ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 | SPORTS | A7
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
Friends and family gathered at Keith Clarke’s favourite coffee shop parking spot October 24 to remember a friend and pay their respects, standing behind a cross made by Justin Lagasse.
Friends pay tribute to beloved Fort St. John car enthusiast Dillon Giancola sports@ahnfsj.ca The Fort St. John car community is mourning the loss of one of their most beloved members and friends, and remembering a man whose generosity toward others spanned across generations. Keith Clarke died Oct. 18 at the age of 64. More than 70 friends and family members gathered at Clarke’s favourite parking spot outside the Tim Hortons near the mall on Sunday, Oct. 24, to commemorate his life and pay their respects. Whether they knew him as the friendly garbage collector who would always give a friendly wave, or send a teasing text to friends who didn’t put out their garbage bins, or as a longtime member and organizer of the Fort St. John Car Culture club, they came together in a way befitting of Clarke: at a place where he could be seen almost daily having a coffee and being present for his friends. “Keith was the best, and very welcoming. It sounds cliche because it’s a car club, but he was family, and has been involved since day one,” said Kaylyn Senft, a friend and fellow Car Culture member. Family members brought Clarke’s Z28 Camaro to Sunday’s meet, parked in his usual spot, and made sure his garbage truck was parked as well.
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Keith Clarke with an award won at the 2019 Peace Auto Fest.
“One of the things I like about Keith is how he didn’t discriminate against anyone, or their vehicles. He didn’t care how they drove or did anything, and encouraged everybody,” said Justin Lagasse, who had both a temporary and permanent memorial cross made for Clarke, with help from Richelle Meservy and Colton James. “You could talk to him about anything,” Lagasse said. “I’ve had some bad days personally when I would drive by, see that Keith was here, and would come have a coffee. We would
talk about anything, and I’d walk away feeling better with a smile on my face.” Those who knew Clarke had their own unique relationship with him, separate from the shared experience of the community. For his Car Culture friends, they knew Clarke as a face of the club who would organize impromptu races and meets, but his friendship went beyond far beyond the club itself. “It’s really odd. I sat here by myself this morning and had a coffee. When I had days off that aligned with his, I’d send Keith a message at 6 a.m. and we’d meet down here for a coffee,” said Kevin Fehr. “It would be just us for a couple hours. He always had really good advice, and by 10 or 11 there would be a whole bunch of people here with us.” To Clarke, age was just a number, Senft said, and he was able to connect with friends and strangers no matter how old they were. “His laugh was infectious. If he thought something was funny, you would hear his laugh from across the lot,” Senft said. “He helped out with a lot of events, had a lot of opinions and ideas, and really helped bridge the gap between the older and younger guys.” Ryan Mucci said Clarke was one of the first people he met in the local car community, and that Clarke would
buy Christmas presents for his kids, and for other members too. The club is planning to host a Keith Clarke Memorial Cruise next spring, and make it a recurring event each year. Memorial stickers were also printed and sold by donation on Sunday to support Clarke’s family. A funeral service was held for Clarke on Thursday, Oct. 28. “He was always full of life and made everyone feel welcome,” Senft said.
DILLON GIANCOLA PHOTO
Keith Clarke’s family was able to make sure his Z28 Camaro was down at the meet, parked in its usual spot.
BC wins WHL Cup on Cayden Lindstrom game-winner
ROB WALLATOW/ WHL PHOTO
Team B.C. celebrates winning the WHL Cup in Red Deer, October 24, 2021.
