Industry and Trades 2016 by Prince George Citizen

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Industry PG 04

TRADES

JAN

2016

Clark Hosts

natural resourCe Forum cover storY

PG 06

site C

Business stimulation

Film industry PG rolling 20 Dove flies iN BlockBuster

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

Table of COntents

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Clark Hosts Natural Resource Forum....................................................... PG04 Site C Business Stimulation............................................................................. PG06 New Nurse Positions ............................................................................................. PG09 Northeast Speaking with United Voice.................................................. PG10 BDC Provides Relief Loan During Downtown................................... PG12

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Auto Sales indicate a strong economy................................................... PG14 Local Film Industry Rolling............................................................................... PG16 BC Film Stats.................................................................................................................. PG18 48 Hours to Hollywood........................................................................................ PG18 Dove Flies in Blockbuster.................................................................................. PG20

Please Recycle

PG 09

PG 12

PG 10

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

CLARK Hosts

Natural Resources Forum

Frank Peebles Citizen Staff Premier Christy Clark has made the annual BC Natural Resources Forum one of her personal priorities each year. Started by Pat Bell when he was a Prince George MLA, then carried on in his stead by MLA Mike Morris, Clark added her name to the hosting duties a few years ago. It’s because the topics discussed at the event are the very foundation of the provincial economy.

“For many of us, the official start to the New Year begins at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George,” Clark said leading into the event. “For over a decade, community and First Nations leaders, industry experts, and members of cabinet and caucus have gathered in Prince George to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing British Columbia’s resource and development sector. As Premier, my job is to create the conditions so that companies can continue to thrive and create jobs. From liquefied

Premier Christy Clark speaks to the media after delivering her keynote address during last years Natural Resource Forum. Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

natural gas to forestry, mining, and clean energy, the market for B.C.’s resources will continue to grow as demand increases for clean and responsible energy and resources. These are exciting times for B.C.’s resource sector - B.C. is poised to lead Canada in growth. The 2016 BCNR Forum is the best place to start.” She added depth to her ringing in of the new year with a natural resources bell. She challenged British Columbians to consider who it is that works with these natural resources to

hew and shape the products we all use every day. Those considering their employment future should make a new year’s resolution to choose a trades career. Clark got backing on that idea from local MLA Shirley Bond, the province’s Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour. “We launched B.C.’s Skills For Jobs Blueprint to re-engineer our education and training systems so British Columbians have the skills and training

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES they need to take advantage of the job openings in our province’s diverse, strong and growing economy,” said Bond. “B.C.’s post-secondary system has been instrumental in helping us achieving our Blueprint goals.” Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Advanced Education, said the schools were getting the necessary tools. Government has provided $17 million over the last two years to 14 public institutions toward purchasing new trades training equipment. B.C.’s Blueprint has also targeted $13 million over the last two years to reduce wait lists in highdemand trades critical to a diverse, strong and growing provincial economy by creating 2,917 additional trades seats. And, in fall 2015, government added 50 new open textbooks focused on skills training and technical areas, including trades, which students can access at no charge. More than

120 textbooks are available through the provincial Open Textbook Project. “Our government is investing in trades training so that students can continue to receive the best instruction, equipment and facilities,” said Wilkinson. “We invest in skilled-trades training to ensure that students graduate with the jobready skills they need for a well-paying career.” According to provincial data, former apprenticeship students from public training institutions in B.C. earned a median hourly wage of $28 in 2014 compared to the provincial median wage of $22. A wide range of trades training programs from aircraft maintenance to metal fabrication to heavy-duty equipment mechanics are available in B.C. and, as the 2024 Labour Market Outlook shows, many trades

She challenged British Columbians to consider who it is that works with these natural resources to hew and shape the products we all use every day.

5 are among the Top 100 occupations projected to be in high demand over the next decade. A new funding program has been implemented – including the chance for students to obtain up to $16,400 in funds they won’t have to pay back, ever – to help students study in trades programs. Since announcing the grant in September 2014, approximately $5.3 million has been distributed to more than 1,200 students. Students also have access to an online trades training “seat finder” that instantly allows them to see where trades training spaces are available: www.tradestrainingbc.ca Trades Training BC is a consortium of 14 public post-secondary educational institutions created to promote trades training in British Columbia. Why this matters so much, said Clark, is the scope of the economic need B.C. will soon face. If ready bodies aren’t in place, the economy will falter when the projected population shifts take

place, like major amounts of retirement followed by a much smaller generation following those baby boomers. “There will be almost one million job openings in British Columbia over the next decade, and most of these openings will require postsecondary training,” she said. - Approximately 42 per cent of job openings will require college education or apprenticeship training. - 36 per cent will require university and/or significant work experience. -18 per cent will require high school and/or occupation-specific training. To read the data in closer detail, look up the 2024 Labour Market Outlook and the Skills For Jobs Blueprint, both available online.

