Prince George Citizen July 18, 2019

Smaller nations getting into the space race

Shot fired by police as suspects flee on foot

Citizen staff

Prince George RCMP have released further details on an arrest this morning that led to the closure of a stretch of Highway 97 North on Wednesday. In a statement issued shortly

before 2:30 p.m., RCMP said the arrests were in relation to a break and enter at a home on Mountainview Road, off Chief Lake Road. Called to the scene at about 9:45 a.m. after the home’s alarm went off, RCMP confirmed that a firearm and ammunition had been

stolen. At about 11 a.m., a suspect vehicle was seen heading on Highway 97. It fled south, RCMP said, but was intercepted about 15 minutes at Knell Road by police heading north. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, there was a collision,

RCMP said and two men fled on foot with at least one firearm.

Both were taken into custody a short time later.

“A responding officer fired a shot during the interaction, however no one was hurt,” RCMP said. A roughly 400-metre stretch in

Building the case for more mass timber construction

Rolando HINOJOSA Business in Vancouver

Faced with the challenge of diminished lumber supply and lower prices, the British Columbia government has made investing in higher-value-added products like engineered wood a priority, betting that supporting mass timber construction can be a winning proposition for the industry.

“For too long the focus has been on maximizing volume but not value, and so we want to flip that on its ear,” Doug Donaldson, minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development said.

During 2019’s first half, the B.C. government announced a number of measures aimed at supporting the increased production of engineered wood products for the construction industry, with a particular focus on building taller mass timber structures. These initiatives include modifying the provincial building code to allow for construction of mass timber buildings reaching 12 storeys, up from six storeys, as well as requiring the use of engineered wood where possible in the construction of the new St. Paul’s Hospital and the upgrade to the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Mass timber buildings, in which the primary load-bearing structures are made of solid or engineered wood, make for an attractive proposition for the lumber industry. Compared with dimensional lumber, engineered wood products can offer up to five times more value per linear foot, while remaining significantly less expensive and less carbonintensive than other construction materials like concrete or steel.

According to a report by research firm Allied Market Research, the global engineered wood

market is expected to reach a total value of

US$41.27 billion by 2022, up significantly from 2016’s US$10.93 billion value thanks to a 24.8 per cent compound annual growth rate.

The minister of forests indicated that the government expects to see the market respond to this multi-pronged policy approach in the next few years, with producers and

developers showing increased interest in mass timber construction.

“What we need to do is to work with industry, with investors, with First Nations communities, to ensure that the greatest-value product is coming out of the natural resources in our forests,” Donaldson said. — see ‘WE’RE GROWING, page 3

the vicinity of Noranda Road, from Knell Road to Shamrock Road, was closed to allow investigators to gather evidence.

The Independent Investigations Office was contacted and briefed, and will not be asserting its jurisdiction, RCMP said.

Local man facing child porn charges

Citizen staff

A Prince George man is suspected of making and distributing child pornography.

Shawn Robert Dick, 52, has been also been charged with one count each of sexual assault, sexual interference, administering a stupifying drug and voyeurism, Prince George RCMP said Wednesday.

RCMP said the charges are result of receiving a report on July 5 in which a girl was identified as the victim.

“This is a disturbing case of child sexual abuse. Our front line members did a great job in gathering evidence and ensuring this child was saved from the situation and further harm wasn’t brought to this child,” said Cpl. Carmen Kiener. There could be more victims, police added, noting Dick is a traveling salesman.

Anyone with information about the allegations is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP at 250561-3300.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

RCMP officers heading north on Highway 97 encountered the suspect vehicle from a break and enter earlier in the day near Knell Road. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and a collision occurred.

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER PHOTO BY CHUNG CHOW

Structurlam supplied engineered wood for the University of British Columbia’s 18-storey Brock Commons Tallwood House residence building, which was the tallest mass timber structure in the world when it was completed in 2017.

Anti-abortion movie to show at Cineplex

Citizen staff

The controversial anti-abortion movie Unplanned is coming to Prince George. The American drama, based on the true story of a Planned Parenthood clinic director in Texas who becomes an anti-abortion speaker, will be playing at the Cineplex on Sat., July 27, 10 a.m. start.

“This film can be used as a powerful tool to challenge people’s perceptions of abortion and its impact on women, children, families, and clinic workers,” Jared White of Advokate Life and Education Services said in a statement announcing the screening.

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada has called the film “a dangerous piece of anti-abortion propaganda” that “could incite fanatics to commit acts of harassment or violence against clinics or doctors.”

ARCC executive director Joyce Arthur also noted the film’s attempt to challenge abortion rights is “a non-starter in Canada, where women and transgender people have a Charter right to abortion based on their rights to bodily autonomy and equality.”

Top film critics on movie review aggregation websites Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have panned it, with many calling it propaganda. But audience scores are much higher and some theatres were packed as faith-based and anti-abortion groups in the U.S. held group screenings.

Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex said the company has received many phone calls and emails from Canadians on both

sides of the conversation.

The decision to screen the film was “a complicated one and it was not made easily or lightly.”

Jacob says showing controversial films on the big screen is not new to him, Cineplex or the industry as a whole, and he’s confident the company made the right decision. He added it’s important to remember that Canada is a country that values freedom of expression, and that audiences can decide whether or not they want to see the film.

“I understand and can appreciate the concerns about the film, but it is up to each of us to decide whether or not we want to see it,” Jacob said.

“In Canada, we have that option and I think it is an important thing to remember.”

The movie is being distributed in Canada by Fredericton-based Cinedicom, which is run by BJ McKelvie, who is also a pastor.

“Some groups are saying that they’ll protest, and there’s a lot of people that will support,” said McKelvie told The Canadian Press in a recent interview.

In B.C. the film has a PG rating with “sexual language, medical trauma” caution.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $10 and can be reserved by emailing Madison at unplannedpg@gmail.com

Once reserved, tickets can be picked up at the theatre starting at 9:15 a.m.

Only cash will be accepted for purchases at the door and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. — with files from The Canadian Press

NEWS IN BRIEF

Remains of missing man found

The remains of a man who went missing nearly a year ago have been found.

Regnald Percy Waite was reported missing in August 2018. He was 68-years-old at the time.

A member of a CN Rail work crew located the remains along the rail line about half a kilometre west of the John Hart vehicle bridge on Tuesday afternoon. With the help of the B.C. Coroners Service, they were identified as Waite, Prince George RCMP said Wednesday.

“Although the investigation is continuing, at this point, foul play is not suspected,” RCMP said.

— Citizen staff

Suspected truck thief charged

A man suspected of trying to evade police in a stolen pickup truck has been charged.

Karl Robert Boreland, 31, faces counts of theft $5,000 or under and possession of stolen property, according to court records.

He was arrested Tuesday morning about four hours after the theft of a Ford F-250 pickup truck had been reported stolen from a Nation Crescent home.

RCMP spotted a pickup matching the description near Fifth Avenue and Highway 97.

Minutes later, police received multiple reports of a dangerous driver crossing the Simon Fraser Bridge and Boreland was apprehended near the entrance to the BCR Industrial site.

An 18-year-old man was also arrested but had not been charged as of Wednesday. — Citizen staff

UNBC reaches labour deal with unionized workers

A three year contract with about 400 of its unionized employees has been ratified, the University of Northern British Columbia said Wednesday. The deal was reached with the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3799 and features a two-per-cent wage increase each year over the term of the contract, which runs from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2022.

Other highlights include access to training and development funding, an increase to $30 from $10 per visit for paramedical reimbursements and updated contract language to ensure 100-per-cent gender neutrality.

“Our CUPE employees are valued members of the UNBC community and play an integral role in the daily operations at the university,” UNBC president Dr. Daniel Weeks said in a statement.

“I am pleased that both parties were able to reach a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the union’s interests while balancing our fiscal realities and strategic priorities.”

— Citizen staff

Dozens of B.C.’s old-growth trees now on protection list

SAANICH (CP) — The British Columbia government is protecting 54 of the province’s largest and oldest trees along with a one-hectare buffer zone surrounding each of the giants. Forests Minister Doug Donaldson says the announcement is also the start of a broader conversation about the future of old-growth management in the province.

The trees are on the University of B.C.’s Big Tree Registry that has identified 347 of the largest of each species in the province.

The 54 trees were at risk of being harvested, but now the government says they’ll be protected. The trees are located in more than two dozen locations, including central B.C., the East Kootenays, Haida Gwaii, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley. The species include arbutus, coastal Douglas fir, Pacific yew, ponderosa pine, Sitka spruce, western red cedar and western white pine. Currently, 55 per cent of old-growth forests on Crown land in B.C.’s coastal region are already protected from logging.

Hands-on

The

was

his own

in

‘We’re growing our employment by 35 per cent’

— from page 1

The government’s initiatives come in response to a challenging environment for the local forestry sector. Two devastating wildfire seasons and a mountain pine beetle infestation have significantly reduced the quantity of wood available, while factors like decreased demand from the United States and other trade headwinds have cut lumber prices by almost half over the past year.

“We have a dwindling fibre basket. We have less wood today than we did 20 years ago, so if we’re going to continue to be a province that depends on forestry, which we will be, we need to make sure we are adding more value, not more volume, to our production,” Premier John Horgan said in March during the announcement of the changes to the provincial building code.

So far the industry has welcomed the government’s support measures, especially producers that had already ramped up investment in engineered

wood manufacturing like Structurlam, a leading engineered wood products manufacturer that recently expanded its production facilities to accommodate increased demand.

“I’m a veteran in the wood products industry, and I can tell you that this mass timber revolution is something that I have never witnessed before,” said Structurlam CEO Hardy Wentzel.

“So I am very positive about the opportunities for mass timber to build faster, to build better quality and to build a cost-effective solution that will be very, very competitive.”

Wentzel said the majority of the company’s growing sales is going into “market-based development or developer-driven projects, which tells me that the economic proposition (of engineered wood products) is working.”

Mass timber’s potential has also attracted the attention of West Kootenaysbased Kalesnikoff Lumber. Earlier this year, Kalesnikoff announced it planned

to invest $35 million to build a new engineered wood manufacturing plant.

“We’re growing our employment by 35 per cent without harvesting a single extra tree, so that really encompasses the value-added steps that we’re taking,” said Chris Kalesnikoff, the company’s COO. “Everybody has to move and adapt and embrace technology. For us, that was mass timber. For other companies it’s cogeneration opportunities, it’s renewable natural gas, it’s biodiesel. There’s other opportunities with the wood basket. But for us mass timber and this new technology was something that we’ve embraced and really feel it suits our manufacturing abilities.”

Kalesnikoff also said continued communication and collaboration between the provincial government and industry participants remains a key factor.

“At the end of the day, I think we’re all trying to best utilize the fibre basket that we’re fortunate enough to have in British Columbia.”

Homeowners asked to help use contraceptives on deer

The Canadian Press

VICTORIA — The ongoing battle against urban deer in one Vancouver Island municipality is moving in a new direction as officials in Oak Bay prepare to use contraceptives to manage the population.

The plan is to track female black-tailed deer through the Victoria suburb and given them an injection designed to prevent them from becoming pregnant.

The work can be done on city-owned

land, but permission from homeowners is required if the deer are spotted on private property.

In a social media post, Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch urges residents of the Victoria suburb to register their properties so veterinarians can follow deer.

The $40,000, jointly funded municipal and provincial initiative is slated to begin delivering the contraceptives by late summer.

Urban deer can be aggressive toward people or pets, especially during fawn-

ing season, and the animals also munch on gardens and can create unexpected hazards for drivers and cyclists.

A growing population of black-tailed deer in Oak Bay prompted the municipality to approve a cull of 11 animals in 2015, but the cull angered many residents and raised the concerns of groups such as the B.C. SPCA.

Since then, Oak Bay has worked with veterinarians and scientists of the Urban Wildlife Stewardship Society to gather data on the animals and develop a plan.

Finn Hofstede, 8, traces out

hand

clay at the Community Arts Council workshop for children learning to work with clay.

class

taught by Joanne Mikkelsen from the Potters Guild. Summer Kids Art Classes at Studio 2880 continue through the summer.

Gas price inquiry questions Trans Mountain capacity

Amy SMART The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — One of the largest fuel companies in British Columbia says there’s no retail market more competitive than gasoline in Canada and an executive denies any price setting between competitors.

Ian White, senior vice-president of marketing and innovation for Parkland Fuel Corp., told a three-member panel leading a public inquiry into the province’s gas prices on Wednesday that a price difference of one-tenth of a cent per litre can be enough to lose customers.

Parkland Fuel operates gas stations under Chevron and other banners, supplies fuel to airlines and BC Ferries, and owns and operates a refinery in Burnaby.

White said while factors like clean washrooms and convenience stores can influence consumers, they simply won’t visit your gas station if you don’t have a competitive price for fuel.

Economist Henry Kahwaty, who was hired by Parkland, told the panel that the competitive environment leads retailers into a race to the bottom until they reach unprofitable prices, at which point there is typically a price jump and the process repeats itself.

But he said controlling that process would require a significant level of co-ordination considering almost half of the gas stations in B.C. are run by independent dealers rather than companies.

“This is not evidence of collusion,” Kahwaty said.

Representatives from Shell also told the panel the market is competitive, adding the company sets wholesale prices independently from other firms.

Premier John Horgan called the public inquiry in May as prices at the pump reached a record-breaking $1.70 per litre.

At the time, the B.C. Liberals and Alberta government bought advertising blaming Horgan and linking his government’s resistance to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and taxes to the surging costs.

Jean-Denis Charlebois, chief economist

for the National Energy Board, told the inquiry panel he can’t account for an independent report that contradicts the board’s claim that the Trans Mountain pipeline is operating at capacity.

Charlebois told the three-member panel that in the first quarter of 2019, the Trans Mountain pipeline was operating at 98 per cent capacity.

The panel asked if he could shed light on a report by economists Robyn Allan and Marc Eliesen, the former president of the Insurance Corporation of B.C. and chief executive of BC Hydro, respectively.

Allan and Eliesen’s analysis found the Trans Mountain capacity is 400,000 barrels a day, falling to 300,000 barrels a day only if 20 per cent of the capacity is taken up by heavy oil. But it rarely reaches that thresh-

old of heavy oil and Allan and Eliesen claim there were 97,000 barrels a day of capacity in the first quarter of 2019 that were not used.

Allan and Eliesen are scheduled to appear before the panel on Thursday.

The inquiry is tasked with exploring factors that may be influencing gas and diesel prices in B.C. since 2015 and the mechanisms the province could use to moderate price fluctuations.

Kahwaty warned that regulating wholesale prices by setting them artificially low would have the effect of actually raising retail prices because supply would be pulled out of the market as a correction.

“Wholesale regulation would have the impact of actually increasing the retail margin because we’re not allowing the market to

fully clear,” he said.

“At first blush, its a counterintuitive point to make.” Such regulation in the Atlantic provinces has targeted volatility, rather than high prices, he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson issued a statement criticizing the government for the inquiry’s short timeline and terms of reference that limit it from investigating government activity that affects gas prices.

“It is outrageous that an investigation into fuel costs would be barred from considering the impacts of fuel taxes, transit taxes, and the government’s opposition to increasing pipeline capacity,” Wilkinson said. The panel could hear up to four days of oral submissions in Vancouver this week.

Two third-party groups disclose first ad spending in pre-election period

electoral reform.

OTTAWA — Two third-party groups have started spending money on political advertising in the period leading up to the federal election, according to Elections Canada.

Since the beginning of July, Canada Growth Council spent a total of almost $11,000 on ads in two ridings currently held by Liberals – Ralph Goodale’s Regina

riding and Kent Hehr’s seat in Calgary Centre. Incorporated in January, Canada Growth Council describes itself as pro-energy and pro-free-enterprise, as well as supporting “oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and technology” in Western Canada. Its website criticizes the federal carbon tax.

Canada Growth Council also reported $15,000 in contributions, two-thirds of which came from one oil executive.

Craig Lothian, the head of a

group of companies actively involved in oil exploration and development in Saskatchewan, made a $10,000 donation in May.

The remaining $5,000 in income came from a numbered corporation controlled by Eric Clark, the same person who registered Canada Growth Council as a third party.

