AHN FEB 2, 2023

Rustic-labour dight, An’ cut ye up wi’ ready slight, Trenching

gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch; And then, O, what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich!

Rob MacKay gives the Address to the Haggis at the 2023 Robbie Burns Dinner Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Fort St. John Masonic Hall. The Masons and Shriners celebrated the beloved poet Burns with an evening of fellowship and fundraising, toasts, and

Judge denies bail for suspect in murder case

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

A Fort St. John man accused of killing his girlfriend two years ago has been denied bail.

Shane Sutherland appeared before Justice Ronald Tindale in Fort St. John Supreme Court last week, seeking his release ahead of a second-degree murder trial scheduled to begin later this year.

He was arrested Feb. 8, 2021, after RCMP were called to a home in the Village St. John townhouse complex where Amanda Black, 22, was found dead. He has been held in custody ever since.

Details from his bail hearing held Jan. 24 and 26 are under a court-ordered publication ban, preventing reporters from writing about the evidence and arguments given during the hearing, as well as the reasons for Justice Tindale’s decision.

Sutherland made his appearance via video from the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre wearing an orange jumpsuit. The Crown and his defence lawyer spent all day Tuesday describing the circumstances of Black’s death and Sutherland’s arrest, and making arguments for and against his release.

On Thursday, Justice Tindale dismissed Sutherland’s application for release. He remains in custody.

A judge-only trial is scheduled for three weeks in June following a voir dire hearing in May to determine the admissibility of certain evidence.

Sutherland has not been found guilty of the charge. If convicted, he will be sentenced to life in prison.

‘We warned government’: Canfor closing Chetwynd mills

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Canfor is closing another set of mills in northern B.C., this time in Chetwynd and Houston.

The company said Wednesday, Jan. 25, it was permanently closing its sawmill and pellet operations in Chetwynd, where about 200 jobs are expected to be lost. The company also announced a temporary closure of its Houston sawmill for “a major

redevelopment” on the site, affecting close to 300 workers.

“We recognize that today’s announcement will have both temporary and permanent impacts on employees, families, contractors and communities. That’s why we are putting in place a comprehensive set of support mechanisms to help minimize the impacts of this transition,” said company president and CEO Don Kayne in a statement.

“In addition, we will be working with our indus-

try partners and Indigenous Nations to ensure that fibre currently processed at the Chetwynd facility is utilized to support other local and regional manufacturing facilities, helping them to be more sustainable and to keep people working in the Peace Region,” said Kayne.

The Chetwynd closure comes after an extension of holiday production curtailments to Jan. 23. And it follows on the heels of a Jan. 11 announcement that Canfor was

permanently closing the pulp line at its Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, where 300 jobs will be lost. Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier called the news “devastating.”

“Anytime you have an announcement like this it’s heartbreaking for the families that are affected,” said Bernier, also the Opposition critic for forestry. “For a community like Chetwynd, this is a huge loss to the community.”

Continued on A6

a feast of traditional food and drink, including Scotland’s national dish, the haggis.

BC HYDRO

Last Site C turbine arrives at dam site

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

The last of six turbine runners built for the Site C dam has arrived on site, BC Hydro said last week.

Spokesman Bob Gammer said the milestone 11,000-kilometre journey from Brazil was completed early morning, Jan. 27.

The machinery was shipped from Sao Paulo, and made its final leg to the Peace River outside Fort St. John by truck, travelling 1,000 kilometres from the Port of Prince Rupert to the dam site, Gammer said.

“The turbine runner is the rotating part of the turbine that converts the gravitational energy of falling water into mechanical energy, which then spins a generator to produce electricity,” said Gammer. “Weighing 165,000 kg, the turbine

runner is the heaviest unassembled single component of the Site C project.”

The first turbine runners arrived in Canada in December 2020 and were shipped to the dam site in early 2021. Each weighs about 170 tonnes and measure 17 feet tall by 26 feet wide.

Voith Hydro was awarded a $470-million contract in April 2017 to design, supply, and install six turbines, six generators, and associated equipment for the Site C powerhouse. The company, headquartered in Montreal, previously completed upgrades to the G.M. Shrum Generating station at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.

The turbines and generators were custom built to “the site specific conditions” of the $16-billion dam at Voith’s facility in Brazil, which BC Hydro says will generate

Man jailed for excavating Hudson’s Hope dinosaur site

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

An Alberta man has been sentenced to jail and fined $15,000 for excavating slabs of protected dinosaur fossil footprints near Hudson’s Hope in 2020.

Bennward Ingram and three other men were caught in the act using power and heavy-duty hand tools at the Six Peaks track site in July 2020.

Ingram, 39, of Pincher Creek, pleaded guilty in the matter and was sentenced in provincial court earlier this month to 25 days jail, along with the fine and a $2250 victim surcharge.

One of his accomplices, Austin McNolty, was sentenced to 30 days jail and fined $20,000 for his role in the crime in October 2021.

5,100 gigawatt hours of electricity each year.

Construction of the earthfill dam at Site C is now around 90% complete, and the overall project more than 70% built.

Earlier this month, BC Hydro president Chris O’Riley told the BC Natural Resource Forum that the official target for commissioning is still nearly two years away, though he suggested the company could potentially finish the project by the end of this year.

“Our official schedule has two years, or 20 months, till we get first power on the project,” O’Riley said. “We do have a shot at getting first power the coming December – so this year. Lots of things have to go right for that to occur.”

— with files from Nelson Bennett/ Business in Vancouver

“Sites like the [Six Peaks Dinosaur Track Site] are often in remote locations that are not easily monitored and rely on courts like this to impose sentences that will give pause to others who may seek to engage in the same behaviour,” Judge Darin Reeves said during Ingram’s sentencing on Jan. 10.

First discovered in 2008, Six Peaks is home to more than 500 dinosaur footprints in 56 distinct trackways from animals that walked through the area 113 to 125 million years ago, according to Reeves’ ruling.

The site was given protected status under the provincial land act in 2016 and is “one of the 10 most important track sites in North America,” Reeves said.

“Tracks themselves occupy an unusual category of palaeontological resource, as, unlike skeletal fossils commonly seen in museums, dinosaur tracks exist on surfaces that themselves represent portions of the ancient landscape that have become part of the current physical and cultural landscape via natural erosion or excavation,” he said.

“Trackways also evidence how the dinosaur lived, moved, its gait and behaviour. Damaging and removing an individual footprint not only destroys that footprint for its scientific value, it also disturbs the integrity of the remaining tracks and landscape and the series of tracks of which it was part.”

According to the ruling, Ingram and the three other men, two of which were not identified, were witnessed excavating the fossils in six areas “over a period of at least two-anda-half hours” using various tools including an air chisel, sledgehammers, and pry bars.

“Large slabs of fossil tracks were either removed, or were damaged by being broken up, and were possibly destroyed,” Reeves said. “The excavation work was halted only when two separate groups of witnesses arrived and began observing the work, at which point the four men packed up their equipment and departed.”

“No fossil tracks removed from the site have ever been recovered.”

Along with their scientific significance, the tracks were of cultural value to local First Nations. Reeves noted the Six Peaks site is to be included in the Klin-se-za Provincial Park, and that the Saulteau First Nations were planning to include eco-tours of the fossil site through its nearby Carbon Lake Lodge.

Reeves said the vandalism has had economic impacts and affected educational opportunities, and that First Nation “community members are now fearful that additional acts of vandalism may occur in these otherwise remote and culturally important areas.”

The tracks are now more easily susceptible to further degradation, damaging future scientific research “potentially with longer and more far-reaching consequences,” Reeves said.

“Cracks or fractures have been created that will now more rapidly accelerate otherwise natural erosion and as a result, a significant degree of scientific information has been lost and will continue to be lost as the damage now naturally propagates,” Reeves said.

Ingram works as an excavator operator and has no prior record, according to the ruling. Crown prosecutors were seeking a 30 to 35-day jail term along with the fine, while Ingram’s defence sought a suspended sentence involving one year of probation, 120 hours of community service, and a $10,000 fine.

“Mr. Ingram frankly admitted to the court he had no excuse for his actions, that he did not appreciate the importance of the site to the First Nations or science, and expressed deep remorse for his actions and the damage he created,” Reeves said.

The last of six turbine runners for the Site C dam arrived on site early morning Jan. 27, 2023.

SUPPLIED

Doig River meets with Pierre Poilievre to discuss resource revenue proposal

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Chief and council for Doig River First Nation met with federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday for talks about a new First Nation-led fiscal framework for resource revenues in their territories.

In a news release, the First Nation says it met with Poilievre and other Conservative MPs about a proposed resource charge by the First Nations Tax Commission, designed to help communities exercise their self-determination by securing shared revenues and simplifying development applications and negotiations.

“Canada needs a better way to address First Nation rights with respect to resource projects. The current method takes too long, and costs all of us too much,” said Doig River Chief Trevor Makadahay in a statement.

Makadahay said a First Nations Resource Charge would be a “pre-specified standardized charge for doing business in our territory.”

“We have many resource projects in our area. We must negotiate and re-negotiate every one of them on a project by project, issue by issue, basis,” Makadahay said. “It will be fair, transparent, easier to administer and will not add costs to investors. Resources are the lifeblood of the Canadian economy, and that must include First Nations.”

Poilievre gave his support for the proposal at a news conference in Vancouver, where he announced he was launching consultations with First Nations and industry to develop the fiscal model that could incorporate such a voluntary, opt-in charge.

“This is a grassroots, First Nations solution to an Ottawa-made problem” he said.

Poilievre said too much revenue from resource projects goes directly to the federal government while First Nation communities suffer poverty, substandard housing, unsafe drinking water, and unemployment — “forcing First Nations people to go back to the nation’s capital and ask for their money back.”

“That puts power and control in the hands of bureaucrats, politicians, and lobbyists, not grassroots people in the community,” Poilievre said.

“It leaves First Nations leader spending their time seeking approvals, filling out paperwork, dealing with incompetent and intransigent bureaucrats in a faraway place that are not accountable to the people on the ground.”

Poilievre called it a “broken system” that has failed First Nations under both political parties. He said First Nations have a right to receive more revenues and benefits from their resources.

