Prince George Citizen October 30, 2018

Bus company offers service to Langley

Mark

NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca

A fledgling bus company is working to get a route between Prince George and Langley on the road.

Merritt Shuttle Bus Services Ltd. is among a half-dozen applicants to have won Passenger Transportation Board permission to run long-haul services across B.C. through an expedited process as Greyhound Canada pulls out of Western Canada at the end of the month.

With the go-ahead granted Friday, MSBS co-owner Gene Field said he and his partner and their spouses are working quickly to get everything in place by Nov. 21, the date the company must have at least two buses on the road under the PTB’s terms and conditions.

The company won permission to run eight 22-passenger shuttle-sized buses along four routes centred on Merritt but also serving Prince George, Langley, Kamloops and Kelowna. Frequency of service along those routes must be at least three round trips a week.

MSBS also won permission to run four 48-passenger buses twice a day between the Highland Valley Copper Mine and Merritt and Kamloops.

Field said he expects the inter-community services to get going first because there is a deadline on an offer he has made to purchase the shuttle buses for those routes while he has more time to purchase the school buses the company will use to serve the routes to the mine.

The service to Langley would be via Spences Bridge, meaning it will take a full day to make the trip but customers will pay

a significantly lower fare than Greyhound charged, said Field, although exact price points are still to be worked out.

An online reservation system with schedules must be up and running by Nov. 7 to enable advance bookings.

Field said he and his partners want to make a decent living from their venture but not much more.

“We’re also very religious and we kind of said to God, we’re not doing this to make money, we’re doing this to provide a service and we know that because of that, what you put out in the universe comes back 10-fold,” he said.

Neither Field, who is the operations director, nor partner David Brule, who is the marketing director, have previous experience in operating bus services. Their backgrounds include experience in the military, security and retailing.

But Field said they will be hiring drivers with experience in trucking and bus driving and will be paying them as well as Greyhound was paying. In a licence application decision, PTB found Field and Brule have the “requisite knowledge and transferable skills and experience” to capably manage the venture.

Between BC Bus North, through which Pacific Western provides service across northern B.C. under a one-year contract with the provincial government, and the six new licencees, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevena said private operators now cover 83 per cent of the routes Greyhound served.

She said the PTB is still welcoming applications for eight routes including KamloopsValemount, Dawson Creek-B.C./Alberta border, Valemount-B.C./Alberta border and Fort Nelson-Yukon/B.C. border.

Haunted Maze spooky family fun

Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca

It wasn’t so scary to be caught in the Haunted Maze Sunday afternoon at the 4-H Barn on the exhibition grounds.

But that’s because it was the kid-friendly version of the popular event that’s quickly becoming a Halloween tradition with a philanthropic twist as entry is by donation of either cash donated to Prince George Search and Rescue or non-perishable food items donated to St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Hosted by a group of friends who started the event in a backyard three years ago and saw 2,000 people attend over the twonight event, more than 800 people went through the family-friendly maze Sunday and it looked like about the same number would come through again this week.

“The kids really enjoyed it and we added a scavenger hunt to the event so children had to search for certain characters and get their sheet stamped so it was a bit more fun for them this year,” Jackie Bennett, one of the organizers, said.

Dancing in place while waiting in the lineup to see Frankenstein was Matt

Hutcheon and Jennifer Cole with daughter Erica, who’s seven years old. The family attended the event for the first time and enjoyed themselves.

“It was awesome,” Erica said. Jennifer couldn’t help but catch the snazzy beat of the Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Time Warp and said it was the perfect maze for families.

“It was nice to have a kid-friendly event – and an adult-who-doesn’t-like-to-bescared version,” Jennifer laughed while Matt called it like he saw it.

“It’s for chickens!” Matt grinned.

“The music was super fun and it’s fantastic to see the turnout from community – that’s really great, too. There was quite a lineup and that says the community is supporting all the hard work the organizers have done.”

Sundays were reserved for families but the scare factor, experienced by thousands of Prince George residents, was jacked up a notch during the earlier evenings for the past two Fridays and Saturdays and then to full throttle fear later on during those same evenings.

There’s still a chance to get completely terrified on Wednesday from 7 to 10:30 p.m.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY CHRISTINE HINZMANN Jennifer Cole, with daughter Erica, 7, and Erica’s dad, Matt Hutcheon, posed for a photo with Frankenstein during the Haunted Maze held in the 4-H Barn on the exhibition grounds.

Recycling tricks for Halloween treats

Citizen staff

REAPS has a great tip about candy wrappers, just in time for Halloween.

Recycling candy wrappers is now a thing.

Plastic wrappers for candy and candy bars can be returned to a depot, according to a recent Facebook post by the Recycling & Environmental Action Planning Society of Prince George.

Start collecting those wrappers in a bag now and when it’s full, return it to a participating Recycle BC Depot or London Drugs.

And don’t forget the Rotten Pumpkin Festival (weather permitting) at The Exploration Place taking place Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m.

This is one way to send those pumpkins to the compost pile in style.

The Exploration Place hosts this annual event where they catapult pumpkins across the parking lot.

The cost is $2 per pumpkin and people can buy a hot dog and drink while waiting for their pumpkin’s end. Funds raised will go to The Exploration Place programming.

The parking lot will be closed all day for event preparation and clean up.

Prince George provincial court docket

From Prince George provincial court, Oct. 22-26, 2018:

• Bradley James Lorne Burke (born 1977) was sentenced to 30 and 19 days in jail, prohibited from driving for three years and one year respectively and fined a total of $1,000 plus $300 in victim surcharges for two counts of driving while driver’s licence is suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act and to seven days in jail for failing to appear in court. Burke was in custody for six days prior to sentencing.

• Joseph Patrick Courtoreille (born 1990) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for assault and forcible confinement, committed in Chetwynd, to 15 days in jail for assault, committed in Prince George and to seven days in jail for failing to appear in court, committed in Chetwynd and breaching an undertaking, committed in Prince George. Courtoreille was also sentenced to one year probation, issued a five-year firearms prohibition and assessed $500 in victim surcharges. Courtoreille was in custody for 17 days prior to sentencing.

• Clint Harrison Gait (born 1988) was sentenced to 27 days in jail and assessed $200 in victim surcharges for willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer and possessing a

weapon for dangerous purpose. Gait was in custody for two days prior to sentencing.

• Ian Benjamin Clark (born 1985) was sentenced to 18 months probation, prohibited from driving for three years and assessed $500 in victim surcharges for dangerous driving under the Criminal Code, driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act, flight from a peace officer and two counts of possession of stolen property under $5,000. Clark was in custody for 181 days prior to sentencing.

• Stanley Eugene Haupt (born 1986) was prohibited from driving for one year and fined $1,000 plus a $300 victim surcharge for failure or refusal to provide a breath sample.

• Kapal Dev Kaushal (born 1958) was sentenced to one year probation and assessed a $200 victim surcharge for trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Thomas Edward Mayhew (born 1988) was sentenced to one year probation and assessed $500 in victim surcharges for assault, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm and failing to appear in court. Mayhew was in custody for 10 days prior to sentencing.

• Catherine Stephanie Wilson (born 1989) was sentenced to zero days in jail for theft

$5,000 or under.

• Trevor John Cowell (born 1985) was sentenced to two years probation, issued a 10-year firearms prohibition and assessed $400 in victim surcharges for criminal harassment and two counts of breaching an undertaking or recognizance, all committed in Mackenzie. Cowell was in custody for 85 days prior to sentencing.

• Levi Dustin Hawryluk (born 1987) was assessed $300 in victim surcharges for theft $5,000 or under, failing to appear in court and breaching a recognizance. Hawryluk was in custody for 18 days prior to sentencing.

• Timothy James Leslie Collicutt (born 1990) was sentenced to 19 days in jail and assessed $600 in victim surcharges for three counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, committed in Valemount. Collicutt was in custody for 86 days prior to sentencing.

• Justin Gary Dionne (born 1979) was prohibited from driving for two years and fined $500 for driving while prohibited or licence suspended under the Motor Vehicle Act, to one year probation for possession of

stolen property under $5,000 and to one day in jail for breaching probation. Dionne was also assessed $475 in victim surcharges on the counts plus two counts of breaching a recognizance or undertaking. Dionne was in custody for 10 days prior to sentencing.

• Edgar Cameron Davis (born 1975) was sentenced to two years probation, issued a three-year firearms prohibition and assessed $500 in victim surcharges for two counts of assault and three counts of breaching an undertaking or recognizance. Davis spent a total of 79 days in custody prior to sentencing.

• Maria Antonia Felix (born 1994) was sentenced to a 45-day conditional sentence order and 320 days probation and assessed $400 victim surcharge for assault with a weapon, assault, uttering threats, committed in Smithers, and willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, committed in Prince George. Felix spent a total of four days in custody on the charges prior to sentencing.

• Vernon Junior Tom (born 1996) was assessed $200 in victim surcharges for two counts of breaching a recognizance or undertaking. Tom was in custody for four days prior to sentencing.

Children trick-or-treat in Ottawa on Halloween in 2016. Coming home with a bag full of Halloween goodies also means a bag full of discarded wrappers which can be recycled by dropping them off at participating Recycle BC Depots and London Drugs locations.

Mellencamp sideman happy out of the limelight

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

When John Mellencamp wanted to R-O-C-K in the U-S-A, he called on Mike Wanchic to join him. Since 1976, Mellencamp and Wanchic have been hitting the same notes. Each single and each album that sank into obscurity or erupted like a songcano, they did it together. Wanchic has been Mellecamp’s chief guitar player for the past 40 years, sometimes also working as Mellencamp’s backup vocalist, keyboard player, mixer, producer and always acting as his friend.

They were a perfect combination, Wanchic told The Citizen, because Mellencamp was a born frontman, an old fashioned rock star, meanwhile Wanchic loved to walk right beside that kind of persona and never cut in on the spotlight.

“I never had a desire to have my ass to the band, as they say,” said the consummate sideman. He and Mellencamp have raised their kids together, shared their highest triumphs and deepest tragedies, both personal and professional.

They also share a sense of humour. Wanchic joked that his contract with his Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame boss was front-loaded. “I charge for the 22 hours I’m not on stage. I play for free.”

was the legendary Bruce Allen who set him up alongside mega-producer Bob Rock in Gastown’s iconic sound factory The Warehouse.

“Once you’re in the room with them, they are all, from Dylan on down, just guys. All that mystique falls away,” he said. “Some of the best musicians I’ve ever met in my life are completely unknown, will always be unknown, have no desire to be known. Success is not the mark that you’re the best. It just means you were lucky.”

His combination of humility and depth of experience gets him called in as a guest lecturer on a semiregular basis at the University of Indiana. His advice isn’t always rosy to the aspiring performers, but it is always rooted in truths he has gathered from the very best.

“I tell new artists these days to draw a circle 100 miles around your house, and 200 miles around your house, and go pump it full of you,” he said. “Do everything you can to try to create that buzz. What else are you going to do? Record companies don’t send A&R guys out there anymore to seek out talent. Now they wait until the internet hits on the next thing.”

Some of the best musicians I’ve ever met in my life are completely unknown, will always be unknown, have no desire to be known. Success is not the mark that you’re the best. It just means you were lucky.

Playing music is what he does all day long, and most of the night, throughout most of his life. There’s a big difference between working over an instrument to make songs leap out into the world and do that on stage in front of a human mass. They are almost different ways of life, he said, and he gets to fully enjoy both, since he is privileged to have access to some of the world’s best recording studios and also gets to stand on some of the world’s most exhilarating stages.

“A lot of it has to do with me watching crowds,” he said about what feels the most fun for him. “It’s really easy to forget how important music is to people, easy to become complacent. I recall one time long ago I was leaving a stage and some dude, a motorcycletype dude, comes up and says (dropping his voice to mimic the big, manly fan) ‘hey man, I just wanna tell ya, ummm, I had a gun to my own head last week and then Check It Out came on, and I took the gun down from my head.’ You’ve got to remember, this stuff is important to people, and music is important to me. My life is marked – as yours is, as time is – by music. There’s an obligation that success brings that you’ve got to respect your audience, respect that these things have life well beyond me going up and playing them on stage. They may be tiresome to me, but they are not to the people who are hearing it.” Wanchic has enjoyed these perspectives from a number of musical mountains. In addition to his life’s work with Mellencamp, who is renowned for diversity and breadth in his creative history, there have been scores of other artists who have called him into service. Sometimes it’s as a session player, and sometimes it’s to produce entire albums.

