Easter dinner
Volunteer Barbara Robin scoops vegetables onto a plate on Sunday afternoon at Sacred Heart Auditorium
were on hand to serve 700-750 expected guests.
Restaurant damaged by fire on Sunday
Citizen staff
Hate criminal facing defamation case
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
A defamation lawsuit against a Quesnel man convicted of promoting online hate remains in play.
Arthur Topham had applied to have dismissed an action brought against him by Daniel Gallant, saying he had failed to provide any material facts supporting his notice of claim and that it had expired because it had not been served within the one-year time limit.
But on April 8, a B.C. Supreme Court Justice struck Topham’s application and gave Gallant until May 31 to file an amended notice of claim. Topham, meanwhile, will have until July 31 to file a response.
In a response to Topham’s application, Gallant said that he was unfamiliar with the rules of the court at the time he filed the notice of claim in March 2017. He also
said he was unable to serve co-defendant Monika Schaefer with the claim because she was in Germany serving prison time after being convicted of hate crimes there. In March 2018, Topham was sentenced to a six-month conditional sentence followed by two years of probation after a jury found him guilty of willfully promoting hatred against people of the Jewish religion. He was also ordered to refrain from posting his writings on any other internet forum where they can be read by the general public.
Gallant, a former neo-Nazi skinhead who became dedicated to countering violent extremism, is suing Topham over comments he allegedly made about him online.
Google had also been named as a defendant in the original notice of claim, but was removed in May 2018 after issues between the sides had been resolved, according to Gallant.
Online threats earn probation for two youths
Citizen staff
Two youths who posted an online threat against College Heights Secondary School were sentenced this week to one year probation with a conditional discharge.
Damage to the exterior of the restaurant was estimated at $2,000 and the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Firefighters were called to a fire at the So Good restaurant on Eighth Avenue on Sunday afternoon. At approximately 1:45 p.m. firefighters were called the scene, according to a statement issued by the Prince George Fire Rescue service. When firefighters arrived, they found the restaurant owner spraying water on the outside of the building. Light smoke was coming from the side of the building, and fire crews quickly extinguished the blaze. All the restaurant patrons had been evacuated, and there were no injured to patrons, restaurant staff or fire crews.
B.C. Prosecution Service communications counsel Daniel McLaughlin said the outcomes were reached Monday in Prince George provincial court after the two pleaded guilty to one count each of uttering threats. The terms of probation come with “appropriate conditions,” he said.
The two, whose names are shielded by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were arrested in April 2018 after RCMP were notified.
The threats posed no credible danger to students or staff at the school, RCMP said at the time.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The So Good restaurant was damaged by a fire on the exterior of the building on Sunday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Modified minerals can kill bacteria in contaminated water, UNBC study shows
Citizen staff
They’re known as a “magic mineral” because of their many applications and a University of Northern British Columbia graduate student may have found a new one.
Lon Kerr’s work involves modifying natural zeolites to make antibacterial agents.
He’s taken a sample from the International Zeolite’s Bromley Creek Quarry in British Columbia, washed it with deionized water, then treated with sodium chloride solution to remove water-soluble impurities and make a sodiumform zeolite.
It was then soaked in zinc solution to load the zeolite.
Tests confirmed that zinc-modified zeolite is capable of killing 100 per cent of bacteria. Just 0.1 grams of product can reduce the cell count of bacteria-contaminated water by over two thousand per hundred milliliters, in under an hour of exposure.
“We’ve been testing killing
We’ve been testing killing bacteria in drinking water since last summer, we are confident about the results we are getting.
— Dr. Hossein Kazemian
bacteria in drinking water since last summer, we are confident about the results we are getting,” said Dr. Hossein Kazemian, Kerr’s supervisor.
Continued efforts are underway to upscale the process.
“According to World Health Organization reports, by 2025, 50 per cent of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed regions and at least two billion people will be drinking water from sources contaminated with bacte-
ria generated by feces,” said Kerr.
“These numbers show the importance of our research in developing inexpensive, yet a very effective compound for water purification particularly for underdeveloped countries.
“In some cases, floods, earthquakes and other events can damage or destroy existing water treatment systems in developed communities.
“Zeolites are a solution for disaster that can be prepared in advanced and stored long term.”
Kerr is in the second year of working towards a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. His research began while he was an undergraduate student at UNBC. Kerr is conducting his research with International Zeolite Corporation (formerly known as Canadian Zeolite Corporation) with funding from Mitacs, which is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada for business and academia.
Treasure Island radio play brought to stage
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
Set a course of the riches and booty of the sea and stage, mateys. Pocket Theatre is presenting Treasure Island: A Radio Play, performed in front of a live audience
“Come join our live audience while we act out this ripping good yarn,” said co-director Peter Maides who coordinated the cast and crew alongside Allison Haley.
“It’s a script that Orson Welles adapted for the radio for his Mercury Theatre group that he had back in the ’30s,” said Maides.
“It’s a public domain script, and we adapted his adaptation to give it more local content. We’ve done a few radio plays live on stage before, and we’re carrying on that tradition because they are quite fun.”
The cast and crew are calling this unique style of presentation Pocket Theatre of the Air, and not just to be quaint. Yes, this will be a play for a live audience enjoying the actors and technicians present the script, but the finished product will be actually broadcast later on CFUR 88.7 FM (the UNBC campus station).
The actors will have scripts in their hands, reading the lines, but it nonetheless takes a rehearsal process to prepare the cast for the pacing of the dialogue and the allowances for special audio effects.
“Everybody loves the foley table,” said Maides. The foley table is the work bench used by the sound effects specialists for almost every radio play. The tabletop is stocked with all the hammers and whistles and shak-
ers and other inventive items that make the theatrical noises needed to plump up the story.
“Our foley table will feature the sound effects by Katherine Benny,” said Maides. “She brings her knowledge of percussion from the symphony (she is a member of the PGSO’s percussion section), and her passion for radio which I guess she gets from her dad.” (She is the daughter of local morning show host Mike Benny, so radio has been a lifelong household condition.)
The show will be performed twice next week, as a practice and fundraiser to advance the cast and crew on to the Central Interior Zone Drama Festival coming up May 9-12 at the Kersley Community Hall.
The cast is led by Niall Caffrey in his debut with Pocket Theatre playing the role of young Jim Hawkins.
The role of adult Jim Hawkins is played by his father, local stage and screen veteran Frank Caffrey who also doubles as the voice of Cap’n Flint, the parrot. As is so frequently the case with radio play casts, many of the actors have multiple roles. In this performance, Andrea Mallett plays both the scurvy knave Black Dog and the virtuous Captain Smollet; Devon Flynn takes on the pivotal role of Long John Silver as well as Dr. Livesay; Sandra Clermont is both Blind Pew and Ben Gunn; Al Wiensczyk portrays Squire Trelawney and Billy Bones; Lynne Brown plays a mother, some pirates, and an announcer.
The Prince George shows will be held Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in room 1-306 at the College of New Caledonia. All are welcome. Admission is by donation.
Dog breeder takes dispute to city council
Citizen staff
A dog breeder whose application for a business licence has been denied will take her case to city council.
Roxanna Hamilton, who runs Summer Knight Kennels out of her home at 3622 Hazel Dr., will be the subject of a hearing set for
May 6 in council chambers. In January, Hamilton filed a petition at the Prince George courthouse over the issue, claiming that for years she was told she did not need one, only to receive a notice in July 2018 saying she was contravening a city bylaw that prohibits running the business without a licence.