There will be almost one million job openings in British Columbia over the next decade, and most of these openings will require post-secondary training.

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

SITE C

Business Stimulation STORY ON PAGE 8

Artists rendering of the Site C project Photo from www.sitecproject.com

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

SITE C BUSINESS STIMULATION Story from page 6

Frank Peebles Citizen Staff

Work is underway on the last hydroelectric dam the province of B.C. is likely to ever build. It has been contentious at times, and in fact still faces active opponents, but the Site C Project has begun its preliminary earthwork. “A number of contracts have already been issued, and work is underway. New jobs are underway,” said Harald Hansen of the Northeast BC Resource Municipalities Coalition and the former chief administrative officer for the Peace River Regional District. “There’s a local company already doing site work. Atco is putting in the 1,200- to 1,500-person camp and that’s a 10-year build and operate contract. Business is moving from Site C,” he said. The bulk of the project is still not underway, but the commencement dates are closing in. The construction proponent, BC Hydro, has partnered with the BC Chamber of Commerce to help northern B.C. businesses get the best chance at winning the contracts still to come. A series of

business-to-business networking sessions and job fairs are scheduled for northern communities. “The business networking sessions and upcoming job fairs are an excellent opportunity for local and Aboriginal businesses and workers to meet with Peace River Hydro Partners (the main civil works contractor) to explore opportunities,” said Chris O’Riley, Deputy CEO of BC Hydro. “Our contractor has made a commitment to providing employment and business opportunities locally and in the region, and we are pleased to help facilitate this through the networking sessions and job fairs.” “Our partnership is proud to be working in the Peace Region,” said Rick Quigley, Peace River Hydro Partners. “The business networking sessions will provide our team with the chance to build business relationships in northern BC and maximize the economic opportunity for local and regional businesses.” Peace River Hydro Partners is a partnership between ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc., Petrowest Corporation and Samsung C&T Canada Ltd. None of them was likely to win the bid all

on their own, but they found common ground, linked together, and as a unit they got the main contract. This is a template for small and medium sized companies in the area to think about ways of working with other companies, even competitors, to earn stronger bidding positions and maximize local investment from this unique construction opportunity. Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines, said, “The business networking sessions are the first opportunity for local businesses to meet with the main civil works contractor team and build relationships. These business networking events, and the upcoming job fairs, will help us ensure that B.C. companies and B.C. workers are first in line for opportunities with the Site C project.” “BC Hydro has committed to providing economic benefits for northern communities and Aboriginal groups. We know that businesses in the Peace region are ready and waiting for this opportunity, and Site C’s positive impact will be felt by our members province-wide,” said Jon Garson, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce.

These sessions will begin in the Peace Region in late January. Closer to home the business-tobusiness meetings will be held: Prince George: Tuesday, February 2 Coast Inn of the North Ballroom (770 Brunswick Street) Session one: 1:30 – 4 p.m. Session two: 5 – 7:30 p.m. Quesnel: Wednesday, February 3 Quesnel Senior Centre Main Hall (461 Carson Avenue) Session one: 1:30 – 4 p.m. Session two: 5 – 7:30 p.m.

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

NEW NURSE

Positions

Frank Peebles Citizen Staff

Northern B.C.’s healthcare system is going to see a nurse. Actually, the region will see 100 nurses, new positions, that go along with 1,500 others being added to the provincial healthcare team. The provincial government and the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) announced that these positions were being created to bolster the regular nursing positions already on the job throughout B.C. The new positions would be distributed so all corners of the system got a new injection of professional help. Northern Health’s share is 100 new nurses about to come on board.

“Nurses are important, highly skilled members of health care teams throughout British Columbia, and this announcement acknowledges their integral role in the health system,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “Over the past year, we have been working closely with nurses to make health care improvements that benefit both patients and staff. We are confident this spirit of partnership will continue as we work together on a new collective agreement that meets the goals of nurses, health authorities and the Province.” The Ministry of Health, along with health authorities, the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) and BCNU have jointly committed to work together to create 1,643 regular nursing positions by March 31, 2016. “To nurses who are trying to provide safe patient care while working short in ERs and operating rooms, and nurses who cope with overwhelming workloads, this agreement means that relief is on the way,” said Gayle Duteil, president of the BCNU. “I urge nurses who are working casual and who want a permanent position to send an email today to: hireanurse@bcnu.org. BCNU is supporting the hiring process by providing a first point of contact for all qualified nurses.” Recruitment targets are as follows: • Fraser Health: 400