Later on Wednesday, Elections Canada published a second interim report, detailing the activity of Fair Vote Canada, a third-party group dedicated to promoting

The group disclosed just under $600 in spending, mostly related to running tables at various events and festivals.

But Fair Vote Canada also reported almost $19,000 in donations from 311 people, including eight larger contributions since May totalling $3,800.

In the 2015 election, Fair Vote Canada spent just under $5,000 on direct advertising activities, mostly on lawn signs, flyers and some digital advertising.

The two groups are the first to have reports on their pre-election activities published on Elections Canada’s website.

There are currently 13 other third parties – entities seeking to influence voters this fall who are not individual voters, and not candidates or their political parties – listed as registered by Elections Canada.

A third party must register in the pre-election period once it spends or receives more than $500 on election activities.

Salmon saving plans set to start at landslide

The Canadian Press

CLINTON — The co-ordinated effort to save hundreds of thousands of salmon hampered by a rockslide in British Columbia’s Fraser River is about to get even more technical.

Leri Davies, the information officer with the Big Bar landslide integrated incident command, said crews have almost finished clearing debris from a cliff face that sheared off last month, dumping tons of rock into the river.

The slide has created a five-metre waterfall at a narrow section of the fast-flowing river potentially stopping salmon, including some species of concern, from reaching spawning grounds.

Davies said now the loose rock overhead has mostly been removed, crews are safe to focus on how to help return-

ing salmon past the blockage.

She said water-filled, gravel holding ponds are being dug and salmon from below the slide will be placed in the ponds and then scooped up in helicopter buckets, carried above the slide and released to continue their upstream journey.

Work to drop massive boulders into the water directly under the cliff is also beginning, with the hope the boulders will form a series of pools that fish can use as resting places while hopscotching their way up the side of the waterfall.

“As each rock is placed under the cliff, it is being evaluated for effectiveness,” said Davies.

More rocks could be added to increase the size of the resting pools but Davies said every option is complicated by the swift-flowing water, which can sweep

away even the heaviest objects.

The bucketing and boulder placement are just two of the proposals developed by the biologists, hydrologists, geotechnicians and others who have been working exhaustively to save the fish, said Davies.

“The size of the response indicates to me how seriously both levels of government are taking this,” she said.

Members of 16 First Nations representing 54 bands living above the slide have also been involved in the process, Davies added.

A statement on the B.C. government website said affected salmon runs include spring and summer chinook, early Stuart sockeye and early summer and summer run sockeye, all listed as species that are a significant conservation concern.

The Canadian Press

SURREY — The federal government is putting more money into fighting the opioid crisis and addressing what Canada’s health minister says is the “alarming growth of methamphetamine use.”

Health Minister Ginette Petipas Taylor announced to a group at a recreational centre in Surrey, B.C., that the government will invest $76.2 million to bring more life-saving measures to underserved communities to mitigate the impact on the illegal drug supply and to identify emergency drug threats.

Petipas Taylor says people often frame the opioid crisis as being a big-city problem but many of Canada’s mid-sized cities are some of the hardest hit. The minister says some cities suffer from provincial governments turning their backs on harm reduction, resulting in uneven access to services across Canada.

Petipas Taylor and her staff have recently been trained to use the overdose-reversing mediation naloxone and she says it’s a training session she would recommend to all Canadians.

Part of the funding is provided for evaluation and increased access to pharmaceutical-grade medications as safer alternatives to the contaminated illegal drug supply.

“Harm reduction means treating substance use not as a moral failure but rather as a medical one,” she said Wednesday.

Pipe for the Trans Mountain pipeline is unloaded in Edson, Alta. on June 18.

Christian PAAS-LANG

The Canadian Press

Trudeau pushes trade pact in EU summit as France moves ahead on CETA

Mike BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Lawmakers in France began their ratification of the comprehensive trade agreement between the European Union and Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed one of the leaders of the 28-country bloc to Montreal on Wednesday.

Trudeau has been pushing hard for a win on trade and foreign policy after two difficult years marked by a rough renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the Trump administration and the deterioration of political and trade relations with China.

Trudeau began talking up the merits of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, with European Council President Donald Tusk in a series of events in Montreal that started Wednesday and will continue Thursday.

Canada’s Parliament has already ratified the pact with the support of the Liberals and the Conservatives, but seven Canadian and Quebec politicians sent a letter to French lawmakers this week urging them not to follow suit.

“CETA is based on a blueprint for trade that gives incredible rights to corporations – in the areas of protection, patents, public services, regulatory harmonization, and food and agriculture – without extending comparable rights to people, communities and the environment,” says the letter, whose signatories include Jagmeet Singh and Elizabeth May, the leaders of the NDP and the Green party.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of Canada and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters issued a joint statement denouncing the Canadian politicians.

“It is disturbing that Canadian MPs, including the leaders of two political parties, would undermine Canadians by lobbying foreign parliamentarians to defeat a measure that has been passed by our Parliament. At a time when Canada needs more trade certainty, our three organizations strongly oppose careless actions that risk our collective economic interests,” they said.

International Trade Minister Jim Carr and Infrastructure Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne fired back in their own letter, saying: “We are disappointed that you have taken steps to lobby parliamentarians from another country to vote against ratification of this historic agreement, thereby undermining the will expressed by the Parliament of Canada.”

Trudeau and Tusk kicked off their summit with a visit to the bustling Port of Montreal, the gateway for European sea shipments into Canada.

They hosted an evening cocktail reception for business leaders, diplomats and politicians in a converted Montreal church, where Trudeau praised CETA and the two leaders expressed fond appreciation for each other.

“Dear prime minister, your foreign policy is sometimes described as Canada is back Canada has returned to world politics in great style,” said Tusk, citing Canada’s courage and decency.

He said Canada has been “able to combine a policy of national interest with universal values. It’s good to have you on our side.” Trudeau went off script, praising Tusk

for his strong friendship and leadership of Europe – he steps down this year – and his dedication to making the world a better place.

“Of all the different voices that have been out there, talking about collaboration, unity and respect, Donald’s has been one of the strongest.”

European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker was supposed to join them but he did not make the trip. Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the EU Embassy in Ottawa could say why his schedule changed.

Almost all of CETA – in excess of 90 per cent – went into force in September 2017 under what is known as provisional application, but individual ratifications by EU member countries will bring it fully into effect.

That would mean a win for the international trading order that has been under assault by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“It’s an essential step. We’re very pleased with our co-operation with the French government,” Carr said in an interview.

Carr is to meet his EU counterpart Cecilia Malmstrom in Montreal. He said the French move towards ratification is a significant step to Canada’s broader goal of diversifying Canada’s export markets.

The introduction of the bill in the National Assembly is a first step in a process that the French government hopes will lead to full ratification by the end of 2019.

“It has been difficult for Macron to find the support for it, but I think also domestically there’s just a long list of other things on his plate so this one has been a difficult issue to champion,” said Meredith Lilly, a Carleton University trade expert.

“It’s a positive signal about (the) rulesbased multilateral order in a time when there are all kinds of pressures against it, including in Europe – Brexit, right?” said Lilly, who was an adviser to former prime minister Stephen Harper during the nine years of CETA negotiations that concluded under the Liberals.

Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order strengthening his protectionist Buy American Act, which requires federal agencies to increase their use of Americanmade products from 50 to 75 per cent.

International trade lawyer Lawrence Herman said Canadian companies need to be more aggressive with the new opportunities open to them in Europe, especially its new “privileged” access to national and sub national government contracts in a sector valued at $3.3 trillion annually.

“As the U.S. turns inward and as protectionism raises its ugly face in the U.S. we have to look at other opportunities. And I think procurement is one of the areas where we have great possibility in Europe.”

CETA gives Canadian businesses preferred access to 500 million European consumers and a $24-trillion market. In 2018, Canada’s exports to the EU increased by seven per cent to more than $44 billion.

But the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance offered mixed reviews on the deal, saying EU agri-food exports to Canada jumped 10 per cent in 2018, compared with the previous year, which increased Canada’s trade deficit with the EU to $3.5 billion.

Meanwhile, Canadian agri-food exports to the EU have dropped 10 per cent since CETA’s 2017 entry into force, the alliance said.

Ontario man calls out Eric Trump for tweet that used son’s image

Michelle McQUIGGE The Canadian Press

An Ontario man is calling out a member of the Trump family for using an image of his young son as part of a political attack on those opposing the American president.

Jeremy Rupke says Donald Trump’s son Eric showed “disrespect” and lack of forethought when he included an image of four-year-old Mason Rupke in a recent social media broadside against Democrats.

Left-leaning politicians have stepped up criticism of the U.S. president in recent days after he told four congresswomen of colour to “go back where they came from,” prompting Eric Trump to liken his father’s rivals to peewee hockey players.

To illustrate a tweet on the subject, Eric Trump used a screenshot taken from a video of Mason playing hockey in his hometown of Barrie, Ont.

Jeremy Rupke fired back, criticizing the president’s son for using Mason’s image to push a political message.

He says that while he doesn’t believe he has the right to insist the image be removed, he found the use of it “distasteful” and needlessly invasive.

“Clearly that is somebody’s child,” Rupke said in a telephone interview. “Maybe he wanted to get more views on his tweet and added pictures so it stands out more, but he could find a stock picture from a distance so it’s not personally involving anybody... Clearly someone in his position could afford to go through the right channels to get content.”

Rupke, who coaches hockey, said he had no idea of his son’s newfound notoriety until Wednesday afternoon when a friend reached out to him on social media.

He said he had no history of discussing politics with this particular friend and was puzzled to see that he was being referred to a post by the president’s son. All became clear, however, when he saw Mason’s face peering back at him from below the tweet sent Wednesday morning.

“Watching the Democrats reminds me of pee-wee hockey – funny, makes zero sense & they can’t get out of their own way,” Eric Trump tweeted before narrowing his focus to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the congresswomen included in his father’s recent headline-grabbing remarks. “AOC is the gift that keeps on giving – skating circles on the far left and unknowingly taking down her own teammates. Please keep it up. You are guaranteeing 2020.”

Rupke said that once he got over the

Hey @EricTrump maybe don’t use a picture of my kid for your political propaganda.

— Jeremy Rupke

shock of seeing his son’s image alongside the tweet, he felt obligated to call out what he felt was poor online etiquette.

“Hey @EricTrump maybe don’t use a picture of my kid for your political propaganda,” he tweeted back.

Rupke also pointed out that children playing hockey in Mason’s age bracket are not classified as peewee, a designation the Ontario Minor Hockey Association reserves for players aged 11 and 12.

Rupke said he has not received and is not expecting a response from the president’s son. Eric Trump did not respond to request for comment.

Mason briefly became a viral video sensation when his father recorded him skating at a hockey practice earlier this year. The video posted online showed Mason working to master skating and providing off-the-cuff commentary to accompany his efforts. His remarks were rarely focused on hockey, but instead touched on a desire for a nap and craving for a meal at McDonald’s. Rupke included the clip of his son amid the rest of his video content, which largely focuses on hockey-playing tips and techniques.

He said he’s developed a particular distaste for the U.S. president’s brand of politics and added that the younger Trump appeared to be playing from the same book.

“(As a hockey coach) I’m always teaching respect, care compassion, looking after other people and just being an over-all good person,” Rupke said. “I think that (Donald) Trump doesn’t really reflect a lot of the values I try to teach.”

Rupke drew plenty of support on Twitter, with many critiquing the use of Mason’s image.

“If you knew anything about hockey you would realize that this kid is way to (sic) young to be a Pee Wee,” one user tweeted at the president’s son. ‘So what you are reporting is Fake News!“

“He didn’t even pick a kid made in America,” quipped another.

CP PHOTO

President of the European Council Donald Tusk gives opening remarks as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on during a reception in Montreal on Wednesday.

SWAN HILLS, Alta. (CP) —

large spill of crude oil and produced water at Cardinal Energy’s facility near Swan Hills

being cleaned up.

Cardinal Energy cleaning up oil spill

Climate fight needs positive energy

The fight to clean up the world’s energy portfolio needs more than opposition forces. It needs champions of viable alternatives.

It also needs informed public discourse if we are to progress beyond emotional sloganeering and political posturing.

Regardless of protest volume or hysteria, the world is not about to pull the plug on fossil fuels, which still account for approximately 80 per cent of global energy, without a viable replacement at hand.

The need to find that replacement is driving the search for real alternatives.

Fortunately, some are on the near horizon. And B.C. could be at the forefront of being more than a hotbed of fossil fuel opposition. After all, it is home to Ballard Power Systems Inc., a pioneer in harnessing the promise of clean hydrogen energy.

A recent report from U.K.-based ITM Power explores the potential of establishing major centralized production of renewable hydrogen in B.C.

It follows the release of an International Energy Agency report on tapping hydrogen as a source of clean

and affordable energy that could decarbonize a wide range of global industrial sectors, including long-haul transportation and chemical production.

The Future of Hydrogen also chronicles the versatility of the gas, which can be produced from various sources and is a leading option for storing energy to supplement power generated from renewable sources whose energy production is not always available to meet demand.

The challenges in tapping hydrogen’s potential are significant in part because infrastructure for its widespread adoption is largely nonexistent.

Far more also needs to be done to develop its production from renewable sources rather than coal and natural gas.

But perhaps the biggest challenge hydrogen faces is regulatory, not just within regions but around the world. In short, its development and the development of standardized international regulations for transporting, storing and using hydrogen energy will require an element that is scarce and getting more scarce by the hour: international co-operation.

— Business in Vancouver

May 28

YOUR LETTERS

Blantantly polluting

Re: “Taxing single-use plastics may work better than bans,” July 16. Before any governmentmandated constraints to gratuitous plastic use and waste can notably succeed, we’ll likely need a large-scale shift away from the prevailing human convenient-disposal general mindset.

More so, how do we collectively manage such a major shift when – regardless of scuba divers’ reports of immense tangled plastic messes (not to mention plastic bags found at some of the ocean’s deepest points) – so much of it is not immediately observable, i.e. out of sight, out of mind?

It doesn’t surprise me, as general human mentality collectively allows us to, amongst other forms

of blatant pollution, throw non-biodegradables down a dark chute like we’re safely dispensing it into a black-hole singularity to disappear into nothing. And then there’s the astonishing short-sighted selfishness.

I observed this last year when a TV news reporter randomly asked a young urbanite wearing sunglasses what he thought of government restrictions on disposable plastic straws.

“It’s like we’re living in a nanny state, always telling me what I can’t do,” he recklessly retorted. No wonder so much gratuitous yet sea-life-damaging plastic waste eventually finds its way into our life-filled oceans, where there are few, if any, caring souls to see it.

Still seeking PR

Re: Liberal MLAs meet with chamber

Another example of the broken electoral process.

These very same MLAs attending the meeting, lobbied long and hard against an electoral system that would have given rural and interior ridings a balanced group of MLAs from both the government and opposition benches.

Those very same MLAs spread misinformation about proportional representation to protect their own interests at the expense of voters. Under PR there would have been MLAs from both parties at this table, government MLAs would take back the opinions of the chamber and hopefully have some effect on government policies.

That’s not going to happen. Too bad voters listened to the B.C. Liberals.

the

A transportation

developed

Canadians’ suspicion about China is deepening

In October 2012, a survey I conducted asked Canadians about the proposed takeover of Calgary-based oil and gas company Nexen Inc. by China’s stateowned CNOOC Ltd. At that time, a majority of Canadians (58 per cent) believed the federal government should block the transaction – a proportion that rose to 63 per cent in Alberta.

Supporters of all three main federal parties voiced reservations about the deal. In British Columbia, opposition to CNOOC’s takeover of Nexen outranked support by a stunning 10-to-one margin (69 per cent to seven per cent).

Across the country, 78 per cent of respondents agreed with the idea that foreign governments should not be able to control resources on Canadian soil.

Their anxiety did not matter much, as two months later, in December 2012, the Conservative federal government approved the takeover.

John Manley, president of what was then known as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (now the Business Council of Canada), stated that Ottawa’s decision would “safeguard the national interest while ensuring that Canadians continue to reap the benefits of a welcoming approach to foreign investment.”

