Prince George Citizen January 10, 2019

Supporters of Unist’ot’en camp held a second day of protests on the steps of the Prince George Law Courts on Wednesday morning.

Three things you may not know about the pipeline dispute

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

The arrest this week of those manning blockades against the Coastal GasLink pipeline project has created plenty of uproar but amid the controversy, there are some finer points worth keeping in mind as people wade their way through the debate. Here are three of them:

• As it stands, it’s a temporary injunction: Coastal GasLink went to B.C. Supreme Court in mid-December seeking a permanent injunction against the blockaders’ action. But when the defendants argued they had not been given enough time to mount a fair defence, Justice Marguerite Church decided in favour of a temporary injunction.

It is in place until the end of May and will give Coastal GasLink time to carry out pre-construction work while also giving the blockaders time to work up legal arguments against allowing the project to continue. Coastal GasLink doesn’t plan on being back in the area until June 2021 giving plenty of time to take the matter back to the court. If, in the end, Coastal GasLink gets its injunction, it will have the authority – as enforced by the RCMP – to continue working on the project without interference. If the defendants win, Coastal GasLink counsel Kevin O’Callaghan told the court the project is dead.

• The National Energy Board could force a review: Contrary to popular belief, the project has gone through a province-only environmental assessment review – the

reasoning being that the pipeline is entirely within B.C. borders.

But is it?

At the request of B.C. resident Mike Sawyer, the NEB is now considering whether the project falls within its jurisdiction.

Sawyer argues that Coastal GasLink, meant to transport natural gas from the B.C. Peace to the LNG Canada liquified natural gas project proposed for Kitimat, would actually be linked into the Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. system that crosses the Alberta-B.C. border and therefore must be regulated by the federal government.

Both Coastal GasLink and Nova Gas Transmission are owned by parent company TC Energy, formerly TransCanada Corp.

The NEB has begun a process for taking in submissions on the matter that is to end

in March. Depending on the NEB’s decision, the project could become subject to another full-fledged review.

• Unist’ot’en can still maintain a camp: The clan’s camp is actually located about a kilometre away from the Morice River bridge where a gate and checkpoint has been put in place. Coastal GasLink has said it only wants the ability to use the bridge to reach the area beyond.

During submissions to the court, O’Callaghan said the project consists of eight sections and the most difficult part of the route is at the border of the two westernmost as it passes through the Coast mountains. He also maintained that the only way to reach that particular spot is via the Morice FSR. — with files from The Canadian Press

No easy answers in pipeline impasse, Horgan says

Amy SMART Citizen news service

HOUSTON — The arrest of 14 people who oppose a pipeline on the traditional territory of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in British Columbia brought back difficult memories for Alexander Joseph.

Sitting by a fire Wednesday outside a police roadblock near Houston, Joseph said the RCMP actions felt personal to him.

“I come from residential (school), I come from the ‘60s Scoop,” said Joseph, 61. “It feels like the same thing is happening over and over again. The RCMP and the government coming in, taking away us, from our own culture, our own nature. And

that’s not right.”

The police roadblock stopped access to a logging road that leads to a gate erected years ago by the Unist’ot’en house group, which is part of one of the five clans that make up the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.

On Monday, 14 people were arrested after the Mounties took apart a different gate that blocked access to an area where Coastal GasLink wants to build a natural gas pipeline.

Joseph is a member of the Lake Babine First Nation more than 100 kilometres away, but he said he wants to show solidarity with other Indigenous people who feel threatened on their land.

“I’ve got so much anger right now, I want to stay here until this is resolved in a positive way,”

Joseph said.

Monday’s arrests were made as the RCMP enforced a court injunction against members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation who oppose the pipeline by preventing access to the area where the pipeline is planned.

The Coastal GasLink pipeline would run through the Wet’suwet’en territory to Kitimat, B.C., where LNG Canada is building a $40-billion export facility.

TC Energy, formerly TransCanada Corp., says it has signed agreements with the elected councils of all 20 First Nations along the path, including the Wet’suwet’en.

However, members of the First Nation opposing the pipeline

say the company failed to get consent from its five house chiefs, who are hereditary rather than elected. They argue the elected council only has jurisdiction over the reserve, which is a much smaller area than the 22,000 square kilometres that comprise the Wet’suwet’ens traditional territory.

Premier John Horgan said when plans for the LNG export facility were announced in October the B.C. government concluded all the conditions for the project to proceed had been met.

“All nations, from wellhead to waterline, have signed impact benefit agreements,” he told a news conference in Victoria. — see ‘WE NEED, page 3

HORGAN

Husky looks to sell refinery

Citizen news service

Husky Energy Inc. is launching a strategic review that could result in it selling its Canadian retail and commercial fuels business and its small Prince George refinery.

The Calgary-based oilsands producer says it prefers to focus on its integrated corridor of upstream and downstream assets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the U.S. Midwest as well as offshore businesses in Atlantic Canada and the Asia Pacific region, adding the decision is not related to its offer that expires next week to buy oilsands rival MEG Energy Corp.

Husky has more than 500 service stations, travel centres, cardlock operations and bulk distribution facilities from British Columbia to New Brunswick. Its myHusky Rewards loyalty program has about 1.6 million members.

The 12,000-barrel-per-day refinery in

Prince George processes light oil into gasoline, diesel and other products for nearby regions of B.C. It owns two refineries and is half-owner of a third in the United States.

CIBC analyst Jon Morrison said Tuesday that the expected value of these assets is about $835 million.

“We believe the retail network naturally has a couple strategic buyers that should be interested, while the refinery has a smaller list of potential purchasers given the scale, size and location of the facility,” he said in an email.

Spokesman Mel Duvall said Husky started selling fuel to consumers in 1938 shortly after the original owner built a small refinery in Cody, Wyo. The refinery was moved to Lloydminster on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border in 1946.

CEO Rob Peabody said in a news release the businesses are “highly marketable” and will attract strong interest and valuations.

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Husky Energy Inc. is considering selling its Prince George refinery.

‘We need to find a better way forward’

— from page 1

“We were, of course, mindful of the challenges at the Unist’ot’en camp,” Horgan added. “But we were in dialogue and continue to be open for dialogue for hereditary leadership in that community.”

Horgan said he spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the impasse on Tuesday night.

“He understands, the federal government understands, that British Columbia is unique in Canada.

“We have unceded territory in every corner of the province. We have court ruling after court ruling that has affirmed we need to find a better way forward.”

Horgan said there are jurisdictional challenges facing B.C. that are different in every circumstance when it comes to aboriginal land

claims and rights.

“I know people would prefer to have, what’s the answer, yes or no, but there isn’t one,” he added.

New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen, who represents the area, said the conflict has been developing for years – in part because of a failure to recognize the nuances between elected and hereditary Indigenous governments.

He said Wet’suwet’en band councils have authority over reserves and services, while hereditary chiefs control activities on their traditional territories.

“This is the clash of two forms of government,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Cullen believes the hereditary leadership is looking for guidance from the federal government and expects Ottawa to recognize and

accommodate their rights and title.

“There is a whole series of Supreme Court (of Canada) decisions that say if there are established rights and title-holders, if you are going to infringe on those rights, then you have to justify and accommodate for it,” he said.

Trudeau was visiting Kamloops on Wednesday and highlighted the benefits of the LNG export facility in a speech at a Liberal fundraiser.

“We moved forward on the LNG Canada project, which is the largest private sector investment in Canada’s history, $40 billion, which is going to produce Canadian LNG that will supplant coal in Asia as a power source and do much for the environment,” he said.

— With files from Laura Kane

Swan, eagle count coming on Sunday

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff

fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

One bird count has flown by this winter and the second is about to come in for a landing.

The annual swan and eagle count is scheduled for Sunday and anyone interested in volunteering for this one-day event is welcome to join the Prince George Naturalist Club in the hunt for these powerful pair of bird species.

“The annual Swan and Eagle Count is largely carried out by car, and walks are fairly short. As a result, this event always goes ahead whatever the temperature,” said club spokesperson Anne Hogan.

The volunteers meet up at the Spruceland Shopping Centre sign early enough to autograph the obligatory waiver, divide up into car pooling teams, and roll out at 9 a.m.

Participants are asked to bring along their own bagged lunch and snowshoes, ensuring they are dressed appropriately for the day’s weather. A gas-share cost of $10 is the fee for coming along.

For more information, email sjkinsey@direct.ca or call 250963-8381.

The swan and eagle count is a way for the club to take the pulse of the local environment and the results are forwarded to provincial and national databases that track the wider overall numbers.

The same was done in December with birds of all kinds within the City of Prince George.

“We found 48 species and 12,964 birds this year, which is a bit above average,” said club spokesperson Cathy Antoniazzi, who compiled the data for this year’s Christmas Bird Count held on Dec. 16.

“I looked back and the average for the last 10 years is 46 species (range from 41-55) and 10,000 birds (range from 6,90014,800),” said Antoniazzi.

“The numbers this year are a bit misleading though. The total includes over 8,000 Bohemian

The volunteers meet up at the Spruceland Shopping Centre...

waxwings. Many of the feeder watchers and counters indicated that it was ‘very slow’ and that there weren’t many birds around. In fact, the total for most species was down from last year. It is hard to know if weather was a factor. It might have been too good – not much snow, temperatures above freezing, not much wind, lots of natural food around – so the birds weren’t concentrated at feeders.”

Among the highlights spotted on the bird count were an American wigeon, an all-time high number (36) of Eurasian collared doves, a gyrfalcon, an array of hawks (two Northern harriers, two red-tailed, and four rough-legged), a northern hawk owl, a barred owl, a blue jay, and a record high 134 bald eagles.

“There were two real surprises,” said Antoniazzi.

“A warbler was seen briefly and photographed in College Heights. Unfortunately no one could get a clear enough view to identify it and the photos are dark. I am still hopeful that it will be identified. Yellow-rumped warblers have been seen in December before, but this bird appeared to be more yellow.

“Last but definitely not least, a brown-headed cowbird was also reported. I don’t have any details yet, but it would be a first count record.”

Antoniazzi added that “what isn’t found on a Christmas Bird Count is often more interesting than what is found. There were no pine or evening grosbeaks this year and, despite the large cone crop, only one white-winged crossbill was seen, and no red crossbills.”

Rigorously upholding the two annual bird counts maintains a consistent data set, year over year, that helps indicate weather, climate and environmental factors.

Vagina Monologues

auditions tonight

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

Another round of auditions happens tonight for The Vagina Monologues.

The Nechako Community Theatrics Society, an all-amateur drama group, is using this popular ensemble show to showcase local talent and also raise funds for charities benefiting women.

“A number of people were unable to make the audition last week so we are holding another one,” said a statement issued by the group. “No need to prepare anything, we will be doing cold reads of monologues from The Vagina Monologues and A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant & A Prayer.”

Tonight’s audition session happens at 7 p.m. at 777 Kinsmen Place (the Big Brothers-Big Sisters complex, around the side and down the path from the front entrance).

The performances will take place Feb. 1 and 2 at Artspace (upstairs at Books & Company), one being the presentation of The Vagina Monologues and one being a reading of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant & A Prayer.

Both nights of performance start at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30) and both are benefit shows.

“All profits donated to charity,” the group statement said. “Ninety per cent to a local organization working to end violence against women and girls; 10 per cent to the V-Day Spotlight Campaign for women in prison, detention centres, and formerly incarcerated women. V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against all (cisgender, transgender and gender non-conforming) women and girls.”

Tickets are $20 available in advance from Books & Co and at the door.

Those interested in auditioning or watching the performances are urged to consider that there is graphic content and potentially distressing subject matter.

Rifle fired in apartment

Citizen news service

OLIVER — Police say a man has been charged after shots were fired in an apartment, causing damage to several neighbouring suites.

RCMP in Oliver say they were contacted by a tenant of the three-storey building on Monday at 2 p.m. because he noticed stuffing coming from a hole in a cushion that was beside him after hearing a loud bang.

They say the complainant lived on the second floor of the building and he believed the bang came from the apartment below him.

The Mounties say they searched the lower-floor apartment and allegedly found spent .22-calibre casings and a rifle, as well as multiple holes in the ceiling and walls.

RCMP say there is no reason to believe tenants of the building were targeted, but they allege the rifle was fired indiscriminately into the ceiling and walls.

Police say 30-year-old Daniel Khafizov has been charged with several firearms offences.

Feds unveil new drone rules

Morgan LOWRIE Citizen news service

MONTREAL — The federal government is working with security agencies and airports to develop measures to prevent drones from flying into space reserved for aircraft, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Wednesday as he announced new regulations for drone operators.

Garneau’s comments came after recent drone sightings at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports caused flight delays and chaos for travellers.

“We are working with different groups, including the airports but also security agencies, to examine what kinds of countermeasures would be applicable depending on the type of drone and circumstances,” Garneau said in Montreal. “Obviously, for security reasons, I can’t go into details on that, but this is something we are looking at extremely seriously because it represents potentially a dangerous situation.”

The first recorded collision between a drone and a passenger aircraft in Canada occurred in October 2017 as an inbound Skyjet flight was struck as it approached Quebec’s City’s airport. The pilot was able to land the plane safely.

Garneau announced strict new regulations that will require anyone flying a drone in Canada to pass an online exam and get a pilot’s certificate. The new rules, which come into effect June 1, apply to all drone operators, whether they fly for fun, work or research.

Operators will be required to register their drones and mark them with the registration number.

A minimum age limit of 14 for basic operations and 16 for advanced will be introduced.

Pilots will have to keep their aircraft below 122 metres – 400 feet – above ground level and stay away from air traffic.

Unless they obtain a special flight certificate from Transport Canada, operators will have to keep their drones within their sightline and at least 30 metres from other people at all times and avoid public events and police security perimeters.

The rules also prohibit people from flying drones when they are suffering from fatigue or under the influence or drugs or alcohol.

The new rules, which cover drones weighing between 250 grams and 25

kilograms, are aimed in part at countering a growing trend of drone incursions into space reserved for air travel.

Fines begin at between $1,000 and $3,000 for individuals but can rise much higher for corporations or anyone deliberately breaking the rules. Violators who deliberately fly near an aircraft’s flight path could be subject to fines of up to $25,000 and prison.

Garneau said that people who fly unmanned aircraft such as drones must accept the responsibilities that come with being a pilot.

“You are a pilot if you’re flying a drone, and because of the risks and responsibilities, it is imperative that you know the rules in effect in the sky,” he said.

Wednesday’s announcement was welcomed by the chairman of Unmanned Systems Canada, a drone industry association that was involved in the consultation process to create the new rules.

In a phone interview, Mark Aruja said the framework provides much-needed clarity and a more streamlined process

for both commercial and recreational users.

“From a commercial perspective, it’s going to encourage further (investment) because you clearly understand what the rules are, and clarity is good for business,” he said.

“On the recreational side, as long as the technology remains accessible and fun, I don’t think it’s going to hamper things, just make things clearer.”

He said Transport Canada’s next challenge will be to regulate long-range drone use, which could be used to survey thousands of kilometres of pipelines, hydro-electric grids and waterways.

Ottawa has documented a spike in the number of drone incidents posing a risk to aviation safety in recent years. The number of reported incidents more than tripled to 135 in 2017 from 38 when data collection began in 2014.

Aruja said current estimates suggest there are some 350,000 drones in Canada, most of which are used for recreational purposes.

Concert to pay tribute to musicians who died in 2018

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

Songs carry on.

Like the paintings of a long ago painter, the buildings of a skilled architect, works of art last beyond their creators. But paintings can be crumpled and buildings can fall apart. Songs spread on the wind and will last forever as long as someone remembers them, boosts their profile.

A set of Prince George musicians has made it an annual obligation of love to give some of their favourite songs that nudge into the future just when their creators pass away.

Saturday is the next edition when some local all-stars present Songs Carry On: A Tribute to Musicians Lost in 2018.

The performers on the roster include Naomi Kavka, Britt AM, The Brain Porter (a project led by Brin Porter), Danny Bell Music, Sean Wesley Wood, Dan Johnson and Nathan Kelly. Some other friends may also jump into the fray.

“Britt is the mastermind who got this going,” said Bell, who also helps on the production side of the event. “It has become an annual event which is really cool. The first year we did it, even though I wasn’t involved that first time, was when David Bowie died and it just felt obvious to do it and force all those explorations of discographies. Then Prince died, Tom Petty, Gord Downie, there were some really beloved musicians in a short period of time and those are people we want to honour and explore. It made this concert feel especially important for us, as musicians.”

This year’s set of musical obituaries is, as always, a roster of legends and rising

stars. Some died long before their time and some had extraordinary longevity. In all their cases, the music left behind is bigger than any of their personal times on earth.

Music fans the world over are mourning the 2018 losses of artists like electronica/dance superstar Avicii (Tim Bergling), jazz musician Hugh Masekela, Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards, DJ and rapper Lovebug Starski, Oscar-nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, Motörhead guitarist Eddie Clarke, lead singer Barbara Ann Alston of The Crystals, Pantera co-founder Vinnie Paul Abbott, lead vocalist Jill Janus of heavy metal band Huntress, Baba Oje of Arrested Development, Melvin Ragin (aka Wah Wah Watson), musical theatre star Marin Mazzie, country music standouts Randy Scruggs and Lari White, and Dave Holland of Judas Priest, just to name some who cover a gamut of genres and time-periods.