UNBC HANDOUT PHOTO
UNBC graduate student Lon Kerr may have found a way to use zeolite minerals to rid contaminated water of bacteria.
Mayer elected BCNREB president
Citizen staff
Prince George real estate agent
Leah Mayer is the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board’s president for 2019-20.
She was elected to the position during the BCNREB’s annual meeting on April 5.
“I am honoured to serve as the President of the BC Northern Real Estate Board for 2019-2020,” she said. “Our profession saw big changes to the rules and the way we conduct business. The board of directors have worked hard on be-
half of the realtors to help with the transition to the new rules and will continue to advocate and provide support in this coming year.”
Shawna Kinsley of Prince George was installed as vice-president, and Court Smith of Williams Lake Realty is now past president.
Returning directors include David Jurek (100 Mile House), Nicole Gilliss (Fort St. John), Sandra Hinchliffe (Smithers), Wynnette Lowes (Fort St. John), and public directors Christine Buemann (Prince George) and Dean Simpson (Prince George).
MS Walk happening May 26
Citizen staff
Prince George will be among the communities across British Columbia where a walk will be held to raise funds and improve the lives of Canadians living with multiple sclerosis.
The annual MS Walk is set for May 26 at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Check-in time is 11 a.m. and the walk starts at noon.
Participants can choose from
Canine athletes
ABOVE: Ty, a papillion, runs through an obstacle while competing in Top Dog’s April Showers Agility Trial on Sunday morning at the Agriplex.
LEFT: Deuce, a Labrador retriever, clears an obstacle while competing in Top Dog’s April Showers Agility Trial on Sunday
a variety of routes, including a wheelchair accessible route for participants using mobility aids.
“Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world,” organizers said in a news release.
“The funds raised at the MS Walk are invested in accelerating the pace of MS breakthroughs and empowering people with MS to live their best lives.”
More information is available online at mswalks.ca.
Too many can’t afford to buy healthy food
It has been known for some time that certain foods are linked to ailments such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a variety of cancers. Red meat, processed meat and products high in saturated fat such as cream top the list. With this in mind, Health Canada has issued a new Food Guide, which places more emphasis on fruit, vegetables and whole grains. The price of vegetables is forecast to increase by six per cent in 2019. Meat, meanwhile, is predicted to cost three per cent less, the result, perhaps, of discouraging its consumption.
But the broader question is why so many working-class families, in one of the world’s wealthiest countries, cannot afford a healthy diet. By most measures, Canada is about the 10th-richest nation. How can it be that such a basic necessity lies beyond millions of our citizens?
One answer is that, in real terms, average family incomes in Canada have declined over the past 35 years. In 1980, the median family income was $55,000. By 2015, it had fallen to $48,000 (these are constant dollars).
Canada’s new food guide offers new way of eating.
We don’t often realize this, because unadjusted incomes have indeed grown. But take out the rising cost of living, and working-class families are worse off, not better.
A common explanation is that while Canada is an affluent country, much of the wealth is concentrated at the high end of the income scale. There is truth in that.
YOUR LETTERS
Spot the danger before you play
Accidents can happen in a split second. As the weather warms up and kids spend more time outside, I encourage parents, teachers and community group leaders to help pass on The War Amps PLAYSAFE message.
I grew up in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program and have met kids who have lost limbs in accidents. As a leg amputee, I also know what it is like to live without a limb.
Members of CHAMP are warning kids to spot the danger before they play in a new video, PLAYSAFE: Don’t Let It Happen to You. They share their stories about how they lost their limbs in accidents and stress the importance of staying away from “mean machines” like lawn mowers, boats, cars and farm equipment. Please take some time to view or download the video free-of-charge online at waramps.ca/playsafe.
Jennah Stavroff
War Amps regional representative, B.C.
Practice what you preach
A friend of mine was telling me that he went to one of the past open house public meetings on the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline.
He said the parking lot at the meeting hall was completely full with cars.
No parking spaces available. He also said for four blocks around the meeting hall, there was also no parking spaces available. The purpose of these meetings were to voice public opinions on oil transportation.
When my friend went up to speak at the microphone, he mentioned about no parking spaces available, yet he told the audience, how come the bike rack outside the building was completely empty. Not one bike. He said the majority of people
are here to voice their opinions on oil, and yet everyone drove their cars to the meeting. Their was clear silence from the public audience and the panel on the stage. He stunned them all. In summary, environmentalists are living in the twilight zone. They must learn to practice what they preach.
Joe Sawchuk, Duncan, B.C.
Betke in denial
Re: Art Betke’s letter regarding climate change I think that with all the evidence mounting up regarding climate change being caused by humans that a rational person would be more concerned rather than dismissive of the problems that we face.
I think the definition of a Flat Earther is suitable in this case: A Flat Earther is one, who in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, still believes the Earth to be flat.
E.G.
(Eddie)
Johnson Prince George
LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen. ca or 250-960-2759). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
SHAWN CORNELL DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
The top fifth of the population takes home six times as much as the lowest fifth. Yet income distribution in Canada is no different than most Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, and better than some.
The plight of the working class becomes still more difficult to explain when one considers that labour productivity in Canada has grown 50 per cent over the past few decades.
Part of the problem is that while our economy continues to expand, much of the wealth production has occurred in high-tech fields. Jobs in this sector require a university degree or equivalent, yet only half of Canada’s workforce have those qualifications.
By contrast, manufacturing, which was once a mainstay of blue-collar employment, is bleeding jobs, due both to increased automation and the flight of corporations to cheaper locations overseas. Neither of these trends is forecast to reverse; they are expected to accelerate.
To combat the decline in working-class wages, the idea has been floated of a guaranteed minimum
income. In 2017, the Liberal government in Ontario experimented with this briefly. Under the program, individuals could receive up to $17,000 a year, and couples $24,000, minus half of any earned income. The project was cancelled a year later when the Conservatives, led by Doug Ford, took office. Yet while a scheme like this would go some way to reversing workingclass losses, significant difficulties stand in the way. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that a national program based on the Ontario model would cost an additional $43 billion. It is unlikely costs on that scale could be managed without a hefty tax increase. And there is a deeper issue at stake. People need work for more reasons than earning a living.
Numerous studies have shown that employment creates personal satisfaction, a sense of self-worth and the social benefits that come with having workmates. As a species, we need to be busy.
These requirements will not be satisfied by a government-subsidized income, no matter how well planned it might be.
Victoria Times-Colonist
—
Alberta back to its old ways
The Alberta provincial election has come and gone with the province returning to its traditional ruling party, the Conservatives. It might now be called the United Conservative Party instead of the Progressive Conservatives or just the Conservatives. And yes, it might be a blend of all of the right of centre parties. But it is essentially the same old bunch in charge again.
Premier-elect Jason Kenney has already fired off a number of shots indicating a return to Ralph Klein “my way or the highway” politics.
My favorite is the war room Kenney is proposing to investigate the lies and myths about Alberta’s energy industry propagated by environmental groups. Those darn groups are funded by international cartels according to Kenney and “both the industry and governments of different partisan stripes have not been fast enough to respond to the incoming attacks” Kenney told reporters.
It is us-versus-them mentality. You’re either with us or get out of Alberta. And don’t come back.
