ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | NEWS | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022
RCMP, NPSS team up for youth academy Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca
TOM SUMMER PHOTO
PEER SUPPORT: Northern Health’s peer outreach team was hard at work on the streets of Fort St. John last week, offering overdose prevention services in their new van. Five peers are currently employed, says peer Neil Bramsleven, who says the revamped program is working well and serving the needs of the community. The program transitioned to overdose prevention services earlier this year, opting for a mobile safe injection van. In the picture are peers Rahul Veena Sunilkumar, Jess Baughman, Neill Bramsleven, and Lynn Bramsleven.
Invasion a wake-up call for Arctic sovereignty, says MP Zimmer Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has serious implications for Canada’s national security and Arctic sovereignty, says MP Bob Zimmer. Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine over the last seven days has received widespread international condemnation and have led to heavy economic sanctions. Zimmer, the Conservative shadow minister for northern affairs and Arctic sovereignty, says the invasion has links to Canada, noting Russia’s previous overtures and claims to the Arctic floor and the resources below it. “They’re not idle threats anymore. This is a guy that follows through,” Zimmer said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I don’t see him doing this tomorrow, but we need to
make sure that we continue to have our presence up there, and expand our presence up there.” Zimmer says that includes modernizing security technology, including the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) early warning system, accelerating the national shipbuilding program, and purchasing F-35 jets. Canada must also work with the U.S. and Scandinavia to ensure peace, security, and trade through the region, Zimmer said. “We need to be more present up there especially with the Northwest Passage becoming a more viable trade route,” Zimmer said. “There’s a bunch of things that we need to do to assert our sovereignty and assert our role in the Arctic.” “We need to back it up with more than just words,”
he said. Last week, seven countries that ring the Arctic pulled out of the Arctic Council, the international body that oversees its use and development, in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Canada, the United States, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Finland have announced they won’t participate in the work of the Arctic Council or attend any of its meetings until further notice. The Arctic Council is currently led by Russia. The council is the main international body that brings together all northern nations to discuss environment and development issues. It also includes Indigenous groups as permanent participants. The organization was founded in Ottawa in 1996. — with CP files
Hey, could you stop whistling? JUDY KUCHARUK
Be brave and shave Registration opened March 1 for this year’s Bluey Day cancer fighting fundraiser in support of the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation. This year’s event will be held virtually on May 28, with a goal to raise $100,000 for local treatment and support services. “We chose to go fully virtual for this year’s event because we recognize how important it is for the participants to have their family and friends with them for the big day,” said Tanya Richardson, community giving and event co-ordinator for the Hospital Foundation. “There are so many involved in making Bluey Day
a success, not just the people shaving their heads, and last year, because of the health orders, we weren’t able to have that support present.” Last year, more than 30 participants shaved their heads for the cause, and with the help of over 800 personal and corporate donors, raised more $104,000. There were also 11 donations of hair made to Wigs for Kids BC. Coach Barbers will once again be helping shave participants heads and beards this year. To register online, go to fsjhospitalfoundation.ca. To register in person, phone 250-261-1731 or email fsjhf@northernhealth.ca.
NLC marks Black History Month
D
o you know how to whistle? Dad taught me how to whistle when I was quite young; not the whistle where you call cattle, the whistle that resembles a song. I say resemble, because I have been told by multiple persons that I could not, should not whistle as it does not remotely pay homage to the actual tune. I argue, “But in my head it does!” In my mind I hear beautiful music flowing from my upper body. It might be an ABBA classic or perhaps a classical collection, my whistle catalogue of music is quite eclectic. “Please don’t whistle.” “Hey, could you stop whistling?” I get quite offended when I am told to stop. Like I said, I hear lovely music when I whistle, but apparently to others it sounds like a feral cat in heat. I should probably record myself whistling just to see if they are correct in their opinion. But what if the same ears that hear me whistle, cannot distinguish between good or bad on a recording? Am I tone deaf? The realization that I might be tone deaf is difficult to comprehend. I come from a musical family! My Dad played many instruments
Fort St. John RCMP and North Peace Secondary School have partnered up to show students what a law enforcement career could look like. Sixteen students from Grades 10 to 12 have been taking part in weekly gatherings with members of the local detachment, learning through seminars and mock exercises what it takes to be a police officer. Detachment Commander Insp. Tony Hanson is very supportive of the community partnership and was happy to green light the project, adding similar initiatives have seen great success in other northern communities like Prince George. “Anytime you allow civilians an opportunity to look inside and take away some of the mystery, because there isn’t really any mystery, we all work within our silos, there’s always a benefit to that,” Hanson said. “If people have a better understanding of what the police are in our society, what their mandate is, what their limitations are, what the responsibilities are, that’s better for everybody.”
