Thieves steal from mausoleum again, page 4 World Curling volunteers talk about canceled event, page 5
leaves CiTizen page 6
ART BATTLE elliot Wilson worked on their painting during the first round of competition at the art battle sD #57 youth tournament at Duchess Park secondary last week. nine artists began the battle before four finalists were chosen to move on to the district art battle against artists from Kelly road secondary, PGss, and the centre for learning alternatives.
Ted ClArKe Citizen staff
The provincial health authority has confirmed the first two cases of novel coronavirus in northern B.C. as of press time.
Two people who recently returned from travel to other countries tested positive for coViD-19 in the Vancouver coastal health region. They drove themselves back to their homes in northern B.c. and are self-isolating.
“They are very stable and have milder illness,” B.c. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
The northern Health region was the last of five in the province to have residents
infected by the virus. it was not revealed where in northern B.c. the two patients live and that information won’t be made public.
“To protect people’s privacy the actual locations of communities where confirmed cases reside is not being identified,” northern Health spokesperson eryn collins said. “it’s really important for people to know that anyone potentially exposed will be contacted by public health officials.
“regardless of whether there’s a confirmed case in any given community, because they are being closely watched and followed by public health officials, it does not constitute an increased level of risk for the general population. The same
health advice that is being given to people across the province still applies.”
Provincial health officials, in their daily news conferences the past few weeks, have identified where the patients live but only if those patients reside in large municipalities where their anonymity can be assured.
“We will not be identifying the specific location of confirmed cases unless public health providers cannot be certain they have reached all those who need to be contacted and who therefore might be a risk to the public,” Henry said in a statement forwarded to The citizen.
See COVID-19, page 4
Tyler OrTON
Glacier Media
B.C. workers stricken by COVID-19 may soon find themselves walloped by uncertainty over compensation amid the global pandemic, according to one B.C. lawyer.
“contractors don’t have any sort of protection whatsoever,” said Andrea raso, an employment and human rights lawyer at clark Wilson LLP in Vancouver, referring to the potential for layoffs.
“We don’t know whether or not the government is going to expand any benefits to them. i’d be surprised if they did.”
Hourly workers may soon find their hours being curtailed as more people take to self-quarantine to stave of the threat of coViD-19. employment insurance and the B.c employment Standards Act will cover those hourly workers if their jobs are cut entirely.
But recourse might be tricky if workers feel they’re being discriminated against if they’re diagnosed with coViD-19.
“[B.c.’s] Human rights code offers protection in instances of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin and also physical disabilities. Typically, colds and flus are not considered a disability,” raso said.
“it’s an open question as to whether or not this would be considered a disability. So short of having any of those protected grounds, there really isn’t a basis for any sort of complaint.”
As for sick leave, she’s urging unionized workers to review their collective agreements. non-unionized workers, meanwhile, should be taking a look at their own contracts as well as company policies on sick days.
“A lot of employers in B.c. do not have policies or have contracts that entitle their employees to sick leave,” she said, adding the B.c employment Standards Act also does not provide any right to sick leave. While the act makes provisions for compassionate care leave or emergency leave, raso said she does not believe coViD-19 applies at this time.
from page 1
“We want people who have symptoms to contact us, and to feel safe contacting us, knowing their privacy will be protected so the steps to protect the health and safety for all can be taken. This is why privacy is important to everyone. It allows public health providers to do the work they need to do to keep everybody safe.”
Nine new cases were reported in the province last week bringing the total to 73.
“Five cases are connected to a cluster at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, one case is linked to travel from Portugal and the remaining three cases are under investigation,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said.
There has been one death attributed to the virus in B.C., a man in his 80s who was a resident of the Lynn Valley facility in North Vancouver, who died more than a week ago.
“We are adapting our testing strategy to respond to the situation here in B.C. to ensure all who get sick can get the testing
they need,” Dix said.
“We would like to be clear that testing is available for all who need it, but not everyone requires a test. If you have no symptoms, mild symptoms, or are a returning traveller and isolating at home, you do not require a test.
“We are continuing to test those who are part of an active investigation or outbreak cluster, those with severe illness who are hospitalized, residents of long-term care facilities and healthcare workers.”
Groceries stores across the province have been swamped with people buying an overabundance of food and household products in anticipation the stores might run out of those items, however Dix said there is no need to stockpile.
“We ask all British Columbians to be measured in their purchase of groceries and other basic necessities,” he said. “Our retail supply-chain providers have assured us they have an abundance of supply and are restocking regularly.”
For at least the second time in less than a week, the mausoleum at the Prince George Cemetery was the scene of a break and enter - but this
time police have a lead on a suspect.
Prince George RCMP released images from a surveillance camera showing a male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, runners and a mask after they were called to
the scene on Friday just after 6 a.m.
Police arrived in minutes and a dog and handler were deployed but without success. The suspect was in the building for less than two minutes, the surveillance video indicates.
He smashed a window to gain entry and then broke into a few niches to steal personal belongings, police said.
“This is a disgusting and disrespectful act for personal gain,” Cpl. Craig Douglass said.
“All efforts will be made to identify and charge the person responsible.”
It was the second incident reported to police this week and Mounties now believe there were three break-ins beginning with
an unsuccessful attempt to gain entry over Friday night. Entry was made on a second attempt early Monday morning, police suspect, with personal items, mainly jewelry, taken from the niches.
Anyone with information that may help police track down the items and anyone responsible is asked to call Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300.
They can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www. pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only).
You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers.
If you provide information that leads to an arrest or recovery of stolen property, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
Doug Dalziel needed a spare for his commercial league curling team
Thursday night at CN Centre and Eryn Czirfusz was only too happy to oblige her coach and make the long drive from Houston with her mom to fill that spot.
The lure of playing on the arena ice built for the World Women’s Curling Championship that was cancelled hours before, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, was enough to convince the 14-year-old Czirfusz to come to Prince George a couple days early, knowing she would not get to use her ticket to see the nine-day tournament unfold.
It was unexpected bonus to take part in the impromptu invitation-only event and the thrill factor went through the roof for Czirfusz when Canadian skip Kerri Einarson and Czech Republic skip Anna Kubeskova showed up with their respective teams to throw some stones in the mini-bonspiel.
“That was pretty cool, Team Canada seems like they’re really good people and it was a lot of fun being able to throw rocks on that ice,” said Czirfusz. “I was beside them and they were having fun making some shots. Everything was a good shot last night. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a junior curler to do this.”
Dalziel coached Czirfusz and Matthias Cheung of Prince George a few weeks ago in Hope at the junior mixed doubles provincial championship. Dalziel has been working since the weekend before on the ice crew, part of the 380 volunteers rounded up for the tournament. Like everyone connected to the event, his heart sank
when the World Curling Federation made the call to cancel the world championship.
“It’s so disheartening for everybody concerned and I just feel for the athletes,” said Dalziel. “I’m a coach and former athlete myself a long time ago and I just can’t imagine the pain they’re going through. This is 20 years of work for them and this might be their one chance and that’s the disheartening thing.”
CN Centre staff brought out a giant slingshot and the curlers sat on inner tubes as the pros joined up with the part-timers getting launched down the rink for a different kind of slide on curling ice.
“It was great to see a bit of joy last night,” said Dalziel. “They spent a couple hours with the ice crew and local curlers and had some laughs and got to throw some rocks on the ice. It was a small bit of consolation and I know the community
really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it and I think they did too.”
Prince George Golf and Curling Club ice technician Murray Kutyn, who headed the 20-member volunteer ice crew, took holiday time off work to devote his energy to the championship and he got to see the product of his labour when the four rinks, detailed with painted-on logos and bordered by blue carpeting, were made camera-ready for curling for all the world to see. As satisfying as that was, Kutyn knows 360 other volunteers whose duties went largely unfulfilled.
“You feel bad for the guys who did just as much pre-prep as I did organizing whatever crews they were looking after and didn’t get a chance to use them at all,” said Kutyn. “It’s just disappointing. Hopefully we’ll get something just as big or better next time.
“I’m sure they’ll be accommodating about trying to get us something back because there’s a lot of people who did a lot of work. Yesterday was a tough day for everyone because we were so close. All the teams were in town and the arena was ready to go and then they said it wasn’t going to go.”
The decision to cancel was made to ensure the curlers could get back to their home countries safely and limit the potential for a localized outbreak of the virus. The provincial health authority at that time put out a ban on crowds of greater than 250 at any public event and Kutyn spoke for all the organizers and participants when he said he had hoped as a worst-case scenario it would still go ahead as a TV-only event without the crowds.
Citizen publisher Colleen Sparrow is leaving The Citizen in April after a 29-year-career at the newspaper.
She made the announcement to Citizen staff recently that her last day will be April 17.
“I’ve had a great career here but it’s time for me to see what else is out there and what I can do,” she explained.
“I’m just going to take a bit of time away to catch my breath and then see where the next adventure takes me.”
Sparrow became the first female publisher in The Citizen’s 104-year history in February 2012. Before that she had served as the newspaper’s circulation director for 10 years. She started her Citizen career in 1991 in the business office.
During her time as publisher, she oversaw numerous changes at The
Citizen as the newspaper faced the difficult challenges of evolving in a fast-changing online marketplace.
Most recently, The Citizen ceased publication as a paid daily newspaper last September and transitioned to a free weekly.
“With that big change last year, I know I’m leaving the paper in good hands and it’s time for a change of my own,” she said.
Glacier Media, the publicly-traded company that owns The Citizen, has announced it will leave the publisher and general manager position vacant for the time being, with Peter Kvarnstrom, the president of community media for Glacier, overseeing operations.
“It’s hard to go and I’m really going to miss my Citizen family,” Sparrow said.
“They’re going to be just fine without me.”
Citizen staff
Aided by a grant of more than $500,000 from the provincial government, the city will focus on three zones within city limits when it works to reduce the impacts of wildfires in the coming months.
Broddy Road (west of Highway 16, behind the Vanway fire hall), Malaspina (west of the Fraser River, south and west of Loedel Crescent) and Pidherny (north of North Nechako Road, west of Foothills) will be targeted for fuel management, the city said this week.
Dead and more-flammable vegetation will be removed to limit potential for fire spread and intensity. Further planning and consultation will be done before the work begins, the city said.
In all, the city will receive $551,625 for the work, the provincial government said.
Ted CLARKe Citizen staff
Classes at UNBC in which students will be present at the university for face-toface instruction will end this week due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Starting Thursday, UNBC students and their instructors will be required to use alternate delivery models such as using classroom cameras and microphones and
home computer screens to allow students to interact with their instructors through internet connections.
Interim president and vice-chancellor
Geoff Payne said the university is prepared to move up the date when that takes effect but it will be no later than Wednesday.
