Prince George Citizen August 26, 2021

Senior hit with CERB snafu

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

With two days notice, Peter Fletcher was slammed by the fact he would not be getting the guaranteed income supplement he usually did to round up his CPP and old age security pension this year because he accessed the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) for caregivers last year Fletcher, who recently moved to Prince George from Ontario where he looked after his aging cancer-ridden landlady, said he needed the money for the added expenses that came with making sure his landlady was safe when she went to her many medical appointments and treatments She also had mobility issues he would even help with her errands including trips to the grocery store.

He knew he’d have to pay the benefit back but what he didn’t know was that it would affect his annual income, making him ineligible for the guaranteed income supplement (GIS) the following year

“When the application had been done on the phone it was never indicated I would have to give up the guaranteed income supplement,” Fletcher said. “It did indicate I would pay it back and I acknowledge that.”

When he applied for the CERB, the information that was provided to him was that he wouldn’t have to pay penalties or interest when it was time to repay the sum he took of $14,000 over several months. A follow-up letter confirmed that information

But that information was not accurate.

“When I got the assessment in the mail it indicated I needed to pay interest,” Fletcher said. “I thought everything was going fine. I made arrangements with CRA (Can-

ada Revenue Agency) to pay on a monthly basis then eight weeks later I get the letter from Service Canada indicating that my GIS is being declined due to the fact that I had a higher income, which was the $14,000.”

Fletcher decided to see if he could change this outcome and made an in-person visit to the local Service Canada office but was told their policies were set and

they would not sway from them.

“At this time nothing has developed in my favour,” Fletcher said. “CRA has acknowledged they would give me a leeway of 90 days that I negotiated with them but I don’t have that money now.”

He is currently paying only the interest back because that’s all he can afford. He needed the guaranteed income supple-

ment to help pay back the CERB

“It’s $355 a month - you get two days notice, which is ridiculous,” Fletcher said. “If that was going to happen they should have sent a letter out to everybody indicating there was going to be a supplement change but it was an immediate change and I don’t think that was fair at all.”

That’s when Fletcher visited the offices of the local MP to try to get some help.

He’s received lots of support, taken all the action recommended to him including sending a form letter that was acknowledged by Service Canada with another letter soon to be sent off to Revenue Canada but nothing has changed as yet.

He’s still working on it and he said he knows he’s not alone and wanted to bring attention to the plight of those who are in similar circumstances.

“This is a dramatic amount of money (the guaranteed income supplement) - my only other income is the CPP and old age security,” Fletcher said.

Ultimately, Fletcher is hoping to get his GIS back so he can pay off the CERB, he added.

He believes the government in their effort to help those in need were too quick to act and didn’t think the whole thing through

“I think the government has to offer some leeway to alleviate the situation,” Fletcher said. “They’ve extended the time for repayment but the situation needs to be addressed for not only me but for all Canadian seniors’ immediate needs.”

cdalgleish@pgcitizen.ca

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

Peter Fletcher has lost his guaranteed income supplement because he took the CERB last year.

WHAT:

CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS

City Council consideration of applications:

•TemporaryUse Permit Application No. TU000071

•“City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment BylawNo. 9196, 2021”

WHEN:

6:00 p.m., Monday, August 30, 2021

WHERE:

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

PROPOSALS:

1. TemporaryUse Permit No. TU000071

Applicant: Robin Thibault

Subject Property: 8997 Buckingham Road

The purpose of this application is to allow the subject property located at 8997 Buckingham Road to be used as awedding ceremonyvenue. The applicant has applied for aTemporaryUse Permit to allow for “Exhibition &Convention Facility” as a permitted use on the subject property

The subject property is currently zoned AR2: Rural Residential which does not permit “Exhibition &Convention Facility” as aprincipal use. In accordance with the Local Government Act,temporaryuse permits can allow ause not permitted by azoning bylaw. These permits mayonly be issued for amaximum of three (3) yearsand maybe renewedonce for an additional three (3) years.

The proposed TemporaryUse Permit applies to the property legally described as Lot 2, Block 20, District Lot 1593, Cariboo District, Plan 1385, as shown outlined in bold black on Location Map #1 below

Location Map #1

8997 Buckingham Road

2. “City of Prince George Zoning BylawNo. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9196, 2021”

Applicant: JagdevGill

Subject Property: 2709 Petersen Road

BylawNo. 9196, 2021 proposes to rezone the subject property from RS1: Suburban Residential to RS2: Single Residential, as shown on Appendix “A”toBylawNo. 9196, 2021.

The purpose of this application is to facilitate afuture subdivision to create one (1) additional lot on the subject property,orother uses, pursuant to the proposed RS2: Single Residential zoning designation(s).

The proposed Bylawapplies to the property legally described as Lot 2, District Lot 753, Cariboo District, Plan 9785, as shown outlined bold black on Location Map #2 below

Location Map #2

2709 Petersen Road

HOWCAN IPROVIDE COMMENT?

Residents are invited to provide comment in writing

As aresult of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council at their meeting held April 6, 2020, passed aresolution to discontinue informal hearings for TemporaryUse Permits and all other applications where such hearings are not legally required to be held.

Pursuant to Section 464(2) of the Local Government Act,City Council has waived the requirements for aPublic Hearing to be held respecting proposed Zoning Amendment BylawNo. 9196, 2021 during the Regular Council Meeting held Monday, July 26, 2021.

Submissions

in writing

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

Forsubmissions to be included on the agenda for Council’sreviewinadvance of the meeting date, theymust be received by the Corporate Officer no later than 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 24, 2021.Submissions received after the noted deadline and before 3:00 p.m., Monday, August 30, 2021,will be provided to Council on the dayofthe meeting for their consideration during deliberations on the application.

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

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

Authority

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

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

Acopyofthe proposed Bylaw, permit applications and anyrelated documents will be available for reviewbythe public on the City’swebsite www.princegeorge.ca under ‘News and Notices’ beginning Wednesday, August 18, 2021.These documents may also be reviewedatthe Development Services Department on the 2nd Floor of City Hall on August 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 30, 2021,between the hoursof 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WHO CAN ISPEAK TO?

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

ADVOCATE BLAMES GOVERNMENT FOR INCOME ISSUE

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

For the BC Seniors’ Advocate Isobel Mackenzie, the situation that local senior

Peter Fletcher finds himself in as he took advantage of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) last year is nothing new.

Fletcher came to find out his 2020 income exceeded the limit that now denies him access to the guaranteed income supplement that he relies upon to round up his income from his Canada Pension Plan and old age security pension leaving him struggling to not only make ends meet but also to pay back the $14,000 in benefits he owes.

“I am very sympathetic to the GIS recipients,” Mackenzie said. “I’ve had a conversation with Ottawa about this and I am still hoping it will be resolved. When you look at it on the surface it is unfair - that is certainly one description - and inconsistent with the overarching policy and people who were receiving the GIS legitimately did not expect the full amount of their CERB payment to be deducted.”

The way it normally works is that a person applying for GIS is allowed to earn up to $5,000 of taxable income a year and not have it impact the GIS, Mackenzie added.

After that $5,000, a person can earn $10,000 more and 50 per cent of that is discounted.

B.C. Seniors’ Advocate Isobel Mackenzie is seen here at a Prince George town hall meeting held in 2016 at the library.

When visiting the GIS website, it clearly states that Employment Insurance money is not eligible for the exemption.

“But people didn’t apply for Employment Insurance they applied for CERB and when they applied for CERB, a taxable income, it was not unreasonable for the person to think they still had the $5,000 taxable income exemption,” Mackenzie said. “So

VOLUNTEER FOR THE CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE

The City is seeking the expertise of residents interested in serving on the Prince George Public LibraryBoard

The Board meets monthly and is responsible for providing libraryservices and programs in Prince George. Their workincludes the creation of policies, establishing goals and objectives of the library, and advocating for the libraryinthe greater community

The City is accepting applications to fill one (1) vacancy for the remainder of atermending November 30, 2022.

Involvement with council committees, commissions, and boards provides residents the opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of our municipality and to provide input on important civic issues.

All applicants to the Prince George Public LibraryBoard are required to undergo aCriminal Records Check. Information on the LibraryBoard, application forms and details on the application process and Criminal Record Checks are available on the City’swebsite or may be picked up from the Legislative Services Division, 5th Floor City Hall.

Deadline for Applications: 5:00 p.m., Friday, September 10, 2021

Applications maybecompleted and submitted online (princegeorge.ca/committees), delivered to the Legislative Services Division, 5th Floor City Hall, at the address below, emailed to cityclerk@princegeorge.ca, or faxed to (250) 561-0183.

Forany questions or to have an application formmailed to you, please contact the Legislative Services Division at (250) 561-7655 or cityclerk@princegeorge.ca.

when July 1 came along people realized they are worse off now than if they had not collected CERB.”

How would people know CERB would not meet the criteria for the deduction?

“It wasn’t explicit on the CERB website and the response was it was stated on the

GIS website - but they weren’t applying for GIS, they were applying for CERB,” Mackenzie pointed out.

“So fair enough - if I applied for GIS in the same year I applied for CERB then on the website for GIS it says CERB is not exemptbut that’s not who we’re talking about here - we’re talking about people who have been collecting GIS and have no reason to go back to the GIS website - they’re looking at the CERB website and they’re not seeing if you’re on the guaranteed income supplement this will not quality for exemption. And I think the key here is that it was taxable income and when you think about the exemption it’s taxable income.”

The calls the Seniors’ Advocate office is getting are from people whose GIS is drastically reduced or completely kicked off it, Mackenzie said.

And with the result of not getting any GIS comes other consequences because then a person is not eligible for some of the perks that come along with GIS like an annual bus pass, Mackenzie added as an example. Mackenzie said she had a letter ready to send to the Minister for Seniors but there wasn’t one to send it to.

“So that gives you an idea of OK, for the next 30 days or so there isn’t going to be a change,” Mackenzie said “This perhaps gives people an opportunity to raise the topic in all-candidates meetings in the context of the election forum.”

cdalgleish@pgcitizen.ca

StartingSeptember1,2021

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

ELECTION 2021

Frizzell flying Liberal flag in Cariboo-P.G.

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

Long-time Prince George city councillor Garth Frizzell announced he will be running for the Liberal Party in the Cariboo-Prince George election.

Frizzell announced his candidacy during a press conference at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park

Frizzell said he believes the top issue in this election is the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Liberals are the best party to lead Canada through it “We’ve got to deal with pandemic recovery. The economy is going to be so critical for us,” Frizzell said.

“I’ve been talking to all the parties over this past year. I was talking to (Conservative Party leader Erin) O’Toole, to (NDP leader Jagmeet) Singh… and the prime minister They (the Liberals) listened and got it done.”

Frizzell said he understands it will be a challenge winning over voters in the traditionally Conservative riding, but it’s time Cariboo-Prince George has a seat at the table, instead of an opposition MP in the backbenches.

