AHN OCT 27, 2022

Northeast shut out from new forestry council

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The MLA for Peace River North Dan Davies, and now regional mayors in the North Peace and Northern Rockies, are looking for answers as to why the Northeast region wasn’t included in a newly-formed advisory council on forestry, announced by the Province last week.

Davies, for his part, doesn’t understand how the region could be missed with 18 mem bers selected from around B.C., and none northeast of Prince George. “Just look at the sheer volume of timber in our region and some of the unique challenges that we’ve faced re garding land use, the caribou, the pine beetle, the spruce beetle,” he said.

“You start adding those things up, why the hell is there nobody from up here on the council? It’s just very typical of this government thinking they know best on who to appoint to these boards and, again, leav ing us out. Where is our voice?”

In an Oct. 17 release, the Province outlined the mandate of the Forestry Worker Sup ports and Community Resili ency Council.

“It will advise the Province on improvements to existing programs and the develop ment of new, forward-looking initiatives aimed at supporting forestry workers and the eco

nomic resiliency of rural communities.”

Forests minister Katrine Conroy termed it as the foun dation to B.C.’s economy.

“As the major employer in many communities, it is the lifeblood of rural economies. Our vision is to build stronger, more resilient forestry com munities and create new eco nomic opportunities through innovative, value-added manufacturing. The council will help ensure we get this right.”

Davies isn’t disagreeing with the minister’s comments or the idea, just the need to see com munities like Fort Nelson, with its challenges, brought into the conversation.

“With the export of timber from the area. The partnership they have with the commun ity forest. Even the rail issues, the transportation challenges we face up in the north that no one else has to face. It’s abso lutely mind-boggling not to be included.”

Any exclusion from the discussion, though, isn’t sit ting well with mayors. Fort St. John’s mayor Lori Ackerman feels the province needs to go back to the drawing board.

“When you consider the significance of forestry from Mackenzie north to the Yukon border, you would think that there would be at least one person on that committee,” said Ackerman. “The problem

is that we continued to be ig nored. We can certainly give them names.

“[Mackenzie] Mayor Joan At kinson is extremely well-versed in the forest industry. Macken zie has their own community forest. Fort Nelson, there are players up there like mayorelect Rob Fraser. Rob was en gaged in the first land resource management plan process was done here in Northeast B.C. So, it’s not like they had to look too far to find people and it’s ap parent they didn’t look.”

Acting District of Taylor mayor Betty Ponto had strong er words on hearing the news of the advisory council.

“The minister said she per sonally knows how vital the forestry sector is for our prov ince,” Ponto said. “She should also, then, know that the prov ince doesn’t stop midway up the map and as much as Mr. Routley [council chair Doug Routley, Parliamentary secre tary of Forests] is thrilled to be leading a diverse group, he’s incorrect in saying those mem bers from across the province.

It all makes we wonder if the Province is confirming what we felt for many years, that we in the Northeast don’t matter or don’t exist.”

Current Northern Rockies mayor Gary Foster pointed out it’s not equal representation.

“Over 25%, probably over 30% of the province is repre sented by this committee, de

spite having 18 members,” said Foster.

“You know, we have a wealth of people in our community here who are very knowledge able including people who have run large forest mills, who were not asked. Considering the amount of forest we have in our community here, it’s amaz ing that they have gone on and selected the other three-quar ters of the province to fill up the positions on the board.”

“We should all be part of the consultation process when you have something like this go ing on,” added Hudson’s Hope mayor Dave Heiberg.

“There’s a considerable amount of product being de livered to the world from the northeast. If you’re go ing to have something that resource-based, regionally, provincially-based, let’s have regional-provincial discus sions so that we have all areas represented and concerns and issues are able to be acknow ledged and addressed.

The provincial government has said it’s setting aside $185 million over three years meant to support workers, industry, communities, and First Na tions impacted by new restric tions on old growth logging – the suggestions coming from another panel, the Old Growth Strategic Review which gath ered submissions from the public and stakeholders in 2019 and 2020.

Health care recruits in high demand, short supply

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Like anyone hiring post-pandemic, Northern Health is having its share of struggles.

So says the health authority’s northeast executive director Angela De Smit, terming it as “a simple case of supply.”

“We have a lot of efforts but if there are no trained staff at the end to recruit, then we’re stealing from everybody else,” said De Smit at a re cent chamber of commerce lunch eon in Fort St. John.

“We’re trying to bring them across from Alberta or we’re trying to bring them in from Ontario…other prov inces that are training more staff than we are.”

While B.C. is beginning to in crease its numbers of graduating students, like nurses, it’s facing more obstacles – an increasing number of retirees and those transitioning to family life.

Being rural and in the north also brings with it other challenges in attracting health care workers to this region, according to De Smit, including competing with muchlarger centres and private practices that can offer better packages.

“Take Alberta, for example, where there’s a $50,000 hiring incentive for an ultra-sound technician. We can’t compete with that,” De Smit admitted.

“Those are private businesses over there. They’re not publicly-funded.”

A former nurse herself, she said it’s not a poor benefit package being offered to health care workers here –in fact, it’s the opposite.

“We have a beautiful benefit package, even better than Alberta, because I used to work in Alberta.”

But, in essence, it all comes down to working conditions.

“We’re recruiting two ICU nurses who left Fort St. John two-and-ahalf years ago [who] said it was too stressful. That was during the peak of Covid and they left. Now, that we’re staffing up, they’re coming back.”

In 2020, the World Health Or ganization stated that health care shortages were twice as high in rural

areas than urban.

According to figures released by Northern Health, the demand for registered nurses since 2017 has been more than three times the available supply.

That’s been carried over into other areas of health care like facili ties, for example, where the call for positions for maintenance, janitor ial, and other related jobs has grown by over 5% since 2019, but only about one-fifth of the recruitment goal has been reached.

In the last three years, in fact, demand, overall, for workers in the health authority rose to almost 11% – just under 2% of the need has been filled.

“We have to improve our supply or they [our workers] will burn out and they’re going to leave looking for other opportunities,” De Smit reiterated.

That challenge, like with other employers in the community, doesn’t come with a simple fix.

Northern Health, though, is look ing at viable options.

One such concept is the Travel Resource Program.

Geared towards rural and remote communities, the Canada-wide program offers skilled nurses the chance to travel to communities, like Fort St. John, similar to what a locum physician might do.

Although not a stipulation, the obvious end goal would be to see the person fall in love in the com munity and stay.

In just the last six months, the program has grown from near 30 to over 80 nurses.

In March of this year, that trans lated, De Smit said in her presen tation, into the equivalent of 37 full-time employees.

While restricted to highly-skilled nurses, for now, the hope is that as its value grows, other professions could be added to fill much-need vacancies - to ease some of the de scribed challenges already in place.

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

It was Small Business Week across the country last week Oct. 16-22, and it’s something one newly reelected Fort St. John city councillor is passionate about.

“Small business is the backbone of the community,” said Tony Zabin sky, a former commercial banker by profession, at a chamber of com merce breakfast Monday, Oct. 17.

“They go through and are the people that understand and provide guidance, for I think, big corpora tions. They go through the sup ply issues, the staffing issues, and because of that they have to move quickly. They don’t have the big staffing so they have to be nimble to stay on top of things.”

“What keeps them up at night is very important. You know, we sleep through the night. They have a lot that weighs on them and it’s their fortitude and what they bring to our community, their forward thinking that allows us to move forward in the economic development of our community.”