On the Canadian scene, there was loss as well, with the passing of rappers Jon James McMurray, Smoke Dawg and Bender; children’s entertainer Carmen Campagne; one of Canada’s first country stars Ronnie Prophet; street poet Roy McDonald; jazz pianist, composer, show host and senator Tommy Banks; Mike ‘Beard Guy’ Taylor of the band Walk Off The Earth; musical theatre composer Galt MacDermot, famous for his music in Hair and Two Gentleman Of Verona and Big Sugar’s bassist Garry Lowe.

“We are focusing on some particular ones that resonate with us, but they weren’t necessarily people we were all familiar with before. This is an education for us, too,” said Bell. “I never knew much about Roy Clark before, or the Buzzcocks (that band’s co-founder

Pete Shelley passed away last year), so it is kind of cool for me to get that introduction. We are doing something by The Stables Singers because one of the Staples family (Yvonee) died. We’re doing some Cranberries (because of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan’s passing), we’re doing some Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (because keyboard player Conway Savage passed on). The lead singer of Dr. Hook (Ray Sawyer) also died just recently so we’re thinking of ways to include him. The Kinks is a big one (bassist Jim Rodford, also a past member of The Zombies). Aretha Franklin, of course.”

Bell’s voice isn’t akin to that of Franklin or Staples, he said, so he is focusing on British folk singer and academic Roy Bailey who died in late November.

Each of them is centring on artists who fit with either their musical presentation style, their own fan feelings, or a need to pay homage. Sometimes the tribute is acutely personal.

“Vic Horvath, was our friend – a Victoria-based musician, an incredible songwriter and guitar player, so Naomi, Brin and Britt will definitely be playing some of that work,” said Bell.

“For most of us it will be a surprise,” he added. “Some of us have been sharing on an email thread some of what we plan to perform, just to make sure there isn’t too much overlap, but we don’t know everything that’s coming. We will get surprised right along with the audience.”

Bell’s Mad Loon production company is stickhandling the presentation details, and the event is the first in a series planned for 2019 by local recording firm Good Egg Records.

Songs Carry On: A Tribute to Musicians Lost in 2018 happens Saturday night at 9 p.m. at The Legion.

Arts council to hold Teen Art Showcase

CP PHOTO

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau announces new rules to fly a drone in Canada during a news conference in Montreal on Wednesday.

Unist’ot’en clan member Brenda Michell hugs a friend on the main bridge leading towards the Unist’ot’en camp near Houston on Wednesday.

Wet’suwet’en strike tentative deal with RCMP to access camp

Citizen news service

HOUSTON — Hereditary leaders of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation have reached a tentative deal with RCMP, quelling some fears of escalation after police made several arrests at nearby checkpoint earlier this week.

The chiefs say members will abide by a court injunction granting the Coastal GasLink pipeline company access to a bridge that had been blocked, if RCMP agree to leave intact the nearby Unist’ot’en healing camp in northern British Columbia.

They plan to meet with RCMP again Thursday to discuss details such as retaining a gate that residents and supporters of the camp say is vital to their safety.

Chief Na’Moks told residents, supporters and media gathered at the camp Wednesday that the decision has nothing to do with the pipeline company and everything to do with ensuring the safety of residents at the camp.

“We want them to be able to sleep at night, we want them to go to bed knowing they will not be disturbed,” he said.

Residents and supporters say the healing camp was established in 2010 and is an important place for people to heal and connect with the land. Some left the dining hall of the three story building in tears or embracing one another.

Brenda Michell, whose daughter Freda

Huson was named in the injunction and lives at the camp, says it has been a very difficult few days.

“We tried to keep positive but the unknown out there was scary,” she said. “We didn’t know if they were going to come storm this gate next.”

She pointed to sheets that had been draped across the windows of the dining hall, where moose stew, salmon and boar are served to residents.

“This is our home, we should feel safe in our home,” she said.

On Monday, 14 people were arrested after the Mounties took apart a different gate that blocked access to an area where Coastal GasLink wants to build a natural gas pipeline.

The Coastal GasLink pipeline would run through the Wet’suwet’en territory to Kitimat, B.C., where LNG Canada is building a $40-billion export facility.

TransCanada Corp. says it has signed agreements with the elected councils of all 20 First Nations along the path, including the Wet’suwet’en.

Premier John Horgan said Wednesday when plans for the LNG export facility were announced in October the B.C. government concluded all the conditions for the project to proceed had been met. He said the government was mindful of the opposition at the Unist’ot’en camp but has been in dialogue with the hereditary chiefs.

Trudeau calls three byelections for February

Citizen news service

OTTAWA — The relevance of the NDP in an election year will be put to the test next month in federal byelections called Wednesday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trudeau set Feb. 25 as the date for byelections in the Ontario riding of York-Simcoe, Montreal’s Outremont and British Columbia’s Burnaby South – where NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is hoping to win a seat in the House of Commons.

The latter two will be important tests for New Democrats, who’ve been struggling to find their footing since their party was relegated to a distant third in the 2015 general election, reversing the NDP’s historic 2011 breakthrough. The NDP has trailed the Liberals and Conservatives badly in both fundraising and opinion polls ever since - a situation that benefits the ruling party and worries the Tories, who want a strong NDP to siphon off Liberal votes.

For Singh, victory in Burnaby South is crucial, giving him an opportunity to raise his profile and shake off internal criticism about his leadership. Defeat could prompt New Democrats to dump Singh and replace him ahead of the Oct. 21 general election. The riding is no cakewalk for Singh, a former Ontario MPP whose political home had been Brampton, northwest of Toronto. Kennedy Stewart, now Vancouver mayor, won Burnaby South for the NDP in 2015 with just over 500 votes more than the Liberal contender. But Singh will benefit somewhat from the Green party’s decision not to field a candidate in the byelection,

Second man charged in Christmas heist

NANAIMO (CP) — Police have arrested and charged a second man after wrapped gifts were taken from under a tree on Christmas morning at a home in Nanaimo.

Police say officers found some open gifts strewn down the street from the family’s home.Police say 21-year-old Axel Lambert of Nanaimo has been charged with break and enter. Twenty-year-old Justin Feusse was charged last week.

extending so-called “leader’s courtesy” to a leader seeking to enter Parliament.

The Liberals, after much internal debate about whether to stand down, are running daycare operator Karen Wang, while the Conservatives are fielding corporate lawyer Jay Shin. Former talk-show host LauraLynn Tyler Thompson, who has championed opposition to B.C.’s inclusive approach to dealing with gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, is running for the People’s Party of Canada.

The race in Outremont, left vacant when former NDP leader Tom Mulcair resigned, will also be seen as a test of whether the NDP can hang on what’s left of the orange wave that swept Quebec in 2011.

Outremont had been a Liberal stronghold until Mulcair scored an upset in a 2007 byelection, establishing an NDP beachhead in Quebec for the party’s breakthrough there four years later. Trudeau’s Liberals, who are running well ahead in the polls in Quebec, are gunning to take the seat back.

The Conservatives are expected to easily keep York-Simcoe, left vacant by the resignation of longtime Tory MP Peter Van Loan. It remains to be seen what impact the fledgling People’s Party of Canada might have. Former Tory minister Maxime Bernier split from the Conservatives and created the new party last summer. During the Tories’ 2017 leadership contest, Bernier won more support in both Outremont and York-Simcoe than Andrew Scheer, who wound up edging out Bernier on the final ballot.

Bernier hasn’t named byelection candidates in either of those ridings but is expected to do so by the end of the week.

CP PHOTO

Clearing the snow (and the air)

“We can always do better.”

That’s the closest the City of Prince George will come to admitting the snow removal effort after the storm of Dec. 28/29 dumped 35 cm on the city was less than adequate. That statement comes near the end of a five-and-a-half page response from the City of Prince George to The Citizen’s request for more information on the snow removal effort in the storm’s aftermath.

That performance is much different from how fast and effective city crews jumped on the snow that fell Saturday night and Tuesday overnight.

Yes, they were dealing with far less than 35 cm and the colder temperatures made for light and fluffy white stuff, as opposed to the light rain that fell on top of that thick, heavy snow for several hours on the afternoon of Dec. 29, but credit must be given where credit is due.

Yet going through the city’s more detailed written description about the Dec. 28/29 snow removal effort was as frustrating as it was driving on major city streets on Dec. 30 and 31. For example, on Dec. 29, the city informed The Citizen that crews

cleared priority routes “in the red, green blue, yellow and orange zones.” Those are all five garbage zones in the city, so that still provides no information of which priority routes were cleared first.

To be fair, the document does go on to name specific priority streets and areas cleared each day from Dec. 29 through Jan. 5 but there are huge gaps. At some point, River Road, Cranbrook Hill, Foothills Boulevard and University Way – to name just four important Priority 1 roadways – were all cleared after the storm but there is no mention of when they were completed.

“Given the commitment we made to get back to you today, this is the best that could be assembled and provided in the time since the main snow event concluded,” city manager Kathleen Soltis wrote in her email to The Citizen. “I hope it provides much of the information you were seeking.”

While not complete, the information provided does confirm what was obvious to anyone who drove on city streets at any time during the last three days of 2018. The City of Prince George came nowhere near to meeting its own targets of clearing all Priority 1 and 2 streets in the 48 hours after more than 7.5 cm of snow falls and clearing all other streets in 72 hours after that if more than 12 cm of snow falls.

The snow job from the city just made mat-

ters worse.

Instead of just admitting city crews were way behind due to both the amount of snow and the heavy wetness of it, the city pumped out releases on its website and its social media channels that made it sound as if everything was going great.

Dec. 28 morning: “Snow and ice control crews in full operation due to snow storm.”

Dec. 28 afternoon: “Snow clearing to continue through the weekend.”

Dec. 29 morning: “City crews continuing to clear snow following 35 cm snowfall.”

Each release basically stated that city staff were working hard and that streets were being cleared in priority order.

To be blunt, that’s useless information.

That would be the equivalent of Drive BC sending out releases saying “provincial contractors clearing highways” with little other information except how much snow fell and the number of plows and graders out on the highways clearing it up.

In contrast, Drive BC provides useful, realtime information about the road conditions drivers will face, empowering individuals to plan their day, make responsible choices and take better care of themselves and others.

Providing city residents with useful information on snow removal efforts, particularly after a major storm, shouldn’t be that

YOUR LETTERS

Dangerous substances available

I am seriously concerned by the announcement that our federal government intends to legalize the sale of gasoline and diesel fuels.

These fuels, now readily and blatantly available from ubiquitous retailers, were proven to be both flammable and explosive.

Terrorists have been known to use these substances in devices known as Molotov cocktails. The Canadian public must be protected from the unregulated proliferation of these substances.

These dangerous fuels will soon be available to those 21 and older in quantities of two litres from government and licensed retailers.

They may be ordered either from the government website or from bricks-and-mortar stores.

As of this date there have been no private stores licensed but

there is one government outlet in Kamloops.

James Loughery, Prince George

Don’t eat and drive

Re: John Tosoff letter, Jan. 8 letter.

While you tried to make some good points about the snow removal report (or lack thereof) by the mayor on the CBC, I’m glad I wasn’t on the same roads that you were on that day.

I think nearly choking on your valued coffee and then choking on the delicious ham and cheese sandwich would indicate that you should either take a lunch break off the road or have an emergency response member riding in the passenger seat to ensure not only your safety but that of others in your path as well.

This comes under the heading of distracted driving and could result in a pretty hefty fine or worse.

Why add to the many terrible

things happening on our roads?

Penny Bradshaw Prince George

Snow happens, deal with it

The discussion of snow removal has fallen short of what one might call civil discourse. I refer in particular to the letter my Mr. Tosoff (Jan. 8 Citizen) which I found distasteful. Bear in mind that snow falls in a few large lumps, which might happen at inconvenient times, separated by periods of little or no snow. If the city had enough equipment and staff to clear the large dumps in two or three days, there would be periods when a lot of expensive equipment and workers sat idle. Not many of us would like that. So folks, there will be times when we have to behave like adults and suck it up.

Ross Pearce, 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.

Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout puts the news in perspective every day, only in The Citizen

Mailing

hard because the information already exists and simply needs to be dispersed in both a timely and honest manner.

There is no shame in saying driving conditions are terrible and urging residents to stay off city streets for non-essential travel while snow removal crews work to clean up the mess. From a safety standpoint, that’s the responsible thing to do.

Likewise, there is no shame in saying snow removal crews are behind schedule. That’s simply managing expectations. City supervisors and dispatchers know where their operators are, which streets they’re doing and which streets they will be doing next.

There was a time when the city would send out a list of streets scheduled for snow removal in the next 12 hours to local radio stations. It gave both the morning drive hosts and the late-night DJs important and useful information to share with listeners. In today’s world, that information could be shared with all news media outlets, as well as on the city’s own website and social media channels.

The snow and the air would be cleared at the same time.

That’s one way the city could be better for when the next snowstorm slams the city with more than a foot of snow at once.

Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

—

Canadians divided on environment

Last month, about 200 governments around the world agreed to set newer targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland.

The actions of the Canadian government have been met, in the political spectrum, in the same manner as in previous years and under different administrations: it’s either too much or too little, depending on who you voted for.

Environmental policy was one of the cornerstones of the Liberal campaign in 2015. An ability to connect with disenchanted centre-left voters in urban centres allowed the party to win a majority, one that included their best performance in British Columbia since 1968. It is too early to tell how these voters will react this year. They may be dissatisfied with specific decisions taken under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s watch, including the approval (and later, purchase) of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The fate of the governing party will revolve around reconnecting with these voters who wanted a change in Ottawa.

Last month, Research Co. asked Canadians about their views on environmental issues, economic development and government performance. The results point to a voting public that has already taken sides and one that may not be swayed by policy proposals.

Across the country, three in five Canadians (60 per cent) think global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities.

A significantly smaller proportion of Canadians (15 per cent) think global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes. Almost one-in-five (18 per cent) say global warming is a theory that has not yet been proven.

Canadians aged 18 to 34 (68 per cent), Quebecers (also 68 per cent) and British Columbians (64 per cent) are significantly more likely to say that climate change is caused by man.

These demographics are essential for the success of the Liberal Party in 2019. Younger voters may feel less inclined to vote for New Democrats or Greens in their riding if they believe the incumbent government is taking proper action on climate change.

While the number of Canadians who do believe climate change is an unproven theory is small, the proportion reaches 23 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 22 per cent in Ontario and 21 per cent in Alberta.

Three of these four provinces are currently governed by premiers who have opposed the federal government’s carbon tax. The other – Alberta – implemented its own

carbon tax a few years ago.

The path to victory for the Liberal Party may not include the Prairies, where they won just 12 seats in 2015 (compared to 44 for the Conservatives), but Ontario is essential in any calculation that keeps Trudeau in power. Campaigning with Kathleen Wynne will be very different from campaigning against Doug Ford. Canadians, as a whole, are feeling positive about the economy, in spite of the usual threats (such as oil prices) and some unusual ones (Donald Trump in the White House). This feeling has not affected the views of Canadians on environmental stewardship. When asked to choose between protecting the environment, even at the risk of hampering economic growth, or fostering economic growth, even at the risk of damaging the environment, Canadians prefer the former by a 3-to-1 margin (66 per cent to 22 per cent).

As expected, the environment is paramount for Quebecers (76 per cent) and British Columbians (67 per cent). Still, there are two groups that go way above the Canadian average on believing that economic growth is more important than environmental protection: Albertans (34 per cent) and Conservative voters in the 2015 federal election (40 per cent). These are not voters that will be influenced by discussions on climate change.

The last layer of analysis is government performance. Half of Canadians (49 per cent) say the government is paying the right amount of attention to the environment – including 59 per cent of Liberal voters from 2015.

Three in ten (31 per cent) Canadians believe Ottawa is not doing enough, including 38 per cent of those aged 18 to 34. Only 14 per cent of Canadians believe the federal government is paying too much attention to the environment, a proportion that, unsurprisingly, reaches 31 per cent in Alberta and 43 per cent among Conservative voters from the last election.

The few Canadians who believe climate change is a theory were not primarily Liberal voters four years ago and show little signs of moving now.

However, there is an inherent danger for the Liberals if younger voters decide that the environment will be their key issue this year. If they move to the New Democrats or the Greens, they may decide the size and colour of the next government.

Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.

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MARIO CANSECO Research Co.

Guest Column

Wildlife populations in rapid decline

“Few people have the chance to find themselves on the cusp of a truly historic transformation... On one hand, we have known for many years that we are driving the planet to the brink. The astonishing decline in wildlife populations shown by the latest Living Planet Index – a 60 per cent fall in just over 40 years – is a grim reminder and perhaps the ultimate indicator of the pressure we exert on the planet. On the other hand, science has never been clearer about the consequence of our impact.”

These are the opening lines to the 2018 Living Planet report by the World Wildlife Fund. Involving 59 scientists from a variety of disciplines around the world, it is a fairly bleak view of the world we live in.

On the other hand, a recent report in the Journal of Mammalogy entitled “How many species of mammals are there?” makes the point that over 1,000 new species of mammals have been discovered in the past decade. In 1993, the total number of mammal species was 4,631. By 2005, it had increased to 5,416 and by 2018, the number was 6,495.

How can we reconcile these two reports? Don’t they contradict?

The answer is no. One is discussing the total animal population – the total mass of animals, if you like – while the other is an assessment on the number of varieties. As scientists continue to scour the globe, they are finding new species of animals all the time. This has been aided by the latest advancements in genomic research as we can now examine DNA to make distinctions.

