97/16 - Prince George's Weekly by Prince George Citizen

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

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FORMER LOCAL ARTIST UNVEILS NEW BOOK FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff

No matter how basic or refined your taste in art, you get one central first impression from the new book by Keith McKellar: wow, that is colourful. All other views jump off from there. There’s really no other way to depict his subject matter. When your muse is the neon sculptures climbing the walls of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, shouting out the names of their storefronts and theatres, then only the poppiest and proudest palette will do. McKellar is known by an artist’s pseudonym, laughinghand, and he puts the humour of his brushstrokes into this tribute to a neighbourhood that grew from grit into sadness and despair but now that this is fading, there is a mourning process even for that, and laughinghand caught it in the pages of this art book like a news photographer snapping a slow motion riot. McKellar knows the nooks and cracks of the downtown eastside so affectionately because he chose it, after moving from his town of upbringing and formation. That would be Prince George. Before he was laughinghand there, he was inquiringmind here. Now he can turn that page. By authoring this book, entitled Revolving W and Flying Pigs: A Neon Journal, by investing so much painstaking time into each painting of the neon landscape of Hastings Street and its neighbours, McKellar washes the feet of that besieged neighbourhood. There is a dignity granted to the once handsome subculture trying hard now to spark pride despite its black eyes and broken teeth. McKellar found a nobility under

the grime. He followed the electric rainbow and did not find a pot of gold, but he did find other radiant colours buzzing inside their glass tubes proclaiming the places within the place. Any examination of the neon signs of that neighbourhood would be laughably incomplete without one in particular. The Smiling Buddha Cabaret is so iconic to Vancouver that the band 5440 made that sign the cover art and that name the title of what is inarguably one of the best rock albums ever made by Canadians, and part of its zeitgeist is that Smiling Buddha anchor. McKellar has it on page 14 of the 60-page book, establishing early how relevant this display of memories is. It covers a lot of the concert venues that pumped the heart of Vancouver through the halcyon years of Vancouver’s emergence onto the world stage. McKellar has immortalized the Commodore Ballroom, The Yale, the Railway Club, the Orpheum, the Vogue. He has also included the mythological Stanley, Ridge, and Park Theatres among others. He goes deeper, though, into the strange markets like Save-On Meats, BC Collateral Pawnbrokers, and the Sunrise. He gets the social spots and independent businesses like

Seymour Billiards, Cates Towing, The Elbow Room, Sun Tower and the Naam Restaurant (well outside the downtown eastside, but well inside the point he was making) that can’t be unseen if you walked that neighbourhood over the past few decades. He also stares right into the come hither eyes of the seedy bars of the area: Balmoral, Niagara, Astoria, and Cobalt. There is a special berth given to Chinatown. Vancouver band Doug & The Slugs had a hit with their song Chinatown Calculation, a colourful ode of the same kind. It was the same magnetic combo of little greasy spoon cafes, newspaper building, bakery, and corner stores that drew in McKellar for his colour tally. Vancouver’s Chinatown is apart as much as it is within, like a moon whose planet is the one in orbit. Along with their brilliant likenesses, McKellar also painted them in words. Each painting is accompanied by a poetic essay that deepens the presence of each building. Of the thuggish Cobalt rooming house and bar he said it was “a hard and brittle place with a long catalogue of calamities and troubles etched in its walls. A huff and a puff away from falling down in a heap of torture, tears, and hysterical laughter.” These are the words of an artist

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Save-On Meats is one of the Vancouver landmarks colourfully chronicled in Keith McKellar’s new book Neon Journal. who’s lived the neighbourhood, not just walked through with a camera. So much of this Vancouver is as charming and as vital as a newcomer off the boat from some faraway homeland, but its stitching has come loose, its colour has faded, its shoes are worn and there’s no repairing it. Only through the tough love of

an artist can the beauty of decay be preserved as an artifact before it falls to the knockout blow of eviction notice and gravity, not necessarily in that order. It might only be possible to paint such a vividly humane and unblinking likeness of a place if you’ve fallen in love with it, as the sailor falls in love with a favourite harbour.

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NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 | 3

LONGTIME VOLUNTEER CELEBRATES ‘BLESSED’ LIFE R SENIORS’ SCENE KATHY NADALIN

W.A.C. Bennett Dam. Months later, they made their final move back to Prince George. Thirty-five years later and in his mid 70s, Norman found the time to write a book about his work at Finlay Forks entitled Under These Waters. Few people today will remember what it was like before Williston Lake was flooded but thanks to Norman you can read his accounts, of those who were there, in his book written in 2001 (or find it online at www.bcfs100.ca/docs/pdf/0/380.pdf). Norman was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis while working at Finlay Forks. He had to move from field work to office work until he retired in the mid 80s.

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten

Joyce Unrau in her home in Fort George Manor and as she was on her wedding day with husband Norman in June 1962.

After 50 years of marriage, Norman passed away in 2013 due to a massive heart attack. Over his lifetime, he wrote a total of seven books with several of them relating to his medical condition. Joyce was a stay-at-home mom and later went to work as a part-time teacher. Over the years she worked as the principal’s relief, program advisor, enrichment, learning assistant, preparation relief and librarian in schools mainly at Ron Brent,

Parents Legal Centre

Central Fort George and Buckhorn. She retired in 1998 after a 35-year teaching career and then took over as a full-time caregiver for Norman. They had three children: Roy – a retired pulp mill worker, Tim – a councillor for juveniles at the University Hospital of Northern B.C., and Elizabeth (Scott) Clements – a Northern Health administrative assistant. Joyce has been an active member of the Evangelical Free Church of Prince George since 1967 serving as a Sunday school teacher, deaconess, working with catering and in the church library. Other volunteer work consisted of

many years of delivering books to seniors on behalf of the public library. She served as a guide and the secretary treasurer for the Pioneer Girls for 23 years and currently volunteers with the Gospel Singers choir at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association. Joyce said, “I now live at Fort George Manor and I love it there. I have been blessed all of my life by the Lord. I am enjoying my retirement with my biggest joy being the time I spend with my two grandsons Zachary and Nicholas.” *** The Gospel Singers at the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre are proud to present their spring program Joy in the Lord on Saturday, May 11th at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday (Mother’s Day), May 12th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are now on sale at the office at 1692 10th Ave. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Has a social worker contacted you about your children? You have the right to free legal advice. The Parents Legal Centre provides a free lawyer and advocate to help you address the social worker’s concerns about your children’s safety (child protection) early on. Together they can help you find solutions that work for you and your family.