Of course, the problems with the oil and gas sector have little to do with the environmental groups per se. Environmentalists are simply pointing out the problems. For example, there are over 170 square kilometres of tailing ponds in Fort McMurray. That is an area almost the size of Prince George. There really is no way to paint the size of these ponds as a good thing.
Particularly as they will be around for decades to come.
Or consider the carbon dioxide emissions coming from oil and gas. Essentially the chemical reaction for the combustion of fossil fuels is the same regardless of the source. Hydrocarbon plus oxygen equals carbon dioxide, water and energy. There is no such thing as a “clean” fossil fuel – just cleanerburning fossil fuels.
Or the process itself of turning tar sands into bitumen. This requires massive amount of hot water to be poured into deposits warming the bitumen to a point where it becomes fluid enough to be extracted. The resulting water can be separated from the oil and potentially re-used but a fraction is inseparable from pollutants and ends up in the tailing ponds. The amount of energy expended keeping the water hot produces a lot of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Or the technique of fracking which has opened up otherwise inaccessible or unproductive gas deposits. Essentially the process involves drilling into a deposit and then cracking open the surrounding rock using high pressure water with a few ingredients. The result-
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ing damage to the substrata has led to a variety of issues, including methane in groundwater aquifers. Tap water shouldn’t be flammable. The list goes on and on.
Alberta’s economy thrives when the oil and gas industry is strong.
After all, without oil money, Alberta would just be Saskatchewan with attitude. But the next generation is more concerned about having a fit place to live than simply pulling oil out of the ground. Environmental groups are not anti-business. They are opposed to business carried out with little regard to the environment. And from their perspective, the oil and gas industry doesn’t seem to care about the environment as much as it cares about profits.
Kenney is concerned environmental groups are using foreign funding to wage public relations campaigns and to provide the finances to support the legal fight against pipeline. To his way of thinking, the government must respond quickly to such attacks.
Speaking about a National Geographic article on Alberta oil sands, Kenney claims the article is riddle with factual errors. He stated “I want a unit in the government that will be on that the moment it is published, demanding a correction of the record and throwing a spotlight on what I think was, in that instance, irresponsible journalism.”
Fair enough. The media should be putting out factually correct information. And if something is factually inaccurate, there should be a retraction. Or, at the very least, an opportunity for a response. But the government isn’t supposed to take sides on such issues.
The oil and gas industry spends a great deal of time telling us just how well they are doing. The industry as a whole is bringing in large profits every year. And yes, some of that money goes back into pension plans and other forms of investment in which we all participate. But they have enough money and lawyers to defend themselves.
If the government is going to spend money looking into foreign investment in environmental groups while defending the industry against their attacks, then it should also be spending money looking into foreign investment in the oil patch and defending the province against their bad practices.
As premier, Kenney is supposed to represent all Albertans, not just the ones he agrees with.
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HANDOUT PHOTO
Military deploys to assist flood victims in Quebec
Morgan LOWRIE The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Some 800 Canadian military personnel fanned out across Quebec on Monday, filling sandbags and aiding evacuations as Premier Francois Legault warned that climate change will increase the frequency of serious flooding.
In Rigaud, about 70 kilometres west of Montreal, naval reservists used flat-bottomed Zodiac boats to survey the situation in low-lying areas, where the river had spilled across roads and blocked access to all but the largest of Canadian Forces vehicles.
As one boat motored on the Rigaud River past chunks of ice and floating debris off the shores of what is usually a scenic neighbourhood, the reservists waved to people sitting on the porches of their now-isolated homes.
Sub-Lt. Francois Marquette said the naval reserves were called in on Sunday and are carrying out reconnaissance activities until they’re asked to take a more active role.
“We’re looking at how the situation evolves, and if civil society need support in terms of evacuations, we’ll see how we can support them,” he said.
While the river appeared to have risen by about 15 centimetres in the last 24 hours, he said most people didn’t appear panicked, and the situation remained under control.
Legault spoke to reporters Monday after visiting a Gatineau, Que., neighbourhood that has been flooded for the second time in three years. He said Quebec cannot “waste the money of Quebec taxpayers” on compensating people for flood damage, only to see the same properties flooded again two or three years later.
That is why beginning this year, flooding compensation will be capped by the province at a cumulative total of $100,000, after which the only aid available will be to help people move out of the flood zone. They will be eligible for up to $200,000 for a new home.
“We have to accept the evidence,” Legault said. “With the warming of the climate, there are events that are repeated more often than in the past, so we have to be able to adjust our programs, which is what we are doing.”
Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said some neighbourhoods might merit the investment to protect them from the increased risk of flooding. In cases where that is not possible, he questioned whether the current compensation offer would be enough to incite people to move.
“If we ask people to leave, they must leave with dignity, and that means with enough financial means to have a quality of life that would be equivalent elsewhere,” Pedneaud-
Jobin said. “And for many people, $200,000 for a house is very limited.”
Back in Rigaud, the residents who remained in their homes seemed to be in good spirits, even as they used kayaks and small power boats to reach houses that had turned into islands.
Luc Laperriere, a homeowner, said the last major flood, in 2017, is still on his mind. The damage his home sustained meant he had to move out for five months and contend with a nightmare of government bureaucracy for permits and compensation.
This time, he said he felt more mentally prepared after having sent his three large dogs away and moved his valuable equipment to higher ground. He said his home would be safe from flooding this year as long as the water doesn’t rise more than another foot.
While he can see himself moving eventually, he thinks it would be wrong to force his neighbours out.
“People who have been here 30 or 40 years can’t leave. It’s their home,” he said. He said people are getting better at protecting themselves from flooding and are attached to their homes.
“Relocating people like that, forcing them to lose the value in their homes, it’s unacceptable.”
The next street over, longtime area resident Louis Ouellette said having two major floods in three years is hard on residents.
He said that before 2017, there hadn’t been a flood of this magnitude since 1974.
He had come to help his cousin and their neighbours, but he acknowledged that moral support might be all he could provide.
“What can you do?” he asked, as he stood in ankle-deep water in front of his cousin’s house. “You can’t stop the river.”
Urgence Quebec said Monday that six major floods were threatening Quebecers, with 2,549 residences across the province flooded and more than 1,600 people forced
from their homes.
“There will doubtless be more flooding to come,” Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault told reporters in Yamachiche, about 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal. “The weather, the temperature, the melting snow – and with a water level that is already high – what we can do is prepare the best we can.”
She thanked Canadian Forces members, who on Sunday had helped fill 4,000 sandbags and continued to provide help Monday.
Joining Guilbault in Yamachiche, Brig.Gen. Jennie Carignan said there are now 800 military members on the job throughout Quebec. She said the soldiers are welltrained for the work and are “very proud to be able to provide our support.”
Rigaud fire chief Daniel Boyer said a light armoured vehicle was called in to help with the evacuation of a couple who required medical attention. He said the Army vehicle was able to transport paramedics to the couple’s home and get them to safety.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick officials said Monday they are encouraged by the latest flood forecast, which has water levels stabilizing in the Fredericton area and on the upper reaches of the Saint John River.
Emergency Measures Organization director Greg MacCallum said that while the water remains above the flood stage of eight metres, levels are expected to “abate somewhat” over the next couple of days, barring any additional rain.
Still, MacCallum warned it’s not the time for people to let down their guard, as water levels continue to rise in areas south of Fredericton.
— With files from Terry Pedwell and Keith Doucette
CP PHOTO
Members of the Naval Reserve patrol the Ottawa River next to homes surrounded by floodwaters in the town of Rigaud, Que. on Monday.
