The Northern Medical Program at UNBC is producing physicians who want to live in Prince George and the surrounding communities, including three obstetrician/gynecologists now working at UHNBC. Keeping their distance in pandemic times are, from left, are Dr. Lindsay Benoit, Dr. Natasha Pascas and Dr. Megan Thwaites, holding her seven-month-old Blythe and 2 1/2-year-old son Emmitt.
TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
Megan Thwaites knew she’d picked the right branch of medicine to study the day she delivered her first baby. It happened in her third year as a student in UNBC’s Northern Medical Program and the new arrival – a baby girl - came with an added bonus.
“There was definitely one I did all by myself and she was named Megan - that was so nice,” said the Prince George born-and-
raised Thwaites, one of the growing list of homegrown doctors who have returned to their roots in the city.
It took the Kelly Road graduate 14 years of postsecondary studies to earn her specialty as an obstetrician/gynecologist. After finishing medical school in 2008, she went to UBC in Vancouver to complete her six-year residency, starting out in general surgery, then switched to obstetrics.
“NMP was my preference because it was small and home and it was wonder-
ful,” said Thwaites, 36. “With the smaller class sizes we got so much more hands-on experience than down in Vancouver and it was really amazing. All the teachers are really enthusiastic. Having the NMP here, we see a lot of family practice residents stay here and now being able to work with them as family doctors, it just builds a really nice community and everyone is collegial. It makes it a really nice working environment.”
MARK NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
What to do with a local man described as low functioning but found guilty of groping two women at a movie theatre was a topic in Prince George provincial court last week. Daniel Jimmy Junior Jack, 30, has a history of “problematic sexual behaviour” and has previously served jail time for a similar but more serious incident. However, he was also described as low functioning and with special needs and it was agreed that jail would only worsen his behaviour because he would be separated from his support network. He had groped a female guard while previously in custody, it was also noted.
In that light, Judge Peter McDermick agreed to a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels that will see Jack serve three years probation with conditions that include staying away from the Famous Players 6 cinema and a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, unless with a person approved by his probation officer.
The outcome stems from a Jan. 13, 2019 incident in which Jack positioned himself behind the two women while they were sitting in one of the cinema’s theatres and touched one on her rear end and the other on her lower back. Jack must also take counselling as directed. The author of a pre-sentence report said Jack is not a candidate for group counselling but structured, oneon-one counselling could work.
WHAT:
City Council consideration of applications regarding:
•Liquor License Application No. LL100166
•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”
WHEN:
Monday, August 17, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Council Chamber sofCity Hall, 2nd Floor,1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC
PROPOSALS:
1. Liquor License Application No. LL100166
Applicant: ZorawarSaini for The Generator Enter tainment Ser vices Ltd.
Subject Proper ties: 1232 –1244 3rd Avenue
The applicant has applied to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch for anew Nightclub Liquor Primar yLicense for “The Generator” located on the subject proper ties at 1232 -1244 3rd Avenue. The pur pose of this application is to facilitate the proposed hour sofliquor ser vice from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. from Mondayto Sunday.
Total maximum occupant load at the establishment is: 250 patrons.
The Liquor License Application applies to the proper ties legally described as Lot 13 and 14, Block 44, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268, as shown outlined in bold black on the Location and Zoning 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 1232-1244 3rd Avenue
2. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9133, 2020”
Applicants: Dana Mathison, Adam Mathison, Owen Mathison and Lorraine Mathison
Subject Proper ty: 1675 5th Avenue
BylawNo. 9133, 2020 proposes to rezone the subject proper ty from RS4: Urban Residential to RM1: Multiple Residential as shown on Appendix “A to BylawNo. 9133, 2020.
The pur pose of this application is to facilitate afull-daydaycare, with more than 13 children under the ‘Community Care Facility,Major” principal use on the subject proper ty,orother uses, pur suant to the proposed RM1: Multiple Residential zoning designation(s).
The proposed bylawapplies to the proper ty legally described as Lot C(BA516698), Block 160, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268, as shown outlined in bold black on the Location Map #2 below
Location Map #2 1675 5th Avenue
Residents are invited to provide comment in writing
As aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held April 6, 2020 passed aresolution to discontinue infor mal hearings for Liquor License Applications and other applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held.
Pur suant to Section 464(2) of the Local Government Act,City Council has waived the requirements for aPublic Hearing to be held respecting the proposed Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9133, 2020 during their regular Council meeting held Monday, July 27, 2020.
Written comments should be forwarded to the Cor porate Officer by 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 11, 2020, to be included in Council’sagenda package. Submissions received after this time will be provided to Council on August 17, 2020 for their consideration during deliberations on the application. 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 awritten submission you are consenting to the disclosure of anyper sonal infor mation that you provide.
Personal infor mation 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). Forinfor mation or questions, contact the City’sFIPPACoordinator at 250-561-7600 or 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2L 3V9.
Acopyofthe application, proposed bylawand other related documents will be available for reviewbythe public on the City’swebsite www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning August 5, 2020.These documents mayalso be reviewedatthe Development Ser vices office on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on August 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 17, 2020,between the hour sof 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Formore infor mation, please contact Development Ser vices in per son, by telephone at 250-561-7611 or by email to devser v@princegeorge.ca.
MARK NIELSEN
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The ground has been broken and heavy equipment is now on the site of an ambitious $16.5-million project to provide safe spaces for women and children fleeing violent relationships.
A combination of transitional and second-stage housing and townhouses at 2855 15th Ave., next to Studio 2880, is scheduled to be ready to take in clients by fall 2021.
“It’s a very, very well-thought-out project,” Mitzi Dean, the provincial Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, said during a telephone interview last week.
The transitional housing will consist of 18 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, where women and children typically stay
for 30 days. Second-stage housing will account for an additional 16 units where they can stay for a further 18 months.
“We quite often seen a bottleneck in transition housing and so, being able to offer that second-stage home space for women as they’re continuing to rebuild their lives (is helpful), “ Dean said. “They can still have some support there.”
Rental housing in the form of 21 townhouses ranging from one to three bedrooms will also be available on the 0.65-hectare site for those ready to move into more permanent housing.
Dean said the complex, which will be operated by the Prince George Elizabeth Fry Society, will serve the region around Prince George as well as the city itself.
“We were hearing that many women from those smaller communities were looking for anonymity and wanting to find somewhere that’s safe and where they’re not going to be found,” Dean said.
Dean, who worked in child protection and family services for 30 years prior to becoming the MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin, hopes the project will go some way to reducing the number of preventable tragedies.
“I have worked with lots of families where there have been very horrific stories of violence and abuse and I know that across the whole of our province, we still need to be providing safe spaces and opportunities to build their lives,” Dean said.
“Nobody should have to face violence
at home or suffer homelessness. Nobody should have to make that choice.”
Dean said there has been some indication of a rise in domestic violence since the novel coronavirus pandemic has taken hold, although it’s too early so say if there is a connection.
She also noted that people working in the sector have continued to provide services and that the provincial government has invested in 300 hotel rooms across B.C. to provide safe spaces while also ensuring physical distancing at the transition houses.
The VictimLinkBC hotline also remains up and running in 150 languages at 1-800563-0808 around the clock and seven days a week.
Early October promises to be a watershed moment for Tara Kirkpatrick. She operates Backwoods BC Bud, which appears to be the first craft cannabis grower to be up and running in the Prince George area, and she is aiming to have four lines of her product on the market by that time. “I’m excited, I’m living out my dream,” she said.
Kirkpatrick is no newcomer to the industry. For 19 years, she has grown medical marijuana and takes credit for a strain she says has helped reduce epileptic seizures.
“I’ve been a farmer my whole life,” Kirkpatrick said. “I grew up on a farm and it was a natural gravitation, going from vegetables to different types of plants.
“Cannabis was one of the things I wanted to grow and study and research and develop because most of our medicines are made from plants. It was just one of my key interests and the fact that I really like to help people.”
Charles Wentworth of Nibbler, a consulting firm who guided Kirkpatrick through the process of securing a licence for smallscale production from Health Canada, said
his client is part of a trend across Canada of farms turning to cannabis to keep them in the family.
“It is a way to revitalize the existing legacy family farm that’s been there for multiple generations by simply changing what the farm produces from one crop to another type of crop,” he said.
Kirkpatrick’s “canopy” covers 2,150 square feet, the maximum the federal government allows for so-called microcultivators. Her operation will produce a higher-quality product than that pushed out by the large-scale growers.
“No large company can say that their master grower hand picks and produces the bud all the way through the life cycle because you can’t do that over 10 acres,” Wentworth said.
They likened the process to the difference between mass produced chocolate and that made by an artisan chocolatier involved in every stage of the process.
“Each and every plant is handled with love, right from the beginning through to harvest so that we’re producing that top-quality cannabis for the craft consumers,” Kirkpatrick said.
What: Notice of Consideration regarding Temporary Use Permit No. 237
When and Where:
1:30 p.m., Thursday,August 20, 2020 Regional District BoardRoom 155 George Street, Prince George BC
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.
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/landuse-planning/current-applications/ or at the Regional District office, by appointment only, Monday through Friday,8:00 am to 4:30 pm, between August 7, 2020, and August 20, 2020. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca or at 250-960-4400
Who can Ispeak to? Daniel Burke,
from page A1
The additional perk of family support made it an easy decision for her to return to Prince George four years ago to set up her practice. Thwaites is married to Prince George firefighter Garrett Heggelund and they have two kids, a 2 ½-year-old boy and seven-month-old daughter.
Each year, the Northern Medical Program has an intake of 32 medical students and two of them, Lindsay Benoit and Natasha Pascas, graduated together in 2014. Like Thwaites, they are obstetricians, specialists in pregnancy, childbirth and women’s reproductive health. While they
are known as “baby doctors,” who care for women during pregnancy and shortly after the baby is born, they treat most of their patients for gynecological issues which involve the reproductive system.