But the actual number of mammals on the planet is on the decline if we exclude humans and domesticated species. This is made apparent in a rather sobering passage from Yuval Noah Harari’s

Older people, conservatives more likely to share fake news

WASHINGTON — A new study finds that people over 65 and ultra conservatives shared about seven times more fake information on Facebook than younger adults, moderates and super liberals during the 2016 election season. The first major study to look at who shared links from debunked sites found that not many people are doing it. On average only about one out of every 12 people shared false information during the 2016 campaign. But those doing it tend to be older and more conservative.

Researchers at Princeton University and New York University looked at the Facebook sites of more than 1,300 people who answered detailed surveys and compared them to three lists of fake sites. The study is in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

Canadian scientists helping solve interstellar mystery

Sarah KAPLAN Citizen news service

Imagine a flash of radio energy so powerful it outshines the sun. Now imagine a flash like this going off nearly every minute all across the cosmos.

These are fast radio bursts, some of the most enigmatic phenomena in astronomy. Scientists don’t know where they come from, or what celestial event could be so dramatic yet common enough to produce thousands of bursts every day.

But they think they’re closing in on an answer. At the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society this week, researchers at a powerful new Canadian telescope announced the detection of 13 new fast radio bursts (FRBs) in a mere two months of observations – a 20 per cent increase over the five dozen bursts that have been found in the past 12 years.

One of the newly detected bursts is a rare “repeater” – researchers saw six flashes coming from the same spot in the sky, which they hope will make it easier to pin down the source of the signal. Only one other repeating FRB has ever been found.

This sudden influx of tantalizing clues has made astrophysicists almost giddy.

“These things are coming to us from halfway across the universe and we don’t really know anything about them,” said McGill University’s Shriharsh Tendulkar, a lead author of one of two papers in the journal Nature about the new findings. “Isn’t that exciting?”

book Homo Deus, when discussing the Anthropocene.

He points out there are 300 million tons of humans and 700 million tons of domesticated animals compared to just 100 million tons of large wild animals (defined as weighing more than two kilograms).

He goes on to say “Altogether about 200,000 wild wolves still roam the Earth, but there are more than 400 million domesticated dogs. The world contains 40,000 lions compared to 600 million house cats; 900,000 African buffalo versus 1.5 billion domesticated cows; 50 million penguins and 20 billion chickens. Since 1970, despite growing ecological awareness, wildlife populations have halved…”

He points out that at the beginning of the industrial revolution, the numbers were much different with humans and their domesticated species making up only 10 per cent of the large animal biomass on Earth. Indeed, in ancient times, lions inhabited southern Europe and millions of bison roamed the plains of North America.

Where does this leave us?

There have been five mass extinctions on Earth where more than 75 per cent of the species alive have disappeared from the fossil record over relatively short periods of time.

Some declines, such as the CretaceousPaleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, appear to be almost instantaneous in the fossil record.

Others have occurred over the space of 10,000 years. But in each case, there

was a loss of both the total number of animals – the biomass – and the diversity of species.

We are not quite there yet in species loss but we are certainly well on our way to a mass extinction with respect to biomass. And it is not just mammalian creatures.

For example, wildlife populations in rivers and lakes have fallen 83 per cent. Central and South America have seen an 89 per cent drop in vertebrate populations. And 50 per cent of plants have been destroyed since the beginning of civilization.

For the scientists involved, the facts speak for themselves and are a clear call for action.

Indeed, the Living Planet report asserts we are the last generation able to save the planet and calls for a Convention on Biological Diversity.

But when I look outside, I see forests and plants. I have deer walking down my road at night and rabbits hopping around in the morning. It is hard to see the global effects when looking at a small scale and, for most of us, the small scale is the most apparent.

Yet it is the entire ecosystem which sustains life on this planet. The oceans provide oxygen. The animals provide biodiversity.

The whole system is a complex equilibrium and the one thing chemists know for sure about equilibria is that altering them changes the set point. In this case, not for the better.

To quote Harari again: “Homo Sapiens have rewritten the rules of the game. This single ape species has managed within 70,000 years to change the global ecosystem in radical and unprecedented ways... our impact may surpass that of the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.”

What does the future look like? The choice is ours.

Work on the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), which Tendulkar and his colleagues used for their research, was not quite complete when this initial baker’s dozen was detected last July and August. But the cylindrical instrument, which maps a three-degree-wide swath of the sky every night, was already a dramatic improvement on more traditional telescopes, which can only focus on a single spot.

CHIME has been fully operational since September. Scientists on the project have hinted that at least 100 more bursts will be reported in the weeks to come.

“With fast radio bursts, it’s always felt like the more answers we get, the more questions we have,” said Sarah Burke-Spolaor, an astrophysicist at West Virginia University who was not involved in the new research. “But I think we’re reaching the peak of that mountain.”

The signals are so brief, they must come from something incredibly small (no bigger than New Jersey) yet they pack as much energy into a millisecond as the sun emits all day. They are also dispersed – high frequency wavelengths arrive earlier than lower-frequency ones – which suggest that they travel long distances across vast expanses of space to reach astronomers’ radio dishes.

Scientists have scores of theories about what might create such stupendous signals – spinning cores of collapsed stars, powerful magnetic fields around black holes, the fog of dust and gas from which new stars form. But only one burst has been traced back to its source: a repeating burst called FRB 121102, which flickers periodically from a dim dwarf galaxy three billion light-years away.

The CHIME researchers are working with an array of antennas in central New Mexico to pin down the galaxy the second repeater belongs to. They hope that tracing the radio signal back a known visible object may reveal what produced it.

An African buffalo stares at visitors to central Kenya’s Meru National Park in 2005. While African buffalo remain fairly numerous – approximately 900,000 animals in the wild – their population is dwarfed by the number of domestic cows, estimated at 1.5 billion. Humans and our domesticated animals outweigh the population of large wild animals (two kilograms and larger) by 10 to one.

Seth BORENSTEIN Citizen news service

Trudeau promotes LNG Canada pipeline in B.C. speech

Laura KANE Citizen news service

KAMLOOPS

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted the benefits of a liquefied natural gas project that’s at the centre of an impasse with First Nations in a speech to supporters in Kamloops on Wednesday.

RCMP arrested 14 people Monday in northwestern British Columbia over a protest against construction of a natural gas pipeline by Coastal GasLink, a key part of the $40-billion LNG Canada project.

In a campaign-style speech at the Liberal fundraiser, Trudeau did not address the arrests but heralded the massive project as one of his government’s key achievements over the past year.

“We moved forward on the LNG Canada project, which is the largest private sector investment in Canada’s history, $40 billion, which is going to produce Canadian LNG that will supplant coal in Asia as a power source and do much for the environment,” he said.

The RCMP enforced an injunction Monday from the B.C. Supreme Court that ordered the removal of any obstructions to the pipeline project in and around the Morice River Bridge on a remote forest service road southwest of Houston.

The pipeline company says it has signed agreements with all First Nations along the route but demonstrators say Wet’suwet’en house chiefs, who are hereditary rather than elected, have not given their consent.

Later Wednesday, Trudeau told Radio NL that “we’re going to have to do a better job” of dealing with First Nations rights and title.

“There’s still work to be done right across the country in terms of having the op-

portunity for Indigenous communities to strengthen their governance models,” he said.

“The federal government is not the one who should be deciding who speaks for which Indigenous community. Our responsibility is to support communities as they develop models that make sense. That’s what we’re in the middle of right now.”

The prime minister was scheduled to speak at a town hall gathering later Wednesday night. He told supporters at the fundraiser that

he expected to hear “strong voices” at the town hall with very clear ideas about what his government should be doing.

“The challenge we have to have as Canadians is to be open to listening to people, to understand their concerns and their fears, and to work together to try and allay them,” he said. “We will always have in this country perspectives that vary widely.”

Dozens of protesters on both sides of the pipeline debate gathered outside the hotel where Trudeau spoke at the fundraiser. Protesters wearing yellow vests carried

signs that read “Carbon Tax Cash Grab” and “Trudeau for Treason” while taking part in a chant opposing a United Nations pact on migration signed by Canada. Conservative critics argue it threatens Canada’s sovereignty.

Keith LaRiviere, who is Cree and participated in the yellow-vest protest, said he knows some of the people involved in the pipeline blockade. \He said he supports their right to protest but he believes those building the pipeline also have the right to do their work.

“I go to sweat lodges with some of those people so I really know them intimately, and I do support their cause. I do support their right to their land. I don’t support the aggressive way they were forced out of their position,” said LaRiviere, who travelled from Prince George.

On the other side of the hotel parking lot, a group of Indigenous protesters opposed to the pipeline sang, drummed and held a banner reading “PM Trudeau: Canada needs climate action now.”

Janice Billy said she supports the Wet’suwet’en because her First Nation, the Secwepemc, are also losing control of their lands.

“The people... had no reason to be arrested. They are peaceful people. They were there protecting the land and water,” she said.

The federal riding of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo is held by Conservative MP Cathy McLeod and the Liberals see B.C. as a key battleground for the election in October.

Trudeau’s visit to Kamloops marks the start of an outreach tour that will expand across the country.

Protesters line the access road in Kamloops where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at a Liberal fundraising luncheon on Wednesday.

Managing editor Neil Godbout puts the news in perspective every day, only in The Citizen

Brar lands NCAA scholarship

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

Ben Brar knows now where he’s heading in his college hockey future.

The 20-year-old Prince George Spruce Kings winger will be making his home later this year in North Andover, Mass., where he’s destined to play for the Merrimack College Warriors.

Brar, whose 23 goals leads the Spruce Kings, will suit up next season for the Warriors, playing in NCAA’s Hockey East conference.

“We are excited for Ben and his opportunity to continue his career at Merrimack in Division 1 hockey,” said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio. “Ben has been a big part of our team’s success and has helped us build a winning culture within our organization. He is very deserving of this commitment and we know he will represent the Spruce Kings well in his future endeavours at Merrimack.”

Brar is the eighth Spruce King on the current roster to commit to a U.S. college team.

Now in his third season with the Kings, Brar ranks 19th in B.C. Hockey League scoring with 41 points, two behind Dustin Manz, who leads Prince George with 43 points. In his junior career, Brar has played 209 games and has 73 goals and 63 assists for 136 points.

The Spruce Kings return to home ice Friday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, where they’ll take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Kings will be trying to avenge a 5-2 loss to the Mike Vandekamp-coached Capitals last Saturday in Duncan. Prince George began 2019 with three games on the road and lost all three.

The three-game losing streak has dropped the Kings (25-112-2) into second place in the Mainland Division and overall standings. They’re tied with Chilliwack, each with 54 points, but the Chiefs (27-11-0-0) have two more wins and have played two fewer games than the Kings.

The Spruce Kings and Chiefs meet Sunday afternoon in Chilliwack.

Sports hall adding to membership

Hucul, Williams, Martinson to be inducted March 30

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

Race car driver Cliff Hucul, wheelchair basketball player Elisha Williams and Prince George Track and Field Club coach/president Brian Martinson are the latest inductees into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame.

They will be the featured guests at the hall’s induction ceremony on Saturday, March 30 at the Hart Community Centre.

Hucul is the most prominent stock car driver ever to go beyond the Prince George Auto Racing Association. In three consecutive years from 1977-79, Hucul qualified for and raced in the granddaddy of all auto races – the Indianapolis 500 – giving worldwide recognition to his Prince George hometown.

Williams, a star athlete at Duchess Park Secondary School, who won back-to-back provincial double-A championships with the Condorettes in 1995 and 1996, then took up wheelchair basketball after a knee injury cut short her college career as an able-bodied athlete. She joined the national wheelchair basketball team in 2007 and went on to play in several high-profile international events, including the Para Pan American Games in 2007 and 2011, the 2010 world championship (in which she won bronze) and the 2012 Paralympics.

Martinson retired last year as president of the track club after decades of involvement in the club as a coach and administrator. His tireless efforts as a volunteer coach led to national success for the likes of club athletes Josh Guggenheimer, Alyx Treasure and his son, Geoff Martinson. Brian Martinson succeeded Tom Masich as club president.

Starting with the first class in 1997, there are now 78 inductees in the PGSHOF. Displays of the inductees are in four city locations –Kin Centre Atrium, Northern Sport Centre at UNBC, Prince George Aquatic Centre and The Exploration Place museum. To be considered for induction, a member

of the community or sports group must submit a nomination form which outlines the history of the nominee, their background and their achievements. Letters of recommendation can be included with the nomination. Athlete or team nominees must have achieved excellence while representing the city in one of the approved sports in a senior or national or international competition. It’s also a requirement that the person was born, attended school, or lived in Prince George a minimum of eight years. The athlete has to be retired from compe-

tition in his or her chosen sport.

The same criteria applies to a professional athlete. The waiting period is waived if the athlete wins an Olympic or world championship gold medal.

Team induction is based on the accomplishments of one particular year or season.

A coach/builder/administrator must have lived in the community for a minimum of 10 years and have coached and promoted any of the approved sports for at least 10 years. The 10-year minimum also applies to the officials category. Priority consideration will be granted to an official who has demonstrated years of instructing other game officials.

“We’ve been inducting since 1997 and the criteria is very specific,” said PGSHOF board member Kathy Mears. “They have to be finished competing. We know that Alyx Treasure, Sarah Beaudry, Megan Tandy and Brett Connolly will all end up in the hall but right now they’re too young.

“We’re in that limbo period of time where we’ve probably oversaturated our old people and now we have to wait for our young people to get there. We know there are individuals out there worthy of consideration but if someone doesn’t take the time and put the information together, they can’t expect the committee to do that. That’s not our function.”

Mears says nobody has ever nominated hockey player Greg Polis, who died last March. The former NHL forward played 10 NHL seasons in the 1970s while he made his off-season home in Prince George.

Other potential candidates who have not been nominated and meet the criteria include fastball player Chad Ghostkeeper, curler/coach Joe Rea, hockey goalie Daryl Reaugh, track and field coach Wayne Phipps and hockey administrator Neil Fowlie.

The 12th PGSHOF banquet will also feature the Youth Excellence Awards. Six male and six female athletes will be selected based on their achievements since the most recent induction ceremony in 2016. The list of the nominees will be released Jan. 22.

Hucul, who raced in the Indianapolis 500 three times in the late 1970s, is shown at his home in May 2010. Hucul will be one of three new inductees into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame on March 30 at the Hart Community Centre. Elisha Williams (wheelchair basketball) and Brian Martinson (track and field) are the other inductees for 2019.

BRAR

Ex-fighter passing along his skills

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

It’s a marriage made in pugilistic heaven.

Jag Seehra needed a gym to serve as home to his new boxing club in downtown Prince George and a group of mixed martial artists who want to learn how to box now have an in-house coach to teach them the sweet science of punching and blocking.

Seehra, an 11-time provincial boxing champion who represented Canada in two international tournaments, has been training fighters at the Kaiten Mixed Martial Arts gym at 185 Dominion St., for the past four months. Seehra moved back to the city four months ago from Nanaimo, his home for two years when he followed his Inner City Boxing Club coach Bob Pegues to the Nanaimo Boxing Club in 2016.

Amateur boxing has surged in popularity the past two years in B.C. The number of registered boxers in the province dipped to about 1,000 a few years ago but now there are close to 1,600 working with 15 clubs. None of those registered fighters are from Prince George and Seehra aims to change that at his new club – Jag Seehra Boxing Academy. He wants to produce provincialand national-calibre boxers.

“It sucks that nothing is happening here – everybody wants to do it and nobody is doing it and I just feel it’s my duty to keep it going,” said Seehra. “Karm (Manhas) has been super-welcoming and he’s letting me do what I want to do out of his gym. He’s totally on board and wants to make this team happen.”

Pegues, the B.C. provincial team coach, returned last weekend to his Prince George roots, where he had so much success with Seehra and Kenny Lally, and put on a twoday coaching clinic. Two coaches from the

for boxing. In the 10-year period from 2002 to 2011, 80 per cent of the medals earned in B.C. came from Prince George.

“So Jag and I were talking and we decided to try to get it going again. All through Jag’s history, this was a great boxing community. Jag is just registering his first two. He’s going to bring it back for us.”

Seehra has two novice boxers – Robyn Grant, 19, and Jacob Brent, 30 – on the verge of getting their first fights in the next month or two.

Eight of the 60 boxers now with the national team program call B.C. home. There are still two sanctioning bodies – Boxing BC and Combsport. Combsport was formed as an alternate organization about a decade ago and it drew a number of boxers away from the longer-established B.C. Boxing Association (Boxing BC), which Pegues says helped revitalize the sport.

“(Combsport) hurt us for those years but it made us have a whole better approach to how we did our business,” said Pegues. “Some of these guys (in Boxing BC) were pretty dictatorial and autocratic for a long time and it kind of shook us up.

“I’m one of the (Boxing BC) vice-presidents now and we meet all the time to talk about how we keep this an athlete-based association and keep our members happy. That’s part of the comeback – the doorswide-open attitude. Most of the clubs (including Spruce Capital) are back now (with Boxing BC).”

In the wake of her mother Betty’s death last month, Candice Clark plans to keep the Shaolin Boxing Club open. Seehra and Manhas hope to see Shaolin and Spruce Capital athletes participating in a five-day Boxing BC novice boxing camp they’re organizing for this summer.

