Prince George Citizen August 1, 2024

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Exploring a new vision for the city’s Civic Core

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

This is part one of a series examining a Civic Core Plan created by a group of concerned citizens of Prince George who understand the importance of incorporating the vision of user groups to create a multi-use facility in the heart of the city that will not only improve quality of life but also establwish a strong path to economic growth.

advocate; Les Waldie, a former vice president of human resources at a lumber mill, active in volunteerism and who once chaired a committee to build the cancer lodge; Margaret Jones-Bricker, who helped raise $4.5 million to the build the cancer lodge; Steve Henderson of Spectra Energy, now retired, well-connected to municipalities around the province and chair of Prince George Hospice Society; Eli Klasner, local arts leader and current

Core would have arena, convention centre

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The plan would see existing structures at Canada Games Plaza, like the Two Rivers Gallery, the Prince George Public Library and the Civic Centre, be enhanced by a newly built arena to replace Kopar Memorial Centre. There would also be a new performance centre that would accommodate several organizations with flexible spaces, while offering a hub for user groups and an expanded space for conventions and trade shows. This could attract thousands of people into Prince George’s downtown core during special events, the group determined.

Klasner said the group came together when it was announced that there would be major changes to the area, including the demolition of the Four Seasons Pool and the old fire hall and the possibility of replacing the Kopar Memorial Arena, Studio 2880 and the Prince George Playhouse.

He said the group’s members all shared history and interest in the arts, sports and economic development.

“We started meeting and realized it would be interesting to sit down with a lot of the key user groups and other key stakeholder groups like the Chamber of Commerce, Lheidli T’enneh and Tourism Prince George,” he said. “What if we just met and did interviews and gathered our own background information?”

It was a fascinating process that took about six months, he added.

would replace Kopar and be the new home of the Spruce Kings and how that could serve as a trades-show space because we don’t have enough of that in this city,” Klasner said.

“And how could a new concert hall or performing arts venue within that build also serve the conferences that come to Prince George, so we’re looking at a really versatile approach to understanding what those new spaces could be – how could that space be the new home for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra and also be a room for a big plenary session for a major conference that could be held here. We really wanted to see a cross-disciplinary approach.

“So rather than individual groups or interested stakeholders taking a siloed approach, we could sit across from each other and say ‘hey, this space that would work for me as an arts organization could also work for you, a sports organization and other sports groups as well.”

He said the process led to a new alliance between the arts and ice-rink sports.

“It was a real grassroots initiative of people who just really wanted to see the city do the right thing by this downtown civic core plan,” Klasner said. “To get something that will attract people to the community with something that will serve the people that are using those existing facilities and get something going on the ground that will help with economic downtown revitalization.”

What the group wanted was to look to create a wonderful, innovative mélange of multi-use spaces that could check off as many boxes as possible, he added.

”So, for example, a new ice rink that

“The Community Arts Council has been working diligently with the Spruce Kings management on making sure we advocate together because we don’t want to see one sector left behind in favour of another,” he said. “We want to see this as a one-and-done thing and we don’t want to see the loudest voice get what they want and the rest left behind. And that’s something we haven’t really seen in the city before. We will not accept having a wedge put between us.”

The citizens’ group has also talked about the practical side of its Civic Core sports and entertainment complex, Klasner added.

“It needs to have flexible and versatile spaces that work well with each other and what we also want to see is pedestrian spaces. To really make this a hopping space that is a going concern seven days a week all year round.”

Tax dollars won’t cover the full cost of the plan

“I think that when we see events coming into Prince George they bring huge opportunities with them based on the economic value they bring to tourism-related businesses and they just bring dollars into our community,” Carson said. “So any sort of facility like this will allow us to attract more concerts, more shows, more conferences, more sporting events.”

Carson said we can look at sporting events in general and a specific example is the Cougars’ playoff run.

“That saw millions of dollars injected into the local economy from out-oftown visitors coming for those games specifically,” Carson said. “Any sort of new facility is really good for attracting more events.”

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

The space can’t have too many dark nights and also needs to have lots of revenue opportunities and revenue-sharing opportunities.

“And another nice piece to this having come up from the grassroots is the understanding and the willingness that these key user groups want to be part of this and that includes helping to raise funds to build it, helping to access other

capital that could be available to this kind of multipurpose project through what our groups have access to,” Klasner said.

The Community Arts Council as an arts group can get access to certain infrastructure grants that perhaps municipal government cannot, he said.

“Now it’s really about an innovative funding construct – this is not something that’s going to be 100 per cent built from local tax dollars,” Klasner

assured.

“It has to have that varied-level funding construct. When we talk about economic development this has to be a project that makes good economic sense for the community and for building the future of the community as well.”

Tourism PG chief executive officer, Colin Carson, said he can speak about a new Civic Core Plan in general terms because it is only in the concept stage right now.

“When we look at the Conference and Civic Centre, it’s a fantastic facility, which is a huge economic driver for the city but there’s a certain limit with that. It’s a large building, a large conference centre but when you look at the BC Natural Resource Forum – they can’t get any bigger. There’s a demand for them to get bigger so if there is an opportunity to have an off-site trades show at the conference centre still within walking distance that will allow opportunities to host bigger conferences that will increase that economic impact on Prince George. There is definitely some big opportunities there.”

The city-owned location is a huge opportunity. There is about 1,300 hotel rooms in the downtown core of Prince George and about 850 of them are within walking distance to the Conference and Civic Centre.

“So all of those people from out of town, whether they are here for specific events or if they’re here for work or medical appointments that’s a pretty huge opportunity to have this captive audience right nearby when you’re looking for people to sell tickets to for a show at a performing arts centre or tickets to a hockey game in a new arena or anything like that so I think that location is really key and I think there’s a huge amount of opportunity just in that alone as well,” Carson said.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO + CITIZEN GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL KAST

Some of the buildings currently standing in the Civic Core would be maintained under a grassroots community plan, with a new convention centre and arena added to the site.

Fired health-care workers can reapply for jobs

CITIZEN STAFF

More than four years after COVID-19 led to the largest pandemic measures in a century, B.C. is officially no longer in a medical emergency.

The move also means health-care workers who were fired because they did not comply with previous orders requiring COVID-19 immunization can apply and be hired for positions, the province stated.

“As British Columbia’s provincial health officer, I am issuing an order to end the public-health emergency for COVID-19 and rescinding all related orders,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health.

“Since March 2020, we have been in a provincial public-health emergency to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. While COVID-19 is not gone, we now have high levels of protection in the health-care system and in communities throughout B.C.” Henry first imposed the vaccine mandate in October 2021 and the

order was renewed in 2022 and 2023. It marked the first time in modern history that a health ministries across Canada and much of the world exercised their authority to require health sector immunizations.

Northern Health issued a statement Friday, July 26 in the wake of Henry’s announcement.

“In response to the provincial health officer’s decision to end the COVID19 public-health emergency, which ends the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in health-care settings, the province is making it mandatory for health-care workers to disclose their immunization status as a way to help keep people safe,” it reads.

“Moving forward, all health-care workers in public health-care facilities must report their immunization for COVID-19 and influenza and their immune status for other critical vaccine preventable diseases. Collecting these records will allow for quick action to be taken in the event of an exposure, outbreak or

future pandemic to ensure health-care workers who are not immune follow appropriate measures. Depending on the circumstances, this could include masking, modified duties or exclusion from work.”

The mandatory reporting requirement came into effect July 26 and applies to health-care workers in health-authority-operated and contracted facilities, and includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, volunteers and contractors.

Through the new reporting process, health-authority employers will be able to regularly connect with health-care workers, such as contractors, to ensure their vaccination status is up to date.

Henry’s move comes after repeated calls for the province to roll back its vaccine restrictions.

Earlier this month and before Henry’s announcement, a retired B.C. family doctor who served eight years as chief medical health officer for the Northern Health Authority called on the province

to scrap its COVID vaccine mandate and offer to rehire the 1,800 health-care workers it fired for being unvaccinated.

Dr. David Bowering, who lives in Port Clements on Haida Gwaii, told The Citizen the shortage of trained medical professionals is forcing some hospitals in the province to temporarily close their emergency wards and that is putting British Columbians at risk unnecessarily - and in some cases may be costing them their lives.

A group of 15 healthcare petitioners who lost their jobs sued the province for its 2023 extension of the order, arguing it caused undue hardship and harm.

In his May 24 decision, Judge Simon Coval dismissed the petition with one exception. He ruled it successfully demonstrated the province lacked justification for not allowing a reconsideration process for healthcare workers who work remotely and are not in direct contact with patients and for workers who hold purely administrative roles. With files from Ted Clarke

Rock the downtown

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

The Crossroads Brewery Summer Street Fest filled the intersection and surrounding area in front of the brewery at Fifth Avenue and George Street Saturday, July 27. The event featured live music and more.

Citizen’s local owners update the community on six months of successes at the newspaper

“The

The new local owners of The Prince George Citizen shared some news Thursday morning about the progress the newspaper has made in the last few months since the they bought it from Glacier Media in February.

Cameron Stolz and Terresa Randall-Stolz welcomed media and guests to The Citizen’s 4th Avenue offices for the press conference.

It included the announcement of Kennedy Gordon as the new managing editor of The Citizen. He brings more than 30 years of experience at daily newspapers and news websites in Ontario.

“Kennedy, who has been here for six weeks to help us chart a new path forward for The Citizen, shares our vision for what a local news organization should look like,” Stolz said.

Another positive comes as Stolz was happy to announce that for the first time since 2012, the newspaper has reached a new collective agreement with its unionized staff who are members of Unifor Local 2000.

This was one of the top priorities identified when they bought the paper almost six months ago, Stolz added.

“It was a unique position to be in,” Stolz said. “Terresa and I were the ones that negotiated on behalf of the Prince George Citizen. We sat across from the Unifor Local 2000 executive as we did the contract negotiations. It’s important to recognize that it was a long process that I wasn’t familiar with at all and I appreciated the patience and understanding shown throughout that process as we came to a respectful and mutually appreciative agreement.”

The four-year contract recognizes the news industry has changed from where it was in its glory days in the early 2000s, Stolz added.

“We’re in a slightly different environment now as we look at what the future of news media looks like,” he said. “From that perspective there were

next step is to review and revamp its digital presence to make sure the website becomes a bigger part of the next phase of The Citizen’s growth.”

concessions made on both sides and I am proud to say that as of Sunday, July 21 we have a ratified collective bargaining agreement.”

Other good news focused on The Prince George Citizen newspaper doubling in size, growing from 24 pages to a robust 48 pages, all of it local content. Because of that change, there has been a rise in demand for the hard copy of the newspaper within the community, leading to a circulation increase from 17,500 papers a week to 22,000.

Bringing the paper up to a minimum of 48 pages a week was a priority, new Citizen managing editor Kennedy Gordon said.

“I’m happy we have been able to make that happen,” Gordon added.

“That’s 48 pages of local content, much of which is not available anywhere else. Every community needs a newspaper, but sadly, many no longer have one. That’s not going to be the case for Prince George. The Citizen is here to stay.”

The Citizen is hiring staff and is actively recruiting people for the advertising and editorial departments, Stolz added.

“The changes aren’t done,” he said. “Although the print edition of the paper has reached the goal Terresa and I had for it when we bought the business, the next step is to review and revamp its digital presence to make sure the website becomes a bigger part of the next phase of The Citizen’s growth.”

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Terresa Randall-Stolz and Cameron Stolz, owners of The Prince George Citizen, share an update on the paper’s successes at the Citizen office on Thursday, July 25, 2024.

New PACT will help local people in crisis

CITIZEN STAFF

Prince George will soon have a new Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) Citizen staff

People experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis in Prince George will soon have access to a new community-led Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) to help them stabilize and find the support they need, the province has announced.

The mobile crisis teams are trained to de-escalate crisis situations and provide support. Team members include people who have experienced crises of their own.

“PACT provides immediate, compassionate help from those who have walked a similar path,” said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of mental health and addictions, in a release. “In Prince George, people in crisis will benefit from the support of skilled professionals and a person with lived experience who understands what they are going

through. This approach ensures a more effective, sympathetic response that can make all the difference in a person’s recovery.”

PACTs are mobile, community-led crisis teams that are trained to de-escalate mental-health crisis situations and provide trauma-informed, culturally safe support.

They also help free up police time and divert people from hospital emergency rooms, the ministry notes.

The Prince George PACT is operated by the Prince George Native Friendship Centre (PGNFC) with oversight and support from the Canadian Mental Health Association, B.C. Division (CMHA B.C.).

Team members have been hired and training is complete.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to work in my community who has given so much to me,” said PACT member Gillian Johnston. “To me, being a member of PACT means walking alongside someone in their dark and difficult moments, seeking to better understand

and hold space for the people in our community. We journey with people who are in a moment of crisis without judgment or pride because we too have been in crisis and have seen the power and validation that comes of being truly seen and heard.”

PACTs serve people 13 and older experiencing mental-health or substance-use crises, such as thoughts of suicide or self-harm, well-being checks and distressing behaviours requiring de-escalation and support.

Each team is made up of two members. One has lived experience and one has mental-health expertise.

The team will begin offering services on Sunday, July 28. During this initial phase, PACT services will be available to select organizations and groups to refine and improve processes.

By September, all Prince George residents will be able to access PACT services through a dedicated public phone number.

phased approach allows for the team

to get comfortable and confident in their roles before the service moves to the full availability of 10 hours a day.

In addition to the Prince George team, there are three PACTs in operation in Victoria, North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and New Westminster, and two more teams in development in Kamloops and Comox. In 2023, New Westminster and Victoria PACTs responded to more than 1,500 calls for help.

“We are thrilled that people living in Prince George will soon be able to access additional mental-health and substance-use support through the Prince George PACT team,” said Mayor Simon Yu. “This crisis-response service will help support efforts to address mental-health and addiction issues while allowing police to focus more resources on crime. We are thankful to the Province and the Canadian Mental Health Association, and we look forward to seeing this service benefits residents of Prince George.”

Star-crossed movie night

CITIZEN PHOTO

The audience at Northern Lights Winery’s Orchard View Amphitheater watches a showing of the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, on Friday, July 26.

Mayor remains hopeful about hydrogen hub

MARK NIELSEN Special to The Citizen

Mayor Simon Yu remains hopeful that a $2-billion green hydrogen project proposed for Prince George will be realized despite reports the venture has been put on the back burner and may not go ahead at all.

According to Business In Vancouver the project is among those that will be pushed back as the proponent, Fortescue Minerals Group, scales down its green hydrogen ambitions and focuses on those with better economics.

Fortescue has said it will be focusing initially on four green hydrogen projects in Australia, the U.S., Norway and Brazil.

The local initiative, dubbed Project Coyote, was first announced by

Drivers try to navigate high water

A driver pulls around another car that seemed to lose power as it attempted to make its way through floodwater at 15th Avenue and Winnipeg Streets on Thursday, July 25. Parts of the city saw flash flooding after a short thunderstorm that afternoon. Water started to subside shortly after the storm ended but the street was only one of many that flooded during the short but intense rainfall.

City offering grants to not-for-profits

The City of Prince George is welcoming applications for this year’s myPG Community Grant program.

The grants are meant to go to notfor-profit (NFP) organizations in order to implement new projects or enhance ones that already exist.

“This includes projects that align with the city’s goals of increasing community pride, encouraging health and wellness,

Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest during a visit to Prince George in September 2023.

If built it would be “one of the largest green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in Canada,”and employ more than 100 people once up and running, according to a posting on the Fortescue website

Reached Monday, Yu said the project has not been abandoned but rather is being paused temporarily and noted comments from Fortescue Energy CEO Mark Hutchinson during a call with analyst on Thursday, July 25 that the company is “steadfast” in its commitment to green hydrogen.

“However, our financial discipline always comes first. We will never do projects that are not economically

To me it is a pause, to me it is not a ‘we’re not going to do it.’

viable,” reads a transcript of the call.

The Prince George project would require 1,000 megawatts of power, which represents 90 per cent of the generating capacity of the $16 billion Site C dam and has led some observers to question if the project could ever be built, particularly given commitments other demands for the power.

But Yu is not one of them and remains optimistic the project will go ahead

once the numbers have been crunched.

“The data is not available yet to us, to Fortescue, so therefore the decision cannot be made based on today’s numbers, that is my understanding,” Yu said.

“To me it is a pause, to me it is not a ‘we’re not going to do it’ and so hopefully in the next few months once we learn the cost of the power and the various other electricity requirements from the other industries then I think BC Hydro and the Minister of Energy and Mines and Low Carbon Innovation will be moving ahead.”

Project Coyote remains in the early stages of a review by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and so far Fortescue has not asked for a pause nor has it withdrawn the proposal.

NEWS NOTES

fostering social connections, promoting arts and culture, and ensuring equity and inclusion,” states a notice from the city.

