Cassandra Whitmarsh was just waking up in her room 113 at the Econo Lodge City Centre Inn last Wednesday morning when she heard yelling and screaming and a call of “fire” coming from an adjacent room in the downtown motel.
She looked out the window, saw a shadow of smoke, then opened the door into a deadly hallway inferno.
“The entire staircase was engulfed in flame, it was like the sun hitting your face,” said Whitmarsh. “It was like Dante’s Peak, the fire was completely back in the courtyard. It was so hot and so close.”
Whitmarsh rushed back into her room to wake up her 10-year-old son Kyler. She managed to grab a pair of pants and shirt for him to wear but all their other belongings were left behind.
“As soon as we got out the door I just pointed and told him to run that way,” she said. “It was kind of like it was chasing us. It was right behind people.”
The fire killed three people.
“We didn’t know three people had died
until I talked to my friend,” said Whitmarsh. “It’s crazy. I just hope it wasn’t a mother and child because I did hear it could be. It’s pretty sad.”
Whitmarsh’s room was three rooms away from the room where it’s believed the victims were at the time of the fire. She said she did not hear a fire alarm to warn her or other occupants of the motel, which she said was close to being fully occupied. As she was running out of the building, she saw a man who had been banging on the doors of the rooms to get people to leave. He had his arm around another man who had a partially-amputated leg to help him escape the building.
“That one single guy got everybody out, he probably saved 10 people,” Whitmarsh said. “He was the only one who went back in. He was the one screaming ‘fire’ banging on everyone’s doors. There was no alarm. Nothing. The only thing I heard was glass breaking.
“Kyler was very concerned I wasn’t right behind him because I grabbed the clothes. I just told him to go and he kept looking back at me. ‘Are you coming?’ He’s very protective of his mommy. I just think, what
if I had gone outside for a cigarette. I’m so thankful I got out of there with him but you just think about the what-ifs.”
The fire, at 910 Victoria St., broke out at about 8:53 a.m. Wednesday and Prince George Fire Rescue crews from No. 1 hall only a few blocks away were on the scene immediately after the 9-1-1 call went out.
RCMP have deemed the cause of the fire as suspicious and are continuing their investigation. Police have asked for members of the public who might have been at the scene or who have captured video of the motel between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. on Wednesday to submit those clips to the RCMP.
“We’ve had lots of people coming forward, which is great, and we continue to encourage anyone who has images to let us know,” said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. Douglass said the identities of the three victims has not been released by the BC Coroner’s office.
“At this point I’d be remiss to say anything without consent from the coroner,” said Douglass. “I don’t think it’s a secret that they passed away at the scene. Arsons
are notoriously difficult to investigate. A lot of the evidence gets burned, so it’s going to take time. We’ll see where the investigation takes us.”
Whitmarsh is from Smithers and had just relocated to Prince George with her son a week-and-a-half ago. All her possessions were in the room, which was destroyed by the fire. She and her son have found alternate accommodations at the Fraser Inn on Queensway. She said social services staff have been extremely helpful and caring and have provided her a cell phone to replace the one that was burnt in the fire. Kyler lost his toys and his Lego building blocks in the fire, while Cassandra says she can’t replace a shirt, her only remaining possession of her father, who died 11 years ago.
“Everything we owned was in there, we were just staying there two or three weeks until we got another place, because it’s hard to find housing here,” said Whitmarsh.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Whitmarsh and her son replace some of their lost possessions. If you would like to donate, go to: https://bit.ly/2OhqTPE.
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO
Prince George fire crews were busy last Wednesday with the Econo Lodge City Centre fire. Three people died in the blaze.
WHAT:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
City Council consideration of applications regarding:
•Temporar yUse Permit Application No. TU000061
•Cannabis License Application No. CN000012
•Proposed “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure Bylaw No. 9131, 2020”
•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”
Public Hearings regarding:
•“Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020”
•Proposed amendments to “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011” and “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”
WHEN:
Monday, July 27, 2020
WHERE:
Council Chamber sofCity Hall, 2nd Floor,1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC
PROPOSALS:
1. Temporar yUse Permit No. TU000061
Applicant: 1199562 B.C. Ltd., for Colin &MatthewHoldings Ltd., Inc. No. BC0780710
Subject Proper ty: 7550 Har tHighway
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
The pur pose of the proposed Temporar yUse Permit is to allow Retail, Cannabis use on the subject proper ty.The applicant has successfully completed the required financial integrity checks and security screenings for anon-medical cannabis retail store required by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. In accordance with the Local Government Act,temporar yuse per mits can allow ause not per mitted by azoning bylaw. These per mits mayonly be issued for amaximum of three (3) year sand mayberenewedonce for an additional three (3) year s.
The proposed Temporar yUse Permit applies to the proper ty legally described as Lot A, District Lot 2433, Cariboo District, Plan 14477, Except Plan 29887, as shown in bold black on Location Map #1 below
1.1. Cannabis License Application No. CN000012
The applicant has applied to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for a Cannabis License for anon-medical retail cannabis store on the subject proper ty.The applicant has successfully completed the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch financial integrity check and security screening for anon-medical cannabis retail store.
The proposed hour sofoperation are: MondaytoSunday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The subject Cannabis License Application applies to the proper ty legally described as Lot A, District Lot 2433, Cariboo District, Plan 14477, except Plan 29887, as shown in bold black on Location Map #1 below
Notice of City Council’sdecision will be forwarded to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for their reviewand final deter mination on this application.
Location Map #1
7550 Har tHighway
2. “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure BylawNo. 9131, 2020”
Applicant: City of Prince George
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
Pur suant to section 40 of the Community Charter,the City of Prince George intends to close an approximate 279.0 m² (square metre) por tion of lane as shown dedicated on Plan 1268, adjacent to proper ties legally described as Lots 1to5 inclusive, Lots 17 to 21 inclusive, all in Block 142, District Lot 343, Cariboo District Plan 1268, and remove the highway dedication, as shown in bold black on the Location Map #2below.Closing the road area and consolidating it with the adjacent lands will enable afuture sale to occur
Location Map #2 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure
3. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9124, 2020”
Applicant: Kidd Real Estate Holdings Ltd., Inc. No. BC821509
Subject Proper ty: 7008 Taft Drive
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
BylawNo. 9124, 2020 proposes to rezone the subject proper ty from RS1m: Suburban Residential to RS2: Single Residential. The pur pose of this application is to facilitate a subdivision creating two lots, each approximately 554 m² (square metre) in size on the subject proper ty,orother uses, pur suant to the proposed RS2: Single Residential zoning designation(s).
The proposed bylawapplies to the proper ty legally described as Lot 2, District Lot 4047, Cariboo District, Plan 18801, as shown in bold black on Location Map #3 below
Location Map #3
7008 Taft Drive
4. “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9082, 2019” AND “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019”
Applicant: M’akola Development Ser vices for Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George, Inc. No. 19321
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
Subject Proper ty: 1919 17th Avenue
Time: 7:00
p.m. for Public Hearing
The pur pose of these applications is to amend the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylawtofacilitate the development of amixed-use housing development on the subject proper ty located at 1919 17th Avenue, that will suppor tmixed-income and accessible housing oppor tunities, and suppor tpublic transpor tation and walkable communities.
BylawNo. 9082, 2019 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011” as follows:
a. That “Schedule B-6: Future Land Use” be amended by re-designating the subject proper ty from Business District, Neighbourhood Centre, Residential, Neighbourhood, Cor ridor and Community Facility to Neighbourhood Centre, Cor ridor and Neighbourhood Centre, Residential, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylaw9082, 2019.
4.1. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019”
BylawNo. 9083, 2019 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007” as follows:
a. That the subject proper ty be rezoned from RM5: Multiple Residential, RM3: Multiple Residential and P2: Minor Institutional to RM5: Multiple Residential and C3: Neighbourhood Commercial, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9083, 2019;
b. That Section 10.13.3 –RM5: Multiple Residential, be amended by adding “Retail, General” as aSecondar yUse per mitted only on the subject proper ty; and
c. That Section 11.3.2 –C3: Neighbourhood Commercial, be amended by adding “Exhibition &Convention Facility” as aPrincipal Use per mitted only on the subject proper ty
The subject bylaws apply to the proper ty legally described as Lot 6, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 18815, as shown in bold black on Location Map #4 below
Location Map #4 1919 17th Avenue
5. “Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020”
Applicant: 1065297 B.C. Ltd., for Nor thernBreeze Inn Ltd., Inc. No. BC1076790
Subject Proper ty: 160 Quebec Street
Time: 7:00 p.m. for Public Hearing
BylawNo. 9130, 2020 proposes to discharge the Land Use Contract registered on title of the subject proper ty under the Land Title and Sur veyAuthority registration number : G12975, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9130, 2020.
The Land Use Contract registered on the subject proper ty limits the Land Use to “Hotel” and “Steam Bath” only.The pur pose of this application is to discharge the Land Use Contract therebyallowing the subject proper ty to be regulated under the “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”.
The proposed bylawapplies to the proper ty legally described as Lot 20, Block 21, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268 and Lot C(106366M), District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 12766.
Location Map #5 160 Quebec Street
HOWCAN IPROVIDE COMMENT?
Residents are invited to provide comments to Council by the methods noted below
As aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held on April 6, 2020 passed aresolution to discontinue infor mal hearings for bylaws and applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held. Residents wishing to provide comments to Council on the following bylaws or applications, may only do so, by submitting written cor respondence:
•Temporar yUse Permit Application No. TU000061;
•Cannabis Licensing Application No. CN000012;
•Proposed “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure BylawNo. 9131, 2020”; and •Proposed Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9124, 2020 (Subject Proper ty: 7008 Taft Drive).
Submissions in writing
Written comments on all applications, should be forwarded to the Cor porate Officer by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2020, to be included in Council’sagenda package. Submissions received after this time will be provided to Council on the dayofthe Council meeting for their consideration during deliberations on the application or proposed bylaw. Submissions maybesent by email to citycler k@princegeorge.ca, faxed to (250) 561-0183, mailed or delivered to the address noted below
Please note that written submissions for all applications will for mpar tofthe Council agenda, become public record and are posted on the City’swebsite. By making a written submission you are consenting to the disclosure of anyper sonal infor mation that you provide.
Submissions by telephone
In an effor ttoprovide the public with options to speak to Council on aPublic Hearing application(s) and in accordance with Ministerial Order No. M192, the City now offer s par ticipation remotely via telephone during Public Hearings.
Telephone submissions mayonly be received during for mal public hearings. Residents are invited to par ticipate by telephone for the following applications:
•Official Community Plan Amendment BylawNo. 9082, 2019 and Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019 (Subject Proper ty: 1919 17th Avenue); and •Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020 (Subject Proper ty: 160 Quebec Street).
Residents can pre-register to speak to the proposed bylaws noted above, live via telephone. Pre-registration will be open from 8:30 a.m., Thur sday, July 23, 2020 to Monday, July 27, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. To pre-register to speak to Council via phone, visit our website www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings to complete an online registration for morcall 311. If you miss pre-registering ,please watch the online live meeting broadcast as there will be an oppor tunity for you to call in for alimited period of time.
PRINCE GEORGE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
Submissions in per son
Pur suant to Section 464(1) of the Local Government Act, a Public Hearing is required for Bylaw No.’s 9082, 2019, 9083, 2019 and 9130, 2020 and member s of the public are invited to provide comments to Council in per son at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2020 in Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.
The City of Prince George follows the orders of the Provincial Health Officer and guidelines regarding the size of gatherings and physical distancing Where Public Hearings are required to be held, measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of member s of the public attending the Public Hearings to provide comments.
City of Prince George open Council meetings are public and may be televised, streamed live by webcast, recorded and archived on the City’s website for viewing by the public. By attending an open Council meeting or making a submission at a public hearing you are consenting to the disclosure of any personal infor mation that you provide.
For more detailed infor mation on providing submissions to Council, please visit www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings.
Authority
Personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(g) and disclosed under the authority of section 33.1(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). For infor mation or questions, contact the City’s FIPPA Coordinator at 250-561-7600 or 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2L 3V9.
NEED
MORE INFORMATION?
A copy of the proposed bylaws, applications and any related documents will be available for review by the public on the City’s website www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning July 15, 2020. These documents may also be reviewed at Development Ser vices on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on July 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 27, 2020, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHO CAN I SPEAK TO?
For more information, please contact Development Ser vices in per son, by telephone at (250)561-7611 or by email to devser v@princegeorge.ca.
For more information regarding the Road Closure Application, please contact Real Estate Ser vices in per son, by telephone at (250)561-7611 or by email to realestate@princegeorge.ca.
For questions related to public hearing par ticipation and procedures, please contact Legislative Ser vices Division by telephone (250)561-7793 or by email to citycler k@princegeorge.ca.
FIRE SAFETY CRITICAL: CHIEF
TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
In the wake of last week’s deadly motel fire, Prince George Fire Rescue deputy chief Paul Knudsgaard is offering some advice to business operators and home owners to help save lives.
“We always talk about the critical importance of fire detection devices and fire suppression systems and fire alarm systems are critical to early detection of combustion and it can lead to very tragic results where early detection of fire is not provided,” said Knudsgaard.
“In fact, when I go to hotels, I’m probably one of the few people that actually looks at the floor plan on the back of the door to confirm how I would quickly get out of the building if I need to.”
Smoke detectors can easily be tested with the press of a button and their batteries should be replaced every year.
Knudsgaard said individual detectors are very different from fire alarm systems in public buildings which typically include pull stations, gongs and/or bells to notify people responsible for monitoring the building. All fire alarm systems are tied to an electrical panel in the
building which uses lights to display the functionality of the system and will indicate a warning if a problem exists.
The British Columbia Fire Code requires owners of public buildings and hotels to maintain the fire safety systems specified by the B.C. Building Code. Knudsgaard said hotel systems are inspected annually and the fire department requires documentation which indicates each of the components of a fire safety system has been tested and certified by an accredited servicing technician who has ensured it works properly.
If they are not maintained, the fire department will make sure they are brought into compliance through re-inspections or possible monetary penalties. If the system is found to be deficient and a trouble spot has been identified while the building is occupied, the business owner is required to post and maintain a fire watch until system is fixed.
All newer public buildings and hotels have fire suppression systems which when triggered will spray water on a fire. Knudsgaard said older buildings built before fire codes changed do not have automated fire suppression or the systems they do have in place have lesser function -
ality and might not have sprinklers that current building codes have required for at least the past two decades.
Prince George RCMP have deemed the cause of the Econo Lodge fire as suspicious and police are continuing their investigation. An eyewitnesses who was staying three rooms away from where the fire originated said she did not hear any fire alarms after being roused from her sleep by shouts coming from outside the room where she staying with her son.
Knudsgaard said he won’t offer any further details about that particular fire while the investigation proceeds and he declined to answer when the Econo Lodge was last inspected by the fire department.
“I can’t speak to anything specific regarding that property, but I can say that we have been inspecting that and all properties in compliance with our fire bylaw,” said Knudsgaard. “Regarding the cause and origin of that fire, it’s a very sensitive investigation given the nature of the fire and fatalities involved and it would be totally inappropriate to comment on the status of that building until the investigation has been completed.”
Woman hurt in bike accident
TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
A bike trip through Forests for the World with her friends Saturday morning turned into an ambulance ride to the hospital for a 27-yearold woman visiting the city from Toronto.
The woman lost control of her mountain bike and flipped while descending a steep hill on the Greenway Trail and suffered a back injury, just after one of her travel companions crashed his bike and gouged his arm when he landed on a rock.
Three Prince George Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the Forest for the World parking lot just west of the UNBC campus and after treating her to minimize movement of her back, they used a one-wheeled stretcher (big wheel) to drag the woman to safety.
The accident scene was about five kilometres from the parking lot and it upon arrival it took about 20 minutes for firefighters to walk in and reach the woman.
During their initial assessment of the woman’s
condition, PGFR Cpt. Kevin Woodhouse said she tried to walk on her own but the pain in her back returned and she was placed on the stretcher, with a clamshell covering her face to keep the rain off. At about 11:15 p.m. they returned to the parking lot and she was transferred to a waiting ambulance who took her to UHNBC.
“It was a pretty steep, 30-foot embankment and she had a good roll but she didn’t hit any rocks,” said Woodhouse. “We packaged her up and did spinal precautions just as
that, for a precaution. For the 20 minutes it took us to get there she kind of thought (she was OK) but as soon as she stood up she wasn’t mobile.”
Woodhouse said the fire department has already received approval to buy a two-person side-by-side quad for off-road rescues, but the pandemic crisis has put that spending on hold.
“It was budgeted and the city was getting us one, just like our two rescue water craft, but that was all pre-COVID,” said Woodhouse. “The city takes very good care of us and they know, because we have had (fire department) members injured on these rescues, on Pidherny. They twist their ankles of whatever. It’s exertion, no matter, because you’ve got, I’d say ,70 pounds of rescue gear plus a patient of 120 or 130 pounds, and that’s a lighter woman.”
He said the city is in the process of producing detailed rescue maps of all backcountry trails that surround the city, which will identify trail features, vehicle access points and hazards which could impede rescues.
School plans taking shape
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Parents of Prince George kindergarten-Grade 7 students should be planning for a five-day-per-week return to school in September.
That full restart for elementary-aged students is the goal Education Minister Rob Fleming has in mind. Fleming said the province will reveal more details within the next three weeks about its plan for schools to reopen for the upcoming school year.
In his update last Wednesday, Fleming said there’s a certainty that kindergarten-Grade 7 students will be allowed back in the classroom, as they were at the start of June. School schedules over the past month were staggered to minimize crowding and classroom desk configurations were set up to minimize the chance of physical contact.
“We were originally set to believe we wouldn’t hear until late August, but recently the minister has said a plan will be out to parents about what September may look like within a couple of weeks,” said School District 57 chair Tim Bennett.
Stage 3 protocols were in place which allowed for inclass learning to resume two days per week for K-Grade 5 students and one day per week for Grades 6-12. Children of essential service workers were cleared to attend school full-time, five days per week.
Those classes were optional and less than 30 per cent of SD 57’s 12,894 students returned for the final month of the school year.
Most of the students who did come back for June were in the younger grades.
Stage 3 restrictions mean schools cannot exceed 50 per cent capacity. Bennett said if alternating class schedule times and a lack of space in schools make it impossible to prevent physical contact among the students, then the district might have to look at community halls or other alternatives to find alternate classroom space to allow all students to return to class and keep students and staff safe.
“The framework is laid out by the ministry and then the district has to figure out how to operationalize that,” said Bennett.
“Realistically, we’ll probably be at least where we were in June, but hopefully Stage 2 or Stage 1. If the minister comes out and says we’re in Stage 2, which is full-time K-7 and part-time secondary, then the district will have to figure out how to make that happen. If we enter at Stage 1, which is everybody back into the building, we’ll be ready for that as well. We anticipate by August 1st we’ll know what September will look like.”
The sooner that becomes clear, the better, says Joanne Hapke, president of the Prince George District Teachers’ Association.
After months of upheaval and uncertainty as teachers made the shift to on-line instruction, she said the nearly 1,000 teachers in the district need as much time as possible to rethink how they will conduct their lessons.
“If we know by the end of July, that would be fabulous because teachers, even though they’re on summer holidays, can start preparing for what the classroom will look like for the very least in September,” said Hapke. “We all know things could change for October or November but at least we’ll know what to look for when we arrive back to school.”
Hapke is hoping schools will maintain vigilant cleaning standards during the coming school year.
“We don’t know what COVID is going to look like and I hope the minister is taking into account the provincial health recommendations and that we aren’t being used to restart the economy,” said Hapke. “We’re going to go into a season of everybody coming together and we all know what the fall is like in a classroom. Everybody shares their viruses after two months of being away from one another.”
Regional District BoardRoom 155 George Street, Prince George, BC
The public hearing will be chaired by adelegate of the Regional District Board.
Owner: The owners areBarry and Tammy Thomas.
Proposal: Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, Amendment Bylaw No. 3181, 2020 proposes to rezone the subject parcel from Rural Residential 1(RR1) to Rural Residential 9(RR9) to allow for asecond Residential-Single Family dwelling and all other permitted uses pursuant to the RR9 zone. The subject parcel is legally described as Lot 98 District Lot 1563 Cariboo District Plan 916 and is located at 2865 Fraser Road.
How can Iparticipate and provide comment? Anyone who believes that their interest in land is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded areasonable opportunity to be heard at the public hearing or to present written comments prior to or at the public hearing regarding matters contained in the bylaws through the following ways:
Submit written comments: Written comments will be accepted by the Regional District in advance of the public hearing until 12:00 p.m. on Friday,July 24, 2020 by: Email: developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca
Hand/Mail: 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8 Fax: 250-562-8676
Written comments may also be submitted at the public hearing.
Attend through electronic methods: To participate in the public hearing through electronic methods (telephone or online) contact the Regional District office at 250-960-4400 or developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca to receive instructions. Deadline to request electronic attendance instructions is 12:00 p.m. (Noon) on July 24, 2020.
Attend in-person: Attend the public hearing in person at the specific date and time. Please note that the Regional District will be enforcing provincial orders and recommendations regarding gathering sizes and distancing.
Any material received beforeoratthe public hearing will become public information.
Need moreinfo? Acopy of the proposed Bylaw and any relevant background materials areavailable for review by the public on the Regional District’swebsite at http://www rdffg.bc.ca/services/development/land-use-planning/currentapplications/ or at the Regional District office, by appointment only,Monday through Friday,8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., between June 30, 2020 and July 24, 2020. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at developmentservices@rdffg. bc.ca or at 250-960-4400.
Who can Ispeak to? Tyson Baker,Planner I, 250-960-4400
What: Public Consultation regarding Temporary Use Permit No. 237
Owner: Norman and Sandra Clarke
Proposal: The purpose of Temporary Use Permit No. 237 is to permit Towing Company use including an office, vehicle maintenance, employee parking, storage of fleet and impounded/towed vehicles, in addition to Storage/ Warehousing use accessory to the Towing Company use, for up to athree-year period. The subject property is Lot 63 District Lot 1563 Cariboo District Plan 916 Except Plan 23026. The property is located at 1890 Sintich Road East
How can Iparticipate and provide comment? Anyone who believes that their interest in land is affected by the proposed Permit shall be afforded areasonable opportunity to submit written comments prior to the Regional District Board considering issuance of the Permit.
Submit written comments: Written comments will be accepted by the Regional District until 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2020 by: Email: developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca
Hand/Mail: 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8 Fax:250-562-8676
Any material received will become public information.
Need moreinfo? Acopy of the proposed Permit and any relevant background materials areavailable for review by the public on the Regional District’swebsite at http://www rdffg.bc.ca/services/development/land-use-planning/currentapplications/ or at the Regional District office, by appointment only,Monday through Friday,8:00 am to 4:30 pm, between July 13, 2020, and August 7, 2020. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at developmentservices@rdffg. bc.ca or at 250-960-4400
Decision by the Regional District Board: Following the public consultation, the Regional District Boardwill consider issuance of Temporary Use Permit No. 237 on Thursday, August 20, 2020 during the Regional District Boardmeeting which starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Regional District BoardRoom located at 155 George Street, Prince George, BC.
Who can Ispeak to? Daniel Burke, Planner I, 250-960-4400
LEGG RETAINS SENIOR MEN’S TITLE
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
After heating up the course with a career-best 69 on a blustery opening day at the Glen Bryant Senior Men’s Golf Tournament, Rob Kuharski fell off the pace in the final round Sunday on another wet and windy day at Prince George Golf and Curling Club.
Mike Legg and Will Gilbert put their experience to work as tournament champions the previous two years and chipped away at Kuharski’s two-stroke advantage, but a strong finish from the 64-year-old put him back within striking distance.
Kuharski’s 30-foot birdie putt on 17 pulled him even with Gilbert, the 2018 champ, and that left him one shot back of Legg, the defending champion, who overshot the runway and double-bogeyed the second-last hole.
On 18, Legg and Gilbert both hooked their second shots into the rough and that gave Kuharski a chance to make up for his own wayward drive into the long grass that borders the 507-yard Par 5. Kuharski kept the pressure on when he made par with another long putt, but Legg would not be denied. He tapped in for par to beat Kuharski and Gilbert by one stroke.
Legg was three up on the rest of the field until he mistakenly pulled an eightiron out of his bag instead of nine-iron for his approach on the Par 4 No. 17.
His ball ended up rolling down the back hill of the green and he had to settle for a six on a hole he birdied the previous day.
“I kind of let them back in, if I had just grabbed the right iron, and (Kuharski) made two great putts on 17 and 18,” said Legg. “I kind of thought he was out of it earlier on but I forgot he was under par the first day, so I was focusing more on what Will was doing.
“It wasn’t my best day but overall it was good. It got the job done.”
Legg shot 72-74-146 to repeat his 2019 title win.
The 52-year-old’s work commitments as a process operator at Canfor’s Intercontinental Pulp Mill meant he had to miss his first crack at the 50-and-older senior event two years ago. The Aberdeen Glen heavy-hitter missed three weeks on the course in May when he cut his hand for nine stitches in a fall.
“With all the craziness in the world it’s awesome to play tournament golf,” said Legg. “A lot of people don’t realize how different it is from regular golf. You’ve got to go out there and make those three-foot
putts where, sometime in a casual round tour friends will give them to you. You have to stay in it and stay focused and stay with it.
“I’m hoping Aberdeen, my home course, will look at it and they can find some way of doing their signature events, the Divorce Open and the Ironman.”
Kuharski is no stranger to the PGGCC’s annual senior tournament.
This was his 14th crack at the title but never before has he ended up near the top of the leaderboard.
He finished Sunday with a round of 78 for a 147 total.
“It was close, we played in conditions today that were all over the board, but it was a fun ride,” said Kuharski, who moved to the city in 1990 from Vancouver. “It’s a new experience for me and I gave the guys a run for their money. I shot 69 (Saturday) and I’d never broken 70, so it was good in that regard.
“I came up short but I’m happy with the way I shot. I might have come close to winning my flight but never the overall championship. I’ve played quite a bit this year with what’s going on. I’ve been off work so I’ve got a lot a lot of spare time. I’ve probably got 35 or 40 rounds in this year.”
In these pandemic times, Gilbert has also been away from his job at Northland Dodge Chrysler and that’s left him more time to refine his golf game. The 53-yearold’s consistency showed when he opened with a two-over 73 and he capped that with a round of 74 to finish tied for second place with Kuharski. For Gilbert, the difference Sunday came down to his putting game.
“I didn’t make any putts, I three-putted three or times and that cost me,” said Gilbert, who shot a four on Par 5 No. 16 to get back in the hunt. “I should have birdied 18, because (Legg) wasn’t going to birdie after his second shot.
“Rob hung in tough today, after his firstround 69, that was really good for him to shoot like that.”
Gilbert finished three strokes behind Legg in the tournament last year.
“I’m playing way more golf this yeareveryone is,” said Gilbert. “It’s hard to get tee times at P.G. and Aberdeen.”
The two-day event drew 102 golfers and served as a test event for the PGGCC. The club’s board of directors will later decide whether it will go ahead with a plan to host the Ladies Simon Fraser and Men’s Simon Fraser Open tournaments in August.
Spruce City fastball season underway
Citizen staff
After weeks of negotiating with the city, the Spruce City Men’s Fastball Association opened its season Tuesday. Last Friday, the four-team league finalized its plans to play a two-month 20-game schedule that will end in late August.
The four teams will be Falcon Contracting, Sibola Electric, Custom Edge Sports and Hitmen. Games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week (7 p.m. start) with doubleheaders scheduled for the following weeks on Tuesdays,
Wednesday, and Thursdays.
“We hope there are guys itching to play,” said league organizer Chad Ghostkeeper. “The whole process was waiting for the city to get stuff signed on their side. Everybody’s got to protect themselves. I heard baseball’s not going so if there‘s any players out there who want to try the game, just get ahold of me.”
Restrictions will be in place at Spruce City Stadium and players will be directed where they are allowed to go and what is off-limits to them to maintain social distancing measures.
Masich stadium reopens
Masich Place Stadium is now reopen to the public with full, regular hours.
Renovations to the stadium and pandemic concerns prompted the facility to be close to the public this year. The stadium track is now open for walkers from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week – except when the facility is booked by user groups.
“Council and staff are working to reopen as many facilities as we responsibly can, while still trying to keep all of us safe during the global pandemic. We realize members of the community are extremely eager to return doing the activities they enjoy,” Mayor Lyn Hall said in a press release. “The announcement is a change from plans announced last month.
Each team fielding in its half of the inning will have its own balls and only members of that team will be allowed to touch them. Umpires will not be handling the balls.
Ghostkeeper said there’s no real worries about crowd sizes exceeding the 50 person limit imposed by the B.C. health authority.
“We don’t get many fans anyway, wives and girlfriends and that’s about it,” Ghostkeeper quipped.
He said his dad Peter, will be the one patrolling the park, enforcing the new COVID rules.
A city staff report to city council on June 15 said the stadium would only reopen from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., five days a week because of staffing cuts approved by city council in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Construction work on the stadium is scheduled to continue and be completed by the end of summer.
Access to the facility will be from the Massey entrance and residents are asked to avoid construction zones and practice social distancing while using the track.
The city is working with local sports organizations to allow them to return to play on city fields and ball diamonds, a city statement said. Groups will be required to have a safety plan in place which aligns with the city’s safety plan.
The Spruce City concession will also be open during game nights.
Last weekend in Kelowna, a team of 13 Prince George-area players hooked up with a few out-of-town pickups to represent the city at an eight-team men’s tournament and came home with the title.
The Big Guy Lake Kings defeated Kelowna 6-0 in the final and went 5-1 in the tournament.
Ghostkeeper, who played for Big Guy Lake, said there are no immediate plans for more tournament play but said the Spruce City Stadium might be the site of
TWOLVES
a small-scale local tournament later this summer.
“Everybody still wants to play ball, but everybody is nervous to host something,” he said. “They’re putting their name on the line of their team on the line.”
The Spruce City league was supposed to host the Canadian Native Fastball Championships, July 31-Aug. 3, but that was canceled by the pandemic.
Ghostkeeper said the city will retain the host rights and the tournament will be played in Prince George in the summer of 2021.
PICK UP CENTRE BACK
The UNBC Timberwolves have solidified their backline with the recruitment of centre back Mackenna de Haan.
The 17-year-old Surrey resident took part in UNBC’s ID camp in November and has known coach Neil Sedgwick for years, according to a release issued by the team.
“I chose UNBC and the Timberwolves because I loved the school when I visited. I enjoy the northern setting and environment, and I felt very comfortable while on campus,” de Haan said in a press release.
“I have known Neil since I was 13, and I have always appreciated his advice and the way he coaches.”
Although the Canada West schedule has been cancelled, de Haan will join the team for training while she studies nursing and psychology.
“I love soccer because I have been around it from a very young age,” de Haan said. “I like that it provides an outlet from the stresses of everyday life. I like the companionship of being on a team and creating lifelong friendships. Playing at the university level has been a dream of mine since I joined the BCSPL when I was 11-years-old.”
Standing six-feet-tall, de Haan is an imposing presence on the pitch. She played with the TSS Academy in Richmond, while attending Burnsview Secondary.
“Her playing ability is sound and, in time, we see Mackenna continuing her growth and making an impact here. She is a central defender who is a good passer of the ball, so she will fit in well. I am excited about her commitment,” Sedgwick said.
Citizen staff
Citizen staff
UNBC cuts jobs, balances budget
MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
The University of Northern British Columbia Board of Governors approved a $93.6-mllion operating budget for 2020-21 that trimmed $3.4 million in expenses at the cost of 21 jobs and increased tuition fees to make ends meet.
The job cuts account for $1.4 million of the reduction.
