North Island Gazette, January 03, 2013 by Black Press Media Group

GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND

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47th Year No. 01 THURS., JANUARY 3, 2013

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2012 — a big year* The Big Event

The big trophy

J.R. Rardon

The big anniversary

The big ‘quake

Clockwise from top left: •Willie Mitchell hoists the Stanley Cup in Port McNeill in August; •Carol and Bruce Dirom of Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish acknowledge cheers during the Big Event in February; •Emergency workers in Port Hardy monitor a tsunami warning and evacuation in October; •Telegraph Cove hosts a delegation from Port Hardy’s sister city of Numata, Japan, as part of it’s 100th anniversary in July.

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Port McNeill woman injured in crash

Tow truck operators Andy Yachuk and Donnie Lawrence return a chainsaw to Adam Dmetrichuk while Craig Dmetrichuk looks on at the site of a traffic accident on J.R. Rardon Hwy. 19 north of Port McNeill Dec. 27.

Gazette staff PORT McNEILL—A single-vehicle accident on Dec. 27 sent a Port McNeill woman to hospital for treatment and observation and left Highway 19 closed briefly. Shelley Dmetrichuk was driving northbound on Hwy. 19 when her compact sedan hit an icy patch on a sweeping curve just before the Cluxewe River bridge. The car slid down the banked roadway and across the southbound lane, then bounced over a curb. Spinning around in a 180-degree turn, the

car continued down a shallow, 15-meter slope before dropping suddenly off an embankment, rolling once and shearing off an alder tree before coming to rest on its wheels three metres below the lip of the bank. “She’s got a nasty bump on the head, and they’re looking her over,” Craig Dmetrichuk, Shelley’s husband, said as he stood next to the ambulance with the couple’s son, Adam, at the Cluxewe Resort Road turnoff. “It looks like she’ll be OK.” Andy Yachuk of Landon

Collision had affixed a tow chain to the vehicle, but had to wait for a second tow truck and winch to haul the car out of the low depression. After borrowing a chainsaw from Adam Dmetrichuk to saw away a couple of alders, Yachuk and Donnie Lawrence were able to winch the sedan back up the hill and onto the roadbed where Yachuk could load it onto his truck’s flatbed. After letting the ambulance pass to transport Shelley Dmetrichuk to Port McNeill, RCMP

officers blocked traffic in both directions while the car was winched to the road and loaded for transport. Yachuk said the accident followed a similar crash two days earlier on Hwy. 19 just north of the Hwy. 30 junction to Port Alice, in which a truck left the roadway and rolled. RCMP and DriveBC both urge motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads, particularly during periods of overnight freezing followed by daytime thaw.

2012 Year in Review

Kicking off 2012 with a refreshing dip before 2012’s jump Gazette staff High winds forced was called off. Later in the month, the a rare cancellation of Port Hardy’s annu- ‘Namgis First Nation al Polar Bear Jump closed-containment Sunday, but 20 souls aquaculture project braved the waters in slated for constructed Port McNeill’s Polar near Port McNeill was given an Bear Swim $800,000 b e f o r e b o o s t onlookers from the bundled in toques, January gloves and rain gear at Port McNeill Aquaculture Innovation Harbour. And one Port Hardy and Market Access family opted to hold Program (AIMAP). “The ‘Namgis are its own impromptu New Year’s swim in people of the salmon, the choppy surf of having fished the waters Storey’s Beach after of Northern Vancouver the traditional leap Island for thousands from Seagate Wharf of years,” said Chief Bill Cranmer. “We was scrapped. Heather Jones and believe First Nations daughters Claire and are particularly wellLaura frolicked in positioned to embrace the surf along with this economic opporHeather’s sister, Ann tunity.” Smart meters were Cooper of Vancouver. Claire Jones jumped also being discussed, from the wharf during appearing on the agenthe 2011 Port Hardy das of all three TriPolar Bear Jump and port councils as a BC representahad been looking for- Hydro ward to a repeat leap tive made his rounds

Year in Review

2012

Above: Michael Wickstrom leads the charge as swimmers braved the waters off Port McNeill during the annual Polar Bear Swim. Right: Nathan Sandeman pushes Brandon Tobin during a pro-d day sledding outing in Port Hardy. J.R. Rardon

“putting out the fires” caused by rumours and misinformation about the wireless devices. There were dissenting

voices on the issue too, with Rick Kirkpatrick, an opponent of the meters, appearing with delegation status in

c a p s u l e

Port Hardy and asking council to take another look at the new technology.

c o m m e n t s

This is the time of year to make resolutions to change our lives for the better. It’s also good to resolve to make someone else’s life better too. If you know someone who is lonely or depressed, why not reach out and bring that person to your home for dinner. It will make you both feel better. One of the most common resolutions people make for the New Year is to lose weight and to exercise regularly. Ironically, the latter certainly does help the weight-loss goal. Regular exercise is like taking a pill that’s good for many ailments. It helps control and prevent problems like heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes and insomnia. It’s never too late to start an exercise program. Speaking of depression, it does seem more prevalent at this time of year. There are many reasons for it but sometimes it just the lack of light during the short days of winter. Ask our pharmacists about light therapy. Often simply sitting under a special light for a 30 minutes daily can help banish the blues.

Come in and check out our

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Try to keep your hands away from your nose and mouth at this time of year. These two areas are where bacteria and viruses can easily enter the body. You don’t want your ﬁngers to inoculate yourself with colds and ﬂu. Another year has gone by and I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2013. Thank you for all your kind comments about this column. We look forward to serving you throughout the coming year with great service by our great staff. Happy New Year!

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

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Locals back Hardy Buoys

Whitney Murgatroyd soars to Footloose during Port McNeill Figure Skating Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bi-annual Ice Carnival, Under the Big Top, at Chilton Regional Arena. J.R. Rardon

Big business blues Gazette staff February saw ups and downs for North Island businesses. CBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Decision came to film in Port Hardy as Hardy Buoys battled for its survival, and owners Bruce and Carol Dirom announced the planned Big Event. The show features Dragonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Den star Arlene Dickinson working with struggling, but established Canadian businesses to offer advice and maybe even investment cash â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if certain criteria is met. In Hardy Buoysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; case, that was to organize and host a community event that drew attention to the North Island.

North Islanders were shocked when Fields announced that it would be closing its doors nationwide later in the year. Employees at the stores in Port Hardy

Year in Review February

2012 and Port McNeill were left uncertain of their futures as the company announced that the stores would be closed by autumn, but could not confirm how many employees would be left out of work. The news followed

the closure of at least seven other North Island businesses in the preceding months, and MLA Claire Trevena echoed the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concern. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you talk about big stores, like Fields, pulling out itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really beyond our control and problematic,â&#x20AC;? she said. Another Port Hardy business closed in February as a fire leveled Tomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen on Market Street, injuring five firefighters who responded to the blaze. Of the five firefighters who were injured because of icy conditions, two were treated by BC Ambulance on scene and one other was treated at the Port Hardy Hospital.

Gazette staff In what was arguably the biggest spectacle on the North Island during the past 50 years, the Big Community Event went off in grand fashion and without a hitch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was blown away by the turnout â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I was overwhelmed by it,â&#x20AC;? said Carol Dirom, who, with husband Bruce, owns Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated more than 2,000 people showed at the Port Hardy Civic Centre to take part in the event, which was all part of the CBC show, the Big Decision, aiming to save the distressed Hardy Buoys. More than two dozen former Indian Residential School students took steps toward healing while leaving an historic record for succeeding generations in March when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada arrived on North Vancouver Island. The commission took both public and private testimony at the Kwakiutl Band gymnasium, as cameras and voice recorders catalogued the grief, anger and demands for justice from the participants. A local carver completed his most ambi-

Vjecko Zima strikes a pose during the Bras for a Cause fashion show in Port McNeill. J.R. Rardon

tious project, a 42-foot, Argentina, and was ded10-inch totem pole that icated in a ceremony on was nearly a year in the Canada Day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It could making. be a lifeBut the changing brightly event, to decorated tell you the cedar log March truth,â&#x20AC;? said still had a Hunt, whose long road to largest pretravel. vious totem Stan Hunt and a crew of family was a 20-foot pole that members and other vol- stands at the nearby unteer workers loaded health clinic. Hundreds of North the pole, estimated at between 7,000 and Island students looked 8,000 pounds, onto a on as Minister of George flatbed Saturday at his Education Abbott and local First backyard â&#x20AC;&#x153;studio.â&#x20AC;? It then began a mean- Nations leaders and renewed dering journey to Canada educators Square in Buenos Aires, a historic pact dur-

Year in Review

2012

ing a ceremony in the Kwakiutl Big House. The second Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement will run through the 2016-17 school year. Signatories hope it will continue the successes of the initial agreement, which saw the six-year completion rate for Aboriginal students in public schools increase by 12 per cent. The last Vancouver Island chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving shut its doors for good. Citing low interest, the president said he recently made the decision to close the local chapter of MADD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to have to fold it up because there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough people to sit as directors,â&#x20AC;? said Norm Prince of the chapter he helped start in 2001. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody sees the need for MADD, but to take that extra step to become responsible for running it, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to work.â&#x20AC;?

