AHN DEC 15, 2022

SCAMS OF XMAS

A year at the food bank

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

When Melanie Mason took on the job of managing the Fort St. John food bank last year, she knew she’d be helping residents struggling with poverty, addictions, and their mental health.

But one of her biggest eye-openers was seeing how big the need was from local seniors.

Close to 700 families are using the local food bank every month heading into Christmas, with between 35 to 65 visits a day. And around one quarter of them are seniors.

“The biggest thing that I learned is people that suffer the most are actually the seniors, and they have the least amount of resources,” says Mason, who marked her oneyear anniversary overseeing food bank operations for the Salvation Army at the end of November.

“They come in, they’re like, ‘You’re the only person I’m going to see this week,’ because otherwise they sit at home. Maybe their family is too far away to visit, they don’t have the means to visit, or they just don’t have family, period; you know, they never had children, or their husband maybe passed away.

“Talking with people about it, it’s scary; being alone and not having the resources.”

Mason started her role going into last year’s Christmas season, a shift from working as a pharmacy technician in health care for 15 years. She says her past history drew her naturally to the role.

“I’ve gone through addiction, I’ve gone through

homelessness, being a lowerincome single mom,” says Mason, now married and a mom to four teenage children. “I had personal experience with being on the down and out.”

“A lot of the times you meet people that their whole family has kind of washed their hands of them. They’ve tried, they just don’t want to give anymore, they don’t want to enable,” she says.

“But ultimately for anyone to recover and move past it, they just need to know somebody, anybody, cares, even if it is just someone in a food bank.”

The local food bank continues to serve low-income families, the single moms and dads, and the un- or underemployed workers too.

In recent months, it’s started to serve a growing number of Ukrainians that have settled here after fleeing war in their home country, meeting needs for about 20 big families now.

Jared Braun, executive director for the Salvation Army, says monthly demand at the food bank has nearly doubled from two years ago.

“We all were feeling the pinch this last year with inflation, it continues to be there,” he says. “Imagine someone who already was in a lower income bracket. When you think of the senior who’s got a fixed income that’s just simply not going to be able to make any more, well, their dollars just are not going as far.”

“We’ve seen lots of new people that never would have thought they had to use the food bank,” he adds, “but they’ve just come to the point where they’ve got to make a critical decision: Do I keep

paying rent? Do I keep paying my hydro? And how do I afford my groceries?

“That’s where we fit in, to say, we don’t do any means testing, that if you need food, if you need those grocery supports, you can come, you can get that here.”

With demand continuing to rise over the last year, Braun admits Mason had to jump right into her role and, as he puts it, “learn to swim really fast.”

But he credits her for being a “visionary” well aligned with his own vision for the organization.

“What Melanie came with was just a heart to serve the community, I think that’s what you have to have to do this work,” Braun says. “She’s brought a lot of creative thinking to what we do in trying to help it be more efficient, be more dignified in the experience.”

Mason says her goal this year has been to build on the other half of her job, where it’s not just collecting donations and handing out food.

That means getting to know clients personally to “get down to the nitty-gritty of what’s going on in their lives” and help connect them with other services, she says.

“A lot of the times, it does go back to addiction or they’ve just had a breakdown in their career or a breakdown in a relationship,” she says about why people need the food bank. “We have so many other community services like the women’s resource centre, the pregnancy centre, so many places that can help individuals, that I think a lot of people don’t know about.”

Continued on A7

POURS IN Campaigns raise $12.5K for firefighters, $6000 for friendship centre

h A2&A13

Family hit by re tragedy

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

An Atlin couple, who called Fort St. John home for close to four decades, are trying to pick up the pieces after fire destroyed their home this month

Wayne and Connie Morris re-located to the remote northwest B.C. community, in what Connie’s daughter, Katherine von Hollen, describes as spiritual.

“They travelled to the community a few years back and both felt they were being called there,” she said.

“They decided to buy a house and made the move permanent about three years ago.”

On Sunday morning, Dec. 4m the couple’s life changed overnight, or in this case, in one morning, after Connie smelled smoke.

“It was just after 6 a.m. My mom was sleeping. She has a very sensitive nose. My dad sleeps with a CPAP [breathing apparatus] on his face,” said von Hollen.

Once awoken by Connie, Wayne went out to look for the source of the smoke.

He found it – a fully-involved fire that had already begun inside the property’s watershed, one connected to the two-storey home.

“He opened the door and flames flew out. Inside the shed, they had a stool and the people who delivered the water Friday unknowingly moved that stool too close to the radiated heater that’s in there. It ignited.”

While her parents are devastated, they’re not laying the blame on anyone, calling it an unfortunate circumstance.

If there is a silver lining in all of this, the two, Tonjah, their Siberian Husky and two cats, Jackson and Jinx, were all able to make it out safely.

In his travels Wayne, now 75, is well-known for his community work, in Dawson Creek with the Kiwanis club, in Kamloops, as a minor hockey and baseball coach, and in Fort St. John, with the Royal Canadian Legion, a serving member of the legion member for over 50 years.

Connie has spent countless volunteer hours at the Salvation Army, Legion, Citizens on Patrol, Fort St. John Friendship Society, and Junior Forest Wardens program.

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

Melanie Mason (left) and Jared Braun inside the Fort St. John Salvation Army food bank.

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Fort St. John Firefighters Charitable Society was presented with a cheque for $12,500 last Friday morning, Dec. 9.

The money was raised from the sale of advent calendars at Home Hardware with all 500 being snapped up.

“Our team was so excited when we sold out,” says Home Hardware owner Shelley Gallinger.

“We are so appreciative of every-

thing our Firefighters do to support our community, from their professional duties to the support they provide through their Charitable Society, their impact in the community is immeasurable.”

The project was a joint effort between the retailer, the charitable society, SJA Promo, and Site C contractor AFDE.

“We are so overwhelmed and appreciative of the support of these three organizations and everyone who purchased the calendars,” says firefighter Jayden Ockenden. “Not

only do these funds help us support local residents and organizations, bringing fire safety top of mind during the season helps keep our community safe.”

In its first two years, the calendars have managed to raise just over $20,000.

This year’s calendar was designed by SJA’s Quinn Clark and featured a firefighter placing the star on a Christmas tree.

Behind each window was a fire safety tip and a delicious Belgian chocolate.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Members with the Fort St. John Firefighters Association accept a cheque for $12,500 from the sales of advent calendars. Also posing in the photo are staff from Home Hardware, SJA Promo, and AFDE, who partnered in the fundraiser.

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

It’s a word health professionals are hoping will resonate with the community. That word: vaccinate.

With an influx in cases of RSV, a contagious respiratory virus, and the return of the flu, doctors and care providers are seeing a bulge in their patient load – the added worry that things could get worse as families gather for the upcoming holiday season.

“I strongly encourage families and caregivers to get their children vaccinated against influenza, especially if they’re planning to spend time with elderly loved ones,” said provincial medical health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, at a press conference this past Monday.

“I know families are busy, especially at this time of year, but it is important to make this part of your plans.”

The medical health officer for Northern B.C., Dr. Jong Kim, couldn’t agree more.

“We are seeing a significant increase in RSV and other respiratory illnesses. It’s a trend we’re seeing, not only in the rest of B.C., but here in the northeast at some of our facilities.”

Because of the high vaccination rates during the pandemic, influenza was almost non-existent, however, Dr. Kim notes that it’s made a comeback.

“The flu is one of the viruses that is always involving, changing continuously. This year, it’s Influenza A and

H3N2 that are the most dominant strains right now. Strain-wise, we’re seeing what we expected to see, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance to get immunized.”

While some pharmacies in the region had reported a shortage in supply last month, Dr. Kim believes there’s enough now to vaccinate those wanting their flu shots.

That also includes the second Covid-19 booster shot, which came out earlier this fall.

“In the Northern Health region, we do have a sufficient vaccine supply. Provincially, we also have a sufficient supply.”

Although not all pharmacies participate, most do, and have the necessary signage up at the counter, added Dr. Kim.

“Northern Health is also doing an enhanced immunization campaign this weekend, especially for children. You can check out the Northern Health immunization clinic website to find more details about a clinic near you.”

With Christmas a little over two weeks away, and a two-week time frame for the vaccine to take effect, health officials are hoping to vaccinate as many people as possible before the big day.

Next week, Dr. Kim notes, is when that window closes.

To find out more, you can click on the ‘Covid 19 and immunization clinics’ page of Northern Health’s website.

‘Complex repairs’ continuing at leisure pool hot tub

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

It will take up to eight weeks for a new water valve to be delivered for ongoing hot tub repairs at the local leisure pool.

The tub has closed several times over the last few years due to plumbing issues, and had underwent significant inspection and “complex repairs” during annual maintenance this fall.

