Red Deer Advocate, February 24, 2016

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Red Deer Advocate WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

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Crime stats paint mixed picture

THE UGLY DUCKLING

$1

MARK LINDSAY TRIAL

Psychiatrist supports schizophrenia diagnosis

BY MURRAY CRAWFORD ADVOCATE STAFF

BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Theft under $5,000, vehicle theft and other property crimes continue to rise in Red Deer.

Police released the 2015 crime statistics on Tuesday indicating there were 13,814 property crimes in 2015, compared to 13,040 in 2014.

The biggest jump was in theft under $5,000 with 5,430 reported crimes compared to 4,915 in 2014. There was a slight decrease in break-and-enter crimes to 1,120 from 1,124, and a larger drop in fraud crimes to 969 from 1,092.

RCMP Supt. Scott Tod said there was a considerable increase in total property crimes 2014 (13,040) from 2013 (11,129) but a marginal increase over the last two years.

“I think it is a positive sign,” said Tod. “You have to take into account the community is growing. Each year we get more people moving into the city. Break and enters are a little bit lower than they were last year. So there are some good news areas in the property crime and I like to attribute through our work through the task force.”

But the statistics also show a decrease in total persons crimes such as robbery, assault and kidnapping to 2,816 compared to 3,018 in 2014. The biggest drop was in criminal harassment to 193 from 363 in 2014.

“This is the lowest it’s been in four years,” said Tod. “That’s a good sign.

I’d like to think through our targeting prolific offenders and monitoring high risk domestic offenders, we’ve had some role in that. We can’t take credit for it because it has been on a downward trend.”

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Connor McKee, left, plays the Cat while Carson Rafuse takes on the part of Ugly as the two, along with other cast and production members, rehearse their parts in the Cornerstone Youth Theatre production of ‘HONK!.’ The take on the Hans Christian Andersen’s story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ features 58 of Central Alberta’s talented young performers and is sure to delight audiences of all ages. The show begins its run at New Life Fellowship at 20 Kelloway Close in Red Deer this Friday. For tickets to the show and information about show times and dates, visit www.CornerstoneYouthTheatre.org, or call the box office at 403-986-2981.

Please see CRIME on Page A2

A second mental-health professional offered a similar schizophrenic diagnosis of Mark Damien Lindsay, who is accused of murdering an Edmonton mother.

Dr. Marcel Hediger, a B.C.-based forensic psychiatrist, testified for the defence on Tuesday in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

Lindsay, 29, is accused of the August 2011 killing of Dana Turner, 31. He is charged with second-degree murder.

Hediger observed Lindsay for more than two months between August and October 2012. At the time Lindsay was detained on the murder charge. He was charged with the murder in March 2012 and had been in custody.

Hediger’s two-pronged diagnosis of Lindsay was that he was schizophrenic and had a substance abuse problem that could be linked to psychosis.

At the time, Lindsay was so far removed from having access to illicit drugs, Hediger concluded. Therefore his psychosis during his assessment with Hediger was caused by his schizophrenia. Hediger said Lindsay had been “pretty much” substance free for close to a year.

Hediger pointed to Lindsay’s hallucinations and delusions as some of the foundation that led him to the diagnosis.

Defence counsels Kent Teskey and Curtis Steeves have contended Lindsay should not be held criminally responsible due to psychosis and a paranoid belief that a group of serial killers called Healers were out to kill him.

In his police statement, Lindsay said he thought Turner was a Healer sent to kill him specifically.

Lindsay has admitted to committing the murder, but the trial revolves around whether or not Lindsay was criminally responsible at the time.

Crown Prosecutors Bina Border and Ed Ring believe the psychosis was drug induced and would then not qualify for a not criminally responsible defence.

Defence closed their case after Hediger’s testimony.

Please see TRIAL on Page A2

Prominent Red Deerians to conduct fundraising for wildlife centre

BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Animal lovers Lynne Mulder and Morris Flewwelling are coming to the rescue of the Medicine River Wildlife Centre.

The two prominent Red Deerians are stepping up to take the lead to raise $400,000 to finish the construction of the new hospital. Another $125,000 is expected to come through a provincial grant.

Mainly sunny. High -2. Low -8.

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cacy, has two dogs, seven cats and 40 fish.

“My passion is animals,” said Mulder. “I have a huge interest. I think (caring for the wildlife) is a big need in the community. And it’s not one people will rise up and say, ‘yes I am going to help.’ Most people do not think about wildlife that much.”

Mulder said she heard some of the Medicine River Wildlife Centre stories and animals that were saved, which “just brings tears to your eyes.”

Mulder said the duo will form a small cabinet to tackle the task at hand. She said they will likely be targeting particular donors in the Central Alberta region including the County of Red Deer and Central Alberta municipalities.

“My feeling is somebody has to do it,” said Mulder. “I am really happy Carol Kelly has stepped up to the plate and I would like to help her if I can.”

Please see MEDICINE RIVER on Page A2

Nine stabbed at high school Students described a chaotic scene after a female classmate ran down the hallways knifing people, injuring nine.

PLEASE RECYCLE

SEE STORY ON PAGE A5

Red Deer HOME SHOW

2016

MARCH 4, 5, 6, 2016 WESTERNER PARK For more information call 1.403.346.5321 or visit www.RedDeerHomeShow.ca

Show Hours: Friday: 12pm - 8pm| Saturday: 10am - 6pm Sunday: 10am - 5pm Admission: Adult $10 | Student $8 (w/valid ID) Seniors $8 (+55) | Under 12 Free (w/adult)

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Carol Kelly, executive director, has been juggling the fundraising and running the centre for years. Kelly said she reached out to the two supporters because she cannot do it all.

“It’s a huge relief to me because I wake up in the morning with a nervous stomach thinking about how I am going to do this all by myself,” said Kelly.

Mulder said her passion is animals and she jumped on board to help the worthy cause. Mulder, who is wellknown for her domestic animal advo-

A2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016

POWER OF CAMOUFLAGE

La Loche high school to welcome students back

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS LA LOCHE, Sask. — As some students and their parents began returning Tuesday to the elementary school in La Loche, Sask., Education Minister Don Morgan paused for a moment to take in the scene.

“You have no idea how good it was to go in this school and hear kids running and laughing,” he told reporters. “It was really good to see that.”

Nevertheless, when regular classes resume at the elementary school on Wednesday — and at the high school on Friday — security will be high, the result of a mass shooting last month that left four people dead and seven others injured.

A gunman first killed two teenage brothers at a home in the community, then walked to the high school and opened fire, killing a teacher and teacher’s aide, and wounding the others.

The Northern Lights School Division announced Tuesday that an RCMP school resource officer and three security staff will be at the La Loche Community School when classes resume. Three security staff will be posted to the elementary school.

“Emergency drills will be scheduled annually,” the division added.

Notes from a Feb. 17 parent-student meeting posted on the school’s Facebook page detail that both schools will be getting an “emergency notification system” with a phone in each classroom.

A professional security consulting group has toured the high school and is developing a safety plan, the notes said.

National Cupcake Day on Feb. 29

IN

BRIEF

National Cupcake Day for SPCAs & Humane Societies on Feb. 29 is fast approaching so get baking to help Red Deer & District SPCA. Money raised by the annual event goes to support animals in shelters waiting for homes.

To register visit www.nationalcupcakeday.ca.

Then plan a Cupcake Day party and invite friends, family, classmates or co-workers to buy cupcakes to support Red Deer & District SPCA. People can host their Cupcake Day party on any day in February if Monday is not suitable.

National Cupcake Day is a co-ordinated Canadian event. In 2015, animal lovers across the country raised over $550,000 in support of their favourite shelters.

Sylvan Lake woman sentenced to three years in jail for breaking into home A Sylvan Lake woman has two years left to serve on a prison sentence for breaking into a home and attacking the homeowner with brass knuckles.

Kristen Lee Hiebert, 30, pleaded guilty to four charges for the April 7 assault in Kentwood.

The homeowner awoke at about 5:30 a.m. that morning to an unknown person rummaging through their house. Red Deer RCMP said the suspect attempted to leave the home with electronics, a purse and other items.

When the homeowner confronted the suspect, she struck him in the head with brass knuckles. The victim sustained cuts to his head.

Hiebert pleaded guilty to break and enter, assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon and breaching her probation.

She was sentenced to three years in jail, but was given a one-year credit of time served before her sentence.

Bird expert to discuss burrowing owls An expert on species at risk and migratory birds on the grasslands will speak at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre on Thursday.

Corey Scobie, assistant curator of ornithology at the Royal Alberta Museum, will talk about his doctoral research which examined the influence of human development on burrowing owl reproductive success and movement patterns. He will also discuss his Royal Alberta Museum role and share results of current projects including the extinct passenger

STORIES FROM PAGE A1

CRIME: Police exceeding targets The number of reported fraud victims has decreased slightly in the third quarter, despite the continued proliferation of new and recurring scams.

The police also released its Annual Policing Plan third quarter results (Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2015). The five objectives in the plan were set by the police, the city and council.

It showed police are exceeding its targets to disrupt criminal organizations, increasing charges against impaired drivers and educating the public about fraud. A new plan is expected to be released after the fourth quarter on April 1.

“They were relevant and meaningful objectives,” said Tod. “I think we put some initiatives and measures and targets in place.”

In the first three quarters, police disrupted nine medium-level crime networks.

LOTTERIES

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Naturally camouflaged in their environment, this pair of mule deer does feed along a treeline near 32nd Street in Red Deer Tuesday afternoon.

TUESDAY Extra: 5262610 Pick 3: 656

Police have also increased impaired driving charges in the city by 21 per cent, well above the original five per cent target.

Tod does not expect the objectives to change that much in the next plan.

“When you have good objectives that are relevant to the community, you don’t often see a change,” said Tod. “Organized crime is a concern. Property crime is a concern. That doesn’t change but the initiatives that we put in place, change year to year.” crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com

TRIAL: Crown had no questions The Crown had no cross examination questions for Hediger.

Trial resumes today with the Crown calling a rebuttal witness, who will also provide expert opinion on Lindsay’s criminal responsibility. mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com

pigeon and research.

The Red Deer River Naturalist-sponsored event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Calgary man facing charges after close call for Southern Alberta Mountie LETHBRIDGE — A charge of dangerous driving has been laid after a southern Alberta RCMP officer narrowly escaped being run down by a car that had allegedly rammed his police cruiser.

Police say the Lethbridge-area officer tried late Monday morning to stop a vehicle involved in a traffic offence, but the driver sped away with the Mountie in pursuit.

The officer followed the Honda Civic into a construction company yard and blocked the entranceway, but the driver allegedly rammed the cruiser to try to get away and the officer leaped out and opened fire.

Three people who were in the vehicle were later arrested when the vehicle was brought to a halt on a rural road by using a spike belt, but two of them were released without being charged.

No one was hurt.

Lekendric Smith, an 18-year-old Calgary man, is facing other charges that include failing to stop for a police officer and will appear in a Lethbridge courtroom on Wednesday.

MEDICINE RIVER: Cares for thousands of animals The centre has cared for thousands of animals from moose to owls, deer and birds since 1984.

Nearly all patients admitted to the hospital have been injured by human activities such as vehicles, power lines, barbed wire, windows, domestic cats and litter, according to the Medicine River Wildlife Centre. Roughly 60 per cent will be rehabilitated and released back into appropriate habitats.

Recently the Medicine River Wildlife Centre received a $111,000 grant towards the centre’s land preservation project, which is separate from the capital fundraising campaign. The centre is about $600,000 short for this project. It protects the wetland from development and provides a sanctuary for the species such as great grey owls, sandhill cranes, warblers and rare plants.

Find out more about the centre’s fundraising campaign at www.indiegogo.com/projects/otis-s-extremehome-makeover#/story or visit www.mrwc.ca. crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com

PIKE WHEATON

Numbers are unofficial.

Weather LOCAL TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

HIGH -2

LOW -8

HIGH 3

HIGH 5

HIGH 2

Mainly sunny.

Partly cloudy.

Sunny.

Sunny. Low -8.

Cloudy. Low -6,

REGIONAL OUTLOOK Calgary: today, increasing cloudiness.

High 2. Low -6.

Olds, Sundre: today, increasing cloudiness.

High 2. Low -10.

Rocky, Nordegg: today, 30% flurries.

High -1. Low -11.

Banff: today, mainly cloudy. High 1. Low -8.

Jasper: today, mainly cloudy. High 3. Low

TONIGHT’S HIGHS/LOWS

-12.

Lethbridge: today, mainly sunny. High 6.

Low -4.

Edmonton: today, mainly sunny. High -1.

Low -9.

Grande Prairie: today, increasing cloudiness. High -1. Low -6.

Fort McMurray: today, mainly sunny.

High 0. Low -8.

WINDCHILL/SUNLIGHT

FORT MCMURRAY

0/-8 GRANDE PRAIRIE

-1/-6

EDMONTON

-1/-9 JASPER

3/-12

RED DEER

-2/-8

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1/-8 Windchill/frostbite risk: Low Low: Low risk Moderate: 30 minutes exposure High -5 to 10 minutes: High risk in 5 to 10 minutes High -2 to 5 minutes: High risk in 2 to 5 minutes Extreme: High risk in 2 minutes Sunset tonight: 6:05 p.m.

Sunrise Thursday: 7:31 a.m.

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ALBERTA NDP dogged by ethics issues

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL TAKES SHAPE

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Work is continuing on the new high school in Red Deer. This week crews are installing GlasRoc panels to the exterior of St. Joseph High School located just to the east of Clearview Market Square.

Calgary Greenway voters to go to polls in byelection on March 22

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley dropped the writ for a byelection to fill a seat left vacant by the death of a member of the legislature.

Voters in the Calgary Greenway constituency are to go to the polls on March 22 to replace Progressive Conservative MLA Manmeet Bhullar.

Bhullar was killed last November in a traffic accident.

The NDP already has a candidate, but the opposition parties are scrambling to move up their nomination dates to get candidates in place.

The Wildrose party has said Notley should have shown more respect for the democratic process and waited to drop the writ until all candidates were named.

Notley’s officials said everyone knew that a byelection was coming and should have had candidates in place.

The Wildrose also said Notley was being disrespectful in not waiting a sufficient amount of time to honour

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Bhullar’s memory.

“When my father was a victim of a tragic accident, (then premier) Peter Lougheed called the byelection, I believe, 96 days after the accident. This byelection was called 92 days after the accident,” Notley said Tuesday.

Grant Notley was the leader of Alberta’s NDP when he was killed in 1984 in a plane crash in northern Alberta.

Jeremy Nixon, executive director for the Wildrose party, said the party will move its nomination to this Fri-

day, up from March 5, although logistics have not been finalized.

The Progressive Conservatives are set to nominate their candidate on Saturday. Troy Wason, the PC party’s executive director, said the Calgary Greenway board is to decide if it will stick with that date.

The NDP have nominated former radio host Roop Rai. The Greens have already nominated Thana Boonlert as their candidate.

The Liberals are slated to pick a candidate on Feb. 29.

Ask The Dentist! by Dr. Michael Dolynchuk, DDS

Myths About Dental Implants Dear Dr. D: I am considering dental implants. My existing denture wobbles, is embarrassing, and frankly I'm ready to take the plunge.

My big concern is pain. I've always been frightened of any dental treatment, which is one reason I let my natural teeth go. I don't want to commit to something I can't handle.

A: There are many myths about dental implants. The first one concerns pain. Patients are surprised that dental implants are often no more uncomfortable or painful than any normal dental procedure such as extractions. We have significant advances in both training as well as medications. Most of our patients don't even use the painkillers we do prescribe for them for the 'just in case' situation. At a course, we overheard a woman who had received 3 implants in one session speaking to her family outside the building. Her husband actually said 'What do you mean – it doesn't hurt?' He had witnessed the surgery on close circuit TV. Her dentist had used oral sedation only – consisting of a pill the night before and one before the surgery.

Every case is different, but this is not a unique situation. Pain is not something our patients tell us they experience, any more than any normal dental procedure.

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EDMONTON — Alberta’s governing NDP fought donation controversies on two fronts Tuesday, pulling the plug on a big-ticket fundraiser in Edmonton just hours before it was set to begin.

Cheryl Oates, who speaks for Premier Rachel Notley, confirmed the party cancelled a portion of a fundraiser at the Art Gallery of Alberta after Ethics Commissioner Marguerite Trussler announced she was investigating whether it squares with the Conflicts of Interest Act. “The dinner has been postponed pending the outcome of the ethics commissioner’s investigation, which she has agreed to do based on a complaint from the opposition,” said Oates.

The main part of the art gallery event was a reception with tickets sold for $250 apiece, and that function still went ahead.

However, the party had also sold tickets at $1,000 apiece guaranteeing those ticket holders a private dinner with Notley and her MLAs at a separate room in the art gallery prior to the main event.

It was that $1,000-per ticket event that was cancelled and is under investigation.

Trussler had originally signed off on the $1,000-per-ticket event as meeting the provisions of the act.

But she reopened the matter after the opposition Wildrose party sent a letter early Tuesday asking for clarification.

Jason Nixon, the Wildrose critic for democratic accountability, said he doubts Trussler was given all the required information when she signed off on the $1,000-event in the first place.

“I never did think that the NDP were telling the ethics commissioner that they were having an exclusive, private, select-invite access to premier and cabinet event for money,” said Nixon.

Also Tuesday, the Wildrose asked Trussler to investigate Notley’s role at a big-ticket Ontario NDP fundraiser last week that solicited donations from blue-chip multinational companies, some of whom do business in Alberta.

Nixon said that event in Toronto, hosted by Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, cost almost $10,000 a ticket, and he said it, too, raises questions around impartiality and the selling of access.

“Alberta companies who cannot donate to the NDP in Alberta can pay 10 grand in Ontario to get special face-to-face interaction,” said Nixon.

“It is unseemly and it is unethical.”

In Alberta, corporations and unions are banned from donating to political parties under legislation passed by Notley’s government last spring.

Notley said she also cleared that event beforehand with Trussler.

“I’m the leader of Alberta’s NDP. Andrea Horwath is the leader of Ontario’s NDP,” Notley told a legislature news conference.

“It’s not uncommon for certain sections of the party to ask leaders of other sections to come along to events to attract people.”

