Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
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here is a separatist movement building slowly in the Pacific Northwest See page 9
Volume 20, Issue 13 overtheedgenewspaper.ca
Free
March 26th, 2014 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca
Masthead
New Editor in Chief!
Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent newspaper. Our office is located on the 2nd floor of the NUSC building in room 6-350.We are an equal opportunity publication which represents students in the UNBC and Prince George community. Our publication supports student writing by welcoming news, arts, sports, culture and opinion articles as well as photography, comics, and creative writing submissions. Every year, we provide employment as editors, designers, and managers to students with a passion for journalism and are always looking for motivated individuals to work and volunteer in our collaborative environment. Over The Edge offers competitive advertising rates for space in our print publication as well as online.
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Thank you for the great year!
The society would also like to thank Shelley Termuende for her dedication to the publication over the last two years and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.
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Thank you for supporting Over the Edge Newspaper Society and we look forward to serving you in print next fall.
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Support is always needed and no experience is required, help make Over The Edge Newspaper better. We want to hear from you! Call us at (250) 960-5633, tweet us @overtheedgeunbc, email us at ote-newspaper@unbc.ca and be sure to like us on facebook. For more information, please visit our redesigned website www.overtheedgenewspaper.ca.
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ecent UNBC history grad, Jasmine Kirk has been appointed as m Over The Edge's new Editor-In-Chief for the 2014-2015 publishing year. Working for us as copy editor this past year, Jasmine has acquired valuable knowledge which make her the Ed perfect fit for this y position of leadership. New EIC | Cop The publishing board is very confident in Jasmine's skill set and wishes her all the best in her new position with the paper.
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News Chung Sung-Jun | Getty Images
Protests in The Republic of Korea
Nicole Halseth News Editor | ote-news@unbc.ca
it will not back the report, and has indicated it will likely veto any resolutions made at the UN Security Council.
ccording to the BBC, “China has dismissed a UN report that compared human rights abuses in North Korea to those in Nazi Germany.” (North Korea is officially known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or the DPRK).
As one of China’s main reasons for refusing to back the report, Chuandong said “The inability of the commission to get support and co-operation from the country concerned made it impossible for the commission to carry out its mandate in an impartial, objective and effective manner.”
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A Chinese diplomat, Chen Chuandong, responded by claiming that some of the report’s recommendations were not an accurate reflection of reality, and that it essentially lacks credibility. This response may support speculation that China will block further attempts at action over the subject.
The UN panel who created the report were not able to enter North Korea itself, or talk to any officials within the country. The report is based solely on testimonials from refugees and defectors.
North Korea’s response was to call the report “a fabrication by hostile forces.”
China calls for “constructive dialogue” with the government of North Korea, in order to address these human rights concerns.
UN-appointed jurists created the report to document the state of human rights abuses in North Korea.
Sponsors for the proposal to investigate the state of human rights in North Korea, the European Union and Japan (with US support), wish to submit the report to the Security Council, in order to get it referred to the international criminal court or another body that may be able to hold North Korea accountable for its actions.
According to the BBC, “The report accused the state of systematic murder, torture, enslavement and starvation on a scale unparalleled in the modern world.” Michael Kirby, head of the international panel of inquiry, called for action in North Korea. Despite this push for action, China has already made clear
This move is expected to meet substantial opposition, and as such, it remains to be seen just how effective this report will be in creating positive change.
