Prince George Citizen June 19, 2019

Burning up the tracks

A full contingent from Prince George Fire

Another B.C. sawmill to close

Sun

B.C.’s lumber industry has been struck another blow with the announcement that West Fraser would permanently close its Chasm mill and eliminate the third shift from its 100 Mile House mill. This will result in a total loss of 210 jobs – 176 in Chasm (between Clinton and 70 Mile House) and the rest at 100 Mile House – to take effect sometime between July and September.

Ray Ferris, president of Vancouver-based West Fraser, said the decision to close Chasm and reduce shifts at 100 Mile House was due to a lack of supply, high saw-log costs and price declines for processed lumber.

“This decision is the result of well-documented timber supply constraints owing to B.C.’s devastating mountain pine beetle infestation, recent record wildfires, price declines in lumber markets and high saw-log costs,” Ferris said in a prepared statement. Ferris also attributed blame to “reduced harvesting levels set by

the Chief Forester of B.C.” that meant there was insufficient timber supply to support the Chasm and 100 Mile House operations.

“We sincerely regret the impact this decision will have on our employees, their families and the affected communities. We will be making efforts to mitigate the effects of this business decision, including opportunities for affected employees to transition to other company locations,” Ferris said.

West Fraser announced two weeks ago that production would be curtailed temporarily for a week in June at five B.C. sawmills.

The company has mills at Chasm, Williams Lake, 100 Mile, Chetwynd, Quesnel and Fraser Lake. It also has a pulp mill in Hinton, Alta.

In the first three months of 2019, West Fraser had sales of $1.2 billion, while cutting production by 125 million board feet. It also permanently cut B.C. production by 300 million board feet.

The company’s first-quarter financial report pointed to B.C. government policy initiatives that

would “affect the B.C. forest sector.”

This included the creation of a Cariboo Protection Plan that could remove timber supply, amendments to the Forest Protection Act that would require companies to get government approval to transfer logging rights and the initiation of the Interior Revitalization process.

Earlier this month, Canfor Corp. revealed it would close its Vavenby sawmill in July, at the cost of 172 jobs. The company plans to sell its logging rights to Interfor Corp, that would process the wood at its sawmill at Adams Lake northeast of Kamloops.

On May 10, Tolko Industries announced the closure of the Quest sawmill in Quesnel, resulting in 150 job losses.

In total, seven B.C. woodmanufacturing facilities have announced a mill or shift closure in the past seven months.

On Monday, the provincial Liberal party called on B.C. Premier John Horgan to do more to protect lumber-mill jobs.

Dry weather has B.C. communities on edge

Denise RYAN Vancouver Sun

Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell said his community is on edge, anticipating what could be another record-breaking fire season. Across B.C., in communities that were hard-hit during the record-breaking 2017 and 2018 wildfire season, the mood is similarly tense.

“Nothing is normal anymore,” Blackwell told Postmedia on Monday. “The behaviour of wildfire can be so dramatic that it has scared a lot of people into a different level of anxiety.”

That mood – anxiety, foreboding – is exacerbated by June’s low rainfall in the area.

“It’s dry,” said Blackwell. So dry the earth is already hydrophobic: water bounces off the soil and trees are already “standing red, dead.”

The community, situated 125 kilometres north of Kamloops, started preparing earlier than

ever this year. By February, Blackwell and his associates were running tabletop exercises, prepping emergency scenarios, and fire crews were practicing with new water cannons.

“We are the lightning strike capital of B.C. so there’s a lot of risk here,” said Blackwell.

In the Stellako region on the western edge of Fraser Lake, former tribal chief and hereditary chief David Luggi said his family was on evacuation alert for about two weeks last summer, their belongings packed into a U-haul. This year Luggi isn’t anticipating as much wildfire in the region because there’s not much left to burn, although they’ve already dealt with a smaller fire east of the Fraser Lake township that sparked after someone cleared their yard and burned rubbish. Luggi said locals are now dealing with a “direct economic hit” as a result of the fires. — see “(IT) GOT, page 3

Feds approve Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

Mia RABSON The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave Canada’s controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion a second lease on life Tuesday, framing the decision in starkly political terms that portrayed his Liberal government as best positioned to walk the narrow tightrope between economic development and environmental protection.

Trapped between the need to find new markets for Canadian oil and his own party’s branding as environmental stewards, the prime minister made his best case for a pipeline project – one the federal government now owns outright – that critics see as diametrically opposed to the core Liberal message of confronting the climate crisis.

“The truth is, it doesn’t make economic or environmental sense to sell any resource at a discount,” Trudeau told a news confer-

ence in Ottawa – a reference to the fact that Canadian energy doesn’t command a premium on the world market, since the neighbouring U.S. is by far its biggest customer.

“Instead, we should take advantage of what we have, and invest the profits in what comes next – building the clean energy future that is already at our doorstep. Fundamentally, this isn’t a choice between producing more conventional energy or less. It’s a choice about where we can sell it and how we get it there safely.”

The decision to approve the project a second time comes nine months after the Federal Court of Appeal ripped up the original approval, citing incomplete Indigenous consultations and a faulty environmental review. The court said the government needed to do better, Trudeau noted.

“And you know what?” he said.

“They were right.” Critics, of which there are many, wasted

little time denouncing the news and predicting another courtroom rejection.

“The federal decision to buy the pipeline and become the owner makes it impossible to make an unbiased decision,” said Chief Leah George-Wilson of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation in B.C.

“We will be appealing the decision to the Federal Court of Appeal.”

The Liberals ordered the National Energy Board to look at marine shipping impacts; Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi started another round of consultations with Indigenous communities affected by the project.

Tuesday’s decision also comes the day after the Liberals passed a motion in the House of Commons declaring climate change a national emergency that would require more cuts to emissions than have already been promised.

In 2016, the National Energy Board said the production of another 590,000 barrels

of oil, which would maximize the twinned pipeline’s capacity, could generate 14-17 million more tonnes of greenhouse gases each year, which means Canada would have to find ways to cut more from other sectors to meet and then exceed its current targets.

While he is sympathetic to concerns about the environment and the need to transition to cleaner sources of energy, Trudeau said Canada needs to take advantage of its natural resources while they are still needed in order to fund that transition.

“The policies of the last century will not serve Canadians in this one,” he said, acknowledging the concerns of environmentalists who fear the twinning project will exponentially increase the risk of a catastrophic spill on the West Coast.

“I understand your desire to protect your coastline and your ocean, because I share it,” he said directly to B.C. residents. — see ‘THE CONSERVATIVES, page 3

David CARRIGG Vancouver

Rascal Flatts coming in October

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff

fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

The Forever Summer Playlist will soon be pumping through CN Centre speakers.

The latest work by Rascal Flatts will intermingle with their greatest hits at a first-time-ever show in Prince George.

On Oct. 27, the country music superstars will hold court in this city and deliver one of the most celebrated concert experiences in the whole country genre.

This is a band that’s had major radio success, but they have backed it up with some of the biggest blockbuster tours country music has to offer.

The hit list for Rascal Flatts started in 2000 with the still popular single Prayin’ For Daylight. They were instantly renowned for layers of harmonies and positive

attitudes. The hits fell down in front of them like ever-growing dominos, including titles like What Hurts The Most (that video has more than 127 million views), Take Me There, Winner At A Losing Game, I’m Moving On, Me And My Gang, I Won’t Let Go, and the ubiquitous Bless The Broken Road. From peppy to poignant, they are masters of the country craft. Frequently their singles catch on on the pop charts in addition to the country hit list. Expert musicianship and airtight vocals is a massive combination in their hands.

They have also tipped their hat to the Canadian songbook with covers of Justin Bieber’s That Should Be Me and racked up a big hit from the Disney-Pixar animated film Cars with their version of Tom Cochrane’s Life Is A Highway. They have had high-profile

collaborations with Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town, Jill Johnson, Lionel Ritchie, Michael Bolton, and Journey (twice) among many others.

Rascal Flatts has a star on both the Music City Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. They have won copious awards from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and Country Music Television, plus a Grammy Award, showstopping performances and hosting duties on those broadcasts, as well as being special guests on NBC’s talent show The Voice.

Rascal Flatts will be joined in Prince George by special guest acts Aaron Goodvin and Steven Lee Olsen when they do their debut P.G. concert this fall. Tickets for this landmark show go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. via all TicketsNorth platforms.

Former P.G. resident a winner at Leo Awards

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff

A former Prince George resident was a winner at this year’s Leo Awards, the pinnacle of the B.C. screen arts industry.

Leia Hutchings was co-nominated along with Zach Williams for their work (directors of photography) on the show Paramedics: Life On The Line.

They were up for Best Cinematography-Documentary Series. That trophy went to Shane Geddes for the show The History Of Food – The Future of Food.

Another nomination for the show – Grant Greschuk in the Best Direction-Documentary Series – also came up short of the win, but the Paramedics: Life On The Line crew still got to feel the rush of victory.

All involved were thrilled to hear their name called out as the overall Best Documentary Series in the province.

“I couldn’t be happier or more proud,” Hutchings told The Citizen following the Leo Awards.

“It was truly a team effort and everyone worked so hard. But the accolades go to our producers who made it all happen and most importantly to all the paramedics who truly are heroes.”

Those producers were Louise Clark, Erin Haskett, Murray Battle, Rudy Buttignol, David Moses, Andrew Easterbrook, Megan Cameron, and Ashley Olpherts.

While in Prince George, Hutchings worked in broadcasting. She was a video journalist for CKPG where winning awards was also part of her experience, picking up the 2012 Dave Rogers Award for Best Short TV Feature – Small Market from the Association of Electronic Journalists

(RTDNA) of Canada. She also won a coveted Webster Award for student journalism.