9 • Interior Health: 300 • Island Health: 290 • Northern Health: 100 • Providence Health Care: 80 • Provincial Health Services Authority: 238 • Vancouver Coastal: 235 “Fraser Health welcomes this opportunity to work with the BCNU in order to recruit new nurses to the region,” said Fraser Health president and chief executive officer Michael Marchbank. “This will provide even greater levels of care for patients.‎” HEABC and BCNU will contract with HealthMatch BC to work in partnership with the health authorities on a recruitment campaign. “Nurses are a key pillar of BC’s health care system, delivering quality treatment to thousands of patients every day throughout the province,” said HEABC president and chief executive officer David Logan. “This recruitment effort will contribute immensely to maintaining these high standards while supporting our current efforts at the bargaining table as we work to reach a collective agreement over the next couple of months that serves the primary aim of providing the best care possible to British Columbians.” In the last year, BCNU and the Province have equally funded $2 million for violence prevention actions at sites that deal with some of the province’s most complex patients, as well as specialty and community nurse funding.

Last April, the Ministry of Health and HEABC reached an agreement with BCNU and the Nurses Bargaining Association to improve patient care, with about $5 million allocated towards specialty nurse training for positions such as emergency room, operating room, obstetric and neonatal nurses. As part of this agreement, the ministry has also provided $1 million to assist Licensed Practical Nurses pursuing registered nurse education and $2 million to provide new mobile technology to community nurses.

northeast

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

speaking with united voice

Frank Peebles Citizen Staff

Northeastern B.C. is consolidating its voice on the topics of industrial development, natural resource business, fiscal infrastructure and the social amenities that dovetail into those issues. The Northeast B.C. Resource Municipalities Coalition has staked a claim at the trade show on now at the Civic Centre devoted to the provincial natural resources file. “Our common interest is natural resources. Oil and natural gas are the big ones, but we also

include mining, agriculture, forestry, the whole spectrum,” said Harald Hansen, a consultant for the coalition, and a past Chief Administrative Officer for the Peace River Regional District. He and coalition executive director Colin Griffith are circulating the crowded floor of the Premier’s B.C. Natural Resources that opened on Tuesday. Before the event even officially opened, they had already met with two provincial cabinet ministers with two more lined up for later in the day, and hopes to bump into several others in town for the annual event, plus representatives of agencies

like the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and Business Council of B.C. “We are trying to make everyone aware of who we are in the northeast,” Hansen said. “We are an extremely important part of the equation for the rest of British Columbia. We want to make it loud and clear that the oil and gas industry might have terminals on the west coast, pipelines across the whole north, but it all starts in our location, no matter where it’s going. We have a big region, geographically, a small number of people living there, so we have to speak with a unified voice.” The founders of the coalition include the District of Taylor, City of Fort St. John, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, but they have also been joined recently by membership-based agencies like the Dawson Creek Chamber of Commerce, Fort St. John Chamber of Commerce, Northern B.C. Truckers Association and Energy Services B.C. Their goal is to ensure resource-based communities large and small in the northeastern region get the sustainability supports they need to ensure long-term viability, not just the soar and crash of a boom-and-bust commodity cycle.

“While the coalition supports the important role that the resource municipalities and rural communities play in supporting existing and future resource development, (these places) cannot be defined solely on the basis of their service centre function, but must be seen as economically diversified and socially vibrant (communities) that will continue to develop and prosper in the long term,” said Hansen. He hopes that being in Prince George for the natural resources forum will also bring into their fold other municipalities, First Nations, agencies, working groups and other vested interests that can enrich their work.

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BDC provides

INDUSTRY AND TRADES

relief loans

BDC CEO, Michael Denham

during downturn Frank Peebles Citizen Staff Half a billion dollars have been set aside to help finance those businesses struggling through the oil and gas downturn. The envelope of money was opened this week by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). It is earmarked for companies who have had their struggles since the petroleum prices slumped in the past year. Michael Denham, president and CEO

of the BDC, said their data clearly indicated an entire population of small/medium businesses (SMEs) who were suffering for little other reason than their relationship with the petroleum sector, but with a little help could do better than just survive in the new commodity market conditions. So the $500 million lending program was established for them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we are looking to do is to provide loans to well-run, strong, small and

medium businesses who need some support to get through these times,â&#x20AC;? said Denham. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We anticipate that they will use this money to invest in their operations, to improve their productivity, or I think more likely to do what they can to diversify their client and customer base, by investing in new marketing and selling capabilities, and also by investing in their production and delivery processes to have the means to sell to a new kind of customer, potentially

