Gateway - Nov 2015 - Gift Guide

GATEWAY

Gift Guide HOLIDAY

Thursday, November 12, 2015

FanCon, Cougars team up for superhero action

N

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca orthern FanCon is having its night with fans of a different sort – hockey fans.

At the Nov. 28 Cougars game, the popular culture extravaganza that took the city by storm last spring will join the force of the New Ice Age. “CN Centre will see more than hockey players in masks and helmets,” said Melissa Layton, manager of ticketing and marketing for the Prince George Cougars WHL hockey team. “Fans are encouraged to dress up as their favourite characters on November 28th with an array of prizes and giveaways to be won for those who attend dressed in costume. The Cougars face off against the Kamloops Blazers so if you don’t have a costume, wear the ugliest blazer you can find.”

Cosplay – dressing as characters from movies, TV, comics and video games – erupted at FanCon in May. From out of the city’s strangest closets came super heroes, gamer characters, Star Wars and Star Trek personnel, all descrip-

Image by Trevor Moore of T. Moore Photography

This image shows one of the Prince George Cougars as the Green Lantern. tion of movie, game, book, TV and comic personalities. This Cougars game aims to be the most flamboyantly dressed ever, with a cosplay event at centre ice during intermission.

“We have more than 20 cosplayers confirm with me that they’ll be there, so that will make it an event unto itself that night, and who knows who’ll come in costume to

be part of that,” said Norm Coyne, principal organizer of FanCon for Citizen Special Events.

“Having the Cougars invite us to join them, and all the enthusiasm for that, that we’re getting from the cosplayers, it just speaks to the magnitude, the depth of impact, that FanCon has had on the community when we are now not just a single event

on three days in May, but we are having events about the event,” Coyne said.

“The Cougars is the biggest ongoing entertainment/sports event that Prince George has, so it’s a great combination. And the fans at FanCon aren’t necessarily going to Cougars games, and Cougars fans aren’t necessarily the ones who went to the first FanCon, so this is a great way to activate both sets of fans together and build that relationship, which is really a community relationship.”

The game will also have an onsite arcade courtesy of Game Quest, and a selection of FanCon exhibitors like the Great White Toys, Comics & Games area.

Many prizes will be up for grabs, especially a FanCon2016 Golden Pass which allows the holder to get in behind the FanCon scenes and closer to the celebrity action.

Last year’s special guests included Tia Carrere, Giancarlo Esposito, Isaiash Mustafa, Jewel Staite, and William Shatner (among others).

The Cougars players are getting involved, too. Several of the team’s young stars have posed as their favourite super heroes and these metahuman composite images (all

by Trevor Moore of T. Moore Photography) will be revealed in The Citizen before Nov. 28.

2

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Late fate Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca

Side-by-side, Andrew Stiller’s hands flat on the table, two words form in years-old ink: late fate. At 17, he had an ex-girlfriend

Citizen file photo

Andrew Stiller got his Dogwood diploma while receiving treatment at Baldy Hughes for addiction. Now he’s pursuing psychology at CNC.

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

3

tattoo the thin block letters just below his knuckles. At the time, Stiller was in the throes of his addiction. In Grade 9, he started using alcohol and drugs, including methamphetamine.

— see ‘IT’S JUST,’ page 4

4

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘It’s just a terrible, terrible disease’ — from page 3 “Growing up as a kid I felt like my future was much brighter than just being a drug addict, but unfortunately for the foreseeable future that’s all I could see,” said Stiller, now 24, a psychology student at College of New Caledonia and clean for more than two years.

“I kind of had those as a reminder that one day I would have a better fate or destiny.”

By Grade 11, he was a dropout. At 21, he was homeless. All his resources had run out, and still he spent his meagre funds on the next fix. No one would choose that life, he said.

“It’s just a terrible, terrible disease,” said Stiller, sitting on a bench on CNC’s front lawn, sun in the sky. “I think it’s what every

alcoholic and addict experiences, it’s just like an eternal sense of hopelessness.

“You don’t really realize how fast your life slips away. You focus on the next high and the next drink and then you almost wake up out of a fog,” he said. “All those dreams that you have growing up as a kid, through addiction you just eventually accept that those dreams aren’t really possible anymore.”

That started to change when Stiller, after his stint on Victoria’s streets, moved to Baldy Hughes, the Prince George-based treatment centre.

There Stiller met Peter Goudal, vice principal of the Centre for Learning Alternatives, and the man responsible for bringing a high school graduation program to the centre.