Julie Roach-Burns recently struck out on her own establishing an ap parel and accessories company, Lattitude 56. Like many small busi nesses, she says one of her big chal lenges is getting product to market, literally – in her case, it’s farmers markets and trade shows.

“You have to put a lot of effort in getting out to the markets, setting up, taking down. We really don’t have a home.”

Not having a conventional store front can also bring its challenges.

“People can come see me but it’s my workshop. If they come in, there’s stuff available for retail but they’re also in my mess which I have to adapt to and be okay with,” adds

Roach-Burns.

Zabinsky believes the challenges small business faces are the same ones that all sectors of the economy, including what industry is seeing.

“Besides labour shortages, as businesses are expanding, they’re having a shortage in the products that they are marketing and because of that shortage, it has resulted in a decrease in their margins and then’s there’s inflationary costs and we’re seeing that right across the board.”

“If you look back five years ago, we didn’t have the inflation we see now. I don’t think we had as much labour shortage as we’re experien cing right now.”

“Small business, they can’t afford to increase their after-market cost to everyone else. They’re in business for business, but they’re feeling on their end, for sure.”

But, while they are challenges,

Zabinsky and Roach-Burns agree there are also benefits and enjoy ment in owning your own company.

For anyone thinking of opening a business, both also agree on several points:

• Know your market – who are you catering to?

• Decide on how you plan to pro mote your business, whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, or another medium.

• Have a long-term plan which might include expanding your prod uct and reach.

• And, from Roach-Burns, one final piece of advice for those think ing of taking the plunge – “go with your heart.”

According to Industry Canada, at the start of the year, there were 1.18 million small businesses countrywide with British Columbia having the third-highest figure at 184,075.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Northern Health northeast executive director Angela De Smit speaks to an audience over the hurdles health care faces in the region in a post-Covid world. Oct. 11, 2022

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Small Business Week was kicked off Monday morning with a breakfast by the Fort St. John & District Chamber of Commerce.

Blueberry River launches new company, introduces CEO

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Blueberry River First Nations has established a new business enterprise.

Known as Blueberry River Resources, the idea is to create economic growth for the community, including outside of its boundaries.

“BRFN was rewarded $35 million dollars for land restoration from the Cumulative Damages Claim,” said a letter earlier this week from its Chief and council.

“We believe the best way to invest this money is through creating a restoration business outside of the nation.”

Last Wednesday, it announced the appointment of outgoing Fort St. John mayor Lori Ackerman as the company’s CEO.

“Lori is the ideal candidate to help launch Blueberry River Resources into a successful business for our lands, water, wildlife, and people,” said the statement.

As part of the plan, the First Nation has already purchased a building in the city.

“We expect this venture to grow quickly and look forward to creating more job opportunities for BRFN members within our nation as well as in the City of Fort St. John.”

In a statement that followed Wednesday with news of the appointment of a CEO, chief Judy Desjarlais called Ackerman a community champion.

“She brings a wealth of expertise in the areas of business management, resource development, community infrastructure, and stakeholder engagement.”

“The Blueberry River First Nations and its leadership have done a significant amount of work preparing to move forward with a structure that acknowledges opportunities for reconciliation and economic benefit for its members and ultimately our region,” added Ackerman.

“I am honoured to have this opportunity.”

The 17-year political veteran begins her new role Nov. 1, just one day after chairing her last council meeting as mayor.

GRANT WORKSHOP

Free and open to all Non-pro

Organizations in the

Topic: The 2022 Community Gaming

Saturday, November 05, 2022 | 10 am to 12 Noon Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre,

Creek,

Register early, space is limited to 20 people.

To Register contact R. Le Gear at nlccga@outlook.com

Name and organization required. Registration Deadline is November 02, 2022.

AT PLAY,

emergency

NEBC

Signing

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Lori Ackerman will helm Blueberry River Resources as the new company’s CEO.

Workshops are sponsored by the Northern Lights Community Charitable Gaming Association We acknowledge the nancial support of the Province of British Columbia

It’s time once again for 4-H members to choose their projects.

Some will opt to search their own herds, while others will visit neighbouring farms and ranches. One thing rings true no matter where the animal comes from. 4-H members are looking for a few key factors when selecting an animal.

When 4-H members are choosing a Market Steer, they are looking for an animal with the following:

• e steer should have width of loin over his top,

• A wide and expressive rump

Should have muscle de nition throughout his shoulder, lower quarter, and sti e. is refers to the relationship of body length to body depth and body width.

Huskies claw back with road wins

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Fort St. John Huskies earned their second win in two days over the La Crete Lumber Barons scoring a narrow 5-4 shootout win last Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23.

Unlike Saturday, however, where the Huskies led the entire game, Fort St. John trailed this one throughout until the 17:19 mark of the third period – Thomas Loewen netted the tying goal to send the game into extra time.

“I thought we played a pretty solid game today,” said head coach Todd Alexander on the five-plus-hour bus ride home. “We made a couple of mistakes early in the game that they capitalized on and we weren’t capitalizing on our opportunities early. We also got a seeing eye puck from the sidewall that went off our skates. Went up the shortside...things like that.”

The Huskies out shot the Barons 51-26 in regulation and 6-0 in the five-minute overtime period.

“We just stuck with it. Kept the negativity off the bench and, you know, we were able to crawl our way out of that hole and fight back. In overtime, we had a few looks.”

The game was eventually decided in the fourth round of the shootout, on Brandon Modde’s goal, giving the Huskies the 3-2 edge and the win.

The Huskies ended their four-game winless slide on Oct. 22, with a convincing 6-1 decision over the Lumber Barons.

Forward Brandon Modde

scored twice while Ashton Underhill, Nick Loewen, Raymond Dick, and Cayden Frenette, on the power play, each added singles in the road win.

“Our structure was better. We played a better team game tonight,” said Huskies head coach Todd Alexander.

“We were moving the puck. We had a lot more plays that we got through our structure. Overall, it was a lot cleaner game for us.”

Shots on goal favoured the Huskies 35-15. “It’s not how many shots we’re allowing,” explained Alexander. “I’m pretty happy with the overall play but it’s the type of shots that we’re allowing in certain moments that we need to clean up.”

While the team returns home for the week, they’ll hit the road, again, on Friday night with a match-up against Sexsmith. The Huskies are then home to Fairview Saturday.

Green Valley 4-H Report

• Steers should have visible depth of body/ ank and spring of rib.

ese factors will a ect the Rate of Gain an animal makes throughout the 4-H year. is impacts the nal weigh in of the animal at Achievement Day.

When hunting for a heifer, the member will be looking for a few di erent traits. Heifers should be selected on structural soundness, be in good health and have good growth potential. Genetics can play a huge

part in the selection process as well. If a calf had a good, correct and sound mother, many times the o spring are the same.

e beginning of a new 4-H season is very exciting. New projects mean new adventures and learning new skills. is is the very foundation of 4-H.

Until Next Time, Arlee Newsham, Reporter Green Valley 4-H Club

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Bailey Helicopters U-11 player Lyndon De Melo breaks in one of the team’s goaltenders, Brinxton Harvey, during practice at the Pomeroy Sport Centre, Oct. 21, 2022.

Gold for U-13, silver for U-18 Preds at Paci c Coast Rep Classic

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Two Northeast BC Predators hockey teams are returning home with medals around their necks after play at a tournament in Richmond last weekend.

The U-13 Preds won gold at the Pacific Coast Rep Classic tournament blanking Tri-Cit ies [Predators] 9-0 in the cham pionship final Sunday.

Addison Ayre was named the gold game MVP.