Twelve of the positions were vacant leaving nine people who will lose their jobs directly.
Eleven are unionized workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, eight are exempt staff or senior administration positions, and two faculty.
Students will see a two-per-cent increase in tuition, pushing the average for a full-time undergraduate student up by $109 to $5,533.
By law, universities must passed balanced budgets.
UNBC relies on the provincial government for about 60 per cent of its revenue while tuition and fees cover another 23 per cent.
Wages and benefits account for about 70 per cent of the university’s total operating expenditures.
“We had to make some very tough and unfortunate decisions,” UNBC interim president Geoff Payne said.
He pointed to inflation and other cost drivers and trouble meeting targets for
enrollment as the main reasons for the steps.
He said some one-time funding helped with the shortfall, “but we also needed to make some permanent reductions in order to put the university back on the path of economic sustainability.”
He said the job cuts were an “even mix” of unionized and faculty.
According to the local’s website, eight are members CUPE Local 3799, which represents support workers at the university.
UNBC Faculty Association president Stephen Rader said two faculty who are retiring will not be replaced.
Going forward, Payne is taking a waitand-see attitude as to how the COVID-19
pandemic will affect UNBC.
“We’ll have to see where the financial outlook will come down,” he said. “Obviously, we are going to have some financial impacts but we’re also not spending in certain areas because with COVID, we’re not travelling as much and those types of things.”
Payne said some “exciting things” are coming in terms of restructuring and course offerings.
“And really, UNBC is a great school with great people and we make significant impacts so we’ll continue on that path of being one of Canada’s best small research-intensive universities,” he said.
The board approved the budget at its June 19 meeting.
Keep dogs under control, Canada Post tells residents
Citizen staff
Canada Post has issued a plea to Prince George dog owners to keep their dogs secure to avoid confrontations between pets and postal workers.
As of the end of June, postal workers in the city had reported 27 incidents involving dogs –
including seven in May and 11 in June.
“As much as we love our furry friends, they are protective of their home and their family, and it’s impossible for delivery agents to know how any dog will react when they approach your home to deliver the mail,” a statement issued by Canada Post said.
“Our request to dog owners: please do not open the door during deliveries or allow your dog to approach our employees while they are out in the community. This makes it difficult to adhere to physical distancing when owners need to retrieve their dogs, and it increases the risk of dog bites.” Canada Post employees deliv-
er mail and parcels to millions of homes across Canada and an estimated 41 per cent of households have dogs.
With school out for the summer and the COVID-19 pandemic still at large, many people are at home during the day and may be outside with their pets, the statement said.
“We know this is a difficult
time and we appreciate your help in keeping our employees safe, which will also help keep our local communities safe,” the Canada Post statement stated.
“We continue to put the safety of our employees and the community first. We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding.”
Ancient Forest plan gets funding
MARK NIELSEN
Citizen staff
The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation has secured $7.8 million from the federal and provincial governments for an ambitious list of improvements and additions to the Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whutujut Provincial Park.
Work over the next three years will include construction of an interpretive centre, along with a sweat lodge, pit house, gazebo, and improvements to the boardwalk as well as new hiking trails.
The funding is comprised of $6.5 million from the federal government and $1.3 million from the province. The Lheidli T’enneh will contribute $870,254, pushing the total to $8.7 million.
“This is a pretty big deal, we’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time,” Lheidli
T’enneh Dayi Clay Pountney said in reference to nearly two years it took to get the support. Laying the groundwork began in September 2018 when the Lheidli T’enneh and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy signed a memorandum of understanding to work on the planning and management of the park.
Perhaps the most-notable addition will be an interpretive centre at the park’s main parking lot alongside Highway 16, 115 kilometres east of Prince George. The sweat lodge, pit house and gazebo will be centred at a cultural site on the west bank of the Fraser River.
It will be both a chance to showcase Lheidli T’enneh history and culture and draw even more tourists to the park, which drew nearly 18,000 visitors in
2018. Indeed, feedback gathered through Northern BC Tourism and Tourism Prince George has shown a desire by visitors to better understand and learn about the local First Nations.
“We want to make sure that people can enjoy it - it’s a big part of tourism here - but also to highlight us as Lheidli and how we use this,” Pountney said. “This is one of our shining spots in our territory.”
Established as a Class A provincial park in March 2016, Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whutujut (pronounced Chun Toe Woodyu-jud) covers 11,190-hectares and protects a portion of B.C.’s inland temperate rainforest.
The plan also covers neighbouring Slim Creek Provincial Park (506 hectares), which currently has no established trails, and the Ancient Forest-Chun
T’oh Whutujut Protected Area (685 hectares).
Nowell Senior, one of the key figures in the creation and development of the park, welcomed the news. As well as providing the Lheidli T’enneh an opportunity to invite people to share their culture, Senior, who sat on an advisory committee as part of the process to draw the funding, said it will also deliver major improvements to the boardwalk that winds for 2.3 kilometres through the forest.
That work will include widening the boardwalk to allow use of a Trailrider - a type of wheelchair - to allow people with mobility challenges to tour the site. As it stands, they are limited to a 500-metre universal boardwalk. It will also entail installing railing along both sides for the boardwalk’s full length for the
Employment recovery slow in city
Citizen staff
The city’s unemployment rate decreased slightly last month but remained well above pre-pandemic levels.
On Friday, Statistics Canada reported
the city’s unemployment rate in June was 10.7 per cent, down from the peak of 11.8 per cent seen in May, but still above the 10.1 per cent reported for April. In January and February, before the economic impact of the COVID-19 pan-
IS THE BOX EMPTY?
demic hit the city, the unemployment rate was 7.6 to 7.7 per cent.
In June 2019, the city’s unemployment rate was 4.2 per cent – less than half the rate in June this year.
Prince George continued to have stronger employment numbers than the province as a whole.
B.C.’s unemployment rate stood at 13 per cent in June, down from 13.4 per cent in May.
sake of the both the visitors and the trees.
“There are no rails right now, except in a couple small sections of boardwalk, and the idea is to have it protected all the way around so that engages people to enjoy the trip more safely and also to avoid doing damage to the integrity of the forest floor by stepping off the boardwalk and maybe climbing on cedar trees for photo ops,” Senior said. “They shouldn’t really do that... they don’t realize it but over time it does do damage.”
Pountney said the work will start this year. The deadline for completion is Oct. 31, 2027 but Lheidli T’enneh plan to have all in place in three years.
“There are a lot of different pieces to it...It’s very interesting. It’s going to be very neat to see the final product.” he said.
The unemployment rate may not reflect the full loss of employment in the city. There were nearly 10,000 fewer people working in the city in June 2020 than in June 2019 – 41,900 people working in 2020, compared to 51,800 in 2019. The city’s participation rate –the percentage of working-age people working or actively seeking work – dropped from 74.3 per cent in June 2019 to 63.9 per cent last month.
Housing sales down, prices holding firm
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a drop in house sales across northern B.C., the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board reported on Tuesday.
In the first six months of the year, 1,786 properties sold in the north, compared with 2,298 over the same period last year. The value of properties that changed hands was $538.6 million, down from $716.5 million in the first half of 2019.
In Prince George, 520 properties worth $180.2 million were sold in the first six months of 2020, compared with 697 properties worth $245.7 million in 2019.
“The first half of 2020 saw a significant decline in housing demand in the region, with sales in April reaching a low not seen since January 1988. Despite the region’s struggling forestry, and
mining and oil sectors, the decline in the second quarter was primarily due to the state of emergency declared by the province that implemented physical-distancing measures,” board president Shawna Kinsley said. “This halted real estate activity across the province, which is highly reliant on in-person interactions. Moreover, significant job losses were reported in the services sector in the region, and large projects such as LNG and BC Hydro paused work that was deemed non-essential.”
Despite the 30 per cent drop in sales seen in the second quarter of 2020, prices increased two per cent compared to 2019 due to an 18 per cent decline in active listings, the board reported.
The B.C. Real Estate Association is predicting a province-wide drop in sales of 18 per cent for the year, due to the ongoing economic slowdown.
“Meanwhile, as the B.C. economy begins to gradually reopen and demand starts to pick up, resale supply will be slow to respond and the pace of new housing is expected to slow as well with housing starts forecast to fall almost 19 per cent in central regions like Prince George,” the association said in a press release.
“As such, BCREA forecast(s)... average prices to rise by 2.3 per cent in 2020.”
In the western part of the city, there were 84 single-family homes sold this year with a median price of $353,000. East of the bypass, 67 single-family homes sold for a median price of $286,000.
In the north of the city (Hart), 72 single-family homes sold with a median value of $385,000. In the southwest part of the city (College Heights), 99 single-family houses sold with a median price of $450,000.
Citizen staff
Ride hailing service to launch in Prince George
MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
A ride hailing service is about to take to the city’s streets.
Coastal Rides has been operating along the Sunshine Coast since late February and will be expanding into Prince George starting with a soft launch sometime next week, said owner Ryan Staley.
He said the move is being made after he was contacted by some drivers in Prince George who had hoped to work for another company that failed to get a licence.
Staley said he wanted to make sure the business was running smoothly where it is currently operating before taking the leap while the COVID-19 pandemic also forced a delay. But with the
province now into Phase 3 of the restart plan, a handful of drivers have been recruited and are just about ready to go.
Like other services of its kind, it’s centred on an app, which can be found through www. coastalrides.ca. Once downloaded, you’ll be asked to set up an account and provide your credit card information.
Through your phone, the app will know where you are when you put in a request for a ride. You put in the address of the place you want to go to and it will give you an estimate of the fare.
Once you’ve confirmed you want the ride, it will search for a driver who is on duty.
The passenger will be given the driver’s first name and photo along with a description of the
vehicle and its licence plate number.
Drivers must hold any of a class one, two or four licence, have been issued fewer than four tickets with points in the last two years and have had no driving suspensions in the last three. They must also clear a criminal record check.
They must also own their own vehicle, it must be less than 10 years old, and it must be a fourdoor with a Plexiglas or vinyl barrier between the front and back seats to prevent the spread of COVID. Passengers will be required to sit in the back seat.
Drivers will be limited to no more than three passengers at a time for the time being. The fare charged is based on time and distance and starts at $10.
“It’ll be slightly cheaper (than
MUSEUM DELAYS REOPENING
Citizen staff
Exploration Place will remain closed until the spring of next year.
The museum’s board of directors decided during their most-recent meeting to delay reopening both in the name of preventing spread of COVID-19 and to give time for a major renovation.
“Staff are working in the building, renovating our galleries, access points and interpretation,” the museum said in a statement issued this week.
“We are planning to offer a large, indoor botanical Palaeo-Garden and a major expansion to our Animal Ambassador Program and Biome that will explore climate, evolution and what tools we have in our history that can be used to inform our future.
“We will reconfigure the Ted Williams
History Hall with more room for in-house exhibits drawing on our collection and archives of over 1,000,000 entries, and we will be creating new space to showcase indigenous material culture and traditional ways of knowing.”
Online services will remain operating.
“We will continue to offer you new online experiences; launching our online Nature Exchange and Speaker Series this summer; offering free in-class school programs starting this fall all over Northern B.C. and by upgrading our obsolete collections database to a brand new system this winter.
“Our gift shop is available for curbside pick-up and we are still selling those great, non-medical masks to help keep us all safe.”
The museum has been closed since March 13.
John pleads not guilty
Citizen staff
Indigenous leader Ed John has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges dating back more than 45 years and chose to have the case heard in B.C. Supreme Court before a jury.
John made his decisions known during an arraignment hearing in Prince George provincial court. The matter was adjourned to July 16 before a judicial case manager to fix a date for a pretrial conference and preliminary inquiry, which is held to test the strength of the Crown’s case.
John faces four counts of rape - the term then used for what is now known as sexual assault -alleged to have occurred between March 1 and
Sept. 15, 1974 in Prince George, Cluculz Lake and Fraser Lake, and involving one person, whose name is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. The charges were first sworn on Nov. 8, 2019, but thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the matter had been adjourned five times as of Wednesday. John took the hearing in by phone in
accordance with measures invoked due to the pandemic.
John is a former leader of the First Nations Summit and former B.C. cabinet minister. He is also a hereditary chief of Tl’azt’en Nation in northern B.C. and a lawyer who holds honorary doctor of laws degrees from UNBC and the University of Victoria.
a taxi) although we have to make sure drivers are being compensated fairly so it’s not a deep discount,” Staley said.
“The other benefit is knowing a vehicle is on the way to pick you up - you’ll be able to see that in the app. Also, the payment process is done entirely through the app, so contactless payment which, especially right now, is a big plus.
“And once we’re out of the COVID-19 situation, we’ll also offer pool drives where if two riders are headed in the same direction, our system will send the driver in the same direction to pick up multiple people. That’s when the costs for a ride will really come down.”
Drivers will be able to work whenever they want but will be limited to no more than 12 hours
per day and 70 hours over seven days. Staley predicted they will be in high demand during weekend bar closures and at Christmas time when the taxis are struggling to get to all the calls they receive.
At least two other fledgling ride-hailing services tried but failed to get approval from the Passenger Transportation Board to operate in northern B.C. largely because the board found their applications lacked important details.
“It’s really about understanding what your responsibilities are for having drivers on board and for monitoring them and that wasn’t just a quick ‘oh, yeah, we can do that,’” Staley said. “We really had to think about the process and make sure we felt comfortable with it.”
Care homes open to visitors
ARTHUR WILLIAMS
Citizen staff
Eighteen long-term care and assisted-living facilities in Northern Health have their visitation plans in place and either have resumed, or will soon resume.
Northern Health spokesperson Eyrn Collins said Gateway Lodge has been open to visitors since July 6, while Jubilee Lodge, Parkside Care and Simon Fraser
Lodge started allowing visitors Monday. “The wrinkle to keep in mind here is it is very much in coordination with staff. While visiting has been expanded, there are still some restrictions in place,” Collins said.
Anyone who wishes to visit a loved one in a long-term care facility is advised to contact that facility to find out what the specific procedures are, she said.
Vanøuver andthe sea−to-Sky 3NEw WAys to EXpLOre
Rediscoverone of BC’s best-known corridors when youexploreMetro Vancouverand the Sea-to-Sky.See familiar places with fresheyes: book aforagingtourinVancouver,hiketo hiddenlakes in Squamish, or take an IndigenousculturaltourinWhistler, forexample.
CelebrateArt andCulture
Indigenouspeople have livedonthis land sincetimeimmemorial andtheirinfluences are deeply woveninto theculturalfabric, from seatosky.Learnabout theliving culturethrough an Indigenous-ledwalking tour throughStanleyPark.
Thereare many waystodiscover(or rediscover) therichculture andthriving artscene Cyclethroughhistoric neighbourhoodslikeGastown,huntfor colourful urbanart in Mount Pleasant,and findsecretcoffee shopsalong SouthGranville. Or,visit one of manymuseums, galleries,and gardensfor amoment of quiet reflection.
HeadonaCulinaryJourney
Expand your repertoire of restaurantsonafoodie quest. Richmond’s DumplingTrail is a must-dofor fans of juicydumplings,wontons,and bao.Revisit your favouriteItalian eateries on Commercial Drive, or cross thebridgetothe North Shore’sShipyards District andhop betweenup-and-coming breweries.
Plan agetaway in theSea-to-SkyCorridor. Stop in Squamishfor craftcider andcasualal frescodining. Whistler—celebratedfor itslivelyaprès scene—is also afoodie haven. Youcan do it all:sip BC wines andslurplocaloysters;tuckinto decadent goodiesatanartisan bakery; or sip hand-crafted cocktails. Take a food tasting tour for the full experience
Pemberton’sfarms-with-a-viewoffer achance to getclosertoyourfoodthan ever before Pick freshberries(don’tforgettosnagthe homemadepiesand preser ves),and stop by alocal eatery foringredient-driven fare
Gear Up forAdventure
ThoughVancouver’s glittering skyscrapersinspired thenickname“City of Glass,” nature is stilljustaroundthe bend. Forevery delicious meal savoured,there’sabiketrail to explore. For ever yart galler yvisited,there’sa mountain to summit.
You’ve probably driven thewinding Sea-to-Sky Highway, to visitcommunities betweenWest Vancouver andPembertonbefore,but thereare always newwaystoexperienceold favourites. View theSea-to-Sky’svolcanic peakswitha flightseeingtour, take agondolatogreat heights in SquamishorWhistler,raftthroughvoracious glacier-fed rivers,ortrotthroughPemberton meadows by horseback.
Squamish—typicallyknown formountain activities likerockclimbing,hiking, andbiking—is also astepping stone to Howe Sound. Book aguidedpaddleboardtourorkiteboardinglesson to spendtimeinthe fjord.Meanwhile, adventure-filledWhistler needsnointroduction. BC residentsand visitors alike enjoyalpinesightseeing,lift-accessed downhillriding,and lake exploration, amongother activities.
ExplOr_e BC L_i_k_e nEveRbeforE
From local gems hidinginplainsight to naturalwondersfur ther afield,it’stimetorediscoverBCwith acollectionofexperiences from around theprovince: West coastculture: ExploreruggedPacificCoastshoreline, forested peaksand vibrant coastal communities Mountain peaks& towns: From breathtaking views to charming mountain town culture, adventure is away of life in southeastern BC . Northernwild: In Nor thern BC ,discoverancient glaciers andmar velatnature like neverbefore in thevastwilderness. Ranches,rivers &ranges: From historic trailstothe mightyFraserRiver,followyoursense of adventure. Vineyards, valleys& lakes: Savour theunique flavoursand lakeside lifestyleofBC, from theFraser Valleytothe Okanagan andbeyond.
Sea-to-Sky Highway
EagleCreek |BlakeJorgenson
H d C li J
Richmond |Tourism Richmond
BC’s West Coast is knownthe worldoverfor itscolourful patchwork of land- andseascapes, buthow oftendoweexperience this wild beauty forourselves?Thissummer,rediscover theseaside communities youlove andthe reasons youlove them—placeslikeGibsonsand Telegraph Cove,withtheirlaid-backculture,raw nature,ocean adventures, andwildlife sightings.You mayjustrediscoveryourselfalong theway
Whether youtravelbyfloatplane or aferr y, astunningjourney is theicingonadecadent (coastal)cake.
No matter howmanytimes youexperienceit, thedramaticcoastal scenerystirs thesoul. Capturea collageofmoments:misty mornings overlookingrocky shores,dewystrolls throughancient rainforest,and sunset beachstrolls, to name afew Dependingonwhereyou choose to explore,find thetranquillityofprotectedwatersorthe energy of untamedsurfbeaches. Theremote inlets andplunging fjordsofthe SunshineCoast beckontobeexploredbykayak,boat, or paddleboard.Tip:takea guided oceantourtoaccess little-known areas. Or,hop on theferr ytoCampbellRiver on VancouverIsland,whereyou canheadout with an experienced fishingcharterand findout whyit’sknown as “the salmon capital of theworld.”
On themainland,enjoy peek-a-boo viewsofthe oceanasyou hikealong theSunshine Coast Trail amongtowering giants shroudedinlichen.OnVancouver Island,explorethe coastalong theJuandeFucaProvincialParkinthe southorstroll theeastern shores of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park near Parksville.
Celebratea worldofcontrast, from sleepyseaside townstobuzzing cities.With everyvisit to thecoast,you’lldiscoveranew gem—afunkycoffee shop, anew brewer y, acolourful art gallery, or abeachy boutiquesellinglocally-madeartisan goods.
Theburgeoningcoastal culinar yscene isn’tjustreservedfor cities likeVictoriaand Nanaimo. Head on afoodie adventure to theCowichan Valley or Salt Spring Island to sample farm-fresh ingredientsand craftprovisions. Or,try Indigenous-inspiredcuisineinPortHardy Lively Resident Wildlife
If youhaven’t hadachancetoexperience thewildersideofBC’scoast,there’s stilltime. Take a whale-watchingtourtosee orcassurge throughcalmwatersand listen to thecacophonyofsea lionsshoutingfromtheirrocky perches.Onshore, youmight glimpsegrizzlies,black bears, wolves,and deer as they slinkacrossthe land.
Venture on aculturalwildlife tour with an Indigenous guidetogain adeeperconnectiontothe coastand theFirst Nations peoplewho have beenstewardsofthislandfor thousands of years.
ExplOr_e BC L_i_k_e nEveRbeforE
From local gems hidinginplainsight to naturalwondersfur ther afield,it’stimetorediscoverBCwith acollectionofexperiences from around theprovince: Mountain peaks&towns: From breathtaking views to charming mountain town culture, adventure is away of life in southeastern BC Northernwild: In NorthernBC, discoverancient glaciers andmar velatnature like neverbeforeinthe vastwilderness.
Ranches, rivers &ranges: From historic trailstothe mightyFraserRiver,followyoursense of adventure Vancouver&Sea-to-Sky: ExploreBCfromsea to skyand be inspiredbylocalarts, cultureand adiverse culinar yscene. Vineyards, valleys& lakes: Savour theuniqueflavours andlakeside lifestyleofBC, from theFraserValleytothe Okanaganand beyond.
Rugged Coastal Landscapes
Laid-backWestCoastCulture
Sunshine Coast Trail |A ndrewStrain
NorthernVancouverIsland |StevenFines
Victoria|Jordan Dyck
Fisherman’s Wharf
PRINCE GEORGE
UNBC FACING ROCKY ROAD
It may be a month since anyone in Northern Health has contracted COVID-19 but that doesn’t mean the virus isn’t about to causes serious pain to area residents and communities.
UNBC was already hurting before the pandemic and it might be about to get much worse.
Two faculty strikes have poisoned the relationship between professors and administration. Dates have been set later this month for arbitration on a new contract but their endless squabbling are small potatoes compared to the much bigger risks threatening UNBC’s future.
Stagnant enrolment levels in a region with a declining population.
Stiff competition for students and academics from older, more established small and mid-sized universities in B.C. and across Canada.
Slow adaptation to rapidly changing market conditions.
Slow, compared to some of the competition, development of online and alternative instructional methods.
And that’s all before the real effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt.
UNBC has cut $3.4 million in expenses and 21 jobs in its 2020-21 budget while also passing on another two per cent increase in student tuition. That could be a preview of what’s to come UNBC is forced to continue with primarily online
instruction this upcoming school year in order to meet provincial health guidelines on social distancing.
New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway has created a huge buzz in the academic world on both sides of the border with his blunt assessment of what’s in store for the post-secondary sector.
“Universities should be doing what every other organization whose business model has been threatened by Covid-19 is doing: cutting costs,” he wrote in a recent blog. “Usually, when I broach the subject of cost cutting, it’s as if I belched. The conversation continues as if they didn’t hear anything.”
Galloway bluntly blames that deafness on “the corporatization of campuses, bloated administrations, tenure, a lack of accountability, and a god complex that we, academics, are noble when in fact we’ve been preying on the hopes and dreams of middle-class families and indebting them.”
The path forward, he says, is “severely overdue cost reductions and deploying small and big tech (to) dramatically lower the cost per student of a college education.”
The largest and most prestigious universities are best positioned to make those systemic changes quickly, he argues. Unlike a school like UNBC, those schools are sitting on huge endowment
funds to offer financial stability. Also unlike UNBC, they are well-positioned to use their brands to significantly increase their student population (and their revenue stream) by opening up their online course offerings, particularly at the undergraduate level.
Where will these new students be coming from? They will be poached from smaller schools like UNBC.
From the student (and parent perspective), it’s a huge win.
People in Prince George or anywhere else in the world with a stable, high-speed Internet connection could obtain degrees from UBC, the University of Toronto or even Harvard and Stanford in the United States without leaving home and without the significant additional costs of living in the cities where those institutions are physically based.
One in 50 applicants to Stanford are accepted but if that number increases to even 10 in 50, thanks to online opportunities, it spells disaster for smaller universities, Galloway argues.
“Tier 2 and 3 schools with high tuitions are the next department stores — not long for this world,” he wrote.
Not only do the big and elite universities have the flexibility to slash tuition costs and make up the different with more students, these schools can develop innovative online offerings by working with the high tech powerhouses. Imag-
Valemount worth exploring
Travel restrictions mean staying in the country, but being bored is optional. If you can afford a bit of summer travel, there are plenty of opportunities in all directions from Prince George.
When my family decided on a campout in Valemount, I was a bit disappointed, as I love Jasper. Having only ever travelled through Valemount on our way home from the Okanogan, I thought it was not much more than a gas station, so I packed my Prius full of groceries, or at least as many as I could, considering we were travelling with four adults.
In case I am not the last person to have this misconception, let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised. Like many towns in B.C., once you turn off the highway, a beautiful town with unexplored treasures reveals itself.
Placed between the Rocky, Monashee,
THINKING ALOUD
TRUDY KLASSEN
and Caribou Ranges, Valemount is in a spectacular setting. A walk on the main street has great views of the mountains on either side of the town, so it feels very similar to Jasper without the park fee and with many more available activities.
My time there was fairly low-key, with it raining nearly all weekend, but we still got to enjoy some of what Valemount has to offer. We drove up Swift Mountain to check out the view and stumbled onto their mountain bike trails, so the next day our young people got to ride the well-developed trail system. Then we tackled the Berg Lake hiking trail to Kinney Lake, at the base of Mount Robson. Wow! If you
park at the trailhead by taking the road to the left of the Visitor Centre, the hike to the south end of Kinney Lake is only 4.5 km. The trail is nearly smooth enough for a golf cart, so even at 4.5 km to the south end of Kinney Lake, it is accessible for nearly everyone. The trail was a little washed out in places or I would have said a good scooter could manage the trail. The trail is along the rushing waters of Robson River, which is a sparkling, rushing, tumble of rock-flour blue. Walk past the south end of Kinney Lake for another few kilometres brings you to the campground, with great photo opportunities.
Valemount’s wide main street (turn east at the A&W) is dotted with handsome storefronts, everything from the familiar Home Hardware, IGA, and IDA selling essentials, (so I hadn’t needed to bother with groceries) to a craft beer store, pubs, unique eateries, and a bakery.
Campgrounds and a number of rea-
ine Google and Stanford, Facebook and Harvard, Microsoft and Princeton forming exclusive online education partnerships to offer courses and degree programs at comparable or even cheaper rates than the cost of receiving a similar education from UNBC or even UBC.
If that sounds like a vague, distant threat, Galloway points to a financial bomb ticking at American and Canadian schools, big and small, set to go off this September.
With borders closed or restricted to non-essential travel, the cash cow of international students, who form a significant portion of the in-person student body at both UNBC and CNC while paying much higher tuition fees, is about to take a huge hit.
For UNBC and CNC, that means their 2020-21 budgets may be out of date by the end of the first week of classes in September. Without government bailouts, that spells much deeper and painful spending and operational cuts will be necessary over the fall and winter, just to stay afloat.
So even if Prince George residents remain largely untouched by the actual virus over the next six to 12 months, complications arising from COVID-19 could hit the city’s post-secondary institutions hard, causing further damage to an already fragile local economy.
— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
sonably priced-hotels and resorts, round out the accommodations. Fishing, boating, (Kimbasket Lake for one) ATV trails, snowmobiling and heli-skiing, and numerous hiking trails, all serve to make Valemount a great weekend destination, only a little over three hours away.
Probably the single most impressive factor were the ATV trails, snowmobiling and heli-skiing, as well as the obvious pride Valemount residents take in their town. The main street is not fancy, but very well kept (no potholes!) Each storefront is tidy and unique. Even the mountain bike trail signs were nice. When the Valemount Glacier Ski Resort is built, Valemount will be ready to welcome the world.
The best international tourists are those that know their local area. Take the pandemic restrictions of summer of 2020 to become a better tourist, by checking out the fabulous little places close to P.G.
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Healing brain injury with art
It is estimated there are 1.5 million people in Canada who have a brain injury. According to Brain Injury Canada, a non-profit research, education and advocacy organization in Ottawa, every year another 160,000 people experience brain injury. There are more people impacted by traumatic brain injury (TBI) than the combined numbers of people diagnosed with breast cancer, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and AIDS/HIV.
When I started attending classes at the Brain Injured Group (BIG), one of the first words I learned was neuroplasticity. The simplest definition of neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to interactions within the environment.
When brain injury occurs, neurons are damaged or destroyed. In this context, neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to heal. Healthy neurons can replace neurons that are no longer functional. New pathways are created.
The human brain is truly incredible.
BOGGLED
DIANE NAKAMURA
Unlike a computer that is built to certain specifications, a healthy human brain regularly upgrades the hardware and the software.
There are a number of tools survivors can use to help with neuroplasticity. Some of these tools include adequate rest, a balanced diet, avoiding alcohol and drugs, regular exercise, reading, listening to music/playing a musical instrument and art.
BIG received project funding last year to provide art classes to members such as painting and pottery. When COVID arrived, BIG made up art project kits for members to work on at home. Each kit came with all of the materials and instructions. We got to make stencilled greeting cards, decorative boxes, painted a flower pot and planted marigold seeds, painted rocks and two garden ornaments.
My experience engaging in these art projects was therapeutic in many ways. Like many of my peers, brain injury left me with the inability to accomplish many of the tasks I was able to do in the past. This in itself can lead to low self-esteem and confidence, self-loathing and many sad, depressing days. Having these art projects was a huge ray of sunshine. I was proud and happy with myself to be able to create pretty pieces. It did strain my brain and I was exhausted afterwards but it was definitely worth it. I had taken various art classes prior to my injury. I enjoyed them, but not to the extent as I did with BIG’s art program. After completing each project, I felt like my old self again, being able to experience success, creativity, joy and a sense of accomplishment. I hadn’t experienced any of this in almost two years after being injured. I spoke with one of my friends who also took part in the art program. She told me the experience was greatly beneficial for her.
Although it strained her brain as well to complete the projects, the outcome
was that she felt uplifted because she had accomplished something beautiful. She said “I stepped back and thought ‘I actually did that!’”
She also expressed how calming and peaceful it was to engage in art and how important it was to keep our brains as active as possible. Pre-COVID, attending painting and pottery classes at BIG gave her the opportunity to get out of the house and make new friends. Brain injury and isolation go hand in hand. Having the opportunity to engage in something fun with people who understand where you’re at is priceless.
The BIG art program is temporarily on hold, pending approval for further project funding. Fingers and toes crossed. As a social worker and counsellor for 33 years, I witnessed the therapeutic benefits of art with many of my clients. Now I have a lived experience and utmost appreciation and respect for art and healing. Physically and emotionally, I felt significantly better.
I wish there was core funding for the art program because it works.
Death is the real teacher about life
Tuesday did not begin well for me. I had to view the funeral of a college batchmate, colleague, and friend live at 2 a.m. being streamed from the United Kingdom. I couldn’t stay awake beyond midnight on Monday. And so, I woke up at five on Tuesday morning and saw the recording. It upset me to the very depths of my being and I couldn’t get over the grief and disillusionment that set in all through the day.
The death of the Cheltenham, Gloucestershire based Dr. Christina Manohar, wife of Dr. David Manohar – also my batchmate, colleague, and friend, once again inspired within me questions of life’s meaning and purpose. Life and death are endlessly continuing experiences in the realm of this earthly reality.
Humans are born every moment and they die every moment somewhere on this earth. But it doesn’t affect us.
We are affected with ecstatic joy and with harrowing sadness respectively only in the context of relationships; positive ones. The birth of a child speaks to the meaning and purpose of life. The death of a friend or relative shouts aloud and clouds the horizon making life’s meaning and purpose totally invisible and dejecting. The latter is what happened to me all through this day.
Christina was a simple, humble, and pleasant lady in her mid-fifties, immensely devoted to her professional responsibilities and with a deep sense of religiosity.
In the few years that I have known her, I have never seen her get angry and hurt anyone. She was never crafty or scheming. Never mean or selfish.
She had a very plain and straight-forward approach to life, and she lived her life with great conviction and with the desire always to be on the right side of things.