T hursday , J anuary 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES n e w industries. So we are looking to sit down with each interested entrepreneur to look over their plans and look for ways to advance their priorities.” The program is national, because the petroleum industry has economic echoes throughout the economy, in places and ways not always thought of. Denham said they wanted to be prepared for the unexpected, so they imposed no geographic restrictions, but they anticipated the biggest pockets of interest would come from Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta and “your part of British Columbia.” Prince George would likely be a location with plenty of affected companies because although this city is quite a distance from the actual oil and gas rigs, many of the service companies and contractors here are in some way connected. Some may not have even realized their own participation in that economy until the prices of oil and gas dipped, curtailing production in those industries. The negative effects have been cascading down the economic ladder

ever since. Prince George is a radiator city in the financial industry, too, and so, with a BDC branch in Prince George, Denham is hoping the affected companies of the entire region will call on the P.G. office to inquire about the financing options. “Our hope is, those looking for this funding will approach us and case by case will begin to look at their plans together. We will have a very forward-looking view on this, because a number of well-run companies for a variety of reasons have probably encountered some difficulties, so we will be looking at the quality of the plan on a forward-basis and work with them to make sure any loans they tap into will position them for success in today’s environment.” The BDC is not a traditional lender. They rely on the charter banks and other invest-

ment sources to offer the bulk of financing to the commercial and industrial ventures of the nation, but they are a federal Crown corporation mandated with filling in the financing blanks and often directly complementing the services of the mainstream lenders. In addition to financing options, the BDC will also work with company owners and managers as advisors on how their business plan looks, what kind of financial choices they might want to make, and act as a consultant for those entrepre neurs who usually can’t afford to hire their own financial advisors. Times of market flux are always times of stress for SMEs, he said, and sometimes that leads to decision-making that isn’t helpful in the long run. SME operators do the best they can, and many thrive, but sometimes a little help is needed and the BDC

In addition to financing options, the BDC will also work with company owners and managers as advisors on how their business plan looks, what kind of financial choices they might want to make.

is there with that help. With some financing and some expert eyes on the business plan, local companies could transform themselves in this time of petroleum recession. “I just encourage them to think in the following lines: they need to think of ways to reposition their business to not just make money but find a way to thrive in the pricing environment we see today. It is risky to count on price increases. I want entrepreneurs to control their destiny and make changes to succeed in today’s environment,” Denham said. “As someone who spends a lot of time now with entrepreneurs, I frankly am quite optimistic about the prospects of SMEs going forward. I just think with tools like this one, and others being put out there, they will have the support they need for this temporary period of time. And that, combined with their tenacity and their creativity and their drive and their prudence, makes me feel very optimist that we will get through this and the SME sector will be as robust in the future as it always has been. They have ideas, they just need support to bring their ideas to light.”

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Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C.

INDUSTRY AND TRADES

Auto Sales Indicate

A Strong Economy Frank Peebles Citizen Staff

The auto sales industry is “often a bellweather of the overall economy” and according to one of the industry’s provincial leaders “things look really good in B.C. and in the Prince George region.” Blair Qualey is the president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., and he was in the city on Tuesday as a delegate at the Business Development Forum run by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce. One of the chief signs of that confidence at a local level is all the capital improvement investment made by various dealerships all over the city. Millions of dollars have been pumped into new locations,

new buildings and vehicle lots, major renovations to existing locations, and almost no dealership hasn’t been involved in tooling up their facilities in some way. If that investment by the car companies isn’t a strong enough sign, then the actual car sales for the Canadian market has to be, he said. “It was a record year, the year before. We broke that record again last year. And the indications we are hearing from the people calculating the projections is, it will be another record-breaking year for new car sales again in 2016,” Qualey said. “It’s not just Canada. The United States market has been smashing records as well.” The Canadian dollar’s monetary slump has helped pump up the earliest of 2016

numbers, because American consumers and even some dealers are coming across the border to buy on the favourable Canadian side of the fiscal border. However, he cautioned, that will have an effect on supply and demand so prices will inch up because of that. The low Canadian dollar value is good for some industries, but “at some point along the vehicle manufacturing chain, prices have to be paid in American dollars no matter where it was built, so eventually we are going to see that cost reflected in the price tag.” That, and the currently low interest rates at the lending institutions, makes for a strong set of consumer incentives.

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES “ W e have, in Canada, one of the oldest fleets on the road. Canadians tend to hold on to their vehicles longer than other places,” he said. “But there comes a time when you need a new vehicle, or a quality used vehicle, and with the prices on new ones closing the gap on new vehicles, these days a lot of people are saying well, for just a little bit more I can buy brand new, and at very low interest, and my old one needs to go. On a lot of automobile products we are seeing the lowest sticker prices in a generation, so it all makes for just a great buyers’ market, and that’s why we are seeing people make those purchasing decisions now. With talk of interest rates maybe going up, and the strong American dollar going to nudge up prices, it’s probably a good idea to think about doing that sooner rather than later.”