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Dental implants are not the perfect option for every situation. It is possible for an implant to fail. Simply putting a titanium root in your jawbone, and adding a porcelain tooth to it doesn't eliminate the need for regular hygiene. You must continue to take care of it, or you risk failure. Sometimes, and we see this most frequently with 'resort dentistry' – the implant is placed in insufficient bone. It's not unlike a fence post that is buried into the ground in too shallow a posthole.

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COMMENT

A4

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Liberals must play fiscally weak hand Here are three things you need to wild cards up his sleeve. Energy prices know about the politics of the $18 bil- could still go down. Indeed, the latlion-plus deficit federal finance min- est government forecast is based on ister Bill Morneau has now placed a price for oil 25 per cent higher than squarely in the window of the March it is currently selling for. There is no 22 budget. certainty that Canada — and the glob1. When a government al economy — will know puts its fiscal cards on the anything but more sluggish table a month before its growth for the duration of first budget, it is almost althe current Liberal manways because it has been date. dealt a very poor hand.

Had Stephen Harper or On that score, Morneau Thomas Mulcair won the ended up with some of the October election, their fiworst cards of the past two nance minister would be decades. eating crow on their behalf It is not that his predethis budget season. Based cessors were spared budon the same forecasts as the get challenges. Paul Martin Liberals, they had promtook over the finance portised to balance the books — CHANTAL folio in 1993 at a time when and deliver on costly promHEBERT Canada was saddled with ises. The Conservatives and an out-of-control structurthe New Democrats would OPINION al deficit. And Jim Flaherty have had to introduce some had to deal with a global deep spending cuts to avoid economic crisis. But each of them had running a high deficit. at least one ace to play.

2. There are two alternative reaMartin’s tenure at finance coincid- sons why a newly elected government ed with a long cycle of steady econom- would want to get ahead of bad news ic growth and Flaherty could count on on the deficit front. a robust energy sector to mitigate the The first is to start laying out a narimpact of the recession on Canada. rative to drop some of the big-ticket By comparison, Morneau has only items in the party’s election platform.

Martin did just that after the 1993 election — turning the fight against the deficit into job one for the Liberal government.

The other is to mitigate sticker shock, thus avoiding the elephant of the deficit crowding out all the other measures of the first Liberal budget.

Parsing through Morneau’s talking points on Monday, it is clear that Justin Trudeau’s government is as committed to its spending plan or — to use Morneau’s words — its “investment” plan as when it was promising to deliver on its platform without running a deficit much larger than $10 billion.

The deficit counter starts at $18.4 billion in the coming fiscal year and $15.5 billion next year and will mount with every dollar spent/invested by the Liberal government on infrastructures, child benefits, enhanced pensions for poorer seniors, improvements to the lot of indigenous communities, etc.

A deficit in the neighbourhood of $30 billion is in the cards for the first full fiscal year of Liberal rule, with additional deficits to come over the following years of the mandate.

3. The government is convinced that spending its way out of the current downturn is the way to go. But it has

no guarantee that it will work except that it feels the balanced budget alternative and the deep cuts that would require would be worse. On this, it has the support of a fair number of economists.

But at the same time Trudeau and Morneau know full well that the Liberal election platform does not amount to a real plan to address some of the core problems that ail the Canadian economy.

Staying the course on the campaign promises may be the politically savvy option but it falls well short of a magic economic bullet.

Hence the government is appointing an advisory council on economic growth to help map a long-term strategy. It is expected to report by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, based on Monday’s preview of the first Morneau budget, expect the Liberals to use a lot of rhetorical platitudes next month to cover up the fact that they will be treading water while they look for a way to avoid sinking in deficit quicksand over their subsequent budgets.

Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer syndicated by Torstar.

Advocate letters policy The Advocate welcomes letters on public issues from readers. Letters must be signed with the writer’s first and last name, plus address and phone number.

Pen names may not be used.

Letters will be published with the writer’s name. Addresses and phone numbers won’t be published.

Letters should be brief and deal with a single topic; try to keep them under 300 words.

The Advocate will not interfere with the free expression of opinion on public issues submitted by readers, but reserves the right to refuse publication and to edit all letters for public interest, length, clarity, legality, personal abuse or good taste.

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Due to the volume of letters we receive, some submissions may not be published.

Mail submissions or drop them off to Letters to the Editor, Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., T4R 1M9; or e-mail to editorial@ reddeeradvocate.com.

If B.C. knew Albertans, it would show more respect

BY MIKE ROBINSON SPECIAL TO THE ADVOCATE Albertans love the Royal Family. So why does the Queen’s representative in British Columbia speak so rudely to Albertans?

As a returned native son, after 30 years as a B.C. expat in Alberta, I find it fascinating to compare how the two neighbours talk to one another. Especially this month, in the wake of the B.C. Speech from the Throne.

I think there is a noticeable difference in provincial communication styles, whether its B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor or premiers Christy Clark and Rachel Notley and their respective ministers. The B.C. style of communication has become by turns abruptly harsh, critical of the neighbours, and after the fact, indefensible. Alberta’s, by comparison, shows an attempt to accommodate, to understand and ultimately to cooperate.

The Throne Speech was delivered by Her Majesty’s B.C. representative, Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, She told Albertans that they had wasted their economic opportunities, spent freely, and had not saved for the proverbial rainy day: “Consider our neighbours in Alberta – a province of similar size, and also blessed with natural resources. Over the decades, Alberta lost its focus. They expected their resource boom never to end, failed to diversify their economy and lost control of government spending.”

Notley’s lieutenants gamely replied that the barbs referred to the previous Progressive Conservative

CENTRAL ALBERTA’S DAILY NEWSPAPER Published at 2950 Bremner Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta, T4R 1M9

by The Red Deer Advocate Ltd. Canadian Publications Agreement #336602 Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation Mary Kemmis Publisher mkemmis@reddeeradvocate.com Josh Aldrich jaldrich@reddeeradvocate.com Managing editor

governments’ collective activities. That’s not the way many Albertans read it.

Albertans have a long personal history with various members of Royalty heading west to ranch and Stampede since Confederation. You could start with the E.P. (Edward Prince) Ranch, owned by His Majesty King Edward VIII from 1919 to 1962. Edward purchased the E.P. when he was still the Prince of Wales, and he developed it as a model of breeding excellence.

He also developed numerous friendships with local cowboys, and was celebrated by the Blackfoot Confederacy, who had signed their Treaty 7 with “The Great White Mother” in 1877. From those early days to present, Royalty and Alberta have greatly enjoyed their mutual friendship.

The House of Windsor, over nearly 100 years, has learned to love Alberta’s openness, freedom to act and, perhaps above all, friendly informality. It was and is one of the Royal family’s favoured places in the Commonwealth to relax. In Alberta, the Royals can be appreciated for who they are, as people. It is impossible for Albertans to imagine Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II making dismissive remarks like those contained in the Throne Speech, were she in fact asked to read it.

My family remembers seeing Prince William and Kate (Albertans treasure this kind of informality) at the Calgary Stampede Parade on July 8, 2011. They wore white cowboy hats, cowboy shirts, jeans and boots, and were a hit with families along the route.

Where else in the world does this degree of informality fit in with the stuffy Royal culture?

Wendy Moore Advertising sales manager wmoore@reddeeradvocate.com Main switchboard 403-343-2400 News News tips 403-314-4333 Sports line 403-343-2244 News fax 403-341-6560 Email: editorial@reddeeradvocate. com Josh Aldrich, managing editor 403-314-4320 Greg Meachem, Sports editor 403-314-4363 Website: www.reddeeradvocate.com Advertising Main number: 403-314-4343 Fax: 403-342-4051 E-mail: advertising@reddeeradvo-

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cate.com Classified ads: 403-309-3300 Classified email: classifieds@reddeeradvocate.com Alberta Press Council member The Red Deer Advocate is a sponsoring member of the Alberta Press Council, an independent body that promotes and protects the established freedoms of the press and advocates freedom of information. The Alberta Press Council upholds the public’s right to full, fair and accurate news reporting by considering complaints, within 60 days of publication, regarding the publication of news and the accuracy of facts used to support opinion. The council is comprised of public members and representatives

Just look at a photo of B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor’s quasi-military uniform to make a comparison between British Columbia’s take on Royalty, and how the Royals actually dress in Alberta. It’s Gilbert and Sullivan take tea at the Empress versus, “Howdy, glad to be here!”

Strange as it may seem to outsiders accustomed to recent decades of oil affluence, is the shared, mutual experience of hardship. Droughts, floods, ranch failures and oil busts also go hand in hand with being Albertan. In truth they are the defining elements of prairie citizenship.

No one put it better than Wallace Stegner in his evocative memoir Wolf Willow (1962). He wrote that after the horrific livestock-killing prairie winter of 1908-09, “All that remained was the will to cooperate.”

That cooperative will remains today. Alberta is filled with people who came from away to make a fresh start. In this process they have a clear focus. Most understood the reality of oil’s boom-andbust economics. Many have consequently diversified their skills, and kept a close eye on family spending.

And Alberta’s contribution to Canadian equalization payments is second to none.

Albertans would appreciate a little respect for those folks who are struggling right now. It’s what good neighbours do.

Troy Media columnist Mike Robinson has been CEO of three Canadian NGOs: the Arctic Institute of North America, the Glenbow Museum, and the Bill Reid Gallery.

of member newspapers. The Press Council’s address: PO Box 2576, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8G8. Phone 403-580-4104. Email: abpress@telus. net. Website: www.albertapresscouncil.ca.

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CANADA

A5

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Nine stabbed at high school GIRL, 14, TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS PICKERING, Ont. — Students described a chaotic scene at a suburban Toronto high school on Tuesday after a female classmate ran down the hallways knifing people, leaving six students and three staff with non-serious injuries.

A 14-year-old girl was taken into custody and four people were transported to hospital for treatment, although none of the injuries were considered grave, police said.

Sgt. Bill Calder of Durham Regional Police said officers were called to Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ont., at 8:32 a.m. in response to reports of a stabbing. He added that two staff members wrestled the suspect to the ground and held her down until police arrived.

“We’re giving kudos to the staff members that stopped this before it got worse,” Calder said.

“They did the right thing.”

Investigators said in a release they did not believe any particular student or staff member was targeted in the attack.

“She appeared to be acting alone,” Calder said.

Police said the school was closed for the day as investigators were interviewing witnesses.

Psychologists and social workers were at the school for those who wanted help.

Several students described running from a girl brandishing two large kitchen knives careening down the Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS hallways of the school.

One emotional 14-year-old girl said A victim is taken away on a stretcher following a stabbing incident at Dunbarton High School in Pickering, Ont., on she came face-to-face with the suspect, Tuesday. High-school students described a chaotic scene at a suburban Toronto high school on Tuesday after a female who slashed at her with the knives. classmate ran down the hallways knifing people, leaving six students and two teachers with non-serious injuries.

“I just ran for my life,” the girl said as she began to cry. “I just can’t beHe said as soon as he opened the joking around.” leased, while others were treated at lieve it happened. She almost got me.” front door, he saw students running in In a posting on the school board school for minor injuries.”

Another student said he saw a girl all directions. website, Dunbarton principal Randy Several hours after the incident, with a long black coat chasing students “I’m like ‘oh, what’s happening,”’ Tennant said a student who entered some students were skateboarding outin the hall of the school’s tech wing he said in a telephone interview. “So I the school with two knives was imme- side while parents milled about, waitwaving a knife in each hand. just kept on walking and some teacher diately detected by other students who ing for their sons and daughters to be “I heard the teachers say ‘clear the told me, ‘oh, come into this room.’ So began to alert others. released. halls’ so I started to run outside in- I ran into the room. They locked the “We commend our students for Lynn Sharma was among those waitforming people that there’s a student door, closed the cur- their courage and leadership,” Ten- ing to hug their children. with a knife, you need tains, turned the lights nant said.

She said she dropped her son off at to get to safety,” the ‘I JUST RAN FOR MY LIFE. off.”

“Unfortunately, there have been school around 8:30 a.m., but got a wor16-year-old said in a Another said: “Peo- multiple non-life threatening injuries risome text about 30 minutes later. text message as he sat I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE IT ple were running and to six students and three staff mem“He said they were under lockdown in a locked classroom HAPPENED. SHE ALMOST screaming. There was bers,” he said. and he’s OK, but in a classroom, locked inside the school. blood on the ground.

“A few of the victims were trans- in a room,” Sharma said.

GOT ME.’ Another student I thought it was fake.” ported to the hospital and were re“I just want to bring him home.” said he got to school at Rhemtulla and a — FEMALE STUDENT, 14 few other students re8:30 a.m. and a teacher yelled to get out, mained in the classthat there was someroom while the school was in lockdown one with a knife. So he bolted outside and police combed the property for where he said he saw four tactical of- evidence. ficers with guns drawn entering the He said the initial shock of the situschool. ation eased up as students monitored Zakyr Rhemtulla, a Grade 9 student social media and learned that no one at Dunbarton, said he was faced with appeared to be in danger. chaos from the moment he arrived at “Students are calm, I guess,” he school. said. “…Police are gone, kids are just

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LOCAL

A6

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Mothers Milk Bank open for donations

BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank’s milk drop in Red Deer is open for business.

Earlier this month, breastfeeding mothers approved by NorthernStar were able to drop off their excess milk at Johnstone Crossing Community Health Centre. The milk is sent to NorthernStar’s lab to be pasteurized and dispensed to sick babies in hospitals and communities across Canada.

“We’ve had two new research articles just this week talking about the importance of using human donor milk in the NICUs (neonatal intensive care units). I think the big thing with this is it’s science-based, but it’s a community solution,” said Jannette Festival, NorthernStar executive director on Tuesday.

“You don’t have to be rich. It doesn’t matter if you’re poor. You can still contribute to saving a life of a baby. Having that power within your own body, that’s pretty amazing.”

Calgary-based NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank is Canada’s only community-based milk bank. About 75 to 80 per cent of its milk is used in hospitals.

All hospitals in Alberta use donor human milk and the Red Deer drop-off depot is one of six new NorthernStar milk drops in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

NorthernStar now has 11 milk drops on the prairies.

Before the Red Deer drop-off opened, local mothers would meet up with the milk bank’s courier at Gasoline Alley to collect containers of milk.

Festival said last year after NorthernStar started opening its new milk drops, the overall number of donors climbed to 652 from 425 in 2014.

In 2015, a total of 3,962 litres of milk was donated. “(Moms) are so driven to help us. It’s absolutely wonderful to see, and at the end of it they say thank you for the opportunity for me to donate. I’m just thinking, ‘Really, thank you for going through all that to help other babies.’ It’s really a win-win situation.”

Milk donors are not paid for their milk.

One mother was currently donating milk at the Red Deer milk drop.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff

Alberta Health Services public health nurse Sue Batchelor holds a 100 ml. sterile donation container at the Johnstone Crossing Health Unit in Red Deer. Since the beginning of February the Johnstone Crossing Health Unit has been collecting mothers milk donations for the NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank.

Festival said in addition to more milk, she hoped the drop-off will raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding whether it’s for a mother’s own baby or someone else’s infant.

NorthernStar also wants to reach out to moms whose babies died to let them know they can still donate their milk, she said.

“It’s gives her a chance to leave a legacy for her baby, that’s if she chooses. It keeps her hormones steady. It gives her purpose. It gives her routine.

Probably last year we had 20 to 25 bereaved moms and again at the end of it they said thank you. It helped them cope.”

Drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, at Johnstone Crossing Community Health Centre, 300 Jordan Parkway.

For more information visit northernstarmilkbank. ca or call 1-403-475-6455. szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

Name that police puppy RCMP ARE LOOKING FOR HELP IN NAMING THEIR LATEST RECRUITS

BY ADVOCATE STAFF The RCMP wants to tap into the creative minds of young people to name the upcoming new canine recruits at the Police Dog Service Training Centre near Innisfail.

They are asking young Canadians to suggest names for 13 German Shepherd puppies that will be born at the centre this year.

Children are encouraged to be original and imaginative in finding names that will serve the puppies well in their careers with the national police force. Keep in mind that they are working police dogs, not pets.

The 13 children whose names are selected will each receive a laminated photo of the pup they name, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP cap.

The rules of the contest are: ● Contestants can suggest only one name (one entry per person). ● The name may be for a male or a female pup. ● The name must start with the letter “J”. ● The name must have no more than nine letters. ● The name must be one or two syllables. ● Contestants must live in Canada and be 14 years old or younger.

There are two ways to participate: Enter online at www.rcmp-grc.ca/ depot/pdstc-cdcp/name-the-puppynomme-le-chiot-eng.htm.

Enter by mail, sending entries to: Name the Puppy Contest, Police Dog Service Training Centre, Box 6120, In-

BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF

Photo contributed

The RCMP are holding a competition to name their latest batch of puppies that will be part of the Police Dog Service Training Centre program near Innisfail. This pup from a recent batch was named Cara. This time they are looking for names that begin with “J.”

RCMP nisfail, AB T4G 1S8. Print the child’s name, age, address, telephone number, and the suggested name for a puppy.

Children are invited to get creative with their entries. Drawings and paintings can be submitted with entries sent by mail.

Although there can be only 13 winners, names not selected for the contest will be considered for other pup-

pies born during the year.

The deadline for entries is March 22. Contest winners and prizes will be announced on April 26.

Winning names will be chosen by the PDSTC staff. A draw will determine the winning entry in the event of multiple submissions of the same puppy name.

The PDSTC is home to the RCMP national police dog training program and is a part of RCMP “Depot” Division.

50th annual sportsman show this weekend

BY ADVOCATW STAFF

FISH AND GAME

An artist who does his woodcarving with a chainsaw is one of the feature attractions at the 50th annual Red Deer Sportsman and Outdoor Adventure Show this weekend in Red Deer.

Joerg Jung of JJs WoodArt will be carving up some creations at the threeday event that begins Friday and runs through to Sunday at the Westerner.

The Safari Jeff Animology Tour will be there as will Terry Grant, the original Mantracker. The Hot Diggity Dogs Agility Club is back, and the Medicine River Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and Magicland Movie Rides. A magnetic fish pond and pellet rifle shoot will be offered too.

The annual show is the largest fundraiser for the Red Deer Fish and Game

Association, a nonprofit conservation organization that donates back to the community.