Hanson added that Cst. Joshua Cullen came up with the idea, and has been spearheading it with the support of his fellow officers. “Constable Cullen is very community minded, he also coaches sports at the high school. He spoke to me about the Prince George initiative, and I put in him in touch in the people who ran it,” said Hanson. “He took their information and we came up with a sort of hybridized academy.” NPSS Vice Principal Chris Nock says the program’s been a great opportunity for students and hopes to see it continue. “We thought it was a great opportunity for our students. Several of our students have expressed interest in law enforcement careers or military,” said Nock. Students were invited to take a tour of the local detachment, Nock added, noting Cullen also prepared an activity schedule for them. “It’s ranging from learning about the RCMP and the entry requirements, to the history there, up to doing mock investigations,” he said. -Local Journalism Initiative
Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca
and even sang and played in a band back in the day. My sisters and I would sit at the foot of his chair, like a motley crew of Andrews Sisters (look them up) wannabes and belt out tunes like Delta Dawn – over and over and over again. The child imagined herself as a music star destined for the stage, whereas the adult realizes that things may not be as they appear. Looking back, I recall a certain Talent Night in my small hometown where I took to the stage to sing one of my dad’s favourite songs called Nobody’s Child. He accompanied me on the guitar. Dad played the opening chord, and I began singing, “I was slowly passing an orphan’s home one day and stop there for a moment just to watch the children play.” I looked out into the audience and could see my Auntie Evelyn crying – it was just the encouragement that I needed to continue! I took a deep breath and opened my mouth for the second verse. My mind went blank, and I panicked,
looking anxiously over at my father who continued to play. I then sang the first verse over again. And again. Until Dad finally stopped playing which was the international sign for “stop singing.” I dashed off the stage – embarrassed. In retrospect my Auntie Evelyn just might have been crying because my singing made her ears bleed. My singing career was cut short, due in part because I could never remember the words to any song. That experience spawned my private obsession with whistling. I could satisfy my need to express myself musically by whistling. No words to remember. I will continue to whistle, albeit poorly, simply because it gives me joy. I will revisit my proclamation if and when the grandchildren say, “Nana, would you stop that please.” Judy Kucharuk lives and writes in Dawson Creek.
Northern Lights College held a health and wellness webinar last month in recognition of Black History Month. Masitsa Shamalla, president of the Pan African Caribbean Association in Fort St. John and a local health practitioner, led the presentation, offering advice on how to be allies for the black community, and how to strive for a healthy community. A proud Canadian and native of Kenya, Shamalla has lived and worked in Northern B.C. for over five years, serving as a mental health and addictions clinician for First Nations communities. “A healthy community is made up of healthy individuals, and therefore, if there’s injustice in the community, there’s injustice in the whole community,” said Shamalla. “Whether we think it’s valid or not, the truth is that if we don’t pay attention, if we don’t make change, we think we’re protected because we’re doing so great, but it’s only a matter of time before that trickles down to us.” Shamalla says this became apparent to her after working with Rwandan child refugees
10 years ago in Surrey, noting the system failed to account for language barriers. “We take their age and place them in the class that they’re supposed to go into. With time, children get discouraged, they feel incompetent, they lose their sense of self-worth,” she said, adding the children soon dropped out of school, getting into crime instead. After much arguing with government officials and dismissal of the issues, Shamalla says changes were implemented to address the issues. Shamalla further expressed how diverse Africa is, with many cultures and nations contained within, noting her lived experience may vary from others. She encouraged everyone to read up on black history, nationally and internationally. “Individuals of African descent, as you know, are as varied as seashells on the seashore,” Shamalla said. “Africa is very diverse, some countries have 10 tribes, some have 50. Each of those tribes have their own food, their own culture, their own language, their own music, their own dressing.” -Local Journalism Initiative