In an update Dec. 9, the North Peace Leisure Pool Commission says that work included sonar scans to identify leaks and broken pipes. However, the process continues to be challenged.

“Repairs were made to several pipes buried in the concrete pool deck and to two main drains and two jets inside the hot tub basin,” the commission said.

“The hot tub finishing was removed, cracks were sealed, and it was refinished. This allowed further testing of the various systems required to operate the hot tub; however, additional leaks were identified.”

But another leaking valve was also discovered during repairs, and “global

supply chain challenges” have been cited for the delayed delivery of its replacement — between six to eight weeks, according to the commission.

“Once replaced, crews will continue investigating and making necessary repairs to reopen the hot tub,” the commission said.

“Troubleshooting these issues with the hot tub is highly complex due to the embedded piping in the concrete and inconsistencies between the construction drawings and actual findings,” the commission said.

The pool opened in 1996 and is owned by the Peace River Regional District and operated by the City of Fort St. John, via the North Peace Leisure Pool Commission.

“We sympathetically understand the frustrations of not being able to use this well-loved local amenity, and we share in your frustrations,” said commission chair Trevor Bolin in a statement.

“Despite this frustration, we are thankful for the hard work of staff and contractors in applying modern solutions to this aging facility.”

The commission says it will provide another update on the progress of the hot tub repairs on Feb. 1.

SUPPLIED

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS GIVING — Cst. Erich Schmidt with Freyja, outside the Rustic Pantry, one of the locations in this year’s 12 Days of Christmas Giving toy drive in Hudson’s Hope. Each year, the RCMP partners with the Friends of Hudson’s Hope Society, the District of Hudson’s Hope, and the Hudson’s Hope Elementary-Secondary School to bring in new toys, gift cards, and monetary donations, and over the past couple years has also been able to successfully donate comfort items and gifts to local seniors. Using the resources available, the RCMP has been able to bring together the entire community to fulfill this goal, and now at age 6, Freyja is the driving force behind the toy drive. — Cst. Erich Schmidt

SUPPLIED

Hot tub piping before repairs with broken pipes removed (left) and after repairs.

animal tame is a lot harder than you think. Here is what I do to get my heifer. I will sit in there pen for a long time until she will come up to me. Until they are comfortable with you in there pen. en I sit by there feed and let them get use to me there. In this step I will be putting her on the lead rope and working with her that way. Some people will leave the lead rope on the animal for a couple of hours to help the animal get use to the lead rope. is is just the beginning. I had her on a lead rope already but she’s alot bigger than I am and didn’t want to follow me. is will take some time.

e ewe with lamb project is on go. We put her with the ram on November 26. I am very excited for my ewe with lamb project. is is the rst year she will be lambing at’s it for me

Hi am Ariel this is my rst year in the Prespatou 4-H club. I am a Jr member of the dog project. I do not have much experience with dog 4-H or even 4-H. I know a bit about dogs I love dogs. I have found out that it depends on what breed and how the dog is. I think you really need to know the dog so you know how to train the dog easier. I think 4-H is fun. I like it because you get to know your animal better. Training a dog is not easy but it is not hard, it is it is both. It depends on your dog but not just the dog,

Flyers ‘toss’ Rangers in 3-0 win

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Fort St. John Flyers picked up their third win of the season Saturday night at the North Peace Arena, a 3-0 decision over the Spirit River Rangers.

Joey Massingham, Alex Nimmo, and Gary Loewen (1 goal, 1 assist) scored for the home team – Massingham’s opener, though, gaining reaction from the Rangers bench who thought it came off a high stick.

“I told the boys tonight I saw a regression in the last three games and it was time to start moving forward,” said Flyers head coach Andrew Leriger following the win. “It was time to start playing as a team.”

“Gully [goaltender Ty Gullickson] played amazing for us tonight. He stole the game for us. Could have been 4-0 after the first period. Without him, we’re not in it.”

Gullickson turned aside 43 of 43 shots in the ‘chippy’ affair. “We knew it was going to be physical. We knew we would have to give it back based on the first game of the season. The boys seemed to defend themselves pretty good. I was really impressed,” added

the coach.

“The guys played a more solid 50 minutes. Not 60 minutes. They fell asleep there in the first. We played good…better than we have in a while.”

Saturday night was also Teddy Bear Toss Night, a flurry of donated bears thrown onto the ice, as is tradition, after the Flyers’ first goal.

Fans, however, had to wait until the second period before the opening goal was scored.

Saturday’s win, an important one for the Flyers, after being shut out Thursday night 6-0 by the Grande Prairie Athletics, a team they’ll face this coming Saturday night, 8:30 p.m. at the North Peace Arena.

The 3-0 result over the Rangers should also give them some confidence as they travel to Dawson Creek this Thursday night for a road tilt against the Canucks in their other game of the week before the Christmas break.

The Flyers have 3 wins and 7 losses in their first 10 games of the season, third in the West division, and six points back of second-place Grande Prairie and nine behind their next opponent, the 1st-place Canucks.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Fort St. John Flyers’ forward Cayle Bell challenges Spirit River’s Riley Boomgarden for the puck during the third period. Both were held off the scoresheet in this one.

Grizzlies Athletics update

By Jaclyn McNicol NPSS Athletics Director

The senior girls and boys basketball teams travelled to Grande Prairie to attend the Howler Cup Basketball Tournament hosted by the North Western Polytechnic program.

The senior girls started their first game strong defensively and offensively with Laura Ross scoring 21 points overall. This game brought the girls into the semi-finals where they faced Peace Wapiti Academy, who came out strong defensively. The Grizzlies lost in this match. In the finals, for 3rd and 4th place, NPSS played Dawson Creek with an even match, skill-wise. It came down to opportunities on offense and stopping the ball defensively. The Grizzlies placed 3rd out of eight teams, learning a lot to start the season. Player of the weekend goes to Alina Siegle

who demonstrated grit and hardwork when her team was struggling.

The boys team started off struggling to work out the first game nerves, losing to GP Comp JV. The next two games the boys won and dominated the court finding their game. In the final match for 5th and 6th the Grizzlies faced Dawson Creek. In a close match, the Grizzlies battled however, were not able to come out with a win. Player of the weekend goes to Peter Wani, who demonstrated leadership and being a difference maker on the court.

Next up: the junior teams were off to Chetwynd for a December 9-10 tournament. The senior teams will be in Dawson Creek Dec 10th to get in some more playing time. Meantime, the fall sports schedule is wrapping up this week.

Thank you to everyone for supporting our athletes!

Huskies have winning weekend

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Fort St. John’s hunt for top spot in the Northwest Junior Hockey continues after wins over the weekend.

Kurtis Lee had a three-point Friday, including a pair of goals, as the Huskies dropped the league-leading Grande Prairie Wheat Kings 4-1. Ashton Underhill and Chase London added the others to round out the scoring for Fort St. John. Jackson Powers stopped 17 of the 18 shots he faced.

The Huskies followed up Friday’s home win with a 14-4 decision on the road in Fairview Saturday. Three different Fort St. John players had four points nights: Chase London, Brandon Modde, and Cayden Frenette – Frenette scoring twice in the game. Kurtis Lee and Ashton Underhill also had two-goal performances.

The remainder was spread out between eight players: Modde, Nathan Brownlee, Colby Busche, Kaden Arberry, Cole Cowan, Sam Loewen, Tanner McCracken, and Zack Ryan. Daniel Sturgeon earned the win between the pipes.

The Huskies sit in third place in the standings, one point back of Sexsmith and three behind the Wheat Kings, something Huskies’ head coach Todd Alexander believes his players take note of. “For sure, they pay attention to that stuff. They’re young men. They’re proud of their accomplishments,” said Alexan-

der. “To have a look at what you’re doing. To feel good about your stats. You know, the guy that has one goal…the guy who has 16 goals. That guy is just as proud of his one goal.”

Alexander admits statistics, though, are forgotten once the team hits the ice.

“When we start to play, all of that gets thrown to the wayside. Their frame of mind is to win a hockey game and our club has been doing that, of late, on a nightly basis.”

Speaking of stats, Huskies forward Kurtis Lee has the lead in league scoring with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) followed by teammate Brandon Modde with 14 goals and 27 assists, good for 41 points.

In fact, Fort St. John has six players in the top 20 in scoring.

Cayden Frenette – 28 points (6th)

Ashton Underhill – 24 points (13th)

Chase London – 24 points (15th)

Colby Busche – 22 points (18th)

In goal, Jackson Powers has secondbest league goals-against-average at 1.72 (.910 save percentage) while Daniel Sturgeon is third with a 1.84 average in goals against and .902 in saves.

