Prince George Citizen May 20, 2021

PRINCE GEORGE

‘IT’S JUST SO SURREAL’ ICU nurse shares her COVID patient experiences

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

Acute care nurse Chantelle Jimenez joined the University Hospital of Northern BC team in the ICU and infectious disease unit in December to care for those Prince George patients who were worst hit with the coronavirus.

“I needed to step up so I did,” Jimenez said who has lived here all her life and graduated two years ago.

“I remember stepping into the infectious disease unit for the very first time. You’re gowned up in this like space suit, it’s loud because there’s air continuously blowing at you so you don’t get COVID particles in your face. You step through this door that’s kind of a warm area and then you step through another door that’s almost like another world. There’s IVs beeping, there’s ventilators yelling at you saying your patient’s oxygen level isn’t great. You’re

seeing row after row after row of patients with breathing tubes and it’s just so surreal. And then you take a breath to take it all in and then your patient’s oxygen drops or there’s a blood pressure you’re not liking or someone’s passing and you have to be there with them - so you just go.”

Jimenez did this for more than four months, day in, day out.

See ‘WE’RE TIRED on page 4

A recent bear-spray incident has a local woman raising concerns about the city’s social crisis.

On May 11 at around 7 p.m., Amelia Merrick was enjoying the spring evening with seven friends outside of the Prince George courthouse when suddenly her chest started to hurt badly.

“I tried coughing but it felt like there was a whole bunch of dust that had settled in my lungs and I couldn’t draw breath. It was really scary. My eyes started to water and my skin was burning especially around my nose and my mouth.”

She says she then noticed her friends were also gasping for breath.

“It was really quite terrifying and then all of a sudden, one of my friends shouted, ‘it’s bear spray’ and we think that’s what happened.”

Merrick says just moments before a car had driven by, and the group assumed the car was the perpetrator of the bear spray attack.

“I’m not sure if we were targeted specifically or if somebody else is being targeted and we were just bystanders,” said Merrick, adding that she has heard of a number of unreported bear spray attacks over the last few weeks.

She says she was able to call the police and was immediately connected to emergency services.

See ‘WE NEED on page 4

HANNA PETERSEN

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

THE DOUG AND SERGEI SHOW Doug Jones narrates the Prince George Symphony Orchestra’s production of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf on Saturday night at Studio D.

WHAT:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

Public Hearing regarding:

•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011”

•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”

City Council consideration of applications:

•Proposed “City of Prince George 2215 McBride Crescent Road Closure Bylaw No. 9183, 2021”

•Proposed “City of Prince George 3000 15th Avenue Road Closure BylawNo. 9195, 2021”

•Proposed amendment to “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007”

WHEN:

Monday, May31, 2021

WHERE:

Council ChambersofCity Hall, 2nd Floor,1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC

PROPOSALS:

1. “City of Prince George 2215 McBride Crescent Road Closure BylawNo. 9183, 2021”

Applicant: City of Prince George

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Pursuant to section 40 of the Community Charter,the City of Prince George intends to close an approximate 178.4 m² (square metres) portion of road dedicated on Plan 1268, as shown on Reference Plan EPP107847, adjacent to the property legally described as Lot 1, District Lot 343, Cariboo District and remove the road dedication, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #1 below

The purpose of the road closure is to enable the sale of the closed road area to the adjacent property owners. The proposed closure and sale provides the property owners the ability to consolidate the closed road area with their adjacent property to rectify an encroachment.

Location Map #1 2215 McBride Crescent Road Closure

2. “City of Prince George 3000 15th Avenue Road Closure BylawNo. 9195, 2021”

Applicant: City of Prince George

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Pursuant to section 40 of the Community Charter, the City of Prince George intends to close an approximate 218.9 m² (square metres) portion of road dedicated on Plan 646, as shown on Reference Plan EPP105834, adjacent to the property legally described as

Lot A, District Lot 1429, Cariboo District, Plan 13671 and remove the road dedication, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #2 below

The purpose of the road closure is to enable the sale of the closed road area to the adjacent property owner Roses Ice Cream Limited. The proposed closure and sale provides the property owner the ability to consolidate the closed road area with their adjacent property and to rectify an encroachment.

Location Map #2

3000 15th Avenue Road Closure

3. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9192, 2021”

Applicant: L&M Engineering Ltd. for North Realty Group Ltd., Inc. No. 875402

Subject Property: 1584 8th Avenue

Time: 6:00 p.m.

BylawNo. 9192, 2021 proposes to rezone the subject property located at 1584 8th Avenue from RM7: High-Rise Residential to C7: Transitional Commercial, as shown on Appendix “A”to BylawNo. 9192, 2021.

The purpose of this application is to facilitate future commercial development on the subject property,orother uses, pursuant to the proposed C7: Transitional Commercial zoning designation(s).

The proposed Bylawapplies to the property legally described as Parcel D(Being a consolidation of Lots 21 and 22, See CA8145152), Block 181, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #3 below.

Location Map #3

1584 8th Avenue

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

4. “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011, Amendment BylawNo. 9156, 2020” AND “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9157, 2020”

Applicant: The Hub Collection Ltd.

Subject Property: 4500 Ospika Boulevard

Time: 7:00 p.m.

The applications propose to amend the Official Community Plan and rezone the subject property located at 4500 Ospika Boulevard to facilitate the construction of one (1) 256-unit apartment building

1. Official Community Plan (OCP) Amendment BylawNo. 9156, 2020

BylawNo. 9156, 2020 propose to amend “City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011” as follows:

a. That “Schedule B-6: Future Land Use” be amended by re-designating Lot 147, District Lot 2003, Cariboo District, Plan 28774 from Neighbourhood Residential to Neighbourhood Centre, Corridor,asshown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9156, 2020.

2. Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9157, 2020

BylawNo. 9157, 2020 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007” as follows:

a. That Lot 147, District Lot 2003, Cariboo District, Plan 28774 be rezoned from RM1: Multiple Residential to RM5: Multiple Residential as shown on Appendix “A”to BylawNo. 9157, 2020.

The proposed Bylaws apply to the property legally described as Lot 147, District Lot 2003, Cariboo District, Plan 28774, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #4 below

Location Map #4 4500 Ospika Boulevard

HOWCAN IPROVIDE COMMENT?

Residents are invited to provide comment in writing or by telephone.

As aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held April 6, 2020 passed aresolution to discontinue hearings for certain Bylaws and applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held. Pursuant to Section 464(2) of the Local Government Act,City Council at their meeting held April 26, 2021, passed a resolution to waive the requirement for aPublic Hearing in relation to proposed Bylaw No. 9192, 2021.

In accordance with ordersofthe Provincial Health Officer related to gatherings and events, membersofthe public are not permitted to attend City Council meetings and Public Hearings. These meetings are live streamed on the City’swebsite www.princegeorge.ca and the recordings are archived for viewing at anytime.

Submissions in writing

Residents are encouraged to provide written comments to Council to be included in the Council meeting agenda package and available for public viewing on the City’swebsite.

Forsubmissions to be included on the agenda for Council’sreviewinadvance of the meeting date, theymust be received by the Corporate Officer no later than 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, May25, 2021. Submissions received after the noted deadline and before 3:00 p.m., Monday, May31, 2021,will be provided to Council on the dayofthe meeting for their consideration during deliberations on the application.

Submissions maybesent by email to cityclerk@princegeorge.ca, faxed to (250)561-0183, mailed or delivered to the address noted below

Please note that written submissions for all applications will formpartofthe Council agenda, become public record and are posted on the City’swebsite. By making awritten submission you are consenting to the disclosure of anypersonal information that you provide.

Residents wishing to provide comments to Council on the following Bylaws and applications, maydoso, by submitting written correspondence:

•“City of Prince George 2215 McBride Crescent Road Closure BylawNo. 9183, 2021”;

•“City of Prince George 3000 15th Avenue Road Closure BylawNo. 9195, 2021”;

•“City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9192, 2021”;

•“City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9156, 2020”; and

•“City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9157, 2020”.

Submissions by telephone

In an efforttoprovide the public with options to speak to Council on aPublic Hearing application(s) and in accordance with the current Ministerial Order,the City now offers participation remotely via telephone during Public Hearings.

Telephone submissions mayonly be received during Formal Public Hearings. Residents are invited to participate by telephone for the following application(s):

•“City of Prince George Official Community Plan BylawNo. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9156, 2020”; and

•“City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9157, 2020”.

Residents can pre-register to speak to to the proposed Bylaw(s) live via telephone. Preregistration will be open from 8:30 a.m., Thursday, May27, 2021 to Monday, May31, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. To pre-register to speak to Council via phone, visit our website www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings to complete an online registration formorcall 311. If you miss pre-registering,please watch the online live meeting broadcast as there will be an opportunity for you to call in for alimited period of time.

Authority

Personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(g) and disclosed under the authority of section 33.1(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Forinformation or questions, contact the City’sFIPPACoordinator at (250)561-7600 or 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC, V2L 3V9.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

Acopyofthe proposed Bylaws and anyrelated documents will be available for reviewbythe public on the City’swebsite www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning May19, 2021. These documents mayalso be reviewedatthe Development Services office on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on May19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 31, 2021, between the hoursof 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

WHO CAN ISPEAK TO?

Formore information, please contact Development Services in person, by telephone at (250)561-7611 or by email to devserv@princegeorge.ca.

Forquestions related to Public Hearing participation and procedures, please contact the Legislative Services Division by telephone (250)561-7793 or by email to cityclerk@princegeorge.ca.

Formore information with regards to Road Closures, please contact Real Estate Services, by telephone at (250) 561-7611 or by email to realestate@princegeorge.ca.

REQUEST FOR COMMENT

REQUESTFOR COMMENT

OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAWNO. 8383, 2011 AMENDMENT BYLAWNO. 9184, 2021

Subject Property –St. LawrenceAvenue (PID 005-287-391)

The City of Prince George isproposingan amendmenttoSchedule B-6: Future Land Useof City of Prince George OfficialCommunity Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011,tofacilitate afuturesingle family residential subdivision on thesubjectproperty (Subject Area 1). Thisapplicationtoamend the Official Community Planalsoincludes arezoning application (Bylaw9185, 2021).

Pleasevisitthe City of Prince Georgewebsite at www.princegeorge.ca/landuse for moredetailed information.

The City requests written comment fromany person, organization, or agencies that maybeaffected by this amendment. Please forward anywritten submissions by 5:00 pm, June 11, 2021 to the Development Services Division at 1100 Patricia Boulevard, PG V2L3V9, Fax: 561-7721, Email: devserv@princegeorge.ca

‘We’re tired, please help us’

from page 1

“I don’t want to say it gets easier but you get used to it,” Jimenez said. “And your coworkers are the greatest thing in the midst of the chaos.”

Following guidelines for those in the infectious disease unit, the staff didn’t see their family or friends.

“As a nurse and a profession you follow that guidance so you don’t see anybody - I guess it’s been almost a year now,” Jimenez said. “So your coworkers are the closest thing to family you have. You see the worst in people, you see the best in people, but your coworkers are always there and that gets you through the days.”

There are many people in the world that don’t understand how serious COVID-19 is. They don’t think it’s that bad, they don’t think it’s real, and they don’t think they could get it, she explained. There were patients in the hospital who denied having the disease right up until they were being intubated, she added.

The Citizen asked Jimenez to share one patient’s story.

“There’s one specifically that’s in my head,” Jimenez said.

“We were treating a patient for months within the ICU and infectious disease unit and it wasn’t going well. We were trying to keep her going but it got to the point where she wanted to say goodbye. You could kind of just tell the patient was tired. I remember taking the breathing tube out and putting an oxygen mask on her face, which in COVID times without the breathing tube is not the greatest And I remember running down the hall with my coworker with her in the bed, gasping for air, so that we

‘We

from page 1

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Acute care nurse Chantelle Jimenez works in the ICU and infectious disease unit at UHNBC and talked about her experiences with her patients.

could meet up with her family who was gowned up and ready to say their goodbyes. I have never run so fast in the hospital but they needed that moment.”

She knows that in-person farewells didn’t happen for a lot of families.

“That was a circumstance that we were able to make work but a lot of the times we were holding the iPad crying beside the patient while their family said goodbye as they took their last breath,” Jimenez said.

For Jimenez, there were rarely happy stories to recall because she didn’t work in the department where those occurred. That was in another part of the hospital where people were treated with some oxygen and

then released. That was not what she experienced in the ICU and infectious disease unit.

The best Jimenez could do to recall a positive story was to talk about a patient who was able to breathe on their own for a time and was strong enough to sit in a chair by a window still using the breathing tube

“They could look out and see their family and the drummers and it just gave a bit more hope and gave a little light at the end of the tunnel. That was one of the rare ones that I got to see.”

Jimenez’s takeaway was the whole experience was a team effort.

“It was my nursing colleagues, the respiratory therapists, the physicians and the housekeepers, the physios, the lab technicians, the pharmacist, the drummers, the families - everyone just comes together to do what they have to do We are so resilient as a profession and all the families are as well - incredibly resilient to deal with this. I can only imagine what they truly know of what their family member went through when they were with us. But they need to know that we tried to be there for every moment and be their advocators, educators and support system for when their family couldn’t be there.”

Jimenez is so happy to see the world is nearing the end of this pandemic.

“We’re so happy to see our friends and family get their vaccine - I cried when I got mine,” Jimenez said. “It’s so exciting to see just everything start to go away.”

She offered a simple message about the choice to be vaccinated.

“We’re tired, please help us.”

need safe housing’

Cst. Jennifer Cooper of the Prince George RCMP says she believes the incident was the result of a nearby altercation

Tel. (250) 561-7600 •Fax (250) 612-5605 1100 PatriciaBoulevard,PrinceGeorge,BCV2L 3V9 311@princegeorge.ca

Visit princegeorge.cafor information about City services and operations. Youcan even subscribe to receiveinformation directly to your inbox. Visit news.princegeorge.ca/subscribe to select the categories thatmattertoyou.

and the group of friends at the courthouse caught the pepper spray on the breeze. However, Merrick says she feels this incident is another symptom of the complex social crisis in Prince George.

“We need to have urgent collective action to address this. We need to see leadership at the municipal and provincial levels and I would even say this is a federal issue that’s happening here.” She added that the downtown businesses have done an excellent job of creating an exceptional experience downtown but without action from elected officials their hard work will be for nothing.

“We need safe housing – a hotel, a church, a vacant lot – we need multiple places where people can sleep and keep their belongings and not be destabilized every 12 hours because they need to move. We have more resources than we realize but we lack the creativity and courage to act.”

Blackwater sinkhole big enough for a car

TED CLARKE

You could say it was the pothole from hell… or to hell, considering how deep it was.

