ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 | NEWS | A7
City housing affordability the best in northern B.C. Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Fort St. John was among three northern B.C. communities that saw the largest improvements in housing affordability last year, according to a new report from the regional real estate board. The BC Northern Real Estate released its Housing Affordability Indicators report for 2020 on Wednesday, which outlines how much household income is needed to finance home ownership in northern communities. The higher the measure, the more difficult it is to afford a home. In Fort St. John, the average household needs 19.2% of its income to finance home ownership, which includes the mortgage, taxes, utilities, according to the report. That’s down 10.9% year-over-year, and down from 26.3% reported in 2016. Fort St. John remains the only community in the north reporting steady improvements in affordability, the board reported. “This is largely due to a persistent drop in house prices over the period 2016 to 2020,” the board noted. In comparison, 100 Mile House remains the least affordable community in northern B.C., with 45.5%
of income needed to finance home ownership, according to the report. Citing the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the board noted Home ownership is considered affordable if it costs less than 30% of a household’s income, before taxes. The board said affordability improved last year in most northern communities, though it worsened in Prince Rupert (28%), Smithers (28.5%), and Williams Lake (28.3%). Kitimat (20.2%) and Terrace (29.9%) also saw the largest improvements in affordability last year, according to the report. In Prince George, the measure is 30.6%. “Home ownership in most of northern British Columbia remains very affordable, especially when compared with the Vancouver region,” the board reported. “Despite a trend towards greater affordability in the lower mainland, the affordability of home ownership in northern BC is exceptionally favourable when compared with 103.3% for the Vancouver Area.” In 2020, the average sale price for a single detached home in Fort St. John was $373,081, down 0.7% from 2019. Homes were selling in the city for an average of $376,884 in the first quarter of this year.
CITY OF FORT ST JOHN
National Day of Mourning ceremonies in Fort St. John, April 28, 2021.
Fallen workers honoured Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Wednesday marked the National Day of Mourning in honour of workers who lost their lives on the job. Last year, 151 workers in B.C. lost their lives due to workplace injuries or illness, four of them in the Peace region. In Fort St. John, a ceremony was held at the worker’s memorial cairn in Centennial Park, where wreaths were laid by the city and the BCGEU. “On any given work day in Canada, three people will die from a job-related fatality, life-altering injury, or occupational disease,” said Coun. Lilia Hansen. “For families affected by work-related tragedy there are dates that are very personal to them: a last birthday, the date of a funeral, the day
of a missed anniversary or graduation. These are their personal days of mourning, but National Day of Mourning, April 28 each year, is a date everyone shares where we can gather in community to honour and remember those killed or injured at work, and refresh our commitment to preventing future tragedies.” The Canadian Labour Congress first recognized the Day of Mourning in 1984, making Canada the first country to formally commemorate workers killed in the workplace. In 1991, the federal government officially proclaimed the national Day of Mourning, which is now recognized in 100 countries. More than half of the deaths in B.C. last year (88) were the result of occupational disease, including 37 the result of exposures to asbestos decades earlier.
$528,000 WorkSafeBC fine Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca BC Hydro says corrective actions have been taken after a Site C worker fell more than 40 feet during construction last fall. The incident took place in November when the worker fell through a hole in a formwork shoring deck while working on the generating station. The worker was taken to hospital with undisclosed injuries, and WorkSafe BC fined the AFDE Partnership $528,631.72 in March following an investigation “We take all safety incidents very seriously and we are committed to ensuring our contractors have the proper safety projects and procedures in place,” said Site C spokesman Dave Conway. “AFDE has fully complied with all WorkSafeBC orders for
this incident. They have also implemented several additional corrective actions, including improved fall protection plans and coming up with alternative methods for this type of work in the future.” The WorkSafe investigation found the worker was wearing a fall protection harness but was not connected to a lifeline when they fell through a hole in a formwork shoring deck. WorkSafe said its investigation found the company failed to provide a written fall protection plan and give workers the necessary training and supervision to ensure their health and safety. WorkSafe said it determined a fall protection plan had only been communicated verbally and did not include specific instructions on what fall protection system to use while accessing work areas.
CITY OF FORT ST JOHN
Fort St. John city council outside council chambers, where a red dress was hung April 26 in support of the Red Dress project and the National Day of Remembrance for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit People.
