For the first time in 25 years, the Cedars Christian Eagles are provincial high school volleyball champions.
The Eagles got the job done Saturday night at the single-A boys championship in North Vancouver, a five-set victory (23-24, 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 15-12) over the Unity Christian Flames of Chilliwack.
Led by tournament MVP Sam Nelson and first-team, all-star Ryan Crosina, the Eagles lived up to their billing as the No. 1-ranked team going into the 16-team tournament and they went undefeated through seven matches.
Meanwhile at the double-A boys
championship in Langley, the Duchess Park Condors were denied in their efforts to repeat as bronze medalists. They lost in three straight sets to Langley Christian (25-21, 25-14, 25-18) in the bronze-medal game Saturday and were forced to settle for fourth place.
The D.P. Todd Trojans finished sixth after a 2-0 loss to Mennonite Educational Institute.
It was the best-ever result for the Trojans senior boys in a high school volleyball championship.
At the triple-A boys championship in Victoria, the Prince George Polars finished 15th.
Three Prince George teams were in action Saturday at the triple-A girls
championship in Dawson Creek. Duchess Park ended up sixth, College Heights was eighth and PGSS finished 13th.
The Shas Ti Kelly Road Grizzlies placed 12th at the double-A girls tournament in West Vancouver.
The Cedars Christian Eagles of Prince George celebrate winning the single-A volleyball provincial championship Saturday in North Vancouver.
at St. Vincent de Paul Society PAGE 18
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Suicide prevention line goes live
HANNA PETERSEN Citizen staff
Cariboo-Prince George Conservative MP Todd Doherty’s long-awaited 988 suicide prevention hotline is finally taking calls.
Last Thursday, the 988 hotline was up and running.
“Suicide is a deeply personal issue which impacts us all. Years of hard work
and advocacy are finally paying off. On Nov. 30, 2023, after more than 1,000 days after the House unanimously passed my bill to bring 988 to Canada and after relentless pressure by conservatives and Canadians struggling with their mental health, we’ll finally have access to a simple, easy to remember, three digit suicide prevention hotline,” said Doherty in Parliament last Monday.
Doherty’s motion to create 988 was
passed in the House of Commons back in 2020.
His quest to get the three-digit 988 version in place won approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunciations Commission in August.
“This saving grace will be open 24/7 will be staffed by expert crisis responders and... will allow Canadians in their darkest hour to call or text 988 to receive confidential, immediate and non-judgmental
MP speaks out after boy’s suicide
HANNA PETERSEN Citizen staff
Cariboo-Prince George MP Todd Doherty is calling for greater protection for children from online predators following the suicide of a 12-year-old Prince George boy who was the victim of online sextortion.
“I am heartbroken, and I am angry. I’m angry that yet another family has lost a loved one to suicide. Carson Cleland was just like any other twelve-year-old boy from Prince George. He was involved in sports, he was active in his community, but he fell prey to a sadistic predator who’s only motivation was to do harm,” Doherty said last Wednesday in Parliament.
Mounties issued a statement last Monday, more than six weeks after the boy died, to warn parents about the risks youth face on the internet.
The statement said officers went to the boy’s home on Oct. 12 and found him with a gunshot wound. Their investigation later determined he killed himself as a result of online sextortion.
It is a form of blackmail in which threats are made to reveal a person’s online sexual behaviour, such as photos or videos obtained deceptively.
“Ryan Carson’s dad has urged us all to do better. To be better, to make sure parents talk to their kids, check their internet history, have those tough conversations. 12 hours from the predators first point of contact to Carson’s death. It was 12 hours. That’s an hour for each year of Carson’s life,” said Doherty.
“Carson’s dad told me it happened so fast. Parents needs to know just how fast this can happen. His mom Nicola told me that we need to have a safe place for our children to grow and actually be children. We need to find these predators faster.”
Doherty urged for more to be done to protect children.
“Since 2015, there’s been an 825 per cent increase in the making and distribution of child pornography. We have laws in place, and we need to enforce them,” he told his fellow MPs.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said the practice of online predators extorting people for money or sexual favours is on the rise.
“Anywhere that youth have access to social media, this is happening,” she said.
The Prince George detachment said in its statement it had received 62 reports of online sextortion so far this year, surpassing the 56 they had last year.
support,” he said.
“On behalf of the Conservative Party and myself, I’d like to extend a personal and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been involved in the process of creating and launching 988,” he added. “Your efforts are going to save lives and those who are struggling with mental illness, know that you don’t have to suffer alone. You are loved, you are valued, and your life is worth fighting for.”
NOV. 30 - DEC. 15, 2023
ICBC is working together with all British Columbians to help make our roads safer. Thanks for doing your part.
Spirit of the North receives $1 million donation
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
A $1 million donation to honour the memory of Carol Bajkov, a longtime volunteer for the Festival of Trees, was announced during the Spirit of the North fundraising gala on Dec. 1.
Bajkov was dedicated to the festival since its inception, played a pivotal role around the children’s workshop, fostering an environment of creativity and joy for young minds.
With an unwavering commitment, she mobilized an army of volunteers each year.
The $1 million dollar donation was made by Bajkov’s family as a legacy that will help future generations.
Bajkov passed away on March 10, 2023.
“My mom would be so humbly proud to know her legacy will forever help children that she cared so deeply for,” Lara Pederson, Bajkov’s daughter, said.
The funds will be directed towards the expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a cause close to Bajkov’s heart.
The expansion project includes adding additional beds, creating family spaces to provide comfort during challenging times, and establishing a dedicated patio for families to access fresh air.
Particularly noteworthy is the creation of dedicated twin spaces, addressing a crucial need in Northern BC that will significantly enhance the care provided to newborns.
The NICU expansion will forever carry Carol Bajkov’s name prominently highlighted on its walls.
The donation will not only facilitate the growth of vital healthcare services but also serve as a lasting testament to Carol’s profound impact on the Festival of Trees and her commitment to the well-being of the littlest patients in the north.
“Carol Bajkov was more than a mentor; she was a guiding light and a dear member of our festival family,” Aimee Cassie, CEO at Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, said.
“Her unwavering dedication to the Festival of Trees, her passion for nurturing young minds, and her love for our community left an indelible mark on all who knew her. This million-dollar gift, in her honour, ensures that Carol’s legacy of compassion and generosity will continue to touch and transform generations to come.”
Home lottery winner named
Dec. 1 will always be a day to remember for Juan Pablo Garcia Silva Perez.
It was his lucky day when his ticket was drawn from the barrel as the grand prize winner of the Prince George Hospice Dream Home Lottery.
He’s won a prize worth $824,500.
The 2,940 square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom house, custom-built by Toor Enterprises, is located at 3445 Monro Way in University Heights.
The house, which has a finished basement and double garage, has an appraised value of $800,000. It includes five appliances worth $8,100 as well as furniture valued at $16,400. There’s still time to buy tickets for the Prine George Hospice Palliative Care Society’s second Hospice At Home 50/50 draw, which offers a chance to win as much as $250,000. Chances of winning are one in 20,000, if all tickets are sold.
It’s hard for a Prince George man to put his feelings into words after winning more than $100,000 in the Lotto 6/49 draw on Nov.1.
Jeffrey Hill said it was all a blur after he realized he won $102,894.50.
Hill purchased the ticket at the Foreman Road Husky and was there to get the good news of his win.
“I didn’t know what had happened,” Hill said. “I looked at the retailer, he looked at me and I had chills! He said I won and then I saw the number on the screen.”
Hill immediately snapped a photo of the numbers on the screen to send to his wife, who reacted with disbelief.
“She was at work at the time and asked if it was a joke,” Hill said.
Jeffrey Hill of Prince George won $102,894.50 in a recent Lotto 6/49 draw.
Naturopaths want to help fight opioid crisis
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Deborah Phair, a Prince George naturopathic doctor, says the shortage of doctors, registered nurses, psychiatric nurses and nurse practitioners who have the authority to prescribe life-saving alternatives is contributing to the opioid death toll.
She is calling on the provincial government to expand the scope of practice for B.C.’s naturopathic doctors to allow them to prescribe immediate-release safer supply substances and also prescribe opiate agonist therapies (OAT) which take away the cravings for hard drugs. OAT allows people with opioid use disorder to hold down jobs and function in society throughout the day.
“We’ve got a public health emergency and we need somebody to take the ball and get this happening,” said Phair. “We have more patients who need the care than we have health providers. The reason naturopathic doctors want access is there’s a documented shortage of primary-care providers; there are not enough people to prescribe for this region.”
On Nov. 1, a report from the BC Coroners Service death review panel recommended that the fastest way to reduce opioid-related deaths is to reduce dependence on supplies of toxic street drugs. That means giving
access to a quality-controlled and regulated supply of drugs to the 100,000 British Columbians diagnosed with opioid use disorder who are at risk of dying.
Of the more than 700 naturopathic doctors in B.C., most of them are already prescribing prescription drugs. Phair says for naturopathic doctors to have an impact on reducing drug-related deaths by prescribing safer supply and OAT. They would also have to be able to bill the medical system for seeing those patients. She said they should have access to medical labs and diagnostics and specialist referral authority.