“Probably the biggest misconception is we are baby doctors, but we really do care for women across the lifespan from teenagers all the way up to women in their ‘90s,” said Pascas. “It really is special that we’re able to form long relationships with a lot of our patients, having to be involved in their pregnancies and their births and to see them later in life.”
“While obstetrics is a very important
part of what we do, especially up here in this community, it’s less than a half of what we do,” said Benoit. “Our specialty is very broad when it comes to women’s health. Yes, we do the reproductive side, but it’s much more than that.”
Pascas came from Burnaby, while Benoit is from Kelowna. They liked living in Prince George as students enough to make them want to return as specialists with their young families.
“The community is a great size and having done my medical school here just solidified a connection with the community at large and the medical community as well and has the whole package in what I was looking for personally and professionally,” said Benoit.
Benoit, 35, was inspired by her father Glenn, an obstetrician in Kelowna, and knew early in her life she wanted to get into medicine. She and her husband, Darren Bylycia, a heavy-duty mechanic from Cluculz Lake, have two children, a fiveyear-old boy and a three-year-old girl. After a six-year residency in Calgary, she joined the medical staff at UHNBC in July, swelling the ranks of obstetricians now working in the city to eight.
“I think it’s really rewarding, providing women’s health in the north is really special and really important, and I just feel real privileged and lucky to do that,” said Benoit. “There’s certainly some challenging days and sad things happen but I think it’s a privilege to be able to care for women.
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“Certainly I had mentorship within my family and a very strong role model growing up and coming here to medical school, one of our department members definitely had a huge influence on my career and continues to do so. Her name is Marijo Odulio and she’s our current department head. As women, it’s so important to have those female role models. That’s what drew me to the residency.”
Pascas, 32, is married to internal medicine specialist Mike Pascas, a native of Williams Lake. They met as first-year medical students and both went to Saskatoon
for their residencies after earning their shingles as UNBC students. They have a have a three year-old boy and second child due in October.
“A shocking amount of my patients, when they hear I’m from Vancouver, ask me when I’m going back,” said Pascas, who moved back to Prince George last September. “My husband and I are so happy to be back here.
“I really enjoyed living here when I was a student and I think all of us had a good experience in medical school. This is the size of the community I wanted to come back to. We bought a house and we’re staying here for good and I think that’s a great part of the success of the NMP program.”
The NMP is a partnership between UNBC and UBC’s Faculty of Medicine set up in response to the Condition Critical health rally in June 2000. It attracted 7,000 people to the Prince George Multiplex (now CN Centre)and brought national attention to the health care problems facing northern and rural regions. The NMP has been around for 15 years and it is fulfilling its intent – producing doctors willing to live and work in Prince George and northern BC communities.
Although she’s only been on the job for a little more than a month, Benoit is already familiar with the constraints on gynecological procedures that add to wait times for patients and says the proposed surgical tower addition at UHNBC would alleviate a lot of those concerns. Many of those procedures can be done with out-patient care without impacting operating room resources or requiring overnight hospitalization. But without the additional space and staffing a new tower would bring that is not possible in the existing 70-year-old building.
“A lot of what we do on the gynecology side is surgical, and we share those resources with all the other surgical specialists,” said Benoit “It’s just (a lack of) resources with operating room time and infrastructure. Space is an issue, time is an issue, and staffing is an issue.”
Masks will be mandatory for anyone stepping onto a city bus starting Aug. 24.
The measure is being imposed province-wide by BC Transit in answer to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accommodations will be permitted for children under the age of five and those who cannot wear a face covering for health
reasons. And the policy will be implemented as an educational step without enforcement.
“We will work hard to ensure customers are aware of our new policy over the coming weeks, and work together to make transit a comfortable environment for staff and customers,” BC Transit said in a statement.
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Amora Depenau took the easy way up to the top in the Climb For Cancer, high up the sandy slope of the cutbanks overlooking the Nechako River.
She had a womb with a view for the journey.
Her mother Leila was still carrying her in her swollen abdomen, trying to bring on natural labour for her two-days-overdue arrival. The added burden of her first child was no hindrance; she made the round-trip twice on Saturday with her husband Eric to fulfill her commitment to the cause.
“We’re trying to get her coming and that’s part of it,” said Leila, who used a cane and an occasional hand from Eric to steady herself on the steep hill. “It wasn’t not too bad, actually. It was easier this year because it wasn’t cold. I’m glad it wasn’t canceled.”
Amora’s middle name will be Seleyian, in tribute to Leila’s aunt who died of cancer in 2012 in their native Kenya. Eric, a military serviceman who doubles as a firefighter, was out of town when his wife did the Canadian Cancer Society event last year and this was his first crack at it. Like the rest of the onlookers gathered at slope Saturday, he was impressed with Leila’s determination to introduce their unborn child to what has become a family tradition.
“It’s pretty impressive, we were only going to do it once and she dragged me up a second time,” said Eric. “(Amora) might be the youngest climber of this year,” he quipped.
At five years old, Corbin Carr was the youngest to make it up under his own power Saturday. He’s already a veteran of three Climbs For Cancer, but the first two were on the back of his dad, Kris. They were part of a family troop named Team Wayne, in honour of Kris’s father Wayne, who died of facial cancer two years ago.
“It was good,” said Corbin, while dumping the sand out of his rubber boots. “I don’t know how that got in there.”
Nine-months-pregnant Leila Depenau finished her second trip up and down the Nechako River cutbanks trail Saturday afternoon with a helping hand from her husband Eric. The fifth annual event, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Kordyban Lodge, continues this weekend.
This was the fifth annual Climb For Cancer and it will be spread over two weekends to avoid large crowd gatherings in observance of provincial health rules during the pandemic. Usually held in April, the event was postponed for four months. The climb is a fundraiser for Kordyban Lodge, which provides affordable food and lodging for patients and their families while undergoing treatments at the BC Cancer Centre for the North.
Riley Windeler of Kamloops made the trip to Prince George specifically for the climb, as he has the past three years, and he was a frequent ascender on Saturday, completing the trip seven times. He has relatives in Williams Lake and draws his inspiration from family members who have been touched by cancer.
Karen Cadle volunteered for Saturday’s climb, taking in registration forms from participants. Having just recovered from
foot surgery, she was in no shape to compete the climb but was there at the base of the hill with her co-worker Deanna Braatz, who helped her get around in the wheelchair Cadle rented for the day. Cadle was inspired to get involved by her late mother, who died of cancer nine years ago.
“She went through six months of lots of chemo and lots of radiation,” said Cadle. “It was terrible. She never looked sick a day in her life and ended up passing away of lung cancer.”
Cadle donated her mother’s wigs to the Kordyban Lodge’s wig bank, shortly after it opened in 2013.
“I’ve had two (cancer) surgeries in Vancouver and I’ve had to use a place like Kordyban Lodge, so I know the need for the programs,” she said. “There’s a definite need for housing and stuff for the families who come to support loved ones. Everything helps, and when you have the support of your family you’ve got so much more fight and so much more will.”
Cadle’s job as Taco del Mar restaurant manager keeps her tied to her work on weekends, when the climb happens. She’s always supported the event by donating money, but this year her bunion surgery meant time off work, which allowed her to come and help out.
“The fundraising is so important, especially now,” said Cadle. “People don’t have the money but the disease does not stop. If you can afford a $15 pack of cigarettes, you can afford a $20 donation to Climb for Cancer to support a family.”
Braatz’s parents, Jan and Jim Crowe, both battled cancer 11 years ago and nobody had to twist her arm to convince her to be Cadle’s driver for the climb.
“My mom had breast cancer and my dad had prostate cancer, one right after the other, and they both recovered and are doing well,” said Braatz.
Donations can be directed through the website, www.climbforcancerpg.ca. As of Sunday afternoon the event had raised about $8,600, with a goal of reaching $35,000.
The FWCP ’s annual grant intake is now open. We’re interested in grant applications for projects to help conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in our Peace Region. Grant applicants need to align their proposed projects with our new, updated 2020 Peace Region action plans.
Key dates
• All Peace Region grant applicants must submit a mandatory notice of intent This short project overview is due Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, 5 p.m. PDT.
• Grant applications are due Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, 5 p.m. PDT.
Join us online
• Notice of intent info session: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT.
• Grant info session: Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, 1 p.m.–2:30 p.m. PDT.
• RSVP at fwcp@bchydro.com.
CHRISTINE HINZMANN Citizen staff
An elderly McBride couple is still reeling a month after narrowly escaping with their lives from a mudslide that destroyed their home.
Garry and Mabel Moore said it sounded like a freight train was coming through their house in the middle of the night.
Garry had to break the kitchen window so he, Mabel, and their granddaughter’s little dog could escape.
“I just tucked her under my arm and waded through the water, mud and debris that was waist-high to get out,” Mabel recalled. “Your adrenaline kicks in and you just go. You don’t even stop to think about how scary it is at that particular momentit’s afterward when you get the shakes and yeah. I have no idea how we got out but we did and we’re both very grateful.”
Garry and Mabel’s legs were bruised and cut pretty badly and other parts of their
bodies were injured too.
“Our toes were badly bruised because we had bare feet and we’re going through the rocks and debris and gravel and mud,” Mabel said. “Garry got a wicked cut on his arm about seven inches long and about two inches deep.”
It’s on the underside of his forearm and he got it after he broke the kitchen window in the pitch-black so they could make their escape. Luckily there was a plastic surgeon in Prince George that fixed Garry up, Mabel added.
“It’s still pretty numb but hopefully feeling in his arm will come back and it’ll be good,” Mabel said.
The couple, who have been married for 49 years, lived in their home that sits on six acres on Mountainview Road for 37 years. They are lying low, Mabel said, at their son and daughter-in-law’s home in McBride for the time being trying to figure out what’s next for them.
This kind of devastation is not covered by their insurance as it is considered “an act of God.” Mabel got a call from Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond \ with details on applying for the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance Program.
