TwisTer sisTer
Wine performs on stage Saturday night at the
NeW trial For BjorNSoN murder
Mark NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The B.C. Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial for a Nakazdli man serving a life sentence for a grisly, drug-related murder committed seven years ago on the reserve outside Fort St. James.
In a decision issued Jan. 24, a threejudge panel found the judge overseeing the trial for James David Junior Charlie failed to properly explain to the jury the law on liability for murder.
It was the Crown's theory that Charlie was one of four men who, on the night of Jan. 12, 2012, assaulted Fribjon Bjornson in the basement of a home on the reserve and that Charlie provided a wire or cord
to one of the others knowing he would use it to strangle the victim.
After hearing testimony over five weeks, jury members deliberated for two days before reaching their verdict in October 2017.
On seeking a retrial, Charlie's counsel argued the judge erred in several ways in answering the jury’s questions during deliberations and, in particular, claimed he gave faulty in instructions on liability for murder.
While Crown prosecution disputed most of the grounds, it conceded the judge erred in failing to instruct the jury that the party must have known that the principal intended to commit the crime
to be convicted of the crime.
The panel agreed with the Crown.
"While this conclusion is a burden to all those interested in pressing the case to a decisive conclusion, particularly the family and friends of Mr. Bjornson, and also those called on to take part in the trial, in my view, the verdict must be set aside and a new trial ordered," Justice Mary Saunders said in the decision written on behalf of the panel.
Charlie was sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole for 25 years and to a concurrent term of three years for indignity to a human body.
In June 2018, co-accused Wesley Duncan and Jesse Bird were sentenced to life
without parole for at least 15 years after they pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Charlie's sister, Theresa, who had been in custody for three-and-a-half years, was sentenced to time served on a count of indignity to a dead body.
On Facebook, Bjornson's mother, Eileen, provided a reaction to the decision.
"I am so damn angry and sick to my stomach! They have granted an appeal to James Charlie Jr. based on a technicality. We have to go through this whole thing again! Why can’t he take responsibility for his actions. He helped murder Frib and he should pay the price. Instead we have to face all of this again. It is unbelievable!!!!"
P rince G eor G ecitizen
Citizen photo by James Doyle
Brandy
Prince George Playouse during the Cure For Cabin Fever burlesque show, presented by Foxxie Follies.
Schools facing teacher shortage
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
The union that represents Prince George teachers told School District 57 trustees last week that the current teacher shortage in the province is a “crisis.”
Daryl Beauregard, first vice-president of the Prince George District Teachers Association, delivered that message at the Jan. 28 school board meeting and he implored trustees to pressure the provincial government to provide better salaries that will make B.C. schools more attractive to out-of-province teachers. “This is a crisis, it’s been going on for three years but it’s really getting bad now,” said Beauregard. “Your human resources department works very hard to staff classrooms and to fill our TTOC (Teachers Teaching On Call) ranks. But there simply isn’t enough people to hire, they would hire them if they were there. We cannot get enough people to be interested in moving to British Columbia.”
According to Beauregard, B.C. schools are funded $1,800 per student below the national average. That shortfall, as well as teacher salaries which rank near the bottom of the country, is crippling the ability of school districts to recruit teachers.
He told the board that in Prince George there are 13 full-time teaching positions which remain unfilled, with 16 additional vacancies anticipated. For the winter semester which began last week, there are three positions available for French immersion teachers, nine unfilled positions at elementary schools and four at secondary schools.
Before June, he said an additional three secondary school teachers will be needed as well as two more in French immersion and five non-enrolling support teacher jobs.
”These numbers are staggering because this hasn’t happened before,” Beauregard said. “Some of it is for positive reasons, we had 40 maternity leaves of
Kindergarten registration open
Online registration for kindergarten in the Prince George school district is underway.
On Jan. 28, the day School District 57 opened its website to receive online registration forms for kindergarten next fall, the names of more than 660 students who will turn five on or before Dec. 31, 2020, were received that day.
Parents are required to submit proof of age with a birth certificate, proof of address and a BC Care Card/BC Services Card to complete the registration process.
School District 57 board of education chair Tim Bennett said the district is on track for at least 1,000 kindergarten students in the 2020-21 school year.
“We had 660-plus kindergarten registrations on the first day and that is about on par with what we normally receive, but if the last few years are any indication that number is going to continue to grow right up to September 30th when the final count happens,” said Bennett.
“(The first day of registration) is big rush for families or those who perhaps are choosing one of our choice programs because French immersion spaces at Spruceland Traditional and Polaris Montessori are all capped at 40 to 60 students, depending on the school.”
The other schools that offer French immersion beginning at kindergarten are École Lac des Bois (maximum of 60 stu-
dents) and College Heights Elementary (maximum of 40 students).
The catchment area of all choice schools is the entire school district. Priority will be given to families who already have siblings attending the choice school. The names of the other applicants who registered before Tuesday's deadline for entry into choice programs were placed in an envelope, to be randomly drawn in a lottery until all classroom seats are filled.
Those whose names were not drawn were placed on a wait list. Parents will be informed as to whether they’ve been accepted into the school or if they are on the wait list.
Those who did not get chosen are required to register their child at their catchment school and if they want to attend an out-of-catchment school they must then go through the district’s transfer process.
Several Prince George elementary schools – Edgewood, Glenview, Hart Highlands, Heritage, Malaspina, Southridge, Springwood - expect their kindergarten classrooms will be close to full enrolment capacity and won’t likely be accepting students from out of the catchment area.
This year, there were 12,894 students, up slightly from 12,792 in 2018-19, 12,610 in 2017-18 and 12,423 in 2016-17. Of the current school year total, 7,807 are attending elementary schools and 4,783 are in secondary schools.
staff this year. That’s something we want to celebrate. Then it occurred to me that our members’ babies will fill more than two new kindergarten classrooms and in the coming years we probably don’t the ability to recruit the teachers to staff it."
SD 57 board chair Tim Bennett said the teacher shortage was discussed two weekends ago at the B.C. School Trustees Association Northern Interior Branch meeting. Bennett said the Prince George district has hired a full-time recruitment and retention officer and created recruitment videos for all of its regions.
Anita Richardson, who moved from Alberta in December to replace Rod Allen as SD 57 superintendent, says there is a wide wage discrepancy between the two provinces which adds to the difficulty B.C. schools are facing.
“Although Alberta has had wage freezes for quite a few years consecutively, they’re still significantly higher than B.C. right now,” she said. “So there’s not a huge draw for teachers in Alberta to
come to B.C. because working in Alberta on-call they still make a decent wage compared to what they would make fulltime in B.C.”
Richardson said B.C. is not alone in its struggle to recruit teachers in French immersion, shop and specialty programs, which she says is a nationwide problem.
B.C. teachers have been without a contract June 30, 2019. That collective agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2013 was ratified after a five-week provincewide strike in 2014, the longest teachers’ strike in B.C. history.
In November, teachers rejected mediator David Schaub’s recommendation of a three-year contract which would increases wages two per cent annually.
Finance Minister Carole James said last week there will be no new money for teachers in the budget the NDP government will table on Feb. 18.
BCTF president Teri Mooring said the union is discussing job action which could escalate to a strike vote.
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
ResouRce sectoR shRinking: study
The natural-resource sector will remain the cornerstone of northern B.C.’s economy, but it is changing in its nature and its weight, the B.C. Natural Resource Forum heard last week.
The proportion of B.C.’s population that lives in the northern region has shrunk to seven per cent as of 2016, compared with nine per cent in 1996, Joel McKay, CEO of the Northern Development Initiative Trust, said in an address at the forum.
Provincewide, the number of people working directly in forestry, mining and energy fell to 4.4 per cent of the provincial workforce as of 2016, compared with eight per cent in 1997.
“We kind of had an idea that’s the direction things have been going in communities,” McKay said.
His organization commissioned the study, conducted by accounting firm
MNP, to quantify the shifts, driven largely by automation.
“If you’ve spent time in rural communities, you know our industries have been adopting technology, in many cases resources industries can be described as high-technology industries,” McKay said.
What that has meant is a trend toward fewer jobs in traditional industries that involve less manual labour and more automated tools.
“We talk a lot about the fourth industrial revolution that is coming,” McKay said. “The data shows that it’s been here for 20 years.”
That is not even counting the shortterm beating that forestry, the region’s core resource industry, has been taking, with collapsing markets and a shrinking timber base that has resulted in closures and curtailments across the north.
The MNP report cited three mills permanently shuttered, one temporary closure, and three more that reduced
shifts, which McKay said has cost the region 1,200 jobs.
Because of that, he added, economic growth projections for the north remain flat, despite the region absorbing the ramp up of construction on LNG Canada’s $40-billion development, the biggest private-sector investment in Canadian history, and B.C. Hydro’s Site C Dam project, the biggest public infrastructure project in the country at the moment.