Team B.C. won the WHL Cup on October 24 thanks to the heroics of Fort St. John’s Cayden Lindstrom. Lindstrom scored the game-winner as B.C. beat Alberta 5-2 in the final in Red Deer, October 24. Lindstrom scored four minutes into the third to make the score 3-1, and B.C. would lead the rest of the game. It’s the first time B.C. has won the WHL Cup since 2017, and the third time overall (2012, 2017). B.C. won all five games it played in the tournament. Lindstrom had three points on the tournament (1 goal, 2 assists), making a name for himself heading into December’s 2021 WHL Entry Draft. Lindstrom wasn’t the only player with Fort St. John ties to shine on the big stage, however. Evan Gardner played two games in net for B.C. — an 18-save 5-0 shutout of Manitoba, and a 20-save 9-2 win against Saskatchewan. Gardner had the best save percentage of all goalies in the tournament at .953%. Caleb Hadland, playing for Alberta, had three points in five games (2 goals, 1 assist), as his team went 3-2 and won the silver medal. Each player who went to the WHL Cup is eligible for the December 9 WHL draft. — sports@ahnfsj.ca
Predators do battle at Richmond Rep Hockey Classic All three Northeast BC Predators teams were in Richmond last weekend for the 8th annual Pacific Coast Female Rep Hockey Classic, October 22 to 24. It was another great learning and bonding opportunity for the Preds as the teams continue to grow on the ice heading into the start of the Northern Female BC A League, which starts this weekend in Taylor. The U13 Predators started their tournament with an 8-0 loss against Tri Cities on Friday. They quickly rebounded with a 10-4 win over the Wil-
liams Lake Timberwolves. Lylah Dietz won the player of the game award for her efforts while Brianna Scott won the heart and hustle award. The team lost big to Richmond on Saturday, who would go on to win the championship, before bouncing back again for a very close and hard-fought game against the Kelowna Rockets. The Predators outshot the Rockets 34-21, but came up just short, losing 3-2. Addison Ayre and Izzy Ollenberger scored for the Predators, with Ollenberger named player of the game
and Taylor Simpson getting the heart and hustle award. The U15 Predators had a rough loss to the St. Albert Raiders to start the tournament, but had a better showing in an 8-3 loss to the Kamloops Blazers. Alia Drummond of the Predators opened the scoring in the first period. Drummond scored again in the second period, with Audrina Freeman getting the PORed’s third goal. Emery Twardochleb was the team’s player of the game.The team’s best game came against Vancouver.
Vancouver had a 3-0 lead early in the third period, but the Predators came back on goals from Twardochleb and Drummond. The U15 Predators lost 4-2. Jackie Siemens was recognized as player of the game for her play in net throughout the tournament, while Kyrsten Brownlee won the heart and hustle award. The U18 Predators played three games in Richmond. They battled against Kamloops in a 6-4 loss, and lost 6-1 to North Island. — sports@ahnfsj.ca
ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021 | OP-ED | A11
Fact vs. Truth
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Fact and a Truth walk into a bar and ask for a drink. The bartender says to the Fact, “What can I get you?” clearly ignoring the Truth. The Truth complains to the Manager that the bartender didn’t offer Truth a drink. The Manager responds, “the Bartender didn’t see you because he doesn’t believe in you.” I have been pondering the difference for quite some time. How can multiple people look at the same situation but have vastly differing opinions on what is fact? What I have learned so far is that the difference between a fact and a truth is that a fact cannot be disputed – it is real, quantified, qualified, and measured as fact – it’s real. A truth is not the same – it is based on belief and/or an interpretation of a fact, “You believe that something is true.” It may NOT be true, but you believe it to be true. It could be because of where you were brought up, how your parents raised you, or the external influences during critical time periods during your life. Your belief system is borne out of those influences. Is this the reason why positions vary so wildly as it relates to the pandemic or even global warming? Are so many folks skeptical of the information they receive because we, as a society, have conflated fact and truth? It makes my brain hurt. I went down this rabbit hole over the weekend. I broached the question to family and friends. Each of them had a different way of phrasing the response, but all said that in essence that a fact is true, but the truth is a belief or perception. They believe
JUDY KUCHARUK something to be true. Remember the viral social media post a few years ago which showed a striped dress and asked the question, “What colour do you see?” Some people saw black and blue, while others saw white and gold. I was adamant that it was black and blue and wondered if I was being gaslit when a coworker saw white and gold. MY truth was that the dress was black and blue and at first I argued with my co-worker. “How can you see white and gold? It’s clearly black and blue!” Her truth was that I was incorrect – she saw white and gold. If I had found out later that the dress was in fact white and gold, I probably would have questioned the source. I would have found it difficult to believe that I was wrong because I know what I saw and to me, I know what I believed and to me, that was the truth. As I went down that rabbit hole, I also looked up the definition of “news.” News is defined as a “newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events.” So, depending on where you get your news, i.e. traditional media (radio/television/ print), via social media sites or a podcast, will undoubtedly lead you in defining what you believe is the truth. Having said that, how do we come to terms with those who believe in a truth that differs from ours? Judy Kucharuk lives and writes in Dawson Creek.
