Prince George Citizen July 1, 2021

Safe Streets Bylaw postponed

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

City council has postponed the final vote on the controversial Safe Streets Bylaw until the end of August.

On June 14, city council had approved the first three readings of the bylaw, which would allow city bylaw officers to issue $100 tickets for a number of “nuisance” behaviours like panhandling, open drug use and camping in public areas The final reading of the bylaw, normally just a formality, was slated to go to a vote on Monday night.

Coun. Cori Ramsay proposed the postponement, initially asking for the bylaw to come back to city council on Oct. 4. However, following a successful amend-

ment by Coun. Garth Frizzell, the date for the bylaw to return for final reading was set for Aug. 30.

Council voted six to three in favour of postponing the final reading of the bylaw

“I think we need to spend more time taking it to our community partners,” Ramsay said. “I feel... strongly that policing our way out of this is not a solution.”

Coun. Susan Scott said roughly 400 citizens have reached out to city council in emails, letters, a petition, phone calls and in-person conversations on this issue.

“We need to pause and do a little more work,” Scott said.

Councillors Murray Krause and Frank Everitt said the bylaw, as proposed, would cause more problems than solutions.

“Fining people is not going to work I don’t believe the courts are going to waste their time with this,” Krause said. “We are creating a monster here, in terms of how this is going to be managed.”

“Not everybody who is home-

less or on the street is... a bad person,” Everitt said.

Under the proposed bylaw, it would be prohibited to panhandle within 10 metres of a bank or ATM, bus stop, daycare centre, liquor store, cannabis store, restaurant, coffee shop or convenience store. The bylaw also would prohibit panhandling from people in vehicles when they are parked, stopped at a traffic light or stop sign, filling up at a gas station, or in any way that obstructs traffic.

Panhandling would also be prohibited after sunset daily.

Bylaw officers would be able to ticket people for using prohibited drugs, or disposing of drug paraphernalia, on any street, open space area or park.

The proposed bylaw also would prohibit open burning on any street, open area or park, graffiti and sitting, lying down or physically approaching people in a way that causes an obstruction on a street or sidewalk.

Mayor Lyn Hall said the postponement means council has more time to meet with other groups, including provincial ministry staff and BC Housing, as well as learn from what other cities have done.

“Other cities have got safe streets bylaws where they’ve had to make changes, because it didn’t work,” Hall said. “I want a Safe Streets Bylaw I understand the necessity to do this, but we need to do it right.”

Downtown business owners and their staff are dealing with constant problems, including broken windows, discarded needles, theft, vandalism, defecating on their property, aggressive panhandling and more, Coun Brian Skakun said. A delay just prolongs those problems, he said.

“We need to take back the streets,” Skakun said “(Business owners) lives are getting ruined, they are at their wits end.”

Coun. Teri McConnachie said she knows she doesn’t have all

the answers, and none of the people she spoke to did either, but something has to change.

“We can’t have our downtown streets looking the way they are,” she said. “The Safe Streets Bylaw does not penalize all homeless people. I have every confidence that (the city’s bylaw officers) will work with the tools in this bylaw appropriately.”

Coun. Kyle Sampson said the problems downtown have been getting worse for a decade and exponentially worse since 2017. City administration have brought the Safe Streets Bylaw forward as one way to address the complex issue, he said.

“I’ve received a lot of correspondence from people saying they don’t like this. I’ve got a lot of correspondence from people saying they’d like to give it a try,” Sampson said. “If this doesn’t pass, it encourages this behaviour. This bylaw, to me, is about stopping criminal behaviour.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE HOT WHEELS A racer speeds down the track during Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association action on Saturday at NITRO Motorsports Park.

WHAT:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

Public Hearing regarding:

• Proposed amendments to “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011” and to “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007”

City Council consideration of applications:

• Temporary Use Permit Application No. TU000068

• Temporary Use Permit Application No. TU000070

• Proposed “City of Prince George 1450 Taylor Drive Road Closure Bylaw No. 9165, 2020”

WHEN: Monday, July 12, 2021

WHERE:

Council Chambers of City Hall, 2nd Floor, 1100 Patricia Boulevard, Prince George, BC

PROPOSALS:

1. Temporary Use Permit No. TU000068

Applicant: Carrier Sekani Family Services for Beekman Printing Ltd., 453778

Subject Property: 970 4th Avenue

Time: 6:00 p.m.

The purpose of the application is to allow for a primary care clinic in an existing building on the subject property that will be in close proximity to Carrier Sekani Family Services’ administrative office located at 987 4th Avenue. The applicant has applied for a Temporary Use Permit to allow for Health Service, Minor as a permitted use on the subject property

The subject property is currently zoned as M4: Transition Industrial, which does not permit Health Service, Minor as a principal use. In accordance with the Local Government Act, temporary use permits can allow a use not permitted by a zoning bylaw. These permits may only be issued for a maximum of three (3) years and may be renewed once for an additional three (3) years.

The proposed Temporary Use Permit applies to the property legally described as Lot 16 and 17, Block 136, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #1 below

Location Map #1 970 4th Avenue

2. Temporary Use Permit No. TU000070

Applicants: Mike Davis and Amy Johnson

Subject Property: 1677 7th Avenue

Time: 6:00 p.m.

The purpose of the application is to allow the operation of a medical and dermatological clinic within an existing single-family dwelling on the subject property The applicant has applied for a Temporary Use Permit to allow for Health Service, Minor as a permitted use on the subject property

The subject property is currently zoned RS4: Urban Residential, which does not permit Health Service, Minor as a principal use. In accordance with the Local Government Act, temporary use permits can allow a use not permitted by a zoning bylaw. These permits may only be issued for a maximum of three (3) years and may be renewed once for an additional three (3) years.

The proposed Temporary Use Permit applies to the property legally described Lot 3 and Lot 4, Block 180, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Plan 1268, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #2 below

Location Map #2 1677 7th Avenue

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 35.1 m² (square metres) of road dedicated on Plan 1268, as shown on Reference Plan EPP110034, adjacent to the property legally described as Block V, District Lot 343, Cariboo District, Except Plans 12259, 13410 and 17026 and remove the road dedication, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #3 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 and to rectify and encroachment.

Location Map #3

1450 Taylor Drive Road Closure

3. “City of Prince George 1450 Taylor Drive Road Closure Bylaw No. 9165, 2020”

4. “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9184, 2021” AND “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9185, 2021”

Applicant: L&M Engineering Ltd. for Century Group Lands Corporation, Inc. No. 648774

Subject Property: St. Lawrence Avenue (terminus of Vista Ridge Drive and Southridge Avenue)

Time: 7:00 p.m.

The applications propose to amend the Official Community Plan and rezone the subject property located at St. Lawrence Avenue, being a portion of property located at the terminus of Vista Ridge Drive and Southridge Avenue (Property ID 005-287-391) to facilitate a future subdivision consisting of single-family residential development and multi-family development.

4.1 “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9184, 2021”

Bylaw No. 9184, 2021 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011” as follows:

a. That “Schedule B-6: Future Land Use”, be amended by re-designating Subject Area 1, legally described as Lot 1, District Lot 1605, Cariboo District, Plan 30863, Except Plans 34562, PGP38585, PGP41824, PGP46265, PGP46269, BCP25534, BCP36464 and EPP41947 from Parks and Open Space to Neighbourhood Residential, as shown on outlined in bold black on Location Map #4 below.

4.2 “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9185, 2021”

Bylaw No. 9185, 2021 proposes to amend “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007” as follows:

a. That Subject Area 1, legally described as Lot 1, District Lot 1605, Cariboo District, Plan 30863, Except Plans 34562, PGP38585, PGP41824, PGP46265, PGP46269, BCP25534, BCP36464 and EPP41947, be rezoned from P1: Parks and Recreation to RS2: Single Residential; and

b. That Subject Area 2, legally described as Lot 1, District Lot 1605, Cariboo District, Plan 30863, Except Plans 34562, PGP38585, PGP41824, PGP46265, PGP46269, BCP25534, BCP36464 and EPP41947, be rezoned from RS2: Single Residential to RM3: Multiple Residential;

all as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #4 below

Location Map #4

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

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held April 6, 2020 passed a resolution to discontinue informal hearings for certain Bylaws, Temporary Use Permits and all other applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held.

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’s website.

For submissions to be included on the agenda for Council’s review in advance of the meeting date, they must be received by the Corporate Officer no later than 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Submissions received after the noted deadline and before 3:00 p.m., Monday, July 12, 2021, will be provided to Council on the day of the meeting for their consideration during deliberations on the applications.

Submissions may be sent 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 form part of the Council agenda, become public record and are posted on the City’s website. By making a written submission you are consenting to the disclosure of any personal information that you provide.

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

• “City of Prince George Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9184, 2021”;

• “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9185, 2021”;

• Temporary Use Permit Application No. TU000068

• Temporary Use Permit Application No. TU000070

• “City of Prince George 1450 Taylor Drive Road Closure Bylaw No. 9165, 2020”

Submissions by Telephone

In an effort to provide the public with options to speak to Council on Public Hearing applications and in accordance with the current Ministerial Order, the City now offers participation remotely via telephone during Public Hearings.

Residents can pre-register to speak to the proposed Bylaw(s) live via telephone. Pre-registration will be open from 8:30 a.m., Thursday, July 8, 2021 to Monday, July 12, 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 form or call 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 a limited period of time.

Telephone submissions may only 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 Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, Amendment Bylaw No. 9184, 2021”;

• “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9185, 2021”;

Submissions in Person

Residents who wish to speak in person can do so during the Public Hearing in Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of City Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 12, 2021.

The City of Prince George follows the orders of the Provincial Health Officer and guidelines regarding the size of the gatherings and physical distancing Where Public Hearings are required to be held, measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of members of the public attending the Public Hearing to provide comments.

City of Prince George open Council meetings are public and may be televised, streamed live by webcast, recorded and archived on the City’s website for viewing by the public. By attending an open Council meeting or making a submission at a public hearing you are consenting to the disclosure of any personal information that you provide.

For more detailed information on providing submissions to Council, please visit www.princegeorge.ca/publichearings.

Authority

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

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

A copy of the proposed Bylaws, applications and any related documents will be available for review by the public on the City’s website www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning June 30, 2021 These documents may also be reviewed at the Development Services office on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on June 30, July 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12, 2021, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WHO CAN I SPEAK TO?

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

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

For questions 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.

REQUEST FOR COMMENT

REQUESTFOR COMMENT

OFFICIALCOMMUNITY PLAN BYLAWNO. 8383, 2011 AMENDMENTBYLAW NO.9178, 2021

Subject Property –3751 BarnesDrive and3777 Barnes Drive

The City of Prince Georgeisconsidering thefollowing amendmentstothe CityofPrince George Official Community Plan (OCP) BylawNo. 8383, 2011:

•Amend ScheduleB-6: Future LandUse to redesignatea portionofthe subjectproperty fromRuralResource to NeighbourhoodResidential; and

•Amend ScheduleB-4: GrowthManagementto redesignate aportion of thesubject propertyfromRural ResourcetoInfill

The property ownerwould like to adjustthe interiorlot line that divides3751 Barnes Drive and 3777Barnes Drive by establishing the interior lot lineinaneasttowest orientation, ratherthan northtosouthorientation. This application to amend the OCPalso includesa rezoning application under BylawNo. 9179, 2021.

Pleasevisit theCity of Prince George website at www.princegeorge.ca formore detailed information.From thehomepageofthe CityofPrince Georgewebsiteclick on “Businessand Development”; clickon“Planning and Development”;click on “Land Use”; andscroll down to “Applications in Progress”.

TheCity requests written comment from anyperson, organization, or agencies thatmay be affected by this amendment to the OCP.Please forward any written submissions by July9,2021 by 5:00 pm to theDevelopment Services Division at 1100 Patricia Boulevard, PG V2L3V9, Fax: 561-7721, Email: devserv@princegeorge.ca

Tax dispute erupts over fuel

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Prince George business owner is fighting back after the provincial government ordered him to pay nearly $200,000 in tax he allegedly failed to collect from the sale of “coloured fuel” at one of his gas stations.

According to a petition filed June 18 at the Prince George courthouse, Bruce Kidd is seeking a court order to overturn the assessment.

He claims that the provincial government went outside its authority in imposing the assessment on him and that the method that was used to determine how much was owed was unfair.

