ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 | SPORTS | A5
Six personal best times, three club records for Modde Josh Soresnen, Head Coach Inconnu Swim Club This past month saw over 550 swimmers from more than 30 teams descend upon the UBC Aquatics Centre in Vancouver for the Summer edition of BC Provincials. While Fort St. John’s Inconnu club had a small group of swimmers hit qualifying standards, just one swimmer made the trip down for the meet. Ryder Modde competed in 8 events garnering lifetime bests in 6 of them over the duration of the weekend. He was best able to showcase his efforts and skill in the breaststroke races where he made sure to leave his mark on the competition. Across the three distances: 50m, 100m, and 200m, Ryder swam to two 4th place finishes in the sprints as well as a Top 10 A-Final finish in the 200m. He was within a second of the podium on both of his 4th place finishes as he fought for every inch and millisecond in his race. Further adding to these achievements, his times in the 50m and 100m also put him in the National Top 20 12-and-under rankings with his 200m time sitting just outside of the mark. NATIONAL RANKINGS: 50m Breast - 16th
100m Breast - 19th 200m Breast - 21st From a club perspective, the times saw him rewrite the Inconnu record books as all three breast swims set new standards for the club. The 50m and 100m races broke five and sixyear-old club records while he established a new 200m record, after setting one earlier in the season. Overall the meet demonstrated his improvement from Winter Provincials, as Ryder qualified in more events overall and improved on his rankings in each of the events he did swim. Ryder was joined by teammates Kieran Rogers and Mya Waberski as the trio went to Prince George to represent Zone 8 at the BC Summer Games this past weekend. FULL RESULTS - BC SUMMER PROVINCIALS: 50 Freestyle - 31.32 - 25th (PB) 100 Freestyle - 1:10.96 - 23rd 200 Freestyle - 2:35.88 - 27th 50 Breaststroke - 36.67 - 4th (PB) (Club Record) 100 Breaststroke - 1:21.37 - 4th (PB) (Club Record) 200 Breaststroke - 2:58.85 - 9th (PB) (Club Record) 50 Butterfly - 36.11 - 21st (PB) 200 Individual Medley - 2:49.41 19th (PB) SUPPLIED PHOTO
*PB – denotes personal best time
Fort St. John’s Ryder Modde is back from provincials in Vancouver where he finished with several personal best times and some club records at the same time.
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 | PEOPLE’S CHOICE | A7
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 | OP-ED | A11
Climate crusaders losing the battle of public opinion By Evan Saugstad
G
eorge Carlin once said, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize that half of them are stupider than that.” He also said, “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” Oh, how I loved George’s sarcastic and humorous wit, but not sure if he could keep up to the lunacy of today… hmmm, if I were to say his seven words, would that now be considered a crime against humanity? I wonder what George would have to say about Canada’s gas and oil industry: Best thing since sliced bread, or about as desirable as monkey pox? I would think the former, but that is me. Canada’s oil and gas industry should be one that we are proud to support and be thankful for. It is the grease that keeps our wheels turning, the envy of the world, pays more of our bills than any other, and the life blood of our economy, most of the time, if we leave it alone to do its thing. But, unfortunately, we do have some very influential politicians who are well-known for their opposition for everything gas and oil, and who continue to lead the charge to end our reliance on this great and needed resource. Would George place these in the bottom half of his stupid spectrum? A recent RBC report confirmed the dominance of Canada’s oil patch as that of one that pays more than its fair share of taxes and royalties, to the tune of about $48 billion this year, and, if energy prices stay at similar levels, up to $64 billion in 2023. Nothing else even comes close to matching what gas and oil contributes to our life and our economy. Despite this contribution and these numbers, Jagmeet Singh wishes to tax them out of existence and distribute their wealth as he and Justin Trudeau did with CERB. Mayor Stewart of Vancouver wants to tax their residents $1/person (approx. $700,000) and join a lawsuit against Canada’s “Big Oil” so he and his council can use this wealth as the community rebuilding slush fund, under the guise of climate change. And as Trudeau and his buddies blindly charge ahead with legislation to increase the cost of production, all done under this same guise. It makes one wonder why, if we need to do so much to be prepared for the wild swings that weather can have on our communities and economy, we wouldn’t be looking to do more to be ready and that we use this annual tax contribution to help accomplish such tasks. Why do we blindly accept that Stanley Park’s Seawall was destroyed by climate change, when the culprit was the lack of maintenance by the City of Vancouver that allowed a completely predicable and regular King tide to combine with high winds to destroy it? Or, say the same when we allowed the flooding of former Lake Agassiz, also caused by a lack maintenance to its dikes, by all three levels of government, or why we were, and still are, so unprepared for wildfires that we let them burn communities while we throw our hands in the air and yell ‘climate change’ when all