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News
The ever expanding universe S
cientists have recently discovered evidence of rapid growth in the expansion of the universe, which is a major discovery in confirming the existence of an event called the Big Bang. According to the Big Bang theory (no, not the show), the universe came into existence around 14 billion years ago, following a massive explosion. Scientists now have evidence that only a split-second later, the expansion of the cosmos began. Though this discovery must still be confirmed by others, scientists are hailing it as
a major breakthrough. According to the Globe and Mail, if verified, this “new finding could rank with the greatest discoveries about the universe over the last 25 years.” The experiment was carried out by observing the faint trace light remaining from the Big Bang event. Around two percent of the sky was observed for over three years from a telescope in the South Pole. The telescope was looking for light waves with a specific pattern, located within the microwave glow of the Big Bang’s remains. This
specific type of light wave is known as “inflation,” and is considered to be evidence of rapid expansion. The pattern of these light waves is caused by gravitational waves echoing across the universe in space and time. According to the Globe and Mail, “if confirmed, the new work would be the first detection of such waves from the birth of the universe, which have been called the first tremors of the Big Bang.” Though there is still some doubt that these light waves signify inflation, they likely still present the best evidence for direct testing of the Big Bang phenomenon. Planning to formally
submit its findings to a scientific journal by the end of March, the team that performed the experiment includes researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the University of Minnesota, Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The leader of the research team is John Kovac of Harvard. If confirmed within the next few years, this discovery may lead us to invaluable insights into the beginning of the universe itself, and, by extension, ourselves.
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Nicole Halseth News Editor | ote-news@unbc.ca
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Culture Review: Highway of Tears documentary
Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor | ote-culture@unbc.ca
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15 March 2014, the Highway of Tears documentary debut in Prince George at the Canfor Theatre in the University of Northern British Columbia. More than 350 people showed up to attend. The seats were filled. The stairs were filled. The standing area was…filled. I had, in fact, never seen the Canfor Theatre so busy. The movie starts with a timeline of the women who have gone missing or been murdered on the Highway of Tears, which primarily stretches from Prince George to Smithers, but is associated all along the highway 16. The deaths and disappearances began in 1969 and continue to this day. As the film states near the beginning, a majority of these victims were Aboriginal. The film, produced and directed by Canadians Matt Smiley and Carly Pope does a good job of allowing the people affected to have a voice and primarily shape the narrative. Prince George residents Mavis Erickson, Mary Teegee, Sarah Boyd-Noel, Terry Teegee, Leonard Ward, amongst others are featured in the film. Many family members,
HighwayofTears.ca
have to tell the reader that they must watch this documentary as soon as they get the opportunity. It is thought provoking, powerful and important. All of those characteristics amplified in Prince George considering its’ geographical location. Watch this documentary. Your emotions will result in physiological reactions.
friends and acquaintances of the victims are interviewed. Aside from focusing on the victims, there was also an investigation into the root causes for why these atrocities were happening, and why so many cases are left unsolved. The documentary does a good job of portraying willful RCMP ignorance and systemic racism. However, after the film there was a panel discussion, and Mary Teegee told the local RCMP to stand up and acknowledged that they were putting in an effort to combat these issues. During the panel discussion, Paul Michel, Director of the First Nations Centre at UNBC, walked through the audience with a microphone. Many of the people who had questions were in tears or holding them back. The Highway of Tears documentary cracks open a great deal of issues associated with its namesake. Hopefully this is only the first step in improving safety for women, and finding closure for the victims’ families and their communities.
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Culture
UNBC Continuing Studies presents: “Experiential Tourism” T
he University of Northern British Columbia’s Continuing Studies department is offering up something out of the ordinary. It is based on the premise of education-focused travelling. With UNBC’s overall focus on bringing in more experiential learning, Continuing Studies has put a twist on this by calling the project Experiential Tourism. Within this program there are four trips being offered: Walk With Dinosaurs, Jetboat Photography, Some Like It Hot, and Ghost Towns. All but the first will be offered out of Terrace, BC. Walk With Dinosaurs is being offered out of Tumbler Ridge in August, and is an opportunity for a group to explore the region with two paleontologists. Jetboat
Photography is based around nature photography, where an experienced biologist will take a group on a boat trip to places otherwise inaccessible. Some Like It Hot is a five-day hot spring tour, where with each new day comes a new hot spring. A Princeton professor who has researched hot springs in BC will lead this. Lastly, Ghost Towns will be a tour of abandoned towns in British Columbia. This includes the remote towns of Kitsault and Anyox, which are barely accessible. Rob Bryce, coordinator of Continuing Studies, said that he’s excited about the prospect of these programs. He says the focus will be on high-end education, adding that each program will have only eight to ten students, giving each person
unbc.ca/continuing -studies
Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor | ote-culture@unbc.ca
intimate time with the experts leading the tours. While Continuing Studies usually focuses on concrete professional development and certificate programs, Experiential Tourism is brand new. Bryce says this is unique in contrast to most practical field schools where faculty experts will leave their campus to go abroad and do work there. Experiential Tourism is more community-
based, with experts staying in and/or coming to the Northern BC area. Courses will cost between $2,400 and $3,600, including luxurious meals and five-star accommodations, according to Bryce. He says the target demographic will be people with a sense of adventure who are looking to add learning and engagement to their holidays.
