97/16 Jan 10, 2019

Page 3

Say hello to 97/16 New year brings a new voice in local news, arts, sports and more

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Working together to support the arts Christine HINZMANN 97/16 staff

They have opposite work styles but they still get the job done.

Sean Farrell, executive director of the Prince George and District Community Arts Council (CAC) and Lisa Redpath, program manager for the last nine years, have been working together since Farrell was hired more than two years ago.

Farrell said it’s remarkable to watch Redpath work.

“There is no one else in Prince George that could do Studio Fair as well as Lisa,” Farrell said about the biggest event the CAC hosts that sees artisans from across the country sell their wares at the Prince George Civic Centre in early November over the span of three days.

“To see her work through 40 hours of unendurable stress as 11,000 people come through the doors and then she shows up first thing Monday morning ready for work and she’s calm and cool,” Farrell said.

At any given time throughout the year, Redpath is working on a dozen different programs, Farrell said.

“It can be the feature gallery, our social media, curatorial work in the artisan gift shop and she’s an amazing resource for the creative sector here,” Farrell said. “And that makes my life wonderful because that allows me to do my job to develop a business strategy and growing this organization into its natural role of the pillar of the local arts and cultural community. So the fact that I can just step away and know that our programs and events are so perfectly served by Lisa allows me to focus on what I think I am here to do, which is planning for the future and developing strategy.”

Farrell said that is what’s behind the ideal team.

“In essence how do two people, quite frankly, end up doing the jobs of six or seven people, how would you put that in

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten

Lisa Redpath and Sean Farrell work together to promote local arts at the Community Arts Council. a bottle and replicate it,” Farrell asked.

“Here at the Community Arts Council we really do operate as a team and I mean that more in the sense that we’ve got rules, we’ve got roles, we know what are jobs are but at any given time we’re

97/16 is a weekly product of the prince George citizen

absolutely willing to sub in for each other.”

When the search was on for an executive director a few years back, the ideal candidate was one with strong financial skills and a good base for business strat-

egy, Redpath said.

“When I met Sean I had this great feeling that this was somebody that we really needed as a part of our team,” Redpath said.

Continued on page 4

201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C., V2l 3g7

phone: 250-562-2441

2 | Thursday, January 10, 2019

97/16

News

New year, new publication 97/16

Colleen Sparrow 97/16 publisher

W

elcome to 97/16, Prince George’s newest weekly newspaper and a publication proudly brought to you by the Prince George Citizen.

Last year in early January, we published an editorial in The Citizen called Where We’re At, where we talked about our health as a business, our status as a local news outlet and our relevance to the community.

This year, we decided to show you, rather than tell you where we’re at, so the answer to how we’re doing is in your hand. Here’s a new, fresh, lively, local publication from us about what’s going on in Prince George, what local people are doing and some of the many activities going on for residents to take part in.

Not only is The Citizen not going anywhere, we have been and will continue to create new products and offer new services to inform local readers and connect local advertisers to their potential customers.

First, the name. We knocked around

several and the working title was the Cutbanks. We were looking for a newspaper name uniquely Prince George and we were inspired by our sister Glacier Media weekly, the Squamish Chief, with the Chief being the mountain overlooking the community as well as a nod to the area’s Indigenous roots. That’s why we started with the Cutbanks but a late staff suggestion for 97/16, tying in the major highways that link us a community but also link us to the region and the broader world. Highway 16 travels across all of Western Canada from east to west while Highway 97 is B.C.’s longest highway. It starts in the Yukon to the north and runs through two Pacific Northwest states before ending in Northern California.

The name isn’t the only thing special about 97/16. It looks nothing like The Citizen, of course, which is exactly what we were trying to do. It’s a tabloid, rather than a broadsheet, which is newspaper industry jargon for a more vertical newspaper that is smaller, easier to hold and doesn’t have the big fold in the middle of the page. That doesn’t mean we don’t like The Citizen’s format but we do realize

that some people – the residents who normally don’t read The Citizen – are still interested in reading about what’s happening in the community but want a different kind of readand in a different format.

So here it is.

Along with some familiar local columnists – Kathy Nadalin, Gerry Chidiac, Megan Kuklis and Kelsey Leckovic – are some new voices, such as Norm Coyne and the thought-provoking Ask An Addict. We’ll have a weekly Around Town listing of coming events and some interesting features about interesting local people doing fabulous work.

Like The Citizen, 97/16 will be constantly changing and evolving, just like Prince George, the community it’s here to serve.

If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see in 97/16 (or The Citizen), please don’t hesitate to call us at 250-562-2441 or email me directly at csparrow@pgcitizen.ca.

Happy New Year and we hope you enjoy 9716, Prince George’s new weekly newspaper.

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | 3

Sparrow

Remember the lessons Mr. Rogers taught us Lessons in learning Gerry Chidiac

F

red Rogers said “discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.”

Of course, Fred Rogers is best known as the star of the television program Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He was not only the main character, however, he was responsible for most of the content of a show that ran from 1966 through 2001.

He thus had a profound impact on generations of children.

Who was Rogers and what did he stand for? First of all, he was a person with a profound respect for children. He understood their emotions, saw their potential, and dedicated his life to serving children and their families.

Coming of age at a time when television was in its infancy, Rogers could see the possibilities for this new medium, and through the encouragement of others, he put himself forward as the face of what was to become one of the most influential programs on television.

In university and graduate school, Rogers studied music and composition, along with child development and theology. In addition to his work in television, he was

Ap file photo

Fred Rogers rehearses a scene for his show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, in Pittsburgh on June 28, 1989. an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Though many ridiculed Rogers’ gentle nature on the screen, if one looks a bit more deeply at his program it is clear that he was not afraid to challenge social standards, or to focus on serious issues with the children.

