Prince George Citizen May 28, 2020

Prince GeorGe

Thursday May 28, 2020

Your community newspaper since 1916

Volunteer throws energy, expertise into masks

Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff

Stay informed, stay safe, stay home, but keep helping.

That’s one longtime Prince George community member’s new motto.

When Judy Wiebe and her husband returned from a two-month volunteer mission in Belize in February, the world was starting to change.

Just a couple of weeks later, social distancing and self-isolation against the coronavirus pandemic was a reality.

Listening to all the reports of personal protective equipment shortages on the frontlines in hospitals, Wiebe, who often sews, immediately reached out to northern Health, healthcare workers and anyone else who was looking for ways to protect themselves from this new threat.

early on Wiebe was told northern Health wasn’t able to accept donations of homemade masks but when she found a community of midwives who could use some, that’s when she started making the first of almost 100 masks.

Wiebe had the fabric stored away for about a decade after she thought a venture into creating funky aprons could be successful. once she realized the cost of the extra-thick cotton and the labour involved didn’t match anyone’s idea of what they would want to spend on a handmade apron, she tucked the fabric away for future use.

She never dreamed that material would be useful to protect against a deadly virus that has circled the globe.

Wiebe started creating the pleated and the fitted masks once she did the research.

As she read more information, she realized it wasn’t so much about the size and shape of the mask.

“The bigger question was the fabric content - with a lining, without a lining, with elastic around the ears, elastic around the head - there were just so many different options,” Wiebe said.

“So what i ended up doing was i made up one or two of each to see what fit the most people so that’s how i decided on the

pattern that i like the best.”

Wiebe has started ordering more materials online, including melt blown, which offers an extra non-woven protective layer inside the mask.

As time has passed there’s one thing that’s become clear.

“Something is better than nothing,” Wiebe said.

The talented seamstress only recently started to charge a $5 fee for some of the masks she’s made because she would like to cover her costs of the material. Most of her masks have been donations.

She just got a special request to make masks for a wedding party and she’s happy to make them, as long as there aren’t too many orders at once.

Wiebe and her family have always been community minded and giving back has become part of her retirement lifestyle with one major motivator in mind. in 2009, Wiebe, her husband Ben and son Arron were in a horrific car crash near

LocaL shops reopen sLowLy

Many local businesses are gradually and carefully reopening under Phase 2 of B.C.’s Restart Plan.

WorkSafeBc released its industryspecific guidelines for restaurants, cafes, pubs, salons, personal services, retail businesses, office-based businesses and other public and private services.

“We are opening today, it is the first day being back to work” TL nails owner Long Trinh said. “For the last two months people have been calling, asking when we will be open.”

Trinh said the new requirements for the personal services sector haven’t had a large impact on their operations.

“We already have a lot of systems in place, when we opened the salon,” he said. “now i just put a few things up.” Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered personal services like salons, spas and tattoo parlours closed in March, to prevent the spread of coViD-19. The long closure meant, “a lot of bills to pay with no revenue,” Trinh said.

not every business allowed to reopen last week rushed to do so.

Mount robson that saw an oncoming car spin out of control into their lane. The impact instantly killed the two people in the oncoming car and severely injured the three Wiebe family members in their vehicle. Judy’s injuries were the most serious and changed her way of life permanently.

Wiebe is best known in Prince George for her stunning singing voice that shone in musical theatre roles in nunsense and Gypsy.

After the accident, Wiebe spent five months in hospital recovering from injuries including a broken neck, major concussion, punctured lungs and broken ribs. She learned to accept her new life that no longer included singing or performing on stage. Despite all the challenges one thing is clear.

“We felt so incredibly supported when we went through our crisis and now it’s a personal goal to give back - it’s the whole pay if forward thing,” Wiebe said. “i’m just trying to be supportive while self isolating. i just want to help where i can.”

cimo Mediterranean Grill manager Teresa oliveira said the prominent downtown restaurant was holding off reopening its dining room until this week, on a reservation-only basis.

“We have to have a safety plan. All the staff have to be retrained,” oliveira said.

As part of the new public health measures for restaurants, only half the normal number of tables will be available. Those looking to get their spaghetti carbonara fix should plan ahead.

“We have a waiting list already, of people waiting for the date.”

nearly 30 retailers and restaurants reopened at Pine centre Mall, with more scheduled to reopen this week and on June 1. According to the mall’s website, seating in the foodcourt area is limited and restricted to those purchasing food at the foodcourt. other services like the play area, guest services, stroller and wheelchair rental, vending machines, kids rides and massage chairs remain closed.

Arthur WiLiAMs Citizen staff

Handout PHoto

Prince George resident Judy Wiebe is seen here wearing one of her favourite masks. She’s made about 100 masks for the community so far with more on the way.

CNC students offer hygiene help in care facilities

Citizen staff

Students from the College of New Caledonia’s health care assistant (HCA) program offered help to the Prince George Health Services Hand Hygiene Campaign that set out to increase awareness among those at long-term care facilities.

There were 28 students who participated during the campaign to showcase the importance of handwashing to prevent transmission of micro-organisms.

The campaign took place between March 3 and April 16. Those who took part included staff, physicians, patients and family members of those in care.

“The students worked really hard at this,” HCA instructor Jocelyn Bergeron said. “Being a part of this campaign was a fun and exciting way for students to work on their communication skills and build self-confidence.”

Debra Woods, implementation lead for Prince George Health Services, reached out to the college.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but the HCA students would become a significant resource to support the campaign,” she said. “Without the students, we wouldn’t have achieved the reach that we did.”

Bergeron encouraged student participa-

tion by offering working the program as a replacement for an upcoming research paper.

“It wasn’t mandatory,” Bergeron said. “Students could still write the research paper if they preferred. But every single

Armed robber banned from city

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A perpetrator of an armed and violent robbery must stay out of Prince George for the next three years.

Unless he has written permission from his probation officer, Kyler Gregory Stevens, 24, can come no nearer to city limits than 100 kilometres, according to the terms of probation.

Co-accused Kyler Richard Aubichon, 24,

was issued a similar condition for the next two years during a hearing in April.

The two were arrested on Dec. 18, 2018, shortly when a man and woman at a local motel were robbed by two assailants wielding a hammer and a replica gun.

The two made off with various items, including photos of the couple’s children. Police were able to track them down by pinging the cellphones Stevens and Aubichon had stolen.

student chose to participate, including seven in Mackenzie.”

Students would engage as many as 30 residents in hand washing at dinner time in the facilities then they would write the information down on a tracking sheet.

“I think it went really well,” Woods said. “We have residents who loved the campaign and now identify as hand washing champions. We also have some ideas for what it takes to make the campaign work with residents with dementia. The students really did a great job.”

The feedback Bergeron received from the students was very positive and she hopes future HCA students will participate in the PG Hand Hygiene Campaign.

“It was a fun experience for both the students and me,” Bergeron said.

“Our team of HCA instructors at CNC are extremely dedicated and try our best to incorporate new, positive learning experiences in our curriculum. The 2020 Prince George Health Services Hand Hygiene Campaign was a great example of that.”

Although there was plenty of evidence linking the two to the stolen items, proving that the two had carried out the robbery and left the couple with a laundry list of cuts and bruises was put in doubt when the victims declined to testify at a trial.

In turn, Stevens and Aubichon pleaded guilty to charges related to the incident while Crown and defence counsels worked out a joint submission for sentencing.

Provincial court judge Cassandra Malfair

accepted the proposal for Aubichon of 21 months in jail plus two years probationless credit for time served he had 100 days left to serve in jail - but raised doubt about whether Stevens deserved the same sentence given his lengthy criminal record. In response, counsel worked out a new proposal that will subject Stevens to an additional year probation while getting time served working out to two years for his jail sentence.

Handout pHoto

CNC health care assistant instructors, from left, Joleen Warmerdam. Jocelyn Bergeron and Trudy Baker.

Manslaughter yields nearly eight years in jail

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A man who admitted to driving the victim of a fatal beating to what turned out to be the scene of his death was sentenced to seven years and 11 months in jail.

Less credit for pre-sentence custody, Kevin Roy Zaporoski, 52, has two years less a day to go in his sentence for the June 2012 drug-related death of Jordan Christian Reno, 22.

The term will be served in a provincial jail and once out, he must also serve two years probation.

In November 2019, co-accused Dustin Allen Lindgren, 32, and Lyle William Baker, 48, were each sentenced to 12 years.

Less credit for time served, they had four years, 10 months and 15 days left to serve.

All three had pleaded guilty to manslaughter after their respective convictions for first-degree murder in the case of Lindgren and Baker, and second-degree murder in the case of Zaporoski, were overturned on appeal.

According to an agreed statement of facts, a fourth man - Bradley Douglas Barr - enlisted Lindgren and Baker to deal with

Reno, who was suspected of stealing drugs and money.

Zaporoski drove Baker to meet with Reno, who went voluntarily back to Baker’s 4100-block Knight Crescent home. Once inside, Reno was assaulted for the next several hours while Zaporoski entered and left the home a number of times.

Acting on observations, RCMP launched an investigation and found Reno’s body wrapped in plastic and inside a box buried in the back of Baker’s property.

An autopsy showed Reno died from forceful blows to his head while cuts consistent with being punched or kicked

Arsonist gets second chance at release

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A man serving a federal sentence for setting a fire that led to the death of his landlord is out on statutory release for a second time.

In a Parole Board of Canada decision issued April 17, Frank William Edward Marion, 57, was given statutory release roughly eight months after his first chance was revoked because he failed a drug test. Marion remains a concern for the board and a series of conditions were imposed.

A halfway house in the Lower Mainland

has accepted him, but he will not get any leave privileges and must return home at night. He also must continue to participate in programming and take prescription medication for issues related to mental health and a brain injury - an order he failed to live up to during his first release.

were found on his face and lips. There was also evidence he may have been restrained prior to his death.

In pleading guilty, Zaporoski admitted he drove Reno to Baker’s home knowing Reno would be assaulted and caused bodily harm.

In passing sentence, which came in the form of a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels, B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams condemned the acts of the three as “troubling and striking.” Terms of Zaporoski’s probation including staying out of Prince George. He was also issued a lifetime firearms prohibition.

Marion was sentenced in July 2014 to a further six years and three months for a January 2012 house fire and the subsequent death of Jagdev Singh Jawanda, 85. Marion was renting the second floor of the three-story house at 2772 Merritt Rd. where Jawanda lived and was the landlord.

BC Hemp announCes additional plans

Arthur WilliAms Citizen staff

BC Hemp president Remi Balaj has announced big plans for the pharmaceutical and industrial help industry in northern B.C. – plans that involve approximately $15 billion in investment and the creation of 15,000 direct jobs.

In a live-streamed interview with Clint Chappell of the B.C. Resources Coalition last week, Balaj announced the purchase a site in the city to develop an ethanol refinery and large greenhouse complex.