Stephen Davies was coming home from his job in sales at Chemo RV in Quesnel on Friday evening when he came around a corner on Blackwater Road and saw a truck blocking the road.

Davies recognized the driver of the truck as Doug Paley, a fellow firefighter with the Bouchi Lake Volunteer Fire Department, and he stopped and got out of his car. That’s when Davies saw the sinkholehe described as six feet wide, nine feet long and nine feet deep taking up most of the lane he had been traveling in

“When I came around the blind corner (Paley) was there and lucky he was there because I would have gone right into it and my car would have been buried inside,” said the 48-year-old Davies. “That’s how big it was.

BCNE PUT OFF UNTIL 2022

“It was a surprise. I’m glad someone was there because I would have lost my car I have a little Ford Fiesta and the size of the hole, it would have fit in it perfectly, and you wouldn’t have seen me Thank God for Doug. He had his truck parked across the road with his pylons out.”

The road connects Prince George to Quesnel and the section of Blackwater where it happened is just before the Rawlings Road turnoff, about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Quesnel.

Paley works on a road crew for Emcon Services, the highway maintenance contractor that serves the Quesnel area, and it was later discovered there were two culverts running under that section of the road and one of which had collapsed, allowing all the material holding the road in place to wash away

The hole was filled with a load of blast rock and topped with pit run and crushed rock to provide a temporary fix that will be

This is the six-foot wide, nine-foot long, nine-foot deep sinkhole that Quesnel driver Stephen Davies narrowly avoided on Blackwater Road on his way home from work Friday night.

repaved later.

“They actually fixed it pretty quick,” said Davies. “On the way to work (Saturday) morning at 7 o’clock they’d filled it in with dirt and they had a front-end loader just sitting there because they knew it would

While the BC Northern Exhibition board had high hopes for this year’s fair and were prepared to do a smaller-scale version of the usual four-day event, the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic have put a stop to it once again.

The pandemic restrictions didn’t allow the traditional fair to take place last year and same goes for its 109th year

start compacting.

“There was a culvert but there was no water flowing through it. It was dry, so I don’t know how it happened or why Maybe it was earlier in the season when the water was flowing through it.”

“Unfortunately due to the uncertainty of the COVID regulations we’re not able to host the BCNE this year in any form,” Sylvia Lazelle, BCNE general manager, said. “We’ll be back stronger than ever in 2022. We certainly thank the community for their support and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the BCNE in 2022.”

STEPHEN DAVIES PHOTO

ANTI-VAXXERS STATE THEIR CASE

TED CLARKE/ARTHUR WILLIAMS

Sheila Parenteau lives by the code that a mind is like a parachute and it doesn’t work unless it’s open.

The 88-year-old retired registered nurse says it’s time for people to start questioning what our politicians and health authorities are telling us about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and think before they sign up for their shots.

“As far as I’m concerned, every Canadian should open their eyes and see how tyrannical this is, they can’t win unless you let them,” said Parenteau, who stood in the rain Saturday morning holding her sign along Ospika Bolulevard as she joined the Prince George and Area Freedom Rally barbecue in front of the CN Centre parking lot, part of an ongoing weekly protest against provincial public health orders that’s been happening in the city since mid-March.

Parenteau says the pandemic and how it has been handled by federal and provincial health authorities has divided the country and caused family members to resent each other for their differing beliefs on how to fight the virus that has killed nearly 25,000 Canadians.

She worries about unknown, longterm effects of the vaccines.

“My daughter is firmly convinced and she’s had the vaccine,” said Parenteau.

“But as far as I’m concerned, I remember when they brought thalidomide out, passed by the FDA, and we all know what

that brought about. That is why I’m fighting in this rally I’m here every week and I will not miss a week.”

The pandemic has caused people to lose their jobs or have had their work hours reduced, businesses have faltered, there are more incidents of domestic abuse and Parenteau is convinced the risks associated with becoming infected do not justify the harmful social costs she believes are tied to the current health orders.

“As far as I’m concerned right now, the government is not working for us, it’s working against us and, so help me, I pray every day that sanity will prevail,” she said.

“My life is not the same. There’s alienation between my sisters I haven’t even seen my great-grandson yet He lives in Terrace and I was going to go visit but I wasn’t allowed to go. Honestly, how we behave now is a legacy we will leave our children, grandchildren and future generations. Will it be democracy or tyranny?”

A Northern Health spokesperson said that public health officials are aware of the rallies and outdoor rallies – including those against public health orders – are permitted by B.C.’s public health orders.

In an order issued on May 7, provincial health officer Dr Bonnie Henry acknowledged the need to balance the protection of public health and safety against individuals’ rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“In consequence, I am not prohibiting

outdoor assemblies for the purpose of communicating a position on a matter of public interest or controversy, subject to my expectation that persons organizing or attending such an assembly will take the steps and put in place the measures recommended in the guidelines posted on my website in order to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-1,” Henry wrote

A spokesperson for the City of Prince George said the role of the city’s bylaw officers is primarily to educate the public about public health orders, rather than to act in an enforcement role.

At previous rallies, protesters stayed on the berm between Ospika Boulevard and the CN Centre parking lot, which is public property, the spokesperson said. However, the group would need to obtain a permit to use CN Centre’s parking lot for any type of event.

Earlier this month, Prince George RCMPs spokesperson Cst. Jennifer Cooper said police received a complaint about the group’s rally held on May 1.

“Police attended and found the protesters to be peaceful and to be maintaining their social distance from one another, so took no enforcement action,” Cooper said in an email.

“RCMP in Prince George will monitor the situation to ensure the safety of the public, but will not be handing out COVIDviolation tickets for participating in the planned events.”

Sheila Parenteau, an 88-year-old retired registered nurse, joined a line of anti-mask/anti-vaccine protesters Saturday morning along Ospika Boulevard near the CN Centre parking lot to attend the Prince George and Area Freedom Rally barbecue

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

Inside the vaccine clinic

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

As a public health nurse,Wendy Bergman spends a large part of her day jabbing people in the arm with a needle.

Believe it or not, many people have shared that when they get their vaccination against the coronavirus they haven’t felt the poke and have had to ask if it’s done.

There’s a reason for that, Bergman said.

Giving the vaccine is a two-step process for the nurses.

First, they poke the needle through the plastic stopper of the vaccine bottle to draw out the dosage of vaccine that will be injected into your arm. Then - and here’s the secret to an almost painless shot - the nurse replaces the needle used to draw the vaccine with a brand new needle and that needle is super sharp and that’s why some people don’t even feel it.

“Once the needle is used to draw the vaccine out of the bottle it can get kind of jaggy,” Bergman explained. “But you’re getting a super sharp needle in the arm.”

Nurses at the Prince George Civic Centre have seen all kinds of reactions to getting a needle and have a plan to help everyone through it.

The priority is safety so if you get a little light headed or are prone to fainting,

they’ll even lay you on the floor to keep you safe.

And experienced nurses can see the reluctant person coming a mile away If you get quiet, or avoid eye contact or fearfully look at the needle the nurse will help you through the experience as best they can.

“We are as careful with the people as we are with the vaccine - both are very delicate,” Bergman, who has been a nurse since 2009, said. “We try to help people through it and so we could distract them with conversation, talk to them about their world, their life and what they’re into Pets are a huge therapeutic conversation to have.”

And some people want to a count down to the poke and some people want the sneak attack where they don’t see it coming. The nurses are willing to accommodate the person in any way they can

“It’s a pretty cool place,” Bergman said about the Civic Centre vaccination clinic. “It’s so well organized and everyone is very professional, very kind. The feedback we get from the clients is always super-positive. Everybody’s really good there. I am in awe of my colleagues - they’re just so fast, efficient, professional. These little old people have been isolated for a long time and it’s pretty cool to be first point of contact for them.”

PRINCE GEORGE GOLF AND CURLING CLUB LTD.

NOTICE OF 2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatthe2021Annual General MeetingofthemembersofPrince GeorgeGolfandCurlingClubLtd.willbeheldasfollows:

DATEOFMEETING: Monday,the31st dayofMay2021

TIME OFMEETING:at7:00P.M.

LOCATIONOFMEETING: themeetingwillbeheldattheClubHouseofthePrinceGeorge GolfandCurlingClub,2601RecplaceDr.PrinceGeorge,B.C.

Thepurposeofthemeeting isasfollows:

1. Toreceive andconsider thereportoftheDirectors tothemembersandtheconsolidated financialstatementsoftheLimitedCompany forthe12monthperiodendedNovember 30,2020andtheauditors’reportthereon;

2. Toelect directorsfortheensuingyear(eitherbysingle resolutionorseparatevotes,as determinedatthemeeting);

3. Toappointauditorsfortheensuingyear,andauthorize theDirectors tofixthe remunerationofsame;

4. Totransactsuchotherbusinessasmayproperlycomebeforethemeeting,orany adjournmentoradjournments thereof.

MEMBERSWHOAREUNABLETOATTENDTHEMEETING INPERSONANDWHOWISH TOENSURETHATTHEIRVOTEWILLBECOUNTEDATTHEMEETINGAREREQUESTED TOCOMPLETE, SIGNANDRETURNAFORMOFPROXY.APROXYWILLNOTBEVALID UNLESSITISDEPOSITEDATTHEADDRESSOFTHEOFFICEOFTHECOMPANYAT2601 RECPLACE, PRINCEGEORGE,B.C.V2N0G2NOTLESSTHANTWENTY-FOUR(24)HOURS (EXCLUDINGSATURDAYS,SUNDAYS,ANDHOLIDAYS)BEFORETHETIMEFIXEDFOR THEMEETING,ORISDEPOSITEDWITHTHECHAIRMANOFTHEMEETINGANYTIME PRIORTOTHECOMMENCEMENTOFTHEMEETING.

DATEDintheCityofPrinceGeorge,B.C.this4th,dayofMay2021. BYORDEROFTHEBOARDOFDIRECTORS

PRINCEGEORGEGOLFANDCURLINGCLUBLTD.

Per: DanMartin,PRESIDENT

Bergman said there have been many instances where she’s experienced soul-touching events during her time at the vaccination clinic.

“It’s an amazing energy when you walk in there,” Bergman said.

At the clinic, Northern Health has paired with the First Nations Health Authorities to ensure inclusivity.

“There was one lady from First Nations Health and I tear up when I think about this because it was just so beautiful but she said this prayer for us at the beginning of the day,” Bergman said. “She said you’re not only injecting a vaccine, you’re injecting hope. That just gets to me. She just said this most beautiful prayer in her language and just said it was a beautiful day - it was just so simple and so nice.”

Bergman wants to thank the public for getting vaccinated.

“We see people who are vaccine hesitant all the time,” Bergman said.

“It’s usually kindness and building rapport in a trusting relationship that makes them come around. You never want to pressure anyone into a medical intervention. You always want to educate and always make it their decision I think there’s always room for understanding and empathy. Kindness always wins. I want to thank the community I am very grateful to serve them.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Public health nurse Wendy Bergman has been working at the Prince George Civic Centre vaccination clinic.

PROVINCE URGED TO PROTECT FISHER HABITAT

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

The B.C. Forest Practices Board is calling on the province to change how it manages fisher habitat, after a complaint from a Prince George-area trapper prompted an investigation by the provincial watchdog agency. Fishers, sometimes known as fisher cats, are a large member of the weasel family and are designated as a species at risk in B.C. The local trapper complained that three cutblocks proposed by Canfor near Bobtail Mountain Park were the last remaining fisher habitat on his traplines, and he wanted them retained, a statement issued by the Forest Practices Board said “Our investigation found that government has relied on voluntary efforts by forestry licensees to conserve fisher habitat,” Forest Practices Board chairperson Kevin Kriese said. “While Canfor did make efforts to protect habitat when designing the individual cutblocks in question, these efforts will not conserve adequate habitat for this species.”

Fisher habitat typically is made up of older forest stands with large trees, and fallen debris, the Forest Practices Board statement said. They avoid non-forested areas and tend to live in areas with large connected forest areas.

The investigation by the Forest Practices Board found that the province had not carried out landscape-scale planning for fisher habitat in the area, and had not used

the tools available in the Forest and Range Practices Act to direct licensees Instead, the province invested in non-legal guidance and planning tools for forest professionals and licensees to consider using.

“It is time for government to strengthen its approach to fisher habitat management,” he said. “Immediate action is needed to clarify how habitat will be managed

The Forest Practices Board is calling on the provincial government to clarify its expectations for forest licensees and use the existing tools in legislation to identify and conserve fisher habitat. The groups also recommended Canfor amend its forest stewardship plan to address the issue.

A Canfor spokesperson said the com-

Parolee’s

The fisher, sometimes known as a fisher cat, is a member of the weasel family

pany is committed to sustainability and was in full compliance with the Forest and Range Act.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said the province is reviewing the report by the Forest Practices Board, and will respond within six months

release revoked

A Parole Board of Canada panel member has revoked the statutory release for a man serving a federal prison sentence for a drug-fueled sexual assault of a woman in a Prince George motel room.

The decision for David Richard Morin, 27, was issued April 30.

He went missing from his halfway house on Jan. 3 and although he contacted his parole officer on a few occasions did not live up to a promise to turn himself in

Three weeks later, he was found at the home of his girlfriend’s mother and fled when police tried to arrest him, although he was apprehended with the help of a canine unit.

munity

Despite “doing well” initially, Morin’s performance quickly and drastically deteriorated while out on parole, the member found.

On Oct. 30, 2018, Morin was sentenced to five years in prison less credit of 23 months for time served prior to sentencing, leaving him with a further three years and two months to go. The sentence was issued for an assault committed while Morin had been evacuated to Prince George during the 2017 wildfires.

His statutory release was suspended pending a review and decision by the PBC Morin has admitted he went absent after he had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend and then relapsed into using drugs. Morin, who hails from the Williams Lake area, said his girlfriend also relapsed and the two took off for their home com-

Statutory release is granted after twothirds of a sentence has been served but can be revoked if an inmate violates the conditions. For Morin, they included remaining in a halfway house although overnight leave privileges were not restricted. Morin, whose sentence ends in late December, must serve a further two-thirds of the remainder of his sentence before he qualifies for a second statutory release. He will remain subject to the same conditions, the panel member has determined.

Grant targets avalanche safety

A $10 million provincial grant to Avalanche Canada will increased avalanche forecasting in the North Rockies area, which stretches from Prince George north to Williston Lake, east to Chetwynd, and southeast along Highway 16 past McBride. The winter of 2020-21 was a deadly one in the region. Two snowmobilers were killed near Pine Lemoray Provincial Park, east of Mackenzie, in separate avalanches on Nov 28 and Feb. 20. On Feb 23, a skier was killed in an avalanche near Mount Robson Provincial Park, just outside the North Rockies zone.

to ensure populations survive in this area.”