One would expect people like Christina to live a long, peaceful, and prosperous life without any trouble.
That was not to be.
Christina and David faced steep challenges in life, and probably the worst of all, she was taken away so early. Christina succumbed to a lung infection at the Cheltenham General Hospital.
I could not help avoid thinking with a crushed spirit that God is not fair and equal.
At one point during the funeral I even allowed my mind to prompt within me that God isn’t just.
For if God was all these, i.e.
fair, just, and equal – Christina would have been rewarded for the great person she was, and she would have lived longer than most of us.
In the short life she lived, she has published four books, many articles, and the priest who officiated at the funeral said she was in the process of writing four more books.
God could have allowed Christina to complete those writings. How does God work so abruptly, I thought.
God seems to have no sense of time; no propriety; no decorum. God walks into a situation when God pleases and walks out of it surprising and shocking everyone.
When I think of God, I always think of God in relation to ideals and absolutes.
But God’s acts in the realm of reality do not always bear evidence of that.
Christina’s death hurt me deep within. Everything seemed meaningless and useless. This life itself was of no consequence. It is only a matter of time, and we too will be gone – six feet under or turned to ashes! What is the point in striving and struggling to conquer this world and make a name for ourselves?
One day I shall be no more, leaving behind grief and pain for those close to me and fading thoughts of my time with others. And then there will come a day when I will not even be remembered.
And if I am, then without any feeling. The morning hurt very badly. The death of someone known to me had once again startled and shaken me as it often does.
My thoughts shifted to Manohar, my dear friend with whom in our younger days I’ve spent many hours chatting and laughing. Manohar reminded me a couple days back that he still vividly remembers the day early in their marriage when I made them laugh till they could laugh no more. Today, after his dear wife’s mortal remains were gone and the guests had turned their backs to return home or to work, Manohar would go home to an empty house. That broke my heart.
God is not merely not fair, just, and equal. God is also downright cruel, I thought. Which good and moral being would do this to someone else? God does this all the time. I could think of God being cruel only because these two individuals were connected to me. But people die every moment somewhere in the world. Someone somewhere experiences God abandoning them all the time. They experience the cruel hand of God sanctioning unbearable pain in their lives. I couldn’t hold back my tears for my friend Manohar. It was too hurting for me. Manohar would live the rest of his life without Christina, and that thought for me was very painful.
Early in their marriage, I had
visited them in Bombay (Mumbai) from my native Pune. I remember them telling me that they planned to invest all their lives in the training of young people through the Indian arm of the Intervarsity Fellowship and later in the arena of theological education. They seemed passionate and determined. They did that for nearly three decades. But now, about 28 years later, Manohar has been left alone. There is a limit to how much we can depend on things going to plan in this life. Some things we can foresee, but not all. With some things we might be lucky depending on God, but not with all things. That’s just how this life is.
I emailed Manohar immediately after I had watched the funeral. I assured him of renewing my connections with him and told him that he will be in my thoughts and prayers. I urged him not to be dejected, and not to lose courage.
A friend’s untimely death had once again made me reflect on the meaning, purpose, and value of life. And though my heart had become bitter, I later told myself that a negative spirit will only defeat me on this mysterious journey. I will complete this journey well if I recognize its limitations and uncertainties, and learn to take them positively.
- Reuben Louis Gabriel teaches philosophy and history at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George.
GUEST COLUMN REUBEN GABRIEL
Tears and apologies are not enough
On June 30, the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Philippe of Belgium expressed regret for the “acts of violence and cruelty” committed by his ancestor King Leopold II. The day also saw the state-sanctioned removal of another statue of this forgotten villain of history, the man who enslaved the Congo Free State, made himself and his country rich through the trade of ivory and rubber, and is responsible for up to 10 million deaths.
The significance of Philippe’s statement, made in a letter to current Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi, comes clear when it is seen in contrast to the speech his uncle Baudouin made on the event of Congolese independence in 1960. At that time, King Baudouin referred to Belgian rule in the Congo, begun by Leopold II, as a “civilizing mission.”
This was naturally met with outrage from Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Congo, who less than a year later became one of Africa’s most
Don’t let
At the beginning of each year
famous martyrs.
LESSONS IN LEARNING
GERRY CHIDIAC
Quite honestly, I was shocked by the news of Philippe’s statement.
Before the death of George Floyd and the subsequent global outcry, I did not expect statues of Leopold II to be removed any time soon, despite the ugly truth of his crimes against humanity and I never expected a member of the Belgian royal family to have the courage to be honest.
We are living through a time of tremendous change, which many consider the most significant global event since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The whitewashed fences of racist lies, hidden behind the pages of our history books, are collapsing when exposed to the light of truth.
We can now see the love shining forth from those who have suffered yet refused to hate.
Looking at recent events, African-American philosopher Cornel West remarked, “It’s in the great tradition of the best of black people, a people who have been hated chronically, systemically, for 400 years but have taught the world so much about love and how to love.”
Statistics in Canada demonstrate that we have not done much better than our American neighbours with regard to racial issues.
Incarceration rates for our Indigenous peoples are disproportionately high, as are infant mortality rates.
Our police target people of colour and we also have discriminatory hiring practices. Even today, few Canadians are aware of the extent that slavery existed in our country, nor are we aware of its impact.
We have seen demonstrations all over the world because racism is a global issue. The challenge now is to keep moving forward.
It will not be enough for Americans to vote Donald Trump out of the White House.
The policies Joe Biden supported in Congress and as vice president are a major source of the problems in America
and around the world and they must be dealt with.
It is not enough for King Philippe to recognize the crimes of his ancestors. These must be followed by significant action.
It was not enough for Stephen Harper to apologize for the residential schools in Canada in 2008 and it is not enough to simply acknowledge that racial profiling exists.
We are fortunate in Canada that after studying the impact of systemic racism on our Indigenous population, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published 94 calls to action in 2015. This gives us a blueprint for a way to begin to move forward. Now we need the courage to put all of these recommendations into action and we need to expand these principles to other aspects of Canadian society.
The response to the death of George Floyd has demonstrated that truth and love are powerful forces that cannot be suppressed anymore. If we want to leave a great country and a great world to our descendants, these are the principles that must guide our actions as we move forward with courage.
COVID-19 define your year
I challenge my clients and readers to name the upcoming year and I get a huge response with people naming their year and sharing what they would like to manifest and work on. 2020 was named the year of vision, clarity, wealth, systems, growth, change.
At the beginning of each year, I challenge my clients and readers to name the upcoming year and I get a huge response with people naming their year and sharing what they would like to manifest and work on. 2020 was named the year of vision, clarity, wealth, systems, growth, change.
I am sure if I asked halfway through 2020, many would automatically name 2020 they year of COVID-19, due to the phenomenal effects that the virus has had on their lives and the economy.
For many businesses, especially in the restaurant and personal care sector, the year has had some drastic effects. However, for others, it’s the best year ever.
So what could make you say that 2020 was the best year ever?
For some businesses, the year 2020 has been spectacular because of the
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Help Mackenzie
BUSINESS COACH
DAVE FULLER
increased demand for their products or services.
Some industries have seen a spike in sales because they seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Computers, pharmacies, health food stores, health care providers, flour companies, grocery stores, cleaning suppliers, pet stores, hardware centres, liquor stores, virtual meeting services and online gaming and trading are among those experiencing incredible growth during this unprecedented time.
I have had some clients tell me that they were able to grow sales 10, 20, 50 and even 80 per cent.
However, having the best year ever doesn’t automatically mean that your sales grew.
I had some business leaders tell me that they were having a great year because they were able to tap into government subsidies which went directly to their bottom line and resulted in their most profitable months ever. This was the
To the residents of Mackenzie, I support you all during this difficult time.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why the provincial government has not presented a real plan and action to help the residents of Mackenzie. The provincial government has to know the residents depend on these
exception rather than the rule though.
Most people who took advantage of the government subsidies for their businesses found that that the money enabled them to survive during a period that they couldn’t get through without help.
There were some incredible opportunities afforded to those who took the time to use the slow down as a time to focus on their businesses.
Some people were able to use the time to reach out and develop better relationships with their prospective clients and found that these people had time to talk to them because their competitors, and anyone else for that matter, stopped calling.
If you are the only one phoning people when all others are huddled up in fear or frozen by inaction, you might just gain an advantage in the months and years ahead.
I had one business owner, who chose to close down his business for a couple of months, tell me that he used the time for a well-deserved rest which made a huge difference for him.
Another non profit found that they were able to reset their business and took the time to break down their business model and create something totally different enabling them to thrive into the future.
More than one of the business owners I
jobs that is a major sector of a small town. Tourism and services sector jobs will not be enough to pay for a roof over your head and to put food on the table for families. Is the provincial government waiting for the town of Mackenzie to be abandoned before doing something? By then, it’ll be way too late and then what would they say? How will they answer those two questions? Residents for the Town of Mackenzie had to leave because they
work with struggled in finding motivation through what was a drought in cash flow. Some of them persisted despite the hardships of working remotely, without team engagement, and with fewer contracts.
One in particular used the time to put in 30 proposals for work. However, because of particularly stiff competition, he lost many of his bids.
Finally, with his hope waning, he was awarded one of the largest contracts of his career.
In hindsight, 2020 will be remembered as one of the strangest and most difficult years for many business leaders.
If it isn’t your best year ever, the great news is that you have almost six months left to make it your best year ever!
But nothing happens without action. Don’t leave it to chance.
Come up with a plan both personal and professionally for what you need to do that would allow you to say that 2020 was a great year.
Break it down into 12-week sections and get your team engaged in making your successful year happen.
— Dave Fuller, MBA, is an Award-Winning Business Coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Best or Worst Year Ever? Dave would love to hear about it. Email dave@pivotleader.com
couldn’t survive in a small town with three major job sectors closed and shut down?
Hopefully it won’t go that far and the residents of Mackenzie get the help that’s needed to stay and survive in a town that they have known all of their lives or years or generations and hopefully will be in that small town for many more years ahead.
Daniel Francis, Fort St. John
Meet the tireless Sylvia Cooney
LSENIORS’ SCENE
KATHY NADALIN
ongtime Prince George volunteer Sylvia (nee Allen) Cooney is turning 93 this month. Sylvia has lived in Prince George for 60 years and during that time she has given back to her community many times over.
Sylvia Allen was born in Edmonton in 1927. She moved to Vancouver in 1945, met her husband Bud Cooney and got married in 1961.
After high school she worked for an electrical contracting company in Vancouver for 17 years. Through her many electrical supply contacts, she happened to be talking to Henry Horsman, the owner of EB Horsman & Son in Prince George and he offered her a job with his company. She discussed it with Bud and he agreed that it would be a good idea to take the job offer.
It just so happened that Bud was the salesman for the Moore Dry Kiln Company and they had just offered him a transfer to Prince George. The newlyweds moved to Prince George in 1961 with the intention of only staying here for five years.
Years went by and Sylvia went to work for Hub City Motors.
the pandemic.
Bud sold dry kilns to the lumber industry until he went into a partnership and started Payless Surplus on First Avenue and Dominion Street. Sylvia left Hub City Motors and worked with Bud as the bookkeeper until they sold the business in the mid-1980s.
When Sylvia was 56, she applied for a job at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and worked as a teller for the next 19 years. She retired at the age of 75. Back then, CIBC had to get written permission annually from their head office in Toronto to retain employees still working for the
Evolution’s tangled web
There are millions of different types of organisms on Earth. Insects, mammals, birds, fish, flowers, trees, and grasses are among the ones we see on a daily basis but there is a multitude of smaller creatures such as bacteria, amoeba, and fungi. Life abounds. But how do we make sense of all of this? How do we determine which animals constitute a species and how are the species inter-related in the grand scheme of life? How are elephants and daisies related? What differentiates a northern leopard frog from a southern leopard frog?
These questions have perplexed scholars since the beginning of history. Indeed, one could argue it was far more important for our ancestors to understand these relationships than for us as they were much more dependent on their knowledge of plants and animals for their survival.
If you can’t tell the difference between, say, two mushrooms, it could easily be a death sentence.
The classification of animals was certainly a challenge for ancient Greeks. They had a somewhat limited environment in which to work with only a few species from which to generalize. That didn’t stop them from a number of interesting speculations. For example, what
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TODD WHITCOMBE
do you get when you cross a leopard and a camel? Why, a giraffe of course! (It has the spots of a leopard and the long neck of a camel.)
As animal species were discovered, they were eventually assigned Latin names which were very descriptive but often very long. “Apis pubescens, thorace subgriseo, abdomine fusco, pedibus posticus glabis, untrinque margine ciliates” does not roll off the tongue; it is the full scientific name for the European honey bee.
Publishing in 1735 and 1753, Carl Linnaeus laid out a system for the classification of plants and animals which reduced names to two terms – genus and species. The European honey bee was simplified to “Apis mellifera” and millions of biology students have been grateful ever since. And while Aristotle classified animals on the basis of whether or not they had red blood (mammals do; insects don’t), Linnaeus shifted the focus to the anatomy and morphology of organisms, particularly the reproductive system. He divided plants and animals into broad kingdoms that he then sub-divided into
bank who were over the age of 65. Sylvia said, “I enjoyed the work and I wanted to keep right on working. I held my breath each year until the bank had their written permission to keep me on staff.”
Bud passed away in 2002 as a result of a heart attack after 41 years of a good marriage.
Sylvia proudly looks back at her nearly 40 years of volunteer work with the Prince George White Cane Club holding the position as their bookkeeper.
She was active for more than 20 years with the Good Cheer Club – a club where everyone cared for one another and worked hard together to raise funds for local causes.
She volunteered many years with the Prince George Community Foundation’s annual fundraising golf tournament and assisted as a greeter during their award ceremony events.
Her friends know her as a very social person and always the comedian with her great sense of humour.
Sylvia now resides at the Rainbow Lodge and when she is up to it, she spends time tending the plants in the flower garden.
There is currently a visitor restriction policy - due to the COVID-19 virus - in place at the facility and for now the only way to contact Sylvia is by telephone. If you phone, be sure to leave your phone number so that she can always call you back.
Happy birthday, my friend.
phyla, classes, orders, families, genera, and finally species. While it isn’t a perfect system, it has served taxonomy well for the past 250 years.
Of course, some animals undergo major changes in morphology during the course of their life span.
Consider a butterfly that starts life as a lowly caterpillar. There really isn’t any physical resemblance between the two creatures. And even when creatures – such as the northern and southern leopard frog - look the same, they may still be two separate species.
Classification is a tricky and often exacting art.
Understanding the scope of all life on Earth is well beyond the capacity of any single human and so scientists became specialists in their own area. This was parodied in a Big Bang Theory episode where the scientists take a cricket to Professor Crawley for identification.
But the discovery of DNA and our understanding of its fundamental role in the evolution of life have provided a new take on this ancient problem. The relationship between species can now be determined by understanding which genes are present and which are not. More to the point, the relationship between species can be ascertained by examining the base pairs composing genes where variation indicates genetic drift.
That is, the farther apart two organisms
are on the evolutionary tree, the more differences appear in the coding for particular genes. A small subset of genes are critical to all life on Earth and are mostly conserved across all species but subtle variations are more indicative of the classification of an organism than simply looking at its morphology. Elephants and daisies are related – as all life is related to a universal common ancestor – but the variations in their genes tell us their branches on the tree life split from each other a very, very, very long time ago.
Paul Hebert of the University of Guelph took classification a step further in 2003 when he introduced DNA barcoding. Like the Universal Product Codes or barcodes that are on every product we buy, DNA can be tagged and sorted to give a chemical equivalent.
And just like every product in a grocery store is unique, so is the DNA barcode for each species reflecting genetic differences at the molecular level.
The public collection of DNA barcodes, called Barcode of Life Database (BOLD), has collected and analyzed well over 600,000 named species. The technique has even been used to scan environments where unusual DNA barcodes have led to the discovery of new species.
We have come a long way in our classification of life on Earth but using DNA, we know have a better understanding of the relationships among all living things.
HANDOUT PHOTO
Sylvia Cooney is turning 93 this month but is staying as active as she can during
HORO SC OPES &P UZ ZLES
HOW TO PLAY:
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1through 9only once.
Each 3x3 box is outlined with adarker line You already have afew numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1through 9inthe same line, columnor3x3 box
Arne May, age 96, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 3, 2020 with Lynn and Karen at his side at the Prince George Hospice House. Arne was born in Denmark and moved to Canada in 1949. While living and working in Prince George, Arne met and married the love of his life, Jean Humphreys. They were married in 1959 until 2002 when Jean succumbed to cancer True to form, always the gentleman, and forever thinking of others, Arne passed away, to be with Jean on what would have been her 87th birthday, to once again celebrate with her after so many years apart. HappyBirthdayMom!
Life for the Mays in the summer revolved around the lake where Arne made the most difficult tasks look easy and always had a way to make it work! Everyone was always welcome at the lake, especially to the huge event called “Family Weekend” where all involved took precious memories of all the fun that washad!
Arne is survied by his loving daughter Lynn and his favorite son-in-law Geoff, very special friends Karen Humphreys, Rick Mintz, Laurel Phipps, Ron, Kristyna and Derek Volling, Ruth Flynn, his sistersin-law and brother-in-law, numerous nieces, nephewsandfriendsandfamilyinDenmark. Thank you to Dr Reddy, Dr Syal and the nurses on Surgery North Pod C. Special thanks to all the staff at the Prince George Hospice House for making Arne’s last days comfortable and for opening your armstohisfamily
There will be a celebration of Arne’s life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Prince GeorgeHospiceSocietyareappreciated.
You will always be lovingly remembered and missed
GARYRALPHTHURIER
5May,1942-8July,2020
It is with great sadness that the family of Gary Thurier announces his peaceful passing at Prince George Hospice House at the age of 78.
Gary will be forever remembered by his wife and best friend of 33 years, Nancy He also leaves to mourn his children, Gordon Dolbec (Keri) of Cowichan Bay and Tricia Russell of Kelowna, as well as Nancy’s children, Wayne Lehouillier, Lisa Lehouillier and Richard Lehouillier of Prince George. Gary will also be missed by his lifelong sidekicks, his brother Darrol (Lisa) in Wentworth, NS, and Darryl Smith (Bev) in Prince George. He cared deeply for his beloved grandchildren, Riley Russell (Dylan Brebner), Brianna Russell, Cooper Russell, Joslin Dolbec (Cashton McGillivray) and Rae Keown. He is also survived by two adorable great-grandchildren, Maeson and Dillon. Gary was predeceased by his parents,brotherDanaThurierandsisterKarinElgert. Born in New Westminster, BC, Gary graduated from North Surrey High School in 1961. He worked for forestry on Vancouver Island for a short time as well as other jobs that come along in a young man’s life. He eventually became a locomotive engineer with BC Rail working in Mackenzie and Prince George, ending his career after 34 years. During his years he enjoyed hunting, fishing and the cabin at Cluculz Lake (also the RV at Lakeside Resort). As a hobby he built fishing rods, made lures and tied flies. He absolutely loved his years with the Oldtimers Hockeygroup.
Unfortunately, shortly before retirement Gary was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Fourteen years ago he received a single lung transplant at Vancouver General Hospital. We are eternally grateful for the extra years we had to grow old together and appreciate each other even more. The transplant team is phenomenal and we are, of course, forever grateful to the donor for his gift of life. If you have not registered with BC Transplant, it would be a great favour to Gary if you could find it in your heart to do so. The website is www.transplant.bc.ca
Very special thanks to the Transplant Team at VGH, our wonderful Dr Denise McLeod and JoAnne, and thestaffofIMUandFMUatUHNBC.
A Celebration of Gary’s life will be held in spring of 2021. Flowers are gratefully declined but if you wish to make a memorial tribute these are two of Gary’sfavorites:
There are no words to describe the sadness in which we announce the passing of Bill.
Born January 2, 1946 in Fernie, BC we announce his sudden passing on July 7, 2020 at home in PrinceGeorge,BC.Billwaspredeceasedbyhis father Harvey,Mother Ruth, and sister Susan. He leaves behind his loving wife, Irma, and children Stephanie, Elizabeth (Raymond), Jeff, and grandchildren Eric and Jordan. Bill moved to Prince George with Irma in 1980 and held a multitudeofcareersfromsilviculture,orchardist, and officially retiring from Husky Oil Refinery He spent much of his retired time between DiversifiedTransportation,volunteeringatSaint Vincent DePaul and many other areas within the local communityincluding hobby mining in the Barkerville/Wells area.Hemademanyfriends everywhere along the way and will be unbelievably missed and fondly remembered. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday the 16th, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance will be limited. Please contact the Prince George Funeral Service for further information.
Gone,missed,andneverforgotten.
GertrudeElizabethBuse
March19,1936-July9,2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Gertrude on July 9, 2020. Mom went home to be with the Lord with Betty Ann by her sideatSimonFraserLodge.
Predeceased by her beloved husband, Art, on March 8, 2020 Gertie is survived by her daughter Betty Ann and husband Eric Shiels, son Arthur and wife Joanne, her grandchildren and their wives Joshua and Ryann, Stephen and Kristen, Nicolas, Matthew and Kassie, her great grandchildren Jayden and Zoe, and her nephewDeanElbeandfamily
Gertie was born in Barrhead, Alberta to her parents John and Elsa Elbe and was the older sister to her brother Harvey.She lived her childhood and teenage years in Barrhead before heading to college in Edmonton. It was in Barrhead that she met the love of her life, Art Buse and they were married on June 8, 1956. They moved to Edmonton where she worked as an administrative assistant. Arthur junior arrived in December 1958. They returned to Barrhead in 1962 where she worked part time until Betty Ann arrived onGertie’sbirthdayinMarchof1963.
Russman,Alda
Born October 4th, 1933 in Blind River,Ontario. Passed away July 8th, 2020 Prince George, BC.
Predeceased by husband Joe and sonGordon.
Family was all important to Alda and she has left a largegrouptorememberalifewelllived.
Survived by partner Jim Dow,daughters Debbie Russman (Katy and Lucas), Cathy Edwards (Ralph, Jake and Sawyer), sons TomRussman (Jose and Marc) Joe Russman (Aissa and Brynne) along with Gords children Alda-Anne, Braedon and Shawna. Alda was blessed with many great grandchildren, the last baby girl born only minutes before she passed. Shealwayslikedtokeepthefamilydynamicsequal!
Alda gained an extended “family by choice” who will also mourn her passing, her very close friend Ambrose Trick and her goddaughter Jennifer Hyette Fry.
2x35.8
Hughes, Cornelius (Corny)
May 12, 1935 -July 06, 2020
Corny passed peacefully, at home. He is survived by his wife Christa, daughter Stephanie, son Thomas, son Ron, 8grandchildren and 7great grandchildren. He loved sports, was active in the community and politics. He will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Hospice House.
In 1969, the family moved to Prince George where they have resided for the past 51 years. Gertie, except for acouple of years, stayed home to raise the family as Art’swork often had him out of town during the week. When Art retired, they spent all of their time together,gardening as well as travelling to many areas of the world. Family time was important to them often including visits with the grandchildren. She was actively involved in Our Saviours Lutheran Church where they attended and faithfully served for 51 years. Gertie was amember of the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary for many years. Gertie was an avid quilter and even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’sshe continued to be apart of the group, helping where she could. Gertie also became involved in the local Parkinson Society spearheading communication. Art and Gertie enjoyed visiting family &friends, gardening, travelling, and warmer climates in their retirementyearsandcherishedtimewithfamily
Gertie will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
ACelebration of Life will be held at Our Saviours Lutheran Church -the date and time to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson Society British Columbia in memory of Gertie.
WeloveyouandmissyouMom.
The family would like to thank all of Moms caregivers over the past 14 months and special thanks to the ladies of surgery south who became her family and included her in all their high jinx. She lovedyou!
It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Debra Florence Marie Vandenboer.
As achild, Debra moved around with her family from Dawson Creek, Sechelt and McBride. From ayoung age Debra always strove to do the best at whatever she did from candy striper to cheerleader, basketball, curling, golfing, and skiing among many other passions.
She attended college in both Prince George and Vancouver and received her diploma as aRegistered Nurse from Langara College. She worked as an RN in Prince George while caring for her family and later returned to school via distance education. She graduated with honors with aBachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria and continued her career in Healthcare moving into aposition as Assistant Manager of Home and Community Care before her retirement in Kamloops, BC.
Debra is predeceased by her father Frank Hall and brother Darren Hall. Debra is survived by her husband John, her son Jody (Kerry), her daughter Jennifer (Ryan); grandchildren Kai, Coen, Benson &Henrik; Mother, Lillian Hall; sisters Heather and Pamela, and her many nieces and nephews.
To honor of her wishes there will be no service and we will be hosting aluncheon for immediate family.
In lieu of flowers donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation are appreciated.
NAIRNE,DaryleE
May6,1952Jul6,2020
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Daryle Nairne. Reunited with his brother Dennis who we still mourn daily,our only peace is knowing that they are once again together.The loss of Daryle has left ahole in the hearts of friends & family and all who knew him. He was larger than life and always had asmile on his face. Daryle loved nature, the outdoors, and teaching, always eager to share his knowledge of natural herbs and cures. He was always there to help anyone anytime and could be counted on by everyone; family,friends and strangers alike. Everyone’sfavourite uncle: funny, smart, kind, helpful and loving. So long for now Daryle. Love Love Love. Contact sgoebel111 @gmail.comforservicedetails.
Zenuik,DorisOlive
July31,1929-June18,2020
Doris Zenuik (née Mailhoit) was born in Edmonton, Alberta and passed away peacefully in Victoria, B.C. at the age of 90. Predeceased by her husbands, Alex MacKenzie, Paul Berg, and William Zenuik, and her son-in-laws, Bruno Banzer and Richard Baer.Doris is survived by her children Sandra Banzer,Trish Baer,and Michael Berg (Lucretia); her grandchildren Teri Mugford (Rick), Christopher Baer (Jessica) and Matthew Baer; her great grandchildren Scott and Shelby Mugford; and her great-great-grandson Liam Mugford. Doris enjoyed knitting, gardening and watching Canucks hockey games. She was very disappointed when the recent NHL season was cancelled. Acelebration of lifewillbeheldforDorisatafuturedateTBA.
CraigDouglasScott
Jun6,1942-July5,2020
Sadly we announce the sudden passing of Craig Douglas Scott on July 5, 2020 in Prince George, BC at the age of 78. Craig was born in Geralton, Ontario June 6, 1942. he travelled and lived in many places throughout his life, alarge part of that due to his 11 years of service in the Canadian Air Forces, before finally settling in Prince George and enjoying a career as an Electronic Technician. When not working, Craig loved to put his woodworking and carpentry skills to use on many wonderful works, the best one being his home that he built from the ground up.
Craig was pre-deceased by his parents Earl Scott and Patricia Perkins. He is survived by his wife Mareena; his children Greg, Michelle and Brenda; his 7grandchildren and 4great-grandsons. He is also survived by his brother,sister-in-law and many otherlovingfamilymembers.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, asmall memorial service with close friends and family will be held to celebrateCraig’slife.
Craig’sfamily are very much thankful to all who extended support and care during these difficult times, especially for the valiant efforts of the doctors andnursesattheUHNBC.
EmergencyManagementProgram Coordinator
Objective: As partofthe Tl’azt’enNation, the EmergencyManagement ProgramCoordinator will assist communities within the Tl’azt’enNation with Emergencies and disasters preparedness
KeyAccountabilities:
•Workclosely withcommunitiestoensuresupports areinplace to implementprogrammingrelatedtoEmergencies programming
•Support leadership in developingand implementing astrategic direction foremergencyresponse alsoincorporating mentalhealth and wellness
•Identify needsand pathways of communications
•Supportsreporting,ensuresbudgetsare aligned withcommunity activities, andtracks, identifies and applies to external funding opportunities
•Support the planning,implementation, andevaluation of community activitiesand work plan, andsupports longer-termNation planning (e.g., facilitation)
•Policydevelopment
Qualifications:
•A two(2) year diploma from arecognized post-secondaryinstitution in emergency management, supplementedbycourses in emergency preparedness including risk assessment and emergency management.
•Minimum of three(3) years directly relatedexperience including serving as an emergency managementprofessional, preferably with some time in alocal government setting
•Thorough knowledgeofthe BC EmergencyManagement and Incident Command Systems,and the roles and responsibilities of thelocal authority underthe BC EmergencyProgram Act.
•Teamleader/ projectmanager experienceindeveloping and deliveringcomprehensivetrainingpackages,including evaluation mechanisms
•Strong interpersonal,leadership and conflictresolutionskills with the ability to maintain avolunteer program. CriticalIncident Stress Debriefing training would be an asset.
•StandardFirst Aid
Knowledge,Skills and Abilities Required:
•Experienceand training in emergencymanagement, the British ColumbiaEmergencyManagement System(BCEMS), and Incident Command System(ICS) is an asset.
•This positionrequires reasonable flexibility in work hourstosupport emergencyoperations center trainingand activations
•Strong assessmentskillsrelevant to thecontext of local Indigenous history, beliefs, and practices
•Knowledge of or willingness to learnTl’azt’entradition and culture.
•Recentexperience working with FirstNation clients in rural, remote, and on-reserve communities.
•Abilitytoworkindependently andina multi-disciplinary team.
•Demonstrates strong interpersonal,organizational and time managementskills
•Functional in MicrosoftOffice:MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher
•Consenttoa comprehensivecriminal record check with clearance is required.
Apply by Mail or email to: Charlene Tom, AdministrativeAssistant: Careers@tlazten.bc.ca
Thispostingwill remain open until the positionisfilled Only applicantsshortlisted will be contactedfor interviews.
Tl’azt’enNation is seeking
afull time
Community Health Services Manager
Tl’azt’enNation is seeking adynamic individual to engage our communityinpositivehealth and wellness leadership as Manager of CommunityHealth Services.The successful candidate will be a key member of our Senior Leadership Team and shape the futureof the departmentthrough implementation of the Community’sHealth Plan. Theideal candidate is motivated,aself-starter, strong planner, communityminded,team orientedready to step up and provide excellenceinservicetoour community. Youare an experienced senior level manager with knowledge and experienceinprimarycaremodels of health, accreditation, servicedelivery, budgeting,managementof staff and services,and the abilitytobeastrong mentorand coach.
In accordancewith the Mission, Vision and Values,and strategic directions of the Nation and the directiveofCommunityHealth Services (CHS), patientsafetyisapriorityand aresponsibilityshared by everyone at CHS, and as such, the requirementtocontinuously improve qualityand safetyisinherentinall aspects of this position.
Qualifications andExperience:
•Aminimum of agraduate degreeinarelatedfield(eg; health care administration, health careleadership,public health, social services etc.).
•Aminimum of 5years of progressiveleadership in primary health careand/or working with asimilar context relatable to the CommunityHealthServices such as Social Services or Public Health.
•Significantunderstanding and experienceworking with First Nation’s communities and organizations
Criminal Recordcheck is required for the Health Services Manager
Offering competitivewage and benefits package.Position open until filled.Please submit your coverletter and resume outlining howyou meet these qualifications.Successful candidateswill be contactedfor an interview.Proof of certifications required prior to employment.
R0011825078
Interested Candidatesare asked to submit aresumeand cover letter to: Charlene Tom, AdministrativeAssistant careers@tlazten.bc.ca
R0011825081
Established Franchise
Serving Northern B.C for over 35 years
Gross
Serious Enquiries Only
Office 250-596-9199 Cell 250-981-1472
EMPLOYMENT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Established Franchise TaxPreparation Business servicingMackenzie and McLeod Lake area forover30years.
Gross Revenues of $85,000 to $90,000 Annuallyand Potentialtoexpand revenues in agrowing economy.
Transition supportavailable forthe right buyer.
