2006-01-08

VOL. 4 ISSUE 2

—

ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 8-14, 2006

—

WWW.THEINDEPENDENT.CA —

$1.00 HOME DELIVERY (HST included); $1.50 RETAIL (HST included)

OPINION 19 & 22

IN CAMERA 20-21

Noreen Golfman’s New Year’s wishes; back to basics with Nicholas Gardner

On the road with candidates in the riding of Avalon

Quota review

ATTACK OF THE KILLER CRABS

Ottawa called to review ownership of fish quotas in Canadian waters; FPI’s future still unclear ALISHA MORRISSEY

C

onservative Fisheries critic Loyola Hearn is pushing for a review of quotas for all fish stocks in Canadian waters, an investigation to determine who owns them and where the fish is being processed.

The call comes on the heels of a report that two trawlers crewed by Fishery Products International — the Newfoundland Marten and Mercy Viking — are loaded down in Bay Roberts with frozen yellowtail flounder, fish destined for processing in foreign countries.

Meantime, rumours and speculation abound about decisions that may be coming out of an internal review of Fishery Products International (FPI), including the possibility the province’s largest processing company may be getting out of the groundfish industry.

Officials with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans have said time and again that fish found inside Canadian waters belongs to Canadians — yet it’s not being used to the benefit of Canadians, Hearn says.

“We hear more and more about fish being caught and about fish being exported to China for profit and all of that — that is taking jobs away from our province,” he tells The Independent.

“The argument might be this is the only way to keep the company profitable, but what difference does that make to you or to me or the people in Bonavista when the Chinese are working. Why should our concern be to make money for the shareholders to the detriment of this province?”

Hearn accuses the federal Liberal government See “They want to know,” page 2

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Obviously we’re getting ripped off, so why not take another look at it?”

— Shannon Hillier of the Green Party on whether the upper Churchill contract should be reopened. See pages 8-9

BUSINESS 19

Basho opens door to Japanese fusion in St. John’s OPINION 11

Michael Harris on luxury prison sentences SPORTS 31

St. John’s hockey player John Slaney breaks scoring record Life Story . . . . 10 Paper Trail . . . 10 Events . . . . . . . 19 Crossword . . . 28 Fog Devil . . . . . 30

John Sheehan as Trevor “Power Ranger” Taylor in a scene from Revue ’05, playing at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre until Jan. 15. The show travels around the province later in the month. From left: Glenn Downey, Petrina Bromley, John Sheehan, Rick Boland and Jim Payne.

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

In their own words

Where do candidates stand on issues? The Independent launches new feature to find out STEPHANIE PORTER

I

n any election campaign — particularly one as close and nasty as this one — it can be hard to find a clear path through the slogans, rhetoric and promises to the real people running for Parliament.

In an effort to put forward real stands on real issues, each week leading up to the Jan. 23 federal election The Independent will pose three

questions to a candidate from each of the federal parties running in Newfoundland and Labrador.

They’ll all be asked to answer concisely and clearly. The responses will be those of the candidates, in their own words.

This week, interviews were carried out with Scott Simms, Liberal incumbent for BonavistaGander-Grand Falls-Windsor, Joe Goudie, Conservative candidate for Labrador, Eugene Conway, NDP candidate for Avalon, and Shannon Hillier, Avalon candidate and provincial co-ordinator for the Green Party.

Should the federal government reopen the Gander weather office?

Scott Simms, Liberal: “I can see forecasting coming back … I’m not interested in bringing back just 10 more jobs, I’m interested in 40 or 50 jobs.

“As Newfoundlanders, if we keep asking for what we lost yesterday, than we’ll never get ahead. That’s why we should ask for a bigger centre and that takes time and that’s what we See “If the lower,” page 8

Pension plan?

Province debates strategy for funding public pension plans, teachers fear premiums may rise CLARE-MARIE GOSSE

A

s the province heads towards a balanced, if not surplus budget in 2006, the black shadow of $5.6 billion in unfunded pension liabilities still looms — almost half of the $11.9 billion long-term debt.

Teachers’ pension plans make up a large portion of that amount ($2.5 billion).

Although the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association and the province have yet to negotiate the issue in current contract talks, the union’s president, Kevin Foley, is concerned the province may ask teachers to fork out more. “(The pension plan) is one of the proposals that they have said that they are looking at bringing (up),” he tells The Independent.

Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan won’t comment on what the province may ask of the teachers in negotiations, but he does say cabinet is currently discussing how to deal with the unfunded pension plans. Debt servicing fees cost the province $320.6 million in the last financial year and, based on existing projections, the teachers’ plan is expected to run out by 2013.

“We hope that before budget time, we’ll com-

Kevin Foley, NLTA president

plete our deliberations on that,” says Sullivan.

“Our goal, certainly our first step in the process of dealing with debt, is to stop adding to it.”

In recent years the province began making special payments to the pension plans and contributed $156 million in 2004-05.

Foley says teachers aren’t willing to pay high-

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

er premiums.

“I would say no, it’s not possible that from the teachers’ perspective we can pay more into the pension plan than we have paid.”

The last time teachers agreed to a hike was in See “Teachers not,” page 2

2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 8, 2005

‘They want to know their future’ From page 1 of handing out quotas in a “slap-happy manner,” saying Ottawa should ensure that companies with the rights to quotas process in local plants.

“These (plants) depend on quota and the ability to harvest, so the feds have a major role to play if this company, for whatever reason, decides to shut down or finds some other way of operating.”

Hearn’s concerns are echoed by provincial Liberal leader Gerry Reid.

“If FPI says they’re not going to process groundfish, I want to know what’s going to happen with FPI’s quotas. Are they simply going to be harvested on a factory-freezer trawler shipped off to China, or more importantly are these quotas going to be processed in Nova Scotia somewhere?” Reid asks.

Rumours have been rampant since late fall — about the same time that former CEO Derrick Rowe resigned, an internal review was launched into the company’s operations and trawler crews learned their employment wasn’t secure — about FPI’s future in the province. “(I’m) calling on the minister of Fisheries to

• FPI has a groundfish quota of just over 20,000 tonnes in waters off the province. The company has a further groundfish quota of approximately 236 tonnes in Maritime waters.

• Most of FPI’s groundfish stocks are under moratoria, including northern cod, American plaice and witch flounder.

• 3,676 tonnes of groundfish can be harvested, 1,781 tonnes of which is for perch, which has little commercial value.

• Smaller quotas include American plaice (828 tonnes), cod (280 tonnes) and turbot (664 tonnes). come forward and meet with FPI and find out what that company intends to do because the livelihoods of so many people depend upon that company and I don’t think its fair for them to be left hanging in the balance,” Reid says. “I have no intentions to frighten the people who work for FPI. On the contrary, I feel for those people and I think they have every right to know what is happening … they want to know their future.”

FPI met with the province in mid December when the company informed Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout and Premier Danny Williams the company’s internal review wouldn’t be complete by the end of the year, a deadline the company itself had imposed.

Contacted by The Independent, officials with

FPI responded with a written statement.

“Until FPI has had an opportunity to complete the review in its entirety … the company will not have any further public comment on its operations.

“FPI will not react in the media on any thirdparty speculation until the review is finished and private discussions are held with those directly involved.”

During the December meeting, Rideout says the company gave assurances it would discuss the results of the internal review before making any decisions. “(They) have given the premier and me a commitment … if they try to skirt those in any way then the government would use the power that it has to ensure that the commitments that are contained in legislation are kept,” the minister says.

As for the requests by Hearn and Reid for information, Rideout says FPI’s internal review has nothing to do with quotas. Further, he says minimum processing requirements protect the province from losing out on valuable labour.

“Once the fish is landed in Newfoundland and Labrador then it falls under the legislative protection of the Fish Inspection Act … we have the authority to set minimum processing requirements and … fish of any species is not allowed to leave this province until those requirements are met,” he says, adding some exemptions have been handed out in the past.

Loyola Hearn

At the same time, fish not landed in the province doesn’t fall under processing legislation. In other words, it doesn’t have to be processed here.

As for a review of quotas, Hearn says he hasn’t spoken to Conservative leader Stephen Harper about the idea, but is confident the issue is relevant and will be met with support across Canada.

“It’s not just a Newfoundland issue and the possible closures of a few plants here. There are major concerns out on the west coast about how quotas are being allocated … we are seeing it in the north where the resource is certainly being used by companies that aren’t even Canadian — regardless of what they say.

Teachers not willing to pay more Newfoundland and Labrador’s unfunded pension liabilities ($ billion) Teachers’ pension plan Public service pension plan Retirement health benefits Total:

2.5 1.9 1.2 5.6

From page 1 2002. An increase of 0.75 per cent was negotiated to cover the cost of pension indexing, a process that factors the cost of living into pension benefits. Teachers now pay about 9.25 per cent of their salaries in premiums.

The preliminary contract proposal process between teachers and the province began in November and Foley says face-to-face negotiations are slated to span three days near the end of January.

Primary issues brought forward by the association include work load, salaries, class size, pensions, professional development and paid leave.

Teachers have been without a new contract for well over a year.

Liberal opposition leader Gerry Reid blames the lack of pension funding on provincial administrations between the 1950s and 1980s, which used the contributed monies as general revenue.

“I’ve been told that if that hadn’t happened … a new teacher coming in today (would pay) about six-and-a-half per cent, so I don’t know why teachers should be asked to increase the premiums because governments — up until Clyde Wells came along I think in ’89 — spent the

Terrace on the Square, Churchill Square Store Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00am to 5:30pm Phone: 754-9497 diamonddesign.com

Gerry Reid

money that they contributed.”

Other than potentially requesting additional pension money from teachers, Reid says the province may be planning on changing the current “30 and out” clause, which guarantees retirement after three decades, regardless of age.

As a former teacher, Reid says the pension premiums have escalated dramatically since he entered the classroom in 1982, at which time he remembers paying about four per cent.

Pension plans aside, Sullivan says recent prebudget consultations highlighted the need for a poverty reduction strategy. He points to roads and aging buildings as other major government priorities for 2006.

The province committed $60 million to the road network in 2005, promising a further $50 million for the Trans Labrador Highway, on condition the federal government match the amount.

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3

Classroom corrections The days of the strap are over and detention can be difficult to schedule. What’s a teacher to do?

By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

I

n her May 2005 thesis, High School Teachers’ Perceptions of their Working Environment in Newfoundland, Lynda Younghusband found discipline to be “a serious issue” for the teachers she interviewed in both rural and urban parts of the island.

Discipline in schools has changed drastically over the years. Obviously corporal punishment is no longer tolerated, but what’s a teacher to do if they can’t administer detention because a student will miss the bus home?

Kevin Foley, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association and a former junior high teacher, says the biggest changes to the school system have occurred over the last decade.

“It’s tough to get around things like that,” he says of not being able to give detention to students. “Usually people roll their eyes and say, ‘my God,’ when I tell them what you can (or can’t) do.”

Not all schools have the same rules.

Regional school boards enforce general policies in compliance with the 1997 School Act, such as “a person shall not administer corporal punishment to a student in school.” But each school generally adopts its own specific policies.

‘VERY FORTUNATE’ Sam Cove, a recently retired teacher who taught high school for 30 years (most recently at Gonzaga high school in St. John’s), says he was “very fortunate” because his school had a comprehensive collection of rules and regulations.

“Every year we published all of our guidelines in a booklet,” he says.

“Students, when they came into the school, we would read the booklet to them so the communication was there.”

He says Gonzaga allowed detention, which was probably the most effective means of deterrent or reprimand.

As for the issue of missed busses, Cove says misbehaving students would have the option of taking detention the following day, giving them time to make alternate arrangements.

“Once the arrangements were made, the student would still serve detention … or some students would say, ‘what if I do two half-hour dinner times?’”

When Cove entered the school system, corporal punishment still lingered, but was on the way out. He says he remembers hearing stories about boys getting the “strap” when he was younger, but he managed to avoid it himself.

“I always knew that the possibility was there and that was enough and that kept one in pretty good shape,” he says.

Until only a few years ago, corporal punishment in schools was still technically legal in five provinces in Canada, certain U.S. states and one in Australia.

Canada’s Supreme Court officially banned the practice in early 2004. The U.S. has yet to follow suit.

TEACHERS HAVE MORE TO FEAR According to Younghusband’s thesis, teachers currently have more reason to fear physical harm than students.

“The fear of possible violence and how it might be managed is a concern that should be studied in greater depth,” she writes. “There are safe school programs to help ensure the safety of students, but some thought should be directed to ensuring the safety of teachers as well.”

Foley agrees violence seems to be a concern yet to be tackled by the school system.

“How do you feel as you leave your desk and a fight has broken out in the back of the room?” he says. “Or how do you feel when a big kid says ‘I’ll get you?’ or how do you feel when some of your property is damaged?”

Cove says if all else fails, calling parents is usually “very effective.

“Parents are our best supporters as teachers,” he says. The Internet, which often allows parents to see their children’s grades, as well as test and homework schedules, is a “tremendous tool,” he adds.

Sometimes parents can be as bad as the students and refuse to back teachers up. Although Cove says he rarely encountered problematic parents, he has a pragmatic opinion.

“We’ll deal with a kid for maybe one hour a day,” says Cove, “and if you deal with (a parent) that has an attitude, ‘my kid’s right and that’s it’ … somewhere down the road, that parent will have that kid for many more hours. The parent has to live with the kid more than the teacher does.”

YOUR VOICE Caution now, Peckford warns Editor’s note: the following letter was written to The Independent

by A. Brian Peckford, premier of Newfoundland from 1979-1989.

Peckford currently resides in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia.

I have read the recent article concerning research by two Memorial University professors about the circumstances surrounding the upper Churchill contract, specifically the 25-year extension (Do or die condition, Dec. 11-17 edition of The Independent).

To date, I have not read the full research paper. I am sure it will be an interesting read. The professors (James Feehan and Mel Baker) reveal that attention was indeed paid to the use of escalators (which are absent from the 1969 contract, meaning HydroQuebec gets fixed, low-rate power for 65 years, the length of the contract).

Former premier Brian Peckford

I would only say that as one of the critics, at the time and since, the fact it (the importance of an escalator clause) was known at the time and nothing done about it has frustrated me and many others over the years.

What the lesson should be is caution now. If we can’t change that part of our past let’s make

Kenmount Road 579.1999 / 800.667.9900 www.cityhonda.com

‘Embarrass the buggers’

sure we don’t repeat it in a modern form.

Unless there is some startling new information from which substantial and legitimate new legal avenues can be explored, the story only amounts to a good piece of academic research for the professors concerned and good copy for you, and very interesting for the rest of us.

This present interest in Labrador hydro policy then should stimulate some interest in the present approach being taken by the province. One would think that various parts of civil society (i.e. the university, the press, and other interested individuals, could make a valuable contribution in commenting upon the present provincial initiative (development of the lower Churchill).

Questions that need elaboration and clarity include: 1) Will the position of former provincial governments about delinking the upper Churchill from

any lower Churchill development prove an impediment to talks with Quebec, assuming, of course, that Quebec is in the equation and other methods of transmission remain unattractive?

2) What is the position of the present provincial government regarding de-linking? Has the present government expressed a firm and public position indicating that such de-linking is not the present policy in any dealings with Quebec on the issue?

3) Does the Lower Churchill Development Corporation Legislation still have relevance in the present policy?

I appreciate the exercise of what-ifs and trying to better understand what happened, but given no new information of a substantial legal nature, I should think there is an onus on us all to publicly debate the present and future course of Labrador power policy.

Editor’s note: The following letter was written to former premier Brian Peckford, with a copy forwarded to The Independent.

Dear Brian, There is a faint glow in the grey ash of the upper Churchill. Two MUN professors have written a report focused on the dynamics of the 25-year add on. Also The Independent newspaper has run a series on the topic.

Looks like the Churchill Falls Labrador Corporation (CF(L)Co) was in a desperate situation — facing bankruptcy.

Could this be an entry point for a new challenge in the courts? Difficult to arouse people here — they seem numbed, docile even.

Also I hear Quebec Hydro is letting CF(L)Co sell some power over their grid so we

can keep the plant running — like feeding a slave so he’ll have enough energy to keep working for you. This is all so terribly wrong and the treasure so immense that something has to be done. I realize you have been there in spades and great credit to you. Could we ask you “once more unto the breech dear friend?”

Actually the general public knows little about the situation. There are many approaches we could take from e-mails to the United Nations.

It needs energy and imagination, but the cause is so just. Even if we don’t get a cent maybe we could embarrass the buggers a little!

And a happy new year to you and yours.

Wallace Rendell, St. John’s

1,500

Get More Going With A $

*

Honda Gift Certificate

+

Accord Sedan SE

Special Holiday Lease

O

$

Pilot LX V6 4WD

CR-V SE 4WD

All Honda vehicles are delivered with a full tank.

¥4

Security Deposit

Special Holiday Finance

2

From

.9%

¥3

Limited time lease and finance offers available only through Honda Canada Finance Inc, OAC. *Total value of the Honda Gift Certificate available on all new 2006: Accords (excluding Hybrid), CR-Vs and Pilots is $1,500 including applicable taxes, OAC. ¥3: 2.9% purchase financing for 36 months available on new 2006: Accords (excluding Hybrid), CR-Vs, and Pilots, O.A.C. Finance example based on a 36 month finance term, OAC: $30,000 at 2.9% per annum equals $871.11 per month for 36 months. Cost of borrowing is $1,359.96, for a total obligation of $31,359.96. ¥4: Special rate Holiday leasing featuring $O Security Deposit available on 2006: Accords (excluding Hybrid), CR-Vs and Pilots, O.A.C. ‡1: See dealers for full details. Limited time offers. See your Honda dealer for full details.

www.honda.ca

4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 8, 2006

Ignoring the rules Portuguese and Spanish trawlers cited for illegal fishing; citations doubled in 2005

By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

C

anada issued four citations in late December to two foreign trawlers caught illegally fishing on the Grand Banks, The Independent has learned.

The Polish vessel Wiesbaden was issued two citations Dec. 19 — one for misreporting and another for mislabelling.

The ship was issued a third citation on a few days later for ignoring the orders of Canadian inspectors and resuming fishing.

A fourth citation was issued in late December against the Santa Christina, a Portuguese trawler caught by Canadians inspectors fishing for skate with undersized netting.

All told, 16 foreign vessels were issued 30 citations for fishing violations on the Grand Banks in 2005 — double the number in 2004.

FISH NOT REPORTED The Wiesbaden was examined by Canadian inspectors on the nose of the Grand Banks before and after it began fishing shrimp on Dec. 17. Morley Knight, spokesman for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in St. John’s, says the inspection showed more fish had been caught than were reported.

“When we went back three days later and we compared our information to the fishing log book the amounts entered in the log book weren’t accurate,” he tells The Independent.

FOREIGN FISHING CITATIONS • 30 citations were issued to 16 foreign trawlers fishing on the Grand Banks in 2005, double the number in 2004.

• Four Portuguese vessels were cited in 2005, with 26 citations levelled against the country since 2002.

• Seven Spanish vessels have been cited 16 times for illegal fishing since 2004.

“After a couple of days the vessel started fishing again, but our inspectors had sealed the hold of that vessel and the master of the vessel broke the seals off.”

Knight says Canadian inspectors then issued the vessel a third citation and remained on board to escort the ship back to port in Iceland so they could compare information with

inspectors from that country.

Under NAFO regulations, Canada cannot arrest ships for breaking the rules. Rather, it’s up to the home country of a vessel charged with illegal fishing to follow through with court action.

In the case of the Portuguese vessel Santa Christina, inspectors boarded the trawler and discovered the mesh in

the netting was two millimetres smaller than regulation size.

Twenty-six citations have been laid against Portuguese vessels since 2002.

Over the past decade, hundreds of citations have been issued against foreign vessels. Most of the citations were issued without publicity, often against boats that have been cited frequently but face no penalty in their home country.

Fishing advocates in this province have repeatedly called for Canada to take custodial management of the Grand Banks, a move Ottawa has been reluctant to make.

Foreign fishing outside the 200mile limit impacts fishing in Canadian waters in that groundfish stocks, which are migratory, don’t recognize the imaginary dotted line.

Study into separate universities to cost $120,000; changes expected

By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

While the west coast campus has often requested more decision-making powers and budgetary opportunities, Meisen says the school feasibility study that will outline actually benefits from being a branch of options for the future of Corner Brook’s Memorial.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell College will cost “Historically, across the country it is very $120,000, a little less than half of which will go clear that small institutions have greater diffito pay the two consultants doing the work. culties in financially difficult times than larger The analysis began in late institutions and that’s natural December and is expected to be because the degree of flexibility complete and released to the that you have in order to make “My approach public in March. It will include a budgetary decisions at a small range of scenarios from the stainstitutions is more difficult,” has been a tus quo to Grenfell’s complete he says. independence as a stand-alone Other than Newfoundland consistent one university and any impacts on and Labrador, Prince Edward and that is, first students, the region and the Island is the only province with province. one university. In provinces and foremost, with two or more campuses, CHANGES COMING answering the Meisen says there are complicaEducation Minister Joan tions. question what Burke predicts some adjustHe says there is no indication ments will be made to Memorial students want a change and is best for the University’s west coast campus. there’s no rationale in having students.”

Depending on the results of the two universities in a province report, she says changes could with a declining population. be put into practice by SeptBurke disagrees, but says stuAxel Meisen ember 2006 or 2007. dent opinion will factor into the “I’m certainly not afraid to study. implement any changes if it’s in the best inter“It’s not a concept that’s foreign to our ests of the west coast and Sir Wilfred Grenfell provinces (to have more than one university), College,” Burke tells The Independent, adding but I would really like to see what that would government will do its own analysis of the mean to us as a province.” report before implementing changes to the curThe study will also provide insight into rent university structure. whether dividing the two campuses into sepaMeantime, MUN president Axel Meisen, who rate schools would affect the economy of the has publicly stated he’s not in favour of giving west coast or the international community’s perthe Sir Wilfred Grenfell College autonomy, says ception of the province. the university will provide any information the John Davies and John Kelly, described by the two consultants require. province as having “extensive professional “My approach has been a consistent one and backgrounds in higher education management that is, first and foremost, answering the ques- and evaluation,” have been hired to carry out tion what is best for the students,” Meisen says. the study.

A

MUN president Axel Meisen.

Paul Daly/The Independent

GENERAL MANAGER John Moores AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

john.moores@theindependent.ca

SALES MANAGER Gillian Fisher P.O. Box 5891, Stn.C, St. John’s, gillian.fisher@theindependent.ca Newfoundland & Labrador, A1C 5X4 Ph: 709-726-4639 • Fax: 709-726-8499 PRODUCTION MANAGER John Andrews Website: www.theindependent.ca john.andrews@theindependent.ca sales@theindependent.ca • production@theindependent.ca • circulation@theindependent.ca

stories from here Petro-Canada is committed to protecting and enhancing the environment in which our people live and work. We partner with Ocean Net to take care of our oceans and shorelines, as they mobilize communities province-wide to undertake beach cleanups.

Part of your community.

www.petro-canada.ca

Raise issues now Dear editor: I would like to add my voice to the comments on the recent revelations regarding the Upper Churchill contract.

In part, I would like to respond to a letter you carried in the Jan. 1 edition of The Independent.

The writer voiced his disgust about the contract and yet goes on to defend the government’s lack of response regarding the recent findings by two researchers at MUN. He also suggests the premier has more important things to do and that Ryan Cleary owes Mr. Williams and “every other Newfoundlander with a mind and a soul” an apology as well.

