The Regional - October 2019

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 17, 2019

terrace dancer to play nutcracker prince The Regional staff

Every other year, Judy Russell Presents The Nutcracker, a family favourite during the holiday season in partnership with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra.

This year, The Nutcracker will take to the Vanier Hall stage from Thursday, Dec. 19, to Sunday, Dec. 22, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Russell saw a prince on stage when she saw Julian Hunt performing during last year’s local music festival on the very stage he will perform on this Christmas.

Hunt, 19, came to Prince George from a dance studio in Terrace. He started to dance when he was 16 years old and things came together very quickly for him.

“He started so, so late in his life,” Russell said. “You know for a dancer 16 is pretty late. But for a lot of young men that’s really the time they should start. For some reason it seems that’s a threshold age - almost every one of the young men that have come through the studio and have gone on - it was when they hit 16 that they made the decision they wanted to do it. That’s when they are strong enough in their own soul and in what they do.”

Russell knew she had to ask Hunt to perform this year and took a chance he would still be in the region.

“He said he decided to stay in north and central B.C. for his post-graduation year,” Russell said. “That’s how he can do this and it’s been an excellent opportunity for all of us.”

Hunt said from his start in dance until now has been an interesting journey.

Hunt went to a bring-a-friend day at a Terrace dance studio his best friend attended. He signed up for a recreational hip hop class and loved it.

“So that’s when I decided to go for more training,” Hunt said. He signed up for classes at Art in Motion in all the disciplines of dance including ballet, modern, hip hop and jazz.

He then was able to his exams for the Royal Academy of Dance.

Hunt said Russell asked him if he was interested in playing The Nutcracker Prince during the local dance festival held in March and by the time the provincial competition was held in Prince Rupert in May, it was a done deal.

“It was really cool to be asked,” Hunt said. “It was definitely a surprise and it’s a really big opportunity for me. Judy has put a lot of faith in me so I will definitely step up.”

Rehearsals started mid-August and when Hunt goes back to Terrace, he practices five days a week. When he’s in Prince George with the rest of the cast, he’s here for a week at a time for rehearsals with his co-stars and

The Regional photo

Just a few short years after he took up dancing, Julian Hunt will star as the Nutcracker Prince in Judy Russell’s production of The Nutcracker in Prince George this Christmas. once December hits he will be in town until the end of the show.

There are always two people who share the role of Clara, who will be the character who dances the most with the Prince during the show.

Kendra Hamelin and Sara McGowan are the two Claras this year.

Hunt says getting used to dancing with two different people in the same role also presents a challenge.

“Sara is taller than Kendra so working with them it’s

almost like a different dance each time,” Hunt said.

“So being able to practice with both of them is super important.”

Hunt is looking forward to being the Prince in The Nutcracker. He’s got family and friends who will be coming from Terrace to watch his performance.

“Standing on the stage for the first performance is probably going to feel like a dream,” Hunt said. “It’s going to be a really magical production.”

Tickets are on sale at centralinteriortickets.com.

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Drink gin and raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters The Regional staff

Big Brothers Big Sisters is partnering with Theatre NorthWest to host Gin Blossom: A Speakeasy as a fundraiser where guests will vote for the People’s Choice for best gin cocktail during an evening soiree held at the theatre Jan. 18 in Prince George.

The organizers have invited six community leaders to act as bartenders who will present their signature cocktail to guests.

Each bartender will have an assistant and Theatre NorthWest will provide costumes, creatively make use of their set designer to match the mood at the venue to the event and guests are encouraged to wear 1920s era costumes if they so choose.

The partnership sees Theatre NorthWest provide the venue while Big Brothers Big Sisters has the vehicles to offer a safe ride home to those who need one.

“We thought it would be a great way for us to partner to raise some money,” Marnie Hamagami, general manager of Theatre NorthWest, said. “We really wanted to go after the younger crowd, we’re looking to engage people who are just learning to be corporate donors and sponsors and how can we put together an event that’s going to appeal to a slightly younger group and start that process of this is how you get involved with our organizations - you start by buying tickets to some of our events and then maybe become a donor, a sponsor, a volunteer, a ticket buyer, whatever the progression looks like for each individual.”

Tim Bennett, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said the non-profit was looking for something a little different to do as a fundraiser and this kind of event certainly fits into that criteria.

“It’s a great complement to what we already do as an organization but will bring something new to the community as well,” Bennett said. “What we have seen over our many years of fundraising is that people are looking for things they can do together with their friends, with their co-workers.”

Although the event will be a fun taste-testing, the prize money for the creators of the top two most popular drinks as chosen by guests’ votes will see $500 go to the first place winner’s registered charity of choice and $200 to the second place winner’s chosen charity.

One of the bartenders is Haylee Seiter, a communications team member at Northern Health.

“I did Boogie with the Stars with Tim back in the new year and I like doing different community events,” Seiter said. “If you can provide a really fun experience where people feel good and have fun and then are able to have that giving aspect as well, I think that’s where

The Regional photo

Haylee Seiter, one of the bartenders, Tim Bennett, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern B.C. and Marnie Hamagami, general manager of Theatre Northwest, are teaming up to present Gin Blossom: A Speakeasy, a fundraising event that sees bartenders like Seiter creating unique gin cocktails. you get those really awesome fun events that are really successful so I’m really excited for all those elements.”

