CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT
Awardwinning team
Grace Flack and Michelle Sandu receive the Ma Murray award for Ad Design (Collaborative over 25,000) from Peter Kvarnstrom, Glacier Media’s president of community media.
Prince George provincial court docket
From Prince George provincial court, April 26 to May 2, 2019:
• Lyle Robert Suter (born 1980) was sentenced to time served for breaching probation. Suter was in custody for 13 days prior to sentencing.
• Kyle John Brantnall (born 1998) was sentenced to 18 months probation, issued a 10-year firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample for being unlawfully in a dwelling house, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, possessing a firearm without a licence and/or registration and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, all committed in Willow River. Brantnall was in custody for 168 days prior to sentencing.
• Justin Lang Elroy Cahoose (born 1983) was sentenced to time served for breaching probation. Cahoose was in custody for three days prior to sentencing.
• Brandhon Leslie Dargatz (born 1993) was sentenced to 11 days in jail for possessing stolen property over $5,000 and time served for possessing stolen property under $5,000 and prohibited from driving for one year and fined $1,000 plus $150 in victim surcharges for two counts of driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act. Dargatz was in custody for five
days prior to sentencing.
• Robin Colin Fleury (born 1971) was sentenced to one year probation for assault. Fleury was in custody for 14 days prior to sentencing.
• Keira Zoe Nicole Prince (born 1998) was sentenced to one day in jail and three years probation and issued a 10-year firearms prohibition for break and enter with intent to commit offence and breaching an undertaking or recognizance.
• Samantha Anne Smith (born 1992) was prohibited from driving for one year and fined $500 plus a $75 victim surcharge for driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act.
• Thomas Joshua Toman (born 1999) was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $1,055.46 restitution and to one year probation for possessing stolen property under $5,000 and wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
Toman was in custody for 63 days prior to sentencing.
• Jordy Martin Visser-Hayne (born 1996) was sentenced to time served for breaching probation. Visser-Hayne was in custody for 50 days prior to sentencing.
• Lawrence Richard Yeomans (born 1962) was issued a one-year $500 recognizance after allega-
tion of causing fear of injury or damage.
• Janice Marie Baptiste (born 1977) was sentenced to 10 days in jail for causing a disturbance, uttering threats to burn, destroy or damage and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
Baptiste was also sentenced to one year probation, issued a five-year firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample on the counts as well as on a count of breaching a recognizance or undertaking.
Baptiste was in custody for 16 days prior to sentencing.
• Nathaniel Lazarus Basil (born 1988) was sentenced to 134 days in jail for two counts of obstructing lawful use of property, to 90 days for two counts of mischief $5,000 or under and to 30 days for assault. Basil was also sentenced to one year probation on the counts and was in custody for 16 days prior to sentencing.
• Keenan Frank Michell Glen Sam (born 1991) was sentenced to five months in jail for assault with a weapon and to 30 days for breaching probation. Sam was also sentenced to one year probation on the counts and one count of theft $5,000 or under and was in custody for 13 days prior to sentencing.
• Michael Darren Felix (born
1994) was sentenced to 54 days in jail for assaulting a peace officer and to 24 days in jail for possessing stolen property and to one year probation on the counts. Felix was in custody for 42 days prior to sentencing.
• Steven Brian Fraser (born 1992) was prohibited from driving for one year and fined $500 plus a $75 victim surcharge for driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act.
• Jeremy Chad Larsen (born 1979) was issued a one-year $500 recognizance after allegation of causing fear of injury or damage.
• Charissa Dawn Scarrow (born 1982) was sentenced to three years probation, issued a five-year firearms prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample for two counts of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
• Kenneth Melvin Seymour (born 1991) was sentenced to time served for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and breaching probation. Seymour was in custody for 25 days prior to sentencing.
From B.C. Supreme Court:
• David Jules Frye (born 1954) was sentenced to 18 months probation for improper firearms storage, committed in Valemount.
Sex assault suspect at large
Citizen staff
Prince George RCMP are on the lookout for a man suspected of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
The detachment has received a report of a man approaching the girl from behind and grabbing her as she was walking alone in the area of Sixth Avenue and Winnipeg Street on May 1 at about 9 p.m. The girl broke free, ran to safety and reported the incident the next day, RCMP said.
“Investigators believe this to be a random act and have not received reports of any similar incidents,” RCMP added.
The suspect is described as Caucasian, 30 to 40 years old, about six-foot-one and 200 pounds, clean shaven, with brown eyes and a crooked nose that looked like it was previously broken. He was wearing a black hoody with the hood up, grey sweat pants and brown work boots and smelled of tobacco.
The Prince George RCMP would like to warn the public and offer some safety tips:
• Stay in well-lit areas.
• Travel in areas where people are likely to be or go to businesses that are open and can offer assistance.
• Whenever possible, do not travel alone.
• Call a trusted friend or family member if you find yourself alone.
• If your safety is at risk or you feel threatened, call 911 immediately.
Anyone with information on who the suspect may be is asked to call the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca (English only). You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest or seizure of firearms, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Building permit value reached $26.9M in March
Construction is on pace to beat last year’s record, according to the latest building permit report from city hall. As of the end of March, 101 permits for $26.9 million worth of construction were taken out so far this year, up from $24.9 million by the same point last year. 2018 finished at a record-setting $186.4 million. However, the value of permits taken out in March stood at $11.1 million, down slightly from $11.3 million over the same month in 2018. At $12.3 million over 23 permits, construction of new single-family homes has led the way. Of that total, 11 permits adding up to $9 million worth of work were taken in out March. The next busiest category, year-to-date, was multiple-family homes at $7.5 million over 11 permits. None were taken out in that category in March. — Citizen staff
Public open house on wildfire protection
The city will be hosting an open house on its plan to reduce the risk of wildfire in the Prince George area. It is set for May 15, at the Civic Centre, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Presentations will be given at noon and 6 p.m. A summary of the progress made on the city’s emergency strategic plan will also be provided and representatives from the city, the B.C. Wildfire Service and the FraserFort George Regional District will be on hand to answer questions. — Citizen staff
Sport fields and ball diamonds opening this week
Most of the city’s sport fields and ball diamonds were opened on Friday.
The exceptions are Joe Martin Field and fields No. 3 and No. 4 at Volunteer Park, which will remain closed for about another week to give them more time to dry out and for the turf to properly establish. The moves were made after careful assessment by city parks department staff. “Rest and recovery is of vital importance to establish healthy turf,” said Parks Supervisor Chris Bjorn. “Playing on a ball diamond or sport field too early or too late in the year can cause irreparable damage to root systems and weaken turf for the season.
“Playing on unsafe terrain can also lead to injury. It is essential to allow turf to establish proper root systems to ensure fields are healthy and safe through the playing season.”
The lawn bowling facilities at Watrous Park will open in early June as usual. Masich Place Stadium opened to the public and user groups on April 15. To get up-to-date information on hours of operation sign up for the Parks, Trails, and Sport Fields category on the subscribe page on the City website (news.princegeorge.ca/subscribe). — Citizen staff
United Way grants Alzheimer Society $8,000
The United Way of Northern B.C. has given $8,000 to Alzheimer Society of B.C. to take its message to communities across northern B.C.
The grant will help pay for an education and outreach road trip with the first leg going to Mackenzie, Bear Lake, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Pouce Coupe, Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge and First Nations communities in the northeast during May 27-31. ASBC members will be providing education and support to individuals with dementia, caregivers, family members, community and healthcare professionals.
“Our efforts focus on building dementia-friendly communities – communities of care and inclusion which reduce the stigma and the negative effects of living with a progressive cognitive illness,” said ASBC regional services manager Maribeth Friesen.
— Citizen staff
New executive committee appointed at NDIT
The Northern Development Initiative Trust has a new executive committee.
Margo Wagner was named chair, Lori Ackerman vice chair and Carol Leclerc director at large, all by acclamation, during the NDIT’s annual general meeting on April 24. Wagner is a Cariboo Regional District director and has been a NDIT board member since 2016. Ackerman is the mayor of Fort St. John and has been an NDIT board member for nearly 11 years. Leclerc is the mayor of Terrace and was appointed to the NDIT board in January. Also, Wendy Benyk was acclaimed by the board as the finance committee chair for a second term. Benyk is the CEO of Lakes District Maintenance Ltd. Bev Playfair, mayor of Fort St. James and Gary Foster, mayor of the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, were both acclaimed as members of the board’s finance committee. Tom Hoffman has stepped down from NDIT’s board after six years as a provincially appointed member. After nine years as a provincially appointed member of the board, six of those as vice-chair, Gerald Wesley also stepped down from board.