Also called dyed or marked fuel, coloured fuel is reserved for farmers and recreational boaters and for purposes related to logging, mining, oil and gas and road building.

A tax of three cents per litre is levied by the provincial government on the fuel, compared to 7.75 cents per litre for regular gas.

In November 2018, the B.C Ministry of Finance issued a notice of assessment claiming Kidd Ventures Ltd. owed $221,495.88 - made up of $192,918.88 in uncollected tax, $27,730 80 in interest and a $846.07 penalty - from the sale of the fuel

at the KG CornerStore at 8087 Hart Highway

The station “is located within a farming community and in close proximity to a marine recreational area,” and many of the outlet’s customers are farmers and recreational boaters, according to the petition.

According to the Motor Fuel Tax Act, anyone who buys fuel through a card lock or purchase more than 45 litres must pay a differential between the taxes unless the dealer has obtained a declaration stating the fuel will be for the purposes listed in the legislation.

However, if the purchaser is a farmer or the fuel is marine diesel, a declaration is not needed.

According to the petition, declarations were obtained from customers who paid in store but not from those who paid at the pump and that sales at the pump are not visible to the cashier but rather credited to the station’s fuel supplier, Husky Oil. Kidd paid the assessment but is disputing the finding through lawyer Dan Marcotte.

In part, Marcotte claims in the petition that the tax violates the separation of powers between the federal and provincial government as set out in the constitution. Specifically, he says the tax in

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 26 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to lease land via direct offer,toDaycare at the Park Association for construction and operation of adaycare.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 24 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to provide assistance to Daycare at the Park Association in the formofdisposing of land for less than marketvalue.

The proposed lease area is at 1953 Gorse Street, legally described as an approximate 3.5 acre area of Parcel X(Plan 17962) of District Lot 343 Cariboo District Plan 1268, Except Plan 17963. The lease will be for a Term of 15 years, with an Option to Purchase in favour of Daycare at the Park Association for $10.00. Ian Wells, Acting Deputy City Manager

question is “indirect” and so, can only be imposed by the federal government. He says provinces are limited to imposing “direct” taxes defined as those “demanded from the very person who, it is intended or desired, should pay it.” Conversely, an indirect tax is “demanded from one person in the expectation and intention that he shall indemnify himself at the expense of another.”

Additionally, Marcotte claims the process for determining the amount owed was unfair The assessment was based on an audit by the ministry’s consumer taxation branch in which three month-long “test periods” were used to derive an assessment for a 25-month period.

While the branch asserts in a notice of assessment that the months represented a “high, low and average sales month,” Marcotte and Kidd contend two - May 2016 and July 2017 - were actually “nice weather months” when sales volumes are at their highest while the third - November 2015 - was “during hunting season and because of that, it is not a low sales month.”

They also claim the Act provides no legislative authority to impose a penalty based on an estimate.

The allegations have not been tested in court and a response from the defendant has not yet been filed

CITY HOSTING WORLD FINALS IN 2022, 2024

City council has approved funding for Prince George to host the 2022 Women’s World Curling Championships and the 2024 Para Biathlon World Championships and World Para Nordic Skiing World Cup Finals.

City council approved a $250,000 request from the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club to support their bid to host the para biathlon and para Nordic events and $200,000 to cover in-kind costs for hosting the curling championships.

to your inbox. Visit news.princegeorge.ca/subscribe to select the categories thatmattertoyou.

Prince George was scheduled to host the 2020 Women’s World Curling Championship in March 2020, but the event was cancelled at the last minute at the onset of the pandemic.

GORSE

SD57 REINS IN BUDGET SHORTFALL

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

In May, School District 57 was facing a projected $3.17 million budget shortfall for the 2021-22 school year.

But by the time the budget came before the board of education during a special meeting on Monday night, that shortfall had been cut back to $411,826 – which the district can cover using accumulated surpluses from previous years, trustee Tim Bennett said. Bennett chairs the expanded committee of the whole, and management

and finance committee, which worked with district staff to reduce the shortfall.

“I want to thank the staff for finding efficiencies. No reductions in staff levels have been made,” Bennett said. “Tonight’s budget is balanced and, again, balanced without any cuts to the classroom.”

The largest single savings was achieved by examining the contingencies built into the average salaries for teaches and CUPE staff, according to a report presented to the board.

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES 4TH

“Salaries and benefits costs in the 2021/22 budget represent over 85 (per cent) of the total operating costs of the district and an adjustment of less than (two per cent) to the average rates generated a significant budget savings resulting in no staffing reductions for budget purposes,” the report said.

Reducing those contingencies resulted in a nearly $750,000 savings, the report said. Further, the budget reduced the per-student allocation to each school from $600

Tabor Lake campground rejected

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George voted down a controversial proposal for a 100-campsite resort on the south side of Tabor Lake.

Applicants Elizabeth and Mervin Sadowick had requested a three-year temporary use permit to allow their proposed business to go forward on a trial basis. They were seeking to develop the campground on a 153-acre property at the end of Six Mile Lake Road – about 15 minutes from Prince George.

The site previously had a private home on it, before it burned down, the Sadowicks wrote in a letter to the district board.

“We feel that this project will benefit the neighbourhood by providing better access to Tabor lake, the existing trail network and a venue for local camping opportunities and family events,” they wrote. “The goal of the resort is to provide treed, quiet, private camping sites and family focused recreation activities to the community

The Tabor Mountain Trails adjacent to the property provide an extensive 407 km

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 26 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to dispose of land via adirect offer,toTano T’enneh General Partner Corporation.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 24 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to provide assistance to Tano T’enneh General Partner Corporation in the formofdisposing of land for less than marketvalue.

The proposed area is aportion of land at 755-20th Avenue, legally described as an approximate .3 acre area of Parcel ZDistrict Lot 417 Cariboo District Plan 1409 Except Plans 12977 and 32450 for $1.00.

Ian Wells, Acting Deputy

City Manager

multi-use trail network with recreational opportunities for both motorized and non-motorized users.”

In addition to the RV-only campground, the Sadowicks planned to build a large picnic gazebo, mini golf area, playground, kids biking area and a small convenience store/ office on the site The couple expected the resort would employ six people on a seasonal basis, with two full-time caretakers onsite year-round

The regional district board received 55 letters and emails in support of the

to $500, the same amount provided in the 2020-21 school year That netted a further $500,000 savings. Other efficiencies found by staff were able to reduce the shortfall to under half a million dollars.

“A huge thank you to administration for doing the incredibly hard work of looking at our (salary) averages,” Bennett said.

“We are using some surplus to balance the budget. Our surplus is being spent, which isn’t a bad thing, but surpluses can only be spent for so long ”

project, and 48 opposing it. The Sadowicks requested the regional district postpone a decision, to allow them to address the concerns raised by some of the letter writers. Director and Prince George city councillor Terri McConnachie proposed a postponement to give the Sadowicks the time to respond. The motion was defeated. “I don’t know if the applicant has any way to remediate any of the concerns, but I won’t get that without a postponement,” she said. “I am reluctant to make a decision without all the information.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 26 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to lease land via direct offer,tothe Prince George Native Friendship Society for construction and operation of adaycare.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to the provisions of Section 24 of the Community Charter that the City of Prince George intends to provide assistance to the Prince George Native Friendship Society (“PGNFC”) in the formofdisposing of land for less than marketvalue.

The proposed lease area is at 6776 Dagg Road, legally described as Lot 45 District Lot 4047 Cariboo District Plan 11088. The lease will be for aTerm of 60 years, with an Option to Purchase in favour of PGNFC for $10.00 after 15 years.

The proposed development is funded by PGNFC and the Province of British Columbia Childcare BC NewSpaces Fund and will provide 60 newchildcare spaces in the city of Prince George.

An operating agreement between the City of Prince George and PGNFC is a requirement for the operation of the daycare. Apermitted and restricted use of land covenant will be registered against the land, providing for daycare use

Ian Wells, Acting Deputy City Manager

Drummer thrilled to meet Dr. Henry

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

Wet’suwet’en First Nation drummer Wesley Mitchell met Dr. Bonnie Henry last Tuesday afternoon at the Prince George Civic Centre and he’s still floating on air

Henry came to Prince George to receive her honorary doctorate from UNBC and made a brief stop at the Prince George vaccination clinic at the Civic Centre.

Mitchell was at the centre to get his second vaccine and heard the whispers that Dr Henry was in the building.

Being a dedicated drummer who is part of the UHNBC Prince George Traditional Drummers group that started honouring healthcare workers at the hospital 17 months ago so his first thought was to honour Dr. Henry by drumming.

It’s unusual that Mitchell didn’t have his drum with him but he knew Shirley Babcock had one at the Two Rivers Gallery gift shop and when he Facetimed her to ask if he could borrow it, it all quickly came together

Mitchell and another drummer, Katherina Morris, who was getting her vaccine at the clinic too, started drumming outside the Civic Centre and word got to Mitchell

that Henry who could hear the drumming.

When Henry was done inside, she came outside to share a few minutes with Mitchell and Morris.

Mitchell offered to sing one of three songs for her, the Warrior Woman Song, the Beaver Hunting Song or the Grandmother’s Song by Leo McGilvery of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta - Nimama - and of course, Dr Henry chose Mitchell’s favourite song Nimama.

“It was pretty surreal and when I look back at it all it really makes a lot of sense and I believe in the Creator and how all this transpired in meeting Dr Bonnie Henry and drumming for her was meant to be,” Mitchell said about the encounter.

“When I’m drumming I like to form a circle during any ceremony,” Mitchell said “So I asked to form a circle and then I spoke with Dr. Henry and introduced myself and I told her it would be an honour to sing a song. She’s just a beautiful soul and spirit and you can just feel her calmness.”

The UHNBC Prince George Traditional Drummers will continue to honour the healthcare workers every Monday at 6 p.m. and everyone is welcome to join, Mitchell said.

WE ARE HIRING!

LABORATORY ASSISTANTS PRINCE GEORGE,BC

Do you have experience withphlebotomy (blood draw)?

Do you want to be apartofa growing organizationcommitted to building a healthier Canada? We want to hear from you!

Variety of opportunities available to fit theflexibleschedule of students, new grads and experience laboratory assistants.

TO FIND OUTMORE ANDAPPLY ONLINEVISIT WWW.LIFELABS.COM/CAREERS/ OR EMAIL YOUR RESUME CAREERS@LIFELABS.COM

Henry upbeat over outlook

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Advancing to the next step in B.C.’s easing of pandemic-related restrictions now appears to be just a matter of waiting for the date to arrive as provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that targets are being met. Despite a lag in vaccinations in some parts of the province, Henry said the goal of delivering first shots to at least 70 per cent of adults has been met “here in the north and across B.C.”

Low case counts and declining hospitalizations from COVID-19 also play role and the region and it’s looking good on those two fronts as well as Henry noted that no new cases were reported in Northern Health on Wednesday Active cases stood at 52 with six in hospital of which five were in intensive care, according to the B.C Centre for Disease Control

“As immunization goes up and transmission goes down, we’re all that much more protected,” Henry said in an interview “That’s really good news.”

The move to Step 3 of the province’s vaccine rollout strategy is set to occur on July 1. Among other things, it will mean a return to usual for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings although masks and careful social contact will remain recommended. Henry was in Prince George last week to visit with health care providers treating patients and delivering vaccinations.

“I think they’re doing a really impressive job here and this is not a surprise to me. I talk with Northern Health pretty much every day about how things are going,” she said.

Henry acknowledged challenges in delivering doses to some areas of the province. Like she did during a conference call with provincial media earlier this week, she emphasized getting doses out to people who can’t make it into the larger centres.

“Now that we’ve got a lot of vaccines, we can start looking at how do we take it to people instead of only relying on the large clinics that we’ve had and really, here in the north, taking this ‘all-of-the-community’ approach has been really effective.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dr Bonnie Henry was in Prince George Tuesday and stopped by the Civic Centre where she was honoured with drumming by Wesley Mitchell and Kat Morris.

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

He’s what they call a triple threat in the entertainment industry.

William Kuklis is a singer, actor and... Farmers’ Market vendor

He recently completed filming a trailer for a movie called The Train, that’s been put on hold until covid restrictions ease.

During Barker Street Cinema’s The Great North Christmas filmed last winter Kuklis played the role of a lawyer.

