POLICE: Road crash statistices released for North region A4 Friday, January 20, 2012 Is the gay marriage debate back on the table in Canada? A3
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City axes jobs DeLynda Pilon
newsroom@pgfreepress.com DeLynda PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Protestors marched from the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council office to the Ramada Wednesday night in protest of the Enbridge joint review panel hearing held at 6 p.m. that evening.
Protestors greet panel in P.G. DeLynda Pilon
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Beating drums, First Nations’ voices raised together in song, and signs plastered with slogans like Say No To Enbridge greeted the Enbridge joint review panel at the Ramada Wednesday night. About 100 protesters marched from the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council office to the hotel where the hearing was held, unified by a cause in spite of the frigid temperatures, which dropped below minus 30C. Vice Tribal Chief Terry Teegee said the protest wasn’t just about the pipeline itself, but the process as well. “The issue is about more than whether or not they approve the project,” he said. There is no clear path to deal with First Nations issues, he said, in spite of the fact much of the planned line will cross traditional land. He added as of yet there has been no opportunity to speak about the safety of the proposed
tanker traffic either. And, he said, to many First Nations people it seems like the outcome of the process has already been decided, no matter what issues are brought forward. “The joint review panel is quite limiting,” he said. Protesters left their signs at reception and joined a crowd which grew to about 300 strong within a lounge at the Ramada. Joint review panel member Sheila Leggett provided some information about the process and introduced the two other panel members with her, Kenneth Bateman and Hans Matthews. Two presenters were on the evening’s agenda. The first spoke about the possible cultural and environmental harm the project might cause while the second took a scientific approach to the pipeline, explaining a number of calculations which concluded the energy put into retrieving the dilbit (diluted bitumen) would not be worth the amount of sweet crude oil extracted.
Gary Ducommon with the Metis Nation of B.C. was the first presenter. He shared a short history of the Metis in B.C., and said Metis people have been a documented population in the area since 1793. They are now one of the largest populations of people along the pipeline route. Although the Metis are not against the project, Ducommon said they are very concerned about some aspects of it and believe these issues need to be looked at more closely. For example, the pipeline will cross three watersheds. The rivers running through those watersheds extend to the Hudson’s Bay, southern and northern B.C. and the arctic. “More specifically, the Metis people in B.C. are fish eaters,” he said. Although there is not much opportunity to harvest salmon in the Prince George area anymore, the pipeline project brings forward the issue of cumulative affect, he said. With changes in water temperature and habitat degrada-
turn to PAGE A5
Twenty-eight positions have been cut at city hall one day after a report from city manager Derek Bates stated $1.7 million in personnel reductions need to be made to help achieve a total of nearly $2 million in reductions and a balanced budget with a 3.12 per cent tax levy. Of these positions, 19 are vacant, so nine fulltime positions currently filled will be cut. The 28 positions are in parks, community policing, the CN Centre, the Civic Centre, development and transportation, long-range planning and park planning as well as communications. The cuts are expected to save the city $2 million over three years. Mayor Shari Green said that the current council has been in place six weeks, and during that time has considered the realities of the bottom lime and considered the citizen’s hard-earned tax money. “We’ve asked hard questions and turned our eyes to building the future not mortgaging the future,” she said. “It takes willing and courageous leadership to make change happen.” In another bid to save money, the city’s contributions to IPG and the library will remain at the 2011 level, Bates said. Green said that at the end of 2011 council was faced with up to an eight per cent tax increase, something they did not find acceptable. Instead they asked staff to come up with scenarios with an increase between two and four per cent. What was brought back included a labour component. She said the cuts will not, however, turn to PAGE A5
Prince George Free Press
POND HOCKEY: West Lake the site for championships A15
Up Front Bill phillips 250-564-0005 newsroom@pgfreepress.com
The Keg Restaurant is set to reopen in mid-March A8
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Local couple worried about changes ■ Gay marriage
Law may be changed, and there are concerns about other ‘shenanigans’ Delynda pilon newsroom@pgfreepress.com
Stacey and Sussanne Skidmore-Hewlett live together in a cozy home in the city with their pug/pom cross dog and two cats that could pass for twins. Their home, in the early evening, is redolent with the odour of fresh coffee and something that reminds you it’s dinner time as a pot simmers on the stove. A few soft blankets hang on comfortable looking chairs and a couch. The news is playing on the television and, since it’s after 5 p.m. in Prince George in January, the lamps are aglow, with the laminate floor reflecting the shine. Outdoors it is cold, that one week of winter that makes the north gasp has come with a vengeance. Within their home it is warm, comfortable, and very much the same as a multitude of other homes within the city. The one difference is this married couple happens to be of the same sex. Rehashing whether or not same sex couples should have the right to be married seems like an enormous waste of time to Stacey Hewlett. “My first reaction is frustration. Why they care about who’s marrying who is beyond comprehension. Sussanne is the love of my life. I married her,” she said. “There are young kids dying of drug overdoses. There’s HIV. There’s more poverty than ever. So many disgusting things are happening in our province.” The flurry of reports spawned last week when a federal lawyer argued in court that a same-sex marriage held no legal validity if the couple who wed lived in a jurisdiction that doesn’t recognize such unions did strike a nerve with Sussanne, who has a long-standing passion for politics. She remains concerned that opening the legislation in order to add whatever legalese needs to be put in place to allow for divorces for gays who married in Canada because the union wouldn’t be legal in their own area, which is what some articles reported was afoot, might lead the way to some other back-door shenanigans, however she is as frustrated over the entire issue as her wife. “There are too many other things going on in the world that need attention,” she said. Though there is still a long way to go in educating some people to be respectful – not that long ago Stacey was verbally attacked by a group of men sitting on the deck at the BX Pub screaming things like ‘dyke’ at her – both women agree there have been many positive changes as well. Sussanne mentioned the gay pride parade and the snowflake ball. She
said a few tickets to the ball are sponsored, allowing youth who might be fearful of talking about where they are going and why to parents, to attend. “I felt privileged to be in their presence,” she said. “It’s so nice to see them being comfortable in their own skin.” She added the addition of the Gay Straight Alliances in most schools, with the exception of Duchess Park, has really made a difference with acceptance. Stacey mentioned that, statistically, at least 10 per cent of the population is gay. Many youth who De Ly nd a PILON/ Fre e Pre s s don’t have the blessing of the Sussanne Skidmore-Hewlett and Stacey Hewlett relax at home with the family dog. Both women beleive there are many more things to be concerned about locally and in the world than same sex marriage. great friends more vitriolic members of the party “We are both fortunate. I have amazand supportwho’ve spoken loudly and at length ing parents and they are good relaive family members Stacey and Susagainst gays having that right. Stacey tionship role models. They are loving, sanne are both surrounded by, wind up wonders how some would react if they caring and supportive, but it was still leaving their homes and heading out of small towns for bigger centres, thinking scary. I was 32 when I came out. I knew discovered one of their children was gay. in my early teens, though, that I was there will be more acceptance there. “What are you saying to your young attracted to women.” “Then they get there, and they are children? What are you saying to the Then the right relationship came overwhelmed,” Stacey said. general public? That it’s not okay to be along, and though it didn’t end in marBut, in spite of the continuing uphill different?” riage, it did help Sussanne decide that battle in Canada for gays, it is still one “We are of the opinion you are born she would never be in a romantic relaof the most progressive countries in the gay. You can’t control it,” Sussanne tionship with a man again. world when it comes to gay rights. said. Stacey and Sussanne were friends for Both women remain concerned about “There are still places you can send many years before romance blossomed other areas of the world, where gay children to cure ‘the gay’,” Stacey said. between the two. When it did, they marriage isn’t an issue considering it She added, even if the unthinkable were both certain, in short order, they is actually illegal to be gay in the first happened and gay marriage became had found exactly the person each was place. For example, in Uganda, you can illegal, it would not change her relalooking for and got married in July of get the death penalty for being gay, she tionship with Sussanne. In her heart, 2010 surrounded by 150 family memsaid. For a bird’s eye view of how gay they will always be married. bers and friends. people are treated in the world, check “It will just change the way we do Sussanne’s son walked them down out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ our taxes and benefits,” she added the aisle and people later told the couLGBT_rights_by_country_or_territory. ple it was one of the most beautiful lov- wryly. “I think it’s ridiculous that Stacey said she knew she was gay by people who don’t like my lifestyle think ing ceremonies they had witnessed. the time she was 14/15 years old. I’m going to change it because of their Sussanne said she knows Prime “Well, forever really,” she added. “It opinion.” Minister Stephen Harper has publicly was definitely a struggle, but I had a Instead of spending energy on that, stated the government will not re-open great support network. I needed to feel both women agreed it is time to take on the issue of gay marriage, but still she comfortable with myself before coming some of the bigger issues out there. worries. She is concerned about other out.”