“We’re just in the process of filling out the papers for that and fingers crossed we’ll get something out of it,” Mabel said.
There are four properties on Mountainview Road that were effected and those properties are still under evacuation orders.
“But our property took the brunt of the slide,” Mabel said.
Their property is completely destroyed. There’s mud higher than the kitchen stove that’s settled into their house.
“You know you think of all the years in the home and all the work that went into it,” Mabel said. “I’m looking at a 53-foot van sitting in the yard here and it’s not even half full and that’s all we own. It might even
The Northern Orchestra has received a BC Gaming Grant for $5,500 that will cover operating expenses until the end of 2021. The orchestra, which is a teaching, learning and performing group of Northern BC musicians founded in 2002, will have to its their performance schedule but will continue with smaller productions where a
maximum of 20 musicians including Northern Orchestra founder and leader Gordon Lucas will be on stage as they perform in front of an audience of as many as 30, which fits into the COVID-19 guidelines for social gatherings limits of 50 people.
“I’m very confident for the continuation of the Northern Orchestra with all of our people and all of our audiences for next year,” Lucas said in a newsletter. “We are
be only a quarter full if we stacked it all up and that makes me sad. For all the yearsmy husband worked hard all those years and I worked - and you know there were so many mementos we had from when our kids were little and they’re all gone. But as I keep saying, every day we get up and put our feet on the floor we hope for a better day.”
The community support has been heartwarming, Mabel said. “This is pretty devastating but our little community here is absolutely the best,” she added. “Everybody supports us in one way or another and it’s been great that way.”
In time, the Moore’s hope to have another place on a few acres. “But it’s not going to be today,” Mabel said. “And it’s not going to be near a creek.”
Friends set up a fundraising campaign to help the couple at https://www.gofundme. com/f/elderly-couple-lose-everything-in-debris-slide
small enough and flexible enough to do well, and while it will take some stickhandling, we are going to play next year. Live.”
To offer live music to as many people as possible there will be two Coffee Concerts held this fall, one matinee and one evening show in Prince George and Vanderhoof with venues to be confirmed at a later date.
There are also Christmas performances on the schedule.
“Operating with flexibility is mandatory for us currently, and will ensure our survival,” Lucas said. “I want live music and will not participate in the virtual scenario. So don’t ask.”
Season ticket holders will have the first option for seating and tickets at the door will be limited.
Audience members can register by email at moltogordo@runbox.com.
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
After two weeks playing hockey in a bubble, the NHL is proving playoffs are not only possible in pandemic times, but safe for everybody involved.
Sequestered as they are in Edmonton and Toronto, the surviving teams still in the hunt for the Stanley Cup have so far kept the coronavirus at bay, and the Western Hockey League is watching with great interest.
“It’s just incredible what they’ve done,” said Prince George Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb. “What I like is they’ve always said they are going to play and they’ve never backtracked on it. They went to all the health agencies and worked with everybody to create this with a lot smart people and a lot of work. They’ve made the bubbles, they had a return-to-play (plan), they did a collective bargaining agreement in this, and they did it all without anybody face-to-face.”
Travel bans have forced a new way of doing business in the hockey world and like the NHL, the WHL has been forced to adapt.
“Through this pandemic we did the draft (bantam and import) online, everybody knows how to run meetings on Zoom now and I think that’s going to be the norm,” said Lamb. “The cost-cutting is huge.”
Now that the WHL has elected to delay the start of next season until Dec. 4, that gives the Cougars nearly four months to get ready to hit the ground running when the puck finally drops. Until then, planning for the new season is a guessing game. Until Thursday’s announcement, the
league had been planning for an early-October start, with training camps to begin in mid-September. Those plans changed in a hurry and Lamb says he still doesn’t know when he’ll have his players in town to start team workouts and scrimmages. Like the rest of the world, they are at the mercy of the COVID-19 virus that is essentially making up all the rules.
“We really don’t know how early we can bring guys in, because it’s got to be a blanket, everybody has to be able to do the same thing,” said Lamb. “The start date is December 4th and all the rest still has to be worked out. Is it two weeks or a month? All the training camps in the league have to be consistent and we still haven’t got those details.
“We’ve got four months to do a lot of work, but we can do all the work we want, people have to be smart about the virus. When you get these nice summer months, people have been tied up inside doing the right things, watching the numbers go down so you think it might be gone, but it’s still around.”
The younger Cougars under the age of 18 are still eligible for midget hockey and they are being encouraged to stay close to home this fall to play regular shifts for their hometown teams and, if possible, practice with junior A or junior B teams, rather than waiting for the WHL season to begin. Lamb has been busy talking to player agents and junior and midget teams trying to find places for them to play.
“The biggest message I’m giving our guys is when this starts it’s going to be quick and it’s going to be busy, so be ready,” Lamb said. “Our organization is in a real positive spot right now. We think we’ve
done a really good job in the draft, we’ve got a lot of guys signed and I really like where we’re going. It’s just going to take a little longer.”
Protecting the safety of players and team personnel is of paramount importance to the Cougars and Andy Beesley, the vice president of business, says whenever possible they will try to keep to themselves.
“From our point of view there’s lot we can learn from how (the NHL has) created bubbles for players and staff and I think there‘s quite a lot of that we can replicate in our own way and make it work for us,” said Beesley.
“We strongly believe that we can create these bubbles. Similar to the NHL, if there are daily checks and you’re inside the bubble we can create a safe zone for everyone involved. If you have to step outside the bubble or if somebody from outside the bubble steps in that creates a new set of protocols to make sure we are keeping everybody safe.”
The Cougars are taking a proactive and cautious approach to their business operations, following the advice of the provincial health office. They’ve scrapped their annual hockey school in August, which was a money maker for the team, to reduce the risk of exposure. The entire Cougars staff at their CN Centre office wears a mask whenever someone enters their office bubble. Meetings with clients are held outside or in the wide expanses of the arena. They want everybody in the province to do all in their power to help end the pandemic.
“Whether you agree with it or not, put on your mask in public and keep away from large groups in public and don’t go to large parties and keep away from large groups
and wash your hands,” said Beesley. “Even though it’s uncomfortable and unpleasant at times, we’re making sacrifices.”
The Cougars will be working closely with School District 57 education advisor Mary Lamarre to work out a plan to keep the players on top of their school work once the season starts. They are one of the most isolated WHL teams, which forces the players to spend more time away from their billet homes than most teams. Distance education and virtual classrooms players taking high school and post-secondary classes are a certainty.
“We have such an unusual life for these high school kids anyway with their extensive travel schedule and (Lamarre) is fantastic at working with us and they’re already doing a fair amount of distance learning without COVID,” said Beesley. “So we think this is a problem we can overcome and find a way to make it work so the kids are still getting quality education maybe doing it in a different way that does not include mingling with other high school kids or being outside the bubble.”
When the Canada-U.S. border will open and what arena capacity and physical distancing restrictions will be in place are the two biggest uncertainties facing WHL teams right now. The tentative WHL schedule includes several different scenarios and the Cougars won’t know for at least another month or two if they will be playing strictly within the B.C. Division, a distinct possibility if the border remains closed and interprovincial travel is discouraged. The December start likely means the 2021 Memorial Cup national major junior championship will be pushed back a month into June.
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Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
While work has begun on the neigbhouring Elizabeth Fry housing complex for women and children, the Community Arts Council’s long-running quest to move to a new home remains in a COVID-19-induced holding pattern.
CAC executive director Sean Farrell said a “very thorough” feasibility study centred on redeveloping the old Bank of Montreal building at Third Avenue and Quebec Street into a new creative hub has been completed.
But it occurred just as the pandemic took hold and now the city is in a major financial bind.
“The city needs to figure out what its strategic priorities are and (work out) an updated 10-year
capital spending plan and that needs to be done in the context of pretty significant economic pressures that the city is facing,” Farrell said.
“We’re aware of that and we’ll be going through the process with the city this fall to see where our new building can fit in.”
Farrell declined to provide further detail on what is in mind, other than to say that when city council sees the plan and the price tag, it will sell itself.
“It’s a really amazing plan and it’s probably one of the most cost-effective projects that the city could even envision right now, but I won’t get into anymore of those (details) until we actually get in front of council,” he said.
“Everyone’s just been fully occupied with dealing with the crisis.”
Citizen staff
There will be no adult soccer this year on the outdoor fields.
The Prince George Soccer Association has cancelled the 2020 season for the women’s and men’s leagues, citing safety concerns related to the pandemic.
“Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation and with the province still in Phase 1
return to play we believe it is in the best interest of our members’ safety and our responsibility to our community that we have decided to cancel,” said PGSA media relations director Michele David.
“The board of directors has worked diligently with the City of Prince George, BC Soccer and Via Sport to create possible plans for a safe return to play. As Via Sport
In the interim, he said the CAC continues to make do with its current home at 2880 15th Avenue.
“Studio 2880 was built long before some of the physical considerations around social distancing but our user groups are all here, they’re all really working hard on safety plans and re-imagining operations based on the current restrictions,” Farrell said.
“We have a waiting list of people wanting to come in and use space here, so we’re just managing this new set of expectations that people have around accessing sites.”
That plan to move to the spot was first announced in April 2018. The Farmers’ Market, which moved in that same month, is to remain at the location.
and BC Soccer have yet to confidently move into Phase 2 we are unable to transition into competitive play. We will continue developing a plan moving forward for the 2021 season.”
“We wish our community and families continued good health. We look forward to hearing the sound of voices on the soccer fields next year.”
Last year, the league had 15 women’s teams (four in Division 1, five in Division 2, six in Division 2B). while there were 16 men’s teams (eight in Division 1, four in Division 2, four in 45-plus), as well as a 35-player over-50 men’s group.
The league plays its games at North Cariboo Field and the adjacent Michelle Lamarche Field.