To find out if you qualify, call your nearest Parents Legal Centre:

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etired school teacher Joyce (Armstrong) Unrau was born in Princeton, B.C., in 1936. Joyce said, “My mother was not able to raise me so by the time I was 10 years old I had been farmed out and raised by 12 different relatives. When my father remarried, I was able to have a permanent home and I helped my step mother with my two little brothers. “I graduated from Similkameen Junior Senior Secondary in Keremeos and in 1956 I started a one-year emergency teaching program at the Victoria College of Education. They called it an emergency teaching program because of the extreme shortage of teachers at the time. “I took the program and went straight into teaching with the agreement that I would attend summer school for the next four years, take required extension courses with assigned professors and other courses by correspondence. I always said that God designed this program just for me. I had no money so the program was a perfect chance to save the money needed for summer school while I worked as a teacher.” Joyce was teaching in Fort St James when she met B.C. Forest Service engineer Norman Unrau at a church event in 1961. Norman, a widower with a nine-yearold son, was born in Grunthal, Man. in 1927. He moved to British Columbia in 1952 and found work with the B. C. Forest Service in Hixon in 1960. They married in 1962 in Fort St. James. Norman’s work caused them to move to Aleza Lake in the Willow River/Giscome area, then on to Victoria where their son Tim was born in 1963 and then to north Surrey (Newton). They moved to Prince George in 1965 where their daughter Elizabeth was born. That fall, Norman was sent to work in the Finlay River area and the family moved into a forestry trailer in the Finlay Forks Camp. The Forest Service established a centre of operations at Finlay Forks to oversee the clearing work as they prepared to flood Williston Lake as a reservoir for the W. A. C. Bennett Dam. Norman’s job as an engineer was to map out roads and the logging processes to prepare for the flooding. Finlay Forks (also called Finlay Junction) was located at the confluence of the Finlay River and Parsnip River. The town no longer exists. It is not a ghost town, but instead it lies submerged beneath the waters of Williston Lake. In the spring of 1967, when Norman’s work involving the flooding of Williston Lake was completed, the family moved to Hudson’s Hope for work around the

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CREATE YOUR OWN BACkYARD RETREAT!

An Integrated Approach to Community Safety

Allowing criminal investigators to focus on bringing criminal investigations to a successful conclusion without the distractions associated to social justice issues, will lead to increased charge approvals by crown counsel and increased rates of conviction. To prevent entry into the criminal element, we need to integrate resources from social services, health departments, BC Housing and the myriad of other agencies and provide a robust wrap around service to society’s most vulnerable right from the first time they come to the attention of authorities. The focus should be on the individual, customizing the intervention specific to their needs.

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Evidence shows that intervention targeting risk factors can be effective and efficient in reducing crime and other social problems. A single agency, sharing information, resources and most importantly, sharing outcomes, will change our communities. The police and the criminal justice system are often used as the default to address societal issues causing homelessness, addictions and the consequences of mental illness. The mechanism to filter out societies most vulnerable needs to take place long before a criminal investigation or court outcomes change their lives forever. A model that also embraces a robust community restorative justice program would provide improved outcomes. The city of Prince George along with several supportive agencies have taken positive steps towards an integrated model. Perhaps the time has come to take that last bold step toward an integrated approach.

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At a meeting with stakeholders a few weeks ago, I discussed a different approach to address the increasing social justice problems plaguing our communities today. Did you know that on average, only 30% of a police department’s file load is criminal? The rest is comprised mainly of social justice issues related to addictions, mental illness, homelessness, public intoxication and general poor behaviour. Perhaps it is time to separate the criminal part of policing from the social justice part and prevent our most vulnerable from entering the criminal justice system in the first place.

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May 7, 2019 | Prince George, BC | 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM

$5 Drops-ins welcome whaT we offer: • • • • • •

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Join us for an informative discussion with the incomparable, insightful, and hilarious Rex Murphy, a CBC and National Post commentator and stalwart supporter of construction and responsible resource development.

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NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 | 5

REMOVING FLUORIDE WAS A MISTAKE T he City of Calgary voted to end fluoridation of their water in 2011 and during this time, the number of children with tooth decay has increased – completely unsurprising to those of us who believe in science. Sarah Reigler from the CBC reports in an article from Feb. 25: “Between 2013 and 2016, the number of children seen by the Alex Dental Health Bus — which provides mobile services to children in schools in high-needs areas — jumped from 798 to 1,607, with the biggest demands for service coming from low-income or otherwise disadvantaged families.” This is a 50 per cent increase in three years. Calgary has an exceptionally brave city councillor, Diane Colley-Urquhart, who was willing to repeatedly ask for a motion to research the effects on children in Calgary since fluoride was removed. It took her two times before other city councillors would support her motion – not because the councillors didn’t believe in the health benefits of fluoride but because supporting fluoridation is a form of career suicide for municipal politicians. In 2018, Windsor, Ont. voted to reinstate public water fluoridation after it was reported that the “number of children with tooth decay or requiring urgent oral health care in the region increased by 51 per cent in 2016-17 compared to 2011-12.” I do not have the numbers for the amount of children in Prince George with increased tooth decay because our city council has not requested a report on the effects of no fluoride in municipal water from Northern Health. I would like them to ask.

