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PRPEAK.COM

Wednesday.April 19.2017

Vol.22 No.26

Canada Post Agreement 40069240

Catalyst optimistic about future

Paper corporation revamps and restructures Get the Peak to Go in face of ongoing industry challenges iPhone app now CHRIS BOLSTER reporter@prpeak.com

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Catalyst Powell River division vice-president and general manager Fred Chinn said the past decade has been the mill’s toughest to date, but things are beginning to turn around. CHRIS BOLSTER PHOTO $479,000 EMERALD LANE

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Catalyst Paper Corporation’s Powell River division was, for a long period of time since its inception in 1912, at the centre of Powell River’s identity; it was mill town. Thousands of people used to work at the pulp and paper mill. At its height, more than 2,700 people were employed, but times change. Get the and Peakthat to Go By 1990, the mill was down to 2,000 employees total decreased iPhone app now to 700 by 2001. Catalyst now employs available approximately 360 workers in in the Powell River. App Store or iTunes Declining markets for its newsprint and other paper products, and technological improvements, mean that even though the size of the mill has not shrunk by much, everything else about the industry has done so dramatically. Unifor Local 76 represents about 220 of the current employees, including operations and maintenance workers, pipe fitters, electricians, welders and lab technicians. Its president, Mike Rumley, a 39-year mill veteran, has witnessed some tumultuous changes over the second half of his career. When he started working at the mill in the mid-1970s, the local represented around 1,800 members. “There has been an incredible amount of downsizing,” said Rumley. “At one time, there were seven paper machines running. We’re down to two now.” Unifor Local 1, responsible for providing the mill’s paper-machine operators, accounts for another 80 workers. The remaining 60 Catalyst employees include administrators and office support staff. Catalyst Powell River division vice-president and general manager Fred Chinn said the past 10 years have been particularly challenging for the local mill. It is a well-known fact that there is less demand for the products it produces, he added. “Every single printing and writing grade is in decline and has been in »2 $479,000 OCEAN VIEW

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2 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Mill targets in-demand paper products 1« CATALYST decline for some time,” said Chinn. “As a result, mills are shutting down; you hear about it almost monthly, some mill announcing a closure.” Chinn said paper is a commodity and declining markets mean oversupply and flagging prices. “You can’t charge more just because you’re Powell River,” he said, adding that the local mill has some challenges other, less-isolated mills do not have to deal with. “This is a high-cost mill,” said Chinn, “and you could end up in trouble very quickly.” Chinn said when he came to Powell River in 2014, he shut down paper machine number nine as the start of an effort to revitalize the operation. That meant trying to find other paper-based products to make, and ones that were in demand. “We had to change everything we did or else we wouldn’t be here anymore,” said Chinn.

Rumley said the unions saw the threat of the mill closing, as Catalyst’s Campbell River operation did in 2009, and decided they could play a role in ensuring the mill’s future. “I’ve done everything I can so there are still jobs behind me when I’m gone,” he said. Between 2014 and the end of 2016, Chinn said Catalyst reduced its Powell River division operating costs by $34 million annually. “Delivering that operating reduction, that’s not just cost-cutting, that’s doing things differently,” he said. “It was a very exciting time with hundreds of changes going on throughout the mill. It was also deciding what product we were going to make.” Last month, Catalyst announced one of the new products that came out of those brainstorming sessions: food-grade paper. The company is calling the line of United States Food and Drug Administrationapproved food-wrap products Bistro.

The mill is also converting paper machine number 11, enabling it to produce a product currently in the testing phase. “We’re still very early in breaking in and we’re still learning,” Chinn, “but we’re doing something that will have a future for us. Everyone in this mill knows this is our shot.” While Catalyst still faces some uncertainty about whether United States Department of Commerce will lift its countervailing duty on supercalendared paper, bringing a hydroelectric generator online last year and the BC government’s announcement that it would phase out sales tax on industrial electricity will continue to improve the situation. City of Powell River’s revitalized taxation bylaw will be up for renewal this fall. In 2014, city council authorized a $500,000 tax increase for the mill. The company paid $2.75 million in municipal taxes in 2016. Chinn said he and Catalyst head-office representa-

NEW DIRECTION: Catalyst Powell River division vice-president and general manager Fred Chinn directs a crew of workers near the company’s breakwater. JENNIFER DODD PHOTO

tives have already met with mayor Dave Formosa and councillor Russell Brewer. Chinn said, and Formosa confirmed, that the company has opened its books for the city. “What we’re hoping for is that we can receive continued support,” said Chinn, adding that he is expecting a tax increase, but is asking for it to be modest. Formosa said that while the mill is in better shape than in recent years, its future is far from certain.

“They are now in a position that if given enough runway by the new owners and senior management, and hopefully we will continue to be supportive, that in the next two or three years they could go back to paying their full taxes,” he said. Formosa said that, personally, he could support increasing the mill’s taxes by $250,000, if he had to. Chinn said Catalyst appreciates the support the community has given the company through the relief over

the years. “We look forward to the day when we can happily be paying the tax rate, whatever it is, to support the community,” said Chinn, “but we also need as much help as we can right now.” The new products have started to turn the mill’s situation around, said Chinn. “We are not out of the woods by any means,” he said, “but we’ve now built these foundational blocks that give us a real shot at being successful.”

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3 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

NEWS »

QUICK PEAK

City announces agriculture program

Gym closes for upgrades

Proponents to establish steering committee to develop training plan CHRIS BOLSTER reporter@prpeak.com

FOOD FUNDS: Using grant money received from BC Rural Dividends Program, City of Powell River and local organizations are planning to develop a training program to enhance the capabilities of farmers and market gardeners. PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO

“We all want the same thing,” said Randolph. “We’ve solved whatever differences we had previously and we’re moving forward with a plan.” Last December, local farmers told the city they did not

training program could have a big impact on local agriculture and potentially expand the sale of local agricultural products, which farmers so far have been limited to selling at weekend markets and to the local wholesale

We all want the same thing. We’ve solved whatever differences we had previously and we’re moving forward with a plan. SCOTT RANDOLPH

CITY OF POWELL RIVER MANAGER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

support the idea of developing an incubator farm that would create more supply of agricultural products locally, but did not address developing local demand or distribution. Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute president Alan Rebane said a

market. “The key thing is our farmers in Powell River all want to go to the market and to sell to the public at a retail price,” said Rebane. Rebane explained that it would be a more stable model for the production of local vegetables and pro-

duce if farmers established contracts with larger institutions in the region to provide greater amounts of local food, but at slightly less of a cost. Randolph said he envisions the development of an agriculture training centre built on the land Sino Bright School had planned to purchase, adjacent to Brooks Secondary School. He added that his office is still working with Sino Bright owners to find another suitable location for the international school. Rebane said he has been working to bring the region’s farmers together. In addition to helping established farmers, another aspect of the program will be educational, for high school and college students interested in learning more about horticulture. The program will look at the development of greenhouses next to Brooks that

can provide agricultural classrooms and a potential food source for the school’s lunch and culinary arts program. “It will excel us in Powell River so we can supply our own food,” said Rebane. Va n c o u v e r I s l a n d University Powell River campus administrator Greg Cran said the program would encourage small business growth in the region through the development of farms. Randolph said the agriculture training program is different than the incubator farm, which had focused on increasing the number of farmers locally by leasing small plots of city land at low cost. He said he expects the new steering committee to complete its plan by September in the hopes it can be ready soon after that to apply for infrastructure development money.

Hulk sinking progresses Catalyst Paper Corporation is moving forward with its plans to sink the first of four hulks, the concrete ships that create a breakwater for the log pond and foreshore at Powell River’s mill. Catalyst has partnered with Artificial Reef Society of BC on the project and is applying for federal approval. The company expects the earliest the first ship, YOGN 82, can be sunk is later this summer. The multi-year project will create a world-class recreational diving site in the waters between the mill site and Willingdon Beach. The four vessels have become surplus to the mill’s 10-vessel breakwater infrastructure. Emile N. Vidal, Quartz and SS Peralta are the three other hulks chosen for project.

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Work is underway to establish a program that will provide new and existing farmers and market gardeners with affordable access to training. City of Powell River manager of economic development Scott Randolph announced Friday, April 7, that the city is working with Vancouver Island University, School District 47, Community Futures Powell River and Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute to establish a steering committee for a new agriculture program. The city received $100,000 from the BC Rural Dividends program for development of Powell River Sustainable Agriculture Training and Development Program. “This is about supporting growth and stability of the sector,” said Randolph. “We still need to nail down the priorities and we don’t have preconceived notions, but we do have a general idea of the areas that need work.” The grant, which the city had applied for last fall while it was considering developing an incubator farm, will go toward development of the new training program, said Randolph. He added that he has had the opportunity to work with local farmers to address some of their concerns after a number of them objected to the initial plan for the incubator farm.

Powell River Recreation Complex gym will close for two days in May while new fitness equipment is installed, the city government announced Tuesday, April 18. The new equipment, purchased with a $60,000 grant from Powell River Community Forest, will arrive May 2. The project will replace aging equipment and address gaps that currently exist at the publicly owned facility. The gym will reopen Thursday, May 4. According to the announcement, upgrades will replace the gym’s freeweight racks, rowing machine and weight-training machines, among other equipment. New, smaller equipment will allow for more open floor space. The city plans to sell each piece of old equipment individually in a closed, sealed-bid auction from 7-9:30 pm on Wednesday, April 26.