“We want resources for First Nations communities to defeat poverty and provide for the

people,” Poilievre said, “not to fatten the faraway bureaucracy in Ottawa.”

In its release, Doig River noted its recent agreement signed with the provincial government “proposes coordination with British Columbia and the federal government on this initiative.”

Coun. Starr Acko called the proposal “a non-partisan issue” and welcomed the support of the Conservative party.

“Doig supports responsible resource development in our traditional territory so we can provide the same benefits, services, and infrastructure for our members. We all need clean water, access to natural gas and safe roads,” Acko said in a statement.

“We are hopeful the Liberals, NDP and other federal and provincial parties will also support this initiative.”

Coun. Brittany Robertson said the proposal would protect treaty rights while balancing economic development for her community.

“Doig River has always been a part of the Northeast economy and look forward to sharing in the resources and benefits with our valued neighbours,” Roberston said.

Doig River First Nation Chief Trevor Makadahay and Councillors Starr Acko and Brittany Robertson meet with federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023.

At our December 8th meeting we switched around our club positions, I Katelynn Bueckert am the new club Reporter. At the meeting we gained a horse leader, Teana Graham. Now Green Valley offers Beef, Sheep, and horse. Teana has offered us her riding arena to practice in, so thanks a bunch and everyone is so happy that you have joined our club. After the meeting we took our junior proficiency test. Even though the weather has been cold, everyone’s projects have been going well. Our next meeting is January 12 2023 we will be talking about 4H communications.

At our meeting in January, we met the new horse members and it feels like our club has grown so much. Everyone’s projects are going well. Halter breaking is still a bit of a struggle but everyone is starting to

Elks speed skaters to represent B.C.

Three Fort St. John Elks speed skaters will lace up for Team BC when the Canada Youth Long Track Championships come to town next month.

Max Wu, Tara Ashrafi, and Erik Hansen will be on the provincial team for the meet, scheduled Feb. 4 and 5 at the Pomeroy Sport Centre. The event gives developing skaters an introduction to national level competition and an opportunity to represent their province on the national stage. It’s open and free for the public to attend.

The Elks club is coming off a successful BC Long Track Speed Skating Championships, hosted in the city Jan. 21 and 22,  where several local bladers medalled and set both personal records and season best times. The Fort St. John club also won the Neil Dyer Memorial Award for most points over the weekend, and skater Jack Hanson won the Randy Sulyma Memorial Race, a 5000m mass start.

500m Women

1. Hannah North - 45,03

2. Maria Hansen - 45,32 (personal record and season best)

4. Cheyanne Key - 47,57 (personal record and season best)

7. Tara Ashrafi - 49,26 (personal record and season best)

500m Men

1. Jack Hanson - 40,45

2. Matthew Mitchell - 41,02

3. Austin MacGregor - 41,32

4. Connor Mason-Bennett - 42,49

14. Subhaan Ahmed - 46,91 (personal record and season best)

16. Max Wu - 48,21 (personal record and season best)

21. Erik Hansen - 50,12 (personal record and season best)

31. Taha Ahmed - 1:01,01

1500m Women

1. Hannah North - 2;21,53

2. Maria Hansen - 2:25,26 (personal record and season best)

4. Cheyanne Key - 2:30,97

1500m Men

1. Jack Hanson - 2:02,03

2. Matthew Mitchell - 2:06,12

3. Austin MacGregor - 2:09,96

4. Connor Mason-Bennett - 2:12,10

11. Subhaan Ahmed - 2:31,11

1000m Women

1. Sidney Bennie - 1:32,93 (season best)

2. Maria Hansen - 1:33,95

3. Cheyanne Key - 1:35,57

1000m Men

1. Jack Hanson - 1:20,31

2. Matthew Mitchell - 1:23,15

3. Austin MacGregor - 1:24,36

4. Connor Mason-Bennett - 1:25,51

12. Subhaan Ahmed - 1:36,76

3000m Women

1. Sidney Bennie - 5:05,68 (season best)

2. Maria Hansen - 5:15,24

3. Cheyanne Key - 5:23,80 (personal record and season best)

3000m Men

1. Austin MacGregor - 4:44,42 (personal record and season best)

4. Subhaan Ahmed - 5.25,29 (personal record and season best)

5000m Men

1. Jack Hanson - 7:24,80

2. Matthew Mitchell - 7:32,68

3. Connor Mason-Bennett - 8:26,49 (personal record and season best)

Green Valley 4-H Report

bond with their animals. We talked about communications and who was going to do what. I am doing an Educational display. There are four different Communication projects. They are Speech, speak and show, demonstration, and impromptu speech. For our club communications it is on Feb. 9, 2023

at the Goodlow Church at 6:00 pm. Thank you for taking the time to read my report and also thank you to our page sponsor.

Until next time.

Katelynn Bueckert Club reporter Green Valley 4-H Club

Atalya Clay and Her Steer

Emry Clay and Her Steer

Tamsyn Clay and Her Steer

Katelynn Bueckert Club Reporter

The Giesbrecht Crew

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Jack Hanson won the Randy Sulyma Memorial Race at the 2023 BC Long Track Speed Skating Championships.

The Fort St. John Elks speed skaters who medalled last month at the 2023 BC Long Track Speed Skating Championships (missing Max Wu).

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Fort St. John artist to highlight Filipino community in second documentary project

By Hanna Petersen

Fort St. John artist Ovvian CastrilloHill has completed her series EX-SITU: Thriving In Our New Bayan, which documents the history of the Filipino community in the Peace region, and is already moving onto a new project.

She has once again been selected through the Telus STORYHIVE Voices program for emerging content creators and will be producing a second series of EX-SITU, which means living and thriving in a place that’s not your habitat.

“There was no guarantee that just because you participated in the first that they would select you for the next one so I was especially happy that I am able to continue,” said Castrillo-Hill.

While her first project focused on interviewing individuals about their experiences coming to Canada, the second documentary series, called EXSITU Interaction, will focus on how Filipino Canadian culture adapts to a new environment. “It’s about how the Filipino Canadians in town are interacting in various ways for instance, through music, through food, through tradition, through art, and this kind of thing.”

The Filipino community makes up the largest group of immigrants in the Peace Region and Castrillo-Hill, a firsttime filmmaker, said she thinks it’s important that Filipino Canadians feel seen and heard.

She also hopes her project helps children and future generations know the journey their families took getting to Canada, to show gratitude, and to share

Filipino culture with Canadians as well.

“What I hope is that our culture, our food, and the elements of the way we live, what we bring in here to Canada, that it won’t be foreign anymore,” said Castrillo-Hill. “We’d like for us to not be different from everybody else and that can only happen by exposing the rest of Canada to what it is that we bring.”

Castrillo-Hill made eight episodes of the first series of EX-SITU and says while she hasn’t yet mastered all of the technical aspects of filmmaking, the community is appreciative that these stories are being told. “I might be interviewing just a handful, but their experiences are kind of a mirror for almost everyone who has come so they’ll see parallels to their own stories and they can relate to them.”

She’s currently working on EX-SITU Interaction, which will be composed of six 25-minute episodes that she hopes to complete sometime this summer.

“This is a very big learning experience for me. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve learned a lot of skills. I’m also discovering my weaknesses but it’s helping me grow and at the end of the day, that’s what I want to continue doing.”

Becoming an emerging filmmaker at 50-years-old, Castrillo Hill also wants to encourage anyone who has a story to tell to give it a shot. “I’d like to encourage anyone who would be interested in doing something like this to give it a shot, because that’s what I did and I’m quite happy to add that I’ve had this opportunity to do what I wanted.”

Chetwynd mills closing...

From the front page

Brian O’Rourke, president of the United Steelworkers Local 1-2017, which represents around 135 Canfor workers in Chetwynd and 280 in Houston, described the news as “a kick in the gut,” and “very troubling news for two small communities.”

“These folks just returned from a fiveweek curtailment just Monday this week,” he said of the Chetwynd closure. “Everybody was quite happy they returned on a five-day work week, they’ve been on fours in the past.”

Canfor says operations at both Chetwynd and Houston facilities will be wound down by the second quarter of 2023. The closures will remove approximately 750 million board feet of annual production capacity. In Houston, the company says it “intends to build a new, modern, globally competitive manufacturing facility that employs state of the art technology to produce high value products from the sustainable timber supply in the region.” A final investment decision is expected by the end of the second quarter.

“The Houston investment would represent another significant commitment and be amongst the largest capital expenditures in a new wood products manufacturing facility in B.C.’s interior in two decades,” said Kayne. “The changes we are announcing will help make us smaller but stronger in B.C. and help ensure we can continue to contribute to the economy and quality of life here in the Province for decades to come.”

Even if the Houston mill redevelopment proceeds, O’Rourke says the temporary closure there could last up to two years before it gets up and running.

“That’s going to depend on everything from markets to equipment being available, you name it,” he said, adding the union will be meeting with the company to put transition committees in place to address the fallout of the closures. “Hopefully people are able to move, whether they can transfer to other Canfor operations,” O’Rourke said. “Obviously, we’ll definitely be in touch with the government trying to leverage whatever training dollars, or whatever money is available, to help ease the pressure for these folks.”

Bernier says Canfor still has a business case to operate the Houston mill, which he says was designed and built to deal with the pine beetle epidemic. But companies across the province, including in the Peace region, are struggling to secure long-term tenures for fibre supply, he said.

He blamed the provincial government

for being reactionary in its response to the mounting pressures in B.C’s forestry sector, despite what he says is still an abundance of supply in the province. “It’s not that the timber’s not there, they can’t get permits, they can’t get agreement from government that they can access that timber, so they can’t continue to work in that environment,” Bernier said. “You watch the NDP in the last week have been making a flurry of announcements to say that they care about forestry but that’s like a band-aid on a major artery that’s burst.”

In a joint statement, forests minister Bruce Ralston and jobs minister Brenda Bailey said community support teams will help workers access any services they need. They also touted the recently announced $90-million BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which they said includes $50 million to increase fibre supply as well as dedicated timber access for valued-added forestry manufacturers.

“Our government is committed to supporting forestry workers impacted by closures and also to support good, long-term jobs in the sector,” the statement read. “Forestry is and will remain a foundation of the B.C. economy. Our government has made recent investments as part of our ongoing work and commitment to ensure that forestry remains a strong and sustainable industry in British Columbia.”