CSU, CFS, and CNC: shifting unions Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor | ote-culture@unbc.ca
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nother university student body is looking to leave the Canadian Federation of Students, the large student union that has been losing attractiveness amongst members over the past few years. Now, the Capilano Student Union is scheduled to have a referendum to leave the CFS. This has drawn the attention of the College of New Caledonia’s student leadership. CNC is currently a member of CFS. According to UNBC student and former President of the Capilano
Student Union, David Clarkson, CNC is planning to send representatives down to Capilano to stand in favour of CFS and influence the referendum results. Clarkson says that this is not uncommon, but it might bother students whose fees are going into it. The referendum will happen from 24-28 March. Approval for CFS originally began to fall because some student bodies felt the results produced were not worth
the high fees. The Eye Opener, Ryerson’s independent newspaper, reported that Ryerson pays $350,000 per year. The problems were amplified when student unions found out how hard it is to leave. At one point, CFS took the University of Victoria Student Society to the Supreme Court of BC in an attempt to delay UVSS’ referendum. Later, the Simon Fraser Student Society and CFS settled out of court in a related situation. Clarkson calls CFS “something like a nasty parasite, they’re hard to get rid of.” This has led
BC’s four biggest institutions to join a new project. In BC, a new student coalition is building, named the Alliance of British Columbia students, or ABCS. According to ABCS’ website, it currently represents over 140,000 students in BC. ABCS was founded in May 2011, shortly after the UVSS left CFS. It is built off previous individual campaigns, such as Where’s the Funding (WTF?). CSU is already part of ABCS… and if it follows in the steps of its partners, it will not be part of CFS for long.
Kelley’sorner: “K” Shelley Termuende | OTE
UNBC Life Transitions and Revelations Kelley Ware Finance Manager | ote-finance@unbc.ca
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nother year is coming to an end. It almost feels as if two semesters flew by with a blink. So much has happened in this year. New friendships, courses passed, hazy nights out, mistakes made, lessons learned, and coffee-fueled all-nighters. It is sad to see it go.
soon, a new EIC will continue the legacy created. Moments of transition will pass and moments of revelation will be upon us. We all hope that these moments will continue to lead us to success, and continue down the path that our (soon-to-be) predecessors have lain before us.
For some of you, this may be the start of a new beginning. For others, future plans may be more immediate. Some of you may be saying goodbye to UNBC, others may have a year left, and many may have three. Regardless of where we are, there is a breathless excitement and anticipation about what will happen next. Times such as these remind me of some words from one of my favourite television shows, Babylon 5: “The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation.” So here we are, waiting for revelation.
For those of you who will be walking out these doors for the last time, we all wish you luck. Take the lessons learned within these walls and use them to pave your own path. Do what you love and do not settle. Make a difference. Do this, because the rest of us will be cheering you on, waiting to join you when our time comes.
For Over the Edge, we had what is arguably our best year to date. We have had our share of transition and revelation. Writing has improved drastically. We have changed positions and added positions, all in an effort to create the best product and service we can. Even the very shape of the paper has changed. We have had our moments of transition, and we are waiting for more. Our new Board of Directors is already beginning their work and
Before I close this, the last of Kelley’s Korner, I am going to leave you with one more quote from J. Michael Straczynski. I have always found it beautifully appropriate for times such as this: “I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the [university] when it is quiet, and just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we’ve exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that is going will very much miss the part of you that is staying.”