“I know it is an uphill battle. They (the Conservatives) have a well-funded ma-

Longtime Prince George city councillor Garth Frizzell is running for the Liberal Party in the Cariboo-Prince George election

chine,” he said “(But) we’ve been in opposition for years. And, by all accounts, it looks like the Conservatives will be opposition again.”

Frizzell said while he has strong connections and deep roots in Prince George, he’ll have to work to make those connections in the rest of the riding.

Frizzell has served on Prince George city

council since 2008 and currently teaches technology, business and economics courses at the College of New Caledonia. He previously founded and co-owned a local software company in the city and is a former president of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.

As a city councillor, he’s served as the chairperson of the city’s Standing Committee on Finance and Audit since 2014.

He has also spent 11 years on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and in 2020 became the first Prince George councillor to serve as president of the federal advocacy group.

Frizzell grew up in Sechelt, B.C.

He moved to Prince George in 1996 while working on obtaining his masters degree in international studies from UNBC.

He and his wife Sue have three children.

Frizzell is running against incumbent Conservative MP Todd Doherty and NDP candidate Audrey McKinnon.

Voters will head to the polls on Sept. 20.

“The issues that are talked about (nationally) are the issues in Cariboo-Prince George,” he said. “We can’t be some out of the way riding, or one that is just (ignored because it is) rural.”

SEWAGE FLOOD VICTIMS WIN LAWSUIT

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A B.C Supreme Court Justice has ordered the Cariboo Regional District to pay a Wildwood-area couple $77,000 in damages and to bring their property back to the state it was in before it was twice struck by overflow from a nearby sewage line.

Bawnie and David Ward had been in the process of taking the CRD to court over a March 2015 flood when, according to the findings of Justice Matthew Taylor, they were hit by another surge in April 2020.

The first had sent an estimated 223,000 litres (49,000 gallons) of the sludge onto the property and denied the Wards use of about two-thirds of their 2.4 hectare (six acre) rural property,

While the volume in 2020 was less, it was still substantial, according to Taylor The Wards had to sell off many of their animals because the pasture and two ponds on the property had been rendered too toxic.

The Wards’ property is at the lowest point in a six-kilometre system that serves 192 homes in the area near Williams Lake and relies on gravity to collect raw sewage and send it to a lift station which pumps it into lagoons. The line passes along an easement through the property where there is an above-ground manhole.

The Wards also donated land to the CRD for construction in 2014 of a new lift station adjacent to the property

The 2015 flood occurred when a windstorm caused a power outage leaving the

lift station without electricity for several hours and at a time when the backup diesel generator had been out of service for a few weeks due to a broken coupling that had not been replaced. Due to the spring melt, the system was also dealing with high water flow and eventually backed up.

Effluent flowed out of the manhole and into the basement of the Wards’ home and over a large portion of the pasture for the next several hours. The CRD sent in vacuum trucks to the lift station and as long as they were pumping, the flow stopped but would resume again once a truck was full and had to be replaced with another one.

But in the aftermath, the CRD took no action to clean up the mess, asserting instead that exposure to sunlight would be enough

to decontaminate the property and that subsequent soil testing showed as much

Taylor disagreed, noting an expert witness called by the CRD found the testing was done incorrectly

On remediating the site, Taylor set out a checklist of the steps the CRD must take, starting with hiring an engineering firm acceptable to both parties. Taylor also set a August 15, 2022 deadline to have the work completed.

As for the $77,000, Taylor awarded $35,000 for damages related to the loss of use of the property and the smell, $30,000 was for the estimated reduction in the property’s value and $12,000 for the cost of the hay the Wards had to buy to feed their livestock in lieu of the loss of pasture

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

ELECTION 2021

Poverty inspired McKinnon’s candidacy

HANNA PETERSEN

It’s the first time Audrey McKinnon has run in a federal election and she’s excited to take on the challenge.

The former CBC reporter, now in communications, is running as the NDP candidate for Cariboo-Prince George against Conservative incumbent Todd Doherty in the upcoming Sept 20 federal election

McKinnon says she’s been gearing up to run for the NDP for over a year and is motivated by her experience living in poverty as a single parent to her son.

“That was just a really hard time and I received a lot of help during that time from people in different ways. Sometimes emotional, sometimes monetary. There were just lots of people who helped in day-today things that kind of got me out of that situation and helped me get onto my feet,” said McKinnon.

“I always thought my job, at that time, was to work my way out of poverty and get to a place of stability and then to pay it forward. When I was approached about whether I would consider running at some point I thought this is the perfect opportunity to do that.”

McKinnon says her experiences give her an inherent understanding of poverty and about what people really need.

their bodies and their minds.

“And always top-of-mind to me is the drug crisis. Northern Health has highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the province and thousands of people are dying preventable deaths right now,” said McKinnon.

“The solutions are obvious that we need to get safe supply and we need to fully implement a safe supply. That means decriminalization of simple possession and we need to address poverty because they’re inextricably linked.”

Although she announced her candidacy long before the Liberals called the fall election on Aug. 15, McKinnon still doesn’t think it’s the right time for an election

She says some of the key issues she wants to focus on, in no particular order, are climate change, affordability and the opioid crisis

“We’ve had such a brutal summer of wildfires and people have lost their homes, their communities, their lives, and this is

“Having lived it, I know that there are a lot of invisible barriers that a lot of people who haven’t experienced it just wouldn’t even consider to be an issue or something to even think about. So, I think that’s going to be really important when thinking about policies.”

Longley NDP candidate for PGPeace River-Northern Rockies

GLACIER MEDIA

Cory Longley has been confirmed as the NDP candidate in Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.

The Dawson Creek plumber says he’s looking to shake things up in what he calls a “vanity election” set for Sept. 20.

“It’s all about possibilities and being ready for better And I’m not seeing that from our current MP,” said Longley.

Incumbent Conservative MP Bob Zimmer is running for his fourth term and is also being challenged by Maverick Party candidate Dave Jeffers. Catharine Kendall is listed as the candidate for the Greens and ran for the party in the 2019 election. A Liberal candidate has not been named.

Longley said election is badly timed and the Liberal government is out of touch with the country.

“I think it’s a joke. This guy, this prime minister we have right now, did not have to call this election,” said Longley. “This is a vanity election.”

Healthcare and care for all remains top of mind, said Longley, noting he’s concerned residents are not getting their needs met.

“One of the biggest issues we face in smaller communities in the North here is the availability of doctors and nurses,” he said. “Why has there not been stronger communication between our MP and the provincial government? Where’s the lead-

ership? I’m not seeing it.”

Longley said the failings he sees can be chalked up to a lack of imagination and unwillingness to work together with opposing parties as a coalition. He said minority governments suit Canada best, and hopes the NDP can take the opposition seat again in the House of Commons.

“I’m under no illusions. I don’t think the NDP is going to get a majority government this election, all we want is a strong opposition,” he said “I want people to vote with their conscience, I don’t want people to be wasting their votes on compromised votes.” Election day goes Sept. 20.

the impact of inaction from our current government and leaders over many years,” said McKinnon.

When speaking about affordability, McKinnon referenced a number of social supports advocated for by the NDP

“Things like dental care and pharmacare and universal mental health care are no-brainers,” said McKinnon.

She noted if the healthcare system is called universal, then people should be able to access healthcare for all parts of

“We’ve got overlapping crises Like I mentioned, the drug crisis, the climate crisis, and then all these affordability issues. People are deeply struggling right now emotionally and this is definitely not the time for an election,” said McKinnon.

“I think for myself, it’s just about focusing on what we can do next. We’re just going to jump into this election and get the word out as much as possible and get onto people’s doorsteps and let them know that we’re here.”

McKinnon said she knows it is a tough battle ground as Cariboo-Prince George has elected conservative candidates for decades but she is still hopeful.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Audrey McKinnon is the NDP candidate for Cariboo-Prince George.

LONGLEY

VACCINE CARD ‘A GOOD STEP,’ CHAMBER CEO SAYS

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

Prince George Chamber of Commerce

CEO Todd Corrigall welcomed the announcement on Monday that B.C. will require residents to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status to access many non-essential services like movie theatres, gyms and indoor dining at restaurants.

Starting on Sept. 13, British Columbians will have to show they have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to enter indoor ticketed sporting events, concerts, theatre and dance performances; indoor and patio dining in restaurants; night clubs; casinos; movie theatres; fitness centres, gyms and indoor high-intensity group exercise activities (excluding youth recreational sports); organized indoor events like weddings, parties, conferences and meetings; and indoor group recreational classes and

Mackenzie mill taking downtime

GLACIER MEDIA

activities. Starting on Oct 24, residents will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated to access those services.

“This is a good step,” Corrigall said “This is the equivalent of asking a diner for their name and number for tracing, or asking a table for their ID to serve them (alcohol).”

Just like the mask mandate, which Corrigall said be believes was lifted too early, the decision to impose the new rules isn’t up to the businesses’ owners or staff.

“Directing your anger towards a business or staff person is never appropriate,” he said.

On Monday, Premier John Horgan and provincial health officer Dr Bonne Henry said full details of how residents can access their proof of vaccination record will be made available by the long weekend.

Conifex Timber plans to take a two-week curtailment at its sawmill in Mackenzie, citing high operating costs and falling lumber prices.

“A combination of record high delivered log costs and the unprecedented collapse in lumber prices has necessitated a temporary curtailment for two weeks,” Conifex CEO Ken Shields said in an August 20 news release. “We regret the impact this may have on our employees, their families and the community.”

North American lumber prices are still above historical averages. It’s just that they have fallen from all-time records since May Prices hit all-time highs of more than US$1,600 per thousand board feet in May, driven by a mismatch in demand and production, but have since fallen to about US$500 per thousand board feet.

That’s still above the 10-year average of about US$350 per thousand board feet. But B.C. producers face some of the highest operating costs in North America, according to the Council of Forest Industries (COFI). More permanent sawmill closures are expected in B.C., and some sawmills presumably have only been able to continue operating due to the recent record high lumber prices

Horgan said the move means that the majority of British Columbians can continue to enjoy going to restaurants, movies and concerts - and those businesses can continue to provide those services – in a safe way

B.C. is working with other provinces and the federal government to coordinate their proof of vaccination systems, he said. International travelers to Canada are already required to have proof of vaccination before entering the country and will be required to show their proof to access those services in B.C

British Columbians will be able to access their proof of vaccination through a secure website and download it to a smart phone. Those without a smart phone will be able to obtain a hard copy by phoning a call centre To obtain the proof of vaccination

card, residents will need their name, date of birth and personal health number

Staff will not be required to show proof of vaccination, unless the business requires them to do so, Henry said. Essential services like grocery stores and retail outlets have intentionally been left out of the orders, to allow people to continue to meet essential needs, she said.

Religious services are also not included in the order, Henry said.

There will be no exceptions for adults who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons, Henry said. But children under the age of 12, who cannot currently be vaccinated, will not be required to show proof of vaccination.

The order will be in place until Jan. 31, but could be extended if cases aren’t under control by then, she said.

BACK AT THE FAIR

A smaller, modified version of the annual B.C. Northern Exhibition was held Thursday through Sunday at Exhibition Park.