Day of Remembrance on May 5 Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca Fort St. John city council has proclaimed May 5 as the National Day of Remembrance for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit People. Last week, council placed a red dress in the city hall lobby in support of the proclamation and the Red Dress Project until May 12, 2021. The proclamation was requested by Trystan Jones, who told council about a recent incident in Ladysmith, B.C., where two men were caught on camera tearing down an art installation of the Red Dress project, and tossing the dresses into the forest. The Red Dress project aims to raise awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada, and the town quickly rallied together to rehang the dresses, Jones said. “An outcry of fury and rage was
equally met with love and unity and compassion in the town of Ladysmith,” Jones said. Jones said hanging a red dress remembers the estimated 1,200 missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, 15 of them missing from the local community, which he said “leaves a hole in the hearts and spirits of countless others.” Jones said the National Inquiry drew a “direct correlation” between resource development and violence toward indigenous women, noting the social and economic challenges of a transient workforce that is difficult to track — “the influx of young white males from across the country seeking economic opportunity on rotational shifts,” he said — and a prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in the community. Jones said local research has made similar findings, and called on residents and businesses to hang a red dress in a display of unity and support for vulnerable populations.
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021 | OP-ED | A11
Plenty of ways to vote in upcoming byelection
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ort St. John is having a by-election to replace city councillor Becky Grimsrud. If you are voting in person but are not able to walk into the voting place, you can do a drive-by vote at the Pomeroy Centre. There will be advanced voting on May 5 and May 12 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pomeroy. General voting will take place on May 15 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Special Voting Opportunities for residents and staff as follows: Peace Villa Care Centre on Thursday, May 13, 10-11:30 a.m.; Peace Lutheran Apartments on Thursday, May 13, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Heritage Manor on Thursday, May 13, 4-5 p.m.; Fort St. John Hospital on Saturday, May, 15, 1-3:30 p.m. Homeowner’s grant Heads up: starting this
SENIORS HALL year you have to apply online for the home owner’s grant. You do this after you get your tax notice. You will be able to phone if you need to. Just know that you will not be going into the city office to register. The lowincome grant supplement must also be done online. Learning the Lingo My words this week are ‘mouse’ and ‘cursor’. The cursor is a vertical flashing line that shows your position in a text document, or a little arrow or hand on your screen that you can use to select different items. A mouse is a device connected to your computer that allows you to tell the computer what you want to do, such as moving the cursor. There is a ball or a laser
RUBY MCBETH PHOTO
The new bridge being built over the HalfwayRiver, as seen from near the viewpoint.
on the bottom of the mouse. When you move the mouse, the movement of the ball or laser tells the cursor to move on your screen. When you put your finger on the left side of the mouse and press down (click) you can select a new spot on your screen. For example, you can open an application by
What to do with a windfall
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ecently a reader asked me for my thoughts on what to do with some extra cash. In his case, he gets paid biweekly, which means that twice a year he receives three paycheques instead of the usual two. And this is one of those months. His question is, “What should people to do with the extra paycheck, especially if they usually budget and operate on two checks a month? Is it really extra?” It’s a good question. Not everyone is going to get an extra paycheque but getting a cash windfall is not that unusual. Tax refunds are one example. Suddenly there is money in the bank account and figuring out what to do with it is a nice problem to have. The right option is going to come down to your priorities. The cool thing is, whatever those priorities are, you have a chance to accelerate them.
Obviously one thing you can do is to spend the extra cash. Spending the money will give some instant gratification, and there can be value in that. Especially with the pandemic shutting down many of the regular pastimes that give us pleasure, a little treat might be just what the doctor ordered to feel like life is returning to normal. But spending a windfall might not be the best choice, so let’s have a look at what else you might do. One classic option for found money is to pay down debt. Alternatively, maybe a person invests in an RRSP to plan for the future while also reducing taxes. Both are great ideas, and there will be some variables that will determine which one is preferable for you. The tangible variables that factor into this include what you expect for a rate of return on your RRSP, and what
BRAD BRAIN your mortgage interest rate is. But there are intangibles too. Sometimes people just really want to pay off their mortgage, and they are less concerned with the mathematically optimal option. Sticking with the math though, there is usually one variable that dominates the others: your marginal tax rate. In these times of low interest rates people usually pay far more in taxes than they do in mortgage interest. If you can save 30% in taxes with the RRSP, versus saving 3% in mortgage interest, the rate of return on your RRSP is a bonus that just makes the decision to use the RRSP that much easier. Sometimes people plan to put the windfall in an
moving the cursor over the icon you want to open, and clicking twice on the mouse. I think the word ‘mouse’ was well chosen as the computer mouse has a hint of the size and shape of a real mouse. While most people use the mouse with their right hand, you can also use it on the left.