Eligible projects can be large or small, as grants typically range from $2,500 to $8,000.

Applications are evaluated based on alignment with the grant criteria and

eligibility, value for investment (i.e., budget details) and other considerations including council’s interest in financially supporting a variety of organizations and initiatives.

To simplify the application process, organizations are now required to create an account to apply for a myPG grant. More information about the myPG grant, including how to apply and eligibility requirements, can be found at www.princegeorge.ca.

SUV takes

corner off Rogers building on Queensway

The driver of a vehicle that slammed into the Rogers building at Queensway Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue walked away without injury.

It happened at midday Saturday, July 27.

Police were on the scene and said the incident is under investigation and no determination on whether there will be criminal charges has been made.

OPINION

The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor

KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

One of the parts of this job that I’ve always enjoyed the most has been dealing with letters to the editor. Letters offer a real-time look at what readers think about the issues of the day and our coverage. Some letters offer commentary, some advice, others criticism, and it’s all a reflection of what’s on the readership’s minds.

At my previous newspaper, we were able to publish letters almost every day. That hasn’t been the case here for a while but it’s something I want to change immediately. And we’re off to a good start; I’ve received a few letters already. One appears in this week’s print edition.

This is a big part of newspaper tradition.

Letter-writing, once the primary form of long-distance communication, became part of newspapers in the early 18th century and the tradition has remained strong.

Letters are meant to do one of several things:

• Support or oppose a position taken by the newspaper in its editorials or by its opinion writers;

• Comment on elements of recent or ongoing news stories;

• Attempt to sway elected officials making decisions on governance, the use of public funds, crime and social issues.

• Correcting a perceived error or misrepresentation. This last one will often require me to

investigate the situation to determine whether an error has been made.

I’ve used a straightforward set of rules for letters at my previous newspapers and intend to keep that going here at The Citizen.

1. Letters can’t be longer than 300 words. Shorter is better. We don’t have the space to run long letters, and readers usually don’t appreciate them. If you think that what you have to say will require a higher word count, reach out to me and we can talk about including it as a guest column.

2. Keep it clear and straightforward. Tell us the story you’re writing about first, then dive into the point you want to make.

3. Letters must be about a single topic that has recently appeared in The Citizen or is of community interest. If you have thoughts on several stories, write each as a separate letter.

4. There will be a three-week gap between letters from the same writer to ensure variety. There is one exception to this: If another letter-writer responds to your letter, you can write an immediate followup, but that’s where it stops. We want to avoid weekslong back-and-forth on one topic, as the letters should reflect the news and issues of the day, and we don’t want a small group of frequent letter-writers to dominate the page.

5. We’ll edit your letter, as noted

above. If major changes are required, we will reach out to suggest the edits or do them ourselves, with the letter-writer signing off on the new version before it runs.

6. If we receive several letters on the same topic, we will select the examples that we feel best sum up the public opinion on the issue. In some rare cases, you may see a day where all the letters are on one topic if it’s of sufficient importance.

7. Letters of thanks are welcome but we will publish them sparingly. Readers are more interested in what their neighbours think about major current events but there are time when someone goes above and beyond and they should be recognized for that.

8. We won’t publish poetry, personal attacks, prayers, customer complaints, allegations of crime or fraud without charges or claims that can’t be verified.

9. We do not publish letters containing hate speech or discriminatory language.

10. We do not publish anonymous letters, and we confirm the authorship of each letter before publication.

As we reintroduce letters to The Citizen, we will maintain our current Comments section, where we share some of the more interesting things people say about our online stories.

These are less formal than letters, and often run without people’s real

names. They’re very much a reflection of anonymous online commentary. Letters, on the other hand, become part of the paper’s record, so we require real names. For that reason, chosen letters will run in print and online; you won’t see a letter on the website if it hasn’t been printed in the paper.

Unfortunately, not every letter will be able to be published. Sometimes it’s because they run up against the rules listed above.

Other times it’s just because of available space. I’d love to print them all, but that isn’t possible.

Until I start receiving more letters I can’t tell you the percentage that we’ll publish but at my last paper, a daily, I ran about 30 per cent of letters received.

While some were rejected for the reasons I mentioned earlier, many of those letters would have been perfectly acceptable but we just didn’t have the space.

Send your letters to editor@pgcitizen. ca or by mail at Letters to the Editor, The Prince George Citizen, 505 4th Avenue, Prince George, B.C., V2L 3H2. Please include your first and last name, your address and your phone number for verification.

We won’t publish your address or number, just the name of the municipality where you live or the organization you represent if that’s part of your letter.

I look forward to reading your letters.

Reach Citizen managing editor Kennedy Gordon at kgordon@pgcitizen.ca

OFFICE (8:30a - 4:30p) 505 Fourth Avenue Prince George, B.C. V2L 3H2

FRONT DESK AND CLASSIFIED frontdesk@pgcitizen.ca 250-562-2441

NEWS AND SPORTS news@pgcitizen.ca

PUBLISHER publisher@pgcitizen.ca 250-960-2757

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR editor@pgcitizen.ca

Cameron Stolz Owner

Terresa Randall-Stolz Owner Curtis Armstrong Publisher

We acknowledge the financial support of the government of Canada.

Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada.

Kennedy Gordon Managing Editor

OPINION

Buying a home is out of reach for many Canadians, and there’s no clear reason why

As I See It

There is little doubt that Canada has a housing affordability crisis. And there is little doubt this will be a major topic of concern during upcoming elections.

It is hard to know who or what to believe on the subject. Who is at fault? What should be done?

I would respectfully suggest the present housing crisis is not the fault of any government – municipal, provincial, or federal.

Perhaps more to the point, it is not associated with any particular political party.

Right now, in B.C., the NDP are in power and therefore, if the opposition is to be believed, it is their fault we have a housing crisis.

But the B.C. Liberals – now B.C. United – were in office from 2001 to 2017 and during that time, the average price of a house in Vancouver increased from $441,499 in 2001 to $1,704,820 in 2017 –an increase of $1.26 million.

That is almost a 300 per cent increase in the cost of a house. During the past seven years, house prices in Vancouver have increased a further $800,000, essentially at the same rate.

As I See It

Buying a home in a nice residential neighbourhood in Prince George used to

be within reach for many working people. That’s not the case in 2024, Todd Whitcombe writes today, and the reasons for that are complex.

Whether the government is NDP or B.C. Liberal, the housing market has behaved in roughly the same.

Similar arguments can be made at the federal level where we have seen Conservative and Liberal governments have very little influence on the price of housing in this country.

At the municipal level, there is nothing much they can do except allow developers to build more houses. In Prince George, a quick drive along Tyner Boulevard will show you just how many new houses have been added to the city over the past decade or so and there are more to come.

No, government and politicians are

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Spending millions of dollars on a pool is extravagant

The City of Prince George is currently putting forth a Notice of Alternative Approval Process to borrow $22,150,000 to upgrade the aquatic centre by among other things triple-glazing its glass to bring it up to current code. It is estimated to cost taxpayers

$1,853,939 to service this new debt.

The total cost of this project is $38 million.

In my opinion this is extravagant. The code of 25 years ago should be lived with for the life of the asset.

As this is a recreational facility that is well used and much appreciated it needs to be maintained and kept up but

not at fault when it comes to the housing crisis.

They do not have the levers necessary to control the market.

But somebody must be at fault, you might say. Not really.

Certainly not the developers who are trying to make a living. Nor the homeowners who are selling their properties at whatever the market will bear knowing that they need to find housing elsewhere.

Nor the immigrants moving to Canada for a better life.

These are all easy outs to blame for a complex problem. There are so many factors which come into play in the

not extravagantly upgraded. Debt servicing costs taxpayers. It increases the cost of housing. It costs businesses.

We need to attract business to our town. Keeping taxes down, means we are a more affordable place to establish a business.

To oppose this, sign and submit an Elector Response Form by Aug. 9, 2024. Forms are available on the first floor or the fifth floor of city hall between 8:30

price of housing.

For example, baby boomers are retiring and want to get as much equity out of their house as possible to provide financial security. They sell their houses for what they can get on the market, which helps to drive up prices.

Or we could look at limited space within most cities – not Prince George – for the building of new houses. Or we could look at the North American dream of owning your own single-family detached house with a yard, driveway, garage, and patio.

Maybe we should have more row houses.

But I would suggest the real reason we have a major housing crisis lies in the failure of wages to keep up with costs.

Consider that using constant 2001 dollars – that is, adjusting for inflation –the average wage in Canada in 1990 was $21.40 while it was only $30.03 in 2023.

Increases in housing prices have outstripped increases in wages.

A house used to cost three to four times an average annual salary. Now, it is more like 20 times.

Houses are now unaffordable to an increasingly large portion of Canadians. And no one really knows how to fix the problem despite what we will hear during election campaigns.

Todd Whitcombe is a professor of chemistry at UNBC.

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Dorothy Reimer Prince George

Letters to the editor are welcome at editor@pgcitizen.ca. The maximum length is 300 words. Submitted letters may be subjected to editing for length, clarity, grammar, spellinwg and legalities before publication. Please include your daytime contact information.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Hercules circles Prince George

A Canadian Forces C-130 Hercules plane was spotted over Prince George on Monday, July 29. The four-engined turboprop plane, used by the Forces’ Transport and Rescue Squadrons, could be seen in different parts of the sky in the late morning.

Canadian Forces Hercules plane spotted circling over Prince George

The PG airport often has USA and Canadian military aircraft passing through.

A few years back I witnessed a group of USAF warthogs doing landing and steep takeoff practice … very cool Other times there will be RCAF Auroras, Hercules, F18s. BGeez

Your new editor is here to tell your stories, Prince George

Welcome to PG and congratulations on the “new” role!

I’m looking forward to your perspective, and the continuation of the Prince George Citizen, we would be worse off without it.

PG Rocks

Your new editor is here to tell your stories, Prince George

This was a great read and definitely sparked my interest!

I hope you see the potential for Prince George to play a leading role in advancing the resource sector.

With a refinery, sawmills, and the university, this city has incredible potential.

Being positioned at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers, Prince George should be at the forefront of watershed stewardship and salmon recovery to support a healthy fishing industry.

I strongly believe in journalism’s ability to spark ideas and lead healthy conversations around both the issues and the future potential of a place.

S Goods

Bigger paper, new staff and a ratified union contract are signs of a bright future for The Prince George Citizen

The paper has turned around for sure. Good content, excellent look and relevant information. Look forward to the next edition ( been a long time since we could say that ).

Allen Smith

Plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions required for LNG proposal

Litter affects your immediate area, including water, whereas “carbon emissions” are odorless and colorless, and without the green apparatus, you would never even know was there. Shutting down our industry does nothing to stop air pollution. It actually increases it through shifting where the oil is being bought from, ie more polluting nations. DD22

Without journalistic standards, facts and truth go out the window

“Gatekeeper” is an interesting term. Then I see the word “objectivity.” Up pops “credibility,” “propaganda,” “trustworthy.”

There are common themes. Then there’s the “let us decide what’s true” rhetoric. That’s in the vein of “do your own research.” It’s all biased.

We forget or don’t realize that as human beings we search for affirmation. Truth is accepted if it aligns with our preconceptions and sets off dissonance, denial, anger etcetera if it does not.

This makes us woefully inadequate at searching for the truth. Part of that is honest introspection. Next, we have to train ourselves to be objective. Topics like politics and religion, just like poetry and music, are subjective. You can filter it in an objective way if you chose to learn how to accept one’s personal bias.

Lou Maurice

B.C. men honoured for bravery after rescuing British couple

We need more people like these two amazing men in the world today!

Amazing job to both of you.:))

Priscilla PG

Velocity Truck Centres to start servicing hydrogen-powered vehicles in Prince George

TED CLARKE Citizen Staff

After working 45 years as a Red Seal heavy-duty mechanic/technician, Jim Niessen is nearing the end of his career and he recognizes there’s a revolution coming to the trucking industry.

The age of electrics and hydrogen-powered trucks is knocking at the door and Niessen, the former service manager at Prince George Western Star, knows his current employer, Velocity Truck Centres, is on the right track and making plans for that inevitability by creating the region’s first hydrogen/ compressed natural gas service bay.

“I know nothing about hydrogen vehicles or electric vehicles right now but that will change and we will get the opportunity for the training needed to start working on this stuff,” said Niessen.

“I’m 65, so I’m looking at another three of four years on the wrenches yet. My days in the industry are a lot shorter, so we’ll probably let the younger guys take all that training and they can start from the ground up.”

Niessen remembers a couple of decades ago when computer chips and electronics started taking over the vehicle industry. It was initially dismissed as a fad, but now every vehicle function is tied into that technology and he foresees a similar ripple effect as renewables become the fuel of choice in trucking.

“We all said when they came out with electronic engines it’s never going to last in the industry, well now, a large portion of the maintenance you do on that truck you need a computer to plug in to tell you where to go,” said Niessen.

“It’s here and we just have to embrace it and grow with it. This slump in the

Notice of Property Use Agreements

Buckhorn Community Park, Longworth Community Hall and Tabor Lake Community Park Properties

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George intends to enter into property use agreements for the use of Regional District properties for five-year terms with:

• Buckhorn Recreation Commission for the Community Park Property on 15 Mile and Vienna Road, legally known as Block A of the Northwest ¼ of District Lot 1975, Cariboo District

• Longworth Recreation Commission for the Community Hall Property on Upper Fraser Road, legally known as District Lot 10255, Cariboo District

• Tabor Lake Recreation Commission for the Community Park Property on Giscome Road, legally known as Lot 1 of District Lot 2174, Cariboo District Plan 25428

In consideration of the entitlements given, the Regional District will receive the nominal sum of $1 (plus GST) for each of the specified terms of the agreements.

For more info visit rdffg.ca or contact communityservices@rdffg.bc.ca

economy isn’t going to stay and when it does come back we’ll be ready for it.”

Backed by a partnership with Innovate B.C., Velocity Truck Centre is poised to become the first in northern B.C. with the capability to repair vehicles that run on hydrogen or compressed natural gas (CNG).

Plans for the addition of the hydrogen bay were revealed Friday, July 19 at an event to mark the merger of Prince George Western Star with Prince George Freightliner.

The 156 employees of Velocity’s Prince George headquarters at 1015 Great St. in the BCR Industrial Site gathered for a picnic lunch to hear company president Rod Graham reveal what the future holds for the state-of-art 29-bay repair facility and its parts showroom and servicing operations. They are now combined into one building that will eventually house the hydrogen bay.

Graham said Velocity will work

closely with regional trade schools like the College of New Caledonia to develop new hydrogen/CNG curriculum to give employees the opportunity to attain “Green Seal” microcredentials that will meet the future demands of the trucking industry, and the hydrogen bay will allow them to put the theory into practice.

“We invest a lot on training, and what this means is an opportunity for folks to start thinking about what’s going to start happening over the next couple decades as they think through from a career perspective where they want to work,” said Graham. “It allows folks to realize we are moving to a greener future and as the decade progresses they will have those credentials in pocket.”

Hydrogen is easily made, compared to conventional sources of energy, and Velocity sees it as the wave of the future in trucking and Prince George will have the infrastructure to provide it.

Velocity operates branch truck centres in Edmonton, Kelowna and Abbotsford. Graham says Prince George is ideally positioned to serve as the company’s B.C. Centre of Excellence with its location as a hub for pipelines, rail lines and provincial highways at the geographic centre of the province, halfway between Edmonton and the port of Prince Rupert.

“When I take a look at climate, topography, range anxiety, the opportunity for allowing a portfolio of greener fuels to develop, and you take a look at the refinery infrastructure that is here, and the progressive nature of the entrepreneurs that are here, I want to embrace it,” said Graham.

“It’s an ecosystem, we fully acknowledge that, and without us and others being part of bigger matrix it’s never going to go. So the early adopters that want to go into this hydrogen business, you’re going to need proficient competent technicians that are going to be able to fix the trucks you’re driving. The organization is very committed to a greener future.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Rod Graham, president of Velocity Truck Centres, announces the merger of Prince George Western Star and Prince George Freightliner into a single facility that will feature the north’s first hydrogen vehicle service bay and a collaborative program with CNC to train technicians in hydrogen truck service.

Veteran exterminator says bedbug problem is rampant in Prince George apartments

TED CLARKE Citizen staff

The pest control expert contracted to eradicate a bedbug infestation at Victoria Towers says the problem is not unique to the 12-storey apartment building.

“Victoria Towers has no worse a bedbug problem than any other apartment in this city, they’re just rampant through Prince George, them and cockroaches,” said Mike Jaenicke, owner/ operator of Interior Pest Control.

“They’re not all over the building. They’ve got a small outbreak and we’ve scheduled a bunch of units to be treated.”