HOME AGAIN MEGAN KUKLIS

I am looking for a brave city councillor who believes in science and knows that voting to end fluoridation was wrong. We have city councillors who are perfectly aware that fluoride is good for the community at large however they have little interest in putting themselves out there to do what it right until rational public opinion will provide some political cover. The problem is that everyday people who believe in science are typically not as vocal as the misguided rantings of the antipoison brigade. The argument against fluoridating our water supply usually is some variation of “you can’t put that in our water – its poison! Here’s some bunk ‘science’ to support my irrational point of view.” Except that argument is flawed. Unless these people also love dysentery, polio, malaria and cholera and rally to reject chlorinated water, their viewpoint doesn’t hold much weight. Sorry folks, I believe in science. A brief message to the anti-fluoride army that will immediately call my house and send me quasi-threatening messages on my personal Facebook account: there is nothing that would ever encourage me to call someone at home because I disagree with them. I will never send you a message on your personal Facebook

97/16 file photo

Jai Hilton, a student from Van Bien, has his teeth polished by Sam Childs, a CNC Certified Dental Assistant student last May. The college promotes oral health for local children through its annual Seal in a Smile program. account or comment publically (except in this format) about how much I disagree with you. Consider if you would be really keen on receiving angry phone calls from strangers before dialing. Instead of getting your back up and angry typing a message to me that I will not read, I strongly encourage you to read what the following, reputable sources have to say about the benefits of the naturally-

occurring mineral called fluoride and how it has been safely used for over 75 years: Health Canada, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, the Canadian Dental Association and the American Dental Association. If your article is written by a “health practitioner” who did not go to medical school, do not send me the link. I’ll stick with proven science, thanks.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 | 7

A WELCOMING PATH TO RECONCILIATION I t is said that what happens to one person impacts all of us. While this may seem absurd to some, as I gain experience in life, it becomes ever clearer to me that we share a common humanity. I have been teaching high school students about genocide for over 10 years now. In the final project of the course, students research a topic of interest to them and present their findings. Many choose to report on issues which relate to their own relatives. Some have talked about parents and grandparents who survived the residential schools or a long lost uncle who endured the Holocaust. Others draw into question English government policies regarding the Scottish land clearances or the Irish potato blight. Some present the experiences of their families in fleeing more recent conflicts. All who do research related to their background speak with a combination of pride and sadness. I have to admit that part of my motivation for teaching this course has been to reconcile the histories of my own family. On one side I have Germans, who were at the very least complicit as racist policies took hold in their government in the 1930s and 40s. I recall sitting with family in modern day Germany asking myself how such a horrible thing could happen in such a wonderful place. The answer, of course, is that these things can happen anywhere. It is up to us, as informed citizens, to stand with those who are targeted and let it be known that no form of discrimination is acceptable. I honour my German ancestors by speaking this truth. On the other side of my family, I have Syrian refugees fleeing persecution by

LESSONS IN LEARNING GERRY CHIDIAC

the Ottomans in the early part of the 20th century. Perhaps they looked at what was happening to their Armenian neighbours and asked, “Are we next?” History shows that they made a good decision, as the number of Christians living in the Middle East continues to diminish. For years, I saw no connection between my own history and that of the Indigenous peoples of Canada. I knew that Canadian policy was aimed at destroying their way of life and that what happened in the residential schools was wrong. I knew that I needed to teach this ugly piece of our history, but I did not feel that it was my own story. Then I began studying the spiritual aspects of Indigenous culture, a wisdom which my own church tried to erase. I found my neighbours to be very inclusive with regard to this aspect of the healing process; I felt in no way judged and I was simply accepted as the person I am. As I learned about the medicine wheel, I felt my own life coming into balance. I realized that the wound inflicted on the people who welcome me to their territory is the same wound that was inflicted on my grandparents when they had to flee their homes. In other words, we share a common humanity. Where one is harmed, we are all harmed. Where one is healed, we are all healed.

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Heather Holland wipes away a tear while sharing a story of a relative that was a survivor of the Indian Residential Schools during Orange Shirt Day at CNC in September 2017. As I walked out of the medicine wheel experience, I realized I felt no animosity toward the Ottomans and their descendants. I only felt peace and a solidarity with my grandparents, as well as a deep sense of gratitude toward my Indigenous teachers. I also knew that I had to tell about my experience. Far too often I hear non-Indigenous Canadians say, “They need to get over this. We suffered too you know.” Yes, you and your ancestors did suffer

and the wounds endured are very real. Be aware, however, that First Nations people are not trying to take anything from the rest of Canadian society, they are simply trying to welcome us on their journey of healing, a journey that is for all of us on the shared path to reconciliation. — Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com

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This is the front page from the April 25, 1989 edition of the Prince George Citizen. You can search all of The Citizen’s archives online at pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 | 9

UGANDA FUNDRAISER NEXT SATURDAY FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff

Success can be measured two ways, for the Northern Uganda Development Foundation (NUDF). In addition to the ongoing development projects this notfor-profit society helps to coordinate, they are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of one of their main fundraisers. On May 4, the Prince George-based organization will host the annual African Dinner at the Columbus Community Centre. “Join us for a traditional Ugandan dinner to raise money for NUDF projects,” said a statement issued by the group. In addition to the unique cuisine there will also be silent auction items and family fun. Children 10 and younger are free to attend and regular tickets are $40. The group was co-founded by UNBC professor Chris Opio, who was born and raised in Uganda before coming to Canada for academic pursuits. He con-

tinues to teach and do scientific research based in Prince George. NUDF was also co-founded by Geoffrey Odongo, a UNBC alumnus now living and working back in his home country of Uganda, but still maintaining close ties to Prince George as he manages the efforts of the NUDF on the ground. All money raised by the foundation goes to “design, fund, and deliver development projects that empower villagers in Northern Uganda to create economically self-sustaining lifestyles that include safe water, adequate food and shelter, and access to fundamental health care and education services, maintainable without further aid.” Tickets to attend the dinner are available at Books & Company and at the UNBC Bookstore. Seats can also be purchased, or any form of support arranged by contacting Opio (250-961-9221 or chris@nudf.org) or fellow foundation member Andrea Byrne (andrea.nudf@ gmail.com or 778-689-2160).

