AHN OCT 18 2018 by Alaska Highway News

THURSDAY, october 18, 2018 Vol. 75, No. 42

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

$1.50 inc. gst.

alaskahighwaynews.ca

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

2018 CIVIC ELECTION GUIDE INSIDE

TRUCK TOBER IS HERE AT FORT CITY

CHRYSLER

was $54,971

38,189 NOW

LEASE FROM

219 B/W

+ TAXES AND FEES of $523

2019 RAM 1500 SXT 4X4 Q/C

LEASE

$ $

was $49,634

40,256 NOW

FROM

297 B/W

2018 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO

LEASE

+ TAXES AND FEES of $523

RECEIVE UP TO $10,000 CASH BACK!!

$ $

was $41,509

31,991 NOW

212 B/W

was $64,300

52,691 NOW

18J39

2018 RAM 2500 SXT 4X4 C/C

346 B/W

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2018 JEEP COMPASS SPORT

172 B/W

32,291

18GR299

2018 RAM 1500 SXT

FROM

208 B/W was $35,514

23,989 NOW

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2018 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN

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was $33,788

27,645 NOW

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F O R T C I T Y C H R Y S L E R 8424 Alaska Road Fort St. John 250-787-5220 | 1-877-787-5220 www.fortcitychrysler.ca

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ALL NEW VEHICLE PAYMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL TAXES AND FEES A FEE OF $523.00 IS CHARGED ON ALL NEW VEHICLE TRANSACTIONS. ALL MANUFACTURER DISCOUNTS/REBATES ARE REFLECTED IN THE PRICE AND PAYMENTS, AND ARE PAYABLE TO THE DEALER. SEE THE DEALER FOR FULL REBATE AND DISCOUNT OFFERINGS. NEW PAYMENTS ARE ALL CALCULATED BIWEEKLY AT 4.79% ON A 96 MONTH TERM. ALL PREOWNED VEHICLE ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL TAXES AND FEES A FEE OF $577.00 IS CHARGED ON ALL USED VEHICLE TRANSACTIONS. PREOWNED PAYMENTS ARE CALCULATED BIWEEKLY AT 5.99% ON AN 84 MONTH TERM. LEASE PAYMENTS ARE CALCULATED BIWEEKLY ON A 42 MONTH TERM WITH MAXIMUM 18,000KMS PER YEAR ALLOWED. THE 2019 RAM 1500 IS CALCULATED AT 3.99% WITH AN END RESIDUAL OF $25,468 WITH $890 DEPOSIT DUE AT SIGNING. THE 2018 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE IS CALCULATED AT 2.49% WITH AN END RESIDUAL OF $19,326 WITH $1,180 DEPOSIT DUE AT SIGNING. ALL PAYMENTS AND FINANCING IS O.A.C. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN, MISTAKES DO HAPPEN IN PRINT, FORT CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CORRECT SUCH MISTAKES WITHOUT ANY FURTHER LIABILITY. ALL PICTURES ARE FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY AND VEHICLES MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS ILLUSTRATED. ALL VEHICLES WERE AVAILABLE ON DATE OF AD DEADLINE. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS.

A2 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Local News

contents A3 A4 A6 A9 A11 A12 A14 B1 B9 B10 B13 B14

News Fort St. John Votes Opinion Business Court Docket Fort St. John Votes Taylor Votes Sports Community School District 60 Votes Faith Classifieds

stars support ConocoPhillips Canada made a $180,000 donation to STARS on Oct. 11, 2018, pushing its contributions to the emergency air ambulance service to more than $3 million since 1989. ConocoPhillips Canada President Kirk Johnson presented a ceremonial cheque to STARS President and CEO Andrea Robertson in Fort St. John.

this week’s flyers Jysk Rona Mark’s No Frills Safeway Walmart Husqvarna Peavy Mart Canadian Tire Save-On Foods Home Hardware Shoppers Drug Mart

A STARS helicopter was on site of the announcement. Prior to the announcement, both organizations hosted a safety training opportunity for local ConocoPhillips employees, as well as stakeholders and local first responders to support community safety. SARAH MURDOCH/MODERNPHOTOGRAPHY photo

Don’t take your squirrel on a plane

GAS WATCH KNOWBEFOREYOUGO Prevailing Prices Dawson Creek

128.9

RAKE REPORT: Welcome to our weekly news chewing session. I think of the news as just another universal rake hiding in the leaf pile of the cosmos, waiting for me to step on it, and whack myself in the face of life. A study shows leaf raking can be dangerous. According to a news item, dozens of Canadians are injured every day this time of year while raking leaves. Play it safe. Use a flamethrower to burn the leaves while they are still on the tree.

145.9

Fort St. John

METRIC MEMO: Last week was Metric Week. (Shouldn’t Metric Week last 10 days?) Alberta-B.C. border 130.0 An American politician said the United States will never convert to the metric sysI think they should at least try it. Give Fort Nelson 145.9 tem. metric a chance. And then, if they like it, t St. John, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Environment they can Canada go the whole nine yards.

doctor who diagnoses them in front of a studio audience. I’m looking forward to the episode where the doctor tells a patient, “You have a deadly, contagious disease,” and the studio audience flees from the building.

Bob Snyder Chews the news

human.” CAR CHAOS: In a survey: 70 per cent of Canadians have no idea how to perform simple car repairs. I’m thinking cars work surprisingly well, if you consider they run on a series of explosions.

MOVIE MEMO: Last week’s big movie in Peace Country theatres was Venom. It was the #1 movie across North America, even though the critics gave it very poor reviews. A movie critic is like a guy who knows 50 ways to cook a steak, but he’s a vegetarian.

HALLOWEEN HA HA: Halloween is rapidly approaching. It’s a time of year that HUBBLE TROUBLE: NASA is having brings back painful memories for me. I was problems with the Hubble Space Tele- an ugly child. Other kids went out at Halhttps://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-78_metric_e.html scope. The main gyroscope has failed. loween looking like me. And according to a Groundbirch 128.9 Until they can fix it the Hubble Telescope survey reported on CBC, 51% of Canadian PARTICULARLY POLITICAL: It’s elec- will be aimed at Earth. So, you may want to dog and cat owners plan to dress their pets tion season in Fort St. John. Canada sure close your blinds. I remember a few years in costumes at Halloween. Just a timely reChetwynd N/A has a lot of politicians. We have muni- ago, when NASA announced the Hubble minder here: It is downright cruel to dress cipal politicians. We have regional politi- was out of focus. Then they discovered the a dog as a cat. But cats like to dress as dogs. Tumbler Ridge 141.9 cians. We have provincial politicians. We universe is actually fuzzy. That’s because cats are evil. By the way: Home  Environment and naturalhave resources Weather information Weather  Local forecasts  British Columbia federalpoliticians. If you tookall the My goldfish has a Halloween costume. He politicians in Canada and placed them in a DRUG DETAIL: A report published last wears a little clip-on shark fin. Prince George 129.9 big pile, you would be in trouble, because week says high levels of legal and illegal there’s probably a stupid law against pla- drugs are being flushed into the sea, turnHAIRCUT HAHA: Anthony Mancinelli Hythe 137.8 cing politicians in a big pile. ing the world’s oceans into a “drug soup.” of New York made headlines last week on Observed at: Fort St. John Airport AM MST Tuesday 16 October 2018 Current Conditions Finally, an11:00 explanation for SpongeBob his 107th birthday. He claims to be the t Nelson, BC 7 Day Forecast Environment Canada https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-83_metric_e.html Grande Prairie WHY FLY: Last week at the airport in Squarepants. world’s oldest barber. He cuts hair full 129.5 Orlando, a woman from a Condition: Mostly Cloudy was removed Temperature: 14.7°C Wind: SSW 18 gust 32 time, five days a week. Yes, at age 107. I’m plane102.3 before takeoff. Also removed Dew frompoint:WHAT’S news story is not sure I want a 107-year-old barber cutkPa -5.8°C UP, DOC?: (Thiskm/h Calgary 121.5 Pressure: the plane: The woman’s “emotional sup- a sign of the sick world we live in. I had ting my hair. But hey, so what if he snips off Tendency: Rising Humidity: 24% Visibility: 64 km port squirrel.” In the world we live in, I’m to check twice to make sure it’s true. It is) my ear? I can keep my glasses in place with Edmonton 119.0 kind of surprised the woman didn’t claim Coming soon to TV: A new show called duct tape stuck to the side of my head. she was the squirrel’s “emotional support M.D. Live. Sick people are examined by a Home  Environment and natural resources  Weather information  Weather  Local forecasts  British Columbia

Fort St. John, BC

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WEATHER & ROAD REPORT

CAD$ per litre, prices as of October 16. Source: GasBuddy.com

Forecast Current Conditions Tue 16 Oct

Forecast issued: 11:00 AM MST Tuesday 16 October 2018 ST.Nelson JOHN Airport 11:00 AM MST Tuesday 16 October 2018 Observed FORT at: Fort

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2018-10-16, 11:07 a.m.

THURSDAY, october 18, 2018 Vol. 75, No. 42

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

$1.50 inc. gst.

alaskahighwaynews.ca

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

new pipe pitched to kitimat

trackers on a winning streak

northeast literacy boosted

business A9

sports b1

community b9

Vote on Wednesday, vote on Saturday

matt preprost photo

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth reviews an aerial map of Old Fort, Oct. 10, 2018.

Old Fort landslide a ‘complex situation’ matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Twenty-six Old Fort residents returned to their homes on Monday to gather belongings and prepare their homes for winter after a landslide forced them to evacuate during the Thanksgiving weekend. The Peace River Regional District has been given the OK from geotechnical experts to let residents back in on a temporary basis, however, all evacuation orders and alerts remain in place. “They feel it’s safe to enact these temporary permits at this time,” said Shawn Dahlen, acting chief administrative officer for the regional district. “There’s still a lot of information to be gathered about this slide and we continue to do so.” The landslide began Sept. 30 and forced an evacuation order on Oct. 7. There are 54 homes affected, and residents are being allowed in by zone. The re-entry is being led by Aaron Pritchard of R&R Rentals, who has been named project manager for the efforts. The plan is to get residents and plumbers in to 10 properties per day, and D. Bauer Mechanical will be helping residents winterize their homes, Pritchard said. Residents remain in a holding pattern as there’s still no timeline on when they’ll be able to fully return home. They continue to be supported through emergency support services, the Red Cross, and the Provincial Health Services Authority.

FSJ OCT 20, 2018 R VOTES

Big slide The main landslide has triggered another historical landslide next to it under the Peace River viewpoint. Combined, the two slides have grown to eight million cubic metres covering 39 hectares, or roughly 72 football fields.

To put that into perspective, BC Hydro contractors have so far cleared that much material from the north bank of the Peace River at the Site C dam site just upstream of Old Fort. Engineering geologist Rhonda Mellafont said the speed of main landslide has slowed down, but that doesn’t mean things won’t once again speed up. Air and laser light surveys continue to be taken of the slide, and the slowed movement will allow geologists to get on the ground this week to do further investigation. “It’s a promising sign in the meantime,” Mellafont said. Geologists were on the ground Oct. 15 and 16 to monitor slide activity and will provide an update as soon as possible. “We recognize that this is information we are all waiting for, however, the technologists do need time to do their work,” the regional district said. An expert panel is being convened this week to make further determinations about the landslide and response efforts, and to determine when exactly residents will be able to safely return and stay home. Minister visits Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth was here Oct. 10 to meet with officials and tour the landslide area by helicopter. The slide has proven to be a complex situation to respond to, he said. Plans are being developed for the medium and long-term, and a worst-case scenario is being assessed. “Critical to that is understanding the actual nature of this slide. If it stops moving and it’s determined it’s stable, that will allow you to say here’s a realistic timeline (to return),” Farnworth said. “Until that’s done, it’s very difficult to give a definitive answer.”

While emergencies such as fires are covered by insurance, landslides are not an insurable event, Farnworth said. A regional manager for Emergency Management BC has been assigned the to landslide and will be stationed in the region. They’re being tasked with understanding the values of affected properties so disaster financial assistance can be determined, Farnworth said. Road access Transportation officials are looking at two options to establish temporary road access back into Old Fort. One is to punch a path over top of the landslide where it destroyed Old Fort Road, the only road in and out of the community. That would take between three to five days to be established. A second option would be to establish road access off the Site C dam site entrance and hop over two islands in the Peace River and into the community. That would take between seven to 10 days to establish. “We can get in and up and over the slide a lot quicker,” said Rodney Hafner, operations manager for Yellowhead Road & Bridge North Peace. “For speed, it’s better of a long term thing if the slide becomes stable.” The slide has pushed into a back channel of the Peace River and encroached on one of the islands in question, which could eliminate it as a road option. More ground work needs to be done before a route is chosen, said Nikki Hogg, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure operation manager for the North Peace. “That’s the key, to get people on the ground to assess those options,” Hogg said. See LANDSLIDE on A10

PAVING 100 Canadian

Residential • Commercial • Industrial Roads • Driveways • Parking Lots

There were 475 voters who turned out to advanced polls in Fort St. John on Oct. 10. City officials say that’s positive news — just 570 voters turned out on both advanced voting days in 2014. The city is desperately trying to shake off the stigma from that year, which saw the city record the lowest turnout at polls across B.C. It was just 15 per cent, and down from 2008, when turnout registered at 23 per cent. The next advanced voting day is scheduled for Oct. 17 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Legion. Election day is Oct. 20, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Legion. There is no need to pre-register to vote as the registration of all electors for this election will take place at the time of voting. You will be required to make a declaration that you meet the following requirements: • 18 years of age or older on general voting day • Canadian citizen • resident of BC for at least 6 months immediately preceding the day of registration (April 19, 2018) • resident of OR registered owner of real property in the City of Fort St. John for at least 30 days immediately preceding the day of registration (September 19, 2018), and • not disqualified under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or otherwise disqualified by law. Resident electors must produce 2 pieces of identification (at least one with a signature). Picture identification is not necessary. The identification must prove both residency and identity. Non-resident property electors must produce 2 pieces of identification (at least one with a signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property, and, if there is more than one owner of the property, written consent from the majority of the property owners. Turn to A4, A5, A12, A13 to learn more about Fort St. John’s city council candidates. Turn to A14 and 15 to learn more about Taylor’s district council candidates. Turn to B10 and B11 to learn more about School District 60 trustee candidates.

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A4 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

fort st. john votes

Some answers have been edited for space. Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses. * denotes incumbent Jim Harris, 51 Manager, Hi-Performance Motor Sports

Gord Klassen, 56 * former pastor and business management consultant

Tony Zabinsky, 57 retired commercial banker

Why did you decide to run for council?

The city needs a fresh set of eyes on its vision for the future. I want to help bring the ideas and concerns from the coffee shops, barbershops, sidewalks and social media to council chambers.

Fort St. John is where I grew up, attended school, got my first job, met and married my lovely wife, Sharon, and this is where we raised our own family. I have always believed that we need to get involved and contribute to the place we call home.

This city has so much potential that is currently not being fully tapped into. Spending over 20+ years in this city, I have a strong understanding as to the amazing opportunities that surrounds this community.

What experience and skills would you bring to council?

I’m a long-time, proud Peace Region resident and have seen this region go through many economic highs and lows. I have run businesses in this city from fast food to oilfield to retail. The experiences of all those gives me a broader outlook of Fort St. John and its citizens.

My work in our schools and churches, our fire department, our public library, FSJ Hospital Foundation, and with our nonprofits, including my role as co-chair of the FSJ Multicultural Society, has allowed me to see this community through various lenses, and has given me an understanding of the value of creating a community that is inclusive and diverse.

I have a strong background in the financial sector in addition to my leadership experience through various organizations and non-profit societies, such as Fort St. John & District Chamber of Commerce, North Peace Seniors Housing Society, Northern Lights College Foundation, and the BC 2020 Winter Games (FSJ).

• Health and safety – appropriate levels of police, fire, ambulance, and healthcare.

Financial Discipline: because we need to ensure that the city has a fiscal responsibility to the citizens in this city as well as businesses. Economic Development: because it creates the potential to bring businesses to the city, stimulate jobs and enrich the community. Municipal Transparency & Community Consultation: because I believe in being open and accountable to the citizens of Fort St. John. I would like us to host more open discussions with the public and businesses.

There has to be more we as a community can do to attract long-term doctors here. Bring more business back to city centre, the current businesses that are in the downtown core What would be your top deserve help in bringing consumers to them three priorities if elected, rather than driving them to the city outskirt to and why? shop. Revisit the city’s vision of the downtown core. I don’t believe that by limiting the flow of traffic through main street and redirecting that traffic to side streets will help.

What programs or services should the city spend more on?

Infrastructure, policing, search and rescue.

• Economic development and diversity – promoting investment while protecting our quality of life and our future sustainability as a community. • Quality of life for residents – providing increased services and amenities while carefully managing our spending. Every year, council and staff take considerable time for strategic planning and priority setting. It is not as simple as saying, let’s spend more or less money on this program or that service. Our plans stretch out over many years, so the considerations and implications of spending priorities need to align with the long-term plan. What we spend more on this year, we may actually spend less on next year.

I believe that the city needs to have a continued focus on our roads. We use them every day and rely on them to be accessible. We need to ensure that roads that are presently gravel get paved and ensure repaving is looked at on some of our worst roads on an economic formula.

What programs or services should the city spend less on?

I can’t think of a single program that doesn’t deserve some of the city’s attention.

Same as above.

I would recommend reduced spending in building and land purchases. There is a cost to maintaining these assets and if there is no formal strategy to develop these properties, they become an added capital expense with no formal revenue stream.

Would you support raising taxes to support council priorities?

Not of fan of raising taxes, I pay taxes as does everyone else. I believe there are grants and revenue-sharing monies out there to be utilized to help pay for city projects rather than putting the strain on the backs of the citizens of Fort St. John.

City staff and council work extremely hard to achieve our strategic priorities without overtaxing our residents. Having said that, the reality is that every road, every trail, every water and sewer line replacement, every park and every playground, costs money. Having been part of those discussions, I can assure you that, if there is a tax increase, you can know that council and staff have consulted with the community and wrestled long and hard with the issue before any changes.

No. Through economic development and consultation I believe we should be able to support city council priorities today and in the future. That being said, while we cannot undo the past, we can learn from it. In previous years we were able to hold our tax mill rate during economic upturns and I feel we are coming into another economic upswing.

The city needs to look inward and see what in can do in the means of a tax break or start up incentives to help attract more outside industry or business to set up shop here longtime.

We need to ensure that the people of Fort St. John and the city are on the same page in order to achieve We must continue to build a community that people and sustainable smart growth. The businesses and businesses want to come to by strategically expanding industries that are in the region are successful, we our facilities and services, our arts, cultural, and sport need to discuss with them why they came here or the opportunities, as well as our parks and gathering places. We vision they had and expand on those success models to must also provide attractive tax rates and address the issues of other industries and businesses. We have to insure we affordable housing and business operational costs. understand the new industry and business model first before we can win them over.

Work with local developers to get them to invest in building retail rental property in the vacant lots in the downtown core.

I have been pleased to work on the Energize Downtown committee, which has formulated a plan, with the input of local residents, businesses, as well as outside experts. The plan addresses this very issue. It is not a simple or quick process. Essentially, I believe the bottom line is that we have to create a place where people want to gather; where they want to live and work and play.

We need to discuss why developers and businesses are not looking at that area presently. The city has its downtown revitalization master plan that I feel we need to revisit and discuss with developers and businesses the pros and cons of it. I know that process takes time and funding but I’m not sure we have a true solution in place.

What’s has been the city’s greatest achievement over the last four years?

Developing an agreement with Site C to ensure that Fort St. John benefited in some way from having a megaproject being built in our backyard.

We have seen incredible enhancements to our community, including our new fire hall, skateboard park and spray park, along with a new community gym, in partnership with our school district. We have cleaned up our downtown, paved more streets, constructed new sidewalks, and expanded our trail system. We have new housing developments and have extended our boundaries, and we have increased funding to our non-profits.

The Peace River Agreement, which was signed May 29, 2015. When you review the city’s revenue budget, this agreement represented 29.7% of their $87.2M revenue. These funds have been used on road work projects, water and sewer maintenance, park maintenance & building replacements. Without these funds, our taxes would have had a dramatic jump.

What’s has been the city’s greatest failure over the last four years?

The mishandling of the purchase of the Condill Hotel. The mishandling of the contract to tear down the Condill. A lot of mistakes were made, mistakes that had this city throwing money out the window that could have been used elsewhere.

We haven’t communicated enough of our progress, our initiatives, our successes, and our good news stories to our residents. There is so much good happening, and so many times we hear from those outside our region about the reputation we have or the acknowledgements and accolades we have received, and yet our own community is not aware of it.

N ot deepening their relationship and leveraging ability with BC Hydro over Site C dam in terms of compensation. Being right in our back yard, Fort St. John received little compensation from B.C. Hydro during the Site C negotiations and construction.

LNG.

Our residents. From the experience of our seniors, to the vision and dreams of our students, to the creativity and ingenuity of our local businesses, to the contributions of our many organizations and non-profits, to the diversity we see in our new residents (and some not so new), to the strengthened relationships with the indigenous communities in our region.

The biggest opportunity facing the city over the next four years would be the development of LNG in the Peace Region. With the recent final investment decision (FID) by LNG Canada, the opportunity for the city and region will not only be for four years, but rather for a legacy of 40+ years.

Keeping property taxes down while improving the city’s infrastructure.

Our city (along with many other cities) will continue to be faced with the challenge of aging infrastructure. Our water and sewer lines continue to age, along with many of our roads, and all of this infrastructure needs replacing over time – some sooner than later.

Adapting to the industry once the industry moves forward. Ensuring that we have the resources available to attract and retain professionals in this community will be a challenge and that will only come by a sustained proactive marketing initiative to do so.

What should the city do to attract new industry and business?

What should the city do to stimulate downtown investment?

What’s the biggest opportunity facing the city over the next four years?

What’s the toughest challenge facing the city over the next four years?

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A5

FORT ST. JOHN VOTES

Some answers have been edited for space. Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses. * denotes incumbent Becky Grimsrud, 35 helicopter pilot

Bruce Christensen, 69 * retired businessman

Why did you decide to run for council?

I’ve always loved following politics and being involved in my community. I decided to run in order to be more involved as well as being able to more easily share ideas with the rest of council and bring other perspectives to the table.

What experience and skills would you bring to council?

As a helicopter pilot, I often fly corporate VIPs, workers, government officials, and a wide variety of other people. This makes it easy to have my finger on the pulse of what is going on Business and board experience. My time on council, and I am within our community. Having a new perspective easily approachable. on council will only serve to strengthen the decisions made by having more debate and discussion.