Well Mr. Brophy, please do not count me in the company of your beer drinking roundtable friends. In fact I and a number of guests at a recent Christmas party were discussing the same issue and the consensus seemed to be that we could not understand the government’s silence on the issue. What are they waiting for? If they think raising the issue five or 10 years from now is going to work then I believe that will be too late. If they bring it to court then Quebec will only say “Why didn’t you bring this up earlier?”

At the same party, one of the guests was visiting from Montreal and noted the story had made the front page in the Montreal papers. There was further disbelief that it wasn’t getting more press here.

So, Ryan Cleary, this Newfoundlander is not looking for an apology from you. If anything, thank you for not giving up the fight. Keeping the issue alive is the only way the politicians may take notice and perhaps seek to rectify this gross injustice in our history. After all, if we waited for the politicians in this country to get their priorities straight, can you imagine how much would actually get done?

Love your paper, Catherine Power, Paradise

JANUARY 8, 2006

By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

T

he booze flowed freely this Christmas in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Officials with the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation say holiday sales were up seven per cent over the same time last year, with almost 1 million litres of booze sold.

To be precise, 999,254 litres were sold over this past Christmas season, 65,270 litres more than Christmas sales in 2004.

Profits are up across the board.

The corporation made $104 million in 2005, up from $100 million in 2004.

About $99 million will be paid to the provincial government this year, corporation president Steve Winter tells The Independent.

“Sales were up, no question, but we don’t necessarily give the government everything we make because we need money to reinvest and we also need money and working capital to expand inventories and all that sort of stuff,” Winter says.

In 2004, the corporation was asked by the province to come up with an additional $6 million in revenue, on top of $5 million in savings over five years. The corporation cut corners and focused on a strict budget, while pushing products at higher prices.

The most recent hike, in April 2005, saw prices jump between 25 cents and $1.25, depending on the size of the bottle.

Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation 2005 • Ran 26 retail stores.

• Supplied alcohol to 1,807 licensed establishments.

• Produced over 191,000 cases of booze • Employed more than 400 staff

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5

End of year boost Booze sales up seven per cent this Christmas

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

Winter says the corporation is still focusing on efficiencies.

“People understand what’s expected of them better than they used to and that’s hopefully going to make us more efficient and either make us more money or save us some, which amounts to the same thing.”

SHIPPING NEWS

While Winter says there’s no plan for another price hike anytime soon, he says there may be some price adjustments. Currently reviewing the books, Winter says he’d rather not reveal any details until government approves the corporation’s 2005/2006 budget.

“It really depends on what we have

to make and our commitments and price increase is one way, not necessarily that you want to do, but sometimes there’s no alternative.”

The liquor plant is booming as Iceberg Vodka continues to be the flagship product.

“We are at capacity and have com-

mitted to investing more money in the operation over the past six months that will increase our capacity,” Winter says, adding Iceberg Vodka is sent across Canada, especially to Ontario, and is very popular in Florida. “We just can’t produce enough for them at the moment.”

Malfunction slowed progress Helicopter wreckage shows possible defect in locator beacons

By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

I Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

Keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the ships in St. John’s Harbour. Information provided by the Coast Guard Traffic Centre.

MONDAY, JAN. 2 Vessels arrived: Maersk Placentia, Canada, from Hibernia; Atlantic Eagle, Canada, from Terra Nova; ASL Sanderling, Canada, from Halifax.

Vessels departed: Maersk Placentia, Canada, to Hibernia; Geysir, USA, to Iceland.

TUESDAY, JAN. 3 Vessels arrived: Cicero, Canada, from Montreal; BBC California, Antigua, from Montreal.

Vessels departed: ASL Sanderling, Canada, to Corner Brook; Arctic Endurance, Canada, to sea; Shotoku Maru #75, Japan, to sea.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 04 Vessels arrived: none

Vessels departed: Atlantic Kingfisher, Canada, to Terra Nova oil field; Cicero, Canada, to Montreal; Maersk Dispatcher, Canada, to White Rose FPSO. THURSDAY, JAN. 5 Vessels arrived: Maersk Chancellor, Canada, from White Rose Field; Maersk Placentia, Canada, from Hibernia Field.

Vessels departed: Nain Banker, Canada, to Fishing; Funk Island Banker, Canada, gone fishing.

FRIDAY, JAN. 6 Vessels arrived: Atlantic Kingfisher, Canada, from Terra Nova; Ollie J, Canada, from Long Pond.

Vessels departed: Maersk Placentia, Canada, to Hibernia; Atlantic Osprey, Canada, to White Rose, Ollie J, Canada, to Long Pond; Shotoku maru #75, Japan, to sea; Atlantic Eagle, Canada, to Terra Nova.

nvestigators looking into the Dec. 7 crash of a Transport Canada helicopter have discovered why the search for wreckage took so long.

A locator beacon — the type used strictly for finding wreckage — malfunctioned in the cold waters off Marystown, leading to a 10-day search for the main body of the craft.

Veteran Transport Canada pilot Gordon (Gordie) Simmons, 65, and Carl Neal, 46, a coast guard technician, drowned or died of hypothermia when their MBB-105 helicopter went down.

Searchers with the Transportation Safety Board called in powerful sonar equipment a week after the crash to aid in the search for the submerged helicopter frame.

The chopper was located on Dec. 17 and was immediately sent to Halifax where evidence could be gathered and tests carried out.

UPCOMING INSPECTION Paul Traversy, lead investigator with the safety board, tells The Independent the instrument panel and lights from the cockpit have been sent to the department’s lab to be inspected and representatives from Eurocopter, the helicopter manufacturer, and Rolls Royce, the engine manufacturer, will look over the wreckage in the coming days.

The one device investigators were “counting on,” Traversy says, is what’s known as the Dukane beacon, which allows searchers to find helicopter wreckage in underwater scenarios.

Warm up to the pink, white and green...

“We sent that off right away to the lab and what they’ve found is that it works in water, but initial testing shows that when the water is cooled down the beacon stops working,” he says. “There could be any number of problems with it, but we haven’t figured that out yet and until we do we won’t be able to make any recommendations so that’s ongoing.”

Transport Canada hasn’t issued a safety bulletin about the beacons, a spokeswoman tells The Independent.

As well, the fleet of 20 or so helicopters across Canada have not had any additional testing done on their beacons since the Dec. 7 tragedy, though beacons are regularly checked.

As for emergency signalling devices that would have alerted rescuers to the

crash, Traversy says the two electronic transmitters on board would have stopped functioning after being submerged in water. While offshore helicopters have a black box and a marine emergency signalling device, because of its size the MBB-105 helicopter doesn’t carry such equipment.

“We will be looking at the issue of ELTs (Emergency Locating Transmitter) and either automatic or personal (locators). They are devices that can be worn on a life vest,” Traversy says. “It’s not so much the helicopter that you want located as it is the survivors.”

“We will make recommendations as we go along,” Traversy says. “We won’t wait for the final report, we’ll push those.”

6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 8, 2006

‘Snow White was more of a romantic homicide’ Gems from sociology/anthropology 2260: War and Aggression

I

t is common enough for retiring teachers and professors to publish some of their students’ more idiosyncratic sentences and spellings.

Sometimes this seems to be done to mock the students, but we must remember that to err is human, and professors are no more error free than others.

In fact, I genuinely loved most of the 20,000 students who passed through my hands during my 40 years of university teaching in St John’s, Belfast, Toronto, Jerusalem and Warsaw. I also know that many of the students dreaded that they might make the errors that would place them on that posted list of “gems.”

Some of them preferred to call it “the wall of shame.”

Psychiatry: “physycosis, phsyco, psyciatry, diagonis, psychaity, psychriatic, pedofil, psychiaologists, masicistic, SNM, essenem.”

Perhaps the student (I’ll call him Mr. A) put it more succinctly than most whilst arguing that humans are not merely animals, but complex beings who are products of their biology, their psychology and their social experiences: “It is not the whole responsibility of just the biological specimen, it is also the process of sociolization that is mirrored in the actions, that is, mirrored

ELLIOT LEYTON Guest column towards ourselves.”

Mr. X admonishes us for searching too relentlessly for meaning that may not even be there: “We are presented with every detail of (the killer) Richard’s life that could have caused this and lead to that; his life story, he’s childhood this and childhood that, his reasons for this and reasons for that.”

History: “artistocrats, arstiocrat, aristocrates and pheasants, midevil, fudal, fedual, nobels, the industrious revolution, England and Whales.”

Similarly, Ms. B’s interpretation of changing patterns of homicide during the transformation of feudal society into an industrial order dominated by capitalists and the bourgeoisie is both forthright and compelling — especially her understanding of that “switch from fudal to Bougeries society where the elite were more interested in protecting themselves and their estates: no longer were people killing each other for revenge, nor honor, violence began to

be seen as unnecessary.”

You see, “England’s homicide rates began to drop dramatically into the 15th century where the rules of disorder were organized.” Indeed, “the majority of mass murders before the 20th century were more of a beneficial nature,” as we realize today.

And what Harvard or Princeton historian writing today could better summarize the Nazi period and postwar Soviet history than Ms. C’s tour de force?

“After World War II had ended, Germany began its political bulling over small nations to further themselves as the society to which world domination will fall. The Germans believed in the Society of Communism to which all peoples would obey what Hitler was doing and the ideas he had. When the Nazi’s were tarnishing the Jews reputaton and forming opinions to which all Society agreed, they were claiming that the Jewish community were antiSemetic. Therefore, Society shunned these people and began believing what Hitler was saying.”

Criminology: “prision, vegnance, jueuvenille, rehabillation, pedofil, petafile, revilized, tretcherous, drunken disortily, sexuall assult.”

I suppose we all know that “genocide

is the extermination of a race … by marrying the women,” and that “serial killers prey on prostitutes and pedestrians.” Mr. D’s unique strength, however, clearly lay in postmodern genetics, as in his observation that “Aaron was of Scotch-Irish descent but he became a black slave working for the white folks of South Carolina.”

Ms. E’s special genius was a grasp of the principles underlying the everchanging record-keeping procedures of the police, especially regarding those minor offences known as misdemeanors: “In earlier years cops didn’t write reports for everything and had different names for things: in 1982 the name mister meaner was changed to assualt (a more sevire name).”

Surely no one has yet done a defter cultural analysis of the significance of violent role models in a civilization than Mr. F, who, in the feverish rush of final examinations, naturally enough became confused and could not remember Rambo’s name and guessed it might be Snow White: “People tend to look to their culture heroes as their ro-models.

If a culture sees a fictional characters on a pedistal, they will be more likely to try to imitate this character. For example, the english culture hero of Robin Hood

compared to the american snow white tale varies greatly. Whereas, Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, Snow white was more of a romantic homicide.”

Perhaps I loved the students too much (and, alas, I still do), but who cannot feel a rush of warmth when recalling the following moving passages: “His mother was of course no angle”; the institutions of the church, law and psychiatry “copulated” with one another to achieve their nefarious goals; and the astute observation that “since the jury couldn’t see (the dead woman), they couldn’t feel any apathy for her.”

To conclude, I ask not only that you struggle to feel apathy for me, but also that you never forget the important question, “How was the public supposed to accept that 2 month’s after the death of Bonnie Garland, her murderer would be working and living under the roof of an assumed name while Bonnie lay dead?”

Or the important observation: “The majority of Canadian children are murdered by their parents.”

Dr. Elliot Leyton, emeritus professor of anthropology, retired from Memorial University in August 2004.

YOUR VOICE

Reluctant separatist Dear editor, We’ve had 56 Christmases already since we were stunned enough to voluntarily give up our freedom to join this great Canadian family.

One would assume that when you become part of a family you are treated as an equal. The last thing you would expect is to be told that each member has different rights and you will have to sit near — not at — the table to catch any crumbs that fall to the floor.

Am I a separatist? Well, not really. I want so much to be a proud Canadian, but only if I’m equal to every other Canadian!

Where to from here? Do we just roll over and “trust” that Ottawa will have our best interests at heart for the next 500 years? What happens when the upper Churchill agreement runs out in 2041? Will the cod make the endangered list? What’s next for that list? Rural people?

Here’s my humble scenario: we should immediately have an official delegation contact each provincial and territorial government (outside of the two bullies — Ontario and Quebec) and try to organize a charter of rights where each province and territory gets the same (maximum) benefits from their natural resources, control over any territory inside their boundaries, on land or under water, flyover fees, etc.

If we aren’t successful, then we might have to resurrect a few fighting Newfoundlanders. A small group of freedom fighters would harass the foreign fleets on the Banks. As well,

they would provide regular interruptions to the flow of electricity toward the Quebec border. There is no need to hurt people — the only thing that matters these days is the bottom line.

If Hydro-Quebec decides not to renegotiate the upper Churchill agreement they would look forward to not having a secure and reliable source of power. Their customers will pressure them to straighten things out.

Our provincial government needs to get more aggressive. As someone suggested, maybe we should tax electricity leaving the province. Or maybe it’s high time for our government to pull the plug on the upper Churchill.

Put the ball in Hydro-Quebec’s court.

Let them come after us. Regarding the fishery, our provincial government could declare ownership of the territory inside the limits of the continental shelf. No “custodial management” BS! That will only give “rights” to those countries who have raped our fishing grounds in the past. If this is not successful and no progress is made by the summer of 2006, we should collect and organize a list of concerns from all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and present it to Ottawa. It would state, “These are the requirements if NL is to be considered a full and equal partner in Canada. Do you accept us as full and equal partners and all that it implies?”

Let Ottawa decide and answer us. If the answer is no then the clarity clause provides a peaceful avenue into freedom and our own destiny!

Lloyd Taylor, St. John’s

‘What the people want to read’ Dear editor, Great job on Darcy MacRae’s coverage of our local sports. His articles are great and it’s what the people want to read in the sporting community. We want and have always want-

ed to hear about the local stories.

Keep it up.

Steve Callahan, Head scout, NL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

P.O. Box 5891, Stn.C, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, A1C 5X4 Ph: 709-726-4639 • Fax: 709-726-8499 www.theindependent.ca • editorial@theindependent.ca The Independent is published by The Sunday Independent, Inc. in St. John’s. It is an independent newspaper covering the news, issues and current affairs that affect the people of Newfoundland & Labrador.

PUBLISHER Brian Dobbin MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Cleary SENIOR EDITOR Stephanie Porter PICTURE EDITOR Paul Daly

All material in The Independent is copyrighted and the property of The Independent or the writers and photographers who produced the material. Any use or reproduction of this material without permission is prohibited under the Canadian Copyright Act. • © 2005 The Independent • Canada Post Agreement # 40871083

The Independent welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be 300 words in length or less and include full name, mailing address and daytime contact numbers.

Letters may be edited for length, content and legal considerations. Send your letters in care of The Independent, P.O. Box 5891, Station C, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5X4 or e-mail us at editorial@theindependent.ca

Hockey dad I

didn’t pick up ice hockey until I was older. I knew I wasn’t any good when I started. I knew it without question, beyond the shadow of a doubt, because during my debut a player on the other team made a point to skate over and ask if I was drunk.

“You shouldn’t be out here b’y if you’re loaded,” he said, keeping a safe distance as I flopped around the ice like a fish on the wharf. He wasn’t convinced I was sober until I breathed on him to prove it. Even then he asked if I was prone to seizures or fits of any sort.

You don’t forget a memory like that when you’re learning to play hockey.

I would have been scarred for life had I heard such a remark when I was five or six. But I was 30 at the time and slightly tougher, on the outside.

My reasons for picking up hockey were two-fold: A) I always wanted to — better late than never, in other words; and B) my eldest son was about to start playing the game and I wanted to be right there beside him when he did.

I remember the first time he took to the ice with his equipment on: he flopped around like the fish out of water his father had once imitated. I was shocked. I was speechless. I was furious. I had put my son in figure skating for the entire year previous to prep him for the real thing — hockey.

Why wasn’t he gliding down the ice? Why couldn’t he even stand on his skates? Why were the other kids so much better?

The mystery was solved when the coach wandered over and removed my son’s skate guards.

“Whose boy is this?” he asked as I sank back into the crowd of moms and dads. The skate guards were never claimed.

From my days skating on “the bog” in Riverhead, lacing up in a snow bank and clearing the ice with a piece of board nailed to a stick, to playing street hockey in the fading light of an abbreviated winter day with plastic

RYAN CLEARY

Fighting Newfoundlander

“You shouldn’t be out here b’y if you’re loaded,” he said, keeping a safe distance as I flopped around the ice like a fish on the wharf. He wasn’t convinced I was sober until I breathed on him to prove it.

blades worn down to toothpicks, to my teenage years watching the St. Francis Crusaders battle a holy war against the Anglican school from up the shore, the game has been a central part of life.

More than anything else — more than the Maple Leaf or the national anthem or the CBC or Canada Day — hockey unites this country.

We’re all Canadians when Canada takes to the ice. Not Newfoundlanders, not Quebecers, not Albertans — but Canadians, cheering for our team, rooting for our colours. We were Canadians in 1972 when Canada took down Russia and we were Canadians again Jan. 5 when our world junior team did it again.

OK, so we have something in common, but is hockey a strong enough glue to keep this country together?

I can hear some readers now: “Not another anti-Canada spiel? Using

hockey as yet another segue into the topic of Confederation and how it isn’t working.”

Like I said, hockey is the one example of how this country does work.

We’re all even on the ice — the players, the fans, Canadians everywhere — it’s off the ice where the imbalance exists.

For some Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, a good number actually, picking apart Confederation is just plain wrong. I visited a couple this Christmas who had pinned a picture of Joey Smallwood on the wall above their stove. “It’s a conversation piece,” my friend explained (once we were finished talking about hockey).

“Everybody has an opinion on Smallwood.”

I know I have one. My friend went on to say how Confederation brought money to people’s pockets — money Newfoundlanders desperately needed.

I didn’t disagree with the man … what could I say? He was right. But for all the good Smallwood did he did more wrong. For all the good Confederation has done it has done an equal or greater amount of damage to this place, to us as a people.

When I think about this federal election I think about my two boys and I ask this question: what kind of Newfoundland do I want them to inherit?

I don’t want them to live in a place with a broken back or spirit. I want them to live in a Newfoundland where the outports thrive on a rejuvenated fishery, where our resources are harvested for our benefit first, where daily life reflects the rich culture and history we come from.

I want them to be proud Newfoundlanders, proud contributors to the country of Canada — my team. And if they’re not allowed to play, well then it’s time to start another game.

Ryan Cleary is managing editor of The Independent. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7

‘The indifferent election’ Ivan Morgan is curious to know why exactly we’re going to the polls

W

hat the hell is this federal election about? A horde of political types — columnists, journalists, spin doctors, communications weasels, and politicians all lean forward and cock an ear. They would love to know what you think this is all about. You know why? Because they haven’t got a clue.

What do you want it to be about?

This is an unnecessary election brought on by a collective lack of political leadership in a dysfunctional Parliament.

The egos of a few people have brought the entire nation to this. But they can’t campaign on that. So they are trying to make the campaign about something.

Anything.

There is a terrible disconnect between the people who do politics and the electorate. I have this theory that communications weasels have brought us to this point in federal politics.

Backroom “communications experts” now control the message of their respective parties to such degree that there is no real message. There is no

IVAN MORGAN

Rant & reason policy — just I’m-telling-mom politics. Campaigning has devolved to the point where everyone waits for the other guy to stumble, and then tries to cash in on that.

Want proof? Look at the way they all jumped on the RCMP’s investigation into federal Finance’s handling of the income trust tax break announcement.

A few hours before that announcement trading on those items went way up.

Way up. A few people made a bundle.

Just a coincidence? Maybe, but one has to wonder. As Glen Fry sang in his song Smuggler’s Blues (which, while it is about drug smuggling, is not without its parallels to the world of high finance): “It’s the lure of easy money, it’s got a very strong appeal.”

You bet. So in comes the RCMP.

eries on a sustainable basis we today would be in the same league as Iceland and Norway where the per capita incomes of fisher people are listed as fifth and sixth in the world.

Perhaps the biggest lie in The Independent today came in the words from Loyola Sullivan and the department concerned with population statistics. They are so obviously out of touch with the reality of shifting demographics in the province that it is pathetic. The number of persons who left during the last three weeks from Stephenville and Harbour Breton alone exceeds what they forecast for the whole of 2006. And you haven’t seen anything yet.

Wait until FPI completes its review of operations for the future. What does the future hold for Fortune, Bonavista, Port Union, Triton, Port aux Choix?

Perhaps the most distressing part of this impending collapse of rural Newfoundland is the fact the premier has developed an attitude not much different than that held by John Efford on fisheries: as long as Bay Roberts, Harbour Grace, and Port De Grave survives — no matter if it’s at the expense of the rest of the province — so be it.

Gus Etchegary, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s

‘Closing valves and flicking switches’ Dear editor, I believe that Newfoundland and Labrador will never be able to develop the lower Churchill to its own benefit or resolve the upper Churchill question without the direct intervention of the Americans.

If the province restricts itself to the confines imposed by so-called Confederation it will find itself once again standing alone — a David against Goliath — and they can expect to get crapped on in the same way that they have been for the past 56 years.

If, on the other hand, Newfoundland and Labrador can convince the boss (i.e. the United States, which ultimate-

been a no-brainer. Fiery young New Democrats, strident old Joe Clark Conservatives and one burnt out old columnist all trading barbs over turkey and Christmas pudding.

Nope. There were no takers. We found other things to talk about. No one really cared enough. And if my people don’t care enough …

I get a sour feeling in my stomach that we are going to be facing three weeks of “gotcha” campaigning instead of any substantive debate. And the media isn’t helping. I watched three political hopefuls on Here and Now sitting next to each other actually writhing in their seats as they walked that ghastly tightrope between civility and trying to paint their opponents as unelectable.

It was all thin smiles and glaring and trying to talk over each other. It was so awful it made me squirm in my seat.

Please — no more of that.

I fear this election will go down in history as the most pointless in Canadian politics. The electorate, in its indifference, will choose another

paralyzed Parliament. That is the only ray of hope I have — that they will have to face their own inadequacies squarely instead of asking us to deal with them.

The terrible gap between national politics and reality is nicely symbolized in the amount of press a tiny little typewriter radio called a Blackberry is getting. It is a gizmo that seems to have transfixed the political classes. No media report is complete without some reference to people thumbing furiously away on their Blackberries. That this device can command such popularity in an election underlines the problem.

They are reduced to writing about their toys.

I have never seen such a chasm between the political class and the electorate. While the political classes thumb furiously away on their Blackberries, the electorate, I suspect, is getting ready to send them a large wet political raspberry.

Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com

CONSERVATIVES RESPOND

YOUR VOICE ‘The biggest lie’ Dear editor, In looking through the Jan. 1-7 edition of The Independent that incorporated events of the past year, and with a slew of letters from readers, it amazed me there wasn’t one single reference to the fishery and, more especially, to the fact that one outstanding momentous event, one that has put 20,000 people out of work in this province and which is in the process of destroying rural Newfoundland and its economy, wasn’t even mentioned.

After five centuries of dependence on the one single entity that shaped the distribution of population, established a heritage and a culture that is unique in North America, the fishery is not only overlooked but appears to be of little interest to our government, the union movement, the federation of labour, boards of trade and chambers of commerce or anybody else for that matter.

The “spokesweasels” of DFO public relations have succeeded, over the years, in diverting the attention of nearly all interested people from the real truth of why we are in the state we are today in rural parts of our province.