“Essentially we’re functioning as primary care providers like nurse practitioners and general practitioners,” she said. “We don’t need to go to other countries to recruit health care workers and to train and licence because there’s 633 (prescribing) naturopathic doctors already in the communities in B.C. that are disproportionally affected.”
The Canada Health Act does not oblige provinces and territories to pay for naturopathic medicine and B.C. does not fully fund its naturopathic doctors. They operate outside of the Medical Services Plan, much like dentists, and many patients pay out of pocket.
“Until naturopathic services are funded equivalently there’s still going to be barriers for people who are unhoused and dependent on social services. The only
people who are needing these medications who can afford us right now are gainfully employed.”
In September 2020, a letter from federal health minister Patty Hajdu was sent to provincial health ministers urging immediate action from all levels of government and health care professions to do all they could to help provide people who use drugs with a full spectrum of options for accessing pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic street supply. Three years after that letter was sent, those barriers still exist.
BC’s Naturopathic Doctors Association initiated a campaign in 2018 to provide enhanced primary care services to British Columbians, asking the province for access to federally-controlled substances and also the ability to refer patients directly to specialists. The petition garnered thousands of signatures in support, but Phair said Health Minister Adrian Dix chose not to act on the group’s recommendations.
“Most patients just want access for primary care,” said Phair. “Naturopathic doctors are an opportunity to improve primary care in this province and the government is not acting on that opportunity. It’s just a no-brainer.”
Phair says it will take forward-thinking policies to fix the opioid crisis and society cannot afford to turn its back on the problem.
Prince George sees 10 more toxic drug deaths in October
HANNA PETERSEN Citizen staff
New data from the BC Coroners Service shows the toxic drug crisis caused 13 more deaths in Northern Health in the month of October, with 10 of those occurring in Prince George.
So far in 2023, Northern Health has seen 157 toxic drug fatalities, 76 of which were in Prince George.
Northern Health also has the highest unregulated drug death rate among all the health authorities at 61.4 per 100,000 people, with Vancouver Coastal the next closest at 55.1.
The provincewide death rate for the year is 45 per 100,000 residents, the highest such number ever recorded.
A total of 2,039 British Columbians have died due to unregulated drugs in the first 10 months of 2023.
October was the 37th consecutive
month in which at least 150 deaths are suspected to have been caused by the toxic-drug supply and were reported to the BC Coroners Service.
The 189 lives lost in October equate to approximately 6.1 lives lost per day.
Toxicological testing confirms that the unregulated drug supply in the province remains dangerous and volatile.
Unregulated drug toxicity is the leading cause of death in British Columbia for people aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural disease combined.
The lives of at least 13,317 British Columbians have been lost to unregulated drugs since the public-health emergency was first declared in April 2016.
Drunken sex assault earns man two years in jail
TOM SUMMER
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A Prince George man was sentenced last Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court to two years of jail for sexual assault.
Trent Hutchinson, 27, was convicted in January 2023 as the result of an incident at his Prince George residence on December 11, 2021.
The jail sentence will be served as a conditional sentence in the community, with Hutchinson under house arrest. Three years of probation will follow, in addition to an order to pay $7,000 in restitution to the victim. He will also be
listed as a registered sex offender for the next 20 years.
Justice Ronald Tindale noted that Hutchinson has no previous criminal history and is employed as a tradesperson at the Prince George Canfor mill.
Hutchinson’s employment makes it reasonable to pay the restitution sum, explained Tindale, with the funds to be used by the victim for counselling and medical care.
Hutchinson was intoxicated at the time of the assault. He and the victim had met on a dating app in October 2021, and were briefly in a romantic relationship, but not at the time of the assault.
The victim was celebrating her birthday and had invited Hutchinson to watch movies together. Hutchinson was “extremely intoxicated” and had drank approximately 18 ounces of bourbon, explained Justice Tindale regarding the assault’s context. The victim was not intoxicated and drank only one or two ounces of rum.
Hutchinson then took the victim to his bedroom and proceeded to remove her clothes and have sex with her, court heard, with the victim crying and shaking throughout the ordeal. He expressed remorse to the victim a few days after the assault, with the victim finding an apology
note at Hutchinson’s residence. Tindale described Hutchinson’s actions as reckless towards the victim.
The victim now suffers from anxiety and depression, court heard, relying on daily prescription medications to manage panic attacks. An impact statement from the victim was read aloud by Tindale.
“Fight, flight, and freeze are natural instincts, and freezing is all I seem to be able to do - I’m terrified on the inside of something that feels like a ghost, all I want to do is forget everything, but it’s impossible to forget something when it brings your entire life to a freezing halt,” wrote the victim.
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Trash talk about bi-weekly garbage pickup
The comments came flying in after our story last week that the City of Prince George is looking at bi-weekly garbage pickup.
“Unbelievable, less service for more money. Most garbage cans are full after 1 week, imagine 2 weeks! We have enough issues with bears, let’s just add to it!” thundered one person. “They have done this in Kamloops and it is the stupidest thing that they have done down here since I moved here,” added another.
“This is being done in Kamloops and works really well,” replied one reader. “Because of the compost program, rarely is there a garbage can overflowing. PG needs to adopt this asap.”
“I’m sure we could all hear the calm clear voice of reason on this issue were it not for the cawing of the crows
and implement the new system with the uncharacteristic speed it deserves,” another reader added.
That last comment actually appeared in The Citizen as a letter to the editor 20 years ago, during the city’s last garbage controversy, when local government decided to spend millions of dollars to buy new garbage trucks with hydraulic arms to scoop up the special cans everyone would have to switch to.
Oh, the outcry in 2003 about the horrendous cost and the grannies who would need to be as strong as Hulk Hogan to haul those cans to the road through the snow. It worked out pretty well in the end. And likely so will switching to bi-weekly garbage pickup, which is increasingly the standard across B.C. and Canada. Of course, there are details to work out, from recycling
to bears. The residents in other cities bring two cans to the road every two weeks – a black can full of trash and a blue can full of unsorted glass, plastic, cardboard and paper for recycling. That might work here.
It’s probably unrealistic to expect zero bear deaths in Prince George but the city is the worst municipality in B.C. for having to put down bears. But we can all do better, from disposing of fallen fruit in the fall to improving the storing and securing of garbage cans, regardless of whether pick up is weekly or bi-weekly.
Other Canadian cities have made the switch because of the short-term and long-term savings.
The city should finish updating its Solid Waste Management Plan to do the same.
Neil Godbout is the Citizen’s editor
So you’re a victim? Are you sure about that?
Ran for office but didn’t get elected? Overlooked for a promotion? Butt of a bad joke? In each case, you might be the victim of sexism, racism and/or ageism.
But are you really a victim or are just feeling sorry for yourself? Have you suffered lasting harm, a hurtful slight, or a minor inconvenience? And if you were affected negatively, was it intentional or random? And who decides? Are you a victim just because you say you are?
These are huge questions that define all political, professional and personal relationships.
There’s no easy answer because every situation is different and context matters.
Except many people don’t like the complexity, uncertainty and vagueness of “it depends.” So a simple more than/less than formula is applied. Whomever holds less power in a relationship is the victim, which makes
whoever holds more power the oppressor.
And it’s true. Except when it isn’t.
The power equation is important but it’s also important to recognize how easily it is manipulated. As it suits them, people say they have less power than they really do or say others have more power than they really do.
That’s how politicians, business leaders and rich and famous people can claim with a straight face and/or teary eyes that they have been victimized by journalists. That’s how journalists can claim they are victims when governments don’t give them handouts and people decide to put their trust in other news sources. And that’s how so many people claim so often that they are the hapless victims of everything, from government mismanagement and corporate greed to deceitful celebrity endorsements and misinformation.
This self-victimization is an endless blame loop that
requires neither second thought nor personal responsibility. It also feeds itself. Questioning anyone’s victim status becomes further victimization, another wrong requiring acknowledgement, acquiescence, and apology. Worst of all, reality itself is turned upside down to justify bad behaviour. Intolerance of dissenting views in the name of tolerance is now tolerable. Inequality and cheating to make things fair are now sensible. Illegal conduct in the name of justice is now righteous. Hypocrisy to get to the truth is now honest.
So long as you’re either the victim or claim to represent victims, everything is allowed, you’re never in the wrong and every bad thing that’s ever happened – real or imagined - is completely someone else’s fault. That used to be the sole domain of spoiled children. But not anymore.
Neil Godbout is the Citizen’s editor
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Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.
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What hydrogen development would really cost
If this Fortescue hydrogen project goes through as proposed, it will use everything our new $16 billion Site-C dam has to offer and won’t even power 100 permanent jobs.
That’s $266 million of taxpayer dollars for a single job. Let’s do the math. This Fortescue hydrogen project, hyped to make Prince George a “hydrogen hub,” will use about 1,000 megawatts of power capacity.
They chose Prince George because we supposedly have “heaps” of electricity, an obvious reference to our nearby finished Site C dam and its excess power about to come online. But Site C will only power around 600 megawatts year round, or around 60 percent of what Fortescue needs. So it will power 60 of those 100 jobs, let’s say, for a crude analysis. Now divide $16 billion by 60 jobs.