City approves Agriplex boost

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

The budget for the upgrade of the Agriplex outdoor arena has grown by 50 per cent.

City council approved increasing the budget for the project from $200,000 to $300,000 to allow for the addition of a drainage system. During 2021 budget deliberations, council had approved a $200,000 budget to expand and improve the riding surface in the arena to meet provincial standards ahead of the 2022 BC Summer Games.

The upgrade needs to be completed this year, to allow time for the riding surface to

settle before next year’s competition.

“We’re seeing this upgrade caused by the 2022 Summer Games, but this will benefit the community as well,” Coun Kyle Sampson said.

Several members of city council said that although they didn’t like seeing the cost of a project go up, the fact the change came back to city council for public scrutiny was a step forward following the series of major cost overruns the city saw on projects including the downtown parkade and new firehall.

“This is the new bylaw we have in place at work,” Coun Cori Ramsay said.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE/LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

Fixing the pandemic message

Public health relies on public trust. For whatever reason, the pandemic response has become a political issue, with the unfortunate effect of politicizing the public health response to COVID-19. As a consequence, the mistrust of politicians transferred to public health.

How could that transfer of mistrust been avoided?

To begin with, a proper assessment of the mood of the public. Politicians seriously underestimated the lack of trust their voting public have in them. They should have expected problems with public buy-in. The public health response to the pandemic required a smart approach taking into account public mistrust and polarization.

Instead, there was too much (in Canada, this came mostly from the federal government response) top-down “We know what’s best and will use the force of the law to prevent anything we label misinformation.” This was a set-up for failure in a democrat-

THINKING ALOUD TRUDY KLASSEN

ic, open country that has laws protecting freedom of expression The public would discuss COVID. There would be misinformation.

The way to deal with this is not to shut down conversations, but to provide correct information, to answer the questions that people ask in good faith. People needed to understand that the science on COVID was evolving as more was learned, and that there would be disagreement and challenges to research and studies. That to question, is in fact, how science progresses.

Instead, what we got were extreme, polarizing messaging from some of our

political leaders. Some demonized those who didn’t agree with their messaging 100 per cent In the first news conferences, we were told that closing borders was racist.

Then that there was no possible way that the virus was due to a lab leak and to speak of it was to endorse conspiracy theories. Then we heard that wearing masks was ridiculous. The messages have evolved but the main message is the same: “Trust me. I know what’s best for you, and if you don’t trust me, it must be because you are a conspiracy theorist or racist, or denier, or whatever.”

Trust is not built by demanding it, but by being trustworthy, which is another column entirely

Then some politicians have used division in an effort to shame people into getting vaccinated. Demonize the vaccine hesitant seems to be the “solution,” paint the vaccine-hesitant as science-deniers. Others report that health care workers disproportionally refuse to be vaccinated.

Maclean’s recently reported that the average vaccine hesitant person is a 42-yearold woman who votes Liberal. Whether it’s Premier Horgan’s “young people” comment or this week’s efforts to make vaccination an election issue, neither will encourage trust or vaccination.

This pandemic could have been an opportunity to unite Canadians against a common foe, regardless of the measures we each took to fight against it No one wants to be sick No one wants to kill their grandparent. We all want to be healthy and free. Our politicians should build on that foundation: sending out the message that our common values, our free expression, free media; the pillars of democracy that have made us the envy of the world would work to bring us out of this pandemic The messaging should have been unity around our common values. It will be up to voters to send the message to our politicians that encouraging divisiveness does not pay.

Trudy Klassen is a Prince George writer

Upgrade early childcare to education

The world is changing. That’s a fact.

This was made very apparent to me a couple of weeks ago. I came across our Active Mind instructors busily pulling the strip of holes from the sides of old computer paper. One of the students asked me what the holes were for

Yes, I can hear the groans from all of us who have used dot matrix printers and had the “pleasure” of trying to feed new paper into those machines. Getting the tractors lined up right and ensuring the printer head was in the right place were just part of the ordeal.

But we now have a generation of students who haven’t used these old devices. For them, a printer is a modified photocopier capable of printing almost instantaneous colour images.

The generational change was reinforced when I was discussing this with a colleague and his 11-year-old son the joys of using a typewriter, dot matrix printers, and fax machines. I made the comment that students now don’t call it learning to type but keyboarding. The 11-year-old pointed out he had been taught typing in Grade 4. Now they were learning coding.

How many of the older generation can say they were writing computer code at the age of 11? Or typing by the time they

AS I SEE IT

TODD WHITCOMBE

were in grade four?

I mention this because it is indicative of the changes we are undergoing as a society and highlights what is likely to be a major issue for much of the federal election campaign – childcare.

My mother was a pre-school teacher. She taught in small regulated programs where there were very few children decades ago. The issue of spaces was an emerging concern as women were engaging more fully in the workforce.

When I was a child, families could get by on one salary. A middle-class income required 46 weeks of work per year That is, only one parent had to work to support a family with a reasonable lifestyle.

That changed during the 1980s and 1990s. By the year 2000, a middle-class lifestyle required a family to work 86 weeks per year – or, to put it in slightly different terms, both parents had to have jobs –with one working 52 weeks and the other

at least 34 or part-time. In 2021, we are at a point where a middle-class lifestyle requires both parents to work full-time.

But someone must take care of the kids. If both parents are gone from 9 to 5 every day, someone else must be doing the daily parenting. For the wealthy, this might be a nanny. For some families, it might be grandparents – which is a time-honoured social structure.

For most Canadian families, it means childcare, which is an expensive option. The cost ranges across the country from a low median rate of $175 per month in Montreal to a high median rate of $1,675 in Toronto. Vancouver is around $1,450 per month and Prince George would appear to be about $900 per month.

A rate of $900 per month per child translates to $10,800 per year For a family of two, that is $21,600 – which is a sizeable portion of any family’s budget. And even when the kids get to be school aged, the cost only drops to $400 per month.

So what do the federal parties propose?

Both the Liberals and the NDP appear to be serious about changing the fee structure to provide $10/day childcare across the country. For our family with two kids that would drop the cost to roughly $5,200 per year – a savings of 75 per cent.

Although it is a promise we have heard before from both federal and provincial politicians, it would appear, based on the negotiated agreements so far, to finally be a reality

The Conservatives are going with their tried-and-true approach to every problem by offering tax credits. In this case, it is a refundable tax credit meaning money back if the amount exceeds your income tax. But according to their party platform, for someone earning $30,000 per year, it will only result in $6,000 for childcare – a far cry from the cost of looking after two kids. Unfortunately, none of the plan appear to be addressing the lack of capacity in the system. There simply aren’t enough spaces at any price.

So maybe a bold leader will finally step up and suggest a better alternative. Let’s recognize the world has changed and our educational expectations have to change with it. Research has shown every $1 spent on early childhood education pays back $6 later in life. Maybe it is time to incorporate early childhood education into the school system. For everyone who wants it, maybe school should start a lot earlier than 5 years of age. The benefits will outweigh the costs in the long run.

Todd Whitcombe is a Prince George writer.

Roped in by Ted Lasso’s lessons

I am not a big fan of fiction in any format. I prefer that writers clearly elaborate their theories or that they explain what is actually happening in the world I’ve also never been influenced by the latest draw in popular culture.

Given my disposition, I was surprised to find myself binge watching the hit comedy Ted Lasso on Apple TV The program not only makes me laugh, it draws me in and dare I say it even affirms my beliefs about leadership and education.

The premise for the show is ridiculous. Ted Lasso is a successful college football coach in the United States and is hired to coach professional football, what North Americans call soccer, in England. This idea was piloted several years ago for American television but the personality of Ted Lasso in the current program is quite different from that of the original.

Ted has to adjust to an unfamiliar world and the highly critical fan base of a beloved sports franchise. The jokes about

LESSONS IN LEARNING

GERRY CHIDIAC

differences in language and culture are predictable, but the evolution of the story is not what one would expect from a comedy series, or from any television program for that matter

Most films and television programs are not realistic because they involve people screaming at each other, insulting one another and even killing each other. That is simply not what life is like for most of us. In addition, the image that many of us have of a coach in any sport is someone who yells at his players and demeans them. Again, that is simply not what effective coaches do. Ted Lasso is a kind man who treats everyone he meets like the most important person in the world.

In truth, that is one of the most common characteristics of a good leader.

The main character is so positive that some critics have stated that he demonstrates toxic positivity I beg to differ Toxic positivity refuses to delve into negative emotions, but Ted Lasso does not At times Ted does not know how to deal with negative situations in his own life or in the lives of others, but he is wise and humble enough to accept help when he needs it, just like a real, effective human being.

The depth of Ted’s character is revealed in an episode when he is playing darts with one of the show’s only villains. He quotes Walt Whitman and says, “Be curious, not judgmental.” In other words, be kind to others, treat everyone with respect, encourage them, and watch what happens.

The vast majority of people will respond positively to being treated this way. A good coach, teacher or any leader understands that doing so will draw out the best in others. They will not only be open to our

instruction, they will begin to believe in themselves as much as we do.

Of course, there will always be people, primarily adults, who will see kindness as weakness and will display manipulative behaviour, but Ted’s advice even works with them. If we observe them with curiosity, we can learn how to respond effectively

To this point, there has been no character in Ted Lasso’s inner circle who has not displayed growth as a human being under his tutelage. He has been able to create a work environment where people respect and truly listen to each other Every character has their quirks and foibles, however, just like in real life.

Admittedly, we have yet to see how the program and its characters will evolve, but the anticipation is all part of the fun Ted Lasso is only in its second season, and it has already garnered many well-deserved awards. It really is a joy to watch a silly and unrealistic comedy about real life.

Gerry Chidiac is a Prince George writer

Seek out help to cope with dementia

Dementia doesn’t make you stupid. It makes it hard to solve problems the way you used to. It seems like pieces of the puzzle go missing for no reason. The last year my father-in-law lived with us, he called us all ‘hon’ or ‘sweetie’ because I don’t think he remembered who we were, let alone our names. But he still loved watching documentaries with me.

My mother is in the early stages of dementia. On her good days, you can’t tell. She has no idea what year it is or what day of the week. A calendar helps if it is displaying the right year and month. On her bad days, she loses the keys she has put in the same place for 40 years. The long-term memories get tangled together and she tells me my father did something my brother did At that point I remember the sign at the entrance of the unit my father-in-law was in at the end. Connect, don’t correct. Terrifying as it is for us, it is important to her mental health to be as independent as possible. Still living in the same place for

Excited by

I have spent the majority of my summer in sunny Osoyoos, working part-time remotely for Theatre NorthWest doing some seasonal work during our offseason. While I’ve been fortunate to enjoy the country’s warmest lake and juiciest peaches, I’ve been missing Prince George and I am eager to return soon and start back in my position at the theatre.

This will be my first normal season at TNW, since I started my position at the beginning of the year when no plays were being produced. And while I’m certainly looking forward to the excitement of being surrounded by theatrical artists designing, rehearsing, directing to prepare for a show,

FOCUS ON SENIORS CATHERINE MILLS

40 years, shopping at the same store, the same bank, the same insurance company, means habit can guide her For now So far, she has the slow-moving kind of dementia. So far, we have time to plan.