of these are predictable, are preventable ,and are under our control to ensure they do not happen at the scale they currently do? In this time of lies, deceit, and obfuscation of what our climate crisis truly is, why would Vancouver council pick July 2022 to embark on a process that, if successful, would drive the price of petroleum-based products to levels that would make today’s prices seem like a bargain? I can think of a couple reasons as to the why part, including questioning of the intelligence of those involved. I also believe that these leftist leaders don’t give two hoots about what higher energy prices mean as, come hell or high water, they are willing to bring Vancouver to its knees in their plight to rid their city of anything that resembles carbon. Now, more importantly than any other time since the climate crisis was invented, climate crusaders realize they are losing the battle of public opinion. The Code Red For Climate Action message is slowly and steadily taking a back seat to the message that says Code Red for Affordable Living as the masses struggle to pay their bills and keep their families fed. In this time of skyrocketing energy prices, runaway inflation, and while the rest of the world racks their brains trying to figure out how they can get their hands on enough affordable petroleum to keep their lights on, buildings heated, traffic moving, and food available to feed their masses, Canada keeps trying to head in the opposite direction. Oh, how my head hurts. At this same time, Vancouver council voted to support a 2030 Winter Olympic bid for the lower mainland, which, coincidentally, only costs a few billion that will miraculously be paid for by someone else, and, not so coincidentally, will generate a few billion more tonnes of carbon spewed into their tranquil atmosphere. The lead proponents behind this lawsuit dream, are, and not surprisingly, a bunch of underemployed lawyers looking for another government handout to keep them working. “Yes,” they say, look how successful the lawsuits were against “big tobacco” and “big pharma”, conveniently forgetting that we as a society could do without cheap tobacco and had alternatives to the abundant and addictive fentanyltype drugs. Yes, they conveniently omitted that should lawsuits such as this be successful, the cost, no matter the amount, will only be added to the cost of petroleum production. They ignore that we cannot live without petroleum, that more costs mean higher prices — for everyone. Yes, they care not that we feel more of the same pain as we have today. If recent history has taught us one thing, its that people won’t change their attitude simply by charging them more. Price people out of their life and lifestyles and they will price politicians out of their jobs, pure and simple. And you think the Freedom Convoy is something not to be repeated? Allowing stupid people to keep doing stupid things does not lead to good outcomes. Evan Saugstad lives and writes in Fort St. John.
MATT PREPROST PHOTOS
SKATE FEST — Local youth got a chance to take some free skateboarding lessons thanks to the Rotary Club of Fort St. John and Cole Andrews, pictured above, on July 21. Skate Fest brought out dozens of kids of all ages to Rotary Skate Park for an afternoon of practice and a barbecue cooked up by the Salvation Army. Below, Rotarians Dave Marshall and Vince van Wieringen take a pressure washer and a scrub brush to some of the graffiti at the park.
The gardener in the garden By John Grady
F
or those of us who love to garden, we have something in common with the greatest gardener of all time. His garden hasn’t changed and His mission of weeding, watering, caring, pruning, and enjoying the beauty of the garden is His great pleasure as it bears fruit. When God created man in His own image, He placed man in the Garden of Eden and man’s role was to take care of the garden. Adam was a gardener and in fact he was God’s first worshipper by the work he did in the garden. So often we think of worship as Sunday service, but true worship is also what and how we perform our work and duties of life as it is honouring to Him. Unfortunately, the garden man, Adam, failed God by not following his basic instructions. This takes us to the next garden, which is known as the Garden of Gethsemane, where, as we know from scripture, Jesus prayed not His will but His Father’s will; His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Who was He praying for but His garden in which is you and me? Most interesting after His death and resurrection, who was He mistaken for but a gardener. In
fact, it was Mary Magdalene who asked Jesus (in thinking He was the gardener) where they had laid the body of Jesus. If you ever go to Jerusalem, you need to go to the Garden Tomb as the Holiness of it all comes alive for you. Whenever Sandra and I go to Jerusalem, we always visit the Garden Tomb and take time to have communion. Tthe garden provides the elements for you to give thanks. It is very special. If you can accept that we are His garden, and He is the gardener then “we can” or, maybe better stated, “we should” accept that He will desire to bear incredible fruit in us that will last and be pleasing to Him. Our issue then is allowing Him to stir the soil, plant the seed (His word), prune us (ouch), pull out the weeds we all have hidden in our hearts (ouch), water us with the Holy Spirit until we are totally full. It is so easy to say all the right things, but it is another to allow Him to breath His life and His ways into our hearts. We are so good at resisting the deep work that He as the gardener wants to do in our lives, to make the fruit in us last and be a thing of beauty. John Grady lives and writes in Fort St John.
