Prince George Citizen January 25, 2019

Team effort tackled Citizen press issue

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

The metallic sound of wrenches clattering on broken machinery is often accompanied by a streak of blue language. Mechanics often use otherwise unspeakable profanity to lubricate their repair efforts. Al Wilson was dousing a broken folder unit with such prose on Thursday morning. The 38-year veteran of the Prince George Citizen press crew was up to his elbows in grease and steel as he strained to disconnect the offending pieces of a rare breakdown.

The paper was halfway through the printing process when the malfunction occurred, causing the Thursday print edition to be absent from doorsteps and mailboxes.

“It’s the first time in all my years that something mechanical has stopped the paper,” said Wilson.

“We had a problem once before, about 10 years ago, where we missed an edition (specifically April 23, 2008) but that was an electrical component.”

This time it was a bolt, only one bolt, that broke. However, that bolt was located inside the steel guts of the folder apparatus.

“You need four hands in there, but there’s only room for one,” said Wilson, talking over his shoulder as he craned his body into tight crannies within the metal box about the size of a SmartCar. “Nobody in town builds this kind of thing. It’s a rare piece of machinery. There are only three or four of them in the province, and this is going to require taking the whole thing apart.

“I mean, we moved the entire press from one building to another and still got the next paper out on time, but now we can’t get a paper out because of one bolt.”

The bolt broke at about 10 p.m.

The crew attempted in vain to make the repair with the tools at hand, but a couple of hours later it became clear to them that only a professional machinist had the necessary equipment.

“Just after midnight, I got a

knock on my door and there was a pressman with a serious look on his face,” said Colleen Sparrow, publisher of The Citizen and the only one with the authority to make the final decision. “We knew there was no way to fix it in time to publish on time. We just had to come up with a plan, notify the staff because a lot of routines were about to suddenly change, and let the public know why their paper wouldn’t be there in the morning.”

She also had to authorize changes in some staff members’ schedules.

“Some extremely passionate pressmen had to go home and get some sleep, and we had to get underway with the repairs,” she said. By noon Thursday, the machinist was involved, the offending bolt replaced, the disconnected parts put back together and testing underway. Sparrow said a backup plan was also in place to print the Friday paper in St. Albert, north of

Edmonton, and have it trucked to Prince George for regular delivery.

“I had so many callers this morning,” she said. “It was really stressful, but there was still a silver lining in seeing how much the public cares. I had so many people tell me they just couldn’t feel right about their day without the morning newspaper.” It helped that the mid-week delivery of 97/16, The Citizen’s free citywide tabloid newspaper, was unaffected. It was already printed and out the door.

The next edition of Industry & Trades, The Citizen’s quarterly publication about the region’s heavy-duty sector, had also already come off the press and would be circulated as per normal. In fact, the Thursday paper will be delivered in full, it will just be delayed 24 hours. Readers should reive the Thursday and Friday print editions together Friday morning.

Man sentenced for motel gunplay

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

mnnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

A Prince George man was sentenced Thursday to four years in jail for his role in an incident at a local motel that left a man with a gunshot wound.

Less credit for time served, Donald Justin Johnny Baker, 24, will serve a further 35 months in a federal institution for the May 1, 2018 incident at the Queensway Court Motel.

The sentence came by way of a joint submission from Crown and defence counsels after Baker pleaded guilty to a charge of committing a robbery where a firearm is used.

Baker had been facing eight counts, including attempted murder, but proving

the most serious of those charges appeared doubtful, the court was told.

Baker was alleged to have shot a man in the shoulder after bursting into a room at the motel with a .22 calibre rifle and attempting to carry out a robbery.

However, the victim has refused to cooperate with investigators and other witnesses have also been reluctant to testify.

There were also some questions surrounding the circumstances.

Police were told the victim originally grabbed the gun away from Baker only to have it taken back, raising the possibility the gun was fired during a struggle. And the shooter’s intent was also in doubt.

He only demanded the victim’s possessions and never threatened to kill him, it

was noted.

Baker was arrested the next day, when police located the getaway car at a local mobile home park, and has remained in custody ever since.

Co-accused Harley Raymond Poole was apprehend two days later. In December, he was sentenced to a further 21 1/2 months, also on a count of committing a robbery where a firearm is used.

Baker has struggled with addiction to heroin and methamphetamine and was found suffering from an overdose when he was apprehended, the court was told.

The downward spiral took hold at age 14 when, in April 2009, his father, Vernon Darcy Baker, 44, was stabbed to death. That murder remains unsolved.

Following his father’s death, the younger

Baker was placed in a series of foster homes where he was “exposed to a lot of negative factors.”

However, he is now on a methadone treatment program and is working to get his life on track, the court heard.

The shooting incident was the last straw for the Queensway Court Motel. In September, city council unanimously upheld a decision by city staff to suspend the motel’s business licence for six months effective Oct. 1.

During a court-like hearing on the matter, Prince George RCMP Supt. Warren Brown told council that during a three-month period in 2017, RCMP were called to the spot 188 times, compared to between 36 and 84 times to similar-sized motels and hotels in the city.

Prince George Citizen press foreman Al Wilson works

out Thursday’s paper.

SPARROW

Pacific BioEnergy to supply two Japanese power plants

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

Wood pellet producer Pacific BioEnergy Corp. has landed a pair of long-term contracts with Japanese power producers that represent a purchase order worth $500 million over the course of their lives, according to the company’s CEO.

Deliveries are to begin in 2020 and by 2022, the company will be supplying a combined 170,000 metric tonnes per year to fuel two newly-built biomass power plants.

The contracts will last until 2030 and 2035 respectively and will be intermediated through Sumitomo Corp., PacBio’s 48-per-cent shareholder and marketing partner.

“This is signed and sealed, now

we have to deliver,” PacBio CEO Don Steele said this week.

The plant currently employs about 50 people and produces between 300,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes per year of pellets, made from sawdust and slash. The new contracts will replace a portion of that total while the remainder will be over and above that level.

“We will be expanding our activities marginally,” Steele said, adding the business could be grown as much as fivefold if it’s given access to the beetle-killed pine that remains standing. Instead, he said it remains at risk of being lost to wildfire.

“We are wasting millions and millions of tonnes of material that could and should and must go to

market,” he said.

Accessing those stands will require a change in attitude by the government in terms of the way the regulatory system and tenure work.

He said Sumitomo is one of the largest corporations in the world and holds about $100 billion in assets.

“If we were saying we just brought Microsoft to town, everyone would be going ‘wow,’” he said. “Sumitomo is in that scale.”

He said PacBio has been working for the past dozen years to develop a market in Asia and that the contracts are the result of the Japanese turning away from nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster and towards sources of renewable energy.

Citizen staff

Police are asking for the public’s help to track down five people suspected of shoplifting at local stores.

• On Jan. 7, a theft of $75 worth of items at the Real Canadian Superstore on Ferry Avenue was reported to RCMP. The suspect is described as a man with dark hair, beard and mustache and wearing glasses, a black CCM ball cap, and a black hoodie under a grey and black jacket

• On Jan. 16, RCMP were called to a report of a man and a woman leaving the Best Buy electronics store on Walls Avenue with $180 worth of merchandise.

The woman was arrested a short time later but the man remains at large. He is described as about 25 years old with short dark hair and was wearing a grey hoodie with red elbow patches.

• Two women are alleged to have made off with $800 worth of goods from the Real Canadian Superstore on Jan. 17. One is described as 40-50 years old with dark hair and a medium build and wearing a black toque and a multi-coloured jacket over a light blue hoodie. The other is described as First Nations, 40-50 years old with light brown or reddish hair and a medium build and wearing a black winter coat with a faux fur lined hood.

• On Jan. 18, RCMP were told a man left the Real Canadian Superstore with $300 worth of items. He is described as Caucasian with a light beard and mustache and wearing a black toque and a black winter coat at the time.

Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800222-8477 or online at www.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Don Steele, CEO of Pacific BioEnergy, speaks to The Citizen at the Northern Resource Forum Wednesday.

This season’s flu shot far more effective than last year’s, researchers find

Sheryl UBELACKER Citizen news service

TORONTO — This season’s influenza vaccine appears to be highly effective, reducing the risk of infection with the dominant circulating flu strain by more than 70 per cent – far better than what was seen with last year’s shot, Canadian researchers say.

Their mid-season analysis, published online Thursday in the journal Euro Surveillance, shows this year’s flu vaccine is 72 per cent effective in preventing infection with the H1N1 respiratory virus overall across all age groups.

The finding is “good news,” said lead researcher Dr. Danuta Skowronski of the BC Centre for Disease Control, considering that the efficacy of last year’s shot was less than 20 per cent, due primarily to a mismatch between the vaccine and the H3N2 strain that prevailed during the 2017-18 season.

Another reason is that the influenza vaccine tends to perform better during seasons dominated by H1N1, she said, noting that Australia reported a comparable effectiveness rating using the same formulation during its recent flu season.

An effectiveness of about 70 per cent means that getting inoculated would have prevented seven out of 10 cases of influenza in unvaccinated people had they chosen to get the shot, explained Skowronski, an influenza expert at the BCCDC.

“So that’s a really important reduction in risk, especially for people with underlying medical conditions, who are facing a greater threat of serious complications if infected by influenza,” she said from Vancouver. “They could have reduced that risk by 70 per cent.”

By age group, the vaccine was found to have a 91 per cent effectiveness rate in children aged one to eight; 71 per cent in those aged nine to 19; 68 per cent on average in adults 20 to 64; and 65 per

cent in those 65 and older.

With H1N1 dominating, young children have been especially hard hit by the flu this year – likely because they’ve had little or no previous exposure to that viral strain and therefore have not built up any natural immunity.

The last three H1N1 epidemics occurred in 2015-16, 2013-14 and 2009, when some of today’s children would not have been born.

As of Jan. 12, more than 600 children aged 16 and under had been hospitalized, with 93 of them ending up in intensive care and at least seven – all under age 10 – dying from complications of the flu, says the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The death of a threeyear-old Quebec girl last week would not have been captured in that report.

Skowronski said children have been disproportionately affected by influenza this year, with kids under age nine making up 28 per cent of the 661 cases analyzed for vaccine effectiveness, even though children comprise only about 10 per cent of the country’s population.

“So that’s why I think we’re seeing this year more younger people represented in the tallies of hospitalizations with H1N1,” she said. “It’s not that the virus is more virulent. We’re having higher attack rates in younger children.

“When you have more infected, more attack rates, and the same proportion experiencing serious outcomes, the absolute tally of serious outcomes will be higher.”

On its weekly FluWatch website, PHAC said there were 20,494 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported by the provinces and territories as of Jan. 12, most of them caused by H1N1 and most affecting those under age 65.

More than 1,500 resulted in hospitalization, including 227 ICU admissions and 47 deaths.

PHAC collects data only on laboratory-

confirmed cases of people who were tested after seeking medical attention.

The actual number of Canadians who contracted influenza without seeing a health-care provider would be many times higher.

The vaccine effectiveness analysis was conducted by researchers with the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network, headquartered at the BCCDC. The network includes hundreds of primary-care practitioners in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, who gather positive test results for flu and vaccination status of infected patients seen on an out-patient basis. Those treated in hospital are not included in the data.

Skowronski said there has been a lot of regional variation in the timing and intensity of the influenza epidemic across the country. Alberta and B.C., for instance, started seeing cases early in the season, while areas in Eastern Canada were hit later and may not have reached their peak.

“We’re past the peak here and we’re on the downslope,” she said of B.C. “But even on the downslope of the epidemic curve, there will be activity for several more weeks.”

So it’s not too late for people who were not vaccinated to get their shot, especially in regions of the country still seeing rising cases, Skowronski advised.

“That’s why it was important for us to get this (vaccine effectiveness) estimate out because it’s offering substantial protection, which may still be important in areas where there is elevated activity.

“And don’t forget also influenza B has not made much of a showing yet this year, and it typically appears later in the season.”

Last season, just 38 per cent of Canadian adults got the flu shot, with vaccine uptake varying by age and risk factors for complications, a PHAC spokesperson said.

Groups file legal action against feds to

WEBER Citizen news service

Bob

Conservation groups and First Nations have filed legal action in the hope of forcing Environment Canada to protect Alberta caribou herds after federal findings that the province has failed to do so.

“The federal government has the power and the legal responsibility to act,” said Melissa Gorrie of Ecojustice, which is acting on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation, the Alberta Wilderness Association and the Mikisew and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations.

The groups have filed an application in Federal Court to force Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to place five caribou herds in northeastern Alberta under an emergency protection order.

A provision in the federal Species At Risk Act compels the minister to protect critical habitat for endangered species, said Gorrie. That habitat has been identified but remains largely unconserved.

Two separate federal studies have identified large conservation gaps, not just in Alberta, but every province. One of the studies was released as recently as December.

Alberta has announced plans for several large parks in that part of the province.

Gorrie said implementation of those plans is stalled. As well, they only protect a “minuscule” amount of critical habitat.