“The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a fluid, rapidly evolving situation,” said Payne, in a message posted on the univer-
sity website, unbc.ca.
“Your health and safety is my top priority. In consideration of that, we are actively planning for all contingencies across the university, including transitioning away from face-to-face classes and exams.”
Payne said university officials will continue to follow the advice of Northern Health, the provincial health officer and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.
“We are taking these steps to ensure the safety of our UNBC community and are seeking alternate methods of ensuring we meet learning outcomes while continuing to serve our students in the best possible manner,” Payne said.
He said the semester will be completed using alternate delivery methods and testing and evaluation of students will also be completed.
The College of New Caledonia (CNC) will suspend most in-person classes from Wednesday to Friday so staff can transi-
tion to other methods of class delivery.
“Our campuses will remain open and services will continue to be provided, modified and reviewed as necessary while this situation continues to evolve,” Den-
nis Johnson, CNC president said. “Online and alternate delivery will be adopted where practical, but this strategy is intended to support social distancing and lower on-campus density. During this time
of transition our principle focus at CNC continues to be on the health and safety of our students and employees.”
For the latest information visit CNC. BC.CA/COVID.
Citizen staff
A 38-year-old Prince George man is in custody after a string of vehicles thefts, ranging from a snowmobile to a snowplow, along Highway 16 from Terrace to Burns Lake.
Last Monday at 5:05 p.m. Smithers RCMP received a report that a man on a bicycle had stolen a black Ford F350 pickup truck and was seen speeding away towards Telkwa, according to a press release by North District RCMP. The suspect had left behind a white Ford F250 truck, which had been reported stolen out of Terrace.
Around 5:30 p.m. on the same day, the suspect abandoned the stolen F350 in the Hungry Hill area and allegedly stole a Ford F150 pickup truck. The suspect was seen driving towards Houston in the truck, which police were told may contain firearms and other weapons.
At 8:44 p.m. a property owner in the 5200-block of Highway 16 chased the suspect away from their home, as the suspect was allegedly trying to steal items. The suspect dumped the F150 and stole a Chevy 3500 pickup truck.
The stolen Chevy was later involved in a crash in Houston. Less than an hour later, Houston RCMP received a report of another vehicle theft. A two-tone grey and blue GMC 2500 pickup truck was taken from the 4800 block of Summit Lake Road.
At this point, officers from the Burns Lake and Fraser Lake RCMP detachments were called in to assist the detachments already involved in the case. At 11:27 p.m., a Burns Lake RCMP member spotted the stolen GMC truck in the parking lot of
Lakes District Hospital and attempted to stop it but failed and he fled the area. At 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, an RCMP officer found the stolen GMC truck crashed on Highway 16 west of Hawse Loop Road.
Police patrolled the area and heard someone yelling their snowmobile was being stolen. As officers made their way to the home, the suspect drove the stolen sled directly at the police, narrowly missing two police cars before fleeing down trails where police couldn’t follow.
About 10 minutes later, police received a report someone had stolen a Dodge truck equipped with a snowplow from Bartlett Road in Burns Lake and was seen driving east on Highway 16. Police found the stolen snowmobile at the scene.
Officers found the suspect driving the plow truck on Highway 16 near Cougar Road. The vehicle was stopped in the travel portion of the highway and police positioned their cruisers to prevent the suspect from fleeing. The suspect rammed one police vehicle, then reversed and rammed another cruiser. Police arrested the suspect at gunpoint, because of the possibility of firearms being in the stolen plow truck. The Prince George man remains in custody and could face numerous charges. During the arrest, officers seized a quantity of drugs believed to be methamphetamine.
The suspect was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash, a police officer was also treated for non-life threatening injuries sustained during the altercation.
Dr. Robin Johnson OBGYN & Team are delighted to announce the opening of Blossom Fertility and Medical Clinic
The first fertility clinic dedicated to serving Prince George and Northern BC communities.
We can help.
Citizen staff
The fundraising efforts of charitable causes around the city are among the victims of the coronavirus.
Last week Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry directed event organizers to immediately cancel or postpone public gatherings larger than 250 people (now reduced to 50) until further notice.
That drew a quick response from the Prince George Hospice Society as it canceled its Hospice Antique Fair and Market Place which had been set for April 4-5 at the Prince George Dome.
It could be only the first of a series of setbacks, according to PGHS executive director Donna Flood. She predicted Henry’s order will remain in place through May, when two more of the society’s major fundraising events - High Tea for Hospice and the Colour Walk - are held.
“We’re anticipating that more than likely all events up until the fall will be canceled,” Flood said.
Flood said the events account for about 15 per cent of the $1.4 million that hospice needs to raise this year.
The Hospice Dream Home Lottery, which raises another 35 per cent, will still go ahead but she said public viewing may be limited to online only until public health officials declare it safe enough for gatherings to be held.
The precautions won’t end there. Communal food has been removed from the hospice house and once there is a confirmation that the virus has arrived in Prince George, Flood said limits on in-person visits will be imposed.
“What we will be doing as well, though, is offering visitation virtually so people can “facetime” with people that are in hospice,” she said.
To make up the shortfall, Flood is asking supporters to donate.
“Everyone’s going to be struggling but maybe instead of spending that $25 on a beer going out, you can stay at home and
Citizen staff
The donor wall for this year’s Strong Kids campaign was unveiled last Thursday at the YMCA of Northern B.C.
The agency hopes to raise $60,000 in support of children and youth who participate in YMCA camps and programs. One in five children who attend the YMCA’s youth programs and one in four who attend summer camps need financial assistance, Amanda Alexander, YMCA CEO, said.
“We’ve reached $30,000 of our goal of $60,000,” Alexander said. “This funding supports 210 children and families locally.”
It got off to a start over the weekend when its Megathon fundraiser raised over $10,000 as 75 participants gathered to participate in four hours of group fitness classes and raise pledges for the Strong Kids Campaign. To donate to the campaign, go to ymca. ca/donate.
donate to hospice,” she said.
Other non-profits are also feeling the hurt. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern B.C.’s Big Gala, which had been set for April 4 at the Hart Community Centre, has been postponed. The event typically draws 250 to 300 people and raises $25,000 to $30,000, said BBBC executive director Tim Bennett.
“That’s definitely a little bit of a gap we’re going to have to make up,” he said.
BBBS’s Mega Bounce Run remains scheduled for May 23 at D.P. Todd Secondary School but could also be postponed or canceled outright.
Fundraising efforts aside, Bennett said advice on how to prevent the spread of the virus is being sent out to BBBS’s matches, its group activities have been put on hold and its child care programs are “day by day.”
“Right now, we’re taking our lead from Northern Health,” Bennett said. “We’ll continue to offer our child care programs
until we’re no longer able to.”
Organizers of the Climb for Cancer, currently set for April 18 at the Cutbanks, are continuing to monitor the situation.
“We’re going to continue on until such time that it becomes apparent that we will not be able to safely host it,” event chair Doug Bell said.
The event raised $65,000 last year for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Even if an event is canceled, there are still ways to support local organizations, Bell added, and noted contributions can be made online.
Despite the impact, Flood said canceling the events is the right thing to do.
“We need to all be out together protecting each other and just supporting,” she said. “The other thing we need to do is to care for our neighbours. There might be seniors that maybe shouldn’t be out shopping. We need to go out and offer to support the people that maybe shouldn’t be out and about in the community.”
A suspect is in custody, following a stabbing of a woman Sunday morning in the city’s downtown.
Mandy Kathaleen Trahan, 28, of Kelowna has been charged with assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
RCMP said they were called to the scene in the 1200 block of Second Avenue shortly after 10 a.m. and the suspect was found near Fourth and Queensway about 10 minutes later.
The victim was treated and transported to hospital by paramedics and the injuries are not believed to be life threatening, RCMP said.
Mark NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A local second hand store was the scene of a break and enter early Monday morning.
Rings, watches and an assortment of other types of jewelry were taken from Thrifty Friends Boutique, after the glass on the front door and on a pair of display cases were smashed out.
The store shares the same building as the PGI on Fifth convenience store about three blocks west of Central. An alarm went off shortly after 5 a.m. and there is some hope whoever is responsible will have been seen on the building’s security cameras.
It’s operated by the Live Well Prince George Society, established about 2 1/2 years ago to provide a spot where low income families in the Central Fort George could get second hand goods while also raising money for various causes around the city.
Most of the items sell for $10 or less and in 2018, the store raised $37,000 with the proceeds going to causes ranging from the downtown homeless shelters to resource rooms at local schools to families who have been burned out of their homes.
The theft left Shirley Morin, the society’s treasurer, disappointed but not completely surprised.
“It’s a sign of our times,” Morin said as she looked at the damage.
She said shoplifting has been on the rise over the last six months as have the number of vagrants found sleeping outside the back door.
“We’ve had needles, boxes of needles,” Morin said.
The shop’s volunteers have received training from the RCMP on how to deal with shoplifters and other kinds of trouble. Improving the security camera system and putting bars across the windows are among the additional steps they’re considering in the wake of the robbery.
But for every sad story, there’s been a good story, said society director Margaret Jackson.
“Kids come in here and they get a free stuffed animal and a storybook to read to their stuffed animal,” she said and added it’s become a bit of a drop-in centre for a lot of neighbours.
Among the items stolen was a watch with a depiction of a dragon on its face, Jackson noted.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call Prince George RCMP at 250561-3300.
They can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www. pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only).
There will be no going back on the provincial government’s plan to move the social assistance office to the old SpeeDee Stationers building, social development and poverty reduction minister Shane Simpson confirmed this week.
While a date for the move has not yet been set, the “office will move to the new location,” Simpson said in a statement.
“A healthy community includes supports and services for everyone, and our office is an important resource for some of the most vulnerable people in the province,” he added. “As part of the community, we are also committed to being a good neighbour.”
The provincial government has entered an agreement to purchase the building at 490 Brunswick St. The move was made because the lease for the office’s current location at 1445 10th Ave. will not be renewed when it expires in early 2024.
In a 68-name petition, dated Feb. 7, the Prince George and District Senior Citizens Activity Centre, which is located across the street at 425 Brunswick St., raised concerns about parking, foot traffic and safety.
However, a ministry spokesperson has said an information session was held on the same date and the representatives of the seniors centre did not attend. Simpson said he has received a letter from the organization.
Simpson also noted representatives from
the city have also asked to meet with the ministry “and we look forward to engaging with them.”
“We will continue to work with the community, including the seniors’ centre to ensure that the needs of the neighbourhood are met,” Simpson added.
Although her Fifth Avenue office is located just 100 metres to the east, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond said she only learned of the move from the seniors centre.
“Unfortunately, there has been no other contact with me despite the fact that I am a neighbour,” Bond said.