Regarding the immediate future of affected workers, Bernier said, “Right now, we got to think of what we’re going to do about these hundreds of people that are going to lose their jobs, where are they going to go, how are they going to feed their families? The last thing we want to see is people moving away from the Peace region. We got a lot of opportunity here if we can make it happen,” he said.

But Bernier says leaders in the Peace region will also have to work together to push the government to provide certainty for industry. “We saw this play out and we saw this discussion take place over the last few years with the caribou, when government came in and started saying we’re going to shut down areas of the Peace region where you can’t go anymore, you can’t log, you can’t access,” he said. “Anytime you start taking away areas from these companies, it weakens their business case to operate in the area. We knew that, we warned government.”

“In the Peace region, we’re seeing continual lack of understanding from Victoria on what happens up here,” he said. “They seem to have no problem trying to protect land but forget that comes at a price of people losing their jobs and communities being negatively affected.”

Ovvian Castrillo Hill produced the documentary series EX-SITU about the history of the Filipino Community in the Peace region.

Food bank donation an encouraging start to 2023

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

It’s always a good idea to donate to the local food bank and if ever there was a time do so then the start of the year would certainly be it. Christmas may be done and all the hampers delivered, but the same people who needed help last month still need help this month, and maybe even a few new others too.

In Fort St. John, between 600 to 700 families rely on the Salvation Army for food every month, and when you consider an average family of three, you quickly see just how big the needs in the city can truly be.

Darrin West and Tracy Cholmondeley of Canadian Natural paid a visit to the food bank on Thursday to take a tour of the facility and learn more about the demands for its services before presenting Jared Braun and Melanie Mason of the Salvation

Army with a $10,000 donation to help sustain their work.

“It’s encouraging to get a good donation like this at the start of 2023 because we run yearround,” said Braun.

“Even during Christmas, our operations for Melanie almost got burned out because not only are you taking care of trying to meet the extra gifts of helping people out during the Christmas season with food hampers and toy hampers, but our food bank operations don’t slow down at all. That just carries on.”

West is CNRL’s Fort St. John North operations superintendent and says the company is here in the region for the long haul. He hopes the donation will spark interest for other businesses to consider doing the same.

“This is a corporate initiative to support food banks within the communities we do business,” said West.

Like CNRL, Braun

says the Salvation Army is also here for the long term, and that the need for the food bank has gone up month over month over the past year and a half.

And while it supports other local groups with their food needs, it’s also serving an increasing number of Ukrainian war refugees starting their lives over from scratch in Fort St. John.

“As we look at the projections coming in the next year with inflation and so on, it doesn’t look like grocery prices and the cost of living is going to go down. If anything, it’s going up,” said Braun.

“So for us to get the support continuing gives us the confidence that we’ll be able to meet those needs regardless of what the economic factors are,” he said.

“We can continue to maintain our presence here… that idea that this is a community that there’s stable support in for all people.”

School District No. 60 (Peace River North) “PROPOSED” Three-Year Local School Calendar 2023-2024,2024-2025,2025-2026

e Board of Trustees of School District No. 60 would like to give parents and sta an opportunity to provide input on this proposed three-year school calendar. Written submissions should be mailed to our District Administration O ce (10112-105 Avenue, Fort St John, BC, V1J 4S4) or emailed (public@prn.bc.ca) on or before March 6, 2023.

Baldonnel’s Suzanne Haab and Charlie Lake’s Brad Sperling have filed their nominations for the Feb. 25 byelection in electoral Area C.

Haab, Sperling election rematch

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Rural residents around Fort St. John will return to the polls Feb. 25 for a byelection in electoral Area C.

The byelection is a do-over of October’s general election, the results of which were tossed after the B.C. Supreme Court ruled them invalid when it discovered voters outside the electoral area were given ballots despite being ineligible to vote.

Final results of the Oct. 15 election showed Haab, a political newcomer, winning with just a three-vote edge over the incumbent Brad Sperling, 234

to 231.

The concern with the narrow margin was whether the actual number of ineligible votes cast impacted the margin, and to what degree.

As a result, Supreme Court ruled the results couldn’t be validated, meaning the position of Area C director was vacant. Area C includes the communities of Charlie Lake, Old Fort, Baldonnel, Grandhaven, Clairmont, and Two Rivers. Haab and Sperling were the only two candidates to file their nominations.

The byelection takes place Feb. 25, with advance voting on Feb. 15 and 22. For more info, see page 13.

Non-Instructional

Non-Instructional

2024Friday, June 27, 2025Friday, June 26, 2026

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

From left, Tracy Cholmondeley, CNRL; Jared Braun, Salvation Army; Darrin West, CNRL; and Melanie Mason, Salvation Army.

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Parking lot hit-and-run

Fort St. John police are looking for tips in a hit-and-run that damaged a parked vehicle at Save-On Foods last week.

In a news release, RCMP say the incident was reported to them Jan. 25 around 3:46 p.m., which had damaged the front driver’s side of a red 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier.

Police believe the incident happened between 3 p.m. and 3:46 p.m.

“It is very possible that someone didn’t even realize they did this,” said Cst. Chad Neustaeter in a statement. “Any help from the public would be appreciated.”

Any witnesses are asked to call RCMP at 250-787-8100. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.northernbccrimestoppers.ca.

Petition to recall MLA Davies

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

An effort is underway to recall Dan Davies as the local MLA for Peace River North. In a news release last week, Elections BC says a petition application from Joseph Wayne Bell of Cecil Lake has met the requirements of the Recall and Initiative Act.

“Under the Recall and Initiative Act, any registered voter in British Columbia can apply to have a recall petition issued for their electoral district,” says Elections BC. “They must submit an application form, a $50 processing fee, and a statement of 200 words or less on why they feel the Member should be recalled.”

In his application, Bell says Davies has “often failed to notify constituents” and been “visibly absent” when invited to meetings to discuss a range of matters including school curriculum, UNDRIP, Bill 36, and a reduction of heath care workers and services, among others.

Davies says his party is “completely opposed” to matters such as Bill 36, which brings sweeping changes to how health professionals are regulated, and held town halls on important matters like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, endorsed and adopted into B.C. legislation in 2019.

“The NDP right now are ruling with a very strong majority and do what they want,” he said. “That’s a big challenge and I wonder, does everybody understand that?” Davies says he communicates to the public regularly through social media, local media, community mail outs, and news columns.

“I’m often on the talk shows, whether it’s CBC or Moose Talks, talking about issues,” he said. “We’re trying our level best to get the information out to people that need it.”

ARIES  MAR 21/APR 20

Aries, it’s important to focus on progress and not necessarily on money that can be made. See what you can learn along the path you choose.

TAURUS  APR 21/MAY 21

You have high hopes that your e orts will be well received this week, Taurus. Before you move full speed ahead, run your ideas by a trusted group of con dantes.

GEMINI  MAY 22/JUN 21

You don’t learn by getting things right all of the time, Gemini. A few mistakes along the way provide an opportunity to grow and gure out new ways to do the job.

CANCER  JUN 22/JUL 22

Cancer, distractions seemingly abound this week and your head isn’t in the game. While you can get away with a few oversights here and there, too many can be problematic.

LEO  JUL 23/AUG 23

Leo, someone in your life is looking for a pep talk and you are just the person to provide one. Listen to the problem at hand and o er this person some solid solutions.

VIRGO  AUG 24/SEPT 22

Virgo, you could be at a crossroads in your life. You are pondering many di erent scenarios, and now is the time to solidify plans for the next few weeks.

LIBRA  SEPT 23/OCT 23

If you made a career change recently, you may be discovering that the payo isn’t quite what you expected. Ful llment is essential, so give some thought to new pursuits.

SCORPIO  OCT 24/NOV 22

Scorpio, it is not like you to feel adrift, but that could be the situation right now. Latch on to one activity or person that brings you joy. Focus on the positives in life.

SAGITTARIUS  NOV 23/DEC 21

Sagittarius, family members want to spend more time with you, so plan for the extra company. Have a few extra snacks on hand and make sure the house is orderly.

CAPRICORN  DEC 22/JAN 20

Your tendency to want to tackle things all on your own could have you pushing others away, Capricorn. Accept others’ willingness to pitch in.

AQUARIUS  JAN 21/FEB 18

Aquarius, there has been a lot on your plate and many thoughts swimming through your mind. A quick getaway could be what is needed this month.

PISCES  FEB 19/MAR 20

Pisces, you have a few o ers on the table, but could be having trouble narrowing down your preference. Bring in a third party to help.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

JANUARY 29 José Abreu, Athlete (36)

JANUARY 30 Christian Bale, Actor (49)

JANUARY 31 Justin Timberlake, Singer (42)

FEBRUARY 1 Harry Styles, Singer (29)

FEBRUARY 2 Gerard Piqué, Athlete (36)

FEBRUARY 3 Warwick Davis, Actor (53)

FEBRUARY 4 Natalie Imbruglia, Singer (48)

“When approached individually by constituents or small groups again no follow up or a form letter was used,” said Bell. “His choosing to ignore their concerns in such matters often allowed the passing of, or changes to Legislation detrimental to the Constituents in his riding therefore allowing them to have no input.”

First elected in 2017, Davies is a former Fort St. John city councillor and elementary school teacher. He is currently the provincial Opposition critic for social development and poverty reduction, and was appointed last year to provincial committees reviewing the opioid epidemic and police reform in B.C. Responding to the petition, Davies acknowledged it’s part of the democratic system but says he remains focused on the broad range of responsibilities he’s been tasked with as the local MLA.

“My focus is continuing to represent the important issues that are facing 40,000 residents that I represent in the riding,” said Davies. “Number one is our jobs, our resource sector, our economy, and ensuring our voice is heard. We’re advocating for the best healthcare we can have. We know that’s in shambles.”

The provincial legislature resumes sitting Feb. 6, meaning Davies will spend the rest of winter and most of spring in Victoria for government business until the middle of May. “I’m going to have to be doing Saturday meetings in my office and trying to work in community events, as well as spend time with my children for the 30 hours that I’m going to be home per week,” he says. “It is challenging and I’m not complaining. I know what I signed up for. I engage with thousands of people in the riding.”