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RRSP, and then apply the tax refund the RRSP contribution generates against the mortgage. Clearly that is a great idea. But maybe we need to keep doing what works. If it made sense to put the windfall into the RRSP, maybe it makes sense to put the tax refund into the RRSP too. As Mae West said, “Sometimes too much of a good thing can be wonderful!” These are not the only options of course. Don’t overlook simply saving the money for a rainy day. Often when people think of a rainyday fund, they are thinking of having money available in times of emergency. That is totally appropriate, of course. But a rainy-day fund doesn’t have to be just for emergencies. Sometimes opportunities arise, and having some money squirreled away to take advantage can be quite handy too. Here’s an idea you might not think of immediately. Top up the cash value of
a permanent life insurance policy. There will be limits to how much you can shelter, but usually the limits are generous. You will have tax-free growth of the money. When you pass away your money will flow to your beneficiaries, taxfree and free of probate. One thing I would be reluctant to do is to YOLO your money. YOLO stands for “you only live once” and has come to represent people making ill-advised speculations on get-rich-quick schemes. But get-rich-quick-schemes are often get-poor-quick schemes. If you are thinking about YOLO, please don’t do it with more money than you are prepared to lose.
bring it on, we can use it on Canadians. So, who do you believe; what do you believe? We all started out with the notion that vaccines would go the oldest citizens and essential health workers first, then work down from that. That worked until our politicians got lobbied by their own special interest groups. Now, whoever screams the loudest seems to quickly vault to the head of the line. Screw up and let the virus run wild in your community and you too will be vaulted to the front. I can go golfing here in B.C. but told to not travel to other communities. OK, same advice for Alberta, but in Ontario it’s not safe to golf. I can buy plants at the local nursery, but the Peace River Regional District thought it too risky for a dedicated group of volunteer ladies from having their own plant sale. Rumour has it the Directors were afraid that Rose Prairie Pete might try to talk cows with Cecil Lake Larry and that would be just too risky. On and on it goes, so where from here? Apparently, our politicians are also tired of people posting fake info about COVID, fake info about vaccines, fake info about what might happen,
and they want it to stop. So do I, but maybe, just maybe, it should start with our political leaders. Maybe they should try to be truthful and to the point so we can have some trust they know what they are doing; that they actually care about the rest of us. Maybe it is about time for them to realize we don’t all think the same; we don’t all care about the same things and realize that people do think and some, just think differently. Virus or not, some believe, some don’t. Get over it as that part ain’t going to change, no matter what you say or do. Stop worrying about how the information may be used. Just tell us what is going on in our communities, what is happening around us so we can use that to our advantage and stay safe. Put those test kits out for anyone to use that thinks they need to. Make some real efforts to help. And in my flat earth perspective, stop telling us it could be manslaughter if we are the cause of the spread, unless you too think that Premier John could be charged the same for holding an election while telling us all to get out and vote. Evan Saugstad is a former mayor of Chetwynd. He lives in Fort St. John.
“My mother always used to say: The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana.” - Rose (Betty White), The Golden Girls Ruby McBeth lives and writes in Fort St. John.
Brad Brain. CFP, R.F.P., CIM, TEP is a Certified Financial Planner in Fort St John, BC. This material is prepared for general circulation and may not reflect your individual financial circumstances. Brad can be reached at bradbrainfinancial.com.