With the older vehicles being replaced, it is also stimulating a strong market for used vehicles. People looking to get a second car, or get one for the kids, or those needing affordability as a prime priority are all seeing the benefit of that side of the industry, as mainstream Canadian consumers upgrade their ride. In the United States last year, they sold about 18 million new vehicles. In Canada, the sales numbers for new ones was about 1.8 million. One-

tenth of those were sold in B.C. Those were all best-ever numbers. “Generally, it doesn’t matter if you are a dealer in Prince George or Terrace or Cranbrook or Langley, you tend to be upbeat, forwardlooking, entrepreneurial folks who spend their day focused on satisfying the consumer side of their community while improving the social fabric of their communities,” he said. “You have a lot of those in this city. The numbers here are not different than the rest of B.C. or Canada. Things are moving, the stats are good. And these days,

One of the chief signs of that confidence at a local level is all the capital improvement investment made by various dealerships all over the city.

you have the highest consumer knowledge base coming through the door to talk to you, and as a dealer, that is great, you want to have that knowledgeable consumer so you can get straight to what’s important for that customer.” The dealership sector also plays a large role in the natural resource sector. No matter what your business – natural gas, forestry, agriculture, mining, construction, combinations of those things, etc. – you have to get from a lot of As to a lot of Bs. Often, company or government fleets have to be purchased. “Despite what you hear on the news, things in B.C. are definitely moving. The economy isn’t booming in every sector, but it is healthier than you might think, if what we are seeing is any indication,” Qualey said.

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

Local

With “Hollywood North” setting investment records in southern B.C., it is easy to see why the film industry is so important to the overall provincial economy. It is also a rare industry, in that it depends on blue-collar trades, white-collar business planning, and creative minds all working together to make a piece of art. It boosts all manner of business as it also boosts culture. Prince George has had flashes of inclusion in this industry. We have hosted several film shoots over the years, we have provided talented local individuals to the on-screen and behindthe-scenes aspects of the business, and the momentum is growing. Here are some of the provincial numbers for the film-TV-animation industry, and a spotlight on a couple of the latest made-in-PG successes.

film industry

rolling

Local actress Grace Dove, appears alongside mega star Leonardo DiCaprio in 2015’s biggest film ‘The Revenant’.

Continued on Page 18

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

Local Film Industry Rolling

BC FILM STATS:

Getting a piece of the action BC’s Film Stats: Getting A Piece of the Action According to Creative BC, the province’s film and television oversight and facilitation agency, in the year 2012 (the last year for which complete statistics were available), the total amount of money spent in this province to make productions here was a bit more than $1.2 billion. That did not include video games, and that did not include spin-off economic activity. The breakdown was thus (rounded to the nearest million): TV series: $615 million Features/DVD features: $352 million Animation: $95 million Movies of the week: $76 million TV pilots: $38 million Mini-series: $31 million Documentaries: $8 million Short films: $595,000 Of that total, $324 million was spent by domestic

Canadian productions, the rest by foreign interests who came to work in B.C. Between 1998 and 2012, the two worst years for film industry spending in B.C. was $800,000 (1998 and 2004) whereas 10 of those years brought in at least $1 billion in direct investment. The numbers are still preliminary, but it appears that 2015 was the best year on record for B.C.’s film industry. With the high capacity (actors, technical personnel, production professionals, equipment, facilities, etc.) to make films, television programs, animation shows and now increasingly video games, combined with the low Canadian dollar makes the projections for 2016 all the more exciting.

The numbers are still preliminary, but it appears that 2015 was the best year on record for B.C.’s film industry.

48 Hours to hollywood:

Guerrilla Filmmaking makes a mark for local amateurs Two of the most tiring, terrific days of Jon Chuby’s and Dan Stark’s life have beamed their talents onto the big silver screen. Chuby and Stark are the Prince George amateur filmmakers who can less and less be put under the “amateur” umbrella. Their production company, Picaroon Pictures, has made some of the most acclaimed work a local film project has ever garnered, and they have just done it again. Their short film Behind The Reds just cracked the official Top 15 in the 48 Film Project, an international competition with top prize being $100,000 in filmmaker money (they didn’t get the money prize) and the finalists (they did earn this honour) getting screened at a special viewing for the Directors’ Guild of America. “Who would have thought our crazy blood

spattering short film would make its way onto a Hollywood screen?,” said Stark. “I am so thankful for everyone that was a part of this thing. Our team was extremely talented, patient and committed to making something we are now proud to share. I love the amount of effort that went into making a film as ridiculous as this.” The contest required that entrants log into a website during a particular entry period. The rules permitted a lot of work could be done in advance to get things ready, but there was also a technique used to ensure it was all fresh material. Once they hit the start button, the website gave them certain instructions that had to be incorporated into the final film, then they had 48 hours to come back with their finished project. “Once we started filming on Saturday morning we didn’t finish shooting until one in the morning on Sunday, uploaded the footage and caught some sleep then as that was happening, but then edited until Monday morning when we had to submit,” said Chuby. “We had some technical things we ran into, so if we had a bit more time we would have fixed some things, but at the same time, we were so tired at that point that we weren’t sure

