Prince George Citizen May 25, 2019

Physiotherapy program to be launched at UNBC

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

Starting in 16 months time, physiotherapy students will be able to learn their craft at the University of Northern British Columbia.

With the help of $2.2 million from the provincial government, UNBC will welcome its first intake of 20 masters of physiotherapy students in September 2020. And by September 2022, a 16-student masters of occupational therapy program will be launched at UNBC – $1.1 million is being provided towards that goal.

B.C. Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister Melanie Mark announced the long-awaited moves on Friday.

University of British Columbia in Vancouver is currently home to both progams while a 20-student “northern cohort” of physiotherapy students spends four weeks working at clinics in the northern B.C. region midway through their 26-month program. No northern cohort exists for occupational therapy students, who also go through a 26-month program.

A further 20 physiotherapy seats are to be established in the Fraser Valley by September 2022 and eight seats will be added to the occupational therapy program at UBC.

Currently, there are 80 first-year physiotherapy seats at UBC and the number available across the province will rise to 120 by September 2022. On the occupational therapy side, there are 48 seats at UBC. This will increase to 72 first-year seats with the additions at UNBC and UBC.

“Adding more occupational and physical therapy seats has been a call to action for years,” Mark said. “Our government listened and is investing in opportunities to bring education closer to home, because we know that when students live and train in

Options for public washrooms downtown to go to council

Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff

Complete with cost estimates, four options for bringing public washrooms to the downtown will be presented to city council on Monday night.

They range from opening the washrooms at Canada Games Plaza to encouraging downtown businesses to provide the service through a grant program similar to one up and running in Yellowknife.

Staff will be seeking council’s direction to pursue one or a combination of the suggestions.

Here’s a closer look:

• Open the washrooms at the Canada Games Plaza from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily with an attendant onsite during that time.

Staff is suggesting it operate as a pilot from June 15 to Oct. 1 at a cost of $77,250.

Of that, $52,900 would go towards paying for two onsite attendants with one working a morning shift and the other an evening shift.

Given the urgency of getting the program going this summer, the bill is based on the cost of hiring contract security personnel.

But ideally, attendants hired by a nonprofit agency with experience working with street-involved people would take over the work.

The remaining $23,350 would go towards custodial and maintenance costs carried out by City staff.

In a survey of downtown service pro-

viders, the Civic Centre was raised as one of the most preferred sites.

• Fund three downtown service agencies to provide monitored facilities.

Saint Vincent de Paul, Positive Living North (Firepit)and Association Advocating for Women and Children are among the recommended agencies.

While washrooms are available at their spots, using them can depend on whether staff is available to monitor.

Cost is estimated at $36,000 with $12,000 going to each of the agencies in the form of a one-time grant to pay for both increased monitoring on a “client/ peer employment model” and to train clients to work as attendants at other locations.

• Hire a full-time, year-round attendant to monitor the washrooms at the Prince George Public Library.

— see PARTNERSHIP, page 3

Library seeing rising use of public washrooms

Citizen staff

The Prince George Public Library has seen a rise in the use of its washrooms over the years. According to a recent tally, 21 to 43 people used the main branch’s washrooms each hour on a “slow day,” staff says in a report to city council, with 14 per cent going into the library for that sole purpose.

And in 2018, there were 144 incidents related to those facilities, up from 59 in 2015.

In response, the library moved from contract to staff security personnel, doubled security detail during social assistance weeks, and overlapped security staffing at busy times of the day.

In 2015, actual security costs were $55,476. In 2019, security costs are budgeted at $155,520. Elsewhere, since 2017 public washrooms at city hall have been limited to the first floor and a Service Centre representative who presses a buzzer to open the door.

Washrooms in city parks are generally locked and unavailable to the public unless city staff are working onsite.

Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park and Duchess Park washrooms are opened and closed daily by security personnel, and cleaned twice daily by city custodial staff.

And washrooms at Masich place are now open during operating hours while those at Memorial Park Cemetery is open and closed by city staff during business hours and by a security company on the weekends. Cleaning is done three times per week by city custodians.

The city has also increased security presence at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, Four Seasons Pool, and the Via Rail Building to address a range of incidents, including inappropriate use of public washrooms.

— Mark Nielsen

the north, they are

stay and work in the north.”

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE

Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, announced on Friday afternoon at UNBC that the province is increasing occupational and physical therapy training seats in Northern B.C.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE

The public washrooms at Canada Games Plaza. On Monday city council will hear a number of options to provide public washrooms downtown.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Suspect arrested for alleged indecent act

A 33-year-old man was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of committing an indecent act while on the property of a local elementary school.

Prince George RCMP said he was apprehended within a few minutes of police arriving at Harwin Elementary School on Harper Street. Police were alerted at about 8:30 a.m.

It’s expected the suspect will remain in custody over the weekend and appear in court on Monday. His name was not released and charges remain pending.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call the detachment at 250-561-3300.

— Citizen staff

Hit and run reported to police

Police are on the lookout for the driver who left the scene of a collision with a cyclist on Thursday evening near the corner of First Avenue and Claxton Crescent.

The suspect vehicle is described as a charcoal grey Nissan crossover and would likely have damage on the rear passenger side. The cyclist, a 14-year-old boy, suffered relatively minor injuries and attended the hospital as a precaution. “Investigators are looking to speak to the driver and anyone who may have witnessed the incident or know where the vehicle could be,” RCMP said.

Prince George RCMP can be reached at 250-5613300. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8047 or go online at www. pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca. You do not have to reveal your identity and if you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.

— Citizen staff

Man found guilty of second-degree murder

A Burns Lake-area man has been found guilty of second-degree murder.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice David Crossin issued the verdict Friday for Albert Giesbrecht, 68, for the May 2017 shooting death of 59-year-old Raymond Bishop in Southbank on the south side of Francois Lake. Giesbrecht is next scheduled to appear in court in Smithers on May 31 to fix a date for sentencing.

— Citizen staff

Driver killed in crash east of city

A man was killed Friday morning in a collision with a tractor-trailer unit east of the city. Prince George RCMP, who were called to the scene at 10 a.m., said the collision occurred on Highway 16 near Purden, about 40 kilometres east of the city. The stretch was closed for most of the day to allow investigators to gather evidence. The victim’s name was not released.

— Citizen staff

Grilling for Schizophrenia Awareness Day

Activity Centre for Empowerment volunteer Richard Papp works the grill on Friday during an event for International Schizophrenia Awareness Day.

Camping to be pitched for Cariboo Rocks the North

Citizen staff

A rejection by city staff of a request to allow overnight camping at this summer’s Cariboo Rocks the North is being appealed to city council.

In a letter to council, B.C. Northern Exhibition vice president Curt Wallach said he has been working on the issue with the event’s organizers and city staff and believed everything was in order only to be told in mid-April that there will be no camping this year.

The city has been reluctant to allow the move, citing concerns about noise, clean up, and security.

Council will consider Wallach’s request to allow camping on Monday night.

Also on city council’s agenda on Monday night:

• Findings from a review of the city’s

snow and ice control service will be presented. Retired senior manager Frank Blues, who managed snow removal and budgeting for the majority of his 30 years with the city, carried out the review.

• A report on illegal dumping in the Fraser-Fort George Regional District will be presented.

• Council will decide whether to pursue a $5.2-million upgrade to the 2nd Avenue parkade. The total represents a $2.4-million increase over the original estimate for the project’s cost.

Rising labour and material costs and “scope, quantity of concrete repair and contingency,” were cited as the reasons for the jump.

• Options for establishing public washrooms in the downtown will be presented.

• Volunteer Prince George will provide an update on its activities.

• A public hearing will be held for an application to remove manufactured housing as a permitted use on 61 of 64 properties in the Glenview Estates neighbourhood.

• A public hearing will be held for an application to add 14 manufactured home to the North Park Heights Manufactured Home Park at 5164 Hart Hwy.

• An informal hearing will be held for an application to increase the site coverage for a mixed use building at 1783 11th Ave. The building is to include a medical office on the main floor and residential unit on the second floor.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and the public hearing begin at 7 p.m.

Construction starts on Indigenous student homes at CNC

With the help of a ground-breaking ceremony, construction began Friday on housing for first-year Indigenous students at the College of New Caledonia.

The provincial government is sinking $2.6 million into the project, which will provide 12 furnished student rooms, a suite for an Elder who will provide student support, a

shared kitchen, living area, washrooms and laundry facilities, as well as a designated area for traditional cultural practices, teachings and activities.

“A safe, welcoming and supportive home gives Indigenous students the foundation for continued success,” Lheidli T’enneh Chief Clayton Pountney said.

“We’ve worked closely with our Elders and community members to get to the start of con-

struction and look forward to the completion of the new building.”

Measuring 440 square metres (4,735 squarefeet), it is being built next to existing student housing.

CNC services 21 First Nations communities and about 20 per cent of the student population at CNC is Indigenous, many from remote parts of Northern B.C. Occupancy is expected by spring 2020.

Learning retreat to focus on tools, skills for resolving conflicts

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

Establishing a permaculture for your community, looking more deeply at deep adaptation, and taking the principles of nonviolent communication into consideration are the subjects of a special guest speaker at the Kakwa Ecovillage Co-op.

Eric Bowers is the leader of the Road To Compassion interpersonal healing program and the author of the book Meet Me In Hard-toLove Places: The Heart & Science of Relationship Success.

Bowers will be the special guest presenter at a weekend learning retreat at the Kakwa Ecovillage Co-op located on the Walker Creek Forest Road (about 130 kilometres east of Prince George).

“You will be given the tools to co-create structures and systems for working through conflict with your group members – community, workplace, family, and others,” said Russ Purvis, host of

Potential customers are reading this ad right now. Call 250-5623301 to advertise in The Citizen Subscribe today to get local news, sports, A&E and more delivered to your door five days a week

Call 250562-3301

City apologizes for slowing commuter traffic Partnership considered

Citizen staff

The city has issued an apology for backing up traffic along Highway 97 North during the Thursday morning commute.

The southbound lane at Northwood Pulpmill Road was closed at about 7:30 a.m. to carry out work on manholes, catch basins, and water valves prior to a paving project the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has scheduled for June.

However, there has also been a city paving project along Foothills Boulevard this week and the combination led to a long lineup of traffic.

“Once we noticed the significant effects on traffic travelling southbound on Highway 97, we removed the lane closure,” city public works director Gina Layte Liston said. “Unfortunately, even though the lane closure was removed within the hour, it still took some time for traffic to return to normal and we apologize for the inconvenience that motorists experienced.”

City work that remains on Highway 97 will continue but during off-peak times, including the night shift, starting Sunday evening.

At various times next week, portions of the Highway between Fifth Avenue and Chief Lake Road will experience single-lane traffic in preparation for repaving.

Foothills was reopened Thursday, one day ahead of schedule.

the retreat.

“Eric’s workshops are experiential and engaging, with lots of time to practice in small groups. He also uses short games and activities to keep participants energized. Eric is a certified nonviolent communication trainer with extensive training in attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology. He has also trained in restorative systems for conflict, shadow work, music and improv theater.”

In addition to exploring nonviolent communication (a style of honest expression that reduces emotional conflict and supports solutions to problems), permaculture (the use of nature’s principles in designing human communities), and deep adaptation (implementing sustainability principles into community planning, taking climate change realities into account), the weekend retreat will also include demonstrations in bee keeping, wool spinning, forest kids, seed saving and wild foraging.

“Climate change is a natural phenomena that is scientifically accepted as a given on our planet, Earth,” said Purvis. “What if we are simply out of time?... If we are out of time, some ideas are worth considering. It’s important to encourage people to have these discussions, which we are doing. It’s also important to develop techniques for communicating which demonstrate empathy in times that may become increasingly stressful. That is why we are actively promoting nonviolent communication with Eric Bowers.”

The event happens July 20-21, with overnighting options available.

For a cost breakdown and registration information, go to the Kakwa Ecovillage website at kakwaecovillage.wordpress.com/ events/. Buy before June 20 and receive an earlybird discount. Some limited bursaries are available. Contact info@kakwaecovillage.com for more information.

— from page 1 Onsite security staff “can only check the washrooms as frequently as their time allows,” meaning other library staff can be stuck with the burden. Cost is estimated at $63,965 to pay for an attendant’s wage and benefits. Trained security personnel will still be on hand to deal with bad behaviour.

• Partner with Downtown Prince George to develop a grant program to provide public access at local businesses. The idea was implemented in Yellowknife in summer 2017. Businesses there confirm they have the written consent of the landlord to designate an existing washroom as a public washroom. The City of Yellowknife, in turn, provides signage and a one-time payment of $500.

B.C. gov’t increasing funds for floods, wildfires

KELOWNA (CP) — The B.C. government is increasing funding to help local governments and First Nations prepare for and endure wildfires, floods and other emergencies.

Premier John Horgan announced an additional $31 million to the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund at a news conference Friday at Kelowna’s main fire hall. He says two consecutive seasons of record-breaking wildfires in B.C. and recent flood damage to communities

highlights the need for more support to mitigate, respond and recover from emergencies.

Horgan says the budget for the emergency preparedness fund now totals $69.5 million.

Since the spring of 2017, B.C. has allocated $1.64 billion on flood and wildfire response and recovery programs, including fire suppression and efforts to clean up wildfire risk areas near communities. Horgan says the fund will be administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE

Darlene McIntosh, Marlene Erickson, Chief Clayton Pountney, College of New Caledonia president Henry Reiser, Minister of Advanced Education Melanie Mark, Damon Robison and Mayor Lyn Hall participate in a ground breaking ceremony at CNC on Friday morning on the site of the new Indigenous student housing building.

Citizen staff

Scheer says it would take Tories five years to balance budget

Amy SMART The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER — Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says the economy has become such a mess under the Liberals that it would take a Conservative government five years to clean it up.

He accused the Liberal government of embarking on a “deficit spree” and spending at a rate that will add $71 billion to the national debt by the end of this year.

Scheer made the comments Friday to members of the Canadian Club at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, where he also accused the Liberals of stacking a panel on a media bailout in their favour and celebrated a court ruling blocking British Columbia from restricting oil shipments into the province.

