THURSDAY, march 8, 2018 Vol. 74, No. 10
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
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alaskahighwaynews.ca
“The Only Newspaper in the World That Gives a Tinker’s Dam About the North Peace.”
resetting the energy dialogue
trackers clinch historic first
this bordello is damned
business a9
sports b1
arts b5
AHN nominated for Ma Murray Awards
dancing for donations
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Greg Carillo performs a dance routine at the 44th CDC Talent Show at the North Peace Cultural Centre on Friday, March 2, 2018. More than $75,000 was raised for the Child Development Centre, enough to be able to purchase a wheelchair accessible van, its goal for this year’s campaign. “We’re extremely grateful to the community and our corporate partners for supporting us once again,” executive director Tana Millner says.
“It’s going to make a big difference. We’re super excited to be purchasing a new set of wheels.” The fundraising was anchored by two sizable donations — a $10,000 donation each from Mustang Rentals and Scotiabank, Millner says. Pledge sheets are still coming in, and a $1,000 donation was added to the tally the morning of March 5, Millner says. Donations can be made to the centre through the month of March to help it reach its $100,000 fundraising target.
Fourth fatality on Peace highways in 2018 matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
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A 29-year-old Grande Prairie man was killed March 4 when his pickup truck crashed head on with a semi-truck at the top of the South Taylor Hill. The accident happened around 4:45 p.m. when the man’s northbound pickup crossed the centre line completely into the path of the southbound semi, which was unable to avoid the collision, according to Sgt. Tim Paulmert of the RCMP’s Peace Region Traffic Services. The pickup driver was killed on impact, Paulmert said. The female driver of the semi-truck was not injured, he said. No names are being released and
next of kin are being notified, Paulmert said. The crash closed the highway for several hours while police investigated, and reopened shortly after midnight. The investigation is ongoing. Paulmert could not immediately say whether speed or alcohol were factors, however, distracted driving may have been a contributing cause. This is the fourth fatality on Peace Region highways so far in 2018, all of them young, according to Paulmert. On Jan. 5, a 17-year-old male was killed in an accident on the south end of the Taylor Bridge. On Jan. 24, a 22-year-old
man was killed in an accident between Dawson Creek and Chetwynd. On Feb. 2, a 22-year-old woman was killed in an accident 75 kilometres south of Chetwynd. Paulmert, whose unit covers traffic services from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson, said he’s never seen so many killed in accidents in such a short span of time during his 14 years working in the region. He urged motorists to drive to road conditions. “Road conditions are ever changing. They could go from bare (to icy), or what appears to be bare but be icy,” he said. “We beg people to put their cell phones away while driving,” he added.
Climate Risk Network holds inaugural meet matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
The Northeast Climate Risk Network held its inaugural meeting this week. Fort St. John has joined the network alongside Pouce Coupe, Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, and the Northern Rockies to study climate change in the region and develop plans to adapt to the economic, social, and ecological changes anticipated to come with it. “This is a chance to get
ahead of the curve,” said David Marshall, executive director of the Fraser Basin Council, which has partnered with the municipalities to establish the network and undertake its research. “More extreme weather events are happening more frequently, and we’re finding this part of British Columbia is showing an increase in temperature more rapidly than other parts of the province.” Current research shows average temperatures have risen 2.2 degrees Celsius
in the region over the last 100 years, one degree above the provincial average of 1.2 degrees and the global average of one degree, Marshall said. Impacts of a changing climate can be seen in the number of flood, wildfire, drought, and erosion events here in the last several years, Marshall said, all of which has an impact on communities, from infrastructure planning to operations in the oil and gas industry. See RESEARCH on A16
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For the second year in a row, the Alaska Highway News has been nominated one of the best community newspapers in British Columbia and the Yukon. The newspaper is a finalist for Newspaper Excellence in the 2018 Ma Murray Awards, put on by the BC & Yukon Community Newspapers Association. The award recognizes everything from a newspaper’s content, photography, advertising, design, print quality, and online presence. “Our objective as a team has been the same since we first rolled off the presses in 1944: to chronicle and promote the wealth of opportunity in this Northern frontier city, and to tell the stories of its people and pioneers,” said Managing Editor Matt Preprost. “This recognition is a reflection of our entire team as well as those who contribute their viewpoints to our pages to help build a stronger community.” AHN won a bronze award for Newspaper Excellence last year, and is nominated in its circulation class this year alongside Pique Newsmagazine and the Coast Reporter. Sixteen newspapers are eligible for the award in the 6,001-13,000 circulation class, judged independently by a panel of industry experts. Preprost is also a finalist for an Editorial Award, for an article about a personal health scare that hospitalized him last fall, and the important role the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation plays in our community. “My experience was a chance to reflect on the quality of care we see in Northeast B.C., and draw attention to the ongoing work of our hospital foundation to save lives and improve patient care every day by filling in the gaps left by the province,” Preprost said. Preprost is nominated for editorial writing alongside Gail Sjuberg of the Gulf Islands Driftwood, and Kelsey Klassen of the now-closed Westender newspaper in Vancouver. Preprost, who started working for the Alaska Highway News in 2013 and was named editor in 2015, won a Ma Murray Award for breaking news photography last year. “Matt is a great example of what dedication, commitment, and service above self is, as he thrives on being the best he can be everyday,” said Regional Manager William Julian. “We are honoured to have him on our team as his dedication helps those around him also get better. Looking forward to what’s next.” The 2018 Ma Murray Awards will be handed out Saturday, April 28 at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond.
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