Since then, CNOOC’s activities in Canada can be regarded as disappointing.

The company is responsible for one of the largest bitumen spills in Alberta’s history and walked away from a liquefied natural gas development in British Columbia valued at $20 billion. A severe bitumen spill and an abandoned project are not exactly “benefits to reap,” as Manley envisaged in 2012.

Seven years later, Canadians are being asked once again to look at China as a possible contributor. Now the issue is technology, as Canada begins to plan the development of the 5G (or “fifth generation”) mobile networks, to provide Canadians with larger data capacity and faster connections.

In February, Research Co. measured the early reaction from Canadians to the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver following an extradition request from the United States.

BY THE NUMBERS

the United States. But he also comes across as a savvy investor, arguing that Canada has “very bright people, (but not) enough people.”

Earlier this month, Research Co. asked again about Huawei and China. In the latest countrywide survey, 72 per cent of Canadians agree with the way Canadian authorities have acted in the Meng case. This represents a nine-point increase since February.

Liberal Party of Canada voters from 2015 are decidedly happy with Ottawa’s performance on this file (86 per cent), but majorities of those who voted for the New Democratic Party (72 per cent) and the Conservative Party of Canada (59 per cent) are also lauding the federal government’s course of action.

Perhaps more striking is that only 17 per cent of Canadians think Canada should allow Huawei to participate in the development of Canada’s 5G mobile networks. Opposition to the idea now stands at 68 per cent, up 11 points since February.

Simply put, there is no demographic in the country that currently endorses Huawei becoming a partner on 5G.

In British Columbia, aversion to Huawei’s contribution reaches a staggering 81 per cent, by far the highest across all regions.

In addition, two-thirds of Canadians (67 per cent) say Canada should not work to establish closer ties with China. Skepticism is highest among men (75 per cent), Canadians aged 55 and over (85 per cent) and residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan (73 per cent).

Almost seven years ago, Canadians expressed suspicion about inviting the Chinese government to Canada’s natural resource sector.

The Nexen takeover did not go as originally anticipated.

Now, in a world where concerns over privacy and data collection are at a peak, perceptions of further Chinese involvement on Canadian soil have evidently soured.

Frank Sterle Jr. White

Daryl Sturdy, Vancouver

Rock, B.C.

LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen.ca or 250960-2759). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

Public opinion was favourable to the actions of the federal government, troubled by Huawei’s potential involvement in 5G and skeptical about establishing closer ties with China.

A lot has happened since February, including China’s continued confinement of two Canadians – Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor – on espionage allegations, China banning imports of Canadian canola, pork and beef, a barrage of disparaging statements from China’s Foreign Ministry and, most recently, an interview with Meng’s father, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei, published in the Globe and Mail.

At times, Ren’s interview reads like another press briefing from his country’s Foreign Ministry, criticizing Canada’s federal government for not being “smarter” in rejecting an extradition request from

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In 2012, 58 per cent of Canadians said “No, thanks” to Nexen’s takeover.

In 2019, 68 per cent are saying “No, thanks” to Huawei as a 5G developer. We will have to wait and see if the current federal government behaves differently than its predecessor when it comes to China.

Mario Canseco is president of Research Co. Results are based on an online study conducted from July 6 to July 9, 2019, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

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AP FILE PHOTO

This

photo shows

interior of The Skai vehicle,

by Alaka’i Technologies in Newbury Park, Calif.

company that showcased a five-person flying vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which is a clean energy source.

MARIO CANSECO

Prosecutors drop groping case against Kevin Spacey

Alanna DURKIN RICHER

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Prosecutors

dropped a case Wednesday accusing Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a resort island bar in 2016 after the accuser refused to testify about a missing cellphone the defence says contains information supporting the actor’s claims of innocence.

Spacey was charged with indecent assault and battery last year in the only criminal case that has been brought against the actor since his career collapsed amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations.

The two-time Oscar winner was among the earliest and biggest names to be ensnared in the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment that swept across the entertainment and other industries.

Spacey denies groping the man, whose mother first went public with the allegations in 2017.

A phone message seeking comment was left with Spacey’s lawyer.

The actor’s accuser was ordered to take the stand earlier this month after he said he lost the cellphone he used the night of the alleged groping.

The defence said it needed the phone to recover deleted text mes-

sages it says would help Spacey’s case.

The man denied deleting messages or manipulating screenshots of conversations he provided to investigators.

But when he was pressed by the defence about whether he knew that altering evidence is a crime, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and the judge said his testimony would be stricken from the record.

The judge then questioned how prosecutors would be able to bring Spacey to trial if the accuser continued to refuse to testify, and prosecutors told the judge they needed time to decide how to proceed.

On Wednesday, Cape and Island District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said in court documents that they were dropping the charge “due to an unavailability of the complaining witness.”

Prosecutors said in an emailed statement that they met with the man and his lawyer Sunday and told him that if he wouldn’t testify in further proceedings, they couldn’t move forward with the case.

The man “elected not to waive his right under the Fifth Amendment,” prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said they could further pursue the case and grant the accuser immunity but then they would need more than his uncor-

roborated testimony.

Furthermore, “a grant of immunity compromises the witness to a degree which, in a case where the credibility of the witness is paramount, makes the further prosecution untenable,” they said.

Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer for the accuser, said in email that the man and his family “have shown an enormous amount of courage under difficult circumstances.”

Garabedian said he had no further comment.

The hearing at which the accuser testified came days after the man abruptly dropped a lawsuit he had just recently filed against the actor that sought damages for

“severe and permanent mental distress and emotional injuries.”

The suit was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.

The man did not receive a settlement to drop the civil case, his mother said.

His lawyer said he dropped it because he was emotionally overwhelmed and wanted only “one roller coaster ride at a time” and so chose to focus on the criminal case.

The man’s mother, former Boston TV anchor Heather Unruh, alleged in 2017 that Spacey got her son drunk and sexually assaulted him at the Club Car, a bar on Nantucket where the teen worked as a busboy.

The man told police he went over to talk to Spacey after his shift because he wanted to get a picture with the former House of Cards star.

He said Spacey bought him several drinks and tried to persuade him to come home with him before unzipping the man’s pants and groping him for about three minutes.

Unruh’s son told police he tried to move Spacey’s hands, but the groping continued, and he didn’t know what to do because he didn’t want to get in trouble for drinking because he was underage.

The man said he fled when Spacey went to the bathroom.

But when he (the accuser) was pressed by the defence about whether he knew that altering evidence is a crime he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Shortly after Spacey was charged, he posted a video on YouTube in the voice of his House of Cards character who was killed off after the sexual misconduct allegations emerged, saying “I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the thing I didn’t do.” Spacey has faced several other accusations.

His first accuser, actor Anthony Rapp, said Spacey climbed on top of him on a bed when Rapp was 14 and Spacey 26. Spacey said he did not remember such an encounter but apologized if the allegations were true. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they are the victims of sexual assault unless they identify themselves publicly. Rapp has; Unruh’s son has not.

SPACEY

Small nations join the space race

Rick NOACK The Washington Post

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — For a generation, space was the exclusive playground of the world’s super powers – and for those who wanted to become one.

Exactly 50 years ago this week, the United States launched its Apollo 11 lunar landing mission and the Trump administration is seeking to go back to the moon by 2024.

Newcomer India’s aspirations to become the first country to land on the south pole of the moon hit a snag this week, with its second lunar mission aborted hours before launch time because of a technical issue.

While those nations vie to expand space exploration to new frontiers, some smaller countries have eagerly stepped-up to fill gaps in less ambitious – but not less critical – space projects.

New Zealand, Singapore and Luxembourg headline this emerging space-race between minnows.

Each country has grown its space industry by adopting policies to lure private sector and government contracts, focusing on research or the production and launch of rockets. The satellites those rockets catapult into space are now powering everything from intelligence gathering to the supervision of construction or agricultural projects. While their approaches differ greatly, all of them benefit from being small and nimble: instead of red tape, they can offer quick solutions to legal challenges that would otherwise delay projects – while also providing funding for research or tax incentives.

Tiny Luxembourg, which has a population of less than 600,000, created a $110 million fund last fall to attract space technology start-ups. While it does not launch its own satellites, Luxembourg in 2017 became the second nation worldwide, after the United States, guaranteeing the rights of private companies to resources they extract in space.

The move was meant to attract companies seeking to one day mine asteroids, for instance. Dozens of enterprises struck agreements to set up bases in the country after the legislation was passed. Overall, about 50 space research labs and companies are now based in Luxembourg.

Singapore’s satellite manufacturing industry has grown from being virtually nonexistent to now boasting some 1,000 employees working for suppliers and research facilities.

But each faces one fundamental challenge: location. They are situated in central parts of Asia and Europe which are already heavily trafficked and wouldn’t support the needs of high-frequency rocket launch sites.

That’s where New Zealand has found its niche.

“In order to launch a rocket you have to close down thousands of kilometers of airspace,” said Peter Beck, the CEO of U.S.

company Rocket Lab, which built New Zealand’s first launch site in a remote part of the country’s North Island.

As the aviation industry has grown more protective of North America’s and Europe’s crowded skies in recent years, more rocket launch companies are exploring alternatives further away.

Those alternatives also need to be located in stable countries “with a stable government,” Beck said earlier this year.

“Basically, you end up with a small island nation in the middle of nowhere,” he said against the backdrop of two giant U.S. and New Zealand flags in his Auckland production facility. “It’s New Zealand.”

The U.S.-based company was originally founded in New Zealand and it has recently expanded its operations there with a larger rocket factory.

From its remote Mahia launch site, the company shoots small satellites into space for a fraction of what similar missions would have cost a decade ago. The far cheaper satellites are now the size of a small box and no longer need a gigantic infrastructure to be produced and launched.

Producing and launching conventional, heavy satellites can cost more than $400 million, according to U.S. Air Force budget

estimates for national security-relevant payloads, but smaller alternatives can now be sent to space for less than one percent of that.

Rocket Lab’s clients include private foreign corporations, but New Zealand’s status as a member of the coveted Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance with the United States has also attracted U.S. government agencies, which would normally opt for U.S. launch sites.

Now, an increasing number of them –including NASA and the Department of Defense – are choosing to launch their satellites from New Zealand, which is raising hopes here that the country’s nascent space industry is heading toward a bright future. Luxembourg has similarly benefited from being an innovation-friendly member of another exclusive club: the European Union.

As an E.U. member, the country has access to lucrative grants and projects.

While officials in New Zealand, Luxembourg and Singapore are hopeful that their performance in the space industry will attract global corporate giants, some have urged caution about overly optimistic expectations – warning that the increasingly crowded field of private space companies may be heading toward a retraction as

many underestimate the challenges to building a profitable space business.

Still, even as a number of competitors may eventually be forced out of the market, demand for the companies that succeed is expected to rise significantly, experts say.

“There will be an increased demand globally for small satellite launches as space becomes more democratized,” said Alexandra Stickings, a space policy research fellow with the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

In New Zealand, the rocket race has triggered an unprecedented interest in space science.

Christopher Eric Hann, who created a rocketry course for New Zealand’s University of Canterbury in 2014, said that he had seen a “major increase in students wishing to get into aerospace or rocketry-related postgraduate study.”

Most of his graduates, he said, move onto careers at Rocket Lab in New Zealand. Others have moved on to larger American-based aerospace firms – only to make it back home where Hann said many of them preferred working for a smaller company with local roots, rather than for competitors that offered “very little opportunity to contribute to new innovation.”

Moon landing one of the most impactful moments in history

Iwas too young to remember U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s speech at Rice University when he pledged to go to the moon within the decade. But I remember 1969 as if it was yesterday.

My schoolmates and I were of an age where the prospects of being an astronaut seemed glorious and the chance to go to the moon a hoped-for dream. Watching each launch of a rocket – even the tragedies – was a step forward into a future we could only imagine.

I watched the landing with anticipation and heard the fateful “Houston, tranquility base here… the Eagle has landed.”

It was one of the most impactful moments in human history broadcast around the world to a collective cheer.

It has been 50 years since the first moon landing. Only six other missions were successful; we all hung on tenterhooks during the disastrous Apollo 13 mission. A total of 12 people have had the opportunity to stand on the Moon’s

surface. A brief two year period where we were promised the stars.

We haven’t been back since.

Or, at least, humans haven’t returned to the moon. There have been multiple landings of unmanned vehicles and probes. Most recently, China landed a probe on the far-side of the moon. As the moon is tidal locked, we always see roughly the same face (about 52 per cent of the moon’s surface).

Landing on the far-side affords us a view we do not ordinarily get to see. From a scientific perspective, it also allows scientists to possibly see something new and different as the far-side is not shadowed by the Earth. It is more exposed to cosmic rays and interactions with the solar wind. The chemistry of the far-side of the moon might be quite different.

Other probes have studied the gravitational field of the moon, particularly the polar regions. By monitoring the subtle changes in gravity, scientists have been able to detect the presence of mineral deposits. But more importantly, there are signs a significant body of water frozen as ice exists in the southern polar crater.

The presence of harvestable water makes possible a moon colony as water can be broken down into oxygen and hydrogen.

Both are required to fuel rockets

and oxygen is critical to life as we know it. Being able to manufacture oxygen from water would allow for extended stays.

Of course, there are many people who do not believe we have been to the moon at all. Television shows – from NOVA to The Big Bang Theory to Mythbusters – have tried to provide the evidence and demonstrate the reality of the moon landings. Ironically, many Americans feel the whole thing was a hoax – and deny what is probably one of the greatest achievements in U.S. history.

Although it is a television show, The Big Bang Theory did provide a method for detecting human presence on the moon.

A reasonably powerful laser can be bounced off of a target left by each mission and the returning signal detected back on Earth. The time lapse provides a precise measurement of the distance between Earth and Moon.

One of the more curious comments I have seen about the moon landing was a comparison between the size of the Saturn V rocket needed to lift the command and lunar modules off of Earth and the size of the lunar module itself as it blasted off the moon.

One is a staggering 110 metre tall behemoth and the other the size of a Volkswagen bug.

The Associated Press NEW YORK — Scientists say they nearly eliminated disease-carrying mosquitoes on two islands in China using a new technique. The downside: it may not be practical for larger areas and may cost a lot of money. In the experiment, researchers targeted Asian tiger mosquitoes, invasive whitestriped bugs that can spread dengue fever, Zika and other diseases. First, they infected the bugs with a virus-fighting bacterium, and then zapped them with a small dose of radiation meant to sterilize the mosquitoes. And releasing mosquitoes

But the two were meant for entirely different tasks. It doesn’t take a Saturn V to get anything to outer space. Consider the Russian rockets used to supply the International Space Station or the SpaceX probes. The size of the Saturn V came about as a necessity to get the Apollo mission to a speed where it could reasonably reach the moon in a couple of days.

The thrust was required to get to the 40,000 km/h velocity necessary for the trip. The trip down to the moon was a matter of braking and reducing the net velocity to zero on impact. Neil Armstrong managed to do it with only 30 seconds of reserve left. The trip back into space left a lot of mass behind but simply required matching velocities with the command module. It was the command module which then provided the thrust to get the astronauts on their way home and Earth’s gravity did the rest.

Fifty years ago, humans set foot on the moon. Why? In his speech at Rice University, Kennedy invoked Gregory Mallory’s reason for climbing Everest – “Because it is there.” He finished by saying “Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.”

Yes, space is the final frontier.

infected with a bacterial strain not found in wild mosquitoes would stop them from reproducing. Mosquitoes need to have the same type to make young that will survive.

For 18 weeks in 2016 and 2017, the team led by Zhiyong Xi at Michigan State University released male mosquitoes onto two small islands near Guangzhou, China, a region plagued by dengue fever. The number of female mosquitoes responsible for disease spread plummeted by 83 per cent to 94 per cent each year, similar to other methods like spraying insecticides and using genetically modified mosquitoes.

ROCKET LAB HANDOUT PHOTO

A rocket takes off from a launch site in New Zealand in this undated handout photo.

Sports

Cougars hire former NHL d-man Smith as associate coach

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

The Prince George Cougars have hired former NHL defenceman Jason Smith as their associate coach. Smith, 45, a former captain of the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers, played 15 seasons in the NHL, beginning his career with the New Jersey Devils in 1993-94 and finishing with Ottawa Senators in 2008-09.