“They were just small roles,” Kuklis said, talking about his part in each movie. “But

LOCAL ACTOR KEPT BUSY WITH LOCAL MOVIES CongratulationsWe Have a Winner!!

Bruce and Julie Gaunt, winners of two rounds of golf plus a power cart, courtesy of Prince George Golf and Curling Club.

(Canada Day contest – place the Canadian flag in your window)

it’s just nice to get some local blood in these things that will end up on commercial television.”

Kuklis is from the coast and to be in Prince George, which is relatively isolated spot that doesn’t see a lot of movies filmed here, it’s nice not to have to leave town to get work, he added.

His most recent job only took a day but it saw Kuklis playing opposite of the romantic comedy stars Meghan Heffern and Jon Cor, Hallmark movie stars, as the main characters, and Bob Blumer, best known

for his Food Network shows and many appearances in Prince George hosting iron chef competitions at the fall fair

“It was great,” Kuklis said. “We were filming up at Noah’s Ark there and it was so much fun. In this one I was a vendor at the farmers’ market and so I had some indepth interaction with the stars of the show so it’s quite entertaining... hopefully. The story is fun, the actors are great and I’m excited to see how Prince George shines again in this one.”

Because the scene Kuklis was in was at a

farmers’ market there was about 100 local people appearing as extras in the movie.

“So there was tons of Prince George people so that was really fun,” Kuklis said. “It was a good time and the weather was good for Prince George.”

Kuklis will now go back to his regular life where he’s currently working on a new album and hopefully when things open up he’ll go on tour. In the future there will be some theatre work but it’s too early to talk about that right now, he added.

“It’s been fun, really fun,” Kuklis said.

RCMP lawsuit filed on time, judge finds

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A civil lawsuit brought against an RCMP officer in relation to a controversial arrest in Prince George will remain before the court after a B.C. Supreme Court Justice turned down an application to have the case dropped.

At issue was whether Cuyler Richard Aubichon breached the two-year time limit for filing his notice of claim against Cst. Joshua Grafton, who also faces criminal charges from the matter The Attorney General of Canada and the B.C Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General are also named as defendants

The arrest occurred on Feb 18, 2016 but it was not until July 23, 2020 - nearly 4 1/2 years later - that Aubichon filed a notice of claim. However, through his lawyer, Aubichon submitted he did not know he could pursue a civil action until the charges against Grafton had been laid the month before, in June 2020, and claimed

DRIVER GIVEN FIVE-YEAR BAN

the limitation period did not start running until then.

Aubichon further submitted that it was not until September 2019 that he learned Grafton was being investigated for criminal wrongdoing. It was at that point he contacted a lawyer regarding what it meant for him and was advised that if Grafton is charged, he should bring a civil action against him.

Aubichon also submitted that while the physical injuries he suffered during the arrest had since healed, since 2019 he has suffered serious mental health issues as a result of the incident.

Counsel for Grafton argued that the decision to wait until Grafton had been criminally charged was “tactical” and so belied Aubichon’s claim he did not know he could pursue a civil action.

But in a decision issued June 17, B.C Supreme Court Justice Sharon Matthews found otherwise. Noting that by law, she can only draw inferences that are the most favourable to Aubichon, Matthews found

there were other plausible explanations for not seeking legal advice before 2019

“One is that his experiences as an Aboriginal youth led him to believe that there was no point, but that changed when he learned, in September 2019, that Constable Grafton was being criminally investigated,” Matthews wrote in a reasons for decision.

On whether the decision to wait until Grafton was charged was tactical, Matthews found it could have been that “despite the criminal investigation, his lawyer did not have enough facts on which to give an opinion that a legal proceeding was an appropriate means of redressing the harm he suffered ”

The arrest in February 2016 caused a stir when a video from a security camera on a nearby home showing the takedown was released to a media outlet.

It shows RCMP officer using a service dog to pull Aubichon out of a stolen pickup truck and onto the ground before elbowing him in the head. Aubichon is claiming Grafton is the dog handler and that he “deliber-

A Prince George man was sentenced to a further 180 days in jail and prohibited from driving for five years for trying to flee police while behind the wheel of a motorhome. Shawn Gilbert Leroux (aka Lash Leroux) was issued the term on counts of dangerous driving, fleeing police and failing to stop.

ately misused the dog to terrify and caused severe bodily harm.”

He says Grafton not only encouraged the dog to bite him on the arm while removing Aubichon from the truck but allowed the dog to continue biting him while he was face down on the ground. He also claims Grafton punched and elbowed him and kicked him in the stomach and used a baton on his head while he was on the ground.

Aubichon and another man arrested at the scene - an alley in the 2000 block of Oak Street - were later sentenced to one year probation for possessing stolen property over $5,000.

Following an investigation by B.C.’s civilian-based police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, Grafton was charged with assault, assault with a weapon, and obstruction of justice and Cst. Wayne Connell and Cst Kyle Sharpe were charged with assault causing bodily harm

All of those matters also remain before the court.

The outcome stems from a Feb. 22 incident that began when a North District RCMP traffic services member noticed the motorhome lacked licence plates and tried to pull it over near Fifth Avenue and Central Street. Instead, the motorhome collided with the RCMP vehicle and kept going.

NOTICE OF WAIVER OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Regional District Boardhas waived the holding of apublic hearing into Zoning Bylaw No. 2892, Amendment Bylaw No. 3225, 2021. The Regional District Boardwill consider thirdreading of Bylaw No. 3225 at its regular meeting scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Thursday, July 15, 2021 in the Regional District Boardroom located at 155 George Street, Prince George, BC.

The purpose of Bylaw No. 3225 is to rezone Lot 4 District Lot 2726 Cariboo District Plan 16656 from Residential 3(R3) to Residential/Seasonal 3(R/S3). The amendment is proposed to permit Recreation Cabin use and other permitted uses pursuant to the R/S3 zone. The subject property is located at 27520 Ness Lake Road.

Acopy of the proposed Bylaw and any relevant background materials areavailable for review by the public on the Regional District’swebsite at http://www.rdffg.bc.ca/services/development/ land-use-planning/current-applications/ (Electoral Area ‘A’) or at the Regional District office, by appointment only,Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, between July 2, 2021 and July 15, 2021. To make an appointment contact the Regional District at 250-960-4400 or at developmentservices@rdffg.bc.ca

Leroux had remained in custody since his arrest - a total of 118 days.

Supportingjournalism ofallsizes.

Accesstotrustworthyinformationhasneverbeenmoreimportant.ThatiswhyGoogleis increasingourcommitmenttotheCanadiannewsroomsthatworktirelesslytocreatequality journalismthatimpactsallofourlives.

Aspartofourworktocreateastrongerfuturefor news,werecentlyannouncedourfirstagreements withCanadianpublishersforournewproductand licensingprogram,GoogleNewsShowcase:BlackPress Media,GlacierMedia,MétroMédia,NarcityMedia, SaltWireNetwork,TheGlobeandMail,VillageMedia andWinnipegFreePress.Together,thesepublishers representnational,regionalandcommunitynews coveragethatreachespeoplecoast-to-coast-to-coast inbothofficiallanguages.

WearealsoexpandingourworkwiththeGoogle NewsInitiativeinCanada.Overthenextthreeyears, wewilltrain5,000Canadianjournalistsand journalismstudents.We’realsorampingupoureffortsto helpsmallandmid-sizedpublicationsachievefinancial sustainabilityandthriveinthedigitalage.

ThisrepresentsacollaborativeeffortbetweenGoogle andCanada’spublishers.Googleisheretosupport Canadianjournalism,bigandsmall,andfosterabrighter futurefornewsinCanada.

Youcanlearnmoreatgoo.gle/SupportingCanadianNews

Construction year set to be ‘record-breaking’

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

The City of Prince George issued building permits for four new apartment/ townhouse developments in May, with an estimated combined value of $45.5 million, according to a report that went to city council last week.

As of the end of May, the city had issued a total of 210 building permits worth a combined $108.6 million – more than triple the $34.6 million in permits issued in the first five months of 2020 and nearly double the $56.5 million issued from January to the end of May in 2019.

“We’re already at $108 million. This has all the hallmarks of being another record-breaking year in Prince George,” Coun. Garth Frizzell said. “The mission has been paying off, we are seeing sustained growth.”

As of May 31, the city has issued permits for 14 new multi-family developments, worth nearly $60 million combined.

The city also issued permits for 46 new single-family houses, seven new duplexes, six new mobile homes, three new commercial buildings, two new industrial buildings and a new institutional building, in addition to more than 100 renovations and additions to homes and commercial buildings.

“Our population is growing, that is very

clear through this,” Coun. Kyle Sampson said.

The construction activity happening throughout the city is creating jobs and boosting revenues for local contractors, Mayor Lyn Hall said.

“This is a big deal for us,” Hall said. “It shows confidence for us in both the public and private sectors.”

REGIONAL DISTRICT ‘DOING VERY WELL’

Up to the end of May, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George has issued a total of 68 building permits worth a combined $9.6 million.

Included in those numbers are permits for 13 new single-family homes, worth a combined $5 million, according to a report that went to the district board of directors last week.

Over the same period in 2020, the district has issued 96 permits worth $18.1 million. From January to the end of May 2019, the district had issued 87 permits worth a combined $6.5 million.

“(Last year) was an extraordinary year,” board chairperson Art Kaehn said. “We’re doing very well on single-family dwellings and other development, compared to 2019.”

er that is expected this next week will likely break records that have stood for many years. Risk of heatstroke, sunstroke is high during periods of extreme heat. Doctors recommend avoiding exertion or high intensity activities during the hottest part of the day, usually between eleven and three in the afternoon.

Increasing your fluid intake is also highly recommended, as risk of dehydration is common when daily temperatures are as high as they will be for the next week or so. Doctors suggest that when you have more of the liquids that are

BACK ON THE BOARDS

Sofie McCarthy performs on stage at Theatre NorthWest on Friday evening during a stage reading of Kate Hennig’s The Last Wife.

Indigenous students interested in medicine invited to workshop

Indigenous youth interested in pursuing a career in medicine will have the chance to learn more about the career path thanks to a summer workshop hosted virtually through the Northern Medical Program.

cians and their careers, as well as having current Indigenous medical students attend and share their stories. It made the medical journey seem more real and attainable,” added Alec.

unflavoured and less sugar. Plain water is suggested for hydration.

contain from sted. book, it days. perhap local weather most heartrate will temperature level. most recog some return

Taking refuge the heat is also suggested. Perhaps grab a good find some shade and take easy. For the next few To make the most of it, perhaps stopping in at you bookstore willhelpyouweathertheheatwave better than Lowered and lighter clothing help keep your core at a manageable Whatever you do. Make the of this heatwave and recognize that it will end at point and the rains will

Through the virtual Indigenous MD Admissions Workshop, Indigenous youth will have an opportunity to learn about different aspects about the application process, get an overview of the undergraduate curriculum and hear from students, graduates and faculty on their experiences in the program.

“These workshops really highlighted the attainability of medical school. I never thought a career in medicine was possible until I started going to the workshops,” said Tarissa Alec who is a Northern Medical Program Class of 2021 graduate.

She said the sessions gave her a lot of helpful resources and strategies for the application process.

“As an Indigenous person, I never had any Indigenous role models in medicine until I started attending these. They spotlighted many inspiring Indigenous physi-

LAWSOCIETY TRIBUNAL SEEKS HEARING PANEL MEMBERS

The Northern Medical Program is the virtual host site this year for the annual three-day workshop which is in its eighteenth year

“This annual three-day event helps provide prospective Indigenous students with the necessary tools to better understand the application process as well as what it takes to successfully complete the undergraduate MD program,” says James Andrew, Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager at the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

The virtual Indigenous MD Admissions Workshop will run from July 28 – 30 and is open to both high school and post-secondary students with no cost to participants.

Those interested in attending must submit their application online, along with a report card or university transcript copy, proof of ancestry, and a 500-word essay on why they want to pursue medicine

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 16.

The LawSociety Tribunal is seeking applications from lawyers and public representatives to serve on its hearing panels. Hearing panels hear cases related to allegations of discipline violations and incompetencebylawyers. Panels also conduct hearings on the character and fitness of applicants for enrolment in the admission program and for call and admission as new lawyers.