After leaving Prince George, she went on to work for CBC’s Kelowna bureau and then went into the film production sector. Her list of credits includes acclaimed documentary series projects like Airshow, Emergency, High Arctic Haulers and Highway Thru Hell for which she is the story editor.

Paramedics: Life On The Line was made by Lark Productions for the Knowledge Network. The Leo Awards had other Prince George content on the nominees’ list.

Musician Bryant Olender, formerly of this city and now living in the Lower Mainland, was nominated for his composition in the film Exhibit Man, in the Best Musical Score-Short Drama category (won by Sean William for the film Small Fish). Fort St. James actor Dylan Playfair was up for Best Performance-Music, Comedy Or Variety Program/Series for his work in the popular series Letterkenny. That category was won by Priscilla Faia for You Me Her – You Be You And I’ll Be Me. Playfair is a multiple nominee and a past winner at previous editions of the Leo Awards.

A first-time nominee this year was Prince George’s Madison Smith for his work in the show Narcoleap.

He was shortlisted for Best Performance, Male-Web Series. The category was won by Matt Hamilton for The Actress Diaries. Narcoleap won no trophies this year but the show accrued three Leo nominations to cement its reputation for quality.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts pose at the Wonderwall portrait studio during the 2013 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn. Rascal Flatts will perform at CN Centre on Oct. 27.

An oil tanker is seen at Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain marine terminal in Burnaby. The federal government has approved an expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

‘The

Conservatives built exactly zero pipelines to new markets’

— from page 1

“Our top priority is making sure there is no spill in the first place, but we know we need to be prepared for anything,” Trudeau added.

Before he was done, however, Trudeau struck a decidedly partisan note, aiming to frame this fall’s federal election campaign in terms of which party can best shepherd economic and resource development through the ever-narrowing gauntlet of environmental grassroots opposition.

“The Conservatives built exactly zero pipelines to new markets, but they did manage to build one thing: extreme animosity between those who want pipelines and those who don’t.”

Trans Mountain, coupled with two Liberal energy bills currently making their way through Parliament, have become the biggest flashpoint between the Liberals and their opponents, with Conservatives demanding the government do more to get the pipeline built and the NDP and Green party urging a full stop.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose parties are staking claim to the same political territory, were unequivocal in their opposition to Trudeau’s decision.

“This announcement represents cyni-

cism and hypocrisy at a level that is quite breathtaking,” May said in a statement, citing the Liberal motion passed Monday in the Commons declaring climate change a national emergency.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer scoffed at the idea the pipeline would ever be built, and cast doubts on Trudeau’s sincerity about supporting the energy industry.

“He hasn’t done anything,” said Scheer. “Show me the pipeline. Where is it?”

The project has also caused major friction between British Columbia and Alberta. Trudeau called both B.C. Premier John Horgan and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to inform them of the decision Tuesday.

Kenney lauded the cabinet decision, but echoed Scheer’s skepticism.

“This second approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline isn’t a victory to celebrate. It’s just another step in a process that has frankly taken too long ,” Kenney said.

He urged the federal cabinet to take action on other fronts to get more oil to global energy market, such as accepting proposed amendments on Bill C-69 and abandoning Bill C-48. C-69 overhauls the assessment pro-

Guilty verdict issued for home invasion

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

In a case that revolved around proving the identities of the perpetrators, a provincial court judge found one person guilty Tuesday of carrying out a violent holiday season home invasion in the VLA neighourhood.

Ivan Christopher Skin will be sentenced at a later date on 12 counts while Vincent Williams and Theresa Marie Charlie were acquitted of all charges from the Dec. 28, 2017 incident.

During a trial, victims said three people wearing masks burst into their 2100-block Redwood Street home, one carrying a bat and a can of mace and another carrying a gun and all yelling at the occupants to stay down and not look at the attackers.

SKIN

The trio made off with a video game player, cash and cellphones after going through the home over the course of 15-20 minutes. At least two of the occupants were hit in the head and one was pistol whipped, creating a cut that required special stitching and left a scar, the court heard.

One of the victims claimed he could recognize the voices of the three, but judge Peter McDermick found the evidence regarding two of them was not strong enough, noting in particular that the victim had not spoken with them in years and provided little more than vague and general descriptions. He also had difficulty recognizing Charlie from a photo book, the judge added.

However, in the case of Skin, McDermick said the victim had been talking with him as recently as two to four weeks before the incident and noted a “squeaky man voice.”

As well, a bag holding a hat later identified through DNA testing as Skin’s was found across the street shortly after RCMP were called to the scene. Williams and Charlie were arrested shortly after the incident and had remained in custody ever since – a total of 531 days. Skin had been in custody for 372 days as of Tuesday.

‘(It) got so hot it burnt off the topsoil’

— from page 1

“The fire path destroyed pretty much everything, and (it) got so hot it burnt off the topsoil. When you have that situation, another situation will follow. Rain causes an ashy silt to run off into the lakes and rivers, into the clay and into the lake. The water gets muddy… the water folks call it turbidity. It takes oxygen out of the water and fish need that oxygen,” said Luggi.

The annual mid-August Stellako salmon run will be affected as well as the Stuart Lake salmon run. “The Takla Nation depend on that run and those salmon runs will be impacted,” said Luggi. It will take a commitment from both sides of the government to deal with the impact.

“Canfor is already cutting back shifts at mills in our area, closing from two to four weeks this summer,” said Luggi.

cess for approving major projects like pipelines; C-48 bans oil tankers off B.C.’s northern coast.

The government will require that every dollar in federal revenue coming from the project be reinvested in clean energy and green technology. That includes an estimated $500 million a year in new annual corporate tax revenues once the pipeline is in service, as well as any revenues from the promised sale of the entire expanded pipeline back to the private sector.

The federal cabinet is also requiring another consultation with Indigenous communities affected by the project to determine how they can potentially become economic partners in the project.

The government has accepted the 156 conditions the National Energy Board put on the project approval, but is amending six of them to include requiring Indigenous communities to be involved in developing marine emergency response plans, mitigating potential impacts on sacred sites, and Indigenous involvement in post-construction environmental impact reporting.

There are also eight new accommodations required to take into account Indigenous concerns, including working with some communities to potentially move the route.

“It’s a combination of the anticipated drop in inventory, the market prices and then add the fire into it.”

Fire information officer Hannah Swift said the province is preparing and has added additional resources in the northwest fire centre that runs along the west coast from Endako, and from the Yukon border to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, and the Prince George fire centre covering the central and northeast regions of the province.

As of Monday, there were 44 fires burning in the province. Twenty nine of those fires are under control, including a new fire in Taylor Flats near Sproat Lake in the Port Alberni area.

Although things are under control at this time, Swift said the lack of rain means fires will come earlier this year.

The province has spent some $40 million on wildfires since April 1, with much of those resources being directed to Alberta. The B.C. Wildlife Service has 1,600 firefighters and support staff ready, with 160 contract positions open and they’ve extended the contract length to 100 days, from 80, to deal with the coming season.

“We are not letting 2017 and 2018, record years for hectares burned, set the bar,” said Swift.

“But it could happen again.”

Man reported missing

The Prince George RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man.

Mikey Fowler, 20, is described as Indigenous, six-foot-two and weighing 300 pounds with brown eyes and very short black hair.

He was last seen in mid-May in Quesnel and there is a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear in Prince George provincial court on May 8 on counts of sexual assault and assault from alleged incidents in April and November of 2018.

However, in other similar instances where a missing person may be reluctant to come forward, police have said a “confirmed verifier” can be used to assure the person is safe. Fowler is known to travel to other communities in northern B.C. including Smithers, Hazelton, Terrace and Quesnel. It is believed that he does not have access to a vehicle.

Although Mikey is his legal first name, he often goes by Mike.

Anyone with information on where Fowler may be is asked to call Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www. pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only). You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. — Citizen staff

Man found not guilty of kidnapping, sexual assault

A Prince George man no longer stands accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman. Sukhjinder Singh was found not guilty of the counts on June 11 following a B.C. Supreme Court trial at the Prince George courthouse. Singh had been facing the charges in relation to a September 2017 report that a woman had accepted a ride from a man after the two were unable to fix a flat tire on her vehicle during the early morning.

While driving her home, he allegedly missed several turns and turned into a parking lot and sexually assaulted her but she was able to fend off her attacker and flee on foot, RCMP were told. Singh was arrested about a month later. During the trial, the woman’s credibility came into doubt. Singh’s lawyer, Dave Jenkins Sr., said there were several inconsistencies between what she said at preliminary hearing and what she said at trial. It was generally held that the accused was believable and that Crown evidence failed to overcome the doctrine of reasonable doubt. — Citizen staff

Police name three men arrested after shooting at Raptors rally

TORONTO (CP) — Toronto police have released the identities of three men who were arrested after Monday’s shooting at a rally celebrating the Raptors’ historic NBA win. The men, who are all from Toronto and range in age from 18 to 25, are facing firearms-related charges. Police have said four people suffered non-lifethreatening injuries during the shooting. Investigators allege that Shaquille Anthony Miller, 25, and Thaino Toussaint, 20, were carrying guns when they were arrested.

The men each face seven charges that include carrying a concealed weapon and – in Miller’s case – assaulting a peace officer while carrying a firearm. Police say 18-year-old Abdikarim Kerow was arrested on a previous warrant and is facing a total of 20 charges, including two counts of possessing a loaded regulated firearm and possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

UNBC profs win award for book on Campbell

Citizen staff

A book on former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell has earned two University of Northern British Columbia political science professors a top award.