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | BUSINESS | THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022
Farmers team up for cross-border ‘living lab’ Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca
eral Agricultural Climate Solutions program. “The project will look at farms and ranches as a whole system, so trying to look at the whole operation and how it all comes together,” she said. Other practices that will be tested include inter-cropping, cover cropping, vermi-composting, lime applications, and rotational grazing. The list of producers is not exhaustive due to the limited funding, said Mori, but agricultural mentorship groups, workshops, and tours are planned to share the knowledge gained through the lab. “Ultimately, it’s about adoption of these practices to make farms more resilient and prepared for whatever the climate might throw at us,” Mori said. “The first year will be mostly baseline data collection, soil sampling.” The BC Grain Producers held a farm tour last week in the Montney area, giving farmers and the public a chance to see what work is already being done in the North Peace. Les Willms, a long-time grain farmer in Montney, has already planted a mixture of radishes and clover to break up hard soil and regenerate nitrogen for future crops. He had planned to go ahead with or without the lab funding, testing cover cropping in several of his fields. “Throw some legumes in, that’ll build nitrogen, and use the radishes to break up compaction – those are our two goals,” he said. “We also have four different varieties. We’ve basically got 50 per cent radishes and 50 per cent red clover. Using red clover is pretty historical for our area, that’s what the old timers used.” -Local Journalism Initiative
Peace region agriculture producers have secured $5,957,119 in federal funding for a new Living Lab program, which will bring farmers, ranchers, and scientists together to come up with ideas and best practices to tackle climate change over the next five years. A Living Lab takes place on local producer farms, with 60 farms in the TOM SUMMER PHOTO B.C. and Alberta Peace regions invited Farmers and visitors at a canola field in Montney during a tour with the BC Grain Producers to take part in best practice studies to aid with carbon sequestration. Association. The Peace Region Forage Seed Association is the lead organization for the lab, accompanied by the Peace River Forage Association of BC, NEAT’s Northern Co-Hort, BC Grain Matt Preprost and renewed investments in the prov- Producers Association, Fourth Sister editor@ahnfsj.ca incial energy sector, says the leader of Farm, North Peace Applied Research Association, Mackenzie Applied Rethe B.C.’s Conservative party. Average gas prices in Fort St. John “The Premier and his Ministers search Association, SARDA Ag Redipped back below $2 over the have an opportunity in front of them search, and the Peace Country Beef weekend. to ensure long term sustainable and Forage Association. Most gas stations in the city were growth for British Columbia’s energy Nadia Mori, co-ordinator for the posted at 191.9 cents a litre for regu- sector, protecting the very citizens Peace Region Living Lab, says while lar fuel Monday morning, down from they were elected by,” said Trevor Bo- pairing two provinces for a program a record high 216.9 cents reached in lin earlier this month. is rare, Northeast B.C. and Northern early June. “This was a long time for British Alberta are similar when it comes to Prices are now down 23 cents from Columbians to wait for relief at the agriculture, chiefly being grain and June’s average of 214.9, according to pumps when the Premier could have livestock producers. data from gasbuddy.com, but still up done it some time ago.” “The Peace region has been iden55 cents from 2021’s average of 136.9, But while prices, in some cases, tified as an area where we have large which is also where price were at the dropped by nearly 30 cents in the potential for our soils to sequester beginning of this year. Lower Mainland in July, the same carbon, and it’s a real exciting story In a recent market update, Patrick wasn’t holding true here in the North- because our Living Lab proposal was De Haan, head of petroleum analysis east. In Fort St. John, the price for very unlikely to be successful,” she for GasBuddy, said “gas stations still regular fuel remained elevated at said. “Usually a living lab is only done have plenty of room to decline as oil 214.9 cents per litre throughout the on a provincial scale. Regionally, this prices remain under $100 per barrel.” month. Down the highway in Daw- is a better fit.” “However,” he added, “should the son Creek, however, prices did drop Mori said funding for the local lab tropics become more active, the de- at some stations to 201.9 cents, but has been provided by Agriculture and cline could eventually reverse.” only about half of the price drop that Agri-Food Canada through the fedThe average price of regular gas in was seen in Metro Vancouver. B.C. was at 197.1 cents as of Monday Bolin, however, believes there morning. Drivers in Vancouver are should be some relief coming. paying an average of 196.0, and in “As new deliveries come into our Victoria 195.6. market in the north, I am positive we Drivers in Prince George are filling will see downward pressure on local up at an average of 199.9 cents, the prices as well,” he added. same as for motorists in Kelowna and “Fort St John stations pay a preKamloops. mium for delivery, a premium to imFUEL RELIEF COULD HAVE Work is underway to develop a acres in 2016-17 for the purposes of