The older you get, the more likely it is that you will encounter someone with dementia. Sometimes it will be obvious. Sometimes it won’t. Apparently one in four of us will develop some form of dementia as we age. Some of us won’t have to wait for our 80s and 90s. Early onset versions can hit in your 50s, sometimes your 40s.

There are over 200 subtypes of dementia. Some go fast, some are a steady progression, and some will plateau for a year or so and then continue. Alzheimer’s is the

best known. Your doctor or specialist can give you some ideas of what might happen but can’t tell you exactly how you or your loved one will react.

If you suspect you or someone you know is developing dementia, the first step is to talk to a doctor to get a referral or talk to a geriatric specialist. Get an assessment. It might be good news and it might not. It will set a baseline and introduce you to some of the institutional and systemic supports you will need.

It is important to start early because as the dementia progresses, the ability to make good decisions disappears bit by bit or suddenly You don’t have to tell everyone, but you do need to tell key people and start planning. It’s OK to freak out for a while but denying what is happening doesn’t make it go away Talk to the Alzheimer’s society. Find a support group online.

If the doctor suggests talking to a social worker, do not let your pride or shame or fear get in the way of accepting help. When

my father-in-law was diagnosed with dementia and later “the Alzheimer’s process” our social worker was a life saver. She guided the family through the process of getting him and my mother-in-law the help they needed and a placement in a complex care ward when we could no longer cope with him at home. She was tactful and diplomatic while laying out the options and advising us on how the system worked. A diagnosis of dementia doesn’t mean life is done. It does mean things are going to change. It does mean start planning. Who will take care of whom when the puzzle pieces of cognition go away? How long can they stay at home and how will you decide when the next level of care must happen? This is when that dispassionate social worker or care aide is a godsend. We may not want to give up, but they can gently let us know it is time for the next step before the crisis hits. Sometimes the realities of aging suck. Catherine Mills is a Prince George writer

upcoming theatre season

I am also finding myself looking forward to the challenges that come with being thrown into something new and a little scary. I will be wearing a lot of hats this season (I’m mostly speaking figuratively, but there are a lot of fun ones to try on in our secret hat room). I will be overseeing our box office and our front of house, gathering and designing props, and assisting

with whatever other tasks need to be done around the office. And while I have gone through much training and know how to carry out all my responsibilities on paper, I soberly recognize that I still have a lot of learning ahead of me.

So I’m a bit anxious, a bit intimidated But more than that I’m excited to tackle the challenges ahead and to grow professionally and personally. I’m ready to embrace the chaos that is bound to come when a theatre puts on a play for the first time in a year and a half. And I’m ready to do my part in the team effort of transforming that chaos into something resembling order I think there’s always some amount of

chaos in worthy endeavours. Weddings are a good example. And marriages, for that matter, though I’m not exactly an authority on the subject. As for theatre, I doubt there has ever been a play produced without a little unbridled panic somewhere along the line. But maybe chaos is just the raw material of great things – an indicator of potential. Maybe chaos is what we encounter when we step beyond ourselves and onto the fertile soil of unknown territory. I you find yourself, despite its opportunities for growth, in need of an escape from chaos in the coming months, come visit us and enjoy one of our mainstage plays or our stage readings starting in September

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SPORTS WEEKEND

Top left, the #81 car of Kaylee Torraville gets turned around during a Hornet heat race on Saturday at PGARA Speedway Park. Top right, the Salmon Valley Gymkhana CLub hosted a gymkhana Sunday morning. Left, the batter from Quesnel Cricket Club tries to hit the ball hurled by the Surrey’s Cosmos Cricket Club bowler Saturday at Vanier Park during the Prince George Cricket Club’s 4th Annual Cricket Tournament. Bottom left, a racer warms up the tires before heading to the starting line at NITRO Motorsports Park on Saturday during the sixth annual Big Bux Shootout. Bottom left, the Prince George Gnats (blue/yellow) took on the Williams Lake Rustlers (red/black) on Saturday at the PGSS fields in Central Interior Rugby Union league action.

CITIZEN PHOTOS BY JAMES DOYLE LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

SPRAYING WORRIES BUCKHORN FAMILY

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A rural Prince George family is raising alarm bells after coming across flagging suggesting an adjacent woodlot is about to be sprayed with a controversial herbicide.

Rob and April Block, who live in the 13800 block of Buckhorn Lake Road, worry that both their health and a form of protection against wildfires will be put at risk after they noticed ribbons with the wording “pest management zone” recently sprouting up along the site’s borders.

Forest companies have been known to spray herbicide to stop the growth of deciduous trees such as aspen and willow in order to give room to grow seedlings from conifers like spruce and pine that are the basis of lumber production in the region.

Glyphosate, a chemical found to cause cancer, is a key ingredient in the sprays companies deploy and the Blocks, the parents of two young children, say its use will put to and end their days of walking through the area picking berries.

SCREENGRAB FROM JAMES STEIDLE VIDEO

Dale Block has parked his truck on a woodlot to stop what appears to be a plan to spray a controversial herbicide on the area.

They also say the loss of the deciduous trees will eliminate a natural firebreak and expose them to fire-prone conifers.

With the help of Rob’s brother, Dale, they have taken a step toward forming a blockade by parking vehicles on the site.

information.

Last week, about 50 people gathered for a rally at the Ministry of Forest offices in Prince George to demand release of maps showing areas to be sprayed.

“Once again this could have been avoided if the maps were public,” Steidle said.

Canfor spokesperson Michelle Ward, meanwhile, said the company has stopped spraying leading stands of deciduous trees in favour of manual brushing while also continuing to work to meet legislated reforestation standards.

“This change in practice is employing hundreds of workers annually, including many First Nations companies, to enable us to achieve legal free-growing rules in our reforestation efforts. We continue to investigate ways to further reduce use of herbicides going forward,” Ward said.

Any spraying by Canfor is “done in strict accordance with Health Canada requirements,” Ward added.

MARK NIELSEN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C Civil Forfeiture Officer is going after a nearly $36,000 in cash seized from a man during a drug-related bust in Quesnel last year.

Leslie James Epton is named as the defendant in a notice of claim the CFO’s director filed last week in connection with an arrest on Aug. 2, 2020, when RCMP in the community south of Prince George execut-

James Steidle, who has long campaigned against the use of glyphosate through the advocacy group Stop the Spray, has posted a video of the Block’s outlining their concerns in an effort to attract additional public support.

Steidle initially claimed Canfor is behind the operation but now says it appears to be a private woodlot and blames the confusion on a lack of publicly-available

Steidle said the woodlot appears to be owned by Gregg Creek Forest Enterprises. However, the business’s posted phone number is out of service.

Civil Forfeiture Office seeks $36,000 from drug bust

ed search warrants on a 1700 Blackwater Road home and two units at a self-storage business in the 1000 block of Highway 97.

Along with the cash, the director’s claim itemizes seizures of methamphetamine adding up to 538.5 grams as well as 19 grams of cocaine and 729 pills of MDMA, plus scales and other items related to drug trafficking, all allegedly found at various spots on the Blackwater Road property plus a shotgun and a rifle “Improperly

stored” in the storage units.

A collapsible baton and a crossbow were also among the items seized from the Blackwater Road property.

The director alleges the money, which added up to $35,965, was being used by Epton “to engage in unlawful activities which variously resulted in, or were likely to result in, the acquisition of property or an interest in property, or caused, or were likely to cause serious bodily harm.”

Epton has not yet filed a response and the allegations have not been tested in court. As well, criminal charges in relation to the matter remain pending. Because it is a civil matter, the CFO must convince the judge that on a balance of probabilities whether the cash is proceeds of crime. For a criminal conviction, the threshold is a much-higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.

mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

Smelter strike not affecting Nechako flow

ARTHUR WILLIAMS

Water flow on the Nechako River is more than 30 per cent above average for this time of year, but the cause has more to do with snow than aluminum, according to a local expert.

Rio Tinto operates the Nechako Reservoir to provide water to its hydroelectric power facility at Kemano. The Kemano generating station powers the Kitimat aluminum smelter, which is running at 25 per cent capacity due to a four-week-long strike by workers. Water from the reservoir flows to generate power at Kemano, and into the Nechako River via the Skins Lake Spillway and the Cheslatta River.

Wayne Salewski, president of the Vanderhoof-based Nechako Environment and Water Stewardship Society, said he hasn’t seen any changes in Rio Tinto’s operation of the Skins Lake Spillway since the start of the strike by Unifor members in Kitimat.

“(The Nechako) is a little high. The river was really full,” Salewski said. “One of the reasons is the snowpack on the mountains… was above average by quite a bit.

That resulted in a tremendous amount of inflow into the reservoir.”

Levels on the Nechako Reservoir went from being below-average last year to essentially full capacity by this summer, he said.

According to data reported online by Rio Tinto, the Nechako Reservoir level peaked at just above 2,799 feet in mid-July, roughly two feet above typical reservoir levels. As of Thursday, the reservoir had dropped to 2,796.84 feet – roughly half a foot above typical levels.

Salewski said he’s spent more than 100 hours on the river this summer, and seen “just a nice, continuous flow through” the Skins Lake Spillway.

Water flow on the Nechako at Vanderhoof was measured at 318.78 cubic metres per second last week – 31 per cent above the seasonal average of 243 cubic metres per second.

Water discharge from the Skins Lake Spillway was more than 105 cubic metres

per second above the summer minimum level of 170 cubic metres per second.

Rio Tinto is continuing to run the Kemano power station and is selling surplus power to the BC Hydro grid, Salewski said.

A Rio Tinto spokesperson confirmed that.

“The demand for electricity this summer was extraordinary, with the heat,” Salewski said.

Operation of the Kemano power station has been deemed an essential service by the BC Labour Relations Board, allowing it to continue operations during the strike.

“Our top priority in the watershed is to continue managing the Kemano hydro-power facility and the Nechako Reservoir safely, to protect the environment and the diverse interests of our host communities,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson said in an email.

Power demand at the Kitimat smelter is only one factor in making river flow decision and regular adjustments are made based on current and projected weather. With files from Binny Paul, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Terrace Standard

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO Water levels on the Nechako River are above average where it crosses under the Cameron Street Bridge in Prince George.

You’re at the campground

PIERRE PELLETIER

Since January 2018, Pierre along with his wife Kerry and their 12-year-old Labrador Kodi have been living and travelling throughout North America in their 32-foot fifth wheel – mostly living off the grid using solar power

Typically when you check in at a campground, you’ll be assigned a site based on your reservation. Other times, you’ll be allowed to check out the sites that are available and select the one you want. Either way, before you drive to your site, have a plan in your head as to how you’ll approach entering the site. If it’s a pull thru, no real thinking – just ensure you leave enough space for the slide(s) and close enough for the service hook ups. If it’s a back-up, I always prefer backing up where I can turn my left shoulder and see the site’s hook up services – otherwise for me, I feel like I’m backing in a tad blind. So you’ve driven past your site, stopped and you’re ready to back in. Slow down

First, get out and check the site. Visualize where you want to end up. It’s also wise to have a spotter in the back of the RV. For us, it’s my wife. She ensures that I’m not going to hit something, especially in the back areas that I’m unable to see

Don’t forget to be aware of the front of your truck too as it swings outward. And

A couple of well-placed boards help make your RV level.

remember to back up far enough to have space to park your truck. Most importantly, take your time

Once you have backed up and happy with where you’ve positioned your RV, don’t unhitch just yet.