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Working Group points the way on health Gazette staff The Mt. Waddington Local Working Group established last Fall to develop a community-led plan to strengthen and stabilize health services in Mt. Waddington presented its report and recommendations this week to senior leaders with the Vancouver Island Health Authority. “VIHA welcomes the Local Working Group’s (LWG) report and recommendations and we are committed to supporting accessible and sustainable health care services on the North Island, recognizing that additional measures are urgently needed in these more rural and remote areas,” said Dr. Bob Burns, Executive Medical Director, Population and

Community Health. Mere weeks after the B.C. Teachers Federation voted to withdraw teachers from extra-curricular activ-

Year in Review April

2012 ities, jeopardizing planned field trips for students, the Camp Homewood trip was back on — albeit without teachers. When notified the teachers would not be taking part in the overnight field trips, and that funds raised by the students for the trips would be held by School District 85, several Sunset

parents reacted angrily. Following a hastily called meeting with parents, administrators at Sunset Elementary School decided the field trips would take place as scheduled, with administrators taking on supervisory roles. Less than two months after being told their jobs were going to disappear, employees of the Fields department stores in Port Hardy and Port McNeill gained a bit of job security. Vancouver-based FHC Holdings Ltd. announced its purchase of 57 Fields stores province-wide. The outlets were among those that had been slated for closure by the previous owner, Hudson’s Bay Company.

Kathleen Cote and Shayna Wigman of Port McNeill offer a mix of reactions to their spin on the Scrambler ride during the carnival in Port J.R. Rardon Hardy. The Honourable Steven being guided on a walking L. Point, B.C.’s Lieutenant tour of the community. “Inside a building like Governor and a Grand Chief of the Stó:lo First this, the children can learn Nation, was treated to their history and culture,” dancing at the Kwakiutl Point said while admiring Big House and addressed the Big House. “They can band members before hear their language spo-

ken. In this house the stories are passed down to the children, and I know that history continues.” A North Island Secondary School graduate won an award for his carpentry project at The Skills Canada Competition in Abbotsford B.C. and qualified to compete in the Skills Canada National Competition. Morgan Brown, a thirdyear student and apprentice carpenter at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, won gold in the post-secondary carpentry category. He was up against apprentices from other major post secondary training schools for apprentice carpenters in B.C. Judging was based on knowledge, quality and speed.

New nurse practitioners bound for Hardy Gazette staff The Vancouver Island Health Authority expanded its Mt. Waddington health care team with the addition of two new nurse practitioners for Port Hardy. The two new positions were posted on the VIHA website and added to the two nurse practitioners already providing primary health care services in the community. “These new nurse practitioner positions in Port Hardy are a part of VIHA’s ongoing commit-

ment to work with the Mt. Waddington Local Working Group (LWG) to develop a community-led plan to strengthen and stabilize health services in Mt. Waddington,” said Howard Waldner, VIHA President and CEO. Port McNeill-raised singer Georgia Murray enjoyed a triumphant homecoming Saturday. And she wasn’t alone. Murray, who competed last season in CBC’s Cover Me Canada music competition, returned to the North Island

to headline a pair of well-received and stylistically diverse concerts at Gate House Theatre. Georgia Murray and Friends, which included performances by singer-songwriter Ashleigh Eymann and violinist Kytami, was part of the Raise the Roof series to benefit renovations to St. John Gualbert (A-Frame) Church. A single bullet from a .30-06 rifle ended the life of a cougar believed to be responsible for the death of at least one North Island

Year in Review May

2012 pet. “Based on the proximity of where I got

it over in Fort Rupert and the same age characteristics, I believe it is the same adult male cougar that took River,” said Tanner Beck, who recently replaced Tim Schumacher as the North Island’s lone conservation officer. River, a year anda-half old black-and-

Just for You Missing a pet photo? Pet contest pictures are still at the Gazette. Come down during ofﬁce hours to pick up your pet photo.

white Boston terrier, was snatched in front owner D’Arcy Deacon from their Storey’s Beach property March 12. Deacon told the Gazette he’d been working in his yard when a cougar leapt over a four-foot fence, landed about six-foot

inside and where it grabbed the roughly 15-lb dog, before the big cat jumped and landed about sixfeet outside the same fence. Deacon, armed with a machete, gave a short chase, but quickly lost sight of the cougar. “It was just too fast,”

Wishing the North Island a Happy New Y ear!

Town Taxi would also like to welcome

Balwinder Bal as its new owner.

Courtesy of Island Foods you receive a free pop with every Just for You Placed in the Gazette! Norman Walkus-Janssen of Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw School dances before a large crowd at the school’s 15th anniversary Yayuma. J.R. Rardon

GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND

Wishing Balwinder and his staff many years of success!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

www.northislandgazette.com 5

North Island cheers as Mitchell raises Cup Gazette staff With just under eight minutes remaining in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals Monday night, the crowd at Gate House Community Theatre erupted in cheers. And that was merely for the restoration of the satellite signal, which had gone down for about three minutes during the tense moments of the game. An even bigger cheer erupted minutes later, when hometown hero Willie Mitchell hoisted the Cup and confirmed the speculation that has run rampant in the community for more than a week — that the Cup was coming here. “I can’t wait to bring it back to B.C. and Vancouver Island,” Mitchell told CBC Television in an on-ice interview immediately after the L.A. Kings’ series-clinching, 6-1 home victory over the New Jersey Devils. “Port McNeill, it’s

coming.” The Cape Scott Wind Farm Project held an open house in Providence Place Inn to outline the project to the community after breaking ground on the power project.

Year in Review June

2012 The project, which has been in research and planning for several years now, began construction this month on access roads to the site. It is scheduled to begin operating commercially in July 2013, providing 99mW of power and employing 150 employees at its peak. Tourists and locals alike enjoyed the festivities at Telegraph Cove as the former camp hosted its centennial celebration.

Owner Gordie Graham held a salmon barbecue on the boardwalk, and visitors were entertained by the Eccleston Band from Victoria. A brunch closed the celebrations and participants were able to explore the Cove further by kayaking or whale watching on the Lukwa and Gukumi. Kent Rathwell, president and founder of Sun Country Highway and other members of the Saskatchewanbased company were in Port Hardy to announce that they have completed the installation of a series of EV charging stations that will allow electric car drivers to travel from Victoria to Port Hardy — and make side trips to Tofino and Telegraph Cove along the way. “We’re here to prove the EV industry can happen,” said Rathwell. “It’s happening today, and this is just the start.”

Nor th Island Secondary School grads fling confetti at the end of their 2012 commencement ceremony in Port McNeill. At left, Port Hardy Secondary grads settle into their bus for the annual parade following their own ceremony.

J.R. Rardon

Teachers sign agreement Gazette staff With the closure of school for another year came the end of a 10-month job action by teachers, as the B.C. Teachers’ Federation voted to accept an agreement hammered out with the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association. The agreement forestalled potential legislation by the Provincial government, and came with modest gains in teachers’ benefits packages. But the government maintained its “Net zero” mandate and teachers came away without changes to classroom size and composition, or pay raises. News that Dr. Andre de Wit’s practice was to close left local patients feeling a bit peaked. The Port Hardy Medical Associates announced its intention to close its doors at the end of September after a year of unsuccessfully attempting to recruit new physicians. Glenn Hampton completed the world’s most

Taylor Tanguay of Port McNeill waves a pair of flags during Canada Day celebrations at Port McNeill Airport. J.R. Rardon expensive game of there was no choice but fetch in order to bring to leave Hampton’s terhis beloved pooch, rified pitbull and marmalade cat, Cedar, back Bananas, home. on board Hampton and head was in his for shore. 17-metre Hampton sailboat, refused to Magnolia, give up on on Monday his beloved July 18 with Doug Munroe when pets and mounted his the pair ran into trou- own search and rescue ble off Haida Gwaii. operation out of Port A dramatic rescue fol- Hardy, home to his sislowed as the SAR team ter Tracy, to get his battled the elements to furry companions back bring the pair aboard to dry land. The Regional District the Cormorant chopper, scrambled from 19 responded with some venom to the news Wing Comox. Given the conditions, of a centralization of

Year in Review July

2012

Conservation Officers. In its letter, the RD advised North Island residents to call the wildlife hotline if they spot a Conservation Officer in the region as they are now the most endangered species on north Vancouver Island. An 81-year-old Port Hardy woman created a bear spray made entirely of water. Jessie Roland, an artist and bed-andbreakfast proprietor who first came to Port Hardy in 1937, had just emerged from her bath and sat down when she heard a noise in the room. Turning, she saw a yearling black bear that had strolled in through her back door. She got out of her chair and advanced on the bear, spraying it repeatedly with a narrow jet of water. Roland’s persistence paid off, and the bruin finally turned and lumbered through the back door and down several steps of her deck to the yard below.