He also played 2 1/2 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL career that spanned 1,008 regular season games and 68 playoff games.

He brings to the Cougars two full seasons of experience as a WHL head coach with the Kelowna Rockets (2016-18), after first joining the coaching fraternity as an NHL assistant with Ottawa. He was a scout for the Senators for two years after his playing career ended.

With Smith at the helm, the Rockets put together back-to-back 40-win seasons and and an 88-410-2 record. They made it as far as the Western Conference final in 2017, his first season behind the bench. He was fired on Oct. 22, 2018 after a 4-10-0-0 start.

top defenceman that season helped Canada win gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Sweden.

Smith was drafted 18th overall by the Devils in 1992 and helped their AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats, win the Calder Cup championship in 1995, after missing most of the season with a knee injury.

“I am thrilled that we could bring on Jason, he checks off every box of what we were looking for in an associate coach,” said Cougars general manager and head coach Mark Lamb.

“He’s been a head coach at this level and had a long career in the NHL. That experience is going to be a great asset for our organization.”

Smith played for the Oilers in 2001-02, while Lamb was with the team as assistant coach.

“I had a lot of experience learning from different coaches at the NHL level and that is one thing in coaching I want to bring to the Cougars,” said Smith, in a team release.

to coach to each individual’s skill set. You have to find what works best for them to grow.”

“Young players today have their own unique way in learning and developing and you have to learn

Smith, a native of Calgary, started his junior career with the Calgary Canucks (AJHL) before

moving on to the WHL with the Regina Pats. He also played in the B.C. Junior Hockey League for the Merritt Centennials and Bellingham Ice Hawks. He captained the Pats in 1992-93 and as the WHL’s

“Mark and I have known each other for quite some time, going back to when I was still playing, and I have a lot of confidence in our relationship,” said Smith. “Knowing his work ethic and seeing his commitment to Prince George and the future this team has, it’s an exciting opportunity for myself.”

Smith will be on hand for media interviews at CN Centre Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Devils draw first blood in senior lacrosse final

Citizen staff

The Westwood Pub Devils wasted no time flexing their muscles as two-time defending champions in the opening game of the Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association final series. They built a 7-1 lead in the opening period and went on to hammer the Northland Nissan Assault 21-6 in Game 1 Tuesday night at Kin 1. Pierce Watson led the Devils’ cause with six goals, while PGSLA scoring champion Andrew Schwab had a nine-point game with four goals and five assists and Jake

McIntosh picked up three goals and eight assists. David Lawrence and Colton Poulin each collected two goals, while Danton Nicholson, Jeff Moleski, Cameron Braun and Nolan Bayliss also scored. Bayliss also drew three assists. For the Assault, Matthew Rochon, and Cole Kulczyski each fired a pair of goals.

Doug Porter had one goal and two assists and Dave Jenkins had a goal and an assist. The Devils fired 69 shots at the Assault net. Kyle Frederick and Russill Mills combined to make 48 saves. Patrick Bayliss blocked 34 shots in goal for the Devils.

Game 2 of the best-of-five series is set for Thursday at Kin 1. If the Devils win that game they’ll have a chance to wrap up their third consecutive league championship in Game 3 on Monday. If needed, Game 4 is set for next Wednesday, with Game 5 to follow, if necessary, on Thursday. Before Tuesday’s game the league handed out its annual season awards and goaltender Jon Wittmeier, who backstopped the Mackenzie Conifex Power Lumberjacks to a third-place 8-8 finish, was named winner of the Helen McIntosh Award as the most

Kings make a deal with Bruins

Citizen staff

The Prince George Spruce Kings have added 20-year-old forward Preston Brodziak to the fold.

He’ll join the Kings for his final junior season after the Kings acquired his rights from the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in a deal that sent 19-year-old goalie Keenan Rancier and

future considerations to the Bruins.

The six-foot, 185-pound Brodziak played last season in the BCHL with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. In 58 regular season games he collected 11 goals and 15 assists for 28 points and had 28 penalty minutes. He also played 12 playoff games for the Caps, finishing with three goals and four assists.

Brodziak played as an 18-year-old in 2017-18 for the Nanaimo Clippers and in 51

games he scored 11 goals and had 13 assists for 24 points. The native of Estevan also has a goal and two assists in six playoff games that season.

“We’re excited to add Preston to our team,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes, in a team release.

valuable player. Wittmeier played in 11 of the 16 regular season games and posted an 8.03 goalsagainst average with a .820 save percentage. Bayliss, the Devils’ goalie, was selected for the Ted Conway Award as the league’s top goaltender. He played in six games in the season and sported a 5.33 goals-against average and .844 save percentage. Schwab received his trophy as the league scoring champion. In 13 games he put up 47 goals, 42 assists and 89 points.

See page 10 for a complete list of award winners and the all-star teams.

“There are certain types of players and certain types of people we like to bring into the program. Preston is a great young man and a very good player, so he checks a lot of the boxes for us. He will be a big part of this season’s team.” Rancier served as the backup to Kings starter Logan Neaton and in six games compiled a 1.67 goals-against average and .930 save-percentage. He also played two full periods of a game at the National Junior Hockey Championship in Brooks, Alta.

Three local teams return home with minor baseball victories

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

tclarke@gcitizen.ca

In the world of minor baseball in British Columbia, the Valley of Champions leads directly to Prince George.

Three teams from the Prince George Youth Baseball Association travelled to Kelowna for the Valley of Champions tournament and it was mission accomplished for all three.

The Jepson Petroleum bantam Knights won the double-A tournament for the third straight year in Kelowna, beating SurreyNewton 9-2 in the final on Sunday.

The P.G. Surg Med midget Knights also cruised to the tournament title with just one loss.

The Prince George single-A Knights went undefeated at 6-0 while winning their 10team tournament.

“It’s good to see, just for the whole association in general, they’ve been putting extra funds into it for a bit of extra (indoor) training in the winter so it kind of shows that it pays off, “ said Curtis Sawchuk, head coach of the bantam Knights.

In the 10-team bantam championship, the Knights opened up a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and scored four more in the fourth inning to go up 6-1. Caleb Poitras gave up just two hits in seven complete innings for Prince George and racked up five strikeouts. Lucas Langevin went 2-for-2 at the plate and drove in three runs.

The teams were tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Tyson Ramsey infield single scored James Yandreau with what ended up the winning run. Langevin followed up with an RBI single that brought in Poitras and Ramsey scored on a wild pitch. Knights lead-off hitter Chase Martin then lined to centre field to plate Langevin to increase the lead to 6-2.

The bantam Knights scored a 10-2 semifinal victory Sunday morning over undefeated Tri-City, the second-ranked team in the Lower Mainland league.

“The bats came alive and the boys didn’t want to lose,” said Sawchuk.

“Noah Lank has been our Number 1 starter and he ended up throwing 5 2/3 innings and Logan Dreher came in and shut the door.”

Chaser Martin and Parker McBurnie each had two hits and Langevin drove in a pair of runs in a four-run second inning. Lank allowed just four hits and no walks, striking out five.

The Knights lost their only game of the weekend in their second game, falling 10-4 to top-ranked Ladner. Prince George

opened with an 11-1 win over Central Okanagan, then beat Ridge Meadows 15-5 and Chilliwack 15-5 to head into the playoff round.

“Probably the top three teams in the province right now for the double-A level were there,” said Sawchuk.

“It was a good test to see where we stand and I think Prince George put ourselves on the map. A lot of guys, like the Ladner team, were not only impressed with the skill level of our team but with how well the kids held themselves and how mentally strong they looked.”

Finalists in May at a tournament in Kamloops, the bantam Knights are now preparing to host the provincial double-A 15U championship, Aug. 1-5 at Nechako

Slo-Pitch Field.

“We’ve told the kids this is an opportunity in front of you that a lot of us didn’t have, let’s take advantage of that as much as we can, and we’ve been working pretty hard this year,” said Sawchuk.

“It’s not often in Prince George you get to play in front of their friends and family and they won’t have to travel and the kids are excited.”

The midget Knights are no stranger to tournament success as the defending Western Canadian double-A midget champions and they captured the midget 18U title Sunday in Kelowna, beating Central Okanagan Sun Devils triple-A team 7-2 in the final.

“It was a good weekend, it was a triple-A tournament,” said Knights assistant coach Dylan Lukinchuk.

“We jumped on them early. We had six runs in the first three innings. Colby Lukinchuk pitched the win in the final. The Knights outhit the Sun Devils 135. Hunter Fanshaw went 3-4 for with two singles and a double and stole two bases for Prince George. Kaelon Gibbs also had a pair of hits.

“All 10 guys we had in the batting lineup had a hit in that game,” added coach Lukinchuk.

“It was kind of scattered around but that’s what you like to see, a full team getting behind and helping out and chipping away at the other team. That’s what will win you games.”

First-year midget Jacob Ross turned in two compete-game victories for the Knights, including their 7-2 semifinal win Saturday over the St. Albert Cardinals, which avenged a 2-0 loss to the Cards in their second game at the Valley of Champions. Knights batters were walked 13 times in the semifinal.

— see STRONG, page 10

HANDOUT PHOTO

Jason Smith, former NHL defenceman, is now the Prince George Cougars associate coach.

The Prince George Single-A Peewee Knights defeated Vernon in Sunday’s final to win the Valley of Champions tournament in Kelowna.

Devers hits solo shot, drives in 4; Red Sox beat Jays 5-4

Ken POWTAK

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Red Sox manager

Alex Cora went to reliever Brandon Workman in the eighth inning and knew what his options were for his beleaguered bullpen when things got tight in the ninth.

“It’s either him or him,” said Cora after Workman threw 45 pitches and got out of a jam each inning as Boston held on for a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday night.

“He’s been outstanding all season,” Cora said of the righthander, who has a 1.84 ERA.

“He’s been one of the top relievers in the league, too. I think he should have been (at the All-Star Game).” Rafael Devers hit a solo homer and drove in four runs, Eduardo Rodriguez pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Red Sox sent Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez to his 13th straight loss.

Workman struck out Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis with two on to end the eighth and got

the final three outs despite giving up a run in the ninth for his fifth save, striking out Randal Grichuk swinging with two on to end it.

Boston’s pen has struggled most of the season, blowing 18 save opportunities.

Devers also had a two-run double and RBI single, Brock Holt added a run-scoring hit – one of his three singles – for the Red Sox, who had dropped three of four since a five-game winning streak.

Teoscar Hernandez hit two solo homers over the Green Monster and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had one for the Blue Jays, who have lost seven of 10.

Rodriguez (11-4) held the Blue Jays to two runs on three hits, striking out four and walking three over 6 1/3 innings. It’s the seventh time in 10 starts he’s allowed two or fewer runs - and the fourth straight.

“For me, I just try to go out there and get innings,” Rodriguez said.

“I try to get as deep as I can in the game.”

Once dominant, right-hander Sanchez (3-14) had his miserable

season continue. He gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings and his ERA rose to 6.26; while he remained winless in his last 15 starts.

“He has been pitching better,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.

“I know four runs doesn’t sound that great, but he kept us in the game. In a place like this, I thought he did a good job.”

Devers homered into the first row of Monster seats, breaking a 1-1 tie in the third after Hernandez had homered deep into the seats above the left-field wall in the top of the inning.

In the fourth, Devers doubled into the right-centre gap to make it 5-1 after Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts singled, but Hernandez hit his second of the game the next inning.

Devers added his run-scoring single in the eighth.

“He might be a batting champion one of these years, for sure. I’m making that call,” Montoyo said of Devers.

The start was delayed 33 min-

utes by rain.

New addition

The Blue Jays announced before the game that they acquired RHP Wilmer Font from the Mets for cash considerations. Montoyo said he plans to use him as an opener after he gets his work visa and joins the team.

Escaped Reliever Matt Barnes entered with runners on first and second with one out in the seventh. After walking Hernandez, he struck out pinch hitter Danny Jansen and Eric Sogard – both swinging.

Carbon copy

Both centre fielders – Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hernandez – played caroms of the wall and made long throws to nail a runner trying to get a double. Bradley got Smoak and Hernandez cut down Vazquez. Trainer’s room

Blue Jays: Closer Ken Giles, who suffered nerve inflammation in his right elbow during a massage at the All-Star break, worked the eighth after feeling good following a bullpen session Tuesday... LHP

Strong pitching secret to success

from page 9

“They ran out of pitching,” said Dylan Lukinchuk.

“We’re lucky to have a team that, 12 of our 14 guys pitch. Some other teams are lucky to have six or seven guys and they rely on those guys to go the full distance.

11. Andrea Pasqualon, Italy, Wanty-Gobert, s.t.; 12. Niccolò Bonifazio, Italy, Total Direct Energie, s.t.; 13. Egan Bernal, Colombia, Ineos, s.t.; 14. Mike Teunissen, Netherlands, Jumbo-Visma, s.t.; 15. Maximilaino

“We only get to see these teams during tournaments because we don’t have league games with them. After losing that game early in the tournament it shows how well we can rebound as a team.”

The Knights placed first in the four-team round-robin after a 5-2 win over Central Okanagan’s double-A team. They also defeated

Richeze, Argentina, Deceuninck-QuickStep, s.t.; 16. Marco Haller, Austria, Katusha Alpecin, s.t.; 17. Julian Alaphilippe, France, Deceuninck-QuickStep, s.t.; 18. Oliver Naesen, Belgium, AG2R La Mondiale, s.t.; 19. Steven Kruijswijk, Netherlands, Jumbo-Visma, s.t.; 20. Dan Martin, Germany, UAE Team Emirates, s.t. Also - 21. Jakob Fuglsang, Denmark, Astana, s.t.; 22. Nairo Quintana, Colombia, Movistar, s.t.; 23. Geraint Thomas, Britain, Ineos, s.t.; 24. Romain Bardet, France, AG2R La Mondiale, s.t.; 25. Rigoberto Uran, Colombia, EF Education First, s.t.; 31. Thibaut Pinot, France, Groupama-FDJ, s.t.; 32. Adam Yates, Britain, Mitchelton-Scott, s.t.; 47. Alejandro Valverde, Spain, Movistar, s.t.; 50. Hugo Houle, Sainte-Perpetue, Que., Astana, s.t.; 65. Ben King, United States, Dimension Data, 17 seconds behind winner; 68. Joey Rosskopf, United States, CCC, 0:19; 140. Chad Haga, United States, Sunweb, 3:46; 155. Michael Woods, Ottawa, EF Education First, 5:41. OVERALL RANKINGS (after 11 of 21 stages) 1. Julian Alaphilippe, France, Deceuninck-QuickStep, 47:18:41; 2. Geraint Thomas, Britain, Ineos, 1:12 behind leader; 3. Egan Bernal, Colombia, Ineos, 1:16; 4. Steven Kruijswijk, Netherlands, Jumbo-Visma, 1:27; 5. Emanuel Buchmann, Germany, Bora-Hansgrohe, 1:45; 6. Enric Mas, Spain, Deceuninck-QuickStep, 1:46; 7. Adam Yates, Britain, Mitchelton-Scott, 1:47; 8. Nairo Quintana, Colombia, Movistar, 2:04; 9. Dan Martin, Ireland, UAE Team Emirates, 2:09; 10. Thibaut Pinot, France, Groupama-FDJ, 2:33. 11. Patrick Konrad, Austria, Bora-Hansgrohe, 2:46; 12. Rigoberto Uran, Colombia, EF Education First, 3:18; 13. Alejandro Valverde, Spain, Movistar, s.t.; 14. Romain Bardet, France, Bauke Mollema, Netherlands, Trek-Segafredo, 3:20; 15. Jakob Fuglsang, Denmark, Astana, 3:22; 16. Warren Barguil, France, ArkeaSamsic, 3:26; 17. Roman Kreuziger, Czech Republic, Dimension Data, 3:28; 18. Xandro Meurisse, Belgium, Wanty-Gobert, 3:42; 19. Richie Porte, Australia, Trek-Segafredo, 3:59; 20. Mikel Landa, Spain, Movistar, 4:15. Also - 49. Michael Woods, Ottawa, EF Education First, 30:54; 82. Joey Rosskopf, United States, CCC, 57:51; 88. Ben King, United States, Dimension Data, 1:04:03; 110. Hugo Houle, Sainte-Perpetue, Que., Astana, 1:14:07; 167. Chad Haga, United States, Sunweb, 1:46:55. CFL

St. Albert 13-5 in their tournament opener. It was the second tournament win this season for the Knights. They won two weeks ago in Mission and were finalists in May at a tournament in Sherwood Park, Alta.