Bond questioned the process by which the provincial government chose the site and suggested there was a lack of consultation with the public beforehand.
“Every community does need to have places where services can be provided to citizens who require them and I understand that - I have some firsthand experience having been in government,” Bond said. “The concern I have is that there could have been or should have been or still may be a requirement that there be some conversation with the people who are neighbours to that property.
“We are working to find ways to strengthen and improve our downtown. A lot of work has been done from that perspective and I just think that if you’re going to add a new service into an existing location, it’s important to have the discussion before the decision is made.”
son of Jim and noreen Rustad, cuts a ribbon to officially open the Passenger Conveyor Carpet lift at the hart ski hill on saturday morning during a ceremony to celebrate the new addition to the nechako Rotary learning Centre. nearly three years of hard work and fundraising came to fruition. the carpet lift will allow those learning to ski or snowboard to spend more time riding down the hill practicing the skills they are learning instead of having to sidestep their way back up the slopes.
What if you just need toilet paper?
What if you’re a perfectly rational human being, not some wild-eyed hoarder whose first reaction to the advent of a new, flu-like disease is to kill all the neighbours in a two-block radius and stuff your basement with enough Charmin to gift-wrap the provincial legislature?
“I felt like I had to explain myself,” a friend said, describing her experience at the checkout counter when she rolled up with a 24-pack poking out of her cart. “I’m not a crackpot,” she blurted to the other shoppers. “We’re down to our last couple of rolls.” Still, they smirked.
These days, bathroom tissue barely touches store shelves before being whisked off to a new home.
Where bare shelves exist, desperation follows. I saw one Victoria Costco customer snatch a 12-pack of Kleenex-style tissue as though it were the Holy Grail, or maybe the last Timbit in the box. He looked triumphant: it reminded me of
“Ask not for whom the bell tolls,” wrote a fellow believer in a time of plague. Of course, in parts of what he would have called Christendom, there are no bells - with no services to mark and congregations forbidden from attending, Western Christianity’s capital lies silent, deserted. Lent is already a spartan season, as altars go unadorned and clerics depart without music at the end of services. Coronavirus has simply imposed these austere observations universally.
Indeed, even our secular places of worship are empty, with the possibility that annual championships will not be completed this year. While a pall is cast over performances, sports, and arts, panic ensues at our markets, physical and digital. Rumour has it a skid of papier de la derriere sold out at our local warehouse retailer in less than two minutes, despite the fact that as of this entry, no cases are yet confirmed within our health region, superstitious fingers crossed.
This author will resist the temptation
the brewery lockout of ’78, when a guy pulled into a Duncan parking lot with a pickup load of smuggled Olympia beer and a bunch of us lined up to pay $20 for $5 cases of beer.
Buddy better not be using the facial tissue as a substitute for toilet paper, though.
The plumbing can’t handle it, not in these days of lo-flush loos. “No Kleenex!” said a woman at Roto-Rooter. “It’s going to plug up their toilets for sure.”
This is how far we have fallen: a disease that has yet to emerge locally somehow triggers a run on toilet paper, leading plumbers to warn us against plugging our pipes with alternatives. It’s hard to believe that we’re the same species that once walked on the moon.
Many, it seems, don’t have the ability to distinguish between A) the need for all of us to be rigorous in collectively trying to contain COVID-19, and B) the idea that we should dig a backyard bunker and stock it with Purex Ultra.
Why?
Writing in Psychology Today, McGill University’s Samuel Veissiere argues that – and here I paraphrase – we are hard-wired to react, not necessarily logically, to pathogens that threaten us. It’s a defence mechanism.
“To understand this strange dynamic, consider people’s blatant inability to make statistically correct inferences about actual risk in the current epidemic of catastrophizing about COVID19,” he wrote. “The human propensity to ignore basic probability, and our mind’s fondness for attending to ‘salient’ information, is well-documented. The negativity bias is one of the most potent of such pre-programmed mental heuristics. Any cue that contains information about potential dangers and threats will
jump to mind easily, will be easier to remember and easier to pass on.”
Dr. Bonnie Henry, ever the voice of knowledge and reason, keeps telling us what to do. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Limit physical contact with others. Stay home if you’re sick (and don’t let your kids go to school with the sniffles, either). If unwell, don’t visit care homes or hospitals or other places where older, vulnerable people are (that’s not just a COVID-19 thing; they are susceptible to whatever bug is actually causing you to cough and sneeze). Wash your hands again.
Except that’s not enough for some.
The same people who last month didn’t know where to put the apostrophes in Wet’suwet’en but still considered themselves experts on Indigenous governance now assume a knowledge of infectious diseases similar to that of Donald “Maybe I have a natural ability” Trump.
Logic goes down the drain, with or without toilet paper.
to either divinate or prophesy - adding to the fear by blaming our enemies or God’s wrath is scientifically and spiritually unjustified. There is a place for philosophizing and terse empiricism however, starting with the observation that we need to be aware of how quickly things can spread in an age where people can jet set around the globe in a few short hours. Like all other plagues, we are living through the byproduct of global travel.
It should also be noted that vicious hoarding has been matched by virtuous selflessness in some quarters - people have bought up things with the specific hope of giving something to everyone. Others are offering to make trips for the homebound and elderly to gather supplies on their behalf, keeping their risk of infection to a minimum. Some are
even crafting anti-bacterial gel at home, placing it in gathering or worship spaces while these are still allowed to operate. Our Lord advocates visiting the sick, and having survived H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009, I can assure you we the quarantined need to be visited. Of course, with all our modern methods of communication, visiting need not bear the risk of infection - I encourage you to use whatever device or app you find most convenient to interrupt the monotony of anyone you know to be self-quarantined, especially those facing severe symptoms that are causing them to despair. Whatever philosophising there is to offer has already much been discussed. It turns out that with nothing on the devil’s tabernacle as Mother Theresa called it, we are reinvesting in our familial relationships - perhaps even creating more family members, as has occurred in every other disaster. Distraction has been a topic of every publication for decades - perhaps we can use this time to refocus. Tempus fugit, memento mori, and all the other old adages resound.
There is also the spirit of human resilience that is on full display in the most
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affected parts of the world. Aside from material needs, people are rediscovering our pre-mass media existence, the culture of their ancestors. Folk songs and obscure instruments are being brought out of attics in our heads and houses. Stories are being told that were nearly forgotten, and new ones being written in light of the world at a standstill. Clearly, our creativity knows no bounds.
I promised not to prophesy, so instead I will pray that this lesson sticks with us who are more inundated with distantly generated stimuli than any people in history. I mean no disrespect - my own faith has also ceased to gather and broadcast at its epicenter in this crisis. But we are more than the sum of our parts, our inputs, our chats around the recently removed water cooler about things that we all witnessed but did not participate in. Meaningful living starts at home.
As the dean at St. Paul’s told us, “no man is an island entire of itself” - let us stand in solidarity with the afflicted while acting out our rote drill - ablutions and oblations, inside and out.
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I am writing as a Kelly Road alumni who graduated Kelly Road in 1970. As indicated by the outpouring of emotional responses, the name of Kelly Road Secondary carries meaning and value to many across the spectrum of generations. Students, alumni, and community members have all provided feedback in many forums including an online petition with more than 10,000 names. Sadly, some of this response has been negative and downright nasty, creating a situation that most have not faced, particularly within the school. Students in conflict, racist anger in the halls and community, and division among many who had strong friendships and community. All because of the motion of the board and the continued action on this process.
While the board has acknowledged it erred in not consulting with the community, that is simply not enough.
Trust is gone, both in the process outlined and the board itself.
The Q&A answers and many comments by board members are evasive and lead many to the conclusion that the process is simply to educate on the name change already committed to.
It is time for the board to acknowledge the lack of trust in the process, the fact that it has heard from the community loud and clear and state that Kelly Road Secondary will remain Kelly Road Secondary.
That does not stop the utilization of Shas Ti in other positive ways.
The board uses the Truth and Reconciliation process as a reason for this name change and yet the results of this motion have created exactly the opposite. Shame on the board.
It is time to meet with First Nation leaders and community members and develop true inclusion. In my years at Kelly Road, there was absolutely nothing taught about First Nations, the Indian Act, treaties etc.
In the last 50 years, there have been so many changes and yet in discussion with
students today there is still very little taught and only by elective choice. Meaningful reconciliation requires education and funding to support that education for everyone.
The board could be a leader in supporting true change on Truth and Reconciliation, working with the bands and educators to develop a mandatory curriculum that is inclusive of historical, up to current events on First Nations history. This is Canadian history and should be taught in all our schools.
Having sat as a trustee on several non-profit boards (the Municipal Pension Plan Board, for example) and taken many courses on trusteeship, I must say this board broke that trusteeship process completely.
Continuing with the current consultation process only prolongs the negative impact, mistrust and anger. When the process is not trusted, neither will the result be trusted.
While there have been many racist and angry responses, there has also been some very good ones. Consultation is required and I encourage the board to acknowledge the mistrust and move forward with consultation that will be trusted.
This could be done by retitling the consultation process to state the purpose is to keep the name Kelly Road Secondary while determining ways to include the Shas Ti name in meaningful and educational ways throughout the rebuilt school. This could even be done with the current committee structure set up. Please, act now to change this process from one of anger and mistrust to one of meaning and inclusion.
Some within your voting area will never trust any of you again, actions speak louder than words and the current action speaks negatively to many. Change to move to a positive mode is in your hands.
As the motion was carried unanimously, any trustee can put it forward for reconsideration and change the wording to be inclusive.
Deb Ducharme
As tensions have mounted in Canada in recent months over land claims and Indigenous rights, I have heard and read many variations of the phrase, “The Natives just need to get over it.” I wonder, however, if the people who embrace this worldview really know what they are saying. It reflects complete ignorance regarding the history of Canada and the history of the world. The bottom line is that Canada is guilty of genocide, and telling our Indigenous people to “get over it” is coming dangerously close to outright genocide denial.
Throughout the last several thousand years, genocidal policies were standard operating procedure for powerful empires. The Romans, for example, literally wiped Carthage off the map. It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that we began to question these policies, especially in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
In 1948, primarily through the efforts of Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jewish lawyer and scholar who had lost many family members in the Holocaust, the United Nations passed
GERRY CHIDIAC
the Genocide Convention. It states:
“In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
a. Killing members of the group;
b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
c. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
d. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
e. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
It is well known that the residential schools in Canada forcibly transferred children of the group to another group.
It is less well known that the Indian Act
I’d like to propose that the school board and the community of Prince George consider renaming Kelly Road Secondary School to Grace Dove Secondary. I have several reason for this suggestion that might give light and an alternative in the present controversy and debate.