Would we really level a world-class wildlife valley, destroy moose habitat, farmland, and even consider flooding out hibernating bears, all at great cost to the ratepayers and taxpayers of this province, for so little in return?
Would we really invest $266 million in public funds to create a single job at a billionaire’s hydrogen plant?
I wouldn’t put it past us.
We are already basically doing this with the extensive bitcoin mining operations in this province, which supposedly consumes around 273 megawatts of power, almost half a Site C, and probably only yields a few dozen full time jobs and no discernable product.
So effectively allocating a $16 billion dam to power a 100-employee factory isn’t too hard to believe. I suppose it could make sense if Fortescue pays the
true marginal cost of the new Site C power production. But it won’t.
The last official cost estimate for Site C power was 8.3 cents per kilowatt hour. But that was in 2014 when the dam was supposed to cost $7.9 billion. The cost is now at least double that.
When the dust or mud settles, Site C power could cost as much as 15 cents per KwH, depending on the discount rate and the final bill. In any case the power will surely cost us more than double the 6.14 cents we currently charge industry.
If we subsidize Site C power to this degree, we should get a lot more than 100 jobs. But rule number one in politics is thou shall not scare off “investment,” even if it means losing billions in public assets. The billionaires and global capital always come first.
Indeed, just last week Vaughn Palmer
issued a warning to Energy Minister Josie Osborne: “careful minister — news reports indicate Fortescue is considering investments elsewhere in Canada and in the U.S. and the U.K.”
In a leaked memo, she had the temerity to suggest we stand up to these massive demands on electricity, including requiring companies like Fortescue to build some of their own generating capacity.
Given that we risk allocating a bunch of subsidized power from the largest public investment in BC’s history to a project that won’t even give us 100 jobs, Osborne has the right idea. The problem is the absence of clear policy has created opportunities for various carpetbaggers to get our hopes up with glitzy project proposals that ultimately make zero financial sense.
James Steidle is a Prince George writer
Alberta could be a leader in renewable energy
In 2022, Alberta generated 3.6 gigawatts or 20 percent of its electricity through wind turbines.
They represent a cleaner source of electricity, certainly better than burning oil or gas. And while turbines are massive and solar farms take up a lot of space, technological improvements are continuing to make both a better choice for generating electricity.
They do suffer from some disadvantages. They only work when the wind blows and the sun shines. Having lived in Alberta, it feels the wind is always blowing. It is not and this is the point Alberta
Premier Dan-ielle Smith has tried to make.
Fair enough. The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. However, that does not mean they are a bad choice and that keeping the economy running on fossil fuels is the only alternative.
In a recent speech, when Smith asked if getting to carbon neutral in 12 years is achievable, the audience answered “yes.” Smith then asked what the audience knew that her “industry experts” didn’t. The audi-ence replied “batteries.”
“Let’s talk about batteries for a minute” Smith said “because I know everybody
MORE SHORT-TERM RENTALS
It’s time for this local government to take a stand for Prince George and area against the bullies in Victoria. Under the NDPs watch, residents outside the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island have been subjected policies and legislation that can be considered abusive. Since the NDP was elected, NDP policies have contributed to multiple pulp and sawmill shutdowns, which has had a devastating effect on thousands of families. Other mills have had, and continue to have, scheduled curtailments negatively affecting countless other families. The latest crackdown on short-term rentals confirms the true nature of the premier. The different regions of
thinks this economy is going to be operated on wind and solar and battery power, and it cannot.”
She is not totally wrong in the sense that batteries are limited in their capacity to generate power. However, fuel cells are not. And this is where the Premier of Alberta and, in my opinion, all of the premiers need to get on board.
Yes, wind doesn’t blow all the time. Yes, the sun doesn’t always shine. But when they do, the electricity could go into making hydrogen and oxygen from water. This can be stored safely and easily for use in an electrical power plant to supply
our wonderful province are unique. The North, Okanagan, Kootenays are all completely different than the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in economy, culture, lifestyle, yet we are forced to comply with the iron fist of a dictator sitting on a throne in Victoria.
As is the case with the forest industry, David Eby couldn’t care less about the negative spinoffs this legis-lation will have on the regions outside his precious domain of Vancouver and Victoria. The latest published rental vacancy rate for Prince George is four percent. Long-term rental rates in Prince George are approximately half of the average going rates in the rest of Canada. There is not a housing crisis in Prince George. It could be argued that there is an affordable housing
fuels cells on demand. Indeed, electricity generated from fuel cells is more easily available than electricity from natural gas. It would allow load leveling and Alberta could be a world leader.
But not if the attitude expressed by Smith prevails: “We need legitimate, real solutions that rely on base-load power rather than fantasy thinking.”
We already have the technology. It is not a fantasy. And it is a way to wean our country off fossil fuels. We are all in this together.
Todd Whitcombe is a chemistry professor at UNBC.
crisis here, which exists in all of Canada. This legislation will not change that. Short-term rentals are essential for the demographic of Prince George. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students, families visiting hospitalized loved ones...etc., rely on the short-term rental industry. Most guests can’t afford to stay in hotels for weeks or months on end, nor do they want to. Other guests have allergies and diet restrictions which make restaurants not possible. These guests need fully equipped kitchens so they can purchase and prepare their own food. It’s time to let the NDP government know the north will not be painted by the same brush as rest of BC. Our local elected government must opt out of this legislation. Al Eiswerth, Prince George
Meals on Wheels service expanding into College Heights
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
George.
To be able to serve the College Heights area is something Currie has been eager to start.
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College Heights is getting Meals on Wheels service starting Jan. 2.
“We’ll be starting in the new year and we’ll be contacting clients in December who are currently on our wait list and encourage anyone in College Heights who wants that service to reach out,” Nicole Currie, Meals on Wheels coordinator, said.
There are eight people on the wait list in College Heights and the Prince George Council of Seniors’ Meals on Wheels program already has one guaranteed driver so they are well on their way to starting this next phase of the program.
Meals on Wheels has provided affordable, nutritious, hot midday meals to the elderly, homebound, post-operative and disabled individuals in Prince George for more than 20 years.
Currently Meals on Wheels serves about 80 people, with another 17 on the wait list in the bowl area of Prince
“We just need to find one other driver and we’ll start with Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Currie said, about the College Heights program. “We’ll start with that and we’ll see how that goes and then we’ll build up to more days and get that going.”
Currie is hoping she can be operating without a wait list by February.
The Prince George Council of Seniors is a non-profit organization that accepts donations to help boost their programs serving seniors in need.
The council also has their Nook, a small space in the Seniors Resource Centre, 1330 Fifth Ave., where people can donate non-perishable food items, nutritional drinks and hygiene products including adult diapers, to those seniors struggling with food insecurity and a lack of the necessities of life.
For more information about Meals on Wheels contact PG Council of Seniors at 250-564-5888 or mow@pgcos.ca
Home programs help seniors
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
Imagine not being physically able to clean your own home for two and a half years with no one to turn to for help.
“This might be an individual who couldn’t bend over,” Terry Runions, Prince George Council of Seniors’ Better at Home program coordinator, gave as an example.
“They get very resourceful by trying to use a mop to clean the bathtub but if you can’t bend over to clean your toilet for two years - if you could even begin to imagine what that looks like, what that smells like, and then think about their pride – they don’t even want anyone in to help them then because they are embarrassed that they haven’t been able to take care of these things on their own for so long.”
It’s a snowball effect that’s all rolled into their inability to clean and the shame that comes with that, Runions said.
Housekeeping is an important service provided by the Better at Home program, which is key to keeping seniors where they would most like to stay – at home.
“The Better at Home program helps seniors to continue to live in their homes by providing non-medical services,” Runions said.
Currently, there are 68 clients receiving housekeeping service on a regular basis, with 48 more clients on the wait list.
To get those seniors off the wait list, the Better at Home program needs funding to be able to pay for the wages of another full-time housekeeper and a part-timer, Runions added.
“The housekeepers we have are phenomenal,” Runions said. “They care and are concerned so much for the clients so it’s not even just about the housekeeping, it’s about the relationships they have built with their clients.”
Another service Better at Home provides is online shopping assistance that includes a home delivery driver that goes that extra step to help bring in the groceries and even put them away if needed.
There are 55 seniors who use this service currently and volunteers are needed to help with that.
Better at Home also does in-person Friendly Visits where volunteers are matched up to visit with a likeminded senior for one to two hours on a regular basis. That could be once a week or once every two weeks, added Runions.
There’s always a need for volunteers for Friendly Visits as well.
The Council of Seniors has also collaborated with the Prince George Men’s Shed whose members volunteer to provide light handyman services to seniors in need.
The Better at Home program started in April 2022 with 49 clients and currently serves 215 clients.
For more information about Better at Home or to volunteer email betterathome@pgcos.ca or call 250-564-5888.
Hockey pioneer remembered
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
Orv Claffey, a Prince George Sports Hall of Fame member inducted in the pioneer athlete category in 2016, died last Tuesday at age 89 at Simon Fraser Lodge. He had been struggling with dementia for several years. Born in Brooking in southern Saskatchewan in 1934, Claffey grew up skating on the outdoor rinks in nearby Radville.