Sri Lankan-Canadians mourn victims of terrorist attack
Michelle McQUIGGE
The Canadian Press
Sri Lankan-Canadians were gathering Monday to mourn those killed in a massive terrorist attack in their homeland as the Canadian government stepped up cautions for anyone considering visiting the country as it grapples with the fallout from the widespread violence.
At least 290 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a series of co-ordinated bomb blasts that rocked churches and hotels across Sri Lanka on Sunday. Authorities said many of the attacks, believed to be carried out by suicide bombers with a local Islamic group, targeted worshippers gathered to celebrate Easter.
As Sri Lankan government officials wrestled with latest explosions, imposed a curfew on the public and blocked the bulk of social media activity in the country, the Canadian government urged travellers to exercise “a high degree of caution” if visiting the area.
Closer to home, however, Sri Lankans organized vigils from coast to coast to both pay tribute to those killed and seek solace among those who have witnessed violence in their homeland before.
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Edward Anura Ferdinand, president of the Sri Lanka Canada Association of Ottawa, said hundreds of Sri Lankans are expected to gather in several cities to light candles, sing hymns and come to terms with the recent bombings. One such vigil was held Monday evening on Parliament Hill.
Anura Ferdinand said the horror of Sunday’s violence is compounded by the memories it revives, adding many Sri Lankan-Canadians are grappling not only with the latest events but memories of the bloody civil war that drove many of them out of the country in the first place.
“We are in the position of healing our wounds after a 30-year war,” he said. “There was a time when breaking news was a common thing, every now and then you would hear explosions... There are so many bad memories that come to my head personally and so many of the other members when we heard about this.”
In the civil war, which came to an end in 2009, a powerful rebel army known as the Tamil Tigers was crushed by the government. While anti-Muslim bigotry has swept the island in recent years, fed by Buddhist nationalists, the island also has no history of violent Muslim militants. The country’s small Christian community has seen only scattered incidents of harassment in recent years. Sunday’s explosions – centred on the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa – collapsed ceilings and blew out windows, killing worshippers and hotel guests in one scene after another of smoke, soot, blood, broken glass, screams and wailing alarms.
Sri Lanka’s health minister said intelligence reports had repeatedly flagged threats of violence, but alleged the warnings went unheeded by government officials. While no group has officially taken responsibility for the attacks, Rajitha Senaratne attributed the attacks to a group known as National Thowfeek Jamaath. Police said they have arrested 13 people in connection with the bombings. Late Monday, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe gave the military wider berth to detain and arrest suspects.
Sports
Jets have ‘tough decisions’ to make this summer
Judy OWEN The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG — General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says an upcoming summer of “tough decisions” means changes are on the way for the Winnipeg Jets.
Young stars such as Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor are due hefty raises now that their entry-level contracts are coming to an end, but the team was already near the US$79.5-million salary cap so some familiar faces may be gone to free up cash.
“We have some tough decisions to make this summer, a lot of them,” Cheveldayoff said Monday after exit meetings with players following the team’s elimination from the playoffs last Saturday.
“Is the team going to be the same? I could stand here last year with greater certainty that there was going to be a lot of pieces that we’re going to do our darnedest to keep and come back, and even then we couldn’t do it all then. This year, there’s certainly going to be some changes.”
The Jets went into the campaign with expectations they could contend for the Stanley Cup after
reaching the Western Conference final last season before losing in five games to Vegas.
Instead, Winnipeg (47-30-5) couldn’t get on a roll to end the regular season and was unable to flip the switch in the playoffs.
The St. Louis Blues (45-28-9) knocked them out of their firstround matchup in six games, four decided by one goal.
“Not worried about that right now,” Laine said of a new contract. “Right now, I want to forget everything that is involved with hockey.”
Laine, who scored three goals in the playoffs, revealed he suffered a “small” groin injury in Game 5, but could handle it. He’d also dealt with ongoing back problems during the season, but “I was able to play good.”
He went through a number of dry scoring spells after scoring 18 goals in November, but finished with 30 and 50 points. That was down from 44 goals and 70 points last season.
Laine said he’s not playing in the world championship and will go home to Finland to golf and spend time with family and friends.
The Jets have 15 pending free agents.
Laine and Connor, who scored 34 goals, are among eight restricted free agents, which also includes defenceman Jacob Trouba. He went through arbitration last summer and signed a one-year, $5.5-million contract.
There are seven unrestricted free agents, most notably defencemen Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot
and forward Brandon Tanev, who had surgery for a broken finger days before the playoffs. Myers had a $5.5-million contract and the team may not be able to afford to keep him.
Head coach Paul Maurice is well aware he’ll be icing a different group next season, but he doesn’t think the window of opportunity for success is beginning to close.
“There are too many guys between the 20- and 26-(year-old) range that aren’t at their peak or at their best,” Maurice said. “So, no I don’t feel that.
“Our team is going to change clearly, and the cap is going to affect that, but those players that are coming back have lots of room to improve.”
One area he’s tagged for improvement is team defence.
“At the end of it, if you look at it we weren’t quite a good enough defensive group this year. It wasn’t a strength,” Maurice said.
“And I felt like last year it was the quiet strength of our team nobody talked about because lots of people were scoring goals and were feeling good about it.”
Winnipeg’s defence was hit by
lengthy injuries in the new year to Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey, but both were back for the playoffs.
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers revealed he suffered a fracture in his right leg while blocking a shot in Game 5, but treatment helped enough that he got the go-ahead to play. He won’t need surgery, he added. While fingers are always pointed at a coach when a team doesn’t get close to expectations, Cheveldayoff said the coaching staff “did what they could to get every ounce of this team.”
Captain Blake Wheeler threw his support behind Maurice, then took some of the blame.
“I would say you point the first one at me, ” Wheeler said.
“It’s my job to get this team kind of to that next level. The coach isn’t on the ice, the players are on the ice. We’re the ones that are accountable.
“One of the most winningest coaches of all time in the history of this game. So, I think his record speaks for itself. Obviously I’d go through a brick wall for the guy. I don’t want to play for anyone else. That’s where I stand.”
Maple Leafs heading into Game 7 with Bruins
Joshua CLIPPERTON The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Connor Brown and the Maple Leafs sent all the right messages ahead of Game 7 last year. He insists this time they actually mean it. Toronto heads into the finale of a backand-forth Eastern Conference quarterfinal with the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night with a firm belief. Ghosts of past playoff failures, however, still linger.
The Leafs led the Bruins 4-3 through 40 minutes of Game 7 at TD Garden some 12
months ago only to crash and burn in a 7-4 loss.
And while just two players – Jake Gardiner and the suspended Nazem Kadri – remain from an even bigger collapse in Boston in 2013, many Toronto fans are still scarred from a meltdown that saw the Bruins become the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period.
Up 3-2 in this year’s first-round series, Toronto had a chance to finish Boston off in Game 6 at home on Sunday. The Leafs
came out swinging, the Bruins responded, and kept their opponent at bay long enough to force another winner-take-all affair.
“We’re a very confident group,” Brown said post-game in an empty Leafs locker room. “We were saying it all last year, but now we really believe it to our core. We feel as if we’re a group that can go deep.”
Despite the most recent setback, Toronto has reason to optimistic.