The COVID 19-20-21 two-step
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ear 1 come and gone, Year 2 hope it’s gone, but who knows. Like everyone else, I’m getting tired of the crap, tired of the politics, tired of the fake news, tired of trying to figure out what is real, tired of being tired of COVID. April 28 was my jab day. Off in the snow to the FSJ Center for Disease Control for my 9 a.m. appointment. As I walked up to the door, it struck me that this looked like a Far Side cartoon, one with the vulture sitting atop the roof watching. The overnight snowfall covered the parking lot, right up to the door, and in that snow were dozens and dozens of footprints, all headed in one direction. Everyone going in and not a single one coming out. So much for my imagination but did think that this summed up what so many are thinking. For the record, I did get my shot and plan on getting my next one or two, or...? for how ever long it takes. I dutifully wear my mask when I go to the store or any other buildings where others are in proximity and I do keep my “bubble” down to my favorite few. That is me, I try to do my part, have been jabbed by more nurses than I care to remember. But like so many others, I am getting tired of
all the crap one must sort through to figure out what is real, what is fake, what works, what is phony. Follow the science they say, so OK, but whose science? Whose mouth does this come from? Do I really believe everything Premier John or PM Justin say? Are their health experts any better at giving us the clear and concise advice and direction we all look for? When I get tired of listening to our esteemed Canadians, I switch to the good ol US of A. Are President Joe and Covid Wizard Fauci any better? Does their Center for Disease Control give them the straight goods? Listen to the vaccine manufacturers and what they say, yet somehow it seems to come out different when our health experts speak. Who do I believe, how do I get to the end? As a good friend said, “do you own research.” OK, did that, but can still believe what I wish too. As for Premier John, he blew it when he saw an opening and called an election in the middle of a pandemic so he could further his own ambitions. PM Justin lost me with his great deal to buy the Chinese vaccine and his on and on gibberish as he shut down parliament and any sense of basic democracy for Canada.
EVAN SAUGSTAD Yes, Drs Bonnie and Theresa have worked hard, but at the end of the day they toe the line and take their directions from John and Justin, and their advice does not always follow the manufacturer’s advice on what constitutes a correct use of the vaccine. Upon being sworn into office, President Joe said everyone must wear a mask for the next 100 days when outside. Why 100 days? No one knows for sure other than it sounded better than what President Donald said. Dr. Fauci agreed, but one small problem: CDC didn’t. Apparently, there is no evidence that shows any need to wear a mask when outdoors. Then, and miraculously after Joe’s 100-day promise is up, off comes his mask and everything is good. Some countries will not use AstraZeneca, including the USA, even though they manufacture the stuff. Send it off to other countries they say. They can look good by giving it away, but don’t use it on our own citizens. Drs Bonnie and Theresa, and John and Justin all say great,
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | NEWS | THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021
Meet Fort St. John’s 2021 community award winners Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca Fort St. John held its annual community awards online April 29, highlighting acts of kindness through the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the winners: Mayor’s Citizen of the Year Covid-19 Seniors Task force team The Covid-19 Seniors Task Force was named Mayor’s Citizen of the Year for its response to Covid-19, supporting seniors and those vulnerable in Fort St. John so they could stay connected to the community and keep informed of what was happening throughout the pandemic. The group also contributed to a senior’s needs assessment, and provided meals to seniors. Mayor Lori Ackerman called the group ‘thinking partners’ to one another and the community at large, helping to solve problems that challenged community organizations. The Task Force delivered prescriptions, prepared and delivered meals, arranged transportation, and made phone calls to seniors, checking in over the Christmas holidays. “All of us worked hard, and were already doing things in the community. We really appreciate being brought together in this collaboration — there was so much more we could do as a group,” said Laura Beamish. “This is just the beginning. We are going to continue to work through the next phase of this pandemic, but we’re also going to continue after to try and meet the needs of all the older adults in the community. It was a real privilege to get to work with all these different organizations and people.” Runners up were restaurateur Patrick Patterson, and Fort St. John Farmers Market President Bess Legault.
The Covid-19 Seniors Task Force, named the Mayor’s 2021 Citizens of the Year
Adrian Bueckert and Kelsey-Lee Bueckert received the Youth Award, and recognized for the Christmas parade they organized for 10 nights in order to bring Christmas cheer to families during Covid-19 restrictions. They inspired others to join in as the nights went along, and residents began to look forward to the nightly parade. On their last night, December 22, they were joined by 10 other vehicles, including two riders on horseback. Adrian and Kelsey-Lee, along with driver Dave Helton, felt good about winning the award, and worked on their floats every chance they got.
are members of the Fort St. John Community Action Team. “I’m honoured, overwhelmed, but my being here has been supported by a whole lot of people,” said Northern Sun Helpers President Pamela Romanow. Runners up were the Fort St. John Women’s Resource Society, and Maxine Mease, an aboriginal homeless outreach worker and organizer of Coldest Night of the Year.