Arts
Laura Mooney Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca
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o you remember all the way back in 2011 when you turned on the radio in your car and heard the infectious Foster the People tune “Pumped-up Kicks?” Then you walked into a store later that day and heard it again playing on the PA system? Then once you got home you heard your significant other playing it throughout the house, after having heard it once more on the drive home? The song was absolutely inescapable! “Pumped-up Kicks” was the song that put California indie-pop band Foster the People on the radar of everyone from preteens to the middle aged, and now the band is back with their second studio album, entitled “Supermodel.” After initially hearing the album, admittedly it is nothing like Foster the People’s debut album “Torches” which featured a more upbeat tone. The band seems to have switched out the catchy, albeit repetitive beats, for a more mature and insightful sound. The first single released, entitled “Coming of Age” is a mellow pop song ripe with synthesizers,
heavy bass and a strong 80s vibe. Although the song is by no means bad, it is a far departure from the sound that made the band so popular and leaves the listener questioning what band they are really listening to. Although many of the songs on “Supermodel” are in this new style that Foster the People seems to be trying out, the one standout was the track “Pseudologia Fantastica.” The song is different from anything else on the album, and honestly is different from anything else on the music charts today. The song is melodic and symphonic in a way that reflects more of Foster the People’s old sound, but with a healthy mix of musical maturity that only comes with experience in the musical universe. So while “Supermodel” is a huge departure from the sound that made Foster the People so famous, the album seems to be the band’s attempt at transitioning into a more mature sound to reflect what is now popular in music. While some of the songs on the album are a clear hit, others seem a bit uninspired and dull, leaving the listening audience to hope that next time Foster the People will go back to their roots and infect us once again with songs like “Pumped-up Kicks.”
Cascadian Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor | ote-culture@unbc.ca
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The
Independence Project
here is a separatist movement building slowly in the Pacific Northwest. Its speed reflects the pace of the people outside of its metropolitan centers. It is not your typical movement, based on the right and left political spectrum, nor is it necessarily about protecting a certain culture. More so, it is about creating one. The movement calls for a new sovereign state: Cascadia.
The map is not perfect yet. To some it stretches from Northern California to the Alaskan Panhandle. For Cathasaigh Ó Corcráin, coeditor of underground journal Autonomy Cascadia: A Journal of Bioregional Decolonization, since Cascadia is based largely on ecological designs, its borders would reflect that, more so than current political ones. Corcráin says that watersheds should dictate Cascadia’s region. For example, he uses the Klamath River as the southern point. Bioregionalism, as defined by Brandon Letsinger, founder of the Cascadian Independence Project and manager of Cascadia Now’s web presence, is “a way to reframe and rethink a lot of the boundaries and borders on this region to better represent economic, political, social and environmental realities.” Corcráin, who traveled around theoretical Cascadia when filming Occupied Cascadia, says that he also noticed many similarities to communities around the region who shared similar relationships with natural resources and surroundings. For example, a logging community in rural Washington likely shares many cultural characteristics as a logging community in rural northern British Columbia. Letsinger says Cascadia is the birthplace of the idea of bioregionalism. In 2004, there was the creation of the Cascadian Cup; an intense soccer competition between the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps. In 2011, the “Republic of Cascadia” made it onto a Times Magazine list as number 8 of the Top 10 Aspiring Nations. Although it was the first time that Cascadia reared its head in the mainstream media, the author of that piece threw in that it “has little chance of ever becoming a reality.” Cascadia’s flag, nicknamed the Doug Flag, depicts a Douglas fir over a typical horizontal, tri-coloured flag. The three colours, blue, white, and green, represent the bioregion of Cascadia. The blue is for our ocean, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water; the white for our snow-capped mountain ranges and glaciers; and the green for our lush forests. Letsinger saw growing support for Cascadia. He pointed to the lack of other alternatives and general unhappiness when it comes to the Canadian and American federal governments. He saw this largely due to the fact that Cascadia focuses on positives and a new, untainted prospect. According to Letsinger, Cascadia Now is in direct communication with 10-15,000 people and also acknowledges the many social media groups with thousands of followers surrounding the idea of Cascadia. Corcráin agrees, saying he himself has seen the idea of Cascadia grow since he was first involved. He agrees that Cascadia comes without “ideological baggage.” Some say Cascadia is a chance to break the old, traditional left-versus-right spectrum. Letsinger argues that it is not a red-versus-blue issue, but one of empowering communities. Is localizing the economy really a right or left argument? Are many people in Cascadia really chasing corporatism as a political ideology? Of course, mix in the Cascadian respect for the environment, and the political landscape starts to unfold. Letsinger points out transparency and real democracy as important tenants to Cascadia; he said that the question then becomes “why are we not doing this?” when we consider the “dirty corruption” and limited democracy currently in Canada and America. He said Cascadians are further united by a love of place. So, is a sovereign but undefined Cascadia possible?