Furthermore, had Canada been held to its signed agreement at the time of Confederation to manage our fish-

Paul Martin naturally leaps to Ralph Goodale’s defence. He announces he has every confidence in his minister.

Stephen Harper shakes his head sadly and hopes you will connect the dots (cough cough Gomery cough cough).

The NDP and Conservatives demand he step down as Finance minister.

This is a big issue. Not very nice for the Liberals to have this drop in their lap in the middle of the campaign. The Tories and the New Democrats, while solemn and concerned for the cameras, must have been delighted. Yet the story doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Everything hits that big bank of public apathy that hangs over the nation.

It is weird. This is the indifferent election. The campaign ended for Christmas. I can’t find evidence of a campaign pausing in the middle anywhere else in the history of parliamentary democracy. Is there one? Does anyone care?

I was going to write a column about the political conversation at our Christmas dinner. I figure it would have

ly has the real power in Canada) that their junior partners (i.e. head office and branch plant southern Ontario) cannot deliver the province’s resources to them anymore, then the U.S. will be forced to deal directly with the province. This is something central Canada will resist at all costs and would probably use everything in their bag of tricks (and it’s a big bag) to prevent.

Unfortunately, to accomplish this, they would probably have to start closing valves and throwing switches — something that, to this date at least, no government of Newfoundland and Labrador seems prepared to do.

Joe Butt, Toronto

On Jan. 6 the province received a reply from Conservative leader Stephen Harper to Premier Danny Williams’ Nov. 28 letter outlining Newfoundland and Labrador issues. Prime Minister Paul Martin and NDP leader Jack Layton have yet to answer. While not supporting an early retirement program for fishery workers, Harper did express support for custodial management, developing the lower Churchill, relocating the Gander weather office, matching funding for the Trans Labrador Highway and maintaining and expanding 5 Wing Goose Bay military base in Labrador. In a separate letter he also stated he would consider discussing funding criteria in order to accommodate a relocation project for the Stephenville families affected by flooding.

Paul Daly/The Independent

Liberals don’t want pity Dear editor, I feel compelled to pen a few lines in response to a couple of articles I’ve read recently in The Independent. One letter to the editor (Pity the Liberal candidates, Dec. 4 edition) had the author attempting to express pity for the two new liberal candidates, Siobhan Coady and Paul Antle, and the second was another lament by John Crosbie (Grit policies a straight jacket on health care, Dec. 4 edition) over the Liberals trying to hang on to power after 12 years in office.

On the first issue let me assure the author that these two bright, young candidates the Liberals have running in those two ridings need no pity thrown their way and the suggestion that they should be pitied is misguided and somewhat self-serving. Just take a look at their opponents. Two old Conserv-

ative party die-hards, Norman Doyle and Loyola Hearn, who almost threw this country into an ill-advised election last spring when they didn’t have the guts to support the NDP amendment to the federal budget.

Instead they hunkered down and voted for the budget (a ploy), and tried to fool Newfoundlanders by holding their party line and voting against the amendment.

Further, this constant lament by Crosbie about the Liberals being in power for 12 years has to stop. Crosbie must be forgetting that there were good reasons why Brian Mulroney’s gang was tossed out in spades and the party reduced to two seats in the 1993 general election.

There are plenty of reasons why the Liberals have been in power for 12 years.

I can’t imagine this country voting in this rag-tag team of dubious characters that make up this “Conservative” party.

After all, most of them are Alliance graduates who were sent to Ottawa from the disgruntled west just to cause trouble. Now they are all going to start behaving like statesmen. Spare me.

In conclusion, don’t pity Paul Antle and Siobhan Coady, the liberal candidates. Save that for the two veterans running for the Conservatives whose contribution (whatever that might have been) to political life in Newfoundland has been made. Let them do us all a favour and come to their well-deserved retirements.

Even Crosbie, upon some genuine non-partisan reflection, will understand why the liberals have been in power for so long.

Al Stacey, Carbonear

JANUARY 8, 2006

8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9

YOUR VOICE

Good ol’ (backyard) hockey game

In defence of O’Hehir Arena

Tony Cuomo loved playing on outdoor rinks as a kid; now he makes sure his children have the same opportunity

By Darcy MacRae The Independent

T

he weather can’t turn cold fast enough for Tony Cuomo. With low temperatures comes the return of another hockey season on his backyard rink in St. John’s. For the past 10 years Cuomo has set up a 70 by 30 metres rink behind his house, complete with boards, lights and netting at either end … since Cuomo doesn’t “want pucks coming through the house.”

He doesn’t skate on the rink himself (although Cuomo is an accomplished hockey player, having suited up with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault-Ste.Marie Greyhounds in the 1970s and in the old Newfoundland senior league with the Grand Falls Cataracts and Corner Brook Royals), but his three children certainly spend more than a few hours on the ice.

Maria, 17, Adrian, 15, and Marcus, 10, are regulars on the outdoor rink, often spending an entire day playing a game of shinny with friends. Cuomo builds his rinks for that very reason.

“I grew up having one when I was a youngster in Ontario,” says Cuomo, who hails from just outside Sudbury. “My father always made a rink in the backyard. I remember going home after school and spending hours out there, playing with friends. We lived outside. It was either that or do homework, and we didn’t like doing homework.”

There hasn’t been much action on the Cuomo rink so far this winter, with warm temperatures making it impossible to keep ice for a prolonged period of time.

But over the Christmas holidays Cuomo’s youngest son did take a quick skate in the backyard before the ice disappeared again.

Even if it was just a half-hour skate, Cuomo was happy to see Marcus take a few laps around the rink.

As is the case whenever the kids play outside, Cuomo says it’s a lot better than the alternative.

“The kids are outdoors and they’re enjoying them-

selves,” says Cuomo. “It’s great to get up at eight on a Saturday morning and see the kids already out on the ice.

“They’ll be out there all day instead of being in the house playing Nintendo. That’s the part I like about it.”

When cold temperatures settle in, it’s not unusual to see close to a dozen neighbourhood kids on Cuomo’s rink on any given Saturday. The festivities usually include an endless game of hockey, some snacks and a lot of laughing and smiling.

“They’ll be out there all day instead of being in the house playing Nintendo. That’s the part I like about it.”

Tony Cuomo “They’re getting exercise and fresh air. My wife makes chocolate chip cookies and the kids sit out there and have cookies and hot chocolate,” says Cuomo.

There was a time when nobody could keep Cuomo away from a sheet of ice, but these days he prefers to watch from the sidelines. He keeps his skills sharp by coaching three minor hockey teams, and once in a while he’ll step over the boards at the backyard rink and show his kids what the old man can do.

“The rink is for them, but I will go out and play boot hockey once in a while with them just to drive them nuts. They still can’t get around me,” Cuomo says with a chuckle.

The most time Cuomo spends on the rink is when he’s either setting it up for the season, making a few repairs to the boards or flooding the rink late at night.

“I usually go out every night after the kids are in for the evening, and I scrape it and flood it,” Cuomo says.

“I’ll put a lot more water on it if it’s cold. You’ve got

to whack it with water when it’s cold out.”

The scraping and flooding of the rink doesn’t bother Cuomo, he says the only real work is setting it up for the first time early in the winter. He doesn’t lay plastic down over his lawn. Instead, he surrounds the wooden frame with snow he picked up from the backyard or from a local arena. Once a good frost sets in the ground the water from his garden hose collects quickly and soon there’s as much as a foot of ice in some parts of the rink.

The start up usually takes him a full week, but after that it’s smooth sailing.

“The hardest part is the first week, that’s why a lot of people quit,” says Cuomo. “Once it’s started, there’s not a lot to it.”

The fact that building and maintaining his outdoor rink doesn’t take up much of Cuomo’s time leaves him puzzled as to why the City of St. John’s doesn’t run such facilities. Cuomo says when he was a child several northern Ontario towns and cities built, maintained and supervised outdoor rinks for the community’s children, something he wishes he would see here, even if it was for just a couple of months each winter.

“It’s unfortunate the city doesn’t have outdoor rinks,” he says. “It’s terrible as far as I’m concerned that there’s no outdoor facilities. Why don’t they flood the tennis courts or do something for the kids?

“It’s shocking the facilities we have in St. John’s. As far as I’m concerned the city should be doing more to encourage recreation.”

Whether the city builds an outdoor rink any time soon won’t affect Cuomo’s affection for backyard hockey games. He doesn’t see a day when he’ll stop building one behind his house.

“It’s kind of addictive,” Cuomo says. “The guys I know who build them really look forward to doing it.

I’ve heard stories of guys getting up at two or three in the morning flooding the rink … I’m not that crazy though.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Tony Cuomo in his backyard with son Marcus (right) and friend Vincent Grace.

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

‘If the lower Churchill really has the potential they say, let’s move on’ From page 1

38 permitting same sex marriage. The bill passed.)

were working for when the election was called.”

Simms says discussions were ongoing with the private sector about providing marine infrastructure around offshore oil fields, with the forecasting and processing to be done in Gander.

Joe Goudie, Conservative: “If I had to, yes. It’s very difficult to deal with a situation that hasn’t arisen yet, but I do have 10 years of experience in taking votes in the House of Assembly on various matters, be it budgets or legislation.

“I think if any Member of Parliament, or member of the House of Assembly, is worth his or her salt … than that elected person has a responsibility to consult their constituents, find out their feelings, and vote on their behalf. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.”

Joe Goudie, Conservative: “Of course … A great number of people in all parts of Labrador live and work with the weather every day so yes, we’re interested in as accurate a weather forecast as possible.

“Going beyond that, I don’t think the federal presence in this province, especially in Labrador, is strong enough, period. We have a very large coastline up here and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans … can have a stronger presence …

(Labrador) produces the majority of iron ore in this country, the Department of Industry should have a much larger presence in the province, and there are other things coming on stream too.”

Eugene Conway, NDP: “Jack Layton has already signed a petition to bring it back.

“Here’s the hypocrisy of the Paul Martin Liberals … the only bit of survival material we have around, one of it is the Gander weather office, he’s going to bring it back — sure that’s what the Liberals have been doing for 12 years. They’ll make a big deal about bringing federal jobs back. Back? They’re the ones that took them out in the first place.

“The Gander weather office wouldn’t even be an issue; get it back here and set it up.”

Shannon Hillier, Green Party: “That was taken out

Eugene Conway, NDP: “I have no hesitation. I’m only going to Ottawa as a representative for Newfoundland and Labrador. I’m not interested in looking after Canada, it’s time to look after Newfoundland.

“If the party disagrees with me, that doesn’t mean I’m going to go and vote the party … Every time I stand up and vote in parliament there will be a benefit for Newfoundland or I won’t vote.”

Shannon Hillier

by a government so they shouldn’t be too proud or whatever to be saying, ‘Oh let’s put it back.’ It shouldn’t have been taken out in the first place so obviously it should go right back.”

If circumstances warranted, would you vote against your party and for the province?

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

Scott Simms, Liberal: “I’ve done it before and I’d do it again.”

(Two examples: in November 2004, Simms voted against the majority of Liberals in supporting a Conservative motion that would have amended the Atlantic Accord. The motion failed. In June 2005, Simms broke ranks and voted against LIberal Bill C-

Shannon Hillier, Green Party: “Obviously … here I am.”

(The national president of the Green Party came out recently against the seal hunt. Hillier takes exception to that particular part of the platform — but is committed to the party.)

Should the federal government intervene to reopen the 1969 upper Churchill contract?

Scott Simms, Liberal: “I don’t know how that’s possible. Is it possible? … I would look into it,

Eugene Conway

Joe Goudie

absolutely I would. If someone said to me there’s a viable way the federal government could get involved to work out a better deal between Quebec and the province, absolutely.

“If there’s a way the federal government can intervene (to help the lower Churchill develop smoothly), bring it on.”

Joe Goudie, Conservative: “When I was first elected in 1975 I served with the late Frank Moores, who was premier, was attempting to start the lower Churchill and was fighting through the courts … to try and get some changes made to the existing contract.

“After 20 years … it doesn’t appear as if anyone is willing to make a wholesale change to the existing upper Churchill contract so I don’t know if it’s worthwhile attempting that or not. If the leaders do, then that’s great, I’ll lend whatever support I can to it.

“I think the primary focus is on the lower Churchill … the Government of Canada can legislate a corridor through the province of Quebec …

Scott Simms

“if the province, in its efforts to develop the lower Churchill, were to go that avenue than I most certainly would lend whatever assistance I could.”

Eugene Conway, NDP: “There’s been so much time and so much energy wasted on that right now … but it’s great politics. You can take it and wave the flag and get the voters all riled up … what foolishness.

“If the lower Churchill really has the potential they say, let’s move on. It’s only 40 years (until the upper Churchill contract expires) — 40 years are nothing. Generations down the road will have the lower Churchill. Then they’ll have the upper Churchill to deal with because it will eventually revert back. Right now, let’s focus on the lower Churchill, let’s see what we can get, let’s develop that. “ Shannon Hillier, Green Party: “Obviously we’re getting ripped off so why not take another look at it?”

YOUR VOICE ‘Searching for my first-born’ Dear editor, For the past 12 years I have been searching for my first-born.

My name is Esther Stewart (nee Wells), and I am now 56. My daughter was born July 19, 1968 in Grand Bank.

She was named Denise Wells and weighed a healthy seven pounds, three ounces.

The moment she was born she was immediately taken from me, her 19year-old mother, to be adopted. I didn’t get to see her — all I could see was this baby covered head to toe in a blue blanket. The minister who came to see me said I had given birth to a little girl. I used to go out to the nursery, but there were so many babies, there was no way to know which was mine. I had no longterm relationship with the baby’s father.

I was living with my parents, my mother wasn’t well, I was working in a local convenience store and I felt there wasn’t any options available to me or to my child. Adoption was the right thing to do.

In 1977 I married Richard Stewart and we had a daughter. It was on my mind

about how she was my second daughter.

Each time my school-aged little girl came home upset I worried that someone had finally told her. It was a secret that followed me throughout my life.

My hope is that we can find her. My parents passed away never having the chance to meet my first-born. It was when Dad got sick in 1993 that I started to try and find her. In front of me now are piles of papers that hold all there is about a daughter I have never seen.

What I know: Denise was put in a foster home on July 29, 1968 and was placed with her adopted family in April of 1969 until the adoption was finalized in November of that year.

I know that Denise was renamed Erin Denise Russell and was adopted to a family in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Her father was in his early 30s at the time, had a university degree and was employed. Denise’s adoptive mother had worked as a teacher and as a sales clerk, but was now at home with Denise and one other child. They had been members of the United Church and had

been married seven years when Denise came into their lives after leaving mine.

In a letter from post adoption services dated Sept. 27, 1993 I was told that it might take as long as 18 months before I heard anything back about the search for my child. It has been much longer than that. This one more Christmas without her is painful. Another New Year approaches without her. It’s not that I’m not happy; I’m just not complete.

The last paper I received is dated November 2004. It acknowledges receipt of my application, yet I am not comforted in the knowledge that I have been added to a search database. The wait could be endless, it already has been.

I am reaching out to your readers to help me finally fill the place in my heart and in her life that has been empty for 37 years. If anyone has information that can help, please e-mail my daughter at kellywall11@hotmail.com or my neice at elizabeth.wall@nf.sympatico.ca Esther Stewart, Bay L’argent

Dear editor, rant of the fact that O’Hehir Arena I write to comment on and cor- has a comfortably heated warm rect the erroneous comments made room from which many people

by Darcy MacRae in his Dec. 11-17 choose to watch the individuals or column, Local teams on the ice. arenas ready for We’ve never seen wrecking ball.

Mr. MacRae We have a beautiful, there.

Mr. MacRae’s comments about Over the past clean arena accented few years I had O’Hehir Arena are totally wrong and occasion to by ceilings of B.C. fir. had one wonders how visit many rinks he could reasonin every Canadian ably make such baseless state- province between here and Ontario ments. We have a beautiful, clean as well as in several States and I arena accented by ceilings of B.C. can attest that O’Hehir Arena fir. matches up quite nicely. Ah, but There simply isn’t a wet or damp how would Mr. MacRae know — seat in the building. Where, pray where has he been? Likely no furtell, would the moisture come ther than Goulds. from? The rink interior is dry conAnd the quality of our ice surface tinually and roof de-humidifiers are is the best in town. available for summer usage. And, We carry about two inches of ice of course, the number of seats so our ice freezes faster and harder exceeds that of both Twin Rinks than other rinks. One would not combined! expect Mr. MacRae to even know And to further suggest that we about ice quality. lack hot water — one has to wonFurther it is totally irresponsible der what window MacRae looks to suggest that three ice surfaces be out of. torn down and replaced with two Hot water is used to resurface the ice surfaces. I’m sure parents ice every hour and the same hot would be delighted at the prospect water is piped to all our dressing of 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. practice times! rooms and all our bathrooms all of Mr. MacRae's comments lead me the time. to the inevitable conclusion that the Further, our dressing rooms are fellow has “been nowhere — seen large, dry and clean and re-painted nothing.” ever summer — obviously MacRae has never been in one!

Jim Hearn, Mr. MacRae is obviously ignoO’Hehir Arena

JANUARY 8, 2006

10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

LIFE STORY

‘Protesting Canadian’

By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

GRACE SPARKES 1908-2003

T Evening Herald, Jan. 5, 1920

AROUND THE BAY “Striking union members (at the Marystown fish plant) received their first strike pay cheques in the amount of $30 each Jan. 7. All registered strikers who are eligible for picket duty became entitled to receive payment and most were present to pick up their cheques on Friday afternoon.”

— The (Burin Peninsula) Post, Jan. 8, 1972 YEARS PAST “The game warden at Gander Bay reports having seen a moose on the south side of the bay ... from reports of moose being seen in various places, it is quite evident that these splendid animals are increasing at a satisfactory rate.”

— The St. John’s Daily Star, Jan. 7, 1920 AROUND THE WORLD “Joseph Admond, 42, of St Pierre was fined $1,000, or in default, 12 months in jail when he was convicted of smuggling contraband goods into Canada. The fine has been paid. The conviction arose out of an incident Nov. 23 when 50 cases of assorted liquors and 60 gallons of alcohol in metal tins were illegally imported from St. Pierre.

— The Daily News, Dec. 17, 1983 EDITORIAL STAND “We have again been painfully reminded of the indifference and neglect of government on the subject of a lighthouse on Baccaloo. It is reported that a light has been seen on that

island, which if correct, must indicate that another shipwreck, with all its attendant horrors, has there taken place and as the weather has been boisterous and sea high, the survivors cannot have been promptly rescued, so that much suffering and perhaps death, has been the consequence to those poor mariners who on some dreadful night gained ascension to that barren shore.”

— The Conception Bay Man, Jan. 7, 1858 LETTER TO THE EDITOR “It really is amusing to read in The Star about the lack of “Journalistic Ethics” in The Herald considering the way The Star has been running for the past month. Surely this new brand of consistency of Editor Mosdell must provoke a laugh from those who read The Star, because when I read it, I get too disgusted to do any laughing, not even the usual sarcastic smile … there is a boast that this paper, The Daily Star, has a large circulation in the city, especially in St. John’s West, and many wonder why as it cannot be the quality of its printed matter because nobody reads one quarter of its contents, but of course you get a lot of paper for a cent, and cut up in squares it is extensively used for wrapping paper and various purposes.”

— The Evening Herald, Jan. 10, 1920 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The year of 1857, has bidden us farewell, with all its joys and sorrows, its gloom and sunshine, its labour and rest … adding another volume to the great and wondrous history of this earth, which may be read and understood only when the last scene shall be enacted and we shall bring to its study new powers of perception.”

— The Courier, Jan. 6, 1858

wo of the biggest blows to hit Grace Sparkes during her life occurred within days of each other in 1949: Confederation and the death of her husband, Gerry.

Testament to her strength of character, endless courage and devotion to Newfoundland, she battled through by pouring her energy into the election campaigns that followed.

As a Tory passionately opposed to Joey Smallwood’s Liberal regime, Sparkes was one of the first women in the province to run for office after Confederation. She was the Progressive Conservative candidate for Burin in the first provincial election and also ran shortly after as the candidate in the then federal riding of Burin- Grace Sparkes Burgeo (she herself dubpublic meetings to promote a return to bed PC as “protesting Canadian”).

“Knowing it was a hopeless cause, responsible government.

The campaign was unsuccessful, and she ran anyway,” says former Chief just a few days after Confederation, her Justice Alex Hickman.

Hickman, 80, was a long-time friend husband died suddenly. Doris, their daughter, was just seven years old. and distant relative of Sparkes.

“She was left without any money …

“She didn’t mind speaking her mind and she was a totally committed anti- (Gerry) was a great dentist but he hadConfederate. I think she died an anti- n’t been in business long enough to Confederate and certainly a strong build up any estate,” says Hickman.

Sparkes once again returned to teachConservative.”

Hickman remembers Sparkes fondly ing, but the political draw was too as a great sparring partner with a sense strong and when Premier Joey of humour and a lust for life that failed Smallwood called a snap election in to dwindle until she died peacefully at 1951, she took two weeks unpaid leave to once again run as the PC candidate in the age of 95.

“I’ve known her for as far back as I Burin.

Despite arranging for someone to can remember. I hate to say this but I’m old enough to remember Grace before cover her position at a local school, Sparkes was fired. she was married.”

Sparkes was born Grace Margaret Patten in Grand Bank in 1908, and was FIGHTING SPIRIT In customary fighting spirit, she got a the youngest of 10 children. She had dreams of becoming a doctor and was job with a local newspaper, The Daily accepted into the University of Toronto News, where she remained for seven medical school, but after a year of study years before returning to teaching in a her father died and she had to drop out position she held until retirement.

During her stint at The Daily News, of the expensive program and return Sparkes had more than a few opportunihome.

Back in Newfoundland she went into ties to rile Smallwood, who she and her teaching and eventually rekindled a colleagues had dubbed “little Batista” friendship and subsequent romance after the Cuban dictator of the 1950s.

In a 1999 symposium about Confedwith Gerry Sparkes, a former schoolmate from Mount Alison University in eration, which was later used as research in Vic Young’s royal commisNew Brunswick.

The two married and moved to St. sion, a 91-year-old Sparkes spoke about John’s (although Hickman says Sparkes her experiences. “was born and died a Grand Banker”).

“On more than one occasion he They had a daughter named Doris in (Smallwood) wrote the editor of my 1942 and just a few years later, when newspaper and demanded that I be the National Convention was called in fired,” she said. “Fortunately John 1945 to decide Newfoundland’s future Currie, owner of the St. John’s Daily post commission government, Sparkes News, was not intimidated by these began her first political campaigning. threats.”

During the 1948 referendum she Sparkes so detested Smallwood, she wrote many speeches for male speakers even made plans to avoid him posthuand travelled around the island holding mously. Hickman remembers Doris, her

daughter, coming up to him at the funeral home before Sparkes was buried.

“She said, ‘Alex, I have a problem. Mom is to be buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery next to my father. In order to get the casket in through the main gate and over to that plot, they have to pass by Joey Smallwood’s (head stone) and my mother said that is not to happen.’”

Hickman says he thought Doris would have to find another plot, but she was as resourceful as her mother and solved the dilemma.

“She apparently persuaded the authority to open another entrance, a gate at the opposite end of the cemetery,” says Hickman, “so Grace was brought to her resting place without having to be carried in front of Joe Smallwood.”

A devout churchgoer, Sparkes’ funeral service at St. James United Church was a reflection of how popular and well-loved she was throughout her life. Hickman says all 700 seats were taken, two choirs sang and applause erupted at least three times during the eulogy.

