Gateway to the North

august 2018

Theatre Northwest looking ahead to 25th season

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Citizen file photo

Theatre Northwest artistic director Jack Grinhaus is exicted about the company’s new season starting in September with Fish Eyes.

t’s celebration time for Theatre Northwest.

TNW is not quite finished its current season, but artistic director Jack Grinhaus couldn’t keep the excitement to himself as he thought ahead to the slate of plays he has in store for the 2018-19 season. It’s the professional theatre company’s 25th year of operation, so celebration is the theme for their silver anniversary.

“We are looking backwards but also looking ahead in all our plays,” said Grinhaus.

“It’s a great time to bring up those feelings of where we’ve been, where we’ve come from, but also hint at where we are going.”

The first title on the upcoming season’s agenda is Fish Eyes, written and starring Anita Majumdar.

That forward-looking spirit of innovation is built into this offering. Majumdar wrote a trilogy of freestanding but related plays and this night will give local audiences two of them, both looking in on a new Canadian’s culture shocks moving from India to a rural northern community.

“It’s all about new experiences, and we

can all relate to that,” Grinhaus said.

“It’s funny, it’s heartwarming, but it’s not part of a strict emotional determination. It’s very rare in theatre anymore to have one emotional track the audience is supposed to get from the stage. This is an example of that smarter kind of writing where we get a more accurate portrayal of how we feel when we watch a story unfold. We think and respond in more than one way. She nails it.”

If you feel some familiarity with the actor-playwright’s name, you’d be on the right path. She is the star of the hit television movie Murder Unveiled (she won the Best Female Actor award at the 2005 Asian Festival of First Films for that role), and was also in such movies as Diverted and Midnight’s Children. She was also in an episode of Republic of Doyle.

Grinhaus said this story has a peppy dose of Bollywood dancing and character shifting by its writer and star.

Fish Eyes runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 7.

The second play looks back at TNW’s past, but also the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

— see ‘IT’S GOING, page 3

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Wednesday, August 22, 2018

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‘It’s going to be a rock ‘n’ roll smash’ — from page 1 In all the 24 years of the company’s life so far, no play has earned better box office results than The Buddy Holly Story shown in 2013. If that’s what Prince George wants, Grinhaus was determined to twist in any which way to satisfy that desire.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe it, it was a lot of hard work, but we got the rights to a really difficult play to obtain. We get to produce the play Million Dollar Quartet,” he said.

This fictional musical jukebox show is based on the very real meeting one day in the studios of Sun Records when rock ‘n’ roll super-producer Sam Phillips brought together four young stars of the very new radio industry. The four stars were named Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. This actually happened.

So what would the room sound like if you got to be a fly on that wall back in 1956?

“We don’t know what was said, or what music they played, but we sure know the songs these four superstars gave us, and the

“Number three, next year, literally goes poster is not a fake image, that is the one back to the beginning,” Grinhaus said. and only photograph known to have been “We’re going to prestaken at that incredent The Occupation of ibly rare meeting,” said This is a hysterical Heather Rose which Grinhaus. “It’s going to comedy about two was the very first play be a rock ‘n’ roll smash.

It has almost 30 songs sisters, one living in Theatre Northwest ever did in Prince sprinkled in – Hound northern Ontario and one George. This is the Dog, Ring of Fire, Blue living in the B.C. interior, play that started it all.

Suede Shoes – and those songs went on who have to try to get their It was written to be as heartwarming as it is to form the basis of ev- mother out of her house. heartbreaking, and it is erything we still listen to today, from country — Jake Grinhaus, still as relevant today to punk to metal to Theatre Northwest as when it was written

by Wendy Lil 35 years rockabilly, even the movies we watch have some trace influence ago and first produced in this city 25 years ago.” from these guys.”

As extra homage to the audience, this He is not disclosing just yet whom the actors will be, but did allow that all of them one-woman production will star an actor the region declared a loud and clear affinare popular musicians in their own right and the majority have direct connections to ity for. Julia Mackey, the star of the most successful area play of all time, Jake’s Gift, Prince George. will embody Heather Rose. The director of Million Dollar Quartet runs from Nov. 22 Jake’s Gift, Dirk Van Stralen, will also be to Dec. 12.

Mackey’s director for this show. Both live and work in Wells-Barkerville.

“They are the perfect dynamic duo for Theatre Northwest,” Grinhaus said.

The Occupation of Heather Rose runs from Feb. 7 to 24.

The fourth mainstage production next season will be the new play Meet My Sister written by Bonnie Green, in co-production with Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops.

It’ll the second season in a row that TNW and WCT have collaborated on a play (this year, The Best Brothers is a shared show).