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES anymore if the fixes were rational decisions. There were times there at the end where we would start a task then blank out on what it was we were doing. But we hit the laughs we really wanted, we hit the important storytelling points we wanted to hit, so we were very satisfied with what we could do within that timeline. We pulled off things we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to pull off if we hadn’t done that prep work.” The location was set up in advance, and they picked a place that could serve all their needs in one spot. Chuby was a cast member of Judy Russell’s production of Evil Dead: The Musical this past autumn, so he get ideas about using the P.G. Playhouse. He also solidified some of the main cast members from that live production’s group. The full cast of Behind The Reds consisted of Adam Harasimiuk, Amy Blanding, Bradley Charles, Shaun Christy and Chuby (non-dialogue appearances by Jim Chuby, Edward Quinlan and Carly Tayler) with a large group of extras starring as themselves: a live audience. “We thought a lot about things that would set our production apart. What’s going to up the ante over some of the other groups? We thought if we could show we had a live studio audience, that would up the production value. And it worked really well,” Chuby said.

Not knowing what the spontaneous elements provided by the competition would be, the long planning process had to wait for its cues, which meant not having any sort of plan other than be ready with a group on standby who possessed a number of utilitarian skills, ready for action no matter what that action might be. There was a writing team ready to take the preconceived notions and marry them with the secret elements, a costume and makeup team was on standby to respond as well. Holding the filming session at the playhouse also ensured various and sundry performance areas, props, costumes, sound and lighting equipment, makeup tools, prep space, etc. were all close at hand, as needed. “A lot of planning went into how we would do it, even if we didn’t know what we would be doing. We just gathered people’s skill sets and gathered resources we would need, then waited to find out how they would be utilized,” said Chuby. Another who was on hand, semi-prepared but unable to execute until the exact moment of need, was musician Eric Wynleau. The Black Spruce Bog band member (as is Blanding from the acting cast) was the principal composer of the music that, like the live studio audience, Chuby and Stark felt would be a valuable extra production element.

Continued on page 20

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES

20 Continued from page 19 Wynleau’s music skills were put to the spontaneity test, since he couldn’t apply any music until he had the final edits with which to time the notes and rhythms. He couldn’t add that icing until the cake was solid. The most difficult of those moments was a macabre tap dancing number (dancing double Melissa McCracken was the dancing legs double for that scene) when Wynleau had to hit some tight visual marks with the music he had to play live to the action. Also helping Stark and Chuby on the technical side of the filmmaking process were other local auteurs who came in as camera operators and other special skills of the trade, like Jason Hamborg of 6ixSigma Productions and Mike Mira of Sonic Interactive Solutions. When the first edit of the film was strung together, it ran eight minutes long. That was tight shooting considering the contest maximum was seven minutes. No scene needed to be cut, only some shaving of the footage. This speaks to how skilled Stark and Chuby are getting with their filmmaking work. They have already made a significant body of work. Chuby was a finalist for a MuchMusic video com-

petition in 2009, he directed the short horror film The Last Laugh included in Scene PG Magazine’s The Screaming Room filmfest, and the combination of Stark and Chuby (also Jeremy Abbott) went deep in the long-running CBC-TV ComedyCoup sit-com challenge where their concept show Geoff & The Ninja made it into the final 15. Now this. Behind The Reds is the only Canadian film to make the finals of the international 48 Film Project. “We are getting there,” Chuby said. “We are learning lots and lots as we go, and we’re getting so we are consistently placing well and generating material consistently at this caliber. We are learning what our pitfalls are, and how to get a handle on them. We are starting to get quite a community built around what we’re doing, so that means our next production will have a lot of people and other resources ready to go when we do it. We have about four scripts ready to rock, one especially, and we have plans on where to enter it. It’s a straight horror production that will run probably about 20 minutes.” Watch local screens for that upcoming production. Hollywood directors of all sorts, meanwhile, will watch Behind The Reds on Feb. 9 at the competition’s film festival in Los Angeles.