“I’ve never seen that happen before or since,” he says.

Sparkes was always actively involved in community service. She was a founding member of Memorial University’s alumni association and served on the board of regents, as well as serving on several other local boards. She was part of the Kiwanis Music Festival since the 1940s and was a member of the Curling Hall of Fame.

Sparkes was also reluctant to ever accept official retirement, and started a new career at the age of 78, when she began performing as Grandma Walcott in a CBC television production about the fictional rural community of Pigeon Inlet.

One of Hickman’s later memories of Sparkes (who he says used to play classical piano and recite poetry every morning until she died to keep her mind sharp), was during the 1999 symposium on Confederation. At the time, he says Sparkes had been laid up sick in St. Clare’s hospital. Her chaplain had recommended Hickman not stop by to visit her because “when people go and see her you can’t shut her up and by the time they leave she’s exhausted.”

Hickman obliged, but was taken by surprise when he bumped into Sparkes a short time later.

“Vic Young called an all-day seminar of those of us who were around during the Confederate campaign … and when I walked into this room, they were all sitting around a huge table. I see Grace there and I went over, ‘What are you doing here? I thought you were dying.’

She said, ‘I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.’”

INDEPENDENTWORLD

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 8-14, 2006 — PAGE 11

Tough fight ahead for ‘Landslide Annie’ Edmonton voters may finally be ready to risk losing province’s voice in Ottawa

By James Travers Torstar wire service

A

t the beginning of the last campaign, Conservative candidate Laurie Hawn sent Anne McLellan roses. He lost by 721 votes.

By the deputy prime minister’s standards, that wasn’t even close. Since 1993, McLellan has beaten the odds and the Tories in iconoclast Edmonton Centre four times, once in a recount that saw her margin of victory jump from a single ballot to a dozen.

That’s made her a bit of a legend in a province where politics is personal and the important players are known by their first names. Ralph is the premier and Landslide Annie is the loneliest Liberal between Saskatchewan and the Pacific Coast.

Her squeaky victories and symbolic significance sometimes make McLellan feel, in her own words, like a specimen in a glass bowl. Reporters fly in to poke and pry before dispatching pessimistic — and so far premature — predictions of her imminent political demise.

Somehow McLellan survives. “You

Will Deputy Prime Minister McLellan be around to be Paul Matin’s right-hand woman after Jan. 23?

always work hard,” she says. “If you are a Thirteen years of power, scandal and a gun federal Liberal in Alberta, you don’t take registry fiasco that hasn’t been forgotten or anything for granted.” forgiven are enough.

So McLellan smiles cheekily down on Change is such a campaign constant that the Hawn headquarters from a big red bill- McLellan’s response is ready and spits out board with Liberal printed so small you machine gun fast. Change is necessary but might just miss it. And on many of the why would voters jeopardize their interests city’s wealthiest streets — as well as on by changing a ruling party that has brought some of its poorest — so much wonderful a sign war is raging prosperity and is between Hawn, a forkeeping its promismer fighter pilot runes?

(If McLellan falls), ning a second time, Only voters can and McLellan who has answer. But in coffee Liberals will lose one every reason to be runshops and the eclecof the few ministers who ning scared. tic neighbourhoods Once again, this race above the serpentine performs better in is too close for even North Saskatchewan candidates to call. But River there’s a sense private than public. what’s different is the the status quo is mood. about to take a beatA shrewd pragmaing. tism that found merit in having an influenIf it does, more will be lost than the last tial minister in Paul Martin’s cabinet is Liberal seat in a province Martin once bending to the most powerful of all politi- hoped to invade, if not conquer. cal forces — change. Even lifetime Along with their foothold in a place Liberals say they are now willing to risk keenly aware of the mismatch between its losing the province’s voice in Ottawa. wealth and influence, Liberals will lose

Reuters/Jim Young

one of the few ministers who performs better in private than public.

In a capital convinced Martin lacks discipline and purpose, the former law professor is considered an antidote to chaos.

Smart and competent, McLellan chairs the pivotal operations committee and is a part of most others that matter.

None of that means much here. While Martin’s deputy remains more personally popular than her leader, McLellan is hard pressed to overcome the weariness and anger that is evident even in the two downtown ridings where Liberal and NDP voters shatter Alberta’s stereotype by easily outnumbering Conservatives.

Knocking down the last standing Liberal is a Stephen Harper priority and in Hawn he has found a man who seems just right enough for the job.

Personable and seasoned by the last election’s lessons, he is arguably no more conservative than the most conservative minister in the very conservative Liberal government.

Campaigning door-to-door, Hawn resists See “Wind of change,” page 15

‘Mr. Jolly-Rogers Neighbourhood’ Michael Harris says some federal prisoners will almost certainly vote Liberal given their hotel-like accommodations

T

here is one voting bloc that will remain loyal to the Liberals to the very end — of their sentences.

Yes, Canada’s 12,000 or so federal inmates will be voting en masse for Paul Martin and the Liberals. While the federal government has not gotten around to issuing get-out-of-jail-free cards, it has done the next best thing.

They have turned doing federal time into a pleasant interlude between offences for the 43 per cent of inmates who find neither Jesus, a good woman, or remorse in sufficient quantities to keep them from coming back.

MICHAEL HARRIS The Outrider We still send people up the river, but these days they travel by luxury yacht.

The most dangerous thing about prison is being run over by the welcome wagon when you check in.

Take Fenbrook Institution in Gravenhurst. If it had been a hotel, it would be the jewel in the crown of the chain. Officially opened on May 7,

1998, it was the first new federal “prison” built in Canada in 25 years.

The man who cut the ribbon, former Solicitor-General Andy Scott, had every reason to be proud. You can bet that Chatty Andy had a lot more fun visiting Fenbrook than, say, Dorchester.

The prison’s striking design, complete with 25-foot ceilings in its main foyers, won an architectural award for the Japanese firm that designed it. For just $70 million, Canadian taxpayers were able to give some of the country’s most dedicated felons a taste of cottage country, nestled as Fenbrook is in a 28acre plot of prime Muskoka real estate.

The idea was to create Mr. JollyRogers Neighbourhood. Built around a giant quadrangle, Fenbrook has quaint street names: Whitepine Lane, Forest Circle, Tamarack Way. NO BARRIERS The attractive cottage complex where inmates have 72-hour family visits is called Meadow. The three units reserved for conjugal visits are joined together and there are no barriers between the residences. A nice touch.

If inmates want to mingle at one another’s barbecues, the thoughtful design puts nothing in the way.

See “Half the inmates,” page 13

Simply fill out this form and mail to Walter Andrews, 5 Dartmouth Place St. John’s, NL, A1B 2W1

Ê

Looking for the perfect gift from home to send away?

Home to prisoners is four large living areas featuring spacious, 9-person apartments. But not to worry about overcrowding. Seventy-five per cent of Fenbrook’s inmates have private rooms, their digs are wired for cable, and they can get the same restricted movies as non-offenders get on the outside, except that prison cable costs just $6.40 a month.

There is one officer, unarmed of course, for every 9-person unit. Think of him as a night clerk rather than a correctional officer. He sits at a desk and

Name: ________________________________________ Street Address: _________________________________ City/Town: _____________________________________ Area Code: _____________ Phone: ________________

Authored by Walter Andrews and Illustrated by Boyd Chubbs • Where Once They Stood is a unique Newfoundland & Labrador chronology presented as a beautiful poster.

• An accumulation and cataloguing of our history and cultural development, the material is presented in a continuum of time from the ice age to the Twentieth Century, supplemented by sidebars of interesting information and statistics.

• The poster is of significant interest and informative to history buffs (young & old), tourists, expatriates, cultural supporters, education developers, tourist operators and the general public. Poster measures 2’ x 3’.

Quantity: ________ x $19.95 = ___________________ (Please include $5.00 for Shipping and Handling)

...or place your order by phone: Call Walter Andrews directly at

(709) 726-2671

JANUARY 8, 2006

12 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

By Peter Calamai Torstar wire service

Is it safe I to eat salmon?

s eating salmon good or bad for you?

Science can’t seem to decide. A new report from U.S. researchers concludes that, for most people, the potential cancer risks of eating salmon containing toxic chemicals outweigh the benefits from consuming the fish’s heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids.

They calculate no more than six meals a year of farmed Atlantic salmon should be considered safe.

But the risks from eating salmon may

be worth it for people who are prime candidates for heart attacks, the detailed report in The Journal of Nutrition also concludes.

Federal health officials, however, have challenged the team’s interpretation of its findings, repeating assurances that all Canadians, including pregnant women, can safely eat farmed salmon weekly.

John Salminen, chief of chemical hazard health assessment for Health Canada, says the new research “places too much emphasis on potential risk.”

Both the original study and the new

research published in November are based on chemical analysis by a B.C. lab of 200 farmed salmon fillets purchased from wholesalers and retailers in Europe, Canada and South America, and also analysis of 44 wild-caught Pacific salmon.

“From our point of view, the benefits of eating oily fish like salmon still outweigh any risks,” Salminen says.

Levels of toxic chemicals are higher in farmed salmon than wild because roughly half the chow fed to penned salmon is composed of ground-up cheaper fish that have concentrated the

chemicals present in their home waters.

The North Atlantic is the most polluted ocean, so chow from fish caught there is the most contaminated and produces the most polluted farmed salmon in Norway, Scotland and the east coast of Canada.

The North Pacific is dirtier than the South Pacific, accounting for lower levels of contamination in salmon farmed in Chile and middle levels in salmon from B.C. Wild Pacific salmon has the lowest levels because contaminant intake from eating other fish is much less concentrated in the natural diet.

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTWORLD • 13

VOICE FROM AWAY

‘End of the tunnel’

All Frank Dalton really wants is someone to sing his songs — and for his wife to be allowed into Canada

By Stephanie Porter The Independent

B

orn in the lighthouse at Fort Amherst during the Second World War, now a sea cook and aspiring songwriter stuck between homes in Cuba and Canada, Frank Dalton’s had his share of ups, downs, adventures and journeys.

On one hand, he says “living on the edge” helps his songwriting; on the other, he admits he sees himself as a bit weak in spirit.

“If you look at courage as having the strength to go on, I don’t seem to have that quality, maybe that’s why I recognize it in others, maybe that’s why I write about it,” he says. “I run from my feelings and challenges.”

From Dalton’s brief sketch of his life thus far, that statement seems hard to believe.

His father was a lighthouse keeper, and Dalton spent his first five years at Fort Amherst, looking over the entrance to St. John’s harbour. “We were living among soldiers, expecting the German invasion,” he says, on the phone from his son’s home in Halifax. “Eventually my mother — the stress of having children in the midst of a garrison was too much — moved us to the City of St. John’s itself.”

Skip ahead a couple of decades to the job that would lead to a lifelong trade: Dalton was hired to work in the galley on an oilrig, washing up pots and pans. Over the next few years he watched the cooks closely, learned from them, and eventually moved up to become chief cook.

Those were the early days of oil exploration, Dalton says, in the late ’70s and early ’80s — he worked on three major rigs, including the Ocean Ranger.

“That was the era of pit grants,” he says. “They were the hey days, money was everywhere … it was a time of great excitement in Newfoundland, but it was also the wild and woolly west.

“We never saw any inspectors out there, the rigs more or less enforced their own rules … we had no protection at all, no idea who was running the show.”

As cook, Dalton says he was — and still is — like the proverbial silent bartender: he hears all the stories, all the gossip, and all the bickering.

He continues to work on ships. Most recently, he spent two months on an oil tanker delivering product to destinations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. That was last fall, and he says he’s “never seen the sea so angry, one storm after the other.”

In spite of the pleasant salary and time off, Dalton says his trade “has its consequences” — including family turmoil.

Indeed, it was the divorce from his first wife more than a decade ago that spurred Dalton to pick up the pen and begin writing.

“I poured everything out into hurtin’ and drinkin’ country songs,” he says. “They’re pretty rough now, looking back. Now I’m more into the folk stories about places I’ve been to, people I’ve seen.”

Like Lady of the Lakes, about the first female captain he worked for (“it’s about the courage of a woman who went where only men have gone before”), about VLTS, an addiction he says he’s still battling every day, about everything from finding love on the Internet to karaoke to 9-11 to Lady Di. Unfortunately, as Dalton says, “the Lord hasn’t blessed me with a singing voice but he has blessed

Frank Dalton and his wife are looking to relocate from Cuba to Canada.

Reuters

me with the ability to encapsulate events and people and put them into lyrical form.”

That means he’s always trolling for singers to buy rights to his work — tough in a competitive field at a time when most singers fancy themselves songwriters as well.

As he struggles to market himself, Dalton’s on edge these days for an entirely different reason.

His new wife of three years is trying to get final papers in order to leave her native Cuba and move to Canada.

The couple, who met 10 years ago, have lived together in Cuba, but decided to give the northern country a try.

“I’m on pins and needles waiting for news,” Dalton says.

“For all the street-smart hucksters that find their way into Canada, and I’m an above-board legal citizen of Canada and it’s so difficult to get another law-abiding citizen into the country.

“Anyway, the end of the tunnel is in sight.

Hopefully I’ll be able to meet her in Montreal next week.”

Although Dalton is fluent in Spanish, his wife does not share the same proficiency in English — which means, should they be united in Canada, he’s got some tough decisions to make.

“I’m at a crossroads,” says Dalton. “I don’t want to leave her, she speaks little English … as a sailor, I’m used to my time off, used to going away for two months and used to a more-thanordinary pay cheque coming in.”

He’s not sure if he’ll settle back down in Montreal, in Halifax, or maybe even back home in St. John’s.

“More than anything, I would like something to happen with my songwriting … but it is difficult.”

For more on Frank Dalton, visit www.frankdaltonsongs.com Do you know a Newfoundlander or Labradorian living away? Please e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca

‘Half the inmates are on drugs’ From page 11 checks inmates in and out as they shuffle back and forth between the healing centre, the sculpture studio, and the superbly equipped gym.

Half of the inmates are on drugs, (front line officers at Fenbrook put the number at 90 per cent) but there is nothing that prison authorities can do about it. That’s because Fenbrook is classified exactly the same way as any other public building, making invasive searches of suspected drug carriers next to impossible.

NO POWER In fact, before a warden will authorize an invasive search of a visitor to a prison, correctional officers must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that they possess drugs. No one wants to get whacked over the head with the Charter of Rights. Without practical powers of search and seizure, prison authorities continue to parrot their commitment to zero tolerance of drugs in Canada’s prisons, while handing out bleach kits to inmate users.

The correctional system under which inmates are administered is as accommodating as Fenbrook itself. Take sentencing. If a judge gives a criminal nine years in prison, it is automatically reduced to six years by the law of statutory release.

But very few federal inmates ever make it to their statutory release date.

That’s because Canadian criminals serve an average of just 32 per cent of their sentences before receiving day parole, and just 40 per cent of their time before getting full parole. Unless you’re serving a life or indeterminate sentence, virtually every convict in the system is eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence or seven years, whichever comes first.

NERVOUS FELONS When you take into account accelerated parole review, (parole after onesixth of sentence) conditional sentencing, (which dumps convicts back into communities to serve their sentences) and a million dollar a year Inmate’s Ombudsman to investigate your every complaint, it all adds up to a pretty good system — if you happen to be a crook. Heck, after 2002, the Supreme Court even gave them the vote.

So you can see why Stephen Harper is such an unpopular guy with the felonious set. One of his five top priorities is cracking down on crime, by which he seems to mean getting tough on the people who commit them.

Just one of his proposed measures, ending statutory release, is enough to cause nervous breakdowns from Springhill to William Head. Could Harper really be considering making inmates actually do something to earn early release, like behaving themselves inside or making an effort to change their anti-social personalities through effective programs?

Not if the in-crowd can help it.

Renee O’Brien Market Manager

Helping you is what we do.

We do that little bit extra for our customers so they can do whatever they want. We’ve been doing it for years; it’s just the way we work. Atlantic Canada’s largest service team is here, in your community, keeping you connected. We’re at the other end of the phone line too, making sense of the technology we place in your hands, and offering a wide range of innovative products and services packaged in ways to make it simple for you.

www.aliant.net

TM

here. for you. is a trademark of Aliant.

14 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

JANUARY 8, 2006

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTWORLD • 15

Smut-hound sniffs out celeb stories Global audience loves Canadian Elaine Lui’s ‘snarky’ gossip

By Murray Whyte Torstar wire service

G

ossip-mongerer? She begs to differ. “Smut-hound,” she corrects, smiling. And Elaine Lui, 32, mostly of Toronto but recently of Vancouver, has earned some right to determine her own job title. Precisely one year after launching her celebrity gossip — sorry, smut — website, www.laineygossip.com, Lui’s spot in the ever-expanding trafficking of superstar trash seems secure.

Her site, based at her home in Vancouver, draws thousands of hits from all over the world every day (“21 countries,” she says proudly). For the past several months, she’s been doing a semi-regular weekly hit on eTalk Daily, the celebrity-obsessed show on CTV. She’s been threatened, applauded, insulted, cheered and, in one rather bizarre instance, been told she should spend her life alone, eating peanut butter from a jar.

Just such a job description might be what one would expect for any gossip columnist, aspiring or otherwise. But Lui never aspired. She did, however, make a practice of firing the occasional e-mail from work to a small core of friends, keeping them up to speed on the day’s goings-on in Hollywood: who’s sleeping with whom, who’s no longer sleeping with whom — the standard grist for the Hollywood mill.

VIRAL MESSAGING But Lui’s tone (“I call it snarky,” she says) struck a chord with her small audience. So, when she found herself between jobs about three years ago — the regular gossip missives dying out with her freedom from the computer — a couple of friends asked her to keep it rolling.

“They missed it,” she says. “So I started writing them e-mails every day about the latest news in Hollywood.

And they started forwarding it and forwarding it. Within a couple of years, it was going to thousands of people. It became this viral messaging phenomenon.”

Last year, it had also morphed into something else: Lui wasn’t just talking to a growing constituency. Some of them were talking back, and with something to say: a makeup artist in London confirming speculation Lui had posted on the site, or a stylist in Los Angeles offering a tip.

“More and more of those e-mails started coming and eventually, with certain trusted sources, we started exchanging phone calls. They keep an eye out for me,” says Lui. Friends like this put a smut-hound on the map — like when she was able to scoop People magazine and report on her site that yes, Katie Holmes had missed her period a full 12 hours before the Cruise-Holmes camp (or “the crazies” she calls them) issued a press release stating the same thing.

Or when she reported Gwyneth Paltrow was pregnant three weeks before anyone else was able to confirm it. But this, really, is not the goal. “I don’t want to be in the business of breaking things,” says Lui. Petite and effusive, her long, straight dark hair tapering into frosted tips, Liu is a lively presence in almost constant motion, using her hands vigorously to emphasize her points.

“I’m not the Associated Press or the National Enquirer,” she laughs. “What my readers like is the snarky spin on Hollywood. They’re tired of the pressrelease image that gets shoved down our throat.

“What is appealing to the people who read my column is that they understand Hollywood is an illusion, and this is an open-ended discussion about celebrity and what’s going on underneath it all.

And of course, I try to do it in my own voice.”

Take, for example, a recent entry on Jennifer Aniston, a favourite target.

Commenting online on recent reviews of Aniston’s new film, Rumour

Wind of change From page 11 the temptation to agree with the most socially rigid constituents and downplays the suspicion that Liberals will again find some way to win. All he is willing to say is that electoral lists are full of holes and that it wouldn’t be difficult for the determined to vote more than once.

Truth is, Hawn doesn’t need controversy. The wind of change is at his back and if it howls a little longer it could blow him to Ottawa and McLellan out of office.

Still, forecasting her future is a fool’s game and no more roses will be delivered at least until every vote is counted.

Elaine Lui

Has It, Lui concludes: “Does anyone else find it hilarious that the best thing anyone can say about her movie is how nice her clothes are??? That does it,

Torstar

gossips. I officially feel sorry for her.

Because at the end of the day, that’s the only emotion this girl can inspire. It’s called PITY, y’all. She deserves your

pity. She deserves my pity. So if you see her around, will you give her a hug for me?”

Or this on Sarah Jessica Parker: “I don’t understand why a 40-year-old has to talk like a baby. I know she’s capable of an adult voice — where is it?”

And then, there’s Paltrow. “I love Gwyneth,” Lui beams. But not for why you would expect.

“I love her because she’s full of herself, and she’s condescending and she’s elitist. I don’t need my favourite celebrity to be my best friend — even though I say all the time that she is,” Lui says, and she does, literally, and often. (“In some circles, I’m known as the Chinese Gwyneth Paltrow. Minus the designer clothes, rail thin body, rock star husband, fruit inspired daughter, and Academy Award,” she writes on the site, by way of self-introduction.

“Other than that, we are like the same

person.”)

“What I hope readers are extracting from that is that, even though I’m obsessed with Gwyneth, it’s also what I’m making fun of,” Lui says. “It’s almost a parody of the things I’m ridiculing about celebrities and the people who worship them and believe every word that they say.”

And there are certainly those. “There are people who write me the most vitriolic hate mail,” she sighs. Aniston defenders, it turns out, are legion.

“They get so upset. ‘How could you be so mean to her? She’s been through so much this year, and she’s held herself with dignity.’ You would think that I had bagged on their mother.”

So Lui’s adulation of Gwyneth, then, is all tongue-and-cheek. Right? “Sort of,” she laughs, and then gushes, clutching her hand to her heart. “But I love her! So, I guess it’s a bit of both.”

JANUARY 8, 2006

16 • INDEPENDENTWORLD

* Surplus Freight Furnitureʼs 2006 Inventory Has Arrived! We have recently purchased a bulk quantity of Home Furnishings at Factory Closeout Pricing. To help move this Gigantic Shipment, All Customers who purchase Select Sofa Sets will receive a FREE Set of Coffee Tables, and 2 FREE Lamps. Inventory will move quickly.

Do not miss out on this One Time Event! Same Day Delivery or Pick-up Available.

Buy a Sofa & Loveseat

And Get a

FREE 3 -Piece

5 Styles to Choose From

*

Table Set and 2

Only

$ #4700

FREE

Micro-Fibre Sofa & Loveseat

1028

Lamps*

5 Colours to Choose From

Available On Over 30 Different Sofa & Loveseats

FREE

FREE

TABLES, LAMPS, and LAYAWAY

Micro-Fibre Sofa & Loveseat

All 7 Pieces!

$

FREE

TABLES, LAMPS, and LAYAWAY

TABLES, LAMPS, and LAYAWAY

All 7 Pieces!

798

$

#0300

968

All 7 Pieces!

$ #1100

998

#4600

Plus Get FREE Layaway, No Interest Fees!, No Storage Fees!, Price Guarantee!

TRUCKLOADS OF DINETTES AND DINING ROOMS AT LOW, LOW PRICES!!!

5 Piece Dinette Sets... 7 Piece Also Available! The More you Buy... The More You Save!

All 5 Pieces!

$ #1119

All 5 Pieces!

$

178

#2100

248

All 5 Pieces!

$ #1113

All 5 Pieces!

$

248

#1223

298

4 Piece Bedroom Sets... Sets Include Dresser, Mirror, Headboard, and Nightstand!

Chest Also Available!

All 4 Pieces!

$

#2200

528

#8200

Chest Also Available!

All 4 Pieces!

$

Chest Also Available!

All 4 Pieces!

538

$

#3100

#0253

Chest Also Available!