— see MAJORITY OF, page 5

GATEWAYnews

Majority of Baldy Hughes clients high school dropouts — from page 4 It launched in 2008, when Goudal was revising a similar program at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre and found that a lot of the youth had addictions problems.

At Baldy Hughes, the statistics were similarly stark.

“It was around 60 per cent of the men residing at Baldy Hughes had not graduated (from high school),” Goudal said.

The men take three elective courses on the site: Planning 12, which also ties into their recovery plan; a PE credit using the centre’s gym and recreation facilities; and a work experience portion.

Every Tuesday, Goudal is out there working with the men on English and math skills for the final two courses.

Goudal estimated Stiller is one of about 450 who have enrolled in the program over the past seven years. More than 60 have earned a Dogwood Diploma – a rate that Goudal considers a success.

“The harsh reality is, it is still dealing with a disease and not everybody makes it through that,” said Goudal. “We just try to help and support and network the best. “(Some students) have flourished and others are still struggling.”

Stiller credits people like Goudal for his transformation.

“I’m just some regular meth head that got a lucky break, really. It was basically because of the people in my life and the positive supports in the community and people like Peter,” Stiller said.

— see ‘COMING BACK’, page 6

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

5

6

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘Coming back to school has been the best choice that I’ve made’ — from page 5 “Graduating for me was that first step of actually getting back to having goals and ambitions,” he said. “Without graduation you can’t go back to college, you can’t advance yourself.”

Even so, Stiller relapsed after leaving Baldy Hughes the first time. Then he was back six months later in March 2013 and stayed the full year. This time he was more receptive to the advice of counsellors.

“Taking advantage of the resources along with that mindset was for me what did it,” said Stiller, who had enrolled in CNC by the end of the treatment program.

The support at Baldy Hughes is incredible, said Stiller; when counsellors found out he was pursuing psychology, they donated their old textbooks.

Both Stiller and Goudal speak highly of each other.

“Peter’s phenomenal,” Stiller said.

“The things that Peter does for that place, you really get to see what people’s hearts are made of.”

Meanwhile, Goudal said he’s passionate about removing barriers to education and making a difference with people who struggle.

“I think human beings are very resilient,” said Goudal, who said some of the biggest barriers for addicts can be how society stereotypes them. “They’re capable of achieving great things, once they get on a path, a direction.”

For Stiller, that direction came with his Dogwood, giving him the opportunity to grasp again at the dreams of his childhood.

“For me, it made all the difference,” Stiller said. “Coming back to school has been the best choice that I’ve made with my life other than getting clean.”

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

7

8

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Northern Health planning for surge in seniors Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca

A

s the north wrestles with a rapidly aging population, Northern Health has developed a five-year seniors’ health action plan to address the growing needs of those over 65.

In the next 15 years, that group will see a 78 per cent jump in their numbers. Compare that to a total population increase of seven per cent in the same time frame.

To address that influx, Northern Health has broken down its strategy into three areas of focus: supporting more age-friendly communities, providing integrated primary and community care for early recognition

of frail seniors, and taking a rehabilitative approach to hospital and residential care.

“It’s about living in the community and being healthy in the community and what we can do in the primary care environment to support people earlier and ensure we have the proper community supports in place,” said health authority CEO Cathy Ulrich in an interview with area reporters after its board meeting on Oct. 21.

That’s because the vast majority of seniors prefer to remain independent as long as possible.

“The principal aim is to assist seniors to live well, retain their independence, and where possible, to avoid or minimize the duration of hospital stays,” the report said.

— see NO MONEY, page 9

GATEWAYnews

No money allocated for seniors plan, housing — from page 8 The board plans to achieve these goals without a stated increase in residential care beds, despite projecting an increase in demand for them, and “within the existing funding envelope” – no dollar amount is connected to the plan.

“A number of these programs can be done within existing resources. It’s about changing the way that we work,” Ulrich said.

“I am not as confident of that,” said Isobel Mackenzie, the B.C. seniors’ advocate.

“I am not saying it absolutely can’t be done but I am cautiously optimistic that they could do that.”

Mackenzie’s initial response to the outline was positive.

“It’s actually paralleling a lot of what I am saying,” said Mackenzie by phone Thursday from a Terrace parking lot on her way to

Mackenzie Smithers for work.

— see DEMAND FOR, page 10

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

9

10

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Demand for residential care exceeds supply — from page 9 “Seeing how these objectives are achieved and measuring how effectively we’ve achieved them, that’s the harder part.