Dove Flies in Blockbuster:

Historic Aboriginal character done by local aboriginal actor Dove Flies In Blockbuster: Historic aboriginal character done by local aboriginal actor The weather was usually cold and snowy. They were constantly working in open meadows and dark forests. There was no electricity. There was little contact with the outside world. Grace Dove, clothed in raw leather and wrapped in animal skins, caught the eye of a senior member of the work crew. “You OK?,” he said. She nodded and simply said “I’m good. I’m Canadian.” The caring crew member, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, just smiled at that satisfying answer. The dots on Dove’s Canadian map of life get significantly small. Once you find Canada, you have to find British Columbia. Then trace your finger to Prince George, one of Canada’s most northerly cit-

ies. Then squint your eyes and slowly drag your finger a bit more northerly still until you find Salmon Valley. That’s where Dove grew up; her folks still live there. The other location coursing through her veins is Tsq’escenemc land, the “people of broken rock” near the Cariboo community of Canim Lake, another faint pinpoint compared to the nearest town of 100 Mile House. “I’m a northern kid, my territory is northern, it’s definitely in my blood,” she said. All that aboriginal, rural, northern and rugged background is what led her to the red carpet at Hollywood’s famed TCL Chinese Theatre standing between superstars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy at the premier of The Revenant. In this new film from director Alejandro González Iñárritu (he also directed the powerhouse films 21 Grams, Babel and Birdman), DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a real-life wilderness pioneer figure in early 19th century North America akin to Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett but, unlike that pair, without the benefit of elected office to help document his fame. Glass’s survival of a gunshot wound, bear attack and abandonment to die by his frontier exploration companions turned into an epic tale of survival and of the continent itself. Mostly, this tale is patched

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INDUSTRY AND TRADES together from newspaper articles and letters from that era, and filled in with speculative fiction by 20th century writers and filmmakers. TV and film facsimiles of Glass have also been played by the likes of Dewitt Lee, John Alderson and Richard Harris over the years. Now DiCaprio presents his depiction in what many are calling the acclaimed actor’s best work. Dove is cast as the wife of Hugh Glass, after he assimilated with the Pawnee First Nation sometime between 1816 and 1821. As Dove said during their red carpet interviews when the film opened, her actual ancestors in northcentral B.C. lived in this way, off the land as one with the environment, less than 100 years ago, so connecting to her role came easy, in an anthropological sense. It was not as easy in a craftsmanship sense. It took her most of her life to accomplish the feat. It started with a father who made films and took her on tourist visits to Hollywood to help give her a realistic look at that culturally caricatured place. He could see that his daughter had an interest in show-biz. Dove remembers where that all began. She played Santa in a class Christmas concert production at Salmon Valley Elementary School. Then, when she was about 10 years old and unafraid of pursuing her stage dreams, she sent her application to Prince

George’s PGTV station for a kids’ show called Splatterday, and she got a part. Taking the next step in that career, she applied for the job as the station’s summer Fun Chaser community correspondent. General manager Ken Kilcullen gently broke the news to her that at 15, she was not eligible for that role as it required a driver’s license. But he promised to keep her application on file, and he was true to that pledge. The summer she had her license, he hired her on for multiple years as the youngest Fun Chaser the station ever had. Dove was also taking drama classes first at Heather Park Middle School and then as a standout with Kelly Road Secondary School’s respected drama department. Her career path already had a lot of sign posts directing her to the entertainment industry. They pointed her to Vancouver Film School. She moved down and enrolled with her P.G. pal Scott Thorp, whom she credits with being the reason she could adjust to the big city from her rural upbringing. Upon graduation Dove embarked on a nearly constant regimen of unsuccessful auditions. This window got narrower after she landed a steady gig as one of

the co-hosts of reality TV show UnderExposed on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). It is a youth-based adventure sports program. Each episode brings the viewer along on excursions and expeditions where the adrenaline flows freely. “I can’t even name the number of times in the past few months I’ve gotten home, unpacked, packed and just went straight to the airport,” Dove said. “I shoot 13 episodes every season and this is my third season in two years. I’m currently shooting right now - about five more episodes in the new year.” She had a snowboard in her hand and was heading for the airport, as usual, when she got the call from her agent that one of the audition projects she’d been involved with (the audition process is sometimes layered and spread out over time) was calling her with an offer, but not the one they initially pitched. She was aware the project was called The Revenant and she was aware it would star Leonardo DiCaprio. Casting directors had accepted her submissions for one of the smaller parts, but after getting to know her, the offer was not for that role at all. They saw her as DiCaprio’s love interest. Thankfully the UnderExposed producers saw the benefit in allowing Dove to veer off into this short-

There is a mad level of respect between the crew and the actors. If I don’t feel safe, my best work isn’t going to come out, and they knew that.