Tracy Summerville and Jason Lacha-

rite recently received the Lynda Erickson Prize for their work on The Campbell Revolution: Power, Politics, and Policy in British Columbia, a series of essays by academics assessing the impact on the province of Campbell’s decade in power.

Summerville and Lacharite both edited

the book and contributed essays of their own. Given out by the British Columbia Political Studies Association, the Lynda Erickson Prize recognizes contributions by B.C. authors of edited volumes in research and synthesis.

B.C. First Nation plans Trans Mountain challenge

Laura KANE The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — A British Columbia First Nation is promising a legal challenge of the federal government’s decision to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion while the premier says his government will continue to defend the province’s coast.

Environment Minister George Heyman told a news conference Tuesday that tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity are at risk from a bitumen spill.

“Let me say to British Columbians who value our environment, who cherish our coast, who expect their government to stand up for their interests, we will not abandon our responsibility to protect our land and our water,” Heyman said.

Chief Leah George-Wilson of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said it will appeal Ottawa’s decision to the Federal Court of Appeal. The First Nation was among those that won a legal challenge of the project last August.

“The federal decision to buy the pipeline and become the owner makes it impossible to make an unbiased, open-minded decision,” she told a news conference on Musqueam territory.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has purchased the pipeline and expansion project for $4.5 billion.

Construction was paused in August after the Federal Court of Appeal struck down the government’s approval, citing the National Energy Board’s failure to consider the marine impacts and inadequate

First Nations consultation.

After an energy board review of the marine impacts and further Indigenous consultation, the federal cabinet announced it was approving the project for a second time on Tuesday.

The expansion will triple the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, which runs from the Edmonton area to Burnaby, B.C., and increase tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet seven-fold.

George-Wilson and other Indigenous leaders said Ottawa failed to meaningfully consult or gain consent from First Nations despite the Appeal Court’s ruling.

Squamish Nation Coun. Khelsilem said it is also prepared to fight the decision in court. The Squamish only received some information from Ottawa after the deadline for responses passed, he said, calling the consultation process a “failure.”

“After that deadline, they provided us with more information that we were unable to even comment on because their self-imposed deadline had already passed,” he added.

Chief Dalton Silver of the Sema:th First Nation said the energy board has imposed a condition on Trans Mountain that says the Crown corporation must negotiate with it for access to its traditional territory, including a sacred burial site in Abbotsford.

“That condition has not been met,” he said. “Should any equipment come onto that site, we’ll be there to meet them.” Others said they are preparing for a busy summer of opposition. Grand Chief

Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs said the decision, while not surprising, “will breathe new life into the resistance.”

Premier John Horgan said he spoke with Trudeau before the decision and reiterated his concerns about the potential of a marine spill.

Asked whether he would support any lawsuits filed against the project, Horgan said he’d have to look at the substance of the applications.

“If it’s in the interests of British Columbia to join them, we will,” he said.

Horgan said his government is pursuing a reference case in the Supreme Court of Canada that asks whether B.C. has the power to restrict oil shipments through its territory, which it lost at the B.C. Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, B.C. has been responsibly issuing permits as they’ve been requested, he said.

“I believe it’s my job as the premier of British Columbia to always be vigilant to protect those things that matter to British Columbians, and I’ll continue to do that, ” he said.

Earlier in the day, protesters on either side of the debate clashed at a rally in Vancouver organized by the project’s supporters.

Lynn Nellis of the Canada Action Coalition was speaking to the crowd of a few dozen people when anti-pipeline protester Kwiis Hamilton began playing loud rock music.

Rally attendees asked him to stop but Hamilton persisted.

UNBC HANDOUT PHOTO

UNBC professors Tracy Summerville and Jason Lacharite with the Lynda Erickson Prize.

FOWLER

Around town

LEFT: Adam Dumonceaux, front, and Matt Warner were two of four recruits with Prince George Fire Rescue taking a swift water rescue course Tuesday afternoon in the Nechako River.

BOTTOM LEFT: Window cleaners from ACME Janitor Service use a bosun’s chairs to clean the windows on the Oxford Building on Victoria Street on Monday.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Louise Ewen checks out a book on Saturday at the Friends of the Library book sale that was held at the Nechako branch of Prince George Public Library. All books were by donation with all funds raised going towards improvements in the branch.

RCMP seeks names of potential victims of coerced sterilization, Lucki says

Kristy KIRKUP

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The RCMP is seeking the names of potential victims of coerced sterilization procedures and wants lawyers to help in the process, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki said Tuesday.

In testimony before the House of Commons health committee, Lucki said the RCMP is willing to meet with victims, adding it would be helpful if lawyers could talk to complainants about coming forward.

“The lawyers... if they were to speak with those victims and provide them the options of coming to the police, we would absolutely sit down with each and every victim that they had to look at it from a criminal point of view,” she said.

“Obviously they are not going to release their names without their consent as well. But... if we were to have those conversations, and possibly we could convince victims to come forward through the lawyers, that would be one avenue that we could explore.”

MPs asked Lucki to testify as part of a study about ongoing concerns from predominantly Indigenous women who allege they were coerced or forced into tubal ligation procedures during childbirth.

Her testimony also followed a letter sent this spring by NDP health critic Don Davies who asked the RCMP to conduct an investigation of serious and credible allegations that have been brought forward.

Lucki told Davies in a March letter that the force would work with commanding officers in each province and territory as well as other police agencies to see if any complaints have been reported.

“To date, we have no allegations that are on file for forced or coerced sterilization that were found to be reported to the RCMP directly,” Lucki said Tuesday.

She said the RCMP takes all criminal allegations very seriously and that the force has reached out to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to raise awareness.

The issue has been the subject of much public scrutiny, particularly in the past two years.

In 2017, the Saskatchewan Health Region issued a public

To date, we have no allegations that are on file for forced or coerced sterilization that were found to be reported to the RCMP directly.

— RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki

apology after complaints from Indigenous women, and a proposed class-action lawsuit was launched naming as defendants the Saskatoon Health Authority, the provincial and federal governments, and a handful of medical professionals.

Dr. Judith Bartlett, a Metis physician who co-authored the external review, told the committee on Tuesday that Indigenous women interviewed for the report often felt invisible, profiled and powerless.

She also said she does not believe women will come forward to the RCMP because there is “no safety there for them.” Those interviewed for the report were granted anonymity, she said, noting they often felt much better having been able to express the harm done to them.

Much more research is needed to understand the scope of the problem because any time an individual is asked to make a decision when they’re not in the state

of mind to weigh pros and cons constitutes coercion, Bartlett said.

Dr. Jennifer Blake, chief executive of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, told MPs that obtaining consent for tubal ligations at the time of delivery should be avoided at all costs. She also noted that when she first learned of allegations a forced sterilizations, she thought it was in reference to a historical issue.

Last Tuesday, lawyer Alisa Lombard, a partner with the firm Semaganis Worme Lombard, told the health committee she represents a client, referred to as D.D.S., was sterilized without proper and informed consent in December 2018 at a Moose Jaw, Sask., hospital.

That same month, the United Nations Committee Against Torture urged Canada to act to address the issue of coerced sterilization, setting a one-year deadline to report back on progress.

In response, Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Jane Philpott, then Indigenous services minister, sent a letter to provinces and territories proposing a working group of officials to discuss the concerns.

Health Canada said Tuesday the group has had “productive discussions” about the scope and purpose of the federal-provincialterritorial plan to “advance cultural safety and humility in the health system.”

As a first step, officials decided Health Canada would take the lead on “an environmental scan of cultural safety initiatives and practices across Canada,” the agency said in a statement.

Answers needed on overdose-reversing med’s ethical, distribution issues: network

The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — A national network that supports research into misuse of prescription and illegal drugs says several questions need to be addressed about the safety, effectiveness and distribution of a medication that reverses overdoses.

The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse says the opioid crisis has demanded a quick public health response but has not necessarily allowed for the evaluation of important issues in distributing naloxone.

Every province and territory offers free injectable naloxone, while Ontario, Quebec and the Northwest Territories also provide the nasal form for people at risk of overdosing.

Most jurisdictions also offer naloxone kits to family or friends who could use it to try and save someone’s life.

The research initiative says in a report that some areas are limited in their ability to distribute naloxone due to geographic challenges and regulations related to drugs, including that

they must be provided by certain health professionals such as pharmacists.

The report involving researchers, service providers, policy-makers and people who use or have used drugs says other considerations include the training needed to effectively respond to an overdose and how to administer naloxone. There is also a need for evidence regarding the benefit of distributing the drug broadly as opposed to only specific populations at risk of overdosing, it says.

“There are also ethical considerations including how to collect robust health data while protecting low-barrier access environments and respecting patient anonymity, and whether it is appropriate to provide naloxone kits to minors,” the report says.

The federally funded initiative says it’s also important to identify the most effective overdose response strategy beyond administering naloxone, including chest compressions, rescue breaths, calling 911 and the order in which those steps should be taken.

TMX solid investment in B.C.’s future

Tuesday’s announcement by the federal government to approve construction of the Trans Mountain (TMX) pipeline is a breath of fresh air to many of us in the B.C. labour movement.

That’s because we’ve always known pipelines are the safest and most environmentally-sound means of transporting liquid fuel over distance.

I say that as a lifelong outdoors enthusiast, having hunted and fished for most of my life. I wouldn’t even consider working on a project that wasn’t built in a way that made the protection of air, water and soil an absolute priority. Nor would any of my fellow members.

Construction of the TMX pipeline will provide a huge boost to B.C.’s economy. Our members are ready to go to work, helping to strengthen communities across this province and contribute to B.C.’s long-term prosperity.