The building is located at 1245-20th Ave. Recently, several residents spoke to The Citizen about the bedbugs in their homes.

Jaenicke says there’s one Victoria Towers unit that could be ground zero for the bedbug problem that he’s been asked to treat five times. But each time he was unable to apply the chemical treatment because the place was a mess,he said, and the tenant refused to clean it.

“If the prep is not done I have no choice but to walk away,” he said.

Jaenicke reported his inability to access the unit to B.C. Housing.

Management was also made aware of an outbreak on the fifth floor of the building and Jaenicke sprayed the entire floor Wednesday, July 17, requiring all the tenants and pets to leave the premises for four hours.

“Sometimes the problem we’re having is people aren’t making management aware of their pest problems,” said Jaenicke.

“We’re doing all the units on the fifth floor and I think I will end up finding one of them is highly infested and that’s who’s spreading it, and they’re not saying it.”

Embarrassment that they are the source of the problem, is one of the most common reasons people hide bug problems from building managers, said

Jaenicke. He said people are also afraid they will be evicted if they are identified as the source or they might have mental health problems that lead to a breakdown in communication.

He’s had several calls to Victoria Towers over the years and says that building is more vulnerable because it is a low-income housing property where tenants tend to acquire used beds and furniture that are more likely to have bed bugs.

Bedbugs are nocturnal parasites who feed off the blood of humans, biting people while they are asleep in bed or sitting in a chair, so they tend to collect and multiply close to beds and couches. On average on adult bedbug is about the size of an apple seed. They molt as they grow and will shed their skin up to five times during their one-year lifespan.

Unlike cockroaches, which climb and descend to different floors along plumbing and ventilation lines, Jaenicke says bedbugs do not tend to migrate vertically and are more likely to spread from unit to unit using hallways and crawling under doorways.

While some exterminators heat the room to rid bedbugs from a building, Jaenicke has had years of success using strictly chemical insecticide control and does not use heat treatment.

Jaenicke, who started his business in 1981, recently started using a product called Seclira, which has just been licensed for use in Canada, 20 years after it was approved for commercial use in the United States.

It contains the active ingredient Dinotefuran.

“The beauty of it is it has virtually no odour and the stay-out time is only two hours,” Jaenicke said.

“People are a lot more amenable to staying out of their units for just two hours rather than six to eight, or 24 hours. That’s why a lot of people in the industry are gravitating to it, now that it’s on the market.”

He said it takes a few hours after being sprayed for the insects to die

and the insecticide also kills their eggs. He wears long sleeves and gloves but the coarse droplet sprays he uses are directed low to the ground and are not spread into the air of the room, so he says he doesn’t need to wear a mask and no venting is required.

“The insecticides have to be at a level where they’re going to kill the insects and not the client. You’re not going to use something that an insect touches it, crawls two inches and drops dead,” he said.

“That’s dangerous for me to use and dangerous for the client.”

Cockroaches are also becoming a growing problem in Prince George, he said.

“Five years ago, one person had enough fingers and toes to count the times I sprayed for cockroaches in 32 years, now I’m spraying for them three to four times a week,” said Jaenicke.

Veteran Prince George exterminator Mike Jaenicke says all apartment buildings in the city are prone to the bedbug problem now plaguing tenants at Victoria Towers at 1245 20th Ave.

Jasper evacuees find temporary refuge in city

Evacuees from the Jasper wildfires arrive at the Prince George emergency centre at Exhibition Park on Tuesday, July 23. Prince George welcomed about 100 people before the province of Alberta adjusted its plans and had them move on to either Grande Prairie or Calgary.

Council allows variance for carport setback

MARK NIELSEN Special to The Citizen

Despite a staff recommendation to oppose the application, city council voted 6-1 Monday, July 22 to grant a variance that reduces to zero the setback for an addition to a carport currently under construction.

Had council agreed with staff, the owners of a lot at the corner of McDermid and McLean Drives would have had to scrap their plan to extend the structure out to the property line along McLean in favour of bringing it into compliance with the city’s requirement that there be a three-metre setback.

In a report, staff listed several reasons in support of their position. Among them were concerns that although the gutter would not exceed the property line, drainage from the structure could extend into the boulevard. As

well, maintenance of infrastructure along the adjoining city boulevard could “impact structures that are on the property line.”

However, the applicants’ submission included a petition in support from 11 neighbouring property owners, which was enough to convince most council members to support their request.

Councillors Trudy Klassen, Tim Bennett, Garth Frizzell, Susan Scott, Ron Polillo and Kyle Sampson in allowing the variance. In apparent concern over whether it would affect the city’s ability to store snow along the boulevard, Coun. Cori Ramsay was the sole council member to vote against.

Mayor Simon Yu and Coun. Brian Skakun were absent from the meeting. Once completed the addition will measure 46.8 square metres, big enough to protect a trailer and a hot tub from the snow.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions required for Summit Lake LNG proposal

MARK NIELSEN Special to The Citizen

Proponents seeking to establish a liquified natural gas plant near Summit Lake will have to show how it will achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 if they hope to win the provincial government’s stamp of approval.

JX LNG Canada Ltd. is seeking go-ahead from B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada to build at a site known as the Hart Industrial about 11 kilometres south of the community and about 30 kilometres north of Prince George.

According to a letter dated July 22 and posted on the BCEAO website, the stipulation is a result of the province’s “net-zero new industry policy” and affects new industrial facilities

with anticipated annual emissions exceeding 10,000 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent.

Most proposals face a 2050 deadline, but liquefied natural gas facilities, including JX LNG Canada’s proposal, must meet a tighter 2030 deadline.

JX LNG Canada must also demon strate how the facility “will be in line with the emission intensity of

world-leading facilities in the same class, taking into consideration any advances in technology that have occurred since the world-leading facility was constructed, or explain why it would not be practicable to do so.”

The letter comes from the BCEAO’s

According to an initial project description, the plant, known as the Summit Lake PG LNG Project, would occupy about 250 hectares and produce up to 2.7 million tonnes per year of the product and have it shipped by rail to Prince Rupert in special ISO containers for export to Asia.

It would rely on the nearby Enbridge Westcoast Pipeline for feedstock via a two-kilometre pipeline that would be constructed as part of the project.

A six-kilometre power line would also be put in place to connect to B.C. Hydro’s Salmon Valley substation.

JX LNG Canada, is an Alberta-based subsidiary of Changchun Jixing New Energy Ltd., which is involved in the LNG and compressed natural gas sector

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

JX LNG Canada is seeking public input in a project to move liquid natural gas on rail cars like these from a plant proposed to be built near Summit Lake, north of Prince George, to the port at Prince Rupert.

B.C. men honoured for bravery after rescuing British couple whose car ended up in a creek

KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

Two men who came to the rescue of a British couple after their vehicle crashed into a creek at the bottom of a 170-foot embankment have been recognized for their heroics.

Ashcroft RCMP say the couple was visiting B.C. in June 2022 when the incident occurred. Mark and Janet Brimicombe had visited family in Vancouver and were driving on Highway 99 about an hour west of Kamloops when their vehicle went through a roadside fence, plummeted down the embankment and ended up in Hat Creek, where it began filling up with water.

Both Brimicombes were injured and the situation was precarious, police say in a press release.

Two other motorists on Highway 99 saw what happened and went into action.

Ken MacKenzie of Lac La Hache and Nicholas Froese of Kelowna made their way down the embankment and opened the sunroof as water continued to fill the vehicle.

They got the couple out and led them up the steep hill to the road, giving

A British couple visiting B.C. in 2022 found themselves in trouble when their vehicle went off the road on Highway 99, about an hour west of Kamloops, and crashed into Hat Creek.

them first aid and calling 911.

The Brimicombes were treated at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, with police noting their injuries could have been worse if the two men hadn’t done

what they did.

Froese and MacKenzie both received Commanding Officer Commendations in recognition of their bravery and selfless actions.

“Mr. Froese and Mr. MacKenzie acted quickly and decisively in a dangerous situation,” said Const. Richard Wright, Ashcroft RCMP. “Their actions and aftercare for the Brimicombes were exceptional.”

The Brimicombes were able to return home to the U.K.

“This award is so richly deserved,” they said. “The road accident was a most distressing and disorientating event. We had rolled down into the river 170 feet below, and ended up out of sight of the road. Our rescuers were brave, calm, and quick-thinking. Once they realized we were still alive, they came down and helped us to get out of the car, cross the river and up the very steep embankment. We still think of them and can’t bear to think of what would have happened had they not been there. Not a day goes by that we do not thank God for being alive.”

They also expressed gratitude to police, the ambulance crew and staff at the hospital.

“Each of them was supportive and contributed much to our healing,” they said. “British Columbia can be rightly proud of such brave citizens and the staff of their public services.”

B.C. Highway Patrol stepping up spot checks

CITIZEN STAFF

On the road this summer? Don’t even think about driving if you’re impaired, the B.C. Highway Patrol warns.

Police are increasing their presence on B.C. roads over the next several weeks, with a focus on special events like the Shambhala Festival in Salmo last weekend.

People travelling from Prince George to other communities can expect to see roadblocks and spot checks along the highways, with officers committed to a zero-tolerance approach to impaired driving, the highway patrol states.

Some of these will be near large

events and music festivals, including:

• Anahim Lake and Quesnel in late July;

• Vanderhoof on the B.C. Day long weekend;

• Dawson Creek, Smithers, and Redstone events in August;

• Lake Cowichan on long weekends.

“If you are planning to attend an event and consume liquor or drugs, please arrange for a safe ride,” states a highway patrol announcement. “There are many safe ride options available to attendees including festival shuttles, taxis, rideshares, transit, and rides with designated drivers.”

Police also ask motorists to report

high-risk drivers to local police. This may include impaired drivers, fatigued drivers, vehicles passing on a double

line and/or around curves, excessive speeders and drivers who nearly cause a collision.

solid

B.C. HIGHWAY PATROL PHOTO

Expect to see more spot checks on area highways this summer.

RCMP officer found guilty of obstruction of justice after telling a bystander to delete video

MARK NIELSEN

Special to The Citizen

A Prince George RCMP officer was found guilty Thursday of obstructing justice in relation to a seven-year-old arrest turned fatal.

Provincial Court Judge Adrian Brooks issued the verdict against Const. Arthur Dalman after finding he had ordered a bystander to delete video taken at the scene.

Co-accused Sgt. Bayani (Jon) Eusebio Cruz was found not guilty.

The outcome stems from the July 18, 2017 apprehension of Dale Culver after police were called to a report of someone riding a bicycle “casing motor vehicles” on 10th Avenue between Central Street West and Commercial Crescent.

When the responding officer tried to apprehend Culver a struggle ensued and backup was called in. The convergence of police vehicles and their flashing lights also drew the attention of onlookers, some of whom pulled out their smartphones to record videos and take photos.

One of them was Ken Moe. According to a summary of the events Brooks provided in his decision, the Prince George resident had 3-4 drinks earlier that day when he had been visiting a cousin and decided to take the bus home at about 10:30 p.m.

“He described himself as feeling pretty good but would not say he was drunk. He said that his vision was a little bit blurry that night which he attributed to alcohol,” Brooks wrote in the decision.

Moe got off the bus about a block away from 10th Avenue and went to a nearby store when he bought some sodas.

From there he walked along Central towards 10th when he saw a police vehicle go by with its lights on and as he reached the corner he saw several RCMP vehicles in front of the 10th Avenue Liquor Store.

Moe pulled out his smartphone

A

Prince

George RCMP officer’s evidence was ‘so contradictory when compared with reliable evidence that it is not worthy of any belief,’ the judge in his obstruction of justice case wrote in his ruling.

and started to record “just because it piqued my interest” and got as far as some barriers at the far end of a parking lot where he sat down. He testified that someone in a car stopped to tell him he should stop recording because police were telling bystanders to delete their videos.

“Moe said ‘Okay, thanks,’ but in his own mind he was thinking ‘Whatever. It’s legal to videotape. There’s no reason why I can’t,” Brooks wrote.

It is not illegal to record video of police actions in public spaces.

Moe saw two or three officers in the middle of the road, then noticed one of them, who turned out to be Dalman, walk toward him. Moe responded by stopping his recording and putting his phone in his pocket.

When asked, Moe told Dalman he had recorded some video and agreed to show it to him. Moe went on to claim Dalman tried to snatch it out of his hand a few seconds later before Moe pulled the phone away and put it back in his pocket.

Moe testified that Dalman became “really aggressive” and warned Moe he was going to be arrested.

“I can’t recall the exact conversation, but after telling me he was going to arrest me for obstruction, he told me that he was going to take my phone as evidence if I didn’t delete the video,” Moe testified according to Brooks’ decision.

Cruz, a supervising officer, walked over and intervened. Moe described Cruz as much calmer but Moe held his phone tight when he showed the video for a second time. Moe claimed Cruz also told him to delete the video or the phone will be taken as evidence.

In response, Moe said he deleted the video and made sure Cruz saw that he had done so.

In an email to the Citizen, Moe said he was contacted by the province’s civilian-based police watchdog because Dalman had taken his name down in his notepad before allowing him to leave. The IIO confiscated the notepad as evidence and contacted him about the incident.

Video from a nearby surveillance camera showed Moe arriving on the scene about 2 1/2 minutes after the arresting officer started to struggle with Culver but Brooks concluded Moe had reached a position to see what was happening only just after Culver had been placed inside a police cruiser.

Brooks generally accepted Moe’s testimony.

Conversely, the judge rejected wholesale Dalman’s testimony, including the claim that Moe erased the video voluntarily.

Brooks also had some harsh words words for Dalman’s claim he had not looked at Cruz’s report on the incident before submitting his own. Brooks found that except for the spacing after

one of the words, the two were identical, right down to the same spelling mistake.

“This was not simply a reckless disregard for the truth, this was a lie. I reject the entirety of his evidence as to the conversation with Ken Moe on the basis of that deliberate lie. However, to be perfectly clear, I would have rejected all of that same evidence as to the conversation even without that lie. Dalman’s evidence was so fraught with illogical missteps, so subject to alteration on the slightest prodding, and so contradictory when compared with reliable evidence, that it is not worthy of any belief,” Brooks wrote.

Brooks also had misgivings about Cruz’s testimony but when he considered the officer’s “evidence in its totality and not just its flaws, I am unable to reject his evidence entirely. In my mind a reasonable doubt remains.”

Immediately after the verdicts were issued, Dalman’s lawyer, Neil Wiberg, told the court he will be seeking a hearing on whether the time it had taken to get the case to trial had violated his client’s Charter rights. The IIO’s report on the matter was not forwarded to Crown counsel until March 2020 and it took another three years for charges to be approved.

It took Brooks more than three hours to read out his decision. The more-than 100-seat gallery was close to packed. Colleagues of the accused, a good portion uniformed police officers, dominated one side; friends and family of Culver, an Indigenous man from the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Nations, occupied many of the seats on the other side. Culver’s daughter Lily SpeedNamox was in the front row as was B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee.

In relation to Culver’s death, two other officers had stood accused of manslaughter until it was determined that he was under the influence of methamphetamine that led to heart failure following a struggle with police and did not die from blunt force trauma.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Bullet hits care home window

Prince George RCMP are seeking the public’s help after a shot was fired at the Rainbow Care Home late Monday, July 22.

Police said an employee reported that a bullet had struck one of the building’s windows, though it did not penetrate fully into the residence.

“Thankfully there were no injuries in this incident and police are currently looking to find who may have shot at the home,” Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said in a statement.

The care home is located at 1000 Liard Dr. The Spruce Capital Seniors Recreation Centre is next door at 3701 Rainbow Drive.

Anyone who may have information about this event, including dashcam or video surveillance footage, that may help police get to the bottom of the case is asked to call the detachment at 250-561-3300.

Tips can also be left at Northern B.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.northernbccrimestoppers.ca.

CRIME NOTES

‘Hitman scam’ reported in city

Mounties in Prince George are advising the public not to fall victim to a scam that is currently circulating, known as the “hitman” or “assassin” scam.

Scammers are pretending to be hitmen in a new scheme reported in Prince George, the RCMP advises.

Police say people are receiving threatening messages by email or text, with the sender claiming to have been hired to kill them. Police say the “hitman” may claim to have been hired by another person who was “betrayed” by the victim. The scammer then offers to cancel the assassination if the person transfers large sums in cryptocurrency. Don’t fall for it, say police, adding that the scammers use information about people that they’ve found online as part of the fraud, and advise changing online privacy settings to protect personal information.

“While these messages can be alarming, it’s important to remember that this is a type of fraud or scam designed to create a sense of urgency and alarm,” states Corp. Jennifer Cooper, media relation officer for the RCMP in Prince George.

“It is important to remember that these messages are a type of extortion and to never send any money, as there is no guarantee that sending money once will stop the messages and demands.”