“We just entered into a purchase agreement for 300 acres in the BCR Site. We finalized that today,” Balaj said. “We are looking to start (construction) in six months. Six months to 12 months.”

BC Hemp moved quickly to buy the site after West Coast Olefins announced it intended to move its proposed petrochemical complex north of the city, Balaj said. The proposed ethanol refinery would

use the stalks from hemp produced in the region as feedstock to produce medicalgrade and industrial-grade ethanol. Waste heat from the refinery would be used to generate electricity and heat the greenhouses, he said.

The complex is expected to cost $1.2 to $2 billion and create a total of 2,000 direct jobs between the refinery and the greenhouses, he said.

In March, the company announced its plans for a $350 million industrial hemp facility at the corner of Johnson Road and the Old Cariboo Highway, as well as plans for a hemp research facility, a100-acre test farm and a medical clinic and pharmacy in College Heights.

Renovations on the clinic and pharmacy location are set to start next week and they hope to break ground on the industrial hemp facility in July, Balaj said. Talks have been underway with local farmers, and the plan is to have hemp crops planted next spring.

The company is also scouting locations for plants to produce plastic pellets from hemp oils, and a biofuels plant that would use hemp seeds to produce biofuels for vehicles.

The company has its eye on the fuel supply chains for marine, automotive and aircraft use, Balaj said.

Through a partnership with Fort St. John-based Arctic Construction Ltd., the group has purchased a site in Stewart’s port to develop a marine fuel mixing facility. Arctic is planning to build a railway expansion to link Stewart to the main CN Rail corridor along Highway 16, near Kitwanga, Balaj said.

The company is also working with the Swan family, founders of Pinnacle Pellet, on plans for a food-grade hemp pellet plant near Quesnel, Balaj said. The pellets would be useable for things like beer production and animal feed, once they pass the regulatory hurdles.

“What we are trying to do is get Prince

George on the world map. We can do it in the big cities, Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton... why not Prince George?” Balaj said. “Over all the projects, we are going to be close to $15 billion – not just in Prince George.”

The combined initiatives, expected to take several years to reach fruition, could employ up to 15,000 people directly, he said.

“Given what is happening in the forestry and oil and gas sectors... I think we’re going to have a lot of resources available,” he said. “I think we’re going to fill a lot of these positions locally.”

Financing their ambitious plans required looking internationally, Balaj said.

“There are some international banks we are dealing with. Internationally, a lot of people know about Prince George. When we had out (grand opening) announcement, we had people from England, Germany,” he said. “Locally, we couldn’t work with anyone.”

Canfor closing Isle Pierre sawmill

Mark NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canfor is permanently closing the Isle Pierre sawmill this summer.

The company cited a lack of economically-viable timber as a result of the mountain pine beetle epidemic and a worldwide downturn in demand for lumber due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reasons.

The closure will affect 94 employees.

Canfor also said it will curtail production at its Prince George Pulp and Paper and Intercontinental Pulp mills for four weeks starting July 6, also due to the scarcity of timber and the pandemic.

Production at Isle Pierre has been off and on for the past several months. It was reduced to a single shift in September 2019

and was temporarily closed March 30.

Based on its one-shift operation, the sawmill had an annual production capacity of about 120 million board feet. Curtailaments at the pulp mills, in turn, will reduce Canfor Pulp’s NBSK production by 38,000 tonnes and kraft paper production by 12,000 tonnes.

It is the company’s third announcement of an indefinite or permanent closure over the past year, Quinn also noted, with Vavenby permanently closed and Mackenzie indefinitely idled.

Nechako Lakes MLA and B.C. Liberals’ forestry critic John Rustad said the provincial government needs to start calculating stumpage on a monthly basis, like Alberta does, to better reflect the current price of

lumber. As it stands, he said it’s done once a year with minor adjustments made on a quarterly basis.

“For the first three months of this year, lumber was trading at over $400 a thousand board feet... and it wasn’t until the COVID problems in February and March that we started to see the prices drop off,” Rustad said. “Prices today are in the $350 range but stumpage is still based on $400.”

If the price goes up, so does stumpage, he noted “but I think it’s much healthier if the system is reflecting current market conditions as opposed to what we’re currently doing, which can be anywhere from six to 18 months out of date.”

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson called the closure “additional bad news” in “espe-

cially challenging times” brought on by the mountain pine beetle and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In this situation, as always, our first priority is to support forest communities, workers and families, and we will be reaching out to the United Steel Workers and Canfor to determine what supports are needed,” he said.

He said all employees impacted will be able to access the government’s $69 million forestry worker support fund. Announced in September, the fund’s centrepiece is $40 million over two years for an early-retirement bridging program for older forest workers. It is contingent on cost-sharing with workers’ respective employers.

Judge rules against breeder

Mark NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A B.C. Supreme Court Justice has upheld a city council decision to deny a dog breeder a business licence to operate out of her home.

Roxanna Hamilton, who has been running Summer Knight Kennel at 3622 Hazel Dr., had applied for a judicial review after council voted in May 2019 to refuse her a business licence.

Hamilton had taken her case to council after the city’s planning department turned down her request for a licence because the use conflicts with the zoning bylaw. In part, she argued it was a non-conforming use that predates the 2007 bylaw by about seven years.

In a decision, Justice Michael Tammen found in favour of the city.

Hamilton’s counsel, Jon Duncan, had argued during a hearing that his client deserved a standard of procedural fairness on the level found in court and that the type of procedures used by professional regulatory bodies may be appropriate. Tammen disagreed, saying that Hamilton has not been denied the ability to practice in her chosen profession, only that she could not carry on her business at the current scale she had been at her home.

“She can reduce the number of adult dogs on site or relocate the business to an appropriately zoned premises,” Tammen said. “She is not rendered unemployed as a consequence of council’s decision.”

Places of worship cautious to reopen

Ted Clarke Citizen staff

Reverend Bob Fillier has faith he will eventually get back to delivering his sermons to a live audience again, but now is not the time for that.

The pandemic and its potentially deadly effects worry some of Fillier’s parishioners at Trinity United Church and the treat of the virus has forced a temporary ban on singing in enclosed public places. Canada has learned from other countries where coronavirus clusters developed as a result of droplets spread from the mouths of singers, so singing in church is a no-no.

“There’s pretty much an accepted ruling for now that singing is just not part of what you can do and that really changes what we do on a Sunday morning, let me tell you,” said Fillier, who for the past two months has been using teleconferencing links to form virtual congregations.

March 15 was the last day of live services at Trinity United. During the pandemic, most of Fillier’s regular churchgoers have since tuned in to livestreaming sermons, which have been ongoing for three years and average 500 connections around the world.

To open, even for small gatherings, the church would be required to have spacing and sanitizing protocols in place and he said everyone sitting in the pews would likely have to wear a mask. The church would be required to record attendance at each service to ensure accurate contact tracing in the event someone gets sick with the virus. Fillier figures that next step won’t happen until June, and only then to no more than 10 people at a time, those who have not been able to join church services online.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Prince George opened its four local churches (St. Mary’s, Immaculate Conception, Christ Our Saviour and Sacred Heart Cathedral) last weekend, limiting crowd sizes to no more than 50. Daily noon-hour masses resumed Tuesday. To keep limit crowd sizes to no more than 50, the churches are using the Eventbrite app to send out invitations for parishioners to book their tickets ahead of time. Pews have been marked to keep people separated and a block of seats will be saved for each service for people who do not book their tickets electronically. If people arrive after the church has reached its 50-person capacity, they will have to wait for a later mass.

“We want to accommodate as many people as we can, mindful of the current restrictions,” said Sacred Heart priest Rectorino Tolentino. “We’re adding mass times, so the two masses on Sunday will become four (8:30, 10 and 11:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m.) and the one mass on Saturday will become two masses (5 and 6:30 p.m.), so those that want to come can come.”

After each mass, high-contact surfaces in the church will be disinfected. All church visitors will have to sanitize their hands before they enter the church and will then be ushered to their seats. Sacred Heart will continue to livestream its masses.

Ajmer Singh, president of the Guru Gobind Singh Temple Association, says the temple closed to mass worship on March 31 and there are no plans to reopen until September. However, the temple allows small groups or individuals to visit from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

“The temple is open but not for large gatherings,” said Singh. “We are allowing 15-20 people only, to maintain social

distancing.”

In the city’s Muslim community, livestreaming continues to be the means of communication for the Prince George Islamic Centre, which is currently closed.

The 400-member centre is bound be the decisions of the Muslim Association of Canada Centre in Vancouver and chair Mustafa Mohamed is waiting until the province gives the go-ahead to increase church attendance.

“We are trying our best not to create difficulty because it’s very difficult to select 50 people at a time,” Mohamed said. “It’s lots of hassle and what if one person is sick? So we are waiting until it is actually safe to accommodate say 250 or more. Then we could open our centre with no difficulty.”

Former local actor up for Leo Awards

Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff

Professional actor Madison Smith, who was raised in Prince George and now lives in Vancouver, has been nominated for two Leo Awards that recognize outstanding achievement within the B.C. film and television industry.

Smith is up for best supporting performance by a male in a television movie. He was also nominated for best screenwriting for a motion picture.

The acting nod for an experienced actor like Smith is no big surprise but the writing nod comes with a kinda-fell-into-it story.

Smith was first contacted by Courtney Page, The Color Rose screenwriter, to see if he’d be interested in taking on a role in the movie.

Once Smith agreed to look at the script, Paige asked him to put a critical eye on it and make some notes to offer a fresh perspective on the story line. When word came that a backer wanted the villain to be a different character, Paige once again reached out to Smith, who pulled an allnighter to flesh out a plausible option.

Madison Smith, who grew up in Prince George, has been nominated for two Leo Awards for outstanding achievement in B.C.’s film and TV industry.

Paige loved it and soon Smith, along with Paige and co-writer Erin Hazlehurst, were writing a refreshed version of the screenplay for the movie.

Smith didn’t know the movie was being considered for a Leo nomination so when

Studio Fair off for 2020

the Prince George community.

Studio Fair 2020 won’t happen this November as the risk to public safety is too great.

The usual kick off to the Christmas shopping season will not be held at the Civic Centre this year after 44 years of being known as a beloved signature arts event in

Known for its unique offerings provided by artisans from across the country the organizers from the Prince George & District Community Arts Council have decided that since current regulations maintain the prohibition of large public gatherings, Studio Fair will not proceed in its tradi-

the call from Paige started with “congratulations,” he was a bit confused.

“Congratulations on what?” Smith asked. “The answer from Courtney Paige was we were nominated for a Leo and it was mind blowing. It still doesn’t feel real. I remember the nights I was up until 3 or 4 a.m. writing and to think that turned into a little bit of recognition is fantastic.”

Paige, Hazlehurst and Smith fine-tuned the script in just six weeks.

“It was a lot of fun to do and I was really happy how it turned out,” Madison said. “The film we were able to make from our script - it correlated great. I’m really excited.”