It’ll be the third year in a row that TNW will present the audience with a world premiere.

“This is a hysterical comedy about two sisters, one living in northern Ontario and one living in the B.C. interior, who have to try to get their mother out of her house.

She’s barricaded herself inside, but the house has been sold and she’s supposed to move into a senior’s home, but she refuses to go,” Grinhaus described.

— see CHILDREN’S SHOW, page 5

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Ancient Forest celebration planned

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he beauty and diversity of B.C.’s newest park will be showcased when a celebration day is held at the Ancient Forest on Sept. 1.

Hosted in part by B.C. Parks, it will be a day of music, arts and crafts, guided walks, story telling and a taco lunch.

Also known as Chun T’oh Whujudut, (pronounced Chun Toe Wood-yu-jud), it’s located 115 kilometres east of the city. It covers 11,190-hectares and is home to an inland temperate rainforest made up of hemlock and western red cedar trees as old as 1,000 years and with trunks up to 16 metres around.

A centrepiece is a 500-metre wheelchairfriendly wooden boardwalk plus a further 2 1/2 kilometres of wood-planked walking

trails built by volunteers.

In March 2016, then-Premier Christy Clark declared the Ancient Forest will be made a Class A provincial park and the legislation making it so was passed that same month.

Event co-hosts include Lheidli T’enneh, University of Northern British Columbia, Fraser-Fort George Regional District, City of Prince George, Village of McBride, Robson Valley Arts and Culture Council and the Caledonia Ramblers hiking club.

Citizen Photo by James Doyle

Visitors make their way along the Universal Access Trail at the Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park and Protected Area.

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Children’s show coming in May — from page 3 “Bonnie is a producer and administrator with the Stratford Festival, but she’s also an amazing writer, and this play is just hysterical. It also has a great twist ending.

With our aging population, and we can include ourselves in that, this is perfect for our times.”

Meet My Sister runs March 28 to April 17, 2019.

TNW always provides a four-play mainstage season, but they also like to offer audiences a couple of productions outside of the regular schedule and outside their regular style. Next year the main one of those will be a show called Jack & The Bean, created and presented by Presentation House Theatre based in North Vancouver.

But don’t let the Lower Mainland address fool you. The writer of this “enthralling new spin on the much loved children’s classic Jack & The Beanstalk” is Linda Carson who was one of the earliest actors TNW ever employed. She acted in The Melville Boys in 1997, Western Edition in 2000 and Brighten Beach Memoirs in 2012.

The director for Jack & The Bean is Kim Selody who was involved in a production of The Hobbit done in Prince George in 2002, conducted a TNW actors’ workshop in 2012 and he was on the creative team with Carson that brought an adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are to TNW’s stage in 2016.

Carson and Selody were both raised in Prince George and now stand in national esteem within the Canadian theatre community.

Jack & The Bean runs from May 6-11, 2019.

The new season offers a choice of subscription options. You can commit to the preview performance for each play, a Saturday matinee for each play, pick a midweek night, buy the full unrestricted subscription, or get a Flex Pass for maximum mixing and matching. It’s easily possible to watch all four mainstage shows for less than $50 or no more than $121 if you splurge.

These various season’s passes are available online at the Theatre Northwest website.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

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Recognition for a life in the ring

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he Lioness Asuka was a legendary figure on the women’s pro wresting scene in Japan, but she was no match for Delta Dawn and her 12-foot Burmese python Destiny.

The snake was her pet, a prop the Prince George wrestler used to give her and her tag-team partner an unfair

advantage – one more reason for the crowd to dislike the heels of the match. But on this night, in front of a full arena of thousands of screaming Japanese fans, Dawn pushed it a bit too far. While her partner Medusa held her opponent helpless from behind, Destiny wrapped herself around the neck of a terrified Asuka. It didn’t last long but

gym working out their moves to determine the snake held its scaly grip long enough to how the match would unfold. Delta Dawn’s bring tears to the eyes of the Japanese hero finishing move was the and scare everybody in Ferris wheel. She’d slam the ring. her opponent into the “Asuka was deathly ropes, pick her up and afraid of snakes and we spin her over her head, held her in the corner and then finish with a backI went to put the snake up first drop onto her knee. towards her and the snake “Chigusa trained sensed she was scared and phenomenally and I just constricted her neck,” said admired her abilities and Delta Dawn, who now the work ethic she had – answers to her married she was just focused and name, Dawn Murphy. “I I did learn a lot wrestling was trying to softly pet with her,” said Murphy. it, ‘please let go,’ but we “Their wrestling system were afraid.” was so much different Asuka and her partner than ours in terms of Chigusa Nagayo – The Murphy respect and authority. The Crush Girls – went on to girls lower than Chigusa and Asuka had to lose the match, following the script. Wresreally be on their toes.” tling with the Crush Girls meant training — see ‘I RETIRED, page 7 with them and many hours spent in the

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‘I retired from speed skating and jumped right into wrestling’ — from page 6 “For us to get into the ring with them, we really needed to respect that,” Murphy added.