“Even the most optimistic projections don’t have the Liberals balancing the budget for 20 more years, meaning the Liberals would add to the debt every year for the next two decades. But if Canadians elected a Conservative government this fall, we will balance the budget in a quarter of that time,” he said.

Balancing the budget in a responsible way is “impossible” in the very short term, Scheer said, adding the Liberals have spent $79.5 billion of previously unbudgeted funds since 2017.

But his comments were met with disappointment by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which accused Scheer of breaking his word.

It said Scheer signed a pledge in April 2017 with the federation’s youth organization promising to balance the budget within two years if he were elected.

“Canadians are already suffering the consequences of breaking a balanced budget promise: Justin Trudeau’s fiscal recklessness will mean at least $100 billion in additional debt piled on the backs of our children and grandchildren,” it said in a statement.

“The longer a return to balance is delayed, the more debt will accumulate and the longer Canadians will see billions wasted on interest payments.”

Liberal MP Jonathan Wilkinson also responded by warning that Scheer’s “slash and burn policies” pose a risk to both the economy and the middle class.

Wilkinson said Scheer would have to make drastic cuts to programs and services

in order to pay for promises like a $1.7 billion tax break for wealthy Canadians. The ongoing housing affordability, climate action and pharmacare plans could be at stake alongside stronger pensions for seniors and lower interest rates on student loans, he said.

“Andrew Scheer is committed to austerity and cuts. Today he has torn up his proposal for two years of cuts and he’s now promising five years of cuts,” Wilkinson said in a statement.

Scheer made the lunchtime speech the same day that the B.C. Court of Appeal issued a ruling blocking the province from restricting oil shipments.

The decision means that the province doesn’t have the authority to create a permitting regime for companies that wish to increase their flow of diluted bitumen.

Alberta changes MLA voting rules

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney’s government is changing voting rules at the Alberta legislature about one year after a bruising debate regarding abstentions on a bill about abortion clinics.

Right now, Alberta legislators can say yes or no to proposed legislation, but must physically leave the chamber if they don’t want to vote at all.

Government house leader Jason Nixon said Friday that procedural changes to be introduced and voted on by all members next week will include allowing politicians to remain in their seats and abstain. The abstentions would not be noted in

the official record. Nixon referenced a contentious debate a year ago over a government bill that expanded a buffer zone between clinic patients, staff and anti-abortion protesters. At the time, Kenney and the United Conservatives were the Opposition and Rachel Notley’s NDP were in power.

As the bill moved through debate, Kenney’s caucus members walked out en masse 14 times to avoid discussing or voting on the bill. Kenney is against abortion, and dismissed the bill as unnecessary game-playing by the government.

His UCP caucus members were mocked and jeered by the NDP when they repeatedly headed to the exits to avoid voting.

It’s widely considered a win for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Alberta’s efforts to get its resources to overseas markets.

“Obviously the Conservative party is pleased with this decision. However there still is a great deal of uncertainty as it relates to future court processes that will follow and still a lack of a clear plan to get it built,” Scheer said.

He repeated a call for the Liberal government to put the brakes on a bill to enact new environmental assessment legislation and fast-track any judicial reviews to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Scheer also accused the Liberals of trying to “stack” the electoral deck in its favour by adding Unifor to a panel that is determining which media outlets would be eligible for a

bailout.

Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada and includes many journalists as members, but Scheer called it one of Trudeau’s “most well-funded and influential supporters.”

The panel of eight associations is expected to deliver recommendations by July for distribution of $595 million to support the struggling industry.

The Liberal government has defended its plan, insisting a strong and independent news media is vital to a well-functioning democracy.

The government has said the money will be directed at journalistic organizations primarily involved in the production of original news, with an emphasis on coverage of democratic institutions and processes.

Some new air passenger rights land in July, others delayed until December

Jordan PRESS, Christopher REYNOLDS The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Long-promised rules meant to help frustrated air passengers will arrive in two phases – first this summer, and then Christmas – but the longer wait for some rules, the ambiguous wording of others, and the exemptions for airlines have caused turbulence around the regulations before they even take off.

The first batch of regulations land in mid-July and require airlines to help and compensate passengers stuck on tarmacs for hours, including making sure there is no repeat of a 2017 incident at Ottawa’s airport in which passengers were stuck in one jet for five hours and in another for six, in sweltering summer heat.

The Montreal-bound Air Transat flights from Europe been diverted to Ottawa by bad weather; uncertainty about when they might fly again kept them grounded so long that some passengers on one of the planes called 911 and asked to be rescued.

The airport and airline disagreed about whose fault it was that the passengers were stranded aboard as air conditioning failed and sustenance ran out.

Air travellers will have to wait until midDecember for rules requiring airlines to seat parents beside or near their children at no extra cost, as well as compensation for flight delays and cancellations within an airline’s control.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Friday that the rules and timelines aim to strike a balance between being fair to passengers and to air carriers.

He called the rules around cancellations “more complex,” requiring a longer runway so airlines can draw up and implement new policies.

The rules provide a baseline for all carriers to follow and requirements to help the travelling public understand their rights,

which both industry and passenger advocates see as pluses.

For advocates, the downside was too much time – a six-month lag before most of the rules come into effect. “And we’re disappointed by that,” said Ian Jack, managing director of government relations with the Canadian Automobile Association.

“We think that could have happened a lot earlier.”

For the industry, the timelines were “ridiculous” in light of the need for more training and new software, said John McKenna, who heads the Air Transport Association of Canada.

New rules will require airlines to provide updates, and to return planes to gates and let people off if delays reach three hours. But a 45-minute extension is allowed if there is an “imminent” possibility a late plane will take off.

“That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is very positive. A number of captains told me first-hand they had to go back to the gate only to find out 20 minutes later that the window had just opened,” said Massimo Bergamini, chief executive of the National Airlines Council of Canada lobby group, which represents Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Jazz Aviation.

Starting July 15, passengers will have to be compensated up to $2,400 if they are denied boarding because a flight was overbooked, and receive up to $2,100 for lost or damaged luggage.

Compensation of up to $1,000 for delays and other payments for cancelled flights will take effect in December.

“The compensation costs are now among the highest outside of Europe,” McKenna said. “This is going to drive up the cost of flying in Canada.”

The rules impose no obligation on airlines to pay customers for delays or cancellations if they were caused by mechanical problems discovered in a pre-flight check, rather than during scheduled maintenance.

Conservative leader Andrew Scheer speaks about his economic vision at an event hosted by the Canadian Club of Vancouver on Friday.

VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s top court has ruled the province cannot restrict oil shipments through its borders in a decision that marks a win for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and Alberta’s efforts to get its resources to overseas markets.

The province filed a constitutional reference question to the B.C. Court of Appeal that asked whether it had the authority to create a permitting regime for companies that wished to increase their flow of diluted bitumen.

A five-judge panel agreed unanimously that the amendments to B.C.’s Environmental Management Act were not constitutional because they would interfere with the federal government’s exclusive jurisdiction over interprovincial pipelines.

Justice Mary Newbury wrote on behalf of the panel that the substance of the proposed amendments were to place conditions on and, if necessary, prohibit the movement of heavy oil through a federal undertaking.

Newbury also wrote that the legislation is not just an environmental law of “general application,” but is targeted at one substance, heavy oil, in one interprovincial pipeline: the Trans Mountain expansion project.

“Immediately upon coming into force, it would prohibit the operation of the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline in the province until such time as a provincially appointed official decided otherwise,” she said.

“This alone threatens to usurp the role of the (National Energy Board), which has made many rulings and imposed many conditions to be complied with by Trans Mountain for the protection of the environment.”

B.C. argued that the proposed amendments were meant to protect its environment from a hazardous substance, while the federal government and Alberta said the goal was to block Trans Mountain.

Newbury wrote that even if the legislation was not intended to single out the expansion project, it has the potential to affect – and indeed “stop in its tracks” – the entire operation of Trans Mountain as a carrier and exporter of oil.

She said the National Energy Board is the body entrusted with regulating the flow of energy resources across Canada to export markets, and it has already imposed many conditions on Trans Mountain.

She added that the expansion is not just a British Columbia project because it affects the whole country.

The proposed amendments would have meant that Trans Mountain Corp., and any other company wishing to increase the amount of heavy oil it transported through B.C., would have had to apply for a “hazardous substance permit.”

The permit application would have had to detail the risks to human health and the

environment from a spill, plans to mitigate those risks and financial measures, including insurance, that ensured payment of cleanup costs.

A provincial public servant would have had the authority to impose conditions on a hazardous substance permit and cancel or suspend the permit if the company did not comply.

Saskatchewan, Trans Mountain Corp. and Enbridge Inc. also argued in court against B.C.’s proposed permit regime, while First Nations, cities and environmental groups supported it.

Lawyer Kegan Pepper-Smith represented Ecojustice in the case and said the decision leaves B.C., its communities and the environment exposed to a potentially disastrous oil spill.

“The issue at the heart of this case goes far beyond a single pipeline project. What was at stake is the B.C. government’s ability to step in and enact laws that will better protect communities and the environment when federal measures fall short,” he said in a statement.

B.C. Attorney General David Eby was set to hold a news conference later Friday. The province still may appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, which must automatically hear reference cases.

Premier John Horgan’s minority NDP government took power in 2017 on a promise to use “every tool in the toolbox” to stop the pipeline expansion. There is still plenty it could do to stop the project, said Peter McCartney, a climate campaigner with the Wilderness Committee, in a statement.

McCartney said the government could add conditions to its provincial environmental certificate, such as demonstrating the ability to clean up a diluted bitumen spill completely.

Horgan could also order a public health and safety review of the project and assess the risks of a catastrophic oil spill or fire at the tank farm in Burnaby, he said.

The province announced the legislative amendments in January 2018, sparking a trade war with then-Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, who retaliated with a ban on B.C. wines in her province.

Premier John Horgan eased the tension by promising to file a reference case asking the Appeal Court whether the amendments were constitutional, prompting Notley to suspend the wine ban in February 2018.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline and expansion project for $4.5 billion. Construction was paused last August after the Federal Court of Appeal overturned the federal permits.

The project would triple the pipeline’s capacity to carry diluted bitumen from the Edmonton area to Metro Vancouver, and increase the number of tankers in Burrard Inlet seven-fold.

Laura KANE The Canadian Press

CP FILE PHOTO

Construction workers are seen at the Kinder Morgan Burnaby Terminal tank farm, the terminus point of the Trans Mountain pipeline, in Burnaby last month.

We can’t afford to lose our wild native pollinators

Aquintessential sign of spring is a busy bee happily buzzing from blossom to blossom. While spring is now in full swing across Canada, the presence of those dependable pollinators is becoming more and more uncertain.

Our research team is focused on assessing the status of wild pollinators, understanding the threats they face and working to conserve species at risk of extinction before it’s too late. What we’ve learned about bee declines may surprise even the most avid nature lover.

Pollinator declines have become one of the most talked about environmental issues. While media, policy and public discourse have focused on neonicotinoid pesticides and the loss of European honeybees, the story of bee decline is much more complex than that.

In Canada, we have more than 850 species of native bees, and the vast majority of those species have not been assessed to properly understand how they are faring in the wild. None of our native bees make honey. Most are solitary (that is they don’t live in hives), most live underground and many cannot sting.

Each of our native bee species has their own nesting and foraging needs. Some live in grasslands, others in forests. Some have adapted well to our urban, built environments. They each react to various threats differently.

While honeybees have their own management issues (including exposure to neonicotinoids in agricultural landscapes), we must understand that they are imported to North America for human benefit to produce honey and pollinate large farms.

The idea of promoting honeybees to conserve declining bees can be likened to throwing millions of Asian carp (an invasive species) into Lake Ontario to save native fishes – it’s a ludicrous proposition to conservationists. Instead, we must determine which wild bee species are in decline and what threats cause harm to their populations, and then design evidence-based conservation management plans to keep them from going extinct.

Recently, the Bumblebee Specialist Group for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature assessed the status of North America’s bumblebees (the best understood group of native bees). Startlingly, the group found one in four of our native bumblebees are at risk.

Some species, like the critically endangered rusty-patched bumblebee, have declined drastically over few decades. Growing evidence suggests habitat loss, climate change and disease spillover from managed bees are the top threats to bumblebees. Recently, our lab found the American bumblebee has declined by more than 85 per cent in recent decades throughout its Canadian range of southern Ontario and Quebec. If we are to conserve this and other species, we need to act quickly.

Keeping sustainable populations of wild bees should matter to every one of us, not just nature enthusiasts. Study after study confirms that maintaining our pollinator biodiversity keeps our agricultural systems and natural ecosystems resilient. When parasites like Varroa mites hit managed honeybees, wild bees provide insurance, pollinating crops that otherwise may not produce food.

Wild bees pollinate our crops in rural areas, our residential vegetable gardens and even our rooftop gardens. These free pollination services translate directly into economic benefits for humans and contribute to local food security.

Wild bees also pollinate flowers, trees and shrubs, which in turn feed and shelter other native wildlife, provide flood control, prevent soil erosion and help regulate the climate.

Bees serve as an important example of how biodiversity provides free ecosystem services upon which humans and other wildlife rely. They are taken for granted, but if they disappear the consequences will be cascading and significant.

Recently, the United Nations prepared an extensive report synthesizing how biodiversity declines are leading to the loss of ecosystem services globally. Some governments, including in Ontario, have framed conservation as too costly an endeavour or as hindrance to development. This is shortsighted and does not consider the real costs of losing biodiversity.

YOUR LETTERS

More conversation on city spending

I agree with Eric Allen. Thank goodness for his willingness to help lead the effort to get enough alternative approval process forms filled out by residents to force at least a referendum on the borrowing of the millions the city wants to spend. I disagree with Nathan Giede in his May 22 Citizen piece, An open letter to the residents of Prince George, in which he declared that there were no “freeze or lower taxes” candidates in the last municipal election. I ran in this election and the thrust of my campaign was in significant part on restraining city spending and tax increases. In the Citizen’s Meet the candidate feature on Oct. 13, 2018, for instance, after an introduction, I begin by stating: “I am hoping to serve as councillor to slow and stop tax increases, instead hopefully having lower city taxes and a lighter burden on citizens.”