To give back to the community and hopefully be a voice for the people.

• To continue to provide first class services for the residents. Hearing and voicing concerns of all residents. My top three priorities would be to take a critical look at policies which could lend What would be your top themselves to cost overruns, concentrate three priorities if elected, on fixing and improving basic roads and and why? services, and improving consultation and public awareness of city matters.

• To work towards making Fort St. John a safe and desirable community, for residents and non residents. • Continue to promote Fort St. John on a regional and provincial scale, as well as national level to attract entrepreneurs and professionals to Fort St. John and area through involvement on various regional, provincial and national committees and programs, which promotes Fort St. John.

Larry Evans, 68 * retired fire chief I feel with my experience, with all aspects of my life, I have a lot to offer to the City of Fort St. John and its residents. I would like to see the city progress in a fair and sustainable manner, and I believe I could help this happen. My 31 years with the Fort St. John Fire Department and the past years on council have given me a valuable insight on the needs and wants of the community. I use this experience when making decisions affecting the people of Fort St. John. This has also helped me become an excellent tour guide, asked frequently to tour professionals considering a move to Fort St. John, this also makes me an excellent ambassador for the city that I love so much. • Maintain a low and fair tax rate for citizens and businesses of Fort St. John. • To make sure that everything we do is fair and equitable to all concerned, and to maintain the transparency that we’ve achieved in all our decisions. • Promote Fort St. John as the vibrant and energetic city to attract more people and businesses.

What programs or services should the city spend more on?

I’d like to see more support for our non-profit sector, arts and culture, roads, and aging infrastructure. These are the basics that hold our community together, and we need to concentrate on getting them up to a certain standard before getting too far into expensive new projects.

What programs or services should the city spend less on?

We need to spend less on cost overruns. If we could tighten up our bidding process and cut down spending on unnecessary expenses, it would leave a bit more flexibility with the budget.

Would you support raising taxes to support council priorities?

No. We are very fortunate in that we have a large budget and can afford a lot of fantastic things within our community. There is no need to I would support raising taxes as a way to provide a new or raise taxes unless there are significant changes better service. with what we receive from the Peace River Agreement or other major income sources.

Only if it was done by proper consultation with the citizens and businesses of Fort St. John and whatever the priority was that was needed. I do not believe in raising taxes unless it was absolutely necessary and all avenues have been explored.

What should the city do to attract new industry and business?

Businesses need to see the facts and figures that their investment in our community is going to be safe in order to invest. We need to show them statistics proving our city a viable option from an investment standpoint.

Fort St John needs to continue to promote itself better. Be more visible. Sell itself.

When I do my tours for different people, such as physicians, teachers, or anybody, I am constantly amazed at how much the city has to offer. While this is being promoted quite well within the city, I think we should reach out and tell the rest of the world what there is in Fort St. John. We can do this through economic development.

What should the city do to stimulate downtown investment?

Let’s look at why so many businesses are building outside of city limits, and see what we can do to encourage them to operate in town instead. Are we charging too much for business taxes, or is it the obstacles with building permits and zoning that are discouraging business in town?

I believe the city needs buy-in from local business and residents. This will only be possible through much consultation. Listen to the residents and businesses in the area.

Reach out to contractors, developers and explain to them our downtown revitalization master plan. We would show what is available within the city core for building sites, and how they might contribute to it in the way of opening businesses and provide residential units. To truly revitalize downtown we need people working and living there.

If and when possible, roads. As well, when there is a program or a service being provided by a local community group or organization which benefits the citizens, continue to support at the current level or increase. Services for seniors, youth and everyone in general, especially accessibility.

Infrastructure, ie. roads, sidewalks, street lights, water and sewer. Also, economic development.

All programs and services are valuable.

I don’t believe we should spend less on services now in place, because these make up an integral part of the fabric that holds the City of Fort St. John together and makes it the energetic city that it is.

What’s has been the city’s greatest achievement over the last four years?

Receiving the ranking of Number 1 best city to live in B.C. Also, city staff consistently do a great job of keeping our community operations running smoothly and responding to feedback from the residents.

Stimulation of growth, both in housing and commercial. The paving of almost all the roads, and the creation of the many walking path’s which not only provides better access, but contributes to a healthier community. Our recycling program. Keeping an “environmental eye” on development.

We have kept taxes as low as possible and have provided land for two new schools at fair market value. We have a micro-hydro project to offset the cost of pumping our water up from river level. We have refined recycling and refuge pick-up and boundary expansions to allow for growth of residential and industrial areas. We have been preparing the downtown core by way of demolition of old structures in preparation for new development.

What’s has been the city’s greatest failure over the last four years?

I have my opinions on this, but hindsight is always 20/20. Let’s just say that I would use issues in the past as learning experiences and work to ensure they are rectified in the future.

Although healthcare is a provincial responsibility, we have failed or at least not been as successful as we need to be, to attract more doctors and professional medical staff to the region. There is also a lack or shortage of teachers in the region. We need a recruitment program. We also need to attempt to make sure of local hiring practices.

In my opinion, there have been no failures as we strived to be successful with everything we did. The only issue is more consultation with the public with some decisions made.

What’s the biggest opportunity facing the city over the next four years?

With the recent final investment decision on LNG Canada, we are going to have a rapid increase in residents and workers in our city. Opportunities include the ability to build and develop more lasting programs, services, and infrastructure while we have additional dollars rolling in.

With the recent announcement of the LNG Canada project, I believe the City of Fort St. John With the construction of Site C will come personal and business will experience faster growth. This would be our opportunities which could provide substantial dollars which opportunity to bring more businesses and residents could be used to provide needed programs, and fund existing to Fort St. John. This could bring more shops and programs. services slowing the flow of “out of town” shopping and encouraging more local shopping.

What’s the toughest challenge facing the city over the next four years?

Also with the approval of LNG Canada come a lot of challenges. We will see a spike in housing costs, leading to more demand for social assistance from non-profits such as the Women’s Resource Society and Salvation Army. Seniors will also be affected, and should have additional budget allocated to ensure those who have contributed to our community for so many years are not left out of our industry boom.

To manage the growth which is expected when the final investment decisions are made concerning LNG.

Maintaining and growing our infrastructure and services to meet the demand of all businesses and residents in Fort St. John. Encouraging Northern Health to continue lobbying to fill physicians, nurses and other medical professional spaces in the North Peace area, meeting the demand of the rising population. Also, helping the non-profit organizations, however we can, to meet the demand for their services.

A6 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Opinion

Published every Thursday at 9916 - 98th Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 3T8 by Glacier Media Tel: 250-785-5631 Fax: 250-785-3522 Online at alaskahighwaynews.ca

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Get to the polls and vote on October 20

ongratulations, Fort St. John. A full crowd came out for the October 2 All Candidates Forum. On stage there were 12 people running for a position in the Fort St. John city council. I want to congratulate each of the candidates for a job well done. I was impressed at numerous levels. Mayor Lori Ackerman asked a great question of the candidates. Her question really highlighted the level of experience as well as successes many of the existing candidates have established. We should be proud of the existing councils’ accomplishments. Some of the best entrepreneurial advice I was ever given was plan your exit strategy when you start up. Have a succession plan in place that includes empowerment, mentorship, and support. Bring diversity to your organization. Invite new people and challenging ideas and conversations to your organization to keep things fresh and in alignment with changing needs. Train your replacement with the hopes that they will be ten times bet-

Edwina Nearhood LIFE AT GROUND ZERO

ter than you. There was discussion at the All Candidates Forum that touched on need for better supports for the not for profits of our community. There was discussion in the evening that also indicated a community desire for better transparency and discussion. Speaking with some of the candidate’s offline, opinions were expressed around public consultation. I heard one conversation that suggested that the citizens did not want to be offered a baked cake to decorate, they wanted to go to the store with the budget together to decide what to make. It may be a turkey dinner they were looking for. It’s up to you the citizens of Fort St. John to decide what the diversity of our next four-year term of city council will look like. I saw several examples

of leadership up on the stage at the Lido Theatre. Some of them have held past positions on council and some were new faces. The voice of experience will always be much more polished then a fresh perspective. There is room on our council for members that have very good regional, provincial, and national connections. It’s not necessary for each member to have that type of representation. There definitely should be room on council for a member with lived experience, representing not for profits, seniors, and the real people of Fort St. John. The existing council members do have their followers – as they should. This is an opportunity for the people of Fort St. John to come out and become involved and vote diversity. Diversity that considers fresh eyes to train for our future. If you want to bring some new people on council, consider carefully how you will vote to make your vote count. The job of mayor and council is a job of service. It’s a deeply humbling job to be an elected

official. At this moment in time, I believe our mayor and council are underpaid for what they do. Anyone who puts their foot forward to do service work should be thanked with deep gratitude. They should also be held accountable with a reminder they are in a position of trust before they are in a position of power. I invite you, the residents of Fort St. John to choose well to make sure there is continuity, experience, diversity and fresh insight on your ballot on October 20, 2018. Edwina Nearhood is a lifelong resident of Fort St. John, with 30 years experience in the appraisal industry. KEY DATES FOR VOTERS: Oct. 17 — Advance voting, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Legion Oct. 20 — General voting; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Legion Read more election coverage by visiting alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections

Smoking a joint and watching the sunset

y the time you read this, cannabis will be legal in Canada. Heck! You might be reading this while the dude next to you on the park bench lights up and fills your airspace with a cloud of skunky smelling smoke. Hey! It’s OK – it’s a designated smoking area. Like it or not, in most municipalities in Canada, that same dude will be perfectly within his or her rights to consume cannabis alongside others who light up their run of the mill, cancer-causing, emphysema-triggering traditional cigarette. No, Plain Jane cigarettes are not without their own health risks and in a world where the habit has become increasingly frowned upon, I can only wonder how cannabis will be tolerated. I’m still shaking my head about the entire situation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an uptight — OK, maybe I am uptight, I will use a different word — I’m not an unreasonable person, and I completely understand and respect the benefits of cannabis as a medicinal therapy. What I don’t get is how the legalization has been rolled out.

Judy Kucharuk THE DESK OF THE GREEN-EYED GIRL

You can’t walk down the street with a beer in your hand, so how can you smoke cannabis while walking down that same street? Why isn’t cannabis treated like a controlled substance in the same way that alcohol consumption is treated? So much to try and understand. It makes my head hurt. There are different means of consuming the product: vaping is one way to avoid creating a plume of intoxicating air, but how many will actually vape? Edibles are not legal yet but, then again, how do you even know that someone has consumed an edible? Am I overthinking this? Perhaps legalization will be like a dog I once owned: a lot of loud yapping, but nothing of any real consequence will happen.

HaveYOUR

Cannabis will be legal, but methinks the societal judgment surrounding the drug will still make consumption of the substance something that is done behind closed doors. Can you imagine Bill and Karen who live next door sitting on their front step smoking a joint as they watch the autumn sunset? Can you imagine seeing them from your living room window, giving them a wave and then returning to your couch to finish watching the Deadliest Catch? No, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that you would be shocked to see Bill and Karen and would judge them accordingly: Bill is a teacher! Karen is a pharmacist! How can they do that! I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, which is how I feel like this entire legalization process has been implemented: let’s just wait and see what happens. Judy Kucharuk is a lover of sarcasm, witty people and footnotes. Follow her @ judylaine

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.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A7

FORT MOTORS

OP-ED

e t i h W Out

SALE

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

Children pass the time on their bikes and scooters in Old Fort, Oct. 6, 2018.

Here’s to hoping life for Old Fort You can have any color you residents returns to normal soon want... as long as its WHITE

ur hearts, like many of yours, are with the residents of the Old Fort who have been impacted by the recent landslide. While the landslide seems to have slowed down, it has taken out the power lines and the only road leading in and out of the area. Most have been without power for more than a week with freezing temperatures, meaning all appliances including furnaces haven’t been working while fridges and freezers are unthawing, making life very difficult. It’s one thing to see the landslide in pictures or to fly over it in the air by helicopter; it’s another to see it up close and to see the stress on the faces of people who are worried about their homes and livelihoods. After meeting with some of you residents, we knew we had to do something. The response we received was overwhelming. With only a few hours given to us to be in the area by the RCMP, we were able to help get an 81-year-old man and his pet terrier out of the area, as well as many other pets, valuables, firearms, carpenters tools, numerous suitcases, plants and even one kitchen sink. This could not have been done without the help of nine river boats and 10 helicopter trips, not to mention the countless vehicles and willing hands to help load and unload. I especially want to thank the crews at Bailey Helicopters Ltd and D. Bauer Mechanical for sending six guys down with equipment and anti-freeze donated from Northern Metalic Sales to winterize 30 homes. I also want to thank all the volunteers who showed up and made the effort possible. The tears and heartfelt thanks of residents once we had them and some of their prized possessions out of harms way said it all. It is times like these that really show what the North Peace is all about. Everyone cares about their neighbours and friends and we are always there for one another. I can’t say enough about

2014 Ford Escape SE

Bob Zimmer

6,220 km WHITE- 12 4 Stk. Q1824

$26,900

MP REPORT

0 0 ,9 6 1 $ W O N

how proud I am of our community. There has also been some much needed good news. The Peace River Regional District has been given the OK to grant residents temporary re-entry to their homes to gather some belongings and get their homes ready for winter. It is important to note, however, that evacuation orders and alerts remain in place. I have been meeting regularly with the Peace River Regional District and I want to assure residents that there is a plan to get you back into your homes and for life to return to normal as quickly as possible. This includes plans to restore power and road access. All of it hinges on the evacuation order being lifted or changed to an evacuation alert. I have been blown away by the number of people who have come forward willing to volunteer their time and expertise to help Old Fort residents as soon as they are given the word that it is safe to do so. Jeff Garrison has been asked by the Emergency Operations Centre to help organize volunteers who want to help Old Fort residents and I will continue to offer my support with these efforts. I am also working at the federal level to see what can be done in terms of longterm housing for displaced residents. If you would like to help or know of any housing or storage facilities available please call my office at 1-250787-1194 or email Bob.Zimmer.C1A@ parl.gc.ca. Be safe out there folks.

2014 Ford ium n a t i T e p a c s E ,422 km WHITE- 47 0 Stk. Q2520

$26,900 0 0 ,9 3 2 $ W O N 2014 Ford Escape SE

,218 km WHITE- 51 9 Stk. Q6876

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Bob Zimmer is the Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.

2013 Ford RT O P S L E S E G D E

Old Fort landslide changes everything

othing changes the role of an elected representative faster than a catastrophic event like the Old Fort landslide. All of a sudden your first priority is the safety of the people involved and what can be done in the first few hours following an event. Once personal safety is secured, the first thing people need is information. This can be quite frustrating because in the time it takes for authorities to get people on the ground and assessing the situation, those facing separation from their home or business face the agony of waiting anxiously for answers. And who can blame someone for being in distress after being abruptly told you can’t return home or must be evacuated immediately? The response by the community does however restore your faith in the fact that there are perfect strangers out there who are willing to give so much just because someone is need. In the last few days many have stepped up to help Old Fort residents even the smallest task. All of these efforts can make a big difference. Volunteers are still very much needed and if you have any time to give, there are all sorts of things that can be done. There is still much to sort out as the situation continues to evolve. Only

4,151km WHITE- 10 k. Q51578 St g Pk p Sport Ap

$26,900 NOW $19,900

Dan Davies

0 2015 Ford F15 m u Crew Platin

MLA REPORT

now are residents being given their first opportunity to return home briefly to retrieve essentials and do some preparations for winter. It would be impossible to name everyone who deserves our heartfelt thanks for putting in long hours under challenging conditions. The response by the Peace River Regional District has been tremendous, especially the people at the Emergency Operations Centre. Emergency BC and all the staff and volunteers with Emergency Social Services are also to be thanked for their generous support. Finally I would like to recognize public safety minister Mike Farnworth for making himself immediately available and personally travelling to the scene. There comes a time when MLAs have to put their difference aside and make people – rather than politics – their top priority. Dan Davies is MLA for Peace River North.

,874 km WHITE- 17 7 Stk. Q1294

$26,900 0 0 ,9 0 5 $ W O N

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A8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Local News

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A9

Business

“Our plan is to strategically hit these employers and put on some pressure to get them back to the table.” — Brian O’Rourke, United Steelworkers Local 1-2017, A16

B.C. earns $2.1M at October land sale matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Industry paid more than $2 million for eight leases and five drilling licences at B.C.’s sale of petroleum and natural gas rights last week. The province sold a total of 8,200 hectares for an average price of $254.88 at the Oct. 10 sale. Of that, five drilling licences covering 5,503 hectares sold at an average price of $266.97. Contiguous Resources Ltd. paid the land sale high for a licence, $779,724 for a 1,029-hectare parcel containing two tracts in the Flatrock area. BASM Land & Resources Ltd. paid $440,820 for a licence on a 779-hectare parcel containing two tracts in the Flatrock area. Buffalo Hill Resources Ltd. paid $212,125 for a licence on a 3,167-hectare parcel containing three tracts near Halfway River First Nation.

Cougar Creek Land Ltd. paid $36,450 for two licences, each covering 264 hectares in the Wonowon area. The province sold eight leases covering 2,697 hectares at an average price of $230.21. Primavera Resources Corp. paid $15,600 for four 260-hectare leases in the Charlie Lake area south of the Alaska Highway. Basm Land and Resources Ltd. paid $15,540 for a 259-hectare lease in Montney. Cougar Creek Land paid $150,855 for a 280-hectare lease. Storm Resources paid $352,380 for one 839-hectare lease, and $86,490 for another 279-hectare lease. With rent and other fees, the province took in $2.1 million for October. The province has collected around $62.5 million at land sales so far in 2018. The next sale is Nov. 14.

Nauticol Energy plans $2-billion methanol facility in Grande Prairie matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Nauticol Energy says it plans build a $2-billion methanol manufacturing facility in Grande Prarie starting in 2019. President and CEO Mark Tonner made the announcement at Centre 2000, the tourism and trade facility for the Grande Prairie region, according to a news release Oct. 9. “Nauticol is committed to building value-add industry in the Grande Prairie region. This leading-edge facility will create 75,000 people years of employment and adds value to Alberta’s abundant natural gas supply,” Tonner said in a statement. “This is a made-in-Alberta/madefor-Albertans project that will add tremendous economic, environmental and societal benefits both here and around the world.” The project would source natural gas from Alberta to produce up to three million metric tonnes of methanol a

year, for use as automotive and marine fuel, or for use in electronics and construction materials, solvents and petrochemicals. Most of the methanol will be shipped to Asian markets, which make up 70 per cent of global demand, according to the release. The project is being built next to the International Paper Canada pulp mill, and construction is expected to create 1,000 jobs, with 200 permanent jobs once complete. Nauticol says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Western Cree Tribal Council to be equity participants in the project. The project still needs to secure regulatory permits, though Nauticol plans to start construction in 2019. PCL Construction is leading the construction, and will build the facility modules in Alberta and transport them to the Grande Prairie site, located about 10 kilometres south of the city in the County of Grande Prairie.

Donation gives spark to Dress for Success Jennifer Moore, conference chair of the Spark Women’s Leadership Society, presented Amanda Trotter, executive director of the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society, with a $2,500 cheque on Oct. 11. The funds will support the society’s Dress for Success program, which provides support and clothing for women getting back into the workforce. “We value the important work the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Centre does for those in our community who are less fortunate,” Moore said in a release. “They have a tough job on the front line with some of community’s most

vulnerable citizens. It has been our great pleasure to make an annual donation every year for five years as a legacy of our conference.” The need for donations, non-perishable food items, clothing, and volunteers at the Women’s Resource Society continues to grow. “The Fort St John Women’s Society is proud of our five-year association with Spark Women’s Leadership Conference,” Trotter said. Spark made the donation in lieu of speaker gifts at its fifth annual professional development conference in May.

CITY BEAT

Updates from October 9, 2018 Council Mee�ngs PROCLAMATIONS •

The week of October 7-13, 2018 was proclaimed as “Natural Gas Week” in the City of Fort St. John. The proclama�on is to recognize the valuable and essen�al contribu�on the natural gas and oil industry make to the economy and people of Bri�sh Columbia. The proclama�on also serves to recognize the importance of natural gas and oil and the role technology plays in keeping industry compe��ve, while maintaining a solid commitment to environmentally responsible development.

•

October 24, 2018 was proclaimed as “World Polio Day” in the City of Fort St. John. The intent of the proclama�on is to raise awareness of the eﬀorts to eradicate polio and achieve the goal of a poliofree world.

WORLD U-17 HOCKEY LEGACY FUND PRESENTATIONS The World Under – 17 Hockey Challenge generated a considerable legacy for host communi�es including some fantas�c minor hockey development opportuni�es. In addi�on to these opportuni�es the following ﬁve local organiza�ons were presented with Legacy Funding at the Regular Council mee�ng with the total being over $30,000: •

North Peace Senior Housing Associa�on - $10,923.55

•

North Peace Eagles Female Hockey Club - $4,855.00

•

Fort St. John Junior ‘B’ Hockey Club - $4,855.00

•

Fort St. John Minor Hockey - $4,855.00

RCMP SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT At the Commi�ee of the Whole mee�ng, RCMP provided a report to Council outlining informa�on and sta�s�cs collected from the first half of 2018. The presenta�on included informa�on related to the current detachment complement of officers and support staff, current vacancy pa�erns in the detachment, calls for service, and informa�on on criminal code files.

PNG pitches new pipe to Kitimat Pacific Northern Gas is planning an expansion of an existing natural gas pipeline that runs from Summit Lake, north of Prince George to Kitimat, if it can get producers in Northeast B.C. to sign up for capacity on the new line. Pacific Northern Gas, a subsidiary of AltaGas Ltd., already owns a natural gas pipeline that runs from Summit Lake to Kitimat, serving residential, business and industrial customers along the route. On October 10 the company issued a call for expressions of interest from natural gas producers in region to take additional capacity on a new 525-kilometre line it proposes to build. Brock John, a company spokesman, said there is an existing compressor system in Kitimat and Prince Rupert that was “mothballed” and which could be reactivated, if the company gets enough interest from producers. The company would consider twinning parts of the existing line in a looping project called the Pipeline Looping Project (PLP). “With the addition of the PLP, PNG will expand on its unique position in offering natural gas transportation service to multiple industrial projects along British Columbia’s west coast, serving international markets and facilitating

submitted photo

economic growth in the region,” the company said in an online posting. The company will be accepting expressions of interest up until October 26. The LNG Canada project in Kitimat will be sourcing its natural gas from the new Coastal GasLink pipeline, which TransCanada Corp. plans to build at a cost $6.2 billion. But there may be other natural gasbased industrial projects that could be developed in Kitimat and Prince Rupert that may need an additional source of natural gas, John said. “There’s a number of different projects that are possible at this point, and that’s really what the expression of interest is trying to explore – who they are, what kind of volumes they are and the time frames of when they would require it.” AltaGas – Pacific Northern Gas’s parent company – is building a new propane export terminal in Prince Rupert. Royal Vopak N.V., a Dutch company, is also considering Ridley Island in Prince Rupert for a new bulk terminal for natural gas liquids, diesel, methanol and other liquids.