Seiter said she’s been enjoying pink gin cocktails during the summer and will be experimenting with that for her signature cocktail.

“So I’m thinking really girlie over the top, but not so much as to detract the guys - they can taste it too,” Seiter said. “There’s no shame in that.”

She offered hints for her upcoming creation.

“I like to add herbal elements to it,” she said.

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” Seiter smiled.

“That’s what I’m thinking and I will say nothing more.”

Everyone is welcome to attend the event to experience Seiter’s fancy gin cocktail while challenging the other bar tenders to get creative as well.

Tickets are $60 each, which includes admission to the event, two drink tickets and a safe ride home. Additional drink tickets will also be available to guests throughout the evening.

Tickets are on sale at theatrenorthwest.com.

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Business leader was devoted volunteer Kathy NADALIN special to The regional

After a battle with cancer, longtime Prince George business leader Roz Thorn died earlier this month.

She was 70.

Kathy Nadalin’s Seniors’ Scene column featured Thorn in March 2017.

Below is an excerpt of the original column: Roz (Rosalind Proverbs) Thorn was born in 1949 in the old Prince George hospital that was formerly an old army building.

Her father Rupert Proverbs was born and raised in Barbados where he grew up on a sugar plantation owned by his father. He immigrated to Canada in 1937 and joined the Canadian Scottish Regiment in 1939.

Her mother Margaret Cooke (ProverbsGracey) was born and raised in Leicester, England.

Roz explained, “My mother was the second eldest of eight children, her family had a flour distribution business as well as a garage rental business; most houses didn’t have garages at that point in time so they rented them.

“Mom trained as a legal secretary and worked for the town clerk of Leicester.

When my grandfather passed away in 1943, she took over and ran the family businesses until the end of the war when her brother returned from active duty.

My mother met my father in England in 1943 and immigrated to Canada; they were married in Vancouver in 1946.”

Roz was schooled in Prince George and grew up on the banks of the Nechako River.

As a child, she joined Brownies, moved on to the Girl Guides and then into the Wrenettes. At the age of 16, she got involved in sorority and established the first and only Beta Sigma Phi Teenage Chapter in Prince George with the assistance of senior sorority advisor Bea Wilson.

From early on, she had a driving work ethic beginning with a paper route at age ten, babysitting at age 12 and a part time job in the accounts office at Eaton’s when she was 16.

After high school, she attended the College of New Caledonia, taking business courses and joined the Prince George and Northern BC Construction Associa-

The Regional file photo

Roz Thorn in 2017. tion as a “Girl Friday.” She was originally interviewed and hired by Henry Creuzot and Bob Borrie and mentored by Nora Strawbridge.

She worked her way to the top of the organization and after 48 years in the industry, she retired in 2015 as the chief executive officer of the association.

Roz reflected back and said, “I met Bob in 1967 during my last year of high school and we got married in June of 1969. Bob was a builder and loved anything to do with construction – we did lots of landscaping, gardening and home improvements together.

“Travel was a passion for both of us.

We made so many good memories and lasting friendships through all our travels and I am thankful that we had that time together. Sadly, Bob passed away in December 2013 at the age of 67, after losing an 18-month battle with cancer.

“He was a super star in supporting me through my career, always helping in

the background and assisting me with preparations for work related events and travel. He always looked after things in my absence.”

Through Bob’s unending and dedicated support of Roz in her career, he got to know many of the directors and members of the associated construction industry boards. Roz said, “He was awarded the Chairman’s Award by my colleagues for all his volunteer work and when he passed away, the association established a bursary in his name.”

After 48 years with the Prince George Construction Association and nearly as much time with the B.C. Construction Association–North, Roz retired as their CEO in 2015.

She was successful in her climb to the top in a traditionally male dominated industry all the while earning the confidence and respect of the construction industry associations all over the province.

— See THORN on page 5

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McMaster returns to P.G. The Regional staff

For the first time in eight years Natalie MacMaster, known as Canada’s Queen of the Fiddle is offering up a new album called Sketches.

MacMaster will be promoting her new music during a tour that will find her on the Prince George Playhouse stage on Wednesday.

MacMaster has sold more than 300,000 albums and has been nominated and won several awards including Grammy and Juno awards, East Coast Music Association awards, five Canadian Country Music Association Fiddle of the Year awards, three honourary doctorates and she is also a member of the Order of Canada for her contribution to the music industry.

For inspiration the Celtic music star has drawn from her own life experience.

“It is a moment during my 47th year

of life, my 37th year of fiddling, my 16th year of marriage and my 13th year of parenting,” MacMaster said in press release.

“It’ll be a moment of joyous appreciation inspired by years of parenting, marriage, friendships, music, and life.”

Sketches is a return to a solo sound resulting in a must-hear collection of traditional tunes and medleys mixed with new creations. The album sees MacMaster musically reflect on her life and career.

“I have something to say through my fiddle,” she said.

Tickets are at centralinteriortickets.com.

Handout photo

Natalie MacMaster will play her first show in Prince George in eight years when she returns to the Playhouse.

Thorn spent 48 years with construction association - from page 4 Many of her colleagues have testified that Roz had a tremendous work ethic and made a positive impact on the construction community in a variety of ways during her tenure. One of the quotes that I read about Roz when she received the 2008 B.C. Construction Association Distinguished Service Award which recognizes leadership and excellence said, “Roz is, without question, a class act.”