Range plans, which were due in 2017, are still unreleased - delayed by what the provincial government has called

Rezoning applications move to public hearings

Citizen staff

An application to rezone lots at 778 and 780 Foreman Rd., off Highway 16 East, to make way for a gas station and car wash was advanced to the public hearing stage during city council’s regular meeting on Monday night. The application would also allow for an expansion of the car wash and development of a campground and residential subdivision at a future date if it eventually wins council’s final approval.

Dale Allen and Angela Voldeng are the applicants.

Also advanced to the public hearing stage was an application to rezone a one-acre lot at 5576 Leland Rd. at the south end of the city to suburban residential from rural residential.

Paramjit Jhander is the applicant.

Gov’t

Resources

Amarjeet Sohi says the federal government won’t cut corners to speed up a full review of the proposed Trans

The government bought the pipeline for $4.5 billion last summer only to have the Federal Court of Appeal strike down Ottawa’s approval of it.

The court said the Canadian government failed to meaningfully consult with First Nations and that the National Energy Board failed to examine how the project would affect the ocean ecosystem. Ottawa is now consulting with Indigenous groups and the board has been reviewing the marine effects.

The board is to have its report ready by Feb. 22.

“They are on schedule,” Sohi said.

“I give regular updates to the cabinet... on how we are... making sure the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion moves forward in the right way, dealing with the issues the court has identified. We need to make sure that we are not cutting corners. We owe it to Alberta. We owe it to Alberta workers. We owe it to Canadians that we don’t get into the same situation that we got into the last time...”

A medical assistant at the Sea Mar Community Health Center gives a patient a flu shot

Nunavut

coalition

Man ruled fit to stand trial in B.C. stabbing case

VANCOUVER (CP) — A Brit-

ish Columbia Supreme Court judge has ruled that a man accused of killing a 13-yearold girl in an Abbotsford high school is fit to stand trial.

Gabriel Klein will remain at a psychiatric hospital for the duration of the trial instead of going to a pre-trial centre. Klein is charged with seconddegree murder and aggravated assault in a November 2016 stabbing attack that killed the girl and wounded another.

Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes declared him unfit to stand trial last April because he suffers from schizophrenia, auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions.

The B.C. Review Board ruled Jan. 15 that he was fit to stand trial and Holmes agreed with requests from the Crown and defence on Thursday that she also declare him fit. Court heard that Klein is taking a new medication that has made it easier for him to understand court proceedings and communicate.

Pair extradited to India to face conspiracy charges

VANCOUVER (CP) — The federal government says two British Columbia residents have been extradited to India to face conspiracy charges after they allegedly hired men to kill a young woman and her new husband in that country nearly 20 years ago.

The Justice Department says Malkit Kaur Sidhu and her brother Surjit Singh Badesha were escorted to India by the RCMP and arrived there early Thursday morning.

It says the pair met with Canadian consular officials in Delhi before being turned over to police in Punjab. Sidhu and Badesha are accused of conspiracy in the murder of Sidhu’s daughter Jassi Sidhu in June 2000 after she went to India to marry a man they disapproved of. Sidhu’s husband was severely beaten but survived the attempt on his life.

In a unanimous decision in 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada set aside a B.C. Court of Appeal ruling that stopped extradition proceedings over concerns the mother and uncle would be poorly treated or even tortured in India.

The B.C. Appeal Court halted the extradition last year when the pair’s lawyers filed a lastminute court application, bringing them back to B.C. from Toronto before they were to be escorted to India.

Kamloops gangland shooting victims identified

KAMLOOPS (CP) — Police have identified two men killed in separate shootings in Kamloops and say the victims were targeted by organized criminals. RCMP Supt. Syd Lecky says 31-year-old Cody Mathieu and 41-year-old Rex Gill were found suffering from gunshot wounds at different hotels.

Lecky says police also located a vehicle associated with the shootings Wednesday but it had been set on fire.

He says it’s not yet known if the two incidents are linked but police will be working to crack down on gangs in the area and increase police presence around the city.

The shootings happened hours before unrelated violence in Kelowna, where a man was injured and the main entrance to that city’s shopping centre had to be closed.

Witnesses reported at least four shots were fired outside the entrance of a CIBC bank in the parking lot of the Orchard Park mall around 3 p.m., just before plainclothes officers and a tactical team arrested a man for unspecified incidents. Police say he was treated in hospital after being injured during the arrest that also included a brief foot chase and damage to a cab that was boxed in by RCMP vehicles.

McCallum says he ‘misspoke’ on Huawei executive’s extradition case

Mike BLANCHFIELD, Andy BLATCHFORD Citizen news service

OTTAWA — Canada’s ambassador to China admitted to an ill-timed and politically explosive slip of the tongue when he suggested detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou had a strong case to avoid extradition to the United States.

John McCallum’s surprise mea-culpa on Thursday was the latest head-snapping development in the saga of Canada’s fallout with China over Meng’s arrest. It came just hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly defended him in the face of Conservatives demands to fire him.

“I regret that my comments with respect to the legal proceedings of Ms. Meng have created confusion. I misspoke,” McCallum, a former Liberal cabinet minister, said in a statement.

“These comments do not accurately represent my position on this issue. As the government has consistently made clear, there has been no political involvement in this process.”

McCallum’s candid comments about Meng’s legal case, made Tuesday to Chinese-language journalists in the Toronto area, raised eyebrows and fuelled speculation they were a political ploy to end Ottawa’s deepening diplomatic crisis with China.

McCallum not only said he thought Meng had strong legal arguments that could help her avoid extradition, he listed several arguments he thought could help her with her case. But by Thursday afternoon he was walking back those comments.

“As Canada’s Ambassador to China, I play no role in assessing any arguments or making any determinations in the extradition process,” McCallum said Thursday. “The Canadian government’s priority – and my priority – is securing the release of the two Canadians arbitrarily detained in China and ensuring that the rights

of all of our citizens are protected.”

In the days that followed Meng’s Dec. 1 arrest, China detained Michael Kovrig, a Canadian diplomat on leave, and Michael Spavor, an entrepreneur, on allegations of endangering China’s national security. They remain in Chinese custody.

Trudeau has called their detentions arbitrary and Western analysts believe their cases are part of an attempt by Beijing to pressure Canada into releasing Meng, whose arrest has angered the Chinese government.

Earlier Thursday, Trudeau dismissed calls to remove McCallum from his post.

He said his government’s focus is on getting detained Canadians Kovrig and Spavor home safely from China and ensuring their rights are respected and recalling McCallum wouldn’t achieve that.

“Making a change would not help release those Canadians a day sooner,” Trudeau said.

A day earlier, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called on Trudeau to fire McCallum for the remarks, which he said raised grave concerns about the politicization of the Meng case.

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said her government “noted the relevant remarks by Ambassador McCallum” and reiterated its demand that Meng be released from her unjust detention, which she blamed on Canada and the United States.

“We have made our stern position clear,” Hua said Thursday, in translated remarks from her ministry’s website.

“In order to change the current situation, the Canadian side needs to face up to the issue squarely, take China’s solemn concerns seriously, and take measures to correct its mistakes.”

She noted Canada was acting on an extradition request from the U.S.

“We hope that the Canadian side will make the right choice instead of risking endangering itself for other’s gains,” Hua said.

At the top of McCallum’s list of Meng’s legal options was a possible defence on the grounds of political interference following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump last month that he might intervene in Meng’s case if it would help him nail down a trade deal with China. McCallum also said Meng can argue against the extra-territorial aspect to her case and the fact the fraud allegations U.S. officials made against her are related to Iran sanctions that Canada did not sign onto.

Experts said that while McCallum’s remarks might have been controversial on the surface, the substance of his legal analysis was not far off the mark.

“In general, his comments in that respect were not out line with what some experts were saying,” said Paul Evans, a China expert at the University of British Columbia. “What was significant was he said it to basically a Chinese media audience.”

Henry Chang, a Toronto immigration lawyer, said McCallum was advancing some “potentially viable arguments here... However, I don’t think he should be speaking so confidently since these issues will ultimately be decided by the courts.”

Trudeau stressed Thursday that Canada is following the law.

“We will always stay grounded in defence of the rule of law and the integrity of our justice system, which of course includes the capacity for people to defend themselves enthusiastically which will be fully afforded to Ms. Meng and in her rights within the Canadian justice system,” Trudeau said.

Following Meng’s arrest, China also sentenced another Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, to death in a sudden retrial of his drug-smuggling case. Schellenberg had initially been sentenced in 2016 to 15 years behind bars. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has asked for clemency for Schellenberg and has called his death penalty “inhumane.”

Legislature scandal exposes failure by Liberal gov’t, Horgan says

Dirk MEISSNER Citizen news service

VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan says a call to clean up the British Columbia legislature should not absolve the Opposition Liberals from explaining allegations of spending abuses by two top officials dating back to when the party was in power.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said Thursday all parties must work together to restore public confidence at the legislature following the release of a report by Speaker Darryl Plecas outlining the alleged spending practices of clerk Craig James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz.

Lenz and James were placed on administrative leave in November during an ongoing police investigation. Both men deny any wrongdoing and say the allegations will be proven untrue.

Horgan said the report’s claim of a culture of entitlement at the legislature during a period of successive Liberal governments cannot be erased by Wilkinson’s plea to embark on a house cleaning mission.

“I will not allow the leader of the Opposition to pretend that this just happened,” said Horgan. “This is a result of years of entitlement in this institution. It’s offensive to me. It’s offensive to British Columbians.”

He said the report by Plecas – who was expelled from the Liberal caucus in 2017 after taking the Speaker’s job because it cleared the way for the NDP to form a minority government – details alleged abuses dating back to 2012, five years before the Liberals lost power. Plecas now sits as an Independent in the legislature.

The NDP premier described the report as coming at a “unique moment in time” when the legislature has an Independent Speaker who has outlined allegations from documents that are exempt from freedom of information

requests and public scrutiny.

He said two previous Liberal Speakers, Linda Reid and Bill Barisoff, overlap with the time James and Lenz have been in the house.

The NDP and Greens say Reid, who served as Speaker from 2013 to 2017, must answer questions about Lenz and James when she oversaw business in the house.

Green Leader Andrew Weaver called for Reid to step aside as assistant deputy Speaker over allegations made by an unnamed whistleblower in Plecas’s report. The report says the whistleblower raised concerns last February about the travel expenses of a member of the legislature, which it doesn’t name.

The report says the whistleblower was fired shortly after meeting with Lenz. The man who says he was the whistleblower told Global TV on Tuesday that the legislature member was Reid. The man could not be reached for comment. Reid issued a statement that said she will cooperate with any investigation by an auditor or other investigators. She has not been available to comment on the allegations by the whistle-

blower or her tenure as Speaker.

Horgan did not call for Reid to step down as assistant deputy Speaker on Thursday, saying her future in the post is up to Wilkinson because “this place operates on the principle that the Opposition nominates the assistant deputy Speaker.”

Wilkinson would only say there may be role changes for some people once all the investigations are complete.

“Everyone involved in this, no matter how they are being alleged to be involved, needs to be completely forthright with the auditor general so we can clarify all of these issues,” he said.

Wilkinson called for the immediate public posting online of all legislature expenses, a ban on foreign travel unless approved six weeks in advance by the all-party committee that manages the legislature’s finances, and a review of accounting procedures by the auditor general.

“It’s time for the political sniping to stop from all parties,” he said. “We’re going to look like a pack of idiots.”

The legislative assembly management committee, which Plecas chairs, voted Monday to release the report, conduct a workplace review and ask an auditor from outside B.C. to review legislature financial issues. James and Lenz were given until Feb. 1 to respond.

The 76-page report by Plecas alleges that Lenz and James were allowed to overspend on trips, purchase personal items at taxpayers’ expense, and misappropriate alcohol and equipment.

Attempts to reach James and Lenz since the report was released have not been successful, but on Monday they said in a statement they had only just learned of its contents.

“We are only now able to read the allegations for the first time and we are confident that time will show that they are completely false and untrue,” said their statement.

Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum listens to a question following participation at the federal cabinet meeting in Sherbrooke, Que., on Jan. 16.

HORGAN

One ship to save Canada’s Arctic

Special to The Citizen

TODD DOHERTY

Losing Canada’s only underwater survey and scientific research ship means losing the Arctic and our ability to monitor and map the oceans.

It puts at risk Canada’s Arctic sovereignty, our ability to monitor climate change as well as our ability to ensure the safety of navigation for marine traffic in the most sensitive of ecosystems.

Until the new Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel can be delivered, Canada’s Arctic is at risk.

While everyone has been talking about the bungled shipbuilding procurements for the Navy, few have noticed that the Canadian Coast Guard is on the brink of losing its only offshore oceanographic (hydrographic) science vessel, the 1963-built CCGS Hudson.

The CCGS Hudson has served Canada proudly for 55 years.