He was a late cut of the Moose Jaw Canucks in 1953 when he was 19 and he saw a newspaper ad and found out the Prince George Lumbermen senior squad was looking for players.
He got on a train and with $10 in his wallet he found what he was after in Prince George. There was plenty of work and his skills as left winger earned him plenty of playing time with the Lumbermen, his team for three seasons from 1953-56 until the arena disaster that led to the team folding.
Claffey went on to play for the Mohawks from 1957-68 and he finished his Cariboo Hockey League career with the Houston Luckies in 1969.
Claffey played competitive hockey in Prince George for 17 years and recreationally for many years beyond that. After two knee replacements he stopped playing for the
Rusty Nuts oldtimers at age 77.
“When we used to go to McBride they always gave a prize for the oldest players and Orville always was one of the oldest players,” said Dave Bellamy. “But there was one other guy with the Rusty Nuts named Duffy Johnson, who was a few months older. Duffy would show up and Orv wouldn’t win the prize.”
Bellamy remembers Claffey for his work ethic, which went well beyond the hockey rink. Claffey worked at the Prince George Planer Mill and Eagle Lake Sawmill as a heavy equipment operator until he branched into sales in 1962.
He often held two jobs, filling shifts at the BC provincial liquor store, Westfair Foods and as interim manager of Lloyd’s Drive In, a hamburger restaurant on 20th Avenue.
Friendly and outgoing. Claffey found his career niche as a lumber salesman with Sinclar Enterprises, which operated Lakeland Mill, and he worked there from 1968 until he retired in 1993.
Claffey learned how to balance books while serving 19 years as treasurer of the Mohawks and was well-qualified in his role as vice-commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League in the years the Spruce Kings were in the league from 1991-96.
He also was a familiar face as the penalty box
timekeeper for the Cougars and Spruce Kings and volunteered his services for well over 500 games in each league.
Claffey wore the stripes of a hockey referee for 35 years and during that time he Gord Cruikshank offered free clinics for aspiring referees, traveling the region to help young officials better their skills. He was the coordinator of on-ice officials at the 2001 Air Canada Cup midget national championships and held a similar role for the 2007 Royal Bank Cup national junior A hockey championship.
In 2000, Claffey was inducted into the Canadian Adult Recreational Hockey Association Hall of Fame.
Then in 2016, he joined the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame, inducted in the pioneer athlete category.
Claffey also excelled on the fastball diamond and played competitively for decades in several city leagues while also serving as an umpire.
He was well known for his volunteer efforts for the Elders Citizen Recreation Association at their headquarters on 10th Avenue.
“He gave back to the community, he was very involved,” said Bellamy.
The family is planning a private service for a later date. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society of B.C. or a charity of your choice.
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Drought conditions worsening across region
TED CLARKE Citizen staff
After a year-long drought, the effects are obvious to anyone who ventures close to the two rivers that meander through Prince George.
Low flows have dropped the banks of the Fraser and Nechako several metres, leaving exposed areas of dirt and debris not seen in years and numerous gravel islands that are usually under water.
The confluence of the two rivers at Cottonwood Island is now a wide dry basin that draws curious walkers wanting to explore areas that might have required scuba gear had this been a typical year.
Early, rapid melting of the snowpack in the mountains last spring was a major contributor to the dry conditions and the lack of rain has worsened the drought.
Vanderhoof has had just 211 millimetres of moisture in the past 365 days - the driest year-long period ever recorded. Typically the city gets 465 mm of annual precipitation. For perspective, any area on earth that typically gets 250 mm or less of moisture is considered a desert.
In Prince George, the city has had just 350 mm fall over the past 365 days. The average is 580 mm and 2023 is tracking as the second-driest year on record.
McBride, which usually gets more than 600 mm, has had 395 mm in the last year.
Dave Campbell, head of the BC Rivers Forecast Centre, has been monitoring river levels and stream flow volumes from his office In Victoria and he’s seen some stations approaching record lows.
“We were experiencing a lot of record-breaking rapid melt this year,” said Campbell. “The dry side of things has been unprecedented and that’s leading to unprecedented stream flows in many areas and it’s certainly concerning to see.
“I’ve seen that in a number of spots, particularly on the Nechako side at the Isle Pierre gauge, that’s been tracking at historic low since September,” he said. “That flow coming from the major tributaries of the Stuart River (which joins the Nechako River 45 kilometres east of Prince George) that’s also been tracking probably since August at its historic minimum.”
Water levels have been less than 10 per cent of normal on the Nechako at
Above, this photo taken last week from the Yellowhead Bridge, shows people walking in areas that typically are under water. Below, The exposed west bank of the Fraser River. Bottom, the Nechako River at the Vanderhoof Riverside Trail.
Vanderhoof. The Nov. 23 measurement of 1.59 metres was within a centimetre of the historic low of 1.58 m, which dates back to when readings were first recorded in 1950.
Closer to Prince George, water flows at the Isle Pierre station on the Nechako, downstream from the Kenny Dam, tend to fluctuate more because the release of water from the reservoir is controlled.
On the Salmon River north of Prince George, the Nov. 23 level was 1.01 m, not far off the record minimum of 0.82 m.
East of Prince George, the Dore River at McBride was down to 0.81 m, close to the record low of 0.74 m, while the Fraser River at McBride was at 3.06 m, approaching the 3.00 m record.
“The Fraser side hasn’t been quite as low but there have been periods where it’s been dipping down and it’s certainly low but not in historic territory,” said Campbell.
The Level 4 drought area includes the Upper Fraser East and West Basin areas as well as the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. Level 4 drought means an adverse effect on socio-economic and ecosystem values is likely.
The Peace and Fort Nelson areas are in northeastern B.C. are experiencing Level 5 drought (the most severe) and adverse effects are almost certain.
Vet tech heading to NWT to lend a hand
TOM SUMMER Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Prince George veterinarian technician Kristie Waddell is heading back to the Northwest Territories communities of Fort Liard and Wrigley, providing care on behalf of Veterinarians Without Borders.
“They actually called and requested me to come back, so I felt very honoured that they had confidence in me to join them again on another tour,” she said, with the December tour planned for eight days.
Waddell was invited to participate in their 2023 spring clinics in May, joining a team of vets and support workers, providing much needed care such as spaying and neutering, physical exams, vaccinations, in addition to some quality of life care for animals with chronic conditions.
In Yellowknife, Waddell visited Łutsel K’e, a homeland of the Dene people, before spending some time in Nunavut’s Kugluktuk, an Inuit community.
It’s been a great experience to meet fellow veterinary professionals from across Canada, says Waddell, forming friendships over the short course of the work.
“I love animals, so meeting all the variety of animals and their owners, just having an opportunity to see a different way of life and learn about Indigenous values and culture, and how they love their animals so much,” added Waddell of her first visit. “They really want what’s best for them.”
The clinics bring all their own gear, and travel with the supplies they need to help the communities they visit, explained Waddell.
Most pet owners in the far north have dogs, both as companions and for practical reasons, but Waddell did treat some house cats, which are kept indoors from the cold. She also examined a pet rabbit.
“It’s not all just husky-type breeds, you’d be surprised, there were smaller dogs, some Shih Tzus, and a whole
group of pugs in one family, and almost anything in-between,” added Waddell, noting most of the larger dogs are suited for the colder climate.
The organization runs clinics through their Northern Animal Health Initiative, and Waddell says the reality is that many communities in the remote North, especially Nunavut, simply don’t have veterinarians available year-round.
“Any veterinary care that they receive is coming in from elsewhere and generally only once a year from our teams,” said Waddell. “And so we work with the community, and certain individuals who are interested can be trained as community animal health workers.”
Youth leadership training
A youth leadership training program hosted by All-Stages Education Foundation, a Prince George non-profit, will take place from Dec. 17 to 20 at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Avenue.
The upcoming program is called Launch: Youth Leadership Training, geared for those of high-school age right up to post secondary, where a team of nine trained youth leaders plus the foundation executive director and founder, Denise Goldbeck, will provide support and guidance to the group of up to 28 participants.
Participants are supported through a journey of self-reflection and self-expression while they start to understand their own development.
Using games and fun activities, youth will learn developmental models, social interaction skills and coaching techniques that can be applied to all areas of life. Intern opportunities to practice their new leadership skills are also planned for Prince George in February and March 2024.
For more information visit the website at www.allstagesfoundation.org.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Right, Kristie Waddell at the Lutsel K’e clinic. Above, the Veternarians Without Borders team of Michelle Tuma, Steven Devery, Nicole Geddes, and Kristie Waddell.
How local kids can safely explore gender identity
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
Physicians for Diversity & Inclusion is a group of local healthcare providers that work with area families of gender diverse children and gender diverse residents.
Dr. Ingrid Cosio, whose practice includes time spent at the Northern Gender Clinic in Prince George each week, provides specialized care to transgender and gender diverse persons living in the Northern Health region.
FIRST STEP IS TALKING
Cosio offers some guidance during those first steps taken toward getting more information for a child talking about their gender identity.
“Any time is an OK time to bring it up,” Cosio said. “Going to talk to your doc doesn’t mean you’re expecting to have a treatment or some sort of solution. It’s a start of the discussion. Just like it would be for anything a patient is struggling with or has questions about. The ideal is that your primary care home – whether that’s a family physician or nurse practitioner – offers a safe place that you can go and talk about some feelings you’re having and have a chat about that.”