Carly Wiens scored 15 times in the five games played while Cecil Lake duo Olivia Thompson and Jaida Morton split the duties in net.

The pee wee team, who are 10-0 in the season play, went 5-0 at the tourney.

n n n

The U-18 midgets earned sil ver after finishing with a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie.

The Preds were edged out 2-1 by the Victoria Reign in the gold medal game.

Fort St. John’s Paige Brown was named most valuable play er in the match while Bailey Green led the way in goal.

n n n

The U-15 Predators, mean time, also at this tournament, placed sixth in the bantam div ision but had some challenges.

The Preds, with a short bench, also needed to put de fenceman Brooke Babcock and U-13 netminder Jaida Morton between the pipes to fill some open spots in goal after Bailey Zacharias was injured.

Well done, ladies!

Trackers improve records

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

It was a good weekend for some local hockey teams on the ice.

The midget Trackers, un defeated through two games heading into the weekend, made the long trip to Fort Mc Murray securing a win and tie.

On Saturday, Oct. 22, Carver Lequiere and Xavier Burgher netted two goals-a-piece and MacCoy Willms added one in a 5-5 tie with the Junior Oil Barons. The Trackers followed that up on Sunday, doubling the Barons 6-3 in the rubber match. Carver Lequiere scored twice while Nickolas Kimmie, Braith Morgan, Xavier Bur

gher, and Lincoln Bueckert adding singles to improve the Trackers record to 3-0-1.

They’re home to St. Albert Nov. 5-6 at the Pomeroy Sport Centre.

The NEBC bantam Trackers have jumped out to a 5-and0 start in their first month of play, thanks to a 6-1 win over the Grande Prairie Storm Fri day night, Oct. 21, at the Pom eroy Sport Centre. Joshua Fung

led the way with three points, all assists. Markers in the game came from Mason McGinnis, Carson Arberry, Brady Dietz, Damon Clay, Deacon Thomas, and Easton Goulet. Goaltend er Dysen Loewen stopped 22 of 23 shots in the game and earned an assist on Dietz’s goal. The Trackers had period leads of 1-0 and 4-1 and out shot the Storm 55-23.

Their next game isn’t until

Nov. 4 when they host the Grande Prairie Storm.

And, the U-13 Fort St. John Flyers went into Dawson Creek and snuck out with a 4-3 win over the Canucks. Channing Salinas, Linden Andersen, Brody Peterson, and Kiptyn Harvey scored for the Flyers who are now 2-2-2 on the sea son. Flyers return to home ice Oct. 30 with a 12:45 tilt against the Grande Prairie Storm.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

The silver medal-winning U-18 Predators hockey club following a tournament in Richmond Oct. 21-23.

NPSS Athletics update

Jaclyn McNicol NPSS Athletics Director

The Junior and Senior Girls Volleyball team travelled to Dawson Creek last weekend to compete in the DCSS Athletics Invitational Senior Volleyball Tournament.

After Day 1, the Junior team placed second in their pool and the Senior team placed first in theirs. Both teams demonstrated solid performances leading them to match up after cross-over wins in the semi-finals.

In a fun match, the juniors demonstrated their competitive edge and grit, however, the senior team took the match with a strong performance. The juniors placed third in the tournament and the seniors placed first, winning every set all weekend demonstrating their resilience and strength as a team.

All-star of the weekend for the junior girls was Mia Currie, who demonstrated consistency and leadership on

the court. All-star of the weekend for the senior girls went to Karlee Ballard, who showcased consistent serving and offensive strategy.

At the Cross Country Zone Championships, NPSS travelled to Prince George for their final event of the season. The cross-country team has had sunny skies all season, however, for the first time, they ran in rain and snow. Our runners persevered and completed the race with personal bests – Austin MacGregor placed 13th out of 44 in the junior boys category with a time of 14:41 on the four-kilometre course, while Shayne Turner placed 15th out of 21 (30:09), and Isabelle Bojczuk crossed the finish line in 17th (30:33) in the senior girls division.

Up next for Grizzlies Athletics: the junior girls volleyball team travels to Dawson Creek for another tournament Oct. 28-29. The junior boys volleyball squad is set to play Bert Bowes on Oct. 31.

Senior Flyers end pre-season 0-2

The Dawson Creek Senior Canucks could be the team to beat, or at least one of them, when the North Peace Hockey League’s regular season gets going this weekend.

While that fact might have been known by the Fort St. John Flyers already, the Canucks managed to drive the point home with a 10-3 win Saturday night at the North Peace Arena.

Former Husky Alex Nimmo scored the opening goal for the Flyers just 1:06 into the game, but the tide turned midway in the first. Although a pre-season game, the Canucks dressed much of their defending Coy Cup championship team.

“We learned that’s what the team will pretty much look like this season,” said Nimmo following an extremely physical affair.

“They’re going to play like that every night. So, we gotta

come in with that mindset now, make it hard on them and come out with a win in the home-opener.”

That game is set for Nov. 5.

“Maybe, we had to take our lumps to see where we’re at if we want to compete in this league,” said veteran Robbie Sidhu giving an honest assessment of the match.

“Lots of these guys haven’t played this calibre of hockey. Now they know if they take a shift off, that things can turn really fast on us.”

Lien Miller-Jeannotte and Nolan Lagace had the other two goals for the Flyers, both in the third and both during a seven-minute man advantage.

The Canucks had a 40-16 edge in shots with Fort St. John recording just four shots in the middle frame.

Fort St. John will its open the regular season with its first two games on the road – in Spirit River Oct. 29, and Manning Nov. 4.

SUPPLIED PHOTOS

Above: The NPSS senior girls’ volleyball team won gold at Dawson Creek Secondary’s invitational tournament over the weekend. Below: The cross country boys and girls ended their season in the rain and snow.

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Battle for a loose puck in front of the net during the pre-season return of senior men’s hockey between the Fort St. John Flyers and Senior Canucks on Thursday, Oct. 20.

roots after

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Like many non-profit groups, the United Way is in the pro cess of re-establishing itself in the community following a two-year pandemic with vir tually everything shut down, including fundraising.

It can almost be described in some cases as starting all over again with completely new staff, new volunteers, and yes, even new businesses and residents.

Part of that change for the northern B.C. branch is a new director for the Northeast region.

Born and raised, and based in Dawson Creek, Lynnsy Noll is getting her feet wet, having

been in the position for about a month.

“We’re looking at con necting more. Our main base is in Prince George so not a lot of people know we serve the region,” said Noll.

“One big thing that we’re doing right now is making a big push for a united oil and gas 50/50 here in Fort St. John. All the funds raised would stay in the community and go to local service agencies.”

One event the group is known for, but hasn’t been held in a couple of years, is the fire truck pull.

Usually held in the fall, Noll said it’s something they’re looking at doing again, but don’t have a date yet.

Another event carried out

in the past was a tree light ing fundraiser, however, with other groups already doing something similar, she said they’re looking at other op tions for Christmastime, but is open to ideas from the community.

In 2020, the United Way with help from the B.C. gov ernment launched the prov ince-wide BC211 system, a non-emergency-based infor mation and referral service for victims of violence and those struggling with mental health or dependency issues.

It’s also become a valuable link for anyone needing to find shelter.

For details, you can either call or text 2-1-1 or check out the BC211 website online.

Small biz awarded

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

As part of Small Business Week, the Fort St. John & Dis trict Chamber of Commerce held its annual business awards luncheon Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 18.

“Small and medium entre preneurs are the foundation of our communities,” said chamber executive director Cheryl Montgomery, in open ing the event.