More officers, fewer deaths ■ RCMP Collision statistics
ALLan Wishart
allanw@pgfreepress.com
Cutting through all the numbers on collision statistics in the North District leads to one conclusion, according to Insp. Eric Brewer. “There is a direct correlation between the number of people we have on the road and the number of fatals,” he told a press conference Tuesday morning. “When we’ve had the funding to allow us to put targeted enforcement on the roads, the number of deaths and injuries goes down.” The North District covers about threequarters of the province, and Brewer said on a good day, they have about 89 people on the road. With so few people covering so big an area, there was a need for a strategy. “In about 2002, traffic services took a look at itself internally. We were looking at statistics for individual officers, such as tickets, which generated rev-
enue and paperwork, but we weren’t targeting driver behaviour.” That changed, and the first idea was to look at where collisions were occurring. “We defined three high-crash zones in each area, and started paying more attention to those areas. In 2010, we compared the stats from 2009 with previous years. “Those high-crash zones had disappeared from the numbers. Targeting them had worked.” Brewer said there was one very important other aspect. “We didn’t see a ‘balloon’ effect. We didn’t fix it here and see it get worse over there.” Under different programs, Brewer said, the RCMP have had opportunities to put more people on the road, targeting specific areas and behaviours. “Any time that extra funding dries up, the fatals go back up.” The graph of total fatal victims in the district shows a steady
A lla n W ISHA RT/ Fre e Pre s s
Insp. Eric Brewer shows on a graph how the number of fatalities on North District roads has decreased over the past few years. decline from 2004 to 2009, then a jump in 2010. Brewer said there was, again, a correlation with numbers of people. “We got IRSU (Integrated Road Safety Unit) funding in about 2004. We used that to put more people on the road, and the fatals dropped. In 2009, we saw some of that
enhanced funding disappear, and the fatals went back up.” Over the past few years, Brewer said, North District has targeted a number of driver behaviours, and seen results. “We started with seatbelt enforcement, and the number of unbelted fatal victims has fallen almost every year.” Recently, the target has been impaired driving, whether by alcohol or drugs. “Drug impairment is becoming an issue,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we have drug recognition experts at all roadchecks now. We took a number of drivers off the road this past season because of that.”
Now, the focus is also turning to aggressive driving, which includes distracted driving. “You can’t stop at an intersection these days,” he said, “without seeing someone texting with their phone on the steering wheel or down in their lap, or talking on the cellphone. The number of fatals where distracted driving was identified as one of the causes has gone up.” Even as the number of fatals drops, Staff Sgt. Pat McTiernan cautions they don’t anticipate getting down to zero. “There will always be some fatals we can’t control at all, whether it be someone hitting a moose or someone having a medical problem which results in a fatal collision.”
Engineering numbers show low returns from PAGE A1
tion already an issue, Ducommon said there is concern another stressor might add to the problem. “There is a huge concern other stressors may tip those populations over the edge where they are unavailable to Aboriginal people here,” he said. Mountain caribou, he said, are another species important to the Metis which may be at risk. “Food security, that concerns us because it is intertwined with our way of thinking. When we lose that we damage the way we teach and practice our culture,” he said. He said the Metis Nation of B.C. will make a final decision about whether or not to support the pipeline in a meeting in March. “But, having said that, people have serious significant concerns about this project going forward,” he said. C.J. Peter Associates Engineering of Prince George made the sec-
ond presentation, discussing the energy used versus the energy gained with the project. Christopher Peter began by explaining several formulas and calculations the firm put together to extrapolate the amount of energy used versus the amount gained. The energy used begins with the extraction process, which he said is energy intensive with bitumen deposits being melted out primarily by steam and, increasingly, using natural gas to create the steam, with a marginal electric element involved. Pumping and transportation also require an energy output, he said. Between 150 and 190 tankers would likely move the oil each year, beginning at Kitimat with a stop for refueling in China, then offloading in Australia. Refining would extend more energy, a process that requires hydrogen, not only to remove the sulphur but for hydrocracking.
Skakun still has concerns
from PAGE A1
impact policing nor the fire department and there will be no reduction in the snow removal budget nor road rehabilitation. Bates said the next step will be for administration to evaluate the capacity of the remaining staff regarding service standards, and advise council regarding gaps and deficiencies. Coun. Brian Skakun, who voted against the provisional budget on Jan. 16, said one of the reasons he did so was because he isn’t sure the cuts will actually save the city money. “My main concern is I am not comfortable with the service levels. Will the city be saving money or losing it because they are not able to deliver services?” he asked. Skakun added he would have liked to see open public discussion about service levels, and said he feels it is unfortunate that didn’t happen.
DeLynda PILON/ Fre e Pre s s
Gary Ducommon (centre) takes a seat in the audience after his presentation on behalf of the Metis Nation of B.C. The final number was, for every barrel of oil used, 2.41 would be
created. Norm Jacob, also with C.J. Peter, said that
societies that ignore this calculation, called Energy Return on
Investment (EROI) fail, and compared energy usage to the biological world. “When animals extend more energy than they get from a food source, they die,” he said. He said further calculations would have reduced the EROI for the Enbridge project even more. “It became clear to us the inclusion of a full second order EROI would have further reduced the number,”
he said, then asked the EROI be given substantial weight in any decision made about going forward with the project. Audience applause met this request, however Bateman mentioned the information shared did not meet the requirements of an oral presentation. However, he as well as the other panel members thanked the pair. The panel will be back in B.C. Feb. 2, in Fort St. James.
Opinion
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Lose it, but can we keep it off?
M
ayor Shari Green and council are not done. The 28 positions eliminated this week at city hall are just the beginning. We expect the number of positions eliminated to be between 40 and 50. The slashing has just begun. They didn’t even wait until the core review is completed. And, as we discovered this week, when Green speculated during her campaign that changing the face of city hall could be done without laying people off, she was only referring to the core review. Little did we know that the plan was to lay off people before the core review, which brings into question the fiscal prudence of spending $350,000 on a core review when council seems to be forging ahead with changes anyway. Moving this quickly, just six weeks after taking office, also brings into question how well thought out these changes really are. Granted, we don’t need to pay a consultant to study it for a few months, but we only hope there is a rationale, other than politics, behind the changes made. And, as we already mentioned, they’re not done. This council is using a time-honoured political strategy of get in, move quickly, and then spend the rest of your mandate working towards re-election by being gracious, caring leaders. The idea is to get all the ugly stuff out of the way during first 90 to 100 days in office. Do all the stuff that won’t play well in the public out of the way early. There will be some negative press and then people will get on with their lives. Then focus on being nice. Remember Gordon Campbell laying off thousands of civil servants within a year of being elected in 2001? For city council, the real test on how they dealt with trimming costs at city hall doesn’t happen now. It happens three years from now when they seek re-election and the test will be whether staffing levels at city hall have remained at the reduced level or ballooned back up. History has shown that politicians who campaign on slashing the civil service, get elected on that promise and then carry it out, often leave office with their successor running the same campaign. If city hall has been reduced by 28 positions this week, with possibly more to come, will it still be at that low level a couple of years from now when the reality of operating a city gets in the way of political promises?
Onus on council to lift shroud
T
he public simply has a right to know. And, a city council and mayor that got elected based on promises to open up city hall should be demanding that the public knows. News this week that the city’s legal costs for the Brian Skakun trial are not being disclosed has angered the public and it should be angering city council members who campaigned on creating a “transparent” government. The excuse that such information is protected under attorney-client privilege is just that … an excuse. It’s inexcusable for the public to be denied access to such information. It is within the power of Mayor Shari Green to order the information to be made public. She, instead, deferred to the wishes of council. Fair enough. It is within the power of council to order the information to be made public. We await the next council meeting to see whether council has the integrity to make good on their campaign promise of being more accountable to the public and tell the public how much the Skakun legal wrangling cost the taxpayers, or whether they will abrogate their electoral assertions and flip the public the bird.