Roz summed it all up and said, “I had a great career.

My mantra was that we needed one strong voice for the construction industry provincewide. We worked hard

collaboratively and collectively through many years to achieve that voice that would benefit the association in discussions with government.

“One of my big thrusts has always been to have government recognize the need for expanding skilled trades training and other construction related training for the north, including having more up to date training facilities. I am proud to say that the PGCA has always been a strong community supporter; the list of projects we worked on and donated back to the community is long and impressive and included fundraising to support the many projects. It was a pleasure to watch the

northern economy grow toward its potential and at the same time adapting, revising and bettering the services for our association members.”

Roz served on numerous local, provincial and national committees and boards some of which include the United Way, Prince George Economic Development Commission, Provincial Apprenticeship Board, BCCA Employee Benefit Trust, Provincial Unity Panel, the College of New Caledonia, Prince George Progress Board, Initiatives Prince George, Northern Interior Mining Group/Resource Connector, and BC Liberals Prince George–Valemount Riding Association.

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Education deal reached The Regional staff

Members of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation will now be able to earn an undergraduate degree at the University of Northern British Columbia at no cost.

Called the Northern Promise Parnership, it’s believed to be the first of its kind in Canada and is being described as a meaningful response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to make education more accessible for Indigenous people.

It will see UNBC waive tuition while the LTN will cover the remaining costs, including housing, food, transportation and fees other than tuition, textbooks, and tutoring.

Chief Clayton Pountney said the goal is to remove the barriers that have prevented band members from working toward a degree and increase the proportion of those who have one.

“Our membership is below the average and so we actually want to shoot for the stars and get above the average,” he said.

Pountney said band members can get support from the federal government to defray the costs but the process of securing them can be cumbersome, includes early deadlines, and does not cover the whole bill.

“With some of our companies, we do have education funds and some of our own-source revenue we put in,” he said.

Two LTN members are currently enrolled at UNBC and a further 68 are coming up through the School

Handout photo

UNBC president Daniel Weeks and Lheidli T’enneh Chief Clayton Pountney sign an historic agreement to make education more accessible to Lheidli residents.

District 57 system, Pountney said.

UNBC president Daniel Weeks said the university will absorb the cost of taking on the students who enroll through the partnership. Along with tuition, he said that includes counseling, career services and other oncampus supports for students.

“My hope is that this program is so widely successful

that maybe we do feel pressure in those areas and resources because we have so many students that want to join us...that would be a great problem to have,” he said.

Tuition itself can range from $5,000 to $7,000 a year at UNBC. Waiving tuition will allow LTN to use the funds it does get from the federal government in a “much more effective way,” Weeks said.

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Two-thirds of pot consumed by 10 per cent of users: study The Regional staff

Just 10 per cent of users consumed about two-thirds of all the cannabis used in Canada in 2018, according to a study headed by a Northern Medical Program professor.

Dr. Russ Callaghan and his team looked at data from the 2018 National Cannabis Survey, which assessed patterns of cannabis use among Canadians at least 15 years old.

“The findings are similar to those in the alcohol field, where we have found that a small subgroup of drinkers usually consumes the majority of alcohol in the population,” Callaghan said.

The team also found that males reported consuming 60 per cent of the cannabis consumed and males 15-34 years old were disproportionately represented in the heaviest-using subgroups.

“This is the first study to identify this pattern, and it may be important for public-health strategies in designing interventions to reduce cannabis-related harms,” Callaghan said.

He said future studies will look at characteristics of the heaviest-using cannabis user group, as well as assess how cannabis-related harms are distributed in Canadian society across individuals using different quantities.

Alcohol-related studies have found that five to 10 per cent of drinkers consume a majority of the volume.

There is also some evidence that most of the alcohol-related harms in societies are not found in the group of heaviestdrinking individuals, but rather in the much more numerous low-to-moderatedrinking groups.

The finding has been used as the basis for developing interventions for the entire population rather than on strategies designed for the heaviest-using subgroups.

Handout photo

Dr. Russ Callaghan, a UNBC Northern Medical Program professor, led the team that reviewed the 2018 National Cannabis Survey.

“At this time, we don’t know if the same pattern exists in relation to cannabis as it does for alcohol,” Callaghan said.

The team was made up of researchers from UNBC, the University of British Columbia, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria.

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effort aims to lower costs for cancer patients The Regional staff

Getting the dreaded diagnosis of cancer will cause a lot of different stresses on the patient and their families, especially when traveling to get treatment is the only option.

The Kordyban Lodge was built in 2013 to offer an affordable home away from home for those in the northern region of B.C. while they are undergoing treatment at the BC Cancer Centre for the North in Prince George.

The goal is to reduce the current nightly cost of staying at the Kordyban Lodge from $54 to $20 during the Peace of Mind campaign.

The Peace River Regional District has already pledged $150,000 over the next three years and with other donations already coming in the campaign has raised $220,000 of the $450,000 goal.

Campaign leader Margaret JonesBricker said there have been reports of people choosing not to take treatment because of the financial barrier it would pose to have to travel from their remote communities to stay in Prince George for treatment.

Jones-Bricker said she knows the reduced rate to stay at the lodge will help make the decision to take treatment easier.