Murphy was just 16, heading into her Grade 12 year at Duchess Park Secondary School, when she found out about a summer pro wrestling camp in Surrey put on by wrestling promoter Jonathan “Fuzzy” Sayers. She’d been a big wrestling fan ever since her grandfather, Joshua Joseph, and her father, Peter Prichuk, started taking her to the matches at the Prince George Coliseum. She’d just retired after 12 years with the Prince George Speed Skating Club and her powerful legs, muscular body and well-conditioned aerobic capacity served her well in the wrestling ring. Murphy took up speed skating when she was four and competed until she was 16 and she was a frequent podium finisher in regional races,

qualifying for B.C. Games and Western Canadian regional championships. Her coaches at the time were John and Sheila Thobo-Carlsen and Ann and Alan Marshall, whose sons Neal and Kevin both went on to compete in the Olympics in long track.

Sayers saw Murphy as an athlete with a future in the pro game and convinced All Star Wrestling promoter Al Tomko to sign her to a contract.

That was 32 years ago.

On Sept. 25 in Vancouver, Murphy will be inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, and will have her headdress displayed in the aboriginal gallery. The prestigious accolade comes a year after she was recognized for her career at an All Star Wresting reunion in Surrey.

“I retired from speed skating and jumped right into wrestling,” Murphy said.

— see ‘MY PARENTS, page 10

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

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‘My parents weren’t too thrilled’

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Prince George wrestler Delta Dawn Murphy uses her pet python Destiny to taunt her opponent, the Lioness Asuka, during this undated tag-team match in Japan. In September, Murphy will be inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

— from page 7 “My parents were not impressed, but because it was summer break they allowed me to do (the camp). I did so well in summer school (Sayers) wanted to put me on the road. My parents weren’t too thrilled I wasn’t coming back.”

That began a two-year commitment that had Murphy touring the province and a few U.S. states and she was featured on weekly All Star Wrestling TV broadcasts that made her a household name in living rooms all over Western Canada.

She wrestled in Prince George about 10 times in her career and built her fanbase in some of the smaller communities in the region which make up her family heritage with the Lake Babine First Nation. Murphy’s mother Hilda is part of the Carrier nation from Babine Lake.

One of Delta Dawn’s worst moments in the ring came in the old Prince George Civic Centre in a tag-team match. One of the wrestlers had a razor blade underneath a wrapped finger and was supposed to use it to put a small nick in her forehead but just as the cut was being made one of the other wrestlers grabbed Dawn and yanked her, leaving her with a gash that required six stitches to close.

Murphy got her wrestling name from the Helen Reddy song and was living in Delta at the time she signed with All Star.

Needing a wrestling schtick that would leave a lasting impact on the fans, she tapped into her native roots. Dressed in

Her striking features, boisterous personality and considerable wrestling ability raised her popularity with the crowds and that led her to a job in Calgary with Stampede Wrestling. spandex, she came out for her matches wearing a body-length eagle feather headdress given to her by a B.C. First Nation chief and entered the ring to the thumping beat of Indian Reservation, an early ’70s hit for Paul Revere and his band The Raiders.

Her striking features, boisterous personality and considerable wrestling ability raised her popularity with the crowds and that led her to a job in Calgary with Stampede Wrestling.

Murphy spent a couple years on the Stampede circuit training in the legendary dungeon at the Hart house, where she got to know the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith – who were already well into their careers with the World Wrestling Federation.

Before the WWF, Japan was the dominant player on the world scene. The country treated wrestlers like rock stars and the money was good.

— see ‘I WENT TO JAPAN, page 11

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‘I went to Japan with the Harts’ — from page 10 In 1989, after a short stint with the Winnipeg-based International Wrestling Alliance, Murphy signed with All-Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling to take the place of Luna Vachon.

She proved she belonged at that level, which led to an affiliation with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

“I went to Japan with the Harts and they held me under their wing and guided me around, and Dynamite and Davey Boy watched over me because I was the only Canadian female over there,” she said.

Murphy had grown up working in Prince George restaurants and was once a carhop at A&W. Before wrestling, her idea of road trips was visits to speed skating rinks in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort St. James.