- 1:30pm 2:00pm -3:00pm 4:00pm - 4:30pm 5:00pm - 5:30pm 5:00pm - 5:30pm 9:00am - 10:30am 9:00am - 9:30am 11:00am

GETTING SET FOR SUMMER

A shopper examines a plant on Saturday at REAPS Plant Sale and Fundraiser hosted by Hope Farm Organics.

First Nations promoting gas project north of city

HANNA PETERSEN

With a newly elected chief and council, the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation is reaffirming its commitment to developing two natural gas projects.

The Lheidli T’enneh has partnered with the McLeod Lake Indian Band to develop the Shas Ti-Dlezeh Industrial Park, 40 km north of Prince George, and along with Formula Capital Corporation (FCL) are planning to develop a natural gas processing complex within the park.

“I feel positive in this new adventure we are taking,” said Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan, in the May 12 press conference announcing the reaffirmed partnership with McLeod Lake and FCL.

McLeod Lake Indian Band Youth Councillor Jade Duranleau said this announcement emphasizes the importance of partnerships with First Nations.

“I think it demonstrates a really good path forward for First Nations partnering with major projects and showing that moving forward major projects should be partnering with First Nations and First Nations should be having that equity stake.”

FCLCEO Paul Tiefensee also reconfirmed the company’s involvement with the processing complex.

“We are looking forward to exploring and moving on with our relationship and getting some rubber to the road and developing a legacy project that the two nations will not only build, but own and I think that is fantastic for Prince George to set that example.”

He said the project is still in the pre-feasibility stage to determine the exact scope but it could be anywhere from a $1 billion to a $2 billion investment

In terms of how many jobs the proposed project could bring to the region, Tiefensee said it is too early in the process to commit to an exact number

“Until we know what the project looks like we need to be careful what we commit to and promise until we know exactly what that means,” said Tiefensee, before adding:

“There will be a substantial amount of jobs created in the construction of the industrial park, and in the NGLfacility – there will also be ongoing jobs to operate both of those.”

Holiday movie trailer shows city locations

TED CLARKE

The movie trailer for A Great North Christmas has been released and Prince George plays a starring role. Filmed in and around the city in March, post-production work is now complete and the Christmas romance will be ready for a North American-wide TV audience for broadcast sometime during this year’s winter holiday season.

“I think it’s going to be particularly exciting for anybody who lives in Prince George,” said A Great North Christmas producer Norm Coyne of Barkert Street Cinema. “That’s part of the fun of watching a movie where you know where it’s been filmed People will see the store they shop at or the street they walk down every day or the way they drive to work.”

The story centres around Caroline (actor Laura Mitchell), an entertainment lawyer living in Los Angeles who lost her parents in a car accident during the Christmas season four years earlier. Her L.A. friends decide she needs a vacation and find “this amazing resort way up north – Canada, to be exact,” to get her out of her Christmas blues. She lands in Prince George and while she’s out for a run at ConnaughtHill Park she stumbles across her future love interest. Jonathan (Jay Hindle), a Toronto-based banker back for a Christmas visit with his family is out walking one of the huskies from the family farm near the city, where they operate a sled dog/snowmobiling adventure tour business. Christmas is also a sad time for Jonathan, still coming to grips with the recent death of his father Caroline takes advantage of her winter surroundings in Prince George and goes cross-country skiing at OtwayNordic Centre.

Glen Mikkelsen, the former CN Centre general manager, has a cameo appearance as he approaches Caroline’s lesson group on his skis and lets them know he’s there with an “on your right” warning as he passes by Todd Doherty, the CaribooPrince George MP, is also featured in the trailer and has a small part as Caroline’s

demanding boss, who reminds her he’s expecting her to finish off contracts for review by the day after Christmas

After her chance encounter with Jonathan, they meet again when she visits Sally Swan’s Dog Power Adventures, on Chief Lake Road.

She takes a dog team for a ride around the property and with Jonathan driving gets her first taste of riding a snowmobile.

The trailer also offers glimpses of LheidliT’ennehMemorial Park, where the Christmas grotto scene takes place and the downtown sets used to film the hotel entrance (Twisted Cork) and gift shop (Homework). A house on CranbrookHill where they visit a friend for Christmas dinner is also shown in the two-minute preview Drone footage taken high above the city high above the outdoor locations will give viewers a good taste of some of the spectacular scenery in and around the city

“I think everybody can see it looks like a fairly big-budget movie and we did it very cost efficiently,” said Coyne. “We got production value off the charts.

“I’m super-impressed with the (music) score that is being written by Prince George’s Jeremy Breaks, known to many as the guitar player for Dallas Smith. It’s got P.G. all over it.”

Filmed by Barker Street Cinema director James Douglas and produced by former Prince George film commissioner Sara Shaak’sAnamorphicMedia and TrilightEntertainment, A Great North Christmas will be shown on one of the TV networks and Coyne figures it will be first broadcast in late-fall or early-winter. The movie will also be available on one of the streaming platforms.

Barker Street is hoping to host an advance screening/red carpet gala, but only if COVIDrestrictions ease and people are allowed to once again gather in a theatre. Coyne says no plans can be made until the current health orders change.

Coyne is now in pre-production for another movie romance – The Way to the Heart - to be filmed in the city May 25-June 11.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR A TENT CITY

Is the homelessness situation in the city core getting better or worse?

Good luck finding anyone who thinks it’s better now than it was last year or the year before. While more money and more efforts have been made, there seems to be little to show for it.

Every morning for the city’s downtown bylaw compliance staff and police officers appears to be exactly the same – breaking up small camps, moving people along and picking up the waste left behind

Surely there are more meetings and public consultations ahead, where business owners and leaders, law enforcement, politicians and social advocates will share their frustrations, urge patience and/or suggest more money and effort into various new initiatives.

Civic leaders love talking about the facility planned for the current NR Motors site along First Avenue. That fine project shouldn’t be seen as a cure-all but simply one helpful piece to a complex puzzle. Shelters don’t work for everyone in the street population, such as co-dependent couples or people with behavioural issues stemming from addiction and/or mental afflictions.

When a camp was allowed to stay in place for several days early this month at Millennium Park at First Avenue and George Street before being broken up, the reaction was surprising. The business community reported fewer issues on their properties while the homeless population took pride in their temporary home, helping tidy the area.

This reaction begs the question of whether a short-term improvement for everyone involved might be to allow a tent city to go up somewhere downtown for the summer and fall.

It’s not ideal, of course, but are we at the point where anything might be better than

GOOGLE MAPS

The stretch of Lower Patricia Boulevard behind the Citizen is actually a gravel right-of-way and could serve as a temporary homeless camp..

the current situation?

There are advantages of setting aside space for the street population. It allows police officers to keep track of problems offenders for law enforcement purposes It allows social services to better serve individuals for health purposes It allows the homeless to put down temporary roots without the constant fear of where they will be sleeping tonight and how they will retain their belongings.

It’s also safer The street population are more vulnerable to violence when spread out in small groups located in out of sight spots across downtown

A central location for the homeless also provides relief for downtown business owners, who see less trespassing, litter and conflicts on their properties.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Life before vaccines

Hello, Mr Godbout, I just want to comment that you have a lot more patience for anti-vaxers than I do (A shot in the arm, May 13), whether it’s Covid or other vaccines.

The biggest problem I see is people have quickly forgot what life in Canada was like before vaccines. The suffering and death from everything from small pox, cholera, typhoid, polio to diphtheria, TB, whooping cough and tetanus, to name a few, has

been fully or mostly eliminated from our country.

All the earthy people, religious nuts and others need to be reminded that homeopathic, Indigenous, Chinese or Ayurveda medicines and practices and prayers did not eliminate these diseases and just don’t compare to modern medicine, including vaccines.

Those that choose to ignore the past and folks that have a deep personal reason for choosing not to get vaccinated can do

but a gravel right-of-way along the steep bank that separates the area from Patricia Boulevard and the nearby residential neighbourhood. Chain link fences run along both sides of the corridor, which is open to pedestrian traffic at each end.

There is a stretch of this space, about the size and shape of a football field running from a fire hydrant on the eastern end to the last power pole on the western end, that could work for a tent city There are even two light poles, leftovers from the day the entire site was the City of Prince George’s public works yard. The prospect of power and water could allow for social services to set up a temporary trailer at either end.

Most of the area businesses in this light industrial part of the city are in fenced compounds closed to the public after hours. The residential area is separated from the location by the fence, the bank and Patricia Boulevard.

Campers already used the site from time to time last fall and this spring but were quickly dispersed by bylaw officers

Sounds like an improvement but location is the biggest issue

Besides Millennium Park, the vacant gravel lot down the street near the courthouse is a popular location for the homeless Both sites are central and close to social services but are quite small and would likely create significant issues for immediate neighbours and possibly for drivers.

What about one, single larger site on public land, a short distance from downtown, away from traffic but still easily accessible?

One such site does exist and it’s literally in The Citizen’s backyard.

Behind our office at the end of Fourth Avenue east of Queensway lies Lower Patricia Boulevard. It’s not an actual street

The site isn’t perfect, of course It is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind spot half a kilometre from Queensway

And if this proposal sounds a bit too much like a refugee camp, maybe it’s time to start thinking in those terms, both for humanitarian and practical purposes. The United Nations tends to 26 million people in refugee camps around the world at a cost of $351 US per person per year, offering temporary safety from war, violence and persecution.

Why can’t we have a more humanitarian and practical response here in Canada and here in Prince George to our own internal refugees?

A tent city could be the best, least-worst temporary option left.

- Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

so but need to pay a price for that. Not all that long ago, when my children started school in the late 1980s, they still had to have proof of vaccinations in order to be enrolled

Simple choice: homeschooling or vaccination.

Somewhere it changed and we’ve seen a resurgence of things like measles, for example.

Should be no different today either get vaccinated or you can’t expect to fully par-

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505 Fourth Ave. Prince George, B.C. V2L 3H2

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ticipate in society, except for true medical exemptions, of course

People here have just forgot there are no rights without responsibilities

Maybe an all-inclusive trip to a Third World village experiencing a cholera outbreak would be in order. Help treat the sick and collect the dead, then dinner with advanced leprosy victims. All completely avoidable had those people only had access to the applicable vaccines. Ken Landrock, Smithers

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Variants a version of survival of the fittest

Long before we had the printed word, text was copied by hand. Each word was written and re-written many times. And errors occurred.

Traditionally, in European culture, the process of copying words and generating new or multiple copies of a manuscript was a task taken up by monks It is tedious work.

And the monks would occasionally amuse themselves by including marginalia. But they also ended up inventing new words by miscopying.

As a consequence, careful reading of ancient manuscripts can often be revealing of the evolution of language.

Mistakes in copying DNA and RNA can also happen and instead of leading to new language, each mistake leads to a mutation.

Some are neutral and do not affect the viability of the resulting organism.

Some reduce the fitness of the organism, leading to its death and culling from the population.

And some provide a competitive advantage for the resulting organism.

A mutation or multiple mutations in an organism lead to changes in its viability and it’s upon these changes natural selection acts.

In the case of viruses, mutations arise as a natural by-product of viral replication. For example, a single letter change in the

AS I SEE IT TODD WHITCOMBE

nucleic acid code can result in the substitution of a glycine for an aspartic acid in the resulting protein That substitution may or may not make the protein better or worse at doing its job.

Because RNA is single stranded, RNA viruses typically have a higher mutation rate than DNA-based viruses where the second strand provides a form of error checking In the sub-class “RNA-based coronaviruses,” however, the number of mutations is lower than for other RNA viruses because they encode an enzyme that corrects some of the errors made during replication In effect, they have an intrinsic proofreader built into their genetic code.

But changes do occur allowing viruses to mutate and develop into different variants. And variants might have a single mutation or many

Strictly speaking, a variant becomes a strain of the virus when it has demonstrably different properties or phenotypes That is, it is a new strain because it might be more transmissible or more virulent or even less fatal.

Variants succeed when they confer some form of evolutionary advantage to the

virus. The variants which have emerged in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and South Africa result in changes to the structure of the spike proteins covering the surface of the virus

And as the spike protein is the target for the vaccines, these organisms become species of interest or concern

In this case, “interest” means a “variant with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes to receptor binding, reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduced efficacy of treatments, potential diagnostic impact, or predicted increase in transmissibility or disease severity,” according to the CDC In other words, things which might make a virus more effective or deadly

The term “concern”, as defined by the CDC, has pretty much the same meaning but adds “evidence of increase in transmissibility” and “diagnostic detection failures.”

A variant of concern is a more deadly version of the virus which is more readily spread throughout the population and may not be observed in the tests used for detection.

The B.1.1.7 virus, for example, had accumulated 17 different mutations prior to its detection in September 2020.

At the time, it was referred to as a “variant of interest” but by December it had become a “variant of concern” as it accounted for roughly 28 per cent of the

cases of infection in England. It is spreading much more quickly than other lineages.

Further, and unlike some of the other variants which have been detected, it has achieved dominance by outcompeting the existing population of circulating variants In evolutionary terms, it is “more fit” or a better strain of the virus Not good for the human population but great for the SARSCoV-2 community!

Eight of the mutations in B 1.1.7 are in the spike glycoproteins, which could possibly influence the ACE2 binding capacity of the virus and lead to increased viral replication. While the strain does not appear to be massively more fatal, an increase in mortality rates has been detected. And while the mutations in the spike glycoproteins do not appear to be sufficient to render them invisible to the antibodies generated by the vaccines, there is always the possibility the continual evolution of the virus may make the present versions of the vaccines obsolete.

From a public health perspective, what does all of this science mean? Simply that we need to keep doing what we have been doing

Measures like masks, physical distancing, and limitations on large gatherings need to remain in effect until the more transmissible variants are under control. Given the power of evolution, we may be in this for the long haul

Entitled to both opinion and silence

We do not often give it much of our attention. Someone we know invokes a racial stereotype, says something sexist, or denies a scientific fact, and is met by our exaggerated shock, perhaps laughter, and a mild admonishment. A common reply to such an admonishment is, “I am entitled to my opinion,” as indeed they are.

Except when they are not.

So let us examine why the statement usually shuts down any further thought, let alone discussion.

If we dissect the response “I am entitled to my opinion,” two aspects in particular stand out. The first being, “I” and “my ” Those of us living in societies descended from the Western European tradition of democracy are highly oriented toward individualism. Our entitlements as individuals often come before our responsibilities as community members. This leads intrinsically to the “entitled” part. Consider that we are perhaps too entitled in the depth of our attachment to certain opinions Still, saying that a thought should not be spoken feels oppressive. No one appreciates being told to keep quiet An instinctual rebellion is engaged within people the moment that behaviour or language is ostensibly imposed. All things considered, no one wants to be seen as the language

GUEST COLUMN

police either, the moral authoritarian imposing their will upon others. It is this perception that allows many opinions to go unchecked and unchallenged long after any value or validity has been exhausted. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are foundational to democracy, arising as fundamental factors in the constraint of state power.