The great example I used was the purchase and planned demolition of the Days Inn. My assertion has been that if you think buying and knocking down

a perfectly good hotel to basically burn some $2 million of public funds is a good idea, that should tell voters all they need to know about how well you will take care of their hard-earned tax dollars and whether taxes are likely to keep rising.

During the campaign, I messaged all the candidates to hear their position on the Days Inn.

None of the incumbents responded to me, except Terri McConnachie, who I asked personally at a media event. Kyle Sampson and Cory Ramsey also did not respond. I think that like Ms. McConnachie at the time I asked her, they couldn’t declare why it was a good plan to burn $2 million in public money.

As I pointed out in a letter to the editor last year, Pool decision questioned, Oct. 8, though there was a referendum on the Four Seasons Pool, there has been no compelling legal or moral reason to put the pool on the Days Inn property and demolish the hotel.

Why didn’t the incumbents respond to me?

Why does council think it can now spend more and heap further debt and corresponding tax increases on city residents for

things that were not mentioned at the last election?

Perhaps because, sorry, but a pathetic 24 per cent of eligible city voters cast ballots last fall. If some 76 per cent of voters cannot become informed and vote, then city council may be led to think that there is relatively little that they cannot get away with.

During the campaign, on more that one occasion, I heard Frank Everett declare basically that city council was a good group, they got along well and they essentially needed only some more team players. This apparently means only people who are willing to get along, be pleasant, and waste as many tax dollars as council generally feels is necessary, with only minor concern for things like financial prudence, waste, debt and the tax burden for people who live here.

As Eric Allen has said though, residents have another chance. Like him, I urge voters to take the time to fill out the alternative approval process forms by May 30 to prevent more tax increases and send a message to council that their power is not unfettered.

Paul Serup, Prince George

LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen. ca or 250-960-2759). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

SHAWN CORNELL DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

We need transformational change for how we steward our private and public lands and how we value our natural ecosystems and wildlife. To better conserve our biodiversity, we need to create habitat big and small, whether in our city gardens or large protected areas.

We need to fund basic science to better understand ecosystem processes and species interactions in a changing world. We need to demand sound policy based on evidence and use the precautionary principle where knowledge gaps exist.

We need to include Indigenous knowledge systems and consider future generations in decision-making. We need adults and children alike to observe the natural world and learn the names of local species. Citizen science projects such as BumbleBeeWatch are great ways to learn while helping scientists gather information.

While out and about this spring, take a moment to notice that bumblebee sipping nectar from a flower. It is an interaction that is simple, but not inconsequential. It offers us the opportunity to consider the intricate links between plants, humans, wildlife and the land that make our very way of life possible. It is up to us to do everything we can to ensure these connections remain strong not only for ourselves, but for future generations.

Sheila R. Colla is an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at York University. Rachel Nalepa is a post-doctoral fellow at York University.

Realtors are part of the solution to fighting money laundering

Realtors are committed to addressing the serious social and economic issue of money laundering in real estate

Much has been reported about money laundering in B.C. casinos, the luxury car sector and – in recent days – real estate. These are issues that concern British Columbian and rightly so. Affordability is an issue for most of us and billions in illegal funds filtering into B.C. distorts local markets while enriching the criminal element.

We’ve all seen the reports of criminals carrying bags of money into casinos or buying luxury cars with stacks of neatly bundled bills. If real estate is the third part of this story, many may wonder just who exactly are B.C. realtors and how is all this money getting into the housing sector?

It’s important to understand the difference between the real-estate sector as opposed to casinos and car sales. First and foremost, criminals don’t show up at open houses carrying the purchase price of homes in cash. In reality, a realtor rarely deals in cash.

Realtors connect buyers with sellers. There’s a great meme that says, first realtors are matchmakers, matching the right buyer with the right home. After that, they’re like wedding planners – handling all the details around the sales contract and deposits to make their clients’ dreams a reality.

Realtors, who build their businesses on reputation, have no interest in working with criminals, says Darlene Hyde, CEO of the B.C. Real Estate Association.

Once the sales contract is signed and the deposit paid, the bulk of a realtor’s work is done. From there the transactegarding money laundering from realtors. They have a critical role as the first point of contact in a transaction. It’s not likely that criminals who are as part of a sophisticated laundering operation show up at open houses with a business card that says: “I am a criminal.”

But there are questions that must be asked and answered as part of a realtor’s due diligence at the beginning of a transaction.

Realtors are professionally bound

Mailing address: 201-1777 Third Ave.

Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7

Office hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday

General switchboard: 250-562-2441 info@pgcitizen.ca

General news: news@pgcitizen.ca

Sports inquiries: 250-960-2764 sports@pgcitizen.ca Classifieds advertising: 250-562-6666 cls@pgcitizen.ca

to report suspicious client behaviour to Fintrac, the federal body responsible for facilitating the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities.

A month ago, the B.C. Real Estate Association, in partnership with the B.C. Notaries Association, Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association – B.C., the Appraisal Institute of Canada – B.C. Association and the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, issued a joint anti-money laundering statement. It included a best practice of accepting only funds verified through financial institutions, as well as increased education to help detect criminal intent. This is an ongoing challenge, as realtors are not trained investigators nor financial analysts. Still, we recognize the need for realtors to do their part and we’re taking steps to address this.

We also called for increased information sharing among Fintrac and other regulators such as the B.C. Securities Commission, Financial Institutions Commission and others. We need a co-ordinated and efficient enforcement system. Money laundering is a major Canadian issue. It’s larger than any one province, government or organization. Only by working smarter together and with ongoing information sharing will we succeed.

To be clear, realtors have no interest in working with criminals. Real estate is a business built on reputation, referrals and relationships. You see the faces of realtors at bus stops, as sponsors of local sport teams and at community events. They are an integral part of the communities in which they work, live and raise their own families. A thriving community leads to a thriving real-estate sector. Realtors are committed to addressing this serious social and economic issue and they want all players in the sector to do so as well.

—

Darlene Hyde is CEO of the B.C. Real Estate Association

Shawn Cornell, director of advertising: 250-960-2757 scornell@pgcitizen.ca Reader sales and services: 250-562-3301 rss@pgcitizen.ca Letters to the editor: letters@pgcitizen.ca

Website: www.pgcitizen.ca

Website feedback: digital@glaciermedia.ca

Member of the National Newsmedia Council A division of Glacier Media

SPECIAL TO THE CITIZEN

DARLENE HYDE

Synchro dads

Manitoba men’s team makes splash in synchronized swimming

should form a team to perform at an upcoming anniversary swim gala.

WINNIPEG — They stomp their feet along the side of a swimming pool before performing a slightly less than graceful dive.

A few seconds later, their swim-capped heads with clipped noses burst triumphantly from the water, their arms stretched high above their broad shoulders, giant smiles across their stubbled faces.

“It’s actually coming together,” Christian Gosselin said with a laugh.

“We are having a lot of fun with it and I think it’s going to be a great show.”

The 10 dads on Manitoba’s only men’s synchronized swimming team have made a major splash since coming together in January to support Winnipeg’s Aquatica Synchro Swim Club. Nine of them have daughters in the club and one is married to the head coach.

Gosselin’s daughters, Chloe, 9, and Calla, 12, are synchronized swimmers and the sport is a big part of his family.

He says he was joking with friends about how he should start a men’s team to better understand the sport. Once the laughs ended, the idea stuck.

He sent an email to all the families involved with the swim club and pitched the idea that dads

To his surprise, a lot enthusiastically wrote back.

“I still can’t believe it, honestly, that so many said yes,” Gosselin says.

“We want to support the 10th anniversary of the club, support our daughters, try to get more boys in the sport and fundraise at the same time. It kind of started as a joke and ended up being something we had to do.”

Aquatica Synchro head coach Holly Hjartarson took on the task of moulding the men into skillful swimmers.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” she says.

It became clear that the fathers were facing a lot of challenges. Many couldn’t perform basic swim skills such as treading water or holding their breath. The nose plugs they borrowed from their daughters weren’t big enough.

Hjartarson says a male’s buoyancy is also different, and, unlike the girls, the men could touch the bottom of the pool in some spots.

But that didn’t stop the determined dads. By their second practice, they were attempting lifts. It was entertaining to watch, but “it wasn’t super successful,” she says.

Each week the men continued to meet for practice. Over time, their skills developed. Their timing im-

proved, breathing became easier and the excitement increased.

“They are actually starting to look impressive – a little bit,” Hjartarson says, looking out proudly on the dads at a recent practice at Pan Am Pool.

Todd Neumann has one daughter in synchronized swimming and two more set to join. The men’s team gave him a whole new respect for his daughter, he says, especially since her routines are much more difficult.

“I considered myself a good swimmer until I jumped into that pool. It is intense. Out of all the sports I’ve done, it’s the hardest training I’ve had to do.”

Word of the team has spread. Its performance at the swim gala today is to be recorded and broadcast at an Artistic Swimming world series event in Quebec City at the end of the month.

Synchronized swimming was seen as a women’s sport for a long time.

Its international governing body, FINA, only started to allow men to compete in the world championships in 2015.

Hjartarson says she hopes the tide is changing and more boys will dive in, especially since she has one son, and another on the way.

“We are breaking some of those stereotypes now to make that path easier for them in the future.”

Rihanna makes fashion history in Paris

Thomas ADAMSON The Associated Press

PARIS — Rihanna, the first black woman in history to head up a major Parisian luxury house, is unveiling her first fashion designs for Fenty at a pop-up store in Paris.

The collection, named after the singer-turned-designer’s last name, comprises ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and eyewear and is available for sale Paris’ Le Marais area from Friday and will debut online May 29.

“This is a moment in history,” Rihanna, 31, said at a preview of the store in a white structure tuxedo dress.

“It’s a big deal for me and my entire generation.”

News of the singer’s groundbreaking new deal with LVMH, the world’s largest luxury group, shook up the fashion industry earlier this month.

The Barbados-born star’s lines are the second time LVMH has created an original brand.

But the move also acknowledges the fashion industry of today considers a major popstar can have as much to say in fashion design as established and trained designers such as Nicolas Ghesquiere of Louis Vuitton, or even the lauded Alber Elbaz, formerly of Lanvin, who is out of work.

Fenty has been heralded by some critics as the first major house of the Instagram age.

Fenty says the brand will be based in Paris, like its parent company, conglomerate LVMH, but will operate from a digital flagship on a See-Now-WearNow model forgoing to usual luxury fashion seasonal previewed designs.

“They were flexible enough to allow me to have a different perspective on the way I wanted to release things,” she said.

“Coming from such a traditional background in fashion (as LVMH), you don’t think there’s another way that will work and they allowed me to do that.”

It’s expected to capitalize on the acclaim received by her most popular luxury venture Fenty Beauty line in 2017 – which some said revolutionized the makeup industry by celebrating diversity by showcasing foundations in 40 shades.

If she looks calm, “it’s a facade,” acknowledged the star when faced with the expectations before the historic launch.

“There’s pressure every single second,” she said.

“It’s not like crumbling pressure, but it’s like ‘you better get it good girl.”’

Kelly Geraldine MALONE

The Canadian Press

CP PHOTO BY JOHN WOODS

Fathers of members of the Aquatica Synchro Club practice their routine at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg last week.

CP PHOTO BY JOHN WOODS

Fathers of members of the Aquatica Synchro Club practice parts of their routine out of the water at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg last week.

AP PHOTO BY FRANCOIS MORI

Singer Rihanna poses as she unveiled her first fashion designs for Fenty at a pop-up store in Paris, France on Wednesday.

Getting naked in Germany

Lots to do in historic city of Wiesbaden

MACNAULL Glacier Media

Certainly, you can make eye contact and even nod in greeting.

But, for heaven’s sake, don’t stare, in neither admiration nor aversion, at anyone’s privates or bare backside.

Those are my do-and-don’t tips for taking the waters naked at Kaiser Friedrich Therme, a Romanstyle bath in the German spa town of Wiesbaden.

Not that I’m a nude-in-public etiquette expert, but you tend to learn quickly when you and everyone around you is buck naked.

You can negotiate much of the elaborately pillared, tiled, muralled and vaulted circa 1913 bathhouse wrapped in a towel or wearing a robe.

But, if you’re going to use the main pool, one of the saunas or steam rooms, hot tubs, plunge pools, ice or warm showers you have to shed it all.

Thank goodness it wasn’t overly busy when I visited Kaiser’s therme at lunch time on a Monday.

Fellow bathers ran the gamut from Germans aged millennial through senior citizen to curious foreigners and young couples who seemed to be having a laugh they could be naked together in public.

I felt it was my tourist-and-historical duty to check out Kaiser’s therme while in Wiesbaden, which is a 30-minute train ride west of Frankfurt. After all, Wiesbaden was founded by the Romans as a spa town and it gained fame as such over the next 1,500 years.

The Romans discovered exhausted horses recovered faster rolling around in fields soaked in thermal waters and injured soldiers healed miraculously after bathing in the naturally-heated baths.

In fact, Wiesbaden loosely translated is fields of bath water.

Thanks to 26 underground thermal springs abundantly spouting this mineral-rich, 66C exilir, today there are fountains in public squares, drinking stations, two public thermal baths and numerous hotel spas utilizing the waters. The other public bath is Thermalbad Aukammtal, which I found out later, allows swimsuits. In its spa-time heyday through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, Wiesbaden attracted the wealthy

from around the world to soak up its cure-all waters. Today, the benefits are proven to be purely therapeutic.

Thus, after an hour at Kaiser therme, I feel relaxed and rejuvinated and my skin is baby-soft. There’s more to Wiesbaden than

getting naked.

In fact, since 1856, the area has been home to sparkling wine, a luxury drink that went hand-inhand with well-heeled international spa goers. That little sparkling wine maker is now Henkell and Wiesbaden has become the world capital of sparkling wine for the 90 million bottles of bubbly it pumps out annually.

While Henkell is essentially a massive factory, it has a neoclassical palace facade with grand, marble reception hall where I sipped Henkell Troken, the best-selling sparkling wine in the world, before touring its seven levels of underground production, bottling, labelling, storage and shipping facilities.