■ opinion
Time to get things done
who respect the arriving to work and the leaving Time is a curious concept. We use it every day of work at precise times more than productivity on both to our advantage and detriment. We make the job. The economic cost of that point of view is appointments with others so we don’t waste time beyond calculation. waiting around to see them and we get very agiIt is amusing to watch some offices where the tated when either you or they are late. Time and majority of people working there arrive and leave how we use it can be a source of stress. within a couple of minutes of the same time every To regulate our lives to doing things at a specific day. That is behaviour one would relate to a robot time requires some sort of instrument. As far back rather than a thinking human being. as the ancient Greeks and Romans there was an One frequently sees a driver pushing their way attempt to get some sort of regulation by using through traffic because their time is just more devices such as the sundial. Unfortunately, sundials important than the time of anyone else. They slowly changed bit by bit as to where the shadow invariably like to think of themselves as highly fell. Not very accurate and not in the least bit porproductive, and important, individuals. They are table, so it had very limited use. If an ancient Greek so upset when their time is abruptly taken up by a was dropped into our world, he would look a little traffic patrolman who has pulled them silly trying to pack his sundial around over for some offence. They may have so he would not be late for his next gained a couple of minutes by behavappointment. ing like an idiot and lost 15 or 20 minUsing some sort of instrument in utes while they wait for the patrolman those ancient days was the domain to process their offence. They are usuof the urbanite. The farmers and othOnside ally slow learners. ers simply depended on how high the VictorBowman Perhaps the worst abuse of time is sun was, what time of year it was, and convincing ourselves that we do not what the various animals were doing. have enough time. Driven by the clock, we spend If you have had any experience with animals, you a frustrating time trying to do it all. Time managewill be aware of how close they can keep track of time. Some of it may perhaps be induced physically, ment is simple and leads to a much less stressful life. We need to spend time with our families and but it is amazingly accurate. The herd of cows will friends as well as working. We need to make time head for the milking barn very close to the same for recreation and relaxation. time every day. Your pet dog likely starts to agitate We all have 24 hours in a day and an amazing for its meal within minutes of the regular feeding amount of it is wasted. One simply has to establish time day after day. what your priorities are and do them. None of us In the modern world, we have become slaves to can do it all. the clock. Go to work at this time, eat at that time, If necessary schedule your family, recreation and to bed at a regular hour. relax time and stick to your schedule. Make the Plan every minute of the day and make every minutes count. Regularity, of the time sort, is valued activities that make life really worthwhile your priorities. highly. There are an amazing number of employers
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When cold is the only thing that matters
audacity of its driver to At 40 degrees below demand movement on a zero, the only thought is day when the only natural survival. thing able to stir Boots are the branches crunch in the breeze. across All of the plastic the snow, components coughing insist they were winter’s dry Rough not made for speech, and Cuts this moment. the black NeilGodbout Finally in and early drive, the vehisky is sparcle begins to dole out some kling jewels scattered on the purest velvet cloth. The artificial heat and the pedals respond to the touch cruel cold and silence of but the tires roll gingerly, the void is plainly visible like a dog wanting to raise but the moon, what is left its paws after every step on of it, ignores its backdrop the ice. and shines on, a vain and The voice on the radio shallow actor. is salvation, the words After unplugging the unimportant but the sound block heater and a halfitself is warm, a companhearted attempt to fold up ion through this frigid the stiff power cord in the nightmare. They say they dark, retreating behind the can’t provide warmth over wheel is a shallow victory. the airwaves but they can. The fan is hissing but the If they just held a microconsole is still stingy about dispensing warmth and the phone to the sound of a skin on the cheeks, the only coffee machine gurgling and chuckling like a baby exposed part of the entire before spilling hot, lifebody, has pulled tight, desgiving blood into its glass perate to protect the blood decanter, that would be a and bones from the frigid real blessing. air. Just stop talking, please, In reverse, the vehicle and broadcast the sound of complains, first startled the coffee machine or how and then stunned at the
about hydrogen and oxygen molecules slam dancing with each other in the confines of a kettle? Or the seductive mist of a hot shower or the muscular jets of a Jacuzzi tub? Do not broadcast the sound of any creature, like buzzing bees or gossiping and flirting birds, because
wherever they are at this wretched moment, they too think only of survival. When the sun finally rises, it is just to taunt and antagonize, reminding all human eyes who glance up at her with frustration how far 93 million miles really is. Its light feels like it took 8,000 years, not
eight minutes, to get here. The blue in the sky is a thin veil, promising only a short respite from the dark. At workplaces and public spaces, discussion is animated and only about the cold because enduring and surviving together unites all peoples. And then the sun
retreats, taking its blue scarf and frail light with it. And the vehicles scurry across the unforgiving roadways, back to their homes. Later, their owners slip under many blankets with prayers on their lips for a warmer tomorrow. Outside, the air is as still as a predator.
Nothing unnatural about climate change Editor: Re: Weather has definitely changed, Free Press, January 6. Glaciation periods can last from 20,000 to 100,000 years; interglaciation periods are of a much shorter duration – 10,000 to 20,000 years. As little as 12,000 years ago, two kilometers of ice sat right here where we live. This ice sheet covered all of Canada, part of the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Most of that ice was gone in 12,000 to 14,000 years. What remains is in the high northern and southern latitudes and will continue to melt at an accelerated rate. In simple terms, Mr. Loughery, less ice to reflect the heat into space equates to a warmer planet. Environmentalists use 450,000 years ago as a benchmark to start and advance to the present in an attempt to give credibility of the hypothesis of anthropological forcing causing climate change. To help you understand the significance of 450,000 years to environ-
mentalists, it is the lowest CO2 count in 350 million years (average count over that time frame is 12 to 1,500 ppm). Extensive glaciations began approximately 60 million years ago, sequencing CO2 into the earth, gradually lowering the CO2 level until the flatline of 800,000 to 450,000 years, at which point the ppm count began to increase as the earth released its sequenced CO2. Shorter duration of glaciations, coupled with loner interglaciation, is speculated to be the cause of this process. The rapid climate change you speak of due to the use of fossil fuels over the last 150 years comes from Mr. Mann’s hockey-stick graph. Mr. Mann’s work has never been validated as he will not allow the scientific community access to work that led to his conclusions. The IPCC also refused to have their work peer-reviewed to ascertain its validity, consequently information pulled from their files at East Anglia University provided that had no regard for science,
or the world as a whole, and lied with regard to the causes of climate change. In January 2010, Mr. Andrew Weaver, one of the most respected and prominent scientists within the IPCC, left them in disgust at the disclosure of this information. When giving his assessment of the impact the 2010 Winter Games had on climate change, David Suzuki made this statement “during the warming phase,” which alludes to a natural phenomenon. Dr. Suzuki is a very intelligent man as well as a dynamic speaker and knows precisely the meaning and context of every word he speaks. With that statement coming from Canada’s leading environmentalist there should be no doubt remaining in the minds of the environmental movement about the cause of climate change. Natural phenomenon. Larry Barnes Prince George
Forum brought out areas to address in future
the coming years and help create jobs and I recently had the pleasure of hosting my strengthen our economy. Leaders like Robin ninth BC Natural Resource Forum and can say without a doubt that it was another great Silvester, the president and chief executive officer of Port Metro Vancouver. success. Robin spoke at the forum and Knowledgeable leaders shared his experiences and future from across our province about what lies ahead for and country came together MLA visions British Columbia and how importo collaboratively find ways Report tant ports will be in B.C.’s future. to capitalize and expand on PATBell They are gateways to the Asian the opportunities our natumarkets across the Pacific Ocean and expand ral resource sector provides our province. I our abilities to spur economic growth via want to thank everyone who helped make trade. this forum such a great event. The presentThe demand for products from British ers, industry leaders, government repreColumbia is soaring in places like China sentatives, all other participants, including and India. Lumber exports to China are at Premier Christy Clark, made this a forwardan all-time high with that country’s rapid thinking and innovative experience for all urbanization and recognition that wood is those in attendance. an environmentally sound building material, Those who attended were fortunate to which has increased demand. Lumber isn’t listen to some of the leaders of our provthe only resource China looks to our province who will guide our province through
ince for either, as everything from metals, to potash, to wheat and grain are high on Asia’s list of necessity. The forum’s theme was “2020 North – A Clear Vision for the Next Decade” and with discussions about the current $2.9 billion in capital investment with another proposed $62 billion in the years to come, it’s no wonder things are looking up for northern British Columbia. With all this investment, our natural resources sector will need highly-skilled workers to build, operate, and support the current and future infrastructure. The Northwest Transmission Line, Site C, and Liquid Natural Gas plants will need a skilled workforce. Our local northern high-school students have opportunity at their doorstep with so many future job openings, now is a great time to invest in yourself and go to trade school. They are the next wave
of skilled trade workers who will support and strengthen our province in the coming decades. The great thing about this forum is the support it received. Premier Christy Clark has seen the potential that northern B.C. has and wants to capitalize on the opportunities it offers. Successes in the North have a ripple effect throughout the province and I for one am encouraged by the vision she has for rural and northern B.C. and province-wide. So as we move forward, we know that getting our natural resources to market, continuing to increase the number of skilled workers we have, and spurring economic growth will be the keys to our success. I’m thrilled so many people participated in the BC Natural Resource Forum and heard the vision so many knowledgeable leaders shared, so that we can work towards this goal and achieve success together.