— Citizen staff
Ombudsperson sees oversight loopholes in RCMP lockups
VICTORIA (CP) — British Columbia’s ombudsperson is raising a red flag about detention cells policed by RCMP, saying there’s an oversight gap. Jay Chalke says he’s received several complaints to his office and discovered that there is no body appointed to investigate allegations of misconduct arising from the city lockups where RCMP officers are in charge. Chalke says in a statement that staff at the cells of provincial municipal forces are subject to discipline under the Police Act, but there’s no such oversight for jail guards under the jurisdiction of the Mounties because they aren’t RCMP officers. The RCMP wasn’t immediately available to comment on Chalke’s allegations.
Dog breeder loses license appeal
Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca
City council voted 6-1 Monday to deny a dog breeder a business licence to operate out of her home.
The decision came after a special hearing was held for Roxanna Hamilton, who has been operating Summer Knight Kennel at 3622 Hazel Drive since 2000.
The use is in contravention of the current residential zoning for the property but Hamilton maintains it was in compliance under the old zoning bylaw and therefore grandfathered when the new bylaw came into effect in 2007.
At central issue was what constitutes a kennel. Although the use was prohibited under the old bylaw, which came into effect in 1980, no specific definition was provided.
City lawyer Troy De Souza argued that in such instances, governments turn to the latest edition of the Cambridge dictionary and, in turn, it includes dog breeding under the definition.
Hamilton’s lawyer, Jon Duncan, suggested the meaning may have been different when the bylaw was finalized in
1980 and noted that Hamilton claimed she was told she did not need a business licence when in 1998 she checked with the city’s planning department because she would not be boarding other peoples’ dogs.
In rebuttal, De Souza cast doubt on Hamilton’s claim, noting she did not provide a name and that her contention was “far too self serving” to be accepted at face value. If she can prove she was provided bad advice, Hamilton can sue the city for damages, but must still comply with the law, he added.
He also stressed that council can rely on the “latest” edition of the Cambridge dictionary which provides two definitions, one of which specifically mentions breeding as a use. He also argued that a breeder cannot operate without housing dogs other than the ones she owns on site.
Asserting that as many as 20-30 dogs were on the property at a given time, neighbours had complained to the city about the noise and smell. In turn, bylaw enforcement to launch an investigation and found Hamilton had not been operating with a business licence.
When Hamilton applied for one, staff denied the request and, in turn, that led to the hearing before council.
Mayor Lyn Hall, Coun. Susan Scott, Coun. Kyle Sampson, Coun. Murry Krause, Coun. Cori Ramsay and Coun. Garth Frizzell voted to deny Hamilton’s application for a business licence.
In doing so, they generally echoed DeSouza’s points that they can use the latest definition and that Hamilton provided no evidence that she was told she did not need a business licence.
Coun. Frank Everitt cast the lone dissenting vote, saying it was a case where a non-conforming use had been allowed. The outcome means Hamilton must either move the business to a location zoned for the purpose or shut it down. However, she also reserves the right to have a court of law review council’s decision.
Coun. Brian Skakun excused himself from the hearing citing a non-pecuniary conflict of interest related to the fact that Duncan had represented in him when the city took him to court in 2011 after he leaked a confidential report to a local media outlet.
Public input sought on Royal BC Museum’s future
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
Museums house the antiquities and artifacts from days of old, but the facilities are always challenged to modernize.
The future of the Royal BC Museum (and by implication, the museum system of the province) is up for discussion and public input on Saturday afternoon.
A consultation session will beheld at the Native Friendship Centre (1600 Third Ave.) The public is encouraged to attend.
“At the meeting, participants will have the opportunity to view an artifact or
specimen from the Royal BC Museum’s human history or natural history collections that is specific to the region,” said a statement from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
“The Royal BC Museum holds the world’s largest collection of B.C. heritage. It offers visitors the chance to explore the province’s social and environmental history and discover the events and people that have shaped B.C.”
The consultation in Prince George is part of a province-wide outreach effort to gather opinions and suggestions about how to modernize the Royal BC Museum, and get new ideas about protecting
B.C.’s natural and human history.
“The province is consulting with Indigenous peoples and citizens throughout B.C. to hear their views about what they expect a modernized museum experience to be,” said the ministry’s statement. “The consultation is also seeking feedback about how the museum could most effectively tell stories of B.C.’s communities and how the museum can collaborate most productively with communities around the province.”
The public meeting will be held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturday at the spacious Power of Friendship Hall inside the Native Friendship Centre.
Ban on open burning starts midday Wednesday
Citizen staff
A ban on small-scale open burning will come into effect at noon on Wednesday in the Prince George and Stuart Nechako forest districts.
The ban is being imposed in answer to hot, dry weather in the forecast, the B.C. Wildfire Service said. The daytime high is expected to reach 23 C on Friday, according to Environment Canada.
The ban applies to open burning of any material (piled or unpiled) smaller than two metres high and three metres wide; burning barrels; fireworks; and stubble or grass fires over an area smaller than 2,000 square metres.
However, this prohibition does not apply to Category 3 fires or to campfires that are a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and must have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.
The prohibition applies to all public and private land.
Anyone found in contravention of an open burning prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150,
required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail.
If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
Report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation by calling 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: www.bcwildfire.ca
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City council held a hearing on Monday to hear an appeal by Roxanna Hamilton of a decision to refuse her a business licence for her home-based dog breeding operation, Summer Knight Kennels, located at 3622 Hazel Dr.
Banning cellphones from class may not be the answer
Aschool in Newfoundland is reported to have backed away from cellphone use in classrooms, then, almost immediately done a 180 and permitted use for Grade 7 and 8 students – 12- and 13-year-olds.
So should cellphone use be allowed in classrooms?
Easy decision, you say: no.
No is too easy a response for those of us curmudgeons and technophobe neo-Luddites who vaguely remember the technology available in our own classrooms of the 1950s – an inkwell set into the desk and a split-nib pen for writing.
There was no thought or temptation to be cruising Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, Googling porn sites, tweeting, organizing a crowd to watch an after-school fight or cyber-bullying the class geek.
We do remember being taught to communicate in writing and then being told we were not allowed to write and pass notes in class. That didn’t exactly put the kibosh on note-passing. Remember?
Allowing kids to open up their cellphones in class but not allowing them to do cellphone things we adults have not thought of yet scares us oldies, though.
So let’s consider some of the research and policy recommendations about classroom
cellphone use, some of it conducted by academics who have actually taught in classrooms and some of it by those who have not.
Speaking of which, the debate on classroom cellphone use has recently been energized by the Doug Ford-led Ontario government’s announcement that cellphones will be banned from classrooms.
No “ifs, ands or buts” – cellphones will be banned.
End of discussion.
To be fair, and to keep the proposed Ontario policies in context, we should take into account that the Ford government, according to some sources, would, if it could, also ban the carbon tax, global warming, cloudy days, same-gender marriage, a middle-class tax cut, child-care refunds, further investments in mental-health initiatives, dental care for low-income seniors and thinking about sex before 11 p.m. on Fridays.
Ontario would also quickly and decisively excommunicate all provinces west of Nipigon from Confederation as superfluous to need.
Banning cellphones in classrooms will, according to Education Minister Lisa Thompson, previously the general manager of the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative, force kids to “focus on acquiring the foundational skills they need like reading, writing and math.”
Even so, let’s not be too quick to align a cellphone ban in Ontario’s classroom discussion with Ontario’s Dickensian view of itself as an modern offshoot of mid-19thcentury England.
There are, potentially, problems with uncontrolled classroom cellphones.
There is some research indicating that students will check their phones in the classroom an average of more than 11 times a day, tweeting, texting, emailing and looking at social media.
However, on the plus side, according to other researchers, misuse is balanced out by teachers who understand the promise of educational technology and encourage the use of learning apps such as ClassDojo – a learning app for kids and parents that allows parents, students and teachers to interact with each other.
Students can communicate with their teachers regarding their educational needs using ClassDojo, and parents can stay up to date with their children’s progress.
DragonBox and Quickmath are both educational games that teach arithmetic and math fundamentals in a kid-engaging way.
There are several other learning apps for more advanced math, including algebra and geometry.
A new generation of teachers use classroom cellphones to give students limited access to more information, letting them
YOUR LETTERS
Cost of gambling
According to your editorial, Business report shows optimism (April 26), the 2018 Business Insights Report finds that local businesses are optimistic about their future.
Certainly they would be even more optimistic if our people were spending more money in local shops and restaurants. When someone comes into a lottery windfall, such as the Tumbler Ridge woman who recently reaped $10 million, everyone is happy for that winner.
The media celebrates the winner’s joy but few give thought to the more millions dropped a few dollars at a time to accumulate that windfall.
A fortune is diverted daily, a few dollars at a time, in lottery kiosks and scratch tickets across our town and nation.
