Prince George Citizen July 2, 2020

Prince GeorGe

UNBC prof finally back home from New Zealand lockdown

ted clarke

Citizen staff

After he’s finished his 14-day quarantine, which came on the heels of an 80-day pandemic lockdown that extended his trip to New Zealand, UNBC chemistry professor Todd Whitcombe knows what he will make his top priority.

“i’m going to Thanh Vu,” proclaimed Whitcombe, referring to his favourite Vietnamese restaurant. “i miss the food.”

Whitcombe left Prince George last summer on July 8 on what he thought was going to be a nine-month sabbatical from his usual duties at UnBc

The longtime science and political

columnist for The citizen was scheduled to return on April 6, but by then new Zealand had sealed its borders.

He had planned to tour the South island for the final month of his trip and was in invercargill, on the southernmost tip of new Zealand, when canada went into lockdown mode and began closing its borders.

“i headed off down there knowing the disease was rampant and kept in touch as best i could and by the time (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau was telling us to come home i was on the southern tip of the South island and the only airport operating was at the north end of the north island, in Auckland,” Whitcombe said.

on March 26, the day new Zealand announced its lockdown, he had just arrived in nelson, a small city on the South island overlooking Tasman Bay.

“if i had pushed it really hard, i probably could have got back to Auckland, but there was only four ferries running per day between Wellington, on the north island, and Picton, on the South island and they only have capacity for 280 cars,” he said. “There were 24-hour ferry lineups running past the lockdown date and the ferries ran for two extra days and one extra sailing, just to deal with the backlog. As i knew i would have to isolate wherever i was, i got to nelson and just stayed there.”

— See ‘THEY LITERALLY’ on page 4

Moose hunt helps caribou, gov’t says

Mark NielseN Citizen staff

Limited entry hunting of moose cows and calves is drawing fire from two Central B.C. MLAs and B.C. outfitters.

in a statement issued shortly after this year’s LeH synopsis was issued, nechako-Lakes MLA John rustad and cariboo-chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett, both members of the opposition B.c Liberals, said continuing the hunt makes little sense given that the animals’ population is struggling.

“i can’t emphasize how irresponsible it is to open up the hunt on moose calves and their mothers,” said rustad. “The record wildfire seasons throughout the province in 2017 and 2018 have significantly reduced moose habitat, making them far more susceptible to predators such as wolves.”

However, provincial government officials say the moose cow calf hunt is limited to about 12 per cent of the where they live in B.c. - where their territories now overlap with those of endangered caribou herds as part of a complex strategy designed to provide the buffer they have had against predators.

Wildlife biologists contend that areas that have been logged generate the type of habitat that attract moose.

Predators, notably wolves, follow and in the process encroach on the safe havens caribou use to avoid their attackers.

Because they don’t reproduce at the same rate as other ungulates, like moose and deer, the caribou suffer a drop in their numbers without a corresponding decrease in the number of predators because caribou are incidental to their main types of prey.

— See ‘OUTFITTERS’ on page 4

handout Photo

UNBC chemistry professor Todd Whitcombe leans on a signpost in Invercargill at the southernmost part of New Zealand.

AuxiliAry steps up during COVid-19

Ted Clarke Citizen staff

Wearing ball caps, visors and face shields, the ladies of the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop on Third Avenue are back in business serving customers, after more than three months of forced pandemic exile.

New provincial protocols are in place at the store and all customers are politely asked to splash a shot of hand sanitizer on their hands as they are greeted by a volunteer, who can allow no more than four inside at a time. At the sales counter, a large plastic shield is now in place as a physical barrier between customers and the till operator.

This is the new reality for the thrift shop and hundreds of other retail stores in the province have to jump through similar hoops to try to keep that COVID-19 bug at bay. New rules are in place to allow them to reopen but this is not the first pandemic the Prince George Hospital Auxiliary has lived through.

Similar precautions on social distancing, handwashing and self-isolation were in place to limit the spread of the Spanish Flu back in 1919, the year the auxiliary started, and that global epidemic was what spurred them into action. They were tasked with raising money to pay for linens and drapes for the city’s first hospital, the privatelyowned Pine Manor at 13th Avenue and Alward Street. The hospital opened in 1920, the year the epidemic ended. Since then, the auxiliary has raised more than $4 million to buy hospital equipment.

“It’s been around for 101 years and it’s all volunteer,” said auxiliary president Lindy Steele.

One of those volunteers is Gail Engbrecht, a former surgical nurse at UHNBC who retired in 2014 after 46 years on the job. Engbrecht saw the difference the auxiliary made in improving her own working conditions and that’s what got her involved.

“Over the years I was part of using all

has reopened after three months of being shuttered due to the pandemic.

the equipment they bought for us and they did so many different services,” said Engbrecht. “Years ago, they used to porter patients to the operating room until they had to quit doing that when it became part of the union jobs.

“They’ve been so essential in providing equipment for that hospital. I just feel I need to support the cause and it’s something I’ve always liked to do and the thrift store was my choice because it’s totally different from the work I did and it’s a well worthy cause. It’s a very big fundraiser for the hospital.”

Last year, the auxiliary provided a $70,000 donation to play for hospital equipment at UHNBC. The money is still in place for the group’s 100-year anniversary project, a $100,000 gift to refurbish Jubilee Lodge and work is now proceeding on that. The group annually provides bursaries to students at UNBC and CNC and last year came up with a$10,000 scholarship for a Northern Medical Program student from northern B.C.

The COVID-19 outbreak has basically stopped all the group’s activities and the

virus has taken a lot of the fun out of it for the 144 volunteers. The hospital information desk service shut down and they were forced to close the thrift store and the gift shop at UHNBC. They had to stop helping patients fill out their menu cards or direct them to the regional clinics and they can no longer join residents of the Jubilee Lodge for afternoon teas or games of bingo.

Quilters and knitters who provided their handiwork for the UHNBC pediatric/neonatal unit and the gift shop were basically shut out of auxiliary social circles during the height of the pandemic in March and April, when fears of catching COVID were running high. Instead of making kids’ clothing and blankets they were given a new task – producing scrub caps for medical staff. Steele would leave the material on their doorsteps and when they’d finished making the caps she would go pick them up and drop them off at the hospital. They ended up making 2,000 scrub caps.

“The staff at the hospital were very appreciative because suddenly, people who had never worn scrub caps had to

Reduced track hours frustrates distance runner

Ted Clarke Citizen staff

As a distance runner who competes in ultra-marathons, John Beebe was looking forward to running on the rubberized track this summer at Masich Place Stadium when it finally reopens in July.That’s not going to happen. This summer, the city-owned and operated facility will only be open to the public from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on weekdays, which totally conflicts with Beebe’s work schedule. He says the city failed to learn its lesson from last year when a plan to staff Masich only in the morning hours on weekdays prompted a public outcry. After a fitness

coach launched a petition complaining about limited access, the city rethought its plan and agreed to extend the opening hours into the evening. Now, Beebe says the same problem exists.

“City manager (Kathleen Soltis) is pulling it again,” said Beebe. “She says it is an elite facility that nobody’s allowed to use and should now only be available to a select few user groups.”

Last Thursday, Beebe emailed Mayor Lyn Hall asking why the city is not staffing Masich during the afternoon and evening hours, pointing out that city planners last fall had already budgeted for a second shift. In the letter, Beebe expressed concerns that some of the athletes training

for the B.C. Summer Games will lose a full year’s training due to the reduced schedule at the stadium.

Construction is continuing at Masich to upgrade change rooms, lighting, concession facilities and improve accessibility to prepare the stadium for the 2022 B.C. Summer Games and it won’t reopen until those projects are complete and the required COVID-19 safety protocols are in place.

“The reduction in hours of availability at Masich Place Stadium this year are strictly due to staff reductions due to COVID-19,” said Mike Kellett, the city’s senior communications officer. “These are not meant to be the permanent hours of the facility - just for this year.”

wear them, and finding them in town became almost impossible,” said Steele, a retired elementary school teacher.

After the cap project was complete, auxiliary volunteers were stuck in a holding pattern until last Monday when the thrift store reopened. They’ve started a new gardening service to add some colour and life to the hospital’s front entrance at UHNBC. Flowers are being planted in existing beds and new window boxes will be installed on the outside wall of the gift shop.

The gift shop can’t reopen until a Plexiglas shield is in place and the same is needed at the information booth and upstairs regional clinics. The additional space required for the shield might limit the already tight confines of the gift shop to just two customers and the auxiliary board will have to decide if it will remain viable with the new configuration.

The auxiliary has had no income the past four months and they were prepared to pay $448 for 50 clip-on plastic shields thrift store workers now use, but the Surreybased manufacturer, Cap Shield, donated them and paid to have them shipped to Prince George.

Most of the auxiliary are people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who have retired from their jobs, and there are several in the group who are well into their 80s. Until the shutdown, they even had a couple volunteers in the 90-plus age category.

“Most of our members are seniors and a lot of them are still worried about coming back,” said Steele.

“We have to take this one step at a time and I don’t want anybody in that (80-plus) age group coming in, because it’s just too uncertain right now.”

The thrift store is now open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Donations are accepted during business hours at the back of the store at 1523 Third Ave. As an added precaution, dropped-off merchandise has to sit three days before it can be sorted. Donors can ring the buzzer of call the store at 250-564-7707.