Serious Inquires Only
Office (250)997-9003
Home (250)997-5538
Cell (250)990-0152
Economic Development Officer
Theeconomic developmentofficer(EDO)isresponsible forplanning, developing,coordinating and implementing economic development policies,strategies,and initiativesthatimprovethe community, socioeconomic,and businessdevelopmentinTl’azten Nation.
DUTIES &RESPONSIBILITIES:
•The economic developmentofficerisresponsible forcontinuously developing and maintaining knowledgerequired to do the job by understanding,embracing,and contributing to the community’s economic developmentplan. As an approach towardseffective planning,bycollaborating effectively to coordinate economic developmentfor Tl’azt’enNation.
•The EDO must be familiar with background materials and information relating to the Tl’azt’enNation and the regional economy. Must demonstrateanon-political approach to communicate and foster relationships with government, industryand communitymembers.
•He/shemust use avarietyofmethods to performassessments of economic developmentneeds and opportunities,including maintaining an inventory of existing businesses,sectoractivities and current human resources(Labor force) in the community.
•The EDO must ensurethatthe Tl’azt’enNation economic development initiatives and opportunities arecommunicatedtokey stakeholders
•The EDO must demonstrate good written and oral communications skills thatare relevanttoprepareproposals fora varietyofeconomic developmentinitiatives forsubmissions to public and private funding sources. Must writeprojectbriefs, updatesand final reports forall projectactivities taking placeinTl’azt’enNation.
•The EDO must maintain asound administrativeand organizational system, develop budgets and cash flowprojections,use business planning software, and create presentations forcommunityinformation sharing sessions.He/she must also develop and track accomplishments relatedtoanongoing work plan thatwillguide the work in Tl’azt’en.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCE:
•Ideally the candidate should possess aminimum of 2-3 years of experienceinbusiness or economic developmentrelatedpositions, supplementedbyeducation, training or on-the-job learning.Tl’azt’en Nation will also consider candidatesthatmay not meet the above qualifications but demonstratesawillingness to learnand develop the required skills
** Class 5Driver’s License is mandatoryand ownvehicle an asset.
Interested Candidates areasked to submita resume and coverletter by June 26, 2020
Attention: Renata Monk,ExecutiveDirector renata.monk@tlazten.bc.ca or Fax: 250-648-3250
Apartments/Condos forRent
1& 2bedroom,newly renovated near Pine Centre, inc heat &water,
GINO’S TIRESAND TOWING INC
2x20.0 R0011824508
By virtue of the warehouseman’slienact Gino’sTires and Towing inc. will dispose of: (1) 1999 FordF250 4x4 Green VIN:2ftpx28L1xca20510
Registered Owner: Breydon James Sharp to recover $740.25 as of february 18, 2020 plus any additional costs of storage, seizureand sale
Date of sale July 23, 2020
For moreinformation: Gino’stireand towing Inc. 250-271-4466 pO Box 2172, Mackenzie, Bc V0J 2c0
the following are indebted to Ace Auto Wrecking Ltd., dba NC Ron’s Towing, for towing and storage of personal property,and ought to have been paid, and are still unpaid, notice is hereby given thatthe said properties will be sold to pay the outstanding debt, plus costs of seizure, advertising and sale, one week from the date of this notice on the 23rd day of July,2020, at 1360 Foley Cres, Prince George, BC
WAREHOUSEMAN’S LIENACT
I recently worked with a client whose basement renovation included radiant floor heat. There are two types of radiant floor heating; Electric and water-based systems. Both provide consistent heat throughout any room. Traditional radiators need to be heated to a high temperature (65-75 degrees Celsius) in order to heat up a room effectively, whereas floor heating only needs to run at a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius or less, depending on the floor finish, in order to warm the room – thereby consuming less energy, and keeping your energy bills far lower.
Compared to forced air heating systems seen in most homes, an in-floor radiant heat system typically has higher efficiency and better heat retention. This is because the heat is retained in the lower part of the room, unlike in forced air systems, where the heat rises. As a result, most people are comfortable at a lower temperature using in-floor radiant heat. This can also lead to significant energy savings.
Comfort becomes an obvious reason. You’d be hard pressed to find a homeowner who wouldn’t appreciate the comfort that comes along with heated floors. Heated floors give any room the added boost it needs to knock that chill off the flooring and raise the temperature in the room to a more comfortable level. Whether that’s under bathroom floors or in a kitchen, basement or room above the garage, radiant floor heat delivers comfort like none other. It also exudes luxury, making a floor heating system an in-demand feature in any home.
When it comes to resale, the term “heated floors” carries its own secret meaning: Luxury. Generally, if you spot “heated floors” in a home’s description, you can presume you’re looking at a luxury home. Therefore, if you’re selling a home with heated floors, be sure to call them out — you may get a few more showings because of it. Your “luxury home” might even land a higher offer because of them.
Five specialties that may be offered by your realtor
Your realtor is the person you depend on to help you get through one of the most challenging times of adult life: buying or selling a home. But realtors can do more than just facilitate a house-hunt or show your home to potential buyers. Many agents also offer specialized services or are affiliated with brokerages that cater to specific markets.
1. High-end real estate and international real estate. Whether you are ready to move abroad or up into a more exclusive housing market, there are some brokers who affiliate with foreign real estate agencies and exclusive networks, such as Christie’s.
2. Investment sales. For clients who want to diversify their investment portfolios with property ownership, realtors can find sensible deals that will earn you money on the long term. This could take the form of rental properties, country acreages and vacant land zoned for development.
3. Industrial / office / retail properties. If you own a business, you need a realtor to help you find new premises. Many residential realtors also have commercial clients, so be sure to ask your local broker.
4. Property management. Many realtors of fer this valuable service for rental property owners. They can take care of all aspects of leasing a house or apartment, including advertising availabilities, screening tenants, collecting rent and coordinating repairs and regular maintenance.
5. Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). SRES’s are specially trained and certified to help seniors buy and sell homes. These realtors are sensitive to the concerns of the 55+ demographic who are looking for ease and consideration during their real estate transitions.
Real estate sales trends: quitting the ’burbs for the 18-hour city
For the last several decades, it was typical for middle-class urban couples to move to the suburbs after starting a family. But today, that quest for a bigger back yard, better schools and slower pace is experiencing a dip in popularity. The “18-hour city” is reversing the trend, as suburb dwellers of all ages sell up and move back to dynamic urban settings.
The report Emerging Trends in Real Estate ® , published by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, defines the 18-hour city as a medium-sized metro area in which a revamped downtown core no longer caters only to daytime business activities. Instead, it has a vibrant commercial sector — including restaurants, retail stores and services — that makes down town living once again attractive for families with children, young singles and seniors.
For homeowners put ting a suburban property up for sale, chances are good in most markets for a timely sale. Keep in mind that this may be especially true for suburbs around the gateway mar -
kets (the “24-hour cities,” such as Boston, New York City, San Fran cisco, Seattle , Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston and others). Expensive housing costs in these city centers mean there are many buyers looking for homes in the suburbs. That could work in your favor if you are leaving the suburbs in order to move to a smaller 18-hour city.
If you are considering making the move back to some urban excitement, talk to your local realtor about putting your suburban home up for sale. He or she will be able to recommend an affiliate buyer’s realtor in the city you would like to move to.
Buying a rental property
There are many reasons why you might want to buy a rental property. For starters, if you have several properties, it can be a way to create passive income; it can also be a good way to diversify your investment portfolio. Depending on what kind of investor you are, there are two routes you can take: risky or less risky. Either way, you’ll need a savvy realtor to help you make the wisest choice possible.
LOW RISK
If your goal is long-term security, your realtor can help you find a rental property at market price. There are a handful of solid options available to you, including a house where you can live and where there is a separate apartment you can rent out; a multi-residential building with several units or a single-dwelling house.
The advantages: at market price, you’re more likely to find a well-kept property with existing tenants in a reputable neighborhood. The disadvantages: you might not see stellar returns from month to month. Just be sure your rental income covers all maintenance costs and allows you to pad a savings account for unforeseeable expenses.
HIGHER RISK
If you’re prepared to spend time searching for a bargain, your realtor can help you find a property that is underpriced and that will bring you good returns. This might include a luxury home or a property that needs extensive renovations.
If you’re busy and don’t want to be bothered with the mundane tasks associated with being a landlord, ask your realtor about property management services. Your realtor may be able to manage all leasing, rent collecting and maintenance on your behalf.
Some terms to know when purchasing a home
A pre-approved mortgage guarantees that you can borrow the amount needed to purchase a property. It is obtained from a lender after an analysis of your financial situation and borrowing capacity. You can give this to the seller together with the purchase offer in order to demonstrate how serious you are. Once the purchase offer has been signed, all you need to get is a loan commitment or mortgage approval, a document confirming that your loan application has been approved. Having a pre-approved mortgage speeds up this process.
Mortgage loan insurance is usually required by the lender when the amount of the down payment is less than 20 per cent of the purchase price of the property. This isn’t to be confused with mortgage life insurance, which covers your family if you die before paying off your mortgage.
A purchase offer is a written agreement setting the terms under which you agree to buy a particular property. If the seller accepts it, he or she agrees to sell their property in accordance with these conditions. The seller can also refuse it and make a counteroffer, which amends or clarifies certain conditions of the previous offer, such as the price
Are country acreages affordable these days?
The days of truly cheap rural properties are pretty much a thing of the past. But if you’re a city and suburb dweller who d reams of moving to a calmer, simpler place in the country, don’t lose heart just yet. If you have some flexibility about when you buy and how you use the pro perty, your dream may still be more af fordable than you think.
Get to know the right people. Before you quit your job in the city, talk to some realtors in the rural or semi-rural areas that interest you. Many rural property owners already have buyers in mind when they decide to sell, but getting an “in” with a local realtor is the next best way to get your foot in the door.
Transition. If you are ready to quit the city but haven’t yet found some land to buy, consider renting. As you join local organizations and get to know people, you can advertise your desire to buy some acres. Take your time and visit many properties before you buy; in the meantime, the local realtor will have a list of rental homes for you to consider.
Scale back. If your dream is to have a horse farm or to live self-sufficiently, you may have to begin with a simpler plan. Horses and pastured livestock require a lot of acres, and the initial layout for solar power or wind power is costly. If you have to, start off with an acre, or buy a home in a semi-rural town. Either will get you away from the city traffic madness and save your sanity.
9249 Twinberry Drive
4bed |2bath| $427,900 MLS#2471967
or the date of transfer of ownership (the closing date of the transaction and on which you take possession of the property). You will be given a specific deadline for accepting or refusing the counteroffer, to which you can, in turn, make a counteroffer, and so on. If you have to sell your home before buying a new one, you can make a conditional offer. This means you agree to purchase the property only if certain conditions are met first.
A purchase agreement is a legal document signed by both the buyer and the seller to formalize the transfer of ownership. It is a proof of ownership.
Hidden gem in the Hart-gorgeous home on family-orientedstreet. Carefully maintained and updated. Newkitchen. Enjoyayearround oasis on your covereddeck with ahot tub Incredibly energy efficienthome.
Open House July 19 with strict health protocols-masks/gloves/health questionnairemandatory,adults only
Beautiful family home on adouble lot. Newchef’skitchen, quartz counters in kitchen, granitecounters in baths,hardwood floors,fully finished, double garage.Beautiful yard and neighbourhood.
harT peace riVer
Selling your home: how to determine the asking price
Have you decided to sell your home?
To attract buyers, you will have to advertise a competitive and realistic selling price. If you ask too much, you may lose po ten tial visitors. And while it’s good t o keep a margin for negotiating, keep in mind that buyers often shop by price range. This means that if you want to sell for $200,000, you’ll attract more visitors by advertising your home at $225,000 than at $275,000. In addition, buyers who are ready to pay $275,000 will quickly realize that other properties offer better value for the price.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t undervalue your property and lose the chance to make a profit. So, how does one find the right balance? The best way is to compare your home with similar properties that have sold recently in your area. This will give you a good idea of the amount buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours. When setting the price, you should also take into account the current market and how much time you can wait before needing
to sell or move (you may have to ask for less if you’re in a hurry to sell). Talk about your ideas with your real estate agent or a licensed appraiser; he or she will help you determine the right price for the situation.
Is it time to sell or to buy?
The best time to buy or sell real estate depends on the type of dwelling and the current market conditions within a given sector.
• People who want to sell their property have the advantage in a seller’s market, where demand is higher than supply. The number of properties available is insufficient, so homes sell quickly and prices rise.
• People who are shopping around have the edge in a buyer’s market, where supply far exceeds demand. They have all the time in the world to find the home of their dreams and negotiate a good price.
Thinking of selling or buying a property? Check with a real estate agent to find out about the current market conditions.
What type of home suits you?
Would you love to buy your own home?
An important investment like this should never be undertaken lightly. Not only do you have to take the time to choose your new home and neighbourhood carefully, but you must first decide which type of property best suits your needs, both now and in the future. Single family, semi-detached, condo or home with a rental property — they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
• Single family home. Single-family homes are very popular and have many advantages, including more privacy. You can also build and modify at will, inside and outside. In other words, you can knock down walls, build a garage or plant a vegetable garden. A single-family home may not be the best option for you if you don’t have the time or inclination to mow the lawn, shovel snow, maintain the roof and clean the gutters.
• Semi-detached. Usually cheaper than a single-family home, a semi-detached has some of the advantages of the latter, including privacy. However, since two properties are built on the same land, you have less space outside. On the other hand, there is less maintenance work. If you buy a semi-detached home, make sure the dividing wall is thick enough to block any noise from the neighbouring unit.
• Condominium. A condo is great for people who don’t want the hassle of looking after a yard. Some condominiums provide special facilities, such as a swimming pool or gym, which you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. Keep in mind that you’ll pay condo fees accordingly. On the downside, a condo is a lot less private than a house. You must also be careful to choose a building where the other owners have
a similar lifestyle to your own. In addition, sharing common areas will often mean that you have to agree with them on how the building is maintained and managed.
• Homes with rental units. Buying a home that includes a rental unit may allow you to access the property market more easily; the rent you receive will help you pay your mortgage. A lot of your expen ses will also be tax deductible. However, a rental unit requires you to be available, as tenant emergencies can occur at any time. You should also be good with your hands for maintenance jobs.
Of course, there are other types of homes that may suit you, such as attached homes. Your real estate agent will be able to help you find the right property for your requirements.
Solariums give extra comfort and light
A solarium is a room filled with windows that acts as a buffer between the inside and outside of your home. In addition to offe ring a stunning view of your yard, extra living space and privileged access to lots of natural light, a solarium offers other benefits, too. If you’ve been thinking about adding a solarium to your home, be sure to keep reading.
THERMAL COMFORT
Are you one of those people who suffer terribly during summer heat waves? If so, adding a solarium to your home could really improve your comfort. Here’s how.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION
Several factors come into play when manufacturing and installing a solarium: the choice of materials and aircirculation systems; orientation; roofing; insulation and waterproofing. To enjoy all the benefits of your solarium (and avoid unpleasant surprises), entrust all these tasks to a reputable company.
During the day, all ventilation outlets and openings between your house and the solarium should be kept closed, with the goal of preventing heat from coming indoors. However, the outside windows of the solarium should be left open, allowing the hot air to escape.
At night, a solarium allows you to evacuate the hot air that settles naturally in the upper portion of your home. So, once the sun sets, all doors and vents between your solarium and the inside of your home should be opened. The noninsulated wall collects the cool air and redistributes it.
This is why a solarium can actually help you reduce your air conditioning costs. And during the winter it has the opposite effect — it acts as a buffer and reduces your heating costs. In other words, as well as being practical and attractive, a solarium is a money-saving investment.
Melamine is back
Melamine has always been considered a low-end product that’s flimsy and unattractive. However, over the decades, the continual improvement of manufacturing processes has completely transformed this ma terial, so much so that it can now be found in the trendiest of homes.
These days the new melamine particleboards imitate different kinds of wood to perfection. There is a wide range of ultra-modern finishes available, and they are typically resistant to heat and scratches. We’ve certainly come a long way from the shiny melamine of the 1980s.
The advantages of glass partitions
It can be quite a challenge if you want to divide up the space in your home for, say, an office, but you don’t like the idea of sacrificing natural light by putting up walls. Before you resign yourself to this sad prospect, consider the possibility of installing glass partitions.
The concept is simple: instead of building solid walls, you can opt for walls that are both transparent and resilient. Choosing this option means you can organize a corner office in a quiet area with natural light, close to the kitchen or living room.
And to enjoy a little more
privacy, you could opt for a textured or frosted finish — no more excuses for being distracted from your work. It’s a great solution, isn’t it?
How to find the perfect front door
Is your front door damaged, rusted, defective or simply old-fashioned? If you’d like to replace it, just be sure not to buy one on the spur of the moment. Instead, take the time to choose a good-quality model that will enhance your home’s facade for years to come.
MATERIALS
One thing’s for sure: you can’t buy a front door in the same way as you’d buy a basement or bedroom door. Front doors have to be visually appealing as well as very strong. You’ll find a wide range of models on the market made of different materials, either alone or in combination:
• steel
• fibreglass
• wood
• aluminum
• PVC
Each material has its own advantages. Specialized companies will be able to advise you about which ones are most suitable for your needs and your budget.
SOUGHT-AFTER QUALITIES
When shopping for a front door, look for one that has the following characteristics:
• shock resistant
• good insulation and soundproofing
• easy maintenance
• enhanced security (solid locks and anchoring systems)
COLOURS AND GLAZING
Manufacturers offer an impressive range of colours and finishes to make sure your front door looks great. How ever, be careful when choosing the glass for your front-door’s window, as it can make all the difference in terms of style. There are many possibilities, including square, rectangular, half-moon, circle, mosaic or stained glass.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
When you’re shopping around for the perfect front door, ask a professional for advice. One good idea is to go shopping with a photo of the front of your house as well as the dimensions of the existing door opening. This will make it much easier for you to find a model that complements the style of your home.
CUSTOM-MADE
Keep in mind that it is always wise to have your front door made to measure; this ensures that its fit, shape, colour and hardware are perfectly adapted to your home. Moreover, if you entrust the installation to experts, the result will be flawless.
A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
The front door is a major component of your home, so don’t skimp on quality. This investment of a few hundred — or even a few thousand — dollars could definitely add value to your property.
Lori Cruddas
Five specialties that may be offered by your realtor
Your realtor is the person you depend on to help you get through one of the most challenging times of adult life: buying or selling a home. But realtors can do more than just facilitate a house-hunt or show your home to potential buyers. Many agents also offer specialized services or are affiliated with brokerages that cater to specific markets.
1. High-end real estate and international real estate. Whether you are ready to move abroad or up into a more exclusive housing market, there are some brokers who affiliate with foreign real estate agencies and exclusive networks, such as Christie’s.
2. Investment sales. For clients who want to diversify their investment portfolios with property ownership, realtors can find sensible deals that will earn you money on the long term. This could take the form of rental properties, country acreages and vacant land zoned for development.
3. Industrial / office / retail properties. If you own a business, you need a realtor to help you find new premises. Many residential realtors also have commercial clients, so be sure to ask your local broker.
4. Property management. Many realtors of fer this valuable service for rental property owners. They can take care of all aspects of leasing a house or apartment, including advertising availabilities, screening tenants, collecting rent and coordinating repairs and regular maintenance.
5. Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). SRES’s are specially trained and certified to help seniors buy and sell homes. These realtors are sensitive to the concerns of the 55+ demographic who are looking for ease and consideration during their real estate transitions.
Real estate sales trends: quitting the ’burbs for the 18-hour city
For the last several decades, it was typical for middle-class urban couples to move to the suburbs after starting a family. But today, that quest for a bigger back yard, better schools and slower pace is experiencing a dip in popularity. The “18-hour city” is reversing the trend, as suburb dwellers of all ages sell up and move back to dynamic urban settings.
The report Emerging Trends in Real Estate ® , published by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, defines the 18-hour city as a medium-sized metro area in which a revamped downtown core no longer caters only to daytime business activities. Instead, it has a vibrant commercial sector — including restaurants, retail stores and services — that makes down town living once again attractive for families with children, young singles and seniors.
For homeowners put ting a suburban property up for sale, chances are good in most markets for a timely sale. Keep in mind that this may be especially true for suburbs around the gateway mar -
kets (the “24-hour cities,” such as Boston, New York City, San Fran cisco, Seattle , Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston and others). Expensive housing costs in these city centers mean there are many buyers looking for homes in the suburbs. That could work in your favor if you are leaving the suburbs in order to move to a smaller 18-hour city.
If you are considering making the move back to some urban excitement, talk to your local realtor about putting your suburban home up for sale. He or she will be able to recommend an affiliate buyer’s realtor in the city you would like to move to.
Buying a rental property
There are many reasons why you might want to buy a rental property. For starters, if you have several properties, it can be a way to create passive income; it can also be a good way to diversify your investment portfolio. Depending on what kind of investor you are, there are two routes you can take: risky or less risky. Either way, you’ll need a savvy realtor to help you make the wisest choice possible.
LOW RISK
If your goal is long-term security, your realtor can help you find a rental property at market price. There are a handful of solid options available to you, including a house where you can live and where there is a separate apartment you can rent out; a multi-residential building with several units or a single-dwelling house.
The advantages: at market price, you’re more likely to find a well-kept property with existing tenants in a reputable neighborhood. The disadvantages: you might not see stellar returns from month to month. Just be sure your rental income covers all maintenance costs and allows you to pad a savings account for unforeseeable expenses.
HIGHER RISK
If you’re prepared to spend time searching for a bargain, your realtor can help you find a property that is underpriced and that will bring you good returns. This might include a luxury home or a property that needs extensive renovations.
If you’re busy and don’t want to be bothered with the mundane tasks associated with being a landlord, ask your realtor about property management services. Your realtor may be able to manage all leasing, rent collecting and maintenance on your behalf.
Some terms to know when purchasing a home
A pre-approved mortgage guarantees that you can borrow the amount needed to purchase a property. It is obtained from a lender after an analysis of your financial situation and borrowing capacity. You can give this to the seller together with the purchase offer in order to demonstrate how serious you are. Once the purchase offer has been signed, all you need to get is a loan commitment or mortgage approval, a document confirming that your loan application has been approved. Having a pre-approved mortgage speeds up this process.
Mortgage loan insurance is usually required by the lender when the amount of the down payment is less than 20 per cent of the purchase price of the property. This isn’t to be confused with mortgage life insurance, which covers your family if you die before paying off your mortgage.
A purchase offer is a written agreement setting the terms under which you agree to buy a particular property. If the seller accepts it, he or she agrees to sell their property in accordance with these conditions. The seller can also refuse it and make a counteroffer, which amends or clarifies certain conditions of the previous offer, such as the price
Are country acreages affordable these days?
The days of truly cheap rural properties are pretty much a thing of the past. But if you’re a city and suburb dweller who d reams of moving to a calmer, simpler place in the country, don’t lose heart just yet. If you have some flexibility about when you buy and how you use the pro perty, your dream may still be more af fordable than you think.
Get to know the right people. Before you quit your job in the city, talk to some realtors in the rural or semi-rural areas that interest you. Many rural property owners already have buyers in mind when they decide to sell, but getting an “in” with a local realtor is the next best way to get your foot in the door.
Transition. If you are ready to quit the city but haven’t yet found some land to buy, consider renting. As you join local organizations and get to know people, you can advertise your desire to buy some acres. Take your time and visit many properties before you buy; in the meantime, the local realtor will have a list of rental homes for you to consider.
Scale back. If your dream is to have a horse farm or to live self-sufficiently, you may have to begin with a simpler plan. Horses and pastured livestock require a lot of acres, and the initial layout for solar power or wind power is costly. If you have to, start off with an acre, or buy a home in a semi-rural town. Either will get you away from the city traffic madness and save your sanity.
9249 Twinberry Drive
4bed |2bath| $427,900 MLS#2471967
or the date of transfer of ownership (the closing date of the transaction and on which you take possession of the property). You will be given a specific deadline for accepting or refusing the counteroffer, to which you can, in turn, make a counteroffer, and so on. If you have to sell your home before buying a new one, you can make a conditional offer. This means you agree to purchase the property only if certain conditions are met first.
A purchase agreement is a legal document signed by both the buyer and the seller to formalize the transfer of ownership. It is a proof of ownership.
Hidden gem in the Hart-gorgeous home on family-orientedstreet. Carefully maintained and updated. Newkitchen. Enjoyayearround oasis on your covereddeck with ahot tub Incredibly energy efficienthome.
Open House July 19 with strict health protocols-masks/gloves/health questionnairemandatory,adults only
Beautiful family home on adouble lot. Newchef’skitchen, quartz counters in kitchen, granitecounters in baths,hardwood floors,fully finished, double garage.Beautiful yard and neighbourhood.
harT peace riVer
Selling your home: how to determine the asking price
Have you decided to sell your home?
To attract buyers, you will have to advertise a competitive and realistic selling price. If you ask too much, you may lose po ten tial visitors. And while it’s good t o keep a margin for negotiating, keep in mind that buyers often shop by price range. This means that if you want to sell for $200,000, you’ll attract more visitors by advertising your home at $225,000 than at $275,000. In addition, buyers who are ready to pay $275,000 will quickly realize that other properties offer better value for the price.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t undervalue your property and lose the chance to make a profit. So, how does one find the right balance? The best way is to compare your home with similar properties that have sold recently in your area. This will give you a good idea of the amount buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours. When setting the price, you should also take into account the current market and how much time you can wait before needing
to sell or move (you may have to ask for less if you’re in a hurry to sell). Talk about your ideas with your real estate agent or a licensed appraiser; he or she will help you determine the right price for the situation.
Is it time to sell or to buy?
The best time to buy or sell real estate depends on the type of dwelling and the current market conditions within a given sector.
• People who want to sell their property have the advantage in a seller’s market, where demand is higher than supply. The number of properties available is insufficient, so homes sell quickly and prices rise.
• People who are shopping around have the edge in a buyer’s market, where supply far exceeds demand. They have all the time in the world to find the home of their dreams and negotiate a good price.
Thinking of selling or buying a property? Check with a real estate agent to find out about the current market conditions.
What type of home suits you?
Would you love to buy your own home?
An important investment like this should never be undertaken lightly. Not only do you have to take the time to choose your new home and neighbourhood carefully, but you must first decide which type of property best suits your needs, both now and in the future. Single family, semi-detached, condo or home with a rental property — they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
• Single family home. Single-family homes are very popular and have many advantages, including more privacy. You can also build and modify at will, inside and outside. In other words, you can knock down walls, build a garage or plant a vegetable garden. A single-family home may not be the best option for you if you don’t have the time or inclination to mow the lawn, shovel snow, maintain the roof and clean the gutters.
• Semi-detached. Usually cheaper than a single-family home, a semi-detached has some of the advantages of the latter, including privacy. However, since two properties are built on the same land, you have less space outside. On the other hand, there is less maintenance work. If you buy a semi-detached home, make sure the dividing wall is thick enough to block any noise from the neighbouring unit.
• Condominium. A condo is great for people who don’t want the hassle of looking after a yard. Some condominiums provide special facilities, such as a swimming pool or gym, which you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. Keep in mind that you’ll pay condo fees accordingly. On the downside, a condo is a lot less private than a house. You must also be careful to choose a building where the other owners have
a similar lifestyle to your own. In addition, sharing common areas will often mean that you have to agree with them on how the building is maintained and managed.
• Homes with rental units. Buying a home that includes a rental unit may allow you to access the property market more easily; the rent you receive will help you pay your mortgage. A lot of your expen ses will also be tax deductible. However, a rental unit requires you to be available, as tenant emergencies can occur at any time. You should also be good with your hands for maintenance jobs.
Of course, there are other types of homes that may suit you, such as attached homes. Your real estate agent will be able to help you find the right property for your requirements.
Solariums give extra comfort and light
A solarium is a room filled with windows that acts as a buffer between the inside and outside of your home. In addition to offe ring a stunning view of your yard, extra living space and privileged access to lots of natural light, a solarium offers other benefits, too. If you’ve been thinking about adding a solarium to your home, be sure to keep reading.
THERMAL COMFORT
Are you one of those people who suffer terribly during summer heat waves? If so, adding a solarium to your home could really improve your comfort. Here’s how.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION
Several factors come into play when manufacturing and installing a solarium: the choice of materials and aircirculation systems; orientation; roofing; insulation and waterproofing. To enjoy all the benefits of your solarium (and avoid unpleasant surprises), entrust all these tasks to a reputable company.
During the day, all ventilation outlets and openings between your house and the solarium should be kept closed, with the goal of preventing heat from coming indoors. However, the outside windows of the solarium should be left open, allowing the hot air to escape.
At night, a solarium allows you to evacuate the hot air that settles naturally in the upper portion of your home. So, once the sun sets, all doors and vents between your solarium and the inside of your home should be opened. The noninsulated wall collects the cool air and redistributes it.
This is why a solarium can actually help you reduce your air conditioning costs. And during the winter it has the opposite effect — it acts as a buffer and reduces your heating costs. In other words, as well as being practical and attractive, a solarium is a moneysaving investment.
Melamine is back
Melamine has always been considered a low-end product that’s flimsy and unattractive. However, over the decades, the continual improvement of manufacturing processes has completely transformed this ma terial, so much so that it can now be found in the trendiest of homes.
These days the new melamine particleboards imitate different kinds of wood to perfection. There is a wide range of ultra-modern finishes available, and they are typically resistant to heat and scratches. We’ve certainly come a long way from the shiny melamine of the 1980s.
The advantages of glass partitions
It can be quite a challenge if you want to divide up the space in your home for, say, an office, but you don’t like the idea of sacrificing natural light by putting up walls. Before you resign yourself to this sad prospect, consider the possibility of installing glass partitions.
The concept is simple: instead of building solid walls, you can opt for walls that are both transparent and resilient. Choosing this option means you can organize a corner office in a quiet area with natural light, close to the kitchen or living room.
And to enjoy a little more
privacy, you could opt for a textured or frosted finish — no more excuses for being distracted from your work. It’s a great solution, isn’t it?
How to find the perfect front door
Is your front door damaged, rusted, defective or simply old-fashioned? If you’d like to replace it, just be sure not to buy one on the spur of the moment. Instead, take the time to choose a good-quality model that will enhance your home’s facade for years to come.
MATERIALS
One thing’s for sure: you can’t buy a front door in the same way as you’d buy a basement or bedroom door. Front doors have to be visually appealing as well as very strong. You’ll find a wide range of models on the market made of different materials, either alone or in combination:
• steel
• fibreglass
• wood
• aluminum
• PVC
Each material has its own advantages. Specialized companies will be able to advise you about which ones are most suitable for your needs and your budget.
SOUGHT-AFTER QUALITIES
When shopping for a front door, look for one that has the following characteristics:
• shock resistant
• good insulation and soundproofing
• easy maintenance
• enhanced security (solid locks and anchoring systems)
COLOURS AND GLAZING
Manufacturers offer an impressive range of colours and finishes to make sure your front door looks great. How ever, be careful when choosing the glass for your front-door’s window, as it can make all the difference in terms of style. There are many possibilities, including square, rectangular, half-moon, circle, mosaic or stained glass.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
When you’re shopping around for the perfect front door, ask a professional for advice. One good idea is to go shopping with a photo of the front of your house as well as the dimensions of the existing door opening. This will make it much easier for you to find a model that complements the style of your home.
CUSTOM-MADE
Keep in mind that it is always wise to have your front door made to measure; this ensures that its fit, shape, colour and hardware are perfectly adapted to your home. Moreover, if you entrust the installation to experts, the result will be flawless.
A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
The front door is a major component of your home, so don’t skimp on quality. This investment of a few hundred — or even a few thousand — dollars could definitely add value to your property.