He expects a busy legislative session with affordability, healthcare, housing, and the economy to dominate the debates in the house. He says he’ll also continue to the push for a Northern Health audit, a new Taylor Bridge, and the needs of the resource sector.

“I’ve got 40,000 residents I represent in Victoria. They all have diverse opinions,” he said. “I need to obviously listen to everybody, look at what is best for the region, and chart my course from there.”

Elections BC says canvassers must collect signatures from 10,487 eligible voters between Feb. 3 and April 4 for the petition to be successful.

If the petition succeeds, Elections BC says Davies’ seat will become vacant and a byelection called within 90 days. Davies could run as a candidate if such a vote was held.

Snow clearing, unsightly premises review

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Fort St. John city councillors are looking for reviews and potential updates to the city’s snow clearing policy and property standards bylaw. Mayor Lilia Hansen and Coun. Trevor Bolin brought forward two notices of motions on the matters at the Jan. 23 council meeting.

The city has received 54.4 centimetres, or about 21 inches, of snow since the Christmas holidays according to Environment Canada data. The city’s snow removal policy generally requires snow and ice to be cleared after snowfall accumulations between 5 to 15 cm, or about two to six inches, over a 72 hour period, with greater level of clearing requirements for greater amounts of snowfall. Mayor Hansen’s notice of motion calls for city staff to initiate a review and analysis of the current policy, last updated in 2019, to be presented to

council.

Coun. Bolin, meanwhile, gave notice of a motion to look at incorporating commercial properties into the city’s property standards bylaw, which governs unsightly premises. The bylaw currently sets out standards and fines for matters such as derelict vehicles, graffiti, litter, garbage and yard waste, noxious weeds, and other required property maintenance. It doesn’t, however, includes standards for snow clearing and parking lot maintenance such as filling potholes for private businesses, of which several residents have taken to social media to voice their concerns about in recent days. In giving his notice, Coun. Bolin said a recommendation from city bylaw officers and planners could “include any potential aspects that could cause damage to the public, which is not in there, as well as snow clearing and removal that could cause safety or damage issues that are not in there.”

e time has come for Canfor

By Merlin Nichols

Seven or eight years ago when I was Mayor of Chetwynd the crisis that has come home to roost was clearly seen in the ominous silences and unbelievable audios with which our efforts to avert the crisis were met in Victoria.

Of course, the details were not as clear back then as they are today, but we could and did predict mill closures with devastating effects on the community if the policies the government of the day appeared to be taking were put into effect.

With Canfor’s Jan. 25, 2023, announcement of the second-quarter permanent wrap-up of all its Chetwynd operations, we see that we were sadly too correct in our predictions.

With the closure now announced, it will do us no good to point more fingers and cast blame, though blame, if any, primarily rests with political authority.

Region needs bold vision for future pool

By Brennan Ross

We understand that the North Peace Leisure Pool Advisory Committee is seeking input from members of the community on the design of the proposed new facility, specifically the size of the main pool. The discussion is centered on choosing to build either a six lane, 25 meter pool similar to the current facility in Fort St. John, or a ten lane, 50 meter pool. The purpose of this letter is to express our firm recommendation that the ten lane, 50 meter option be chosen.

In support of our recommendation, we note the following:

Our family have been residents of the North Peace region since 1920, and have been avid users, supporters and members of the pool facilities and swim teams here for four generations. In its final years of operation, I worked at the Fort St. John Centennial Pool as a PA-III lifeguard and swim instructor. In our view the current six lane, 25 meter pool was inadequately sized when it was built. Regional demand for competitive swimming practices, hosting neighboring communities at competitions and accommodating the other various daily public uses has consistently outstripped the capacity of our facilities for decades, and this has limited the development of our swimming athletes, and several other types of sport, including kayaking, triathlon, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, school academy swim programs, adult swim for fitness, aquafit, senior’s fitness, public swim and scuba to name a few. To build another facility with a main pool of this size would be a serious and unfortunate underestimate of the needs of the community today and into the future. If taxpayer funds are to be used to build a new facility, then it should be appropriately sized for the needs of the community. A ten lane, 50 meter pool would be suitable.

For many years, the swim teams in Fort St. John, the Stingray summer team, and the Inconnu winter team, were unable to accommodate the demand from local fam-

ilies to include all of the youth who wished to join, in part because of insufficient pool size and availability. Last year, the Stingray summer team, which I was a member of in my own childhood, finally collapsed leaving only the winter Inconnu team still operating. Because of the limited pool size, today the Inconnu team still has a waiting list and many of our community’s families are unable to access this opportunity to experience team sport. This is a direct example of the inadequacy of a six lane, 25 meter pool.

Along with the inherent physical health and mental wellness benefits of competitive swimming, the sport offers a wide variety of financial scholarships and other educational opportunities to youth. To achieve the level of competitive excellence required to win this type of support, our athletes would need to train in a properly sized competitive pool. A ten lane, 50 meter pool would allow for the long course training that is required. A six lane, 25 meter pool does not, and would therefore continue to limit scholastic opportunity for our youth.

A ten lane, 50 meter pool is an efficient, multi-purpose configuration because it is wide enough to be used perpendicularly as a 25 meter pool for short course training. 50 meter pools, like that at the Eastlink Center in Grande Prairie, are equipped with rolling bulkheads to provide quick transitions of the pool’s configuration to allow for more varied simultaneous uses, satisfying the needs of more taxpayers at once.

In the Fort St. John region, businesses and public services including health care and law enforcement continue to experience extreme difficulty recruiting and retaining skilled labor. Convincing families to move here and stay to live and work in the community is nearly impossible, and the inadequate development of our sport and leisure infrastructure, especially when compared to that in neighboring communities like the Eastlink Center in Grande Prairie for example, is one of the significant contributing factors. A facility

equipped with a ten lane, 50 meter pool is an undeniable commitment to new and existing residents that our community takes their health and fitness seriously. Another undersized facility would be an unimpressive disappointment to any family weighing the pros and cons of moving or staying here.

Life in the north is uniquely challenging. The long winters, while beautiful, are brutalizing, especially for new residents unaccustomed to the hardships associated with the isolation, cost of living, and weather. Our relatively transient workforce, and the city’s inability to commit the necessary resources to keep the appearance of our streetscapes tidy and inviting are additional problems that successive municipal administrations have yet to solve. With our 100 year experience in this region, our family recognizes that Canadian society continues to shift away from adversity and is increasingly unwilling to forgo the pleasantries of a more developed metropolitan lifestyle. To compete, and to build our community, to create stable, long term growth and economic prosperity in Fort St. John, we must entice people here from places that are much more attractive by today’s standards, and convince them to set their roots. The recreational facilities we build in our communities play a role in charting their futures, particularly when the communities have challenges like ours.

To succeed in the north, we must apply extraordinary emphasis on, and exert unwavering support for physical fitness, mental wellness, team sport, scholastic opportunity, social connection, camaraderie and friendship, pride of community, and as it relates to the topic of the day, simply give people a place to develop their excellence. We have this opportunity to make good decisions now about the construction of a facility that will fit our needs for decades. Let’s be sure they include the correct pool.

Brennan Ross lives and writes in Fort St. John.

This announcement must precipitate immediate action on the part of the District of Chetwynd, the Peace River Regional District, and all other organizations with ability and reason to act. The assurance by Canfor’s CEO that the closure was not based on a shortage of fiber to be processed, but rather on the difficulty of obtaining permits to harvest, should be the starting point. And from there we go on to chart a workable solution.

Sixty or so years ago when Canfor set up operations in Chetwynd the political atmosphere was easier going than it is today. We’ve seen many ups and downs in the fortunes of the operation over the decades. I remember watching the mill burn to the ground in 72 or 73, noting how it was “built back better,” I remember even extended temporary closures as the operation responded to the fluctuations of the marketplace. But there was no serious hint of permanence in its closures.

As an old man and full of years who has been through the mill in a manner of speaking, no I never did work in the Canfor system, but my parents started out in this valley more than 70 years ago by operating a little bush sawmill, I think I have some sharable insights. Times were tough then and still are but in different ways.

Tough times tend to build strong character and what we need now is the will to dry our tears, put our minds to work, and go forward wasting no energy throwing more stones at those we might think bear some of the responsibility for this debacle. What’s our starting point?

I would suggest that we need to first count our blessings, name them one by one, then number our assets that could be used to keep the facilities operational outside the Canfor umbrella. In the first place, according to Canfor CEO, is the timber supply awaiting permitting.

We have hundreds of skilled workers who do not need an interruption in their pay. We also have contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers of goods and services tailored to the needs of the forest industry. One need not look too far to find knowledgeable and potentially well-resourced First Nations that can take a lead role in revitalizing the industry. And, let’s not overlook the two levels of local government with some ability to contribute to the mix.

Finally, the senior government in Victoria must play a key role in in the challenging negotiations that will have to happen, and without delay, if this operation and this community is to be salvaged. After all, it is a community of real people who have committed their lives to building Chetwynd that is at stake. Oh yes, Canfor, still holding the assets, must play some role in this succession.

I would suggest that somebody with credibility call a meeting within days to get the process moving forward. Don’t waste energy or time throwing stones. Start with a clear purpose of success and just keep moving forward until success is in your hands.

By the way, the Ancients have left us this starting point for successful conclusions: “Plans are established by counsel; by wise counsel” face the challenges.

Merlin Nichols lives and writes in Chetwynd.

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Letters: Oil and gas report short on details

Re: ‘Oil and gas spent $2.5 billion in Fort St. John’, Jan. 26

After taking some time to read the CAPP report, I have some comments on it.

The methodology of the number gathering is not clearly spelled out as to what activities are contained in what categories leaving the reader with a very vague look at what has always been important to the BC economy and specifically, the Northern BC economy. Some very irregular numbers exist in some categories with huge variations and some very small and/or distant municipalities showing huge revenues.

Hudson’s Hope Museum News: Our coloured past

By Tom Summer

Another trip around the sun has been made and I want to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. I moved to the Kootenays this past December and have slowly begun diving into the vast local history here.

The area was first home to the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Secwepemc peoples, who lived along the Arrow Lake shores before sharing the land with settlers and fortune seekers. The Sinixt were the first group to inhabit the region, appearing 10,000 years ago after ice age glaciers receded.