One of the pinnacle memories in that additional aspect of his career was when Bob Dylan called on him to make some music together.

“Uhhh would you repeat that one more time,” Wanchic told the liaison, who was asking if he would be available. “So, dreams do come true.”

So many others have put in the same call. Wanchic has played with a lot of the most notable musicians in the industry, and he has been hired to guide the recording sessions and mix-downs of everyone from The Black Crowes to Willie Nelson, James McMurtry to Deborah Vial’s project AstroGin, to Vancouver’s heavy metal crew Noise Therapy when his manager

— Mike Wanchic

It’s not a cynical point of view, however. Despite the collapse of the music industry status quo, he gets excited about modern sounds.

“These days there is so little emphasis on musicianship,” he said. “It is so easy to just sample, cutpaste, and create a track that has no real life. But I am seeing the reemergence of real players in the Steven Young Band, Kings of Leon, Cage The Elephant, bands in their 20s and 30s. I think there’s a real renaissance of real players and I’m very hopeful.”

Two of the younger artists he once took under his wing were right here in B.C. In 1991 he produced the self-titled debut album by Vancouver Island’s Sue Medley and in 1994 he helmed the recording of Patricia Conroy’s breakthrough album You Can’t Resist.

“I had more fun making that record than just about any record I’ve ever made,” he remembered. “For the Conroy sessions I hired the best Nashville players and I hired the best rock players, and I put the two together. And they were all totally geekin’ over each other. I put this hybrid band together and the songs were great. I still listen to it once in awhile and think goddam, that was one of the best records I ever made.

“The Medley sessions were interesting because we hired The Goners which was a session band from Louisiana that was working with John Hiatt at the time. The guitarist was one of my heroes, Sonny Landreth, in my opinion the greatest slide guitar player alive. I was a total geek for this guy.”

Both those albums won major awards and set the tone for their careers after that.

The album he is most concerned with these days is Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, the latest package by his troubadour brother John Mellencamp. They will be at CN Centre on Sunday night. Tickets are available at the box office or online at ticketsnorth.com.

Former local musician wins Newfoundland music awards

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff

A Prince George expatriate just got honoured in Newfoundland and Labrador for doing what they do best in that province.

Josh Sandu took home the hardware for that other thing they rock on The Rock. He is one half of the duo Rube & Rake who were shortlisted in two categories at the MusicNL extravaganza. They were up for Folk/Roots Artist of the Year and Rising Star of the Year, and they won both categories.

Rube & Rake is a collaboration between Sandu and Andrew Laite. Their duo is now five years old, based in St. John’s.

“Often described as a darker Simon & Garfunkel, Rube & Rake’s performances engage audiences with a mixture of stories, intricate guitar work, and rich vocal harmonies,” said MusicNL in their description of the act. “Their music is an exercise in creating something beyond the sum of their parts.”

It’s a complex calculation indeed, when you consider Rube & Rake won the Folk/Roots category up against some of the genre’s best-known artists like Rum Ragged (one of the Coldsnap headliners last year) and The Ennis Sisters (they have three CCMA nominations, a collaboration with The Chieftains and a Juno Award under their belt), Dave Whitty, Quote The Raven and LeRiche.

Sandu was the only one involved in these collective acts who wasn’t raised on the east coast.

In the category dedicated to new talent, Rube & Rake was nominated with LeRiche again, and also Property,Carolina East, Mallory Johnson, and Weary. The Rube & Rake debut album Back And Forth, which includes some artistic musings on the Canadian distances, prevailed for the trophy. Sandu moved to Newfoundland & Labrador to attend the music program at Memorial University. He stayed and descended into the famously ample music scene in that Atlantic province.

“I feel like a Newfoundlander now,” he said. “I don’t really know what that means in actual terms, but I know I say car and bar a bit different now – caaerrr and baaerrr. I have some cod in the fridge, so that changed.”

The Rube & Rake album speaks at least subliminally to that transition from Canada west to Canada east.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but when you look back when its done, homesickness was a subtle common thread, and I was fortunate that it was a strong enough emotion and I had the tools and the good company to be able to talk about it,”

he said.

The public reaction has been strong and positive. Rube & Rake is so well known on the island that they’ve had to carefully ration their concert appearances so as not to saturate their own home market. Instead, the two of them gathered three friends into a fivepiece cover band to play whenever and wherever possible in order to keep their musical muscles exercised.

Winning these two awards means their profile is going to grow, which Sandu hopes will translate into more nationwide performing. They have a goal of playing at least 150 concerts per year. Getting the attention of tour promoters and festival organizers is helped by having these two trophies as affirmation.

The awards event was held in the picturesque outport town of Twillingate, about five hours’ drive from St. John’s, located about in the mid-point of The Rock’s east coast. Sandu said the event was worth it just to spend time in that beguiling place and hearing their band’s name called out twice was admittedly surreal, but true to the nature of Newfoundland & Labrador, the best part of all was the sociability of it.

“The most fun was hanging out with all these other musicians,” he said. “You’re always doing your own thing, and you sometimes cross paths, but this was a time when everyone got to be together and hang out.”

Some of them even knew where he was from.

“I’ve met a number of Newfoundland acts that have played in Prince George over the years,” Sandu said. “One guy told me he got punched in the face by a girl at a bar in Prince George. I told him yeah, that was my sister.” He hasn’t been back to perform for his sister, family and friends since 2014. Rube & Rake have a followup album in the early stages of preparation, but he hopes to be back this Christmas to at least perform a bit on his own to stoke those home fires again.

Perhaps some of those feelings of hometown affinity will marinate into the next album as they so successfully did on their awardwinning debut.

Mike Wanchic, right, performs with John Mellencamp and the rest of the band at the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest in Ottawa in 2012.

Fitness challenge raises cash for Alzheimer Society

Christine HINZMANN Citizen staff chinzmann@pgcitizen.ca

After experiencing a catastrophic brain injury that kept him in hospital for a year in 2001, a personal fitness trainer knew giving back to the community by fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Society would help others who are at risk of developing a form of dementia in their lifetime.

“I’ve always been an advocate of brain health, coming from that,” Jason Keller of Fit as a Fighter said.

“And I’m not one of those people to sit around and wait. My idea was to create a small fundraiser and it turned out really, really well.”

Knowing he had a greater chance of developing dementia due to his injured brain and prompted by a family member’s recent diagnosis of early onset dementia, the now 35-year-old Keller set his mind on raising at least $5,000 during a fundraiser where he challenged the fitness community of Prince George to push-up, burpee, sit-up, crunch and squat their way to raising a buck for each one they did.

The biggest fundraisers got a championship belt, just as if they won a fight, Keller laughed.

Keller said he knows very well that exercise can help, delay or offset Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and prevent further deterioration to the brain and that’s why he chose to do a fitness based fundraiser.

The main part of the fundraiser called

There were teams of participants as well as individuals and Keller personally wanted to do 1,000 push-ups, lost a bit of steam at 680 and finished by doing squats, raising $1,150 himself.

Fitness for Alzheimer’s took place during the annual Healthier You Expo, presented in partnership with the Prince George Citizen, MLA Shirley Bond, the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society and the College of New Caledonia, where the event took place recently.

Instead of raising $5,000, Keller raised much more.

“To be able to give more than $20,000 to the B.C. Alzheimer Society was amazing,” he said.

“The Alzheimer Society of B.C. is so grateful to Jason Keller and his team for their support of people affected by dementia across the province,” Laurie De Croos, of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., said. “We are grateful for the sizable donation raised by Fitness for Alzheimer’s. These funds help support us to meet the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers through programs like our educational workshops, support

groups, and Minds in Motion. Activities like Fitness for Alzheimer’s demonstrate how little actions can add up to create more dementia-friendly communities for all, in both Prince George and across B.C.”

There were teams of participants as well as individuals and Keller personally wanted to do 1,000 push-ups, lost a bit of steam at 680 and finished by doing squats, raising $1,150 himself.

“I never take a step backwards so next year it’s got to be the same or better,” Keller said. “So I would like to see people be there all day – kind of like the example of Relay for Life.”

The Relay for Life is an annual Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser that sees Prince George people participating in Canada’s only 24-hour relay, where team members take turns walking round the clock.

Keller doesn’t want to do something that extreme but he’d certainly like the event to take place throughout the entire Healthier You Expo, which traditionally runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The goal for next year now that I’ve seen how good we did this year and how much fun people had is to make it even bigger,” Keller said.

“I’m really thankful everything worked out the way it did and I’m looking forward to next year. People kept saying I should be really proud of myself but I am really proud of my community for what they came together and did. It’s such a great thing.”

Mural planned for city parkade

Frank PEEBLES Citizen staff fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca

Work is underway to install the long anticipated mural on the parkade at Fifth Avenue and Queensway.

The call was issued by the City of Prince George in July for expressions of interest from artists of the region. The winning proposal would be installed on the prominent northeast wall.

“That work has begun,” said City spokesperson Michael Kellett on Monday.

“The successful artist is Facundo Gastiazoro from Smithers. His design

has been painted on panels and is being attached to the building. The work is expected to be fully installed by Wednesday.”

“The goal of the commissioned artwork is to beautify the community while conveying the positive spirit of Prince George and Northern B.C.,” said Doug Hofstede, community coordinator with the City of Prince George.

“The artwork will most often be seen by passing motorists.”

The mural is sponsored by the BC Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB) and is meant as a gift to Prince George to mark the BCNREB’s 50th anniversary.

The board is a non-profit association of more than 360 members that serves the real estate needs of northern B.C.

“The members of the BC Northern Real Estate Board are excited to be working with the City of Prince George on this project,” says Board Vice President Leah Mayer.

“We feel privileged for the opportunity to assist a local artist in bringing to life a work that we hope will delight the community.”

Submissions were adjudicated by a team consisting of members of the BCNREB, the city’s Public Art Advisory Group, and city staff.

Man arrested near elementary school

Citizen staff

A potentially dangerous man was put in custody Thursday morning with help from some alert school kids.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m., police were called to a report of a man kneeling down in the bushes near Harwin Elementary School and holding what appeared to be a firearm.

The man had gone by the time police arrived but RCMP later found someone who matched the description, Cpl. Craig Douglass said. It turned out he was carrying the stock of a crossbow but police also found some knives on him, and he was arrested on suspicion of breaching his conditions.

“Give them credit,” Douglass said of the students. “They went to a supervisor as soon as they saw it, so it worked out well.”

Charges against the man had not yet been formally approved as of Monday.

Puppies rescued after being stranded for days on cliff

Citizen news service

MISSION — Two St. Bernard-cross puppies rescued Sunday after being stranded for days on a cliff east of Vancouver are “bouncy” and “adorable,” said a British Columbia SPCA official.

Krista Shaw, the interim manager of the SPCA shelter in Maple Ridge, said the pups snuggled right in after spending about four days stranded on the cliffside.

“I think they were very happy to have been inside last night,” she said of the 16-week-old female puppies now named Duchess and Francine.

“Originally, it was Duchess and King, and then we realized King was actually a female. So, Francine.”

The puppies were picked up Sunday by members of Mission Search and Rescue, who stepped in after learning that a group of civilians intended to try to reach the dogs on the steep terrain in a rural part of Mission.

Area resident Emma Wilfert sparked the search after hearing the pups howling for several days in the bush behind her home.

Searchers were uncertain of what they would find as they approached the cliff but say the enthusiastic puppies literally rolled into their outstretched jackets and curled up while they were carried to safety.

Veterinarian Adrian Walton examined the hungry pair at the staging area as they were brought in and declared them in good shape despite their ordeal. He also noted the dogs’ nails had been trimmed suggesting recent human care.

“The puppies are fine, a little underweight, but otherwise doing OK,” he said in a Facebook post.

“They’re technically wolves and they can go a prolonged period of time without food, that’s actually a normal component for them as their parents are hunting, so they are OK to go that long, but they were on the thin side,” Walton said in an interview.

During the four days she heard the puppy’s cries, Wilfert said efforts had been made to find the owner, but without success.

“We’ve looked on a lot of the missing pets pages and nobody seems to have reported them,” she said.