KATHY NADALIN
he 2018 Prince George Citizen of the Year, Harold Hartshorne, was born in the historic Resthaven Hospital in Sidney in 1947. One of eight children, he was raised and schooled in North Saanich.
After high school, he worked in a scrap yard for a wage of 50 cents per hour. He moved on to a better job in the dock yard as a hook tender on a plate barge. After he witnessed a fatality at work, he resigned and went to work for Old Country Sand Blasting and Rentals driving a truck. Harold had been driving a truck for pay since he was 14 years old so driving a 10ton tandem truck at the age of 19 was not unusual for him.
He found work in a welding shop working on ornamental railings. He was able to use this experience to land a job with the Department of Highways as a body man, painter and a welder. He ran the body shop for the next 22 years and then transferred to the mechanical department as a Mechanic III.
Harold’s work caused them to move from Victoria to Kamloops, and finally to Prince George in 1974.
After leaving the Department of Highways, he worked at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre for eight years managing 25 inmates and two staff members in the Centre’s garden program and teaching welding in the trades training
program. He retired from provincial government work at the age of 50 and then operated A-Tec Dental Service for the next 20 years.
In 1969, Harold met Linda Wood at the local hangout at the White Spot Restaurant just two blocks from her home in Victoria. Linda was born in Kelvington, Sask., in 1951. She was working in the office for the Beautiful B.C. Magazine when she met Harold. The young couple married in 1971 and the rest is history.
Harold and Linda have two children: Tracy (Alan) and Mylee (Darren) and one precious grandson.
Linda was a stay-at-home mom while the children were young and volunteered for everything to do with the children. She eventually went to work for BCTel (TELUS) and retired after 26 years of service. She also assisted Harold by carefully
managing the bookkeeping and the billing part of his business.
Harold has been an active member in the Rotary Clubs of Prince George for over 25 years. He was named Rotarian of the year twice and awarded the Paul Harris award on two separate occasions. One of his big accomplishments with Rotary was the setting up of a dental office in Albania complete with dental equipment and supplies donated by our local Prince George dentists and businesses through Rotary.
He is a 31-year member of the Prince George Elks Lodge #122 serving as Exalted Ruler three times and their May Day Parade Marshal for nearly 30 years.
Harold volunteered consistently over many years for good causes such as serving as a special constable for the Saanich Police Auxiliary, the South Fort George Volunteer Fire Department, the Scott
Tournament of Hearts, the Prince George Airshow, AiMHi, the Otway Nordic Ski Centre, the B.C. Summer Games, the B.C. Senior Games and the Children’s Festival, just to name a few.
He has served on the boards of the Hospice Society, Northern B.C. Winter Games Society, B.C. Special Olympics, the Prince George Council of Seniors, the City of Prince George Civic Properties Committee and the Fort George Recreation Committee – again, just to name a few.
Harold concluded by saying: “I love working with people. When it comes to volunteer work, you are only successful when you recognize that it involves a huge amount of teamwork. You can accomplish many great things by working together. I would not have been able to assist these groups and work on projects without the support of my wife Linda and our daughters. They have also generously volunteered and worked quietly in the background all these years. I cannot thank them enough for their encouragement and their continued support.”
Harold has no plans of slowing down on his long-time commitment to community service.
***
August Anniversaries that I know about: 74 years for Fred and Eva Buchi, 71 years for Clarence and Irene Switzer, 70 years for Romeo and Lillian Parent, 65 years for Bob and Marvina Nikkel, 61 years for Jim and Noreen Rustad, 61 years for Matt and Gerda Korolek, 60 years for Cliff and Sharon Dezell, 57 years for Maurice and Adele Mingay, 57 years for Bob and Maureen Dick, 56 years for Colin and Judy Dix, 55 years for Gerry and Mai Dulmage, and 27 years for Larry and Lucy Young.
The Handy Circle Resource Society has received a $2,500 grant from Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund through United Way of Northern BC.
“We are so grateful for the grant, which will help persons with disabilities who are feeling isolated due to COVID-19,” said Lorraine Young, executive director of the Handy Circle Resource Society. “We received funds so we could carry out social development online workshops for eight months and beyond.”
The United Way of Northern BC was pleased to be able to partner with Handy Circle Resource Society to help bring such integral services to persons with disabili-
ties and special needs in the community.
“The services Handy Circle provides allows for exciting opportunities and learning for so many who would otherwise not have access to these fun experiences,”
Trista Spencer, executive director for the United Way of Northern BC, said. “At this time with particular challenges around the pandemic, it’s even more important to be connected and services like this will help even our most vulnerable feel less isolated.
We are pleased to be able to offer this funding to the Handy Circle Resource Society through Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and look forward to continuing to work together.”
“We are so grateful that BC Technology
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for Learning Society also donated computers to us so we can carry out this great project,” Young said.
Since 1993 the BC Technology for Learning Society has distributed more than 77,000 computers through the Computers for Schools program in BC.
“Since March, when the pandemic disrupted everything, we have seen an increased demand from non-profit organizations and low income families requesting equipment to help them work and learn at home,” Mary-Em Waddington, executive director BC Technology for Learning Society, said. “We’ve been able to supply close to 2,000 computers/laptops to all corners, including 25 laptops to Handy
Circle Resources, Learning Difference Centre and Centre for Learning Alternatives in Prince George. Now more than ever we see the importance of technology as it’s such a key tool to help us communicate and learn from home. We are happy to play an instrumental role in breaking down the digital divide and know there is lots more work to be done.”
Feeling connected during the pandemic is especially important to those in the community who might already feel isolated, Young added.
Anyone who would like connect with the society or donate to the project can contact the Handy Circle Resource Society at 250-563-1852 or email hcrspg@gmail.com.
Participants in this 6-week program receive the materials from the Tool Kit for Active Living with Chronic Conditions Program, and participate in aweekly 30-minute, small group conference call with aProgram Leader and other participants. The Leader introduces the materials, explains the self-test to participants, does an exercise with the group, and gets each person to make aweekly action plan.
Six years ago, the Imperial Metals Mount Polley mine waste dump failed. Billions of litres of contaminants flooded into Quesnel Lake and the Fraser River watershed, where my people, members of the Xat’sull First Nation, have drunk water and caught salmon since time immemorial.
The disaster was an opportunity for British Columbia and Canada to change their gold rush-era mining laws. But they didn’t. Instead, they continue to allow industry to use the Fraser River watershed as a garbage dump.
Those who harvest from the Fraser waters and lands have long observed changes in fish quality, liver and organ damage in wildlife, dwindling moose populations, and disappearing birds. Changes in Quesnel Lake only started with the Mount Polley disaster.
It’s important to understand how we got to this point and how it’s affected our communities.
First of all, before the newcomers arrived, Indigenous peoples lived by the natural laws of the land. The Indigenous
economy walked and grew on the land and swam in the waters. Our ancestors were healthy because they lived in harmony with nature.
Years ago, an elder taught me the Indigenous way of viewing Mother Earth was that everything was inside a circle, everything is connected, and humans are equal to everything living.
This differs from the colonized view which is more of a triangle with humans at the top, dominant over and superior to everything else. That way of thinking has gotten us into the mess we are in.
As Joe Martin from Tla-o-qui-aht says, “Mother Earth will provide for your needs but not your greed.”
Resource extraction companies use smoke and mirrors to justify their destruction of the environment. They say they provide jobs, but they don’t mention they are short-term jobs. They remind people
that materials used in phones or other gadgets are mined, but convenience is our downfall. They claim to provide stimulus to the economy but they fail to mention that once a mine is built it will be there forever, threatening or destroying the real economy: the water and land.
Many people are unaware of the damages because they live in cities or towns far from any resource extraction activity. As long as what they need is on the shelves, they don’t worry about what it takes to get it there.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Many know that Indigenous ways dictate how to live our lives to ensure seven generations ahead have a healthy environment to sustain them. At the rate we’re going now, I worry even three generations ahead will have a very difficult time. Resource extraction of all kinds is the starting point for everything pollution and climate change brings.
We protect ourselves by having filtered water, air-conditioned homes, cars, and offices. In this way, we don’t feel the full effect of what we’re doing. We’re killing many species of birds, animals, plants and fish. They don’t have the natural air condi-
In a legendary Saturday Night Live skit from 2000, Tracy Morgan parodied Aunt Jemima in a mock commercial, selling Uncle Jemima’s Malt Liquor.
“Lemme ask you a question - do you like drinkin’?” Morgan opened the skit. “Hell, you like drinkin’. Who the hell don’t? Well, if you’re like me – you like to get bent just as fast as possible. That’s why I’m proud to introduce to you, Uncle Jemima’s Pure Mash Liquor. I’m Uncle Jemima. You probably know my wife, Aunt Jemima, the Pancake Lady.”
In ten seconds, Morgan slapped the viewer with three well-known racist stereotypes about American Blacks. First, the unschooled speaking tone and phrasing. Second, the love of cheap alcohol. Third, a non-threatening but entertaining older southern black man with his farm clothes, bald head and white hair on the sides and back, who refers to himself as Uncle Jemima.
“Now, she says that sellin’ booze is degradin’ to our people. I always say that
black folk ain’t exactly swellin’ up with pride on account of you flippin’ flapjack!”
Morgan went on. “Then she say, “But why booze?” And I says, “Sell what you know”, and I know about booze.”
The sketch was both hilarious and deeply uncomfortable as it exposed the flagrant bigotry behind using a racist stereotype to sell a commercial product.
“Hook a brotha up,” Uncle Jemima stated. “Buy some of my pure mash liquor and let’s show that old b*tch there’s more to this world than just makin’ pancake.”
Aunt Jemima, also played by Morgan, then stepped out onto the porch, banging a pot and cheerfully calling: “Pancakes is ready!”
“Aw, you shut up, woman!” Uncle Jemima answered, flying into a drunken rage. “You’re not gonna ruin this for me!”