NAKUSP AND THE ARROW LAKES HISTORICAL SOCIETY

As a new resident of Nakusp, I was thrilled to see the town has an active historical society. Housed at the public library, I briefly stopped in a couple weeks ago and was impressed by how much care has been given to curating local history.

I’ll attempt to give a quick overview on Nakusp, though I know there’s individuals far better versed in it than me.

After First Nations, Nakusp’s settlement history began in 1892 with the fur trade, becoming a jump-off point for early lead, silver, and zinc mining in the Slocan Valley.

Steamboats were the first mode of major transportation. No roads or railways existed between the Kootenay mining areas and Vancouver, shipping goods from Nakusp on Upper and Lower Arrow Lake to Revelstoke, where the main Canadian Pacific Railway line was located.

By 1905, Nakusp was home to 300 residents, and today it boasts around 1,500. Roads and railways were quickly connected with the expansion of industry. Waterways are still traversed by ferry on the Arrow Lakes, with a terminal at Galena Bay and Shelter Bay, and another from Needles to Farquier further south.

Controversial to many, and not unlike the Peace River, the Arrow Lakes were dammed in 1969 by BC Hydro to make way for the Hugh

Keenleyside dam (originally called the Arrow dam), irreversibly changing the valley. Farmland which once sustained generations was lost overnight, swallowed up by the new reservoir.

The S.S. Minto, a famous steamboat, also met its end in 1967 at Galena Bay, going up in a “Viking Funeral” as clearing the reservoir made it too costly to be moved from the shore.

Local historian and archivist Kyle Kusch wrote a book touching on what was lost in 2019, titled Our Coloured Past - The Arrow Lakes in the Age of Colour Photography , published by the Arrow Lakes Historical Society.

While I’ve yet to get my hands on a copy, I’ve heard it’s a good record of the area’s history starting from 1940 onward. It’s also worth noting Kusch received a BC Historical Federation’s Community History Award, part of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Historical Writing Awards for the book and his dedication in writing it.

The loss of farmland and impact on agriculture is very reminiscent of what happened to the Peace River valley during the creation of the W.A.C Bennett dam and the more I read, the more parallels I find. More is set to be lost with the completion of Site C.

It’s been a pleasure to move to a new community and see there’s people just as passionate about history as I am, and I can tell that Nakusp appreciates everything that Kusch has contributed.

DESTROYING HISTORY

Like most of the public, I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Six Peaks dinosaur trackway was damaged in July 2020. The site was declared protected in 2016, and Saulteau First Nations had planned to offer eco-tours there.

Fortunately, the individuals responsible have been sentenced for cutting fossils from the trackway. While the law and the courts have finally caught up, it does leave me wondering what the full extent of the damage is.

It makes a strong case for why British Columbia needs greater legislation to protect

our prehistoric finds. Northeast B.C. is particularly blessed with an abundance of rare and unique fossils. It’s disappointing to see that nothing has been done to further protect the trackway. While I do understand that funding and financial feasibility from the province usually dictates these matters, it’s in everyone’s best interest to preserve what we have. Dinosaurs are loved and valued beyond the scientific community, remaining a global fascination.

These fossils belong to everyone - not just those with power tools and a willingness to break the law. Good stewardship and care is needed.

It’s estimated that 10,000 trackways have yet to be uncovered at Six Peaks, and it’s a second chance to examine the fossil record lost in the creation of Dinosaur Lake and the hydroelectric dams in Hudson’s Hope.

Our neighbours in Tumbler Ridge also greatly deserve support. Their gallery remains the largest dinosaur museum in the province with over 3,000 unique pieces, in addition to their UNESCO heritage geopark holding nine of the 14 Tyrannosaur trackways found worldwide.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I won the 2022 People’s Choice award for best newspaper columnist in the Alaska Highway News. I honestly had no idea I was in the running.

Usually I hear by word of mouth when people enjoy my articles, but it made my day to get the award. I appreciate everyone who reads my writing and took the time to vote for me.

The Hudson’s Hope Museum is open five days a week, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. We’re always looking for volunteers, if you’ve got time to support local history.

If you would like any further information, please call 250-783-5735 or email at hhmuseum@pris.ca.

Tom Summer is the Vice President of the Hudson’s Hope Historical Society.

makes them somewhat meaningless. It is the percentage of the total spend in BC that is the important number as the industry is based on producing BC resources, which should in turn employ BC workers and suppliers to the maximum.

Appendix B shows $368B spent in Pouce Coupe ahead of Fort St John at $351M and Dawson Creek at $87M in “Construction” as well as some other head scratchers like $15M in “Transportation” spending in Armstrong compared to $17M in Rolla and $57M of “Drilling/Completion/Downhole” services in Creston. There could easily be explanations for these however there are none.

CAPP has always tried to make the point that they are spending huge money in the area. By putting out these numbers without including the total that was spent working in BC, not just what goods/services were purchased in BC and in what municipality they are

Anyone that has worked in the industry knows that a huge component of the total BC spend is sourced outside of BC. Some by necessity, much by choice, as the industry tries to avoid what is perceived as the “high-cost” BC service sector. Again, this is why knowing what the total spend compared to what was sent to BC addresses is so important as that amount, even though substantial might be shockingly low.

While some services may not be readily available, many are and it is up to an industry that wants to remain working in BC backyards to ensure they are making the best possible use of all available sources of goods and services that are resident in BC and creating jobs for BC resident taxpayers. It is more than obvious in the report that effort was placed on including all areas of BC so the organization appears to have a positive effect in all communities.

The report is a relatively straight forward PR campaign that comes up short on details.

Bob Fedderly Charlie Lake

Letters: NDP lack leadership needed for B.C. forestry

Re: ‘Canfor permanently closing Chetwynd mills’, Jan. 25

Only two weeks after the news of the pulp line closure in Prince George, Northern B.C. has been hit by two more devastating mill closures, this time in Houston and in my constituency in the district of Chetwynd.

The closures will impact nearly 500 workers and their families, and alter the fabric of these small, resource-dependent communities. The news of these closures hits incredibly close to home and my heart goes out to every worker impacted by this heartbreaking news, as they are forced to make difficult decisions about their future.

Surely, this NDP government does not need any more evidence of the critical situation in B.C.’s forestry-dependent communities. The forestry sector is clearly in crisis, and we cannot continue to watch this second-term government idly stand by as hundreds of people lose their livelihoods and communities are hollowed out.

Premier Eby and his NDP government have displayed a continued lack of leadership on forestry, choosing to manage the decline of a vital industry rather than taking the steps needed to sustain it for decades to come. Over and over again we have seen the NDP dismiss and ignore rural B.C., and it is everyday people who end up paying the price.

This is the time for solutions. Tangible action and real supports for the industry, and the people who depend on it, are long overdue. Premier Eby and his NDP government must get serious about presenting a new, clear vision for the future of forestry in B.C. — one that is sustainable, vibrant, and viable for the long term. B.C. will continue to lose vital jobs, and our forestry-dependent communities will remain in a state of crisis, until Eby delivers this kind of leadership.

I will be heading to Chetwynd today to meet with many of the workers and families who will be impacted by these devastating closures.

MLA Mike Bernier Shadow Minister for Forests Dawson Ceeek

Letters: Gov creates uncertainty

Re: ‘Canfor permanently closing Chetwynd mills’, Jan. 25

Lack of access due to ever increasing closures by antiresource development federal and provincial governments is causing families to lose their jobs and livelihoods. The federal government’s plan to remove access to 25% of lands and 25% of oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030 is going to continue to have negative consequences for hard-working northern Canadians for years

to come.

We Conservatives encourage environmental stewardship while also encouraging the continued responsible development of our natural resources.

My heart goes out to all the families affected by the closure in Chetwynd. My Conservative colleagues and I will continue to battle for our resource communities and our offices will do what we can to help those affected by this closure.

MP Bob Zimmer Fort St. John

TOM SUMMER PHOTO

The Nakusp Municipal Beach bay, once home to over 10 acres belonging to the Spicer family, who arrived from England during the 1940s and were pioneers of organic farming. Sadly, in making way for the Hugh Keenleyside, Mica, and Duncan dams through the Columbia River Treaty, much of their land was expropriated and flooded. However, Jean Spicer was an avid photographer, capturing 35 years of the valley on film. These materials live on through the Arrow Lakes Historical Society.

Bear Flat Dispatch: More books please

By Ken Boon

Directors and volunteers with the North Peace Historical Society recently did the annual inventory count at the Fort St. John Museum gift store. My favorite part of the gift store is the book department, and Arlene and I teamed up to do the book count.

The selection of books at the museum is amazing, especially when it comes to local non-fiction content. Subjects run from the early explorers and fur-trade, to First Nation history, the signing of Treaty 8, prospecting, mining, surveying, homesteading, agricultural settlement, ranching, bush pilots, early schools, hospitals, churches, the Alaska Highway, forestry, firefighting, the oil-patch, guide/outfitting, environment, hunting, bear attacks, river travel, planes, trains and automobiles, etc. There’s also a good selection of books for kids, often by local authors.

I am constantly reminded of how many local people have amazing stories to tell. For instance, we were good friends with the late Bill Tompkins who lived a full and busy life in this country. Born in 1926 and raised on a homestead in

the Peace River valley, he went from trucking on the Alaska Highway, to eventually running his own oilfield company, flying airplanes, goldmining in the Yukon, and then back to farming on the original family place at the confluence of the Halfway and Peace Rivers.

He had amazing experiences while living through a time of incredible changes, and he could tell a story very well. We would often suggest that he needed to write a book, to which he would usually grin and state that not enough people had died for him to tell his stories yet! He was joking of course, but, to my knowledge, his stories were never written down, and will likely fade into history. I know that there are many people, including from younger generations, who have stories to tell that really should be recorded.

I recently had coffee with a fellow former hunting guide who had worked for an outfitter close to where I had previously worked in what is now the Muskwa-Kechika Protected Area. We got to swapping tales from our respective experiences, and since I had never visited with him before or worked for that outfit, I found it fascinating to hear a whole new set of stories.

Farewell to friends

By Ruby McBeth

In the past month, we at the Seniors Hall have said goodbye to three friends: Irene Large, Gordon Meek, and Ellen Fox.