If you don’t have an automatic levelling system with your RV, you might need to level it yourself.

Go inside the RV – does it feel level side

Based on the amount of levelling required, place one or two boards beside the tires on the side you need to elevate Drive forward just past the boards. Place the boards at the back of the tires. Drive back over the boards.

Now you’re in the same spot as before and you’ve levelled the RV

After you’ve put the chocks under the tires and brought the jacks down, unhooked from the hitch, cranked down the back stabilizers, got all your slides out and hooked up to the services – you may feel that you’re done and ready for a nap Most people are, but I would suggest one more task: put a lock on your King Pin

Your RV doors may be locked and that may satisfy your safety net but do you realize how easy it would be for someone to come along when you’re out and simply hitch up to your trailer and pull out of your site?

to side? Look at the RV straight down the front or back – often you can see it leaning to one side or the other without even pulling out a level. It makes for a frustrating camping experience but it’s also an easy fix.

We always have four, 2 ½ ft long, 1x12 boards just for this situation – probably a bit wider and longer than needed, but it works for us.

GOLF

WITH GODBOUT

Think about it.

Thieves don’t need to get inside your RV It’s much easier for them to just drive it away.

There are many options and you can spend a lot of money, but for only $20, we bought a basic coupler lock for the King Pin that should make thieves think twice about stealing our fifth wheel.

Now it’s time for that nap.

Play smart and to your skill level

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

Week 13

Golfed last week with Lauly and Darren, a fun couple from Fraser Lake I had never met before, who reached out to me about getting in a round at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.

They taught me two valuable lessons. Things were going well for me until the par-5 ninth hole. I sliced my tee shot and since I’m a lefty, the ball curled to the left, struck a tree and came to rest in the grass to the side The ball was sitting up (golfers call that a good lie) and all I had to do was punch a line drive under the branches to get it another 75 to 100 yards up the fairway Darren wasn’t so sure

“Take your medicine,” he advised, urging me to just turn right and use my wedge to gently get myself back on the fairway and out of trouble.

I didn’t take my medicine and paid dearly My four-iron swing knocked the ball up, where it hit a branch and bounced back and further left, coming to rest directly under a small tree. Now I was in big trouble

My third shot was simply to go on my knees and sweep the ball out about 10 feet. Now frustrated, my fourth shot from

a terrible lie in thick grass only went about 20 yards. My fifth shot finally found the fairway but I was still nearly 250 yards from the hole. Angry with myself, I spent another four shots bunting the ball up to the green and then two-putted for an 11.

A decent eight holes for me, including a 4 on the par-3 third hole, ruined by one disastrous hole.

I recovered and played better on the back until the 16th, where I repeated my ninth hole score, thanks to sloppy swings and finding the water twice

On the same hole, Lauly provided a good example of how to take advice. About 135 yards out but facing that small strip of water in front of the green, she seemed unsure which club to use.

“Just pull out your club that you always use to hit 135, forget about the water and drop it in,” he gently suggested.

All doubt erased, she pulled out a hybrid, calmly stepped up to the ball and her smooth, easy swing produced a beautiful arcing shot that dropped easily on the roomy green and left her with a decent 40-foot putt.

Lesson learned. When golfing with better, more experienced golfers, recognize their superior knowledge and heed their words. So when he told me to keep my head down so I would stop topping the ball and he and Lauly would watch my shots, I did and immediately hit better again, of course.

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

Fall Sign Up

Doesyour child love to perform?

Do you wish your children could learn about adifferent culture while having fun?

•Dance classes arefor 4years old and up. We even have an adult class! (No experience required),

•All dancers perform at 2major events (January & June) and numerous events around PG.

•After the $35 family membership fee, lesson fees range from $25 -$45/month, depending on age (one of the least expensive dance fees in PG.)

•Most costume pieces areprovided.

Pine Valley Golf Centre

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

Let’sstart withthe easy-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 And don’tforgettohoneyourputting stroke 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 forafull round. And if youdon’t feel like walking thecourse, youcan always rent apowercart

Let’snot forgetabout thejuniors.PineValley Golf Centre hasagreat juniorgolfcampprogram This summer in threeseparatecamps, 110 kids aged 6-15 will be learningthe game over threedays. It’s become so popularthatanadditional camp was addedjust to accommodatethe demand.

Andyou can’tbeatthe location.PineValley Golf Centre is situated next to Costco on Hwy16West so it’s easy to getto.

Fantasticpar-3 course,low greenfees, greatlocation,programsfor all ages –nowonder it’s known as TheBestLittleCoursein TheNorth.

Former city councillor pens memoir

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH

He was always drawn to the natural beauty of British Columbia.

As a small boy, Albert Koehler first saw a short video showcasing B.C. on his neighbour’s television, the only TV in the German village of 150 people he grew up in. From that day forward, he read any book about the western part of Canada he could get his hands on.

That was the start of his love of the land he immigrated to when he was 37 years old and he doesn’t regret for one second the decision to bring his wife Jutta and his two young children, Andrea and Albert Junior, along with him on his great adventure.

With his doctorate in engineering and teaching as an assistant professor for several years in Germany, Koehler decided moving to Canada was the goal.

Finding the Future is Koehler’s book about those adventures and what it took to get where he is in his life currently.

“The intention was to write the book mostly for my children and my grandchildren,” he said.

He’s done an English version for people here and a German language version for his friends and family who he grew up with.

“It took me a year to put it all together,” Koehler said

“Prince George was a better choice for my family,” Koehler said. “I grew up in a country setting, I grew up on a farm and I would never have been a city boy - even though Vancouver is a beautiful place for many Prince George is just right for us and we immediately immersed ourselves into the community.”

While growing his business, Tribotec, that did specialized consulting work in reducing industry failures, one of several roles he took on included being the Northern BC Honorary German Consular so any issues that arose for the many Germans in the northern part of the province could now access services much closer to home. He provided the service from 2005 to 2013. He served as a Prince George city councillor from 2011 to 2018, was Chamber of Commerce president from 2008 to 2009, as well as serving on many boards including the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, and Rotary.

He was also a driving force behind getting an engineering program into the university

Highlights include how he met his beloved wife Jutta, how they grew their family, the trek from Germany to English Bay in Vancouver in 1985 when they looked at each other and said ‘now what?’ and everything else that followed.

Koehler started his career as a mechanic and found he had to start from there in Canada as well, working his way into his

All residents are welcome - but especially seniors - to enjoy a refurbished Ron Brent Park flanked by Riverbend Seniors Community, Gateway Lodge, the Connaught Youth Centre and Ron Brent Elementary

REDEVELOPMENT FOR GATEWAY GEARED TOWARDS SENIORS

The upgrades to the space include exercise equipment specially designed to be senior-friendly, as well as horseshoe pits, trails, benches and a garden featuring plants that thrive in the north.

“Council is thrilled to see the enhancements to this park, which will further enrich the Gateway area, and provide seniors with a beautiful space to keep fit and active or simply enjoy the outdoors,” Mayor Lyn Hall said. “The new park redevelopment provides additional options and activities for retirees in Prince George.

The Ron Brent Park redevelopment is located between 17th Avenue and 20th Avenue and Victoria Street and Oak Street,and features:

- Accessible paved trails with lighting

- Horseshoe pits, seniors fitness equipment, washrooms, and a storage building

- Paved parking at the Connaught Youth Centre

- Picnic tables and benches

- Landscaping with irrigated lawn, trees, and site furnishings

- A large garden featuring plants native to the region.

This is the second phase of the Ron Brent Park Redevelopment Project. In 2018, the city completed the first phase with the construction of a new playground and sport field at Ron Brent Elementary School through a partnership with School District 57. For more information about city parks visit www.princegeorge.ca/parks

own business with a little help from his friends, finding his way to Prince George in 1996 and how he always knew it was important to be part of the community and finding ways to enhance and support and give back.

Koehler received an honorary doctorate degree of laws recently from the University of Northern BC and he said he believes it was in recognition of his lobbying for the advanced education program for the north.

Finding the Future is available at Books & Co.

CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO

Albert Koehler has written his memoir called Finding the Future.

CITIZEN STAFF

HORO SC OPES &P UZ ZLES

of snake

Remorse

Bridge payment

Milky stone

Lacking moisture

Hunch

Zeroes in

Make ready to publish

Scored on serve

Brink

PUZZLE NO. 832

This lady

“____ the night before

African animal, shortly

Citrus beverage

Land

Urban problem

Got word

Become a member of

Powdery

Roof of the mouth 20. Popular street name

Hitch 22. Unusual 23. Hawaiian necklace 25. Group of judges

29. Parlors

Spurned 33. Dirty Harry, e.g. 34. Abel’s mother

Cozy place

Quixote

Revere

Poison

Change, as text 43. Sing like the Swiss

Signs 48. Sharp-witted

Admiration

Witch

Historical epoch

Heaven

HOW TO PLAY:

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

Each3x3 box is outlined with adarker line You already have afew numbers to get you started. Remember: you must not repeat the numbers 1through 9inthe same line, column or 3x3 box.

PUZZLE

INLOVINGMEMORY BeverleyAnnObst

Born DECEMBER6,1933BASSANO,ALBERTA

PassedAway AUGUST10,2021 WESTKELOWNA,BRITISHCOLUMBIA

Beverley was the first born child of Caroline and Ralph Marquardt. She arrived on Dec. 6, 1933. WasmarriedApril24,1954.

REMEMBRANCES

OwenPeterCorcoran

1929-2021

Owen Peter Corcoran, born December 31, 1929, in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The first son of a shearer and teacher and the eldest of 10 children, died peacefully on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at the age of 91. Owen is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Miss Ellie, his four children, Peter (Kristy), Marian (Frank), Paul (Gina) and Kate (Jim), his grandchildren Cheyenne, Angeline (Adam) Kevin (Kelsey) Jillian, Maya and Toby, and a list as long as a Leonard Cohen song of those connected to him by blood, marriage,workorfriendship.

In 1969 on the strength of a newspaper ad that featured the silhouette of a moose with the challenge, “Come Teach in Canada’s Frozen North” Owen moved the entire family from the outback of Australia to Prince George, British Columbia to begin his career anew as a teacher He quickly rose through the ranks and became a truly outstanding educational leader in the province, as the first superintendent of the Cassiar-Stikine School District, Executive Director of the BC School Superintendents’ Association and finally as school superintendent of the Burns Lake School District before his retirement. Always a champion of teachers, one of his proudest moments was when he was inducted as the first honorary member of the Prince George District Teachers’Association.