Feature
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Arts
Let It Go! Hidden homosexual agenda in Frozen? Laura Mooney Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca
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isney’s latest mega hit film Frozen is causing quite the uproar amongst some viewers who are claiming the film is pushing a pro-gay message on the youths who view it. The film tells the tale of two sisters who were torn apart by a secret being kept by the elder sister Elsa, and younger sister Anna’s journey to help Elsa in any way she can. The film was revered for its progressive message of female strength, and Disney was
congratulated for finally producing a movie that focused on something other than the lead woman finding a man. As of recently the film has come under fire from right wing political group and religious sects for what they are calling a “hidden message.” According to Catholic film blogger Steven Greydonus, the film’s portrayal of Elsa not being interested in romantic relationships and the desire to “conceal, don’t feel” her powers is a metaphor for her homosexuality. Others involved in the argument include a Christian radio host who called the hidden meaning of the film “quite frightening” and claimed that “parents do not want their children turning into sodomites,” but Disney is paving the way towards this. Other bloggers have also claimed that Frozen is pushing images of transvestites and bestiality with the relationship between good guy Kristoff and his reindeer Sven.
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While the bestiality claims are admittedly a long shot and generally have been ignored, the accusations about Elsa’s sexuality have sparked debates amongst many groups, which have led to many important questions such as, why does being a strong self-sufficient female in today’s society automatically lead to assumptions about the female’s sexuality? Can it not be possible to have a strong female whose main purpose in life is not focused on getting married? Apparently, according to these religious groups, it is not. The main argument they continue to make is that the message shown in Frozen goes against the morals that Disney has set in place for children since their beginnings in the 1940s. They fear that by exposing their children to Frozen it will set a new standard for what constitutes “normal,” thus changing the typical hierarchy of the male/female relationship they have set through past films. The writers of the film, including Jennifer Lee, have declined to delve too far into this debate, but Lee stated in an interview “We know what we made, but once it is handed over it is the world’s to interpret.” So while we will never know if the “hidden meaning” is real or not, it is a huge step for Disney to have created their first film with a strong female in the spotlight and to chose to focus on the interaction between family instead of the typical prince and princess romance.
The Cuffs: Breaking free of the Laura Mooney Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca
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early every young girl has gone through it. That day in your life when suddenly the J14 and Tiger Beat magazines were not enough and you found yourself perusing the magazine aisle at the local supermarket for something a little more “grown up,” and chances are, like most girls, you chose an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. The flashy headlines claiming to teach you all you need to know about men, how to dress to get attention, how to apply the perfect eyeliner; the magazine’s job was to suck you in, and, for most of us, it worked. Since the 1960s, Cosmo has labelled itself as the magazine for young career women and has featured articles meant to help these women along in the more difficult aspects of life, while maintaining a sense of fun about it. Today however, one only needs to glance at the cover of any given issue to see where Cosmo’s main focus has shifted for today’s blossoming women. With the majority of the cover pushing articles such as “75 Hot Sex Moves to Please Him” or “Love Tricks to Make Him Want You More,” it has become clear that the young women should have only one thing on their minds; their partners. While arguably maintaining a healthy and happy relationship is usually high on any 20-something’s to-do list, the way in which Cosmo presents their so called “magazine for women” is borderline deplorable. Simply glancing through an issue one can see that very rarely is the woman’s happiness or pleasure ever mentioned, instead the focus is on pleasing your man with no regard to your feelings in the situation. By using tactics such as having the “inside scoop” on men through their male correspondents, or writing articles that describe in great detail the ideal woman, the magazine has, for years, successfully used fear tactics to bully women into becoming these “Cosmo girls.”