The Law Society is committed to being more inclusive of Indigenous people, including through recruitment to the Tribunal. Indigenous lawyers and public representatives are encouraged to apply

Appointments are for afour-year term, with eligibility to be reappointed to asecond term. Lawyers appointed to be amember of hearing panels are reimbursed for reasonable expenses, while public appointees receive amodest per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses. The deadline to apply is Thursday,July 15, 2021 Further details about qualifications and to submit an application are available at www lawsociety.bc.ca (“News”), or you may wish to contact tribunals@lsbc.org.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

BC’s bigcitiesare known for theirrestaurants,shopping, andurbansightsand attractions.But keep exploring andyou’lldiscoveropportunitiesfor forest bathing, kayaking, bicycling,and birdingthatwill take youjustoutside thedowntown core to replenish andreconnectinnature.

Summer offersample reasons to getout andtry somethingnew,and that’s easy to do in BC’s vibrant,outdoorsy cityscapes.And once youventure back downtown fora patiomeal,hotel stay,ormuseum visit, local businesses have implementedsafetymeasuresdesigned to keepyou well

Pedal,Walk, or EatYourWay to aNew Side of Vancouver

With morethan450 km of bikelanes,plusmulti-use pathways includingthe ArbutusGreenway andthe StanleyParkSeawall, Vancouverishighlyaccessible on twowheels. Join CycleCity on asmall-group tour ledbya storytellerguide. Exploretrails throughStanley Park,orpedal into thehistory of Chinatown, Gastown, andGranville Island.

DiscoverVictoria’sWildEdges

BC’s “GardenCity” is known formanicured spotslikethe sprawlingButchartGardens, butfor something newand alittle more uncultivated, seek outthe city’s wild side

Head into therainforest andwalkamong towering cedars,Sitka spruce,and arbutustrees with ElementalMagickAdventures, and be presentinthe moment, aware of thesights, sounds,and smells of theancient surroundings.Called“forest bathing,”thispractice lowers bloodpressureand increases vitality

To increase adrenaline, getout on thewater with OceanRiver Sports—kayak excursions departdailyfromthe InnerHarbour and OakBay,offeringexhilaratingopportunities to spot seals,otters, eagles,and maybeevena whale.Restafter aday’s playatthe Inn at Laurel Point, whichoffersaBCresidentsspecial

Locals maythink they knoweverythingabout thecity, buta walkingtour withForbidden Vancouverwill proveotherwise. From themobstersthatruledGastown acentury agotothe secrets buriedinStanley Park,Vancouver’shistory may surprise you.

Other tour optionsinclude themuralsinMt. Pleasant with VancouverDeTours,and upscale picnicsinlocal parks with BC AdventureCompany.Slumber at SkwachàysLodge,aboutique hotelwith stunning “art installation” roomsjointlydesignedby an interior designer andanIndigenousartist.

See the full storyat ExploreBC.com/Cities Wherever you venture, always travel safely and responsibly.

is

Richmond is reveredfor itsAsian cuisine, butits location on the Pacific Flyway—a migratory routefor birds—isideal forspotting common yellowthroats, bold rufous hummingbirds,orwaterbirds likethe shygreen heron.IonaBeach RegionalParkisafavourite viewingspot.

TheFairmont VancouverAirport’s Pacific Flyway Adventure Packageincludesanovernight stay,plus useofa birdingbackpack with binocularsand maps,and achef-preparedpicnic lunch fortwo Join atourwith photographer LironGertsmanfor tips on howbest to capture thesefeathered beauties on film.

Richmond’s flattopographyalso meanseasycyclingalong 80-plus km of routes.Interestingstops includethe Gulf of GeorgiaCannery, wherefish were turned into edible “gold,” andBritannia Shipyards,a shipbuilding andmaritime repair shop.

Richmond

aHavenfor Birdersand Bikers

Vancouver |Tanya Goehring

Victoria|HubertKang

Richmond |Tourism Richmond

Vancouver |HubertKang

No easy fix for Playhouse troubles

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

Trying to make the city-owned Prince George Playhouse a viable facility for groups in the entertainment industry by offering a $500,00 Band-Aid fix could be a challenge, said Judy Russell of Enchainement Productions, the facility’s most recent manager.

For starters, the 297-seat facility only had 135 parking spots to start and now that’s been reduced to just 65.

“There weren’t enough parking spots to begin with - not for a full production with a large cast, large orchestra and a large support crew,” she said. “So for our shows we had trouble getting enough parking.”

For smaller organizations, Russell thinks the facility might work

“If the parking can be dealt with and the Band-Aid solution happens, then people could perhaps squeak along for a little bit longer,” she said. “I don’t know if that would include us. I’m not sure. But there is no other place to go.”

Accessibility is also an issue, Russell noted, when it comes to all-ages audience members, including the elderly with mobility issues and families with young children, coming from the far end of the parking lot or having to search for alternative parking just doesn’t make getting to the theatre very safe, especially in the snow or even a rain storm

“Now you’ve got the little Playhouse surrounded by traffic,” Russell said “There’s going to be people in and out of the apartment complexes, the restaurants

and the hotels and part of the reason it was such a great little place is it was kind of a little island.”

Russell said she has always loved working in the Playhouse but the difficulties of managing the facility outweighed the joys of presenting in it a lot of the time.

“During our tenure there as the management company, the access roads and the parking lot situation and the constant building around the facility made it very, very difficult for anyone to present,”

Russell said. “It made it very difficult for people to rent and what people do not understand is that anybody that’s looking to do a one-off or a two-of presentation is so limited by the amount of seats in the facility it doesn’t make it financially viable for touring companies unless it’s like a little dance company that knows for sure it can sell 500 tickets and can do two shows.”

That would be great but for others coming with on-the-road touring expenses to pay while coming into a 297-seat theatre wouldn’t make it worth their while and on the flipside to raise tickets prices to make it work would be prohibitive to the theatre goers.

“We tried to do it ourselves and tried to get people to pay $40 to see some incredible acts,” Russell said “If you do the math on that it’s not very much money for a touring act and then to pay all the people involved - people don’t know that the production business is extremely expensive - it takes artists and marketers and producers and musicians and cleaning staff, concession staff and ticket sellers - everybody has to be paid - this isn’t a volunteer gig.”

So that’s what was happening as the Russells were managing the Playhouse. They kept trying to fix it but between the constant construction and then a burst water main that flooded the basement, it was non-stop for a few years, Russell added.

“I think that stopped people’s patterns and stopped

hoarding covers the damaged western side of the

house’s fly tower. City council has approved more than $500,000 for a “BandAid” solution to repair and reopen the Prince George Playhouse.

them coming to the place, stopped them renting the place,” Russell said. “There was a whole bunch of things at play here. And the structural issues that they are talking about fixing and that we’ve been trying to get fixed for so long came well before us and we didn’t have much pull when it came to getting it fixed.”

The trouble started as early as the 1996 renovation, when the building was finished with a face-sealed exterior insulation finishing system that didn’t work properly

On Dec 4, a portion of the stucco siding on the west side of the playhouse tower fell off and landed on the lower roof level and nearby ground during a storm. A preliminary inspection found significant rot at the site where the stucco failed.

The city employed a contractor to investigate the building, including creating an exploratory opening in the siding and using a probe to detect moisture. Water was getting past the siding and into the building. Council approved to fix it as well as approving $271,500 to upgrade the theatre’s rigging system to improve safety before the building is reopened for use.

Without the repairs, the building

wouldn’t be safe to operate, the contractor’s report said. In the long-term the building will need to have significant repairs to the structure, new siding and roofing, and a replacement for the 25-year-old HVAC system. The estimated costs to repair the building came in at $5.17 million, with another $1.5 million needed for a new parking lot

Russell said she knows the team at the City of Prince George is recognizing what a difficulty this has been and realizes the situation and are trying hard to find positive ways to fix the situation.

“And I applaud them and appreciate that,” Russell added. “We’ve been in that facility for 40 years, I met my husband there, we’ve built our life there and it’s a place that matters to us but it truly has outlived its abilities and without a great deal of change - if they could see their way clear to give it some office space, a rehearsal hall, a refurbish - add a balcony with 200 seats then we’d have a pretty nice little facility but then when you look at all that you think - why don’t you just start over?”

-with files from Arthur Williams

CITIZEN PHOTOS BY ARTHUR WILLIAMS

Wooden

Prince George Play-

Jones sisters tall in the saddle

TED CLARKE

Given a chance to show their rodeo skills in competition for the first time since COVID shut them down last fall, the Jones sisters of Prince George seized the opportunity to make themselves provincial champions.

Sixteen-year-old Fallon Jones did it three weekends ago when she was crowned overall champion at the B.C High School Rodeo Association senior championships in Quesnel. The week after in Merritt at the BCHRA junior finals in Merritt, her 12-yearold sister Nevada brought home the B.C. title as overall champion.

As a result, both have earned the right to compete in the Canadian high school rodeo championships in August in Swift Current, Sask.

Taking on the points leaders from the south and north zones in the three-day finals, Nevada capped an outstanding fall season with solid performances in Merritt that kept her on top of the standings The north zone rookie of the year teamed up with Jacob Bowden of Quesnel and they had three fast and clean runs Sunday to win the team roping and ribbon roping titles. Nevada also won the provincial buckles for barrel racing and pole bending and was awarded a new saddle as the allround north zone point champion

Jones and Bowden qualified for junior national world rodeo finals next month in Des Moines, Iowa but because the border still being closed, they won’t get to go. The senior national world finals in July in Lincoln, Neb., are also out of reach for Fallon for the same reason. There were no provincial high school rodeo finals in 2020 - all events were cancelled due to the pandemic - and there was plenty of doubt

Golf’s

LEFT: Fallon Jones and her horse Owen rope a calf in the breakaway event at the B.C. High School Rodeo Association senior finals two weekends ago in Quesnel. Jones, 16, won the breakaway title and the overall senior championship.

RIGHT: Twelve-year-old Nevada Jones takes her horse Gordon for a ride in the arena for the breakaway event at the B.C. High School Rodeo Association on her way to capturing the provincial championship.

this year’s finals would happen

Fallon has been a willing practice partner as a heeler to help Nevada practice her team roping skills. Watching her big sister compete and working with her constantly in the practice arena gave Nevada the edge she needed to win her provincial championship.

Competing against Grade 11 and 12 students at the senior finals two weekends ago, Fallon missed her first calf but wrapped up the breakaway championship with a 2.7-second run in the final

round. She was ranked second overall in the provincial points race heading into the Quesnel finals but made the climb to No 1 over the course of the three-day event.

Several other Prince George cowgirls represented the city in the BCHRA finals Alyiah Hart had a pair of impressive runs and caught two of her three breakaway calves at the junior finals to earn her ticket to the national finals in Swift Current. Ayla Barber, Ella Stevenson and Bridget Flewelling also competed in their first provincial finals, having placed in the top-15 in their

greatest lesson: humility

Each week this summer, Citizen editor Neil Godbout will share his experience learning to golf at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Want to get in a free round with Neil? Just drop him a line at ngodbout@pgcitizen.ca

PART 3

“I hope she kicks your ass.”

With those sweet words of encouragement from reporter Christine Dalgleish, I headed out last Thursday afternoon for 18 holes at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club with Susan Pendleton.

I had no idea what I was getting into as I had never met Susan before. A recent retiree, she had quickly taken me up on my offer for a free round after reading the first column.

Christine’s wish came true, of course.

To add insult to injury, Susan informed me that her score (which I shall not reveal) was “the worst game I’ve played in years.”

I must have rubbed off on her. Susan is a fine golfer and an even finer golfing companion to spend a few hours walking the fairways with.

I required that companionship during my second time playing this course. After shooting my baseline round of 148, I thought there was nowhere I could go but down, especially after my first lesson with club pro Blair Scott. Enter the humility of golf.

I shot that 148 from the silver tees. At Susan’s request,

we played the bronze tees, meaning we were even closer to the pin on every hole. But even with that, it was a long afternoon. By the time it was all over nearly three-and-ahalf hours later, I had shot a discouraging 153. In my first round, I cleared the pond at 14 on my first try, avoided the bunkers entirely, recorded a 4 on the very first hole and a couple 5s on two other par 3 holes. With Susan, I never shot less than 6 on any hole, hit three balls into the pond at 14 alone and spent time playing in the sand on four different holes. By playing in the sand, I mean that on three of those bunkers, it took multiple hits before I was

able to escape

respective events in the eight-event north zone fall series.