“It’s very encouraging to see recognition of things like transportation and housing as

key elements of determining the health of seniors,” said Mackenzie, in reference to the first focus: community.

Two thirds of people over the age of 85 live independently without any standardized public health support, she said.

“When you think of it that way, you realize there’s a lot of things supporting healthy aging that’s not directly in the healthcare system,” she said, and while a health authority can’t control those factors, it can lobby the provincial government “about the costs that are coming into the healthcare system that could be diverted if we had less costly support for seniors before they come into the system.”

Residential care In two years, based on its current service realty, Northern Health projected it would need 1,441 beds to keep up with demand for residential care. It has 1,092 right now.

That comes as no surprise to Mackenzie.

“When we look at the wait times for residential care beds in northern health, they are astronomically greater than the rest of

B.C.,” said Mackenzie, giving data to show how far off it is from the provincial rates: northerners, on average, wait about 120 days for residential care, she said.

The average province-wide is 36.

In the north, 27 per cent are admitted within 30 days of assessment compared to 67 per cent for the rest of the province.

Prince George has, by far, the longest wait times, followed by Dawson Creek.

“It is a gap so I think (we need to be) looking at what’s creating that extra waiting time,” Mackenzie said. “Part of it is that there may be some beds occupied by people who could live in community with either with home support or assisted living.”

Northern Health’s action plan doesn’t commit to creating any more beds – the goal of the plan is to provide better care elsewhere to reduce demand.

— see CHANGES COMING, page 12

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

11

12

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Changes coming for home support services — from page 10 Mackenzie said that isn’t necessarily a bad idea.

“There are numbers that say in Northern Health there’s up to 25 per cent in residential care who could under certain circumstances live in assisted living or in the

community with enhanced supports.”

One solution Mackenzie’s office is pushing requires legislative change. It deals with how the province describes assisted living.

A senior can only get help with two of six categories of care that fall under “prescribed services.”

The key issue is whether the senior can direct their care, Mackenzie argued, and not whether the nature of care fits more than two of the six “prescribed” categories.

“We’ve already said it’s OK to need that service,” she said. “I think there is a dividing line around ability to direct. “Even if you find 10 per cent in Northern Health, shifting them from residential care to assisted is going to free up your beds right there.”

Home support Northern Health’s plan said it hopes to standardize home support, but provided little detail.

“There will be changes coming, I just don’t think we’re ready yet to predict what those might be, because we will use an engagement process with staff and the unions around how we do that work,” Ulrich said.

Northern Health has adult daycare prob-

lems, respite beds in its residential facilities for families that need short term care for elder loved ones and said it plans on training staff to better understand geriatrics and gerontology.

Training people to execute the plan isn’t the problem; rather it’s finding people in the first place.

Mackenzie said the north faces unique workforce challenges when it comes to home care workers. Whereas in the Lower Mainland a $20- to $22-an-hour job that requires a nine-month certificate might be considered, that’s not the case in a resourcerich economy.

“There is this unique phenomenon up here in these resource towns where they’re pulling out of the very workforce you’d be tapping into – (the workforce) is getting pulled out to these lower-skilled but highpaying jobs.”

— see ‘I THINK’, page 13

GATEWAYnews

‘I think there’s frustration amongst many seniors’ — from page 12 Northern Health launched the plan after consultations with families, seniors, advocacy groups and providers in 2013.

But Lorna Dittmar, chair of the Prince George Council of Seniors advocacy group, said she wasn’t satisfied with the discussion around the home support system. “(It’s) really broken because what happens is they keep bringing new people in the time,” said Dittmar, who hadn’t yet read the final plan.

“There was no consistency.”

Dittmar said she’d like to see more training – and a job description for home care workers “to be more person-centred.”

“Sometimes somebody wants you to have a cup of tea or a little chat – that keeps seniors healthier than anything else. Really and truly. Getting your bum washed and getting yourself dressed is very nice but it’s nice to have somebody to have a chat with you,” she said.

“That doesn’t happen. They’re in and out.”

Mackenzie echoed those sentiments from conversations she’s had.

“I think there’s frustration amongst many seniors that the home support program delivers what they don’t need but doesn’t deliver what they do need,” she said. “We’ve become very prescriptive in a care plan for home support.”