“There’s been an explosion all over the country and it’s kind of died here,” said Pegues. “Prince George was always the mecca

Grizzlies knock off Spurs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Grizzlies centre

Marc Gasol snapped out of a recent slump with a more energized performance to help Memphis end a six-game slide.

Gasol had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Memphis led from the second quarter on in a 96-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Gasol had played poorly in recent games but converted nine of 16 shots, including 3-for-5 from outside the arc, to help the Grizzlies lead by 16 during the fourth quarter. With four minutes left, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich had all reserves in the game.

“(He) came out aggressive, came out assertive and you could see the energy in his face and his actions. That’s the guy we need, and he knows it,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley said of Gasol.

In the previous two games, Gasol was held to single-digit scoring and missed all six of his three-point attempts. Against the Spurs, the Grizzlies centre was much more animated and engaged.

“I was trying to be a little more aggressive, obviously, and stay aggressive,” Gasol said. “It wasn’t just where I had one quarter that I was aggressive, I’ve got to build on it and create those habits for the team.” Conley added 15 points and six assists for Memphis, and Jaren Jackson Jr. and JaMychal Green scored 12 points each.

Marco Belinelli and Bryn Forbes scored

14 points apiece for the Spurs, who ended a five-game winning streak. LaMarcus Aldridge and Patty Mills had 13 points each for San Antonio.

“I thought both teams were pretty sloppy in the first half,” Popovich said. “Neither team played that well in the first half, but I thought they picked it up in the second half.”

San Antonio shot 36 per cent and committed 15 turnovers. Aldridge was 4-for12 shooting, Forbes went 5-for-14, and leading-scorer DeMar DeRozan made just 4-for-15 with nine points. The Spurs 86 points were a season low.

Memphis held a 42-31 lead at the half, maintained the lead after three periods and stretched the advantage to 16 when Gasol converted a three-pointer with 3:16 left.

“That sense of urgency is the way we have to play every single night,” Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

TIP-INS

Spurs: F Rudy Gay missed his second straight game with a sprained left wrist.

... DeRozan’s nine points marked only the second game this season where he was held under 10. ... Davis Bertans was ejected in the third quarter when he collected his second technical of the game. ... San Antonio’s 31 first-half points matched a season low in a half.

Grizzlies: The game marked the first home appearance for G Justin Holiday, obtained in a trade with the Chicago Bulls last Friday. He finished with six points.

“For the last two years we had nobody from Prince George at provincials. Before that we were a big part of the team all the time.

Langford will host the 2019 Superchannel boxing national championships in April. B.C. will send 35 fighters to the six-day event – the province’s biggest-ever team. Any aspiring boxers interested in joining Seehra’s club can call Manhas at 250-5526310.

Spieth seeking fresh start

Doug FERGUSON Citizen news service

HONOLULU — Jordan Spieth showed up in Hawaii three years ago hopeful that a new year would be more of a continuation than a fresh start. Back then, he was coming off two majors, five victories, the FedEx Cup and he was No. 1 in the world.

He’s in a different spot at the Sony Open.

Spieth went through an entire year without a trophy for the first time as a pro. He didn’t have even a mathematical chance at the FedEx Cup because he didn’t make it to the Tour Championship for the first time.

Spieth starts the year at No. 17.

So is this a fresh start or a continuation?

In his case, a little of both.

“Thinking of something as a fresh start, that you can throw away some of the struggles from last season, is beneficial,” he said Wednesday. “But I was doing really good work as the season went on where I was focusing my work, which was in the putting. So I don’t want to necessarily wash all that away. I was doing the right stuff. It’s then just a continuation of that work as I start to dial it in more and more.

“So yes and no,” he concluded. “I guess mentally, yes. But physically, no.”

He wasn’t even sure he was coming to Oahu until a few weeks ago. Spieth wasn’t

eligible for the winners-only field at Kapalua. He got married over Thanksgiving weekend, which cut into a typical schedule of preparations for the new year. His expectations aren’t as high as they might be. “Just after Christmas,” he said of his decision to play the Sony Open. “I had a good day practicing and said, ‘All right, I’m going.’ A couple of days after that it was, ‘Dang it, I’m not ready.’ Couple of days after that, ‘Yeah.’ I’m really glad I’m here, whether it goes well or not.”

The Sony Open starts today as the first full field of 2019, with 23 players who were at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week. That includes Justin Thomas, who won at Waialae two years ago by opening with a 59 and breaking the PGA Tour’s record for 72 holes with a 253 total.

Patrick Reed also is in the field, the first time Reed and Spieth have been in the same tournament since the Ryder Cup, remembered as much for the European victory as Reed blaming Spieth for them not playing together in France. Spieth and Thomas went 3-1 as partners, while Reed and Tiger Woods went 0-2. “I was a bit surprised,” Spieth said about Reed’s post-Ryder Cup comments. “It didn’t bother me. I was just like, ‘Whoa.’ There was nothing lead up to that... nothing told me that was going to happen.”

Fry in form, but Team Jacobs drops decision

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. — Team

Brad Jacobs fell 6-5 to Team Peter De Cruz on Wednesday at the Canadian Open in Ryan Fry’s first game back since taking a seven-week break after his disqualification from the Red Deer Curling Classic. Fry was in top form for his return, shooting 97 per cent for the game. De Cruz scored a single point with a tap-back in the eighth end for the victory. Fry last played as a substitute at a World Curling Tour event in Red Deer last November. He was ejected along with teammates Jamie Koe, Chris Schille and DJ Kidby for what organizers called unsportsmanlike behaviour resulting from excessive drinking.

Organizers said Fry broke three brooms and that the team used foul language and was disruptive to other players on the ice. Fry, who took a break to focus on growth and self-improvement, had his return to the team confirmed on New Year’s Day. Jacobs will return to the ice tonight at the

Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club, Diranda Collister and Chase Tuftin, as well as Kaiten MMA head coach Manhas, attended the clinic.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Jag Seehra and Bob Pegues worked together for years as boxer and coach. Now Seehra is getting into the coaching game.

Citizen news service

Civic Centre against Team Rylan Kleiter. Team Matt Dunstone edged Team Braden Calvert 5-4 in the other early afternoon men’s game. In women’s play, Team Robyn Silvernagle topped Team Tracy Fleury 6-3, Team Jennifer Jones dumped Team Isabella Wrana 8-2 and Team Eve Muirhead beat Team Anna Hasselborg 7-2. Fry, skip Jacobs, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden won Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.-based rink won the Tim Hortons Brier in 2013 and took world silver that year. Jacobs, who won the Tour Challenge earlier this season, has risen to No. 3 in the world rankings. With Fry out, substitute Marc Kennedy helped the team win the Canada Cup last month.

AP PHOTO Jordan Spieth watches his putt on the first green during the Pro-Am round of the Sony Open on Wednesday, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Forsberg adds spark to Predators’ top line

Jay COHEN Citizen news service

CHICAGO — Nashville’s top line is back together again, and that’s a big deal for the surging Predators.

Filip Forsberg scored twice, including a timely drive in overtime, and Nashville beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Wednesday night for its third consecutive victory.

Colton Sissons and Viktor Arvidsson also scored to help the Predators improve to 3-01 on a six-game trip. Ryan Johansen and Mattias Ekholm each had two assists, and Pekka Rinne made 28 saves.

Forsberg just returned to Nashville’s lineup on Monday after missing 17 games with a hand injury. Arvidsson was activated from injured reserve on Dec. 27 after missing 21 games with a broken thumb.

Reunited with Johansen on one of the NHL’s most dangerous lines, Forsberg and Arvidsson are beginning to round into form. Arvidsson also scored Saturday night in a 4-1 victory at Montreal.

“Arv and Fil were out for a long time, so they’re probably going to shake off a little bit of rust, but the more they play, the better they’re going to feel,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “They had a big impact in the game tonight, all three of them.”

Nashville had a 3-2 lead before Patrick Kane flipped a pass into the middle to Artem Anisimov, who slid a shot under Rinne with 2:21 left in regulation. Anisimov stopped a seven-game drought with his eighth of the season.

But Forsberg stepped up a minute into overtime, going to the net and flipping a shot over Collin Delia’s left shoulder for his 16th of the season.

“Once I got close, it was pretty open short side, so I just tried to lift it,” Forsberg said. Chicago lost for the fourth time in five games. Alex DeBrincat and Jonathan Toews also scored for the Blackhawks, and Kane had two assists. Delia finished with 33 stops.

“We’re playing well, we’re in games,” Toews said. “You get to overtime, you get the feeling you can get the two points. It’s unfortunate we haven’t gotten it done in our building.”

Nashville jumped in front on Sissons’ ninth of the season, but Predators defenceman Dan Hamhuis was sent off for hooking 17:03 into the first and the Blackhawks capitalized on the power-play opportunity. DeBrincat extended his goal-scoring streak to three games

Filip Forsberg celebrates after scoring the overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night in Chicago.

when he drove a cross-ice pass from Kane under Rinne’s stick for No. 21 on the year.

The tie lasted all of eight seconds. Arvidsson got a stretch pass from P.K. Subban, avoided Delia’s stick and stuffed home a backhand to make it 2-1 Predators with 2:01 left in the period.

Nashville increased its lead to 3-1 after Chicago defenceman Connor Murphy was penalized for hooking in the second. Fors-

berg beat Delia with a wrist shot at 16:26 for his first goal since Nov. 21.

“There are some things that obviously are a little rusty, passes that I missed and obviously stuff like that, but I’m just trying to work hard,” Forsberg said. “I mean a lot of things worked.”

The Predators got another power-play chance after David Kampf was whistled for tripping late in the period. But Toews got

Cougars end long road trip with loss

Citizen staff

The longest road trip in several seasons is now behind the Prince George Cougars.

They put that 11-game marathon to rest Wednesday night in Spokane, losing 4-2 to the Spokane Chiefs.

Vying for their third-straight victory, the Cougars came up against a veteran-stacked Chiefs team that used its speed to force the Cougars into penalty trouble early. Nolan Reid and Ty Smith each scored power-play goals to stake the Chiefs to a 2-0 lead by 14-minute mark of the game.

The Cougars appeared to cut that lead in half late in the period when a shot from Josh Curtis beat goalie Reece Klassen, but the goal was waved off when it was ruled Jackson Leppard made contact

with Klassen just as the puck arrived.

After an uninspired first period in which they seemed a step behind the speedy Chiefs, the Cougars made a few adjustments and were much more effective in the second and third periods and

the shots reflected that. Outshot 12-4 while being outscored 2-0 in the first 20 minutes, the Cougars worked at a 15-13 shot deficit the rest of the game.

Joel Lakusta made it interesting when he scored the only goal of the second period just 31 seconds into the frame. The Cougars had a chance to tie it midway through the period but Vladislav Mikhalkchuk was foiled on a breakaway by Klassen’s poke check. Just before the second intermission, Cougars import Matej Toman just missed an open net when he got around Klassen, who had raced out to try to get to a loose puck.

The Chiefs gave themselves some more breathing room when Eli Zummack, on a rightwing rush, tucked the puck into the crease behind goalie Taylor Gauthier and Luc Smith was able

a nice pass from Marcus Kruger and sent a shot by Rinne on the stick side for just the fourth short-handed goal of the season for the Blackhawks.

“Things really got dark there for a few minutes and then they go out there and make a couple great plays and (Toews) finishes,” Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton said, “so that really changed the game, put us in the situation to come back.”

Giordano paces Flames to victory

to tap it in. Josh Maser scored his 13th of the season with Gauthier on the bench but Jake McGrew ended the suspense with a empty-netter with four seconds left.

Spokane (third in the U.S. Division) improved to 23-13-2-2. The loss kept the Cougars (14-22-2-2) fifth in the B.C. Division and ninth in the Western Conference. They did get help out of town when Victoria beat fourth-place Kamloops 5-2 on Wednesday while Everett defeated third-place Kelowna 4-2.

The Cougars will play their first home game since Dec. 2 this Friday when they face the Kelowna Rockets in the first of back-toback games. The Cats came into Wednesday’s game having won three of five games since the Christmas break. They’ll play their next six games at CN Centre.

CALGARY (CP) — Captain Mark Giordano had three assists as the Calgary Flames kept on rolling with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. The three assists gives Giordano 303 career helpers, moving him past Joe Nieuwendyk into fifth on the Flames all-time list. Mikael Backlund, Mark Jankowski, Elias Lindholm, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk, into an empty net, scored for Calgary (28-13-4), which is 6-1-1 in its last eight and have a two-point lead on Vegas atop the Pacific Division. Johnny Gaudreau had two assists to extend his point streak to six games. Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to eight games with a goal for Colorado (20-16-8).

Dividing the dollars

Amazon founder and wife

Michael

LIEDTKE, Rachel LERMAN Citizen news service

SEATTLE — Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, are divorcing, ending a 25-year marriage that played a role in the creation of an e-commerce company that made Bezos one of the world’s wealthiest people. The decision to divorce comes after a trial separation, according to a statement posted Wednesday on Jeff Bezos’ Twitter account. He and his wife both signed the announcement, which ended with a vow to remain “cherished friends.”

“If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again,” the couple said.

Left unanswered was one of the biggest sticking points in any divorce: how the assets amassed during the marriage will be divided.

And there may never have been more money than in this case. Jeff Bezos is ranked at the top of most lists of the world’s wealthiest people, and his fortune currently hovers around $137 billion, according to estimates by both Forbes and Bloomberg. Virtually all of that is tied up in the nearly 79 million shares of Amazon stock (currently worth about $130 billion) that Bezos owns, translating into a 16 per cent stake in the Seattle company. Bezos, 54, also owns rocket ship maker Blue Origin and The Washington Post, which he bought for $250 million in 2013.

Because the pair were married before Amazon was founded, it’s likely that MacKenzie Bezos, a 48-year-old novelist, holds a large claim to that fortune, though details hinge on where the couple files for divorce and if they had a prenuptial agreement.

King County, where their home is located, confirmed on Twitter Wednesday that the Bezoses had

divorcing after 25 years

not filed for divorce in court. The couple owns a home in a wealthy Seattle suburb within the county.

Jeff Bezos also bought a mansion in a swanky Washington D.C. neighbourhood last year for $23 million. The Bezoses have four children.

“The property acquired during the marriage is common property,” said Jennifer Payseno, a family lawyer at the firm McKinley Irvin in Seattle. That includes stock ownership, although Amazon has not filed any regulatory documents to suggest Bezos’ stake in the company has changed. Amazon didn’t respond to inquiries about how the divorce may affect that stake.

The Bezoses will almost certainly settle the divorce outside of court, if they haven’t already, said

Beware the U.S. tax man

Anyone who grew up in the Lower Mainland in the 1960s knew KVOS TV, the hokey little broadcaster out of Bellingham, Wash., which specialized in second-run shows like Hogan’s Heroes and Star Trek. Although the station originated from the U.S., it catered primarily to us Canadians since we were the nearest major market within reach. We didn’t have cable at our house, but that wasn’t necessary to pick up the fuzzy reception from KVOS. Everything about the station felt second-rate compared to the relatively splashy stations originating from Vancouver. Given that our population was some 30 times larger, all of that makes sense now. In the 1970s, the CRTC rules also fooled some of us (me) into thinking that Mr. Dressup had nicer cardigans than Mr. Rogers, that CFL football was superior to the NFL and that Nick Adonidas was a legitimate super hero. I think I was in my 20s before I realized that the CFL was a Bleague and that we were actually America’s hat, a media spec living just north of Mr. Rogers’ neighbourhood. It was just today that I learned that even The Beachcombers was a knock-off of a former British show.

Not an original thought in the bunch!

If the point of the CRTC was to keep American media giants from so overwhelming us that we shrunk in to cultural oblivion, the point of the IRS is to ensure that U.S. influence is taxable in every possible iteration – even in Canada.

Tax exposure to the U.S. is most comprehensive for a U.S. citizen, so it is important to identify who this encompasses. While most U.S. citizens are quite aware of their U.S. status, numerous people residing in Canada will be surprised to learn that they are U.S. citizens.

Anyone born in the U.S. is automatically a U.S. citizen. While the vast majority of those born in the U.S. have lived there for their entire lives, there are many people who were born in the U.S. and do not now live there. The fact that one does not hold a U.S. passport has no bearing on this status. Being born in the U.S. is all that is needed to obtain U.S. citizen status, regardless of whether you – or the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) – are currently acting upon it.

The key question if you were born outside of the U.S. is whether either of your natural

Jacqueline Newman, a Manhattan divorce lawyer and managing partner at Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd.

“For the most part, they’re going to want to keep things private and quiet,” she said. “Especially in the case of a public company, they’re not going to want information to leak because it could ultimately affect stock prices.”

Amazon’s stock edged up $2.84 Wednesday to close at $1,659.42. That left Amazon with a market value of $811 billion, more than any other publicly traded company in the U.S.