While last year’s series was close in that it went the distance, the teams are more
evenly matched in 2019. Neither side has managed to win consecutive games – Toronto trailed 2-0 and 3-1 last spring – the Leafs have outscored the Bruins 13-11 at even strength, own a slight edge in puck possession at 5-on-5 and have out hit the Bruins 217-206.
Toronto has already won twice at TD Garden, including a disciplined, patient 2-1 victory in Game 5 where the Leafs had to wait until midway through the third period to break a 0-0 tie. — see ‘IT REALLY, page 8
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck pauses after giving up a goal to St. Louis Blues’ player Jaden Schwartz during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL firstround hockey playoff series on Saturday in St. Louis.
Sports
‘It really comes down to the commitment’
— from page 7
“We know how they play, they know how we play,” Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly said.
“It really comes down to the commitment to do it right.”
One area where the Bruins have had a clear advantage is on the man advantage.
Third overall in the NHL during the regular season, Boston is 7-for-16 on the power play in the series compared to Toronto’s three goals on 14 chances.
That disparity was the difference in a Game 6 where the Leafs scored early only to watch as the Bruins struck twice up a man, although the first came off a scrambled draw in the offensive zone.
Toronto found some answers in neutralizing Boston on three opportunities in Game 5 and will need a similar effort in Game 7 as the franchise looks to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“We understand what they do,” Brown said. “It’s time for us to stop having the breakdowns.”
The Leafs have a different look this time around following the free-agent acquisition of centre John Tavares, the trade for defenceman Jake Muzzin and the continued growth of Auston Matthews, who has five goals in his last four games, and Mitch Marner. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen, meanwhile, owns a .925 save percentage after being one of the weak links in the chain last year.
“It’s a new set of circumstances,” Tavares said. “It’s a lot of guys who haven’t been here, including myself.”
“I’m not a big believer of living in the past,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock added. “I don’t carry a lot of stuff around from the past at all.”
Boston has also made changes, but a battle-tested core remains the backbone of their lineup. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask have won the Stanley Cup and been to another.
With their team facing elimination on Sunday, Marchand scored twice and added an assist, Bergeron and Chara were their usual solid selves, and Rask did enough to keep the Leafs at bay late.
The Bruins know the history between the teams, too, but like the Leafs don’t put
much stock in the past.
“I don’t think anybody has a mental advantage,” Rask said. “Every season is a new season. If you end up playing the same team, so be it, but it’s a new series, new game.
“We have a lot of experience in the room,
but we still have to play the game the right way.” The Leafs’ formula on Tuesday won’t be much different.
“We’re a group that wants to be on the ice in big moments,” Brown said.
“We won’t be timid.”
Hurricanes rally past Capitals, force Game 7
Joedy McCREARY
The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. — Justin Williams earned another chance to live up to his nickname.
The rest of the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t yet ready to end their first playoff appearance in a decade.
Jordan Staal scored the goahead goal and added an assist in the third period, and the Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Monday night to force Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.
“We didn’t have a tomorrow,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said.
Williams scored an insurance goal seconds after the Capitals had the tying goal disallowed, Warren Foegele and Teuvo Teravainen also scored, Dougie Hamilton added an empty-netter and Petr Mrazek made 23 saves.
The Hurricanes scored three third-period goals in bouncing back from a 6-0 beatdown in Game 5 and prolonging their first playoff appearance in a decade by one game at least.
“We answered the bell,” said Williams – known as “Mr. Game 7” for his NHL-record 14 points in those games, plus his record-tying seven goals and his teams’ 7-1 record in them.
by two goals 84 seconds later by tipping Brett Pesce’s shot past Holtby and Hamilton extended the lead with his empty-netter with 3:06 left. By that point, the Capitals’ frustrations hit their breaking point, with Ovechkin receiving a slashing penalty and a game misconduct with 1:08 remaining. “I don’t want to be a bad guy or something, but it was not fun,” Ovechkin said.
It helped the Hurricanes that they got a bit healthier, with one of the three forwards injured during this series returning to the lineup. Jordan Martinook was back after leaving Game 4 with a lower body injury.
Another theme of the series was upended: At no point during the first five games of this series did the road team ever lead. Connolly ended that pesky bit of trivia by scoring at 5:06 of the first to make it 1-0. And Ovechkin’s fourth goal of the series – and his third in three games – put the Capitals up 2-1 with 4:48 left in the first.
Game 7 is Wednesday night in Washington. The winner will play the New York Islanders in the second round.
“I said at the start of the series that if they’re going to knock us out, we’re not going to do it easy,” he added. “We’re not going to let it be easy on them. Let’s go play another game.”
Alex Ovechkin scored for the third straight game, Brett Connolly also scored and Braden Holtby stopped 31 shots.
Washington – which won 10 road games a year ago on its run to the first Stanley Cup title in club history – went 0-3 on the road in this series after winning both regular-season meetings in Raleigh.
Staal gave the Hurricanes their first lead of the game at 3:51 of the third period, following a scramble in front of Holtby. Justin Faulk uncorked a shot from the point and Brock McGinn and Staal both poked at it, with Staal ultimately slipping it past the Capitals goalie to make it 3-2.
“I was just trying to track the puck, and honestly, try to get a piece of it,” Staal said. “And it was fortunate to go in.”
Then came the key momentum swing of this one – the waved-off goal that Washington thought should have counted.
As Evgeny Kuznetsov tried to tuck the puck under Mrazek’s pads with 9:26 remaining, Ovechkin crashed into the goalie. The officials waved it off, ruling that the Capitals’ captain interfered with Mrazek by pushing his pad.
Washington coach Todd Reirden said he felt the play was “worth a challenge” after consulting with his video review staffers.
“That’s not how the league or the referees saw it,” he said.
Williams then put Carolina up
But they didn’t score again – and the Hurricanes kept pushing back. First, Foegele made it 1-all when he beat Holtby with a spinning shot from the slot with 9:25 left in the first, giving him four goals in three home games in the series. He’s the second player in club history with four home goals in a series, joining Mark Hunter – who did it with the Whalers against Boston in 1991.
And Teravainen pulled Carolina to 2-2 at 1:56 of the second. Sebastian Aho swiped the puck from Jonas Siegenthaler behind the net and passed to Teravainen in the slot.
“In the end, we weren’t playing terrible, but we had to find a way to tighten it up,” Staal said.
“It was everybody tonight, and that’s what we need if we want to win this series.”
Up next
The series concludes Wednesday night in Washington in Game 7.
CP PHOTO
Boston Bruins left winger Jake DeBrusk and Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly exchange words after a hit during a game in Toronto on Sunday.
AP PHOTO
Carolina Hurricanes’ player Jordan Staal scores the winning goal against Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby while Hurricanes’ player Brock McGinn assists during Game 6 of their playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday.
Klingberg clinches win for Stars in OT
Stephen HAWKINS
The Associated Press
DALLAS — John Klingberg scored from the left circle 17:02 into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 to wrap up their first-round Western Conference playoff series in six games.
Klingberg’s first goal of the playoffs came on a cross-ice pass from Alexander Radulov. The win by the Stars came 11 years after the previous time they clinched a playoff series on home ice. They needed overtime for a 2-1 win in that Game 6 as well – four overtimes to beat San Jose in the second round of the 2008 playoffs.
The Stars will play St. Louis in the second round of these playoffs, just as they did in their previous post-season appearance three years ago. The Blues, who have home-ice advantage this time, won that 2016 series with a Game 7 win in Dallas.