Mackenzie, meanwhile, said she was encouraged that Northern Health has started to recognize support for “burned-out caregivers” and its use of the term “flexible” to describe its new approach to support. For Dittmar, it’s a simple solution: “Look to families first and see what you can do to help them look after a parent and humanize your services because that’s more critical than anything. It truly is.”

News tip?

Call 250-562-2441, local 2759

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

13

14

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Prostate cancer survivor saved by annual exam Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca

H

is grandfather and uncle both died from prostate cancer so Ray Anderson knew he had to be vigilant.

Monitoring his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA numbers, through a blood test and having the digital rectal exam (DRE) done at the doctor’s office every year found Anderson’s prostate cancer early.

“The most important part of surviving any cancer is early detection,” said Anderson, 65, who also credits the medical team and support from his family, especially his wife Linda, for his successful treatment and recovery.

To help get the word out loud and clear about early detection, the Rotary Club of Prince George raised funds for men’s health by hosting the Big Blue Ball, a denimformal wear fundraising event held at the Coast Inn of the North on Nov. 7.

The Rotary club has a community men’s health initiative which includes a Men’s Health Day that more than 200 men have already attended. The mission for the Rotary club is to increase awareness of prostate cancer and also invite those in need to attend the Prince George Prostate Cancer Support Group – they can even bring a friend or their partner to the meetings that take place at the Kordyban Lodge, which is a fabulous facility said Anderson, who attends the support group meetings regularly.

— see ‘GOING TO SEE HIM’, page 16

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

15

16

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘Going to see him was probably my life saver’ — from page 14 In 2008 a lump was discovered during Anderson’s digital rectal exam. Anderson was sent to a urologist who performed a biopsy and found three of five samples proved positive for cancer.

It was recommended that Anderson go to Vancouver as the Canadian Cancer Society’s Centre for the North was not open in Prince George in 2008.

It would open Nov. 1, 2012.

Anderson was sent to Dr. Martin Gleave, clinician-scientist and urologic surgeon, professor and head of the department of urologic sciences at the University of British Columbia.

“Going to see him was probably my life saver,” said Anderson. “It was a very good team and he suggested we do the surgery.

It was a radical prostatectomy where the prostate is removed.”

He thought everything was going to be fine after that.

In 2012 his PSA numbers started to move

once again.

“I’m not a doctor so from what I understand there were some cancer cells that were active where my prostate had been,” said Anderson. “More really good people came to bat for me again and it was really close to the cancer clinic opening in Prince George but it wasn’t open yet so I went back to Dr. Gleave.”

It was time to take the next step. Anderson opted for a seven-week treatment plan for 33 rounds of radiation.

“It was all good,” said Anderson.

“I learned about positive thinking and I met some very strong-willed people and the staff were super good and very positive.

It was a whole new world to me. I didn’t suffer very much from the radiation and I never had any side effects – no sickness or anything. I did enjoy my time in Vancouver.

I was close to Granville Island and I spent a lot of time walking and thinking and then I came home.”

— see ‘EARLY DETECTION,’ page 17

GATEWAYnews

Citizen file photo

Ray Anderson is a prostate cancer survivor.

‘Early detection is everybody’s best chance’

— from page 16 Anderson keeps getting his PSA tests and immediately after treatment he was having follow ups every three months and now he gets checked every six months.

“Here I am now with the Prostate Support Group and it’s a good thing for the people of Prince George,” said Anderson.

“It’s a really good, positive thing and we’re wishing for more members. I know there’s a lot of people with prostate cancer in Prince George and we’d like to see them come out.”

Anderson said he knows it’s hard for some men to face the fact that they might need to have their prostate checked regularly.

“We need to get off our butts and say look it, I need to take care of myself,” said Anderson.

“I really would like to see a lot more guys step up to the plate. I’ve seen many men pass on because of prostate cancer because they didn’t deal with it when the problems started. I was very fortunate to catch it early because that’s the key to survival. Early detection is everybody’s best chance.”

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

17

18

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Cancelled surgeries due to staff shortage: nurses Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca

A

t least 27 elective surgeries have been cancelled in the last two months, leaving operating rooms empty at the University Hospital of Northern B.C., according to numbers compiled by the B.C. Nurses Union.

“It was due to short staffing of (operating room) nurses,” said Veronica Lokken, union representative for the northeast region.

“There is not enough OR-trained staff.”

In September, 19 elective surgeries were cut and between eight and 10 had been cancelled in Prince George by mid-October.