TOURISM FORT ST. JOHN BOARD AND MEMBERSHIP Council approved the recommenda�on from Tourism Fort St. John to appoint new members to the board. In addi�on Council adopted the Tourism Fort St. John Board Development Plan which will include the next steps of the board and the future crea�on on the Tourism Plan. OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN AMMENDMENT FOR PARKWOOD A public hearing was held for Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 2440, 2018. The intent of the bylaw is to create a new Development Permit Area which will provide the founda�on for the Parkwood Southlands to allow a mixture of commercial, ins�tu�onal, park and residen�al uses. At the Regular mee�ng the Official Community Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 2440, 2018 was read for the third �me and adopted by �tle only. ZONING AMENDMENT BYLAW NO. 2444, 2018 (CANNABIS PRODUCTION FACILITIES) A public hearing was held for Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2444, 2018 (Cannabis Produc�on Facili�es). The intent of the bylaw is to align the City’s Zoning Bylaw with Agricultural Land Reserve Regula�ons with regard to cannabis produc�on facili�es. At the Regular mee�ng the Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 2444, 2018 was read for the third �me and adopted by �tle only. LANE CLOSURE AND REMOVAL OF HIGHWAY DEDICATION BYLAW A public mee�ng was held for Lane Closure and Removal of Highway Dedica�on Bylaw No. 2442, 2018. The intent of the bylaw is for lot amalgama�on to allow fire training grounds for the Fort St. John Fire Department to be constructed on this site. In the Regular Council mee�ng Lane Closure and Removal of Highway Dedica�on Bylaw No. 2442, 2018 was adopted by �tle only.

UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETINGS A Regular Council mee�ng is scheduled for Monday October 22, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. All mee�ngs will be held in City Hall Council Chambers and the public is welcome to a�end.

www.fortstjohn.ca

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A10 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Local News landslide from a3

Restoring power Power to the community was completely severed on Oct. 6, before the community was ordered to evacuate. Ed Shuster, BC Hydro’s district manager in Fort St. John, said the utility’s engineers and designers are working on a plan to restore power. A full plan will be developed once crews are allowed to access the area and start surveying. That go-ahead will be given by the regional district. “It’ll be a big job,” Shuster said.

Old Fort landslide, Oct. 6, 2018. To see more photos of the landslide along with geologist data from aerial and LiDAR surveys, and to stay up-to-date on what’s happening with the emergency response, visit alaskahighwaynews.ca/old-fort-landslide WESTREK GEOTECHNICAL SERVICES

City of Fort St. John No�ces and Public Info

Eager to return home The regional district says a maximum of two people per residence will be allowed into their home and they may bring out one suitcase, one carry-on and one tote or box for each person verified to live in the home before they’re transported out by boat. Only those who are 19 and over will be granted temporary access permits, the district says. Gord Pardy says his wife and one of their four daughters will be returning to their home to get some items while he starts a new job this week. He says residents heard at the meeting that groups of 30 people at a time would be allowed to return home. He says some residents think there’s too much caution keeping people out of their homes at this point. “Nobody will take responsibility and say we’re good to go,” he says. Pardy says his family has been staying in Fort St. John after being forced to leave their home of 25 years. “Myself, my wife, my 12-yearold daughter, my two dogs and our bird are all living in a hotel room. It doesn’t even have a kitchenette.”

Permissive Tax Exemp�on No�ﬁca�on

In accordance with Sec�on 227 of the Community Charter, no�ce is hereby given that the following proper�es including improvements will be receiving 100% permissive tax exemp�on status (unless another percentage is indicated) for the 2019 taxa�on year: Class

Roll #

Owner

Civic Address

Total Assessment

2019 Es�mated Permissive Tax Exemp�ons

2020 Es�mated Permissive Tax Exemp�ons

2021 Es�mated Permissive Tax Exemp�ons

3825.013 Roman Catholic Episcopal Corpora�on of Prince Rupert

9504 - 100 Avenue

197,300

1,665.92

3825.013 Roman Catholic Episcopal Corpora�on of Prince Rupert

9504 - 100 Avenue

1,423,000

31,571.10

3825.013 Roman Catholic Episcopal Corpora�on of Prince Rupert

9504 - 100 Avenue

4,025,300

57,750.98

481.000 Fort St. John Chris�an and Missionary Alliance

9804 - 99 Avenue

127,000

2,817.66

482.000 Fort St. John Chris�an and Missionary Alliance

9804 - 99 Avenue

1,337,900

19,194.85

2953.000 Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Cultural Society

8915 - 100 Avenue

151,300

3,356.79

2954.000 Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Cultural Society

8911 - 100 Avenue

148,000

3,283.57

2955.000 Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Cultural Society

8907 - 100 Avenue

148,000

3,283.57

2951.000 Guru Nanak Sikh Temple and Cultural Society

9915 - 90 Street

703,700

10,095.98

2979.000 BC Corpora�on of the Seventh Day Adven�st Church

9008 - 100 Avenue

424,700

6,093.17

1750.000 Calvary Bap�st Church (Bap�st Union of Western Canada)

9607 - 107 Avenue

858,700

12,319.77

492.000 Trustees of the Congrega�on of Fort St. John Presbyterian Church

9907 - 98 Street

738,600

10,596.69

9812 - 108 Avenue

1,261,000

18,091.57

2,039,600

29,262.14

703,800

10,097.42

1,111,200

15,942.39

939,000

13,471.83

8555.000 Peace Lutheran Church

8296.000 BC Conference of Mennonite Brethren Church

10816 - 106 Street

9347.000 Peace View Congrega�on of Jehovah's Witness of FSJ

7912 - 94 Avenue

5981.000 President of the Lethbridge Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of La�er Day Saints

11412 - 100 Street

8480.000 Evangelical Free Church of Fort St. John

8220 - 89 Avenue

415.000 Salva�on Army

10120 -100 Avenue

1,210,000

26,845.42

384.000 Fort St. John Associa�on for Community Living

10251 - 100 Avenue

854,000

18,947.10

1690.205 Fort St. John Associa�on for Community Living

10519 - 102 Avenue

499,000.00

4,213.36

3963.200 Fort St. John Friendship Society

10208 - 95 Avenue

843,000

18,703.05

9807.605 Child Development Centre Society

111.000 Fort St. John Senior Ci�zens Associa�on

10408 - 105 Avenue 10908 - 100 Street

2,732,000

60,612.97

998,000

22,141.93

9341.300 North Peace Seniors Housing Society

10804 - 98 Street

2,594,000

21,902.70

8554.000 North Peace Seniors Housing Society

9816 - 108 Avenue

2,426,000

20,484.17

8553.000 North Peace Seniors Housing Society

9908 - 108 Avenue

2,683,000

22,654.18

9364.000 North Peace Seniors Housing Society

9907 - 110 Avenue

2,378,000

20,078.88

9346.000 North Peace Historical Society

9323 - 100 Street

2,744,000

60,879.21

9058.000 Society for the Preven�on of Cruelty to Animals

9311 - 81 Avenue

555,000

12,313.40

1112.000 Board of School Trustees (Totem Preschool Lease)

9908 - 84 Street

2,672,700

22,567.21

6790.001 New Totem Archery Club Society [City of Fort St. John]

9196 Jones Subdivision

1,631,000

23,399.96

6790.001 New Totem Archery Club Society [City of Fort St. John]

9196 Jones Subdivision

22,500

499.19

9821.460 Fort St. John MotoX Society

8903 - 77 Avenue

662,000

9,497.71

2519.500 Abbeyﬁeld Houses of FSJ

8112 - 96 Avenue

975,000

8,232.51

1070.000 Royal Canadian Legion - 81.6% exemp�on

10103 - 105 Avenue

276,600

5,007.57

1070.000 Royal Canadian Legion

10103 - 105 Avenue

537,000

7,704.34

1072.000 Royal Canadian Legion

10111 - 105 Avenue

108,000

2,396.12

1073.000 Royal Canadian Legion

10115 - 105 Avenue

217,000

4,814.43

645.000 FSJ Women's Resource Society - 81% exemp�on

10045/51 - 100 Avenue

283,700

5,098.35

872.010 United Pentecostal Church of Bri�sh Columbia

10507 - 101 Avenue

728,700

10,454.66

343.000 North Peace Community Resources Society - 50% exemp�on

10142 - 101 Avenue

1,436,000

15,929.76

6290.015 Evangel Chapel Society - 76% exemp�on for land and improvements

10040 - 100 Street

2,935,000

32,002.42

9810.670 Chris�an Life Centre

8923 - 112 Avenue

4,269,000

94,713.31

9810.670 Chris�an Life Centre - 19% of the land will be taxable

8923 - 112 Avenue

6539.000 City of Fort St. John (North Peace Cultural Society Mgmt Agreement)

10015 - 100 Avenue

556.000 City of Fort St. John (North Peace Cultural Society Mgmt Agreement)

623.000 Passivhaus (City of Fort St. John)

223,600

2,550.24

4,651,000

103,188.48

10015 - 99 Avenue

161,000

3,571.99

9904 - 94 Street

635,000

5,361.69

8123.100 North Peace Light Horse Associa�on

6929 Equestrian Avenue

171,000

3,793.86

8123.100 North Peace Light Horse Associa�on

6929 Equestrian Avenue

1,589,000

22,797.38

Full force of law Old Fort residents and landslide trespassers risk a $10,000 fine or jail time if they’re caught re-entering the community outside of the temporary permits that are granted. Full force of the Emergency Program Act came into effect starting Oct. 12 at 6 a.m. The act gives government control to prohibit movements during declared emergencies. The notice was issued last week after some residents were boated in by volunteers on Oct. 10 to gather their belongings while supplies and plumbers were flown in to start winterizing homes. They did so against a previous orders from the regional district to stay out of the area; residents say police have warned them that they will be arrested if they return. Costs to date The bill for the landslide has so far cost more than $500,000 in emergency response and supports. As of Oct. 12, there were 165 residents registered for emergency support services, with $132,300 spent so far. Emergency response staff have recorded 1,790 hours at the emergency operations centre, with $410,346 spent so far.

The following proper�es received Council’s considera�on at the October 9, 2018 Regular mee�ng for 100% permissive tax exemp�on status (unless another percentage is indicated) for the 2019 taxa�on year: 1 6 6 6

4742.004 Fort St. John Associa�on for Community Living 60057.001 Industrial Surplus Supplies Ltd. (North Peace Gymnas�cs Associa�on Lease Agreement) 8650.000 City of Fort St. John (Fort St. John Curling Club Mgmt Agreement) 61015.040 Pinnacle Capital Corpora�on (Canadian Red Cross Lease Agreement) for 1/2 of Strata Lot

8936 - 116 Avenue

408,000.00

3,444.99

10023 - 95 Avenue

1,014,000

22,496.91

9504 - 96 Street

1,723,000

38,226.99

94,150

2,088.84

9620 Sikanni Road

Copies of the proposed Tax Exemp�on Bylaws may be inspected at City Hall, 10631 - 100 Street, Fort St. John, BC between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from October 10 to 22, 2018. Inquiries may be directed to Janet Prestley, Director of Legisla�ve and Administra�ve Services or Shirley Collington, Director of Finance by telephoning (250) 787-8150 on or before October 22, 2018.

540015

www.fortstjohn.ca

Monitoring and study The landslide is being monitored in three sections. 1. Western Landslide (below Peace River lookout), was about 14 ha, 450 m long as of Oct. 10; deep cracks up to 6 m depth within the rafted section. 2. Main Landslide, about 25 ha, this is the longest one (1.3 km) as of Oct. 10; varies between 100 and 200m in width; has encroached onto the first island in the river 3. Old Landslide Complex, previous movement had been observed between Oct. 6 and 7 in the upper northwest corner near the gravel pit. This area is being monitored for additional movement: length, width, and offset in the cracks observed. — with files from the Canadian Press

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A11

LOCAL NEWS

Hit and run investigated MATT PREPROST editor@ahnfsj.ca

Fort St. John RCMP are investigating a hit and run on 94 Avenue. Police were called to the scene around 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, where a 30-year-old man was found in the middle of the street The man was taken to and remains in hospital, and police suspect he was the victim of a

PEACE REGION

COURT DOCKET A summary of sentences and fines handed out in Northeast B.C. courts for the week ending Oct. 12, 2018. Fort St. John Law Courts • Shannon Michael Bean (born 1963) was sentenced to 88 days in jail and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for assault. • Teresa Lynn Lecuyer (born 1980) was handed a six-month conditional sentence, ordered to pay $1,896 in restitution, and assessed a $200 victim surcharge for fraud. Lecuyer received the same sentence for a charge using a forged document. • Clayton Ervin Kvikstad (born 1985) was fined $350, handed a one-year discretion-

hit and run. RCMP continue to investigate with the help of the RCMP Traffic Reconstruction Unit. The road was closed for some time and motorists were asked to find other routes as police investigated. Anyone with information is asked to call the detachment at 250-787-8100, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

ary firearms ban, and assessed a $105 victim surcharge for public mischief. Kvisktaed received the same sentence for charges of careless use or storage of a firearm, and occupying vehicle knowing a firearm was present. • Evelyn Marie Petford (born 1974) was fined $1,000 and assessed a $150 victim surcharge for driving without reasonable consideration. Dawson Creek Law Courts • Austin Charles Twin (born 1998) was handed 12 months of probation with a conditional surcharge for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer. • Brian Alexander Mooney (born 1987) was sentenced to time served, and assessed a $100 victim surcharge for theft $5,000 or under. — Tom Summer

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A12 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

fort st. john votes

Some answers have been edited for space. Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses. * denotes incumbent Gabor Haris, 47 project accountant

Lilia Hansen, 48 * executive director, FSJ Chamber of Commerce

Byron Stewart, 46 *

Why did you decide to run for council?

I have always been interested in politics. The process of decision making and finding compromises fascinates me.

Making our city a better place to live, work and play takes hard work and commitment. This is work I wake I want to make a positive impact on my community, today and up every day excited to do and I hope you will continue for the future, and bring the voice of my neighbours to the table. to allow me to represent you, the citizens of Fort St. I have the ability to bring concerns and possible solutions to John. If re-elected I look forward to activating and the attention of decision makers by being present at meetings building on the plans I worked hard to create with when the average citizen cannot attend personally due to work council, city staff and community since first elected or other commitments. I meet with business and non-profit seven years ago. As a life-long resident, I understand organizations regularly. They need someone to help get their the dynamic community we live in and will use that message across as to their ideas, wants, and needs. knowledge to build an even stronger community today and for the years to come.

What experience and skills would you bring to council?

As a tradesman for more than 10 years and, after university, as part of the management team at a pipeline servicing company, I have gained accounting, management, and intense problem-solving experience. I believe that these traits would serve the community well.

Building relationships is one of strengths I’ve developed as the Chamber’s executive director for almost five years, and being a board member for Community Futures – Peace Liard. Seeking input from those in the know (aka the boots on the ground) to compliment the work of city staff is important to cover as many possible issues that may arise. Sometimes the best solution can be the simplest. You need to reach out and get input.

I have for many years prior to being elected, had a genuine interest in politics and the general operations of our community. I was raised to be aware and be involved. My father, Don Stewart, was the fire chief of Fort St. John for 27 years. Upon retiring he was successfully elected four times by the residents of our community to be a city councillor.

My top three priorities are economic development, responsible fiscal spending, and quality of life of citizens – accessible and multi-generational. The reasons these are my priorities: You need jobs to keep people in our community and give them opportunities for advancement. Citizens have to be able to afford living here which means budgets and spending has to be reasonable and balanced with average earnings. Quality of life will attract and retain people to Fort St. John. We want families to grow and stay here and we need the services for them to be able to do so.

Activate the plans: The City of Fort St. John’s Ofﬁcial Community Plan was updated over the last two years through community participation, and approved in August 2018. This policy document is the community’s vision addressing critical issues such as diversity, quality of life, the value of partnerships, land development, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability. Build for tomorrow: To support our growth, we must plan and allocate funds to maintain and update our infrastructure and services: Communicate, collaborate, and celebrate: Participation and input from community stakeholders matters. I want actions that foster communication and collaboration.

Programs for tots and young children.

Roads, water, and sewer are primary services that should be maintained and new infrastructure installed. We pay a fair dollar in taxes and expect these services to be in good repair. It’s not the topic that gets a lot of media attention but they sure are noticed when not in working order.

As we prepare to host the 2020 BC Winter Games for the first time since 1984, I am excited by the opportunities in front of us to combine sport, recreation, arts and culture as we welcome these many persons from throughout our province. We need to focus more on art within our community, both outdoor and indoors.

What programs or services should the city spend less on?

I am not sure if there are any programs that could be implemented on a smaller budget.

We all want the city to tighten its belt, spend the minimum amount, or even less then is currently being done. The question should be what are the citizens of Fort St. John willing to do without if they want budgets to come down? It’s my understanding that the city cut their budget by encouraging each department to find savings - approximately 10% this year. I believe the community should be consulted on all changes to services as the city works for its residents, not the other way around.

Would you support raising taxes to support council priorities?

No.

There would have to be a significant gain to the majority of the I would support only if and when the priorities and community to have my support of raising taxes. Priorities of the needs of our citizens dictated it. community should be reflected, not those solely of council.

The city should work on letting a wider range of different businesses know about existing local opportunities. A concentrated marketing effort should be implemented.

Giving the tools and support to the city’s economic development department to work with industry and businesses looking to locate in Fort St. John is important. Business needs to know the city supports both our current businesses and welcomes new ones. It’s important to support our current businesses, not just focusing on attracting new ones. Our current businesses should be shown just as much, or more, cooperation and help to grow their business and stay in business. They’ve proven they have skin in the game and have invested in our community. If we want to attract new industry and business, we need to gain the reputation for working well with them.

We need to continue to celebrate our community and share what we have to offer that’s awesome: hospital, fire hall, skateboard park, community trails, new schools, vibrant arts and culture, healthy sport and recreation opportunities, volunteerism, and community giving.

Work with investors and landlords to fill our vacant commercial spaces, encouragement on in-filling versus building out. The city’s official community plan hopes to attract both residents and businesses to the downtown core by blending the use.

We need to focus upon the needs of our community for the next 60 years. The underground infrastructure, our roads, sidewalks, and lighting are in need of replacement. This is a unique opportunity for our community to re-envision what we want our downtown to look like and function as. Safety and inclusiveness is important. Vibrancy and welcoming is important. Investment and building toward the future will start with we as a city activating the plans we have created through collaboration and input from our residents.

Leading the way in ingenuity by building a northern passive house and proving it works in our northern climate, and the micro-hydro power project that pipes treated water from the city’s south lagoon wastewater facility to a turbine to generate electricity. The latter project builds on the city’s commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and conservation.

To choose only one is just too narrowing, we have much to be proud of. This is not a complete list: the signing of Peace River Agreement with our provincial government; the signing of our BC Hydro/ Site C Community Measures Agreement; pur partnership with School District 60 for a new Community Gym within the the Margaret “Ma” Murray Community School; the purchase and removal of the Condill Hotel from our downtown; the partnerships with the Association for Community Living and the BCGEU, making our city an inclusive employer of persons with developmental disabilities; our partnership with the City of Dawson Creek and Hockey Canada to co-host two World U17 Hockey Tournaments (2015 & 2017).

Not getting the message out to more people as to the core reasons for why decisions were made. The city needs to explain the pros and cons of basing their decisions with a lens 20+ years down the road. A decision made without looking forward could be a lost opportunity. The city purchasing land to hold for future school sites is a good example of planning for the future.

We don’t celebrate enough. I believe we as citizens need to recognize and together celebrate the opportunities living in Fort St. John offers: We are B.C.’s Number 1 and Canada’s Number 15 best place to live: Canada’s Best Places to Live 2018, Money Sense Magazine

• Accommodating families with young children. What would be your top • Senior housing. three priorities if elected, and why? • Seek solutions for the healthcare staffing shortages

What programs or services should the city spend more on?

What should the city do to attract new industry and business?

What should the city do to stimulate downtown investment?

What’s has been the city’s greatest achievement over the last four years?

What’s has been the city’s greatest failure over the last four years?

What’s the biggest opportunity facing the city over the next four years?

What’s the toughest challenge facing the city over the next four years?

Start investing in downtown infrastructure to demonstrate that a new era has began.

Paving almost all road surfaces.

• Not working together with private industry to offer ongoing daily programs to families with very young children. • Finding solutions for the affordable housing crisis.

This is a tough one. I believe that we on council have done a good job with our decision making on financial decisions and municipal tax implications. I prefer that we continue to focus upon improving our infrastructure, programs and community needs as opposed to cutting.

LNG.

Working with partners and the provincial government to create more learning spaces and skilled training opportunities in our area, such as the registered nursing program. Our community Everything that LNG will mean to our community, is growing and we need more schools and services to keep our region, province, and nation. students in the north, and hopefully then they’ll stay and work in the north. Many of our kids go away for advanced education and often put down roots while away. Let’s help build our workforce and keep our families in the north.

LNG.

Balancing the economy’s highs and lows has been a long-time challenge for our community. Indecisiveness and the lack of decisions on the outcome of large projects hurts our neighbours and businesses. People will leave our community, even for less pay, to have some security and stability in another community. We lose not only part of our workforce which affects our local level of service, but also volunteers, coaches, and neighbours that help build our community.

To support our expected growth, we must plan for and allocate funds to maintain and update our infrastructure and services. We must remain focused upon the educational, health and safety aspects of our community as well as the overall quality of life offered to all of our residents.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A13

fort st. john votes

Some answers have been edited for space. Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses. * denotes incumbent Trevor Bolin, 38 * real estate developer and businessman

Chuck Fowler, 36 business development

Justin Jones, 28 sales rep for United Rentals

Why did you decide to run for council?

I decided to re run for re-election because the job I started a decade ago, is not complete. Fort St. John has come a long way in the last 10 years, but it isn’t time to just stop and ride the wave. Tax rates have gone down from 11 to 4.8, business tax rates are down from 30 to 13 in the last 10 years, this is the path we need to continue.

I decided to run because I believe in our community and wanted to be a part of the conversation to shape it. The future looks bright for Fort St. John and to be a part of that on the governance level would be an honour.