While Wiesbaden is called a spa town, it’s really a cosmopolitan city of 300,000 that also happens to be steeped in history and heritage buildings.

Wander the pedestrianized downtown, the cobblestoned district of shops and restaurants on higgedly-piggedly narrow lanes and wide boulevards.

Check out the stately City Palace built in 1842 for the Duke of Nassau and the Gothic Revival Market Church, which is built of 6.5 million bricks.

You’ll be temped to drop into traditional restaurants like Uhrturm and Koyler for German favourites such as schnitzel paired with Riesling or lager.

Outside of downtown, you can visit the Riesling vineyard on Neroberg hill of Kloster Eberabach Winery and then go a little farther to the actual Kloster (historic monastery) where we meet the Rheingau wine queen, Katharina Bausch, and two of her princesses. Speaking of royalty, outside of town you can also pop into Biebrich Palace, the summer home of the Duke of Nassau, which earned the nickname Versailles on the River Rhine for its grandeur. Air Canada flies non-stop between Frankfurt and Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. Check out Wiesbaden.de and www.Germany.Travel.

Steve

CITIZEN PHOTO BY STEVE MACNAULL

Biebrich Palace, the summer home of the Duke of Nassau, earned the nickname Versailles on the River Rhine for its opulence.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY STEVE MACNAULL

Rheingau wine queen Katharine Bausch, centre, with princesses Isabella Albrecht, left, and Annika Walther greet guests at Kloster Eberbach monastery.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY STEVE MACNAULL

Henkell in Wiesbaden has a neo-classical palace facade with the largest sparkling wine production facility in the world behind it.

Anna the Anaconda got pregnant all by herself

Katie METTLER

The

Washington Post

Staffers at the New England Aquarium last winter were setting up for an after-hours event near the Amazon rain forest exhibit when they made an unexpected discovery.

Anna the anaconda – 30 pounds, 8 years old and 10 feet long – had given birth to a litter of baby snakes.

Aquarium staff notified the resident biologist, who scrambled into the tank and found three live babies and about a dozen stillborn. On its face, anaconda birth isn’t unusual. Anaconda have no trouble reproducing in aquarium settings, and the snakes living in this Amazon exhibit were no exception. If left to freely breed, green anaconda like Anna can have dozens of babies at a time, which is precisely why staffers at this Boston aquarium had taken great care to keep male and female snakes in separate tanks.

By design, Anna’s roommates were all female. She had no contact with males.

And yet, she had still, somehow, become pregnant. Was it magic?

Divine intervention?

A secret, late-night reptile tryst?

Of course not, the biologists knew. This was simply the wonders of science.

The staffers immediately suspected a rare reproductive strategy called parthenogenesis, which means that a female organism can

self-impregnate. She does not need no manaconda.

The word itself is of Greek origin. Its translation means virgin birth.

The phenomenon is far more common in plants and insects, but has been documented in some lizard, shark, bird and snake species. Just once before, at a zoo in the United Kingdom in 2014, had scientists documented a parthenogenesis case in green anaconda whose young were born alive.

“Genetically, it’s a vulnerable process,” Aquarium spokesperson Tony LaCasse said.

“It’s among that tagline, life will find a way. It’s a completely unique and amazing reproductive strategy, but it has a low viability compared to sexual reproduction.”

Parthenogenesis is not necessarily a product of captive circumstances. The process has been documented in the wild and is known to occur within species where the female might not see

a male for an extended period of time, LaCasse said.

Based on that, parthenogenesis was a logical explanation for Anna’s immaculate conception.

But before the aquarium could make it official, the staff biologists “had some detective work to do,” according to a news release.

Anna’s female roommates were closely examined to re-confirm their biological sex.

Staffers ruled out “delayed embryo implantation,” because Anna’s life history was well docu-

mented. She had been born at a certified reptile organization and brought to the New England Aquarium as a very young snake, all with no exposure to males.

Call Maury; time for a DNA test.

“Aquarium veterinarians sent off tissue samples for analysis,” the news release said. “Many weeks later, the results acknowledged what most Aquarium staff had suspected.”

Anna’s DNA was all they found.

And her two living babies – a third died 48 hours after birth – appeared to be her genetic copies.

“There can be different kinds of parthenogenesis, many of which do not yield exact DNA copies of their mother,” the aquarium explained in the news release.

“However, the limited genetic sequencing done for these two young snakes shows complete matches on all the sites tested.”

On Thursday, when the Aquarium presented Anna’s mystery to the world, staff said they had been holding the two babies “every day of their short lives” to condition them for regular handling by humans.

The public can’t quite view the two youngsters yet. They’re still being cared for behind the scenes.

The thinner of the two is laid back, the aquarium said. The thicker one is the explorer.

“It’s a little bit of excitement in terms of the birth,” LaCasse told the Boston Globe.

“But also one of success because the mystery was solved.”

At $2M, priciest ever medicine treats fatal genetic disease

Linda A. JOHNSON The Associated Press

U.S. regulators have approved the most expensive medicine ever, for a rare disorder that destroys a baby’s muscle control and kills nearly all of those with the most common type of the disease within a couple of years.

The treatment is priced at $2.125 million. Out-of-pocket costs for patients will vary based on insurance coverage.

The medicine, sold by the Swiss drugmaker Novartis, is a gene therapy that treats an inherited condition called spinal muscular atrophy. The treatment targets a defective gene that weakens a child’s muscles so dramatically that they become unable to move, and eventually unable to swallow or breathe. It strikes about 400 babies born in the U.S. each year.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the treatment, called Zolgensma, for all children under age two who are confirmed by a genetic test to have any of the four types of the disease. The therapy is a one-time infusion that takes about an hour.

Novartis said it will let insurers make payments over five years, at $425,000 per year, and will give partial rebates if the treatment doesn’t work.

The one other medicine for the disease approved in the U.S. is a drug called Spinraza. Instead of a one-time treatment, it must be given every four months. Biogen, Spinraza’s maker, charges a list price of $750,000 for the first year and then $350,000 per year after that.

The independent non-profit group Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, which rates the value of expensive new medicines, calculated that the price of the new gene therapy is justifiable at a cost of $1.2 million to $2.1 million because it “dramatically transforms the lives of families affected by this devastating disease.”

ICER’s president, Dr. Steven D. Pearson, called the treatment’s price “a positive outcome for patients and the entire health system.”

The defective gene that causes spinal muscular atrophy prevents the body from making enough of a protein that allows nerves that control movement to work normally. The nerves die off without the protein.

In the most common type, which is also the most severe, at least 90 per cent of

patients die by age two, and any still alive need a ventilator to breathe. Children with less-severe types become disabled more slowly and can live for up to a couple decades.

Zolgensma works by supplying a healthy copy of the faulty gene, which allows nerve cells to then start producing the needed protein. That halts deterioration of the nerve cells and allows the baby to develop more normally.

In patient testing, babies with the most severe form of the disease who got Zolgensma within six months of birth had limited muscle problems. Those who got the treatment earliest did best.

Babies given Zolgensma after six months stopped losing muscle control, but the medicine can’t reverse damage already done.

Evelyn Villarreal was one of the first

children treated, at eight weeks. Her family, from Centreville, Va., had lost their first child to spinal muscular atrophy at 15 months.

Two years later when Evelyn was born a test showed she also had the disease, so the family enrolled her in the gene therapy study at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Evelyn is now four-and-a-half years old and showing no muscle problems other than minor trouble standing up, said her mother, Elena Villarreal. She has been feeding herself for a long time, she draws and speaks well, and will be starting kindergarten in the fall.

“She’s very active and goes to the playground a lot,” said Elena Villarreal.

“She’s walking and even jumping.” It is too early to know how long the benefit of the treatment lasts, but doctors’ hopes are rising that they could last a lifetime, according to Dr. Jerry Mendell, a neurologist at Nationwide Children’s. Mendell led one of the early patient studies and is Evelyn’s doctor.

“It’s beginning to look that way,” he said, because a few children treated who are now four or five still have no symptoms.

Early diagnosis is crucial, so Novartis has been working with states to get genetic testing for newborns required at birth. It expects most states will have that requirement by next year. The FDA said side effects included vomiting and potential liver damage, so patients must be monitored for the first few months after treatment.

Study shows economic benefits of patient approach to northern cod recovery

Holly MCKENZIE-SUTTER

The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A slow and steady approach to rebuilding the northern cod stock could see employment in the crucial fishery skyrocket in just over a decade, according to a new study. The report was released Thursday by advocacy group Oceana Canada as one of six case studies assessed by University of British Columbia fisheries economists in a larger report considering the social and economic benefits of rebuilding Canada’s fisheries. The economists project that within 11 years, under favourable environmental conditions and low fishing pressure, a rebuilt northern cod fishery could support 26,000 jobs – 16 times more than today.

Economic activity generated by

the fishery could reach $233 million, up from its current level of $33 million.

“Our results suggest that bearing this short-term cost can lead to economic benefits, which in the long term are an improvement over maintaining the status quo,” the full report reads.

The study spoke to the northern cod’s status as an “iconic species” of huge importance to the coastal communities of northeastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

“It (northern cod) stands as a symbol of the bounty and prosperity that supported massive fisheries.... It also is a symbol of loss and the devastating consequences of overfishing,” the study read.

“Signs of a fragile recovery of northern cod bring hope, and with it, opportunities to (correct) the wrongs of the past.”

Researchers ran several sce-

narios, but even under the poorest environmental conditions, the study projected the value of northern cod, if allowed to rebuild to a healthy status with low fishing pressure, would exceed its value under current practices.

The northern cod projections were set against a “status quo” catch. The status quo was defined as 13,000 tonnes of fish landed annually while a low fishing catch was defined as 9,500 annual tonnes.

The commercial cod fishery, once the backbone of Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing industry, collapsed and was placed under a moratorium in 1992, throwing thousands out of work and sparking protests.

Federal fisheries officials reported this year that the stock has made significant gains over the last few years but warned that it is

still in a critical zone.

Oceana Canada’s projections are consistent with advice given by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans when it release its annual report last month. DFO advised keeping cod removal at the “lowest possible levels” until population numbers clear the critical zone.

The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union responded to DFO’s latest report by advocating for “modest increases in harvest rates” and arguing these increases would not significantly impact the stock’s growth.

Oceana Canada’s science director Robert Rangeley said in an interview that northern cod was chosen as a case study because it has great potential. “It’s been showing ... some evidence of kind of a fragile recovery. It’s going in the right direction,” Rangeley said.

“Should we be patient, or should we be rushing in and fishing it

now? I think this adds little bit more evidence that a patient approach will reap benefits in the future.”

Rangeley said rebuilding plans are a key but often missing piece to restoring the healthy status of Canadian stocks.

The cod study noted that just five of Canada’s fish stocks assessed as “critically depleted” have rebuilding plans in place, and not all of these follow global best practices.

Rangeley said these plans should keep the needs of coastal communities in mind, but he said the biggest payoff will come if the stocks are able to rebuild to a healthy level because of reduced fishing pressure.

“We still have to rebuild these stocks, and that’s where the value is going to come. That’s the investment,” Rangeley said.

HANDOUT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM

Close-up of one of the young anacondas, born via parthenogenesis at the New England Aquarium.

AP PHOTO

This photo shows a logo of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis in Seoul, South Korea in 2016.

Raptors relying on experience as they try to finish off Bucks

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — The situation may be new for Toronto as a city, but it’s old hat for Kawhi Leonard.

The Toronto Raptors star knows a thing or two about big NBA playoff games from his time with the San Antonio Spurs – and the experience Leonard and others bring to the table is proving to be quite valuable in the Eastern Conference final.

Instead of folding when facing adversity, the Raptors have rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to take a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

“Experience helps a lot,” Leonard said after carrying the Raptors back from two double-digit deficits in a statement road win in Game 5.

“Just from my input, I’ve been here before. I’ve been to the Finals, and it’s pretty much nothing new that I’m seeing out there. You’ve just got to have fun with it and enjoy it. Like I told them tonight, we were down 10, I told them to enjoy the moment and embrace it, and let’s have fun and love it. This is why we’re here.”

While Raptors teams of the past have been known for their playoff flops, the revamped 2018-19 version seems calm, cool and collected when things get tough.

A perfect example came in Game 5. Toronto committed four turnovers before the game was five minutes old and the team fell behind 18-4 in the first quarter.

The rest of the game, Toronto turned the ball over just twice more. The Raptors won despite shooting just 36.9 per cent from the field, relying on outstanding half-court defence to contain the high-flying Bucks and clutch work at the offensive end from Leonard and Fred VanVleet.

Any sense that Toronto would repeat its 2016 playoff storyline – battle back from a 2-0 Eastern Conference final deficit against Cleveland, only to lose Games 5 and 6 in decisive fashion – went out the window in Milwaukee as the Raptors prevailed 105-99.

“I think the experience factor comes in a number of ways,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “I think, obviously, you can start with maybe late game stuff, guys that have been there before, have experienced that and know how to handle themselves in those situations, reacting to wins and losses throughout (the) series is another thing veteran guys, you know, they’ve been through it before. They know.

“And a big one that, I think, many people talk about is rest, and these games are coming pretty rapid fire, and the veteran guys kind of know how to go out there and give you 40 (minutes), and though they have one day and a half to recoup themselves and re-energize themselves ... they’ve been through it before. I think our guys have shown they know how to do that as well.”

The Raptors’ five starters from Game 5 had combined to play 264 playoff games heading into this year’s post-season, well above the Bucks starters’ total of 88. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, by far the least experienced member of the starting unit, said the calmness of the veterans is rubbing off on him.

“Yeah, definitely helping me because for me, if I get something like that I get mad, I get upset and I want to kill myself,” he said. “But just having those guys like Kawhi, Marc (Gasol), Kyle (Lowry), Danny (Green) continuing to just tell me to stay in it and just know that whenever I’m out there just be smarter and it’s going to work out.”

The Raptors have now erased series deficits in all three rounds of the post-season.

“Serge (Ibaka), Kawhi, Kyle, they’ve all been talking to us, Marc (too),” Raptors swingman Norman Powell said. “Just staying focused on the task at hand, enjoying it, playing together, sticking together and going to battle for one another. I think that’s what’s been really important.