Jail time for baseball bat attack

Tucker James Botheras was sentenced Wednesday, July 24 to two years in jail followed by three years probation for attacking a man with a baseball bat.

Botheras, born in 1992, was arrested on the afternoon of Oct. 27, 2023 after Prince George RCMP were called to an assault in progress in front of a 1200block 2nd Avenue business.

Botheras was apprehended within 15 minutes, police said at the time. The attack was also recorded on a nearby security camera.

The victim suffered serious head injuries and continued to experience severe short-term memory loss.

Botheras is known to police and at the time of the attack was on probation for a June 2022 assault.

He was also issued a 10-year firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample. He had remained in custody since he was arrested on the most recent count, a total of 270 days.

No longer wanted by RCMP

Prince George RCMP is no longer looking for the following persons:

Cody Kenneth Matthew Willier (Wanted Wednesday from Feb. 14, 2024)

Eric Wade Thor Johnson (Wanted Wednesday from June 19, 2024)

Angela Marcia Littlechild (Wanted Wednesday from June 26, 2024)

Starrla Joy Alexis (Wanted Wednesday from July 3, 2024)

Christopher Lee Champagne (Wanted Wednesday from July 10, 2024)

The police service releases a photo and details about a wanted person each Wednesday.

Robbery suspect sentenced on gun charges

MARK NIELSEN

Special to The Citizen

A man suspected of committing an armed robbery while at large for violating parole was sentenced Tuesday to a further 217 days in jail followed by two years probation on a pair of firearms-related counts stemming from the incident.

Smitty Ralph Bent, 26, has been in custody ever since he was arrested during the early morning of April 30, 2022 - a total of two years and slightly less than 10 months.

According to an outline of the circumstances provided during a sentencing hearing on Monday, Bent was arrested after police responded to a report that two strangers had held up man in the vicinity of Ospika Boulevard and 15th Avenue.

One of the perpetrators had a shotgun in hand and fired off a round into the ground before taking off with a half a pack of cigarettes and a cellphone charger.

Police surrounded the area and soon found someone who allegedly matched the description of one of the culprits. Riding a bike, Bent tried to make an escape. When he was seen reaching into his waistband, RCMP kept their distance and fired off a round from a “beanbag gun” and then deployed a Taser, both

to no effect. An officer then resorted to using a police vehicle to knock him off his bike.

Bent got up and ran but was soon tackled and after a struggle was handcuffed.

Police retraced his steps and came across a 12-gauge shotgun, its stock removed, strapped to the outside of a backpack. The gun’s safety was off and two rounds were found in its chamber plus a shell from a round that had been fired off. In addition to an assortment of drugs, a further 20 rounds were found in the backpack and in a smaller waist pack.

Bent had originally faced seven charges, led by a count of armed robbery, but it turned out the alleged victim was unable to testify at trial, the court

was told. Consequently, Crown counsel accepted guilty pleas from Bent to one count each of possessing a firearm contrary to an order and possessing a firearm without a licence or registration.

On Monday, July 22, Crown counsel argued for four years less credit for time served, or a further 438 days in custody, while defence counsel made a case for time served.

On Tuesday, July 23, Provincial Court Judge Martin Nadon settled on a total of 1,240 days in jail less credit of 1,023 days for time served prior to sentencing, leaving 217 days to go.

In March 2019, Bent was sentenced to five years in prison for shooting a man who confronted him and a fellow culprit caught sneaking onto a neighbour’s property. At the time of his arrest for

the matter at hand Bent had been at large on a Canada-wide warrant after violating his parole conditions. The time he had left to serve on previous offence was subtracted the time served prior to sentencing for the matter at hand.

Nadon outlined Bent’s extensive criminal record and called it “horrible” but also noted that he is only 26 years old and worried he risks becoming institutionalized. Furthermore, Nodon noted that Bent “has a plan” for when he gets out that includes attending a residential treatment program for substance abuse. As well, Nadon received a letter detailing the programs available for him at Takla First Nation where he plans to live with his mother.

The terms of Bent’s probation includes various conditions, such as a curfew for the first six months. He was also issued a lifetime firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample.

Bent’s legal troubles are not over yet. He is also among three men facing a count of assault causing bodily harm from an alleged May 11, 2023, incident at Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.

xcA trial on the matter is scheduled for early September and depending on the outcome, he could have additional time to serve over and above the time meted out on Tuesday.

Prince George court docket for July 22-24

Criminal Code which allows forfeiture and seizure in the name of public safety.

These are recent sentence for offences committed in Prince George and area.

- Angeline Louise Hammerstrom (born 1980) was sentenced to 18 days in jail for breaching a release order and to 15 days in jail for another count of breaching a release order. Hammerstrom was in custody for six days prior to sentencing.

- Nate Thomas Bellamy (born 1996) was issued a five-year firearms prohibition and ordered to forfeit any firearms he owns under Section 117.05 of the

- Tucker James Botheras (born 1992) was sentenced to two years in jail and three years probation for aggravated assault. Botheras was in custody for 270 days prior to sentencing.

- Donnie James John (born 1976) was sentenced to one year probation with a suspended sentence for two counts of theft $5,000 or under and to time served for breaching a release order. John was in custody for three days prior to sentencing.

- Christopher Rea Middlemiss (born 1978) was sentenced to time served for breaching probation. Time served was

not available.

- Collette Anne Alexander (born 1995) was sentenced to 60 days in jail for theft $5,000 or under, to 27 days for a separate count of theft $5,000 or under, to 21 days for breaching probation and breaching an undertaking, to 15 days for a separate count of theft $5,000 or under, to 14 day for a separate count of breaching probation and to time served for a separate count of theft $5,000 or under and to two years probation on all the counts. Alexander was in custody for 12 days prior to sentencing.

- Dustin Wade Vince Gladstone (born 1991) was sentenced to one day in jail for theft $5,000 or under and breaching

probation and to time served for two additional counts of theft $5,000 or under and for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and to one year probation on the counts. Gladstone was in custody for 12 days prior to sentencing.

- Walter Charles Wilson (born 1990) was sentenced to 29 days in jail for breaching probation. Wilson was in custody for 12 days prior to sentencing.

- Noah Damien Basil-Tom (born 2002) was sentenced to time served and one year probation for two counts of assault and one count of possessing stolen property under $5,000. Basil-Tom was in custody for 33 days prior to sentencing.

Smitty Ralph Bent (born 1998) was sentenced to 217 days in jail and two years probation for possessing firearm contrary to an order and to time served.

MARK NIELSEN Special to The Citizen

What’s happening in PG

Major Funk with Patchwork goes Thursday, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Omineca Arts Centre, 369 Victoria St. Yukon’s premier funk band Major Funk plays along with local quintet Patchwork. Doors at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For advance tickets visit https://majorfunkmusic. com/shows

Chuck Chin’s Celebration of Life goes Sunday, Aug. 4 at Cottonwood Island Park from 1 to 3 p.m. Join the celebration at the park entrance just past the railway museum where there will be music, food trucks and face painting. Celebrate Chuck’s favourite spot and christen the gazebo built in his memory. Special presentations from Khast’an Drummers and MLA Shirley Bond. ***

Orchestra North Summer Program Final Concert goes Monday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. at Knox Performance Centre, 1448 Fifth Ave. The concert is the finale of the work done by the musicians of the Orchestra North Summer Program - a collaboration between Orchestra North, the PGSO and the PG Conservatory of Music. Hear chamber music, solo performances, and orchestra work. The event features faculty members Roxi Dykstra, Yu Yu Liu, Dennis Colpitts and Janna Sailor, along with professional development program participants. Admission is by donation. ***

Community Services Table goes Tuesday, Aug. 6 and 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Prince George Public Library. Connect with services such as Work B.C., Service Canada, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, PG Community Legal Clinic and PG Urban Aboriginal Justice Society. This is a free drop-in event geared for adults.

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Fungi in World Folklore & Mythology goes Thursday, Aug. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Prince George Public Library. Delve into how mushrooms and fungi are depicted in stories, from supernatural elements to quests for immortality and divine connection. This

goes Thursday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. at the PG Legion, 101-1116 Sixth Ave. Celtic and old-time haunting folk music from Victoria comes to Prince George. Ghostly Hounds is the folk project of Francesca Mirai, singer-songwriter-banjo player accompanied by Finn Letourneau on fiddle and vocal harmonies. Doors open at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $15 or $20 at the door. For advance tickets www.madloon.ca/ tickets/p/ghostlyhounds.

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Mid-Summer Eve Night Market goes on Thursday, August 15 from 5 to 8 p.m at Studio 2880, 2880 15th Avenue. Explore the grounds of Studio 2880, find a variety of makers, food while enjoying eclectic music. Vendors can register at www.studio2880.com/programs/ artisan-markets.

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presentation explores common themes in the portrayal across global folklore and myth. Presented in partnership with the Northern B.C. Mycological Society. Free drop in event geared for adults.

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Ultimate Tribute to Adele goes Thursday, Aug. 8 with doors open at 6 p.m. at Northern Estates Winery, 745 Prince George Pulpmill Road. This is a new fundraiser for the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society and features performer Ashley Borody. Tickets are $60 each and available for purchase online at www.pghpcs.ca or in person at the Hospice Solace Centre.

Legends, Live! With Elvis! goes Friday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. presented by the Underground Show Lounge & Bar at 1177 Third Ave. An unforgettable night of

legendary performances by talented tribute artists who pay homage to some of your favourite stars. Starring Kat Fullerton as Almost Marilyn, Cory Hicks as Elton Enough and Mark Kazakov as Elvis! Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 on Eventbrite or $40 at the door. Meet and greet after the show for ages 19 and up. Tickets are at www.eventbrite.ca/e/ legends-live-prince-george-tickets.

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Repair Café: Small Appliance goes Saturday, Aug. 10 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Prince George Public Library. Bring your items in need of repair and get support and assistance from volunteers and other repair enthusiasts. Call to register for free at 250-563-9251, ext. 100. This event is geared for adults and seniors.

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Ghostly Hounds with Clanna Morna

10 Years of 720 goes Saturday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Omineca Arts Centre, 369 Victoria St. Considered as one of the most integral rock bands to come from Prince George, Studio 720 is celebrating 10 years of their local brand of rock ’n’ roll. Special guest opener is Connor Rogers. Tickets are $7.20 in advance or $20 at the door. For advance tickets visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/ ten-years-of-studio-720-tickets.

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Junk in the Trunk goes Saturday, Aug. 24 and Friday, August 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Park Drive-In Theatre & Raceway Fun Park, 9660 Raceway Road. Join in the epic buying and selling event with all proceeds from renting a space going to Ness Lake, Nukko Lake and Pilot Mountain Community Halls. Adult vendors pay $15 for one day, $20 for two days, Child vendors 12 and under $10. To register visit junkinthetrucksale.wixsite.com.

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Hart Sunset Market goes Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 4 to 9 p.m. at 6986 Hart Highway, the Hart Pioneer Centre parking lot. To register online visit www. justsugarcookies.ca.

MAJOR FUNK PHOTO

The Victoria band Major Funk performs Thursday, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Omineca Arts Centre, 369 Victoria St. Opening the show is Patchwork. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Thursdays at the Park goes every week, 4-8 p.m. at The Exploration Place, 333 Becott Place, and will see Cruisin Classic Car Club parked outside so people can check out the classic cars. Origins Kitchen will feature specials at their take-out window and the Little Prince steam engine will be running from noon to 8 p.m.

Prince George Farmers’ Market goes every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. where visitors will find around 100 members offering everything from local vegetables, ethically raised grass-fed meats, baking, fruits, hot foods, coffee, honey and jams and jellies, preserves, and a wide variety of artisan products including jewellery and crafts.

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Wilson Square Community Farmers’ Market goes every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. where local food producers fill the street as musicians pluck their instruments, and visitors start their weekends with a round of breakfast sandwiches and hot coffee. Traditional farm fresh meat and produce is available alongside wild-foraged seasonal fiddleheads and morels, rounded out by selection of local arts and baked treats. ***

Craft & Chat at the main branch of the Prince George Public Library goes every Saturday from 1 pm. to 3 p.m. in the magazine corner, second floor, where fibre artists are invited to bring their latest projects to share, vent your frustrations, brag about successes, get

book after two weeks. Those caught cheating will be publicly shamed and labelled as cheaters – good wholesome fun. Book your spot by calling ahead at 250-562-8066.

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Open Mic Nights are presented at Cait’s Sweet Bites & Beanery, 3831 Austin Road West in the Hart Shopping Centre, from 7 to 9 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month. People are invited to share their songs and music, poetry, comedy in a casual setting to try something new. For more information email devon.w.flynn@gmail.com.

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Coffee and Cars is a weekly event held every Saturday from 7 to 9 a.m. until Sept. 29 at Tim Hortons, 612 East Central St.

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and give help and join in lively discussions. Snacks provided. This event is in partnership with Great Northwest Fibre Fest.

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Story Walk at Masich Place is open during public walking hours at the track. Simply start at the first sign and follow the story around the track. Stories change monthly. For the public walking schedule visit www.princegeorge.ca/

masich-place-stadium. ***

Trivia Night at Nancy O’s goes every other Wednesday at 8 p.m., 1261 Third Ave. There are three rounds per game, each round has five themed questions and five music questions. There’s something for everyone. The winning team gets a custom Nancy O’s Trivia trophy and a round of drinks, their photo on the wall that goes into the winners’

Omineca’s Coffee House Open Stage is every Sunday, 369 Victoria St., from 3 to 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to step up and share their talents, stories and art forms of all kinds including but not limited to musical, literary, comedic and preformative expressions of our diverse community. Refreshments and snacks by donation. Sign up is on-site. There are some house instruments provided but feel free to bring your own creative tools for expression. First timers and emerging artists are encouraged to experiment and collaborate with others in a fun and safe environment.

If you’ve got an event coming up email us at news@pgcitizen.ca to offer details including name of the event, the date, time and location, ticket price and where to get them and a little bit about what’s happening, too.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Prince George’s car buffs bring their classics to The Exploration Place each Thursday this summer. Thursdays at the Park includes the Cruisin’ Classic Car Club from 4-8 p.m. along with other family activities.

‘The drumbeat is medicine:’ Youth

Treatment Centre given hand-made traditional drums

Site C reservoir filling begins late this summer

As part of the completion of the Site C project, we plan to begin filling the reservoir between Fort St. John and Hudson’s Hope in late August 2024.

There will be permanent changes to the Peace River. Here’s what to expect:

○ Reservoir water levels will rise for up to four months, by 0.3 to three metres per day. The river will widen by two to three times on average.

○ The existing Halfway River boat launch will permanently close on August 12. New boat launches will be inaccessible until at least spring 2026 as BC Hydro monitors the surrounding slopes for safety.

○ Please stay off the reservoir and its tributaries, specifically the Halfway River, during filling and use extreme caution near the shoreline.

For more information visit SiteCproject.com/reservoir or call 1 877 217 0777

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

The beat of the drum resounded throughout the parking lot as the UHNBC Drummers Group sent out their melodic message of love, light and healing to the healthcare staff and patients in hospital Monday, July 22.

The group has never missed a Monday-night drumming session since the beginning of the pandemic and even as members come and go the heartbeat of the drum has remained steadfast and strong.

Longtime drum group member and drum-maker Roland Hillier, 70, has created and gifted countless drums to local organizations and community members.

His latest donation took place Monday night after the drumming session at the hospital.

He gifted four drums to the Nechako Youth Treatment Program, which provides inpatient mental health assessment and substance use management, detox and treatment for those who are

between 13 and 18 years old.

Services offered within the program include individual, family and group support.

Hillier created the drums using goat hide over a cedar frame for two of them and bison hide over cedar for the other two.

“We want to share a lot of love with the youth during their journey,” said Wesley Mitchell, founder of the UHNBC Drummers Group, about gifting the drums.

“The drumbeat is medicine and we want to bring Indigenous culture, bring love, to these youth,” Mitchell told The Citizen.

“The drum is a connection to the creator and our ancestors and it is very important for our youth to have the opportunity to have a sense of healing and clarity.

“The feeling of the drumbeat not only vibrates through your body but throughout the space that we share and then we are able to connect with each other.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHUCK NISBETT

Mental health and addiction clinicians Adaoru Onwuliri (left) and Rae-Anna Dery along with nurse Janice Cabilao join Roland Hillier and Wesley Mitchell (right) and the UHNBC Drummers in a drum song at Nechako Youth Treatment Centre on Monday, July 22.

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Hillier knows that all he had to do was create the drums.

of the drum and started by playing Middle Eastern drums, then moved to African drums.

Drum-maker’s goal is to help young people A paws before the big show

“Then release them with a prayer and spirit will take it and make it happen,” he said.

There’s a reason Hillier wants to gift these drums to the youth who are trying to clean up their lives.