Whether she was surveying underwater ridges to defend our sovereignty in the Arctic, monitoring climate change, surveying the seabed to create charts for the safe navigation of ships in the Arctic or searching for crashed aircraft, the need for an Offshore Oceanographic and Science Vessel is unambiguous.

But ships don’t last forever.

In fact, it is widely accepted in the marine industry that ships should be taken out of service at between 25-30 years old.

In other words, she should have been scrapped in 1993.

But with a series of mismanaged procurements, that didn’t happen.

And despite the Coast Guard’s valiant efforts to keep her in service, she has now been through a series of attempted but mostly botched repairs which have raised the eyebrows of those within the marine industry.

The most recent repair works

YOUR LETTERS

Promises, promises

were aborted halfway through.

It was, by all accounts, a futile exercise.

She is a write-off and certainly not the kind of ship we could risk sending North. Not if we value the lives of our men and women in the Coast Guard or the sensitive ecosystems of the Arctic. Unfortunately, through years of Trudeau Liberal procurement mismanagement, we have seen numerous delays in the shipbuilding program.

The replacement for the CCGS Hudson should have been delivered for $108 million, but Liberal bungling and mishandling means it will cost well above $600 million and won’t be delivered until 2021 at the earliest.

As a member of the House of Commons committee on Fisheries and Oceans, I have constantly battled to receive a simple schedule but have been met with a wall of silence and obfuscation by senior bureaucrats who will go

Maybe someone from the city could tell me what has happened to all the millions of dollars the city and taxpayers were to receive on the lease back of the infrastructure to Fortis?

Now I know it was awhile ago but I do remember amounts like $10-15 million a year coming back to Prince George, in a few years from the date of that purchase. I also remember them saying it would be a few years, to get to those figures, but that the amounts from the start would be about $4-5 million a year and go up from there. I was checking the city’s financial statements on the website for the years, I believe 2015-1617, and could find no mention of any revenue stream from Fortis. One would think if now several years later we were getting that kind of money, the city would be making a very big deal of it, but alas, nothing. Is this an oversight or am I just not checking in the right spots?

One other issue I have is when the 2015 Games came to P.G. and the tax rate was supposedly raised by three per cent, I think, but was only going to be for three years. Did we get a reduction this last year ? And one has to ask why people do not get out to vote? You know it matters not whom

to all lengths to suppress the dire reality of the situation.

This year I was even told that it was confidential. Please.

The planned OOSV ship which will replace the CCGS Hudson is one of the four Coast Guard ships penned to be built in Vancouver by Seaspan shipyard to prove its capability before it begins to take on larger projects for the Navy.

It is scheduled to be built after the first three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels are delivered.

Therein lies the first problem –those ships are presently around seven years late and we are yet to see even one handed over to the Canadian Coast Guard.

And yet the Trudeau Liberals continue to muddy the water hoping Canadians won’t recognize their poor attempts at welding together a coherent procurement strategy.

This past summer, an expedition cruise ship grounded in Nunavut. Whether that was because of

gets in because the results are always the same, the promises are made, then never come to fruition. What say ye?

Bill Manders, Prince George Fence not a solution

Re: closing Westwood Drive at Highway 97. Let me start by saying it is sad a young lady was killed while trying to cross Highway 97 but to close the stretch of roadway makes no sense. First, this lady was jay walking and not paying attention. Secondly, to reroute the traffic to the off ramp on Massey will make it tougher for the students from PGSS who cross to go to the mall. Has anyone watched traffic and noticed how many people don’t realize that there is a crosswalk there? The designated left turn and pedestrian lights would suffice. The fence put up is no real deterrent as I see many people walking to the end of the fence and crossing. So what’s next – a fence all the way down the bypass?

I have also seen many people cross at Spruceland. If an accident happens there, will we see another ugly fence put up?

Roland Hill, Prince George

insufficient charts available due to a lack of surveys is still to be determined by the authorities.

But one thing is clear – our wildlife got off very lightly.

If that had been an oil spill then it would have been a catastrophe.

With marine traffic increasing along our northern coast, the need for a ship to chart the mostly uncharted waters is critical.

And if we can’t ascertain what lies beneath, how can we even begin to enforce our claims over this prized but hotly contested region?

Today, the government’s commitment to the Ocean Protection Plan, and operational requirements including oil spill recovery, and scientific research demands the readiness of the Off-Shore Oceanographic Science Vessel.

Canada has the longest most geographically diverse coastlines in the world and the world’s oldest marine fleet.

Most, if not all, of the fleet tasked with keeping our water-

ways open and secure for the safe transportation of goods and people, ensuring coastal communities and our Maritimers remain safe, are well beyond their nominal service dates.

If the Liberal government can’t deliver the ship we need, and all indications are that they can’t, then we need to change this government.

Canada cannot afford to lose this critical capability. Scientists, researchers and those who care about protecting the oceans need this ship build now – at a reasonable price point.

This is not about politics anymore. It’s about putting Canada first.

The brave men and women of our Canadian Coast Guard deserve better.

Todd Doherty is the Conserviative Member of Parliament for CaribooPrince George and is the Official Opposition critic for Fisheries and Oceans.

WIKIPEDIA COMMONS PHOTO

Canadian Coast Guard Cutter CCGV Hudson, foreground, conducts operations at the crash site of Swissair Flight 111 off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1998.

Thanks for your patience

In the newspaper industry, there’s an old phrase used to describe the people who remain passionate about the business, despite all the challenges and uncertainty.

They bleed ink.

There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears made of ink spilled late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning as The Citizen’s press operators valiantly fought a losing battle to fix the press and print the Thursday edition. Their failure wasn’t for a lack of effort, and the effort continued first thing Thursday, once a local machinist could be brought in to assist.

Behind the scenes, news editor Arthur Williams returned to his desk at 1 a.m. to post a short story to our website and share on social media that the press was down and the Thursday print edition would be delayed. I was up until 2:30 a.m. at my home computer, notifying local radio stations by email about our press issues and hoping they would let their listeners know once their live morning shows went on air at 6 a.m.

Publisher Colleen Sparrow barely slept.

We bleed ink, from Colleen through the management team to the unionized staff in every department. We’re never perfect but we never stop trying to get there.

She was at the press hall at 145 Brunswick until late, then she was home, making staff calls and preparing for the day ahead. She was back at the office before 6 a.m., sitting at a desk next to reader sales and service representative Wendy Collier, working the phones as subscribers began calling to ask where their morning paper was.

As the rest of the staff filtered in during the morning, the most heard questions of the morning were “What can I do?” and “How can I help?”

We’re pretty used to big problems – both internal and external – at The Citizen. Each and every time, we come together to meet the challenge head on.

When an employee took his own life three days after 9/11, the staff came together through their shock and grief to get the next day’s newspaper out on time.

When another employee was killed with

his entire family in a horrific highway crash in the Cariboo seven years ago, Citizen staff worked through tears to publish the paper, with the story about Matt Altizer, his wife, his sister and his two children on the front page.

A few months after that, when the Lakeland Mills sawmill exploded, employees raced back to the office that same night to take pictures, cover the story and help in the late press run and delivery of the print edition.

Several staff members handed out copies to onlookers gathered in The Citizen parking lot.

The last time our 56-year-old press suffered a catastrophic breakdown was in 2008, due to an electrical issue. Citizen employees worked tirelessly to print two editions in black and white only, followed by one edition printed in Kamloops and

YOUR LETTERS

Safety issue needs resolution

Re: Tickets for parking in the Crescents.

We have lived on Laurier Crescent just north of 10th Avenue for 49 years. We had no parking problems on our residential street until just a few years ago, when UHNBC, the Simon Fraser care facility and Iris House were expanded and the cancer facility was built. Unfortunately, not enough parking spaces were provided with these projects to enable staff and patients to park off-street.

We are sympathetic to those people who park on both sides of Laurier and Alward Streets when they go to work or attend appointments in the area. Where else can they park?

However, on-street parking restrictions exist for a good reason. Winter is when parking really becomes an issue, because our residential streets cannot be effectively cleared during the day, with cars parked on both sides of the street for several blocks.

For many years, Laurier has been the preferred route for emergency vehicles going to Alward Place and other seniors’ residences. During the past few years, the increased parking traffic and the ensuing snow plowing restrictions have made it very difficult for a fire truck to drive down Laurier or Alward during the winter.

How big a lawsuit would the

How big a lawsuit would the city be facing if someone died because an emergency vehicle could not access a property due to illegally-parked cars?

city be facing if someone died because an emergency vehicle could not access a property due to illegally-parked cars?

We have tried to work with city hall for many years to find a solution to this parking problem. At one point, we were promised signage, which would at least show drivers the parking limitations stated in city bylaws. This never happened. In 2018, city works crews started to do our snowplowing and street cleaning at night, which significantly reduced the problems of windrows of snow plowed around parked cars during the day, and improved the safety in our street. We greatly appreciate this important accommodation by city crews. Is there a solution to this safety problem?

Would signage about parking limitations help to warn drivers that they might face tickets or risk being towed?

Would moving the bicycle lane from 10th to Eighth Avenue free enough parking spaces on 10th to

reduce the pressure on residential streets?

Should buildings employing hundreds of people be required to provide more off-street parking spaces for employees and people who attend those buildings?

Residents of Laurier Crescent and Alward Street look forward to solutions to this safety issue.

Steve and Carol Johnson Prince George

Plodding on pot licenses

It’s been deemed legal for recreational and medicinal purposes. Relax, it’s cannabis. It is a huge opportunity to our community for an influx of money and to get it out of the black market. What’s the hold up?

There should be business licenses flowing like mad for anyone applying but like always, we are way behind the times. To the prudish sticklers that are holding all this up, they need to get rolling... or be turned into vape.

Shane Giesinger

Prince George

City hall number free to call?

I read about the new 311 service to contact city hall but there was no price tag. What was the price? Is it a secret or a freebie?

Lynne Middleton

Prince George

trucked to Prince George to allow time for the defective circuit board to be fixed. Those staff efforts during all of those trying times reminds us that The Citizen is more than a place to work for its employees. We bleed ink, from Colleen through the management team to the unionized staff in every department. We’re never perfect but we never stop trying to get there. When tragedy strikes – whatever it is – we work harder.

What’s especially gratifying is that for so many of our readers what we do is more than produce a newspaper. The newspaper and its contents are an essential part of their day and for our print subscribers, it is something they welcome into their home five mornings a week.

We’re sorry we didn’t deliver Thursday. Thanks for your patience, your ongoing support and the trust you have placed in us.

Please know that all of us here at The Citizen are proud to be your daily community newspaper and, no matter the challenge, we are working hard to serve you.

Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

—

Of wood-splitters and other hard questions

It’s going to take an enormous amount of work by the suspended legislature officers and their lawyers to counter the impressions left by Speaker Darryl Plecas’s allegations of misconduct.

The initial reaction from clerk Craig James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz came hours after the Speaker’s report landed. It was an emphatic denial, accompanied by objections to how they were blindsided. They released a statement saying they were given no chance to respond to any of the allegations.

“We are only now able to read the allegations for the first time and we are confident that time will show that they are completely false and untrue.”

But the two men don’t have much time. MLAs on the legislature’s management committee set a Feb. 1 deadline by which they want to hear from them. It’s clear there’s a lot riding on the response. In the short term, the request for a response is tied to their current status as being suspended with pay. When they were hustled out of the building on Nov. 20, it was by way of a motion that allowed for periodic review of the suspended-with-pay status.

Plecas’s report on numerous allegations of financial wrongdoing could prompt another look at that. It could also dramatically change MLAs’ attitudes to how they should be treated until there’s a full resolution.

It already has. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver says it’s difficult to see how his caucus could have confidence in the pair ever returning to work.

And NDP government house leader Mike Farnworth expressed disgust at the conduct outlined in the report.

Meanwhile, the special adviser to the Speaker, who had a big hand in compiling the report, is driving home the presumption of wrongdoing. In two public appearances since the release, Alan Mullen stressed how wrong the misconduct was and how rules and policies were violated.

“B.C. deserves better than this,” he said.

And in the background, of course, is the police investigation with two special prosecutors into still-undisclosed issues that are apparently separate from everything in Plecas’s report.

The separation between the

probes apparently held even after Plecas concluded his report. He noted that prior to it being made public this week, lawyers advised him: “The special prosecutors do not wish to receive this preliminary report.”

Lawyers representing the suspended pair are no doubt now going over the report line-by-line.

Considering that it’s a 76-page report accompanied by a large binder of documentation, it’s a huge job.

The goal will be to rebut each assertion that James and/or Lenz mishandled taxpayers’ money and property in a variety of different ways. The mysterious woodsplitter, the truckload of missing booze, the lengthy expense-account claims for overseas trips that Plecas said had little purpose, it all has to be explained. And the response will have to counter the impression left by the Speaker’s report: that there was an overwhelming air of entitlement in the pair’s attitude toward their benefits. The accumulation of details in numerous incidents alleged by Plecas does as much damage as the incidents themselves.