Japan was like a different planet. After the matches she’d go out with the other wrestlers to nightclubs, where she met the likes

of Prince and Bon Jovi.

“We had fans camped outside of our hotels waiting for us to come down – the minute we walked out to go for breakfast there were cameras snapping at us,” Murphy said.

“Then I’d come home and have to go back to work as a waitress. I worked at the Oriental Inn and had a crew of Japanese come in and the minute I came to their table they recognized me and they wouldn’t let me serve them.”

Murphy returned to Prince George and married Chris Murphy, a member of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. She began a new career working with Child and Family Services in program development, human resources and administration and now works as a project officer for the B.C. Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

Wrestling caused internal injuries which left Murphy unable to conceive and in 2000 she and Chris adopted a baby daughter,

Ashley. Now 18, she just graduated from Duchess Park.

“The mom chose us because we were the same nationalities,” Murphy said. “It turns out our daughter is half-Ukrainian and halfaboriginal, same as we are. For all three of us, the mom is native and the father is Ukrainian.”

Murphy did five tours of Japan and had her last match there in 1992 against Megumi Kudo.

Twenty-six years later, Murphy admits she misses the thrill of stepping through the ropes to take another bounce in the ring and the fan adoration that came with it.

“It’s out of this world, it’s so addictive,” she said. “I was in depression for quite some time after that because I wasn’t ready to give it up.

“The B.C. Sports Hall of Fame (nomination) is another highlight for me – that once-in-a-lifetime rush. It gives me the opportunity to kind of feel that again.”

Murphy

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Distracted drivers getting sneakier, ICBC says Jennifer SALTMAN Vancouver Sun

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he number of distracted driving tickets issued in B.C. has steadily fallen for the past three years, possibly because drivers are getting craftier when using their electronics.

According to data from the Insurance Corp. of B.C., between 2010 and 2016 police handed out more than 300,000 tickets for distracted driving, that includes using an electronic device and emailing or texting while driving. Of those alleged violations, just over 280,000 resulted in convictions.

In 2010, 21,300 tickets were processed, rising to a high of 54,800 in 2014. Since then, the number of tickets has decreased, to 49,300 in 2015 and 42,700 in 2016.

During the first four months of 2018, 7,309 distracted driving tickets resulted in convictions – almost 6,000 fewer than the same period last year.

The reasons behind the drop in distracted driving tickets – part of an overall decrease in the number of traffic tickets being issued – are not clear according to Mark Milner, program manager for ICBC’s road safety department.

“It doesn’t seem to be that people are using their phones less behind the wheel.

We certainly haven’t seen that reflected in distracted-driving-related crashes yet, and we don’t really see it reflected in our survey

data either,” said Milner.

“While we see a fairly small, incremental improvement over time, we haven’t seen any kind of drops like we’re seeing in the ticketing. It could be just that people are getting better at hiding what they’re doing.”

Penalties have risen for first-time and repeat offenders.

The fine for using an electronic device, emailing or texting while driving is $368 and four driver penalty points.

As of March 1, drivers with two convictions for using an electronic device while driving over a three-year period could pay as much as $2,000 on top of their regular car insurance premium.

There are fewer repeat offenders thanks to the new penalties – among the highest in Canada – but Milner said it doesn’t necessarily account for the drop in tickets.

“It’s tough to nab people, that’s for sure, because people that are committing that offence are fairly crafty at trying to avoid being seen,” said Const. Mike Halskov, with the B.C. RCMP’s E Division Traffic Services.

“We have to resort to different methods to try to observe the offence so we can write the tickets.”

Police have cracked down on distracted drivers using new high-tech equipment and enforcement blitzes both province wide and locally, and ICBC has education programs and advertising to discourage distracted driving.

— see ‘IT’S JUST SO, page 13

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Wednesday, August 22, 2018

‘It’s just so common’ — from page 12 ICBC also recently finished a pilot project that involved testers using devices that blocked certain functions on their phones while driving.

Halskov said police have to resort to creative means to enforce the offences associated with using a device while driving.

“It’s not anywhere as easy as a speeding ticket because you have to catch them in the act. You have to be up close and personal to see what’s going on,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of people are getting away with it.”

Vancouver driving lawyer Paul Doroshenko said another issue is that police aren’t as focused on enforcement when it comes to distracted driving, something he’s gleaned from his conversations with police officers.

“We just noticed enforcement is way down – they just don’t want to put money into it,” Doroshenko said. “I think it’s got a lot to do with resource allocation and what is the important thing of the week.”

He said officers have also told him that they aren’t seeing a reduction in electronic device use, that people simply put their phones away when they see police.