4 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

OPINION »

Published every Wednesday 4400 Marine Avenue, Powell River, BC V8A 2K1

Earth day every day It is troubling that while local environmentalists are preparing for Earth Month events this weekend, a different contingent is complaining about environmentally friendly initiatives implemented by City of Powell River council. As reported in last week’s Peak, at its meeting on Thursday, April 6, city council banned the sale of single-use plastic water bottles within civic facilities. This means no more bottled water will be sold at Powell River Recreation Complex and other city buildings. Since the article ran, councillors who brought forward and voted in favour of the ban have received unfair criticism. Some people have even gone so far as to say the ban is part of individual councillors’ personal agendas. Let’s make something perfectly clear: helping to reduce the amount of waste and strain on the environment is not a personal agenda. This is for all us, and exactly what Earth Hour, Earth Day, Earth Month, or even Earth Year, for those who monitor their waste every day, is all about. Let’s make something Councillors perfectly clear: helping to who voted in fareduce the amount of waste vour of the plastic ban should and strain on the environment be commended is not a personal agenda. for their progressive thinking, not vilified. Council also took heat for making the ban official before hearing a report from parks, recreation and culture director Ray Boogaards on bottled-water sales at city facilities. If the decision is based on reducing waste, then it should make no difference how many bottles of water are sold. The city already made the financial decision to install water-filling stations at the complex, so why not encourage their use instead? If comments about the bottle-ban article are any indication, some Powell River residents believe councillors should just stick to lowering taxes and fixing roads. Implementing environmental initiatives is not about how much money is coming out of our pockets next year. Banning plastic products and working toward reduction of waste is about the future of Powell River and its next generations. Some members of council were elected, in part, for their promise to introduce environmentally friendly policies, and kudos to them for actually following through and doing so. It should also be duly noted that the plastic-bottle ban was originally proposed by Powell River’s youth council, our future leaders. Perhaps we need to take more time to listen to the generations who will inherit Powell River when we are gone. Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor

LAST WEEK’S ONLINE POLL QUESTION Do you think the owner of the former Inn at Westview will demolish the building by City of Powell River’s May 31 deadline? 8% YES 92% NO This poll was answered by 211 respondents. This week’s poll question: Do you think Catalyst Paper Corporation has a viable future in Powell River? Go to prpeak.com to cast your vote. Follow us on Facebook (Powell River Peak), Twitter (peak_aboo), Instagram (prpeak) and Pinterest (Powell River Peak)

Published every Wednesday by Peak Publishing Ltd. REACH US Phone 604.485.5313 • Fax 604.485.5007 editor@prpeak.com • prpeak.com 4400 Marine Avenue, Powell River, BC V8A 2K1 Member of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association and the British Columbia Yukon Newspaper Association. CCNA Verified Circulation – paid.

VIEWPOINT

Plastic bags have no place in stores By Lesley Armstrong It should not be a stretch for Powell River’s municipal government to initiate a public education campaign leading to a ban on checkout-counter plastic bags. Currently, seven Canadian municipalities have bans in place. Last month, Victoria’s city council expressed unanimous support for a six-month period of engagement with grocery stores, advocates and other stakeholders leading up to a vote for a phased-in ban. The idea of banning plastic bags is no longer considered frontier thinking. The precedent was set by the city of San Francisco and the entire country of Rwanda; both banned plastic bags in 2008. Last November, the state of California banned plastic bag use. Mexico City has been fining stores that hand out plastic

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bags since 2010 and China has been cutting back since 2008. Taxing, regulating or charging for plastic bag use is in practice on every continent and the list of cities and countries includes industrial and third-world nations. Plastic bag use was first intro-

We simply need to add one more item to our checklist: keys, wallet/ purse, reusable bags. duced in the late 1970s and people resisted using them. By 1985, only 20 per cent of Americans used the bags, so ExxonMobil Chemical campaigned to win over the remaining 80 per cent. Now, more than a trillion plastic bags are used worldwide daily, equal to two million per minute.

Powell River is generating a hugely popular marine/hiking/biking international tourist trade. Full gut/starving mammal syndrome is not limited to our trash-eating, land-based bear population. The same scenario is widely documented in marine populations worldwide. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, fish, seals, sea lions, otters and amphibians call our waters home. Unknowingly, they ingest micro-particles of plastic daily. At least a 100,000 sea birds die each year because they are unable to digest a plastic bag. Photos of birds and wildlife trapped in plastic while starving to death should be enough to break hearts and sicken people to the use of plastic bags. As adults, our job is to model to future generations that we care »5

MICHÈLE STEWART

circulation director ALICIA NEWMAN

creative services director SHANE CARLSON

JASON SCHREURS

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KELLY KEIL

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reporter

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Full, complete and sole copyright in any advertising produced by Peak Publishing Ltd. is vested in and belongs to Peak Publishing Ltd. No copyright material may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Peak Publishing Ltd. DOT CAMPBELL

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Peak Publishing 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 publisher@prpeak.com, 604.485.5313. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1.844.877.1163 for additional information.

5 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

CROSSWORD

Organizers explain Townsite tech hub idea PEAK WEBSITE USER ROBERT NOEL HAINSWORTH I am very interested in the tech-hub idea. Sure, there is risk, but every investment in the community comes with a little risk; that is the nature of investment. Further, I think the article does explain the proposal quite well. There are many brilliant people looking to get out of the cities and continue their work in nicer settings. Powell River is just that place and we need the infrastructure to attract them. It is a creative industry that sniffs out problems and uses technology to solve them. It isn’t about structure, but creativity and innovation. We need to support the industries of the future if we want to even maintain our community.

Council bans bottled water from city buildings PEAK WEBSITE USER COMPASH Great job, council! This council is to be commended for taking the lead where others fear reprisal. We have only one planet, and the threats to it are immeasurable. Each tiny step we can take to reduce the negative impact of single-use plastics is a step in the right direction. Any person coming to a city-owned building can bring their own bottles and fill from the specially designed fountains already installed at Powell River Recreation Complex and other city-owned buildings. PEAK WEBSITE USER HERMAN JENSEN A ban on bottles, or a ban on accessible water? Now kids at hockey games, who I see buying bottled water, are going to buy Pepsi. How about maintaining the water fountains around town then?

PEAK WEBSITE USER JOHN WILKINSON Excuse me? You call this an explanation? When one of the project proponents is quoted as saying, “... if somebody doesn’t stand up and try to put some structure to have some space available, how do we get started?” it has the desperate tone of someone who knows something needs to be done, but doesn’t quite know where to start. Though I believe the proponents have good intentions, this project is not the place to start. As Derek Hildenbrand pointed out in a previous comment, you need “serious talent, millions of dollars to invest in startups and reputable innovators to manage the place to even think about starting up an incubator.” It doesn’t matter whether you call it an incubator or a tech hub, this is not something Powell River is in any position to offer at the moment. Powell River is unique in both its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to developing a local tech industry. Unfortunately, it lacks almost all the key elements required to grow a tech industry from scratch. But we have one thing that is pure gold to rapidly growing tech companies in Vancouver that are trying to attract highly skilled young talent: a beautiful, affordable place to live that just happens to have high speed fiber-optic internet service. And this is where you start. Work with Vancouver tech companies to help them attract the talent they need by promoting Powell River as a very desirable place to locate both telecommuting staff and satellite offices. Run with Hildenbrand’s idea of a national contest for startups with a $50,000 relocation prize. Once Powell River has a critical mass of tech workers, small startups and satellite offices, you have created a natural tech incubator. If the city is serious about growing a high-tech industry here and it puts in the intense promotional effort required to get this ball rolling, I am confident Powell River could meet that critical mass target in less than five years. Yes, we really do need to get started on this, but in all honesty, and meaning no disrespect to project proponents, the residents of Powell River would get a better return on their money if this $200,000 was spent on lottery tickets rather than what is being proposed here.

Council orders demolition of former Inn at Westview DAVE HURRIE We all know how this story is going to end. Hang onto your wallets, Powell River taxpayers!

4« VIEWPOINT about the planet they will inherit. Thin plastic bags on spools beside our produce are the worst culprits and could easily be replaced by paper or recyclable bags, or no bags at all. What about all the other plastic packaging endemic in our stores? It’s wrong too, but the maddening process of invoking change means you just start at the beginning by putting out one fire at

a time, until the fire is out. As consumers, before we head out the door, we simply need to add one more item to our checklist: keys, wallet/purse, reusable bags. Easier still, leave a minimum of five reusable shopping bags in the car at all times. Bags in cars should become like toothbrushes in bathrooms. Some of us remember forming the

habit of buckling our seatbelts and now we do it every time we sit behind the wheel. So many problems in life are complex. This one is not, and the rewards are so important. Lesley Armstrong is a resident of Townsite and has a master of education degree in environmental studies.

5. Broad necktie 6. Back end 7. Disfigure 8. Ruminated 9. Bombarded 10. Competition 11. Includes 17. Send forth 19. Young boy 22. Kitten noise 23. Citrus beverage 24. Actor’s prompt 25. Better half 26.Short, explosive sound 28. Anger 29. Black-eyed vegetable 31. Find fault with 32. Reverent homage 34. Sticky stuff 35. Vigor 37. Shoe ties 38. Greasy 39. Land division 40. Doodle 41. 60-minute period 42. Run down 43. Sinful 44. ____ and relaxation 46. Bean shell

ACROSS 1. Phonograph record 5. Upper limb 8. Doll’s cry 12. Fragrance 13. Bering or White 14. Took advantage of 15. Adventurer Marco ____ 16. Stroked 18. Voter 20. Pork and beef 21. Headwear 22. Type of skirt 23. Was sore 26. Stroke lightly 27. Rim 30. Couple’s tune 31. Right this minute 32. “The Way We ____” 33. Long fish 34. Generation ____ 35. Clear liquor 36. Clog 38. Kind of evergreen 39. Madison Avenue employee 41. Small rodent 45. Eccentric person 47. Bee abode 48. Percentage 49. Umpire’s cry 50. Spring bloomer 51. Mas that baa 52. Like a desert 53. Animal fur DOWN 1. Idiot 2. Adored one 3. Flounder’s relative 4. Do needlework

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION:

COMMENTS OF THE WEEK »

Re-elect Nicholas Simons NDP Our Coast, Our Voice Making life more affordable, fixing the services you depend on and creating good, sustainable jobs. These are commitments NDP leader John Horgan and I make to you.

Letters to the Editor/Viewpoint The exceptions are those letters which may be libellous, in bad taste, or describe an incident involving other people which, to be fair, should allow both sides to be aired in a news story. Letters should not exceed 350 words and Viewpoints must be approximately 500 words.

The Peak reserves the right to edit based on taste, legality, clarity, and length. Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor and Viewpoints are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Peak or its employees.

