ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | NEWS | THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022
Falcon wins B.C. seat Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca
TOM SUMMER PHOTO
Grade 7 student Joe Hart says seeing horses every week is a great feeling, pictured here with equine friend Ferro.
Horsemanship invaluable to students Tom Summer tsummer@ahnfsj.ca Hudson’s Hope School is celebrating a new semester of its natural horsemanship program after being on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The class meets three days a week at the local riding arena, enriching student education by letting them go at their own pace. While she’s not an official instructor, teacher Caroline Beam facilitates the program with direction from professional trainer Glenn Stewart, sending in video clips so Stewart can assess the progress of students. “What I’ve found over that years is that assertiveness is a huge learning curve, especially now that the horses have gotten used to the program, they know what to do, but they also know how to get out of it,” she said. “One of the challenges in the program is matching the kids to the horses.” Stewart has more than 30 years of experience in the horse industry and has taught thousands of students in both North and South
America. He lives just outside of Fort St. John and runs The Horse Ranch from his home in Baldonnel. “He is teaching you to work with your horse, but the more important things that he’s teaching you is to use your body language properly, to have feeling and timing, to control yourself. It’s understanding that you can focus on a goal and achieve it, if you set out your steps properly. That’s the stuff these kids are going to bring beyond the horse part of their lives,” said Beam. Beam comes from a family of guides and outfitters well versed in ranch life, and remains passionate about helping students learn to work with horses. She noted everyone in this year’s class brings some level of prior experience to the arena. “This the first time I’ve had everyone entering the program having ridden a horse before, there’s always been someone that’s been thrown in because it was good for their psyche,” she said, adding students are excited about honing their skills. Grade 7 student Joe Hart says the program has been
the opportunity of a lifetime, and loves the rural recreational activities offered in the north after moving from Kelowna. He’s been riding for just over two years now. “I think it’s a fantastic program, just getting to be with the horses and being able to gain the trust of one of them,” he said. “When you come here in the mornings and they walk towards you, it’s a really great feeling.” Fellow student and rider Robin Haagsman grew up on a farm in Beryl Prairie, and says the program has been invaluable, even with his agricultural background. “I’ve learned a lot about horses, and I’ve learned a lot about myself, building the bond here with Jazz has been a really positive experience,” said Haagsman. “I’ve been riding horses since I could walk, and I work as a ranch hand for my dad.” Equine programs have been a staple of the school since 2014, beginning with a horse handling course and eventually evolving into the long-running horsemanship program, which offers full credits for students. -Local Journalism Initiative
BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon will return to a familiar place from his past, the provincial legislature in Victoria, after winning a byelection in the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena Saturday. With all of the ballots counted, Elections BC released its preliminary results less than 90 minutes after the polls closed; certification of the count is scheduled for May 4. Falcon won 6200 votes, or 58.61% of eligible ballots cast — well ahead of the NDP’s Jeanette Ashe who had 2590 votes. Chosen as the party leader exactly 12 weeks before his by-election win, the 59-year-old visited the Peace region in early December while on the campaign trail in his run for leader. “What I’m seeing is exactly the kind of thing I saw in the 1990s: the raising of taxes, adding more regulation and red tape, a government-knows-best attitude, whether it’s for autism funding or managing our natural resource sector,” outlined Falcon during his Dec. 1 visit to Fort St. John. “I’m seeing decisions being made without proper consultations in forestry and now, more recently, in the oil and gas space, where they’re talking about revisiting the royalty system again without any credible discussions with industry.” Falcon is a former MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale and a cabinet minister who oversaw the deregulation, transportation, health, and finance portfolios while in office from 2001 to 2013. He didn’t run in 2013 nor in the party’s 2018 leadership race while raising a family, but said in December, his public and private sector success give the Liberals the
most credible chance to win power in 2024 as the free enterprise alternative to the NDP. Falcon has the full support of Peace River North MLA Dan Davies, who spent the final hours ahead of the polls closing in the Vancouver riding, helping to get the message out to voters. “The NDP, a two-term government, and in power for five years...they can’t deliver on any of the promises that they’ve made. They had the answer for the affordability crisis, they had the answer for the health crisis, they had the answer for the housing crisis.” “All we’ve seen in five years is those get dramatically worse,” added Davies. “You can’t find one person in this province that says oh ya, everything is affordable. It’s unbelievable.” Since Falcon’s February win as leader, both he and Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier have had the chance to sit down and discuss some of the issues that directly face our region. “They’re very well known,” Davies pointed out. “The Taylor Bridge. We need to get a plan in place. We need a health care plan. We are critically short in all of our health care professionals. And, we need to look at land issues culminating right now, whether it’s the caribou challenge, the failed rolled out plan. Shutting down the snowmobilers and the rest of the back country that this government’s rolled out. The challenges around the moose hunt.” With a seat in the legislature, the next order of business will be have the Liberal leader sworn in. It’s hoped Falcon will be able take part in debate before the spring session ends June 3. The party also has a leadership convention next month.