They all have to be answered.

A week after they were suspended, James and Lenz held a news conference with their lawyer that marked their first detailed response. They pleaded to get their jobs back and repeatedly insisted they were utterly in the dark about why they had been suspended. Lenz said at one point: “It’s impossible to deny what you do not know.”

Now he and James and their lawyers know exactly what they’re up against. They have a week to answer dozens of specific questions. Why did taxpayers pay for a $1,000 suitcase from the airport at Hong Kong? Why are we buying subscriptions to Palm Springs Life and Arizona Highways?

Why did we spend $13,000 for a wood-splitter and a trailer some time ago that only showed up at the legislature recently? What happened to the booze that was allegedly removed from the legislature? Why did we pay $500 for the clerk’s noise-cancelling headphones?

MLAs await the answers as keenly as everyone else.

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.

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LES LEYNE

In the Fast Leyne

Robots are coming to take your job

Matt O’BRIEN Citizen news service

Robots aren’t replacing everyone, but a quarter of U.S. jobs will be severely disrupted as artificial intelligence accelerates the automation of existing work, according to a new Brookings Institution report.

Thursday’s report from the Washington think-tank says roughly one in four Americans hold jobs with “high exposure” to automation – meaning at least 70 per cent of their tasks could soon be performed by machines using current technology. Among those most likely to be affected are cooks, waiters and others in food services; short-haul truck drivers; and clerical office workers.

“That population is going to need to upskill, reskill or change jobs fast,” said Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings and lead author of the report.

Muro said the timeline for the changes could be “a few years or it could be two decades.” But it’s likely that automation will happen more swiftly during the next economic downturn. Businesses are typically eager to implement cost-cutting technology as they lay off workers.

Though the United States is in the middle of its second longest expansion in history, and jobs data suggest that the economy remains healthy, many business leaders and economists have suggested in surveys that the United States could slip into a recession in 2020. In addition, the partial government shutdown has been creating anxieties about a downturn.

Some economic studies have found that similar shifts toward automating production happened in the early part of previous recessions – and may have contributed to the “jobless recovery” that followed the 2008 financial crisis.

But with new advances in artificial intelligence, it’s not just industrial and warehouse robots that will alter the American workforce. Self-checkout kiosks and computerized hotel concierges will do their part. Most jobs will change somewhat as machines take over routine tasks, but a majority of U.S. workers will be able to adapt to that shift without being displaced.

Some chain restaurants have already shifted to self-ordering machines – a handful have experimented with robot-assisted kitchens Google this year is piloting the use of its digital voice assistant at hotel lobbies to instantly interpret conversations across a few dozen languages. Autonomous vehicles could replace short-haul delivery drivers. Walmart and other retailers are prepar-

ing to open cashier-less stores powered by in-store sensors or cameras with facial recognition technology.

The changes will hit hardest in smaller cities, especially those in the heartland and the Rust Belt, according to the Brookings report. The risk is highest in Indiana and Kentucky, where some counties have nearly half the workforce employed in the labourintensive manufacturing and transportation industries. The changes will also disproportionately affect the younger workers who dominate food services and other industries at highest risk for automation.

“Restaurants will be able to get along with significantly reduced workforces,” Muro said. “In the hotel industry, instead of five people manning a desk to greet people,

there’s one and people basically serve themselves.”

Many economists find that automation has an overall positive effect on the labour market, said Matias Cortes, an assistant professor at York University in Toronto who was not involved with the Brookings report. It can create economic growth, reduce prices and increase demand while also creating new jobs that make up for those that disappear.

But Cortes said there’s no doubt there are “clear winners and losers.”

“These high-paying jobs require a lot of creativity and problem-solving,” Cortes said.

“That’s going to be difficult for new technologies to replace.”

Economics writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

In the recent past, those hardest hit were men with low levels of education who dominated manufacturing and other bluecollar jobs, and women with intermediate levels of education who dominated clerical and administrative positions. In the future, the class of workers affected by automation could grow as machines become more intelligent. The Brookings report analyzed each occupation’s automation potential based on research by the McKinsey management consulting firm. Those jobs that remain largely unscathed will be those requiring not just advanced education, but also interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.

Weighing the options for weighted blankets

Laura DAILY Citizen news service

If 2017 was the year of the Instant Pot, 2018 was the year to gift or get a weighted blanket – a duvetlike bed cover weighing from five to 25 pounds. Never heard of one? Neither had I, until I got this assignment. But they are a hot commodity. For example, the Gravity Blanket, which began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, reports $16.5 million in sales for 2018.

The theory is that a heavierthan-normal blanket hugs a sleeper, and may prevent tossing and turning. As a result, the sleeper feels more secure, and sleeps longer and more soundly.

The concept isn’t new.

Heavy wraps have been used as a calming mechanism for children with autism, ADHD and other sensory disorders for more than a decade. Parents have swaddled their newborns for centuries. And the idea isn’t limited to humans: pet owners can outfit their dogs and cats with “ThunderShirts” (weighted vests) to keep them from going bonkers during thunderstorms and fireworks.

With a few exceptions, weighted blankets are composed of 6-by-6-inch stitched squares (some brands are 4-by-4-inch) filled with tiny glass or plastic beads.

The only real distinguishing feature is the exterior, which comes in an array of colours, patterns and fabrics such as cotton, flannel, microfibre and polyester. How did weighted blankets morph from a therapeutic tool to the hottest must-have? Word-of mouth, says Bill Fish, co-founder of Tuck.com, a sleep resource website.

“An acquaintance posted about one on Facebook and received 100 comments in the first 24 hours. People swear by their blankets. It’s astounding,” says Fish, who sleeps with one and has tested more than a dozen weighted blankets.

In the past year, interest in weighted blankets soared. Sales of Mosaic Weighted Blankets doubled from 2017 to 2018, and SensaCalm has doubled its sales almost every year since launching in 2008. Mike Grillo, presi-

dent of Gravity Products, told me his company was totally sold out of blankets by Dec. 10.

“The holidays overwhelmed our expectations,” he said.

Medical science is just starting to, ahem, weigh in. There is little data on the efficacy of weighted blankets.

As Raj Dasgupta, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California and a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, points out, it’s tough to do a randomized double-blind trial on these products because they’re weighted blankets.

But Dasgupta is open to the use of weighted blankets. He sees sleep as a puzzle made up of pieces including sound, light, temperature and comfort; restless sleepers and those dealing with insomnia need to figure out their missing piece. For some, the answer is a white noise machine, blackout curtains, the perfect pillow or blue-light blockers.

“For others, it’s the sensation of being hugged and cuddled –improved comfort,” Dasgupta says. “I truly believe people with sleep issues don’t want to be on prescription drugs for their lifetime. If a weighted blanket helps, I’m all for it.”

Blankets have another advantage over prescription sleep aids, the success of which may take days to determine.

“With a weighted blanket, you can tell in one night,” Fish says. If you’re thinking about adding a weighted blanket to your sleep routine, here’s what you need to know:

No ‘must-buy’ brand

Although well-known companies such as Sleep Number are getting into the weighted blanket game, there is no industry leader, Fish says. You’ll find weighted blankets at department stores, mass merchandisers, bedding shops and online on both shopping sites and sites for people with special needs. Some companies will produce a custom blanket on demand.

Weight matters

Most blankets are sold in fivepound increments from five to 25 pounds. A general rule of thumb

is to choose a blanket roughly 10 per cent of your ideal body weight, recommends Laura LeMond, owner of Mosaic Weighted Blankets. But, you may need a heavier or lighter version, depending on personal preference. Young children under the age of three or weighing less than 50 pounds should not use a weighted blanket because of the risk of suffocation – there have been at least two child deaths involving the blankets. If you’re buying one for a child, err on the side of caution and get a blanket that’s less than 10 per cent of their weight.

They aren’t cheap

Weighted blankets sell for US $70 to $300. The heavier the blanket, the larger the size and the higher quality the materials, the greater the cost. Make sure you can wash it. Whether the blanket is a onepiece or slips into a cover, it is going to get dirty at some point. You want one that is machinewashable, says Donna Chambers, founder of SensaCalm.

This is a solo act

Though weighted blankets come in various lengths, most are 48 inches wide, a bit narrower than a twin bed. “I do wish they were wider. When I roll, I end up half under and half outside the blanket,” Fish says.

“It’s also an odd feeling having two different blankets on a bed and not sharing the covers with your partner.” You may get hot. No matter how cool you keep your bedroom, many people feel warm or even hot in bed because of their own body temperature and the composition of their mattress (foam and latex are hotter than springs). A heavy blanket may exacerbate the problem. If you “sleep warm,” look for a natural fibre cover or one designed to wick moisture.

Return policy a must

Some sellers offer trial periods so you can return the blanket for a refund or exchange for a different weight. A weighted blanket isn’t for everyone. Some people feel claustrophobic or uncomfortable.

A Bossa Nova robot scans shelves to provide real-time inventory data at a Walmart Supercenter in Houston on Nov. 9. Up to 25 per cent of Americans

Housing a top issue in Burnaby byelection

Laura KANE Citizen news service

BURNABY — Even for the federal leader of the New Democratic Party, finding rental housing in Metro Vancouver is no easy feat.

Jagmeet Singh began calling landlords last year as he prepared to move across the country from Brampton, Ont., to run in a byelection in Burnaby South.

“I’d say, ‘OK, let me check with my wife.’ I’d get back a day later and the place would be gone,” Singh said. “The market’s really hard out here. If it’s hard for me, I can only imagine how hard it is for so many people.”

Housing is shaping up to be a defining issue in the byelection, set for Feb. 25, and in the federal election later this year. In Burnaby, renters have been kicked out of

older apartments to make way for luxury condos, and sky-high prices are shutting millennials out of the

market. Singh proposed measures this week to build

500,000 new affordable units over the next

decade, challenging the Liberal government to start by removing federal tax on the construction of such units. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the government’s mortgage stress test has already cooled overheated markets and it’s working on initiatives to help young people buy homes.

On a recent sunny Saturday, Singh knocked on doors inside a co-operative housing complex that is several decades old. The government needs to invest immediately in co-operative and non-market housing and use tax tools to tackle speculation, he said.

“The federal government used to be in the business of investing in housing, hasn’t been for decades, and it’s something we’ve got to get back into doing,” said Singh.

As for his own search, the

40-year-old politician eventually asked a real estate agent to help. He and his wife now rent the top floor of a house, with a view of snow-capped mountains, above another couple living downstairs.

Liberal candidate Richard T. Lee, a former provincial legislator, said he’s lived in Burnaby for three decades and it’s an attractive place to live so demand has outpaced supply. The government has introduced a 10-year national housing strategy, he said, worth $40 billion when investments from provinces, cities and non-profits are factored in. The plan aims to cut homelessness in half, build 100,000 new units across Canada and repair aging affordable housing, Lee said. “I believe that some of those investments will come to Burnaby South as well,” he said.

U.S.

gov’t shutdown continues as bills defeated

WASHINGTON — The Senate blocked two competing bills Thursday to reopen the federal government, demonstrating that neither U.S. President Donald Trump nor the Democrats has produced a plan so far that can end the nation’s longest government shutdown.

The twin failures came on the shutdown’s 34th day, and were the first Senate votes to address the crisis that’s deprived 800,000 federal workers of paycheques while undermining crucial government services across the nation. The failure of both bills was expected, and the path forward is now uncertain. But there was a recognition on all sides that some new solution must now emerge if the shutdown is to end.

In one potentially hopeful sign, Democrats in the House plan to unveil a border security proposal of their own today that’s expected to meet or exceed the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to build new walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. The House Democratic proposal will not allocate any money for the wall, but the large new sum being put on the table could form the basis for some kind of compromise.

And in the Senate, bipartisan groups of senators continued to meet behind the scenes to discuss a larger deal that could offer an exit ramp, potentially one including greater protections for certain groups of immigrants.

“I would urge all of our colleagues now that we’ve had these two failed votes,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, “we know we’re right where we started when we got here today, that we work together to try to bridge our differences to build consensus and end this shutdown.”

The first bill the Senate defeated was a proposal from Trump to reopen the government through Sept. 30 while spending $5.7 billion to erect more than 200 miles of new border walls, clamp down on asylum seekers and provide temporary deportation relief to about one million unauthorized immigrants whose protections Trump previously had sought to end.

The vote was 51-47, short of the 60 votes needed to advance. GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Tom Cotton of Arkansas voted with the majority of Democrats against the plan, while Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., joined Republicans in supporting it.

The second vote was on a short-term spending bill from Democrats that would have reopened the government through Feb. 8 without any additional wall money, to allow for negotiations on border security with the government open. Both bills contained billions for hurricane and wildfire disaster relief, although the figure in the Democratic bill was higher because it included aid to Puerto Rico that Trump has opposed.

The vote on the Democrats’ bill was 52-44, also short of the 60 needed to pass.