Grace Dove is a young, female Indigenous person who attended and graduated from Kelly Road Secondary – a school for which she gives great praise. Early on her dedicated drama, teachers recognized her talent and inspired her to set high goals for herself – goals which she achieved by hard work, persistence, and confidence in her talents. Is this not what we want for all of our students?
How many graduates in Prince George have achieved an international presence that reflects so positively on a city that is so often negatively criticized?
As most people know, she starred in The Revenant alongside Leonardo De Caprio, who won an Oscar for his performance.
This alone is a large testament to her credibility and visibility as an artist.
And, as we know, she has become a wonderful spokesperson for our community. She got her start in Prince George and against the odds – a young native female competing with big-name actors in Hollywood – got the role.
Her name and demand is high on the celebrity list.
I can imagine that any student attending Grace Dove Secondary - white, native, or of any gender or race would be proud to know that it is possible, as Grace does, to dream and achieve an important presence and life in a larger world.
Some meanings: grace: “simple elegance or refinement of movement” dove: “as a person who advocated peaceful or conciliatory policies” Or is it, otherwise, to be the name of a grizzly bear trail?
Barry McKinnon Prince George
Our prime minister’s wife has been tested positive for the coronavirus. Things could get real nasty so we can’t be wasting money and time worrying about changing the name of a school. Leave it alone.
The pipeline protests have cost a fortune. That’s money that could have been better spent and now with the oil crisis it might not even get built. I think the worst part of the protests was the defacing of the RCMP statue. They are from every race and they work so hard to protect us so that was uncalled for.
This taxpayer is wondering how are we going to pay for land claims and reconciliation. I am not against it, I just don’t where the money is going to be coming from? We are deep in debt locally, provincially, federally. We can’t be worrying who did what to who.
We have to work as a team as we could be heading into a crisis like we have never seen before and our main concern should be our hospital.
All of us need to be working together no matter who we are and stop throwing stones at each other. It’s time to stop and forgive.
We have to stop spending money we don’t have.
Helen Robertson Prince George
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demonstrated clear intention to force assimilation of our Indigenous population.
In addition, the Canadian government not only knew that high percentages (24 per cent on average) of Indigenous children were dying in these schools in the early 20th century, it chose to ignore the advice of health inspector Dr. Peter Bryce to improve conditions.
In fact, in response to Bryce’s report, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs Duncan Campbell Scott stated, “It is readily acknowledged that Indian children lose their natural resistance to illness by habituating so closely in these schools, and that they die at a much higher rate than in their villages. But this alone does not justify a change in the policy of this Department, which is geared towards the final solution of our Indian Problem.”
In recent decades, it has also become well known that crimes of genocide leave deep wounds on individuals and communities, especially when they are inflicted on children. One does not “just get over” serious trauma. Trauma inflicted on a child also impacts their ability to parent. In other words, the trauma is intergenerational. We
will be dealing with the impact of residential schools in Canada for many years to come. Some will argue that these crimes against humanity have nothing to do with them, so why should they care. After all, they were not part of the residential school system. I simply cannot embrace this point of view. My deep love for Canada means I must embrace my country’s history, the good and the bad. It also means I must do all that I can to make Canada better.
Very few countries have had the courage to do what Canada is doing. Our way forward however, is not always clear. That is why the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed. As I study their 94 Calls to Action, I can see how they provide direction for our country as we attempt to heal our national psyche.
Things will not get better if we try to ignore our history. Human beings do not just “get over” abuse and trauma. And to deny these truths is to pour salt into the already deep wounds of genocide in Canada.
Most of the financial media attention gets paid to the stock market and rightly so with its stunning long-term returns and its painful periods of correction. Government and investment grade bonds are more like the demur, stately Elizabeth. Stocks are the flashy fun-loving Margaret.
High yield bonds are the weird uncle.
A bond is a special variety of loan. These debt instruments get traded in financial markets after the initial advance to this or that government or business. In the “secondary market” the bond’s value is influenced by interest rates, business climate, and the performance of the borrower itself. The same news flow that acutely impacts share values also swings bonds, although much less dramatically. Mostly.
Higher quality bonds are a safe-haven and have been a very important ballast in portfolios this month. While stock indices have tumbled, government and highly-rated cor-
porate bonds have fared relatively well. This is why a global-balanced portfolio (say 40 per cent bonds) might only be down about half the amount of the front-page-grabbing stock market is. They might not be flashy, but we respect them and maybe give them a little pat on the head on weeks like this.
But part of the bond market this week is laying down with a cold rag on its head – hungover. The high yield (higher risk) bond market has been feeling feverish this month. During the past decade of simulative interest rates, investors have clamored for a better return by spicing their portfolios with doses of this riskier variety of debt instrument.
High yield bonds behave more like stocks
In 1988, I approached Louis Matte who was a successful land developer and asked if he would be interested in investing in a medical supply business. He told me that he wanted to start a religious book store, but we could combine them and he would invest if there was an opportunity to add a business that was recession proof.
You see, Louis had just come through the 1981 recession when many of the other land developers in the community had gone bankrupt and his own business was on the brink of disaster as a result of interest rates between 14-18 per cent. He was concerned about the ability of any business he had to get through tough times.
With talk of a world recession coming on as a result of the economic effects of the coronavirus, falling markets, quarantined populations and travel restrictions, businesses looking to the future should be concerned about falling revenues. A recession is typified by a spending reduction and a restriction of available money for purchases. Because the economy tends to lag behind the stock market, leaders of organizations should be making plans now for flat or declining sales in the future. We need to engage our teams to think about
during a financial setback. As the selloff in risk assets continues, liquidity in bond markets will not only push their yields up, but sometimes push them right out of the market’s appetite for risk.
Unlike the Equity market, the Bond market is a dealer market, which means a transaction takes place against a dealer’s inventory – in his house if you will, not at a central exchange per se. Dealers cannot buy unlimited amounts of bonds because regulatory risk limits must be maintained. In other words, we don’t want to be the guy left carrying the junk when the music stops – in fact, we’re not allowed to ever get ourselves in such a position because we are among the “too big to fail.”
When we hit our limits, we stop. As a result, unlike stocks, high-yield bonds see more than their risk premiums going up this month. During moments of market angst, the appetite for their risk might just dry up altogether. To stretch a metaphor, Queen Elizabeth doesn’t parade that awkward
uncle around with her when she needs to build confidence in the monarchy, but she can’t just bury the old coot.
As the high yield market weakens, cash needs are being met by profit-taking in the higher quality bond segment (because where else are they going to get cash?). So the entire system is a bit stressed right now. This is one of the reasons central banks and governments the world over will inject massive amounts of liquidity into the system by way of cheap loans or repurchase programs on their own treasuries – to warm up the otherwise cooling enthusiasm for financial assets enough to let the market develop legs again.
Mark Ryan is an Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (Member–CIPF). These are Ryan’s views and not those of RBC. This article is for information purposes only. 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
recession proofing our businesses and looking for strategies and tactics that will enable us to be successful and even thrive during hard economic times.
So, what do we need to do to get a business to survive and even thrive during an economic downturn? Having successfully survived the recessions of 1993, 2001, 2008 and 2011 in my retail businesses, I realize that the most natural response to a slowdown in sales is to start cutting costs. As business owners, we look at cutting unnecessary expenses, however, we need to be wise in these decisions. A study of 4,700 public companies before and after a recession found that those companies that didn’t cut employees more than their competitors and invested in the future through R&D, marketing and asset purchases did better than their competitors.
It’s easy for us to cut the jobs of employees to save money as labour is typically the biggest expense of companies, however we
need to be thinking longer term and outside of the box if we aren’t going to be following them to the unemployment lines. Cuts in employees are often followed by a reduction in service, followed again by a loss of customers. In order to think strategically we need to weigh our options and have a set of criteria for decisions. If you would like an opportunity analyzer please email me dave@profityourselfhealthy.com and I will be happy to send you the worksheet.
There are certain types of businesses that do well in times of recessions including auctions, renovators, thrift and value focused retailers, as well as businesses that focus on hobbies. Organizations that have cash and can buy assets or services at a discount rate usually thrive. Educational facilities are also a big winner during recessions as people believe they need more skills to get ahead. Businesses supporting health, death, or personal addictions, also usually tend to have a fairly good success rate during recessionary times.
However, in order to predict if you are going to be successful yourself you need to think in terms of your customers. How are their needs going to change? What happens when their cash starts to dry up? How can we provide more value for less money? What do we need to do now to be success-
Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, where are you? I miss you so much! My heart aches to see your long velvet ears and your marvelous nose. My heart would lift whenever I would see you. How I miss your face. I loved that tail wagging greeting that was always accompanied with that signature zigzag body dance. I’ll not forget the softness of your kisses when I reached for you. And you were always so glad to see me. You were a steadfast presence in my busy stressful life. You were my friend. Sadly, last week I learned of your peaceful passing in the arms of your loving companion and best friend. This has left me reeling as I reflect on your remarkable life journey and how fortunate I was to have known you. Lucy, I honour the impact you had
on the therapeutic community here in Prince George. You spent most of your working life at Baldy Hughes walking alongside thousands of men from all over the province who were fighting hard to find a new way of life, free of addiction. For more than a decade, you were like a tonic as you wandered the halls of the facility, checking in and out of offices, faithfully attending group therapy sessions and Twelve Step meetings. Everyone loved you. Although sometimes you could be a bit of diva, you had the right to bark
demands. You were an alpha leader that worked hard everyday, taking long walks through grief and mending broken hearts. It was moving how you always knew when someone needed extra special care and would nuzzle up close. That physical contact was medicine in action that created a bond and safe space, even if it was just for a short while. Your loving devotion made it okay to cry and to somehow cope with the terrible pain and loss in this life that can too often leave us so broken. Day in and day out you built a foundation of trust that helped pave the road to acceptance and recovery for so many. Lucy, thank you for sharing your gifts of hope and joy so freely.
It is no surprise that in retirement you kept going and helped hundreds of women move forward with their lives
ful in six months, one year, five years? How can we diversify our products or services to ensure that we are successful? Are our inventory levels manageable or do we have excess cash tied up that we will need in the future?
Creating businesses that are healthy during economic downturns starts well before the downturn itself. Having and promoting an entrepreneurial culture within your organization will enable you to be positively optimistic and allow you to survive some tough times that your competitors might not.
In 1988, Louis happened to know a fellow named Joe Borowski who had a health food store in Winnipeg. Joe had told Louis at one point that he thought that health food stores were recession proof. Luckily for me, I had grown up with a mom who believed in the benefits of health food and supplements and so I jumped at the opportunity. The business model we created allowed that business to survive through a number of economic downturns and is still successful to this day.