Cosio added it’s also important to ask about when they started thinking about this, how it has been making them feel, if it’s affecting their day-to-day life and has it affected their mood? Are there other more pressing concerns like depression, anxiety or thoughts of self-harm or suicide?
“We want to be screening for that because it can be super dangerous,” Cosio said. “And if we don’t ask the question, they might not bring it up. And we don’t want to miss the opportunity where we could put in a safety plan or be aware of how at risk they are. And also are there any hopes or expectations of how, as their primary care provider, we can help other than listening and providing support.”
SECOND STEP IS LEARNING
Cosio referred to the www.transstudent.org online tool called The Gender Unicorn to explain basic terms used when it comes to explaining the difference between gender and sexuality.
Gender expression is how you are presenting yourself, which includes feminine, masculine or other.
“You can feel male even though you were assigned female at birth but not feel safe to express it in any way,” Cosio said. “Or you could fully express that by cutting your hair and doing things that are stereotypically considered more masculine. So that’s your expression piece and that’s what other people are going to see when they look at you. So that’s very different than what’s going on in your thoughts in your brain.”
Sex assigned at birth are your chromosomes and what parts you are born with, Cosio explained. Who you are physically attracted to are totally separate from gender identity. Sometimes these are divided
into physical attraction and emotional attraction.
“So you can have any combination, so that means if a person is gender diverse, it doesn’t mean they are gay and a lot of people make that mistake,” Cosio said.
THIRD STEP IS EXPLORING
Only about 25 per cent of those exploring their gender identity before puberty go on to take the journey to transition and identify as trans, Cosio said.
“That gender diversity group who is exploring is much bigger compared to the group who ultimately, after puberty, identify as gender incongruent,” Cosio said. “But all the more important is that exploration piece be supported so they can figure that out.”
The key is to follow the child’s lead.
“If the child would like to try different clothing, a different pronoun, a different name or nickname, to see what that feels like then that’s great,” Cosio said. “I think that’s really important because it’s part of that reflection/exploration that is so key. So really it’s about observing them, creating a space where they’ll hopefully tell you if they want to explore.”
Parents can invite their child to talk about it if they would like to change things, Cosio added.
FOURTH STEP IS SUPPORTING
When gender incongruence is persistent and sustained over time, which is when a person does not identify with
the sex they were assigned at birth and that tends to be during puberty and the person is exhibiting distress, that is the time to take the next steps because things are probably not going to change, Cosio explained.
“So they can think about what’s likely to happen in puberty, how they anticipate how that’s going to make them feel, what sorts of things they would specifically like to prevent, what this might mean for the future,” Cosio said. “And then we are looking at how we can support them by decreasing some of the distress with safe and reversible steps.”
A puberty blocker may be used in these circumstances. When a person stops the puberty blocker, puberty continues where it left off, so in that sense it is reversible, she added.
“A puberty blocker is something for the kid who is terrified about those puberty changes that are coming up,” Cosio said. “There are criteria that are put out by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which is the over-arching international body, that puts out standards of care that we follow for gender affirming care. This is structured, research-based and expert-informed so there is criteria to follow and this helps to make sure we’re in a safe place that is consistent with the standards of care before initiating next steps.”
For reliable and accurate information about gender identity, visit the BC Children’s Hospital gender resource page.
Schools struggling to retain staff, unions say
‘There are teachers... who are crying in a bathroom because they can’t cope but they are still showing up for work’
Retention of teachers and support staff continues to be a problem in School District No. 57 (SD57).
Prince George District Teacher’s Association President Daryl Beauregard said teachers often leave the profession or the district for teaching opportunities elsewhere.
“I’m going to focus on what the chronically understaffed conditions of our schools do for staff retention because they kind of play into each other. It has become harder for teachers to meet the ever-complex needs of today’s student population,” he said.
He said chronic understaffing means teachers sometimes go weeks or months without any prep time.
“I was told last week that there are teachers at a school who are crying in a bathroom because they can’t cope
but they are still showing up for work,” he said adding he often gets phone calls from administrators who are concerned about somebody.
“At the end of the day the first response is ‘I won’t let my students down, I don’t want to let my colleagues down, I don’t want to let my school down’ and so they continue to work until there’s such time they can’t work anymore because their health has deteriorated.”
He said the week prior he talked someone out of resigning, and heard that the district’s HR department also talked another person out of resigning.
“It’s a time of increased workload, it’s a time where there is lots of challenges to morale of staff in this district. There’s also an intense competition to retain and recruit the staff we do have,” he said.
Paula Bass, union president for CUPE 3742 which represents school support workers, had similar concerns about retention.
“In CUPE there is more of a need of retention rather than recruitment,” she said.
“I’ve looked through my membership logs for a few months and can see the school district is struggling to retain CUPE members but is actively recruiting.”
School board trustees elect new board chair, vice chair
HANNA
PETERSEN Citizen staff
School District 57’s board of education has a new chair and vice-chair after a leadership shake-up at its monthly board meeting last Tuesday.
After being nominated for board chair by Trustee Cory Antrim, sitting chair Rachael Weber announced she would not be seeking re-election for the position citing her decision to run in the next provincial election as a deciding factor.
“I appreciate the trust you have shown me as a school district board chair over the last year. After careful consideration I have decided I will not be putting my name forward to serve as chair for the 23/34 school year,” said Weber.
“I want you to know that my commitment to serving our communities will remain steadfast and I will continue to faithfully perform my duties as a trustee. As you may already know I will be running as a candidate in the next provincial election. If successful, this will allow me to continue to serve but with a broader
impact. I am grateful for your support and understanding in this decision.”
Trustee Shar McCrory then nominated Sarah Holland for the position, and Weber nominated Craig Brennan.
After all trustees voted, Brennan was declared the winner and elected board chair.
“I believe the position of chairperson is about positively influencing people to reach new heights. I believe in being part of a high performing team and I believe we are stronger together. I don’t just mean the board I mean all of us,” he said.
McCrory again nominated Holland for the position of vice chair, but she was unsuccessful as the board trustees elected Erica McLean, who was nominated by Antrim.
“While I can’t commit to any outcomes as a vice chairperson, I can promise to lead with my three values. Values are only useful if you can cite them, share them with others and if you can live through them every day so humility, a hunger for growth and change, and gratitude,” said McLean.
At the end of June there were approximately 940 CUPE staff working for SD57.
In September that was 908 as 53 members had resigned and six had retired but the district did add 28 new staff.
Then in October, they gained seven members, but lost 10 as seven resigned and three retired. In November they gained 24 but 7 resigned and there was one retirement.
“So right now, we are sitting at about 920 members which is still less than the 940 we had in June. This means we had over 65 resignations from June until now. That’s not including retirements,” said Bass.
“Retirement is inevitable, but we are losing staff for so many other reasons.”
She said they are losing staff because of lack of support from social workers and teacher counsellors as well as not enough youth care workers, or Indigenous Education workers to work with students in crisis.
“This leaves everyone scrambling to give proper supports to the students who need them. It is imperative these roles are filled because students suffer, and staff cannot keep up.”
HANNA PETERSEN Citizen staff
Meet some of this year’s craft fair creators...
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
Ervin Voelk, 86, is a retired mill worker and has always been interested in woodworking.
Duchess Park Craft Fair goers flock to Voelk’s functional art because there’s a touch of whimsy to it.
A moose head, a happy puppy, a cheeky, eye-patch wearing pirate, are all bird houses that bring smiles to the crowds on Saturday morning.
It’s not even two hours into the fair and out of the 12 bird houses available there’s only three left.
Voelk sells between 80 and 90 bird houses a year. He creates other items including bird feeders and even toilet paper holders shaped like toilets.
“I’ve been retired for 26 years,” Voelk said. “I have all the equipment that I need in my shop and I’ve always kept busy. I’ve always been an outdoors person and I’m 86 years old and I still can’t sit down to watch TV.”
Voelk got the idea to create his pieces from searching the internet and checking out magazines.
“And then I put my own ideas in with it and I always use different types of wood,” Voelk said.
The pine beetle wood can have a blue tinge to it and he uses juniper that has a pinkish hue as well.
“It keeps me busy,” Voelk laughed about his creations.
Voelk will be at the Civic Centre’s Winterfest on Dec. 16 and 17.
DAWN STRONSTAD
At her house there’s a bus filled with driftwood and a shop filled with driftwood and it’s all sorted by size and she’s made things as big as headboards and coffee tables because Dawn Stronstad loves driftwood.
Stronstad’s business is called Get My Drift? and she’s from Burns Lake and collects her beloved driftwood at Ootsa Lake.
Stronstad came down to the Duchess Park Craft Fair this weekend to sell some of her art pieces that include driftwood trees, picture frames and mirrors that are put together like a puzzle.
“Because they flooded Ootsa Lake
there’s tons of driftwood and to me it’s the best driftwood,” Stronstad said.
“I had so much driftwood in my shop I thought I’d better do something with it.”
So she started creating.