Northern Health spokesman Jonathon Dyck said he couldn’t confirm the numbers or why the surgeries had been cancelled, but acknowledged operating room staffing is a problem across the province.

“We are working on stabilizing staffing in the operating room in Prince George by adding staff to the team and providing additional training opportunities,” Dyck said.

“Recruitment for operating room nurses is a challenge not just in northern B.C. but nationally and internationally so it’s something to keep in mind.

“We look at creative ideas to be able to do that.”

He added a number of factors could go into rescheduling surgeries.

— see ‘THIS ISN’T,’ page 22

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

19

20

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

21

22

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘This isn’t going to be solved by tomorrow’ — from page 18 “Elective surgeries may be postponed for patients for a number of reasons including an unexpected emergency surgery, or unexpected illness from the surgeon or nursing team,” he said, including other scheduling

conflicts, like vacations. “We have to make sure we have the appropriate team available. It’s not just about having the space.”

That staffing levels can’t respond to those leaves is part of the problem, Lokken said.

“They need to replace those nurses,” she

said. “You can’t just be a surgical nurse and go work in the OR. You need that specialty training so unless they train specialty nurses, these problems are going to continue.”

Lokken said it was important to recognize the cancellations represent elective – not emergency – surgeries.

“They’re not life or limb surgeries,” she said, but said losing elective surgeries is still concerning for patients.

“They are important because it’s our seniors who need their cataracts removed,” she said, as an example of the type of surgery that could be cancelled.

“The main thing is safe staffing, we need the amount of nurses to do the right kind of care. It’s all over the place, it’s not just Northern Health and they’re trying to fix the problem,” she said.

Dyck said Northern Health currently has nine nurses taking operating room courses

The main thing is safe staffing, we need the amount of nurses to do the right kind of care. It’s all over the place, it’s not just Northern Health and they’re trying to fix the problem.

— Veronica Lokken, B.C. Nurses Union as part of a training program it has offered for the last two years.

“It’s up to three months training,” Lokken said. “This isn’t going to be solved by tomorrow. It will take awhile before we can get these nurses trained.”

GATEWAYnews

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

AP file photo

Nine-year-old Kim Phúc, center, runs with her brothers and cousins, followed by South Vietnamese forces, down Route 1 near Trang Bang after a South Vietnamese plane accidentally dropped napalm on its own troops and civilians on June 8, 1972. The terrified girl had ripped off her burning clothes while fleeing.

‘Girl in the Picture’to speak at Ewert dinner Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

T

he subject of one of the Vietnam War era’s most iconic photos will be the guest speaker at next spring’s Dr. Bob Ewert Memorial Lecture.

Kim Phúc was the nine-year-old child depicted in a photo running naked along a road after being severely burned in a South Vietnamese napalm attack.

Taken on June 8, 1972, the image won Associated Press photographer Nick Ut a Pulitzer Prize and, for many, brought home the horrors of the conflict.

Phúc is now a Canadian citizen, living in Ajax, Ontario and, in 1997, she established the Kim Phúc Foundation with the aim of providing medical and psychological assistance to child victims of war.

There is also a local connection.

Phúc was the subject of a book – The Girl in the Picture: The Story

PHúC of Kim Phúc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War – authored

by Prince George-born journalist Denise Chong.

Chong received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Northern British Columbia in 2001.

— see ‘KIM PHÚC,’ page 24

Have a news tip?

Call 250-562-2441, local 2759

23

24

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘Kim Phúc is truly an inspirational figure’ — from page 23 “Kim Phúc is truly an inspirational figure who has overcome great tragedy and adversity, yet remains steadfast in giving back to community and sharing her experiences in order to help others,” said Dr. David Nelson, president of the Northern Medical Society.

“Her heartrending place in history and riveting personal story will provide a powerful keynote address at our next Ewert Dinner.”

Set for April 2, 2016 at the Civic Centre, the annual event honours Dr. Bob Ewert, the first medical specialist in Prince George, and is the largest annual fundraiser for the Northern Medical Programs Trust.

The Trust provides financial support for

students at UNBC so that they gain experiences in the north that encourage their pursuit of careers in rural health care. To date, the Trust has provided more than 450 grants to help more than 250 students.

“Thanks to the Trust, I and a fellow student had a very informative shadowing opportunity in Vanderhoof, helping us get to know what practicing and living there might be like,” said Gisele Adam, a secondyear Northern Medical Program student.

Tickets cost $125 each or $1,200 for a table of 10, and are available from the Office of Development at UNBC online at www.unbc.ca/giving.