- Dave Fuller, MBA, is an award-winning business coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Need to recession proof your business and have a question? Email dave@profityourselfhealthy.com
at Celynn House, a Community Release Facility for women in Northern British Columbia. You were a trusted companion to many of the residents who worked towards developing healthy relationships and life skills, and a healing presence in a program that supported mental, emotional and spiritual health. Those connections will have a lasting impact.
You were also a much loved regular at Studio 2880 and will be deeply missed. Everywhere you went you had a way of bringing the very best out in everyone; you were a bright light in a sometimes dark and selfish world. You reminded me to be part of the solution, not the problem, and that investing in others with kindness, compassion and understanding is what gives life meaning. Thank you, Lucy, for all you gave. RIP.
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
Chicago Cubs prospect Jared Young is going to have to find something else to do with his time over the next few weeks or perhaps months.
Major League Baseball canceled spring training last week and announced it will delay by at least two weeks the opening day of the season, which was to be March 26.
The players have been sent home while MLB considers its longer-term options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Young is staying put in Mesa, Ariz., where the Cubs have their spring training base. He’s certainly in no hurry to come home to Prince George, which was hit with an Arctic blast recently, which dropped wind chills close to -30 C.
“They just told us that for player and fan safety it’s been postponed and to take care of yourself for the time being,” Young said. “We don’t really know very much either.
“You have the option of going home to be with your family or staying and I’ve got my apartment down here and everything, so I stayed here. In the coming days when
we find out more I’ll probably be working out on my own and training at a local park and maybe get a few guys together to see what we can do.
“There’s definitely no Cubs activity. It’s an uneasy feeling right now not knowing what’s going on.”
Young’s routine as an athlete has been interrupted by a rapidly-spreading virus visible only to a microscope and there’s no end in sight.
“It’s unlike anything I’ve dealt with, this will be the first time ever I’m not playing baseball in March and April and almost seems like the off-season with all the uncertainty,” he said.
“The grocery stores are crazy down here. People are stocking up. It’s new to everybody.”
Young had just started camp with the Cubs’ minor leaguers and between workouts joined the major league players for afternoon games in the Cactus League. In seven games and eight at-bats coming in off the bench he had two hits, stole one base and scored two runs, compiling a .250 batting average.
Asked which of those games stood out
as a highlight, Young responded: “All of them, getting to take part in that is something that I’ll never ever take for granted, it’s exciting. My uncle was able to come down and catch a few of them and that was pretty special. It was nice seeing him.”
The Cubs drafted Young in 2017 in the 15th round from Old Dominion University in Virginia. He advanced rapidly through the system and was picked as the Cubs’ minor league player of the year in 2018. Last year he played for the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League, considered one of baseball’s toughest double-A leagues. In 123 games he collected 107 hits playing mostly at first base and sometimes in the outfield. He hit .235 with five home runs and had 57 runs batted in.
The Cubs selected Young for the Mesa Solar Sox, their Arizona Fall League team, and he played 14 games in September and October, picking up nine hits and four RBI in 46 at-bats. He scored four runs and posted a .196 batting average.
Young, who turns 25 on July 9, has added a bit of bulk to his six-foot-one, 185pound frame over the off-season and he’s been swinging the bat well lately. He was
Ted Clarke Citizen staff
Chad Staley was the consummate captain for the Prince George Spruce Kings, a shining example of the type of hockey player the B.C. Hockey League team wanted as its leader on and off the ice.
Staley died last Monday at age 25. Details of his death were not revealed.
“Chad was just a great individual who was always there for his teammates to lend an ear and lend a hand whenever needed and that’s why he ended up our captain as a 20-year-old,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes.
“When his career came to an end with our team I remember telling him, “you epitomized everything it means to be a Spruce King, the way you treat people, the way you treat your teammates, your community involvement and your play on the ice.’ That’s how I’ll remember Chad.”
Staley graduated the junior ranks in 2015 after he scored 60 goals and 87 assists for 147 points in 164 regular season games
over three seasons in the B.C. Hockey League with the Spruce Kings. His playoff performance in 2015 as a 20-year-old, centring a line with Jeremy Luedtke and Michael Buonincontri, helped the Spruce Kings advance to the second round after a six-game series win over the Langley Rivermen.
Hawes has a poster-sized photo of Staley scoring a game-winning goal late in a game near the end of the 2013-14 regular season which helped the Spruce Kings clinch second place in the standings to start the playoffs at home. He was voted the team’s most dedicated player and and most inspirational player in his last season in Prince George.
The Spruce Kings discovered Staley, a native of Kennewick, Wash., in the spring of 2012 when he and Luedtke helped the Wenatchee Wild midget team win a tournament in Kelowna. He and Luedtke attended the Kings’ spring camp in April and signed shortly after.
“I still remember when we recruited
looking forward to making a good impression on the Cubs staff, knowing if he plays well enough he will continue to climb the ladder in the organization.
Young’s infield teammate with the Smokies last year, shortstop Nico Hoerner, was called up to Chicago in September and made an impact right away, sticking in the majors for the rest of the season. Hoerner is now second on the depth chart behind starting shortstop Javier Baez.
For Young, that just makes his own major league dreams seem that much more possible.
“I feel great, every year going into spring training you have to be in tiptop shape and I like to think I am and we’ll see where this year takes me,” he said.
“I’m obviously optimistic. I feel that last season was a bit of down year but one year in the long run isn’t going to kill you. You just have to bounce back and it will be fine. I had a couple hits in the big-league games and that’s really a big test, against the best in the world. If you can go out there and do your thing and have success, you’ll be just fine. If you play well you’ll always move up, good things will happen.”
Chad and Jeremiah Luedtke together from their midget team in Wenatchee as 18 yearolds,” said Hawes.
“They were a little undersized but we knew they played hard and were we ever in for a special treat.”
Staley went on to lock up a scholarship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and played four seasons of NCAA Division 1 hockey with the Nanooks before heading to Europe this past season to play professionally.
thierry mboneko of
india holds off the check of Kensho ando of team south Korea while trying to clear the ball out of the defensive end during sunday’s men’s division final at the World Cup indoor soccer tournament at the prince George Dome. south Korea won 5-3.
The Prince George Cougars have sent their players home due to the uncertainty of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The Western Hockey League team will continue to await word from the league on whether the rest of the season will be completed.
“Based on the information we are receiving from medical professionals, the Canadian Hockey League and the Western Hockey League, the Prince George Cougars have decided to send players home to their families until further notice as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Fraser Rodgers, the Cougars manager of broadcasting, media & team services.
“The Cougars take the safety of our players, staff members, fans, and everyone associated with the WHL very seriously. We will continue to monitor ongoing public health developments regarding COVID-19.”
The league paused its schedule last Thursday, following the lead of the
National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, which have also suspended operations.
The B. C. Hockey League announced Saturday it will cancel the remainder of the playoffs and in conjunction with the Canadian Junior Hockey League and its 10 junior A leagues, the regional series and national playoff tournament will not happen this year.
The ECHL professional hockey league also said Saturday it will not be completing its season.
The Cougars have six games left on their schedule.
They were in Cache Creek Wednesday morning on the way to Victoria when they were told to return to Prince George. The roadtrip would have had them play two weekend games in Victoria against the Royals and one in Langley against the Vancouver Giants.
The Cougars had games scheduled this Wednesday in Kelowna and would have concluded the regular season with games Friday and Saturday in Kamloops.
On June 11, 2008, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued this official apology:
“Two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption Aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, ‘to kill the Indian in the child.’ Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.”
It was a moment of acknowledging the historic racist treatment at the hands of the state.
Some may say the apology was useless because it couldn’t undo the harm caused, or because we shouldn’t judge history by today’s standards.
However, the lack of an apology would have continued to harm, so it was needed and overdue. When any government, or any organization, makes a mistake, even if done in good faith, there needs to be an acknowledgment and apology.
In many ways, for the non-Indigenous, the apology began the process of reconciling events in the past with reality today. Much has been thought, said, and felt, on how to correct historic wrongs. UNDRIP and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action are efforts to begin that pro-
cess. One proposal is making the news in Prince George.
Both UNDRIP and the TRCC2A have been used to justify the arbitrary renaming of Kelly Road Secondary School to Shas Ti Secondary School. People opposed to the renaming have frequently been called racist for wanting to keep the original name. Lets think about that.
UNDRIP is basically a framework to ensure Indigenous rights and culture are not wiped out by the state, and that they should not be hindered from practicing and restoring their cultural traditions.
The Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, (which is not law, only recommendations based on their findings) are about undoing the harms done to Indigenous peoples that attended residential schools. The common factor in both documents is that they grant or recommend special treatment for a certain race - in this case, Indigenous people.
We can say that the special treatment is justified because race-based policies and laws were used to deny basic human rights.
We can say that the experience of racism justifies this special legal treatment for those that endured systemic abuse.
Those are legitimate arguments.
In making that argument, however, we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The elephant is that any law or recommendation that grants special treatment (even if meant to correct historic mistreatment) based on race, is race-based. Therefore, any discussion about how to implement UNDRIP will be a race-based, or racist, conversation. It has to be. We cannot speak about the rights belonging to Indigenous people under UNDRIP (or any other law or recommendation that specifies a specific race) without speaking about the special rights of people of a specific race. If we are okay with that, then there should be no accusations of “racist” simply because someone makes a race-based comment.
The request to rename Kelly Road is based on one specific race’s history in the area. The school and community was built for every student in the community, regardless of race. The land the school was built on is part of the traditional territory of the Lheidli Tenneh, who are Indigenous. Therefore, we need to remember that a discussion about the potential renaming of Kelly Road will often include race.
The history of KRSS is mostly the story of the “white race.” Like Canada’s Indigenous peoples, the “white” race is diverse, and many of them were enemies in the old country - Germans, British, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian, Danish, Irish, Austrians, French, and others. Upon migrating
Brain injury affects many areas of cognitive functioning. Flooding is a very common symptom after brain injury.
Prince George Brain Injury Group Society (BIG) and Northern Brain Injury Association (NBIA) created a manual called Rebuilding After Brain Injury. This manual is used in a 24-week group at BIG called Rebuilding which I am currently attending. Through this manual and the group, I’ve learned that flooding occurs when injured survivors become overwhelmed and their brains shut down.
Filters in a healthy brain can sort out sounds, sights, questions, problems, demands etc. And the filters can tune out things that are not important like the furnace humming, people and vehicles going by and other people’s conversations. After a brain injury, these filters don’t work properly so all of the information enters the brain at once. It’s like an explosion inside the head. This overwhelming force creates a strong stress response, which results in flooding.
