AHN DEC 22, 2022

No turkey? Alternatives for Christmas din’

By Arthur Williams

The BC Poultry Association is predicting the province will face a shortage of turkeys for Christmas this year, due to the impact of avian flu.

The association said the industry was hit hard by the disease in November and there could be 20 per cent fewer turkeys available for the holiday season, driving up prices for consumers.

But while turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy might be the norm in Canada and the U.S., the world’s more than two billion Christians – and hundreds of millions of non-Christians — celebrate Christmas with a variety of foods and traditions.

With the turkey shortage this year, it’s a great excuse to take a break from the big bird and try something different, connect with your family’s history and roots, or dive into the culinary traditions of another culture.

ROAST GOOSE — Before turkeys were introduced to Europe from the Americas, roast goose was the bird of choice for Christmas dinner throughout Western Europe. Goose continues to be a popular alternative to turkey in places like the U.K. , Germany and Austria. According to the British Poultry Council, Britons eat a quarter-million geese each year at Christmas.

The average goose serves six people, making it perfect for smaller family gatherings, or could supplement a ham or other protein for the main dish. Swap out one bird for another and keep the usual side dishes, or embrace the change and serve your goose with traditional British, German or Austrian side dishes and deserts.

HAM — Ham is forgiving to cook and will appeal to most of the family’s fussy eaters. But let’s face it, plain ham can be pretty boring and will have your guests reaching for the jar of mustard.

A recipe for a three-ingredient balsamic-dijon glazed ham is ridiculously easy and will make you look like a master chef at Christmas. Be sure to slice a cross-hatch pattern into the ham using a knife, to allow the glaze to sink in and spread the flavour into the meat. In Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia, Julskinka Christmas ham is often the centrepiece of the Julbord –a buffet-style Christmas dinner, consisting of hot and cold dishes. Continued on A13

Grind fundraiser last month. In all,

Legion president Shannon Smith accepted

and general manager Kelly White, just in time for

said Helm, her son a former cadet.

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CAROL HARMONY — About 150 Ma Murray school students hopped on the bus and went carolling for seniors at Heritage Manor 2, the Lutheran apartments, and Abbeyfield House last week, Dec. 12. They also handed out

41 gift bags as part of their trip to spread cheer this Christmas season.

RAYMOND

PATRICK WILLIAM STOLTZFUS

Parents: Ryan&LauraStoltzfus

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

Groups share in $40,000 charity boost

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Six Fort St. John charities are sharing the holiday blessings from a recent donation made by a major Site C contractor and its unions. AFDE, along with LiUNA Local 1611, CMAW Local 1998, and IUOE Local 115, partnered to equally contribute $40,000 toward the causes.

Sharing in the funding were the Firefighters’ Charitable Society, the Hospital Foundation,

the Women’s Resource Society, the Literacy Society, the Senior Citizens Association, and the North Peace Ride for the Disabled.

“It is our privilege to be working in the Peace region, and our goal is to be a positive presence in the community in which we work and live,” said Troy Van Bostelen of the AFDE Partnership, which is building the generating station and spillways at Site C. “We know that our presence in the community has an impact, and we

just want to take the opportunity to give back.”

Participating unions included the locals for the Labourer’s International Union of North America, the Construction Maintenance and Allied Workers, and the International Union of Operating Engineers.

“I would like to thank all the local charities for all the hard work they do for the local community, especially in the holiday season,” said IUOE business representative Konrad Tarry.

Holiday greetings from the PRRD!

The Board of Directors and staff at the Peace River Regional District are extending their warmest wishes to you, the residents of this beautiful region, this holiday season.

As we look forward to gathering with family and friends to enjoy the magic of the season, the Board looks back on 2022 with pride.

The Regional District and Hospital District has advanced many strategic priorities this year, and we look forward to continuing this important work into 2023.

We encourage residents to reach out to the Regional District, their Electoral Area Directors and Municipal Directors with their priorities, as we are here to serve you.