I doubt that anyone has studied the full effect that siphoning gambling money from our local economy has on northern businesses. Every dollar gambled on tickets or in a casino is another that does not flow through the local economy, maintaining jobs and
profits for local businesses. James Loughery Prince George
Fans are fifth line for Spruce Kings
Over the past month, citizens of Prince George have been treated to championship hockey at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena where the Prince George Spruce Kings work.
As a season ticket holder I may be accused of being biased, but year after year I watched these talented Spruce Kings players come to the job site with hardhat (helmet) steel toe boots (skates) and lunch bucket (a desire to do their best).
It was so nice to see the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena filled to capacity with people wanting to be part of the excitement.
Fans can be like an extra player on the ice.
With the Fred Page and Doyle Cup behind them now, they will be tasked with securing the Royal Bank Cup.
These successes not only help the organization’s bottom line but attract talent also. I wish I could
be in Brooks watching them play but family obligations. Those lucky people who are going will see a lot talent on the ice.
In closing I hope that next year I see more people in the stands. Go, Spruce Kings, Go!
Stan New
Prince George
Spruce Kings a credit to the city
I am delighted by the success of the Prince George Spruce Kings which has been a long time coming. Their steadfast supporters can rightfully feel proud of their team and of themselves for their unwavering support.
Living in Victoria, as we now do, we are happy to see positive news about my favourite city and previous hometown.
It’s great to see compliments about Prince George in the Lower Mainland media rather than their usual focus on the negative.
The Spruce Kings are great representatives of B.C.’s Northern Capital!
Cliff Dezell Victoria
LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen. ca or 250-960-2759). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
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study a topic even while having class discussions.
This is especially true for current events that have not yet been covered in school textbooks.
Managing cellphone use in classrooms should not really be much different from the teacher skills required to manage classrooms without cellphones.
Establishing expectations, including a clear list of times cellphones must be put away; walking around the classroom rather than sitting behind the teacher desk; taking away cellphones to be returned at the end of class; establishing a “free time tech break” with restrictions as to appropriate online use clearly monitored — all would be fair and acceptable alternatives to “no cellphones.”
Finally, cellphone security has to be considered.
Cellphones are expensive and easily stolen. Then there is the issue of kids who can’t afford a cellphone.
The biggest problem, though?
It is 2019, and communications technology is here to stay, so kids might as well be taught how and when to use it appropriately.
Just banning cellphones outright is a political cop-out on adult responsibility. — Geoff Johnson is a former superintendent of schools.
Gas prices still an issue
Jason Kenney is now the premier of Alberta. What was one of his first acts? Proclaiming into law the Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act. It isn’t his legislation. It was constructed by the previous NDP government. But it gives the Alberta Minister of Energy the right to reduce or increase oil flow from Alberta to British Columbia and the other provinces.
Or Minister Sonya Savage could turn off the taps entirely. Except, of course, she can’t actually do that. The intent of the law was to allow the Alberta provincial government to punish British Columbia for not allowing the Trans Mountain Expansion project to proceed. But the present pipeline feeds refineries in Washington state as well as British Columbia and turning off the tap would result in a challenge under NAFTA (which still exists). Alberta would be open to constitutional challenges by B.C. and legal damages by the United States.
According to Kenney in an op ed article and press conference, “The impetus for the act is to alleviate the resource backlog that has been exacerbated by delaying TMX. Unfortunately, since coming into office in July 2017, the B.C. government has opposed the expansion project every step of the way, most recently in the B.C. Court of Appeal. One province claiming to have the power to block exports from the rest of Canada would undermine one of the principles of our Confederation, the economic union between our provinces.”
Yup. According to Premier Kenney, let’s blame B.C. for the lousy oil prices in Alberta. That is basically his message. And judging by the comments posted in response to his rhetoric, his base is all fired up about the issue.
However, the price Alberta receives for its oil has nothing to do with a pipeline to the coast. Long before there was discussions of a new pipeline, Alberta was selling at a discount due to the structure of the FTA and its successor the NAFTA. Essentially, the energy clause in the agreement guarantees American interests unfettered access to our oil at whatever price they want to set. (Which begs the question – why didn’t Kenney do something about this when he was a federal cabinet minister?)
But it sure makes for good PR to blame someone else for your problems.
In his op ed, Kenney goes on to say “British Columbians are currently facing a gasoline crisis, paying an unsustainable $1.70 per litre or more in Metro Vancouver. Premier John Horgan has suggested that Alberta’s lack of
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refinery capacity is the problem while doing everything he can to block the expansion of the very pipeline that would get Alberta oil, refined or otherwise, to domestic and international markets.”
So, let me get this straight, for 60 years, the Trans Mountain Pipeline has been providing petroleum products to the lower mainland, according to Kenney. And for 60 years, there hasn’t been an issue with the supply. We have received all of the gasoline we need. But suddenly, the amount is inadequate, and the price of gasoline has gone through the roof? What happened? Did everyone in the lower mainland suddenly double their consumption? Were whole fleets of vehicles bought by industry? Did the transit system suddenly get rid of their electric buses? No. The price of gasoline has everything to do with refinery capacity. Refineries close down for maintenance on an annual cycle and the “local refineries” in Vancouver and Washington State have done just that. Further, the amount of crude oil being shipped by the pipeline to the Burnaby refinery means it is only operating at 80 per cent when running. This puts pressure on the supply of gasoline. But by pumping gasoline through the pipeline from Alberta, these sorts of shutdowns can be accommodated.
However, if Premier John Horgan is correct, the amount of gasoline being piped to the lower mainland from Alberta has dropped over the past few weeks. Hence, the fuel shortage and the sky-rocketing prices. And if Alberta does turn off the tap, prices will jump to atmospheric levels. That said, the Trans Mountain Pipeline can provide enough gasoline and diesel to satisfy the demands of the Lower Mainland. This is where Kenney’s argument falls apart. Horgan isn’t interested in blocking the existing pipeline. Nor is he majorly opposed to expanding it although that is still with the federal government which is taking more time to fully engage in Indigenous consultations.
What Horgan, Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, and company oppose is an increase in the tankers off the B.C. coast. After all, one supertanker collision could ruin much of the lower mainland economy. Shipping oil overseas comes with inherent risks whether off the north coast or through the Strait of Georgia.
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The weekend in pictures
ABOVE: Fire crews plan their attack on a structure fire on the 2100block of Spruce Street on Sunday morning.
LEFT: Local artist Makayla Hendrickson, left, takes on professional illustrator and art designer Andy Poon on stage at CN Centre on Sunday afternoon during a live art duel as part of the third and final day of Northern FanCon.
BELOW: Alivia Harker, 7, makes some big bubbles during the YMCA Healthy Kids Day on Sunday at Canada Games Plaza.
BOTTOM LEFT: Terry Eastman of Terry’s Fresh Hot Bannock cooks bannock on Saturday morning for the opening day of the Pine Centre Farmers Market.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Three fans take a selfie with Harley Quinn on Friday night at CN Centre on the opening night of Northern FanCon.
UNBC names class of 2019 valedictorians
Citizen staff
The valedictorians for the University of Northern British Columbia graduation ceremonies have been chosen.
Emilio Caputo, who has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in history and minors in philosophy and political science, will deliver a speech at the College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences Convocation ceremony on May 31 at 9:30 a.m.
Raliat Abioye, who earned a Bachelor of Science with honours biochemistry and molecular biology, will give her speech at the College of Science and Management Convocation ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Caputo grew up in McBride, B.C., enrolling in UNBC five years ago as a UNBC Scholar as the top student in his high school class. Early on in his undergraduate career, he joined the Northern Historical Student Society and later served in other capacities at both the university and in the broader community, notably as a student senator at UNBC and a Trustee on the Prince George Public Library Board.
This year he was one of six Research Ambassadors who promoted the undergraduate research opportunities available at UNBC to the university community and high school students.
“These past five years, I’ve enjoyed committing myself to better the community that gave me so much and I’m happy to see so many others do the same,” he said.
“Ultimately I see my role as valedictorian as one which I am offered a chance to celebrate the collective successes of our university and indeed the lives of all who
have left their mark upon its halls.
“UNBC has a hard-fought legacy, and I hope to impart that message as valedictorian. That each of us has a profound opportunity to use our experiences here to change the world.” As for what’s next for Caputo, he’ll be starting as an intern at B.C.’s Legislative Assembly in January 2020 and will consider
graduate studies after that.
Abioye is from Brampton, Ont. and in the fall of 2015 enrolled at UNBC where she quickly developed her passions in research, mentoring, community service and leadership.
Working under the guidance of chemistry professor Dr. Stephen Rader, her research involved RNA splicing and she is a three-
time recipient of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada –Undergraduate Student Research Award. On campus, she was vice-president of the Chemistry Club; a peer-led team leader; a Student Life volunteer at orientation; a member of the Synthetic Biology Club; a research ambassador who helped promote the abundance of research opportunities available at UNBC to her peers and high school students; and was one of the founding members of the Afro-Caribbean Student Association. Off campus, she volunteered at the Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre.