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Chris Opio, a UNBC professor and founder of the Northern Uganda Development Foundation, is hosting the annual African Dinner to raise funds for the Northern Uganda Development Foundation.

BUS SERVICE READY TO HIT THE ROAD 97/16 STAFF

A Williams Lake bus company will soon begin service between Prince George and Surrey. Adventure Charter and Rentals’ inaugural run is set for May 2, when it’s scheduled to leave Prince George at 8:45 a.m. and arrive at the Scott Road Skytrain Station at 7:31 p.m. It will stop at 20 other communities

along the way. The fare will range between $65 and $110 one way, depending on how far a client travels. The schedule, which features twicea-week service between the two cities as well as twice-a-week runs between Williams Lake and Kamloops, has been mostly well received since it was posted online at www.adventurecharters.ca. “Overall, it’s been excellent,” operations manager Randy Gertzen said.

The business has been in operation for more than a decade. It provides a daily run to to the Mount Polley mine and a charter service for schools, teams, First Nations, and other groups. Moreover, the company used to do emergency runs for Greyhound, which left a void when it pulled out of Western Canada in October 2018. “We used to do their runs if they were broke down or short of drivers and we

had seen what their ridership was like,” Gertzen said. “We had also seen what they had for overhead costs. We’re a family-run business, we’re a lot leaner, we don’t have the big overheads. So hopefully, if our ridership is where we would like to see it, we will make a go of it.” Tickets can be bought online and must be purchased in advance so drivers know where they have to stop and where they can just pass through.

FAIR WAGES COMMISSION TO HOLD HEARING IN PRINCE GEORGE 97/16 STAFF

The B.C. Fair Wages Commission will be in Prince George to gather the public’s views on ways to close the gap between the minimum wage and a living wage. The commission will hold hearings at the Coast Inn of the North on May 13.

A living wage is defined as the hourly rate at which a household can meet its basic needs based on the actual costs of living in a specific community and is generally higher than the legislated minimum wage set by the provincial government.

Anyone wishing to present their views in person to the commission is asked to book a time in advance by emailing FWC@gov.bc.ca. All meetings will be open to the public. Written feedback can also be provided through the same email.

For more information, and the most up-to-date list of in-person sessions, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/fairwagescommission. For more information on living wages in Canada, visit: www.livingwagecanada.ca

SPECIAL NEEDS COMMITTEE TO VISIT CITY 97/16 STAFF

The all-party Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth will be in Prince George on May 22 as part of gathering public input on how to improving assessment and

eligibility processes for those with special needs. “We are interested in hearing directly from parents, caregivers and other stakeholders about barriers and challenges, and how processes and supports can be simplified,” said

Michelle Stilwell, deputy chair and MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. “The committee wants to find solutions that better serve children and youth with neuro-diverse special needs and their families.”

A hearing will be held at the Civic Centre, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Those interested in making a submission are asked to register at www. leg.bc.ca/cmt/cay. Written submissions are also accepted at the same address until 5 p.m. on June 7.

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submissioN dEtails: Please provide the following information along with your photo: • Brief description of the area the photo captures and why you would recommend it to others (no more than 60 words) • Your name for photo credit and authorization for us to publish the photo & description We will accept photos at our office #201 - 1777 3rd Ave, or by email

(jpg format at 300 dpi) to northern_explorer@pgcitizen.ca. Please include ‘Explore The North’ in the subject line. We will only be able to publish a select few photos but would like to thank everyone who made a submission. Photos will not be returned.

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ANGER SURROUNDS ADDICTION T hank you for all your responses via email and letters. Your replies, comments and thoughts help clarify my own. In this, I identify gaps in my logic and become aware of faulty thinking. Many people are angry at addicts like me. I get that. Remember, I grew up in an alcoholic family. My father was an alcoholic. He was a happy drunk yet despite this, his drinking impacted us all. My younger brother lives in a perpetual state of anger and rage. My father quit drinking 15 years before his untimely death at age 60. My father is gone yet my younger brother still lives with his rage. Addiction is destructive, horrible, it hurts all those around. John Bradshaw was one of the first to discuss how addiction hits family systems. He uses the analogy of a child’s hanging mobile to explain. When hanging in healthy balance and harmony, all mobile pieces move nicely together. When one piece is hit (by addiction), the entire mobile is impacted, the whole family system is disturbed. If you remove one piece of the mobile, that is, cut addiction/addict out of your life, the mobile becomes lopsided, it does not function well; the whole family system continues to move with anger and rage. My dad is dead, yet my brother still simmers. Anger is dangerous for alcoholics and addicts like me. Resentment is the number one offender for us. Unaddressed, it keeps us addicts trapped in our disease. We are not like you normies (we call non-addicts ‘normies’); we cannot afford the dubious luxury of these negative feelings. When in the midst of our disease, we addicts forget this. Anger and resentments are useful to us; they are like gasoline to our fire. Addiction rages, it burns everything around, it consumes what it can; a wildfire needs fuel. Anger, self pity, remorse – these are fuel to our fire, necessary for our addiction to live. So how do I, an addict unknown personally to you, address your anger? I