The midget Knights play in the Century 21 Prince George Men’s

Baseball League and currently rank second with a 5-6 record.

They will play in the 10-team B.C. Minor Baseball Association provincial championship on Aug. 2-5 in Kelowna and also are entered in the Baseball B.C. double-A midget championship in Burnaby, Aug. 9-11.

The Western Canadian champi-

Ryan Borucki (elbow discomfort) had a rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo Tuesday. “I heard he pitched good and he feels good,” Montoyo said.

Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (surgery recovery, loose body right elbow) is set to go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket Thursday after pitching in a simulated game against Sam Travis and Mitch Moreland before thunderstorms moved into the area... Manager Alex Cora said Moreland (strained right quadriceps) is expected to go on a rehab assignment Friday.

Up next

Blue Jays: LHP Thomas Pannone (2-3, 6.18 ERA), a native of Cranston, R.I., is expected to be recalled from Buffalo and start Thursday afternoon’s series finale, but his fight from Buffalo was cancelled and the club is still trying to get him in for the game.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (3-9, 4.27) looks to turnaround his rough season. He’s allowed five runs in three straight starts for the first time in his career.

onship is set for Strathmore, Alta., 16-18.

The single-A peewee Knights, coached by Justin McLean, topped Vernon 5-2 in Sunday’s final. The Knights edged Victoria 1-0 in the semifinal round. Prince George opened with four wins, beating Abbotsford 14-7, Surrey 15-4, Vancouver 10-9 and Vernon 19-4.

AP PHOTO BY CHARLES KRUPA

Toronto Blue Jays’ Cavan Biggio, right, attempts to score with bases loaded after an inning-ending strike out by Eric Sogard during a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday. At left is Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez.

Netflix’s subscriber growth tapers off in 2Q

Michael LIEDTKE

Associated Press

The

SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix’s video streaming service suffered a dramatic slowdown in growth during its traditionally sluggish spring season, a drop-off coming as it girds for even stiffer competition.

The service picked up 2.7 million worldwide subscribers for the April-June period. That’s far below the five million subscribers forecast by Netflix. The second-quarter letdown announced Wednesday comes after Netflix attracted nearly 10 million subscribers during the first three months of the year, more than any other quarter since the debut of its video streaming service 12 years ago.

Netflix ended June with 151.6 million worldwide subscribers, far more than a current crop of video streaming rivals that includes as Amazon and Hulu.

Signalling it expects to regain some momentum this summer, the company projected it will add 7 million subscribers from July through September.

The optimism stems in part from the immense popularity of Stranger Things, whose third season attracted record viewership

after its July 4 release. But the battle for viewers’ attention and dollars will get tougher this fall when Walt Disney Co. and Apple plan to launch their own streaming channels.

AT&T will join the fray next year with HBO Max and NBC is expanding into video streaming, too.

“The competition for winning consumers’ relaxation time is fierce for all companies and great for consumers,” Netflix said in a letter to shareholders.

But Netflix traced the secondquarter’s slow subscriber growth primarily to a recent round of prices increase, including hikes

of 13 per cent to 18 per cent in its biggest market, in the U.S. That pushed the price of its most popular U.S. plan to $13 per month, testing the bounds of how much some consumers are willing to pay for a service that started out at $8 per month for the same level of service.

The increasingly crowded field vying for viewers’ attention and money is raising questions about whether Netflix will be able to maintain the rapid rate of subscriber growth that has made its stock as one of Wall Street’s premier performers during the past decade.

A $10,000 investment in Netflix at the end of 2009 would have been worth $460,000 at the end of Wednesday’s regular trading session.

But in a sign of how quickly some of those gains can evaporate if Netflix starts to struggle for subscribers, the company’s stock plunged 10 per cent in Wednesday’s extended trading to $325.

For now, Netflix is still burning through more cash than it is bringing in. In the second quarter, it registered a negative cash flow of $594 million and expects to accumulate a negative cash flow of $3.5 billion for the entire year.

Persistence and unique ideas offer success

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it,” Albert Einstein said.

A client of mine has been a brilliant entrepreneur since he was very young. In the mid-to-late 1980s, he approached a national corporation with what seemed like a decidedly goofy idea to jointly market glass-encased commemorative wall-hangings featuring some of their packaging materials (I’m keeping this deliberately vague). He had no money, just boyish charm and a head full of dreams, so his half of the partnership was intangible. Somehow he managed to get an appointment with a corporate executive to pitch his idea – maybe just to amuse the executive, I’m not sure. He was rebuffed at first, but persisted enough to get a second meeting, and eventually came up with a prototype that was quite impressive. He got the sponsorship, built the product line, and got it launched in time for a big event the company was sponsoring. I don’t remember precisely how it all turned out, but the story speaks to his way of looking at the world – a puppy dog chasing a stick in the creek. This trait, whatever it is, is imbedded somewhere near the heart of every business owner. Albert Einstein knew well that there was

IT’S ONLY MONEY

MARK RYAN

a stumble-forward aspect to genius, fuelled by a mixture of passion and awe when he said: “Anyone who can drive safely while kissing is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

Business owners tend to be singleminded, and sometimes a little crazy. And if there was a way to kiss and drive, they’d find it.

By the time I met this client, he was a decade older and on to another, far more ambitious venture, seeking financing from us. He got the loan against all odds. He had not a nickel to put in to it, and we, the biggest bluest, stodgiest institution in Canada lent him the start-up capital, breaking a few rules on the way because the business plan was actually that compelling.

Not the shiny paper the plan wasn’t written on. There was no written plan per se. The idea pretty much spilled out of him as we spoke, and I assembled it in to something I thought I might be able to argue

successfully to bank executives – and inexplicably it flew. (He was taking over a very successful business, so I’d best not pretend that we at the bank were actually all that creative.)

“When you first make a decision to turn the boats and there’s no turning home… I think that’s when things get really exciting because it’s sink or swim. People become really innovative once they become isolated and terrified,” Eric Weinstein

Within two or three years, the client paid off his debts, and we financed him to buy out his partner. Today, about 25 years later, he has made this and other dreams (some of which crashed on take-off) in to a life’s venture with dividends likely to pay out for generations.

One more from Einstein: “It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure.”

And no, I’m not done railing against communism.

This starkly contrasting quote belies the confounding idiocy of the more radical leftists who assume that every business owner as a privileged class, and a force for oppression. (Never mind that they have bet their lives on a dream that is employing these same workers).

Red Terror Soviet interrogation instructions read:

“In the interrogation, do not seek evidence and proof that the person accused acted in word or deed against Soviet power. The first questions should be: ‘What is his class? What is his origin? What is his education and upbringing?’ These are the questions which must determine the fate of the accused.”

My client was really not all that unique. Nearly all successful small businesses are driven by owners with a basket of these same quirky features.

Marx railed against such men and women as Bourgeois – a perpetrator class, born of advantage, who seized land, labour and capital in a zero-sum ploy to hold the little people down.

Among the above-mentioned guilty classes were anyone with so much as a milk cow who produced a little surplus to sell to his neighbour. This smallest of small businesses was mischaracterized as an enemy to the social revolution, and many thousands were either killed or sent to prison camps or both. And, as history painfully details, this wasn’t a passing fume of jealousy. It was dogma at its worst, ultimately resulting in tens of millions of deaths. The ranges of death estimates are massive (say, 50 to 250 million) because information has never flowed freely in such ends-justifying regimes.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (a former devoted soldier to the cause) was dragged in to the Gulag for 10 years for daring to utter a veiled complaint about Stalin in a hand-written letter to a friend. In one of his interrogation sessions the officer sitting across from him took Solzhenitsyn’s journals and compilations (he was a prolific writer) and tossed them carelessly in to the furnace.

The prisoner was relieved at first, glad that his writings couldn’t be used to indict any more of his friends or family. But thereafter, every time he lumbered past the smoke stack of that building, he looked at the fumes rising from the top and pondered the magnitude of accumulated dreams, visions and wisdom that floated into nothingness.

Mark Ryan is an investment advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (Member–Canadian Investor Protection Fund), and these are Ryan’s views, and not those of RBC Dominion Securities. This article is for information purposes only. Please consult with a professional advisor before taking any action based on information in this article. See Ryan’s website at: http://dir. rbcinvestments.com/mark.ryan.

a new six-year high.

The precious metal pushed the key materials sector up 2.2 per cent. Its price surged $5 after the Federal Reserve reiterated that it wasn’t seeing any increase in the U.S. economy, reinforcing expectations of an interest rate hike later this month.

The August gold contract was up US$12.10 at US$1,423.30 an ounce and the September copper contract was up 1.6 cents at US$2.72 a pound. Nonetheless, the S&P/TSX composite index closed down 18.21 points at 16,484.21 after hitting an intraday low of 16,469.02.

It was the second straight day of losses as Aimia Inc. fell 5.5 per cent amid internal and legal turmoil at the loyalty program company. Shares of Canadian National and CP Rail declined after U.S. rival CSX Corp. cut its revenue outlook for the year after reporting weak second-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday.

For Calgary-based CP, the decrease came a day after the railway hit an all-time high after it beat analyst expectations by posting record second-quarter revenues and net income jumped more than two-thirds to $724 million.

The key energy sector was down 1.3 per cent with Encana Corp. falling by almost four per cent after the price of crude oil decreased for a second day.

The August crude contract was down 84 cents at US$56.78 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was down 0.2 of a cent at US$2.30 per mmBTU. Several factors contributed to the dip in crude prices.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 115.78 points at 27,219.85. The S&P 500 index was down 19.62 points at 2,984.42, while the Nasdaq composite was down 37.59 points at 8,185.21. The markets fell on mixed earnings results and comments from U.S. President Donald Trump again threatening to put another US$325 billion of tariffs on Chinese imports. That pushed the U.S. dollar lower as the Canadian dollar traded for an average of 76.61 cents US compared with an average of 76.62 cents US on Tuesday.

In addition, Canadian inflation fell in June to two per cent from 2.4 per cent in May following a sharp drop in gasoline prices.

Netfilx headquarters in Los Gatos, Calif., is seen here in 2012.

RONALD SOLONAS passed away in hospital on July 12, 2019 at the age of 63 years. He is remembered by his many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Friday, July 19,

CLARENCE HARMON passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer that he bravely fought that ended after a near two week stay at Hospice House July 8, 2019 at the age of 81. Clarence is survived by his loving wife Marie of 32 years, his only son Lyle (Debbie), stepdaughters; Beverly (Bill), Sandra (Neil), Sheila (Richard), Deanna (Raymond), and Barbara, his stepsons; Rodney (Wanda), Derrick (Yvonne) as well as 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and sisters-in-law Lorraine and Millie. He will be remembered by his nieces and nephews with special thanks to Sharmon. Clarence is predeceased by his parents Art and Clara, brothers: Albert, Jess, Frank and sister Shirley. A Celebration of Life will be held at Rainbow Day Centre, 1000 Liard Drive (corner of Rainbow & Liard) on Sunday July 21, 2019 from 2:00-3:30pm.

Cunin, Jeffrey Ryan December 31, 1987July 15, 2019

It is with deep regret and heavy hearts that the Cunin family is announcing the sudden passing of Jeffrey Ryan Cunin. Jeffrey’s life ended the way he enjoyed living it with selflessness and thinking of others. Jeffrey is survived by his mother (Pamela, Kelowna). Father (Maurice, Quesnel), brothers (Dennis, Ft St John and Kevin, Prince George, Chris, Victoria and Dan, Cochrane, Alberta) as well as other family members. There will be a viewing at 1:00pm with a celebration of life to honour Jeffrey at 2:00pm on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at Prince George Funeral Service, 1014 Douglas St. In lieu of flowers, donations to Prince George Rotary Hospice would be appreciated in his memory. Prince George Funeral Service in care of arrangements 250 564 - 3880.

Glenn Clifford MacKenzie July11,1956July11, 2019

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Glenn MacKenzie on his 63rd birthday. Predeceased by his parents Glen and Joan (Quigley) MacKenzie and brother in law Dennis Laurin, he leaves behind his partner Eileen Ulrich, daughter Morgan (Bobbie), brothers Greg, Bruce (Terry), Garth, sister Joanne, nephews Graeme (Cassidy), Trevor and in laws Phillip and Maddie Ulrich. Born in Vancouver, but moving often due to his father being an engineer with the railway. Glenn attended Austin Road, Kelly Road and PGSS schools. Before being summoned by his true calling and passion, logging. Glenn’s first job was at Shoppers Food Mart and then he moved on to Polar Refrigeration. He also did a short stint framing homes in Edmonton. At age 18 Glenn started driving logging trucks, and by age 20 he bought his first Kenworth. In 1985 Glenn and his sister Joanne had the opportunity to purchase Mackye Kennels, and this is where he made his home. In 1997 Glenn decided to take his driving skills to a whole new level by building a killer 1955 Chevy drag race

Castley Kimberly Frances Jean

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Kim peacefully passed away July 11, 2019 at the Rotary Hospice House, surrounded by family and friends after a courageous battle with cancer. Kim was born in Prince George, BC July 12, 1979 to parents Doug and Val Pohl, and a little sister for Carolyn (Dale) Bull and Krista (Shawn) Coburn. She lived her entire life in Prince George, with the exception of 4-1/2 years in Ft McMurray, AB, moving back with her family to Prince George in 2011. Kim graduated from Kelly Road Secondary school in 1997, and completed both the Medical Office Assistant and Long Term Care Aid programs at the College of New Caledonia. Kim had a passion for serving kids especially special needs children. Kim spent her working career in group homes, health care and after her children were full time in school, into the school district as an educational assistant. Kim was heavily involved in her Church and Chubb Lake Bible Camp. Kim enjoyed camping, crafts, knitting and thoroughly enjoyed relaxing in her hammock. Kim married her husband David August 12, 2000. Kim leaves behind her husband David and sons Sean, Daniel and Ethan, parents and sisters. Kim was cremated at her request. A celebration of life will be held at Cornerstone Life Centre (6912 Hart Highway) on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers it is requested that donations are made to either Chubb Lake Bible Camp, or the Rotary Hospice House in memory of Kim.

Gladstone,Hartford, Harvard, Imperial, Kingsley, Jean De Brebeuf Cres, Loyola, Latrobe, Leicester Pl, Princeton Cres, Prince Edward Cres, Newcastle, Melbourne, Loedel, Marine Pl, Hough Pl, Guerrier Pl, Sarah Pl, Lancaster, Lemoyne, • • Upper College Heights • St Barbara, St Bernadette, Southridge, St Anne Ave, Bernard, St Clare St, St Gerald Pl, Creekside, Stillwater.

• • Full Time and Temporary Routes Available. Contact for Details 250-562-3301 or rss@pgcitizen.ca

Shoemaker keeps traditional art alive

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019

UNBC STRIKER HENMEN OPENS UP ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH FIGHT

It had been a tragic week in Prince George. Two high school students had made the heartbreaking decisions to take their own lives, just days apart from one another. The school was reeling. The community was reeling. Questions mounted in the minds of those where answers would not.

It was 11:55 p.m. when my phone vibrated, notifying me of a text. It was Michael Henman, a member of the University of Northern British Columbia’s men’s soccer team.

“I have to tell my story.”

I responded by asking him why he thought now was the appropriate time.

“Did you see what happened to those two kids this week. I have to tell my story. Maybe, if I had told it earlier, one of them may have seen someone who has gone through things. Maybe it could have saved a life.”

It struck me that in a time of sadness for an entire city, it was a Victoria transplant, just 20 years old, who felt compelled to do something. I texted him back saying I would help him do just that. We had talked before about writing a piece on his journey to get to Prince George, but the timing hadn’t been right. In that moment, it struck me as unfair that when the vast majority of us were allowed to just be sad, he was feeling like his story could shed light, create conversation, or even save a life. I asked Michael if it felt unfair.