Lori Cruddas
PRINCE GEORGE
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Cassandra Whitmarsh was just waking up in her room 113 at the Econo Lodge City Centre Inn last Wednesday morning when she heard yelling and screaming and a call of “fire” coming from an adjacent room in the downtown motel.
She looked out the window, saw a shadow of smoke, then opened the door into a deadly hallway inferno.
“The entire staircase was engulfed in flame, it was like the sun hitting your face,” said Whitmarsh. “It was like Dante’s Peak, the fire was completely back in the courtyard. It was so hot and so close.”
Whitmarsh rushed back into her room to wake up her 10-year-old son Kyler. She managed to grab a pair of pants and shirt for him to wear but all their other belongings were left behind.
“As soon as we got out the door I just pointed and told him to run that way,” she said. “It was kind of like it was chasing us. It was right behind people.”
The fire killed three people.
“We didn’t know three people had died
until I talked to my friend,” said Whitmarsh. “It’s crazy. I just hope it wasn’t a mother and child because I did hear it could be. It’s pretty sad.”
Whitmarsh’s room was three rooms away from the room where it’s believed the victims were at the time of the fire. She said she did not hear a fire alarm to warn her or other occupants of the motel, which she said was close to being fully occupied. As she was running out of the building, she saw a man who had been banging on the doors of the rooms to get people to leave. He had his arm around another man who had a partially-amputated leg to help him escape the building.
“That one single guy got everybody out, he probably saved 10 people,” Whitmarsh said. “He was the only one who went back in. He was the one screaming ‘fire’ banging on everyone’s doors. There was no alarm. Nothing. The only thing I heard was glass breaking.
“Kyler was very concerned I wasn’t right behind him because I grabbed the clothes. I just told him to go and he kept looking back at me. ‘Are you coming?’ He’s very protective of his mommy. I just think, what
if I had gone outside for a cigarette. I’m so thankful I got out of there with him but you just think about the what-ifs.”
The fire, at 910 Victoria St., broke out at about 8:53 a.m. Wednesday and Prince George Fire Rescue crews from No. 1 hall only a few blocks away were on the scene immediately after the 9-1-1 call went out.
RCMP have deemed the cause of the fire as suspicious and are continuing their investigation. Police have asked for members of the public who might have been at the scene or who have captured video of the motel between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. on Wednesday to submit those clips to the RCMP.
“We’ve had lots of people coming forward, which is great, and we continue to encourage anyone who has images to let us know,” said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. Douglass said the identities of the three victims has not been released by the BC Coroner’s office.
“At this point I’d be remiss to say anything without consent from the coroner,” said Douglass. “I don’t think it’s a secret that they passed away at the scene. Arsons
are notoriously difficult to investigate. A lot of the evidence gets burned, so it’s going to take time. We’ll see where the investigation takes us.”
Whitmarsh is from Smithers and had just relocated to Prince George with her son a week-and-a-half ago. All her possessions were in the room, which was destroyed by the fire. She and her son have found alternate accommodations at the Fraser Inn on Queensway. She said social services staff have been extremely helpful and caring and have provided her a cell phone to replace the one that was burnt in the fire. Kyler lost his toys and his Lego building blocks in the fire, while Cassandra says she can’t replace a shirt, her only remaining possession of her father, who died 11 years ago.
“Everything we owned was in there, we were just staying there two or three weeks until we got another place, because it’s hard to find housing here,” said Whitmarsh.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Whitmarsh and her son replace some of their lost possessions. If you would like to donate, go to: https://bit.ly/2OhqTPE.
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO
Prince George fire crews were busy last Wednesday with the Econo Lodge City Centre fire. Three people died in the blaze.
WHAT:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
City Council consideration of applications regarding:
•Temporar yUse Permit Application No. TU000061
•Cannabis License Application No. CN000012
•Proposed “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure Bylaw No. 9131, 2020”
•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”
Public Hearings regarding:
•“Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020”
•Proposed amendments to “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011” and “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”
WHEN:
Monday, July 27, 2020
WHERE:
Council Chamber sofCity Hall, 2nd Floor,1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC
PROPOSALS:
1. Temporar yUse Permit No. TU000061
Applicant: 1199562 B.C. Ltd., for Colin &MatthewHoldings Ltd., Inc. No. BC0780710
Subject Proper ty: 7550 Har tHighway
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
The pur pose of the proposed Temporar yUse Permit is to allow Retail, Cannabis use on the subject proper ty.The applicant has successfully completed the required financial integrity checks and security screenings for anon-medical cannabis retail store required by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch. In accordance with the Local Government Act,temporar yuse per mits can allow ause not per mitted by azoning bylaw. These per mits mayonly be issued for amaximum of three (3) year sand mayberenewedonce for an additional three (3) year s.
The proposed Temporar yUse Permit applies to the proper ty legally described as Lot A, District Lot 2433, Cariboo District, Plan 14477, Except Plan 29887, as shown in bold black on Location Map #1 below
1.1. Cannabis License Application No. CN000012
The applicant has applied to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for a Cannabis License for anon-medical retail cannabis store on the subject proper ty.The applicant has successfully completed the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch financial integrity check and security screening for anon-medical cannabis retail store.
The proposed hour sofoperation are: MondaytoSunday: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
The subject Cannabis License Application applies to the proper ty legally described as Lot A, District Lot 2433, Cariboo District, Plan 14477, except Plan 29887, as shown in bold black on Location Map #1 below
Notice of City Council’sdecision will be forwarded to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for their reviewand final deter mination on this application.
Location Map #1
7550 Har tHighway
2. “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure BylawNo. 9131, 2020”
Applicant: City of Prince George
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
Pur suant to section 40 of the Community Charter,the City of Prince George intends to close an approximate 279.0 m² (square metre) por tion of lane as shown dedicated on Plan 1268, adjacent to proper ties legally described as Lots 1to5 inclusive, Lots 17 to 21 inclusive, all in Block 142, District Lot 343, Cariboo District Plan 1268, and remove the highway dedication, as shown in bold black on the Location Map #2below.Closing the road area and consolidating it with the adjacent lands will enable afuture sale to occur
Location Map #2 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure
3. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9124, 2020”
Applicant: Kidd Real Estate Holdings Ltd., Inc. No. BC821509
Subject Proper ty: 7008 Taft Drive
Time: 6:00 p.m. for Council consideration
BylawNo. 9124, 2020 proposes to rezone the subject proper ty from RS1m: Suburban Residential to RS2: Single Residential. The pur pose of this application is to facilitate a subdivision creating two lots, each approximately 554 m² (square metre) in size on the subject proper ty,orother uses, pur suant to the proposed RS2: Single Residential zoning designation(s).
The proposed bylawapplies to the proper ty legally described as Lot 2, District Lot 4047, Cariboo District, Plan 18801, as shown in bold black on Location Map #3 below
Location Map #3
7008 Taft Drive
4. “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9082, 2019” AND “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019”
Applicant: M’akola Development Ser vices for Aboriginal Housing Society of Prince George, Inc. No. 19321
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
Subject Proper ty: 1919 17th Avenue
Time: 7:00
p.m. for Public Hearing
The pur pose of these applications is to amend the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylawtofacilitate the development of amixed-use housing development on the subject proper ty located at 1919 17th Avenue, that will suppor tmixed-income and accessible housing oppor tunities, and suppor tpublic transpor tation and walkable communities.
BylawNo. 9082, 2019 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011” as follows:
a. That “Schedule B-6: Future Land Use” be amended by re-designating the subject proper ty from Business District, Neighbourhood Centre, Residential, Neighbourhood, Cor ridor and Community Facility to Neighbourhood Centre, Cor ridor and Neighbourhood Centre, Residential, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylaw9082, 2019.
4.1. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019”
BylawNo. 9083, 2019 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007” as follows:
a. That the subject proper ty be rezoned from RM5: Multiple Residential, RM3: Multiple Residential and P2: Minor Institutional to RM5: Multiple Residential and C3: Neighbourhood Commercial, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9083, 2019;
b. That Section 10.13.3 –RM5: Multiple Residential, be amended by adding “Retail, General” as aSecondar yUse per mitted only on the subject proper ty; and
c. That Section 11.3.2 –C3: Neighbourhood Commercial, be amended by adding “Exhibition &Convention Facility” as aPrincipal Use per mitted only on the subject proper ty
The subject bylaws apply to the proper ty legally described as Lot 6, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 18815, as shown in bold black on Location Map #4 below
Location Map #4 1919 17th Avenue
5. “Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020”
Applicant: 1065297 B.C. Ltd., for Nor thernBreeze Inn Ltd., Inc. No. BC1076790
Subject Proper ty: 160 Quebec Street
Time: 7:00 p.m. for Public Hearing
BylawNo. 9130, 2020 proposes to discharge the Land Use Contract registered on title of the subject proper ty under the Land Title and Sur veyAuthority registration number : G12975, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9130, 2020.
The Land Use Contract registered on the subject proper ty limits the Land Use to “Hotel” and “Steam Bath” only.The pur pose of this application is to discharge the Land Use Contract therebyallowing the subject proper ty to be regulated under the “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”.
The proposed bylawapplies to the proper ty legally described as Lot 20, Block 21, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268 and Lot C(106366M), District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 12766.
Location Map #5 160 Quebec Street
HOWCAN IPROVIDE COMMENT?
Residents are invited to provide comments to Council by the methods noted below
As aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held on April 6, 2020 passed aresolution to discontinue infor mal hearings for bylaws and applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held. Residents wishing to provide comments to Council on the following bylaws or applications, may only do so, by submitting written cor respondence:
•Temporar yUse Permit Application No. TU000061;
•Cannabis Licensing Application No. CN000012;
•Proposed “City of Prince George 3rd Avenue and London Street Road Closure BylawNo. 9131, 2020”; and •Proposed Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9124, 2020 (Subject Proper ty: 7008 Taft Drive).
Submissions in writing
Written comments on all applications, should be forwarded to the Cor porate Officer by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2020, to be included in Council’sagenda package. Submissions received after this time will be provided to Council on the dayofthe Council meeting for their consideration during deliberations on the application or proposed bylaw. Submissions maybesent by email to citycler k@princegeorge.ca, faxed to (250) 561-0183, mailed or delivered to the address noted below
Please note that written submissions for all applications will for mpar tofthe Council agenda, become public record and are posted on the City’swebsite. By making a written submission you are consenting to the disclosure of anyper sonal infor mation that you provide.
Submissions by telephone
In an effor ttoprovide the public with options to speak to Council on aPublic Hearing application(s) and in accordance with Ministerial Order No. M192, the City now offer s par ticipation remotely via telephone during Public Hearings.
Telephone submissions mayonly be received during for mal public hearings. Residents are invited to par ticipate by telephone for the following applications:
•Official Community Plan Amendment BylawNo. 9082, 2019 and Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9083, 2019 (Subject Proper ty: 1919 17th Avenue); and •Authorization Issuance Land Use Contract No. LU 3-72, BylawNo. 2400, 1972, Discharge BylawNo. 9130, 2020 (Subject Proper ty: 160 Quebec Street).
Residents can pre-register to speak to the proposed bylaws noted above, live via telephone. Pre-registration will be open from 8:30 a.m., Thur sday, July 23, 2020 to Monday, July 27, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. To pre-register to speak to Council via phone, visit our website www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings to complete an online registration for morcall 311. If you miss pre-registering ,please watch the online live meeting broadcast as there will be an oppor tunity for you to call in for alimited period of time.
PRINCE GEORGE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS
Submissions in per son
Pur suant to Section 464(1) of the Local Government Act, a Public Hearing is required for Bylaw No.’s 9082, 2019, 9083, 2019 and 9130, 2020 and member s of the public are invited to provide comments to Council in per son at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2020 in Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.
The City of Prince George follows the orders of the Provincial Health Officer and guidelines regarding the size of gatherings and physical distancing Where Public Hearings are required to be held, measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of member s of the public attending the Public Hearings to provide comments.
City of Prince George open Council meetings are public and may be televised, streamed live by webcast, recorded and archived on the City’s website for viewing by the public. By attending an open Council meeting or making a submission at a public hearing you are consenting to the disclosure of any personal infor mation that you provide.
For more detailed infor mation on providing submissions to Council, please visit www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings.
Authority
Personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(g) and disclosed under the authority of section 33.1(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). For infor mation or questions, contact the City’s FIPPA Coordinator at 250-561-7600 or 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2L 3V9.
NEED
MORE INFORMATION?
A copy of the proposed bylaws, applications and any related documents will be available for review by the public on the City’s website www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning July 15, 2020. These documents may also be reviewed at Development Ser vices on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on July 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 27, 2020, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHO CAN I SPEAK TO?
For more information, please contact Development Ser vices in per son, by telephone at (250)561-7611 or by email to devser v@princegeorge.ca.
For more information regarding the Road Closure Application, please contact Real Estate Ser vices in per son, by telephone at (250)561-7611 or by email to realestate@princegeorge.ca.
For questions related to public hearing par ticipation and procedures, please contact Legislative Ser vices Division by telephone (250)561-7793 or by email to citycler k@princegeorge.ca.
FIRE SAFETY CRITICAL: CHIEF
TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
In the wake of last week’s deadly motel fire, Prince George Fire Rescue deputy chief Paul Knudsgaard is offering some advice to business operators and home owners to help save lives.
“We always talk about the critical importance of fire detection devices and fire suppression systems and fire alarm systems are critical to early detection of combustion and it can lead to very tragic results where early detection of fire is not provided,” said Knudsgaard.
“In fact, when I go to hotels, I’m probably one of the few people that actually looks at the floor plan on the back of the door to confirm how I would quickly get out of the building if I need to.”
Smoke detectors can easily be tested with the press of a button and their batteries should be replaced every year.
Knudsgaard said individual detectors are very different from fire alarm systems in public buildings which typically include pull stations, gongs and/or bells to notify people responsible for monitoring the building. All fire alarm systems are tied to an electrical panel in the
building which uses lights to display the functionality of the system and will indicate a warning if a problem exists.
The British Columbia Fire Code requires owners of public buildings and hotels to maintain the fire safety systems specified by the B.C. Building Code. Knudsgaard said hotel systems are inspected annually and the fire department requires documentation which indicates each of the components of a fire safety system has been tested and certified by an accredited servicing technician who has ensured it works properly.
If they are not maintained, the fire department will make sure they are brought into compliance through re-inspections or possible monetary penalties. If the system is found to be deficient and a trouble spot has been identified while the building is occupied, the business owner is required to post and maintain a fire watch until system is fixed.
All newer public buildings and hotels have fire suppression systems which when triggered will spray water on a fire. Knudsgaard said older buildings built before fire codes changed do not have automated fire suppression or the systems they do have in place have lesser function -
ality and might not have sprinklers that current building codes have required for at least the past two decades.
Prince George RCMP have deemed the cause of the Econo Lodge fire as suspicious and police are continuing their investigation. An eyewitnesses who was staying three rooms away from where the fire originated said she did not hear any fire alarms after being roused from her sleep by shouts coming from outside the room where she staying with her son.
Knudsgaard said he won’t offer any further details about that particular fire while the investigation proceeds and he declined to answer when the Econo Lodge was last inspected by the fire department.
“I can’t speak to anything specific regarding that property, but I can say that we have been inspecting that and all properties in compliance with our fire bylaw,” said Knudsgaard. “Regarding the cause and origin of that fire, it’s a very sensitive investigation given the nature of the fire and fatalities involved and it would be totally inappropriate to comment on the status of that building until the investigation has been completed.”
Woman hurt in bike accident
TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
A bike trip through Forests for the World with her friends Saturday morning turned into an ambulance ride to the hospital for a 27-yearold woman visiting the city from Toronto.
The woman lost control of her mountain bike and flipped while descending a steep hill on the Greenway Trail and suffered a back injury, just after one of her travel companions crashed his bike and gouged his arm when he landed on a rock.
Three Prince George Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the Forest for the World parking lot just west of the UNBC campus and after treating her to minimize movement of her back, they used a one-wheeled stretcher (big wheel) to drag the woman to safety.
The accident scene was about five kilometres from the parking lot and it upon arrival it took about 20 minutes for firefighters to walk in and reach the woman.
During their initial assessment of the woman’s
condition, PGFR Cpt. Kevin Woodhouse said she tried to walk on her own but the pain in her back returned and she was placed on the stretcher, with a clamshell covering her face to keep the rain off. At about 11:15 p.m. they returned to the parking lot and she was transferred to a waiting ambulance who took her to UHNBC.
“It was a pretty steep, 30-foot embankment and she had a good roll but she didn’t hit any rocks,” said Woodhouse. “We packaged her up and did spinal precautions just as
that, for a precaution. For the 20 minutes it took us to get there she kind of thought (she was OK) but as soon as she stood up she wasn’t mobile.”
Woodhouse said the fire department has already received approval to buy a two-person side-by-side quad for off-road rescues, but the pandemic crisis has put that spending on hold.
“It was budgeted and the city was getting us one, just like our two rescue water craft, but that was all pre-COVID,” said Woodhouse. “The city takes very good care of us and they know, because we have had (fire department) members injured on these rescues, on Pidherny. They twist their ankles of whatever. It’s exertion, no matter, because you’ve got, I’d say ,70 pounds of rescue gear plus a patient of 120 or 130 pounds, and that’s a lighter woman.”
He said the city is in the process of producing detailed rescue maps of all backcountry trails that surround the city, which will identify trail features, vehicle access points and hazards which could impede rescues.
School plans taking shape
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Parents of Prince George kindergarten-Grade 7 students should be planning for a five-day-per-week return to school in September.
That full restart for elementary-aged students is the goal Education Minister Rob Fleming has in mind. Fleming said the province will reveal more details within the next three weeks about its plan for schools to reopen for the upcoming school year.
In his update last Wednesday, Fleming said there’s a certainty that kindergarten-Grade 7 students will be allowed back in the classroom, as they were at the start of June. School schedules over the past month were staggered to minimize crowding and classroom desk configurations were set up to minimize the chance of physical contact.
“We were originally set to believe we wouldn’t hear until late August, but recently the minister has said a plan will be out to parents about what September may look like within a couple of weeks,” said School District 57 chair Tim Bennett.
Stage 3 protocols were in place which allowed for inclass learning to resume two days per week for K-Grade 5 students and one day per week for Grades 6-12. Children of essential service workers were cleared to attend school full-time, five days per week.
Those classes were optional and less than 30 per cent of SD 57’s 12,894 students returned for the final month of the school year.
Most of the students who did come back for June were in the younger grades.
Stage 3 restrictions mean schools cannot exceed 50 per cent capacity. Bennett said if alternating class schedule times and a lack of space in schools make it impossible to prevent physical contact among the students, then the district might have to look at community halls or other alternatives to find alternate classroom space to allow all students to return to class and keep students and staff safe.
“The framework is laid out by the ministry and then the district has to figure out how to operationalize that,” said Bennett.
“Realistically, we’ll probably be at least where we were in June, but hopefully Stage 2 or Stage 1. If the minister comes out and says we’re in Stage 2, which is full-time K-7 and part-time secondary, then the district will have to figure out how to make that happen. If we enter at Stage 1, which is everybody back into the building, we’ll be ready for that as well. We anticipate by August 1st we’ll know what September will look like.”
The sooner that becomes clear, the better, says Joanne Hapke, president of the Prince George District Teachers’ Association.
After months of upheaval and uncertainty as teachers made the shift to on-line instruction, she said the nearly 1,000 teachers in the district need as much time as possible to rethink how they will conduct their lessons.
“If we know by the end of July, that would be fabulous because teachers, even though they’re on summer holidays, can start preparing for what the classroom will look like for the very least in September,” said Hapke. “We all know things could change for October or November but at least we’ll know what to look for when we arrive back to school.”
Hapke is hoping schools will maintain vigilant cleaning standards during the coming school year.
“We don’t know what COVID is going to look like and I hope the minister is taking into account the provincial health recommendations and that we aren’t being used to restart the economy,” said Hapke. “We’re going to go into a season of everybody coming together and we all know what the fall is like in a classroom. Everybody shares their viruses after two months of being away from one another.”
Regional District BoardRoom 155 George Street, Prince George, BC
The public hearing will be chaired by adelegate of the Regional District Board.
Owner: The owners areBarry and Tammy Thomas.
Proposal: Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, Amendment Bylaw No. 3181, 2020 proposes to rezone the subject parcel from Rural Residential 1(RR1) to Rural Residential 9(RR9) to allow for asecond Residential-Single Family dwelling and all other permitted uses pursuant to the RR9 zone. The subject parcel is legally described as Lot 98 District Lot 1563 Cariboo District Plan 916 and is located at 2865 Fraser Road.
How can Iparticipate and provide comment? Anyone who believes that their interest in land is affected by the proposed bylaw shall be afforded areasonable opportunity to be heard at the public hearing or to present written comments prior to or at the public hearing regarding matters contained in the bylaws through the following ways:
Submit written comments: Written comments will be accepted by the Regional District in advance of the public hearing until 12:00 p.m. on Friday,July 24, 2020 by: Email: developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca
Hand/Mail: 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8 Fax: 250-562-8676
Written comments may also be submitted at the public hearing.
Attend through electronic methods: To participate in the public hearing through electronic methods (telephone or online) contact the Regional District office at 250-960-4400 or developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca to receive instructions. Deadline to request electronic attendance instructions is 12:00 p.m. (Noon) on July 24, 2020.
Attend in-person: Attend the public hearing in person at the specific date and time. Please note that the Regional District will be enforcing provincial orders and recommendations regarding gathering sizes and distancing.
Any material received beforeoratthe public hearing will become public information.
Need moreinfo? Acopy of the proposed Bylaw and any relevant background materials areavailable for review by the public on the Regional District’swebsite at http://www rdffg.bc.ca/services/development/land-use-planning/currentapplications/ or at the Regional District office, by appointment only,Monday through Friday,8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., between June 30, 2020 and July 24, 2020. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at developmentservices@rdffg. bc.ca or at 250-960-4400.
Who can Ispeak to? Tyson Baker,Planner I, 250-960-4400
What: Public Consultation regarding Temporary Use Permit No. 237
Owner: Norman and Sandra Clarke
Proposal: The purpose of Temporary Use Permit No. 237 is to permit Towing Company use including an office, vehicle maintenance, employee parking, storage of fleet and impounded/towed vehicles, in addition to Storage/ Warehousing use accessory to the Towing Company use, for up to athree-year period. The subject property is Lot 63 District Lot 1563 Cariboo District Plan 916 Except Plan 23026. The property is located at 1890 Sintich Road East
How can Iparticipate and provide comment? Anyone who believes that their interest in land is affected by the proposed Permit shall be afforded areasonable opportunity to submit written comments prior to the Regional District Board considering issuance of the Permit.
Submit written comments: Written comments will be accepted by the Regional District until 12:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2020 by: Email: developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca
Hand/Mail: 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8 Fax:250-562-8676
Any material received will become public information.
Need moreinfo? Acopy of the proposed Permit and any relevant background materials areavailable for review by the public on the Regional District’swebsite at http://www rdffg.bc.ca/services/development/land-use-planning/currentapplications/ or at the Regional District office, by appointment only,Monday through Friday,8:00 am to 4:30 pm, between July 13, 2020, and August 7, 2020. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at developmentservices@rdffg. bc.ca or at 250-960-4400
Decision by the Regional District Board: Following the public consultation, the Regional District Boardwill consider issuance of Temporary Use Permit No. 237 on Thursday, August 20, 2020 during the Regional District Boardmeeting which starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Regional District BoardRoom located at 155 George Street, Prince George, BC.
Who can Ispeak to? Daniel Burke, Planner I, 250-960-4400
LEGG RETAINS SENIOR MEN’S TITLE
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
After heating up the course with a career-best 69 on a blustery opening day at the Glen Bryant Senior Men’s Golf Tournament, Rob Kuharski fell off the pace in the final round Sunday on another wet and windy day at Prince George Golf and Curling Club.
Mike Legg and Will Gilbert put their experience to work as tournament champions the previous two years and chipped away at Kuharski’s two-stroke advantage, but a strong finish from the 64-year-old put him back within striking distance.
Kuharski’s 30-foot birdie putt on 17 pulled him even with Gilbert, the 2018 champ, and that left him one shot back of Legg, the defending champion, who overshot the runway and double-bogeyed the second-last hole.
On 18, Legg and Gilbert both hooked their second shots into the rough and that gave Kuharski a chance to make up for his own wayward drive into the long grass that borders the 507-yard Par 5. Kuharski kept the pressure on when he made par with another long putt, but Legg would not be denied. He tapped in for par to beat Kuharski and Gilbert by one stroke.
Legg was three up on the rest of the field until he mistakenly pulled an eightiron out of his bag instead of nine-iron for his approach on the Par 4 No. 17.
His ball ended up rolling down the back hill of the green and he had to settle for a six on a hole he birdied the previous day.
“I kind of let them back in, if I had just grabbed the right iron, and (Kuharski) made two great putts on 17 and 18,” said Legg. “I kind of thought he was out of it earlier on but I forgot he was under par the first day, so I was focusing more on what Will was doing.
“It wasn’t my best day but overall it was good. It got the job done.”
Legg shot 72-74-146 to repeat his 2019 title win.
The 52-year-old’s work commitments as a process operator at Canfor’s Intercontinental Pulp Mill meant he had to miss his first crack at the 50-and-older senior event two years ago. The Aberdeen Glen heavy-hitter missed three weeks on the course in May when he cut his hand for nine stitches in a fall.
“With all the craziness in the world it’s awesome to play tournament golf,” said Legg. “A lot of people don’t realize how different it is from regular golf. You’ve got to go out there and make those three-foot
putts where, sometime in a casual round tour friends will give them to you. You have to stay in it and stay focused and stay with it.
“I’m hoping Aberdeen, my home course, will look at it and they can find some way of doing their signature events, the Divorce Open and the Ironman.”
Kuharski is no stranger to the PGGCC’s annual senior tournament.
This was his 14th crack at the title but never before has he ended up near the top of the leaderboard.
He finished Sunday with a round of 78 for a 147 total.
“It was close, we played in conditions today that were all over the board, but it was a fun ride,” said Kuharski, who moved to the city in 1990 from Vancouver. “It’s a new experience for me and I gave the guys a run for their money. I shot 69 (Saturday) and I’d never broken 70, so it was good in that regard.
“I came up short but I’m happy with the way I shot. I might have come close to winning my flight but never the overall championship. I’ve played quite a bit this year with what’s going on. I’ve been off work so I’ve got a lot a lot of spare time. I’ve probably got 35 or 40 rounds in this year.”
In these pandemic times, Gilbert has also been away from his job at Northland Dodge Chrysler and that’s left him more time to refine his golf game. The 53-yearold’s consistency showed when he opened with a two-over 73 and he capped that with a round of 74 to finish tied for second place with Kuharski. For Gilbert, the difference Sunday came down to his putting game.
“I didn’t make any putts, I three-putted three or times and that cost me,” said Gilbert, who shot a four on Par 5 No. 16 to get back in the hunt. “I should have birdied 18, because (Legg) wasn’t going to birdie after his second shot.
“Rob hung in tough today, after his firstround 69, that was really good for him to shoot like that.”
Gilbert finished three strokes behind Legg in the tournament last year.
“I’m playing way more golf this yeareveryone is,” said Gilbert. “It’s hard to get tee times at P.G. and Aberdeen.”
The two-day event drew 102 golfers and served as a test event for the PGGCC. The club’s board of directors will later decide whether it will go ahead with a plan to host the Ladies Simon Fraser and Men’s Simon Fraser Open tournaments in August.
Spruce City fastball season underway
Citizen staff
After weeks of negotiating with the city, the Spruce City Men’s Fastball Association opened its season Tuesday. Last Friday, the four-team league finalized its plans to play a two-month 20-game schedule that will end in late August.
The four teams will be Falcon Contracting, Sibola Electric, Custom Edge Sports and Hitmen. Games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week (7 p.m. start) with doubleheaders scheduled for the following weeks on Tuesdays,
Wednesday, and Thursdays.
“We hope there are guys itching to play,” said league organizer Chad Ghostkeeper. “The whole process was waiting for the city to get stuff signed on their side. Everybody’s got to protect themselves. I heard baseball’s not going so if there‘s any players out there who want to try the game, just get ahold of me.”
Restrictions will be in place at Spruce City Stadium and players will be directed where they are allowed to go and what is off-limits to them to maintain social distancing measures.
Masich stadium reopens
Masich Place Stadium is now reopen to the public with full, regular hours.
Renovations to the stadium and pandemic concerns prompted the facility to be close to the public this year. The stadium track is now open for walkers from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week – except when the facility is booked by user groups.
“Council and staff are working to reopen as many facilities as we responsibly can, while still trying to keep all of us safe during the global pandemic. We realize members of the community are extremely eager to return doing the activities they enjoy,” Mayor Lyn Hall said in a press release. “The announcement is a change from plans announced last month.
Each team fielding in its half of the inning will have its own balls and only members of that team will be allowed to touch them. Umpires will not be handling the balls.
Ghostkeeper said there’s no real worries about crowd sizes exceeding the 50 person limit imposed by the B.C. health authority.
“We don’t get many fans anyway, wives and girlfriends and that’s about it,” Ghostkeeper quipped.
He said his dad Peter, will be the one patrolling the park, enforcing the new COVID rules.
A city staff report to city council on June 15 said the stadium would only reopen from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., five days a week because of staffing cuts approved by city council in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Construction work on the stadium is scheduled to continue and be completed by the end of summer.
Access to the facility will be from the Massey entrance and residents are asked to avoid construction zones and practice social distancing while using the track.
The city is working with local sports organizations to allow them to return to play on city fields and ball diamonds, a city statement said. Groups will be required to have a safety plan in place which aligns with the city’s safety plan.
The Spruce City concession will also be open during game nights.
Last weekend in Kelowna, a team of 13 Prince George-area players hooked up with a few out-of-town pickups to represent the city at an eight-team men’s tournament and came home with the title.
The Big Guy Lake Kings defeated Kelowna 6-0 in the final and went 5-1 in the tournament.
Ghostkeeper, who played for Big Guy Lake, said there are no immediate plans for more tournament play but said the Spruce City Stadium might be the site of
TWOLVES
a small-scale local tournament later this summer.
“Everybody still wants to play ball, but everybody is nervous to host something,” he said. “They’re putting their name on the line of their team on the line.”
The Spruce City league was supposed to host the Canadian Native Fastball Championships, July 31-Aug. 3, but that was canceled by the pandemic.
Ghostkeeper said the city will retain the host rights and the tournament will be played in Prince George in the summer of 2021.
PICK UP CENTRE BACK
The UNBC Timberwolves have solidified their backline with the recruitment of centre back Mackenna de Haan.
The 17-year-old Surrey resident took part in UNBC’s ID camp in November and has known coach Neil Sedgwick for years, according to a release issued by the team.
“I chose UNBC and the Timberwolves because I loved the school when I visited. I enjoy the northern setting and environment, and I felt very comfortable while on campus,” de Haan said in a press release.
“I have known Neil since I was 13, and I have always appreciated his advice and the way he coaches.”
Although the Canada West schedule has been cancelled, de Haan will join the team for training while she studies nursing and psychology.
“I love soccer because I have been around it from a very young age,” de Haan said. “I like that it provides an outlet from the stresses of everyday life. I like the companionship of being on a team and creating lifelong friendships. Playing at the university level has been a dream of mine since I joined the BCSPL when I was 11-years-old.”
Standing six-feet-tall, de Haan is an imposing presence on the pitch. She played with the TSS Academy in Richmond, while attending Burnsview Secondary.
“Her playing ability is sound and, in time, we see Mackenna continuing her growth and making an impact here. She is a central defender who is a good passer of the ball, so she will fit in well. I am excited about her commitment,” Sedgwick said.