“These businesses employ our citizens, provide sponsor ship for local sports, culture, health and even business ad vocate organizations. With out SMEs, not only would our community suffer, but the cul ture and lifestyle we all enjoy would be greatly diminished.”

The 10 categories included recognition of retail, industry, and the non-profit sectors of the community.

Below are the list of this year’s winners: Non-profit: Fort St. John Senior Citizens Association Diversity & Inclusion: Em ployment Connections North ern Corp.

Indigenous Business: North East Native Advancing Society (NENAS) Woman of Distinction: Anne McMenamin (Work B.C.)

Young Entrepreneur: Jor dan Cramer (MJ Crepes) Community Leader: Fort St. John Co-op (Brad Lussier) Service Excellence (res taurant): Audielicious (Audie Louie Banania) Service Excellence (re tail): Lattitude 56 (Julie Roach-Burns) Service Excellence (in dustrial): Northwest Hearing Services

Business of the Year: Audie licious (Audie Louie Banania)

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Members of Northern Lights College compete in last fire truck pull held in 2019. The United Way of Northern B.C., which organized the event annually, is hoping to bring it back again.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Employment Connections staff accepting their Diversity & Inclusion award, Oct. 18, 2022.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Lattitude 56 owner Julie Roach-Burns accepting the Service Excellence - Retail award.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Bob Trobak of the Senior Citizens Association accepting the Non-Profit award.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

North East Native Advancing Society executive director Deanne McLeod accepting the Indigenous Business of the Year award.

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

Fort St. John Co-op office manager

Jackie Miller accepting the Community Leader award.

little extra support this week, and your calm and even approach could be just what’s needed.

MAY 22/JUN 21

GEMINI

Gemini, this week has the potential for a few bumps in the road that could be avoided if you simply slow down a bit. Think things through or you could trip yourself up.

JUN 22/JUL 22

CANCER

An exciting few days lie ahead, Cancer. You may be tempted to spend much more than you usually would. Have fun, but keep track of your nances.

JUL 23/AUG 23

LEO

Leo, even if you have plans to hang out with friends, something at home could crop up that will need your immediate attention. Be ex ible and at the ready.

VIRGO  AUG 24/SEPT 22

Virgo, nd balance where you feel out of sync. Maybe you have been having relationship woes or seem out of touch with family. Make an e ort to respond to these feelings.

LIBRA  SEPT 23/OCT 23

Libra, even if your best plans do not work out, that doesn’t mean you have to scrap everything and sulk. Make the most of what worked and build on that.

SCORPIO  OCT 24/NOV 22

Scorpio, you may nd yourself in a situation that tests your levelhead edness in a big way this week. It could throw o your equilibrium when your plans go awry.

SAGITTARIUS  NOV 23/DEC 21

Sagittarius, focus on communication in the days to come. The ability to communicate e ectively will be a true asset as you work more with others.

CAPRICORN  DEC 22/JAN 20

Local MLAs support BC United

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

A proposed new name for the B.C. Lib eral party is finding favour among its two MLAs in northeast B.C.

The party says the proposed name, BC United, was selected after a threemonth consultation with members dur ing which more than 2,000 suggestions were submitted. Members will have the opportunity to vote on the new name by the end of this year.

Responding to the announcement, Peace River North MLA Dan Davies said changing the party’s name is long overdue.

“When I first knocked on doors back in 2017 when I was running for election, it was the one thing that I heard on every doorstep, when are you guys changing the name?” said Davies.

“It’s not a partisan name,” he said of the proposal. “B.C. is unique when it comes to its political climate. At a time of divisiveness, us versus them, north versus south, east versus west, rural versus urban, we need to start building bridges and uniting what is common among us all.”

The B.C. Liberals have always billed themselves as a free enterprise coalition of federal Liberals and Conservatives, but some party members have said the name has confused or even turned away conservative-leaning voters.

The party says BC United reflects a fresh alternative that expresses a com mitment to unity across a broad coali tion of members, while highlighting the province’s name.

“Looking forward to the final vote from our members but for me this is a great chance to set a new course while also keeping the same principles of a free enterprise party promoting oppor tunity,” said Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier.

“There has been too much confu sion for the last few years with our party name even though we have no affilia tion to a federal party,” he added. “The BC NDP are the only party linked to a federal party so it’s time for us to unite and ensure we get a party back in that actually wants to see every part of the Province to succeed.”

Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon made consideration of a name change one of his leadership campaign promises ear lier this year.

The party says more than two-thirds of delegates who attended last June’s convention in Penticton voted in favour of considering a new name.

Davies says a new name would be “a small piece” of an overall brand change, adding “the vast majority of British Columbians don’t belong to a political party.”

“Affordability, housing prices, the cost of living, the opioid crisis, these are concerns we can unite all British Columbians from all four corners of the province behind,” he said. “This is part of us becoming something different.”

The party says a voting process will be announced in the coming weeks and members will have the opportunity to vote on the new name by the end of this year.

The governing NDP said in a state ment that the Liberals were using the name change to hide from Falcon’s rec ord of “working for the wealthiest while making life harder for everyone else.”

And while others have joked and compared the proposed new name to a soccer club, Davies was happy to take the comparison.

“We’re a team,” he said. “If that’s the comparable, we got a big soccer pitch and we need to sort out where to put our players. We got to win the World Cup.”

15 minutes to save a life

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The City of Fort St. John joined its counterparts around the world last week in declaring August 31 as Over dose Awareness Day.

Set aside to remember those lost to substance abuse, the day has grown to include discussion around addictions and mental health issues, as well.

At the forefront, particularly this year – the opioid crisis and toxic drug supply gripping the entire province, including in this region.

From 2012 to last year, well over 10,000 cases by B.C.’s coroners service were identified as illicit drug toxicity deaths.

In just the first six months of this year that number was slightly over 1,000.

more people that have it, the better,” said Nichols, a team lead with special ized services for Northern Health.

“You just never know when you’re going to run into someone in a parking lot or an alleyway. It’s not likely to hap pen but if it does, just once, you can save a life.”

“How important is that if it’s a family member, your brother, sister, your father?”

But, statistics are showing more so everyday that incidents of overdose aren’t happening in conventional alley ways but in homes and by recreational users.

Experts recommend if you have someone who uses at home, that you have a naloxone kit close by, once you’re properly trained on how to use it.

A problem that arises may initially seem

insurmountable, Capricorn. But you’re more than capable of overcoming this obstacle. Look to Pisces for help.

21/FEB 18

AQUARIUS

Are you ready to take action and get to work, Aquarius? An unexpect ed home project has fallen into your lap, and it will take some e ort to get it all done.

19/MAR 20

PISCES

You could wind up learning something simply by letting the wind take you where it will, Pisces. Firm plans are unnecessary this week.

Could those deaths have been prevented?

Possibly, and with the help of a drug known as Naloxone, a counter meas ure used bring a person out of a druginduced state, the chances are greater.

Cindy Nichols is an educator with Northern Health, one of the agencies that took part in an open house event at Festival Plaza Aug. 31.

As part of its display was a 15-minute online exam that certified a person on Naloxone – to know the signs of a po tential overdose, what actions to take and, if necessary, administer the drug properly.

“I think it’s extremely important. The

“The absolutely best way to do that is to go onto naloxonetraining.com where you’ll find the full course. You can watch the videos. They’ll ask you questions. You then get a certificate which you can either print off or screenshot.

Nichols points out there’s no charge for the kits once you’re certified. Just show them your ticket.