“Mental health is unfair,” he said. ***

He saw the play developing at midfield. It was a scoreless tie between the visiting Calgary Dinos and his UNBC Timberwolves, on a brisk September afternoon. The game was the sixth of his Canada West career. He had been held without a goal through his first five contests, but he had a number of chances, with eight shots on goal through the first few matches. Now, in the 37th minute, that was about the change.

UNBC’s Owen Stewart took possession at midfield and cut across the pitch 40 yards

from the Dinos’ net, drawing with him a pair of Calgary defenders. Henman, recognizing the open area, turned up field, where Stewart found him with a through ball that rolled perfectly to his feet. From there, instincts took over. Henman, who had proven his ability to make plays with either foot, changed the angle and managed to put it through Dinos keeper Jake Ruschkowski to make it 1-nil.

A big goal, no doubt. A go-ahead marker against a powerhouse school in the conference would be monumental for any player, and particularly any freshman. But as his Timberwolves teammates swarmed him in

celebration, including childhood teammates Cody Gysbers and Jonah Smith, it was perhaps Smith who said it best.

“What a journey! What a journey.”

***

Michael Henman couldn’t quite clear his throat. No amount of coughing seemed to help. He had battled a sinus infection for a few weeks, but seemed to be recovering nicely. His cold symptoms were mostly gone, except for the feeling of a buildup in his nose and throat. His parents, Pat and Diane, had taken him to three throat specialists for three exams, but every time, the scans and exams came back with noth-

ing. There was, seemingly, no reason why Michael felt something in his throat, in constant fear of gagging and choking.

“There wasn’t anything there. I didn’t believe it,” said Henman. “As soon as we did the third test, and my parents saw, again, that there was nothing, they knew there was more going on. There was something psychological going on.”

It was 2015, and Michael was a member of the Victoria Highlanders U-21 program. Soccer was his escape. His chance to play the game he loved, alongside friends he had

RICH ABNEY Special to 97/16 Rich Abney photo UNBC Timberwolves striker Micheal Henman battles for the ball during a game against the Victoria Vikes. Henman is opening up about his personal battle with mental health in the hopes

IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN A STORM

Continued from page 3

grown up with. The Highlanders coach, Steve Simonson, had been made aware of Michael’s recent ailment, so a strategy had been devised. No matter what direction the Highlanders were attacking, Michael would play on the side of the pitch closest to his coach. That way, if he was having throat issues, Simonson could easily communicate with his player, and substitute him out of the game if needed.

The Highlanders made the trip to Ladysmith, a town of 8,500 people on the east coast of Vancouver Island, for a rainy afternoon matchup. With a few minutes left before halftime, Henman let Simonson know he would like to be subbed off. But Simonson urged him to finish the half. It was a coaching decision that had happened thousands of times prior; imploring a young athlete to dig deep, take the hard path, and find the inner strength to battle through adversity. In nearly all occasions, the result was a positive breakthrough. But on that rainy afternoon, things were different.

At halftime, Henman experienced the first panic attack of his life. While his teammates sat in the locker room, he locked himself in the bathroom. While his teammates focused on the next 45 minutes, he struggled to try to throw up.

“My heart was racing,” Henman said. “I was covered in sweat, and yet felt cold. My brain was a cloud. I couldn’t sort out my thoughts, and it just wasn’t working. It felt like I was in a storm.”

Simonson was a distracted, conflicted coach during that halftime. He himself had battled with anxiety his entire life, and recognized some of the symptoms of his player. While trying to address the other members of the team on the X’s and O’s, his mind was with Henman, who was alone in the bathroom with only his own thoughts.

When the rest of the Highlanders headed out for the second half, Simonson stayed in the locker room. He knew something wasn’t right. Henman unlocked the door, and Simonson joined him, trying to calm a young man he had known for many years. Finally, Henman was ready to leave the bathroom. Simonson led Henman to his parents, so he could leave the field and make the trip home.

“My parents had a look in their eye that I didn’t understand at the time. They wrapped me in blankets. I was freezing. I remember laying in the car that day, completely scared, even though I was with my parents. They were usually what calmed me down, but that day I was so panicked. It terrified me even more.

“From that point, it was a downhill spiral.”

Throughout his childhood he had a tough time sleeping. He needed his mom to sit in his room in order to fall asleep. He wouldn’t even dream of going to a friend’s house for a sleepover. His first overnighter didn’t happen until he was in Grade 9, and it was only possible at the house of Cody Gysbers – a close, lifelong friend, who would one day play a role in Henman’s return to the pitch.

The Henmans figured it was just a matter of everyone maturing and growing up at a different speed.

But now, as a Grade 11 student, everything was different. Suddenly, he was unable to regularly attend classes. Playing soccer was not even in the discussion. Henman would make it to some training sessions, but even that was overwhelming at times. Simonson wanted those practices to be an option and opportunity for Michael to play the game he loves without judgement.

“We worked together on a plan,” said

Abney UNBC Timberwolves striker Micheal Henman watches the play during a game against the UBC Okanagan Heat.

Simonson. “I didn’t want him to give up playing soccer. I told him ‘you now have an injury. If your teammates want to know why you’re not playing, you have an injury. When you’re hurt, you step in and out of training, and you warm up on your own.’”

“I would go to the game and sit on the bench until I felt like I could play,” said Henman. “If I didn’t feel like I could play, Steve put no pressure on me. He wouldn’t question me, ever.”

Away from the pitch, the Henmans were looking for answers. Pat and Diane knew their son was going through something far more complicated than throat issues. Michael, on the other hand, was struggling with the idea that what existed beyond the surface was entirely more severe than he wanted to consider.

Michael points to a trip to see his doctor in Sidney as momentous in his own confrontation of the battle in his own brain. Dr. Lewis, who would prove to be a massive ally throughout Michael’s journey, asked to speak to him without Pat and Diane in the room.

“Dr. Lewis was amazing. She heard everything I was going through, and asked to speak to me alone. She asked me if I was self-harming. She asked if I had been having suicidal thoughts. But she was so incredibly cool and patient about it. It was a scary conversation, because I wondered to myself if it would eventually turn into those things. It freaked me out, in a way. But it also opened my eyes to what I was living with.

“I didn’t want to believe I had a psychological problem. It was a weakness. I was embarrassed by the idea, and quite frankly, I was terrified. We saw multiple doctors, psychologists, therapists, and naturopaths before I began to realize I had anxiety.”

***

The soccer pitch had long been Michael’s sanctuary. For as long as he could remember, when he would tie up his cleats and get on the pitch, he was able to escape. But now, that refuge had been robbed from him. He no longer felt himself. And the idea of even leaving his bedroom became overwhelming.

“Basically, I was in my house all day. All week. All month. It was a struggle. I was sad and I was lonely. So many tears.”

For the young man whose smile once lit up the room, that very room had dimmed,

for himself and those who tried to aid him. The tasks that once seemed easy had become insurmountably difficult. Rather than escaping with a soccer ball at his feet, the only way to win the war waging in his mind was by evacuating the conscious world.

“I remember trying to sleep as much as I could because that was literally the only time I wasn’t afraid of something. I lost weight, I lost relationships, and I separated myself from the outside world.”

The remainder of Henman’s high school life was anything but easy. He stopped attending classes regularly. On the days he went, he often only made it into a single class. Most of the time, he would sit in the counsellor’s office.

The biggest reason he was even able to attend school, even in limited fashion was his dad, Pat, who sat in the parking lot, waiting in his car. Every single day. A retired school principal, he wanted his son to be at Reynolds Secondary. He knew that, even though school terrified Michael, it would help his son to be there. Pat Henman valued education, of course, but he parked his car outside the school every day because he valued his son’s mental wellness.

“If I was feeling trapped, it was so helpful to have my dad outside. I can’t tell you the amount of times he had to talk me down. Even on the days I was really struggling, not many people around me knew I was panicking. Friends would walk by and they had no idea. Knowing my dad was around helped a ton.

“My dad is my hero. He deserves so much credit. I knew then, but I really know now, he sacrificed so much by spending all day every day in a parking lot. When I bring it up to him, he says it wasn’t a sacrifice to him. He just tells me he loves me and will do whatever he can to help me. He is my hero.”

Grade 11 and Grade 12 were a blur for Michael, who was significantly shy of the required credits needed to graduate. The administration at Reynolds offered him a chance to still walk across the stage at graduation with his classmates, but he declined the offer. The idea of being in front of hundreds of people in the crowd, to accept a diploma he hadn’t technically earned was non-negotiable. It would take him two more years of online courses to complete the required credits to graduate.

“I just wanted to get through high school.

It took an extra two years. It was a weird feeling because my parents were so excited. I was obviously happy, but I was angry too. It should have happened earlier, and I was hard on myself about it.”

Nearly two-and-a-half years after the 2015 incident that left him shivering and crying in the backseat of his parents’ car, Michael was still struggling to leave the house for any extended period of time.

“My therapists would recommend I attempt things that scared me, so I would try. I would go to Cody’s house and hang out with him for as long as I could, while my mom would be in the area. She would stay nearby in case I couldn’t hold out anymore and needed to leave.”

But, slowly yet surely, this approach was proving effective. He was frustrated with the difficulty he would have just preparing to leave the house, but he was, in fact, leaving the house.

“I started doing something that scared me every day. The more I did these things, the easier it became. I think it was at that point that I was able to begin trying to play soccer again. I was growing, and maturing, and I think it was happening naturally.”

Michael was finding his strength. In the spring of 2018, he started to get back into soccer games. That April he visited the UNBC campus. He was not yet a high school graduate and he had taken two years away from the game he loved. But he had found a way to leave the house. He had found a way back into the game he loved. And now, he had a goal.

Henman received his high school diploma that July, more than two years later than his contemporaries and just 20 days before the T-wolves’ training camp. He had held up his end of the bargain, and it was time for the next test. To play the highest level of university soccer in Canada. The Timberwolves coach? Steve Simonson. ***

“As long as I have been at UNBC, Michael has been telling me he would play here one day,” said Simonson. “When he first told me that, I remember thinking that he wasn’t even able to step on the field. To even verbalize that goal must have been terrifying for him.”

Simonson has a twinkle in his eye when he talks about his longtime pupil. It’s part reflective, part proud, and part emotional. Their journey together was unlike any he had with any other player in two decades of coaching.

“The door was open – he is definitely a good enough soccer player, that was never the question,” said Simonson. “But what

Continued on page 4

Handout photo by Rich

I JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE FIELD

he would do for our program on the pitch was secondary. What the program, and the experience, would do for him was why I wanted that young man here. I knew, if he got here, it would be such a step forward in his life.”

The UNBC coach was so certain that Henman would benefit from the program and the program would benefit from his influence that he offered him a spot before he even graduated. That was par for the course in the world of recruiting players at the university level. It was, however, far from a sure thing, considering the obstacles his newest recruit was having to overcome.

Michael remembers spending his first night on campus at the end of July, in advance of his first training camp for the highest level of collegiate soccer in the country. Waking up in his room in UNBC housing his anxiety was escalating. He asked his mom to take him for a drive to try to calm him down. As they pulled into a roundabout in front of housing, he asked her to pull the car over.

“I swung the door open. I had to throw up. I had literally graduated from school three weeks before that, and now I was going to move 10 hours from my home. I remember tears in my eyes and all the fear rising to the surface.”

Diane Henman wasn’t forcing him to stay. She knew how hard her son had worked to put himself in this position.

“She just reminded me why I was there. She reminded me how far I had come. What it meant to me. And how much I deserved to be there. That was enough.”

Two days later, Michael was in his Timberwolves training kit, cleats on, heart racing as

he tried to blend in. He was surrounded on the Northern Sport Centre training field by 30 other players in their soccer gear, hearts racing. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

***

The T-wolves had two preseason trips on the schedule. Henman had missed the first trip to Kamloops. He had been sick, but he admits he would likely have had trouble going, even if he’d been healthy. The team was now set to take the bus to Edmonton, where they would take on a number of opponents in preparation for the Canada West regular season. Michael had made a major impression on his teammates in camp with

his athletic ability and fluid movement. He had all the makings of an offensive threat that would provide the UNBC attack with an athlete who would put pressure on opposing backlines. But when it came time to hit the road Michael wasn’t on the bus. He was going to miss the second trip of the preseason.

“I was too nervous. I couldn’t go. I also knew the guys would want to know why, so I actually asked Steve to tell the team why I wasn’t there.”

Simonson wanted to pick the right time to tell his team. Michael had asked his coach to express how much he cared about the program, and how committed he was.

“I can remember it plain as day. I had a lot of trouble, emotionally, telling the guys. We stopped in Jasper and it was incredible. The attention from the guys, and the amount of care the men instantly showed. In that moment, I realized, he is in good hands here. To have the courage, to tell a group of college athletes. We know how tough that sports environment can be. But he wanted every single one of our men to know.”

Sitting in Prince George, Henman’s phone began lighting up with notifications. One by one. His teammates were reaching out.

“Steve told my story, and I cannot thank him enough. I have never actually asked exactly what he said, but I got a lot of very supportive texts, and comments from my teammates. It was incredible. This was my team, and that day proved it.”

On Tuesday, September 4th, 2018, the T-wolves were set to open their Canada West schedule at home against the Victoria Vikes. Simonson and Henman had been in constant dialogue about their plan for the first time he would put a UNBC jersey on. The coach wanted him in the lineup.

“Opening day, start of the season, Michael wasn’t convinced he could play. I told him, if we put you in the 18, and you don’t play, you blow a year of eligibility. But, who cares? If it takes you five years to play a soccer game, we are going to do just that. It is not about you playing for UNBC, it is about you getting over that hump and just playing.”

Michael agreed to be in the lineup. In the hours leading up to the match, he felt ill. The anticipation, the fear, and the pressure were causing a physical reaction. He thought about the hours, days, and weeks he had lay in bed, hoping he could fall asleep and avoid the world. Now, there was a clock ticking towards 6 p.m., when he would play university soccer.

it, I was able to focus more on the game.”

Three days later, with perennial powerhouse Trinity Western in town, Henman stood on the field alongside his teammates as the national anthem played through the speakers. He started that game, and played every second, contributing a brilliant assist on a goal in extra time in a 3-3 draw.

Four games later, against the Calgary Dinos, the young man added another chapter to his story when he scored his first goal.

“I was so relieved. I had thought about what it would be like to go the entire season without scoring. I was so relieved it happened. I can just remember Jonah running up me yelling ‘What a journey, what a journey,’ and it almost made me cry right there. He told me after it almost made him cry too. ***

Henman would play in 11 games in his freshman season, making five starts, registering two points, and 19 shots. But his coach suggests those stats are meaningless in the big picture.

“I smiled the day he was subbed in for the first time. I smiled when he was standing there and the national anthem was playing prior to his first start. And I smiled when he scored that goal. In fact, I was emotional when I saw that goal cross the line. But I also smile knowing he is right where he needs to be. Flourishing. Battling some days, but flourishing.”

Henman is the first to concede there wasn’t a single day that came easy to him. In fact, on many occasions he didn’t feel OK. Training was often difficult. The grind of the academic pressures facing a student-athlete were often overwhelming. But, through it all, he kept going.

“The guy I was a year-and-a-half ago would have never dreamed he would be here, playing at the highest level, taking classes, and being social. And a year from now? I will just keep doing these things that worry me, or freak me out.”

Along the way, Michael regained his childhood dream of pursuing soccer at a professional level.

“Imagine having the same dream your entire life. And then it’s gone. No backup plan. I started to wonder what am I meant to be? My dream is still to be a professional soccer player. It stopped being my dream, but it is back again. I love being able to dream that again.”

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, he has also discovered a desire to aid those who need it most; the young, the battling, the vulnerable.

“I didn’t want to be a liability. I didn’t want to burn a substitution. This is highlevel soccer. Steve and I talked about me starting, because he had so much faith in me being capable. Eventually, we agreed I would try to come on at halftime.”