Another part of the story is that because of conflicts in his acting schedule, Smith was not able to appear in The Color Rose. One of the conflicting roles was in Write Before Christmas, which earned Smith his Leo nomination for best supporting male in a television movie.

Smith, who is best known for his roles as the snarky little brother in various Hallmark TV movies, as well as Narcoleap, Aftermath, Riverdale, and Supergirl, was nominated for his role in Hallmark’s Write

Before Christmas where the lead character sends five people who have made an impact in her life a card at Christmas time. Smith plays the lead character’s younger brother Carter, a private in the military, who is currently posted overseas and is away from home for Christmas for the first time. Smith said the movie is very special because it sees the main story line with four other story lines intertwined.

The Leo Awards presentation is usually held at a gala in June but since the pandemic has put a hold on large gatherings the program is in a holding pattern until later this year and could be a virtual event instead on an in-person event.

Up next for Smith is his role of Orbin in The Order, a series on Netflix, about a college student who pledges to a secret order to avenge his mother’s death. As a result, he is thrown into a war between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic. In season 2 that comes out June 18, Smith’s character comes up against a special guest star that Smith said he’s very excited about.

Unfortunately he can’t talk about it until after it airs.

tional form. Alternatives, such as an online marketplace, are being explored.

The arts council will explore this option in the next few weeks, it was stated in a news release.

Last year, more than 12,000 people attended the three-day event that is a major fundraiser for the regional arts

council, which acts as an umbrella agency for artisans, groups and guilds.

“We are excited to look at returning in 2021 from November 5 to 7, celebrating once again the amazing creativity in our community, region, province and country,” Sean Farrell, executive director for the arts council, said.

Citizen staff

Handout pHoto

District plans reopening

Arthur WilliAms Citizen staff

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has a loose plan in place for the resumption of district services and reopening of facilities.

In a report to the district board of directors, district administrator Jim Martin laid out what services and facilities will return when the province begins Phase 3 of the plan in June.

“Needless to say, this is a dynamic situation,” Martin said. “When I wrote this report, three days later we received a bunch of new information.”

Some of the changes expected when the province moves to Phase 3 include the potential reopening of community halls and recreation centres in a modified capacity to meet public health orders; allowing walk-in access to the district’s main office on George Street, with modifications to public areas; a potential return of district committee meetings and allowing public delegations to board meetings; and a potential resumption of building inspections of occupied buildings.

Martin praised the district staff and unions for their flexibility and understanding during the pandemic.

“We have flexed the collective agreement to protect the health and wellness of our staff,” he said. “About half of our staff are working from home.”

While some staff haven’t been in the office since March 20, others are working partly at home and partly in the office.

Before any of the Phase 3 changes can happen, the district will be required to prepare safety plans, Martin said.

“We have all the pieces of our safety

plans, it’s just not in one document. It will mean we may not open as quick as some people want,” Martin said.

The regional district has already reopened regional parks, and has maintained services at facilities like the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill with social distancing measures in place.

“We never really shut down, we’ve modified services,” he said. “We’re still meeting the needs of the community.”

The social distancing measures in effect at the landfill, along with the normal spring rush, means there have been long lines at times at the landfill, he said.

“We have received complaints of traffic – people parked on the shoulder waiting to get into the landfill,” Mayor Lyn Hall said.

Hall, who serves as a director on the regional district board, said he was glad the city was able to work with the district to allow city garbage trucks expedited access to the landfill. The long lines had been causing schedule delays for garbage pick up and resulting in trucks and crews having to work overtime to keep up, he said.

“Certainly the pressure at the landfill has spilled over to the transfer station at Miworth,” director Lara Beckett said. “I’ve received emails about the extreme amount of inappropriate stuff dumped there… mattresses, barbecues, construction waste,” Beckett said.

A full return to the pre-pandemic normal won’t happen until Phase 4, when the threat from the disease has faded due to wide-spread vaccinations, effective treatments are developed or the majority of the community has developed immunity by having and surviving COVID-19.

Love in the time of CoviD-19

Life (and death) march on during the pandemic.

Pictures of new babies and grandbabies appear in the same feed as friends mourning family members. These moments of joy and tragedy demand human contact but that takes on an increased level of risk during the COVID-19 era.

Clearly, people are tired of being kept from one another. The long weekend saw a flood of local residents heading out to stores, to parks and to social gatherings, some careful about physical distancing and wearing masks, others not so much. Those that are less careful (or wilfully careless) expose themselves to a different affliction: public shaming on social media. There is no shortage of self-appointed pandemic police officers on patrol, posting photos and video of any crowd they deem too large, anyone they rule is too close to others.

When Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s public

health officer, implores people to be kind, she means everyone and in every way.

She, Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix have laid out specific instructions for businesses as the province moves to slowly and carefully reopen the economy but have been more vague on personal and social interactions. They have urged caution and common sense but that’s not enough.

What we need is a harm reduction manual, something that separates low-risk and high-risk activities and actions.

As Julia Marcus, a Harvard professor of population medicine points out in a recent piece in The Atlantic, harm reduction protocols have always worked better than outright bans on behaviours. She points to the AIDS outbreak 40 years ago. Abstinence not only didn’t work but it drove people seeking casual sex underground. What worked much better, leading to declines in transmission and new cases, were manuals

on safe sex. What would a pandemic safety manual look like?

It doesn’t really need to be complicated, Marcus writes.

“Want to see your grandkids? Still planning to have that party? Meet up outside. Don’t share food or drinks. Wear masks. Keep your hands clean. And stay home if you’re sick.”

Note how most of those suggestions are simply common sense living tips that should be always practiced, not just during a pandemic.

And to be fair to Dr. Henry, she’s covered the same ground numerous times in her briefings.

As we loosen restrictions and look at keeping the spread of COVID-19 low, we have to prioritize relationships. For most people, their social network is made up of concentric circles of size and importance. Family and close friends are that small, critical group we can’t live without, while

work colleagues, our social media followers and casual acquaintances are more plentiful but less essential.

It’s easy to imagine Dr. Henry offering a simple way to decide who to interact with and how. Whom do you love? Whom do you need close to you (and who feels the same about you)? That’s your inner circle.

Love those people with your time, your presence, your handshakes, handholding and hugs.

Distance everyone else in both time and space, not to be mean but for their safety as well as for your health and those in your inner circle.

The people in your inner circle are sacred.

Tell and show them you love them while doing your part to protect them.

That’s how love has always been and should always be. A pandemic shouldn’t change that one bit.

- Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

PM’s residence a national embarrassment

We all need to take responsibility for this national embarrassment. In this era of massive government spending, it would seem a simple matter to spend $35-50 Million on something that reflects on all of us.

Most homeowners consider regular upkeep and the occasional renovation a normal and expected part of homeownership. Even those who rent expect their landlord to keep up their home and spend the necessary funds to keep their home liveable and comfortable. Renters themselves will replace their doormats, curtains, or whatever else, to suit their comforts. We consider these costs a normal part of responsible homeownership. So, what is it with 24 Sussex Drive, which is supposed to be the home of our Prime Minister? It is crumbling and infested with vermin. Twelve years ago, in 2008, then Auditor General Sheila Fraser said the building required more than $10 million just to make it safe to inhabit. More recent cost figures for a proper renovation are

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Watch for kids

Children are an old problem that we have struggled to entertain for generations to stave off their boredom and retain our sanity and now they have another several months off so parents must find ways to entertain them.

One of the simplest ways is to let kids go out and play as they have vivid imaginations and can find endless hours to entertain themselves by drawing on the road, bike riding, playing ball games and so on.

THINKING ALOUD TRUDY KLASSEN

around $35 million. CBC reported in 2019: “The building systems at 24 Sussex have reached the point of imminent or actual failure,” according to the National Capital Commission.

The Commission’s legal purpose according to the National Capital Act is: (10 (1) The objects and purposes of the Commission are to prepare plans for and assist in the development, conservation and improvement of the National Capital Region in order that the nature and character of the seat of the Government of Canada may be in accordance with its national significance.

Missing from the legislation is regular funding to do their job.

This is such a political hot-potato that so

Their imagination is vast and untapped.

The hard part of this is most people live in an urban environment, which means kids and vehicles are bound to mix it up often with miserable results for the kid and the driver.

Parents try to do their best by putting out signs stating “Kids at play” and “Slow down, children playing.” These are good visual aids for drivers and will often do their best to slow down and watch out for children playing.

Drivers however are under no obligation to slow down for those signs as they are not official government signs which we as

far not even big-spending Justin Trudeau has approved the needed renovations. Stephen Harper refused to spend a penny beyond what was absolutely needed during his family’s time there. Conservative leadership candidate Erin O’Toole wanted to tie Justin Trudeau’s repayment of his trip to the Aga Khan’s island to Conservative approval for the expense. The NDP didn’t bother responding to a request for feedback on 24 Sussex Drive.

This is embarrassing.

Our politicians need to know that Canadians want our nationally-owned buildings to be something we can be proud of. Cross-party agreement should be easy to get: Liberals should support spending money on 24 Sussex because they consider themselves Canada’s natural party, and so they would want their leader to be able to showcase a preserved and renovated 24 Sussex. Conservatives should support this because they believe in conserving and honouring our history. The NDP should support it because it’s spending public money and, according to their math, that

drivers are bound by law to obey but the bright little signs stating children at play or slow to 30 km that are placed in the yards or street are not official road signs and there is no obligation to comply with them.

We as drivers are required by law to comply with rules of the road and have to be able to decide if it is safe to drive the legal speed of 50 km/h on residential streets or if going slower is warranted as is required of us as licensed drivers and we follow all legal posted road signs.

We also as drivers have to look out for the unexpected as kids do not know what damage a vehicle can do to them and have

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makes us all richer. Seriously, though, let’s do it because it’s the right thing to do, because it’s 2020, because we want to be on the right side of history.

Judging by the latest reports, replacing it would cost the same as renovating it, so renovation makes more sense for a historical building.

The fact that lumber barons built and owned it, that it was expropriated and the second owner died fighting the expropriation, these are interesting facts that tell a bit of the truth of Canada, good and bad.

The fact that the Canadian government’s first renovations to it removed much of its beautiful woodwork and original finishing is sad, but is also part of its story. Let the renovation preserve and restore its history as possible, add some appropriate Indigenous historical artifacts that would be meaningful and we would have a property we could all be proud of.

This one is on us, fellow Canadians, not on our politicians. It’s time to ask them to make this a priority.

a tendency to run out in front of vehicles often with dire consequences. Parents have a moral and parental obligation to explain to their children about vehicle safety and what to do when they see a vehicle approaching them and parents must also understand that the sign they placed in their yard warning drivers about children playing may not be adhered to by the driver as they are under no legal obligation to do so.

Everybody pays a price when there is a child versus vehicle accident.

Dean Soiland, Prince George

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How one song rocked apartheid

It has long been debated whether you can change the world with a song. If it is not possible, one band came incredibly close.