Ben Bishop, Vezina Trophy finalist, had a playoff career-high 47 saves for the Stars.
Pekka Rinne, who won the Vezina Trophy last year as the NHL’s top goalie, also set a playoff career best by stopping 49 shots. That included an impressive pad save on Jamie Benn’s shot just more than five minutes into the overtime period, when the Stars had a 14-8 advantage on shots.
Blake Comeau scored his first playoff goal for the Stars, tying the game at 1-1 in the second period. But he also had a tripping penalty with 1:53 left in regulation that put Nashville on the power play.
But the Predators didn’t even get a shot on goal before the third period ended, or when finishing the final seconds with a man advantage to start overtime. They were 0-for-4 on the power play in Game 6, and finished 0-for-15 in the series. Austin Watson scored a goal for Nashville in the first period.
Flames stunned by post-season burnout
CALGARY — The shock was fading, but the sting wasn’t for the Calgary Flames.
The top seed in the NHL’s Western Conference was still coming to grips Monday with exiting the first round of playoffs in five games at the hands of the eighth-seeded Colorado Avalanche.
The Flames were an offensive juggernaut that gave up the fewest shots against per game in a 107-point season, which was their best since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989.
But Calgary was the opposite in a quick post-season elimination.
“We did a lot of good things to put ourselves in a position to play longer than we did,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “We didn’t look like the team we looked like for 82 games.”
“To have the type of regular season that we had, second overall in the league, 107 points, 50 wins and for it to end as quickly as it does, it seems like you wasted a lot of things and there’s a lot of irrelevance of the regular season.
“That’s part of becoming a good team. You raise your own expectations.”
The Avalanche hit the playoffs at full gallop, going 8-0-2 to clinch a playoff spot in their second-last game of the regular season.
The Flames didn’t feel the same urgency down the stretch.
Calgary went 6-4 after bagging a playoff spot March 17, but still locked down top spot in the conference with three games remaining.
That may account for Avalanche’s higher gear and Calgary’s inability to counter it in the playoffs
“Colorado was a team that was coming in with a lot of momentum,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano, a Norris-Trophy nominee.
“For me, it was their ability to get momentum and keep going throughout the game. We couldn’t find a way to get that momentum back.”
Calgary head coach Bill Peters, hired one year ago, indicated he’d do things differently in those “meaningless” Games 80, 81, 82 of the regular season, but wouldn’t expand on that.
“That was a unique set of circumstances,” he said. “That’s something we’ll definitely talk about.”
Calgary’s 289 goals was second only to the Tampa Bay Lightning and tied with the San Jose Sharks.
But the Flames didn’t produce more than two goals per game in four straight losses to bow out. Two of those games they led in the third period only to lose in overtime.
Leading goalscorer Johnny Gaudreau had one assist in the series. Top-line centre Sean Monahan had one goal.
“Playoff time came and I didn’t find the net there a couple of times when I should have,” Gaudreau said. “It’s not what you hope for, but something to learn from.”
If not for goaltender Mike Smith’s 188 saves in the series, Calgary would have been dispatched even more decisively.
“We blew some ‘A’ goaltending performances,” Treliving stated.
Injuries were not a large factor in Calgary’s swoon.
Monahan played with a “cracked thumb” at season’s end. The malady was minor enough that Monahan was considering playing for Canada at the upcoming world championship.
Peters was against it.
“I don’t think Monny is healthy enough to go in my opinion,” the coach said.
“He’s got to make a decision here whether he wants to continue to play or take the time to heal to get to 100 per cent and then take advantage of his summer.” Calgary’s best playoff performers – goaltender Mike Smith and forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett – are among Treliving’s biggest decisions in the off-season. Smith, 37, and fourth-line forward Garnet Hathaway will enter unrestricted free agency. Tkachuk, Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane, ranging from 21 to 23 respectively, are scheduled for restricted free agency. Defencemen T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Mike Stone are all entering the last year of their contracts.
The Flames also have a relationship to mend with winger James Neal, a 31-yearold playoff veteran who was a healthy scratch in Game 5 because of lack of production.
“Our team underachieved, and I think from top to bottom, at the most critical time of the year,” Treliving said. “We’ve got to figure out why. Right now, I don’t have the why for you, but we’ll get to that in time.
“I tell our guys all the time ‘the regular season is where you make your money. The playoffs is where you make your legacy.”’
Donna SPENCER The Canadian Press
Dallas Stars’ Esa Lindell (23) celebrates with John Klingberg after Klingberg scored in overtime against the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of their playoff series in Dallas on Monday.
Jimmy Page reflects on Led Zeppelin’s legacy
John CARUCCI
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — When Jimmy Page was a young student, he had already developed such an inseparable relationship with his guitar that school officials would often confiscate it.
“It would be given back at the end of the day. And this was quite repetitive,” Page said.
That dedication worked out pretty well for Page, who took Led Zeppelin to the zenith as one of the most powerful outfits in rock history.
Now some of the instruments that he used to create that Zeppelin sound are on display at an exhibition called Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Seven of Page’s guitars, a few costumes and some of his equipment have been loaned to the exhibit, alongside dozens of guitars, drums and memorabilia from such legends as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley and John Lennon.
While visiting the exhibition, Page sat down with The Associated Press to discuss the band’s legacy, why its music has endured and prospects for another reunion concert.
AP: How frustrating are the Led Zeppelin reunion questions? You weren’t completely happy with Live Aid or the 40th anniversary concert for Atlantic Records in 1988. What about the 2007 concert in London?
Page: I’m rather pleased that we did it, because we sort of looked still similar to what we looked now, and, yeah, we did a really good job. But I don’t think there’s going to be another one.
AP: Let’s talk about your earliest recollection with the guitar.
Page: I was taking my guitar to school so that I could play at recess because I became so involved with
it, we became inseparable. I had to do my academic studies, that was the deal I had with my dad. And the rest of the time I could play guitar. So, I took that one step further: I would take that to school and play at recess.
AP: Your guitar work for Led Zeppelin was far ahead of the curve...
Page: I’d like to think that it was, because the first album, I sort of knew, as we were doing the tracks, exactly how I was going to layer everything and the textures of them.... There’s a variety of moods on Led Zeppelin I. So, again, it was me challenging and pushing as far as I possibly could, not even thinking of my limitations, just going beyond, beyond, beyond.
AP: What’s it like having your guitars in the Met?
Page: You approach the gallery through Greco-Roman statues, and then the first thing you see is Chuck Berry’s guitar. I said, ‘What? The original one, the blond one,’ and they said, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘What would you like? Tell me what you want to help this
along and you can have whatever it is that you want.’
AP: You gave them your Sovereign Harmony acoustic guitar. How important is it?
Page: That guitar I had way back in the early ’60s. And it’s been with me all the way through, to the point where I used it as a writing tool... That particular guitar is the vehicle whereby the first album for Led Zeppelin is written, the second album is written, the third album is written, the fourth album is written and it’s the guitar that actually culminates with playing Stairway to Heaven.
AP: Why has the Led Zeppelin catalogue endured?
Page: It approaches so many different styles and moods and it’s very passionate. And it also very gentle. And it’s very hard. And it’s extremely dynamic. If anybody wants to be playing the guitar, the harmonica, the drums, the bass, the keyboards – well, it’s all there. And it’s organic music where everyone is playing together. I think it’s a great legacy to have produced, to be honest.