Michael Downes, a logger from Vanderhoof, was a guest at the lodge during his treatment for stage 4 naso-pharyn-

geal squamous cell carcinoma, which required 35 radiation treatments and seven chemotherapy sessions.

For Downes, it started with a sore throat he had for quite a while and then one morning while he was in the shower his mouth filled with blood.

Immediately, his daughter Lindsay took him to the hospital and from there Downes was quickly diagnosed and sent to Prince George for treatment.

“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” he said.

Downes said he stayed at the Kordyban Lodge through his seven weeks of treatment, except for two weekends that he went home.

“Lindsay came to visit me several times and I just can’t say enough about the people in here,” he said. “They are all such excellent support.”

“Every time I came to see him everyone here was so happy,” Lindsay said. “Everyone here is just super, super nice and I told my dad that I was happy he was staying at the lodge because they were taking such good care of him. Right from the first day when we came here everybody was so welcoming.”

Downes said he quickly formed friendships at his home away from home as people would gather in the common room for hockey games or to play cards.

“You all become family very quickly because you all have this disease in The Regional photo

Mary Kordyban, in purple, whose foundation was a major donor to the Kordyban Lodge, plants a daffodil in the Field of Dreams, a part of the Peace of Mind fundraising campaign, that will result in the cost of the nightly stay at the lodge reduced from $54 to $20 for those who are from out of town taking cancer treatment in Prince George. Kordyban is seen with Margaret Jones-Bricker, left, Shirley Bond, and Mike Morris. common,” hesaid. “It was like having extended family right here and it was fantastic.”

Since his recovery from cancer, Downes has moved to Prince George and is looking forward to volunteering at the lodge soon to give back in a meaningful way.

Another aspect of the fundraising campaign is to donate $25 for each daffodil to be planted in the front garden at

Kordyban Lodge at 1100 Alward St. The local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society is looking forward to creating a Field of Dreams filled with newly planted daffodils as a symbol of the Peace of Mind offered to cancer patients in their time of need. Donations can be made online at convio.cancer.ca/goto/ peaceofmind or at the Canadian Cancer Society office, located at 1100 Alward St. in the Kordyban Lodge.

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Pumpkin more than just for pie Fall is pumpkin season and in northern British Columbia that means access to locally grown varieties. Whether you’re adding them into muffins, blending them into soups or baking the seeds for a crunchy snack, pumpkins are full of valuable nutrients and are a healthy addition to your diet in October, or any time of year.

While you may think of pumpkins as a Halloween decoration or seasonal pie filling, they can actually be used in a variety of dishes when you consider sweet and savoury options as well as using the seeds, flowers and leaves, in addition to the flesh. Each part of a pumpkin plant contains valuable nutrients in varying amounts.

The flesh of a pumpkin is high in potassium, which is an important electrolyte for muscle contraction, maintaining fluid balance in your body, controlling blood pressure and maintaining normal nerve function. The “meat” of a pumpkin is also an excellent source of Vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes and skin healthy, and can lower your risk for some diseases.

Pumpkin can be chopped and baked, like any squash, or pureed and added to smoothies, folded into a waffle or pancake recipe or cooked into your morning porridge. If you usually add pureed fruit, like applesauce, to your quick bread recipes, consider pumpkin for a change. The recipe for Hearty Manitoba Vegetable Soup (below) can help you get started with incorporating this versatile fruit into your diet.

Food for Thought Kelsey Leckovic Just like the flesh of a pumpkin, the seeds contain a variety of micronutrients including iron. Iron is a mineral that carries oxygen in the body and low levels of iron can leave you feeling tired and irritable.

Pumpkin seeds are also a significant source of fibre, which is important for bowel health, and protein, which helps you maintain and build muscle mass.

Bake pumpkin seeds into a granola or use them to top homemade pumpkin muffins.

To prepare roasted pumpkin seeds, first clean all pumpkin debris off seeds, make sure the seeds are dry, then toss 1.5 cups of seeds with two teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Place seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes in a 300 F oven. Stir seeds occasionally to prevent burning.

While pumpkin flowers and leaves are not readily available in local grocery stores, you may still have access to these ingredients if you’ve grown your own plants. Both the flowers and leaves of the plant carry with them valuable nutritional qualities. Both foods are a source of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Although there

are no specific recommendations for beta-carotene intake, it may reduce the risk of disease, some cancers and heart disease by acting as an antioxidant.

Pumpkin leaves can be chopped and cooked into soups and stews, just as you would use kale, and the flowers can be stuffed and baked, as you would prepare stuffed pasta shells.

If you’re purchasing canned pumpkin, be sure to read the label carefully to confirm you’re getting canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices and is often more expensive.

As well, if you’re buying pumpkin seeds, look for a product with no added salt. Pumpkin seeds can also be marketed under the name pepitas, which are just seeds from a different variety of pumpkin than that of a carving pumpkin.

Hearty Manitoba Vegetable Soup Makes 6-8 servings Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Note: ½ tsp dried herbs can be substituted for each of the fresh herbs in this recipe. Also, if the soup becomes too thick, add 1-2 cups water.