The Huskies will have four games in the coming week, beginning at home Wednesday night (8 p.m., North Peace Arena) against the Dawson Creek Kodiaks, before hitting the road for three games in three days: Friday night in Peace River, Saturday evening in La Crete and Sunday afternoon back in Peace River.

SUPPLIED

NPSS senior girls basketball pose for a team photo at a season-opening tournament in Grande Prairie.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Former Elks speedskater Josh Telizyn, who now trains in Calgary, was part of the field at Canada Cup 1 last weekend in Fort St. John.

Bantams win streak at 17

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Northeast B.C./Yukon Bantam Trackers remain the top team in their division in the Northern Alberta Hockey League, improving their league record to 17-0 following road wins over the Peace River Sabres, 10-3 Friday night, and a 5-0 shutout of the Provincial Rentals Storm from Grande Prairie Sunday afternoon.

Trackers forward Damon Clay scored five times in the Friday night win, while teammate Deacon Thomas added two of his own. Others came from affiliate player Brody Bustard, Joshua Fung, and Ethan Avanthay.

Mason McGinnis led the way Sunday with a pair of goals, while Easton Goulet, Griffin King, and Dylan Stanley closed out the scoring for the Trackers.

The U-15s are off until the new year. The U-18s, meantime, had a tie and two wins over the weekend during a three-game road swing to the Edmonton-area.

On Friday, the Trackers and

St. Albert Steel deadlocked at five.

Xavier Burgher scored twice, while Carver Lequiere, Nickolas Kimmie, and Braith Morgan added singles.

Taryn Hoskyn, Logan Thompson, Braith Morgan, and Carver Lequiere had the markers Saturday in a 4-1 decision over Fort Saskatchewan.

And, a one-sided affair Sunday in the city as the Trackers dropped the Maple Leaf Athletic Club 10-1. Carver Lequiere, Xavier Burgher, Tristan Simpson, and MacCoy Willms each had two, with singles coming from Braith Morgan and Brody Mickey. The U-18s are first in the Milltech Group Division with 10 wins, two losses, and four ties.

They have one game remaining before the Christmas break - a special Friday morning match-up (11 a.m., North Peace Arena) against the Peace River Royals. It’s the team’s annual food drive for the Salvation Army. Students from Bert Bowes, Dr. Kearney, and North Peace Secondary are being invited to the game.

Local clubs granted $475K

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Twenty-one nonprofit groups in Northeast B.C. received close to $475,000 in community gaming grants this year to help develop their arts, culture, and sport programs.

ARTS & CULTURE

South Peace Art Society - $50,900; North Peace Historical Society - $20,000; Hudson’s Hope Historical Society - $12,400; Dawson Creek and District Band Association$8,000; Peace-Liard Regional Arts Council - $7,700; Community Arts Council of Fort St. John - $5,000

SPORTS

Dawson Creek Minor Hockey Association - $52,000; Fort St. John Figure Skating Club$40,000; Dawson Creek Seals Swim Club - $39,600; Mile Zero Figure Skating Club -

$38,000; Fort St. John Soccer Club - $35,000; Dawson Creek Curling Club - $32,600; North Peace Gymnastics Association - $30,000; Fort St. John Inconnu Swim Club - $26,000; Mile 300 Figure Skating Club - $17,500; Dawson Creek Senior Hockey Association$15,000; Fort St. John Huskies JR B Hockey Club - $15,000; Peace Passage Skating Club - $12,500; Special Olympics British Columbia Society (Dawson Creek) - $7,000; Dawson Creek Speed Skating Club - $6,900; Dawson Creek Wildcats Basketball Club - $3,500.

In a news release Dec. 8, the province says 46 nonprofits in northern B.C. received $1.3 million grants this year. Another 83 sports groups in the north received more than $2 million, according to the province.

New location for drug site

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Health officials say a new location has been found for a permanent overdose prevention and supervised drug site in Fort St. John.

In a letter before Fort St. John city councillors on Monday, Northern Health COO Angela De Smit says a long-term lease has been signed for 10067-100 Avenue. The building is currently being used as a warming centre for the city’s vulnerable population, a place to go during the day to warm up, grab food, wash up, or rest.

In her letter, De Smit acknowledged the importance of the program for the community, noting the health authority has “spoken with the building landlord regarding the program being able to be offered out of the space” as it seeks proposals for building improvements planned next year.

“We are planning to commence substantial tenant improvement to the building in order to provide wraparound harm reduction services including a safe inhalation space,” De Smit writes. “Due to the length of time for the tenant improvement RFP process to be completed, we are not expecting to commence the tenant improvements until the late spring or early summer of 2023.”

Northern Health had previously sought to open such a site on 102 Avenue, however, a permitting application was pulled

earlier this year. De Smit says the Northern Health region has the highest rate of toxic drug deaths in the province. According to the latest data from the BC Coroners Service, that rate is 56 deaths per 100,000 people. In the northeast, that rate drops to 34.4 deaths per 100,000, and there have been at least 21 deaths so far reported in 2022.

De Smit says “strategies to mitigate substance use harms and unnecessary deaths is an urgent priority” for Northern Health, and that the province has ordered health authorities to provide and support overdose prevention services in communities. “The provincial direction recognizes that there are many organizations that are well placed to implement OPS,” De Smit says. “In FSJ, the decision has been made for NH to run the OPS program often offering extended hours, with flexible outreach opportunities, and providing low barrier service provision that individuals may feel safer accessing.”

De Smit says a stakeholder engagement plan will work neighbouring businesses and property owners, as well as community agencies, “to best inform the breadth and depth of wraparound services and programming that a new health centre facility will provide.”

“A unique aspect of this upcoming engagement process is that it is designed to be in place beyond the start up of the project and will continue for a period during full operation as a open conduit for dialogue.”

Donations help ll bellies, deliver joy this Christmas

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

It was a great day last Friday for the Fort St. John Salvation Army and Women’s Resource Centre, as the organizations both received a $7500 lift heading into the holidays.

The donations come from a partnership challenge between Doig River First Nation, its economic development agency Uujo Developments, and Fraction Energy Services, in which the nation holds equity shares.

“Every year, Doig feels the importance to donate and give back to the community,” said Chief Trevor Makadahay. “That’s very important to our people because we have some of our members that are having tough times too, and they’re using the services all the time.”

“One of our important cultural values is respecting others and helping others,” added Councillor Brittany Robertson, noting the funds will help carry the organizations through Christmas season.

“We always just make sure that we can contribute to the community of Fort St. John, and so we always like to donate to the Salvation Army and be a part of the Women’s Resource Centre, and help in any way that we can.”

Lisa Jewell says numbers at the women’s centre are “through the roof” this year.

“We’re seeing families that actually used to be donors coming through this year, that have come through and they are heartbroken and full of embarrassment and shame,” she said.

“We do our best to try to make them get that Christmas feeling happening still. We do it by using the donations that we receive from places like Doig, and the rest of the community members that are

regularly donating to us.”

“We have made some Christmases happen this year that have just brought me so much joy to be able to be a part of,” she added.

Jared Braun of the Salvation Army said more than 600 people came through the food bank in November, and have taken on another 50 people who have never had to use the food bank before. Needs are rising with inflation, he said.

“Those who are already on the border of dealing with poverty, you know, it pushes them to a place, like Lisa said, where they’re dependent on resources they never would have thought they had to use,” he said. “But we’re honoured to be able to be in that space, to welcome anybody, to give them a dignified experience.”

Jewell said both social agencies are working closely this Christmas season to

effectively spread out donations and maximize the dollars coming in to support them both.

“Everybody works really, really hard for their money, and they’re choosing to give it to us, and we recognize that,” she said. “We appreciate it so very much and do our darndest to try to make sure that it goes absolutely as far as possible.”

Braun said he was honoured for the Salvation Army to be considered a partner of the businesses to continue serving the community.

“It’s not just about economic development, but it’s about social engagement and social development as well,” he said. “It takes all of us together to be able to really do that well to do that effectively.”

The challenge from here goes back out to the community, and other industries, from mining to forestry, oil and gas, tourism, and beyond, to help put food on the table for those in need.

“If you can help out the community as much as you can, it would be greatly appreciated,” he said, noting Fort St. John also serves the many thousands living in the outlying rural areas. “A full belly would be the best, better than money in a lot of cases,” he said. “I don’t think we should let anybody go hungry. If we can afford to help out, that’d be great.”

Stepping up for family’s re relief

From the front page

While the pair is receiving some support from its home community of Atlin, they have a long road ahead, including the re-building of a new home.

von Hollen said family and friends have begun a Go Fund Me page (gofundme.com/f/ fire-relief-help-fund) in an effort to get her parents back on

their feet.

With Christmas fast approaching, and everything lost to the blaze, they’re also asking the community and business community to consider gift cards to help replenish some of the everyday items that will need to be replaced.