The Jones sisters come from a rodeo family Christine Jones is a former qualifier for the World Series of Team Roping, as is their father Darin, who used to ride bulls professionally.

Their aunt, Sandy Suter was the top Canadian in the 2016 World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas (fourth out of 320 teams) and their grandfather Gary has been competing for decades on the team roping pro circuit.

GOLF WITH GODBOUT

Maybe this was the round I needed. I headed to my lesson with Blair the following afternoon with determination and a belly full of humble pie.

He wasn’t discouraged at all, stressing how small improvements put all together lead to better scores. He immediately set me to work addressing my swing.

He had me take some swings with a whip club. This training aid is a flexible club with a baseball-sized weighted ball at the end. The goal is to swing it without any jerking or vibrating motion from the start to the follow through. The only way for a beginner like me to do that is to slow down and make a smooth, graceful swing, which is exactly the point.

He had me take some swings, from the pitching wedge up to that big dog driver, and some good strokes showed me how if the mechanics are sound, the club will do its job successfully, hitting the ball for distance and accuracy Then it was time for chipping torture - shot after shot from just off the practice green, trying to only hit it about 10 feet or so in a low, gentle arc. He’s trying to break me from using my hands so much, my worst bad habit. The finesse of a controlled and coordinated swing will pay huge dividends on my entire game.

Susan and I have agreed to play again in September, near the end of the season.

She’ll probably kick my ass some more but I’m hoping it’ll hurt a lot less.

COPPER

CITIZEN PHOTO

Susan Pendleton is smiling because she kicked Neil Godbout’s ass. He’s smiling because she was really nice about it.

RAGE AND PRIDE THIS CANADA DAY

For generations, Canadian children were taught about the country’s duality, meaning English and French. Colonial settler history, in other words.

It’s only been quite recently that kids have been taught the national duality between Indigenous peoples and European settlers.

There is also a religious duality at work.

At Lejac, the site of a former residential school (we really should call them child internment camps) near Fraser Lake, there are 14 crosses outside of the small cemetery, each representing one of the Stations of the Cross, documenting the final day of Christ’s life. They are written in French.

The stations are as Catholic as that religion gets, a fixture on the walls of every church large and small They tell a story of suffering and dying for a greater good Christ’s resurrection is not mentioned in the stations because it is his sacrifice for the sins of the world that is the focus of the stations

Inside the cemetery, the crucified Christ hangs on a large cross, with a smaller, peaceful Virgin Mary at its base. On the final day of the recent healing ceremony at Lejac, an Elder prayed, made the sign of the cross and solemnly touched the face of Mary. Unlike Protestantism and other Christian sects, Catholics elevate Mary as a divine figure in her own right, a mother

figure. Even to this day, the name Mary is still a relatively common one within the Canadian Indigenous community

There is a lesson here about recognizing sin and seeking forgiveness, about distinguishing the men of the cloth (who identified themselves as Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, OMI for short) from Christ himself Founded in 1816 “to bring the Good News of Christ to the poor,” this Catholic order committed genocide against Canada’s Indigenous peoples. There are six priests buried in Lejac cemetery, surrounded by the individuals they and their order victimized.

Normally, when Canadians look south to our American cousins, we claim superiority. Maybe we should look south and say we are them.

America’s original sins are both genocide and slavery, sins it has spent centuries denying and has, like Canada, only taken small steps towards reconciling the racist lies and myths of the settler narrative

Another startling similarity between Canada and the U.S. is how Christianity, the religion of the colonial oppressors, was so enthusiastically adopted by its oppressed peoples, both Black and Indigenous.

As Henry Louis Gates Jr recounts in The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song, Blacks adopted Christianity, formed their own churches and worked in some of their own unique traditions.

Targeting children

As I was researching for this column, it occurred to me that the difficulty of writing about this subject may be part of the reason why child sexual abuse is still not really spoken about. It’s hard, disturbing work to study the evil that targets vulnerable children in such a despicable way.

Someone asked: “What was it about the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) that caused so many children to be sexually abused? Surely these perpetrators didn’t travel from Europe or become staff with the goal of molesting children?” To try to give a partial answer to the question, I will use examples and research from other organizations which I am more familiar with to shed a bit of light on how perpetrators operate.

THINKING ALOUD

TRUDY KLASSEN

Among the general population in Canada, one in ten Canadians report being sexually victimized before the age of 18, according to a 214 Canadian Medical Association Journal paper. The Globe and Mail reported in 2015 that one in five students of IRS were sexually abused, so at a rate much higher than the normal population. What we do know is that perpetrators go where there are children. Positions of authority and trust provide them with victims and the position to defend themselves Perpetrators seek employment or volunteering opportunities where there are

The time has come when all Canadians must be able to freely say God bless Canada and God damn Canada in the same breath.

Why adopt the religion of their enslavers, he asks? The answer is right there in the biblical story of an enslaved people endlessly fighting for liberation and freedom, following the words of peace of the chosen one who gave his own life for the sins of the faithful, so they might be truly free in the everlasting.

Adopting the Christian example, both Canada and the United States have taken in refugees and immigrants from around the world throughout their long and complex histories.

These new citizens faced and continue to face racism, hate and violent attacks in their adopted countries They are grateful, resentful and hopeful all at once and who can blame them?

What kind of country, what kind of people, welcomes Muslim immigrants in one breath and then murders them on the street and in their places of worship?

And what kind of country, what kind of people, embraces Christian values of peace and then attempts to eradicate an entire group of God’s children?

The time has come when all Canadians must be able to freely say God bless

Canada and God damn Canada in the same breath. Immigrant, Indigenous, settler alike, we can be both proud and angry about our home and its history. We can learn from our ancestors and vow to be better than them.

Here’s one final example of the Canadian duality

Last Thursday, Cowessess Nation in Saskatchewan announced the discovery of 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School.

Later that same day, Carey Price, the future Hall of Fame goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens, was interviewed about his excitement to play in the first Stanley Cup final of his long career.

He chose instead to recognize his mother, who had just been re-elected chief of Ulkatcho Nation (Anahim Lake), in both English and Dakelh.

How fitting is it that, in this moment of so much righteous anger and grief, an Indigenous man is the most valuable player on a hockey team called the Canadiens?

That is something worth celebrating and reflecting on, however you choose to recognize Canada Day.

children. Therefore, we can safely assume that perpetrators sought out work at IRS. A few (from many) recent examples of this outside IRS include Canadian hockey players Sheldon Kennedy and Theo Fleury being abused by their coach Graham James for years.

The Boy Scouts had thousands of children being abused by their “mentors” over many years. Larry Nassar, a doctor for USA Gymnastics, is serving time for abusing hundreds of gymnasts in his care. Locally, SD57 recently settled two lawsuits involving teacher’s abuse of students The sad reality is that to this day, like during the time of IRSs, organizations that serve children are targeted by perpetrators.

Another factor for the large number of children abused in IRS is that perpetrators usually have multiple victims. A 2014 Religion News article by Boz Tchividjian

quotes the Abel Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study which found “…that pedophilia molesters average 12 child victims and 71 acts of molestation. An earlier study by Dr. Abel found that out of 561 sexual offenders there were over 291,000 incidents totaling over 195,000 total victims.”

Far away from their parents and family who could have protected them, these children suffered terribly and alone. Daily, we are seeing that there were people who called out the abuse they witnessed, but the leaders of the days and years these schools existed turned a blind eye to their cries for justice

We cannot change the past but we can act today Today we can grieve, investigate, and hold accountable those still living. Bringing the perpetrators to justice under our British common-law system would be a reason to still celebrate Canada Day.

MAILING ADDRESS

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

OFFICE HOURS

8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday

GENERAL SWITCHBOARD

250-562-2441

info@pgcitizen.ca

GENERAL NEWS

news@pgcitizen.ca

SPORTS INQUIRIES

250-960-2764

sports@pgcitizen.ca

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

250-562-6666

cls@pgcitizen.ca

PIERRE PELLETIER, DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING 250-960-2757

ppelletier@pgcitizen.ca

READER SALES AND SERVICES

250-562-3301

rss@pgcitizen.ca

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR letters@pgcitizen.ca

WEBSITE FEEDBACK

digital@glaciermedia.ca

Cooling off Canada Day for reflection

Outrage, anger, frustration, and potentially fueling hate. Why would we cancel celebrations around Canada Day? We all know why. Deep down, everyone in this country knows why this conversation is happening now.

With the work of radar-penetrating technology beginning to unravel the history many Indigenous Peoples knew, this is the time to cool off on celebrating a country built upon racist colonial ideals. Original reports from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission revealed 6,000 children perished at Indian Residential Schools. However, retired Senator, Murray Sinclair, claims this number could be within the 15-25,000 range I remind you, these are children who never returned home. This is a bitter cup of tea to swallow for many Canadians but alas, it remains a temporary inconvenience for those who have and continue to benefit from colonization.

You are angry now, yes, I encourage you to remember that Indigenous Peoples and Communities have been angry about their children being forcibly removed as far back as 130 years only to be replaced by an equally devastating child welfare system. Let’s not forget the 1960s, which were rife with mass abductions of children placed with non-Indigenous families around the world. Yes, the 60s scoop was another part of the puzzle of assimilation targeting the destruction of Indigenous families and their culture. Assimilation is a tool of colonization and it was used frequently without justification or remorse.

GUEST COLUMN

JESSIE KING

Colonization at its very foundation is moving into a space and cultivating to eventually inhabit The etymology (origin) of the word colonization is derived from a combination of the Latin words: 1) “colere” (to cultivate), 2) “colonia” (a landed estate), and 3) “colonus” (tiller of soil; farmer/ to inhabit) Colonization specifically refers to the act of moving to a new area and inhabiting it so as to achieve a colony. This was done in our territories despite consequences and without remorse. If there was remorse for violent acts of assimilation with the overarching goal of colonization, we would not be here in 2021 beginning the sickening task of finding unmarked children’s graves at so-called schools designed to assimilate them into people they were not intended to be.

Not intended to be - this line reminds me of Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics in which he speaks about Eudamonia. Eudamonia is something to be achieved or to aspire to – to be happy and to be well you must live to your true daimon/true self. If someone is prevented from achieving eudemonia, they will not experience happiness or health, they will suffer trauma, experience lack of self-continuity/cultural continuity (the ability to see yourself and your culture progress to the future), and live a life questioning who they really are.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LANDSCAPING NEEDS FIXING ON HIGHWAY

Hello Minister Fleming, I’m writing about the poor state of landscaping along Highway 97 within the City of Prince George. I see that it receives regular mowing, which is good, but the condition of the shrubs and trees along the section between the Highway 16/97 intersection and the John Hart Bridge is terrible.

Some of the intersections (15th & 5th) appear to have received some sort of landscaping maybe 20 years ago (there seem to be old garden beds etc.) but they are now completely overgrown. It’s rather embarrassing to be honest, looks very cheap and is certainly not improving the aesthetics of Prince George (nor it’s reputation) When one drives through PG on their way anywhere, it’s sure doesn’t appear to be a very inviting community, which is disappointing, because the city has some beautiful aspects... if one just gets off the highway

The trees along this section of the highway are a sad-looking lot as well. There are not many, they are not spaced in any sort of order and they don’t appear to be particularly healthy. I’m looking at the wonderful trees along the CNC campus as an example of what could be placed along

This is a bitter cup of tea to swallow but it remains a temporary inconvenience for those who have and continue to benefit from colonization.

So you see, even long dead philosophers knew what we needed to be happy, and still colonialism pushes forward. Worse yet, we demand the people suffering a collective soul wound to move on, get over it, or pull up your boot straps Can I ask you to get over it too? Get over the blind pride in your country for a moment to see the bones upon which your lives sit upon? It does not mean you are wrong, but it does mean that you want to be better

What you may be learning now with recent media coverage on the horrific discovery of children’s bodies buried in unmarked spaces at the Kamloops Residential School, is that “colonization” was violent, traumatic, and left many questions unanswered.

It is okay to only be learning this true history now Much of our school curriculum continues to catch up with our own history. We are all left with a painful legacy which brings the new challenge of framing reconciliation For the Indigenous Peoples who grew up with the stories you are only witnessing now for the first time, these stories are about our parents, aunts, uncles, Grandparents, and Great-Grandparents. It is okay to engage with this history now Be gentle with your emotions, choose your words carefully, and remember the ancestors of those children walk among us, they are us If you are angry about cooling down your Canada Day celebrations, I beg you to

take a moment and reflect. What can you celebrate this year when children’s bodies are being discovered? When families are coping with answers to their disappeared loved ones? And when you have an opportunity, reflect on how you came to be Canadian.