ASK AN ADDICT

damaged so many people in my path of destructive use. Saying sorry no longer works. What matters is what I do. I write this column, expose myself to you, to your rage, in an attempt to make amends for my past. I am sorry for your pain, the anger that you feel. I am responsible, my actions, my way of being, brings that to the forefront for you. I realize my apology may enrage some even more. “You are not responsible for my anger, how dare you apologize?” You might next say to me. All I know is that anger begets more anger. After time, the continued expression of, the continued feeling of and the continued revisiting of one thing over and over again, habituates the brain to that one only thing. Neural pathways to this one aspect develop, and over time with repeated expression, the anger pathway becomes strongly entrenched. Soon there is no escaping, the pain may even go underground. It may become unconscious until something or someone like me, enters your world, triggering it out, all over again. Thank you for being honest, for expressing your feelings, your anger and pain. Your words help clarify my thinking. I am grateful for that. I hope my column promotes discussion. I hope it opens up dialogue between us addicts and you. My column may not address your anger/pain but I hope it is a beginning for us addicts, to begin to hear how you all, on the other side, may be feeling towards addicts, like me. – Questions for Ann? Send your submissions (anonymously, if you choose) to columns@pgcitizen.ca and we’ll pass them along.

PGSO SHOW APPEALS TO KIDS According to sources deep inside PGSO’s command centre, the musicians set to blast off on their next mission are having so much fun they are spacing out in rehearsals. They have been mooning over the material they get to perform for the city’s kids. This concert is the return voyage of the Starship PGSO. Last year, the musicians took the kids on a trip to the moon with Captain Klein, commander of the orchestra’s brass section. This year, they will be returning to Earth in Captain Klein’s Next Adventure. “It was our most popular concert of that series,” said conductor Barbara Parker, the artistic director for the three-show children’s series. “This year, Captain Klein will have another, very different adventure. All this fun is, of course, directed at the children in our

community. But we have also found that sometimes the parents and grandparents appear to have at least as much fun as the kids during the performances.” These are dangerous space treks fraught with villains and phenomena that could suck the orchestra into a black hole or blast them into another dimension. Captain Klein and his crew stabilize the science and soothe the savage beasts with music. They use their wits and their instruments to complete the saga. Some familiar music from the outer limits will help set their course. “The musical aspect of these productions is the most challenging,” said Parker. “It takes time to find a variety of musical selections that represent different styles and musical periods, but will Continued on page 11

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keep children engaged. Then, each piece must be edited to an ideal time limit of a minute or two. The goal is to engage and expose, but we have to keep in mind the short attention span in the audience.” This series of kinder concerts has become a popular attraction for the PGSO each year, with one concert focusing on percussion, one focusing on strings and woodwinds, and one focusing on the brass instruments. Each one has a storytelling structure built around it. “We can’t wait to continue this series into the future and see where it takes all of us,” said Parker. “The process has been fun, but also challenging. It is fun thinking like a kid again, and writing material that will make them laugh, entertain them, and educate them without it being obvi-

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I be told that since I love to debate and usually prefer the male conversation in the room that I was likely male? Would the normally confusing adolescent years result in removing my ability to bear children because a well-meaning but ill-informed advocate helped me discover my male identity? Would my parents, trying to support me, and seeing my many male tendencies, agree? The current clumsy handling of transgender advocacy and awareness is unfortunate. In efforts to create acceptance for gender diversity, we need to be careful to not give girls the message that their non-typical interests and strength are male characteristics. Girls should not ever feel the only solution for a strong, mechanically, minded girl, is to become a man. This would be an insidious form of misogyny. Let’s not revert to narrow ideas of femininity, where strength, boldness, and a preference for Tonka toys over Barbie dolls, will once again be the domain of men and boys. Efforts to accommodate and teach about gender diversity need to be carefully, scientifically, taught, so that we don’t damage another generation with incomplete or unscientific ideas about gender. I may not be the one in charge of how this is taught in schools or people’s homes, but I do have a right to speak up; loudly, decisively, with authority and boldly, in order to protect the gains of feminism. I may not fit the typical female box, but I am a woman. I want us all to see women as diverse and strong. Women and girls don’t need to be pigeon-holed back into neat and tidy boxes, just because we lack imagination in correcting historic wrongs.

KINDER CONCERT THIS SATURDAY Continued from page 10

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These are dangerous space treks fraught with villains and phenomena that could suck the orchestra into a black hole or blast them into another dimension. ous that they are being educated. I love creative projects, developing support characters and finding props to help with messages and story lines.” Captain Klein’s Next Adventure blasts off on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Prince George Playhouse. The musicians and the kids are all stars in this kinder event. Book passage on this musicianship by logging on to the Central Interior Tickets website.

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hange can be good, and is often needed to improve justice, but we need to be careful of unintended repercussions. As we work to improve the lives of transgender and intersex people, we need to have a broader imagination. As a child, being conservative Mennonite and all, I was taught a few role differences for men and women. Having babies and keeping house (usually) was for girls. Being a pastor and bringing home the bacon was (usually) for boys. One thing I was never told by my parents was that I should behave in a more feminine manner. My aunt tried to teach me feminine ways, but then she moved 7,000 kilometres away and thus was no longer much of an influence. As a result, I don’t know how to bat my eyes or look down demurely, nor do I step aside for a man approaching me on the sidewalk. I am protective, combative, frequently argue, find myself in disputes challenging authority and ask pointed questions. A hammer and nails, an oiling jug and bicycle chains, these are the things that kept me busy as a young girl. My favorite colours and patterns are bold, not soft and ruffled. Barbie? Well, I didn’t cry when my brothers bit off her toes, I was angry. Dolls and babies? Well, let’s just say it cost me some critical thinking when 17-year-old me found myself marrying a man who loves babies. Sometimes it seems that my sole claim to any shred of “femininity” or female quality is low upper body strength, the contrary ability to bear children easily and my body’s ability to squeeze every bit of energy out of every single calorie I consume. So, if my little self was in school today, what would I be told about who I was? Would I be encouraged to explore my identity on a broad spectrum of acceptable female qualities? Would I be encouraged to identity as potentially male? Would I be told that since my interests lay in non-traditionally feminine stereotypes, I was possibly not a girl? Would