Soon after the program began airing nationally in 1968, Rogers directly addressed the Robert Kennedy assassination with the children. He did this again and again as national and international crises impacted the United States, including the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He acknowledged children’s fears and their need to feel safe. He also shared a lesson

he had learned from his own mother.

“Always look for people who are trying to help. You’ll always find somebody who’s trying to help.”

Rogers also challenged racial stereotypes by choosing an African-American actor, Francois Clemmons, to play the role of the friendly police officer in his neighbourhood. In a 1969 episode, when segregation was very real across much of the United States, he and Rogers chatted as they shared a foot bath.

My favourite episode, which I stumbled upon while channel surfing as a university student, involved Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann. The

football highlights, showing artistically and athletically thrilling catches, drew my attention. Then Mr. Rogers came on the screen. “You have to very strong to be a professional football player. You have to be very strong to do something else Mr. Swan does. He’s a ballet dancer.”

From there, Rogers masterfully deconstructed every myth that there was anything unmasculine about dance or the performing arts, or that any child should hesitate to pursue his or her passions in life. While talking to Rogers, Swann took off his football uniform to reveal his leotards. He then performed a dance piece with a member of the Pittsburgh Ballet.

It is very clear that the world becoming aware of the contribution Rogers made to the lives of millions of people in their formative years. In 2018, the critically acclaimed documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was released, and in 2019, Tom Hanks will star as Rogers in the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Perhaps the greatest way we can honour Rogers, who died in 2003, is to remember the lessons he taught us. Each of us is tremendously gifted and worthy of love. There is a beautiful and amazing world for us to discover and learn about.

Finally, celebrate each neighbor we meet, and together do our part in helping to make our world a better place.

Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com

News

4 | Thursday, January 10, 2019

97/16

‘We both have a profound love of community’ Continued from page 1

“With him coming on board in the last two and a half years it certainly has developed into this very dynamic, very energetic working relationship where in my view we complement each other.”

Redpath said they have different working styles where a big part of her job is connecting with people while Farrell is very analytical with a creative thinking aspect to his personality.

“I think the gel that keeps us together is we both have a profound love of community,” Farrell said.

“Lisa is a lifelong member of this community and I’m a relatively new member but for a number of different reasons community to me also means family and it means belonging to something greater than yourself. We are in the place that is celebrating 50 years of building community through the arts here at the Community Arts Council and that’s the love that brings us to work filled with gratitude every day.”

Eventually the CAC will be moving from the Studio 2880 complex on 15th Ave., to its new facility at 1310 Third Ave., but there’s no firm date set yet.

“With the upcoming development of our new facility, I feel 100 per cent confident and optimistic about what the future looks like for this organization and for the working relationship Sean and I

have,” Redpath said.

“There’s going to be challenges obviously that not only come with a new facility but a whole new set of programs and events that we’ll be introducing to the city and it really helps that we’re on the same page.”

Farrell said moving to the new facility will bring home the fact that the definition of art and culture is expanding, especially as the CAC partners with the Prince George Farmers’ Market that hosts a lot of food growers in the building currently.

“This is a new vision for the arts council,” Farrell said.

It’s interesting to note there’s been a surge in membership to the Community Arts Council, an indicator that more people in the community are aware of the organization and its function in the region.

There are eight people on staff, several people on contract to run certain programs and events and a full roster of volunteers who support the non-profit organization.

The Community Arts Council is the umbrella organization for artisans and artistic groups in Prince George and surrounding area.

The CAC mission statement is to foster the arts by providing events, programs and services to residents and artists in the community.

“We serve individual artists and arts and cultural organizations, while serving

the general public as well,” Farrell said.

“One of the things we take the most pride in is we’re the facilitators that bring arts to the people and bring people to the arts.”

Farrell lists the arts to include visual arts, guild arts and performing arts.

“Then we deliver our own programs and services as well,” Farrell said. “We’re not just a hub organization.”

The Community Arts Council offers business development courses, art camps, scholarships and bursaries, an arts apprenticeship at Theatre Northwest, art and wellness programs, they support the Northern Indigenous Artist Collective, host the feature gallery, which features a regional artist’s work, the gift shop which showcases many regional artists’ work and Artnership that features regional artists at the airport and City Hall. The CAC also presents the Arts Notes newsletter to let the public know what’s happening every month.

Recently the arts council announced they will be conducting a city-wide survey to see how people engage with the arts to assist the City of Prince George to facilitate their new arts and culture plan in 2019.

“In order to help the city develop their cultural plan, we’re doing a city-wide cultural inventory,” Farrell said.

The CAC will also take steps to ensure the arts and culture plan serves the city well into the future, he added.

News

97/16

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | 5

Maack made new life in P.G. Seniors’ Scene

Kathy Nadalin

I

ngrid (Just) Maack the eldest of two children was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1935. She went to school in Hamburg and apprenticed in prosthetics and health aids.

In 1956, her school mate and then fiancé Hans Maack had an offer to go to either Australia or Canada for work. Hans and his brother Horst chose Canada.

They left Germany, arrived in Montreal by boat, took a train to Vancouver and then on to Prince George. The brothers found work at a sawmill in Upper Fraser piling lumber for 75 cents an hour.

Ingrid said “I followed one year later by propeller plane stopping in Greenland, then Vancouver and finally Prince George. I couldn’t believe it when I saw wooden sidewalks!

“We were married in the Lutheran Church but separated in 1968. I can still remember how homesick I was and how difficult everything was for me because I did not speak English. Even so, I got my first job at the Hudson Bay. “We rented a room in another family’s house on Laurier Crescent. We had a hot plate to cook on, no fridge and stove and no money. We bought a chicken and I roasted it. I carefully wrapped up the leftovers and buried it in the snow in the backyard. When I went out to get the chicken, it was gone; an animal must have dug it up and took it away.