21 term venture. Soon she was in front of Iñárritu’s cameras in places like Burnaby, Calgary, California and the Argentine location of Ushuaia. These locations were not selected due to their glamour or tropical appeal. All were functional for Iñárritu. Brutally functional. In one media report, DiCaprio called the wrap of The Revenant not so much the ending of an acting project but the closing of a chapter in his life. The snow is all real. The dirt and grime is all real. The sense of wild mortality is as close to actual as an actor can get. Dove was not contractually allowed to talk about these details, yet, but she confirmed that she kept a daily journal because the experience was an onslaught of industrial strength life lessons. “I felt so much support,” from the movie’s team of staff behind the cameras. “All my bases were covered so I could just do my work. It was a high-level production. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. There is a mad level of respect between the crew and the actors. If I don’t feel safe, my best work isn’t going to come out, and they knew that.” The drama room was always her “safe place” growing up, but she had no idea that it would lead one day - and so quickly - to the set of the reigning Oscar Award director, where her wellbeing was checked on by the reigning Oscar Award cinematographer.

Continued on page 22

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22 Continued from page 21 As much as audience tend to attach to the celebrity co-stars that surrounded her in this tight cast, they were focused heavily on the people unseen by the camera - the ones cranking out the scenes before the cold crept in too deeply and the daylight crept away. All the work was done without the use of industrial lighting, so the camera could depict the action with as much natural authenticity as possible. The minimalist approach, said Dove, was also aimed at getting each actor more deeply into the persona required. “Once I was there, then you have a character, you have someone else to worry about,” she said. “Suddenly Grace isn’t there, it’s someone else, and you realize oh, that’s why you do all (that youth theatre). Every day I’d come back feeling like a whole new artist. I’ve been working my whole life for moments like that. I already feel like I have all these emotions in my body, and once you get on set, that is my chance as an artist to be able to express that for other people. I know it’s already in there, that’s the amazing part, it’s just constantly uncovering layers. I never doubted my abilities to portray a character - I think it was more everything leading up to that moment was the hard part.” Now that it has wrapped, and the film is on the screen, Dove’s influence on society has been forever

“Alejandro has so much established. She knows already it is having an impact on northern youth and on aboriginal cultural esteem respect for our culture and I really appreciate that,” she said. “The movie industry has come a long way, because that feedback has already reached her ears. She even felt pangs of it herself, when she saw but it still has a long way to go. I’m so excited to be that the New York Times named her one of the part of it. I’m so proud of my heritage, but I’m not young Hollywood stars to watch in the fashion indus- going to let that put me in a box either.” A great many of the Prince George area’s most try, and when she walked out of a movie in a Port Coquitlam cinema where she and her UnderExposed successful performers have also have aboriginal teammates were catching a show, and she was gob- roots - Marcel Gagnon, Kym and Mike Gouchie, Rick Stavely, Steven Cree smacked in her tracks by Molison, the Baker Twins a giant poster of she and The movie industry has (Shauna and Shannon) - so DiCaprio touching foreheads. come a long way, but it she has had role models It was the first time she’d still has a long way to of her own, and embraces seen a poster for the film. being the next one in that It wasn’t what she’d been go. I’m so excited to be line to whom local youth expecting. She thought part of it. I’m so proud of will now look, whether it would be some image of they be aboriginal or not. DiCaprio facing the elements, my heritage, but I’m not She feels the weight of not one of Hollywood’s going to let that put me that mentorship she now biggest stars so intimatein a box either. possesses, and isn’t going ly connected to a little to squander it. Tsq’escenemc girl from the “I don’t think politics is something I’m going to rural Prince George area. She is proud, too, that as an aboriginal actor, she talk about yet, I just want to focus on the art. As a has never been asked, in her professional career young person of course I have lots to say, but less dating back to childhood, to be anything but an is more at this point,” she said. “And I really want aboriginal person. Less than a generation ago, it was to encourage youth, especially young artists, that largely Euro casting even for aboriginal characters, there’s a difference between goals and expectations. and aboriginal actors got few opportunities or any It’s important to have goals. I’ve had goals since I was a child. But when things don’t go exactly as you sort of screen or stage time.

expected, that can turn negative. You can’t have expectations on your craft, you just have to keep saying yes (in pursuit of the goal) every day.” She also urged aspiring artists to maintain a grateful heart for those who help you out along the way. In her life, that was her parents and two older brothers), the folks at CKPG, the Barber family, her agent Darren Boidman, and local teachers Lisa Davison, Audrey Rowell (KRSS), Mrs. Sargent (HPMS) and Mrs. Sieb (SVES). The Revenant is already getting Oscar buzz. The film’s release was in a mix dominated by Star Wars and The Hateful Eight across the broad box office spectrum, but 20th Century Fox opted to release The Revenant first in specialty theatres and no film had a better per-theatre box office average (PTA) in that time period. According to box office analyst website Deadline Hollywood, it was the second-highest PTA of the entire year (the Steve Jobs biopic was the top) and the best PTA result in Iñárritu’s stellar career. The Revenant gets its full-market North American release on Jan. 8. The new season of UnderExposed also launches in January on APTN so the world will be tuning in to Grace Dove in the months ahead on screens large and small.

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