Twenty years later, the parody has lost none of its sting. Like some of Eddie Murphy’s work on the show a generation earlier, Morgan mined racial stereotypes to create edgy humour.
The recent fuss about Aunt Jemima’s syrup (and Uncle Ben’s rice) shows there are still many folks who don’t get it and, more importantly, don’t want to get it because getting it might require changing beliefs and behaviour.
In the case of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, they are racist caricatures dating back two centuries.
In the antebellum (that’s the technical word used to describe the American South before the Civil War, so now you know why the popular country band Lady Antebellum recently made the recent change to Lady A) and afterwards, aunt and uncle were honorifics conferred onto older Southern Blacks after a lifetime in service roles in wealthier white households.
Mr. and Mrs., followed by the last name, were titles reserved for whites so aunt and uncle, followed by the first name of the individual, was used.
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tioner they need anymore. They don’t have filtered water. There are many kinds of communities, not just human, and we need to keep them front and centre in order for us to survive. What they need, we need. The most important role I have today is being a grandmother. And so I ask the ancestors to help all of us process what we learn and help educate others about the changes needed. Before and during the pandemic, our children and grandchildren have been in the streets fighting for their future. We need to help them. We have to fight for all of our grandchildren — even the grandchildren of those polluting the Earth, because those grandchildren also have a right to a healthy, sustainable future.
At www.reformbcmining.ca, please demand justice for those impacted by the Mount Polley disaster and say no to new mine waste dams upstream of communities and salmon habitat. This is a small step we can take right now for future generations.
Bev Sellars is a former chief of the Xat’sull First Nation, which is on the front lines of the Mount Polley mine waste dump disaster that took place August 4, 2014.
This was the way Southern white children, both in the household and the community, were taught to both show respect to older Blacks while also reminding them of their place.
Now if you’re protesting that aunt and uncle are used all the time in the present day for children to refer to a close friend of their parents, therefore what’s wrong with Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, you’re broadcasting your own privileged experience on others while ignoring both the history and the context.
Once Southern white children became adults, they no longer had to use aunt or uncle to refer to those same older Blacks. Instead, it was common for whites, when speaking either to or about these Black people, to call them the N-word first, then their first name.
Seen in that light, it’s pretty easy to appreciate (or it should be) for white folks to not only understand but support the efforts of many Blacks who would like to retire Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben as outdated, racist relics used to sell syrup and rice on supermarket shelves.
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As the summer comes to a close with the call of September and school and work bearing down on us, the reality that the effects of COVID-19 continue to linger on is indisputable. Businesses, workplaces, schools, and universities, are all searching to find ways to balance risk with service levels. The novelty of working remotely is wearing thin for many employees and their employers. Businesses have struggled to adjust to the new economic realities and some have thrived. None of us knows what the next several months will hold, except for the fact that that there is uncertainty caused by this unprecedented pandemic.
As leaders, it’s easy to focus on what has been difficult during these past five months.
Lack of sales, loss of income, disruption of the supply chain, unengaged workers, and increased competition, are a few of the areas of concern to the business owners we are talking with.
Many leaders have been challenged with managing people, cashflow, and clients remotely, all the while balancing family
DAVE FULLER
pressures, home schooling, and technical matters.
Yet, despite these trying issues, can we look at COVID-19 as a blessing?
According to the Webster Dictionary, a blessing is defined something “conducive to happiness or welfare.”
For some industries that have benefited from increased sales as a result of COVID-19, the pandemic has been a blessing.
They have increased their sales and some have had record months. For other organizations, the pandemic created the recognition that there was a need for greater efficiencies to ensure sustainability. We encountered many leaders who used the lockdown to reimagine the business model of the organization they managed and as a result have prepared themselves for a brighter future.
All these changes will result in the increased long-term welfare of the business
Since the kerfuffle of the bus transfer station proposal at Foothills and 18th Avenue, I have lost some respect of the people guiding our city.
The latest I call “Three times lucky!”
Have a look at this photo, which shows the entrance of the Ginter’s path at Foothills and 18th Ave.
After the city build the path, they erected signs stating the path was for walkers, cyclists and horse and riders, but not for motorized vehicles. It did not take long and they built the big gate (painted grey!), which spanned the whole path. Shortly after complaints were heard, as people on wheelchairs , with walkers or others with walking difficulties, were unable to go or wheel over, under or around the gate.
There was no foresight by the city so the city came and opened all five gates (perhaps even seven as there are two gates in the centre of Ginter’s park and locked them so they could not be closed! OK, peace was established. To me it seems the city was not satisfied, as people could use the path with their vehicles. I have never seen the public driving on these parts but I guess, they could.
Then the city came with their second solution - they installed a post in the middle of the path. Now the people on bicycles, horses etc could still use the path, but no motor cars could enter (motorcycles, yes!).
in the true meaning of the word.
If we look at a blessing being “conducive to happiness” one might ask if COVID-19 has had any play in this matter. Recently an IPSOS poll investigating the mental health of Canadians found that 66 per cent of women and 51 per cent of men claim their mental health has been negatively affected by COVID-19. However, that may be changing. A survey of Britons found that while happiness levels had dropped significantly in March and April amid the lockdown, happiness levels by the end of May had rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels. In addition, according to the YouGov data survey, the number of unemployed men who said they were stressed dropped from 47 per cent to 30 per cent while the level of these unemployed who felt inspired rose from just four per cent to 15 per cent.
For some people the increased autonomy of working at home has led to more happiness.
For leaders, changes to their organization forced by lockdown has resulted in changes that they would not have been able to make without the COVID-19 excuse. Some leaders are quite happy with those changes.
While divorce may be on the rise in some
areas as a result of long-term confinement of spouses, these divorces may in some cases be a blessing in themselves especially for those marriages that should never have been.
In other family cases, the confinement has led to increased communication, greater time spent mending and building relationships, and increased family time and reliance without outside influences. 2020 has become the year of family vacations and camping. In many cases while this may have been stress filled, the longterm outcome for many families is positive. I have heard many people say that this was the most time they have spent with their kids in years.
COVID-19 has changed us all and our businesses in many ways. Some of these changes are going to have long term impacts.
However, when we consider effects of COVID-19 through a positive rather than negative lens, we see that there have been many opportunities for optimism and change that have indeed been the source of blessings.
Dave Fuller, MBA is an award-Winning professional business coach and the author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Email comments to dave@pivotleader.com.
Now the third solution!
I was surprised a couple of weeks ago when these centre posts disappeared as they seemed to function alright.
Now the City has installed its newest and latest solution - the yellow P-shaped posts. They are locked but they can be opened. I am sorry but I have to compare these
gates with the bus transfer station. There is no evidence of any foresight, nor planning, just the desire to keep the motor guys out of the Ginter’s path. I make use of these pathway and trails five to six times a week and except for city trucks I have never seen any other vehicles using the system.
This photo at the entrance to the Ginter’s path at Foothills and 18th Avenue shows the three different ways the city has tried to control access to the walking path – a gate, the hole in the middle of the path where a metal post used to be and now yellow P-shaped posts.
I am concerned that the City is wasting our money by jumping to solutions without thinking it through.
Am I too critical with regards to the people who run this city?
Thanks for listening.
Uwe Finger Prince George
RRELATIVITY
TODD WHITCOMBE
oughly 180 million years ago, the super-continent Gondwana broke up and the pieces floated away to become Antarctica, Africa, South America, Australia, and of course New Zealand and Madagascar.
Both Madagascar and New Zealand have been isolated from other the continents for millions of years and, as a consequence, life on the islands has followed its own evolutionary paths. For example, a multitude of lemurs have evolved in the jungles of Madagascar. Ringed-tail, red ruffed, grey mouse, and the mysterious Aye Aye are just some among over 100 different species which exist on the island.
Madagascar was also home to the Elephant Bird, a flightless ratite, which could reach 3 metres in height and weigh 450 kg. These birds became extinct somewhere between 1000 and 800 years ago, after humans had arrived on the island.
New Zealand was part of a continental shelf called Zealandia. It is now recognized as a sunken continent extending into the surrounding oceans. The island nation is all that remains above the waves. It is a very remote country. At its closest point, it is roughly 1,600 kilometres from Tasmania and South Eastern Australia. It is over 2,000 kilometres between Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand. It was also one of the last places on Earth to see human occupation. It began with the arrival of the Maori from Tonga and the Cook Islands around 1280 CE while Europeans arrived about 400 years later. Prior to the arrival of human beings, New Zealand was unique in not having any
endemic mammalian species. As a consequence, birds filled the major ecological roles occupied by mammals elsewhere.
The largest of all animals on the islands was the Moa. A ratite like the Elephant Bird, the Moa’s head could be as high as 4 metres off the ground, while their backs were just over 2 metres high. However, unlike the Ostrich or Emu, the Moa didn’t typically walk with its head up. Instead, it would extend its neck forward similar to the Kiwi. Moa were also slightly lighter than Elephant Birds with a full grown bird weighing between 200 and 275 kilograms. Given its size and rather impressive claws on its feet, the Moa had few natural predators. The Haast Eagle, a 33 kg bird with a massive wingspan, would sometimes use its ability to fly to take down adult Moa while Moa eggs, if left unattended, were a valuable food source for smaller creatures but the Moa were pretty much king of the jungle.
That changed with the arrival of humans. The Moa were easy prey as they had not evolved a “flight-or-fight” response as found in more predatory environments. By
1450, the Moa were deemed to be extinct. Their smaller relative, the Kiwi, has lived on. In part, this is due to their nocturnal nature. They hunt the forest floor under the cover of darkness searching for grubs, worms, and other insect in the litter. They are also a ratite and genetics has shown it is the tiny Kiwis which are the closest relative to the Elephant Bird not the massive Moa.