For more information contact the UNBC Development Office at 250-960-5750 or giving@unbc.ca.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

25

26

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

The wonders of wood Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

T

he building has a name that has to be lived up to, and Emily Carr University is already well on its way to being the innovators of wood design called for in that title.

The Vancouver-based university is moving in and setting up its engineering programs that will focus on ways of making wood work for society well beyond lumber and linear furniture.

It’s something their faculty has been catalyzing for years, and it is anticipated to reach new heights with a UNBC partnership and industry connections in the heart of the forest industry – at the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in downtown Prince George.

It’s where art and industry come together,

with a wooden foundation for the future.

“I was hired to bring a wood component into our design programs at the Granville Island campus,” said Christian Blyt, a longtime and award-winning associate professor at ECU. “They wanted to have design being applied at a higher level to the provincial fibre supply. They wanted to infuse entrepreneurship into the forest industry, to move the thinking way off to the side of lumber.”

Blyt will now be one of the principal minds bringing that train of thought to the new Prince George station.

He said the possibilities for wood were almost endless, because of its obvious properties of rigid surfaces easy to shape but construction-grade strong.

But what about the building blocks of wood, like the organic compound lignin?

— see INNOVATIVE, page 27

GATEWAYnews

Innovative designs, tradition material — from page 26 If 3D printers were using similar stuff to create tactile objects, why couldn’t wood lignin – a cellular organic polymer – become such a material?

He pointed to some of the things wood was already being used for, in the hands of ECU students. A miniature prototype was on display of a wooden outdoor playground structure that had parts set on springs and interconnected with hinged walkways. Kids could conceivably play a game of grounders in which all the suspended streets and avenues moved multiple directions – safely – under their feet as they ran and delved in delight. More than playground entertainment, it is also a subliminal physiotherapy tool, adding layers of fitness to the common scurrying around on normal outdoor adventure structures.

Also nearby was a lamp all of wood sitting prominently in the room. It was sleek and

attractive, almost a piece of minimalist sculpture, and its bulb was LED so as to be cold to the wood’s touch. What was most remarkable was the way you could swivel the light’s head all around its axis post.

How was this possible? Many lamps do this but only to the point the wires twist to their limit. The secret is: no twisting wires.

By using the plugs from a guitar pickup, the lamp’s bulb could spin on its base all day long with no mechanical impediment. It’s simple, yet revolutionary.

“Our students learn from getting their hands dirty, and using materials,” said Blyt.

“Then you figure out what to do with the materials. How do you apply it to design?

The material informs the design, instead of the other way around – getting a design idea in your head then trying to figure out how to build it. It’s a reversal of the usual direction of a design course.”

— see ONLINE GAME, page 28

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

27

28

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Online game inspires real-world design — from page 27 The innovation flows not only from the ECU students. Like a science professor has to do research to maintain relevance in the classroom, or an English professor has to produce poetry and prose, these design instructors have to work on their own inventions using the tools and materials of their ECU labs.

Haig Armen, associate professor of design, for example, is out on the cutting edge of parental safeguards for the video game generation, and wood plays a part in his technological advancement – a simple machine already set for the retail market and getting international tech-media attention.

“Minecraft is not mindless gaming,” he said, referring to the world’s most popular online activity among kids these days.

“It is virtual Lego, and you build with it

in the computer or personal gaming device platforms, collaborating with other builders online. Teachers are now using Minecraft as a classroom teaching tool, because of that construction and design basis it has, and that interactivity.”

His own son loved Minecraft, but he had his gaming innocence punctured by a “griefer.” Just as there are throngs of peers eager to help you build your Minecraft structures and societies, there are a few vandals too. These “griefers” will pretend to be your friend (they are anonymous online strangers, just like the legitimate game players), then implant destructive commands into the scenes people are building.

Imagine building an intricate sand castle at the beach, someone comes along and offers to help, but instead pours water on the tallest tower and runs away laughing.

— see ‘DESIGN,’ page 30

Citizen file photo

Emily Carr University’s professor Haig Armen shows off his wooden computer component – the Mineblock – which helps protect kids playing the online game Minecraft.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

29

30

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘Design is the lost component in the world of engineering’ — from page 28 When his young son got hit by a griefer, Armen’s professorial mind started whirring.

“The problem I found was, Minecraft and all those multiplayer games are open to inappropriate behavior that children can be exposed to,” he said.

He created an attachment that plugs into your computer that acts as a gatekeeper.