Nicholas Simons Powell River campaign office: 604.489.1955 • 4726 Marine Avenue Authorized by Financial Agent Michael Goldberg 1.604.740.3122

141226CW

The Peak publishes all letters it receives regarding the stories on its pages, as long as letters are signed, dated, and include the writer’s address and a daytime telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters.

6 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Texada rejects heritage service

Annual General Meeting

LUND WATERWORKS DISTRICT

Saturday, April 29 • 10 am Historic Lund Hotel Meeting Room XXXXXX

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Powell River Regional District to consider museum support CHRIS BOLSTER reporter@prpeak.com

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POWELL RIVER COMMUNITY FUTURES

Texada Island residents have rejected the idea of participating in a regional heritage service. Regional service would spread the cost of Texada Island Museum and Archives and Powell River Historical Museum and Archives to all city and electoral area taxpayers. Texada residents currently provide $20,000 for the island museum’s location inside Texada Elementary School and the mining exhibit at Blubber Bay. Texada Island Heritage Society directors Ken Barton and Rob McWilliam appeared before Powell River

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Maddie White 14-year-old Maddie began her battle just over two years ago when she was first diagnosed with leukemia. Maddie is currently in the oncology ward of BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. Our goal is to raise enough money for her family to be able to stay in Vancouver.

NO THANKS: Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick told members of Powell River Regional District’s committee of the whole that Texada Island will pass on the creation of a regional heritage service, even if it reduces taxes. CHRIS BOLSTER PHOTO

vote system can be chosen. Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said that may be the case, but Texada would still prefer to not participate. “There is no doubt in my mind that the feelings and opinions they are bringing to this table truly represent the general population on the Texada,” she said. “I don’t believe this group is opposed to the creation of a regional service, only that Area D wouldn’t be a participant in that service.” Meanwhile, Powell River Historical Museum and Archives manager Bert Finnamore said after the meeting that he welcomed the idea of stable funding for the museums. “The service is really important because at the moment the funding we get is ad hoc,” said Finnamore. “We spend a lot of time each year and a lot of effort to keep us going.” Powell River Historical

Museum and Archives received $39,000 in a grant-inaid, paid by residents of the city and electoral areas, that it applies for annually. Finnamore said stable funding will be increasingly important as more tourists visit the region. The Powell River museum recorded more than 4,000 visits in 2016, a first in its history, he said. Over half of those visits were from tourists, he added. “When you start to view heritage on a regional scale, the northern Sunshine Coast, the area where we live, has a lot more to offer in terms of history than it currently does,” said Finnamore. “We are not the museum of the City of Powell River, our collections are regional. Our audience is regional and we all get the same visitors.” A decision to establish a regional heritage service will be made at an upcoming regional board meeting.

REGIONAL DISTRICT BRIEFS Recommends Texada clinic upgrades

FUNDRAISER BARBECUE

At its Thursday, April 13, meeting, Powell River Regional District’s committee of the whole recommended to the regional board that it proceed with the borrowing of $225,278 to pay for upgrades to the Texada Island Health Centre over a 20-year period. The upgrades are needed to address Vancouver Coastal Health’s concerns over infection control standards with the current facility.

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Regional District board’s committee of the whole meeting on Thursday, April 13, to provide the committee with islanders’ thoughts. “We have some concerns about this process you’re wanting to embark on,” Barton told the committee. “We thought we’d do our best to give you our concerns as best we can.” McWilliam told the committee that since 2014, when the idea of a regional heritage service came up, Texada Island Heritage Society has repeatedly told the regional district, and the island’s regional director, that it does not support the idea. “We’re here today to tell you that Texada does not wish to be included in this study you’re proposing,” said McWilliam. Barton and McWilliam explained that the reason islanders do not want to participate is because they feel their concerns will not be heard at the regional board, with its weighted system that gives city directors multiple votes. According to regional district chief administrative officer Al Radke’s report on establishing the regional service, it would not pertain to governance, just funding. The regional service would reduce the current $8.30 per $100,000 Texada residents pay for their museum by almost half. Radke further clarified at the meeting that when they establish the voting structure, a one-director, one-

Regional district committee of the whole

voted to recommend to the board that it considers partnering with Tla’amin Nation and City of Powell River to apply for the provincial Active Communities grant, a similar grant to the one the city received earlier this year to promote social inclusion for senior citizens.

Supports shellfish festival Committee of the whole voted to recommend to its board that it authorize the funding of approximately $1,200 to pay for transit service to Lund for the upcoming Shellfish Festival to be held at the end of May. Riders would be charged $2 for a oneway trip to and from Lund.

7 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Provincial election hot-seat: part six Candidates tackle lack of affordable housing in Powell River area

As the May 9 provincial election fast approaches, Powell River Peak has been asking those vying to represent our riding as MLA a series of questions about local issues. In the latest instalment of our provincial election hot-seat, Powell River-Sunshine Coast candidates were asked about the difficult issue of the lack of affordable housing in the region. [Editor’s note: BC Cascadia Party candidate Reuben Richards did not provide a submission this week.]

Q: What would you do to address the lack of affordable housing in Powell River?

Mathew Wilson BC Liberal Party

Kim Darwin BC Green Party

Nicholas Simons BC New Democratic Party

In cooperation with key stakeholders, a BC Green government will develop and implement a comprehensive provincial-housing plan to address the lack of affordable housing in Powell River and other areas of BC. When people have reliable shelter, both physical and mental health improves. This leads to less reliance on our medical, social and policing systems. The topic of housing affordability is diverse and needs to be pieced out in order to develop adequate solutions. It covers a range of shelter types, from emergency shelters, transition housing, special-needs housing, seniors housing, residential care, affordable rentals and affordable real estate. BC Greens will increase the supply of affordable housing through investment and collaboration, increase protection for tenants and landlords, take measures to mitigate money laundering and property speculation and reduce property transfer tax for properties under $1 million. Addressing the high cost of real estate is fundamental to ensuring affordable rental accommodation. In an effort to obtain facts and data on the effects of foreign real estate investment in BC, I wrote a policy for BC Chamber of Commerce calling on the provincial government to requisition a full provincial study to collect and analyze citizenship and residency data on all real estate property in BC and publish the results. We must become proactive in our approach to housing affordability. A reactive approach costs our society, both monetarily and socially.

Raised on the Sunshine Coast, with family in Powell River, Mathew Wilson currently lives in Roberts Creek and is father to two daughters. He works for the federal government; 10 years in Ottawa, most recently five years commuting to work in Vancouver. Among his many experiences is five years of negotiating agreements with first nations on resource economic development and residential school claims.

In addition to raising three wonderful children, Kim Darwin was a legal assistant for 16 years before opening her own mortgage broker business. She is president of the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce and was the elected provincial council secretary for the BC Green Party for two and a half years. She is an herbalist, having studied traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal medicine.

Nicholas Simons was first elected MLA for Powell RiverSunshine Coast in 2005. Before entering politics, Simons spent more than 15 years working in health, justice, social services and child welfare, including 10 years as director of health and social services for Sechelt (shíshálh) First Nation. Simons, an accomplished cellist, is also a past president of the Sunshine Coast Arts Council.

As MLA, I will work with businesses, agencies, local governments and other stakeholders to facilitate investment and development of more housing, both through BC Liberal affordable-housing programs and our housing-affordability plans for first-time homeowners. Since 2001, the BC Liberal government has invested $4.9 billion to provide affordable housing for low-income individuals, seniors and families. Locally, the government has provided funding for Inclusion Powell River’s 27-unit affordable-housing complex that will help ease the rental shortage. After meeting with Inclusion’s executive director Lilla Tipton, I was keen to hear about their second housing project for seniors and offered my support and assistance if needed. Over several months, I’ve met with many people, including clients of the Community Resource Centre, Powell River Brain Injury Society, developers, business owners and realtors to discuss affordable housing options. We need to address the shortage of rental housing by encouraging rental-housing construction so the monthly cost of rentals is affordable. I will help open up new opportunities for development, continue to support first-time homebuyers through the First Time Home Buyers’ Program, and work with local governments to encourage new housing starts. Most of all, I will ensure that the Liberal government’s historic investment in affordable housing includes investments in Powell River. I will deliver this funding and be your advocate, ensuring your hard-earned tax dollars are reinvested in our riding to expand local opportunities for residents to have a place to call home.

The lack of affordable housing in Powell River is part of a province-wide crisis: cities across BC struggle with a shortage of reasonably priced homes. Single-family home prices in Powell River are up about 15 per cent over last year. As housing costs soared, this government refused to act and rejected opposition legislation that would have addressed the problems earlier. The crisis was identified long ago. The BC NDP now has committed to devoting $665 million to affordable housing programs over the next three years. That includes a $400 yearly rebate to renters, and the building of 114,000 rental and co-op homes. I will see that Powell River is part of that program. Building projects by Life Cycle Housing Society and Inclusion Powell River are already providing some needed homes, and the province can now help them do more. I’m also encouraged by City of Powell River council’s efforts to create an Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. The lack of affordable housing is a double whammy of economic inequality. It’s not just that housing is too expensive, it’s also that many people have less to spend. It’s difficult to afford much on a $10.85 minimum wage, and wages have been stagnant in BC. Expensive housing costs are made more difficult when the cost of childcare is factored in, with food prices up, hydro, MSP, ferry fares, everything. We need a higher minimum wage, childcare costs within reach at $10 per day, fair fares and fees, dignity in social assistance and good jobs in our communities.

Next week’s question: How should BC handle the sale of marijuana once it is legalized?