I feel that we need a change on council to allow for new ideas. I have had the opportunity to live in three different cities of various sizes over the past 10 years, but Fort St. John is a place that I can call home. Like myself, many individuals and families in this community have moved here from other regions of Canada and even the world. I feel that there is a lack of representation for many of us in the community that have a similar background.

What experience and skills would you bring to council?

Fort St. John is growing, even during tougher times, we need to ensure we keep up with the growth and provide the services needed to enable Fort St. John the best place to live, work and raise a family. I have been in business since I was 19, I understand the needs versus the wants of the city, and how to get them both. With 10 years of experience on council, and 20 years experience in business, I am committed to all things Fort St. John.

I have worked in the oil and gas industry for 14 years, owned and managed businesses in town. In the decision-making process, I look through the lens of industry and business, something I think we need on council. A young working professional, with a young family is the embodiment of Fort St. John, we need that representation on council.

I have had the fortune to live in multiple cities before landing in Fort St. John, and I think this gives me a unique perspective on how Fort St. John compares. The city has built a great foundation on which it can continue to grow, and I know if I had a seat on council I would bring forward ideas that can push Fort St. John to reach its best potential.

Growth — Fort St John has weathered a storm not seen for a generation. We are in a great position financially to ensure that the city keeps up with the growth of the region and resource sector. Financial Sustainability — Fort St. John has one of the lowest tax rates of all resource communities, with more services provided than What would be your top equivalent communities. This wasn’t done by three priorities if elected, chance, or by hope, this was done by taking a and why? hard line on budgets, a hard line on projects and ensuring that residences didn’t feel the pinch, like so many other communities did. Public Engagement — I have spent the last 10 years ensuring I am 100 per cent accessible to people with any concerns they may have. I am easily contacted in my businesses, in social media, text, or email.

Managing Growth: As council, it’s a significant part of the job to create a framework for managing the growth of the city, be it modest, extreme or even negative. It’s a broad priority with many parts but important in my opinion.

Improving the quality of life – Fort St. John is a great place to live, but a lot of people spend most of their time working. The city needs to focus its energy on making it a city that people of all ages will want to continue to live in.

Indoor Recreation: To attract people, retain them and keep the people we have, we need to have good facilities. Professionals looking to move here are looking at the whole package. We spend six months with a snow shovel in our hand, quality indoor recreation is a must.

Economic Development – Attracting new businesses will also attract new people to our community. We need to let investors know that Fort St. John is a viable place to start a business, and that there is a huge demand for shopping/leisure activities.

Economic Development: The announcement of LNG brings great opportunity for Fort St. John, we need to ensure we are capturing and capitalizing on this potential growth not just a “fly in, fly out” city.

Attraction of more events to our city that would be another source of revenue. I am happy to see that we will be hosting the 2020 Winter Games, and it would be great to push to host other events similar to this. This will help make Fort St. John a more desirable place

What programs or services should the city spend more on?

Snow removal needs an increase in both capital and operations in the coming months, the city has grown and we need to ensure that growth is part of all operations. We need to look at how this is done, and what can be done to make it better for the people of FSJ. I feel we need additional equipment, and additional staff to get a better handle on the operations in a quicker time frame. This will be something we need to gauge and monitor annually, not just when the most of complaints happen during snow fall season.

I would like to see an increase in funding for the grants awarded annually to non-profits/front line agencies, these in many cases are vital services to the community. Obviously, if you increase funding somewhere you need to find it in the budget, but I think it’s a conversation worth having.

Marketing the city to outside investors and future residents, also committing to the parks and recreation plan. Everyone needs something to wind down after a hard week of work, or coming off of shift, and having programs for members of the community of all ages is important. This will also help attract new members to the community.

What programs or services should the city spend less on?

At this point, the city needs to look at spending less on projects without the immediate benefits. Yes, downtown needs some work in infrastructure, clean up, walkability and transport. However, I think that can be done by pulling all the projects apart that are compiled into one and looking at each of them for their own merits, not as a complete package. I believe a lot of savings can be had by doing this on each of the projects at hand.

I don’t think we should name off half-baked ideas for cutting specific program/services. As council, we should seek more efficient ways to deliver the services required to the community. To do that, we should seek the best advice and aim to be continuously improving our spending to services ratio.

It is hard to cut certain programs, but they can work to become more efficient. The city is essentially a large corporation with budgets and expenses. We need to make sure the city is operating as efficiently as possible to cut costs where it can, and allow those funds to be used in a better way.

Would you support raising taxes to support council priorities?

I have spent the last 10 years very cautious of raising taxes, and instead working inside the means to provide the same services. I am proud of the tax rates being held as they have the last No, we should work within the confines of what we have for 10 years. I feel that if it was the right program revenue to complete our objectives. or need and done through public engagement with real numbers and facts and it benefited the people of FSJ, then yes.

If it was something that the benefited the majority of the city, and the community was pushing for it knowing it would increase taxes, then my answer would be yes; otherwise, I pay taxes just like everyone else, and I would prefer to save my money.

What should the city do to attract new industry and business?

Fort St. John in July had one of the highest employment numbers per capita in B.C., meaning more people are back to work. My family has lived here since 1926 and we have seen the ups and downs, the good times and the not so good times. Fort St. John needs to focus on creating more of a demand for companies and people to move to FSJ. Fort St. John is a great place to call home, work, and raise and family, we need to show that to the rest of the world while we increase employment, retail shopping and tax base.

We can make the ability to do business and invest in our community as painless as possible. Right from your experience at city hall for development purposes, to adequate amenities to attract good employees, it all matters.

We need to market Fort St. John for what it is: a young, hardworking community, with an abundance of families. We are well below the national average for age, yet one of the highest for average household income. This money is going to be spent, and we need to make sure it is done so in Fort St. John. If we do not have what the people of Fort St. John desire, they will spend their money somewhere else. We need to show businesses that Fort St. John will be a great place for them to start, and operate a business.

What should the city do to stimulate downtown investment?

Fort St. John, with its inventory of land in the downtown, is in a unique position to lead the change. As the market returns we need to attract investors and developers to develop on some of the vacant sites the city owns. Investment attracts investment, and this will do the city very well.

Evaluate from a development perspective why investment has not been attracted to downtown. Are we asking to much or missing the mark on development conditions for investors to get their required rate of return? There needs to be a catalyst to get the downtown going, be it tax incentives or something else. Once we get it going it will be a cascading effect to other business to develop downtown.

First of all, the downtown core needs a facelift. Having spent time in cities that have areas older than the country itself, yet they merge the old with the new which creates a very appealing place to visit and shop. In my opinion, the downtown core does not look like it left the 1980s, and we need to welcome it to 2018.

What’s has been the city’s greatest achievement over the last four years?

Fort St. John has been through some tough times in the past. Well, this was one of the toughest for families. Fort St. John council held the line on expenses, generated additional income through tough negotiations and ensure that taxpayers didn’t feel the difference. We were able to reduce tax rates and hold tax rates over the few years of troubled times.

The Money Sense ranking of best place to live in BC. Like any city we have our challenges, but to be on the radar and rank higher then Squamish and Whistler is an achievement.

The signing of the Peace River Agreement. It is important that we have the infrastructure to support the influx of personnel that comes to the region for work. The signing of this agreement has given us the funds available to put towards capital and operating budgets. I do hope that when it is reviewed in 2023 we work towards gaining more, as there will be an increase of activity with the LNG Canada announcement.

What’s has been the city’s greatest failure over the last four years?

Overages on what should be fixed bid contracts, which offered valuable lessons for going forward. Fort St. John has an extremely wellrounded table of senior management and a very experienced council that looks at all options before making decisions. This process will become far more favorable toward the city going forward.

Our ability to communicate the city’ vision to the people living in Fort St. John. There have been improvements in the process, but remains a challenge.

The Condill had major cost overruns which were unfortunate, and we now have a $2.2-million dollar empty lot, which only adds to all the other vacant lots in the city. I am happy we are getting a new and larger dog park, but I do not think all the additional amenities are needed. It could have been a fairly cheap addition to the city, but now the cost has exceeded what they originally budgeted for.

What’s the biggest opportunity facing the city over the next four years?

Strong economic times with many of the projects proposed for this region. In turn with The industry growth around us with the potential of LNG and the biggest opportunity is ensuring that Fort St. the associated upstream activity that goes with it. John has the right representation to benefit as a community, and as a family.

LNG development, it will bring a lot of activity into our region, and with this we will see an increase of businesses operating here. This will create new jobs, bring new people to our city, and hopefully bring new investment into our retail sector to have more options for our residents.

What’s the toughest challenge facing the city over the next four years?

Growth management with an aging infrastructure is going to cause some issues. We have been working on them for the last few years, but it isn’t done. Every day is a decision for the city of the tomorrow.

LNG development, it will put a lot of stress on our city’s resources. Our roads will get busier, our residential rentals will get tighter, and our shops will get busier. As a city, we need to make sure we are ready for the impact it will have on our region.

The biggest opportunity is also our biggest challenge, to manage growth and make sure the community is capturing the full benefits of said growth.

A14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

taylor votes

Some answers have been edited for space. Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses. * denotes incumbent Rob Fraser, 58 * mayor/safety supervisor/businessman

Laura Prosko, 46 campaigning to be mayor

Betty Ponto, 59 * administrative support staff and postal clerk

Why did you decide to run for council?

I am running for council because I feel I can make a difference. I can help Taylor to be an even better place to live, work and play. This is an opportunity to continue to give back to the community that has supported my family and me for 26 years.

I am running for mayor because I will lead the community by accountability, transparency and policy-driven governance. The mayor and council’s role is to govern through policy. In the past four years, I have seen the current council become very involved with staff operations, which causes micro-management and wastes time. I have also seen the current council clean house with the District of Taylor’s leadership team and we have lost tremendous talent.

I learned long ago that it’s OK to put forward your voice, even if it’s not the same as another’s, and that you can also use your voice to speak for others who feel they cannot do so. I’ve been able to put forward both mine as well as other’s voices many times, over many years, both on council and in many other avenues. I know that’s a valuable contribution both to the community and council table.

What experience and skills would you bring to council?

I have lived in the north for more than 40 years. I have sat on boards and councils for most of my adult life. I have been a councillor in Taylor for 12 years and mayor for four years. I have a practical sense of the world built on a solid background in and around industries in the north. I bring leadership, hard work and cooperation to everything I do.

I’ve worked with former Premier Gordon Campbell, former Premier Christy Clark, the NPA city council team in Vancouver, MP Hedy Fry, and many more politicians that have helped shape our beautiful province. I was the community services director in the District of Taylor for four and a half years, so I have a valuable understanding of the inner workings of the municipality and can offer change that will help provide a clear understanding of everyone’s roles within the organization.

Aside from the 13 years of experience being on council, my background is one of being engaged in the community, both interacting generally and volunteering with a number of organizations. I love to learn and have often said that up to 80 per cent of our job on council is education – whether that is educating ourselves on topics and new initiatives or educating others on the same.

• Safety; for the staff, the community and our children. There are so many aspects to safety that need to considered; safety policy for staff, protective services and water and sewer for residents, and our children need to be able to get around the community on lighted sidewalks and roads with less industrial traffic. What would be your top • Sustainable tax base with value to the three priorities if elected, taxpayers; next to the people, this is the and why? foundation that allows Taylor to be a great place. • Responsible growth; people are residents, customers, employees and participants in programs. Growing the community in a responsible manner brings more possibilities for Taylor.

To me, the highest priority doesn’t ever change: ensuring our infrastructure continues to be sound. • A high priority in public engagement and communications so Municipalities are mandated to supply only two that residents and stakeholders of Taylor shape our policies, services: water and sewer. Supplying those services rather than persuade residents to accept a decision that’s are what enabled Taylor to become incorporated as already been made. a village. When you think about it, if you don’t have those, you likely won’t have a town. The core services • Get back on track with our official community plan that was and service levels review strongly recommended by adopted in 2014 in which the priorities are a grocery store, the current council is hugely important in my opinion. walking trails, a commercial core, and public safety. That will objectively tell us where we are at and where we might need to go on many levels such as • Implement before and after school care for our young families staffing, services, programs, etc. Continuing to work of Taylor as we are a remote location and that dedicated service on community safety. We have made large strides will help our young, family-friendly community.. in improving resident safety through projects such as safe pedestrian walkways from the north end of the community at the school to the south end at the industrial plants; initiatives like that need to continue.

What programs or services should the district spend more on?

I would like to see reduced heavy industrial traffic at the intersection of the Alaska Highway and Cherry Avenue. We will need to get that traffic down to Pine Avenue and out to the traffic lights. It will take a new road to do that. I would like to see the new council work with a community group to start working on seniors housing. Our senior population is growing and I would like our seniors to be able to live in Taylor as long as they can. Our infrastructure is aging. It will take increased maintenance to ensure we get the maximum life out of all our assets.

The district should spend more money on organizational culture. Organizational culture is extremely important to me as it creates openness, efficiency, and productivity. The directors and managers, plus staff, need yearly cost of living increases and annual performance reviews. None of that happened in the past four years, which goes against the current policy in place. We need to invest in our talent because retaining our leadership team, especially in the north, is crucial to success. I also believe we need to spend more money on developing a commercial core and we have aging infrastructure that is in desperate need of repair and there are serious cost implications and safety hazards if we do not keep our aging infrastructure up to par.

The cost of the core services and service level review is money that will be well spent. That review will help in pointing us in the direction of things we should be looking at. Through that, we need to ensure district operations have the resources needed both for the present and for the planned future.

What programs or services should the district spend less on?

Many, if not all, programs and services are subsidized, from the golf course to sewer and water. Past councils, including the one I currently sit on, have been responsible when establishing programs and services to ensure they are sustainable over the long term. We all would like to see subsidies come down, across the board.

The district should spend less money on subsidizing the Lone Wolf Golf Course. Only 10 per cent of the Taylor residents use the course, it should not be subsidized. The subsidy for the Taylor medical clinic is very high (approximately $8,000 per month) given the clinic is only open two to three days per week. The clinic subsidy needs to be reduced by reworking the existing contract to better both parties.

All of our current programs and services are valuable; they enhance and maintain our family-oriented community. For me, there would have to be a good argument made to cut anything.

Would you support raising taxes to support council priorities?

This is a loaded question. Raising taxes is never the preferred option. If I say yes, people get concerned; if I say no, it reduces the option to do it, if necessary. Council priorities have to be the residents’ and ratepayers’ priorities. We find that out by talking with our neighbours, businesses, and industry as we consider new priorities.

No, we are a terrific community for young families and we need to keep the taxes low.

Not necessarily council priorities, but community priorities if that is indicated as being desirable. The budget time of year is coming soon and with it there is opportunity for the community to say whether there are things they would be prepared to have taxes raised for, or services/programs cut to accommodate.

What should the district be doing to attract a grocery store?

I spoke with Jim Pattison at an event and asked him, “Why do you suppose it is so difficult for Taylor to attract a grocery store?” His answer was immediate, “Because I have one in Fort St. John.” Councils have been attempting to attract a grocery store for at least 30 years, if not longer. There needs to be a solid customer base that is prepared to buy the goods or use the services of any business.

As mayor, I would ensure our policies, bylaws, and zoning work to attract all types of businesses including a grocery store. We need to think outside of the box and come up with creative solutions, tax incentives, and ways to market our community. A grocery store in Taylor can be easily achieved through the right strategy. When the medical clinic in Taylor shut down, I was the one who recruited Livecare telehealth from the Lower Mainland to Taylor, so I will solve the grocery store problem too.

In addition to the seeking of opportunity that has been going on for some time, we need to increase our residential population. We’ve heard that one thing for some time — if there were more potential customers available in the community, it might be more feasible. Moving forward with Parcel Z development will aid that.

What other businesses and industries should the district be working to attract?

Working with existing businesses to ensure their experience dealing with our local government is fair and responsive. Advocating whenever possible the advantages we have in Taylor such as proximity to resource industries like the gas plant and pulp mill. We have a climate advantage in our east/west valley and access to rail and land. More importantly, Taylor is a great community that sustains family values. What business isn’t looking for a wonderful community to locate employees?

The District of Taylor is fortunate to have an industry tax base. However we need to attract entrepreneurs and small businesses to our community. To do so, we need to implement fibre optic internet in our community. Businesses such as a coffee shop, restaurant or diner, food stands would be great anchors for our community. I also believe we have the land for a Costco and would like to see one in our community so that the local dollar stays here as opposed to going to Alberta. I would like to see a museum by the Taylor Visitor Centre as we have an abundance of rich history we need to preserve.

One business that I’ve heard often as a desire is more visitor accommodation. This is both for travelers, and attendees for events like weddings, hockey tournaments, family reunions, etc. Council has always been open to hearing both business and industry proposals and that should continue.

What should the district be doing to attract and retain new residents?

Taylor has a growth rate that is just behind Fort St. John and theirs is record setting. Taylor is getting full. There are only a handful of fully serviced residential lots that are vacant and the last time I looked, only one of those was for sale. In order to attract new residents, there needs to be lots available that people can choose to buy and build on. That is why council has moved forward with the Parcel Z subdivision.

I believe we need to take a look at our infrastructure, capacity of the Taylor elementary school, amenities and the abundance of homes currently for sale in the district before attracting new residents. I am against taking out a loan of more than $4 million for the development of Parcel Z (possible 50 lots) because the lots will not sell at $91,000 per lot for a starter family in Taylor and future generations will be paying off a loan that didn’t work out for Taylors vision of a small, quaint town.

First things first, it’s hard to attract new residents if they don’t have somewhere to live. The Parcel Z development will help make that a reality for many. Those of us that live in Taylor know what a great community it is and all that it has to offer. Those seeking to come and join us in this community need somewhere to come to.

Do you support a pay raise for mayor and council?

I support the policy decision that council has made. The real questions are: how active do we want our council to be? Should that activity level come at a personal cost to the member of council?

No, I believe an annual remuneration plus cost of living increase is important, however, I am against a meeting fee per diem on top of the annual remuneration as council recently approved. Also, any remuneration policy should trickle down to all directors and staff.

If you are asking about the annual indemnity/ honorarium: for some time that has been turned over to staff for suggestion/recommendation when the Fees & Charges Bylaw is reviewed every year. If you are asking about the graduated meeting fees recently discussed, I voted yes to those and believe they are warranted and not out of line.

What’s the biggest opportunity facing the district over the next four years?

The need to re-evaluate who we are as a community. We are rapidly reaching 1,500 people. We have been incorporated since 1958, 60 years. What is the state of our infrastructure and what will it take to sustain and if necessary replace it. What are our core services? How did we build these services and are they sustainable in their current state and operation? What are our service level expectations?

The biggest opportunity is to overhaul all the old, outdated policies from as far back as 1999 (and further) and create a vision of good governance that is progressive, proactive and community minded. A policy review is desperately needed and it is the backbone to the vision of our community.

Ensuring we are ready and prepared for the district to realize the benefits of the recent LNG announcements. An example: Parcel Z development in order to have the opportunity to build our residential population base.

What’s the toughest challenge facing the district over the next four years?

To realize responsible growth and maintain our small town feel. Growth comes with its challenges, including such things as conflicts between neighbours, bylaw infractions, and calls for more structure. I am a believer in having the quiet enjoyment of our own property as long as we do not negatively detract from the characteristics of our community.

The toughest challenge is also the greatest opportunity, and it is the entire policy review. As mayor, I would expect all councillors to come to the table and bring their knowledge and expertise so collectively we can create a sustainable vision. It is very important work and the backbone for success in our community. Then we are accountable, financially prosperous, engaged with the residents and stakeholders, and we’ve created a clear, overarching direction for the betterment of the whole community.

When council members talk to other municipalities at our conferences, we all like to share ideas. Another municipality talked about how they had informal chat sessions at their local library regularly. That is one idea we have adopted by hosting informal Coffee with Council sessions. They are a great start, and have seen good engagement, which hopefully will encourage more engagement in the formal processes of official meetings as well.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 A15

taylor votes

Sherry Davies, 57 floral designer by trade for past 30 years I have put my name forward to help the residents of Taylor be the “Best That It Can Be.” I encourage the residents to continue being involved with input, informed feedback and their suggestions because Taylor is about them. Being a small business person and an entrepreneur, I understand the pressures on the common residential taxpayers because I am a fellow residential taxpayer. I understand the finances which go into the budgeting process and I understand when facilities are not holding their own financially and when changes require to be made. • Enhanced community safety by encouraging a greater police presence within the community. • Continued dependable infrastructure being stabilizing main water supply line from pumphouse at the river to the community. • More safe, well-lit walking trails throughout the community so neighbours are meeting neighbours and interacting to further the small town feeling.

Dave Lueneberg, 52 * rural mail delivery

Simply put, it’s a chance for me to give back to my community.

Besides attending regular council, I’ve been able to chair a number of committee meetings, attend conferences on behalf of the district, and been involved with the hiring of a new CAO.

• to see the completion of Parcel Z. This project would bring close to 50 new families to our community. • to see a Core Services Review carried out. The review would look at what services/programs the district has or might need moving forward in the future. • to see the Taylor Medical Clinic become self-sustaining. This facility has, in part, been subsidized by the district. It’s my hope that it will be able to “stand on its own two feet” before the end of the next election term.

Brent Taillefer, 44 * account manager for Quadra Chemicals

Michelle Turnbull, 44 sales, Fort City Chrysler

When I first ran in 2011 it was to be a part of and represent the community and its growth through good policy, bylaw and strategic direction. I have decided to run for a third term for the same reasons.

I have given serious thought to running for local council the past three years. I made the decision to fully commit in June 2018.

Vast experience in relationship building, policy, quality assurance and business development. I am a visionary, patient, open minded, decisive person. I am also a learner and a listener.

I have never sat on council before. However, I have worked for the provincial government at both the ministry level and well as a more political level when I was employed by the minister’s offices at the B.C. legislature. My skills are heavily centered around customer service. I am able to effectively talk to people, help people with their concerns, and find ways to address those concerns, and find solutions.

• Represent the community, because that is why I’m here. • Set and review policy and bylaws, because that is what council does. • Work with the CAO to complete a core services review to know what our needs are to get the job done.

My top three priorities will be: ensuring that the citizens of Taylor are well represented by someone they can trust to be truthful, transparent, and lead by action. Taylor is really doing well, the great things that are happening in our community, I would like to be a part of this going forward, be a part of that team. I would like to learn more about how exactly our taxes are being distributed and to what programs/ services and I have some ideas of possible ways we can attract more business to the community.

At the moment, none. The district has just recently hired a new CAO. One of the priorities of the new administrator, with the help of a contractor, will be to implement a core services review. The findings will help council to better know what services or programs might require funding in the future.

I believe that when complete the core services review will identify where we should spend more.