Leonard Hiebert, Board Chair Dan Rose, Vice-Chair

eNewsletter available for North Peace Leisure Pool updates

During the latest shutdown of the North Peace Leisure Pool in December, contractors discovered a leaking valve within the hot tub infrastructure. While a long and complex list of repairs has been made at the facility this year, the latest valve discovery will add another 6 to 8 week delay to the efforts on the hot tub.

The hot tub repairs prompted the Peace River Regional District and the City of Fort St. John to collaborate on strategies to keep residents and patrons informed about the operational updates at the facility.

The North Peace Leisure Pool Updates eNewsletter is now available for digital subscription, with the next release scheduled for February 1, 2023.

All subscribers will receive the latest news about maintenance, closures and other operational updates.

To sign up for the eNewsletter, scan the QR code.

Grant Writer Services Program update

The PRRD’s Grant Writer Services program has been running since 2019 and is partially funded by the Northern Development Initiative Trust.

Since March 2021, Clear Course Consulting has worked with the PRRD to provide grant writing services to non-profits and

To view board and committee meeting dates and agendas, visit: prrd.bc.ca/agendas-minutes/

community groups in the Peace region.

As of October 15, 2022, the program has facilitated: •connection with 41 community groups

•support for 24 community groups with grant applications

•securing more than $1.8 million in funding (an additional $820k is pending confirmation)

To help build regional grant writing capacity, the PRRD and Clear Course has also hosted 10 information sessions and workshops, and created a series of grant writing resources.

If you are looking for grant writing support for your organization or community group, get started by visiting prrd.bc.ca/grants

PRRD looking for resident park caretaker

The Peace River Regional District is seeking an independent contractor to fill the resident caretaker position at Blackfoot Regional Park located at 2098 Rolla Road north of Doe River, BC on the Peace River.

If you love the outdoors, have great customer service skills, are comfortable with small tools and can enforce park rules - this might be your dream opportunity! The successful proponent must provide their own accommodation to live on site, from May 15 to September 30 annually.

To learn more about this opportunity or to submit a proposal, visit prrd.bc.ca/tenders-rfps/ or call 250-784-3200. Get your proposal in by January 13!

Join the Discussion Engage in the active consultations happening in the Peace River Regional District.

haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca

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Pictured from left are Scott Marshall, project director, AFDE; Konrad Tarry, business representative, IUOE; Chris Mansel, LiUNA; and Craig Ebeling, head steward, CMAW.

12 Days of Christmas toy drive another success

Cst. Erich Schmidt Hudson’s Hope RCMP

I am happy and proud to announce that the Hudson’s Hope RCMP “12 Days of Christmas Giving” toy drive was another success for the fourth year in a row. This success stems from the community and local businesses embracing this event with open arms. This is what makes this community so special. We all come from somewhere, whether here for work, or born and raised, this openness to working together to support each other is something the community as a whole can be proud of.

I’d like to say thanks to the following local businesses and organizations for their generous donations: BC Hydro, North Peace Savings & Credit Union, On the Rim, Hudson’s Hope Road Secure, Butler Ridge Energy Services, Twisted Yoga, and the Hudson’s Hope Minor Hockey Team. A special thanks to our partners who helped make this event successful: The Friends of Hudson’s Hope Society, Hudson’s Hope Elementary – Secondary School, and the District of Hudson’s Hope. A HUGE thank you to the community of Hudson’s Hope for all of your gracious donations.

Lastly, I would like to give my heartfelt appreciations to my hardworking and lovely wife (JJ) and daughter (Freyja) who are the backbone behind this event. This event would not be so successful each year without your hard work and dedication

Keeping sane this holiday

By Ruby McBeth

Wordsworth said, “Getting and spending we lay waste our powers.” I know this has certainly been my situation some years at Christmas. We can keep Christmas sane or saner by looking at it differently.