What is Canada Day if not a celebration of colonization? We are not asking you to cancel Canada Day forever, to feel guilt or shame of what ancestors did, or to hate your country.

We are asking you to stand beside Indigenous Peoples while we collectively mourn and create a better future for everyone. If this move angers you, I encourage you to ask yourself why holding off Canada Day celebrations manifests that emotion for you. I think we can take some inspiration from Victoria and Penticton which have already asked for Canada Day celebrations to be on hold this year. We all need space to reflect on what Canada Day really means.

This is not cancel culture, this is what keeping space for collective healing looks like. If your response is “get over it”, then I beg the same of you so we can work together

- Jessie King, Hadiksm Gaax (Swimming Raven) is an assistant professor in the First Nations Studies department at UNBC and a member of the T’symsen Nation with maternal ties to Gitxaala.

the highway. One may also look at the landscaping the Town of Smithers has for Highway 16. Taylor has better trees along the highway than Prince George. The highway through Quesnel is a good example as well. Some businesses take care of the frontage along Highway 16 (specifically the car dealerships) as another example.

I understand there are probably some jurisdictional overlaps between the Ministry of Transportation and the City of Prince George.

There are utilities to think of as well, but I’m sure something could be worked out for the good of everyone. I think we can all agree that any improvement is better than the low-quality hodgepodge that people get to look at right now

Thank you for your time and I eagerly look forward to seeing improvements.

Jeff Morton, Prince George

THE PROBLEM WITH RELIGION

Concerning the latest mission school scandal in Kamloops, B.C., those Catholic members of clergy (in that era) believed that in order to save the souls of the Natives, it was their duty to God, to convert the Natives to Catholicism, and that

converting the children, was the best place to start.

Religion is what caused the problem to exist in the first place. It’s known as “Missionary” work, and many devotees of divisive religions suffered, and many still suffer, the same mentality of, “God wants us to give others the good news of his truth, or to die trying.”

How sad, that only human animals suffer from such thought processes. If we believed (as did the scientist Stephen Hawking, before he died,) that the universe always existed, we would then conclude that the universe never was created. That mentality would do away with urges to indoctrinate others to one’s own personal version of spiritual truth Humans would still harm and kill each other, but no more would they be motivated to do it, in the guise of serving a holy god.

June Vandermark, McBride

SAVE OUR DOWNTOWN FROM BEING A SLUM

First, I would like to say I am in favour of the new proposed vagrancy bylaw It’s better than nothing.

No income people are coming here from all over expecting food and housing and hanging out in our downtown Why should P.G. be on the hook to look after people from other cities? There are people that have to make a living to survive and pay taxes to keep things going, like our hospital. What about our new pool? With this problem around it , will people feel safe going to it?

I wonder if the Together We Stand group has a solution that’s good for everyone?

I wonder if they could do a survey to see where all the needy people are coming from?

Could the old Government building, which is now the Native Friendship Centre, could it not be used to house some of the people as it’s a huge Building with a kitchen and lots of bathrooms? Just a thought. I do agree we are in a crisis. There is a saying if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

Throwing stones at our city council that is trying to make everyone happy is not a solution

Helen Robertson, Prince George

Together, we should stand to save our downtown from becoming a total slum that no one wants to shop in or work in. How can business survive with the condition it’s in and a business was just burned down?

CMoving beyond simplistic stories GUEST COLUMN

anada Day is again upon us. As the Canadian government describes, it is traditionally “a day of celebration” in which Canadians gather to “show their pride in their history, culture and achievements.”

Of course, the recent discovery of mass graves of Indigenous children buried at the Kamloops Residential School, and subsequently other sites across the country, raises questions about the genocidal violence underpinning Canadian history, culture, and achievements.

In the wake of these events, a number of cities in British Columbia have decided to cancel Canada Day festivities. Victoria City Council unanimously decided to cancel its planned Canada Day programming. In a statement to the media, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, explained they wanted to create space for grieving and reflection as “First Nations mourn and in light of the challenging moment we are in as a Canadian nation.” Subsequently, Penticton and Port Hardy also determined it was appropriate to suspend celebration of Canadian national accomplishments.

This move, of course, has been controversial and subject to criticism. British Columbia Premier John Horgan discouraged municipalities from making the national holiday an opportunity for reflection and reckoning with the history of colonialism

“The 21st of June, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, would be a more appropriate time for us to collectively focus on how we can redress the wrongs of the past, and build a brighter future together,” he suggested.

However, this suggestion is incredibly problematic It reduces commemoration of Indigenous history to recognition of the “wrongs of the past,” as well as a vague “brighter future together.” Absent from these frames is the majority of Indigenous history and cultural achievements. Colo-

TYLER MCCREARY

nialism, while devastating in its effects, is only one part of Indigenous culture and history.

Portraying Indigenous peoples as simply colonialism’s victims, as Indigenous author Thomas King writes, “cuts us off from our traditions, traditions that were in place before colonialism ever became a question, traditions which have come down to through our cultures in spite of colonization.”

Conversely, bracketing colonialism as an Indigenous issue fails to recognize its centrality to Canadian nation-building. The dispossession of Indigenous societies and destruction of Indigenous families is not simply a tragic footnote to the otherwise heroic progress of the nation. It is foundational to Canada and it is still ongoing.

The horrors of residential schooling, while shocking to many Canadians, have long been recognized by Indigenous communities. In their very incarnation, the schools were designed to rupture Indigenous kinship relations, as captured in the infamous dictum that the aim of the schools was to “kill the Indian in the child.” Moreover, the violence of those schools towards Indigenous lifeways is a consistent broader pattern of Canadian treatment of Indigenous peoples.

In the North, provincial development was literally powered by the violent displacement of Indigenous communities, as exemplified by the Kemano Project in the 1950s, which blocked the flow of the upper Nechako River to power industrial development.

Dakelh communities were not consulted about the project and only notified as the reservoir began to fill Unable to prepare

for flooding, Cheslatta community members abandoned their homes, displaced to refugee camps south of Francois Lake. The rising waters unearthed community graves, literally leaving the bodies of their ancestors adrift in shifting currents of colonial modernity

This pattern was repeated with the 1968 creation by BC Hydro of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River. The flooding displaced Tsay Keh Dene, Kwadacha, and McLeod Lake.

Both the dams not only flooded communities but also devastated local Indigenous lifeways. Fisheries officials and the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission raised concerns that the Kemano Project would devastate local salmon; nevertheless, provincial authorities approved it The restriction of Nechako flows devastated fisheries for Dakelh communities, cutting off access to traditional lifeways in the name of development. On the Peace, historian Tina Loo has documented a 300 per cent increase in Indigenous social assistance rates following the introduction of the Bennett Dam.

These impacts endure to the present. However, British Columbians have not proactively accounted for these impacts. Indigenous peoples have been required to consistently challenge the enduring legacy of displacement.

In 2001, Kwadacha First Nation sued the government for the impact of the Bennett Dam, eventually settling for a one-time payment of $15 million alongside annual payments of approximately $1.6 million. But this is only one of many impacted communities.

The Dakelh communities impacted by the Kemano Project also struggle for justice against enduring government and corporate opposition. The communities of Saik’uz and Stellat’en have advanced a lawsuit against the company, asking the court to impose a water-flow regime that enables the restoration of the Nechako fisheries.

The ugly truths we must face

As a non-Indigenous person, I must acknowledge that I will never fully understand the inter-generational trauma caused by the residential school system and the other culturally genocidal assimilation tools used against the people indigenous to these lands.

This fact was seared onto my soul years ago spent in the company of survivors and their families at a healing camp on the grounds of a former residential school at Lower Post in the northwest quadrant of British Columbia just below the Yukon border. In the course of its work, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission supported many such gatherings across the country.

There I sat in the healing circle flanked by others invited to bear witness to the telling of truth and the sharing of deep, unimaginable pain. Each of us represented an

institution: the Civil Service, the Clergy, the RCMP and me, BC’s Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation at the time.

We held tiny bundles wrapped in cloth, a traditional symbol representing our commitment to remember what we were about to hear and to tell the story as witnesses Looking back, I doubt any one of us could ever forget.

One by one, Elders and Chiefs alike told the truth and shared their pain. I couldn’t help seeing them as the frightened, innocent little boys and little girls who had suddenly found themselves far from their homes and even farther from their own

The imposition of colonial designs for development continues. In the Northeast, Site C, another major hydroelectric project is under construction despite extensive Indigenous opposition and repeated legal challenges. While the nation locked down during the pandemic, Horgan’s government provided essential service designations that enabled dam construction to advance. Despite outbreaks among Site C workers, construction continues, again willingly risking more lives for colonial development.

The destruction of Indigenous lifeways and acceptance of Indigenous deaths is a pattern that stretches from the very origins of the country to the present. This is not an Indigenous problem; it is fundamentally a Canadian one Indigenous communities continue to reassert other ways of valuing life and kinship. For instance, as the Stellat’en fight to restore water flows, they are also reasserting their ethical relationship to salmon. They have revitalized ceremonies recognizing the seasonal return of the salmon. Similarly, Kwadacha has emphasized the importance of revitalizing the Tsek’ene language as part of the process of renewing their traditional relations to the land. The Tsek’ene language is part of a distinct conceptual apparatus that reflects different ways of relating to the world, and thus integral to processes of renewing relations with traditional territories.

Reckoning with the legacy of residential schools requires more than simply mourning historic Indigenous deaths. It requires confronting Canada’s enduring colonial present. The possibility of building a different future requires looking beyond colonial frames, remembering Indigenous practices maintain alternative forms of kinship with the world.

Tyler McCreary is an adjunct professor of the First Nations Studies at UNBC and assistant professor of geography at Florida State University. He is author of Shared Histories.

world. Then, it was time for us to respond. But how?

A voice from the chair beside me said the only thing that could be said: “I’ve lived in Canada all my life. I’ve always been proud to be Canadian But today, I am ashamed – deeply ashamed.”

Silence followed and then a grandmother spoke. “Thank you – I always thought I was the one who should feel ashamed.”

The sharing continued, the power of the truth as evidenced through tears and wails and hand holding and embraces between strangers. But it was out – the truth was out.

Over the next few days there was more pain, more anguish but also the beginnings of hope and healing. At the close of the camp, we gathered together around the sacred fire The telling of the truth had been the first step on what would be a long journey – a lifetime journey for those

wounded yet brave survivors. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission didn’t just make recommendations to governments and institutions. It spoke to all Canadians. Its findings made us all witnesses to a story that must be told It made each one of us responsible for truth and reconciliation in our own circles and throughout our own communities. But make no mistake, the truth must come first. The ugly, distasteful, unimaginable truth We must look at it and see it in the cold light of day And don’t ever say it’s too hard to look –too awful.

Those lonely, frightened, tortured, innocent victims didn’t have the choice to look away

-Mary Polak is a former BC Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. She is currently a Strategic Advisor with Maple Leaf Strategies

GUEST COLUMN

MARY POLAK

Fishing hole

Carp Lake Provincal Park covers more than 48,000 hectares, tying Carp Lake to the McLeod River.

The endless bays and islands offer anew experience each time out.

Angler’s Atlas member Kenny Donaldson wrote an excellent report for Carp Lake.

“CarpLake supports aproductive rainbow fishery for trout up to 6-plus lbs. Fly fishing, trolling and spinning all do well on this beautiful, islandstudded lake.

“The trolling method which has servedmewelliswithasmalltomedium, silver and red Willowleaf with asmall lead weightat the front, six-footleaderand amedium-sized red and white Triple Teaser, trolled 75 to 100 feet behind the boat at around 3-4 mph (vary the weight to find the depth that the fish are feeding).

“Be sure to try trolling round the sheltered sides of the islands. There is adeep bay (120 feet) at the northwest side of the lake, whichthe locals will never tell you about, that has yielded some impressive catches of limits and a minimum of 2lbs. per fish, although downrigging to the fish depth is recommended.”