Although the Morris’ will spend this Christmas with family back here in the Peace,

it’s likely to be a little more emotional than in other years.

“I just don’t know what to get them this year,” said von Hollen, still trying to process what’s happened. One present, from the community, just might be a ‘leg up’ for two caring individuals who always had, and continue to have their ‘hand up’ when it comes to helping others.

Serving city’s needs an eye-opening experience for food bank co-ordinator

From the front page

In 2023, Mason plans to start monthly cooking classes for clients after trialling an instant pot class in the summer. Many don’t know how to cook or struggle with creating a meal, she says, noting one client even admitted to her that his mother never taught him how to boil potatoes.

“We use the food that people don’t want to take, things like lentils, where everyone’s like, ‘Oh, no, no, I don’t want to deal with lentils.’ But it’s super protein packed, super easy to make, so versatile,” she says.

“In my household, a lot of the times I’ll make a meal, and then I re-purpose the leftovers… you have spaghetti one night and then chili the next night or something like that.

“A lot of people don’t think outside the box, or they don’t have the skills for that. So I’ve been trying to work on this grocery shop model to hopefully implement more cooking classes and life skills.”

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE THIS SEASON

The Salvation Army is about one-third of the way toward reaching its goal to raise $110,000 by Dec. 24 as part of this year’s Red Kettle Campaign.

Kettles can be found at select drive-thru locations such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and the Tim Hortons by the mall. Other locations include Canadian Tire, Dunvegan Gardens, Canada Safeway, No Frills, the Totem Mall, and Walmart.

A number of community toy drives are also underway or coming up. Drop-off locations can be found at Totem Mall, Home Hardware, and Century 21. Workers at Site C can also drop off a toy at the Atco Two Rivers camp.

The Salvation Army says the top 10 toys in need of donations this year include: sports equipment, electronics, Lego, scooters and skateboards, science and arts sets, puzzles and books, board games, Nerf toy guns, stocking stuffers, and gift cards.

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

From left: Lacey Beaumont, Lisa Jewell, Jared Braun, and Lilly Loichinger with Councillor Garry Oker, Chief Trevor Makadahay, Councillor Starr Acko, and Councillor Brittany Robertson of Doig River First Nation, Wayne Rothlisberger, Kelly Ballard, Kara Knipe, and Kevin Emes of Uujo Developments; and Chris Kestell and Marc Krauss of Fraction Energy Services.

SUPPLIED

Wayne and Connie inside the kitchen of their Atlin-area home.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

INSPIRING ACT OF KINDNESS — A number of families and individuals will be helped out this holiday season thanks to the generosity of students at Fort St. John’s C.M. Finch School. Grade 6 students in Mrs. Louie’s class decided to start a food drive and involved the whole school. On Friday afternoon, Dec. 9, Salvation Army executive director Jared Braun was on hand to pick up the donations. He was moved by school’s generosity and thanked the small group of students who led the charge, calling it “inspiring” to see the kindness to want to help others in their community. The students also rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to load the two dozen or so boxes into the truck. Pictured are Ashlin Pieper, Kelsie Hardy, Ilias Marin-Messaoudi, Lylia MarinMessaoudi, and Aria Katsiris. Back: Rowan Clarke and Salvation Army executive director Jared Braun. The kindness is, indeed, inspiring. Merry Christmas!

Health ned $355K

near-misses to support a strong safety culture and environment,” the statement said.

PATRICK WILLIAM STOLTZFUS

Parents:

Ryand&LauraStoltzfus

Northern Health has received a significant work safety fine for failing to properly complete investigation reports after a violent incident against a worker at the Peace Villa care home in Fort St. John.

WorkSafeBC says it fined the health authority $355,244.39 on Nov. 10, inspecting the facility after what it called an “incident of violence against a worker.”

It added, “We hope to re-visit proposals we had previously submitted to WSBC prior and during the pandemic that will address the administrative challenges we face from the current system.”

Weight: 7lbs8oz Length: 20inches Time: 12:47pm Date: December7,2022 Montney,BC

It’saGirl! ARIES

INDYANNA RAYNE

Parents: Justin&BrianaKlassen

“WorkSafeBC examined the employer’s investigation reports for this and several previous incidents and found that they all lacked key information such as underlying causes and corrective actions,” the agency reported on its website.

“The employer failed to ensure that a report of its full incident investigation was prepared in accordance with WorkSafeBC policies. This was a repeated violation.”

No further details about the incidents in question were provided or immediately available from WorkSafeBC.

In a statement released Dec. 7, Northern Health said it was “committed” to complying with B.C.’s occupational health and safety regulations, and that its “injury rate is lower than the provincial healthcare average.”

“That proposal included plans to invest and improve the provincial incident investigation platform to support our staff in reporting efficiently and generating thorough investigation reports,” the statement said.

News of the fine has prompted the BC Nurses’ Union to call for a provincial audit of all occupational health and safety reports from the last year.

The union noted similar issues in other health authorities, such as on Vancouver Island, and says an audit will “ensure investigations are conducted and that corrective actions are put in place to keep health care workers safe.”

“While the recent announcement of new protection security officers is a step in the right direction, this shows us there is much more that needs to happen within health authorities to make worksites safer for nurses and all health care workers,” BCNU president Aman Grewal stated in a press release.

BABY BOUQUET WALL

21/APR

Aries, no matter how much you try to tip the odds in your favor, this week is much more about the luck of the draw. Keep a positive outlook and things may turn out in your favor.

TAURUS  APR 21/MAY 21

Taurus, if winter’s chill is getting you down, you may want to plan a getaway to somewhere warmer. That may be just what you need to recharge.

GEMINI  MAY 22/JUN 21

The two sides of your personality are lately at odds with one another, Gemini. You have to make an important decision, so seek out a friend for advice.

CANCER  JUN 22/JUL 22

Cancer, you lean toward an optimistic view on most things, but it is alright to be realistic at some points along the way, or even slightly skeptical. Balance is key.

LEO  JUL 23/AUG 23

Leo, if you are feeling under the weather this week, you will have to put on a smile and push through. It is the holidays, after all. Seek as much help as others can muster.

VIRGO  AUG 24/SEPT 22

Virgo, you are on borrowed time regarding your nances. Take a careful look at your budget this week and make the tweaks necessary to stay a oat if income wanes.

LIBRA  SEPT 23/OCT 23

A companion animal in your life needs some attention, Libra. There may be some vet bills to contend with, but luckily you can handle that without much issue.

SCORPIO  OCT 24/NOV 22

The activity you have been turning to provide mental stimulation just may not be cutting it any longer. Start to explore some other options and see if there may be a better t, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS  NOV 23/DEC 21

A health issue that has been getting the better of you for some time will be resolved for in the days to come, Sagittarius. It’ll be birthday good news. Start celebrating.

CAPRICORN  DEC 22/JAN 20

Capricorn, after a tumultuous few weeks, things in your life nally settle down. Embrace the opportunity to rest and do not take on any new projects until next year.

AQUARIUS  JAN 21/FEB 18

Aquarius, things may not be going completely according to plan on the professional front. But at home you have gotten into a solid groove. Use this win to boost your mood.

PISCES  FEB 19/MAR 20

There is much more to a situation than meets the eye, Pisces. Delve deeper to learn about a person’s true motivation.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

DECEMBER 11 Hailee Steinfeld, Actress (26)

DECEMBER 12 Mädchen Amick, Actress (52)

DECEMBER 13 Taylor Swift, Singer (33)

DECEMBER 14 Andrew Tate, Kickboxer (36)

DECEMBER 15 Maude Apatow, Actress (25)

DECEMBER 16 Theo James, Actor (38)

DECEMBER 17 Manny Pacquiao, Politician (44)

“In Peace Villa, our measurable rates are trending positively, such as reduced violent interactions,” the statement said.

“The Peace Villa team continues to improve investigations (including information identified by WorkSafeBC as key for the report, such as job titles and phone numbers), with additional training and on-going support from their Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee.”

The health authority said it’s assessing the penalty from WorkSafeBC, and providing the agency with more information about the work that’s been completed since it was issued.

“Northern Health has a robust reporting process to address hazards and

“The fact is, all provincial health authorities use the same provincial reporting system, and we know there are issues with the system as we’ve seen with this penalty.”

In October, the provincial government announced plans to hire up to 320 security officers to address workplace violence of health care staff.

However, only select hospitals throughout the province were chosen for the new officers, and only three of the 35 would be in the Northern Health Authority – the University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George, Mills Memorial in Terrace, and the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital.

The hospitals in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek were not included in the announcement.

Davies advocates for action on ongoing toxic drug supply crisis

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

With as many as 21 deaths in Northeast B.C. this year linked a growing toxic drug supply, one of the region’s MLA believes now is the time to act.