Ingredients - 1 tbsp canola oil - 3 celery stalks, chopped - 2 carrots, chopped - 2 onions, chopped - 1 zucchini, chopped - 3 garlic cloves, minced - 3 potatoes, peeled and diced

- 3 tomatoes, chopped - 3 bay leaves - 1 ½ tsp fresh rosemary - 1 ½ tsp fresh thyme - 4 cups (1L) vegetable broth - 1 can (19oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed - 2 cups Swiss chard or spinach leaves, chopped - 1 cup pumpkin puree - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce - 1 tsp prepared mustard - ½ tsp pepper - 1 cup rice or small pasta, cooked (optional) - Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) Instructions 1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and cook celery, onions, carrot, zucchini and garlic for about 8 minutes or until softened.

2. Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Add broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Stir in Swiss chard, pumpkin puree, Worcestershire, mustard and pepper; simmer about 10 minutes or until chard is wilted. Stir in pasta/rice, if using, and heat through.

4. Sprinkle each serving with cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts: Per serving 277 Calories, 11g protein, 4g Fat, 53g Carbohydrates, 10g Fibre, 0g Sugar, 569mg Sodium, 3mg Iron Recipe courtesy of: www.unlockfood.ca

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How to give when you’re dead They say the rich get richer, but my experience is that the rich get nicer. Not the wannabe rich. They’re cranky. I mean the ones who earned it from scratch, and they’re stingy with themselves but generous to a fault. Not a few of them still shop at thrift stores and there’s not a chance in heaven they’ll ever spend that money.

They could leave it all to the kids but they’re cautious about robbing their offspring from the hike up the mountain that looks so good from there. Nobody takes a chopper up Mt. Robson and brags about it.

There’s a whole division where I work dedicated to helping this work just so. In the mix are lawyers, accountants, trusts, insurance, philanthropy, and a laser focus on not overpaying tax.

In estate planning, tax-deductible gifts can take a variety of forms including cash, assets in-kind, or even life insurance proceeds. Today we focus on insurance,and its delicious tax impacts.

It may be an existing policy you no longer need or one bought specifically for

It’s Only Money Mark Ryan

the gift. Permanent insurance is usually the most impactful. Special rules govern such gifts, and our exploration here is necessarily brief.

The charity must agree to become the owner of the policy and the gift an irrevocable one. This is easily done by sending a few forms to the insurer. You receive a donation tax receipt for the policy’s cash surrender value, less any outstanding policy loans. The transfer is a taxable disposition, but the tax credit from the donation will offset the taxes payable.

You will also get donation tax receipts when you make premium payments into the policy. Then, when you pass away the charity receives the proceeds of the

policy. Neither you nor your estate will receive any further tax benefits upon the death of the life insured.

You can also name a charity as the beneficiary of your life insurance while retaining its ownership. The death benefit is paid outside your estate and is not subject to probate taxes.

With an immediate gift/transfer of a policy, you cannot change beneficiaries.

However, with a deferred gift, you can change beneficiaries whenever you want.

Claim the donation tax credit on the deceased’s final income tax return if the charity is designated as the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. A donation tax receipt will be issued for the amount of the death benefit paid by the insurance company to the charity.

Federal tax laws made earning investment income inside a holding company more punitive in 2017. But it’s possible to tunnel under the CRA’s fenced-in capital trapped in your company, using the diamond-head of your charitable intentions.

And since the proceeds of a corporately

owned life insurance policy flow through your capital dividend account on their way out the door, the remaining capital, up to the now inflated CDA balance, can be paid out to remaining shareholders tax free, (after deducting the adjusted cost base of the policy).

Furthermore, the funds in the policy can continue to grow inside a tax shelter, like a big giant friendly corporate TFSA, reducing corporate tax while you are alive.

This gets even better for you, but draw on the expertise of a high net worth specialist. It’s too long for this article.

– Mark Ryan is an Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (Member–Canadian Investor Protection Fund), and these are Mark’s views, and not those of RBC Dominion Securities. This article is for information purposes only. Please consult with a professional advisor before taking any action based on information in this article. See Mark’s website at: http:// dir.rbcinvestments.com/mark.ryan

UNBC takes second in macleans rankings The Regional staff

UNBC placed second in the primarily undergraduate category of Maclean’s Magazine’s annual ranking of Canadian universities. It is the sixth straight year UNBC has finished in the top two in its category and 12 years in the top three. Mount Allison finished first with Trent University maintaining its hold on third place.

UNBC placed first in two of the 14 categories in the

overall rankings, including the number of students who have won national awards and operating budget, which measures operating expenditures per full-time student.

The university also received top marks in the student-tofaculty ratio (second), the number of faculty citations (fourth), and total research dollars (fourth).

In the student satisfaction survey, Maclean’s once again gave UNBC strong grades in promoting Indigenous visibility (first), mental health services (second),

and steps to prevent sexual assault (fourth).

The university made significant gains in the national reputation ranking including categories such as innovation and developing leaders of tomorrow. The national reputation ranking combines all universities from the primarily undergraduate, comprehensive and medical doctoral categories into one group. Simon Fraser University placed first in the comprehensive list, while McGill finished first in the medical doctoral category.

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History needs holistic view

The great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Durchs Suchen und Stolpern lernen wir,” or “By seeking and blundering we learn.”

How true this is on so many levels. If we take the time to understand our mistakes, life is rich on so many levels.

As individuals, none of us is immune to error. When we examine why things did not work out as we’d hoped, can find new and more effective ways to move forward. A child will never learn to walk unless she is willing to fall, get back up and try again. We become aware of how to do things correctly by paying attention to our errors. We need not dwell on them; we need simply learn and move forward.