Duchess and Francine will remain at the Maple Ridge SPCA shelter until a four-day stray hold expires, Shaw said.

If the owner comes forward questions could be asked about how the dogs ended up on the cliff face, but if the pups are not claimed, Shaw said they would be treated as abandoned and put up for adoption.

An extra-comfy kennel is the interim home for the puppies over the next several days said Shaw, calling it the “royal puppy suite.”

Walton, meanwhile, said all the credit should go to the team that carried the puppies to safety, offering a thank you to Mission Search and Rescue for plucking the pups from cliff.

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Personal trainer Jason Keller, centre, presented Sandra Meehan and Laurie De Croos of the Alzheimer Society with

$20,00 he raised during a fundraiser fitness challenge.

Canadian Jewish community mourns shooting victims

Giuseppe VALIANTE Citizen news service

MONTREAL — Rabbi Reuben Joshua Poupko looked at the hundreds gathered in his Montreal synagogue Monday night and told the crowd it often doesn’t make sense why the world is filled with such hatred toward Jews.

Poupko is originally from Pittsburgh – the city where 11 Jews were shot dead over the weekend at the Tree of Life Synagogue – and he cried when he said his late father used to be a rabbi in that city for 60 years.

When hateful people imagine “the other,” Poupko said, “they imagine me and you –they imagine the Jew. It makes no sense.”

Surrounded by a heavy presence of police cruisers and security guards, members of Montreal’s Jewish community, politicians and other mourners gathered at Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue to remember those killed during a Sabbath service.

“This is the most important statement,” Poupko said in an interview before the ceremony, acknowledging the size of the crowd. “There are members of all communities here. The Jewish community doesn’t stand alone and it doesn’t grieve alone. The pain is shared by many.”

Brenda Gewurz and her husband, Samuel, were on the balcony overlooking the main prayer hall.

“Montreal is a very close-knit Jewish community and we stand in support of our communities across the world,” she said.

“It’s a very sad day and I think it’s important that we acknowledge the sadness.”

Meanwhile, Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square was crowded Monday night with members of the Jewish community who held candles as they sang traditional songs “Lo Yisa Goy” and “Kol Haolam Kulo,” and later stood for a moment of silence.

Among those gathered there were 20 family members of Joyce Fienberg, a 75-yearold who died in the shooting and had previously lived in Toronto.

Fienberg’s cousin Judy Winberg led the crowd with a prayer that began with “grant us peace, your most precious gift.”

It was enough to bring Rachel Cohen to tears and hug her seven-year-old son, standing beside her, a little tighter.

“I can’t even imagine what that family

has been feeling since they lost their loved one in Pittsburgh,” she said. “I’ve just been thinking that can happen here and we need to stand strong and support each other.”

Sara Lefton, the vice-president of philanthropy at vigil organizer the United Jewish Appeal Federation, said amid tragedy, events like vigil are crucial because those killed in Pittsburgh were “singled out for being Jewish.”

“It’s so important at a time like this for the broader community to come together and recognize that we have to fight back against hate and stand together at a time of difficulty like this.”

Earlier on Monday, leaders of a mosque in Quebec City that was the site of a 2017 mass murder carried out by a lone gunman sent condolences to Pittsburgh’s synagogue.

“It reminds us of the difficult moments we went through, and it brings back some of that worry,” Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec co-founder Boufeldja Benabdallah said in an interview Monday.

The January 2017 attack at the mosque killed six worshippers and injured 19 others.

In a statement, the centre’s board decried “the madness of men” that “struck our Jewish neighbours of Pittsburgh... who were only praying in a sacred and untouchable place... Today we understand very well the pain that Jewish families feel, and we are wholeheartedly with them.”

In the months since the attack, Benabdallah said, a new reality has set in at the mosque. Open doors have given way to concrete barriers near the front door, magnetized locks and security cameras.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday in the House of Commons that Canadians are “horrified” by the Pittsburgh attack.

“Our hearts are with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and across Canada,” he said. “May the families of those murdered be comforted and may the injured recover quickly and fully. We’re working with U.S. authorities and ready to assist if required.”

Monday’s vigils follow similar gatherings Sunday in Halifax, Vancouver and Ottawa. More events are planned Tuesday in Winnipeg and Hamilton, Ont. — With files from Tara Deschamps in Toronto.

Gov’t introduces pay-equity legislation

OTTAWA — The Liberal government introduced long-awaited pay-equity legislation Monday for federally regulated workers.

Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said the proposed proactive pay legislation is intended to close the gender wage gap and make sure everyone has a fair chance at success.

In 2017, Canadian women earned 88.5 cents for every dollar a man earned, as measured in hourly wages for full-

time workers, according to government figures.

Under the proposed legislation, employers would need to examine their compensation practices and ensure women and men in workplaces that fall under federal jurisdiction receive equal pay for work of equal value. It would apply to all federally regulated employers with 10 or more workers. That includes private-sector companies such as banks and railways, the federal public service, parliamentary workplaces, and the offices of the prime minister and other ministers.

Mother reunited with son who went missing 31 years ago

Citizen news service

TORONTO — A Toronto-area mother who spent three anguished decades wondering whether her son was alive or dead said their recent, happy reunion should offer hope to other families grappling with the pain of missing a child.

Lyneth Mann-Lewis said the story-book ending to her long, painful tale of separation offers proof that even circumstances that seem hopeless can turn around unexpectedly.

The Brampton, Ont., mother spoke publicly Monday after returning from an emotional reunion with a son who was allegedly abducted by his father 31 years ago, raised under an assumed name and told his mother was dead.

While tearfully recounting the reunion, which gave her the chance to cuddle and cook for her son for the first time in decades, Mann-Lewis said she also thought of others whose children are still missing.

“I am the proof that after 31 long years of suffering, one should never give up,” she said at a Monday afternoon news conference.

“Be patient, be strong, and believe that all things are possible and that anything can transpire.”

The saga for mother and child began in 1987 during a visit between 21-month-old Jermaine Mann and his father, Allan Mann Jr.

Toronto police allege Mann Jr. abducted his son during that visit and fled to the United States, where he established false identities for them both.

Toronto police Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks offered few details of the father and son’s years in the U.S., other than to say that Mann Jr. engaged in alleged criminal activity from the time of his arrival and created a deceitful existence for Jermaine.

“They lived, basically, a life of lies as to who they were and what they did, unbeknownst to Jermaine,” Banks said.

“He was under the impression that his mother had died shortly after birth.”

Mann-Lewis contacted both Toronto police and the Missing Children Society of Canada in hopes of finding her son, launching multi-decade investigations in both agencies.

Banks said the case went cold until 2016 when the force’s fugitive squad co-hosted an annual training session for forces around the world.

The Mann case was publicly discussed at the session, he said, prompting a collaboration between Toronto police and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Banks did not offer particulars of the American investigation, but said it led to the arrest of Allan Mann Jr. on Friday. He said officials used facial recognition technology to identify him, but declined to share the name the accused had been using in the U.S. Banks said Mann Jr. is currently facing multiple criminal charges south of the border, but will be extradited to Canada to face one count of abduction in his son’s disappearance.

After decades of waiting, Mann-Lewis said in many ways the last few hours before seeing her son again were the worst.

Flanked by officials with the Missing Children Society, she said she agonized over the pending reunion, especially after her original flight to Connecticut was cancelled and the party had to catch a later flight.

Once she got there, she said, she was able to revel in the reality of touching her son again, adding he seemed quick to make connections of his own.

“‘Oh, mommy, you have my eyes,”’ she said of his first words to her. “He hugged me and he kissed me and we held there for a long time.”

Mann-Lewis said she then took great pleasure in cooking for her son, adding he broke his usual vegetarian lifestyle to eat the chicken she prepared without knowing his dietary preference.

She declined to say whether her son will readopt the name Jermaine or use the one he’s known his whole life, adding she would respect his choice either way.

She said her son has had a chance to speak by phone to his half-brother, MannLewis’ child by another marriage.

Amanda Pick of the Missing Children Society said the reunion marks the culmination of a case that preoccupied investigators for decades.

She had praise for officials who waded through hundreds of tips and interviews over the years, as well as for Mann-Lewis and her relatives.

“Lyneth and her family have been a tower of strength and perseverance throughout the investigation,” she said. “During all these years her strength and her courage always gave us hope and spurred us to never give up.”

Allan Mann Jr. appeared briefly Friday in federal court in Hartford, Conn., where he faces charges including making false statements in transactions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

— With files from The Associated Press

CP PHOTO

Members of the Montreal Jewish community attend a Memorial Vigil for the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack in Montreal on Monday.

Janice DICKSON Citizen news service

Democracy and the gun

Aweek today, Americans head to the polls to elect 435 people to the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, 39 state governors and participate in a host of other elections and referendums at the state and county level.

Put another way, the first Tuesday of November marks the two-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s election as president. Some, of course, can’t be bothered to wait to vote, can’t be bothered to mark a ballot, can’t be bothered with the inconveniences of democracy and law.

Instead, they vote with bombs, guns and bullets.

They send bombs to former presidents and a news network.

They enter a grocery store in Louisville, Ky., and shoot the black people inside, killing two of them, after first trying to enter a predominately African-American Baptist church.

They enter a Jewish synagogue and open fire, killing 11 people. The youngest victim was 54 years old; the oldest, Rose Mallinger, was 97. Her 61-year-old daughter was among the wounded. Two brothers died together. A husband and wife died together. A family doctor died.

Besides humanity, decency and tolerance, these horrible attackers also lack irony.

They pick up their weapons for justice, yet they have no faith in the law. They say they fight for freedom, yet they have no belief in democracy.

Their damaged minds have been filled with hate and then whipped into a frenzy by a president who insists on respect “for both sides” at an anti-racism rally in Charlottesville, where a protester was killed by another angry man driving his car into the crowd.

For Trump and the talking heads at Fox News to say they’re not partially responsible for heating up the hateful rhetoric to broil is as ridiculous as to say Marc Antony had no idea the people would riot after his “Friends, Roman, countrymen, lend me your ears” speech in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

When people in power with audiences of tens of millions call other Ameicans “evil” and the “enemy of the people” long enough, language used only in times of war to motivate the population to fight against an outside threat, a handful of individuals won’t understand that the words weren’t meant literally, that it was just meant to “fire up the base,” that it was a joke or “lulz,” as they say on the alt-right.

Their hearts and minds filled with anger and hate, they attack the blacks, the Jews, the gays, the others.

But they aren’t the only ones with power, with the means to act.

At a community rally held just hours after Saturday’s shooting in Pittsburgh, citizens

were imploring one another to go out and vote. Hateful men have tried to impose their will through fear and murder before and they will again but the true citizens join their peers in the ballot box and the true patriots sacrifice their lives so their fellow citizens may continue to enjoy that right.

These should be glorious times to be an American and to live in the United States.

Most of its residents enjoy freedom, wealth, power and luxury. It is home to the world’s oldest democracy, to a constitution that inspired peoples around the globe, including Canada, to govern themselves. Despite its many shortcomings, it is where much of the finest work in education, the arts, entertainment, innovation and science happens. Despite its tarnished reputation and its many shortcomings, the rest of the world, including Canada, still looks to America for guidance, for strength, for leadership.

Instead, tens of millions of Americans live in fear, terrified that the rapists from Mexico, the gangsters from the ghetto, the homosexuals, the transgenders, the Muslims, the Asians, the Jews, the atheists, the academics, the reporters and the liberals are coming to take their money, their guns, their churches, their neighbourhoods, their schools, their TV shows, their music, their history, their language and especially their white privilege away.

The best of America has always been its hope in a better future and the willingness

Opinion page a two-cup read

If indeed the purpose of editorials, letters to the editor and opinion columns is to cause your readers to think, perhaps even to question deeply held beliefs, your Saturday edition was a tremendous success. While one might disagree with the opinions expressed, they did indeed cause me to reflect on each of the matters raised. Thought provoking, to be sure. I may not have changed my own opinion due to these outstanding commentaries but I certainly have adjusted my own viewpoint. McCullough’s article on pardons was a tour-de-force. Truly, in blindly supporting the actions taken by Trudeau in respect of pardons, I failed to appreciate the wider view taken by McCullough. Granted, some points raised came close to argumentum absurdum

Today, I needed two coffees and a bit more to digest this one page.

but overall I had to applaud his efforts.