Alert Bay-Port McNeill Temporary Route Closure - Public Open House BC Ferries’ terminal at Alert Bay will be temporarily closed April 8-28, 2013. The closure is to allow upgrading of berthing structures. This is multi-million dollar investment by BC Ferries to ensure continued safe, reliable service for years to come. Alternative service will be provided between Alert Bay and Port McNeill: x Water-taxi service will be available for all foot passengers. x Barge service will be available for commercial customers. x Parking areas will be provided in Port McNeill. x Shuttle service will be provided on Cormorant Island. Regular ferry service will continue between Sointula and Port McNeill. BC Ferries is hosting a second public open house in Alert Bay to provide detailed information about the terminal improvements and the alternative service plan, and to answer any questions.

x Open house: January 10, 2013, 6 pm to 8 pm, Lawrence Ambers Recreation Centre For information, contact: Darin Guenette, Manager, Public Affairs, BC Ferries at 1-877- 978-2385 (toll free) or darin.guenette@bcferries.com

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

COMMENTARY Comments? Box 458, Port Hardy, B.C. V0N 2P0 250-949-6225 Fax 250-949-7655 or email us at editor@northislandgazette.com

Happy New Year What you’re holding — or reading online — is not the biggest edition the Gazette has published in recent weeks. But it is full of “big” news from the past 12 months, a year which produced a number of historic, first-time (and possibly last-time) stories. There was the big earthquake near Haida Gwaii in October, that raised a tsunami alert and sent North Island first responders to low-lying areas to evacuate residents. There was the Big Event, a nationally televised spectacular that drew about 2,000 people to Port Hardy’s Civic Centre, ostensibly to keep Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish in business. There have been big power projects — the Cape Scott Wind Farm to the North and the Kokish River Hydro project in the South. And there was, of course, the big trophy. When Port McNeill’s Willie Mitchell won the Stanley Cup, he vowed to bring it “home”. And that’s just what happened, as his whirlwind 24 hours with the Cup included stops at Telegraph Cove, the Big House in Alert Bay, the top of Mount Waddington and Chilton Regional Arena in Port McNeill. It’s beginning to look more and more like the only way to see the Cup this year is at the Hockey Hall of Fame. We’re also unlikely to see Dragon’s Den star Arlene Dickinson back in these parts, though Hardy Buoys appears to be sticking around. It will be another 100 years before Telegraph Cove celebrates its next centennial. But don’t despair the potential for more “big” stories in the year ahead. After all, 2013 has just begun. Happy New Year to all.

We Asked You Question:

Will you take part in the polar bear swim this New Year’s?

Yes 4%

No 96%

www.northislandgazette.com Total votes received for this question:22 Voting deadline is Monday at 3 p.m.

North Islanders smashed the goal for Christmas Hamper donations in 2012, contributing more than $41,000.

Alternately icy and thawing roads claimed a pair of vehicles in accidents to end 2012. Be careful out there, folks.

Is gas the enviro-villain of 2013? VICTORIA – They’re well on the way to stopping the expansion of oil exports to Asia. Now will B.C.’s American branch-plant environmental machine turn on natural gas? A couple of weeks ago I described the dispute between the Haisla Nation and the rest of the Coastal First Nations group over the pioneering of liquefied natural gas development on Haisla territory at Kitimat. LNG is shaping up as B.C.’s largest-ever industrial project, if it gets built. And there are signs the American-directed environmental attack is swinging to our gas boom. Some in the Canadian media insist no such U.S. influence exists, or that it is trivial and benign. There weren’t many reporters with me when I covered the negotiations for the Great Bear Rainforest in 2006. To the Vancouver media it was just a big forest deal up in the middle of

B.C. Views Tom Fletcher

with

nowhere. Along with B.C. cabinet minister Pat Bell, Coastal First Nations and forest companies, the Sierra Club, ForestEthics and Greenpeace muscled their way to the table. How they did so became clear in early 2007. Behind these big three eco-propaganda groups was a $60 million war chest from an obscure outfit called Tides Canada. Another front group, as it turns out. The actual source of the money was the

The North Island Gazette is published Thursdays at Port Hardy, B.C. by Black Press Ltd. Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #391275. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Wilberforce Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Some in B.C.’s major media have since grudgingly credited independent B.C. researcher Vivian Krause with filling in the blanks. She has shown that starting in 2002, these foundations began formally organizing against Canadian fossil fuel production. Tides and its backers have continued to fund and create new protest groups, which are quoted as they pop up by credulous B.C. media. Their argument against oil exports centres on the sexy but false premise that Alberta’s “tar sands” somehow uniquely threaten the global climate. Lately, as the size of B.C.’s gas development has become clearer, the protests have started to refocus. Now we hear dire claims A member of

This North Island Gazette is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province's newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about the conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and the complaint holder. If talking with the editor or publisher does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2R2. For information, phone 888-687-2213 or go to www.bcpresscouncil.org

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about the decades-old technique of “fracking” in gas development, and previously obscure groups are springing up to protest gas projects. ForestEthics, Sierra Club and Greenpeace, meanwhile, are campaigning against their original forest preservation deal on B.C.’s Central and North Coast. Sustainable development solutions aren’t good for their business model. If people think a problem is solved, they stop sending money. Meanwhile, the U.S. is surging ahead with its own shale oil and gas boom. Plans are underway for LNG exports from the U.S. to Asia. I think 2013 would be a good year for Canada to start making its own decisions on energy development. Tom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black Press. tfletcher@ blackpress.ca

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

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LETTERS editor@northislandgazette.com

The Gazette needs you Dear reader, Pardon this diversion from the traditional use of our letters page. We want to take the opportunity with this first edition of the new year to announce a few changes coming to the newspaper in the next several weeks. The biggest change will come right here on the Letters page, where we plan to add a new sponsored feature that adds more opportunities for your input. The new column will be a space where you can extend a written thank-you

or congratulations — a "cheer" — to anyone you feel has done something to benefit you, another person or group, or the community as a whole. Conversely, a "jeer" could be written to identify a failure or shortcoming. This is typically a much shorter form version of a letter to the editor, usually a paragraph or two. This page's other rules, however, remain in place. First, letters must be signed. Second, this is not a spot to bash a neighbour over some perceived personal short-

coming or character flaw. It's a well-worn cliché, but be hard on the problem, not the person. Additionally, letters from outside the North Island readership area will no longer be run, unless they directly address a North Island issue or people. Minor changes in the appearance of the front page are also coming, but we will endeavor to continue bringing you coverage of the issues that matter to North Islanders. J.R. Rardon Gazette editor

Education, not guns Dear editor, The controversy continues … are guns the problem or the solution to violence? The National Rifle Association suggests that we need more “good” people with guns to stop the “bad” people from shooting innocents. This is the underlying doctrine behind the vast stockpiles of nuclear arms and the present “war on terror”, and has been at the center of human conflict since the first people made the mistake of believing that they could individually judge what is good and what is evil. President Obama claims that using both guns and

common sense can be possible, but unless a person eats what they shoot, owning a gun simply allows every individual to trust their own judgment on who should live and who should die. This is the same arrogance that murderers possess, and puts the responsibility for judging “good” people and “bad” people squarely on the shoulders of “mental health experts”, who operate without any clear distinction between mental “health” and mental “illness”, (much the same as being helpless at judging “good and evil” from an individual perspective.) The truth is that guns are neither the solution nor

the problem. For a hunter, guns are no more threatening than a fish hook, and (as the NRA insists) guns don’t kill people, people kill people. The solution to the real problem is in the education of our children. If they are not constantly encouraged to trust their own individual judgment of good and evil at home, in the classroom, in the churches, synagogues and mosques, in the media, and by almost all forms of human government, then perhaps the next generation has a chance to end violence and the arrogance that lies at its root. Blair Hamilton Port Hardy

Enter the dragon

Dragon boaters approach the dock in Port Hardy as a cruise ship passes in the background during the Tri-port Dragon Boat Society's regatta held as part of Filomi Days J.R. Rardon in July.