Doroshenko has heard stories of people hiding phones in their scarves or hats to avoid detection.

“It’s just so common. I don’t think it’s changed any behaviour except people are getting better at hiding it,” he said.

Halskov disagreed that there is less enforcement by fewer police officers.

“We are out there regularly issuing tickets for that offence,” he said.

Despite that, he said using electronic devices while driving is prevalent, and he

sees it often while he’s off duty and driving his personal vehicle.

“It’s frustrating. They’re only putting themselves and other people in danger by engaging in that behaviour while they’re driving,” Halskov said. “Driving is a complicated enough task without adding to the risks by engaging in that behaviour.”

According to ICBC stats, from 2012 to 2016, there was an average of 78 traffic fatalities per year in B.C. where distraction – including use of communication or video equipment, driver inattention and driver distraction – was a contributing factor.

The B.C. Coroners Service also keeps track of what factors contribute to motor vehicle fatalities in B.C., but has linked far fewer deaths to confirmed or suspected electronic device use – just 14 between September 2010 and November 2015, according to a freedom of information request filed by Doroshenko.

The discrepancy is likely due to the fact that the methods used by police and coroners in determining contributing factors are different.

The bottom line, Milner said, is that ICBC and police don’t want to see people putting themselves and others in unnecessary danger by using electronic devices.

“It causes a lot of crashes, and those crashes cause a lot of injuries and an unfortunate number of fatalities as well,” he said.

“If people can stay focused on driving, if they can prevent themselves from becoming distracted, then they have better chance of not being involved in a crash… and I think that makes for a better situation for everybody.”

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Growing cannabis at home in B.C. won’t be illegal, but it won’t be easy Randy SHORE Vancouver Sun

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Marijuana and a pipe used to smoke it are displayed in a June 20 file photo.

.C. will allow adults to grow up to four cannabis plants at home under new recreational cannabis laws, but they aren’t going to make it easy, and if you get it wrong fines and jail time could result.

Beginning Oct. 17, government cannabis retailers will sell cannabis seeds, according to the Ministry of Public Safety.

However, the dozens of grey market cannabis retailers already doing business in B.C. risk steep penalties if they continue to sell seeds, or seedlings for that matter. Aspiring home growers will not be able to legally buy juvenile cannabis plants the way they can a tomato vine at the local nursery.

The Liquor Distribution Branch will not carry seed-

lings for sale because they “are fragile, have a short shelf life, and are in need of constant care,” said the Ministry of the Attorney General.

Forcing home growers to grow from seeds rather than young plants is “bizarre,” according to Brent Mooney, of Golden Spruce Nurseries.

“That will have to change.”

Plants sold in nurseries are almost exclusively propagated from cuttings, often called clones in the cannabis industry.

“Growing by seed is a very imperfect way of producing any crop, including dope,” Mooney said.

“All the major growers do it by cuttings.”

Cloning ensures that each plant perfectly retains its genetic characteristics and that all the plants will be female.

— see ‘THIS DISCRIMINATES, page 15

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‘This discriminates against poor people’ — from page 14 Male plants do not produce the flower buds highly prized by growers and enthusiasts.

Under the new rules, home growers must ensure that their homegrown plants are not visible from any public space.

“This discriminates against poor people,” said Dana Larsen, cannabis activist and retailer. “If you are rich you can put up a big fence on a big property, but if you live in an apartment it’s virtually impossible to keep it completely out of sight.”

First-time offenders face a fine of up to $5,000 and three months in jail, both of which double for the second and subsequent offences.

“In some towns, anyone who doesn’t like legalization can scout around and report on all their neighbours,” he said. “In some places, the police might do it.”

Larsen plans to lead a protest when the legislation takes effect, encouraging people to plant cannabis in visible locations and invite police to arrest them to clog the courts with nuisance cases and appeals.

Provincial regulations also allow landlords and strata councils to prohibit cultivation of cannabis in apartments and condos.

B.C.’s fire chiefs are actively campaigning for an outright ban on all home cultivation, citing safety concerns.

Two people died last April when a Surrey home being used legally to grow medical cannabis caught fire. Electrical equipment for the grow op likely started the fire. “…(W)ith cannabis soon to be regulated for sale in retail environments, there is no reason it should be grown in any residential buildings in B.C.,” said Phil Lemire, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of B.C. The chiefs worry that there are no provisions to conduct fire safety inspection of homes used for cannabis cultivation.

Larsen – who owns two retail stores – is skeptical that grey market retailers who sell seeds, plants and other cannabis products will face prosecution immediately after legalization.

“There simply won’t be enough (legal) stores open and not enough supply, which is great for me, I say take your time,” he said.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

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