Peace River North MLA Dan Davies sits on the Select Standing Committee on Health, a group of MLAs from all political stripes, which recently submitted a list of recommendations to the province addressing B.C.’s ongoing issue with toxic drug deaths – a figure that climbed to 1,827 province-wide in the first 10 months of 2022.

“It’s important to recognize that it’s not who you think might be dying,” said Davies. “A lot of people have this preconceived notion of Downtown Eastside [Vancouver]… Vancouver Hastings. Well, no, it’s not. It’s young workers, predominantly young men that are working in the resource sector. I use the word very loosely, recreationally, using harder drugs, but they’re tainted.”

Early additives like fentanyl and carfentanyl are now being replaced by benzodiazepines, also known on the street as “benzos.” And, therein lies another problem. “We know it doesn’t take much fentanyl, even benzos. Naloxone kits don’t work on benzos. They were made to combat fentanyl,” added Davies.

“Absolutely, there is a solution. We need to be focusing on the big picture, focusing on recovery. There are no detox services up here. When someone goes in and says, I need help, then they need help now, not ,we can get you on a bus to Prince George in 10 days. It’s too late then. So, we need to make sure we’re getting those much-needed treatment services.”

Davies emphasizes that includes recovery beds, locally and in the region, which aren’t available right now.

“The other piece of this is prevention,” Davies continued. “The last thing we want to be doing Is normalizing this because that’s a challenge all-in-itself. We need to make sure we’re educating.”

Davies pointed out there is no safe supply of drugs.

“Safer supply? We can recognize that, but that is only one of four pillars in the process. One of the lines we heard over and over [during presentations to the committee] was – there is no recovery for a dead person.”

The four pillars approach is outlined as prevention, harm reduction, enforcement, and treatment. Davies argues all four components need to take place for it to work.“We get that there are people entrenched in their addictions who do need a safer supply but that does not work when that is all alone. We need to make sure we have that recovery piece at the end. We need to make sure we’re doing the prevention, preventing people from going down this path.”

“There’s a whole bunch of stuff that needs to happen that, quite frankly, isn’t happening.”

In its latest report, the B.C. Coroners Service said the northeast region accounts for 15% of the 143 overdose deaths reported across Northern B.C. so far in 2022.According to the government branch, the Northern Health region also has the highest rate of overdose deaths, at 56 deaths per 100,000 people. In the northeast, that rate drops to 34.4 deaths per 100,000. At least six deaths in the Peace River North between January and August were attributed to the toxic drug supply, it said. In northern B.C., people are dying from a drug overdose most often in private homes (61%), or other residences such as hotels, rooming houses, shelters, or other supportive housing (20.6%) according to the data released Nov. 30.

Oh, yes, how great we are

By Evan Saugstad

For those who have followed my writings, I have been known to reference my “flat earth” views to get my point across… well, try. Lately, I have been pondering that we just might be better off if the world was flat, and that some of the wonderful and weird notions our governments have could just fall off the edge and be done with, instead of them stuck on spin cycle with no end in sight.

For example, the Freedom Convoy hearings, better known as a “let’s not tell the whole story” hearing from Ottawa. Last month, our federal ministers and prime minister were on the stand. It’s hard to believe that their justification is they wished to change the law, but instead of doing that, first it was easier to confiscate other people’s money, throw some in jail, and then get around to re-writing the law, the Emergencies Act, to make it all legal again. Boy, I sure hope the police don’t see me having a beer and charge me with drunken driving because they think I might drive.

They can’t tell us what their lawyers — our Justice Department — told them when they asked what would happened if they broke the law, I wonder why? Bet they heard criminals go to jail — just kidding, no federal judge is quick enough to catch a bunch of slippery politicians. I could write a lot on this one but will wait

for another day after we have heard what we will be told.

Read the $1.6-billion federal “Climate Adaption Strategy”? I bet they needed an announcement in a hurry after Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault got scared of what Alberta Premier Danielle Smith would do to him if he declared an end to Alberta by voting with the misguided at COP27 that fossil fuels were to be declared extinct. Yes, you can only imagine on that one.

A new fund, the “Green Municipal Fund,” allows local government to apply for federal funding to address windstorms, fires, and ice storms, and be paid with someone else’s money to cut down all those trees that, if left to their own devices, will for sure fall down upon us. Unless, that is, they burn first. And at the same time, they can apply to the same ministry to plant more trees so they too can fall down, or burn.

I just wish this whole program would just kinda wash over the edge and be replaced with a bit of common sense climate adaptation strategies, like telling the No Dikes Anywhere crowd that places like Sumas Prairie or Winnipeg do need dikes; or, that BC Hydro and our forest industry is doing a great job ridding our province of problem trees; or, that despite it all, pestilence, plagues, and havoc are part of life.

Yup, Parks and Recreation departments will get millions

to plant them, and Emergency Preparedness will get millions to root them out of the ground. Oh, how my head hurts, but then again, my flat earth brain says ask for $1 million to write the plan that will save billions.

We are now agreeing with the COP27 crowd to pay the rest of the world to fix their problems. Why don’t we start with fixing what we have at home? Haven’t we just invited the rest to come live with us? For that, we do need to be at our best.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tells us that Canada has a black eye with the world’s investors because of a few horn honking protesters, meanwhile her government allows railways and roads and pipelines to be blocked.

Americans are now asking if they can come to Canada to build some mines so the world can have a reliable source of materials we all so desperately need. Meanwhile, we work so hard to kill every project that tries to get anything out of the ground and solve real world problems. How do we spell Ring of Fire, or Baffinland Iron Mines, or New Prosperity? It sure wouldn’t hurt my feelings to see a few of Ottawa’s best with a boatload of regulations near the edge.

Pierre Poilievre can be a hoot. He really does know how to stroke his favourite detractors’ keyboards. I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with his statement that giv-

ing out free drugs will create more addicts, but, he said it, and now we are told he is wrong? Come on people, use some common sense. Yes, free drugs will let some people live a bit longer, but what do we do then? Think this one through to the end… or does it?

And now we have B.C. Premier David Eby, who waited for years to get to this pinnacle of his career. And how did he do it? First, pretend we are Venezuela and assign your competition to the dustbin. It’s easy after that, especially when you haven’t done anything for years and allowed our societal woes to get so bad that it becomes easy to announce something — anything — just convince the meek that only he has the power to solve our problems.

Yes, couldn’t throw the revolving-door crooks in jail when he was in charge, but now, for a few million, he can fix it. Need some more police, easy — looks like there’s a few available in Surrey. I can hardly wait until he gets around to fixing B.C.’s climate.

But, good news, I must acknowledge Eby did have one brilliant solution: just lock up the finest of our worst offenders and leave them there until they are fixed… whatever that may mean. My flat earth view says if they aren’t on my street, then my street is safe.

Saugstad lives and writes in Fort St. John.

Seniors supper and dance

By Ruby McBeth

Abig thank you to the Seniors Task Force who arranged an excellent supper and dance at the seniors’ hall on Dec. 2. People danced before and after the supper to the music of Classic Country. Those of us who didn’t dance hummed along or sang the lyrics if we knew them. The supper was catered by Peace Catering — excellent food. Door prizes were gift baskets from Artisan Farmhouse won by Lil Kocher and Dorothy Burkholder, and a flower basket by Petit Petal won by Harry Halladay (pictured at left). Well done.

What I enjoyed most about the night was the conversation. The people around me started talking about the changes in hospitals.

Marj Harris was reminding us of the smell of Dettol in the old hospital. That brought back memories of when my girls were born in the hospital. A lady sitting across from me started talking about life in the old, old hospital. This was the original hospital run by the nuns. She said that they were too far from a blood supply so, when they needed blood, they would call on a couple of locals: George Broadhurst and Roly DeTonnancourt.

The lady telling the story was Janice Kramer Jarrett. Janice worked in the hospital along with her sister Yvonne Kramer Wiles (Mrs. Doug). Their father Peter Kramer ran the laundry. Janice told her stories in a way that made you feel you were there.

FILLING THE HAMPERS

The Salvation Army and Women’s Resource Centre are finishing off their Christmas hampers. They are suggesting that what would be most helpful is gift certificates for food or gas. The Seniors Task Force could top up their gift bags for seniors with gift cards from Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, or a food store. For upto-date information, phone 250785-0506 for the Salvation Army, 250-787-1121 for the Women’s Resource Centre, and 250-7893496 for the Seniors Task Force. Children’s toys can be donated at Totem Mall, Home Hardware, and Century 21.

LEARNING THE LINGO

This week’s word is ‘google’. Google is the brand name for a leading internet search engine, founded in 1998. If we say we are going to google something, it means we are going to search the internet for information.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Ruby McBeth lives and writes in Fort St. John.