Your testimony is your evidence
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f you are ever called to be a witness in a Court whether it be as a witness for someone or something, or against someone or something, there are a few basics that are fundamental to our evidence. For example, if you observed someone stealing something, or breaking into a store, you don’t have to memorize the Criminal Code of Canada and in fact you don’t even have to know where the charge is located in the Code to give evidence. All you have to do is tell the truth of what you observed, by whom, when, where, and how, with as much detail as possible so the Courts can weigh your credibility, your memory and your observations. This is referred to as direct evidence. Although you might have heard something from other witnesses, that is considered hearsay evidence and is not accepted along with your interpretation of events as that is circumstantial evidence and again not accepted by the Courts. Most citizens want to avoid going to court as they don’t want to get involved, have fear, or just don’t want to be subject to examination, cross-examination, or the process itself. On the other hand, as Christians we believe we have the greatest truth for every person and for every person’s eternal life. If that is the Biblical truth, then it is only prudent and essential for us to share this gift of salvation that Jesus Christ gave us to every person we possibly can. This truth is not only the Good News, but it is the Heart of our Lord and in fact is why He came to earth. How could we
JOHN GRADY not share God’s reality to our extended family members, our coworkers, our neighbours, and those that we come in contact with? Could there be three options why Christians are so reluctant to share their personal faith, trust and belief in eternal life? 1. It is the Churches role! ANSWER: We are the church; 2. I am in content in my eternal life! ANSWER: How self-centred and sad; 3. I am not sure how to share my faith! ANSWER: Probably the correct answer. The best example we have to follow is the Apostle Paul who, when he was witnessing, just gave his testimony. It is like giving evidence and it is your truth. You don’t have to memorize the Bible, go to Bible school, be an elder, but just be a child of God who loves God and shares that love to anybody and everybody the Lord puts into your life. Your testimony is personal, honest covering when you gave your heart to the Lord, where you were, what the circumstances were that prompted your decision, what you were like before salvation, and how have you changed since the Holy Spirit came into your life. That is your evidence, which is personal, truthful and real for you. May we, as born-again souls filled with the Holy Spirit, be thrust out to testify to a lost world for the glory of the Lord.
TOM SUMMER PHOTOS
Above: Snehal Mistry along with his wife Hinal and daughter Prisha took part in a family-friendly pumpkin carving workshop at Peace Gallery North. Below: Artist Mo Mohr led a paper mache class at the gallery, pictured here with Liz Gonvick, who’s working on a gnome.
The magic of goal setting
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he magic of goal setting? Really, Brad? “Magic,” isn’t that a little over the top? Well, read on, and decide for yourself. Recently I had a conversation with my friend Doug Bennett, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Doug is an accomplished financial advisor from the United Kingdom, and he has done a lot of work on the importance of setting goals. His second book on goals will be out shortly, and his weekly podcast called “Goals DO Come True” is available on Spotify. Doug was at a low point once. He wrote down 11 goals in a journal, some of them quite daunting. But then the journal was set aside until he came across it a few years later. And guess what he found? Ten of the 11 goals had been achieved. Even though these goals were in the back of his mind at best, he still accomplished them. Clarifying what he was trying to do was the first step in attaining his objectives This is not merely anecdotal. Academic research supports this. The simple exercise of giving concentrated thought to where you want to end up — to be able to articulate what it is you want to achieve — increases the chances of getting to where you want to be. I expect that at this point some people are reading this, thinking to themselves, “I don’t get it, doesn’t everyone know what they want?” I can attest that this is less common than you might expect. There are quite a few people that wander through life. Yearning for better, but not having a clear idea what “better” even means. Where every day is the same as the one before, and any progress that might happen is slow and/or sporadic. Just writing your goals down and then somehow reaching them may seem like magic, but it makes sense when we think it through. To focus our attention and our actions on living with purpose should increase our odds of success over the randomness of an unplanned life. It has been said that a goal without an action plan is just a dream. You need the action plan for the dream o become a reality
Fo the best in Loc
BRAD BRAIN There are some great goals that require little more than a commitment. Things like spending time with family, or eating better, or exercising more don’t have to come with a price tag. But other goals require funding, and often these are the ones that require you to plan ahead. A retirement income that you will never outlive. Educating your children. Making philanthropic contributions. Here is the paradox. People will say that certain things are important to them, but then they don’t act that way. They say they want to live healthy, but then they regularly eat junk. They say they want to retire, but then they don’t save for retirement. They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk. Financially, it is not uncommon for people to make spending decisions that are unhinged from anything that is truly important to them. They will do things that seem like a good idea at the time, but over time they end up with a bunch of ideas that seemed good at the time. No strategy. No consistency. Maybe no results. This is because money decisions are often not rational. They are emotional. And the two biggest drivers of money decisions are greed and fear, with fear repeatedly manifesting as the fear of missing out. But greed and fear are usually not the best platform to base intelligent decisions on. Take some time to really think about what is important to you, write it down, and try to consistently make decisions that are appropriate for your objectives. Then watch the magic happen. 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 a www bradbra nfinancial.com