Citizen staff
Citizen staff
UNBC cuts jobs, balances budget
MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
The University of Northern British Columbia Board of Governors approved a $93.6-mllion operating budget for 2020-21 that trimmed $3.4 million in expenses at the cost of 21 jobs and increased tuition fees to make ends meet.
The job cuts account for $1.4 million of the reduction.
Twelve of the positions were vacant leaving nine people who will lose their jobs directly.
Eleven are unionized workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, eight are exempt staff or senior administration positions, and two faculty.
Students will see a two-per-cent increase in tuition, pushing the average for a full-time undergraduate student up by $109 to $5,533.
By law, universities must passed balanced budgets.
UNBC relies on the provincial government for about 60 per cent of its revenue while tuition and fees cover another 23 per cent.
Wages and benefits account for about 70 per cent of the university’s total operating expenditures.
“We had to make some very tough and unfortunate decisions,” UNBC interim president Geoff Payne said.
He pointed to inflation and other cost drivers and trouble meeting targets for
enrollment as the main reasons for the steps.
He said some one-time funding helped with the shortfall, “but we also needed to make some permanent reductions in order to put the university back on the path of economic sustainability.”
He said the job cuts were an “even mix” of unionized and faculty.
According to the local’s website, eight are members CUPE Local 3799, which represents support workers at the university.
UNBC Faculty Association president Stephen Rader said two faculty who are retiring will not be replaced.
Going forward, Payne is taking a waitand-see attitude as to how the COVID-19
pandemic will affect UNBC.
“We’ll have to see where the financial outlook will come down,” he said. “Obviously, we are going to have some financial impacts but we’re also not spending in certain areas because with COVID, we’re not travelling as much and those types of things.”
Payne said some “exciting things” are coming in terms of restructuring and course offerings.
“And really, UNBC is a great school with great people and we make significant impacts so we’ll continue on that path of being one of Canada’s best small research-intensive universities,” he said.
The board approved the budget at its June 19 meeting.
Keep dogs under control, Canada Post tells residents
Citizen staff
Canada Post has issued a plea to Prince George dog owners to keep their dogs secure to avoid confrontations between pets and postal workers.
As of the end of June, postal workers in the city had reported 27 incidents involving dogs –
including seven in May and 11 in June.
“As much as we love our furry friends, they are protective of their home and their family, and it’s impossible for delivery agents to know how any dog will react when they approach your home to deliver the mail,” a statement issued by Canada Post said.
“Our request to dog owners: please do not open the door during deliveries or allow your dog to approach our employees while they are out in the community. This makes it difficult to adhere to physical distancing when owners need to retrieve their dogs, and it increases the risk of dog bites.” Canada Post employees deliv-
er mail and parcels to millions of homes across Canada and an estimated 41 per cent of households have dogs.
With school out for the summer and the COVID-19 pandemic still at large, many people are at home during the day and may be outside with their pets, the statement said.
“We know this is a difficult
time and we appreciate your help in keeping our employees safe, which will also help keep our local communities safe,” the Canada Post statement stated.
“We continue to put the safety of our employees and the community first. We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding.”
Ancient Forest plan gets funding
MARK NIELSEN
Citizen staff
The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation has secured $7.8 million from the federal and provincial governments for an ambitious list of improvements and additions to the Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whutujut Provincial Park.
Work over the next three years will include construction of an interpretive centre, along with a sweat lodge, pit house, gazebo, and improvements to the boardwalk as well as new hiking trails.
The funding is comprised of $6.5 million from the federal government and $1.3 million from the province. The Lheidli T’enneh will contribute $870,254, pushing the total to $8.7 million.
“This is a pretty big deal, we’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time,” Lheidli
T’enneh Dayi Clay Pountney said in reference to nearly two years it took to get the support. Laying the groundwork began in September 2018 when the Lheidli T’enneh and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy signed a memorandum of understanding to work on the planning and management of the park.
Perhaps the most-notable addition will be an interpretive centre at the park’s main parking lot alongside Highway 16, 115 kilometres east of Prince George. The sweat lodge, pit house and gazebo will be centred at a cultural site on the west bank of the Fraser River.
It will be both a chance to showcase Lheidli T’enneh history and culture and draw even more tourists to the park, which drew nearly 18,000 visitors in
2018. Indeed, feedback gathered through Northern BC Tourism and Tourism Prince George has shown a desire by visitors to better understand and learn about the local First Nations.
“We want to make sure that people can enjoy it - it’s a big part of tourism here - but also to highlight us as Lheidli and how we use this,” Pountney said. “This is one of our shining spots in our territory.”
Established as a Class A provincial park in March 2016, Ancient Forest-Chun T’oh Whutujut (pronounced Chun Toe Woodyu-jud) covers 11,190-hectares and protects a portion of B.C.’s inland temperate rainforest.
The plan also covers neighbouring Slim Creek Provincial Park (506 hectares), which currently has no established trails, and the Ancient Forest-Chun
T’oh Whutujut Protected Area (685 hectares).
Nowell Senior, one of the key figures in the creation and development of the park, welcomed the news. As well as providing the Lheidli T’enneh an opportunity to invite people to share their culture, Senior, who sat on an advisory committee as part of the process to draw the funding, said it will also deliver major improvements to the boardwalk that winds for 2.3 kilometres through the forest.
That work will include widening the boardwalk to allow use of a Trailrider - a type of wheelchair - to allow people with mobility challenges to tour the site. As it stands, they are limited to a 500-metre universal boardwalk. It will also entail installing railing along both sides for the boardwalk’s full length for the
Employment recovery slow in city
Citizen staff
The city’s unemployment rate decreased slightly last month but remained well above pre-pandemic levels.
On Friday, Statistics Canada reported
the city’s unemployment rate in June was 10.7 per cent, down from the peak of 11.8 per cent seen in May, but still above the 10.1 per cent reported for April. In January and February, before the economic impact of the COVID-19 pan-
IS THE BOX EMPTY?
demic hit the city, the unemployment rate was 7.6 to 7.7 per cent.
In June 2019, the city’s unemployment rate was 4.2 per cent – less than half the rate in June this year.
Prince George continued to have stronger employment numbers than the province as a whole.
B.C.’s unemployment rate stood at 13 per cent in June, down from 13.4 per cent in May.
sake of the both the visitors and the trees.
“There are no rails right now, except in a couple small sections of boardwalk, and the idea is to have it protected all the way around so that engages people to enjoy the trip more safely and also to avoid doing damage to the integrity of the forest floor by stepping off the boardwalk and maybe climbing on cedar trees for photo ops,” Senior said. “They shouldn’t really do that... they don’t realize it but over time it does do damage.”
Pountney said the work will start this year. The deadline for completion is Oct. 31, 2027 but Lheidli T’enneh plan to have all in place in three years.
“There are a lot of different pieces to it...It’s very interesting. It’s going to be very neat to see the final product.” he said.
The unemployment rate may not reflect the full loss of employment in the city. There were nearly 10,000 fewer people working in the city in June 2020 than in June 2019 – 41,900 people working in 2020, compared to 51,800 in 2019. The city’s participation rate –the percentage of working-age people working or actively seeking work – dropped from 74.3 per cent in June 2019 to 63.9 per cent last month.
Housing sales down, prices holding firm
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a drop in house sales across northern B.C., the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board reported on Tuesday.
In the first six months of the year, 1,786 properties sold in the north, compared with 2,298 over the same period last year. The value of properties that changed hands was $538.6 million, down from $716.5 million in the first half of 2019.
In Prince George, 520 properties worth $180.2 million were sold in the first six months of 2020, compared with 697 properties worth $245.7 million in 2019.
“The first half of 2020 saw a significant decline in housing demand in the region, with sales in April reaching a low not seen since January 1988. Despite the region’s struggling forestry, and
mining and oil sectors, the decline in the second quarter was primarily due to the state of emergency declared by the province that implemented physical-distancing measures,” board president Shawna Kinsley said. “This halted real estate activity across the province, which is highly reliant on in-person interactions. Moreover, significant job losses were reported in the services sector in the region, and large projects such as LNG and BC Hydro paused work that was deemed non-essential.”
Despite the 30 per cent drop in sales seen in the second quarter of 2020, prices increased two per cent compared to 2019 due to an 18 per cent decline in active listings, the board reported.
The B.C. Real Estate Association is predicting a province-wide drop in sales of 18 per cent for the year, due to the ongoing economic slowdown.
“Meanwhile, as the B.C. economy begins to gradually reopen and demand starts to pick up, resale supply will be slow to respond and the pace of new housing is expected to slow as well with housing starts forecast to fall almost 19 per cent in central regions like Prince George,” the association said in a press release.
“As such, BCREA forecast(s)... average prices to rise by 2.3 per cent in 2020.”
In the western part of the city, there were 84 single-family homes sold this year with a median price of $353,000. East of the bypass, 67 single-family homes sold for a median price of $286,000.
In the north of the city (Hart), 72 single-family homes sold with a median value of $385,000. In the southwest part of the city (College Heights), 99 single-family houses sold with a median price of $450,000.
Citizen staff
Ride hailing service to launch in Prince George
MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
A ride hailing service is about to take to the city’s streets.
Coastal Rides has been operating along the Sunshine Coast since late February and will be expanding into Prince George starting with a soft launch sometime next week, said owner Ryan Staley.
He said the move is being made after he was contacted by some drivers in Prince George who had hoped to work for another company that failed to get a licence.
Staley said he wanted to make sure the business was running smoothly where it is currently operating before taking the leap while the COVID-19 pandemic also forced a delay. But with the
province now into Phase 3 of the restart plan, a handful of drivers have been recruited and are just about ready to go.
Like other services of its kind, it’s centred on an app, which can be found through www. coastalrides.ca. Once downloaded, you’ll be asked to set up an account and provide your credit card information.
Through your phone, the app will know where you are when you put in a request for a ride. You put in the address of the place you want to go to and it will give you an estimate of the fare.
Once you’ve confirmed you want the ride, it will search for a driver who is on duty.
The passenger will be given the driver’s first name and photo along with a description of the
vehicle and its licence plate number.
Drivers must hold any of a class one, two or four licence, have been issued fewer than four tickets with points in the last two years and have had no driving suspensions in the last three. They must also clear a criminal record check.
They must also own their own vehicle, it must be less than 10 years old, and it must be a fourdoor with a Plexiglas or vinyl barrier between the front and back seats to prevent the spread of COVID. Passengers will be required to sit in the back seat.
Drivers will be limited to no more than three passengers at a time for the time being. The fare charged is based on time and distance and starts at $10.
“It’ll be slightly cheaper (than
MUSEUM DELAYS REOPENING
Citizen staff
Exploration Place will remain closed until the spring of next year.
The museum’s board of directors decided during their most-recent meeting to delay reopening both in the name of preventing spread of COVID-19 and to give time for a major renovation.
“Staff are working in the building, renovating our galleries, access points and interpretation,” the museum said in a statement issued this week.
“We are planning to offer a large, indoor botanical Palaeo-Garden and a major expansion to our Animal Ambassador Program and Biome that will explore climate, evolution and what tools we have in our history that can be used to inform our future.
“We will reconfigure the Ted Williams
History Hall with more room for in-house exhibits drawing on our collection and archives of over 1,000,000 entries, and we will be creating new space to showcase indigenous material culture and traditional ways of knowing.”
Online services will remain operating.
“We will continue to offer you new online experiences; launching our online Nature Exchange and Speaker Series this summer; offering free in-class school programs starting this fall all over Northern B.C. and by upgrading our obsolete collections database to a brand new system this winter.
“Our gift shop is available for curbside pick-up and we are still selling those great, non-medical masks to help keep us all safe.”
The museum has been closed since March 13.
John pleads not guilty
Citizen staff
Indigenous leader Ed John has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges dating back more than 45 years and chose to have the case heard in B.C. Supreme Court before a jury.
John made his decisions known during an arraignment hearing in Prince George provincial court. The matter was adjourned to July 16 before a judicial case manager to fix a date for a pretrial conference and preliminary inquiry, which is held to test the strength of the Crown’s case.
John faces four counts of rape - the term then used for what is now known as sexual assault -alleged to have occurred between March 1 and
Sept. 15, 1974 in Prince George, Cluculz Lake and Fraser Lake, and involving one person, whose name is protected by a court-ordered publication ban. The charges were first sworn on Nov. 8, 2019, but thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the matter had been adjourned five times as of Wednesday. John took the hearing in by phone in
accordance with measures invoked due to the pandemic.
John is a former leader of the First Nations Summit and former B.C. cabinet minister. He is also a hereditary chief of Tl’azt’en Nation in northern B.C. and a lawyer who holds honorary doctor of laws degrees from UNBC and the University of Victoria.
a taxi) although we have to make sure drivers are being compensated fairly so it’s not a deep discount,” Staley said.
“The other benefit is knowing a vehicle is on the way to pick you up - you’ll be able to see that in the app. Also, the payment process is done entirely through the app, so contactless payment which, especially right now, is a big plus.
“And once we’re out of the COVID-19 situation, we’ll also offer pool drives where if two riders are headed in the same direction, our system will send the driver in the same direction to pick up multiple people. That’s when the costs for a ride will really come down.”
Drivers will be able to work whenever they want but will be limited to no more than 12 hours
per day and 70 hours over seven days. Staley predicted they will be in high demand during weekend bar closures and at Christmas time when the taxis are struggling to get to all the calls they receive.
At least two other fledgling ride-hailing services tried but failed to get approval from the Passenger Transportation Board to operate in northern B.C. largely because the board found their applications lacked important details.
“It’s really about understanding what your responsibilities are for having drivers on board and for monitoring them and that wasn’t just a quick ‘oh, yeah, we can do that,’” Staley said. “We really had to think about the process and make sure we felt comfortable with it.”
Care homes open to visitors
ARTHUR WILLIAMS
Citizen staff
Eighteen long-term care and assisted-living facilities in Northern Health have their visitation plans in place and either have resumed, or will soon resume.
Northern Health spokesperson Eyrn Collins said Gateway Lodge has been open to visitors since July 6, while Jubilee Lodge, Parkside Care and Simon Fraser
Lodge started allowing visitors Monday. “The wrinkle to keep in mind here is it is very much in coordination with staff. While visiting has been expanded, there are still some restrictions in place,” Collins said.
Anyone who wishes to visit a loved one in a long-term care facility is advised to contact that facility to find out what the specific procedures are, she said.
Vanøuver andthe sea−to-Sky 3NEw WAys to EXpLOre
Rediscoverone of BC’s best-known corridors when youexploreMetro Vancouverand the Sea-to-Sky.See familiar places with fresheyes: book aforagingtourinVancouver,hiketo hiddenlakes in Squamish, or take an IndigenousculturaltourinWhistler, forexample.
CelebrateArt andCulture
Indigenouspeople have livedonthis land sincetimeimmemorial andtheirinfluences are deeply woveninto theculturalfabric, from seatosky.Learnabout theliving culturethrough an Indigenous-ledwalking tour throughStanleyPark.
Thereare many waystodiscover(or rediscover) therichculture andthriving artscene Cyclethroughhistoric neighbourhoodslikeGastown,huntfor colourful urbanart in Mount Pleasant,and findsecretcoffee shopsalong SouthGranville. Or,visit one of manymuseums, galleries,and gardensfor amoment of quiet reflection.
HeadonaCulinaryJourney
Expand your repertoire of restaurantsonafoodie quest. Richmond’s DumplingTrail is a must-dofor fans of juicydumplings,wontons,and bao.Revisit your favouriteItalian eateries on Commercial Drive, or cross thebridgetothe North Shore’sShipyards District andhop betweenup-and-coming breweries.
Plan agetaway in theSea-to-SkyCorridor. Stop in Squamishfor craftcider andcasualal frescodining. Whistler—celebratedfor itslivelyaprès scene—is also afoodie haven. Youcan do it all:sip BC wines andslurplocaloysters;tuckinto decadent goodiesatanartisan bakery; or sip hand-crafted cocktails. Take a food tasting tour for the full experience
Pemberton’sfarms-with-a-viewoffer achance to getclosertoyourfoodthan ever before Pick freshberries(don’tforgettosnagthe homemadepiesand preser ves),and stop by alocal eatery foringredient-driven fare
Gear Up forAdventure
ThoughVancouver’s glittering skyscrapersinspired thenickname“City of Glass,” nature is stilljustaroundthe bend. Forevery delicious meal savoured,there’sabiketrail to explore. For ever yart galler yvisited,there’sa mountain to summit.
You’ve probably driven thewinding Sea-to-Sky Highway, to visitcommunities betweenWest Vancouver andPembertonbefore,but thereare always newwaystoexperienceold favourites. View theSea-to-Sky’svolcanic peakswitha flightseeingtour, take agondolatogreat heights in SquamishorWhistler,raftthroughvoracious glacier-fed rivers,ortrotthroughPemberton meadows by horseback.
Squamish—typicallyknown formountain activities likerockclimbing,hiking, andbiking—is also astepping stone to Howe Sound. Book aguidedpaddleboardtourorkiteboardinglesson to spendtimeinthe fjord.Meanwhile, adventure-filledWhistler needsnointroduction. BC residentsand visitors alike enjoyalpinesightseeing,lift-accessed downhillriding,and lake exploration, amongother activities.
ExplOr_e BC L_i_k_e nEveRbeforE
From local gems hidinginplainsight to naturalwondersfur ther afield,it’stimetorediscoverBCwith acollectionofexperiences from around theprovince: West coastculture: ExploreruggedPacificCoastshoreline, forested peaksand vibrant coastal communities Mountain peaks& towns: From breathtaking views to charming mountain town culture, adventure is away of life in southeastern BC . Northernwild: In Nor thern BC ,discoverancient glaciers andmar velatnature like neverbefore in thevastwilderness. Ranches,rivers &ranges: From historic trailstothe mightyFraserRiver,followyoursense of adventure. Vineyards, valleys& lakes: Savour theunique flavoursand lakeside lifestyleofBC, from theFraser Valleytothe Okanagan andbeyond.
Sea-to-Sky Highway
EagleCreek |BlakeJorgenson
H d C li J
Richmond |Tourism Richmond
BC’s West Coast is knownthe worldoverfor itscolourful patchwork of land- andseascapes, buthow oftendoweexperience this wild beauty forourselves?Thissummer,rediscover theseaside communities youlove andthe reasons youlove them—placeslikeGibsonsand Telegraph Cove,withtheirlaid-backculture,raw nature,ocean adventures, andwildlife sightings.You mayjustrediscoveryourselfalong theway
Whether youtravelbyfloatplane or aferr y, astunningjourney is theicingonadecadent (coastal)cake.
No matter howmanytimes youexperienceit, thedramaticcoastal scenerystirs thesoul. Capturea collageofmoments:misty mornings overlookingrocky shores,dewystrolls throughancient rainforest,and sunset beachstrolls, to name afew Dependingonwhereyou choose to explore,find thetranquillityofprotectedwatersorthe energy of untamedsurfbeaches. Theremote inlets andplunging fjordsofthe SunshineCoast beckontobeexploredbykayak,boat, or paddleboard.Tip:takea guided oceantourtoaccess little-known areas. Or,hop on theferr ytoCampbellRiver on VancouverIsland,whereyou canheadout with an experienced fishingcharterand findout whyit’sknown as “the salmon capital of theworld.”
On themainland,enjoy peek-a-boo viewsofthe oceanasyou hikealong theSunshine Coast Trail amongtowering giants shroudedinlichen.OnVancouver Island,explorethe coastalong theJuandeFucaProvincialParkinthe southorstroll theeastern shores of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park near Parksville.
Celebratea worldofcontrast, from sleepyseaside townstobuzzing cities.With everyvisit to thecoast,you’lldiscoveranew gem—afunkycoffee shop, anew brewer y, acolourful art gallery, or abeachy boutiquesellinglocally-madeartisan goods.
Theburgeoningcoastal culinar yscene isn’tjustreservedfor cities likeVictoriaand Nanaimo. Head on afoodie adventure to theCowichan Valley or Salt Spring Island to sample farm-fresh ingredientsand craftprovisions. Or,try Indigenous-inspiredcuisineinPortHardy Lively Resident Wildlife
If youhaven’t hadachancetoexperience thewildersideofBC’scoast,there’s stilltime. Take a whale-watchingtourtosee orcassurge throughcalmwatersand listen to thecacophonyofsea lionsshoutingfromtheirrocky perches.Onshore, youmight glimpsegrizzlies,black bears, wolves,and deer as they slinkacrossthe land.
Venture on aculturalwildlife tour with an Indigenous guidetogain adeeperconnectiontothe coastand theFirst Nations peoplewho have beenstewardsofthislandfor thousands of years.
ExplOr_e BC L_i_k_e nEveRbeforE
From local gems hidinginplainsight to naturalwondersfur ther afield,it’stimetorediscoverBCwith acollectionofexperiences from around theprovince: Mountain peaks&towns: From breathtaking views to charming mountain town culture, adventure is away of life in southeastern BC Northernwild: In NorthernBC, discoverancient glaciers andmar velatnature like neverbeforeinthe vastwilderness.
Ranches, rivers &ranges: From historic trailstothe mightyFraserRiver,followyoursense of adventure Vancouver&Sea-to-Sky: ExploreBCfromsea to skyand be inspiredbylocalarts, cultureand adiverse culinar yscene. Vineyards, valleys& lakes: Savour theuniqueflavours andlakeside lifestyleofBC, from theFraserValleytothe Okanaganand beyond.
Rugged Coastal Landscapes
Laid-backWestCoastCulture
Sunshine Coast Trail |A ndrewStrain
NorthernVancouverIsland |StevenFines
Victoria|Jordan Dyck
Fisherman’s Wharf
PRINCE GEORGE
UNBC FACING ROCKY ROAD
It may be a month since anyone in Northern Health has contracted COVID-19 but that doesn’t mean the virus isn’t about to causes serious pain to area residents and communities.
UNBC was already hurting before the pandemic and it might be about to get much worse.
Two faculty strikes have poisoned the relationship between professors and administration. Dates have been set later this month for arbitration on a new contract but their endless squabbling are small potatoes compared to the much bigger risks threatening UNBC’s future.
Stagnant enrolment levels in a region with a declining population.
Stiff competition for students and academics from older, more established small and mid-sized universities in B.C. and across Canada.
Slow adaptation to rapidly changing market conditions.
Slow, compared to some of the competition, development of online and alternative instructional methods.
And that’s all before the real effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt.
UNBC has cut $3.4 million in expenses and 21 jobs in its 2020-21 budget while also passing on another two per cent increase in student tuition. That could be a preview of what’s to come UNBC is forced to continue with primarily online
instruction this upcoming school year in order to meet provincial health guidelines on social distancing.
New York University marketing professor Scott Galloway has created a huge buzz in the academic world on both sides of the border with his blunt assessment of what’s in store for the post-secondary sector.
“Universities should be doing what every other organization whose business model has been threatened by Covid-19 is doing: cutting costs,” he wrote in a recent blog. “Usually, when I broach the subject of cost cutting, it’s as if I belched. The conversation continues as if they didn’t hear anything.”
Galloway bluntly blames that deafness on “the corporatization of campuses, bloated administrations, tenure, a lack of accountability, and a god complex that we, academics, are noble when in fact we’ve been preying on the hopes and dreams of middle-class families and indebting them.”
The path forward, he says, is “severely overdue cost reductions and deploying small and big tech (to) dramatically lower the cost per student of a college education.”
The largest and most prestigious universities are best positioned to make those systemic changes quickly, he argues. Unlike a school like UNBC, those schools are sitting on huge endowment
funds to offer financial stability. Also unlike UNBC, they are well-positioned to use their brands to significantly increase their student population (and their revenue stream) by opening up their online course offerings, particularly at the undergraduate level.
Where will these new students be coming from? They will be poached from smaller schools like UNBC.
From the student (and parent perspective), it’s a huge win.
People in Prince George or anywhere else in the world with a stable, high-speed Internet connection could obtain degrees from UBC, the University of Toronto or even Harvard and Stanford in the United States without leaving home and without the significant additional costs of living in the cities where those institutions are physically based.
One in 50 applicants to Stanford are accepted but if that number increases to even 10 in 50, thanks to online opportunities, it spells disaster for smaller universities, Galloway argues.
“Tier 2 and 3 schools with high tuitions are the next department stores — not long for this world,” he wrote.
Not only do the big and elite universities have the flexibility to slash tuition costs and make up the different with more students, these schools can develop innovative online offerings by working with the high tech powerhouses. Imag-
Valemount worth exploring
Travel restrictions mean staying in the country, but being bored is optional. If you can afford a bit of summer travel, there are plenty of opportunities in all directions from Prince George.
When my family decided on a campout in Valemount, I was a bit disappointed, as I love Jasper. Having only ever travelled through Valemount on our way home from the Okanogan, I thought it was not much more than a gas station, so I packed my Prius full of groceries, or at least as many as I could, considering we were travelling with four adults.
In case I am not the last person to have this misconception, let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised. Like many towns in B.C., once you turn off the highway, a beautiful town with unexplored treasures reveals itself.
Placed between the Rocky, Monashee,
THINKING ALOUD
TRUDY KLASSEN
and Caribou Ranges, Valemount is in a spectacular setting. A walk on the main street has great views of the mountains on either side of the town, so it feels very similar to Jasper without the park fee and with many more available activities.
My time there was fairly low-key, with it raining nearly all weekend, but we still got to enjoy some of what Valemount has to offer. We drove up Swift Mountain to check out the view and stumbled onto their mountain bike trails, so the next day our young people got to ride the well-developed trail system. Then we tackled the Berg Lake hiking trail to Kinney Lake, at the base of Mount Robson. Wow! If you
park at the trailhead by taking the road to the left of the Visitor Centre, the hike to the south end of Kinney Lake is only 4.5 km. The trail is nearly smooth enough for a golf cart, so even at 4.5 km to the south end of Kinney Lake, it is accessible for nearly everyone. The trail was a little washed out in places or I would have said a good scooter could manage the trail. The trail is along the rushing waters of Robson River, which is a sparkling, rushing, tumble of rock-flour blue. Walk past the south end of Kinney Lake for another few kilometres brings you to the campground, with great photo opportunities.
Valemount’s wide main street (turn east at the A&W) is dotted with handsome storefronts, everything from the familiar Home Hardware, IGA, and IDA selling essentials, (so I hadn’t needed to bother with groceries) to a craft beer store, pubs, unique eateries, and a bakery.
Campgrounds and a number of rea-
ine Google and Stanford, Facebook and Harvard, Microsoft and Princeton forming exclusive online education partnerships to offer courses and degree programs at comparable or even cheaper rates than the cost of receiving a similar education from UNBC or even UBC.
If that sounds like a vague, distant threat, Galloway points to a financial bomb ticking at American and Canadian schools, big and small, set to go off this September.
With borders closed or restricted to non-essential travel, the cash cow of international students, who form a significant portion of the in-person student body at both UNBC and CNC while paying much higher tuition fees, is about to take a huge hit.
For UNBC and CNC, that means their 2020-21 budgets may be out of date by the end of the first week of classes in September. Without government bailouts, that spells much deeper and painful spending and operational cuts will be necessary over the fall and winter, just to stay afloat.
So even if Prince George residents remain largely untouched by the actual virus over the next six to 12 months, complications arising from COVID-19 could hit the city’s post-secondary institutions hard, causing further damage to an already fragile local economy.
— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
sonably priced-hotels and resorts, round out the accommodations. Fishing, boating, (Kimbasket Lake for one) ATV trails, snowmobiling and heli-skiing, and numerous hiking trails, all serve to make Valemount a great weekend destination, only a little over three hours away.
Probably the single most impressive factor were the ATV trails, snowmobiling and heli-skiing, as well as the obvious pride Valemount residents take in their town. The main street is not fancy, but very well kept (no potholes!) Each storefront is tidy and unique. Even the mountain bike trail signs were nice. When the Valemount Glacier Ski Resort is built, Valemount will be ready to welcome the world.
The best international tourists are those that know their local area. Take the pandemic restrictions of summer of 2020 to become a better tourist, by checking out the fabulous little places close to P.G.
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Healing brain injury with art
It is estimated there are 1.5 million people in Canada who have a brain injury. According to Brain Injury Canada, a non-profit research, education and advocacy organization in Ottawa, every year another 160,000 people experience brain injury. There are more people impacted by traumatic brain injury (TBI) than the combined numbers of people diagnosed with breast cancer, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and AIDS/HIV.
When I started attending classes at the Brain Injured Group (BIG), one of the first words I learned was neuroplasticity. The simplest definition of neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to interactions within the environment.
When brain injury occurs, neurons are damaged or destroyed. In this context, neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to heal. Healthy neurons can replace neurons that are no longer functional. New pathways are created.
The human brain is truly incredible.
BOGGLED
DIANE NAKAMURA
Unlike a computer that is built to certain specifications, a healthy human brain regularly upgrades the hardware and the software.
There are a number of tools survivors can use to help with neuroplasticity. Some of these tools include adequate rest, a balanced diet, avoiding alcohol and drugs, regular exercise, reading, listening to music/playing a musical instrument and art.
BIG received project funding last year to provide art classes to members such as painting and pottery. When COVID arrived, BIG made up art project kits for members to work on at home. Each kit came with all of the materials and instructions. We got to make stencilled greeting cards, decorative boxes, painted a flower pot and planted marigold seeds, painted rocks and two garden ornaments.
My experience engaging in these art projects was therapeutic in many ways. Like many of my peers, brain injury left me with the inability to accomplish many of the tasks I was able to do in the past. This in itself can lead to low self-esteem and confidence, self-loathing and many sad, depressing days. Having these art projects was a huge ray of sunshine. I was proud and happy with myself to be able to create pretty pieces. It did strain my brain and I was exhausted afterwards but it was definitely worth it. I had taken various art classes prior to my injury. I enjoyed them, but not to the extent as I did with BIG’s art program. After completing each project, I felt like my old self again, being able to experience success, creativity, joy and a sense of accomplishment. I hadn’t experienced any of this in almost two years after being injured. I spoke with one of my friends who also took part in the art program. She told me the experience was greatly beneficial for her.
Although it strained her brain as well to complete the projects, the outcome
was that she felt uplifted because she had accomplished something beautiful. She said “I stepped back and thought ‘I actually did that!’”
She also expressed how calming and peaceful it was to engage in art and how important it was to keep our brains as active as possible. Pre-COVID, attending painting and pottery classes at BIG gave her the opportunity to get out of the house and make new friends. Brain injury and isolation go hand in hand. Having the opportunity to engage in something fun with people who understand where you’re at is priceless.
The BIG art program is temporarily on hold, pending approval for further project funding. Fingers and toes crossed. As a social worker and counsellor for 33 years, I witnessed the therapeutic benefits of art with many of my clients. Now I have a lived experience and utmost appreciation and respect for art and healing. Physically and emotionally, I felt significantly better.
I wish there was core funding for the art program because it works.
Death is the real teacher about life
Tuesday did not begin well for me. I had to view the funeral of a college batchmate, colleague, and friend live at 2 a.m. being streamed from the United Kingdom. I couldn’t stay awake beyond midnight on Monday. And so, I woke up at five on Tuesday morning and saw the recording. It upset me to the very depths of my being and I couldn’t get over the grief and disillusionment that set in all through the day.
The death of the Cheltenham, Gloucestershire based Dr. Christina Manohar, wife of Dr. David Manohar – also my batchmate, colleague, and friend, once again inspired within me questions of life’s meaning and purpose. Life and death are endlessly continuing experiences in the realm of this earthly reality.
Humans are born every moment and they die every moment somewhere on this earth. But it doesn’t affect us.
We are affected with ecstatic joy and with harrowing sadness respectively only in the context of relationships; positive ones. The birth of a child speaks to the meaning and purpose of life. The death of a friend or relative shouts aloud and clouds the horizon making life’s meaning and purpose totally invisible and dejecting. The latter is what happened to me all through this day.