While I’ve often read about how some opponents view pipeline construction as providing only short-term jobs, I can assure you that is simply not the case.

Our members perform long-term, continuing work on maintenance projects across the province, from sawmills to gas plants to pipelines. This maintenance work often takes place during operational shut-

downs and is a key part of building trades employment in B.C.

Driven by innovation, these projects, once built, are regularly updated and improved.

The job creation and positive economic impacts from pipeline construction and operation are substantial. From healthcare facilities to schools and community centres, the spin-offs will be many –not just for those seeking employment, but for B.C. citizens in general.

Construction workers in the north who work on big infrastructure do so, in part, for the benefit of those in the cities of the south who benefit from our resource economy.

additional level of environmental stewardship for Indigenous people.

Our members are willing and able to assist in constructing and operating a pipeline to the highest safety standards, with First Nations ownership at its heart.

To do that, our members travel from job to job. It’s the very nature of large construction work and it’s precisely how the term “journeyman” came about. We finish a job, we move on, but we never stop building the province.

And for First Nations, a proposal like Project Reconciliation – an initiative led by Indigenous leaders to purchase a majority stake in TMX – offers the promise of real prosperity, economic independence and an

In fact, Project Reconciliation is a gamechanger in that it allows for true reconciliation between Canada and its Indigenous people by providing clear avenues for ownership, engagement and economic benefit to Indigenous communities across B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. A key component of Project Reconciliation is an Indigenous sovereign wealth fund that would provide long-term financial security for Indigenous people while investing in vital infrastructure such as renewable energy, energyefficient on-reserve housing and other small carbon-footprint and climate-friendly initiatives.

Our membership has always supported the struggle of First Nations for economic and social justice. And our members are willing and able to assist in constructing and operating a pipeline to the highest safety standards, with First Nations ownership at its heart.

The IUOE maintains a collective agreement with the Pipeline Contractors Associa-

YOUR LETTERS

Sore feet an issue at 24-hour Relay for Life

For the past four years, I have been an enthusiastic supporter of the 24-hour Relay for Life, the only one of its kind in Canada. It is indeed a wonderful occasion to celebrate with the survivors and to reflect fondly on those who have passed away. My hat comes off to the very well-intended organizers of this beautiful event, which raises thousands and thousands of dollars annually.

Of all the 24-hour participants in this year’s event, only four were repeat walkers. For any number of reasons, one may withdraw from the relay. Age, illness, energy and other commitments all come into play.

In speaking with all the walkers during last week’s event, there was one main reason given as to why they may not walk next year – the condition of the surface area.

Walking 101 would suggest you probably should not walk on concrete or pavement for a 24hour period.

From experience, I was laid up for two days after this year’s

event, due to foot fatigue. In previous years, after walking a 24-hour period at Masich Place Stadium, I was still capable of taking my dogs for a walk afterwards.

The only reason for such a complete and utter comparison was the difference in walking surface.

When you consider all aspects of the surface area, it begs the question why not utilize Masich Place Stadium? After all, our tax dollars were used to build the stadium. It was constructed and recently renovated, specifically, to accommodate walkers and/ or runners. There are those who say there is no area for tents and other amenities required for the comfort of the walkers. My suggestion is to use the PGSS soccer fields adjacent to the oval for this purpose. The surface area at CN Centre is not suitable for a 24hour endurance test. The cracks, the ridges and general surface is murder to the feet – believe me, I know!

I would hate to see many of the walkers choose not to participate next year because of surface conditions when there is a very clear alternative. Would the powers that be and all others involved in the Relay

for Life please take into consideration this humble proposal? Thank you.

Kal Basi

Prince George

Questioning a creator

This is my reply to the letter of Joan McKay as published on June 14. How does one assume the absolute necessity of a “divine creator” of our universe and life? We have supposedly grown beyond the superstitions and unfounded beliefs of the Middle Ages. We have ample evidence that life may have appeared and evolved on this planet without the necessity of divine intervention.

There are many planets in this universe and, perhaps, other universes, where conditions favourable to life exist. Such alien life could, conceivably, have developed in a superior way that would not lead to a dominant species intent, as ours apparently is, on destroying itself and the environment that sustains it. If humans, as a species, are creations of a superior being, we are badly flawed.

James Loughery

Prince George

LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen. ca or 250-960-2759).

SHAWN CORNELL DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

tion along with the Labourers International, Teamsters, and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters. We need to amend that agreement to ensure special provisions for the hiring of qualified Indigenous people and women to build the TMX.

Further, the Government of Canada needs to take action to implement the same hiring priorities across the TMX project. These groups are under-represented in the construction industry and their participation is needed in order to manage our skilled trades shortage.

Such an approach would be of great benefit to our members, to Indigenous people and to all British Columbians.

Now that construction of the TMX pipeline has been approved, we can see a very positive path forward.

That path includes a commitment to the toughest environmental standards in the planning, construction and maintenance of the pipeline, strong Indigenous involvement, and good, well-paying jobs for our province.

Let’s get to work building a prosperous British Columbia and a prosperous Canada. — Herb Conat is a business representative for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, District 4. He lives in Prince George.

MMIWG inquiry is wasted effort

Every year, we First Peoples of Canada are granted a new spell to conjure guilt in all non-Indians. The curse du jour is “genocide,” thanks to the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls’ final report, which states: “[collected] information and testimonies... provide serious reasons to believe that Canada’s past and current policies, omissions, and actions towards First Nations Peoples, Inuit and Métis amount to genocide.”

The MMIWG inquiry cost nearly $100 million to reach that conclusion, a hefty price tag for supposedly serious people to misinterpret history and facts so brazenly. One might wonder if there wasn’t a hidden agenda for using the “g-word” in order to gain more attention and funding.

Genocide is defined by the United Nations as “acts committed with intent to destroy... a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.” Canada has committed sins against aboriginals. But the worst trespasses of the Indian Act and residential school system were never a Holomdor or Holocaust.

Marginalization, segregation, even apartheid-like behaviour at times?

Yes. But state enforced famine cleansing?

No, and the report’s authors are woefully off base to say otherwise.

The inquiry’s title hinted at purposes beyond polarization. But what is really happening to Indigenous women and girls can’t be said because of political correctness: a majority of victims are targeted by men (and women) from the same population.

Of the remainder, many are the victims of predators and serial killers, particularly on our Highway of Tears. Finally, the poverty on reserves makes women and their children, especially daughters, vulnerable to cycles of abuse.

All of this has been well known for decades but, ironically, economic solutions are those shouted down the loudest.

Improvements on reserves require changes to the Indian Act, which threatens the power enjoyed by families who dominate chief and council; thus more funding is demanded, instead of the liberty and enfranchisement, notably private property, that might end the socio-economic

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realities that make Indigenous women and girls susceptible to exploitation.

Someday, a direct connection between the American money funding aboriginal groups’ injunctions against economic opportunities in Canada and the choices leading to the abuse or death of female Indians will be drawn, revealing a calumny and blood guilt that damns us all.

But outside the callous hearts of Aboriginal activists and oligarchs, the worst crimes committed against women and girls ought to be answered with reinstating the death penalty.

It’s cold comfort to the mourning families, but at least the public would know justice was done.

The law should apply retroactively and those quibbling about “ex post facto” are welcome to explain to Canadians why we are feeding and sheltering monsters who were proven guilty in open court.

Of course, more resources must be provided to police to find the remains of victims and, in turn, obtain DNA profiles of the perpetrators in order to narrow down the long list of suspects.

The report does call for more community resources, educational awareness, etc. – all the usual boilerplate policies that covers the authors’ derrieres and, eventually, politicians who need to demonstrate their “deep concern.”

But new women’s shelters from Alert to Windsor cannot cure the malaise of cyclical poverty and violence that has long haunted our Indigenous communities.

A change in culture, fostered by individual responsibility, is needed to amend the state of Indians’ affairs.

That will require tackling the untouchable political class, rewriting or discarding the Indian Act, and granting autonomy to all First Peoples so they can improve their station, as well as that of their family and communities, with both hands free.

Until then, the MMIWG inquiry will be just another sad chapter in a century-long history of despair, forgotten sooner than most.

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RIGHT OF CENTRE NATHAN GIEDE

Feds examine cost of flood risk

Christian PAAS-LANG

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The federal government could help mitigate the cost of flood damage by creating a “high-risk” insurance pool to help lift the burden off the public purse, says a report released Tuesday by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

The high-risk scheme is one of three options laid out in the report, a product of months of work by a national working group co-chaired by the bureau and Public Safety Canada.

About one-fifth of homes in Canada are considered to be at risk of overland flooding, but many don’t have coverage for the damage. For those that do, insurance payouts have surged to about $1 billion per year over the past six years, based on estimates in the report.

Meanwhile, federal payouts to help communities recover from flood damage have quadrupled over the last four decades to about $3.7 billion during the first four years of this decade, compared with just $300 million during the 1970s.

“Taxpayers cannot continue bailing out people who live on floodplains,” said Craig Stewart, a vice president at IBC and co-chair of the working group.

The three options laid out in the report include a pure market approach where risk is solely borne by homeowners, another where the government is more involved, and finally the creation of a high-risk pool of funds to help manage the financial risk.

The report suggested the high-risk scheme fares better than others at being affordable for homeowners, efficient at

payouts, and accessible to homeowners – but the report stops short of making a recommendation on which option the country should follow.

The advantage of the high-risk scheme is that it allows insurers to pass on risks to a larger pool of available money fed by premiums from homeowners. If a homeowner makes a claim, the insurance company would pay out to the customer and then seek reimbursement from the pool.