Irene was a familiar friendly face who dropped in to visit. I remember Gordon joining us at floor curling. Ellen Fox did floor curling regularly for the past year. They will each be missed.

SENIORS CLUB NEWS

Outfitters and their guides are often well equipped with great stories due to the long time they spend in the bush and their interaction with lots of critters and interesting characters. In addition, they often have become gifted storytellers from entertaining their guest on long hunts. The Museum does have a number of excellent books by guides and outfitters, but I know there are a lot more that could and really should be written.

Unlike some museums, the Fort St. John Museum is a non-profit that is not owned or run by the city, and therefore the gift store is a very important source of funding that helps it do the important community service it provides. So please stop by and check out the book selection, and don’t forget to check out the used book section that occasionally has rare and hard to find books. If you are aware of any books that perhaps the museum should carry, please let them know. Finally, I am hoping that more people seriously consider recording their own stories before they are lost, because there is no such thing as too many books.

Ken Boon lives and writes at Bear Flat.

Drug dealers have no place in our society

By Evan Saugstad

Last week, I wrote about Northern Health’s plans for a new supervised drug site in Fort St. John, its shortcomings, and some advice on how to make it more “palatable” for the surrounding community.

This week, what hasn’t been said, at least not yet. Having a safe consumption site for drug addicts sounds good, and on the surface, sounds like it will save lives and make us all feel better. But, on its own, it will only create a brief interlude.

Think of it like this: The oil pipeline breaks, and the crew shows up with their absorbent pads, placing them to absorb the oil as it runs freely onto the ground. As the pads are soaked, the crew picks and deposits them into a bin and then places more and more…  But what they forgot to do first is turn off the pump, shut down the pipeline, stem the flow, and then fix the aftermath.

This analogy fits the world of illegal drugs and the irreparable harm they create. We are using a whole lot of energy to try fix those damaged by the process, and little to address the root cause — that being the drug manufacturers and supply chains that create new addicts every day. Ask Northern Health and they will tell you it is not their mandate, that they have no say in how illegal drugs are made or distributed, that they are told they must deal with the addicts. So that’s what they do.

Then what’s a solution? Do we blindly march forward as so many other B.C. cities have done and create an “addict” slum in our downtown core? Or do we say wait a minute, let’s deal with the drug manufacturers first, and when that’s accomplished, we will try to address the ad-

dicts? Some will say it’s a chicken and egg story and we must do both, and that’s fine. But if we do not and cannot stop the resupply of addicts, then we are only accomplishing one thing. We are making addicts’ lives better at the expense of the backbone of our community – our residents, workers, and businesses that make the economy – so we can attempt these generous gestures. Any solutions? Only one, and that is to cut the proverbial head off the dragon, maybe using such draconian measures as the Singapores of the world, and, not so coincidentally, places where there’s not an illegal drug problem. Yes, we can better border enforcement to stop these illegal drugs from entering Canada, but that’s only a stopgap measure. Distributors will move to making more here at home. It’s the lack of penalties and deterrents for those making and distributing these illegal and poisonous drugs that are the problem, one that we refuse to take seriously and address for what it should be: mass murder.

Justin Trudeau can say all he likes about taking guns away from hunters and farmers to make us safer, or that banning currently legal handguns is a solution. But this pales in comparison to legislation that says if you get caught making and distributing illegal and poisonous drugs, that was your last chance, and you will never be able to do that again.

So, what would that mean?

Do we once again begin the conversation about moving Canada back to where capital punishment is an option? Do we insist that every person caught manufacturing and distributing these drugs be vaccinated with their own products until they experience the eventual outcome all their addicted customers do?

The Seniors’ Club membership drive for 2023 is beginning. Please buy your membership before the AGM on Feb. 16. All positions on the board will be voted on at the meeting. Contact Connie Chretien at the hall Tuesday or Thursday mornings if you wish to put your name forward. Please note that you must buy a membership and be 50 or over in order vote or to be considered for the positions.

GETTING AROUND

Did you know that the HandyDART will take you to and from Taylor? Buses leave Fort St. John at 8:15 in the morning and again at 3 p.m. The cost for the Taylor trip is $4. People getting the bus in Taylor will be picked up at their home, but I am told that if they get a lot of people, they may change that to a couple of bus stops. The Charlie Lake trip also costs $4 but it is no regular schedule. All

trips should be booked a day ahead. You can get the forms for HandyDART by calling 250-787-7433.

THREE PINES

Those people who like me have been enjoying Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache books will be pleased to hear that they are now appearing as a TV series. Prime TV has them and I notice there is a one-month free subscription. One friend told me that they were not as good as the book, but I for one am curious.

MICROWAVE SAFE?

The other day I got lazy and heated some leftovers in a plastic container. I knew this was probably a bad idea. I decided to check on whether plastic was safe in the microwave. Apparently not all plastics are safe. If the container is suitable for a microwave, it will have a wavy picture on the bottom. If not, it could release some bad chemicals into your food, like BPA and phthalates. I am sure they are as bad as the names sound. From now on, I will use glass containers or other approved dishes in the microwave.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Truth builds trust.” — Marilyn Suttle

Ruby McBeth lives and writes in Fort St. John.

Ask Miss Patti: Sharing is caring

Or do we bring an economic opportunity to the far north and create Canada’s version of the Russian Gulag, a place where there is only an entrance?

If this sounds mean or unsympathetic, then I would encourage you to take a trip to downtown Prince George or Kamloops, or, if you’re really adventurous and not easily sickened, try Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. See what’s happening. Pop into the few remaining businesses to talk to them about their experiences and realities. Then consider the lifestyle the kingpins of the drug trade live and come back to tell Northern health what you think, as that is what they wish to hear. Our opinions do matter, it’s just that until we voice them, we don’t not know how much they will truly change the outcome.

Just like the monsters who molest children, or those societal misfits who can walk into schools and churches and open fire, drug manufacturers and dealers are made from the same mold. They have no place in our society and if we do not find a solution, society as we know it will be irreparably harmed by their actions. We cannot afford to keep adding to the addicts list, adding to the tent cities, adding to the crime and chaos illegal drugs create. History tells us this can only last so long until those who are negatively affected by the harms begin seeking their own solutions. Drastic solutions are options, it’s just that we need to stand up and recognize the victims have more rights to be heard than the perpetrators. And as we so often hear from our aboriginal communities, those affected by the act must be heard and must be part of the sentencing for solutions.

Evan Saugstad lives and writes in Fort St. John.

Dear Miss Patti, I am an educator working with toddlers and as a staff we were discussing sharing. Some of us believe in timers and the five-minute rule and others feel sharing shouldn’t be forced. What are your thoughts on this subject?

— Sharing is Caring

Dear Sharing is Caring, There was a time long ago that I was in the timer/ five-minute camp. I bought a bunch of amazing bubble timers and thought I was practicing good habits. Children need to learn how to share right? But then I found the children just walking around holding the timers, staring at them (and the child who was expected to give up the prized item once the bubbles found their way down) and not engaging in anything else. The child with the prized item didn’t really play either as they felt the pressure and only held onto the item tighter.

Imagine you’re reading a really good book that’s 100 pages long. You’re really into the story and someone comes along and tells you in five minutes you need to give it up, it is someone else’s turn. “But I’m not done!” You would not be impressed.

Instead, I suggest you allow children to engage with materials as long as they need to. My new script includes, “It looks like Johnny is not done playing with that yet. Hey Johnny, Karen would like a turn with that when you are done. Can you find her after you’re finished and let her know it is her turn?”

Now both children feel that they have been heard and respected. Then find something for Karen to engage with so Karen is not standing over Johnny tapping her foot. Now both children are play -

ing with something. Many times, once the pressure is off for the child with the prized item, they don’t even want it any more or the child waiting gets so busy with something else that they also forget they wanted it that badly in the first place.

Sometimes we have an item that is so prized, like a favourite swing that many children want a turn. Again, usually I let the child engage with it as long as they can, and I might suggest they give other children a turn. If I find the child really doesn’t want to give it up, then I feel a) they really need that swing today or b) they still need time to learn this skill. (And it IS a skill, and it takes time to learn.) My script might sound like, “I think Johnny really needs the swing today, I will make sure you have the first turn next time.” And make sure you follow through next time!

If the prized item is always a problem, it might be time to get more than one or it might be time to remove the item for the moment and try again another day. “I can see we’re having a tough time with this today. Let’s try again next time.” Or even better, have a meeting as a group. Children are amazing problem solvers and given the opportunity they might come up with creative solutions you never thought of. Let them brainstorm on a plan that works for everyone.

For more information on this topic listen to Janet Lansbury’s podcast, Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled: Why Toddlers Won’t Share and What We Can Do, on Apple Podcasts.

—Miss Patti

Irene Large, Ellen Fox, and Gordon Meek were familiar friendly faces at the Fort St. John seniors hall.

Court Docket, Jan. 9 to 20

• Bennward Dale Ingram was sentenced to 25 days jail, fined $15,000, and ordered to pay a $2250 victim surcharge for constructing a building/ other works on Crown land without authorization in Hudson’s Hope in July 2020.

• Dylan William Joseph Sutton (born 1998) was given a 60day conditional sentence with one year probation for fraud over $5000 committed in Dawson Creek in April 2021. Sutton was given a 120-day conditional sentence with one year probation, ordered to pay $950 in restitution, and ordered to submit a DNA sample for theft over $5000, and given a 120day conditional sentence with one year probation and ordered to pay $950 in restitution for theft under $5000, committed in Dawson Creek in February 2021.

• Kayla Ellen Stone (born 1988) was sentenced to 403 days jail with 12 months probation, given a mandatory lifetime firearms prohibition, and ordered to submit a DNA sample for assaulting a peace officer with a weapon. Stone was sentenced to time served with 12 months probation, and given a three-year criminal driving prohibition for driving while disqualified under the Criminal Code, and sentenced to time served with 12 months probation for dangerous driving. The offences were all committed in Fort St. John in October 2022.

• Philip Clayton Testawitch (born 1988) sentenced to 30 days jail with 12 months probation, given a five-year discretionary firearms ban, and ordered to submit a DNA sample for robbery committed in Fort St. John in September 2022. Testawitch was sentenced to 30 days jail and 12 months probation for theft under $5000 committed in Fort St. John in August 2022. Testawitch was sentenced to 30 days jail with 12 months probation for breach of probation in Fort St. John in July 2022.