“I was lonely so I was thankful for our three children: Susy (Fernando) Correia, Peter and Hansi. The first two were born in the old army hospital. At that time, the maternity ward was one big room that was shared with 12 people. I think back to the time when one particular lady, who already had five boys, was in labour and she was sure she was going to have a girl. She had arrived at the hospital with everything in pink. When she was told that she gave birth to another boy she was upset and very disappointed.

She blamed the doctor in her sadness.

When she held her baby for the first time, she forgot all about the pink clothes and loved her new baby boy regardless.

“That was at the same time that I had my second child Peter. Peter grew up to be a pilot, carpenter and musician but at the age of 44 he died tragically. It was a terrible loss and we miss him so much.”

Hans first worked as a bricklayer for Norm Rother and then started his own company Hans Maack Bricklaying Ltd. Ingrid reflected back and said, “Hans hired Fred Lienert and Johnny Werlberger; they worked together for many years and were good friends both on and off the job.

“The first people I met when I came to Prince George were John and Erna Reinhart. Erna was my maid of honor and we are still good friends today.

Times were tough but I am proud to say that as I raised my children, we traveled a lot (usually with one or two pets) and they learned by doing. We lived for today and everyday was an adventure. We did many outdoors activities. I worked for restaurants, hotels and packing houses in the Okanagan, Princeton, Campbell River and Squamish. I moved back to Prince George in the early 1970s and worked as a waitress at the Simon Fraser Inn

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten

Ingrid Maack enjoys the winter weather on her deck. She moved to Prince George from Germany in 1957. and housekeeping at the Travelodge. My work as a camp cook for BC Rail, the oil rigs and logging camps in B.C. and Alta. took me to many beautiful places in the middle of nowhere.”

Ingrid retired from BC Rail and then worked as a full-time caregiver for Chuck Williams, Andy Honeyman and Grace Lowrie. She retired for good when Mrs. Lowrie passed away.

In her retirement and at the age of 79, she joined the Tai Chi group and the drama club at the Elder Citizens’ Recreation Centre. She had a love for theatre and ballet in Germany and was thrilled to be able to do some acting in the drama club at the senior center until she suffered a stroke in the summer of 2017 during the wildfires. Luckily her daughter was with her as she had been evacuated to Prince George from Williams Lake due to the fires.

Ingrid said “I am no longer able to do all the things that I love to do. It is not good to isolate yourself so I joined the Choose to Move Program at the YMCA and through that program I became involved with the stroke recovery group at the senior centre and that has been very good for me.”

Ingrid’s mother lives in Germany; she will soon turn 102 and is still going strong.

Ingrid said, “My daughter and her family and I travelled to Germany and surprised my mother on her 100th birthday. From there we went on to Portugal to explore my son-in-law’s homeland.

Although I’ve travelled to many far-off places and shared a one room shack with my son Hansi and a Mayan family in the jungle in Guatemala, the trip to see my mom will always be remembered.

“I have always been proud of my children. They are good to me, they love animals and they don’t waste anything. My grandson Max of course is a highlight. He is very hard working and athletic; I was able to spend lots of time traveling with him during his skating and soccer years plus I really like his girlfriend Meghan.

“I am also very fortunate to have a couple of good friends, great neighbours and my cat Aby. Aby found me a couple of years ago and she keeps me company.”

Traveling is still an enjoyable part of In-

HOMESTEADER MEATS 2010 LT R0011655014 2.00x93.0-4C PG04 / 312691

grid’s life. She just got back from spending Christmas with family in Grande Prairie. She now leaves the driving to someone else and is always happy to come home to Prince George.

6 | Thursday, January 10, 2019

Around town 97/16

97/16 archive by James Doyle

Alban Classical perform a concert in September 2018. The classical quartet will be performing at the Trinity United Church on Jan. 20.

Country cats, concerts and more Cougars

Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., the Cougars play their first games of the new year, hosting the Kelowna Rockets at CN Centre. Saturday’s game is Four Rivers Co-op Country Night with the Cougars wearing custom denim-inspired jerseys that will be available for purchase by silent and online auction. Fans will be able to ride the mechanical bull in the concourse, hosted by Cougars alumnus and professional bull rider Evan Fuller. First 1,000 19+ fans through the door receive a free Budweiser.

Storytime

Saturdays until Jan. 26 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Books and Company, 1685 Third Ave., all children are welcome to attend Storytime where stories are read and children are invited to colour, practice drawing skills and make crafts.

Spruce Kings

Friday at 7 p.m., the Spruce Kings play their first home game of the year, hosting the Cowichan Valley Capitals at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.

UNBC Timberwolves

Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., the

women and men basketball teams host the University of Manitoba at the Northern Sport Centre. The women’s game goes at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by the men at 8 p.m.

The rematch goes Saturday, with the women kicking things off at 5 p.m. before the 7 p.m. men’s game.

KinderConcert: String Beans Saturday, Jan. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the The Prince George Playhouse, 2833 Recreation Place, experience the narrated story about the life-cycle of string beans featuring the Prince George Symphony Orchestra strings and woodwinds musicians and a fairy ballerina.

Join the symphony for a fun-filled, educational concert aimed at children ages three to eight.

For more information call 250-5620800 or email GM@pgso.com.

Caledonia Ramblers

Saturday at 9 a.m., the Ramblers will leave the city hall parking lot for snowshoeing at Lost Lake in Beaverly. It’s rated easy-to-moderate with a distance of 7-10 kilometres over gentle terrain and should take about three hours.

Along with snowshoes, participants are urged to bring a daypack carrying extra clothing, lunch, snacks and something hot to drink.