9 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Festival honours planet JANET SOUTHCOTT Peak contributor

Everybody stands on it, everybody uses it, but does everybody really take the time to honour it? April is Earth Month and Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day. Lund has rekindled its tradition of organizing the perfect way for the whole community to rejoice in planet Earth by holding a festival. “I think the Lund Gazebo is a perfect place to celebrate Earth Day,” said Christine Morgan, one of the festival organizers. “We have a beautiful venue. A lot of effort and love has been put into the gazebo over the years. We would like to see it utilized.” Sheila Butts has joined Morgan on the organizing team. “Christine is the one who really got this ball rolling,” said Butts. The two have divided the jobs, with Butts scheduling performers on stage

12th Annual

while Morgan looks after booth and vendor details. This year there are two events at Lund Gazebo to enjoy. The first is the evening before Earth Day, Friday, April 21, starting at 7 pm. Music and dancing will take place from 8:30 pm-12 am at an all-ages event; admission is by donation. Earth Day will be fun for the whole family from 12-6 pm with admission also by donation. Kristi McCrae from Lund Farmers’ Cooperative is this year’s MC. A kids area will include activities such as a worm display, creating seed bombs and exploring a giant nature loom. Organizers see the nature loom as being an ongoing interactive community art project throughout the summer. “We have made paper with some of the Lund kids for nature and paper crafting,” said Morgan. “We will have a white sheet for a push-spray bottle mural and stencil painting Earth Day flags

and rocks. We are planning some great crafts for all ages.” There will also be food from local providers, information and craft booths, workshops and an electric-vehicle display partway through the afternoon. Tree seedlings will also be available for people to take home. Throughout the afternoon, speakers will talk about a multitude of environmental issues, initiatives and climate change. Proceeds from both events will go toward local salmon enhancement. “We want to plant a seed to support these initiatives,” said Butts. “The traditional name of Powell River, Tees Kwat, means lots of fish going up the river. Hopefully, there will be again.” Organizers request that people carpool when driving to Lund, adding that fewer cars on the road lowers the cost to the environment and makes it easier to park at the venue.

Lund Earth Day schedule [Subject to change]

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 8:30 pm - World music with Wild Woods Social Club 10:00 pm - Original farm rock with Little Pharmer 11:30 pm - Afro, hip hop and funk with DJ The Chad SATURDAY, APRIL 22 MC Kristi McCrae, Lund Farmers’ Cooperative 12 pm - Opening song by Tla’amin Nation’s Devon Pielle 12:15 pm - One Voices Choir with Annabelle Tully-Barr 12:30 pm - African drumming by Chris Weekes 1 pm - 10-year-old performer Chloe Johnson 1:10 pm - Environmental speaker Pierre Geoffray and more 1:20 pm - Local musician and farmer Erin Innes 1:45 pm - Zumba dancing with Silvana Hernandez 2:15 pm - Local musicians Anselmo and Friends 3 pm - Environmental speakers Jack Anderson, Delia Becker and more 3:15 pm - Bluegrass band Scout Mountain 4:15 pm - Local musicians Nancy and John Tyler SATURDAY, APRIL 22, workshops 1 pm - Laughing yoga with Eve Stegenga 1:30 pm - Parachute games with Puddle Jumpers Preschool 2 pm - Shelter building by Bushman Brian 2:30 pm - Climate action quiz by Yvon Richard

To add your event and find out more: earthmonthpr.ca earthmonthpr@gmail.com 604.483.9052

April 21: Sunshine Gogos’ evening of Film and Food, 7 - 9 pm, Max Cameron April 21: Earth Day Eve Dancing, 8 pm - midnight, Lund Gazebo April 22: Tauri the Hawk, Young Naturalists, 10 - 11:30 am, Timberlane Track April 22: Up Town Winter Market, 10 am - 12:30 pm, 4752 Joyce Avenue April 22: Earth Day in Lund, noon - 6 pm, Lund Gazebo April 22: Caring for Creation, potluck, 4 pm, Sycamore Commons, Townsite April 22: Earth Day Celebration Vegan/Vegetarian Dinner, Little Hut Curry April 22: eCouture Wearable Art Fashion Show, 6:30 pm, Dwight Hall April 26: Boomerang Bags Project meeting, 6:30 pm, Oceanview Ed. Centre April 29: Trash Bash, 9:30 am - 3 pm, Willingdon Beach April 29: Open Air Farmers’ Market, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, Exhibition Grounds April 29: Tide Pool Explorers, Young Naturalists, 1 - 3 pm, Marine at Nootka April 29: Composting demonstration, Carol Engram, 2 - 5 pm, Com. Living Place April 29: Climate Action Powell River AGM, 7 pm, Cranberry Community Hall April 30: Marathon Shuffle, Malaspina Road to Shinglemill Pub

Supported by: your Earth Month Team and Climate Action Powell River

10 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Society connects with Earth Month

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On a late fall day in 2015, about 100 people gathered at Willingdon Beach Rotary Pavilion to walk along the trail to Townsite. It was the Climate March, and another 100 joined the procession as it entered Patricia Theatre. “I remember everyone singing at the cenotaph on the way up Arbutus Avenue,” said Climate Action Powell River (CAPR) president Jack Anderson. “The event was the beginning of Climate Action Powell River.” Anderson, Cynthia Barnes and Michael Gelber had worked with local environmentalist groups to organize the Climate March in support of the Paris COP21 agreement. Along with other new recruits, the group formed CAPR in July and continues to meet weekly. “Early on, we were reading everything we could get our hands on,” said Anderson. Anderson and the others spent time to study and understand the Sustainability Charter, Integrated Community Sustainability Plan and Carbon Neutral Action Plan, all for Powell River, and reports from other communities to look for best approaches across the province. While these reports are high-functioning government documents and speak of corporate responsibility, the work of CAPR became more community-focused and targets individual action. “What we do needs to make a difference. To make a difference in the global picture, we need to make small changes in our lives,” said group member Yvon Ricard. Those tiny steps have led the group to invite two speakers to Powell River during 2016, with another speaker anticipated this spring. Last April, Guy Dauncey brought his futuristic environmental viewpoint to Evergreen Theatre. His latest book, Journey to the Future: A Better World Is Possible, is his 10th on the subject and follows a young man exploring Vancouver in the 2030s after climate

WORKING TOGETHER: Members of Climate Action Powell River Society, including [from left] Bill Lytle-McGhee, Yvon Ricard and Cynthia Barnes, have a goal of helping the community lower its environmental footprint by reducing carbon emissions. JANET SOUTHCOTT PHOTO

change mitigation initiatives have been put in place. “It is a positive outlook on the possibilities that making a change now can have on our future,” said Anderson. By November, when the second speaker was booked, CAPR had its eye on its first project. As people left the Evergreen after hearing Frederik Vroom from Tree Canada speak of planting forests as a carbon sink, CAPR collected names of people interested in the Cool Homes Powell River project. “We were hoping to engage 50 households during 2017 to tally their carbon footprint for 2016, then try to reduce it during this year,” said Ricard. In that one evening, CAPR signed up more than 20 households and has since hit the 50 mark. “We have now removed the limit and can accommodate any number of households that wish to join up,” said Ricard. Cool Homes focuses on individual households doing things to address their carbon footprint year by year. The program in Powell River offers support, networking and quarterly meetings. At its recent strategic planning exercise, CAPR discovered its vision to be, “A world in which peace, love, education, respect and personal responsibility lead to a harmonious, balanced relationship with the Earth.” This may take a while to achieve. In the meantime, over the coming year, CAPR

hopes to create its internet presence with a dynamic website providing a hub for climate-action information, initiatives and opportunities. Becoming the sponsoring agency for Powell River’s Earth Month was a natural fit. “We support the Earth Month concept and hope it instills awareness and education that helps people make changes to reduce our negative effect on the planet,” said Anderson. CAPR member Bill LytleMcGhee was at the Tree Canada presentation and showed interest in CAPR’s initiatives. “I enjoy keeping track of the global climate-change picture and believe it to be essential that we act quickly to reduce emissions,” he said. On Saturday, April 29, CAPR will hold its first annual general meeting starting at 7 pm at Cranberry Community Hall. “We are hoping many people come and find out more about CAPR and what we have been up to, and what we wish to do in the years ahead,” said Barnes. Refreshments will be available and attendance is by donation. Memberships will be sold for $10 per person. “It is also an opportunity for people to join up with the Cool Homes program,” said Barnes. For more information, go to Climate Action Powell River on Facebook, or send an email to coolhomes.pr@ gmail.com.

11 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Life rolls on without four wheels

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Wilson’s home in Cranberry. His tale of why he and his partner Alfie Bolster chose to go “carless” in Powell River is one anyone can find themselves experiencing. “In 2012, Alfie and I had a small minivan; it was ancient,” said Wilson. “The ignition key and starter motor jammed in the driveway, smoke started coming out from under the hood, and I could not turn it off. It came together like the perfect storm. Eventually, I managed to shut off the starter motor, but we dared not turn off the engine.” Wilson and Bolster had been loading the car up with items to take to Augusta Recyclers. “We got in, drove to Augusta, left the engine running as we unloaded, then drove to Black Point Auto Wreckers and left it there,” said Wilson. Five months later, still without a vehicle, Wilson and Bolster attended Powell River Film Festival and watched a movie called Chasing Ice. “It was so graphic, showing the actual effects of what we are doing, that we came out of the movie and looked at each other and Alfie said, ‘We are not getting another car,’ and we never have,” said Wilson. BC Transit provides an essential service for anyone without a car. The schedule, however, takes time to figure out, and buses are infrequent. “When the bus only comes once an hour, and there are times in the day it comes less than once an hour, it makes things difficult,” said Wilson. “Research shows the frequency that really seems to start to work for people is every 15 minutes. You know there will be a bus sometime in the next 15 minutes. It means you do not have to build your life around the schedule.” While Bolster walks to work every day, a journey of 50 minutes, Wilson, coordinator for Urban Homesteading School of Powell River, mostly works from home. Wilson said he sees famil-

ALTERNATIVE TRUNK: Kevin Wilson uses this largecapacity cart when using public transit to take his products to sell at the winter market. JANET SOUTHCOTT PHOTO

iar faces filling the passenger seats and the drivers are always very friendly. “There are some times when it is standing room only,” said Wilson. “Every seat is full and there are people standing up.” Wilson’s life revolves around the bus schedule, which sometimes does not work well for attending meetings or functions. When that happens, he either asks friends for help or just does not attend. There are alternatives to buses. Wilson is a great supporter of the Car Stop initiative, which has worked successfully in various Gulf Island communities. “They have a sign like a bus stop that says Car Stop on it and people wait there for a ride,” said Wilson. “People who are willing to pick people up, do so from there. There is no requirement that anybody pick anybody else up or anybody accept a particular ride. It is a very simple, low barrier of entry idea. On the Gulf Islands it is supported by the provincial government and a provincial ministry provided the signs.”