AP PHOTO
Jimmy Page speaks to a reporter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on April 1, 2019. Some of the instruments that Page used to create his Led Zeppelin sound are on display an exhibition called Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
CINDY De SANTIS (Gibson)
November 17, 1961
April 7, 2019
It is with sadness that we announce Cindy’s passing after a lengthy battle with cancer. Cindy moved to Prince George in 1990 and worked at Arnold’s Restaurant, The Ramada Hotel and Super 8.
She is Survived by her husband Angelo, sons: Angelo and Rocky (Brittany), mother Jenny, sister Margaret (Don), brothers: Mike (Cynthia) and Victor (Mesky) as well as many other family members and friends. Cindy is predeceased by her father Archie, stepfathers: Johnny and Duncan, sisters: Sherry and Cathy, brothers: Alvin and Archie.
A Celebration of Cindy’s Life will be held from Prince George Funeral Chapel, 1014 Douglas St, April 27, 11:00am with a gathering to follow at the Super 8 (formerly Esther’s Inn) at 12:00 noon - 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cancer Society would be appreciated.
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NICHOLSON BILLIARDS
Cain withdraws name as Fed nominee
Christopher RUGABER The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the Federal Reserve stumbled on Monday, with one of his potential nominees for the Fed’s board withdrawing from consideration and another being enveloped by fresh doubts.
Herman Cain, a former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, asked to be taken out of the running for an influential post at the U.S. central bank, Trump tweeted. Cain had dropped out of the 2012 presidential race after facing allegations of sexual harassment and infidelity – issues that resurfaced after Trump said earlier this month that he planned to nominate Cain for the Fed. Trump tweeted that “My friend Herman Cain, a truly wonderful man, has asked me not to nominate him for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. I will respect his wishes.”
Separately, CNN on Monday unearthed opinion columns that Trump’s other pick for a Fed board vacancy, conservative commentator Stephen Moore, wrote in the early 2000s. Among the opinions Moore asserted in those columns was that women should be barred from refereeing, announcing or even selling beer at men’s college basketball games.
Those writings appeared on the conservative National Review website.
Moore told CNN that the articles were “a spoof.”
“I have a sense of humour,” he added. Cain’s nomination had already appeared doomed after four Republican senators said earlier this month that they wouldn’t vote to confirm him if he were nominated. Republicans hold just a three-seat majority in the Senate, so the opposition of those senators, on top of unified Democratic opposition, made Cain’s prospects appear impossible. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to say two weeks ago whether the chamber would confirm Cain.
Several other controversies have also dogged Moore. A lien of more than $75,000 was filed against him in January 2018 for unpaid taxes. Reports have also indicated that he has fallen behind on alimony and child support payments to his ex-wife.
The CNN report Monday also noted that Moore once wrote, “Is there no area in life where men can take vacation from women?”
On top of that, both Cain and Moore have faced widespread criticism that they are unqualified for a critically important role on the world’s most influential central bank and that Trump chose them mainly for their allegiance to him and his priorities.
On Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned the Republicans against using
Cain’s withdrawal as a “pathway” to approval of Moore, calling him “equally unqualified and perhaps more political.”
“Mr. Moore, like Mr. Cain, poses a danger to the economic stability of our country,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “Mr. Cain clearly saw the writing on the wall and withdrew his name from consideration; hopefully Senate Republicans will again voice their deep concerns and force Mr. Moore to do the same.”
Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust and a former Fed official, said Moore “has been overly partisan” in his comments about the Fed. Moore has lavished praise on Trump’s tax cut policies and has accused Chairman Jerome Powell of undercutting the economy with interest rate hikes.
Those criticisms “don’t sit well, certainly with people inside the Fed, and with the financial markets,” Tannenbaum said. “The Fed’s culture is consensusdriven and apolitical.”
Indeed, Trump’s picks of Cain and Moore have sparked worries about the Fed’s ability to remain politically independent. Last fall, Cain co-founded a pro-Trump super political action committee, America Fighting Back PAC. It features a photo of the president on its website and says, “We must protect Donald Trump and his agenda from impeachment.”
“There were so many things about (Cain) that were red flags,” including his lack of understanding of monetary policy, said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton and longtime Fed watcher. Cain has served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City but didn’t participate in any interest rate decisions in that position.
The potential nominations surfaced after Trump spent months attacking Powell, his own pick to lead the Fed, and other Fed officials for raising rates four times last year. Trump has contended that those rate hikes hurt the stock market and were unnecessary because there was no inflation threat.
At a meeting in March, Fed policymakers indicated that they expected to keep rates unchanged this year, a sharp change from December, when they suggested that they would lift short-term rates twice more this year. The Fed board, along with presidents of the Fed’s regional banks, plays a critical role in the U.S. economy, holding meetings to debate and vote on whether to raise their benchmark interest rate. That rate, in turn, affects everything from mortgage rates to the interest rate on auto loans and the interest paid on savings accounts. The Fed typically increases its benchmark rate when it worries inflation is about to accelerate, or cuts it to accelerate growth.
Streaming TV to surpass cable, satellite next year, study shows
David FRIEND
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — The number Canadian households paying for at least one streaming video service will eclipse traditional TV subscribers for the first time next year, predicts an annual report on consumer habits.
Convergence Research Group says the growing popularity of an array of streaming options –ranging from Netflix and Crave to sports platform DAZN – is leading to a gradual shift in where viewers invest their entertainment dollars.
Brahm Eiley, president of Convergence Research, suggested those changing habits will cross a benchmark by the end of 2020 as more streaming companies launch in Canada. He outlined the details in his “Couch Potato” report on industry trends, released Monday.
“If we look at things a year ago
compared to where we are now, you’re starting to see the global platforms enter Canada, and that’ll only intensify in the next couple of years,” Eiley suggested in an interview.
“The consumer is starting to get more choice,” he added.
Eiley pointed to Apple and Disney as two major corporations that plan to launch streaming platforms in the United States later this year.
Both companies are expected to eventually make a push into Canada, though Eiley anticipates at least Disney may secure a deal with an existing Canadian media company, similar to how Bell Media’s Crave carries HBO and Showtime programs. Traditional outlets, particularly cable TV and satellite across Canada, have seen a downturn in subscribers of roughly two per cent each year since 2015, the report said.
MONEY IN BRIEF
Currencies
OTTAWA (CP) — These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Monday.
Quotations in Canadian funds.
Australia dollar 0.9526
Brazil real 0.3401
China renminbi 0.1989
Euro 1.5031
Hong Kong dollar 0.1702
India rupee 0.01916
Indonesia rupiah 0.000095
Japan yen 0.01193
Malaysia ringgit 0.3231
Mexico peso 0.07089
N.Z. dollar 0.8915
Norway krone 0.1572
Peruvian new sol 0.4044
Russia rouble 0.02091
Saudi riyal 0.3561
Singapore dollar 0.9844
South Africa rand 0.09439
South Korean won 0.00117
Sweden krona 0.1435
Switzerland
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index retreated from last week’s record closing high despite the energy sector rising on crude oil reaching a near seven-month high.
Oil prices rose on the Trump administration’s announcement that it will scrap waivers from U.S. sanctions for five countries if they import oil from Iran.
“That obviously poses a challenge to global supply, which is providing a lift to oil prices,” said Craig Fehr, Canadian markets strategist for Edward Jones.
