME: PHONE : EMAIL:

Federal election forum 2015 Amnesty International Missing/Murdered Indigenous Women forum 2016 Provincial election forum 2016

Election forums Current affairs panels Arts and culture events Sports events

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B16 THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018

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Students from Ecole Central Elementary dropped by the Alaska Highway News office June 18, 2018, to speak with staff and learn about everything that goes into publishing, from reporting to design, circulation to advertising sales. Have a class wanting to learn more about the newspaper business and media industry? Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca

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