Free Press reserves the right to reject unsigned letters. Letters are edited for brevity, legality and taste. Contact Editor Bill Phillips, 250-564-0005
Coffee with a reporter Stories come to reporters in a variety of ways. News releases, press conferences and phone calls are some. Sometimes you might think whatever story you have in mind isn’t worth a phone call or visit to the newspaper’s office, but is it worth a cup of coffee?
Reporter DeLynda Pilon would like the chance to hear what you have to say so every Friday at 11 a.m. she will be having a coffee break at Zoe’s Java House at 1251 Fourth Ave., and is hoping you will drop by to chat. Or just stop in and introduce yourself.
11 a.m. Fridays at Zoe’s Java House at 1251 Fourth Avenue
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Keg Restaurant includes little and big ideas ALLan Wishart
allanw@pgfreepress.com
Sometimes, it’s the little things. “I had noticed a lot of times there would be a small tissue on the floor outside the women’s washroom,” Prince George Keg Restaurant owner Kelly Nordin says during a tour of the facility. “I always wondered why someone would drop one there. “Then I asked someone and she said women didn’t want to use their just-washed hands to open the door.” And so the washrooms at the soon to be reopened restaurant will have sensors installed to open the doors for customers. That’s one of the little things Nordin is proud of during the tour, but there are some big things too. “Over that fireplace,” he says, walking through the lounge, “will be a 65-inch TV, and there will be two 46-inch ones behind the bar.” Construction workers are still in many areas, but it’s easy to see how things
are coming together, and how the whole restaurant will look when it reopens in mid-March. There’s another sign of how close the Keg is to reopening. On a couple of occasions, the tour has short interruptions as Nordin takes in resumes from people interested in jobs. “A lot of our management people have been on training programs at other Keg Restaurants,” he says. “The Keg will send up trainers two weeks before we open to work with the employees, and they’ll stay for a week after we open to make sure there are no problems. “A lot of times when a restaurant opens, people don’t want to go there right away because they want to let them work the bugs out. We won’t have that problem.” Nordin anticipates the Keg will employ about 150 people, and there are almost as many amenities for them as for the customers. “We have a staff lunchroom which actually has a couple of tables in it
which will be used in one of the private dining rooms when it’s in use, so the employees will have the same tables and chairs as the customers.” The private dining facilities, he feels, will be the best in the city. “They’re designed for private dining or for meetings. The main private room can seat 10 or we can move a wall out of the way, bring in the other tables and seat 30.” That room will also have a 55-inch TV on one of the end walls with WiFi and a docking port. “You can bring in your computer, hook it up to the TV and be ready to go for your presentation. You can also have your presentation transmitted to the computers of the other people in the room.” The private dining rooms are separate, but still feel like part of the restaurant, thanks to the use of wine racks and soundproof glass to isolate them from the main dining area, but still allow some vision into the restaurant. “Everything here is
A lla n W ISHA RT/ Fre e Pre s s
The exterior work is almost finished, the “Now Hiring” sign is out, and the Keg Restaurant is on track to open again in mid-March. top of the line,” Nordin says, noting the tiled floors extending form the entrance all the way through to the kitchen and the offices at the back. “We wanted the whole building to feel like one building, without that separation you often get between the dining area
and the work areas.” Patrons of the previous incarnation of the Keg may wonder about the oldtime photos which adorned the walls. Nordin says the new Keg will have a whole new look. “We donated a lot of the pictures to The Exploration Place and the Railway
and Forestry Museum. A few we kept for our back offices, to help us maintain that link to the past.” As for the rest of the restaurant, “it will be all original artwork on the walls. The Keg designers have our colour scheme and they’re working on it now.”
Making the move from employee to contractor
Employer Payroll Burden. This amalCongratulations! For anyone with the gamation of costs is often referred to slightest trickle of entrepreneurial blood as Mandatory Employee Related Costs flowing through their veins, it’s a glori(MERC’s). It includes the employous day when the boss er’s portion of employment insuroffers to pay you as a conance, pension, holiday pay and tractor rather than as an Boudreau any other employee benefits. employee. Biz Insurance. You’ll need liability As an employee, you worked hard to gain your DanBoudreau insurance and, as a contractor, you’ll be responsible for paying employer’s trust, earned premiums for your own Worker’s Comyour stripes, and got the contract. pensation coverage, as well as providing Then comes the agonizing chat about mandatory insurance for all workers how much to charge. This is when budunder your employ. To learn about WCB ding contractors need to sharpen their costs, go to www.worksafebc.com and pencils. When it comes to business look up rates and classifications. expenses, the boss will have a clearer Rent and Utilities. Your business will view. Unless he is willing to share finanhave to have a home, and for many budcial details, most employees will be illding contractors that will be somewhere prepared when it comes to figuring out at your personal residence. how much to charge for their services, Bookkeeping and Accounting. As a and most tend to bid too low. small business owner you’ll need to keep Here are nine expenses that need to accurate records and complete yearbe covered in your hourly rate, if you’re end financials for tax purposes. Equally going to survive the transition from important, you’ll need to know, as owner, employee to contractor.
where you’re at financially at all times throughout the year. Legal. You’ll want a lawyer’s help in developing your agreement with your former employer, and there will be other legal purchases, such as licenses and permits. Marketing, Advertising, Sales. Even though your first contract fell into your lap through the good relations you’ve built with a current employer, you’ll soon be buying business cards and learning how to get the word out about your services. Tools and Equipment. As a contractor, you may need to supply tools and equipment that previously were provided by your employer. You’ll need to factor in the purchase cost, as well as the cost of repairing, maintaining and replacing equipment. Office Expenses. In today’s work environment, it’s difficult to imagine a business without a telephone, Internet access, some sort of mobile, and a computer-fax-
printer. There will also be a desk, chairs and something to store files and documents in. Bank Charges and Interest. A business needs its own bank account, independent of your personal account. If you borrow funds for business purposes, you’ll be paying interest on those funds until they’re repaid. The Canada Revenue Agency is the final authority when it comes to deciding whether you’re an employee or a contractor. To locate tests that help to determine whether or not you’re an employee or a contractor, do an Internet search using the keywords “employee vs. employer.” As a contractor, if you’re charging anything less than double what the employer paid you as an employee, you’re probably not charging enough to cover your costs. Your appetite for contracting is more likely to grow if you start out with a healthy pricing strategy.. Dan Boudreau owns RiskBuster Business Plan Oasis and Blog at www.riskbuster.com.
ROBBIE BURNS: Scottish tradition returns on Jan. 28 A13
Community
The PGSO and Cantata Singers celebrate a diamond jubilee A11
teresa Mallam 250-564-0005 arts@pgfreepress.com
www.pgfreepress.com
Free Press
Playbill Indie Folk
Artspace above Books and Company will be hosting indie folk-pop group Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk on Thursday, Feb. 2. “Music is common ground. It allows you to connect with people you may never have been able to connect with otherwise. I love that,” she says. Opening will be Jamie Bell and Derek Joyce. Tickets for the concert are $10 at Books and Company.
Cinema CNC
The Mid Winter Series features four Cinema CNC movies: The Skin I Live In (Jan. 21), The Artist (Jan. 28), Le Havre (Feb. 4), and The First Grader (Feb. 11.) All shows are in Room 1-306 at CNC. Showtimes are 7 and 9:30 p.m. Passes are $24. Single tickets are $8 regular, $7 student, senior, unemployed. Available at Books and Company and CNC Bookstore.