Firstly, listen to your family. Talk to them about what they really want for presents. Let them know what your price range is. It is, of course, late now for this advice. However, gift cards are an option, which can be very satisfying for the recipient. The person can shop after Christmas when the sales are on, or even buy their gift in February when they might get depressed from the lack of sunlight. So don’t discount gift cards.

Secondly, ask what you can do to help. Many of us seniors are making the transition from giving the big supper to being invited by family to their big supper. This is not an easy transition, but at some point, it is necessary. Perhaps the grandmas can bake a family favourite goodie and take it along - with the recipe - to keep the tradition going.

Thirdly, Christmas could be a time to pass forward a special Christmas tree ornament that has been in the family for several generations. For me this will be the string of silver tin lid pieces that my mother cut out and made into a jingly hanging for our tree when I was a child. We could not afford glass balls, but the shiny strings of tin made good ornaments.

Finally, at Christmas you can pass along your memories to family. I know that

Lorne and I will often say that we wished we had asked our grandmothers about their early life. I had two grandmothers one born in Iceland and the other in Lancashire, England. Lorne’s grandma was born in Narvik, Norway. There was so much they could have shared if we had taken the time to ask. Things cost money and are soon gone but memories will last if we pass them on.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR THE SENIORS’ CLUB

More presents have come in to the Seniors’ Club. AFDE Group the company with the cement contract for Site C has donated $5,000 and V.E. Brandl has donated $3,000. Thank you very much!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear.” — Buddy the Elf

From myself and other at the Seniors’ Club I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Ruby McBeth lives and writes in Fort St. John.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE

Holiday Hours

City Hall, Public Works, Planning & Engineering, Parks, RCMP, Fire Department, and Bylaw Offices

Closed December 26 and 27

Closed January 2

Pomeroy Sport Centre, Visitor Centre, and Walking Track

Closed 4pm December 24 and 31

Closed December 25 and 26

Closed January 1 and 2

Northern Vac Walking Track December 19 - January 2:

Mon-Fri 6am-8pm, Sat-Sun 9am-8pm

Closed during holidays listed above

North Peace Leisure Pool Closed 4pm December 24 and 31

Closed December 25 and 26 Closed January 1

Arena

Fieldhouse

CAMPAIGN PERIOD EXPENSE LIMITS

In accordance with the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, for the 2023 Local Government Area C By-Election, the expense limit for electoral area director candidates during the campaign period is $5,398.92

THIRD PARTY ADVERTISING LIMITS

In accordance with the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, for the 2023 Local Government Area C By-Election, the third party directed advertising limits applicable for the electoral area is $809.84. The cumulative third party directed and issue advertising limit in all BC local government election areas is $161,967.47

For further information on

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to the acting of giving. I’m very proud of you both.

From everyone at the Hudson’s Hope RCMP, “Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night.”

RUBY MCBETH PHOTO

Christmas could be a time to pass forward a special Christmas tree ornament that has been in the family for several generations.

Former Fort St John Elk Josh Telizyn skates at Canada Cup 1. He set a personal best in the men’s 500m races and broke the Senior Men’s Track Record in the same distance.

Canada Cup 1 breaks records, sets up Canada Winter Games

The Fort St John Elks Recreation & Speed Skating Club hosted Canada Cup 1, the first of five national level races across the country this season, at the Pomeroy Sports Centre earlier this month.

The Elks had a handful of returning and current skaters laced up and ready for this competition. Josh Telizyn, a crowd favourite, returned to Fort St. John from Calgary where he trains at The Oval, to post a personal best time of 0:35,23 in the 500m breaking the Senior Track Record.

Sunday’s 500m races were full of excitement with two other track records posted. Yankun Zhao from Alberta broke Telizyn’s Junior Track Record with a 0:36,04 and held the title for minutes before Jalen Doan, also from Alberta, posted a 0:35,95 in the same race.