$

All 4 Pieces!

598

648

Mattresses At Factory Direct Prices! Check Out These Deals!

Imperial

Posture Profile

Quality Mattresses

Twin

$

99

ea. pc.

Twin

Starting At

$

$

139

ea. pc.

Full

134 ea. pc.

$

Queen

$

164 ea. pc.

$

124

ea. pc.

$

Queen

154

$

76

$

ea. pc.

5 Year Ltd. Warranty

10 Year Ltd. Warranty

Chiro

Full

Queen

174

214

ea. pc.

$

ea. pc.

King

$

199

ea. pc.

Twin

$

149

ea. pc.

$

Full

Queen

189

249

ea. pc.

$

Full

Queen

239

289

ea. pc.

$

ea. pc.

$

224

ea. pc.

$

284

ea. pc.

Queen $

324

ea. pc.

$

249

ea. pc.

King

$

216

ea. pc.

Twin

$

199

ea. pc.

$

Full

249

ea. pc.

Queen $

299

ea. pc.

King $

266

ea. pc.

25 Year Ltd. Warranty

Chiro Eminence

King $

283

ea. pc.

25 Year Ltd. Warranty

ST. JOHNʼS

22 OʼLeary Ave. (709) 726-6466 Across from Avalon Mall next to Avalon Software Visit Us on the Web: www.surplusfreight.ca

10-8 12-5

ea. pc.

183

ea. pc.

Excelsior

King

Dreamsleep

Full

Twin

$

King $

25 Year Ltd. Warranty

25 Year Ltd. Warranty

Any Size Posture Plus Set

Advertised mattresses sold in sets only. See store for individual mattresses at factory direct prices. King sets consist of 3 pieces.

184

ea. pc.

Posture Elegant

Enchantment

Twin

194

ea. pc.

20 Year Ltd. Warranty

$

Open to Mon-Thurs: 12-8 • Friday: the Public Saturday: 10-6 • Sunday:

Full

Twin

CALL Toll Free: 1-866-929-9949

Twin $

244

ea. pc.

$

Full

284

ea. pc.

Queen $

349

ea. pc.

King $

333

ea. pc.

30 Year Ltd. Warranty

Advertised promotions can not be combined with any other offer.

We Accept: Cash, Interac, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Cheques, FREE Layaway

Locations in: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, & Newfoundland

*Tables, Fabrics, and Styles May Vary By Location. FREE Tables, Lamps, and Layaway Include Your Choice Of The Following; Sofa & Loveseat or 2PC Sectional, 3-Piece Table Set #2213, #2221, #3612, #3623, or #4710 and 2 Lamps #6117 Any Colour.

INDEPENDENTLIFE

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 8-14, 2006 — PAGE 17

Page turner

Gripping, powerful, stunning, brilliant, hard to put down; rave reviews of the best ever Newfoundland books

By Alisha Morrissey The Independent

P

aul Butler is on the hunt for the best Newfoundland book — ever. His hunt began with a comment on the Word from the Edge Forum, an online message board for writers and literary enthusiasts, eventually leading to the creation of a contest that begs the question: what’s Newfoundland’s best book?

The public is asked to go online during the month of January to suggest favourite books, with the winning book to be named Feb. 1.

“It occurred to me that there was a lot of attention on Newfoundland writing, a lot of talking about Newfoundland writing, and I just wanted to harness it and this seemed like a really good question to do that because when you’re talking about the best Newfoundland book it’s almost an unanswerable question,” Butler tells The Independent.

“If I were to answer the question what was the best, for me I’d have to pick something that had changed things,” Butler

says, admitting he hasn’t made his nomination yet.

“It seems to me that Random Passage did something. It seemed to me that it sparked, it reignited that force and belief in being able to tell your own story and your own history again.”

As of The Independent’s press deadline, Wayne Johnston’s The Colony of Unrequited Dreams was tied with Bernice Morgan’s Random Passage for best book.

“I expected everyone to hit the same button to nominate the same people, but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s really spread out in terms of what people are nominating,” he says.

It’s thought more than 50 books are published in the province each year, says Butler.

“You can’t walk down the street in Newfoundland without stepping on a literary star, you know, because they’re all over the place.”

The winning book will be chosen simply by number of votes (visit www.paulbutlernovelist.com/word.html to register your vote) and one randomly chosen nominator will receive a sampling of 10 Newfoundland books for taking part.

In the spirit of the contest, The Independent questioned two Newfoundland writers for their picks for best book.

MICHAEL CRUMMEY Born in Buchans and raised in Labrador, Crummey has published seven books of poetry, short stories and novels including The Wreckage, River Thieves and Flesh and Blood. His work is award winning and critically acclaimed. Crummey lives in St. John’s.

Best ever Newfoundland book Death on the Ice. Comments “I just remember being really affected by the story and realizing long after I read it that it would have been a very difficult story to tell well without sensationalizing or sentimentalizing it. I just thought she (Cassie Brown) did such an incredible job to get across the difficulty of the sealers’ lives and then the horror of that particular event.”

Honourable mention Baltimore’s Mansion by Wayne Johnston; The Danger Tree by David McFarland Comments “They’re all terrific. They just capture something of Newfoundland and they’re all works of art in their own right.”

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

DONNA MORRISSEY Born in The Beaches on the Baie Verte Peninsula, Morrissey recently published her third novel, Sylvanus Now. A friend convinced Morrissey she was a writer and she began writing short stories in her late-30s.

Both her novels, Kit’s Law and Downhill Chance, have been published in Japanese, German and Dutch. She lives in Halifax.

Best ever Newfoundland book Death on the Ice. Comments “(It’s) the one Newfoundland book that has stayed with me through all time ... just the horror of it.”

Honourable mention: The Big Why, Michael Winter; The Wreckage, Michael Crummy; Alligator, Lisa Moore; and Audience of Chairs, Joan Clarke.

Comments “I really am totally illiterate (about Newfoundland books) and this would be a great list for me to capitalize on. There’s so many, you can’t keep up with Newfoundland books these days.

“A lot of these books aren’t necessarily … about Newfoundland either, a lot of these books have universal themes … you write a story and you put it in your neighbourhood. I don’t think that we’re that great as a province as a culture that people in Japan want to read about us, I don’t think that at all. It’s just you write a gosh darn good book and it gets recognized as that — place is incidental.”

Other books on the best ever list: The Grey Islands, John Steffler; The Confessions of Nipper Mooney, Ed Kavanagh; Highway to Valour, Margaret Duley; House of Hate, Percy Janes; Gaff Topsails, Patrick Kavanagh; Down by Jim Long’s Stage, Al Pittman; Borrowed Black, Ellen Bryan Obed; Woman of Labrador, Elizabeth Goudie; Sylvanus Now, Donna Morrissey.

LIVYER

Full circle

By Darcy MacRae The Independent

N

early a decade has passed since Michelle Healey played basketball at Memorial University, but she’s as connected to the school today as she was then.

Healey, 32, left her hometown of St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s Bay, at the completion of high school to attend MUN and went on to become one of the best basketball players in the history of the women’s team. Her efforts earned her the 1994-95 Atlantic conference MVP award, the same year the Sea-Hawks won the conference title — the first women’s basketball championship the school had ever won.

Not surprisingly, it was a season Healey says she will never forget.

“Bringing the first AUS championship to Memorial is something that can never be taken away,” Healey tells The Independent.

These days, Healey can still be found at MUN, however there’s a better

Once a MUN basketball star, these days Michelle Healey has a different role with the university

chance of finding her in her office than on the basketball court. Since 1999, Healey has worked at the school as program co-ordinator for Memorial athletics — a job that requires her to, among other things, look after all sports administration and represent MUN at AUS and CIS meetings.

Putting her masters in physical education (with a concentration in sports management) to good use not only allows Healey to remain in the province, but also gives her a chance to do a job she enjoys.

“It’s pretty nice to get up every day and work in an environment that you truly love,” she says. “Sport is something I’m pretty passionate about and having the opportunity on a daily basis to work with and for elite athletes is something I really appreciate.

“I get to know most of the athletes on a first-name basis. The basketball teams are still near and dear to me, but I’m just as much interested in the other sports and the needs of all the athletes.”

Many of the young athletes who

come to Memorial only know Healey as the school’s athletics program coordinator and are surprised to learn of the outstanding athletic contributions she made to the school from 1991 to 1996. However, Healey maintains it doesn’t bother her that some students aren’t familiar with her basketball background.

“That part of my life is a little bit over,” Healey says. “But once you get to know people, they learn your story and appreciate the story.”

Although her job requires her to work closely with the school’s teams and athletes, Healey says she would follow MUN athletics even if she didn’t work at the university. The competitive fire that made her such a force on the basketball court also makes her an avid fan, particularly when her old team is in action.

“There are times I’d love to be out there,” she says with a laugh. “When there’s a few minutes left in the game and things are tight, I want to look to see if Doug (Partridge, head coach of

Michelle Healey

the MUN women’s basketball team) will turn around and throw me in the game.”

Since Healey’s playing days came to an end at MUN, much has changed for the school’s athletes. For starters, Memorial students now enjoy a stateof-the art training centre in The Works, a facility that also serves as the home gym for the men’s and women’s basket-

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

ball teams.

Healey says she is thrilled that MUN athletes now have a chance to play “in one of the top facilities in Canada” and adds that the old gym — the one in which the Sea-Hawks played during her days at MUN — was probably no longer suitable for such programs.

See “On-court,” page 18

JANUARY 8, 2006

18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

GALLERYPROFILE

P

robably best known for his political cartoons and columns, Peter Pickersgill is also a trained architect — he designed his current home in Salvage — and an accomplished visual artist.

Nineteen of his drawings and largescale paintings are currently on display at Balance restaurant in St. John’s.

Fittingly called Past, Present and Future, the pieces offer a glimpse at the evolution of Pickersgill’s art — and evidence of his connection to and love of the province.

Born in Ottawa, Pickersgill first came to Newfoundland in 1953 at age

PETER PICKERSGILL Visual Artist seven. He spent many summers in the province as a child, and again over the past quarter century with his wife, Lisa.

Just last year, the Pickersgills relocated permanently. Now into month 14 on the Eastport Peninsula, he says he considers his life and location “absolute luxury.

“I thrive on being able to look out the

window and see the water and the rocks,” he says. “It seems so incredibly rich to me, the way urban life never has.”

Pickersgill began painting in abstracts, which he says were inspired by his love of classical music and the composition and texture he learned by listening to it.

“I was making a parallel … that you could make the sounds you want, it doesn’t have to look like anything, and what a great thing that is.” He says he’d still be working in abstracts “except people stay away in droves.”

Lately, he’s been focused on a series

of large, codfish-based paintings, glowing with colour, personality and humour. A close look at the works reveals codfish in all sorts of places — forming the clouds, ripples in the water, flames and scales.

“This series is of codfish doing weird things, flying in the air and forming reef knots with boats and doing all sorts of things that codfish wouldn’t normally do,” he says with a laugh.

He says the paintings aren’t political — he saves that for his newspaper cartoons — but they are very much about history and culture.

“The codfish, we wouldn’t be here

without them,” he says. “I think they’re beautiful, I think they’re interesting, I think what they made happen, well, it’s us. It’s central to the whole reason for people being here.

“The spark that made all the wonderful songs and customs and food and none of it would be here without the fish.”

A man of many ideas and projects, Pickersgill is kept busy by his cartoon and column deadlines. He’s also completing the illustrations for a children’s book, written by his wife. A collection of his columns will be published later this year.

He also has plans to construct a studio in the second floor of the store on the wharf by his home, providing, finally, a place devoted for his visual art. He may turn it into an open studio or gallery space for the summer tourist seasons.

“Columns, you’ve got a deadline, and cartoons are the same,” he says.

“Painting, it’s hard to make time and it’s the one that gets sacrificed … I need to create my own deadlines to make sure the work gets done.”

Past, Present and Future is on display at Balance Restaurant, 147 LeMarchant Rd., until Jan. 14.

— Stephanie Porter

The Gallery is a regular feature in The Independent. For information, or to submit proposals, please call (709) 726-4639, or e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca

‘On-court experience’ From page 17 However, she admits to missing the old gym — with its bleachers just a few feet from the court — and enjoys reminiscing about the many big games she played there.

“It was a great place to play,” Healey says. “All the opposing teams hated to come here and loved to come here because they got an atmosphere they couldn’t get anywhere else. Fans could reach out and touch you from the bleachers — it was quite an on-court experience.”

Although she can no longer help the Sea-Hawks on the court, Healey does her best to help MUN’s sports teams from her new position. She played key roles in bringing both the 2003 women’s conference basketball championships and the 2007 women’s basketball nationals to St. John’s, two feats she’s understandably proud of.

“When we hosted the AUS women’s basketball championship in 2003 — just being a part of selling that to the AUS was great,” Healey says. “Now, sitting on the verge of hosting the national championships in 2007, and knowing I sat at the table and presented the bid to the CIS selection committee, that really brings it full circle for me as an athlete and as an administrator.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

lives here.

It’s here in our community. Please make a difference by volunteering.

1-800-268-7582 www.mssociety.ca

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19

Wishes for the NewYear A

ll I want for 2006, from an arts perspective, of course, are these 10 things: 1.) Hatching Matching and Dispatching and Rabbittown. These original comedy dramas need and deserve to become big hits on CBC TV, maybe even in the world. They are each funnier, darker, and more provocative than anything pretending to be all or any of the above.

Some critics are openly speculating that the country might be getting tired of Newfoundland humour. I don’t know about you, but don’t you think there’s just a little too much Toronto on Canadian television? Can we have a say in that?

2.) Two things for The Rooms. It’s well used. Every time you walk in you hear giggling schoolchildren, squeals of creativity, and adult wows of approval.

The Rooms is a rich environment, light always flooding the stairwells and lifting the spirit. But it is missing two important elements. It needs a restaurant or café, some place to grab a drink and chat at leisure about what’s hanging on the walls or being spotted through the Narrows.

It also needs a seasonal and a life-time membership scheme, the kind developed by other established museums and galleries. Patrons should be encouraged to flash an ID card every time they want to meet someone up in that café The Rooms still doesn’t have, or just hang around the gallery. We all need to feel a part of the Rooms experience, not like some unexpected guest who surprises the ticket agents.

3.) A 21st century LSPU Hall. This will happen. The money is flowing, the architectural plans are exciting, the regular renters have been told they must seek alternative venues for this autumn because renovations are expected to be fully underway. If you’re really on the ball you will begin snapping pictures of

NOREEN GOLFMAN Standing room only the Hall as it is now, chipped paint, rotting roof and all, for your photo album of Old (fin de siècle) St John’s.

4.) A Rex Goudie makeover. This might not happen. He’s a cute boy machine with a wicked jaw line, for sure. He needs help, though. His voice is strong and persuasive; his music is bland and undistinguished.

Rex, your humility is affecting, but do us all a favour and get rid of the white fetish cap, those unsightly man-boy whiskers on your chinny chin chin, and start scouting for better handlers. Rex needs a serious style change and a really smart agent, immediately. Otherwise he will soon be as disposable as Kalan ‘who?’ Porter and Ryan ‘oh yeah, him’ Malcolm.

5.) Regular arts programming on CBC radio. Think of it, a daily half hour of stories about our artists and the works they make, covering the entire province and every genre. Why not?

Look at the wide community interest in the hugely successful Fisheries Broadcast. Think of the profile it would give the whole cultural sphere, the attention, the value, the seriousness it would impart to a subject so many of us don’t know much about.

We can produce as many stories in the wide and diverse arts community, many just as passionate, contentious, controversial, and unpredictable as anything you know is going on in the crab fishery.

Besides, I could listen to whatever Chris Pratt has to say for at least half an hour, any day of the week.

6.) Dedicated and serious arts programs in our schools. The Williams government seems committed to this but

Mary Walsh and Rick Boland on the set of Hatching Matching and Dispatching.

can the will to refresh the curriculum find enough support through resources, teacher good will, and parent interest?

Let’s hope so.

Kids need well trained leaders who actually know something about art, and, more importantly, how to instruct it.

Typically, the private schools tend to shine in this area. That’s a shame. Why should rich kids get all the art? Children who are exposed to art are the happiest children in the world.

7.) George Clooney to make a film here. Needs no explanation.

8.) Joaquin Phoenix to make a film here. See above.

9.) Civic beauty. This is getting to be an old story. We have the landscape, the

Paul Daly/The Independent

views, the winding streets, the historic charm. Sadly, we lack the collective commitment to show it all off, not just for tourists who come here specifically looking for it, but for all of us who live, drive, and walk through the sprawling city of St John’s with unflagging pleasure.

What’s wrong with us? Why do we favour ugly buildings, blocked views, and hideous developments over adventurous architecture, respectful constructions, and handsome green spaces? Over a century ago we built interesting churches. Now we renovate malls and fill the sightlines with hideous condo blocks.

10.) Bigger audiences. Every group,

arts organization, and performance troupe needs them to show the funders that things are working. Small audiences do not necessarily mean the work isn’t good, but you can cry that tune for only so long before your credit, and credibility, run out.

The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra needs full houses just as much as Neighbourhood Dance Works. It would be healthy if everyone could choose a genre and a company and simply stick to it for a whole season. Remember: the seat bottom is connected to the hand that feeds us, now hear the word of the Lord.

Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial. Her column returns Jan. 22.

EVENTS JANUARY 8 • The Avalon Unitarian Fellowship’s regular Sunday service starts 10:30 a.m. at the Anna Templeton Centre, Duckworth Street.

• St. John’s Fog Devils vs. Rimouski Oceanic, Mile One Stadium, 2 p.m.

Noseworthy, 9:30 p.m.

• Rising Tide Theatre’s Revue 05, directed by Donna Butt, featuring Rick Boland, Petrina Bromley, Glenn Downey, Sean Panting and Jim Payne. St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m.

Continues until Jan.15.

JANUARY 9 • The Craft Council Clay Studio is accepting registration for a variety of pottery and sculpture courses beginning in January. Programming includes classes for children, teens and adults classes. For more information call 753-2534, email claystudio@craftcouncil.nf.ca or visit www.craftcouncil.nf.ca.

JANUARY 12 • Karaoke idol warm-up, 10 p.m., Bella Vista, Torbay Road.

• It’s Shostakovich’s 100th Birthday, at D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN School of Music.The Regehr/Steeves duo present this dramatic solo cello sonata, as well as the music of Benjamin Britten and Chopin, 8 p.m.

JANUARY 10 • Women writing, a creativity workshop with author JoAnne Soper-Cook, 7 p.m., 579-1681 or e-mail jodygirl@3web.net.

• Open studio at the Anna Templeton Centre dye studio every Tuesday evening, 7-10 p.m.

With Susan Furneaux, dye technician, 739-7623 to book space.

JANUARY 13 • Boyd Chubbs, Rose and Thistle, 6-9 p.m.

• Ron Hynes, Rose and Thistle, Water Street, 10 p.m.

• Are We There Yet? musical comedy, dinner and show, at the Majestic Theatre, 390 Duckworth St., 7 p.m. Also playing Jan. 14, 20, 27, 28, 579-3023 for reservations.

• The Union of Shamatha and Vipashyana awareness, a program hosted by the St. John’s Shambhala-Buddhist Group, at the Brother T. I.

JANUARY 11 • Folk night at the Ship Pub with Natalie

Murphy Centre, 579-8803. Continues until Jan. 15.

JANUARY 14 • Opening reception: Daryl Vocat from Ontario exhibits large scale screenprint and Catherine Ross from New York exhibits a video piece, 3 p.m., Eastern Edge Gallery.

JANUARY 15 • Public information session for the newly revived local of the musicians’ union, from 2-4 p.m., choral room, Memorial school of music. All welcome, 335-7007.

COMING UP • The 2nd annual Rock Can Roll Independent Music and Video Festival takes place in St. John’s, Jan. 20-22. For more information, visit www.rockcanrollrecords.com • Deadline for submissions for the annual Arts and Letters Awards is Jan. 20, www.gov.nl.ca/artsandletters or call coordinator Regina Best 576-5253.

IN THE GALLERIES • FLUX and the alchemy of motion: celebrating travel photographer Ryan Davis presents new images from Southeast Asia, China, and India, The Sprout Restaurant.

579-STOG 77 Ha Harv rvey ey Road

Stoggers’ Pizza Rethink your Pi Pizz zza! a!

JANUARY 8, 2006

20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

IN CAMERA

Race for Avalon

This week, the federal election campaign revved into gear with all the photo-ops, door-to-door campaigning, legions of volunteers, rhetoric and lofty promises expected leading up to the highstakes vote. Photographer Rhonda Hayward and senior editor Stephanie Porter hit the road to check in on the candidates in the riding of Avalon.

A

t Conway’s Flowers, at “the top of the hill” in Conception Harbour, Eugene Conway is transforming his summer greenhouse business into a New Democratic Party campaign headquarters.

The front sales building is littered with signs, wooden stakes and drills; there are posters inside and out. In the dust on the canvas covering the spare tire on the back of Conway’s truck, someone has written “NDP.” Conway says he and his brother have already taken 400 signs around the riding of Avalon, posting them along the Trans-Canada Highway and the main arteries. It’s tough, he says, to adequately cover the large district with minimal budget and volunteer support.

It’s this lack of resources — and running a campaign for the third party in a two-party province — that Conway says are his biggest challenges.

“This time you’re going to see a move,” Conway says. “I don’t know how big a move, but it’ll be something … for 57 years it’s been Liberals and Tories and same old story.”

In this particular riding — or its former incarnation, Bonavista-TrinityConception — it’s been very much the same story: the Liberals have had a stronghold since Confederation, winning all but two of the elections in the past 56 years. Some high-profile Liberals have represented the region, including Brian Tobin and John Efford.

“I think it’s happening, I think it’s changing,” Conway repeats. “Stephen Harper and Paul Martin are changing it and I think Jack Layton with the work he did in the last Parliament, he’s changing it.”

Conway has just pulled out a favourite 2006 campaign strategy: focus on the leaders. While all Avalon

candidates talk about saving rural Newfoundland, fixing health care, local management of the fishery and money for infrastructure, the federal leaders seem to be casting the longest shadows on the campaign trail.

“People are afraid of Stephen Harper,” says Conway. “They’re calling him sly. On the other hand, nobody’s praising Paul Martin on the Liberal side either.”

Liberal candidate Bill Morrow also counts the Conservative leader among his strengths. “Eight out of 10 people will raise, without me mentioning it, Stephen Harper and concerns about him and his agenda,” Morrow says.

Even Conservative candidate Fabian Manning addresses the leadership issue quickly. “My focus has always been on selling Fabian Manning,” he says. “I’m sure (Harper) is an issue to some voters and my opponents will use it … my feeling is there are a lot more issues important to the Avalon riding than Stephen Harper.”

On that count, he’s probably right.

The Avalon riding includes about 80,000 people and 9,335 square kilometers — virtually all of the Avalon Peninsula outside the two St. John’s ridings. The area posted a 2001 unemployment rate of just over 25 per cent, facing a wide range of challenges, both urban and rural.

As Morrow says, “the riding is comprised of thriving communities, communities that are holding their own, and communities that are falling away.

“It’s all here.”

••• Down the shore, in Bay Bulls, Fabian Manning is holding a photo-op with a few fishermen in a small sub shop.

Manning launches into his platform, heavy on discussions about infrastructure, quotas and regulation of the fishery.