Pender Island has a map of all the stops and light blue signs where pedestrians stop and wait for a ride. It works well in a small community, where the driver often knows the person waiting at the stop sign and distances are short. Cycling seems to be the transportation of choice for many households living without cars. Bikes with electric assist can speed past conventional cyclists and not wear their riders out on the big hills that loom ever larger to two-wheel enthusiasts pushing pedals around Powell River. As well as supporting a healthy lifestyle, going “carless” can support a healthier bank account. If, for any reason, anyone is contemplating doing away with the four-wheeled convenience, Wilson suggests an intermediate step. “Take the insurance off and leave it in the driveway for a while, then you can’t use it, so you have to do the walk and the bike and the bus,” he said. “But you have the option, if you frantically need it, of putting a day’s insurance on it.”

12 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Volunteer for a healthier planet

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We all appreciate the work volunteers do in our community. Volunteerism is what gives us a vibrant social landscape, a varied music and arts culture, animal protection, rural emergency and fire service and, of course, much more. Volunteerism also gives us a sense that we live in a community that cares. If you are considering a move into some unpaid service to the community, or the broader world, Earth Month and Climate Action Powell River provide those opportunities. Care of our fragile planet and its essential ecological services cannot be helped enough. When we are motivated to address our ecological footprint or take a stand on an environmental issue, we create a connection to life and each other that fulfills a need in us and for the broader picture. The writing of Powell River’s Sustainability Charter and Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) have created a roadmap, or at least a guide, to our future. The plan covers a range of social, environmental, economic and health issues. A plan like this is needed to give us an overall view of what it will take to create a positive future, but it is not enough in and of itself. We can see all around us what happens if we leave any one of these parts out or take them for granted. For a long time we thought government could take care of it all, or should be taking care of it all.

EARTH MONTH By Jack Anderson

During Earth Month we can look at the environmental picture and examine what we are doing to Mother Earth with our modern lifestyle. There are opportunities all around us to join together with other like-minded people and make a difference. Food security is one area with many groups addressing different aspects: the Powell River Seed Bank project, the rising permaculture movement, the reconstituted Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute and various ocean-protection societies, such as Georgia Strait Alliance, to mention just one. Climate Action Powell River was formed this past year to augment the essential work each level of government must perform. City of Powell River council has just announced a new sustainability committee and is inviting public participation. This committee will look at how to steer the course outlined in the ICSP. Opportunities for volunteers are many and varied. Is this your year to step up and play a part in the protection and future health of our community? Jack Anderson is president of Climate Action Powell River Society, sponsoring organization for Earth Month 2017.

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13 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

COMMUNITY »

Organization recognizes director Lyn Adamson credits team for helping earn provincial honour DAVID BRINDLE community@prpeak.com

For devotion and commitment to her community, Powell River Employment Program Society (PREP) executive director Lyn Adamson was recently recognized by BC Career Development Association as its career practitioner of the year. As PREP’s executive director, Adamson is responsible for Career Link and providing a range of employment services for job seekers, including job-search assistance, workshops, career counselling and access to job postings. As with most leaders, she said the award is

shared by her team. “It somehow doesn’t capture the whole picture because I can only be career practitioner of the year if there’s a really great team working with me,” said Adamson. “It shouldn’t be singled out as a single honour; it’s working together for the services we provide in this community.” Adamson said she looks for special qualities in people who are on her team, which are not necessarily obvious skill sets found on a resumé. “I look for people who are welcoming and compassionate,” she said. “I look for personality above skills, because working as we do with people who might be unemployed, there’s more than just the hard skills of getting a resumé or knowing what school to go to. It’s important to treat people really well at what might be a difficult time in their lives.”

PREP is beginning the process of hiring a replacement for Adamson as she prepares for retirement. When someone who brings integral change to an organization through their leadership prepares to leave, those in charge of finding a candidate to fill the position have a difficult task, said PREP board director Laura Cocksedge “Because Lyn has been here so long and understands massive programs, it’s almost as if she needs to be replaced by six people,” said Cocksedge. Cocksedge added that Adamson, who informed her team and the board that she will be leaving in July, is dynamic and involved in Powell River. “She creates and maintains wonderful connections, whether it’s personal or professional,” said Cocksedge. “She has this wonderful way of helping everyone feel valued and doesn’t discount anything anybody says.”

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Adamson has worked in the employment-services sector for more than 20 years. Prior to that, she said the most memorable job she had was building an indoor swimming pool in the Arctic. “That was a job where I had to think on my feet more than any job I’ve had since then,” she said. “I was 700 miles above the Arctic Circle.” It was called the Above Ground Pool Project and included 13 pools being built, said Adamson, who was responsible for a build in Igloolik, Nunavut. The pools were not common recreational pools, but were built for a practical reason: to teach the Inuit how to swim, she added. “They were having a lot of drownings,” said Adamson. “Drownings were occurring because the Inuit people weren’t wearing as much traditional sealskin clothing, which provided both buoyancy and warmth.”

MERIT AWARD: Powell River Employment Program Society executive director Lyn Adamson recently received the title of career practitioner of the year from BC Career Development Association. DAVID BRINDLE PHOTO

Adamson said she is “kind of retiring,” but more likely just changing careers. For someone who is so much a part of Powell River, questions have been asked, she said, about whether or not she might enter politics one day. “Not yet,” she said.

Adamson said her plans include becoming a real estate agent and partnering up in business with her partner Kathie Mack. “I won’t be ready to go until the summer,” said Adamson. “I have to finish my job here, and that’s going to take a while.”

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14 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

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GREEN GROUP: Volunteers gather and help with seasonal maintenance at Lang Creek Native Plant Garden. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

uses as well, she said. “Roses, cedar and red currants are all Tla’amin traditional plants,” said Stewart. The garden attracts wildlife as well, including bears, which fertilize it by bringing salmon carcasses from the nearby creek. It is also home to many species of birds, butterflies and other animals, said Stewart. C lub volunteer Liz Kennedy, who is also part of the steering committee, said the garden holds value in its genetic stock. “We can use the native plants here to propagate into other gardens,” she said. According to Kennedy, plants are chosen to be the right ecotype, not just the right species. The club made use of local expertise and consulted ethnobotanist Wendy Cocksedge to find appropriate plants for the garden, she added. “There are a number of benefits to gardening with

346T26

containing some of the ones that are more active. “Nootka rose spreads everywhere,” she said. Some plants have not been as successful. Kennedy said the club wants to re-establish those ones. Moving forward, the steering committee has a number of goals, said Stewart. “We’d definitely like more signage, and we’re interested in developing study units and learning kits for teachers to use with their students,” she said. According to club founder Scholefield, engaging youth with the garden is key to its future. “It is our dream that today’s children will revisit Lang Creek with their own children and grandchildren,” she said, “to experience a thriving, healthy generation of wild salmon and native plants.” For more information on Lang Creek Native Plant Garden, email lizkennedy@ shaw.ca.

20-hour BCHPA course is a combination of classroom and field instruction. Graduates will have the knowledge and resources to successfully keep bees in coastal British Columbia.

Saturday, April 22, 2017, 2 pm The Community House at Kelly Creek School 2341 Zilinsky Road

native plants; they tend to be hardier once they become established,” said Kennedy. “They’re not particularly flashy, but they are beautiful; you have to really look.” The garden provides an element of interpretation as well, said Stewart. “There’s a lot of signage,” she said. “We want visitors to know about plants from this area.” Stewart said the club coordinated with Tla’amin Nation elder Betty Wilson for traditional plant names and uses. “We also found a lot of useful information about the plants in field guides,” said Stewart. According to Kennedy, spring is a busy time for the volunteers. “There’s always weeding and pruning to be done, and this time of year we’re also cleaning up the winter damage,” she said. Kennedy added that part of the challenge of gardening with native plants is

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With spring underway, Powell River’s gardens are coming to life. While many gardeners focus on food crops or ornamentals, the committee behind Lang Creek Native Plant Garden has a different goal altogether. “We wanted to grow a garden that would showcase our native plant species,” said Michael Stewart, one of seven members on the garden’s steering committee. Stewart, who said she has been interested in native plants for a long time, joined a club of native-plant enthusiasts in 2010 spearheaded by local gardener Gail Scholefield. The club was centred around the idea of creating a native-plant garden, said Stewart. By 2011, the club had secured a location for its garden at the mouth of Lang Creek. According to Stewart, the garden was established on land managed by Powell River Salmon Society. “They really supported the garden, with the location and financially,” she said. “Many businesses and individuals donated their time and money to make the garden possible.” Stewart said the garden serves as a place for people to study native plants, whether for identification or for understanding the plants’ growth habits. Many of the plants have cultural

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15 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

SPORTS »

Fast-growing sport resurfaces DAVID BRINDLE community@prpeak.com

Next to soccer, with its estimated global following of four billion fans, cricket is the world’s next biggest sport, with a following of 2.5 billion people worldwide. It is one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, according to Powell River resident Alex Rawnsley. In March, Rawnsley, originally from Australia, and a small group of expatriates from cricket-playing nations such as South Africa, England, India and Pakistan, as well as some locals, started playing indoors at

Oceanview Learning Centre. “We’ve probably had about 15 to 20 guys come out and give it a go,” said Rawnsley. “It’s been a good laugh and a chance for guys who grew up playing it as kids to get back into it, and it’s been a good chance for a few Canadians to try something new as well.” Cricket is not new to Powell River. It was first played here in the mid-1900s when foreign ships arrived to take on paper products from the mill. Visiting crews put on exhibitions of their country’s sports, including cricket. Rawnsley and his mates

are hoping to overcome any skepticism about the sport and bring it back to the mainstream in Powell River. “A lot of people will say, ‘Oh, that goes on for days,’ and, yes, that’s true, some formats of the game can go up to five days,” he said. “But the format we’re playing is about three or four hours.” Until the group becomes large enough, current players are showing up at Oceanview on Sunday evenings to practice skills and have a fun hit and bowl, or pitch, without playing a full game, said Rawnsley. The biggest shock for newcomers to the game, he

added, is catching the ball barehanded. “We’ve been playing indoors with a softer ball,” he said. “If someone gets a hold of that with a line drive it doesn’t hurt, but it stings for a little bit.” Rawnsley added that it does not take long for the firsttime players to toughen up. Cricket players get one at bat, unlike baseball, which the game is often compared to, and a home run does not hold the same importance. “A lot of the Canadians are trying for that home-run hit and they’re caught immediately,” said Rawnsley. “The best approach to crick-

WICKET ENTHUSIASTS: The upstart Powell River Cricket Club began training in mid-February at Oceanview Education Centre. Players include [from left, top row] Alex Rawnsley, Adam MacLaine, Josh Statham, Charl Meyer, Ian Berg, Louis Botha, [from left, bottom row] Martin Andreae and Arend Delport. PEAK ARCHIVE PHOTO

et is to set aside a baseball mentality.” Rawnsley said Powell River’s cricketers have already booked a game on Vancouver Island toward

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How can protect my back while spring cleaning?