Only trusted and invited other players get to have access to your Minecraft game. It is a collection of circuits, plastic and wood.

It is small, light, cost-effective to replicate and so it is cheap for the consumer.

He is therefore able to bring an innovative wood product to the classroom, as a practical example of what they can do with the stuff of trees, complete with a business case.

“You need tech folks to figure out the machinery, business folks to figure out the assembly line and marketing and distribution, you have intellectuals on the engineering side to determine what the consumer actually wants and then try to provide that before the customer even asks for it. We teach that,” he said.

Even before ECU opened its doors, their

students were already succeeding here.

One set of design students pitched their classroom project at a Startup event in this city, and ended up obtaining $50,000 in outside investment to make their project into an actual consumer product.

Imagine what will happen when those projects are being pumped out the WIDC doors in numbers, every year.

“Design is the lost component in the world of engineering and fabrication,” said Armen.

“And that is what we do. UNBC is going to develop the culture of engineering, and

we will be right alongside them helping to teach the design skills that will complement the raw engineering and the raw business culture UNBC is working on.”

“I really like connecting real life with learning interests,” said Blyt.

“It is so important for students to get practical applications learned in a safe, supervised environment where they can make mistakes that will inform them, not destroy them, and experience the successes that will propel them forward into professions and interests that will benefit them and the community.”

GATEWAYnews

Bridging the waters Samantha WRIGHT ALLEN Citizen staff sallen@pgcitizen.ca

A

new roundtable focused on the Nechako watershed launched in October, bringing together researchers, government and conservation groups.

The idea for the Nechako Watershed Roundtable emerged out of different groups wanting to connect and promote a healthy communities.

“The purpose is just that to protect and enhance the health of the Nechako watershed and the region overall,” said Steve Litke, Fraser Basin Council’s senior program manager.

The Oct. 21 launch party and discussion the following day saw “a good mix” of participants, including local government, First Nations, non governmental organizations,

UNBC’s integrated watershed research group, Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other federal and provincial ministries.

The discussion supported a number of the issues outlined in the non-profit’s March 2015 Nechako Watershed Health Report, Litke said.

“There were a number of interests of water flows, both in terms of maintaining levels for fisheries habitat and keeping warm temperatures at a cooler state for freshwater habitat.

“But also high flows in terms of some of the flooding and erosion challenges that occur.

Watershed health also covers aquatic habitat, including recovery efforts around the endangered white sturgeon, which hasn’t spawned successfully in the Nechako for more than 40 years.

— see CLIMATE CHANGE, page 32

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

31

32

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Climate change, pine beetle threaten watershed — from page 31 According to the Nechako White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative, water flow, sedimentation, and temperature are all believed to have affected its spawning conditions.

“Climate change is certainly one that is emerging and of increasing interest and how that impacts on hydrology and water resources in the region,” added Litke.

The devastation caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle has also affected watersheds, particularly through salvage logging.

“If there’s change in cover from a dense forest to a clear area then when there’s precipitation – snow or rain – that runs off the surface into streams and rivers and lakes more rapidly, and often there can be more erosion,” explained Litke, which brings about “the need to restore those forests to

Climate change is certainly one that is emerging and of increasing interest and how that impacts on hydrology and water resources in the region.

— Steve Litke, Fraser Basin Council ensure healthy watersheds.”

Wildfires also contributed to deforestation. The March report noted the biggest B.C. wildfires in 2014 and 2010 happened in the Nechako watershed.

— see ROUNDTABLE, page 35

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

33

34

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Roundtable about collaboration — from page 32 One of the report’s recommendations was to create “multi-interest process” to both review its findings and identify strategies to improve, which the roundtable was created to accomplish.

“The roundtable is not really about coordinating each and every action that’s on the ground,” Litke cautioned.

He said he expects the roundtable will meet a couple times a year, with a core committee taking on a more active role.

“It’s really an attempt to increase the level of collaboration and make some connections where that makes sense and perhaps fill some gaps that aren’t being addressed currently.”

Litke also acknowledged the work of UNBC researchers, which have been working on the watershed for 20 years.

Faculty members include Margot Parkes,

Ellen Petticrew, Phil Owens, and Stephen Déry, who “are taking an inter-disciplinary approach and examining important issues ranging from water security and climate change to sediment sources and dynamics,” said a UNBC statement.

The roundtable offers another opportunity for researchers to reach out to affected groups and better understand the needs of watershed users.