“After the first two games, Serge talked to us during film, before coach showed us the clips, about what happened (with him) in OKC. Even today, he talked about it more. Kyle and Kawhi talked about what they’ve been through and the continued work (that’s needed) when you go on these runs. Just to stay focused at the task. Every game is going to be different. But when you’re playing hard and leave it out there, you can live with the results.”

If Game 7 is necessary, it will be Monday in Milwaukee. But Nurse isn’t thinking that far ahead.

“(Game 6 is) a whatever it takes game, it’s an unlimited minutes night ... This is just like any other critical, must-win game,” he said.

“Again, I stress this is a great team we’re playing. The same team we played in Games 1 and 2 and double overtime in Game 3, and we’ve had to play really super hard and super well to get any victories.”

The series winner faces the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Blue Jays promote Biggio Arbitrator upholds Voynov suspension

The Associated Press

TORONTO — Blue Jays prospect Cavan Biggio, the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, was brought up by Toronto on Friday and set to make his major league debut against San Diego.

Biggio was in the lineup to bat eighth and play second base, the position where his father won four Gold Glove awards playing for Houston. The elder Biggio is in Toronto to attend his son’s debut. Toronto last month gave a debut to the son of a Hall of Famer, and third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has become a regular starter. Among the Blue Jays top minor league prospects is Bo Bichette, whose father Dante played in the majors. A fifth-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft, Cavan Biggio hit .307 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 42 games at Triple-A.

Biggio was one of four players to join the Blue Jays on Friday. Toronto recalled infielder/outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Thomas Pannone from Triple-A, and added Zac Rosscup.

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — An arbitrator upheld Slava Voynov’s one-season NHL suspension Thursday but is giving him credit for serving half of it in 2018-19.

Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended the former Los Angeles Kings defenceman for the upcoming season and the 2020 playoffs after determining he committed acts of domestic violence. The NHL Players Association appealed the ruling.

Arbitrator Shyam Das upheld Bettman’s decision that Voynov should be suspended for the equivalent of one NHL season but found he should be credited with having already served 41 games of the suspension last season. So Voynov will now be eligible to return midway through next season.

This marks the third time Das has reduced a suspension in the past eight months.

He reduced Nashville forward Austin Watson’s suspension for domestic violence from 27 to 18 games and later shortened Washington enforcer Tom Wilson’s suspension by six to 14 games for repeated on-ice hits to the head.

The Kings, who terminated Voynov’s $25 million contract in 2015 but retain his rights due to his status on the voluntary retired list, said in a statement Thursday that he will not play for Los Angeles.

“We will now determine the impact of the arbitrator’s decision on our rights to the player and consider our options going forward,” the team said.

The league said in a statement that it was satisfied the arbitrator supported the penalty in regards to the severity of Voynov’s actions.

The league added that “while we do not believe Mr. Voynov was entitled to any ‘credit’ for time missed, we accept Arbitrator Das’ conclusion that the precise factual context here was unusual –

including the fact Voynov has not played in the NHL since October 2014, and that he did not play professional hockey at all during the 2018-19 season.”

The NHLPA said in a statement that “this fundamental due process right is designed to ensure that, even in difficult cases involving domestic violence, the NHL’s disciplinary procedures and decisions are fair and consistent. The NHLPA continues to work with the NHL to educate players about domestic violence.”

Voynov’s agent, Roland Melanson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Voynov was suspended indefinitely in October 2014 after being arrested and

accused of abusing his wife. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour, left the United States to go back to Russia and in July had the conviction dismissed by a judge in Los Angeles. His most recent suspension was imposed in April after he applied for reinstatement.

The 29-year-old Russian last played an NHL game on Oct. 19, 2014. He won a pair of Stanley Cup titles with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

Since his last NHL game, Voynov played three seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League and won a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics.

NHL players didn’t compete at the Pyeongchang Games.

Toronto Raptors player Kawhi Leonard shoots in front of Milwaukee Bucks player Malcolm Brogdon during Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball playoff finals on Thursday in Milwaukee. The Raptors won 105-99 to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov skates during a game against the St. Louis Blues in Los Angeles in 2014.

Bibeau scores twice to lead Huskies into Memorial Cup final

Kyle CICERELLA The Canadian Press

HALIFAX — Felix Bibeau has pushed his Rouyn-Noranda Huskies into the Memorial Cup final.

Bibeau scored two third-period goalsincluding the winner – as Rouyn-Noranda beat the Guelph Storm 6-4 on Friday in the tournament semifinal to set up a championship showdown with the host Halifax Mooseheads.

The 20-year-old, who leads the tournament with four goals, broke a 3-3 deadlock from the slot 5:20 into the third with a shot Storm goaltender Anthony Popovich never saw, then added another from nearly the same spot to give his club some breathing room with 7:27 to play.

“After my second goal I was on the bench like ‘holy, it was the same thing,”’ said Bibeau, who was surprised to get two scoring chances from the same area.

“It was a good feeling, saw my parents in the corner, step mom, sister came. It was a great feeling knowing family was watching back home. I know I will get some texts saying, ‘good job’ and ‘good luck Sunday.”’

Alex Beaucage, Joel Teasdale, Tyler Hinam and Rafael Harvey-Pinard also found the back of the net for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Huskies. Samuel Harvey made 34 saves. Sunday’s Memorial Cup final will be a rematch of the QMJHL final that RouynNoranda took in six games. The Huskies also beat Halifax 4-3 on Wednesday in the final round-robin game.

“I think we played our best game since the start of the tournament,” said Huskies coach Mario Pouliot, who will go for back-to-back championships after winning in 2018 with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

“I think it started with the third period against the Mooseheads (Thursday), we found our rhythm.”

Isaac Ratcliffe struck twice while Jack Hanley and Cedric Ralph also scored for the Ontario Hockey League champion Storm. Anthony Popovich stopped 31 shots.

“One trophy every single junior player dreams of,” said Storm defenceman Sean Durzi. “Knowing I’ll never get another chance hurts so much.”

Guelph, Rouyn-Noranda and Halifax finished tied with 2-1 records after roundrobin play. The Mooseheads won the tiebreaker to earn a bye right to the final while the Storm and Huskies were forced to go the semifinal route.

The Western Hockey League champion Prince Albert Raiders were sent home early after going 0-3 in the preliminary round.

“The last nine weeks have been quite a ride for sure, lots more ups and downs,” said Storm coach George Burnett, who is 0-for-3 at the Memorial Cup after losses in 1998 and 2008.

“I didn’t think we were our best tonight.... but still had an opportunity late in the game

with the goalie out to even it up. I’m so proud of the guys top to bottom.”

Beaucage picked up a loose puck in the slot and backhanded the puck past Popovich, who looked unsure of his surroundings and appeared to lose sight of the puck, 4:58 into the game to open the scoring.

Ratcliffe replied 1:30 later when he finished off a 2-on-1 rush with MacKenzie Entwhistle with a snapshot blocker side on Harvey, and Hanley beat a screened Harvey with a point shot exactly 60 seconds after his captain scored.

Teasdale made it a 2-2 game when he stole the puck from Durzi near the Guelph net and roofed it over Popovich before the netminder even knew what was happening at 9:31.

Ralph got in close and took a feed from Zachary Roberts before roofing it short side over Harvey’s blocker at 5:53, and the early onslaught of goals continued when Hinam beat Popovich with a wrist shot off a faceoff win by linemate Peter Abbandonato only 54 seconds later to make it 3-3.

“We always answered back with goals,” said Pouliot. “We were happy with the win, but more importantly the way we played.”

As the game went deeper the benches got smaller and it seemed as if Pouliot had star defenceman Noah Dobson out every second shift to shut down Guelph’s best players. Dobson didn’t seem fazed by all the ice time he had and got in for a breakaway with 3:06 to play only to be hooked from behind by Dmitri Samorukov. Dobson was given a penalty shot but missed when the puck rolled off his stick.

Guelph pulled Popovich and kept up its pressure to make it interesting, with Ratcliffe making it a one-goal game with 1:13 to go before Harvey-Pinard scored an empty-netter.

“We were really pouring it on and I had every belief in my mind we were gonna get one there,” said Durzi.

“They did a good job blocking a shot, I saw Harvey-Pinard racing the other way and I just remember I was crushed.”

Trio of Canadians looking to shake things up at French Open

Stephanie MYLES

The Canadian Press

LYON, France — Tennis might have its legendary “Big Three” in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. But now Canadian tennis has its own version – and the trio is ready to make waves at the French Open. Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., both 18, and 20-year-old Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., all will be seeded when the second Grand Slam of the season begins Sunday. For the two teenagers, it also will be their main-draw debut in Paris.

There will be plenty of focus on Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov, the two good friends who are neck-and-neck in the ATP Tour rankings.

In fact, with his semifinal victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili at the ATP Tour event Lyon Open on Friday, Auger-Aliassime will leap over Shapovalov to be the higher-ranked of the two for the very first time next week.

A year ago in Paris, Auger-Aliassime was ranked No. 178 and lost in qualifying to Jaume Munar of Spain.

Shapovalov had just broken into the top 25 for the first time, and was the No. 24 seed.

In his French Open main-draw debut, Shapovalov was beaten in the second round by No. 70 Maximilian Marterer of Germany.

Shapovalov has entered a bit of a purgatory in the rankings over the last 12 months. He has held his own, but has not yet taken that next step. On Monday, he will be ranked No. 24.

Auger-Aliassime will be at No. 22 regardless of whether he wins the first ATP Tour event of his

career on Saturday when he faces Benoit Paire of France.

The day before he was overtaken, Shapovalov said he definitely heard his good friend zooming right up behind him.

“Oh, I feel it. But I think it’s amazing,” Shapovalov said. “Of course we’re rivals on one side. But on the other side, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who has the better career because we’re both doing what we love, and we’re both happy for each other.”

“It’s amazing to see him climb the rankings, and it gives me that little extra push. I see him right behind me and, damn, I don’t want to fall behind him. So I’m going to try to work harder and try to keep going.”

Auger-Aliassime inadvertently came across the ranking news on Twitter, before he played Basilashvili.

“I think it’ll happen throughout

(Cashner 4-2) at Colorado (Freeland 2-5), 9:10 p.m. Texas (Minor 5-3) at L.A. Angels (Skaggs 4-4), 10:07 p.m. SUNDAY’S GAMES San Diego at Toronto, 1:07

my career, that we’ll compete like that. It happened in the juniors, too,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s all positive. For him, just as for me, we’re both motivated to play well each week. So this can only raise the level.”

Shapovalov, the No. 20 seed in Paris, has the tougher road in the first round. He faces Jan-Lennard Struff, a 29-year-old German who is playing the best tennis of his career and is at a career-high No. 44 in the rankings.

Struff defeated Shapovalov in the first round of Monte Carlo, at the dawn of the European claycourt season in mid-April.

Auger-Aliassime came out a little better as he’ll meet Australia’s Jordan Thompson, who played a couple of clay-court Challengers in Asia this spring but has yet to set foot on the European dirt.

The teenager could meet No. 8 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the third round, while Djokovic is the

top-ranked player in Shapovalov’s section of the draw. There were supposed to be four seeded Canadians in the tournament. But Milos Raonic, who hasn’t played since Miami in midMarch as he continues to struggle with a knee injury, pulled out Thursday just before the men’s singles draw was made. Raonic withdrew from last year’s French Open because of issues with the same knee, which he is trying to manage to avoid having surgery. Former French Open semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., has emerged from a two-month break and will play in Paris, her first tournament since the Miami Open qualifying. Bouchard’s first-round opponent will be Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, against whom she has had some dramatic matches, including a win last year in Fed Cup in Montreal.

CP PHOTO

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies player Felix Bibeau reacts after scoring during a Memorial Cup game against the Guelph Storm in Halifax on Friday.

Sonic the Hedgehog’s teeth cause delay to movie’s release date

Sonia RAO The Washington Post

Making Valentine’s Day plans can be stressful, so how lucky for us that Paramount has already come up with a suggestion for next year by pushing the release date of Sonic the Hedgehog to Feb. 14.

What better way to show your love than with a pair of tickets to the movie starring James Marsden and Sonic, his latest CGI animal friend? (Opposite an evil, mustachioed Jim Carrey, no less.)

“Taking a little more time to make Sonic just right,” director Jeff Fowler tweeted Friday morning, with an illustration of the hedgehog’s gloved hand holding a sign displaying the new date.

The timing is just a happy coincidence, of course, as the real reason Paramount delayed the movie, originally slated for a Nov. 8 release, has to do with the outcry that followed the trailer’s release

at CinemaCon three weeks ago.

Backlash is somewhat typical of live-action adaptations that draw from nostalgic source material, but this instance had less to do with the movie existing – though there was some of that – and more to do with the main character’s appearance. Specifically, his teeth. The furry blue hedgehog had human teeth.

The movie follows Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and police sheriff Tom Wachowski (Marsden) as they face off against the evil Doctor Robotnik (Carrey). After Tom discovers Sonic in the trailer, the hedgehog tries to play it cool.

“Uh, meow?” he says with his arms outstretched, mouth open wide and chompers on full display.

Tom’s immediate response is to yell – displaying his own, appropriate set of human teeth – and shoot Sonic with a tranquilizing dart.

“WHY ARE HIS TEETH SO HU-

MAN,” one Twitter user demanded to know. Someone else referred to them as Sonic’s “most cursed aspect.”

The disturbed reactions were so widespread that Vulture even asked a real-life hedgehog dentist why she believed people were so upset. She said that “hedgehog teeth are cute and small, just like them,” so maybe people “don’t think big teeth match the tiny, cute hedgehog.”

Fowler, who rarely tweets, returned to the platform within days to respond.

“Thank you for the support. And the criticism,” he wrote.

“The message is loud and clear... you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be...”

But changes to visual effects require a lot of time and hard work,

which Fowler acknowledged in his tweet on Friday with the lengthy hashtag #novfxartistswerehar-

medinthemakingofthismovie. The countdown to Valentine’s Day begins.

Lawyer: Deal close in Weinstein sexual misconduct lawsuits

Michael R. SISAK and Tom MCELROY

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A tentative deal has been reached to settle multiple lawsuits brought against

the television and film company co-founded by Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by scores of women.