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ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS
A12 | OP-ED | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
Raising the digitally literate
#MOMLIFE By A.M. Cullen
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e’re living in a world completely engulfed by online information. And if the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s just how influential misinformation can be. While it may be too late for some of our adults these days lost to the conspiracy-vacuuming rabbit holes of the internet “doing their own research,” there is still hope for our younger generation. Chances are that your kids have seen a lot more on the internet than you’re aware of. According to a Calgary-based parenting expert, Judy Arnall, the average Canadian child gets their first smart phone around age 10. (What was your source of the world’s information when you were 10?!) We can’t protect them from all the “fake news” out there, but we can better equip them to deal with it when they come across it. So here is an easy checklist to start a conversation and guide you and your malleable mini-me toward reliable sources of information. WHO’S THE AUTHOR? This may seem like a simple place to start, but you’d be surprised how sensationalized information will distract a lot of people from investigating who wrote it. I can’t emphasize this enough: teach your kids to find information written by respected, recognized, and recent experts in their field. Do some additional research to find out who they are. What makes them an expert? Do they currently work in the area they are talking about? Where did they get their education? Do other experts in the field respect them? And beware of a braggy author constantly referencing their credentials. Someone who is awesome shouldn’t need to continuously defend how great they are. One example I came across was a video about Dr. Christina Parks providing testimony about the dangers of mRNA vaccines. I’ll admit, it did look convincing. When I did some additional research to find out who she was, I discovered that even though she did receive a doctorate in cellular and molecular biology back in 1999, she has since been working as a science teacher for an online catholic school. Considering the lion share of mRNA vaccine research has been started in labs around 2007, I would argue that this woman isn’t the most reliable person to get information on this subject as her practicing expertise ended in 1999. The original Vimeo video has since been taken down and online critics
By Heather Sjoblom
ILLUSTRATION BY A.M. CULLEN
have pointed to blatantly false claims made in her statement. If you’re curious, you can read one critic’s analysis here. WHAT BIASES DO THEY HOLD? Check if the information is presented clear and unbiased. If it’s not, what point of view is the author trying to convince you of? Biased sources are not ‘bad,’ (heck, this writer is most definitely biased in many of her articles) but know that bias can limit coverage of a debate by only looking at one side. Think critically about what you are reading. What is missing? ARE THE AUTHOR’S SOURCES REPUTABLE? There are lots of reputable sources of information written by journalists (who probably aren’t experts in the topic they are covering). When the author isn’t an expert, look to who they reference as their sources. An example that comes to mind is Wikipedia. The reference site has had a bad rap in previous years, but actually is much more reliable than it used to be. Often you can find a long list of their sources at the end of each article. IS THE PUBLISHER REPUTABLE? Consider where the article or video is being published. If the website or YouTube account posts misinformation in their other articles, than be wary of the one you are reading. I’ve been forwarded a few anti-vaccine videos from AwakeCanada.org. Upon opening, the website header reads “Doctors all over the world urgent warnings of taking the covid 19 vaccine.” Disastrous grammar aside, I was more concerned about their feature video by a Dr. Kelly Brogan, who Wikipedia describes as “author of books on alternative medicine who has promoted conspiracy theories and misinformation about discredited medical hypotheses” (originally
cited from this site). If that’s their best source, what does it suggest about the rest of their information on the website? IS IT CORRELATION OR CAUSATION? As depicted in this week’s image inspired from a favourite research methods example, beware of those using correlation to argue causation. Yes, (for real) increased ice cream sales correlates (a connection between two or more things) with an increased number of homicides, but does that mean ice cream causes murder? Well, no, in reality both have an unspoken third variable in common: heat. When it’s hot, people buy more ice cream, and unrelatedly, murder rates also increase as it gets hotter. It’s easy to see the misdirection in this silly example, but others may be trickier to spot. For example, I’ve seen some debate about the dangers of ventilators. Does being put on ventilators cause an increased risk of death? Or is there an underlying variable that happens to correlate the two? The correlation of death rates to ventilator use may be because individuals who are needing one have respiratory systems that are already shutting down. IS THERE LOADED OR VAGUE LANGUAGE? Phrases like “many doctors say...” or “other countries are doing...” without citing the sources to back them up are examples of vague language. Their goal is to draw in readership, not produce quality journalism. Also be aware of any buzzwords meant to razz your emotions instead of educationally inform. HOW OLD IS YOUR INFORMATION? Like the cans in your pantry, information can have a shelf life. If you read a social studies textbook that from the 1960s that talked about the benefits of providing a ‘residential