Although flooding is a temporary situation, it should be avoided as much as possible. It can take hours or days for the brain to rest and recuperate. Flooding can
delay the healing of the damaged neurons in the brain. Like many of my peers, I’ve experienced flooding on a regular, daily basis.
Before injury, I was a social worker with incredible multitasking, problem-solving and organizing abilities at my job. It was the same in my personal life.
Now, when people try to talk to me about negative and stressful subjects, my brain shuts off. This is extremely frustrating for survivors like me who were well versed at taking on a multitude of challenging tasks. When I’m flooded, I can’t remember what I said or did. I’ve literally walked away from highly emotionally charged conversations. Of course whoever I was having a conversation with would regard my actions as extremely rude. The worst part is I can’t remember. Considering what I used to do for a living and how highly functional I was outside of work, this has been a huge loss for me
and the people in my life.
As much as survivors grieve because they can’t manage what used to be simple, every day interaction, family and friends can become frustrated and angry about this huge behaviour shift. I’ve been accused of ignoring people, not caring, not making an effort to reach out to people who are struggling.
For me, it’s quite frightening because when I’m flooded, it’s like being in a blackout. People have had conversations with me and I don’t recall what they said. I’ve said and done things that have upset people and I have no memory of the incidents. In my previous column I covered energy crashes. After flooding, I’m in bed anywhere from 24 to 72 hours.
Brain injured survivors can experience flooding in different ways. My peers have described feeling confused, panicky, can’t concentrate, lost for words, sweating, spewing angry comments at loved ones and many more reactions. When survivors become flooded, we feel horrible because we can’t control how we are going to act. And we feel even worse when the people in our circle make negative comments. But can you blame them? Unless boundaries are set, this will remain
to Canada, they came together, and put aside their differences, to build a new, multicultural country. Many of those who originally built the school for their children also have a story of their ancestors fleeing either religious, ethnic, or racist persecution. For them, those memories are not so very far away.
The elder alumni of Kelly Road see the school community as a triumph of their rebuilt new life, new friends, new neighbours, new community, their new story. They remember their sacrifices of family and community and fear another loss. I would venture to say, then, that the elders of the Lheildi Tenneh and Kelly Road alumni probably have more in common than either of them think.
Reconciling those diverse experiences is the role of everyone in our community, so that we can live in harmony. Even racebased laws like UNDRIP and the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action, call on us to help preserve and enhance Indigenous culture, but do not call for the replacement of settler or colonial history.
We can do this, but it will require wisdom, generosity, humility and a focused concern on building the entire community. It will depend on building unity and inclusion without degrading the stories of the Lheildi Tenneh and the non-Indigenous people who have made the Hart their home.
The question is are the trustees of School District 57 up to managing that nuance?
a vicious cycle.
To avoid further damage for survivors and the people around them, firm boundaries are a necessity. It can take survivors a significant period of time to recognize what their triggers are for flooding and what flooding feels like. This took me months to sort out and I’m still on a learning curve after a year and a half post injury.
Survivors of brain injury must avoid situations and environments that can lead to flooding. Examples of survival strategies are to avoid certain people, minimize taking on too many requests or activities, limit time spent in busy public places, fluorescent lights and stressful, emotional interactions. The world can become very small but it’s a tiny price to pay to reduce conflict and strained relationships. When triggered, survivors must retreat to a quiet, calming place to avoid flooding. My home is my sanctuary and I could stay here and never venture out into the world. But I know this would not be healthy because connections to people and the community are important to healing the brain.
My next column will focus on a day in the life of a brain injured survivor.
Outstanding contributions to health and wellness in northern B.C. were to be recognized during the 13th annual Healthier You awards gala, scheduled for April 3 at the Home of Ancestors. It’s been postponed with no set date as yet for the event but nominations for the awards are still open.
These awards offer everyone the opportunity to show their appreciation for those caregivers, organizations and companies who have made strides to improve health and wellness in the region by nominating them in one of 12 categories of excellence.
MLA Shirley Bond has been involved with the Heathier You Expo and Awards since its inception.
“At times we forget to recognize the people within our community who do exceptional work, whether it’s in the field of healthcare, education or business,” Bond said. “It’s important to recognize the exceptional people, projects and the work that’s underway in our community and region. That was really the impetus for the Healthier You Awards - to learn more about what’s happening but also to say thank you and to celebrate the excellence and outstanding contributions of organi-
zations and healthcare providers in our community.
The Healthier You Awards are hosted in partnership with Bond, the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society, Northern Health and The Prince George Citizen.
“I would like to encourage people to nominate individuals, organizations and programs that are doing good work because that’s all part of this process,” Bonc said. “We need people who know of people or programs that we might not even be aware of - they get to make those nominations and so from my perspective that’s an important part of this process.”
Individuals, organizations and companies who go above and beyond for health and wellness in Northern B.C. will be awarded in these categories:
Health & Wellness Advocate of the Year -
Awarded to a Northern B.C. company/individual/organization that has had a positive impact to our region, through advocacy for health and wellness.
Youth Initiative of the Year - Awarded to a company/individual/organization that has developed or introduced a product or service which enhances the health and wellness of youth within Northern B.C.
Outstanding Multicultural Contribution - Awarded to company/individual/organization who has made an outstanding contribution towards the health and wellness in the multicultural community.
Health & Wellness Innovator of the Year
- Awarded to a company/individual/organization who has developed or implemented a new approach that enhances the health and wellness of citizens of Northern B.C.
Health & Wellness Educator of the Year - Awarded to a company/individual/ organization who has provided on-going health and wellness education to either healthcare providers, health care providers, health care students and/or citizens of Northern British Columbia.
Lifestyle Transformation - Awarded to a company/individual/organization who has provided health and wellness coaching including fitness, nutrition, and council to positively transform the lives of citizen’s in Northern BC.
Seniors Initiative of the Year - Awarded to a company/individual/organization that has developed or introduced a product or service which enhances the health and wellness of seniors within Northern B.C.
First Nations Initiative of the Year -
Take extra care for the elderly, BC’s Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie asks.
“While the provincial health officer has advised that most people who contract COVID-19 will experience mild symptoms, it is a more serious illness for the elderly and we need to ensure that people who are
not feeling well refrain from close contact with seniors and those who have underlying health conditions,” Mackenzie said.
“We also need to support seniors to ensure they are properly washing their hands, cleaning surfaces they come into contact with, limiting their exposure to others in the community who may be ill and practicing social distancing for the
Awarded to a company/individual/organization that has developed or introduced a product or service which enhances the health and wellness of First Nations within Northern British Columbia.
Health & Wellness Provider of the Year - Awarded to a company/individual/organization that has demonstrated exemplary service and dedication to enhancing the health and wellness of the citizens of Northern British Columbia.
Technology in Health Care - Awarded to a company/individual/organization that has developed, introduced or improved a technology product or has improved the interface or service between technology and health care which enhances health and wellness.
Research Award - Awarded to a company/individual/organization that performed research in the field of health and wellness within Northern British Columbia.
Workplace Wellness Award - Awarded to an organization or business that has developed workplace programs that contribute to the health and wellness of its employees.
To nominate someone for any of these awards go online to healthieryouexpo.ca.
time being.”
The seniors advocate is also asking all British Columbians to contact their elderly friends, family, and neighbours who might need some extra help.
“It could be anything from helping a senior get some groceries, taking out their garbage, bringing over a cooked meal or bringing them up to speed on the latest
COVID-19 recommendations from our provincial health officer,” Mackenzie said. “These are things we can all do to help and they are important measures to keep seniors who are living in the community healthy and to reduce anxiety both for seniors and for their family members.” To learn more visit www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca.
Around Town Community Calendar
During the COVID-19 pandemic major events have continued to be canceled each day. Please take some time to reach out to organizers for updates. Here are some recent cancellations and postponements.
Because of the spread of novel coronavirus the World Women’s curling championship 2020 has been canceled by the World curling Federation.
The event was to take place saturday, March 14 to sunday, March 22 at cn centre in Prince George with 13 members associations competing for the world title and olympic qualification points heading to the olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The recommendation to cancel the event came from Bc’s provincial health officer dr. Bonnie henry.
The Prince George dance Festival website posted they are postponing the annual competition that sees performers attend from the entire region from saturday, March 14 to Friday, March 20.
has canceled all events booked into their facilities as recommended by the Bc health officer and the ministry of health and since they have no venue the competition is postponed until further notice.
For updates visit www.pgdancefestival.com.
outstanding contributions to health and wellness in northern B.c. were to be recognized during the 13th annual healthier you awards gala, scheduled for april 3 at the home of ancestors.
it’s been postponed with no set date as yet for the event but nominations for the awards are still open. These awards offer everyone the opportunity to show their appreciation for those caregivers, organizations and companies who have made strides to improve health and wellness in the region by nominating them in one of 12 categories of excellence.
A science fiction movie written by local creators will be filmed at a number of Prince George venues.
Barker Street Cinema will be filming a science fiction movie called Ariel ALPHA that features a former Prince George resident who is a Vancouver actor.
“What’s so incredible about this new project is that we are shooting it with a
And the bAnd plAyed on
Students from the Prince George Secondary School of Rock program performed on stage Friday night at buskers Rock merch and Venue as part of the music for the Kordyban lodge fundraiser.
the fundraising show was in support of the fifth annual Climb for Cancer and all proceeds from Friday’s show will go to the Kordyban lodge which provides an affordable place to stay for cancer patients from northern b.C. communities who need to stay in Prince George to receive cancer treatments.
To nominate someone for any of these awards go online to healthieryouexpo.ca.
The Big Brothers Big sisters were to host a major fundraiser on april 4 at the hart community centre called the Big Gala with the theme the Fabulous Fifties but it has been postponed until further notice. For more information visit www.bigsnbc.ca
alice cooper’s spring tour has been postponed until the fall due to growing concern of coVid19.
The show was making a stop on april 16 at cn centre and will be rescheduled for later this year.
new dates will be announced as quickly as possible. Fan should hold on to their tickets. information regarding previously purchased tickets and ViP packages will be available soon at alicecooper.com. People who have tickets for postponed show should retain them for the re-scheduled show. T icket refunds will not be issued until the new Prince George date is set.
For more information visit www.alicecooper. com.
The axel show that was to be presented by cirque du soleil at cn centre from June 25 to 28 will be postponed to honour the recommendations of social distancing by the World health organization and the centre for disease control.
For those who have already purchased tickets for the event, refunds will be made available at the original point of purchase after Monday, March 30, 2020.
if tickets were purchased online through ticketsnorth.ca refunds will be processed automatically.
Submit your upcoming events online: princegeorgecitizen.com/ entertainment/ submit-event
local crew in our hometown with an L.A. star and a Vancouver actor who is also from P.G.,” producer Norm Coyne said.