Attorneys involved in the negotiations told a federal bankruptcy court judge during a hearing in

Wilmington, Delaware, Thursday that a breakthrough in a stillunfinished mediation had put a settlement within reach.

The amount of the deal wasn’t revealed in court, but a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press it was worth $44 million.

The person wasn’t authorized to reveal details of the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We now have an economic agreement in principal that is supported by the plaintiffs, the (New York attorney general’s) office, the defendants and all of the insurers that, if approved, would provide significant compensation to victims, creditors and the estate and allow the parties to avoid years of costly, time consuming and uncertain litigation on all sides,” Adam Harris, a lawyer for studio co-founder Bob Weinstein, told the judge.

He cautioned that there was still “a lot of work here to do.”

“But,” he added, “I personally am very optimistic.”

The size of the settlement was

first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

More than 15 lawsuits have been filed accusing Harvey Weinstein or the company of misconduct.

The settlement would cover many of them, including a class action by alleged victims that accuses the film company of operating like an organized crime group to conceal widespread sexual harassment and assaults.

It would also resolve a civil suit by the New York attorney general alleging that Harvey Weinstein’s media company, in enabling his mistreatment of women, violated labour laws.

The New York attorney general’s office declined to comment on the amount of the settlement.

Any settlement would need to be approved by the courts.

Harvey Weinstein also faces criminal charges in New York of rape and performing a forcible sex act. His trial is scheduled to begin in September. The settlement wouldn’t resolve his criminal case.

Weinstein denies all allegations of nonconsensual sex.

An attorney who represents

unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy of the Weinstein film studio, Robert Feinstein, told U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Mary Walrath that mediation talks that had broken down a few months ago had recently been restarted.

A global settlement of the class action lawsuit and all other legal action against the Weinstein Co. seemed to become possible only in the past few days, he said, though he cautioned that many details remained to be resolved.

“I think we are poised to get there. I can’t assure the court that we will,” he said. Harris said the settlement was complex due to the number of claims, and insurance companies, involved.

“We’re dealing with potential claims here that go back . more than 25 years,” he said, adding that the nature of the allegations had also made for “a highly charged environment, with very strong feelings on all sides.”

Associated Press writer Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware, contributed to this report.

Adam Levine leaving The Voice after 16 seasons

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Adam Levine is leaving NBC’s The Voice after 16 seasons.

Carson Daly made the announcement Friday morning on the Today show. Daly said Gwen Stefani will return for season 17 in Levine’s chair.

The Maroon 5 frontman wrote a lengthy Instagram post Friday, saying the Emmy-winning show “went on to be a life shaping experience that will be close to my heart forever.”

Levine was part of the original lineup of The Voice when it launched in 2011, along with Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and CeeLo Green. Aguilera and Green have taken breaks from the show, allowing stars like Pharrell Williams, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend to sit in their chairs. Shelton has never left the show. It was not clear if Levine was leaving the show for good. Representatives for the singer and NBC didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment from The Associated Press.

CITIZEN IMAGE PROVIDED BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND SEGA OF AMERICA

This is an image from the original version of Sonic the Hedgehog, sporting human-like teeth, which have caused a social-media stir.

Handwritten wills found in Aretha Franklin’s home

Ed WHITE The Associated Press

PONTIAC, Mich. — Three handwritten wills have been found in the suburban Detroit home of Aretha Franklin, months after the death of the Queen of Soul, including one that was discovered under cushions in the living room, a lawyer said Monday.

The latest one is dated March 2014 and appears to give the famous singer’s assets to family members. Some writing is extremely hard to decipher, however, and the four pages have words scratched out and phrases in the margins.

Franklin was 76 when she died last August of pancreatic cancer.

Lawyers and family members said at the time that she had no will, but three handwritten versions were discovered earlier this month. Two from 2010 were found in a locked cabinet after a key was located.

The 2014 version was inside a spiral notebook under cushions, said an attorney for Franklin’s estate, David Bennett.

Bennett, who was Franklin’s lawyer for more than 40 years, filed the wills on Monday. He told a judge that he’s not sure if they’re legal under Michigan law. A hearing is scheduled for June 12.

Bennett said the wills were shared with Franklin’s four sons or their lawyers, but that a deal wasn’t reached on whether any should be considered valid. A statement from the estate said two sons object to the wills.

Sabrina Owens, an administrator at the University of Michigan, will continue to serve as personal representative of the estate.

“She remains neutral and wishes that all parties involved make wise choices on behalf of their mother, her rich legacy, the family and the Aretha Franklin estate,” the statement said.

In a separate court filing, son Kecalf Franklin said Aretha Franklin wanted him to serve as representative of the estate in the 2014 will. He is objecting to plans to sell a piece of land next to his mother’s Oakland County home for $325,000.

Judge Jennifer Callaghan in April approved the hiring of experts to appraise Franklin’s assets and personal belongings, including memorabilia, concert gowns and household goods. The Internal Revenue Service is auditing many years of Franklin’s tax returns, according to the estate. It filed a claim in December for more than $6 million in taxes.

Franklin’s star, meanwhile, hasn’t faded since her death. She was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize in April, cited posthumously for her extraordinary career.

A 1972 concert film, Amazing Grace, was released with much praise from critics.

The estate is involved in “many continuing projects ... including various television and movie proposals, as well as dealing with various creditor claims and resulting litigation,” Bennett said.

Former

Obama

official

Susan Rice has book out in October

NEW YORK — Susan E. Rice, the former national security adviser and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has a book coming out this fall.

Tough Love will be published Oct. 8, Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday. Rice will reflect on challenges and controversies that arose during the Obama administration, including the deadly 2012 raid on a diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. Conservatives would accuse her of making misleading remarks about the attack, the subject of extensive, Republican-led investigations.

Rice said in a statement that becoming “synonymous with Benghazi” made her anxious to tell her story.

According to the publisher, she has written an “inspiring account” of her public and private life and will offer advice on how an African-American woman can compete in a field where few share her background.

AP PHOTO

This is one of three handwritten wills that a lawyer said was found in the home of Aretha Franklin in Pontiac, Mich., months after her death.

The Associated Press

The diverse ambitions of Canadian star of Disney’s live-action Aladdin remake

Cassandra SZKLARSKI The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Canadian Aladdin star Mena Massoud says his wild carpet ride to movie stardom has been bewildering, and humbling.

But the affable, Toronto-bred actor says it’s just the beginning of what he hopes is a long career that will include championing homegrown productions and supporting talent from a diverse range of racial backgrounds.

The Egyptian-born Massoud was relatively unknown before snagging the lead role in the liveaction Disney remake of the animated children’s tale in theatres now.

He says he “lived in a closet” in a friend’s apartment to save money for a few months when he moved to Los Angeles two and a half years ago, until he booked a role on the Amazon episodic thriller Jack Ryan, which he shot in Montreal.

Now the 27-year-old finds himself in a big-budget feature helmed by U.K. director Guy Ritchie and sharing top billing with industry veteran Will Smith, who plays the wise-cracking, blue-tinted Genie.

Massoud seized on the revamp’s mission to feature a diverse cast and a more empowered female heroine, a headstrong Princess Jasmine with political aspirations, played by Naomi Scott.

He’s also mindful of an impressionable young audience that will be drawn to this film, boasting about a cast that includes actors with heritage from Tunisia, India, Turkey and Iran.

“Aladdin was one of the few things that I watched as a kid where I was like, ‘Oh, that guy looks like me and has a similar culture to mine,”’ Massoud says in a whirlwind round of interviews in Toronto this week.

“I mean, my first role, my first ACTRA gig where I got to join the union was Al Qaeda No. 2 on a show called Nikita. So it’s been a struggle for people of colour and I don’t think it’s enough to celebrate one group of minorities. We’ve got to celebrate all diverse artists and actors and Aladdin does that really well.”

He admits it was challenging on many fronts to play a rakish thief who darts through crowded markets by leaping from roof tops while singing his heart out.

In addition to acting, singing and dancing, Massoud says he learned to scuba dive, juggle, ride a camel and perfect basic parkour moves including somersaults, cartwheels, flips and slides.

And then there was the day he was greeted on set with news he needed to learn to play the oud, a classical Middle Eastern string instrument.

“And I was like, ‘What?”’ he recalls.

“And then... on the day-of, Guy was like, ‘You know what? We’re actually going to get Naomi to play it because it makes more sense if Jasmine plays it.’ So that’s show business for you.”

Such demands are all in service of a long-term career for Massoud, who says he’s dreamed of becoming an actor since he was a kid, even dropping out of a neuroscience program to study theatre at Ryerson University.

But he also has an eye on producing films through his own production company, and promoting a diverse talent pool in Toronto through a project he calls the EDA Foundation, or the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation.

Its goal is “to support and really make the path easier for ethnically diverse artists in Toronto,” he says. Then there’s Evolving Vegan, a company he founded to promote veganism through an IGTV series currently on Instagram. There are also plans for a book and a travelling culinary TV series that would highlight more than 50 vegan and vegetarian establishments in 10 different cities across North America.

“It would kind of be like Anthony Bourdain, but vegan-style,” he explains.

Of course, there’s more on the acting horizon, too. Next, Massoud heads to North Carolina to star opposite Abigail Spencer in the Hulu drama Reprisal, which he calls: “very different, very dark and dramatic.”

Amid all his interests, Massoud insists acting is his primary passion.

“I’ve always envisioned working with the best directors in the world,” he says, citing Christoph Waltz as inspiration.

“Christoph Waltz, you know, blew up in Hollywood at a very old age. He won two Oscars back-to-back so I thought, ‘You know what? Even if it happens when I’m 50, that’s fine.’ You know, I’ll always keep going, always keep trying.

“To have (Aladdin) happen now is a blessing.”

AP PHOTO

Canadian Aladdin star Mena Massoud arrives at the premiere of the movie on Tuesday at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.

Add strawberries for a fresh approach to salad

Ellie KRIEGER

Special To The Washington Post

To create a compellingly inspiring dish, sometimes all you need to do is approach ordinary ingredients from a different perspective. Take grilled chicken and salad for example.

Flipping the usual greens topped with poultry and instead making the chicken the foundation to be crowned with the salad, is just the kind of upside-down thinking that keeps things interesting.

When the chicken is pounded thinly, into what’s called a paillard as it is here, it becomes an ultra-elegant platform for any seasonal salad to be served as a main course.

It’s a setup that inspires me throughout the year with its enticing and healthful possibilities, which is why I have decided to create a chicken paillard salad for each season this year. In this spring edition, the thin chicken cutlet is grilled, then topped with a mound of crisp sugar snap peas and arugula tossed in a lemony dressing, sliced strawberries and toasted almonds.

Running with the idea of approaching ordinary ingredients in a fresh way rather than chop the snap peas or add them whole to the salad, I sliced them thinly lengthwise into a kind of slaw, exposing a lovely cross section of the peas inside each long, oval shaped slice. It takes a little more effort to do this, but it gives you a whole

new appreciation of what snap peas – and what chicken and salad for that matter – can become.

Grilled chicken paillards with snap pea and strawberry salad

4 servings If you purchase chicken labeled “thin-cut” or “cutlets” you may be able to skip the pounding step.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons slivered almonds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 five- to six-ounce pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 cup baby arugula

4 medium strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

Steps

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about three minutes, stirring frequently, until they are golden and fragrant.

Transfer to a plate to cool.

Whisk together the oil, one tablespoon of the lemon juice, the honey, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper in a mixing bowl, to form a smooth (emulsified) dressing.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a large cutting board. Place two pieces of the chicken on top and then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Use a mallet or roll-

ing pin to pound the chicken to an even thickness of 1/4-inch. Repeat with the remaining two pieces of chicken. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a grill pan with cooking oil spray or a little oil, then preheat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 1 1/2 to two minutes per side, until grill marks have formed and

it is just cooked through. Transfer to a plate; drizzle the chicken with the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice.

Cut each sugar snap pea pod lengthwise into three or four slices, exposing the cut peas inside. Add them (plus any loose peas) and arugula to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently to coat evenly.

To serve, divide the chicken pail-

What makes this grilled zucchini dish so delightful?

Bonnie S. BENWICK

Ginger-marinated zucchini with lime yogurt is a dish chock-full of contradictions, which might not exactly make it sound like something you’d want to try. But bear with me. Its flavour base relies on the ginger and garlic combination so widely used in our favourite cuisines, yet the recipe does not neatly fit into an Indian, Mediterranean or Chinese playbook. It tastes light and refreshing, yet rich, thanks to olive oil and yogurt. Marinating is involved, but nobody has to sit around or rearrange their spices; the zucchini is sliced so thin that by the time you compose plates and fry the eggs – yep, this is one of those put-an-egg-on-it meals, suitable for breakfast or brunch as well –dinner’s done.

Ginger and garlic can both pack a sharp bite, but they do mellow here. That will depend in part on how much you break them down on the cutting board with a fine chop or mashed with a little kosher salt. Choose a buttery-tasting or “smooth” olive oil for them to infuse.

And here’s the best part, in triplicate: It takes 20 minutes to prepare, cleanup is minimal and it will augment your summer zucchini arsenal.

Ginger-marinated zucchini with lime yogurt

20 minutes

2 servings

Ginger brings a new level of refreshing to warm weather’s most prolific vegetable.

This is a light meal that would welcome some toast for scooping, as well as a side of sauteed peas or green beans.

Ingredients

1 lime

2 scallions

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger root

2 medium cloves garlic

1/8 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 medium zucchini (12 to 13 ounces total)

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

1/3 to 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt, for serving

Pinch sugar

2 large eggs

lards among

salt.

Nutrition | Per serving: 300 calories, 35 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar Ellie Kriegeris a nutritionist and cookbook author.