TYE LEISHMAN OWNER

Now is the best time to replace your heating system, as the heating season is coming to an end. Come and see us at the Powell River Home and Garden Show on Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, and we can show you all your heating system choices for upgrading.

7239 DUNCAN STREET • 604.485.5352

DR. EKATERINA MEDINA OPTOMETRIST

Flax seeds and nuts contain the alpha-lipoic acid form of omega-3, but it converts at only a sixto-12 per cent rate to DHA and EPA, the omega-3 fats beneficial to the body. A better plant source is the algae Schizochytrium. NutraVege is a unique supplement to use this algae to deliver DHA and EPA. We now sell it at the office and I use it every day.

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To keep your energy levels up and support a healthy body, it is imperative to watch what you eat. Eat a variety of vegetables, raw or cooked, in soups, stews or salad. Have some fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds each day. Try smoothies, adding healthy leafy greens and drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

DR. JEREMY BUHAY CHIROPRACTOR/OWNER

Tighten abdominals by keeping them flexed while you work, which builds and tones the muscles, helps keep your back supported and prevents slouching. When pouring mulch or fertilizer on lawns or gardens, use your legs, not your back. Bend from the knees whenever lifting; never lean over and always bend from your knees. Not only is this smart for your back, it works your lower body.

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» HOME INSPECTION

We have an older heating system that seems to operate okay. Should we wait unti it breaks down to replace it?

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KITTY CLEMENS RHN CPCC

» OPTOMETRY

STEPHANIE RENAAS AUDIOLOGIST

» NUTRITION

» HEARING

I have been recommended to use omega-3 supplementation because of dry eyes. What if I’m vegetarian?

What food choices do I need to consider in my senior years?

How long do hearing aids last?

the end of June against the Arrowhead Cricket Club from Qualicum Beach. For more information, go to Powell River Cricket Club on Facebook.

Is there an advantage to hiring a home inspector before putting my house on the market?

DARICK HOLLER HOME INSPECTOR

Hiring a home inspector before selling your home gives you the option of taking care of potential red flags that could put a sale at risk. Deficiencies and major issues are often unknown to the seller and come as a surprise when potential buyers bring in an inspector. Hiring a home inspector provides you with firsthand knowledge, giving you the edge in selling your home at your desired price point.

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16 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

BUSINESS »

Realtor Warren Behan receives national recognition Banner year in local real estate reveals top performer DAVID BRINDLE community@prpeak.com

At age 19, Warren Behan purchased a piece of property across the street from the house he grew up in. The transaction was his first venture into real estate in Powell River and led to a career as a realtor. “It is a great career,” said Behan. “I still love getting up and coming to work every day.” In what was a hot local market, 2016 was Behan’s busiest and best year, he said. So good, in fact, it placed him on Real Estate Professional magazine’s third annual list of top realtors in Canada. “It was a very busy year; I sold some large pieces of real estate and had some bigger deals,” said Behan. “Powell River has been discovered and it’s evident that, with Vancouver being busy, some people are going to choose Powell River, and that’s continuing. We’re seeing it today.” Behan ranked 54th on the magazine’s list of the top 100 small-market agents. Rankings were determined by the number of units sold, according to journalist Clay Jarvis, who researched and compiled the list, which states that Behan sold 110 properties last year. “The reason we went by units sold as opposed to overall revenue generated is because of the wide variety

of housing prices across the country; we wanted to keep it fair,” said Jarvis. “We figured if an agent can sell one property, that’s one thing, but if they can do something successfully 70, 80 or 100 times, then that’s worthy of recognition.” According to Powell River Sunshine Coast Real Estate Board president Neil Frost, Behan was at the forefront of a strong real estate year in 2016. “He’s a great realtor and Powell River has been hot,” said Frost. “He’s done a few big deals and that’s kind of pushed him up there.” Powell River’s market is attracting approximately 50 per cent of buyers from out of town, according to Behan. Jarvis said that trend is evident in both Ontario and BC. “You see a huge spillover effect from larger metropolitan centres into these smaller areas where people can actually afford to buy,” said Jarvis, “and you see that fairly commonly outside of Vancouver.” Behan said there are two dominant demographic shifts from larger cities to smaller towns where he is seeing market growth. “The first is the people who have owned their house for 30 or 40 years, have done very well and are choosing to retire or semi-retire to a place like Powell River,” said Behan. The second demographic is younger people who have good jobs in Vancouver, but cannot afford to own where the benchmarked average price of a detached house was $1.5 million last month. “ T hey ’re buying a $350,000 to $400,000

REALTY RANKING: Warren Behan recently made a national magazine’s list of the top realtors in Canada. Behan marks his 27th year in real estate this May. DAVID BRINDLE PHOTO

home in Powell River to rent out for the next 15 to 20 years, and then when they retire they’re going to have a home paid for here,” said Behan. “They’re living in the city and renting, but are actually getting a piece of real estate paid for up here and continuing with their career down there. In the last two years we’ve started to see this in a bigger way.” Behan said he is also seeing a market in telecommuters and from people retiring

out of the mill. “As the median age is getting up there, there are several people retiring almost every month and being replaced with new, young families coming to town,” he added. However, market demand is not being met with supply and Powell River lacks units in every category, said Behan. “We’re lacking in building lots, lacking in single-family homes between $200,000 and $450,000 and lacking in

waterfronts,” he said. “This is the lowest inventory I’ve seen in 27 years.” Behan’s success as a top producer able to compete on a provincial and national stage highlights the robust real estate market in the region, according to Frost. “It also speaks to Warren, an excellent realtor who has a local reputation and a provincial reputation,” said Frost, who added that Behan has also contributed to the real estate board. He has served as president, past

president, vice-president and treasurer, as well as in government relations. Behan was also a founding member of Powell River Regional Economic Development Society and a member of the Community Futures lending committee. Behan said the first home he ever sold was for a family friend. “It was a house I listed in Cranberry,” he said. “It was pretty exciting when it sold. They’re all a big deal, but that one was kind of special.”

Congratulations Warren Behan Your dedication and efforts in the industry and your love of Powell River is respected and appreciated. We are very proud of you and so pleased to have you on our team!

4766 Joyce Avenue 604.485.4231 royallepagepowellriver.com

17 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

CULTURE »

Film highlights power of food for change Farm documentary tells story of grandmotherly love and courage DAVID BRINDLE community@prpeak.com

One of two documentaries being screened in Powell River on Friday, April 21, The Thinking Garden chronicles the lives of a group of women who came together near the end of apartheid in South Africa. The 35-minute film, about a women’s community farm in a South African village, details how three generations of women, who are all grandmothers, united in a grassroots response to facilitate positive change through their garden. According to the film’s cinematographer and sound recordist Moira Simpson, the women accomplished their goal in the midst of punishing unemployment, poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and severe drought brought

on by back-to-back El Niños. More than anything, said Simpson, the film focuses on the resilience of the women, age 60 to 80, who work the farm. “There are funerals every single weekend for people who have died from AIDS,” said Simpson. “They would make food every weekend from the farm and take food to people who were ill. They just helped their community in so many ways, and they love the farm.” The women have formed more than a community on the farm, they have formed a family, said Simpson. “We felt really honoured to be on the farm and the women were wonderfully generous to us,” she added. The project was funded by Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, more commonly referred to as the GoGo Grannies. Jan Padgett, member of a local GoGo Grannies group called Sunshine GoGos, became involved with the organization because of her great admiration for Lewis, a prominent Canadian with a

long list of accomplishments and commitment to social causes, particularly in Africa as a United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS. “The campaign took off like crazy,” said Padgett. “Groups sprung up all over the place.” Canadians have raised more than $24 million for African grandmothers through Grandmothers to Grandmothers and resources are invested directly at community level, including the village garden. In addition to The Thinking Garden, Sunshine GoGos will also present a screening of The Sharing Farm, a film about a project to collect and distribute fruit in Richmond. The project has grown into an inspiring community garden promoting food security and awareness. The evening is meant to draw attention to the power food has to initiate change, according to Padgett, and to pass along a deeper message. “The most important message we can pass on is that we all have to care,” said Padgett. “Every choice we make affects everything

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Thinking Garden filmmakers [from left] Moira Simpson, Christine Welsh, Basani Ngobeni and Elizabeth Vibert at Vancouver International Women in Film Festival. The film was selected for a Matrix Award, which is presented to each of the top three short films in the festival. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

else, however big, however small. The more humanitarian we can be, the more inclusive we can be and the more caring we can be with our environment. It’s all really important.” With Grandmothers to

Grandmothers, Padgett said the solidarity between women here and in Africa is deep and moving. When the final cut of The Thinking Garden was shown to the women involved with the farm and garden,

Simpson, who will be in attendance at the screening, said one of them called it a miracle. Billed as an evening of food, film and festivities, the event begins at 7 pm in Max Cameron Theatre.

Artist carves animal sculptures out of stone DAVID BRINDLE community@prpeak.com

Carver and Powell River resident Richard Benson, who describes himself as more of a hobbyist than an artist, has been carving soapstone for 14 years. His pieces of iconic Canadian wildlife, such as loons, bears and whales that express the experience of wilderness, are on permanent display at Artique artist collective gallery on Marine Avenue. How difficult is it to carve in stone? It’s not difficult at all. It depends on the type of stone because soapstones vary, all the way from Brazilian, which is one of the most widely used because it’s quite soft, to various types of generic soapstone that become harder and harder. It depends how much time you want to spend on a piece, what kind of colour you’re looking for and what you’re carving.