Madison Smith, originally from Prince George, is best known for his roles in a variety of Hallmark movies, Salvation, Riverdale, Supergirl, Narco Leap, and Aftermath
Becca Scott, who will also take on a key role in the film, is best known for Geek
& Sundry, Fail Lab, Tween Fest, Mothership, and Vampire: The Masquerade: L.A. by Night and is the producer behind hit YouTube programs Game the Game and How to Play
“I’m so excited about everything that’s happening in my hometown,” Smith said. “I can’t wait for the world to see what Prince George can do.”
Ariel ALPHA, written by local author
Chris Dias, tells a story set in the near future in which a grieving young man questions love and life after an unexpected encounter with a service promising the perfect romantic solution.
Filming was to take place later this month but due to COVID-19 it’s been postponed.
For more information visit www.barkerstreetcinema.com.
The 69th annual Prince George & District Music Festival took place at a variety of venues throughout Prince George and was held from Feb. 21 to March 7.
The showcase of regional talent offered young performers an opportunity to achieve musical excellence while gaining valuable time on stage as they received feedback from experienced adjudicators.
After the competition there was a showcase recital, followed by a festival gala held March 7.
There were 350 performers and adjudicators were Karyn Way from New Westminister for the vocal and choral disciplines, Roger Buksa from Victoria for the piano discipline and Mark Ferris from Victoria for the strings discipline. Performers who achieved a certain level of excellence were invited to attend the Performing Arts BC Provincial Festival from June 2 to 7 in Cranbrook.
There will be 650 participants from all over the province attending the event.
These are the recommendations for the 2020 PABC:
Classical Voice:
Senior Competitor: Paige Marriott
Senior Alternate : Susie MacRae, Senior Merited Participant: Courtney Hayhurst
Intermediate Competitor: Emmanuelle Jacob
Intermediate Alternate: Victoria van Delft
Intermediate Merited Participant: Sarah Dereshkevich
Junior Competitor: Grace Li
Junior Alternate: Abigail Vienna ClarkChretien
Junior Merited Participant: Freya Boyle
Vocal - Musical Theatre:
Intermediate Competitor: Erika Le Blanc
Intermediate Alternate: Sarah Dereshkevich
Intermediate Merited Participant: Skyler Fitzpatrick
Junior Competitor: Linnea Helfrich
Junior Alternate: Claire Westerlaken
Junior Merited Participant: Sophie McCarthy
Choral:
Community Choirs Ages 19 & Over:
Prince George Cantata Singers: Director: Ariane Crossland
Citizen Photo by James Doyle
silas Godber plays Danse Rustique by William henry squire on the cello at our saviour’s lutheran Church on sunday evening as part of the Prince George and District’s 69th annual music Festival held from Feb. 21 to march 7.
Community Choirs Average Age 16 & Under:
Prince George Senior Tapestry Singers: Director ~ Carolyn Duerksen
Community Choirs Average Age 12 & Under:
Prince George Junior Tapestry Singers: Director ~ Carolyn Duerksen
Community Choirs Female Voices Only:
Nove Voce: Director ~ Robin Norman
Piano:
Junior B Competitor: Tadd Mao
Junior B Alternate: Kristi Corbett
Intermediate Merited Participant: Daniel Chui
Strings:
Junior A Competitor: Junekyung Kim
Junior B Competitor: Luke Chen
Junior B Merited Participants: Eunho Kim & Tadd Mao
DOWNIE,MAVIS
MAY21,1938-MARCH19, 2015
It’sbeen5yearssinceyou leftus,Mom.Wemissand loveyousomuch!Youare alwaysonourmindsand foreverinourhearts.Itis stillhardsometimesto believeyouaregone. -Love,CurtisandMicki
As the seasons change We always hold you in our thoughts
Love you Mom, Dad and Randy
Lovingly the Ibis family
Giovanna Fidanza Jurista
09/18/1957 - 03/13/2020
We never dreamed you’d go away. Never thought of sorrow. So sure you’d always be here. We miss you each day.
Loved always and remembered by her loving husband, Tom Jurista and children,Christopher, Derek & Kendel Jurista; grandchildren, Mckenna & Addison Jurista; her mother, Gemma Fidanza & her brothers, Domi, Antonio and Pasquale. Including numerous cousins, aunties & uncles. Giovanna was predeceased by her father Pierino Fidanza. Service to be announced.
Rose Martin
January 8, 1923March 11, 2020
We are saddened to announce the passing of Rose Martin on March 11, 2020. She passed peacefully at the age of 97. Predeceased by her husband Julius of 65 years, and son Charles. She is survived by her children Fred, Hugo, Richard, Tricia and Kay, as well as their spouses. Also left to remember her are many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Rose requested no service, the family will gather at a later date to scatter her ashes. Thank you to Dr. Higgins and the wonderful staff at Parkside care facility for their care during Rose’s final years.
To those planning to attend Bonnie’s Celebration of Life on March 21st, please note that the family has postponed the event due to the Coronavirus issue. If you know of others who were planning to attend, please let them know so they can adjust their schedules. Once this current crisis has passed, we will reset the date. Thank you for understanding.
Helen Lorraine MacDonald, reached the end of her human journey Mar 5, 2020 at Rotary Hospice House in Prince George, BC.
She was predeceased by her grandparents, mother Eileen, and stepmother Lillian. Survived by her father Alex MacDonald, sister Gwen Davis (and her children George, Jesse, Emily and Madeleine), brothers Glen Ford and Howard MacDonald (Corrina Lynn and child Kate) and step siblings Brett (Corrine and children Amanda and Nathan) and Lawrance (Anette) MacDonald and Louise Giese (Bill, and children Joshua and Brittany), her friend Steve and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Memorial Service will be at Prince George Funeral Chapel 1014 Douglas St. Prince George, BC on Wednesday, Mar 18, 2020 at 1pm.
CARRIE STEVENSON
Guillet,MaureenP.
2x26.1
April05,1947-February29,2020
PGC001973
MaureenGuillet,72,leftusonFebruary29,2020,with herchildrenbyherside.ShewasthewidowofFrank Guillet,whopassedawayin1991,andhadsharedmany greatyearsofmarriagetogether.Mrs.Guilletissurvived byherchildren,Mark(Carrie)andJoey(Heidi);andher fourgrandchildren,Travis,Hailey,Danielle,andBlake. Sheisalsogoingtobemisseddearlybyhersisters, Sheila(Wayne)andColleen(Neil);andbrother,Jim (Mary);andmanyniecesandnephews. AMemorialServiceforMaureenwillbeannouncedata laterdate.
Audrey Cleghorn (Richardson, Larson)
Audrey passed away quietly Sunday, March 8, 2020. She will be greatly missed by her daughters Deb Vandal, Gail (Philip) Rickard and Donna (Monte) Ubdegrove, her 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous friends. Many thanks to all the nurses, doctors and healthcare individuals who were there for her. Special thanks to everyone at Gateway as they became her second family and Samy and Susan Hanna from Gateway Pharmacy for going above and beyond to make sure her prescription and health needs were met.
There will be a prayer and tea Friday, March 13, 2020 at 1:00pm at Gateway.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hospice House.
Dallas Birk Olsen
September 14, 1958 –March 11, 2020
It is with a broken heart to announce Dallas’s passing. He was born in Quesnel and then settled in Willow River in 1990.
Predeceased by his mother Agnes.
Dallas is survived by his wife, Karen of 34 years, his father Ray, siblings Kari, Andrea, Martha (Clint) and Mark, Uncle Bruce and Auntie Jaye, Auntie Susan and Uncle Bob, numerous nieces and nephews and his faithful dogs, Jimmy and Pep.
Dallas faced cancer as he did everything in life, head on. He was a longtime employee of YRB and was Willow River’s first Fire Chief.
He will always be remembered for being larger than life, his love of hot rods, summers by the pool, hunting and his ability to fix anything.
Karen would like to thank all their friends and family for their endless support, also Dr’s, Zhang, Wan, Powell, and Hamour,(Loretta) and the staff of P.G. Hospice House.
A memorial will be held on July 11th, 2020 at Ferndale Hall, 3595 Upper Fraser Road, at 1:00 pm.
GINO VINCENZO CASSINO
March 7, 1962March 12, 2020
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gino Cassino. After a courageous 20 month battle with pancreatic cancer, Gino passed away at home surrounded by his loving family. Gino was a proud, supportive, and loving husband and father.
He had a passion for languages, a great love for sports cars, and enjoyed long scenic drives with his wife. His family meant everything to him and would constantly keep them laughing with his silly jokes, accents, and impersonations.
Gino is predeceased by his father, Frank Cassino and aunt, Celia Cassino. Survived by his wife, Frances Cassino, daughter, Chiara Cassino, son, Daniel Cassino, mother, Esterina Cassino, brothers, Tino Cassino (Sheryl) and Jim Cassino, niece, Angela Cassino. Gino will be missed dearly by everyone who knew him.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers please donate to pancreaticcancercanada.ca COLIN LOVE
2x62.0
January20,2020
Agracious,gentle,andbeautifulladyhaspassed.Stoic untiltheend,NoreenLovediedatAbbotsfordRegional HospitalandCancerCliniconJanuary20,2020.Noreen attendedschoolinPrinceGeorgeandgraduatedfrom LutherCollegeReginain1967.Followingcollege,she beganabankingcareerthatspannedmorethanthirty yearswiththeTorontoDominionandHSBCbanksin PrinceGeorgeandAbbotsford.
Noreenlovedagoodbook,finefood,thecompanyof familyandfriends,andtripstoEuropetoseeher grandsons.Pariswasherfavouritecity.Her’Thelmaand Louise’excursionswithhersisterLyndaandbestfriend Dianewerememorable.
Duringthepastthreeyears,wehavewitnessedan unparalleledfightfor’moretime’.Supportedandcared forbyherlovinghusbandColin,sheleavesdaughters, KimberlyatVancouver,Courtney(Toby)atEnglandwith grandsons,TristanandBailey;andsister,LyndaBradley atSalmonArm,BC.
SheispredeceasedbyherparentsJackandDellWatts. Noreenrequestedtherebenoservice.