There are presently four species of Kiwi still inhabiting the islands. They do have wings but they are not very large and end in a hook rather than feathers. The Kiwi uses the hook to catch its sizeable snouts when asleep. They are about the size of chicken but with 10 cm pointed snouts. Technically, they have one of the shortest beaks of all birds because their nostrils are located at the end and a beak’s length is measured from the nostrils to the tip. They also lay the largest egg relative to body mass of any bird. It is huge.
As interesting as the birds of New Zealand are, the creature which has garnered scientific attention recently is the Tuatara. It is a reptile endemic to New Zealand and
Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek tells us that as individuals, groups or corporations it is essential that we start by understanding our why. This is not simply a question of why I go to work, it’s not a question of what I do, it is a quest to find the essence of my being.
I’ve always loved teaching and several years ago I posted my goals on the wall of my classroom: Create happy memories for each student and help each student to achieve their greatest potential.
These goals help keep me focussed from day to day as I teach each class and as I interact with each student. I’ve never done a survey, but when I run into people whom I’ve taught in the past, I get the impression that these goals have been achieved. At least I hope so.
I thought I had things figured out, and in addition to teaching, I began writing a
GERRY CHIDIAC
weekly column. Now I wasn’t only working with students in a classroom, I was reaching out to readers of all ages. I felt that my goal had simply expanded. I wanted my readers to have a positive experience and to be inspired to achieve their greatest potential.
As I began developing my website, I met with my friend Robert. I told him what my goal was and he said: “That’s great, Gerry. It tells me what you do. It doesn’t tell me who you are, it doesn’t tell me why you’re motivated to be a teacher.”
Robert and I talked about a lot of things. What am I interested in? What do I believe? What do I spend most of my time doing?
SUBMITTED PHOTO
During his time in New Zealand, the columnist took this picture of a tuatara, a reptile species unique to the country.
although they resemble most lizards, they are a separate branch on the tree of life, being members of the order Rhynchocephalia.
Tuatara are the last surviving members of this order of reptiles from the age of dinosaurs. Their closest relatives became extinct 60 million years ago. In effect, they are living fossils although that would imply that the species hasn’t changed in 60 million years. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough of a fossil record to trace the exact lineage.
But recent work by Neil Gemmell and co-workers, including the Ngatiwai, has probed their complete genome and been able to show the crucial link with the now-extinct stem of reptiles from which dinosaurs, modern reptiles, birds, and mammals have evolved.
They are distinct among reptiles as they are relatively cold tolerant but perhaps their most unusual feature is that they have a “third eye” able to detect light and dark.
New Zealand and the islands of the world are home to many unusual creatures.
Who did I admire? Why did I admire them?
Through our conversations, it became very clear that I had a firm belief in the good that exists in all human beings. I also had a deep desire to know the truth, as well as an awareness that this quest is a lifelong task. I knew that to be an effective teacher I needed to be a student as well.
Then Robert proposed the following: Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment.
I’ll admit that I was a bit taken aback by this statement, even a bit embarrassed. Is that really what I am? Does everything I do emanate from that centre?
To be honest, the answer was yes.
As human beings, I know that we are better together.
There is infinite potential in each person, and we are at our best when we are learning from one another. Losing sight of this always leads to our demise, both individually and globally.
Everything I teach, whether social sci-
ences, languages or personal development revolves around these ideas. I love my work because I get to do what I am. I get to live my why every minute and that is a very life-giving experience.
I don’t know if I planned to be where I am in my career right now, but I do feel quite fortunate.
I write for editors who respect my ideals and allow me to freely express my views. I am a member of the BC Teachers’ Federation, which not only shares my ideals and holds me accountable for living according to them, it provides a democratic structure which allows me to hold the institution accountable as well. This shared accountability is vital to every institution and every person in it.
Challenges are inevitable. What determines our ability to weather the storms which come our way has less to do with what we do than why we do it.
Figuring out our why is not easy, but it’s well worth the effort.
Fill in the gridsothat every row, every columnand 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 sameline, column or 3x3 box.
In memory of Helen Lucci
who passed away Aug 12, 2013
The world changes from year to year
Our lives from day to day but the love and memory of you shall never pass away
Love always your family
HAUSOT, EDUARD 2x35.0 R0011826722
Willi Hausot
Feb 21, 1943 - Aug 9,1990
30 years on Aug 9, 2020
Dec 19, 1946 - Aug 19, 2005 15 years on Aug 19, 2020
In memory of our loving parents, Willi and Marita Hausot. Beautiful memories of you live on in our hearts, and your spirits live on in your sons and your grandsons. We miss you so much, and we always will.
Love your boys, Eduard and Andreas and our families
Obituaries
August 23, 1936August 1, 2020
It is with great sadness that the family of Aalt Bouwman announces his peaceful passing at the age of 83.
Aalt will be forever remembered fondly by his wife and best friend of 62 yrs, Diny.
He also leaves behind his children: Anita (Joel), Arlene (Phil), Corinne (Craig), Sharon (Greg), Ramona (Ian) and his 10 grandchildren: Carly (Travis), Craig (Julie), Christie (Tim), Michelle (Caleb), Rylan, Landon (Katelyn), Tyler, Miranda (Bailey), Zachary and Mitchell.
Aalt was born in Holland August 23, 1936, the fourth of five children. He began his career as an electrician while still in Holland and then immigrated in 1958 to High River, Alberta with his new wife of 2 weeks. They built their life together with their 5 daughters, eventually moving from Alberta to B.C.
Aalt started his own electrical business, Trugoal Electric (TRUst GOd ALways) in 1973.
He was the voice for reaching the lost for Christ and never missed an opportunity to share the gospel with anyone he met.
He loved to read and to journal. He was a man of faith and prayer, and he consistently prayed for his family.
Even in his last years as he struggled with Alzheimer’s disease, he always remembered his Jesus.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15.
Funeral service by invitation only due to Covid restrictions.
Condolences may be offered at www.AssmansFuneralChapel.com
HAILEY CURTIS
2x17.3
PGC002029
Sideroff,Jerry July18,2020
ItiswithgreatsadnessIannouncethepassingofmy brother,JerrySideroff,whopassedawayJuly18,2020, afteralongcourageousbattlewithcancer.Youwillnever beforgottenandwillalwaysbeinmyheart,dearbrother. Loveyouforever,yoursisterVickiLathamLomax.
COUIYK Leonard
Feb 16, 1957July 26, 2020
It is with heavy hearts, the family of Leonard Couiyk announces his passing at Prince George Hospice house, after a long hard struggle with cancer.
Leonard is survived by his loving wife Sharon of 41 years, son Clinton (Devon) grandchildren Caileb, Shine, Skyler and Everley, mother Ruby and stepfather Otto Becker, sister’s Kathy Last, Linda Pratt (Marvin), stepsister Lisa McKenzie (Ivan), stepbrother Larry Becker (Doreen), and many nieces and nephews.
Leonard was predeceased by father Mike Couiyk, and brother Lawrence Couiyk. Leonard started his working career with Six Mile Lake Logging at a very young age, and went on to be a very hardworking truck driver:
Leonard was born in Prince George, and raised at Six Mile Lake (Tabor Lake). After marriage, he and Sharon built their home and a beautiful log cabin in the same neighborhood.
Leonard loved to garden and putter in their beautiful yard with his John Deere tractor. The highlight of Leonard’s life was becoming a Grandfather: He adored his grandchildren. He spent many hours quadding, target practicing and hunting grouse with Caileb.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date (to be announced.)
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Prince George Hospice house.
February 23, 1929 - July 9, 2020
It is with profound sadness that we announce the loss of our mother and Grandma, who passed away with lots of her loving family by her side at the age of 91. She will be forever remembered with love and will never be forgotten, left to mourn are her 2 sons and 3 daughters; Gus (Brandy), Bibiane (Ivan), Mary (Gerald) Mederic (Genevieve) and Tina; and so many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren and other family and friends. A service for Lillian will be held at a later date.
Marguerite Louise Anderson
Prince George BC
November 26, 1936- July 31, 2020
It is with great sadness that the family of Marguerite (Marg) Anderson announces her passing.
Marguerite is predeceased by her husband Douglas, sisters Mary & Louise, brother Clifford, daughters Sherry & Roberta, and son Terrance. Marguerite will be remembered by her children Beverly, Darlene (Wayne), Cheryl (Trent), grandchildren Kelsey (Colin), Kimberly (Steve), Juston (Krista), Doug (Maureen), Lee, Todd (Tyaira), Matt (Victoria), Brandon (Tyrae), James, 16 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and cousins.
As part of request there will be no Service.
Gary Krismer 1945-2020
Richard Gary Krismer peacefully passed away on July 29, 2020 at the age of 75.
Rick was a loving husband, father & grandfather born July 28th, 1945 in Outlook, Saskatchewan. Survived by his wife Elaine, daughters Teresea (Mike) and Tracy, grandchildren Tamara, Bailey, Zoe and Troy, brothers Gordon (Chris), twin brother Bob (Vera), sister Lois and sister in-law Jackie. He was predeceased by parents Dick and Evelyn Krismer, brother Lawrence and brother-in law Bill. An intimate Celebration of Life to be held in September, due to COVID19 invitation only. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Prince George Hospice Society or Alzheimer
Jeremy (Jere) Ian Silver
August 23, 1938August 4, 2020
Jere passed away at the age of 81, at the Simon Fraser Lodge in Prince George, BC, surrounded by his family. He was predeceased by his wife of 52 years, Arvilla Lewis, in 2015; brother Jim Silver, mother Jeanette Silver, father Bill Silver, and stepmother Edith Silver.
Jere was born in Vanderhoof, BC, where he spent his youth. He was especially close to his brother Jim, sister-in-law Olive, and their children Rick (Liza), Terri (Gerry), Tom (Taya), and Steve (Leslie).
Jere and Arvilla raised their family and spent most of their married life in Fort St. James, BC, where Jere worked for Apollo Forest Products as a fork lift driver. Jere and Arvilla nurtured many close friendships in their community and throughout BC. They spent many summers at the family cabin in Stuart Lake, and travelled in their trailer to visit family and friends. They were very involved in the Stuart Lake Seniors Rec Centre.