Hiking poles and ice cleats may also be handy.

Meet at the city hall parking lot 10 minutes before the 9 a.m. scheduled departure time. The carpool fee is $3.

Nordic Winter Festival

Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club on Otway Road. Various events all day including introductory lessons, races, snowshoe tours, waxing demos and biathlon tryouts. Hot dogs and hot chocolate by donation in the gravel pit from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Acrylic Seaside Sunset

Tuesday, Jan. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ridge Side Art, 1092 Fourth Ave., escape into this tranquil painting and stare into the painted sunset.

Learn design and colour concepts, flow and how to paint rocks the easy way with Christina Watts. Bring your own supplies or opt to use shop supplies for an additional $7. For more information call 250-564-5879 or email christinawatts@ ridgesideart.com.

Alban Classical concert

Sunday Jan. 20 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 3555 Fifth Ave., Alban Classical presents a Sunday afternoon concert called Classical from Folk, featuring pianist Terry Yeh, violinist Allison Bell, oboist and soprano Erica Skowron and clarinetist Simon Cole.

Admission is $20 at the door.

See www.albanclassical.org for details.

New Horizons Adult Band

Every Monday until June 24 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 483 Gillett St., Alban Classical New Horizons Adult Band invites those musician interested to attend.

For more information visit www. albanclassical.org or call 250-563-4693 or email admin@albanclassical.org.

Pajama Storytime

Mondays until Feb. 25 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Harkins Branch, Prince George Public Library, 888 Canada Games Way, parents are invited to bring the little ones dressed in their pajamas for stories, songs and rhymes. These events are geared for those up to five years old.

For more information call 250-5639251 or email ask@pgpl.ca.

97/16

Sports

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | 7

AP file photo

Philadelphia Flyers player Blair Betts celebrates after scoring a goal during a game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 4, 2010, in Philadelphia.

Before Betts moved on to the NHL, he played with the Prince George Cougars from 1997 to 2000. Betts was named to the Cougars’ Top 25 Dream Team.

Betts arrived at perfect time for Cats Ted Clarke 97/16 staff

As the Prince George Cougars play their 25th season in Prince George, this series looks back on the players named to the dream team top 25 of all-time at the start of the season.

If the Prince George Cougars had set up a poll to determine their most popular player 20 years ago, when Blair Betts was at the height of his junior hockey career, there’s no doubt he’d have been near the top of the list, too.

Cougars fans liked Betts because he was a gamebreaker, a guy they could count on to score that big goal when they needed it most and look what that led to.

Two trips to the WHL conference final, a world junior silver medal, a Calder Cup ring in his first pro season, a sevenyear NHL career and a Stanley Cup final playoff ride that ended two wins shy of the trophy.

Betts did a lot to endear himself to the hearts of Cougar fans in the four seasons he played in Prince George and was a natural choice for the team’s 25th anniversary top-25 Dream Team.

Undrafted, he joined the Cougars as a 16-year-old right out of bantam hockey in his Sherwood Park, Alta., hometown

and was part of the magical 1997 run that season which took the Cougars into the postseason for the first time, creating three rounds of playoff fever the likes of which the city had never seen before.

That was just warmup for Betts. The following year, playing on a line with Andrew Luciuk and Quinn Hancock, he became one of the hottest draft prospects after a 35-goal, 76-point season in which the Cougars won 43 regular season games. Betts was rewarded when the Calgary Flames picked him the second round, 33rd overall.

“I kind of rolled into Prince George right at a time when things were picking up,” Betts said. “The four years I played there I played with a lot of really good players, so it was good timing for me.

When you look at the roster of that ‘96-97 team you wonder why we just barely made the playoffs. We had (Zdeno) Chara and (Eric (Brewer) and (Joel) Kwiatkowski and (Ronald) Petrovicky and (Chris) Mason – all these guys who went on and played at least a little bit in the NHL. “The playoff run was understandable considering we had all those players but the fact we couldn’t find a lot of consistent success in the regular season is kind of puzzling. The thing I remember is in

the first 10 or 12 games we were ranked in the top 10 in the CHL and then we went on our eastern roadswing and went 0-6 and came back at .500.”

Betts scored 91 goals and 207 points in 215 regular season games with the Cougars as well as 20 goals and 41 points in WHL 46 playoff games and the team made it to the third round again in 2000.

He turned pro that year as a 20-yearold in Saint John, N.B., playing for the Flames AHL farm team and helped the team go on a 15-4 run to its only Calder Cup championship.

In 2004, after three-and-a-half seasons with the Flames organization, Betts was sidelined with season-ending shoulder surgery when he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline. He spent the year of the NHL lockout in the AHL and went on to play four years in New York. At the height of his career he was one of the team’s top-face-off and penalty-killing specialists, once described by TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire as the most underrated player in the NHL. Betts signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in 2009 and played two seasons with the Flyers before he retired. He had his best pro season year that first year with the Flyers. He put up eight goals and 18 points in 63 regular season games and

made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final in 2010.

“We limped into the playoffs and then ended up going to the finals and unfortunately we lost in six games to Chicago,” said Betts. “It was a pretty good year and the playoff run was pretty exciting but it only ends well for one team. Regardless of whether we lost in the first round or the final, it’s pretty disappointing. Looking back on it, it was a fun experience.”

Three times in his career, Betts wore the maple leaf on his chest. He had to settle for second best when Canada lost in overtime to the Russians at the 1999 world junior championship in Winnipeg and was a silver medalist at the Spengler Cup in 2001 in Davos, Switzerland. He also played for Canada in the Three Nations Cup under-18 tournament in 1997 in the Czech Republic and won it.