Steps Use a microplane grater to zest one teaspoon of peel from the lime. Cut the lime and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Coarsely chop the white and lightgreen parts of the scallions to yield at least three tablespoons. Use a spoon to peel the ginger, then grate or mince the ginger to yield at least one tablespoon. Mince the garlic, using a little salt to mash it into a paste. Rinse the zucchini and trim the ends. Use a wide vegetable peeler, a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife to cut each vegetable lengthwise into equally thin planks (less than 1/4-inch thick). Use two teaspoons of the oil to lightly coat each zucchini plank on both sides, then season with the 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Heat a large, dry grill pan over medium-high heat. Arrange as many zucchini planks as will fit in a single layer in the pan; reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The planks will soften and turn into ribbons. Repeat to cook all the zucchini, transferring it to a large plate as the ribbons are done. Stir together the lime zest, a drizzle of the oil and the yogurt (to taste) in a small bowl. Season lightly with pepper.

Whisk the remaining two tablespoons of oil into the lime juice (in its measuring cup), then add the scallions, garlic, ginger and the pinch of sugar. Pour over the zucchini ribbons, tossing them gently to coat. Let them sit/marinate while you make the eggs. If the mixture looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil.

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and fry, sunny-side up, just until the whites are set but the yolk is still a bit runny. Season them with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.

To serve, divide the lime-zest yogurt between plates, spreading it around with the back of a spoon.

Top with equal amounts of the ginger-marinated zucchini, then place an egg on each portion.

Nutrition | Calories: 310; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 220 mg; Sodium: 310 mg; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 7 g; Protein: 11 g. Based on a recipe from No Crumbs Left: Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous, by Teri Turner; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.

individual plates. Top each with a mound of the snap pea salad, then scatter with strawberry slices and toasted almonds. Season lightly with

WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

Grilled chicken paillards with sugar snap pea and strawberry salad.

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

Ginger-marinated zucchini with lime yogurt.

At Home

For gardeners, May is a circus

Slow down and enjoy the

Adrian HIGGINS Washington Post

If there was any doubt that gardening is as much a state of mind as a cultivation of plants, I give you the merry month of May.

Except that I struggle to find May merry for reasons that are both tangible and harder to grasp. Perhaps you share these perceptions – or some of them.

April is joyful because it gives us the fresh, new face of spring after the emptiness of winter. But May is febrile; life erupts everywhere and at a pace that cannot be gauged or digested. When you race up to a distant stand of tall bearded iris, only to see that half the ornate blossoms have faded, you feel the floral treadmill is traveling too fast.

But like the flowers, I get ahead of myself.

Gardening is a three-ring circus. In the first ring, you maintain. That’s weeding, watering, feeding, pruning, harvesting. In the second ring, you plant. This is about attending to the future, implementing a planting design or making sure you have tomatoes in August. The third is to do with the present, the act of studying and enjoying what you have created.

In every circle in May, too many plates are aloft, spinning, slowing, wobbling, crashing. Let’s start with the weeds. I was tugging chickweed in early May, only to find the emergence of galinsoga. Chickweed is a weed of winter, galinsoga one of summer. Ships pass in the night. Weeds greet each other. All is now so vital that you

can weed for an hour on a Saturday only to find a new eruption by Wednesday, no kidding.

This year has seen an explosion of a weed related to jack in the pulpit, a slender aroid that would be handsome on its own, but it appears in great numbers from underground bulbs. This is Pinellia ternata. You can pull a stem, but unless you dig out the underlying corm, another will soon replace it.

I am weeding to make sure the parsnip and beet seedlings are not overrun. Meanwhile, the tatsoi and arugula are bolting and must be pulled, last year’s banana plant is being resuscitated, and the tomato transplants are merely heeled in while they await their proper bed. I haven’t had time to finish digging and amending it –I’ve been too busy weeding and finding a home for two dozen lavender and thyme plants that have been sitting in their pots. During this frenzy, spring has happened. You look up, and the grapevine you never got to cutting back is now in flower, the rosebuds are swelling, and the peonies are flopping in the rain.

In the garden, a wren, that consummate songbird of spring, is still parked on top of the birdhouse, chirping for a mate. And yet the ruby-throated hummingbird of summer has arrived, supping from the comfrey blossoms. This is the nub of the May problem; it is a confused month that at our latitude doesn’t know whether it’s chickweed or galinsoga, wren or hummingbird, spring or summer. This dichotomy is compounded

show

for people (like me) who grew up in northern climes, where peonies flowered in early June, and roses, clematis and lavender started to bloom in late June. The natural order was more sequenced, less compressed. It is reasonable to think the May maelstrom will worsen with climate change. What is the remedy for this state of things?

I’m learning to put down the weeding knife, stop worrying about the tomatoes and look

around.

Perennials and woody plants that have leafed out will never have more perfect foliage. Plump with moisture and vitality, the leaves offer a thousand different versions of nature’s design for capturing the sun’s energy, all of them captivating. At this moment, they are untouched by the heat, pests and diseases that will surely come. Their colours are vibrant.

The Japanese painted fern, for example, is glowing in surreal shades of silver and purple. In one corner of the garden, I have inherited someone else’s confection, a strange but effective mix of lily of the valley, lamium and golden creeping Jenny.

By July, this medley will be a train wreck, but for now it sits as a riposte to the May moaner.

The sterling tree of the moment is the yellowwood, a medium-size shade tree with beechlike gray bark, a pleasing symmetric outline and panicles of delicate but showy white flowers that announce its leguminous clan.

I noticed a splendid 25-foot specimen at the State Arboretum of Virginia the other day, and I’d forgotten how lovely this tree is, and how it deserves more use.

Rugosa roses bloom early in May but are not as popular as they were; they flower just once as a rule, and in the mid-Atlantic the compensating rose fruits or hips are never as outrageously large and decorative as in colder climates.

But the single blossoms capture the essential simple power of the

wild rose for me, not least because the fragrance is powerful enough to reach deep into one’s memory. Catmint is such a useful and pretty perennial, now smothered in its violet blue flowers against gray-green foliage. The larger cultivars such as Six Hills Giant tend to splay a bit, especially in sodden springs, but there are more compact varieties particularly useful in small spaces. Cutting them back by a half or more after flowering will promote compact re-growth and often some fresh flowering.

Baptisia – or false indigo – a native perennial that functions more as a small shrub, is coming into flower now, before you are quite ready for it.

Another legume, it produces lupinelike flowers in either blue, yellow, white and novelty shades, and stands as an anchoring presence with ornamental grasses and meadow flowers.

Most herbaceous peonies I have seen this month have collapsed with the rains; this is why you need to stake them in early April before the shoots are longer than a few inches.

You can salvage the calamity by cutting the blooms for the vase. They pair nicely, I’ve found, with chive blossoms, another feature of the gardening year’s frenzied start. Gardening tip: Outdoor containers must be free-draining to prevent waterlogging and root rot. Do not place saucers under pots. Containers sitting on patios may not drain properly and should be elevated, using either purposemade feet or bricks.

WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY ADRIAN HIGGINS

May does its own thing in the garden, for better or worse. In a neglected pot, lamium, lily-of-the-valley and creeping Jenny provide an unexpected delight.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY UNSPLASH PHOTOS Peonies in bloom.

Donald Robert Leonard

May 04, 1955 - May11, 2019

Donny retired 6 months ago from the logging industry hauling logs for over 40 years that was full of shared friendship and many many laughs. He was always there to lend a helping hand no matter what. He finally realized another longtime passion for touring on his motorcycle traveling almost 10,000kms where he had a tragic motorcycle accident in Tonasket, Washington USA. He leaves behind his loving wife, partner, best friend Therese together 45 years, his mother Gertrude Lebrun and her partner Jean-Marie Tremblay, sister Judith-Nicole, brothers Yves (Marie), Bruno (Mona), Remy, and many nieces, nephews and extended family in Ontario. He was predeceased by his father Albert Leonard who left behind his step family Georgette Morin, and children Gerald (Sylvie), Diane (Moreau), Rachel (Norm) McLaughlin. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday May 25th, 2019 at the Blackburn Community Hall at 2 pm. It’s not the destination; it’s the journey.

Love Therese

FROG CLAN

ROBERT JAMES FREDERICK

April 6, 1950 - May 4, 2019

Whunalhunih - In Remembrance

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Robert. He is survived by his loving wife Edith Frederick, sons: Jason Frederick (Caroline Best), Quinn Frederick, and Konrad Frederick, grandchildren: Bradley Frederick, Marisia Frederick (Andrew St. Jean), Jessica Frederick, Jayson Frederick, Kayleen Frederick (John Calder), and Calvin Frederick, great-grandchildren: Miah, Kaiden, Jacob, and Darion, brothers: Dominic Frederick SR. (Shirley Morin), and Carl Frederick (Bernidine Paul), sister Debbie McKowski, numerous uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. Robert is predeceased by his father Dominic Frederick SR., mother Theresa (Joseph), brothers Michael Frederick and Frank Frederick SR., sister Charlotte Frederick, nephew Shane McKowski, and grandchild Selena Frederick.

A Wake will be held at the House of Ancestors, 355 Vancouver Street, from Monday, May 27 at 1:00pm until Wednesday, May 29 at 12:00pm. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 2:00pm at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 887 Patricia Blvd. Following the service, Robert will be laid to rest in the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Following the interment, everyone is welcome to join the family at the House of Ancestors for a reception.

My mom Bette passed away peacefully April 6th, 2019 at the Dr. Andrew’s Pavilion in Summerland, BC. She was 85 years old. She is survived by her husband Domenico Capozzo. She is also survived by her daughter Rosalinda and sonin-law Daryl Brooks, her sister Barbara Robert (Doug Booth), and her brother Bill McClure. In Italy she is survived by her sister-in-law Caterina (Marco) Zaltron, brother-in-law(s) Arnaldo (Angelina) Cappozzo, Giulio (Antonetta) Cappozzo and Giorgio (Teresita Viero) Cappozzo and sisterin-law Gina Cappozzo, along with numerous nieces and nephews here in Canada and in Italy. Bette was preceded in death by her sister Sandra McClure, her mother Lillian “Mildred” (Colborn) McClure, her father William “Bill” McClure and her brother-in-law Bernard “Bernie” Robert, all of Summerland, BC. As well as by her father-in-law Francesco Cappozzo, mother-in-law Maria Neff Nicolussi and by her brother-in-law Lorenzo Cappozzo, all of Italy.

Bette was born on May 19th, 1933. She grew up in Summerland on the farm/orchard now known as the subdivision of McClure Place and McConnell’s fruit stand. Her family were vegetable and fruit farmers and this is where she learned the value of hard work and determination. Throughout her years mom took on many vocations. She was a camp cook on the railroad and cooked for both the BCR and CN. In 1966 her family of 3 moved to Prince George, BC where she lived the majority of her life. She was a hairdresser and owned/operated Kut & Kurl Hair Fashions in downtown Prince George. She later opened up a second shop of the same name in the Hart shopping center. In the 80ies she semiretired from hairdressing and to satisfy her wanderlust she started Bette’s Pilot Car services. She loved the travel, meeting new friends and talking on her two-way radio. She worked at this well into her seventies.

Mom loved road trips and fishing. She also had a great passion for farm animals and gardening. She hobby farmed every animal imaginable. In her early forties she nearly killed herself learning to ride horses, all to keep her daughter company. She was also very musical, learning to play the piano starting at the age of 6. As an adult she was self-taught on the accordion and guitar. She had a beautiful singing voice that accompanied her while she played or while singing from the songbook at her church.

Bette also took great comfort from her faith as one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. She loved cultivating her faith with her spiritual brothers and sisters and took great comfort from the support she received from them throughout her life but especially in her later years.

Through her faith she held the hope of the new system of things and the resurrection.

Revelations 21: 3-4. In short: “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.”

At the time of this announcement Bette has been cremated. Interment will follow in June at the Summerland Canyon View Cemetery.

WCGSERVICESWORKBCREGIONALMANAGER

Responsibleforlocalleadershipandcontract accountability,thisroleleadstheachievementof performanceandqualitystandards,providing oversightfortheentirePrinceGeorgecatchment. Learnmoreandapply:wcgservices.com/careers

PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR (FT)

Provides program support in Prince George Alzheimer Resource Centre. Schedules: First Link® support calls, education workshops, healthcare provider meetings. Manages materials and info resources in the region. Key duties: Reporting to Manager, maintains programming related to: incoming referrals and allocate intake calls, follow up calls Dementia Helpline support calls to Support & Education team. Schedules/books education prog based on regional plan. Manages attendance tool client lists and waitlists. Books meetings, distributes info resources. Maintains/orders materials inventory. Prepares dementia education packages. Coordinates local First Link bulletin info, prints/distributes posters and promo channels like: news releases, website, print ads. Oversees office volunteers & provides info to general public as needed. Qualifications: Superior admin & organization skills, meticulous attention to detail. Excellent computer skills, experience with Word, Excel & Outlook essential; familiarity with PowerPoint, Publisher, databases and mail merge an asset. Interpersonal/customer service skills. Able to recruit & supervise volunteers. Basic accounting bookkeeping exp. Knowledge of local area & dementia.

Resume w/ cover letter to: humanresources@alzheimerbc.org 300-828 West 8th Ave Vancouver, BC V5Z 1E2

Closes: June 7, 2019

For

Adult & Youth Newspaper Carriers

Needed in the Following areas:

Hart Area

Rd, Dawson Rd, Seton Cres,

plusbenefits. Applyinpersonoremailyourresumetodayto: hr@sinclar.com

Meriam “Bette” Capozzo (Nee McClure)

Obituaries

Obituaries

MONEY IN BRIEF

OTTAWA

Tesla’s bad news accelerates as Wall Street loses faith

Tom KRISHER The Associated Press

Late last year, Tesla Inc. was fully charged and cruising down the highway on Autopilot.

Shares were trading above $370 each, sales of the Model 3 small electric car were strong and the company had appointed a new board chair to rein in the antics of sometimes impulsive CEO Elon Musk.

But around the middle of December, investors started having doubts about the former Wall Street darling’s prospects for continued growth, and the stock started a gyrating fall that was among the worst in company history.

For the year, the share price is down around 40 per cent, largely on concerns Tesla is running out of buyers for its vehicles, which range in price from a base $35,400 Model 3 to a larger Model X SUV that can run well over $130,000.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, on a private call with investors this week, raised the possibility that Tesla would have to be restructured due to rising debt and falling sales. A leaked memo to employees from Musk that said sales were up stanched the stock’s bleeding, and no one is really certain about what’s next.