The Specials rose to prominence in England in the late 1970s and achieved international fame in the early 1980s. Their sound fused the music of Jamaican immigrants with that of long-established working-class English punks.

We called it ska, or 2 tone ska, to distinguish it from the ska which had originated decades earlier in Jamaica. This music essentially calmed racial tensions, which were very common in England at that time, by getting people to dance together.

The Specials’ 1984 hit Nelson Mandela was banned in South Africa and became an anthem for social change, though it was in fact one of many songs of the antiapartheid movement. While Mandela had been a political prisoner in South Africa in 1963, his struggle was not a common topic among the youth of my generation until we began hearing, “Free Nelson Mandela.

LESSONS IN LEARNING

GERRY CHIDIAC

Free, free, free Nelson Mandela” over our radios. As we were gripped by the rhythm, the song became a joyful battle cry in our quest for a more just and equitable world.

Several years after the song was released, Mandela was freed from prison. The government of South Africa then extended democratic rights to all residents, and Nelson Mandela not only became the president of that country, but the world’s most respected statesman.

In taking a wider view of the power of cultural fusion, as exemplified in bands like the Specials and the fall of apartheid, the worst and the best of humanity come into clear focus. Critics of apartheid often forget that the colonial governments of the

British, French, Belgians and other powers were very similar to the government of South Africa that imprisoned Mandela. Pass systems forbidding black Africans from entering certain neighbourhoods in their own countries were common all over Africa and similar laws existed elsewhere. Laws that only allowed white people to participate in government, hold certain professions or achieve higher levels of education were also the norm.

Colonialism embraced racism and it had a devastating impact, not only on Africa, but on the entire world. It has also left deep wounds in the fabric of our humanity. Though its promoters claim that its intentions were benevolent, the truth is that the primary motive of colonization was to promote the concept of empire and to enrich the wealthy. The religious ideals used to justify it were quite simply nothing more than a bastardization of the message of Jesus Christ.

An unintentional impact of colonialism,

however, is that it brought people from various ethnicities together. As colonial powers lost their strength, the flow of populations shifted and people from former colonies freely chose to immigrate to the mother country and to other former colonies.

The ensuing diversity caused changes that are still resisted by certain elements of society, but are primarily a source of cultural enrichment. Bands like the Specials are but one small example.

The truth is that there is a universal magnetism that draws people together. Many have used ideology, force and violence to try to keep people apart, and they managed to temporarily succeed, though at great cost. Others continue to try to hold people apart using these archaic tactics.

All we really need, however, is a great song to remind us that we belong together. We can also change the world through art, science, sports and anything else that celebrates the human spirit.

Human-made viruses and bioterrorism

stephen rader

Special to The Citizen

Deep in a secret lab in a rogue state, Agent Orange is designing the perfect bioterror weapon: a chimeric virus that will be partly measles to make it super-infectious (measles has one of the highest values of R0 known, ~15, meaning that on average each infected person will infect 15 others); it will be partly Ebola, to make it superlethal (Ebola kills ~70 per cent of infected persons, one of the highest lethalities); and, just for good measure, Agent Orange is adding the bacterial cholera toxin and the enzymatic toxin ricin that comes from castor beans. Released into the world from a wildlife market in a remote location, nobody will suspect that this is the dastardly work of the rogue state.

This fictional scenario is technically possible - the molecular tools for assembling a super-virus are common and relatively easy to use – but there are a number of reasons why a conspiracy like this would make no sense.

One is that viruses are finely tuned to interact with a particular host, so mixing and matching parts of unrelated viruses is

unlikely to work. Not only do they have to latch onto cells, but once inside they each have a specific way to hijack the cellular machinery to make more viruses. Each of these steps requires careful coordination among the viral proteins and the host proteins, so having a mixture of viral parts is far more likely to mess up the virus than to make it more powerful.

Another is that it is trivial to tell when a genome has been tampered with if we have some examples of un-tampered genomes.

To see why this is, remember that a genome is just a string of letters, made of DNA in humans, but RNA in coronaviruses. DNA and RNA have only four letters (A,C,G, and U for RNA), but pretend for a moment that they include all the letters of the English alphabet. The coronavirus genome might then read: IAMACORONAVIRUSGENOMEMADEOFRNA

Reading genomes has become one of the fastest and cheapest things that scientists can do, to the point that many molecular biologists now do little else. So if virologists studying an outbreak found a genome that read: IAMACORONAVIRUSandebolavirusGENOMEMADEOFRNA

They would immediately know that the genome had been modified. Genetic tampering is literally that easy to detect.

Of course, if the change is subtle it would be harder to notice, but then it would also have less effect. And, just like words in English where a change in spelling usually messes up the mianing (oops, I mean meaning), changing letters is more likely to stop the virus from working properly than make it work better.

As I mentioned in a previous column, viral genomes do change rapidly. The machinery that copies them in your cellsthe RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in the case of coronavirus - does not spend a lot of energy trying to ensure perfect copies. Instead, it copies sloppily, generating lots of variants, most of which do not work.

Occasionally, however, there is a variant that works well enough to make more copies. Sometimes, the mutation - the change in the genome - allows it to infect a host that it could not infect previously.

By reading the genomes of lots of viruses found in nature, scientists can measure the natural variation, again making it easy to detect unnatural changes that were intro-

duced by humans in a lab.

Our knowledge of natural variation also allows us to detect viral re-assortment: when two related viruses infect a host at the same time, they can mix and match their genetic elements. This is part of the reason that the influenza virus changes so much every year, making it difficult for vaccine producers to know which vaccine will be needed next year.

Two final thoughts about viruses as weapons: since nobody can control the spread of viruses, they are just as likely to infect the citizens of the country that makes them as the citizens of other countries, making them a poor choice of weapon. Also, the whole point of terrorism is to terrify people that the terrorists might strike again. If nobody knows that a virus was created by terrorists, then they aren’t terrorized. So the rogue state would gain no leverage by releasing a secret virus that it did not take responsibility for.

Stephen Rader is a pofessor of biochemistry at the University of Northern British Columbia. His laboratory studies how RNA is processed by our cells, and he is the founder of the Western Canada RNA Conference.

Laughs still part of life for brain injured

Having a brain injury comes with many challenges for the survivor and the people around them. I’ve decided no matter how bad a situation may appear, I will laugh instead of cry. Or cry first then laugh about it. Maybe some readers may not think this article is funny but my brain-injured peers will be able to relate.

Shortly after I was injured, I attempted to go grocery shopping. I was on sensory overload with the lights and noise in the grocery store. I started feeling nauseous and started heaving. Loudly.

I thought I was going to throw up in the aisle. I was draped over my shopping cart like I was drunk and slowly made my way over to customer service. I gave them my shopping list and mumbled “I can’t do this, I’m going to puke.”

One day, I went to the Brain Injured Group (BIG) to talk with my case manager. After my appointment, I left the office and couldn’t remember where I parked my truck. I thought I parked it on George Street... or was it Fourth Avenue? Third?

BOGGLED

DIANE NAKAMURA

So there I was running around downtown like a chicken with my head cut off. I ran back to BIG and made this huge loud announcement in the reception area “I can’t find my truck! I think it’s been stolen!”

I was panicking so bad I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I left BIG and ran down George Street, Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue again and sputtering to people I knew walking by “Oh my God, I can’t find my truck!”

I was running down the alley behind BIG ready to give up and report my truck missing to the RCMP. And there it was! My truck was parked in one of BIG’s member parking stalls. I went screaming into the office: “I found my truck! I found my truck!” When people found out where it was,

everyone started laughing. Then I started laughing. Good thing I didn’t call the RCMP!

In my frenzied state, they might have thought I was on drugs or needed to go the hospital to get my head checked. I went home and told my husband what had happened. Bob didn’t think it was funny at all.

For about a three-month period, I would wake up in the morning to find delicious food cooking in the crock pot. I didn’t remember preparing food the night before. Bob started joking around that we had a kitchen fairy come to help us out. I would almost be afraid to walk into the kitchen in the mornings because not remembering scared the wits out of me.

If it was me or a kitchen fairy, the meals were outstanding. I woke up one morning to the best seafood chowder I’ve ever had. Too bad the kitchen fairy didn’t leave a recipe. We haven’t had a visit from the kitchen fairy in months and we miss her.

There have been so many times that Bob and I have been frustrated with each other because of my poor short-term memory.

According to him, we have made plans to do certain tasks, purchase an item or two for the house, go for dinner with friends (pre-pandemic lockdown) and then I have no clue what Bob is talking about.

“You never told me about this!” I would say and he would say “Yes I did!” and back and forth we carry on. This unfortunately is a daily occurrence.

But at the same time, it’s hilarious.

I’ve told Bob “You’re lying to me. Making stuff up so I think I’m going crazy!”

Bob would reply: “You are crazy!” And on and on it goes. I think our life should be portrayed on a reality TV show. It would be a hit!

I’ve come to the place of acceptance that I will not have the normal life I had before. Not that I was all that normal prior to brain injury. I didn’t have much of a filter then and now I have none.

Some people think I’m funny, others regard me as rude.

I can’t help my new normal.

I am who I am!

Detecting the next Mt. St. Helens

On May 18, 1980 – 40 years ago – people in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island awoke to a boom from the south. Mt. St. Helens had been stirring for quite some time. Geologists had predicted an eruption. At 8:32:11 a.m., the volcano finally let go. Its weakened north face slid away from the caldera creating the largest landslide on record in North America. The partly molten rock beneath was finally freed. Gases erupted from the mountain spewing ash over a vast area covering 11 states, along with B.C. and Alberta. Pyroclastic flows of super-heated rock and ash rushed down through the valleys and over the hills of the surrounding region clogging rivers and decimating forests. A total of 57 people and thousands of animals lost their lives.

Volcanoes are part of our history. From Vesuvius to Krakatoa to Mt. Pelee to Mt. St. Helens, we have been witness to the power within the Earth. Volcanoes have also been key in our understanding of the processes fueling the Earth.

B.C. and New Zealand both sit on the “ring of fire” – the path of volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean plate. Volcanoes are not always located on plate boundaries – witness the Hawaiian Islands which have been created over a molten hot spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean plate. However, the ring of fire clearly delin-

RELATIVITY

TODD WHITCOMBE

eates the boundaries of the Pacific.

B.C. does not presently have any active volcanoes but there are numerous cones predominantly clustered in four fields –Garibaldi just north of Vancouver, Wells Gray-Clearwater in the Caribou, the Anahim giving rise to Rainbow Ridge and the Stikine extending from Prince Rupert to the Yukon. The coastal zones are contiguous with the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which includes Mt. St. Helens and is part of the ring of fire.

New Zealand has many active cones. On Dec. 9 last year, White Island/Whakaari erupted resulting in 21 fatalities among the 47 on the island at the time. The island is just the tip of a stratovolcano. Stratovolcanoes are shaped in the way we typically think of volcanoes. They are steep-sided and conical in structure with layers of lava and ash. The lava is thin enough to flow down the side but thick enough so that it doesn’t flow far.