“Supplies are free. You can get them from Northern Health, the hospital, pub lic health, mental health & addictions, from the pharmacies. The Women’s Re source has them, the Friendship Centre, but pharmacies are usually the best.”

Health Link B.C. has detailed infor mation on its website on naloxone and the kits.

— with files from The Canadian Press

DAVE LUENEBERG PHOTO

BE FIRE SMART — Taylor firefighter Josh Carrell and his counterparts visited schools this month to discuss fire safety as part of Fire Prevention Week across the country.

Picking up my journey with prostate cancer

By Evan Saugstad

Two more minutes, 47 steps, I can do it.

I can make it, I kept repeating to myself.

I was lying stretched out on the bed of a linear accelerator at the BC Cancer Centre in Prince George, the machine rotating back and forth above me as it delivered another high energy zap to a precise spot near where my prostate used to reside.

This was round two, so to speak. My prostate had been surgically removed in 2019 but had not succeeded in ridding me of my cancer. It was 2022 and I was now receiving one of 33 external beam radiation therapy treatments, or EBRT for short. No moving, no twitches allowed, as the x-ray beam shot through my body seeking the cancer where my doctors thought it was hiding. Full bladder and an empty rectum are mandatory requirements to ensure the beam does not destroy or damage any of my still good and useful parts.

An overly full bladder was my present concern, with limited ability to hold back because of nerve damage, a byproduct of surgery. Keeping the valves from spontaneously opening was the issue. No one, including me, wished to see what a full bladder could do to the psyche of everyone involved. I knew, and had reminded staff several times, that once started, I had no stop left in me, and in this case “mind over matter” does not work.

“Click,” went the machine

EVAN SAUGSTAD

as it turned off and settled back into it resting spot.

“Only one more minute to go,” I thought, as I began bouncing up and down trying to assert some command over my situation.

On came the lights and the technicians entered back into the room. “Wait, wait, we must lower the bed… don’t fall, watch out for your head…,” said one as I began my hasty exit from the bed a bit ahead of their protocols.

“Sorry, been climbing mountains for years and I have to go,” I replied, and with that, the 47 steps, partially dressed, back through the lobby and into an unoccupied bathroom.

How do I spell relief? EM-P-T-Y. I still wonder why the designers of the cancer centre made patients walk so far to find the bathroom, knowing many have 105% full bladder by the end of this process.

n n n

My journey with prostate cancer started rather innocuously in August 2014. I was in the middle of a driver’s license medical examination when my doctor asked, “Ever had a PSA test?” My prostate was surgically removed five years later, in June 2019.

Later that year, I chose to tell the story about my experiences for Movember, Men’s Health Month. The first four parts of my story

were published in Alaska Highway News in November 2019, and part five in November 2021.

I left off last November waiting for a bone scan to determine whether shadows in my pelvis from a previous CT scan were cancer or not.

It’s an important bit of information as if one’s cancer has moved from soft tissue into bone, then the next steps are more limited, and come with an acknowledgement that cancer is winning.

Last December, I had another chat with my doctor. Good news, as the previous month’s bone scan showed nothing to indicate cancer. The not-so-good news was that my PSA (prostatespecific antigen) was still climbing and nearing the point where EBRT may no longer be effective.

Once again, it was time to move past my waiting and watching phase. It was time to go to Prince George for the six-plus weeks of what I soon would know amounted as a medically acceptable form of torture. No, not talking about the machine, as that is painless.

It was also time to get my COVID booster and a flu shot to help minimize the chance I could be sick during treatments, as either could unnecessarily delay treatments.

An early trip to Prince George in January 2022 got things started, with usual winter conditions in the Pine Pass, only two vehicles upside down.

After a couple of years of phone calls, I finally got to meet my oncologist face-

to-face and be readied for treatment. First, three small tattoos were placed on my belly to ensure the CT and linear accelerator machines would always be lined up and conducted to and from the same spot, and at the same angle throughout the 33 treatments. Then, a preliminary scan to allow the doctor to determine the best angle and intensity for the radiation beam, one that would avoid the bladder and rectum.

My first CT scan confirmed my bladder was 90%+ full, which set the standard for all subsequent scans, and my rectum empty. But I soon found out that it’s not always as easy to have both ready on schedule, and especially challenging without some of the nerves that control bladder function.

I got through this first trial on time and with no issues, but it did give my “Kegel” muscles a workout in maintaining control of an overly full bladder. Kegel exercise, for those who don’t know, is where one uses their pelvic floor muscles to help control bladder function.

I will continue writing about my journey next week. Please support Movember as Men’s Health Month, give generously, and help fund cancer research. If you are over 40 and have not had a PSA test, ask your doctor to prescribe one. If you wish to skip that part, book your own appointment, pay the $35 and get your own.

It could save your life.

Evan Saugstad lives and writes in Fort St. John.

LETTERS

Faith, did we have it or lose it?

By John Grady

It is great when we can attend church and listen to a sermon on the patriarchs of our faith, or read the word, and gloss over it as it refers to a biblical figure of centuries ago without personalizing it for ourselves.

It can be like a history lesson in school, as we can critique the person involved by going back to their time, culture, and circumstances.

The good news for us is we don’t have own it, but let’s try and place ourselves into just one of the biblical characters and examine our honest response.

Let’s pretend that instead of speaking to Abraham in Genesis 12 the Lord said the following to you or me, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

It is probably fair to assume the second part of the above statement most of us would probably accept without a lot understanding or clarity. There would, of course, be questions of exactly what it all meant. In fact, it really had little to do with Abraham because it was all about what God was going to do. Before we could get to the second part of the statement, we would need to unconditionally accept the first.

There are two key words the Lord spoke that we would need to not only accept but fulfill to realize the second part. The words “LEAVE” and “GO” could be a real stumbling block for most of us, and would we not ask: Leave my job? Leave my extended family? Leave my home? Leave my pension? Leave my friends? Leave all that I have attained? Go where? Go when? Go how? Go for how long? Go permanently? Go without WiFi?

Maybe it is a polite way of stating that if we don’t have all the facts that make sense to us, and we are not in full control then it is not for us and it is not from the Lord. Maybe that is what separates us from Abram who “left as the Lord told him.”

What are some of the issues Abram had to deal with in obedience to the Lord? Extreme famine in the land of Canaan and going to Egypt because of the famine only to later return. Pretending his wife was his sister. Having his name changed to Abraham. Separating himself from his nephew Lot only to later rescue Lot. Entering into a covenant with the Lord. Believing the Lord that at his age of 100 and his wife Sarah who was well past the age of childbearing would birth a son Isaac. Deciding that Hagar made more sense. Interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Accepting all the promises the Lord gave him without seeing them coming into fruition.

It is one thing to walk in submission to the Lord but as Abraham and other biblical heroes could testify there are challenges and a price to pay in following the Lord, but they would all confirm that all of the Lord’s ways and promises are true and worthy to be followed. Let us determine to walk, like Abraham by faith in obedience to Him.

John Grady lives and writes in Fort St. John.

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Last Horse Standing releases rst LP

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Like most things, after a dec ade, things have a tendency to change – no exception for a Fort St. John-based musical act.

“We started the band for a folk fest in Hudson’s Hope we wanted to play and I had just started writing songs at the time,” recalls Joseph te Bulte, lead vocalist and founding member of the group Last Horse Standing.

“So, Simon [Andrews], one of the guys who’s still with me now, we started playing back then and the band has evolved, different players over the years.”

In May, the group under went another transition, add ing bass guitarist/stand up bassist Andy Charters and Dawson Creek’s Jason Pratt, a drummer and percussionist. Andrews remains on board as lead guitar/vocalist.