Weed, James (Jim) Howard
March 12, 1945 — March 11, 2020
Husband, friend, leader, guru, mentor, log-home builder and passionate outdoorsman - our beloved Jim passed away suddenly on March 11 in an environment which he loved —the mountains. Jim was born in Greenwood, BC, and raised in Grand Forks. He ventured west and north in pursuit of work and the outdoors, ending up in Prince George in 1969. He trained as a heavy-duty mechanic and worked primarily for John Deere in Prince George. He and the love of his life, Val, married in Jasper in 1976. Jim was instrumental in leading and volunteering for many clubs, including the Prince George Canoeing Club, Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and Tabor Backcountry Recreation Society. Jim was always planning the next adventure — canoe tripping, backpacking, biking, skiing, entertaining etc. He and Val hiked and biked throughout Europe and in many places in Canada —they especially loved cycling in Quebec. Jim organized many canoe excursions throughout BC, the Yukon, Alaska and the far north. Jim, with a twinkle in his eye and a chuckle or deep laugh, loved telling stories and advising his many friends of what was right and wrong in the world. In memory of Jim, please tell a story, volunteer and/or smile with a twinkle and chuckle. Jim is survived by his loving wife, Val, and many, many friends. He is predeceased by his parents, Beatrice and Wes, and his brother, Frank. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Vincent de Paul Society. A Celebration of Life will occur at a later date.
Ian Edward Buchanan
Ian Edward Buchanan, longtime resident of Grande Prairie, AB, formerly of Prince George, BC, passed away on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 in Grande Prairie at the age of 49 years.
Ian’s passion for life was infectious, with a larger than life personality. He cherished his friends and family, and loved to share his joy of Summit Lake, fishing, and sports, with all. Ian loved Rugby, the joy of the sport and the brotherhood it brought. After retiring from the scrum, Ian loudly cheered from the beer garden sidelines; as he said, “Saturdays are Rugby days!”.
Ian’s true passion and pride arrived in the form of a stepson, Easton. He jumped at every chance to step up to the plate, to mold and guide and love unconditionally.
Ian will be sadly missed by his partner Theresa, stepson Easton, parents Lucy and Robert, as well as many friends and extended family.
The Memorial Gathering is now postponed due to current circumstances. Please look for updates on our website for further information.
Memorial donations may be made to your local animal rescue society or your local Salvation Army.
Condolences may be sent by visiting www.oliversfuneralhome.com
Diane Powell
May 30th, 1952February 20th, 2020
On Thursday, February 20th, 2020 Diane Beverly Powell, a mother of one and friend of many, passed away at the age of 67. Diane was a strong and independent woman with a passion for travel that started at a young age. She spent much of her time with many of her friends, Red Hatters and family visiting locations across the globe. Diane worked hard for many years operating small businesses throughout B.C. including Beverly’s Bouquets in Prince George. In more recent years she enjoyed time spent in Salmon Arm and the Okanagan hiking, snowshoeing, attending the theatre as well as volunteering for various local events. Diane was predeceased by her brother Alvin and parents Genieve and William Shewchuk. She is survived by her son Dustin Powell and his three children Thomas, Eloise and Joseph; her brothers Robert, Lawerence and Edward (Ted) Shewchuk and many nieces and nephews. Diane will be deeply missed. We would like to invite you to Diane’s Celebration of Life. Please visit the following website for updated information and to leave condolences if you wish. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made to the Canadian Cancer Society in Diane’s honor.
Established Franchise Tax Preparation Business Mackenzieservicing and McLeod Lake area for over 30 years.
Gross Revenues of $85,000 to $90,000
Annually and Potential to expand revenues in a growing economy.
Transition support available for the right buyer.
Serious Inquires Only
Office (250)997-9003
Home (250)997-5538
Cell (250)990-0152
Online condolences may be sent to Diane’s family through her obituary at www.bowersfuneralservice.com
R0011800231
3.00x77.0-BW PG16 / 615595
Babine Forest Products is currently searching for a Certified Millwright to join our Burns Lake operation.
The successful candidate will have substantial knowledge of machines and tools, including their design, use, repair and maintenance. You will have experience installing equipment, machines, wiring or programs to meet specifications. You will be confident in determining the appropriate tools or equipment needed to complete a job and must be able to troubleshoot efficiently and be proficient with mathematics.
The demands of this position require that you; are in good physical condition, are able to visualize how something will look after it has been moved or rearranged, have the ability to see details at close range, have excellent manual dexterity and coordination.
Preferred qualifications would be a minimum of 5 years in an in a sawmill environment and certification from a recognized institution. Good verbal and written communication is also necessary for this position.
Babine Forest Products, working jointly with First Nations, provides equal opportunity for employment including First Nation status privileges. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and the potential for career advancement. Hourly rate for this position is per the USW Local 1-2017 Collective Agreement.
Resumes will be accepted until March 23, 2020. We wish to thank all those who apply; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Please forward your resume to:
Hampton Canada Services Ltd. is currently searching for a full time Maintenance Superintendent to join our Fort St. James Forest Products operation. The Maintenance Superintendent reports directly to the Canadian Regional Operations Manager and is responsible for day-to-day comprehensive maintenance activities for the operation.
The successful candidate will have strong communication, mathematics, organization and problem solving skills. Red Seal certification in industrial mechanics (Millwright) is preferred. Good hand-eye coordination and a strong understanding of mechanical and engineering concepts are required. You should be detail oriented with an ability to meet deadlines and oversee teams, and have advanced knowledge of Microsoft applications (specifically Excel). Familiarity with financial and production metrics, dimension sawmill and planer operations (including maintenance requirements), capital projects and budgeting would be an advantage.
Core responsibilities include: coordinating activities such as cleanup, training, staffing, and tracking the maintenance needs for the facility, working closely with each department to ensure machine centers produce what’s needed to fulfill our customer obligations and ensure that the facility is properly maintained and protected from losses.
We offer competitive compensation, benefits and the potential for advancement and provide equal opportunity for employment.
Resumes will be accepted until March 31, 2020. We wish to thank all those who apply; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Please forward your resume to: Anne Currie, Human Resources Assistant Hampton Canada Services Ltd. 503-291-5591 (Confidential Fax) #HRCanada@hamptonlumber.com
Fort St. James Forest Products, Fort St. James BC r0011800274
2000 FORD Escort, 4 cyl auto,
40K per gal, looks & runs great. $3200 obo. (250)9615631 (250)563-3707
1978 DELUXE Super VW Beetle convertible, exc cond, white, w/blk rag top, new roof & top, c/w tow bar & bra, $12,000. 778-489-1287
SUZUKI Bandit 1200, great shape, recent tune-up and brakes. (250)613-5981
CR450R 2009 dirt bike, 150 Hrs, brand new, $5000. 250-263-5343
2006 HARLEY DAVIDSON Wide Glide. Low mileage. 250-6170443
2005 HARLEY DAVIDSON FAT BOY Anniversary Edition. 22,000 km $14,500 613-8567
2002 BMW 1150 RT motorcycle, excellent cond. $5500. (250)5643152 (250)640-8267
Class C Motorhome, $10,500. Everything under the hood either rebuilt or new. 360 Dodge, new furnace, a/c, microwave, DVD, sound & TV system and generator 250-562-6073 or 250-640-1858
21’ 2012 WILDWOOD Trlr, arctic pkg, elec. awning, $15,000. 250596-4590 / 250-612-9548 2011 34’ Cougar 5th wheel. three slides.
Integrated Vegetation Management Plan Reference Number: TCE – CGL 2020/25
Applicant: Coastal GasLink Pipeline Ltd 450 – 1st Street S W., Calgary, Alberta, T2P 5H1
Phone: 1-778-328-5301 Toll-free: 1-855-633-2011 Fax: 1-403-920-2200
Email: coastalgaslink@tcenergy com
As per the Integrated Pest Management Regulation of British Columbia, Section 61(1) notice is given that a draft Integrated Vegetation Management Plan (IVMP) has been prepared for the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project (the Project) The purpose of this plan is to provide a framework to manage the growth and spread of invasive plants and noxious weeds and to control undesirable vegetation required during construction and operation of the Project
The geographical areas covered by this proposed IVMP overlap with Peace River Regional District, Fraser Fort George Regional District, Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, and the District of Kitimat Specifically, these areas include locations near the communities of Dawson Creek, Fort St John, Groundbirch, Chetwynd, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, Kitimat and Terrace The IVMP will apply to all components of the Project including the pipeline right-of-way, compressor and meter station sites, access roads and ancillary sites. The IVMP will be active from 2020 to 2025 Herbicide applications are intended within the areas to which the IVMP applies to control invasive and noxious weeds and undesirable vegetation
The herbicides that may be used under this IVMP are included in the table
A person wishing to contribute information about a proposed treatment site, relevant to the development of the pest management plan, may send copies of the information to the applicant at the address above within 30 days of the publication of this notice.
*Trade Name(s) Active Ingredient
Telar XP Chlorsulfuron
Lontrel 360/Transline Clopyralid
Banvel VM Dicamba
Clearview Brush Aminopryalid/ Metsulfuron methyl
Milestone Aminopryalid
Hasten NT Methyl and ethyl oleate (esterified vegetable oil)
Tordon 22K Picloram
2,4-D Amine 600 (Ester 700)
MCPA Ester 600 (Amine 600)
2,4-D
MCPA
Roundup WeatherMax Glyphosate
Roundup Transorb Glyphosate
Arsenal Imazapyr
Garlon RTU Triclopyr
Navius VM Aminocyclopyrachlor Metsulfuron methyl
Esplanade SC Indaziflam
Karmex DF (XP) Diuron
*Note: Alternative products containing any of the Active Ingredients above or combinations thereof may be substituted for the products mentioned on this list
Proposed methods of applying pesticides may include: cut surface, basal bark, or foliar/broadcast applications including; backpack, AT V or truck mounted sprayer
The proposed IVMP and maps of the encompassing area can be examined at the following libraries:
• Dawson Creek Municipal Librar
frontage $150,000 per acre. 563-6985 or 981-1950. Will consider partial trades.
2.186 ACRE, 9341 Birchill Cres, close Hwy access, no gst. (250)563-7414
Lots & Acreages for Sale
BUILDING Lot 8091 Flamingo Rd. 80’X135’ with city sewer & water. Allows mobiles as well. $85,000. 563-6985, 981-1950 HART Area, 400’ frontage X 100’ deep, serviced $300,000. 250565-4888
LARGE Res. lot, serviced, green belt on back, Oak Ridge Cres, Hart hwy. $89,900 obo 250-5623886 LOT for Duplex, 4-plex or apartment/condo. Fully zoned. Ready for permit. Near Multiplex & Walmart. 250-961-6786
1000sq m building lot, #L72NCorintoPearleco-development Honduras. Contact Recap Investments, Toronto 1-888-212-8584 for more info and owner 250-5634999 $35,000 Canadian Cluculz; Meier Rd, 11.26 acres sub-lakeshore with lake access, and top location $299,000. 604908-0313
~1450sqftspacenear NorthNechako.Zoned M2.Thefrontconsistsof customerentrywith countertopareas,office, andbathroom.Rearhas a10’wideby16’tallrollupbaydoor.’Stratafees included.Availablefrom May1.Rentis $1200+GST. 250-565-7556