JANUARY 8, 2006

“If there was one underlying issue, I think it’s our place and where exactly Newfoundland is within the Confederation of Canada,” he says later. “Not necessarily what they should give us, but in being treated as a true partner … we’re seen as being on our hands and knees to Ottawa when we have so many resources here.”

Manning, a 13-year veteran of provincial politics, says the only way to deal with the concerns in his riding is immediate and constant co-operation between the province and Ottawa — making sure the concerns of his district reach national ears.

“In a minority government, the seats the Conservatives might take out of Newfoundland and Labrador, they might hold the balance of power,”

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 21

Manning says, “which would be wonderful for me, because I’d be sitting there with a shopping list for the province.”

Itemizing the list, Manning starts with joint management of resources, especially the fishery (“we need to change some common-sense things right away”). Then there’s the federal presence in the province, and the 8.5 per cent share of Hibernia the feds own (“if that was another province, they’d be turning that over because these provinces have hundreds of seats”).

Manning, with a well-decorated campaign office in Kelligrews and some 2,000 volunteers behind him, is off to a running start. Should he win on Jan. 23, he says he’s got no illusions about going to Ottawa and saving

every community or every person.

“I don’t think that’s what people expect any more,” he says. “If there’s an issue, they expect it’ll be raised … and I have no problem doing that.”

••• Coming out of the Bay Bulls meeting, Mayor Don Drew and inshore fisherman Loyola Mulcahy pause to chat. “(Employment Insurance) is a big issue,” says Drew, when asked about his community. “It’s a hard thing to say after all these years, but people in outport communities are in the fishery, farms, forestry, carpentry, they’re dependent on seasonal industries. And the rules of EI constantly change, and constantly get harder, people out here never know what’s ahead.

“From the fisherman’s point of view, they’re looking at dollars and cents and quotas and what they’re going to have next year.”

Mulcahy offers a shrug — and the cynicism of someone who has heard the same promises for too long. He’s worried about the price of crab, wants a cod quota, wants a bigger wharf — things he fears seem irrelevant half a country away.

“It’s the same old story,” he says.

“There’s hope there, but once you get elected it’s the same old thing … I hope we see some change, but it’s only a small voice up there compared to the rest of Canada.”

••• Liberal candidate Bill Morrow, a Bay Roberts lawyer, says he’s willing

to work with the other MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador — of whatever party — to promote the province.

“We have to park the rhetoric at the door,” he says. “People are expecting that, they expect people to go there and work to find solutions. In this province we do feel issues do not get the attention they are worth.”

Morrow, campaigning door-to-door in Harbour Grace, says constituents are concerned about the big picture — the economy and their own future.

“The rural parts of this province are not keeping up (with the urban areas) by any means,” he says. “That’s had an affect on people and it’s had an affect on expectations … people are concerned whether circumstances are going to change for them and their families.”

To that end, Morrow offers his commitment the Liberals will stick to the strategies they’re known for, with no surprises — a public health-care system and the continuation of ACOA and other sources of government project funding.

“A lot of people depend on government-sponsored programs to ensure they have the means to provide for their families,” he says. “People are very frightened that’s going to change.”

Infrastructure improvements are also at the top of Morrow’s list, as is the need for a standardized child-care program.

Morrow isn’t just dealing with the usual slate of issues, but also the mixed legacy of John Efford, at times beloved and reviled by both the media and many in his home province.

“You know, there are areas that have been strongly (Conservative) in the past and John doesn’t carry much weight there,” says Morrow. “But overall … people look back very fondly at John and even people who have expressed some dissatisfaction to me in the past now say that he did a fine job.”

••• The busy, sign-covered headquarters of Manning and Morrow are a world away from Shannon Hillier, holding down the fort in her third-floor apartment in St. John’s. She’s the provincial co-ordinator for the Green Party and the candidate in the Avalon riding.

But the 25-year-old is passionate, committed, and clearly frustrated by her own dealings with government bureaucracy. She’s just hoping that over the next three weeks some of her words will be heard.

Her campaign got off to a rough start when the national Green leader came out against the seal hunt, alienating some candidates — and a host of otherwise polite Newfoundland voters.

Hillier shrugs and says she understands.

Meantime, the Green’s Harbour native is doing her best to focus on other issues, the ideas driving her to devote so much time to a race she knows she’s not going to win.

“The most important issue on the Avalon is sustainable employment,” she says. “I’m sick of all these useless grants … I mean, I’ve been on these (make-work programs), and it’s degrading … If we could use this money for something sustainable and long term …

“And our waste management, it’s gross. Get with the times … as much as Andy Wells doesn’t think St. John’s is ready for curbside pickup, I really think it’s high time that start happening.”

Hillier says her party stands for doing things at a community level — managing one’s own waste (including recycling and composting), stopping homelessness and the rising crime rates by meeting the real needs of youth, and See “One shining,” page 22

JANUARY 8, 2006

22 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

Taking stock of the new year A

new year is all about resolutions and I have two: I am going to be more careful with the foods I eat; and I’m going to get back to basics. I am going to get back to the fundamentals of cookery and cook because I love it.

The fundamentals of cookery are important to appreciate food. In my culinary training, one of the most important skills was making good stocks.

A stock is a flavoured water base, enriched by either protein or vegetable.

Poultry stock is essentially simmered bones with vegetable aromatics.

Over the holidays we have all had enough turkey; I see the turkey carcass as a way to have rich flavour all year long.

After you have finished with the bird and have cleaned the carcass don’t throw it out. Take the bones and put them in a pot big enough to hold them all with room to spare. Add 1-2 onions,

NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the eating path 2-3 peeled carrots and 1-2 ribs of celery, all coarsely chopped. Also add 2-3 bay leaves and a small handful of whole black peppercorns — but no salt.

The celery, onions and carrot are known in the business as mirepoix. It is possibly the most used combination of flavours. Cover the bones and vegetables with water — cold water. When cooking in general, cold water is preferable. With stocks, warm water starts the cooking process and starts clouding the stock by rendering out fat from the bones. Cold water is needed to make the stock crystal clear. Once the carcass and vegetables have been fully submerged with cold water, start heating the stock.

Bring the water to a boil. The French have a saying that “good food takes time,” and stock making is one of the most important steps to making good food. Once it has boiled, bring it down to the barest simmer possible. Simmer the stock for four hours or so.

While this witches’ brew of good stuff simmers (the key is simmering, not boiling), we sometimes see foam appearing on the top. Skim off this foam using a spoon. The foam is denatured proteins from the bones bubbling to the surface, and not very tasty.

After a couple of hours some water will have evaporated and the bones will not be submerged. Simply add enough water to cover them and keep the simmer going.

Once the mandatory four hours is up, we need to strain the stock. Herein lies the conundrum. In classical cooking, the stock would be strained into another pot and continue to reduce for another little while, but we don’t have that

much time.

Instead, strain the stock using a colander into another pot large enough to hold all the liquid.

Be careful with the bones as they are hot. I use a set of tongs to remove all the big bones before I strain, so as to save myself some severe burns while pouring the hot liquid from container to container.

Once it is strained you can marvel at your handiwork. You now have protein-enriched water suitable for things like soups and sauces.

Vegetable stocks can be used instead of meat stocks for soups. Take 3-4 onions, the same in carrot and celery and dice them up. Sweat them off in a pot with a little oil until soft.

Add 2 bay leaves, a tablespoon of black pepper corns to add flavour. Add 1 cup of white wine and reduce the liquid to almost dry. Then add water to cover it and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer for 45 minutes. Strain

From page 21

Canada’s trailblazing poet, Irving Layton, had lusty persona, many wives, feuds

I

rving Layton, one of the first Canadian poets to gain international stature and a controversial presence on the national scene for decades, died in Montreal Jan. 4 at the age of 93.

“He is our greatest poet, our greatest champion of poetry,” long-time friend Leonard Cohen says. “Alzheimer’s could not silence him and neither will death.”

Layton’s poetry owed more to his childhood experience of his acid-tongued mother and the verbal combativeness of the Jewish immigrant community in Montreal than it did to Longfellow or Wordsworth. He was also the first Canadian literary figure to use the media as a vehicle of self-promotion.

Irving Layton was born in 1912, in Romania. His parents, Moishe and Klara Lazarovitch, immigrated to Montreal with their eight children a year later. Klara barely supported her brood by running a tiny grocery store, but Layton managed to obtain a high school education while working at odd jobs, and to graduate from Macdonald College, affiliated with McGill. Layton obtained an MA in economics and political science from McGill in 1946.

For years he was a magnetic presence teaching history and literature at a Jewish high school in Montreal before realizing a life-long ambition in 1969 when he became professor of English at York University.

Layton’s first collection, Here and Now, appeared in 1945. One of its more notable poems was De Bullion Street, about Montreal’s red-light district, which compared a mission and church to “hemorrhoids on the city’s anus.” It was just the beginning.

Layton’s books poured out from literary presses in the late ’40s and ’50s. In 1956, a volume of his poems, The Improved Binoculars, was distributed by Ryerson Press, then affiliated with the United Church. Insiders were so

Irving Layton

offended by poems such as De Bullion Street that the name of Ryerson Press was removed from the copyright page.

The controversy attracted the attention of Jack McClelland, whose publishing company issued Layton’s breakthrough book, A Red Carpet for the Sun, in 1959. “His poems don’t suffer from the problem of most modern poetry (in which) poets are communicating only with other poets, and the average person can’t comprehend the symbolism,” McClelland told a reporter at the time. The book sold well.

South of the border, the great modernist poet William Carlos Williams called Layton “a backwoodsman with a tremendous power to do anything he wants with verse.”

By that point, Layton was inescapable. On the wings of frequent appearances on CBC television’s Fighting Words, poetry readings and media interviews, he developed the persona of a hot-blooded, lusty poet glorying in

Nicholas is an erstwhile chef and current food writer now eating in St. John’s nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

‘One shining hope’

At end of the page

By Philip Marchand Torstar wire service

and you have a vegetable elixir suitable for all uses.

My favourite use is in risotto or pilaf or as a flavour enhancer for mashed root vegetables. With the golden liquid you have a couple of choices: cool the stock and pour it into containers suitable for freezing (ice cream containers work well if you intend to make soup) or put another pot on the stove and sweat off some mirepoix (smallish dice) a garlic clove or two, add back some golden stock and any turkey meat still left over.

Season and simmer for 45 minutes or so and you have turkey soup. It will taste better than any soup you have had before and will be a healthy start for the 2006 year. Now that’s the way to start a new year!

sex and riotous living, in defiance of his pinched, repressed fellow Canadians. To reporter June Callwood, however, he insisted on his faithfulness as a husband. “There is not the smallest crumb of truth in the stories one hears about my philandering,” he said. “I had coffee romances and then fantasized them into poems, that’s all.”

In 1938 he married Faye Lynch, a bookkeeper whose salary helped support Layton while still a student. Subsequent wives included Betty Sutherland, half-sister to actor Donald Sutherland and mother of his children Max and Naomi; Aviva Layton Whiteson, mother of his son David, who published Motion Sickness, an unflattering portrait of his father in 1999; Harriet Bernstein, mother of his daughter Samantha; and Anna Pottier, his last wife, from whom he separated in 1995.

Whiteson retained a friendship with the poet until the end of his life. “Irving sparkled in an era now gone,” she comments. “For a long time, he was right at the centre of Canadian literature and he had a very full life.”

The quality of his poetry declined markedly throughout the ’70s and ‘80s. By the time Alzheimer’s disease silenced Layton in the late ’90s, his poetic reputation had begun to slide. Nonetheless, he retained devoted readers.

“I loved him,” says Patrick Lane, one of Canada’s best-known contemporary poets. “I loved especially his sheer joy at being male.”

Former Toronto poet laureate Dennis Lee says of Layton, “He probably had the richest vocabulary of any poet in Canada.”

Both Lee and Layton’s biographer, Elspeth Cameron, agree there are a dozen or 15 poems Layton leaves behind that will ensure his immortality.

“I think the kind of poetry he wrote was truly a breakthrough from the kind of Romantic British poetry that came before him,” says Cameron. “He wasn’t a fluke ... he was a major figure.”

moving back towards home-based health care.

“Look to the past, people did things then that made sense.

We did things here in Newfoundland to sustain ourselves, we have a concept of what comes from the land,” she says. “I think people are green in Newfoundland but we don’t realize it.”

••• Liberal George Sweeney, the provincial member for Carbonear-Harbour Grace — one of the eight districts that fall within the Avalon riding — is expecting another Liberal minority government, but hoping for big changes this time around.

“The federal government, fisheries in particular, they just make me sick,” he says. “They’re just so inadequate … there’s been lip service for so long, but I just don’t see the urge to do anything.

“Certainly the stocks out there are in a mess but there are other things we could be doing. 1992 was devastating in this area, we lost the Harbour Grace fish plant, the Carbonear fish plant, and we haven’t recovered from that.”

He says the federal government has to decentralize in order to work. But Ottawa has a big role to play in his district’s revitalization — and he says their “one shining hope” lies in the prospect of a returned minority.

“We’ve got to be treated as equal partners with the rest of the country,” he says. “When the dust settles from all of this – and this is a dirty campaign — if Paul Martin forms the next government, he’s got to revamp it, look at the whole bureaucracy, he’s got to work closer to the provinces.”

••• Conway agrees there is great potential in a minority government. Although the NDP has historically had little federal success in Newfoundland and Labrador, he’s determined to make his mark — and calls on the voters of Avalon to “vote strategically.

“The government may still have to depend on the NDP to survive,” he says. “So why not send Eugene Conway up there with a real vote in his pocket? He’ll stand up and vote as he sees fit for Newfoundland … rather than depend on the mainland MPs to do all the work for us.”

Picking his top issue, Conway points to the need for income support for rural areas of the province.

“Let’s focus on the people that are there, so those that are there don’t leave,” he says. “The killer in rural Newfoundland today is the moms and dads and grandparents. That’s what’s bleeding our communities.

“We need some kind of program to help people who have been in the fishery to retire out with dignity, and stay … that’ll stabilize that element.”

Conway looks to give the elderly enough to be able to afford home care within their home communities, and to provide enough so the many seasonal workers, in tourism or natural resources, have enough to live in the outports year-round.

When those demographics are given the resources they need to live, he says, the rest will follow.

“Then let’s bring in the economic development because the young people will see the opportunities … and there will be workers there to help out.”

Conway ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Progressive Conservatives in 1996 (and for the NDP in 2003). He says the New Democrats now best fit his beliefs and vision for the region.

“It’s the only party left with a social conscience,” he says.

“We’ve got to get the social net back in the communities.”

POET’S CORNER On the edge Shirtless we played along the shore in summer freedom Shabby sneakers fought up-turned rocks Creatures lured to tin coffins On faded shirts we piled the season’s loot urchin shells, gull feathers, bits of glass From lumpy kelp we burst the sea’s salt wine Sun baked eyes saw no reprieve until the creeping fog cut short the day No one knows the hour.

— Angela Otto, St. John’s

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 8-14, 2006 — PAGE 23

Owner of the new Basho restaurant, Tak Ishiwata.

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

The place to go With inspiration from world famous chef, downtown dining just got a little more cosmopolitan

By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

B

asho Japanese fusion restaurant and lounge is an example of how the restaurant scene in St. John’s is growing and diversifying.

With food inspired by world famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa (renowned for creating simple fusions of Japanese cuisine, inspired by ethnic influences), a modern, genuine Japanese décor and the option of experiencing fine dining or a casual lounge setting complete with contemporary music, Basho would be equally at home in Tokyo, New York, or London.

Tak Ishiwata, the owner of Basho (which means place in Japanese), was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador after his parents moved from

Tokyo just over 30 years ago.

Just as his restaurant changed the face of downtown St. John’s dining when it opened its doors on Duckworth Street in mid-December, Ishiwata was also challenged with changing the face of what was once Nageira’s restaurant (downstairs) and Finnegan’s Wake pub (upstairs).

NEW DÉCOR “It was hard to envision because the inside interior décor had an old-style Irish tavern sort of look to it and it looked very cramped and small,” Ishiwata tells The Independent, “but once we put my concept in the place it looked … it’s almost too big right now. I mean it seats 100 people.”

Ishiwata is perched on a stool in the upstairs lounge. Behind him, a sleek bar, lit from beneath, curves past a row of win-

dows looking over the top of Water Street to the harbour beyond. Tall tables and a couch are dotted around so customers can come in for a few drinks and/or appetizers (Basho’s martini list reflects the restaurant’s unique menu). The décor is simple, but dramatic: black, red, grey and white, set off by Japanese prints and floral arrangements.

At the bottom of a wooden, winding staircase leading to the front door is an impressive painting of kabuki performers (kabuki is a form of Japanese theatre). The main fine-dining room is on the same floor. Another huge kabuki painting sets off the room, and yet another decorates the hall towards a private conference room.

Ishiwata explains his grandfather painted the images. He died in a house fire about 10 years ago in Tokyo and only a

few of his pieces were salvaged. On a recent trip back to Japan, Ishiwata’s aunt gave him the darkly dramatic paintings to hang on his walls.

CELEBRITY FOLLOWING There are also some mounted photographs of Ishiwata and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa — who’s as well-known for his appearances on television shows like Martha Stewart Living, his large celebrity following and his restaurants worldwide — as he is for his cooking.

Two years ago when Ishiwata began seriously courting the idea of opening a restaurant, he had no idea he would get to build on his skills in Nobu’s world-famous Tokyo restaurant, meet his idol and even See “Pretty nerve-wracking,” page 24

What’s in a letter?

Mystery surrounds 1985 Hydro-Quebec note promising to discuss upper Churchill redress

By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent

I

f Hydro-Quebec signed a letter of intent in 1984 with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro stating a willingness to deal with the inequities of the upper Churchill contract, why wasn’t it followed up on?

And what relevance does the letter bear today and where exactly can a Newfoundlander or Labradorian find a copy?

The letter in question first came to light in November, 1996 when then-

premier Brian Tobin gave a speech about the upper Churchill in Montreal and another in Toronto. The speeches were part of a strategy to promote development of the lower Churchill.

Tobin quoted Hydro-Quebec’s 1984 letter: “Bearing in mind the need to reach a compromise approach to a more equitable return to Newfoundland as the owner of the hydraulic resources of the upper Churchill, the parties agree to devise a formula whereby Newfoundland would receive a fair and equitable return for the electricity produced, taking into account the need to adapt the

terms of existing arrangements to the new reality which has arisen since the original arrangements were entered into.”

Vic Young, who was head of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro at the time the letter was drawn up, used the same excerpt two months after Tobin’s speeches in correspondence with thenprime minister Jean Chrétien. Young’s correspondence requested federal involvement in renegotiating the upper Churchill contract.

Brian Peckford, who was premier at the time in the 1980s, says “there were

a number of communications” from Hydro-Quebec during negotiations back then to develop the lower Churchill. He says the so-called letter of intent was no more significant than any of the other correspondence and its importance has been blown out of proportion.

During his tenure, Peckford had a team of lawyers investigate the Churchill contract and twice took the matter to court — unsuccessfully.

He remembers Tobin calling him a couple of hours before making his speech in 1996 to tell him he was going

to reveal the letter.

“I was trying to explain to him that you’ve inflated its importance,” Peckford tells The Independent. “In the sense that it’s the same as if I sent a letter to you saying I promise to do this or it is my intention, or I am willing to consider and then nothing’s ever done about it afterwards.”

The letter is the first and perhaps only time Hydro-Quebec has ever formally admitted to inequities in the upper Churchill deal, but Peckford says See “As always,” page 25

24 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

JANUARY 8, 2006

‘Pretty nerve-wracking’ From page 23 get to use some of Nobu’s personal recipes for his menu in St. John’s.

It came about when Ishiwata’s mother introduced him to a friend of hers in Tokyo. Over the years, his mother’s friend, Chef Negishi, had become one of the top chefs in Japan.

“We sat down for a meeting and he asked me who I’d like to train under,” says Ishiwata. “I said, ‘You know, I’d like to work under Nobu,’ and he said, ‘I’ll give him a call this afternoon.’

And within hours he called me back and told me ‘You can start at Nobu (Tokyo) whenever you want.’

“I was pretty excited … I’d been following his progress for about seven

years.”

It was early 2005 and Ishiwata had only just bought his venue in St. John’s before flying out to Japan. So he told Negishi he would return in four months after renovations on the building were underway.

Ishiwata already had some culinary and management training from New York’s Culinary Institute of America, but he spent six weeks with the chefs at Nobu Tokyo, learning his craft in hands-on fashion, in a restaurant frequented by high-ranking celebrities, politicians and service industry executives.

“It was excellent. It was pretty nerve-wracking. I cut my hands a couple of times. In the first day I think

I lost half a fingernail. It was tough work.”

Although Nobu now lives in the U.S., he visited his restaurant in Tokyo while Ishiwata was there — and even gave him some recipes as a gift.

“He’s just a genuinely, really nice guy,” says Ishiwata. “I said it would be a great honour for me and my restaurant to have something that was inspired by him and he said, ‘Well Tak, what two items do you like?’”

Taken off guard, Ishiwata “blurted” out one item from off the top of his head (an asparagus and egg sauce appetizer with scallops and fish roe, which turned out to be a smart choice) as well as the item he had his eye on

all along: Nobu style sashimi.

Sashimi is raw meat — usually fish — and Nobu (and now Basho) uses seasonal white fish, with garlic, ginger, chives, lemon and soya sauce.

“On top we have really hot olive oil and sesame oil. It’s almost smoking hot,” says Ishiwata. “ You pour it on and it slightly cooks the fish and there’s little bits of potato crisps.”

Ishiwata says the dish is a great starting point for people wary of raw fish, or those who have had a bad experience in the past.

“People that don’t like sushi, they come here and (Basho) would probably change their mind.”

Ishiwata says Basho’s menu, which

has a diverse range of artistically presented Japanese items, inspired by many different ethnicities, at a cost usually well under $32, will show people there’s a lot more to Japanese cuisine than sushi.

Although he says training in Tokyo was amazing, Ishiwata is happier bringing his cuisine to the locals in St. John’s.

“Nobu Tokyo, if they wanted me to stay, I would have really had to sit down and think about it … but I have so much here.”

Basho opens at 6 p.m. onwards and will start opening for lunch within two months. A date for the grand opening is expected to be announced shortly.

Lower energy needs hit loonie

By Steven Theobald Torstar wire service

I

IT

COSTS

$ 405

A NIGHT TO RENT

A THREE BEDROOM LUXURY CHALET AT

H UMBER VALLEY R ESORT *

* WAIT A MINUTE ...

THAT ’ S ONLY

$ 68 A PERSON

IF THERE ARE

6

OF YOU .

Luxury doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, at Humber Valley Resort, we’re all about living large— even with a not-so-large wallet. Take advantage of our mid-season rates and book now.

You’ll see what we mean when you get here.

Call us at 1.866.686.8100 or visit www.humbervalley.com, and check out our great package deals.

f the first week of 2006 is any indication, the Canadian dollar is in for a stormy year.

The currency, which hit a 14-year high Jan. 4, plunged more than a full cent the day afterwards on more news that a warmer-than-expected start to the North American winter continues to pull down natural gas prices.

That’s good news for Canadians’ home heating bills but natural gas exports to the United States account for more than a half of Canada’s trade surplus, which hit $7.2 billion for October.

The prospect of falling gas shipments stateside prompted a sell-off in the Canadian dollar, which had been gaining ground despite weakening gas prices in the past few days.

“The rally we’ve had in the Canadian dollar over the past week and a half has gotten a little bit overextended,” says George Davis, director of foreign exchange at RBC Capital Markets.