Homeowners might not even know they’re in the high-risk pool, Stewart said, but it would allow insurance companies to avoid some of the financial risk involved with insuring people whose homes may be flooded.

Premium costs would be based on the risk of flooding, Stewart said. If premiums are capped, the pool would need another source of money to make up the loss, he said, suggesting property taxes or insurance premiums might be options for both that stream of money and the pool’s startup costs.

Over time, the high-risk pool would no longer be necessary as homeowners do more to protect their properties, decreasing the risk of damage and insurance payouts. The U.K. took a similar approach in 2016 and projects its high-risk pool will no longer be needed after 25 years.

“For that to happen,” Stewart said, “you need to have significant government investment in mitigation over those 25 years.”

While the federal government has promised $2 billion for disaster preparedness, the report noted “ongoing funding” is needed, without putting a dollar figure to it. Stewart said the IBC

is working with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to figure out the cost to make Canada resilient to flooding, as well as other natural disasters.

More money from the government is one of several key factors the report says are needed to address flood risk.

Another is the possibility of moving people out of high-risk flood zones by paying them to relocate, the report said.

More immediately, improving the quality of data, such as mapping flood risk zones, is “the single greatest thing the federal government can do,” Stewart said.

Better mapping is essential to help homeowners take action because many don’t even know they live in high-risk flood zones, said Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate director of Partners for Action, a research network committed to reducing flood risk.

“If you are trying to encourage demand for this product, you first need to convince people that they need it,” he said.

Solving issues like the lack of flood mapping data, poor public awareness and insufficient investment in risk mitigation are essential “preconditions” to creating a viable flood insurance system, said Thistlethwaite, who is also a professor at the University of Waterloo.

“It doesn’t matter what type of flood insurance model you have – unless you have the right conditions in place, it isn’t going to work,” he said, adding that first and foremost means more aggressive investment and leadership from the federal government.

“The report is on flood insurance, but it’s actually the government that needs to do most of the heavy lifting.”

More action needed on gun violence: Blair

Jim BRONSKILL The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair says more must be done to address gun violence, but he’s also signalling that no new measures will be taken before the fall election.

Steps could – and should – be taken to prevent the theft, illegal diversion and cross-border smuggling of handguns, Blair said Tuesday.

As he entered a cabinet meeting, Blair emphasized the importance of secure storage of firearms to prevent them from being stolen and ending up in the wrong hands.

The government is also open to working with municipalities to allow them to decide exactly where, or even if, firearms can be stored within their boundaries, he said.

However, the parliamentary sitting is expected to conclude shortly and the government is scrambling to tie up loose ends before the summer recess and an election campaign likely to begin in September.

“Some of this would require regulatory and legislative change,” Blair said. “And I think it’s important not only to do the right thing, but to take the time to do it right.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Blair last August to study the possibility of a ban on handguns and assault-style rifles after a shooting spree in Toronto.

A recently released summary of a federal consultation said Canadians were divided on the idea.

Still, Blair’s office said late last month that no options had been ruled out to clamp down on guns “designed to hunt people” as it weighed new options. Rumours of a federal ban on the popular AR-15 semiautomatic rifle began to circulate.

While Blair reiterated Tuesday there are firearms the government considers “so dangerous that there really is no place in a safe and civil society for them,” he made no firm commitment to ban or buy back such guns from owners.

Blair stressed a need to ensure secure storage, prevent people from buying firearms on behalf of criminals and deter smuggling of weapons into Canada from the United States, which he called “the largest handgun arsenal in the world.”

“There are a number of very effective measures that I believe that we can and must take to create a safer environment.”

Allowing municipalities to enact additional restrictions on handguns would not only be “wholly inadequate,” it would also be inefficient, said Heidi Rathjen, co-ordinator of PolySeSouvient, which wants an overhaul of the gun classification system with the ultimate aim of banning weapons specifically designed to kill people.

“All one has to do is consider the glaring disaster resulting from a patchwork of state and local gun laws south of the border,” she said Tuesday.

“And one has to ask: why would stricter controls on handguns be justified in cities and not in rural areas? It seems more like the Liberals chose not to deal with the highly politicized issue of banning handguns and instead decided to pass the buck to municipalities.”

The law already requires safe storage of firearms, but there has been a “significant increase” in the theft of large numbers of handguns from homes and retailers, with the guns ending up on the street in the wrong hands, Blair said.

He acknowledged there are responsible handgun owners who obey all the rules.

B.C. measles vaccination program makes ‘significant’ progress, Dix says

The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — Health Minister Adrian Dix says British Columbia has seen a “dramatic increase” in the number of children vaccinated against measles since the introduction of a provincial program targeting the infectious disease.

Almost 16,000 children and teens were inoculated against the highly contagious airborne disease in April and May, the first two months of the new Measles Immunization Catch-up Program. The goal is to immunize children from Kindergarten to Grade 12 if they have not previously been vaccinated against measles or may not have received both recommended doses.

The voluntary program was introduced following a measles outbreak in B.C. linked

to two French schools in Vancouver, and Dix says 29 cases have been confirmed in the province so far this year.

Health authorities have also reviewed more than half a million students’ immunization records, and the parents and guardians of those with incomplete or missing records have been notified.

The information, combined with new immunizations, means the number of students confirmed to have both doses over the first two months rose by 23,876.

“We’re making progress, you can see in these numbers, which are a dramatic increase over the same periods in previous years,” Dix says.

A report released Tuesday did not provide corresponding immunization figures for April and May 2018 and the Health

Ministry did not have them immediately available.

But the report says the BC Centre for Disease Control distributed 96,420 doses of the measles vaccine to health authorities in April and May, compared with 24,570 doses over the same period last year.

Beginning in September, it will be mandatory for parents to report their child’s immunization record. The measure does not require children to be vaccinated in order to attend school.

Dix says British Columbia’s measles cases come amid international outbreaks of the disease, including more than 1,000 cases in the United States.

“We know that people, British Columbians, travel in the summer and this is a good time, if you haven’t been immunized, to be

immunized,” he says.

There will be 900 public clinics and 230 school-based clinics offering the vaccine this month, he adds.

While misinformation about vaccinations circulates online, he says the “vast, vast majority” of people understand that immunizations make children safe.

Measles can cause complications and death, most commonly in infants younger than one year old, and adults, the BC Centre for Disease Control says.

Symptoms include fever, cough, watery eyes and a red blotchy rash that begins on the face and spreads all over the body.

Anyone who suspects they have measles should contact their doctor before visiting the office to avoid infecting other patients in the waiting area.

Lighthizer vows to get trade deal passed

Currencies

OTTAWA (CP) — These

by the Bank of Canada on Tuesday. Quotations in Canadian funds.

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index inched to within one per cent of a record high Tuesday on a broad-based rally spurred on by renewed hope of U.S. interest rate cuts and a possible trade deal between the U.S. and China.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 149.90 points to 16,503.35 after hitting an intraday high of 16,527.28.

That’s the highest closing since April 30, and 166 points off the all-time high set a week earlier than that.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 353.01 points at 26,465.54.

The S&P 500 index was up 28.08 points at 2,917.75, while the Nasdaq composite was up 108.86 points at 7,953.88. North American markets were taking their cues from the morning comments by the European Central Bank’s Mario Draghi about the possibility of rate cuts or asset purchases.

In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that he will meet with Chinese president Xi Jingping at next week’s G20 meeting and that trade negotiations will resume, said Craig Jerusalim, portfolio manager at CIBC Asset Management.

“The market got off to a good start but I think that North American markets are more squarely focused on the Fed decision tomorrow and more importantly the outlook commentary that’s going to accompany the decision,” Jerusalim said.

Observers doubt the U.S. central bank will immediately cut interest rates, but they say there’s a 95 per cent chance of such action by the end of September.

“So (Federal Reserve chairman) Jerome Powell’s commentary tomorrow will be the key factor that’s going to lead the market direction for tomorrow.” Positive comments could push the TSX and the S&P 500 to new highs.

“I think that’s a good possibility of occurring,” Jerusalim said.

“The investors are shrugging off any of the warning signs such as inverted yield curve and the potential for a trade war and have bid stocks higher, largely on the hope for lower interest rates.”

All 11 of the major sectors of Canada’s main stock index ended the day higher, led by the heavyweight materials and financials sectors.

The Canadian dollar traded at an average price of 74.66 cents US, compared to an average of 74.59 cents US on Monday.

Mike BLANCHFIELD

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Two days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s arrival at the Oval Office, U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer has pledged to work with Democrats to do whatever it takes to ratify the new North American free trade deal.

Lighthizer made the comments in testimony Tuesday before the U.S. Senate finance committee as part of the Trump administration’s push to get the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ratified by a divided Congress.

Lighthizer’s appearance on Capitol Hill comes as Trudeau prepares to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to give impetus towards ratifying the deal. The leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico signed the agreement last fall, but the election clocks in all three countries are ticking loudly towards looming political deadlines.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the new deal has “weak enforcement” provisions on raising labour standards in Mexico that he and his party want to fix.

Lighthizer said the USMCA has stronger enforcement provisions than the old North American Free Trade Agreement, including improved labour rights in Mexico, but he’s open to making it stronger. Mexico has passed a sweeping labour reform bill that raises wages and gives unions more power, changes that Canada and the U.S. both pushed for during NAFTA renegotiation, which were acrimonious at times.

The Trudeau government has said it is pleased with the Mexican reforms, but some U.S. Democrats say more needs to be done to prevent jobs, particularly in the auto sector, from continuing to move to Mexico where wages have been historically much lower.

Wyden said he and fellow Democrats want the labour provisions to have an enforcement mechanism with “real teeth.”