Citizen staff photo

The ladies of the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store in downtown Prince George, from left, Loretta, Collette, Rosemary and Annie, model their new COVID-19 protection attire. The thrift store

‘They literally shut the country down for four weeks’

— from page 1

Of all the places to be sequestered while COVID-19 ravaged much of the world, Nelson, a small city of about 55,000, was a pretty good spot to be.

His hotel was right at the Tahunanui Reserve beach park, considered one of the nicest beaches in the country. The climate there is comparable to northern California and even heading into the Southern Hemisphere winter, “I stayed there and walked the beach every day,” he said. “Eighty days in lockdown wasn’t a hardship but it was weird.”

The first case of COVID-19 in New Zealand was reported on Feb. 28, a month after Canada’s first confirmed case was discovered in Toronto on Jan. 27.

After 17 days without a new case, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared on June 8 that COVID-19 transmission had been eliminated and that the country was lifting all restrictions on public gatherings and was ending mandatory social distancing.

Schools, stores and restaurants are open.

Pro rugby and cricket teams are back playing in full stadiums.

“The last four weeks there, you wouldn’t know there was a pandemic there,”

Whitcombe said. “Internally, there are no cases. The grocery stores are open and there was never a run on food. The only thing that ran out, and this was before the lockdown, was toilet paper. The restau-

rants were open, but not at full capacity because the hospitality industry was tourism-dependent.“Jacinda Ardern is getting praise internationally and justifiable so. They literally shut the country down for four weeks and nobody was out. They handled it well. There’s a real sense of nationhood and that’s what the government was able to utilize. It was amazing to watch from an outside perspective, to see the way people behaved and the vast majority did what they were supposed to do.”

Geographically, New Zealand is about a quarter the size of B.C. Considering New Zealand has a population of 4.8 million, slightly less than that of British Columbia’s 5.1 million.

B.C.’s COVID totals heading in to Sunday far exceeded that of New Zealand, with 2,878 cases and 174 deaths.

“For the first two or three weeks, New Zealand and B.C. were pretty much neckand-neck, and then B.C. surged and New Zealand didn’t,” said Whitcombe.

“New Zealand was at 1,504 cases for 10 days and then they let in a couple tourists who had COVID and since then there’s been a few more.”

Whitcombe, 61, took his sabbatical to write a book, tentatively titled After the End, Before the Beginning, which summarizes what scientists have theorized about the creation of the universe, galaxies, planets and life on earth and the scientific evidence that supports those beliefs.

UNBC has a long-standing relationship with the University of Waikato in Hamilton, which helped him decide on his destination.

“New Zealand is beautiful and the scenery is very different from British Columbia because there’s a lot of pasture land, but there’s also these intense jungles of forest with palm trees waving away,” he said.

“As a tourist destination it rivals B.C. easily. It really is a spectacular place. The distances across the country are nothing, it’s a very long narrow country.”

Whitcombe arrived at the Prince George airport last Friday.

With flight schedules totally disrupted by the pandemic, from the time he left Hamilton, a one-and-a-half hour drive from Auckland airport, it took him 72 hours to get back to Prince George.

He left Tuesday morning on a flight to Los Angeles and the plane arrived too late to make the connection to Vancouver, so he was forced to book into a hotel to wait for a flight the following afternoon.

He got into Vancouver on Thursday but had to overnight there before he could get back to Prince George. On the planes, the centre seats are left unoccupied. The passenger terminals were eerily quiet and in L.A. he had to wait nearly an hour to retrieve his luggage because there are so few baggage handlers working. Lineups for customs and immigration were short and moved quickly.

“It was like (the movie) 28 Days Later, like there had been some apocalyptic event,” Whitcombe said. “Los Angeles has six terminals and they each have 20 gates and I think there were eight planes at the gates. There’s just nobody flying, at least on the international side. In Vancouver you could have rolled an elephants through that airport and not hit anybody.”

Outfitters criticize policy

— from page 1

While culling wolves would seem to be the obvious solution, it’s expensive and has drawn flack from environmental groups. Instead, scientists have suggested a complementary strategy of keeping moose populations under control through hunting of their cows and calves in areas where there are caribou.

Contrary to what Rustad and Barnett indicated in their statement, the moose cow-calf hunt has been part of limited entry hunting since 2004, primarily in the Revelstoke and Parsnip regions.

For as long as it has been in place, it has been a sore spot for the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia whose members rely, in part, on the bull moose hunt for their business.

In the same statement from Rustad and Barnett, GOABC executive director Scott Ellis said antlerless tags are only issued when a population needs to be reduced.

“Since this is not the case, we would hope the increase in ‘cow or calf’ limited entry hunting authorizations is an oversight that can be corrected before the fall hunting season,” Ellis said.

GOABC maintains the strategy of “alternate prey management” is based on faulty science and that the emphasis should be on controlling the wolf population.

“The issuance of additional hunting permits will not result in an instantaneous decrease in wolf populations,” GOABC says in a May 2018 statement on the matter.

“If alternate prey management was successful in reducing moose populations, there would still be a lag time between the decline of moose and the decline of the wolf population. During this period, a high population of wolves would result in an increase in the rate of incidental mortality of caribou.”

The strategy has drawn mixed results when put into practice. According to a government circular, caribou numbers for the largest herd in the Revelstoke area stabilized, although two very small herds

continued to decline, when the moose population was reduced by 80 per cent.

The government also conceded the strategy did not appear to help caribou in the Parsnip.

But Jennifer Psyllakis, the director of the wildlife and habitat branch in the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, said the lead scientist on the project concluded the most likely difference was the intensity of the hunts and noted the moose population was reduced by 40 per cent in the Parsnip - about half the rate in the Revelstoke region.

Psyllakis also noted that wolf and moose management combined in these same two areas started in 2017.

According to the circular, significant increases in the populations of the Quintette, Kennedy and Klinse-Za populations have followed.

The limited entry hunts appear to have resulted in less-than-signficant impact on cows and calves. In 2019, just 73 in the Revelstoke and Parsnip regions were harvested, despite 275 tags made available.

As for wolves, 474 were “removed” or culled in B.C. during the 2019-20 winter.

Psyllakis said steps are also being taken to preserve and recover caribou habitat, which scientists say is the long-term solution to restoring caribou herds.

(That has included establishing no-go zones for snowmobilers as wolves are known to use their tracks to reach the herds otherwise protected by deep snow during the winter.)

“We’re not all the way there yet and it does take time to restore habitat,” Psyllakis said.

As for Rustad’s concern about the impact of the wildfire on moose populations, Psyllakis said said the there are no cow-calf hunts overlapping any of the wildfire area.

What’s more, over the longer term, she said wildfires help open up habitat for moose.

SeniorS can defer property tax

Citizen staff

Seniors have an option to defer payment of their property taxes, the BC Seniors Advocate says.

The provincial Property Tax Deferment program (PTD) sees the province pay the property tax on behalf of the senior directly to the local government and the senior doesn’t pay the money back until the property is sold.

For information about the Property Tax Deferment Program and to apply online visit www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/annual-property-tax/defer-taxes

For assistance with applying to the Property Tax Deferment Program contact the Ministry of Finance at the toll-free number 1-888-355-2700, call the office 250-387-0555 or email TaxDeferment@gov.bc.ca

Mackenzie residents hold rally

Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff

Mackenzie residents held a protest rally last Tuesday afternoon after the recent announcement that Paper Excellence Canada will be curtailing its pulp mill operations, putting 253 employees out of work indefinitely on Aug. 9.

Hundreds gathered in their cars at Mackenzie’s municipal office to start the convoy to its final destination at Canadian Forest Products on Mill Road to peacefully protest the fact all three major private employers of the town of Mackenzie will soon be closed.

Conifex Timber curtailed its sawmill operations in April and Canfor curtailed its sawmill operations in July 2019, which resulted in more than 400 unemployed millworkers.

With signs that said ‘our logs, our jobs,’ ‘our logs, our future,’ ‘we want to stay in Mackenzie and work’, ‘save our logs,’ and ‘save our kids’ futures’ the citizens of Mackenzie are asking that the raw logs leaving the town of about 3,700 come to an end.

Retired resident Christine Berndt, who has lived in Mackenzie for 44 years and worked at Canfor for 41 years, took the microphone to make demands for change.

“Every new administrator, director, deputy - whatever label they give themselves - just shrug their shoulders and we are ignored as they add to the forest sector’s problems,” she said. “Well, enough is enough. Time to make our government - the one we voted in - stand up and make the right decisions for all of us, not just the big companies who seem to be running our province. I see many familiar faces heremany who helped build this town and we don’t want to give it up. I will fight for my family, my town and my life.”

Berndt’s family will experience great loss, she said. Her son’s family will have to move when her son Daniel loses his job in August.

The two families live four doors down from each other and seeing Daniel, his wife and two children, aged three and six, leave the community after living here their entire lives will be devastating to all of them, Berndt added.

“We choose to live here and to be forced out because of greed - and that’s all this is is greed - it’s terrible,” Berndt said. “Can I stay here when there’s no dentist, when the hospital gets downsized to a first aid station and there’s no more volunteer fire department? We’re already down to one grocery store and now I’m going to have to go to Prince George to do everything like back in the 60s?”

It’s a rural lifestyle she and her family has chosen.