During the creative process Stronstad will have three or four picture frames set out and will slowly piece them together using all the little pieces of driftwood she’s collected.
“It’s really relaxing to do it,” Stronstad said. “And when pieces come together it’s really rewarding.”
The trees are put together with a metal rod implanted into a base. Each driftwood piece has a tiny hole drilled into it and they are artistically stacked on top of each other and numbered so that people can disassemble the trees to store them more easily if they’d like.
Being a retired forester, Stronstad loves all types of wood and has built her storage and staging boxes from old barn board she’s found out in the bush and some of her bigger installations include driftwood and pine beetle wood bases that offers visual interest.
“I just love it,” Stronstad said. “There are such unique pieces and I spend many, many hours collecting it and it’s been so much fun.”
HELENA GIRARD
“Times are tough – just turn on the news and the world stresses you out,” Helena Girard said.
And that’s why her crocheted Emotional Support Pickles are flying off her table at Duchess Park Craft Fair Saturday morning.
They are nubby and woolen, soft and squishy, in all shades of green as pickles tend to be. And the clincher is there are kind and friendly little eyes sewn on each unique pickle.
Some pickles are bigger than your hand, there’s one tiny pickle pin on the lapel of Girard’s handmade sweater and some are even in pickle jars because a customer at the last craft fair made a joke about it.
“They just put a smile on your face,” Girard said. “People seem to really enjoy them.”
People are liking the quirky because her cuddle hens are popular too.
“These are my recycling project,”
Girard said as she cradled a little hen in both hands to show how precious they are.
“These are something you can give a hug to and feel good about.”
A friend donated the yarn to Girard, whose business name is Handmade by Helena G.
“So I came up with the idea of the cuddle hen and they are filled with all my scrap pieces so they don’t end up in the landfill,” Girard.
Girard’s grandmother taught her how to crochet when she was little and then after covid hit she came back to it, learned to read patterns and then quickly decided to design her own. She creates dolls and clothing as well.
“The pickles seem to be the popular item this year,” Girard said. “People need a reason to smile.”
Check out Girard’s work at Handmade by Helena G Facebook page.
Continued on next page
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTOS
Above, Helena Girard and her Emotional Support Pickles. Below, Destiny Blumers, 14, is a painter of nature, who partnered with her crochet artist mom, Leanne.
... and the stories behind their work
LEANNE & DESTINY BLUMERS
Lions and zebras and moose, cows and horses and honeybees, that’s what you get when you let loose the creativity of a Prince George crocheter.
Leanne Blumers said her mom taught her how to crochet when she was little and more importantly taught her how to read a pattern.
“Pretty much from there you can make anything,” Leanne said.
She started off as you’d expect.
“With square things – well, what’s supposed to be square things but doesn’t always end up square,” Leanne smiled.
Scarves and blankets were just the beginning. Then she moved on to hats and sweaters and then she took up teddy bear making.
“That’s my specialty,” Leanne said. “I love the little bears.”
Daughter Destiny, 14, is a self-taught artist who started painting as a tiny child, Leanne said.
“From when I said don’t glob your paint on the paper, you’re going to make holes in it to now she globs paint intentionally to make intense colour and create texture,” Leanne said.
“I’ve had a lot of really good feedback,” Destiny said about being at a craft fair for the first time.
Destiny, who captures nature scenes and wildlife in her work, said she takes
her inspiration from photos her parents bring back from their very long wilderness hikes.
She’s got paintings of Whiskers Point, Mount Robson, a bear in a wildflower meadow, railroad tracks, a butterfly and even a creative interpretation of the Aurora Borealis.
“I really like it when I can paint dark and then contrast with light,” Destiny said.
RYAN GUNDERSON
About a year and a half ago, he was lying on his bed shaking uncontrollably. He thought he was a Covid goner.
“I thought ‘if I die here what have I left my kids? My wife? The world?’” Ryan Gunderson said about how he got started in his woodworking.
“And it scared me. I hadn’t done enough with my life and it motivated me to build my first piece, which was a mountain scene.”
Gunderson works at a building supply store specializing in hard to source wood and when a local artist kept coming in to get her specialty wood, he was curious about what she was doing and found her on social media.
“Dani at North Soul Studios inspired me,“ Gunderson said. “She does great work and she’s very popular and really if I had not met her and got Covid Delta (where people were getting sicker quicker and to a greater level) I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”
Gunderson favours the exotic woods
for his wood inlay pieces like the mountain scenes, feathers and leaves and framed pieces of wood laid in intricate patterns.
“There are different textures, thicknesses and widths and this is kind of what I do, right?” Gunderson said. “And then I bought a router to smooth edges and then it’s all hand sanded – every piece is done by me and these are all natural colours of the wood and I finish them with one coat of clear oil.”
Left, Ervin Voelk and his woodwork, Dawn Stronstad and her driftwood work, and Ryan Gunderson and his woodwork.
Volunteers get job done at St. Vincent de Paul
CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff
“We are nothing without our wonderful volunteers and staff,” Bernie Goold, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Society, said. “We have an army that supports us and we are really blessed by all the people who volunteer, which is our greatest wealth and all the donations we get from the public.”
The St. Vincent de Paul Society needs volunteers, especially at the drop-in centre at 1220 Second Ave., where more than 300 meals are served each day through a take-out window at the front door.
The service organization has not had the volunteers to open its doors since the pandemic but are always hopeful more volunteers will come forward to make that possible.
‘I NEEDED SOMETHING TO DO’
Gladys Goode, a retired restaurant owner and caterer, volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul’s Drop In Centre in the heart of downtown Prince George to feed the hungry. Calling on her decades of lived experience, retired restaurant owner and caterer Gladys Goode chops vegetables Monday to Friday without fail at St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Drop In Centre that prepares and serves more than 300 meals a day, 365 days a year, to those most vulnerable in downtown Prince George.
“I retired early so I needed something to do so I came here to volunteer about four years ago,” Goode said. “It just went from one day to another to another until I was volunteering five days a week and when I’m done here I go over to the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre to keep myself busy.”
Goode said throughout her life she was always active and out of the house most days so she’s kept that up because she likes the work and helping people is important.
“There’s always something that needs to be done here and anyone can come and volunteer,” Goode said. “You don’t have to come every day but even once a week would help because they really need it.”
‘I ENJOY HELPING PEOPLE’
At least twice a week for the last four years, Al Work volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Drop In Centre that feeds the most vulnerable in downtown Prince George.
“I was retired and there was nothing much to do and I needed to break up my week and so now I know what day of the week it is,” Work laughed.
He chops vegetables every time he volunteers. Most recently, Work chopped up 42 heads of lettuce needed for lunch despite his wonky thumb.
“Al brings us loads of vegetables from his garden and he went to the Okanagan recently and brought back
thousands of pounds of apples for us so even in his spare time he’s always thinking St. Vincent de Paul’s,” Goold said.
Work has friends who have an orchard down there.
“The apples were free for the picking so my son and I brought a load back,” he added. “And then staff and volunteers made about 50 pies with the apples too,” Goold said. “So those are the miracles that happen here. That’s why no one person can take credit for running this place. It’s just a myriad of volunteers that donate to make this all possible to keep these doors open 365 days a year.”
For more information visit https://ssvdppg.com/ volunteer-with-us/
Check out what ’s happening this week...
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTOS
Al Work, above, and Gladys Goode, right, are two volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Drop In Centre in downtown Prince George.
Healthy North
Covid & Flu clinics
Northern Health COVID-19 and influenza (flu) immunization clinics continue in Prince George. Vaccines are free and recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older Register and book through the Get Vaccinated system (getvaccinated gov.bc.ca) or call 1-833-838-2323 to schedule an appointment.
The latest Prince George vaccine clinic info is as follows:
Ages 6 months - 11 year olds
When: Wednesday, December 6, 13, and 20 (1 pm to 3:30 pm), Thursday, December 7, 14, and 21 (4:30 pm to 7:30 pm)
Where: Northern Interior Health Unit, 1444 Edmonton St
All ages (including 6 months and older)
Vaccine appointments may also be available at a local participating pharmacy
The latest clinic information can be found by visiting: Northernhealth.ca/healthtopics/covid-19-and-flu-immunization-clinics.
Dried Blood Spot Testing in the North
Screening for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) is key to successful diagnosis and treatment. However, there can be barriers that prevent people from being screened. In December 2021, DBST was introduced on a small scale in the Northern Interior and has shown promising results. Read more on the development and implementation of DBST in the North here: stories.northernhealth.ca/stories/dried-blood-spottesting-easier-way-test-certain-infections.
Active Communities Grant
Are you part of a community organization offering physical activity programs? Now is the time to work together with members of your local and/or Indigenous governments to apply for an Active Communities Grant. Many hands make light work, and our efforts are so much stronger when we work together. Get together and think outside the box about what would work in your community to increase physical activity
Apply here: bchealthyliving.ca/active-communities-grant-program-2/ You can also contact your regional physical activity lead for support at Physical.activity@northernhealth ca
Applications are open until February 5, 2024.