Along with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Wyden said the two Democrats are proposing a co-operative approach that would provide Mexico with resources and technical assistance to enforce the labour provisions.

“For those of us who really want to see a new day in terms of tough

trade enforcement, will you commit to working with members of Congress to do whatever it takes – I want to emphasize, whatever it takes – to address these core concerns, so that we can say we turned the page and now finally we have trade enforcement with teeth in it?” Wyden asked Lighthizer.

“Yes,” Lighthizer replied.

“All right,” Wyden said, “I’ll quit while I’m ahead.”

In later testimony, Lighthizer said he was not endorsing the Wyden-Brown plan – or any other – but throughout his two-hourplus appearance, he made clear he wants to work constructively across his country’s partisan divide to get the USMCA approved.

He offered what amounted to a gracious account of his dealings with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who holds the key to getting any ratification bill introduced in the lower house of Congress – the necessary first step towards final U.S. legal approval of the pact.

Trump has called Pelosi “Crazy Nancy” and recently said Demo-

cratic delays in Congress were in part because she can’t understand the complicated deal.

“The speaker (Pelosi) has been completely fair and above board and, I think, constructive,” Lighthizer said.

“I believe we’re on track. I think we’re making progress, and I’m hopeful on that score. And the speaker has been absolutely, as far as I’m concerned, exactly as you would hope she would be.”

Some Canadian business leaders are urging Trudeau to meet with Pelosi because she essentially holds the cards in getting a ratification bill introduced on the floor of the House.

Trudeau introduced Canada’s ratification bill last month and it is winding its way through the House of Commons, which is due to adjourn by Friday for the last time before the October federal election.

It is possible for the government to recall MPs in the summer to deal with ratification.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland was non-committal about that option during her own

visit to Washington last week, which included a meeting with Lighthizer.

Freeland reiterated the government’s position that it wants to move towards ratification “in tandem” as much as possible with the U.S., but said the Liberals were also taking a “Goldilocks” approach that entailed not wanting to move too fast, or too slow.

Trudeau’s face-to-face meeting with Trump in the Oval Office is being billed as an opportunity to highlight the importance of moving forward with the new trade deal.

Congress faces its own summer deadline as it heads towards an August recess.

After that, many observers question whether U.S. lawmakers will be able to move forward with the marathon campaign for the 2020 presidential election all but under way by then.

The Mexican Senate, meanwhile, is poised to ratify the new agreement in the coming days. It is considering the bill in a special session after it was due to adjourn earlier this spring.

More regulation needed on social media, report says

Joan BRYDEN The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — An international report says Canada has taken “commendable” steps to safeguard this fall’s federal election from foreign interference.

But the report says this country needs to do more to regulate social media giants and should impose “major sanctions” on those that fail to control fake news and other forms of disinformation on their platforms.

The report is part of a series of assessments conducted by the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Transatlantic Commission on Elections Integrity for the Alliance of Democracies Federation.

The bipartisan groups have been conducting similar studies in the run-up to elections in other countries, including the 2020 presidential campaign in the United States, amid mounting evidence of foreign interference in recent elections in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

The report notes that Canada has imposed sanctions on Russia, infuriated Saudi Arabia by criticizing its human rights record and is in the midst of a diplomatic war with China over the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request from the U.S.

Given those disputes and the fact that Canada is a member of

NATO and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, the report suggests it’s likely that foreign adversaries may seek to interfere in the coming election to further their own interests, damage Canada’s reputation or undermine democracy.

“The most pervasive concern in the 2019 Canadian federal election will likely be disinformation campaigns that undermine social cohesion by amplifying extremist narratives and discrediting leaders,” the report says.

It notes that there is already evidence linking Russia, Iran and Venezuela to Twitter accounts used to amplify extremist views on contentious issues, such as pipelines and immigration.

The report lauds the Trudeau government for taking steps to guard against foreign interference, including prohibiting advocacy groups from using foreign money to fund election-related campaigns and requiring social media companies to keep a public registry of all online political ads posted on their platforms. The government has also beefed up election laws

related to unauthorized use of computers and given the commissioner of elections stronger powers to investigate suspected violations and to enforce the law.

Moreover, the government has created a new task force involving the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP, the Communications Security Establishment and Global Affairs, to identify and counter attempts to interfere in the election. And it has set up a “critical election incident public protocol,” under which a panel of five senior public servants will decide whether to warn the public in the midst of the campaign if there is a particularly egregious instance of interference that threatens the integrity of the election.

The report suggests Canada’s threshold for going public may be too high.

“The time has come for democracies under attack to call out their aggressors by name. There seems little need and no advantage to remain discreetly silent if an intelligence service has reliable information about which foreign

country is the source of the interference.”

The report says the steps taken by the government are “positive and commendable” but more needs to be done. In particular, it says it’s time to impose regulations on social media giants rather than expect them to voluntarily take steps to control disinformation on their platforms.

“Where it is determined that the platforms have allowed themselves to be used by a malign foreign actor or have permitted abuses they could have caught or controlled, they should face very stiff penalties,” the report says. Fines should be high enough “to capture the attention of even those cash-rich corporations” and non-monetary penalties should entail “business consequences of sufficient gravity that they will constitute a real deterrence and effective denunciation of the misconduct.”

Penalties could even include fines and possible jail time for executives of companies that don’t comply, the report adds.

United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer testifies before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday during a hearing.

Over it!

Anja Sales and Lacy Chicolitta

on Saturday

Canada’s Christine Sinclair mingles with Dutch fans

Neil DAVIDSON

The Canadian Press

REIMS, France — Wandering around Reims on an off-day, Canada captain Christine Sinclair couldn’t help but run into visiting Dutch fans ahead of Thursday’s Group E showdown at the Women’s World Cup.

Dutch soccer fans are known for their passion. And with Reims less than 400 kilometres from France’s border with the Netherlands, large sections of Stade Auguste-Delaune will likely be orange.

“They’re already talking smack,” a smiling Sinclair said of the Dutch.

“So it’s going to be a great environment. Can’t wait.”

The Dutch fans who spotted Sinclair on the streets of Reims were not that hostile, however.

“They wanted pictures with us,” she said.

“But we made them take off their orange (gear).”

The fifth-ranked Canadians and eighth-ranked Dutch have already disposed of No. 19 New Zealand and No. 46 Cameroon in group play. While both have already qualified for the round of 16, Thursday will decide their route in the knockout stage.

Sinclair says the Canadians aren’t concerned with their tournament road. They just want to keep winning.

The European champion Dutch will be Canada’s toughest test to date in France,

“A very talented bunch. Obviously three world-class forwards,” said Sinclair.

“A step up in level that we haven’t experience yet this tournament. It will definitely be a different game than the first two.”

Both teams have six points and a goal difference of plus-three. But because the Dutch have scored one more goal, they would finish first in event of a tie. Canada will

Efforts

Keith

have to win to top the group.

The Group E winner heads to Rennes to face the Group D runner-up – either No. 3 England or No. 7 Japan, who play Wednesday in Nice. The Group E runner-up travels to Paris to take on the Group F second-place team – either the top-ranked Americans or No. 9 Sweden, who meet Thursday in Le Havre.

Canada tied the Netherlands 1-1 at the 2015 World Cup with substitute Kirsten van de Ven’s 87thminute strike – with a fortuitous bounce triggering the Dutch attack – cancelling out a 10th-minute goal by Ashley Lawrence.

The Dutch ended up losing to

eventual runner-up Japan in the round of 16 four years ago. But they have been on an upward trajectory since, winning the European title in 2017 without dropping a game.

The Netherlands ended up having to qualify for this World Cup via the playoff route, after finishing runner-up to Norway in its group despite a 6-1-1 record (a 2-1 loss to Norway in Oslo cost the Dutch). They subsequently dispatched Denmark and Switzerland by identical 4-1 scores to nail down the eighth and last European berth up for grabs.

Canada, meanwhile, is unbeaten in 10 games in 2019 (7-0-3) and

has outscored its opposition 11-1. The Canadian women have not given up a goal in 423 minutes.

“Both teams have improved tremendously,” said Sinclair, who is four goals away from breaking Abby Wambach’s world record of 184 goals.

“Obviously I know us a lot better. Just the team we are now compared to four years ago, (we’re) leaps and bound ahead of where we were. Just the style of play has completely changed.

Those youngsters that were experiencing their first World Cup are now leaders of this team.

“And for Holland, since the last World Cup, they’ve gone on and

won the Euros and (are) pretty much a completely changed as a team... So we’re both on the up.” Canada has not lost to the Dutch in 12 meetings (9-0-3), winning 2-1 last time out in Eindhoven in April 2016.

The Canadians have impressed with the way they have played the ball around at the tournament.

Coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller, while liking what he sees, wants more.

“We did very well under limited pressure (in the 2-0 win over New Zealand). We’ll have more pressure coming up in the next match and throughout the tournament.”

The Canadians trained Thursday at the Stade Jean Boucton outside of Reims, with players reaching for cans of insect repellent after swarms of insects greeted them as they came off the bus.

Canadian-Dutch relations took a hit when a Dutch reporter was escorted out of training. While media were sequestered downstairs in a nearby gym complex during the closed portion of the Canadian practice, the washrooms were upstairs. Apparently the Dutch reporter peeked out a window after the washroom visit.

Reims is the third stop on the Canadian World Cup tour and it has shown the most signs of being a tournament town. The Dutch had a poor Algarve Cup earlier this year losing to Spain and Poland before beating China on penalties to finish 11th. Canada dispatched Sweden in a penalty shootout to finish third at the same tournament.

But the Dutch have won their last five games, outscoring their opposition 16-1.