“The short-term outlook is, well, mixed at best,” McKay wrote in his introduction to the report.
That is not to say that mega-projects aren’t generating opportunities or that resources won’t play a major, albeit smaller, role in the northern economy, McKay said, but the long-talked-about goal of diversifying rural economies “remains elusive.”
Nearly 1,200 delegates gathered in Prince George’s Civic Centre, a record for the 17-year-old forum, to take in presentations, network and do business in side
meetings to the main event.
Even forestry offers future opportunities out of the sheer weight of demographics, according to Fiona McDonald, a project manager at the B.C. Council of Forest Industries.
“Over the next 10 years, 50 per cent of our workforce will be ready to retire, so it means there are still bountiful opportunities in the forest sector and in the north,” McDonald said.
McDonald spoke on a panel that discussed the challenges of attracting the next generation of young workers.
McKay said part of the strategy will mean focusing on investments in health care, education and amenities that improve the quality of life in rural communities.
“The end deliverable is more livable communities,” McKay said. “Vancouver was once a mill town, but now it’s one of the most livable cities in the world. That’s what we need to talk about from a rural perspective.”
SuSpectS arreSted after buS driver attacked
A man and a woman were arrested following an uproar on a city transit bus.
Geoffery David Lamb, 30, has been charged with one count each of assaulting a peace officer, uttering threats, causing a disturbance and resisting arrest and Marsha Michelle Lewis, 29, has been charged with assault and resisting arrest, according to court records.
The two were taken into custody after RCMP were called at about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 to a report of an unruly and intoxicated man harassing other passengers in the bus at UNBC.
When the man and a woman who was
with him were asked to get off the bus, they refused and attacked the bus driver, police were told. In the name of safety, the bus was subsequently cleared of the all passengers and police were called in. RCMP said the first officer to arrive was pointed towards the suspects who had left the bus and were walking away from police. Backup was called in when the two resisted arrest and, with the help of a second officer, the two were taken into custody, RCMP said. The first officer, meanwhile, attended hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Both appeared in Prince George provincial court, where each was released on $500 bail.
Citizen staff
Parole board revokes arsonist’s release
Mark NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Parole Board of Canada has revoked the statutory release for a man who failed a drug test while serving a federal sentence for setting a fire that led to the death of a noted member of Prince George’s Sikh community.
Frank William Edward Marion tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and a metabolite of cocaine, according to a parole board appeal division decision issued Jan. 22.
Marion had appealed a panel’s decision in September to put him back in custody, claiming in part that the teas he consumes as part of his raw vegan diet could have been the reason for the outcome.
Members of the appeal division dismissed the finding outright.
“It is highly unlikely that a raw vegan diet would produce detectable amounts of amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and metabolite-benzoylecgonine in a test sample, even if you were consuming hemp-based products,” the members said.
Marion also claimed one of the substances was for a medication prescribed to him but a pharmacist “clearly indicated” that none of those medications could account for the finding.
The outcome of the drug test was not the only reason Marion’s release was revoked.
The panel cited “deteriorating patterns
of behaviour while on statutory release, your noncompliance with rules and breaches of imposed special conditions, and your ongoing mental health needs.”
Marion was sentenced in July 2014 to a further six years and three months for a January 2012 house fire and the death of Jagdev Singh Jawanda, 85.
Marion was renting the second floor of the three-story house at 2772 Merritt Rd. where Jawanda lived and was the landlord.
Firefighters found a jerry can holding gas in Marion’s bedroom and a tank of propane in the suite’s oven.
Had the propane detonated, the house would have “gone off like a bomb,” the court had heard during the trial.
A retired math teacher, Jawanda was described as a deeply religious man who dedicated his life to education and helping others.
His death meant he was never able to see his five-week-old grandson, the court heard at sentencing.
A psychiatrist concluded Marion did not meet the criteria for certification under the Mental Health Act.
Although Marion experienced psychotic symptoms in the past, the psychiatrist found they were largely a function of his substance abuse.
In passing sentence, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ron Tindale called Marion’s actions a “horrible and senseless crime.”
Haisla cHief backs lNG developmeNt
Arthur WILLIAMS Citizen staff
Haisla Nation Chief Councillor
Crystal Smith gave a passionate, off-the-cuff speech Jan. 30 in defence of LNG development at the BC Natural Resources Forum.
Rather than wear a suit and give her prepared speech, Smith said she chose to dress like her real self – wearing a sweater and yoga pants – and speak from the heart, instead of repeating the same speaking points she's said dozens of times.
"I had a 20-page prepared speech. As I read it it the other night, I thought, 'I can't read this.' The 'managing poverty to managing prosperity...' You guys have heard those speeches," Smith said. "In reality, this is me."
Smith said she and her council support the development of the LNG Canada natural gas export terminal in Kitimat and the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline which would supply it, because it means economic opportunities for their people.
"Our nation's goal is to be an independent, powerful and prosperous nation. We can't get there without powerful, prosperous, independent people.”
She said she and her twin sister grew up mostly in the care of their grandparents.
"My grandfather was a victim of the residential school, but they made my twin sister's life most memorable. I didn't think we were poor. We ate traditional food every day. But I grew up poor."
Her mother died in her early 40s of cancer, and Smith and her twin helped raise their nine-year-old sister.
"Poverty, been there. Suicide, been there," she said. "I don't want our people to continue living that life."
Smith said she remembers being 11 or 12 years old, walking by the band office on her way to school in the Kitimaat Village, and thinking the only jobs she'd ever likely get were as a janitor or working as an assistant in the band office.
"Alcan or the band office, those were the two places I had a chance to work," she said. "I'm going to get pregnant early,
be on social assistance. I'm going to be a burden on society. I'm supposed to be stupid, right? I came out of that school believing that."
She went to a local community college but dropped out after a year.
The self-fulfilling prophecy came true when she got a job working as an assistant to the elected chief at the band office.
Projects like LNG Canada's gas terminal are giving her people a chance to escape poverty and have hope for the future, she said.
The project is also generating benefits at the First Nation governance level, she added, providing revenue to support projects.
"For the first time ever, we're funding culture and language programs. We're also expanding existing programs. This independence is what we want," she said.
"This is what we need more of in our community. We need to heal our people. No other government... has been able to heal our people the way they need it."
Smith said she is also mindful that the
project isn't just an opportunity for them, but for their neighbours and other First Nations in the region.
"At every First Nations table I sit at, or to the other First Nations leaders in the room... I want to see your people come to Kitimat," she said. "There is enough opportunity, we're not going to be be able to fill it all. That opportunity is LNG Canada and Coastal GasLink."
When asked about the blockade by some Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their supporters impeding work on the Coastal GasLink pipeline, Smith said she is sympathetic to the Wet'suwet'en people and the difficult political divide in their community.
"These are people's lives. Our community experienced that, too. There is a political divide, and you have families that don't talk to each other. It is the hardest thing to go through..." she said. "What is happening in the territory of the Wet'suwet'en can only be resolved by the Wet'suwet'en. (But) they have the power – forget the titles, the people have the power to decide who leads them."
UNBC presideNt oN mediCal leave
them," Weeks said.
Further details were not provided.
UNBC president Daniel Weeks is taking medical leave. In an email sent to UNBC staff Jan. 29, Weeks said he is taking the step effective immediately and its length is unknown at this point.
"I am dealing with some matters that I have put on hold for many, many weeks, but on the advice of my physician, I should no longer delay dealing with
Geoff Payne, UNBC's vice president, research and graduate programs, will serve as acting president, Weeks said.
Last month, UNBC professor Peter Jackson presented a notice of motion to UNBC's senate calling for a non-confidence vote against Weeks. A steering committee to review the motion for inclusion in the Feb. 26 senate meeting.
Citizen staff
Carrier Sekani, provinCe Sign $175 million deal
Seven Carrier Sekani First Nations will share in $175 million under a five-year agreement signed Jan. 29 with the provincial government.
Dubbed Pathways Forward 2.0, it was described as an "historic partnership" that "promises to boost the economy in the entire Omineca region while increasing self-determination for the signatory First Nations."
Measures in the agreement include:
- an economic development fund worth $70 million over five years to support
business development, partnerships with neighbouring communities and joint ventures;
- $40 million over five years to accommodate for impacts on the land from forest and range activities in the territory;
- $25 million over five years to build "capacity" to implement the agreement and continue negotiations on a longterm, comprehensive reconciliation agreement between CSFNs and the provincial and federal governments;
- $12.5 million over five years for programs to revitalize Carrier and Sekani languages and culture;
- $12.5 million over five years to build on governance processes and structures, with a goal of full self-government.