• Adel Phyllis Lynn Pine (born 1991) was sentenced to time served with one year probation, and ordered to submit a DNA sample for possession of stolen property over $5000 committed in Fort St. John in December 2021. Pine was sentenced to time served with one year probation for assault committed in Prince George in May 2021. Pine was sentenced to time served with one year probation for breaching probation in Prince George in November

2020.

• Ryan Leigh Hansen (born 1984) was fined $2000 and given a one-year criminal driving prohibition for refusal to provide a breath sample in Fort St. John in January 2022. Hansen was sentenced to time served with 12 months probation for possession of stolen property over $5000 in Fort St. John in January 2022.

• Johann Simon (born 1952) was sentenced to 18 months probation, fined $1000 under the Motor Vehicle Act, and ordered to pay a $300 victim surcharge for driving without due care and attention in Fort St. John in April 2021.

• Gordon Alexander Thomson (born 1986) was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for theft of a motor vehicle in Murdale in November 2021. Thomson was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for mischief to property in Rose Prairie in December 2021. Thomson was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for possession of stolen property over $5000 in Fort St. John in June 2021. Thomson was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for possession of stolen property over $5000 and driving with a suspended licence in Port Alberni in July 2020. Thomson was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for possession of stolen property over $5000 in Prince George in August 2020. Thomson was sentenced to time served with 18 months probation for flight from police and breaching probation in Fort St. John in April 2022.

• Madison Tylor Mckenzie (born 1997) was granted a conditional discharge with 12 months probation for mischief under $5000 committed in Dawson Creek in June 2020. Mckenzie was granted a conditional discharge with 12 months probation for assault committed in Dawson Creek in December 2020.

• Jong Jim Lim (born 1974) was granted a conditional discharge with 12 months probation for wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer in Wonowon in July 2022.

• Darrion Jerald Kimmie (born 1997) was sentenced to 18 months probation, fined $750, and ordered to pay a $113 victim surcharge for driving without reasonable consideration, and sentenced to time served for wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer in Fort St. John in October 2021.

Mackenzie man sentenced on tra cking counts

A Mackenzie man has been sentenced to two years and four months in jail for possessing opioids and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking. Michael Kenneth Robert Matson, 35, was issued the term Jan. 13 in relation to a seizure on October 25, 2019 of 30.9 grams of heroin-fentanyl and 64.1 grams of methamphetamine from he 221 Crysdale Drive home where he had been living in the community of 3,700 people 186 kilometres north of Prince George. Police also seized 2.5 grams of cocaine for which Matson was charged with simple possession.

Crown counsel had been seeking as much as two years 10 months while defence counsel argued for a conditional sentence order - effectively house arrest. In issuing his decision, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ron Tindale found that Matson lacked the “exceptional circumstances” that would have warranted a sentence of less than two years and a day, thus making a conditional sen-

An election by voting will be held to elect an Electoral Area C Director, with the following persons as candidates for each o ce:

ElectoralAreaC–One(1)tobeelected

NameResidentialAddress

Haab, Suzanne 5795 Baldonnel Road, Baldonnel, BC Sperling, Brad 13265 Lakeshore Drive, Charlie Lake, BC

VOTINGDATESANDLOCATION

TWOADVANCEVOTINGOPPORTUNITIES

between8:00amand8:00pm

Wednesday,February15,2023

PomeroySportCentre

9324 – 96 Street, Fort St. John, BC

Wednesday,February22,2023

PomeroySportCentre 9324 – 96 Street, Fort St. John, BC

GENERALVOTING-Saturday,FEBRUARY25,2023

between8:00amand8:00pm

LocationAddress

Baldonnel Elementary School 5836 Baldonnel Road, Baldonnel, BC Charlie Lake Elementary School12655 Charlie Lake Frontage Road, Charlie Lake BC (mail ballots may be returned to the Charlie Lake location)

ELECTORREGISTRATION

Voting day only registration is in e ect for the PRRD

There is no need to pre-register to vote as the registration of all electors for this election will take place at the time of voting. In order to register at the time of voting, you will be required complete the application form available at the voting place and to make a declaration that you meet the requirements to be registered as noted below.

IDENTIFICATION:

Toregister,residentelectors must produce 2piecesofidentication (at least one with a signature). Picture identi cation is not necessary. The identi cation must prove both residency and identity.

Toregister,non-residentpropertyelectors must produce 2piecesofidentication (at least one with a signature) to prove identity, proof that they are entitled to register in relation to the property (proof of ownership), and, if there is more than one owner of the property, writtenconsent from the other property owners.

RESIDENT ELECTORS:

To register as a resident elector you must:

•be 18 years of age or older on general voting day (February 25, 2023)

•be a Canadian citizen; be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting);

•be a resident of Electoral Area C, on the day of registration (at time of voting); and not be disquali ed under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election and not otherwise disquali ed by law.

NON-RESIDENT PROPERTY ELECTORS:

To register as a non-resident property elector you must:

•be 18 years of age or older on general voting day (February 25, 2023);

•be a Canadian citizen; be a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting); be a registered owner of real property in Electoral Area C for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration (at time of voting);

•not be entitled to register as a resident elector; and not be disquali ed under the Local Government Act or any other enactment from voting in an election and not otherwise disquali ed by law.

In addition, for non-resident property electors: The only persons who are registered owners of the property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust. If more than one person is registered owner of the property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the owners, register as a non-resident property elector.

IfvotingasaNon-residentPropertyElector,youareencouragedtocontacttheChiefElectionOcer wellinadvanceofvotingdaytoensurethatyouhavealltherequiredinformationpriortoattending thevotingplace.

TYPESOFDOCUMENTSTHATWILLBEACCEPTEDASIDENTIFICATION

You must produce at least two (2) documents that provide evidence of your identity and place of residence, at least one (1) of which must contain your signature. The following classes of documents will be accepted:

a)a Driver’s Licence;

b) an Identi cation Card such as:

i.a photo BC services card;

ii.a non-photo BC services card;

c)an Owner’s Certi cate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC

d)a BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard;

e) a Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8, (now “Monthly Form EA181);

tence order out of the question.

He also noted that Matson has a criminal record that includes numerous breaches and was on probation at the time the drugs were seized. In March 2019, he had been sentenced to 18 months probation on a count of possessing a controlled substance. And the amounts seized were large, Tindale found. As such, he said denunciation and detererrence were the primary considerations on sentencing.

But he did provide Matson with a “considerable discount” for the efforts he has made since then to turn his life around. They have included gaining employment, remaining sober and getting counselling and treatment for addiction.

Matson “has done a lot of work toward his rehabilitation.”

Tindale also accepted that Matson is genuinely remorseful for his actions and was selling the drugs to support his habit as opposed to simply make money.

— Prince George Citizen

f) a Social Insurance Number card;

g)a Citizenship Card;

h)a real property tax notice;

i)a credit card or debit card; or

j)a utility bill, (such as electricity, natural gas, water, telephone or cable services).

The above listed identi cation documents MUST be accepted by election o cials. An election o cial may also accept other forms of documents that provide evidence satisfactory to the election o cial (e.g., a valid, current passport).

MAILBALLOTVOTING

MAILBALLOTVOTING

Mail ballot voting is available to ALL eligible voters. Anyone quali ed to vote as either a resident, or as a nonresident property elector, may choose to vote by mail.

REQUESTINGAMAILBALLOTPACKAGE:

Before 4:00 pm on Friday, February 24, 2023, if you wish to vote by mail, you must request a mail ballot package in one of the following ways:

-In person, at PRRD o ces, 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek or 9505 – 100th Street, Fort St. John

-By email to jprestley@telus.net or Tyra.Henderson@prrd.bc.ca

-By phone to 250-784-3600 or 250-785-8084 or 1-800-660-7773.

To be counted, your mail ballot must be received by the Chief Election O cer by the close of voting on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Itisresponsibilityofthevotertoensuretheirmailballotisreceivedbythe deadline. A mail ballot package may be returned by any of the following methods: By mail - Delivered to Box 810 Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4H8, up to 4:30 pm on February 24, 2023

Drop

or view the webpage at https://prrd.bc.ca/getoutandvote/ Janet Prestley Chief Election O cer

To nd out more about how to vote by mail, please call the o ce at 250 784

DIRECTORY BUSINESS COUNTRY PEACE

Hospital Auxiliary buys new Broda chairs for care home residents

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Residents at the Peace Villa care home in Fort St. John have ten new sets of wheels to help the bedridden get out to socialize with family and friends.

The Fort St. John Hospital Auxiliary purchased 10 new specialized Broda chairs this month, which it says will improve the comfort, mobility, and mental health of those living in the care home.

“They are wonderful because so many of our residents now their health is so much poorer than it used to be ten, 20 years ago when they came in, so they’re needing these chairs,” said Auxiliary President Rosemary Landry. “People cannot afford the chairs, so when the hospital provides it for them it’s great.”

The Broda chairs aren’t cheap, around $4000 each. The Auxiliary replaced eight of them last year that were worn out, and realized there was a huge need for more.

“The manager said we are so desperate, there are so many becoming bedridden that aren’t able to manage themselves that the chairs then are excellent,” said Landry. “They’re able to get out and socialize, come out into the dining room, play games

and everything.”

“They’re secure in them, they’re safe in them, they’re comfortable in them,” Landry said, adding the lightweight chairs mean families can take them and their loved ones out for a walk on the trails during visits. The ten chairs were able to be purchased thanks to a number of corporate partners, including a $25,000 donation from CN Rail, a $10,000 donation from Ovintiv, and a $4146 donation from Pembina Pipeline.

“The health and safety of our communities is always number one on our priorities and pillars. We’re just so glad to be able to support the Fort St. John Auxiliary,” said Adam Rolick, community relations advisor for Ovintiv. “These chairs help with accessibility and inclusion so it was a perfect thing for us to support.”

Pembina representatives Dustin Huhn and Colin Ziebart say they were happy to help local families and the community through the company’s contribution.

“We’re just happy to have the opportunity to show our care for the community,” said Huhn, the company’s foreman for the Fort St. John North region. “Colin and I are both born and raised in Fort St. John and anything we can do to help out is in everybody’s best interest.”