Other common types of volcanoes include shield volcanoes which are much

flatter (the Rainbow Range is a peralkaline shield volcano) as they are formed predominantly from a thinner form of lava and dome volcanoes (such as Garibaldi) form from a much thicker acidic lava which cannot flow far leading to a dome structure.

B.C. is also home to rare tuya volcanoes, which form under glaciers. During the last glaciation event covering the province, eruptions resulted in the formation of subsurface lakes which eroded the top of the volcano leading to table-like structures.

The study of volcanoes or volcanology has benefitted from the development of analytical chemical and physical techniques over the past 40 years. In the past, the only warning of an eruption might be ground tremors or steam from a volcanoes peak but often these signs were missed and the surrounding countryside was decimated by a sudden eruption.

However, by analyzing gases being emitted from various vents, scientists are now able to have a better understanding of what is going on down below. Infrared spectroscopy is useful for determining the chemical composition of simple gas mixtures. Excess carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide stick out like a sour thumb in the instrument.

Gas chromatographs are capable of breaking down more complex gas mixtures and sorting out all of the compounds pres-

Business creativity must be tested

Right now, business owners around the world are getting creative. They are mixing up the different aspects of their business on a big palette, using their imagination to modify their current reality to form something that they hope they can be proud of in the future.

Over the past few weeks and months, I have had the pleasure of working with a number of business owners who have focused on diversifying or pivoting their businesses to enable them to create something different. Some are attempting to shift their business model online. Others are reframing the business with new systems and processes to navigate through uncertain waters and there are those that are taking the canvas and painting over the old image with something totally new. Many artists will tell you that before they start a project, they have a concept of what they are trying to create. They may

BUSINESS COACH

DAVE FULLER

not know exactly what the end result is going to look like, but they have a picture in their mind of what they want to fashion. Sometimes they will draw out a sketch, and other times they will copy a picture. Unfortunately, in business we forget that important concept of getting clarity about what we want the end result to look like before we begin. The muddled outcome is for many a picture that no one wants to see.

Messing up on a canvas usually means that we have lost a few dollars in paint and a few hours of our time. It might not worry us because we have benefited in the pro-

cess through the stress reduction associated with doing something creative.

Messing up in business can be more serious. We might invest tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, in addition to weeks, months or years of work and energy, and then the business is an absolute failure for the simple reason that we didn’t take the time to sketch out what we were creating.

A sketch in business might be a drawing of the business, but probably more likely it is the effort put into thinking through our value proposition, determining what it is that our customer will benefit from and then testing our assumptions.

Recently, I was working with a business owner who wanted to shift his business entirely. As we discussed his concepts, I thought I saw some flawed assumptions. Rather than discount the idea entirely, I asked him how he was going to test out the idea. He worked through a variety of

Trump’s second term in the bag

Will Donald Trump win his second term as U.S. president in November?

COVID-19 has taken the wind out of America’s economic sails, unemployment is at Depression-era levels, and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, does well with minority voters. This perfect storm could well ensure that Trump walks as a single term POTUS. Pollsters, elected officials from both parties, and the media agree that his situation is beyond dire. But, just as in 2016, they are completely mistaken.

I’m happy to remind you that I called it for “The Donald” exactly four years ago this May with six months left in the race. The empirical data was there for all to see: a kooky old socialist, a school marm, and a loud boaster with an impish smile walk into a state asking for votes.

The first offers more government, the second wags her finger at them, the last

ent. They work on the basis of retention rates for the gases as they pass through a porous substrate in a column. By carefully choosing the type of column, the concentrations of a whole range of gases can be identified.

Similarly, mass spectrometers – particularly when coupled with a gas chromatograph – can provide a detailed picture of the components present in an emissions from a volcano.

Modern GPS systems can be refined to detect both vertical and horizontal ground movements of only a few millimeters. Combined with satellite imagery, it is possible to see changes in the ground surrounding a volcano that often indicate the movement of molten lava. The volcanic eruption of Anak Krakatau in 2018, which resulted in half the island sliding into the sea, was heralded by very subtle movements detected in hindsight. But refinements in the technology may turn the tables and allow the technology to predict future eruptions. Scientists are even listening to volcanoes as moving magma is often accompanied by ultra-low frequency sound waves. Modern volcanology is a very active discipline. It is by no means perfect but as we understand more and more about the forces involved, it is hoped we will be able to predict eruptions before they happen.

options and decided that he was going to try to create a minimal viable product. In other words, he was going to try to test out the idea on a few of his ideal clients for a minimal cost without painting the whole picture or building the whole business. This would allow him to see if there was value for his potential customers before he made the whole shift he was considering. Creativity is essential in business and we need it to ensure that our businesses are able use it to create and adapt products or services that meet the changing needs of our customers or clients.

Engaging our teams to facilitate the necessary ingenuity that will allow us to survive and thrive in changing economic climates is essential today more than ever. Using common sense and practical measures to test the validity of our creative output is even more essential than the creativity itself.

NATHAN GIEDE

says we can reclaim greatness.

When it came down to the finger wagger vs. the jaunty bragger, the deal was sealed. In this new race, regardless of the situation in the wider world, the ticket that must be punched on Nov. 3 will have Trump on one side and Biden on the other. Who will America choose: the orange man who has steered the country over four years defying all predictions of doom or the sundowning geriatric senator from Delaware who likes to sniffwomen’s hair?

My detractors will wander off into using slurs at this point, saying that I clearly digest too much Fox News and am there-

fore compromised. This from the same pathetic group of losers (to paraphrase the Donald) that let the media misdirect them on Trump’s electability as well as “collusion with Russia,” and are still gorging on their drivel. I can only say go watch the videos of Biden debating fellow nominees or speaking with voters - the man is obviously becoming senile.

Finally, we come back to the post-pandemic reality. The coronavirus has been an excellent winnowing fork, exposing the incompetence of government as well as the real beliefs of citizens.

There is a spectrum but two camps are clearly forming: one that wants to trust the experts, wait for a vaccine, and continue the shutdown; and the other whose lives were hard before the virus but are now impossible due to the shutdown, so based on loss/gain, they’re willing to take the risk.

The former belong to blue counties and states, the later belong to red ones. Now tally up electoral votes that either side is unlikely to lose, then look at the remainder: has the environment and culture of these states changed from 51 per cent “can do” to “can’t do?”

Trump has always positioned himself in opposition to the shutdown and letting the virus dictate policy. Certainly, montages of his shifting remarks as the situation evolved are cause for real cringes, even among his fans.

But if we are nothing but our consistencies, Trump remains the stalwart voice calling for America to get moving again as soon as possible.

That is what voters are going to remember going to the polls in November - with or without any masks.

Thus, I’m calling it for Trump, six months from election day - again.

SPORTS Team back on track, Cougars president says

Ted Clarke Citizen staff

John Pateman became a diehard Prince George Cougars fan even before the team came to the city in 1994. He was one of the first 40 to sign a Citizen-sponsored petition with a commitment to support the team as a season-ticket buyer Rick Brodsky let it be known he wanted to move the team north from Victoria.

That was 26 years ago and in that time Pateman has seen his team miss the playoffs 12 of those years, including this year’s COVID-19-cancelled campaign.

The Cougars have been postseason outcasts seven of the past 11 seasons.

No doubt, Cougar fans starved for a winner have had their patience tested year after year and Pateman, the team president and part-owner, feels their pain when wait-until-next-year optimism that usually follows another early exit fails to pan out the following season.

Having bought into the EDGEPRo Entertainment Group that rescued the Cats from near extinction in March 2014, Pateman has never been more convinced the Cougars are on the right track to bring back that sea-of-white playoff success last seen in the 2007 playoffs and the excitement it generated while entrenching Prince George bragging rights as one of the most rowdy and intimidating places to play for visiting WHL teams.

“There’s 22 teams in the Western Hockey League and everybody wants to win - It comes down to who your key leaders are, your general manager and the team they develop,” said Pateman. “We think we’re going to have a pretty good run here, we might be a year away.”

So many pandemic-related questions about hockey operations and facility management return-to-play protocols hover over the Cougars and the rest of the hockey world, which makes it even more difficult for Pateman to forecast what lies in store in Cougarville.

“To me, the million-dollar question is when are we going to be playing games,” said Pateman. “Certainly in our league, our main sources of revenue are certainly the fans and corporate sponsorships for rink boards and all that, but you have to have fans.”

Heading into Season 7 as a Cougar owner, Pateman feels somewhat powerless on decisions about his team’s immediate future which will be made at the league level, based on orders handed down from the provincial health authorities.

What he does know is when the puck finally does drop on the new season his

team will be much improved, loaded with young talent mostly acquired through the bantam draft, one he thinks they will be good enough to be a WHL powerhouse within the next two or three seasons.

By trading veteran players at the deadlines in 2018 and 2019, the Cougars positioned themselves well in the past three drafts.

They had six of the top-70 picks in 2018, five in 2019 and seven this year. The ownership group recognized the importance of getting those picks right and decided two years ago it needed to revamp the scouting staff, raising the birddog budget 80 per cent from what it was in 2014.

In what was widely considered a bountiful bantam crop, the Cougars had three picks in the first round in the April 22 draft and four of the first 26 choices and have signed all four of those 15-year-olds, including forward Riley Heidt, their secondoverall choice.

They won’t be old enough for junior hockey this year but the Cougars will have 16-year-old defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk and centre Koehn Ziemmer, the respective third- and fourth-overall bantam picks in 2019, as well as forward Kyren Gronick (selected 26th overall) ready to join the team full-time next season.

As tough as it was to swallow another losing season on the ice as the team went 20-34-4-4 and finished 19th out of 22 teams, the Cougars also took a bath financially, averaging crowd counts of just 2,333 play-

ing in a building that seats nearly 6,000. Pateman said that left the team about 1,500 fans per game short of paying the bills.

Leaving that many seats empty would be perfect to maintain social distancing in the COVID-19 world but it’s not going to a sharp bean counter like Pateman happy. A winning team is likely the only cure for that.

“We understood we were going to lose money, based on the decision we made (to gut the team) in ’17-18,” he said. “Are we losing more than we anticipated? Maybe a bit, but maybe not a ton. I know on the expense side we spend a lot more on scouting, where we were kind of a bit lean. You have to have a team that people want to come and watch and obviously winning helps a lot. I think we’re the only team in the WHL that hasn’t advanced to the second round of the playoffs in the last 10 years.”

Pateman admits the ownership group has suffered growing pains over the past six years and from a business standpoint the team made mistakes with its ticket structure.

That was especially true in 2017 when the Cougars suspended age-based pricing for a season and brought in a four-tiered system based on where the seats are located, which in some cases adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of a season ticket for seniors who wanted to retain their same seats. Many of them decided then and there not to renew.