COPYRIGHT & LEGAL NOTICE

— Nelson Mandela

Evan

RUBY MCBETH PHOTOS

William

Ryan

Lynn Novack Circulation Manager circulation@ahnfsj.ca

Reading the Gospel of Luke

By John Grady

At Christmas time, most people read the Christmas message from the Gospel of Luke as it details the people involved, the settings, the process, and, of course, the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s good to know something of the author and what he writes. Luke was not an Apostle; in fact, he was a gentile born in Alexandria and he was a physician by profession.

Most biblical scholars attribute both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts to have been authored by Luke. Luke was not only a physician but also a detailed investigator with incredible integrity and, of course, a skilled author. When you read the Gospel of Luke and the books of Acts, it’s like reading part one and part two as they are so connected.

Luke addresses his writing to “most excellent Theophilus,” obviously a senior Roman authority detailing his findings of the truth of the birthing of the Christian faith, and that it was not some cult that the Roman Empire could dismiss. Luke noted the rise of Christianity in Israel and, in the book of Acts, its spread to the Mediterranean and Europe.

In the beginning of the Gospel, Luke affirms “an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,” and goes on to state, “they were handed down by eyewitnesses and servants of the word.”

Luke further states that he has carefully investigated everything from the beginning so that Theophilus would be certain of his accuracy.

As you read the books of Luke and Acts, you see the priority and significance that Luke places on the work of the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit was new and misunderstood, and in many cases remains misunderstood 2000 years later. But Luke highlights the work of the Holy Spirit in over 70 scriptural references.

Even during the birthing of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, we read where the priest Zacharias, his wife Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and Mary the mother of Jesus were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Simeon, a righteous and devout man of God, to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed he would not die before he had personally seen the Messiah, was moved by the Spirit to enter the Temple just when Jesus as a newborn baby was presented in the temple. Simeon took Him in his arms and gave thanks to God for His faithfulness as he knew this baby was the Messiah.

As you read or re-read the Gospel of Luke at Christmas time, let it inspire you that the “word had been made flesh,” and the hope of the nations lay asleep in a manger.

John Grady lives and writes in Fort St. John.

Why o er a reward after the attack on pipeline workers

By Chris Gardner

Set foot on a construction site and it’s impossible to miss the commitment to safety. There are safety orientations, toolbox talks, specialized training, safety officers and signs everywhere. Safety gear and protective clothing like hard hats, boots, high visibility vests, gloves, and goggles are required before the work starts.

The safety of people always comes first and always trumps every other consideration on every construction job site. British Columbia’s construction employers, and the men and women who wake up and go to a job site every day to build our communities and support their families, are committed to ensuring everyone gets home safe at the end of every day.

That’s why the February 2022 attack on construction workers building the Coastal GasLink LNG pipeline near Houston, BC, is deeply troubling. RCMP say video footage shows “20 or so masked individuals” attacking nine security guards and construction workers, heavy equipment, and outbuildings, “in a very aggressive and calculated method.” The violent attack caused millions of dollars in damage and was traumatic not only for those working on site that night, but also for

their colleagues, families, and friends.

This was carefully planned and premeditated. According to Coastal GasLink, lights and video surveillance at the site were disabled. Heavy equipment was used to batter other equipment and shred trailers. A school bus was used to block access to the site. The Morice River Service Road was blocked by felled trees, fires, and spikes.

“Our people were terrorized during this violent incident,” a CGL spokesperson said.

“Workers and their families should never have to endure the traumatizing events that unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 17,” added Kevin Kohut, Provincial Director of CLAC, one of the unions representing workers on the project.

Despite near universal condemnation from elected officials, industry groups, labour unions, and other leaders, ten months later, no arrests have yet been made. No one has been held accountable.

That’s not acceptable. For the men and women working in construction, more must be done to send a message that their safety matters and that violence in the workplace and on job sites will not be tolerated. That’s why the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association has partnered with Metro

Vancouver Crime Stoppers to offer a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and charge of those responsible for this violent and horrific attack.

It would be easy to just let this violence be forgotten, but there were real people, skilled professionals, whose lives were in danger simply for showing up at their place of work to support themselves and their families. In a post on the CGL website, one of the security professionals who was working that night called the event “terrifying. To have somebody come at you with an axe is, you know, a whole other level of… fear.”

He described what it was like to experience axe- and fire-wielding assailants smash his truck windows. “You know, to have this terrifying event where people are trying to come at you with an axe, and throwing axes through your window and trying to start a truck on fire, well… we just want to do our job, and work and go home to our families...”

It’s hard not to feel the fear in these comments. Our hope is this substantial reward provides the impetus for someone to step forward and provide information that will help ensure that those who perpetrated this heinous act of violence and terror are held accountable.

This LNG pipeline project

is a nation-building undertaking being constructed to the highest environmental standards that will deliver the cleanest LNG on the planet. It will transport natural gas from northeast BC to the LNG Canada plant in Kitimat – the largest private investment in our country’s history – to be processed and shipped to markets around the world. CGL has signed agreements with all 20 of the First Nations along the pipeline route and the project has been approved and permitted by both the federal and provincial governments. The people working on this pipeline are highly trained and skilled and are building an incredible national legacy of which we can all be proud – their expertise, ingenuity and hard work should be upheld as an example of Canadian ingenuity and exceptionalism. They deserve no less than a full investigation and the assurance that the perpetrators of this attack will be held accountable and brought to justice.

If you have information that may be helpful in this case, please contact Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit www. solvecrime.ca.

Chris Gardner is President of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association

Solar kerosene: clean fuel with just sunlight and air

By Don Pettit

Batteries can only go so far. Liquid fuels, like kerosene, gasoline, and methanol are some of the most energy-rich substances, containing 20x to 60x more energy than the best lithium batteries.

Batteries are great for tools, fantastic for electric vehicles, and even short-hop airplanes. The new electric Tesla semi transport truck, with a 500mile range fully loaded, is pushing batteries to their limit. For aviation and long-haul transportation and shipping, batteries probably won’t cut it. Because of their lightweight and very high energy density, we will likely need liquid fuels.

But now we know those liquid fuels MUST be carbon neutral, that is, when they emit carbon when burned, that carbon had to be taken out of the atmosphere in the first place to make the fuel, then removed again to make more fuel.

Like burning wood: carbon was used by the trees to make wood, burning releases that carbon into the air, which is then once again available for trees to make more wood. As long as you are planting lots

of trees, wood is a sustainable fuel. It is “carbon neutral.”

A small refinery on the roof of a laboratory at ETH Zurich is making carbon neutral fuel from air and sunlight. The plant pulls carbon dioxide and water directly out of the atmosphere and feeds them into a reactor that concentrates solar radiation with a parabolic reflector. The extreme heat (1500 C) generated by the solar concentrator splits the molecules of carbon dioxide and water creating a syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that is then processed into kerosene, methanol or other liquid fuels.

These are “drop in” fuels that can be used in any regular internal combustion engine, and they are carbon neutral. The beauty of the tech is that it can be scaled up to produce carbon neutral transportation fuels without the need to replace the worldwide existing transportation infrastructure. That’s a pretty huge advantage, one not shared by batteries or hydrogen fuel.

The ETH Zurich minirefinery has proven that the technology works in field conditions. Now it is time to

scale up production and make it economically competitive.

Plans and steps to do so are well underway. A solar plant spanning an area of one square kilometre could produce 20,000 litres of kerosene a day. A large-scale test run is already in operation in Madrid, Spain. Instead of one parabolic mirror, this is a field of sun-tracking mirrors that focus the direct solar radiation onto a solar reactor at the top of a central tower. (Similar systems are being used around the world to generate solar electricity.) Just like the Zurich reactor, this one splits carbon dioxide and water vapour removed from the air, which with conventional processing produces kerosene.

A spin-off company, Synhelion, plans to have a full scale commercial system up and running by 2025 that will produce 10 million litres of fuel per year. One Swiss airlines has already announced plans to use the new carbon neutral jet fuel.

Probably not, or at least not entirely. If all we do is use better, cleaner technology to produce more and more of the same destructive stuff, we

are not actually solving the problem, in fact, we might be making things worse.

The human race has already exceeded the carrying capacity of our little blue planet, meaning it would take several Earth’s for everybody to do everything that North Americans now take for granted.

To achieve sustainability, we will likely have to travel less, regardless of how clean the fuel is we are using. We are likely to have to consume much less overall, and waste much less for sure. We will have to shift from global to local production, especially for food, to cut way down on shipping costs. And so much more.