“They have players in top environments,” said Canadian fullback Ashley Lawrence, who plays her club soccer with Paris Saint-Germain.

“Offensively they have some threats. We’ve definitely looked at that. But we’re ready to nullify their threats.”

continue to raise profile of New Brunswick sprint champion from 1900s

DOUCETTE The Canadian Press

HALIFAX — A New Brunswick sprinter who achieved world-class success in the early 1900s but remains little known in Canada is slowly attracting recognition due to the efforts of a distant relative.

Born near Fredericton in 1880, Eldridge (Gus) Eatman lived most of his life in Saint John, N.B., and went on to become world professional sprint champion from 1904 to 1907.

“He deserves recognition,” said Maurice Eatman, a third cousin who has worked tirelessly over the last two decades to revive his relative’s legacy.

“He was a forgotten native son,” Eatman said.

“He’s the greatest (athlete) ever produced out of New Brunswick for his era.”

On Wednesday, Gus Eatman, who died in 1960, is scheduled to be inducted into the

Maritime Sport Hall of Fame in Bedford, N.S.

Eatman ran at a time when blacks were not accepted in the ranks of amateur track and field, and few ran professionally. He kicked off his stellar career in 1903 when he beat world champion 120-yard sprinter

Tom Keen at Moosepath in Saint John.

He went on to clock the fastest Canadian sprint time at the Maritime championships in 1905 and also beat Jimmy Humphrey – said to be the first Canadian to run 100 yards in 10 seconds flat – in a match race.

Eatman continued his string of successes in North American and in Europe, winning the Powderhall Trophy, emblematic of the world championship, in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1906.

Maurice Eatman said he knew little about his cousin’s prowess while growing up.

“I heard about him off and on going through school, but it didn’t really sink in until I did a little bit of research,” he said.

“We didn’t know exactly how good he was until I started looking around in the archives.”

As a result, Eatman mounted campaigns that saw Gus inducted into the Saint John Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Aside from the athletic accomplishments, Eatman said his family is just as proud of other facets of Gus’s life, including his service in the First World War where he fought on the front lines with a British regiment, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. He joined in 1915 and survived 785 days in the trenches.

In 1935, he also led a Canadian effort to recruit volunteers and raise funds to fight against Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia. Eatman died in Saint John in 1960 at the age of 80. Frank Mitchell, president of the Maritime Sport Hall of Fame, said it’s part of the hall’s mandate to highlight athletes who have

died without necessarily receiving the plaudits they deserve.

Mitchell said Gus Eatman fits the bill in every respect, although in his case he came to the hall’s attention through a normal application submitted by Maurice Eatman.

“We are always searching for at least one historic character who might have been overlooked,” said Mitchell. “He is an interesting guy.” Mitchell said this year’s historic inductee is William John Paul, a distance runner from Prince Edward Island who made his mark in road races during the 1930s. Other 2019 athlete inductees include Nova Scotia boxer Lenny Sparks and John Kurty, an American baseball player who played in the Halifax and District semi-pro league in the 1950s. They are joined by broadcaster Peter Maher of Campbellton, N.B., and the Halifax Capitals baseball team.

clear the obstacle

morning at the Prince George Agriplex while competing in North Central B.C. Cadora’s annual Dressage and Hunter Jumper competition.

CP PHOTO BY CHRIS YOUNG

Canada’s Christine Sinclair (left) and Costa Rica’s Shirley Cruz chase a through ball during an international women’s soccer game in Toronto last week.

Let ’er rip!

R.J. Barrett is Canadian headliner at NBA Draft

Gregory STRONG The Canadian Press

On the heels of the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA championship for the first time, Canada’s top basketball prospects could be set to make some history of their own.

Duke forward R.J. Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., will be one of the headliners at Thursday’s NBA Draft, which could see a record number of Canadian players selected over the two rounds.

Barring any pre-draft trades, Duke forward Zion Williamson is a virtual lock to go first overall to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to take Murray State guard Ja Morant at No. 2 and the Knicks are a good bet to take Barrett at No. 3. Barrett, a 19-year-old Duke forward, picked out his suit well ahead of time for the big night and it just might include some national flavour.

“Know that Canada will be proud,” Barrett said from Toronto in a recent interview.

At least one Canadian has been selected in each of the last nine drafts. Anthony Bennett of Toronto became the first Canadian to be selected with the No. 1 pick when he was taken by Cleveland in 2013.

The Cavaliers took another Canadian in Andrew Wiggins of Vaughan, Ont., with their top pick in 2014, a record year for Canadians in the draft. Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ont., (No. 8 by Sacramento) and Tyler Ennis of Brampton, Ont., (No. 18 by Phoenix) were picked later in the first round.

Dwight Powell of Toronto (No. 45 by

Charlotte) was selected in the second round in 2014 as new marks were set for most Canadians taken in the first round and overall.

Both records could be broken at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as Barrett, Florida State forward Mfiondu Kabengele of Burlington, Ont., Virginia Tech guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Toronto and Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort of Montreal are all potential first-round picks.

“I’m just counting down the days, I can’t

wait,” Barrett said.

“I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life so I’m just excited to finally get it going.”

Michigan forward Ignas Brazdeikis of Oakville, Ont., Iowa State guard Lindell Wigginton of Dartmouth, N.S., and Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke of Vancouver could also be in the mix on draft night.

Players usually work out with several teams ahead of the draft, but Barrett’s lone stop was New York. He said the visit “went

very well.”

“It was just the way it worked out,” he said.

“The Knicks are definitely the place I want to be so I won’t be working out with anybody else.”

In addition to the first overall selection, the Pelicans are tabbed to pick fourth after the recent blockbuster Anthony Davis trade with the L.A. Lakers. More deals could be consummated ahead of draft night and it’s quite possible a team could trade up to get the No. 3 pick from New York.

“The way I look at it is my dream is to play in the NBA and be great in the NBA,” said Barrett, who was named a Team RBC brand ambassador on Tuesday.

So if it’s not the Knicks or I get traded somewhere, I’ll be happy regardless. I just want to be able to have a chance to play.”

Barrett showed off his speed, strong passing ability and creativity in his one season at Duke. He’ll look to work on his shooting at the pro level as he struggled at times from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line.

“I learned that I can play in the environment and I’m really built for the next level,” Barrett said.

“I just learned a lot about myself as a person, just being able to get better and to continue to grow with all the spotlight and everything that went on at Duke. So I was really happy with my year.”

The top Canadian pick in last year’s draft was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton, Ont., taken 11th overall by the Hornets. The Raptors do not have a first-round pick this year. Their second-round selection will be at No. 59 overall.

P.G. Royals pitcher Josh Tamblyn hurls the ball against the P.G. Black Sox on Sunday afternoon at

Assoication Peewee house tournament.

Duke’s RJ Barrett (5) goes up to dunk against Florida State during the NCAA college basketball championship game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C., on March 16.

The Detour is one of TV’s most outlandish shows

Travis M. ANDREWS

The Washington Post

In the first episode of The Detour, Nate Parker (Jason Jones) accidentally gulps down some fresh urine after having a bottle of the warm stuff tossed in his face by a Good Samaritan who thinks he and his wife, Robin (Natalie Zea), have kidnapped their own two children.

The Good Samaritan thinks this because the young twins, Delilah (Ashley Gerasimovich) and Jared (Liam Carroll), grew bored on a road trip and put up a sign claiming they’d been abducted and needed immediate help.

The TBS show’s fourth season debuts June 18, and things have only gotten more outrageous since then.

The long and short of it is that the family went on vacation, unintentionally found themselves on the run from the law, and things just escalated from there – a plot far too twisty and convoluted (for comedic effect) to spell out entirely. Just know what began as a road-trip comedy now spans the globe and involves battle tanks in place of urine jars.

When Zea hears that a reporter has binged the new season in two sittings, she quips, “That’s a lot of Detour at once. Are you OK?!” That might make the sitcom sound like shock comedy along the lines of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or South Park, but it’s actually one of the most pro-family stories that exists in a television landscape peppered with murdered women, disaffected sex and ruthless power-grabbing.

Every horrid situation that arises – from faked deaths to so many bloody noses to a cavalcade of broken international laws – is, in the end, about the Parkers attempting to remain the close-knit family they are.

“When we got into this, the network really wanted this family comedy. But I had not a lot of interest in making a traditional family comedy,” said Jones, who envisioned a show that would propel a family “into pure chaos” –to “bend a family as far as you can without breaking it.”

Ruining a family isn’t funny, but as the past three seasons demonstrate, it can be pretty hilarious to put one under a tremendous

amount of stress.

“The family has this loving bond, and they can fight and bicker, but that fab four are kind of unbreakable,” Jones added.

As it happens, it’s a family-run show – co-created and written by Jones and his wife, Samantha Bee, with whom he has also worked on The Daily Show and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

The new season finds Nate, Robin and Jared looking for Delilah, who, sick of the family’s antics, has run away and become a social media star, posting videos of herself dancing at various locales around the globe.

Her family chases her from Paraguay (where they stumble upon a drug cartel’s hideout ringed with heads on sticks – cue the laugh track) to Tibet (where Nate falls down a mountain and a now-teen-

age Jared falls for a local girl who he doesn’t realize is 10 years old) to Japan (“We don’t talk about what happened in Japan”).

Along the way, we meet evil twin sisters who lock up men and mine them for testosterone, and Russian oligarchs who maintain power by feeding Putin his favourite milk.

Though it may sound either dark or dumb, The Detour is one of the funniest shows on television. Strangely, it’s also one of the more introspective ones, tackling everything from abortion to disability to the finer plot points of The Perfect Storm in its own twisted way.