The same concept applies to our social interactions. We learn that some people are trustworthy and some are not. Some are good friends, good leaders, good colleagues, and others need to be looked on with compassion, yet kept at arm’s length.The key is to develop a sense of awareness and learn the valuable lessons life offers to us, mindful of the ever-

Lessons in Learning Gerry Chidiac expanding base of knowledge regarding human behavior offered to us by the science of psychology.

On a societal level, it is vital that we understand the lessons of history. In essence, we live in a world of failed and successful social experiments.

Though it can be difficult to determine cause and effect with certainty due to inaccuracies in the recording of history, repeating patterns tend to reveal deeper truths.

It is also important to remove judgment from our analysis of mistakes. Just because we trusted an untrustworthy person does not make us a fool. Just because a certain political philosophy led to a period of war and destruction does not mean that the purveyors of this view

were all evil, it just means the concept must be seen for what it is, a very bad idea.

In my own studies, I find it very easy to label figures like Hitler, Goebbels, Mao, Stalin and King Leopold II as the epitome of evil. Deeper analysis, however, reveals that they were frail, frightened and unbelievably insecure human beings who felt constantly threatened.

What then is the deeper lesson? Perhaps it is to learn to recognize destructive styles of leadership and respond to them effectively.

At the end of the Second World War, we promised “never again.” Making that reality involves more than squashing despots when they rise to power, it means promoting systems of fair governance and choosing principled leaders.

The study of history also reveals that there are always people who live with a sense of integrity which allows them to see the faults of their leaders and requires them to take a stand according to their own values, regardless of the cost.

Where there are tyrants, there are

always rescuers. We see the brave souls who sacrificed their lives to hide Jews from the Nazis.

We study the accounts those who put their credibility at risk to unveil the horrendous crimes of the powerful King of Belgium was committing in Africa.

We read the disturbing words of the Russian novelist Solzhenitsyn, who revealed to the world the truth of Soviet oppression.

It can be argued that the greatest mistake we made in the past was in trusting the wrong people to lead us and ignoring those who lived by the principles of love, respect, compassion, and moral courage.

Looking back with the eyes of wisdom, we can see who was right.

Today, we are writing the history that our descendants will study. Perhaps the greatest gift we can offer them is to truly learn from the blunders of our ancestors.

— 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.

New CNC president steps in The Regional staff

The College of New Caledonia’s new president will be taking a cautious approach when it comes to pitching any major changes to the post-secondary schools’ board of directors.

Rather, Dennis Johnson said he will be taking an “evidence-informed approach” and focus on developing

a new five-year strategic plan to replace the current version, which is set to expire in June 2020.

“I’m not going to rush in, no preconceived notions...

I’ll be doing my due diligence, working closely with lots of important stakeholders in the region,” he said.

“Certainly, the board will provide lots of guidance and direction.”

Johnson brings 29 years of experience in the postsecondary sector to CNC. He was previously at Saskatchewan Polytechnic where he held down two vice president positions - academic and strategy and business development.

Johnson replaces Henry Reiser, who announced his retirement a year ago.

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Monster books for Halloween The Washington Post

“Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters”

By Carlyn Beccia.Ages 10 and older.

“The Big Book of Monsters: The Creepiest Creatures From Classic Literature”

By Hal Johnson. Illustrated by Tim Sievert. Ages 10 and older.

At the end of this month, monsters of all shapes and sizes will roam the darkness - as well as school hallways in celebration of Halloween. Two new books explore different sides of some of the scariest creatures in the world.

For “Monstrous,” author and illustrator Carlyn Beccia did five years of research into the strange science relating to Frankenstein’s monster, vampires, zombies, King Kong, werewolves, the Kraken, Bigfoot and Godzilla.

She got the idea for the book while working on “They Lost Their Heads: What Happened to Washington’s Teeth, Einstein’s Brain, and Other Famous Body Parts.” When Beccia learned about a 19th-century family whose members were suspected of being vampires but actually were suffering from tuberculosis,

she thought: “If people of the time had understood the science of monsters, they wouldn’t have gotten so off track.”

In “Monstrous,” which is filled with Beccia’s sharp and funny illustrations, you can learn loads of basic monster facts (such as “Where to find the Kraken and other sea creatures” and “The anatomy of Godzilla”), as well as more offbeat information (such as “How to communicate with a werewolf” and “How to become as immortal as a vampire”).

“Monstrous” also explains where the famous monsters came from. For example, zombie stories started emerging in Haiti in the 17th century. Godzilla first appeared in a 1954 Japanese movie as a gigantic underwater dinosaur damaged by the bombs that the United States dropped during World War II. “A lot of monsters,” Beccia says, “reflect the fears of their time. Fear is not a bad thing. Fear keeps us alive. But you can control your fear by using logic and by using science. You can say, ‘No, that couldn’t happen’ or ‘Well, that could happen, but it wouldn’t happen exactly like that.’ “

Carlyn Beccia/ Workman photo

Godzilla, top left, is one of the monsters in a new book called “Monstrous.” The book explores the lore and science of werewolves, vampires, zombies and other monsters. “The Big Book of Monsters” by Hal Johnson, above, includes tales of humans who are cursed and then transformed into monsters.