After the first half, the T-wolves and Vikes were knotted at 1-1. Simonson nodded to Henman. He was being subbed into the match. The next 45 minutes could have been a blur for Henman. The first touch of the ball at his feet could have been an overwhelming culmination of emotions and expectations. But, instead, it was like he was playing a game he had loved his entire life and it came naturally to him.

“I felt great. It was crazy. I felt totally fine. I just wanted to get on the field. I told Steve after that I could have started.”

Michael led all players in the game with four shots, including two on target, and had a pair of scoring chances that came within inches. The game ended in a draw, but it was a victory for Number 9.

“It was a feeling of ‘wow’. I just played soccer at a university level. I was so proud of myself. And as soon as I realized I could do

“I think being a teacher one day would be very cool. I am doing so much better than I thought I would be doing. I guess it is not a shock I am interested in that. Eventually, maybe I think I would like to be a counsellor. I really want to help people.”

For Simonson, the decision to recruit Henman to UNBC has been one of the most rewarding choices of his professional and personal life. For years, he carried with him the decision to push Henman to stay in the game that led to his first panic attack.

“I probably spent a year blaming myself for that moment. I thought I was helping him through a moment, but I was unknowingly driving him into a hole. A decision you make can have a profound impact. The relationship has been amazing. We have talked about that moment. There was no blame, which was healing for me. Coaches underestimate the impact we have.

“As coaches, we need to stop looking at an athlete with an issue, and be angry at them for having that issue. We need to dig deeper into why they’re having an issue in the

Henman family handout photo

UNBC Timberwolves striker Micheal Henman poses for a photo with his parents, Pat and

WHAT A JOURNEY HUBLE HOSTING KIDS’

Continued from page 4

place. These are human beings. If you take care of the human being first, the athlete will thrive. We have tried to create an environment where everyone is safe to be who they are. Every single guy has something going on in his life. We all have them. I have had some amazing conversations with players here, who aren’t afraid to come forward to talk about how they’re feeling. Michael is a major reason for that.”

Henman, who will be a major part of the TWolves’ plan in his second season, says it is no accident he ended up in Prince George.

“He may not want to admit this, but Steve is a huge reason I am here. From the beginning, this was the only university I could have gone to. This is my home.”

***

“Mental health is unfair.”

Those words stuck with me. I couldn’t shake the wisdom of a young man who lived every morning and every night with this as a part of him. Mental wellness, after all, doesn’t take a day off. He visited my office the next day, where we discussed the goal in getting his story in writing. He didn’t want it to glorify himself as anything more than someone living his life, challenging himself, under invisible yet heavy circumstances.

“I do not want this to be a ‘hey, look at me, I have anxiety but I am doing great, give me credit’ story. I hope this is a way for kids who are struggling to see what happened to me, and realize they can do it, too. This is for the kids who are struggling with mental health.”

I ask him how he keeps pushing himself to climb the next mountain standing in front of him. It occurs to me that the usual

obstacles of a university student may look different to a young man who couldn’t leave his bedroom for days at a time.

“I will just keep doing these things that worry me, or freak me out. It’s baby steps, for lack of a better word. It is an ongoing battle. It’s a thing I am dealing with, and I know it is not going to go away.”

In that moment, the seriousness in Henman’s expression and the shaky certainty in his voice would have been enough to silence a raucous crowd. Only Michael fully knew his path to the point where he felt the strength and responsibility to be a role model. He had been fearful he would never again play the game he loved. He was worried he would never graduate from high school. Not so long ago, he had been terrified of losing his friends, and losing his family. But now is the time to tell his story.

“I want people to realize they’re not the only ones feeling that way. I know what this feels like. I want to help. If there is someone out there dealing with what I deal with, or worse, I can’t just sit back and do nothing. Maybe this article coming out helps one person, and that will all be worth it. To have an idea what they are going through, I need to stand up. I am not going to sit by and let it happen.

“In a way, I wish all this didn’t happen. But, in a sense, I am glad I got anxiety in the first place. I wouldn’t be right here, right now, if I didn’t have it. It has made me stronger. It’s weird that the worst thing that happened to me has ended up being so rewarding. I don’t want to say it is the worst thing, because everyone is dealing with something. But it was really bad. And yet, here I am.”

What a journey. What a journey.

CARNIVAL SATURDAY

FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff

History’s preservation is marked most clearly by the sound of children’s laughter and the shine of wonder in young eyes.

Passing on the living lessons of our region’s agricultural and business past is what the staff at Historic Huble Homestead works for each day. One of their favourite marks on the calendar is coming up next weekend. They host their annual Kids’ Carnival on July 20.

It is a day “packed full of fun for the whole family,” said Huble Homestead’s executive director Krystal Leason. She called it a “colourful, joyful event” that was “a guaranteed blast” for the young and the young at heart, featuring free magic shows with William the Conjurer, pioneer-era field games and races,

face painting, and carnival games with guaranteed prizes.

“And that’s not all,” said Leason. “Visitors can help make and then sample ice cream, explore the historic site to complete a treasure hunt, make crafts with Two Rivers Gallery, and watch the blacksmith at work in the shop.”

Bring a picnic lunch or visit the General Store for hot dogs and hamburgers from the barbeque, and stock up on your favourite old-fashioned candies.

“Leave the city behind and enjoy all the fun and games outside on the banks of the Fraser River,” said Leason.

Huble Homestead is located 30 minutes north of Prince George, just off Highway 97 on Mitchell Road. The Kids’ Carnival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is a recommended donation of $10 per family.

ABOUT US

• Colleen Sparrow, publisher and GM

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• Call us at: 250-562-2441 or 250-562-3301

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• Visit https://bit.ly/2S9W4zW to find the location nearest you to pick up extra copies of 97/16.

REMEMBER THAT OTHERS ARE DOING

THE BEST THEY CAN

Compassionate people are happy people, and compassionate people understand that everyone is simply doing their best.

They acknowledge there are those who do rotten things to each other, but we have no idea of the internal torment these individuals are struggling with.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t have rules in our society or that people shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions.

It is simply to say that life is better when we look upon one another with acceptance.

Human behaviour specialist Brene Brown has done extensive research on people who show great compassion, those who reach out with kindness and empathy to others, who see good in everyone, and who experience the oneness of our humanity.

She and her team tried to find what these people had in common. Surprisingly, what she found more than anything else was that they lived their lives with firm boundaries.

These are not boundaries which keep others out, they are standards individuals choose to live by, very clear ideas as

GERRY CHIDIAC

to what was OK and what was not OK, a strong sense of personal ethics which does not need to be imposed upon others.

These are people who show respect for everyone, not because they have low standards, but because they simply do not subject themselves to the abuses of others.

In our society, we tend to respond to perceived disrespect with rudeness, but compassionate people do not allow this type of negative thought to pollute their minds.

They consciously choose their own kind thoughts.

When working with children and adolescents we can fairly safely assume that these young people are indeed doing the best that they can.

We have no idea what they may be dealing with at home, what emotional stresses they are feeling, or what

learning challenges they face each day.

A teacher colleague of mine follows the mantra, “Treat them better than they are, and soon they will be.”

In other words, if we treat students with respect, even when they are not deserving of it, they will eventually change their behaviour and show more respect to others.

It goes without saying that rules are important for the safety and wellbeing of all, but it is also necessary to accept our students as they are. When we do so, they begin to grow more comfortable at school, and then real learning can begin.

I don’t know why this approach works, but it does. It is something good teachers have always understood. Perhaps this is because there is a longing in each one of us to simply be accepted. We all know that we are not perfect, but we really are doing the best we can.

The truth is that “treating them better than they are” demonstrates not only the teacher’s respect for her students, it also demonstrates a sense of selfrespect. It is also a reason why self-care and personal development are so vital

to effective teaching. It is very difficult to make educators feel disrespected when they have a deep and profound understanding of their own value. It is a great challenge for all of us is to look on ourselves and our neighbours with such deep compassion. There are many great people and great books we can study in learning to do so, but this is a life-long journey, and a journey which is unique for each one of us. If we know what we are striving for, however, we are already well on our way. Embrace the fact that everyone is really doing their best, ourselves included, and know that those exhibiting the most destructive behaviours are the ones who are hurting the most. Remember as well that in order to truly love and respect others, we need to love and respect ourselves. As we find peace and happiness within, we find peace and happiness in the world around us.

Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com.

STOPPING TRAFFIC

Road trips are fun.

Road trips during the hottest days of the year in a minivan with no air conditioning are less fun.

A few weeks ago, my family and I embarked on a wonderous weekend excursion to the lovely town of Smithers for the Midsummer Music Festival. This is our third time at the festival and I am, again, in awe of how lovely the countryside is, west of town. When we were kids, our vacations tended more towards south or east of town with the occasional jaunt north up to Bear or McLeod Lake. We did not really know anyone who lived Highway 16 west so we didn’t go. But now, we travel to music festivals that my husband is playing in and follow the hippies across the province. It was a wonderful festival and very family friendly. We saw Shad play and other excellent musicians. It was great fun and I highly recommend everyone with small kids attend this festival – it is safe and friendly

But, leaving town was a bit of an issue. Years ago we took a train ride to Smithers with my mom and we were very excited to leave town only to have our excitement dashed by the train waiting for the longest freight train in existence to pass. We did not even make the Cameron Street Bridge. Similarly, this trip was delayed by traffic. We just past the last gas station heading out of town and we were slowed by a lineup of cars, both sides of the highway. We thought either construction, road work, traffic accident or animals. It was the latter, sort of Vehicles on both sides of the highway inched along until we could see a woman standing in the middle of the road, holding up traffic – by herself. She was, as it turned out, chasing her dog who had no interest in being caught. The woman had no problem holding up two directions of traffic on

HOME AGAIN MEGAN

KUKLIS

a hot, dry weekend to ineffectually chase down her jerky dog who was misbehaving. Just out of sight was a pullout with a number of motorhomes that had people standing around outside of their RV’s watching the lady not catch her dog. I will assume that the motorhome looky-loo’s were in a caravan with the lady and were waiting for her to catch her dog so they could carry on driving to whatever lake they were going to. There were at least 100 cars that were held up by this woman.

When we got to the front of the line, we were forced to stop because the woman was standing on the highway in front of our minivan with no air conditioning. The dog, a silly-looking black cross breed, was weaving in and out of the cars that were barely moving. Every time the woman moved towards the dog, the dog moved away with its ears back.

Either the dog was being a jerk and knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t want to go back to its owner or the dog had no idea who this crazy woman was and was trying to escape the nutter by hiding in the safety of traffic.

Dog Training 101: first, train your dog. Second, respect the fact that most people seeing a runaway dog will not actively try to run over it. We will slow and the dog will move – as it was moving when cars were moving towards it. Listen lady, in the event that your dog escapes (again) and runs back into traffic, you standing in the middle of the highway will not help. But I hope you caught your dog anyway.

AROUND TOWN

Sewing Up Theatre

Registration is now open for Sewing For Young Children and for Sewing CampsBeginners, a pair of fibre art summer programs for youngsters being offered by the costume department at Theatre Northwest. The Sewing For Young Children classes run July 2-5 with options for morning (9 a.m. start) or afternoon (1:30 p.m. start). This class is designed for young children with an interest in learning to sew, ideal ages 8-10 years old. The class consists of 3 hours per day for 4 days.

The Sewing Camps-Beginners program runs July 22-26 afternoons only starting each day at 1:30. The ideal ages are 1015 years (as young as 8 for experienced kids) with no experience necessary. It runs three hours per day, producing a project each day.

Sign up at the Theatre Northwest website.

Walking Tours

Tuesdays and Thursdays, take an interesting trip through the city’s core. Meet in the main lobby of the Bob Harkins Branch for a guided tour of Prince George’s fascinating historic sites. Done in partnership with The Heritage Commission and The Exploration Place.

Beastly Beauty

Until July 27

Judy Russell Presents brings incredibly popular musical theatre show Beauty & The Beast to the Prince George Playhouse stage for 15 shows. See the best of the city’s homegrown stage talent and the storytelling power of Disney in a live summer blockbuster. Get tickets at all Central Interior Tickets platforms.

Writer’s Workshop

July 18

Internationally renowned Canadian writer George Elliott Clarke will teach the writing craft at Island Mountain Arts in Wells. He’s calling his seminar Rooting Deep and Branching Out: Seeding the Poetic Imagination. Class size is limited to 10 seats for the four days.

Writers Stage

July 18

Books & Company is the site for an open mic for writers. Whether you are aspiring or established, if you have a story to

Painting the Meadow

July 19

Moore’s Meadow is the subject of this edition of Paint P.G. held from 6-8:30 p.m. at Watts Art Academy (1666 Ogilvie Street). “In this class we will be painting Moore’s Meadow in acrylic,” said instructor Christina Watts. “Enjoy this adult class and take home a piece of P.G.” This class includes one alcohol or nonalcohol beverage. A cash bar will be available for wine or beer. Call 250-6405083 or visit the academy’s website for sign-up info.

Roman’s Rock

July 19

Blues rocker Roman Kozlowski brings his tasteful singer-songwriter skills to the Oakroom Grill. Free entry for this dinner showcase starting at 8 p.m.

Electronic Fest

July 19-21

The Mountain Valley Music Festival holds its debut weekend, celebrating electronic music and art. It happens at Crescent Spur near McBride. Prices range from $30-$150. Two stages of deejays, producers, rappers and rockers, all with the amphitheatre of the Robson Valley’s sharp peaks to enhance the sounds and sights. Get tickets on the www.showpass. com website.

Huble For Kids

July 20

share, come join the live readings and performances of literary works from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Free to participate, free to attend.

Sunset Theatre Plays

July 19, 20, 25, 27

Theatrical musician Bruce Horak has a pair of plays coming to the Sunset Theatre in Wells. He performs his one-man-play Assassinating Thomson on July 19 and 25. Theatre spokesperson Julia Mackey said “Bruce is a legally blind visual artist and performer. During the show, he

paints the audience while he tells the tale of how he lost his sight, and how he came to love Tom Thomson’s (of the famed Group Of Seven) art. Bruce tries to figure out the mystery around Thomsons’s death as the show unravels.”

Horak and fellow musical actor Onalea Gilbertson provide a second production at the Sunset Theatre during this run. Their play The Railbirds tells a tuneful tale of travelling across Canada on the Via Rail train. It can be seen July 20 and 27.

Tickets for Sunset Theatre shows can be purchased at the door, or, to reserve seats, call 250-994-3400.

Huble Homestead Historic Site hosts their annual Kids’ Carnival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s a pioneer blast of activities for children and all ages. Enjoy magic shows with William The Conjurer, take part in games and races, try your hand at crafts with Two Rivers Art Gallery, and play carnival games with guaranteed prizes. There is a treasure hunt, food, and all the sights and activities that always makes Huble a pleasant drive north of the city. Admission is by donation, with a recommended amount of $10 per family.

Sky Under the Stars

July 20

Northern Lights Estate Winery will show a Movie Under the Stars (doors at 9, show at 10 p.m.). The film for the whole family is Grease. Admission is $17 ($15

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten Kelsey Jewesson stars as Belle in Judy Russell’s production of Beauty and the Beast.

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VOTING OPEN JULY 11 - AUGUST 10, 2019

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AROUND TOWN

Continued from page 7

($15 for Wine Club members). Book Aug. 23 (Dirty Dancing) and Sept. 20 (Blair Witch Project) for other nighttime films at the city’s vintner. Seating is available, but feel free to bring the comfort of your own chairs or blankets. Concession, wine and beer are all available. Children are welcome.

Walk For HIV/AIDS

July 20

Join Positive Living North and the Prince George Nechako Rotary for the HIV/AIDS Walk and Family Fun Day at the bandshell at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This annual event raises funds to support those in the area with HIV-AIDS and their families, plus to further the education and prevention initiatives for the region. It is a day dedicated to fun and families in a healthy, active atmosphere.

Penny Days

July 20-21

For two days of railroad community fun, come celebrate the little town east of Prince George that embodied the rail and forest pioneering past of this region. The Central B.C. Railway and Forestry Museum hosts this extravaganza at the original Penny Station that now sits on the museum grounds. Tour the museum, hop onto the

cottonwood mini-train and learn about the on-site heritage gardens. Enjoy local artisan demonstrations such as blacksmithing, wood-turning and wool-spinning and visit Penny Market with local vendors. At scheduled times during the event, there will be speakers and musicians for entertainment. The museum’s old-fashioned concession will take care of your culinary well-being.