HOROSCOPES
ARIES
You’ll dream of escaping the cold of winter and putting your feet in the warm sands of the tropics while the sun shines down on you. You could even take this opportunity to embark on a spiritual journey
TAURUS
It doesn’t take much to move you. You must make some changes to get back to enjoying yourself. Taking part in festivities could help you to smile again. Don’t refuse an invitation.
GEMINI
It’s impossible to please everyone, no matter how hard you try or how much you compromise. You must weigh the pros and cons. At work and elsewhere, it may be necessary to take a more diplomatic approach in certain situations.
CANCER
You’ll be extremely efficient this week and get everything done whether at work or home decorating for Christmas. You’ll pay attention to the small details so that everything in your home is perfect.
LEO
You’ll be put on a pedestal for performing a remarkable heroic deed. You may involuntarily participate in an activity In return, you’ll receive a reward or at least some form of recognition.
VIRGO
You may have to change your holiday plans at the last minute and you’ll have to swap your decorations. You may also want to take some time to focus on a particular family member
LIBRA
You may be considering treating yourself to a new car as a Christmas present. You’ll be on the move this week You’ll have a lot of errands to run and a lot of details to manage.
SCORPIO
Spoil yourself and your family this festive season. There may be a system failure when it comes to paying your bills online. This week, you need your partner to be sensitive and take care of you.
SAGITTARIUS
Even though the shortest day of the year is fast approaching, you’ll find new ways to boost your energy You’ll be asked to participate in several activities to break up the boredom. You could even consider a trip to celebrate.
CAPRICORN
Maintain your sense of harmony by avoiding constant exposure to current events through the media. Instead, read a fun book or an entertaining TV series. It’ll make you feel lighter and more serene.
AQUARIUS
You’ll help bring together many people, but you may find yourself among individuals you don’t feel very comfortable with. Remember to check up on your social network contacts to stay connected.
PISCES
You’ll oversee organizing everything for the holidays. You still have many tasks to complete before the end of the year, and time is running out Certain relationships will drain your energy
REMEMBRANCES
Catheryn (Alwood) (Dol) Ormiston
1937-2023
Catheryn also known as “Kate” passed away peacefully on Dec 2nd surrounded by her loving family.
She will be sadly missed by her children: Rudy, Gail, Cathy, sisters Lou and Eileen.
Predeceased by her daughter Lisa and sister Deanna.
Her greatest joy was her 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren who loved her dearly.
Kate was a comedian at heart and loved cooking, knitting and playing bingo.
Special thanks to UHNBC, PG Hospice House and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for their compassion and extra special care of Mom.
Celebration of life will be held on Friday, Dec 8th at 2:30 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints -4180 5th Ave.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the PG Hospice House.
17 April, 1953 - 19 November, 2023
Les Hannam passed away peacefully with family by his side on November 19 2023 at the age of 70, after a courageous 3-year battle with cancer.
Les was born April 17 1953 to parents Ray and Martha Hannam in Wilkie Saskatchewan. He is survived by his spouse Marcy; his siblings; sisters Gail, Marilyn (Bob), and Brenda as well as brother Gary (Heather); children Aaron/DJ (Melissa), Amanda, Dave and Aaron as well grandchildren; Hailey, Madison, Zoey and Thomas, and many close family and friends. Les was predeceased by his parents, Ray and Martha Hannam, his sister Dianne and brothers-in-law Ron (Gail) and Wayne (Brenda)
Les was dedicated to family and friends and loved spending time at the lake, cards and games with family and friends and the “occasional” rum and coke. Les was very generous and was always happy to help friends or family when they needed it. He will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure to know him.
We Love You.
There will be a celebration of life in the spring at a time and location to be determined.
Leslie Hannam
Bruce Rogers
April 6, 1960 - November 2, 2023
Bruce’s Song
In the chorus of life, Bruce Rogers composed a song that resonated in the hearts of all who knew him. With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to a cherished son, husband, father, grandfather, and steward of the earth, whose sudden departure in Prince George, BC, on November 2, 2023, left an irreplaceable void. Bruce was born in Alert Bay, Cormorant Island, and his legacy is embraced by his loving parents, Beverly Rogers Wolsey and John Wolsey, sister Kelly, wife Deanna, and six adoring grandchildren. Bruce was predeceased by his father Norman Rogers. His life was a ballad of passion, kindness, and unwavering dedication to his loved ones and his pursuits.
Bruce’s life was a unique melody, one that echoed with authenticity and love. How can you sum up someone’s life in a few words; especially when it’s Bruce. He was an original; he was just Bruce and everyone loved him. His love language was music, a passion he generously shared with all fortunate enough to cross his path. Involved in multiple bands over the years he was a singer, songwriter, and devoted musician; his guitar was a constant companion, allowing his soul to sing through each heartfelt lyric. His grandchildren often found solace and joy in the notes he strummed, over many pool days and birthdays, always open to his granddaughter June and big dog Charlie snuggling in close to help pluck strings.
Beyond the realm of music, Bruce was a steward of the Earth, a researcher, and a dedicated ecologist. Ask him about a tree and he would tell you about the forest. His love for the land and its creatures was profound, reflected in his roles as a Forest Research Scientist, a BC Institute Agrologist, Forester, Wildlife Biologist, and Regional Ecologist for Northern BC. His passion for the environment extended to his role as an adjunct professor at UNBC, where he inspired and educated students, taking them on enlightening excursions into the heart of the forest. His role as a Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) educator for B.C brought out the true scientist and teacher in him. Bruce mentored many amazing students and helped them achieve their dreams. Bruce also had a wild & noisy passion for hockey, the Canucks, and coaching his Grandson Bryce. His devotion to Bryce extended over two decades, on and off the ice, a testament to the profound love and dedication he held for his family. He was also very proud of his Olympic champion niece, Sydney Payne, a Gold medal rower for Canada. Yet, amidst these passions, his truest love was Deanna, his beloved wife, life partner, and her rockstar, whom he lived on love with for 43 years. He serenaded her nightly by the melodies of his guitar and gave her one last waltz. Their connection is an unbreakable chord that will forever resonate.
Bruce’s departure leaves a silence in our favorite song. He was the soundtrack of our lives and his music will be forever recorded in our hearts. His remarkable presence, infectious enthusiasm, and unwavering love will be dearly missed by all who were blessed by his light.
To honor Bruce’s legacy, the family suggests contributions to your local SPCA in lieu of flowers. A forthcoming gathering January 21, 2024 from 1 to 4 at UNBC’s Atrium of the Charles J McCaffray Hall.
REMEMBRANCES
Obituaries
Adam Wagner
August 25th, 1994 - November 25, 2023
Adam Johannes Heinrich Wagner died Saturday November 25, 2023, in Prince George, BC, at the young age of 29 years. Adam died unexpectedly from complications to Type 1 diabetes.
Adam was born August 25th, 1994 in Chilliwack, BC. He was the eldest son of Heidi Evensen and Gordon Wagner, and older brother to Jaron Wagner.
Adam spent his childhood and early teen years in Prince George. He attended school in Prince George, and then was thrilled to be accepted into the lacrosse program at Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, where he graduated from Grade 12. Additionally, he finished three years of post secondary education from CNC and UNBC in Prince George, and UBC in Kelowna.
Employment for Adam was diverse. His final contract job with the BC Wildfire Equipment Depot was especially rewarding.
The most important things to Adam were his family, friends, and sports. Two of his very favourite things were playing Junior A lacrosse in Burnaby, and varsity rugby in Kelowna. Adam was adamant, “Individual sport is not sport, it’s exercise!”
Adam is survived by his loving family, father Gordon Wagner, mother Heidi Evensen, younger brother Jaron (Chantel Bachand), uncles David Evensen (Ruth Chambers) and Peter Wagner (Louise Waterhouse), aunts Wendy Evensen (Dale Andrews), Aastrid Evensen, Karola (Larry) Stinson, and Elizabeth Wagner, and cousins Camille, Jasmine, Lily, and Alyssa Flanjak, and Nikki, and Francesca Wagner.
Adam was predeceased by grandparents George and Elsa Wagner, John Evensen and Margaret Turvey, and uncle Martin Evensen.
Adam’s love, humour, storytelling, and lively political discussions are deeply missed by family and friends.
The family thanks Dr. Sidorov, Karen, and Alice, for their caring support of Adam during his life.
Memorial service is Monday, December 11, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Assman’s Funeral Chapel, 1908 Queensway Street, Prince George BC.
Reception following the service is at the Bon Voyage Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 4366 Hwy 16 West, Prince George, BC.
Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, or the charity of your choice.
Each Loss
Each loss is very different,
The pain is so severe. Will I ever stop missing This one I loved so dear?
Good times we had together,
The moments that we shared
We didn’t have to tell each other How much we really cared.
I never dreamed you’d go away, Never thought of sorrow.
So sure you’d always be here
Took for granted each tomorrow.
Now my life is all confused
Since you went away. You took a part of me And for help I daily pray.
But when God sent you to me
He never said that you were mine, That I could keep you always –Only borrowed for a time.