“We have an acreage - I love my garden, my yard, my husband’s an avid hunter, we ski-doo, we four-wheel, we camp, I get to see my grandchildren all the time and

staff photos

Above, Unifor representatives offered Mackenzie residents gathered at last week’s protest rally the opportunity to put their hand print on a large piece of pulp that will be sent to government as a message of who will be affected in Mackenzie. Below, the rally drew residents to protest Paper Excellence Canada’s plan to curtail its pulp mill operations Aug. 9, putting 253 workers out of a job.

we’re not doing that in downtown Vancouver,” Berndt said. “We don’t want to move but they’re forcing our hands.”

Rick Johnstone, a 48-year resident and 25-year employee of the pulp mill, was admittedly emotional as the microphone was offered to those at the rally who wished to say a few words.

“When I see people stand up for what they believe in it makes me feel like a

human being,” Johnstone said to cheers, applause and horns honking. “I’ve been here since 1972 and I’ve lived this history. I came here in ‘72 with two little kids and made a future.”

Back in the day, he was told by a BC Forest Products rep they had enough timber to keep the five mills going in the community for 60 years if it was managed in a responsible manner, he added.

“Since then we’ve seen a lot of corporate citizens come and go and none of them have been like the founders of this town - BCFP (BC Forest Products),” Johnstone. “None of them have had this community in their heart.”

The logs don’t belong to any company, Johnstone said.

“These logs belong to every man, woman and child in this community and we’ve staked our future on it,” he added. “I’ve got two daughters who are going to lose their jobs and I have grandchildren that are not going to have a legacy in this community if the government continues to allow the mills to keep doing what they’re doing. I don’t blame the corporations who are trying to feed their bottom line, satisfy their shareholders and sell us down the drain. I blame the government. Their office in town should be the one to shut down because they are the symbol of what’s wrong with the forest ministry.”

Forestry policies need to be changed to make it more sustainable, Johnstone said.

“It used to be that if you logged here you had to process your wood here,” he said. “Then 10 years ago after the pine beetle came through here, things changed. The mills down south were out of wood - and that’s where the votes are - and things changed after that.”

Johnstone said companies could come in and bid on a cutblock and take the logs out of the area for processing.

“What’s happened now is that has driven the price of logs up, increasing stumpage so the pulp mill has to pay twice as much for the chips up so that’s not economical,” Johnstone said. “And the other factor is without mills running here, we don’t have the residual products like the hog, which is the waste of the log, to run the boiler and the other mill here has a sawdust digester so we don’t get the sawdust and that means the mill won’t keep running if it doesn’t have a guaranteed fibre supply. All we’re asking for is the government to step forward.”

Right now, Canfor is selling logs to Dunkley, Johnstone said.

“Dunkley is taking them over to East Fraser and there’s a big chipper there, so East Fraser chips the logs and takes them to the Canfor mill in Prince George,” Johnstone said.

Chris Dixon, president of Unifor local 1092, said the protest was about the community coming together.

“It was about making some noise,” Dixon said. “And I hope we are heard. We have the best community as we continue to come together.”

Unifor had a sheet of paper made of pulp at a table at the rally where everyone was asked to place their hand print on it to be sent to government as a message.

“Citizens of Mackenzie, these are our trees, they belong to us and I encourage everyone to do what they can to protect our logs and our jobs,” Dixon said.

Conifex Mackenzie sawmill to resume operation

Lumber producer Conifex says it will resume operating its Mackenzie sawmill on July 6, ending a three-month curtailment.

The sawmill will run on a two-shift, five day per week basis, the company said in an update issued last Thursday.

The sawmill has been on curtailment

since April 6, affecting about 160 workers. Conifex’s bioenergy operation continued to run.

“It was always our plan to restart,” corporate services vice president Kristen Gammel said in an interview. “Lumber prices are starting to get better, the housing starts for the U.S. are projected to get better, all of that is starting to align for us.”

The company’s summer logging program

is also starting up, Gammel also noted.

The price of kiln-dried western sprucepine-fir two-by-fours graded #2 and better stood at US$436 per thousand board feet, a jump of $42 from the week before, according to Madison’s Lumber Reporter.

The development comes as a glimmer of good news for the community north of Prince George.

It has been hard hit by indefinite curtail-

ments at the Canfor sawmill and the Paper Excellence pulp mill.

Gammel said Conifex is continuing to work with other stakeholders involved in the Mackenzie timber supply area coalition appointed by the provincial government to recommend changes to the way the industry works in that region.

“Everybody wants to see Mackenzie thrive,” Gammel said.

Citizen staff

Citizen

Backyard laughs for a great cause

Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff

A Wheely Funny Garden Party delivers comedy to people’s backyards in Prince George.

Mike McGuire and Cody Malbeuf are local comedians who thought offering up their humour to raise money for a good cause would be a great way to bring social distancing entertainment to those looking for something a little different this summer. McGuire said he got the idea when he heard that his friend Lars Callieou, a full-time comedian in Edmonton, offered fire pit comedy shows to residents in that city to keep working during the coronavirus pandemic.

McGuire took it a step further and decided to donate all proceeds to charity and invited Malbeuf to join the fun.

“We thought we’d donate all proceeds to

the Wheelin’ Warriors, the team that we’re on,” he said. “Kyle Sampson from Pacific Western Brewing jumped on board so we show up at your house with a flat of beer, go to the backyard, physically distance, do a 45-minute show and all the money is donated and it gives us all a sense of normalcy back in our lives. People are being entertained in their own backyards.”

Malbeuf has been doing stand up for about three years in Prince George.

“It’s for a good cause so I wanted to help out with that,” Malbeuf said. “I’ve missed doing standup comedian during this whole thing and it’s something I love doing. This is a good opportunity to do that and do some good as well. We’re both on the Wheelin’ Warriors team and we thought it was a great way to raise some money and take people’s minds off the situation right now.”

Malbeuf said he didn’t know what to expect going into the shows.

“The people who have booked so far have been a ton of fun,” Malbeuf said. “They’ve been great crowds so we’ve had an absolute blast doing them. We can do shows for any audience - family oriented, too - and it helps out a great cause while everyone has some fun.”

McGuire has been supporting Wheelin’ Warriors for years. The team participates annually in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, which is a 250-kilometre bike ride over two days that takes place in the southern part of the province. McGuire took on the challenge of doing the long-distance ride last year for the first time and will continue to support by raising money this year as the actual event has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For McGuire it started four years ago

Sebastian unveils new works

Christine hinZMAnn Citizen staff

Robert Sebastian, a Gitxsan First Nation artist, has created his first hidden images piece Called Peace Eagles and A Wolf.

Sebastian comes from the Hazelton area, which is where his family and ancestors are from, but right now he’s in Prince George, his second home, to reconnect with the territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. To celebrate this, he’s decided to release the Peace Eagles and A Wolf print where hidden in the trees are eight wolves.

The focal point of the artwork is the two dominant Peace Eagles soaring above the silent War Eagle.

Working on the trees that are located in the left-hand corner of the original artwork, Sebastian said he was surprised to see the first wolf there.

“It was a fluke, an absolute fluke,” Sebastian said, who is a member of the Wolf Clan in the House of Spookx from the Gitxsan Nation.

“I was drawing the trees and then I thought I needed to put a little emphasis on them and then one wolf popped out at

me so then I painted that and then I kept going and I saw another and I kept going so I did six wolves and there’s another two if you turn the piece upside down.”

Sebastian said this doesn’t usually happen in traditional native art and he considers it a more contemporary element added to the piece.

Sebastian has collaborated with local jeweler Seth Tobin so that he may create any of the images in the artwork in silver and gold, which is Tobin’s specialty.

Sebastian also created a piece called Dancing Ravens and Sun that he will

when a friend wanted to honour the memory of a friend lost to cancer so McGuire supported him on his journey as a Wheelin’ Warrior. Then McGuire supported another inspiring friend who was in crisis herself and McGuire just kept going from there.

“The ride won’t be on this year but we’re still a team and cancer doesn’t take the summer off so neither will we,” McGuire said.

The Wheely Funny Garden Parties have quickly grown in popularity and there’s 15 on the schedule so far and there’s always room for more.

The ask is a minimum donation of $200 with all proceeds going to the Wheelin’ Warriors of the North fundraising efforts to be ultimately donated to the BC Cancer Foundation. To book a party contact McGuire at 250-961-4767.

donate to the BC Cancer Centre for the North, because everyone has been touched by cancer.

“So much great work is being done by British Columbia’s medical community,” Sebastian said.

“That is why I want to contribute to the cancer clinic at this time. We have to look after our health, as people and as a society.”

WD West Studios, 1364 Third Avenue and Seth Tobin Jewellers, 101-2324 Ferry Avenue, have copies of the Peace Eagles and a Wolf prints for sale.

The problem wiTh GladsTone drive

Renaming schools, parks, buildings and streets and tearing down statues and landmarks is the current cultural battle zone.

The real quarrel is about history, which has undergone a transformation over the last several decades into a richer and more complex narrative that poses tough questions about the conduct of our ancestors and our responsibility to both respect their legacy and repair the damage they caused.

The battle has raged in Prince George, from the renaming of Fort George Park to Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park to whatever School District 57 trustees decided we’re now supposed to call the new Hart high school – Kelly Road Shas Ti or Shas Ti Kelly Road or Kelly Road or Shas Ti?