Erica WERNER, Sean SULLIVAN and Mike DeBONIS Citizen news service

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A star among stars

Spruce Kings’ Ahac in fine form in CJHL Prospects Game

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

Layton Ahac picked a fine time to turn in one of his best games of the season.

NHL scouts whose midseason rankings had Ahac slotted 114th among North American skaters available for the June draft might be giving the 17-year-old Prince George Spruce Kings defenceman an upgrade after watching him play Tuesday in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game in Okotoks, Alta.

Ahac scored a goal and had two assists as the player of the game for Team West in a 5-2 win over Team East.

Listed in November as a B prospect with second- to fifth-round potential for the June 21-22 NHL draft in Vancouver, Ahac was reunited in Okotoks with many of the same players who combined on Canada West to win bronze at the World Junior A Challenge Dec. 16 in Bonnyville, Alta.

“It was a lot of fun, pretty fast, but it was good to play at that speed again,” said Ahac. “I had a lot of fun catching up with the guys from Canada West. Except for four or five guys it was pretty much the same team.”

Ahac jumped into the play with Kevin Wall (Chilliwack Chiefs) and Quinn Olson (Okotoks Oilers) to create a 3-on-1 rush and Ahac finished off a three-way passing play with a tap-in six minutes into the second period which gave West a 2-1 lead.

“It was a nice pass over, got the goalie moving and it came to me, I just had to hit the net and it would have gone in,” said Ahac, an Ohio State University recruit for next season.

Ahac also assisted on the opening goal from Jeremie Bucheler (Victoria Grizzlies) and had a helper on a third-period power-play goal from Luke Bast (Brooks Bandits).

Ahac was back practicing with the Spruce Kings Thursday afternoon as they get set to host the Coquitlam Express tonight

Moberg

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

Prince George Spruce Kings defenceman Layton Ahac leaves Logan Shaw of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in his dust during an October game at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.

(7 p.m.) and Saturday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. The North Vancouver native intends to keep climbing the draft list to enhance his chances of getting picked. It helps that the Spruce Kings have maintained a high profile since their extended playoff run last year that took them to the BCHL final. They’ve been flirting with first place overall in the 17-team league all season.

The Kings (27-12-1-5) have fallen five points behind the Chilliwack Chiefs (30-12-1-2), who have leapfrogged the Kings into first place in the Mainland Division. Prince George has 60 points in 45 games and is third overall, three points behind the Island Division-leading Victoria Grizzlies.

The Kings gained three of a possible six points last weekend in their Okanagan swing, starting

Ahac scored a goal and had two assists as the player of the game for Team West in a 5-2 win over Team East.

with a 3-2 shootout loss in Penticton, followed by a 4-1 regulation win in Vernon and 6-1 defeat Sunday in West Kelowna.

“I don’t think we’ve been playing bad, it’s just games have gone to shootouts and we’ve been a bit unlucky,” said Ahac. “What’s important is that we just play our game and stick to what (head coach Adam Maglio) is telling us to do and things will work out.

“Coquitlam is a different team

makes NHL’s draft list

Whether he gets drafted into the NHL or not, Cole Moberg plans to be there in person this summer to answer the call.

The 18-year-old Prince George Cougars defenceman won’t have far to go.

The June 21-22 draft takes place in Rogers Centre, home of the Vancouver Canucks, not far from Moberg’s family home in North Vancouver.

Moberg found out on Monday he’s ranked 175th on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters available in the draft and he joins Cougars goalie Taylor Gauthier on the list of prospects. Gauthier, 17, is ranked fifth among North American goalies available for the draft.

“That was a confidence-booster for sure,” said Moberg. “I got a text from Gauthier when he was flying to Red Deer (for the CHLNHL Top Prospects Game) and he said I was on the list.

“It’s nice, it’ll be easy. I just have

to go across the bridge to get there and we’ll see what happens, if I go (in the draft) or not.”

After 64 games with the Cats last year, Moberg has continued to improve. His skating stride, his poise under pressure while carrying the puck and his quick decision-making made the scouts take notice. He’s also grown more adept at using his six-foot-three, 195-pound

bulk to move bodies out of the way in the defensive zone.

As Cougar fans who have seen him knock down clearing attempts at the blueline would certainly attest, Moberg also has great hands, no doubt aided by the fact he was an accomplished Little League baseball pitcher growing up in North Vancouver.

“I have more confidence with the puck, jumping up in the play and just reading it, picking off passes and I’m more confident shooting the puck, just getting them through,” he said. “I’m coming into my own in the defensive zone. I’ve really worked on it and now I’m closing down right away, it’s coming to me now.”

Through 43 games in his second WHL season with the Cougars Moberg has scored nine goals and has 16 assists and his 26 points rank third in team scoring. He’s the obvious frontrunner as the Cougars’ most improved player in 2018-19 and NHL scouts have taken notice.

— see COUGARS, page 10

now, they made some big moves at the deadline and they got (Ty) Westgard from Surrey and he’s a top guy. It will be a good matchup but I think we’re a little better.”

Spruce Kings fans who weren’t in attendance last Friday when they beat the Cowichan Valley Capitals 3-0 in their first home game of 2019 will get a chance this weekend to watch newly-acquired 19-year-old forwards Lucas Vanderboys and Nick Wilson. Vanderboys, a native of Thamesville, Ont., who played last season for the Nanaimo Clippers, will be looking for his first point as a Spruce King since being traded Jan. 10 from the Clippers. Wilson was playing junior B for the Richmond Sockeyes when he got the call to join the Spruce Kings at the deadline. Now in his third BCHL season, Wilson has also been held

pointless in four games with the Kings after picking up seven goals and 13 points and 64 penalty minutes in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League with the Sockeyes. Both bring a measure of grit to the Kings’ forward units. “It’s not their first year (in the BCHL) so they bring a little experience,” said Ahac. “They seem like they’re all for the team, they really want to have a good run. They’re great people, too, so it’s obviously a great addition.”

Forward Spencer DenBeste remains sidelined with a shoulder injury he sustained Saturday in Vernon. The Lake Superior State recruit has played 10 BCHL games since being acquired in a future considerations deal from the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL. The Kings are otherwise healthy heading into the weekend.

Beaudry 40th in World Cup race

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

The pursuit of excellence on the BMW World Cup circuit drove Prince George biathlete Sarah Beaudry to a top-40 finish in Thursday’s sprint in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy. The 24-year-old Caledonia Nordic Ski Club graduate placed 40th out of 94 starters to qualify for Saturday’s 10-kilometre pursuit.

Beaudry hit nine of 10 targets in two shooting bouts and crossed the finish 1:33.5 behind goldmedalist Marketa Davidova of the Czech Republic, who clocked 21:40.7.

Kaisa Makarainen of Finland (0-1, +1.7 seconds) and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland of Norway (10, +3.5) won silver and bronze respectively.

Rosanna Crawford of Canmore (0-1, +58.3) was the top Canadian in 23rd place. Megan Bankes of Calgary (0-1, 1:05.8) placed 26th and will join Crawford and Beaudry in the pursuit. Emma Lunder of Vernon (2-1, +2:25.5)

just missed the top-60, finishing 61st.

Beaudry’s best-ever World Cup finish came in December when she was 12th in the sprint in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. She placed 29th in the individual race at the 2018 Olympics in Pyongchang. The Canadian men – Scott and Chiristian Gow of Canmore, Aidan Millar of Canmore and Jules Burnotte of Sherbrooke, Que. – are entered in today’s 10 km sprint. Mass start races are on the schedule Sunday.

The World Cup tour returns to Canmore for races Feb. 7-10. Meanwhile, in other local biathlon news, Emily Dickson of Burns Lake is in Osrblie, Slovakia, preparing for the world junior championships, which start on Sunday with individual races. The 21-year-old Caledonia club member, a seven-time qualifier for the youth/junior world championships, is coming off a 39th-place finish Sunday in the IBU Cup women’s pursuit in Arber, Germany. Dickson started the race 56th.

MOBERG

Cougars in Calgary for clash with Hitmen

from page 9

“It’s a huge accomplishment and hopefully he just keeps growing within,” said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk. “The more he matures and the more he plays the better he’s getting and it’s good to see (NHL) teams are recognizing it.

“It’s the way he can skate, the way he sees the ice, and his ability to jump in at the right time. His weakness, if at all, we thought was defence but he’s really buying into what we’re teaching and things are getting better for him. He can play a 200-foot game and he does have the offensive ability, as we see with his puck control.”

The Cougars finished off a five-game homestand Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Moberg, picked as the second star, assisted on the second Cougar goal and had four shots on net while helping his team hold the Warriors to just 16 shots.

“We shut them down pretty well. Their top line (Justin Almeida, Tristan Langan, Brayden Tracey) got shut down well by (Joel) Lakusta, (Ryan) Schoettler, (Josh) Curtis, (Ilijah) Colina and (Tyson) Upper – they did a really good job keeping them off the scoresheet until overtime,” said Moberg, a North Shore Winter Club product placed on the Cougars’ protected list in August 2016.

With Gauthier away, Isaiah DiLaura drew his first start in net for

the Cougars since Dec. 30 and he played well. The Cougars did their jobs in front of him, only rarely allowing the Warriors to operate in the offensive end.

“They had 16 shots on net and 10 scoring chances – we wanted

Timberwolves targeting Thunderbirds at UBC

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

Coming off their biggest win of the season Saturday in Edmonton, the UNBC Timberwolves are back on the U Sports Canada West road seeking yet another upset.

The T-wolves (8-8) will have to be sharp to shoot down the UBC Thunderbirds, the fourth-ranked university men’s basketball team in the country. Only the undefeated Calgary Dinos (16-0) sport a better Canada West record than UBC (15-1).

“It’s rare to have three nationally-ranked teams on the road in your schedule,” said fourth-year UNBC guard Saje Gosal, in a team release.

“For us, it’s a unique challenge and something we are really looking forward to. We have given ourselves confidence by going into Saskatchewan, beating them, going into Alberta, and beating them. We are looking to continue that trend.”

Just prior to the semester break, Nov. 30, UNBC beat the Saskatchewan Huskies 83-76 in Saskatoon, then lost four straight. They ended their slide Saturday with an 81-70 win over the Alberta Golden Bears.

“Last week, Alberta was one of the top defensive teams in the country,” said Gosal. “This week, UBC is one of the top offensive teams in the country. Our game plan shifts to keeping them out of transition, tightening up our defence, and watching some of their best players to make sure they don’t get their confidence, or get going early.”

Through 16 games, the T-birds have averaged 95.9 points, tops in the conference, and they’ve allowed just 73.4 points per game, third-best in Canada West. The T-wolves score 80.3 points per game, on average, and have allowed an average 78.1 points.

The T-wolves will be keeping a close watch on sharpshooting guards Jadon Cohee (tied for second in Canada West averaging 19.5 points) and Manroop Clair (sixth in the league with a 18.9

point average). Gosal says they will be ready for them.

“We have experienced guys across the board,” he said. “Fourth- and fifth-year guys who are used to guarding elite-level talent. When you face a team with four or five guys who can score 20 on any given night, you want to have those veteran guys in your locker room who are not afraid of the challenge. Defensively, we feel like we can have a team effort and stop not just one guy, but hopefully the whole team.”

UNBC has just four games left in the season and the T-wolves will be trying to solidify a playoff spot, currently ranked ninth in the 17-team league. The top 12 teams advance to the postseason.

The men’s game starts at 7 p.m.

The UNBC women battle the Thunderbirds today at 1:30 p.m. in the first of their two-game weekend set. The T-wolves (9-7, eighth in Canada West) will be trying to end a two-game losing streak after getting swept by the Alberta Pandas last weekend.

The T-birds (12-4, fifth in Canada West) have won their last nine games.

“It is really important for us to get wins this weekend, because we would like to host a playoff game, instead of going somewhere else,” said second-year UNBC forward Alexis Magrath. “It’s also important to help us just make the playoffs, because we haven’t secured that spot yet.

“I am expecting them to come out hard against our top players, just like we are going to come out hard against theirs. We will have to rely on some players who they may not be thinking of, to keep us ahead of them.”

two points and got one and hopefully we can look back when it’s playoff time and say that point helped us,” said Matvichuk. That tight defensive coverage will have to continue for the Cougars to make the playoffs. They’ve

averaged just 2.26 goals per game.

Only the last-overall Swift Current Broncos have scored fewer goals (98) than Prince George (102).

The Cougars begin a three-game road trip tonight (6 p.m., 94.3 FM The Goat) in Calgary against the

Hitmen (21-19-3-1). The Cougars will be in Red Deer to face the Rebels Saturday (6 p.m. PT), then travel to Edmonton to take on the Oil Kings Sunday at 3 p.m. Prince George (16-24-3-2) is fifth in the B.C. Division, tied in points (37) with the fourth-place Kamloops Blazers, who have played one fewer game than the Cougars. The Cats and Blazers are just two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. The Cougars have 23 games left in the regular season, including four games against division rivals Vancouver, Victoria and Kamloops, and one against Kelowna.