Christina was a simple, humble, and pleasant lady in her mid-fifties, immensely devoted to her professional responsibilities and with a deep sense of religiosity.
In the few years that I have known her, I have never seen her get angry and hurt anyone. She was never crafty or scheming. Never mean or selfish.
She had a very plain and straight-forward approach to life, and she lived her life with great conviction and with the desire always to be on the right side of things.
One would expect people like Christina to live a long, peaceful, and prosperous life without any trouble.
That was not to be.
Christina and David faced steep challenges in life, and probably the worst of all, she was taken away so early. Christina succumbed to a lung infection at the Cheltenham General Hospital.
I could not help avoid thinking with a crushed spirit that God is not fair and equal.
At one point during the funeral I even allowed my mind to prompt within me that God isn’t just.
For if God was all these, i.e.
fair, just, and equal – Christina would have been rewarded for the great person she was, and she would have lived longer than most of us.
In the short life she lived, she has published four books, many articles, and the priest who officiated at the funeral said she was in the process of writing four more books.
God could have allowed Christina to complete those writings. How does God work so abruptly, I thought.
God seems to have no sense of time; no propriety; no decorum. God walks into a situation when God pleases and walks out of it surprising and shocking everyone.
When I think of God, I always think of God in relation to ideals and absolutes.
But God’s acts in the realm of reality do not always bear evidence of that.
Christina’s death hurt me deep within. Everything seemed meaningless and useless. This life itself was of no consequence. It is only a matter of time, and we too will be gone – six feet under or turned to ashes! What is the point in striving and struggling to conquer this world and make a name for ourselves?
One day I shall be no more, leaving behind grief and pain for those close to me and fading thoughts of my time with others. And then there will come a day when I will not even be remembered.
And if I am, then without any feeling. The morning hurt very badly. The death of someone known to me had once again startled and shaken me as it often does.
My thoughts shifted to Manohar, my dear friend with whom in our younger days I’ve spent many hours chatting and laughing. Manohar reminded me a couple days back that he still vividly remembers the day early in their marriage when I made them laugh till they could laugh no more. Today, after his dear wife’s mortal remains were gone and the guests had turned their backs to return home or to work, Manohar would go home to an empty house. That broke my heart.
God is not merely not fair, just, and equal. God is also downright cruel, I thought. Which good and moral being would do this to someone else? God does this all the time. I could think of God being cruel only because these two individuals were connected to me. But people die every moment somewhere in the world. Someone somewhere experiences God abandoning them all the time. They experience the cruel hand of God sanctioning unbearable pain in their lives. I couldn’t hold back my tears for my friend Manohar. It was too hurting for me. Manohar would live the rest of his life without Christina, and that thought for me was very painful.
Early in their marriage, I had
visited them in Bombay (Mumbai) from my native Pune. I remember them telling me that they planned to invest all their lives in the training of young people through the Indian arm of the Intervarsity Fellowship and later in the arena of theological education. They seemed passionate and determined. They did that for nearly three decades. But now, about 28 years later, Manohar has been left alone. There is a limit to how much we can depend on things going to plan in this life. Some things we can foresee, but not all. With some things we might be lucky depending on God, but not with all things. That’s just how this life is.
I emailed Manohar immediately after I had watched the funeral. I assured him of renewing my connections with him and told him that he will be in my thoughts and prayers. I urged him not to be dejected, and not to lose courage.
A friend’s untimely death had once again made me reflect on the meaning, purpose, and value of life. And though my heart had become bitter, I later told myself that a negative spirit will only defeat me on this mysterious journey. I will complete this journey well if I recognize its limitations and uncertainties, and learn to take them positively.
- Reuben Louis Gabriel teaches philosophy and history at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George.
GUEST COLUMN REUBEN GABRIEL
Tears and apologies are not enough
On June 30, the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Philippe of Belgium expressed regret for the “acts of violence and cruelty” committed by his ancestor King Leopold II. The day also saw the state-sanctioned removal of another statue of this forgotten villain of history, the man who enslaved the Congo Free State, made himself and his country rich through the trade of ivory and rubber, and is responsible for up to 10 million deaths.
The significance of Philippe’s statement, made in a letter to current Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi, comes clear when it is seen in contrast to the speech his uncle Baudouin made on the event of Congolese independence in 1960. At that time, King Baudouin referred to Belgian rule in the Congo, begun by Leopold II, as a “civilizing mission.”
This was naturally met with outrage from Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Congo, who less than a year later became one of Africa’s most
Don’t let
At the beginning of each year
famous martyrs.
LESSONS IN LEARNING
GERRY CHIDIAC
Quite honestly, I was shocked by the news of Philippe’s statement.
Before the death of George Floyd and the subsequent global outcry, I did not expect statues of Leopold II to be removed any time soon, despite the ugly truth of his crimes against humanity and I never expected a member of the Belgian royal family to have the courage to be honest.
We are living through a time of tremendous change, which many consider the most significant global event since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The whitewashed fences of racist lies, hidden behind the pages of our history books, are collapsing when exposed to the light of truth.
We can now see the love shining forth from those who have suffered yet refused to hate.
Looking at recent events, African-American philosopher Cornel West remarked, “It’s in the great tradition of the best of black people, a people who have been hated chronically, systemically, for 400 years but have taught the world so much about love and how to love.”
Statistics in Canada demonstrate that we have not done much better than our American neighbours with regard to racial issues.
Incarceration rates for our Indigenous peoples are disproportionately high, as are infant mortality rates.
Our police target people of colour and we also have discriminatory hiring practices. Even today, few Canadians are aware of the extent that slavery existed in our country, nor are we aware of its impact.
We have seen demonstrations all over the world because racism is a global issue. The challenge now is to keep moving forward.
It will not be enough for Americans to vote Donald Trump out of the White House.
The policies Joe Biden supported in Congress and as vice president are a major source of the problems in America
and around the world and they must be dealt with.
It is not enough for King Philippe to recognize the crimes of his ancestors. These must be followed by significant action.
It was not enough for Stephen Harper to apologize for the residential schools in Canada in 2008 and it is not enough to simply acknowledge that racial profiling exists.
We are fortunate in Canada that after studying the impact of systemic racism on our Indigenous population, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published 94 calls to action in 2015. This gives us a blueprint for a way to begin to move forward. Now we need the courage to put all of these recommendations into action and we need to expand these principles to other aspects of Canadian society.
The response to the death of George Floyd has demonstrated that truth and love are powerful forces that cannot be suppressed anymore. If we want to leave a great country and a great world to our descendants, these are the principles that must guide our actions as we move forward with courage.
COVID-19 define your year
I challenge my clients and readers to name the upcoming year and I get a huge response with people naming their year and sharing what they would like to manifest and work on. 2020 was named the year of vision, clarity, wealth, systems, growth, change.
At the beginning of each year, I challenge my clients and readers to name the upcoming year and I get a huge response with people naming their year and sharing what they would like to manifest and work on. 2020 was named the year of vision, clarity, wealth, systems, growth, change.
I am sure if I asked halfway through 2020, many would automatically name 2020 they year of COVID-19, due to the phenomenal effects that the virus has had on their lives and the economy.
For many businesses, especially in the restaurant and personal care sector, the year has had some drastic effects. However, for others, it’s the best year ever.
So what could make you say that 2020 was the best year ever?
For some businesses, the year 2020 has been spectacular because of the
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Help Mackenzie
BUSINESS COACH
DAVE FULLER
increased demand for their products or services.
Some industries have seen a spike in sales because they seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Computers, pharmacies, health food stores, health care providers, flour companies, grocery stores, cleaning suppliers, pet stores, hardware centres, liquor stores, virtual meeting services and online gaming and trading are among those experiencing incredible growth during this unprecedented time.
I have had some clients tell me that they were able to grow sales 10, 20, 50 and even 80 per cent.
However, having the best year ever doesn’t automatically mean that your sales grew.
I had some business leaders tell me that they were having a great year because they were able to tap into government subsidies which went directly to their bottom line and resulted in their most profitable months ever. This was the
To the residents of Mackenzie, I support you all during this difficult time.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why the provincial government has not presented a real plan and action to help the residents of Mackenzie. The provincial government has to know the residents depend on these
exception rather than the rule though.
Most people who took advantage of the government subsidies for their businesses found that that the money enabled them to survive during a period that they couldn’t get through without help.
There were some incredible opportunities afforded to those who took the time to use the slow down as a time to focus on their businesses.
Some people were able to use the time to reach out and develop better relationships with their prospective clients and found that these people had time to talk to them because their competitors, and anyone else for that matter, stopped calling.
If you are the only one phoning people when all others are huddled up in fear or frozen by inaction, you might just gain an advantage in the months and years ahead.
I had one business owner, who chose to close down his business for a couple of months, tell me that he used the time for a well-deserved rest which made a huge difference for him.
Another non profit found that they were able to reset their business and took the time to break down their business model and create something totally different enabling them to thrive into the future.
More than one of the business owners I
jobs that is a major sector of a small town. Tourism and services sector jobs will not be enough to pay for a roof over your head and to put food on the table for families. Is the provincial government waiting for the town of Mackenzie to be abandoned before doing something? By then, it’ll be way too late and then what would they say? How will they answer those two questions? Residents for the Town of Mackenzie had to leave because they
work with struggled in finding motivation through what was a drought in cash flow. Some of them persisted despite the hardships of working remotely, without team engagement, and with fewer contracts.
One in particular used the time to put in 30 proposals for work. However, because of particularly stiff competition, he lost many of his bids.
Finally, with his hope waning, he was awarded one of the largest contracts of his career.
In hindsight, 2020 will be remembered as one of the strangest and most difficult years for many business leaders.
If it isn’t your best year ever, the great news is that you have almost six months left to make it your best year ever!
But nothing happens without action. Don’t leave it to chance.
Come up with a plan both personal and professionally for what you need to do that would allow you to say that 2020 was a great year.
Break it down into 12-week sections and get your team engaged in making your successful year happen.
— Dave Fuller, MBA, is an Award-Winning Business Coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Best or Worst Year Ever? Dave would love to hear about it. Email dave@pivotleader.com
couldn’t survive in a small town with three major job sectors closed and shut down?
Hopefully it won’t go that far and the residents of Mackenzie get the help that’s needed to stay and survive in a town that they have known all of their lives or years or generations and hopefully will be in that small town for many more years ahead.
Daniel Francis, Fort St. John
Meet the tireless Sylvia Cooney
LSENIORS’ SCENE
KATHY NADALIN
ongtime Prince George volunteer Sylvia (nee Allen) Cooney is turning 93 this month. Sylvia has lived in Prince George for 60 years and during that time she has given back to her community many times over.
Sylvia Allen was born in Edmonton in 1927. She moved to Vancouver in 1945, met her husband Bud Cooney and got married in 1961.
After high school she worked for an electrical contracting company in Vancouver for 17 years. Through her many electrical supply contacts, she happened to be talking to Henry Horsman, the owner of EB Horsman & Son in Prince George and he offered her a job with his company. She discussed it with Bud and he agreed that it would be a good idea to take the job offer.
It just so happened that Bud was the salesman for the Moore Dry Kiln Company and they had just offered him a transfer to Prince George. The newlyweds moved to Prince George in 1961 with the intention of only staying here for five years.
Years went by and Sylvia went to work for Hub City Motors.
the pandemic.
Bud sold dry kilns to the lumber industry until he went into a partnership and started Payless Surplus on First Avenue and Dominion Street. Sylvia left Hub City Motors and worked with Bud as the bookkeeper until they sold the business in the mid-1980s.
When Sylvia was 56, she applied for a job at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and worked as a teller for the next 19 years. She retired at the age of 75. Back then, CIBC had to get written permission annually from their head office in Toronto to retain employees still working for the
Evolution’s tangled web
There are millions of different types of organisms on Earth. Insects, mammals, birds, fish, flowers, trees, and grasses are among the ones we see on a daily basis but there is a multitude of smaller creatures such as bacteria, amoeba, and fungi. Life abounds. But how do we make sense of all of this? How do we determine which animals constitute a species and how are the species inter-related in the grand scheme of life? How are elephants and daisies related? What differentiates a northern leopard frog from a southern leopard frog?
These questions have perplexed scholars since the beginning of history. Indeed, one could argue it was far more important for our ancestors to understand these relationships than for us as they were much more dependent on their knowledge of plants and animals for their survival.
If you can’t tell the difference between, say, two mushrooms, it could easily be a death sentence.
The classification of animals was certainly a challenge for ancient Greeks. They had a somewhat limited environment in which to work with only a few species from which to generalize. That didn’t stop them from a number of interesting speculations. For example, what
RELATIVITY
TODD WHITCOMBE
do you get when you cross a leopard and a camel? Why, a giraffe of course! (It has the spots of a leopard and the long neck of a camel.)
As animal species were discovered, they were eventually assigned Latin names which were very descriptive but often very long. “Apis pubescens, thorace subgriseo, abdomine fusco, pedibus posticus glabis, untrinque margine ciliates” does not roll off the tongue; it is the full scientific name for the European honey bee.
Publishing in 1735 and 1753, Carl Linnaeus laid out a system for the classification of plants and animals which reduced names to two terms – genus and species. The European honey bee was simplified to “Apis mellifera” and millions of biology students have been grateful ever since. And while Aristotle classified animals on the basis of whether or not they had red blood (mammals do; insects don’t), Linnaeus shifted the focus to the anatomy and morphology of organisms, particularly the reproductive system. He divided plants and animals into broad kingdoms that he then sub-divided into
bank who were over the age of 65. Sylvia said, “I enjoyed the work and I wanted to keep right on working. I held my breath each year until the bank had their written permission to keep me on staff.”
Bud passed away in 2002 as a result of a heart attack after 41 years of a good marriage.
Sylvia proudly looks back at her nearly 40 years of volunteer work with the Prince George White Cane Club holding the position as their bookkeeper.
She was active for more than 20 years with the Good Cheer Club – a club where everyone cared for one another and worked hard together to raise funds for local causes.
She volunteered many years with the Prince George Community Foundation’s annual fundraising golf tournament and assisted as a greeter during their award ceremony events.
Her friends know her as a very social person and always the comedian with her great sense of humour.
Sylvia now resides at the Rainbow Lodge and when she is up to it, she spends time tending the plants in the flower garden.
There is currently a visitor restriction policy - due to the COVID-19 virus - in place at the facility and for now the only way to contact Sylvia is by telephone. If you phone, be sure to leave your phone number so that she can always call you back.
Happy birthday, my friend.
phyla, classes, orders, families, genera, and finally species. While it isn’t a perfect system, it has served taxonomy well for the past 250 years.
Of course, some animals undergo major changes in morphology during the course of their life span.
Consider a butterfly that starts life as a lowly caterpillar. There really isn’t any physical resemblance between the two creatures. And even when creatures – such as the northern and southern leopard frog - look the same, they may still be two separate species.
Classification is a tricky and often exacting art.
Understanding the scope of all life on Earth is well beyond the capacity of any single human and so scientists became specialists in their own area. This was parodied in a Big Bang Theory episode where the scientists take a cricket to Professor Crawley for identification.
But the discovery of DNA and our understanding of its fundamental role in the evolution of life have provided a new take on this ancient problem. The relationship between species can now be determined by understanding which genes are present and which are not. More to the point, the relationship between species can be ascertained by examining the base pairs composing genes where variation indicates genetic drift.
That is, the farther apart two organisms
are on the evolutionary tree, the more differences appear in the coding for particular genes. A small subset of genes are critical to all life on Earth and are mostly conserved across all species but subtle variations are more indicative of the classification of an organism than simply looking at its morphology. Elephants and daisies are related – as all life is related to a universal common ancestor – but the variations in their genes tell us their branches on the tree life split from each other a very, very, very long time ago.
Paul Hebert of the University of Guelph took classification a step further in 2003 when he introduced DNA barcoding. Like the Universal Product Codes or barcodes that are on every product we buy, DNA can be tagged and sorted to give a chemical equivalent.
And just like every product in a grocery store is unique, so is the DNA barcode for each species reflecting genetic differences at the molecular level.
The public collection of DNA barcodes, called Barcode of Life Database (BOLD), has collected and analyzed well over 600,000 named species. The technique has even been used to scan environments where unusual DNA barcodes have led to the discovery of new species.
We have come a long way in our classification of life on Earth but using DNA, we know have a better understanding of the relationships among all living things.
HANDOUT PHOTO
Sylvia Cooney is turning 93 this month but is staying as active as she can during
HORO SC OPES &P UZ ZLES
HOW TO PLAY:
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1through 9only once.
Each 3x3 box is outlined with adarker line You already have afew numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1through 9inthe same line, columnor3x3 box
Arne May, age 96, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 3, 2020 with Lynn and Karen at his side at the Prince George Hospice House. Arne was born in Denmark and moved to Canada in 1949. While living and working in Prince George, Arne met and married the love of his life, Jean Humphreys. They were married in 1959 until 2002 when Jean succumbed to cancer True to form, always the gentleman, and forever thinking of others, Arne passed away, to be with Jean on what would have been her 87th birthday, to once again celebrate with her after so many years apart. HappyBirthdayMom!
Life for the Mays in the summer revolved around the lake where Arne made the most difficult tasks look easy and always had a way to make it work! Everyone was always welcome at the lake, especially to the huge event called “Family Weekend” where all involved took precious memories of all the fun that washad!
Arne is survied by his loving daughter Lynn and his favorite son-in-law Geoff, very special friends Karen Humphreys, Rick Mintz, Laurel Phipps, Ron, Kristyna and Derek Volling, Ruth Flynn, his sistersin-law and brother-in-law, numerous nieces, nephewsandfriendsandfamilyinDenmark. Thank you to Dr Reddy, Dr Syal and the nurses on Surgery North Pod C. Special thanks to all the staff at the Prince George Hospice House for making Arne’s last days comfortable and for opening your armstohisfamily
There will be a celebration of Arne’s life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Prince GeorgeHospiceSocietyareappreciated.
You will always be lovingly remembered and missed
GARYRALPHTHURIER
5May,1942-8July,2020
It is with great sadness that the family of Gary Thurier announces his peaceful passing at Prince George Hospice House at the age of 78.
Gary will be forever remembered by his wife and best friend of 33 years, Nancy He also leaves to mourn his children, Gordon Dolbec (Keri) of Cowichan Bay and Tricia Russell of Kelowna, as well as Nancy’s children, Wayne Lehouillier, Lisa Lehouillier and Richard Lehouillier of Prince George. Gary will also be missed by his lifelong sidekicks, his brother Darrol (Lisa) in Wentworth, NS, and Darryl Smith (Bev) in Prince George. He cared deeply for his beloved grandchildren, Riley Russell (Dylan Brebner), Brianna Russell, Cooper Russell, Joslin Dolbec (Cashton McGillivray) and Rae Keown. He is also survived by two adorable great-grandchildren, Maeson and Dillon. Gary was predeceased by his parents,brotherDanaThurierandsisterKarinElgert. Born in New Westminster, BC, Gary graduated from North Surrey High School in 1961. He worked for forestry on Vancouver Island for a short time as well as other jobs that come along in a young man’s life. He eventually became a locomotive engineer with BC Rail working in Mackenzie and Prince George, ending his career after 34 years. During his years he enjoyed hunting, fishing and the cabin at Cluculz Lake (also the RV at Lakeside Resort). As a hobby he built fishing rods, made lures and tied flies. He absolutely loved his years with the Oldtimers Hockeygroup.
Unfortunately, shortly before retirement Gary was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Fourteen years ago he received a single lung transplant at Vancouver General Hospital. We are eternally grateful for the extra years we had to grow old together and appreciate each other even more. The transplant team is phenomenal and we are, of course, forever grateful to the donor for his gift of life. If you have not registered with BC Transplant, it would be a great favour to Gary if you could find it in your heart to do so. The website is www.transplant.bc.ca
Very special thanks to the Transplant Team at VGH, our wonderful Dr Denise McLeod and JoAnne, and thestaffofIMUandFMUatUHNBC.
A Celebration of Gary’s life will be held in spring of 2021. Flowers are gratefully declined but if you wish to make a memorial tribute these are two of Gary’sfavorites:
There are no words to describe the sadness in which we announce the passing of Bill.
Born January 2, 1946 in Fernie, BC we announce his sudden passing on July 7, 2020 at home in PrinceGeorge,BC.Billwaspredeceasedbyhis father Harvey,Mother Ruth, and sister Susan. He leaves behind his loving wife, Irma, and children Stephanie, Elizabeth (Raymond), Jeff, and grandchildren Eric and Jordan. Bill moved to Prince George with Irma in 1980 and held a multitudeofcareersfromsilviculture,orchardist, and officially retiring from Husky Oil Refinery He spent much of his retired time between DiversifiedTransportation,volunteeringatSaint Vincent DePaul and many other areas within the local communityincluding hobby mining in the Barkerville/Wells area.Hemademanyfriends everywhere along the way and will be unbelievably missed and fondly remembered. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday the 16th, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance will be limited. Please contact the Prince George Funeral Service for further information.
Gone,missed,andneverforgotten.
GertrudeElizabethBuse
March19,1936-July9,2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Gertrude on July 9, 2020. Mom went home to be with the Lord with Betty Ann by her sideatSimonFraserLodge.
Predeceased by her beloved husband, Art, on March 8, 2020 Gertie is survived by her daughter Betty Ann and husband Eric Shiels, son Arthur and wife Joanne, her grandchildren and their wives Joshua and Ryann, Stephen and Kristen, Nicolas, Matthew and Kassie, her great grandchildren Jayden and Zoe, and her nephewDeanElbeandfamily
Gertie was born in Barrhead, Alberta to her parents John and Elsa Elbe and was the older sister to her brother Harvey.She lived her childhood and teenage years in Barrhead before heading to college in Edmonton. It was in Barrhead that she met the love of her life, Art Buse and they were married on June 8, 1956. They moved to Edmonton where she worked as an administrative assistant. Arthur junior arrived in December 1958. They returned to Barrhead in 1962 where she worked part time until Betty Ann arrived onGertie’sbirthdayinMarchof1963.
Russman,Alda
Born October 4th, 1933 in Blind River,Ontario. Passed away July 8th, 2020 Prince George, BC.
Predeceased by husband Joe and sonGordon.
Family was all important to Alda and she has left a largegrouptorememberalifewelllived.
Survived by partner Jim Dow,daughters Debbie Russman (Katy and Lucas), Cathy Edwards (Ralph, Jake and Sawyer), sons TomRussman (Jose and Marc) Joe Russman (Aissa and Brynne) along with Gords children Alda-Anne, Braedon and Shawna. Alda was blessed with many great grandchildren, the last baby girl born only minutes before she passed. Shealwayslikedtokeepthefamilydynamicsequal!
Alda gained an extended “family by choice” who will also mourn her passing, her very close friend Ambrose Trick and her goddaughter Jennifer Hyette Fry.
2x35.8
Hughes, Cornelius (Corny)
May 12, 1935 -July 06, 2020
Corny passed peacefully, at home. He is survived by his wife Christa, daughter Stephanie, son Thomas, son Ron, 8grandchildren and 7great grandchildren. He loved sports, was active in the community and politics. He will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Hospice House.
In 1969, the family moved to Prince George where they have resided for the past 51 years. Gertie, except for acouple of years, stayed home to raise the family as Art’swork often had him out of town during the week. When Art retired, they spent all of their time together,gardening as well as travelling to many areas of the world. Family time was important to them often including visits with the grandchildren. She was actively involved in Our Saviours Lutheran Church where they attended and faithfully served for 51 years. Gertie was amember of the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary for many years. Gertie was an avid quilter and even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’sshe continued to be apart of the group, helping where she could. Gertie also became involved in the local Parkinson Society spearheading communication. Art and Gertie enjoyed visiting family &friends, gardening, travelling, and warmer climates in their retirementyearsandcherishedtimewithfamily
Gertie will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
ACelebration of Life will be held at Our Saviours Lutheran Church -the date and time to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson Society British Columbia in memory of Gertie.
WeloveyouandmissyouMom.
The family would like to thank all of Moms caregivers over the past 14 months and special thanks to the ladies of surgery south who became her family and included her in all their high jinx. She lovedyou!
It’s with great sadness that we announce the passing of Debra Florence Marie Vandenboer.
As achild, Debra moved around with her family from Dawson Creek, Sechelt and McBride. From ayoung age Debra always strove to do the best at whatever she did from candy striper to cheerleader, basketball, curling, golfing, and skiing among many other passions.
She attended college in both Prince George and Vancouver and received her diploma as aRegistered Nurse from Langara College. She worked as an RN in Prince George while caring for her family and later returned to school via distance education. She graduated with honors with aBachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria and continued her career in Healthcare moving into aposition as Assistant Manager of Home and Community Care before her retirement in Kamloops, BC.
Debra is predeceased by her father Frank Hall and brother Darren Hall. Debra is survived by her husband John, her son Jody (Kerry), her daughter Jennifer (Ryan); grandchildren Kai, Coen, Benson &Henrik; Mother, Lillian Hall; sisters Heather and Pamela, and her many nieces and nephews.
To honor of her wishes there will be no service and we will be hosting aluncheon for immediate family.
In lieu of flowers donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation are appreciated.
NAIRNE,DaryleE
May6,1952Jul6,2020
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Daryle Nairne. Reunited with his brother Dennis who we still mourn daily,our only peace is knowing that they are once again together.The loss of Daryle has left ahole in the hearts of friends & family and all who knew him. He was larger than life and always had asmile on his face. Daryle loved nature, the outdoors, and teaching, always eager to share his knowledge of natural herbs and cures. He was always there to help anyone anytime and could be counted on by everyone; family,friends and strangers alike. Everyone’sfavourite uncle: funny, smart, kind, helpful and loving. So long for now Daryle. Love Love Love. Contact sgoebel111 @gmail.comforservicedetails.
Zenuik,DorisOlive
July31,1929-June18,2020
Doris Zenuik (née Mailhoit) was born in Edmonton, Alberta and passed away peacefully in Victoria, B.C. at the age of 90. Predeceased by her husbands, Alex MacKenzie, Paul Berg, and William Zenuik, and her son-in-laws, Bruno Banzer and Richard Baer.Doris is survived by her children Sandra Banzer,Trish Baer,and Michael Berg (Lucretia); her grandchildren Teri Mugford (Rick), Christopher Baer (Jessica) and Matthew Baer; her great grandchildren Scott and Shelby Mugford; and her great-great-grandson Liam Mugford. Doris enjoyed knitting, gardening and watching Canucks hockey games. She was very disappointed when the recent NHL season was cancelled. Acelebration of lifewillbeheldforDorisatafuturedateTBA.
CraigDouglasScott
Jun6,1942-July5,2020
Sadly we announce the sudden passing of Craig Douglas Scott on July 5, 2020 in Prince George, BC at the age of 78. Craig was born in Geralton, Ontario June 6, 1942. he travelled and lived in many places throughout his life, alarge part of that due to his 11 years of service in the Canadian Air Forces, before finally settling in Prince George and enjoying a career as an Electronic Technician. When not working, Craig loved to put his woodworking and carpentry skills to use on many wonderful works, the best one being his home that he built from the ground up.
Craig was pre-deceased by his parents Earl Scott and Patricia Perkins. He is survived by his wife Mareena; his children Greg, Michelle and Brenda; his 7grandchildren and 4great-grandsons. He is also survived by his brother,sister-in-law and many otherlovingfamilymembers.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, asmall memorial service with close friends and family will be held to celebrateCraig’slife.
Craig’sfamily are very much thankful to all who extended support and care during these difficult times, especially for the valiant efforts of the doctors andnursesattheUHNBC.
EmergencyManagementProgram Coordinator
Objective: As partofthe Tl’azt’enNation, the EmergencyManagement ProgramCoordinator will assist communities within the Tl’azt’enNation with Emergencies and disasters preparedness
KeyAccountabilities:
•Workclosely withcommunitiestoensuresupports areinplace to implementprogrammingrelatedtoEmergencies programming
•Support leadership in developingand implementing astrategic direction foremergencyresponse alsoincorporating mentalhealth and wellness
•Identify needsand pathways of communications
•Supportsreporting,ensuresbudgetsare aligned withcommunity activities, andtracks, identifies and applies to external funding opportunities
•Support the planning,implementation, andevaluation of community activitiesand work plan, andsupports longer-termNation planning (e.g., facilitation)
•Policydevelopment
Qualifications:
•A two(2) year diploma from arecognized post-secondaryinstitution in emergency management, supplementedbycourses in emergency preparedness including risk assessment and emergency management.
•Minimum of three(3) years directly relatedexperience including serving as an emergency managementprofessional, preferably with some time in alocal government setting
•Thorough knowledgeofthe BC EmergencyManagement and Incident Command Systems,and the roles and responsibilities of thelocal authority underthe BC EmergencyProgram Act.
•Teamleader/ projectmanager experienceindeveloping and deliveringcomprehensivetrainingpackages,including evaluation mechanisms
•Strong interpersonal,leadership and conflictresolutionskills with the ability to maintain avolunteer program. CriticalIncident Stress Debriefing training would be an asset.
•StandardFirst Aid
Knowledge,Skills and Abilities Required:
•Experienceand training in emergencymanagement, the British ColumbiaEmergencyManagement System(BCEMS), and Incident Command System(ICS) is an asset.
•This positionrequires reasonable flexibility in work hourstosupport emergencyoperations center trainingand activations
•Strong assessmentskillsrelevant to thecontext of local Indigenous history, beliefs, and practices
•Knowledge of or willingness to learnTl’azt’entradition and culture.
•Recentexperience working with FirstNation clients in rural, remote, and on-reserve communities.
•Abilitytoworkindependently andina multi-disciplinary team.
•Demonstrates strong interpersonal,organizational and time managementskills
•Functional in MicrosoftOffice:MSWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher
•Consenttoa comprehensivecriminal record check with clearance is required.
Apply by Mail or email to: Charlene Tom, AdministrativeAssistant: Careers@tlazten.bc.ca
Thispostingwill remain open until the positionisfilled Only applicantsshortlisted will be contactedfor interviews.
Tl’azt’enNation is seeking
afull time
Community Health Services Manager
Tl’azt’enNation is seeking adynamic individual to engage our communityinpositivehealth and wellness leadership as Manager of CommunityHealth Services.The successful candidate will be a key member of our Senior Leadership Team and shape the futureof the departmentthrough implementation of the Community’sHealth Plan. Theideal candidate is motivated,aself-starter, strong planner, communityminded,team orientedready to step up and provide excellenceinservicetoour community. Youare an experienced senior level manager with knowledge and experienceinprimarycaremodels of health, accreditation, servicedelivery, budgeting,managementof staff and services,and the abilitytobeastrong mentorand coach.
In accordancewith the Mission, Vision and Values,and strategic directions of the Nation and the directiveofCommunityHealth Services (CHS), patientsafetyisapriorityand aresponsibilityshared by everyone at CHS, and as such, the requirementtocontinuously improve qualityand safetyisinherentinall aspects of this position.
Qualifications andExperience:
•Aminimum of agraduate degreeinarelatedfield(eg; health care administration, health careleadership,public health, social services etc.).
•Aminimum of 5years of progressiveleadership in primary health careand/or working with asimilar context relatable to the CommunityHealthServices such as Social Services or Public Health.
•Significantunderstanding and experienceworking with First Nation’s communities and organizations
Criminal Recordcheck is required for the Health Services Manager
Offering competitivewage and benefits package.Position open until filled.Please submit your coverletter and resume outlining howyou meet these qualifications.Successful candidateswill be contactedfor an interview.Proof of certifications required prior to employment.