The First Nations will also receive $15 million in 2020-21 for a wealth fund.
With Premier John Horgan in attendance, the agreement was signed at the Uda Dune Baiyoh (House of Ancestors) Conference Centre in Prince George.
It follows on an interim agreement, signed in April 2017, meant to increase its members First Nations' participation in the forest economy. The latest version also commits to bringing the federal government to the negotiations going forward. Priorities for continued negotiation of a long-term agreement include lands, forest tenure opportunities and implementation of rights and title.
"All we really want for our communities is to thrive, and when our communities thrive our neighbours thrive, British Columbians and Canadians," Carrier Sekani Tribal Council Tribal Chief Mina Holmes said. "This agreement helps bring our communities and members
back into equitable balance, to help close the social and economic gaps between us and our neighbours."
Signatories include the Stellat’en First Nation, Nadleh Whut’en, Ts’il Kaz Koh First Nation, Saik’uz First Nation, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Takla Nation and Tl’azt’en Nation. Their combined population is over 8,400 people and their combined territories span about 69,600 square km - which is almost the size of New Brunswick, or 7.4 per cent of B.C.
Chief Mina Holmes
Is your busIness gettIng you down?
In these late winter months, when the season seems to drag on with dark clouds, winter snows and short days, I start to feel in the doldrums. I lack energy, enthusiasm, I don’t want to be around people, my projects seem to be dragging on and I get a sense of dread at the thought of more work.
I am especially cynical of world news this time of year that benefits governments, multinationals pharmaceutical companies or politicians, and at the same time create fear and distraction. In many ways, I would like to crawl under the covers and come out like a bear in springtime when it’s warm and the sun is beating down and I feel happier.
Chances are that when I crawl under the covers, I will wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. with my head spinning with the number of things I should be working on. If I was mystical instead of cynical, I might think that I am going through a dark night of the soul. However, like many entrepreneurs I have been here with this sense of burnout before and know that “this too shall pass.”
Entrepreneurs are especially susceptible to burnout and depression. In fact, a recent study by BDC in Canada found that 62 per cent of entrepreneurs feel depressed on a weekly basis.
The fact is that most entrepreneurs and business leaders have no one to talk to about what is going on. They are faced with challenges that most people wouldn’t understand if they haven’t been in those roles.
Businesses too, go through doldrums.
BUSINESS
COACH
DAVE FULLER
Some of these are seasonally affected as well.
For many businesses, January and February are especially slow times and many businesses are struggling with cash flow challenges and difficulty making sales targets. This can cause tension, stress, dysfunction and boredom amongst employees. Employees want to fix the situation and know that they are reliant on the success of the business to make their payments at home. Unfortunately, despite their best intentions they don’t know what to do and often, because of the cyclical nature of the business, there might not be many options.
So, what is the cause of these doldrums and what can we do as leaders if we face them?
• Have a plan. This may seem easy, however, most businesses fail to plan for off seasons and downtime. We think that in the frenzy of our busy season we will cherish the slow down, and yet after a few weeks of lower sales we wish again that we were busy. I have been there. In one of my businesses we decided that we were going to figure out how to grow our sales in our slow times and came up with plans to deal with our two or three months of slowdown through diversifica-
tion of our offerings. That worked and after a couple years of tweaking our plans, we saw our sales grow significantly to the point where we needed to hire more staff instead of laying off employees.
As entrepreneurs we too need a plan. I know of many leaders that head for a sun holiday in the middle of winter when they know that they are going to be affected the most. Having taken a couple winter holidays myself, I have seen the benefit. These trips require advance planning to ensure that we can fit it into our busy schedules can accommodate them.
But let’s say for financial or family reasons you can’t enjoy the benefits of natural Vitamin D, then what do you do? It is incumbent on us as leaders to look out and provide for our mental well-being. If that means we need to get out and exercise, go for walks, take supplements, or meditate more, then we need to work those aspects into our day for our sakes and that of those around us.
As leaders, it might not be the slow times that affect us as much as the ongoing busyness and weight of our workload. In those cases, we need to schedule down time into our days, weeks and years in order to ensure our long term effectiveness as leaders. At one point in my career, I failed to do this and after several years of intense work and pressure I ended up for two weeks on the couch unable to do anything except sleep and complain this was followed by several months where I had to cut back on my workload.
• Get out there. I was working recently
with a business who did struggle with off seasons. We worked on a plan where the owner was going to spend time getting out and knocking on doors to drum up more business. They also incorporated the building of a marketing plan to boost sales. As it was recent the effects of this are yet to be determined.
As leaders we need to get out there too. When we feel that we want to run and hide is exactly the time when we need to reach out to friends and family and find something to celebrate. It’s amazing how an evening with friends and a few laughs can cheer us up for days.
• Get help. As leaders we are often embarrassed to get help for ourselves or our businesses because we feel we should be able to do it all. The truth is, we can’t. Like many leaders I have a support network that includes professionals that I can rely on for advice, mentorship and coaching when I am going through a hard time. There is no shame in understanding that you don’t have all the answers and need advice. There are people both in your industry and outside of it who have gone through similar struggles and have survived. You can too.
Struggling in business and leadership is normal, seasonal, and difficult. “This too shall pass.” should be a motto that you hold on to because if you continue in business you will need it from time to time.
— Dave Fuller, MBA is an Award Winning Business Coach and the Author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Email Dave at dave@profityourselfhealthy.com
Thinking like g re Ta
There is a new term that has entered our language - “the Greta effect.” This refers to the impact of Greta Thunberg, the teenage Swedish climate activist who was named the 2019 Person of the Year by Time magazine. Greta has made it clear that we are in a climate crisis and the time to act is now. A significant contributor to climate change is the airline industry. The fact that more people, especially in Europe, are shifting from air travel to rail travel is being attributed to the Greta effect. Airlines worldwide are feeling the pressure. There is a Swedish term which is also becoming popular today -“flygskam." This translates to “flight shame." Are people really choosing not to fly because they feel shame? Doesn’t it have more to do with a growing mindfulness among those who care about the future of our planet? I don’t have anything against people flying but if I have an alternative choice which reduces my carbon footprint, I will take it. People in
LESSONS IN LEARNING
GERRY CHIDIAC
Europe, for example, have a very accessible and efficient rail system which is largely electric, so while air traffic drops, rail traffic is increasing.
Along with airplanes, however, cars and trucks are major contributors to global warming. We do need vehicles for many things, but when we observe ourselves objectively, we recognize that we have been duped by advertisers and the mainstream media into a love affair with the automobile. They are convenient and comfortable, but one’s car is also a status symbol. As a result, we overlook other viable means of transportation which leave almost no carbon footprint. This is not good and it is destroying our planet.
With my own growing awareness of
climate change, I can no longer watch the traffic report on the Vancouver morning news without thinking, “I wonder how much all those cars are contributing to climate change.” I then think of all the cities where the same climate disaster is played out every day.
When visiting Toronto last summer, I was astounded by the growing urban sprawl. What was more disturbing, however, was how poorly it was planned. Very few of the new homes were built near rail lines but there was a constant expansion of the highway system. I had to ask myself, “What are we thinking?”
It is important to make our voices heard in climate protests and to lobby for changes in public policy which will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We must hold our politicians, land developers and urban planners accountable as they make decisions that impact how environmentally friendly our communities will be. The most significant change we can make, however, is to ask ourselves
some challenging questions every day to dependence on the automobile. Do I really need to drive? Could I walk, ride a bike or take mass transit? Is this the most efficient car I can use? Is there any way to carpool? Have I ever thought of how much money this car is costing me? If I am a young person being driven by my parents, do I really need to be dropped off right in front of the door where traffic is most congested?
The fact is driving is stressful and exhausting and it is one of the most dangerous things we can do. Walking is wonderful, relaxing and good for our health. Taking mass transit is even more relaxing, a tremendous opportunity to read a book or even take a nap.
If we keep doing what we are doing, we will destroy our planet. Air travel and the automobile culture are contributing significantly to our own demise. The Greta effect is simply a growing mindfulness of these facts, and with mindfulness comes the awareness to make better decisions.
OPINION
LETTERS To The ediTor
Horgan misses
With respect to the January 30, 2020 editorial “Horgan scores with industry,” we respectfully disagree with some of the core thoughts.
While the governing New Democrats have not installed industry crushing legislation, per se, we have numerous policy and taxation shifts that have increased the burden on small, medium and large businesses and taxpayers.
The Employers Health Tax (EHT), which included concurrent years of the provincial government receiving dual payments, has created impacts across the board, not the least of which is decreased revenue generation for the not-for-profit sector. The Prince George Chamber of Commerce has heard directly from several organizations working with at risk and vulnerable persons that their donation and sponsorship dollars have decreased since the implementation of the EHT. These partners have indicated that this is a direct result of millions of dollars being allocated to EHT remittance.
Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) have driven up the costs of projects which have not yet begun. This leads to massive project overruns on every single CBA based project coming forward. And there will be several, at least, before rulings are made on this industry crushing legislation. For example, initial projections indicate a seven per cent minimum increase to CBA projects. When you’re dealing in millions and billions, seven per cent is nothing to sneeze at.
Removal of tolls on Lower Mainland bridges was yet another stone cast in favour of a political base - not the entirety of a province they are elected to represent. Some taxes in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley have been deferred in favour of Translink becoming responsible for their infrastructure. While the rest of the province has been paying hospital taxes and contributing to the provincial coffers, the commuters in the Lower Mainland have largely skated those fees and have now skated paying their fair, or fare, share. In October 2019, Vaughn Palmer estimated a loss in toll revenue of $486 million and climbing.
Fighting TMX all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, losing at every turn, was an exercise in futility. Not that the opposition is clean in court battles costing the taxpayers a pretty penny in legal fees, we are talking about industry and the impacts, which bares comparison. The last tally put legal fees fighting TMX at $1 million. While the economy of B.C. and Prince George continues to shift, industry - specifically the resource development industry - remains a driving force for the province. More can and must be done to secure new projects, work more closely with existing
projects and promote our world-class resource development industries here at home and globally.
Todd
Corrigall, CEO Prince George Chamber of Commerce
great Care
I fell last Saturday evening and it was serious enough to need an emergency room visit. From the front desk to Xray to the doctor, I got kind and efficient attention. It turned out I broke my pelvis and it hurt like the devil but everyone in that department did all possible to make me as comfortable as possible. My neighbor, Ted, was wonderful with his assistance.
We often hear folks complain about the hospital but I do not have a single complaint. Now to find someone able to board my lovely dog for a bit. She really misses our walks.
Darlene Wainwright, Prince George
Compassion needed
I am writing today to discuss the recent outcry about the homelessness issue in downtown P.G. All the complaining I have been hearing about how much the homeless people of downtown Prince George affects downtown and the businesses. I’ve been hearing how it is not safe to go downtown. I work downtown and see another side. I don’t see criminals that are to be feared. I see people, human beings that are someone’s brother, sister or child. I see people that have experienced trauma, abuse, addiction and mental health issues.
This is not just a downtown issue but a community issue. We don’t need to turn our heads on them when they need us the most. We need real solutions. We need affordable housing, safe spaces and low barrier shelters with services in place. A little human compassion will also go a long way.
Natalie Fletcher, Prince George
plastiC problem
For my Grade 12 social justice class, we were tasked with an action project. The purpose of this was to make a change in our community and do something small to change the world around us.
It took me an extremely long time to find an issue that I was passionate about and that I could help solve. In the end, I decided that I wanted to find a solution from an issue that affects us all equal and desperately needed fixing. Climate change is one thing that doesn’t care who you are or where you come from. It affects us all and will poison our Earth if we don’t act now and do something
about it. A large part of the climate crisis is the amount of single-use plastic that is currently floating around our oceans and how many more end up there every day.
It estimated that there is about 7,000 to 35,000 tons of garbage in the oceans of the world and most of that trash is plastic. Canadians alone use between 9 and 15 billion plastic bags a year, that’s enough to circle the globe 55 times.
I know it’s hard to imagine a life without plastics in any shape or form and that isn’t what I am suggesting we do. Numerous things are made of plastic but what if instead of like traditional plastics we used plastics that were made from biodegradable materials that were better for the environment. Although you don’t hear a lot about them, there are plastic materials being produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils. These products are often referred to as bioplastics.
The benefits of making these bioplastics is that we can reduce the amount of non-biodegradable material we produce and reduce our carbon footprint. Currently, these products are still being developed and tested, but a major of people don’t even know that they exist. If we spread the word and make this a much more known piece of information, it might help us save our planet. Our Earth needs saving and this maybe a good step in the right direction.
Reagan Doucette Kucheravy Prince George
aCCessible eduCation
Education in British Columbia is amazing, in my opinion. However, one of the constant struggles I and may other students had is the accessibility of post-secondary education. Many students are pushed towards taking out massive loans to pay for their education, a barrier that prohibits many from building stable foundations after they complete their studies. With this huge obstacle, it is not surprising that many do not take that step. Or, if they do, it’s done much slower than it needs to be.
One of the biggest shocks during my time as a student is that British Columbia is the only province that does not offer either up-front grants, nor forgivable loans. The grants that British Columbia does offer rely on completion of a certain criteria (semester completion and/or completion of a certain program).
This is a system that encourages the taxing of the poor. What makes it worse is that this system is one that relatively few even know about as only 152 (as of 2017) received a grant within this system. The money is already invested into the system,
so why not create one that works? If the provincial government reallocates the over $30 million completion grant funds and the $57 million in tax credits, we already have a solid base for an up-front needs-based grants system that students in need can utilize during their financial crisis. With the reallocated funds and the reductions in costs of managing these boutique programs, the base would total over $87 million.
With the throne speech coming on Feb. 11, it’s crucial the we let our local MLAs know that we need their support in making education more accessible for the people of Prince George. It’s time that B.C. catches up with the rest of Canada.
Damon Robinson, Prince George
Volunteers needed
The Prince George Community for Kids would like to thank everyone that supported our 2020 art calendar sales.
The money raised from selling 178 calendars and six of the original art pieces goes directly to the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. Thanks to the Prince George Citizen and CFIS FM Radio for helping get the word out and Northern Hardware, Northland Chrysler, Prince George Golf and Curling Club and Omineca Art Centre for allowing us to sell calendars at their places of business.
The Prince George Community for Kids is looking for volunteers to help with our fundraisers, if you are able to help please call Rick Mintz at 250-964-9182 or e-mail at rmintz@shaw.ca.
Rick Mintz, Prince George
brew booster
Regarding Eric Brewer being inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame: yahoo for our Brew! It was a privilege to watch you from your first game as a Cougar and to follow your career. Your step over step and boom was awesome. We enjoyed going to every game and have always felt pride in watching you guys from the Cougars and onto your pro careers.
So glad you rightfully will be inducted in July. You deserve it with your dedication,hard work and all the community time you guys spent and that we met you and I had a jersey signed by all of you over a period of about five years and wore it proudly.
Jamie Misch, Peace River, Alta.
PRINCE
Worse than death
When is the last time you were asked to stand up to say a few words? Did you feel like you had lead in your shoes? Did you stumble over your words?
Nearly everyone of us will be asked to speak front of people at some point in our lives. The only way we get out of it is by dying young, in which case you are not reading this. For the rest of us, it is something to either endure, fear or learn to get good at and even enjoy.
Apparently, public speaking is something we should all working on, because we are better at it than computers. CBC Radio recently had a business column where the guest highlighted that to remain competitive in our workforce with ever-advancing technology, especially artificial intelligence, doing more work, we need to improve our “soft” skills, which includes public speaking.
Throughout history, public speaking was more common. Evenings were spent telling stories. I have been told that the term “singing for your dinner” likely comes from the expectation that when stopping at a stagecoach waystation overnight, every passenger was expected to sing, or tell a story, play music or perform some kind of entertainment, in the evening.
Today, we have a different lifestyle, and at a click we can watch the best speakers from around the world. However, watching is not the same as doing and our children, especially, need to be comfortable enough in front of people to explain their ideas, recite a beloved poem or portion of a favourite story, and most importantly, to tell their own story, so that they are
THINKING
ALOUD TRUDY KLASSEN
equipped for their futures.
Show and tell, the Christmas or other special occasion school productions are the beginning of most public speaking experiences. Later, musicals, and drama or theatre classes and high school productions. Seeing what often-distracted students can put together under the guidance of their teachers is wonderful. It is amazing to watch shy children come out of their shells as they gain confidence in their voice and ability to tell a story.
Prince George has had a vibrant speech arts scene for many years. Many students have won at the Performing Arts Provincials, and last year local student Grace Li won at Carnegie Hall. Their 38th annual festival is happening April 25–May 1. Teachers are invited to enter their classes, and students can be entered individually as well. Some students choose to take speech arts and drama lessons from local teachers, others simply learn on their own. Adults are welcome to enter as well. So, consider this your invitationwhether you are a teacher with a class, a parent with children, or an adult wishing to improve your public speaking skills, to register for the festival. Information is online at www.princegeorgefestival.com. Online registration is from Feb. 8-23. This is your and your child’s opportunity to outsmart AI.
Back in the saddle
Ireceived a very sweet email today from a reader that was forwarded from my editor asking where I was and why wasn’t I writing anymore. There are a few legitimate reasons that I took an inadvertent break from writing my column. They are good and true reasons and, I think, people will be sympathetic towards my prolonged absence.