“I made lots of mistakes when I was younger and I see these kids at the treatment centre taking responsibility for their own health and I love that because that’s what I do,” Hillier said. “These young people at the treatment centre are my people. I want to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health and my advice is to not give up and keep marching forward. And the drum vibrations do miraculous things.”

The drumbeat is their voice, their prayer, Mitchell added.

“And this is just another form of connection,” Mitchell said. “When the youth come in here their mind is just all over the place and the drumbeat will take them back to their heart. You have to follow your heart always.”

A small group of mental health and addictions healthcare workers came out to meet the group as Hillier presented the four drums to them.

There was only one youth in the treatment centre Monday night and sleep was the priority at that moment.

Adaora Onwuliri, mental health and addictions clinician with Northern Health, was one of the workers who attended the presentation of the drums to the youth treatment centre.

“To think about what the youth are going through getting the treatment and recognizing the fact that they are going through a difficult time right now - this is a huge blessing to the kids,” Onwuliri said. “We don’t have many youth here right now so I was very happy to accept the drums on their behalf. It meant everything to be able to do that and I’m sure the youth will be excited when they see the drums.”

Hillier said he has always felt the pull

“I was experimenting with a lot of different drums, but I couldn’t find the sound I was looking for,” Hillier recalled.

“So that kept me going and that’s when I knew I had to make my own drum. That’s when I started making some bigger drums.”

He was in 100 Mile House then and moved to Prince George about 15 years ago. “I kept making drums, marrying different woods with different hides,” Hillier recalled.

He struck a note on the drum in his hands.

“That’s pretty much the sound I was going for,” Hillier said with a smile about his cowhide-over-cedar-frame drum.

The standing drums he makes for community drumming circles are typically 36 inches wide and stand about 28 inches high.

“Those big drums take me about 100 hours to make,” Hillier said. “One of the nicest ones I’ve made was bison hide on cedar and that’s the nicest sounding drum you’ll ever hear. I give one rap with my finger and I am looking for that deep, heartfelt tone that resonates through everything and everyone. You hear that sound and it’s unique.”

Soon Hillier will create another two big drums. One will be 36 inches and a smaller one, 25 inches across, that is easier to bring along on trips the UHNBC Drummer Group takes across the province as they are invited into communities to spread their message of hope and healing.

“With these drums, even during the pandemic we couldn’t go into the hospital but the vibrations could,” Hillier said. “We are all creatures of vibration – so with these drums we can send those vibrations right through these walls and we ask spirit to take that medicine where it’s needed most.”

The UHNBC Drummers Group continues their sessions at the hospital parking lot every Monday from 6 to 7 p.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.

Ozzy, a two-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, sits quietly while waiting to compete Friday in the Prince George Kennel Club’s All Breed Dog Show held at the Agriplex July 26-28. The show included rally obedience trials on Saturday and Sunday and a Canine Good Neighbour test on Thursday. Judge Patricia Cummins held a seminar on Friday, July 26 after Best in Show at the end of the day called “What is the Judge Looking For?” There was also a silent auction.

Prince George, like other B.C. communities, has to revitalize its downtown facilities

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

This is part two of a series exploring a Civic Core Plan created by a group of concerned citizens of Prince George who understand the importance of incorporating the vision of user groups to create a multi-use facility in the heart of the city that will not only improve quality of life but also establish a strong path to economic growth.

Prince George is not alone in looking to revitalize its civic core to expand economic development and improve quality of life while creating a vibrant downtown.

The City of Vernon has approved the creation of the Active Living Centre worth a maximum of $135 million with construction to be completed by the fall of 2026.

The Active Living Centre (ALC) will embrace the Vernon’s vision to deliver a facility that not only meets the needs of a growing community, but also strives to attract new residents and visitors to the area. The new facility will be accessible, inclusive, fun, family-friendly and orientated towards participants of all ages and abilities.

The multi-purpose facility includes an aquatic centre with an eight lane 50-metere pool with a moveable bulkhead, two diving boards and a NinjaCross course, a leisure pool with zero-depth beach entry, a tot slide, interactive spray features, a lazy river, a WOW WaveBall, a major waterslide and a family hot tub.

Also featured will be a warm-water 25-metre three-lane teaching pool, sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool and adults-only hot tub. The facility will also have a fitness centre, a double gymnasium with multiple sports courts, a four-lane 185-metre synthetic walking/ running track and eight dedicated multipurpose activity and program rooms.

For more information visit www. vernon.ca/parks-recreation/ active-living-centre

In Kamloops, a new Centre for the

Arts with a price tag of $275 million is in the concept stage.

The new facility’s indicative design is more than 120,000 square feet and includes two theatres and a studio space that will serve a variety of arts and community events.

Located in downtown Kamloops at Fourth Avenue and Seymour Street, the centre will contribute to downtown revitalization by promoting economic and population growth and contributing to a vibrant arts and cultural community, its website states.

Strong potential demand for events and activities exist that will support Kamloops residents and attract visitors through a focus and investment in culture, arts, sports, and events which all contribute to a healthy community.

The facility is looking to include a

main stage theatre with 1,200 seats, small theatre with 450 seats, flexible studio space, rehearsal, production and education spaces, administrative spaces, resident tenant spaces, underground parking, meeting rooms, commercial space, support and storage areas, including consideration for climate-controlled storage areas and building systems.

For more information about the project see kamloopscentreforthearts.ca.

In Kelowna, council endorsed the 2020-2025 Cultural Plan on Sept. 16, 2019. This plan sets priorities for the enhancement of cultural vitality and community spaces, and aligns with the goal of an engaging arts and culture scene.

Most importantly, this plan sets a course for the creative sector to provide

accessible, diverse and inclusive experiences, use resources effectively, leverage opportunities, and be innovative and forward thinking. The plan also highlights the value of partnerships and cooperation.

In Kelowna there is also a long-range Civic Precinct Plan for future land use guiding the development of key sites in Kelowna’s Civic Precinct up to 2040.

The Civic Precinct area, also known more broadly as Kelowna’s Cultural District, sees future plans that include mixed-use development to support downtown living while preserving sites like the Kelowna Community Theatre, City Hall parking lot and Memorial Arena for future civic uses to support a dynamic Cultural District.

For more information visit www. kelowna.ca/sites/files/1/docs/community/civic_precinct_land_use_plan.pdf

Eli Klasner, executive director of the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District, is one of six members of a citizens group that took a grassroots approach to engaging key community groups in an effort to create a Civic Core Plan that best suits Prince George’s diverse needs.

Several communities have seen people moving from the Lower Mainland into their communities, Klasner said.

“How do we get Prince George on that list?” Klasner questioned. “How do we show professional people who are willing to move away from big city centres that Prince George is an amazing community? Look at all these amenities we have. Look at the university, look at all the summer and wintertime outdoor recreation we have, so this kind of an entertainment complex would be a huge piece of the conversation to make Prince George an attractive place to move to and a visiting destination. Action is needed right now, he said.

“Here is a prime piece of real estate that is owned by the city, owned by the taxpayers – let’s get building on it before the idea that this is a ghost town, a wasteland, becomes entrenched in how we see our downtown.”

STATION ONE ARCHITECTS

The City of Kamloops wants to build a new Centre for the Arts that would look something like this concept drawing. Prince George should do something similar, advocates for an improved Civic Core say.

Where sports and entertainment meet: A new Civic Core will lead to economic growth

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

This is part three of a series exploring a Civic Core Plan created by a group of concerned citizens of Prince George who understand the importance of incorporating the vision of user groups to create a multi-use facility in the heart of the city that will not only improve quality of life but also establish a strong path to economic growth.

Meeting the needs of the City of Prince George and its community members while revitalizing the downtown core will mean built-in economic success with a Civic Core Plan, one that sees the arts and sports communities come together in a convention centre complex and entertainment hub.

A citizen group was formed when the City of Prince George asked for proposals from consultants to create a Civic Core Plan in 2022.

As noted in Part 1, that citizen group included Noreen Rustad, Les Waldie, Margaret Jones-Bricker, Steve Henderson, Eli Klasner and Cameron Stolz, owner of the Prince George Citizen.

The notice of the engagement of an outside consulting firm prompted the citizen group to meet with a broad range of interested organizations in advance of the official consultation, with the intent to develop a united vision for the redevelopment of the Civic Plaza, in essence ‘local people for a local solution’.

The approach was that any redevelopment should include a focus on economic development for the City of Prince George.

The first step in the work of the citizen group was to identify a high-level view of primary partners that would be impacted and involved in any redevelopment of the Civic Plaza.

The groups included Community Arts Council of Prince George & District, Downtown Prince George, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, Miracle Theatre, Prince George Airport Authority, Prince George Chamber of Commerce, Prince George Spruce Kings, Prince George

Symphony Orchestra, Russell Productions, Theatre Northwest, Tourism Prince George.

There are several groups that are on the schedule of regular users of the Kopar Memorial Arena that include Northern B.C. Centre for Skating, Prince George Figure Skating Club, Prince George Minor Hockey Association, Prince George Minor Lacrosse, Prince George Mohawk Oldtimers, Prince George Ringette Association, Prince George Senior Lacrosse and School District 57 schools.

“A couple of years ago now, Eli (Klasner) reached out to our organization about getting together to brainstorm some ideas about a replacement for our buildings, several of the community’s buildings including Kopar Memorial

Arena and the Community Arts Council and others, are reaching end of life and are in dire need of replacement,” said Mike Hawes, Spruce Kings general manager.

“So as a group of concerned citizens and stakeholders in the community we thought it would be important to get together and all get on one page and brainstorm some ideas on how we could approach the city and have some open dialogue with them on the eventual replacement of these facilities.”

The Civic Core Plan would include a multi-use facility that accommodates not only the Spruce Kings and the sporting community but also the arts community, Hawes emphasized.

“Specific to us, the (Kopar) facility is at the end of life and it’s been

communicated to us through the city that any major kind of malfunction or repair that’s required in the building might not be done, meaning that at any point we could all of a sudden not have a building to play in,” he said. “Hopefully it never gets to that point. The staff that work in the building and the city itself do a great job of maintaining it but it is an old building that was built in 1958 and is in need of replacement.”

A new arena for Spruce Kings would carry many economic benefits.

“The league we play in, the British Columbia Hockey League, is ever-evolving,” Hawes said.

“We have added five teams to the league, all in Alberta. The cost of operating a team and being able to stay viable has grown exponentially here in the last several years because of the cost of road trips, equipment, and everything else to run a team, has gone through the roof, as we know, and has a lot to do with inflation. We certainly do need a new facility so that we can hopefully find a way to generate more revenue through to help us survive and help us keep operating.”

There are dozens of groups that use the arena, Hawes added.

“The arena is a huge asset to the community and to have it located in the downtown would be crucial, as well, in my opinion,” he said.

“I can’t emphasize enough that the Spruce Kings have been around since 1972 and we thrive in the community. We survive off the support of our Show Home Lotteries.

The support of the community and the region for us with those lotteries has been huge and it does provide the majority of our operating costs. However we do have to find ways to generate other revenue through ticket sales, concessions and advertising in the building that all goes towards the things we need to keep up with what’s required within the British Columbia Hockey League.”

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

An important part of the proposed Civic Core revitalaization would be a replacement for the aging Kopar Memorial Arena, which is at the end of its useful life.

Podcasters turn true crime into a full-time job

CHRISTINE DALGLEISH Citizen staff

Two Prince George true crime podcasters recently celebrated their 200th episode by recording it live at Trench Brewing on Wednesday, July 31.

Nicole and Ben Gibson, the content creators of Wicked & Grim, say they called it that because some pretty wicked people commit some very grim crimes.

Since airing their first episode on Feb. 8, 2021 they have seen more than two million listeners and downloads of their shows. That means they have reached the top one per cent in popularity around the globe.

Ben said the way the podcasts came about was rather unusual.

“It’s a bit of a weird inspiration. I have always been really into content creation, so YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and everything like that and I really started understanding the content creation world’s algorithms and I had a bit of success in online creation,” Ben said.

“And my wife, Nicole, has always had a strong interest in true crime stories. You know, watching different TV shows, whether it’s true crime or the stories told in CSI and stuff.”

It all started when Nicole and Ben were going through a time in their relationship where they hardly saw each other because they were so busy with work. Nicole worked at UNBC and Ben worked at a sawmill.

“We were thinking we needed to figure out something where we can spend time together,” Ben explained. “So I approached her and said ‘well, what if we do something in content creation like a true crime podcast?’ and that’s how our podcast was born.”

The ideas of which crimes to showcase on a podcast comes from a lot of online research and also from people making recommendations.

“There’s nothing we wouldn’t cover but depending on the story we may tread lightly,” Ben said.

“Something that is very sensitive for many people is sexual assault so we generally don’t go into descriptions on the nature of the sexual assault, we

will say they were sexually assaulted but we don’t dive into how that played out. Also when it pertains to children, whether it is sexual assault or physical assault or death of children it’s another one of those things where we try not to go too descriptive.”

But the show is called Wicked & Grim, after all.

“So there are times when we go very descriptive and there’s times where we don’t – it’s just a matter of trying to read it on a case-by-case basis,” Ben said.

“And if we do cover a very heavy case and we are very descriptive, we try and follow up our next few episodes with some lighthearted true crime or don’t go into as deep a description. We try to keep a balance if we can.”

“So it’s online radio and we are able to play ads before and after our show and we even sometimes get sponsorship. And they will pay pennies per listen. It’s usually, say about $1.50 for every thousand listens per ad, and from there over the course of hundreds of thousands those pennies and dollars begin to add up.”

Another revenue stream is Patreon, an online subscription platform, where people have access to exclusive content, like behind-the-scenes stuff. A monthly subscription is paid to the content creator.

When Ben and Nicole decided to leave their day jobs they had a newly built home with a mortgage.

“But we just weren’t too happy,” Ben said. “So we sold it all and bought our tiny home and we have no mortgage and we’re able to chase what we want to do for a living.”

Ben offered a few words of wisdom on how to become a successful podcaster.

“The key is consistency,” Ben said. “We found that’s what actually propelled our podcast in the beginning was being consistent.”

Without fail Wicked & Grim is uploaded every Tuesday.

“That’s what really got our listenership up,” Ben said. “And we’re doubling down now. Since February 2021 it’s been every Tuesday and now with the 200th episode we are uploading every Tuesday and every Friday.”

Because of the success of their podcast both Nicole and Ben have left their day jobs. Nicole is a photographer and the podcast has become a big part of Ben’s new career.

“I am now a full-time content creator and freelance media creator, so I work with other businesses doing videography or consulting for their social media,” Ben said. “But I would say a good 60 to 70 per cent of my of my fulltime job is just the podcast now.”

There is money to be made in podcasting.

“It comes down to ad revenue, it’s no different than a radio station, so podcasting is radio – it’s just a very new way of doing an old-school media form,” Ben explained.

That’s a lot of content.

“If crime were to stop today and no one commits another crime for the rest of humanity I’m still going to have a lifetime worth of content to create with all the stories out there,” Ben said. “That is very unfortunate to think about but that’s the reality.”

The first live Wicked and Grim: A True Crime Podcast was recorded at Trench Brewing & Distilling, 399 Second Ave. The evening included the live recording, audience interaction and the chance to hang out with fellow true crime enthusiasts.

The episode will be available at a later date.

For more information visit www.wickedandgrim.com.

WICKED AND GRIM/FACEBOOKT

Ben and Nicole Gibson host the successful Wicked and Grim podcast from Prince George.

Remembering Chuck Chin at the Night Market

ABOVE LEFT: Mike and Natalia Doyle tend to their Ancient Forest Mushroom Farm booth at the CN Centre Night Market on Tuesday, July 23 with Bret Doyle (right), Mike’s brother visiting from Kentucky.

ABOVE RIGHT: Susan Chin, her daughter Leanne and grandkids accept donations to the Chuck Chin Legacy Fund in honour of acclaimed photographer and community booster Chuck Chin. Donations can be made through the Prince George Community Foundation with cheques having a memo showing the Chuck Chin Legacy Fund or online atw bit.ly/chuckchinlegacy.

Kaylie Boivin, 10, (left) and Faiyth Boldt, 11, enjoy a picnic dinner of pizza and ice cream.

BELOW LEFT: Three-year-old Abigail Jewesson takes her time examining the colourful soaps on display at A Treat Not To Eat Soaps under the watchful eye of dad Chris.

BELOW RIGHT: John Sharun discusses some of his wife Lorraine’s recycled and repurposed windchimes at their Lolly’s Creations booth with Cheryl Marsolais and her daughter Cianna Sucholotosky.

RIGHT:

CITIZEN PHOTOS BY CHUCK NISBETT

UNBC student earns wildlife scholarship

CITIZEN STAFF

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), in partnership with the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum and the British Columbia government, announces this year’s Together for Wildlife Scholarship recipients.