With increasing health challenges in the last 3 years of his life, Jere made Simon Fraser Lodge his home. He never lost his beautiful smile, his endearing whistle, and kind, gentle nature.
No service by request.
The family would like to thank Dr. Grant Wooldridge and the wonderful staff at Simon Fraser Lodge for their compassionate care. Donations may be made to the Simon Fraser Lodge Family Council Fund.
Son: Barry (Charitini) Silver Daughter: Shari (Jamie) Uhrich
Grandsons: Jared (Emerald), Dustin Uhrich Great Grandson: River Uhrich
BLACK PRESS - CLASSIFIEDS
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3.00x70.0-BW
PG11 / 615595
BONNER July 23, 1931 - July 26, 2020
Joyce’s family is very sad to say a forever good-bye to our dear mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Joyce is survived by beloved daughters, Diane Bonner and Debbie (Ed Lumsdaine) of Port Alberni; her granddaughter, Jennifer (Kyle Penner) of Port Alberni and grandson Matthew Lumsdaine of Victoria. She loved them dearly and was very proud of them. Joyce is also survived by her great-granddaughters, Nyla and Kaleena Penner. They were also very dear to her heart. Also, her brother, Wayne Browne and his wife Yvonne, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Joyce was predeceased by her husband Fred in 2006, her brother, William Browne; sister-in-law, Louise Browne; sister, Janet (Len Lovell); nephew, Brian Lovell; and parents, Emilia and Ashley Browne.
Mom took a trip with her sister in 1950 to Prince George from Nicomen Island, Deroche, BC where she met her husband and married Fred in 1951. Two years later she had twin girls and devoted selflessly to raising her daughters. Joyce moved to Port Alberni in 2009 to be nearer Diane, Debbie, Ed, Jennifer, Matthew, greatgranddaughters Nyla and Kaleena. Mom often stated her happiest times were in Port Alberni being near her family. Joyce was raised with good family values that she passed onto her family.
She had such a quiet gentle strength which showed daily as she suffered tremendously since 2005 from nerve damage related to shingles. She fought a long hard battle until the end. We will miss her dearly. There will be no service in keeping with her wishes.
To send a condolence to the family please visit www.yatesmemorial.ca
1941-2020
Leonard was born in Slave Lake, AB on March 17, 1941 and passed away in Prince George on July 22, 2020.
Leonard is survived by his wife Beverley, his sons Ivan (Christine) and Darren, his daughters Moaveen Lussier (Denis) and Adele Greene. He also leaves behind his grandsons Brandon LeGarde (Lacey) and Levi Greene, granddaughters Brittany LeGarde and Kiana Foote (Jacob), great grandson Carter Marshall, great granddaughter Adeline Foote, 6 sisters and 4 brothers.
Muriel Juliette Marie Cue (née Jansen)
Leonard was predeceased by his father Frank, mother Adele, son David and 7 brothers.
Due to Covid restrictions, there will be no service at this time.
1952 - 2020
Norm passed away peacefully after a 3-year battle with brain cancer. He was born on June 7, 1952, in Spirit River, Alberta. Predeceased by his parents Emmanuel and Yvette Gaboury, his grandson Diego (2004), and his in laws, Pierre and Therese Perrera. He is survived by the love of his life wife Pamela, his 3 girls, Jesse (Roberto), Tina, Tammy (Dan), his grand kids, Robbie, Isaiah, Gracie, Adelle, Cohen, Leandro, and also his 7 siblings, Paul, Jackie, Dan, Lorraine, Francis, Phil and Bernie, as well as his sisters in law, Madeline, Marjorie (Andre), Tania (Keith) and so many more nieces and nephews.
Norm and Pam were married on September 10, 1971. His greatest pleasure in life was spending time with his wife and his family. Norm had a full life; he loved his family more than anything! He had so much more to live for and so much more he wanted to do. Our dad was at peace with what was to come for him. He had a strong faith in God and knew that where he was going to was a place of healing, joy and peace.
He taught us so much that he will forever be in our hearts and in the hearts of his grand kids! Anyone that met our dad or came across him in their life will never forget the impression he made with his kind, loving manner, his amazing sense of humor and his compassion for those around him.
Norm was a friend of Bill W, whom he shared a friendship with for 33 years. During his time with Bill W, Norm impacted so many people’s lives, with his kind and generous heart, he was always there when anyone needed him.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith- 2 Timothy 4:7”
A very special thank you to all of the Nurses, Doctors and Home support workers for all your help and care of Norm.
“We Love you forever, you will be in our hearts forever!”
There is no service, but we will be having a celebration of life, more details to come. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallgardens.com
Muriel Juliette Marie Cue (née Jansen) passed away peacefully on August 3, 2020, She was born in Unity, Saskatchewan, and spent most of her childhood in Maple Ridge, B.C. She is survived by her loving husband Tony, her children Michael (Megan), Benjamin (Jennifer) and Elaine, her sister Suzanne, and grandchildren Xander, Jack, Owen and Olivia. She was predeceased by her parents Herb and Helene, her sister Evangeline, and her granddaughter Sage. Muriel touched the lives of hundreds, through her decades as a special education and ESL teacher, her involvement in her church, her volunteer work with St Vincent de Paul, and the wide circle of friends she built over almost fifty years living in Prince George.
A private ceremony will be held to celebrate Muriel’s life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Prince George Hospice Society.
1939 - 2020
It is with great sadness the family of Vern Vaillancourt announce his passing on August 1, 2020 at Penticton Regional Hospital, BC, at the age of 81 years. He has left the family with great love, faith and strength.
Vern was born March 19, 1939 at home in Zenon Park, S.K. and moved to Prince George, B.C. in 1954. Vern leaves behind his loving wife Sharon of 52 years; sons, Brad and Tom; daughter, Juanita; grandchildren Roberto, Athena, Victoria, JET, Mack, Jake, and Adria. Predeceased by his parents, Narcisse and Leona Vaillancourt; brothers Alain and Armand; sister, Marquerite. Survived by his brothers Emile and Julien; sisters Doreen, Lorina, Cecile and Teresa.
Vern married Sharon Lund in Prince George in 1968. Vern worked in the lumber and trucking industry until 1983, and then worked for the City of Prince George for 21 years. In 2004, Vern and Sharon retired to Penticton. Vern spent many happy hours camping, hiking, square dancing, volunteering with K of C friends, supporting the Penticton Vees, golfing, and walking “The Channel with Sharon” daily. His greatest love was his family.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on August 8, 2020 at St. Ann’s Church, 1296 Main Street, Penticton, BC V2A 5G2. For the safety of Vern’s loved ones, live streaming of the service will be offered online at www.providencefuneralhomes.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Holy Cross School care of St. Ann’s Church would be appreciated.
Theodore Robert, (Ted/Papa) Haugland
August 16th, 1937July 31st, 2020
With a lot of love and sadness we announce the passing of our loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Ted is predeceased by his parents, John and Mary Haugland, his brothers Jim and Tom Haugland, his nephews Sterling and John Haugland, James Young, and Brad Romanin. He leaves behind his wife Carol, daughter Cari (John) Burke, sons Quentin (Karen) Haugland, Graham (Nancy) Haugland, sisters Ellen Eby, Mary (Ed) Pruner, Patricia (Arnold) Young, and Sylvia (Lenard) Welygan, brother Ken Haugland, 5 grandchildren Tyler, Colin, and Raeanne Burke, Nicole and Erica Haugland. Ted leaves behind 21 nieces and nephews, numerous great nieces, nephews and various children who adopted him as their honorary Papa - too many to list. Papa’s usual response to a request for someone else to join the gang at the cabin at Ness Lake was “THE MORE THE MERRIER”.
Born and educated in Smeaton, Saskatchewan on the family homestead with his four sisters and three brothers, he settled in Prince George and worked for the CNR and then the gas company for 35 years. Ted dedicated his life to his immediate and extended family, always available to lend a hand and offer advice. His favorite saying when asked to help with grandkids or help with a project was, “NOT A PROBLEM, IT WILL BE THE BEST PART OF MY DAY”. He was a model husband, father and grandfather. A man with unlimited patience and generosity, who loved sharing family stories, jokes, curling, playing cards, and dressing up with the grandkids and great nieces and nephews. He loved planting a garden and digging up potatoes at the lake where he provided food for all. In accordance with his wishes Ted passed peacefully at home with his wife and son Quentin present. As per Ted’s request there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Prince George Hospice House or BC Cancer Centre for the North.
Betty Rushton
November 15, 1927August 4, 2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear beloved wife, mother and grandmother at the age of 92. She passed away in her home surrounded by the love of her family.
Betty was a truly devoted wife, mother and grandmother and will be lovingly remembered by her husband Bill of 66 years, son Bill (Kim), daughter Anne (Claude) and her precious grandchildren Shea (Stephanie) and Kyla.
Betty was born on November 15, 1927 to Basil and Blanche Bell in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.
The family would like to offer special thanks to Drs. Geddes, Attia and Youssef for their thoughtfulness and special in house care. It was very much appreciated.
A private service was held for Betty on August 10th.
“Those who fly solo have the strongest wings”
BIRCH
BIRCH
So,you want to build ashed. In this multi-partsegmentofAsk MJ, we answer yourquestions on the different aspects of building ashed. From the permits, to thesitechoice to the materialsand styles.
Plans and Site Choice.
Iunderstnd thatthisseems obvious but awell thoughtout and detailed set of plansisa must for any successfulproject. Thereare free plans available for all styes of sheds. One just needs to search the net and find plans thatsuit the site you’ve chosenfor your shed.Siteselectionisanimportant partofthe process. Location, location, location. Siting simply means identifyingthe exactspot on your property wherethe shed willbe placed, or sited.This may seem likea simple enoughtask, and depending on your yard, itjust mightbe. But if you pick the wrongspot, you’llend up with ashort-lived, unusable outbuilding.