My initial pause in writing happened back in September when I was preparing for my thesis defense. I managed to come back a write a few columns after my defense but I was a bit overwhelmed by everything that happened during the months leading up to, and after, my (successful!) defense.
And then Christmas happened. Christmas, this year, was busy. My presents weren’t wrapped until two days before Christmas and shopping wasn’t completed until the 24th. As with every year, my immediate family spends the night on Christmas Eve so we can all wake up and let the madness ensue. The complicating factor was that, earlier in the month, I had confessed to my extended family that I hadn’t hosted Christmas dinner since our son was born in 2011. We managed to bypass that portion of familial responsibility for (nearly) eight years. All good things must come to an end – sadly. So, 2019 became the year that we actually hosted dinner. It was a lot of work. Mostly for my mom and my husband because people chase me out of the kitchen because I’m “always in the way.” Personally, I don’t think I’m always in the way – only a large amount of the time. I cleaned up and vacuumed instead. All jobs are important – so they tell me. Anyways, we made it through Christmas just fine but some-
where along the way, I fell out of the habit of writing.
Then, in January, I started a new job teaching English at the college. I have 100 students. It is a little overwhelming. I have been loving it though and hope that I can continue for as long as I can. But, as I said, teaching is a lot of work and that is part of the reason that I haven’t been writing.
But the real reason that I haven’t been writing is this: I got a new phone and didn’t add “write column” to my automatic weekly reminder for Monday evenings. When the reminder used to pop up, I would see it and think “I should do that right now so I don’t have to hurry to make deadline, (or apologize profusely for blowing my deadline).” Then the reminder would sit on my phone, haunting me, until Thursday (my deadline) and I would remember that I wasted a bunch of days and feel annoyed at myself for not doing it when I should have. I would then think, I’m just going to get this done on my lunch hour only to then get busy at work and miss lunch entirely. Maybe Friday morning will work….
These last few months have been gloriously, stress-free! Just kidding. The stress has been about the same both with a weekly column and without. So, for now, please accept my apologies for my extended absence. I have missed you and I am happy to be back.
VOLUNTEER WITH THE CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE
Make a difference in your coMMunity!
the city is currently seeking the expertise of residents interest in serving on the following committees:
• Board of Variance – f ive (5) Vacancies
The purpose of the Board of Variance is to consider requests from property owners to vary Zoning Bylaw requirements where compliance with the bylaw would create undue hardship. The Board does not meet regularly; only as needed.
The City is accepting applications to fill five (5) vacancies with terms beginning April 1, 2020.
All positions will be appointed, by Council, for a three-year term ending March 31, 2023.
• advisory committee on accessibility – f ive (5) Vacancies
This committee meets monthly and is responsible for providing advice to City Council and soliciting feedback from the community on matters that affect persons with disabilities, seniors, and those with access challenges, including identification, removal and prevention of physical and social barriers. The Committee is actively involved in working with City Council to increase public awareness of the issues of accessibility and inclusion in the community.
The City is accepting applications to fill five (5) vacancies with terms beginning April 1, 2020.
All positions will be for a two-year term ending March 31, 2022.
• advisory committee on development design - four (4) Vacancies
This committee meets, as needed, to provide advice to City Council on matters respecting policies and guidelines affecting the city’s physical/built environment as well as applications for development permits in accordance with the Committee Terms of Reference. This committee serves to encourage wellplanned development in the city that considers the areas of public health, safety, convenience, climate, accessibility and aesthetics.
Applications from individuals with particular expertise, experience and representation in the following categories will be considered - clearly indicate on your application to which category you are applying:
• Landscape Professional;
• Professional engineer, or professional engineering representative associated with building construction and site development;
• Architectural or design representative associated with building construction and site development in the City of Prince George;
• Representative with experience in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED);
• Representative from the Canadian Homebuilders Association of Northern BC or the BC Northern Real Estate board;
• Representative from the Prince George Council of Seniors;
• Representative from the Northern Regional Construction Association; or
• Public at Large
The City is accepting applications to fill four (4) vacancies with terms beginning April 1, 2020.
All positions will be for a two-year term ending March 31, 2022.
Individuals interested in applying to volunteer to serve on a committee must be available to attend regularly scheduled meetings (Monday - Friday, between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm) and be willing to actively participate in projects that the respective committee undertakes throughout the year. Information on the committees’ terms of reference, application forms and details on the application process are available on the City’s website (https://www.princegeorge.ca/committees) or may be picked up in the Legislative Services Division, 5th Floor, City Hall.
deadline for applications: 5:00 p.M. friday, March 6, 2020
Applications may be completed and submitted online (https://www.princegeorge. ca/committees), delivered to the Legislative Services Division, 5th Floor City Hall, at the address below, emailed to cityclerk@princegeorge.ca, or faxed to (250) 561-0183.
For any questions, or to have an application form mailed to you, please contact the Legislative Services Division at (250) 561-7655 or cityclerk@princegeorge.ca
reeves aT home on blueline
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
Aiden Reeves’ progression to the WHL this season has been unconventional.
After a strong training camp, which led to him signing with the Prince George Cougars in September, Reeves began the season playing major midget hockey with the Cariboo Cougars. In late September, he was called up to the junior A Spruce Kings and played seven BCHL games before returning to the midget ranks.
The undrafted 17-year-old defenceman made his WHL debut Nov. 16 in Langley, then returned to his midget team in time to help the Cariboo Cats advance to the semifinal round at the prestigious Mac’s Invitational tournament in Calgary. At the start of the new year, Reeves rejoined the Cougars and played one game on their East Division road swing. He made his home debut Jan. 24 in what turned out a 3-0 loss to the Kamloops Blazers.
“That was a cool experience, I’ve watched the team since I was six years old, playing mini-sticks at the rink,” said Reeves, who played minor hockey in the city until his first year of bantam when he moved with his family to Kelowna.
“I’m less focused on the whole experience of just being on the team and more focused on building myself up in the lineup and playing regular minutes and building myself for next year. We want to be winning games and we’ve got some work to do if we want to catch up to Seattle and make a run in the playoffs.”
Reeves did not dress for the 3-1 win over the first-place Blazers on Jan. 25, which left the Cats within eight points of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second
Brewer named to B.C. hall of fame SPORTS
Former Prince George Cougar defenceman Eric Brewer has been named to the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Brewer played three years for the Cougars from 1995-98 and used that as a springboard to a stellar 16-year career as an NHL defenceman with the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Known for his punishing, physical style, the six-four-four, 216-pound Brewer was captain of the Blues in three of his four
wild-card playoff spot.
Reeves played major midget last season for the Okanagan Rockets and was a regular point producer with five goals and 17 assists in 28 games. He had three goals and 12 assists in 20 games this season with the Cariboo Cougars.
“This year has kind of been a roller coaster,” said Reeves. “I started off not knowing if I wanted to play in Kelowna (where his dad Steve lives) or P.G. (where he lives with his mom Andrea Hawco and his brothers). I decided to come home, even though I had a decent season and had a good relationship with the coaches in Kelowna, they developed me well last year.
“Spraguer (Cariboo Cougars GM Trevor Sprague) helped me out, he got the Cougars to come watch me and they listed me and I got an invite to the camp, got signed, kind of grinded my way through. I set a goal for myself playing on Cariboo that I wanted to be on this team by Christmas, I didn’t want to wait until next year, so I worked my butt off and everything worked out good. The Cariboo Cougars gave me opportunities to play big minutes and set me up. Now I’m here and I just have to keep grinding away.”
The Spruce Kings went through a rash of injuries early in the season and that icetime helped the six-foot-one, 170-pound defenceman adjust to the frenetic pace of junior hockey.
“It was a good leap, the jump from major midget to (the WHL) would have been way harder if I didn’t play the seven games,” he said. “I thought it was huge jump playing BCHL my first one and then I got comfortable by five of six. And then
the Kamloops Blazers.
I played my first WHL game in Vancouver for the Cougs and thought, ‘wow, this is a step up.’”
Reeves said his Cariboo midget coaches, Tyler Brough, R.J. Berra and Jordan
Duncan, stressed the need to try to keep his game simple, chipping pucks out of the zone as soon as possible, rather than looking to make pretty plays, and that’s eased his transition to the WHL.
seasons in St. Louis. He represented the Oilers at the 2003 NHL All-Star Game.
He helped Canada win Olympic gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City and was a threetime gold-medalist playing for his country at the world championships (2003, 2004, 2007) and also played in the 2001 world championship. He was a mainstay on the blueline as part of Team Canada’s gold-medal win at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In 1998, he represented the Cougars at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Helsinki.