You call that a Christmas tree, Port McNeill? Dear editor, Really, Port McNeill? Are we not the forestry capital of the province? I am truly horrified by this year’s Christmas tree. I have spoken to countless people around our town lately, and the overwhelming opinion is one of disbelief and outrage. We have had a very cruel, twisted, Grinch-like joke played on us, the residents of Port McNeill. I paid a visit to our own Mayor Furney to express my feelings and was

informed that it was the Chamber of Commerce who puts up the tree every year. I then spoke with the Chamber of Commerce. I was told they were well aware of the shortcomings of the tree. It was apparently a combination of poor timing, poor judgement & overwhelmed volunteers. Both Mayor Furney and the Chamber representative were receptive and sympathetic to my concern, but even after following up with a letter to both, nothing has been done to rectify

Letters to the editor

this. Understandably, it must well be a logistic nightmare to erect a spectacular tree year after year, but really? Have you actually seen this travesty of a tree? It is quite the most shocking excuse of a Christmas tree. The structure of the conifer itself is atrocious, the stringing of the lights — vertically! — is laughable and the effect in total is pathetic. I don’t envy the poor folks responsible, as I’m

sure they didn’t deliberately set out to make a laughingstock of our town. But that is indeed what has happened. Both Gerry Furney & the Chamber have replied with sincerity about this “treeGate”, but the proof is in the Christmas pudding, so to say. There has been plenty of time to attempt to fix this, but as yet no one has stepped up to the plate. If I had a chainsaw & knew how to fell a tree, I would have performed a mercy

killing myself. As this is not within my scope, I rely on our Town to do the right thing. Having no tree at all is better than this. We cannot begin to compare to other communities, such as Ladysmith, the Christmas capital of Vancouver Island. Surely, however, at least a decent tree should have be within the realm of possibility. A Christmas tree is a symbol of love, the spirit of the season and part of the community traditions that make this holiday so very

special. I am writing this letter to get public attention to this situation. I suppose at the end of the day, the solution lies within us all. Let’s get out there and volunteer our services to our community. I did so to Mayor Furney, suggesting a group effort to at least salvage some semblance of a Christmas tree. Merry Christmas to all & may we rise above this next year. Joni-Rae Blanchard Port McNeill

The goal is to publish every letter, so keep them brief, clear and to the point. Be hard on the problem, not the person; skip quotes except where readily confirmable; accept editing for length and legality. Include full name and home community (plus phone number to confirm authorship). Mail, fax, email or drop off c/o the editor by 4:00 pm Friday.

8 www.northislandgazette.com

Thursday, January 3, 2013

2012 in review Gazette staff The year certainly had its highlights, which made the job of picking some stand-out

images from the previous twelve months a difficult task. In the end we settled on these images as

examples of our picture highlights. Here’s hoping 2013 offers more moments like these.

Clockwise from top left: • A photographer gets a bird’s-eye view of the Ecopaddle 360 race in Alert Bay; • The senior girls “snowflakes” float during the enchanted forest scene of Portside’s Nutcracker at Sunset Elementary School; • A bald eagle lands atop the Pulteney Point Lighthouse on Malcolm Island; • Portside Academy dancers perform at a show in Courtenay; •Kwakiutl dancers perform during Aboriginal Day festivities at the Fort Rupert Big House; • Carmen Burrows, aka “Lidia the Canning Queen” waves at the crowd from the front of the annual Salmon Day Parade in Sointula; • A juvenile bald eagle soars back into the wild at Cluxewe Resort; • Erin Wright of the Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre hauls a fish from a tank during the annual B.C. Rivers Day celebration; • Carly Bobb performs to I Want Candy during rehearsal for the Port McNeill Figure Skating Club’s bi-annual Ice Carnival; •Pupils at Eagle View Elementary high-five teacher Richard Starr during the Terry Fox Run at the school. J.R. Rardon, A O’Toole

Thursday, January 3, 2013

www.northislandgazette.com 9

McNeill hosts the party of the year ment, Mitchell took the Gazette staff A crowd of nearly microphone once again 4,000 people got as a capacity crowd what it wanted when of nearly 2,000 fans hometown hero Willie cheered loudly. Mitchell’s 24 hours Mitchell touched down on the NISS school with the Cup were a field in a helicopter whirlwind of activity and emerged to hoist that covered a sizeable the Stanley Cup high chunk of the North Island and included overhead. a l m o s t “I told everything you it was but sleep. coming, After pickand here ing up the it is,” said August Cup in Mitchell, Vancouver the crowd a r o u n d whooping midnight as he rested the 58-pound NHL Sunday morning, he championship trophy flew into Nimmo Bay on his shoulders. “Let’s Resort for several hours of partying, followed celebrate.” After Port McNeill by a nap and a fishMayor Gerry Furney ing trip. He then flew read a proclamation to the ceremonies in naming Aug. 12 Willie Port McNeill and Alert Mitchell Day, and arena Bay — and a stop for a founder and namesake quick photo op kissing Dale Chilton made a the Cup atop Mount short speech honouring Benedict — before Mitchell’s accomplish- retiring to Telegraph

Year in Review

2012

Chilton Regional Arena was filled to capacity in August when Willie Mitchell and the Stanley Cup joined Mayor Gerry Furney onstage. An estimated 4,000 people — double the town’s population — crowded the arena inside and out to catch a glimpse of the home town hero and the biggest prize in hockey. A O’Toole

Cove for a final party with a smaller, select group of family and friends before the clock ticked down on his day. Emotions ran high as the Enbridge Northern Gateway Joint Review

Panel arrived on the North Island and opened up its microphones to residents. And the full gamut of those emotions was on display during oral presentations at the Civic Centre.

“We should be capitalizing on this being supernatural British Columbia, not super tanker British Columbia,” marine biologist and environmentalist Jackie Hildering said, chok-

ing up near the end of her 10-minute presentation. The Coal Harbour Activity Centre drew visitors in their finery to an afternoon tea and dance in honour of Her Highness and

the room was suitably decked out with Union Jacks, portraits of Her Majesty, a throne and, of course, fine china and cucumber sandwiches as the North Island marked the Queen’s Jubilee.

Young mother’s murder devastates community Gazette staff A Port Hardy teen faces a charge of murder in the death of Cindy Scow, a 28-year-old Port Hardy woman. Dakota Dillon Johnny, 19, was charged with one count of murder in the beating death of Scow, RCMP announced. Johnny was arrested and taken into custody after police were called to a vacant house at 115 Tsulquate Road, on the Gwa’sala’Nakwaxda’xw Reserve, on a report of a woman needing medical assistance. Scow, the victim of an apparent physical assault, was transported to Port Hardy Hospital, where she was declared dead. North Island communities got the 2012 Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock off to a rousing start, contributing more than $22,000 to research and treatment of pediatric cancer in events held in Port Alice, Port Hardy and Port McNeill. The nearly 900-kilometre bike ride the length of Vancouver

Island started the day after Port Alice commenced proceedings with a seafood dinner and auction that netted more than $8,000. The Hornsby “Mammoth” Steam Chain Crawler returned to the North Island. The 100-yearold machine has been the subject of some controversy in recent

Year in Review September

2012 years after being transported to Alberta in 2005, but a court hearing saw the historic tractor bound for the North Island again. The Hornsby was trucked to Lemare Lake Logging’s work yard just south of Port McNeill, where night shop foreman Brian Nurmi and his crew offloaded it. The Mammoth will now remain at Lemare’s yard until the North Island Heritage Society can

meet to recommend a permanent home to the Regional District of Mount Waddington. A fishing vessel hauling a load of lumber was kept from capsizing thanks to the quick response of BC Ferries and several other responders in the waters off Port McNeill. The PC Raider, a 36-foot, aluminum gillnetter was traveling just off Ledge Point en route from Port McNeill to Sointula when its load apparently shifted, threatening to capsize the vessel and prompting a call that was picked up by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. The BC Ferries vessel Quadra Queen II, en route from Sointula to Port McNeill, was closest to the scene and launched its rescue inflatable. It was supported minutes later by the fishing vessel Sea Harvester, which was equipped with a crane and winch. Working together with crew aboard the PC Raider, the Sea Harvester was

Two Pacific Coastal Grumman Goose aircraft perform an in-formation flyby over the crowd assembled for the Battle of Britain ceremony at Carrot Park. A O’Toole

able to stabilize the boat until crews from the Port Hardy Coast Guard station and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Unit 50 in Port McNeill arrived with pumps. Once enough water was removed to allow the PC Raider to float level again, it was towed on to Sointula by the tugboat Grapple, which was performing contract work for BC Ferries at its Sointula dock.