The amicable tenor of the Bezoses’ divorce announcement makes it highly likely that the couple already has reached an agreement on how to divide their

parents is a U.S. citizen. If both are U.S. citizens who are married (different rules apply if they didn’t marry), then provided that at least one of them had at some time resided in the U.S., you too are a U.S. citizen. If only one of them is a U.S. citizen, then the length of time that he or she resided in the U.S., depending upon when he/she was born, will be determinative. Finally, it is also important to note that if you are not a U.S. citizen, but at some time obtained and have not formally relinquished for tax purposes a U.S. green card (simply letting the card expire is not sufficient), you are taxed in the U.S. in a similar manner as a U.S. citizen. It is important to speak to a qualified immigration lawyer to determine your U.S. status. Exposure to the U.S. income tax system arises for U.S. citizens but also “residents” for U.S. income tax purposes. This definition of U.S. residence covers (1) green card holders regardless of where they live, and (2) persons who are caught under what is referred to in the U.S. as the Substantial Presence Test (ugh). It should be noted that U.S. green card holders living in Canada may be able to make an election under the CanadaU.S. income tax treaty under the treaty’s tiebreaker rules to be considered a tax resident of Canada and a non-resident of the U.S. In doing so, their green card

assets, Payseno said. Amazon’s origins trace back to a road trip that the Bezoses took together not long after they met in New York while working at hedge fund D.E. Shaw. They got married just six months after they began dating, according to Bezos. Not long after that, Jeff Bezos quit his job at Shaw and started an online bookstore. While his wife did the cross-country driving, Bezos wrote a business plan on the way to Seattle – chosen for its abundance of tech talent. By July 1995, Amazon was operating out of a garage, with MacKenzie Bezos lending a hand, according to a review she posted on Amazon in 2013 promoting The Everything Store, a book about Bezos and the company written by Brad Stone.

status may be jeopardized and they may be considered to have renounced their residency status and therefore may be subject to U.S. exit tax rules. For the purposes of this article, U.S. green card holders will be considered to be U.S. Income Tax Residents under the U.S. income tax system i.e., they will not have made the treaty election. The Substantial Presence Test is intended to bring within the definition of U.S. Income Tax Resident those who are in the U.S. for more than 182 days in any given year, as well as people who spend at least 122 days per year in the U.S. on average (using a specified formula) over a three-year period. This catches many Canadian “snowbirds” i.e., typically Canadian citizens or residents that own or rent a home or other property in the U.S. and live in it usually over much of the winter, but can also include individuals who live in Canada but travel frequently to work in the U.S.

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

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock

its strongest

gain in three years Wednesday as it was propelled by a large increase in the price of crude oil and the Bank of Canada’s latest rate announcement. The Toronto Stock Exchange continued its rebound from a dreadful autumn and tough December helped by positive news about the trade dispute between China and the U.S. and minutes from the Federal Reserve confirming its patience about raising interest rates, says Anish Chopra, managing director with Portfolio Management Corp. “A fantastic four-day stretch,” he said in an interview.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 199.58 points to 14,804.73 in a broad-based rally that saw all sectors rise. It was the third day of triple-digit gains so far this year and the best four-consecutive day performance since January 2016.

“There seems to be a lot more optimism about a U.S.-China trade deal and when it comes to Federal Reserve interest rate hikes it appears to be that they’ll take a pause,” Chopra said referring to minutes released from the central bank and recent comments from several bank governors.

The cannabis-heavy health care sector rose by 6.25 per cent as Canopy Growth Corp. surged 13.3 per cent, while Aurora Cannabis Inc. and Aphria Inc. gained 7.3 and 6.2 per cent respectively. Financial and energy stocks were the biggest gainers on the day led by Sun Life Financial Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Manulife Financial and Suncor Energy Inc. Meanwhile, BCE Inc. and Nutrien Ltd. lost ground while Imperial Oil and TransCanada Corp. posted small gains.

The energy sector was helped again by crude oil prices, which rose on Saudi Arabia’s energy minister reassuring that its oil production and exports are falling sharply. West Texas Intermediate prices are up 23 per cent from its December low.

The February crude contract was up US$2.58 at US$52.36 per barrel Wednesday.

Canada’s financial sector was helped by the Bank of Canada’s decision to hold its key rate at 1.75 per cent while the economy absorbs softness from a 44 per cent drop in oil prices from its October peak. In New York, the Dow

MARK RYAN

Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie Bezos arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif., in March 2018.

Former Pixar boss lands on his feet

Jake COYLE Citizen news service

The ousted Pixar cofounder and former Disney animation chief John Lasseter will head the recently launched animation division of Skydance Media, the production company announced Wednesday.

Lasseter, one of the most illustrious and pioneering figures in animation, last year stepped down from Disney after acknowledging “missteps” in his behaviour with staff members.

In a statement, Lasseter said he has spent the last year away from the industry in “deep reflection, learning how my actions unintentionally made colleagues uncomfortable, which I deeply regret and apologize for.”

“It has been humbling but I believe it will make me a better leader,” said Lasseter.

In a memo to staff, Skydance chief executive David Ellison emphasized that he didn’t take the decision lightly. Ellison said Skydance employed outside counsel to “thoroughly investigate the allegations” against Lasseter.

“John has been forthright in taking ownership of his behaviour, apologized for his actions and has spent the past year on sabbatical analyzing and improving his workplace behaviour,” Ellison told staffers.

Lasseter, 61, was a creative force behind every Pixar release and

was an executive producer on Disney hits (including Frozen, Moana and Zootopia) released under his stewardship of the animation giant. He also directed the first two

Toy Story movies, the first two Cars movies and A Bug’s Life. In November 2017, in the aftermath of Harvey Weinstein’s fall, Lasseter announced that he

Netflix may want Toronto production hub

Victoria AHEARN Citizen news service

TORONTO — It seems Netflix is considering creating a production hub in Toronto.

Asked whether the video streaming giant is interested in setting up shop in the city, Mayor John Tory suggested to The Canadian Press it’s a strong possibility.

“I have a very high level of confidence, without betraying confidences that aren’t yet concrete, that they’re going to,” Tory said in an interview at Tuesday’s Toronto Film Critics Association Awards gala.

“They’ve been in active discussions with our industry, with me, about wanting to create one of their hubs here.”

In September 2017, the company pledged to spend $500 million over five years to fund Canadian productions, a number it recently said it will exceed.

Netflix has already shot film and TV productions in Toronto as well as other Canadian cities, including Vancouver.

Because it’s a foreign digital company, it isn’t required to collect or remit federal or provincial sales tax.

The Los Gatos, Calif., company has production facilities in Los Angeles and recently announced new production hubs for Madrid and Albuquerque, N.M. Tory said he met with Netflix representatives in Los Angeles last March as part of his annual trip to the city to speak with film and TV studios about their working relationship with Toronto.

He hopes to speak with Netflix again early this year and also meet with company representatives when he returns to L.A. in February or March.

“We’ve talked to them from here a number of times and they certainly know how much we would like to have them here,” Tory said.

“And they certainly have a strong interest in being here, so fingers crossed.”

Asked if he had any idea of when a production hub might be announced for the city, Tory said with a smile, “No. If I knew I wouldn’t tell you.” Netflix had no comment Wednesday.

So far Netflix also hasn’t fallen under federal regulations that require the country’s broadcasting companies to pay into the Canada Media Fund for the creation of homegrown programming.

The impact of a Netflix production hub in Toronto “would be big,”

Tory said, noting the city would need to ensure it has enough talent for the large amount of projects the streaming service would likely create.

He said the city is working with local industry unions to increase the number of qualified cast and crew that could staff future productions.

It’s also working on the amount of studio space available.

Such are the priorities Netflix and other film and TV studios have expressed to Tory when it comes to bringing productions to Toronto, he said.

“Their message to us has been very consistent in the four years I’ve been there: don’t mess with the money, meaning the tax credits; build more studio space; get us an even deeper pool of talent by working to have more people available behind and in front of the camera; and give us good customer service,”

Tory said.

“So we just keep following their instructions and I go back each year and say ‘How are we doing?”’

SCTV hair stylist being mourned

TORONTO (CP) — Over her four decades as a hair and wig designer, Judi Cooper-Sealy coiffed all kinds of characters on screen – a blond beehive fit for Queen Latifah in Hairspray, Kate Beckinsale’s brown bob in the 2009 Alaska-set thriller Whiteout, and braided, bowl-cut and bouffant hairdos as wacky as Martin Short’s many impressions.

As news spread of the 77-year-old’s death in mid-December after a battle with dementia, CooperSealy’s husband said condolences have been pouring in from the comedians she worked with during her time at SCTV.

Joe Sealy said he woke up Wednesday morning to find a bouquet of white roses from Eugene Levy on his doorstep, one of many fragrant tributes that have turned the Toronto home he shared with his wife of more than 45 years into “a flower shop.”

Sealy said he also received an email from Short, who worked with Cooper-Sealy throughout his career, mourning the loss of her creativity and company on set.

After youthful stints as biochemist, model and alternative-magazine editor, the Halifax-raised hair stylist decided to sharpen her scissors in her hometown, Sealy said, briefly living in Ghana to pick up new techniques.

In the mid-1970s, he and Cooper-Sealy moved to Toronto so she could work on a show with broadcaster Peter Gzowski, where she impressed John Candy with her styling skills and was asked to join SCTV.

Costume designer Juul Haalmeyer, who worked with Cooper-Sealy on the comedy series, said Cooper-Sealy was a hair “magician.”

Noted chef dies in plane crash

Citizen news service

HENDERSON, La. — A prominent Louisiana chef killed in a California plane crash during a hunting trip is being remembered by friends and family in his local community as an ambassador of Cajun culture. Lionel Robin’s legacy includes his crawfish etouffee being featured on the Food Network and serving as Tabasco hot sauce’s official hospitality chef. Robin, 70, was one of two men killed Monday when a small plane crashed into a pond in a rural area of Northern California’s Colusa County. The county sheriff’s office said deputies found the bodies of Robin and his friend, 66-year-old Jeffrey Webber of Healdsburg, Calif., among the wreckage. The office said a dog that had also been on the plane was seriously injured. The plane crashed roughly 110 kilometres northwest of Sacramento, and the cause is under investigation by county and federal officials.

Henderson, La., Mayor Sherbin Collette tells news outlets his friend was a phenomenal chef and a passionate hunter.

“The Robin name will never die in the town of Henderson,” Collette said. “I can promise you that.”

Robin owned and operated Robin’s Restaurant in Henderson for about four decades. The Cecilia native more recently shared his culinary expertise with an international audience through Tabasco, the Avery Island-based pepper sauce.

Robin’s etouffee was featured in a 2011 episode of Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate. He told The Daily Advertiser then that “(It’s) not only a compliment to me but the whole area we live in as well.” He also canned the dish and distributed it across the country.

“There’s not many people who could sell crawfish etouffee in a can and it be delicious, but he did just that,” Dona Richard of the St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission said.

Lasseter, 61, was a creative force behind every Pixar release and was an executive producer on Disney hits released under his stewardship of the animation giant.

made them feel “disrespected or uncomfortable.”

was taking a six-month “sabbatical” from Disney and apologized “to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug” or any other gesture that

At the time, Lasseter suggested he might return to Disney but last June, he and the studio announced they were cutting ties permanently. Lasseter served out the year as a consultant to Disney. Skydance Media, founded in 2010 by the 36-year-old Ellison, co-produces and co-finances films with Paramount Pictures. It has been behind a slate of largely action films, including several Mission: Impossible films, numerous Star Trek releases, Terminator Genisys and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Its upcoming films include the new Top Gun sequel. Skydance in 2017 formed an animation division that has two productions in the pipeline: Alessandro Carloni’s Luck and an untitled action fantasy to be directed by Vicky Jenson. Lasseter will set the overall strategy and creative direction of the division, and oversee production.

Elvis items sold at auction

Citizen news service

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jewelry, clothing and other Elvis Presleyrelated memorabilia have been sold at auction in Tennessee. Elvis Presley Enterprises says the auction at The Guest House Graceland netted more than $600,000 Tuesday on what would have been his 84th birthday. The Guest House is a hotel located steps from Graceland, where the singer lived in Memphis. Graceland says a red velvet shirt likely worn on stage by Presley at a 1956 show in Tupelo, Miss., sold for $37,500. A gold and diamond ring that Presley wore on stage and gave to his father sold for $30,000. A ring

Presley gave to singer J.D. Sumner sold for $22,500. Presley died in Memphis in 1977. He was born Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo.

John Lasseter, Pixar co-founder and former Walt Disney Animation chief, will lead the animation division of Skydance Media.

PRESLEY

China slowdown biggest threat to economy

Matt O’BRIEN Citizen news service

You shouldn’t worry too much about the big U.S. stock market selloff. You should worry about China’s instead. Indeed, while it might not have gotten as much attention, China’s benchmark stock index was, with its 25 per cent drop, the world’s worstperforming in 2018. Part of this was because of the fear that U.S. President Donald Trump’s nascent trade war might turn into something even more serious, but only a part. More significant than what Washington was doing, you see, was what Beijing was up to. That’s because, in what has seemingly become an every-other-year tradition recently, China’s government has stepped on the economic brakes pretty hard in an attempt to put an end to what looks like some bubbly behaviour. The important thing to understand here is that, in the depths of the Great Recession, Beijing unleashed a stimulus the likes of which the world hadn’t seen since the Second World War. It amounted to some 19 per cent of its gross domestic product, according to Columbia University historian Adam Tooze. By point of comparison, U.S. President Barack Obama’s stimulus was only about five or six per cent of U.S. GDP. Aside from its size, what made China’s stimulus unique was the way it was administered. The central government didn’t borrow a lot of money itself to use on infrastructure, but it pushed local governments and state-owned companies to do so. The result was a web of debt that’s been even harder to clean up than it might have been because of all the money that unregulated lenders –

the outskirts of Shanghai in July. China made three times more steel than Europe and North America in 2017. The challenge then has been for Beijing to stop even more debt from turning this boom into a bust without stopping the boom in the first place.

“shadow banks” – were frantically handing out above and beyond what Beijing had been hoping for.

The challenge then has been for Beijing to stop even more debt from turning this boom into a bust without stopping the boom in the first place. In other words, to navigate the economy between the Scylla of a bubble and the Charybdis of a severe slowdown. Not that this is new. It’s what the Chinese Communist Party has had to do ever since it substituted

ever-increasing prosperity for Marxist-Leninist ideology as the basis of its legitimacy. And the good news, insofar as both Beijing and the world economy are concerned, is that it’s become exceedingly efficient at it. As Bloomberg News’ Noah Smith points out, China has managed to avoid a recession for 25 years, in large part because of the government’s novel use of credit policy – directing banks when and how much to lend – to smooth out the usual ups

and downs of the business cycle. What is new, though, is that this isn’t working quite as well as before. As the International Monetary Fund reports, China seems to have reached a point of diminishing returns with this kind of credit stimulus. So much new debt is either going toward paying off old debt or toward economically questionable projects that it takes a lot more of it than it used to just to achieve the same amount of growth. Three times as much, in fact. Whereas it had only taken 6.5 trillion yuan of new credit to make China’s economy grow by five trillion yuan per year in 2008, it took 20 trillion yuan of new credit by 2016. Which is why Beijing has had to resort to even more old-fashioned stimulus like

Pace of Canadian housing starts falls in December

Linda NGUYEN Citizen news service

The annual pace of housing starts dropped in December, but remain at an “elevated” level when compared with historical averages, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said Wednesday.

The national housing agency reported the seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts in Canada was 213,419 units in December, down from 224,349 in November.

The result beat analysts expectations of an annual rate of 205,000, according to projections by Thomson Reuters Eikon.

“Total annual housing starts in 2018 were lower than in 2017, as lower single-detached starts more than offset a slight increase in multi-family starts this year,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC’s chief economist in a statement Wednesday.

“Nonetheless, total housing starts remain elevated when compared to historical averages.”

CMHC said preliminary figures, which are subject to revision, show that there were a total of 214,020 housing starts in 2018 versus 219,763 in 2017. It had previously predicted that housing starts would range between 192,200 to 203,000 for 2018.

CIBC said the mild winter temperatures made conditions more conducive for homebuilding in December, but noted that housing starts will likely be affected by rising interest rates and tighter mortgage rules.

“But the recent momentum combined with the decent readings on building permits suggest that housing construction could hold up in the near-term,” said CIBC senior economist Royce Mendes in a statement.

Nathan Janzen, senior economist at Royal Bank, agreed that housing starts will likely ease up in 2019 and follow the downward trajectory of home sales. He anticipates hous-

ing starts to hover around the 194,000 mark this year.

“That would still be a relatively strong pace of building activity historically and labour markets in Canada still look quite solid,” he wrote in a report.

“Lower oil prices, though, are having an impact on growth in oil-producing regions and questions have emerged about the durability of the global economic expansion. At the same time, slower housing markets and slower growth in household debt has arguably removed some of the urgency for the Bank of Canada to hike interest rates in the very near-term.”

Workers at GM’s Canadian plant hold work stoppage over closure

OSHAWA, Ont. — Unionized workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont., staged a second work stoppage on Tuesday after the company confirmed it would not reconsider plans to close the facility that would lead to the loss of 3,000 jobs.

The union said Wednesday morning the protest lasted close to two hours and followed about a five-hour sit-down at the plant the evening before.

Unifor president Jerry Dias sat down with GM on Tuesday to talk about union proposals to extend the life of the Ontario plant, including extending the life of the Chevy Impala and Cadillac XTS produced at the plant or shifting production slated for Mexico to the plant.

GM said they were not economically viable.

GM announced in November it would cut up to 14,000 workers in North America and put

Harley-Davidson’s looks to lure millennials

Citizen news service

tax cuts and infrastructure spending – in particular, it recently announced a new wave of subway construction around Shanghai and Hangzhou – to try to keep growth above the six per cent that the party thinks it needs to keep people from protesting.