Bev is survived by her loving husband Ernie of 67 years. Her 4 loving children and their spouses: Lynn & Jay Hetherington, Les Obst, Lee & Miriam Obst, Larry & Loreen Obst, her grandchildren: Brennon Obst, Tim & Fiona Hetherington, Kristi & Chris David, Sam Hetherington & Leslie Bannon, Dr Jon Obst & Jodi Cross, Mike & Alex Obst, Adrian & Megan Obst, Dr Kyle Schlitt; seven greatgrandchildren: Sebastian Obst, George, James & Isla Hetherington, Lowry Hetherington, Sloan & JasperObst.

Beverley was predeceased by her brother Danny Marquardt,andhersisterMargaretDanyluk.

To know Owen was to be awed by his intellect, amazed by his energy and invigorated by a commitment to a life less ordinary The measure of any man is in the mark he leaves in his passing, and Owen’s legacy is written large in the lessons he taught, the lives he inspired and the unfailing wisdom, insight and encouragement he offered in the service of others. He loved the poetry of the English language, and there seems no more apt way of capturing our collective sentiments on his passing than with the words of W. H. Auden.

So many memories, most involving food, friends and lots of opinions. Lavish breakfasts, cinnamon buns and apple pie, muslim beef and tandoori turkey Amazing raspberry jam, the best canned peaches,cherriesandpears.

Grandma was an OG foodie before there was a name for it. She knew her way around the kitchen and loved sharing and teaching others about the joysofcreatinginthekitchen.

He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, By noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Wine and golfing in Fairmont, family gatherings at Christmas and in the Summer All welcome and blessed. Nobody on this earth was more fiercely devotedtofamily,andwhodidyoucallwhenyou needed help, MUM. She rode in like the cavalry! Ready to lend a hand with care of sick kids, reno’s orgivingtiredparentsabreak.

The most important lesson Bev taught us all is thatgoodfoodmakesafamilystrong.

Wednesday,August18th.

A special thank you to Frank, who spent Owen’s last year with him, fully embracing his medical appointments like a true project manager Thank you to the Aspen Medical Clinic and especially Doctors Textor and Kelly Thank you to Dr Lloyd. Owen spent his last days in the Rotary Hospice House, if you desire, a donation could be made there in his name. In accordance with his wishes, no flowers please. Pour yourself a single malt scotch over an ice cube and toast Owen. There will be no service. After all, can you imagine an event of that magnitude without him being there to offer a witty rebuttal at any

hislife?

Obituaries

Obituaries

“There are some men who should have mountains to bear their names to time”. L. Cohen

McFaddon-Glass,CherylL. May04,1969-August15,2021

ServicewillbeatSt.Mary’sCatholicChurch, WayneNE.Saturday,August28th,10:30am furtherinfoavailableathasemannfuneralhome.com

IdaLynnCave (neeBuchi)

January5,1955August14,2021

Ida is predeceased by her mother Eva Buchi and husbands Allen Cave and Roland Caron. She is survived by her children Dawn (Joe), Chris (Kelly) and Lindsey (Daniel); grandchildren Randy, Adam, and Morgan; her father Fred; siblings Judy, Rick (Elaine), Freda (Dave) and Ron (Sharon); numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Ida resided in Simon Fraser Lodge since March 2002. She will be missed by her family and the caring staff atSimonFraserLodge.

Condolencesmaybeofferedat www.LakewoodFH.com

Lawrence (Larry) Schneider

Feb19/43-Aug11/21

We are very saddened to announce Larry’s passing. He was much loved and will be sorely missed by his wife Judy and his daughters Trina and Trish. Also missing him are his sisters Linda (Ken) and Marie (Bruce) and his brothers in law Ivan (Verna), Randy (Charlene), Ronnie (Wanda), and sister in law Janice. Larry has various cousins and nieces and nephews as well as his favorite Aunt Dorraine who will miss himaswell.

Larry was pre-deceased by his Mother Letty, FatherHarold,andsoninlawAndrew Larry worked for many years at PG Pulp and Paperandmademanyfriendsthereovertheyears. A gathering for friends and family will be held at alaterdate.

ABDAY,EthelSusan(Pearl)

July161934-August102021

EthelwasborninSaxonHills, Saskatchewan. She passed away in Parksville, British Columbia with her nephew Ron Ulmer by her side. Survived by brothers Mike and Frank Abday and sister Helen + numerous nephews and nieces. Her cats were her children - JoJo, Taffy, Tiah, Shiloh , Cassie and Mynah. Ethel had a green thumb and loved gardening. She also bowled and played bingo. She moved to Prince George in 1970 and worked at Woodwards and Safeway as cashier and in floral dept for many years. Ethel moved to Vancouver Island a few years ago. She will be missed but never forgotten. Donations in her namemaybemadetoPrinceGeorgeSPCA.

HowardDaleRamsey

BornJanuary17,1956Sunrise July24,2021Sunset

It is with great sorrow to announce the sudden passing of a wonderful Husband - FatherGrandfather; Howard leaves to mourn his passing to his devoted wife Darldene- children Andy, Ashlee, Megan; Step Children Marshall, Jennifer and Brittney; grandchildren Jayce, Charlotte, Luca,ChloeandStella.

You will never be forgotten.

NoservicewillbeheldasperHoward’srequest

FULLERTON, RichardGeorge William

December6,1948August15,2021

On Sunday, August 15th, 2021 Richard George William Fullerton, loving husband and father, passed away at the age of 72 after a brief battle withcancer

Rick was born on December 6th, 1948 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to George and Marjorie (Macglashen) Fullerton. The family moved across Canada to Castlegar, BC in the early 60’s where he attended Stanley Humphries High School and met his future wife Pamela who he married on December 19th, 1975. Their only daughter, Kathleen, was born in 1978. Rick worked for over forty years in the pulp and paper mill industry, the majority of those years as a machine operator in thebleachplantwithlocal603.

Rick was an avid outdoorsman who spent as much time as he could with his friends in the wilderness hunting moose, fishing at Trembluer Lake or just kicking back at his cabin at Summit Lake. He was also a passionate hockey and baseball player who loved the Vancouver Canucks and the Toronto Blue Jays. He devoted much of his later years to the Oldtimers Hockey League both as a player and as a master craftsman skate sharpener He also won several medals at the BC Senior Games including a Gold Medal in Hockey in 2008. He was known for his big heart, generous spirit and good-naturedsenseofhumor

Rick was preceded by his father George, and his mother Marjorie. He is survived by his wife Pamela, his daughter Kathleen, his brother Robert, his sister Dianne, several cousins, nieces, and nephews,andhisbeloveddog,Sadie.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the PrinceGeorgeRotaryHospiceHouse.

NeilRonaldMacDonald

1959-2021

It is with heavy hearts that the family of Neil Ronald MacDonald announce his passing on August10,2021attheageof62.

Neil is survived by his loving wife Donna MacDonald, mother Dorthy MacDonald; sisters, Donna Monteith (Kevin), Sharon Richmond (Phil); nephews, Mathew Bruneau, Aedan Monteith, Cameron and Carter Richmond; nieces, Whitney Bruneau and Sydney Monteith; son Ryan Brown (Tania), daughters, Pam BeynonBrown (Sarah) and Alisha Pitt (Dirk); grandchildren, Jesse, Jasmine, Taylor, Savannah, Hailey, Brayden,MatayahandColt.

He was predeceased by his father, Ronald MacDonald; and his brother Larry Cote and sister, LynnCote.

Neil was a loving husband, son, father, brother, uncle and grandfather He adored his grandbabies and always had stories to tell them or tell about them. He lived an amazing life and will be dearly missed.

Inlovingmemoryof RoderickHerd April27,1941-August7,2021

Born April 27, 1941 in Montrose, Scotland. Rod lived in Scotland, Malta, Libya and England.Then heimmigratedtoCanadain1953.

In 1957 Rod joined the Canadian Army and served 10 years, serving peace keeping missions in Egypt and the Congo. He was a Radio EquipmentTechnician.

Rod was a member of the Army and Navy Club in Calgary Rod was also a member of the Prince George Legion for 48 years and the Alano Society for37years.

Rod loved playing the Accordion and listening to music. His other passions were dancing, {with the love of his life Norma Raycraft}, golfing, playing hockey, fishing, watching sports on the TV, astronomyandreading.

Rod loved having coffee and spending time with his friends. He will be dearly missed by his good friend John to whom he was a grandfatherly figure, friends and his loving wife Norma of 52 years.

Noservicebyhisrequest May he rest in peace

It is with aheavy heart that we say goodbye to Max.

Max Munropassedaway peacefully at the age of 93, at home, surrounded by family and friends. As you know,Max didthings on his own terms and his passing was no different. He went out “with his boots on”, happy to be on to his next adventure, and to be reunited with Grace, whom he dearly missed these past five years. Married for 69 years, they led an adventuresome life together

Max was borninBurnaby,British Columbia, to Scottish immigrant parents. On awhim, when he was 6monthsold, his parents took him to Seattle on aday trip and entered him in a“most beautiful baby” contest -which of course,hewon. With the win came an Indian head $5.00 gold coin which was cherished as areminder how “beautiful” he was. His father was ablacksmith and moved the family up to Premier,justoutside of Stewart in northernB.C., where, at times, they had to shovel the snow in front of their door from the inside just to be able to get out. He attended aone room school for the few children in the town at the time. Therewas asmall area for married and family people and asecond camp for the 500 workers; times werenot easy.Itwas herewhere he developed his love of natureand the lureofclimbing the mountains, which he did wherever he went for the rest of his time. An avid hunter and fisherman, naturewas always calling him. The family relocated to Duncan, B.C., afew years later,where he graduated after meeting Grace therewhile in high school.They both thrived and enjoyed all their high school friends, that became life-long friends and it is therethat they began their family.Hestarted working for BC HydroinDuncan, B.C., as alabourer and lineman. Their first home was aconverted Chicken coop, small but cozy and anew startonlife. After ashort time they moved to Salt Spring Island, wherethey spent 5glorious years. In 1958 he took apromotion withHydroand moved to Burns Lake which, to his children and Grace, was about the end of the earth –gravel road from Hope to Prince George, wheretherewas 5miles of pavement, and then gravel to Burns Lake. Grace and the kids werenot impressed. Herehebecame aboy scout leader and thrived on teaching the young how to build fires and live offthe land to survive–hewas good at that. He became amember of the Lions Club and Knights of Columbus and always contributed

William Maxwell“Max” Munro

March14, 1928 –July 24,2021 -93Years young

to the betterment of the community.Hewas even anointed andbaptised as the District Manager in the Village of Burns Lake and honoured as ablood brother by Chief Lawrence Tomofthe Woyonne Band in 1959, carved into abirch bark strip which still exists today.FromBurns Lake, after 3years, he again moved up the ladder with Hydroand went even further north to Fort St. John wherehe was involved with the building of the WACBennetdamn, which at the time was the largest earth filled damn in the world. Four years went by quickly,and thereweremany rivers to canoe and hunt. He took the family up the Alaska Hwy.all the way to Fairbanks and back, when the road was gravel. We woke up at daylight one morning outside of Fairbanks to the sound of yelling and gunfireand Max immediately grabbed his rifle and ran out of the tent to defend the family,only to withdraw because the US Army was on maneuvers outside the campground trying to take and defend the bridge by the campground. What amemorythat was for us all. He then relocated to Port Alberni for another year and ahalf and then finally settled in Prince George in 1966 as District Area Manager for all of northernB.C. (from 100 Mile House north) and lived thereuntil hispassing.Hewas an avid hunter and would travel with his hunting friends all over into the back country by horseback or plane to walk and hunt whereothers had not been. As the years passed and retirement came, after 40 years with Hydro, he and Grace would spend 22 winters in Apache Junction in Arizona and golf and climb and hikeintothose Superstition Mountains –Geronimo’slastretreat –with all and any of those friends that wereinterested in going along, climbing down and back up the great Grand Canyon and camping at the bottom…always one for an adventure…He and Grace even did an across the mountains cross country ski trip on top of 30 feet of snow from the Pine Pass to Mackenzie over 2days and nights in the middle of winter They also took afew international cruises and he would often entertain with his stories around the evening dinners, about his hiking and hunting and being charged at by Moose and Bears. He often talked about his adventures with his many friends that went with him and, as age set in, missed those times with them. He had acouple of “sayings” he would use often, such as “we3 children werethe luckyones that he kept” and “never call me late for breakfast cause I’ll be the onethat’s up, making it for you” and when talking to family would always say “you people” do this or that.