Open political debate, artistic expression, and freedom of the press are impossible without them. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms explicitly protects individuals from discrimination and hate speech, while concurrently securing the right of citizens to openly criticize public institutions and hold them accountable. All democracies guarantee such protections, though with widely varying interpretations.

In the United States, the First Amendment is often successfully invoked as an entitlement to say any hateful thing about anyone. If it cannot be proven true, it cannot be proven entirely untrue, either One reason for the dissonance between

the protection of rights and the promotion of freedoms is the inherent difficulty of proving hate under the law. Hate speech must demonstrably lead to violence, or the imminent threat of violence, leaving a lot of space to wriggle out of such an accusation. But this considers physical violence alone, failing to address the subtleties of structural violence. If legal interpretations of hate speech were to include the language of oppression directed toward some societal groups, the liberties landscape might look very different.

A current, contentious appeal to freedom of speech in Canada comes from Jordon Peterson. A University of Toronto psychology professor, Peterson gained a significant following through his YouTube channel and podcasts by repeatedly declaring his entitlement to refuse the use of preferred pronouns addressing transgender and nonbinary people. In reactionary claims made against Bill C-16 – the law enforcing protections for gender expression and gender identity under the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code – Peterson determined the bill compelled speech and criminalized the incorrect usage of gender pronouns.

Peterson’s over-simplified assertions fail to appreciate the vigorous requirements of law His rally against political correctness further neglects to identify the ways in which societal norms also compel

self-censorship in positive ways, rendering terminology once commonly accepted in the past as demeaning and offensive in the present. Most importantly, Peterson confuses the transient inconvenience of having to learn different pronouns with an entitlement to be disrespectful and insensitive. His defensive insistence contributes nothing toward a meaningful discussion, except in revealing a pattern of privilege where the exclusive interest of a few is superior to the fundamental dignity of others. Politic means sensible or wise. When we resist the politically correct, we resist what wisdom and sensibility tell us is true. As we fight for falsehood in North America, the government of India is blocking social media posts critical of its response to the latest wave of the COVID pandemic. The state is additionally placing limits upon the press, which includes reporting on the dire shortage of oxygen for patients, lack of hospital beds, and any other shortcomings of the Indian government This is the kind of situation where appeals made to freedom of speech and freedom of expression truly matter These are the rights worthy of our attention, and our protection Opinions otherwise qualified as entitled recommend the exercise of a different right. The right to remain silent.

- Karen D. Godbout is an M.A. student at Royal Roads University.

KAREN D. GODBOUT

Tell the full story, warts and all

Public opinion is a fickle thing. We love to sing the praises of individuals and put them on pedestals, but we are just as apt to demonize these same people in the court of public opinion.

Is this type of thinking getting us anywhere?

Aren’t we all simply human beings with the capacity to do good or bad things in life?

Should celebrities be “cancelled” or would we do the world a greater service by examining the underlying injustices of our society?

I recently came face to face with my own attitudes toward “canceling” celebrities. I’ve been a Toronto Blue Jays fan since the team’s inception in 1977.

Last summer I bought a framed piece called “Toronto’s Greatest Baseball Legends” at a charity auction.

Of course, it included a picture of Roberto Alomar, the Hall of Fame second baseman and key member of the 1992 and 1993 World Series Champion teams.

LESSONS IN LEARNING GERRY CHIDIAC

On April 30, Major League Baseball announced that Alomar had been banned after a thorough investigation of a 2014 allegation of sexual misconduct against him. He can no longer work for any major league or minor league team, and the Toronto Blue Jays announced that his name would be removed from their “Level of Excellence” and the banner with his retired number 12 would be removed from the rafters of the Rogers Centre. Cancelled.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that there have been allegations directed at Roberto Alomar

Two women filed lawsuits claiming that he had unprotected sex with them despite being HIV positive.

The exact outcome of these cases has

not been made public, however

What am I to do with my picture of Alomar, I asked myself?

Do I remove it?

Do I replace his photograph with that of another, more deserving player?

As I reflected, I realized that there was a more important story that needs to be told.

Yes, Alomar was a great baseball player, but there is more to being a human being than our athleticism. Internal qualities like honesty, integrity and courage are far more important.

The hero in the most recent story, the one who deserves to be celebrated, is the unnamed woman who reported Alomar.

According to her lawyer, Lisa Banks, “My client has no intentions to file a lawsuit or take further actions.

She has not exposed Mr Alomar’s behaviour for notoriety or for money and looks forward to moving on with her life.

She simply wants to ensure that Mr Alomar is held accountable for his wrongdoings and hopes her actions can help Major

After the shot in the arm

Got Pfizered last Monday at 5. By 7, I felt terrible.

An hour later, I was in bed, exhausted and aching.

Felt the same all day Tuesday

On Wednesday, the fatigue was gone but the soreness was not.

On Thursday morning, I felt like a million bucks.

That was the first time I had ever reacted to a shot and I receive the flu shot every year As the sheet I was given at the Civic Centre on Monday afternoon explained, feeling sick after getting vaccinated is normal. It’s simply a sign of the immune system going on red alert and generating the antibodies needed to fight off the real virus.

Individual immune systems are powerful but also unpredictable. Some people die when their immune system spins out of control, attacking the problem virus or infection so aggressively that essential organs and functions are caught in the crossfire. In the case of the Spanish flu from a century ago, which affected young people far worse than COVID-19, the immune

NIGHT SHIFT

NEIL GODBOUT

systems of young, healthy adults worked against them, generating such a strong but toxic internal response that it eventually caused the death of millions. Children, with less powerful and developed immune systems, and older people with slower and weaker immune systems, still got sick and many died but not as often

Today, I feel like I’ve rounded a corner, like I’ve made my own small contribution to making the world a safer place because I followed the best medical advice offered and did the right thing for myself, my family and my friends.

After Monday morning’s column, where I urged people to be patient and tolerant of those who were reluctant or refusing to get vaccinated, I took shots in both arms. On one hand, some felt I was being far too

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

COVID overdone

Hate to break it to you, Neil, (re: A shot in the arm, May 13 Citizen) but you can still get COVID and/or be a carrier even with the vaccine.

The only reason I am being vaccinated against COVID that the majority of people recover from is because of peer pressure and knowing some friends (although for the most part, I do not care as they show no respect for my belief that this COVID

thing has been overdone).

Mainly I did it for family members who stated they would feel uncomfortable to visit me or have me visit them unless I had the vaccine.

So I caved from peer pressure, something I told my kids never to do!

You will still have to wear your mask and still have to self-distance, too.

Don’t know when that will end, possibly just before another unknown virus erupts

League Baseball create a safer workplace for its employees.”

There is no such thing as a perfect human being, and thus it is important to resist the temptation to idolize one another. Recognizing someone for acting according to principles we believe in is not the same as putting them on a pedestal, however It is simply a reminder to act the same when the opportunity arises.

Are the Blue Jays right in removing Alomar’s name from a place of honour?

Should the baseball Hall of Fame add a footnote to his story beside his plaque at Cooperstown?

I cannot speak for these organizations, but I can respond to my situation in a way that I believe is right. If I were to remove Alomar’s picture from my wall, I would be cancelling the opportunity to tell the story of a brave woman who put her career on the line in order to speak the truth and protect others from a potentially dangerous person.

Alomar’s picture remains, along with a reminder to stay true to one’s principles.

accommodating and was even providing comfort to those who are using inaccurate information, personal hangups, superstitions and/or conspiracy theories to justify their choice On the other hand, some said I was overselling hastily approved vaccines that are producing dangerous and sometimes deadly side effects with little knowledge or research into long-term effects.

Guilty as charged on both counts.

I both refuse to publicly shame individuals who choose not to be vaccinated but I also refuse to not do everything I can to encourage as many people as I can to get vaccinated.

Put another way, I believe attacking the people who won’t get vaccinated is as harmful to society as the hyper-aggressive immune system can be to an individual body The golden and silver rules apply here. And if the facts and science are on your side, there’s no need to get mad, right? Far better chance of getting someone to change their mind with respect and facts than with screaming and insults.

My discussions, both in person and by email, with the vaccine hesitant and doubt-

ers have been illuminating. I’ve learned their logic, where they receive their information, how they perceive risk and the emotions and experiences that drive them.

In other words, I’ve got to know each of them a little and now I can be far less personal and far more precise with my arguments urging them to reconsider.

It’s important to separate the people who actually do want to talk from the people who just want to stand on street corners, in real life or online, shouting about how awful the political and health leaders.

Maybe those folks will come around when they’re told they won’t be able to get on a plane, cross an international border, send their kids to public school, holiday on a cruise ship or visit a hospital or long-term care facility without proof of vaccination.

All of those scenarios - and many moreare possible (and legal) in the post-COVID world.

Not sure what that world looks like yet but I’m glad my first shot Monday got me one step closer to it

in our midst and madness starts again. I am not an anti-vaccine person and not a conspiracy nut but believe from all I have read from reliable sources such as Health Canada, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic etc., that this entire war on COVID has been overdone.

I would have preferred to see our tax dollars spent on mental health facilities, addiction counselling and facilities, affordable rents for low-income people and

families. We spent millions on COVID, yet have always been told by governments that there was not enough money for these. Their coffers depend on the wealthy and most of the wealthy do not want their taxes going to anything that they can afford on their own and obviously they are not interested in the majority of the population.

Sandy Hayes Penticton

RARE FUNGUS EXCITES EXPERT

HANNA PETERSEN

A rare and unique-looking fungus called sarcosoma globosum or more commonly known as witches cauldron has recently been spotted around Prince George.

This fungus, which is normally found in northern Europe, is so rare and unique that it’s missing off the official fungi list in British Columbia.

However, photos of the fungus found near Huble Homestead about 40 km north of Prince George have recently been shared on the Facebook group Questions and Answers P.G.

“Citizen scientists and naturalists do a fantastic job,” says Michael Preston, an assistant professor with the ecosystem science and management program at UNBC

“Us scientists and universities are few in number and we can’t be out there seeing everything.”

As this fungus is so rare, Preston wants the public’s help to find and document witches cauldron in and around Prince George.

“One of the really neat things about witches cauldron is we know very little about it,” says Preston “We don’t even know if we can grow it in the lab, for example, so very little is known ”

It’s called witches cauldron because that’s what it most resembles it is a large round fungus, found in the springtime, with a central cup filled with a gel-like substance.

Preston says there are many theories as to why witches cauldron looks the way it

does but it is not actually known what the gel is or why the fungus does this.

“Essentially, we think it’s filled with this gel to give it this big size which allows it to release spores,” he explains.

“That is one of the reasons it probably prefers the spring because it occurs after the spring melt and there’s lots of water around so it can take that water and put it into its fruiting body very easily.”

Preston says the fungus likely exists within the forest floor for decades, but only puts up a fruiting body (its witches cauldron-like shape) occasionally, which means a knowledgeable person has to come by at exactly the right time to document it

One of the big concerns about this species and another reason why it is so rare is clearcut logging.

“What we know is that there’s no documented evidence that after clear-cut this fungus survives and there is no reported evidence that once the forest regrows again, into that new managed secondary growth forest, that the fungus comes back.”

It’s usually found in nutrient-rich spruce forests that are at least 100 years old, but because of human activity, it has become nationally extinct in some European countries, including Germany and Lithuania.

Preston says its ecological role within the forests is not even well understood.

“What is it doing here in British Columbia? Our environment is a bit similar to northern Europe so sure it should belong here, but what is it actually doing in the forest? We don’t know.”

To try and answer some of these unknowns, Preston is embarking on a formal study of witches cauldron but needs the public’s help in locating it.

Preston has created a quick survey for the public to fill out if they spot witches cauldron when they are out exploring.

“There is a lot to learn about this fungus, its history, and what it’s doing,” says Preston. “Citizen scientists are my eyes and ears and I can’t be everywhere and I can’t see everything and they feed it back to me so I can direct my research efforts.”

The fruiting body of the fungus can be found for about 60 days in the springtime so the public may be able to spot it until the end of June at the latest.

Dad found guilty of manslaughter

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Quesnel-area man was found guilty Tuesday of manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of his son.

In issuing the verdict for Roger Wayne Evans, 63, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Michael Tammenoutlined a series of actions that led to the death of Dale Evans, 41, sometime over the night of July 31-Aug. 1, 2018.

Based on evidence and testimony presented during a trial on the matter, the two were in the process of moving out of their home in the 6200 block of NazkoHighway, about 50 kilometres west of Quesnelbut had also been drinking.

In the home was a rifle - a Savage 99C Series A .308 Winchester with lever actionthat Roger Evans normally kept standing in the corner of his bedroom but, for reasons not explained, it was lying on the kitchen table amid several empty and full beer cans

Roger Evans had picked up a rifle with the intent of carrying out to a trailer for safe keeping when it went off. His son, who had been walking in front of his father as they were leaving the home, was struck in the back with a .308-calibre bullet.

Dale Evans fell immediately and, when checked by his father, showed no signs of life. Lacking a landline and out of cellphone range, Roger Evans could not call for help from the home and, according to his

Hospice group helping COVID recovery efforts

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH COVID-19 can get very serious very fast.

Imagine lying in the hospital bed and having the nurse hand you the phone to say goodbye to your loved ones before you’re intubated.

That is just a glimpse into one person’s story that was shared during a session of the Post-COVID Syndrome Support Group offered by the Prince George Hospice Society

That trauma is one of many experienced by those who got the worst symptoms of COVID-19 and continue to experience symptoms as they have been deemed long haulers of the disease.

People are reluctant to talk about it because of the stigma that surrounds the disease that still seems to be a mystery in many ways.

“Come and tell your story,” Donna Flood, executive director of the Prince George Hospice Society, said about joining the support group “They might just want to come and share their story and go away or they might want to come and connect with other people that have had it. Every single story is different. It’s not like people are coming out of it with the same story.”

There’s such a stigma surrounding the disease people are even hesitating to speak to each other about it, Denise Torgersen, who leads community programs at Hospice, added.

statement to police, felt he was too drunk to drive.

Shortly after 9 a.m. on Aug. 1, 2018, a friend who had dropped by to help with their move found Evans’ body lying in a pool of blood. When he yelled for Roger Evans, there was no response, and, reluctant to go further into the house, drove to a spot within cell range and called 911.