Among them is Westin Creyke, a master’s student at the University of Northern British Columbia.

The 10 scholarship recipients are master’s degree and PhD candidates conducting applied research that will make positive impacts in the areas of stewardship, management, policy, or decision-making related to wildlife and wildlife habitats in B.C.:

• Landon Birch: Master’s, University of British Columbia - Okanagan

• Mitchell Brunet: Doctorate, University of British Columbia - Okanagan

• Tristen Brush: Master’s, University of British Columbia

• Alexia Constantinou: Doctorate, University of Victoria

• Westin Creyke:  Master’s, University of Northern British Columbia

• Siobhan Darlington: Doctorate, University of British Columbia - Okanagan

• Isabel Deutsch: Master’s, University of Victoria

• Paige Monteiro: Master’s, Simon Fraser University

• Larisa Murdoch: Master’s, Thompson Rivers University

• Megan Roxby: Master’s, Simon Fraser University

The Together for Wildlife (T4W) strategy was initiated by the B.C. government in 2020 to improve wildlife and habitat stewardship throughout the province.

The T4W Scholarship Program,

perspectives on wildlife stewardship, and build capacity among Indigenous communities and rural areas of B.C. to undertake ways to make wildlife stewardship work.

“We are proud to welcome these 10 students into the community of conservation through the Together for Wildlife Scholarship Program,” said Dan Buffett, CEO of HCTF.

“It is exciting to see the diversity of projects, such as research on birds, ungulates, and carnivores, to better understand the relationships within our environment, along with using technologies to improve wildlife and habitat management.

“As future conservation leaders in B.C., we look forward to their work with communities and contributing their knowledge to wildlife stewardship.”

Institute participants Cora and Rebekah study the North Jubilee Wetland as it expands outward. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

administered by HCTF and now in its second year, supports the strategy’s goals by improving support for scientific research, building stronger partnerships within research communities, and sharing the results of that research with British Columbians.

The scholarships also aim to support reconciliation and collaboration with First Nations, encourage a diversity of

“Research on wildlife is crucial for expanding our knowledge of biodiversity, habitat stewardship, and the interrelated ecosystems that allow British Columbia’s unique and diverse species to thrive,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

“The Together for Wildlife strategy, the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation, and the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework support science-based stewardship that will allow future generations to enjoy and appreciate this province’s amazing range of wildlife.”

Future users would benefit from a multi-use hub

Woodturner’s Guild and the Studio 2880 Gallery and Gift Shop.

Under the umbrella of the Community Arts Council of Prince George & District at Studio 2880 there are several arts organizations in the facility that include Arts North Digital Media Centre, Community Arts Council Artist-in-Residence, Delgado Strings, the Northern Indigenous Arts Council. Prince George Fibre Arts Guild, Prince George Potters’ Guild, Prince George Stitchery Guild, Prince George Symphony Orchestra administrative offices, Prince George

These user groups will all benefit from having a multi-use space in the downtown core of Prince George, the group points out.

“As a concerned long-time resident of Prince George I volunteered along with others to create a civic core plan,” said Rustad, a member of the citizens’ group.

“This plan was made in conjunction with many groups, sports and arts alike, and the plan we formulated was endorsed by all the stakeholders who

had input during the planning stages. This plan would revitalize our downtown at a time when it is desperately needed.

“The creation of a unique made-inPrince-George civic facility would add economic value to our city as well as enhance the sports, arts and culture viability of our city. Now is the time to allocate the city properties freed up by the moving of the fire hall and the swimming pool to this project. Let us look ahead and create a lasting legacy for our community.”

The Prince George Public Library is

key component of future Civic Core plans.

Throwback Thursday:

Aug. 2, 1971: Adults may not be quite sure what the stumps in the Seymour School adventure playground represent, but Lois Pixton, 7, has made up her mind about what they’re for. In the background her brother Tony, 10, mans HMCS Alkool. The structures were built by College of New Caledonia students as an Opportunities for Youth project.

Citizen file photo by Rick Hull

Aug. 1, 1985: Members of the B.C. Heritage Brigade, dressed in period costumes, are dwarfed by the Fraser Bridge and pulp mill as they paddle the route used by fur brigades in the 18th and 19th centuries. They raised their paddles to greet the more than 200 people on shore who watched them as they travelled from Fort St. James to Fort Langley.

Citizen file photo by Brock Gable

Aug. 1, 2007: Rannon Lamoureaux, 8, at left, Etienne Oullette, 6, and Danika Wetterlind, 6, look for water creatures off the dock at Shane Lake in Forests For The World. The kids were part of a YMCA Adventure Day Camp for sixto-nine-year-olds.

Citizen file photo by David Mah

August 1, 1961: A cold-water cure for the hot weather is taken by eightyear-old Bill Brown as meteorological technician Walt Maruk, Department of Transport weatherman at the airport, reports another high temperature reading. Weather in Prince George in July 1961 was warm, dry and sunny but, although all readings were above normal, no records were set.

Citizen file photo by Hal Vandervoort

Healthy North

Wildfire Smoke

Poor air quality can be harmful to your health, especially for those with chronic conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, diabetes, and for pregnant people, infants and children, and older adults. Take steps to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy.

- Reduce the amount of time spent outdoors

- Stay hydrated

- Avoid rigorous outdoor activities, like exercise

- Keep windows closed in vehicles and homes

- If you have one, use an indoor air cleaner or filtration system, or recirculate indoor air in a forced air system that is filtered (turn on your furnace fan)

For more information on how to stay safe in smoky conditions bccdc.ca/health-info/preventionpublic-health/wildfire-smoke

Heat & Pregnancy

Pregnant women and individuals are more likely to get heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It’s important to avoid the mid-day sun and to go indoors at the first sign of weakness or light-headedness.; Check out these resources for tips on keeping you and baby cool in hot conditions: perinatalservicesbc.ca/about/news-stories/stories/tips-forpregnant-people-to-stay-safe-during-the-summer-heat

NH Connections

Need to head to the Okanagan for a specialist appointment? We’ve got you covered. NH Connections and Interior Health’s Cariboo Connector can now deliver you to Kelowna, every Tuesday and Thursday. Ride with us to Cache Creek and our friends at IH will take you from there. Call 1-888-647-4997 to speak with our Connections booking staff to get all the details. Visit NHhconnections.ca for fares and scheduling.

International Self-Care Day: Northern Health staffers weigh in on why it’s important

Northern Health

International Self-Care Day is July 24, 2024. We asked NH staff how they practice self-care and why it’s important to them – this is what they said: Why is self-care important to you?

Many staff members commented that self-care practices are especially important for health care providers. Being a caring professional is rewarding, but can also be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.

As one person wisely said, “You can’t serve others from an empty cup.” Another respondent described how burnout amongst healthcare professionals is seen as “normal,” and noted “if we do not take care of ourselves first, we run the risk of compromising our care for others.”

Self-care looks unique for everyone, because we all have unique circumstances. One person described how easy it is to forget about taking care of themselves until they’re actually ill: “Being a new immigrant with a new job/ new workplace/new city and being a mom takes a great toll on mental and physical health, and in the midst of everything we forget about ourselves. Self-care becomes the lowest priority until it hits you hard in the form of sickness.”

“Self-care makes my days more enjoyable so that I can honestly say life is worth living!” added another respondent.

How do you take care of yourself?

While each person’s approach to

Self-care can take on many different forms. For Gloria, pictured here, self care includes enjoying the sights and sounds of nature with her water-loving dog Sunny.

self-care is unique, there were common threads: Physical activity, prioritizing sleep, and getting fresh air during outdoor activities. Staff also mentioned social interactions and setting boundaries as ways to take care of themselves. As one individual put it, “I bike to work each day. Biking to and from work allows me time to be outside, feel the temperature, breathe fresh air, say good morning to strangers, and mentally prepare but also decompress the day.”

For others, being outside is the key to feeling centered and at peace. “Taking time to be outdoors ALWAYS makes me feel better,” one person said.

Setting boundaries is another crucial aspect of self-care. “I am very protective around my sleep, rest, and down time,” said one respondent.

This sentiment was echoed by another person, who emphasized the importance of prioritizing sleep. “I take care of myself by going to bed early, drinking plenty of water and starting my

day with an early morning walk,” they said.

But self-care isn’t just about solitary pursuits. Social interactions can also play a vital role in maintaining well-being.

“Social connections help me feel better, going for a dog walk with a friend or playing soccer with my teammates,” said another individual. Finding a balance between work and personal life is essential for many. “I try to optimize my work-life balance, so I have enough time, energy, and resources for both,” one person noted.

Self-care is a deeply personal practice that encompasses a wide range of activities and habits. One person wisely summed it up: “Often my low moods are linked to poor sleep.”

By prioritizing self-care in all its forms, we can all cultivate a sense of balance and well-being in our lives.

What resources or strategies help you take care of yourself?

Coralee

BC UNITED MLA, CARIBOO NORTH PHONE: 250-991-0296

EMAIL: coralee.oakes.mla@leg.bc.ca #401-410 Kinchant St., Quesnel Serving Cariboo North since 2013

A lot of people mentioned “fresh air” and “being outside” as resources for self-care.

“I utilize nature and arts to restore my health and wellness,” said one respondent.

Another said that the following all contribute to their self-care: “Getting outside. Going to the community garden, the river, the farmers’ market, the pool, seeing all sorts of community members.”

One staff member emphasized self-compassion by saying, “I allow myself grace if I don’t exercise and don’t eat well. No use beating myself up about it.”

These strategies and resources help people take care of themselves and prioritize their well-being.

How do you take care of yourself?

The Canadian Mental Health Association has a free guide to self-care with activities to help you identify things you might like to do to take care of yourself.

REBECCA SKETCHLEY

Fraser Bell reflects on time in health care

Northern Health

Fraser Bell, vice-president, planning, quality and information management (PQIM) for Northern Health, retired at the end of April 2024 after more than 30 years in health service management.

Fraser was responsible for strategic and operational planning, quality monitoring, supporting improvement processes, information management, and information technology at Northern Health.

His previous work experience included senior positions in health management consulting (PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM), government (Ontario Ministry of Health, Huron Perth District Health Council) and health operations.

Fraser holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from McMaster University and completed his PhD at University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) last year. He started

Let’s

working for Northern Health (NH) in January 2005.

Did you hold previous positions at NH prior to becoming VP PQIM? What were they? What did you find challenging and interesting about them?

“I worked as a health services administrator in Quesnel for three years before starting as VP in 2008.

Prior to working for NH, I worked as a consultant with IBM in Milton, Ontario on shorter contracts, so working at NH gave me the ability to engage with the organization for a longer period and the opportunity to build a team. I enjoyed engaging with the community in Quesnel and working with political folks at the municipal and provincial levels.”

What are some of the accomplishments you’re most proud of during your time at NH?

“In 2016, we completed a bed modeling project for complex care and long-term care beds. The modeling showed an increased need for complex care beds, more than we could possibly

Fix Health Care.

This job has also taught me patience. Every idea has its time; however, now might not be the right time. If you continue to promote your ideas, usually something comes out of it eventually.”

provide; however, we were able to show a need for more home support, assisted living, and supportive housing in multiple communities.

“This modeling has led to significant builds happening in Prince George, Smithers, Fort St. John, and Quesnel, although there’s a long lead time for long-term care developments in each community. The modeling also showed the need to grow home support in a massive way.

“Another accomplishment that I’m proud of is the development of service networks in most of our service areas, which has improved our service management by having community leadership and clinical leadership at each site.

“We have also developed partnerships with post-secondary institutions to grow our research capacity at NH. In 2022, Northern Health, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, and UNBC launched the new Northern Centre for Clinical Research (NCCR) to help foster collaborative clinical and medical life sciences research across the North. Many people would like to participate in research as part of their careers in health care, so we’re helping facilitate this.”

What are some of your best memories of living in Northern B.C?

“We moved to Quesnel in 2005 when our kids were quite young, and we have lots of good memories of raising the two of them in Quesnel and Prince George. We met lots of good families and parents while keeping the kids engaged in swim club, vocal recitals, cross-country

Fraser Bell retired as vice-president, planning, quality and information management, from Northern Health in April.

skiing, and downhill skiing.

What did working as VP PQIM teach you?

“It taught me the importance of building a good team by hiring good people. I learned the importance of empowering people and getting out of their way, while being there for what they need.

“This job has also taught me patience. Every idea has its time; however, now might not be the right time. If you continue to promote your ideas, usually something comes out of it eventually.”

Where are you headed from here?

“We’re living in Vernon now, and summer is coming! I am looking forward to being outside, cycling, and sailing on the lake.

“We’ll be traveling to Scotland in May with our daughter to create that break from the job. I’ll probably come back to NH to help after a good break from work. I’m also looking forward to playing guitar. I did my PhD while working at NH, so I haven’t had time to play guitar for a long time.

“I would like to say thanks to Northern Health and the people of Northern BC. They are great people, and it’s a great place to live; that’s why we stayed!”

ANGELA KEHLER

Baseball’s Jared Young heads to South Korea

KENNEDY GORDON Citizen Managing Editor

Jared Young started the week as a member of the Memphis Redbirds and ended it halfway around the world as the newest player for the Doosan Bears in South Korea.

Young, 29, is a Prince George native who’s carved out a career in baseball in the U.S. This is all new, but it was always on his radar.

He said he’s been interested in the thriving South Korean baseball scene for some time.

“I knew it was something I wanted to do,” he told The Citizen. “I just didn’t know when it would happen.”

When it did happen, it was sudden.

The utility player said he was set to head out on a road swing with the Redbirds, a Triple-A International League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, on Tuesday when he was taken aside and given the news.

“They told me not to travel with the team,” he said.

He had no inkling that the deal was in the works, but he’s relieved. After some uncertainty about his future in the last off-season, he said, he’s happy to go to the Bears and make his mark.

There was only one hitch, he noted: His gear had already been sent on the road with the Redbirds, so he had to wait for it to come back before he could fly to South Korea, with a stop in Japan to get his visa situation sorted out.

But he arrived safely and is set for his first game in a Bears uniform.

The 10-team KBO league has been described in Western media as being somewhere between AA and AAA American ball, but Young says that isn’t the case.

“It’s on a level with MLB,” he said. The league plays a 144-game schedule, nearly on par with the American and National leagues, and there’s an all-star game each season.

The league operates on MLB rules

Jared Young holds the uniform he’ll wear as the newest member of the Doosan Bears in the KBO League in South Korea. Young, who is from Prince George, travelled to join the team last week after a stint with the Memphis Redbirds.

with a designated hitter.

KBO teams are allowed to have up to three international players on the roster.

Young is filling one of those roles. He’ll be one of two Canadians on the team, something he says is a first for the KBO.

The other is Jordan Balazovic, a pitcher from Mississauga who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round, 153rd overall, in 2016.

Young joins a team that was founded in 1982 as one of the league’s original franchises and has won six Korean Series titles since.

They play their home games in

Seoul’s Jamsil Baseball Stadium, at 25,000 the highest-capacity field in the KBO League. Other KBO teams include the Hanwha Eagles, Kia Tigers, Kiwoom Heroes, KT Wix, LG Twins, Lotte Giants, NC Dinos, Samsung Lions and SSG Landers.

The Bears, Twins, Giants and Tigers all attract more than a million fans a season, with the average game attendance being about 11,600.

Most games are broadcast on South Korean TV.

Young said the team has him set up in an apartment in Seoul’s Gangnam District, and he’s looking forward to discovering more about South Korean

life and culture.

This is the latest stop on a long baseball journey. Young went to Prince George Secondary School and Kelowna Secondary School, and went to Minot State University in North Dakota to play for the Beavers in his freshman year. He then transferred to Connors State College in Oklahoma, playing there and graduating before heading to Old Dominion University in Virginia to play for the Monarchs.

He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round, 465th overall, in 2017. His pro career has included stints with several minor-league teams, including the Eugene Emeralds, the Iowa Cubs and the Tennessee Smokies, among others. The Chicago Cubs brought him up in 2022 for his major-league debut. He made his mark on the majors in his second callup that June.

In his first at-bat, which came in the fourth inning against the Phillies, he hit his first major-league home run off an 0-2 pitch from Aaron Nola.

He then went on to hit triples in both his subsequent appearances with the Cubs.

The Cardinals claimed him off waivers in 2023 and sent him to the Redbirds, where he played 74 games. He signed a $300,000 contract with Doosan on Wednesday, July 24.

As a utility player he’s flexible but as of the time of this interview he wasn’t sure which position he’d be playing with the Bears.

While he played in the Dominican Republic, this will be his first trip overseas.

He knows that, as a westerner in a new country, there will be a period of adjustment. But, he said, baseball crosses international borders.

“Be a good guy, play a good game, you make friends pretty quick,” he said.