He did life his way and had no regretsand as he said near the end “My bucket is empty and Ineed no morememories, I’ve lived it fully and did it my way,and now it is time to join Graceand my friends for the next chapter.”

He leaves behind his children Jean, Bill and Rob, 6grandchildren, 7great grandchildren and so many,many friends. He will be missed.

The quote of Max’sbeliefs:

My Heart’s in the Highlands by Robert Burns

My heart’s in the highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart’s in the highlands a-chasing the deer;

A-chasing the wild deer,and followingthe roe,

My heart’s in the highlands, wherever Igo.

Farewell to the highlands, farewell to the North,

The birth place of Valour,the country of Worth, Wherever Iwander,wherever Iroam,

The hills of the Highlands for ever Ilove.

Farewell to the mountains high cover’d with snow;

Farewell to the straths and green vallies below:

Farewell to the forests and wild hanging woods;

Farewell to the torrents and load pouring floods.

My heart’s in the highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart’s in the highlands a-chasing the deer

Chasing the wild deer,and following the roe;

My hearts in the Highlands, wherever Igo.

Max requested therebenomemorial.

Gross

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Bedroom/Bedding

General Employment

MCSTRONG SAFETY SERVICES BC CERTIFIED TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL

McStrong Safety Services is hiring BC certified Traffic Control People for work on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in Clearwater and Valemount. If you have avalid BC Flagger Certificate, enjoy camp life, long days, great pay and working in the beautiful outdoors of BC, send aresume to mcstro ngsaf etys ervi ces@gmail.com. The first 10 people hired will receive a$500.00 hiring bonus on their first pay cheque. Send your resume today! mcstrongsafetyservic es@gmail.com www.mcstrongsafetyserv ices.com

Skilled Help

2 Security-First Aid attendants required in the Chetwynd area. Permanent, full time positions Please call (250) 261-1309 or email norsec@pris.ca for details

Trucking & Transport

PEACE VALLEY INDUSTRIES (2016) LTD COAL HAUL TRUCK DRIVER

Peace Valley is looking for Class 1Drivers for the coal haul in Chetwynd BC area. Competitive wages, benefits and accommodations provided. Minimum 5years off road experience required. Not willing to train at this time. Please email resume to peacevalley@uniserve.com or call Jim at 250-788-5592 peacevalley@uniserve.com

Experienced Class 1 gravel

(250) 614-6667

Dollar SaverLumber has openings forthe following positions:

•Labourers

•PLaNer FeeDer (FT)

•GraDers (FT or PT)

for1x4, 1x3 in 8’,7’6’& 5’lengths) Will p yc mp titiv w g st dy W k

Please apply in person to: Dollar SaverLumber Attn: Ken 9359 NorthernCres PrinceGeorge,BC or email keyles@lumber.ca or gobbi1@telus.net Fax: 250.561.2111

Management/Administration

WORKERS,BIOLOGISTS

FORESTERS, FORESTRY TECHNOLOGISTS

WWW.WESTLANDRESOURCES.CA/CAREERS

Management/Administration

CAREER OPPORTUNITY

Dollar Saverlumber operates alumber re-manufacturing operation in PrinceGeorge.Wecurrently have an opportunity in our management group fora Sales Production coordinator.

This position is responsible to perform the following functions:

•Co-ordinate purchase of rawmaterial to meet mill requirements

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

•Work with Mill Management to ensureoptimal inventories are maintained.

•Communicate with customers to ensuretheir needs arebeing met

Preferencewill be given forpersons

•Completed aCollege Course in BusinessAdministration or have equivalent experience

•Good computer skills including proficiencywith Microsoft Excel.

Thesuccessful candidate will possessthe following qualities

•The ability to deal with customer needs in acalm constructive manner

•The ability to adjusttorapidly changing conditions and developments

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

•Good analytical skills

Theposition offers:

•Acompetitivesalary and benefit package

•Opportunity to work in friendly non- bureaucratic environment

Please submit your resume to Frank Skerlak, General Sales Manager at fskerlak@lumber.caorBev at:gobbi1@telus.net

Only those persons chosen foran interviewwill be contacted.

Fort St.James Forest Products, adivision of Hampton Lumber Mills, has achallenging opportunityfor an innovativeand highly motivatedindividual as a

LOGGING AND FIELDOPERATIONS SUPERVISOR

As amember of theWoodlandsTeam, based out of Fort St. James, BC, youwill be responsible forthe ongoing supervision, coordination of logging and road construction operations and other forestry relatedactivities to ensure the safeand timely deliveryoflogs to our sawmill in Fort St. James

Keyresponsibilities and duties will include:

•Overseeing and supervision of logging and road construction and maintenancecontractors

•Implementing Hampton’s safety, environmental and forest certification plans

•Government, communityand First Nation’s Liaison

•Monthly and annual work scheduling and corresponding budget preparation.

•Contractorratenegotiations forlogging and road maintenance contracts

•Assisting in coordinating forestryand silviculture activities

Theideal candidate is ateam-orientedindividual with the following qualifications:

•Registered(or eligible forregistration) as aForest Professional with theABCFP

•Strong communication and interpersonal skills

•Able to work independently and in ateamenvironment, both in the fieldorthe office,ona number of diverse tasks.

•Provenanalytical,organizational and projectmanagementskills

•Asound understandingofwhatisfundamentally required for safe, productiveand environmentally effectiveforest operations

Hampton Lumber Mills provides acompetitivesalarywith full benefits.Qualified applicants should Email their resumes to #HRCanada@Hamptonlumber.com prior to 4:00pm September 17, 2021.

We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

To place an ad email cls@pgcitizen.ca

SUDOKU

1. Ponds 6. “Unbelievable” musicians 9. Invests in little enterprises 13. Longtime Utah Jazz coach 14. Small sailboat 15. “Luther” actor 16. Round Dutch cheese

17. Detects underwater objects 18. Harsh, grating noise 19. Steward 21. Fencing sword 22. Painful places on the body

23. “Sleepless in Seattle” actress Ryan

ACROSS DOWN

24. Sodium

25. Engineering degree (abbr.) 28. Small lump 29.African antelope 31. Electronic point of sale

33. Carefully chooses 36. Ringworm

39. Drenches

41.Type of pants

44. Son of Noah

45. Spiritual being

46. Upton Sinclair novel

48. JournalistTarbell

49.Atomic #21 (abbr.)

51. Born of

52. Rich tapestry

54. S. China seaport

56. Being without clothes

60. Surrounded by

61. Remains

62.Away from wind

63. Dried-up

64. One who can see the future

65.Avery large body of water

66. Digs up earth

67.Type of screen

68. Old Norse poet 1. Millisecond

Spanish city

Sudden, very loud sound

Type of chair

Tin

I, Jacob John Wiebe of Vanderhoof BC, will no longer be responsible for any debts or obligations other than my own as of August 15, 2021.

DWAYNE POMMER 2x30.2 PGC002293

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Notice of Proposed Application in Relation to Estate Notice to Bernard Lester Jones: Take notice that the applicant John Stuart Jones proposes to apply, in the Prince George court registry, for agrant of probate in relation to the estate of the deceased described below, who died on April 25, 2020.

Full legal name of deceased: Mary Agnes Maureen Jones Last residential address of the deceased: 9Hibberson Crescent, Victoria, BC, V8T 2R4

This application relates to the Will of the deceased dated November 6, 2018. You can obtain acopy of the Will from: Dwayne Pommer, Barrister &Solicitor #101 -513 Ahbau Street, Prince George,

250-564-5300 |contact@pommer.ca

Five tile trends for the bathroom

Thinking of retiling your bathroom to update its look?To achieve a modern design, get inspiredbythesefivetrendingtilestyles.

1. TEXTURED

Both modern and chic, textured ceramics are great for achieving a bold and unique look. Thankstotheirabstractpatternsand3Deffect, texturedtilesaretheperfectchoiceforcreating arefinedbathroomdesign.

2. HERRINGBONE

Traditionally reserved for flooring, herringbone-patternedtilesarebecomingincreasingly popular on walls, especially when it comes to showersandbacksplashes Thisboldpatternis greatforaddingdepthtoanyspace.

3. IMITATION WOOD

Ceramictilesthatmimictherawlookofnatural wood are in high demand this year Available in a wide range of shades from light to dark,they’reperfectforgivingyourbathroom awarm,rusticfeel.

4. CONCRETE

For an avant-garde, industrial design, opt for

tiles that imitate the look of concrete. Incredibly modern, this ceramic style is the perfect complementtoanurban-inspiredbathroom.

5. XXL

Extra-large tiles are making a definite comebackinthebathroom.Idealforsmallerspaces, oversized tiles create an impression of depth thatmakeroomsappearmuchbigger.

How to choose the right paintbrush

Do you have a painting project in mind? Before you get started, make sure you have the right paintbrush for the job. Here’s what to consider

1. THE BRISTLES

Paintbrushescanhaveeithersyntheticornaturalbristles.Thelatterareespeciallyresistantto solvents and are thus the better choice for applyingoil-basedoralkydpaint.Ifyouplanon usingwater-basedpaint acrylicorlatex,for example optforabrushwithsyntheticbristles, which won’t expand when wet, to ensure anevenapplication.Syntheticbristlesaremore durableandeasiertocleanthannaturalones.