However, I also think that there is a great benefit, and a great hope and encouragement to know that we can generate unlimited amounts of clean electricity with just sunlight and wind, and now to know that we can make unlimited amounts of clean liquid fuel from just sunlight and air.

lives and writes in Dawson Creek and is Executive Director of the Peace Energy Cooperative.

Don Pettit

‘Tis the season... to be careful

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

As many of us prepare for the holiday season, so too do fraudsters and scam artists taking advantage of our kindness.

“It’s definitely a busy time of the year with people being in the festive spirit, maybe even being a little more generous than normal,” says Simone Lis, the executive director of the B.C. Better Business Bureau. “It’s also a great opportunity, because we’re so busy, to be the victim of a scam.”

And, a majority of those are being done through the internet, according to a recent survey done by the BBB. “What we found is that almost two-thirds of the scams we were seeing were online focused, which isn’t surprising coming out Covid and just the overall increase of how much time we’re spending connected,” says Lis.

Each year, the organization releases its 12 Scams of Christmas, with many of the same deceptions and hoaxes coming to the forefront. “The ones that stand out for me tend to be the things that are most prevalent – online shopping scams. Generally, what happens in those types of situations, a consumer is looking at their social media feed, not really paying attention, and then an advertisement catches their attention. They click on that advertisement and, before they know it, they’ve purchased or seen something on the screen that says they’ve purchased something.”

Lis said that numbers show, on average, a consumer is bilked out of just over $100, when tricked.

Annually, that number is

close to $25 million Canadawide according to figures from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. “But, we know that fraud is under-reported,” she says. “So, it could be that some of these smaller items could be weighing into some of the larger items. We also know that the age group at risk at this type of scam is at a higher loss, people 18-24.”

Seniors and the elderly also remain at a very high risk to be taken by scammers, and while technology has been a blessing, in some respects, it’s also been a curse. “You can get call display on your phones, but scam artists have technology that spoofs real legitimate phone numbers,” adds Lis. “So, it’s really about doing things like registering [your parents] from Do Not Call lists, telling them not to enter draws when they go to trade or consumer shows, because often that’s a way to get added to a contact list.”

Even better, Lis suggests, is going through mail, emails, and online activity with the person to see red flags. “That might be something like getting an alert about a compromised account through organizations like PayPal or Netflix or bank accounts. It might catch their attention more, than you, who might just delete them.”

The leading advice: know who you’re dealing with for any kind of online or over-thephone purchase, never give out personal or credit information unless it’s with a bonafide source, and if you feel intimidated or threatened by a phone call, simply hang up.

You can also report any suspicious activity to your nearest authority, like the RCMP, or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

$6000 for Friendship Society programs

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Fort St. John Friendship Society has managed to raise $6000 in its Every Child Matters pin campaign.

The pins, which were sold for $10 each at Home Hardware and created by local Indigenous artist Alisa Froh, have two different designs - money raised going to the child and youth programs at the community’s Friendship Centre.

The first pin, named Little Shoes, features a pair of moccasins with orange hearts on the toes. The second, called Nobody is Home, is of a teepee with orange hearts and small handprints on top of larger handprints.

While it’s the first year the pins have been sold, it’s part

of an ongoing connection that Fort St. John’s Home Hardware has had with the centre.

“The orange t-shirts we’re wearing, these were the original [project] done before. They raised quite a bit of money and we’re so thankful to Home Hardware and SJA Promo for being a part of that project,” said the Friendship Society’s executive director Anita Lee.

“So, when they came out with the pins, it added another layer to it. I would like to say it’s because of the work we do in the community. We’re just so proud to be the recipients of the proceeds, again.”

“I am constantly impressed by the generosity of our community,” said Home Hardware owner/operator Shelley Gallinger.

“The support that we re-

ceive from these kinds of fundraisers.”

In 2021, the store was able to raise close to $20,000 in the sale of Every Child Matters orange t-shirts.

“Ours is really an industry of collaboration,” said Kailey Odermatt with SJA Promo, who helped bring the products to market.

“We look forward to continuing to develop [more] great fundraising projects for our community.”

With a few of the pins still available, Home Hardware has decided to turn the remainder over the Friendship Society.

They’ll be sold, Lee said, at the craft store inside the Friendship Centre until Dec. 16 when the centre closes for the holidays.

“They make great stockingstuffers,” she added.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

From left: Wendy MacLean (Fundraising lead, Home Hardware), Kailey Odermatt (Owner, SJA Promo), Vanessa Lalonde (Services Manager, Friendship Society), Maxine Mease (Housing Manager, Friendship Society), Anita Lee (Executive Director, Friendship Society), Angie Kingsep (Team lead cashier, Home Hardware), Shelley Gallinger (Owner/Operator, Home Hardware) and Bryson Snel (Estimator, Home Hardware)

Don’t get scammed this Christmas

Below are this year’s top 12 scams to watch out for, according to the Better Business Bureau.

1. MISLEADING SOCIAL MEDIA ADS:

As you scroll through your social media feed, you often see products advertised. Always research before you buy. The Better Business Bureau receives daily reports of people paying for items that they never receive, getting charged monthly for a free trial they never signed up for, or receiving an item that is counterfeit or much different from the one advertised. Before ordering, check out the business profile on BBB.org and read the reviews.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA GIFT

EXCHANGES:

Each holiday season this scheme pops back up. A newer version of this scam revolves around exchanging bottles of wine; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts online. Another twist asks you to submit your email into a list where participants get to pick a name and send money to strangers to “pay it forward.”

In all of these versions, participants unwittingly share their personal information. It’s an illegal pyramid scheme.

3. HOLIDAY APPS:

Apple’s App Store and Google Play list dozens of holidaythemed apps where children can video chat live with Santa, light the menorah, watch Santa feed live reindeer, track his sleigh on Christmas Eve, or relay their holiday wish lists. Review privacy policies to see what information will be collected. Be wary of free apps. They can also be embedded with malware or spyware.

4. ALERTS ABOUT COMPROMISED

ACCOUNTS:

Claims that your Amazon, Paypal, Netflix or bank account has been compromised. Victims receive an email, call, or text message which explains that there has been suspicious activity on one of their accounts, and it further urges them to take immediate action to prevent the account from being compromised. Be extra cautious about unsolicited calls, emails, and texts. Never give out personal information!

5. FREE GIFT CARDS:

Nothing brings good cheer like the word “FREE.” Scammers have been known to take advantage of this weakness by sending bulk phishing emails requesting personal information to receive free gift cards. In some of these emails, scammers impersonate legitimate companies and promise gift cards to reward their loyal customers. They may also use pop-up ads or send text messages with links. Never click on the links.

6. TEMPORARY HOLIDAY

JOBS:

Retailers typically hire seasonal workers to help meet the demands of holiday shoppers. Shippers and delivery services are top holiday employers this year because of the increase in online orders and the need to get most of these packages delivered before Christmas. These jobs are a great way to make extra money, sometimes with the possibility of turning into a long-term employment opportunity. However, job seekers need to be wary of employment scams

aimed at stealing money and personal information from job applicants. Keep an eye out for opportunities that seem too good to be true.

7. LOOK-ALIKE WEBSITES:

The holiday season brings endless emails offering deals, sales, and bargains. Be wary of emails with links enclosed. Some may lead to look-alike websites created by scammers to trick people into downloading malware, making dead-end purchases, and sharing private information. If you are uncertain about the email, do not click any of the links. Instead, hover over them to see where they reroute.

8. FAKE CHARITIES:

The last few weeks of the year is a busy time for charitable donations. Look out for fraudulent charities and scammers pretending to be individuals in need. Avoid impromptu donation decisions to unfamiliar organizations. Responsible organizations will welcome a gift tomorrow as much as they do today. Where possible, donate to the charity through their website and use a credit card for record-keeping.

9. FAKE SHIPPING NOTIFICATIONS:

More consumers are making purchases online, and there is also an increase in the number of notifications about shipping details from retailers and carriers. Scammers are using this new surge to send phishing emails with links enclosed that may allow unwanted access to your private information or download malware onto your device. They may also try to trick people into paying new shipping fees.

10. POP-UP HOLIDAY VIRTUAL EVENTS:

Many local in-person events such as pop-up holiday markets or craft fairs, have moved online. Scammers are creating fake event pages, social media posts, and emails, charging admission for what used to be a free event. The goal is to steal credit card information. Confirm with the organizer of the event if there is an admission fee. Use a credit card. And, if the event is free, watch for scammers trying to claim otherwise.

11. TOP HOLIDAY WISHLIST ITEMS:

Low priced luxury goods, jewelry, designer clothing, and electronics are almost always cheap counterfeits and knockoffs. The same applies for popular toys. This year: Squishmallows, Magic Mixies Magical Misting Snap Circuits, and Breyer Horses Unicorn Magic Wood Stable are some of the items in high demand. Be very cautious when considering purchasing these popular toys from resellers on social media platforms.

PUPPY/KITTEN SCAMS:

12.

Many families consider adding a furry friend to their household at this time of year. However, be on the lookout for scams. Many would-be pet owners turn to the internet, but experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored pet advertisements may be fake. Be sure to see the pet in person before making a purchase. Also, consider adopting from an animal shelter as another option – many have a visit to vet covered in the adoption fee.

Record-breaking bid for ‘I Remember’ quilt

On November 5, 2022, the “I Remember Quilt” received a record breaking final bid of $16,500 at the Hospital Foundation’s Be an Angel Gala. Every year, the opportunity to honour the memory of a loved one by adding their name to the border of the “I Remember” Quilt is auctioned off at the Gala.

This year, Roxanne Jaschke will be added to the quilt. The quilt’s generous winning bidders wanted to remain anonymous because they wanted the focus to stay on their friend, Roxanne. They wanted to honour Roxanne in this way, as she was an inspiration of strength and she

touched a lot of hearts in the community.

When asked about Roxanne, the donors said: “Roxanne accepted everyone for who they were and gave amazing hugs; strength, love, kindness and sunshine came through in everything she did.”

The history of the ‘I Remember’ Quilt goes back to 2007 when volunteers of the Fort St. John Country Quilters Guild beautifully handcrafted the quilt to provide an opportunity to not only remember a loved one who has passed, but also to raise funds for the Foundation. The quilt has raised over $72,000 to date. All funds raised through

the “I Remember” Quilt help enhance patient comfort and care at the Fort St. John Hospital.

The Fort St. John Hospital Foundation would like to thank the winning bidders of the quilt and all the members of the community that gave generously to the 2022 ‘Be an Angel’ Campaign.

The Fort St. John Hospital Foundation is honoured that Roxanne will be remembered in this way. The quilt is back on display at the Fort St. John Hospital, in the hallway outside the Foundation Office.

— Fort St. John Hospital Foundation

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

COLD FACES, WARM HEARTS — The District of Taylor held its annual aptly-named Reverse Christmas Parade on Sat., Dec. 10. Started in 2020 because of the pandemic, the parade tries to travel past every home in the community. Rather than residents coming out to watch, it’s the reverse, they can see it from the comfort of their homes.

FORT ST JOHN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

FORT ST JOHN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Geri Dalsin

Feb. 24, 1934—July 9, 2022

Geraldine “Geri” Arden Dalsin (nee McIntyre) was born in Seattle, Washington, but spent her early years in Vancouver with her mother Zella Rae Gordon, sister Sandra and her grandparents Pete and Netty Gordon. ey moved to Edmonton while Geri was in her mid-teens and her mother remarried, this time to Jack James McIntyre.

Geri and Ron (Dalsin) met in high school while in Edmonton and married soon after graduation. Ron spent the early years of their marriage travelling long distances for work, while Geri looked after their six children. Once they were grown, she went back to work as co-owner of Landquest Appraisals in Fort St. John. Geri was an avid reader, with science ction and fantasy being among her favourite genres, and she hoped to one day board a spaceship and travel beyond the Earth’s pull.

She enjoyed dancing and gol ng with her husband, she loved gardening and was recognized by Fort St. John Communities in Bloom for her lovely ower gardens, but most of all she loved her children and cherished the time spent with each of them.

Geri passed away peacefully in Kelowna on July 9 with family at her side. She is survived by her children, sons Martin (Wendy), Geo , Doug (Jane), Phil, Stan and daughter Colleen (Fraser) Mackie, 12 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Also survived by sister Zoie Jeannette McIntyre.

Predeceased by Ron, loving husband of 60 years, in 2014, and by sister Sandra Jane Munn in 2021. Family and friends will miss her kindnesses and her wonderful smile! No formal service will be held. Instead, her family will gather to share their memories and stories of her rich life.

Fort St. John schools named after World War veterans

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Alwin Holland, Anne Roberts Young; Bert Ambrose and Bert Bowes; Dr. Kearney and Duncan Cran. Their names are well known in Fort St. John but before they were adorned on the fronts of city schools, did you know they served in the First World War?

Key among them was Alwin Holland, who established the first school in Fort St. John in 1921 in his very own home. Mrs. Easton was its first teacher, and Holland, who trained as a teacher, later went on to open and teach at the school in Hudson’s Hope in 1922.

Holland was born in Owen Sound, Ont., in January 1882, and enlisted in Valcartier, Quebec, on Sept. 23, 1914. He was shipped overseas 10 days later, where he served in England and France. He was taken as a prisoner of war in April 1915 at Ypres, and sent to Germany to work in a steel foundry.

Holland was released in December 1918 after three years a POW, and discharged from his duties in April 1919.

Later that year, he came to the Peace River Country and took up a homestead near Fort St. John. He taught and opened schools at Forfar, Rose Prairie, Bear Flat, Moose Creek, Upper Cache, and Attachie. Today, Alwin Holland Elementary on 96 Street bears his name, home to about 200 students.

Anne Roberts Young was a nurse in the British military during the war, and came to the Peace in April 1930 as the area’s first registered nurse. When she did, Fort St. John wasn’t even a village, and she worked at the Grandhaven Red Cross Outpost Hospital. Young’s name was chosen to grace the city’s newest elementary school opened in 2020 across from the hospi-

tal and birthing centre. She was renowned to have delivered between 300 and 400 babies during her 25-year career — not counting all the wounds needing stitching and broken bones needing setting.

She married farmer and postmaster Jim Young of Rose Prairie, and continued to work as a nurse after her move to that community. She often travelled by horseback and through severe weather to see patients.

Bert Ambrose was born in 1897 in Nova Scotia, and enlisted there in February 1916, shipping overseas eight months later on the SS Olympic.

Part of the Nova Scotia Highland Regiment, Ambrose was wounded by shrapnel in his leg at Vimy Ridge in July 1917. He spent more than a year in various hospitals due to the wound and was sent back to Canada at the end of the year.

Ambrose was discharged in November 1918 and later came west, finding work feeding cattle north of Rose Prairie and homesteading in Cecil Lake. He

later filed on land and started another homestead north of Fort St. John. Some of that land is now part of the city, where Northern Lights College is today, as well as Bert Ambrose Elementary on 115 Avenue, which stands in his honour today with more than 200 students.

As the years wore on, Ambrose’s war wounds made heavy farm work difficult. He eventually became the city’s postmaster from 1942 to 1961 before his death in 1968.

An engineer by trade, Bert Bowes was a corporal with the 224th Brigade Forestry Battalion after enlisting in the war in April 1916, in Quebec City. He was shipped overseas two weeks later, the battalion responsible for cutting forests and preparing timber for various uses in the war effort, such as airfield, road, barracks, and trench construction.

Bowes was discharged in 1919 after demobilization and later arrived in Fort St. John with his wife, Vera, from Manitoba in 1929. Bowes drove

truck for awhile and in 1933 he opened the Bowes and Herron Garage with his brother-in-law and business partner, Braden Herron. Besides serving vehicle and equipment repair, the garage was also home to the town’s first fire house and Bowes converted a Citroen halftrack from the infamous Bedeaux Expedition into its first first truck. Bert Bowes Middle School at 106 Street and 99 Avenue is named in his honour, enrolling a population of more than 500 students.

Dr. Garnet Kearney trained in medicine at McGill University, serving in the Canadian Medical Corps during the First World War as a ship surgeon, then as a medic at the battlefront in France from April 16 until the end of the war. Kearney settled in Fort St. John in 1935, sharing medical duties at the time with Dr. Brown. Kearney served for more than 25 years, retiring in 1962. Payment for tending to the health of homesteaders in his early days wasn’t medicare or cash, as noted by local histor-

ian Larry Evans, but “a few dozen eggs, alive or butchered pigs, a sack of spuds, or a promise of fresh vegetables.” Kearney was an active member of the local Legion, and he famously talked Jack Baker through a surgery by shortwave radio to save the life of Gordon Stock some 500 miles away in Watson Lake. Dr. Kearney Middle School on 92 Street is named in his honour.

Duncan Cran was a land surveyor when he enlisted in the war in November 1915. He fought with the 88th Battalion, 89th, and 97th Battalions, as well as the 25th Nova Scotia Battalion. He was in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.

After his discharge in May 1919, Cran came to the Peace River Country in 1930. Part of the new B.C. Land Survey agency at the time, Cran is responsible for drawing up much of the local map as we know it today, both before and after the construction of the Alaska Highway. Today, Duncan Cran Elementary bears his name and is home to about 300 students.

From left: Alwin Holland, Anne Roberts Young, Duncan Cran, Bert Ambrose, Bert Bowes, Dr. Kearney