The global economy needs it, too. Apple, for one, has already revised its revenue projections down because of soft sales in the Middle Kingdom. And Wall Street thinks the rest of the Fortune 500 won’t be far behind. Although even that doesn’t give you a true sense of how much the world has come to depend on Chinese growth. To get a better idea of that, it helps to look at a Financial Times chart of crude steel production. Consider this: Between 1978, when it began its market reforms, and 2000, China’s share of world steel production increased from 4.4 per cent to 15.1 per cent. This was, as far as economic development goes, a fairly typical success story that saw China’s production nearly match North America’s. What’s happened since, though, has no precedent in economic history. China’s steel production didn’t plateau like everyone else’s – it grew to the point that it now makes up 49.2 per cent of the world’s total.

To put that in perspective, Europe and North America together went from making 2.5 times more steel than China in 2000 to China making three times more steel than them in 2017.

It’s long been said that when the United States sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. Well, it’s been a long time since China has sneezed, but with its industrial profits falling for the first time in three years and its car sales dropping for the first time in nearly 30 years, we might find out just how sick it can make everyone else. That’s one Chinese export we don’t want.

WestJet apologizes to stranded passengers

(CP)— WestJet Airlines Ltd. has announced it will launch an investigation after passengers spent an extra day and a half in Mexico over the weekend, many without the hotel rooms the airline had said would be made available following a cancelled international flight.

About 135 passengers bound for Ottawa found themselves stranded in Cancun Saturday after a pair of mechanical issues caused a four-hour flight delay and eventual cancellation. WestJet said the plane was moving constantly during the hold-up on the tarmac, which prevented flight crews from offering more water and snacks.

“We do understand how this rolling delay followed by the cancellation was an extremely tough situation for guests to endure,” WestJet said in a statement Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada left its trend-setting interest rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent amid a dimmer economic outlook in the coming months due to a plunging oil price and a slowing housing market.

CMHC reported that the annual pace of urban starts dropped by 5.8 per cent to 194,594 units in December as the annual rate of multiple-unit projects such as condominiums, apartments and townhouses fell 6.8 per cent to 144,728 units.

The pace of single-detached urban starts fell by 2.5 per cent to 49,866 units.

Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 18,825 units.

After the cancellation, the airline told passengers they would be bused to hotels to spend the night without charge. Many of them wound up having to book their own accommodations, however, due to a lack of available rooms.

“WestJet sincerely apologizes to our guests who were impacted by the long delay and subsequent cancellation of flight 2841 from Cancun to Ottawa on January 5. We recognize that this and the situation that followed was very stressful to all involved.”

five plants up for possible closure.

David Paterson, vice-president of corporate affairs at GM Canada, said the union should instead work with the company on timing and transition plans for the workers who are losing their jobs. The company said it has identified job opportunities, is willing to pay for retraining and is open to negotiations on packages for workers on top of what is already included in their contracts.

MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson Inc. is rolling out its first electric motorcycle, with deliveries to 20 dealers across Canada expected by fall. The new bike, dubbed the LiveWire, represents a new direction for the Wisconsin-based company as it tries to reignite faltering motorcycle sales. With its no-emissions ride, Harley joins the ranks of California-based Zero Motorcycles, which has produced electric motorbikes for nearly a decade. The LiveWire starts at $37,250 with a range of up to 177 kilometres of city riding on a full battery. Zero’s 2018 S models start at less than one-third the price of its newfound rival’s with a range of 143 kilometres.

Jeff Duncan, whose Harley dealership in London, Ont., is among the first 20 to sell the LiveWire, says the new bike will attract a fresh market of younger, urban, green-conscious riders despite the price.

BLOOMBERG PHOTO

Workers prepare to lift bundles of steel rod with a crane at a stockyard on

DianneLillianChermesnok August30,1954-December26,2018

DiannewasborninManning,Alberta,andwasraised inPrinceGeorge,BC.ShemovedtoFortSt.Jamesto raiseherfamilyandlivedthereuntilherdeath.She passedawaypeacefullyandsurroundedbyfamilyat thePrinceGeorgeHospiceHouse.Sheissurvivedby herparents,BenitaandEsko;herbrothers,Larry (Margaret),Wayne,andLen;andhersister,Laurie. Sheisalsosurvivedbyherhusband,Roger;children, Jennifer,Nick(Janna),andMatt(Kathy);and grandchildren,Noah,Elise,Freya,andAnna.At Dianne’srequest,therewillbenoservice.Thefamily wouldliketoincludeaheartfeltthankyoutothe PrinceGeorgeHospiceHouseandtheirextraordinary people.

In loving memory of a very special father, grandfather and great grandfather JOSEPH HORDOS February 3, 1927December 29, 2018

Not a day goes by without the shedding of tears and the pain in our hearts. We know he is in the hand of the good Shepherd, our Lord and Savior Jesus in his heavenly home forever. We look forward to meet him waiting for us with open arms as always, Oh, how we miss your smile and laughter. Sadly missed by his companion Annie and his family; Ervin (Carol), James (Doreen), Carol (Howard), Donald (Colette), Patrick ( Jane), Paul (Lorna) and Joseph (Catherine), numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, one brother and two sisters survive him. Joseph was predeceased by his wife Elizabeth and son Vern. Vigil prayers for the deceased will be held on Friday January 11, 2019 at 7:00pm at Christ Our Saviour Catholic Church, 4514 Austin Road W. with a funeral mass to follow on Saturday January 12, 2019 at 11:00am At Christ Our Saviour Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society.

It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden passing of Dallas Terence Coyle on Jan 1st, 2019 at the age of 31. Dallas is survived by loving wife Niomi and daughter Presley, parents Anita and Bob, Brother Sean, Sister Brandee, Nephews Cade, Brody, James and Joel, nieces Makenna, Olivia and Kinley. Also grieving his loss are many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, coworkers and friends. Dallas graduated from College Heights secondary and made many lifelong and loving friends. As a young child he loved playing sports, especially hockey, and loved spending time in the outdoors hunting, fishing and camping with family and friends. He loved working with his hands and was immensely skilled building or fixing stuff for the people who surrounded him. He loved his job with Telus and left behind many good friends and coworkers during his four years with them. Most importantly Dallas will forever be remembered for his sensitive heart and fierce love and protection of family and friends. He would do anything for those he loved and would protect those who needed his help no matter who it was. In the short time he was with his daughter we could all see the intense love he had for her and how he already was growing immensely protective of her and wife Niomi.

A private family Memorial service will be held on Jan. 12th in Prince George. A celebration of life will be held at the Columbus Community Center (7201 Domano Blvd) on Jan. 12 at 6:00 PM. All are welcome to attend to help say our goodbyes and to remember the joy he brought to our lives. Dallas, you never said you were leaving

You never said goodbye

You were gone before we knew it

We may never know why

In life we loved you dearly

In death we love you still In our hearts you hold

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Scott,Gene July15,1926-January6,2019

GenepassedawaypeacefullyinVanderhoofon January6,2019,at92yearsold,withtwoofhis sonsbyhisside.GenewasbornnearLove, Saskatchewan,theoldestofeightchildren,thenhe movedtoPrinceGeorgeasayoungman,finally settlinginVanderhoof,BC,forthelast46yearsofhis longlife. Dadwaspredeceasedbyhisfirstwife,Geraldine (1981),andhissecondwifeGenevieve(2008).Heis survivedbyhissistersandbrothers,InaSchoonover, YvonneCouldwell,MargueriteSoucy,LindaScott, TorallScott,andJackScott;hisfivechildren,George (MaryAnn),Hughie(Debbie),Arlene(Glenn),Murray (Liz),andEldon(Dawn);11grandchildren;andeight great-grandchildren. AmemorialservicewillbeheldonSaturday,January 12,2019,at1:00pmattheVanderhoofCommunity EventCenter(FormerlytheElksHall),474East VictoriaSt.Vanderhoof,B.C. Inlieuofflowers,memorialdonationsmaybemade inGene’snametoDiabetesCanadaoryourfavourite charity. ThefamilywouldliketothankDr.Coetzeeandthe staffattheStuartNechakoManorwhotooksuch greatcareofhim.

Adult & Youth Newspaper Carriers Needed in

Thursday, January 10, 2019

New year brings a new voice in local news, arts, sports and more

Working together to support the arts

Christine hinZMAnn 97/16 staff

They have opposite work styles but they still get the job done.

Sean Farrell, executive director of the Prince George and District Community Arts Council (CAC) and Lisa Redpath, program manager for the last nine years, have been working together since Farrell was hired more than two years ago.

Farrell said it’s remarkable to watch Redpath work.

“There is no one else in Prince George that could do Studio Fair as well as Lisa,” Farrell said about the biggest event the CAC hosts that sees artisans from across the country sell their wares at the Prince George Civic Centre in early November over the span of three days.

“To see her work through 40 hours of unendurable stress as 11,000 people come through the doors and then she shows up first thing Monday morning ready for work and she’s calm and cool,” Farrell said.

At any given time throughout the year, Redpath is working on a dozen different programs, Farrell said.

“It can be the feature gallery, our social media, curatorial work in the artisan gift shop and she’s an amazing resource for the creative sector here,” Farrell said. “And that makes my life wonderful because that allows me to do my job to develop a business strategy and growing this organization into its natural role of the pillar of the local arts and cultural community. So the fact that I can just step away and know that our programs and events are so perfectly served by Lisa allows me to focus on what I think I am here to do, which is planning for the future and developing strategy.”

Farrell said that is what’s behind the ideal team.

“In essence how do two people, quite frankly, end up doing the jobs of six or seven people, how would you put that in

a bottle and replicate it,” Farrell asked.

“Here at the Community Arts Council we really do operate as a team and I mean that more in the sense that we’ve got rules, we’ve got roles, we know what are jobs are but at any given time we’re

absolutely willing to sub in for each other.”

When the search was on for an executive director a few years back, the ideal candidate was one with strong financial skills and a good base for business strat-

egy, Redpath said.

“When I met Sean I had this great feeling that this was somebody that we really needed as a part of our team,” Redpath said.

Continued on page 4

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten

Lisa Redpath and Sean Farrell work together to promote local arts at the Community Arts Council.

New year, New publiCatioN

Colleen Sparrow 97/16 publisher

Welcome to 97/16, Prince George’s newest weekly newspaper and a publication proudly brought to you by the Prince George Citizen.

Last year in early January, we published an editorial in The Citizen called Where We’re At, where we talked about our health as a business, our status as a local news outlet and our relevance to the community.

This year, we decided to show you, rather than tell you where we’re at, so the answer to how we’re doing is in your hand. Here’s a new, fresh, lively, local publication from us about what’s going on in Prince George, what local people are doing and some of the many activities going on for residents to take part in. Not only is The Citizen not going anywhere, we have been and will continue to create new products and offer new services to inform local readers and connect local advertisers to their potential customers.

First, the name. We knocked around

several and the working title was the Cutbanks. We were looking for a newspaper name uniquely Prince George and we were inspired by our sister Glacier Media weekly, the Squamish Chief, with the Chief being the mountain overlooking the community as well as a nod to the area’s Indigenous roots. That’s why we started with the Cutbanks but a late staff suggestion for 97/16, tying in the major highways that link us a community but also link us to the region and the broader world. Highway 16 travels across all of Western Canada from east to west while Highway 97 is B.C.’s longest highway. It starts in the Yukon to the north and runs through two Pacific Northwest states before ending in Northern California.

The name isn’t the only thing special about 97/16. It looks nothing like The Citizen, of course, which is exactly what we were trying to do. It’s a tabloid, rather than a broadsheet, which is newspaper industry jargon for a more vertical newspaper that is smaller, easier to hold and doesn’t have the big fold in the middle of the page. That doesn’t mean we don’t like The Citizen’s format but we do realize

that some people – the residents who normally don’t read The Citizen – are still interested in reading about what’s happening in the community but want a different kind of readand in a different format.

So here it is.

Along with some familiar local columnists – Kathy Nadalin, Gerry Chidiac, Megan Kuklis and Kelsey Leckovic – are some new voices, such as Norm Coyne and the thought-provoking Ask An Addict. We’ll have a weekly Around Town listing of coming events and some interesting features about interesting local people doing fabulous work.

Like The Citizen, 97/16 will be constantly changing and evolving, just like Prince George, the community it’s here to serve.

If you have any suggestions on what you’d like to see in 97/16 (or The Citizen), please don’t hesitate to call us at 250-562-2441 or email me directly at csparrow@pgcitizen.ca

Happy New Year and we hope you enjoy 9716, Prince George’s new weekly newspaper.

RemembeR the lessons mR. RogeRs taught us

FLessons in Learning

Gerry ChidiaC

red Rogers said “discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.”

Of course, Fred Rogers is best known as the star of the television program Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. He was not only the main character, however, he was responsible for most of the content of a show that ran from 1966 through 2001. He thus had a profound impact on generations of children.

Who was Rogers and what did he stand for? First of all, he was a person with a profound respect for children. He understood their emotions, saw their potential, and dedicated his life to serving children and their families.

Coming of age at a time when television was in its infancy, Rogers could see the possibilities for this new medium, and through the encouragement of others, he put himself forward as the face of what was to become one of the most influential programs on television.

In university and graduate school, Rogers studied music and composition, along with child development and theology. In addition to his work in television, he was

Pittsburgh on June 28, 1989.

an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Though many ridiculed Rogers’ gentle nature on the screen, if one looks a bit more deeply at his program it is clear that he was not afraid to challenge social standards, or to focus on serious issues with the children.

Soon after the program began airing nationally in 1968, Rogers directly addressed the Robert Kennedy assassination with the children. He did this again and again as national and international crises impacted the United States, including the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He acknowledged children’s fears and their need to feel safe. He also shared a lesson

he had learned from his own mother.

“Always look for people who are trying to help. You’ll always find somebody who’s trying to help.”

Rogers also challenged racial stereotypes by choosing an African-American actor, Francois Clemmons, to play the role of the friendly police officer in his neighbourhood. In a 1969 episode, when segregation was very real across much of the United States, he and Rogers chatted as they shared a foot bath.

My favourite episode, which I stumbled upon while channel surfing as a university student, involved Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann. The

football highlights, showing artistically and athletically thrilling catches, drew my attention. Then Mr. Rogers came on the screen. “You have to very strong to be a professional football player. You have to be very strong to do something else Mr. Swan does. He’s a ballet dancer.” From there, Rogers masterfully deconstructed every myth that there was anything unmasculine about dance or the performing arts, or that any child should hesitate to pursue his or her passions in life. While talking to Rogers, Swann took off his football uniform to reveal his leotards. He then performed a dance piece with a member of the Pittsburgh Ballet. It is very clear that the world becoming aware of the contribution Rogers made to the lives of millions of people in their formative years. In 2018, the critically acclaimed documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? was released, and in 2019, Tom Hanks will star as Rogers in the film

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Perhaps the greatest way we can honour Rogers, who died in 2003, is to remember the lessons he taught us. Each of us is tremendously gifted and worthy of love. There is a beautiful and amazing world for us to discover and learn about. Finally, celebrate each neighbor we meet, and together do our part in helping to make our world a better place.

Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com

ap file photo

Fred Rogers rehearses a scene for his show, mister Rogers’ neighborhood, in

sPaRRow

‘We both have a profound love

of community’

have,” Redpath said.

Continued from page 1

“With him coming on board in the last two and a half years it certainly has developed into this very dynamic, very energetic working relationship where in my view we complement each other.”

Redpath said they have different working styles where a big part of her job is connecting with people while Farrell is very analytical with a creative thinking aspect to his personality.

“I think the gel that keeps us together is we both have a profound love of community,” Farrell said.

“Lisa is a lifelong member of this community and I’m a relatively new member but for a number of different reasons community to me also means family and it means belonging to something greater than yourself. We are in the place that is celebrating 50 years of building community through the arts here at the Community Arts Council and that’s the love that brings us to work filled with gratitude every day.”

Eventually the CAC will be moving from the Studio 2880 complex on 15th Ave., to its new facility at 1310 Third Ave., but there’s no firm date set yet.

“With the upcoming development of our new facility, I feel 100 per cent confident and optimistic about what the future looks like for this organization and for the working relationship Sean and I

“There’s going to be challenges obviously that not only come with a new facility but a whole new set of programs and events that we’ll be introducing to the city and it really helps that we’re on the same page.”

Farrell said moving to the new facility will bring home the fact that the definition of art and culture is expanding, especially as the CAC partners with the Prince George Farmers’ Market that hosts a lot of food growers in the building currently.

“This is a new vision for the arts council,” Farrell said.

It’s interesting to note there’s been a surge in membership to the Community Arts Council, an indicator that more people in the community are aware of the organization and its function in the region.

There are eight people on staff, several people on contract to run certain programs and events and a full roster of volunteers who support the non-profit organization.

The Community Arts Council is the umbrella organization for artisans and artistic groups in Prince George and surrounding area.

The CAC mission statement is to foster the arts by providing events, programs and services to residents and artists in the community.

“We serve individual artists and arts and cultural organizations, while serving

the general public as well,” Farrell said.

“One of the things we take the most pride in is we’re the facilitators that bring arts to the people and bring people to the arts.”

Farrell lists the arts to include visual arts, guild arts and performing arts.

“Then we deliver our own programs and services as well,” Farrell said. “We’re not just a hub organization.”