She also became a biology, chemistry and math tutor to help other UNBC students achieve their academic goals.
Abioye said being selected as a Class of 2019 valedictorian is an absolute honour to her and the opportunity to remind her peers of the amazing work each and every one has accomplished which has played a key role in getting to the moment that they are able to commemorate.
“It means taking the time to thank those who have played a primary role in supporting us in getting to this moment such as our family and friends, professors, supervisors, mentors and all other faculty,” she said.
“It also means paying the respects to the Lheidli T’enneh territory, the owners of the land that we all grew and evolved in.” Abioye has set her sights on pursuing a career in medicine, but that’s after she completes a master’s degree in biochemistry based on the passion for research she developed as an undergraduate student.
Canadian claim to Northwest Passage is ‘illegitimate’ U.S. official says
Mike BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Canada’s claim over the Northwest Passage is “illegitimate,” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday in a major speech to the Arctic Council that Canadian experts called both provocative and frequently inaccurate.
Pompeo offered his characterization during a wide-ranging speech in Finland in which he also warned against China’s increased Arctic presence, saying it threatens North American security and could be harmful to the environment.
Pompeo reiterated long-held concerns about Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic and how that, too, is viewed as being counter to American security interests.
“No one denies Russia has significant Arctic interests,” Pompeo said in a transcript of remarks circulated by the U.S. State Department. “We recognize that Russia is not the only nation making illegitimate claims. The U.S. has a long-contested feud with Canada over sovereign claims through the Northwest Passage.”
Pompeo’s branding of a longtime disagreement on Arctic policy between the Canada and the U.S. is a “stunning rebuke” of the 1988 Arctic Co-operation agreement between the two countries, said Fen Hampson, the head of the international-security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.
“It underscores the ‘upset-every-applecart’ approach by the Trump administration to Canada-U.S. relations,” said Hampson, the author of a recent book on the foreign policy of former prime minister Brian Mulroney. The routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans run between Canadian islands but the two countries disagree about whether that makes them internal Canadian waters or international waters that have Canadian territory nearby. The disagreement matters more now that melting Arctic sea ice means the Northwest Passage is getting closer to being a viable commercial shipping route.
The agreement reached by Mulroney and then-president Ronald Reagan allows the U.S. to designate the Northwest Passage as an international waterway while allowing Canada to say that it is a part of Canadian sovereign territory.
The treaty recognizes the “close and friendly relations between their two countries, the uniqueness of ice-covered maritime areas, the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the marine environment of the Arctic through research conducted during icebreaker voyages, and their shared interest in safe, effective icebreaker navigation off their Arctic coasts.”
The Canadian government pointed to that agreement in responding to Pompeo’s speech.
“Canada and the U.S. have differing views regarding the status of the Northwest Passage under international law,” said Guillaume Berube, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“The situation is well managed, including through the 1988 Arctic Co-operation Agreement, according to which the U.S. government seeks Canada’s consent for its icebreakers to navigate the waterways. Canada remains committed to exercising the full extent of its rights and sovereignty over its territory and its Arctic waters, including the various waterways commonly referred to as the Northwest Passage.
Those waterways are part of the internal waters of Canada.”
Hampson said the treaty was a “neighbourly understanding to agree to disagree about Canada’s territorial claims over the Northwest Passage, whereby the U.S. would seek Canada’s permission about transit through these straits.”
There is little that Canada can do if the U.S. sends a ship through the passage without prior notification, he said.
“We can remind them, though, that if they are worried about a growing Chinese and Russian presence in the North and aspirations to create a circumpolar Silk Road, they might want to work more closely with their NORAD partner and refrain from challenging our sovereignty,” said Hampson.
“This isn’t the time to be throwing snowballs.”
Service crew killed in plane crash
The Canadian Press
SMITHERS — Three men who died when a small plane crashed northeast of Smithers on Saturday were part of a crew contracted by the BC Wildfire Service to do aerial imaging. Forest Minister Doug Donaldson issued a statement Monday saying there were four men aboard the Cessna 182. They were conducting infrared scans of some of the 2018 wildfires.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of everyone
involved in this incident. On behalf of all British Columbians, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the three people who did not survive,” Donaldson said.
RCMP Sgt. Darren Durnin said that the crash site was located by helicopter search crews in Babine River Corridor Provincial Park, about 100 kilometres northeast of Smithers. The pilot and two passengers on the small plane did not survive the crash, the statement said.
Michael Byers, an Arctic expert at the University of British Columbia, said Pompeo’s characterization of the Canadian position as illegitimate is actually factually correct, but it is “the only accurate and rational statement in the speech.”
The federal government should be worried that the top diplomat from one of its key Arctic allies got his facts so wrong, Byers said.
One of the most glaring of several mistakes, said Byers, is Pompeo’s assertion that China is trying to build infrastructure in the Canadian Far North.
China is “planning to build infrastructure from Canada, to the Northwest Territories, to Siberia,” Pompeo said. “This is part of a very familiar pattern. Beijing attempts to develop critical infrastructure using Chinese money, Chinese companies, and Chinese workers – in some cases, to establish a permanent Chinese security presence.”
China’s signature international infrastructure project, the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, aims to expand trade by building roads, ports and other facilities to connect Asia through Africa and the Middle East to Europe.
The U.S. opposes what it sees as an aggressive push by China to assert its influ-
ence by lending money to less developed countries and creating what is known as a “debt trap.” A Chinese state-owned company ended up in possession of a port in Sri Lanka when that country couldn’t pay off loans, for instance.
“I have not heard of any Chinese plans to build infrastructure in the Canadian Arctic,” said Byers.
“There’s no factual basis, certainly not in the public domain, and that would also require the full involvement of the Canadian government. It’s just flat-out wrong.”
(Byers did note that northern Quebec has a Chinese-owned lithium mine.)
A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Pompeo did not appear to refer to specific Chinese projects in Canada related to the Belt and Road Initiative and may have been speculating.
The official added: “There are no investments here, nor are there any contemplated.”
Berube, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said Canada “welcomes continued discussions with China on Arctic issues,” which the two countries can have through existing two-way and multinational mechanisms.
Ex-Burns Lake mayor pleads guilty to sexually assaulting four boys
Laura KANE The Canadian Press
SMITHERS — The youngest elected mayor in B.C.’s history pleaded guilty Monday to sexually assaulting boys in what his lawyer says is an act of remorse that will bring an end to the cycle of abuse.
Luke Strimbold, who was elected mayor of Burns Lake in 2011 at age 21, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault involving four boys who were under 16.
Shortly after a brief B.C. Supreme Court appearance in Smithers, his lawyer Stanley Tessmer said Strimbold is very remorseful and has been a good person in his life, but he has also made serious mistakes.
“He wants these boys not to feel guilty about what happened, and for them to know it’s not their fault,” Tessmer said. “This is the time for the cycle of abuse to end and the healing to begin.”
A special prosecutor approved 29 charges against Strimbold, including sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching, that were alleged to have involved six people who were all under the age of 16 at the time.
An indictment shows the assaults he pleaded guilty to occurred between May 2014 and September 2017, and involved four different complainants. The
boys cannot be identified because of a publication ban.
A pre-sentencing report and a psychological assessment have been ordered and Strimbold’s sentencing hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 23. Tessmer said he expects the defence and Crown will each make their own requests for sentencing, rather than put forward a joint submission. He also said he anticipates that the remaining 25 charges will be stayed after sentencing.
The charges stunned the small, central B.C. community of Burns Lake where he served as mayor from 2011 to 2016. Last spring, the former chief of the Lake
Babine First Nation said his community was angry and disheartened.
“When I first heard about it, I was very, very upset,” said Wilf Adam, who noted that he had a close working relationship with Strimbold.
Adam said the former mayor quit “very abruptly” and they haven’t spoken since.
While mayor, Strimbold led the community’s recovery from a disastrous sawmill explosion and fire in 2012 that killed two workers and injured 19 others. In 2013, he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service. A year later, BCBusiness magazine named Strimbold one of the Top 30 leaders under the age of 30, recognizing his efforts to successfully rebuild the local economy. He was re-elected in 2014, but resigned two years later, saying he wanted to further his education and spend more time with his family.
When a first set of charges were filed against him in February 2018, Strimbold was membership chair for the B.C. Liberal Party. Party officials said they became aware of the charges the following month and he resigned both from the executive and as a member of the party at that time.
Ice floats in Slidre Fjord outside the Eureka Weather Station on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Canada’s claim to the Northwest Passage is ‘illegitimate’ during a speech to the Arctic Council.
BC Wildfire
STRIMBOLD
Sports
History-making victory takes Spruce Kings to nationals
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
The Prince George Spruce Kings saved their best for last, for their fans, and for the second time this season they are junior A hockey champions.