port fuel from Alberta and often times COME SOONER only have weekly deliveries which new memorandum of understand- economic development and culturMeanwhile, high gas prices in B.C. takes some time to adjust the prices.” ing between the Peace River Region- al tourism. are underscoring the need for new “We take our elders out there be-with files from Dave Lueneberg al District and Doig River First Nation on new urban reserve land cause there’s historical significance near Old Fort. to Old Fort,” said Nelson. “They According to a July 11 press re- were all along the river valley, there’s lease from the PRRD, Doig acquired some archaeological sites on one several fee simple properties within of the properties, and they traded Matt Preprost million for capital projects this year the regional district that are in the along the Peace River. There’s a lot editor@ahnfsj.ca with money from the agreement, or process of being converted to re- of great stories.” Nelson says the MOU is similar about 89% of the total $73.4-million serve status. The two groups met in As a regional deal with the province capital budget. May to learn about each other’s gov- in many respects to one signed with for infrastructure money comes due The last iteration of the agreement ernance structures, service delivery the City of Fort St. John for Naache for a review next year, Fort St. John was inked in May 2015 after some models and bylaws relating to land Commons, Doig’s urban develophas rolled out a campaign to show- controversy when then-premier use. ment plans across from Ma Murray The MOU is expected to guide school. case all it’s been able to build since Christy Clark sprung surprise nego1994. “We’re essentially going through tiations on the region — pushing mu- how they will work together on deIn a news release on Wednesday, nicipalities to sign a new deal within veloping those lands within the the same process we did with the the city says it has now spent more 60 days, and several years before it regional district boundary and set city,” said Nelson. than $375 million on developments was set to expire. direction for the establishment of Doig formally celebrated Naache with funding from the Peace River Commons during a ceremony on Ackerman at the time called the any service agreements. Agreement, last renewed in 2015, and move “a slap in the face” and said the “Future activities on these lands National Indigenous People’s Day its predecessors. province’s offer was “unacceptable in within the PRRD will encompass on June 21. Proposals there call for That includes the upgrades of every way.” a range of developments that will are for a mixed-use hub that could more than 65 kilometres of roads, and A new deal was eventually signed strengthen the socio-economic see a gas station, office and retail other major projects including the and retitled the Peace River Agree- status of DRFN and the greater B.C. complexes, and new apartments bedowntown 100 Street rebuild, the new ment, promising $1.1 billion to the re- Peace region,” the PRRD stated in its ing built. RCMP station and fire training cen- gion over 20 years. Annual payments release. The city and Doig River signed a tre, and upgrades to Kin and Surerus started at $50 million in 2016, with a The land acquired are two agricul- memorandum of understanding in parks, among other capital works, 2% inflator started in 2020 that will tural parcels near Old Fort, a histor- 2020 to guide the development and says the city. last through to the end of the agree- ically significant area for Doig River, servicing of the land, and formally “As stewards of this funding, the ment’s term. The deal, however, is says band manager Shona Nelson, signed a service agreement in 2021. City has invested over $375 million scheduled for a review in 2023, and who noted trade routes once existed — with files from Matt Preprost, since 1994 to support Fort St. John’s again in 2031, with “opportunities there. Doig purchased the 300-plus Tom Summer development as a healthy, vibrant to re-open the annual rate of growth community and thriving economic of the payment,” according to the hub for residents, businesses, and in- province. dustry,” said Mayor Lori Ackerman. The city says money from the Peace The series of provincial “fair share” River Agreement has also funded agreements, as they used to be the new festival plaza at Centennial known, have compensated Peace Re- Park, financed upgrades to the fire gion cities, towns and rural areas for hall, arena, and fieldhouse, as well the burden of industrial development as replaced other equipment and outside their tax bases. All municipal- paid for plans for stormwater, liquid ities rely on these funds for significant waste, and transportation, parks, and portions of their annual budgets to fi- cemeteries. nance capital projects and day-to-day The city says it will be “recognizoperations. ing this funding” throughout the Fort St. John, for instance, received year with mail-out and social media $25.9 million under the current campaigns, a community video, and agreement for 2022, about 28.5% of the installation of both temporary the city’s budgeted revenues of $90.6 and permanent signs for projects MATT PREPROST PHOTO million for this year. that have been funded through the And the city has budgeted $64.98 agreement. SILVER ANNIVERSARY — Laney and Ryan show off a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon at
Gas drops back below $2
Doig River, PRRD craft MOU on reserve additions
$375M+ pumped into city
the show n’ shine at Fort City Chrysler July 16, part of the dealership’s 25th anniversary celebrations.