The three letters, from New, Harris and Sturdy also caused me to reflect. While in accord with each, it was pleasing to see confirmation of these ideas expressed so well by your readers. And finally, Ritholtz’s guest column was well researched providing fodder for future discussions on the minimum wage here in B.C. Even the cartoon was a delight. Normally, I sip on a coffee while reading The Citizen. Today, I needed two coffees and a bit more to digest this one page. Read, ponder, sip; read, ponder, sip. Many thanks. Willow Arune Prince George

Needle use needs to be monitored

I agree that Northern Health should monitor the use of needles and keep the needles in their bin after use.

With the plastic and unnecessary garbage issue, I don’t think needles should be free or users paid to return them. Lives of users are important but their state of mind is not able to use responsibly. All such use should be monitored. Lives of the innocent that may get poked by a discarded needle are important as well. Needles should be marked so we know which place is accountable if an innocent person is poked by it.

When I think of the plastic bag waste, I know this is a much larger issue that should be addressed, not enabled.

Bernice Provencal Prince George

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of Americans to work with others towards that future. The worst of America has always been its frontier mentality, that it is under attack from both inside and out and that Americans must turn back the clock to some mythical past by resorting to acts of cruelty and abuses of power that run counter to the forward-looking spirit of its optimistic founders and their enduring Declaration of Independence.

The founders knew their wisdom wasn’t perfect, that time and progress would require their Constitution to be updated. One of those updates – the Second Amendment – was “the right of the people to keep and bear arms.” That update was written at a time when the United States lacked a standing army to repel invading forces or to restore order on its streets, so the people would be called upon to fight.

There is plenty of room in a democracy for guns and for lawful gun owners but there must come a day when Americans – who can always be counted upon to do the right thing after exhausting all other possibilities, as Winston Churchill noted – realize that gun control isn’t an assault on freedom.

The Republic can survive without assault rifles in every home and armed security guards in every school and place of worship. That kind of change, however, can only happen when people exercise their power to vote.

— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

PR won’t get

the job done

At the risk of being accused of “ranting” some more, recent letters to the editor have certainly muddied the waters as to what the folks invested in proportional representation are after.

Better government? This seems to be the contention in Stephen Rader’s letter. He states: “… how important is it to you that government has the power to unilaterally implement legislation.”

Fair enough.

But dig a little deeper and then the question is – how will proportional representation change this?

Right now, we have a coalition of the NDP and Green Party who are able to “unilaterally implement legislation.” Sure, under the present system, the government has more than 50 per cent of the voters supporting one of the two parties in power but this is a result of the “first-past-the-post” system which elected our legislature and not a consequence of proportional representation.

Indeed, Spain’s minority government commands just 24 per cent of the Chamber of Deputies. Norway’s ruling Conservative Party only garnered 25 per cent of the popular vote while its coalition government holds 44.6 per cent.

There is nothing about proportional representation which guarantees the government which will be formed will have more than 50 per cent of the voters supporting it. Nor that the legislation it tables will be supported by the voters who selected it.

And regardless of its support, it will have the power to unilaterally implement legislation. Proportional representation does not change this.

Smaller parties would get representation?

Not necessarily. Under the proposed legislation, they would need to accumulate more than five per cent of the popular vote. This would effectively block out a number of parties from ever getting sufficient support to actually hold seats.

But equally bizarre is the scenario in which the electorate in the province hasn’t voted in a single member from a party – none of the candidates were deemed electable in any riding – and yet they get five seats in the Legislature because they pulled just over five per cent of the popular vote. Is this what we want?

No swing ridings? Bob Nelson points out they would not occur under Mixed-Member Proportional Representation as if this would be a good thing. Not sure how. It would mean the political base in a riding would be fixed and never change. Hard to imagine this scenario. Actually, his complaint is certain ridings seem to benefit from government largess as a result of the possibility they will flip. While I would agree with him that there are cases where federal cabinet ministers have pork-barreled funding for pet projects, I am finding it difficult to think of provincial cases.

Proportional representation will result in more independent MLAs? Not sure of the logic to this one as it would mean winning a riding under a complex system of election which favours political parties. Indeed, when a member of the New Zealand legislature chose to vote against her party’s wishes, she was dismissed from her party and removed from the legislature. She was replaced with another member from the party’s list. She was not allowed to sit as an independent.

It is hard to see how PR will change anything in the legislature except the mix of MLAs. Maybe for some this is all they are seeking. One recent letter went so far as to point out the Greens will have more representation and this is what they want to see. Well, I have always wanted to see more scientists in the legislature and people with advanced degrees. Should we change the way we vote to accommodate my wishes as well?

If the point of this whole exercise is to elect a government which will do the best job of representing the people of this province, it is hard to see how any of the forms of proportional representation will accomplish that in a way which is better than the present system. The issue shouldn’t be whether we have PR or FPTP. The issue we should be discussing is how to have more effective government. And PR will not give us that regardless of what form it takes.

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Member of the

TODD WHITCOMBE

Any PR is better than first past the post

The recent LNG announcement is welcome economic news for our region. As the provincial Liberal opposition had to support the NDP government in this venture, that proves that a minority government can function effectively. The Fraser Institute is wrong when it claims that potential minority or coalition governments in proportional representation (PR) systems will not work. They can and they do worldwide.

The signing of the Kitimat LNG deal clearly shows that politicians of all stripes, left, right, and centre, can work together for the common good when required to do so. If we can teach kids not to bully, to play nicely in the sandbox, and to share their toys, surely we, the B.C. electorate, can hold our politicians accountable to do the same.

In the past 25 years, both the Socred-Liberals and the NDP have governed B.C. with far less than 50 per cent of the popular vote in provincial elections. Under the present first-past-the-post system, political parties without the sup-

FROM THE WEB

port of a majority of B.C. voters have had complete control of our legislature. The current federal government and the newly elected government in Quebec also have “false” majority governments, each having received less than 40 per cent of the popular vote.

How sensible, fair, or democratic is that?

Let’s not be scared by those promoting a fear of change: any version of proportional representation presented in the upcoming PR referendum is better than the out-of-date and unfair system that we currently have.

Some critics of PR (mostly right wingers) spin the story that PR governments lack stability and may take too long to form after elections. The new government in New Brunswick, elected last month using the “first-past-thepost” system, took several weeks of uncertainty to form – and is still unstable.

There’s a good reason that the majority of Western democracies use some form of proportional representation to choose their governments. Be an informed voter: please take the time to look over the clear, informative voter’s guide to the 2018 Referendum on

Re: Needle controversy a sticking point in city

Where do we pick up our free Epi-pens and diabetic supplies?

– Wain Geraldo

A lot of well-meaning but misguided people handing out free needles. All they are doing is enabling the drug addict and doing nothing to get him off drugs. This is no different than telling a drunk driver to buckle up, then sending him on his way.

— bb49

Why is there not a safe injection site? No one should just be given a needle to take to a back alley or school yard, get their fix and toss the needle. You want a ‘fix’ go to the injection site!

— LuckyHeather

It does not work in Vancouver. I do not believe they are getting 90% back. We need a new way to fix this. They should be put in mandatory rehab. They threaten businesses and citizens and steal anything but let’s give them more needles. Good fix. They do not want help, just the next fix.

— dartboard47 Awesome. Northern Health believes a “positive frame of mind” is all that is required to solve the needle problem in the City. Good to know.

— PG_Resident

Re: Building permit values reach record highs

I wonder why they left out the $100 million dollars being spent for the new fire hall and pool? Neither add anything new to the city, but in the numbers game they are important. Saving this for next year?

— NDPhack

Re: Liberal attack ads go too far

I agree with just about everything you’ve said except one thing: show me any party that hasn’t at some point, sacrificed the truth to attain or maintain power. This is the one thing all political parties have in common.

— Les_Vegas

Re: Third strike needed for PR

No one wants to vote for a party they dislike to stop the party they dislike most, as often is done under first past the post. People deserve to vote for their values and perspectives. First past the post stifles democracy that PR better provides. What we will get with PR, is more moderate legislation proposed that a true majority of elected officials can support with it being mutually acceptable to their party ideals, rather than our current system in which 39 per cent get 52 per cent of the seats, total power and ram their agenda through that 61 per cent of voters dislike. PR would mean that all parties would be representing voters in the same proportion as voters supported them at the ballot box. No more. No less. Just the reality of what voters chose.

Disproportionate to votes? Not possible under PR. The P stands for “proportional.” Its our FPTP system that gives minorities false majority wins, disproportionately. Fourteen commissions and governmental committees have studied this in Canada over the last 100 years and all have concluded PR better represents voters than FPTP does.

Two parties could each win about half all the seats, with a third party coming in second place in every riding and not win a single solitary seat with FPTP; having no representation at all yet having more overall votes than the two winning parties. FPTP systems are unfair.

— David

We must remember that Churchill grew up with the Westminster model of government and did not necessarily know much about proportionality. If we use stats from the last general election in B.C., the five per cent threshold would have required any party to have support from 100,000 of us to qualify for a seat in the Legislature.

Assuming we will all vote in the same manner as before, it’s interesting how two different electoral systems could produce such different results. It’s like applying two different systems of arithmetic to add the same numbers; but get two different answers. Depending on what type of answer you are looking for, you may prefer one system over the other. If an accurate account from the votes of the electorate is what you are looking for, that is called proportionality. — Ron Robinson

Electoral Reform and give PR a chance. Bill Dolan, Fort Nelson

First past the post is understandable

I just received the Voter’s Guide to the Referendum Question on Electoral Reform. I was hoping for a clear choice between our current system and a clearly articulated alternative proportional system. Instead, the guide describes three complicated alternative systems, two of which are not used anywhere else in the world and none of which provide the clarity I was seeking.

Instead, I am being asked to rank order the three alternative

systems without knowing the boundaries of my electoral district, the number of MLAs to be elected, whether both the first and second candidate in my district will be elected or who will actually represent me – someone I voted for or someone chosen by a political party who may not even live in my district. These questions will only be answered after the referendum, and will be determined by committees, commissions and politicians. None of this is surprising.

The yes side knows that the clarity of the referendum question dictates the outcome. Research has shown that when citizens are provided with a clear informed referendum question, proportional representation has almost always

failed. That is why the government has made the current question so confusing and ambiguous. Their message is that “voters can’t be trusted to make the right choice if they are fully informed, so let’s keep them in the dark.” This is both undemocratic and anything but “reform.”

I will vote in favour of keeping our current first past the post system which is easily understood: one person; one vote. The person who gets the most votes earns the right to represent me. This simple voting system has served our democracy well by providing stable, predictable and good governance for over a hundred years. And I will do so with a clear understanding about what I am voting for. John Amon, Victoria

LETTERS WELCOME: The Prince George Citizen welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Submissions should be sent by email to: letters@pgcitizen.ca. No attachments, please. They can also be faxed to 250-960-2766, or mailed to 201-1777 Third Ave., Prince George, B.C. V2L 3G7. Maximum length is 750 words and writers are limited to one submission every week. We will edit letters only to ensure clarity, good taste, for legal reasons, and occasionally for length. Although we will not include your address and telephone number in the paper, we need both for verification purposes. Unsigned or handwritten letters will not be published. The Prince George Citizen is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact Neil Godbout (ngodbout@pgcitizen.ca or 250960-2759). If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.

Study digs into cause of fracking-related quakes

Bob WEBER Citizen news service

New research is digging in to why fracking causes earthquakes in some areas but not in others.

A paper published Monday in Geophysical Research Letters suggests the likelihood of an artificial earthquake is heavily influenced by how stable the ground was before the energy industry showed up.

“Some places appear to be particularly responsive to (artificially-)occurring earthquakes while other places aren’t,” said Honn Kao, a seismologist with the Geological Survey of Canada and lead author.

Scientists have known for some time that injecting fluids to dispose of wastewater or to free underground reserves of oil and gas can cause earthquakes.

Regulatory records show there have been hundreds of seismic events since 2015 in a heavily fracked area of northwestern Alberta. Those earthquakes around the Fox Creek area have registered as high as 4.5 on the Richter scalestrong enough to rattle dishes and pictures. Alberta’s energy regulator has tightened restrictions on fracking in the area.

Meanwhile, other regions see thousands of wells fracked while the earth remains still.

While the link between fracking and earthquakes is well-established, precisely how that link works remains mysterious. Other studies have asked if it’s related to local geology or particular

fracking practices, but Kao said he’s found a much more important contributor.

“The background tectonic loading rate appear to be one of the predominant factors that control the region’s response to injectioninduced earthquakes,” he said. In other words, the deep, under-

ground shifting of Earth’s rocky tectonic plates create zones where tension is concentrated and stored like a coiled spring, called tectonic deformation. The sudden shattering of rock through fracking or the injection of high-pressure wastewater releases that pent-up energy in the form of an earthquake.

The finding could help explain why western Alberta and northeast B.C. have a high rate of fracking-induced earthquakes and places such as Saskatchewan, which has thousands of fracked wells, doesn’t.

“The Canadian side of the Rocky Mountains has a much higher tectonic deformation rate,” Kao said. “As you go from the Canadian Rocky Mountains eastward, the deformation rate drops quite rapidly.”

Of all the fracking-induced earthquakes he and his colleagues studied, 98 per cent occurred in a 150-kilometre band down the Rockies where the subsurface rocks are naturally stressed. Those stresses aren’t the only way earthquakes are caused. Artificial temblors are common in Oklahoma, which has little of the underground tension found in Alberta.

But there, Kao said, fluid injection may be big enough to cause problems on its own. Injection rates are 100 times higher there than in Canada, he said. Underground stress is probably best understood as a major contributing factor, Kao added.

“It’s more of a competition of all these different factors.”

Alta. should incentivize reducing oil production, expert says

Dan HEALING Citizen news service

CALGARY — Steep oil price discounts costing Alberta producers and the provincial government millions of dollars each day in lost revenue could be eased if the industry is given a temporary royalty holiday in return for producing less, according to a bank analyst.

In a report Monday, Royal Bank analyst Greg Pardy said Alberta oil is selling for multi-year discounts to U.S. benchmark prices for two reasons – there’s not enough export pipeline space and barrels can’t go into storage in Alberta because there’s no room left.

The traditional solution is to put the stranded oil in railroad cars, but that capacity is also full and growing too slowly to make a difference, he said.

“In the context of an estimated net supply imbalance of 160,000 to 185,000 barrels per day, we estimate that a five per cent royalty holiday on Alberta’s 3.8 million barrels per day (current estimate) of oil production could take about 190,000 bpd of oil... temporarily off the market,” he said in the report.

“Over the course of 3.5 months, this game plan could drain Western Canada storage levels by approximately 4.8 million to 7.4 million barrels, or 16 to 25 per cent of estimated operable storage, opening the door to spread normalization.”

The National Energy Board reported exports by rail rose to a record 229,544 bpd in August, up more than 11 per cent from 206,624 bpd in July and 91 per cent from just under 120,000 bpd in August 2017.

RBC estimates fourth-quarter rail exports will be about 250,000 bpd.

Last week, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called on Ottawa to work to increase capacity for oil on rail as a “short- to mediumterm” solution to improve market access, arguing the low prices are hurting governments as well as producers.

But Pardy argued Alberta has the power on its own to improve crude oil prices, noting that the benefit of intervening in the market to drain storage from its capacity of about 30 million barrels would be paid back when prices recover and its royalties are restored.

“While we applaud Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s efforts to accelerate crude-

by-rail, there may also be a near-term bridge,” he said. “As a temporary measure, the royalty holiday could be called upon, as needed, until other solutions fall into place, namely incremental crude-by-rail loadings, and Enbridge’s 375,000 bpd Line 3 replacement (pipeline expected to start up in late 2019).”

In its Aug. 31 budget update, Alberta estimated it would have oil royalties of $3.6 billion this year – giving them up for three months could cost about $900 million.

Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaigBoyd threw cold water on the RBC suggestion.

“We’ve been considering a number of other options for the (price) differential but I can absolutely say this is not one of them that is suggested by the RBC report,” she told reporters.

“These are resources owned by Alberta, we need to keep the value here.”

Canada’s railroads have been reluctant to add locomotives and crews to move oil cars unless producers sign long-term contracts because they fear those customers will disappear as soon as pipeline capacity, considered to be cheaper, is available.

MONEY IN BRIEF

Currencies

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

Oilsands producer Cenovus Energy Inc. announced recently it had signed long-term deals to move 100,000 bpd of its own heavy crude oil on Canadian railways to the U.S. Gulf Coast to be refined.

The widening differentials between Canadian oil prices and U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate have also been linked to a reduction in demand as maintenance shutdowns take some refineries off line in the U.S. Midwest (also called PADD II), but observers have lately been discounting that factor.

In a note Monday, analysts with Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. said it doesn’t appear that the shutdowns have had much effect on Canadian oil shipments.

“Digging into the data suggests that crude flows into PADD II increased over the month of October as offline refineries opted to take the cheap barrels and jam them into storage,” the report said.

In his report, Pardy points out that oilsands producers actually pay their Alberta royalties based on a WTI price framework, despite a discount that means many are receiving less for their oil than what it cost to produce it.

ness, said Craig Fehr, Canadian markets strategist for Edward Jones. The S&P/TSX composite index gained 131 points early, but then closed down 166.51 points or more than one per cent to 14,721.75. That’s the lowest level since July 8, 2016.

“I think it’s a reflection of the lack of conviction that we have in the market right now,” Fehr said in an interview.

“I think investors by and large have been a little shell-shocked by the volatility of recent weeks.”

Fehr said the fundamental backdrop for the market, including improved corporate earnings, the economy and interest rates, remain positive. But market swings have sapped the conviction of the bull market.

“So I think we’re probably due for more swings like this, kind of intraday swings and daily swings that are reflective of low conviction at the moment.”

All sectors on the TSX lost ground on Monday, led by cannabis-heavy health care which was down more than 10 per cent. Aphria Inc. closed down 17.35 per cent, Canopy Growth Corp. 14.12 per cent and Aurora Cannabis 16.10 per cent. Since Canada legalized recreational marijuana use Oct. 17, pot stocks have lost up to about 45 per cent of their value.

The markets today

TORONTO (CP) — North American markets started the week higher but again dropped at the end of the day, this time pushed deeper on renewed trade threats against China from U.S. President Donald Trump. Early trading was a reflex reaction as investors bought into last week’s weak-

The energy sector closed off more than three cent as the price of crude oil continued to fall as investors remained concerned about slowing global demand led by weakness in China. The December crude contract was down 55 cents at US$67.04 per barrel and the December natural gas contract was

An attendee walks past hydraulic fracking equipment at the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary in 2016. New research is digging in to why fracking causes earthquakes in some areas but not in others.

Kings win two of three on road

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

Winning the third one of a three-game weekend on the B.C. Hockey League road is always tough.

The Prince George Spruce Kings were reminded of that Sunday afternoon in Salmon Arm, where they lost 2-1 to the Silverbacks.

But it wasn’t for a lack of effort. They fired 30 shots at Silverbacks goalie Ethan Langenegger, the game’s first star, and he blocked 29 of them, avenging his 5-0 loss to the Spruce Kings in Prince George two weeks ago.

Trevor Adams broke a 1-1 deadlock 12:24 into the third period, providing what stood as the game-winner. Matthew Verboon tied it for Salmon Arm on a power play late in the first period, after Dylan Anhorn had given the Kings the lead.

Bradley Cooper took the loss in the P.G. nets, making 29 saves.

On Saturday night in Wenatchee, Wash., in a rematch of last year’s BCHL championship series, the Spruce Kings beat the Wild 4-1.

Ben Brar led the way for the Spruce Kings with a goal and one assist. Nicholas Poisson, Dustin Manz and Sean Donaldson also scored for Prince George. Patrick Cozzi picked up two assists.

Matt Gosiewski scored the only goal for the Wild, while shorthanded in the second period.

Prince George led 2-0 after one period and 2-1 after 40 minutes. Brar’s power-play goal in the third period was his league-leading 15th of the season. Manz capped the scoring into an empty net. Logan Neaton earned the win in goal.

The Spruce Kings started their trip with a 4-1 win Friday in Trail.

The Kings (12-6-0-1, third in Mainland Division) are now two points behind the secondplace Coquitlam Express (13-5-1-0) and five back of the league-leading Chilliwack Chiefs (15-6-0-0).

Sunday’s win moved the Silverbacks (10-7-1-0) into second place in the Interior Division.

The Kings return to home ice at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena this weekend with games Friday against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Saturday, when they host the Penticton Vees.

T-wolves’ season ends in loss to UBC

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

David took on Goliath Sunday afternoon on the U Sport women’s soccer field in Vancouver and the smaller of the two nearly pulled off an upset of biblical proportions.

The UNBC Timberwolves, 2-1 victors Friday in a single-game elimination playoff against the Manitoba Bisons, faced the UBC Thunderbirds Sunday in the quarterfinals and gave one of the biggest schools on the Canada West block a bare-knuckles scrap that surely ruffled some feathers.

It was only a month ago UBC came to Prince George and hammered UNBC 7-0 in their only other meeting of the season on the way to a second-place 10-31 finish. But the T-wolves, who squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the season with a 3-8-3 record, apparently had short memories and wiped the slate clean.

Protecting a 2-1 lead in the second half on the rain-soaked field at Thunderbird Stadium, UBC twice survived dangerous scoring attacks led by T-wolves forward Paige Payne. The T-birds eventually put it away with a penalty-shot goal from Danielle Steer, winning 3-1, but the T-wolves came up with enough resistance to make it a game they won’t soon forget.

We knew if we had the opportunity we could compete well in the playoffs and we’ve shown what we can do.

— UNBC head coach Neil Sedgwick

“UBC has always been a good team, they have a lot to choose from there and the whole team is super-athletic and it was definitely really hard, but our team came together and put up a fight,” said Payne. “Altogether I think we had more opportunities than we anticipated and I think we really scared them in the last half.”

Payne was at her scariest in the 63rd minute when she got the ball behind a falling T-bird and let go a high rainbow that dropped down from 20 yards. The shot grazed the fingertips of goalie Emily Moore and bounced off the goalpost.

Then in the 82nd minute, with the T-wolves still only one goal down, Kiana Swift chipped a pass up to Payne and the third-year striker got behind the defence and let go a low shot that was rolling in behind Moore in the six-yard box, but T-birds defender Margaret Hadley got to it in time to clear it away.

“I’m proud of the girls, they

stuck to the game plan and competed incredibly well and when we had the ball we were really good with it and created some good opportunities,” said T-wolves head coach Neil Sedgwick.

Last season, the T-wolves had a more veteran crew and made the playoffs for the first time since joining Canada West in 2012. This year, with a team of mostly first- and second-year players they made more history, winning their first-ever U Sports playoff game when they beat the Bisons.

“Manitoba was higher-ranked than us but when we play our game we can really match up with any team in the league,” said Payne. “For us to come back from the loss we had in the season against UBC and just forget about that and think about the present game, we did a great job.”

Payne, a 20-year-old from Kitimat, was a record-setter herself, establishing new T-wolves’ marks for most goals (eight) and most points (12) in a season. She scored again Sunday, taking advantage of

a penalty shot in the 54th minute when Emma Peckinpaugh tripped her at the 15-yard line.

The T-birds built an early lead. Steer headed in a short pass from Hadley at the 12:13 mark after UBC gained possession on a corner kick and Amelia Crawford made it 2-0 at 15:05 with a long roller that came out of a screen in front of goalie Brooke Molby.

UBC outshot the T-wolves 8-3. Sunday’s game marked the end of the U Sports careers of defender Kylie Erb and midfielder Madison Emmond, who both finished their fifth year of eligibility. Sedgwick said the team’s playoff run will only help him recruit new talent to fill those holes.

“It was a great season – we didn’t get the results we wanted but we were close,” Sedgwick said. “We knew if we had the opportunity we could compete well in the playoffs and we’ve shown what we can do.

“For next year and for future years, people see there’s progress. Good players that want to play at the college level will look at the school’s record and they’ll see progress. It was only three years ago UBC won a national championship and if you win a national championship you’ll stay strong for years after that because of that recruiting element.

“For a school of 3,000 from Prince George against a 63,000-student school, the girls competed well and I’m superproud about their season.”

Kiana Swift of the UNBC Timberwolves wages an aerial battle with a UBC Thunderbirds player while UNBC teammate Ashley Volk surveys the scene during a Canada West women’s soccer playoff game at UBC on Sunday.

Cariboo Cougars strike early and often

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

Scoring goals is the goal of every hockey player. Even the goalies like to get into the act of scoring on rare occasions when they have a shot at an empty net.

Heading into their weekend set against the Kootenay Ice, the Cariboo Cougars were not a happy bunch. They weren’t scoring much and were trending near the bottom half of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League standings, tied for seventh in the 11team league when they dropped the puck Saturday night at Kin 1.

All that frustration vanished when they scored 21 times and allowed none in the two-game series. The Cougars began the lamp-lighting festival with a 12-0 whitewash in the first game Saturday night and did not let up until the final buzzer in the second one Sunday morning, blanking Kootenay 9-0.

“Last weekend I thought we were creating offence against the (Thompson) Blazers and it just filtered into this weekend against Kootenay and we ended up putting up two big numbers,” said Cougars head coach Tyler Brough. “But on the other side of that, defensively, I thought we were just as good. We didn’t give up anything. It was pretty convincing and that’s what this team needs right now.”

The Cougars came out Sunday sporting their lime-green trimmed third-jerseys to help raise money and promote awareness of mental health issues and Curtis Hammond set his mind on pushing the pace offensively, finishing with three goals. Brendan Pigeon fired two pucks across the line and Booker Daniel, Brennan Bott, Jacob Gendron and Max Arnold also scored.

Jaxon Danilec had two goals and two assists in Saturday’s game.

Cariboo Cougars forward John Herrington

to make a play against Kootenay Ice defender Jaxson Waterstreet on Saturday night at Kin 1 in the first game of a weekend doubleheader between the teams.

“Guys like Hammond and Danilec and Bott and (Connor) Flemming have struggled to put the puck in the net,” said Brough. “They work their butts off and sometimes it goes unnoticed with the penalty kills and the hard minutes they play. So it’s nice for them to get paid off with a point or two, or a goal here or there.”

inactivity in the Cougars’ end in each game.

Most of the action was in the other end and that kept at Ice goalies Charles Curiston and Tenzin Mint extremely busy.

(against tough opponents earlier in the season) and for the future we’re just going to keep on rolling off this weekend. It was a big-point weekend.”

Cougar goalies Xavier Cannon, who played Saturday, and Colton PhillipsWatts, who made 13 saves Sunday while the Cougars built a 53-13 shot advantage, were able to relax through long stretches of

Comets a measuring stick for Northern Capitals

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

The Greater Vancouver Comets are burning brightly, a perfect 12-0 to start the B.C. Hockey Female Midget Triple-A League season.

As they showed the Northern Capitals in a three-game series over the weekend at the Kin Centre, the Comets don’t make many mistakes in their own end, they have good goaltending and when they get scoring chances they put the puck in the net.

Comets’ captain Jennifer Gardiner was a Capital-killer Sunday with three goals and three assists in an 8-2 win. Gardiner is maintaining a three-point-per game pace and leads the scoring race with 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in just 12 games. She was a factor throughout the weekend, helping the Comets win the first game Friday 6-1 and joining their 12-2 trouncing of the Cougars on Saturday.

“That’s the best team in the league – they skate extremely well, they move the puck extremely well and they have a lot of top-end talent and that’s where we want to get,” said Capitals head coach Justin Fillion.

“It was a good learning experience for the girls. I thought at times we were right with them but then we’d take a shift off or take a bad penalty or just lose that little attention to detail, and that team is so talented they’ll make you pay every time, and that’s what happened.”

In Sunday’s game at Kin 2, the Capitals drew life from a rebound goal from Sara Vermueulen eight minutes into the second period but allowed a power-play goal a couple minutes later, then gave up a shorthanded breakaway to Gardiner and she beat goalie Cadence Petticlerc-Crosby with a

deke on the ensuing penalty shot.

The Capitals seemed undeterred and kept up the pressure in the Vancouver end and Camryn Scully made it a two-goal deficit again, firing off a wrister from a sharp angle which found the top corner of the net. The Caps kept their feet moving the rest of the period and were rewarded with several chances to try make it a one-goal game.

The Comets regained their skating legs in the third period and finished with four unanswered goals to keep their perfect record intact.

“We worked really hard in the first and second periods but we let it get away from us in the third period,” said Scully, 17, who leads the Capitals with six goals and three assists in nine games. “If we kept pressuring like we were, we would have had a better outcome.

“It’s only the start of the season and I think we’re in a good position to improve from where we are now. We know we have the Fraser Valley team and the Comets to beat, they’re really good competitors, but I think later in the season we’ll be able to beat them because we’re a hardworking team.”

The Capitals (3-5-1-0) remained third in the five-team league, two points behind the second-place Fraser Valley Rush (4-4-1-0). The Capitals have a bye this weekend.

“Today was definitely our best effort out of the three games,” said Fillion. “I see a lot of good things from our girls. I like the direction we’re going. It comes down to how bad do we want it and I think the future looks positive for us. I hope we get to play (the Comets) again in the playoffs in March. We’ll be a more polished, more confident team by then.”

“It was a good comeback weekend for us,” said Cougars captain Grady Thomas, who had three assists Sunday. “Compared to our few weekends before, we played a lot closer together as a team and we showed we could play better. We just had a lot of close games

The two wins improved the Cougars’ record to 5-3-2-0, while Kootenay fell to 3-7-0-0.

The Cougars head to Victoria for two games this weekend against the South Island Royals.

T-wolves score triple-digit win

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

In their previous six seasons competing in Canada’s women’s university basketball league, never had the UNBC Timberwolves broken the 100-point barrier.

They did that Saturday in Calgary, where they laid a 10759 beating on the Mount Royal University Cougars – the biggest margin of victory ever for the T-wolves since they joined the Canada West conference in 2012.

Coming on the heels of a 93-61 triumph over Mount Royal Friday night, UNBC is off to a 2-0 start for the first time in team history.

“It was a good weekend for us,” said T-wolves head coach Sergey Shchepotkin.

Maria Mongomo hit for 26 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday, Madison Landry had a 24-point night and UNBC post Vasiliki Louka finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds. T-wolves point guard Emily Holmes dished out four assists in each game.

On Friday, Louka and Mongomo each shot 22 points, while Landry totaled 21. Mongomo forced five steals from the Cougars on the weekend.

“Maria is Maria, she got a lot

of steals and she was good on rebounding and she scored – she did her job,” said Shchepotkin.

“I’m very happy with all the girls, they are not looking for their own points actually. They made a lot of passes to teammates and they weren’t greedy for points and I’m enjoying watching their basketball. Hopefully we can keep that going in the season.”

In both games, UNBC was deadly from the free-throw line.

The Timberwolves sunk 26 of 30 (86.7 per cent) on Saturday, after a 23-for-28 (82.1 per cent) night on Friday.

“That shouldn’t be a big surprise because last year we were the best team in Canada West in free-throw percentage (77.5 per cent) and I hope we will stay at that level,” said Shchepotkin. “They played pretty aggressive against us.” Picking up where they left off after going 8-0 in the preseason, the T-wolves put up two convincing wins at the expense of a very young and inexperienced Cougar squad. Shchepotkin didn’t put too much stock into what happened on the court in Calgary, knowing the T-wolves have 18 games ahead of them this season, starting with a two-game homestand against the Winnipeg Wesmen this weekend. Last year the Wesmen pushed the national silvermedalist Saskatchewan Huskies to the limit in their best-of-their quarterfinal playoff series.

“Our main games are still in front of us,” said Shchepotkin. “I’m happy that we followed our system and everybody focused on doing their best and everybody seems ready for the big games.”

UNBC men off to 2-0 start

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff

After getting into a no-holdsbarred shooting match with the Mount Royal Cougars to start the weekend, the UNBC Timberwolves were quite content to settle in for a bit of chess with the Cougars in their Canada West men’s basketball rematch Saturday night in Calgary.

It produced a similar result, another victory for UNBC.

The T-wolves left the court with a 75-67 triumph, following Friday’s

95-87 win over the Cougars.

Their 2-0 start is their best in seven seasons for the T-wolves as a member of U Sports, formerly known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport. UNBC was ranked 10th in the Canada West coaches’ poll after a 5-1 start in the preseason.

“I thought (Friday) night we were pretty sloppy defensively, it was kind of a looser game and we just basically scored at will and were able to outscore them,” said T-wolves head coach Todd Jordan. “(Saturday) it was a com-

pletely different game. It was kind of an ugly one, a defensive battle, but we found a way to dig in.” Vova Plushnikov had a big night for UNBC with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jovan Leamy contributed 14 points and six steals. Vaggelis Loukas picked up nine rebounds and seven points. Austin Chandler came off the bench to score 11 points, while Tyrell Laing had seven points and two steals. Patrick Vandervelden hit for 17 points to lead the Cougars (0-2). — see WINNIPEG, page 11

looks

Red Sox on top of baseball world

Ronald BLUM Citizen news service

LOS ANGELES — Chris Sale’s final pitch for this Boston juggernaut triggered a celebration on the Dodger Stadium infield, among thousands of fans who made their way to California – and even outside Fenway Park back home.

The quest is complete. Yes, these 2018 Red Sox really are that great.

A team to remember from top to bottom. A season to savour from start to finish.

David Price proved his post-season mettle, Steve Pearce homered twice and Boston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Sunday to finish off a one-sided World Series in five games.

A tormented franchise during decades of despair before ending an 86-year championship drought in 2004, the Red Sox have become baseball’s team of the century with four titles in 15 seasons.

“Seeing all these grown men over there, just acting like kids, that’s what it’s all about,” Price said after pitching three-hit ball into the eighth inning on short rest. “This is why I came to Boston.”

After losing on opening day, Alex Cora’s team romped to a 17-2 start and a club-record 108 wins, then went 11-3 in the post-season, dispatching the 100-win New York Yankees and the 103-victory and defending champion Houston Astros in the playoffs. Cora, a player on Boston’s 2007 champions, became the first manager from Puerto Rico to win a title and just the fifth rookie skipper overall.

“I don’t know where we stand in history and all that,” said Dave Dombrowski, the club’s president of baseball operations. “If somebody would say you’re going to win 119 games and lose 57, we’d never, ever fathom that.” Pearce hit a two-run homer on Clayton Kershaw’s sixth pitch. Solo homers by Mookie Betts in the sixth inning and J.D. Martinez in the seventh quieted the Los Angeles crowd. Pearce added a solo drive off Pedro Baez in the eighth, then was selected the Series MVP after the game.

“Best feeling in my life,” Pearce said. Acquired in June from Toronto, Pearce had three homers and seven RBIs in the final 11 innings of the Series. Thousands of Boston fans remained on the first-base side of the sta-

dium long after the final out, chanting “Let’s go Red Sox!” and singing “Sweet Caroline.”

Of course, they let loose a few choice words about the rival Yankees, too.

“I never knew there were so many Red Sox fans here,” Martinez said.

Players’ families, many dressed in red, congregated on the field to join the celebration, some holding babies, some watching children run across the outfield in glee.

“This is the greatest Red Sox team in history,” owner John Henry proclaimed after receiving the Series trophy.

After losing to Houston in Game 7 last year by the same 5-1 score, the Dodgers became the first team ousted on its home field in consecutive World Series since the New York Giants by the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds in 1936 and 1937. Los Angeles remains without a championship since 1988.

“Ran up against a very good ball club – and

just a little bit too much for us,” said manager Dave Roberts, who played for Boston’s 2004 champions.

Boston outscored the Dodgers 28-16 and had only a slightly better batting average at .222 to .180. But the Red Sox got timely hitting and won their ninth title, tying the Athletics for third-most behind the Yankees (27) and Cardinals (11).

All that stood between the Red Sox and a sweep was an 18-inning loss in Game 3, the longest World Series game ever. They trailed 4-0 in the seventh inning of Game 4 when Sale rose from the dugout bench for a fiery, profane, motivational rant, and his teammates woke up in time to rally for a 9-6 win.

Boston never trailed in Game 5.

“I didn’t say anything that anyone didn’t know,” Sale explained. “Just rallying the troops and letting them know – we’re the best team on the planet, and to start playing like it.

Rockets’ power play scorches Cougars

Ted CLARKE Citizen staff tclarke@pgcitizen.ca

Penalties will kill you when the penaltykill doesn’t work.

The Prince George Cougars learned that lesson the hard way Saturday night in Kelowna, where they lost 4-3 in overtime to the Rockets.

The Cats were undisciplined at the wrong times and the Rockets exposed them for it, scoring three of their four goals with the man advantage – including Nolan Foote’s game-winner, 43 seconds into OT.

The Rockets had four skaters on the ice facing three Cougars defenders in front of Taylor Gauthier when Foote took a crossice feed from Lassi Thomson and blasted a screened shot into the Cougar net to end it. Overtime began with the Cougars on the penalty kill for the first 72 seconds, the carryover of Ryan Schoettler’s two-minute sentence for high-sticking Leif Mattson late in the third period.

Erik Gardiner and Kyle Topping also scored on Rocket power plays and Thomson struck at even strength, giving the Rockets their second win in as many games for head coach

Adam Foote, who took over as head coach Tuesday to replace the fired Jason Smith. Josh Maser, Jackson Leppard (on a Prince George power play) and Schoettler scored for the Cougars. The Rockets (6-10-0-0) remained fourth in the WHL’s B.C. Division, one point behind the third-place Cougars (5-6-1-2).

Kelowna has won four of its past five games.

“They won the special teams battle and that was the difference in the hockey game – we’ve got to be more disciplined,” said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk. “We can’t take that many minors, it’s getting out of hand now. This is something I’m going to stomp on pretty quick. We’re going to have to start changing some things if guys can’t stay out of the penalty box.”

Through 14 games the Cougars have played shorthanded 62 times and have allowed 14 power-play goals, a 77.4 per cent kill rate, 12th best in the 22-team WHL after Saturday’s games. They did improve their own power-play percentage, scoring on one of their three chances Saturday, but still rank last in the league with just six goals in 59 chances (10.2 per cent).

Tied 2-2, the Rockets started the third period on a 5-on-3 advantage and eventually

made the Cougars pay while they were still one skater short. Topping was fed in the slot by linemate Mattson and got away a shot in tight quarters to beat Gauthier. But for the second time in the game the Cougars found a way to tie it.

Schoettler led the rush and pushed the puck over the blueline for Vladislav Mikhalchuk. He fought off a check along the left wing boards and slid the puck back to Schoettler, who scored from the slot. It was the third of the season for the Cougar defenceman, all three against the Rockets.

The Cougars dominated the puck in third period, outshooting the Rockets 14-4, but couldn’t score after Schoettler found the net.

“We have to play 60 minutes like that,” said Matvichuk. “We’re seeing glimpses but we have to find a way to be a 60-minute hockey team. When we play the way we should and have the determination we should, we’re pretty good.”

Maser opened the scoring late in the opening period, banging in the rebound of a Mikhalchuk shot. It was Maser’s second goal in as many games since returning from a four-game suspension.

The Rockets jumped ahead 2-1 before the nine-minute mark of the second period.

Winnipeg visiting for UNBC’s home-opener

— from page 10

On Friday, Leamy set the pace with a game-high 23 points and James Agyeman hit for 19 points. Glen Yang had a 23-point game for Mount Royal.

“Jovan and Vova led us like we expect them to and on top of that we’re getting balanced scoring from other guys,” said Jordan.

Jovan and Vova led us like we expect them to and on top of that we’re getting balanced scoring from other guys.

—

UNBC head coach Todd Jordan

“We had (three) guys in double figures (Saturday) and four guys in double figures (Friday). Any time you go on the road to start the season and come back with two wins you’ve got to be happy.” Both offences stagnated in the third quarter. UNBC was held to 10 points and Mount Royal had just eight. The T-wolves took a 4440 lead into the intermission.

“We probably led 38 or 39 minutes of the game,” said Jordan. “We showed some toughness and it was good to kind of grind one out. There were moments we made some mistakes and had some adversity against us and they went on a little run but we stayed mentally tough.”

The T-wolves face Winnipeg at the Northern Sport Centre in their next games Friday and Saturday.

Gardiner got down on one knee to one-time a shot from the face-off circle on a powerplay setup with 1:25 gone in the period. Then at 8:53, Finnish defenceman Thomson gained the puck at his own blueline and scored a beauty, deftly avoiding the stickcheck attempts of Mikhalchuk and Jack Sander before dragging the puck across the crease to tuck it in behind Gauthier.

Less than two minutes later, with the Cougars on the power play, Ethan Browne took a shot that hit goalie Roman Basran and kicked up high in the crease, where Leppard was waiting and he batted in out of the air and in for his third of the season to tie it. Each team had 33 shots. Thomson nailed the goalpost in OT before Foote scored. For the second game, Matej Toman took the place of top-line centre Ilijah Colina, who sustained an-upper-body injury Wednesday in the game against Tri-City and did not make the trip.

The Cougars’ next game is tonight at CN Centre when they take on the Brandon Wheat Kings. The pre-Halloween game starts at 6:30 p.m., a half-hour earlier than normal, to give kids a chance to do their rounds of trick or treat candy collecting in the concourse.

AP PHOTO

The Boston Red Sox celebrate after clinching the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday in Los Angeles.

This Bundt cake will be a home run at brunch

Citizen news service

Delivering bright apple flavour and a temptingly moist crumb, this simple yet stunning Bundt cake demands a prominent place in your brunch spread.

We maximized this cake’s apple taste by shredding 1 1/2 pounds of tart Granny Smiths and bolstering their flavour with an intense reduction of apple cider mixed into the batter, brushed onto the warm exterior of the baked cake, and stirred into an icing. Using a moderate amount of spices allowed the apple flavour to shine.

Baking this fruity cake in a Bundt pan made all the difference, as the hole through the middle meant the dense batter baked through evenly and completely for a perfectly cooked cake.

For the sake of efficiency, begin boiling the cider before assembling the rest of the ingredients. Reducing the cider to exactly one cup is important; if you accidentally overreduce it, make up the difference with water. To ensure that the icing has the proper consistency, we recommend weighing the confectioners’ sugar.

We like the tartness of Granny Smith apples in this recipe, but any variety of apple will work. You can shred the apples with the shredding disk of a food processor or on the large holes of a paddle or box grater.

Cooled cake can be wrapped loosely in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to three days.

Cider-glazed apple Bundt cake

Servings: 12

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes (plus 2 hours, 30 minutes cooling time)

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and shredded (3 cups)

Bring cider to boil in 12 inch skillet over high heat; cook until reduced to one cup, 20 to 25 minutes. While cider is reducing, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 12 cup nonstick Bundt pan. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice in large bowl until combined. Place confectioners’ sugar in small bowl.

Add two tablespoons cider reduction to confectioners’ sugar and whisk to form smooth icing. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Set aside six tablespoons cider reduction. Pour remaining 1/2 cup cider reduction into large bowl; add melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour cider mixture over flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula until almost fully combined (some streaks of flour will remain). Stir in apples and any accumulated juice until evenly distributed. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean, 55 minutes to 65 minutes, rotating cake halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Brush exposed surface of cake lightly with one tablespoon reserved cider reduction. Let cake cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack and remove pan. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining five tablespoons reserved cider reduction. Let cake cool for 20 minutes. Stir icing to loosen, then drizzle evenly over cake. Let cake cool completely, at least two hours, before serving.

PHOTO BY AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN VIA AP

This photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen shows a cider-glazed apple Bundt cake.

HANDOUT PHOTO

Princesses Wear Pants, by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, is a book with a message and is finding its audience.

Atomic Cartoons sketches success

Laura KANE Citizen news service

VANCOUVER — Jennifer Twiner McCarron remembers when daycare staff took bets on when her daughter would finally stop wearing sparkly princess dresses.

So the CEO of Vancouver’s Thunderbird Entertainment and its subsidiary Atomic Cartoons could definitely relate to the co-authors of Princesses Wear Pants, NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie and parent educator Allison Oppenheim. Both had young daughters who also went through a princess phase. While they worried about their girls aspiring to be princesses, they also wanted to let them embrace what they enjoyed, Twiner McCarron said.

“The moral for the book for them started from: It’s OK to embrace your pink and sparkly side and be feminine, but it’s also more important what you do than what you look like,” she said.

“That’s the part about wearing your pants. It’s OK to be a princess, but sometimes you’ve got to put your pants on and get things done.”

Atomic Cartoons is now producing a Princesses Wear Pants animated series that follows the adventures of courageous go-getter – and occasional trouser-wearer – Princess Penelope Pineapple. Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films is among the executive producers. It’s the latest achievement for Atomic Cartoons, which Twiner McCarron has helmed since 2016 and helped grow to 450 staff from 20. She recently also became CEO of Thunderbird Entertainment, which produced Blade Runner 2049 and Kim’s Convenience.

The theme of Princesses Wear Pants resonated with her as a female leader in an industry where men still dominate in top positions. She’s an active member of Women in Animation, which aims to increase female representation in the business.

She advises young women: “If a new door of responsibility opens, just try and walk through it. What’s the worst thing that could happen? It doesn’t work out? That’s OK, you pick yourself up and you do something else.”

Atomic Cartoons is based in a sprawling mural-covered building in east Vancouver. The city is a “hotspot” for visual effects and animation, said Twiner McCarron, sitting in her tiny office adorned with Halloween decorations.

Vancouver is a world leader with about 60 visual effects and animation studios. And Netflix and other streaming services have boosted demand for content, helping British Columbia become Canada’s top spot for film and TV production last year, according to figures from the Canadian Media Producers Association.

“There’s so much of a need for content because people also consume it so quickly,” said Twiner McCarron. “Before, as it applies to animation, you were vying for those five prime-time spots on Saturday morning, so it was much more competitive.”

Now, she said, children’s programming has not only become more ubiquitous, it’s also gotten faster-paced. Disney’s Bambi, a favourite of hers when she was growing up, nearly put her kids to sleep, she said.

“The cutting is a lot faster. We used to do a 22-minute show and 325 shots seemed like a lot. Now we’ll do a 22-minute show with 500 shots,” she said, adding that episodes lasting seven or 11 minutes are becoming common too.

While Vancouver’s industry is booming, the city has a welldocumented downside: wildly unaffordable housing. Atomic Cartoons is set to open its next office in Ottawa, a more attractive locale to young employees who want to lay down roots and start families.

“Where do young people want to be and thrive? Vancouver’s hard, as we all know,” Twiner McCarron said. “It’s an expensive city. Ottawa has art, culture, politics, it’s the capital of Canada, great schools and it’s affordable still.”

Boy Erased connects on a deep level

Lindsey BAHR Citizen news service

Boy Erased is based on the true story of a young man, Garrard Conley, whose Baptist family put him in a conversion therapy centre to “cure” his homosexuality when he was 19 years old. Conley wrote about his experiences in a memoir, which writer-directoractor Joel Edgerton has adapted for the screen in a manner that is admirably and almost radically empathetic to all its characters –even the villains.

In the film, the protagonist is called Jared Eamons, giving a little distance perhaps from the real life subjects. He is played with deep soulfulness by the talented actor Lucas Hedges who has yet to meet a role he can’t conquer. His parents are Marshall Eamons (Russell Crowe), a respected local pastor and car salesman in Arkansas, and Nancy Eamons (Nicole Kidman), a dutiful wife and caring mother with a penchant for tastefully bedazzled clothing.

They’re the kind of family who when presented with the information that their only son might be gay, aren’t just opposed to the idea, but believe deep down that it’s a sin, a choice, and an affliction that can be cured, on par with things like domestic violence, alcoholism and pedophilia. But they’re also the kind of family who believes that this mentality comes from love, not intolerance or prejudice.

And so, after some tears and consulting with local men of the church who’ve “dealt” with things like this before, Marshall decides to ship Jared off to conversion therapy to be fixed in a program run by a man named Victor Sykes

A&E IN BRIEF

Halloween carves up another $32 million

NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Meyers – or is it Jamie Lee Curtis? – can’t be stopped. Halloween dominated the North American box office for the second straight weekend, carving up an estimated $32 million in ticket sales. The top four films were all unchanged at the North American box office, according to Sunday

This is not to say that the film doesn’t have a point of view, it just doesn’t rush to demonize the people putting Jared in this situation. The administrators at the centre (including Flea as an ex-con there to muscle the kids into submission) do that well enough on their own, and without external embellishment or contrivances.

The story is told in real time peppered with various flashbacks as Jared wrestles with what he’s been through (including an incredibly traumatic and upsetting incident that I won’t say anything more about here), what he’s felt and what he wants to do. We don’t get much of Jared’s internal monologue, but there is the sense

estimates, as Hollywood left Halloween to dominate the pretrick-or-treating weekend. The sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 original, starring the 59-year-old Curtis as Laurie Strode, last week notched the biggest opening ever for a film with a female lead older than 55. The film, distributed by Universal Pictures, is already one of the highest grossing slasher films ever, with $126.7 million in ticket sales (plus another $45.6 million international) on just a $10 million budget.

that there is real conflict in him.

He’s a good kid who is used to pleasing his parents, and now, through no fault of his own, he has managed to disappoint them and he carries that shame.

The centre devolves into a place of horrors as the weeks go on, but there is a glint of hope as Nancy, who is stewarding her son to and from the sessions while they stay in a local hotel, starts to read up on their philosophies and techniques.

It’s an arc that I didn’t see coming and one that justifies why someone as brilliant as Kidman was necessary. Even Crowe, who is mostly absent, gets his own few minutes of affecting emotion by the end.

You do wish you got to know everyone a little better, especially

McConaughey delivers

(AP) —Firefighters, police officers and 911 operators in Houston, Texas, got a surprise from a famous local as Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey delivered a catered lunch to give thanks on National First Responders Day.

Jared’s therapy-mates (Troye Sivan, Jesse LaTourette, Britton Sear among them) but the film keeps the viewer at a bit of a distance.

For Edgerton as a writer and director, Boy Erased is very strong, albeit less flashy, follow-up to his first film The Gift, a taut thriller that couldn’t be more different from this one. Boy Erased is undoubtedly more important, however, and even though it might be difficult to watch at times, it’s done with such evident love and sensitivity that it’s hard to imagine a human being not connecting in some way, and perhaps even learning something along the way.

— Three stars out of four

The actor wheeled in a roasted turkey Sunday to the shock of those at a fire department. He did the same for police and 911 operators at other facilities. The Austin native told The Associated Press he wanted to do something in his home state, particularly for Houston.

(played by Edgerton himself).

PHOTO BY KYLE KAPLAN/FOCUS FEATURES VIA AP

This image released by Focus Features shows Troye Sivan in a scene from Boy Erased.

Chong,Chris October26,2018 ChrisChong,attheageofsixty,passedawayaftera lengthyillnessinpalliativecareattheRoyalVictoria HospitalinMontreal.ThesonofWinnieChanandthe lateJohnChong,heissurvivedbyhiswife,Johanne Riverin,hismother,Winnie(ArlettDale),andhis siblings,Louise,Denise,GregandWayne.Chris’s childhoodhomewasonthePrinceGeorgeAirport whereheandhissiblingsrodedoubleontheirbikes toexploreandlookforagates,sliddownsnowbanks andskatedontherink.Thethreebrotherslivedtheir childhoodlikeitwouldneverend.Theysucceeded eachotheratsummerjobsandfilledthegapathome whentheirfatherdied.ChrismetJohanneafterhis graduatestudiesinMontreal.Theirswasan extraordinaryunconditionallove.Theylivedand taughtinChinaandtheUnitedArabEmirates,and travelledtheworld.Theywerealwaysbyeachother’s side,sharingabottleofSancerrewhentheycamped, collectingfineporcelainsorscouringmarketsinthe pre-dawnforChinesebas-reliefs.Chris’sillness broughtthemhometoMontreallatein2017.He pulledthefamilytogetheratatimeofcrisis,teaching themtoliveinthemomentashedid.Hewasa warrior,astorytellerandinventorofsurprises.Until thefinalthreeweeks,heaccompaniedJohanneon thepianowhenshesang.Inhisgoaltoaddallof Chopin’snocturnestohisrepertoire,hefellthree short,whichhissiblingswilllearninhishonour.

It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Brent Masse who was born and raised in Prince George, BC. He is already incredibly missed by his wife Jody, their children Jenny, Andie (Al), Morgan (Mike), Roger (Carla) and Toby, as well as his six grandchildren Cody, Sara, Blake, Taylor, Kennedy and Jackson. Brent, predeceased by his parents Doris and Roger Masse, is survived by his siblings, Wayne, Viv, Deb, and Lexi. He will also be missed by many friends and family members whom he entertained with numerous stories, jokes and his gentle teasing that always made them smile. His generous spirit and willingness to help others will not be forgotten. Brent was well known and highly respected by everyone he worked with, especially in the trucking industry. He loved to work but was happy to retire so he could head south before the first snowfall. Brent managed to combine his love for travel, watching hockey games and spending time swimming and boating by wintering in Lake Havasu, Arizona. He was always excited to plan “The Next Trip”. When home, Brent looked forward to spending time with family. He loved camping, fishing and sharing stories around the campfire. He had such fun watching his grandkids enjoy life and their activities and he was always amazed by what they could do. They in turn, were equally amazed by how Papa Brent always knew when it was just the right time to share a sweet treat or a funny joke. He was eagerly awaiting the chance to hug

ROBERT JACK PICKRELL

North Nechako’s most eligible bachelor, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 21, 2018 at the age of 87. He will be missed by his friends and neighbors who were entertained by numerous stories, jokes and his many handyman abilities. We would like to thank the staff at Parkside for their care and kindness. There will be no service at Jack’s request.

“The only fish to worry about on the Nechako is Pickrell”

Vallee,DavidP. October24,2018

ItiswithgreatsadnessthatthefamilyofDavidPaul ValleeannounceshispassingonWednesday, October24th,2018,attheageof67years.

Davewillbelovinglyrememberedbyhisthree children,Joe(Brenda),LeahandAnna(Shawn).He willalsobefondlyrememberedbyhisfive grandchildren,Riley,Autumn,Lachlan,Hunterand Madison,andbyhisbrother,Victor.Davewas predeceasedbyhisbrotherAdrianandwifeCorrie.

AninformalMemorialServicetocelebrateDavid’slife willbeheldonSaturday,November3rd,at2:00p.m., atHartlandBaptistChurch,6599DriftwoodRd, PrinceGeorge.

Thosewhosodesiremaymakememorialdonations inmemoryofDavidtothePrinceGeorgeHospice Societyinlieuofflowers.Contact(250)945-4908for moreinfo.

CAROL ZOGAS

1938-2018

Carol passed away peacefully with family at her side at the Prince George Rotary Hospice on October 19, 2018 after a brief and valiant struggle with brain cancer. She was a long time resident of her beloved Prince George where she was born and spent most of her life. Carol was an elementary school teacher for District 57, a curler, golfer and avid sports fan and supporter of local teams like the Prince George Cougars hockey team as well as volunteering at large sporting events. She took great pride in her city. Carol was predeceased by her husband John Zogas in 1985. She will be sadly missed by; her 3 children, Vincent (Kirsten), Elaina (Kerry) and John (Angie), her grandchildren, Jackson Pickell, Auburn Pickell, Sloane Zogas, Eric Zogas, Kassie Zogas and Kaleb Clarke, her sister Janet (Richard)Loucks, brother Ken Giles (Carol), and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbours. She was a wonderful mother, sister, aunt, friend, who will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, honesty, strength of character, personality and wit. Her sense of humour stayed with her to the end. A celebration of life will be held in the spring when a tree will be planted in her honour. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Prince George Rotary Hospice and Dr. Cecilia Siegling for their care.

Robert Bruce

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Robert James Bruce who at 62, in his home in Mackenzie BC, left this Earth on October 24, 2018. He was predeceased by his Mother Vera Bruce, Father John Alistair Bruce and sister Barbara Janet Bruce. Bob is survived by his wife Marjolyn of 37 years as well as his children Kimberly, Pamela and Geoffrey. He had three grandchildren Soleil, Kayden and Dylan. He will be missed by his older brothers John and Richard along with many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Bob was struggling with his health for numerous years but still managed to keep his spirits high and his humour on top. A big thank-you to the doctors and nurses of Mackenzie and Prince George who made the last few years more manageable for him. A special thank-you to all the family and friends who have supported us all during this heavy hearted time. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 30,2018 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the legion in Mackenzie , B.C

In loving memory of Janice Dorothey Ouellette (nee Dawson) Mar 23, 1952- Oct 23, 2018 Janice is survived by her loving husband Julien Ouellette; sons Dean (Julie) and Blain; grandchildren Ryan, Selena, and Kayley. She was predeceased by her parents Jack and Delia Dawson; parents-in-law Edward and Laurette Ouellette and grandson Brandon Ouellette. A Funeral Service will be held at 1pm on November 3, 2018 at the Gathering Place (King’s Christian School), Salmon Arm. Donations to BC Cancer Foundation or Diabetes Canada in lieu of flowers please. She was always laughing and will be missed by all. Share memories and condolences online through Janice’s obituary at www.fischersfuneralservices.com.

STVINCENTDEPAULDROPINCENTREPOSITIONS

TheSocietyofSaintVincentdePaulhasbeenserving PrinceGeorgeforalmost40years.Ourmissionisto servethepoorwithlove,respect,justice,andjoy.We currentlyhavethefollowingopportunities: FullTimeDropInCentreManager-responsiblefor managingallaspectsoftheDrop-InCentre.Theideal candidatewillhavestrongorganizationalskillsandbe abletotrainandleadstaffandvolunteerseffectively.A well-roundedindividualisneededwithanunderstanding oflocalsocialserviceagencies,healthandsafety,and supervising. CasualCook/DropInAssistant-providescasualsupport forpositionsresponsibleforbreakfastandlunchmeal preparations,foodhamperassemblyanddistribution, andcleanup. Acriminalrecordcheckandvalidfoodsafecertificateis requiredforbothpositions.Ifyouarepositive, compassionateandenjoyworkinginafast-paced environment,wewouldlovetohearfromyou!Please applywithresumeandthreereferencesbymailtoBox 1617,PrinceGeorge,B.C.V2L4V6orbyemailto svdppg@shaw.ca.Nophonecallsplease.Thankyou. http://ssvdppg.com/

DEVELOPMENT OF A PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN

The purpose of Pest Management Plan (PMP) No.

quito annoyance within the District of Mackenzie by using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM)approach to control. The PMP focuses on larval mosquito control initiatives and uses public education, physical site modification and biological controls to reduce larval mosquito populations, and to conserve or enhance natural mosquito predators wherever possible. This includes the use of non-persistent, bacterial larvicides. This Pest Management Plan is a renewal of the expiring (April 2019) 5 year PMP for this program. The proposed duration of this PMP is from 15 April 2019 to 15 April 2024.

Mosquito larvae require stagnant or non-flowing waters, temporary or permanent, to develop. When physical alterations (drainage, filling) are neither practical nor desirable, developing larvae will be treated using VectoBac or VectoLex larvicides. VectoBac 200G (PCP # 18158) contains the natural-occurring soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis and VectoLex CG (PCP #28008) is made with the related bacterium Bacillus sphaericus. Both of these products are classified as bio-rational products, they do not accumulate in the environment and provide species specific control of mosquito larvae. They are non-toxic to other organisms including fish, birds, wildlife, man and domestic animals. Applications of VectoBac 200G and VectoLex CG will be made using aerial(helicopter) and ground-based, hand-broadcast methods. Total larvicide treatment area is not to exceed 400 hectares of public lands in each year of the PMP. All applications will be conducted within the municipal boundaries of the District of Mackenzie.

This Pest Management Plan for mosquito control is being prepared for the District of Mackenzie by Duka Environmental Services Ltd, a biological sciences firm, with extensive experience in integrated pest management plan development and local mosquito control operations. Information on proposed treatment areas, annual mosquito control program operations and this PMP are available to the public by request from Duka Environmental Services Ltd 19732 - 68th Avenue, Langley, BC V2Y IH6 (604) 881-4565, Facsimile (866) 759-5902, or email;duka@telus.net. For VectoBac or VectoLex product information please see the manufacturers website www.valentbiosciences.com.

A person wishing to contribute information regarding a proposed treatment site, relevant to the development of this Pest Management Plan, may send copies of the information to Duka Environmental Services Ltd (agents for the District of Mackenzie) at the contact addresses above within 30 days of the publication of this notice. The identity of any respondents and the contents of anything submitted in response to this notice and application will become part of the public record.