Read his full post on the Carp Lake page at anglersatlas.com

LAKE ACCESS

From Prince George, head north along Highway 97 roughly 140 km to the community of McLeod Lake. The turnofftothe park is Carp

Lake Road on the left (west) side of the highway. This gravel road runs for 32 km to the park and is narrow in places. Please use caution along this road as it is also used by industrial traffic.

The park has two fully maintained campgrounds and aconcreteboat launch. Other campsites are located on three islands. They are user-maintained and provide an exceptional wilderness experience.

Golden Rule too easily ignored

July 1st is Canada Day, marking the formation of this country. But it comes with a different feel this year.

If I think about Canada as a whole, I would describe us as a people who believe in peace and well being for all. I would like to think all Canadians follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

This one rule, philosophy, point-of-view, religious edict, or whatever you would like to call it, is espoused by virtually every religion and most civil societies.

This version is the English translation from the Sermon on the Mount but it is a theme found in many different places in the Bible such as Luke 6:31 “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

It is found in Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” and in Islam: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”

Since these three are all Abrahamic religions, it is perhaps not surprising the same statement keeps appearing, albeit in different words and form Sometimes the Golden

AS I SEE IT TODD WHITCOMBE

Rule is stated in a positive form – desire for others what you desire for yourself –while others times it is in the negative – do not do to others what you would not have done to you But the sentiment in each case is the same

The Golden Rule isn’t tied to just monotheistic religions. In Hinduism, it is “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self.” In Buddhism, “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” In Jainism, “In happiness and suffering, joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.”

In Confucianism, “What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.” In Taoism, “Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.” In Zoroastrianism, “Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.”

I could go on and likely have belaboured

the point but at its heart, what makes for a good society is the fundamental question of how we treat each other How do we treat our fellow human being? How do we treat the less fortunate? How do react in times of sorrow?

I would like to believe the Canada I live in is a compassionate society where everyone is treated with respect and the least amongst us is treated the same as the greatest But I am not sure this is the case.

The term hypocrisy is used when a person’s actions belie their beliefs How can someone go to church every Sunday, claim to be a devote Christian, and then argue we need to “do something about these people (the homeless and less fortunate) downtown?”

How can we simply say “No, you can’t stay here. Move on?” Is this not the equivalent to claiming there is no room at the inn? Yet I know people who simply want the homeless to disappear from our community because it is hurting their business rather than asking “what if that was me?”

And by “othering” individuals in dire circumstances, they say “Well, I would never be in that situation. That is what happens to others but not people like me.” Except it does happen, for reasons often perversely

Stand strong, but not in judgment

We are all influenced by the environment where we grow up and by our life experiences. We thus adopt paradigms in our effort to make sense of the world around us. Sometimes these perspectives serve us well, but other times our core beliefs prevent us from seeing the truth. Yet, there is perhaps nothing more life-giving than experiencing the discovery of an ultimate truth.

By observing human behaviour in Nazi concentration camps, psychologist and Jewish prisoner Viktor Frankl came to several important conclusions. In the group of prison guards, there were some sadists, but there were also a few others who risked their own lives to save prisoners. The vast majority, however, simply went along with the cruelty Frankl also noticed that these same distinctions existed among the prisoners, though not in the same proportions. The Nazis relied heavily on prisoners called “Kapos” to keep other

LESSONS IN LEARNING

GERRY CHIDIAC

inmates in line, and they could be quite sadistic as well.

Thus, Frankl concluded that there were only two “races” of people, the decent and the indecent, and both are found in every group

This being true, how ridiculous is all of our Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, categorization of followers of any religion, political party, members of any gender, people of any nationality or ethnicity. There are good people and there are bad people in every group. There are people who live principled lives, respecting their neighbours and the environment, seeking truth, living in humility and embracing a love for all humanity. There are also people who are selfish and manipulative who, on the surface, are indistinguishable from anyone else.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Perhaps even more importantly, Frankl points out that in each of us we find the same potential for good or bad. No person is purely virtuous or evil Each one of us makes choices every day that either make the world better or lead down the path of destruction, and we don’t always know which choice leads in each direction.

This being the human condition, what can any of us do?

First of all, it is important not to judge others Each person is dealing with challenges we cannot begin to comprehend. We need to humbly ask ourselves, “If I was in that person’s situation, knowing what they know and not knowing what they do not know, would I have chosen differently?”

We can reflect on the behaviour of those who came before us, but it is far more important to ask ourselves what we can do to improve the world around us as well as ourselves. Ancient wisdom has always told us to ask, “What is the truth in this situation? What is the respectful thing to do? How can I show love and compassion for myself and my neighbour?”

beyond our control

We are blessed to live in a society that affords most of us a comfortable life. Where we are able to meet the necessities and sustain ourselves on a daily basis. But not everyone is so fortunate.

But it is not just homelessness. We are experiencing a moment in history where the ugly truth about our collective past is being revealed. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission found credible evidence for the disappearance of over 3,000 children (and likely many more) through the residential school system For this, as a nation, we are truly sorry.

Before writing a letter to the editor saying that “First Nations people just need to get over it,” consider what you would feel if it was your child who was taken from you only to never return. Would you “get over it?” Would you forgive and forget?

It is clear that even with the best of intentions, no one was following the Golden Rule Our forebearers did not treat our fellow humans as they would want to be treated. They did not do unto others

When I started writing this, I didn’t mean it to be preachy I am not a religious person. But on this Canada Day, maybe we should all reflect on how we treat others.

I

My sister-in-law worked at the school. She repeatedly told me that many students, particularly young girls, begged to remain at the school during school holidays They were afraid to go back to their homes on the reserves. They cited

rampant alcoholism, sexual abuse and incest.

Given that there will always be a small group of people who advocate for a lack of compassion, it is also vital that we courageously challenge their views. As convenient and logical as these opinions may appear, selfishness, irrational fear, greed, and disrespect for those who share the planet with us will always lead to our own demise.

What does this mean for those of us living in a world where genocide was and still is commonplace? We can be like the concentration camp guards who simply allowed the cruelty around them to continue, or we can be like the guards who maintained their humanity by embracing the humanity of others.

Viktor Frankl witnessed the very worst and the very best of people. His writings give us a clear and truthful understanding of our human paradigm.

Each of us will leave a legacy. Will our descendants be inspired by the good we have done or will they spend their lives trying to heal the wounds we have caused?

The choice is ours.

Bishop O`Grady tried to remedy a real problem. He should be remembered for that. He tried.

Bob Molland, Prince George

I realize it is the popular thing to criticize the church and residential schools right now but remember there were a lot of problems facing the children at home, too. I can sympathize with a young girl not wanting to go home to that situation

Thank YouTeachers & Support Staff Your

dedication is inspiring!

Thank you for making our classrooms safe and welcoming for the students this year. We appreciate your dedication, perseverance, and professionalism.

Enjoy your well-deserved break and we will see you next year!

There’sagood reason whytheycall Pine Valley Golf Centre “TheBestLittleCoursein TheNorth”–actually, thereare many good reasons.

Let’sstart with theeasy-to-playcourse. Theshortest hole is 97 yards, thelongest 159. Total yardagefor the18holes is acomfortable 2446.All that plus beautiful fairways andsuperb greens.Betteryet, many golfers play around in under twohours Anddon’t forget to hone your puttingstroke on the practice green, before thegame.

Pine Valley Golf Centre also has many programs to fitall golfers.TuesdayisMen’s night,Wednesday and Thursday areWomen’s nights. Plus there’sa specialprice forthose 55+. Seniors whoplayMondaytoFridaybefore 3pmpay only $19 fora full round. And if youdon’t feel like walking thecourse, you canalwaysrenta powercart.

Let’snot forgetabout thejuniors.PineValley Golf Centre has agreat juniorgolfcampprogram. This summer in threeseparatecamps, 110 kids aged 6-15 will be learning thegameoverthree days. It’s become so popularthatanadditionalcampwas addedjust to accommodatethe demand

Andyou can’tbeatthe location.PineValley Golf Centre is situated next to CostcoonHwy 16 West so it’s easy to getto.

Fantastic par-3course, lowgreen fees, greatlocation,programsfor all ages –nowonder it’s known as TheBestLittleCoursein TheNorth

HORO SC OPES &P UZ ZLES

ACROSS

Pretends

Mall division

Always

In truth

It takes two to

Track down

Valuable dirt

Channels

Little rascal

and crossbones

Slime

Orange skin

Soda type

Marched

Darns 27. Pesters 28. List of dishes

Verse composition

Nibble 34. Oyster find 36. Unpaid

39. Secondhand 42. Complains

Honk 47. Forget

Fish story 49. House annexes

Relax

Curtain holder 52. Dumbfound

Lodging

Comic DeLuise

Empty inside

Leg hinge

Depicted

Poison

Fleecy one

One who loves too much

Train’s highway

Have title to

Game on horseback

Metallic element 32. Folk legends 33. Unlock again

Ice mass, for short

Elected

Sound quality

Swiftness

Strike lightly

Vinegar’s mate 11. Intrude

PUZZLE NO.824

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every3x3 box contains the numbers 1through 9only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlinedwith adarker line. You already have afew numberstoget you started. Remember: you must not repeatthe numbers 1through 9inthe same line, columnor3x3 box.

CL ASSIF IEDS

I miss your faces, I miss your smiles I wish I could see you once in a while. I miss your laughs; I miss your love I hope you are watching with pride from above. I miss so much not having you here, guiding me in life and having you near. I miss you, Mom; I miss you, Dad, Forever in my heart with the memories we had. Sadly missed & lovingly remembered Always.

REMEMBRANCES

I thought of you yesterday but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too.

I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. Now all I have are memories, and your picture in a frame. Your memory is my keepsake, with which I’ll never part. God has you in his keeping, I have you in my heart.

25 years without you, and still my love remains.

Memoriam

Memoriam

Memoriam

Loving Memory

In loving memory Larry Holdner

Rose

In loving memory of Carole Anita Lawrence 1939-2019

If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane

walk to Heaven

TO EWS, Harlin Maurice 1933 - 2021

Harlin Maurice Toews of Vernon, BC, passed away peacefully at the age of 88 on the 17th of June, 2021.

Born in Swift Current, Sask, he was a CN Rail locomotive engineer for 35 years

He is sur vived by his loving wife of 67 years, Laura Toews, and children - Jim Toews (Barb) and Cari Toews; by 4 grandchildren and 5 greatgrandchildren.

Well known for his teasing, his love of golf, and being an avid gardener.

In Lieu of flowers, please donate to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Arrangements in care of Pleasant Valley Funeral Home Vernon, B.C. 250-542-4333

May 7, 1940 - June 15, 2021

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Elizabeth Tatar (nee Kovacs) at the age of 81 on June 15, 2021. She is survived by her son Richard (Lisa), daughter in law Georgia, Grandchildren Jonathan (Megan), Angela, Tavis, Daunte, Mataya, 8 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. She will be greatly missed by her dear friend of 40 years, Maria - as well as so many other family and friends. She is predeceased by her son Tibor, daughter Ildiko, sisters Julie & Helen and grandson Joel. She was a beautiful, loving woman who cared deeply for so many; she will be missed by all who knew her. At Elizabeth’s request no service will be held; in lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Prince George Hospice Society.

Love Each Other

Hazel Myrtle Garden

1929 - 2021

Hazel passed away peacefully at the Rotary Hospice on May 26 in Prince George, BC.

She was predeceased by her husband Gerald in 2004, parents Herbert and Jenny Sproule, siblings Dorothy Mather and her husband Bill, Joyce Arnold and her husband Miller, Shirley Sproule, and brother-in-law Lloyd Rustig.

Hazel is survived by her sister Ila Rustig, brother Bob (Cheryl) Sproule, numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

Hazel was very kind and compassionate and she enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She blessed us all with her beautiful smile and she will be dearly missed.

A small graveside service will be held at the Prince George Memorial Park Cemetery on July 2nd, 2021 at 11:00am for family and close friends (due to COVID-19 we are limited to maximum 50 people). Father John Garden officiating.

HOOGEVEENRobert Joseph (Rob)

December 10, 1967June 24, 2021

It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our amazing husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and good friend, Rob Hoogeveen. He was predeceased by his mom Beverly, uncle Ben, grandparents Bert and Ann Hoogeveen, grandparents Garnet and Hazel Schmelzel, sister-in-law Kolleen and cousin David. He is survived by his loving wife Tracey, children Emma and Logan, father Joe (Birthe), brother Calvin, many nieces and nephews as well as numerous other family members on both sides.