I believe that the current programs and services that are offered are second to none. No other community out there offers the services that our community does. That being said, there is always room for improvement and I look forward to hearing citizens ideas on areas they would like to see improvement in, and how we can go forward to bring those ideas to fruition.

The $250,000 per year loss of revenue year over year at the Lone Wolf Golf Course must be brought under control and the operation must be considered a business to at least break even. Municipal golf courses are not a community core recreational facility and should not receive the same consideration for subsidy as the core facilities. Council requires to continue to be vigilant in reducing the subsidy to all of the other core recreational facilities.

Same as Question 4.

I would like the provincial government to step up to provide doctor services to our community in our community. If that were to happen, we would be spending less on our clinic.

I don’t feel that any service the district currently offers is a waste. All programs and services are well received.

No. In 2017, council registered a budget surplus of $2,492,025, which was $377,805 more than they had budgeted for to be collected for through the tax collection process. This surplus was then placed into a number of reserve accounts for a rainy day. In short, council already collected more taxes from the taxpayers than they were not able to spend.

Although it might be unpopular, in certain cases, yes.

If it meant keeping our community operational, yes.

It would depend on what those priorities are and exactly how they are to be delivered and for how long. Who will benefit?

The district has been trying for years to attract a grocery store. The reality is there needs to be outside interest and investment. A grocery store is a HUGE investment. Fort St. John is a mere 10 minutes away. The district would have to offer the investor some big tax breaks and incentive for that investment to come about. I don’t believe that there should be just a grocery store. It needs to be unique and offer more than just groceries to be a lucrative business.

Spend more money on the above three priorities.

Council has been working on this priority for the past 20 years with no success. Until the population of Taylor is at least 3,000 and the attitude of people is to quit cross-border shopping and support the local retail, which we have at an added cost to them personally, Taylor will never have a grocery store. Taylor may be able to attract a gorified corner store, but, again, if the residents will drive to Fort St. John to save $2 on a jug of milk, even the corner store will not be a success.

I share the opinion that we may need to see our population grow first before it becomes profitable for a grocery store to open its doors. Having said that, I wouldn’t be against any proposals that might come forward.

Growing the population and customer base.

The district requires to encourage infill businesses to the commercial core by fostering opportunities to develop things such as a hotel/motel industry in order to bring traffic off the Alaska Highway. Development of the proposed Nova Gas Light Industrial subdivision would further attract light industrial industries, such as welding shops, contractor shops and yards, truss factory, equipment repair or warehouses to further diversify Taylor’s tax base.

None, at the moment. I’d like to see what a core services review reveals. With only a few lots available for development in Taylor, we may find the district may need space to expand in the future.

I personally think Taylor is an ideal place to set up head offices for a number of oil and gas Any that make sense, business is a very important companies. I would also like to see a new hotel/ part of our community and a big contributor to our motel at some point. Lots of travelers on the tax base. highway, it would be excellent for them to stop, enjoy all the fabulous amenities our community has to offer, and have a nice, safe place to stay.

The district need to continue emphasizing family friendly and related family activities, continue to make the community attractive despite any negative influence of heavy industrial operations, and work at increasing population to further develop small businesses and destination retail.

No. It’s not about the money, it’s about service to the community. The money is to help defer personal expenses and it is not meant to be a sole primary job. To have a large influx of young families to the community where the community sees increased new housing starts and Taylor Elementary School goes overcapacity, where several portable classrooms require to be used prior to the modernization and upgrading of Taylor Elementary.

I believe that’s being done with the proposed Parcel Z subdivision.

Development of residential lots and ensuring our current services and infrastructure will support that.

Seems to me that more and more people are discovering what a great place Taylor is. More homes are being built, more people investing by buying these houses/condos, and it is evident by the events the district hosts, that it is really catching on just how great the community is. When people flock to Taylor for the Halloween party and fireworks, the Christmas party, Easter party, etc. it really says a lot about what we have to offer. Our services are high, and taxes are reasonable.

Yes. Taylor is a key player in the Peace Region economy. The mayor and council need to be involved in certain meetings, most times, outside Yes. of their primary jobs. I believe in a fee-formeeting structure, however, with pre-determined guidelines to help keep spending in line.

Yes, I do support remuneration for extended meeting times.

Parcel Z. As Fort St. John grows, so too must Taylor. The proposed subdivision, to built west of Spruce Street South, would see young couples able to transition from a starter home to a medium-sized, mid-range priced home, one where they would able to build a family.

Growth.

I think the biggest opportunity we have in front of us, is the huge multi-recreation facility that is currently being studied. This would be such an incredible opportunity for Taylor!

Uncertainty. Like all communities in the Northeast, Taylor relies on the resource sector. While it was no where near 2008 levels, a recent downturn in 2015 did have an impact to our region. Some experts are even going as far as to predict another much-larger recession by as early as 2020.

Growth.

I think the toughest challenge is going to be keeping the community united and working together to tackle zoning issues.

Developing a strategy to keep young families within Taylor by: • ensuring the health and vitality of Taylor Elementary School students and the building. • developing scheduled bus service between Taylor and Fort St. John for working commuters and after school activities. •developing a phased approach to subdivision development for entry to mid level housing for young families.

A16 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Local News

Northern B.C. sawmill workers start rotating strikes

Site C workforce climbs to 3,500 Employment on BC Hydro’s Site C dam continues to grow, with 3,561 workers in August 2018. That’s up from 3,303 workers in July, according to the latest employment report released last week. There were 757 Peace Region residents on site employed as construction and non-construction contractors, or roughly 21 per cent of the project’s total workforce. Local workers make up 26 per cent of the construction and nonconstruction workforce total of 2,911 workers, which includes work at the dam site, on transmission corridors, reservoir clearing, public roadworks, and camp accommodations. There were a total of 2,856 workers, 80 per cent, from B.C. in construction and non-construction contractors, engineers and project team jobs. BC Hydro reports six temporary foreign workers employed on the project in July, along with 132 apprentices, 297 First Nations people, and 464 women. The bulk of the project’s construction and non-construction workforce continues to be heavy equipment operators, with just over 700 employed on the project. There were another 440 labourers and 250 carpenters and scaffolders. Workforce numbers are collected monthly from contractors, which are also required under contract to report on indigenous inclusion and women participation on the project. The figures do not include indirect or induced employment, BC Hydro says, while figures are not broken down by full-time or parttime work. — Alaska Highway News

bc hydro photo

Testing concrete at the Site C dam site on the south bank of the Peace River, July 2018.

bc hydro photo

Main service bay pad and powerhouse buttress construction on the south bank, August 2018.

Northern B.C. sawmill workers began rotating strikes Tuesday morning when a picket line went up at Tolko’s Lakeview Lumber in Williams Lake. The move is an escalation of job action by members of United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 after invoking a ban on overtime last week on all 13 operations represented by Conifer. “This is step two of our process and currently our plan is to continue and maintain doing rotating strikes throughout the Conifer member companies,” Local 1-2017 business agent Brian O’Rourke said. Members have been in a legal strike position since October 6. The sides are at odds over a new contract. Conifer is offering annual wage increases ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 per cent over five years and is also seeking a series of concessions. The USW counters that given the high price producers have been attracting for their product, employees deserve better. O’Rourke declined to say where picket lines will go up next. “But our plan is to strategically hit these employers and put on some pressure to get them back to the table,” he said. The sides are negotiating on behalf of 13 sawmills that employee roughly 1,600 workers: Canfor’s PG Sawmill and Isle Pierre operations as well as its sawmills in Houston and Fort St. John; Lakeland Mills in Prince George; Dunkley Lumber Ltd. south of Hixon; Conifex’s mills in Fort St. James and Mackenzie; Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake; Tolko’s Lakeview Lumber and Soda Creek mills in Williams Lake and Quest Wood in Quesnel; and West Fraser’s Williams Lake Planer. — Prince George Citizen

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Sports & Leisure npss sports update

wolsey wins world title

Sports B3

THURSDAY october 18, 2018

9224-100 Street, Fort St. John, V1J 3X2

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Goalie Tyler McArthur and defenceman Connor Kindrat led the Trackers to a 3-0 lead over the Fort McMurray Barons at the North Peace Arena on Oct. 12.

NEBC Trackers start season 6-0, lead NAHL in goals for and against dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

The 2016-17 season was the NEBC Trackers’ best in franchise history, with a NAHL regular season record of 21-7-4, and 31 wins overall including playoffs and provincials. Through six games of the 2017-18 season, the Trackers (6-0) are on pace to shatter that regular season record. This Trackers team has been mostly untested to start the year, and leads the league in goals (29) and fewest goals against (5). That’s less than one goal allowed per game. Their only close game so far was a 2-1 win over the Wainwright Polar Kings in the second game of the season on Sept. 29. “We’re off to a great start, no complaints on our end,” said Trackers Head Coach Gerard Dicaire. Despite losing its top three scorers from last season, the team has rolled right along thanks to its scoring depth. They have five of the league’s top 12 players in scoring so far. Defenceman and new captain Connor Kindrat leads the team in scoring with nine points, all assists. Kurtis Lee has eight points, including a team-high six goals, and Nathan Brownlee has eight points as well. Devan Minard and Duncan Ross each have seven points to start the season. “Last year our overall talent and skill level was higher, but this year our work ethic is through the roof. We’re deep throughout the lineup — last year we relied on five guys to do the scoring for us, this year everyone’s chipping in,” said Dicaire. Dicaire said players such as former captain Curtis Hammond, Aiden Craig-Steele, and Connor Bowie are still missed. However, the team is an older group this year, which has helped sustain the same, if not better, level of play as last year’s team. Along with Kindrat, the team’s leadership group is made up of alternate captains Ross, Tyler Turner, Nick Loewen, and Logan Kimmie. Starting goalie Tyler McArthur and 15-year-old rookie Landon Hatton, the Trackers backup, instill a sense of confidence in net with four and two wins each, respectively. The Trackers get a much deserved

We would like to thank the following for contributing to the dillon giancola photo

Captain Connor Kindrat is the leader of the Trackers both in the locker room and in points, with nine assists.

weekend off this week, and resume play with two games in Fort McMurray against the Barons, Oct. 27 and 28. The Trackers got one of their long road trips out of the way to start the season, and have just 16 road games left to go with 10 home games. The team got an unfair shake this year when the league decided to give the team an uneven schedule of only 12 home games compared to 20 on the road. They enjoyed an even 16 home, 16 away schedule last year, but teams complained about the travel, something which has motivated the Trackers to play even harder this season. “These teams are trying to make it harder on us, so that’s all the more reason to go to their towns and beat them,” Dicaire said. The team’s success isn’t going unnoticed. The website myhockeyrankings.com has the Trackers ranked third amongst all Western Canada midget teams, including triple A teams. “I don’t look too much into those rankings, but it’s good for the boys to see they are getting recognized for the work they’re putting in and winning hockey games. It’s not all about winning, but it sure makes it fun when you do,” Dicaire said.

17th Annual Ronald McDonald Golf Tournament that took place July 6th at the

Lone Wolf Golf Course We would not be successful without your gracious donations and sponsorships.

MAJOR SPONSORS • Epscan • Enbridge • BC Hydro • Pomeroy Lodging • STEP Energy • McDonald’s Restaurants (PBR Enterprises)

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• Painted Pony Energy • Ronald McDonald House Charities • Local 258 IBEW British Columbia • Macro Industries & Yukon • VE Brandl • Ronald McDonald • 7C Contracting House Charities • Alaska Highway Northern Alberta News

HOLE/EVENT SPONSORS: • Peace Country Filtration • Highland Helicopters • Techmation Electric & Controls • Acklands Grainger • Raven Oilfield Rentals • Spartan Controls • Sharp Instruments

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TOTAL RAISED $46,825 We would also like to say thank you to Lone Wolf Golf Course and staff for helping to make the day a success.

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B2 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Local hockey

Fort St. John Huskies holding Women’s Cancer Awareness Night

Huskies player of the week Alex Nimmo Position: Right wing

Dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

Hometown: Prince George Height: 5’9 Wieght: 165 lbs 2018 stats: 4 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 P Age and year with Huskies: 18 First year (NWJHL rookie) Favourite NHL team: Montreal Canadiens Favourite NHL player and why: “P.K. Subban. I like how explosive he is, and how offensively minded he is for a defenceman. He’s hardworking and fun to watch. On playing junior hockey: “It’s a lot faster. Everyone’s big, fast and can shoot way better than what I’m used to.” On how he’s fit wit in with the team so far: “My linemates Gary (Loewen) and Teagan (McMullen) are playing really well, and I think we’ve been great through two games together. I’m focusing on being in the right spots, and following (coach Todd Alexander’s) system is really helping my game.” On the Huskies’ potential: “We’re finally clicking. If we play the same way we did two weekends ago we can beat any team in this league.”

Busy stretch ahead for Huskies Dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Huskies, in fourth place, are in the midst of a stretch where they’ll play four games in eight days. They took on the third place Sexsmith Vipers (3-3) on Oct. 17, after press time. This weekend, the Huskies are on the road for two games, including their first match of the season against the Dawson Creek Junior Canucks on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. The Canucks were first place with a 6-2 record heading into the weekend.

Dawson Creek is averaging five goals a game and three goals against through eight games this season, while Fort St. John has averaged four goals and four goals against prior to the game against Sexsmith. On Sunday, Oct. 21, the Huskies will be in Grande Prairie to take on the Kings. The Kings have struggled to start the season, and were 1-5 heading into this weekend’s slate of games. The Huskies don’t return home until Wednesday, Oct. 24, when they host the Canucks at 8 p.m.

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The Fort St. John Huskies rely on community support to help them be successful, both on and off the ice. That’s why the organization is making an effort to increase the amount of community fundraiser events it’s hosting this season. The team’s first event of the 2018-19 season is the Women’s Cancer Awareness Night on Wednesday, October 24 at North Peace Arena, during its game against the Dawson Creek Junior Canucks. “We have a unique situation where we’ll able to consistently bring more than 300 people under one roof, and it allows us to support the community. It’s a chance to make some new fans, while also providing the community a chance to be involved and participate,” said Huskies Special Events Coordinator Sabrina Trobak. Through two games this season, an average of 350 fans are coming out to watch the games. The team hosted a similar event last season, raising $2,300. The players will be wearing their pink jerseys for the occasion, and will be donating $500 from ticket sales, as well as 25 per cent of the total money raised from the 50-50 raffle. There were also be pink ribbons that fans can purchase by donation,

and a spinning wheel and raffle table for prizes, with all the money raised from those activities being donated as well. The donation will be made to the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation, which will allocate the money towards purchasing new technology to help identify and treat patients with cancer. Fans at the game will also be able to take pictures in front of a frame made specifically for the occasion, and those who wear pink to the arena will receive a free spin on the prize wheel. Trobak said ideally the team would host the event on a Saturday, but as October is Women’s Cancer Awareness Month, Oct. 24 is the only home game that would work. The team hosted two events last year, the aforementioned cancer awareness game, and a free skate fundraiser to help victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which raised $10,000. The Huskies are hosting a total of three events this year. There will be a Movember game night in November to raise money for men’s health awareness, and an event in January to help support the local SPCA. “We’re excited to be doing things a bit differently this year and have heard lots of positive feedback from the community,” said Trobak.

Senior Flyers drop preseason game 7-3, play again Saturday The Fort St. John Senior Flyers had their first test of the preseason, seeing many of their new players put on a Flyers jersey for the first time. The Flyers outshot the Dawson Creek Senior Canucks 39-33, but fell behind early and were never in the game, losing 7-3.

Jordan Harder, Daylen Pearson and Lien Miller-Jeannotte scored for Fort St. John. The two teams will play another exhibition game on Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m., this time in Fort St. John at the North Peace Arena.

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

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B4 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

LOCAL SPORTS

It’s hard rooting for a frontrunner

obody told me this would be hard. You’re friends never bring up the way your identity seems to evaporate in four short months. I’m talking about what happens when you suddenly find yourself —after decades slumming it with losers — cheering for the favourites in a particular sport. My favourite teams, all of which I’ve been a fan of for 20-plus years, have always sucked. Whether it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams, or Toronto Blue Jays, I was constantly reminded of how good things were before my time and how grim things were in the present. 1967, Joe Carter’s home run, the greatest show on turf. These phrases all serve to show that it’s been a long time since my teams were good, and they all happened mostly when I was six years old or younger. I can’t remember anything from when I was six, except for how my parents stopped letting me watch Teenage Ninja Turtles in Grade One because it was getting “too dark.” Of course, the Blue Jays made the

Dillon Giancola THE DILL ZONE

playoffs in 2015 and 2016, but they weren’t exactly favourites. And while the Toronto Raptors are in the middle of the best stretch in franchise history, they were never expected to actually win a title. But all of a sudden, both the Los Angeles Rams and Toronto Maple Leafs are not only really good, they both look like top two teams in their respective sports, and everybody expects them to make the finals or Super Bowl. Plus, the Raptors might actually be good this year and have the second best odds to make the NBA Finals. Maybe the backlash is coming, but right now, I can’t listen to a podcast or

visit any sports website without hearing how good a job these teams have done at building a roster and how they smart they are. What is happening? Are these the same Rams? The Leafs blew a 4-1 lead with 10 minutes left in Game Seven like four years ago. Have we forgotten that so quickly? The weirdest part is I don’t even have to defend my teams to my friends. Sure, many of them root against these teams just because they don’t want me to be happy, but they don’t actually think the Rams or Leafs will lose. The other day I was being a nuisance as per usual, talking smack to my friends and praising the Leafs. I was fully prepared for the onslaught to come, and the list of reasons for why I was an idiot. Except that didn’t happen. I even pointed this out to them, and one guy just said, “well of course the Leafs are good, they lost for so long and had great draft picks.” I think he meant that as an insult, but the fact is, he’s absolutely right. It’s also the main way

that teams get better. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and L.A. Kings all lost for a long time, drafted great players, then became dynasties. Have you ever felt this way, grizzled from years of disappointment and failure, only to discover that toughness is no longer needed? I think this is what happiness feels like. I look in the mirror, and I see myself smiling back at me. “Stop that,” I say, “it’s weird.” I realize it’s dumb to complain about this. I also realize that both these teams could choke and disappoint me once again. Win or lose, it won’t be long before I find myself in the same situation I’ve been in countless times before, reminiscing about the way things were, when the Rams scored 30 points a game and people thought the Maple Leafs were great. Who am I kidding, that’s never going to happen.

Bert Bowes Cross Country Bash Bert Bowes School hosted the Bert Bowes Cross Country Bash on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Surerus Ball Diamonds.

Results

6. Liam Tirador 30:21 Ron Pettigrew Christian School

Junior Girls 4.2km

1. Kenzie Chilcott 17:57 NPSS 2. Leigh Hedges 18:00 NPSS 3. Jordynn McPherson 18:39 NPSS 4. Freya Jarnagin 18:46 Heritage Online Christian School

1. Elenor Copes 18:06 Bert Bowes 2. Isabel Amboe 18:20 Clearview 3. Melodie Kemp 20:05 Bert Bowes 4. Stella Jarnagin 20:31 HCOS 5. Shayne Turner 21:20 BB 6. Makenna Armstrong 21:40 BB 7. Madeline Perett 22:01 BB 8. Jessica Rude 22:45 DCSS

Senior Girls 5.6km

Junior Boys 4.2km

1. Jenna Mezaros 27:12 DCSS

1. Kane Schreiner 16:48 BB 2. Nathan Jackle 17:19 BB 3. Chase Cope 18:11 CV 4. Melvin Jarnagin 18:36 HCOS 5. Jimmy Watchel 19:05 Dr. Kearney 6. Mason Maddigan 19:08 BB 7. Declan Ross 19:58 DCSS 8. Lucas Wuthrich 20:30 HCOS 9. David Schulz 22:42 DCSS

Senior Girls 4.2km

Senior Boys 5.6 km 1. Adam Wangler 20:48 DCSS 2. Jack Wright 21:12 DCSS 3. Quinlan Snider 22:09 NPSS 4. Landon McKenzie 23:06 DCSS 5. Carter Collins 23:46 NPSS

DONNA HEDGES PHOTO

NPSS cross country runners.

10. Ethan Scoullar 24:05 HCOS 11. Blake Willich 24:58 DCSS 12. Justin Armishaw 35:35 BB

3. Katy King 11:29 Upper Pine

Elementary Girls 1.99km

1. Ryder Hunt 7:57 CM Finch 2. Cael Shuffler 8:08 CMF 3. Marcus Peterson 8:58 UP 4. Simon Jones 9:13 HCOS

1. Elsa Wuthrich (TIE) 9:04 HCOS 1.. Abby Wuthrich (TIE) 9:04 HCOS 2. Israel teBulte 9:34 Alwin Holland

Elementary Boys 1.99 km

Silver Willow

4-H Report

Hello readers,

Another season of 4-H is about to start!

While some people think of this time as the end of the year, 4-H members know that this is just the beginning of the year. All the clubs are arranging dates for meetings and events, and most members have thought out which projects they want to do, and making all the necessary arrangements. Some members have already picked their animals out and bought them. Today I am going to tell you some of the many opportunities that 4-H can offer to you. If you are a farm kid like me, you get to socialize with kids your age who you have something in common with. You get to practice

Bella Lucas-Jarnagin Silver Willow 4H Club Reporter meetings, elections and public speaking! You can be elected for a really cool job like Safety ofﬁcer, Press Reporter, Secretary, Treasurer, Barn Decorator, Vice President, or Club President. If you are a 4-H high school student, 4-H can offer scholarships. 4-H also does trips for all ages and for varying activities. The 4-H clubs also have judging rallies, where you learn to assess animals physical qualities and place them accordingly. I would like to ﬁnish off this article by saying that I really enjoy 4-H and all that it has to offer. I think that anyone who has ever been involved in 4-H will know what I mean, and if you haven’t been in 4-H, I cannot possibly tell you how highly I recommend joining. Bella Lucas-Jarnagin, Silver Willow 4-H Club Reporter

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B5

Local Sports

Trapper Wolsey wins jet boat world championship, Gord Humphrey second

MT Actions photography

Trapper Wolsey receives his championship certificate from world championship officials on October 13.

dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

After the final race at the 2018 World Jet Boat Championship in Mexico, Trapper Wolsey thought he finished second in the CX class. But in proof that anything can happen in sports, Wolsey was declared the world champion after Christopher Cueto was disqualified. Though he led the class over Cueto for the first seven legs, Wolsey blew his engine on the eighth, and lost a half hour of time. He was able to get his boat back on the water for the final day, but still had trouble in the final leg. He would finish

the event with a total time of five hours, five minutes and 12 seconds, way back of Cueto’s 4:23:12 time. Still, Wolsey faced the adversity head on, and was determined to finish legs nine and 10. That determination is what earned him the win, since the next closest time in the CX class was 5:52:30. Gord Humphrey was just minutes away from winning the Unlimited Class championship, coming in second to Chad Burns. Humphrey was first in his class through five legs. However, on the sixth leg, he lost 10 minutes to Burns due to mechanical issues. Humphrey was able to

fix his boat by the start of the next leg, and would win the final four legs. He would end up just three minutes behind Burns with a time of 3:08:09 to Burns’ 3:05:40. It was almost the best case scenario for the two Peace Country River Rat racers, just narrowly missing out on two world championships. Both Wolsey and Humphrey were unavailable for comment when the News went to press as they were out of the country. The 2019 Jet Boat World Championships will take place in Canada.