A three-goal surge in the third period gave the Spruce Kings a 4-2 win over the Brooks Bandits 4-2 and they claimed the Doyle Cup crown, winning the series 4-2 Saturday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
It’s their last hurrah at home before they embark on the national championship as Pacific champions. Chong Min Lee scored the winner for the Kings 15:17 into the third period, cashing in a 2-on-1 pass from linemate Ben Poisson.
Patrick Cozzi put the victory on ice with a long shot into the empty Brooks net with 20 seconds left.
“I kind of felt like I was going to get a chance and I was waiting for that and as soon as Benny was driving the net I was waiting for that pass and he made a nice backdoor pass,” said Lee, who had his family back home in Seoul, South Korea tuned in to late-morning webcast.
“We wanted it more than them, I’m pretty sure that’s why we won it today. As soon as we got the tying goal we knew we were going to get another one and we got it. We couldn’t win the Fred Page Cup in a home game so we needed this one. It’s so awesome to win it in a home game.”
There were about 2,100 fans who could not agree more.
“This is one helluva way to close out a season at home,” said Kings captain Ben Poisson. “Obviously this was the last game in front of sold-out crowd. It was quite something.”
Down 2-1 to start the third period, the Kings were buzzing and pushed the pace furiously to start the period.
Fin Williams, Poisson and Dustin Manz all had great chances to score but could not apply the finishing touches.
Spurred by a sellout crowd of screaming, towel-waving fans, the Kings had all the momentum going in their favour when the tying goal came, 9:55 into the third.
Cozzi forced the puck in over the line surrounded by two Bandits and spun a long backhand pass over to Manz, who spotted Ben Brar standing all alone waiting for the tap-in.
It was the first point of the series for Brar, the team’s second-leading pointgetter in the season.
“It was a pretty good time to break out of it,” said Brar.
“It was a nice play by the boys and they found me, back door. It was just a huge goal for the team. We were on the bench talking about how we were going to win this game and we found a way. This team has found a way all season.”
The Kings kept pouring on the pressure after Brar scored and had the Bandits reeling when Nick Poisson started the play that led to Lee’s winner.
The younger Poisson dug the puck out of the corner and got to centre ice where he chipped a pass off the boards to his brother Ben who was in full stride as he entered the zone.
As soon as he got the puck he spotted Lee open on the right side and fed him the pass and Lee had an open net to shoot at for the biggest goal of his 19-year-old life.
“Nick took a good hit to make the play and gave me a good pass for a 2-on-1 and I gave it to Chong and he did the rest,” said Ben Poisson.
“He got a really good shot and made no mistake and scored.”
The Spruce Kings had the early pressure but the Bandits struck first, just 3:25 in.
Tyler Campbell came off the bench and joined the Brooks rush, taking a Nick Hale pass back to the blueline at full flight.
He dragged the puck into the slot and filed away a puck in over goalie Logan Neaton’s shoulder.
The Kings evened it up a goal apiece before the period ended.
Lucas Vanroboys gained the puck in his own end and fired a clearing shot off the boards and Corey Cunningham beat Bandits defenceman Luke Bast to the puck and got a shot on goal.
The rebound came out between the hash marks and with Nolan Welsh standing in the way of defenceman Jordan Di Cicco, Vanroboys scooped up the puck and scored on a high shot.
Three minutes into the second period, Bandits defenceman Ethan Lund took advantage of slow Spruce Kings line change and hit Mack Hancock with a crossice stretch pass and with three Bandits closing in on one King defender, Hancock let go a high wrist shot from the right circle that sailed into the net.
The Kings locked it down the rest of the period and in the third period did not allow a single dangerous chance while outshooting the Bandits 11-4.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Kings defenceman Dylan Anhorn.
“We’ve got our eyes set on the national junior championship for sure but we’d like to enjoy this with our fans. Credit to Brooks, they’re an unreal team, they lost three games all season so we knew we had quite a test and we wanted to do it for our home fans here. We knew we had it in our group, we wanted to finish it tonight so we came out for the third period and got the job done. We trained all year for this moment and we showed it today.”
It was much tougher for the Spruce Kings to win the BCHL title and despite the apparent ease of winning the Fred Page Cup with a 16-1 playoff record it took them month of playoffs to get there. They clinched that trophy on the road in Vernon and that made winning the Doyle Cup at home that much sweeter.
For the Kings players it was their way to reward the fans.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling, honestly, and to do it front of these fans and give back to the community with how much they’ve
supported us and been there for us means the world, just to be able to celebrate it with them,” said Neaton.
“We just had to stick to our gameplan. We know what we need to do to be successful and we weren’t going to change anything, we were just going to lay our defensive style and create offence from it. (The Bandits) are a phenomenal hockey team and they deserve a lot of respect, it was a good battle. It was a great series.”
The Bandits averaged 5.57 goals per game while going 57-3 in the regular season but the Kings made it extremely difficult to score in the Doyle Cup.
In the six games they potted just 11 goals and were held to just four in the three games in Prince George.
“It was a good series and hats off to them for coming away with it, we’re looking forward to next week,” said Bandits captain Nathan Plessis.
“It was definitely our most fun matchup to play against this year. At times we were the better team in our building and at times here as well, but for the most part they came out on top.
“It was good to get a feel for these guys, they’re definitely a team we’ll see down the road knowing both teams are going to the national championship. It was an amazing atmosphere here to play in for them and we hope to get that from our fans as well.”
Both teams will move on to the five-team national championship, May 11-19 in Brooks, Alta. – the Kings as Team Pacific and the Bandits as the host team.
“It’s always nice when you earn your way to the championship,” said Kings head coach Adam Maglio. “Most teams have to go through Doyle Cup and win to get to the nationals so this definitely builds confidence going into that championship, winning another series.
“They’re a very good team, they’re ranked Number 1 in the country all year and that’s the team we’re going to have to go
through in the nationals to win.”
The Kings defence was depleted by injuries to veterans Jay Keranen and Liam Watson-Brawn and that put the onus on Anhorn, Layton Ahac, Nick Bochen, Max Coyle and Jason Chu to play additional minutes and they withstood the punishment and were a key factor in the series.
“They were playing a lot of minutes and I think they’re pretty happy to get this thing done in six and not have to go seven,” said Maglio.
The series pitted two closelymatched champions of their respective leagues and easily could have swung in the Bandits’ favour. Neaton’s shutout 2-0 win in Game 1 in Brooks set the tone and he was outstanding throughout the six games and would have been worthy of series MVP honours. He didn’t get tested often in Saturday’s clincher, making 22 saves, but he was there when the Kings needed him most.
Playing on home ice on a rink that’s 10 feet shorter than most, the Kings used that familiarity to their advantage, winning all three games in Prince George.
“It could have been a sevengame series and full marks to them, they were the better team in this building without question, we struggled to maintain leads in this building once we got them and when we were behind we just didn’t have enough pushback,” said Bandits head coach Ryan Papaioannou.
“I think it’s a good learning experience for our guys going into next week, we learned about the team we’re going to play and learned a little bit more about ourselves. I don’t think there was anything wrong about the series. It was two good teams and tough building to play in, great fans. We’d like to play these guys again in a meaningful game.”
The Kings bus leaves Wednesday for Brooks, Alta., where they play their first game at the national tournament on May 12 against the Central champion Oakville Blades.
Players from the Prince George Spruce Kings celebrate winning the Doyle Cup on Saturday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
B.C. bowling champ heads to nationals
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
Strikes are the object of the game in bowling.
Two weeks ago at the B.C. Open women’s singles five-pin championship in Nanaimo Kim Chadwick struck an elusive target off her bucket list when she won the tournament, her first-ever provincial singles title.
“Of the high-end tournaments that’s the one thing I never succeeded in, really since I was an adult, 35 years,” said Chadwick. “I’ve made the stepladder several times but never made it through. It’s kind of a crapshoot because it’s one game and if you lose you’re out.”
She qualified first in the ladies singles division with a 10-game average of 275.6 and advanced directly to the final, which meant she had to be beaten twice to be eliminated. Chadwick, who came in with a 243 average, needed that extra lifeline when Morgan Theedom beat her in the first final 273-205. Chadwick won by 10 pins, 252-242, in the final game.
Theedom finished fifth in qualifying round and had to win three games just to get at shot at Chadwick. The 20-year-old from Nanaimo came into the final firecracker-hot, posting stepladder scores of 305, 308 and 343. In Theedom’s second game against Chadwick she built a healthy lead after five frames.
“I was down 30 at the halfway point,” said Chadwick. “My coach (Larry Johnson) said to me, ‘This isn’t looking real good, just do the best you can for the last half and see what happens,’ and I ended up throwing well and forced her to
get a strike or spare in 10 and she did not get it.”
Chadwick, 55, first competed in the B.C. Open championships when she was 19 and the singles title has eluded her all that time.