Fiddlin’ Fiesta
Saturday, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cold Snap event: a family free fun multicultural event for kids and adults with lots of lively dance music. Fiddling trio Season on hand to teach step dancing. Latino DJ music and Latino dance steps taught by local LatinoCanadians. French Round dance ends the session. Bannock and fruit served. Connaught Youth Centre.
■ Chad Brownlee
From the ice to the country stage Former Canucks draft pick opens for Dierks Bentley on tour ALLan Wishart allanw@pgfreepress.com
Chad Brownlee remembers the moment he knew hockey wasn’t for him. “I had gone to a (Vancouver) Canucks camp, but I got injured so I played a year in the minor leagues. I had lost all my love and motivation for the game, but I hadn’t really realized it. “Then, one game, I was sitting on the bench watching the clock tick down at the end of the game and I realized, I didn’t want to spend my life watching the clock tick down. So at the end of the season, I quit hockey and got into music full time.” He admits it wasn’t an easy decision, since “everybody knew me as a hockey player.” But, if five B.C. Country Music Association awards last year are any sort of measuring stick, it was a good decision. “I was lucky to meet the right people when I started my music career. That got me where I am now.” Where he is now is opening for Dierks Bentley on a western Canada tour which sees them at CN Centre on Feb. 17. The tour starts Feb. 15 and Brownlee’s new album, Love Me or Leave Me, hits the stores on Feb. 14. He says that wasn’t planned. “We had the release date for the album set before we had anything final for the tour.” This won’t be the first time Brownlee has been on the same bill as Bentley. “I played a show with him in Ontario last summer. I just stood at the side of the stage and watched him. He’s just a great entertainer. “I didn’t get the chance to talk to him then, but I’m hoping I will during the tour.” While fans can expect to hear
Ph o to s ub mitte d
Canadian country star Chad Brownlee will be opening the show for Dierks Bentley at the CN Centre on Feb. 17 – and looking for a shinny game. songs from Brownlee’s self-titled debut album and Love Me or Leave Me, he says he’ll have some other songs in the set. “I’ll probably throw in some covers, songs I like singing.” That could be from any number of artists, from current performers like Jason Aldean, Eric Church and, yes, Dierks Bentley to older artists like Garth Brooks. “I’ve always been a country
fan. I overplayed Garth’s Greatest Hits album. I think I just about wore the needle through both sides.” Country isn’t all he listens to, and he thinks that makes him a better songwriter. “I appreciate good music, no matter what genre it’s in. Sometimes I’ll really dissect a song, try to figure out what makes it so good to listen to.”
One thing he has learned over the years about writing songs is that “you can’t force creativity.” “You have to capture a moment in a song, and I find it’s important to get my ideas down on paper right away, even if it’s not complete.” That’s where co-writing comes in. Sometimes the songs you get aren’t the songs you planned on. “I was writing with Michael Farren, and the song just wasn’t coming together, so I told him, ‘Just play something on the piano that comes out of you’. He started to play this piece and I got caught in it right away. “I started putting words to it, and within about an hour, Leave Here Dying Young was finished.” As for the other song, it never did get finished. Brownlee says he’s already got a start on his third album. “It was tough to pick songs for this album, in a good way, because we had a lot of good ones. Some of the songs that didn’t make this one might make the next.” That wasn’t the case with Love Me or Leave Me, though. “All the songs on the album, now that I think about it, were created after the first album. The vibe of that album was different.” Besides country music, Brownlee knows he and Bentley have another common interest: hockey. “I know Dierks is a big hockey fan, so I’m going to bring my skates and stick in case a shinny game breaks out.” And if it does, will he lay the body on Bentley? “Probably not,” he says with a laugh. “Although if I’m the last man back and he’s coming in . . .” Chad Brownlee and Dierks Bentley play the CN Centre on Feb. 17. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations.
■ May 12 and 13
Relay for Life comes full circle for Hickey Bonnie Hickey says the reason she takes part in the Relay for Life has changed over
the years. “I’ve come full circle in the Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back order,” Hickey told those gathered for the kickoff to the 2012
Relay for Life in Prince George. “I started doing the relay to honour my Aunt Yvette, who died from cancer in 1994, and to remember her life.
A lla n W ISHA RT/ Fre e Pre s s
Cancer survivor Bonnie Hickey speaks at the kickoff for this year’s Relay for Life about how her reasons for taking part in the relay have changed over the years. “Then, in January 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When I started the relay again, I was celebrating being a survivor and helping to fight back against cancer.” In February of last year, Hickey lost two friends to cancer. “Now, I’ve come full circle to celebrating their lives.” For young Ashley Clarke, it’s personal. “I relay because I’ve lost family members to cancer,” said Ashley, sporting an Ashley’s
Angels jacket marking previous relays. “I don’t think cancer is fair, because they were good people. “I will fight back.” This year’s event will be held at Masich Place Stadium on May 12 and 13. Margaret Jones-Bricker, regional director of the Canadian Cancer Society, says Prince George is unique in Canada. “Prince George is the only 24-hour relay in Canada. Almost everyone else only does 12 hours.” Funds raised by the
teams who enter and by other donations go to a number of programs, she said. “We have a Workplace Wellness Program, the Tan-free Grad Program for high-school students, and others. We also use the funds to help with the Kordyban Lodge and to fund research.” Teams can register online now, says team lead Helen Owen, and there are some incentives to do so. “We are very excited to offer a discounted fee of only $10 until
Jan. 31. As well, every team with a minimum of 10 participants will be entered into a draw for a luxury tent for their use during the relay.” Last year, 121 teams raised $370,752. This year, the goal is 130 teams. To help teams register and to give them more information about the relay, an open house is being held at the Canadian Cancer Society office at 300-500 Victoria St. on Jan. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. Teams will have the opportunity to register online (and get the early-bird rate). While the relay is not a race, for those involved, it is a race against time to find a cure. Jones-Bricker sums it up. “We’re making progress with each stride.” Be first to add to the story or read what your neighbour thinks. Be a part of your community paper. Comment online.
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ALLan Wishart
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A diamond celebration for the Queen ■ PGSO
Tonight at the Proms brings British and Canadian music to the concert stage Teresa Mallam
beyond Royal Albert Hall. “ We have just learned that the Foreign Commonwealth Press has announced the Privy Purse has been loosened and ‘Queen E.’ (Odelia Kranz of ECRA Drama Club) will be on hand to open the concert escorted by the Rocky Mountain Ranger Cadet Corps.” Guest conductor and candidate for the position of music director of the PGSO, Dyck
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Tonight at the Proms is the Jan. 28 Prince George Symphony Orchestra concert at Vanier Hall. In celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, guest conductor Dr. Calvin Dyck will direct the evening, joined by the Prince George Cantata Singers and other VIP guests, in a wonderful collage of traditional and patriotic nostalgia. “On the Canadian side of the pond, we’ll bring you the recognizable Royal Fanfare for Expo ‘86 written for the opening of the world exposition by Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second,” said PGSO general manager Ruth Langner. “There will be a lovely piece written by the famous Canadian composer Michael Conway Baker, Through the Lions Gate,” she added. Langner lists some of the evening’s many highlights. “How about our national anthem, Oh Canada, blended with our unofficial anthem,
Photo s ub mitte d
Dr. Calvin Dyck is guest conductor for the Prince George Symphony Orchestra’s concert Tonight at the Proms Jan. 28 at Vanier Hall. Hockey Night in Canada? And to herald the true Canadian spirit, the PG Cantata Singers will present Four Strong Winds and Farewell to Nova Scotia. Special guest, all the way from Kelly Road Senior Secondary, is Mark Whalley who will make his debut with the PGSO.” She suggests audience members bring their Canadian flags.
Red Nose distributes donations
The Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako has handed out more than half of the donations it received for Operation Red Nose this year. Six youth and amateur sports groups whose members put in 25 man-nights or more in this year’s campaign received their funds at a recent volunteer and sponsor awareness evening. The largest donation went to PG Nighthawks, which received $3,000 for boys and girls club programming. Members worked 75 nights in total. RCMP volunteers worked 26 man-nights and four other groups worked 25 man-nights over the 10 nights the service operated in 2011. Each of those groups received $2,000. The RCMP volunteers gave their donations to Special Olympics Prince George. AiMHi will use the funds for its children’s lifestyle program; Job’s Daughters will use the money for its camping program for youth; Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program will use its donation to fund this year’s program; and the Prince George Public Library will use its funds for the Books for Babies literacy program. The remaining funds will be handed out to other youth and amateur sports groups on a case-by-case basis.