Brewer retired in 2014. In his NHL career, which spanned 1,009 regular
season games, he scored 77 goals and 194 assists for 271 points, and had 792 penalty minutes. In 34 playoff games, he had three goals and 24 assists.
He was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall Fame with his teammates from the 2002 Olympic team in 2003. The 40-year-old Brewer, who makes his home in Vancouver, is chairman and part-owner of EDGEPRo Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Cougars.
The list of 2020 BCHHF inductees also includes former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund, NHL linesman Jay Sharrers and former Pacific
Junior (B) Hockey League president Ray Stonehouse.
Two teams will also be inducted – the 2002 Kootenay Ice, Memorial Cup champions that year and the 2012 Penticton Vees, winners of the national junior A championship that year. Prince George native Michael Garteig was the Vees' starting goaltender that year, moving to Penticton after two seasons in the BCHL in Powell River. The 28-year-old Garteig is now playing pro hockey in Finland for Tappara Tampere.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 24 in Penticton.
Handout photo
Aiden Reeves of the Prince George Cougars during a shift in a recent game at CN Centre against
Citizen staff
t-wolves wrapping up season
Citizen staff
The UNBC Timberwolves made a comeback Saturday to overtake the University of Regina Cougars 76-71.
Maria Mongomo led the way with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and four steals, while Emma vanBruinessen had 13 points and 17 rebounds.
Madison Landry had 15 points and eight assists, while Emily Holmes went for 12 points and four assists.
Because the team only had one extra player on the bench, Mongomo played 36 minutes, vanBruinessen played 38, Landry was out there for 37 and Holmes played the entire 40 minutes.
This was the women's sixth consecutive win, after beating Regina 73-67 Friday, improving their record to an even 9-9.
They host the Grant MacEwan Griffins at the Northern Sport Centre on Friday at noon in a game for School District 57 students, with the rematch set for Satur-
day at 5 p.m. The women have already clinched a playoff spot and could host a playoff game if they hold on to their current eighth place ranking.
Meanwhile, the men hope to snap an 11-game losing streak. After losing 90-58 Friday and 78-67 Saturday in Regina, the men are back on home court this weekend (Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 7 p.m.) against the Griffins. The men can still squeak into the playoffs but need to sweep the Griffins and have the Brandon Bobcats lose at least once in Winnipeg to the Manitoba Bisons.
This will be the last regular-season games of their university careers for four players this weekend - Mongomo and Holmes on the women's side and Anthony Hokanson and Saje Gosal for the men.
Maria MongoMo
Rooster tales ready to nest
After traveling extensively for years and looking back on photos of her adventures, a local artist has created an exhibit that reflects those times in her life.
Lynn Box presents Rooster Tales at the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District Feature Gallery from Feb. 6 to March 5.
"During my travels I had taken pictures of roosters pretty much everywhere I went," Box said.
There are 11 roosters in the exhibit.
"Everywhere I went, roosters are different," Box said. "They're all roosters but they have different feathers, tail feathers, some are fat, some are skinny and it all depends on what country you're in. Having a record of them kind of tells the story of where I've been and where I've traveled to and so that's why I called it
Rooster Tales - t-a-l-e-s - because it indicates the stories to be told by a rooster."
Each rooster is from a different country, including Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, Nost images have been created in watercolour and a few are pen and ink.
"When I got them done I realized something - the pen and ink are from Latvia, Moldova and Lithuania and these, because they're done in a very tight country-art method, I think that reflects those three countries and the rest are water colours."
Box said she hopes that those who come to see her artwork will see the countries reflected in the rooster.
"If someone has been to the country, I hope they see how they feel about that country in the work and maybe it will remind them of their own story," Box said.
Traveling to Latvia was quite impactful. She spent six weeks there taking a master class. It was the first time she had traveled on her own and she didn't know the language.
"It was quite the adventure," Box recalled.
A member of the Artists' Workshop, Box has been painting for the last 16 years and started with watercolours, her favourite, then moved to acrylics, and
citizen
Artist Lynn Box shows off a piece from her new exhibit called Rooster Tales recently at the Community Arts Council Artisan Gift Shop. Her new exhibit will be in the Feature Gallery from Feb. 6 to March 5.
drawing. She took CNC's art diploma course and really enjoyed it, she added.
Right now, she's working on a series of hands drawn with graphite. The series is inspired by people whose hands have stood the test of time.
Novo voce set for New show
Citizen staff
Local award-winning choir Nove Voce presents Winter, Fire and Snow, a concert on Saturday night featuring songs, music and soundscapes created by composers that all showcase the many facets of a northern winter.
The show is set for Feb. 8 at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the 26-member choir along with a string quartet made up of local symphony musicians.
"We don't do soundscapes as often but we are kind of becoming known for doing some weird pieces," Robin Norman, Nove Voce Choral Society director, said.
"I always think that because the girls always create beautiful sound, if you don't change it partway through a concert it can become boring. I don't ever want to minimize their talent because it's very beautiful but you can be listening and be like 'okay, that's the same again, that's a lovely lovely song', so we did a piece last year that was one of our top pieces and it was a Basque witch chant, which was very growly and it seemed very different as people were making noises."
A piece Nove Voce will perform at their upcoming concert is called Fire by B.C. composer Katerina Gimon and it explores what sounds a human voice can express.
"So it's just completely out there," Norman said. "So we try to put one or two of them in every concert so there's just something really different."
Another B.C. composer whose music will be featured during the concert is Bruce Sled, whose piece called Ice is designed to depict creaking, cracking ice in a winterscape.
"What we're planning to do is have people in the aisles making the sounds while others will be on stage," Norman said. "So we're excited about that."
Other winter-themed pieces that will be performed during the concert include Northern Lights which details explorers first seeing the Northern lights over the Arctic, Winter, Fire and Snow made famous by Celtic Women and Song for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot.
Rooster Tales takes place from Feb. 6 to March 5 with opening reception on Thursday, from 5 to 7 p.m. and Box will speak around 5:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be served during the event.
Joining Nove Voce during the show will be Gabrielle Jacob and Sean Robinson on violin, David Dahlstrom on cello, Morris Scarpino on bass and Anna Scarpino on flute.
Tickets for Winter, Fire and Snow are $20 at Books & Co., 1685 Third Ave. Doors open at 7 at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 3590 Dufferin Ave., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff
photo by James Doyle
Washington returns to Playhouse
Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff
Maureen Washington will be returning to Prince George after a three-year hiatus to celebrate her beloved mother Barbara’s 80th birthday on the weekend with a concert and everyone is invited.
“I always tell everyone Feb. 9 is the most wonderful day for me because without my mother I wouldn’t be here,” Washington said. “It’s a very joyous day in my life.”
Washington, a national award-winning jazz singer, will perform Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 at the Prince George Playhouse and will be accompanied by three talented musicians from Victoria, where she
now resides.
Joining her will be Karel Roessingh on piano, Joey Smith on double bass and Damian Graham on drums.
During the show, Washington will be performing some new music, as well as the traditional jazz standards that are favourites of her audiences around the globe.
“My mother has quite a list of requests so I’ll be singing those so she won’t have to yell them out during the show,” Washington laughed. “So a few of her choices and then some new tunes and the old favourites and that’s where the idea of Harvest Moon (her latest CD) started with people always saying ‘oh, do that
song!’ or they’d say ‘do you have that on a CD?’ So I thought we’d put all the favourites on one CD. So during the show there will be people’s typical favourites and then I’ll probably throw in a Britney Spears tune and one from Maroon 5 and I always do a Bee Gees tune.”
It’s been 12 years since she moved to Victoria from Prince George to build her career and she made her way through the hottest lounges, international jazz festivals, a European tour and soldout showcases. She’s now decided semiretirement might be a good thing and has moved away from the regular lounge appearances. She’s still performing at festivals and solo shows, while doing private engagements and teaching voice.
“I’m on a steady roll - it’s been really good,” Washington said of her current career.
But it’s always been about the next level, whatever that means to the performer.
“So, OK Maureen, what are you going to do from here?” Washington said was the next question.
“So now it’s about jumping forward and trying to take those risks to actually tour farther across the country is really what I’m needing to do or wanting to do in amongst trying to live my every day life.”
Teaching has been a fantastic addition to her career, she added.
“I’m so grateful I can earn a living doing what I love,” Washington said.
Washington will be performing Friday in Quesnel before she takes to the Playhouse stage Saturday night.
Playhouse doors open at 7, show at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40.50 + service fees available online at https:www.centralinteriortickets.com or at their box office at 3540 Opie Crescent. Call 250-596-0020 or email admin@centralinteriortickets.com.
victim's identity confirmed in year-old homicide case
Mark NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
RCMP have released further information in the hope of solving a year-old homicide.