Now 38, Betts and his Prince Georgeraised wife Susan (nee MacInnins) moved back to Sherwood Park, Alta. six years ago and they have two daughters, Julia, 11, and Olivia, nine. He doesn’t play the game anymore but coaches Julia’s peewee team. He and his two older brothers work for their dad’s manufacturing business in Sherwood Park, Strathcona Manufacturing, which makes fasteners for the oil and gas industry.

Auto

8 | Thursday, January 10, 2019

97/16

Ford moving to talking cars Keith Naughton 97/16 wire service

Ford Motor Co. is pursuing another path with talking-car technology that could reduce road deaths, break up gridlock and even ease ordering at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

The automaker announced Monday that it’s outfitting all its new U.S. models starting in 2022 with cellular vehicle-to-everything technology.

Known as C-V2X, the system will enable Ford’s cars to communicate with one another about road hazards, talk to stop lights to smooth traffic flow and pay the bill automatically while picking up fast food.

The move is controversial because U.S. regulators have yet to greenlight C-V2X, which will run on 5G, the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications. The government has spent hundreds of millions on competing Wi-Fi technology called dedicated short-range communications, or DSRC, which has been embraced by General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. Ford says it’s trying to accelerate adoption of C-V2X as the best solution for getting cars to talk to each other.

“Our hope is that this would spur others to potentially reassess and, in other cases, decide on this direction,” Don Butler, executive director of Ford’s connected-vehicle platform, said. “We’ve been looking at DSRC for a number of years along with Toyota, GM and Honda, so this is not a step that we take lightly in the sense of dismissing DSRC. But we think this is the right step to make given where we see the technology headed.”

Butler argues 5G – which is 10 times faster than current broadband technology – is the easiest and most elegant solution because telecom companies already are spending billions to upgrade cell towers and build roadside antennas to service existing cellular networks for smartphone users. DSRC, on the other hand, would require the government to spend billions to create new infrastructure.

For Ford, installing C-V2X technology in its vehicles would build on plans to outfit all new models by the end of this year with cellular modems.

AP file photo

Mohamed Bouchama inspects a used car at a mechanic’s garage in Toronto on Jan. 10, 2018. This year, make a New Year’s resolution to get your car in better shape.

Make a resolution – keep your car in shape

A

s we enter the initial days of 2019, many British Columbians – including myself – will be struggling to maintain New Year’s resolutions. However, the one most often to keep is related to your vehicle.

This may seem a bit trivial when compared to losing those extra pounds and quitting smoking, but think about it: you trust your car with getting you to work, getting the kids to school, and taking you on weekend adventures. So shouldn’t you do your best to give your car or truck the attention it deserves this year?

In the end, committing to a simple and regular vehicle maintenance regime that follows the manufacturer’s recommended schedule will help you save money and fuel. Seasonal tune-ups with a trained technician can spot potential problems early, nipping those costly repairs in the bud.

Resolve to measure your tire pressure regularly, especially after sharp drops in temperature, which can decrease the air pressure in tires. Operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by eight psi can reduce the life of the tire by 15,000 kilometres and increase your vehicle’s fuel consumption by four per cent.

Remember to rotate your tires. Generally, every 15,000 to 25,000 kilometres is

New Car Dealers Association of BC Blair Qualey

a good guideline, but make sure to check your owner’s manual for your vehiclespecific recommendation. Give your tires the attention they need and you will improve your fuel efficiency and enhance your safety.

Check your fluid levels once a month.

Mark out your calendar for the whole year in advance, so you don’t forget.

Fluids play a huge role in almost every facet of your car. Remember the essential six to keep an eye on: engine oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid – if you don’t know how to check one or more of these, ask your technician or check your manual. Keeping them at their proper level will help your car last longer and drive better.

Have your car detailed this year, automated car washes and light vacuuming are good for maintenance but every so often your car deserves a nice, deep clean, inside and out. This can enhance

your car’s retail value and keeping your car clean will protect its finish, especially rinsing the salt off in the winter months.

Get to know your vehicle and spend some quality time with your owner’s manual. Your car is probably capable of a lot of things you don’t know about. New technology is changing so quickly and even a car a couple of model years newer than your last one will have a whole new suite of features.

If you’re driving an older car that requires costly maintenance and has poor fuel economy, maybe this is the year to start shopping around for a new vehicle.

• The 2019 Vancouver Auto Show is a great way to check out all the new makes and models currently on the market and ask questions in a pressure-free environment. Hear from industry experts and have some fun.

The 2019 Vancouver International Auto Show returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre West from March 19 to March 24.

For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.

VancouverInternationalAutoShow.com.

Blair Qualey is president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca.

Health

97/16

Thursday, January 10, 2019 | 9

Weight loss apps don’t work without guidance F

ood tracking apps make up a major category of the food-related apps now available.

MyFitness Pal, 21 Day Fix Tracker, My Macros and Lose it! are only a few of the most popular. These apps are promoted as helping the user monitor their food consumption, follow a specific diet or lose weight, but are they proven to be effective? Or are they just another diet fad?

With the start of 2019, many people will look to food tracking apps to help them meet their diet goals. While there are apps to encourage more mindful eating or track a chronic disease-related diet, weight loss apps seem to be the most popular in the food tracking category.

It’s likely because of this that these apps, and their effectiveness in promoting weight loss, are currently a popular area of study.

Although this is a relatively new area of research, there is some evidence to support the use of food tracking apps in promoting adherence to certain dietrelated goals, when used in conjunction with nutritional counseling from a healthcare professional, like a registered dietitian. While the reasoning for this link is unclear, better results may have been achieved because of the guidance and individualized approach that can be provided through counselling.

Food for thought Kelsey Leckovic

Most people seem to use food tracking apps with a goal in mind, but not necessarily the specific steps and strategies that go into achieving that goal.