The next five games for the Cats are on the road.

“I liked our energy (Tuesday night) so hopefully we can bring the same thing on the road. We’ve been a good road team as of late,” said Matvichuk. “It’s three games in 2 1/2 days and we have to be ready to go.”

Cougars winger Josh Maser will serve the remainder of his threegame suspension and is expected to be back in the lineup for the Edmonton game. Maser, the team’s leading goal-scorer with 18, was banished after the league watched the video of his hit on Kamloops Blazers defenceman Quinn Schmiemann during Sunday’s game at CN Centre, which left Schmiemann with a concussion.

Elementary basketball on NSC court

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

Last year’s final needed overtime to decide. Can this year’s Junior Timberwolves School District 57 Hoops Classic basketball tournament match that kind of excitement?

Six elementary schools from inner-city (venture) communities will decide that on court in the oneday tournament, which begins today at 8:30 a.m. at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre.

“Last year’s tournament kind of sparked something within the students from a basketball perspective, they gained a new passion for the sport,” said tournament organizer Nav Parmar. “We’ll be seeing a lot of the players from last year at this one as well.”

The Westwood Wildcats are the defending champions after their overtime win against the Spruceland Spartans, who scored a buzzer-beater to send the game into OT. The other schools involved this year are Nusdeh Yoh, Ron Brent, Van Bien and Quinson.

“They’ll have the full experience of a UNBC game with chairs set up (for the players), the score clock will be running, the scorer’s table will be set up and the bleachers will be out – it will be a fun atmosphere for them,” said Parmar. “It’s just a cool day, stuff they normally don’t get. It’s nice to see the smiles on their faces and how excited they are when we provide them this opportunity.”

Lance Potskin, who heads the SD 57 Northern Huskies aboriginal education sports program, is co-

organizer of the Hoops Classic.

Parmar, an assistant coach for the UNBC Timberwolves men’s team and aboriginal educator at Southridge elementary, is always on the lookout for diamonds in the rough to restock the T-wolves cupboard. He says there’s no reason to doubt a future university star like Tyrell Laing, a Peden Hill Elementary alumni and Prince George Secondary School graduate now in his third season playing point guard at UNBC, will be among the young basketball talent assembled on the NSC court today.

“The biggest thing with these students is they lack the self-confidence to pursue a new sport because they don’t get that positive reinforcement outside of school,” said Parmar. “It’s a great opportunity for me to see which kids have a passion for it. At every Junior Timberwolves program we have there’s at least two or three students from the tournaments I do around the district who have joined our camps ad academies.”

Parmar and UNBC men’s team head coach Todd Jordan oversee the Junior T-wolves club program, which typically starts in late March and runs through May, with the T-wolves’ university players serving as coaches.

Hub City Volkswagen is sponsoring game jerseys and T-shirts for all the players and Panago Pizza will keep them well-fortified. The teams will play short games with two 10-minute halves. Each team is guaranteed three games. The final will be played today at 2 p.m.

James an all-star captain, Leonard a starter

Citizen news service

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is a captain and an all-star starter – again.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will choose his own teammates as the other captain.

Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard was named a starter for the third time, first with Toronto in the East.

And Hornets guard Kemba Walker is about to make his first all-star start, on his home floor in Charlotte.

While there were perhaps mild surprises, there were no real stunners during Thursday night’s unveiling of the starters for the NBA all-star game that will be played in Charlotte on Feb. 17. James and Antetokounmpo are captains, their perk for being the leading votegetters out of the Western and Eastern Conferences, and nine of this year’s 10 starters have been chosen to begin all-star Games in the past.

MVP James Harden were the picks at guard, with James, Golden State’s Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City’s Paul George getting the frontcourt spots.

Walker is the lone exception, and broke into a smile when realizing he was a pick.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Walker told TNT during the broadcast to announce the starters.

The starting guards from the East are Boston’s Kyrie Irving and Walker. The East frontcourt picks were Antetokounmpo, Leonard and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. From the West, Stephen Curry and reigning NBA

“I had a lot of doubt coming into my early career about just even being an elite point guard in this league,” Walker said. “So for me to become an allstar for two straight years and then now to become an all-star starter most definitely proves the doubters wrong. So this is an unbelievable moment in my career.” James, who has been out for a month with a groin injury but is nearing a return, extended his own record by getting picked as a starter for the 15th consecutive year. He was also a captain last year in the first usage of this captain’s-choice format – and just like last year, James will have the No. 1 pick when he and Antetokounmpo get together on Feb. 7 to choose their 12-man teams.

The Bucks, off to an NBA-best 34-12 start, were predictably thrilled that Antetokounmpo earned one of the captaincies.

“It speaks to how incredible of a player he is, how much excitement he creates for fans and people want to follow him and watch him and I guess vote for him in this case,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, who currently is the front-runner to coach one of the two all-star teams. “It’s just welldeserved.”

CITIZEN FILE PHOTO

Prince George Cougars defenceman Cole Moberg jumps into the boards in celebration after scoring a goal against the Seattle Thunderbirds on Nov. 3 at CN Centre.

Nadal dominates Tsitsipas to get to final

Citizen news service

MELBOURNE — Rafael Nadal is certainly not treating tennis’ next generation well at the Australian Open.

Add 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas to the list of youngsters Nadal has bullied on his way to his fifth final at Melbourne Park and 25th at all Grand Slam tournaments.

Nadal needed all of 11 minutes Thursday to show Tsitsipas – and everyone else – that the kid’s upset of Roger Federer was not going to be replicated on this night. Not even close. Breaking Tsitispas in the match’s third game and then another five times Thursday, while never facing a single break point himself until the very last game, Nadal won 6-2, 6-4, 6-0.

“It felt like a different dimension of tennis completely,” said the 14th-seeded Tsitsipas, a blank expression on his face. “He gives you no rhythm. He plays just a different game style than the rest of the players. He has this, I don’t know, talent that no other player has. I’ve never seen a player have this. He makes you play bad.”

It was the same straight-set, no-contest treatment Nadal gave to 19-year-old Alex de Minaur in the third round and 21-yearold Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals.

Asked if he was trying to make a statement with the way he soundly defeated these up-and-coming talents, Nadal said: “They don’t need any message, no. They are good. They’re improving every month. So it’s always a big challenge to play against them.”

Sure hasn’t seemed like it.

Tsitsipas’ run to the first major semifinal of his nascent career was most notable for the way he beat 20-time major champion Federer in the fourth round, saving 12 of 12 break points across four sets and three hours, 45 minutes.

But the left-handed Nadal was a much more difficult puzzle to solve.

On Sunday, the 32-year-old Spaniard will try to earn his second Australian Open title – he won the hard-court event in 2009 – and his 18th Slam trophy.

Plenty on line

That final will come against either topseeded Novak Djokovic or Lucas Pouille, who meet today.

A title would make Nadal only the third man in the sport’s history to win each Grand Slam title at least twice, joining retired Australian greats Rod Laver – a front-row spectator Thursday night in an arena named for him – and Roy Emerson.

After a series of health issues, Nadal is once again the relentless forehand-whipping force that can dominate anyone. He quit during his quarterfinal match at Melbourne Park a year ago because of a right leg problem, then stopped again during his semifinal at the U.S. Open in September because of a painful right knee. That was followed by off-season surgery on

for Osaka and Kvitova

MELBOURNE — Naomi Osaka never made it past the fourth round at any of the first 10 Grand Slam tournaments of her career. Now, still just 21, she’s suddenly on the verge of a second consecutive major championship.

And the No. 1 ranking, too.

Osaka moved one victory away from adding the Australian Open trophy to the one she collected 4 1/2 months ago at the U.S. Open, using her smooth power to produce 15 aces and groundstroke winners at will while beating Karolina Pliskova of the

Czech Republic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the semifinals Thursday. “I just told myself to regroup in the third set and just try as hard as I can,” said Osaka, who saved four break points in the last set and finished the match with an ace at 185 km/h. “I was so scared serving second serves. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. Please!” Osaka said. “Somehow, I made it. I guess that’s experience.”

A day after erasing four match points and a 5-1 deficit in the third set to stun Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, Pliskova could

not produce the same kind of comeback.

Instead it is Osaka, the only Japanese woman to win a major singles title, who will face two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Saturday. The winner will rise to the top of the WTA rankings for the first time; Osaka is currently No. 4, Kvitova is No. 6.

Osaka’s fourth-round finish at Melbourne Park a year ago was her best showing at a major until last year’s U.S. Open, where she outplayed Williams in the final. A victory over Kvitova would make Osaka

Rahm off to hot start at Torrey Pines

SAN DIEGO (AP) — All the attention was on Tiger Woods and his 2019 debut. Just like the last two occasions, Jon Rahm delivered the best performance.

In ideal conditions even by San Diego standards, Rahm opened with an eagle and kept going lower until he had a 10-under 62 on the North course at Torrey Pines, giving him a one-shot lead over Justin Rose after the opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“You play the South on the first day, you’re trying to survive,” Rahm said. “On the North, you’ve got to start under par to

keep up. I kept the pedal down.”

Woods was on the tougher South course, where he won his last major, the 2008 U.S. Open. He made three birdies on the back nine for a 70, which he thought could have been lower but found acceptable given that it was his first competition in nearly two months.

“I probably could have shot something around 68 or 67 today pretty easily,”

Woods said. “I hit a lot of good putts that were around the hole that just didn’t quite fall in. Overall, shooting a couple under par on the South course is not so bad, but

now I’m forced to have to shoot a low one tomorrow just like most of the field did over there today.”

Rahm’s highlight last year was beating Woods on Sunday in the Ryder Cup during a European victory in France. He ended the year by closing with a 65 to win Woods’ holiday tournament in the Bahamas.

They were on opposite ends of Torrey Pines, and the Spaniard made the most of being on the North course, which is 440 yards shorter and played just over two shots easier on average. He made two eagles on the back nine to go out in 29, and his only

his right ankle.

Even though he is wearing a strip of tape over an abdominal muscle that troubled him in the past, Nadal has been terrific in Australia, winning all 18 sets he has played.

“I’m really disappointed today,” Tsitsipas said, adding that he hoped to “prove myself a little bit more, not let him dominate the entire match. Just felt wrong.”

the first woman to win two Slams in a row since Williams claimed four straight across the 2014-15 seasons.

Two years ago, Kvitova missed the Australian Open, just weeks after her left hand was stabbed by an intruder at her home in the Czech Republic. Back at her best during what she calls her “second career,” Kvitova surged to a 7-6 (2), 6-0 victory against 35th-ranked American Danielle Collins after Rod Laver Arena’s retractable roof was closed as the temperature soared toward 40 C.

regret was missing a seven-foot birdie putt on his final hole that would have tied the North course record set 12 years ago by Brandt Snedeker, who was in his group.

“I don’t think you ever tee up on any course at Torrey Pines expecting to shoot 10-under par,” said Rahm, who won at Torrey two years ago for his first PGA Tour title. Rose played in the group behind him, also opened with an eagle and did his best to keep up. He played bogey-free for a 63 and finished with a birdie. He played in the same group as Jordan Spieth (65) and Billy Horschel (66).

Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in their semifinal at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

What’s wrong with the Capitals?

Barry SVRLUGA Citizen news service

Five years ago Thursday, Alex Ovechkin sat out because of a lower body injury, 41-year-old Jaromir Jagr dished out two assists for New Jersey, and the Washington Capitals lost to the Devils, 2-1. Their seventh straight defeat left them seventh in the Metropolitan Division. The season – and even the franchise – felt on a precipice, and it was. That summer, Adam Oates was out as coach, and George McPhee was out as general manager.

Until Wednesday night, the Caps hadn’t lost seven straight since. Now, they have, and that fact will sit with them for more than a week as they scatter around the globe for the NHL’s AllStar break and their subsequent bye week. When they return, the jobs of their coach and their general manager won’t be at stake like they were that night in New Jersey. This might not be disarray. But they have allowed 30 goals – 30 goals! – in six games. That’s unbefitting a Stanley Cup champion, and the entire skid brings up some uncomfortable questions about the state of the current team.

The first is this: the coach with whom the Caps won the Stanley Cup not only is no longer coaching the Caps, but he’s coaching the team ahead of them in the division. Barry Trotz’s New York Islanders dealt Washington the fifth of these seven losses, a 2-0 defeat last Friday at Capital One Arena that marked a lovely homecoming for Trotz, who delighted in the tribute he received, but delighted more in stomping on the throats of the team that offered the tribute.

I’m not going to get revisionist here. I understood at the time why the Caps and Trotz came to an impasse on a new contract for the coach that won the Cup. (To review: Trotz was nearly fired twice during the 2017-18 regular season, and understandably wanted a five-year, $20-million contract after winning the Cup, which made some members of the Capitals hierarchy uneasy.) Let’s not make this about, “Well, if they only had Trotzy...”

I think the break is coming at a good time for us. We understand there’s a lot of work to be done when we get back.