New Winter Hours starting Jan. 2, 2013

Sun-Thurs 8am-8pm Fri & Sat 8am-9pm Thank you to all the customers we’ve had the opportunity to serve over this past year.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

10 www.northislandgazette.com

North Island

Hot Spots

January 19 North Island Concert Society presents Headwater, 7:30 p.m., Port Hardy Civic Centre. Vancouver-based roots/folk string band with pop songwriting sensibilities. Tickets $25, available in advance at Cafe Guido, Port Hardy Museum and For Scrap Sake in Port Hardy, at the Flower Shoppe in Port McNeill, or by calling Gail Neely at 250-284-3927 in Port Alice. Tickets also available at the door. More info, www.niconcert.ca. January 26 Robbie Burns Dinner at the Port McNeill Legion Branch 281. Highland dancing at 6 p.m. followed by a roast beef dinner with haggis, served by the Ladies Auxiliary. Tickets $15 from Debbie Anderson at 250-956-3682 or call the Legion at 250-956-4551. January 26 2nd annual Victorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Pageant, featuring Bras for a Cause entries, Port McNeill Community Hall. Fundraiser to combat breast cancer. Licensed, adultsonly event, time tba. January 26 MEETINGS

& ONGOING EVENTS

North Island Film- now Festival Still, 7:30 â&#x20AC;˘ Reel Port Hardy Museum fall hours open 10presents a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. p.m., PHSS theatre. Ages 19+; tickets $8.50 in advance Tuesday through Saturday. Float Camp Life exhibit held over to at December. Cafe Guido; $10&day of show. bymaintenance. Grassroots Museum gift shop closed Hosted January for â&#x20AC;˘ Quatsino Museuminfo, & Archives is open Friday to Sunday from Garden Society; 250-230-4243. 1:00pm-2:00pm. FMI quatsino.museum@recn.ca â&#x20AC;˘ February The German23Edelweiss Cultural Club meets Thurs. at 7pm in PH Inn Pub. FMI 250-230-1376. Reel North Island Film Festival presents Blackbird, â&#x20AC;˘ Lions Bingo every Thurs. @ Civic Centre. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., PHSS theatre. Ages 19+; tickets $8.50 in 5:30pm. â&#x20AC;˘ Every other Tuesday: Footcare clinic at Hardy Bay Seniors 9-5pm. FMI 1-888-334-8531. â&#x20AC;˘ Third Sunday of every month: Hamburger and hotdog sale from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Hardy Bay Senior's Centre, 9150 Granville St. â&#x20AC;˘ Overeating Anonymous (OA) meetings. FMI call Julia at 250949-7069 or Ann at 250-902-8244. â&#x20AC;˘ The Port Hardy Seniors' Housing Board is looking for volunteers to become a board member. We manage the Rotary Seniors' Centre on Rupert St. Evening mtgs held approx. once a month. FMI Jo-Anne Beek 250-949-6435 or Robert Fyles 250-9492360. â&#x20AC;˘ Every Wednesday, 7-8 p.m. at North Island College in Port Hardy Toastmasters Club, info brianscott03@gmail.com or 250288-3664.

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advance at Cafe Guido; $10 day of show. Hosted by Grassroots Garden Society; info, 250-230-4243. March 9 North Island Concert Society presents the Woody Holler Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Port Hardy Civic Centre. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jazz in the Saddleâ&#x20AC;? featuring old-timey country swing, cowboy classics and yodeling. Tickets $25, available in advance at Cafe Guido, Port Hardy Museum and For Scrap Sake in Port Hardy, at the Flower Shoppe in Port McNeill, or by calling Gail Neely at 250-284-3927 in Port Alice. Tickets also available at the door. More info, www.niconcert.ca. April 13 Reel North Island Film Festival presents Revolution, 7:30 p.m., Port Hardy Secondary School theatre. Ages 19+, tickets $8.50 in advance at Cafe Guido; $10 day of show. April 20 North Island Concert Society presents the Robert Post Comedy Theatre in its annual dinner show, 6 p.m., Port Hardy Civic Centre. One-man variety show featuring physical comedy, theatre and skits. Doors open 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6, performance beginning at 7:30. Tickets $45 in advance only, available at Cafe Guido, Port Hardy Museum and For Scrap Sake in Port Hardy, at the Flower Shoppe in Port McNeill, or by calling Gail Neely at 250-284-3927 in Port Alice.

Port McNeill Medical Clinic

Holiday Closure Notice December 23, 2012 to January 2, 2013 Please ensure you have enough of your prescription medications. Emergency only medical services will be available 24/7 through the Port McNeill & District Hospital.

Charlotte Rushant of Port McNeill, 3, holds up a small heart pendant while perusing a jewelry display at the Christmas Showcase of Arts and Crafts in Port McNeill in early December. J.R. Rardon

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www.northislandgazette.com 11

SPORTS

RECREATION

Submit results to 250-949-6225 Fax 250-949-7655 or email us at sports@northislandgazette.com • Deadline 10 am Monday

on deck Tell us about items of interest to the sports community. January 5 Men’s hockey B League: Oilers vs. Whalers, 3 p.m., Port Hardy A League: Third annual Gilbert Walkus Memorial Game between the Port Hardy Bulls and Port Hardy Warriors, 4:45 p.m., Don Cruickshank Memorial Arena. January 6 Rep hockey North Island Eagles atom development hosts Campbell River, 11:15 a.m., Port McNeill. January 11-13 Curling Fort Rupert Curling Club annual mixed bonspiel. Saturday dinner, lounge and concession, prizes. Game times tba. Info, 250-949-6463 or Fort Rupert Curling Club on Facebook. Minor hockey Port McNeill Minor Hockey midget tournament, Chilton Arena. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, finals 8 a.m.1 p.m. Sunday. Raffle table, 50/50 draws, concession. January 12-13 Minor hockey Port Hardy Minor Hockey peewee tournament, Don Cruickshank Memorial Arena. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday with finals. Concession, raffle table, 50/50 draws, more. January 18-20 Curling Broughton Curling Club annual ladies open bonspiel, Port McNeill. Info, 250-956-2736 or Broughton Curling Club on Facebook. January 19 Rep hockey North Island Eagles peewees host Campbell River, 2:15 p.m., Port Alice; Eagles midgets host Victoria, 2:30 p.m., Port Hardy.

Chris Lamothe of the Port Hardy Cubs splinters his bat during an NVIBL baseball game last summer. At right, Kim J.R. Rardon Cardwell heads a pass for the NISS girls.

2012: Trophies, titles and a black belt January The newly formed Tri-Port peewee girls hockey club won the first tournament it entered by sweeping five games in the Oceanside Girls Tournament in Parksville. Goalie Sarah Case of Port Hardy claimed four shutouts in her five games in net. ... The annual Port McNeill Downpour women’s hockey tournament was cancelled for the first time after 15 years of play when it failed to draw enough teams to fill the bracket. ... Doug McCorquodale outdueled fellow Port Hardy skip John Maday to win the annual Fort Rupert Curling Club mixed open curling bonspiel. ... Kathy Mitchell skipped longtime partner Debbie Balcke’s rink to the A title in the Broughton Curling Club ladies open bonspiel in Port McNeill. It was the first ladies bonspiel not attended by Mitchell’s father, club co-founder and longtime booster Bill Gurney, who died in 2011. “This one’s for my dad,” said Mitchell. ... Alert Bay “hockey grandpa” James Speck created and donated full sets of customized hoody sweatshirts to the Port McNeill Minor Hockey atom and peewee hockey teams. The association saw a large influx of new players from Cormorant Island last season. The

February North Island

Eagles atom development team reached the championship final of the Campbell River tournament before falling 2-1 in a shootout to take second place. ... Alyssa Busch of Port Hardy and Lexie Murgatroyd, Natasha Grafton and Saiya Gachter of Port McNeill each earned top finished for the Port McNeill Figure Skating Club in the annual Lynn Hetherington Memorial competition in Nanaimo. ... The Port McNeill Ice Devils renewed an oldtimers hockey rivalry with counterparts from Gold River, sweeping the visitors 4-2 and 8-2 in a weekend doubleheader at Chilton Regional Arena. ... Port McNeill’s Matthew Merritt downed Port Hardy’s Mike McCulley in the A final, giving the host club the title in the annual Broughton Curling Club mixed open bonspiel. ... The North Island Eagles bantam rep hockey team, which went 0-10 in league play in the regular season, rolled into the Vancouver Island Tier 3 championship round with its second straight playoff series victory, an 8-6 playoff win at Kerry Park. ... The Gwa’sala’Nakwaxda’xw Regulators won the men’s title and Harvey Memorial won the women’s crown in the Harvey Walkus Memorial floor hockey tournament.

March Ray Mitchell of Campbell River topped Port McNeill’s Rob Conley in the A final of the Hugh Fraser Memorial men’s open at Fort Rupert Curling Club in Port Hardy. ... The Port McNeill Mustangs rolled past Moose Knuckles 9-2 to win the A title in the 33rd annual Oscar Hickes Memorial Hockey Tournament in Port Alice. The Port Hardy Warriors edged the Gold River Warriors 3-2 in the B final and Port Alice Relativity won the C final, 4-3 over the Flyers. ... The Port McNeill Figure Skating Club won the team trophy in the 36th and final Barbara Rasmussen Memorial competition in Courtenay. Alison Gurney, Kierra Shambrook, Karlie Shambrook and Lexie Murgatroyd of Port McNeill and Alyssa Busch of Port Hardy each won gold medals in their respective classes. ... North Island Lanes hosted the Vancouver Island 5-pin Bowling Championships for the first time in the event’s 26-year history. The host club placed fourth in the mixed team standings. ... Steve Janusz of Port Hardy guided his foursome/rink to victory in the annual Fort Rupert Curling Club Daffodilly, which combines a nine-hole round of golf with mini-ends of curling. ... Alyssa Busch of Port Hardy and