The Community Arts Council offers business development courses, art camps, scholarships and bursaries, an arts apprenticeship at Theatre Northwest, art and wellness programs, they support the Northern Indigenous Artist Collective, host the feature gallery, which features a regional artist’s work, the gift shop which showcases many regional artists’ work and Artnership that features regional artists at the airport and City Hall. The CAC also presents the Arts Notes newsletter to let the public know what’s happening every month.

Recently the arts council announced they will be conducting a city-wide survey to see how people engage with the arts to assist the City of Prince George to facilitate their new arts and culture plan in 2019.

“In order to help the city develop their cultural plan, we’re doing a city-wide cultural inventory,” Farrell said.

The CAC will also take steps to ensure the arts and culture plan serves the city well into the future, he added.

Maack Made New life iN P.G.

IseNiors’ sceNe

ngrid (Just) Maack the eldest of two children was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1935. She went to school in Hamburg and apprenticed in prosthetics and health aids.

In 1956, her school mate and then fiancé Hans Maack had an offer to go to either Australia or Canada for work. Hans and his brother Horst chose Canada. They left Germany, arrived in Montreal by boat, took a train to Vancouver and then on to Prince George. The brothers found work at a sawmill in Upper Fraser piling lumber for 75 cents an hour.

Ingrid said “I followed one year later by propeller plane stopping in Greenland, then Vancouver and finally Prince George. I couldn’t believe it when I saw wooden sidewalks!

“We were married in the Lutheran Church but separated in 1968. I can still remember how homesick I was and how difficult everything was for me because I did not speak English. Even so, I got my first job at the Hudson Bay.

“We rented a room in another family’s house on Laurier Crescent. We had a hot plate to cook on, no fridge and stove and no money. We bought a chicken and I roasted it. I carefully wrapped up the leftovers and buried it in the snow in the backyard. When I went out to get the chicken, it was gone; an animal must have dug it up and took it away.

“I was lonely so I was thankful for our three children: Susy (Fernando) Correia, Peter and Hansi. The first two were born in the old army hospital. At that time, the maternity ward was one big room that was shared with 12 people. I think back to the time when one particular lady, who already had five boys, was in labour and she was sure she was going to have a girl. She had arrived at the hospital with everything in pink. When she was told that she gave birth to another boy she was upset and very disappointed. She blamed the doctor in her sadness. When she held her baby for the first time, she forgot all about the pink clothes and loved her new baby boy regardless.

“That was at the same time that I had my second child Peter. Peter grew up to be a pilot, carpenter and musician but at the age of 44 he died tragically. It was a terrible loss and we miss him so much.” Hans first worked as a bricklayer for Norm Rother and then started his own company Hans Maack Bricklaying Ltd. Ingrid reflected back and said, “Hans hired Fred Lienert and Johnny Werlberger; they worked together for many years and were good friends both on and off the job.

“The first people I met when I came to Prince George were John and Erna Reinhart. Erna was my maid of honor and we are still good friends today. Times were tough but I am proud to say that as I raised my children, we traveled a lot (usually with one or two pets) and they learned by doing. We lived for today and everyday was an adventure. We did many outdoors activities. I worked for restaurants, hotels and packing houses in the Okanagan, Princeton, Campbell River and Squamish. I moved back to Prince George in the early 1970s and worked as a waitress at the Simon Fraser Inn

and housekeeping at the Travelodge. My work as a camp cook for BC Rail, the oil rigs and logging camps in B.C. and Alta. took me to many beautiful places in the middle of nowhere.”

Ingrid retired from BC Rail and then worked as a full-time caregiver for Chuck Williams, Andy Honeyman and Grace Lowrie. She retired for good when Mrs. Lowrie passed away.

In her retirement and at the age of 79, she joined the Tai Chi group and the drama club at the Elder Citizens’ Recreation Centre. She had a love for theatre and ballet in Germany and was thrilled to be able to do some acting in the drama club at the senior center until she suffered a stroke in the summer of 2017 during the wildfires. Luckily her daughter was with her as she had been evacuated to Prince George from Williams Lake due to the fires.

Ingrid said “I am no longer able to do all the things that I love to do. It is not good to isolate yourself so I joined the Choose to Move Program at the YMCA and through that program I became involved with the stroke recovery group at the senior centre and that has been very good for me.”

Ingrid’s mother lives in Germany; she will soon turn 102 and is still going strong.

Ingrid said, “My daughter and her family and I travelled to Germany and surprised my mother on her 100th birthday. From there we went on to Portugal to explore my son-in-law’s homeland. Although I’ve travelled to many far-off places and shared a one room shack with my son Hansi and a Mayan family in the jungle in Guatemala, the trip to see my mom will always be remembered.

“I have always been proud of my children. They are good to me, they love animals and they don’t waste anything. My grandson Max of course is a highlight. He is very hard working and athletic; I was able to spend lots of time traveling with him during his skating and soccer years plus I really like his girlfriend Meghan.

“I am also very fortunate to have a couple of good friends, great neighbours and my cat Aby. Aby found me a couple of years ago and she keeps me company.” Traveling is still an enjoyable part of In-

grid’s life. She just got back from spending Christmas with family in Grande Prairie. She now leaves the driving to someone else and is always happy to come home to Prince George.

HOMESTEADER MEATS 2010 LT

KaThy nadalin

97/16 photo by Brent Braaten Ingrid Maack enjoys the winter weather on her deck. She moved to Prince George from Germany in 1957.

Country Cats, ConCerts and more

Cougars

Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., the Cougars play their first games of the new year, hosting the Kelowna Rockets at CN Centre. Saturday’s game is Four Rivers Co-op Country Night with the Cougars wearing custom denim-inspired jerseys that will be available for purchase by silent and online auction. Fans will be able to ride the mechanical bull in the concourse, hosted by Cougars alumnus and professional bull rider Evan Fuller. First 1,000 19+ fans through the door receive a free Budweiser.

Storytime

Saturdays until Jan. 26 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Books and Company, 1685 Third Ave., all children are welcome to attend Storytime where stories are read and children are invited to colour, practice drawing skills and make crafts.

Spruce Kings

Friday at 7 p.m., the Spruce Kings play their first home game of the year, hosting the Cowichan Valley Capitals at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.

UNBC Timberwolves

Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., the

women and men basketball teams host the University of Manitoba at the Northern Sport Centre. The women’s game goes at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by the men at 8 p.m.

The rematch goes Saturday, with the women kicking things off at 5 p.m. before the 7 p.m. men’s game.

KinderConcert: String Beans

Saturday, Jan. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the The Prince George Playhouse, 2833 Recreation Place, experience the narrated story about the life-cycle of string beans featuring the Prince George Symphony Orchestra strings and woodwinds musicians and a fairy ballerina.

Join the symphony for a fun-filled, educational concert aimed at children ages three to eight.

For more information call 250-5620800 or email GM@pgso.com

Caledonia Ramblers

Saturday at 9 a.m., the Ramblers will leave the city hall parking lot for snowshoeing at Lost Lake in Beaverly. It’s rated easy-to-moderate with a distance of 7-10 kilometres over gentle terrain and should take about three hours.

Along with snowshoes, participants are urged to bring a daypack carrying extra clothing, lunch, snacks and something hot to drink.

Hiking poles and ice cleats may also be handy.

Meet at the city hall parking lot 10 minutes before the 9 a.m. scheduled departure time. The carpool fee is $3.

Nordic Winter Festival

Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club on Otway Road. Various events all day including introductory lessons, races, snowshoe tours, waxing demos and biathlon tryouts. Hot dogs and hot chocolate by donation in the gravel pit from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Acrylic Seaside Sunset

Tuesday, Jan. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ridge Side Art, 1092 Fourth Ave., escape into this tranquil painting and stare into the painted sunset.

Learn design and colour concepts, flow and how to paint rocks the easy way with Christina Watts. Bring your own supplies or opt to use shop supplies for an additional $7. For more information call 250-564-5879 or email christinawatts@ ridgesideart.com

Alban Classical concert

Sunday Jan. 20 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 3555 Fifth Ave., Alban Classical presents a Sunday afternoon concert called Classical from Folk, featuring pianist Terry Yeh, violinist Allison Bell, oboist and soprano Erica Skowron and clarinetist Simon Cole. Admission is $20 at the door. See www.albanclassical.org for details.

New Horizons Adult Band

Every Monday until June 24 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 483 Gillett St., Alban Classical New Horizons Adult Band invites those musician interested to attend.

For more information visit www. albanclassical.org or call 250-563-4693 or email admin@albanclassical.org.

Pajama Storytime

Mondays until Feb. 25 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Harkins Branch, Prince George Public Library, 888 Canada Games Way, parents are invited to bring the little ones dressed in their pajamas for stories, songs and rhymes. These events are geared for those up to five years old. For more information call 250-5639251 or email ask@pgpl.ca.

97/16 archive by James doyle

Alban Classical perform a concert in September 2018. The classical quartet will be performing at the Trinity United Church on Jan. 20.

aP file photo

philadelphia flyers player Blair Betts celebrates after scoring a goal during a game against the New York rangers on Nov. 4, 2010, in philadelphia. Before Betts moved on to the NHL, he played with the prince George cougars from 1997 to 2000. Betts was named to the cougars’ top 25 dream team.

Betts arrived at perfect time for cats

ted Clarke 97/16 staff

As the Prince George Cougars play their 25th season in Prince George, this series looks back on the players named to the dream team top 25 of all-time at the start of the season.

If the Prince George Cougars had set up a poll to determine their most popular player 20 years ago, when Blair Betts was at the height of his junior hockey career, there’s no doubt he’d have been near the top of the list, too.

Cougars fans liked Betts because he was a gamebreaker, a guy they could count on to score that big goal when they needed it most and look what that led to.

Two trips to the WHL conference final, a world junior silver medal, a Calder Cup ring in his first pro season, a sevenyear NHL career and a Stanley Cup final playoff ride that ended two wins shy of the trophy.

Betts did a lot to endear himself to the hearts of Cougar fans in the four seasons he played in Prince George and was a natural choice for the team’s 25th anniversary top-25 Dream Team.

Undrafted, he joined the Cougars as a 16-year-old right out of bantam hockey in his Sherwood Park, Alta., hometown

and was part of the magical 1997 run that season which took the Cougars into the postseason for the first time, creating three rounds of playoff fever the likes of which the city had never seen before.

That was just warmup for Betts. The following year, playing on a line with Andrew Luciuk and Quinn Hancock, he became one of the hottest draft prospects after a 35-goal, 76-point season in which the Cougars won 43 regular season games. Betts was rewarded when the Calgary Flames picked him the second round, 33rd overall.

“I kind of rolled into Prince George right at a time when things were picking up,” Betts said. “The four years I played there I played with a lot of really good players, so it was good timing for me.

When you look at the roster of that ‘96-97 team you wonder why we just barely made the playoffs. We had (Zdeno) Chara and (Eric (Brewer) and (Joel) Kwiatkowski and (Ronald) Petrovicky and (Chris) Mason – all these guys who went on and played at least a little bit in the NHL.

“The playoff run was understandable considering we had all those players but the fact we couldn’t find a lot of consistent success in the regular season is kind of puzzling. The thing I remember is in

the first 10 or 12 games we were ranked in the top 10 in the CHL and then we went on our eastern roadswing and went 0-6 and came back at .500.”

Betts scored 91 goals and 207 points in 215 regular season games with the Cougars as well as 20 goals and 41 points in WHL 46 playoff games and the team made it to the third round again in 2000. He turned pro that year as a 20-yearold in Saint John, N.B., playing for the Flames AHL farm team and helped the team go on a 15-4 run to its only Calder Cup championship.

In 2004, after three-and-a-half seasons with the Flames organization, Betts was sidelined with season-ending shoulder surgery when he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline. He spent the year of the NHL lockout in the AHL and went on to play four years in New York. At the height of his career he was one of the team’s top-face-off and penalty-killing specialists, once described by TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire as the most underrated player in the NHL.

Betts signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in 2009 and played two seasons with the Flyers before he retired. He had his best pro season year that first year with the Flyers. He put up eight goals and 18 points in 63 regular season games and

made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final in 2010.

“We limped into the playoffs and then ended up going to the finals and unfortunately we lost in six games to Chicago,” said Betts. “It was a pretty good year and the playoff run was pretty exciting but it only ends well for one team. Regardless of whether we lost in the first round or the final, it’s pretty disappointing. Looking back on it, it was a fun experience.”

Three times in his career, Betts wore the maple leaf on his chest. He had to settle for second best when Canada lost in overtime to the Russians at the 1999 world junior championship in Winnipeg and was a silver medalist at the Spengler Cup in 2001 in Davos, Switzerland. He also played for Canada in the Three Nations Cup under-18 tournament in 1997 in the Czech Republic and won it.

Now 38, Betts and his Prince Georgeraised wife Susan (nee MacInnins) moved back to Sherwood Park, Alta. six years ago and they have two daughters, Julia, 11, and Olivia, nine. He doesn’t play the game anymore but coaches Julia’s peewee team. He and his two older brothers work for their dad’s manufacturing business in Sherwood Park, Strathcona Manufacturing, which makes fasteners for the oil and gas industry.

Ford MoviNg

To TalkiNg cars

Keith NAughtoN 97/16 wire service

Ford Motor Co. is pursuing another path with talking-car technology that could reduce road deaths, break up gridlock and even ease ordering at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

The automaker announced Monday that it’s outfitting all its new U.S. models starting in 2022 with cellular vehicle-to-everything technology. Known as C-V2X, the system will enable Ford’s cars to communicate with one another about road hazards, talk to stop lights to smooth traffic flow and pay the bill automatically while picking up fast food.

The move is controversial because U.S. regulators have yet to greenlight C-V2X, which will run on 5G, the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications. The government has spent hundreds of millions on competing Wi-Fi technology called dedicated short-range communications, or DSRC, which has been embraced by General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. Ford says it’s trying to accelerate adoption of C-V2X as the best solution for getting cars to talk to each other.

“Our hope is that this would spur others to potentially reassess and, in other cases, decide on this direction,” Don Butler, executive director of Ford’s connected-vehicle platform, said. “We’ve been looking at DSRC for a number of years along with Toyota, GM and Honda, so this is not a step that we take lightly in the sense of dismissing DSRC. But we think this is the right step to make given where we see the technology headed.”

Butler argues 5G – which is 10 times faster than current broadband technology – is the easiest and most elegant solution because telecom companies already are spending billions to upgrade cell towers and build roadside antennas to service existing cellular networks for smartphone users. DSRC, on the other hand, would require the government to spend billions to create new infrastructure.

For Ford, installing C-V2X technology in its vehicles would build on plans to outfit all new models by the end of this year with cellular modems.

MAKe A resolutioN –Keep your CAr iN shApe

As we enter the initial days of 2019, many British Columbians – including myself – will be struggling to maintain New Year’s resolutions. However, the one most often to keep is related to your vehicle.

This may seem a bit trivial when compared to losing those extra pounds and quitting smoking, but think about it: you trust your car with getting you to work, getting the kids to school, and taking you on weekend adventures. So shouldn’t you do your best to give your car or truck the attention it deserves this year?

In the end, committing to a simple and regular vehicle maintenance regime that follows the manufacturer’s recommended schedule will help you save money and fuel. Seasonal tune-ups with a trained technician can spot potential problems early, nipping those costly repairs in the bud.

Resolve to measure your tire pressure regularly, especially after sharp drops in temperature, which can decrease the air pressure in tires. Operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by eight psi can reduce the life of the tire by 15,000 kilometres and increase your vehicle’s fuel consumption by four per cent.

Remember to rotate your tires. Generally, every 15,000 to 25,000 kilometres is

New CAr DeAlers AssoCiAtioN of BC Blair Qualey

a good guideline, but make sure to check your owner’s manual for your vehiclespecific recommendation. Give your tires the attention they need and you will improve your fuel efficiency and enhance your safety.

Check your fluid levels once a month. Mark out your calendar for the whole year in advance, so you don’t forget. Fluids play a huge role in almost every facet of your car. Remember the essential six to keep an eye on: engine oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and windshield washer fluid – if you don’t know how to check one or more of these, ask your technician or check your manual. Keeping them at their proper level will help your car last longer and drive better.

Have your car detailed this year, automated car washes and light vacuuming are good for maintenance but every so often your car deserves a nice, deep clean, inside and out. This can enhance

your car’s retail value and keeping your car clean will protect its finish, especially rinsing the salt off in the winter months. Get to know your vehicle and spend some quality time with your owner’s manual. Your car is probably capable of a lot of things you don’t know about. New technology is changing so quickly and even a car a couple of model years newer than your last one will have a whole new suite of features.

If you’re driving an older car that requires costly maintenance and has poor fuel economy, maybe this is the year to start shopping around for a new vehicle. • The 2019 Vancouver Auto Show is a great way to check out all the new makes and models currently on the market and ask questions in a pressure-free environment. Hear from industry experts and have some fun.

The 2019 Vancouver International Auto Show returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre West from March 19 to March 24.

For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, please visit: www. VancouverInternationalAutoShow.com

Blair Qualey is president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at bqualey@newcardealers.ca.

aP file photo

Mohamed Bouchama inspects a used car at a mechanic’s garage in Toronto on Jan. 10, 2018. This year, make a New Year’s resolution to get your car in better shape.

Weight loss apps don’t Work Without guidance

Food tracking apps make up a major category of the food-related apps now available.

MyFitness Pal, 21 Day Fix Tracker, My Macros and Lose it! are only a few of the most popular. These apps are promoted as helping the user monitor their food consumption, follow a specific diet or lose weight, but are they proven to be effective? Or are they just another diet fad?