Bantram Trackers earn team’s first-ever win, begin regular season dillon giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca

The North East Zone Bantam Trackers were in Canal Flats over the weekend for three games against East Kootenay Ice. The first, an exhibition, saw the Trackers earn their first win as a team, as they were previously 0-2-2 in preseason play. They beat the Ice 6-4. Colby Busche scored two goals, while Auston Flemming, Samuel Loewen, Grayden Alexander and Kash Pittam all had a goal each. On Saturday, Oct. 13, for the first game of

the B.C. Bantam Zone league’s regular season, the Trackers again beat the Ice, this time 4-3. Loewen had two more goals, and Reid Arberry and Jordan LaGreca also scored. A.J. Fanning was terrific in net, stopping 32 of 35 shots. On Sunday, despite being outshot 49-27, the Ice finally beat the Trackers by a score of 4-3. Dillon Neufeld, Finley Gibb and Zackary Ryan scored for the Trackers. It was a great start to the season, as the Trackers showed off their skill and depth, with 10 different players scoring a goal.

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We’ve got the news covered! From local events to top stories that affect you, we will ensure that you are kept in touch with happenings in our area.

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Justin Donally, Nick Young, Lincoln Pomeroy, Brayden Sims, Kayden Parent, and Leo Sullivan at the Ballroom Boxing event in Grande Prairie on Oct. 13. Young won his fight against Louis Petra by unanimous decision, improving his record to 16-4. Parent lost a close fight by split decision to fall to 1-2. Sims and Pomeroy both fought intense, lively exhibition bouts.

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B6 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

LOCAL SPORTS

Huskies to play two games at inaugural NWJHL Showcase DILLON GIANCOLA sports@ahnfsj.ca

All six NWJHL teams will have a new opportunity to show off their talent at the NWJHL Showcase, Nov. 9 to 11, just outside of Grande Prairie. Each team will play a regular season game on both the Saturday and Sunday, in front of scouts from Western Canada and fans from all over the Peace Region. The Huskies will play the County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m., and the Fairview Flyers on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. The event was thought up between the teams and the league executive as a way to make it easier and more enticing for scouts from Junior A and collegiate level teams to come see the type of players that compete in the NWJHL. Invites have been sent out to scouts from the AJHL, SJHL, MJHL and BCHL, amongst others. The games will be played at the Crosslink County Sportsplex in Clairmont, AB, home of the Kings. “Our league has been gaining more and more attention the past couple years and it’s important to keep this momentum going. We’re trying to put our players in a good position to move on to the Junior A and collegiate levels, which we’ve had some success with lately,” said Huskies President Mike Bacso. This past offseason alone saw Jarod Lang, Zak Babin,

Dane Bateman and Sebastian Powsey all move on to play a higher level of hockey. Since it’s the first year of the event, Bacso cautioned that it might take some time for this showcase to catch on, but is hopeful scouts will make the effort and that the event grows in the years to come. Bacso urged Huskies fans to make the trip to watch a couple games and help make the team feel at home. The showcase also provides Huskies management to do a little scouting and notetaking of their own and learn a bit more about the other teams in the league. NWJHL Showcase Schedule: November 10 Fairview Flyers vs Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks, 1 p.m. Sexsmith Vipers vs North Peace Navigators, 4 p.m. Fort St. John Huskies vs County of Grande Prairie Kings, 8 p.m. November 11 Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks vs Sexsmith Vipers, 10 a.m. Fort St. John Huskies vs Fairview Flyers, 1 p.m. North Peace Navigators vs County of Grande Prairie Kings, 4 p.m.

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.

AUSTIN COZICAR PHOTO

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

HOROSCOPE ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 19) A conversation with a female acquaintance could be important today. This person might convince you to slightly change your goals for the future. TAURUS (APRIL 20 TO MAY 20) You might want to know that you are high-viz today, which means other people notice you, especially bosses, parents, VIPs and the police. (Do not be caught off guard.) GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) Try to do something different today. Shake up your plans and veer away from your daily routine so that you can have some adventure and a chance to learn something new. CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) Discussions about inheritances, shared property, taxes and debt might take place today. Of course, you will stay tuned, because you are not casual about money. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Because the Moon today is opposite your sign, you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. This means you have to be cooperative and charming. Easy! VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) Focus on how to get better organized today. And likewise, focus on how you can improve your health. You might have to give extra attention to the needs of a pet.

For Thursday October 18 2018

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) This is a playful, fun-loving day! Flirtations, romantic adventures, sports events and fun activities with children are tops on your menu. Enjoy!

Whether to Fill Parents In

Dear Annie: I wrote to you several months ago. I’m “Trapped by Parents.” I have a disability that has caused me SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) to have great difficulty in both A conversation with a family obtaining and retaining jobs. member, probably a female, will The resulting lack of income be important today. Meanwhile, has forced me to live with my you will be happy to cocoon at parents. My parents are obhome and hide. You need a rest. sessed with the idea that emSAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) ployment is the only answer. In conversations with others Yet many others have sugtoday, you want to get right gested that I apply for Social down to the nitty-gritty of things. Security Disability Insurance. You don’t want to waste time in My parents have the key to superficial chitchat. You want the safe-deposit box with the the real skinny. needed documents and have been refusing to let me access CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) it. I took your advice and quiFinancial matters are on your etly ordered my own copies mind today. Therefore, check your bank account. Perhaps you through the relevant agencies. Meanwhile, I have applied for need to take care of something disability and will soon have a you own. Think about these hearing. Should I be successthings. ful in obtaining it, do you have AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) any suggestions about how Today the Moon is in your to tell my parents? -- Behind sign, which brings you a little Their Backs bit of extra good luck. (But it also makes you a bit more emotional.) PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MARCH 20) It will please you to work alone or behind the scenes today, because you need a moment to catch your breath. It’s fun socializing, but you need to get grounded.

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue skate at the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek on Oct. 13 as part of the Thank You Canada Tour.

Dear Behind: The best prophet of the future is the past, and considering the way your parents held your documents hostage before, I think you’d be wise to keep your plans to yourself for the time being. You are an adult, and you do not have to disclose your every decision to your

ogy not to say “it’s OK” but instead to say “I appreciate your apology, but I’ll believe that you mean it when you change Annie your actions.” Words are nice, Lane but they’re meaningless unDEAR ANNIE less the individual truly shows parents, especially when it he or she is sorry by choosing would very likely create fur- not to repeat the offense. ther tension and strife for evJSH: I grew up in the rural eryone involved. It’s not dishonesty; it’s privacy. Perhaps South. The word “sorry” was you can be more open with sometimes used to reference them in the future, once you someone who was considare settled and have estab- ered lazy or unmotivated. For lished healthy boundaries. example, “a sorry, good-forBest of luck with your hearing. nothing slob.” So I was taught to use “I apologize” to make Dear Readers: Recently, amends instead, as the word I printed a letter from “Pau- “sorry” carried a very different lie,” who wonders why people connotation that one should sometimes say “I apologize” not use to describe his or her instead of “I’m sorry.” She own character. thinks the former is less sinM. BROWN: “Sorry” is an cere than the latter. I told her that I was sure I’d hear from a adjective; “apologize” is a lot of readers on this subject, verb. Linguistically, verbs are and hear I did. The following stronger than adjectives, beare a few different takes on the cause verbs state actions and adjectives just modify nouns. topic. So an act to “apologize” conLONGTIME TEACHER: veys a stronger position than As a schoolteacher for 28- feeling “sorry.” plus years, I always tried to Send your questions for Annie Lane to get children to own their re- dearannie@creators.com. To find out sponsibility in situations and more about Annie Lane and read features “apologize” or say “I’m sorry.” by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators And I reminded the person Syndicate website at www.creators.com. who was receiving the apol- COPYRIGHT 2017 CREATORS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B7

Coffee Corner

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Unique design for that empty nester, traveller, or someone looking for simple living with this single level townhouse.

150-acre property located on Charlie Lake-offering approximately 500 meters of water- 10.87 acres of prime R5 land with a 48x60’ front bordered by rock cliffs on both sides. shop/garage 13 minutes NW of Fort St John.

TODAYS PUZZLE

Over 1300 sq. ft. per floor and 5 bedrooms, this home has so much to offer for the price.

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

• • • • • • • • • • • •

ACRYLIC ADHESION ARCHITRAVE BINDER BLISTERING BRUSHES BUCKET BULKHEAD CAULKING CEILING COAT CLOTH

• • • • • • • • • • • •

CUT IN DESIGN DROP DRYING ENAMEL EXTENSION POLE FINISH FLAKING FLAT GALLON GLOSS LOAD

• • • • • • • • • • • •

MOLDING OIL PAINT PREPARATION PRIMER ROLLER RUNS SEALER SHEEN SPATTER TAPE WALL

Help Harry the ghost find his way to the mansion.

43. Soviet composer 44. Dove into 45. Famed Broadway producer 49. Leavened bread 50. Ruling family House of __ 51. Planet 53. Publicity 54. Manifesting approval 56. Fern genus 58. Larry and Curly’s pal 59. Company officer 60. Expressed loathing for 63. Birthplace of Constantine 64. People from Asia 65. “Hercules” voice Donovan CLUES DOWN 1. Central hall or court 2. Italian city 3. All there 4. Seamstress’s tool

5. Sends after 6. Used in herbal medicine 7. Specific gravity 8. A male 9. Hydroxyls + 2C 10. Trigonometric function 13. Archaic language (abbr.) 14. East African native 15. Satisfy 20. Mother 21. Where innate impulses are processed

PREVIOUS PUZZLES ANSWERS

CLUES ACROSS 1. Hindu month 5. Fashion accessories 11. Prong 12. Clever 16. Network of nerves 17. Helps the police (abbr.) 18. Russian lake 19. Not allowed into evidence 24. Indicates position 25. Without clothes 26. Geological times 27. Folk singer DiFranco 28. Buddy 29. __ but don’t break 30. Father 31. Cast a shadow over 33. Afghan city 34. Concluding speech 38. Type of creed 39. French Revolution image “The Death of __” 40. Syrian president al-__

FINISH

TODAY’S PUZZLE

22. “Rule, Britannia” composer 23. Not good 27. Swiss river 29. A-Team member Baracus 30. Calendar month 31. Drunk 32. Mercury 33. Concealed 34. Give forth 35. Contradiction in terms 36. Middle Eastern country 37. On the __ 38. Sodium 40. One who attended a school 41. Supporters 42. South Dakota 44. American brewer Adams, Sr. 45. Type of attorney 46. Absence of oxygen 47. Most sheer 48. Human soul, mind or spirit 50. Flies high above 51. University of Dayton 52. Dorm moderator (abbr.) 54. Intestinal pouches 55. Assents to 57. Delaware 61. Robots are a byproduct of this 62. Tantalum

START

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B8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

When You Are Out in the Field,

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B9

Community

“People who walk through the doors of societies like this are taking a big step, it’s life changing.” — Melanie Mark, advanced education minister

Northern B.C. literacy programs receive $126,000 in provincial funding •

matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Northern Lights College has received $126,000 from the province to support community adult literacy programs in Northeast B.C. Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark announced the funding Oct. 12 in Fort St. John. Funds will flow from Northern Lights College through to the following groups: • Fort St. John Literacy Society — $24,780 • Dawson Creek Literacy Society — $15,532 • Fort Nelson community Literacy Society — $43,162 • Chetwynd Public Library — $13,088 • Tumbler Ridge Public Library — $12,882 • Tlingit Family Learning Centre — $10,793

Dease Lake Reading Centre — $5,830 “People who walk through the doors of societies like this are taking a big step, it’s life changing,” Mark said. “We don’t want to always acknowledge some of our weaknesses, or how we go there or why we got there, but there are 700,000 people in British Columbia that have literacy challenges.” In Fort St. John, the community adult literacy program supported 26 people over the last year. “The programs we offer to people respond directly to their learning needs so they can move forward, unlock their potential and contribute to our community,” said Jessica Kalman, executive director and of the Fort St. John Literacy Society. “It’s exciting to see literacy in our community improve and people achieve their goals, whether it’s getting a driver’s licence, writing an exam or just building up their confidence.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched matt preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

The Fort St. John Literacy Society is looking to put a book a month into the hands of local children over the first five years of their lives. The society has officially launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Fort St. John and the North Peace. The society is the regional affiliate for the program, which will deliver a book a month to registered kids in the first five years of their life. By the time they turn five, they’ll have 60 books in their library. “We are thrilled to bring this amazing program to Fort St. John, and look forward to getting children enrolled” said Jessica Kalman, executive director, in a news release. Enrolment forms can be found at the Fort St. John Literacy Society’s office and

website, or at: imaginationlibrary.com/ ca/affiliate/BCFORTSTJOHN. All children that are enrolled before Nov. 1 will receive their first welcome book in December. The program is being supported by donations from Pembina Pipeline and BC Hydro. BC Hydro contributed $10,000 towards both the Imagination Library program as well as expanding the society’s tutoring program to include more spots for learners under 18. Pembina Pipeline has donated $22,000 towards the Imagination Library, as well as financial and nutritional literacy programs, Kalman said. “Thanks to generous donations from Pembina Pipeline and BC Hydro, this program is funded for the first year, depending on enrolment numbers; and we are now at the point where we can start getting kids signed up” said Kalman.

matt preprost photo

B.C. Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark with Northern Lights College President Bryn Kulmatycki, Oct. 12, 2018.

St. Matthias c hurch celebrates 80 years The St. Matthias Anglican Church will celebrate 80 years this Sunday, Oct. 21. From The Chuch of St. Matthias Memory Book:

Ten years later, with the money supplied by the Fellowship of the West, this log church at Cecil Lake was erected. The two acres of land on which the Red Cross Hospital and then the church was built was donated by Jim Hill, later the transfer was finalized by Peter and Dorthea Smith when they purchased this land. It was designed by Rev. Russel Brown, a rector of this parish from 1936 to 1940. It was named after the Church of St. Matthias, Westmount Montreal, Quebec, from whence the help came.”

“The first real pioneers of the Anglican Church in the North Peace were Miss Hasell and Miss Sayle of The Caravan Sunday School Mission. They came to Pouce Coupe in 1928 to scout the area for expansion of their mission. The roads north of the Peace River being impassable for their van, they proceeded on foot, visiting around Fort St. John and as There will be a service at the church far west as Hudson’s Hope. They found no good roads, no bridges, no churches, on Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. A potluck dinner at schools or hospital but many new settlers the Cecil Lake Community Hall will folwith need of a church. The first services low the service. were held in settler’s homes or in open Everyone is welcome. fields nearby.

FORT ST. JOHN & DISTRICT CHURCH DIRECTORY

ANGLICAN CHURCH of CANADA NoRTH PEACE PARISH Please join us at our temporary location at the Peace Lutheran Church @ 1:30pm Ph: 250-785-6471 “All are Invited and Welcome Here” - (Luke 14:23) SERVICES St. Martin’s, fort St. John, BC Sundays 1:30 p.m. Rev. farai Mutamiri ********** Church of the Good Shepherd Taylor, BC - Sundays 10:00 a.m. ********** St. Matthias, Cecil Lake, BC 3rd Sun. of the Month 3:00 p.m. Holy Communion BAHA’I fAITH BAHA’I fAITH National Baha’i Information 1-800-433-3284 Regular Firesides Mondays @ 8:00 p.m. Deepenings continued Wednesdays at 250-787-0089 Next Feast Info. 250-787-0089 ********** BAPTIST CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH 9607-107th Ave., fSJ Ph. (Office) 250-785-4307 Pastor: Michael Hayes Associate Pastor: Doug Janzen SUNDAY WoRSHIP SERVICE 10:30AM ********** CATHoLIC RoMAN CATHoLIC CHURCH (Resurrection Church) Pastor: Rev. Louis Kwena Phone 250-785-3413 www.fsjresurrectionchurch.com MASSES: Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sunday - 10:00 a.m. oNLY OFFICE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. BAPTISM: Contact the Pastor 3 months before baptism. MARRIAGES: Contact the Pastor 6 months before the wedding. ********** ALLIANCE CHURCH 9804-99 Ave., fort St. John, BC V1J 3T8 Ph: 250-785-4644 fax: 250-785-8932 e-mail: office@fsjalliance.ca www.fsjalliance.ca SUNDAY WoRSHIP SERVICE: 9:15am & 11:00am KIDVILLE: for ages 2yrs.-Gr.6 @ 9:15am **********

CoMMUNITY CHURCH CHARLIE LAKE CoMMUNITY CHURCH Associate Pastor: Jared Braun 250-785-1723 fax: 250-785-4136 clcc@pris.ca SUNDAY SCHooL: 10:40am SUNDAY WoRSHIP: 10:40am 1st left turn off Alaska Highway past the Charlie Lake Store. ********** PEACE CoMMUNITY CHURCH 10556-100th Street, Taylor, BC Pastor: Wally Pohlmann Phone: 250-789-3045 HoURS: 9:00am-Noon Monday-Wednesday & friday Email: office@taylorchurch.ca Website: www.taylorchurch.ca SUNDAY ADULT CLASS - 9:30am SUNDAY WoRSHIP SERVICE - 10:30am ********** EVANGELICAL foRT ST. JoHN EVANGELICAL MISSIoN 8220-89th Avenue, fSJ Pastor: Andy Wiebe Sunday School September-June begins at 9:30am Sunday mornings. Worship Service - 10:45am Phone: 250-787-2550 ******* INTERDENoMINATIoNAL UPPER PINE GoSPEL CHAPEL Church Phone: 250-827-3833 Email: upgc@pris.ca Board Chairman: Andy Burkholder 250-827-3811 Box 66, Rose Prairie, BC ********** LUTHERAN PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 9812-108th Avenue, fort St. John, BC V1J 2R3 Office Phone: 250-785-2718 Pastor: Rev. Kebede Dibaba Regular Worship Schedule: 9:00am Youth, Adult Bible Study 10:00am Sunday Worship Service & Sunday School ********** PEACE RIVER MUSLIM ASSoCIATIoN Information: 250-787-1264 Jumm’a (Friday) Prayer @ 1:00pm 203-10903-100th Street, fort St. John, BC email: tahermorsi@shaw.ca ********** MENNoNITE NoRTH PEACE MENNoNITE BRETHREN CHURCH North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church 10816 106 St. fort St. John, BC V1J 5V2 250-785-3869 Lead Pastor: Andrew Eby Associate Pastor of Youth & Young Adults: Don Banman SUNDAY SERVICE TIMES: 9:15am & 11:00am **********

MENNoNITE MoNTNEY MENNoNITE CHURCH SUNDAY MoRNING: Sunday School & Worship: 9:30am SUNDAY EVENING: 2nd & 4th Sundays: 7:00pm Everyone Welcome! Pastor Warren Martin Phone: (250) 827-3231 ********** NoNDENoMINATIoNAL CHRISTIAN LIfE CENTRE “Associated with “Fellowship of Christian Assemblies” “King Jesus is Lord Over the Peace” 8923-112th Avenue, fort St. John, BC V1J 6G2 website: www.christianlifefsj.ca Ph: 250-785-4040 fax: 250-785-4021 Pastor Steve Oboh Principal of Christian Life School: Garry Jones Everyone Welcome Sunday Morning Worship Service: 10:00am Nursery available and Sunday School is held during the sermon for ages 3-12 years. Christian Life Centre is “Home of Christian Life School” ********** foRT ST. JoHN NATIVE BIBLE fELLoWSHIP Sunday Worship: 11:00am Wed., Night Bible Study: 7:30pm Pastor John A Giesbrecht 250-785-0127 ********** GIDEoNS INTERNATIoNAL Fort St. John Camp Ray Hein 250-827-3636 John Giesbrecht 250-785-0127 ********** NoRTHERN LIGHTS CHURCH INTERNATIoNAL (Rose Prairie, BC Sunday Service: Pre-Service Prayer: 10:30am Worship Service: 11:00am Everyone Welcome ********** THE SHELTER CHURCH “...the Lord will be a shelter for His people” Joel 3:6 9808-98A Ave. fort St. John, BC 250-785-3888 SUNDAY SERVICE: 10am Pastor: Oral Benterud 250-785-9151 ********** PENTECoSTAL THE PENTECoSTALS of foRT ST. JoHN Phone: 250-787-9888 Pastor: Jason McLaughlin Sunday 10am Service, Sunday School Youth Sunday 11am Worship Service Tuesday 7pm Prayer Wednesday 7pm Bibile Study Friday 7pm Youth **********

PENTECoSTAL ASSEMBLIES of CANADA EVANGEL CHAPEL 10040-100 St., fort St. John Phone: 250-785-3386 Fax: 250-785-8345 Lead Pastor: Tony Warriner Sunday Services: 9:30am, 11:00am www.evangelfsj.com ********** The Journey 10011-100 St., fort St. John Phone: 250-785-6254 Pastor: Larry Lorentz Services: Sundays: 10:30am Tuesdays: 7:00pm **********

PRESBYTERIAN fort St. John Presbyterian Church 9907-98th St., fort St. John, BC Phone: 250-785-2482 fax: 250-785-2482 12:30 p.m. - Pie and Coffee 1:00 p.m. - Worship Service Everyone is invited to participate ********** REfoRMED TRINITY CoVENANT CHURCH Sunday Service: 10:00am Meets at the The Plaza 8111 100th Ave fort St. John, BC Elder: Desmond Jones Phone: 250-785-8289 www.trinitycovenant.ca matthew@trinitycovenant.ca Affiliated with C.R.E.C. ********** THE SALVATIoN ARMY THE SALVATIoN ARMY Sunday Worship Service: 10:30am 10116-100th Ave., fort St. John, BC Come Worship With Us. For information; Phone 250-785-0506 or food Bank 250-785-0500 ********** SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 9008-100th Avenue, fort St. John, BC Phone: 250-785-8632 Pastor: Cavin Chwyl Phone: 250-719-7949 Saturday Service: 9:30am ********** UNITED CHURCH of CANADA ST. LUKE’S UNITED 9907-98 St., fort St. John, BC Office: 250-785-2919 Rev. Rick Marsh Email: stlukeuc@telus.net Sunday Worship Service @ 10:00am All are Welcome! The United Church of Canada is a Union of Congregationalist, Methodist & Presbyterian Churches in Canada formed in 1925.