— Todd Reirden

But the issue of the coach also can’t be ignored. Todd Reirden was a well-liked assistant on Trotz’s staff, considered a head coach-inwaiting. But before this season, he had never run an NHL team and taken on all the responsibilities that come with that. His first squad: the defending Stanley Cup champions.

That’s a lot to deal with, and when the Capitals navigated the travails of the early part of the season – a suspension to Tom Wilson, injuries to T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Orpik – it seemed Reirden and his veteran leaders had endured the widely predicted Stanley Cup hangover.

Except here they are, wheezing and stumbling through January, carrying a massive headache into the break.

“I think the break is coming at a good time for us,” Reirden told reporters in Toronto following Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs. “We understand there’s a lot of work to be done when we get back.”

The work also must include some sort of return to the defensive concepts that won the Caps the Cup. Their recent style could make fans half-expect to see Alexander Semin up front and Mike Green at the point on the power play with Bruce Boudreau behind the bench. That made for fun hockey nearly a decade ago now.

But these scores – losses by 7-2, 8-5, 7-6 and 6-3 in an eight-day span – are junk. It’s not the style they’re built to play. It’s not the style that’s sustainable in April, let alone May and June. It must be purged immediately upon their return. That’s on the veterans, who ought to know bet-

ter. But it’s also on Reirden, who is tasked with pulling the strings.

Some notes about when they get back: their first game is Feb. 1 against Calgary, which carries the best record in the Western Conference. They will face the Flames without Ovechkin, who is skipping the All-Star Game to rest his body, a decision that comes with an NHLmandated one-game absence. Ending the skid starts with one hand tied behind their back.

Beyond that: five more home games, four against teams currently outside playoff position, the other against Colorado, barely hanging on to the second wildcard spot in the West. There is time to get this right, but it won’t correct itself.

Two quotes from two key players jumped out of Isabelle Khurshudyan’s Washington Post game story from Toronto:

“We’ve got to put the work in,” goalie Braden Holtby said.

“I think this is a work thing,” veteran Nicklas Backstrom said.

Look, we knew parts of this post-Cup season would be difficult. When you have played the most meaningful games of your life, how do you get up for St. Louis on a Monday in January (4-1 loss) or San Jose on the following Tuesday (7-6 loss in overtime, which came after a buzzer-beating goal from the Sharks)?

The answer: you better figure out a way. And if a lack of work is the problem, well, that’s unacceptable. These Caps are afforded some leeway because of all they have accomplished. But they’re not allowed to ignore the basics of their job.

This isn’t five years ago. The wheels aren’t about to come off the franchise. Shoot, they’re still in second place in the Metro, just three points behind the Islanders.

Seven games in January doesn’t make the season. Seven games in January doesn’t take away the Cup. But these seven games in January have given these Washington Capitals much to think about during their break. They are playing lousy hockey. A week from Friday, that needs to stop.

Step by step, Pettersson an NHL all-star

Gemma KARSTENS-SMITH

VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson didn’t always envision himself skating among the greats.

“I always believe in myself. But to be honest, growing up I didn’t think I would play in the NHL,” the Vancouver Canucks’ star rookie said Tuesday. “I was just practicing hard, always working and took it step by step. And now I’m here, living my dream. Nothing’s come easy.”

Pettersson will live out a whole new dream this weekend when he takes part in the NHL’s all-star weekend. The 20-year-old native of Sundsvall, Sweden, has earned his spot in the event with eye-popping performances over his first four months in the league. He leads the Canucks in scoring with 23 goals and 21 assists, despite having missed 11 games with injuries.

Ottawa Senators centre Colin White is the current runner-up in the rookie scoring race with 26 points.

Pettersson has shown steady growth since joining the Canucks prospect camp in July, said head coach Travis Green.

“Obviously, he’s improved,” Green said. “The rate of improvement for young players, it’s not the same for every player. I think elite players tend to make adjustments and improve a lot quicker. And I think he’s done that.”

There’s still more to do, Pettersson said. “I’ll still continue working. Even though I’ve had some success lately, it’s a lot of work behind it,” he said.

The six-foot-two, 176-pound Pettersson has also been motivated by the criticism that he’s too small to hold up in the NHL.

“I’ve been doubted that I can’t play because I’m not a big person, I’m too skinny,” said Pettersson, who has focused on what he’s good at, particularly his hockey mind, and honing strengths that other players may not possess. Now he’s about to share the ice with some of the greatest hockey minds in the league. Pettersson said he didn’t grow up watching the star-studded game on television but would often catch the highlights on YouTube.

“For the most part I think it will be fun to be able to see all the good players up close and maybe get to know some of them,” he said.

Brock Boeser was a rookie last year when he represented the Canucks at the event and said it was “humbling” to be around some modern hockey legends.

“When I got to meet (Sidney) Crosby and all those guys – the list goes on (Brent)

Subban says Bellemare bit his finger

Citizen news service

LAS VEGAS — This goalmouth scramble might have had some real bite to it. Nashville defenceman P.K. Subban accused Vegas forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare of chomping on one of his fingers during a scuffle late in the second period of the Predators’ 2-1 victory Wednesday night. Subban said he reached around Bellemare’s head to try to pull him away from Juuse Saros after the Nashville goalie covered the puck, but did not put his finger anywhere near Bellemare’s mouth.

“All I tried to do was grab him,” Subban said. “I grabbed him by the head to pull him up and he bit me, so that’s it. I don’t know what to say.” Bellemare insisted Subban put his hand near his mouth and removed his mouth guard.

“He tried to pull me up, so obviously he’s feeling teeth and he’s acting on it,” Bellemare said. “I don’t know what to tell you, really.”

There was no mouth guard when he pulls up. Those are my teeth.

— Pierre-Edouard

Bellemare

When asked about Subban’s claims that he bit a finger, Bellemare said: “I mean, if you put your hand all the way in the mouth... and you pull up, you’re going to feel the teeth.”

Subban immediately grabbed his right hand, shook it and then showed it to referee Jake Brenk. Subban appeared to have droplets of blood on his jersey.

Bellemare also appeared to have cuts on his lip.

“What do you want me to say?” Bellemare asked. “Like, I have a half glove in my throat and playing with the back of it and pulling me up. There was no mouth guard when he pulls up. Those are my teeth.”

Bellemare wasn’t penalized – but Subban was after the defenceman got into it with Vegas forward Ryan Reaves a few moments after the initial skirmish. Subban was called for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct, while Reaves was also penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I don’t know how I walk out of there with four minutes in penalties,” Subban said. “They tried to apologize after the fact, but they already gave me four minutes in penalties. My finger is bleeding.

“It just is what it is. ... We won the game, so I forgot about it after that.”

Burns, (Anze) Kopitar and all those guys on my team – it was such an eye-opening experience and it was super fun,” said the 21-year-old right-winger.

Boeser said he thought about what the experience would be like for much of his six-hour flight to Tampa Bay and was incredibly nervous before his turn in the shooting accuracy event.

“My hands were sweaty before I even shot. I wasn’t even nervous to shoot in front of the crowd. It was more nerve wracking to shoot in front of all these guys,” he said. “I thought I was screwed.”

Despite the nerves, Boeser hit all five targets in 11.13 seconds to win the competition over Crosby, Blake Wheeler, Steven Stamkos and four other all-stars.

Afterwards, Crosby skated over to introduce himself and chat while technicians fixed the targets. Boeser’s shot had broken the plastic.

“Once you get out there and do it and you get out there in the game, you’re not nervous anymore and you can enjoy the whole thing,” said Boeser, who went on to tally 55 points in his first full season before he was sidelined with a broken bone in his lower back.

Pettersson doesn’t know yet which skills competition he’ll be in this weekend, but had some comments about Boeser’s performance last year.

“He was lucky,” Pettersson said with a smile.

The young Canuck should line up against the other all-stars in this year’s accuracy event, Boeser said.

“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You see how good his accuracy is out there. It wouldn’t surprise me. But I mean, he’s so skilled at everything else so who knows what they’re going to put him in.”

WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY JOHN MCDONNELL

Washington Capitals coach Todd Reirden, standing behind Prince George product Brett Connolly (10), takes a seven-game losing streak into the all-star break.

CP PHOTO Elias Pettersson, left, and goalie Jacob Markstrom celebrate Vancouver’s 5-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 15 in Vancouver.

MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

OTTAWA (CP) — These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Thursday. Quotations in Canadian funds.

Ottawa strikes 5G deal with Nokia

Citizen news service

The federal government announced up to $40 million in funding for Finnish telecom giant Nokia on Thursday to conduct research on 5G wireless technology in Canada.

The funding comes as Ottawa is in the middle of a comprehensive nationalsecurity review of the potential involvement of Nokia’s Chinese rival, Huawei, in Canada’s eventual fifth generation mobile network.

Ottawa is also locked in a diplomatic dispute with Beijing following Canada’s Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.

Huawei, Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson are among the top contenders to help Canada’s telecom companies, including BCE and Telus, build the country’s 5G mobile networks.

Three of Canada’s partners in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group – the United States, Australia and New Zealand – have banned the use of Huawei products in 5G network development based on fears the company could spy on behalf of China.

Federal Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, who along with Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is responsible for overseeing the 5G security review, has said the analysis is not just about Huawei and is designed to assess how best to protect Canadians.

Bains finalized the Nokia deal Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, where he’s participating in the World Economic Forum.

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index resumed its climb higher while trading on U.S. stock markets was mixed Thursday as the Commerce Secretary poured cold water on hopes of a quick trade deal with China. The S&P/TSX composite index ended two down days by closing up 72.45 points at 15,280.78. The market was led by the health-care sector, which saw several cannabis companies post gains.

Energy rose 1.5 per cent on increases led by Canadian Natural Resources and Suncor Energy Inc. The materials and industrials sectors followed. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. gained nearly three per cent after posting strong 2018 results that beat expectations.

Great-West Lifeco Inc. was down 4.8 per cent while Rogers Communications shares slipped 2.3 per cent despite raising its dividend for the first time since 2015.

The Canadian stock market has been on a tear in January on a rise in crude oil prices. West Texas Intermediate has risen 25 per cent since its December low but the Canadian market has benefited from a shrinking in the differential for Canadian crude as the price of Western Canadian Select has surged to US$41.62 per barrel from less than US$12 in November.

The March crude contract was up 51 cents at US$53.13 per barrel and the March natural gas contract was up 7.6 cents at US$3.00 per mmBTU.

The market’s appreciation has been directly related to the overselling witnessed in December, says Kash Pashootan, CEO and chief investment officer at First Avenue Investment Counsel Inc.

“We don’t feel that these returns have in any way been motivated by improving economic factors or strong earnings,” he said.

“That means that once the market does find its new equilibrium and recalibrates – which we feel for the most part that’s taken place –then we get back to the markets going up and down based on the actual fundamentals.”

The Canadian dollar traded for an average of 74.90 cents US compared with an average of 74.92 cents US on Wednesday.

The February gold contract was down US$4.20 at US$1,279.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was down one cent at US$2.64 a pound.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 22.38 points at 24,553.24. The S&P 500 index was up 3.63 points at 2,642.33, while the Nasdaq composite was up 47.69 points at 7,073.46.

Canada’s ongoing scrutiny of Huawei has created concerns within the Chinese government. Lu Shaye, China’s envoy to Ottawa, warned Canada last week of possible repercussions if the government ultimately decides to bar Huawei from building the country’s 5G networks.

A Chinese foreign-ministry spokeswoman later tried to play down Lu’s remarks, by saying the ambassador didn’t mean that China intended to interfere in Ottawa’s decision-

Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa speaks during the company’s shareholder meeting in Helsinki, Finland, in May 2018.

making process. Hua Chunying also told journalists in Beijing on Monday that losses would be inevitable since Huawei is a leading supplier of 5G technology, according to a transcript on the foreign ministry’s website.

Later the same day, Bains and Goodale told reporters that Huawei isn’t the only company that can build 5G in Canada. When asked about options, Bains mentioned Ericsson as an example.

Few details are available about Canada’s 5G security review but a well-placed source has said a decision is still months away.

The development of 5G – or fifth-generation – mobile networks will give users much faster connections and provide powerful data capacity to meet heavy demand from new applications, such as virtual reality, as people connect

more devices to the internet.

The federal funding will back Nokia’s research work in Canada to help telecom networks meet the needs of 5G technology. The company is also developing cybersecurity tools to protect telecom networks.

The government is expected to sell the deal as a way to support more than 2,000 of Nokia’s jobs already in Canada and to create 237 new positions. Nokia Canada’s projects, valued at over $214 million, are based in Mississauga, Ont., and the Ottawa suburb of Kanata.

The issue of whether Huawei is allowed to build the country’s 5G networks has connections to a diplomatic crisis over Canada’s recent arrest of Meng, the company’s chief financial officer and daughter of its founder.

Apple cuts jobs in shakeup of self-driving car division

Citizen news service

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is reducing the size of its workforce assigned to driverless car technology as the company reorganizes amid weakening sales of iPhones, its biggest money-maker.