Whitney Murgatroyd of Port McNeill helped lift the Vancouver Island Region figure skating team to the overall title in the BC/Yukon StarSkate finals. Busch and Darian Murgatroyd each won silver medals and sisters Kierra and Karlie Shambrook claimed bronze. April Connor Scott was awarded Player of the Year at the Port McNeill Minor Hockey Association awards night. ... Clayton Bono (atoms), Nycholas Ruel (peewee), Riley Mathieson (bantam) and Mitchell Walker (midget) won team MVP honours during the North Island Eagles hockey awards banquet. ... Sarrah Moore’s tiebreaking goal in the 59th minute gave the NISS girls a 2-1 soccer win over Port Hardy Secondary. ... Tim Demoe of Port Hardy won the low-gross title and seven players shared low-net honours in the Seven Hills Golf and Country Club AGM tournament, which used the Callaway Handicap scoring system. ... Sarah Case won the Hugh Fraser Memorial referee of the year award and Robbie Heavenor won the Brian Burns Memorial mentor of the year award at the Port Hardy Minor Hockey Association year-end banquet. ... The Port Hardy Wild women’s hockey team won the

intermediate division title in the Delta Spring Hockey tournament, its first off-island tournament appearance. May The Port Hardy Blue Sox won the A final and pocketed $400 in the Umpire’s Icebreaker Slo-pitch tournament, held in a “skins” format that awarded cash prizes for each inning won. ... Port McNeill Mud Bowl soccer tournament titles went to the U12 boys and girls teams from Port Hardy, Port McNeill’s U15 girls, Port Hardy’s U15 boys and Port McNeill’s U18 mixed team. The Hyde Creek Hillbillys won the annual Sointula Invitational Baseball Tournament with a 9-8 victory over Paul’s Balls of Comox. ... Jennifer Detoro of Port Hardy became just the third woman in B.C. to earn her fifthdegree black belt in karate testing during the Karate Canada National Championships in Vancouver. ... Chelsea Colcol of Alert Bay helped the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group to second place in the team shooting competition at the National Marksmanship Championships in Victoria. ... Scott Harris of Port Hardy won the men’s gold medal and Kaleigh Harris, Emma Jensen and Steven Williamson combined to win the mixed youth relay in the Comox

Valley Tri-K triathlon. June Local rider Tynan Klein-Beekman won the kids’ beginner division in the cross country race as Port Alice welcomed dozens of mountain bikers to the North Island for the annual Rumblefest cross country and downhill bike races. ... The quartet of Scott Mitchell, Tim Chester, Paul Bastarache and Ron Downey tied the fivesome of Andrew Laming, Vic Klassen and Jack, Rudy and Todd Servatius for the low-gross title in the Loggers Open golf tournament at Seven Hills. ... Port Hardy’s Master Batters won the A title in the Father’s Day Classic slo-pitch tournament, topping the Woodchuckers of Port McNeill. ... Stephanie Lacasse won the MVP and Avalon Adventist Junior Academy won the school title in the 30th annual Charlie Cup checkers championship. ... Colin Shaw of Port Hardy won the sportsman class final in Rumble on the Runway drag racing action in Port McNeill. ... The Port Hardy Soccer Association claimed titles in the U12 girls and boys and the U15 girls and boys divisions in its own youth soccer tourney. Gold River won the U12 mixed title and Port McNeill won in U18 mixed play.

12 www.northislandgazette.com

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Sports & Recreation NHL player Willie Mitchell joins Port McNeill Minor Hockey peanuts for a lap during a practice skate in November. At right, Sagel Wilson of Port Hardy fights through gates during the obstacle course race at Mount Cain's Kid Fest ski event in March.

J.R. Rardon

2012 ushers in new events July Brian Anderson won the men’s race and Alert Bay’s Anne Dalton was the women’s winner in the inaugural Alert Bay Dog Run mountain bike race. ... Port McNeill’s Clayton Stoner, a defenseman with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, returned for his second Clayton Stoner Hockey Camp at Chilton Regional Arena. ... Dave MacLeod won the men’s title and Brenda Pouchnik topped the ladies in the third annual Logger Sports Competition in Port McNeill. ... Terry Mackay of Port McNeill won the Super Pro class final in round three of the Rumble on the Runway drag-racing series in Port McNeill. ... The Hyde Creek Hillbillys claimed the North Vancouver Island Baseball League championship with a 6-3 win over the Port Hardy Cubs in Hyde Creek. ... Seven Hills Golf Club manager and club pro Kevin Black qualified for one of four spots on the Team B.C. squad at the 2012 PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada. ... The Bushcats topped the Blue Sox 6-1 in a matchup of Port Hardy clubs in the A final of the Filomi Days Wood Bay slo-pitch tournament at Beaver Harbour Park. August Liam Aoki of Port McNeill placed second in the boys 12-13 age group in the Fraser Valley Triathlon. ... The Dustmen won a potential elimination game in extra innings, then topped the

defending champion Woodchuckers 12-8 to claim the Port McNeill Slo-pitch Playoff title. ... One week after their league playoff loss, the Woodchuckers claimed the OrcaFest Slo-pitch tournament title by beating three-time champion Adrenaline Rush of Campbell River 17-14 on a walk-off grand slam by Curtis Carmen. ... Tim Walton of Port McNeill claimed the $1,500 top prize and the title in the Vancouver Island Bracket Finals in Port McNeill. One day earlier, Bill McDonald of Port McNeill claimed the Super Pro crown in drag-racing action at the airport. ... Port McNeill distance runner Ken Richardson, 68, won two gold medals and one silver in the B.C. Senior Games. September Port Hardy’s Load ‘em Up won the A title in the Fred Donaldson Memorial Labour Day slo-pitch tournament in Port Alice. ... Doug Petrie, who grew up in Port McNeill before taking over the club pro job at Comox Valley Golf Club, won the title in the Seven Hills Golf & Country Club men’s open. Shawn Zealand, a Victoria resident formerly from Port Hardy, won the low-gross title and Dale Dorward of Port Hardy claimed lownet honours. ... Debbie Mitchell won low gross and Maria Farrell was first low-net in the Port Alice Golf and Country Club Ladies’ Open. The Cubs topped the Master Batters 15-13 in the orthodox men’s slopitch tournament final, while No Glove, No

Love downed Rainbow Brite for the ladies slopitch title at Beaver Harbour Ballpark. Lawrence O’Connor of Port Hardy claimed the feature main title in a USRA Modified series event at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. ... John Maday, Meagan Cadwallader and Mike and Naomi Stead teamed to win the Fort Rupert Curling Club’s Fall Funkin’, which combines golf and curling. October The Regulators won the men’s title and Gil’s Girls claimed the ladies final in a ball hockey tournament to commemorate Gil Walkus Jr. and Tom Walkus. ... Terry Mackay, Chris Sharpe, Tim Walton and Bill McDonald of Port McNeill and Chris Beatty of Port Hardy each earned top 10 overall prizes in the North Island Timing Association’s 2012 awards banquet. ... Glen Day of Port Hardy clinched his second straight track title in stock car racing at Triport Speedway after winning the season-ending feature main event. ... Port McNeill’s Ken Richardson placed second in the men’s 65-69 age group in the annual Victoria Marathon. ... Port Hardy’s Lawrence O’Connor won his second straight feature main in USRA Modified racing at Grays Harbor. ... Scared Hitless won the A title and the Gwasie Posse won the B in the second annual Tuck Memorial Volleyball Tournament at the Quatsino Hall. ... Winners in the annual

Districtwide Elementary School cross country run in Port McNeill included Madyson and Kaleigh Harris of Fort Rupert Elementary, Jaylon Grenier of Eagle View, Joey Grant and Rhys Dutcyvich of Sunset Elementary and Faith Gage of Avalon Adventist. November The Courtenay Whalers won the annual Port Hardy Wild Women’s Hockey tournament, edging the Port Hardy Juiceheads in a shootout. ... The Port McNeill Snipers went unbeaten the Port McNeill Minor Hockey novice tournament, while Tyler Roper of Port Alice scored 27 goals in three games. ... Three months after bringing the Stanley Cup to Chilton Regional Arena, local hero Willie Mitchell returned to donate 33 M-11 anticoncussion helmets to the Port McNeill Minor Hockey Association. Mitchell skated with local youth players and posed for team photos before joining the youngsters for pizza and autographs afterward. ... Port Alice Arena’s new Zamboni was unveiled during the second annual Bob Bailey Memorial hockey game. ... Lawrence O’Connor wrapped up his 2012 season by winning the Modified Legends final in the IMCA Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas. ... Alert Bay’s James Speck made his second contribution of the year to Port McNeill Minor Hockey, commissioning a Stanley Cup replica trophy for the association’s bantam tourna-

ment. The local bantams reached the final of their tourney, but settled for second place as Oceanside claimed the title. ... Albert Charlie’s sudden-death goal gave the Regulators a 10-9 win over the Fort Rupert Roaches and the title in the GNN Ladies Memorial Floor Hockey tournament on Tsulquate Reserve. GN Memorial beat the Unknowns for the ladies title. ... The first Movember hockey fundraiser game raised more than $2,000 for men’s health in Port Hardy. The Warriors downed the Bulls 3-0 in the men’s game. December The North Island Eagles midgets and alumni squared off in the second annual Alumni Hamper game in Port McNeill, with the old guys sneaking out a 7-6 win over the midgets. The game raised $444 and boxes of food and toys for the Gazette’s annual hamper drive. ... Mike Balcke won a back-and-forth A final against Keith Balcke in a father-son matchup to close out Broughton Curling Club’s men’s open bonspiel in Port McNeill. ... Led by the double-figure scoring of forward Aidan Horgan and Ecuadoran exchange student Juan Camacho, the NISS boys basketball team swept Port Hardy in a pair of exhibition games to kick off the 2012-13 season. ... Bal’s Spikers topped Quatsino for the title in the inaugural Spikers Volleyball Tournament at Port Hardy Secondary School.