“That caught up with the market.”

The currency had been losing ground in overnight trading in Europe, and that trend continued in North America.

The Canadian dollar ended the day at 85.95 cents (U.S.), down 1.26 cents.

While falling commodity prices, particularly natural gas, are the main culprit, some economic data may contribute to the loonie’s woes, says Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns.

Canada’s federal election may also be playing a bit part, he says. “It has been largely ignored at this point, but as we get to the home stretch, it is getting attention from the markets.”

The influence commodity prices have on the dollar will likely start to wane this year, says Andrew Pyle, senior financial markets economist at Bank of Nova Scotia.

Fundamental problems in the U.S. economy, highlighted by ballooning trade and government deficits, will likely cause the greenback to fall, Pyle says.

“At some point, the shift away from the big dollar will provide support and a resumption of the loonie’s ascent to 90 cents.”

RBC’s Davis expects the opposite.

His group is calling for an 82-cent exchange rate by year’s end, based largely on continued softening in commodity prices.

As for the health of the Canadian and U.S. economies, both countries will soon release their much-awaited December employment reports.

Solid full-time job creation helped cut Canada’s unemployment rate to 6.4 per cent for November, a 31-year low.

“If we get another blockbuster report out of Canada, we may see some of the losses in the Canadian dollar reverse,” Davis says.

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 25

YOUR VOICE

Does Air Canada care?

Editor’s note: the following letter was written to Robert Milton, CEO of Air Canada, with a copy forwarded to The Independent.

Mr. Milton, Below you will find a letter with a summary of issues I had with Air Canada on Dec. 28 that I have sent on to both the customer service arms of Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz. I am writing you now to make you aware of these challenges because I believe my experiences to be emblematic of significant capability and customer service challenges hurting Air Canada and its customers.

Further, I am writing to express significant concern over what I see as a trend of poor customer service by Air Canada and an absolute disregard for the rights/needs of the Canadian travelling consumer.

Since the incidents described below I have also flown from Regina to Toronto on Jan. 1. Again, one of my bags was not put on the plane and I will lose the perishable goods in that bag as the contents were shipped from Regina to Calgary and then back to Toronto.

When I questioned your baggage personnel, they indicated that my bag was not placed on the plane due to baggage capacity restrictions associated with the Bombardier Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ) being used on the flight. (This is despite the fact that my bags were well within the two bags, 50-pound each restrictions you emphasize on the Air Canada website.)

The baggage agent then went on to volunteer (unprompted) that the CRJ was becoming a major problem for customers due to its small capacity and inability to transport the bags of

Paul Daly/The Independent

its passengers. He said that St. John’s has been the worst city with the “vast majority” of customers not getting their luggage shipped on the same flight and therefore having to wait many hours (and potentially days) for the accumulated baggage from Bombardier serviced flights to be shipped on an Airbus flight.

To be honest I would have found this admission shocking (that Air Canada had chosen to operate a plane incapable of carrying a basic amount of luggage to multiple provincial capitals) had I not had experience with the Air Canada service inadequacies:

Future of children on line in election

By David Crane Torstar wire service

T

his election campaign is not simply about whom voters like better, Paul Martin or Stephen Harper. There are major differences between Martin and Harper over the nature of Canada and what kind of future matters.

Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than their opposing policies on children. While this may not seem like a business or economic issue, it is.

It affects working parents, which affects the workplace. And, even more importantly, it affects the life chances of our youngest people and the quality of our future population, which is the workforce of tomorrow.

Martin is a strong advocate of a universal program of early childhood development. This is based on both evidence from the growing knowledge of how the human brain develops and from social science research on the experience of young children.

The evidence from neurobiology clearly shows that the trajectories for adult learning, health and coping skills are set early in life and that a positive program of early childhood development can enhance the capabilities of youngsters and better ensure they are ready to learn when they enter the school system.

Children entering school ready to learn are much more likely to succeed in school and continue on to post-secondary education.

This is why James Heckman, the University of Chicago economist and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, has argued that “the best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very young and improve basic learning and socialization skills.” He adds society, and individuals, gain the highest rate of return from investment in early childhood development.

ELECTION PROMISE In the 2004 federal election campaign, Martin promised to invest $5 billion over five years to establish a Canada-wide program for early childhood development. All 10 provinces have since signed agreements to participate, based on so-called QUAD principles of quality, universality, accessibility and development. In this election campaign, Martin has promised to invest another $6 billion, starting in 2009, so that the program runs to at least 2015.

For his part, Harper has come up with his own alternative, which is dismissive of the goal of universal early childhood development programs and pledges instead to give every family

with a child under the age of six $100 a month to spend whatever way they want, including on babysitters, neighbours or encouraging a parent to stay home. The $100 would be taxable.

Harper defends his position by arguing that parents know best and should be able to choose. Martin’s approach, Harper argues, only benefits those parents who want to place their children in regulated and formal programs. Harper has also implied that a Conservative government would reconsider opting out of existing agreements with the provinces.

READINESS FOR LEARNING But early childhood development is much more ambitious than what is known as daycare or child care.

Daycare can simply mean babysitting or unstructured care but early childhood development, which closely involves parents, represents a commitment to pedagogically-based nurturing and play-based learning, including music, art and games, to achieve a readiness for learning as children enter the school system.

The experience in many communities is that this kind of early childhood centre, working with parents, is clearly beneficial to the parents as well, which is important since they remain the primary caregivers. This is why communities are receptive to this approach.

The Scandinavian countries provide the best examples of a serious commitment to early childhood development, with formal systems, working closely with parents, from the earliest years, under the direction of early childhood workers with several years of formal post-secondary training and with well-developed programs for young children.

Not surprisingly, Finland and Sweden have the most literate and numerate populations in the Western world. Moreover, these high levels of achievement are found across all socio-economic groups.

Finland and Sweden also rank ahead of Canada in overall competitiveness, according to the World Economic Forum. They clearly demonstrate that the quality of the population determines the quality of present and future society.

“Societies that invest in future generations do better than those that don’t,” says Fraser Mustard, Canada’s leading advocate of early childhood development.

So children obviously face different futures, depending on whether Martin’s approach, or Harper’s, is followed in the years ahead. But so do Canadian society and the economy.

Differences do matter.

• My own experience on Dec. 28 when two flights from St. John’s operated with CRJ arrived with no (or very little luggage) for their passengers.

• My own experience where my luggage from Regina was not loaded due to CRJ capacity constraints.

• My sister’s flight from St. John’s to Toronto during the early morning of Jan. 1 where again an entire flight arrived at Toronto without luggage.

I believe that this current modus operandi borders on fraud. When a Canadian consumer purchases a ticket on Air Canada they have a good-

faith expectation that if they show up at the airport with the allowed amount of luggage that that luggage will arrive at their destination when they do.

This year Air Canada has already reduced the amount of luggage most consumers are able to carry yet still your airline appears incapable of providing the service (i.e., delivery of baggage) that consumers expect and are paying for.

It is reasonable that occasionally a plane will be overloaded and therefore there may be baggage delays but it appears that your selection of the

CRJ as your preferred plane is mandating an unacceptable level of service for those areas (i.e., smaller markets like St. John’s, Regina, etc.).

Why must Newfoundlanders (and others) bear the brunt of this shoddy service, the brunt of your plane choice? Why are Newfoundlanders being expected to pay full fares but only receive partial service? Does Air Canada not care about the level of service offered to Newfoundland?

In your management presentation, you claim, “regional jets will change the airline industry.”

Yet if that change is to a world where I routinely need to wait multiple days for my baggage to be found and transported I can assure its not a welcome change.

Further, in the taped intro of your Jazz flights, Air Canada brags about being the lead and initial carrier to showcase the CRJ ... yet it appears to be a plane (that although cheap for you to operate) is ill suited for the customer load factors on the St. John’s or Regina flights. As a taxpayer, I can assure you I would much prefer having not subsidized the CRJ (by the hundreds of millions of dollars to Bombardier) and instead flying on a plane from elsewhere capable of transporting both me and my luggage.

I look forward to a prompt response from Air Canada on these issues. I am also forwarding this correspondence on to the relevant media outlets as I believe that this systematic underservice of Canada’s outlying areas is an important issue.

And it (and the associated poor service being provided by Air Canada) are issues that consumers should know about.

Peter Dawe, Toronto (originally from Topsail)

‘As always, it fell away’ From page 23 it’s simply an example of HydroQuebec’s “airy fairy” negotiating tactics at the time. He says he has no idea where the letter might be today.

“After we pursued it and we went back into negotiations big time, everything, as always, it fell away.

“The other problem you have is being able to determine when HydroQuebec was speaking for the Government of Quebec and when it

wasn’t … at the end of the day, there has to be a cabinet order in council, different from a board of directors’ resolution at a Hydro-Quebec board meeting.”

Peckford says picking apart old negotiating tactics is interesting as a research pursuit, but won’t help fix the upper Churchill deal. He does stress, however, that any development of the lower Churchill should include the upper Churchill. He says past administrations have failed to uphold that,

which might adversely affect future negotiations for the Williams administration.

“When either premier (Clyde) Wells or premier Tobin, both of them, agreed not to use the upper Churchill as a lever in doing the lower Churchill with Quebec, that to me is far more fundamental an issue in trying to do something on Labrador power than anything I’ve seen to date on looking at what happened during the discussions of the upper Churchill contract.”

Stop a heart attack before it starts.

Your support is vital.

Research into the root causes of heart disease and stroke will help millions live longer, healthier lives. As a leading funder of heart and stroke research in Canada, we need your help. Call 1-888-HSF-INFO or visit www.heartandstroke.ca

JANUARY 8, 2006

26 • INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE…

…AND NOW. CUSTOMER SERVICE PROFESSIONALS Full-Time Opportunities; New $8.50/hr pay rate We’re also hiring for Human Capital Manager, Recruiter and Training & Quality Manager Also look for us at the Academy Canada Career Day on January 20th at the Kenmount Road Campus

For more than 20 years, TeleTech has been a leader in customer care, providing global solutions that bring together the very best professionals, technology and resources. And now, you can be a part of our world-renowned team! We're currently looking for highly motivated, career-oriented individuals who want the challenge of a fast-paced, dynamic job and work environment that offer great financial rewards, incentives and career advancement opportunities.

Benefits include: the potential to earn a monthly bonus, a schedule based on tenure, comprehensive insurance (medical & dental), paid vacation, opportunities for advancement, FREE parking, a dedicated work station, your own headset and much more!

TeleTech accepts applications for all positions at:

www.

.com

or apply in person at: 760 Top Sail Rd., Mt. Pearl, New Foundland Your future can start right here...right now.

EOE

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENT SPECIAL SECTION • 27

The Newfound Developers Group of Companies (Newfound) is comprised of a strong development team of skilled and determined professionals with expertise and experience in business development, law, finance, and marketing.

Newfound has ownership interests and management control over a number of companies including Humber Valley Resort, Strawberry Hill Resort, Newfound Property International and The Independent.

Graphic Designer We are looking for an outstanding designer with exceptional production skills to fill a one year maternity leave, with potential for a permanent position. Reporting to Newfound's Creative Director, the Graphic Designer will be primarily responsible for day to day design and production of marketing materials for a variety of international developments.

The successful candidate must have strong knowledge in the following areas: Z Software: QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Professional Z Offset Printing: pre-press file set up, press approvals Z Design: solid eye for composition and in-depth understanding of typography The successful candidate must demonstrate the following attributes: Z exceptional awareness of design trends Z ability to work independently and efficiently Z capable of communicating with printers and service providers Applications must state relevant experience and include references and an extensive portfolio.

Please forward by January 13th, 2006 to: employment@newfounddevelopers.com (by email only).

All applications will be accepted with complete confidentiality.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please.

28 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

JANUARY 8, 2006

WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Business letter abbr.

4 Guilty, or not guilty 8 Ascot, e.g.

13 Hurry 17 Mince ___ 18 Mown grass 19 Explorer of caverns 20 Man or Wight 21 Doomed from the start 23 Residence 24 Pricey 25 Apiece 26 Relative by marriage 28 Come into one’s own 30 Healthcare professional 32 Angler’s basket 33 African tree with high-fat seeds 34 Stew 35 Several notes together (mus.)

36 Stone figures 40 It’s stranded in the body 41 African game, for short 42 Not a soul 43 Me (Fr.) 44 News magazine 46 Was able to 47 Reputation 48 Bear with us at night 49 Bring about 50 The Chateau Frontenac, e.g.

51 First man to sail solo around the world (19th c.): Nova Scotian Joshua ___ 54 Metric weight 55 Portion of time 56 Poison produced by an organism 57 Author Gallant 58 Loud, discordant noise 59 Needed to pay 60 Ventured 61 Co-founder of National Ballet School 65 Type of humour 66 French lesson 67 Levels 68 It gets the ball rolling 69 Power of vision 71 Smooth and glossy 72 Diva’s solo 73 Frédérique's father 74 Accumulate 75 Narrow openings 76 Stratas of opera 79 Vends 80 Bit of news 81 Australian gem 82 Writing-on-___ Prov.

Park, Alta.

84 Largest Native community in Maritimes 88 Author Bissoondath (The Unyielding Clamour of the Night, 2005)

89 Carefree: sans ___ 90 Pequod captain 91 Modern: prefix 92 Poetic dusks 93 Urge forward 94 Ensembles 95 Japanese money DOWN 1 Start for centre or cure 2 Zip 3 Knobby root vegetable 4 ___ setting 5 Latticework 6 Woolly mom 7 Metal supports for logs in a fireplace 8 Climbed 9 Group of conspirators 10 Acknowledge 11 B.C.’s tree: western ___ cedar 12 Ability to act at one’s own discretion (2 wds.)

13 Ottawa’s skating rink: ___ Canal 14 Software buyer 15 Smelting refuse 16 Solomon Gursky Was ___ (Richler) 22 Burkina ___ 27 Roman fiddler 29 Allot 30 Standard 31 It parallels a radius 32 A Perfect Night to Go to ___ (David

Gilmour, 2005 GG) 33 Scarf for the shoulders 35 Abyss 36 Immerse in liquid 37 Fine fiddle 38 ___ and Juliet 39 Word on a triangle 41 Old TV show 42 Parts of speech 45 Clear 46 Member of the dog family 47 Part of NATO 49 Wiccan assembly 50 Piles 51 Our first woman doctor: Emily ___ 52 He wrote Under the Volcano 53 Daisy 54 Fortune card 55 ___, plank, plonk 57 Papier ___ 58 Lose blood 60 Long-running CBC TV show 61 Abroad 62 Extreme bitterness 63 Comme ___ et jour 64 Afternoon do’s 66 Flunks the polygraph 67 Airline to BenGurion 70 Periods 71 Cirque du ___ 72 Pub offerings 74 Therefore 75 Knifes

76 Sound 77 Duel tool 78 Shower

79 Liquid food 80 Indonesian textile technique

83 Kitten’s pa 85 Pronoun for a ship 86 Birth name indicator

87 Electrically charged atom

WEEKLY STARS ARIES - MAR 21/APR 20 Don't worry about bad news you'll receive this week, Aries. It's more of a misunderstanding than anything else. Ignore the dire warnings and proceed with your plans.

TAURUS - APR 21/MAY 21 Advice you'll receive from a friend can't be trusted, Taurus.

This person is not qualified to speak about certain topics, and especially not the one you have concerns about.

GEMINI - MAY 22/JUN 21 A surprise guest knocks on your door in the days to come, Gemini.

Be warm and accommodating even though it's an imposition.

The visit will be a short one.

CANCER - JUN 22/JUL 22 A positive attitude will help you tackle a project more easily than a negative one will, Cancer. Cast your doubts aside that you'll never get the job done and get to it.

LEO - JUL 23/AUG 23 Putting your trust in a family member's hands will end with suprising results, Leo. You can't avoid the situation, so there's no point worrying about it in advance.

VIRGO - AUG 24/SEPT 22 This is a critical time at work, so be on your best behavior, Virgo, or you may be passed up for a promotion. Don't sabotage what you've worked so hard to attain.

LIBRA - SEPT 23/OCT 23 A move that you made a few months ago is not panning out.

Admit defeat and cut your losses.

Don't worry, friends and family will support you until you're back on your feet.

SCORPIO - OCT 24/NOV 22 A promotion at work has resulted in more assignments on your plate. While you enjoy the status, you didn't expect so many extra

responsibilities. Speak up if you need help.

SAGITTARIUS - NOV 23/DEC 21 Several financial blunders left you in the red at the end of last year.

Make a resolution this time around to be more frugal with your purchases, or the same results will ensue.

CAPRICORN - DEC 22/JAN 20 A proposition has been made to you, and you've accepted. Big changes are in store in the weeks to come, Capricorn, so hang on tight and enjoy the bumpy ride.

AQUARIUS - JAN 21/FEB 18 Now that things are stable on the homefront, Aquarius, concentrate on what you're going to do at work. It just may be time to seek out a promotion.

PISCES - FEB 19/MAR 20 After a year of hard work, consider taking some time off for a

much-needed vacation, Pisces.

You'll be glad you got a break.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS JANUARY 8 Stephen Hawking, scientist (64) JANUARY 9 A.J. McLean, singer (28) JANUARY 10 Rod Stewart, singer (61) JANUARY 11 Amanda Peet, actress (34) JANUARY 12 Kirstie Alley, actress (51) JANUARY 13 Orlando Bloom, actor (29) JANUARY 14 LL Cool J, rapper/actor (38)

Fill in the grid so that each row of nine squares, each column of nine and each section of nine (three squares by three) contains the numbers 1 through 9 in any order.

There is only one solution to each puzzle. Solutions, tips and computer program available at www.sudoko.com SOLUTION ON PAGE 31

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 29

Sutter’s hockey machine

By Damien Cox Torstar wire service

I

t’s conceivable, or perhaps even likely, that in five years not a single individual from this year’s junior Team Canada will still linger in the national consciousness.

That would be unusual, of course, for a Canadian team this successful, a team that won the world junior championship Jan. 5 by blanking the pretournament favourite Russians 5-0.

After all, from the ‘95 champs there were a host of future NHL stars from Jason Allison to Bryan McCabe, and Jarome Iginla is still remembered as the best player on another Canadian champion the next year. In 1997, an undertalented Canadian team won gold led by Alyn McCauley, Chris Phillips and goalie Marc Denis.

VIBRANT MEMORY From last year’s team, still a vibrant memory, there were Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Dion Phaneuf and, of course, Sidney Crosby. Even the silver medalists of ‘99 in Winnipeg are still remembered for the courageous netminding of Roberto Luongo, while the ‘03 team that couldn’t get past the Russians in the final in Halifax featured the personality of Jordin Tootoo and the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury.

This year could be different.

All that may be recalled is a relent-

less wave of black helmets, red-andwhite jerseys and a machine-like approach. Maybe goalie Justin Pogge will strike a chord with some, particularly Maple Leaf fans. Jonathan Toews, if he’s destined for the type of success some imagine, might ring a bell in years ahead.

Or maybe not.

Brent Sutter, the most unquestioned national junior coach in the history of the program, took a team with only one returnee and forged a club that didn’t have a featured sniper like Iginla or a stud defenceman like Phaneuf, and turned it into a collective sense of mission and discipline.

They simply pounded the Finns into the ice during the semifinals in a brutally efficient 4-0 triumph, and once again there wasn’t an individual performance that particularly stood out from the mob. No stars. Just wins.

“We didn’t have a chance,” lamented Finland goalie Tuukka Rask, a Leaf draft pick. “They played so well. They play so hard with five guys.”

There was no No.1 scoring line, and at the other end of the spectrum, nobody noticed when highly regarded Montreal draftee Guillaume Latendresse slipped from a first-line role to a bench warmer. That wave of black helmets just kept churning and checking and coming.

“The kids stuck with the program,” says Sutter. “They never wavered.

That’s why they are the team they have

become.”

No, this Canadian outfit wasn’t as blissfully skilled as last year’s magnificent squad.

VANCOUVER A FINE HOST While wealthy Vancouver may not have the community warmth and spirit that made Halifax such an appealing success in 2003 — and not many Canadian cities do — this tournament was extraordinarily well attended and yet another in a lengthening series of lucrative successes for Hockey Canada.

It has also shredded for good, one should think, the notion that Vancouver is a fickle sports town, one that couldn’t maintain an Indy race and gained and lost an NBA franchise in the blink of an eye (perhaps they’d be willing to take the Raptors and give it another try?).

See, it wasn’t that long ago at all that Vancouver, like Toronto, was considered incapable of staging a Grey Cup, let alone a significant international event.

Well, the Grey Cup effort in November produced a spectacular game and a compelling week of festivities, and the quality of this world junior competition has been an encouraging stepping stone on the road to the 2010 Winter Olympics, an event that is expected to be accompanied by high expectations of unprecedented Canadian podium success.

Bad break won’t deter Dionne from Olympics

By Randy Starkman Torstar wire service

P

reparing for her first jump since breaking her neck, freestyle skier Deidra Dionne felt a strange calm as she stood at the top of the hill.

Then, she went out and fell flat on her face.

“I was a little embarrassed but got right back up and tried again and landed this time,” says Dionne, who escaped with a black eye and cuts when she began jumping again last month.

A journey on which Dionne took another step forward last week when she competed in Mont Gabriel, Que., in her first World Cup event since the accident four months ago in Australia.

Dionne’s past performances pretty much make her a lock for the Feb. 1026 Turin Winter Olympics if she’s

healthy enough to go, and right now she doesn’t expect any problems. The former Olympic bronze medalist says she’s well ahead of her “realistic plan” and just behind what she calls her “dream plan.”

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the 23-year-old from Red Deer, Alta., who broke her neck in a head-first crash Sept. 1 while training for the season-opening World Cup in Australia.

The doctor who led the 13-member surgical team that fused her neck together with a titanium plate and a piece of her hip bone said she came very close to quadriplegia.

“I think it’s a great testament to her tenaciousness,” says Freestyle Canada CEO Peter Judge, who has been coaching Dionne during her comeback.

Dionne’s mental preparation included a recent conversation with former

Canadian downhill skier Brian Stemmle, who returned from a near fatal crash on Kitzbuehel’s treacherous Hahnenkamm course in 1989.

“There’s a similarity between our sports,” says Dionne. “You can do it at 80 per cent but if you want be successful you’ve got to do it at 100 per cent.

Like downhill, freestyle aerials is like tiptoeing to the edge of the cliff and seeing how far you can go without falling off.”

One of those days came recently for Dionne when she chose not to jump on a day with rough weather, although teammate Steve Omischl, who was supervising her, felt the conditions were suitable for jumping.

“That wasn’t a good day for me, but Brian was saying when you make those decisions don’t beat yourself up,” she says.

Canada's head coach Brent Sutter runs his team's practice for the World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver last week. Canada blanked Russia 5-0 in the tournament final to win the gold medal.

REUTERS/Shaun Best Solutions for crossword on page 28

Solutions for sudoku on page 28

A LITTLE OF YOUR TIME IS ALL WE ASK. CONQUERING THE UNIVERSE IS OPTIONAL. Think it requires heroic efforts to be a Big Brother or Big Sister?

Think again. It simply means sharing a few moments with a child. Play catch.

Build a doghouse. Or help take on mutant invaders from the planet Krang.

That’s all it takes to transform a mere mortal like yourself into a super hero who can make a world of difference in a child’s life. For more information...