The energy sector of the TSX gained 1.55 per cent Monday, led by Crescent Point Energy Corp., which was up 7.5 per cent.
The June crude contract was up $1.48 at $65.55 per barrel and
the June natural gas contract was up 2.3 cents at US$2.56 per mmBTU.
Oil prices reached their highest level since the end of October and are up about 50 per cent this year. But Fehr said the higher prices might prompt some producers to make up for some of the lost Iranian supply.
“I think it’s reasonable that we’re going to see some producers want to come in and capture some of these higher prices, which means that we could see some of the reduction in production offset by a ramp-up in production from other markets,” he said in an interview. Energy was just one of two major sectors to gain on the day, following the 3.1 per cent increase by the cannabis-heavy health care sector. Nine sectors fell, including financials and materials.
The large financial sector is increasingly becoming a barometer for the domestic economy, Fehr said.
“I think the banks are increasingly going to become a proxy for the outlook for slower growth domestically.”
The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 74.89 cents US, up from an average of 74.73 cents US on Thursday before the holiday weekend.
The June gold contract was up US$1.60 at US$1,277.60 and the May copper contract was down 1.85 cents at US$2.90 a pound.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 35.53 points at 16,577.28 after hitting an intraday all-time high of 16,616.28. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 48.49 points at 26,511.05. The S&P 500 index was up 2.94 points at 2,907.97, while the Nasdaq composite was up 17.21 points at 8,015.27.
North American markets were little changed ahead of a busy week when one-third of U.S. corporations release earnings, the Bank of Canada discloses its latest interest rate decision and U.S. GDP numbers are unveiled for the first quarter.
Last year, Canadian TV subscribers declined by 204,000, and another 253,000 cancellations are expected this year, the report says. The Canadian adoption of streaming offerings has been much slower than in the United States, in part because Canadians have less than half the streaming options Americans do, Eiley added. It’s one reason why many households still pay for both cable and streaming services, though even that is changing. The report estimates that about 32 per cent of Canadian households will not have a traditional TV subscription by the end of this year – an increase of about two percentage points from 2018.
Convergence Research also estimates that Canadian revenue for streaming video services grew 33 per cent to $1.12 billion, with forecasts on track for it to reach $1.51 billion in 2019.
AP FILE PHOTO
Herman Cain speaks during Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority event in Washington on June 20, 2014. Cain has asked to be withdrawn from consideration for a seat on the board of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
Tourists can help scientists by taking photos
Alyson KRUEGER
Special To The Washington Post
For one week in January, passengers aboard Le Boreal, a cruise ship operated by the French company Ponant, soaked up Antarctica’s wildlife. They stood on the ship’s decks to marvel at three types of orcas, or killer whales, swimming seamlessly in groups. They stayed up late to watch humpback whales perform bubble net feeding, working together to scoop up schools of fish in one swift movement. Hiking on the continent, they saw penguins waddling down “penguin highways” and tending their young. On small boats, they got up close to leopard seals sunbathing on floating pieces of ice.
Through every adventure, guests took hundreds, if not thousands, of photographs, recording each scene from different angles and zooming in on the animals, including specific body parts. They were doing so not just to show off on Instagram but also to contribute meaningfully to science.
Those who captured detailed pictures of whales sent them to Happywhale, an organization that tracks the migratory patterns of whales through photo submissions using the unique markings on the animals’ tails.
“It’s just like tagging, but it doesn’t harm the animal,” said Ted Cheeseman, founder of Happywhale.
“Getting answers to scientists’ questions takes a huge amount of data. Because of these photos, it seems likely we will be successful.”
This is what citizen science is all about.
Scientists are limited by time and money. A single day of research in Antarctica, for example, costs an average of $50,000. They
also can’t be everywhere in the world at once. So a growing number of research groups have turned to the general public, including tourists, for help. Why not use travelers, with their iPhones and cameras and desire to take a lot of photos, to collect evidence?
It’s also a win for tourists who get to engage more deeply with their surroundings while on vacation.
“You can be on deck enjoying the views while also being part of something greater than you,” said Alejandra Nuñez-de la Mora, a Mexican bioanthropologist who was a naturalist on Le Boreal. She taught passengers how to contribute to science.
“It’s a hands-on approach.”
Since Happywhale launched in 2015, the initiative has collected 150,000 photographs of whales in 40,000 encounters. Those photographs aren’t just going to Cheeseman, who is completing his PhD in marine biology at Southern Cross University in New South Wales, Australia. Scientific institutions, including the Cascadia Research Collective in Washington state and the International Whaling Commission, charged with the conser-
vation of whales and the regulation of whaling, rely on them.
“We’re burning a lot of fuel to go to Antarctica,” Cheeseman said. “It makes these trips more meaningful and valuable if everyone can see the data and learn something from it.”
Science also benefits when wide populations are interested in projects, said Nuñez-de la Mora. “We are lucky to have people on these voyages who are in positions of power or influence,” she said. “You never know who will decide they want to get involved more.” Protective policies could come from these projects; so could funding.
Participating in a citizen science project can become a habit. One of Happywhale’s most frequent contributors is Deana Glenz of Santa Cruz, Calif. She finds the experience so rewarding that she selects vacation spots only if they include whale watching. In January, she flew to Guerrero Negro, Mexico, to spot humpback whales. In February, it was Cabo San Lucas. In March, she headed to the Dominican Republic to swim with them.
She enjoys the challenge.
“You are standing on a boat
that is moving, trying to capture a clear photo of an animal that is also moving,” she said. “It’s super hard.”
She’s paid such careful attention, she estimates she can identify 350 whales just from seeing their patterns. She’s also seen the same whale in different places around the world.
“When I see a whale often, I give it a nickname,” she said. “There is one that I call Heart String. She has a marking that looks like a heart pendulum.”
Cheeseman finds inspiration in the fact that so many of his contributors are teenagers and children.
“If you can turn on a kid, you never know what is going to happen,” he said. “We make sure to send contributors notifications when their whale has been found in other parts of the world to keep them engaged.”
The U.S. Forest Service has projects across the country aimed at families. With the Alaska Bat Monitoring Project, for example, families mount ultrasonic microphones to their cars before they drive into the forest. Children can later listen to the bat calls that
they’ve captured. Organizations have made it their focus to steer tourists to citizen science opportunities. GoAbroad. com, a search engine for travel opportunities, has an entire section of its website that lists biological research volunteer programs. Its search engine gives you opportunities based on where you want to go in the world, how long you want to be abroad, and your interests.
The National Geographic Society has a citizen science project search for people of all ages and skills.
Earthwatch Institute connects travelers to scientific research expeditions that need extra hands. Its database lists opportunities worldwide, including in the Peruvian Amazon and Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve. There are also initiatives in the heart of cities.
“Choosing a location that appeals to your travel interests is important,” said Alix Morris, director of communications for Earthwatch.
“You also have to look at activity requirements. While some of our projects involve sitting on boats or in vehicles while monitoring wildlife, others involve hiking long distances while carrying heavy packs.”
One of the most beneficial parts of traveling this way is that you can gain access to places tourists are not generally allowed. Last year, for example, Earthwatch launched a 10-day trip to the remote Lomas de Banao Ecological Reserve and Tunas de Zaza Wildlife Refuge in Cuba. Volunteers worked alongside scientists making audio recordings of unusual birds or searching for rare fungi.
“Going there simply isn’t possible without a research permit,” Morris said.
A humpback whale tail rises above water.