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — Canada’s main stock index ended a twoday skid as a flash of optimism on trade lifted oil prices, but not enough to prevent the worst week for crude this year.

The July crude contract was up 72 cents at US$58.63 per barrel Friday but was still down 6.8 per cent for the week. Despite the decrease, crude prices have risen 29 per cent so far this year.

The price of oil and stock markets overall rose Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump predicted a quick end to the trade dispute with China and suggested Huawei Technologies could be part of an agreement.

Markets have been fluctuating wildly with every presidential tweet or uttering, said Allan Small, senior investment adviser at HollisWealth. Markets have moved with Trump’s comments ranging from threatening to blacklist Chinese tech firms, to raising tariffs on imports, and to offering a grace period on U.S. firms selling to Huawei.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 65.43 points to 16,230.04, but still ended the week down one per cent.

The Canadian market’s rise Friday was driven by gains in eight of the 11 major sectors.

The heavyweight financials sector was up 0.78 per cent as several banks saw their shares increase, led by the Bank of Montreal, after comments from TD Group and Royal Bank during quarterly results this week alleviated concerns stoked by CIBC about the state of their Canadian operations. Health care, materials and energy were also higher. TransCanada Corp, Enbridge Inc. and Suncor Energy Inc. were all up.

The July natural gas contract rose 1.9 cents at US$2.61 per mmBTU. The June gold contract was down US$1.80 at US$1,283.60 an ounce and the July copper contract was up 1.9 cents at US$2.70 a pound.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 95.22 points at 25,585.69. The S&P 500 index was up 3.82 points at 2,826.06, while the Nasdaq composite was up 8.73 points at 7,637.01. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Memorial Day. The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 74.37 cents US compared with an average of 74.19 cents US on Thursday.

settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over ill-advised tweets.

Here’s a look at what has happened and what might be in the future for the electric car and solar panel company:

When did Tesla’s stock start falling and why?

A downhill snowball of bad news eclipsed anything good Tesla did, and raised investor doubt about whether there are enough buyers left who want and can afford Tesla vehicles. Throw in a little bit of erratic behaviour from Musk as well.

Just before Tesla stock hit a late-year peak on Dec. 13, Musk did a weekend interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that escalated a spat with securities regulators over his tweeting out company information. This time, he said it was unrealistic to think Tesla’s new chairwoman could control his behaviour because he’s the largest shareholder. It came after Musk and Tesla each paid $20 million in fines in an October

What else happened?

Just after the new year began, Tesla announced record fourth quarter sales that fell short of Wall Street expectations. The company also cut prices by $2,000 per vehicle to offset the phase-out of a $7,500 federal tax credit for Tesla. That increased doubts about future sales. Then Tesla eked out a small fourth-quarter profit that also disappointed investors.

The snowball picked up momentum in February when Musk announced he would close most company stores and fill orders online. He also walked back his prediction of sustained quarterly profits, predicting a first quarter loss. When January-throughMarch sales figures came out, investors were disappointed again. The company had only 63,000 deliveries, down 31 per cent from the fourth quarter. Musk later introduced the Model

Y midsize SUV, but gave few details. Investors were nonplussed. Then came a conference call to announce fully self-driving cars by sometime next year, an announcement widely criticized by experts as unrealistic. The stock slump continued. With sales down, Tesla posted a larger-than-expected $702 million first-quarter loss in April, and Musk warned it wouldn’t be profitable in the second quarter either.

In May, Tesla sold stock and notes that yielded $2.3 billion, increasing debt. Along the way, the SEC asked a judge to find Musk in contempt for tweets about vehicle production, a spat that was later settled. Also throw in reports of a leaked email last week from Musk to employees saying at the current cash burn rate, Tesla would go broke in 10 months.

What happens next?

It all depends on whether Tesla can produce enough cars at its Fremont, Calif., factory and whether people keep buying them. Musk’s

memo from Wednesday said the company has 50,000 net new orders this quarter and it could pass record deliveries of more than 90,000 in the fourth quarter of last year. That could generate enough cash to reverse the company’s fortunes. But many analysts are skeptical. Morgan Stanley’s Jonas didn’t think sales would be that strong.

“We see shares continuing to trade lower on a lack of near-term catalysts and likely cut to vehicle sales guidance,” CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson wrote in a note to investors Thursday. He cut his one-year stock price target $50 to $150.

Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds, which provides content to The Associated Press, said Tesla has an uphill climb. “There doesn’t appear to be anything in the (product) pipeline that is going to save them,” she said. “Now Tesla seems to be losing the confidence of its biggest cheerleader, Wall Street.”

China ramps up war of rhetoric in trade standoff with U.S.

Christopher BODEEN The Associated Press

BEIJING — Stepping up Beijing’s propaganda offensive in the tariffs standoff with Washington, Chinese state media on Friday accused the U.S. of seeking to “colonize global business” with moves against Huawei and other Chinese technology companies.

There was no word from either side on progress toward resuming talks between the world’s two largest economies, though U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next month at a G-20 meeting in Japan.

Negotiations over how to cut the huge, longstanding U.S. trade deficit with China and resolve complaints over Beijing’s methods for acquiring advanced foreign technologies floundered earlier this month after Trump raised tariffs on billions of dollars of imports from China.

At a daily briefing Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang accused American politicians he didn’t name of “fabricating various lies based on subjective presumptions and trying to mislead the American people.”

The China Daily, an English-language newspaper, said U.S. expressions of concerns about Chinese surveillance equipment maker Hikvision were for the self-serving aim of claiming the “moral high ground” to promote Washington’s political agenda.

“In this way, it is hoping to achieve the colonization of the global business world,” the newspaper said.

Hikvision said in a statement Friday that it takes U.S. concerns about its business seriously and is working to ensure it complies with human rights standards.

Activists have been urging the U.S. and other countries to sanction China over repression of members of Muslim minority ethnic groups in the northwestern Xinjiang region, where an estimated 1 million people are being detained in re-education camps.

The New York Times reported the U.S. Commerce Department might put Hikvision on its “entity list,” restricting its business with U.S. companies for its alleged role in facilitating surveillance in Xinjiang.

In its statement, the company said it had “engaged with the U.S. government regarding all of this since last October.”

Hikvision said it had retained former U.S. Ambassador-at-large Pierre-Richard Prosper of the firm

Arent Fox to advise the company regarding human rights compliance.

“Over the past year, there have been numerous reports about ways that video surveillance products have been involved in human rights violations,” the statement said. “We read every report seriously and are listening to voices from outside the company.”

In South Korea, officials said they were discussing security issues related to its 5G, or fifth generation, cellphone networks with the U.S. Officials in South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and presidential office did not, however, confirm the report by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper that U.S. officials want Seoul to block a local wireless carrier that uses Huawei equipment for its 5G services from unspecified “sensitive areas.”

Washington considers Huawei, the world’s leading supplier of telecom gear and No. 2 smartphone maker, a security threat. Huawei has sought to alleviate those concerns and has rejected assertions that it would facilitate spying by Beijing.

It’s unclear whether Seoul would accept potential U.S. demands to block imports of Huawei products at risk of triggering retali-

ation from China, its biggest trade partner.

A U.S. business group reported Friday that its members’ operations in China are facing growing pressure from trade friction after the Trump administration imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports, with plans to extend those duties to another $300 billion – virtually all the goods America buys from China.

“The negative impact of tariffs is clear and hurting the competitiveness of American companies in China,” the American Chamber of Commerce in China and AmCham Shanghai said in announcing the results of a survey of nearly 250 companies conducted May 16-20.

China has raised tariffs on $110 billion of U.S. products and has said it’s prepared to do more to defend its national interest. The report said about 40 of the companies surveyed were being subjected to more inspections or slower customs clearance. Just over half have yet to experience any impact from such non-tariff retaliatory measures. To cope, companies are focusing more on the China market, it said, rather than exporting to the U.S., and delaying or cancelling investment decisions.

This 2018 filephoot shows the Tesla 2018 Model 3 sedans on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo.

Community looks to archbishop for new leadership

Julie ZAUZMER

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The leafy neighbourhood surrounding Holy Comforter Saint-Cyprian Roman Catholic Church has transformed in recent years. Longtime parishioners have watched as the African American families who found a home at this church for more than a century left for more affordable housing in the suburbs, and young white families moved into the newly renovated townhouses surrounding the District of Columbia’s Lincoln Park, east of Capitol Hill.

So when Judy Rodney, a stalwart attendee at Holy Comforter, went to visit her son in a similarly gentrifying neighbourhood in Atlanta, she expected to find tension in the Catholic parish similar to the unease she sometimes witnesses between white newcomers and black residents at home.

Instead, she was awed by what she saw.

“I was shocked to see this church. It was very diverse, and it was standing room only. We had to get there half an hour early to get a seat for Mass,” Rodney told her fellow Bible study attendees at Holy Comforter, all of them African American, after her trip.

She credits Atlanta’s archbishop, Wilton Gregory, for fostering a church culture that made that inclusiveness possible. And this week, Gregory will leave Atlanta to become the first African American archbishop of Washington, D.C.

“It may make a positive change for us, too,” Rodney said to her Bible study group.

As the longtime cleric officially assumes his appointment by Pope Francis to one of the most prominent leadership roles in the American Catholic Church on Tuesday, Washington’s black Catholics

are watching his first steps with pride and excitement – and with hope that Gregory can address the needs of their community.

Black Catholics are a small segment of the Catholic population nationwide, about three per cent. But in Washington, the community has always been significantly larger (15 per cent, by the Pew Research Center’s count in 2014) and a wellspring of civic involvement. When the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops published a list of the nation’s historically black parishes, it included more in the Archdiocese of Washington than any other diocese in the country except Lafayette, La.

The District’s four most recent mayors – Muriel Bowser, Vincent Gray, Adrian Fenty and Anthony Williams – are all African American Catholics or were educated in Catholic schools.

Karl Racine, the District’s attorney general, fondly recalls his roots in the city’s predominantly African American parishes and boasts of the nuns and priests who are among his relatives. He said that when he heard Gregory would be the next Washington archbishop, he asked friends in Atlanta about Gregory’s involvement in black community issues and was pleased by what he heard.

“I’m sure you’re going to see this is a city with a high percentage of black folks who are going to be supportive of him, that need him... There’s always been a difficult relationship, at least what I’ve observed, between African Americans and Caribbeans and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church,” he said. “The Catholic Church does a lot in the community, but obviously scandal, as well as instances of timidity on issues of race, sometimes cause members like me to want more out of leadership.”

Racine is one of well more than a dozen attorneys general nationwide investigating sexual abuse

committed by Catholic clergy. He said that his inquiry will continue after the departure of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who retired early because of revelations about his supervision of abusive priests when he was bishop of Pittsburgh. And Racine also proposed other agenda items that he hopes the new archbishop takes up with regard to race.

“In the District of Columbia, there is too great a disparity in income and opportunity (between those west and east of the Anacostia River). Those issues that relate to long-standing trauma and violence should be addressed by the church. The church can be an important convener,” Racine said. He also pointed to students at Georgetown University who have recently advocated for the school to more deeply address its history as a slaveholding institution, and said he hopes Gregory will further that effort.

“Locally, we really need to have a reckoning, a deep conversation, that leads to positive action in regard to the impact of slavery and institutional racism. I would hope that he would bring the voice of peace and redemption and for-

giveness, and the call for action,” Racine said.

Bishop Roy Campbell, the auxiliary bishop of Washington, D.C., said that he has found that parishioners are hungering for African American leadership in the Catholic Church.

“It will be a definite change here in the Archdiocese of Washington,” he said. “Hopefully... our black Catholics will see that they are as relevant as any other Catholics in the community. Sometimes you can feel that you might be not heard as much as others.”

Campbell said that as a black bishop himself, “you can understand the feelings of people who have experienced, whether it is subtle or overt, instances of racism, even when it’s not intentional, because I have experienced the same thing. I can understand where they’re coming from and help them in how to address that.

... Here we have an archbishop that I think has experienced the same thing.”

In recent memory, many of the city’s black Catholics were most hurt by the archdiocese’s attitude when it came to parish schools.

The archdiocese proposed in 2008 closing eight of its 28 schools in the District of Columbia, many of them attended predominantly by students of colour, and then handing the buildings over to house nonreligious public charter schools.

Some parishes, including St. Augustine, a church known as the “mother church of African American Catholics,” successfully fought the idea and kept their schools operating. But others, including Holy Comforter, had their schools turned to charters.

As Gregory arrives in Washington more than a decade later, that still rankles.

“They just forgot about us. There was nobody fighting to keep our school here,” Helen Pruce said mournfully at Holy Comforter’s Bi-

ble study on Wednesday. She sent her daughter to the parish school. Others at the study session agreed, complaining that it seemed at the time that the archdiocese specifically picked majority-black schools for closure.

Last year, 52 per cent of students at the archdiocese’s 92 schools in the District and Maryland were white, and 28 percent were black. It’s a common concern for black Catholics nationwide.

“Hispanics, African Americans –if those populations are very small in (some bishops’) dioceses and those aren’t big donors, they tend to be underserved,” said Grant Jones, executive director of the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, a historically black fraternal organization. The Knights focus not only on providing a social community for black Catholics but also on fostering church efforts to combat systemic racism, promote criminal justice reform and support victims of domestic violence.

“Ethnic ministries are closed. When there’s budget cuts, those are the first churches closed,” Jones said.

Gregory, who has been a member of the Knights of Peter Claver since 1984, according to Jones, is more likely to listen to minority members’ concerns for their parishes, Jones said.

“I think he’s very aware of that. He will look past the bottom line and say, ‘No, this is important’,” he said.

Many in Washington’s parishes will be watching eagerly – starting at Gregory’s installation ceremony. At Holy Comforter, that’s what all the buzz has been about this week, with churchgoers swapping tips about secret places to park and boasting of their plans to arrive five hours early, with plenty of snacks. When Washington’s first black archbishop takes his place, they want to make sure they have a spot.

Members of the gospel choir of St. Augustine Catholic Church hold a free concert in McPherson Square Park in Washington , D.C., in November. The parish is known as the “mother church of African American Catholics” in the District of Columbia.

GREGORY