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TERRIBLE, THANKS FOR ASKING Podcast helps people work through grief. THE WASHINGTON POST

MINNEAPOLIS — Tears spill down Nora McInerny’s face as she stares at the recording studio’s ceiling. “That was when the doctors told her the cancer was going to kill her,” the interviewee is saying. “Wow,” McInerny says, letting the word rest in the air. The pause stretches far beyond a comfortable one. McInerny has a pained look on her face, yet she appears every bit the polished modern woman: her blond hair is curled, her red lipstick is still in place and there is a scarf tied in a perfect knot around her neck. In another studio, she could be working on a show about the latest fashion trends or young women in the workplace. Instead, she’s hosting a podcast about the horrors that face humanity: cancer, suicide, sexual abuse, mass shootings. Welcome to Terrible, Thanks for Asking, the podcast about “the complicated nature of difficult experiences,” as McInerny says. Each week, the podcast digs deep. It allows listeners to think about the pain we live through, how we face it, tackle it, collapse under its weight. It gives permission to grieve, to go on living, to be happy and sad simultaneously. It’s about everything that life can throw at us and the myriad ways in which we must reimagine our lives. As McInerny writes in her newest book, No Happy Endings: A Memoir, “death is not the only time we start over.” And McInerny is an expert in the subject. Terrible, Thanks for Asking and all that has come after was born out of McInerny’s own grief. She launched it in 2016, as a 33-year-old single mom, just two years after losing her first husband, Aaron Purmort, to brain cancer. Weeks before Aaron died, she also suffered a miscarriage and watched her father die. Aaron’s obituary, which they wrote together, went viral, and people began contacting McInerny. “So many people... were reaching out to me, a complete stranger, in the middle of the night to talk about the worst thing that ever happened to them, and it wasn’t because they were all friendless or familyless,” she remembers. “It was just because the people around them were afraid to talk to them or didn’t want to remind them of their tragedy.” Episodes include guests such as a young man with cerebral palsy; a woman who almost died in a fire that killed her boyfriend; an emergency-room doctor who watched her husband die in the hospital where she works. Each story is filled with almost-unspeakable pain. And yet, the podcast has been listened to more than 14 million times.

Washington Post photo

Nora McInerny hosts a podcast about “the complicated nature of difficult experiences.” When Aaron was dying, the couple formed a nonprofit organization, Still Kickin, that gives no-strings-attached grants to people who are struggling. One recipient, a domestic violence survivor named Andi, recalls how the grant helped her move and support her family “during a very dark time.” This grant was “a bright light to me amidst so much darkness.”

Each week, the podcast digs deep. It allows listeners to think about the pain we live through, how we face it, tackle it, collapse under its weight. It gives permission to grieve, to go on living, to be happy and sad simultaneously. After Aaron died, she started the Hot Young Widow’s Club, an online group, where thousands of young widows and widowers voice their struggles and triumphs. In those first months after Aaron’s death, she wrote the book It’s

Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too) and started the podcast. No Happy Endings came out in late March. This spring, she is touring with Terrible, Thanks for Asking. McInerny’s goal is not to sensationalize death and tragedy. “I know how it feels to just be somebody’s sad story. Nobody wants to be a sad story,” McInerny says. Instead, she aims to make a show that is about understanding the complex mix of joy and pain experienced by one person. This means that if she’s doing a story, for example, about two law enforcement officers whose baby died of SIDS, she doesn’t spend weeks researching the various causes of infant death. Instead, she tries to understand an individual story. So McInerny lets the bereaved family talk with little interruption. The mother speaks through tears as she recalls seeing her husband the moment after tragedy hit. “All I could think of was hold it together,” she says, “because your husband just watched our son die.” Her authenticity has brought some unexpected voices to her podcast, such as Nation Hahn, who was drawn to the podcast because he felt she could tell his story in a way that other media had not. His episode, which focuses on how he processed the murder of his wife while being simultaneously thrust into a media

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spotlight, gave him a platform to tell his whole story. “I admire (McInerny) for her tenacity and willingness to explore tough issues while building community,” Hahn says. “As someone who is still very much experiencing grief years later, ‘Terrible, Thanks for Asking’ offers a path forward, helpful advice, and reminds me that I am not alone in the face of this terrible loss.” McInerny says her goal is to promote empathy instead of pity. So even though the topics she covers can be quite grim, the show itself is not. She laughs often while talking to guests and usually gets them to laugh, too. “I don’t want the show to be a relentless bummer,” she says. Still, she believes in the importance of facing difficult subjects head-on. “We do a really good job, especially the U.S., of making sure we avoid everything uncomfortable,” McInerny says. But running from pain is impossible, because “it will catch you eventually. So you might as well be open to the experience and open to witnessing those experiences in other people because someday something terrible is going to happen to you or to someone you love. Actually, that’s a guarantee.”

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COMING EVENTS

Home show The Northern B.C. Home and Garden Show, presented by the Canadian Home Builders Association of Northern B.C., runs Friday through Sunday at the Kin Centres. Hours are 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults (13 and up), free for kids under 12 and $6 for seniors and students.

Studio 2880 show Painter Darin Corbiere is the artist in the spotlight with his new exhibition at the Studio 2880 Feature Gallery. Entitled Seeing Things In A Different Light: Changing Perspectives, this special presentation of the Community Arts Council will run until May 9.

FanCon art duel An art duel crosses paintbrushes at the official FanCon Pre Party at the Pine Centre Mall. Stop by on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get a sneak peak of vendors, play games courtesy of Game Quest, have your face painted, get photos taken, and enjoy three rounds of a head-to-head art joust between local painters. The winner takes on celebrity superhero artist Andy Poon on the FanCon mainstage May 3-5.