2022 Northern B.C. Regional Science Fair award winners • AGAT Laboratories Outstanding Chemistry Project (Junior) – 2 awards of $100 each; Winner – Jeriah Braun, Grade 4, Anne Roberts Young, How well do different liquids evaporate?; Winner – Nathan Sullivan, Grade 5, Ecole Central, Static Electricity • AGAT Laboratories Outstanding Chemistry Project (Senior) – 2 awards of $100 each; Winner – Amiya Watson, Ecole Frank Ross, Grade 7, Comparing Crystals; Winner – Mackenzie Gilliatt, Grade 7, Ecole Frank Ross, It’s All in the pH • BC Agriculture in the Classroom Award - $65; Winner – Shawna Babiy, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, Egg-cellent strength – an examination of high and low quality chicken feed • BC Institute of Agrologists Award (Elementary) - $100; Winner – Ysabelle Antonio, Grade 6, Ecole Central, Hydroponics in the kitchen • BC Institute of Agrologists Award (Senior) - $100; Winner – Shawna Babiy, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, Egg-cellent strength – an examination of high and low quality chicken feed • BC Game Developers Award (Grades 9-10) - $100; Winner – Emily Brain, Grade 10, NPSS, The Olympics on Mars; A Thought Experiment • BC Hydro Power Pioneers Award - $100, Perpetual Trophy; Winner – Jude Kress, Grade 6, Heritage Christian Online School, Blade Power • BC Nature Award (Jun-
ior) – $75; Winner – Jason Wu, Grade 8, Dr. Kearney, Dirty Air in the Neighbourhood • BC Nature Award (Senior) – $75; Winner – Swas Ghosh, Grade 9, Dr. Kearney, Nature’s Recycler, degrading plastic with the help of mycelium • BC Science Teachers’ Award - $100; Winner – Sage Elliott, Grade 8, Freedom Thinkers, Magnet Magic • British Columbia Dental Hygienist Award - $100; Winner – Hailey Hicks, Grade 5, Ecole Frank Ross, Mission Clean Teeth • Engineers & Geoscientists of BC Award - $150; Winner – Emily Brain, Grade 10, NPSS, The Olympics on Mars; A Thought Experiment • Engineers & Geoscientists of BC Award – 4 awards of $100 each; Winner – Elijah Willems, Grade 5, Mountain Christian, Computer Magnet vs Natural Magnet; Winner – Nathan Sullivan, Grade 5, Ecole Central, Static Electricity; Winner – Isobel Hughes-Bunger and Stella Matchett, Grade 6 Hudson’s Hope, Flow Rate; Winner – Abigail Lundberg and Addison Mcknight, Grade 5, Ecole Central, The Battery Test • Julia Lane Award - $200; Winner – Sage Elliott, Grade 8, Freedom Thinkers, Magnet Magic • Petronas Botany Award - $100; Winner – Brice Bellamy, Grade 5, Ecole Central, The Best Temperature • Petronas Health and Safety Award - $100; Winner – Declan Bookham, Grade 6,
Anne Roberts Young, Germ Warfare • Petronas Healthy Living Award - $100; Winner – Elijah Braun and Ryland Bock, Grade 6 Anne Roberts Young, How well do different face Masks work • Petronas People’s Choice Award - $100; Winner – Shawna Babiy, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, Egg-cellent strength – an examination of high and low quality chicken feed • Petronas Physics Award - $100; Winner – Nathan Sullivan, Grade 5, Ecole Central, Static Electricity • Petronas Science of Sport Award - $100; Winner – Blake Bennett and Kiptyn Harvey, Grade 5, Anne Roberts Young, The Puck Drops Here • Michael