B10 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

school district 60 votes Some answers have been edited for space, and responses were not received from Melanie Edwards or Madeleine Lehmann (Area 1), and David ScottMoncrieff (Area 2). Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses, including Ida Campbell and Nicole Gilliss, who were elected trustee by acclamation. Erin Evans, 42, Master of Social Work degree (Running for trustee in Area 5)

David Christie, 47, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Bachelor of Education (Running for trustee in Area 2)

Why did you decide to run for trustee?

I decided to run for trustee because I have always been passionate about our education system and I want to be a part of the decisionmaking body that can influence policy and make decisions that are in the best interests of our childrens’ educational needs. The solutions to our problems do not come from the top down, they come from the bottom up.

I have always been interested in policy and policy development. In 2009 after I completed my Bachelor of Social Work, a friend asked, “why don’t you run for trustee?” I didn’t know what it was so I did some research on it and ran.

I see running for school board trustee as part of my civic duty; I was educated in elementary schools back when classrooms were uncrowded, and teachers had an opportunity to build genuine relationships with their students. I want to advocate for the students of today (and tomorrow) so they can experience the same. In addition, I am indigenous (Inuit), and I know the struggles and barriers of our Indigenous students.

What experience and skills would you bring to the board of education?

The perspective I would bring to the table would be based on the reality that the Peace Region is unique and has different needs and issues than other areas in the province. I would bring a solutions-focused presence and a consultationfirst mentality to the board of education. I bring with me a diversified background of education and work experience, and it would be my intention to be active in the schools I oversee.

I come from a long line of teachers. My great grandmother, grandmother, several uncles, cousins, and husband were and are teachers in the province. I firmly believe that public education is the backbone to any society. So, to have a just society we need to have a good public education system. I wrote my master’s thesis on literacy and the impact literacy skills have on someone’s life; so I have a lot of knowledge and experience in the literacy field.

As a former teacher, I think I have vast insight into the workings of our school system, but the board of education is another matter. I would want to bridge the board to both the average teacher and the communities, making them both aware of what it is that we can do for them to ensure their classrooms and their children are being taught in safe welcoming spaces for all students.

What would be your top education priorities if elected, and why?

My priority is to be a consistent presence in the schools that I oversee and ensure that I have a good understanding of the challenges the schools, their staff, and the students deal with on a daily basis. Too many times I have heard staff working in schools not knowing who their trustee is and have never met them. My top priority early on would be to ensure there is not a disconnect.

My top priority, currently, would be capital funding. We have 20/22 schools that have rated poor or very poor in terms of their condition. We have done a very good job in our district maintaining these buildings well beyond their lifespan. We need the money to replace some of our schools and also to put major renovations into some of our schools. We are also looking at capacity issues and in the next few years our middle and high schools will be overrun with students.

My top priority as school board trustee would be to get out into the communities in Area 2 and learn how they want their schools to operate. Too few individuals and too few communities actually know what a school trustee and a school board does; this leads to ineffective boards and ineffective and inefficient operation of schools.

What approach will you take with teacher contract negotiations in 2019?

The first question I would have in the process would be if I would be in a potential conflict of interest because I am the spouse of a teacher, and how that would impact my participation in the process. When it comes to contract negotiations, an area of concern I have is the number of potential entitlements that are tabled and the potential budget implications associated with them.

It’s an interesting position to be in, advocating for public education and also being the employer. As an employer, we do have a corporate board, and even if we want to do things, we can only advocate to the Public Schools Employers Association and to the government what we want to change; at the end of the day it is up to them. This is difficult, particularly when you see the need. We are all fighting for the same pot of money that comes from our taxes, and it is hard to decide who should get more and who should go without, without causing more burdens to the middle class. My approach is to listen and advocate, to be honest and respectful.

I am not sure what role a trustee could play in the negotiations other than trying to inform the communities in their area of the negotiations or any news, if information of either is even made available to the trustee.

What can the district do to improve teacher recruitment and retention?

Worker recruitment and retention is a Peace Region issue at large, impacting businesses, the local government, our healthcare system and, of course, our education system. This is a regional issue and I think it needs to be addressed from a taxation perspective at minimum, which requires working with the provincial and federal governments. B.C. should have its own provincial northern living allowance tax break directed at specific areas that have retention and recruitment issues.

Since 2009, I’ve been making side comments and sometimes direct comments about our website. It needs to be changed and updated. When I am researching community organizations, I go to their websites. If I was looking to move into a community I would look at the employer’s website. Frankly, ours needs to be updated; it’s hard to navigate. That’s the first thing.

Sell the area – the Peace Region is full of wonderful experiences, opportunities, and people so we should sell it as a destination for young teachers. Couple this with incentives to attract young teachers and I think they will be much more open to the idea of coming north. As well, Northern Lights College has, with Simon Fraser University, the Alaska Highway Consortium on Teacher Education (AHCOTE), that can be utilized to increase the number of homegrown teachers, if we can illustrate the benefits of becoming a teacher to our local students.

What can the district do to increase professional development opportunities for teachers and staff?

It’s my understanding that there are more professional development opportunities geared toward elementary school teachers and staff than middle-school and high school teachers and staff. I think it’s reasonable for the district to focus on communicating with middle and high school teachers and staff to ensure they take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

We do offer a variety of these opportunities within the district. One of the things I would see us do more of is use the talent we have within our staff. We have teachers who are musicians, who are mathematicians, who are artists, who are specialists in a variety of areas. I would like to see us use this local talent more and develop it more. I think this would provide more opportunities for professional development within our district. As we are also close to SD 59 and 81, sharing events would also help with opportunities for staff.

Lifelong learning means looking beyond the mandated Ministry PD to other avenues of both self and professional development. One of those avenues is with the local First Nations culture camps that run throughout the summer. There is so much to be learned and appreciated about the local First Nations culture that would be wonderful PD for a young teacher early in their career.

Independent schools offer a choice for parents. Our public system is secular, so if a parent wanted a religious education the private system would be for them.

Independent schools allow for an alternative to the standard public school system for parents who want their children to get an education in a different cultural, religious or philosophical setting. These independent schools are still mandated by the provincial government to meet certain requirements when it comes to the education of the students.

What can the district do to balance class size and composition rules, rising enrolment, and the need for new schools?

Unfortunately, the system as it is designed and funded does not allow school districts to manage funding and staffing levels proactively. It’s difficult for schools to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to changing demographics and turnover, and an example of this challenge was the reason for Margaret Ma Murray Community School to be built; the district was at 123% operating capacity for elementary schools before its completion. The district was not in a financial position to build a school earlier because it is at the mercy of provincial government funding.

This is a very tough question. We are a district with increasing enrolment. We have to be mindful of teacher rights and student rights. It is a balancing act to ensure our kids are taken care of and teacher and support staff needs are also being met. This is one of the plethora of reasons why we have split classes, more so than when I was kid in the system. This is a challenge, and I think our staff do the best job they can balancing these issues.

This is a problem across the country – virtually every province and every school board are dealing with classroom size and the need for new schools. I have heard numerous times that Fort St. John needs at least another high school and a new middle (junior high) school as well. The problem, at least here in our area, is the rapid growth we have experienced without proper prior concern paid to the implications on the school system of that rapid growth. The students are the ones who ultimately suffer, overcrowded classrooms are not conducive to a great education so the board needs to do more to make clear to the ministry that we need more school investment in our area.

What can the district do to improve aboriginal graduation rates?

It’s important for the district to understand it’s very difficult for rural and aboriginal kids to maintain consistent attendance when the transition from their home to school in town brings a high degree of stress, change, and challenges that, if unaddressed, can force a child to take the easy option to stay home and/ or drop out. In order to increase aboriginal graduation rates, having a transition program in middle school similar to what was done a few years ago with aboriginal education “assigned time” class at Bert Bowes Middle School, which was discontinued due to a diversion of funds to different programming. If you talked to the aboriginal students who attended that class, they will tell you it helped them transition and created a more stable pathway to graduation.

School District 60’s Aboriginal Education Advisory Council, on which I sit as the Northern Lights College’s representative, is a vast wealth of resource knowledge when it comes to the desire to enhance the education First and foremost, in order to improve Indigenous graduation of not only the areas indigenous students but all rates we need to ask our indigenous students, their families students. Better utilization of this resource knowledge and communities what is needed. I am not indigenous and I would be a great starting point. We could work to wouldn’t want to presume I know what is best. The education ensure that teachers are properly informed of the system in the past was not good for indigenous people in this different First Nations cultures in the area, ensuring country; it led to all sorts of abuses, and I don’t want to minimize they are better equipped to teach about them while the impact the education system had and has on the erosion of also providing teachers with an understanding of who indigenous communities. to approach to invite into the classroom to speak about the local culture and history. I should note that I am a member of the Advisory Council, sitting as the NLC rep.

What is your philosophy on special education, and how can graduation rates be improved?

Increasing the amount of educational assistant support staff for students who qualify for special education services is essential for allowing all students to be included in regular classroom settings, when appropriate. If we want to improve graduation rates there needs to be more funds diverted into special education which will allow for stable support for students with challenges as they progress through to graduation and beyond.

My grandma was a special education teacher. I used to love going into her classroom and watch her work. I remember her talking about integration in the classroom before it was a thing. I found out this last year that the model my grandmother used when she was teaching, became the model for integration. Again, support students and support students. Not all students can be in a classroom for a full day because of their unique needs.

My general philosophy for all students – special needs, indigenous, non-indigenous, is the same; students need to be given the freedom to make mistakes with a guide (or mentor) beside them to help them see the error they made and help them to not make it again. One way to achieve this, and to help the graduation rates of not just special needs students but all students, is the use of Life Coaches (some districts call them Grad Coaches). Life Coaches are there to supplement, or enhance, the work of the teacher and the classroom educational assistant and they have been used to great effect in numerous districts across Canada.

What programs or services do you think the district can spend more on?

Maintenance. I am concerned that with the aging schools in the district and the amount of time and money that will need to be spent to maintain them. Combined with the building of new schools, we have an evolving situation of increased maintenance demand that places serious strain on the maintenance budgets and the already stretched maintenance personnel employed at the district.

Hmmm… all of it! Our budget is limited, but if it wasn’t limited, oh boy! Kids and parents would no longer have to fundraise for sports, band or field trips! Everyone could go to Cuba and do a cultural exchange.

A life coach as described above would be a great starting point, or additional funding for tutors, mentors or additional educational assistants. With crowded classrooms teachers are often overwhelmed so additional viable help is a great way to go.

Jeff Richert, 38, university degree (Running for trustee in Area 5)

Independent schools have their place in the education system and provide an alternative What role do for parents and students who are not home independent schools play schooled or enrolled in the public system. In the in the education system? past, I have raised concerns about public dollars being used to subsidize independent schools and I still have that concern today.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B11

school district 60 votes Some answers have been edited for space, and responses were not received from Melanie Edwards or Madeleine Lehmann (Area 1), and David ScottMoncrieff (Area 2). Visit alaskahighwaynews. ca/2018-civic-elections to read full candidate responses, including Ida Campbell and Nicole Gilliss, who were elected trustee by acclamation. Darrell Pasichnyk, 47, Civil Engineering Technologist Diploma/College (Running for trustee in Area 5)

Helen Gilbert, 61, retired educator (Running for trustee in Area 5)

Bill Snow, 48 (Running for trustee in Area 5)

Why did you decide to run for trustee?

To ensure all children receive a quality education that they can be proud of. I also have three children in the system.

In June, I retired after 38 years as a teacher and administrator in School District 60. I am ready to serve the students and families of this district in a new way. Over the years, I have worked with dedicated trustees who made a difference for students. I want to continue to make a difference in this district by being a trustee. I believe I have experience and energy that would be an asset in this role.

What experience and skills would you bring to the board of education?

Currently seven years on the board, yearly budgeting, understanding of business operations.

I have been a Kindergarten to Grade 12 teacher and administrator. During my career I have developed an understanding of the needs of students, parents, teachers, and support staff.

Thirteen years working in local schools and around 20 years of coaching in schools. I am very social and ask questions.

For SD60, that all children get a valued education they and their families can be proud of, in schools that have the capacity and teaching environment for teachers to open students’ minds for the world ahead.

Our district has great opportunities for students because we have a talented and dedicated staff. Currently, the retention and recruitment of staff in all areas of the district’s operation is a concern. We are having trouble finding qualified teachers and support staff. The district’s continued support of the AHCOTE program (local teacher training) and training for educational assistants is important. Working with the province to help provide incentives that attract and keep people in the north is something that needs to be explored.

More schools and safety in our schools.

I have learned from the last negotiations that have occurred that there is little a trustee can do, negotiations occur at the Ministry/BCTF level.

Our school district is one of many in the province. There is a provincial body that acts on behalf of all districts. Our board can provide information on what we would like to see happen and advocate for students. The provincial body will determine the direction that is taken. This direction may or may not be in line with what the district wants. The district does have control though about making sure there is a climate of respect within the district while negotiations are ongoing.

With the teachers and support staff, start talks right away. The more time to work on it, the better.

What can the district do to improve teacher recruitment and retention?

SD60 has to continue to advertise far and wide. Increase incentives for new teachers that may be on the fence. Showcase Fort St. John and surrounding areas of the amenities and experiences that may occur during their stay in SD60.

In its latest district recruiting video that was presented at the Sept. 24 board meeting, I liked the fact that there is a focus on the opportunities provided in the district that have people choosing to stay. There are teachers that move to other districts and realize that they had supports in School District 60 that they do not get elsewhere. Advocacy work for incentives that keep people in the north also needs to continue. Information gained from exit interviews from teachers leaving the district could also help provide information that would be useful in building retention strategies. The district needs to continue its support of AHCOTE.

Getting people to move here is tough, so for me retention is the key. If we lose less, we have to gain less.

What can the district do to increase professional development opportunities for teachers and staff?

The district does provide a number of opportunities already but at times there are insufficient teachers on call, so, staff can’t attend what is currently offered. Expanding the number of As any other district, SD60 is dictated by the teachers on call would make a difference in this area. With the MOE in professional development. SD60 always current staffing shortage this is easier to say than do though. encourages teachers and staff to attend these The coaching and collaboration opportunities provided by the opportunities. district and the PRNTA mentoring program need continued support. These programs use the expertise within the district to support the learning of others.

What would be your top education priorities if elected, and why?

What approach will you take with teacher contract negotiations in 2019?

Independent schools are what they are: independent. SD60 has no say in how they are What role do managed or function. The independent schools, independent schools play however, are subsidized by the MOE, which in the education system? I believe could benefit the public schools by increasing the funds per student.

Independent schools provide choice for families. Public schools are secular and the programs offered reflect this.

I care about the future, the students are our future, and the staff mold our future.

Work with Northern Lights College and School District 59, share what we have, and bring in resources as a team.

People like to be given a choice. People like to have choice, we can only do what we have to work with.

What can the district do to balance class size and composition rules, rising enrolment, and the need for new schools?

As any school district, we struggle with class size and composition rules, working at it throughout the school year to fit into the parameters set for us by the MOE. Rising enrolment is what happens when an area is healthy, job opportunities are in abundance, and population is on the rise. Along with it comes the need for new schools, as enrolment increases. I will continue to press the current MOE that SD60 is in need now of a new junior high and a new high school; current projections show that we already may be needing these.

There are many factors that come into play and there are places where the district has little autonomy. The Ministry of Education sets parameters and has funding formulas in place. Schools are not built based on anticipated enrolment increases. The ministry waits until the student numbers are there and this Bring people here to see what we have and have to has resulted in district schools being full to overcapacity. work with. The district has advocated for new schools and the advocacy needs to continue until new schools are built and upgrades are done. The district has also sought out community partnerships. Partnerships with the community must continue and be built upon.

What can the district do to improve aboriginal graduation rates?

I believe SD60 should increase the aboriginal elective content in junior/high schools to encourage young aboriginal students to want to learn about their culture, thus increasing wanting to be in school. Hopefully encouraging all non-aboriginal students to take these classes, to show that even though our cultures are different, students themselves aren’t.

Building positive and respectful relationships with the aboriginal community is an essential element in improving graduation rates. At the Margaret ‘Ma’ Murray Community School opening ceremony, mutual respect was evident. The Bella Yahey Gathering Centre honours a strong aboriginal woman who was a leader and teacher in the area. Continuing to build on what was demonstrated in this ceremony will help.

What is your philosophy on special education, and how can graduation rates be improved?

All students, including our special education students, should get the help needed throughout their education to graduate. If that means an increase in assistants/TAs then so be it, SD60 will have to look for a way to get the MOE to increase funding to allow this.

Students need to have appropriate supports to reach their full potential. They also need to build peer connections. All students can learn but all students do not need exactly the same learning environment all the time. There are students that need to Everybody belongs, use as many styles of learning as access different learning spaces and use different tools than possible. others. Accepting that students need diverse opportunities and tools to show their learning is essential. Providing this diversity will help improve graduation rates.

What programs or services do you think the district can spend more on?

A well-rounded education for all students should be realized. An effort to create this for every student is difficult as no two students are the same. There is not any specific programs or services that can be increased while others are decreased that would not affect students somewhere in the district; it is a balance that is looked at throughout the year.

I realize that the money that comes into the district is targeted in many instances and rising costs are not always factored into ministry allocations. If the district allocates more money in one area, it comes from another. Student achievement should remain at the forefront when decisions are made. If we had additional funding, I would like to see expanded opportunities for students that contribute to students having a well-rounded education and support for staff so they can provide these opportunities. Many of our buildings need upgrades.

Al as ka Hi gh wa y Ne ws

• informative • innovative • indepth www.alaskahighwaynews.ca

Grow our relations with the bands. The more we get along the better. Results will get better as long as we all work as a team.

I cannot single one out. Everyone learns in different ways and everyone deserves a chance to learn.

B12 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

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Both have a railed and covered front porch and a powder room just inside the entry. In each, the garage is at the back, and a good-sized utility room ﬁts between the garage and the G-shaped kitchen. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms are upstairs. Now for the differences. Unit A has a slightly larger garage and dining area.

Its covered patio is at the rear, where it's easily accessible from the kitchen. Natural light spills into the wide-open gathering space through two windows spaced along a long straight exterior wall.

Parkridge PLAN 60-035

Unit A's G-shaped kitchen is slightly smaller than Unit B's, while its utility room and owners' suite are larger.

Unit B has a direct entry door from the garage into the house. Its kitchen is larger and bounded by a longer eating/ conversation bar. The gathering space is less rectangular because the living room's exterior wall extends out further than the dining room wall. Sliding glass doors there open onto a covered patio on the side. The coat closet near the front entry in the Parkridge's Unit B is also a bit larger than the one in Unit A. Associated Designs is the original source for the Parkridge 60-035. For more information or to view other designs, visit www.AssociatedDesigns. com or call 800-634-0123.

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UNIT B 662 sq.ft. 783 sq.ft. 1445 sq.ft. 288 sq.ft. 49' x 65'

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B13

PERSPECTIVES

hortly before I left Fort St. John, I disagreed with a fellow parishioner over what one should expect when one comes to church. In essence, we disagreed over what makes a space sacred. Is it the symbols that decorate it, the layout, or the people that occupy it? A church is sacred because it’s an oasis. The sanctuary of a church gives us a space to rest, a place of serene contemplation and respite from the noise and stress of the outside world. We can listen to our hearts anticipating the internal whisperings of God as we bask in the presence of the Divine. This is only possible if external noises substantially subside. This doesn’t mean that there are no noises inside a church. The sounds of infants and toddlers are to be expected and are indeed welcomed by an older generation of parishioners who are happy to see parents gifting their young children with faith; however, there is also the noise of children old enough to know what is expected of them at Mass, playing boisterous games in the foyer, running and screaming throughout the service as if they are at a church picnic. Their unruly behavior goes unchecked by parents. Such overexcitement keeps the rest of the congregation from being fully present to the gift of the Eucharist. The most important architectural aspect of a Christian church is the pulpit. The pulpit is big and elevated to reflect the significance of the liturgy. The lector or the priest has several steps to climb to stand in the ambo. The ambo in Greek means “to go up.” By climbing those steps the lector or the priest is physically preparing to proclaim the Word of God. When children who are of an age to listen respectfully to the liturgy are not taught to do so, they are not being shown that Christ is on the altar. They do not see that He is at the center of their lives. Rather, they are taught that they are at the center of their own lives and the lives of their parents. They learn to have a lack of respect and reverence for God, for others and

Angela Griffin PEACE REFLECTIONS

for themselves. My parents never entertained us during Mass with Cheerios, colouring books and toys. We never made noises in play at Mass that went unchecked by our parents. We were to be quiet, reasonably still, not disturb others and not embarrass our parents. We were taught that at times we were expected to do things that displeased us like being quiet in Mass, or learning our multiplication tables, learning how to spell, studying for exams, completing homework, and working to earn pocket money. Parenting means stipulating expectations and boundaries, and following through with consequences when those behavioral expectations are not met. Frankly, parents owe it to the rest of us not to be so permissive. In a child-centered culture such as ours, adults deserve consideration out of some semblance of respect for our humanity. We don’t want to endure the bad behavior of children who are being taught to put themselves at the center of their own universe — that space better reserved for Christ. It isn’t only children who behave irreverently in church. Adults talk throughout the liturgy. They too forget that Christ is on the altar. In that respect, the older generation is failing to set a positive example for the young. That fellow parishioner felt that children running wild during Mass were “in the presence of the Eucharist” merely because of their physical proximity to the altar. I, of course, vehemently disagree.

Special Delivery

What makes a space sacred? IT’S A G Louisa SarahIRL Janzen Parents: George & Ka tharina Janzen Baby’s Weight : 3.86 kgs Length: 52.5 cm s Date: Oct 5, 20 Time: 8:30 am18 Montney, BC

IRL IT’S A G rielle ab Alana G oulis Panagop : Parents e Luk Gema & oulis Panagop 2.71 kgs eight: Baby’s W 19 1/2 inches Length: ct 2, 2018 Date: O 09 pm Time: 9: idge, BC R Tumbler

IT’S Declan RA BOY ay Shilli to Paren Nick & Tts: anis Shil Baby’s Wlito eig 7.4 lbs ht: Length: 5 Date: Oct 0 cms Time: 1 11, 2018 Fort St. 2:49 pm John, BC

IRL IT’S A G ee Josie Rene Burk Parents: Steven & Kayla t: eigh Baby’s W ozs 6 lbs 13 2018 8, Date: Oct

Drop off or mail your FREE birth announcement & baby’s photo to:

The Alaska Highway News, or email: compose@ahnfsj.ca

9916-98 St., Fort St. John V1J 3T8

Fort St. John Hospital Foundation Baby Bouquet Wall This is a wonderful way for family and friends to acknowledge these special miracles

ated in the t Wall is loc re Baby Bouque Hospital Birthing Cent Fort St. John

Your minimum donation of $125 to the FSJ Hospital Foundation will not only purchase a flower petal, but the money raised will also go towards much needed medical equipment that will help to provide the best healthcare and service possible.