Canada Cup 1 marks the return to hosting for the Elks in a post-Covid world. Skaters, fans, and coaches were excited to return to the Pomeroy Sports Centre to kick off the first full Canada Cup racing season since 2020.

The club expressed their thanks for the community support and sponsorship to make this event possible.

Eleanor Ryan, the General Manager for the Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre and the Platinum event sponsor, was on hand Sunday to present medals for the 500m races. Local MLA Dan Davies and Chief Referee Robin Newton-Smith also presented medals throughout the weekend.

Elks skaters also had a successful weekend.

• Maria Hansen posted a personal best of 46.43 in the 500m and broke her PB in the 1000m on Saturday and again on Sunday ending the weekend with a 1:33,91.

• Subhaan Ahmed posted personal bests in all of his races setting a 47.27 in the 500m, 1.36,60 in the 1000m, 2.28,23 in the 1500m, and 9.24,71 in the 5000m.

• Connor Mason-Bennett also posted a personal best in the 5000m with 8:38,69.

— Fort St. John Elks Speedskating Club

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Season’s Greetings

Here’s hoping your Christmas is trimmed with beauty, friendship, goodwill and all the joy this special season brings into bloom. Folks like you remind us how lucky we are to be a part of such a close-knit community. Your kindness and generosity are an inspiration to us, and we are truly grateful to have neighbours like you.

From All of us at Fort St. John Sawmill, Woodlands and Taylor Pulp, Canadian Forest Products Ltd.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. We wish you all the best this holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

From the front page

Julskinka is cooked, coated in a mustard and breadcrumb glaze, then cooled, sliced and served cold. A buffet-style Christmas dinner sounds like a casual, low-stress way to feed a crowd. Try your hand at some traditional Scandinavian side dishes, or serve with a selection of your favourite finger foods.

Filipino Christmas traditions combine Spanish colonial traditions with local flavours and ingredients. Jamon or hamon is a dry-cured ham served with a pineapple juice glaze. It’s often served during the Noche Buena feast on Christmas Eve, along with a wide variety of other traditional Filipino dishes including rice cakes (bibingka and puto bumbong), spring rolls (lumpiang ubod), noodle dishes and more.

BEEF — Roast beef or prime rib are also common feature of holiday dinner menus, especially in the U.K. A classic Christmas roast beef pairs well with the majority of the sides served with turkey in North America. Or kick it up a culinary notch by making beef Wellington – beef tenderloin wrapped in pâté, duxelles (a finely chopped mushroom mixture), parma ham and puff pastry. The pâté and duxelles absorb the juices of the meat as it bakes, and ensure the puff pastry stays crisp and flaky.

SEAFOOD — Around the world, many Catholics abstain from eating meat on Christmas. However, fish doesn’t count as meat and thus seafood dishes play an important part of many Christmas feasts. The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as La Vigilia, is a popular Christmas Eve tradition among Italian Americans and has its roots in southern Italy.

rolls), carp dieshe,

PIEROGIES,

PASTA

& MORE — In both Poland and Ukraine, Christmas Eve dinner – called Wigilia in Polish and Sviat Vechir in Ukranian – is a 12-course affair. The 12 courses either represent the 12 months of the year or the 12 Apostles, but either way it is considered rude and bad luck to not eat at least a bite of all 12 courses.

Common dishes include borscht (a beet soup), kutia (a dessert of cooked grains flavoured with honey, fruit, wine and more), golabk (cabbage

Land Act: Notice of Application for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that We, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro), from 12th Floor, 333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 5R3, have applied to the British Columbia Ministry of Forests (FOR), Northeast Region, for a Licence of Occupation situated on Provincial Crown land located at Williston Lake, Peace River Regional District with a legal description of The Surface of District Lot 1027, Peace River District.