Comedy fundraiser Improv Schmimprov comes to Artspace on Saturday. It’s the first show of 2019 for the local improv comedy group, and this one is a fundraiser for the Learning Differences Centre. New theatre games, new comedy sketches, new jokes, and $20 at the door to raise money for children with learning difficulties.

Indigenous art gala The annual Ying’hentzit First Nations Art Gala hosted by Carrier Sekani Family Services happens Saturday at the Uda Dune Baiyoh (House Of Ancestors). Celebrity musical host Murray Porter leads this night of sumptuous meal, art auction, and dancing. Local star painter Carla Joseph will do a live work of art for special auction. The featured artist among the many with works in the show is Trevor Angus, maker of Aboriginally themed jewelry. Tickets are $65 each or tables of eight for $500, available at Central Interior Tickets website. All proceeds to support arts and culture programs across numerous local First Nations.

PGSO concert The children of the city have been looking forward to Captain Klein’s Next Adventure, the sequel to the first Captain Klein concert event last year presented by the Prince George Symphony Orchestra. The

new tale, with its PGSO accompaniment, happens at the Playhouse on Saturday at 2 p.m. This show features the orchestra’s brass section, and it starts with Captain Klein on the moon making his way to earth, meeting interesting characters and having adventures along the way. Get tickets via the Central Interior Tickets website or at the door while supplies last.

“date night” symphony show at the Ramada Hotel ballroom at 7:30 p.m. on May 3 featuring the orchestra’s professional core as they play selections of jazz, classical and pop all while enjoying snacks and beverages. Tickets available via the Central Interior Tickets website.

Cantata gala

Northern FanCon is on. The city’s definitive pop-culture event takes over the CN Centre complex from May 3-5 with superstar guest Edward James Olmos, sci-fi star Amy Acker, original Hulk actor and strongman Lou Ferrigno, Hollywood favourite Alan Tudyk, and so many more from the world of acting, cosplay, film production, art, writing, and more. Tickets are on sale now at the Tickets North website or at the door.

The Cantata Singers continue to celebrate their 50th anniversary. On Sunday is their gala concert led by musical director Neil Wolfe and accompanist Maureen Nielsen entitled Curve Of Gold. This show is at the Playhouse starting at 7 p.m. with special guests School District 57 Tapestry Singers and several local guest musicians. A special commemorative piece, Life Has Loveliness to Sell, was composed by the group’s former musical director Gerda Blok-Wilson, especially for the 50th anniversary. Tickets are available at Studio 2880 and at the door.

Library exhibit The Federation of Canadian Artists has a members’ show on display at the Bob Harkins branch of the P.G. Public Library opening on May 1. This group exhibition by the Central Interior Chapter runs through the month of May.

6x6 art show The Best Damn Little Art Show Ever is coming up May 3 from 7-9 p.m. at Groop Gallery downtown (1127 3rd Ave.). This is the annual 6x6 art show and auction, where the artists are a mix of brand new and well established and all creations limited to six inches in any direction. It is a fundraiser and a great way to showcase the local arts scene. Tickets are $10 to attend, and participants are encouraged to bid, bid, bid. Advance tickets can be purchased at Studio 2880.

Ebbs on stage A new musical duo has formed from a pair of well-know Prince George performers. The Ebbs is comprised of soloist William Kuklis and Trundled band member Joe Shea. The pair brings years of experience creating and performing music, and combine a range of instruments and vocal harmonies. The Ebbs perform live at Trench Brewing & Distillery (399 2nd Ave) on May 3 from 8-10 p.m. Special musical guest Finn ScottNeff will also perform. There is no cover charge.

Symphony date night The PGSO presents Spring Breezes, a

FanCon beams in

Song geeks unite! Award-winning local vocal ensemble Nove Voce is hosting a night of geeking out with song. The choir will perform May 4 (yes, as in, May The Fourth Be With You) as a complementary show to Northern FanCon happening the same weekend. The choir will be at the Prince George Playhouse at 8 p.m. to sing selections from video games, and sci-fi franchises, “all your favourites including Star Trek, World of Warcraft, Harry Potter and so much more,” said director Robin Norman. Tickets are $20 at Books & Company or the door.

Mayor’s ball The Mayor’s Black & White Ball For The Arts happens May 4 at the Prince George Civic Centre, with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Attire is formal with a black and white colour theme. Purchase your tickets at the Theatre Northwest website. All money raised is shared between Theatre NorthWest, the Prince George Symphony Orchestra and the Community Arts Council.

Uganda dinner The 10th annual African Dinner happens May 4 at the Columbus Community Centre to raise funds for the Northern Uganda Development Foundation. Tickets to attend the dinner are available at Books & Company, at the UNBC Bookstore. Seats can also be purchased, or any form of support arranged by contacting Opio (250-961-9221 or chris@nudf.org) or fellow foundation member Andrea Byrne (andrea.nudf@gmail.com or 778-689-2160).

New moon Kirtan Fusion with Danielea Castell is a New Moon Ceremony involving chant, singing, dance, and sound weaving on May

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5 at 2 p.m. at the Zandra Ross Lifestyle Studio (575 Brunswick Street).

Kids play Theatre Northwest hosts the children’s play Jack And The Bean on May 9 and 10. Written by Linda Carson, directed by Kim Selody (both former PG theatre professionals), this is an enthralling new spin on the old story of Jack And The Beanstalk. Showtime is 6 p.m. both nights (get tickets online at the TNW website). Perfect for ages 3-9, fun for any age.