ATHLETE of the Year WILLIE MITCHELL It would have been enough for Port McNeill-born and raised Willie Mitchell to win the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012. But then he spent his 24 hours with the Cup sharing it on the North Island.

J.R. Rardon

Stryker Marine Electronics & Supplies Authorized Sales & Service Dealer of: Furuno, ComNav, Si-Tex, Koden, Seatel, KVH, Intellian, GlobalStar, Nobeltec, Standard Horizon, Icom, Suzuki Outboards Certiﬁed & Experienced Inboard/Outboard Marine Mechanic Suzuki, Mercury, Volvo, Evinrude/Johnson 6710 Hardy Bay Road Port Hardy, B.C. PH s FAX 1-888-839-8022 email: stryker@cablerocket.com If you know someone who should be the Athlete of the Week, phone the Gazette at 250-949-6225.

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mum of 5 years experience pulling low boys and driving off road. Candidate able Required for must an be Alberta to pass Company. a drug test and be Trucking One Class willing to Must relocate to aEdson, 1 Driver. have miniAlberta. Scheduled Days Off. mum of 5 years experience Call Lloyd pulling low 780-723-5051 boys and driving off

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FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS DEATHS

Andre William Borer

April 2012 April 13, 1925-December 14, 2012

PORT HARDY BAPTIST CHURCH Corner of Trustee & Highland Morning Service 11:00 am Plus regular family activities Office: 250-949-6844 www.porthardybaptistchurch.ca Pastor: Kevin Martineau 11/13

ST. COLUMBA ANGLICAN UNITED Reverend Wade Allen 9190 Granville St. Port Hardy Phone 250-949-6247 11:00 a.m. Sunday School and Service Wed., 1:00 pm Bible Study Everyone welcome Meeting rooms available columbac@uniserve.com 11/13

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cinity of Edson, Alberta. Alcohol & Drug testing required.

PERSONAL SERVICES

Born passed away away Born April April 13, 13, 1925, Andre Borer passed peacefully age of of 87. 87. He He peacefully on on December December 14, 2012, at the age was Margaret, mother mother was predeceased predeceased by by his loving wife Margaret, of (Wendy). Left Left to to ofBarbara, Barbara, Scoot Scoot (Kathy) (Kathy) and John (Wendy). treasure 27 years, years, Marnie, Marnie, treasure his his memory memory is his caring wife of 27 and Manke, Kelsey Kelsey andhis his grandchildren grandchildren Stephanie (Randy) Manke, (Kristen), Kristin; greatgreat(Kristen), Angie Angie (Elis) (Elis) Mant, Nicole and Kristin; grandchildren Darian. grandchildren Evan, Tyce and Darian. For world of of logging, logging, Forthe the past past 27 27 years, years, Marnie shared his world family work in in the the woods woods family and and boating. boating. Andre went to work at became aa partner partner in in ataavery very young young age age and eventually became his Trucking. He He went went on on hisfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business, business, J. Borer Trucking. to logging contractor, contractor, tobecome become aa successful successful independent logging forming Logging; logging logging in in Port Port forming his his own own company, company, Borer Logging; Hardy, before retiring retiring in in Hardy, Mahatta Mahatta River River and Doc Creek before 1998. and was was logging logging in in 1998. He He loved loved to to watch watch the trees grow and his passed. his dreams dreams when he passed. After his boat, boat, the the After retiring, retiring, his his passion changed to his Mar-Ell optimistic and and Mar-Ell Mist Mist II II and and gardening. His optimistic tenacious remembered by by all. all. tenacious personality personality will be remembered On graveside service service was was OnDecember December 20, 20, 2012, 2012, a private graveside heldHardy at the cemetery. Port Hardy held at the Port A cemetery. celebration of life will be held at a later date in Port Hardy.

FULL GOSPEL CHURCH 2540 Catala Place Port McNeill (across from Firehall) Sunday 10:30 am - Morning Worship Church Office 250-956-4741 Pastor Stan Rukin Youth Pastor: Steve Taylor Cell: 250-527-0144 Office hours: 10am-4pm Mon-Thurs Visitors always welcome www.ptmcfullgospel.org 11/13

CHRIST CHURCH ANGLICAN Alert Bay Sunday Services - 10 am Reverend Lincoln Mckoen 1-250-974-5844 Warden Flora Cook 250-974-5945 Warden Joan Stone 250-974-2234 11/13

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 4680 Byng Rd. Port Hardy Pastor George Hilton 250-949-8925 or 250-949-8826 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone welcomeâ&#x20AC;? Saturday Services 9:30am - Bible Study groups 10:45am - Worship/Praise service Wednesday @ 7pm - Prayer meeting Avalon Adventist Jr. Academy Offering Christian Education 250-949-8243 11/13

North Island Church Services NORTH ISLAND CATHOLIC CHURCHES Sunday Masses St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Port McNeill: 9am St. Bonaventure Port Hardy: 11am St. Theresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Port Alice: Saturdays 5:00pm Alert Bay: 1st & 3rd Saturdays 10am Father Roger Poblete 250-956-3909

11/13

PORT MCNEILL BAPTIST CHURCH 2501 Mine Road Sunday 9:45 am (Sept-June) - Sunday School 11:00 am - Worship Service 7:00 pm - Evening Fellowship Youth Group Wed - 7:00 pm Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Programs & Adult Bible Studies are scheduled throughout the year. For information contact 0ASTOR $AVE 0URDY s 11/13

LIGHTHOUSE RESOURCE CENTRE s #HAPLAIN 3ERVICES s "IBLE 3TUDIES s 3PIRITUAL #OUNSELLING s 7EEKLY !! 'ROUPS (8635 Granville St. Port Hardy) 250-949-8125

PORT ALICE ANGLICANUNITED FELLOWSHIP Reverend Wade Allen Sunday Services - 4pm 1-250-949-6247 Box 159, Port Alice You are extended a special invitation to share in our Services

11/13

ST. JOHN GUALBERT UNITED ANGLICAN CHURCH 250-956-3533 Email: gualbert@uniserve.com Sunday Worship - 9:00am Reverend Wade Allen All Welcome 175 Cedar Street Port McNeill 11/13

GWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SALA-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;NAKWAXDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;XW SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH at entrance to Tsulquate Village (8898 Park Dr) Saturday/Sabbath 10:00 am-Sabbath School 11:15 am-Worship Service Pastor Randy Elliott 250-230-1885 cell 11/13

11/13

PORT HARDY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP at Providence Place, 7050 Rupert St Sunday Worship 10:30 am & 7 pm Tuesday Prayer 7:30 pm Midweek Biblestudies - Call the church for time and place 250-949-6466 Pastor George & Karen Ewald (home) 250-949-9674 E-Mail:pastorgeorge@providenceplace.ca 11/13

14 www.northislandgazette.com

Thursday, January 3, 2013

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE

RENTALS

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HOUSES FOR SALE

MOBILE HOMES & PADS

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Incredible 5 acre treed PARK-LIKE PROPERTY with Well-Maintained Furnished Home 1500 sq.ft, 3-bdrm, 2 bath. Extremely close to Pristine Cowichan Lake, in the town of Caycuse. Perfect for recreational property or full time living. Motivated seller $378,800. Exceptionally low yearly cost. Not leased land. Call 250-745-3387 smartytwo@hotmail.com

PORT MCNEILL Mobile Home Park Pads for rent. Short walk to shopping, school & ocean. $283.00/ month Call 250-956-2355

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE BY OWNER PORT MCNEILLPerfect Starter! 3 bdrms, 1 bath, big shop/garage, nice yard, good street for kids. 2550 Cassiar Place. $129,900. Call (250)230-0276.

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HOMES FOR RENT 2200 SQ/FT 2 storey ocean view home for rent in Port McNeill. Unobstructed ocean view. Woodstove, oil furnace, hardwood ﬂoors. Large backyard. New 15x32 sundeck facing the ocean. $1200/mo. london111211@hotmail.com

Auto Financing 1.800.910.6402

ROOMS FOR RENT ROOMMATE WANTED in Port Hardy. Oceanfront. $450/mth. Pets welcome. 250230-6582.

STORAGE 1 HEATED Storage unit left. 9x13. Call 250-956-4659.