Now, He’s called you home, I’m sad and I shed tears. Yet I’m glad He loaned you to me And we had these many years.
the lives of loved ones with your stories, photographs and tributes
In loving memory of
HILL - Ellen Jean
1933-2023
It is with heavy hearts that we regretfully announce the sudden passing of our Mother, Ellen Jean Hill (Kelly) at the age of 90. She was surrounded by family on November 26, 2023 at Cowichan District Hospital, Duncan, BC. She was born March 28, 1933 in Edmonton, Alberta. She moved to Vancouver Island as a young girl with her parents. They settled in Shawnigan Lake. She graduated from Cobble Hill High School and pursued a career as a Nurses Aid where she worked at Mill Bay Children’s hospital and in later years throughout the Province of BC. Some of her interests were gardening, hiking, traveling, playing the snare drum with the Legion Pipe Band in Ladysmith and enjoying activities at the Ladysmith Seniors Center.
She was a loving wife, mother, sister, Grandmother and Great Grandmother.
She was predeceased by her parents, Neil Patrick Kelly (Father) and Bertha Kelly (Kelly) (Mother), Norman George Hill (Husband), Patrick Neil Kelly (Brother) and Betty Kelly (Mudge) (Sisterin-law) and many Aunts and Uncles.
Survived by Mark Douglas Hill (Son) of Nanaimo, Cheryl Ann Bradford (Daughter) of Chilliwack, Shaun Andrew Hill (Son) of Nanaimo. Florence Kerley (Kelly) (Sister) and Rick Kerley (Brother-in-law) of Cedar. Granddaughters Corena Horvath (Fynes) (Rob) of Burnaby, Moira Fynes of 100 Mile House, Brenna Fynes of Sechelt, Megan Hill of Vancouver, Brittany Hill of Prince George and many nieces and nephews and three Great Grandchildren. She will be sadly missed by all who knew her especially her companion Leo Garneau of Ladysmith. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made in her memory to BC Cancer Foundation. A celebration of Ellen’s life will be announced at a later date.
Theresia Maria Zwiers
1928-2023
Theresia Maria Zwiers – wife, mother, and Oma – was born on October 11, 1928 in Deventer, Netherlands and passed away on November 26, 2023 in Prince George, BC at the age of 95. She was predeceased by her loving husband, Antonius Zwiers (2014). She leaves behind 5 wonderful children: Tony (Teresa), Erica (Bondi), Arnold (Amber), Geraldine, and Ken (Pamela). She also leaves behind many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Scatter me not to restless winds, Nor toss my ashes to the sea.
Remember now those years gone by When loving gifts I gave to thee. Remember now the happy times The family ties we shared. Don’t leave my resting place unmarked As though you never cared.
Deny me not one final gift For all who come to see A single lasting proof that says I loved... & you loved me.
by DJ Kramer
Established Franchise Photography Business
Serving Northern B.C for over 35 years
Gross Revenues of $150.000 plus annually from seasonal work
Lots of opportunity to expand the business. Transition support available to the right buyer
Serious Enquiries Only
Office 250-596-9199 Cell 250-981-1472
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Established Franchise Tax Preparation Business Mackenzieservicing and McLeod Lake area for over 30 years.
Gross Revenues of $85,000 to $90,000
Annually and Potential to expand revenues in a growing economy.
Transition support available for the right buyer.
Serious Inquires Only
Office (250)997-9003
Home (250)997-5538 Cell (250)990-0152
$277,500. 250-561-1255 Ready to sell! IN-
“DUNSTER PROPERTY FOR SALE”
VESTMENT & OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT ORMOND CREEK (NORTHSHORE FRASER LAKE BC) ON 8.1 ACRES/HOME MACHINERY/SHOP/GREENHOUSES PHONE 250-699-1072
TAKE NOTICE THAT:
Any ONE with a prior, equal, or superior right, interest, CONDUCT, treaty or Convention in/to/for/of the NAME and property of: DUANE CURTIS MCMECHAN and/or MCMECHAN, DUANE CURTIS Estate, in any style or variation thereof capable to confuse, suspend or clog said NAME, Title and/or Estate is hereby WARRANTED to present their said claim to Witness: Brent Douglas Ediger, c/o: #107 8955 Edward St, Chilliwack, BC, V2P 4E2 before expiration of twenty-eight (28) days of the first publishing of this Notice.
COURT BAILIFF SALE NORTH CENTRAL BAILIFFS LTD. www.northcentralbailiffs.bc.ca
The Court Bailiff offers FOR SALE BY TENDER, the interest of TD AUTO FINANCE (CANADA) Inc. vs. Paul Joseph Alexandre, the Judgment Debtors, in the following goods:
2012 Ford F150 VIN: 1FTFX1EF2CFB66840
To View contact North Central Bailiffs Ltd. 250 - 45644900 . Sale is subject to cancellation or adjournment without notice. Sealed bids will be accepted on the unit until December 28th, 2023. Goods to be sold as is where is. Bidder takes responsibility to
1/2 DUPLEX- 2bdrmAvail immediately on the Hart Highway in Prince George, BC. 4 Appls, quiet area, responsible adults only. N/S, Ref’s req’d. Call Theresa 250962-5570
house with 9 acres irrigated pasture All Amenities Next to Eagle Point Golf (Kamloops) 985K Will carry mortgage View Realtor.ca 250-573-3346 e-mail biffsbenson@yahoo.ca
SUDOKU
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a Sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.
PUZZLE ANSWERS ON SEPARATE PAGE
Spiritual leaders
Fortified wine
Edible mollusk
It begins with them
A way to compare
Governmentt lawyer
Back parts
8th month (abbr.)
Very willing
__ ex machina
Quebec river
A doctrine
Popular pickup truck
Dekagram
Naturally occurring solid material
Company officer
Villains
Cricket frogs
German founder of
Endured
A female domestic
A “place” to avoid
Cigarette (slang)
Canadian politician Josephine
French ballet/acting
Employee stock
Belonging to the bottom
Sound
Yankees’ slugger
Dickens character
Flash memory card
Exposing human vice or folly to ridicule
Sour Cream Cookies
Makes 22 cookies
1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Gel food coloring (optional)
1. To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well combined.
4. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the sour cream. Make sure to mix in each addition until just combined, and be careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Using a 11⁄2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one.
7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set and spring back when touched lightly. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the vanilla buttercream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1⁄2 cup at a time, mixing in each addition until well combined.
9. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and gel food coloring (if using), and continue mixing until fully combined.
10. Once the cookies have cooled completely, spread the frosting on top of the cookies.
11. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
4 benefits of radiant heating
Radiant floor heating is a modern heating solution that provides unmatched comfort. Here are four reasons why you may want to consider this upgrade for your home.
1.
IT’S QUIET
Unlike traditional heating systems, radiant heating systems don’t make any noise. Consequently, you won’t have to listen to clanking radiators or loud vents.
2. IT HEATS EVENLY
Traditional forced-air heating systems employ vents to distribute
warm air throughout a space. Therefore, depending on the location of the vents, the area heated may have hot and cold spots. Radiant heating systems, however, provide consistent, even heat throughout an entire space.
3.
IT DOESN’T EMIT DUST
Since radiant heating systems don’t require vents or ductwork, you won’t have extra dust circulating through your home while you heat it. This is especially helpful for individuals who suffer from allergies.
4.
IT’S ENERGY EFFICIENT
Radiant heating is more energyefficient than other methods. This is because there’s no heat loss through the ductwork like there would be with a forced-air system. Consequently, the cost of heating a home with this type of system can be more affordable.
If you’re thinking about installing a radiant floor heating system, make sure to research your options, then contact a certified professional to complete the job.
How to spruce up your porch for the holidays
Oneof the simple joys of the holiday season is seeing how people decorate their homes for Christmas. Do you want your own house to turn heads? If so, here are some easy ways to make your porch beautiful and inviting.
• Place small potted trees wrapped in fairy lights on either side of the door
• Use several matching wreaths to decorate the front door from top to bottom
• Wind decorative garlands around the railings, pillars or doorframe
• Decorate a second Christmas tree on the front porch (use weatherproof ornaments)
• Fill a large pot or Christmas urn with plants to add a touch of greenery
• Arrange a pile of wrapped boxes near the entrance to resemble presents
• Hang festive lanterns from the portico or place them on the stairs
• Adorn the space with wooden reindeer or oversized ornaments
For more inspiration, and to find all the decorations you need for your home, visit the shops in your area.
logs are clean and dry.
2. INSTALL QUALITY ALARMS
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential. Purchase quality devices from a recognized brand, test them regularly and always have extra batteries on hand.
3. KEEP AN EXTINGUISHER NEARBY
A single misdirected spark
In the event of a blackout, a standby generator can power your home. If the electricity cuts out, this appliance can keep your home’s entire electrical system running.
A standby generator needs to be installed outside your home, much like an air conditioning unit, and runs on propane or natural gas. Among other things, this appliance will:
• Ensure your sump pump continues to work so your basement doesn’t flood
• Provide power to your fridge and freezer to prevent your food from spoiling
• Keep your heating system running to prevent your pipes from freezing in winter
Additionally, standby generators don’t release fumes, such as carbon monoxide, which is a common issue with portable generators. This makes them safer and better for your overall health.
Keep in mind, however, that a standby generator needs to be installed by a licensed professional to ensure it works when you need it most.
Professional instalation is advised when dealing with this type of addition to your home. Also check local codes and bylaws for any restriction.