Meanwhile, that disgusting mural in the park next to Four Seasons Pool remains. Erected in 1967 to mark Canada’s centennial, today it is an embarrassment – a racist homage glorifying the arrival of white settlers.

Hopefully when Four Seasons Pool meets the bulldozer’s blade once its replacement

opens across the street, the mural will go with it.

In the spirit of the times, we should also revisit Gladstone Drive in Lower College Heights.

As the book Street Names of Prince George: Our History explains, many of the streets in that neighbourhood were named after a variety of post-secondary institutions. Some are famous, like Harvard Crescent and Julliard Place, while some are quite obscure (Essex Crescent is named after Essex Community College in Maryland and Fairmont Crescent is named after Fairmont State College in West Virginia, which has since become a university).

The Street Names authors admit to being confused about Gladstone Drive because it doesn’t seem to be named after a college or university like many of the other street names in the area.

LETTERS to the editor

Dentures issue

To chew or not to chew, this is the question. For many, the increased medical problems attributed to the loss of being able to chew food properly become impossible.

Everywhere we turn, we hear about the increased costs of medical treatment and the increasing number of people accessing medical treatment. As a result, helping people who have issues chewing their food will potentially decrease medical costs.

I have sent emails to the government only to be adamantly reassured the dental plan does cover denture replacement.

My reply has been that the language and the intent of the dental plan does province does provide for the complete coverage of dental needs but only offers $2,000 every two years for dentures and does not cover replacement for dentures or partials.

Active Support Against Poverty and the Prince George Council of Seniors are unable to assist with this issue.

ASAP is up against the regulations without any wiggle room and there have not been funds in the coffers for the seniors council for almost a year because no one has been making donations to the denture fund. As a consequence, there is a waiting list of seniors and the council cannot receive any new applications.

Why does it seem there is an abun-

dance of media on everything else and nothing about the grassroots issues of what people deal with every day?

I understand that we are deal with a nasty, tragic pandemic but seniors (and non-seniors) are dealing with life-threatening issues every day when they are unable to properly chew their food.

People on government assistance do not get their dentures covered and are told to save the money out of their assistance cheque or their pension income. In other words, a social worker making $3,000 to $4,000 a month has the audacity to tell clients to save.

Reality needs to check in here and reevaluate how we are caring for the old and the fragile.

Please consider donating to the denture fund at the Prince George Council of Seniors.

Florence J. Schultz

Prince George

singh has it right

I am an Indigenous person and I totally support Jagmeet Singh for calling out the Bloc for not supporting the bill to deal with systemic racism.

This issue should not be politicizedpoliticians should not play to their base or put regional government interests first. Quebec continues to take the opportunity to try to separate from Canada because they say it is unique?

Indigenous leader Elijah Harper stopped this from happening by making a strong

They suggest it could be named after William Gladstone, the prime minister of Great Britain for 12 years in four different terms starting in 1868.

“A great debater and parliamentarian,” the entry concludes after a brief summary of Gladstone’s political career.

It turns out there is a post-secondary link to Gladstone that might have justified the name of that street in College Heights – Gladstone Hall at the University of Liverpool.

Two weeks ago, however, the University of Liverpool announced it was dropping the name of Gladstone Hall because Gladstone used slaves to operate the family plantation on British Guyana in the Caribbean. Gladstone also unsuccessfully argued against the abolition of slavery while in Parliament.

“While that argument failed, his finances did not,” a BBC news story on the renaming of Gladstone Hall points out. “When slavery was abolished in the 1830s, the Gladstones received more than £90,000, about £9.5m in today’s terms, as compensation for the slaves they were forced to free.”

The day after the University of Liverpool announced it was changing the name of Gladstone Hall, Don Davies, the NDP MP for Vancouver-Kingsway, publicly asked for Gladstone Secondary School, located within his riding, to be renamed.

It’s simply impossible to defend retaining the name of a Vancouver school or a Prince George street that honours an individual whose family fortunes came on the backs of slaves and who received a huge government payout (works out to $16 million Canadian dollars) to set those slaves free.

There should be little dissent about renaming the street since there wasn’t even a murmur of dissent when Gladstone Elementary in College Heights was renamed Polaris Montessori Elementary School in 2014.

Bet the kids could come up with an excellent shortlist of names for city council to consider this fall when classes resume and what an opportunity to teach the students about what reconciliation looks like and how to take meaningful steps to right history’s wrongs.

Over to you, Prince George city council.

argument that if Quebec can be deemed a separate and distinct society in Canada, then so should Canada’s First Peoples.

Eighty-nine per cent of Canadians agree there is systemic racism so why did the Bloc member not support the bill to reform the RCMP, which is only one piece of the puzzle?

Quebec is a province existing in Canada. They have a “mother” tongue and culture like other multicultural societies in our native land. We have as many languages and cultures in this country as we have distinct races. What makes Quebec special?

They enjoy the recognition with our second official language but they are part of Canada and need to get over themselves when it comes to our serious and unacceptable systemic racism. Personally, the Bloc member exposed himself to what many Canadians would view as a racist decision not to take racism seriously and start the hard work to eliminate it.

Of course your opinion one way or another is going to be uncomfortable, that is the basis of racism.

Webster’s dictionary is changing the meaning to include systematic racism in the meaning. No one in any part of our society can dictate how a person perceives a person’s words, actions or decisions that they personally feel is racist. The Bloc need to listen, acknowledge and work to change racism in a

country that is not immune to it but well documented over 200 years with the First Peoples.

I would like for a bill to be introduced in the House that all elected officials take sensitivity training around racism so they are educated on what systemic racism is and how to recognize it through the eyes of the victims.

Case in point, when my letters get published and I disclose I am Indigenous, comments will follow such as “what country does she live in?” “She needs to go back to the reserve.” “Give her a break - she doesn’t know how to earn a living?” “Those people live off our tax dollars?” “What kind of native name is Berezanski?”

These are all ignorant and racist remarks!

So anyone who believes that racism doesn’t exist in Canada needs to be educated on what constitutes racism, including our politicians and they should lead in this change. You are elected by the people for the people. RCMP officers swear an oath to serve and protect all people and are not above the law.

I live in a democracy, so the Bloc have no right to remove or exclude any elected official from the people’s house who expresses how they feel about what is a highly charged and sensitive issue requiring all opinions expressed.

Jo-Anne

Berezanski Victoria

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Recognizing birthdays, anniversaries

On March 14, we had our first COVID-19 case here in the Northern Health region and we went into self-isolation. Four months later, due to the worldwide pandemic, our tourism industry is experiencing a lot of uncertainty for their immediate future. Tourism and the tourism workforce are virtually at a standstill and many companies are finding it difficult to stay afloat.

One of the answers is for all of us to take a staycation, which means taking a vacation in our own country rather than abroad or just staying around home and taking day trips or weekend trips to local attractions.

Our own staycation plans are booked for August and we will be setting a firm start and end date to make it feel like a traditional vacation.

Now, we just have to decide whether we will travel north, south, east or west. Up until now we have been relaxing and enjoying some down time in our own back yard and indulging in our favorite hobby of gardening and for now, we have become hooked on that.

I have had lots of time to check out

SENIORS’ SCENE

KATHY NADALIN

Pinterest ideas and recipes and get back to my cross-stitching projects and writing my column is starting to get back to normal (whatever normal means these days).

In the meantime, here are the birthdays and anniversaries that I know about for the months of June and July.

June birthdays that I know about: Matt Pauley, Mike Morris, Rod McLeod, Marlene Ongman, Egil Lindquist, June Chamberland, Linda Earles, Clarence Switzer, Diane Sultano, Ivor Buchi, Louise Bundock, Jean Liversidge, Gladys Thorp, Francine Bussieres, Ethel Rhodes, Carol Bailey, Linda Wenzel, Adele Mingay, Pauline Anderson, Lee Abra, Pam Meyer, Hilda Lippke, Otto Arndt, Connie Buchanan, Robert Reid, Mary Kirby, Lois Bittner, Frank Mauro, Helen Checkley, Gladys Goyer, Euclide Goyer, Dody Morehouse, John Wemyss, Heather Carter, Don Carpenter, Keith McLachlan, Rod Holmes, Skip Cleave, Mar-

garet Girling, Margaret McConaghy, Marlene Pauls, Joyce Antonation, Judy Green, Elaine Lamb, Louise Little, Marilyn Rayner, Lena Rossi, Erwin Stoll, Doreen Gray, Linda Parkinson, Dave Erickson, Dave Stolar, Joan Griffiths, June Mackay, Ed Seidlitz, Terry Roy, Gena Fournier, Keith Anderson, Kay Wendland, Janice Burt, Gwen Tindill, Roberta Case, Ann Hiebert, Nancy Nieson, Shelley Major, Debbie Bisson, Colleen Lemon and Frank Pighin just turned 92.

Wedding Anniversaries: 70 years for Frank and Aline Pighin, 66 years for Mike and Louise Bundock, 64 years for Walter and Marilyn Shelest, 59 years for Otto and Janice Arndt, 55 years for Stan and Margaret Smith, 54 years for Dennis and Sandy Houston, 52 years for Otto and Lynn Kedl, 51 years for Terry and Heather Carter, 50 years for Tony and Dodie Bond.