In a statement issued last week, RCMP confirmed it was the body of Kristopher Bychyk, 41, that was found in a ditch along West Lake Estates Road, off Blackwater Road, south of the city.
The discovery was made during the afternoon of Sat., Jan. 12, 2019, about three hours after volunteer firefighters were called out to deal with a vehicle fire on Chilako Station Road in the Beaverly area.
RCMP also issued photos of Bychyk and of a car - black Dodge Neon with a distinct spoiler and white design on the side of it - and are asking for the public's help in determining whether there is a link between the two. Police did not say if it was the car found on fire.
A canvass of the West Lake and Chilako areas have been completed, video foot-
age has been reviewed and the forensic analysis continues, RCMP said.
"Every piece of information is usefuleven the smallest detail. You may hold the piece that helps solve this homicide," said Cpl Landen Tonn of the North District RCMP's major crimes unit.
Bychyk's mother, Sherri, is also appealing for the public's help.
"Kris grew up in the Lower Mainland and in 2018 decided to go to Prince George for a job opportunity and affordable housing," she said in the statement.
"He was my son and I loved him very much-no one deserves what happened to him. There are people who have information and who can help. Please contact the police if you know anything."
Anyone with information on the incident you are asked to contact the Prince George RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
Prince George RCMP can be reached at 250-561-3300 and Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only).
Music, radio Moves Feyer
Local CFIS 93.1 community radio personality and longtime volunteer Adeline Judith (Byman) Feyer was born in Wadena, Sask. in 1941. She is the eldest of the five children of Erick and Myrtle Byman. Her father was killed in a vehicle accident on Peden Hill in 1956. Her mother married John Handford in 1961 and they had one child. Judy was just over a year old when her parents headed west to Prince George in search of work. Her father first worked for Evanson Sawmills which was down in the valley right across from where the Tabor ski hill is now located. He also worked for the Kirschke family at Six Mile Lake Sawmills.
Later, he got into the lumber business and then the trucking business. Judy was raised and educated in Prince George. As a young girl, her dad bought a piano for the family and she taught herself how to play. Her father sang and played the guitar, her mother played the accordion and with that, music came easily to her.
Fanny Kenney was her school teacher and she played the piano. She taught her students how to read and write music, which helped develop Judy’s music skills. When she turned 60, she learned to play the mandolin. Now she is learning guitar and says that her next quest is the fiddle.
Judy said, “I thank my dad to this day because at the age of 14 he taught me to drive a lumber truck. I grew up being quite the tomboy and everywhere my dad went I followed. I wanted to learn as much as I could from him and he was happy to teach me.”
After high school, her first job was working for the I. B. Guest variety store; part of her job was wrapping presents and tying bows.
Judy was 18 when her grandparents became ill. She felt she had to go and help look after the farm. She was not
SENIORS’ SCENE
KATHY NADALIN
working at the time so she headed back to Wadena for a winter on the farm. She milked the cow, looked after the chickens and horses, cleaned the barn as needed, cut the fire wood and carried it into the house for the wood cook stove.
Judy remembers the days when everyone went to the dances on weekends. She said, “We went to the dances at Nukko Lake, Pineview and Salmon Valley just to name a few. We had a ball and I never missed a dance.
“We used to get a lot of snow back in those days. I remember a car load of us on the road to Nukko Lake one winter and we got behind a moose on the road. The banks of snow on both sides of the road were fairly high and we had to follow the moose until it was able to leave the road. It was a memorable sight.
“Many times, after the dance we headed to our favorite Chinese restaurants called the Purple Lantern or the Golden Dragon. We always had fun and we didn’t get into any trouble.”
Judy met Stuart Feyer when she was a waitress and working evening shifts in the restaurant at the Phillips 66 Truckstop. She said, “He always ordered apple pie with ice cream and a cup of coffee. I told my boss that I was going to marry that man and that is exactly what happened four months later in 1960.”
Stuart was born in Quesnel in 1937. He worked all over the north as an electrician; first with his dad, then other companies until he ended up working with Houle Electric.
They bought a new Chevy truck and a
fifth wheel in 1990 and Judy went along on job sites with Stuart. She drove the truck and trailer and Stuart drove the company vehicle. It was a perfect fit.
Judy said, “From 1979 to 1985 we worked at his uncle’s gold mining claim out in the Wells area at Richon Creek on the 2400-logging road. We spent many days out there from spring to fall – times that I hold dear to this day. I am thankful that we had those days together.
“We had four children: Vernon, Reg, Temina (Lloyd) and Terriesa (Reg) who in turn gave us eight grandchildren, one great grandson and six great granddaughters with another great grandson on the way. Stuart passed away in 2006, at the age of 68, and after nearly 46 years of a great marriage.”
Judy and Stuart were always willing to give back to their community. They were members of the Sons of Norway for many years. They joined the BC Old Time Fiddlers’ Association, Prince George Branch #1 in 1979 and were given Life Time Memberships in January 2006. They joined Quesnel Branch #3 in the 1990s.
Judy started her volunteer radio career at the age of 70 and was presented with the CFIS-FM Prince George Community Radio Society Volunteer of the Year Award in 2017.
Judy concluded by saying, “Volunteers are not paid – not because they are worthless but because they are priceless.
“I have enjoyed my life and I am totally blessed. I am very thankful for every new day.”
Variety telethon to feature local teen
Alocal 13-year-old boy with special needs will be showcased during the 54th annual Variety Show of Hearts telethon Sunday at 1:25 p.m.
Seth McKellar was born with moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears and at five years old, he lost even more of the hearing in his right ear.
"So he's always struggled with sound because hearing aids are not perfect," mom Carolyn said.
It was thanks to Variety, the children's
charity's, that she was able to get hearing aids and other equipment Seth needed to make his life a little bit easier.
Carolyn said Variety had a film crew create a video that will offer a glimpse into Seth's world, including showcasing his miniature sculptures and other positive aspects of his life. Carolyn and Seth, along with Seth's father, Keith, will take to the telethon stage Sunday when the video is presented.
A couple of years ago, Carolyn, Keith and Seth moved from Victoria to a farm just outside of Prince George to offer home-schooled Seth a more comfortable
lifestyle that better suits his needs.
"It's a great place for him because it's wide open and quiet and he's taken to it very well, working with cattle and machinery - he just loves that," Carolyn said. "He feels more like himself here."
The attention that Seth has received from being showcased by Variety has made him feel like he matters, she added.
"I think that's probably the biggest benefit of the attention that he's been given by Variety," Carolyn said. "It's just really good that while parents are trying really hard to figure out what's best for their child that there is some support we can
access and it really helped Seth to feel like he's somebody and he counts even though he's different."
The telethon is broadcast on Global BC to introduce viewers to the children from across the province who have been helped by donations received from the public. Variety offers B.C. children with special needs with specialized therapies, custom orthotics, educational support for learning disabilities and adaptive equipment, medical care and services, and mobility equipment.
For more information visit www.variety.bc.ca.
Citizen photo by James Doyle Judy Feyer sits behind the mic at the 93.1 CFIS studios.
Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff
REMEMBRANCES
RICHARDMICKEYMILLNS
FEBRUARY2,2019
ToLiveinHearts
WeLeaveBehind
IsNotToDie
Thinkingofandmissingyou everyday.
Loveyou,Pops.
Sean,Rose,Tianna,Ethan, andyourloyalfriendChilli
February 9, 2015
Hard to believe it’s been 5 years
You are always in our minds
No matter what we do
All the time within our hearts
There are thoughts of you.
January 25, 2020
Passed away peacefully on January 25, 2020 at the age of 88. He is now reunited with the love of his life Delores. Our parents were married 67 years when mom passed in Nov 2019. Dad has missed her dearly. Dad was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend to many.
Dad we will always love and miss you, give mom a big hug for us.
Robert (Bob) Weinard passed away peacefully on January 22, 2020 with family members by his side. Bob is survived by his loving wife Beverley, his son Steven (Annie) Weinard, daughters Laura Weinard, Christine (Guy) Cosh, Janet (Ted) Husoy, sister Marie Blood, stepson Allen (Sandy) Mathews, stepdaughter Diane (Darcy) Nygaard, 12 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Bob was born in High River, Alberta in 1932 and spent his childhood in Salmon Arm, BC. Bob’s career in forestry started with the B.C. Forest Service and continued with Northwood Pulp and Timber as a log buyer, where he retired in 1993.
Bob was a skilled hunter and fisherman with a deep appreciation of the peace and solitude of the forest.
The family will be holding a private service.