FOR invites comments on this application under Land’s file 8016210 for dam decommissioning, environmental restoration, and monitoring. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Andrew Tofflemire (250 774 5518), Authorization Officer, Northeast Region, FOR, at 100-10003-110th Avenue, Fort St. John, B.C. V1J 6M7. Comments will be received by FOR up to January 29, 2023.

FOR may not be able to consider comments received after this date. Please visit the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision Database at comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca for more information.

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 www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions.

Mae Stewart passed away peacefully Dec 4th, 2022 at the age of 94.

Wilma was predeceased by her husband Orville and children Penny and Bradley.

Alongside her surviving children Kim, Jim and Tracy, she leaves to mourn eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

“A mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go.”

We will all miss you!

A celebration will be held at Hamre’s Funeral Chapel, Dec 28, 2022 at @2:00 pm

Pets

Heating

ServiceS for Hire

RestauRant/ Hotel RestauRant/ Hotel

Sam’sFriend RestaurantFood andBeverage Attendant(Two) Attendstocus− tomers’ordersand requests,receives payments,pre− parestables,at− tendstotheclean− linessofthe restaurant,and maybeassignedto hostspecialfunc− tions. 250−782−3666 samfriendjobs@ gmail.com

Doors/ WinDoWs

For Beautiful CustomBuilt Energy-Efficient Low-Maintenance Windows/Doors. Call Peace Country Plus Windows & Doors 780-605-1846

Sam’sFriend RestaurantCook (Two) Preparesfoodon themenu,take− out,andspecial functions.Check inventory,order supplies,trains staffandsupervise thekitchenopera− tionsandcleanli− ness. 250−782−3666 samfriendjobs@ gmail.com

Community notiCes

We’re here to help! PREVENTION EDUCATION SUPPORT Northern Brain Injury Association 1-866-979-HOPE (4673)

General employment

NOW HIRING: Alberta Licensed Security Guards for security gates in remote locations of NW Alberta. Year-round & seasonal work available, starting immediately! Learn more at www.servicemasterssecurity.com

Notices / NomiNatioNs

Dogs

6 Border-Collie RedBlue Healer Cross with black-lab very cute & friendly. Asking $300. 250-789-3778

WORKING DOGS Expecting litter of Border-Collie/Kelpie pups mid December. Call (250)793-5535 for information.

Business services

Maria, Professional housekeeper available for business. Well Known in town 250-263-5584

Wanted to Buy

WANTED SASQUATCH SKULLAlso purchasing SILVER & GOLD coins, bars, jewelry, scrap, nuggets, sterling, 999+ BULLION, maple leafs, bulk silver, pre-1969 coins. Coin collector BUYING ENTIRE COIN COLLECTIONS, old $ & Royal Canadian Mint coins. TODD 250-864-3521.

Education

TAKE YOUR CONFIDENCE & communication a level. Get the career and family life of your dreams! Jon a Toastmasters International group near you. www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

Hudson’s Hope BC

Land Act: Notice of Application for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that 1307507 BC Ltd from Vancouver, BC, has applied to the Ministry of Forests (FOR), Northeast Region, for a Community Institutional, Licence of Occupation situated on Provincial Crown land located at District Lot 583, Peace River Regional District

FOR invites comments on this application, the Land’s file is 8016177. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Andrew Tofflemire, (250) 774-5518, Authorization Officer, Northeast Region, FOR, at 100-10003-110th Avenue, Fort St. John, BC V1J 6M7. Comments will be received by FOR up to December 31, 2022. FOR may not be able to consider comments received after this date.

Please visit the website at http://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ for more information.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Visit http:// www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more about Freedom of Information.

built.com. 1-866-974-7678. w ww.integritybuilt.com.

The reason for the season

By John Grady

With the Christmas parade behind us and as we enter the Christmas season for most traditional families, we begin to focus on the ‘to do’ list.

When you think about it, there’s an amazing amount of detail that families process in preparation for Christmas. I must confess, I don’t contribute in our family as much as I should. There’s probably a book written somewhere titled, “Getting ready for Christmas.”