“The Proms wouldn’t be the Proms without Elgar’s Pomp and Cir-
cumstance, Arne/Sargant’s Rule Britannia and Parry’s Jerusalem.
We can’t take you to Buckingham Palace but the festivities extend
has played a number of seasons with the PGSO. He has also acted as adjudicator for the Prince George Music Festival and has performed in recitals. Tickets for the Jan. 28 performance of Prince George Symphony Orchestra’s Tonight at the Proms are available at Studio 2880 and the PGSO offices. Call 250-562-0800 for more information. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Vanier Hall.
■ More than $7 million recovered
Crime Stoppers numbers climb in 2011 ALLan Wishart
allanw@pgfreepress.com
Jack Hooper says it seems a lot of people still like the old ways of doing things. “The 1-800 number is still No. 1 for getting tips,” says the
president of Prince George Crime Stoppers. “We’re getting more on the website, and now we have some people using the text option.” In 2011, Crime Stoppers locally received more than 750 tips,
resulting in 31 arrests, with awards approved in 25 cases for the tips. “We get a good percentage of tips on drug-related cases,” Hooper says, “but we get a lot for the Top 10 Most Wanted as well.
“It’s actually a pretty broad range of cases we get tips on.” Last year, those tips resulted in almost $7 million in illicit drugs being recovered as well as almost $200,000 in property. The more than $7 million recov-
ered was the most in the 20-year history of the program in Prince George. Since 1991, tips through Crime Stoppers have resulted in almost $33 million in illicit drugs being recovered as well as
more than $2.8 million in property. While the 1-800-222TIPS (8477) remains the way most people leave an anonymous tip, the group’s website at www.pgcrimestoppers.bc.ca can also be used and, starting in 2011, tips could also be texted to CRIMES (274637), entering “PGTIPS” and then providing the information. Hooper says the website provides people with another service as well. “They can go to the
website and click on a link there to see the local RCMP’s Most Wanted list. It’s always up-to-date, and you can leave tips about anyone on it.” January is Crime Stoppers Month, and after being at UNBC for the Northern Timberwolves basketball games on Jan. 14, Crime Stoppers volunteers will be at the Coliseum on Jan. 28 for the Spruce Kings game against Vernon. There will be free giveaways and the chance to win an E-Reader.
Stretched Out
A lla n W ISHA RT/ Fre e Pre s s
A young visitor to The Exploration Place is dwarfed by the ferry lizard skeleton which stretches from one area of the museum into the next. Be first to add to the story or read what your neighbour thinks. Be a part of your community paper. Comment online.
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■ Robbie Burns night
Preparing for the haggis, toast and dinner Teresa Mallam arts@pgfreepress.com
If you’re Scottish – and even if you’re not – there’s nothing quite like the fun, food and camaraderie of a traditional Robbie Burns Night. Excalibur Theatre Arts Company has been hosting the celebration (usually held near the famous Scottish poet’s Jan. 25 birthday) for several years. The 2012 Robbie
Burns Night is again being held at the Ramada Hotel. Ticket sales for the popular event have been brisk, Excalibur ’s Dave Leach said Wednesday. Steeped in Scottish tradition, the Robbie Burns Night will follow much the same format as last year, he said. “Nothing has really changed for us because this is a traditional event. We will have several members
F ree P ress file phot o
Solveig Mathers dips into dinner at last year’s Robbie Burns Night at the Ramada.
of the Legion Branch 43 pipe band, the traditional roast beef and haggis dinner and DJ and dancing.” To this, the company’s co-owner artistic director and dancing instructor – also Leach’s wife – Bonnie Leach adds, “There will be a 50-50 draw, silent auction and, of course, performances by Excalibur’s Highland dancers.” A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life
and poetry of Robert Burns, author of many Scots poems. Common in Scotland and Northern Ireland, they now take place all over the world, especially in places like Canada, the U.S., Australia and Hong Kong where there are expatriate Scots. The highlight of the evening is the entrance and grand presentation, usually on a silver’ tray, of the haggis followed by a toast and Ode to the
Haggis. The supper – traditionally the main course is haggis with mashed potatoes – includes a Toast to the Lassies, Reply to Toast of the Lassies along with other toasts and speeches and readings of works by Burns which may include Parcel O’Rogues, A Man’s a Man, The Twa Dugs and Holy Willie’s Prayer. Everyone drinks a toast to Robbie Burns (Scotch whisky is
often the preferred alcoholic beverage of the occasion). Come out and enjoy Excalibur Theatre Arts Company’s annual Robbie Burns night at the Ramada on Saturday, Jan. 28. Seating is
If you’re out of sight... ...you’re out of business!
very limited. Tickets $30 general, $15 children seven to 12, free for children under six, available at Excalibur Theatre Arts Co., 1648 S. Ogilvie St. Doors at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
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MILLER: Two local schools use hockey as a teaching tool A18
Sports
A15
Thomas Speirs fights his way to national silver A19
Alistair McInnis 250-564-0005 sports@pgfreepress.com
www.pgfreepress.com
Sports
Ty-ing It Up
Shorts Top Athlete
UNBC Northern Timberwolves fifth-year forward Jennifer Clyne was named the PacWest Athlete of the Week in women’s basketball for her efforts last weekend. In UNBC’s 92-43 win over the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles on Friday, Clyne recorded 20 points. In the Timberwolves’ 90-59 victory over the Langara College Falcons on Saturday, she had 10 points. A Prince George product listed at 5-foot11, Clyne is captain of this season’s UNBC women’s team, a student graduating with a business degree this spring.
Prince George Spruce Kings goalie Ty Swabb sits on the ice in an attempt to cover up the puck during their B.C. Hockey League road game against the Chilliwack Chiefs on Jan. 13. The Chiefs edged the Spruce Kings 4-3 in the contest. The same two teams are meeting in a Coliseum doubleheader which began last night. They play tonight, 7 p.m. at the Coliseum. Je nna HA UC K / Bla ck Pre s s
UNBC B-ball
The UNBC Northern Timberwolves resume their PacWest basketball season on the road this weekend. The men’s and women’s teams will be in the Lower Mainland to meet the Douglas College Royals this evening and Columbia Bible College Bearcats on Saturday. Both teams are coming off home-court wins at the Northern Sport Centre, over the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles on Friday and Langara College Falcons on Saturday.
Roller Derby
The Rated PG RollerGirls are holding their first bout of 2012 on Saturday night, a home date at the Roll-A-Dome. First whistle for the battle between the Prince George squad and a visiting team from Grande Prairie is scheduled for 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10.
Regional championship hits ice ■ Pond hockey
AListair McInnis
sports@pgfreepress.com
Cold weather is making a habit of following the B.C. Northern Regional Pond Hockey Championships. Granted, this is only the second annual event of its kind at West Lake. But just like a year ago, when organizers were making final preparations at the tournament site in frigid temperatures, crews have spent the last few days braving well below seasonal temperatures to get the provincial park in order for the event. But there has been one noticeable difference, something organizer John Reed said has left the frozen playing surface in better shape. “We haven’t had the same amount of snow that we had last year so that really makes it a lot more manageable from a rink construction standpoint,” said Reed, the tournament director for the B.C. Provincial Pond Hockey Series. “As a result of that, the ice has been in better
condition to start with as a base, so the base is phenomenal. It’s really good.” Reed was interviewed by the Free Press on Wednesday morning, at which time the Weather Network was calling for flurries on Friday and Saturday. Reed, who noted they’ll have snowclearing equipment on standby all weekend, doesn’t see flurries as a bad thing. “We actually need a little bit more snow for rink boards, so it looks like we’re going to have the snow that we need for that as well.” Wednesday’s forecast also predicted a significant rise in temperature over the course of the weekend, from a low of -33 C on Friday to a high of -2 C on Sunday. But Reed wouldn’t downplay the impact this week’s cold snap has had on entries, with 18 teams on the schedule, lower than the total of 27 participating squads in last year’s inaugural event. The registration deadline was on Tuesday. “But a good majority of the teams that were in it last year are
coming back and we have some new teams, so that’s all positive,” Reed said. The BC Pond Hockey Series online registration form asks for entries to apply to play in one of nine divisions, including three groups for women. But with numbers lower than organizers had hoped, they’ve simplified the tournament to a two-division schedule for players 19 years and older. Fifteen teams will play in the men’s recreational division, with the other three in the men’s competitive group. The men’s recreational division is a merger of teams which had each entered in one of three groups: the men’s recreational 19+, men’s masters recreational 35+ and men’s senior masters open for players 50 years and older. Reed noted that in an effort to level the playing field, each 50+ team gets a five-goal handicap when they play 19+ squads, while any 35+ team gets a three-goal handicap in games against 19+ teams. Each participating team will play five round robin games. The
playoff round in each division will feature one semifinal contest followed by the championship game. Action is scheduled to get underway this evening at 6 p.m., with the playoff round beginning on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. More information on the tournament and the BC Pond Hockey Series is available online at www. bcpondhockey.com
Notes: Rules – Game play is fouron-four, with a maximum of six players per team. Teams change on the fly. Each game will be a maximum half hour in length (two 15-minute halves), but will end sooner if either team scores 10 goals before the allotted time is up. There will be no icing or offsides called, and goaltending is prohibited. Sticks are to be kept below the knee and pucks cannot be raised above knee level. Slap shots and hand passes are prohibited, while goals kicked in will be disallowed. turn to PAGE A17
A lis ta ir M cINNIS/ Fre e Pre s s
Prince George Cougars defenceman Dan Gibb skates the puck through the neutral zone against the Lethbridge Hurricanes during their Western Hockey League game on Saturday night at CN Centre. The Cougars downed the Hurricanes 4-2 to sweep the weekend doubleheader.