R0011825078
Interested Candidatesare asked to submit aresumeand cover letter to: Charlene Tom, AdministrativeAssistant careers@tlazten.bc.ca
R0011825081
Established Franchise
Serving Northern B.C for over 35 years
Gross
Serious Enquiries Only
Office 250-596-9199 Cell 250-981-1472
EMPLOYMENT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Established Franchise TaxPreparation Business servicingMackenzie and McLeod Lake area forover30years.
Gross Revenues of $85,000 to $90,000 Annuallyand Potentialtoexpand revenues in agrowing economy.
Transition supportavailable forthe right buyer.
Serious Inquires Only
Office (250)997-9003
Home (250)997-5538
Cell (250)990-0152
Economic Development Officer
Theeconomic developmentofficer(EDO)isresponsible forplanning, developing,coordinating and implementing economic development policies,strategies,and initiativesthatimprovethe community, socioeconomic,and businessdevelopmentinTl’azten Nation.
DUTIES &RESPONSIBILITIES:
•The economic developmentofficerisresponsible forcontinuously developing and maintaining knowledgerequired to do the job by understanding,embracing,and contributing to the community’s economic developmentplan. As an approach towardseffective planning,bycollaborating effectively to coordinate economic developmentfor Tl’azt’enNation.
•The EDO must be familiar with background materials and information relating to the Tl’azt’enNation and the regional economy. Must demonstrateanon-political approach to communicate and foster relationships with government, industryand communitymembers.
•He/shemust use avarietyofmethods to performassessments of economic developmentneeds and opportunities,including maintaining an inventory of existing businesses,sectoractivities and current human resources(Labor force) in the community.
•The EDO must ensurethatthe Tl’azt’enNation economic development initiatives and opportunities arecommunicatedtokey stakeholders
•The EDO must demonstrate good written and oral communications skills thatare relevanttoprepareproposals fora varietyofeconomic developmentinitiatives forsubmissions to public and private funding sources. Must writeprojectbriefs, updatesand final reports forall projectactivities taking placeinTl’azt’enNation.
•The EDO must maintain asound administrativeand organizational system, develop budgets and cash flowprojections,use business planning software, and create presentations forcommunityinformation sharing sessions.He/she must also develop and track accomplishments relatedtoanongoing work plan thatwillguide the work in Tl’azt’en.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCE:
•Ideally the candidate should possess aminimum of 2-3 years of experienceinbusiness or economic developmentrelatedpositions, supplementedbyeducation, training or on-the-job learning.Tl’azt’en Nation will also consider candidatesthatmay not meet the above qualifications but demonstratesawillingness to learnand develop the required skills
** Class 5Driver’s License is mandatoryand ownvehicle an asset.
Interested Candidates areasked to submita resume and coverletter by June 26, 2020
Attention: Renata Monk,ExecutiveDirector renata.monk@tlazten.bc.ca or Fax: 250-648-3250
Apartments/Condos forRent
1& 2bedroom,newly renovated near Pine Centre, inc heat &water,
GINO’S TIRESAND TOWING INC
2x20.0 R0011824508
By virtue of the warehouseman’slienact Gino’sTires and Towing inc. will dispose of: (1) 1999 FordF250 4x4 Green VIN:2ftpx28L1xca20510
Registered Owner: Breydon James Sharp to recover $740.25 as of february 18, 2020 plus any additional costs of storage, seizureand sale
Date of sale July 23, 2020
For moreinformation: Gino’stireand towing Inc. 250-271-4466 pO Box 2172, Mackenzie, Bc V0J 2c0
the following are indebted to Ace Auto Wrecking Ltd., dba NC Ron’s Towing, for towing and storage of personal property,and ought to have been paid, and are still unpaid, notice is hereby given thatthe said properties will be sold to pay the outstanding debt, plus costs of seizure, advertising and sale, one week from the date of this notice on the 23rd day of July,2020, at 1360 Foley Cres, Prince George, BC
WAREHOUSEMAN’S LIENACT
I recently worked with a client whose basement renovation included radiant floor heat. There are two types of radiant floor heating; Electric and water-based systems. Both provide consistent heat throughout any room. Traditional radiators need to be heated to a high temperature (65-75 degrees Celsius) in order to heat up a room effectively, whereas floor heating only needs to run at a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius or less, depending on the floor finish, in order to warm the room – thereby consuming less energy, and keeping your energy bills far lower.
Compared to forced air heating systems seen in most homes, an in-floor radiant heat system typically has higher efficiency and better heat retention. This is because the heat is retained in the lower part of the room, unlike in forced air systems, where the heat rises. As a result, most people are comfortable at a lower temperature using in-floor radiant heat. This can also lead to significant energy savings.
Comfort becomes an obvious reason. You’d be hard pressed to find a homeowner who wouldn’t appreciate the comfort that comes along with heated floors. Heated floors give any room the added boost it needs to knock that chill off the flooring and raise the temperature in the room to a more comfortable level. Whether that’s under bathroom floors or in a kitchen, basement or room above the garage, radiant floor heat delivers comfort like none other. It also exudes luxury, making a floor heating system an in-demand feature in any home.
When it comes to resale, the term “heated floors” carries its own secret meaning: Luxury. Generally, if you spot “heated floors” in a home’s description, you can presume you’re looking at a luxury home. Therefore, if you’re selling a home with heated floors, be sure to call them out — you may get a few more showings because of it. Your “luxury home” might even land a higher offer because of them.
Five specialties that may be offered by your realtor
Your realtor is the person you depend on to help you get through one of the most challenging times of adult life: buying or selling a home. But realtors can do more than just facilitate a house-hunt or show your home to potential buyers. Many agents also offer specialized services or are affiliated with brokerages that cater to specific markets.
1. High-end real estate and international real estate. Whether you are ready to move abroad or up into a more exclusive housing market, there are some brokers who affiliate with foreign real estate agencies and exclusive networks, such as Christie’s.
2. Investment sales. For clients who want to diversify their investment portfolios with property ownership, realtors can find sensible deals that will earn you money on the long term. This could take the form of rental properties, country acreages and vacant land zoned for development.
3. Industrial / office / retail properties. If you own a business, you need a realtor to help you find new premises. Many residential realtors also have commercial clients, so be sure to ask your local broker.
4. Property management. Many realtors of fer this valuable service for rental property owners. They can take care of all aspects of leasing a house or apartment, including advertising availabilities, screening tenants, collecting rent and coordinating repairs and regular maintenance.
5. Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). SRES’s are specially trained and certified to help seniors buy and sell homes. These realtors are sensitive to the concerns of the 55+ demographic who are looking for ease and consideration during their real estate transitions.
Real estate sales trends: quitting the ’burbs for the 18-hour city
For the last several decades, it was typical for middle-class urban couples to move to the suburbs after starting a family. But today, that quest for a bigger back yard, better schools and slower pace is experiencing a dip in popularity. The “18-hour city” is reversing the trend, as suburb dwellers of all ages sell up and move back to dynamic urban settings.
The report Emerging Trends in Real Estate ® , published by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, defines the 18-hour city as a medium-sized metro area in which a revamped downtown core no longer caters only to daytime business activities. Instead, it has a vibrant commercial sector — including restaurants, retail stores and services — that makes down town living once again attractive for families with children, young singles and seniors.
For homeowners put ting a suburban property up for sale, chances are good in most markets for a timely sale. Keep in mind that this may be especially true for suburbs around the gateway mar -
kets (the “24-hour cities,” such as Boston, New York City, San Fran cisco, Seattle , Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston and others). Expensive housing costs in these city centers mean there are many buyers looking for homes in the suburbs. That could work in your favor if you are leaving the suburbs in order to move to a smaller 18-hour city.
If you are considering making the move back to some urban excitement, talk to your local realtor about putting your suburban home up for sale. He or she will be able to recommend an affiliate buyer’s realtor in the city you would like to move to.
Buying a rental property
There are many reasons why you might want to buy a rental property. For starters, if you have several properties, it can be a way to create passive income; it can also be a good way to diversify your investment portfolio. Depending on what kind of investor you are, there are two routes you can take: risky or less risky. Either way, you’ll need a savvy realtor to help you make the wisest choice possible.
LOW RISK
If your goal is long-term security, your realtor can help you find a rental property at market price. There are a handful of solid options available to you, including a house where you can live and where there is a separate apartment you can rent out; a multi-residential building with several units or a single-dwelling house.
The advantages: at market price, you’re more likely to find a well-kept property with existing tenants in a reputable neighborhood. The disadvantages: you might not see stellar returns from month to month. Just be sure your rental income covers all maintenance costs and allows you to pad a savings account for unforeseeable expenses.
HIGHER RISK
If you’re prepared to spend time searching for a bargain, your realtor can help you find a property that is underpriced and that will bring you good returns. This might include a luxury home or a property that needs extensive renovations.
If you’re busy and don’t want to be bothered with the mundane tasks associated with being a landlord, ask your realtor about property management services. Your realtor may be able to manage all leasing, rent collecting and maintenance on your behalf.
Some terms to know when purchasing a home
A pre-approved mortgage guarantees that you can borrow the amount needed to purchase a property. It is obtained from a lender after an analysis of your financial situation and borrowing capacity. You can give this to the seller together with the purchase offer in order to demonstrate how serious you are. Once the purchase offer has been signed, all you need to get is a loan commitment or mortgage approval, a document confirming that your loan application has been approved. Having a pre-approved mortgage speeds up this process.
Mortgage loan insurance is usually required by the lender when the amount of the down payment is less than 20 per cent of the purchase price of the property. This isn’t to be confused with mortgage life insurance, which covers your family if you die before paying off your mortgage.
A purchase offer is a written agreement setting the terms under which you agree to buy a particular property. If the seller accepts it, he or she agrees to sell their property in accordance with these conditions. The seller can also refuse it and make a counteroffer, which amends or clarifies certain conditions of the previous offer, such as the price
Are country acreages affordable these days?
The days of truly cheap rural properties are pretty much a thing of the past. But if you’re a city and suburb dweller who d reams of moving to a calmer, simpler place in the country, don’t lose heart just yet. If you have some flexibility about when you buy and how you use the pro perty, your dream may still be more af fordable than you think.
Get to know the right people. Before you quit your job in the city, talk to some realtors in the rural or semi-rural areas that interest you. Many rural property owners already have buyers in mind when they decide to sell, but getting an “in” with a local realtor is the next best way to get your foot in the door.
Transition. If you are ready to quit the city but haven’t yet found some land to buy, consider renting. As you join local organizations and get to know people, you can advertise your desire to buy some acres. Take your time and visit many properties before you buy; in the meantime, the local realtor will have a list of rental homes for you to consider.
Scale back. If your dream is to have a horse farm or to live self-sufficiently, you may have to begin with a simpler plan. Horses and pastured livestock require a lot of acres, and the initial layout for solar power or wind power is costly. If you have to, start off with an acre, or buy a home in a semi-rural town. Either will get you away from the city traffic madness and save your sanity.
9249 Twinberry Drive
4bed |2bath| $427,900 MLS#2471967
or the date of transfer of ownership (the closing date of the transaction and on which you take possession of the property). You will be given a specific deadline for accepting or refusing the counteroffer, to which you can, in turn, make a counteroffer, and so on. If you have to sell your home before buying a new one, you can make a conditional offer. This means you agree to purchase the property only if certain conditions are met first.
A purchase agreement is a legal document signed by both the buyer and the seller to formalize the transfer of ownership. It is a proof of ownership.
Hidden gem in the Hart-gorgeous home on family-orientedstreet. Carefully maintained and updated. Newkitchen. Enjoyayearround oasis on your covereddeck with ahot tub Incredibly energy efficienthome.
Open House July 19 with strict health protocols-masks/gloves/health questionnairemandatory,adults only
Beautiful family home on adouble lot. Newchef’skitchen, quartz counters in kitchen, granitecounters in baths,hardwood floors,fully finished, double garage.Beautiful yard and neighbourhood.
harT peace riVer
Selling your home: how to determine the asking price
Have you decided to sell your home?
To attract buyers, you will have to advertise a competitive and realistic selling price. If you ask too much, you may lose po ten tial visitors. And while it’s good t o keep a margin for negotiating, keep in mind that buyers often shop by price range. This means that if you want to sell for $200,000, you’ll attract more visitors by advertising your home at $225,000 than at $275,000. In addition, buyers who are ready to pay $275,000 will quickly realize that other properties offer better value for the price.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t undervalue your property and lose the chance to make a profit. So, how does one find the right balance? The best way is to compare your home with similar properties that have sold recently in your area. This will give you a good idea of the amount buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours. When setting the price, you should also take into account the current market and how much time you can wait before needing
to sell or move (you may have to ask for less if you’re in a hurry to sell). Talk about your ideas with your real estate agent or a licensed appraiser; he or she will help you determine the right price for the situation.
Is it time to sell or to buy?
The best time to buy or sell real estate depends on the type of dwelling and the current market conditions within a given sector.
• People who want to sell their property have the advantage in a seller’s market, where demand is higher than supply. The number of properties available is insufficient, so homes sell quickly and prices rise.
• People who are shopping around have the edge in a buyer’s market, where supply far exceeds demand. They have all the time in the world to find the home of their dreams and negotiate a good price.
Thinking of selling or buying a property? Check with a real estate agent to find out about the current market conditions.
What type of home suits you?
Would you love to buy your own home?
An important investment like this should never be undertaken lightly. Not only do you have to take the time to choose your new home and neighbourhood carefully, but you must first decide which type of property best suits your needs, both now and in the future. Single family, semi-detached, condo or home with a rental property — they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
• Single family home. Single-family homes are very popular and have many advantages, including more privacy. You can also build and modify at will, inside and outside. In other words, you can knock down walls, build a garage or plant a vegetable garden. A single-family home may not be the best option for you if you don’t have the time or inclination to mow the lawn, shovel snow, maintain the roof and clean the gutters.
• Semi-detached. Usually cheaper than a single-family home, a semi-detached has some of the advantages of the latter, including privacy. However, since two properties are built on the same land, you have less space outside. On the other hand, there is less maintenance work. If you buy a semi-detached home, make sure the dividing wall is thick enough to block any noise from the neighbouring unit.
• Condominium. A condo is great for people who don’t want the hassle of looking after a yard. Some condominiums provide special facilities, such as a swimming pool or gym, which you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. Keep in mind that you’ll pay condo fees accordingly. On the downside, a condo is a lot less private than a house. You must also be careful to choose a building where the other owners have
a similar lifestyle to your own. In addition, sharing common areas will often mean that you have to agree with them on how the building is maintained and managed.
• Homes with rental units. Buying a home that includes a rental unit may allow you to access the property market more easily; the rent you receive will help you pay your mortgage. A lot of your expen ses will also be tax deductible. However, a rental unit requires you to be available, as tenant emergencies can occur at any time. You should also be good with your hands for maintenance jobs.
Of course, there are other types of homes that may suit you, such as attached homes. Your real estate agent will be able to help you find the right property for your requirements.
Solariums give extra comfort and light
A solarium is a room filled with windows that acts as a buffer between the inside and outside of your home. In addition to offe ring a stunning view of your yard, extra living space and privileged access to lots of natural light, a solarium offers other benefits, too. If you’ve been thinking about adding a solarium to your home, be sure to keep reading.
THERMAL COMFORT
Are you one of those people who suffer terribly during summer heat waves? If so, adding a solarium to your home could really improve your comfort. Here’s how.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION
Several factors come into play when manufacturing and installing a solarium: the choice of materials and aircirculation systems; orientation; roofing; insulation and waterproofing. To enjoy all the benefits of your solarium (and avoid unpleasant surprises), entrust all these tasks to a reputable company.
During the day, all ventilation outlets and openings between your house and the solarium should be kept closed, with the goal of preventing heat from coming indoors. However, the outside windows of the solarium should be left open, allowing the hot air to escape.
At night, a solarium allows you to evacuate the hot air that settles naturally in the upper portion of your home. So, once the sun sets, all doors and vents between your solarium and the inside of your home should be opened. The noninsulated wall collects the cool air and redistributes it.
This is why a solarium can actually help you reduce your air conditioning costs. And during the winter it has the opposite effect — it acts as a buffer and reduces your heating costs. In other words, as well as being practical and attractive, a solarium is a money-saving investment.
Melamine is back
Melamine has always been considered a low-end product that’s flimsy and unattractive. However, over the decades, the continual improvement of manufacturing processes has completely transformed this ma terial, so much so that it can now be found in the trendiest of homes.
These days the new melamine particleboards imitate different kinds of wood to perfection. There is a wide range of ultra-modern finishes available, and they are typically resistant to heat and scratches. We’ve certainly come a long way from the shiny melamine of the 1980s.
The advantages of glass partitions
It can be quite a challenge if you want to divide up the space in your home for, say, an office, but you don’t like the idea of sacrificing natural light by putting up walls. Before you resign yourself to this sad prospect, consider the possibility of installing glass partitions.
The concept is simple: instead of building solid walls, you can opt for walls that are both transparent and resilient. Choosing this option means you can organize a corner office in a quiet area with natural light, close to the kitchen or living room.
And to enjoy a little more
privacy, you could opt for a textured or frosted finish — no more excuses for being distracted from your work. It’s a great solution, isn’t it?
How to find the perfect front door
Is your front door damaged, rusted, defective or simply old-fashioned? If you’d like to replace it, just be sure not to buy one on the spur of the moment. Instead, take the time to choose a good-quality model that will enhance your home’s facade for years to come.
MATERIALS
One thing’s for sure: you can’t buy a front door in the same way as you’d buy a basement or bedroom door. Front doors have to be visually appealing as well as very strong. You’ll find a wide range of models on the market made of different materials, either alone or in combination:
• steel
• fibreglass
• wood
• aluminum
• PVC
Each material has its own advantages. Specialized companies will be able to advise you about which ones are most suitable for your needs and your budget.
SOUGHT-AFTER QUALITIES
When shopping for a front door, look for one that has the following characteristics:
• shock resistant
• good insulation and soundproofing
• easy maintenance
• enhanced security (solid locks and anchoring systems)
COLOURS AND GLAZING
Manufacturers offer an impressive range of colours and finishes to make sure your front door looks great. How ever, be careful when choosing the glass for your front-door’s window, as it can make all the difference in terms of style. There are many possibilities, including square, rectangular, half-moon, circle, mosaic or stained glass.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
When you’re shopping around for the perfect front door, ask a professional for advice. One good idea is to go shopping with a photo of the front of your house as well as the dimensions of the existing door opening. This will make it much easier for you to find a model that complements the style of your home.
CUSTOM-MADE
Keep in mind that it is always wise to have your front door made to measure; this ensures that its fit, shape, colour and hardware are perfectly adapted to your home. Moreover, if you entrust the installation to experts, the result will be flawless.
A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
The front door is a major component of your home, so don’t skimp on quality. This investment of a few hundred — or even a few thousand — dollars could definitely add value to your property.
Lori Cruddas
Five specialties that may be offered by your realtor
Your realtor is the person you depend on to help you get through one of the most challenging times of adult life: buying or selling a home. But realtors can do more than just facilitate a house-hunt or show your home to potential buyers. Many agents also offer specialized services or are affiliated with brokerages that cater to specific markets.
1. High-end real estate and international real estate. Whether you are ready to move abroad or up into a more exclusive housing market, there are some brokers who affiliate with foreign real estate agencies and exclusive networks, such as Christie’s.
2. Investment sales. For clients who want to diversify their investment portfolios with property ownership, realtors can find sensible deals that will earn you money on the long term. This could take the form of rental properties, country acreages and vacant land zoned for development.
3. Industrial / office / retail properties. If you own a business, you need a realtor to help you find new premises. Many residential realtors also have commercial clients, so be sure to ask your local broker.
4. Property management. Many realtors of fer this valuable service for rental property owners. They can take care of all aspects of leasing a house or apartment, including advertising availabilities, screening tenants, collecting rent and coordinating repairs and regular maintenance.
5. Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES). SRES’s are specially trained and certified to help seniors buy and sell homes. These realtors are sensitive to the concerns of the 55+ demographic who are looking for ease and consideration during their real estate transitions.
Real estate sales trends: quitting the ’burbs for the 18-hour city
For the last several decades, it was typical for middle-class urban couples to move to the suburbs after starting a family. But today, that quest for a bigger back yard, better schools and slower pace is experiencing a dip in popularity. The “18-hour city” is reversing the trend, as suburb dwellers of all ages sell up and move back to dynamic urban settings.
The report Emerging Trends in Real Estate ® , published by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, defines the 18-hour city as a medium-sized metro area in which a revamped downtown core no longer caters only to daytime business activities. Instead, it has a vibrant commercial sector — including restaurants, retail stores and services — that makes down town living once again attractive for families with children, young singles and seniors.
For homeowners put ting a suburban property up for sale, chances are good in most markets for a timely sale. Keep in mind that this may be especially true for suburbs around the gateway mar -
kets (the “24-hour cities,” such as Boston, New York City, San Fran cisco, Seattle , Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston and others). Expensive housing costs in these city centers mean there are many buyers looking for homes in the suburbs. That could work in your favor if you are leaving the suburbs in order to move to a smaller 18-hour city.
If you are considering making the move back to some urban excitement, talk to your local realtor about putting your suburban home up for sale. He or she will be able to recommend an affiliate buyer’s realtor in the city you would like to move to.
Buying a rental property
There are many reasons why you might want to buy a rental property. For starters, if you have several properties, it can be a way to create passive income; it can also be a good way to diversify your investment portfolio. Depending on what kind of investor you are, there are two routes you can take: risky or less risky. Either way, you’ll need a savvy realtor to help you make the wisest choice possible.
LOW RISK
If your goal is long-term security, your realtor can help you find a rental property at market price. There are a handful of solid options available to you, including a house where you can live and where there is a separate apartment you can rent out; a multi-residential building with several units or a single-dwelling house.
The advantages: at market price, you’re more likely to find a well-kept property with existing tenants in a reputable neighborhood. The disadvantages: you might not see stellar returns from month to month. Just be sure your rental income covers all maintenance costs and allows you to pad a savings account for unforeseeable expenses.
HIGHER RISK
If you’re prepared to spend time searching for a bargain, your realtor can help you find a property that is underpriced and that will bring you good returns. This might include a luxury home or a property that needs extensive renovations.
If you’re busy and don’t want to be bothered with the mundane tasks associated with being a landlord, ask your realtor about property management services. Your realtor may be able to manage all leasing, rent collecting and maintenance on your behalf.
Some terms to know when purchasing a home
A pre-approved mortgage guarantees that you can borrow the amount needed to purchase a property. It is obtained from a lender after an analysis of your financial situation and borrowing capacity. You can give this to the seller together with the purchase offer in order to demonstrate how serious you are. Once the purchase offer has been signed, all you need to get is a loan commitment or mortgage approval, a document confirming that your loan application has been approved. Having a pre-approved mortgage speeds up this process.
Mortgage loan insurance is usually required by the lender when the amount of the down payment is less than 20 per cent of the purchase price of the property. This isn’t to be confused with mortgage life insurance, which covers your family if you die before paying off your mortgage.
A purchase offer is a written agreement setting the terms under which you agree to buy a particular property. If the seller accepts it, he or she agrees to sell their property in accordance with these conditions. The seller can also refuse it and make a counteroffer, which amends or clarifies certain conditions of the previous offer, such as the price
Are country acreages affordable these days?
The days of truly cheap rural properties are pretty much a thing of the past. But if you’re a city and suburb dweller who d reams of moving to a calmer, simpler place in the country, don’t lose heart just yet. If you have some flexibility about when you buy and how you use the pro perty, your dream may still be more af fordable than you think.
Get to know the right people. Before you quit your job in the city, talk to some realtors in the rural or semi-rural areas that interest you. Many rural property owners already have buyers in mind when they decide to sell, but getting an “in” with a local realtor is the next best way to get your foot in the door.
Transition. If you are ready to quit the city but haven’t yet found some land to buy, consider renting. As you join local organizations and get to know people, you can advertise your desire to buy some acres. Take your time and visit many properties before you buy; in the meantime, the local realtor will have a list of rental homes for you to consider.
Scale back. If your dream is to have a horse farm or to live self-sufficiently, you may have to begin with a simpler plan. Horses and pastured livestock require a lot of acres, and the initial layout for solar power or wind power is costly. If you have to, start off with an acre, or buy a home in a semi-rural town. Either will get you away from the city traffic madness and save your sanity.
9249 Twinberry Drive
4bed |2bath| $427,900 MLS#2471967
or the date of transfer of ownership (the closing date of the transaction and on which you take possession of the property). You will be given a specific deadline for accepting or refusing the counteroffer, to which you can, in turn, make a counteroffer, and so on. If you have to sell your home before buying a new one, you can make a conditional offer. This means you agree to purchase the property only if certain conditions are met first.
A purchase agreement is a legal document signed by both the buyer and the seller to formalize the transfer of ownership. It is a proof of ownership.
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Selling your home: how to determine the asking price
Have you decided to sell your home?
To attract buyers, you will have to advertise a competitive and realistic selling price. If you ask too much, you may lose po ten tial visitors. And while it’s good t o keep a margin for negotiating, keep in mind that buyers often shop by price range. This means that if you want to sell for $200,000, you’ll attract more visitors by advertising your home at $225,000 than at $275,000. In addition, buyers who are ready to pay $275,000 will quickly realize that other properties offer better value for the price.
On the other hand, you shouldn’t undervalue your property and lose the chance to make a profit. So, how does one find the right balance? The best way is to compare your home with similar properties that have sold recently in your area. This will give you a good idea of the amount buyers are willing to pay for a home like yours. When setting the price, you should also take into account the current market and how much time you can wait before needing
to sell or move (you may have to ask for less if you’re in a hurry to sell). Talk about your ideas with your real estate agent or a licensed appraiser; he or she will help you determine the right price for the situation.
Is it time to sell or to buy?
The best time to buy or sell real estate depends on the type of dwelling and the current market conditions within a given sector.
• People who want to sell their property have the advantage in a seller’s market, where demand is higher than supply. The number of properties available is insufficient, so homes sell quickly and prices rise.
• People who are shopping around have the edge in a buyer’s market, where supply far exceeds demand. They have all the time in the world to find the home of their dreams and negotiate a good price.
Thinking of selling or buying a property? Check with a real estate agent to find out about the current market conditions.
What type of home suits you?
Would you love to buy your own home?
An important investment like this should never be undertaken lightly. Not only do you have to take the time to choose your new home and neighbourhood carefully, but you must first decide which type of property best suits your needs, both now and in the future. Single family, semi-detached, condo or home with a rental property — they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
• Single family home. Single-family homes are very popular and have many advantages, including more privacy. You can also build and modify at will, inside and outside. In other words, you can knock down walls, build a garage or plant a vegetable garden. A single-family home may not be the best option for you if you don’t have the time or inclination to mow the lawn, shovel snow, maintain the roof and clean the gutters.
• Semi-detached. Usually cheaper than a single-family home, a semi-detached has some of the advantages of the latter, including privacy. However, since two properties are built on the same land, you have less space outside. On the other hand, there is less maintenance work. If you buy a semi-detached home, make sure the dividing wall is thick enough to block any noise from the neighbouring unit.
• Condominium. A condo is great for people who don’t want the hassle of looking after a yard. Some condominiums provide special facilities, such as a swimming pool or gym, which you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise. Keep in mind that you’ll pay condo fees accordingly. On the downside, a condo is a lot less private than a house. You must also be careful to choose a building where the other owners have
a similar lifestyle to your own. In addition, sharing common areas will often mean that you have to agree with them on how the building is maintained and managed.
• Homes with rental units. Buying a home that includes a rental unit may allow you to access the property market more easily; the rent you receive will help you pay your mortgage. A lot of your expen ses will also be tax deductible. However, a rental unit requires you to be available, as tenant emergencies can occur at any time. You should also be good with your hands for maintenance jobs.
Of course, there are other types of homes that may suit you, such as attached homes. Your real estate agent will be able to help you find the right property for your requirements.
Solariums give extra comfort and light
A solarium is a room filled with windows that acts as a buffer between the inside and outside of your home. In addition to offe ring a stunning view of your yard, extra living space and privileged access to lots of natural light, a solarium offers other benefits, too. If you’ve been thinking about adding a solarium to your home, be sure to keep reading.
THERMAL COMFORT
Are you one of those people who suffer terribly during summer heat waves? If so, adding a solarium to your home could really improve your comfort. Here’s how.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION
Several factors come into play when manufacturing and installing a solarium: the choice of materials and aircirculation systems; orientation; roofing; insulation and waterproofing. To enjoy all the benefits of your solarium (and avoid unpleasant surprises), entrust all these tasks to a reputable company.
During the day, all ventilation outlets and openings between your house and the solarium should be kept closed, with the goal of preventing heat from coming indoors. However, the outside windows of the solarium should be left open, allowing the hot air to escape.
At night, a solarium allows you to evacuate the hot air that settles naturally in the upper portion of your home. So, once the sun sets, all doors and vents between your solarium and the inside of your home should be opened. The noninsulated wall collects the cool air and redistributes it.
This is why a solarium can actually help you reduce your air conditioning costs. And during the winter it has the opposite effect — it acts as a buffer and reduces your heating costs. In other words, as well as being practical and attractive, a solarium is a moneysaving investment.
Melamine is back
Melamine has always been considered a low-end product that’s flimsy and unattractive. However, over the decades, the continual improvement of manufacturing processes has completely transformed this ma terial, so much so that it can now be found in the trendiest of homes.
These days the new melamine particleboards imitate different kinds of wood to perfection. There is a wide range of ultra-modern finishes available, and they are typically resistant to heat and scratches. We’ve certainly come a long way from the shiny melamine of the 1980s.
The advantages of glass partitions
It can be quite a challenge if you want to divide up the space in your home for, say, an office, but you don’t like the idea of sacrificing natural light by putting up walls. Before you resign yourself to this sad prospect, consider the possibility of installing glass partitions.
The concept is simple: instead of building solid walls, you can opt for walls that are both transparent and resilient. Choosing this option means you can organize a corner office in a quiet area with natural light, close to the kitchen or living room.
And to enjoy a little more
privacy, you could opt for a textured or frosted finish — no more excuses for being distracted from your work. It’s a great solution, isn’t it?
How to find the perfect front door
Is your front door damaged, rusted, defective or simply old-fashioned? If you’d like to replace it, just be sure not to buy one on the spur of the moment. Instead, take the time to choose a good-quality model that will enhance your home’s facade for years to come.
MATERIALS
One thing’s for sure: you can’t buy a front door in the same way as you’d buy a basement or bedroom door. Front doors have to be visually appealing as well as very strong. You’ll find a wide range of models on the market made of different materials, either alone or in combination:
• steel
• fibreglass
• wood
• aluminum
• PVC
Each material has its own advantages. Specialized companies will be able to advise you about which ones are most suitable for your needs and your budget.
SOUGHT-AFTER QUALITIES
When shopping for a front door, look for one that has the following characteristics:
• shock resistant
• good insulation and soundproofing
• easy maintenance
• enhanced security (solid locks and anchoring systems)
COLOURS AND GLAZING
Manufacturers offer an impressive range of colours and finishes to make sure your front door looks great. How ever, be careful when choosing the glass for your front-door’s window, as it can make all the difference in terms of style. There are many possibilities, including square, rectangular, half-moon, circle, mosaic or stained glass.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
When you’re shopping around for the perfect front door, ask a professional for advice. One good idea is to go shopping with a photo of the front of your house as well as the dimensions of the existing door opening. This will make it much easier for you to find a model that complements the style of your home.
CUSTOM-MADE
Keep in mind that it is always wise to have your front door made to measure; this ensures that its fit, shape, colour and hardware are perfectly adapted to your home. Moreover, if you entrust the installation to experts, the result will be flawless.
A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT
The front door is a major component of your home, so don’t skimp on quality. This investment of a few hundred — or even a few thousand — dollars could definitely add value to your property.