Their sound, te Bulte ad mits, has also evolved into what he considers a folk rock/ alternative country mix with about 60% of its playlist fea turing original music.

In late 2019, the band began recording tracks for its in augural album, Get It Wrong ,

working through the pandem ic, completing the project this past February.

It was unveiled at an album release party last month.

“Our title track is called Get It Wrong . The idea behind that is not taking yourself too seriously and laughing at the really hard moments in life. Just trying to be lighthearted,” explains te Bulte.

“We’ve got everything on this record. We’ve got a spirit ual song, My Fortress . We’ve got a storytelling song about a friend who’s passed away, a blues man. Some songs about explorers. The main gist of it is rural life, life in the north, real people, real experiences.”

It’s the first full-length al bum for Last Horse Standing since the band released an EP recording in 2016.

The new album has taken the better part of six years.

“It took us a while to come up with ten songs we all really liked, weeded out the other ones along the way.”

Te Bulte was asked why it took so long.

“We all have jobs...fam ilies,” he joked.

Full details on the new al bum can be found on the group’s website, lasthorse standing.ca

Validity of PRRD election results challenged

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

The Peace River Regional Dis trict has announced it’s look ing into the results of the recent municipal election in Area C. In a statement released late last Tuesday afternoon, it said: “After careful review of election records, the Chief Elections Of ficer has determined that it is necessary to submit an appli cation to challenge the validity of the election due to evidence of persons voting when not en titled to vote in Electoral Area C.” The statement continued: “Elections documentation indicates that a small num

ber of electors from outside of Area C voted in the election by mistake. There is no evidence to indicate this was done pur posefully to undermine the validity of the election. How ever, due to the closeness of the election results, the small number of ineligible ballots may have determined the overall election result and the validity of the election must be challenged.”

Electoral Area C election results following a re-count of the preliminary election re sults declared on October 15, 2022 show a new election result for Electoral Area C. Suzanne Haab: 234; Brad Sperling: 231

Just what the new result means was also clarified in the the for mal statement by the PRRD:

“Upon review of this appli cation, the Supreme Court will decide whether a new election must be held in Area C only. This application will not chal lenge the validity of the elec tion in Area B or any of the five assent votes. Suzanne Haab will take office as Electoral Area Director for Area C until such time as the Supreme Court issues a decision.”

Shortly afterwards, the regional district released the numbers of a second count of Area B. Jordan Kealy has been confirmed as the winner.

Volunteers pack Xmas in a shoebox

Matt Preprost editor@ahnfsj.ca

Hundreds of shoeboxes stuffed to the brim with Christmas toys will soon be shipped from Fort St. John to children in need around the world.

Dozens of volunteers were once again busy at the Peace Lutheran Church on Saturday filling the boxes with soaps and stuffed animals, toothbrushes and combs, sunglasses and school supplies.

It’s part of Operation Christ mas Child, and the boxes will be sent to impoverished places in the Ukraine and the Philip pines, and wherever else they are needed.

“It’s satisfaction for them that they’re doing something for somebody else,” said or ganizer Kathy Thorlakson of the bustling group of volun teers, many of them young children, and who herself began filling shoeboxes with the Catholic church 30 years ago.

“That’s where I started get ting involved,” she said. “Then we packed boxes over at the care home, and then it grew

so then we started doing it down here.”

But it was trip to Nicaragua to deliver boxes in person that brought the reality of the mis sion home for her.

“It was fabulous. It just re inforced that I wanted to do more,” said Thorlakson.

Hundreds more shoeboxes are expected to be filled by lo cal churches and other groups in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek in the coming weeks.

Organizers say it wouldn’t be possible without the sup port of people donating sup plies or handmade trinkets to include in the boxes.

“The whole senior com munity really comes on board with donations,” said w. “We had one gentleman, he went and he made these special lit tle necklaces and there’s one for every child, a little tiny heart necklace.

“It’s a great way to get in volved if you want to do some thing in the community,” she said. “This is such a generous community, that as soon as people hear the word, they’re like what can I do, how can I help?”

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Last Horse Standing is Joseph te Bulte on lead vocals and guitar, Simon Andrews on lead and slide guitar and backing vocals. Touring members include Andy Charters on bass and backing vocals, and Jason Pratt on drums and percussion.

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

Justin and Sarah Brown were out at Peace Lutheran Church on Oct. 22 to help with Operation Christmas Child, along with their children Tillie, 10, Gwen, 8, Cora, 6, Lucy, 4, and Sam, four months.

B.C. pulp and paper sector is in crisis

Nelson Bennett nbennett@biv.com

By the end of this year, after Paper Excel lence indefinitely shuts down its paper mill in Crofton, B.C. will have lost 58% of its paper production capacity and 13% of its pulp mill capacity, according to David Elstone of the Spar Tree Group.

“With only 16 pulp or paper mills in total in British Columbia, and 25% al ready or soon to be curtailed, there is no denying this sector is in crisis,” he writes.

There is such a severe fibre supply shortage now that, if it isn’t fixed im mediately, two to three pulp mills could shut down by Christmas, warns Joe Nemeth, project manager for the BC Pulp and Paper Coalition.

“You will see two or three more pulp mills -- in addition to what have already been shut – will be shutting in the next 90 to 120 days,” Nemeth said.

Pulp mills typically want a cushion of 45 days of chips and logs, Nemeth said.

“A whole bunch of the mills are down to five days or less,” he said. “They are hand-to-mouth as we speak. One hic cup and they’re down.”

Pulp and paper mills are major em ployers and economic anchors for many B.C. communities. They typically em ploy 400 people or more, and pulp mill workers are well-paid, many making six figures. So when a pulp mill shuts down, it can be devastating for a community.

The Crofton paper mill, which is to be indefinitely curtailed by the end of this year, will be the third Paper Excellence pulp or paper mill to shut down in two years. In December 2021, Paper Excel lence announced that a temporary cur

tailment of its paper mill in Powell River would become indefinite. In 2020, its pulp mill in Mackenzie was indefinitely curtailed and then permanently shut tered in 2021. West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. recently announced a 16-day cur tailment at its Cariboo Pulp and Paper mill in Quesnel. And Elstone warns that the Taylor pulp mill may have a “tenu ous future.” That mill, owned by Can for Pulp Products, has been curtailed since earlier this year, mainly due to rail transportation problems, and Canfor now says it may not restart the mill until next spring.

Pulp mills are major contributors to the forest economy. At $3.9 billion in 2021, pulp and paper was B.C.’s fourth most valuable export. Pulp and paper account for 20% of B.C.’s forest sector GDP and 34% of the total value of forest products exports, according to the BC Pulp and Paper Coalition. The sector supports 11,000 high paying jobs in B.C.

While a declining paper market is partly to blame for the shuttering of paper mills in B.C., the same can’t be said for pulp mills and pulp mar kets. Pulp prices are currently about 25% above long-term average prices, Nemeth said.

“Today, if you can make pulp, you’re making money,” he said.

But pulp mill operators in B.C. are dealing with supply chain problems related to rail capacity and fibre supply shortages. There is a fibre supply defi cit of about four million cubic metres, Nemeth said, largely due to sawmill closures and curtailments. Sawmills and pulp and paper mills have a symbi otic relationship. They need each other, and a shrinking timber supply in B.C.

has resulted in numerous permanent sawmill closures over the past decade. These sawmill closures are now hav ing a predicted knock-on effect on pulp and paper mills. And when pulp mills go down, it can also have an impact on the remaining sawmills. “Sawmills do not have a physical outlet for their chips and bark and hog (fuel),” Nemeth said. “If the pulp mills go down, they will shut. It takes three to four sawmills to supply enough chips for a pulp mill, on average. So if two or three pulp mills go down, they’ll take 10 sawmills with it. If 10 sawmills go down, they’ll take two or three pulp mills with it.”

Over the last two decades, infesta tions of mountain pine and spruce beetle, and forest fires, have eliminated massive amounts of timber, reducing the annual allowable cut (AAC). Longterm, the AAC is expected to decline from 61.6 million cubic metres to 51 million cubic metres by 2030. The NDP government’s new old growth protec tion strategy will also remove a signifi cant chunk of the AAC. Last year, two forestry analysts, Jim Girvan and Rob Schuetz, predicted that if all of the forest policies being considered at that time by the B.C. government were imple mented -- including old growth defer rals and new caribou habitat protection laws -- up to 10 sawmills and three pulp and paper facilities could go down.

So far, there have been no major saw mill closures since that report, Girvan said, but the majors have eliminated entire shifts at several large sawmills, which is tantamount to sawmill clos ures. Shifts have been eliminated at the Fraser Lake mill, Williams Lake and Quesnel plywood plant, Girvan said.

“These are really big mills. They fun damentally reduced capacity across three of their four biggest mills in the in terior, and then Canfor – Plateau – took a shift off.” These curtailments hap pened when lumber prices were still fairly high. And now that lumber prices have fallen, more curtailments could be coming. When sawmills shut down or curtail production, pulp mills lose an essential input – sawmill waste, which helps explain why there are now so many curtailments happening at pulp and paper mills in B.C.

In addition to sawmill waste, both pulp mills and wood pellet mills can use harvest waste from logging, but a lot of that harvest waste is still simply being piled up and burned in slash piles. The BC Pulp and Paper Coalition estimates there could be 1.2 million cubic metres of timber waste that could be going to pulp mills. So why aren’t pulp mills re covering that waste? Nemeth said it’s a combination of costs and regulations that prevent the pulp and pellet indus tries from accessing harvest waste. The way logging companies do the sorting in the bush is just one example.

“They do a lot of the merchanizing out in the bush,” Nemeth explained. “A faller drops a tree, and let’s say it’s 500 metres away from the road. A mechan ical piece of equipment goes in there, cuts off the top, cuts off the flared bot tom, de-limbs it, and then brings it roadside – just brings in cut-to-length pieces they’re using for sawlogs.

“So a lot of the wood that we could use is left out in the cutblock. Today, for the forest companies, it’s cheaper for them to burn it than to actually salvage it.”

-Business in Vancouver

New Halfway school gym

Construction is underway on a new gym for students at Upper Halfway school.

The education ministry announced $5.72 million for the project last August, and said in a release last month that construction is expected to be completed in fall 2023.

“School District 60 is excited by the opportunities the new gym will bring for our students at Upper Halfway and the community in general,” said Helen Gilbert, chair of the Peace River North School District board, in a statement.

“The gym will allow

for expanded physical education offerings year round.”

According to the ministry, the school was originally built in 1960 with no gym. Students from the Halfway River First Nation and surrounding Russian- and Germanspeaking communities have been using the local community hall for indoor activities.

The new gym is being built to LEED Gold environmental standards, and will be both accessible and include features such as a servery to support community gatherings, the province said.

“A great school is

at the heart of every strong community, and our government’s work to invest in schools is one of the many ways we’re making life better for families in B.C.,” said education minister Jennifer Whiteside in a statement.

School District 60 is contributing nearly $29,000 to the project, according the ministry.

About 65% of the students at Upper Halfway identify as Indigenous, and many are English Language Learners as their primary language is not English or is a nonstandard dialect, according to the ministry.

ATV thefts investigated

Fort St. John police are warning the public to secure their quads and trailers after a spike in thefts over the past six weeks.

In a news release, RCMP say multiple thefts have occurred in the city and in the Charlie Lake area.

Earlier this month, police say they were alerted to a theft of a trailer with two quads on it shortly after noon, “in broad daylight.”

RCMP say in several instances the thieves have stolen the machines while stored on trailers.

“It is likely that these thefts are being conducted by a group of organized and experienced thieves,” said Const. Chad Neustaeter. “Public awareness and education can help owners protect their property, removing the temptation and preventing opportunities for thieves to continue stealing ATV/UTVs.”

The crime reduction unit is prioritizing the string of thefts and investigating potential suspects, RCMP said.

In the meantime, police are asking residents to take “proactive steps” in protecting their property by:

- insuring your ATV/ UTV, - removing a necessary fuse, install a “kill switch” or remove the battery, removing the keys from the ignition and keeping them in a different location than the UTV, - removing them from trailers and securing them in a garage or shed, somewhere out of sight,

- securing trailers with trailer hitch locks and even chaining them to large trees or something heavy or immobile, - storing them behind a fence with a locked gate,

- parking strategically to block trailers with other vehicles to ensure they cannot be accessed.

In the event an ATV/ UTV or trailer is stolen, RCMP are recommending residents file a police report, providing an accurate vehicle description including a photo, make, model, and VIN number, as well as applicable licence plate numbers, and a description of any unique features or aftermarket parts.

Anyone with information on the recent thefts is asked to call RCMP at 250-787-8100 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.northernbccrimestoppers.ca.

HANA DAVIES/MATT PREPROST PHOTOS

Hana Davies and Venice Aspi (left), and Maegan Guliov with Wendy Clayson of the Seniors Hall during a chili fundraiser Oct. 21 to cover the cost of the hall’s property taxes. The students gave their support during the lunch rush through their Charis Fundraising group.

from Glen Kirkpatrick, to the loyal clients of Arrow Insurance

has been a privilege and an honour to serve your insurance needs for the past 41 years.

Thank you for placing your trust in me and my dedicated and professional sta , whom have played a very big part in the success of my business.

Nelson Bennett nbennett@biv.com

For more than a decade, oil and gas companies developing pipelines and liquefied nat ural gas projects in B.C. have been signing impact benefits agreements with First Nation affected by the projects.

Now, two First Nations de veloping their own LNG pro jects – the Haisla and Nisga’a – have signed an agreement with the Halfway First Nation in the Fort St. John area that acknowledges, and attempts to redress, the negative im pacts natural gas extraction has on Halfway River First Na tion territory.

The three nations have signed a “first of its kind” memorandum of understand ing (MOU) that seeks to ad dress the adverse impacts of natural gas extraction and provide opportunities for the Halfway River First Nation to participate in nature-based solutions, like forestry carbon credits, as well as renewable energy and other decarboni sation projects, such as carbon capture and storage and hy drogen production.

“This historic MOU is the first time First Nations gov ernments have formally recognized the upstream/ downstream ecological im pact of one nation’s economic development activities on an

other nation’s territories and way of life, and the first time a group of nations have formally committed to working togeth er to find solutions to these impacts,” the signatories say in a joint news release.

Both the Haisla and Nisga’a are developing their own LNG projects. In Kitimat, the Hais la are developing the Cedar LNG project, in partnership with Pembina Pipeline Corp.

The Nisga’a are behind the Ksi Lisims project near Prince Ru pert, in partnership with Rock ies LNG Limited Partnership and Western LNG LLC.

The natural gas to feed these new LNG terminals

would come from the natural gas rich region of northeastern B.C. The Halfway River First Nation, northwest of Fort St. John, are among the Treaty 8 First Nations whose territor ies have been negatively af fected by years of natural gas extraction.