SUITES, LOWER GREATER PORT Hardy area: Fully private, above ground, 1bdrm suite, newer ocean view home, across the street from beach. High ceilings. Hardwood. Tastefully furnished. No excessive drinking. Avail soon, $445 (meals can be nego if needed) 250-949-9970

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RENTALS APARTMENT/CONDO PETS WELCOME - Quiet 2 bdrm apt near Airport. Private Parking. Small backyard. Ref. Req. Call 250-949-7189. PORT HARDY Airport Rd 2 bdrm, clean, quiet. NS. Refs. $525.Avail now.250-949-6319.

PORT MCNEILL APARTMENTS Well managed 1 & 2Bdrm suites. Gym & sauna on site. Call for availability.

Phone Rick 250-956-4555 WOODGROVE GARDENS New reno, 2bdr, 5 appliances, cable, sep. entrance. $650 and up. Avail now. Kelly 250230-8363.

PORT HARDY 2 bdr basement suite. Separate entrance. Includes hydro and Sat tv. Very private and quiet. Full use of laundry. One car secured garage bay for additional storage. Full use of fully fenced backyard, sundeck/patio and ﬁre pit. Large open living area with modern updates. No smoking indoors. Pets and children considered. $900/mth. Call 250-949-1213 for appointments. Available Feb. 1

TOWNHOUSES PORT HARDY 3 bedrooms for rent. Available immediately. W/D, new paint. Ref. req. Call 250-902-2226, 250-504-0067. SEAWIND ESTATES town home. 3 bdr, 1.5 bath. W/D, $850mth. 250-949-7079.

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Thursday, January 3, 2013

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An active part of your business and our communities. Let me help your business get business. Together we can help the North Island stay strong and grow!!

Give me a call at Lisa Harrison Sales Rep

GAZETTE NORTH ISLAND

250-949-6225 or email me at: sales@northislandgazette.com

smile...

of of the the week. year. Spencer Smith of Port Kylie MacGregor of Alice joined Santa forcaught a photo Port McNeill, having Saturday at Port Alice fun at OrcaFest in August, Community Centre. earned our nod as smile of the year. J.R. Rardon

J.R. Rardon

Wave of relief after tsunami escape Gazette staff Hundreds of North Islanders caught up in the voluntary evacuation following the tsunami warning ended up being displaced for only a few hours. The lessons learned by local emergency personnel in the hours following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off Haida Gwaii may have a much longer-lasting impact. There were no injuries or property damage reported on the North Island in the aftermath of the tsunami, which measured little more than 12 centimetres by the time it reached the area. But the event did provide a valuable live exercise for emergency workers and revealed flaws and questions in local plans. The warning passed with no loss of life and little or no property damage throughout the quake region. A tsunami of 44 centimetres was recorded at Langara Island in the Queen Charlottes, and had diminished to just 12 cm by the time it reached Tofino on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Defend Our Coast, an organization dedicated to stopping the

Year in Review October

2012 proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. Coast, and the tanker traffic that would result, staged protests at MLA offices throughout coastal British Columbia in October. Locally, since North Vancouver Island MLA Claire Travena does not currently have a constituency office here, the group gathered at the Port McNeill waterfront with banners to show their objection to the plan. Students at North Island Secondary School will no longer have to choose between the provincial soccer championships and their graduation ceremonies. But some North Island families may have to choose which school’s grad to attend after administrators at NISS decided this fall to move the school’s graduation date one week later in June. The move, designed

in part to alleviate conflicts suffered by the school’s successful soccer program in the past few years, will put the NISS grad on the same night Port Hardy Secondary School holds its student grad ceremony in Port Hardy. The new graduation day will move NISS from the first weekend in June, when the soccer provincials are held, to the second weekend of the month. The world famous Knights Inlet Lodge was destroyed in a fire in October. The lodge was a top ecotourism destination, with its owners, Dean and Kathy Wyatt, described as ardent champions of grizzly bear and salmon stewardship and conservation. Knights Inlet is located 80 kilometres north of Campbell River, with the lodge located 60 kilometres up the fjord, in Glendale Cove. The area is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly bears in B.C., with the fire coming in the peak fall viewing season, when the bears gather to feed on the salmon returning to the Glendale River.

16 www.northislandgazette.com

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Shifting currents on wave energy bid Gazette staff SRM Projects Ltd., a renewable energy engineering firm based in Nanaimo, withdrew its application for an investigative license application for Blackney Passage Monday after several whale researchers objected to its location in critical whale habitat off North Vancouver Island’s coast. OrcaLab, the whale research station on Hanson Island, and SRM Projects Ltd. made the announcement of the application’s withdrawal in a joint press release Monday. “We see this as a winwin situation,” said Dr. Paul Spong, founder of OrcaLab. “We are very pleased with how receptive SRM Projects was to the concerns we raised.” With a backdrop of the stunning scenery of

Year in Review November

2012 Broughton Strait, the newest tanker in the Canadian Shipping Lines Fleet was welcomed to the North Island with a blessing by First Nations chiefs and elders. The Rt. Honourable Paul E. Martin, the first of the CSL’s new Trillium Class of Panamax tankers, had just completed its first loading at the Orca Sand and Gravel quarry ship loader just west of Port McNeill. The Orca quarry is operated by Polaris Minerals Corp. of Vancouver in a unique partnership with the Kwakiutl and ‘Namgis

Staff Sgt. Craig Blanchard of the Port McNeill RCMP salutes after laying a wreath at the cenotaph in Port McNeill for Remembrance Day, Sunday November 11. J.R. Rardon

First Nations, negotiated by Polaris founder Marco Romero prior to the quarry’s opening in 2007. A former teacher in

the School District 85 (Vancouver Island North) system was charged on two counts of possession of child pornography, RCMP

and school district officials announced. Timothy Joseph Ouellette, 45, was charged with possession of child pornogra-

phy and with possession for the purpose of distribution or sale, said Cpl. Daren Lagan, media relations officer with the Island District RCMP. No local children were victimized, and Ouellette no longer works for the district. Mitchell, the Port McNeill-raised defenseman who helped the Los Angeles Kings win the 2012 Stanley Cup before bringing it to his hometown arena in August, returned to his home town bearing 33 M11 anti-concussion helmets he distributed to Port McNeill’s minor hockey association. The visit was not publicized, and Mitchell surprised the young skaters by joining them on the ice for practice before retiring to the Image Room upstairs for pizza and autographs.

Christmas cheer as North Islanders give big Gazette staff North Islanders came through in a big way this year as the 33rd annual Gazette Hamper Fund drive wrapped up with deliveries of Christmas hampers Dec 22. In all, local residents, businesses and service organizations contributed more than $41,500 and filled 558 hampers with food and toys to bring a happy holiday to needy North Island families. Donations that began trickling in as early as October peaked in a tsunami of cash and cheques in the final weeks. The ‘Namgis First Nation became the latest signatory as the Province of British Columbia and the Nanwakolas Council renewed a resourcesharing agreement covering 4.5 million hectares of Northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent coast. Chief Bill Cranmer and a contingent of singers from the Alert Bay band attended the signing ceremony, held at the B.C. Legislature. Ten months after hosting a huge community party for the CBC television program The Big Decision, Hardy

ing the District along in a transparent way,” said School District 85 Superintendent Scott Benwell. He explained that, by getting a sense of the public’s expectations and priorities,

local communities designed to gather public input on its strategic plan and the makeup of its board of trustees at North Island Secondary School in Port McNeill. “It’s about mov-

Rain gear was de rigueur during the Santa Parade in Port Hardy this year as Mother Nature opened the heavens. Many still braved the downpour for a glimpse of the big guy. A O’Toole Buoys Smoked Fish entertainment, a pizza- said. “We were totally has seen a big boost in baking contest and a interested in pursuing glimpse of Dickinson, an ongoing relationship business. But the program had the CBC ‘Dragon’ who with Arlene Dickinson, was taping but we never heard only an indian episode back from them.” rect impact The BC Centre for ostensibly on the comto deter- Disease Control warned pany, and mine if the the public not to conow n e r s c o m p a n y sume various shellfish Bruce and was wor- and seafood products Carol Dirom thy of her from a private disstill have investment. tributor in Port Hardy mixed feelB u t because of the risk of ings about their involvement with after initially say- paralytic shellfish poithe program and inves- ing Hardy Buoys did soning and botulism. The products were for tor Arlene Dickinson, what it needed to do, Dickinson went mum sale online and through the show’s host. The Big Event was after the show aired in a Buy and Sell ad on www.buyselltrade.ca organized by the early April. “As far as what’s but may have also been Diroms and drew more than two thousand happened from the Big distributed through people to the Civic Event itself, there’s other mechanisms. School District 85 Centre in February for nothing really from free seafood samples, our end,” Carol Dirom kicked off a tour of

Year in Review December

2012

the board will be better equipped to create a tailored vision for education in the coming years, and a plan of action to deliver the mutual vision.

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