She finished third in the B.C. Open singles tournament in 2004 and 2009, and in 2017, when it was held in Prince George. That tournament renewed her interest in refining her game to compete at the top-level events and she planned to enter last year’s provincial stream but suffered a fall on a slippery parking lot which kept
her from entering the zone event. At one point she contemplated retiring from bowling. Now, as the provincial champion, she plans to try to defend her title next year. Chadwick, inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, is the city’s most accomplished bowler. She won the TSN Pins Game women’s championship in 1988 and was second in 2004 and 2009. Chadwick was chosen for the Century of Excellence Top100 list in 2009. She was first introduced to the sport when she was 10, when her
mom, who worked at Nechako Lanes and later became partowner, signed her up for youth bowling. At age 13, her first year of competitive bowling, she won the senior girls zone, provincial and national YBC titles.
“I had never been to a competition before that and no question that got me hooked,” she said.
In Nanaimo, Chadwick and the North women’s team coached by Jason Kennedy finished third.
The team also included Paige Meise and Tiana Tecson of Prince George, Morgan Burdock and Co-
ralee Szilagyi of Fort St. John, and Michelle Hruby of Terrace.
“We started at seven in the morning on the first day on the team and had to do seven games and I thought there’s no way someone old is going to win this thing because then you had do another five games in singles and we actually bowled 13 hours the first day,” said Chadwick. “But because I’m a hairstylist and I’m on my feet 12 hours a day three days a week that maybe ended up being an advantage.”
As singles champion, Chadwick will represent B.C. at the national championships in Surrey/Abbotsford, May 28-June 1. She’s relieved she won’t have to adjust her watch for a time zone change.
“It’s a lot tougher when you go across the country and have to get on the clock, it takes a couple of days and then it’s over,” she said. “Both those centres (Surrey and Abbotsford) have always been good for me, so I’m feeling confident that way. Surrey especially has been a good house for me in the past.”
The national finals will be livestreamed on the Canadian FivePin Bowlers Association website.
• In other provincial results, the North men’s team coached by Ed Stepski – Iain MacRitchie and Kyle Parker of Prince George, Larry Richet of 100 Mile House, and Williams Lake residents Brent Morrison, Morgan Mailhiot and Kevin McAlpine – also finished third. The North mixed team – Chris Arnett, Chris Conley and Lee Sheppard of Prince George, Tyler MacLean and Lisa McAlpine of Williams Lake, Lorraine Sharyk and coach Diane Francis of Terrace – placed fifth.
Bruins put away Blue Jackets to advance to conference final
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tuukka Rask made 39 saves and recorded his sixth career playoff shutout as the Boston Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 Monday night to clinch their second-round series and advance to the Eastern Conference final.
Rask was supported by great defensive play in front of the net in the Bruins’ third straight victory for a 4-2 win in the bestof-seven series, which came despite being outshot 39-29 in Game 6.
Boston advances to face the Carolina Hurricanes, who swept the New York Islanders in four games. The Bruins advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when they lost in the Stanley Cup finals.
David Krejci scored in the first period, and Marcus Johansson and David Backes had third-period goals for the Bruins, who gave up four power plays to the Blue Jackets but stonewalled Columbus on a number of chances.
Boston’s top-liners were kept off the scoresheet again, but it didn’t matter. Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had an outstanding post-season but allowed two quick goals in the third period that sealed another hard, tight-checking game and the series for Boston.
The Bruins appeared to have a goal in the first period when Sean Kuraly netted the puck after an extended close-in attack on a power play, but it was overturned after a replay showed that Joakim Nordstrom had pushed Bobrovsky out of the crease. Columbus squandered a power play in the second, nearly giving up a short-handed goal to Kuraly on a breakaway. Later in the second, the Bruins were spared when a slap shot by Blue Jackets defenceman Dean Kukan ricocheted off the bar and into the crowd. After Jake DeBrusk hit a goal post on the other end, Krekci got the rebound off the
boards and scored the first goal of the game with a slap shot from the top of the right circle with 7:47 left in the second.
Near the end of the second, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy nearly took off Josh Anderson’s head with a hit, but the officials levelled only a two-minute minor penalty for an illegal check. The Blue Jackets had 1:41 of
the power play remaining to start the third period but again couldn’t capitalize.
Boston got its second goal 8:58 into the third when Bobrovsky allowed a shot by Johansson to bounce behind him after the initial stop. Backes got the third on a rush about two minutes later.
Notes: Columbus F Markus Hannikainen
played in his first career playoff game. Alexander Wennberg was a healthy scratch. D Adam Clendening also was scratched after playing in the last seven playoff games... Boston F Noel Acciari was a scratch for the second time in the series.
Up next: Boston advances to conference final against Carolina.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE
Kim Chadwick, provincial 5-pin bowling champion, practices for nationals at Black Diamond Lanes on Sunday.
Mitch STACY The Associated Press
AP PHOTO
Boston Bruins’ Joakim Nordstrom (20), bottom, and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Pierre-Luc Dubois (18), fight for the puck during Game 6 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series on Monday.
Show Home Lottery leaves Kings flush
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
Safe to say, Kelly Stearn is a big fan of the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Thanks to the Spruce Kings and Stearn’s decision to support the community-owned team by purchasing a $125 ticket, she’s now the proud owner of a $710,000 fullyfurnished show home.
Stearn was the grand prize winner of the Spruce Kings Show Home Lottery. Her ticket was drawn Friday afternoon at the show home built by Hopson Construction at 2722 Links Drive, where she bought her ticket on Nov. 4.
As a not-for-profit society, the group that operates the Spruce Kings club has come to depend on the show home lottery to provide the team enough to sustain its annual operating budget. Once again the community lived up to its reputation as a city that loves its team. Of the 11,000 tickets printed, 9,768 were sold, just 17 fewer than last year. Proceeds from ticket sales, not including staff and advertising costs, amounted to $1,221,000.
“That’s the second-best we’ve ever done,” said Kings president Rick Turgeon. Turgeon came up with the idea to increase the price of the show home tickets from $100 to $125 last year after he was elected to the head of the board for his second stint as president. At the time the team was going through financial difficulties and still owed money when the season began and there was resistance from the rest of the board members to change the price but they eventually agreed.
Turgeon said he wasn’t 100 per cent sure if people would continue to buy tickets but they did and that resulted in a record profit for the team from the lottery.
“I had about 10 nights when I wasn’t sleeping well,” Turgeon said. “I was thinking, ‘nobody is going to buy a $125 ticket and I’ll be the president that sinks the Spruce Kings.’ As it turned out, we sold the third-most tickets last year but of course we made the most money because of the extra $25 per ticket.”
Turgeon said this year’s ticket sales
will be enough to cover the team’s entire budget (about $500,000) for the 201920 season. The cost of construction of the 2,600-square-foot show home was about
$400,000 and the owners of the Aberdeen Glen subdivision where it was built gave the Kings a $20,000 reduction on the cost of the lot which brought the total cost of the house
down to about $510,000. Fortunately for the club in this year’s BCHL playoffs the Kings did not have as far to travel as they did a season ago when they played in Powell River, which required ferry crossings, and Wenatchee, Wash., which they visited twice, paying the higher exchange rate while spending U.S. dollars. Last year’s show home lottery, mega 50/50 lottery and game-day 50/50 draws raised $686,000 but the team spent close to $700,000 for the season with its extended playoff run, which ended in the league final in Wenatchee.
The Spruce Kings are the first communityowned team ever to win the BCHL championship and their playoff run has them heading to the junior A hockey national tournament next week in Brooks, Alta. They won their second championship of the season when they beat the Bandits 4-2 Saturday at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena to claim the Doyle Cup series 4-2. Saturday’s game in front of a sellout crowd of 2,112 was the 12th at home for the Spruce Kings in this year’s playoffs. Those gate receipts, combined with having only eight BCHL playoff road games while compiling a 16-1 playoff record in the run to the Fred Page Cup, will leave the Kings in a good position to cover their budget next season.
The travel costs for the Doyle Cup are covered by the BCHL’s league dues and the host committee in Brooks will pick up the costs the Kings will incur at the national championship, May 11-19.
“I’m guessing because of the Doyle Cup games and that we’ve had less travel we’ll do better on our playoffs than last year,” said Turgeon, who estimates the Kings spend $6,500 for each day they are on the road.
The downside of wrapping up their four BCHL playoff series so quickly was the Kings players were home with their billets a lot more, eating more groceries and using up more hot water. Turgeon said there will be bonuses coming to the billet families. There was one other big winner Friday. Mason Pass of Victoria won the third period jackpot in the Kings’ Mega 50/50 lottery to collect a $47,150 cash payout.
CITIZEN STAFF PHOTO
Kelly Stearn poses with husband Dallas at the Spruce Kings Lottery Show Home after Kelly’s ticket was drawn for the grand prize Friday.