Quilt show On May 10 and 11, come see the biggest collection of quilts and quilt art of the year, presented by the Prince George Quilters’ Guild at their Fly Into Spring show and sale (this year the quilters will be demonstrating a kite theme). Tickets are $5. It includes vendors with quilting supplies, door prizes, raffles and more all at the Prince George Golf & Curling Club. Times are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

PGSO concert Art Of The Dance is the final mainstage show of the season for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, with a very special guest performer. Enjoy Lehar’s Merry Widow Waltz, Brahm’s Hungarian Dances, Marquez’ Danzon No. 2, Smetana’s Three Dance Episodes from Bartered Bride, and Strauss’s On the Beautiful Blue Danube. Also joining us for this evening will be the winner of the 2018-2019 Integris Youth Concerto Competition. The show is May 11 at the Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. Get tickets via the Central Interior Tickets website.

Rap night Omineca Arts Centre is the stage for A Night Of Rap & Rhymes on May 11 at 8 p.m. All welcome, tickets are sliding scale from $10-$20 at the door. Kids are welcome (licensed event). Bring your own poetry for the open mic component. Featured performers are telephone switches, The Brain Porter, theWETuntreatedCEDARshingle and GRIM.

Lake fundraiser May 11 is the Save The Lake fundraiser at the Westwood Pub, all money raised goes to purchase a weed harvester for Tabor Lake. Burgers and auction. If you have a business and can donate or help please call David Mothus at 250-961-7664.

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These kids are facing a decision to make about spending money. What would you do? These ZING sneakers are super popular with the kids at my school. But they cost $69 a pair!

With a BLUE crayon, circle the coins that add up to the amount shown on the top coin purse. Then, use a RED crayon to circle the coins that add up to the amount shown on the bottom coin purse. Have a family member check your work. You should have 5¢ left over if you circled the correct coins.

A lot of young movie stars wear the jeans at left. They are $80. The generic ones in the middle are $30. And the used pair at right is $8 at the thrift store.

These generic sneakers cost $29. They’re not nearly as fancy as the ZING sneakers, though.

Which pair of sneakers should Kevin choose? Give at least three reasons to explain your choice. Which pair of jeans should Emma choose? Give at least two reasons for your choice.

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How much money would you save if you put a nickel in a jar every day for a year?

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P U Z Z L E S

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How much money would you save in four weeks if you saved 5¢ a day the first week, 10¢ a day the second week, 15¢ a day the third week and 20¢ a day the fourth week?

PUZZLE 3

How much money would you save using the plan in Puzzle 2 and kept increasing the savings amount by 5¢ each week for 12 weeks?

Can you come up w ith a family fu n game night that costs $ 0? It All Adds Up

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How much money would you save using the plan in Puzzle 3 and kept increasing the savings amount by 5¢ each week for 26 weeks?

Find four 4-digit numbers in the newspaper. Copy the numbers onto a piece of paper and add them together. Repeat with 5-digit and 6-digit numbers. Standards Link: Math: Addition.

Newspaper coupons are a great way to save money. Circle the coupon that offers the best deal on each product.

Standards Link: Math/Number Sense: Calculate sums and differences.

DECISION GENERIC THRIFT CHOICE NICKEL MONEY STORE JEANS FRUIT MONTH SAVE DEAL ZING PAIR COST

Find the words in the puzzle. How many of them can you find on this page?

M O N T H T F H D D E C I O H C R A E E

E M O N E R U C A Y

Y G E N E R I C L O

Standards Link: Math: Add money amounts.

J E A N S S T F S E

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Z R L E K C I N E S

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PUZZLE

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SEE SOLUTION ON PAGE 18 97/16 IS A WEEKLY PRODUCT OF THE PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN

ARTS

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SPEECH ARTS FESTIVAL STARTS SATURDAY FRANK PEEBLES 97/16 staff

exciting. If more adults can take part, that will really resonate within the community. The words will rattle and roar, “We have definitely seen a growth whisper and wail in the spirit of in the participation of the schools,” constructive competition. she added. “I think we can credit Julie Each spring the Speech Arts and Fisher, she’s the arts coordinator for Drama Festival ushers in the warm School District 57 and I know she has weather with waves of odes and storms been trying to get teachers to get their of sonnets. This is the 37th edition of classrooms involved, especially in the the public speaking arts show, and choral speaking categories. Her job is to spokesperson Grace Arnott said the encourage the arts where she can, and event is on an upswing. the word is out that our festival is alive, “There are some categories where well and doing really well.” growth was really noticeable,” said The festival is structured to develop Arnott, one of the city’s speech arts the personal skills of public speaking coaches. “We had an increase in the and literature appreciation at the same number of adults this year, doing Relay Forthat’s Life really Prince George June 9 – 10, 2018 time.| It presents itself as a competition solo work or groups, and

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for reading and reciting works of poetry and prose, but floating under that surface fun are skills like personal confidence, strong communication abilities, and the charisma for bringing words and ideas to life. One of the city’s best known actors on the Canadian stage and screen grew up participating in the Prince George Speech Arts and Drama Festival, and she is coming back this year as one of the adjudicators for the competition. Alana Hawley-Purvis is a working actor (she was a regular actor in the famed Stratford Festival, co-star of the movie The Great Fear, plus many other credits) and she has been an instructor and adjudicator internationally, but

never lets Prince George fall from her attention. Joining her as the other adjudicator at this year’s competition is Nitisha Rajoo, who also has global experience as an actor, director and educator in the oratory arts. She is on the board of directors for the Jessie Richardson Awards, advises on drama education practices in schools, and leads a creative teens’ program at The Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver. The festival this year starts Saturday and runs to May 2. All sessions are scheduled for the Weldwood, Wintergarden and Canfor Theatres all at UNBC. Admission is by donation and program booklets are for sale for $8 each. The competitors are aged seven and older. Some are working towards attaining higher levels in the Royal Conservatory of Music’s speech arts program, while others are simply having some personal fun. “There are more than 370 separate entries this year,” said Arnott. “This is one of the largest volunteer-run, professionally adjudicated Speech Arts and Drama Festivals in all of Canada.” Some of the participants, depending on age and category, will go on to compete at the provincial level May 26-30 this year held in Chilliwack.

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