RCMParrived later that morning and found Roger Evans on a couch in the living room where it appeared he had just woken up. He later told police he “passed out, I guess.”

During closing statements, Roger Evans lawyer, Jason LeBlond, submitted it was possible the rifle had remained on the table and that his client was in the process of picking it up

He noted that photographs of the scene showed the rifle lying on the table with a piece of sandpaper and a cord from a beard trimmer lying on top.

Tammendismissed that suggestion and noted the upward trajectory of the bullet and that the photo shows the rifle pointing at a different doorway than where Dale Evans’ body had been found.

LeBlondalso submitted there was a paucity of evidence showing Roger Evans was intoxicated.

Tammendisagreed, based on the statement Evans gave to police combined with the fact that a post-mortemfound his son’s blood-alcohol level measured .219.

Problems with the state of the gun were noted. The safety is located on top of the stock, lacked markings to show if it is on or off and was obscured by an after-market scope. The gun also lacked an outside indicator to show if it is loaded.

But it was not enough to sway Tammenfrom concluding Evans handled the rifle in a manner that was a “marked departure from that of a reasonable person.”

“A reasonably prudent person would’ve pointed it downward or toward the ceiling, away from any person, and immediately taken steps to determine if the rifle was loaded,” Tammensaid. “Such steps would have included opening the action, thus activating the safety.

“The accused clearly did none of those things, but rather must have placed his finger on or near the trigger. Although the accused did not expressly admit doing so, from all the evidence, that is the only way in which the rifle could have discharged.”

Importantly, said Tammen, Roger Evans handled the rifle while drunk and admitted as much to police.

“He knew he was too drunk to drive and thus could not summon help,” Tammensaid “He should also have appreciated he was too drunk to handle a firearm - full stop.”

The minimum sentence for the offence is four years. Sentencing will occur at a later date once pre-sentence reports have been completed.

“They’re afraid to,” Torgersen said. People have been traumatized with the experience of getting the virus that has caused the pandemic, Flood added.

“They go through what they do at the hospital and when they wake up they’re no better,” Flood said.

“From what I’ve heard from people is there is no return to pre-COVID normal.”

Torgersen explained that with most chronic diseases, people deteriorate slowly over time but with the coronavirus people are landing somewhere in the middle.

“And there’s no information about it, no treatment for it,” she said.

Some people have such strong after-effects that when they go to the doctor, they’re being diagnosed with other types of illnesses so there’s also a frustration of not even having COVID-19 being acknowledged, Flood added.

It’s early days yet for the support group so Torgersenis talking to those who have already reached out over the phone, one-on-one.

“For right now people can reach out and tell their story - I think for them to tell it out loud and have an empathetic ear to listen to them is so important,” Flood said.

FACEBOOK PHOTO

Witches cauldron fungus spotted near Huble Homestead.

STUDENT SEEKS LACROSSE SCHOLARSHIP

TED CLARKE

Garrett Sakamoto in only 14 years old but he’s a driven individual and already knows what he wants to do with his life as a student athlete.

Unfortunately for Sakamoto to reach his potential playing the sport of field lacrosse he will eventually leave Prince George and that’s a shame.

It means that once the lacrosse world returns to normalcy and sheds its pandemic handcuffs, allowing games to proceed and a return to occupied spectator stands in local arenas, it’s only a matter of time before Sakamoto has to adopt a Vancouver-area address so he can pursue his field of dreams and we won’t get to see him in action

“It’s been pretty tough to stay focused on field because we don’t have field lacrosse here so we’ve been flying down there every second weekend and practicing with a couple teams every time we go,” said Sakamoto “I’ve been practicing out front (in his Buckhorn yard) every day for hours ”

At 14, Sakamoto has already established himself as one of the top youth lacrosse players in the province.

He made the provincial box in 2019 as a peewee, along with his Prince George Posse teammate Jackson Moleski. Sakamoto was one of the team’s leading scorers that year in the tournament and helped B.C. get to the national final in Vancouver . He might have had a shot at making the bantam team last year but COVID wiped the season out before it even began, denying the Posse a chance to play as the host team in the bantam provincial championship last July

Sakamoto’s contributions to Team B.C led to an invitation for him to play box and field lacrosse in the Lower Mainland.

“It’s super-fun going there and playing with kids I know down there and seeing

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Garrett Sakamoto sports his Team BC jersey while posing in front of the practice net at his Buckhorn neighbourhood home.

them play,” Sakamoto said “Trying out for different teams every year is a great experience and it’s a great feeling when you make the teams.”

He credits Posse bantam coach Jeff Moleski for getting him prepared for those tryouts and working with him throughout the year on lacrosse fundamentals.

“I don’t know if I’d be here now if it wasn’t for him, he’s helped me a lot, he tells me everything I do wrong and everything I can improve on and he’s just a really good coach,” said Sakamoto.

Sakamoto started his frequent-flyer sojourns in the 2019-20 season with Evolve Elite, a club team in Vancouver, and they played in field lacrosse tournaments all over the western United States that winter before the pandemic began

He made the team for the 2020 World Series of Youth Lacrosse field championship but the July tournament was cancelled with the lockdown.

He played boxla last year in the four-

team United Lacrosse League. Based in Vancouver, the league gathered 80 of the top bantam-aged (13-and-14-year-old) players in Western Canada for a three-month season

This year, Sakamoto is playing field lacrosse for Fusion West in Vancouver and the Fusion bantam team is gearing up for the U.S. National box lacrosse championship in San Jose, Calif., Aug. 6-8.

That might be his only tournament in 2021 now that the B.C. Lacrosse Association has scrapped its box and field provincial championships for 2021 Sakamoto made the B.C. team again for this year’s World Series tournament in Maryland, June 30-July 3, but he says that likely will also be cancelled

“I’m hoping at least we can get to a few championships and games, COVID’s ruined a lot of stuff for us,” he said

The plum he’s shooting for at the end of his minor lacrosse career is a scholarship to play field lacrosse at a U.S. college in the NCAA and that’s fueling his desire to stick with Canada’s national summer sport and keep playing at the highest level possible.

“That’s our main goal, that’s basically why we’re doing this is to get that scholarship and have fun,” said Sakamoto, a Grade 8 student at Prince George Secondary School.

“I basically play year-round except for now, because of COVID. Field lacrosse usually starts up in August and it usually ends right when box starts (in April).”

Most of the players of Sakamoto’s calibre are concentrated in the Lower Mainland or Victoria and with team travel restrictions still in place at least until May 25 under the province’s current pandemic health order, his Posse team will remain grounded, unable to play any competitive lacrosse.

“If you’re talented then it’s even worse, we’re up north and it’s tough for him to get

Getting back on the boards GUEST

The absence of theatre has been felt painfully by everyone in the Prince George community throughout the pandemic. For me, I am fortunate in that my finances are not tied to the theatre and thus I am lucky enough to be able to participate in, and go to, theatre in my spare time for the pure love of it. At the beginning of the pandemic my theatre group, Nechako Community Theatrics Society, had just started work on a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night When we had to cancel it, we decided to move to Zoom theatre, using small and local plays and readings from books by local authors. It was a fun, successful endeavor, but it was incredibly difficult as we struggled to maintain energy, figure out where we were supposed to be looking when there was no one beside us and mime actions to make it as realistic as possible. This is not even counting the numerous technical difficulties that came with using an online

system that was limited by what people had access to in their own homes. As actors, we are used to creating energy with the other actors around us. We play off of one another and the audience to build enthusiasm and energy. That was something lacking via Zoom. Halfway through the first year, when the restrictions were relaxed, we were able to do staged readings at Theatre NorthWest that were socially distanced and to limited audiences. Sadly, as COVID raged for a second run, theatre once again had to shut down. We look forward to full vaccinations with baited breath, tentatively starting to plan what reopening will look like. We know we will have to start small instead of picking up where we left off, with a major produc-

the notice he needs to get and play on the teams he needs to play on,” said Garrett’s father Trevor “We’ve been approached to have him billeted down there but in my mind he’s too young for that and we’re doing what we can to keep him up to speed with the rest of the kids, so he doesn’t fall behind.”

The NCAA has tapped the Prince George field lacrosse talent pool a few times in the past. Justin Norbraten started his college career at Simon Fraser University in 2003 and was playing field on a scholarship for Bellarmine University in Kentucky when he got drafted ninth overall in the 2007 National Lacrosse League draft.

Leif Paulson earned a scholarship to attend Cornell University in New York and was with the Big Red in 2009 when they lost the NCAA Division 1 championship final in overtime to Syracuse. Most recently, Cole Paciejewski was a mainstay for the Pfeiffer University Falcons in North Carolina in a four-year career that ended when he graduated in 2015 Sakamoto met Paciejewski and Paulson a few times when they showed up at the weekly field lacrosse workouts at the Roll-A-Dome. Since mid-April, he’s been training twice a week at CN Centre with his house league team. Before he started playing lacrosse at age 8, Sakamoto studied judo for five years. His martial arts training toughened him up for the physical contact that comes with playing lacrosse and his five-foot-six, 110-pound frame is used to taking hits. He also likes to play football as a receiver and cornerback but says he might not have time to commit to the PGSS Polars junior team.

He says he’s not the fastest runner but he has added some speed to his legs and notices the improvement.

“I took some running lessons with Cathy Johnson (a coach for the Prince George Track and Field Club) and that helped me lots,” said Sakamoto.

tion like Twelfth Night. Burnout has been a real struggle for many of us throughout the pandemic. Finances have been tight for many and even as a small theatre group, bills still needed to be paid throughout the past year and a half

We fear itself and the concern of people is palpable, even with the general population getting vaccinated. We wonder if theatregoers will wish to take the risk of being around other people once restrictions relax again or once people are vaccinated I long to see my friends in the theatre community, to plan productions, put together props and costumes, and of course, tread onstage once more I look forward to theatre games and bonding with a group of people who are just as silly, crazy, and in love with the theatre, as I am. Of course, I look forward to once more stepping upon a stage in front of an expectant audience, enticing them to be amused, distraught, enamoured, and full of the feelings that only an amazing play put on by an energetic group can bring. There are so many differ-

ent things that we have taken for granted in the past, such as the ability to put on plays, comedy shows, workshops, operas, etc. I think that once we are allowed, we will all get back into the swing of things quite quickly, and we will enjoy our return to our particular brand of craziness!

For my part, I look forward to rehearsing lines to a play once again, taking the time to research and become whatever character I have been chosen to play I look forward to the bright lights and the warmth that comes from the support of our amazing community I look forward to the exciting embrace of the stage.

For more about Nechako Community Theatrics and for information on upcoming shows, please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pgtheatre/ - Ashleigh Travers has been involved with Nechako Community Theatrics Society in multiple productions, as well as serving currently on its board of directors. She also performed in Fraser Lyric Opera’s version of La Bohéme.

Youth brightens Cougars’ outlook

TED CLARKE

The strangest of strange Western Hockey League season ended on Wednesday and the Prince George Cougars went their separate ways after two months of living in hotel rooms as isolated occupants of the B.C. Division hub.

Many months of planning went into making sure the league could operate safely in the midst of a pandemic and despite 14 positive COVID cases out of 9,735 tests the WHL conducted from Feb. 12-May 7, the season pretty much unfolded without a hitch The 22 teams strictly followed health protocols, knowing their hockey lives depended on it.

Teams stayed sequestered within their divisions to limit travel and exposure to the virus and while some games had to be cancelled due to those positive player tests each team with the exception of the Tri-City Americans (19 games) and Kelowna Rockets (16 games) played at least 21 games.

The Cougars played their last of 22 games Wednesday in Kamloops, losing 4-1 to the Kamloops Blazers, who wrapped their second-straight B.C. Division title. Despite being the second-youngest team in the Western Hockey League the Cougars emerged with the league’s 13th-best winning percentage (.477).

Finishing with a 9-10-2-1 record, they almost made the .500 mark for the first time in four seasons Had there been playoffs under the conventional conference format the Cats would have claimed the first wildcard spot. Not bad considering the amount of ice time their 10 rookies received.

Aside from WHL freshman defenceman Hudson Thornton, whose transfer from the USHL limited him to just six games, the

PHOTO BY DOUG SAGE, ALLENDOUGLASPHOTOS@GMAIL.COM

Cougars had free reign to play their young guys as much as they wanted and that led to some major breakthroughs.

Rookie Koehn Ziemmer played all 22 games and scored a team-high nine goals, two of which were game winners, and he showed he won’t get pushed around chasing loose pucks in the corners. The Cougars picked Ziemmer fourth overall in 2019, right behind defenceman Keaton Dowhaniuk, who also impressed his bosses with his ability to skate and pass the puck, and his offensive abilities translated into a three-goal, five-assist season.

Second-year defenceman Ethan Samson collected a goal and 11 assists to end up tied with Ziemmer for second on the scoring list. Samson has NHL scouts

talking and could end up getting drafted this year He was paired with Dowhaniuk late in the season and the two seemed to complement each other well. Jaren Brinson, a second-rounder in 2019, got 20 games under his belt as a 16-year-old after starting the season injured. Aiden Reeves, a 2002-born blueliner, and Majid Kaddoura, heading into his 20-year-old season, could also be back next season.

Winger Craig Armstrong, the Cougars’ ninth-overall pick in the 2018 WHL draft, was held to just one goal in 62 games last year as a rookie but this year showed his true capabilities.

Just 17, a strong and stocky native of Airdrie, Alta., proved difficult for opponents to move around the net and he used

his speed to create offence, leading the Cats in scoring with 13 points, including seven goals

With Ilijah Colina choosing not to play his final junior season and Mitch Koehner loaned to Spokane because he was unable to cross the border from Minnesota, that created even more opportunity for the Cougar rookies to strut their stuff. Kyren Gronick, if he hadn’t hurt his shoulder and missed five games, easily could have topped the Cats’ scoring chart He surprised everyone, putting up five goals and 11 points playing the right side on a line mostly with Ethan Browne and Jonny Hooker. Hooker finished with six goals and 11 points while Upper filled in for the injured Gronick on the top scoring line and that helped bump his totals to five goals and 11 points.

Connor Bowie and Blake Eastman became the Cougars’ bash brothers as linemates, using their bulk and aggressive dispositions to open space for rookies like Carter MacAdams Fischer O’Brien, a local product acquired in a trade from Lethbridge, proved himself as a top-notch penalty-killer with soft hands around the net and who can play in any situation.

The Cougars had seven 2001-born players and despite the logjam Lamb said it wasn’t difficult keeping them happy with their playing time. Aside from Brendan Boyle, who hurt his shoulder and was sidelined for 10 games, all the 19-year-olds played key roles.

Riley Heidt, the second-overall pick in the 2020 WHL draft behind Regina’s budding superstar Connor Bedard. proved himself as an excellent face-off specialist and despite his youth, having just turned 16, he put up some good numbers with two goals and eight points in 22 games.