NOTE: Young’s mother Dana is on the Citizen’s staff. She’s already talking about plans to visit him in South Korea soon.

Former Timberwolves basketball player joins Team Canada in Paris for Paralympic Games

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA

The Canadian Paralympic Committee and Wheelchair Basketball Canada has officially announced the athletes nominated to the men’s and women’s teams set to represent Canada in wheelchair basketball at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in August. And one of the members is a former UNBC Timberwolves player.

Kady Dandeneau will join athletes from across the country on Team Canada for the women’s wheelchair basketball component of the Games.

Dandeneau, 34, was an all-star standup basketball player for the Timberwolves from 2007 to 2013. After injuries prevented her from continuing the standup game, she began playing wheelchair basketball in 2015 after being introduced to it by fellow Pender Island native and former Team Canada coach Tim Frick.

The team also includes:

• Rosalie Lalonde (Saint-Clet, Que.)

• Élodie Tessier (Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que.)

• Arinn Young (Legal, Alta.)

• Cindy Ouellet (Quebec City, Que.)

• Tamara Steeves (Mississauga, Ont.)

• Puisand Lai (Toronto, Ont.)

• Tara Llanes (North Vancouver, B.C.)

• Bethany Johnson (Winnipeg, Man.)

• Sofia Fassi-Fehri (Montreal, Que.)

• Melanie Hawtin (Oakville, Ont.)

• Desiree Isaac-Pictou (Eel River Bar First Nation, N.B.)

All 12 athletes who won silver at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago are returning for the Paralympic Games.

The squad qualified for the Paris Games with a commanding 88-30 victory over Algeria at the Women’s IWBF Repechage Tournament in Osaka, Japan in April. Canada finished fifth at the 2022 world championships in Dubai and fifth at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

“We are excited to announce our

roster for the Paris Paralympic Games,” said Michèle Sung, head coach of the Senior Women’s National Team. “Over the past few months, our team has shown incredible dedication, progress, and commitment to improving daily. Their hard work and determination have them prepared to compete at the highest level on the world stage in Paris.”

Nine athletes who represented Canada at the Tokyo Games will compete in Paris, including captains Ouellet and Llanes. Dandeneau, Lai, Tessier and Llanes will be competing at their second Paralympic Games, while Johnson, Isaac-Pictou and Fassi-Fehri will make their Games debuts in Paris.

Young, Hawtin and Lalonde will compete in their third Games, and Steeves

will make her fourth appearance with the Canadian Paralympic Team.

“We have a really good group,” said Ouellet, who is headed to her fifth summer Games.

“We’ve got everything physically and mentally. We’ve got a mix of fast athletes and experienced athletes. I think we have a good team all around to compete well. We’re going into this summer confident.”

Canada will compete in Pool A in Paris against Great Britain, China and Spain.

The women open the tournament against China on Aug. 29.

“The coaches have changed the mentality in our team’s core,” Ouellet said.

“We just want to prove that we’re not a fifth-place team and can reach that final game.”

The wheelchair basketball tournaments will take place Aug. 29 to Sept. 8 at Bercy Arena in Paris.

The preliminary rounds conclude Sept. 2, with the men’s quarterfinals set for Sept. 3 and the women’s quarterfinals a day later.

“This is such an incredible group of athletes, with so many experienced and decorated Paralympians as well as several exciting athletes headed to their first Games,” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team.

“It’s going to be so exciting to cheer them on in Paris.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in Paris, France. Canada is expecting to send a team of approximately 130 athletes.

DAVE HOLLAND, CANADIAN PARALYMPUC COMMITTEE PHOTO

Kady Dandeneau takes the ball during the women’s wheelchair basketball gold medal game against the United States at the 2019 Parapan Am Games in Lima, Peru.

Life Events

Sophie Elliott

May 10, 1940 – July 13, 2024

Sophie Elliott passed peacefully on July 13, 2024 following a brief hospital stay and surrounded by the love of her daughter Shannon and daughter in law Kim at the Prince George Hospice House. She is survived by her husband of 62 years Wendell; son Dean; granddaughter Amanda; great granddaughter Rowen; grandson Brandon, and son in law Gerald. Sophie was able to connect with her siblings Mary (Toronto), Olga (Leduc) and Fred (Calmar) prior to her passing; saying how much she loved them. Sophie was predeceased by older siblings Annie, Helen and George along with parents Maria and Michael Jakowicki.

Sophie was able to leave this earth on her terms with nothing unsaid to her family and friends. She was loved by all who crossed her path over her 84 years; not that she looked a day over 70 (likely thanks to her moisturizing Avon products). Sophie vowed each year would be her last to sell Avon as a side hobby, however, she did such for 38 years. Sophie never did the “door to door” sales, rather it was word of mouth that people found her and lasting friendships were created. Sophie worked even more years with Sears up until it closed which finally forced her into retirement. She enjoyed her new found freedom to make even more jam, shortbread, perogies and cabbage rolls for her family.

Sophie did not want any service - she asked for any donations to be made to the cancer society.

Prince George

Sophie’s family feels so blessed to have had this time with her and continue to feel her love. She said she never had any regrets in her life, living it to its fullest. Condolences may be offered at www.AssmansFuneralChapel.com

Lloyd Usselman

Lloyd Usselman, passed away July 13, 2024, in Prince George, BC. Lloyd was born January 2, 1936, in Edmonton, AB, moving with his family shortly thereafter to Surrey, BC where he grew up on Chickadee Lane.

Lloyd was a respected and skilled plumber pipefitter who dedicated his career to the commercial and industrial sectors. He began his professional journey in the lower mainland, relocating to Prince George in the 1960’s, where he was first a partner with Tri Hydronics and later founded Yellowhead Installations Ltd., which he ran successfully until the early 2000s.

Lloyd was passionate about hockey, playing himself from a young age and then later coaching and mentoring their son Billy and many others in the Prince George Minor Hockey Association through out the 1970s.

His keenness for the outdoors was made evident through his love of their home for the last 37 years on the shores of Nukko Lake, and his never ending quest of sourcing and cutting trees for firewood.

Prior to moving out to “the lake” he and Jean enjoyed numerous fishing and camping trips each summer, and in the winter took part in snowmobiling and sledding parties, all of which were in the company of good friends.

He is survived by his wonderful wife of 60 years, Jean Usselman (nee Tarnowetski), numerous nieces and nephews, and many godchildren. Lloyd was preceded in death by their son, Bill Usselman, his parents, Doris and Jacob Usselman, and all of his six brothers and 7 sisters.

A remembrance gathering tea will be held on August 15th from 2 to 4pm at the PG Golf & Curling Club for family and friends to come together to reminisce with Jean and each other about Lloyd’s life. This is where it must be mentioned that although he was never an avid golfer, Lloyd did indeed get a hole-inone while golfing with their son Billy as his caddy!

In lieu of flowers, planting a seedling tree somewhere in Lloyd’s memory would be most fitting!

In Loving Memory

Emily Angela Middleton nee Turgeon

November 26, 1954 - July 25, 2001

Remembering one fine lady, and so much more. You will never be forgotten, and always loved Dan Middleton, and the Turgeon and Niro families, Loved ones, and friends

Anna Mary Theresa Bett

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of our mother, Anna Mary Theresa Bett, age 84 left us on May 5, 2024 after a beautifully lived life. Full of love, laughter, and resilience, she touched the lives of all who knew her. Theresa was an excellent cook and baker and loved to feed everyone who visited.

Theresa is predeceased by her husband Richard (2008). She leaves behind son, John (Alanna), daughter Lori-Anne (Rocky), and daughter Donna (Dwight), 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

To commemorate her incredible journey and to celebrate the love she spread, a celebration of life will be held in her honor at the Hart Pioneer Centre on Saturday August 31st from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. We invite all who knew her to join us in remembering a truly remarkable woman.

The family would like to thank all the nurses and staff at the University Hospital of Northern BC for the wonderful care and dedication.

Carol Ann Anderson

It’s with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Carol Ann Anderson (Lundin) formerly of Prince George, on July 14, 2024 in Kelowna, at the age of 76. She loved her cat, fast cars, fishing, bridge, and playfully teasing people. Carol is predeceased by her parents, Irwin and Dorothy Lundin, brothers Lloyd and Leonard, and niece Waynita. She is survived by sisters Gloria and Eileen (Steve), brother Ole (Louise), sister-in-laws Gloria and Betty, and numerous nephews and nieces.

In honour of our dear Devin James Singh Thandi, who passed suddenly one year ago at age 28;

“I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one, I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when the day is gone.

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times, and laughing times, and bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve

Daniel Collins Obituary

A Graveside Interment Service for Daniel will be held on Friday, August 2, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the Prince George Memorial Park Cemetery followed by a potluck luncheon at the Prince George Native Friendship Center, 1600 3rd Avenue, at 3:00 p.m.

Jurgen Erich Menge

September 3, 1940 - July 5, 2024

Jurgen passed away on July 05, 2024 after a brief illness.

Left to mourn his loss are his wife Sharon, their 3 children, Cheryl (Allan) Cahoon, Erich (Cher) Menge, Sandra Menge (Gordon Langer), sister Carola (Manfred) Schwalbe and numerous nieces and nephews in Germany, grandchildren Cody (Kerstin) Cahoon, Travis Cahoon, Paige and Kate Menge, and 2 great grandchildren Kinsley & Lydia Cahoon.

The family would like to thank every member of Jurgen’s care team at UHNBC who were compassionate and kind and a very special thank you to the entire staff at Simon Fraser Lodge who’s dedication, kindness, humour and empathy is beyond measure.

No service by request. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society or to Simon Fraser Lodge.

Honouring

those who have touched our lives

Classifieds

Silvertip Archers would like to thank the following businesses for sponsoring our recent Father’s Day Outdoor 3D Event.

Bullz I Construction

Yellowhead Helicopters Ltd

DMC Chartered Professional Accountants Inc.

Murdoch Veterinary Clinic

Tyrod Industries Ltd

Viacore • Forest Power Sports

Also thank you to the following businesses for their generous donations to the event:

OK Tire

Northland Hyundai KMS Tools

Westward Wellness Pain & Massage Clinic

Integris Insurance Services Ltd

PG Motorsports SMP Corlanes

Western Equipment Surplus Herbys

Chieftan Auto Parts

Wood Wheaton GMC

Prince George Toyota Rona Brunette Machinery Matco Tools Canadian Tire

NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE PROOF

New Woodlot Licence Plan

Woodlot Licence 272

A new Woodlot Licence Plan has been prepared for Woodlot 272, located at Willow River and Highway 16 East. The new plan will cover the period 2025 to 2035.

In accordance with the Woodlot Licence Planning and Practices Regulation, a copy of the Woodlot Licence Plan and map is available for public review and comment at Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. (IFS) located at 1595 Fifth Avenue, Prince George, BC between the period of July 26 to August 26, 2024.

To arrange an appointment to review the plan, please telephone IFS at (250) 564-4115, extension 2249. Written comments should be received no later than August 30, 2024 and be addressed to:

Mike Trepanier, RPF Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. 1595 Fifth Avenue

Prince George, BC V2L 3L9

Notice of Seizure and Sale of Vehicle

Wide Sky Disposals 1989 Ltd as the storage facility operator, hereby notifies the public that we have seized the following vehicle due to unpaid storage fees:

• Vehicle Description: Green 1994 Freightliner Tractor, Plate Number 1458JV

• VIN 1FUYFDYB2RP735333

• Location of Storage: 4501 55 Street Fort Nelson, BC

• Date of Deposit: July 1, 2019

• Owner/Depositor: Robert Lloyd McAdam

Sale Details:

• The vehicle will be sold to cover outstanding storage fees.

• The sale will take place on July 26, 2024 at 2:00 PMPST at 4501 55 Street Fort Nelson, BC.

• Interested parties may inspect the vehicle before the sale.

For more information, please contact Wide Sky Disposals 1989 Ltd 250 774 6528

1040806 B.C. LTD. FOREST OPERATIONS MAP # 104 FLA93631 2024-2

1040806 B.C.’s Operations Map # 104 FLA93631 2024-2, public review and comment from August 1-September 2, 2024, at link below, or in person by appointment Mon-Fri 9am-4pm. Contact the forestry department at the email or phone number below in order to schedule an appointment. 17000 Dunkley Rd, Hixon, BC, V0K 1S1. This FOM is applicable for 3 years and may be relied upon to apply for a cutting or road permit to harvest a cutblock or construct a road displayed on the FOM. 250-998-4421

fom@dunkleylumber.com https://fom.nrs.gov.bc.ca/public/projects

Get Noticed

Add Colour for FREE to your Classified ad to stand out from the crowd.

LEGAL NOTICE

Between, Edith Melnyk or anyone related, with a mobile home MHR# 23551 Year 1972, at #27-1720 Prince George Pulpmill Road, Prince George, BC V2K 5P2 and Spruce Capital Trailer Park Ltd., 766 W 69th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6P 2W3 (778-386-8036).

I, Spruce Capital Trailer Park Ltd., will dispose of the above-mentioned mobile home unless the person being notified takes possession of the property establishes a right of possession of it within 30 days from the date the notice is served on that person.

Your Exterior Cleaning Specialists

NOTICE

Trades Help CLASSIFIEDS

EXPERIENCED TICKETED WELDER

Peace Valley Industries is seeking Experienced Welders for shop and field work in Chetwynd, BC.

Must be a ticketed welder and have a minimum 5 years experience.

Must be a Canadian Citizen. Not willing to train.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent.

Pay: $35.00 - $45.00/hr

Accommodations provided Email resume to peacevalley@uniserve.com

No phone calls please

LAND ACT: NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR CROWN LAND Take notice that Marty Larry Anderson, from Bear Lake, BC, has applied to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Omineca Region, for a Licence of Occupation for Adventure Tourism, camping and dog training area purposes situated on Provincial Crown land located near Crystal Lake, BC. The Land File for this application is 7410327. Written comments concerning this application should be directed to Susan Spears, Authorizations Specialist, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Omineca Region at 5th Floor 499 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1R5, or susan.spears@gov.bc.ca Comments will be received by Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Omineca Region up to 20 Aug2024. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Omineca Region may not be able to consider comments received after this date.

Please visit the website at https://comment.nrs.gov.bc.ca for more information. Be advised that any response to this advertisement will be considered part of the public record. Access to these records requires the submission of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/freedomofinformation to learn more about FOI submissions. A hard copy MAP showing the location and extent of the application area may be acquired by calling the Authorizations Specialist named above at 250-5613479.

SERVICE TECHNICIAN Culligan is looking for a Service Technician at our Prince George location. Superior customer service skills & plumbing experience preferred. Send resume to: recruiting@culliganwater.ca www.culligan.com

TERRITORY SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Culligan is looking for a Territory Sales Representative to promote our water filtration and softening systems in the Prince George Region. Send resume to: recruiting@culliganwater.ca www.culligan.com/

Hay Bales For Sale

5X5 round hay bales, $275 each- net wrapped, barn stored. 250-614-6667

7190 Lambertus Rd

Saturday & Sunday 9am - 4pm

Everything must go, more like an estate sale than a garage sale.

NOTICE

CREDITORS & OTHERS.

RE: Estate of Stanley Berezowski and of Nassa Logging & Excavating Co. LTD., who died Oct. 18/22.

All persons having claims against the estate named above are hereby notified to send particulars of their claims before Sept. 30/24, to: Dana Jardine, Executor, 8040 Shelley Townsite Rd, Prince George, BC. V2K 5X7. Dated at Prince George, BC, Jul 8/24.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND OTHERS

Notice to creditors and others in the estate of Robert Bruce Johnston, late of Prince George BC Canada. All persons having claims against the estate of Robert Bruce Johnston, late of Prince George BC who passed away on January 28, 2023 are hereby notified to send particulars of their claims to the undersigned on or before September 22, 2024 after which date the estate will be distributed among the parties entitled to it, having regard only to the claims of which the undersigned has notice.