“The roundtable will also be an excellent venue where researchers can share their findings with other groups who are committed to the ongoing sustainability of the watershed,” the university statement said.

Litke said he was excited and “just really inspired by the good will in the room and the really constructive tone, and I guess the passion of people and their interest in healthy watershed and healthy communities going forward.”

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

35

36

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

Crisis management Charelle EVELYN Citizen staff cevelyn@pgcitizen.ca

F

or the staff and volunteers at the Crisis Centre for Northern B.C., it’s OK to cry over spilled milk.

Those who man the phone lines are trained to look beyond what may not seem like a textbook definition of crisis and help callers identify what really prompted them to reach out for help.

— see ‘SO REALLY, page 37

Citizen file photo

Crisis Centre for Northern B.C. executive director Sandra Boulianne and program co-ordinator Megan Usipuik sit in the centre’s phone room on Oct. 26.

GATEWAYnews

‘So, really, a crisis is different to every person’ — from page 36 “If a person calls and they’re hysterical and upset about dropping a pizza on the floor the majority of people would look at that and go ‘it’s just a pizza, pick it up, get another one, etc., it’s not that big of a deal,’” said Megan Usipuik, Crisis Centre program co-ordinator, using a scenario employed during volunteer training. “But to them, if you go into their history, or what led up to that point, that can be a huge deal to somebody who can’t afford another pizza, who saved up all week for that pizza, who made a big celebration around this and then that happens. So, really, a crisis is different to every person.”

It’s this kind of welcoming ear and open mind that has fueled the Crisis Centre (of-

ficially the Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre for Northern B.C.) through its 45-year history, which they celebrated during the centre’s annual general meeting on Oct. 27.

First incorporated in 1970 as the Prince George Crisis Intervention Society, the centre has grown from a grassroots operation on George Street that sheltered the homeless and answered calls to one that now covers the entire northern portion of the province from Quesnel.

From their office at the top floor of the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, volunteer and staff crisis line workers answer phone calls from various streams 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

— see ‘IT’S PROBABLY, page 38

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

37

38

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5

GATEWAYnews

‘It’s probably the most fulfilling volunteer work I’ve ever done’ — from page 37 There’s a crisis line for anyone who needs a listening ear, a suicide-specific phone line and lines for mental health support and youth support.

There’s also a youth online chat available between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. everyday.

Suzanne LeBlanc is one of the centre’s current 27 volunteers who has gone through the rigorous process (including 60 hours of classroom and practical training) required before being allowed to take calls.

At a point in her life where she had more time to devote to giving back, LeBlanc said she was looking for something meaningful before coming on board in April.

“I think that we all have had those periods in our lives where being able to reach out and just talk to somebody who’s listening would make a huge difference,” LeBlanc said.

“I can’t think of anything more meaningful than being there for somebody who’s got a crisis or is in need of just that ear to listen. It’s been incredibly fulfilling – I think it’s probably the most fulfilling volunteer work I’ve ever done.”

Those who work for or donate their time to the Crisis Centre stress that they’re not counselors, nor are they problem solvers.

Rather, they provide short-term, confidential support for people in a time of distress and can offer information and referrals to resources if asked.

And unless it’s a high-risk, emergency situation, crisis line workers aren’t going to call the police or send for an ambulance for those calling the suicide line, either.

“We’re there to listen to them and help them and safety plan with them and keep them safe,” said Usipuik, adding that for some people in crisis, being at home where

they’re in control is better in an individual case as opposed to being restrained to a hospital.

It’s an intense experience for executive director Sandra Boulianne, who, since first coming on board with the centre as programming co-ordinator 3 1/2 years ago, hasn’t given up her no-longer-mandatory phone line shifts.

“And I love the intensity,” said Boulianne of the experience.

“It scared me at first, but I find it’s really rewarding and it’s something that I didn’t want to let go of.”

Having someone tell her that she saved their life is the most powerful thing Usipuik said she’s ever heard – even if it’s not strictly accurate.

“It was them – (the caller) saved their life. But it’s very powerful to hear that,” she said.

I think that we all have had those periods in our lives where being able to reach out and just talk to somebody who’s listening would make a huge difference. I can’t think of anything more meaningful than being there for somebody who’s got a crisis or is in need of just that ear to listen.

— Suzanne LeBlanc, Crisis centre volunteer

Thursday, November 12, 2015

|

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . cA

39

40

w w w . pgc i t i z e n . c a | T h u r s d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5