Crooks Physics Prize - $75 each; Winners – Emily Brain, Grade 10, NPSS, The Olympics on Mars; A Thought Experiment • North Peace Veterinary Clinic Animal Care Award – $100; Winner – Shawna Babiy, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, Egg-cellent strength – an examination of high and low quality chicken feed • Roy Northern Environmental Award Junior - $200, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Shrimate Ghosh, Grade 4, Alwin Holland, Decaying in Mini-Nature • Roy Northern Environmental Award Senior - $200, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Swas Ghosh, Grade 9, Dr. Kearney, Nature’s Recycler,
degrading plastic with the help of mycelium • Sanofi Biogenius Canada Award - $100; Winner – Shawna Babiy, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, Egg-cellent strength – an examination of high and low quality chicken feed • SCWIST Award - $100, Perpetual Trophy; Winner – Emily Brain, Grade 10, NPSS, The Olympics on Mars; A Thought Experiment • Social Sciences Award (Elementary) - $100; Winner – Addison Tancock, Grade 6, Anne Roberts Young, Words Matter • Social Sciences Award (Secondary) - $100; Winner – Taha Ahmed, Grade 8, Dr. Kearney, Brainwashing Ads • Timberline Trail and Nature Club Award - $50; Winner – Abigail Kress, Grade 4, Heritage Christian Online School, Bird’s Delight • Vibrant Communities Award Elementary - $100; Winner – Brice Bellamy, Grtade 5, Ecole Central, The Best Temperature • Vibrant Communities Award Senior - $100; Winner – Jason Wu, Grade 8, Dr. Kearney, Dirty Air in the Neighboorhood • Women in Engineering and Geoscience Award - $50; Winner – Sage Elliott, Grade 8, Freedom Thinkers, Magnet Magic Divisional Awards: • Canlin Energy Top Grade 4 Project - $100, Keeper Trophy; Winners – Shrimate Ghosh, Grade 4, Alwin Holland, Decaying in
Mini-Nature • Canlin Energy Top Grade 5 Project - $100, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Blake Bennett and Kiptyn Harvey, Grade 5, Anne Roberts Young, The Puck Drops Here • Canlin Energy Top Grade 6 Project - $100, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Jude Kress, Grade 6, Heritage Christian Online School, Blade Power; Winner – Jillian Heinrichs, Grade 6, Charlie Lake, Can You Hear Me? • Petronas Third Place Junior Project - $50, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Olivia Greek, Grade 7, Ecole Frank Ross, Are We Doing Our Job? • Petronas Second Place Junior Project - $100, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Sage Elliott, Grade 8, Freedom Thinkers, Magnet Magic • Petronas Top Junior Project - $200, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Malcolm Fraser, Grade 7, Devereaux, Mushroom Eats Plastic • Petronas Third Place Intermediate Project - $50, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Joshua Coenders, Grade 9, Freedom Thinkers, In the Zone • Petronas Second Place Intermediate Project - $100, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Swas Ghosh, Grade 9, Dr. Kearney, Nature’s Recycler, degrading plastic with the help of mycelium • Petronas Top Intermediate Project - $200, Keeper Trophy; Winner – Emily Brain, Grade 10, NPSS, The Olympics on Mars; A Thought Experiment