Claims should be sent to the following address: Robbin Hamilton, Estate Trustee of Robert Bruce Johnston

7768 Newton Cres Prince George, BC V2N 3L6 Dated at Prince George on this 25th day of July 2024.

Skilled Help

CLASSIFIEDS

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Because you’re high-viz today, people notice you more than usual. (Be aware of this in case you have to do some corrections or damage control.) In fact, some people will know personal details about your private life. Meanwhile, social plans appeal to you. Party on! Tonight: Communicate.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Give yourself permission to goof off a little today and do something different. You need some adventure and stimulation! Ideally, you would love to travel somewhere you have never been before. If you can’t do that, why not be a tourist in your own city? Check things out! Tonight: Check your assets.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Your focus on money, finances, taxes, debt and inheritances has been stronger than usual lately. Today is no different. Double-check details related to banking. Likewise, doublecheck how things are going in any transactions where you share or divide something. (You’re looking good.) Tonight: Be grateful.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Today the Moon is opposite your sign, which happens for two and a half days every month. When this occurs, you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. That’s how it works. However, this is no biggie. Be cooperative, accommodating and friendly. Tonight: Solitude.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

It’s Friday. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to get better organized, because then you will love yourself for it later. Your efforts to get better organized might apply to doing something to improve your health as well. It might even apply to dealing with pets. Tonight: Friendships.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Lucky you! This is a great date day and perfect for fun times with others. Accept invitations to socialize. Enjoy the arts, the entertainment world, sports events and playful activities with kids. You are popular right now and eager for fun! Tonight: Be helpful.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You make a wonderful impression on others now, plus this is a popular time for you. This is why you’re enjoying socializing with everyone. Nevertheless, even though it’s Friday, you might want to cocoon at home and keep a low profile. It’s your choice. Tonight: Explore!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Get out and talk to others and see new places. You’re curious and energetic to explore. This same energy will encourage you to learn new things. Sign up for a course. You’ll enjoy short trips and conversations with daily contacts, neighbors and siblings. Tonight: Check your finances.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Financial issues have your interest right now. This could be because you are angling for a raise or a better paying job. Or perhaps you’re pondering a particular purchase. At a more subtle level, some of you are wondering about your basic values today. And so it goes. Tonight: Relationships.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Today the Moon is in your sign. This is something that happens for two and a half days every month. When it occurs, it heightens your emotions, which is why you might have a reaction to things that people around you do. However, it also slightly improves your good luck. Tonight: Get organized.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You’re working hard today and enjoying the company of friends, spouses and partners. Admittedly, chaos and increased activity on the homefront might drain some energy. Perhaps this is why you will seek out some privacy today and be a bit more low-key. Tonight: Socialize.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Make time today to see your friends. Enjoy interactions with others, especially groups. You will find this is a rewarding experience for you, as well as stimulating and comforting. It’s important to go out and see others, and also to be seen. Tonight: Relax.

Homes & Living

Preparing your RV for camping on a long weekend

Preparing your RV for a long weekend camping involves several crucial steps to ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience. Start with a thorough inspection and maintenance check. Ensure the tires are properly inflated and in good condition, and verify that you have a spare tire and necessary tools. Check fluid levels, including engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid, and make sure the water tanks (fresh, grey, and black) are clean and filled appropriately. Inspect the RV battery, ensuring it’s fully charged with clean connections. Test the propane system

for leaks and ensure all propane appliances are functioning.

Next, pack essential items. Stock the kitchen with non-perishable food, cookware, utensils, and cleaning supplies. Bring weather-appropriate clothing, extra layers for cooler evenings, bed linens, blankets, pillows, towels, and toiletries. A well-stocked first aid kit, necessary medications, insect repellent, flashlight, batteries, and a fire extinguisher are crucial for safety. Additionally, pack outdoor chairs, a portable table, a canopy or awning

ESTIMATES

for shade, and recreational items like bicycles or fishing gear.

Clean and organize the RV interior. Ensure the kitchen, bathroom, and living areas are tidy, and secure all items to prevent movement while driving. Stock the bathroom with toilet paper, toiletries, and towels, and check the water pump and heater. Fill the fresh water tank and consider using a water filtration system for clean drinking water.

Plan your route and make campground

reservations if necessary. Familiarize yourself with destination regulations and check weather forecasts and road conditions. Ensure all doors, windows, and storage compartments are securely closed and locked, retract the awning and slideouts, and take a short test drive to confirm everything is in order. Finally, ensure you have a fully charged mobile phone, a backup power source, and share your travel itinerary with a friend or family member. By following these steps, your RV will be well-prepared for a relaxing and enjoyable camping trip.

HOMES & LIVING

GO FOR GOLD.

Add some greenspace to your apartment or condo patio

Transforming a condo or apartment patio into a green space can create a serene, inviting environment and offer numerous benefits such as improved air quality, aesthetic appeal, and a personal retreat for relaxation. Here are some tips for making the most of your patio space:

Start by assessing the amount of sunlight your patio receives throughout the day. This will help you choose the right plants, as different species thrive in varying light conditions. For a sunny patio, consider sun-loving plants like succulents, herbs, or flowering plants such as petunias and geraniums. For shaded areas, ferns, hostas, and impatiens are excellent choices.

Container gardening is an ideal method for creating green space on a patio. Use a variety of pots, planters, and hanging

baskets to maximize your space.

Vertical gardening is also a great solution for limited areas; install wall-mounted planters or a trellis with climbing plants to add greenery without taking up valuable floor space. Consider using lightweight containers to avoid overloading the patio structure.

Incorporate a mix of plant types to add texture and visual interest. Combine tall plants like bamboo or ornamental grasses with medium-sized shrubs and trailing plants that can spill over the edges of containers. Herbs like basil, mint, and rosemary not only add greenery but also provide fresh ingredients for your kitchen.

To create a cohesive and inviting atmosphere, choose a color scheme for your planters and accessories that

complements your home’s decor. Add comfortable seating and outdoor rugs to define the space and make it more functional. Incorporate elements like fairy lights, lanterns, or solar-powered garden lights to create a warm, welcoming ambiance in the evenings.

Maintenance is key to keeping your green space vibrant and healthy. Ensure your plants receive adequate water. Regularly prune and fertilize your plants to encourage growth and prevent them from becoming overgrown or unhealthy. Additionally, monitor for pests and address any issues promptly to keep your garden thriving.

Finally, personalize your green space with decorative elements like wind chimes, bird feeders, or a small water feature. These additions can enhance the sensory experience of your patio, making it a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

By thoughtfully selecting plants, containers, and accessories, you can create a lush, green oasis on your condo or apartment patio, providing a refreshing escape and a connection to nature right outside your door.

Remember to consult with the property owners for guidelines.

Ana Evasin

Tarissa Boulding

Mortgage Specialist

Pankaj Sharma

Sarah Pineau

Representative Serving Mackenzie

HOMES & LIVING

Protecting your home from sudden heavy rain from thunderstorms

Protecting your home from sudden heavy rain and thunderstorms involves several steps to ensure your property and family stay safe. Here are some effective strategies:

Exterior Protection

Roof Maintenance:

• Inspect your roof regularly for damaged or missing shingles.

• Ensure flashing around chimneys and vents is intact.

• Clean and repair gutters and downspouts to prevent water buildup and ice dams.

Drainage:

• Keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris.

• Extend downspouts to direct water away from the foundation.

• Ensure the ground slopes away from your house.

Windows and Doors:

• Check seals around windows and doors for cracks or gaps.

• Install storm shutters or impact-resistant windows.

• Consider using sandbags or flood barriers for doorways during severe storms.

FEATURED HOME

Welcome to luxury living in one of the most desirable neighborhoods, where breathtaking views await you from the top floor. This luxurious home features spacious bedrooms, three of which boast walk-in closets, and laundry on this level ensures convenience. The open kitchen design connects the dining area and living room, anchored by a stunning three-sided gas fireplace. Granite countertops and a massive island with seating for six, the kitchen is a chef’s delight. Through the garden door is the fenced backyard, where a beautiful stone patio beckons for outdoor living and entertaining. The unfinished basement, with an outside entrance and roughed-in plumbing, presents endless possibilities, perhaps even a suite.

Foundation:

• Seal any cracks in the foundation or basement walls.

• Install a sump pump with a battery backup in the basement.

• Use landscaping to divert water away from your foundation.

Trees and Landscaping:

• Trim trees and shrubs away from your house to prevent damage from falling branches.

• Clear debris from yard drains and ensure proper drainage.

Interior Protection Basement and Crawl Spaces:

• Use waterproofing sealants on basement walls and floors.

• Elevate electrical appliances and utilities above potential flood levels.

• Install a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels.

Emergency Kit:

• Prepare an emergency kit with essentials such as flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, bottled water, and non-perishable food.

• Keep important documents in a waterproof container.

Backup Power:

• Consider installing a generator to keep essential appliances running during power outages.

• Ensure backup systems for sump pumps are in place.

Insurance and Documentation

Insurance:

• Review your homeowner’s insurance policy to understand what is covered.

• Consider additional flood insurance if you live in a high-risk area.

Documentation:

• Keep an inventory of your home’s contents, including photos and receipts.

• Store copies of important documents in a safe, dry place.

During a Storm Monitor Weather Reports:

• Stay informed about weather conditions through local news, weather apps, or a weather radio.

Stay Indoors:

• Avoid going outside during a storm unless absolutely necessary.

• Stay away from windows and doors.

Power Down:

• Unplug electrical appliances to avoid damage from power surges.

• Avoid using corded phones and electrical devices during a thunderstorm.

Flood Safety:

• Move to higher ground if flooding occurs.

• Avoid walking or driving through floodwaters.

By taking these precautions, you can minimize damage to your home and ensure the safety of your family during heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Advantages of having a storage shed

Having a storage shed offers a multitude of benefits, enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of your property. One of the primary advantages is the additional storage space it provides. As households accumulate belongings over time, finding a place to store items like lawn equipment, gardening tools, bicycles, and seasonal decorations becomes increasingly challenging. A storage shed offers a dedicated space for these items, freeing up valuable space in your home, garage, and yard, thereby reducing clutter and promoting a more organized living environment.

Moreover, a storage shed can protect your belongings from the elements. Items stored outside or in garages are often exposed to rain, snow, heat, and humidity, which can lead to damage or deterioration. A shed provides a sheltered environment, extending the lifespan of your possessions by shielding them from harsh weather conditions. This protection

is particularly important for tools, equipment, and materials that can rust or degrade when left exposed.

Additionally, a storage shed enhances the safety of your home. By storing potentially hazardous items such as lawn chemicals, power tools, and sharp garden implements in a secure shed, you reduce the risk of accidents, especially if you have children or pets. This separation ensures that dangerous items are kept out of reach and properly contained, contributing to a safer living space.

From an aesthetic perspective, a welldesigned storage shed can complement the overall look of your property. Modern sheds come in various styles, materials, and colors, allowing you to choose one that matches or enhances your home’s exterior. This can improve your property’s curb appeal and potentially increase its value. Furthermore, a tidy yard free of scattered tools and equipment creates a

more pleasant outdoor space for relaxation and recreation.

Lastly, having a storage shed can increase the efficiency of your gardening and outdoor projects. With tools and supplies readily accessible and organized, you can easily find what you need, saving time and effort. This convenience makes it simpler to maintain your garden, complete DIY projects, and enjoy outdoor activities without the frustration of searching for misplaced items.

In conclusion, a storage shed is a practical and valuable addition to any property, offering enhanced storage, protection, safety, aesthetic appeal, and efficiency. These advantages make it a worthwhile investment for homeowners seeking to improve their living environment.

Consult local building codes and local bylaws during your planning stage.

a viewing

407 Gillet St, unit B $1,400 includes utilities Bed-2 + Den Bath-1 Kitchen-Fridge and Stove Living room- Fire Place Feature Laundry- Ensuite Laundry Extra Details- bright and spacious Pets- 1 Pet Negotiable Parking- Yes No smoking Tenant insurance is required.

1319 Porter Ave

Lower Unit B BEDS-2 BATH-1

YARD-Yes KITCHEN APPLIANCES- fridge, stove LIVING ROOM-Yes DINING ROOMYes LAUNDRY-Yes-shared STORAGE-Yes-sheds PARKINGYes-driveway PET FRIENDLYYes small pets considered with deposit. UTILITIES-Included $1300 monthly No smoking Tenant insurance required

106-2478 Upland Street

$1150 1 bedroom 1 bath Fridge Stove Dishwasher. Walk out yard Hydro not included. Pet allowed

HOMES & LIVING

494 Irwin St

$1,650 utilities included Above Ground Basement Unit BEDS-2 BATH-1 KITCHENFridge, Stove, and Over- Range Microwave LIVING ROOM- YES YARD- YES LAUNDRY-WASHER/DRYER PARKING-OFF STREET PARKING No smoking Tenant insurance is required.

2892 Upland Street.

$1400 This is a bright and updated basement suite. This unit features 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and in-suite laundry in a spacious entryway. This unit has 1 spot in the driveway for off street parking, and shared use of the backyard. Utilities are included in the rent price. No Pets. No Smoking.

Upland St

Negotiable

1737 Redwood Unit B Price $1,550 Available now! * BEDS- 3 BATH- 2 YARDShared KITCHEN APPLIANCESFridge, stove LIVING ROOM/ DINING ROOM- Yes LAUNDRYYes, in suite PETS-1 Negotiable with deposit UTILITIES- Included EXTRA DETAILS- Basement suite No smoking

849

Harper Street

$400.00 Garage Unit Perfect place to store your car, bikes or a good space to create a work shop. 350 square feet. Hydro is not included.

FEATURED RENTAL OF THE WEEK

FEATURED RENTAL OF THE WEEK

379 RUGGLES UNIT A

Price $1650 BEDS- 2 BATH- 1

YARD- Yes, Shared. Large shed, Shared KITCHEN APPLIANCESFridge, stove, dishwasher. LIVING ROOM/ DINING ROOM- Yes

LAUNDRY- Yes, shared. PARKING- 1 Off street parking PETS- 1 Negotiable with deposit. UTILITIES- Included

110 Claxton Cres

$2000 Beautiful 3 bedroom home located in heritage area. Top floor only rental. Kitchen has a fridge, stove and dishwasher. Large patio deck off the kitchen and shared yard space. Separate laundry as well. Utilities included. No smoking. Pet negotiable.

7491 Southridge Ave

Available September 1st, 2024

Lovely full house available for rent and is close to Southridge elementary school. 3 bedroom 2 bathrooms plus furnished basement. Upper Kitchen includes fridge, stove and dishwasher! Lots of cabinets. Large double car garage to store your cars in during winter! Large backyard with deck and extra storage. This wont last long! Apply today! No smoking Tenant insurance required

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS

2459 Carmicheal Plc

$1600.00, utilities included, with cap ground level basement suite. BED-2 BATH-1 KITCHEN- large Fridge, Stove, Dishwasher LIVING ROOMYES LAUNDRY- ensuite laundry Extra details- Patio space under deck Parking-one parking on driveway Pets- 1 pet negotiable No smoking Tenant insurance is required.

Staging your home for potential buyers

Staging your home effectively can make a significant difference in attracting potential buyers and securing a good offer. Here are some tips to help you stage your home:

General Tips

Declutter:

• Remove personal items, excess furniture, and knick-knacks to create a clean, open space.

• Organize closets, cabinets, and other storage areas.

Deep Clean:

• Thoroughly clean every room, including windows, carpets, and floors.

• Pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms.

Repairs and Maintenance:

• Fix any minor repairs such as leaky faucets, squeaky doors, and cracked tiles. Touch up paint and replace worn-out fixtures.

Curb Appeal

Landscaping:

• Mow the lawn, trim bushes, and plant flowers to enhance the exterior appearance.

• Clean the driveway and walkways.

Exterior:

• Repaint the front door and clean or replace the welcome mat.

• Ensure the house number is visible and the exterior lighting is working.

Interior Staging

Neutral Decor:

• Use neutral colors for walls and furniture to appeal to a broader audience.

• Depersonalize the space by removing family photos and personal memorabilia.

Lighting:

• Maximize natural light by opening curtains and blinds.

• Use lamps and overhead lights to brighten darker areas.

Furniture Arrangement:

• Arrange furniture to create an open, inviting flow in each room.

• Use appropriately sized furniture for the space to make rooms look larger.

Living Room:

• Create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating and tasteful decor.

• Add a few accent pieces, such as throw pillows and artwork.

Kitchen:

• Clear countertops of small appliances and clutter.

• Add a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of flowers for a touch of color.

• Ensure the kitchen is spotless, including appliances, cabinets, and floors.

Bedrooms:

• Use clean, crisp bedding with coordinating pillows and throws.

• Keep bedside tables clear except for a lamp and a few decorative items.

• Organize closets to show off storage space.

Bathrooms:

• Replace old towels with new, fluffy ones in neutral colors.

• Add a fresh shower curtain and bath mat.

• Ensure all surfaces are clean and free of personal items.

Dining Room:

• Set the table with attractive dinnerware to create a welcoming scene.

• Use a simple centerpiece, such as a candle or a vase of flowers.

Final Touches

Scent:

• Ensure your home smells fresh by using air fresheners, candles, or baking cookies before showings.

• Avoid strong or artificial scents that might be off-putting.

Temperature:

• Keep the home at a comfortable temperature during showings.

• Use fans or space heaters if necessary to ensure a pleasant environment.

First Impressions:

• Make sure the entryway is inviting with a clean doormat and a tidy front porch.

• Add a potted plant or a seasonal wreath to the front door.

By following these staging tips, you can create an appealing, welcoming environment that will help potential buyers envision themselves living in your home, ultimately increasing your chances of a successful sale.