Ebbs flow into Trench
Coffee cup in GoT scene perks up viewers
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Game of Thrones fans got a taste of the modern world when eagle-eyed viewers spotted a takeout coffee cup on the table during a celebration in which the actors drank from goblets and horns.
The characters Daenerys and Jon did not react to the out of place cup in Sunday’s episode.
Many viewers complained the show should have caught the gaffe, which turned into an enduring meme on Monday.
HBO poked fun at the oversight: “The latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered an herbal tea.” Amateur sleuths tried to determine where the coffee cup came from, while some viewers who took to Twitter concluded it was from Starbucks.
HBO only said it was from its craft services crew.
Even the show’s executive producer, Bernie Caulfield, expressed disbelief that the cup made it on screen.
“Our onset prop people and decorators are so on it, 1,000 per cent,” she said in an interview with Alison Stewart on WNYC’s All of it.
“Nowadays you can’t believe what you see because people can put things into a photo that really doesn’t exist, but I guess maybe it was there, I’m not sure,” she said. “We’re sorry!”
She also joked that Westeros was the first place to actually have a Starbucks: “It’s a little known fact.”
The last Game of Thrones episode airs May 19.
Sex assault prelimary hearing confirmed for Hedley frontman
The Canadian Press TORONTO — An Ontario court has confirmed a two-day preliminary hearing will be held in July in the sex assault case of Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard. Toronto police arrested Hoggard last summer and charged him with two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm and one count of sexual interference.
Police say the charges relate to three different incidents involving a girl under the age of 16 and a woman that allegedly took place in the Toronto area in 2016. Hoggard has previously denied engaging in non-consensual sexual behaviour, but has said he acted in a way that objectifies women. Allegations of sexual misconduct emerged before the charges were laid, which prompted Hedley to go on an indefinite hiatus.
During a brief hearing Monday, the court confirmed that the preliminary hearing is set for July 11 and 12.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY JAMES DOYLE
The Ebbs made their debut at Trench Brewing & Distillery Friday night. The Ebbs are William Kuklis, left, Joe Shea and Fin Scott-Neff.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY HBO
In a scene aired Sunday of the Game of Thrones, a coffee cup was spotted by many viewers complaining on social media the gaffe should have been noticed before the show aired.
Wood - Winifred Victoria (Victoria ), age 99, passed away on April 27, 2019 in Prince George, B.C. Survived by her loving family: Daughter, Susan Jensen (Henry) of Prince George, BC, Grandchildren: Caroline Lyons (Rob) of London, England, Michael Wood of North Vancouver, B.C., Annalise Ferro of Waterloo, Ontario. Great Grandchildren: Aidan Lyons of London, England, Siobhan Lyons of London, England, Vincent Ferro of Waterloo, Ontario and Anthony Ferro of Waterloo, Ontario. Daughter-in-law, Virginia Wood of North Vancouver, B.C. Predeceased by husband, Irvin Jentry Wood and son, Stephen Michael Wood. Many thanks to the staff and Doctors at Aspen Medical Clinic, the Home Support Workers and staff at Gateway Complex Care Unit, Prince George, B.C. The loving care you gave was much appreciated by all of us. No funeral by request.
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Currencies
OTTAWA (CP) — These are indicative wholesale rates for foreign currency provided by the Bank of Canada on Monday. Quotations in Canadian funds.
World’s biggest economies heading into trade war
U.S. to raise tariffs on $200B of Chinese goods
Paul WISEMAN, Joe McDONALD
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Accusing Beijing of “reneging” on commitments it made in earlier talks, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Monday that the Trump administration will increase its tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods early Friday, a sharp escalation in a yearlong trade dispute. At the same time, a Chinese trade delegation is expected to arrive in Washington to resume negotiations on Thursday, a day later than originally planned.
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — North American markets swung back from deep losses sustained early Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to escalate a trade war with China. Markets dropped as much 2.2 per cent a day after Trump, frustrated by slow negotiations with China, tweeted that he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Friday against US$525 billion worth of Chinese imports, including US$200 billion that currently face 10 per cent levies.
That caused a resurfacing of volatility that was prevalent late last year on unease of tensions between the world’s two largest economies, says Craig Fehr, Canadian markets strategist for Edward Jones. “The market was reminded that there are still risks out there,” he said.
The S&P/TSX composite lost more than 167 points or one per cent in early trading before clawing its way back to within a point of where it started to close at 16,493.46.
U.S. markets fell even harder, with the Nasdaq composite closing down 40.71 points at 8,123.29 after earlier losing more than 182 points. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 66.47 points at 26,438.48 after being down 471 points.
The S&P 500 index was down 13.17 points at 2,932.47.
Fehr said the recovery followed reports that the Chinese delegation will arrive for a resumption of talks on Wednesday despite Trump’s outburst and realization that economic conditions are strong.
“So I’m not surprised to see equity markets rebound. I think it’s a comforting factor that while a little bit of volatility did seem to spook equity markets to start the day, the broader fundamentals seem to be holding as we progressed,” he said in an interview.
Trump’s tweet followed administration officials who had talked about progress in negotiations.
The conflicting reports and presidential missive are reminders for investors that such complicated negotiations won’t be completely smooth and there will be hiccups along the way, said Fehr. They could either devolve into a trade war or bump along to an eventual compromise.
“I think it is the latter. I think this is much more of a speed bump in a path that’s probably leading us towards some compromise, but again today’s probably a reminder that nothing is a given...”
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who briefed reporters with Lighthizer, said that Trump officials learned over the weekend that Chinese officials “were trying to go back on some of the language” that had been negotiated in 10 earlier rounds of talks. Mnuchin and Lighthizer offered no details of China’s alleged backsliding, and there was no immediate response from Beijing.
The U.S. officials said that at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Friday, the administration will raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.
U.S. President Donald Trump had announced plans to raise those tariffs via Twitter on Sunday, expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations. The reiteration Monday of the president’s threat from three high-level Trump officials reinforced the administration’s determination to throw Beijing on the defensive. By threatening to raise taxes on Chinese imports, Trump is throwing down a challenge to Beijing: agree to sweeping changes in China’s government-dominated economic model – or suffer the consequences.
The unexpected ultimatum shook up financial markets, which had expected the world’s two biggest economies to resolve a yearlong standoff over trade, perhaps by the end of the week.
“It’s a significant change in the president’s tone,” said Timothy Keeler, a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown and former chief of staff for the U.S. Trade Representative.
“It certainly increases the possibility that you’ll have no deal.”
For weeks, Trump administration officials had been suggesting that the U.S. and Chinese negotiators were making steady progress.
Suddenly on Sunday, Trump said he had lost patience: “The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!” he tweeted.
Trump also said he planned
“shortly” to slap 25 per cent tariffs on another $325 billion in Chinese products, covering everything China ships to the United States.
The two countries are engaged in high-stakes commercial combat over China’s aggressive push to establish Chinese companies as world leaders in cutting-edge fields such as robotics and electric vehicles.
The United States accuses Beijing of predatory practices, including hacking into U.S. companies’ computers to steal trade secrets, forcing foreign firms to hand over technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market and unfairly subsidizing Chinese firms at the expense of foreign competitors.
The Trump administration has imposed 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports and 25 per cent tariffs on another $50 billion. The Chinese have retaliated by targeting $110 billion in U.S. imports.
Global stock markets sank Monday on Trump’s tweetstorm. But shares in the United States regained some of the lost ground on news that Chinese officials were planning to go ahead with this week’s meetings in Washington. Still, the Chinese government did not provide details on exactly when talks would resume and who would be on China’s negotiating team.
U.S. officials said they expected that China’s delegation would be led again by Vice Premier Liu He, a confidante of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Beijing is wrestling with an internal conflict: It is eager to end a trade fight that has battered Chinese exporters, but it doesn’t want to look like it’s bowing to the Trump administration’s demands for far-reaching concessions.
Trump’s threat makes going
ahead with talks “very difficult politically” for Xi’s government, said Jake Parker, vice-president of the U.S.-China Business Council. He said the Chinese public might “view this as a capitulation” if Beijing reached an agreement before Trump’s Friday deadline.
The conflict is testing how far Beijing is willing to go in changing a state-led economic model it sees as the path to prosperity and global influence – and how much power Washington will have to enforce any agreement.
Beijing is willing to change industrial plans that provoke foreign opposition but wants to preserve the ruling Communist Party’s dominant role in directing economic development, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Chinese officials have said they are willing to let foreign companies participate in plans that call for government-led creation of global competitors in robotics and other technologies. But they have yet to release details, and it is unclear whether the concessions will satisfy Trump.
Xi is “adamant about party-state control over major sectors of the economy,” Lam said.
“If they give this up, then China in effect ceases to be a socialist country.”
Beijing agreed early on to narrow its trade surplus with the United States – a staggering $379 billion last year – by purchasing more American soybeans, natural gas and other exports.