“I think if you have an honesty and respect for character, in this case the character being the family, you can go anywhere with them,” Jones said.

Added Zea, “It is sometimes

Tree that some say inspired Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax topples

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — A century-old tree with a long trunk and bushy branches that some believe was the inspiration for fictional Truffula trees in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax has fallen in a coastal San Diego park. Officials are investigating why the wind-swept Monterey cypress toppled in Ellen Browning Scripps Park last week, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Monday. “The tree was not dead at the time it fell, and with the exception of some stressing due to termites, was generally in good shape,” said Parks and Recreation spokesman Tim Graham. According to local legend, the tree inspired the The Lorax by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, who lived nearby and worked in an office with a sweeping view of the coastline.

But there are no facts to back up the lore. His wife, Audrey Geisel, told the La Jolla Village News in 2012 that the idea for Truffula trees in the 1971 environmental fable came from an Africa trip.

“He looked up at one of the (local) trees, and said, ‘That’s my tree. They’ve stolen my tree.’ So

that’s where that came from,” Audrey Geisel said.

Geisel told interviewers over the years that The Lorax was inspired by the anger he felt as he watched homes and condominiums being carved into the hillsides below him. He called the book “one of the few things I ever set out to do that was straight propaganda,” according to the Union-Tribune. In it, the title character tries to stop the Once-ler from chopping down Truffula Trees so that their

tufts (“much softer than silk”) can be used to manufacture Thneeds, a classically Seussian word for all manner of worthless merchandise.

“I speak for the trees,” the Lorax says. Geisel, who died in 1991, would often claim The Lorax was his favourite among the 48 books that he wrote, the newspaper said. Officials plan to salvage some of the wood and repurpose it, and a replacement tree will be planted, Graham said.

Shark attack survivor gets message from Robert Downey Jr.

Amanda MORRIS

The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina teenager who lost a leg in a shark attack this month got a personal message Tuesday from the actor who plays Iron Man in Marvel’s superhero movies.

Robert Downey Jr. uploaded a video addressed to 17-year-old Paige Winter on his Instagram in which he said that hers is “a heroic story of resilience.” The 17-year-old was attacked at North Carolina’s Atlantic Beach on June 2 by what was likely a large

bull shark. She sustained severe wounds to both her hands and her left leg during the incident.

At a news conference last week, her father had asked Downey to follow the teenager on Instagram and said she was “probably his biggest fan.”

Downey said he will follow her on Instagram but also asked Winter to be an ambassador for his Footprint coalition, which aims to use advanced technologies to clean up the environment.

“You’re not alone,” Downey said in the video. “But not just because of folks

who have had similar stuff happen, but also because of your interest in sustainability and preservation of our oceans and marine life.” After the attack, Winter had spoken out in support of ocean and shark conservancy. She has been promoting the hashtag #sharksarestillgoodpeople and released a video in which she said she hopes to use her accident to do something good for the environment. Winter was surprised with Downey’s message during an interview that aired on ABC’s Good Morning America.

offensive. It sometimes crosses a line in terms of what people are comfortable with. But it’s also the truth.”

That’s not to say making it is always a breeze, especially since it involves two child actors. When they come up with their more outlandish ideas, the first conversation is “always awkward,” according to Jones.

In season three, for example, Gerasimovich’s character, who is in her early teens, “was having a full orgasm on a snowmobile.”

That, says Jones, “was first an awkward conversation with her mom.”

He has a practice of running all plot points past the actress’ parents; on this one, “there was a loooooooong pause on the phone –and then ‘I think that would be OK.’”

Oddly, though, the show has

caught the most flack not for its boundary-pushing comedy but for being too “political,” in the eyes of some critics on the right.

In truth, the show revels in skewering both sides, taking more shots at Robin’s atheism than Nate’s faith, for example.

Jones thinks the criticism may stem from Bee’s involvement: “Some people see her name and immediately bristle... But I always enjoyed mocking both sides. I find liberals just as fun to make fun of.”

In the end, though, it always comes back to family.

“I always saw the story of Nate Parker similar to the story of Job,” Jones said.

“About what he’s willing to do for his family.”

Even if that makes taking a few lumps (and losing a few teeth) along the way.

CITIZEN PHOTO PROVIDED BY TBS

Nate, played by Jason Jones, runs from certain death at the hands of a drug cartel in The Detour, one of TV’s funniest shows.

AP PHOTO BY K.C. ALFRED

A Monterey cypress tree that toppled in Ellen Browning Scripps Park last week in La Jolla, Calif., is, according to local legend, the tree inspired the The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

Fred Doig 1928-2019

it is will great sadness we announce the passing of beloved family member and friend, Fred Doig. Fred is survived by the love of his life, wife Marion. There

BLACK,LorelieC. December20,1965-June9,2019

ItiswithgreatsadnessthatthefamilyofLorelie BlackannouncesherpassingonJune9,2019,at PrinceGeorgeHospiceHouse,withAlisaunwavering byherside.

LoreliewasbornDecember20,1965,toCliveandJo Black.Sheissurvivedbyherpartner,Alisa;her brother,Shane(Colleen),andtheirchildren,Corbin (Kurumi),Joel(Olivia),andtheirsweetEllie;brother, Shawn(Leslie),andtheirchildren,Madeleineand Ian;sister,Tanya(Mark),andtheirchildren,Clayton, SebastianandElla.Sheisalsosurvivedbymany relativesandfriends,aswellasherbelovedRufus.

Loreliewasanincredibleteacherwhosededication andleadershipoftheJusticeLeaguewillmarkher legacyatKellyRoadSecondaryandPrinceGeorge Secondaryschools,nottomentiontheimpacther teachinghadonherstudents.Loreliewaspassionate aboutteaching,sheenjoyedhavingapoliticaldebate andenjoyedparticipationinbookclubwithfriends.

Loreliereceivedamazingmedicalsupportthroughout herfightfromDr.Nowlan,Dr.Murray,Dr.Ho,and thewonderfulstaffatboththeCancerClinicand HospiceHouse.Loreliewassupportedbytheloveof herfamilyandreceivedfrequentvisitsfromfriends, coworkers,andstudents.

TherewillbeacelebrationofLorelie’slifeonFriday, June21stattheInnoftheNorthfrom3pmto5pm.

Inlieuofflowers,adonationtothePrinceGeorge HospiceSocietywouldbegreatlyappreciated:3089 ClappertonStreet,PrinceGeorge,BCV2L5N4.

SHAW, Lorne Thompson, aged 92, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2019, in his home with family by his side.

Lorne was born July 8, 1926 and raised in Elm Creek, Manitoba, leaving home to become a Navy stoker at 17Ω and, upon discharge in January 1946, he and his parents moved west to Vancouver. After graduating vocational school as a heavy-duty mechanic, Lorne traveled the interior and northern BC servicing equipment. During this very social time in Prince George, he met Betty, and they married in 1953. Lorne advanced from monkey-wrenching to selling International Harvester construction equipment for BC Equipment, where his social nature served him well. This position took Lorne and Betty from Prince George (where Gordon was born in 1954) to Williams Lake (Donald 1956), North Vancouver, Burnaby, Kamloops (Betty Ann 1961), Nelson and full circle back to Prince George in 1974. When Lorne stopped travelling, he worked for Comor/River Industries as a counter salesman. Lorne was a character and loved telling stories of his days on the road and was known for his wit and endless (frequently risqué) jokes which he was always happy to share. His memory was exceptional, and family will miss that infallible resource.

Lorne was predeceased by his wife Betty in 2008 and eldest son Gordon in 2002. He was survived by son Don (Jo-Anne), daughter Betty Ann (Kelly), daughter-in-law Lorna, two grandchildren (Don and Cori), and three great grandchildren (Haley, Jordyn and Meghan). The family is very appreciative of the wonderful care and support Lorne received from Drs Kelly, McCoy, King and most recently Dr Geddes. The team of Home Support Workers and the Department of Veterans Affairs both played a very large part in Lorne’s success in remaining in his home over the years as he aged, and for that the family is eternally grateful. No Service will be held. Lorne requested cremation, and family will celebrate his life and spread his ashes in a favoured location.

Patrick (Pat) Ablett

Passed away suddenly on June 12, 2019. He was only 24 years old, and with Danielle the love of his life; had such a wonderful future ahead of him. Pat will be deeply missed by so many people, including friends and staff from Immaculate Conception, Duchess Park and UNBC - not to mention staff and friends at Earls, Canfor and his basketball & softball teams. Pat was predeceased by his brother Josh in 2004 and his mom Joyce in 2012. His dad Rick, brother Jesse, along with cousins Carly, Tanya and Shayla will always miss them so very much. A get together to celebrate a wonderful but far too short of a life will be held at College Height Baptist Church — 5401 Moriarty Cres, Saturday June 22, 2019 @ 2pm. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the charity of your choice would be good.

Martin, Joan Ann (NEE: Petrie) 1937 - 2019

Joan is survived by her loving family and spouse of 43 years Vern; children: Karen (Allan), Barry (Angel) John, Michelle (Rob); stepdaughters: Heather (Brian), Linda; grandchildren: Matthew (Lisa), Sarah, Maria (Eric), Kory, Jeremy, Amanda, Taylor, Alyssa, Danielle (Mason), Jason; great granddaughter, Payton as well as relatives and friends. She is predeceased by her parents, Jack and Edith; sisters: Shirley, Jackie as well as relatives and friends.

The family would like to say a special thank you to the dedicated and wonderful staff at Foyer Lacombe. There will be no service at this time. Memorial Donations can be made in Joan’s memory to the Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2.

To send condolences, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com

Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home St. Albert Chapel (780) 458-2222

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