Rob loved to cheer on Logan at his hockey games and watch Emma in her many plays. He was an avid fisherman who just loved to rub it in to his dad about catching the biggest fish. Rob and the kids loved to spend their summers at Nithi resort on Francois Lake. Rob and Tracey were looking forward to spending their golden years together travelling around their beautiful country.

We are going to miss you with all of our hearts including your fur babies Harper and Chloe xoxo

A service of remembrance will be held at 11:00am on July 9th, 2021 at Assman’s Funeral Chapel at 1908 Queensway Street, Prince George, BC.

Gordon Petrisor 1936-2021

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Gordon Petrisor. He passed away , surrounded by family on Friday, June 18, 2021, at the age of 85, in Prince George, British Columbia. He is survived by his children Caroline, Gregory (Sarah), Kathryn, Daniel (Amanda) and Corinne, as well as his grandchildren Vanessa, Tirzah, Sianne, Milo, Hailey and Sidney. He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by all who knew him.

ELLIS - Isabelle Diana (Diane) (nee Delaney)

May 17, 1941 - June 16, 2021

It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to our beloved mother, nana, sister, auntie - Diane. She was predeceased by the love of her life Stanley, father Joe, mother Pearl, sister Susan, father in law Stanley Sr. and mother in law Emilie. Survived by her loving children Sherry (Harold), Wendy (Rhett), Kevin, Tracey (Rob); grandchildren Keah (Andreaw), Jordan (Kelsey), Tallon, Zachary, Emma & Logan; great grandchildren Emery, Ryker, Chloe, Coby, Emilie & Holden; loving sister Deborah (Ed), loving brother Dale (Tammy) and many nieces, nephews as well as family members on Dad’s side.

Mom passed away with family by her side as she left to join her beloved Stanley once again. She was a housewife and mother for many years before she and dad started their home business of DeeDee’s Catering. She then started working with Bino’s as a cook and finished out her career with Ricky’s Restaurant. Once mom retired, she “completely” retired, she said she was done with cooking! Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends which included dining out at her favorite haunts with her dearest friends Sharron and Leona.

A celebration of life will be planned at a future date and information will be shared with family and friends.

Elizabeth Tatar (nee Kovacs)

Announcements

Do you have a disability and a hard time accessing the internet? Neil Squire wants to help bridge the digital divide.

our 5 Minute Survey: call 1-888-802-2233 or visit: www.neilsquire.ca/survey

Toys/Games/Puzzles

Alot

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

Bedroom/Bedding

Job duties

HEAVY- DUT Y EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN

Decker Lake Forest Produc ts Burns Lake, British Columbia

The Technician per forms some or all of the following duties:

• Check bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy construction, for proper per formance and inspect equipment to detect faults and malfunctions

• Diagnose faults or malfunctions using computerized and other testing equipment to determine extent of repair required

• Adjust equipment and repair or replace defective parts, components or systems, using hand and power tools

• Test repaired equipment for proper performance and to ensure that work meets manufacturers’ specifications

• Clean, lubricate and per form other routine maintenance work on equipment

• Service attachments and working tools such as harvesting and tillage equipment, blades, ploughs, winches and side booms

• May perform repair work on heavy trucks

• May attach components and adjust new acquired equipment.

• The Technician may also specialize in specific types of machiner y, or in engine Responsibilities:

• Test repairs for proper performance and ensure the work meets manufacturer ’s specifications and legislated regulations

• Repair and replace defective parts and components on all machinery, equipment, hand tools, and power tools.

• Read and understand operating manuals, blueprints and drawings

• Perform daily routine maintenance on machiner y and equipment including cleaning and lubrication

• Complete all duties in accordance with Company health and safety regulations.

• Work independently and collaboratively with other members to achieve common objectives.

Requirements:

• Experience working with all brands of heavy-duty equipment

• Valid class 1 driver ’s license

• 5 years experience with diesel engines, hydraulics, electrical, and air brake systems

• Must have a Red Seal certification

• Ability to lift and carry heavy objects: minimum 50 lbs.

• Strong analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills.

• Must be able to take direction from super visors and work with minimal super vision.

• Good command of oral and written English

To apply to this position please contact: Justin Dechamplain Resumes can be dropped off to the Decker Lake Forest Products office: 10345 Lewis Road Or emailed to justindechamplain@hamptonlumber.com

Kitselas

Development Corporation (KDC )

JOB POSTING

Chief Exec utive O fficer (CEO)

As a visionar y, the Chief Executive O fficer (CEO) is direc tly responsible for the health and per formance of the organization, the success of its operations, and strategic planning. Internally, the CEO will focus on the ongoing improvement of the organizations business model to ensure maximum produc tivit y and revenue Ex ternally, the CEO will establish key long-term relationships with business par tners that enhance the organizations profit abilit y and market position. This individual will also provide financial leadership by managing budgets and monitoring long-term strategic fiscal plans A competitive remuneration pack age will commemorate with experience and suitabilit y. If you’re interested in applying, please email your resume and coverletter (in PDF file format) to the Board Chair : c.carlick@k itselasdlp.ca

Deadline for Application: July 9th, 2021

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

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:

• Co-ordinate purchase of raw material to meet mill requirements

• Co-ordinate shipments of finished products to existing customers.

• Work with Mill Manager to ensure optimal inventories are maintained.

• Communicate with customers to ensure their needs are being met.

Preference will be given for persons:

• Who have an understanding of sawmill operations familiarity with lumber grades and sizes

• Good computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Excel.

Successful candidate will possess the following qualities:

• 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

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.

How to write a classified ad that works.

Writing an effective classified ad is easy when you use these time-tested principles.

Writing an effective classified ad is easy when you use these time-tested principles.

• Use a keyword. Start your ad with the item for sale, ser vice offered or the job title.

• Use a keyword. Start your ad with the item for sale, ser vice offered or the job title.

• Be descriptive. Give customers a reason to respond. Advertisers have found that the more information you provide, the better the response.

• Be descriptive. Give customers a reason to respond. Advertisers have found that the more information you provide, the better the response.

• Limit abbreviations. Use only standard abbreviations to avoid confusion and misinterpretations.

• Limit abbreviations. Use only standard abbreviations to avoid confusion and misinterpretations.

• Include price. Always include price of the item for sale.

• Include price. Always include price of the item for sale.

• How to respond. Always include a phone number (with area code) and/or street and email address.

• How to respond. Always include a phone number (with area code) and/or street and email address.

To place your ad call: 604-630-3300

To advertise, call 250-562-6666 or email cls@pgcitizen.ca

To place your ad call: 604-630-3300

Bring your houseplants outside this summer

This summer, consider bringing your houseplants outdoors. Doing so will enhance the appearance of your garden and provideyourplantswithmorelighttogrow

In particular, cacti, spurges and succulents will benefit from time spent outside. You can transplant them into flower beds orarrangetheminpots.

Hanging plants such as ivy, pothos and spider plants are a great way to adorn a pergolaorgazebo.Ifyouhavelargepotted plants, use them as accent pieces for your deckorpatiodecor

GIVE THEM TIME TO ADAPT

Remember that your plants need time to acclimate to outdoor weather conditions before being exposed to the elements full time. Start by placing them outside for a

few hours a day Make sure the temperature is above 12 C and that they’re protectedfromwind,rainanddirectsunlight.

Gradually, you can increase the time your plants spend outdoors. This process should take about two weeks. However, be sure to wait until overnight temperatures remain above 12 C before you leave your plantsoutsidefortherestoftheseason.

PLANT INSPECTION

Beforeyoubringyourhouseplants backinside,checkthemthoroughly forbugs.Showertheminwarmwater, including the underside of the leaves,towashawayanyunwanted pests.Ifnecessary,repotyourplants priortobringingthemindoors.

Make your yard a paradise for pollinators

Habitat loss is one of the main causes of decline in the population of bumblebees and other pollinators. If you want to help protect these vital species, consider growing nectar plants in your yard. This willprovideafoodsource for the insects and birds that pollinate your community’s gardens, orchards andfields.

CHOOSING PLANTS

Therearemanykindsoffloweringspecies that can beautify your yard while also creating an inviting space for pollinators. Sunflowers, anemones, goldenrods, echinacea and hydrangeas are all great picks. Pollinators are attracted to a number of annuals as well, including borage, centaury and cosmos.

Ifyouprefertogrowfood in your garden, consider planting aromatic herbs like oregano, sage and thyme. Fruit trees and plants,suchasapple,blueberry and strawberry are a good source of nectar in spring.

ADDITIONAL ADVICE

If you want to attract pol-

linatorstoyouryard,besureto:

•Grownectarplantsinareasthatare shelteredfromthewind

•Includewhiteflowersinyourgarden toattractnocturnalpollinators

•Provideasourceofwatersuchasa smallfountainorbirdbath

•Avoidweedingdandelions,clovers andivy;they’rerichinnectar

•Plantspecieswithvariedbloomtimes soyouhaveflowersfromspringtofall By following these tips, you’re sure to create a welcoming environment for all kinds of pollinators.

GO FOR GOLD.

4 things to consider when choosing a shower

Ifyouneedtoinstallanewshowerinyour bathroom,thedimensionsoftheareawhere you’llplaceitareakeyconsideration.Here areseveralotherthingstothinkaboutwhen makingapurchasedecision.

1. TYPE

There are several kinds of showers to choosefrom,including:

• One-piece showers. They’re watertight andaffordablebutalittlebulky.

• Modular showers. These are suitable for mostbathroomsbutdifficulttomaintain.

• Traditional shower cabins. They’re affordableandcompactbututilitarian.

• Tiled showers. They’re beautiful and durable butalittlepricey

•Adaptedshowers.Thesearespaciousand accessiblebutdifficulttoinstall.

2. MATERIAL

Whenitcomestomaterials,youcanchoose from:

•ABSplastic It’slightweightbutdifficultto maintain.

• Acrylic It’s esthetically pleasing but scratcheseasily.

• Fibreglass. It’s affordable but prone to cracking.

• Polymer. It’s easy to install but not very durable.

• Tempered glass. It’s scratch-resistant but heavy

It’s up to you to determine your needs and findthebestvalueforyourmoney

3. DOOR

When it comes to shower doors, each type hasitsprosandcons Optionsinclude:

• Sliding doors. They’re space-saving but difficulttoclean.

• Pivoting doors They’re versatile but pronetoleaks

• Swinging doors They’re roomy but requiremoremaintenance.

It’s important to decide which features are most important to you before making your choice.

4. ACCESSORIES

Faucets are available in a variety of styles and materials including chrome, stainless steelandbrushednickel.Inaddition,when itcomestoshowerheads,youcanoptfora fixed, handheld, high-pressure, rainfall or bodyjetsystem.

Ifyoutakethetimetoweighyouroptions, you’llbeabletocreateashowerthatmeets yourneeds.

5 living room design tips

Your living room is one of the most importantroomsinyourhome.It’swhereyouentertainguests,read,watchmoviesandmore. Here are a few tips for making your living roombothstylishandfunctional.

1. POSITION THE COUCH

Sinceit’slikelythebiggestpieceoffurniture in your living room, you should position yourcouchfirst.Iftheroomissmall,pushit up against the wall to create more space. However, if you have an open-concept home, pull the couch into the middle of the spacetocreateadistinctlivingarea.

2. SET UP THE TV

Your television should be visible from the sitting area. However, don’tplaceitinfrontof a window, as viewing will likely be impacted byglare

3. ADD AN AREA RUG

Ontopofbeingcomfortableandstylish,anarea rugcanhelpsoundproof your living room. As a rule of thumb, it should fit under all pieces of furniture in the sitting area.

4. OPTIMIZE THE LIGHTING

Since your living room is a multifunctional space, getting the lighting right can be a chal-

lenge.Thebestapproachistoincorporatea combination of overhead, accent and task lights. In addition, installing dimmer switcheswillallowyoutoadjusttheambienceas needed.

5. CHOOSE COMPLEMENTARY FURNITURE

You should choose furniture that complements the space. For example, bulky furniturecaneasilymakeasmalllivingroomfeel crowded.However,investinginagoodcoffeetableandstylishentertainmentunitarea must.

Giventhatyouprobablyspendalotoftimein yourlivingroom,it’sworthmakingtheeffort toensureit’sascomfortableaspossible.