TAKE A PEAK: Richard Benson

Do you find inspiration from the stone? Wouldn’t I love to tell you that it

speaks to me when I see it. In reality, when you surround yourself with pieces of stone, occasionally, whether it’s the colour or the graining in it, the stone might say that it would make a great bear or raven. Generally, you look for a stone that is going to give you the result you’re looking for. How do you go about carving a piece? I’ll start off with a concept of a loon, or several pictures of loons or bears, and set them up on my work table to refer to. After a number of years you know what you’re looking for and you might not need to access any of your resource material until you get to a final stage and the tilt of the head isn’t quite right. The only time I do things where I don’t refer to a picture is if I’ve done something a number of times. Which medium do you prefer, wood or stone? I find it easier to work with stone.

I found wood more difficult because the graining in it is very sensitive. Most of what I do, if I was carving in pine or basswood, you couldn’t make many mistakes with, and you have to be very, very good at sharpening your gouges and knives. I was never very good at that. The wonderful thing about stone is you never have to sharpen anything. You just use files and knives. Have you ever been close to completing a piece and it breaks? With stone, most of it is built up by sediment deposit. It may seem uniform but there is usually graining through it. When they break, it will be on a sand fault that you may or may not be aware of, so the breaks are usually very clean. If it hasn’t been caused by dropping on the floor, the pieces go back together beautifully and you wouldn’t know it even happened. For more information, go to Benson’s profile on artiquebc.ca.

18 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

TO BOOK YOUR AD » 604.485.5313 | classifieds@prpeak.com | 4400 Marine Avenue | Book your ad online at prpeak.com REACH 2.3 MILLION READERS WITH A COMMUNITY CLASSIFIED $395 is all it costs to place a 25-word BCYCNA Community Classified ad, reaching 2.3 million readers. For more information, call Classifieds at the Peak.

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1105 Obituaries

1010 Announcements

Margaret Anastacia Lowther (née McVicker)

AGM Announcement

Alcoholics Anonymous

Margaret passed away peacefully at home in Powell River early on April 12, 2017, after a long illness. She was 71 years old and is survived by her husband Brent, her daughter Denise McCullough (Kevin), her son Daniel Snell, and her sisters and brothers June Doolittle, Barbara Mullis, Richard McVicker, Mary McVicker and George McVicker. She was predeceased by her sister Nancy Pitt and brother Terry McVicker. There was a light in her eyes that told the story of a life lived with loyalty, strength, humour and grace. She was beautiful inside and out. A celebration of Margaret Anne’s life will be held at 1:30 pm on Saturday, April 22, at Powell River Town Centre Hotel. Donate to your favorite charity, in lieu of flowers, please.

1010 Announcements Call For Nominations Women of the Year Awards

Andre Kiss 1931-2017

Gone fishing and won’t be back

Goodbye to all my friends and nephews in Hungary. Thanks to doctor Lynskey and all the staff of Powell River General Hospital. They helped me row the boat on my way. No service by request. Floyd Forsyth trustee

1100 In Memoriam Powell River Hospital Foundation is working to provide better health care for the citizens of Powell River. Please donate “In Memory” prhospitalfoundation.com

604.485.3211 ext 4349

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Tourism Powell River is seeking nominations for people to serve on its board of directors for a commitment of a two-year term. We are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals with experience and expertise in the following fields: tourism, marketing, financial, business, heritage, history, arts and culture, sustainability and fundraising. Our board strives for diversity so your youthful, senior, cultural, or first nations views and voice are encouraged. All directors must be members of Tourism Powell River as per society bylaws. Memberships may be purchased at the AGM or in advance at the visitor centre, 4760 Joyce Avenue. For more information or to be considered for nomination, please send a brief personal statement of interest to info@ discoverpowellriver.com If elected as a director, you will be required to sign a director’s undertaking agreement and to attend a directors orientation seminar. Directors will be elected at Tourism Powell River’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, April 26, beginning at 5 pm at McKinney's Pub in Rodmay Heritage Hotel. Light refreshments will be served. Cash bar. Applications from Organizations and Individuals Invited for the City of Powell River Sustainability Committee The City of Powell River is inviting submissions for interested community organizations and individuals to participate in the City’s new Sustainability Committee. The Sustainability Committee is a Council Select Committee comprised of Councillors Russell Brewer, CaroleAnn Leishman and Rob Southcott, one member of Youth Council, three representatives from local sustainability action groups and two members of the public. The Committee’s mandate is to: • Provide Council with recommendations to achieve sustainable goals and meet corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets, through consideration of related Council policies; • Assist with the development of a training workshop for City departments to help embed the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan vision in organizational decision-making, purchasing, and GHG reduction target actions; • Provide Council with recommendations regarding staff requests for funds from the Community Works Reserve Fund and the BC Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program, including development of a decision matrix; • Facilitate actions regarding the annual calculation of corporate GHG emission totals and annual reports prior to submission to the Province, as directed by Council.

The term of the Sustainability Committee is from May 16, 2017, to September 30, 2018. The Committee is not a decisionmaking body; its role is to make recommendations to Council. As a Council Select Committee, the Sustainability Committee conducts itself in accordance with the Community Charter. Organizations and individuals interested in this volunteer role are invited to submit a letter detailing their interest. Organizations should explain how their mandate supports sustainability action and identify who would be the organization representative and alternate, including the individual’s related credentials and experience. Individuals should include any particular interests, experience (volunteer or paid) or other credentials related to the position, as well as two current references, either personal or professional. Applications may be submitted by mail or email to: Chris Jackson, City Clerk City of Powell River 6910 Duncan Street Powell River, BC V8A 4V9 info@cdpr.bc.ca Applications must be received by 4 pm on Monday, April 24, 2017.

• • • • •

604.483.9736 604.485.6994 604.483.8349 604.807.0232 (Texada) 604.414.5232 (Texada)

Meetings FRIDAYS, 8 - 9 PM United Church Basement SATURDAYS, 8:30 - 9:30 PM Hospital Boardroom SUNDAYS, 8 - 9 PM Alano Club

1215 General Employment MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! In-demand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employertrusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1.855.768.3362 to start training for your workat-home career today! SHEFIELD EXPRESS is looking for a part-time employee with lotto experience. Apply with resumé at #60 - 7100 Alberni Street.

Hire • Buy • Sell

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1215 General Employment Inclusion Powell River Home Sharing Program

Seeking persons who have a small 1 or 2 bedroom suite or a room in their home. We have some clients who are looking to live semi-independently. We provide support to our clients and to the homeowner, a guaranteed monthly income, outreach workers who will check on your property weekly and support from the Home Sharing manager. For information, please contact Michael Gormley at 604.485.5663 or mgormley@inclusionpr.ca inclusion since 1954

since 1954

POWELL RIVER

inclusion

McDonald’s Restaurant in Powell River is looking for a full-time shift supervisor for day, evening and night shifts, rotational shifts and weekends. The candidates should be outgoing and excellent team players with experience in handling heavy customer traffic. The shift supervisor will be responsible for, but not limited to, leading team members to maintain high-standard customer satisfaction, as well as ordering in daily supplies, training and schedules. Experience: We are looking for minimum two years as a supervisor or leader in charge of a fast-food outlet or restaurant. Wage starting at $12.75/hour, with excellent employee benefits, flexible medical and dental benefits, free food while working and uniforms. Fax or email resumés to 877.275.6880 or mcdonalds5615@gmail.com

PR Hospice Society seeks Program Coordinator

15 hours/week, six-month contract (extension possible), $25/hour. Requirements: Experience in hospice/palliation Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal skills Driver’s license and vehicle Ability to develop, complete and evaluate programs Deal with emergent situations Provide flexible hours and supportive care in a variety of settings See careerlinkbc.ca for full description. Email resumé: powellriverhospice@gmail.com by April 30.

Executive Director PREP Society

PREP is seeking a dynamic, flexible and creative Executive Director to manage the contracts of the society and lead its team of 56 staff and contractors. PREP operates numerous social programs in the community including Career Link, Community Resource Centre, Powell River Immigrant Services, Powell River Family Place and food security and literacy programs. If you have a drive to serve the community and are inspired to lead and create social programs, please visit the PREP website at prepsociety.org for a full job description. Submit your resumé and cover letter to hiring@prepsociety.org by 4 pm on Thursday, May 4.

19 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

1215 General Employment

Source Club Society

University/College Students Required

1230 Work Wanted

6030 Houses for Sale

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Two positions available as activity workers for a social/ recreational rehabilitation program serving adults with a mental illness. Preference to candidates with training or experience in social services, recreational therapy or psychology. Strong interpersonal skills, driver’s licence and a clean criminal record check required.

ECO-friendly product

Position is full time, 35 hours/week. Applicants must be returning to school in September.

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Please send resumés to: Diane McKendrick c/o Mental Health and Addiction Services 3rd Floor, Powell River General Hospital 5000 Joyce Avenue, Powell River, BC V8A 5R3 Deadline for applications in May 12, 2017. We thank you for your interest, however only those selected for interview will be notified.

Are you ready for a change? Looking for an opportunity to make a difference? We currently have an opening for: Part-time Family Enhancement Counsellor Duties: Provide family preservation and reunification counselling, support, information and group parent-training programs to families who are experiencing intense conflict or stress and where children may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Service is delivered primarily in community settings and client homes, and will require flexible hours. Qualifications: Minimum education requirement of a BA in related field (eg. social work, child and youth care). Strong training and experience in the following areas: family preservation and reunification programs, family dynamics, parent training and parenting techniques, counselling, group facilitation, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, early childhood development, teaching and communication. Experience demonstrating excellent intervention skills; satisfactory criminal record check; vehicle required. Terms: 20 hours per week. Please email akurtz@prcyfss.com for a complete position description. Resumé to: akurtz@prcyfss.com or to Powell River Youth and Family Services Society, 7105 Nootka Street, Powell River, BC, V8A 5E3

Outdoor Education Camp Coordinators Powell River Educational Services Society (PRESS) is looking for two skilled, organized and energetic people who love working with people in the outdoors. Coordinators will work in partnership with senior management to coordinate and manage other staff leaders in all aspects of delivery of residential field-based outdoor programs for children and youth of all nationalities

To be eligible for either job, students must:

• Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment; • Have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic year or intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year; Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident Be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

The positions will run full-time from mid-late June through end of August 2017 at the Powell Lake Outdoor Learning Centre. Position closing date is Friday, May 5, at 4 pm.