Cougars shut out again ■ Alberta trip
Perhaps the most telling note from the Prince George Cougars’ 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings in Edmonton on Wednesday night was the three-star selection. Oil Kings goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who got the shutout, wasn’t one of the three stars. That’s what happens, though, when a goalie faces 16 shots in the first period and just 10 in the rest of the game. The Cougars outshot Edmonton 16-8 in the first period and were outshot 47-10 in the final two periods. Included in the 16 shots in the first period was a penalty shot from Greg Fraser, after he was hauled down on a breakaway. He couldn’t beat Brossoit, and neither could anyone else on Prince George. At the other end, Cougars goalie Drew Owsley was blitzed by pucks in the last two period, and only some great saves kept the game from being a complete rout. The biggest problem Owsley had was
Michael St. Croix, who picked up a natural hat trick for Edmonton. Single markers came from Tyler Maxwell and Cody Corbett. The Cougars were shut out in six powerplay chances, while Edmonton scored two of their goals in three chances with the man advantage. The Cougars continue their Alberta road trip with games in Calgary tonight and Red Deer on Saturday. The loss didn’t hurt the Cougars in the Western Conference standings, as Victoria also lost Wednesday night, 2-0 in Moose Jaw. The results mean the Cougars, with 32 points, remain in ninth place, one point behind Victoria with two games in hand. The Everett Silvertips, however, closed the gap on the Cougars with a 3-2 win over Kelowna on Wednesday. Everett is now just five points behind Prince George, but the Cougars have a game in hand. Tonight’s game in Calgary is a rematch of a Dec. 28 game at CN Centre, which saw the Cougars down the Hitmen 3-1. Saturday’s game will mark the first meeting this season with Red Deer. Next home games for the Cougars are Jan. 27 and 28 when they host Everett.
West Lake move will be permanent one from PAGE A15
All standard penalties will be called. Major penalties, which include unsportsmanlike conduct and fighting, may result in a player ejection if an intent to injure is evident. A full list of rules is listed on the BC Pond Hockey website. Dimensions – Games will be played on ice surfaces 75x150 feet in diameter. The nets are six feet wide and 14 inches high. Four separate ice sheets have been cleared for the event, two for games, one as a spare playing area for backup use, and one as a public skating area. Reed complimented the efforts of two key individuals who led efforts to prepare the ice: Brent Thiessen and Terry Kenmuir. E q u i p m e n t – Skates, a stick, ath-
letic support and helmet are required for each player. Elbow pads, shin pads, gloves and pants are recommended. Costs – The full payment for each team to enter was $520, money offsetting a variety of expenses. These include costs associated with equipment, lighting, fuel, snow removal, pumps, hoses, trucks, accommodation and prizes. Close to 15 volunteers are helping stage the event, with the support of a variety of sponsors. Move – Originally scheduled for Tabor Lake, unforeseen circumstances led to organizers relocating the tournament back to West Lake. Reed noted that West Lake will be the event’s permanent home. “As it works out, it’s a better venue, there’s better parking and this BC Parks is a great partner to
Cougars get sweep on road AListair McInnis sports@pgfreepress.com
The Kootenay Ice visit the Cariboo Cougars’ barn this weekend as the last place team in the 11-team BC Hockey Major Midget League. They occupy the basement with a record of two wins, 21 losses and three ties (2-21-3). They’re 31 points behind the second-place Cougars (17-7-4). Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague is warning his players not to take the Ice lightly. “I expect them to come and pound the crap out of us, that’s what I think they’re going to do,” he said. “Realistically they’re a team, they’ve got a banner in their locker room that says
spoiler.” The Cougars are coming off a successful four-point weekend, sweeping their road doubleheader against the Vancouver North East Chiefs in Coquitlam. They downed the Chiefs 5-4 on Saturday and 5-2 on Sunday. While the Ice only sport two wins, one of their victories came on the weekend, a 3-2 triumph over the sixthplace Greater Vancouver Canadians (12-106) on Saturday. “They’ve got nothing to lose and that’s a scary team to play when they’ve got nothing to lose,” Sprague said. After meeting Kootenay, the Cougars will prepare for another road doubleheader, Jan. 28 and 29 against the North Island Silvertips in Nanaimo.
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Players battle on the ice during last year’s inaugural B.C. Northern Regional Pond Hockey Championships at West Lake. This year’s second annual event runs from Friday to Sunday. have,” Reed said. Support – The BC Pond Hockey series is supporting the Central Interior Fire Chiefs Association. Players are encouraged to bring donations, which can be dropped off at the Fire Rescue Command trailer throughout the weekend. The funds
will go directly to the Enderby Volunteer Fire Department in support of the Memorial Scholarship fund, which was established in the name of Daniel Botkin, one of its firefighters. Botkin lost his life in the line of duty just before Christmas.
Academy gives kids a way to play hockey
“It was probably more moving for us. It was a pretty emotional experience.” - Marnie Alexander, community schools coordinator, Harwin Just imagine the following scenario on a cold Saturday night in January: Your child sits down in front of the television to enjoy the Habs or Canucks Hockey Night in Canada game. (Notice how I didn’t say Maple Leafs.) So, your child wants to take the next step and watch a game in person, so that night you take your son(s)/ daughter(s) to the local Prince George Cougars or Spruce
able to play this year Kings home game. because as a family we That’s quite a doubleheader with a six-hour are not in a position to register hockey you in fix. hockey.” In Now, Hart many cases, your Beat this state child of affairs is is so hartleymiller reality. enthused For select with the students at Harwin game, that in addiCommunity School tion to watching on and the Aboriginal the tube or at the rink, Choice School, a void he/she wants to play. in this area has been Doesn’t this complete filled as there is now the ultimate hat trick? an opportunity to play For a kid growing and learn about the up in Northern B.C., game. And best of all, or most parts of the the Goals and Dreams country, the aforeAcademy is free to mentioned picture is participants. a common occurrence The vision is to proand is even taken for vide an opportunity granted. But what if, for some children to as a parent, you had build hockey into their to tell your child “I’m lives. sorry, you will not be “Our students are given specific coaching around the actual skills of the game and they are playing games against each other,” stated Marnie Alexander, Harwin community schools coordinator. Twenty at-risk students in Grades 5 to 7 (10 per school) were selected from an
interview process to participate in the program which consists of two eight-week sessions during school time on Monday and Wednesday morning at the Kin Centre. Transportation, uniforms, equipment and certified instructors are supplied, and costs are covered by grants and donations. The boys and girls who are taking part get much more than a hockey experience. The objectives of the program include promoting athletic and academic excellence; lifelong learning; student achievement; healthy lifestyles and nutrition; and positive role models. In addition, the academy is designed to increase the students’ connection and contribution to the school and to help students cooperate by socializing in group settings. Let’s keep in mind that kids are kids regardless of upbringing, financial status or physical/mental stature. While many youths likely consider it a right to play hockey, others are just thrilled to get a chance. “Our students were so beyond excited and some of them actually could not stop grinning. Some of them looked like they were going to cry. It was really moving for us. It was probably more moving for us. It was
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Nolan Hanson, right, of the College Height Cougars looks to make an outlet pass before Austin Richardson of the host Fulton Maroons can intercept at the 11th annual Maroon Corporate Classic Basketball Tournament on Friday in Vernon. a pretty emotional experience,” said Alexander, who is now in her fourth year at Harwin. “We actually had one student that shared that he had hopes to do this when he was younger and that his Mom had initially put him into it,
but then due to health issues, he had to go and live with extended family and that opportunity never came for him. He was pretty much on the verge of tears as he shared how this opportunity had never happened in his life and now he was having it.”