July Birthdays that I know about are: Bonnie Pauley, Scott Pauley, Aline Pighin, Marilyn Shelest, Jack Tremblay, Meg Imrich, Joan Buchi, Fred Buchi (96), Evie Padalec, Gloria Thorpe, Della Walker, Mildred Green, Lavinia Ouellet, Gary Kwast, Roy Green, Bernice Carrier, Carole Pitchko, Helen Sarrazin, Henri LeFebvre, Richard LeFebvre, Delores Baza, Phil Girard, Cath-

Now for a word from Bob…

Bob Godfrey is Diane Nakamura’s husband. He has given Diane a break from writing this week to provide a perspective from a spouse coping with the fallout of brain injury.

October 27, 2018, was one of the worst days of my life. I was at work when Diane called me saying she was in an ambulance on her way up to the hospital. Her words were jumbled but I heard her say she was mugged. I nearly dropped the phone. I ran downtown and drove her truck up to the hospital.

I was present when she was examined by the emergency doctor. Diane had a big lump on the back of her head from falling on the sidewalk. The doctor told us she didn’t have signs of a concussion but that she may develop one. We were both relieved she was OK.

Diane took one day off from her job as the health team supervisor for McLeod Lake Band. Diane was excited to go to work

BOGGLED

DIANE NAKAMURA

because it was Halloween and she had bought a costume to wear to the festivities at the band office.

For the following three weeks, Diane would come home from work and tell me she wasn’t doing well. Her memory was bad, she was slurring her words, couldn’t add up receipts and she felt overly stressed. I chalked this up to Diane recovering from the assault and in time these problems would go away.

Diane went to her doctor at the end of November. She was diagnosed with a concussion and went on medical leave.

December was a very bad month for us. Diane was dizzy, throwing up, wasn’t eating and had no energy to do the simplest tasks. Then she developed sensitivity to

noise and light, could barely talk and slept for 16 hours a day or more.

I didn’t know what to make of this. I would tell her to get out of bed and get on with her day. I didn’t understand at the time how brain injury affects a person’s physical and mental functioning. We were invited to my aunt and uncle’s house for Christmas dinner. Diane did not go but pushed me out the door so that I could celebrate Christmas with family.

It was sad not to have her with me. I was hopeful that Diane would return to work in the new year. I was being selfish. I wanted our life back. She kept telling me it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

This was not the Diane I knew. I was confused and frustrated. I told her she wasn’t trying hard enough to get better. Looking back, I regret saying this to her. I was in denial and didn’t know what to say or do.

Before her injury, Diane would come up with solutions to all kinds of problems and had the energy of the Energizer Bunny. What I saw after the mugging was shock-

RCMP need to make changes

Much of the problems with the RCMP recently in the news can be placed at the foot of the RCMP leadership and the justice system, not on most average hard-working cops who would take a bullet for any member of the public if she could.

Facing public pressure, the Commissioner of the RCMP, Brenda Lucki, flipflopped on whether there was systemic racism in the force within 24 hours. That she doesn’t understand the term, didn’t bother to learn what the term meant, seems obvious.

When “….MPs repeatedly pressed her for answers over systemic racism in the RCMP — and she struggled to come up with an example, at one point referencing the disparity in officers’ heights,” according to CTV News.

The commissioner has stated that

THINKING ALOUD

TRUDY KLASSEN

increasing diversity will improve police interactions with the public. However, the RCMP has had one of the most diverse workforces for a number of years already, so lack of diversity is likely not the source of the problem.

She would know that, so why would she say that? Is her job political rather than service-oriented?

There is at least one recent change within the RCMP that could be contributing to the much-publicized problems. Due to low recruitment rates, the standards for acceptance into the RCMP have been

erine Gladwin, Karen Kryzanowski, George Lippke, Barbara Mulock, Mary Taschner, Pat Sexsmith, Alice Westra, Red McKenzie, Karen McKenzie, Leonard Duperron, Doris Bolduc, Eileen Slusarenko, Isobel Blair, Carmen Foucher, Bob Collison, Mary Radke, Elmer Braun, Dyanne Hoff, Pam Hoechrel, Reina Mcafee, Ernestine Schreiner, Linda Moore, Kathleen Boyes, Shirley Dewald, Joyce Kennedy, Ta Mackay, Alan Nunweiler, Ben Wilson, Pete Goodall, Gervin Halladay, Ken Schroeder, Norma Raycraft, Leone Sadowick, Dyanne Hoff, Carol Hunter, Robert Wright, Linda Letawski, Dorcas Raines, Garry Doucette, Garth Grunerud, Mavis Kenmuir, Cyril Beaulieu, Connie Halvorson, Robert Whitehead, Wally Worthington, Joan Castle, Ted Heyninck and Gail Gromball.

July Anniversaries: 70 Years for Romeo and Lillian Parent, 65 years for Wil and Elsie Wiens, 62 years for Heinz and Ruth Kwiatkowski, 59 years for Rudy and Velma Wortman, 58 years for Don and Joyce Grantham, 55 years for Walter and Joyce Hanik, 54 years for Dawn and Clarence Wigmore, 49 years for Linda and Andy Horwath and 41 years for Chuck and Sue Chin.

ing. I know now I didn’t handle the situation well. I counted on Diane for her quick thinking and ability to make everything OK. I didn’t recognize her anymore. She looked the same but how she acted was not the Diane I knew. This messed me up for many months.

The biggest help to us has been the Brain Injured Group (BIG). Diane has taken many classes at BIG that has taught her the effects of brain injury and how to rebuild her life as an individual and in a relationship. I have attended the relationship group with Diane and it has been a huge eye opener. It has been reassuring to know that Diane and I are not alone in these difficult circumstances. I thank BIG for everything they have done for Diane and me.

Knowing what I know now, Diane’s condition could have been a whole lot worse. She keeps talking about her new normal changing all the time.

I’m committed to walking beside her every step of the way.

lowered. If there are not enough “upstanding citizen” applicants, it likely means the job is not attractive. Is this because of a poor work environment? How does the pay compare? How about working conditions? Are promotions going to the best people, or like in many organizations, to those best at making themselves look good? There is little the average cop can do about these issues, so these are a matter of political will on the part of the commissioner and politicians.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report had recommendations for the RCMP, calling on them to “stop rotating inexperienced police officers into Indigenous and northern communities…”

This is a stunningly simple request made several years ago.

A decent mom would never give her youngest child the hardest job, so why is

the RCMP brass doing this? Proper assignments related to maturity, skill-set, and interest, would be a much smarter way to move forward. The difficulty of filling those positions needs to be solved by a broader effort to decentralize government services and the improvement of services, together with the community leaders, in a cooperative effort.

The official RCMP motto is to “Uphold the Right.” We owe our brave men and women the tools, the training, and the “Right” working environment so that they can carry out this high and worthy duty in a manner that dignifies their office. It will require wisdom, courage, with a focus on truth and facts, in service of all Canadians, to improve what seems to be systematic problems within the RCMP. Anything else is just political posturing that changes nothing, and we will be having this conversation again in a few years.

Democracy dies when citizens go silent

American philosopher Benjamin Franklin said, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”

Canadians may complain that we have a small population and are not major players on the global stage. We are certainly not a superpower, but we can be quite influential. In addition, our elected officials on the federal level represent far fewer people than those in larger democracies like the United States, so it is easier to gain their attention and have a voice. I’m extremely grateful for this and I’d like to believe I’m doing a good job of fulfilling my responsibility.

The fact that citizen advocacy can make a significant difference came into focus during a recent conversation with my friend Juan, who came to Canada as a refugee from El Salvador 30 years ago. I shared with him that the civil war in his country was the first international issue that drew my attention in the early 1980s. I participated in demonstrations and wrote numerous letters to my MP, the late

LESSONS IN LEARNING

Michael Wilson, who represented my riding of Etobicoke Centre in Toronto.

I was young, very pro-immigration and had somewhat leftist leanings. Wilson was a successful businessman who eventually became the finance minister in Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s cabinet.

What I really appreciated, however, was that Wilson never dismissed my views. In fact, his reply letters seemed well thought out and sincere.

He assured me that the Progressive Conservatives were a party of compassion and compromise.

When his party came to power, they did indeed address the issue in El Salvador. I don’t know the conversations that took place in Ottawa.

I assume that New Democratic Party

There is a certain thrill and adrenaline rush you get when you go over the handlebars of your bike and are flying through the air, as I did recently. That thrill (and pain) is hard to replicate except maybe by riding bulls or broncos at a rodeo. The result however is certainty predictable; you are going to hit the ground.

Thrills and predictable results in business are similar to sports. A couple months ago I ran into a fellow who told me that he was getting tired of running his business because as he said it, he had lost “the thrill of the deal.”

Business can be exciting and exhilarating when we have clarity about our purpose, are energized by serving our clients, when we are getting results and when we are surrounded by a great team of people. Take away any of those conditions and the result is predictable 90 per cent of the time.

Stress starts to build in the organization and over time, as leaders, we become tired, disillusioned and discouraged. We

lose the thrill.

GERRY CHIDIAC BUSINESS COACH

leader Ed Broadbent, whom I had seen speak at a rally, had some conversations with Mulroney and the members of his cabinet. I also know that there were many letter-writing campaigns on the issue. Regardless, the Progressive Conservatives demonstrated compassion and compromise, as Wilson had assured me. Tens of thousands of Salvadorian refugees, including my friend Juan, were thus granted refugee status, and Canada is better for it.