Tracking apps are a tool used to document, but they don’t provide individualized education.

Apps that focus on weight loss will ask you how much weight you want to lose and how fast you want to lose it. You may also be asked what percentage of calories you want to eat from proteins, carbohydrates and fats, how you want your calories to be divided throughout the day and how many calories you want to burn through exercise. Setting goals to address these questions does not lead to a greater understanding of a healthy diet and a healthier, balance lifestyle over the long term. When arbitrary values are set, an overly restrictive diet can be the result.

Food tracking apps can also remove a level of mindfulness, since the goal is often to hit a target number and not necessarily listen to your own body. If you’re

consistently overriding feelings of hunger and fullness, it will be more difficult to maintain goals without consistently tracking. A hyper-focus on numbers, like calories or grams of carbohydrates and protein, can also impact the user’s intake of a well-rounded diet, full of whole foods. Two foods could have the same amount of calories but very different nutrient values.

When setting a goal for weight loss, some of these apps will tell you how long it will take to reach your desired goal.

If you restrict your calories even more, you’ll achieve faster weight loss. It’s this type of unrealistic goal setting that ultimately leads to frustration, disappointment, yo-yo dieting, disordered eating and unsustainable goals over the long term.

Although I’ve only mentioned the negatives so far, food tracking apps may serve a positive benefit in helping bring to light eating behaviours that could have otherwise gone unnoticed.

One 2018 study in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine found that participants who used a mindful eating app for 28 days experienced a reduction in craving-related eating and self-reported overeating behaviours. However, the study did not look at the long term impact of the app, only the results up to

one-month post intervention.

Tracking, or writing down, your snacks and meals can make you more aware of what you’re eating, help you understand what leads to your eating behaviours, show you what you’re doing well and show you what you can do even better, but without individualized guidance these things could be difficult to identify.

Ultimately, food tracking apps, and weight loss apps in particular, do not support healthy, balanced diets over the long term, nor do they support increased independence and knowledge regarding nutrition. Weight loss apps can lead to an overly restrictive diet and the treatment of food as the enemy. The annoyance or guilt evoked by the demands of these apps can also deter efforts to make positive diet changes in the future.

Meal planning may be a more effective and realistic approach to start with when looking to make diet changes in the new year. There is a menu-planning tool at www.cookspiration.com with daily meal plans, recipes and shopping lists that can be tailored to your diet goals. If you’re looking to speak with a dietitian, you can also call Healthlink BC at 8-1-1 or go to www.healthlinkbc.ca/dietitian-services.

Kelsey Leckovic is a registered dietitian with Northern Health working in chronic disease management.

Millennial

10 | T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9

MetroCreativefilephoto

Getting up early might sound like a way to get some quiet, productive time to yourself, but columnist Megan Kuklis says it rarely works out the way she hopes.

Getting up early doesn’t pay off

I

t is hard to get back into the swing of things after holidays – more so when you have just changed jobs and have left the comfort of a familiar routine and the friends you have worked with for almost ten years.

The kids are just back to school, I am learning a new job, going back to the gym and we are attempting to survive the first week back to real life to varying degrees of success. Early in the week, I often set my alarm to go off early so that I may have a few minutes to myself. These are precious minutes that are recommended to busy moms to make sure we, the tired mommies, have a bit of a life at home by ourselves. They are supposed to be minutes that are sacrosanct and vital to the working parent. These sort of recommendations are supposed to be helpful and only work if you have children who are not the lightest sleepers and the earliest risers. Every time I have set my alarm early this week, I roll out of bed to discover two bright-eyed children asking me for breakfast.

“It’s 5:30 in the morning!” I whispershriek, as to not wake their father. “Why are you not sleeping?”

“We’re hungry,” they reply, unconcerned. “Can we watch TV?” After I have showered and fed myself and the children, I finally sit down at the kitchen table with my laptop and eagerly open a fresh Word document and start to type.

“Excuse me, mom?” my son asks, politely.

Sighing, I look up from the 24 words I have managed to type in this brief moment.

“Yes, Liam?”

“What are you working on?”

I let him know what I am working on and we have a brief discussion to remind

Home Again Megan kuklIs

him that mama needs a few minutes to work. He goes back to watching television and I go back to typing. I have 10 minutes before I have to leave for work.

“Mommy?” my daughter calls from the living room.

“Yes, Emily?” I respond, not looking up and trying to finish my thought.

“What’s for dinner?”

I remind readers that it is six-ish in the morning and we have just finished breakfast.

“Food! Leftovers, probably.”

“What did we have for dinner last night?” she asks.

“Lasagna.”

She frowns and then sighs, dramatically.

“I will try to eat it, I guess.”

I often have unrealistic expectations of what I can accomplish in the mornings and it can be frustrating to not have enough time to do all of the things that you think you must throughout the day.

I am often harder on myself at the start of the new year because I genuinely believe that I should be able to write and do laundry and make lunches and play with the kids and get ready for work and school all in the morning after a lessthan-stellar sleep.

By February, my normal optimism has been ground down to a more realistic level and I have managed my own expectations. In the meantime, I am going to be able to get so much done this month.

It will be amazing.

97/16

low-income families hurt by school fees

P

lease bear with me and read the preamble to our School Act as it forms the basis for my argument: “WHEREAS it is the goal of a democratic society to ensure that all its members receive an education that enables them to become literate, personally fulfilled and publicly useful, thereby increasing the strength and contributions to the health and stability of that society; “AND WHEREAS the purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy; “THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:” What follows in the Act, among other things, is the requirement, for parents choosing public school, that their children aged five to 16 attend school.

So, we have a compulsory education system and most would agree that it is reasonable because we believe the benefit of education outweighs the loss to parental choice.