Ph: 250.261.7563 | email: fsjhf@northernhealth.ca

www.fsjhospitalfoundation.ca

The Peace is a place of many peoples and faiths. In this space, readers are invited to share their own reflections of faith in the Peace. If you have a story of faith you’d like to share, email angelamarygriffin@gmail.com.

WE ARE THIS CLOSE TO ENDING POLIO Now is our chance to change the world. To make sure no child is disabled by polio ever again. Join in. Speak out. Donate. Be a part of history.

endpolionow.org

ed Toys & p p a r w n U ff Drop O arel at any p p A r e t in W New wson Creek: a D in ip h s r Car Deale Bannister Ford Buick GMC t le ro v e h C ’ s Brown entre Inland Auto C y Toyota Peace Countr ber 7th Until Decem

ThisClose

Help Us Help Local Youth In Need This Christmas Don’t know what works best? The Dealerships have a list of the age categories and recommended best choices

Angelique Kidjo

World Polio Day is October 24

m o c . s r e s i u r C o r e Z e Mil

Rotary

Club of Dawson Creek

Meets Tuesdays, NOON At The GEORGE DAWSON INN

Rotary

Club of Dawson Creek Sunrise

Meets Fridays, 7:00 a.m. At The DC CURLING RINK

B14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

Classifieds LegaL/PubLic Notices

LegaL/PubLic Notices

Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that 543077 Alberta Ltd. from Edmonton, AB, has applied to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO), Northeast Region, for an Investigative Aggregate Tenure situated on Provincial Crown land located at Halfway River, Peace River District

The Lands File for this application is 8015956. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Joyce Veller, Authorization Officer, Northeast Region, MFLNRO, at 100-10003-110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7, (250) 787-3438. Comments will be received by MFLNRO up to November 17, 2018. MFLNRO may not be able to consider comments received after this date. Please visit the website at www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jsp for more information and a map of the application area or send comments directly to: AuthorizingAgency.FortStJohn@gov.bc.ca Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/ freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.

LegaL/PubLic Notices

Land Act: Notice of Intention to Apply for a Disposition of Crown Land

The Lands File for this application is 8015976. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Joyce Veller, Authorization Officer, Northeast Region, MFLNRO, at 100-10003-110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7, (250) 787-3438. Comments will be received by MFLNRO up to November 17, 2018. MFLNRO may not be able to consider comments received after this date. Please visit the website at www.arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/index.jsp for more information and a map of the application area or send comments directly to: AuthorizingAgency.FortStJohn@gov.bc.ca

Announcements

You are invited to

Annual General Meeting of the

Fort St. John Literacy Society On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 6.00 pm

Announcements

Coming EvEnts

General employment

FSJ Senior Care Foundation AGM Mon Nov 26 7pm in the Fellowship Lounge of the Peace Lutheran Church. 9812-108 Ave. More info. office 250-787-0034

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

Friday, October 19 Ham & Beef Supper Pouce Coupe Seniors Hall- $15/person. Doors open: 5 pm, Supper: 5:30pm

Obituaries

PC Roots Group Meeting: 4th Sunday/month - from Sept-June 1:30pm in the Archives Room at The Calvin Kruk Center. Getting started on family tree research, need Help? Come learn & share experiences with other amateur genealogists. New members welcome. For more info call: Lynn- 250-7824058. Neil- 250-7827651. Website http://peacecountryroots.ca

Child Caregiver: 7 year old girl & 17 month boy. $12.65 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. Accommodations 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

#201 10136 100 Ave, Fort St. John, V1J 1Y6

Please R.S.V.P. to Jessica by November 2 on 250-785-2110 or email executivedirector@fsjliteracy.ca

Career OppOrtunities

Mary Jean Lockyer

Maintenance Coordinator Kelt Explora�on (LNG) Ltd. is currently seeking applica�ons for the posi�on of a Maintenance Coordinator. Only qualified individuals with a minimum of 5 yrs work experience coordina�ng opera�ons maintenance ac�vi�es for piping systems, rota�ng equipment, system integrity, measurement applica�ons. This role will be posi�oned in Fort St. John, BC with occasional travel to the Grande Prairie field office when required. The role is part of the Opera�ons team and will report directly to the Produc�on Forman and work closely with the field opera�ons including construc�on. The candidate must be a self-starter and have the ability to work with minimal supervision. Knowledge of the BC OGC regula�ons, proficiency in Microso� office suite is required. Please Send Resumes To:

careers@keltexplora�on.com

(Buxton) June 4, 1946 - October 12, 2018 It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our loving Mother on October 12, 2018 with her children by her side after a short illness. Mary was born in Prince George, BC. She was a mother to three children and a grandmother to four grandchildren. Mary was predeceased by her husband James (Jimmy) of 23 years. She grew up in the Prince George area (Woodpecker). The family moved to the Fort St. John area when Jim got a job in the area in 1969. She remained in the area running Fort Gifts from 1989 until 2008. Mary enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and reading about current events. She is survived by her daughter Lauralea (Stephen Witiuk), Brent and Trevor (Shawnda) and grandchildren Kolten, Ashtyn, Andrea and Ryan. In lieu of �lowers expressions of sympathy can be made in memory of Mary to Abbey�ield Houses of Fort St. John.

Please Recycle this Newspaper Career OppOrtunities

Career OppOrtunities

Operator Kelt Explora�on has an excellent opportunity for an experienced full �me operator in the Fort St. John opera�ng area. Working in a high paced, high energy work team the primary responsibility of the successful person will be to effec�vely par�cipate as a team member by providing safe and cost effec�ve opera�on and maintenance for our wells, gathering systems, and process facili�es. The opera�ons team ensures the superior performance of mechanical, instrumenta�on and facili�es by implemen�ng cost efficiencies and maximizing produc�on. The successful applicant must be willing to work extra hours and be on-call as required.

Key Accountabili�es & Responsibili�es • Manage and maintain day-to-day opera�on of wells, pipelines and processing facili�es • Compliance with produc�on accoun�ng u�lizing FieldView • Manage wells by u�lizing SCADA • Contribute to successful daily execu�on of the area Business Plan (i.e. produc�on volume targets, HSER, OPEX,) iden�fying opportuni�es to maximize produc�on, minimize opera�ng costs and minimize down�me • Provide equipment maintenance and troubleshoo�ng • Provide training and mentoring for team members to assist in comple�on of assigned produc�on tasks that required addi�onal competencies or in depth problem solving • Consistently meets and strives to exceed Kelt Explora�on expecta�ons including: Health, Safety & Training; community rela�ons; environment; regulatory; company policy; corporate values; and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. • Perform housekeeping, performance monitoring and maintenance ac�vi�es

Qualifica�ons • Minimum 5+ years of oil and or gas opera�ng experience • Must have a minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent • Class 4 Power Engineering Cer�ficate is an asset • This is a safety sensi�ve posi�on and will be subject to the relevant requirements of the Kelt Explora�on (LNG) Alcohol and Drug Policy • Possess excellent communica�on skills, a posi�ve a�tude and the ability to work effec�vely in a team environment • Self-mo�vated with a strong work ethic and the ability to work in an unsupervised work environment • Strong troubleshoo�ng and problem solving skills • Strong computer skills (proficient in MS Office Suite) • Possess a valid Class 5 driver’s license - drivers abstract is required We thank all applicants. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Applicants must include a copy of their resume and updated drivers abstract to be considered.

To apply, please email your resume to:

careers@keltexplora�on.com

Coming EvEnts Order of Eastern Star’s Annual Tea & Bazaar Saturday Oct. 20 1:00-3:00pm $7 per person Crafts, Baking Raffle Draw & Door Prizes Seniors Hall- 1101 McKellar Ave, Dawson Creek.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/ freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.

Career OppOrtunities

SATURDAYS: LEARN YOUR ROOTS - Genealogy information NAR PARK ROOTS BUILDING 10:00am peacecountryroots.ca

At the Fort St. John Literacy Society of�ice

Career OppOrtunities

Coming EvEnts

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.

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/

PC Roots Group Building Open: Every Saturday Sept-June 10:00am-12:00pm to members wanting to use the genealogy library. A member will be available by appointment to anyone requiring help on how to get started on your family history. Everyone is welcome. We are located in the small building in NAR Park. For appointment call: Lynn- 250-7824058. Neil- 250-7827651. Website http://peacecountryroots.ca

alaskahighwaynews.ca

Obituaries

250-785-5631 classifieds@ahnfsj.ca

Obituaries

Save the Dates July 12, 13, 14, 2018 for the Mile Zero Cruisers Silver Anniversary Summer Cruise weekend starts with on-site Registration at Dawson Co-op parking lot. Bring down your pride and joy and register for the Summer Cruise Car Show weekend. For online Registration and more information: MileZeroCruisers.com

Seniors Game Time: Th. Nov. 1, from 10:30am-12:00pm at the Dawson Creek Library. Join us for Seniors Game Time. Do you have a favourite game? Bring it along! Make friends and have fun every month at the DC Library!

Birthdays Happy *30th* Birthday Daniel B. Love Mom & Miss Dawn

General employment Caregiver/Nanny for hire: To look after my (3) children; 14 year old; 8 year old & 4 year old girls. Permanent, full-time at a rate of $12.65/hour for 40 hours/week. Completion of Secondary School/Some College/CEPEG/Vocational. 1 to 2 years of experience supervision or care for children. Accomodation available on a live-in basis at no cost but is not a condition of employment. Main duties include: supervise and care, assist/guide children on personal hygiene; meal preparation; organize and participate in children’s activities and may perform light housekeeping. Applicants may apply via email: gelinemdetorres@yahoo.com FIRST CHOICE TOWING looking for tow truck driver with class 3 with air, looking for class 5/with air commission sales. Med/Dental after 3 months experience is good but will train. Drivers abstract and resume can be dropped off at 10150-Alder Rd behind TJ’s Restaurant.

South Peace Historical Society Meetings Third Wednesday of the month. In Dawson Creek at the Calvin Kruk Centre Archives Room at 2 pm. SUNDAYS: FAMILY TREE HELP - Peace Country Roots Group Meeting - Fourth Sunday of each Month at the CALVIN KRUK CENTRE in Dawson Creek 1:30pm 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.

Funeral ServiceS

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!

Funeral ServiceS

Peace Valley Industries in Chetwynd BC is looking for qualified Journeyman Welders. Must have at least 5 years experience Please email resume to peacevalley@ uniserve.com No phone calls please 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: sbraid@sandman.ca TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINING BCCSA/WCB Certified FSJ: Oct. 25 & 26 PG: Oct. 22 & 23 Nov. 10 & 11 1-866-737-2389 or roadsafetytcs.com

Trades Help Peace Valley Industries Qualified Journeyman Welders Peace Valley Industries is looking for qualified Journeyman Welders. Must have at least 5 years experience Please email resume to: peacevalley @uniserve.com No phone calls please.

For Sale MiSc

Funeral Service

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.

Free

Sig Loberg, a long time resident of Moberly Lake, BC passed away Tuesday October 9. 2018 in the Fort St. John General Hospital, Fort St. John, BC at the age of 75 years. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 1:00 pm at the Pine Valley Exhibition Park, 3900 51 Avenue, Chetwynd, BC. Pastor Bill Evans will officiate. Interment will follow in the Tuscoola Mountain Cemetery. For friend’s so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Sig to Mickey’s Place, Box 687, Chetwynd, BC V0C1J0. Obituaries

Shop stuff All free, nothing to buy. Oct. 20, 10 am − 2 pm. 4937 Arbutus Rd, Sechelt. 604−885−3778 capt−bob@hotmail.com

Pets To give away to good homes: Kittens. Located in Dawson Creek. Call 250-784-6533

Travel MEXICO COUNTRY HOME for rent. 15 minutes from Puerto Vallarta airport. sculpron@gmail.com

Have News ??? email Us news@ahnfsj.ca

Aloria Lois Moore

Obituaries

May 27th, 1939 – October 3rd 2018

It’s with great sorrow that the family of Aloria Lois Moore announce her sudden passing on October 3rd, 2018.

Obituaries

Rene Neighbor 1960 -2016

Aloria was born in Cluffield, Saskatchewan on May 27th 1939 and was the second child of five children of Albert and Agda Winje. She graduated from high school in Sisseton, South Dakota where she cared for her elderly aunt. Aloria was predeceased by her husband Kenneth Gordon Moore, on January 30th, 2013. Aloria and Ken owned a farm for many years on the banks of the Peace River near Taylor, B.C. They semi-retired to The Creston Valley in 1981. Her greatest joys in life were watching her two grandsons grow up and gardening. Her warm smile and loving heart will be sorely missed by her four sons, Blaine (Yvonne), Shaun, Sheldon (Gabby), and Jason, her daughter-in-law Laurie, and two grandsons Dawson and Connor. A private graveside service will be held at her chosen final resting place in Slocan, B.C.

52764

LegaL/PubLic Notices

Book Your Ad Now!

Your wings were ready, my Heart was not, I miss you deeply everyday Love Debra

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 B15

Classifieds INVENTORS WANTED! Do you have a new product idea, but you’re not sure where to start?

CALL DAVISON TODAY

1-800-218-2909 OR VISIT US AT

Inventing.Davison.com/BC

GET YOUR FREE INVENTOR’S GUIDE! TROUBLE WALKING? HIP or KNEE REPLACEMENT, or other conditions causing restrictions in daily activities? $2,000 tax credit. $40,000 refund cheque/rebates. Disability Tax Credit. 1844-453-5372

LegaL/PubLic Notices

Houses For rent

2 Bedroom House in Pouce Coupe for Rent. Includes F/S/W/D + Dishwasher. Phone: 250-219-8858

CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer Employment/Licensing loss? Travel/Business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: Criminal Pardon. US Entry Waiver. Record Purge. File Destruction. Free Consultation 1-800-3472540. accesslegalmjf.com

Rooms FSJ Motor Inn. 10707-102 St. Furnished & private rooms. $1350/month. Full kitchen, bathroom, T.V. & Wi-Fi, utilities included. Call Gary/250-682-1982

Farms For sale

SuiteS For rent

3000 ACRES OF COMPLETE High End Cattle & Grain Operation for Sale in Saskatchewan. Manages 2k to 3k Cow/Calf Operation with Complete Solid Infrastructure. 2200 Acres Cultivated. Contact Doug @ 306-716-2671or saskfarms@shaw.ca.

FOR RENT in DAWSON CREEK: 1, 2, or 3 Furnished Bedroom Suites Phone: 250-782-9750 FOR RENT IN DC. Two Bedroom in 4-Plex. Quiet, 55 and Over. F/S/ W/D. 250-719-5181.

Steel BuildingS / granarieS STEEL BUILDING CLEARANCE ... “FALL SUPER SAVINGS EVENT - ALL MODELS PRICED TO CLEAR!” 20X23 $5,974. 25X25 $6,629. 28X29 $7,775. 30X33 $9,125. 32X31 $9,680. End Wall Included. Pioneer Steel 1-855-212-7036 www.pioneersteel.ca

THIS IS WHERE YOUR AD SHOULD BE

GLASS HOUSE AUTO GLASS

Stoves & Wood Pellets in Stock

We do ICBC Claims at shop

10996 Clairmont Frontage, Alaska Hwy

Fort St. John • 250.785.3433

ApArtments/ Condos for

R0011352381

Business OppOrtunities

Book Your Ad Now!

ApArtments/ Condos for

250-785-5631 classifieds@ahnfsj.ca

For Sale or leaSe

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

Rentals & leases Year round RV Site for rent. Full Hook-Up at Charlie Lake. Phone 250-262-9466.

ApArtments/ Condos for BIRCHVIEW MANOR Furnished and Unfurnished 1 Bedroom Suites. Adults Only, Senior Discount. Bus Stop at Front Door. 250-784-5817 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

Townhouses For renT

For Rent in DC Newer 2 BDRM townhouse close to downtown. No Smoking/No Pets. #1200/month plus utilities. Mature adults only(55 yrs+). 250219-1677 250-786-5449

Mobile/Manufactured HoMes for sale

New 20x76 mobile home in forest Lawn Mobile Home Park. GST included $169,000 (250)262-2847

Business services GET RESULTS! Post a classified in 97 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.bccommunitynews.com/advertise or 1-866-669-9222.

InduStrIal WarehouSe & neWer oFFIce Property 905 100 Ave | Dawson Creek, BC Building 8,396 sq. ft. lot Size 0.41 Acres Zoning M2 - Light Industrial More Info: www.century21.ca/101270699 Great oPPortunItY & locatIon Both building price and lease are extremely $ low rates making this a great investment MLS® Number: 170279 property. 13.5% cap rate at list price

499,000

Alaska Highway News - A part of YOUR Community

Bowling Results Mixed No Tap

High Single

Week 2 points/ overall points

1. The Fantastic Four - 1,367

1. Freeze Frame - 12 points/ 23 points 2. The Fantastic Four - 11 points/ 18 points 3. Good Time Girls - 10 points/ 11 points 4. Blue Balls - 9 points/ 11 points 5. Here r the Beer - 8 point/ 12 points 6. Forever Friends - 7 points/ 16 points 7. Comic Reliefs - 6 points/ 11 points 8. Brianna - 5 points/ 8 points 9. Trouble - 4 points/ 14 points 10. Rusty Gates - 3 points/ 9 points 11. Big Chucksees - 2 points/ 20 points 12. Got Balls - 1 point/ 13 points

Individiual Leaders Mens Single Flat - Elvis Calahasen - 324 Ladies Single Flat - Marlene Bigcharles - 335 High Averages Ladies 1. Marlene Bigcharles - 228 2. Nicole F - 207 3. Cindy Dettling - 206 Mens 1. Elvis Calahasen - 227 2. Kevin A - 214 3. Percy - 209

High Series 1. Got Balls? - 3,637

DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO

Roger Dufour bowls a strike during Fort Bowling Lanes’ League Night.

Hey, Smart Dresser! Look Sharp

2-Day Service Monday-Friday

from Top to Bottom!

(Drop off on Weekends for Tuesday pick up)

• • • •

Machine Pressed Hand Finished Starched Collars Crisp Creases

It’s Free...Freeee....Freezing!

We are doing our annual round up of gently used winter gear: Coats, toques, mitts, ski pants... that sort of thing. We clean, sanitize and distribute them in a low key manner. This is a FREE - No Charge Program

All Services in House Open Daily: 8:00 am-8:00 pm

250-782-9389 • 800 - 106th Ave • Dawson Creek

gcmcleaners.ca

B16 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

UP TO

OF MSRP CASH PURCHASE CREDIT

ON SELECT NEW IN-STOCK 2018 MODELS WHILE QUANTITIES LAST

CANYON

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OF MSRP

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BASED ON MSRP OF $72,500

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2018 GMC CANYON CREW CAB DENALI

OF MSRP

7,500

BASED ON MSRP OF $50,000

CASH PURCHASE CREDIT*

2018 GMC ACADIA DENALI

OF MSRP

9,000

BASED ON MSRP OF $60,000

CASH PURCHASE CREDIT*

2018 GMC TERRAIN SLT DIESEL

GMC PRO GRADE PROTECTION:

COMPLIMENTARY 2-YEAR/ 48,000 KM LUBE-OIL-FILTER MAINTENANCE 1

5-YEAR/160,000 KM POWERTRAIN LIMITED WARRANT Y 2

OF MSRP

3,000

AVAILABLE BUILT-IN 4G LTE WI-FI ® HOTSPOT (DATA PLAN REQUIRED) 3

TOTAL DIESEL CREDIT†

GMCOFFERS.CA

ON NOW AT YOUR BC GMC DEALERS. GMCOffers.ca 1-800-GM-DRIVE. GMC is a brand of General Motors of Canada. Offers apply to the retail purchase of a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Denali, Canyon Crew Cab Denali, Acadia Denali and Terrain SLT Diesel equipped as described. Offers apply to qualified retail customers in the Alberta GMC Dealer Marketing Association area only on select vehicles delivered from October 2 to October 31, 2018. * Offers are valid toward the retail purchase of an eligible new or demonstrator in-stock 2018 MY GMC vehicle delivered in Canada from Oct 2, 2018 – Oct 31, 2018. Up to 20% Of MSRP Cash Purchase Credit is a manufacturer-to-dealer incentive (tax exclusive), valid toward retail cash purchases only on select 2018 in-stock models, while quantities last. Not compatible with lease and finance purchases. By selecting lease or finance offers, consumers are foregoing the Up to 20% of MSRP Cash Purchase Credit, which will result in higher effective cost of credit on their transaction. Credit is calculated on vehicle MSRP (which excludes vehicle freight and A/C charge), excluding any dealer-installed options. Credit value will vary with model purchased: models receiving a 15% of MSRP Credit are: Canyon Crew Cab Denali (excl. 2SA), Acadia Denali, Terrain SLT Diesel, Yukon; models receiving a 20% of MSRP Credit are: Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Denali. Dealer may sell for less. Dealer trade may be necessary. These offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. Conditions apply. Void where prohibited. See Dealer for full program details. GM Canada reserves the right to amend or terminate offers for any reason in whole or in part at any time without prior notice. † 15% OF MSRP Cash Purchase Credit for new 2018 Terrain Models plus up to $3,000 Total Credits. Total credits consist of $3,000 Diesel Credit only applicable to new 2018 Terrain models with Diesel Engine. See dealer for details. Discounts vary by model. Dealer may sell for less. Limited time offer, which may not be combined with certain other offers. General Motors of Canada Company may modify, extend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. Offers may not be redeemed for cash and may not be combined with certain other consumer incentives. 1 Whichever comes first. Limit of four complimentary Lube-Oil-Filter services in total. Fluid top-offs, inspections, tire rotations, wheel alignments and balancing, etc., are not covered. Conditions and limitations apply. See your dealer for details. 2 Whichever comes first. Conditions and limitations apply, see your dealer for details. 3 Visit onstar.ca for vehicle availability, coverage maps, details and system limitations. Services and connectivity vary by model and conditions as well as geographical and technical restrictions. 4G LTE service available in select markets. Requires active connected vehicle services and a data plan to access the vehicle’s built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Accessory Power must be active to use the Wi-Fi hotspot. Data plans provided by AT&T or its local service provider. Credit card is required for purchase.