The association provides annual bursaries to Red Deer College and the three high schools. The Red Deer Public Library receives books donated by the club, which owns and maintains a half section of land east of the city as wildlife habitat. There they also have a small area for camping and gatherings, a stocked fish pond and hiking trails for club members. Occasionally members bring out physically challenged people to enjoy fishing.

Speakers this year at the show include Jason Ofner, Cabela’s Canada outfitter ambassador and professional

Man pleads guilty to home invasion, gets 90 days A man accused in relation to an October home invasion will spend 90 days in prison for probation violations.

Brandon Caleb Robertson, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of breach

Sylvan changes to metered taxis

BRIEF of probation on Monday in Red Deer provincial court.

Robertson was arrested on Oct. 3 by Innisfail and Red Deer RCMP. He was arrested in relation to a home invasion in Johnstone Park

Fax 403-341-6560 E-mail editorial@reddeeradvocate.com

waterfowl guide talking about spring snow goose hunting, Jim Hoey, host of The Dimestore Fishermen, Jason Acorn, host of The Boneyard, and Bentley Coben with Bentley Coben Wildlife Productions.

The show began in 1966 when a group of fish and game members, who were Red Deer businessmen, wanted to get people involved in fishing and hunting. It started in the Red Deer Arena and grew over the years so now it occupies all three pavilions at the Westerner.

The show hours are: Friday 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The cost to attend is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 7 to 12 , and free for ages 6 and under.

For more information go to www. reddeersportsmanshow.com. earlier that evening. Red Deer RCMP were called to the Red Deer Regional Hospital to investigate a stabbing at 10:30 p.m. that night. Police said two men tried to force their way into a home and stabbed one of the residents in the shoulder during a physical altercation.

Robertson was sentenced to 90 days in prison for his probation breaches.

Sylvan Lake has dropped its flatrate taxi system.

Town council voted on Monday to amend the taxi bylaw to go to meters.

Resident feedback on the cost of taxi rides was one of the drivers for the change, said Mayor Sean McIntyre.

“We were hearing from our residents on a regular basis that the flat rate under our former taxi bylaw were not something that many of our residents could afford,” said McIntyre.

“So we’re happy to see a rate now in our bylaw that is in line with the City of Red Deer and Town of Innisfail.”

Previously those calling for a taxi paid a flat rate of $15 to go anywhere in town, regardless of distance.

McIntyre said the town SEAN MCINTYRE has been looking at taxi service for some time. Last year, the bylaw was changed to make it easier for taxi companies to set up in Sylvan Lake because the town felt it was being under-served, especially during summer peaks.

However, council stopped short of bringing in meters then after the two local companies said they could not afford it. Recently, one of those companies Sylvan Lake Taxi closed its doors.

Last fall, Red Deer-based Associated Cabs, which supports the meter system that almost all communities use, began serving the town. Associated said it compared flat rate fares against its meters and found passengers would have saved money on almost every trip paying the meter rate.

The owners of Sylvan Lake’s Aura Taxis are not in favour of going to meters but were resigned to the change.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” said Venda Cardwell, who co-owns the company with husband Tom and another driver-owner.

Tom said some will benefit, but not all.

“It’s going to affect some people more and for some people it’s going to be good for them, (those with) shorter trips and don’t take time it’s going to (cost) less.

“Those who take time and have multiple stops it’s going to cost more.”

Tom is also concerned that his drivers will make less money.

“That’s one reason why we went and got the rate increase to try to bring them out of poverty,” he said, referring to a boost in the flat rate to $15 from $10 several years ago.

He also believes there will be more administration costs to the city to oversee and license metered taxis. pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com

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RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 A7

‘Your actions have shattered my world’ DEAD KIDS’ MOM TELLS DRUNK DRIVER IN COURT

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS NEWMARKET, Ont. — A woman who lost her three children and father in a horrific drunk driving crash broke into tears Tuesday as she told the man responsible for their deaths that she wished he could experience the debilitating grief that will haunt her forever.

“I don’t have anyone left to call me mom …. You killed all my babies,” Jennifer Neville-Lake said, looking straight at Marco Muzzo across the courtroom in Newmarket, Ont. “I miss my kids, I miss my dad, I want my old life back …. I would not wish this horror I am living on anyone but you. You deserve to know exactly what it feels like to have every single child you created meet someone like you.”

Muzzo, who wore a dark suit and listened from the prisoner’s box, sat still and looked straight ahead as Neville-Lake spoke.

Many in the courtroom, including at least one police officer, wiped their eyes as the Brampton, Ont., mother recalled learning that the crash she’d seen on TV actually involved her family, and how she rushed to hospital just

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Marco Muzzo, right, arrives with family at the court house for his sentencing hearing in Newmarket, Ont., on Tuesday. Muzzo, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this month to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two of impaired driving causing bodily harm. in time to see two of her children taken off life support.

Muzzo pleaded guilty earlier this

month to four counts of impaired driving causing death and two of impaired driving causing bodily harm and was

released on bail until Tuesday.

Since the Sept. 27 crash, Neville-Lake said, the home that once echoed with laughter has been left eerily quiet.

“The roaring silence that has been left behind as a result of your actions is so deafening,” she said.

Almost everything in Neville-Lake’s life, from the family home to favourite songs, “elicits pain and overwhelming sadness,” she said.

The woman — described by her relatives as a “supermom” — said she has lost her identity along with her children and now struggles to carry out even the most mundane tasks.

“Your actions have shattered my world completely,” she said.

Her husband, Edward Neville-Lake, said in a statement that he has suffered from suicidal thoughts and intense anxiety since the crash, adding the loss has affected their marriage.

“I feel lost in my life … it has been destroyed beyond repair,” he said in a statement read in court.

Nine-year-old Daniel Neville-Lake, his five-year-old brother Harrison, their two-year-old sister Milly and the children’s 65-year-old grandfather, Gary Neville, died after the van they were in was T-boned by Muzzo’s SUV in Vaughan, Ont., last September.

The children’s grandmother and great-grandmother were also seriously injured in the crash.

Foster parents lose bid to Duffy’s fate in hands of judge keep Métis toddler in B.C

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER — A British Columbia foster mother says she refuses to give up hope after losing a court battle to adopt a Métis toddler she has raised since birth.

The woman and her husband have filed an appeal. A hearing on a temporary injunction to keep the two-and-ahalf-year-old girl in B.C. is scheduled for next Monday.

“It was a real disappointment,” the foster mother said Tuesday. “My husband and I had a little cry about it.”

The Vancouver Island couple who can’t be named had filed a petition to prevent the Children’s Ministry from moving the girl to Ontario to live with older siblings whom she has never met.

The foster mother is Métis, while the caregivers in Ontario are not, raising questions about whether the toddler is better off with parents who share her cultural background or her blood relatives.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled the petition was an abuse of process

since a similar action filed by the couple was dismissed last year.

This petition made a constitutional argument that the courts should be able to decide the “best interests” of foster children, instead of leaving the responsibility with the ministry.

“There’s an entire class of children in Canada who can’t have their interests decided by a court of law,” said the foster mother.

“At the centre of this is an innocent little girl with real feelings and very strong bonds to her family. It’s the only family she’s ever known and there’s no valid reason to remove her.”

She said she has shown the little girl photos of her sisters and would be happy to bring her to visit them. The family even considered buying a house in Ontario to allow the toddler to be close to her siblings.

She said she hasn’t told the toddler about the ministry’s plans to move her.

“Any time we’ve even come close to mentioning going to live with them, she says, ‘And you come, too?’ Then I back off, because I can see she’s very worried and scared.”

Military vets challenge denial of disability benefits

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS HALIFAX — Some military veterans who say they are so disabled by PTSD that they haven’t worked since being released from the Forces will take their fight for long-term benefits to court Wednesday to argue they were wrongly shut out of support payments from Ottawa.

Stephane Hebert, who served in the military for 21 years before being medically released in 2007, is one of about a dozen veterans who have come forward so far as part of the proposed class action suit against the federal government.

Hebert, who served in Yugoslavia in 1992 and was later diagnosed with severe PTSD, said he didn’t apply for disability payments because he was told wrongly that he would not be entitled to them.

He claims that when he eventually learned otherwise, federal officials told him he had missed a 120-day dead-

line.

“I was told I was not entitled to that, so in bouts of anger I just said, ‘Yeah, I’ll just leave it at that,”’ the 48-yearold father said.

“I had no choice today but to push for this class action for members who have been misled.”

Dan Wallace, the lawyer handling the case, said the Forces’s insurer led his client and others to believe they would not receive any payments based on calculations that used a formula that takes salary and pensions into account.

But Wallace argues that a previous court ruling in another matter involving veterans’ benefits found the formula was flawed and should be overturned, meaning the class should apply for and receive payments.

A spokesperson for the Department of National Defence said in an emailed statement that the federal government will oppose certification of the lawsuit.

OTTAWA — Arguments in the landmark and lengthy trial of Sen. Mike Duffy concluded Tuesday with the justice hearing the case saying the earliest he’ll deliver his verdict is April 21.

Justice Charles Vaillancourt must now decide whether the former Conservative is guilty or not on 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery for the way he handled his expenses while serving in the Senate.

The decision will likely have repercussions for at least two other senators awaiting trial on similar accusations.

It may also mean that charges could be laid against still others following exhaustive audits into Senate expenses.

But the Ottawa political climate and culture that led to the 10-month Duffy trial have changed with the arrival of a new government and public interest in the issue has all but evaporated — the final two days of arguments were held in a different, smaller, courtroom with only a few ordinary spectators on hand.

“The man has been through a tremendous ordeal, he has been humiliated and ridiculed and that will con-

tinue to go on. Few have ever been in his position,” defence lawyer Donald Bayne said in his final address to the court on Tuesday.

“Crown took a great deal of time to say you can’t believe everything he says. You don’t have to acquit him on this evidence … the evidence as a whole proves that the Crown has not made out this case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

It’s been eight years since Duffy was appointed a Conservative senator for P.E.I.. The Senate is still grappling with the fallout from the ethics scandal that engulfed it after questions raised about his expenses eventually led to the criminal charges against him.

Duffy has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The first 28 charges relate to living, travel and office expense claims he filed in his first four years in Senate, while he was criss-crossing the country as one of his party’s star fundraisers.

The final three counts relate to a $90,000 payment Duffy accepted from Harper’s former chief of staff in order to repay his questioned expenses. The Crown contends the cheque amounted to bribery.

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LUANN Feb. 24 2006 — Brad Gushue skips Canadian mens curling team to Olympic gold, beating Finland LQ WKH ILQDO DW 7XULQ &DQDGD·V ILUVW HYHU JROG PHGDO LQ PHQ·V FXUOLQJ 1993 — Brian Mulroney announces he is stepping down as Prime Minister and ProJUHVVLYH &RQVHUYDWLYH 3DUW\ OHDGHU 1982 — Oiler Wayne Gretzky scores his 77th JRDO RI WKH VHDVRQ WR EUHDN 3KLO (VSRVLWR·V

single-season NHL scoring record 1982 ³ 'RPH 3HWUROHXP DQG +XGVRQ·V %D\ 2LO DQG *DV ZLWKGUDZ IURP ELOOLRQ $OVDQGV SURMHFW 1956 — Queen Elizabeth authorizes the &RDWV RI $UPV RI WKH <XNRQ DQG 1RUWK :HVW 7HUULWRULHV 1952 — Edmonton Mercurys hockey team, representing Canada, ties the US 3-3, wins gold medal at the Oslo Winter games; last gold hockey medal until 2002 1663 — Louis XIV makes New France a Royal Colony of France

ARGYLE SWEATER

RUBES

TODAY IN HISTORY

TUNDRA

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, every column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 through 9.

6+(50$1·6 /$*221

Solution

LIFESTYLE

A9

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Woman not sure about cross-dressing boyfriend Dear Annie: I’ve been seeing a very nice man for more than a year. We are both in our late 50s and divorced. He is affectionate and kind, and I love him quite a lot.

He doesn’t have any of the obvious problems — money, drugs or alcohol, but one thing bothers me a lot. He KATHY MITCHELL likes to wear AND MARCY SUGAR women’s thighhigh stockings.

ANNIE’S MAILBOX He started wearing the stockings near the end of his previous marriage. His ex wouldn’t wear them, so he decided to try them himself and ended up liking them a lot. He says they give him a

lot of pleasure and make him feel sexy.

He was upfront about it early in our relationship, and I said I didn’t think it would be a problem. He likes wearing them around the house and in public under his pants. He doesn’t want his friends and co-workers to know.

He’s not a cross-dresser or anything like that. It’s just the stockings.

The problem is, I haven’t been able to accept it as well as I thought I could.

I wear the stockings for him, which pleases him a lot, but he still wants to wear them, too.

He agreed to put them on only once a week until I adjusted, but now he says he’s getting frustrated. I’m resisting. I’ve told him I don’t see this as very manly behavior.

He says he feels a need to express his feminine side. I don’t want to lose him, but I’m not sure how to deal with this. Can you help me? — Thigh High in Confusion Dear Confusion: If your boyfriend derives sexual satisfaction from

wearing women’s stockings, he is a cross-dresser, even though he may not wear the whole ensemble. We are glad he was upfront about it, but you need to educate yourself on the subject, so you can decide how tolerant you can be. Cross-dressing does not mean that your boyfriend is gay (most cross-dressers are not) or that he plans to change his sexual identity (not likely).

The stockings may be as far as it ever goes.

Check out tri-ess.org for information and support — and please don’t judge the book by its cover. He’s still the man you fell for.

Dear Annie: I’d like to weigh in on the letter from “Wondering in Pennsylvania,” who asked how to have a surprise wedding as part of a picnic.

My husband and I had a surprise wedding in the large backyard of a home we had just purchased.

We sent invitations inviting everyone to a picnic, claiming that we were

BARRED OWL

HOROSCOPE Wednesday February 24, 2016 CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Dre Davis, 29; Bonnie Somerville, 41; Mark Moses, 57 THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Strive to put abstract ideas into action.

H A P P Y BIRTHDAY: You love to help others.

2016 is the year to be more organised at work, school or college, as you set yourself challenging goals and then follow through.

ARIES (March JOANNE MADELINE 21-April 19): MOORE You’re feeling restless so find HOROSCOPE practical ways to express your adventurous, sporty side today. Go to the gym; venture into the great outdoors; or plan an exciting trip for some time soon.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Choose your words carefully today Taurus — especially when you’re conversing with children, teenagers and friends. Plus put aside some quality time so you can pursue a favourite hobby.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The focus is firmly on domestic matters as you talk things over with a relative, or clean and de-clutter your living space. It’s also the perfect time to entertain friends or family at home.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Many Crabs will be in cranky hyper-sensitive mode today.

So aim to be super selective about who you mix with, as you’re liable to misread signals and misunderstand motives.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stop being a lone Lion! Mercury and Venus are both visiting your relationship zone so its the ideal time to consult, cooperate and talk — really talk - with your nearest and dearest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgos are great with details and you’re at your studious best today, as you dig up information that others have missed. Communication is also highlighted as you communicate and circulate.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get essential work tasks completed early today Libra. You’re overdue to enjoy some splendid solitude as you relax and wind down in wonderful ways that are meaningful to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Jupiter joins up with the Moon in your networking zone, which will make you feel more sociable than usual. So it’s a great day to connect with others in mutually enjoyable ways.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Today’s restless stars encourage you to explore, create, and change your mind every few minutes. You certainly won’t be bored which suits spontaneous Sagittarians just fine!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Others haven’t noticed all the hard work you’re doing behind the scenes but hang in there and be patient — they soon will. If you combine intellect and intuition, you’ll go far today.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You thrive on doing your own thing, in your own time and unique Aquarian way. But today the focus is on those around you, as you connect with like-minded folk within your local community.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The focus is on relationships today, as you strive to spend some quality time with the important people in your life. Business partnerships and joint ventures are also favoured.

Joanne Madeline Moore is an internationally syndicated columnist. Her column appears daily in the Advocate.

NEWS IN BRIEF

didates in contention for the prize, which awards the winner a grant of 300,000 euros (C$452,000).

The self-taught designer launched his eponymous label with his first collection at New York Fashion Week last year.

Launched in November 2013, the LVMH Prize was created to support young fashion designers around the world. The contest is open to those under 40 who have created at least two women’s or men’s ready-to-wear collections. A separate prize is also available to three graduates from fashion schools.

Canadian designer Vejas Kruszewski shortlisted for lucrative LVMH Prize PARIS — Canadian designer Vejas Kruszewski has made the shortlist for the lucrative LVMH Prize for young fashion designers.

The 19-year-old behind Toronto-based label Vejas is among 26 can-

recently married. The invitations were artist-drawn, and we specified that the recipients’ presence was all that was required, which took everyone off the hook of bringing gifts or food. We hired a caterer, parking attendants, a cleanup crew and an officiant, and did all of the decorating ourselves.

It was a huge hit, and people still mention how lovely it was.

Even my mother didn’t know there was going to be an actual wedding until the last minute. That was 29 years ago. Tell “Wondering” that it can be done. — A. Dear A.: We like that you handled all of the details on your own and didn’t expect the guests to bring their own food. Bravo.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@ creators.com, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo by RICK TALLAS/Freelance

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ENTERTAINMENT

A10

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Dramedy jumps to big screen

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

IN

BRIEF Empire to stop airing on Canadian network City, will stream on Shomi

Photo by LARRY HORRICKS

Arms raised, from left: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman. ridiculous, that people should leave this movie feeling kind of inspired and uplifted and that he was a fairly extraordinary guy,” says Egerton.

Fletcher says capturing those skyhigh sequences involved cranes, Steadicams and about a dozen young skiers, “all crazy.”

And when it came to getting Egerton into character, he’s proud to note the transformation is largely through behaviour, rather than makeup.

“There’s no real trick used — there’s no dentures or prosthetic bits and pieces. It’s really just Taron and his mindset,” he says, adding that Coke-bottle specs helped.

For his part, Egerton says he was mindful of how the real Edwards would respond, noting they spent a fair amount of time together as he researched the role.

“That was always at the forefront of my mind, partly out of respect to Eddie and also partly out of vanity, really. I never really wanted to play a fool.”

Eddie the Eagle opens Friday. an over-the-air antenna.

It’s the latest migration of a buzzy U.S. network TV show to a Canadian streaming service.