250-963-8214 or visit the Pineview Community Association website for registration fees, ticket options, vendor bookings and more.

Red Green

Sept. 26

He’s colourful in name and deed. Red Green is the bumbling, but pleasantly practical, TV fix-it man, the clown prince of duct tape, the sage of the man-shed. This Canadian comedy icon is coming to Vanier Hall on his Red Green – This Could Be It Tour. His Prince George shows are always a sell-out. Get tickets at the TicketsNorth website/box office.

Patrick, Scott and Tessa

Oct. 12

Live Stagg

July 24

Popular local painter Erin Stagg will set up her easel at Café Voltaire from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a live painting demonstration that is part instructive and part entertaining. “Come watch Erin bop to tunes and create a painting start to finish. It’s magical,” said organizers. “Erin Stagg is best known for her diverse range of colourful acrylic and oil paintings. Her style ranges from thoughtful, such as her Flora and Fauna collection to light-hearted and comical, like her Yoga animal collection.”

Free to attend. Enjoy the food and browse the shelves at Books & Company.

Storytime

July 25

Small children have a storytime all their own, outside at the public library. The Knowledge Garden is the place for gathering around for a good yarn and a song or two. It runs for 30 minutes every summer Thursday from 10:15 a.m., free of charge. It is aimed at kids up to five or six years old. It is the companion to the indoor storytime at the downtown library every Tuesday at the same time.

Subtotal concert

July 26

At 8 p.m. hear the rock stylings of the band Subtotal. Local musicians Roman Kozlowski, Mike Howe and Brad Martin will be back playing at the Oakroom Grill. Have dinner or enjoy a drink while they play some great cover and original tunes. No cover charge.

Pineview SunFrolics

July 27-28

The summertime counterpart to the popular snowy event, the Pineview SunFrolics weekend happens at the Malcolm McLeod Grounds (6355 Bendixon Rd.) community complex. There is a volleyball tournament, a slo-pitch tournament, family dance, vendor market, petting zoo, magic show, pancake breakfast, classic car show and a range of kids’ activities. For full details call

During last year’s sold out Thank You Canada tour, it was clear to figure skating superstars, Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir and Patrick Chan, that they were far from done creating and developing a new style of skating entertainment. They and some special guest performers come back to CN Centre to show the Prince George fans what they’ve come up with next. Rock the Rink is the first edition of an annual tour that focuses on being more than a figure skating show. Combining the highest level of on-ice superstar talent with an ever-evolving touring production, Rock the Rink will produce the highest value of entertainment in the figure skating realm. This year – along with upgrades to lighting, video and interactive technology – live music will be introduced to the show, with featured special musical guest, Birds of Bellwoods.

Burton, live

Oct. 18

Canada’s piano man, the Guess Who’s epic vocalist, the only artist inducted into the nation’s music Hall of Fame for both his band and his solo career, the incomparable Burton Cummings is coming to P.G. He was the voice propelling American Woman, These Eyes, No Time, Clap For The Wolfman and many other hits of the groundbreaking band The Guess Who, but then when he went solo he continued the multi-platinum success with I Will Sing A Rhapsody, Stand Tall, My Own Way To Rock, Fine State of Affairs, You Saved My Soul, Break It To Them Gently and more. Cummings will be solo at the piano at Vanier Hall. Tickets are on sale now through all TicketsNorth platforms.

World Curling

March 14 start

Don’t let the date fool you. The event may be in 2020 but the plans are underway now and the tickets are on sale for this Prince George groundbreaker. P.G. goes global as the host of the World Women’s Curling Championships starting. Get your tickets now, and spread the word to friends and family everywhere that this is the time to come spend some Prince George time, and get a close, personal view of the worldclass action the rest of the winter sports community will only get to see on TV. Oh yeah, and there’s also the great social side of curling – there’ll be no bigger party in Canada. Contact Tickets North for tickets and info.

CP file photo

Canadian actor Steve Smith, also known as Red Green, poses for a photograph in Toronto in 2017. Smith will be at Vanier Hall on Sept. 26 for the Red Green –This Could Be It Tour.

SHOEMAKER LOOKS TO PASS ON TRADE

The name Jerry Gauthreau may not ring a bell, however, when I mention that Jerry is the owner and operator of the downtown Steve & Sons Shoe Shop Ltd. you will likely know who I am writing about – especially if you needed to have any leather or shoe repair work done in the past 20 years.

Jerry one of five children, was born in Jogins, N.S. in 1942 where his father worked as an auto body mechanic. When Jerry was six months old, his father moved the family to New Brunswick for work in the coal mines.

He said, “My father worked underground with a pick and shovel as a water well digger. He worked in the coal mines for 10 years and during that time there were events of roof collapses, wall bumps, explosions, blackdamp (a mixture of unbreathable gases left after oxygen is removed) and coal dust in the lungs of the coal miners. No one ever grew old working underground. It was dangerous work along with a lack of safety measures. My father used to wear a carbide head lamp that produced and burned acetylene gas. This was a dangerous and inefficient method of light that did not get along well with methane gas.”

“When I was 17, I worked part time in a shoe repair shop. I liked working with my hands, caught the bug and wanted to learn more.”

In the early 1960s, Jerry headed west because he wanted to see the Rocky Mountains. He said, “When I saw Rogers Pass, I knew I was never going back east ever again. After seeing those mountains, I knew that there was a God because no man could create what I was looking at.”

Jerry continued going west, passed through Prince George and ended up in Terrace working in a logging camp. He found work in the print shop for the Terrace Herald. When they sold out, he had the option of working in their shop in Prince Rupert as a printer apprentice. It was the right move because that is where he met his future wife, Irene Cameron.

Jerry said, “I was working as the foreman for the Prince Rupert Daily News and Irene was the newspaper typist. I knew the minute that I laid eyes on Irene that she would be my wife. I was hit by a bolt of lightening and for the first time I saw marriage material. That was 47 years ago. We have both gotten a little bit wrinkled and gray over the years, but I can still see the young girl in her. I didn’t marry Irene for better or for worse, I married her forever.”

Irene was born and raised in Prince Rupert. After high school she went to work for the Prince Rupert newspaper as their

typist. It was her job to type all the pages in columns. From there her work was sent on to be waxed, assembled on each page and readied for printing. That type of work is now redundant and is currently done on a computer.

When the children started to arrive, Irene became a stay-at-home mom.

They have two sons; Paul and Neal who in turn gave them three grandchildren.

Jerry said, “Irene is the grandma and she is tied to the hip with all three of them. Two of them are seven and one is five and they all adore their grandma. Irene has always been family oriented.”

Ten years later – and because he didn’t like all the rain – they moved to Prince George where Jerry worked as a printer and pressman by trade for the Prince George Citizen.

He didn’t like the cold weather so they moved to Penticton; that was even worse because he could not take the hot climate. They moved back to Prince George and Jerry went to work part time for Steve Dergez at his shoe repair shop called Steve & Sons Shoe Shop Ltd.

Steve who was a master shoe maker, eventually hired Jerry full time and taught him the trade. He taught him everything

there was to know about shoe repair, how the machines worked and the fact that he would have to know how to repair all the machines because the closest repair person that he knew about lived in Seattle.

Jerry bought the business off Steve in 2000. Steve had four sons who were all busy in the logging industry and not interested in the shoe shop. Steve had visions that his sons would one day take over the business so he named his business accordingly.

Jerry bought the business with no intention of changing the name.

He said, “Steve was a master shoemaker. He worked hard, earned a good reputation, treated people fairly and did some amazing work. I am a shoemaker, but not a master shoemaker. However, I am aiming for the title.

I have 55 annual city of Prince George business licenses pinned on the wall of my store. I never intended to change the name of the business but I did intend to live up to Steve’s good reputation. Our motto has always been ‘If the shoe fits repair it!’

“I do leather and shoe repair and I do orthopedic work for people and companies such as ICBC, workers compensation and other insurance companies that have

to cover injuries to the feet and legs. Many people suffer from bunions and making life easier for them is a big part of my business.

“I am the only shoe repair business from Prince George to the Arctic Circle and from Prince George to Penticton. I have always enjoyed my job; I never hated to go to work I just hated to get out of bed. I tend to be a bit of a night (owl).

“Now that I am 77 years old, I think I would like to retire. I tried it once many years ago for a week and I was back in three days. I didn’t like retirement so I just came back to my store. Now, I am thinking about trying it again. I am willing to sell my store lock stock and barrel and as part of the sale I would stay on and work along side of the new owner for one year and teach them the trade.

“It is getting to be time to retire. I have met some wonderful and interesting people over the years; I know many people but many more people know me. I have had a good life and a long life. I did everything I ever wanted to do. I have a great family and a wonderful wife. I got married when I was 26, settled down, had a family, survived cancer and I am happy and content with my life.”

Photo credit to come Jerry Gauthreau repairs a shoe at Steve & Sons Shoe Shop Ltd. on George Street.

Animals have played an important role in human space exploration. Use the code to discover the year that each of these space exploration events happened. Then draw a line to where the event belongs on the timeline. The rst one is done for you.

First Dog in Space

Space Flies

The rst animals in space were fruit ies! They were sent 68 miles (108km) above the earth and parachuted to a landing. They survived their journey.

Monkey in Space

Yorick

Launched 236,000feet,Yorick wasthe rstmonkeytosurvivea space ight.Hetraveledwith11 miceonhisjourney.

Use the Kid Scoop Secret Decoder Ring to discover the name of this book by Drew Brockington, which is available at the library.

When the world is thrust into darkness due to a global energy shortage, a special animal team is sent to set up a solar power plant on the moon! In this graphic novel, readers meet the fearless Commander Major Meowser, and the brave-but-hungry pilot Waffles. They are joined by genius inventor, Blanket, and the quick-thinking science officer Pom Pom.

To discover the name of this book, find the letter on the outer ring, then replace it with the letter below it on the inner ring.

Pair of Pooches theRussiancosmonautYuriGagarinbecame Vostokrstmaninspace.Gagarin'sspacecraft,

Circle every other letter to discover what the Russian names Belka and Strelka mean.

Humanson theMoon

NeilArmstrongfollowedbyBuzz Aldrinbecamethe rstmenonApollothemoon.Theirspaceship, 11, ewthem250,000 milestothemoonandbrought thembacksafelytoearth.

page? Belka and Strelka traveled with mice onboard their ship. How many? Cross out the even-numbed mice and count the odd-numbered mice to dicover the answer. and

many dogs can you nd on

Libraries Connect Communities

The next time you visit your library, ask the librarian to see a calendar of special events. Libraries feature guest speakers, authors, special programs about local history and so much more.

When you find a program that sounds interesting to you, check out some books on the topic so that you will be able to ask good questions of the guest speaker.

If you learn enough about a particular subject, someday YOU might be the guest speaker!

and

© 2019 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 35, No. 33

The Russian space dog Laika

Rhesus monkey named Albert was the rst primate in space. He ew to a height of 83 miles from Earth.

Strelka

WANNA SAVE THE WORLD?

What follows is an attempt at satire, or at least partly tonguein-cheek:

Daily our news headlines shout at least one of these: “Save the environment,” ”Stop greenhouse gases,” “Stop the tar sands,” “Clean up the oceans,” “Save the trees,” “Save the rivers” “Save the spirit bear,” “Save the boreal forest,” “Save the animals” and “Climate crisis.”

Most Canadians could easily add to that list.

Apparently, we are so concerned about so many environmental concerns that studies are showing an increase in anxiety and depression. Heartless soul that I am, I am going to add one more thing to the list of things causing environmental damage: your morality; your personal life choices, those choices you make based on your own morality; your sense of right and wrong.

Maybe you are outraged and immediately declare “You can’t legislate morality.”

Or that it’s none of my business. If you have ever felt compelled to save the world from impending environmental collapse, and want other people to change their behavior, Well, maybe, maybe not? We have laws against theft. Hmmm. What is the environmental impact of theft? Ever been to Costco? Ever wonder why they package small items inside those huge, impregnable, plastic packages? To prevent theft.

When we teach our kids that theft is wrong, and when we punish theft, that is a moral exercise. In other words, morality.

Another moral topic, and it’s carbon footprint: your sex life.

Yep. Sex can be more or less hazardous to the environment, depending on your choices.

How so? Consider your options: sex with whomever strikes your fancy, sex with a series of partners, or the “boring” sex of a life-long married couple.

The first and second options require a more carbon intensive lifestyle. You need protection from spreading disease, which requires a piece of latex, which is pretty much plastic. (Want to have a conversation about reducing single-use plastics?)

If the protection fails and you contract a disease, you enlarge your carbon

SOLUTION TO: OPENING SET

THINKING ALOUD

TRUDY KLASSEN

footprint by the purchase of medication, which requires untold amounts of all kinds of resources to research and manufacture.

If a baby is conceived, well, the carbon footprint is increased exponentially. If the pregnancy is aborted, a trip to a medical facility is required, the procedure scheduled, the “products of conception” have to be incinerated, all of which releases more carbon, all to no benefit to you or anyone else.

If you chose to parent the child with a virtual stranger, or someone you are not married to, you will likely not be living in the same house, so the carbon footprint will be huge compared to a family living in one house. Driving the kid to and fro, eating out more, competing with the other parent to show who loves the child most by buying them the most, etc. Choose the boring moral option and your carbon footprint is smaller.

Not convinced? Lying, cheating, abusing, defaming, breaking contracts, all cause greater output of natural resources than honesty and keeping promises. Breaking a contract will land you in court. Necessitating a drive to the lawyer and the courthouse. Then all the extra hours you will have to work to pay for your lawyer, and the driving, and the paper, and the ink; you get my drift. Lying, cheating, and abusing, can all cause mental health issues which can cause all kinds of casual use of resources which could be better utilized or simply remain unused if they didn’t happen, or at least happened less.

Maybe I am out-to-lunch. Maybe my argument has more holes than a singleuse piece of latex. But, maybe, the moral choices we make daily matter to the environment more than we think. Maybe they matter more than screaming at the unknown forces of global enterprises. At the very least, they are something we can immediately improve. And we just might be happier.

DON’T LET HEAT GET UNDER YOUR SKIN WHILE DRIVING

Summers in B.C. may entail clear blue skies, the beach and enjoying the company of family and friends. However, in the dog days of summer, as temperatures rise, traffic increases and drivers need to fight the temptation to drive aggressively.

So how do you counter the heat and frustration and not let it get under your skin?

Condition yourself to the reality that there are somethings in your control and others that you have no control over.

We all have our favorite summer destinations, and suffering through traffic jams is the price we gladly pay for getting there. So, plan your route in advance by checking out DriveBC.ca for the latest information on driving conditions, any construction projects

that may create delays and weather conditions – and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.

If traveling with the family and/or young ones, carve out time for meals or a visit to a local attraction to break up the monotony of a long trip.

Congested roads make for harder driving conditions and greater potential for aggressive driving and road rage. Likewise, vacationing drivers are often unfamiliar

with the roads, which can lead to erratic or unpredictable decisions, so in both cases, give them a wide berth.

We all know that when the summer mood kicks in, we want to drive faster and enjoy the wind, but this rush of adrenaline comes at the great cost of endangering the lives of those around us. Use caution and observe speed limits.

When driving in your own community during the hot summer months, it’s easy to lose your cool as other drivers may cut you off or duck into a parking stall ahead of you. Keep your cool. Take a deep breath –because an accident or potential altercation isn’t worth it.

When you park your vehicle, make sure to take your kids or pets along. Even a few

minutes can turn a locked car into a sauna. The vast majority of vehicular heatstroke victims are three-years of age or younger and this is the time of year when adults need to be extra vigilant.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record to those who read these columns on a regular basis, please exercise caution during these hot months when the forest fire danger becomes extreme – and butt out our cigarettes appropriately.

Summer is definitely meant to be enjoyed to the fullest, but with a little planning and caution, it should also be safe for everyone.

— Blair Qualey is president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca.