A downtown business will be closing its doors until the Park House condominium project has been completed, but will still be doing business by other means.
Ohh Chocolat Café will make the move at the end of this month.
“Although the walk-in side of the café will be temporarily closed, we plan on having our chocolates distributed through some of our favourite local merchants – including Serengeti and Northern Lights Estate Winery,” general manager Wendy Giannisis said in an email.
The space at 565 George St. will remain available to book for gatherings of up to 50 people. And Giannisis and partners Rodney Mansbridge and Caroline and John Longhurst will also continue to run Sweet Sassy Savoury Catering Company out of the location.
“It is with sadness that we have come to this decision based on circumstance beyond our control, but at the same time are excited about restructuring and moving forward,” Giannisis said.
Downtown Prince George executive director Colleen Van Mook had a mixed reaction.
“We’re sorry that the business needs to temporarily close but we’re thrilled that they’re saying that during the time they’re going to close they’re planning an exciting relaunch,” Van Mook said.
As for the project, she said it will make a positive contribution once completed.
“Having a condominium complex and people living downtown is always what this organization has been excited about,” Van Mook said.
Shoppers and diners should continue to patronize the downtown, she added.
“For any construction project comes some inconveniences and this one is a big one,”
Citizen staff
Local supports of proportional representation scrambled to take down campaign signs after learning they have been placed in spots that contravene a city bylaw.
Campaigner Jay Sanders said he thought the bylaw applied only to municipal elections.
“But I see that the bylaw does cover provincial matters,” he said Thursday in an email to The Citizen.
“The team and I will be moving the signs today.”
The purple and white signs urging people to vote in favour of proportional representation have been found in such locations as the lawn where Third Avenueue splits off from Fifth and at several spots outside the designated areas along Foothills Boulevard.
Signs are allowed on 14 spots around the city and along Highways 16 and 97 within city limits because those are provincial roads: Austin Road East at Highway 97; Foothills Boulevard and Austin Road; Foothills Boulevard and North Nechako Road; Foot-
nce 1916
Condo project forces temporary restaurant closure
Van Mook said. “People might have to look a little bit harder for parking spots but we’ve still got great downtown businesses that we need to continue to support so that they thrive through the changes.”
To be made up of 153 units of one- and
two-bedroom housing in four separate buildings, developers behind Park House expect to see the first residents move in during the summer of 2020. But some parts of the area have been closed to traffic for the time being, notably
Proportional representation signs violating city bylaw removed
A pro-proportional representation sign is seen on the corner of University Way and Foothills Boulevard.
hills Boulevard and First Avenue; Foothills Boulevard and 15th Avenue; Ospika Boulevard and 15th Avenue; Queensway and Patricia Boulevard; Ospika Boulevard and 22nd Avenue; Queensway and Village Avenue; University Way and
Ceremonial Road; Ferry Avenue at Highway 16; Ferry Avenue and Clapperton Street; and Tyner Boulevard at Highway 16.
Voters are to receive their mail-in ballots for the referendum between Oct. 22 and Nov. 2.
with Queensway to the entrance of city hall. And George Street between Seventh and Patricia has been closed permanently.
Will B.C.’s weed prices be low enough to beat the
Derrick PENNER
Vancouver Sun
How much of a dent British Columbia’s legal sales of recreational cannabis will make in the black market for weed remains an open question while the province keeps retail pricing under wraps. Based on the information B.C.’s Liquor Distribution Branch has made available on wholesale pricing, however, operators in the legal market may find it tough to take market share from illicit dealers.
“(A lot) depends on how fast and how accessible a system is created for the legal market,” said Dana Larsen, who operates two illegal dispensaries that he plans to keep open in defiance of the new, legal system.
Statistics Canada now tracks consumer cannabis prices through a voluntary reporting mechanism. Based on its report, in 2017, British Columbians paid $7.63 per gram on average for medicinal cannabis and $6.94 for non-medical weed.
black market?
“It’s very rare to see something more than $10 (per gram),” Larsen said, in a market where prices can start at $5 per gram. “If it is, it’s something very special and different.”
The BCLDB, however, will make cannabis available to B.C.’s retail network at prices ranging from $5-$6 per gram for “good” quality to $10-$11 for “premium” quality, according to the schedule published on its website.
“It sounds to me like it’s going to be very expensive cannabis,” Larsen said. At $5 per gram, which will include excise tax and a 15-percent wholesale markup, Larsen said legal retailers will have room to set more competitive prices, but that will depend on how much the requirements of licensing add to their overhead.
The province’s licensing guide spells out requirements ranging from high security to specialized training, background checks and registration of employees that add to a retailer’s overhead.
— see ‘THE PRIMARY, page 3
Seventh Avenue in front of the cenotaph at city hall, and Patricia Boulevard from the intersection
Ohh Chocolat Café will be temporarily closing due to the construction near it.
CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN
Performers join Zahirah for show Saturday
Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
The human torso is the middle of the body, and also the centre of creative art.
The students of Zahirah Dance Studio-North circle the stage for the 24th straight year, in a presentation that showcases their longevity and influence in the B.C. belly dancing industry.
Not only will the Zahirah students get to pop with performance skills, but an array of special performers will also join them.
“We have some significant guests coming to our event, it is very exciting, because it gives our audience so much extra value at the show but it also gives our students so much leadership, with these great dancers right here with us,” said Irina Doering, Zahirah’s lead instructor.
Headlining the guest performers is Nath Keo and a contingent from his troupe based in Victoria. He had Zahirah open for him at a past performance of his own in Prince George, and he has stayed in contact ever since.
A Dawson Creek-based contingent is also coming. Troupe Shalize is led by Donna Anderson.
From Penticton will come Keisha
Mclean and others from her Boundless Belly Dance group. Kelly Ware is a soloist travelling from Edmonton to dance at this event.
About 20 local students, some new and some well experienced at belly dancing, will form the body of the evening’s entertainment.
“We have a Zahirah troupe that does public performances, but this event is open to all members of Zahirah, not just our troupe members, so it’s an opportunity for all to take part together, and that also includes our juniors. We have four performers who are between the ages of nine and 12, so that’s an exciting part of the showcase,” said Doering. Zahirah focuses on the cabaret and folkloric styles of this ancient Middle Eastern performing art. Doering said there is also a focus applied to the strong body image it instills and the overall physical health benefits. She was once afflicted by a degenerative spine ailment related to arthritis, but the core strength boost offered by steady belly dancing became part of her ongoing recovery. Her doctor recommended yoga and belly dance when first designing her rehabilitation program, and the art form became a personal passion as well as a
specific fitness technique.
“It was low-impact, high-strength for the core muscles, and it was aerobic,” she explained. “It was a full-body workout, you feel the effects everywhere, and it also happened to be a lot of fun and really interesting.”
She transitioned to being a teacher a few years ago and as much as she loves to see her students make quality art, “it also transforms people’s self esteem. I watch people with self doubt become filled with confidence, become selfassured, proud, and I get a front row seat for that.”
The event is entitled Taala Noqos, which translates to Let’s Dance. It could also be called Let’s Eat, said Doering, because homemade Middle Eastern delicacies will also be for sale, helping a local entrepreneur while also setting the stage with some flavour that matches the artistry.
The Saturday event happens at Theatre Northwest. Doors open at 6 p.m. with performances underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 each or two for $50 in advance.
Order by email at zahirahdancestudio@gmail.com or call Doering at 250563-5300. Tickets will also be available at the door while supplies last.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Groups get funding for trails
Two Prince George groups have received funding to improve trail riding conditions and promote rider safety, the provincial government said Thursday.
The Tabor Mountain Recreation Society is getting $20,000 to carry out trail maintenance and the Prince George ATV Club has secured $15,000 to build a bridge over George Creek and repair the accompanying trail.
The money comes out of the Off-Road Vehicle Trail Fund, generated through a portion of registration fees collected under the Off Road Vehicle Act by ICBC. In all 11 groups received a share of $100,000.
Representatives from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation, British Columbia Off-road Motorcycle Association and ATVBC evaluated 28 applications before making the final decisions. The fund is administered by the ministry’s Recreation Sites and Trails Branch.
Thousands of Hospice 50/50 tickets left to sell
Over 3,500 tickets remain unsold with the deadline looming for the 2018 Hospice 50/50 draw. As it stands, the pot totals $105,000 for the winner but if all 12,000 tickets are sold by the time sales end, it will rise to $150,000.
Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the Hospice Society office, 1506 Ferry Ave., the 2018 Hospice Dream Home, 4254 Mears Court in the Nechako View subdivision off North Nechako Road and at Canadian Tire or by calling the 24hour hotline at 1-866-419-7604.
Sales end today at 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.hospicedreamhome.ca
Boulderers competition coming
The annual indoor bouldering competition happens Saturday. Rock climbers of the city gather each year at OverHang to clamber up the walls for prizes and the thrill of competition. There are categories for youth (under 16), recreational (16 and over), and open (experienced, but any age).
“The recreational and youth brackets are not overly competitive. There isn’t a lot of pressure to win, and there isn’t much audience emotion,” said OverHang organizer Lauren Phillips. “The open bracket is for the more elite climbers, and there is some pressure and audience motivation there.” There is no charge to watch the events. The youth category has a $15 entry fee for competitors, with $20 entry fee for the other categories.
“We take entries at the door, just come on down and sign up that day,” said Phillips.
The youth and recreational climbers do their scrambles from 9-11:30 a.m., then the open competition gets up and away in the early afternoon, the finals going ahead at 5 p.m.
This is the fifth year for the event.
Colourful dancers from Zahirah Dance Studio-North perform at an outdoor concert downtown in 2015.
‘The
primary concern for me is the availability of supply’
— from page 1
“I expect those shops are going to have a higher markup (than illegal) dispensaries because of all the other requirements,” said Larsen.
However, Dan Sutton, CEO of licensed cannabis producer Tantalus Labs, is more concerned about availability of supply than pricing.
“I do understand that we will see product priced very competitively with the black market that will touch a budget, or bargainbin offering,” Sutton said.
Tantalus Labs received its sales licence from Health Canada in August and Sutton said the company was in discussions to add its name to the BCLDB’s roster of official suppliers to B.C.’s recreational market.
Sutton said Tantalus sells its higher-quality medicinal marijuana for $9 to $12.50 per gram, but its recreational pricing will likely be higher to account for things like the wholesale markup.
“The primary concern for me is the availability of supply for sale to the recreational channel,” Sutton said.
No private retail stores and only one
BCLDB-branch operated outlet, located in Kamloops, opened as of Wednesday.
Online sales are open and while the BCLDB is promising delivery within 48 hours, “the reality is there’s not a lot of cannabis available,” Sutton said.
The province said the liquor and cannabis licensing branch had received 173 applications for private retail outlets, though only 62 were complete enough to forward on for municipal approval, another of the requirements for licensing. In the meantime, Sutton estimated that the illegal market holds up to 95 to 98 per cent of the existing market for cannabis, so it is ambitious to expect the legal market to cut substantially into that in six months or even five years.
On Monday, Solicitor General Mike Farnworth warned existing dispensaries that don’t close and plan to enter the legal system risk being shut down under enforcement of the new laws, but Larsen said he has no plans to do so.
If the province does close down illegal dispensaries, Larsen said hardcore cannabis users would likely turn back to the underground market that has always been there.
Vehicle thefts on the rise
Citizen staff
Prince George RCMP are asking drivers to take steps to help stem a rising trend for vehicle thefts.
With the exception of July, the number of thefts has increased during each of the past seven months – from 11 in April to 31 in September. And as of Wednesday, 19 have gone missing so far this month, putting October on pace to eclipse last month’s total.
What’s more, police believe many of the stolen vehicles have been used to commit other crimes, notably break and enters at homes and businesses before being found abandoned in and around the city.
“Although full-size pick-ups are by far the most commonly stolen, a wide variety of other vehicles are being stolen too,”
RCMP said.
For advice on preventing auto theft, call the detachment’s community policing section at 250-561-3366.
Author to speak about domestic violence
Citizen staff
Author and domestic violence survivor
Kamal Dhillon will be in Prince George next week.
Dhillon will speak at the Prince George Public Library on Tuesday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Keith Gordon Room.
She will also be releasing her new book I am Kamal: Survivor to Thrivor, a sequel to
Black and Blue Sari, both about her experiences as a victim of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence is faced by many people and bearing witness to the experiences of someone who has been through a harrowing and serious threat to her life and has survived is powerful,” said RCMP Victim Services coordinator Krista Levar. RCMP Victim Services and the Elizabeth Fry Society are co-hosting the event.
Police raid B.C. pot shops
Laura KANE Citizen news service
PORT ALBERNI — The managers of two pot shops on Vancouver Island where police seized thousands of dollars worth of marijuana say the British Columbia government failed them by only approving one store in the province before legalization as raids were reported on both ends of the country.
The RCMP say they entered the Port Alberni Cannabis Club at around 11 a.m. Wednesday, before visiting Leaf Compassion Cannabis Dispensary around 2 p.m., and found both stores were open without provincial licences.
Police gave the store no warning in the weeks or days before the raid, said general manager Christine Jarvis, and she blamed the province for not approving her licence application in time for legalization on Wednesday.
“I feel violated. They had enough time to do this,” she said, adding it’s been three years since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalled his intention to legalize marijuana.
Eric Vesaranta, general manager of Leaf Compassion Cannabis Dispensary, said the Mounties left the store practically empty. He intends to dispute his $575 ticket.
“It’s literally all the government’s fault with not having applications ready on time,” he said. “Everybody filled them out in time, but the government didn’t give them back in time for legalization.”
On the other side of the country, a dispensary in St. John’s was raided Thursday by police and inspectors from the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. Officers were still inside Water Street Cannabis Care at 8:30 p.m., said Greg Gill of the liquor corporation.
“At this point, all I can say is that a war-
rant was executed early this evening at that location,” he said, declining to comment on possible charges.
Officers seized cannabis products from both locations in Port Alberni, B.C., and issued the owners violation tickets for the unlawful sale of marijuana, the RCMP said in a statement.
“In accordance with the new legislation and regulations, cannabis is to be sold exclusively at government-run stores, licensed private retailers, and the B.C. government’s online store,” the statement said.
“While the legal recreational use of cannabis may be new, the enforcement of laws around the illegal production, distribution and consumption of cannabis is not.”
It’s unclear whether the raids in B.C. were the first in Canada after marijuana was legalized.
Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said she was not aware of any other raids by the Mounties in British Columbia. The RCMP’s national headquarters said it could not provide a response Thursday on whether there’d been other similar enforcement by the Mounties in other parts of Canada.
The federal government gave the provinces and territories the authority to licence retail stores ahead of marijuana becoming legal on Wednesday. At this point, B.C. only has one licensed location - a government-run store in Kamloops in B.C.’s Interior - and an online store.
Both the Port Alberni Cannabis Club and Leaf Compassion Cannabis Dispensary hold municipal business licences and paid a $7,500 fee as part of their application for provincial licences.
Jarvis said the Mounties seized everything that was visible in the store, totalling about $10,000 worth of product.
PHOTO
Cannabis user Scott Wells smokes a joint at a rally outside the government offices in Calgary following the legalization of cannabis on Wednesday.
Earthquake warning system installed off B.C. coast
VANCOUVER
— An earthquake early-warning system tested off British Columbia’s coast could give residents anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes to prepare before a quake.
The first-of-its kind warning sensors developed by Ocean Networks Canada is installed along the Cascadia subduction zone and when fully operating next March will be able to estimate location and magnitude of a megathrust earthquake.
Greig Bethel of Ocean Networks Canada, an initiative of the University of Victoria, says the system is active even as more sensors are being installed in the area to increase accuracy.
A simulated exercise was conducted Thursday in Vancouver on the 19-kilometre Canada Line stretch of the SkyTrain system, giving transit operators a chance to slow down trains and hold them at stations.
British Columbia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an active seismic zone where thousands of mostly small earthquakes are recorded annually by sensors in the province.
Most of the quakes happen near the Cascadia subduction zone, an area where the Juan de Fuca and North American tectonic plates converge, stretching from Vancouver Island to northern California.
“Ocean Networks Canada’s earthquake earlywarning technology promises a new era of earthquake preparedness that will enhance the safety of both riders and workers on the Canada Line,” says Canada Line general manager Ron Powell.
A news release from the network says to maximize warning time, it will focus on setting sensors as close to the Cascadia subduction zone as possible and on minimizing delays in data processing, communication, and delivery of warnings.
Global Positioning System receivers will also be located with the seismic sensors to further refine the magnitude.
Earthquakes release energy that travels through the Earth as seismic waves in two forms - secondary and primary waves.
The primary waves travel faster but the secondary waves are the cause of severe damage and ground shaking.
However, the sensors would detect primary waves to deliver alerts before the arrival of the secondary waves.
“The detection of an earthquake by many sensors can provide rapid estimates of the location and magnitude of an earthquake as it occurs,” the release says.
Liberals stand by decision to wait on legalizing pot edibles
Kristy KIRKUP Citizen news service
OTTAWA — The Liberal government is aware the massive black market for marijuana is banking on the appeal of products like cookies, tablets and vape pens but it defends waiting another year to greenlight these items for the legal market.
Canada became the first G7 country to legalize cannabis for recreational use Wednesday but it opted to limit purchases to dried or fresh cannabis and cannabis oil from government-licensed retailers.
Canadians can also make cannabis products, such as food and drinks, for personal use.
Federal officials, meantime, are coming up with draft regulations on “new classes” of cannabis with the goal of finishing them by the end of the year. Consultations will follow and officials hope to have everything finalized by next October.
Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair said Thursday the government realizes Canadians may turn to the illicit market in the interim for edibles and high-potency products – they already do.
But he said it is important to move ahead carefully due to “significant complexities and risks.”
“Part of the problem is, depending on how they are produced, packaged and sold, people have no idea the potency of what they’re taking,” Blair said in an interview.
Police, for their part, are watching to see how the black market evolves now that recreational cannabis use is legal.
City of Ottawa police said Thursday laws applicable to the sale and distribution of illegal products will be enforced, adding officers are aware of retail outlets that operate outside the law.
NDP health critic Don Davies said the exclusion of edibles, concentrates and non-smokable products amounts to a “glaring hole” in the legal marijuana market, noting these forms are favoured among consumers.
“From a health perspective, not legalizing it was wrong,” he said. “From a market point of view, it is wrong.”
Donald MacPherson, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, agreed Thursday the exclusion amounts to a policy gap but he said it is an intentional one.
The federal government drew lessons from American jurisdictions that legalized marijuana and encouraged Canada to proceed slowly, MacPherson said.
“Now the pressure is on to get this other significant piece of the market
under a regulatory framework because it is a huge part of the market,” he said.
“The cannabis horse has been out of the barn for so long it is going to take a while to get it back in, if that’s possible.”
Anne McLellan, a former Liberal cabinet minister and head of a federally appointed marijuana task force, said her panel would have liked to see edibles legalized on Wednesday.
“With organized crime, you take one line of work away from them and they will find another,” she said Thursday in an interview.
“They will go where there is a market demand.”
She said, however, she accepts the government’s concerns.
“They want to get this piece right,” she said. “It is a complicated piece.” McLellan’s task force reported it was concerned by an increase in cases of children accidentally eating cannabis-laced products in American states where the drug is legal.
“We acknowledge that a lack of regulation contributed to this risk,” the report said.
“Should edibles be allowed for legal sale in Canada, they should, at a minimum, conform to the strictest packaging and labelling requirements for edibles currently in force in U.S. states.”
— She’s being called one smart cookie.
As people lined up to buy cannabis at one of six Edmonton cannabis stores that opened Wednesday a small entrepreneur stood ready to capitalize on what could be expected to be customers’ future need for a sweet snack.
Nine-year-old Elina Childs had a wagon full of Girl Guide cookies for sale.
“My dad asked me if I wanted to sell cookies and I said yes,” she said in an interview after school Thursday. “So we started selling cookies there and they sold out very quickly.”
Her father, Seann Childs, said they sold cookies going door to door in their neighbourhood last year, but people often weren’t home or there would be big dogs in the yards.
“We thought, ‘Where can we go to sell them?”’ he said. “It just so happens that legalization was coming up in a couple of days.”
When Elina got home from school Wednesday, she grabbed some change from her piggy bank. She and her dad loaded up a wagon with three cases of Girl Guide cookies and they walked a few blocks to the nearby cannabis store.
She started walking up and down the lineup.
“It was well received,” said Seann Childs.
Elina said people told her “it was a smart idea and that they’d like to buy some cookies.”
Her dad said some cars even stopped on the street to buy a box.
“It was really something else,” he said. “I’d never seen anything quite like that.”
Childs said he expected it to go well, but he never thought she would sell out of all the cookies they had left in the three cases –about 30 boxes – in 45 minutes.
“We were sold out in no time,” he said.
An official with the Girl Guides praised Elina’s strategy.
“Good on her and her family for thinking of it,” said Edmonton commissioner Heather Monahan.
“It’s fun and it’s different and what better way to get rid of cookies.”
Colette DERWORIZ Citizen news service
EDMONTON
Yannick Craigwell shows off some of his edible marijuana baked treats in Vancouver on Wednesday.
Pot stores facing supply shortage
Armina LIGAYA Citizen news service
TORONTO — Demand for newly legal pot appears to be outstripping supply on the second day of legalization as retailers ran low on some products or were cleaned out completely, manifestations of a shortfall that some provinces warned could last for months.
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries said Thursday that it is expecting product shortages in both brick-andmortar and online stores could last “up to at least six months.”
“Every province – not just Manitoba – is receiving substantially less cannabis than originally requested... Retailers in Manitoba will be receiving staggered shipments over the next few weeks (some daily) in an effort to meet their requests,” said a spokeswoman for the Manitoba crown corporation in an email.
A B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch spokeswoman said that “shortages are/were expected to impact all jurisdictions across Canada as some (licensed producers) look to opportunities in overseas markets.”
Four of the largest licensed producers indicated to B.C. earlier this month they would not ship their full product commitment in time for the launch of online sales and the province’s lone store, she added.
“LPs point to a number of factors in reduced product volume and assortment including issues with supply chain, lower than expected crop yields, and insufficient supply of packaging materials,” the spokeswoman said in an email.
Retailers saw long lineups and a wave of online purchases Wednesday as Canadians rushed to make their first-ever purchase of legal recreational pot and witness the historic moment.
Cannabis industry players and watchers had earlier warned that there would be product shortages amid supply chain issues, but the actual appetite of Canadian con-
sumers for legal pot was unclear until the day it became legal. By most accounts from provinces that did provide figures, demand was high.
On the first day of legalization in Canada, Quebec’s crown cannabis corporation had recorded more than 12,500 in-store transactions and 30,000 online orders, which “far exceeds” its expectations.
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation said it conducted 12,810 transactions totalling more than $660,000 in sales, of which almost $47,000 were online, a spokeswoman said. In Prince Edward Island, total sales on the first day was more than $152,000 after tax, nearly $21,000 of which was online.
In Alberta, where private retailers handle in-store sales, the government-run website processed 8,300 orders as of 3:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, worth approximately $730,000, a spokeswoman for the province’s gaming, liquor and cannabis commission.
The online-only Ontario Cannabis Store would not release specific numbers, but spokesman Daffyd Roderick said “the response to cannabis legalization has resulted in a high volume of orders.”
Online delivery will now take as long as five days, as opposed to the earlier timeline of one to three days, due to the volume of orders in the first 24 hours, he added.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had said on Wednesday morning that OCS.ca had handled 38,000 orders since its midnight launch.
A B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch spokeswoman said it handled about 9,100 orders online in the first 24 hours and 800 transactions at its brick-and-mortar store in Kamloops in the first day.
“The first day of recreational sales in Canada appears to have been a success highlighted by the long lines and enthusiasm from shoppers,” said GMP Securities analyst Martin Landry, after his research team visited retail stores
in four different provinces to take the pulse of shoppers.
After surveying 100 customers, Landry and his team found that customers on average bought $80 to $90 worth of cannabis, with variations between provinces.
Eastern Canada consumers had a basket size of between $60 and $70, but in Quebec and Alberta it was $90 and $100, respectively, he said in a note to clients.
“Seeing cannabis shoppers wait in lines as opposed to take the traditional easy illegal supply route is refreshing and bodes well for the recreational market in Canada,” he said.
The lines stretched into the hundreds at some retail locations across the country on Wednesday, and some provinces said they saw shorter queues on Thursday.
Still, the country-wide supply crunch continued to make it difficult for cannabis retailers to meet existing demand.
Consumers going to British Columbia’s website on Wednesday were told that several strains of marijuana were sold out and B.C.’s only retail location in Kamloops ran out of one variety of dried cannabis.
The province’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said Thursday he wasn’t concerned the province would run out of legal marijuana in the first days of legalization. Farnworth said new supplies will arrive as other strains of pot sell out.
“This is an agriculture product, so we’ll get some varieties coming in soon and others may take a little while to put in place,” he said.
“As we know the federal government has put in place additional licences, for example, and the product from those is coming on stream.”
Canopy Growth Corp. CEO Bruce Linton said the licensed producer expects by next Friday to have shipped to all provinces and territories 100 per cent of the volumes it had committed to over the next 30 days.
Man charged for naked shark swim, assault
Citizen news service TORONTO
A B.C. man is facing charges in two separate but related incidents in Toronto, including one where he’s accused of jumping naked into a shark tank at an aquarium.
Toronto Police allege the first incident took place early Friday evening outside Medieval Times, where they say he assaulted a man. Two hours later, police allege the man went to Ripley’s
Aquarium where he stripped off his clothes, vaulted a barrier and jumped into the tank. Videos posted online show a naked man swimming in the tank as sharks pass underneath, with a security guard yelling at him to get out of the water. David Weaver, 37, was arrested near Thunder Bay, Ont., this week and was brought to Toronto to face one count of assault causing bodily harm and two mischief-related charges.
—
CP PHOTO
Don and Aaron (last names withheld) from the United States show off their cannabis purchases outside British Columbia’s first legal cannabis store in Kamloops on Wednesday.
Tomorrow is your day
nd so it ends.
AThe 2018 municipal election campaign wraps up today. The all-candidate forums are all done but the candidates will be out door knocking and/or canvassing at various public places today, hoping to land those last votes that could make the difference between getting elected and wondering why they lost.
It’s important to remember that some candidates run for office knowing there’s a snowball’s chance in Hell they will be elected but they enter the race anyway, just to raise public awareness of an important but neglected issue. Some run just for the opportunity to hold incumbent candidates accountable.
From that standpoint, Willy Enns was the big winner of the local campaign. He put up no signs, took out no advertising and only showed up to half of the allcandidate forums but his last-minute entry into the mayoral race forced Lyn Hall to campaign as seriously as he did four years ago – minus the phone room, of course –against a far more politically formidable candidate.
Hall showed up to all of the events, answered questions, spoke at length about his accomplishments during the last four years
and his vision of the city for the next four. If Enns hadn’t submitted his nomination papers, Hall wouldn’t have had to do any of that and Prince George voters would be poorer for it.
Democracy was served and for that, Enns deserves heartfelt thanks, regardless of how many votes he receives Saturday. And that thanks extends to all of the candidates for mayor, city council, school board and regional district. For anyone who thinks that people just enter politics – especially local politics – to line their pockets or raise taxes or look after their neighbourhoods at the expense of others, please reexamine your pathetic cynicism.
for all to see. Imagine people filling in the circle next to your name because they believe in you, they believe you reflect the best this community has to offer, they believe your intelligence and wisdom will allow you to make difficult decisions on their behalf.
Tomorrow is your day, Prince George and surrounding area, to choose as you see fit among some good people, caring individuals devoted to their community, devoted to you, even though they probably have never met you.
To do so, imagine looking down at a ballot and seeing your name on it. Imagine thousands of your fellow local residents looking at your name on a piece of paper identical to yours.
Frightened by that thought? You should be. They are about to pass judgment on you
Imagine how proud you would be to receive that kind of public validation. Now imagine people passing your name, choosing other names on the ballot because they believe you don’t have what it takes, that you are unworthy of representing them.
Imagine how humiliated you would feel.
Imagine the next time you would see your printed name, when the results are released after the polls are closed.
Imagine seeing that you’ve been elected, defeating candidates you got to know on the campaign trail and who made you feel small at times with their knowledge of policy and issues, their clever answers to tough questions, their sense of humour, their charisma and their ease with public
YOUR LETTERS
Vote against proportional representation
I attended Saturday’s debate over proportional representation at UNBC, along with about 200 others. While I enjoyed the debate, I am going to vote in favour of keeping the current system. I have three major concerns. One is accountability. We’ve had a long battle in Canada to establish the concept of a responsible government, one elected by the people for the people. In the early 19th century we had a government appointed by London. As Canada grew, so did the desire for a government that was responsible. Proportional representation is an enormous step backwards. Right now we have a system which elects 87 MLAs that each represent a specific riding. If the people in Prince George-Valemount are unhappy with their local MLA, they can boot her or him out and elect a new MLA. Under a proportional representation system, we would lose half of our local MLAs to party list MLAs. Party MLAs are not responsible to the people of British Columbia. In New Zealand, widely heralded as the best PR system, they have passed a law where a party MLA can be stripped of their seat if they vote against their party. This isn’t democracy. This is a return to the old Family Compact days of the early
19th century.
The other problem is that the seats are not equally valuable. We see this in monetary theory. Good money pushes out bad. If you have a system with convertibility from paper to gold, as the U.S. had in 1972, we see that the paper money becomes less valuable as people exchanged it for gold.
The same thing happens between the PR seats. The seats which are party seats become more valuable because they are not responsible to the people of the province. Ergo, the representatives themselves would prefer to choose seats that they know they are less likely to lose.
What does this mean for our local representatives? It means we are less likely to get the good people because they would rather be on the party lists rather than run for election.
Secondly, there is the issue of adequate northern representation. Every system would redistrict the north in order to have our vote diluted across the province.
There are no maps, no proposals, no numbers, except for the fact that our representation is going to decline. How is this helping the people of the north?
Right now, we have seven seats. If that drops to four, then we’ve effectively lost 40 per cent of our representation.
This isn’t about breaking up a regional monopoly, this is about eliminating our representation altogether. PEI would never accept the loss of a seat; in fact their
seat count of four is protected by the Constitution. Why should Northern B.C. accept any less?
Our seats should be protected so that we have the same boundaries and the same number of MLAs as in the past.
Finally, there is the issue of adequate democratic consultation. I remember the Quebec referendum. The argument then was that 50 per cent plus one should be sufficient to remove Quebec from Canada. Does that seem right to you? No. Large changes require substantial support above 50 per cent. This is why the STV proposal required 60 per cent; dramatic changes to our voting systems should require a supermajority. There has never been broad support for PR, anytime in B.C.
The other problem is one raised by Todd Whitcombe. If we get, say, 15 per cent turnout of which maybe 50 per cent support PR, that would mean that PR has the support of less than 10 per cent of the electorate. That is the definition of fringe support. Why should 10 per cent of BC decide to change the system?
Right now there is some dissatisfaction with our current system, but that’s not the choice we are being asked to make here. Is PR a better system? No, and for that reason I would encourage everyone to vote Yes to keep our current system. A deal has to be the right deal and this isn’t it. The numbers just don’t add up.
Sean Ollech Prince George
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Imagine seeing that you’ve been elected and wondering about those thousands of votes you received from people you don’t know and have probably never met.
Imagine how humbled you’d feel that they picked you and now you have the next four years to prove to them that their confidence in you wasn’t misplaced.
Imagine seeing that you haven’t been elected and the number of votes you received is embarrassingly low. Imagine how you would question yourself and your beliefs.
When you go to vote tomorrow, please look at all of the names on the ballot and know that each person behind those names is going to go through some of those emotions on Saturday night, after the polls close and the results are announced.
Tomorrow is your day, Prince George and surrounding area, to choose as you see fit among some good people, caring individuals devoted to their community, devoted to you, even though they probably have never met you.
Let that sentiment guide your choices and know that no matter what, your choices are yours and no else’s and they are most certainly the right ones.
— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
Notes from a historic day in B.C.
Field notes from the historic first sitting of the B.C. legislature following the legalization of marijuana:
7:36 a.m. – Sunrise, dawn of a new era. Small ceremony in backyard, just me and the dog, to consecrate the spot where four legal seeds can be planted, not visible from any public space. The four big portable floodlights I rented to nurture them will light up the place like a soccer field. But I got blackout curtains, so it’s the neighbours’ problem, not mine.
8 a.m. – Cycled to work. The number of motorist-cyclist fistfights was down markedly. Also, much less cursing. Everybody seems more mellow. A lot more careless, yes. But mellow.
8:25 a.m. – Arrived at legislature. Entering was easier than usual. Guards were watching images go by on the security X-ray machine as if it were a game show. Eating popcorn and laughing. Very relaxed vibe.
8:30 a.m. – Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth holds a conference call to brief reporters on how it’s going.
Opens with: “Thank you and good morning for joining on the line this morning.”
Hmmmm...
He says government made 1,000 cannabis sales in the first hour through the online store that opened at midnight.
Even with all the preparation, it’s still a bit jarring to hear a cabinet minister enthusing about his prowess as a dope dealer. This is going to take some getting used to.
He also plugs an informational provincial cannabis website called getcannabisclarity.ca that would be a lot better marketing brand than the boring one they settled on: B.C. Cannabis.
9 to 10:30 a.m. – Browsed the government’s online store, which is full of interesting stuff.
“Hundreds of naturally occurring compounds that combine to create unique effects.”
Indica-dominant versus sativadominant. Galiano costs twice as much as Kinky Kush. Got so immersed in so much dope information I developed a kind of contact high.
10:30 to noon – Unaccounted for. All I remember is stopping to look at my hands...
Noon – Farnworth shows up again at a news conference. This time he opens with a Doritos joke. He says he has now made more than 4,000 sales online.
“B.C.’s prices are very competitive,” he said.
This, from a guy charging $56.99 for 3.5 grams of Acapulco Gold.
1 p.m. – Spotted cabinet minister Melanie Mark going into caucus with a covered lunch plate. “What have you got in there?” “Not brownies,” she said, hustling by.
1:30 p.m. – Speaker Darryl Plecas opens the sitting. As a career criminology professor, he spent years warning about the dangers of marijuana, particularly grow-ops.
“Smoking marijuana is stupid and you become stupider,” he told a municipal panel in Victoria seven years ago. But this week, his staff issued a permit for a Legalization Celebration Day on his front lawn. The world has changed. 2:30 p.m. – Farnworth does yet another media appearance, and gets the question of the day from B.C. Today’s Shannon Waters: Ontario cannabis stores are selling cannabis-infused personal lubrication or “intimate spray.”
Why isn’t B.C.?
Farnworth cracks up, and says if people want it, they should email B.C. Cannabis and ask for it. But we’re already struggling with the fact they only managed to open one store on time. Now we have to beg the government to stock cannabis-infused intimate spray.
3 p.m. – The legalization celebration opens on the front lawn.
“The next 200 people get a free doobie,” proclaims cannabis activist Dana Larsen.
“Share them around.”
There are dozens of plants, also on hand as freebies.
He ran for the federal NDP as a candidate 10 years ago, but was booted after the party discovered the leading marijuana advocate actually smoked marijuana. He ran for the provincial NDP leadership a few years later.
But on Wednesday, he was less than enchanted with the provincial regime set up to regulate the federal change.
The thread running through most of the remarks from the stage is celebration, but it’s muted by resentment at what so many people went through to get to this day.
The activists won a long battle, but on Wednesday they sounded like martyrs who have just lost their cause.
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LES LEYNE
In the Fast Leyne
YOUR LETTERS
Why bother electing local MLAs at all?
To be PR or first-past-the-post. Is that really the question? The battle over proportional representation is somewhat interesting but does not address real problems.
“Trained seals” a former leader called backbench MPs and that might apply to provincial MLAs as well. In the hallowed name of “party discipline” if an MLA is Liberal, he or she must vote as the Liberals decide. The NDP and Green are no different. So it really does not matter if we have PR or first-past-the-post.
We would do just as well electing only the leader of any party and letting him select the MLAs he or she wants. In fact, that might be even better.
A leader knows his seals and could select those with the most skills or talent that the leader needs. How many? That could be determined by the votes for each leader in a provincewide election. This solution solves the problem of a party winning but not having a lawyer to be attorney general, a doctor for minister of health, and a person with construction experience for minister of highways. Oh yes, I know the argument about how the parliamentary system needs amateurs and not professionals as ministers. It is valid and needs to be considered. But really, does that matter when many governments stay in power for decades? If a minister does not know the territory when appointed, surely he will after a few years.
The other argument is the old debate about how an MLA should vote on issues. Should he vote as his conscience determines or in accord with the wishes of those he represents? Or as directed by his party whip? Under either PR or first-by, that issue remains. It would be just the same if the seals were appointed. Under our rigid party system, our local representative has no alternative but to vote as he is told even if he knows that voting the party line is contrary to the wishes of most of
his constituents and/or his own opinion.
A party leader would be conscious of the need to have MLAs from all areas of the province, if only to appear mindful of urban and rural, Lower Mainland vs. north, and so on. After all, another election is always coming.
In fact, going one step further, why have parties at all other than to serve as treasuries for contributions? Let the person who gets the most votes pick whoever he wants, the very best person for the job. Now, that might open the door to corruption a bit but once again, an election is coming.
Naturally, regulations must be in place to maintain “peace and good government.” But I wonder how many voters know much about their local candidate and vote instead on who they think will be the best premier? During election season, I hear lots of conversations about who will make the best premier but very little about who will make the best representative for their riding. Simply, there are alternatives to either PR or first-past-the-post. Perhaps we should take time to look at all alternatives.
Willow Arune Prince George
First past the post problematic
Citizen columnist Todd Whitcombe makes another attempt at defaming proportional representation with all kinds of numbers and hocus pocus. He wants you to think that proportional representation is the road to electoral hell.
He has all kinds of manufactured reasons, but what he doesn’t tell you about his favourite voting system, first-past-the-post is it:
• Gives false majorities.
• Distorts the wishes of the majority.
• Leads to parties acting only for their base of 40 per cent.
• Means 50 per cent of votes are wasted. Under PR less than 10 per cent don’t go to electing an MLA.
• Leads to reduced numbers of
people voting. Why vote if your vote will not count?
• Promotes strategic voting, voting for the lesser of two evils.
• Leads to Balkanization of the province, with large areas represented by only one MLA of either the governing party or the opposition.
• Gives huge amounts of power to swing ridings. One swing riding can swing election results 180 degrees, meaning a small number of voters can have a big effect on who is going to form government.
• Leads to parties putting most of their time, energy and promises into swing ridings and ignoring voters in safe seats.
• Leads to policy lurch, from left to right and right to left, as one government repeals the policies of the previous government, wasting time, money and resources.
• Leads to rancor and one-upman ship in Victoria instead of the cooperation and collaboration with PR.
• Leads to unstable governments, as small changes in the way people vote in swing ridings mean it only takes a relatively small number of votes to turf out one governing party in favour of another.
• Allows far right and far left groups to hide in the midst of the big tent parties and exert an influence the voter can’t see.
• Means large numbers of voters have no effective voice in Victoria. Under FPTP, each riding has only one MLA and that MLA may not be from your party. He/she will not cross party lines to vote in your favour. PR ensures that most voters will have an MLA from their party either in the riding or district. And finally, Mr. Whitcombe would like you to believe that your rural riding will be huge. Mr. Whitcombe, read Mr. Eby’s assurance on this. And above all, be fair to your readers.
Daryl Sturdy Vancouver
A better pipeline approach
If I were CEO of Kinder Morgan,
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a new pipeline would have been billed as a replacement for the 6070 year old steel pipe. They don’t want to replace it because it would be very expensive, especially through downtown Burnaby, and they can’t shut the old line down without the new line complete.
After the replacement gets built, you excavate and start twinning the pipeline. The new steel pipe has more ductility, shear strength and is more corrosion resistant.
What hasn’t been done is that Big Oil producers are not spending the extra money to upgrade the crude so as it is now pumpable. So no bitumen with the deadly acidic chemicals used to make a slurry with. This will eliminate the deadly
mixture going over land and out to sea. Now you have two replacement lines pumping upgraded crude that has a recovery plan for any spill.
The new pipeline detours downtown Burnaby so that part of the pipeline would just be left for now, but holding Kinder Morgan responsible for the future cost of any pipe removal through the middle of Burnaby. If Eagle Spirit Energy can get Big Oil to refine the crude for them, then the TransMountain pipeline can be bitumen free as well. Most importantly the pipeline would be built with unionized tradeworkers, not CLAC companies where workers have no rights and representation.
Miles Thomas Prince George
11
Big finish
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
They’ve won just one of their 12 games all season. But it’s not too late for the UNBC Timberwolves women’s soccer team.
If the stars align perfectly this weekend, they can still earn themselves an invitation to the Canada West postseason party.
First things first, the T-wolves must find a way to beat the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack tonight at Masich Place Stadium (6 p.m. start). Not only that, but the MacEwan Griffins will have to do the T-wolves a favour by beating the UBC Okanagan Heat tonight in Edmonton. Only then will Sunday’s final regular-season game (noon start) against UBC Okanagan be one that will impact UNBC’s bottom line. UNBC currently ranks eighth in the Pacific Division standings with a 1-8-3 record. The Heat (3-7-2) now occupy the sixth and final playoff spot, followed by the seventh-place WolfPack (3-8-1).
Assuming the T-wolves win tonight and the Heat loses to MacEwan, that would keep the Twolves’ playoff hopes alive. They would need a win Sunday and then have to count on MacEwan defeating the WolfPack Sunday afternoon in Edmonton for UNBC to advance to its second-straight playoff berth.
“I think we just need to stick to
Timberwolves aiming to end regular season with pair of home victories
UNBC Timberwolves midfielder Paige Payne gets set to hammer a shot on goal against the University of Victoria Vikes during a Sept. 30 game at Masich Place Stadium. The T-wolves host the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack tonight and the UBC Okanagan Heat on Sunday to end their Canada West regular schedule.
our DNA and just play how we can,” said T-wolves midfielder Hannah Emmond. “We need to come out confident, because we can win this weekend. It’s a big weekend for us to pull some points.”
In their only other meeting this season the T-wolves lost 3-1 to the WolfPack, Sept. 14 in Kamloops.
“TRU is a big, aggressive team,”
said Emmond. “They send long balls in behind defenders, so we have to make sure we are on that and getting first to the ball. They are going to come out wanting points as well, so these games are big.”
On that same trip in September, UNBC went to Kelowna and tied with UBC Okanagan 2-2.
“UBCO plays like us... they like
to possess the ball, and play out through the back before breaking through the midfield,” said Emmond. “I think that is why we ended up tying them last time, because we play the same.”
The T-wolves are one of the youngest teams in Canada West and have just two fifth-year players on the roster – defender Kylie Erb of Summerland and mid-
Spruce Kings trade for Donaldson
Ted CLARKE Citizen staff
The Prince George Spruce Kings made a move Thursday to acquire University of Connecticut recruit Sean Donaldson in exchange for 18-year-old winger Layne Sniher.
Donaldson, a 17-year-old forward from Vancouver, scored 36 goals and added 30 assists for 66 points in 34 games last season for the Burnaby Winter Club prep team, playing in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League. He also had two goals and five points in three playoff games.
“He’s committed to UConn (for 2020-21) and he’s a real good young player,” said Spruce Kings head coach Adam Maglio. “He played at Burnaby Winter Club last year and was third in team scoring. He was looking for a bit of a change of scenery and it gives Layne a better opportunity in Trail he might not have with us.
“It gives us a player a year
younger who certainly can step in and play and has a real knack around the net for scoring goals and producing, so we’re excited.”
Sniher, who joined the Spruce Kings this season after playing midget hockey last year with the Calgary Buffaloes, went without a point in nine BCHL games.
The five-foot-10, 165-pound Donaldson played last year with three of the current Spruce Kings – defenceman Nick Bochen and forwards Tyler Schleppe and Nick Poisson – and knows several of the older BWC alumni who now skate for the Kings.
Donaldson has been in Vancouver the past five days awaiting a trade and is expected to join the Spruce Kings Saturday night in Langley, where the teams will meet for the second time this season. The Spruce Kings beat the Rivermen 4-3 in Langley on Sept. 29.
The Kings (8-4-0-1, third in
Mainland Division) begin a three-game weekend tonight in Coquitlam against the secondplace Express (10-5-0-0). The same teams meet again Sunday in Coquitlam (3 p.m. start).
Two of the five losses the Express suffered this season came in the second week of the season when the Kings beat Coquitlam at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. The Express topped the Kings 3-1
Sept. 30 in Coquitlam.
“They’re a fast, aggressive team and they play really well in their own rink (the Express is 6-1-0-0 on home ice) so you have to be ready to move the puck quick in all zones of the ice,” said Maglio. “They’re deserving of where they’re at, they’ve been playing really well of late.”
Prince George is three points behind the Express, which has played two more games than the Spruce Kings. The Chilliwack Chiefs (12-4-0-0) lead the division with 24 points, seven ahead of the Spruce Kings, who have played three fewer games than the Chiefs.
Sickness has crept into the Spruce Kings’ camp the past couple weeks and that kept Sniher and Sam Kozlowski out of the lineup for last week’s games against Powell River and Salmon Arm. A few other players have been under the weather as well
The T-wolves are one of the youngest teams in Canada West and have just two fifth-year players on the roster...
fielder Madison Emmond of Prince George, Hannah’s older sister. Madison is the all-time leader for UNBC in career games played with 65, tied with Tianna Pius.
“We all play for each other, and we want them to have more than two games,” said Hannah. “So we are hoping to make playoffs. It has been a great honour to have them on our team, so it is sad to see them go.”
The UNBC men can wrap up their second consecutive playoff berth this weekend in Abbotsford. The T-wolves (5-3-5, third in Pacific) play the Fraser Valley Cascades (6-6-1, fourth in Pacific) tonight and Saturday night to wrap up the regular season.
this week and the team took a couple days off and focused on 3-on-3 practice drills to give the players additional rest.
“We need to score a few more goals even-strength so we’ve put some emphasis (in practice) on our attacks and our o-zone play,” said Maglio.
The Kings are coming off a 5-0 win Saturday at home over Salmon Arm, after losing 5-2 to Powell River a week ago Thursday. Bradley Cooper posted the shutout against the Silverbacks. While Maglio wasn’t tipping his hand whether Cooper or Logan Neaton would start tonight, the coach figures Cooper will play in one or two of the games this weekend.
Winger Spencer Chapman (lower body), centre Michael Conlin (concussion) and defenceman Brennan Malgunas (sick) won’t be available to the Kings this weekend.
CITIZEN FILE PHOTO
Polars prevail in first-place clash
Ted
CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca
While Gage Ridland, the Prince George Polars’ starting fullback/ middle linebacker, was receiving the news in hospital that his collarbone was broken in two places after a hard tackle that forced him out of the game, his Polar teammates got down to business proving they are the top football team in the Northern Conference.
In a battle to decide first place Thursday evening at Masich Place Stadium, the Polars came out on top, defeating the Kelly Road Roadrunners 35-14.
Braden Reed and Gavin Murray proved unstoppable as they ran roughshod over the Roadrunners. Reed, the running back, and Murray, the quarterback, accounted for three of the four touchdowns that powered the Polars to their secondstraight regular-season crown. Their chemistry kept the Roadrunners on their toes all game.
“Me and Gavin have been playing together since we were little and we’ve grown up playing against each other, making each other better and we argue sometimes but it’s because we’re like brothers,” said Reed.
“Most of our players are senior, in Grade 12, and we want to make it into the history books and do something no other P.G. team has done and make it into the second round of (provincial) playoffs.”
Ridland is scheduled to have surgery today to repair the bone
and the rest of his season is now in doubt. Reed hopes to see him back for what will be their last crack at a Tier 2 varsity provincial title.
“Gage is one of our best players, he’s just a monster and we feed off his energy and he’s a key player on offence and it really hurts to see him go,” said Reed. “Hopefully we’ll him back in the second or third round of provincials.”
The Polars scored on their first two drives to open the game and added two-point converts on each major to take a 16-0 lead.
Reed got them started with a 40-yard run into the end zone and QB Murray followed up with an eight-yard touchdown run.
But the Roadrunners had an answer for that as the teams switched sides for the start of the second quarter. Brendan Watts, a Grade 11 provincial all-star linebacker who took over as the Kelly Road’s starting quarterback two weeks ago, connected with Josiah Harder for a 40-yard TD strike and Watts found TJ Nyberg in the end zone for the two-point convert, which cut the PGSS lead to 16-8.
The Roadrunners threatened to tie it up and got to the five-yard line on a 19-yard catch for Harder. On fourth and goal, Watts ran it up the gut but was stopped just shy of the goal line.
That big stop set the Polars up for their most impressive drive of the night. Reed got his team out from the shadows of the goalpost with a couple of runs but
was having a tough time breaking through the Kelly Road line.
Clay Thiessen, Ryan Groom and Kristopher Pringle swarmed Reed a couple times but on a fourthdown gamble he took it to the house, running 76 yards for his second touchdown of the game. Brayden Mitchell took the reverse handoff for another two points and a 24-8 lead. With about a minute left in the first half, Gage Bernard intercepted a Watts pass and the Polars took over on their own 46-yard line. On the next play, Murray passed the ball to Mark Vohar for a 35-yard gain to the Kelly Road 19-yard line and the Polars worked their no-huddle offence to perfection the rest of the way, running three plays in quick succession with Murray finishing off the drive with a six-yard TD scamper. Mitchell took the handoff for another two points and the Polars led 30-8 at halftime.
“Things started not going our way at the end of the first half, we were making mental mistakes and stuff like that and we really felt that momentum shift, so we kind of got worried things were going to turn, but we came out fighting,” said Reed.
“They got us on our heels and we finally started executing near the end of the first. When that one minute was left we kind of put the pressure on ourselves and it forced us to play like we normally play.”
A Nyberg interception on the goal line kept the Roadrunners
Cougars send Kryski to Trail Citizen
staff
There’s only so much icetime to go around on a junior hockey team and 18-year-old forward Max Kryski wasn’t getting a lot of it in his second season with the Prince George Cougars. Instead of taking up a seat in the pressbox at CN Centre, the Cougars have sent Kryski to the Trail Smoke Eaters of the B.C. Hockey League.
In four games this season the five-foot-11, 184-pound native of Kelowna was held without a point. Kryski collected eight goals and 10 points in 62 games last season with 24 penalty minutes and had a minus-24 rating.
The move leaves the Cougars roster at 23 players – 13 forwards, eight defencemen and two goalies.
from scoring early in the third quarter and Reed got stuffed a yard from the end zone later in the quarter. Nyberg hauled in a 23-yard catch for a touchdown not long into the fourth quarter but that’s as close the Roadrunners could get. Reed capped the scoring with a nine-yard field goal.
The Roadrunners haven’t had much of a running game since losing a couple of Grade 12 veterans to suspensions and that thrust Watts into his new role as pivot. The Polars knew the pass was coming virtually every play but still Watts and his strong arm had great success finding his targets.
“It was a big game for us and we came out and tried hard but it just didn’t end well,” said Watts. “Our pass game is a bit stronger than theirs but they have a good running game and that’s just the way it goes. I just came in to quarterback two games ago it’s pretty big to get on but it went well and we did alright.”
The Polars finished off the regular season to wrap up first place with a perfect 3-0-0 record, while Kelly Road dropped to 1-2-1, second in the Northern Conference. The standings will be decided Saturday afternoon in Vanderhoof, where the fourth-place Vikings (0-2-0) host the College Heights Cougars (0-1-1). Whoever wins that game will play Kelly Road in the semifinal round next Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Masich. The loser will take on PGSS Friday at 5 p.m.
Special teams big for Broncos
Citizen news service
Emmanuel Sanders threw and caught touchdown passes, Denver returned two interceptions for first-quarter touchdowns and the Broncos snapped a four-game losing streak with a 45-10 rout of the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night.
Todd Davis returned rookie Josh Rosen’s deflected pass for a touchdown on the second play of the game and Chris Harris Jr. took another back 53 yards for a score with 2:02 left in the quarter as the Broncos (3-4) opened a 21-3 lead.
Rosen threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball away twice on a rough night that began badly for him and never got better. He limped off the field after he was sacked for the fifth time, on a fourth-and-16 play near the end of the game.
The Cardinals (1-6), down 35-3 at the half, fell to 0-4 at home for the first time since 1979.
The Cats host the defending WHL-champion Swift Current Broncos this Sunday at CN Centre. The game starts at 2 p.m. Local sports teams are being invited to come to the rink in their team jerseys on Minor Sports Day and the Cougars will pay $500 to the team that buys the most tickets for the game.
Olynyk’s layup a winner for Heat
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kelly Olynyk’s putback of Dwyane Wade’s missed jumper produced the go-ahead basket with 0.2 seconds left Thursday night, lifting the Miami Heat to a ragged 113112 comeback victory over the Washington Wizards, who were without new centre Dwight Howard for their season opener. Olynyk was booed every time he touched the ball, on account of a past playoff fracas with the Wizards back when he was with the Boston Celtics. But he certainly got to enjoy the way this game ended, after Miami trailed by as many as nine points.
Josh Richardson led Miami with 28 points, Rodney McGruder added 20, and the Heat hit consecutive threes late in the fourth quarter.
With Howard sidelined by a sore backside, the Wizards were led by old standby John Wall, who delivered 26 points and nine assists. He and fellow All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who scored 20 points, accounted for Washington’s last eight points.
But with a 112-111 lead, Wall missed a 26-foot pull-up jumper, giving Miami a chance. Wade’s shot with about three seconds left was off the mark, but Olynyk grabbed the rebound and his layup won it.
The Heat were playing on the second night of a back-to-back – they lost at Orlando on Wednesday – and Wade appeared in both games, scoring nine each night. He shot a combined 7 for 24.
Simmons shines
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and Joel Embiid had 30 points and 12 rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 127-108 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 30 points in their season opener. The curious case of Markelle Fultz continued when one of the more scrutinized players in the NBA managed to steal the spotlight from his more accomplished teammate with simple jumpers. Fultz had open looks early and 76ers fans exhorted him to “Shoot! Shoot!” each time he touched the ball as the second-year guard tries to overcome his aversion to jumpers.
He found the look he wanted three minutes into the second quarter. He dribbled to the foul line and hit an uncontested pull-up jumper, the ball rattling around the rim four times before it plopped through the net. Fans erupted in cheers as they gave him a standing ovation.
KRYSKI
PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRILL BODNER
TJ Nyberg of the Kelly Road Roadrunners makes the catch and gets wrapped up immediately by Prince George Polars tackler Gavin Murray during Thursday’s battle for first place in the Northern Conference Tier 2 varsity division. The Polars won 35-14.
Red Sox advance to World Series
Citizen news service
HOUSTON — David Price put his post-season woes behind him, pitching the Boston Red Sox back into another World Series with a 4-1 victory over the defending champion Houston Astros on Thursday night.
Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer as the Red Sox stunned Justin Verlander and the Astros in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series to win the best-of-seven set 4-1, a perfect 43rd birthday present for rookie manager Alex Cora. After dropping the opener at home, Boston took four straight –including three in a row at Minute Maid Park to improve to 5-0 on the road in these playoffs.
Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and the 108-win Red Sox will try to bring Boston its fourth crown in 15 years when they open the World Series on Tuesday night at Fenway Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox were last in the World Series when they won it all in 2013.
“We got four more wins. That was very, very special, absolutely. But we want more,” Price said.
Los Angeles has a 3-2 lead in the NLCS going into Game 6 tonight at Miller Park.
Left fielder Andrew Benintendi caught a long fly for the last out – not nearly as dramatic as his game-saving diving grab the previous night. Even so, it set off an enthusiastic celebration for the Red Sox, who gathered to pose for pictures in the middle of the diamond.
Despite leading the majors in
wins during the regular season, the Red Sox were underdogs against a Houston team that defeated the Dodgers in last year’s World Series and romped past Cleveland in the Division Series this month.
But stars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and the Astros hobbled to the finish in a humbling defeat. Still, no team has repeated as World Series champs since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000.
Pitching on only three days’ rest after Boston ace Chris Sale was
ruled out while recovering from a stomach illness, Price struck out nine in six shutout innings of three-hit ball. The left-hander, who has had a rough time in Boston since signing a $217 million contract before the 2016 season, entered 0-9 with a 6.16 ERA in 11 career post-season starts.
“It felt good. Honestly, it really started last night in the bullpen. Threw quite a few pitches to come in for the next hitter, found something out while doing that and kind of just carried that over to today,” Price said.
Price tipped his cap to a few hundred Red Sox fans assembled behind the Boston dugout while they cheered as he walked off the field following postgame interviews.
Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez hit an early homer off Verlander, and Price made the lead stand up into the late innings. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his third save of the series.
Martinez reached the World Series by beating the team that released him during spring training four years ago.
Brewers will lean on Miley in elimination game
Citizen news service
MILWAUKEE — Wade Miley, take two.
And this time, the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander figures to be seeing more than one batter in his next start in the NL Championship Series. It comes on tonight when Miley will try to help the Brewers stave off elimination, down 3-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Miley goes back to the hill two days after being lifted after facing leadoff hitter Clay Bellinger in Game 5 in a designed move by manager Craig Counsell. The Dodgers are going with left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu in a rematch of the Game 2 starters.
“I think I’ll be fine. Just got to go out and make pitches,” Miley said at Dodger Stadium after the Brewers fell 5-2 Wednesday.
The last pitcher to start back-toback games in the same post-season series was George Earnshaw of the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930 World Series, according to STATS. Earnshaw tossed seven shutout innings in Game 5 before pitching a complete game two days later, allowing one run in a
win that took the series.
Can you top that, Wade?
“I started the end of an All-Star break and the other side of it,”
Miley said.
Not quite the same. Miley got the last start against the Dodgers, and was pulled after a five-pitch walk.
Reliever Brandon Woodruff did the bulk of the Brewers’ initial “out-getting” after coming in to face the second batter, Justin Turner. Woodruff allowed three runs, two earned, along with five hits and a walk while fanning eight in taking the loss after going 5 1/3 innings.
Counsell explained that the unconventional move was an effort to get the best matchups. The Dodgers led off with leftyhitting Bellinger before going with three straight right-handers in the lineup. They had one other lefty in the starting lineup, power hitter Max Muncy.
Results were mixed. Los Angeles was held scoreless until the fourth, then broke through with five runs over the next three innings to move within one win of a return trip to the World Series.
This was the latest extension of the Brewers’ pitching-by-commit-
tee strategy in the post-season. Milwaukee is playing to one of its strengths, which is a deep, hardthrowing bullpen. More teams around the league picked up on the manoeuvre after the Tampa Bay Rays started using bullpen days to get through some games this season.
When asked, Counsell said that he didn’t think that lifting Miley after one batter broke down baseball norms or trust between opposing managers. He pointed to teams using pinch-hitters to replace a starter after just one at-bat, similar to what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has done with the right-handed hitting David Freese and Muncy at first base.
“We’re using our roster, we’re using our full roster, I think that’s what all teams are doing in the playoffs,” Counsell said Thursday, a day off as the series shifts back to Miller Park.
In Houston, Astros manager AJ Hinch said such pitching strategies are “fair game” now.
“Craig has been doing it since Sept. 1. (Tampa manager) Kevin Cash has been doing it since May,” Hinch said before Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against
the Boston Red Sox.
Hinch noted that the Brewers used reliever Dan Jennings to start a game against the Cardinals on Sept. 24 before pulling Jennings after retiring the first batter.
“You can’t be caught off guard with that stuff. (The Dodgers) weren’t caught off guard,” Hinch said.
“You’re allowed to play all your players whenever you want to. So I think it’s ludicrous to think that it’s... an ethical issue when you’re playing your players how you want,” Hinch added.
For the 31-year-old Miley, the back-to-back starts are another highlight in a turnaround season with Milwaukee. Miley was 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA over 80-plus innings in 16 regular-season starts after joining the club on a minor league contract in spring training.
He hasn’t given up a run in 10 1/3 innings this post-season. If it were up to him, Miley would stay in as long as possible.
“Craig’s the manager, he makes the final decision,” Miley said this week, “but at the same time, you want to make it as tough on them as possible. We try to go out there and do the best we can.”
Byfuglien leads Jets past Canucks
WINNIPEG (CP) — Patrik Laine and Bryan Little each scored power-play goals as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Thursday. Dustin Byfuglien had a goal and two assists for Winnipeg (42-1), while Andrew Copp added a single.
Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves for the Jets, who were playing the third game in a season-long six-game homestand (2-0-1).
Bo Horvat scored for the Canucks (4-3-0), who had their win streak end at three games. Anders Nilsson stopped 28 shots in net to finish off Vancouver’s six-game road trip (3-3). Byfuglien’s three-point outing came in his first game back after missing two with an injury. Little broke a 1-1 tie when he scored at 4:58 of the third period with a backhand shot that beat goalie Anders Nilsson. He also picked up one assist. Laine beat Nilsson with a one-timer late in the first period. Copp made it 3-1 with 7:14 left in the third and Byfuglien scored his first of the season at 14:43. Winnipeg led 1-0 after the first period and Vancouver tied it up in the second.
Laine scored with 64 seconds remaining when Blake Wheeler sent a pass across the front of the net for the Finnish shooter’s one-timer that beat Nilsson on the stick side.
It was Wheeler’s 500th point with the Jets franchise, second behind Ilya Kovalchuk during his time with the Atlanta Thrashers.
After being outshot 7-1 by the visitors six minutes into the first, Winnipeg ramped it up and had an 11-8 edge at the end of the opening period.
Horvat scored his fourth goal of the season on a great effort to get around Winnipeg defenceman Jacob Trouba, hang on to a bouncing puck and shoot it past Hellebuyck at 12:54 of the second.
Shots on goal were even 2020 after the middle frame.
Vancouver continued a power play to start the third period, but wasn’t successful on its second man advantage in the game. Winnipeg was 2-for-2. After giving his team the 2-1 lead at 4:58, Little hit the post. Copp then scored his first goal of the season when he banged in a bouncing puck in the crease at 12:45 and Byfuglien sealed it with 5:17 remaining.
• TORONTO (CP) — Matt Murray made 38 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped Toronto’s five-game winning streak with a stifling 3-0 victory over the Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
AP PHOTO
The Boston Red Sox celebrate after winning Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Thursday night in Houston.
WHL player back on skates after being seriously burned
Citizen news service
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A Western Hockey League player who was seriously burned at a backyard fire pit is working out and skating with his teammates again.
Ryan Vandervlis of the Lethbridge Hurricanes was one of three people who were injured in the June 15 incident. He suffered burns to half of his body, was put into a medically induced coma and has had multiple surgeries.
Two other players – Jordy Bellerive, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, and Matt Alfaro, who now plays for the University of Calgary Dinos – were released from hospital later in June. Vandervlis says he lost about 30 pounds and is now trying to gain that weight back.
He says he felt a little rusty the first time he stepped out on the ice but is getting plenty of support.
“It has been a tough four or five months here, but that support from the fans, from the community, from my family, from the players, from guys around the league that have reached out, it has been outstanding really,” he said Thursday.
“I can’t express enough how much that means to me.”
Vandervlis, 20, said his recovery has been difficult and has included skin grafts, healing from a tracheotomy and relearning things he used to take for granted.
“A lot of it is day to day things that you don’t ever think about like getting in and out of your car or sitting out in a chair or stuff like that – that when you’re weak, when you have no core muscles it makes it extremely hard to do,” he said.
“Stretching is one of the key things because everywhere that I was burned, the skin, the scars just want to tighten up.”
But he said he is surprised at how well his body has reacted to the exercises. Health professionals have told him the more he can accomplish each day, the faster his body will heal.
Peter Anholt, general manager of the Hurricanes, said the team’s staff and coaches will help him.
“We all see the different challenges that he has got in front of him but he has got a good attitude,” he said. “And I know our players are really pleased to have him here.”
Vandervlis is to remain with the team for the foreseeable future and Anholt said the coaches won’t restrict him from any
activity that he believes he can accomplish.
As for the longer-term, he hopes to play hockey again.
“This team, this is where I want to be, this is where my heart is,” he said. “These guys, they’re all my best friends – it’s the best thing for my rehab to be around them.”
DUI charge won’t keep Hughes out of
REGINA (CP) — CFL sack leader
Charleston Hughes will play Saturday when the Saskatchewan Roughriders visit the Calgary Stampeders.
Head coach/GM Chris Jones told reporters in Regina on Thursday that Hughes, who has a CFL-best 15 sacks this season, will suit up against his former team. Earlier this week, news surfaced that Hughes had been arrested and charged Oct. 11 with impaired driving and failing to provide a breath
sample for analysis.
The veteran rush end, who led the CFL in sacks in 2013 and 2016, played in Saskatchewan’s 31-0 loss to Winnipeg two days later, registering two tackles.
“We’re still gathering information concerning the event that happened,” Jones said. “Whether we get it from the league or we get it from the people here in town we’ve got to gather all the information before we start deciding what to do.”
lineup
On Wednesday, Jones said he’d received details the day before. Jones added he discussed the matter with Hughes and would continue to do so. Jones said the CFL doesn’t have a code of conduct so the Riders would handle the matter internally.
“As an organization and me personally, it’s an unfortunate event,” Jones said. “It’s something we take very seriously and Charleston knows the situation and the magnitude of it.”
Lions look to clinch playoff spot
Citizen news service
SURREY — A playoff spot will be on the line when Travis Lulay hits the field tonight, but the B.C. Lions quarterback isn’t about to let the high stakes stop him from enjoying the game.
The Lions (8-7) can lock up a spot in the postseason with a win over the Edmonton Eskimos (8-8), and the veteran pivot knows playoffs are never a guarantee in the CFL.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that this is a cool opportunity to be playing. I mean, last year at this point in the season we weren’t playing with any kind of post-season hope,” he said after practice on Thursday. “Hope is a powerful thing. And I think you need to appreciate that.”
The playoffs once seemed unrealistic for the Lions, who went 3-6 to start the year.
But a strong defence has propelled B.C. to victory in five of its last six outings, including a 26-21 road win over the league-leading Calgary Stampeders last week. The club has been treating every match like it’s a post-season battle, Lulay said.
“We’ve been playing with that kind of intensity for the entire back half of the season,” he said. “We were 3-6 coming in to the back half, so we’ve had no room but to think of every game as a playoff-type atmosphere and that kind of intensity.”
The Eskimos are fighting to stay in the playoff race after a mid-season slump that saw them drop three games in a row. They ended the losing streak last week with a 34-16 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. Quarterback Mike Reilly threw for 369 yards in that game.
Reilly leads the league in passing, with 4,974 yards and 28 touchdowns on the season.
Making things difficult for the passer will be key tonight, said Lions head coach Wally Buono.
“With any good quarterback, what you’ve got to do is affect him, make sure things aren’t easy for him. He’s got to have a little bit of doubt,” he said.
“What you’re going to have to make him do is hopefully make a mistake or two and hit him a few times.”
Part of that job will fall to Jordan Herdman, who will take over the centreback position as Micah Awe sits out with a knee injury.
The 24-year-old linebacker said he’s looking forward to playing the crucial role in a clutch game, and his crew has a plan for containing Reilly.
“We’re going to get after him a little bit, make him feel a little uncomfortable in the pocket,” Herdman said. “And just play our game. Play that fast, physical football, get takeaways. And we’ll be just fine.”
Reilly started his CFL career with the Lions, spending three seasons as Lulay’s back up before he went to Edmonton in 2013.
The pair have remained close and Lulay said he’s looking forward to playing against his buddy in a game where there’s so much on the line.
“It’s fun to compete against guys you respect a lot,” he said. “Mike’s been playing championship-level football for a few years, so it’s fun to line up against him.”
Lulay’s not letting friendship or playoff pressure distract him from the task at hand.
“I think you’ve just got to take a big breath and not make it bigger than it is, understanding that it’s important,” he said. “This is professional football and we’re playing to win.”
VANDERVLIS
Latest Halloween movie lacking in treats
Pat PADUA Citizen news service
Director David Gordon Green
got his start with art-house dramas but is perhaps best known for the baked humour of Pineapple Express. So it’s apt that, despite plenty of gore, his version of Halloween, the latest sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 slasher, sometimes feels like a horror movie with a contact high. But if rambling digressions can inspire unexpected connections that lead to a good joke, they also work against the tension required for an effective thriller.
Forty years after the events of the first film, the 11th title in the franchise proceeds as if all the other sequels never happened (although the second one’s plot twist is alluded to as an urban legend). A pair of investigative journalists visit deranged killer Michael Myers in his maximum-security institution for the criminally insane. You’d think its inmates would be unsettled by the red-and-white checkerboard prison yard, but this self-conscious art direction feels forced, and it leads the film away from the creepy naturalism that was Carpenter’s strength. Yet Myers isn’t the only prisoner, as we see when the journalists meet Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising her breakout
role) in the secluded woodland fortress that she has built for herself. Curtis effectively plays Laurie, who as a teenage babysitter survived Myers’s homicidal rampage. Now, she’s a grizzled survivor eaten alive by paranoia –which she has unsuccessfully tried
to instill in her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). But that paranoia may come in handy, thanks to a ludicrous plot point: authorities have decided to transport Myers to a new facility – on Oct. 31, of all days.
Prince had no right to kiss Snow White, Bell says
Citizen news service
As sexual assault survivors continue to share their stories, sparking a worldwide #MeToo reckoning, actress Kristen Bell is publicly expressing concern about Snow White and the prince who kissed her without consent.
Bell, who provided the voice of Princess Anna in Disney’s animated film Frozen, told Parents magazine that when she reads Snow White to her two young daughters, she poses a question: “Don’t you think that it’s weird that the prince kisses Snow White without her permission? Because you cannot kiss someone if they’re sleeping!”
She told the magazine she also warns her threeand five-year-old daughters not to take apples – or anything else – from strangers.
“Every time we close Snow White I look at my girls
A&E IN BRIEF
Orange Is the New Black winding down
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Orange Is the New Black is fading to black after its upcoming seventh season. Cast members posted a video Wednesday announcing the series’ 2019 end, which was confirmed by a Netflix spokeswoman.
In the video, the actresses thanked fans for their support and promised a fulfilling wrap-up to the comedy-drama set in a women’s prison.
Actress Kate Mulgrew said she’ll miss being with a “groundbreaking” TV series.
Orange Is the New Black was inspired by Piper Kerman’s memoir about her time in federal prison. The show was nominated twice for top-series Emmy honours, and Uzo Aduba won two acting trophies. The series was an early hit for Netflix when the streaming service began showing original programming.
The last season’s 2019 release date for Orange Is the New Black wasn’t announced.
Judy Blume novel to be adapted for screen
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Judy Blume has at long last agreed to a feature film adaptation of her seminal 1970 young adult novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig is set to adapt and direct the film, which will be produced by James L. Brooks’ Gracie Films. It does not yet have a script or distributor.
Fremon Craig tweeted the news Wednesday, writing that “thrilled is an understatement.” She’s known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed coming-of-age film The Edge of Seventeen.
and ask: ‘Don’t you think it’s weird that Snow White didn’t ask the old witch why she needed to eat the apple? Or where she got the apple?’” Bell told Parents. “I say, ‘I would never take food from a stranger, would you?’ And my kids are like, ‘No!’ And I’m like, ‘OK, I’m doing something right.’”
Scholars, activists and other parents have made similar arguments about the Snow White kissing scene, saying Disney’s adaptation of the German fairy tale fosters the wrong ideas about sexual encounters and consent.
In Disney’s 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Prince Charming rushes to see Snow White, only to realize he has interrupted the princess’s funeral. He tells the dwarves to open her casket so he can tell her goodbye. Then he leans over and kisses her lips, prompting the princess to wake up from her slumber.
Blume tweeted in August that she was in Los Angeles meeting about film and series adaptations of her books after years of turning down offers.
Willis sells ranch for $5.5M
HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — Actor Bruce Willis has sold his 20-acre ranch in central Idaho for $5.5 million.
KTVB-TV reports in a story on Wednesday that’s far below the original asking price of $15 million when the home was put up for sale in 2011.
Travis Jones is a listing agent with Engel & Volkers Sun Valley who took over the job of selling the home in the small town of Hailey two years ago.
Jones says the 8,400-square-foot main house has six bedrooms.
There’s also a guesthouse, gym and outdoor heated pool with waterslides that were built after Willis bought the estate in 2003.
Lawsuit over fatal crash involving Berman’s wife settled
TORRINGTON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut restaurant accused of serving alcohol to the wife of ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman before she was killed in a car crash has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of an 87-year-old man who also died in the wreck.
The settlement involving The Market Place Kitchen and Bar in Woodbury and the family of Edward Bertulis was disclosed Wednesday in a filing in Torrington Superior Court. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Police said Katherine Berman’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit to drive when she rear-ended Bertulis’ car in Woodbury in May 2017. Bertulis was on his way home after visiting his wife’s grave.
A lawyer for the restaurant’s owner said there is a confidentiality agreement and declined to comment Thursday.
What could possibly go wrong?
The wandering screenplay, written by Green with Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride (who co-starred in Pineapple Express), introduces throwaway characters that at times seem more intriguing than the main players. When a farmer
and his young son are driving down a dark road, the boy can’t stop talking about his dream of becoming a dancer, aspirations that are shattered when they happen up on the scene of a bus accident that releases Myers back into the world.
This entirely predictable incident loses steam when a pair of backup police officers arrive and get caught up in a discussion of banh mi sandwiches. This kind of lame comic relief makes it difficult for the movie to build any kind of tension.
Laurie’s family tells her to forget the past and get on with her life. So it is ironic that the movie is such a nostalgia fest, with copious references to the first film, from the music (slightly updated by Carpenter himself) and title font to a scene where Allyson glances outside her classroom window to see Laurie – mirroring a shot from the 1978 film in which Laurie looks outside her classroom to see Myers.
Carpenter’s original film is a masterpiece of horror that has inspired countless inferior retreads. This is far from the worst, but its return to the past feels more like a Halloween-themed party. And as a horror comedy, it’s not scary enough – or funny enough.
Two stars
PHOTO BY RYAN GREEN, UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode in the newest addition to the Halloween franchise.
OIVA ERNEST
SALMONSON
May 22, 1941October 15, 2018
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Oiva.
Leaving with loving memories is wife, Jocelyn: daughter Debbie (Calvin), grandsons Michael (Antony) and Jayme, sister Elsie, brothers Ed and Ron; Inlaws Nancy (Karrey), Joan (Roger), Betty (Neil), Rod (Shirley), Adrian (Cheryl) and numerous nieces and nephews. He is especially missed by his four legged pal, Chloe. He was predeceased by his father Kaarlo, mother Edna, and previous wife June Ebert.
Oiva was born in Port Arthur, Ontario. After trade school, he migrated west to join Intercon Pulp on March 1st, 1968. Retirement on March 1, 1999, allowed him to enjoy tinkering in the shop building trailers, boats and whatever struck his fancy. It also allowed time to enjoy hunting, fishing and snowmobiling with Lance & Janette, Dennis & Jan, Richard, Ian, Fred and all the gang at Great Beaver Lake. No funeral service by request.
Mary Alice Lorraine (Likuski) Stever
Lorraine passed away on October 12, 2018 at the age of 79 years. She was born in Hillcrest, Alberta on August 2, 1939 to Henry and Nellie Likuski and grew up on the family farm, “Fir Grove”. Her education started in a one room school house close to home with her high school years in Pincher Creek and Fort McLeod. She had the highest diploma grade in Alberta for English 12. We suspect this led to her insistence on her children’s use of proper grammar. After finishing secretarial school in Calgary, she went on to complete a degree in Education (‘61) at the University of Alberta and taught for several years. She married Hans Ulrich “Ole” Stever on July 13, 1963, and moved to Prince George in 1965 with their young daughter. Five more children followed and Mom was kept busy with our academics, sports and music lessons and the family cabinetry business. Left behind to mourn are Ole, her husband of 55 years, her children Karin (Bruce), Peter (Tammy), Chris (Joyce), Henry (Kelly), Diana and Suzy (Keith), her cherished grandchildren and one beloved great granddaughter, her three brothers Henry (Gayle), Robert (Sita) and Ronald (Joan) and her long-time dear friend Harriet Schroeter. At her request, there will be no funeral; a celebration of her life will be held at Fir Grove next summer.
Nothing loved is ever lost, but is forever in our hearts.
Garry Reginald Anthony McFadden
Sept 4 1947October 5 2018
It is with extremely heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce the very sudden passing of our beloved Garry McFadden. Garry is survived by his loving partner of 22 years Veronica Kueng, sons: Cameron & Brian, daughter, Candace, granddaughter, Sophie, stepdaughters: Pamela (Shawn) & Joanna (Justin). Brother Billy & Numerous Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. Predeceased by his Parents & Sister Beverly. Garry was dearly loved and admired by Veronica beyond words. He was devoted to her and his family as well as to hers and was so proud of his Granddaughter Sophie. He loved spending time on his research of family genealogy and was a huge history buff. He loved to fly and had owned his own airplane for several years. He enjoyed fishing and travelling with Veronica to visit family and old friends. He also had a great passion for his Irish music and sadly never made it to fulfill his lifelong dream of going to Ireland. Garry was proud of his work at Northwood Pulpmill for 32 years as Security/Protection Officer. He also served with the Prince George Ambulance & Fire Department. He made numerous friends along the way and always loved to catch up whenever they would meet. He will always be remembered for his great (though sometimes twisted) sense of humor. He had such a gentle compassionate soul and huge loving heart. A Celebration of Garry’s life will be held at The Elks Hall (Old Moose Hall), 663 Douglas Street, Prince George, on October 20th From 12:00pm until 3:00pm. All are welcome to come and share your stories and memories. Flowers are welcome (his newly found passion) or Donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in his honor are appreciated.
Arthur John Tourand (Art)
Born February 3, 1941October 12, 2018
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Art who fought a courageous battle with Cancer, Art passed away peacefully with family by his side. Art was born in Meadow Lake, Sask to John Edward Tourand and Blanch Cheze. Art worked as a Millwright/Welder at Clear Lake Sawmill until his retirement in 2007.
Predeceased by his wife Hazel of 43 years in 2000. Survived by his wife Jane (Gates) Tourand, Children Peter (Beth), Ralph (Brenda), Wanda (Arnold), Bev (Frank), Jim (Angie), LeahAnne (Rick,) Margarette (Steve), Patricia (Brad), step children Louise (Larry), Al, 12 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, brothers Peter (Frances), Laurence (Sue). We would like to give special thanks to Doctor Burg/Wooldridge and Staff, Palliative Care Team, the Cancer Clinic and a special thanks to the Nurses at UHNBC on the IMU floor for taking care of Art during his final days. Service to be held on Saturday October 20th, 2018 at 1:00pm at Assmans Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers please donate to the PG Cancer Society.
Julia Audrey Serup 16 November 193113 October 2018
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved Mother and Grandmother.
Julia was born in Southampton, England to Hamish and Audrey Reid. As a physiotherapist, she immigrated alone to BC in 1955, working in the Kootenays before moving to Prince George. Julia was predeceased by husband Svend whom she married in 1957. She is survived by: daughter Sheila with Jeff Billinton and children Christian and Fiona; son Paul with Mary Jean and son Isaac; son Neil with Judy and children Kyle, Courtney and Brendan; and son Michael with Hoang Tran. Survived by brother Dr. David Reid and Natalka of St. Andrews, Scotland and sister Mrs. Jane McCormack of Kirkcaldy, Scotland, and their families; and by Svend’s family in BC and Denmark. She was a pioneer in advancing inclusive education for children with disabilities. A writer of letters, she took great interest in local, provincial and national affairs.
All are invited to a service at Westwood MB Church on Thu, Oct 18 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cedars Christian School (https://cedars.bc.ca/ ) or Logos School of English in Cyprus (http://www.logos.ac.cy/ ).
June (Mabel) Barlow
Born July 30,1925 passed away peacefully October 13, 2018. Predeceased by Earl Barlow (husband), James and Hazel Parsons (parents), Ernie Parsons (brother), and Harland Viberg (son in law). Survived by her daughter Sherrie Viberg (Dean), grandchildren Diana (Darren), Darren (Fiona), Carla (Shawn), and 7 great grandchildren. June worked as an executive assistant, for CIBC, Canadian Fishing Company, PG Regional Hospital, Panko Poultry and Surrey Memorial Hospital. She enjoyed antiques, refinishing furniture, decorating and politics. Thank you to Dr Dan York and all the staff at Gateway for their excellent care of June in the last 4 years. No Service by request.
Herb Eckert September 24, 1925October 11, 2018
The family of Herb Eckert is sad to announce that Herb peacefully passed away in his sleep at the age of 93. Herb was born in Morden, Manitoba, one of 12 children to parents Gottlieb and Mathilde. Herb is survived by his daughter Charlotte (Guy) and son Ken (Jan), grandsons Grant (Christine), Chase (Chris) and Blair, great grandchildren Casey, Jacob and Luke. Herb is predeceased by his wife Irene, son Larry and daughter Marilyn. Herb was born with the Eckert family stubborn streak. This determination lead to a successful life. Herb’s greatest loves were his family, logging, farming and a good game of crib.
Herb’s family would like to thank the nurses, care aides and staff at Jubilee Lodge. Your loving care and kindness made his final days comfortable. Thank you Dr. McGlynn and Dr. MacEoin. A special mention to Fil (his right hand), Alice and Gayleen. Your constant care and concern will always be remembered. There will ba a casual celebration of Herb’s life Saturday, October 20 at the Coast Inn of the North, McGregor Room from 1:003:00pm. Please stop in for a coffee and share a story.
With great sadness our beloved daughter Shelly McKinley, born July 1, 1966 passed away on October 11, 2018. She was born in Sussex, NB, brought up in Prince George. She leaves behind her parents Florence and Murice McKinley, her brother Aron McKinley and nieces Breanna Holditch and Riley Williams, aunt and uncle Joan & Wayne Hartman. Also her beloved pets Peanut and Precious. She loved to go fishing, boot scooting with friends and so many other things. She did volunteering with different organizations in PG. A gathering will be held at Handy Circle, 490 Quebec St, PG from 12:00-3:00pm, November 5, 2018. This will be a very informal get together. Shelly was NOT very fond of formal do’s.
JUNE CATHERINE GRINDE
October 6, 1926October 12, 2018
Passed away peacefully in hospital and is predeceased by her husband Lawrence in 2012, two brothers and four sisters. She is survived by her daughters; Sharon (Leonard) Couiyk, Sheila Matte, and Carol (Dale) Wood. June will be remembered by her grandchildren; Clinton (Devon), Lawrence, Aaron, Sara, Christen (Tristen) and Dean (Jennifer), great grandchildren; Shine, Caileb, Skyler, Everley, Kassidy, Kyle, Keirsten, Kalia, Avery, Greyson, Adrianna and Rylan. She is also survived by her brothers; Harry, John and Jim, A funeral service for June will be held on Monday October 22, 2018 at 1:00 pm at Assman’s Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rotary Hospice House or your choice of charity. Forever in Our Hearts Rest in Peace
Obituaries
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OTTAWA —
The markets today
TORONTO (CP) — North American markets fell again Thursday with Canada’s main stock index posting its ninth down day in October as its value is down seven per cent from its July peak. Concerns about a trade war with China, an incident involving the suspected murder of a Saudi journalist and the lowest crude oil prices in five weeks all coloured the day’s stock performance, especially in the U.S., said Les Stelmach, senior vicepresident and portfolio manager at Franklin Bissett Investment Management.
In Canada, the widening differential in the price of all grades of crude but particularly the Western Canadian Select heavy grade hampered energy stocks.
“It’s kind of a defensive day today,” he said in an interview, pointing to gold, telecommunications and utilities being the only sectors to end in positive territory in Canada. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 125.77 points to 15,404.13, after hitting a low of 15,380.70 with 269 million shares traded.
Most cannabis stocks again posted losses, on the second day of the drug’s legalization for recreational use.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 327.23 points at 25,379.45.
The Canadian dollar traded at an average of 76.59 cents US compared with an average of 76.96 cents US on Wednesday.
The December crude oil contract was down 99 cents at US$68.71 per barrel.
CP Rail posts record revenues
news service CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says it earned the highest adjusted per-share profits and revenues of its 137-year history last quarter, helping the country’s second largest railroad to overcome the impact earlier this year from service interruptions tied to labour action.
The Calgary-based railway earned $622 million or $4.35 per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with $510 million or 3.50 per share for the same period a year earlier. Its
operating income hit $790 million, a 27 per cent year-over-year increase.
Adjusted earnings rose to $589 million or a record $4.12 per diluted share, two cents better than it forecast earlier this month. The earnings marked a 42 per cent leap from $2.90 per share or $422 million a year earlier, beating the expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters Eikon.
The quarter showed the success of the railway’s operating model, said CEO Keith Creel. “It was a record by almost every measure
and sets us up well for the remainder of the year and beyond.”
Third-quarter revenues grew 19 per cent to $1.9 billion from $1.6 billion. It was led by a 58 per cent growth in currency adjusted revenues for energy, chemicals and plastics, 24 per cent higher revenues from potash, 20 per cent in automotive, 18 per cent in intermodal, 12 per cent in forest products, seven per cent grain, five per cent metals, minerals, consumer, four per cent coal and two per cent fertilizers and sulphur. The company is also reporting
a record-low quarterly operating ratio, which measures its efficiency, of 58.3 per cent, compared with 61 per cent a year earlier.
Creel said the company foresees continued and sustainable growth across all lines of business. “We have the foundational underpinnings, and the room to grow, in the weeks, months and years ahead,” he said in a news release.
CP Rail says it expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to grow more than 20 per cent this year, up from an earlier guidance of low double-digit growth.
Locking in mortgage could save you money
OTTAWA (CP) — Homeowners with variable-rate mortgages have seen their rates go up over the past year as the Bank of Canada has raised its key interest rate target four times. And now, with economists expecting the central bank to hike its target interest rate again next week, those who have continued
to stick with the variable-rate option may again be thinking about converting to a fixed-rate mortgage.
Scott Evans, a financial planner at BlueShore Financial in North Vancouver, says you should ask yourself why you decided to choose a variable-rate mortgage in the first place and if anything has changed. The Bank of Canada has raised its key interest rate target by a quarter of a percentage point four times since July 2017, increasing it by a total of one percentage point to 1.5 per cent.
Those moves by the central bank have prompted the country’s big banks to raise their prime lending rates, taking the amount charged on variable-rate mortgages higher.
Omar Abouzaher, regional vicepresident at Bank of Montreal, says the majority of the bank’s customers go for fixed-rate mortgages, opting for the certainty they provide over the term of the loan.
A Canadian Pacific Railway employee walks along the side of a locomotive in a marshalling yard in Calgary.
There’s a ruby-coloured reason this fruit dessert is so very saucy
Ellie KRIEGER Citizen news service
Simmering port wine with orange, cinnamon and honey into a luxuriously syrupy sauce is just the thing to tame a medley of crisp fall fruit into an elegant dessert. Be sure to use a ruby port, as opposed to a tawny, because the sweetness of the former is essential for the accompanying recipe.
Once the plush purple liquid is boiled down, you cook the fruit –first the apples and grapes, which take a little longer to soften, then the pears. In just a few minutes, the fruit yields to the warmth, its cool crunch relaxes, and it becomes tender while the fruit also absorbs the liquid’s flavour and colour and releases its own juices into the mix.
The fruit and sauce can be served warm or chilled, on its own or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. But my personal favourite way to enjoy it happens to also be the most healthful: over a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
Fall fruit with port wine sauce
4 servings Be sure to use the sweeter ruby port, as opposed to a tawny. Make ahead: The fruit and sauce can be refrigerated for up to three days.
Ingredients
1 orange 1 cup ruby port (see headnote)
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon honey
1 or 2 apples, such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, each cut lengthwise in half 1 or 2 firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 cup)
Steps Use a vegetable peeler to strip off one 2-inch long by 1/2-inch wide strip of the orange peel, being careful not to include any of the white pith.
Juice enough of the orange to yield two tablespoons of juice and reserve the rest of the orange for
another use.
Place the strip of orange peel and two tablespoons juice in a medium saucepan along with the port, cinnamon stick and honey and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the honey.
Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup. Discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
Stir in the apple and grapes, return to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the pear; cook for two minutes, until all the fruit has softened slightly but still retains its shape.
Let it steep for five minutes. Serve warm, or refrigerate until well chilled.
Nutrition per serving: 160 calories, 0 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fibre, 19 g sugar. Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author who hosts public television’s Ellie’s Real Good Food.
Fall fruit with port wine sauce, shown here chilled with Greek yogurt.
