THURSDAY, may 17, 2018 Vol. 75, No. 20
Serving Fort St. John, B.C. and Surrounding Communities
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Fort St. John, Taylor, and Peace River Regional District officials with an international delegation of leaders from Peru and Colombia at the Lone Wolf Golf Course on May 12, 2018.
City awarded for Peru partnership matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
The City of Fort St. John received an award for international excellence from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities last weekend. The FCM recognized the city May 12 for its outstanding institutional contribution to the organization’s Sustainable and Inclusive Communities in Latin America program (CISAL), and helping municipalities in Peru find ways to improve their governance and build economic development opportunities. Fort St. John is one of 17 local governments in Canada taking part in the program, but the city has been most exceptional in the level of its commitment to the program and the technical assistance it’s been providing, said Christopher Yeomans, director of the CISAL program.
“If we want a healthy nation, we need healthy communities,” Yeomans said. The FCM also awarded Mayor Lori Ackerman and City Manager Dianne Hunter for their participation in the program, which is funded by the federal government. The three awards were handed out at a ceremony at Lone Wolf Golf Course that ended a weeklong international study tour of the Peace Region by South American leaders from Peru and Colombia. In her closing speech, Ackerman admitted she deleted the first invitation that arrived in her email inbox asking the city to take part in the CISAL program, “because we were so busy.” But when a second invitation arrived, Ackerman said she recognized the program was an opportunity that couldn’t be ignored.
Since 2017, Ackerman and Hunter, along with other city officials have visited communities in the Chumbivilcas province in the Cusco region of Peru numerous times to identify opportunities and give advice on how to plan and build their communities, from infrastructure to social agencies. “For us, we went down to learn, to listen, and to see what was going on and make recommendations,” Ackerman said. Last week, Ackerman and other local politicians and dignitaries toured the international mission around the region, visiting frontline service providers, Conuma Coal mines, the Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark, local schools and colleges, Site C, Doig River First Nation, and the Peace View Hutterite Colony. See PARTNERSHIP on A3
Northern Medical Program celebrates Class of 2018 matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
Thirty-one students graduated from the University of Northern B.C.’s Northern Medical Program last week, with one of them starting a two-year family medicine residency in Fort St. John this summer. The Class of 2018 traded their graduation gowns for their long coats at a ceremony in Prince George on May 11. It’s the 11th graduating class to come out of the program, a site of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and delivered in partnership with UNBC. The graduates now move into two to seven years of medical residency and fellowship training, depending on their specialty. Fifteen graduates will enter family medicine residency
unbc photo
Dr. Lida Hellqvist.
programs in rural and smaller centres in B.C. and across the country. Five of those graduates will train in Northern B.C. — four in Prince George and one in Fort St. John. Dr. Lida Hellqvist will start
her two-year family medicine residency in Fort St. John July 3 at the hospital and a local clinic. Two graduates will also enter psychiatry residency in Prince George. The remaining students have matched to a wide range of specialties including obstetrics and gynecology (3); internal medicine (4); hematological pathology; medical microbiology; general surgery; anesthesiology; urology; and pediatrics. The Class of 2018 includes 14 graduates from Northern BC, including six from Prince George. There were no students from Northeast B.C. in this year’s class. The Northern Medical Program graduation celebration was held ahead of the formal graduation for students, which takes place May 22 at UBC. There, the students will receive their official medical degrees.
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The federal government won’t argue against suspending work on the Site C dam pending the outcome of a treaty rights infringement case making it way through the courts. Ottawa served notice to the B.C. Supreme Court that it remains neutral on the question of an injunction being sought by the West Moberly First Nation ahead of trial, according to the Canadian Press. The move leaves the province alone to defend the decision to build the $10.7-billion dam and argue to continue construction at the injunction hearing. “Canada has laid down its weapons. Now it’s time for B.C. to disarm,” West Moberly Chief Roland Willson said in a statement. “If the Premier truly wishes to respect the constitution and the Treaty 8 rights it protects, he shouldn’t be encouraging BC Hydro to destroy those rights before the courts have the chance to weigh in.” See SITE C on A7
Meeting for cannabis zoning rules on May 22 matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca
Fort St. John councillors want the city’s cannabis zoning rules sorted out and ready in time for federal legalization this summer. Councillors voted Monday that a draft zoning bylaw and communications plan be presented at a special meeting May 22, in a bid to expedite public consultations and implement changes ahead recreational cannabis legalization targetted for July 1. “For us, honestly, we need to lead, we need to show support for the fact this is becoming law. The task is up to us to do this,” Coun. Trevor Bolin said. “If we lead the charge with how we feel it should be, I think it will make that timeline doable.” Planners were looking for approval on temporary zoning bylaw amendments that would have both defined and banned cannabis operations, giving them more time to consult residents and sort out the nuances expected to come with legalization. Councillors, however, rejected those amendments. Instead, they want to see a draft bylaw next week that allows for cannabis operations in downtown core, general, and service commercial zones, and considers setbacks from schools and parks. See CANNABIS on A11
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