Hal Johnson takes a different path in “The Big Book of Monsters.” He writes about 25 monsters, including several from ancient times that kids might not know, along with familiar ones, such as Dracula and the Headless Horseman.

Tim Sievert’s creepy illustrations remind Johnson of “an old comic book. That’s the highest praise there is.”

For this project, Johnson read many stories he otherwise wouldn’t have known about. One of his favorite discoveries is “The Mummy,” written by Jane Webb in 1827. In addition to featuring characters “having crazy adventures all across the globe,” it imagines what technological and social changes will happen by the year 2126. Asked about

the scariest creature in his book, Johnson chose the invisible being The Horla: “It’s the idea that there’s something out there that’s so different from us that we can’t even understand it.”

Johnson’s research also turned up a lot of humans who were cursed, transforming them into monsters.

“Medusa is cursed by the gods, Dorian Gray is cursed by his pride, and Fafnir (from a 13th-century saga) is cursed by his greed,” Johnson said. Dracula and werewolves are cursed humans, too.

Those stories offer a warning, Johnson said. “One day you’re living your life, and the next day you’re turning into a nightmare beast. It can happen to you at any time. Don’t get cocky, kids.”

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maple syrup makes great cake The Washington Post

Food impersonating other food is a dime a dozen these days: cauliflower rice, vegan burgers, nut cheese. I don’t have a problem with any of that. Live and let eat, I say. But once in a while, it’s nice to come across a dish that merely reminds you of something else - a whisper of a memory rather than a straight-on simulation.

So, do you like pancakes with maple syrup? Good, because then you’re going to love this Sour Cream Maple Cake With Maple Buttercream Frosting.

The cake comes together in minutes in a single bowl, which you can clean out and use to make an equally speedy frosting. The cake is lofty, tender and golden.

Despite the inclusion of maple syrup, granulated and brown sugars, it does not come across as cloying, or even that sweet at all. The inclusion of sour cream certainly helps, there and in the frosting.

That frosting brings a very nice touch (it’s fairly rich, which is why we have suggested as many as 16 servings), but know that the cake on its own would make a great addition to a brunch spread.

The only reason this cake isn’t a weekly occurrence is that it does indeed call for more than a cup of maple syrup total We all know the stuff is not cheap.

The flavor, though, is absolutely worth it - at least once in a while - and if you can buy your syrup in bulk or on a visit to a maple-syrup-producing region, all the better.

You want to look for dark-grade maple syrup, such as Grade A dark color/robust flavor or Grade A very dark/strong flavour.

Now pull on a flannel, get your fireplace crackling and enjoy this breakfast as cake. Or is it cake as breakfast? Either way, it’s a winner.

SOUR CREAM MAPLE CAKE WITH MAPLE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING Active: 30 minutes | Total: 1 hour, plus cooling time 12 to 16 servings (makes one 9-inch cake) If you like maple-syrup drenched pancakes, you’re going to love this dessert. The sour cream in both the cake and frosting temper what could otherwise be a cloying confection. The cake comes together in minutes in a single bowl, which you can clean out and use to make an equally speedy frosting. The frosting is a nice touch (it’s fairly rich, which is why we have suggested as many as 16 servings), but know that the cake on its

Washington Post photo

Sour Cream Maple Cake With Maple Buttercream Frosting. own would make a great addition to a brunch spread.

Look for dark-grade maple syrup, such as Grade A dark color/robust flavor or Grade A very dark/strong flavor.

Make Ahead: The baked cake can be made a day in advance and stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature.

Ingredients FOR THE CAKE Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan 2 1/2 cups (344 grams) flour, plus more for dusting the pan 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (240 millilitres) dark-grade pure maple syrup 1/2 cup (120 millilitres) canola oil 1/2 cup (120 millilitres) whole milk, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten 1/4 cup (50 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar 1/4 cup (60 grams) sour cream, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract FOR THE FROSTING 8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, softened 2 cups (200 grams) confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature 2 tablespoons dark-grade pure maple syrup, plus more for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Steps Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

Line the pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over the sides of the pan (the overhang will give you handles to lift out the cake after it’s baked).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the maple syrup, oil, milk, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, sour cream and vanilla, and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined and no

streaks of flour remain. (There will be some lumps in the batter; this is okay.)

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Tap the pan on the counter eight times to release air bubbles.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, covering with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. (It may dip in the middle, but don’t worry.)

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Using the parchment overhang as handles, remove cake from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the frosting: In the same (cleaned-out) bowl you used to make the cake, beat the butter with a handheld mixer on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. (You can do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, if you prefer.)

Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Add the sour cream, maple syrup and salt, and beat at medium-high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Do not overbeat.

Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.

Drizzle with additional maple syrup and serve.

Nutrition (based on 16 servings) | Calories: 340; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Sodium: 150 mg; Carbohydrates: 51 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 22 g; Protein: 3 g.

(Adapted from a recipe in the September-October issue of Bake From Scratch magazine.)

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How to talk to teen daughers about clothes The Washington Post

Teenagers, especially girls, have long clashed with their parents over the outfits they wear to school.

Parents have called out their daughters for wearing a shirt that’s too tight, a skirt that’s too short, a dress that’s too revealing.

But many high school girls are pushing back against these restrictions in the name of female empowerment, forcing parents to rethink how they talk about the way their daughters dress.