We have all heard the expression “build it and they will come.” Well, the Goals and Dreams Academy has now been “built “and 20 students attending Harwin Community School and the Aboriginal Choice School are delighted to “come”. Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that are appreciated the most. From the Quote Rack: Former interim MLB commissioner Bud Selig has been given a twoyear extension until 2014. He took the position temporarily in 1992. Even Brett Favre is saying, “Dude, give it up already.” Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com) And in case you missed it: “The Greatest” just celebrated a birthday. But enough about Tim Tebow. Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the Opinion 250. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com.
Speirs strikes silver at second nationals umph over Andrew Gardiner of Manitoba, a national elite B team member Spruce Capital Warriors coach Wayne Sponagle made the trip to Nova Scotia to corner Speirs and Robbie Cusine. Cusine lost 28-25 to Nova Scotia’s Steve Lalancette in a 64 kg tilt on Jan. 11, a result which Sponagle felt was unfair. Sponagle described Savard as a hardpunching southpaw. “It’s hard enough fighting a southpaw as it is, when you fight a southpaw who is very defensive, it makes it that much more,” he said. “Not only did Thomas do so well, when we first got back (to Nova Scotia), the team wasn’t together at all, everybody was going their own way, we couldn’t get the team spirit going. But Thomas pulled the team together. It was Thomas that got everybody going.”
AListair McInnis
sports@pgfreepress.com
Prince George boxer Thomas Speirs could be seen sporting a silver smile this week. With a medal around his neck, he had something special to show off for his efforts inside the boxing ring. Earning a medal from the the Canadian National (Senior) Elite Championships was a first for the 21-year-old Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club member. His feeling was likely different in the ring on Saturday in Cape Breton, N.S., where he lost by a wide margin on points to Quebec’s Jonathan Savard in the 81-kilogram national final. But on Wednesday, only a couple of days after returning home, he appeared to be in anything but a foul mood. Call it silver all you want. But to a pugilist who was competing in only his second nationals, a boxer who’s been training in the sport regularly for five years, it may feel as good as gold these days. He took the defeat in stride. “He was really good, and just a little bit too much experience,” Speirs said of Savard, Canada’s elite A team representative in the weight category. Positive results instil confidence in athletes. While onlookers in Nova Scotia may have been wondering where Speirs came from, a more common question he may get asked in Prince George is, what’s next? Speirs plans to enjoy his accomplishment. Considering he may have been the busiest boxer at nationals, with four matches in five days, he can’t be faulted for taking a break. Speirs is interested in continuing to compete in amateur cards in B.C. and Alberta, with one long-term goal in mind. “In the end, I want to go pro,” he said. “That’s what my goal is, get paid for it. Get paid to get punched.” Speirs opened his schedule by defeating Stephen MacGillivary of Alberta 26-23 on Jan. 10. The victory improved his record against MacGillivary to 3-0. “But this time I
A listair McINNIS/Free Press
Spruce Capital Warriors Boxing Club member Thomas Speirs shows off the silver medal he earned at last week’s Canadian National (Senior) Elite Championships in Cape Breton, N.S. was the most nervous because it was my first fight, and I knew he was going to come at me hard because I beat
him twice before,” Speirs said. “I knew he wanted to beat me.” On Jan. 12, Speirs edged Ontario’s Dana
Hassan 15-14. Then came the semifinal round on Jan. 13 and another Speirs victory, this time a 22-18 tri-
Inner City Inner City Boxing Club coach Bob Pegues knows the results
of his boxers could’ve been better at nationals. While national elite A team member Kenny Lally did as expected and won the 52 kg title, Jag Seehra took home bronze after suffering a disappointing loss in the 60 kg division semifinal round. With a berth in the gold-medal match on the line, Seehra dropped a 21-15 decision to Ontario’s Josh O’Reilly on Jan. 12. Pegues said Seehra wasn’t mentally focused.
“He was throwing ones and twos, no combinations, his balance, he was just completely off his game,” he said. Lally defeated Samuel Robichon of Quebec 16-6 in the 52 kg final on Saturday. Pegues will enter Seehra in the Final Team Selection from Feb. 28 to March 3 in St. Hyacinthe, Que., where he’ll try and retain his national elite B team 60 kg position. “Sometimes he needs a wake-up call,” Pegues said.
Courts kept busy over the holiday season In Provincial Court in Prince George on Dec. 21: Brian A. Bobke was found guilty of failing to provide a breath sample when ordered to do so, fined $1,000, assessed a victim surcharge of $150 and prohibited from driving for one year. Terilyn R. Haskell was found guilty of unauthorized possession of a firearm and contravention of storage regulations for firearms, sentenced to one day in jail, placed on probation for 18 months and prohibited from possessing firearms for 10 years. Chad M.G. Tresierra was found guilty of failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking or recognizance, sentenced to one day in jail and assessed a victim surcharge of $50. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Dec. 22: Larry J. Heppner was found guilty of driving while suspended, fined $500, assessed a victim
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Court docket surcharge of $75 and prohibited from driving for one year. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Dec. 23: Mark A. Mitchell was found guilty of failing to attend court when ordered to do so and sentenced to one day in jail. Corey T. Tom was found guilty of failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking or recognizance, sentenced to one day in jail and placed on probation for 12 months. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Dec. 28: Doris A. Niedermayer was found guilty of possession of stolen property with a value less than $5,000 and placed on probation for one year. Mario M. Pierre was found guilty of failing to comply with a condition of an undertak-
ing or recognizance and sentenced to 60 days in jail. Pierre was found guilty of a second count of failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking or recognizance and sentenced to 90 days in jail. Pierre was also found guilty of failing to comply with a probation order and sentenced to 30 days in jail. Catlin J. Williams was found guilty of failing to comply with a condition of an undertaking and sentenced to seven days in jail. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Dec. 30: Donald G. Witso was found guilty of robbery, sentenced to one year in jail and received a lifetime prohibition on the possession of firearms. Witso was also found guilty of a second count of robbery, sentenced to three years in jail and received a lifetime prohibition on the possession of firearms. In Provincial Court in
Prince George on Jan. 3: Skyler D. Brennan was found guilty of theft of property with a value less than $5,000, sentenced to 22 days in jail and assessed a victim surcharge of $50. Brennan was also found guilty of uttering threats, assessed a victim surcharge of $50 and placed on probation for one year. Brennan was also found guilty of driving while prohibited, fined $500, assessed a victim surcharge of $75 and prohibited from driving for one year. Charles M. Van Somer was found guilty of speeding, fined $200 and assessed a victim surcharge of $30. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Jan. 4: Shelley A. Bunting was found guilty of driving while prohibited, fined $500, assessed a victim surcharge of $75 and prohibited from driving for one year. Grady M. McNaughton was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance and fined $750. Shawn A.J. Stewart was found guilty of driving while prohibited, fined $500, assessed a victim surcharge of $75 and prohibited from driving for one year. Tammy A. Stock was
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Signal malfunctions don’t care about the weather, which is why this pair of city workers were out Wednesday trying to fix the crosswalk signal at 15th Avenue and Nicholson Street. found guilty of failing to comply with a probation order, fined $150 and assessed a victim surcharge of $22.50. Cecil R. Woodcock was found guilty of driving without due care and attention, fined $500 and
assessed a victim surcharge of $75. In Provincial Court in Prince George on Jan. 5: Cade T. Belanger was found guilty of two counts of theft of property with a value less than $5,000, sentenced to 59 days in jail and time served of one
day and placed on probation for one year. Allan R. Castonguay was found guilty of failing to provide a breath sample when ordered to do so, fined $2,000, assessed a victim surcharge of $300 and prohibited from driving for one year.
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Friday, January 20, 2012
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