To Apply: Send resumé and cover letter to: Attention: Hugh Prichard to mmurray@pressbc.com

1230 Work Wanted

CLAY GLOSLEE Construction. Concrete foundation, drainage, retaining walls, fences, kitchen and bathroom renovation specialist, tiles, drywall, foundation to rooftop, contracts and hourly. 604.483.6153.

3560 Pets BOSTON TERRIER, five-yearold, beautiful, sweet, neutered male. Good with dogs, cats and kids. $500 call or text 604.223.0714. LOST/FOUND a pet? Adopt-apet? Pet behaviour problems? Abuse or neglect concerns?

4025 Health Services

Powell River Educational Services Society (PRESS) is looking for five skilled and energetic people to join our innovative education team. The Outdoor Education Camp leaders will assist in the planning, organization and delivery of residential field-based outdoor programs for children and youth of all nationalities.

ANYTHING HAULED, rubbish, garbage, all odd jobs, spring clean up, small moves. 604.344.2171.

2060 For Sale Miscellaneous FIX/SELL BURL clocks Tom 604.487.9755. HARDY TREE, shrub and berry seedlings delivered. Order online at treetime.ca or call 1.866.873.3846. New growth guaranteed. INVACARE HOSPITAL bed with rails, like new, $1,495; swivel and slide bath bench, $185. 604.485.4101. SAWMILLS FROM only $4,397. MAKE MONEY and SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE information and DVD: NorwoodSawmills.com/400OT 1.800.566.6899 Ext:400OT STAMP COLLECTION, some 128 years old, mostly British Colony. Contact 604.485.3939 or rmmacneill@shaw.ca

1 PARCEL - Prince George, BC. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, May 2 in Prince George. 344.742 +/- title acres. 165 +/- cultivated acres. 980 +/- sq. ft. mobile home plus additions. Jerry Hodge: 780.706.6652. Realtor: Tom Moran (PREC) - Re/Max Dawson Creek Realty; rbauction.com/realestate.

6075 Recreational Property 1 PARCEL of Recreational/Grassland - Francois Lake, BC. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, May 2 in Prince George. 229.8 +/- title acres on two titles. Jerry Hodge: 780.706.6652. Realtor: Tom Moran (PREC) - Re/Max Dawson Creek Realty; rbauction.com/realestate.

6515 Commercial

PR4RENT.ca FOR DETAILS ON

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IN POWELL RIVER

604.483.8200

604.485.9252.

Outdoor Education Camp Leaders

• •

help@Roof-Wash.ca WCB and insured

P.M.R For all your household painting, maintenance and repair needs

Free estimates Call today!

604.414.8269

CANADA BENEFIT GROUP Do you or someone you know suffer from a disability? Get up to $40,000 from the Canadian Government. Toll-free 1.888.511.2250 or www.canadabenefit.ca/freeassessment. HIP OR KNEE REPLACEMENT? Arthritic conditions/COPD? Restrictions in walking/dressing? Disability Tax Credit $2,000 Tax Credit $20,000 Refund. Apply today for assistance: 1.844.453.5372.

5015 Business Opportunities FREE VENDING MACHINES and Countertop Profit Centres. Generates HUGE cash income, work one day per month, supports Breast Cancer research, locations provided. Full Details CALL NOW 1.866.668.6629 WEBSITE: vendingforhope.com.

6915 Mobiles/Pads PAD RENTAL, Lang Bay Trailer Park, $280/mth, includes water and sewage, own meter. Max 604.578.8880.

8215 Landscaping POWELL RIVER LANDSCAPING AND LAWNCARE Commercial and Residential since 1989

Complete lawncare Garden bed weeding • Hedge trimming and tree trimming • •

Seniors’ discount available

Mark Bisaillon 604-578-1964

5050 Legal Services CRIMINAL RECORD? Why suffer employment/licensing loss? Travel/Business opportunities? Be embarrassed? Think: criminal pardon. US entry waiver. Record purge. File destruction. Free Consultation 1.800.347.2540.

6005 Apartments/Condos for Sale CONDOS FOR SALE BY OWNER Townsite, Powell River Six two-bedroom units including two penthouse suites in pristine condition For more information, call 604.223.3592

604.485.2234 TandRContracting.ca Stevenson Road, Powell River, BC 604.483.8007

6040 Lots & Acreages for Sale

spca.bc.ca/powellriver

Deadline: 12 pm, May 5, 2017

removes moss and algae removes lichen and fungus foam spray applied no pressure rinse biodegradeable

8325 Sand & Gravel

8220 Lawn & Garden

SAND AND GRAVEL PRODUCTS TOPSOIL • QUARRY ROCK SLINGER TRUCK • GRAVEL TRUCK EXCAVATIONS • LAND CLEARING • Quarry

Rock Sand • Gravel • Garden • Dump & Slinger Truck • Excavators •

Monday to Friday 7 am-5 pm Open Saturdays 9 am-4 pm

604.485.2234 TandRContracting.ca 9115 Auto Miscellaneous

Mechanics on Duty 604.485.7927 9135 Motorcycles 2001 KAWASAKI 650 XLR, Enduro, runs great, good tires, new front brakes $1,950. 604.414.8428. 2005 BMW R1150R motorcycle, 39,000kms, excellent condition. $6,800. 604.483.6872.

9145 Cars 2005 FORD Crown Victoria, 194,000 kms, maintenance records, two winter tires on rims $5,000 OBO. 604.485.6454. 2015 TOYOTA Corolla LE, 9,000 kms $17,000 firm. 604.485.4925. GARAGE KEPT, driven three months a year, red, supercharged, 1990 VW Corrado, new tires and brakes $4,500. 604.487.9705.

9155 Sport Utilities/4x4s 1999 TOYOTA Rav4 SUV, older, lots of kms but runs well and very economical, $2,500. Call or text 604.223.0714.

9220 RVs/Campers/Trailers 1992 PLEASURE Way 17’ camper van, road ready, good condition, bathroom and kitchen. $15,000 604.483.3688.

2085 Garage Sales 4620 Michigan Avenue Large garage sale at Lighthouse Community Church Saturday, April 22 9 am-1 pm Come for the hotdogs and pop and the many treasures. Why buy new when you can buy used? All proceeds to Mexico Missions Trip. 7324 Glacier Street Saturday, April 22, 9 am-12 pm Multi-family, no early birds Lang Bay Hall Craft and Garden Sale Saturday, April 22 10 am - 4 pm

WINNER

Mayra Funes has won $50 worth of local chocolate goodness.

PROPERTY MAINTAIN Complete lawn care • Hedge trimming • Garden bed prep • Shrub trimming •

485.H E L P (4357)

help@property-maintain.com WCB and fully insured Seniors discounts available

Peak Classifieds 4400 Marine Avenue classifieds@prpeak.com 604.485.5313

20 Wednesday.April 19.2017 | Powell River Peak » prpeak.com

Your Hometown Grocery Store 5687 MANSON AVENUE • 604.483.4011 • OPEN DAILY 9 AM — 6 PM • FRIDAYS UNTIL 9 PM PRICES IN EFFECT APRIL 19 TO 25

A LWAY S F R E S H

FR SH CC OO UU NN TT RR Y YF R EE SH

each

1 $ 98 3

Chocolate Milk $ ISLAND FARMS 1L

Avocados

OLYMPIC ORGANIC

Yogurt

If it doesn’t say Island Farms . . . it isn’t.

Assorted, 650 ml

WHOLESOME FOOD

Apples

BREADED

Mangoulfeso

LONG ENGLISH

AMBROSIA

Cucumbers

Haven or Ata

98 2 3 2 3 ¢

/lb 2.16/kg

Russet Potatoes

GREEN

FOR

$ 98 Mushrooms$ 98

Asparagus

/lb 1.50/kg

CERTIFIED ORGANIC WHITE JUMBO

/lb 6.57/kg

Mock Chicken Loaf

Cut Up Frying Chicken

STORE BAKED

Hot Dog or Hamburger $ Buns

Pkg of 8

Apple or Strawberry Rhubarb $ Crisp

CHEF BOYARDEE

/lb 8.77/kg

New York Strip $ Loin Steaks Top Round Baron of $ Beef Roast

11 68 5 98

/lb 26.41/kg

/lb 12.52/kg

$ 48 100 g

$ 28

Angel Food Cake

$ 98

283 g

$ FOR

QUAKER

COMPLIMENTS

Puritan Stews or Chilis Assorted 425 g

100 g

10 10

Assorted, 398 ml

Pasta

$ 98

680 g

Pasta or Beans

/lb 8.11/kg

Pork Cutlets

100 g

Bread White or Whole Wheat, 530 g

GROCERY HEINZ

$ 68

Made Fresh In Store

Cervelat Salami

F R E S H D A I LY

P E R S O N A L S E RV I C E

FRESH

100 g

Seasoned Turkey $ Breast

$ 48

Black Forest Ham

each

s Soft Drink L

Rice Cakises

or Crispy Min Assorted 100-199 g

Assorted, 2

10 10 10 10 10 10 $

FOR

SAPPORO ICHIBAN

Noodles

Assorted, 100 g

FOR

10$10 FOR

CLIF

Energy Bars

Assorted, 68 g

FOR

10$10 FOR

Care is helping families thrive

WHIRLPOOL CARES

SAVE UP TO

10$10

MINUTE MAID FROZEN FRUIT

Punch

Assorted, 295 ml

FOR

45 $

25%

On Qualifying Whirlpool Major Appliances* LIMITED TIME OFFER: March 30- April 26, 2017

SAVINGS EVENT

LOCATED DOWNSTAIRS AT MITCHELL BROTHERS 604.483.4949 • 5687 MANSON AVENUE