One of the most important messages I try to teach my students is that though there are many problems in our country in our world, each of us has a voice because we live in a democracy. Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, tells us, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

We do have tremendous influence. I also can’t begin to explain the joy that I felt when I said to Juan, “I was a part of the movement that helped to bring you to this country, and I feel so blessed and fortunate that you stand here so many years later as my friend and colleague.”

Wilson died of cancer in 2019 at the age of 81. Reading what others said about him, from his prime minister to his constituents and all who knew him, it is clear that he was highly regarded as a person of humility and integrity. He was very good at what he did and he sincerely wanted to make Canada a better country.

I continue to be very grateful for all those who represent me at the different levels of government.

I often disagree with them, but I always appreciate their dedicated effort on my behalf.

Cynics may argue that corporatism has destroyed our democracy. I disagree. It is still we, the citizens of Canada who control the outcome of our elections and ultimately the policies of our governments. Canadian policy, both domestic and international, is a reflection of the activism or the apathy of its people.

If we want our country to reflect our diversity and compassion, it is our job as citizens to advocate for what we believe is right.

Follow the predictable path to success

look to others who have gone before us, and follow their path.

DAVE FULLER

Just last week, a guru in the construction industry told me that the secret of his “overnight success” that took 20 years was the consistency of his marketing. This really struck home when another business owner in a similar industry told me that he had been marketing for three months now and was tired of not getting results. If we want to have predictable results in business, we need to have a clear proven plan that that we follow week after week, month after month, year after year. Yes, we may want to adjust the plan to account for changes in technology or environmental factors but it’s the consistency that matters. There is a saying that “Success leaves a trail”. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel to be successful. We simply need to

LETTERs to the editor

Ready to seRve

The recent calls for the defunding of police and the resulting dialogue have prompted some interesting questions. In a recent editorial in the Citizen, Neil Godbout mentioned non-violent police calls that could be dealt with by unarmed police. Property crime and traffic enforcement were two of the examples he used. While I don’t disagree with the notion of lesser crimes being handled by a different type of enforcement, I do disagree with traffic stops as being non-violent. I’m sure that after this editorial was written and published, Mr. Godbout must have rolled his eyes with the expectant responses he knew he would receive after the incident on Dawson Road. A routine traffic stop resulted in a chase and arrest of a man armed with a handgun, over sixty rounds of ammunition and the culprit was wearing body armour.

Whenever a cop answers a call, the officer has no idea what he or she will walk into and we have many examples of Canadian police officers answering calls where they have been ambushed and outgunned. The recent acquisition of military carbines by Canadian police is a response to the sheer number of incidents that resulted in the deaths of police.

I applaud any action that results in accountability for any officer that crosses the line, as there is in any profession, but it seems to me, that far too many knee jerk reactions, are taking centre stage. No police officer should be forced to walk into the unknown, armed with a firm tone and hopes and prayers. Domestic violence, traffic stops, and property crime, are all non-violent, until they become violent, and police need to be equipped for any eventuality, not what statistics might suggest will happen.

I wish that the real numbers were

Whether we are planting a garden, raising kids or pets, playing sports, or running a business, there are certain best practices that get predictable results 95 per cent of the time.

There are systems that when implemented, ensure positive outcomes. In gardening it might be; don’t plant before the last full moon of x month; If your garden is dry you add water; put a fence up to keep out foragers.

These might seem like common sense if you are a gardener, but you might not have a clue if someone didn’t tell you.

Unfortunately for many business leaders, we think we know it all.

We believe that we can manage people, run our finances, and be a whiz at marketing the day we open our business, or take our leadership position.

When we fail to implement best practices, the results are going to be fairly predictable.

There is a reason that 30 per cent of businesses never make money and another

30 per cent are marginally profitable. The owners haven’t followed the clues left by those who have been successful before them.

If you want to be successful in your business start rubbing shoulders with those who are the most successful in your industry.

Find out what they are doing that really works. Read their books, follow their blogs and talk to them in person to pick their brains. Then do what they did and you will probably get similar results.

If you are into mountain biking, leadership or business long enough you are going to have bruises, make costly mistakes, and have brushes with failure (and maybe even brushes with death). It’s all part of the thrill of the game. If you stick with it long enough you might even have some good stories to tell you grandchildren and some clues to pass on to them so that they can be successful as well.

Dave Fuller MBA, is an Award-Winning Business Coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Hurting from your fall? Email dave@profityourselfhealthy.com

released, the numbers that show for every incident of police brutality, racism, poor conduct, there are thousands of examples of the police doing their job, and doing it right.

Again, I like Mr. Godbout’s thinking and there is merit to further consideration but I ask anyone who isn’t a police officer, if they would want to enter the unknown with nothing more than a ticket book.

Mike Maslen, Prince George

IsRael’s claIm

While Israel’s plans to apply sovereignty to Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley are divisive, the Jewish state’s claims must be acknowledged by Gerry Chidiac. Put simply, Israel plans to make the region Israel proper and apply Israeli law to the Jordan Valley and 30 per cent of Area C territory per the Oslo Accords of Judea and Samaria (“West Bank”) per the Trump peace plan and consistent with past U.S.

peace proposals that have long understood that Israel will retain these areas in a final peace accord.

Israel says international law enshrines its rights to these lands, while citing pressing security concerns such as the need for defensible borders and biblical, historical and political connections to the land. Importantly, a nation cannot “annex” land which it has sovereign claims to. According to international law, these lands were promised to the Jewish people in the San Remo Resolution in 1920, which led to the establishment in British-mandate Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people. Since 1948, Israeli governments have based the Jewish state’s legal rights on the League of Nations mandate, reaffirmed in 1922 by the League’s 51 principle powers which recognized the Jewish people’s historical and legal rights to reconstitute its national home in Palestine. Mike Fegelman, Toronto

Volleyball team digs in to help charities

Ted Clarke Citizen staff

Their season spiked by the pandemic, the 12 girls who make up the Prince George Kodiaks Black under-14 club volleyball team are not letting money they raised through bottle drives and calendar sales to fund tournament travel go to waste.

They’re donating it to charity.

The Kodiaks picked the Prince George Humane Society and Camp Good Times, a camp for kids with cancer, as their charitable choices. Each will receive a $500 donation.

“Our team really wanted to donate it to something that would help animals and to kids that can’t play sports,” said Kodiaks 14-year-old middle blocker Brooke Cam-

eron. “It makes me feel pretty good that it’s going to a pretty good use.”

The Kodiaks were planning a trip to Kelowna for their first out-of-town tournament in March when it got canceled, a day before they were due to leave. When it became obvious they would also be missing the provincial and national tournaments, both in Abbotsford, they decided to track down a worthy cause to benefit from their fundraising efforts.

“We thought it would be better to give the money out, because some kids aren’t going to make the team next year,” said Cameron, who just took up volleyball a year ago and played last fall for the Grade 8 school team at Prince George Secondary School.

The Kodiaks had wanted to visit one of

the city’s elementary schools to teach volleyball to young students but the COVID-19 crisis closed all schools and made that impossible. They’re keeping that idea on the backburner, maybe for next season.

“It would be really cool to teach kids how to play, it would be really fun,” said Cameron.

Kodiaks coach Craig Somerville says he’s not surprised his players are showing their willingness to help out kids in need and lend their support to dogs, cats and other critters who don’t have a voice.

Part of the donation to the two groups was the club registration fees they did not get to utilize.

“It’s quite expensive for some of the girls and they did so much fundraising to make it easier for the families,” said Somerville,

who split the team coaching duties with Michelle Werbecky. “It was such a good group of girls, the team spirit was amazing. It was a team that was really kind and just supported each other.

“With COVID, everybody was disappointed with the season ending and how do you close when you don’t have a wrap-up party or group gathering. We were doing a virtual close to the season that was cut way too short and they thought, let’s give back and feel good about something in the season.”

The Kodiaks haven’t been on the court together since early March but did get to play a bit of beach volleyball at one last team function a few weeks ago close to Cameron’s home in Blackburn, on the eastern edge of the city.

Cougars prospects invited to national camp

A trio of Prince George Cougars prospects will get a chance to audition for the national under-17 team.

Keaton Dowhaniuk, Koehn Ziemmer and Kyren Gronick, are among 113 players invited to a “virtual” development camp set for July 19-25.

A traditional on-ice camp in one location will not be held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hockey Canada says the camp will include a variety of sessions with a focus on player development through online education.

Three Canadian teams (Black, Red, White) will compete at the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, set for Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I., in early November.

Dowhaniuk was drafted in the first round, third overall, in the 2019 Western Hockey League bantam draft.

Last season, the 6’0”, 155-pound defenceman from Sherwood Park, Alta. played for OHA Edmonton at the midget prep level in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League.

He compiled 22 points (5g-17a) in 25 games to go along with 62 penalty minutes for that team and had one assist in eight games with the Cougars last season.

Ziemmer was drafted in the first round, fourth overall and played for the St. Albert Raiders AAA in the Alberta Midget Hockey League last season.

The product of Mayerthorpe, Alta. averaged a point pergame and was fourth in team scoring after he accumulated 26 points (15g-11a) in 26 games.

The 6’0”, 175-pound winger led his team in playoff scoring with 11 points (5g-6a) in six games.

Gronick, a 5’11”, 175-pound centre from Regina, was drafted in the second round, 26th overall.