The new ticket strategy came months after the Cougars won their first-ever division regular season title, only to lose out in the first round of playoffs.

“Obviously on the selling of tickets we’ve made some missteps,” said Pateman. “We have a big range of ticket pricing which is probably too big of a range and in hindsight we should have kept that range (priced) a little lower. By the time we get into playing we’re going to have some walk-up ticket adjustments this year. We’d like to be able to say to any walk-up fan that if you want to go to a WHL game in British Columbia that for a comparable seat, no matter how old you are, you won’t find it a more affordable seat in the BC Division.”

The Cougars could be on the hook to have to pay between $250,000 and $288,000 as their part of a $30 million CHL minimum wage lawsuit settlement, which will have to be paid next season.

The class action suit was launched six years ago by a group of players against the three major junior leagues claiming they were owed minimum wage and overtime back pay.

The three leagues have since successfully lobbied provincial governments to consider the players as student athletes, exempt from minimum wage laws.

The CHL has hired a consultant to lobby the federal government for financial help to help teams out of the financial crisis caused by COVID, but Pateman says his team won’t be appealing for any government bailouts.

They’re going to have to figure out on their own how to make the franchise viable. The team is taking advantage of the federal 75 per cent wage subsidy and nobody has been laid off due to the pandemic.

Pateman, who works as an accountant for Brownridge Insurance and Intercoast Construction and also co-owns Western Industrial Contracting and Farr Fabricating with Cougar part-owner Ray Fortier, says despite the lean years on the ice and at the box office he’s never felt more encouraged with what lies on store for the Cougars.

“You have to have good people and I think at all levels of our the organization now - the ownership, the hockey side, the business side – we work better as a group,” he said. “I’ve tried to stay as a fan because I enjoy watching hockey games, and in my current role I should probably play the role more as president, talking to people.

“I felt some real frustration in the early going. But in the last two seasons I feel we’ve really started to head in the right direction.”

Citizen staff photo

Prince George Cougars president John Pateman in this 2018 file photo.

CL ASSIF IEDS

Survived by:

Born in Parry Sound Ontario July 17 1945 Passed April 29 2020

(Son) Chuck (Tracy) Allen and daughter Charlie (Charlette) (Son) Tony & Laura Allen & granddaughter Trinity (Son) Chubbs (Trevor) & Julie Allen sons Corey and Joey (Stepson) Kelly Collard (Stepdaughter) Kimm Ghostkeeper

Predeceased by Karen Collard

Lamb, Dorothy Emmaline (nee Anderson)

August 15, 1921May 20, 2020

The family of Dorothy Emmaline (Anderson) Lamb announces her passing on the evening of May 20, 2020. Dorothy was predeceased by her husband Gordon, son Randall and infant daughter Donna. She is survived by her daughter Joan (Gordon) Botten, son Doug (Bonnie), brother Robert Anderson, grandchildren Kirsten (Trevor), Shawn (Nicole), Alan, Darren (Danielle), Phillip (Shay), Devon (Tracey) and ten great grandchildren.

Dorothy was born in Prince George and remained a resident all her life. Her father, Robert Anderson arrived in Prince George in 1912 and her mother Minnie followed at the end of WW1. Dorothy graduated from Baron Byng High School and began work for Proppe Lumber Co. In 1948, she married Gordon Lamb. They first lived in the Island Cache near the family’s sawmill, W. Lamb and Sons Lumber. She lived a pioneer life for several years including living in the winter logging camp on the Nechako River. In 1959, the family moved to their new home which was built for her by her husband where Dorothy lived for over sixty years. In retirement Dorothy and Gordon enjoyed summers in Prince George and spent several winters in Arizona until his death in 1998.

Dorothy was a member of the Easter Star. She was involved in volunteer work for many years, starting with girl guides, then over 40 years with the Hospital Auxiliary. When she could no longer go into the Hospital Thrift Store, she volunteered her time sorting and carding many thousands of buttons to be sold at the store.

In her later years, Dorothy enjoyed her home, family and many friends. She always had numerous visitors. She enjoyed spending time on her iPad keeping in touch with friends, researching information and enjoying puzzle games.

Dorothy was considered to be a kind and loving lady by all who knew her. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and many other people she came in contact with over her 98 years.

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In memory of Dorothy, donations to the Prince George Hospice House will be appreciated.

Jessie Margaret Macdonald nee Mackenzie Passed away peacefully on May 2, 2020. She is survived by her husband Somerled, son John and daughter-in-law

Patricia from Salt Spring Island, son Alan and daughterin-law Dayna from Nanaimo, and grandchildren Alexandra, Mackenzy, and Rylan.

Jessie was born in 1928 New Westminster, graduated St. Joseph’s Nursing Academy in 1951, working as a nurse at several hospitals in BC. She married Somerled Macdonald in 1958. Jessie moved with Mac to Prince George in 1967 where they remained, raising their two sons. Jessie contributed to her community as a teaching assistant, member of St Andrew’s United Church, and a long time member of a philanthropic organization providing educational and social supports for young women. Jessie’s lovable nature and wonderful sense of humour, is remembered by her family and many friends. She will be dearly missed.

There will be a memorial service at a later date.

Toovey,ShirleyA. May11,2020

ShirleypassedawayatGatewayinPrinceGeorge.She leavesbehindherhusband,GlenToovey;daughter, DebbieBlake;son,DavidVance;stepdaughter,Gwen (Vern)Douglas;andnumerousgrandchildren;greatgrandchildren;andgreat-great-grandchildren.Sheis predeceasedbyson,ChrisVance.

WewanttosendaspecialthankstoGatewayStafffor caringforShirleytheselastfewyears.Shirleywillbe sadlymissedbyallbuthermemorieswillremainforever cherished.

Unna Skuggedal

Mar 2, 1925May 11, 2020

Our Matriarch, Unna Skuggedal passed away peacefully at home with family gathered around her on May 11, 2020. She recently celebrated her 95th birthday on March 2nd.

She is now reunited with her husband Erling, and son’s Arne and Trond. Also predeceased by her 7 siblings in Norway.

Unna was born in Bergen, Norway in 1925, second youngest of 8 siblings. She met Erling when she was 20 years old and they were married on May 24, 1947. With other family from Norway they immigrated to Edmonton, July 9, 1952 with oldest son Arne, who was 3 years old. While in Edmonton three more sons were added to the family, Ronald, Glenn, and Trond.

They moved to Prince George in 1964 to begin another adventure with the family business, Viking Construction. At this time Unna was a full-time homemaker and involved with the Sons of Norway, volunteering, and later in life enjoyed golfing with her many friends.

Since a young girl Unna had a love for flowers. She spent many hours working in her gardens and making them beautiful for all to enjoy. She also enjoyed keeping a lovely, comfortable home, welcoming many in for family and social gatherings. Unna was an avid reader, and also worked daily on crossword puzzles and weekly scratch tickets. When she experienced her first stroke a year ago, these enjoyments as well as her ability to fully communicate were unfortunately lost.

Living in Prince George for 56 years and being involved with her husband in many organizations she made many friends over the years. If you have had the pleasure to know her you will agree she was a very friendly, vibrant, social, hard working, fun loving, and a committed wife, mother and friend.

Unna loved being a Bestemor (Grandmother) and enjoyed the little ones, singing and telling stories to them. Besides the much-loved stories of “Freddy Charlie” the mouse, her own life adventures brought the most enjoyment and laughter to young and old.

Unna is survived by; Ron (Sharole) and Glenn (Joan), Donna (Arne predeceased 2002), Quin (Trond predeceased 2003), 13 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren (2 more expected this summer), and 4 great great grandchildren, (1 more expected in June).

Two of the local charities Unna always supported were the Hospice House and the Cancer Lodge. If you so desire, please consider a donation in Unna’s memory to one of these or another of your choice.

Flowers are plentiful, so when you are out for a stroll, enjoy their beauty and memories of Unna will surely come to your mind. “A life well lived leaves behind a bouquet of beautiful memories”

A Celebration of Life for Unna will be planned at a later date, but hopefully this summer.

In Memoriam

Dennis Clayton Allen

Jessie Margaret Macdonald (Mackenzie)

Maxine Deanna Balch

September 24, 1942 - May 11, 2020

The family of Maxine Deanna (Tanguay) Balch announces her passing in the early morning of May 11, 2020 at the Mackenzie Hospital. She has gone to join her husband Ken of 55 years. She was the 3rd child born to Laurent and Lena Tanguay of Portage La Prairie, MB where she was raised. From 1973 to her passing she lived in Mackenzie along with her family. Over the years, Maxine enjoyed making different crafts, quilting, card making and baking. She is survived by daughter Deanna (Lyle Wood), grandchildren Devon and Morgan, sister Edwilda Leader (Orville Hamm), brother Armand Tanguay (Theresa), sister in-law Sandra Tanguay, numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her brother Lorrie Tanguay. We will be forever grateful for the support, warmth and wonderful care of her nurses at the Mackenzie Hospital. Due to the current conditions there will be no public service, however, she will be honoured at a private family gathering. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

(Patricia) Elaine Nelmes

Elaine passed away May 16 2020 at the age of 55 years after a long battle with cancer. She left behind a husband Hugh, their two daughters

Julie and Andrea also her Parents Wayne and Sally Ansell, sister Barb and brother Geof and many other family members. Elaine was a Laboratory Technologist at the UNHBC hospital for many years and was always willing to help others. Many thanks to the doctors and staff at the BC cancer center for the north. Elaine volunteered at the Caledonia Nordic ski center was a skier, hiker, paddler and outdoor enthusiast. The Dragon boat team North Breast passage became a large part of her life with many fond memories. She also loved to play Crib and was always quick to lighten the mood with her laugh. A celebration of Her life will be held at a later date yet to be determined.

Gone, but not forgotten.

Paul Albert Mercereau

April 29, 1939 - May 22, 2020

Paul Albert Mercereau passed away peacefully in Prince George BC. on May 22, 2020 at the age of 81 years.

He leaves behind brothers Claude (Darlene) and Gerard and sister Suzanne Tully. Nephew Marc Caron (Gloria) and their children Brayden, Summer, Marc Jr and Cody, niece Nicole Mercereau and her children, Rachel (Jimmy Vandergrift), Brennden (Brooke Richardson), Carson and Hailee, Niece Lisa (Kenneth) Laws and their son, Aiden, and nephew Robert Mercereau. He was predeceased by his parents Arsene and Marie, brothers Gilbert, Emile and Edmond, sisters Elise and Agathe (Caron) and brothers in law Joe Caron and Fred Tully.

Paul was born on April 29, 1939 and grew up on the farm in Titanic, Sask. He lived all his adult life in B.C, mostly in Prince George. He will be most sadly missed by Nicole and her children and Robert. In Nicole’s words. “My uncle Paul has always been the most generous sweet and kind uncle that my children and I could ever ask for”. In Robert’s words: “I wish more people would have known his generous heart and kindness. He will be remembered for his contributions to his community and his family.” Paul really enjoyed women’s baseball, if he was not at home, you could find him watching a game at the ballpark beside St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

The Mercereau family wish to thank the excellent staff at Parkside Care Home in Prince George for their kind and compassionate care of Paul over the past two years.