The Auxiliary held its inaugural meeting Feb. 24, 1932, and began from a group of 17 ladies who saw a need for help at the former Providence Hospital.

The volunteer-run nonprofit celebrated its 90th anniversary last year, and today runs the hospital’s gift shop, vending machines, and bottle recycling program to raise revenues in support of Peace Villa and the hospital facility.

“We need the support of the community,” said Landry. “This money that we’ve got from the donations made it possible to get these extra ten chairs.”

Landry says a big Valentine’s Day celebration is planned at Peace Villa, one of the first times groups will be invited in to provide entertainment since the pandemic.

“We’re slowly opening up. We’re getting the junior volunteers going, we’re getting the adult volunteers going, and they’re going to have their special occasion for Valentine’s Day where they’ll have music and what not in the cafeteria,” said Landry. “And guess what? Our volunteers will be taking these Broda chairs down here so they’ll all be participating.”

Those looking to donate or volunteer with Auxiliary can call 250-261-7568.

Public Notice is hereby given that the Peace River Regional District will be holding a Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel meeting at 9:30 am on February 23, 2023 at 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC to review any proposed changes to the parcel tax rolls, for the following services:

Charlie Lake Sewer Friesen Sewer

Chilton Sewer

Harper Imperial Sewer Fort St. John Airport Subdivision WaterKelly Lake Sewer Fort St. John Airport Subdivision SewerRolla Sewer

12 Mile Road Electri cation Rolla Dyke

Parcel tax rolls are available for inspection at the Regional District o ces in Dawson Creek and Fort St John during regular o ce hours, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm and located at:

1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, BC and 9505 – 100th Street, Fort St. John, BC (closed for lunch 12 noon – 1 pm)

The purpose of the parcel tax roll review is to ensure information is correct for billing of property taxes for 2023.

Property owners may request a correction to the parcel tax roll for their own property and only for the following reasons:

a)there is an error or omission respecting a name or address on the tax roll;

b) there is an error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel;

c)there is an error or omission respecting the taxable area of a parcel;

d)an exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed.

Requests for corrections as noted above must be submitted in writing and must be received by February 21, 2023 to be considered by the panel. Requests may be submitted to the Chief Financial O cer via email at prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca or mail to Box 810, Dawson Creek, BC. V1G 4H8

inquiries should be directed to Roxanne Shepherd, Chief Financial O cer at (250)

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

Members of the Fort St. John Hospital Auxiliary meet with representatives from Ovintiv and Pembina Pipeline on Jan. 27, 2023, to celebrate the purchase of 10 new specialized Broda chairs for the Peace Villa care home.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

We’re here to help!

• PREVENTION

• EDUCATION

• SUPPORT Northern Brain Injury Association

1-866-979-HOPE (4673)

We’re here to help!

• PREVENTION

• EDUCATION

• SUPPORT Northern Brain Injury Association

1-866-979-HOPE (4673)

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/ nd-a-club BOOKS, COINS,STAMPS

Todd’s Coins: Buying gold, silver & coins 250-864-3521

FOR SALEMISC

Rolls-Surrette Batteries deep cycle series 5000, 4V X 6, 1yr old. Asking $7800 obo. 250-793-8362

CaterpillarD7G CrawlerDozers Wehavemultiple CatD7G’savailable forpurchasein Debolt,AB.Call Dave@780−876− 0891forinforma− tionaswellaspic− tures. deboltc1@ gmail.com

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.

NOTICES / NOMINATIONS

SAY NO to FAKE NEWS! 63% of Canadians can’t tell the di erence between real and fake news. Support reliable LOCAL journalism. Join the list www.newspapersmatter.ca.

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Notice of Opportunity

Lone Wolf Golf Club Concession Agreement

Request for Proposal No. 1-2023

The District of Taylor is seeking competitive proposals from qualified candidates to enter into a mutually beneficial contract for the operation of the Lone Wolf Golf Club Restaurant.

The Lone Wolf Clubhouse is central to a golf minded residential area and is within walking distance from the Taylor Elementary School, Ball Diamonds and District Ice Centre. The Clubhouse sits adjacent to the community Pickleball and Tennis courts and is the entrance to the beautiful Participaction Trail.

The Clubhouse restaurant includes a lounge area, dining room, covered patio and barbecue area licensed for 60 people inside and 132 people on the patio.

The District and its staff are dedicated to establishing a productive concession agreement. The District is interested in proposals from proponents with a strong commitment to outstanding customer service, trust, communication, teamwork and professionalism, and who can function as a contributing member of the community.

The ideal proponent is a professional, can demonstrate exceptional performance and has the District’s best interest in mind.

SCHEDULED SITE VISIT - Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 10:30am Local Time (Mountain Standard) Lone Wolf Clubhouse - 9999 99 Ave, Taylor, BC

RFP Closing date and time for submissions: February 17, 2023 at 2:00pm Local Time (Mountain Standard)

XQuestions can be submitted electronically to Jennifer Craig, Corporate Services Assistant at: jcraig@districtoftaylor.com

See complete RFP details at; www.new.bcbid.gov.bc.ca.

Hard Copy RFP documents are available at the District Office, 10007 100A Street, Taylor, BC Monday – Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm or Request electronic documents at: jcraig@districtoftaylor.com

Did someone say Free?

It’s time to boast

By John Grady

It wasn’t that many years ago that it was special if someone was a millionaire. Over the years, being a millionaire isn’t that uncommon anymore and, as always, the scorecard now asks if you are a multi-millionaire. A multi-millionaire is designed to set a person financially apart, but then we all became familiar with really financially successful people being a billionaire.

In recent years more and more business people have crept into that financial bracket. It’s amazing what land development, energy, sophisticated technology, resources, the internet, timing, hard work, and financial expertise can do. Have you also noticed how greed can creep in and we see supposed success stories end up with its principals before the courts and some going to jail for a variety of financial no-no’s?

Going back to the last century, it was normal for a football lineman to weigh 260 to 270 pounds and then it went to 280 to 290, and now we see these incredible athletes weighing 300 pounds, doing a fast 40-yard sprint, and having a great vertical jump as the weight class goes to 325 pounds. This year, salaries for gifted baseball players came in around $20- to $30 million per season. Go figure it. With all that competition and potential rewards, no wonder steroids

and drugs can try and slip into the system.

Have you noticed how much smarter young people are now than years ago? What they come up with and their varied interests are jaw dropping. Yes, I know, the internet is an incredible learning tool but let’s remember it can be used for the good and the bad. The good is so amazing and if used properly we are all better off for it.

So it begs the question, where is all this nostalgia coming from and what is it about? It’s not so much nostalgia as reading God’s word and wondering how we would respond to the word God gave to the prophet Jeremiah, well known as the weeping prophet. This is what the Lord says, “ Let not the wise men boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”

We all might not become billionaires, incredible athletes, or knowledgeable in the many facets of life, but each and every one of us should desire to boast that we understand and know the Lord and by knowing Him we know He exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth for us, and He delights in that.

Grady

By Heather Sjoblom

The start of a new year is always exciting. Following our three-year strategic plan, the North Peace Historical Society has lots on the go at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum from events to redesigning exhibits to a variety of archival projects. We’ve planned a full slate of events for 2023 including take home educational kits, cemetery tours, presentations, and family programs.

There are several ways to get involved from joining our amazing crew of volunteers to attending events and programs to sharing posts on our Facebook page. You can support the North Peace Historical Society’s operation of the museum financially through an annual membership (available for students, adults, seniors, and families), by purchasing books and items in our gift shop, by becoming a corporate member, or through sponsoring an event or take-home kit. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Heather at fsjnpmuseum@fsjmail. com or 250-787-0430.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• From Forts to Traplines: Stories and Artefacts from Fort St. John’s Fur Trade (Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Museum): We’re teaming up with Raymond Ensz of the Fort St. John Trappers Association to look at Fort St. John’s rich history of trapping from the late 1700s to the present day. Discover the treasures of Fort St. John’s fur trade history from beaver pelts to trade goods. See trade goods from our collection up close and find out more about our early forts. Learn about the Fort St. John Trappers Association, trapping today, and their conservation work.

• Family Day Weekend

Winter Scavenger Hunt & Open House(Friday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday, Feb. 20, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum): Discover the winter heritage of Fort St. John and the North Peace Region through the BC Family Day Weekend Winter Scavenger Hunt and Open House at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum. From snowshoes to sleighs and foot warmers to rough locks, residents found ways to live in our northern climate. Search for winterrelated artefacts around the museum as a family, learning fun facts and short local stories about these items. Choose from our selection of prizes after completing your scavenger hunt!  Admission is free for everyone to explore the museum as they wish. This event is supported by the Province of British Columbia.

• North Peace Historical Society AGM (Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Museum): Join us for our first inperson AGM since 2020. Arthur Hadland will present “A Voice for the Peace” looking at the

history along the Peace River from the last ice age to the present. We will provide coffee, tea, and baked goods. Tickets are $10 and will be available starting Monday, February 6.

COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES

Our team of staff and volunteers responded to a record 155 inquiries in 2022! A huge thank you to our archival volunteers for all their work scanning, identifying, and cataloguing photographs; researching; answering inquiries, scanning the newspaper; organizing files; and more! Looking to do something new this year? Join our volunteer newspaper scanning team. They are currently scanning 1990 and could use a hand. We provide the training and you set your own schedule.

MUSEUM GIFT SHOP

Our latest bestseller is Plants of Northern British Columbia (Expanded Second Edition). This is a great book for anyone wanting an “all-in-one” guide which includes 519 species of trees, shrubs, flowers, ferns, lichens, and mosses that grow across the northern regions of British Columbia. We also have a new book with local connections in the gift shop. George H.S. Duddy’s Called by the North: Extraordinary Adventures of the Fur Trade, Shipbuilders, Navigators and Traders in Northwestern Canada and Alaska looks at boatbuilding in northwestern Canada from the D.A. Thomas (the best-known sternwheeler on the Peace River) to boats across the north. Purchases from the museum gift shop help us preserve and present the history of Fort St. John and area through exhibits, educational initiatives, and collections management.

Heather Sjoblom is manager and curator of the Fort St. John North Peace Museum.