Last season, he played for the Regina Pats Canadians in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League and was fourth in team scoring and his team’s top rookie scorer after he compiled 35 points (8g-27a) in 25 games. He was second on his team in playoff scoring after he amassed 13 points (5g-8a) in six games.

In addition, Cougars’ equipment manager Ramandeep “Chico” Dhanjal has been named an equipment manager for Team Canada Red.

This is the second consecutive year Dhanjal will take part in the event.

Spruce Kings swing trade for experienced defenceman

season and four playoff games last season for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

When the Prince George Spruce Kings won the B.C Hockey League championship two seasons ago, they built that winner on the backs of their blueliners.

A stellar defence brought the Spruce Kings their first Fred Page Cup and Doyle Cup championships and they ended up just one win short of a national junior A championship.

Their rebuilding project continued this week with the addition of 2001-born defenceman Zach Gabruch, acquired in a trade from the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in exchange for 2001-born forward Mason Reeves.

Gabruch, a durable six-foot-five, 195pound native of Saskatoon, is no stranger to the BCHL, having played 56 regular

He finished the season with a goal and four assists and was traded to Wellington June 19.

Gabruch collected 30 points over two seasons with the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Midget Triple-A Hockey League before he came west to Salmon Arm.

“Zach is a good addition for us,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes. “He’s a big and mobile d-man with a year of experience in our league. He will provide a lot of stability for us on the back end.”

Reeves was acquired in a January deal with the Brooks Bandits which sent winger Ryan McAllister to the Alberta Junior Hockey League team. In 19 games with the Kings, Reeves scored three goals.

Citizen staff

Citizen staff

CL ASSIF IEDS

Son, brother, father, friend.

Gone is the laughter and the love of a truly good man...but remembered.

In Memory of TODD TAYLOR

June 17, 1965 - July 3, 2018

Two years ago you left this world, there hasn’t been one day that I haven’t thought about you. Miss you alot, I won’t say good-bye, it’s just “See you later, son” Love Mom

In loving memory of Carole Anita Lawrence 1939-2019

My darling wife, it’s been a year and not a day goes by that I don’t think of you, miss you, need you here beside me. I feel you watching over me, keeping me out of mischief. I love you as much today as I did the day you became my world.

Holding you forever in my heart, until we are together again.

Your loving husband Grenville

Always missed, always loved “more than all the grains of sand...”

In loving memory of LARRY HOLDNER

Jul 18, 1945-Jul 4, 1996

Your memories are my keepsake from which I will never part God has you in his keeping but I have you in my heart

Silvia Steinke

Silvia Steinke passed away on June 23, 2020 at the age of 68. She is predeceased by the love of her life, husband Werner (“Vern”) Steinke. She is survived by her children Victoria, Henning and Andreas; her sister Petra; and her niece Tanja. Silvia will be dearly missed. No Service is planned at this time.

Joan Inez Margaret Buchi (nee Perry)

July 5, 1930June 21, 2020

Joan (Mom, Nanny, Auntie & Friend to many) graduated to the next level of love and wisdom, passing away peacefully with family by her side. A celebration of her life will be scheduled for a future date. Donations in lieu of flowers to PG Hospice House or your favourite charity.

Catherine Lynn Melinka (Smaaslet)

Feb 8, 1963 - May 22, 2020

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Cathy. Pre-deceased by her dad, Lloyd Smaaslet. Survived by her husband Allan, one son; Myles Melinka (Samantha), one daughter; Megan Melinka (Ryan), mother Evelyn, 2 brothers; Dennis, Alvin (Petra), 1 uncle; Clyde Smaaslet, 2 aunts; Loreen Erb, Muriel Robinson, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She worked for the Department of Highways until she retired in 2019 when she moved from Prince George to 108 Mile.

Fond memories linger every day Remembrance keeps her near There will be a Celebration of Life at a later date.

REMEMBRANCES

Larry Bailey Allen

December 25, 1939June 21, 2020

With great sadness we announce Larry passed away on June 21, 2020 at Hospice House, Prince George, BC. Larry is survived by spouse Pearl Reinholt, childrenLoren Allen and Sandra Godfrey (David), grandchildren - Jessica Orcutt (Will) and Kayle Sandy (Bethany), and his great grandson - Connor Orcutt. Larry was also survived by his brother Arthur (Eleanor) along with many nieces and nephews and numerous good friends from throughout his long life. Larry was predeceased by his first wife Emma, his parents George and Joan, and brothers - Bob and Jerry.

Larry was raised at Nukko Lake, spending his last 30+ years living there as well. From a young age Larry’s passion was aviation; he started his career with NT Air although most of his aviation career was with Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Division. We would like to Thank: Dr’s Raymond and Buchanan along with Amy and Alicia and all the Hospice House Nurses and Staff for their kind caring to Larry.

No service by request. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Prince George Hospice House.

May you no longer have pain.

Gordon Snow

Jul 26, 1940-Jun 23, 2020

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather, Gordon Snow, born July 26, 1940 in Cranbrook, BC and passed at the age of 79. Survived by his wife Irene of 45 years, daughters Joanne Norbury (Charlie), Brenda Snow (Rick), Charlene Briggs (Randy), Debbie Harley (Vicky), grandchildren Ryan Norbury (Amy) Sarah Bowen (Justin), Michelle Briggs (Ian), Christina Briggs (Jon), Kimberly Springer, Clayton Briggs, Joyce Briggs, Timonthy, Peter, great grandchildren Charleigh & Calvin, Asher & Jaeron, Zarin, Trinity, brother in law Brain Glowacki (Jeannine) step niece Brieann, nephews Kyle & Cole, aunt Eileen Stricker & David.

Gord was a competitive bowler for 50 years, it was the bowling community that was close to his heart. Our cabin for 30 years at Stuart Lake was our summer getaway for seeing our lake friends; family gatherings and fishing of course. Gord worked for BC Rail for 36 years and looked forward to working every day. Our family will miss his story telling of the great adventures, the conversations as he was sipping his coffee and always will remember him adding his little bit of tullamore dew to it, and his favorite saying was always “Yes Dear”. I will miss the love of my life, and know that you will be loved forever.

Obituaries

Cameron A. McKaig

NEWSON, Richard William

December 31, 1951June 14, 2020

It is with great sadness to announce that after going through relentless cancer challenges over the last two years, Dick passed away peacefully on June 14th, 2020 at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital with his loving family by his side. Dick is survived by his wife, Diane; sons Kiel and Taylor; and his sister Carol (Dick Mackin). Dick was predeceased by both parents, Elizabeth and Bill Newson.

Dick was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, received a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Industrial Relations) from the University of Alberta in 1973. He had a full Human Resources /Labour Relations career working for the Governments of Alberta and BC, University of BC, MacMillan Bloedel Ltd., GVRD, and finally in 1988 with Canfor, Prince George Pulp and Paper Mills until his retirement in 2005. During Dick’s years at Canfor, he was also a well-respected Human Resources Instructor at both CNC and UNBC. During his retirement years, Dick operated his own HR/ Labour Relations consulting company and provided services to various private and public sector clients. He also taught Human Resources for the College of the North Atlantic, School of Business, in Doha Qatar which also gave Dick and Diane the opportunity to travel through the Middle East and parts of Europe. In 2013 Dick and Diane relocated to Victoria, BC.

Family was everything to Dick. He was always there with a ready smile to listen, provide guidance, support and encouragement. Memories of many family trips and activities will never be forgotten. Dick also valued his close friends as family and their ongoing support during Dick’s many cancer treatments and challenges will always be greatly appreciated. Dick was a strong admirable man who treated people with respect and fairness. He was always calm, patient, positive minded and a great source of inspiration to others. Dick had a good sense of humor, a quick wit and could rant with the best of them. He enjoyed music, was a creative writer, an avid squash player, a gardener who took pleasure in growing roses, and his greatest wish was to travel through South America and he and Diane did that prior to his diagnosis. Dick will be deeply missed by his family and those who knew him well. His positive energy will always be with us.

A special thank you to Dr. Sarah Chritchley who was Dick’s strongest advocate. Also, thankyou to the BC Cancer Agency, in particular Dr. Saltman and his staff, as well as the many medical staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital who cared for Dick during his stays. There will be no memorial service at Dick’s request. Condolences may be offered at www.sandsvictoria.ca

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TERMINALS INC. JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Ridley Terminals Inc. is currently seeking the following positions for their marine bulk handling terminal, located on the north coast of BC, approximately 16 km from the City of Prince Rupert. Committed to a safe and healthy workplace, Ridley Terminals Inc. provides an excellent working environment for individuals who have a high degree of initiative.

Heavy Duty Mechanic

Permanent Full-Time

The successful candidate must have an Inter-Provincial ticket (Tradesman Qualifications with l/P standards) with experience in an industrial environment. Demonstrated evidence of troubleshooting experience in mechanical, hydraulics, electronics and pneumatics. Experience with Caterpillar equipment an asset.

Journeyman Millwright

Permanent Full-Time

The successful candidate must have an Inter-Provincial ticket (Tradesman Qualifications with I/P standards). Minimum 5 years experience on an industrial site as a journeyman would be considered an asset. Troubleshooting experience in mechanical, hydraulics and pneumatics would be considered an asset. Candidates should have good welding and cutting skills as well as troubleshooting experience.

These positions offer a very competitive salary and benefits package. Tradesmen currently working a four day on, four day off schedule.