Last summer, Fresh Off the Boat took up residence on Shomi when it failed to find broadcaster support in Canada, and Scandal recently landed on Netflix Canada when it was bumped from City’s TV schedule.

“You take the opportunities when they come, and this was a great opportunity to shift the series,” said Marni Shulman, head of Shomi’s content and programming.

TORONTO — Fans of the hip-hop soap opera Empire will soon have to look elsewhere to watch it in Canada as the TV series is being dropped from its prime-time TV slot and is moving to Shomi.

The streaming video service says it has acquired the exclusive Canadian rights for the final half of the show’s second season, which begins airing March 30 on Fox. The deal was made after Empire was dropped

by Canadian television network City, which carried the show last fall.

Shomi says each episode will be available within 24 hours after its original U.S. airing. Canadians will still be able to catch the series on Wednesday nights through the Fox network feed GREAT offered by their cable or satellite provider or via

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TORONTO — The trick to shooting a movie about daredevil Olympic ski jumpers is securing daredevil Olympic-style ski-jumping cameramen to capture those death-defying feats.

Such was the case with Eddie the Eagle, a light-hearted dramedy based on the rookie British ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

The film’s co-star Hugh Jackman, who plays a fictional former U.S. skier who takes Eddie under his wing, says capturing some of the film’s stomach-churning leaps involved two expert jumpers — one to play Eddie and another to follow behind with a camera.

That led to at least one harrowing near-crash when the second jumper actually caught up to the first, says the Australian star.

“On this one take, because he had a camera and because he was in the slipstream … he was actually moving faster,” Jackman in Toronto.

“So the first guy took off, and the second guy actually overtook him in the air, touched him on the shoulder as he went past him — and that’s really potentially a fatal accident.

“And they got to the bottom and the two of them looked at each other … and they just burst out laughing. They thought it was the funniest thing.”

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the making of the film, which is full of outrageous spills as the floundering Eddie embarks on a crash course in the sport.

It’s all inspired by the real exploits of Michael (Eddie) Edwards, the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping.

The bespectacled athlete became better known as Eddie the Eagle when he made his appearance at the Calgary Games, coming dead last in the 70-metre event but earning the adoration of the crowd for his exuberant, againstall-odds spirit.

Jackman says his character Bronson Peary was wholly invented “to make it a good story,” but says Edwards’s real life supplied plenty of dramatic moments.

“Some of the most audacious and amazing things in this are completely true — like the fact that he had hardly ever jumped, the fact that he was sleeping in the basement of these pubs, the way he got around,” he says.

Taron Egerton of Kingsman: The Secret Service plays the awkward athlete and says he and director Dexter Fletcher were keen to remain respectful of Edwards and his achievements.

“Dexter and I connected very quickly on the idea that we really didn’t want to send him up or make him look

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BUSINESS

B1

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Lakeshore redevelopment set to hit milestone

BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF

SYLVAN LAKE

Sylvan Lake’s years-long lakeshore redevelopment project will reach a major landmark.

By this fall, improvements to sidewalks and other pedestrian areas on the north, lake-side portion of the main strip will be complete.

Town council approved tenders for Phases 5 and 6 on Monday. Phase 5 involves upgrading the sidewalks and road from 52nd Street west to Marina Bay. Phase 6 involves similar work at the east end of Lakeshore Drive from 33rd Street to the Hwy 20 roundabout.

Both projects were originally scheduled for last year. However, council decided to postpone the work after the sole Phase 6 tender came in much higher than anticipated.

Getting turned down for a $1.4-million provincial grant that was to be used for Lakeshore Drive also

convinced council to reconsider the project schedule.

Mayor Sean McIntyre said the town got better pricing this year and will go ahead with both phases.

On Monday, council approved spending $2.39 million on Phase 5 and $1.58 million on Phase 6.

“We’ll go forward with a similar design and calibre of work as Lakeshore Drive east, in the business district,” said McIntyre. ”It will unite and unify the entire lakeshore district, for the people who use the area, which we hope is a growing number of our residents and visitors,” he said.

Redevelopment of the town’s lakeshore has been going on for eight years. New washrooms and changing areas have been created, Centennial Park remodelled, Lakeshore Drive re-routed and sidewalks

B.C. firms hiring skilled trades people from oilpatch

turned into promenades as part of a multi-million project that included significant provincial funding.

McIntyre said the town may turn its sights in the future to upgrades to other parts of the Lakeshore and downtown areas.

“I would not rule out more improvements in the future,” he said.

The town will also fix an ongoing headache for RV users.

A dump station was removed from near the local UFA store during upgrades to sewers in 2012. A temporary location was found on Erickson Drive in an industrial park, but it didn’t provide water and was not in the best location for access.

The solution was found through an agreement with Canadian Tire and Sylvan Lake Shopping Centres to locate a sani-dump in part of the hardware chain’s large parking lot.

Council approved a $180,191 tender for the project, which is expected to be done by late June.

PRIZE SNATCHED

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta’s pain is British Columbia’s gain.

The B.C. Construction Association said Tuesday that its member companies have been busy hiring skilled tradespeople who had been working in Alberta’s slumping energy sector.

Association president Manley McLachlan said these include British Columbians who were working in the oilpatch and unemployed Albertans heading west to seek jobs.

“There is a tremendous amount of work available in the Lower Mainland,” McLachlan said Tuesday from Victoria.

“We are seeing activity pick up in the Southern Interior. Vancouver Island right now has a substantial amount of work underway.”

McLachlan said a survey completed in December suggests about half of the 450 employers who responded hired at least one worker from Alberta’s oil and gas industry in the past year.

The association said some of its member companies that employ union and non-union workers will be looking to hire more skilled tradespeople this year for full-time jobs.

Alberta’s unemployment rate reached 7.4 per cent in January, up from 4.6 per cent a year earlier.

The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors estimates that 100,000 thousand direct and indirect oil sector workers have lost their jobs across Canada in this economic downturn, most of them in Alberta.

McLachlan said there is demand for skilled carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, heavy equipment operators, roofers and other trades for industrial, commercial and highrise residential projects.

Please see TRADES on Page B2

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Margaret Coward holds a coffee cup outside the Tim Hortons on Portugal Cove Road in St. John’s, N.L. on Tuesday. Coward won a $100 Tims card on a “Roll up the Rim” cup but a Facebook friend claimed her prize before she could.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Second Cup ends Q4 with first positive same-store sales quarter since 2012 MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Second Cup ended last year with its first positive same-store sales quarter since 2012.

Same-store sales for locations open at least a year were up 0.2 per cent in the fourth quarter — the first time Second Cup has had positive same-store sales in 14 quarters going back to early 2013.

The chain of coffee shops had $94,000 of net in-

come in the three months ended Dec. 26, or one cent per share, compared with a loss of $469,000 or four cents per share in the same quarter a year earlier.

Second Cup (TSX:SCU) has been working to revitalize its brand and franchise network amid stiff competition from other coffee companies including Starbucks and restaurant chains including Tim Hortons and McDonald’s.

The company’s full-year loss was reduced to $1.153 million or nine cents per share, an improvement from the $27 million loss or $2.66 per share in 2014.

System-wide sales by the cafes fell to $46.9 million in the fourth quarter, from $49.4 million a year earlier when Second Cup had 37 more locations in its network.

RRSP vs TFSA: the choice depends on personal factors Derek, should I invest in my RRSP or my TFSA? This is a very common question at this time of year. The Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) has an annual deposit cut-off which usually falls at the end of February or start of March. This year, the deadline is February 29th.

With the introduction of the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) in 2009 investors now contemplate which account is best for them. The answer is not straightforward and depends on a number of personal factors. Before making the decision, it’s important to understand the difference between the two accounts.

When you make a deposit to an RRSP you are issued a DEREK tax-slip which helps decrease FUCHS your taxable income. This can be useful if you’re in a higher WEALTH WATCH tax bracket.

The idea is that a deposit to your RRSP will lower your income so that you may end up paying less tax and get a refund when you file your taxes.

Once the money is in your RRSP, all interest and gains occur on a tax-deferred basis. When it eventually comes time to take the money out of your RRSP, the withdrawal amount is added to your annual income and taxed accordingly. In an ideal situation,

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you deposited the money to your RRSP when you were in a high tax bracket and are withdrawing the money at a low tax bracket. Despite this explanation it may be best to talk to a qualified tax professional to confirm if the RRSP is right for you.

The TFSA is a useful account but operates under different rules than the RRSP. Unlike the RRSP, there is no annual deadline for the TFSA and there is a new deposit limit available each year, regardless of what your income may be. In 2016 the new limit is $5,500 with a total limit of $46,500.

When you deposit money to your TFSA you will not be issued a tax-slip. This means that these deposits do not reduce your taxable income so there also will not be a tax refund from using the TFSA. The real benefit is that all interest and gains occur on a tax-free basis. This is quite different from the RRSP in that the gains you make in a TFSA will not be taxed, even at withdrawal. When it does come time to use the money in your TFSA, you can withdraw as you see necessary and it will not affect your taxable income.

The choice between investing in a TFSA and an RRSP involves many factors.

One factor to consider is what your tax rate is now, versus what it may be in retirement. If you expect that your tax rate in retirement will be lower, you may wish to use the RRSP since you can reduce your income at a higher rate, and take it at a lower rate. Your savings is the difference in your tax rate, plus the deferred growth. Consider all future sources of income at retirement to determine what your

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tax rate may be.

If you do use the RRSP, one consideration may be using your tax refund for something productive such as paying off debt or even investing back to your RRSP. The point is that eventually that money you deposited will be taxed so make those refunds count.

If you’re already in a low tax bracket you may wish to save in your TFSA. Since reducing your taxable income is not a priority and your future withdrawals from your RRSP will be at the same low tax bracket the TFSA may provide you with a better savings platform.

Remember that since you can take money from your TFSA without increasing your income that it provides you with flexibility in any given year without worrying about the tax implications.

Finally, remember that the decision does not have to be either the RRSP or the TFSA. In fact, some investors use both as their savings goals allow. Both types of accounts are unique and valuable so make the decision that is right for you. My best recommendation is to talk with a qualified tax professional to determine which account may make the most sense for you.

Happy investing.

Wealth Watch is written by Derek Fuchs senior wealth advisor with ScotiaWealth Management in Red Deer. It is provided for informational purposes only and any opinions contained in it are his own. Readers are urged to consult a wealth advisor for help with their personal investment circumstances. Fuchs can be contacted at derek.fuchs@scotiawealth.com.

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B2 RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 MARKETS CLOSE TORONTO — North American stock markets slid today as oil prices dropped, the latest signal that volatility in equities remains alive and well.

The S&P/TSX composite index in Toronto fell 82.19 points at 12,763.44, pulled down by losses in the energy and base metals sectors.

The negative sentiment was also felt in New York, with all the main indexes ending the day lower.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 188.88 points at 16,431.78.

The broader S&P 500 composite index declined 24.23 points to 1,921.27 and the Nasdaq composite lost 67.03 points to 4,503.58.

The Canadian dollar dipped 0.30 of a cent at 72.63 cents US. It was a similar story for commodities as the April crude contract lost $1.52 at US$31.87 a barrel, while April natural gas was at US$1.83 per mmBtu, down three cents.

March copper was unchanged at US$2.11 a pound.

Bullion prices was the only bright spot, with April gold rising

$12.50 to US$1,222.60 a troy ounce.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Highlights at the close Tuesday at world financial market trading.

Stocks: S&P/TSX Composite Index — 12,763.44, down 82.19 points Dow — 16,431.78, down 188.88 points S&P 500 — 1,921.27, down 24.23 points Nasdaq — 4,503.58, down 67.03 points Currencies: Cdn — 72.63 cents US, down 0.30 of a cent Pound — C$1.9299, down 0.99 of a cent Euro — C$1.5170, up 0.53 of a cent Euro — US$1.1018, down 0.07 of a cent Oil futures: US$31.87 per barrel, down $1.52 (April contract) Gold futures: US$1,222.60 per oz., up $12.50 (April contract) Canadian Fine Silver Handy and Harman: $21.952 oz., up 25.2 cents

$705.76 kg., up $8.10 ICE FUTURES CANADA WINNIPEG — ICE Futures Canada closing prices: Canola: March ‘16 $9.80 lower $458.50 May ‘16 $11.60 lower $461.70 July ‘16 $11.60 lower $466.50 Nov. ‘16 $7.00 lower $470.80 Jan. ‘17 $6.00 lower $475.80 March ‘17 $5.80 lower $477.40 May ‘17 $5.80 lower $476.10 July ‘17 $5.80 lower $475.60 Nov. ‘17 $8.20 lower $469.20 Jan. ‘18 $8.20 lower $469.20 March ‘18 $8.20 lower $469.20.

Barley (Western): March ‘16 unchanged $186.00 May ‘16 unchanged $190.00 July ‘16 unchanged $192.00 Oct. ‘16 unchanged $192.00 Dec. ‘16 unchanged $192.00 March ‘17 unchanged $192.00 May ‘17 unchanged $192.00 July ‘17 unchanged $192.00 Oct. ‘17 unchanged $192.00 Dec. ‘17 unchanged $192.00 March ‘18 unchanged $192.00.

Tuesday’s estimated volume of trade: 733,900 tonnes of canola 0 tonnes of barley (Western Barley). Total: 733,900.

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi speaks at the annual IHS CERAWeek global energy conference Tuesday

Saudi oil minister says market should handle low prices

EYE PHONE?

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON — Saudi Arabia’s oil minister says production cuts to boost oil prices won’t work, and that instead the market should be allowed to work even if that forces some operators out of business.

Ali Al-Naimi said Tuesday that production cuts by big, low-cost producers like Saudi Arabia would amount to subsidizing higher-cost ones — an apparent reference to U.S. shale oil drillers.

Booming U.S. production effectively ended oil trades at more than $100 per barrel in that were taking place less than two years ago. A barrel of U.S. crude is now hovering around $30, a price at which many shale operators are assumed to be losing money.

“The producers of these high-cost barrels must find a way to lower their costs, borrow cash or liquidate,” Naimi said. “It sounds harsh, and unfortunately it is, but it is the more efficient way to rebalance markets.”

Naimi disputed a common view in the industry: that Saudi Arabia has kept pumping oil to protect its market share and undercut shale producers.

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A man uses his eyes to write in a smart phone during the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday. Irisbond has now made it way easier to write with our sight. Instead of needing a special camera, typing on a computer can now be done with the Irisbond eye-tracking app. Co-founder and CEO Eduardo Jauregui said the app, which can work with standard smartphone cameras, is designed for disabled users. But, he said it could also be helpful for professionals, like surgeons, who may have limited use of their hands.

STORY FORM PAGE B1

TRADES: Lined up

BMO’s profit climbs despite oil and gas concerns Q1 RESULTS

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — The Bank of Montreal saw its first-quarter profit climb seven per cent to $1.07 billion, even as lagging energy prices took a bigger bite out of its loan books to the oil and gas sector.

“We expected an increase in impaired loans in the oil and gas franchise in particular and we saw that, but it certainly wasn’t a disaster,” Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan said after BMO issued the results Tuesday.

Analysts have been predicting that the dramatic decline in the price of crude would lead to higher loan losses for the banks, as both energy companies and consumers in oil-dependent provinces begin to default on their debts. But any credit issues that have surfaced in the lenders’ loan books during recent quarters have been mild and manageable, and if BMO’s results are any indication, that trend could continue as other banks report their first-quarter results in the days ahead.

BMO kicked off the earnings parade on Tuesday, and will be followed by Royal Bank on Wednesday and CIBC and TD on Thursday. Scotiabank will

wrap up the earnings season for the big banks next week.

On the consumer side, Shanahan said, Canadian borrowers have proven to be more resilient than many analysts had predicted. “Despite what appears to be a very difficult environment, particularly in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba — where unemployment rates are near 10- or 20-year highs — Canadians are continuing to pay their bills,” Shanahan said.

“That says a lot about Canadian households.”

On the corporate side, BMO’s loans to oil and gas companies that are unlikely to be repaid in full rose to $162 million during the quarter — an increase of nearly 60 per cent from the previous quarter.

Despite the uptick, Barclays analyst John Aiken said impaired loans to the energy sector are modest, representing only 2.2 per cent of the bank’s oil and gas loans.

“While weakness continues to permeate through BMO’s energy portfolio, it is still not showing any cracks,” Aiken said in a note to clients.

During a conference call to discuss the bank’s earnings, BMO’s chief executive expressed optimism about the bank’s ability to perform well in spite of challenges that include depressed oil prices, volatile stock markets and sluggish economic growth.

Tom Sigurdson, executive director of B.C. Building Trades, said the association’s employment forecast isn’t as sunny as it seems.

He said hundreds of construction tradespeople lined up at job fairs for the Site C Hydro project in Fort St. John, B.C. Sigurdson said many building trades organizations in B.C. are reporting unemployment rates of 10 per cent or more.

“We are experiencing higher levels

“We have not declared war on shale or on production from any given country or company,” he said.

Naimi spoke at a gathering of global energy leaders in Houston.

The price of benchmark U.S. crude fell Tuesday by nearly 5 per cent to $31.81 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price oil internationally, dropped $1.36 to $33.31 a barrel in London.

Just a day earlier, oil prices surged after the International Energy Agency predicted that oil supply and demand would balance next year because of a steep drop in new drilling, namely in the U.S. The group’s executive director, Fatih Birol, predicted that crude would more than double to $80 a barrel by 2020.

Shale and other new sources attracted by years of high oil prices pushed the supply of oil much higher than global demand, leading to the sharp drop in crude prices since mid2014.

OPEC decided in late 2014 that it would not cut production to prop up prices, and Naimi echoed OPEC’s thinking. “Cutting low-cost production to subsidize higher-cost supplies only delays an inevitable reckoning,” he said. of unemployment than we have in the past without having a lot of projects on the books indicating that we are going to have high levels of employment in the spring and summertime,” he said.

He said some unionized skilled trades people in B.C. will be heading to Alberta this spring for maintenance operations on energy projects.

Sigurdson said there could be more jobs available in B.C. for non-union positions that pay lower wages and benefits.

The construction association pegs the average annual salary of a B.C. construction industry worker at $56,170 per year.

Sigurdson said a union worker could earn a salary in the $70,000 to $80,000 range.

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SPORTS

B3 Oilers fall to streaking Senators

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS Senators 4 Oilers 1 EDMONTON — Zack Smith had a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators ran their winning streak to four games, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Nick Paul, Alex Chiasson and Mark Stone, into an empty net, also scored for the Senators (29-26-6), who remain in contention for a wild-card spot and are hoping for a late surge into the post-season similar to the one they managed last year.

“We’ve done a good job of stringing some wins together here and we’re playing with a little more confidence,” Smith said. “To get one off the start of this road trip is huge. We need a big road trip to make a big push here at the end.”

Senators head coach Dave Cameron was glad to see scoring coming from throughout the roster.

“The last little while the big thing is that we’re getting some secondary scoring,” he said. “At this time of the year, with the schedule, you need to find different ways to win. Our secondary scoring has been good and I thought we were pretty consistent.”

Jordan Eberle replied for the Oilers (22-33-6), who have lost five in a row and are once again in last place in the NHL. Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan was left questioning his team’s character and whether or not many of his players should be with the team past the Feb. 29 NHL trade deadline.

“I have a huge concern because the spirit of the team isn’t where it needs to be,” McLellan said.

“There has to be 10 guys in there that have so much pride that they pull the rest of the guys along. We’ll see what happens over the next six or seven days.

Maybe there are some guys waiting for that. It’s got to get better or we need to make huge, huge changes.”

Defenceman Justin Schultz in particular drew some ire, finishing the game with a minus-three rating.

“He had a pretty disappointing night as an individual and it affected the team,” McLellan said.

The Senators got on the board first with seven minutes left in the first period when Paul scored his first career NHL goal in his fourth game, whacking a rebound past Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who was starting his 11th game in the last 12. Talbot turned away 21-of-24 shots in defeat.

Ottawa went up by a pair of goals six minutes into the second period as Talbot got a piece of a one-timer from Smith on the power play, only to see it dribble into the net. It was Smith’s 15th goal of the season.

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ottawa Senators ’ Nick Paul (13) and Curtis Lazar (27) battle with Edmonton Oilers’ Andrej Sekera (2) as goalie Cam Talbot (33) makes the save during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday.

Edmonton finally got one past Senators starter Craig Anderson with 1:46 left in the second, as Eberle picked up a rebound on the doorstep and put home his 19th. Anderson finished the game with 31 saves.

Ottawa made it 3-1 early in the third period when Smith turned an Oilers turnover into a 2-on-1 and fed Chiasson for his second goal in the last three games and fifth game of the year.

Stone added an empty-net goal at 16:39 of the third.

Both teams return to action on Thursday. The Oilers head to L.A. to face the Kings and the Senators travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks.

Notes: Out with injuries for the Oilers were Oscar Klefbom (lower body), Andrew Ference (hip), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (hand) and Eric Gryba (knee)…

The lone major injury for the Senators was forward Clarke MacArthur, who sustained a concussion in the fourth game of the season. MacArthur is on the Senators’ current Western Canadian road trip, however, and is reportedly close to being cleared to play.

Familiar names pop up at Tournament of Hearts

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ontario skip Jenn Hanna calls a shot during the 8th draw against British Columbia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Grande Prairie, Tuesday.

GRANDE PRAIRIE — Prominent curling bloodlines run through this year’s Canadian women’s championship.

Alberta’s Chelsea Carey is the daughter of Dan Carey, who won the 1992 men’s championship playing third for Vic Peters. Her uncle Bill was Barry Fry’s third when they won the Brier in 1979.

There is a Howard in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for the first time. Saskatchewan third Ashley Howard is the daughter of Canadian, world and Olympic champion Russ Howard.

Her brother Steve, cousin Scott and uncle Glenn have all played in the men’s championship. Glenn and Scott are representing Ontario at the Tim Hortons Brier in Ottawa again next month.

“It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t eligible to play in the Brier and I had to find my own dream,” Ashley said.

And while she bears her married name on her Northern Ontario jacket, lead Sarah Potts is the daughter of Rick Lang. He won three Canadian championships playing third for Al Hackner and Bill Tetley.

The fathers are all in Grande Prairie with their daughters — Dan and Rick as spectators and Russ as a television commentator. Rick is one of Curling Canada’s national team coaches and oversaw the Brad Jacobs team when they won Olympic gold in 2014.

But his wife Lorraine is coaching Northern Ontario’s women at the Tournament of Hearts. So Rick is in the unfamiliar role as fan, working the region’s traditional moose-call noisemaker and wearing a furry hat at Revolution Place.

“He’s having a ball, but he’s ner-

vous, very nervous,” Potts said. “I can totally tell when I look up at him.”

After six straight wins to open the tournament, Alberta lost 7-5 to Ontario’s Jenn Hanna on Tuesday night.

Northern Ontario chased the leaders at 5-1 with a pair of wins earlier in the day. Defending champion Jennifer Jones downed Saskatchewan’s Jolene Campbell 11-5 for a third straight win after opening 1-2. Jones and Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche were both 4-2.

Campbell dropped to 4-3 alongside Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia’s Jill Brothers, who was a 7-5 winner over Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne Birt.

Ontario improved to 3-3 to sit tied with Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson, who beat Stacie Curtis of Newfoundland and Labrador 8-5.

P.E.I. fell to 2-4, New Brunswick’s Sylvie Robichaud and B.C.’s Karla Thompson were 1-5 ahead of Newfoundland at 1-6.

Carey recalls her mother Mary excitedly dragging her seven-year-old self over Regina Agridome seats to ice level when Vic Peters beat Russ Howard in the 1992 Brier final. Now 31, Carey spent her childhood in Winnipeg hanging around Dan’s curling club.

“I followed him around to every game and he told me I was crazy because I wouldn’t not go,” Carey said.

“It’s like 8:30 in the morning and (his game) was out of town and I’d be up at six and want to go with him.

“His Brier final tape, I knew word for word, the commentary on it. I was obsessed from the time I was a kid.

“Just being around it that much certainly gave me something to work towards and once he finished playing, he coached me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Howard, 26, says she doesn’t feel extra pressure to live up to her father’s name at the women’s championship.

Blue Jays GM Atkins remains tight-lipped on contract negotiations

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS DUNEDIN, Fla. — Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins is keeping his lips sealed when it comes to contract negotiations with slugger Jose Bautista.

Atkins addressed the media Tuesday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, a day after Bautista said he had given management his terms on any potential deal in an earlier meeting.

“If you want me to say the More Blue Jays same thing 25 times, I’ll say coverage.......B4 the same thing 25 times: When it comes to a negotiation, a trade rumour, we are not going to discuss them publicly,” said Atkins, who repeated some version of that mantra no less than five times within the eight-minute scrum.

After a breakout season in 2010, Bautista signed a five-year contract worth a guaranteed US$65 million.

His 2016 option was picked up at $14 million and he could become a free agent at the end of this season.

Bautista said Monday he feels he’s outperformed

‘IF YOU WANT ME TO SAY THE SAME THING 25 TIMES, I’LL SAY THE SAME THING 25 TIMES: WHEN IT COMES TO A NEGOTIATION, A TRADE RUMOUR, WE ARE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS THEM PUBLICLY.’ —TORONTO BLUE JAYS GM ROSS ATKINS that contract. A media report Tuesday suggested Bautista’s proposed deal was a five-year term for $150 million.

Atkins wouldn’t reveal anything specific about Bautista’s comments or about the earlier meeting he had with the all-star right-fielder.

“All of my interactions with Jose have been incredible,” Atkins said.

“I love being around the guy. I love talking baseball with him, I love to hear him talking about his career — it gets me fired up. But in relation to the negotiations, out of respect for him, out of respect for the Blue Jays organization, we just can’t get into the

Greg Meachem, Sports Editor, 403-314-4363 E-mail gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com

>>>>

specifics of it.”

“What I can say is that we’re really glad Jose’s here, we love the fact that he’s a Blue Jay. Beyond that I can’t comment on negotiations,” he added.

“There’s nothing we can say. And there’s really nothing more to it than that.”

Bautista, who led the majors in home runs in 2010 (54) and 2011 (43), hit 40 homers last season while driving in 114 runs. The right-fielder is still very much in his prime at 35 and has said he feels he can play at a high level for several years to come.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he expects Bautista to have a “monster year.”

“The stakes are so high for us personally as a team and what’s at stake for him as a free agent so it might be his best year ever,” he said.

Also Tuesday, the Blue Jays announced the additions of Corey Hart, Donnie Murphy and Juan Rincon to the organization’s minor-league field staffs for this season. Hart will serve as hitting coach at Dunedin (Class-A Advanced), Murphy will be the hitting coach at single-A Lansing and Rincon will serve as pitching coach for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays.

SEE MORE ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM

B4 RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016

Saunders preparing for season as a Blue Jay as trade rumours swirl

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS DUNEDIN, Fla. — Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders came into spring training thinking 2016 would be a redemption year.

No longer bothered by the knee injury that limited him to just nine games last season, the Canadian felt he had something to prove. After trade rumours circulated that the Blue Jays were close to shipping the Victoria native to the Los Angeles Angels, Saunders hasn’t lost that vision.

If anything, it’s intensified.

“The natural emotions of me coming here last year, going through what I went through, really wanting to be a Blue Jay and then hearing my name come up in rumours last night, I want to be here,” Saunders said Tuesday after working out at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. “I want to be a Blue Jay. It was a dream of mine growing up to play in Toronto and I’m here now and I want to be here to stay.”

Reports on Monday night indicated that Toronto would pick up Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce in a threeteam deal with the Angels, but that the trade later fell through because of medical issues.

The initial speculation was that Saunders — who injured his left knee during last year’s spring training when he stepped on a sprinkler head while shagging fly balls — was the problem.

Reports later indicated that it was a minor-leaguer who had also been involved in the trade.

Saunders had successful surgery last year to repair the torn meniscus, but a nagging bone bruise sidelined him for the rest of the season.

“Physically it was a struggle with my knee, clearly, but more so I felt like I had more hurdles to climb mentally and emotionally,” said Saunders, who added that his knee is now “fully

healed.”

“It was tough to be down in Florida for three or four months, watching the guys have the success they had and just wanting to be a part of that. I think I’ll be better for it, for going through something like that.”

Saunders didn’t see the trade rumour on Twitter — he’s not active on social media — but he did receive text messages from friends in B.C. asking him what was going on.

He replied: “they’re just rumours.”

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and manager John Gibbons both spoke to Saunders ahead of Tuesday’s workouts.

“That’s the thing about trade rumours that are unfortunate — the first thing I think about is the players,” Atkins said Tuesday morning. “I immediately communicated with him and said, ‘Hey is everything OK? I’m here for you. Is there anything I can do for you?’ And he was fine.”

Gibbons said he wasn’t concerned that Saunders would be distracted by the rumours.

“He’ll move past that. He’s a very mature guy, I don’t think that will be a problem,” he said. “Nothing happened, we’ll move on. We’re glad we have him.”

Saunders said he appreciated the conversations with both Atkins and Gibbons. Now he’s just focused on the upcoming season.

“Last year was tough for me. I kind of feel like this year is kind of a redemption year,” Saunders said. “I was really excited to come here last year and show what I could do and do it with my hometown team. … I was excited last year but I feel like a kid this year.

“There’s a different feel with what I learned last year — not taking anything for granted, finally being 100 per cent. I’m really looking forward to this year.”

KING OF THE HILL

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter, center, tries to get a shot in on Calgary Flames goalie Joni Ortio, top, while under pressure from defenseman Mark Giordano during the first period of an NHL game Tuesday, in Los Angeles. The Kings downed the Flames 2-1 on goals from Luke Schenn and Anze Kopital. The Flames lone goal was scored

by Sean Monahan.

Brackenridge leaving door open to continue CFL career

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS Personal tragedy has provided Tyron Brackenridge the perspective to deal with the uncertainty of pro football.

Brackenridge remains a CFL free agent after being released in December by the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The 31-year-old believes he can still play but is also preparing for life after football, taking classes in southern California for his securities license.

“I know I still have some juice left to play,” the native of Pasadena, Calif., said in a telephone interview. “Right now, though, the ball isn’t in my court and so I’ve got to continue to set up my career after football.

“I actually started last year because I knew this transition would happen and I always wanted to put myself in a position where I could make a smooth move into my career after football.”

Many players struggle with not knowing what’s next for them on the field. They’d much rather spend the off-season funnelling all their energies into physical and mental preparations for an upcoming season and not dealing with an unsure future.

But such indecision pales in comparison to the real-life adversity Brackenridge and his wife were dealt May 11 when they lost infant daughter, Brittynn. The Brackenridges have another daughter, five-year-old Brooklynn.

“Our baby was a still birth,” Brackenridge said. “She had a large mass on her chest and it pushed her heart over to the other side.

“We tried everything we could to save her.”

Brackenridge said the tragic loss has forever changed him.

“Now, when I feel like something has gone wrong, there’s a lot worse actually going on,” he said. “It just made all of my other problems seem much smaller.

“Losing games last year (with Riders) was tough … but honestly I had suffered much worse.”

Brackenridge credits his wife and strong faith with helping him deal with the situation. Christine Brackenridge’s willingness to deal with their loss openly was a major benefit to her husband.

“By her having the strength to do that, it gave me strength as well,” said Brackenridge. “You’ve got to have faith, you can’t battle adversity without it … when you put your faith in the Lord, you know he’s going to bless your success.

“Things happen for a reason. Maybe it’s His calling for me to start my next career and just move forward.”

Brackenridge has spent nine seasons in pro football, the last five with Saskatchewan. The six-foot, 189-pound Brackenridge was twice a CFL all-star and registered 254 tackles, 10 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles with the Riders, helping them win the ‘13 Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium.

That season, Brack-

enridge was named the CFL’s hardest hitter in a TSN poll. But football provided Brackenridge little solace from his personal struggles last year.

A thigh injury in training camp delayed his start to the season. After returning, Tyron Brackenridge B r a c k e n r i d g e was switched from safety to linebacker before the Riders shut him down for the final three regular-season contests, raising serious questions about his future in Regina.

The answer came emphatically when Brackenridge was among 19 players cut by new Riders head coach/ GM Chris Jones. After leading Edmonton to last year’s Grey Cup, Jones was hired to rebuild a Saskatchewan franchise that posted a league-worst 3-15 record.

“It’s the nature of the business,” Brackenridge said. “There comes a time when all good things come to an end.

“I totally enjoyed my time as a Rider. Being able to build so many different relationships, man, it was just an incredible time being there.”

If the ‘15 season was Brackenridge’s last, it will cap a wild ride that began in Kansas City (as an undrafted free agent in ‘07) and featured stops in New York (with the Jets) and Jacksonville before he landed in Regina.

“It’s crazy, time flies especially when you’re having fun,” Brackenridge said.

“I’d love to play one more season

just to come back and do better.

“It (2015) was a tough season not only for myself but my family and the (Riders’) organization. It was just a rough year all in all but honestly, I feel it can’t get any worse unless I allow it to.”

Brackenridge said spending time this off-season learning about the financial world has done much more than take his mind off the long wait for

CODE WORD of

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a football offer.

“Learning the rules of the financial game, I think, gives you an advantage because if you don’t know those rules you could be hurt financially,” he said. “I think if you can earn and learn about money that’s pretty much what the world is about.

“I’m very excited about the position I’m putting myself in … I’m prepared for that (life after football).”

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SCOREBOARD Hockey GA 175 186 195 204 253 202

Pt 79 72 70 65 50 49

CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OTLSOLGF 60 40 19 1 0 241 60 36 21 1 2 214 61 35 22 2 2 203 60 25 28 6 1 163 61 22 34 3 2 182 59 10 44 5 0 125

GA 173 172 186 189 251 260

Pt 81 75 74 57 49 25

WESTERN CONFERENCE B.C. DIVISION GP W L OTLSOLGF Victoria 62 40 16 3 3 226 Kelowna 60 41 16 3 0 216 Prince George 59 32 23 3 1 210 Kamloops 60 27 24 5 4 195 Vancouver 61 23 31 5 2 175

GA 145 177 185 197 219

Pt 86 85 68 63 53

U.S. DIVISION GP W L OTLSOLGF 59 35 20 2 2 156 58 32 23 3 0 181 60 31 26 3 0 195 59 28 23 5 3 194 58 28 27 2 1 191

GA 132 165 186 199 203

Pt 74 67 65 64 59

Everett Seattle Portland Spokane Tri-City

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Local Sports

WHL EASTERN CONFERENCE EAST DIVISION GP W L OTLSOLGF x-Brandon 60 37 18 3 2 246 Prince Albert 60 32 20 7 1 186 Moose Jaw 61 31 22 7 1 214 Regina 59 29 23 3 4 197 Saskatoon 60 23 33 4 9 188 Swift Current 59 21 31 4 3 156

x-Lethbridge Red Deer Calgary Edmonton Medicine Hat Kootenay

B5

Monday’s result Saskatoon 6 Brandon 5 (OT) Tuesday’s results Calgary 6 Portland 2 Regina 5 Medicine Hat 4 (SO) Vancouver at Seattle, late Prince George at Tri-City, late

Monday’s Games Nashville 2, Montreal 1, SO Columbus 6, Boston 4 Washington 3, Arizona 2 San Jose 6, St. Louis 3

Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 6 p.m.

Prince Albert at Regina, 6 p.m.

Victoria at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Portland at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Kootenay, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Tri-City, 8:05 p.m.

Prince George at Spokane, 8:05 p.m.

Kelowna at Vancouver, 8:30 p.m.

Kamloops at Everett, 8:35 p.m.

National Hockey League EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts Florida 59 34 18 7 75 Tampa Bay 60 34 22 4 72 Detroit 61 30 20 11 71 Boston 60 32 22 6 70 Ottawa 61 29 26 6 64 Montreal 60 28 27 5 61 Buffalo 60 24 29 7 55 Toronto 58 20 28 10 50

GF 164 165 153 185 176 163 144 142

GA 137 149 158 169 187 165 166 175

Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts Washington 58 44 10 4 92 N.Y. Rangers 60 34 20 6 74 N.Y. Islanders 58 32 19 7 71 Pittsburgh 58 30 20 8 68 New Jersey 61 30 24 7 67 Carolina 61 28 23 10 66 Philadelphia 59 26 22 11 63 Columbus 61 24 29 8 56

GF 194 173 168 154 138 151 145 156

GA 133 155 145 151 143 161 161 190

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts Dallas 61 38 17 6 82 Chicago 62 38 19 5 81 St. Louis 62 35 18 9 79 Nashville 61 29 21 11 69 Colorado 62 31 27 4 66 Minnesota 60 27 23 10 64 Winnipeg 59 25 30 4 54

GF 199 176 156 159 165 157 152

GA 172 148 150 157 173 152 176

Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Los Angeles 58 34 20 4 72 157 137 Anaheim 58 31 19 8 70 146 141 San Jose 58 32 21 5 69 174 157 Arizona 60 27 27 6 60 164 185 Vancouver 59 23 24 12 58 142 168 Calgary 58 26 29 3 55 160 180 Edmonton 61 22 33 6 50 151 188 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Wednesday’s games Swift Current at Prince Albert, 6 p.m.

Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Kootenay, 7 p.m.

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Spokane, 8:05 p.m.

Kelowna at Everett, 8:05 p.m.

Thursday’s games No Games Scheduled.

Friday’s games

Today

Tuesday’s Games Detroit 2, Columbus 1, SO New Jersey 5, N.Y. Rangers 2 Carolina 3, Philadelphia 1 Nashville 3, Toronto 2 Tampa Bay 2, Arizona 1 N.Y. Islanders 4, Minnesota 1 Dallas 5, Winnipeg 3 Ottawa 4, Edmonton 1 Calgary at Los Angeles, late Wednesday’s Games Montreal at Washington, 5 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Boston, 5:30 p.m.

San Jose at Colorado, 8 p.m.

Buffalo at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday’s Games Minnesota at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.

New Jersey at Columbus, 5 p.m.

Carolina at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.

Arizona at Florida, 5:30 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at St. Louis, 6 p.m.

Nashville at Chicago, 6 p.m.

Winnipeg at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Vancouver, 8 p.m.

Edmonton at Los Angeles, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s summary Senators 4, Oilers 1 First Period 1. Ottawa, Paul 1 (Wideman, Lazar) 12:50.

Penalties — Stone Ott (delay of game) 8:33 Karlsson Ott (slashing) 19:40.

Second Period 2. Ottawa, Smith 15 (Stone, Zibanejad) 5:53 (pp).

3. Edmonton, Eberle 19 (Davidson, McDavid) 18:14.

Penalties — Davidson Edm (holding) 5:07 Sekera Edm (holding) 10:39 Pageau Ott (slashing) 15:56.

Third Period 4. Ottawa, Chiasson 5 (Smith) 3:31.

5. Ottawa, Stone 19 (Pageau) 16:39 (en).

Penalties — Lazar Ott (hooking) 16:26 McDavid Edm (embellishment) 16:26.

Shots on goal Ottawa 9 13 3 — 25 Edmonton 12 9 11 — 32 Goal — Ottawa: Anderson (W, 26-19-4). Edmonton: Talbot (L, 12-21-3).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Ottawa: 1-2 Edmonton: 0-3.

Curling 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts ROUND ROBIN Team (Skip) Alberta (Carey) Northern Ont. (McCarville) Canada (Jones) Quebec (Larouche) Saskatchewan (Campbell) Nova Scotia (Brothers) Manitoba (Einarson) Ontario (Hanna) P.E.I. (Burt) B.C. (Thompson) New Brunswick (Robichaud) Nfld. & Labrador (Curtis)

W 6 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 1

L 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 5 5 6

Tuesday’s results Eighth Draw Canada 9 New Brunswick 6 Northern Ontario 10 P.E.I. 8 Ontario 6 B.C. 5 Quebec 6 Manitoba 5 Ninth Draw Alberta 6 New Brunswick 4 Northern Ontario 7 Newfoundland & Labrador 4 Quebec 5 Nova Scotia 4 Saskatchewan 8 B.C. 7

Draw 10 Canada 11 Saskatchewan 5 Manitoba 8 Newfoundland & Labrador 5 Nova Scotia 7 P.E.I. 5 Ontario 7 Alberta 5

B.C. vs. P.E.I., Quebec vs. Canada, Manitoba vs.

Northern Ontario, Ontario vs. New Brunswick.

Thursday’s games Draw 14, 8:30 a.m.

Saskatchewan vs. Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta vs. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick vs. Quebec, Northern Ontario vs. B.C. Draw 15, 1:30 p.m.

Northern Ontario vs. Quebec, New Brunswick vs.

B.C., P.E.I. vs. Ontario, Manitoba vs. Canada.

Draw 16, 6:30 p.m.

Ontario vs. Canada, P.E.I. vs. Manitoba, Alberta vs. Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador vs.

Nova Scotia.

Monday’s results Sixth Draw Alberta 9 Northern Ontario 8 Newfoundland & Labrador 10 Quebec 6 Nova Scotia 7 B.C. 4 Saskatchewan 7 New Brunswick 3 Seventh Draw Alberta 5 P.E.I. 4 Canada 6 Newfoundland & Labrador 4 Nova Scotia 8 Ontario 7 Saskatchewan 8 Manitoba 4 Wednesday’s games Draw 11, 8:30 a.m.

New Brunswick vs. Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan vs.

Northern Ontario, B.C. vs. Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec vs. Alberta.

Draw 12, 1:30 p.m Manitoba vs. Alberta, Newfoundland & Labrador vs.

Ontario, Nova Scotia vs. Canada, Saskatchewan vs. P.E.I. Draw 13, 6:30 p.m.

Friday’s games Draw 17, 8:30 a.m.

New Brunswick vs. Manitoba, Ontario vs. Northern Ontario, Canada vs. B.C., P.E.I. vs. Quebec.

End of Round Robin Tiebreakers (if necessary) Friday, Feb. 26 One Draw — 1:30 p.m.

Two Draws — 1:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Three Draws — 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. (Friday), 8:30 a.m. (Saturday, Feb. 27)

Transactions Tuesday’s Sports Transactions HOCKEY National Hockey League CALGARY FLAMES — Traded C Markus Granlund to Vancouver for F Hunter Shinkaruk, who was assigned to Stockton (AHL).

COLORADO AVALANCHE — Assigned F Andreas Martinsen to San Antonio (AHL).

DETROIT RED WINGS — Activated D Niklas Kronwall from injured reserve. Assigned D Jakub Kindl to Grand Rapids (AHL).

NEW YORK RANGERS — Recalled D Brady Skjei

from Hartford (AHL).

WASHINGTON CAPITALS — Acquired D Mike Weber from Buffalo for a 2017 third-round draft pick.

ECHL ECHL — Suspended Evansville’s Vincent Dunn three games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his actions during a Feb. 21 game at Missouri.

Suspended Manchester’s Danick Paquette three games and fined him an undisclosed amount for his actions during a Feb. 21 game against Elmira.

MANCHESTER MONARCHS — Announced C Steven Hodges was recalled by Portland (AHL).

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball MLB — Placed Colorado SS Jose Reyes on paid leave pending completion of his criminal proceedings in Hawaii, pursuant to the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

American League DETROIT TIGERS — Agreed to terms with 3B Casey McGehee on a minor league contract.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Named Corey Hart hitting coach for Dunedin (FSL), Donnie Murphy hitting coach for Lansing (MWL) and Juan Rincon pitching coach for the GCL Blue Jays.

• High school junior basketball: Stettler at Lindsay Thurber, Hunting Hills at Notre Dame, Ponoka at Rocky, Wetaskiwin at Sylvan Lake, Camrose at Lacombe; girls 6 p.m., followed by boys.

Thursday • College volleyball: ACAC women’s championship, RDC • High school senior basketball: Lindsay Thurber at Sylvan Lake, girls at 6 p.m., followed by boys.

• College hockey: RDC Queens vs. SAIT Trojans, first game, best-of-three ACAC semifinal, 7 p.m., Arena • Senior men’s basketball: Vikings vs. D Leaguers, 7:15 p.m.; Bulldog Scrap Metal vs. Subaru Kingsmen, 8:30 p.m.; LTCHS.

Friday • College volleyball: ACAC women’s championship, RDC • College hockey: RDC Queens at SAIT Trojans, second game, best-of-three ACAC semifinal, at SAIT • College hockey: RDC King vs.

Augustana Vikings, 7 p.m., Penhold Regional Multiplex.

• WHL: Red Deer Rebels vs. Portland Winterhawks, 7 p.m., Centrium.

• Peewee AA hockey: Red Deer TBS vs.

Central Alberta Selects, 7:15 p.m., Kin City.

Saturday • College volleyball: ACAC women’s championship, RDC • Peewee AA hockey: Red Deer Parkland cvs, West Central Tigers, 12:30 p.m., Kin City.

• College hockey: RDC Queens vs. SAIT

Trojans, third game, best-of-three ACAC semifinal, if necessary, 1:30 p.m., Arena.

• Bantam female hockey: Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs vs. Calgary Rangers, 2:15 p.m., Collicutt Centre.

Bantam AA hockey: Red Deer Ramada vs.

Bow Valley, 2:30 p.m., Kinex.

• Minor Midget AAA hockey: Red Deer Northstar Chiefs vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4:45 p.m., Arena.

• College basketball: RDC vs. Briercrest, women 7 p.m., men to follow.

• WHL: Red Deer Rebels vs. Victoria Royals, 7 p.m., Centrium.

• AJHL: Olds Grizzlys vs. Calgary Mustangs, 7 p.;m., Olds Sportsplex.

• Midget AA hockey: Red Deer Indy v s. Central Alberta Selects,. 8:30 p.m., Collicutt Centre.

Sunday • Peewee AA hockey: Red Deer Parkland vs. Red Deer TBS, 11:30 a.m., Kin City.

• Minor midget AAA hockey: Red Deer Strata Energy Chiefs vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes, noon, Arena.

• College basketball: RDC vs. Briercrest, women 1 p.m. men to follow.

• Bantam AA hockey: Red Deer Steel Kings v s. Foothills, 1:45 p.m., Kin City.

• Senior men’s basketball: Grandview Allstars vs. Chillibongs Orangemen, Monstars vs. Wells Furniture, Aiken Basin Drillers vs. Rusty Chuckers, 4:15 p.m.; Carstar vs. Washed Up Warriors, Lacombe All Sports Cresting vs. NWS Axemen, Triple A Batteries vs. Henry’s Eavestroughing, 5:30 p.m.; LTCHS. • Chinook hockey: Bentley Generals vs.

Innisfail Eagles, fifth game of best-ofseven CHL semifinal, 5 p.m., Lacombe Arena.

• Midget AA hockey: Red Deer Elks vs.

Bow Valley. 5:30 p.m., Arena.

Basketball National Basketball Association EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct GB Toronto 37 18 .673 — Boston 33 25 .569 5 1/2 New York 24 34 .414 14 1/2 Brooklyn 15 42 .263 23 Philadelphia 8 48 .143 29 1/2

Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington Orlando

Southeast Division W L Pct 32 24 .571 31 27 .534 29 26 .527 26 29 .473 25 30 .455

Cleveland Indiana Chicago Detroit Milwaukee

Tuesday’s Games Orlando 124, Philadelphia 115 Washington 109, New Orleans 89 Sacramento 114, Denver 110 Utah 117, Houston 114, OT Portland 112, Brooklyn 104

GB — 10 1/2 11 13 17

Wednesday’s Games Charlotte at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

New York at Indiana, 5 p.m.

Minnesota at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.

Golden State at Miami, 5:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Detroit, 5:30 p.m.

Washington at Chicago, 6 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 6 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

San Antonio at Sacramento, 8:30 p.m.

Denver at L.A. Clippers, 8:30 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB San Antonio 47 9 .839 — Memphis 32 23 .582 14 1/2 Dallas 30 27 .526 17 1/2 Houston 28 29 .491 19 1/2 New Orleans 22 34 .393 25

Oklahoma City Portland Utah Denver Minnesota

Northwest Division W L Pct 40 16 .714 30 27 .526 28 28 .500 22 35 .386 18 39 .316

GB — 13 1/2 26 37 40 1/2

Monday’s Games Detroit 96, Cleveland 88 Miami 101, Indiana 93, OT Toronto 122, New York 95 Minnesota 124, Boston 122 Milwaukee 108, L.A. Lakers 101 Golden State 102, Atlanta 92 L.A. Clippers 124, Phoenix 84

GB — 2 2 1/2 5 1/2 6 1/2

Central Division W L Pct 40 15 .727 30 26 .536 29 26 .527 28 29 .491 24 33 .421

Pacific Division W L Pct 50 5 .909 37 19 .661 24 31 .436 14 43 .246 11 47 .190

Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento Phoenix L.A. Lakers

Thursday’s Games Golden State at Orlando, 5 p.m.

Milwaukee at Boston, 5:30 p.m.

Oklahoma City at New Orleans, 6 p.m.

Brooklyn at Phoenix, 7 p.m.

Houston at Portland, 8:30 p.m.

San Antonio at Utah, 8:30 p.m.

GB — 10 1/2 12 18 1/2 22 1/2

Raonic and Nestor lead Canada’s Davis Cup team versus France

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — Milos Raonic is on the roster for Canada’s Davis Cup matchup against France. Whether he’ll be physically ready to play in the March 4-6 World Group first-round tie remains up in the air.

Raonic recently resumed on-court training after taking a few weeks off due to a slightly torn adductor muscle.

He won the Brisbane International tournament in January and followed that up with a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open.

However, he was clearly hampered by the right hip injury in the latter stages of his five-set loss to Andy Murray and hasn’t played a competitive match since.

“He’s been able to hit the court, obviously with limited movement,” Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau said Tuesday on a conference call. “He’s been able to go back on court and

slowly work his way back into shape.

So there is progress, unfortunately he’s had to pull out of the last two tournaments. But he’s healthier than he was a few weeks ago and he’s able to run and hit.

“For now, it’s just a day to day, slow, incremental improvement that he’s looking forward to happening.”

If healthy, Raonic will be expected to anchor the Canadian team in singles play on the clay-court surface at Velodrome Amedee Detraux. Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil were also named to the roster Tuesday along with doubles specialist Daniel Nestor of Toronto.

Filip Peliwo of Vancouver and Adil Shamasdin of Toronto will also travel as part of an extended squad of players.

Host France selected a strong squad of four top-20 singles players in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (No. 9), Richard Gasquet (No. 10), Gael Monfils (No.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

McGregor to fight Diaz at UFC 196 after Dos Anjos gets hurt

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor will fight Nate Diaz at UFC 196 on March 5 after champion Rafael Dos Anjos dropped out of their bout with a foot injury.

The UFC announced the 170-pound matchup Tuesday night.

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McGregor (19-2) won the UFC featherweight title in December.

The Irish pay-per-view star hopes to hold the 155-pound lightweight belt simultaneously, but Dos Anjos (24-7) was forced out of the matchup after injuring his foot.

Diaz (18-10) isn’t a title contender, but the entertaining brawler from Stockton, California, is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters in his weight class.

Diaz lost a decision to Dos Anjos last year, but also beat Michael Johnson in December in a thrilling bout.

Bantamweight champion Holly Holm also meets Miesha Tate on the UFC 196 card.

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Raonic said earlier this month that 17) and Gilles Simon (No. 19). Raonic is the top-ranked Canadian at No. his body had a hard time adjusting to 13, followed by Pospisil at No. 45 and the grind of 10 competitive matches Dancevic at No. 245. last January after he played a limited Two singles matches are set for schedule in 2015 due to injuries. Deopening day on March 4. The doubles spite the hip issue, he still played in match goes the next day and the tie the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on wraps up March 6 with reverse singles.

Feb. 12 in Toronto and even managed Laurendeau said he’ll have a bet- a slam dunk. ter idea of who he will use in the matches once the team arrives in France.

“It’s all going to depend whether (Raonic) can play through it or not,” he said. “We certainly don’t want him to aggravate or to re-injure something that’s going to set Tyson Czuy 1-866-987-7707 him back several months.

Owner At the junction of Hwy 20 & 11A, Sylvan Lake He’s missed a lot of tennis lately so there’s going to be a lot of consultation and observation that will need to be done there in Stk# B2121 6.2L V8, Guadeloupe.”

THURSDAY FEB. 25 1:00 | 3:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 Queens play @ 6:00 FRIDAY FEB. 26 12:00 | 2:00 | 5:00 | 7:00 SATURDAY FEB. 27 11:00 | 1:00 Bronze | 3:30 Gold Adults $40/day Non RDC Students & Seniors $25/day Children under 6 free RDC Main Gym

403-309-3300 classifieds@reddeeradvocate.com Office/Phone Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Mon - Fri Fax: 403-341-4772

CLASSIFIEDS

Circulation 403-314-4300

wegotservices

wegotstuff

CLASSIFICATIONS 700-920

CLASSIFICATIONS 1000-1430

CLASSIFICATIONS 1500-1940

wegotrentals

wegothomes

wegotwheels

CLASSIFICATIONS 3000-3390

announcements In Memoriam GROSS, DON Feb. 22, 1948 -Feb 24, 2014 A million words would not bring you back, I know because I tried.

Neither would a million tears, I know because I cried.

Love forever and always Jacqueline

54

Lost

50-70

Coming Events

52

REWARD OFFERED Men’s Large under Armor Snow Pants with a wallet. LOST on Sat. Feb. 20 between 3 & 5 pm at Canyon Ski Hill Please call 403-350-9871 If found.

60

Personals

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 403-347-8650

All Visits are Free.

No Obligation.

Compliments of Local Businesses.

Are you new to the neighbourhood?

Expecting a Baby?

Planning a Wedding?

Call or visit us online!

1-844-299-2466 welcomewagon.ca

Lost

54

$1000 REWARD DOG LOST in Mountview area. Blue Healer X, Molly, black, grey & light brown, no collar, is micro chipped.

403-506-7316 or Alberta Animal Services if found or seen.

$500 REWARD DOG, missing North of New Sarepta, German Sherphard X, 8 yr. old Male, “Wylie”.

780-554-0946 CAT LOST in Highland Green area. She is black, brown and white, no collar.

Super friendly. Please call 403-598-9207 if found. ~REWARD OFFERED ~ Lost Toyota Smart Key by Bower Mall, corner of Bennett St. and Baker Ave. Pls. call 403-755-9364

Restaurant/ Hotel

wegotads.ca

wegotjobs

DEADLINE IS 5 P.M. FOR NEXT DAY’S PAPER

CLASSIFICATIONS

B6

Red Deer Advocate

2950 Bremner Ave. Red Deer, AB T4R 1M9

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016

You can sell your guitar for a song... or put it in CLASSIFIEDS and we’ll sell it for you!

COCAINE ANONYMOUS 403-396-8298

wegot

jobs CLASSIFICATIONS 700-920

Caregivers/ Aides

710

Live-in caregiver required.

Duties will include: Launder & mend clothing, household linens; Perform light housekeeping & cleaning duties; Plan therapeutic diets & prepare meals; Shop for food and household supplies; Drive to various appointments & outings; Help with pet care; Assume full responsibility for household (in absence of householder). Criminal background check & drivers’ abstract to be provided. Optional accommodation available at no charge on a live-in basis.

Note: This is NOT a condition of employment.

40-44 hours per week at 11.20 per hour. Please submit resume to kaedynmw@gmail.com Start your career!

See Help Wanted

820

Caregivers/ Aides

710

100 VHS movies, $75.

For All 403-885-5020 ELECTRIC heater, $15.

403-885-5020 HAIR TRIMMER, Birkdale Deluxe, $20.

403-346-6539

755

GASOLINE ALLEY LOCATION

• Very Competitive Wages • Advancement Opportunities • Medical Benefits • Paid training • Paid Breaks

Apply in person or send resume to: Email:kfcjobsrd@yahoo.ca or Fax: (403) 341-3820 7458043B16-29

CLASSIFICATIONS

850

1870

Collectors' Items

BESWICK English porcelain horse, pinto pony model 1373. $175.

403-352-8811

860

1900

Travel Packages

TRAVEL ALBERTA Alberta offers SOMETHING for everyone.

Make your travel plans now.

ACADEMIC Express

Spring Start GED Preparation Morning, afternoon , evening classes in Red Deer and Central Alberta

3030

12th FLOOR luxury 1 bed room, quiet, all utilities paid, pool, underground parking, immediate, $935.

Call 403-341-0744 New Blackfalds Condo. 2 Bdrm/2 Bath. Main floor & 2nd floor options avail. 2 powered parking stalls.

Rent $1,400. Pets negotiable. Ask about rent incentives. 403-396-1688.

6 Plexes

3050

1 BDRM. bsmt. suite, in the Pines, sep. entrance & laundry, utilis. incld’d. $800 rent/dd. 403-348-5920 ACROSS from park, 2 bdrm. 4-plex, 1 1/2 bath, 4 appls. Rent $925/mo. d.d. $650. Avail. now or March 1. 403-304-5337

CLEARVIEW 2 bdrm. 4-Plex, 4 appls.

Rent $925. incl. sewer, water and garbage. D.D. $650. Avail. March 1.

403-304-5337

THE NORDIC

1 & 2 bdrm. adult building, N/S. No pets.

403-596-2444

Roommates Wanted

BOWER area home, shared main floor & laundry, $575./mo. incld’s all utils. except internet. $300. dd. Ref’s req’d.

403-309-4464 after 6 pm

Rooms For Rent

Suites

3060

3090

$500 MO/D.D. incl. everything. 403-342-1834 or 587-877-1883 after 2:30

Mobile Lot

3190

1010

INDIVIDUAL & BUSINESS Accounting, 30 yrs. of exp. with oilfield service companies, other small businesses and individuals RW Smith, 346-9351

3 am - 11 am shift. 40 hrs. per wk. Must have previous cleaning exp.

Need to be physically fit.

Must have reliable transportation.

Please send resume attn: Greg Tisdale greg@cashcasino.ca or fax 403-346-3101 or drop off at Cash Casino, 6350 - 67 St.

Contractors

1100

BRIDGER CONST. LTD. We do it all! 403-302-8550

CITY VIEW APTS.

Massage Therapy

1280

FANTASY SPA

Elite Retreat, Finest in VIP Treatment.

10 - 2am Private back entry

403-341-4445

Misc.

Services

1290

Clean, quiet, newly reno’d adult building. Rent $925 S.D. $800. Avail. immed.& Mar.1 Near hospital. No pets. 403-318-3679 LARGE, 1 & 2 BDRM. SUITES. 25+, adults only n/s, no pets 403-346-7111

MORRISROE MANOR

1 & 2 bdrm., Adult bldg. only, N/S, No pets. 403-596-2444 NEW Glendale reno’d 1 & 2 bdrm. apartments, rent $750, last month of lease free, immed. occupancy.

403-596-6000

wegot

homes CLASSIFICATIONS 4000-4190

Realtors

4010

1160

Entertainment

stuff

DANCE DJ SERVICES 587-679-8606

CLASSIFICATIONS 1500-1990

Flooring

1605

1180

NOW RENTING 1 & 2 BDRM. APT’S. 2936 50th AVE. Red Deer Newer bldg. secure entry w/onsite manager, MOVING? Boxes? Appls.

3 appls., incl. heat & hot removal. 403-986-1315 water, washer/dryer hookup, infloor heating, a/c., car plug ins & balconies.

Painters/ Call 403-343-7955 Decorators

Moving & Storage

NEED FLOORING DONE? JG PAINTING, 25 yrs. exp.

Don’t pay the shops more. Free Est. 403-872-8888 Over 20 yrs. exp.

Plumbing Call Jon 403-848-0393

Handyman Services

1200

BOOK NOW! For help on your home projects such as bathroom, main floor, and bsmt. renovations. Also painting and flooring.

Call James 403-341-0617

CALL NOW! D & J HANDYMAN SERVICES (No job too big or too small) ~ interior and exterior work ~ painting and repairs Firewood ~ free estimates ~ guaranteed work ~ quality work at fair prices B.C. Birch, Aspen, Call Dennis Spruce/Pine. Delivery avail.

(403) 342-3846 Red Deer PH. Lyle 403-783-2275

1660

1330

JOURNEYMAN PLUMBER Exc. @ Reno’s, Plumb Pro Geary 403-588-2619

Seniors’ Services

1372

HELPING HANDS Home Supports for Seniors.

Cooking, cleaning, companionship. At home or facility. 403-346-7777

Yard Care

Need to Downsize? Brand New Valley Crossing Condos in Blackfalds. Main floor is 1,119 SQ FT 2 Bdrm/2Bath. Imm. Poss.

Start at $219,900. Call 403-396-1688.

wegot

wheels CLASSIFICATIONS 5000-5300

5030

5050

1995 NISSAN KingCab XE 370,000 kms. $1000. FIRM 403-392-2328

TO ORDER HOME DELIVERY OF THE ADVOCATE CALL OUR CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 403-314-4300 ADULT or YOUTH CARRIERS NEEDED

CLEARVIEW RIDGE CLEARVIEW TIMBERSTONE LANCASTER VANIER WOODLEA/ WASKASOO DEER PARK GRANDVIEW EASTVIEW MICHENER MOUNTVIEW ROSEDALE GARDEN HEIGHTS MORRISROE

1430

TREE / JUNK / SNOW removal. Contracts welcome. 403-358-1614

2006 CHRYSLER 300, LTD, low kms., sun roof, leather, new winter tires. $8000. obo 403-896-8477

A Star Makes Your Ad A Winner!

For CENTRAL ALBERTA LIFE 1 day a week INNISFAIL PENHOLD LACOMBE SYLVAN LAKE OLDS BLACKFALDS PONOKA STETTLER

309-3300

Call Sandra at 403- 314-4303

Tour These Fine Homes

OPEN HOUSE SERGE’S HOMES Feb 25 & 26, 2 - 5 Feb 27 & 28 SAT, 1 - 5 6325 61 AVE RED DEER

For early morning delivery by 6:30 am Mon. - Sat. GLENDALE ROSEDALE

CARRIERS NEEDED

Directory

4310

Call Tammy at 403-314-4306

Call Joanne at 403- 314-4308

Open House Out Of Red Deer

For delivery of Flyers, Wednesday and Friday ONLY 2 DAYS A WEEK ANDERS BOWER HIGHLAND GREEN INGLEWOOD JOHNSTONE KENTWOOD RIVERSIDE MEADOWS PINES SUNNYBROOK SOUTHBROOKE WEST LAKE WEST PARK

ADULT CARRIERS NEEDED

1300 1310

& Heating

4040

Cars

DALE’S Home Reno’s 5* JUNK REMOVAL Free estimates for all your Property clean up 505-4777 reno needs. 403-506-4301 GARAGE Doors Serviced 50% off. 403-358-1614

wegot

Trucks

ADULT or YOUTH CARRIERS NEEDED

Accounting

F/T CLEANERS

2003 SUZUKI, 4 whl. dr.

131,000 kms., equipped for towing behind motor home, very clean unit. $3000. SOLD

PADS $450/mo.

Brand new park in Lacombe.

Spec Mobiles. 3 Bdrm., For delivery of Flyers, 2 bath. As Low as $75,000.

Down payment $4000. Call Wednesday and Friday at anytime. 403-588-8820 ONLY 2 DAYS A WEEK

GLENDALE 3 Bdrm. 4-plex, 4 appls., $975. incl. sewer, water & garbage. D.D. $650, Avail.

March 1 403-304-5337

3080

5040

services Call Classifieds 403-309-3300

CASH CASINO is hiring a

TRAILERS for sale or rent Job site, office, well site or storage. Skidded or wheeled. Call 347-7721.

2 bdrm. apt. w/balcony, adults only, no pets heat/water incld. $875.

403-346-5885

3020

classifieds@reddeeradvocate.com

1630

Opposite Hospital

SUV's

wegot

Gov’t of Alberta Funding may be available.

403-340-1930 www.academicexpress.ca

EquipmentHeavy

NORMANDEAU 3 bdrm. townhouse, 4 appl., fenced yard, rent $1125, S.D. $900; avail. March 1.

403-304-5337

6 locations in Red Deer, well-maintained townHouses/ houses, lrg, 3 bdrm, 11/2 bath, 4 + 5 appls.

Duplexes Westpark, Kentwood, 1178 SQ.FT 3 bdrm. main Highland Green, Riverside Meadows.

Rent starting at floor of house, c/w 5 $1100. For more info, appls, dble. att. heated phone 403-304-7576 or garage, Lacombe, July 403-347-7545 1st, n/s, $1350/mo. inclds. all utils. 403-782-2007 SOUTHWOOD PARK 3110-47TH Avenue, 3 BDRM. main level 2 & 3 bdrm. townhouses, house, Johnstone Park. generously sized, 1 1/2 $1200 + d.d., 70% utils., baths, fenced yards, avail. now, no pets. full bsmts. 403-347-7473, 403-392-4622, 923-1119 Sorry no pets.

4 BDRM. house on King- www.greatapartments.ca ston Dr. $1400/mo. Ron 403-304-2255 4 Plexes/

Condos/ Townhouses

3060

Suites

Call Prodie at 403-314-4301

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING

WIRELESS 360 degree M6 mode speaker from Veho. Connect with any electronic device, 1800 ma, rechargeable battery, built-in microphone with auto music interrupt, $95. 403-352-8811

3030

1 BDRM. bsmt. suite, sep- & Services arate entrance & laundry, $850 inclds. utils., JohnNEW deluxe 2 bdrm. walkstone Park., immed. out lower suite, n/s, only 403-392-4622, 923-1119 $1095/mo. 403-350-7421 1 BDRM. N/S, no pets. $700 rent/d.d.

403-346-1458 2 BDRM. N/S, no pets. $800. rent/d.d.

403-346-1458 ADULT 2 BDRM. spacious suites 3 appls., heat/water HERE TO HELP incld., ADULT ONLY & HERE TO SERVE BLDG, no pets, Oriole Call GORD ING at Park. 403-986-6889 CLASSIFICATIONS 1000-1430 RE/MAX real estate AVAIL. IMMED. large 2 central alberta 403-341-9995 bdrm. in clean quiet adult To Advertise Your Business building, near downtown or Service Here Co-Op, no pets, Condos/ 403-348-7445 Townhouses

880

Electronics

Condos/ Townhouses

CLASSIFICATIONS 5000-5240

FOR RENT • 3000-3200 WANTED • 3250-3390 SEIBEL PROPERTY

SMALL Curio cabinet w/approx. 22 assorted small Holland brass $55.

MOUNTVIEW o.b.o; 50 peacock feathers, upper level 3 bdrm. house, some white, for home 5 appls., fenced yard, large decor or fly fishing hooks deck, rent $1200 incl. all $1/ea, large Currier & Ives utils. $900 s.d. Avail. cookie cans $ .50/ea.

March 1. 403-304-5337 o.b.o. 403-346-2231 SYLVAN Lake, 3 fully furn.

VIDEO Photo Tripod, rentals, garage, inclds. extended height, 143 cm. all utils., $1000 - $1500. $30. 403-346-6539 + Private room. $550/ mo. “w/cable” 403-880-0210 WATER cooler $50.

403-885-5020

Promax Transport is looking for a F/T Class 1A shunt driver. Please send resumes to fax # 403-227-2743 or call 403-227-2712

FULL TIME

SUPERVISORS

LP RECORDS, over 100. $50. Takes All. 403-346-6539 RETRACTABLE movie screen on tripod, 70x100 cm. $40.

403-346-6539

PEST CONTROL TECHS REQ’D. cpest@shaw.ca POSITION FILLED

Now Hiring

1760

Misc. for Sale

HARVARD Broadcasting Red Deer is seeking a Broadcast Engineer/ Technician to join our Engineering Team.

Visit www.harvardbroadcasting.com careers section for details

Misc.

Help

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RED DEER ADVOCATE Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 B7

Cruz, Rubio face critical test Proposed truce accepted by in Nevada as Trump ahead Syrian government, opposition

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS — Donald Trump was fighting for a third straight victory in Tuesday night’s Nevada caucuses as he sought to expand a lead that could soon be insurmountable in the Republican presidential race.

The caucuses are a critical test for the leading Republican candidates.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is trying to prove he can build on recent momentum, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wants to keep from spiraling out of contention.

“I think it’s the most unpredictable of all the races we’ve had so far,” said Rubio, who is emerging as the Republican establishment’s candidate.

Cruz, a fiery conservative popular among voters on the party’s right, needs to recover from one of the weakest moments of his campaign. After denying charges of dishonest tactics for several weeks, the Texas senator on Monday asked for the resignation of a senior aide who spread an inaccurate news report suggesting Rubio had criticized the Bible.

That was just days after Cruz finished a disappointing third in the South Carolina primary. Another disappointing finish in Nevada would raise new questions about his viability heading into March 1, or Super Tuesday, when multiple states will hold primaries, including Cruz’s home state of Texas.

“There’s something wrong with this guy,” Trump said during a Las Vegas rally Monday night. The former reality television star called Cruz “sick.”

Trump is on a roll after winning primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Cruz won the lead-off Iowa caucuses.

Nevada marks the first Republican nominating contest in the West and the fourth of the campaign as the candidates try to collect enough delegates to win the party’s nomination at the national convention in July.

Nevada’s caucusing takes place in schools, community centres and places of worship across the state — a process that’s been chaotic in the past. Trump has held several large rallies in the state, but Rubio and Cruz have spent months developing a stronger ground game which might help get their supporters to the caucus sites.

Although Nevada has relatively few delegates, it is the first measure of voter sentiment in the vast western region, much as South Carolina was the first glimpse at the South’s preferences last weekend.

Nevada is 28 per cent Latino, 9 per cent Asian-American and leads the nation with the highest rate of people living in the country illegally, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Its immigrant communities — 19 per cent of its population was born outside the United States — have helped turn a once reliably Republican state into one that backed Obama twice. Many analysts attribute that to hardline Republican positions on immigration.

A Republican field that included a dozen candidates a month ago has been reduced to five, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush the latest to drop out after a disappointing finish in South Carolina. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson remain in the race and could play spoilers as the trio of leading candidates, Trump, Cruz and Rubio, battle for delegates with an increasing sense of urgency. Trump’s rivals concede they are running out of time to stop him.

The election calendar suggests that if the New York billionaire’s rivals don’t slow him by mid-March, they may not ever. Trump swept all of South Carolina’s 50 delegates, giving him a total of 67 compared to Cruz and Rubio who have 11 and 10, respectively.

There are 30 delegates at stake in Nevada, awarded to candidates in proportion to their share of the statewide vote so long as they earn at least 3.33 per cent.

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s government on Tuesday accepted a proposed U.S.-Russian cease-fire that is to go into effect later this week, but reserved the right to respond to any violations of the truce. The main opposition and rebel umbrella group approved the deal but set its own conditions.

The developments followed an agreement between Washington and Moscow for a new cease-fire set to take effect at midnight Friday local time in the 5-year-old civil war, even as major questions over enforcement remain unresolved.

The truce does not cover the Islamic State group, Syria’s al-Qaida branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist organization by the U.N. Security Council.

But exactly where along Syria’s complicated front lines the fighting would stop and where counterterrorism operations could continue under the truce is still to be addressed. The five-page plan released by the U.S. State Department also leaves open how cease-fire breaches would be dealt with.

While accepting the proposed truce, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said its operations will continue against IS, the Nusra Front and “other terrorist groups.”

It also stressed the right of its armed forces “to retaliate against any violation carried out by these groups.”

Cabinet minister Ali Haidar said the government will respect the ceasefire in principle, although he could not “speak on behalf of the armed groups.”

“Violations will happen from other parties and not from the Syrian state’s side,” Haidar saidafter talks in Damascus with Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The main umbrella for Syrian opposition and rebel groups, the High

Negotiations Committee, gave conditional approval late Monday. The HNC said acceptance was conditional on the government ending its siege of 18 rebel-held areas, releasing detainees and halting aerial and artillery bombardment.

However, Talal Sillo, a spokesman for the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, told the AP that his group will not abide by the truce because it’s fighting against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said won’t vouch for the success of the agreement but said it’s the best pathway for ending the bloodshed.

“I’m not going to say this process is sure to work because I don’t know,” Kerry testified in Washington before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Russian military said it has set up a co-ordinationcentre to help enforce the cease-fire. The centre is located at Syria’s Hemeimeem air base, which hosts Russian warplanes, said Defence Ministry spokesman Maj.-Gen. Igor Konashenkov, adding that it was established in line with the U.S.-Russian agreement.

Its purpose, Konashenkov said, would be to help organize cease-fire negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition. Russia has given out its hotline numbers for enforcing the truce to the U.S., he added.

Some Syrians in the northern town of Qamishli expressed skepticism that the truce would hold.