Strange season satisfies departing Cougars captain

TED CLARKE

There’s no going back for Jack Sander.

After three seasons playing defence for the Prince George Cougars Sander’s junior hockey career ended last Wednesday with a 4-1 loss to the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL hub in Kamloops.

In a season that will go down in history for its pandemic twists and turns, Sander stood apart from the rest of his teammates as the only Cougar who can’t return next season because of his age. He became the team’s only overager after defenceman Cole Mobergturned pro and centre Ilijah Colina decided not to come back for his final season of junior eligibility

That’s not likely to ever happen again. Had this been a “normal” season, the Cougars would have almost certainly sought out other players to fill their quota of three 20-year-olds.

After 203 WHL games, the finality set in for Sander as he left the hotel for the drive back to Prince George in his truck to pick up the belongings he’d left behind at the home of his billets, Steve and Alicia Carter Sander spent the past two months being

grounded with his teammates at the hotel and adjacent rink in Kamloops, being told where he was allowed to go and when to do it, and now he’s free to make his own choices.

“When we were leaving (Thursday) it felt like we were getting out of prison almost, not that it was bad but because we were stuck doing the same things over and over again,” said Sander “ It was a weird feeling getting out for sure, kind of a bittersweet moment for a lot of the guys It’s definitely tough leaving the boys but I really enjoyed the times I shared with them and have nothing but amazing things to say about so many of them.

“It was a great ride for sure. It was pretty wild, a lot of positives and a lot of obstacles that came for sure, it was definitely and interesting year to go out on. It sucked that it wasn’t a full-length year and I couldn’t be around the boys for a couple more months, but we got to see each other every day and we did a lot of things together, always hanging out together and chillin,’ so in the end it turned out to be pretty good.”

He found out he was the players’ choice

to wear the ‘C’ when his parents broke the news over a Zoom call at a team meeting in Kamloops just before the season began on March 27. He played all 22 games and finished with a goal and eight assists.

Sander doesn’t know where he’s going to play next year but his emergence as the Cougars’ most consistent and effective stay-at-home defender the past two seasons should create job opportunities for the hard-shooting 21-year-old from Beaumont, Alta., who joined the Cats in 2017 as an undrafted17-year-old In those 203 games, he totalled nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points.

“I found my role and kept getting better and better and made sure I had no excuses and no regrets when I went out,” he said.

“I’m pretty proud of the things I was able to accomplish and just how hard I worked and competed my whole career.”

He shares the optimism of Cougar staff that the best is yet to come for the team.

“It was pretty cool to see just how easily those guys stepped in and did well and were confident,” said Sander. ”I was saying to the boys after the last game, just thanking them for what they’ve done for me,

just how amazing they were and also how bright the future for the team is and how excited I am to follow along and watch the games and look at the standings.

“The amount of talent and potential, throughout the entire team – goalies, defence and forwards – it’s pretty exciting Being a Cougar fan, there’s nothing but great things you have to look forward to in the next few years.”

The Cougars could potentially return seven 2001-born players, with forwards Tyson Upper, Jonny Hooker, Ethan Browne, Connor Bowie, Brendan Boyle, defenceman Majid Kaddoura and goalie Taylor Gauthier all all-eligible for 2021-22 All proved their value to the team as leaders of a young group but only three will be on the final roster next year.

“It’s going to be a tough decision, that’s always a tough part of the game in regards to who makes it and who doesn’t,” said Sander. “It’s a lot of relationships and friendships missed after that and I have nothing but great things to say about all seven of those guys. Any one of them deserves a spot, so I’m definitely happy I don’t have to make that decision.”

Riley Heidt wins a faceoff in the final game of the season.

So many memories for the Minchins

Bruce and Maisie Minchin met in Lillooet when he was working for the Pacific Great Eastern Railroad (PGE) and she was working for the Bank of Commerce. His brother had come over from their home in Saskatchewan the year before and told him about the opportunity. One day, Bruce walked into the Bank of Commerce and slapped his paycheck down in front of Maisie.

“’Put this in my account,’ he says and so, knowing his brother, I wrote that name at the top.” Says Maisie, “’You’ve got the wrong name there!’ He tells me. That was how we met!”

“Been broke ever since,” adds Bruce with a smirk.

“We got to know each other, liked each other and got married in 1953 ” Maisie smiles. “I’ve been handling the cash ever since. My mother insisted I get secretarial training at TJ Trapp Technical in New Westminster.”

Bruce’s job with PGE moved them around the province, finally ending up in Prince George, in a house in the Starlane subdivision.

While Bruce was working for the railroad, running the crane crew, and fixing box cars, Maisie supervised their children, Rob and Heather When Heather started

FOCUS ON SENIORS CATHERINE MILLS

school at Peden Hill Elementary, Maisie went to work as the school secretary. She worked with three principals and stayed two years longer than her daughter Heather apparently claims it is because Mom is a slow learner. When she quit, it was because they bought property out on Blackwater Road so they could have horses for the kids.

Their son Rob’s friends enjoyed spending time at the Minchin ranch. Bruce tells me that one day there was a whole crew of boys there, having hot dogs and plotting mischief They decided they wanted to ride Heather’s pony The boys did not know how to “drive” a horse and the pony decided it wanted to feast on a particular patch of tasty grass in the Charella subdivision There was no stopping that pony, so off they followed. Bruce recalls looking out the window, wondering where they went. The missing pony gave him a clue about where he could retrieve them.

Having grown up in Saskatchewan during the Depression when there wasn’t much money, Bruce is versed in the art of making

Longtime math teacher mourned

Brij Berry, a long-time Prince George math teacher and subject of the award-winning documentary Mr. Berry has died.

Kathy Nadalin profiled Mr Berry in her Seniors Scene column in The Citizen in November 2019. Here is an abridged version of that story:

Mr Berry, who is now somewhere in his 90s, said: “My father was a lawyer and he wanted me to be a doctor I quickly learned that I could not stand the sight of blood and I became a math teacher instead.

“I was teaching university students at two colleges at the same time and, in fact, I was younger than many of my students. One morning I slept in and I was a half-anhour late for my class It was normal that if the teacher didn’t show up - the students left - so I was not surprised when I got to the school and the students were gone. I felt so bad about all of this that I went to the library to hide myself behind a newspaper. I sat there knowing that I was guilty and I suddenly noticed that the newspaper had seven pages of teaching positions. The war had ended and teachers were in demand everywhere. I read all of the advertisements and the one that caught my eye was the place with the beautiful name of Bonnyville, Alta

“I replied and wrote a letter asking them if they would be interested in a young man and then I listed my qualifications The reply came back telling me what wages to expect and an all-expense paid ticket to arrive in Bonnyvillein time to be at work on September 1st.

“Time passed and due to my age I had

to retire. I did not want to retire because it was rumoured that retired teachers either sold used cars or became insurance salespeople.

“In 1991, I came to visit friends in Prince George. They had to go to work each day and I had nothing to do so I showed up at the school board office looking for two days of teacher substitution work. They sent me to Prince George Senior Secondary. On the third day, I went in to thank them for the two days of work and they told me I had a job

“I can remember the time when I was given a new student that was said to be negative and quite troublesome. To make a long story short, I do not deal in negativity. I shook his hand and I assured my new student that he was going to do very well in my class. I told him if he had any problems he could stay after class or come to my home. He came to my home I turned into his counselor and his teacher He changed and he got an A in math.

“I taught in School District 57 until 1997 and because of my age I had to retire once again.

“I taught at the Catholic School in College Heights until they sold the land to Walmart and I am still teaching at a First Nations School when possible.”

Mr Berry had open heart surgery in June of 2018 and even that did not stop him from teaching.

Many former students still send him thank you notes and photos. Many more say they have retired from successful careers thanks to him. Some of his students are grandchildren of his former students.

deals. Their neighbours on the Blackwater, the Dillmans, had the equipment they needed to grow hay, to help pay for the upkeep of the horses and the ranch Maisie drove the swather, Norma Dillman ran the baler, the kids raked, and if anything broke down, Bruce fixed it.

Being involved in the community was another way of helping and being helped. Bruce was a Freemason; Maisie was a member of the Eastern Star Organization. They loved curling, starting in 1962, in the original Prince George Curling Club. Maisie helped with the junior curling. When they joined the Elder Citizens Recreation Association (ECRA), they started up the floor

curling program in the basement.

After the Minchins joined ECRA, Jim Dillman had an old bull that he was looking to get rid of. He asked Bruce if he thought the ECRA would be interested in the meat ‘Sure!’ Said Bruce. So, Jim dropped the bull off at the slaughterhouse When the slaughterhouse found out the meat was destined for seniors, they offered to do the slaughtering for free. But there was still a cost for cutting and wrapping. Jim had been chatting with Dr Hodges who said he would cover that cost. Delivery was via Bruce’s truck. Apparently, the cook at ECRA was a bit shocked They’d been expecting some meat, not several hundred pounds. It was a scramble to find freezer space!

“Best deal ever!” exclaims Bruce, “And all for free!”

After 68 years of marriage, they still enjoy each other’s company. The property on Blackwater is a fond memory now, but the Dillmans are still friends. They lost their son Rob when he was 55, still a sad memory Heather and her husband and their two children live in Prince George. In time, Bruce and Maisie hope to enjoy their floor curling at ECRA again, but meanwhile, the card games with their daughter’s family are a great diversion. Like everyone who has lived a long and full life, there are many more stories to be told about them. I tried to pick the best ones.

HO RO SC OP ES &P UZ ZLES

20. Overly dainty

Type of fisherman

Cloak

Told afib

Goes wrong

Buddy

Meet defeat 29. Doing business 30. Folk dance

39. Bank, sometimes

Live

Marry again

Cassette

Roofline detail

Sermon response

Hiker’s shelter

Timid

Gardening tool

Hooting bird

ACROSS

Rebuff

Branch

Out of harm’s way

Drain

Hawaiian wreath

Binds 15. Taverns 16. Beach hue 17. Takes on 18. Part of Rand R 19. Proclamation

Rower’s need

Bunny’s motion

Sooty dirt

se

Function

Delay

Sleighs

Healed

Deli loaf

Compose

as apin

Loafer, e.g.

Raven’s call

Wolf cry

Brawn 27. Circus entertainer 30. Protrude 31. Broadcast

Female knight

Go over

Divisible by two

Cheer

Supervised

Budget item

Recipe verb

Lineup number

Coffee servers

Give as agift

Change

Interpret

Least possible 8. ERAs, e.g.

Support

Nourished

Hazardous curve

PUZZLE NO.818

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1through 9only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with adarker line. You already have afew numbers to getyou started. Remember: you must not repeat thenumbers 1through 9inthe same line, column or 3x3 box.

In Loving Memory of John Douglas Gaskell

CL ASSIF IEDS

IN LOVING Memory

DEAR FAMILY& FRIENDS

IT IS WITH GREATSADNESS THAT WE ANNOUNCETHE PASSINGOFOUR BELOVED HUSBAND,FATHER &GRANDFATHER

RICHARD FRANK TYCHOWSKI

APRIL 4, 1934 MAY8,2021

YOUR LIFE WASABLESSING. YOUR MEMORY ATREASURE. YOUARE LOVEDBEYOND WORDS AND MISSED BEYOND MEASURE. VALEMOUNT,BC

Robert William Stark

August 6, 1950May 5, 2021

With deep sorrow we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Robert William Stark. Bob drifted peacefully away on May 5, 2021 at the age of 70 years with his daughters, wife and son-in-law by his side. Bob lived a full life rich with adventure, integrity, humour and an indeterminable work ethic. His legacy will carry on with his wife Jeannine and children; Melanie (Benjamin) and Kristina (Clinton), four grandchildren (Jack, Elleanor, Anson and Teo) along with his brother (David Sr.), sister (Heather), nieces, nephews and many other friends and family. Bob took pride in his work as a miner and explosives expert and had a lifelong passion for hunting and the great outdoors. His beautiful smile, ingenuity, wit and sarcasm will endure through the cherished memories and stories of our legendary patriarch. Though he has left us, he will forever be our guiding North star.

A special thanks to all the medical personnel that provided dignified care and to all friends and family for their unwavering support in this difficult time.

There will be no service by request. A Celebration of Life will be held when his cremated remains are returned to the hunting grounds he loved most.

REMEMBRANCES

November 27, 1929May 14, 2021

The family of Ferenc Nagy (Frank) are saddened to announce his passing on May 14, 2021. He was surrounded by his family in his final hours and passed away peacefully. Frank is predeceased by his wife Eva Nagy and daughter Terezia Johnson. He is survived by his children Frank Nagy and Eva Jones (Andy), his grandchildren Kassandra Nagy (Blake), David Jones, Marcus Nagy (Caitlyn), and Matthew Jones. Frank was born on November 27, 1929 he migrated to Canada from Hungary in 1956 with his wife (Eva) and started his medical practice, Frank was a very well-known successful doctor who was very passionate about his work and helping people. When he wasn’t at the hospital, he loved spending time with his family out at his lake property where he also had a small hobby farm. We want to send a big thank you to Sharon Braes, Dr. Higgins, and his staff who went above and beyond helping care for him over the past few years. May he rest in peace. We will be putting together a virtual memorial, if you would like to attend, please email kassandrajnagy@gmail.com for more information.

1943-2021

On Saturday, May 8, 2021, Mr. Josef Martinek of Merritt, BC passed away at the age of 78 years. Joe is lovingly remembered by his wife Gisela, his son Fred (Patti) Stander and their children Melissa and Hans all of Coquitlam. Also left to cherish his memory are his special nieces and nephews in Czechoslovakia.

Joe was born in Breclav, Czechoslovakia and immigrated to Canada at age 28. Settling in Prince George, BC where he was an avid outdoorsman. There he met and married Gisela in 1976. Together they retired to Merritt in 2011. He enjoyed spending time outdoors, fishing and hunting with his friends. Family was very important to Joe and they will miss him dearly!

Condolences may be expressed at: www.merrittfuneralchapel.com

Obituaries

Obituaries

Obituaries

Josef Martinek

Ferenc (Frank) Nagy

REMEMBRANCES

WOODS, Isadore Sidney

July 26, 1927May 7, 2021

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend, Isadore Woods. He is recently predeceased (March 2021) by his wife of almost 69 years, Rosemary, and lives on in the hearts of his children, Jeannette Wooding (Paul) of North Vancouver, Warren Woods (Bonnie) of Oliver, and Laurie Gilgan (Max) of Prince George, his 10 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and his brother Brian (Bonnie) of Chilliwack.