Ridley Terminals Inc. provides an excellent working environment. The ability to work with a team to achieve results is essential. Applicants should also have an excellent health, safety and environmental record.

For a complete job description go to: www.rti.ca. Qualified candidates are invited to mail their resumes by July 15, 2020 to: Ridley Terminals Inc.

P. O. Bag 8000, Prince Rupert, BC V8J 4H3 Attention: HR Manager Or by e-mail to: jobs@rti.ca

Ridley Terminals Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals of Aboriginal descent are strongly encouraged to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.

NOTICE-ESTATE HENRYTHEODORE WILKINSONmayhavea beneficialinterestinthe EstateofJOYCEADA WILKINSON,deceased. Anapplicationforan estategrantatthe CranbrookCourt Registrylocatedat10211thAvenueSouth, Cranbrook,BCisbeing submittedtoappoint CharlotteJoanDupuis andFrancesJoyce Raphael as Administratorsofthe estate.Anyinformation regardingtheknown addressforHenry TheodoreWilkinson shouldbeforwardedto Rockies Law Corporation,201-290 WallingerAvenue, Kimberley,BC,V1A1Z1, Phone:250-427-0111 Fax:250-427-0555.

Between:

And: PAUL DANIEL SHAW and MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL

Defendants

ADVERTISEMENT

To: The Defendant, Paul Daniel Shaw

TAKE NOTICE THAT on 05/Jun/2020 an order was made for substitutional service on you of an Amended Notice of Civil Claim issued from the Prince George Registry of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in proceeding number M1956542 by way of this advertisement.

In the proceeding, the Plaintiff claims against you General Damages, Special Damages, Interest pursuant to the Court Order Interest Act, costs and such further and other relief as this Honourable Court may deem just.

You must file a Response to Civil Claim within the period required under the Supreme Court Civil Rules, failing which further proceedings, including judgment, may be taken against you without notice to you.

You may obtain from the Prince George Registry, at 250 George Street, Prince George, British Columbia a copy of the Amended Notice of Civil Claim and the order providing for service by this advertisement.

This advertisement is placed by the Plaintiff, whose address for service is Dick Byl Law Corporation, #510 – 550 Victoria Street, Prince George, BC V2L 2K1.

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Between: LAWRENCE CLIFFORD GAUTHIER Plaintiff

And: PAUL DANIEL SHAW and MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL Defendants ADVERTISEMENT

To: The Defendant, Paul Daniel Shaw

TAKE NOTICE THAT on 12/Jun/2020 an order was made for substitutional service on you of an Amended Notice of Civil Claim issued from the Prince George Registry of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in proceeding number M1956543 by way of this advertisement.

In the proceeding, the Plaintiff claims against you General Damages, Special Damages, Interest pursuant to the Court Order Interest Act, costs and such further and other relief as this Honourable Court may deem just.

You must file a Response to Civil Claim within the period required under the Supreme Court Civil Rules, failing which further proceedings, including judgment, may be taken against you without notice to you.

You may obtain from the Prince George Registry, at 250 George Street, Prince George, British Columbia a copy of the Amended Notice of Civil Claim and the order providing for service by this advertisement.

This advertisement is placed by the Plaintiff, whose address for service is Dick Byl Law Corporation, #510 – 550 Victoria Street, Prince George, BC V2L 2K1.

R0011823488 No. 1956543 Prince George Registry

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Five tile trends for the bathroom

Thinking of retiling your bathroom to update its look? To achieve a modern design, get inspired by these five trending tile styles.

1. TEXTURED

Both modern and chic, textured ceramics are great for achieving a bold and unique look. Thanks to their abstract patterns and 3D effect, textured tiles are the perfect choice for creating a refined bathroom design.

2. HERRINGBONE

Traditionally reserved for flooring, herringbone-patterned tiles are becoming increasingly popular on walls, especially when it comes to showers and backsplashes. This bold pattern is great for adding depth to any space.

3. IMITATION WOOD

Ceramic tiles that mimic the raw look of natural wood are in high demand this year. Available in a wide range of shades from light to dark, they’re perfect for giving your bathroom a warm, rustic feel.

4. CONCRETE

For an avant-garde, industrial design, opt for tiles that imitate the look of concrete. Incredibly modern, this ceramic style is the perfect complement to an urban-inspired bathroom.

5. XXL

Extra-large tiles are making a definite comeback in the bathroom. Ideal for smaller spaces, oversized tiles create an impression of depth that make rooms appear much bigger.

Are you familiar with smart lighting?

Smart light bulbs are an absolute must-have for anybody who wishes to maximize their home’s lighting potential. These LED bulbs can be controlled directly from your smartphone or tablet, which means you can remotely turn them on or off.

Smart light bulbs connect to your electronic devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Thanks to a user-friendly app, you can adjust the brightness and hue of your any room’s lighting as you see fit.

Furthermore, it’s also possible to program your smart bulbs to light up at a pre-determined time. If you’re always out and about, or if you’re on vacation, you can program your lights to turn on and off at predetermined times to give the impression that someone is home and thereby discourage intruders.

Smart light bulbs can be turned on and off remotely with the help of your smartphone or tablet.

How to re-caulk your bathtub in five simple steps

Is the caulk around your bathtub crumbling or showing signs of unsightly mould? If so, it’s time to re-caulk! While it’s always recommended to entrust any plumbing work to a professional, repairing the caulk around your tub is a relatively simple task that you can easily do yourself. Just follow these five foolproof steps.

1. REMOVE WORN-OUT CAULK

With the help of a utility knife, make an incision in the middle of the damaged caulk to make it easier to remove. Next, use a scraper or flat-head screwdriver to scrape the remaining sealant free, if necessary.

2. CLEAN THE SURFACE

Wash the area you just finished scraping with a sponge soaked in white vinegar. Make sure to remove all traces of dirt and mould, and then use a cloth or rag to wipe down the surface. This last step is particularly important to ensure the new caulk adheres properly.

3. GET YOUR DUCT TAPE HANDY

Border off the area where you’ll apply the new caulk with duct tape, much like

when you trim a room for painting. It might take a few extra minutes, but the final result will be much cleaner.

4. APPLY THE NEW CAULK

Apply the caulk with a caulking gun, ideally in a single stroke while maintaining constant pressure. Next, dip your thumb in soapy water and go over the new caulk to make it nice and watertight.

5. REMOVE THE DUCT TAPE

Wait at least 24 hours before removing the duct tape and taking a bath. If the caulk overflowed, carefully cut away the excess with a utility knife.

How to keep your shower curtain in prime condition

Have you ever had to throw away a shower curtain because it was tainted with dirt, soap scum or mould? Cleaning your shower curtain regularly is a foolproof way to prevent this from happening again. Here’s some advice to help you preserve the look of your curtain and keep it out of the trash.

First, make sure to thoroughly clean it once or twice a month. If it’s made of fabric, throw it in the wash and use your usual laundry soap. If it’s made of plastic, however, place it in the tub and wash it with a cloth soaked in white vinegar and baking soda. Rinse it well and hang to dry.

Ideally, you should wipe down your shower curtain with a wet cloth every time you wash up. Make sure to air out the bathroom after every shower, and keep your curtain closed to allow it to dry quicker and prevent mould.

Tips for designing the perfect home gym

Do you feel like having a space where you can exercise (without judgment!) in the comfort of your own home? Here are a few tips to help you design the perfect home gym.

First, whether you choose to use your garage or your basement, make sure that you set up your personal gym in a brightly lit and well-ventilated area. In order to maximize the square footage available and create a space that’s conducive to exercise, divide the room into different sections. For example, you could dedicate one area to cardio, another to strength training and yet another to stretching.

In terms of equipment, always keep your budget in mind and evaluate your needs accordingly before making purchases you

may regret. You can surely find a multi-purpose, high-performance exercise machine at a specialty retailer in your area that won’t break the bank! Furthermore, stocking up on basic equipment, such as free weights, elastic bands, an exercise ball and a yoga mat, is always a great way to start.

STAY MOTIVATED!

Design a space that’s visually appealing and that you wouldn’t mind spending a few hours each week in by painting the room your favourite colour or hanging some inspiring art on the walls. You could also put up a chalkboard (or bulletin board) to track your progress on. Finally, consider investing in a good sound system that will encourage you to keep moving to the beat of your favourite tunes.

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Hammocks go hand in hand with relaxation and tropical destinations. Looking to create a laid-back atmosphere inside your own home? Install one of these blissful swings in your living room, basement or dining area, and see how quickly you fall in love.

MODELS

There are several different types of hammocks. Hanging chair hammocks are the ideal choice to add a unique touch to a smaller room, while traditional hammocks with stands are perfect for larger areas like the veranda. Whether you live in a cramped apartment or spacious bungalow, you will surely find a model of hammock that suits your needs and space.

STYLES

Hammocks complement almost any style of interior decor, from Scandinavian minimalism to boho-chic — not to mention tropical, of course! For a warm Scandinavian design, install a white chair hammock in the corner of your dining room and keep a few blankets in a wicker basket close by. Alternatively, add a traditional ham-

mock bursting with colour to your veranda and surround it with exotic-looking plants. You’ll be transported to a tropical destination every time you kick back to relax.

ACCESSORIES

Finally, use accessories to showcase your hammock and the surrounding design. Stacks of old books, piles of plush cushions or a collection of candles are all great for embellishing your cozy nook.