The MOU signed between the three First Nations is part of the First Nations Climate In itiative (FNCI).

“For decades, Halfway River First Nation has felt first-hand the devastating impacts of oil and gas projects that have been developed to meet the broader needs of society,” the news release states. “Together,

the FNCI nations are creating pathways for environmental and economic reconciliation to address the fact that na tions like Halfway River have felt the brunt of heavy industry on their lands, but none of its benefits.”

The First Nations Climate Initiative (FNCI)is an initia tive of the Haisla, Metlakatla, and Nisga’a nations.

It has been submitted to provincial and federal govern ments and is intended “to en hance federal and provincial government climate policies and programs while contribut ing to reconciliation with First Nations through economic

self-determination and en suring that First Nations play a central role in the emerging decarbonized economy.”

Broadly, the FNCI seeks to “provide the infrastructure to more rapidly advance a de carbonized economy here in Canada while exporting re sources and systems to the countries that will collectively have the largest positive im pact on the climate.”

Proposed initiatives in the FNCI include:

- a new forest carbon offset protocol, with “carbon tax dol lars” to be invested in forest carbon projects;

- expansion of the 500 kilo volt northwest transmission grid;

- production of low carbon hydrogen from natural gas; and

- tax incentives and govern ment investment in new tech nologies like direct air carbon capture, and bio energy car bon capture and storage pro jects (BECCS).

“The new Forest Carbon Offset Protocol in British Col umbia has the potential to facilitate large scale First Na tions led nature based solu tion (NBS) carbon projects in B.C.,” the FNCI states.

Details of the MOU and the FNCI was to be discussed at a three-day round table October 18 to 20 in Vancouver.

-Business in Vancouver

Nelson Bennett nbennett@biv.com

Western Canada has an abundance of natural gas, and Europe, especially Germany, could really use some right now. But the only major liquefied nat ural gas export terminal under con struction in Canada right now — LNG Canada in Kitimat — is still two or three years away from shipping LNG, and it faces West and Asia, not East and Europe.

With an energy crisis threatening to plunge Europe into energy poverty and recession, Canadians are naturally in clined to want to help. But the reality is that the only natural gas produced in Western Canada likely to make it to Eur ope will be through the U.S., which has seven operating LNG export terminals and another five under construction, though any LNG shipped from B.C. to Asia could free up volumes from other producers to go to Europe.

During a media site tour in Kitimat, LNG Canada CEO Jason Klein provid ed a progress update on the $40-billion project, and fielded questions from reporters.

He was asked if the Kitimat terminal project is on budget and on schedule, whether there is any way the project could be sped up, and when a final in vestment decision might be made on phase 2, which would double export volumes from 14 million tonnes a year to 28 million.

Phase 1 of the project in Kitimat is

now 70% complete, and the associated Coastal GasLink pipeline is 75% com plete, though over budget.

Earlier this year, TC Energy, which is building the natural gas pipeline from northeastern B.C. to Kitimat, an nounced the cost of building the pipe line has nearly doubled, from $6.6 billion to $11.2 billion.

The total budget for the LNG Can ada project has been estimated at $40 billion, including the terminal in Kiti mat, CGL and upstream natural gas assets. The cost of the terminal project in Kitimat has been widely reported to be $17 billion to $18 billion – a figure LNG Canada has never confirmed or corrected. Asked if the terminal project itself is on time and on schedule, Klein suggested it was.

“The pipeline has had almost a 100% cost overrun,” Klein said. “That’s not our experience here. All in all, our partners are happy with where we’re at. We had contingencies to manage uncertainties. Overall, we’re comfort able with where we’re at.”

LNG Canada’s partners are Royal Dutch Shell, which owns a 40% stake in the project, Petronas (25%), PetroChina (15%), Mitsubishi (15%) and Korea Gas Corp. (5%). The prime contractor on the project is JGC Fluor. To date, $3.8 billion has been spent through local suppliers and contractors. A total of 5,500 workers are currently employed at the site. Only 1% of the workforce are from outside of Canada, LNG Canada officials said.They are housed in Cedar Valley Lodge, which can accommo

date up 4,500 workers and has a com plex with all the amenities of a town, including a Starbucks (the only one in Kitimat), a convenience store, basket ball and squash courts, golf simulators, games rooms, a 200-metre running track, indoor rock-climbing wall, fit ness centres, a pub, a yoga studio, and therapy dogs.

Significant progress was made this year, Klein said. At the beginning of the year, about the only major visible piece of infrastructure was a large LNG storage tank. Since then, various mod ules from China, Italy, and Indonesia have been arriving by ship “almost on a weekly basis,” Klein said.

Some of the modules are monstrous processors, eight- to 10-storeys high, which remove impurities from natural gas before it can be chilled to minus 160 degrees Celsius to turn it into li quid. It takes several of these massive processing modules for each “train.” Phase 1 calls for two trains.

By the middle of 2023, all the pro cessing modules should be in place, and the workforce in Kitimat will ramp up to 7,500, Klein said.

A mammoth LNG storage tank that’s 52-metres high, 92 metres in diameter, and lined with a special nickel-steel alloy capable of withstanding minus 160 degrees Celsius temperatures is still being completed. It will store up to 225,000 cubic metres of liquefied nat ural gas. It will be the second largest LNG export storage tank in the world.

-Business in Vancouver

SUPPLIED PHOTO

Chief Darlene Hunter, Halfway River First Nation, left, and Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla, sign MOU.

NELSON BENNETT PHOTO

LNG Canada CEO Jason Klein gives progress update on massive LNG terminal project.

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Scaring is caring this Halloween

Dave Lueneberg sports@ahnfsj.ca

Families looking for spooks this Halloween will certainly leave white as a ghost from one local house of horrors, and all for a good cause.

Sherry Spencer and the staff at Tropical Tanning Studio have been busy turning the otherwise bright and cheery salon into a dark and creepy haunted house.

With entry by cash donation at the door, Spencer will be raising funds to help the Women’s Resource Society.

“Times are tough and a lot of people are struggling,” says Spencer. “This is a way I thought the community could come together and help out as well,

and enjoy some Halloween fun with their families.”

Each of the salon’s rooms has been turned into a theme room; one for zombies, one for Frankenstein, one for Pennywise the Clown… and the tanning beds turned into coffins, open if you dare to jump with a scare.

Survive the walk through and be treated to candy at the end.

“I have lots of candy to hand out,” says Spencer. “I hope to see everybody here. They’re going to get scared.”

The haunted house opens at 5 p.m. on Halloween at 9133 96A Street.

Perishable food items for the women’s centre are also welcomed.

For more info, call Spencer at 250-787-1887.

More autumn weather records

Dawson Creek and Fort St. John broke daytime high temperatures for the hottest Oct. 17 on record last week.

It might have just been above the freezing mark in parts of the Peace that Monday morning, but rising temperatures later in the day proved to be record-breaking.

Both Fort St. John and Dawson Creek reached new daytime highs for

Oct. 17 – Fort St. John’s 22.3 degrees surpassed the old mark of 19.4 set in 1942, while Dawson Creek’s 25.5 beat the old 2018 benchmark of 20.7.

In all, 11 temperature records were broken Ot. 17 including by over five degrees in Mackenzie from the 2018 record of 14.9 to 20.1 and Prince George, where a 100-year-old record was shattered. The new mark: 21.6 degrees, up from 18.9.

MATT PREPROST PHOTO

Sherry Spencer and her staff at Tropical Tanning Studio are setting up spooks for the community this Halloween.