BETTY THIDEMAN
2x62.0
PGC001953
Nelson,RonaldH. January21,2020
Nick Kachuk passed away peacefully in the early hours of February lst, 2020 at Rotary Hospice House after a short battle with cancer. He is survived by his children; Len (Maru), Dale, and Charlene (Tim) Zaharichuk, grandchildren; John (Alyshia), Sam (Kelsey), Stefanie Scott, Connor & Katrina Zaharichuk and great grandchildren; Kaleb & Finn Scott, Abigail & Juliet Kachuk as well many brothers & sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Nick was predeceased by his wife of 64 years Katie and sons Brian & Richard. Nick was a long time resident of Prince George working in the lumber industry. He was a big supporter of local sports, especially the Cougars.
A celebration of Nicks’ life will be held on Monday February 10, 2020 at 11:00am at Assman’s Funeral Chapel. IN lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Prince George Rotary Hospice House.
May his memory be Eternal
Peter Winther April 2, 1955January 25, 2020
Sadly we announce the passing of Peter Winther.
Peter was born in Fredericia, Denmark and emigrated with his parents to Canada in March 1957. He grew up in Prince George on the shores of Tabor Lake.
Peter was an outdoor enthusiast, he loved fishing, hunting, canoeing, hiking and camping. He played football in high school and loved water skiing and downhill skiing. He worked for a local taxidermist after school and on weekends and embraced the art of producing beautiful birds, fish and wildlife trophies. As a young man he participated in logger sports where his event of choice was the vertical chop.
After college Peter moved to Fraser Lake in 1975 where he worked for West Fraser Mills. In 1989 he moved to Whitecourt Alberta to work for Alberta Newsprint. He retired from the forest industry in 2015.
He married in 1987 and is survived by his wife Shelley (Bird) and son Graeham.
Peter is survived by his parents Tage and Helga (Petersen), by his brothers Glenn (Peggy) and Ivan (Susan) and by his sister Lis (Dan Raymond). Peter is also survived by his nephews James, Nicholas, Tyler and Kevin and by numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Thanks to the staff and the medical team of University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Special thanks to the nurses of section 5A2 for their kind attention.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (www.heartandstroke.ca).
With all our love, rest in peace.
“Hvil i fred”
RonaldHerbertNelson,80,knownbyhisfamilyasRonni (withaheartabovethe’i’),diedonJanuary21,2020.He wasagreatman,anadoringfather,andacommitted husband.Heleavesustojointheloveofhislife,hiswife Sharon,whopassedawayinJuly2018.Hewillbesorely missedbyhisdaughters,Leanne(Brennan)andKarey, andhissons,StanandNathan.Alsoforeverremembered byhislargeextendedfamilyandfriends. Hewasararecombinationofsomeonewhohadaloveof lifeandafirmunderstandingofwhatwasimportant.His greatsenseofhumorandwrysarcasmwillbetalked aboutforever.Helikedtodrinkbeer,tellstoriesofhislife, andenjoyedpremeditatedhumor.Itwasalwaysa pleasuretohearhimsingatfamilygatherings,wherehe wouldsingWoodyGuthrieorWillieNelsonsongs. Ronspentyearsworkingintheloggingindustry,he enjoyedfishingandhunting,andwasproficientat crosswordpuzzles. Acelebrationoflifewillbeheldatalaterdate. Inlieuofflowers,enjoyabeerinhishonorandtoasta greatmanwhowillliveoninallourhearts.
In Memoriam
Teresa Manfredi
Love Antonio, Ines, Vince, Frank and Anthony.
In Memoriam
Obituaries
Lloyd James Wickes
NICK KACHUK
May 25, 1927 - February 1, 2020
Obituaries
BRENDA ASHAM
2x44.5
PGC001957
Bird,VioletL.
May1,1928-January17,2020
Todayweannouncewithheavyheartsthepassingofour Mom,Grandmother,andGreat-grandmother,Violet LouiseBird,onJanuary17th,2020.Sheleavesbehind herchildren,Linda(Brian)White,Gerry(Joanne)Bird, andBrenda(Wes)Asham.Hermemorywillthrive throughhergrandchildren,Chris(Lamica)Martin,Greg (Laura)Martin,Danielle(Gregg)Paterson,Bryce(Amber) Asham,Miranda,Keenan,andDelaneyAsham,aswellas hersevengreat-grandchildren.Shewillforeverbemissed byherfamilyandfriendsasshenowrestsinpeacewith Dad,dancingintheskies.
EILEEN
FERN
HARASYM (nee Lapp)
Fern passed away on January 28, 2020 in Prince George B.C. at the age of 87. She was born on May 23, 1932 on the family farm in Watrous Sask.
Fern was predeceased by her husband Peter Harasym, parents Agnes and William Lapp, sisters Hazel Lapp, Om. Harasym (Bill), brothers Delmar Lapp (Darrallene), Clarance Lapp (Charlotte) and her beloved grandson Jamie Harasym.
She is survived by her 5 children who greatly loved her and cared for her until the end, Glenn (Betty), Dolly (Alan Carl), Rodney (Cindy), Wayne (Sandi), and Harley (Joanne).
She is survived by 9 grandchildren, Jeff Harasym (Lan), Leon Carl (Deanna), Shawn Carl (Tianna), Steven Harasym (Joanna), Jessica Harasym (Brennan Mann), Kristina Harasym, Greg Harasym, Janiene Lawrence (Brody), and Todd Harasym.
Fern is also survived by her 10 great grandchildren, John and Jana Harasym, Nora and Kai Carl, Maren and Soren Carl, Grady and Braylen Mann, Emily Fen-is and Ryder Lawrence.
Fern will be greatly missed by her children, sister-in-law Darrallene Lapp, many nephews, nieces, and friends.
She enjoyed playing cards, bingo and spending time with the many friends that she made over the years.
Fern will be layed to rest along with her husband Peter at The Memorial Gardens in Regina Sask. at a later date.
It is with Heavy Hearts that we announce the Peaceful Passing of our Mother Helen Emma Poulin (Swain) of Prince George, B.C on January 24, 2020 at the age of 80 surrounded by her Loving family. Helen was Born April 1, 1939 in Prince Albert, Sask to Rothwell and Clara Swain. She was Predeceased by her Husband Laurier Joseph Poulin and Son Jerry Joseph Poulin, leaving to mourn her children Lyle Poulin, Cindy Dahl (Darrin), Jenny Erickson (Willy), Dennis Poulin (Shelley) and Marcel Poulin (Gerry) and her remaining Sisters Ina, Lila, Mae and Pat and an extended Wide Circle of Family and Friends. Helen had a Love for Animals, Travelling & Music. She will be remembered for her Wonderful sense of Humor. Although you have gone to be with our Lord, we will retain your memory forever in our Hearts. Special thanks to the Exceptional and Caring Staff at the Simon Fraser Lodge. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
SHIELS, Jean Mary
May 5, 1930January 29, 2020
Jean passed away on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at Simon Fraser Lodge, Prince George, BC.
She is predeceased by her parents Charles and Gladys Simpson, sister Christine, husband Earl Waddel Shiels, and son Larry Gene Shiels.
Jean is survived by sons Brian (Myrna) Shiels, John (Monica) Shiels and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
No service by request.Condolences may be offered at www.AssmansFuneralChapel.com
Miss me, but let me go
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room
--Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
--Miss me, but let me go
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan
--A step on the road to home
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know and bury your sorrow in doing good deeds
--Miss me, but let me go.
(Author unknown)
Iva Lovett
July 21, 1936 - January 27, 2020
It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Iva after a strong courageous past 6 years of health issues. She struggled and fought hard and was so Brave with not a complaint or a “why me.” She had a wicked sense of humour and always tried to make her family feel better. She was the most unselfish woman, sometimes to her detriment. She loved her crafts, gardening and camping with Dad and her family, and, of course, Happy Hour. She leaves behind her husband of 66 years John, daughters, Charmaine (Pat), Bev (Jim), Glenda (Cecil) and son Kip (Deb). Grandkids Shane (Yolanda), Jen (Jason), Cole, Ty (Rachel), Kailen (Danielle), Reid(Shelby). Great grandgirls, Clara, Avery, Reese and Quin. Plus numerous nieces and nephews. We would like to thank the Simon Fraser staff for their warm and compassionate care for our mom. Mom is pain free now.
Until we meet again our wonderful mom. No flowers or service by request.
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NEW Built in July 2019
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Legal/Public Notices
NOTICEOFDISPOSITION
BetweenGeminiVentures Ltd.andChadRobert Wolstenholme&Amanda Knutson.
Thelandlordwilldisposeof thelistedpropertieslocated atA11-5931CookCourt, PrinceGeorge,unlessthe personbeingnotifiedtakes possessionoftheproperty, establishesarightwithin30 days. 1-1983Briarwood142411 2-2005DodgeSX2.0 1B3ES46C95D212938
Bidswillbeaccepteduntil February28,2020,allbids aretobemailedtoPOBox 10142Hart,PrinceGeorge, BCV2K5Y1.