“If the international community had wanted to stop the bloodshed, the killing and shelling, this could have happened three or four years ago,” Bakr Safir told the newsgathering Arab agency Arab24.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura halted the latest Syria talks in Geneva on Feb. 3 because of major differences between the two sides, exacerbated by increased bombings and a large-scale government offensive near the northern city of Aleppo.

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Two dead as storms, tornadoes rip through U.S. Gulf states

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KENNER, La. — A suspected tornado ripped through a Louisiana recreational vehicle park Tuesday, leaving a mangled mess of smashed trailers and killing at least one person, officials said. In neighbouring Mississippi, authorities said one person died when a possible tornado hit a mobile home.

St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin, speaking on local television, said there was definitely one fatality and possibly another victim at the RV park in Convent. Martin says authorities are still looking for people believed to be trapped under the debris.

He said he could not give an accurate number of people injured but that he saw at least 25 people with injuries — some who were able to walk out while others were more severe.

“We never had anything like this, we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event,” Martin told WVUE news.

In Mississippi, officials are still sorting through reports of damage to some buildings, but Vann Byrd of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency said one person died in a mobile home west of Purvis. Byrd didn’t release the person’s name.

Forecasters spotted debris on the ground Tuesday afternoon that is a typical hallmark of a tornado, said David Cox, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pearl, Mississippi. Storm damage was also reported at a second location in the county that appeared to be caused by the severe storm system.

The reported tornadoes are part of a line of severe weather and storms that has ripped through Louisiana.

Earlier Tuesday a reported tornado caused some damage but no injuries near New Orleans’ main airport.

Emergency officials and the National Weather Service said the reported tornado was spotted near Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in the suburban city of Kenner. It was believed to have touched down in a nearby field.

Ronald Myers lives across the street from New Mount Bethel Baptist Church, where and his wife are mem-

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this photo made from a video, a woman looks at debris on Tuesday, in Athens, Ala. A dangerous storm system that spawned a chain of deadly tornadoes over two days flattened homes and businesses, and killed dozens from the Midwest to the Deep South. bers. He recalled the sky darkening and high winds — he believes it was a tornado. They came outside when they heard the church’s alarm go off.

“My wife came over to turn the alarm off and she came back home and said, ‘Baby, the wall behind the church has done fell down,”’ said Myers. He said he struggled to keep his footing in the wind, and it nearly knocked his wife down: “I weigh 242 pounds. If it could move me, it was moving.”

High winds sheared the brick and mortar from the rear wall of the church.

In neighbouring Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency, in anticipation of severe weather. High winds ripped off roofs and downed trees around the greater New Orleans area. Other suspected tornadoes were reported north of Lake Pontchartrain and west of the city in St. Charles and Ascension parishes.

In Kenner, cars were reported damaged at a parking lot near the airport.

In Prairieville, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, heavy damage was

reported to some buildings, including a fitness gym.

More than six million people in parts of five states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia — were in an area of moderate risk for a few strong tornadoes and other severe weather Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, estimated.

Meanwhile, schools across south Louisiana and Mississippi cancelled classes ahead of the storm, sending tens of thousands of students home early to avoid having buses on the road when severe storms arrived.

Forecasters said about half of Alabama had a moderate risk of severe weather including tornadoes. On Tuesday afternoon, an emergency management official in west Alabama said a storm has knocked down trees and damaged at least one home near the rural town of Reform.

Ken Gibson, emergency management director in Pickens County, said no one was injured in the storm Tuesday.

Phoenix police face bullets from shooter who killed family

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX — Authorities trying to rescue a family begging for help after their 26-year-old son opened fire in their Phoenix home arrived to a chaotic crime scene they could not prepare for.

The shooter ignited a raging fire and was still inside. Officers donned breathing gear, grabbed fire hoses and ran in, hoping to save lives. They pulled out two victims, but they had to make a hasty retreat as bullets flew their way.

The violence played out in a cul-desac of quiet, suburban family homes Tuesday morning. Authorities eventually found Vic Buckner, 50, Kimberly Buckner, 49, and their 18-year-old daughter, Kaitlin Buckner, who were all pronounced dead. A 6-year-old daughter, Emma, later died at a hospital.

The shooter was the couple’s son, Alex Arthur Buckner, who was fatally shot by police, Sgt. Trent Crump said.

Three officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

The chaos woke up residents in surrounding houses, forcing some to evacuate just before dawn.

Yolanda Strayhand, who lives behind the burned home, said her elderly mother woke her up after hearing gunfire. Strayhand went outside and said her front yard looked like a movie scene, with lights and noise from several fire engines, SWAT officers and a helicopter.

“We were approached by a lady firefighter who said, ‘There’s a live shooter,’ ” Strayhand said.

She got a glimpse of the back of the home engulfed in flames.

“Every room on the top floor was lit, and they were pointing guns toward the basement,” she said.

An officer came by and told her to leave. Strayhand gathered clothes, medications and her mother’s walker, and they both walked down the street.

U.S.A. - CHINA

Tensions persist despite progress on NKorea WASHINGTON — The U.S. and China showed no sign of quelling tension in the disputed South China Sea as their top diplomats met in Washington on Tuesday. A leading U.S. military officer told Congress that China was seeking to control East Asia.

But there was progress on another front. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they were close to agreement on a U.N. resolution to punish North Korea after its recent nuclear test and rocket launch.

China has been reluctant to impose the kind of tough sanctions on its neighbour and traditional ally North

Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

This image made from video provided by KNXV ABC-15 Arizona shows firefighters atop a house engulfed in flames in Phoenix on Tuesday. Police and firefighters braved bullets and flames as they responded to the fatal shooting and house fire.

The ordeal began shortly before 5 a.m. when Kaitlin Buckner called 911, pleading for help and saying that her brother had shot her, Crump said.

The first officers on scene ran into the burning house because they felt they had to act quickly.

“You have people that need you to come and rescue them, and you now have not only a fire, but somebody who’s also firing a gun in there,” the police sergeant said.

Authorities pulled out two victims, then a tactical team stormed in 45 minutes later when the gunfire stopped and shot the gunman, Crump said.

Officers were looking for the rest of the victims, but they had to leave because the fire reignited in the attic, sending flames through a ceiling. They took Alex Buckner’s body with them.

After the fire was extinguished,

they found the other victims.

Investigators will likely be gathering evidence at the burned home into the night, Crump said. The police have no record of ever having been called to the house.

A next-door neighbour said the family had lived in the home for about two years after moving from Oklahoma.

James Graham said he was not close to his neighbours, but they chatted occasionally and never mentioned any problems.

Family members told investigators that Alex Buckner, who lived in the home, had received treatment in Oklahoma for drug abuse.

“They knew that there was some drug abuse in the past,” Crump said.

“They didn’t suspect this now and this was completely out of character and they did not see this coming.”

Korea that the U.S. has been seeking.

But an even more pervasive source of strain in the relationship between the two world powers has been over accusations over militarization in the South China Sea, an important thoroughfare for world trade.

China claims it has a historical right to most of those strategic waters, and has undertaken a massive land reclamation and construction effort on land features although five other Asian governments have territorial claims in the area. The U.S. is not a claimant but says it has an interest in maintaining peace and stability, and freedom of navigation and commerce.

The rhetoric has heated up since it emerged last week that China had Beijing deployed anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed island in the Paracels chain. Then on Monday, a U.S. thinktank reported that China has built new radar facilities in the Spratly Islands, which lie further south.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Adm. Harry Harris, confirmed Tuesday new radar on Cuarteron Reef in the Spratlys. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China’s construction and military facilities are changing the operational landscape in the South China Sea. Harris said that China is militarizing the South China Sea, “and you have to believe in a flat Earth to think otherwise.”

After meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary of State John Kerry said that steps by China, Vietnam and others have created an escalatory cycle.

“Regrettably there are missiles, fighter aircraft, guns, artillery and other things that have been placed in the South China Sea, and this of great concern to everyone who transits and relies on the South China Sea for peaceful trade, commerce and use,” Kerry told a joint news conference.

WORLD

BRIEFS

Moderate earthquake shakes California A moderate earthquake centred near Bakersfield was felt across a wide swath of central and southern California on Tuesday afternoon, but there have been no reports of damages, injuries or other problems.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Wasco about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield shortly after 4 p.m. The USGS described the quake as light and said it came at a depth of about 14 miles.

A dispatcher at the Kern County Sheriff’s Office says the quake gave the office “a pretty good jolt,” but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

People reported feeling the quake in several surrounding counties, including Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, including areas along the coast 150 miles away.

It was followed by several minor aftershocks, the largest of which was magnitude 2.6.

Kern County Fire Capt. Andrew Kennison said the shaking was “short, brief, but strong — kind of a violent hit.”

Alaska regulators to take applications for pot businesses JUNEAU, Alaska — A regulatory board in Alaska will begin accepting applications Wednesday for marijuana business licenses. It’s the next step in setting up the state’s legal pot industry.

To apply for a license, prospective business operators need to have secured a site.

That has proven to be a challenge in some parts of the state because of things like location restrictions or local community bans.

Leif Abel, who is with the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Legislation, says there’s a lot of risk for would-be business owners. But he and others say they’re passionate about the industry and want to be a part of it.

While the state’s Marijuana Control Board will start accepting business applications on Wednesday, it will still be months before pot can legally be purchased by those 21 and older.

Bill seeks stronger support of Great Lakes fish research ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Members of Congress from Great Lakes states want more federal support of research on the region’s fish populations.

Legislation introduced Tuesday would authorize continuous funding of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor.

The centre has staff and field stations in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. It has five large research vessels and conducts fish science assessments in each lake.

It has supported efforts to restore native prey fish and control invasive species such as sea lamprey.

But it’s never had its own dedicated funding source in the federal budget. Supporters say it has been shortchanged compared to ocean science centres.

The bill would provide clear legislative endorsement of the centre’s work and better opportunities to secure money for updated technology and new projects.

UN chief: Number of displaced people has never been higher KINSHASA, Congo — The number of displaced people around the world has never been higher, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday, urging the international community to improve the way humanitarian assistance and development support is provided.

Ban spoke during a visit to a camp for internally displaced people near Goma in Congo’s eastern North Kivu province. He was expected to meet with President Joseph Kabila on Wednesday.

“We have 60 million people around the world, that is the largest number of IDP’s (internally displaced people) and refugees since the end of the Korean war,” Ban said.

He said visits to such camps remind him of his own experience of internal displacement, “when I was 6 years old in Korea, 1950.” He said the U.N. at that time stood as a beacon of hope.

“They supported our security, they supported our textbooks and they gave us water, sanitation, food,” he said.

Chaotic eastern Congo is home to multiple rebel groups, many vying for control of the region’s vast mineral resources.

Ban said he was humbled by the women he met at the camp and said hope must be restored.

“We have to do much more to protect human dignity and human rights of women and girls to save them, to protect them from sexual violence,” he said.

The U.N. chief said that making sure no one is left behind would be a main objective at the first World Humanitarian Summit in Turkey in May.

HEALTH

B9

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2016

Tackle dietary changes by taking small steps

BY THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — Do you favour soft drinks over water or indulge in salty snacks during that afternoon slump at work? Maybe your serving sizes are too large? Or perhaps you don’t eat breakfast or enough vegetables.

Dietitians of Canada is encouraging Canadians to take a small step toward better health during this year’s annual Nutrition Month in March by picking an area to improve and making changes one meal at a time.

The group is calling the 2016 campaign “Take a 100 Meal Journey” because it’s estimated Canadians will eat about 100 meals during the month, and can be well on the way to establishing a habit in that length of time.

“If you break a change into smaller goals and practise it over, say, the next 100 meals, then you don’t need to focus on making big changes all at once and you can certainly focus your efforts on making small manageable changes and hope that they stick in the long run,” says registered dietitian Amanda O’Brien, who’s based in St. John’s, N.L. The group’s research suggests there’s room for improvement.

When comparing surveys conducted in 2013 and 2015, there was a 35 per cent drop in the number of Canadians who said they’d made a change to improve their eating habits.

In addition, the dietitians group points out over half of Canadians over the age of 20 live with a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease and four out of five are at risk, with diet and lifestyle being major factors.

One area people may want to improve upon is to cook more meals at home and increase their intake of fruits and vegetables while decreasing the amount of processed foods they eat, says O’Brien.

Once you have a goal, post it where you’ll see it regularly, like the fridge, your desk, Facebook page or at NutritionMonth2016.ca, where Dietitians of Canada will be adding resources, tips and recipes throughout March.

Tell friends and family about your pledge. “Research shows that when people share what their goal is they’re more inclined to stick with it and achieve it,” says Diana Steele, a registered dietitian in Vancouver.

Then banish foods like cookies, crackers and ice cream that you go to in weak moments.

“Stock your fridge full of eggs, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, cheese,” suggests Steele.

“Buy those whole grains, bulgur, barley or quinoa or oats you need to make healthy grain choices. Have the legumes like lentils and tins of chickpeas, kidney beans ready in your cupboard so when you start to make these changes in your diet you’ve got those foods ready and available to use.”

Research shows five out of 10 women and seven out of 10 men eat more calories than they need, Steele says, so reducing serving sizes might be another goal.

Don’t nibble while preparing a meal, she adds.

“You don’t realize you’ve almost eaten a small meal before you’ve even sat down to dinner.”

Put your fork down between bites and sit tight before taking a second serving.

“It can take some time for the messages to get from your stomach to your brain, at least 15 minutes for some people. Having foods that are more filling — so eating more vegetables that have a lot of fibre in them and whole grains — will help fill up your stomach and fill up the space which leads to a feeling of fullness,” says Steele.

“But also having protein in your

Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

When you are trying to make changes to your diet, stock your fridge with eggs, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt and cheese. Buy whole grains and have legumes like lentils and tins of chick peas and kidney beans ready in your cupboard so you have healthy foods ready and available to use. meals can make your energy last longer and be more satisfying and satiating.”

Here are some more ideas to consider when changing eating habits: — Keep a food journal. “Research shows people who keep track of their food by even handwriting a food journal will stick to their changes longer and people who use a nutrition-tracking app actually track their food even longer than those who hand-write it,” says Steele.

— Don’t worry if you fall off the wagon for one meal. “Little slip-ups are part of learning as you figure out how

to solve that problem and prevent it from happening again,” she says.

— Food doesn’t solve the problem of being bored, stressed or lonely. Call a friend, fold laundry, go for a walk or tell yourself to wait 10 minutes when you’re thinking about that chocolate that’s in the upper cupboard.

— Eat more vegetables by adding spinach to a fruit smoothie. Reduce the amount of meat you eat — and lower costs too — by blending cooked lentils with ground meat for burgers.

— Swap sugary soft drinks for water or a glass of milk.

Colonoscopy should not be used for routine screening: task force cer in men and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in women. In 2015, an estimated 25,000 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and approximately 9,300 died from the disease.

The task force, which bases its advice on the latest available results from clinical trials, strongly recommends stool-based testing or sigmoidoscopy for adults aged 60 to 74, but its recommendation is weaker for those 50 to 59.

“And that’s only because the incidence — that is the number of people with cancer — changes with age,” said Klarenbach.

“For those who are over the age of 60, the incidence of cancer goes up dramatically and they’re more likely to have a larger absolute benefit from screening,” he said.

“But many people who are younger, over the age of 50, they might decide after discussion with their primarycare provider that they would like to get screened as well.”

The task force also advises against screening asymptomatic patients age 75-plus because of their shorter life expectancy and a lack of evidence showing a benefit from the tests.

One reason for the weak recommendation for screening

TORONTO — Colonoscopy should not be used for routine screening of colorectal cancer in patients with no symptoms or family history of the disease, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care advises in updated guidelines issued Monday.

Instead, the task force strongly recommends that low-risk patients aged 50 to 74 be screened for colorectal cancer using stool-based testing every two years or sigmoidoscopy every 10 years.

Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure in which a flexible scope allows the doctor to view the lower portion of the colon and rectum, not the entire colon as is the case with colonoscopy.

Stool-based tests look for signs of blood that may indicate cancer in the large bowel.

The guidelines are not aimed at Canadians who have symptoms that might point to colorectal cancer or those who have a genetic predisposition for the disease, said task force member Dr. Scott Klarenbach of the University of Alberta.

“These are for people who might not know they have the disease,” he said from Edmonton. “So if you can effectively screen and detect the disease at an early stage, there’s good evidence to suggest that you can prevent the bad things from happening. You can reduce morbidity and mortality due EGGS BENEDICT to colorectal cancer.

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stacks up against stool testing and sigmoidoscopy in reducing cases of colorectal cancer and deaths from the disease, Klarenbach said results are not yet available.

Dr. David Armstrong, incoming president of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, said it’s important to note that the guidelines are directed at primary-care physicians so they can advise patients who have no symptoms and a low risk for colorectal cancer.

“If people have symptoms — if they have bleeding, abdominal pain — if they have a family history of colon cancer, those are people in whom colonoscopy is the way to go,” Armstrong, a gastroenterologist at the McMaster University Medical Centre, said from Hamilton.

Many gastroenterologists, he said, would argue that colonoscopy is not only a means for diagnosing cancer, but it’s also therapeutic in that it allows doctors to remove polyps that are potentially tumours-in-waiting.

“It prevents small lesions from becoming large lesions,” said Armstrong.

“The challenge from the point of view of task forces or guidelines is to say how does that translate into practice and do we have the evidence to support that?” he said.

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patients aged 50 to 59 is that a small percentage of fecal blood tests can provide false-positive results, which can cause anxiety as well as the need for a followup test — typically a more invasive colonoscopy, said Klarenbach.

“You’re less likely to pick up real disease because it’s less common (in that age group). Whereas, when you’re a little bit older, you still have that false-positive risk but you’re going to pick up much more disease.

“So it’s weighing those risks and benefits.”

The guidelines update the task force’s previous 2001 advice, which recommended fecal testing every one to two years or sigmoidoscopy every five years in asymptomatic adults.

The new Canadian guidelines are similar to the 2008 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that adults aged 50 to 75 should be screened for colorectal cancer using a fecal blood test or sigmoidoscopy, but they differ in one major way.

While the U.S. group recommends colonoscopy as a screening tool, its Canadian counterpart does not believe there is sufficient evidence to support that advice.

Although clinical trials are underway to look at how colonoscopy

7425140B3-39 39

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