Opinions reader may disagree with this by stating that not all girls would suddenly drop who they were just to please a man, but the sad fact is that it is happening more than we would like to admit. The magazine is most popular with girls who are only 18 years old, meaning that they are pushing their message on young women, the majority of whom have not even experienced a long-term relationship yet. The magazine is essentially dictating how young women should not only be acting, but also looking and speaking when men are around, all in the pursuit of getting one’s attention and then keeping it once they are in a relationship. Cosmo has been trying to break away from this prescriptive formula that it has been pushing with the introduction of long running articles based around job searching and friendships, but, unfortunately, those articles rarely ever make it to the front page. Cosmo has been a target for feminist groups for years now with little avail; the only way to change the system is with the consumer. The day that I stopped reading Cosmo was the most liberating day I ever experienced in my early 20s. Of course I did not realize it at the time, but putting down the magazine made me more conscious of who I was than Cosmo ever could. I stopped worrying if my clothing was sexy enough, I stopped trying to perfect my body for a boyfriend, and I definitely stopped obsessing over sex tips. In a way, cancelling my subscription to Cosmo was like taking off a pair of cuffs that had bound me since I was 15. It was freeing, it was liberating, and it was a step in the right direction.
Now, the skeptical
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Sports
PG Cougars roadkill after another disappointing season Brady Stark Contributor
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he Prince George Cougars ended another disappointing season on 15 March with a blowout win against the Kamloops Blazers. The 8-3 victory was received by the fans and followers of the WHL franchise with mixed feelings. When looking at the bright side of a season that ended with the Cougars missing the playoffs by a mere 6 points, one could look at individual successes on the ice, the plays of Troy Bourke and Todd Fiddler in particular. The 20-year-old Troy Bourke has spent his entire WHL career with the Cougars. Bourke was named the team’s captain, taking over for fan-favourite defenceman Dan Gibb. His leadership on and off the ice was a wonder for the fans to watch as he played his hardest every time he stepped onto the ice. Last Saturday, Troy Bourke stepped onto the ice one point behind Eric Hunter for the all-time points in franchise history with 233, but that record was about to fall. In the first period, Troy Bourke’s name was the first ink on the score sheet as he sent home his 29th goal of the season. What seemed like mere moments after that, Bourke fed 2012, 7th overall draft pick Brad Morrison a beauty pass to send him flying towards the Blazers’ goaltender Bolton Pouliot. Pouliot was no match for Morrison as he buried the puck in the back of the net to make it a 2-1 game. The assist gave Bourke the outright points record for the Prince George Cougars. Bourke would set up two more goals from the stick of Fiddler to cap a night he will never forget. The other bright spot of the last game of the season came from one of the newest members of the Cougars, 20 year old Todd Fiddler. Being sent to Prince George
from the Moose Jaw Warriors in late October, Todd Fiddler had only two goals in his first 14 games; all that changed when he donned the red, black, and white Cougars colours. In the next 51 games that Fiddler played, he amassed an astounding 44 more goals. His total was 46 goals with only one game remaining. Obviously, with a score like 8-3, the goals have got to come from somewhere. Fiddler, only needing 4 more goals to reach the 50 goal plateau, went to work. With a fresh sheet of ice for the second period, Fiddler started to make his mark on the record books. Like a bullet shot from a colt-45, Fiddler raced past the defence of the Kamloops Blazers and easily put the puck past an overmatched netminder. His second goal of the game came in the later stages of the second period as the Cougars were up 3-2. Blasting a shot from the point, the crowd could sense something special was happening. To open the third period, the two teams traded goals before Fiddler and the Cougars blew the doors wide open. Fiddler’s 49th goal of the season came short-handed midway through the third period as he made the Blazers’ defence once again look like pylons and put the puck on the top shelf. As the time wound down, the crowd grew anxious as they all waited to see if number 50 was coming. With the game all but decided, the moment arrived. Troy Bourke brought the puck into the offensive zone, he got the puck on net with a solid shot but it was saved by Pouliot. Before he could cover it for the whistle, there was a mad scramble in front of the net; players were hacking and whacking away at the loose puck, then it landed on Fiddlers stick; number 50 went into the back of the net. The crowd erupted and the team went wild, Fiddler became only the second Cougar to record 50 goals in a season, and it’s only fitting that the assist goes to one of the greatest players to don a Cougar’s jersey; Troy Bourke.