Isy was born and raised in Agassiz, BC and met Rosemary at the Chilliwack Airfield where they both obtained their private pilot’s licence. They both worked at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, and wed in 1952. Isy started working for BC Corrections in Chilliwack and area. He was instrumental in designing and building the Ford Mountain Prison Camp. When Isy left Corrections the family moved for a short time to North Vancouver, and then in 1968 up to Prince George where he started and then ended his career at Prince George Pulp and Paper.

Papa W will be missed by many, including his neighbours of almost 50 years, his co-workers from PG Pulp, the staff at RBC and the Treasure Cove Casino, and all those he came across in his almost 94 years of life.

Richard “Dick” Arthur Winnig

Jan 15, 1934May 10, 2021

We are saddened to share that Richard “Dick” Arthur Winnig passed away on May 10, 2021, at the age of 87 years. Born on a farm near Watson, Saskatchewan, on January 15, 1934, Dick was the son of pioneerspirited German immigrants who embraced the challenges and joys of life on a prairie farm. The family eventually moved to Vancouver Island to operate a dairy farm, and Dick grew up in Courtenay and the Como Valley. It was in Courtenay that he met Mildred Howlett, and they were married in 1959.

As a power engineer, Dick worked in the pulp and paper industry, and his career advancement took him across Canada. In his early career, he worked with MacMillan Bloedel in Powell River, then moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, to work at Irving Pulp and Paper. Dick and his growing family returned to BC, when he took the position of Assistant Chief Power Engineer for Crown Zellerbach in Campbell River. Dick finished up his career as an inspecting engineer with the Provincial government in Prince George. Dick enjoyed the outdoors and particularly fishing. The quest for the big one took him to many northern lakes and to the coast for deep sea fishing. Dick also enjoyed the simple pleasures of sharing hunting/fishing stories with friends with a brew in hand (sometimes homemade). Dick enjoyed exploring the countryside, and his adventurous nature took him on road trips across much of North America, with trips to the Yukon and Alaska in the later years. Dick is predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Mildred, and his son Warren. Dick is survived by his spouse and partner of 20 years, Jean Durston. Dick is also survived by his son, Ken Winnig and wife Lenora, his daughter, Anita Cain and husband Brad, step-daughter Michelle Gatacre and husband Robert, and many grandchildren.

Ruby Townsend

October 31, 1925 - May 12, 2021

It is with profound sadness that the family of Ruby Townsend share the news of her passing. Ruby was born in Schreiber Ontario; she was the seventh of eight children. She is survived by her younger brother Donald, five of her six children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild plus numerous other extended family members. Ruby lived a good life and is fondly remembered as being a wonderful person with a beautiful smile. Even though she was a quiet person she was a very strong woman and definitely blazed a trail. Ruby was predeceased by her husband and now that both are cremated, they will be together once again as the family will hold a graveside service for both on May 25th, 2021 at 1:00pm at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Rest in Peace Mom and Dad, we love you and will miss you. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to your local Legion, both served in the RCAF and always supported the Legion. The family would also like to say a huge thank you to all of their caregivers over the years. Tammy, Dr. Gavin Smart, Dr Jocelyn Finstad, Dr Holland, Dr Marks, Carrie, Sam and all of the wonderful staff at Silver Springs, the many people at Home and Community care, Sara with Interior Health, Wayne Bremner and Vernon Taxi Service. They couldn’t have done it without you and their lives were made all the better for your care and concern. You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s on-line obituary @ www.MyAlternatives.ca Arrangements entrusted to

ALTERNATIVES FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES ®

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

In Loving memory of Margaret Violet McDonald (Belcourt)

March 26, 1927 - May 10, 2021

It is with much sadness we announce the passing of our beloved mother Margaret Violet McDonald on May 10, 2021 in Mackenzie, BC, at the Mackenzie Hospital, at the age of 94. She was the daughter of Fred and Bella Belcourt.

Predeceased by: husband George Alexander Joseph McDonald, her siblings: Mary Hillyard, Helen Short, Stanley Belcourt and Ruth Reikort Predeceased by nephew: Jerry Hillyard and granddaughter: Joshlyn McDonald.

Survived by her children: Judy Kunka (Dave), Georgina Findley (George), David McDonald (Anni), George McDonald (Fran), Margaret Dusenbury, Shirley Aldersley, Alex McDonald Michael Hillyard 23 grandchildren, 46 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

Margaret was born on March 26, 1927 in Goodfish Lake, Alberta. They lived in Edmonton before moving to BC in 1944 to a small place called Bend along the railway tracks not far from the Fraser River near Dome Creek. In 1947 Margaret met George McDonald at Bend, his family also moved to Bend from Edmonton. Margaret and George moved away from Bend for a while for work, they lived in Terrace, Telkwa, Burns Lake, Houston, and Prince George before moving back to Dome Creek in 1959 one mile away from Bend across the Fraser River where they lived until 1971 when they moved to Mackenzie, BC where she lived until her passing.

Margaret expressed her love through baking and cooking but most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family. She loved her plants, flowers and gardening, she also enjoyed going camping, picking berries and family gatherings. Margaret also enjoyed going out for drives with her husband, George, they did this often, she also loved playing cards...canasta was her favorite game and she was very good at it, she had such a good sense of humor when joking with her.

You will be greatly missed mom.

Service to be held on Saturday, May 15, 2021 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Mackenzie, BC at 11:00 AM, for immediate family only.

Pallbearers: Kalvin Kunka, Ronny Kunka, Shain Dusenbury, Jerry Dusenbury, Brett McDonald, Adam McDonald.

Family only to gather at the Mackenzie Cemetery after church service.

The McDonald family would like to thank Dr. Penman and all the Mackenzie hospital staff and homecare workers for everything they did for our mother during her stay at the hospital.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer society of BC.

Shelagh Anne Felton Hieber t (née Henstock)

July 20, 1940 - April 22, 2021

lagh Anne Felton Hieber t (nee Henstock) passed away suddenly on April 22, 2021 at her home in Salmon Arm at the age of 80. Her ashes will be interred beside those of Ted Hiebert, her youngest son Shelagh was born on July 20, 1940 to Bill and Velma Henstock in Kamloops B.C. but later moved with the family to Port Alberni and then Parksville. Her mother Velma passed when Shelagh and sisters Dawn and Diane and brother Bill were quite young.

Shelagh had two sons Grant and Ted and the passing of Ted in 1982 left a large hole in Shelagh’s life which she carried with her for the rest of her days. Predeceased by sisters Dawn and Diane and son Ted.

She leaves behind brother Bill (Susan) Henstock, son Grant (Lisa) Hiebert, grandsons Eric Hieber t and Graeme Hieber t (Katherine) as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of your choice.

Lea Mari Gobbi

April 12, 1928May 13, 2021

It is with deep sadness we said our last goodbyes to our Mom. Lea Gobbi passed away May 13, 2021 with her family by her side as she made her final journey.

Lea was born April 12, 1928 in San Quirino, Italy. She met Leo in Milan in 1947. They married June 19, 1948 and shortly thereafter she bravely left her family and hometown to join Leo to make a new life in Canada. Giscome became her new home where they settled and had five children. She loved this community and worked hard to lovingly raise her family on their small farm. It was here where she made many lifelong friends. In 1968 they moved their family to Prince George. When her children were mostly grown she became an employee of the Prince George Citizen where, as a dedicated worker she remained for 20 years. Her favorite hobbies and past times were to knit, crochet, watch WWF Wrestling, Sunday drives to the country and to garden. Her gardens produced an abundance of vegetables and beautiful flowers including her prized Dahlias.

Above all else her passion and greatest love was family. She was happily married to Leo for over 50 years. They shared a love of exploring back roads, watching for wildlife as well as time spent in the peace and solitude of their own backyard. They proudly watched their children become hard working adults raising families of their own.

She is predeceased by her husband Leo, two sisters and one brother. Survived by her loving and devoted family, five children; Louis (Manon), George (Bev), Bob (Rhoda), Jack (Wendy), Pat (Greg); 10 grandchildren (their spouses) and 16 great grandchildren. Also remembered by extended family and many good friends.

Our heartfelt thanks goes to the staff of Parkside for their incredible care and treatment provided to our Mom during the past 7 years. A special appreciation to Kim, Jane, Crystal, Candy, Raman and the many others who dearly cared for our Mom.

Due to the Covid pandemic there will be no public service.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Established Franchise Photography Business

Serving Northern B.C for over 35 years

Gross Revenues of $150.000 plus annually from seasonal work Lots of opportunity to expand the business. Transition support available to the right buyer

Serious Enquiries Only

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Established Franchise Tax Preparation Business Mackenzieservicing and McLeod Lake area for over 30 years.

Gross Revenues of $85,000 to $90,000

Annually and Potential to expand revenues in a growing economy.

Transition support available for the right buyer.

Serious Inquires Only

Office (250)997-9003

Home (250)997-5538

Cell (250)990-0152 Business Opportunities

Card of Thanks

Thank you from the family of Timothy Zerr

Whether you sent beautiful flowers, cards of sympathy, provided meals, gave a memorial donation or helped out in any other way your love and kindness gave Landon and I great comfort which will always be remembered.

To our family Giselle, Brian, Peter, Marlane, Brittany, Darren and Lucy Berry, we cannot express enough for how thankful we are for all of your love and support during this difficult time.

Thank you to each and every one of you! Aurora & Landon

used & new puzzles. $5-$15 each. 778-675-4716

Jo in Our Te am!

LAKE BABINE NA TIO N

Post ed: Ma y5 ,2 02 1;

WELLNESS COUNSELLOR SUPERVISOR

The Wellness CounselorSupervisor shall be responsible for the assessment and alleviation of humanproblems in individuals, families, groups,and communities. The Wellness Counselor Supervisor provides services to individuals of all ages and will be required to work with single individuals,groups, and families within aFirst Nations cultural and socioeconomic setting.

RESPONSIBILITIES QUALIFICATIONS

Develops acase load through referral of individuals and groups from other First Nations and the community Health, Socialand Education Services providers

Conductsresearchand prepares casehistories on individuals and groups referred by otherservice providers.

Provides individuals and group assessment in one or acombination of the following areas, attitudinal, cognitive psycho physiological, affective, and/or behavioral function.

Assists clients with the identification and measurement of their unique individual or group mental health issues which may require modification or amelioration to improve their behavioradjustment, adaption, personal effectiveness, or social competence and satisfaction.

Prepares an agreedupon case plan with the client that containsgoals for mental health issues modification/amelioration andthe behavioral change methods for achieving those goals.

Withthe client, develops atailored approachtocounselling and intervention methods through one or a combination of individual psychotherapy, group therapy, couples therapy, family therapy and personal enhancement interventions.

Applies principles of behavioralchanges in administering individual, group, couples, family and personal enhancementcounselling sessions to achieve goals.

Within ethical standards, applies professional decision making in the course of administering counselling and intervention sessions.

Executescrisis intervention measureswhen crucialevents occur which threaten client therapeutic efforts. Conductsperiodic evaluations of client’s intervention programs to ensure ongoing effectiveness.

May provide client referral to other mental health professionals specializing in specific roles,functions,and services, required by the clients.

Provides follow up on counselling program results and client adjustments.

Provides community education and consultation to other professional groups regarding counselling services, issues and methods:

Undertakes ongoing research into personality; psycho pathology prevention, behavioral change and enhancement, program evaluation.

Provides mental health prevention and awareness workshops to the clientcommunities and services providers in health, education, social services, otherrelevant services.

Supervisory role:

Ensurethat all reportingemployees adhere to companypolicies and procedures

Measure and monitorkey customer service areas

Enhance and develop policies, procedures andservice systems to meet thegoals of the department

Meet regularly with department; facilitate resolution of issues/problemsbetween businessunits, employees and/or departments

Monitor departmental performance against goals to ensure that progress is being made, and that corrective action is taken if necessary

Complete timely evaluations ofWellness team (semi-annually or annually)

Experience in at least one of the following theoretical orientations; psycho dynamic -analytical; existentialhumanistic; social -community.

MinimumCollege Diploma; MaximumMaster’s Degree in Psychology or SocialWork License preferred, license eligibilityrequired.

1-5years experience withacceptable work reference

Knowledge/Skills &Abilities:

Knowledge of First Nations culture and socioeconomic conditions

Case conceptualization and report writing skills

Individual, group and family therapy skills

Dollar Saver lumber operates a lumber remanufacturing operation in Prince George. We currently have an opportunity in our management group for a Sales Production Coordinator.

This position is responsible to perform the following functions:

• Purchase of raw material for the remanufacturing operation.

• Sales of finished products to existing customers.

• Ensure optimal inventories are maintained.

• Ensure customer’s needs are being met.

Qualifications for this position include:

• A thorough understanding of operations in a modern sawmill complex.

• A thorough knowledge and familiarity with lumber Grades and sizes.

• Good computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Excel.

• The ability to deal with customer needs in a calm constructive manner.

• The ability to adjust to rapidly changing conditions and developments.

• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

• Good analytical skills.

The position offers:

• A competitive salary and benefit package.

• Opportunity to work in and exciting dynamic environment.

• Opportunity for advancement.

Please submit your resume to Frank Skerlak, General Sales Manager at fskerlak@lumber.ca or Bev at: gobbi1@telus.net Only those persons chosen for an interview will be contacted.

PERSONALS

House-sitting

Furnished Apartments

Adult Personal Messages

***Please

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Section 17 of the Woodlot Planning and Practices Regulation, that a Woodlot Licence Plan has been prepared for Woodlot Licence #1546 held by Mackay Farms Ltd. This Woodlot Licence is located southeast and southwest of Hixon, BC. If approved by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, this plan may apply for a term of 10 years from the date of approval.

This Woodlot Licence Plan is available for public review and comment by contacting S.M. Forrest & Associates Ltd., during regular business hours from May 25, 2021 to June 25, 2021. Any written comments on the plan should be mailed to:

S. M. Forrest & Associates Ltd. , #100-466 2nd Avenue, Prince George, B.C., V2L 2Z7.

Please contact Scott Forrest, RPF, at 250-961-4880, or at sforrest@pgonline.com, to book an appointment to review and/or discuss the plan.

GO FOR GOLD.

How to update French doors

French doors are a great way to separate twointeriorspacesthatarevisually connected. They’re also ideal for enhancing your view of the outdoors and letting natural light shine into a room. However, they can sometimes look

anupgrade.

CHANGE THE LOOK

French doors are typically made of wood. Ifyou’renotafanofyours,why not paint them? White is a timeless choice, but you can also turn your doors into a focal point by painting them a colour that contrastswiththerestofthe room. Alternatively, replace the whole setup with doors that each feature one largepaneofglassorhavea modernsteelframe.