(I am fully aware that parents can choose independent schools or to home school, but nevertheless, education is still compulsory, and most parents still choose the public education system to deliver an education that attempts to fulfill these goals. If you write a letter to the editor pointing out that private schools take money from the public system, you reveal yourself to be very poor at math at the very least and an ideologue at worst.)

So what happens when we don’t fulfill those lofty goals set out above?

What happens when our policies actually create a system which provides a superior education for students of means and actively disadvantages those of lesser means that must attend our public schools? How does this happen?

Two words: school fees.

Already working many hours to make ends meet, families can plan all year to save money for school supplies and fees but still be hit with a few unexpected expenses.

The $5, $7, and $10 fees for anything from “optional” safety glasses to field trips, become insurmountable. The

Thinking aloud Trudy klassen

$130 deposit for a graphing calculator can as easily be paid for as a trip to the moon for these families.

Oh, and how about the $100-130 fee to participate in the graduation ceremony that a student has spent 12 years working for?

They get the dogwood, but not the ceremony.

Let that sink in.

This problem is worse for those students who grow up in a second or third generation low-income families.

For many of them, the only people they know are also low-income, so their social network consists of people in the same situation.

We know that the social skills required to participate successfully in our economy are mostly gained while interacting in our community, outside the classroom.

Denied the exposure and skills learned while out on field trips or participating in sports, these students do not gain needed skills.

We all lose out because some of the greatest minds of our time spend their working years working at minimum wage jobs because they lack the access to social networks in the field of their interest and talent.

Through no fault of their own, these students get the message that they are other, that they are lower, that they are not really part of the society that they are forced to be part of for twelve years.

Because of this uneven playing field that starts in school, we are giving them a life-long handicap that only the strongest can overcome.

We need to make a decision: either we find a way to include every student who wishes to participate in any and all co-curricular or extra-curricular school activities, we get rid of any activities our schools cannot fully fund, or we get rid of “feel-good” compulsory education and allow these students to contribute meaningfully to the family budget earlier and not subject them to 12 years in a system which doesn’t prepare them for anything else other than minimum wage jobs.

This is a conversation that we need to have.

scene

97/16

T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 | 11

97/16 file photo

Chris Bennett and Jackie Bonneau attended the first Northern FanCon in 2015 as the Joker and Harley Quinn – supervillains from the Batman comics.

Northern FanCon will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

Fancon marking fifth year Y ou know that time when you really need someone to sit down and pay attention to what you have to say about something?

This is that time for me. And you know what? I am going to do it weekly. So, I guess we start with me welcoming you and laying down what I will be talking about in this column.

This is a wildly exciting time for many cultural things in our city and I am extremely proud to have a front row seat to much of it. What does that mean and what will I be talking about in particular? Not gonna lie – this column is about Northern FanCon… but not just Northern FanCon. We are going to get into many different elements of the show itself but also I want to tell you things you might not know about the event and how it has benefited our city and its people.

That all being said, this particular column, I wanted to start off with highlighting that Northern FanCon will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year and that deserves a significant bit of attention.

First off, for those of you who do not know, Northern FanCon is Northern B.C.’s very own comic conference based in Prince George hosted by the Prince George Citizen with my company UNLTD Media & Events. There is a great story I

Coyne toss NOrm Coyne

will share with you in weeks to come on how it all began.

Since its inaugural year, Northern FanCon has attracted over 50 celebrity guests including William Shatner, Karl Urban, Sean Astin, Levar Burton, Kevin Smith, Nichelle Nichols, Jason Mewes, Jewel Staite, Tia Carrere, Alicia Witt, Giancarlo Esposito, Isaiah Mustafa, Brett Dalton, Denise Crosby, Candice Patton, John De Lancie, Michael Biehn, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan and many others. The majority of the guests who visit Prince George for FanCon have never heard of our city and we have the unique opportunity to be give them an experience and a taste they will take with them. Again, I have some great stories regarding these so watch for them in upcoming columns.

Every single one of these guests is on hand to sign autographs, take photos and appear on stage for live interviews and/ or panels. We have even seen live performances recorded at FanCon and rebroad-

cast. This year’s Fatman on Batman live show was released through Kevin Smith’s podcast network and Youtube channel and has been viewed over 160,000 times.

The event also sees dozens of world-renowned artists, cosplayers and filmmakers attending to showcase their current projects, connect with fans and host workshops. Beyond this, many of the fans themselves don costumes of their own to attend the show, all in complete comfort in what is an undeniably inclusive atmosphere where expression is encouraged and praised.

And finally, Northern FanCon hosts hundreds of vendors and exhibitors which carry unique items, offer exclusive services and generally have things you didn’t know you need but end up wanting – nay, needing.

All in all, Northern FanCon has showcased our city to literally tens of thousands of attendees, driven millions of dollars into the local economy and fostered relationships that continue to build opportunity for Prince George – in film, art, and business (more on this to come!)

I could go on for hours about the different elements of the show and will certainly be giving each area its own due in weeks to come but I wanted to give an overview to illustrate at least in some part

how colossal what we have actually is.

I have travelled to other conventions in cities 10 times the size of Prince George and found that we compete on the same scale as many of our larger counterparts.

In terms of number of exhibitors, quality of show, number of guests and artists.

I have heard it said that Northern FanCon swings well above its weight class and I can tell you honestly – I believe this is true.

There is way too much to tell you in one single sitting. Northern FanCon has become more than an event. It has become a legacy.

The city issued the proclamation that May 3-5, 2019 has been declared FanCon Days. Countless people throughout our region look forward to this event every year. Having been in a front row seat for the event, I have witnessed firsthand the scale and value of Northern FanCon for the city and so many of its citizens.