Sports 13 All eyes on the Toronto FC Brady Stark Contributor
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pring has come, and that means a new Major League Soccer season is upon us. Excitement surrounds Canadian teams as they make a push to the playoffs. Moves were made by all three Canadian teams in the offseason, but none more dramatic than the overhaul of the Toronto FC. Toronto’s first order of business under new manager Tim Bezbatchenko was to fill out their midfield gaps which were clearly a concern after last season’s disappointment in the standings. The team acquired Michael Bradley from A.S. Roma of the Italian Series A League, who had 41 appearances. Bradley is known for his defence and his incredible work ethic, as demonstrated by his first game for the Toronto FC where his presence was
seen all over the field. Next on the Manager’s wish list was Julio Caesar from
Robert Green. Toronto quickly scooped up this Brazilian international goalkeeper as a challenge to the rest of the league to take notice of their goaltending prowess.
playing for DC United in the previous two seasons. De Rosario is expected to slot in the midfield position alongside Bradley to create one of the more potent defensive pairings in the entire MLS. The final piece-de-resistance was a player that MLSE owners had been hinting at as their key piece in their franchise’s rebirth. On 14 January 2014, Toronto FC announced that they had signed Tottenham Hotspur FC’s star striker Jermain Defoe to a four-year deal worth $8 million a year. Defoe was Tottenham’s 5th highest scoring striker of all time, and their highest scoring European goal scorer ever.
the Queen’s Park Rangers of the English Premier League. Caesar was made expendable by Queen’s Park when he lost the starting position to
The mind of Bezbatchenko then turned to a Toronto FC veteran and franchise leading goal scorer Dwayne De Rosario, who had been
These new acquisitions catapulted Toronto FC to projections that could see them winning the MLS Cup in the 2014 season.
Alex Burrows – Too little too late? Brady Stark Contributor
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n a team riddled with underachievers in the scoring department, one player has reigned supreme. Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks has gone 40 regular season games without registering a single goal. Due to injuries, Burrows has not been able to play the full schedule, but when he has played he has had a plethora of chances on which he hads been unable to capitalize. He registered 75 shots before finally finding the back of the net. Since scoring two goals on 12 March, Burrows has been on a bit of a hot streak.
He has amassed three more in the following three games, and one can only hope that this streak continues. Has his scoring touch arrived too late to help the Vancouver Canucks secure a playoff spot this season? Between 2009 and 2012, Alex Burrows averaged 30+ goals a season. In the 2012-2013 season he scored 13 goals, but he only played 47 games in another season riddled with injuries. Now, Burrows is on track for fewer than ten goals for the first time since the 2006-2007 season.
On a team that has been starved for offence, their once reliable workhorse has been absent. Some of the futility in scoring can be attributed to his linemates struggling almost as much as he is. Burrows has been bounced around from line to line as John Torterella has tried to find some chemistry in order to promote some much needed offence from him. This line juggling that has been going on for much of the season has been for naught due to the fact that many other players, such as the Sedins, are having career lows in points. The effort has been there
all season but Burrows has finally found the scoring touch that he has shown in past seasons; unfortunately, it just might be too little, too late. The Vancouver Canucks are fighting for the final wildcard spot in the West with the Winnipeg Jets, the Dallas Stars and the Phoenix Coyotes. The lack of scoring throughout the season has put the Canucks in a spot they have avoided since 2008. Burrows might be showing up, but he was expected to do so all season long, and his lack of points is a key contribution to why the Canucks are looking from the outside in.
Down
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