ADOPT A NEW STYLE

While most French doors consist of two doors that swing outwards or inwards, there are different options available Three- or four-panel French doors, which include two working doors flanked by large windows, are perfect for letting inmorelight.

Finally, if you love the look of French doors but lack the space for them to swing open, consider slidingorfoldingoptions.

In addition to offering privacy and making your yard safer for children and pets, afencehasthepotentialtobeautifyyouroutdoorlivingspace.Hereareafewideastoinspireyou.

•If you opt for a wooden fence, consider paintingittomatchyourdeckorpatio.This fencingmaterialcanbestainedorpainteda newcolouratanytime,whichmakesiteasy tofreshenupthelookofyourbackyard.

•Avinylfenceisabletoresisttheelements, butitcanlackcharacter Toampupitsappeal, decorate your fence with flowering vines or hang planters and fairy lights fromit.

•If you want a stylish fence that’s easy tomaintain,chooseonemadeofhigh-density polyethylene in your preferred colour This type of fencing is also an ideal optionifyouwanttosectionoffyourpool orgarden.

•Complementthecleanlinesofyourironor aluminum fence by suspending potted flower arrangements at regular intervals. To further elevate the look of a metal fence,consideradorningthepostswithdecorativecaps.

For advice on the ideal fence to suit your yardandbudget,reachouttoalocalfencing contractor.

VanBien Ave. This almostfully renovated home in 2016 is suretoplease. 3bedrooms up and 1bath. Renovations include new hardwood floors, new kitchen and tile and backsplash, all new paint, fully renovated bathroom and much more. The basement includes another large family room, flex

to this amazing property! Upgrades include insulated exterior walls, newer windows, newer roof, newer hot water tank (2012) and well pump (2012). Many outbuildings include insulated chicken coop, 16x24 shed, 24x24 shed, separate area fenced for goats, fenced area for horses or cows...this could be the ultimate hobby farm. The aquaponic green house is 40x100 with attached building that includes work station, biomass boiler and aspace upstairs that

905 LA SALLE $324,999 MLS R2526348

This nicely updated, three-suite, multi-family home on alarge lot is stepsaway from the river and Paddlewheel Park.Theseunits have been updatedinthe past five years with newerhot water tank. This large lot withtwo sheds makes for agreat outside space.

JOHN HART PEACE RIVER HIGHWAY CHETWYND

52 unit Days Inn good occupancy and with 50 unit RV park beside the hotel for sale as well. Great location on the highway an attractive investment opportunity with all the economic activity in the Peace. For further information on financials and contact listing realtors. $7,000,000 MLS 184582

1602/1642/1656

VICTORIA ST

Excellent opportunity for commercial land spanning several lots. C5/C6 zoning with city services.

$2,390,000

MLS#C8036369

JOHN HART PEACE RIVER HIGHWAY

50 unit RV park on 7acres great highway exposure beside the Days Inn. The RV has lots of room for expansion to expand this investment and grow your cash flow with servicing available.For further information contact listing realtors for financials and occupancy an well worth looking at.$1,300,000 MLS 184583

900 BRUNSWICK ST FOR LEASE

4,000 sq ft Restaurant space located in the Marriott Courtyard, Prince George’snewest full service Hotel

1589 -7TH AVE.

Quality 9,900 sq ft corner lot on 7th and Vancouver St.

High traffic area. Zoned C-7.

$449,000 MLS C8037128

757 PRESTON RD. 1.76 Acres in City Limits. Zoned RM1 (Multiple Residential).

Price $499,000 MLS #C8033659

2222 NICHOLSON ST FOR LEASE Industrial zoned

#C8027687

How to safely dispose of burned out light bulbs

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 throwingout.

INCANDESCENT BULBS

Whenastandardlightbulbburnsout,you can put it in the garbage with the rest of your household waste. The thin glass and metalwiresarealmostimpossibletoseparateforrecycling

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS (CFL)

CFLbulbs contain small amounts of mercury that can damage the environment if thebulbbreaks.Manymunicipalitieshave drop-off points for hazardous waste items andyoushoulddisposeofCFLlightbulbs attheselocations.

LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE (LED) LIGHTS

LED lights don’t technically burn out like other bulbs, but they do dim over time. Whenthishappens,youcansafelydiscard them in the trash as they don’t contain

mercury like CFL bulbs do. You can also check with your local recycling centre to seeiftheyacceptthistypeofbulb.

Regardless of the type of light bulb, take caretowrapitinpaperbeforeyouthrowit away This way you’ll avoid the possibi-

lity of someonegettinginjuredbythebrokenglass.

Manyhardwarestorechainshaverecycling 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 offerthisservice.

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 youmaywishyoursidingwouldlastforever,itwilleventuallyneedtobereplaced. Hereareafewsignsyouneednewsiding.

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 wholething.

2.Peeling paint indoors. Ifyouhavewaterdamageonyourinteriorwalls,itmight mean that your siding is no longer effectivelykeepingmoistureoutofyour home.

3.Yourbillshaveincreased.Sidingplays

a big part in insulating your home. If younoticeadrasticchangeinyourbills, your siding may have an air leak. In this scenario, your heating and cooling system works extra hard to regulate yourhome’stemperature,whichultimatelyresultsincostlierutilitybills.

4.Mould or mildew. Fungus or mould in orneartheseamsofyoursidingmayindicatewaterinfiltration.

5.It looks faded and old. Replacing your siding can drastically increase your home’scurbappeal.Amonghomerenovations,newsidinghasoneofthehighest returnsoninvestment.

When it’s time to replace your siding, be sure to take action sooner rather than later Thelongeryouwait,themorelikelyit becomes that other parts of your home will get damaged as a result of having deterioratedsiding.

Offered in a variety of colours, patterns andtextures,3Dtilesaresuretoaddvisual

interesttoyourhome.Ifyou’reunfamiliar with this product, here’s what you should know.

LOCATION

3Dtilescanbeinstalledinalmostanyroom. Sincethey’rewaterproof,thesetilesareideal in areas that are prone to dampness like bathrooms,kitchensandlaundryrooms.

In particular, shiny and pale 3D tiles captureandreflectlightinawaythatflatones can’t. This makes them a great choice for small spaces and rooms that don’t get muchnaturallight.

MATERIALS

Thereareavarietyofwalltrimsandmouldings you can use to decorate your home. Herearethemainonesyoushouldknow about.

•Pediment. This decorative moulding is often found above windows and doors. It’s typicallyroundortriangularandcan rangefromsimpletoveryornate.

•Crown. Also known as a cornice, this type of moulding gets placed at the juncture betweenawallandceiling.

•Wainscotting.Commoninolder,more formal homes, this is a panel that covers thebottomhalforthirdofawall.It’soften painted a different colour from the restoftheroomtoprovidecontrast.

•Chai rail

Types of wall trim and mouldings

This thin, horizontal moulding is usually placed about a third of the way up the wall. Chair rails were once routinely installed to protect walls from the backs of chairs.Thesedays,theytypicallyserveas decoration. They can be used on their ownorincombinationwithwainscotting.

•Picture rail. Similar to a chair rail but usually placed higher on the wall, this type of moulding is used to hang paintingsandpictureswithoutnails.It’sideal for renters and homeowners who don’t wanttoputholesinthewalls.

•Mantel.Amantel or mantelpiece goes above and around a fireplace. It usually includes a wide shelf for displaying art andotherobjects.

3D tiles are made from the same types of materialsasflattiles.Someoptionsare:

•Granite

•Marble

•Ceramic

With so many choices, there’s a 3D tile to suiteveryroomandesthetic.

INSTALLATION

Even the handiest homeowners should think twice beforeinstallingtheir own3D tiles. This is because the texture makes these tiles difficult to align It’s best to leavethisjobtotheprofessionals.

4 benefits of drop ceilings

Drop ceilings, also known as suspended ceilings, are so-called because theyhangfromthestructuralfloorofthe room above. Common in basements, herearefourreasonstochoosethistype ofceiling.

1. THEY’RE EASY TO INSTALL

Drop ceilings are so simple to install that many homeowners feel comfortable doing it on their own. It’s also less expensive and creates less dirt anddustthaninstallingdrywall.

2. THEY OFFER ACCESS

Drop ceilings provide easy access to the wiring, pipes and ducts above the tiles. You’ll likely find this feature convenient if you ever have a burst pipe,gasleakorotherissue.

3. THEY’RE EASY TO

REPAIR

Ceiling tiles are inexpensive and easy to replace if they get damaged. They also give you the option to patch a small section rather than redo the entireceiling.

Wall trim can be decoratedinavarietyofways,but many people paintitwhiteora colour that contrastswiththe surrounding walls. Alternatively, the colour of the mouldings can be matched to the walls for a more streamlined effect.

4. THEY REDUCE

NOISE

Drop ceilings can help soundproof a room, depending on the type of tiles you choose. This makes them ideal for basements with entertainmentsystems.

Although drop ceilings are often considered utilitarian, certaintypescanbevery stylish. From understated white blocks to vintage-looking metal squares, there are many options available.

Kaycie Flanagan

Janine Phillips

Kim Brade (T oews)

Donna Badowski*** Sarah

Jasmine LeBrun

Stephanie Bepple

Bonny

GO FOR GOLD.

How to update French doors

French doors are a great way to separate two interior spaces that are visually connected. They’re also ideal for enhancing your view of the outdoors and letting natural light shine into a room. However, they can sometimes look

dated. Here are a few ways to give them an upgrade.

CHANGE

THE LOOK

French doors are typically made of wood. If you’ re not a fan of yours, why not paint them? White is a timeless choice, but you can also turn your doors into a focal point by painting them a colour that contrasts with the rest of the room. Alternatively, replace the whole setup with doors that each feature one large pane of glass or have a modern steel frame.

ADOPT A NEW STYLE

While most French doors consist of two doors that swing outwards or inwards, there are different options available. Three- or four-panel French doors, which include two working doors flanked by large windows, are perfect for letting in more light.

Finally, if you love the look of French doors but lack the space for them to swing open, consider sliding or folding options.

How to beautify your fence

In addition to offering privacy and making your yard safer for children and pets, a fence has the potential to beautify your outdoor living space. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.

• If you opt for a wooden fence, consider painting it to match your deck or patio. This fencing material can be stained or painted a new colour at any time, which makes it easy to freshen up the look of your backyard.

• A vinyl fence is able to resist the elements, but it can lack character. To amp up its appeal, decorate your fence with flowering vines or hang planters and fairy lights from it.

• If you want a stylish fence that’s easy to maintain, choose one made of high-density polyethylene in your preferred colour. This type of fencing is also an ideal option if you want to section off your pool or garden.

• Complement the clean lines of your iron or aluminum fence by suspending potted flower arrangements at regular intervals. To further elevate the look of a metal fence, consider adorning the posts with decorative caps.

For advice on the ideal fence to suit your yard and budget, reach out to a local fencing contractor.

R2526348 This nicely updated, three-suite, multi-family home on alarge lot is steps away from the river and Paddlewheel Park. These units have been updated in the past five years with newer hot water tank. This large lot with two sheds makes for agreat outside space.

investment opportunity with all the economic activity in the Peace. For further information on financials and contact listing realtors. $7,000,000 MLS 184582

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Quality 9,900 sq ft corner lot on 7th and Vancouver St. High traffic area. Zoned C-7.

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Price $499,000 MLS #C8033659

bulbs

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.

INCANDESCENT BULBS

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.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS (CFL)

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.

LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE (LED) LIGHTS

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 possibi-

lity of someone getting injured by the broken glass. How to safely dispose of burned out light

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.

Homes for Families

3D tiles: add texture and interest to your home

Offered in a variety of colours, patterns and textures, 3D tiles are sure to add visual

interest to your home. If you’re unfamiliar with this product, here’s what you should know.

LOCATION

3D tiles can be installed in almost any room. Since they’re waterproof, these tiles are ideal in areas that are prone to dampness like bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms.

In particular, shiny and pale 3D tiles capture and reflect light in a way that flat ones can’t. This makes them a great choice for small spaces and rooms that don’t get much natural light.

MATERIALS

There are a variety of wall trims and mouldings you can use to decorate your home. Here are the main ones you should know about.

• Pediment. This decorative moulding is often found above windows and doors. It’s typically round or triangular and can range from simple to very ornate.

• Crown. Also known as a cornice, this type of moulding gets placed at the juncture between a wall and ceiling.

• Wainscotting. Common in older, more formal homes, this is a panel that covers the bottom half or third of a wall. It’s often painted a different colour from the rest of the room to provide contrast.

Types of wall trim and mouldings

• Chai rail This thin, horizontal moulding is usually placed about a third of the way up the wall. Chair rails were once routinely installed to protect walls from the backs of chairs. These days, they typically serve as decoration. They can be used on their own or in combination with wainscotting.

• Picture rail. Similar to a chair rail but usually placed higher on the wall, this type of moulding is used to hang paintings and pictures without nails. It’s ideal for renters and homeowners who don’t want to put holes in the walls.

• Mantel. A mantel or mantelpiece goes above and around a fireplace. It usually includes a wide shelf for displaying art and other objects.

Wall trim can be decorated in a variety of ways, but many people paint it white or a colour that contrasts with the surrounding walls. Alternatively, the colour of the mouldings can be matched to the walls for a more streamlined effect.

3D tiles are made from the same types of materials as flat tiles. Some options are:

• Granite

• Marble

• Ceramic

With so many choices, there’s a 3D tile to suit every room and esthetic.

INSTALLATION

Even the handiest homeowners should think twice before installing their own 3D tiles. This is because the texture makes these tiles difficult to align. It’s best to leave this job to the professionals.

4 benefits of drop ceilings

Drop ceilings, also known as suspended ceilings, are so-called because they hang from the structural floor of the room above. Common in basements, here are four reasons to choose this type of ceiling.

1. THEY’RE EASY TO INSTALL

Drop ceilings are so simple to install that many homeowners feel comfortable doing it on their own. It’s also less expensive and creates less dirt and dust than installing drywall.

2. THEY OFFER ACCESS

Drop ceilings provide easy access to the wiring, pipes and ducts above the tiles. You’ll likely find this feature convenient if you ever have a burst pipe, gas leak or other issue.

3. THEY’RE EASY TO REPAIR

Ceiling tiles are inexpensive and easy to replace if they get damaged. They also give you the option to patch a small section rather than redo the entire ceiling.

4. THEY REDUCE NOISE Drop ceilings can help soundproof a room, depending on the type of tiles you choose. This makes them ideal for basements with entertainment systems.

Although drop ceilings are often considered utilitarian, certain types can be very stylish. From understated white blocks to vintage-looking metal squares, there are many options available.

We would L VE to be yo ur Re altor ® .

Experienc e the Power of Te amwork

Kaycie

Janine