At the same time, Xi’s government has announced a steady drumbeat of promises to open markets – in businesses that include auto manufacturing and banking. But none of the moves directly addresses American complaints.
The negotiators are also looking for a way to hold Beijing to any commitments it makes. The Trump administration wants to keep tariffs on Chinese imports to maintain leverage over Beijing.
“Trump wants a certain amount of tariffs to remain in place just in case the Chinese don’t honour their promises,” Lam said. “The Chinese refuse to give the Americans the right to penalize them.”
The Chinese are also skittish about allowing Washington to dictate changes to industrial policy and subsidies, said Raoul Leering, a trade specialist for Dutch bank ING. They see that as “having another country decide your economic policy.”
Trump also seems to be calculating that Xi needs a deal more than he does. The Chinese economy is decelerating. “Trump believes he can bully the Chinese,” Lam said. “Trump realizes the Chinese economy is facing a rough patch, and Xi Jinping is under pressure from his own people.”
But Trump also has an incentive to reach a deal. The trade war is creating uncertainty for businesses trying to decide where to buy supplies, locate factories and make investments. And it’s been weighing on a strong U.S. stock market, which the president likes to tout as evidence that his economic policies are working.
“We are optimistic generally on reaching an agreement,” said Jason Oxman, president of the tech trade group the Information Technology Industry Council. “We’re optimistic that an agreement can be mutually beneficial.” Threats from Trump are “just the way he likes to negotiate,” Leering said.
“That is a risky but potentially rewarding strategy – so long as the other side doesn’t leave the table.”
Thousands of families to miss out on increased child benefit
Jordan PRESS The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — A planned increase in the value of the Canada Child Benefit will miss just over one-fifth of Indigenous families living on reserves, part of the five per cent of families nationwide who don’t receive the monthly payments.
Federal officials plan to visit more than 500 rural and remote Indigenous communities over the next 11 months to get more people to take advantage of the benefit by simply filing their taxes.
The value of the tax-free benefit is based on income plucked from annual tax returns that were due last month.
Government documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the access-to-information law show that in the first year of a three-year outreach plan, officials visited 613 Indigenous communities, 62 per cent of which Employment and Social Development Canada had not previously visited.
The documents for a meeting last June between officials at ESDC and the Canada Revenue Agency noted challenges including geography, language and weather, but found a positive effect “on service delivery for both clients and staff.”
Social Development Minister Yves Duclos said the number of people missing out on the
benefit is a concern, despite being an improvement on the system the Canada Child Benefit replaced when it was introduced in July 2016.
Under the previous mix of a universal monthly benefit and assorted tax credits, take-up was about 50 per cent of Indigenous families, Duclos said.
“There is a lot more work to do and it has to do with tax filing, it has to do with reaching out to remote communities, it has to do with working respectfully with Indigenous leaders,” Duclos said in a telephone interview on Monday.
“In short, more to do, but I think some progress that we can build on.”
The value of the benefit is increasing this summer for the second year in a row under a plan the Liberals first announced in fall 2017.
The plan pegs payments to the rate of inflation, similar to payments from the old-age security and the guaranteed income supplement programs. The maximum child-benefit payments will be $6,639 for each child up to age five, and up to $5,602 per child aged six to 17 starting on July 20.
There is broad agreement that the child benefit has helped lift some 278,000 children above the official poverty line, with help from good economic conditions, but experts predicted a decline in the effects if the Liberals
had waited to index the benefit to the rate of inflation until next year as originally planned.
The concern was that the benefit’s buying power would erode over time as prices increased but benefit payments did not.
The parliamentary budget watchdog added another wrinkle in a 2016 report that predicted a decline in the number of families qualifying for the benefit if the payments didn’t adjust to incomes that increased with inflation.
Duclos couldn’t say how many more children may be lifted above the official poverty line with an indexed child benefit. Official poverty numbers for 2019 won’t be available until 2021.
Liberal MPs used social media Monday to tout the increase, often without mentioning that it’s to keep pace with inflation.
Duclos said one of the messages was that sound social policy required keeping up with inflation, which wasn’t the case with the previous Conservative government’s universal child-care benefit.
Duclos said he didn’t see his government –even a re-elected one – going back on the decision to index the benefit.
“That would be a terrible thing to do and all the partners and the stakeholders with whom we’ve had the fortune of working the last years have been very strong in advocating that this has to be the case,” Duclos said.
A truck passes a stack of 40-foot China Shipping containers at the Port of Savannah in Savannah, Ga.
U.S. President Donald Trump turned up the pressure on China on Sunday, threatening to hike tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.
Royal love story takes new turn: a baby boy
Gregory KATZ and Mstyslav CHERNOV
The Associated Press
WINDSOR, England — The improbable love story between an American actress and a British royal took the best of all possible turns Monday with the arrival of a healthy baby boy.
The as-yet-unnamed baby arrived less than a year after Prince Harry wed Meghan Markle in a spectacular televised event on the grounds of Windsor Castle that was watched the world over.
Meghan is now the Duchess of Sussex, but she still does things her own way: The couple bucked royal tradition by declining to say where the baby was born and opting not to come out to pose with the newborn just hours after the birth.
Instead, an obviously overjoyed Harry emerged to tell the world – via its waiting TV cameras – that a baby had been born. It marked a moment the nation is likely to remember as a once-troubled boy undone by the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997 car crash seemed giddy in his embrace of fatherhood.
“This little thing is absolutely to die for,” the ginger-haired, bearded prince said. “I’m just over the moon.”
The baby weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces at birth and was born at 5:26 a.m. (0426 GMT; 12:26 a.m. EDT).
Harry said their son was a little bit overdue and that had given the royal couple more time to contemplate names.
Harry promised that more details – such as the baby’s name – will be shared in the coming days.
Harry and the palace didn’t immediately provide details on whether the baby was born at a hospital or if it was a home birth.
The royal couple had earlier said they wanted to keep details private.
The infant is seventh in line to the British throne and is the eighth great-grandchild of 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
It is a satisfying moment for the queen as the monarchy grows in popularity in part
because of public affection for Harry, his older brother Prince William, and their two wives, Meghan and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Harry, the 34-year-old son of Prince Charles, said he was present at the birth.
“It’s been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined,” he said. “How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension.
“We’re both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everybody out there. It’s been amazing, so we just wanted to share this with everybody,” he said.
Word that the baby had been born was withheld while senior members of the royal family, including the queen, were told. Princess Diana’s family was also informed.
Buckingham Palace said minutes before 2 p.m. that Meghan had gone into labour
(in fact the baby had already been born) and Harry emerged less than an hour later to announce the birth in person.
Harry’s dramatic announcement, and his obvious pleasure, sparked cheers among royal fans and well-wishers who had gathered outside the imposing grounds of Windsor Castle hoping to hear the news.
“Cheers to the newborn baby boy! Hip hip hooray!” said 64-year-old John Loughrey, popping open a bottle of sparkling wine. He was clad in head-to-toe Union flags and royal family memorabilia to mark the occasion.
Some people in Windsor said it would provide a welcome respite from the continuing political stalemate over Brexit.
Londoners Pam and Keith Jonson said the news will provide a boost to peoples’ spirits.
“You can tell by people around,” Pam Jonson said.
“Lifts everybody a bit. Definitely. With all that’s been going recently. It’s nice uplift actually.”
Buckingham Palace said Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was also with her daughter and was overjoyed with the baby’s arrival.
Harry said he planned to make another announcement, probably in two days’ time, “so everyone can see the baby.”
It’s expected they will pose for a family picture at that point.
The arrival of a boy was something of a surprise because Britain’s legal bookmakers several weeks ago stopped accepting bets on the baby’s sex because so many people had placed bets on the baby being a girl. Bookmakers came to the conclusion that the rumour the baby was a girl must have been based on some type of leak from a person in the know.
Meghan has brought something new and different to the royal family. She is an American who enjoyed a successful career in show business before joining “the firm,” as the royals are known to many.
The child will be eligible for dual citizenship, but Harry and Meghan have not said whether they plan to apply for American status.
Harry has long spoken of his desire to start a family. He had several serious relationships, but they collapsed in part because of the pressure of constant press scrutiny, leading Harry to vow to protect Meghan from intrusive reporting. He has complained publicly about a racist undertone in coverage of Meghan, who has a white father and an African-American mother.
Harry and Meghan recently moved from central London to a secluded house known as Frogmore Cottage near Windsor Castle, 40 kilometres west of London. The move is seen as reflecting a desire for privacy as they raise their first child.
It also separates Harry and Meghan from William and his wife Kate, who had been living in the same compound at Kensington Palace in central London with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – the new baby’s cousins.
AP PHOTO
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead official Town Crier Chris Brown announces the news of the birth of a baby boy to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, south England on Monday.