2. THE SHAPE

Paintbrushescomeindifferentshapes,suchas flat, angled and tapered. To make the right choice,considerthetaskathand.Fortrimand other types ofprecisionwork,optforanangledpaintbrush designedfortracingfinelines.Tocoverlarger surfaces,gowithaflat-tippedbrush,andusea paintbrush with tapered bristles to paint unevensurfaces(pipes,furniture,grills,etc.).

3. THE SIZE

As a general rule, the bigger the surface you intend to paint, the bigger your paintbrush should be. Choose a brush that’s at least 10 centimetres(4inches)wideforpaintingwalls, floors and ceilings. To paint doors, cabinets andwidemouldings,useabrushthat’saround 7centimetres(3inches)wide.Finally,brushes that are 5 centimetres (2 inches) wide or less areperfectfortrimandsmallermouldings.

FREE ESTIMATES

Finding Homes for Families

How to keep your shower curtain in prime condition

Have you ever had to throw away a showercurtainbecauseitwastainted withdirt,soapscumormould?Cleaningyourshowercurtainregularlyis a foolproof way to prevent this from happening again. Here’s some advice tohelpyoupreservethelookofyour curtainandkeepitoutofthetrash.

Relax in your own indoor hammock

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

MODELS

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

STYLES

Hammocks complement almost any style of interior decor, from Scandinavian minimalism to boho-chic not to mention tropical, of course! For a warm Scandinavian design, install a white chair hammock in the corner of your dining room and keep a few blankets in a wicker basket close by Alternatively, add a traditional hammock bursting with colour to your veranda and surround it with exotic-looking plants You’ll be

transported to a tropical destination every timeyoukickbacktorelax

ACCESSORIES

Finally, use accessories to showcase your hammock and the surrounding design Stacks of old books, piles of plush cushions or a collection of candlesareall greatforembellishingyourcozynook.

First,makesuretothoroughly cleanit onceortwiceamonth. If it’s made of fabric, throw it in the wash and use yourusuallaundrysoap.Ifit’smade of plastic, however, place it in the tubandwashitwithaclothsoaked in whitevinegarandbakingsoda.Rinse itwellandhangtodry.

Ideally, you should wipe down your showercurtainwithawetcloth every time you wash up. Make sure to air out the bathroom after every shower,andkeepyourcurtainclosed toallowittodryquickerandprevent mould.

How to put together the perfect guest room

Whether they’re staying with you for one night, a long weekend or a couple of weeks, your houseguests will surely appreciateyourhospitality andevenmore so if their room is cozy and inviting Here areafewideastohelpyouputtogetherthe perfectguestroom

First, ensure your guests’ optimal comfort by leaving several pillows, cushions, towels, sheets and blankets at their disposal.Inthesummer,keepafanintheroom ifitisn’tairconditioned,andinthewinter, leave some comfy slippers at the foot of thebed.

Furthermore, make sure there’s enough spaceforyourgueststostoretheirclothes and other belongings in a closet or dresser, for example. In the bedside tables, stow some useful objects that your guests might need (paper, pens, magazines, books, alarm clock, phone charger, etc.). And don’t forget to give them your Wi-Fi password.

Finally, leave a personal care kit in the room in case your guests forgot any essentials Make sure the kit contains at least a tooth brush, dental floss, soap and shampoo.

A hanging chair hammock can turn any living room into an oasis of relaxation.

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Tips for designing the perfect home gym

Do you feel like having a space where you canexercise(withoutjudgment!)inthecomfortofyourownhome?Hereareafewtipsto helpyoudesigntheperfecthomegym

First, whether you choose to use your garageoryourbasement,makesurethatyou setupyourpersonalgyminabrightlylit andwell-ventilatedarea.Inordertomaximize the square footage available and createaspacethat’sconducivetoexercise, divide the room into different sections. For example, you could dedicate one area to cardio, another to strength training and yet anothertostretching.

In terms of equipment, always keep your budget in mind and evaluate your needs accordingly before making purchases you may regret. You can surely find a mul-

ti-purpose, high-performance exercise machine at a specialty retailer in your area that won’t break the bank! Furthermore, stocking up on basic equipment, such as free weights, elastic bands, an exercise ball and a yoga mat, is always a great waytostart.

STAY MOTIVATED!

Design a space that’s visually appealing andthat you wouldn’t mind spending a few hours each week in by painting the room your favourite colour or hanging someinspiringartonthewalls.Youcould also put up a chalkboard (or bulletin board) to track yourprogresson.Finally, considerinvestinginagoodsoundsystem thatwillencourageyoutokeepmovingto thebeatofyourfavouritetunes

GO FOR GOLD.

How to set a budget for your

renovation

If you want to renovate your home, it’s essential that you establish a budget before you get started. This will allow you to determine what you can afford and whether you need to adjust your plan. Here are some tips to help you allocate sufficient funds for your renovation.

• Be precise about your project. A surefire way to blow your budget is to improvise. If you want a relatively accurate estimate of how much everything will cost, make sure your plan is as detailed as possible You should also be mindful of how you spend your money in order to maximize the value you’ll add to your home

• Assess your financing options. If you plan to upgrade the appliances, windows, doors or insulation in your home, find out if you qualify for an energy efficiency rebate offered by the government. If you’re considering taking out a loan to pay for the renovation, be sure to factor the interest into your budget

Covering up a ceiling: materials you can use

Do you want to give an old or unsightly ceiling a stylish new look? Here are some of the materials you can use to get the job done.

GYPSUM BOARDS

Commonly known as drywall, this cost-effective material is fire resistant and relatively lightweight. However, installing gypsum boards generates a fine dust that can be hard to clean up and risks irritating your eyes and lungs if you don’t wear protective equipment

CEILING TILES

Available in a variety of materials such as mineral fibre or natural wood fibre, a drop-

ped ceiling can be used to conceal ducts and pipes without restricting access Plus, these lightweight tiles are easy to install and inexpensive to replace if one gets damaged

ALUMINUM

This shiny material is sure to catch the eye. It’s also low-maintenance, recyclable and resistant to fire, moisture and mildew. These metal sheets can be either suspended from the ceiling or glued directly to the surface.

PANELLING

Typically made of wood or PVC, panelling can be glued and nailed in place or installed as a dropped ceiling, provided you have ade-

quate insulation. This ceiling material can add warmth and character to a room, but it might also make the space feel smaller.

STRETCH CEILING

Made of either fabric or a glossy PVC film, this ceiling type is ideal for a modern design. Plus, it’s resistant to fire and moisture. Although stretch ceilings last a long time, they can be quite expensive and require professional installation.

Keep in mind that something as simple as a fresh coat of paint or a bold wallpaper pattern can give new life to an old ceiling. For more ideas, consult an interior designer.

• Estimate the various costs. Do some research to find out the price of the materials you want to use and the professionals you’ll need to hire. Keep in mind that the size and age of your home may influence the cost of your renovations. If you want a more accurate figure, consider hiring an estimator.

• Plan for unforeseen expenses. When it comes to renovating a home, unexpected costs are almost inevitable. Therefore, you should reserve about 15 per cent of your budget for contingencies These funds may be needed to remove mould, bring the home up to code or deal with other hidden issues

Lastly, if you decide to work with a contractor, request a detailed timeline of the project. This way, you can keep track of expenses and spread out your payments

Exposed beams and pipes: tips to hide

or highlight them

Do you have an unfinished basement that you want to make more appealing? Or maybe you have an old house with exposed pipes? In either case, here are some ideas for how you can cleverly conceal or proudly showcase the beams and pipes in your home.

BEAMS

To hide your beams, consider installing a dropped ceiling below them. If you want to add more character to the space, however, you can cover them up with draped fabric Alternatively, you may want to paint the beams so they blend in with the ceiling, or use a contrasting colour to create interest.

Keep in mind that you might be able to use exposed beams to hang various items, such as a swing for your kids, a hammock for naps or string lights to give the room a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

PIPES

While ideal for an industrial-style loft, exposed pipes don’t necessarily suit every design style. If you have pipes that run near the junction of a wall and ceiling, one option is to hide them behind crown moulding This can add an air of sophistication to the space. For pipes located elsewhere, you can box them in with drywall or plywood painted to match the surrounding surface.

Are you familiar with

Alternatively, you can paint the pipes themselves, either to add a pop of colour to the room or make their presence less apparent. Depending on where the pipes are located, you may want to use them as rods to hang towels or clothes. Another option is to wrap the pipes with artificial flowering vines or strings of LED fairy lights

Whether you choose to camouflage or embellish the beams and pipes in your home, you can find everything you need at the stores in your area.

smart lighting?

Smart light bulbs are an absolute must-have for anybody who wishestomaximizetheirhome’slightingpotential.TheseLED bulbscanbecontrolleddirectlyfromyoursmartphoneortablet, whichmeansyoucanremotelyturnthemonoroff

Smart light bulbs connect to your electronic devices viaWi-Fi orBluetooth.Thankstoauser-friendlyapp,youcanadjustthe brightnessandhueofyouranyroom’slightingasyouseefit Furthermore, it’s also possible to program your smart bulbs to light up at a pre-determined time. If you’re always out and about,orifyou’reonvacation,youcanprogramyourlightsto turn on and off at predetermined times to give the impression thatsomeoneishomeandtherebydiscourageintruders.

What

paint should you use in the bathroom?

Since bathrooms are humid environments that fluctuate in temperature, you can’t use just any type of paint. Here are a few tips to make sure you choose a product that will look good and hold up under these conditions

TYPE

Ideally, you should choose an acrylic latex paint. Also, it’s best to avoid a matte finish, as this sheen makes paint less resistant to humidity and frequent cleaning. Keep in mind, however, that a glossy finish will make imperfections more apparent. Therefore, if your walls aren’t in the best shape, consider a velvet, pearl or satin finish. However, if you prefer a classic matte finish, look for an antifungal paint specifically designed for use in humid spaces

COLOUR

When it comes to paint colours, there are plenty of choices For a calming, spa-like atmosphere, consider a calming blue-grey. Alternatively, a darker colour could make the space feel more intimate, or you might opt for a vibrant orange to brighten up the room and add warmth.

If you have a small bathroom, keep in mind that lighter tones tend to make spaces feel airier However, a single dark accent wall can be used to create contrast and depth.

To discover the wide variety of available products, visit the paint and hardware stores in your area.

Tar and gravel: a practical option for flat roofs

An ideal way to cover homes that have a flat roof is with tar and gravel This option involves using four or five sheets of asphalt-coated roofing felt, which is then covered with gravel to protect the underlying material from sun damage

This multi-layered surface can resist impact from hail and falling debris It also greatly reduces the risk of water infiltration. While durable and easy to repair, a tar and gravel roof must be properly maintained in order

to reach its life expectancy of 25 years. Most importantly, you should inspect the roof once a year and add gravel as needed to ensure the roofing felt isn’t weakened by the sun’s UV rays.

An affordable option for flat surfaces, a tar and gravel roof can be easily adapted to accommodate chimneys, skylights and other features. However, it’s not compatible with certain types of insulation.

To avoid any issues, your tar and gravel roof should be installed by an experienced professional Reach out to a local roofing company to ensure optimal results

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