Yes, the Christmas lights go up with the Christmas tree, Nativity scene, decorations, and stockings. Gifts are wrapped, music plays, cards are written, cookies and milk are put by the fireplace. There are the church services, phone calls with distant relatives, opening of gifts, reading the biblical story about the birth of Jesus, and family games. Oh, did I mention the turkey, stuffing, gravy, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, mashed potatoes, etc.?

That’s a lot of planning and work for one day. It makes you wonder the reason to celebrate the day.

A short examination shows Zechariah, a priest married to Elizabeth, who had no children and were both well along in years, had a visitation from an angel stating the couple were going to have a son to be named John. An angel visited a virgin named Mary, who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, and said she would be with child through the Holy Spirit and His name would be Jesus, and He would be called the Son of the Most High.

Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, and you can imagine their conversations — what a spiritual encouragement for both of them. Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, who would

be a cousin to Jesus, preparing the way for Him. Joseph had doubts about Mary’s condition, as they had not come together, when he had a visit from an angel advising him that what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit and was to be named Jesus.

Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem by foot and donkey to comply with the census, only to find there were no rooms available, so they resorted to a family stable. Magi from the east saw His star and came to Bethlehem through Jerusalem bearing gifts, desiring to worship Him.

Shepherds were in a field watching their sheep when an angel, along with a heavenly host, came upon them confirming the Saviour was born in Bethlehem and they would find Him in a manger. They went and found Him, and became the first evangelists.

This babe was born a Saviour, the Christ, the Lord. Truly, He is all three, which is why we celebrate the Reason for the Season. Merry Christmas.

John Grady lives and writes in Fort St. John.

Field Production Administrator - Montney Operations About Us

Murphy Oil Corporation is a leading independent energy company committed to balanced crude oil and natural gas development and exploration. We remain steadfast in our devotion to innovative strategies and differentiated perspectives, resulting in sustainable, efficient growth worldwide. At Murphy Oil Corporation, we believe the rich experiences and backgrounds of our employees strengthen our Company, create a productive workforce, and drive our success. We encourage you to apply for the positions for which you meet the qualifications. Please apply online, www.murphyoilcorp.com/life-at-murphy/

Job Summary

Reporting to the Asst. Superintendent, Montney Asset, the Field Administrator will be responsible for all office administration duties in the Montney Field Office. The role’s primary accountability is to ensure the effective day-to-day support of various requirements to ensure the overall administrative needs of the office/asset are met in a professional manner.

Responsibilities

• Provide detailed oversight/management to field accounts-payable process – ticket coding, creating/processing PO’s / AFE’s, etc. – in an efficient and time-sensitive manner to facilitate accurate financial data.

• Work with external service and supply vendors when required to address gaps in invoicing process

• Work with different disciplines to ensure required regulatory information/files are organized and uploaded to cloud-based document repositories.

• Execute basic reception duties and maintain a clean & safe reception area

• Assist different departments in various data gathering requirements – manhours, fleet vehicle kilometers, etc.

• Support the onboarding process for new employees and contractors to ensure all activities and requirements are coordinately appropriately.

• Act as liaison with Murphy’s IT department to ensure that all shared office equipment is well functioning.

• Work with field management to track and report on all workers’ required training and assist in booking training as required.

• Manage general supply requirements/inventory for field office

• Assist in preparing and maintaining presentations and spreadsheets

• Effectively respond to various ad hoc requests for information and/or project support

• Execute basic office administrative responsibilities not limited to: note-taking, arranging travel, monitoring group email accounts, social event coordination, etc.

• Collaborate with other administrative professionals at Murphy in the interest of continuous improvement initiatives.

• Work to become a local subject matter expert on key administrative tools and applications used by all field personnel.

Steel BuildingS / granarieS INTEGRITY POST FRAME BUILDINGS

Wilma

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