Keep these three ‘don’ts” in mind when deciding wheretoput your shed:
Don’t buildashed at thebottom of ahill or in alow-lying area wherewater collects. Theexcessive moisturewill rotwood,blister paint,and cause hingestorust. It’ll also promote mold and mildewgrowth on items storedinthe shed. Plus, the ground near the shedwillturnintoasoggy,muddy quagmireafter everyrainstorm.
Don’t tuck the shed deep into the woodswhere it’ll be completely surrounded by trees and ground cover. Theshed willreceivevery little sunshine or airflowand it’ll remaindark and damp,creating the perfectenvironment for moldand mildew growth. Plus, woodland sheds areunder constant assault from falling branches,acorns, leaves, pine needles, and othertypes of canopydebris. Furry forest creaturesare much more likely to move intoor under ashed built in the woods. And there’salways thepotential for damage caused by afallen tree.
Don’t violate code-required setback distances. Thebuilding inspectorwill establish how far away your shed must be from such things as, side, front, and rear property lines; streets, driveways,and sidewalks;houses, garages, and decks; septic tanksand leach fields; wetlandareas and easements. Setback distances vary widely from town to town, but typically range from about10ft. (from rear lot line) to 100ft. or more(from wetlands). Check with thelocal zoning boardorbuilding department for specific information, andbesuretoadheretothe letter of the law.Ifyou violate setbacks, the towncan legally makeyou move the shed into compliance.
Pace Realty’sMaintenance Team can help you with your yardand other home maintenance &renovation jobs. Call 250-562-6671 or email us at maintenance@pacerealty.ca today for afree, no hassle quote.
Mary-Jean (MJ) Jacobson loves to talk real estate! She is passionate about helping clients increase the value of the assets. She is aProfessional Property Manager,StrataManager,RealEstate Sales Agent and Licensed Managing Broker.She writes aseries of articles blogs and whitepapers about the real estate and
Need a place to store your gardening supplies? Or perhaps you’d like to create a studio or office that’s separate from the rest of your home? In either case, building a shed in your backyard could be the solution. Here’s what you should do before you begin.
EVALUATE YOUR NEEDS
If you intend to use your shed for storage, start by figuring out how big it should be. Place all the items you want to store in it on the ground and then measure the amount of space they take up. Be sure to add a few extra feet to give yourself room to move. Will you need to store large items like a riding lawn mower or snowblower? Then choose a design with
double doors. Also, be sure to include a strong floor and to install shelves and racks to help keep the space tidy.
If you’re planning to use your shed as a home office, studio or playhouse, there are other considerations to take into account. You’ll probably want windows to let in natural light and you’ll need insulation to seal the space off from the elements. An electrician will be required to safely connect your shed to a power supply.
How you intend to use your shed should dictate where you place it. If you’ll use it to store gardening supplies, place it at the back of your yard close to your garden. But if you intend to use it every day, make sure the entrance is easy to access in all seasons.
In all cases, make sure you position your shed on flat ground and in an area that won’t flood.
Before you start building your shed, check your municipal bylaws. You may need a permit to build one on your property. Additionally, there may be stipulations regarding where you can place it.
A fence does more than provide security and privacy. It also shows off your personal style and can add the perfect finishing touch to the overall look of your home and garden. Here are the top fencing trends of 2019 that you should know about.
1. A MODERN ESTHETIC
Give your yard a contemporary look by installing a fence that uses horizontal boards instead of vertical ones. Keep the design sleek and simple and avoid incorporating ornate embellishments.
2. DARK COLOURS
Darker colours are becoming increasingly popular for fences. Consider making yours charcoal grey, midnight blue, chocolate brown or jet black.
3. INCLUDING PLANTS
Embrace nature by planting wild-looking perennials that will grow along your fence every year. Or, build small shelves into the fence where you can place potted flowers or herbs.
4. ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
Wood was once the go-to material for fences. Nowadays, low maintenance vinyl or composite can be just as attractive and more affordable to boot. Other fashionable options include stone, brick and metal.
No matter what type of fence you choose, make sure to talk to your neighbour before you begin building it. Not only is this a matter of courtesy, but they may also be willing to share some of the costs.
HIRE A CONTRACTOR
It may be tempting to save money on your new fence by installing it yourself. However, unless you’re an experienced handyman and already own the necessary tools, this is a job best left to the pros.
If you’re planning a major renovation or you want to build a new home, you should consider hiring a general contractor (GC) to manage the project. If you do, the GC will be responsible for supplying materials and equipment. They’ll also oversee the hiring of specialized subcontractors such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters. Plus, they’ll take care of administrative tasks like obtaining the proper permits, acquiring the requisite insurance and paying subcontractors.
While managing the project on your own may seem doable, a contractor has the experience and resources to execute the work more efficiently. Most GCs have a short list of professionals they’ve worked with before and trust, saving you the guesswork of finding the right person for each job. And, because they’re licensed pros, they can get materials for your project at discounted prices only offered to those in the industry.
Managing a renovation or construction project is a full-time job that requires experience in order to do it well. If you aren’t able to take time off from work, or if you don’t have experience in project management, you may run into problems. But by hiring a general contractor, you’ll be sure that your con struction project gets completed properly and on time.
Once the warmer weather arrives, it’s time to set up your outdoor living space for the season. But before you bring out the patio furniture, you should attend to these four tasks.
1. Wash your windows. Clean the frames and glass, and don’t forget to give the screens a scrub as well. You should also inspect the caulking around your windows and doors. If there are any cracks, apply new caulking
2. Get your deck ready. Clean your patio or deck and check for loose boards or anything else that looks like it needs to be fixed. Make repairs, then sand and seal wood surfaces.
3. Examine exterior surfaces. Inspect your siding for damage and ensure your foundation is free of cracks that might have formed over the winter. If you see any peeling paint on your shutters or window frames, make plans to have them painted.
4. Inspect your barbecue. Look out for signs of damage. Clear off spider webs, clean the grill and make sure animals haven’t nibbled on the gas line.
Once you’re done with the above, it’s time to set up your outdoor furniture. Give chairs, tables and loungers a good cleaning, then sit back, relax and enjoy soaking up the sun.
When a light bulb burns out, you may wonder whether to toss it in the trash or take it to your local recycling centre. However, the best action to take depends entirely on the type of light bulb you’re throwing out.
When a standard light bulb burns out, you can put it in the garbage with the rest of your household waste. The thin glass and metal wires are almost impossible to separate for recycling.
CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury that can damage the environment if the bulb breaks. Many municipalities have drop-off points for hazardous waste items and you should dispose of CFL light bulbs at these locations.
LED lights don’t technically burn out like other bulbs, but they do dim over time. When this happens, you can safely discard them in the trash as they don’t contain
mercury like CFL bulbs do. You can also check with your local recycling centre to see if they accept this type of bulb.
Regardless of the type of light bulb, take care to wrap it in paper before you throw it away. This way you’ll avoid the possibility of someone getting injured by the broken glass.
Many hardware store chains have recycling boxes for CFL bulbs as well as batteries, left over paint and other things that can’t safely be thrown out. Check your local big box hardware store to see if they offer this service.
Siding is one of the most important parts of your home’s exterior. Not only does it protect the structure from the elements, it also showcases your house’s style. While you may wish your siding would last forever, it will eventually need to be replaced.
Here are a few signs you need new siding. 1. Visible damage. Numerous things can damage siding including dirt, the weather and moisture. If only a few panels are affected, you might be able to replace them. But if the damage is widespread, you’ll need to replace the whole thing.
2. Peeling paint indoors. If you have water damage on your interior walls, it might mean that your siding is no longer effectively keeping moisture out of your home.
3. Your bills have increased. Siding plays a big part in insulating your home.
If you notice a drastic change in your bills, your siding may have an air leak. In this scenario, your heating and cooling system works extra hard to regulate your home’s temperature, which ultimately results in costlier utility bills.
4. Mould or mildew. Fungus or mould in or near the seams of your siding may indicate water infiltration.
5. It looks faded and old. Replacing your siding can drastically increase your home’s curb appeal. Among home renovations, new siding has one of the highest returns on investment.
When it’s time to replace your siding, be sure to take action sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the more likely it becomes that other parts of your home will get damaged as a result of having deteriorated siding.
A solarium or sunroom is an indoor space that has an abundance of natural light. This is thanks to the structure having oversized windows or walls entirely made of glass. If you’re thinking about getting one, here are some of the benefits you stand to enjoy.
• Extra living space. A solarium can increase your home’s usable space. Many people use theirs as either a breakfast nook, home office or exercise room.
• Natural light. A solarium allows sunlight into your home. Studies have shown
that exposure to natural light can help you sleep better at night, increase your productivity and improve your mood.
• All-season gardening. Do you miss your herb garden in the winter months, or have you struggled to protect your veggie patch from pests? With a solarium you can have a healthy and vibrant garden all year long.
Solariums and sunrooms are great places to relax and enjoy life. If you have a porch or patio you don’t use much, consider converting it.
With summer almost here, the time of year is just right for decorating with Pantone’s colour of the year, Living Coral. This pinkorange hue is bold, vivacious and perfectly suited to the season’s most festive occasions.
Here are a few ideas for using it in your home.
• As an accent. A little Living Coral goes a long way. Add one or two throw pillows for a pop of colour that screams summer. For a bolder look, paint a dresser or upholster a chair.
• On your walls. A splash of this colour can brighten up a windowless room or create an energizing environment for a nursery or playroom. If you’re reluctant to use it for an entire room, consider painting just one wall.
• Outside. Does your front door need a makeover? Then give it a fresh coat of paint. Living Coral makes a big impact and will increase your home’s curb appeal.
No matter how you use it, this lively shade is sure to brighten your home.