Coming in to our milestone year, it is beyond important to make sure everyone understands the significance and value of what we have built.

And that, dear reader, is why I am starting this column.

NEXT: Norm offers no-holds barred behind the scenes look at what had to happen to launch FanCon Year 1.

News

12 | T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9

If you knew I was an addict, you wouldn’t respect me

M

y name is Ann; I am a professional with two advanced degrees (first class honours). My professional experience spans over three decades, I focus on mental health and addictions. I am well established, published and have presented at international conferences.

I am also an alcoholic and addict in recovery – 25 years without taking a drink. I have done everything from huffing glue to codeine. My list of substances runs the gamut, from A to Z – Ativan, alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, codeine, cocaine, cigarettes, Demerol, Diluadid, ecstasy, Fiorinal and yes, even fentanyl.

As a drug addict, prescription medications started with my health. Work allowed me to use, gave me an excuse to continue. Work hard, party hard, that was my motto – learned from my dad.

Endless, never ending, riding to Hell.

Now, as a work addict and 25 years without a single drink, my only vice now is caffeine (and good solid chocolate). Donuts and cookies. Sugar is my new high.

I quit alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, pot, opiates, benzodiazepines, Gravol, (yes, Gravol is abused by so many), Tylenol No. 1 (over the counter and so easy to get), cough syrup.

The World Health Organization as well as all medical organizations, deem addiction a disease. It is not an aspect of choice. Too often, I am blamed for my illness. This is due to the aspect of behaviour.

People see drinking and/or using drugs

Ask an Addict

and believe I want to live my life this way. I do not; never ever did.

I hated the actions and the behaviours you saw. Weak willed and immoral, I thought I was bad.

Sick? No, never. Not ill. Only defective the world tells me this.

The troubling thing is that the excessive, harmful overuse of toxic substances is actually a symptom that I am unwell. To say I chose this is akin to blaming a cancer patient for losing weight due to their behaviour, their choice, of no longer eating.

A harsh, brutal comparison and one I hate to make at this point, but desperate times require brutal truth.

Cancer is not chosen. Neither is addiction. Both are life-threatening. Both are deadly.

Many mothers, fathers, sisters, grandparents, husbands, wives, brothers and children have lost loved ones to both of these states.

Addiction and cancer are both medical conditions, but only one gets the blame.

We don’t blame cancer patients for being sick, but we do blame addicts for being this way.

Continued on page 15

97/16

97/16

T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 | 13

14 | T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9

97/16

97/16

News

T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 | 15

‘If I had cancer... I would not be ashamed’ occur), knowing I had taken an overdose We are responsible for how they have of fentanyl, knowing I could die (this was died.

Also in that message is “we will use you before the fentanyl crisis).

Life-threatening medical illnesses such I prayed, sweated, cold clammy flesh. I to our advantage for as long as we can.” as cancer receive plenty of support. The put myself into a cold tub. I knew a quick We don’t care about you but rather life-threatening medical condition of hospital trip, a only, about what addiction does not. Fundraisers of hope, call to 911 would walking marathons, ice bucket challenges you can do, for certainly save my us. Do not share do not exist.

And if you think you uncertain life. with the world, to Instead, addicts are silenced and wouldn’t, I ask you this: However to do others who you reshunned. would you hire an addict so would be to There have been too many deaths; two ally are. We cannot come out. Out of accept that truth. which stand out for me are those that in recovery to care for hiding and into Others will judge you know. High-profile, beloved and well your kids? my shame. My respected individuals died of this disease. you, and by assocolleagues’ shame, ciation, also us. Our I know their story. Their life is mine. their embarrassreputation will be After they had died, vitriol came out. I ment, their anger and blame. Death was called into question. read with dismay comments made in preferable to this.

How dare we? How dare we not stand publications. Hatred. Stigma. Distorted I think of the two people who died. I by our loved ones? How dare we ask to perceptions, misguided minds targeted knew where I was. I could not risk reachstay quiet? How dare we send the mesthem for their ails. ing out. You all would blame.

How dare we? How dare we hate those sage you are less than?

And if you think you wouldn’t, I ask you No wonder we die. No wonder we use. in need? One was asked to stay quiet, to this: would you hire an addict in recovery You, the world, does not accept who never publicly disclose. Can you imagine to care for your kids? Would you hire an we are. being sick and having higher ups tell you addict to clean up your house?

Who am I? stay silent? The message here is perfectly I cannot change what I do not acknowlA respected, well loved individual, clear – you are defective. We do not acedge. I cannot change my bias towards admired by professionals. Admired by cept who you are. others if I do not acknowledge that I hold my peers. I live in secret, ashamed that I Who am I? Who were they? this truth. am an addict. I recall once, sitting alone Well respected, admired, beloved I, as an addict, in recovery, shockingly in my bathroom (where many overdoses individuals.

Continued from page 12

encountered this aspect in me. I hired someone for work, to help me out with my home. Years later, she disclosed her history with drugs. Suddenly my perception of her changed. My trust threatened.

Questions ran through my head. I intimately know this disease. I know of relapse. I know of lies and deceit. I never stole, but knew others did.

The reality hit with shattering cold. If I had this thought of her (and therefore, of me), what would others than think of me?

So for now, I choose to hide. I do not use my name. My disease would overshadow who I am to you now. You’ll forget I am generous, kind, loving and smart. You’ll (secretly, unknowingly) view me as defective and dishonest (ironically, my program of recovery requires rigorous honesty).

Sad. If I had cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, I would not be ashamed. I am only sick, but I am to blame, at least, in your eyes.

Questions for Ann? Send your submissions (anonymously, if you choose) to columns@pgcitizen.ca and we’ll pass them along.

16 | T h u r s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 9

97/16