The company acknowledged the cutbacks in a Thursday statement, without specifying the number of jobs affected. CNBC reported that more than 200

employees were dismissed from Apple’s self-driving car division, known internally as “Project Titan.”

Some of the employees who lost their jobs in the driverless car division have been reassigned to other parts of the Cupertino, Calif., company, according to Apple.

Despite the reductions, Apple emphasized that it’s still committed to helping build robotic cars,

something it has been working on for several years. So far, though, Apple has lagged behind many of the other technology companies and automakers trying to catch up to the still-nascent field’s early leader, Waymo, a Google spinoff that began its work on autonomous vehicles a decade ago.

“We continue to believe there is a huge opportunity with autonomous systems, that Apple has unique capabilities to contribute,

First impressions count in business

Iwant to tell you three stories about first impressions that happened in the last week.

First, my friend Freddy was MAD. You see Freddy took his wife’s car into a dealer last week and had a terrible experience. The worst thing for the dealer was that it was Freddy’s first time and if they were trying to make a good impression on a new customer, they failed badly. Not only did they forget to pick up Freddy at the promised time, Freddy had to call them three times over the next two hours before he made other arrangements to use another car to pick up his kids.

After he picked up his wife and had her drive him to the dealer to get the car, he brought it home and upon backing it up the next day found oil on his garage floor that had leaked out of the car. Finally, on top of that, his windshield washer fluid was low despite the fact he was charged for “shop supplies” that were said to be included.

Secondly, I was working with a new client this week and walked into his business. My first impression was that he was closing. There were empty spaces on the shelves, product looked dated and the walls were badly in need of paint. I wasn’t surprised that

his sales were declining, I was surprised that he was confused about why it was happening.

Thirdly, I was giving a presentation on DISC where I asked participants to tell the people around them what their impressions of them were. The people in the groups had known each other for six months but one woman was shocked because her colleagues thought that she was scary. They had this impression because in the first week of meeting them she had done a skit where she was apparently very realistic in her depiction of someone who was terrifying. First impressions are hard to overcome. Whether we meet someone initially or come in contact with a business for the first time, what we experience can bias our expectations of the relationship. That first encounter can sour us to further experiences or have us longing for more of the same. Unfortunately when it comes to a bad first impression in business, all the money we spent in

marketing and advertising to lure that ideal customer to us has gone to waste. It can be very expensive for a company that messes up with a customer as the dealer messed up with Freddy. Not only did Freddy have to go back to the dealer to get the issue dealt with, but they were forced to send someone to clean up the oil in his garage. They had to offer him a number of expensive incentives to ensure that he didn’t file a bad survey score. Getting things right the first time is often more complex than it seems. When we have lots of moving parts in our companies, there are lots of things that can go wrong. Having systems of checks and balances in place to ensure that when people come in contact with us, they get the customer service that they expect takes considerable thought and energy. After years of building up a business, employees without the proper hiring and training can make mistakes that can ruin our business in months. So what must we do to ensure that our first impressions are lasting and positive?

Successful companies start by asking some serious questions. What are all the things that need to happen to get the result from our clients or customers that we desire? What are the steps we

and that this is the most ambitious machine learning project ever,” the company said. Apple is reassessing its priorities as it adjusts to a waning demand for iPhones, a shift that caused the company to fall shy of its own revenue projections for the quarter covering the crucial holiday shopping season.

The company is scheduled to release its earnings for that period next Tuesday.

need to implement to ensure that things get done? What policies do we need to initiate and enforce to ensure that our employees are accountable and consistent? Who is going to be responsible for tracking the end results and how are we going to measure that success?

Unfortunately many companies spend more money fixing their mistakes than setting up the systems that could prevent them. This costly mistake not only hurts the bottom line – each and every time that errors and poor first impressions are made – but it further reduces the long term value of the company by raising costs and reducing profits. We have all made bad first impressions at one time or another in our personal or professional lives. Businesses do the same. Freddy was impressed by the effort of the dealer to repair their initial impression, but we don’t all get that second chance. It’s so much easier to do things right the first time than to pick up the pieces later.

Dave Fuller, MBA, is an awardwinning certified professional business coach. If you haven’t met Dave, he would like to make a good first impression on you. Email dave@profityourselfhealthy.com and he will set up a time to talk to you.

DAVE FULLER

Business Coach

Can Greta Van Fleet save rock?

Citizen news service

When the members of the rock band Greta Van Fleet put their last touches on their first full-length album, they didn’t celebrate with a round of beers or a fancy dinner. They immediately started working on new songs.

“Once we finished Anthem of the Peaceful Army – the very day that we’d OK’d all the mixing – we started writing the next album,” said Jake Kiszka, the band’s guitarist. “If we’re stagnant, it becomes boring.”

The young Michigan rockers whose sound and classic rock look is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin have done the opposite of stagnate in the last 18 months. It’s been more like an explosion, capped by four Grammy Award nominations, including best new artist and best rock album.

Since their April 2017 breakthrough with the song Highway Tune, they’ve put out two EPs and their Anthem of the Peaceful Army debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s rock chart and No. 3 on the allgenre albums chart last year. It has also reached the Top 10 in Canada, Italy and Germany.

They’ve played Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, count Elton John as a fan and have been embraced as the four guys who can save rock ‘n’ roll, a tag they

politely decline.

“It’s a silly thing to consider anyone a saviour of rock ‘n’ roll. In our opinion, no one king can wear

that crown,” said Jake Kiszka, 22.

“There’s always someone who carries the torch and takes that into the future and interprets that through their influences.”

Jason Flom, who signed Greta Van Fleet to his Lava Records, said there’s nothing calculated about the band, saying they make music because it’s what they were born to do: “It’s almost like they were sent in a time capsule to save rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “They wouldn’t say that, but I will.”

Keeping the members grounded through all this fuss is blood –three of the members are brothers. Kiszka’s twin, Josh, is the howling singer, and his younger brother, 19-year-old Sam, plays bass and keyboards. The quartet is rounded out by drummer and family friend Danny Wagner, 19.

The Kiszka brothers are so passionate about what they do that they used to get into fistfights when they were younger over musical choices. Now they rely on each other to get through the noise.

“When someone starts to steer one way or another away from the herd, it seems like there’s always someone there to pull you back in,” said Jake Kiszka, who called the past year “being in the eye of a storm. There’s so much chaos around you but the very centre seems so calm.”

At the Grammys, taking place Feb. 10 in Los Angeles, the band is up for best rock song (Black Smoke Rising), best rock performance (Highway Tune) and best rock album (From the Fires EP).

Competition in those categories include the late Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, twenty one pilots, St. Vincent, Weezer, Fall Out Boy and more.

Greta Van Fleet, whose name was inspired by the octogenarian bluegrass musician Gretna VanFleet, also are nominated for best new artist, up against Chloe x Halle, Luke Combs, H.E.R., Dua Lipa, Margo Price, Bebe Rexha and Jorja Smith.

Asked which of the four awards the band most coveted, Jake Kiszka was diplomatic. “I think best album and best performance would be some of the more highlighted categories I’d like us to win. It seems to me the best new artist is sort of a cursed category.”

Does that mean they won’t accept it? “We’ll accept it,” he answered, laughing. “That would be rude.”

Rudeness is not something baked into the band, which also hasn’t relied on social media to fuel its rise. Flom, who has also guided the careers of artists like Lorde and Jessie J, said he’s impressed by Greta Van Fleet’s work ethic and comradery. “They get a week off, they go rent a cabin in the hills of Tennessee and write songs,” he said. “That is their idea of a good time.”

The band hasn’t won over everyone, as proved by the snarky

comments online following their SNL appearance last week. Some criticized them for their ‘60s-styled outfits and for mimicking classic rock gestures. One viewer called them “a glorified college cover band who have just found their dad’s Led Zeppelin records.” Music critics also have been mixed, but the band isn’t letting any of that get under their skin.

“Every individual is entitled to an opinion,” said Jake Kiszka. “I think we’ll always be humbled with the references and honoured by the affiliation of those who have influenced us and inspired us to be musicians. But I think there isn’t a band in this world that somebody doesn’t hate.”

The Zeppelin comparisons once were certainly warranted but increasingly less apt. The band’s early bluesy rock has evolved into a more diverse, mature sound, including the laid-back, You’re the One, the last song created for the latest album. Jake Kiszka said Greta Van Fleet has moved on from their stripped-down sonic beginnings.

“It was sort of an objective of ours to achieve somewhat simplicity – to get to the emotion of it and the truth of it and the feel of it,” he said. “Once that was achieved, in our minds, it was time to start moving forward in a more technical manner – to grow.”

Bohemian Rhapsody director faces sex assault allegations

Citizen news service

Bryan Singer, the director of the Oscar-nominated Bohemian Rhapsody, has been accused of sexually assaulting minors in an expose published by the Atlantic.

The Atlantic on Wednesday published a lengthy article based on a 12-month investigation. It details the stories of four alleged victims who said they were seduced and molested by the Bohemian Rhapsody director while underage. Three of the men spoke on the condition of anonymity. Victor Valdovinos said he was molested by Singer on the set of 1998’s Apt Pupil when he was in the seventh grade.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office earlier investigated claims that male minors were pressured into stripping naked for a shower scene in Apt Pupil but declined to press charges. Lawsuits filed by families of the minors involved were settled out of court.

In a statement issued through his attorney, Singer denied the claims and called The Atlantic article a

“homophobic smear piece that he said was ”conveniently timed“ to take advantage of the success of Bohemian Rhapsody.

The Freddie Mercury biopic on Tuesday was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. Singer was dismissed as the director of Bohemian Rhapsody during shooting after several absences from the London production. Singer remains the sole credited director on the film even though he was replaced by Dexter Fletcher.

The journalists, Maximillian Potter and Alex French, defended their reporting as rigorously factchecked in a statement issued Wednesday. Potter and French said the story was originally vetted and approved for publication at the Hearst-owned Esquire, but was “killed by Hearst executives.” A spokesperson for Hearst didn’t immediately respond to messages Wednesday.

Shortly after Singer was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman filed a lawsuit in Seattle against Singer alleging the director raped him in 2003 when Sanchez-Guzman was 17.

CITIZEN NEWS SERVICE PHOTO

In this Dec. 8 photo, Josh Kiszka, foreground left, and Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet perform at the 2018 KROQ Absolut Almost Acoustic Christmas in Inglewood, Calif. The young Michigan rockers, whose sound and classic rock look is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, are nominated for four Grammy Awards.

Jean Marie Davey May 26, 1934January 17, 2019

A good wife, sister, mother, friend. A private, shy, faithful and committed woman.

Jean was born In Clouston, Saskatchewan. After she married her husband Bill in 1951, they moved to Prince George and Built their home on Parent Road where they raised their family. She is predeceased by her husband Bill and survived by 5 children: Robert (Annette), Charles, Gary, Valerie (Richard), Sheila (Dennis), 7 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren. She enjoyed being outside, fishing, trapping, hunting, camping, the casino, sports, dancing, gardening, talking, but above all,spending time with her family.

She will be remembered by her physical and inner strength and having a tender heart. Funeral will be held January 26, 2019 at 1:00pm from Immaculate Conception with Father Chris Lynch officiating. A reception will be held immediately afterwards with snacks and refreshments at 2 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion Local 43 at 1116 6th Ave. A special thank-you goes to her family, lifetime friends, the many neighbours from Marleau Subdivision and Asher Place.

We would like to also thank the amazing doctors, nurses and medical staff at UHNBC, and Bryce the kind, skillful, social worker from ICU.

Don’t think of me as gone away, My journey’s just begun.

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved Mother and “Nanna,” Natalina Maria Pellegrino, who passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 19, 2019, at the age of 84. Natalina was born in Scigliano, Italy on December 23, 1934, and immigrated to Canada in 1963, to join her husband in order to build a better life for their young family. Natalina was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother whose greatest joy in life was to spend time with her family. Natalina is survived by her daughter, Filomena (Angelo), and sons Ted (Sherry), Hugo (Tracey), and Tony (Velinda). She will also be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren Daniela (Darren), Doriana, Briana (Paul), Stefanie, Sofia, Maximo and great-grandson Christian. Brothers Raimondo (Esterina), Albino (Algidia), sisters-in-law Elfida, Michelina, Pierina (Italo) Maletta and numerous nieces, nephews, family members and friends. Natalina was predeceased by her parents Antonio and Filomena Astorino, her loving husband Egidio and by her brothers Francesco (Carmela), Giuseppe (Victoria), Carmelo (Irma), Domenico (Rosina), Mario, Emelio and sisters Alessandrina (Salvatore) Manfredi, Giuditta (Giuseppe) Damiano.

Prayers will be held at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 7:00 pm followed by the Funeral Mass on Friday, January 25, 2019 at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice. A special thank you to Dr. Higgins who provided care and support to Natalina and her family.

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