education’ for Canada’s indigenous youth it may be slightly different than current truths of the residential school system. For science, its different because we know there are established truths but also many things we don’t know. For new areas of science (like what we’re learning about COVID-19) where information is changing because we are constantly learning more, using relevant and recent information is most reliable. Take the time to learn how the science is changing. As Neil DeGrasse says in a New York Times interview this past April, “Once you’ve come up knowing the science and how and why it works and understanding what the bleeding edge of science does, you’re in a position to pass judgment on science-related news.” HOW “EASY” IS YOUR INFORMATION? Yes, TikTok, YouTube, and memes provide easy, fast, and often entertaining ways of relaying information. Many times, they can be an effective way break down complex accurate information into an accessible format but remember anyone can create them. It’s easy to dress up in a tie, sit in front a bookshelf, and claim expertise in a YouTube video. Don’t rely solely on the “easy” information. Read the heavier articles and peer-reviewed research to have a full understanding of the topic you’re learning about (Google Read and Write can even read it to you!). ARE YOU DISMISSING IT SOLELY BECAUSE IT DOESN’T ALIGN WITH YOUR CURRENT BELIEFS? Lastly, in this increasingly polarizing social climate, don’t be quick to dismiss a source simply because it doesn’t align with an already established belief. Somewhere on the road to adulthood many of us are taught an overwhelming fear of being wrong, and social media has offered the perfect hill to die on. Maybe it’s being surrounded an educational environment six hours a day, but kids seem to be more open to learning new ideas that challenge what they already know. Foster that growth mindset and explore different perspectives with your kids with an open mind. At the end of the day, I’m striving to raise my kids to live with a healthy degree of skepticism, a genuine respect for experts in their field, a freedom from the fear of being wrong, a fundamental understanding of basic science. I hope you’ll try for the same. A.M. Cullen lives and writes in Fort St. John. Are you parenting in the Peace? Send in your questions, topics, or suggestions for #MomLife to cover at momlife.ahnfsj@gmail.com.
Fort St. John museum news
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e’ve been busy behind the scenes with many projects, including our new website which is now live! Visit www.fsjmuseum.com to learn more about the exhibits, programs, and services we provide and how you can get involved through membership or volunteering. We will add more content over the coming year including a variety of historical information, educational activities, and some videos. Fall is traditionally a quieter time of year for us but we have tons of volunteers working on several projects from our new strategic plan to identifying historic photographs and scanning newspapers. NEW EXHIBITS Aviation Exhibit: Our biggest project this last month has been to write, edit, and select photographs for the six signs that will make up our new permanent aviation exhibit - Soaring Over the North Peace. It’s been challenging to narrow down our rich aviation history from bush pilots to the airport
FORT ST. JOHN NORTH PEACE MUSEUM ARCHIVES I986.02.13
Ogilvie’s milk cart rounding the corner at Mager’s blacksmith shop in 1942, the present-day corner of 100 Street and 101 Avenue where a clothing store is today.
community into only a few signs. Thanks to those who provided material and information. Look for it in December 2021/January 2022. Allen House Restoration: Our contractor has begun sheeting the interior walls of the Allen House. We are installing plexiglass over a couple of portions of wall so you can see the different layers from the insulating magazine and newspaper pages to the different wall
papers over the years. Thanks to the Peace River Regional District’s grantin-aid for supporting this project. We will paint the walls next summer and begin working on exhibits and signs for the interior. ARCHIVES & COLLECTIONS Our scanning volunteers have scanned and indexed the Alaska Highway News to the fall of 1978. It is a long process now that the newspaper is a daily. We’ve
answered over 115 inquiries in our archives so far from requests for photographs for documentaries to queries for information on family members. Christmas Take Home Kits: Starting Friday, December 10 as long as kits last. Thanks to a sponsorship from NorthRiver Midstream, we are offering a FREE takehome Christmas activity kit for families as we are unable to safely do our usual
Christmas Kids’ Night at the Museum. This take home kit contains a Christmas story (poem) with local connections, a Great Christmas Candy Hunt (scavenger hunt) with prize, a Christmas board game, and a family craft. Kits are one per family and are best suited for families with children ages 2 and up. Masks are required as per public health guidelines to pick them up. We have 100 kits and will be handing out one kit per family group present. GIFT SHOP Check out our great selection of puzzles. We have glow in the dark puzzles, dinosaur puzzles with special dinosaur shaped pieces, fuzzy piece puzzles, and some challenging ones for adults as well! Christmas is less than 10 weeks away. We offer the best selection of nonfiction books on the Peace Region and have some new books on the way. Purchases from the museum gift shop help us to preserve and present the history of the North Peace. Heather Sjoblom is curator of the Fort St. John North Peace Museum.