A celebration of Paul’s life with interment in St, Anne’s cemetery in Titanic, Sask, will be held at a later date.

Linda Joy DeMerchant

March 1, 1947 - May 17, 2020

It’s with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Linda on May 17th, 2020. She passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family. Linda was proceeded by her parents Jack and Ethel Bailey, and niece Annette Ferguson, all of Brisbane, Australia. Linda is survived by her loving husband of 50 yrs Stan, and her three children, Sharlene (Rod), Shawn (Carmen), and Steven (Susan). Her siblings John Bailey, Jill (Mark) Ferguson and Graham (Lorraine) Bailey, of Australia. She will be dearly missed as Nana to two grandchildren Ryan and Julia, and many nieces/nephews and friends. Linda showed great courage and strength during the years while living with MS. Her positive attitude and ability to accept each new challenge was one of her many strengths. The family would also like to express their sincerest gratitude, and thanks to the many caregivers who worked with Linda over the years, A special thank you to Alencia Graham and Caprice Scott. A celebration of life will be held at a later date to be decided due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Gerda Blokker

Gerda Blokker (Geertruida Adriana van Seventer) passed away peacefully May 14, 2020 of natural causes in Vernon, B.C. She was 85. Her family is sincerely grateful for the care she received at Polson, and for all those in Vernon whose helping hands assisted her during her later years. We thank you. Gerda was born in Noord-Scharwoude, Holland in 1935. She married and lived in northern B.C., raised and fostered children, was active in church groups, took in boarders, and traveled. She loved music, was an avid reader, and a faithful letter writer to friends and family around the world. Gerda is predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Peter, 2018, and her grandson David, 2016. She is survived by her daughter Marina (Martin), sons Karl, Matthew, grandchildren Mieka, Tyrese, Lucas, and Maya, her brother Dick (Rie) and family. Gerda willed she be cremated, and there be no funeral. Interment of ashes at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Vernon, B.C.

You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s on-line obituary @ www.MyAlternatives.ca. Arrangements entrusted to

ALTERNATIVES FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES ®

Vernon 250-558-0866 & Armstrong 250-546-7237

Ann Christine Martin (nee Schroeder)

August 13,1940May 14, 2020

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beautiful wife and mother, Ann Martin.

Ann was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.

Ann is survived by her husband of nearly 62 years, Donald. She will also be missed sorely by her daughter, Debbie (Larry Colebank), son Darrell (Michelle), grandchildren Shane (Tana), Brett (Erin) and Nolan as well as her four greatgrandchildren Shayla (Mitchell), Carson, Abby and Brock, and 7 siblings. Predeceased by her son, Dwayne.

Ann and Don met in P.G. when they were only teenagers and haven’t left each other’s sides since.

Ann loved and doted on all of her grandchildren and never missed one of their special days.

Before moving to P.G. with her family, Ann lived in Alberta where she was born and raised. Trips to Alberta for family reunions were a favorite pastime of hers.

Ann had a passion for gardening, she loved flowers and the colour yellow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Diabetes Foundation in the memory of her son, Dwayne.

Private Funeral Service to be held and Public Memorial to follow at a later date.

In Loving Memory of Dorothy Colebank

September 28,1918May 18,2020

Dorothy was born and raised in Vernon, BC. She married Rupert Colebank in 1940 and they moved to Hixon in 1951 where they raised their 12 children. They lived in Quesnel until Rupert’s passing in 1990 then Dorothy moved to Ashcroft in 2004. She had many happy years in Ashcroft living independently until 2016 when she had a stroke which necessitated her moving into the Gemstone care facility in March 2017.

She is survived by all 12 of her children, Barbara Laviolette (Rae), Phyllis Giesinger, Diane Colebank, Donald Colebank (Margaret), Wayne Colebank, Betty Morrison (Stan), Linda Switzer (Ted), David Colebank (Marlene), Chris Colebank (Brenda), Evelyn Gouin (Paul), Keith Colebank (Carleen), Karen Colebank(Bob), 27 grandchildren, 46 greatgrandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews who will all miss her.

She is predeceased by her husband Rupert Colebank, her Mother and Father, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, 5 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild and son-in-law Ambrose Geisinger. She passed away peacefully at Gemstone on May 18, 2020 with 2 of her daughters by her side. There will be no service at this time due to Covid-19.

Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting www.schoeningfuneralservices.com

Arrangements entrusted to Schoening Funeral Home 250-374-1454

A Life Lived

QUAD Lamtrac Mulcher. M11 Cummins engine, 4000 hrs. $165,000. 250-614-6667 or 250-568-2338

500 litre Diesel Tidy Tank, $350.00 - 250-564-0678

Steel

Buildings

/ Granaries

Bedroom/Bedding

Twin

Established Franchise Photography Business

Serving Northern B.C for over 35 years

Gross Revenues of $150.000 plus annually from seasonal work

Lots of opportunity to expand the business. Transition support available to the right buyer

Serious Enquiries Only

Office 250-596-9199 Cell 250-981-1472

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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

control pendant with function lock outs (mattress not included) $2000 250 964-9417 pics at http://invacare.ca/doc_files/Etu de_Booklet.pdf

Books, Coins, Stamps

OLD Comic books $5-$40 each Archie comics $2.50

zoom. Questions from the public will be taken in advance via email. Please send them to info@pgairport.ca before June 29, 2020. Meeting log in details can be found on our website: www.pgairport.ca

Witset First Nation

Executive Director

Witset First Nation is located 32 kms west of Smithers, BC. The population is 700 on reserve and 1500 off reserve. Witset is very progressive and has achieved 10 year grant funding as well as Certification with FN Financial Management Board, proving that they have sound financials in place. The Witsuwit’en Culture is an important element of our community and is thriving.

About the Opportunity: We currently have an opportunity for an administrative Executive Director to join our team in Witset, BC on a full-time, permanent basis who can lead the organization towards a more mature execution of its long-term vision.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• This position supports 12 members of Chief and Council and oversees and manages an executive team of seven (7) managers and an overall staff of 30-40, depending on the season. Multi-million-dollar budget oversight, similar to a non-profit organization.

• Responsible for the management, administration and delivery of all Band programs and services. Ensuring that legislation, core funding guidelines, and financial policies and procedures are adhered to; and that the needs of Band Membership are met in a reasonable, effective and efficient manner. The ED will ensure that WFN's fiscal operations, administrative operations, revenue generation, marketing, human resources, technology, industry relations and other program strategies are effectively implemented across all segments of the organization to the betterment of WFN.

• Departments reporting to the Executive Director include: Band Administration /Finance/ Health / Housing / Human Resources / Lands and Capital / Public Works / Social Development

• Core duties include: Comprehensive Community Planning and Strategic Planning; Advisory role with regards to Legal and Economic Development Matters; Financial Planning and Strategy; Funding and Budgeting Processes, Capital Projects; Security and Emergency Services; Personnel Management; Oversight of IT; Membership and Elder Services.

• Update First Nations Financial Management policies regularly to ensure Certification remains intact for the future of Witset.

• Design, implement, and complete a strategic organizational planning process. Ensure consistency and transparency in programming that aligns WFN’s comprehensive community plan and strategic direction by bettering or enhancing community programs and services for Band Membership. Ensure the execution and/or implementation of defined CCP and Strategic Plans.

• Oversee any fundraising planning and implementation, including identifying resource requirements, researching funding sources, establishing strategies to approach funders, submitting proposals and administrating fundraising records and documentation. This will be done in conjunction with the Finance Director and other senior managers.

• Review and amend with executive team, program policies, procedures, annual work-plans, and budgets to ensure they are aligned with Indigenous Services Canada/Stakeholder/ Funder policies and guidelines. Provide mentor-ship to executive team on program review, evaluation, and future planning needs.

• Manage the 10 year grant funding and ensure funds are invested to increase revenue for training.

About the Ideal Candidate: In order to qualify for this role, you will have a Bachelors or Master’s Degree in a related discipline (Business Administration/Management, Commerce, First Nations Governance, etc.) plus a minimum of 5 years previous senior-level management experience with project and program management, including the development of annual strategic plans, work plans, budgets, and managing financial and personnel functions. You will also have previous experience working in a First Nations and/or crosscultural environment and have exceptional analytical, sound decision making, time management and prioritization skills. As a skilled communicator, you will interact with a range of internal and external partners, and have excellent leadership and listening skills. Strong organizational skills and the ability to self-manage and manage others is required. Experience with Human Resources and knowledge of the Canadian Federal Labour Code is an asset.

Collaborative. Committed. Both a Leader and a Listener. These are qualities we are seeking in our Full Time permanent Executive Director position. If you believe you can help lead our organization in achieving our long-term visions, you are a person we want to meet.

About the Rewards: This is a great opportunity to contribute at an exciting time of change and growth within the community. In exchange for your hard work and dedication, you will be rewarded with a competitive salary, including:

• Group Benefits Insurance and Pension Package

• Ability to gain valuable First Nations Experience

• Ability to strategize and develop Creative Solutions for Growth and Sustainability

• Ability to create Effective Change that will make Significant and Positive Community Impacts

Witset First Nation thanks all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary: Range of $75,000 to $95,000 per annum

A complete job description for the Executive Director is available upon request.

Please provide your resume & 3 letters of reference to: Lucy Gagnon, Executive Director lucy.gagnon@witset.ca • 250-847-2133 Local 230 for more information

Recreational Property

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

Apartments

250-961-6786

date of this notice on the 11th day of June, 2020, at 1360 Foley Cres, Prince George, BC.

2x60.0

R0011816914

Land Act: Notice of Application for a Disposition of Crown Land

Take notice that I, Richard Wakelyn, of 38295 Chief Lake Rd., Prince George, BC, have applied to the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development(FLNRORD), Omenica Region, for a License of Occupation for the use of an existing cabin for hunt camp purposes situated on Provincial Crown land located on Unusurveyed Crown Land on the south side of Bugle lake

FLNRORD invites comments on this application, the Lands File is 7402906 Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Tricia Klein Land Officer, Omineca Region, FLNRORD, at 5th Floor 499George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1R5 or Tricia.Klein@gov.bc.ca Comments will be received by FLNRORD up to June 19, 2020. FLNRORD may not be able to consider comments received after this date.

Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. For information, contact the Freedom of Information Advisor at FLNRORDs’ office in Omineca Region of British Columbia.

R0011816914

Five fun and affordable ways to revitalize your home

Does your home need an update? If a full renovation isn’t in the cards this spring, here are five fun and inexpensive makeover tips for reinvigorating your home.

1. NEW ACCESSORIES

Inexpensive upgrades such as new throw pillows on the couch, a fresh tablecloth in the dining room or a chic frame for a painting or photo will help

revitalize your home.

2. REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE

Sometimes changing the layout of a room is all you need to do to make it come alive again. Move your bed to the other side of the room or switch the living room furniture around.

3. UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM

Replacing accessories like the soap dish, shower curtain and hand towels can make your bathroom feel brand new.

4. SWITCH UP YOUR LIGHTING

A lamp for your bedroom or a new fixture in the dining room will shed new light on a room that’s lost its sparkle.

5. DIY UPGRADES

If you want new cabinets in your kitchen, try painting the ones you have for a cost-effective alternative. Consider a DIY approach to other desired upgrades for your home.

These simple and affordable changes can make you fall in love with your home all over again. So which ones will you undertake this spring?

Operation clean air: five ways to get rid of indoor air pollution

Spring cleaning may make you think of washing windows and laundering curtains, but what about the air inside your home? In some residences, the air indoors can be more polluted than the air outside. And unfortunately, dust and dirt can make respiratory issues like asthma worse. Here are five strategies to help you breathe easier.

1. Keep your floors clean: make sure people take their shoes off at the door and to vacuum with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. This way, you’ll reduce allergens and harmful chemicals that can get into your home.

2. Don’t let it get too humid: excess humidity attracts mould, dust mites and other allergens. Use a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to keep humidity levels low.

3. Get some houseplants: not only do plants help filter the air in your home, they can also boost your mood. Peace lilies and rubber plants make great air purifiers and are easy to take care of.

4. Have your ducts cleaned: think of air ducts as the lungs of your home; all the air from your heating and cooling systems flow through them. If you can’t remember the last time you had them professionally cleaned, now’s the time.

5. Change your filters: your air conditioner, furnace, dryer and range hood all have filters that should be changed regularly to keep them working efficiently and the air in your home clean.

This spring, breath easier by adding the above five items to your spring cleaning to-do list.

Update your bedroom with new curtains and bedding

Does your bedroom need an upgrade? Change the look of the room with new curtains and sheets. Here’s how to choose the perfect new linens for your room.

CURTAINS

When selecting curtains, think about the look you want in the room and then find a fabric that corresponds. Linen and cotton blends are more casual and cheerful, while silk and velvet are refined and regal.

Next, think about the colour and pattern you’d like. You can match your curtains to the colour of the wall and use pattern and texture to make them stand out. Alternatively, you could hang a multi-coloured pattern and make them a focal point.

BEDDING

You don’t need to match your bedding to your curtains but they should co-ordinate. You can pull a colour from the pattern on your curtains or use a contrasting colour. If you’d like to use different patterns for your curtains and bedding, stay in the same colour palette.

When buying your sheets, invest in high-quality, natural fabrics. Egyptian cotton is classic and comfortable, while silk feels luxurious and has the added bonus of being gentle on your hair and skin.

By changing the linens in your bedroom, you’ll wake up feeling like you’re somewhere new.

How to choose the perfect paint for your walls

Are you thinking of giving your walls a fresh coat of paint this spring? Having a hard time deciding what colours to choose? Here are some tips for selecting the perfect shades.

• Decide on the room’s entire look before selecting your paint. This will al low you to really pull the room together with colour.

• Once you’ve settled on the design of a room and chosen the furniture and accessories, take inspiration from a colour featured in a favourite area rug or throw. This will ensure your room looks pulled together.

• If you’re painting rooms that open into each other, make the transition seamless by choosing colours that are two or three shades apart on the same paint chip.

How to get rid of clutter and organize your home

A tidy and organized home can feel like a refuge at the end of the day. If your home has become cluttered and disorganized, take the time to declutter and sort it out.

Going room by room, the first step is to get rid of anything you don’t need. It may seem overwhelming at first, but removing unwanted and unneeded things will be liberating. You may even find yourself throwing out more than you originally planned.

If you’re not sure where to begin, start by getting rid of items that don’t get used and articles you have multiples of. Donate things that others can find a use for and throw out anything too damaged or heavily used to be donated.

Keep in mind that the amount of things in a home needs to correspond to the amount of storage available. People who live in small apartments will end up keeping fewer things than those who live in single-family homes.

Once you remove the excess items from your home, organize everything else using storage containers, baskets and boxes. Articles that don’t have a home will probably end up being piled on your table or kitchen counter. Designate a place for everything in your home and make it a point to put belongings away as soon as you’re done with them.

Spring cleaning: 3 key items to deep clean

Cleaning your home this spring?

Don’t neglect these three things:

1. CURTAINS

• Choose a neutral paint for rooms where something else is the focal point. Bold hues work best in rooms where everything else is understated.

• A tiny paint chip isn’t enough to let you know if the colour will work in a given room. Instead, buy a sample and paint a small area so you can see the colour during different times of the day.

No matter your style, following these tips will help you find the perfect new colour for your walls.

If your curtains are made of a lightweight, washable material, all you have to do is run them through the washing machine. For heavier fabrics, or those that need to be hand washed, a steam cleaner with an upholstery attachment will do the job while your curtains are still hanging.

2. CARPETS

Whether they’re starting to smell, they’re stained or you just plain can’t remember the last time you washed them, don’t put off cleaning your carpets. The best and easiest way is to hire a professional carpet cleaner. They’ll have the right equipment and products to make your carpet look new.

3. OVEN

Your oven’s self-cleaning function fills your kitchen with smoke, and

chemical oven cleaning products are enough to make anyone woozy. Here’s a more natural way to make your oven shine like new: remove the racks from the oven, make a paste of baking soda and water and spread it on all of your oven’s surfaces except the heating elements. Let the solution sit for 12 hours (wash the oven racks while you wait) and then scrape off. Wipe with vinegar and water a few times until it sparkles.

Once your curtains, carpet and oven are clean, make their upkeep a part of your regular routine to avoid needing to deep clean every spring.

Electrical safety in your home following a flood

If your home is flooded, you must take care not to get electrocuted. Water could cause major damage to your electrical system and make your home a danger zone. Follow these tips to stay safe after a flood.

• Don’t enter areas of your home where you suspect water rose higher than the electrical plugs. Wait until a licensed electrician or the electrical company has cut off your power.

• Assume that any electrical appliances or electronics that were underwater are now ruined. This also applies to plugs, wiring and circuit breakers.

• Have an electrician do a thorough inspection of your electrical system before turning it back on.

If you come into contact with floodwaters, you may be electrocuted. Never enter a flooded home alone and stay away from areas of your home that are under water until a licensed electrician has inspected them.

Three alternatives to wood-burning fireplaces

Looking for a fireplace that’s more environmentally friendly and energy efficient than a wood-burning one? Here are three options worth looking into.

1. GAS FIREPLACE

Convert your old wood-burning fireplace using a gas insert. It’ll provide the ambience and warmth of a wood-burning fireplace with the flick of a switch. If you’re already connected to a natural gas line in your area, a technician will connect it to your fireplace. If natural gas isn’t an option, propane is another possibility.

2.

ELECTRIC FIREPLACE

You can put an electric fireplace in any room in your house that has an electric outlet. These fireplaces can heat rooms that are up to 400 square feet.

3.

PELLET STOVE

Pellet stoves use pellets, a renewable fuel source, to distribute heat. They’re easier to use than wood-burning units — just fill the storage hopper with pellets and set your

thermostat to the perfect temperature. In order to maintain the selected temperature, a sensor will send a signal to a mechanism that drops new pellets into the fire when needed.

So which option should you go with? Get help deciding by talking to a professional. He or she can advise you as to which type of fireplace or stove is right for your home.

Innovative ways to use a daybed

Both a couch and a bed, a daybed is an incredibly versatile piece of furniture that can be used in almost any room. Wondering where to put yours? Here are some ideas to consider.

• Home office. Placing a daybed in your home office enables you to make this room do double-duty as a guest room. When you don’t have visitors, use your daybed to read a book or take a mid-afternoon power nap.

• Under a window. If you don’t already have a window seat in your home, a daybed placed under a window makes a wonderful substitute without requiring any heavy-duty renovations.

• Teenager’s room. A daybed in your teen’s room allows him or her to have a private lounge area without sacrificing floor space. A trundle bed stored underneath will provide extra room for friends to get some shut-eye during sleepovers.

• Balcony or deck. Daybeds aren’t reserved for indoor use only. Choose one made of weather-resistant material and place it on your patio or in your garden.

Daybeds come in many different styles, so you’re almost certain to find one that works well in your home, regardless of where you put it.

Making the most of your small entryway

If you have a small entranceway, you probably struggle to keep it organized without making it feel cluttered. Here are some tips to maximize the space.

• Wall hooks. Hang your coats, bags and hats in style with an assortment of hooks along the wall. Go for a retro feel with big dots arranged at different heights, or opt for a more traditional style with a neat line of hooks or pegs.

• Bookshelves. Shelving units can do more than just hold books. Put one in your entryway to store shoes, bags and anything else you want.

• Storage bench. This piece does double duty: it gives you a place t o stash your outdoor gear and somewhere to sit while you put on your shoes.

• Console table. If you need a place to toss your keys and mail when you come in, a high but slim console table is a great choice. Place decorative boxes underneath to hide things you want to keep handy.

• Floating shelves. A shelf placed high above your hooks, storage bench or console is a great place to put baskets or boxes to hold things you don’t regularly use.

By being smart about how you design your space, you’ll make your entryway functional, organized and stylish.

Shiplap: a

new rustic design trend

You may have heard the term mentioned, but do you know what shiplap really is? In point of fact, shiplap is a type of horizontal wood panelling that was originally used as airtight and watertight siding for buildings and ships. Currently, shiplap is making a big impact on home design.

Shiplap lends a rustic or nautical charm to any room where it’s placed, regardless of whether it’s painted white or stained to

showcase the colour of the wood. To get the look in your home, you can select either shiplap made of real wood or shiplap made of medium-density fibreboard (MDF). In both cases, the boards should be cut with grooves cut into each side so that they fit perfectly together.

If you’re interested in decorating with shiplap, you can find what you need at most hardware stores.

Keys to nautical home design

Both classic and contemporary, the nautical look is never dated. Here are a few keys to perfecting this style.

• Nods to the sea and sailing. Lanterns, model ships, anchors, nautical maps and prints of sea creatures are among the many decorative elements that are well suited to nautically themed rooms.

• Wood elements. Decorate with weathered wood that recalls the docks and buildings of coastal areas. Alternatively, choose furniture made of shiny teak that’s reminiscent of a well-maintained captain’s cabin.

• Knots and ropes. Ropes are omnipresent on most ships and are considered a must-have item in nautically themed

rooms. To incorporate them, use interesting wall hangings or other decorations made with natural fibres like hemp or sisal to show off your nautical style.

• Blue and white stripes. Blue and white stripes have long represented the sea and sky, making the combination a key part of any nautically themed room.

While the nautical theme can work almost anywhere in your house, it really shines in bathrooms and kitchens.