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Newfoundland 1-877-513KIDS (5437) www.helpingkids.ca

30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

JANUARY 8, 2006

Move over Mats, Walter’s the man Elder Gretzky gets the star treatment on Leaf road trip

By Mark Zwolinski Torstar wire service

T

he most popular person at a Toronto Maple Leafs’ practice in Calgary last week wasn’t Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin or Ed Belfour.

Walter Gretzky outdrew everyone in a Leaf uniform when it came to autograph-seekers, television cameras and well-wishers. The adulation, which lasted throughout the entire two hours of practice at the historic Calgary Corral, left hockey’s most famous father beaming and telling old tales after the loss of his wife, Phyllis.

“It was a fundraiser, and Wayne (Gretzky) bought the package for me,” says the elder Gretzky, explaining that his son purchased the trip — allowing Walter to join the club for its western swing through Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver — at a Leafs charity auction.

MOVIE STAR’S RECEPTION The Leafs gladly opened the doors to their inner circle for the elder Gretzky.

Several members of the organization, past and present, attended Phyllis Gretzky’s funeral Dec. 22 in Brantford and joined the hockey world in supporting the family after its loss. Then last week, Walter Gretzky hopped aboard the Leafs charter with the rest of the players, and landed to a movie star’s reception.

“He’s a hockey person, a hockey dad,

“He’s a hockey person, a hockey dad, and secretly, I think he loves the Leafs.”

Toronto head coach Pat Quinn on Walter Gretzky and secretly, I think he loves the Leafs,” Toronto head coach Pat Quinn says.

As he signed autographs and posed for pictures, Gretzky was moved by the outpouring of concern for himself and his family.

“It’s been tough, it’s hard,” he says of losing his wife. “No one saw too much of Phyllis, she was always in the background. But she was the one who ran the show, she always told you this could go here and this could go there.

“You know, she even arranged her own funeral. She told our daughter (Kimberly) where she wanted to be buried. She chose a site by her father.

She made sure everything was done, and that none of us had to worry about anything. I didn’t even know she’d done it.”

Gretzky says he was gladdened by his son’s decision to leave his post with the Phoenix Coyotes prior to his mother’s death. It was a decision that also came at the deadline for announcing

Canada’s Olympic roster.

“Wayne was very close with his mother, as you might imagine,” Walter Gretzky says. “I was glad when he came home. He got to be there with her and he was there when she took her final breath. I think it was important for him to be there.”

Walter Gretzky says he wasn’t in the loop initially when his son decided to take the coaching job in Phoenix. But “I would have told him to take it anyways,” he says, smiling.

Gretzky says a stroke cost him virtually all of his memory from the 1970s to the 1990s, including his son’s rise as hockey’s greatest player and the four Stanley Cups he helped bring to Edmonton. He says he had to “relearn life.” Part of that included another generous overture from his son, who purchased a plot of land in the family’s native Brantford so he could have a house custom built for his parents.

“I guess I didn’t hear about that one either, but you know, we’ve always lived in that house, and I phoned Wayne and I said, ‘Look, I know you bought that piece of land, and you were going to build a house and then come up to us and give us the keys,’” Walter Gretzky says.

“But I used to work for Bell Canada and I bought that house and paid for it myself. We’ve always lived in it and it’s ours, so I said to Wayne, ‘Thank you very much, but don’t worry about a new house for your mother and I.’”

Walter Gretzky, father of Canadian hockey icon Wayne Gretzky, gets into his car after funeral services for his wife Phyllis Gretzky in Brantford, Ontario last month.

Mike Cassese/Reuters

Jays add catcher as ‘favour’ to manager Gibbons

By Geoff Baker Torstar wire service

A

very poor winter for Toronto Blue Jays catcher Guillermo Quiroz got even worse last week when the team signed a player who appears destined to bump him off the big-league team.

The Jays secured some needed catching depth by inking Los Angeles

Dodgers castoff Jason Phillips to a minor-league deal that will pay him $550,000 (all figures U.S.) if he makes the Toronto club out of spring training.

Phillips had spent parts of five seasons in the majors and is a favourite of Jays manager John Gibbons from their days in the New York Mets system.

“We did this as a favour to Gibby, so we’ll see what happens,” Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi says regarding

manager Gibbons. “Gibby liked him and told us that, so we went out and signed him.”

Phillips is still relatively young at 29 and the Dodgers tried to trade him, but received no takers. Ricciardi did not rule out seeking further help on the catching front and added that free agent Bengie Molina is still a possibility.

Phillips will at least help Ricciardi sleep a little better given the woeful

performance of Quiroz in winter league ball thus far. Quiroz is hitting .191 with a .250 on-base percentage and a .276 slugging percentage in his first 68 atbats for the Zulia Aguilas of the Venezuelan Winter League and there are widespread concerns within the Toronto organization that he isn’t ready to step in as a dependable backup to Zaun.

Toronto’s brain trust was high on

Quiroz as the team’s future No.1 catcher two years ago, but that opinion faded as he suffered a pair of collapsed lungs in successive minor league campaigns and failed to progress as anticipated.

Phillips hit .238 with 10 homers and 58 RBIs in 121 games for the Dodgers last season, 93 of those contests played at the catcher’s spot. His best season came in 2003 when he hit .298 with 11 homers and 58 RBIs for the Mets.

OF THE

DEVIL WEEK DEVIL STATS

Jean-Simon Allard, centre Age: 16 Hometown: Alam, Quebec Height: 6’1 Weight: 180 lbs Last year’s team: Janquiere Midget AAA How acquired: Fog Devils’ first choice, fourth overall in the 2005 QMJHL midget entry draft Major junior firsts: Allard picked up his first QMJHL point when he assisted on a Nicolas Bashand goal on Oct. 2 versus Shawinigan; registered his first QMJHL goal on Nov. 28 against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Recent accomplishment: Allard had three points in six games to help Team Quebec win the World Under-17 Hockey Championships last week in Regina, Sask.

NAME Scott Brophy Nicolas Bachand Luke Gallant Oscar Sundh Zack Firlotte Marty Doyle Wesley Welcher Sebastien Bernier Matt Fillier Ryan Graham Pat O’Keefe Olivier Guilbault Pier-Alexandre Poulin Anthony Pototschnik Jean-Simon Allard Philippe Cote Rodi Short Josh McKinnon Paul Roebothan Matt Boland StevE Tilley Kyle Stanley

POS. C RW D LW D RW C D LW LW D RW C RW C RW D D RW D RW D

# 12 23 6 10 5 43 14 44 27 16 11 21 18 24 4 22 15 8 19 26 25 3

GP 34 37 38 23 38 38 38 37 31 27 29 38 38 32 33 35 6 22 2 17 34 35

G 14 17 9 8 5 6 12 4 5 5 2 6 4 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

A 21 14 22 23 15 12 5 12 8 7 9 4 6 2 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 0

GOALTENDER Brandon Verge Ilia Ejov Matthew Spezza

W 3 9 2

L 9 11 3

GAA 4.10 3.65 4.06

S.PCT .889 .895 .887

PTS 35 31 31 31 20 18 17 16 13 12 11 10 10 7 6 4 1 1 0 0 0 0

All stats current as of press deadline jan. 6

HOMEGROWN “Q” PLAYER Robert Slaney Colin Escott Chad Locke Justin Pender Brent Lynch Brandon Roach Mark Tobin

HOMETOWN Carbonear St. John’s St. John’s St. John’s Upper Island Cove Terra Nova St. John’s

TEAM Cape Breton Gatineau P.E.I. Halifax Halifax Lewiston Rimouski

GP 37 25 5 14 16 39 39

G 3 3 3 0 1 13 16

A 4 8 2 1 1 23 13

PTS 7 11 5 1 2 36 29

GOALTENDERS Ryan Mior Roger Kennedy Jason Churchill

HOMETOWN St. John’s Mount Pearl Hodge’s Cove

TEAM P.E.I. Halifax Saint John

W 11 6 12

L 24 2 20

GAA 4.10 3.76 3.70

S.PCT .892 .874 .900

JANUARY 8, 2006

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 31

Bring on Slap Shot From page 32 Plus, in the case of The Fan, Wesley Snipes sucks, therefore any movie he is in sucks just as badly.

In the future I hope to see more sports movies along the lines of Slap Shot and less like the aforementioned stinkers. I think a film chronicling the rise and fall of Mike Tyson will someday hit the big screen, as will a movie based around the steroids scandal that has surrounded baseball since the late ’90s. A feel-good flick about all-American quarterback Tom Brady is also a possibility, while a movie starring Anna Kournikova as herself would certainly have young males flocking to theatres. Come to think of it, if Maria Sharapova would agree to costar, we could have a hit on our hands.

FOG DEVILS GO LOCAL In my Christmas column, I mentioned that I hoped the Fog Devils would acquire St. John’s native Mark Tobin from the Rimouski Oceanic during the QMJHL’s trading period. While they haven’t yet acquired Tobin, I was happy to hear the Fog Devils added Mount Pearl’s Ryan Graham to their roster.

Graham has not yet put up the same type of offensive numbers as Tobin, but I think he could. If given a chance to play on one of the Fog Devils’ top two lines, there’s no reason Graham couldn’t be a 20-25 goal scorer in the Q. A strong, stocky winger, Graham will at the very least make life in the corners at Mile One tougher for opposing defencemen. And considering the team’s woeful road record, his added toughness should help the Fog Devils when they take to the ice away from The Rock. darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Ted Nolan has plenty of reason to smile

By Peter McGuire Telegraph Journal

W

ho could blame Moncton Wildcats coach and director of hockey operations Ted Nolan for walking around with an extrawide smile these days? Nolan pulled off the trade of the year on the final day of 2005 when he acquired Luc Bourdon, a native of Shippagan, N.B, from the Val d’Or Foreurs.

Bourdon, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound star defenceman with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Vancouver, comes to Moncton in exchange for Ian Girard, 20, and defenceman Jean-Sebastien Adam, 19.

The Wildcats also surrendered a fourth-round draft pick in 2007 and a first-round draft pick in 2008.

The deal was structured to allow the Wildcats to keep star left-winger Brad Marchand for the remainder of this season. In June, the Wildcats will get back their first-round draft pick in 2008 and send Marchand to Val d’Or for next season.

Confused? Such is life in the QMJHL. Bourdon not only brings enormous talent to the lineup but he also shores up a blueline that lost Oskars Bartulis for up to eight weeks with a broken finger suffered playing for Latvia at the World Juniors.

Nolan, a former NHL coach of the year with Buffalo, admits he’s excited with how things are shaping up and he’s not finished tinkering just yet as the Wildcats prepare to host the Mastercard Memorial Cup national major junior championship in May.

John Slaney of St. John’s plays with the Philadelphia Phantoms

Pedro Cancel

‘I’ve been pretty lucky’ John Slaney feels fortunate to play hockey for a living; record for points by AHL defenceman ‘nice to look back on’

By Darcy MacRae The Independent

J

ohn Slaney’s hockey skills have taken him to cities across North America. They’ve also earned him a world junior hockey championship, a Calder Cup, and a pair of pro hockey records.

Late last month, the St. John’s native became the American Hockey League’s all-time leader for points by a defenceman when he assisted on a goal by Philadelphia Phantoms teammate Tony Voce in a game versus the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The helper gave Slaney 454 career points in what is considered the top minor league in professional hockey, breaking the record set by Steve Kraftcheck in 1964.

When Slaney picked up the recordbreaking assist, the 8,000-plus fans in attendance at the Philadelphia Spectrum stood and cheered the accomplishment.

It was a special moment for the 33-yearold, although its importance really didn’t dawn on him until after the game.

“At the time we were down 3-0 to Bridgeport,” Slaney tells The Independent. “But when it was over and I could realize what I did, it was really nice to look back on.”

GAME OUTCOME Pro hockey players are often accused of displaying the same team-first humbleness in nearly every interview, a tendency that leads some fans to believe players are not actually saying what they feel. But when it comes to Slaney, his insistence that he was more concerned with the outcome of the game than he was his new record is backed up by a source quite familiar with the Phantoms and Slaney.

“He really was pissed after the game that the team lost,” says Mike Thornton, play-by-play commentator for the Phantoms. “He was fired up about that.”

Thornton adds that even with the fans standing and cheering and the public address announcer informing the crowd of exactly what Slaney had just

JOHN SLANEY Age: 33 Hometown: St. John’s Height: 6’1 Weight: 195 lbs Awards: Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top blueliner (2000-01, 2001-02); Canadian Major Junior Defenceman of the Year (1990) Achievements: All time AHL leader for points by a defenceman (454); all time AHL leader for goals by a defenceman (155)

“As a kid you always want to play in the NHL, and I got to live my dream.” achieved, the Newfoundland-born defenceman maintained his focus on helping the Phantoms get back in the game.

“I think Slaney was looking to get things going again and get the puck dropped,” Thornton says with a laugh.

Setting the all-time points record by an AHL defenceman may be Slaney’s latest accomplishment, but it certainly isn’t his first. In 1991 he was a national hero when he scored the winning goal for Canada against Russia in what turned out to be the gold-medal game of the world junior championships. He has twice captured the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top blueliner (2000-01, 2001-02), and just last season became the AHL’s all-time leading goal scorer among defencemen and along with his Phantoms’ teammates won a Calder Cup as AHL champions.

Slaney admits the world junior gold and the Calder Cup mean a bit more to him than the all-time points record, but doesn’t diminish the importance of his latest achievement.

“When you win championships, they’re pretty well ranked at the top,” says Slaney. “But it (the points record for an AHL defender) is definitely something that will be good for memories down the road.”

Considering the success he has had in junior hockey and the AHL, it is still a mystery to many hockey followers as to why Slaney hasn’t played more than

268 games in the NHL. Slaney says it would have been nice to receive more opportunities to play in the top hockey league on the planet, but has no regrets about the career he has had.

“You always want to be in the NHL, there’s no question,” says Slaney. “But if you’re going to be upset about that …

I think it’s very disappointing to think of it that way because we’re pretty lucky to be playing this game for such a long time and there’s only so many guys who get to actually play professional hockey.”

Slaney prefers not to dwell on the question of why NHL teams have been reluctant to give him a steady role for a prolonged period of time. Instead, he again looks at the positive side of things.

“There’s no right or wrong answers,” Slaney says. “I think I’m lucky enough that I got to play all those games (in the NHL) … it’s something I’ll always remember. As a kid you always want to play in the NHL, and I got to live my dream.”

At this point in his career, Slaney is not only looked upon by the Phantoms for his contributions on defence, but also for his leadership qualities. He is the team captain this season, and at 33, one of the few veterans in a very young Phantoms lineup.

“We’ve been pretty lucky the past couple of years, we had some so-called older guys who had been around and

played a lot of years. But this year’s team is basically guys straight out of junior or college and they’re trying to make it at this level.”

As a result, Slaney takes it upon himself to look out for the squad’s younger players and help them progress their hockey careers. In particular, he has taken 20-year-old defenceman Alexander Picard under his wing, although Slaney — not surprisingly — downplays his role.

“Alex is pretty well a sound defenceman all the way around. I’m just playing a small part … helping him be focused every game and be competitive,” Slaney says. “I just give him some small pointers on when to move the puck or when to shoot the puck.”

Slaney may insist Picard would do just fine without him, but Thornton says the impact the veteran blueliner has had on his young protégée is quite noticeable.

“Picard has been making some pretty significant improvements because of playing with Slaney,” Thornton says.

WELL RECEIVED From St. John’s to the Ontario Hockey League to various minor league and NHL cities, Slaney has always been well received by his teammates. He has played alongside NHL all stars such as Jaromir Jagr, Rob Blake and Owen Nolan, as well as players who went on to have distinguished minor league careers like Steve Maltais and Dennis Bonvie. Through it all Slaney learned what it takes to have a long, productive hockey career — advice he happily passes on to young players coming through the system today.

“You have to be mentally prepared,” says Slaney. “It’s a matter of focusing on doing the right things because it’s easy to get side tracked.

“At the same time, I think it’s just a matter of who wants it and who doesn’t want it. That’s the biggest thing I’ve recognized after playing this game for a long time.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

INDEPENDENTSPORTS

SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2006 — PAGE 32

Katherine Quackenbush preps for the court in St. John’s.

Rhonda Hayward/The Independent

Back in the game After a year on the sidelines, MUN’s Katherine Quackenbush enjoys basketball again

By Darcy MacRae The Independent

KATHERINE QUACKENBUSH Shooting guard, MUN Sea-Hawks Hometown: Halifax Height: 5’11 Age: 21 yrs old 13.5 points per game; 3.9 rebounds per game 3 assists per game; 2.5 steals per game

K

atherine Quackenbush knows about tough choices. In 2004, she was in the midst of her second season on the University of Maine women’s basketball team, on a full athletic scholarship no less, when she knew she did not want to return to the school the following year.

The decision was an enormous one — leaving Maine would mean the end of her free education, and would put her basketball future in limbo.

“It’s a bit of a complicated issue. To make a long story short … because of certain things that had gone on while I was there, I kind of lost the love of the game,” Quackenbush, now a star player with the MUN women’s team, tells The Independent.

“I wanted to enjoy it (basketball) while I was there (in university) and knew I only had a certain amount of years to play, so I wanted to be in a place where I enjoyed what I was doing.”

GIVING UP FREE RIDE Quackenbush could not see herself playing basketball for long when she wasn’t enjoying it. At the same time, there was the matter of her scholarship — a free ride many young athletes only dream about.

“It was very difficult to give up,” Quackenbush says of the four-year deal at the University of Maine. “All the girls on the team, we were all on a full ride so we had everything covered. It was hard to come back because in Canada there’s not as much money for athletes.

“But I felt the positives outweighed the negatives, so it was the best thing to do.”

Quackenbush, a Halifax native, made the official decision to leave Maine at the end of the 2003-04 season and looked for a school in

“I definitely have a much bigger role here than the role I played in Maine. I’m more of a leader here than I had been....” the Atlantic provinces to attend. She considered the University of New Brunswick, but quickly decided on coming to MUN. “I knew I wanted to be at a school that was close enough for me to see my family and have them watch me play because that’s important to me,” she says.

Quackenbush was aware of MUN’s history in the AUS conference — the team has won the women’s title four of the past six seasons — and knew St. John’s was a similar city to the one where she’d grown up. But the final selling point came from former high school teammate Leslie Stewart, a guard with the Sea-Hawks since 2003.

“I really enjoyed playing with her and I trusted her decision (to come to MUN),” says Quackenbush. “She told me how much she enjoyed MUN and St. John’s and got me in touch with Doug (Partridge, head coach of the MUN women’s basketball team).”

The only complication in the transition from Maine to MUN was Quackenbush had to first sit out a full season before she could take to the court for the Sea-Hawks (due to university athletics regulations regarding player transfers from one school to another).

So although she could attend MUN as a

student, practice with the team, and sit on the bench during games, Quackenbush was forced to watch as her teammates took on competition from around the country en route to another conference title.

“It was pretty tough. By the end of the year I was really wishing I could be out there with the girls, helping them out,” Quackenbush says. “I still felt like part of the team, but at a different level because it’s hard to not be able to help during the games.

“I tried to be positive and cheer on the team, but there’s only so much you can do when you’re on the bench.”

The year on the sidelines was not a total waste, says Quackenbush, 21. She learned the team’s systems and styles during practices and became friends with her teammates. She also rediscovered the love for the game she lost during her time south of the border.

“Looking back on it, it was probably beneficial for me mentally,” says Quackenbush.

“When I left Maine, I really didn’t enjoy the game and didn’t even want to even work out or put much effort into it anymore because I just became … so sick of it. But sitting out rekindled the fire and mentally got me back in the game.”

Quackenbush admits there was some rust to shed early this season, but you’d never know it from her stats. The 5’11 guard is leading the team in scoring (13.5 points per game, good for sixth overall in the conference), rebounding (3.9 per game), assists (3 per game), and steals (2.5 per game).

Quackenbush has quickly become a go-to player for the Sea-Hawks, leaving her a lot happier than she was during her days in Maine.

“I definitely have a much bigger role here than the role I played in Maine,” she says.

“I’m more of a leader here than I had been in Maine.”

Quackenbush’s contributions helped the Sea-Hawks finish the first half of the AUS season in first place, two points ahead of arch rival Cape Breton. In a year where the team is learning to win without long-time standouts Amy Dalton and Jenine Browne (both of whom are playing professionally in Europe), such a record is a tad unexpected.

‘A BIT SURPRISED’ “To finish in first place before Christmas, I think we were all a bit surprised,” Quackenbush says.

As for just how the Sea-Hawks have been so successful without Dalton and Browne, Quackenbush says having a number of players step up their game at both ends of the court has been the key. She says the team approach to replacing the former Sea-Hawk stars was the only way to go.

“It was hard making that adjustment after losing Amy and Jenine,” says Quackenbush.

“Those are shoes that can’t really be filled.

This year the team is really talented and on any day, someone can step up and have a big game so there’s not as much pressure on any one person to do it.” darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca

Hollywood heroes A

good sports movie is not hard to find. I know athleticallythemed pictures are often ripped to pieces by critics and nonsports fans alike, but I can’t hold back my enthusiasm for such films. Give me an hour and a half of a football team facing a quarterback controversy, a hockey club looking for blood or a boxer trying to overcome the odds and I’m hooked.

Throw in a few cheerleaders for good measure and I’ll probably watch the movie twice.

Like any genre of films, sports movies come in all styles and types. The most common sports flicks are of the eye-candy variety featuring plenty of hard hitting action and scantily clad

DARCY MACRAE

The game women — movies like Varsity Blues and Any Given Sunday.

Both films are football flicks but the latter is much more enjoyable. With Al Pacino as the coach of the fictitious Miami Sharks and Jamie Foxx as his star quarterback, Any Given Sunday really strikes a cord with die-hard sports fans. The story line involving the coach bickering with team ownership and the controversy that erupts when a veteran player gets hurt and is replaced by a

cocky young jock is much superior to the come-from-behind win in the championship game we all knew was coming in Varsity Blues. Plus, James Vanderbeek as a quarterback?

Puh-lease. This is a guy who’s most memorable role was playing Dawson Leary, the pansy from Dawson’s Creek who always lost the girl.

Aside from Any Given Sunday, some of the more memorable sports movies I’ve seen are Eight Men Out — the true story of how the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series; Rudy — a tale of a pint-sized football player taking to the field at Notre Dame; and of course, Rocky — the classic underdog story.

But without a doubt my favourite

sports movie of all time is Slap Shot.

Paul Newman and the Hanson Brothers combine to give a hilarious take on minor league hockey, complete with bench-clearing brawls, tin-foil wrapped knuckles and an organist who has to wear a helmet while he plays. Say what you want about the film’s filthy language and gratuitous violence, Slap Shot provides more laughs than most of today’s movies and is one of those pictures that has developed a cult following.

Finishing a close second to Slap Shot is a trio of movies I can watch any day of the week — Hoosiers, Remember the Titans and Ali. I’ve also got a soft spot for Major League, which I know I shouldn’t, but hey, we all need a little

guilty pleasure don’t we? Dodgeball is another such film, although I’m not quite sure if it even qualifies as a sports movie since dodgeball is not an actual sport. I also can’t forget Kingpin, the only movie that could make professional bowling seem interesting.

But for all the great sports movies I’ve watched, there were also more than a few stinkers. Topping the list of lousy films are The Program and The Fan, two motion pictures that took themselves way too seriously. The sagas of an alcoholic quarterback and an obsessed fan, respectively, could have been decent flicks, but bad acting and predictable story lines sunk these ships.

See “Bring on,” page 31