In the age of “body positivity” and campaigns against “slut shaming,” how do parents navigate conversations about teenage girls and their clothing choices?

“Parents that consider themselves to be progressive can feel very stymied in these conversations,” said Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist and author of “Under Pressure,” a book about anxiety in girls.

Perhaps most important is what not to say, Damour said. She urged parents to avoid bringing shame into the conversation with words like “slutty.”

“What teenage girls almost invariably hear is, ‘You think I’m a slut,’ “ Damour said.

Parents should not imply that a teenage daughter is “somehow responsible for regulating the male gaze.” Don’t focus the conversation on how a girl’s outfit might make her male peers or teachers uncomfortable in school, she said.

“Shaming your child is not helpful and it’s not going to make you feel better,” and it might make a teenager dig her heels in more, said Joyce McFadden, a psychoanalyst and author on how to talk to girls about their sexuality. “Rather than saying, ‘That’s a slutty thing to wear,’ say, ‘Is school the place you want to wear that?’ “ Mothers can try using examples from their own lives, with comments such as, “Those don’t look like school clothes any more than I would wear a cocktail dress to work,” Damour said.

Instead of criticizing or judging the girl for her clothing choices, parents should instead try to ask questions about why she wants to wear a certain outfit, McFadden said. Open the door to a broader conversation about her style and what she’s hoping to get across.

“What they think is their agency might really not be their agency. It might be

something that oppresses them,” McFadden said.

These desires are often complicated by the expectations of girls on Instagram and other social media platforms where teens seek validation based on the way they look.

“Let’s say a girl is taking a selfie and she wants to express something, but what really is it that she wants to express?” McFadden said. “Feeling body pride is fine.

Spending 15 minutes curating an image of yourself in a bikini with your stomach sucked in, standing in a pose you would never stand in otherwise, that’s not body positivity. That’s conforming to a societal expectation for you, for sexiness.”

McFadden emphasizes the importance of teaching girls to think critically about their choices, so they can distinguish between what they actually want and what “culture is feeding them.”

“Teach your girls that they can discern between those two things so they

can more authentically actualize their agency,” she said.

The conversation will be messy, but parents should fumble through it, both experts said. They should try to convey that self-expression is important and acknowledge when certain dress codes and rules are arbitrary, sexist or unfair, McFadden said.

And remember that any debate over clothing with a teenager might be a losing battle. At the end of the conversation, your daughter is very likely to walk out the door wearing whatever she wants to wear. And that’s okay.

“At some level, this is pretty low-stakes stuff. A crop top isn’t heroin. . . . We’re talking about a decision that can be made and unmade in a day,” Damour said. “Where this can go best is for adults to use it as grounds for conversation around questions of empowerment and objectification and who’s calling the shots.”

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Device helps seniors reduce overmedicating The Canadian Press

Many of Canada’s seniors ingest a worrying, and perhaps unnecessary, amount of medication, according to the lead author of a new study that found a Canadian-made electronic tool is effective in safely reducing the medication overload.

The study by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre was conducted with patients 65 and over who took five or more medications a day. It found doctors could safely reduce the number of medications given to their patients by using MedSafer, an electronic tool that helps monitor the different medications and flag potentially inappropriate ones.

Lead author Dr. Emily McDonald, a researcher and internal medicine physician at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, said taking multiple medications can be dangerous to people 65 and up, who are vulnerable to side effects.

Currently, some 40 per cent of older adults take five or more medications per day. In addition to the risk of side effects or complications, McDonald says some medications may not be appropriate for certain health problems, which can make seniors vulnerable to additional hospitalizations, memory problems, dizziness, and balance problems that lead to falls and fractures.

Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre handout photo

Dr. Emily McDonald, co-creator of MedSafer, first author of the study, and scientist at the RI-MUHC and physician in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the MUHC, is shown in a handout photo.

“It’s one of the most common causes of hospital visits,” she said in a phone interview. “In seniors, polypharmacy - taking multiple medications - has increased enormously in recent years. We’re talking about taking five, 10, even 15 medications.”

While lists of potentially harmful medication combinations exist already, it can be complicated and time-consuming for doctors to research them, especially

when several people are involved in a patient’s care.

“Performing a prescription checkup is a complex process for interprofessional teams, and often involves complicated decision-making,” she explained.

A desire to address the problem led McDonald and study co-author Todd Lee to create MedSafer.

It checks the different combinations of medications prescribed to a patient

and offers a recommendation of whether any can be safely stopped or reduced.

Designed specifically for seniors, the tool can be used by doctors, pharmacists and nurse practitioners.

The goal of the study, published in September in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, was to see if the tool was useful in tapering off medications, and if it was safe to do so.

“Often, clinicians don’t want to stop a medication because they’re afraid of causing secondary reactions for the patient in withdrawing the medication,” McDonald said.

The study took place between Sept 2016 and May 2017 with 1,066 hospital patients at four research centres in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

An initial report by MedSafer showed that 82 per cent of the subjects were receiving a potentially inappropriate medication.

That triggered a review by a doctor, who made the final decision on whether the medication was necessary.

Later, the researchers compared the results of patients whose doctors had used MedSafer to those who had received the usual care.

It found that 54.7 per cent of patients in the MedSafer group had had a medication de-prescribed by the time they were discharged, compared with 46.9 per cent for the second group.

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