With the start of 2019, many people will look to food tracking apps to help them meet their diet goals. While there are apps to encourage more mindful eating or track a chronic disease-related diet, weight loss apps seem to be the most popular in the food tracking category. It’s likely because of this that these apps, and their effectiveness in promoting weight loss, are currently a popular area of study.

Although this is a relatively new area of research, there is some evidence to support the use of food tracking apps in promoting adherence to certain dietrelated goals, when used in conjunction with nutritional counseling from a healthcare professional, like a registered dietitian. While the reasoning for this link is unclear, better results may have been achieved because of the guidance and individualized approach that can be provided through counselling.

Food For tHougHt

Kelsey lecKovic

Most people seem to use food tracking apps with a goal in mind, but not necessarily the specific steps and strategies that go into achieving that goal.

Tracking apps are a tool used to document, but they don’t provide individualized education.

Apps that focus on weight loss will ask you how much weight you want to lose and how fast you want to lose it. You may also be asked what percentage of calories you want to eat from proteins, carbohydrates and fats, how you want your calories to be divided throughout the day and how many calories you want to burn through exercise. Setting goals to address these questions does not lead to a greater understanding of a healthy diet and a healthier, balance lifestyle over the long term. When arbitrary values are set, an overly restrictive diet can be the result.

Food tracking apps can also remove a level of mindfulness, since the goal is often to hit a target number and not necessarily listen to your own body. If you’re

consistently overriding feelings of hunger and fullness, it will be more difficult to maintain goals without consistently tracking. A hyper-focus on numbers, like calories or grams of carbohydrates and protein, can also impact the user’s intake of a well-rounded diet, full of whole foods. Two foods could have the same amount of calories but very different nutrient values.

When setting a goal for weight loss, some of these apps will tell you how long it will take to reach your desired goal.

If you restrict your calories even more, you’ll achieve faster weight loss. It’s this type of unrealistic goal setting that ultimately leads to frustration, disappointment, yo-yo dieting, disordered eating and unsustainable goals over the long term.

Although I’ve only mentioned the negatives so far, food tracking apps may serve a positive benefit in helping bring to light eating behaviours that could have otherwise gone unnoticed.

One 2018 study in the Journal of Behavioural Medicine found that participants who used a mindful eating app for 28 days experienced a reduction in craving-related eating and self-reported overeating behaviours. However, the study did not look at the long term impact of the app, only the results up to

one-month post intervention. Tracking, or writing down, your snacks and meals can make you more aware of what you’re eating, help you understand what leads to your eating behaviours, show you what you’re doing well and show you what you can do even better, but without individualized guidance these things could be difficult to identify. Ultimately, food tracking apps, and weight loss apps in particular, do not support healthy, balanced diets over the long term, nor do they support increased independence and knowledge regarding nutrition. Weight loss apps can lead to an overly restrictive diet and the treatment of food as the enemy. The annoyance or guilt evoked by the demands of these apps can also deter efforts to make positive diet changes in the future. Meal planning may be a more effective and realistic approach to start with when looking to make diet changes in the new year. There is a menu-planning tool at www.cookspiration.com with daily meal plans, recipes and shopping lists that can be tailored to your diet goals. If you’re looking to speak with a dietitian, you can also call Healthlink BC at 8-1-1 or go to www.healthlinkbc.ca/dietitian-services Kelsey Leckovic is a registered dietitian with Northern Health working in chronic disease management.

MetroCreativefilephoto

Getting up early might sound like a way to get some quiet, productive time to yourself, but columnist Megan Kuklis says it rarely works out the way she hopes.

GettinG up early doesn’t pay off

It is hard to get back into the swing of things after holidays – more so when you have just changed jobs and have left the comfort of a familiar routine and the friends you have worked with for almost ten years.

The kids are just back to school, I am learning a new job, going back to the gym and we are attempting to survive the first week back to real life to varying degrees of success. Early in the week, I often set my alarm to go off early so that I may have a few minutes to myself. These are precious minutes that are recommended to busy moms to make sure we, the tired mommies, have a bit of a life at home by ourselves. They are supposed to be minutes that are sacrosanct and vital to the working parent. These sort of recommendations are supposed to be helpful and only work if you have children who are not the lightest sleepers and the earliest risers. Every time I have set my alarm early this week, I roll out of bed to discover two bright-eyed children asking me for breakfast.

“It’s 5:30 in the morning!” I whispershriek, as to not wake their father. “Why are you not sleeping?”

“We’re hungry,” they reply, unconcerned. “Can we watch TV?”

After I have showered and fed myself and the children, I finally sit down at the kitchen table with my laptop and eagerly open a fresh Word document and start to type.

“Excuse me, mom?” my son asks, politely.

Sighing, I look up from the 24 words I have managed to type in this brief moment.

“Yes, Liam?”

“What are you working on?” I let him know what I am working on and we have a brief discussion to remind

hoMe again Megan kuklIs

him that mama needs a few minutes to work. He goes back to watching television and I go back to typing. I have 10 minutes before I have to leave for work.

“Mommy?” my daughter calls from the living room.

“Yes, Emily?” I respond, not looking up and trying to finish my thought.

“What’s for dinner?”

I remind readers that it is six-ish in the morning and we have just finished breakfast.

“Food! Leftovers, probably.”

“What did we have for dinner last night?” she asks.

“Lasagna.”

She frowns and then sighs, dramatically.

“I will try to eat it, I guess.”

I often have unrealistic expectations of what I can accomplish in the mornings and it can be frustrating to not have enough time to do all of the things that you think you must throughout the day.

I am often harder on myself at the start of the new year because I genuinely believe that I should be able to write and do laundry and make lunches and play with the kids and get ready for work and school all in the morning after a lessthan-stellar sleep.

By February, my normal optimism has been ground down to a more realistic level and I have managed my own expectations. In the meantime, I am going to be able to get so much done this month. It will be amazing.

low-incoMe faMilies hurt by school fees thinking aloud

Please bear with me and read the preamble to our School Act as it forms the basis for my argument:

“WHEREAS it is the goal of a democratic society to ensure that all its members receive an education that enables them to become literate, personally fulfilled and publicly useful, thereby increasing the strength and contributions to the health and stability of that society;

“AND WHEREAS the purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy;

“THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:”

What follows in the Act, among other things, is the requirement, for parents choosing public school, that their children aged five to 16 attend school.

So, we have a compulsory education system and most would agree that it is reasonable because we believe the benefit of education outweighs the loss to parental choice.

(I am fully aware that parents can choose independent schools or to home school, but nevertheless, education is still compulsory, and most parents still choose the public education system to deliver an education that attempts to fulfill these goals. If you write a letter to the editor pointing out that private schools take money from the public system, you reveal yourself to be very poor at math at the very least and an ideologue at worst.)

So what happens when we don’t fulfill those lofty goals set out above?

What happens when our policies actually create a system which provides a superior education for students of means and actively disadvantages those of lesser means that must attend our public schools? How does this happen?

Two words: school fees.

Already working many hours to make ends meet, families can plan all year to save money for school supplies and fees but still be hit with a few unexpected expenses.

The $5, $7, and $10 fees for anything from “optional” safety glasses to field trips, become insurmountable. The

Trudy klassen

$130 deposit for a graphing calculator can as easily be paid for as a trip to the moon for these families.

Oh, and how about the $100-130 fee to participate in the graduation ceremony that a student has spent 12 years working for?

They get the dogwood, but not the ceremony.

Let that sink in.

This problem is worse for those students who grow up in a second or third generation low-income families.

For many of them, the only people they know are also low-income, so their social network consists of people in the same situation.

We know that the social skills required to participate successfully in our economy are mostly gained while interacting in our community, outside the classroom.

Denied the exposure and skills learned while out on field trips or participating in sports, these students do not gain needed skills.

We all lose out because some of the greatest minds of our time spend their working years working at minimum wage jobs because they lack the access to social networks in the field of their interest and talent.

Through no fault of their own, these students get the message that they are other, that they are lower, that they are not really part of the society that they are forced to be part of for twelve years. Because of this uneven playing field that starts in school, we are giving them a life-long handicap that only the strongest can overcome.

We need to make a decision: either we find a way to include every student who wishes to participate in any and all co-curricular or extra-curricular school activities, we get rid of any activities our schools cannot fully fund, or we get rid of “feel-good” compulsory education and allow these students to contribute meaningfully to the family budget earlier and not subject them to 12 years in a system which doesn’t prepare them for anything else other than minimum wage jobs.

This is a conversation that we need to have.

97/16 file photo

Chris Bennett and Jackie Bonneau attended the first Northern FanCon in 2015 as the Joker and Harley Quinn –supervillains from the Batman comics. Northern FanCon will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

Fancon marking FiFth year

You know that time when you really need someone to sit down and pay attention to what you have to say about something?

This is that time for me. And you know what? I am going to do it weekly. So, I guess we start with me welcoming you and laying down what I will be talking about in this column.

This is a wildly exciting time for many cultural things in our city and I am extremely proud to have a front row seat to much of it. What does that mean and what will I be talking about in particular? Not gonna lie – this column is about Northern FanCon… but not just Northern FanCon. We are going to get into many different elements of the show itself but also I want to tell you things you might not know about the event and how it has benefited our city and its people.

That all being said, this particular column, I wanted to start off with highlighting that Northern FanCon will celebrate its fifth anniversary this year and that deserves a significant bit of attention.

First off, for those of you who do not know, Northern FanCon is Northern B.C.’s very own comic conference based in Prince George hosted by the Prince George Citizen with my company UNLTD Media & Events. There is a great story I

coyne toss nOrm COyne

will share with you in weeks to come on how it all began.

Since its inaugural year, Northern FanCon has attracted over 50 celebrity guests including William Shatner, Karl Urban, Sean Astin, Levar Burton, Kevin Smith, Nichelle Nichols, Jason Mewes, Jewel Staite, Tia Carrere, Alicia Witt, Giancarlo Esposito, Isaiah Mustafa, Brett Dalton, Denise Crosby, Candice Patton, John De Lancie, Michael Biehn, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan and many others. The majority of the guests who visit Prince George for FanCon have never heard of our city and we have the unique opportunity to be give them an experience and a taste they will take with them. Again, I have some great stories regarding these so watch for them in upcoming columns.

Every single one of these guests is on hand to sign autographs, take photos and appear on stage for live interviews and/ or panels. We have even seen live performances recorded at FanCon and rebroad-

cast. This year’s Fatman on Batman live show was released through Kevin Smith’s podcast network and Youtube channel and has been viewed over 160,000 times.

The event also sees dozens of world-renowned artists, cosplayers and filmmakers attending to showcase their current projects, connect with fans and host workshops. Beyond this, many of the fans themselves don costumes of their own to attend the show, all in complete comfort in what is an undeniably inclusive atmosphere where expression is encouraged and praised.

And finally, Northern FanCon hosts hundreds of vendors and exhibitors which carry unique items, offer exclusive services and generally have things you didn’t know you need but end up wanting – nay, needing.

All in all, Northern FanCon has showcased our city to literally tens of thousands of attendees, driven millions of dollars into the local economy and fostered relationships that continue to build opportunity for Prince George – in film, art, and business (more on this to come!)

I could go on for hours about the different elements of the show and will certainly be giving each area its own due in weeks to come but I wanted to give an overview to illustrate at least in some part

how colossal what we have actually is.

I have travelled to other conventions in cities 10 times the size of Prince George and found that we compete on the same scale as many of our larger counterparts. In terms of number of exhibitors, quality of show, number of guests and artists.

I have heard it said that Northern FanCon swings well above its weight class and I can tell you honestly – I believe this is true.

There is way too much to tell you in one single sitting. Northern FanCon has become more than an event. It has become a legacy.

The city issued the proclamation that May 3-5, 2019 has been declared FanCon Days. Countless people throughout our region look forward to this event every year. Having been in a front row seat for the event, I have witnessed firsthand the scale and value of Northern FanCon for the city and so many of its citizens.

Coming in to our milestone year, it is beyond important to make sure everyone understands the significance and value of what we have built.

And that, dear reader, is why I am starting this column.

NEXT: Norm offers no-holds barred behind the scenes look at what had to happen to launch FanCon Year 1.

If you knew I was an addIct, you wouldn’t respect me

My name is Ann; I am a professional with two advanced degrees (first class honours). My professional experience spans over three decades, I focus on mental health and addictions. I am well established, published and have presented at international conferences.

I am also an alcoholic and addict in recovery – 25 years without taking a drink. I have done everything from huffing glue to codeine. My list of substances runs the gamut, from A to Z – Ativan, alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, codeine, cocaine, cigarettes, Demerol, Diluadid, ecstasy, Fiorinal and yes, even fentanyl.

As a drug addict, prescription medications started with my health. Work allowed me to use, gave me an excuse to continue. Work hard, party hard, that was my motto – learned from my dad. Endless, never ending, riding to Hell. Now, as a work addict and 25 years without a single drink, my only vice now is caffeine (and good solid chocolate). Donuts and cookies. Sugar is my new high.

I quit alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, pot, opiates, benzodiazepines, Gravol, (yes, Gravol is abused by so many), Tylenol No. 1 (over the counter and so easy to get), cough syrup.

The World Health Organization as well as all medical organizations, deem addiction a disease. It is not an aspect of choice. Too often, I am blamed for my illness. This is due to the aspect of behaviour.

People see drinking and/or using drugs

Ask AN Addict

and believe I want to live my life this way. I do not; never ever did.

I hated the actions and the behaviours you saw. Weak willed and immoral, I thought I was bad.

Sick? No, never. Not ill. Only defective the world tells me this.

The troubling thing is that the excessive, harmful overuse of toxic substances is actually a symptom that I am unwell. To say I chose this is akin to blaming a cancer patient for losing weight due to their behaviour, their choice, of no longer eating.

A harsh, brutal comparison and one I hate to make at this point, but desperate times require brutal truth.

Cancer is not chosen. Neither is addiction. Both are life-threatening. Both are deadly.

Many mothers, fathers, sisters, grandparents, husbands, wives, brothers and children have lost loved ones to both of these states.

Addiction and cancer are both medical conditions, but only one gets the blame.

We don’t blame cancer patients for being sick, but we do blame addicts for being this way.

continued on page 15

‘If

I had cancer... I would not be ashamed’

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Life-threatening medical illnesses such as cancer receive plenty of support. The life-threatening medical condition of addiction does not. Fundraisers of hope, walking marathons, ice bucket challenges do not exist.

Instead, addicts are silenced and shunned.

There have been too many deaths; two which stand out for me are those that you know. High-profile, beloved and well respected individuals died of this disease. I know their story. Their life is mine. After they had died, vitriol came out. I read with dismay comments made in publications. Hatred. Stigma. Distorted perceptions, misguided minds targeted them for their ails.

How dare we? How dare we hate those in need? One was asked to stay quiet, to never publicly disclose. Can you imagine being sick and having higher ups tell you stay silent? The message here is perfectly clear – you are defective. We do not accept who you are.

Who am I? Who were they?

Well respected, admired, beloved individuals.

We are responsible for how they have died.

Also in that message is “we will use you to our advantage for as long as we can.”

We don’t care about you but rather only, about what you can do, for us. Do not share with the world, to others who you really are. We cannot accept that truth.

Others will judge you, and by association, also us. Our reputation will be called into question.

occur), knowing I had taken an overdose of fentanyl, knowing I could die (this was before the fentanyl crisis).

I prayed, sweated, cold clammy flesh. I put myself into a cold tub. I knew a quick hospital trip, a call to 911 would certainly save my uncertain life.

And if you think you wouldn’t, I ask you this: would you hire an addict in recovery to care for your kids?

How dare we? How dare we not stand by our loved ones? How dare we ask to stay quiet? How dare we send the message you are less than?

No wonder we die. No wonder we use. You, the world, does not accept who we are.

Who am I?

A respected, well loved individual, admired by professionals. Admired by my peers. I live in secret, ashamed that I am an addict. I recall once, sitting alone in my bathroom (where many overdoses

However to do so would be to come out. Out of hiding and into my shame. My colleagues’ shame, their embarrassment, their anger and blame. Death was preferable to this.

I think of the two people who died. I knew where I was. I could not risk reaching out. You all would blame.

And if you think you wouldn’t, I ask you this: would you hire an addict in recovery to care for your kids? Would you hire an addict to clean up your house?

I cannot change what I do not acknowledge. I cannot change my bias towards others if I do not acknowledge that I hold this truth.

I, as an addict, in recovery, shockingly

encountered this aspect in me. I hired someone for work, to help me out with my home. Years later, she disclosed her history with drugs. Suddenly my perception of her changed. My trust threatened. Questions ran through my head. I intimately know this disease. I know of relapse. I know of lies and deceit. I never stole, but knew others did.

The reality hit with shattering cold. If I had this thought of her (and therefore, of me), what would others than think of me?

So for now, I choose to hide. I do not use my name. My disease would overshadow who I am to you now. You’ll forget I am generous, kind, loving and smart. You’ll (secretly, unknowingly) view me as defective and dishonest (ironically, my program of recovery requires rigorous honesty).

Sad.

If I had cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, I would not be ashamed. I am only sick, but I am to blame, at least, in your eyes.

Questions for Ann? Send your submissions (anonymously, if you choose) to columns@pgcitizen.ca and we’ll pass them along.