Chantelle Yates, 2021 Fort St. John Recreation and Sport Award winner Cassandra Mervyn, 2021 Fort St. John Arts and Culture Award winner Sue Popesku, 2021 Fort St. John Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Lifetime Achievement Award Sue Popesku Sue Popesku was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work bettering the community for more than 40 years in the arts, theatre, heritage, and tourism. She was a founding member of the Peace River North Festival Association, executive director of the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation, and member of the Fort St. John Arts Council. She was instrumental in building the North Peace Cultural Centre and bringing a professional quality theatre to Fort St. John, and in establishing the Fort St. John North Peace Museum. She was a founding member of the High On Ice Festival and other festivals and programs. She continued working with the Arts Council, Stage North, North Peace Cultural Society, and the Peace Liard Regional Arts Council until her death last April. Popesku was a mentor and supporter of countless community members who wanted to start their own project, and did so with optimism and enthusiasm. Awards host Ted Sloan and Sue’s son Jason shared a teary exchange. “I just wanted to say thank you Jason, your mom was amazing, and I know this city would not be the same if she weren’t here,” said Sloan. “Thank you to the community. Mom loved Fort St. John,” said Jason. “She loved the arts, and growing up, she was always doing something.” “She was special to me, and I’m glad she was special to Fort St. John,” he said. The runner up was Dr. W. H. Brussow.
Arts and Culture Award Cassandra Mervyn Cassandra Mervyn won the Arts and Culture Award for going above and beyond when schools closed due to Covid-19. A kindergarten teacher, Mervin invested her own money to create her own Youtube channel, Ms. Mervyn’s ArtHouse, and purchased new equipment to enhance her virtual tutorial videos. Her channel puts on contests, fundraisers, and donates money to the Fort St. John Women’s Resource society, seniors, and the Transitional Housing Centre. She is passionate about teaching, and helping kids express themselves through art, creativity, and kindness. “I’m completely humbled,” Mervyn said. “When I think about pandemic teaching, I didn’t feel like I did that. We all did as teachers, but we were all feeling like we needed to do more.” Mervyn said her main focus was making sure her students felt a connection to each other and their teachers while they were at home away from school. “I met with my class every day, because I felt like the connection was important,” she said. Runners up were country musician and concert co-ordinator Tom Cole, and Fort St. John Arts Council President Rosemary Landry.
Chantelle Yates, president of the North Peace Gymnastics Association, won the Recreation and Sport Award. Yates worked tirelessly to keep the doors of the gym open, all while making sure staff were supported and public health procedures were followed. She continued to work with people of all ages to provide access to gymnastics throughout the pandemic, and did so with a cheery and positive attitude. Yates said she and everyone at North Peace Gymnastics had to think outside of the box to make sure as many kids could participate in gymnastics as possible. “It’s been fantastic, we’re happy to see the kids, and we’re happy to see them smiling and laughing, and to bring that back to them,” she said. Runners up were teacher and athletic trainer Phil Hiscock, and Nicki and Bailey Haugan of The Sweat Box.
Best Performance Sports, 2021 Fort St. John Business Award winners
Business Award Best Performance Sports
Youth Award Kelsey-Lee and Adrian Beuckert
Pamela Romanow of the Northern Sun Helpers, 2021 Fort St. John Humanitarian Award winners
Humanitarian Award Northern Sun Helpers
Kelsey-Lee and Adrian Beuckert, 2021 Fort St. John Youth Award winners
Recreation and Sport Award Chantelle Yates
The Northern Sun Helpers won the Humanitarian Award, a peer group focused on harm reduction and addresses the opioid crisis in the community. They give those in need access to lunches, showers, and other basic necessities. The Northern Sun Helpers advocate for those with addictions, and supports families of those with addictions. They
Best Performance Sports won the Business Award, and was recognized for providing a free online program to athletes, families, and the public, while city recreation facilities were closed at the start of the pandemic. Phil Hiscock also moved his annual summer hockey camp to Tumbler Ridge when there was no ice in Fort St. John “It’s a pretty awesome feeling. We love this community, and we love what we do, so it makes it pretty easy,” Hiscock said. Hiscock said not doing anything to help athletes, from youth to adults, was never an option. “We needed to make sure all of them were supported as much as possible, and it was really neat to see everyone come together as a community and support each other online when we had to,” he said. Runners up were Wings of Care and the Fort St. John Public Library Association.