VOL. 4 ISSUE 10
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ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 5-11, 2006
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WWW.THEINDEPENDENT.CA —
$1.00 HOME DELIVERY (HST included); $1.50 RETAIL (HST included)
LIFE 18
SPORTS 32
Kent Barrett digs up treasure trove of lost photos from the 1970s
Luke Stritt province’s top male gymnast
‘Gold plated’
SEALING, OUR FATE
MHA pension plan one of Canada’s most generous; pay isn’t bad either CLARE-MARIE GOSSE
N
ewfoundland and Labrador MHAs earn more than all other provincial politicians in Canada bar Quebec, according to a 2003 country-wide comparison conducted by the Nova Scotia government. Although East Coasters are generally used to earning lower salaries than their western counterparts, the salaries of provincial government members don’t follow the same pattern. According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a government watchdog, not only are Atlantic politicians earning competitive salaries, they also have more lucrative pension plans. “It’s absolutely outrageous,” communications director Troy Lanigan tells The Independent. “What you’ll find there (in Newfoundland and Labrador) and in the rest of the provinces in Atlantic Canada is that it’s probably a five to one ratio, for every dollar the taxpayers contribute they (MHAs) get about five.” Although base salaries for politicians in the Atlantic provinces look much lower at first glance than in places like Ontario and British Columbia, he says they’re often supplemented by a tax-free allowance, which bumps them up. Taking into
Premier Danny Williams speaks to reporters outside CBC Television in St. John’s March 3 after taping an interview for CNN’s Larry King Live. Williams went head to head with Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, over the merits of the East Coast seal hunt. Paul Daly/The Independent
Smartening up Some fish can learn, but are they intelligent enough to escape nets in the wild?
See “An excessive burden,” page 2
ALISHA MORRISSEY
H
ow smart can fish be if they end up on your plate? A recent international study reveals that fish may be smarter than humans think. The study, which entailed using a food award to teach haddock to swim through fishing nets, proves that at least some fish can learn and retain information for long periods of time — possibly their Paul McCartney and Danny Williams on Larry King Live March 3. See pages 8-9.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “They’re starving in Africa, dying in Iraq, and (Paul) McCartney makes his stand on Iles de la Madelaine doing photo ops with seals. On the other side of Strawberry Field, (John) Lennon must be cringing.” — Michael Harris, see page 13
IN CAMERA 20-21
An evening in the ballroom
Life Story . . . . 10 Paper Trail . . . 10 Food column . 22 Events . . . . . . . . 22 Crossword . . . 28
whole lives. Chris Glass, one of two scientists who experimented with the haddock, says the study began with a question: if a fish escapes a net at a young age will it then go on to remember how to escape a net in adulthood? “It’s not really a surprise, but we find that they learn fairly quickly within two or three trials how to avoid netting in a tank,” Glass tells The Independent in a telephone interview from Maine. “So, in fact, they are showing that they are capable of learning fairly complex
tasks … so the implications longterm are that in areas that are heavily fished you may well find that a proportion of the fish in those areas have already encountered fishing gear and may actually be able to avoid them or at least react differently to the stimulus of the net.” Fish get a bad reputation, Glass says, considering it’s commonly believed they have only three-second memories. Just as they can learn, fish can forget important information as well, he says, suggesting the the-
ory that codfish in the north Atlantic are living healthily in bays — far away from offshore trawlers — because they have forgotten their regular migrating patterns. “There’s a suggestion in some quarters that … they’ve lost their memory for migration back to places that they’ve once lived and that’s a kind of a populationlearned behaviour or forgotten behaviour.” It’s not likely the depleted cod See “Reward for,” page 2
‘2020 vision’
Construction of GBS at Bull Arm would create boom not seen since Hibernia, locals say STEPHANIE PORTER
A
rnold’s Cove mayor Tom Osbourne is full of optimism and fire these days — finally. “We see ourselves being the oil and gas capital of the province,” says Osbourne of his community of 1,200. “That would ruffle a few feathers in St. John’s, but if all the things happen in this area that are being talked about, it’s going to have a huge impact on the province … it’s creating a fair bit of excitement.”
He admits “it’s been tough” in Arnold’s Cove lately, with repeated blows to the fishery, and a relative quiet at the nearby Bull Arm fabrication site after the excitement of the Hibernia and Terra Nova construction projects. Osbourne’s upbeat mood comes on the heels of a series of announcements and discussions around possible projects. In early February, Newfoundland and Labrador Refining Corporation announced the start of a feasibility study into a second oil refinery in the area. Then there’s “always the possibility” of a liquefied natural gas transshipment facility near Arnold’s Cove.
Finally, there’s the Hebron-Ben Nevis development, currently in negotiations. Should the talks prove successful, Chevron spokesperson Mark MacLeod has confirmed the “most likely” scenario is the construction of a concrete gravity-based structure at Bull Arm. “If all that goes ahead, I think we can boast we have more oil and gas development than anywhere else in the province,” Osbourne says. The mayor recognizes those are a lot of ifs, but he and his council are working on a strategic plan to prepare for the opportunities that may soon arise. “We call it our 2020 vision,” he
says. “We know where we want to be, but we want to chart our course and make sure we’re there.” The construction of a concrete GBS would have a significant impact on the local economies, if the Hibernia experience is anything to go by. Between the 1992 start-up and first oil in 1997, up to 6,400 people were employed annually at Bull Arm and the Marystown shipyard. An average of two-thirds of those workers were from Newfoundland and Labrador. At the height of construction, in 1995, $1.4 billion was spent in the See “A boom and bust,” page 4
2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 5, 2006
No ‘double-dipping’ Deputy premier Tom Rideout says the provincial government asked former Liberal MHA Chuck Furey to donate his pension to charity because they didn’t want to “entertain doubledipping.” Furey’s appointment as the next chief electoral officer was announced two weeks ago. The position comes with a salary of $124,758, and his existing annual MHA pension — which he’s now required to donate as a formal condition of employment — is estimated to be in the $50,000-$60,000 range. Although Furey is not legally required to forgo his pension, Rideout
Salaries and allowances of provincial politicians
says the former MHA had “no difficulty” accepting the terms of his charitable contract. Rideout couldn’t say if such a condition is commonly demanded of new government employees who are retired politicians. “In terms of making it a condition of employment I couldn’t confirm whether this is the first one or whether there’s been previous examples of this,” says Rideout. “I’d have to have some research done on that.” He does say during the Clyde Wells administration there was an order passed stipulating the need for cabinet approval for a government employee to
continue receiving an existing public service pension at the same time as a provincial salary. Furey — who won the lottery in the 1990s — was out of the province when The Independent called for comment so it’s not known which charitable organization might benefit from his pension. He isn’t the only politician making salary donations. MP Norm Doyle also donates his former MHA pension, and multi-millionaire Premier Danny Williams donates his complete salary to charity. — Clare-Marie Gosse
‘An excessive burden on taxpayers’ account Newfoundland and Labrador’s MHA base salary ($47,000), adding on
M A R I A S H A R A P O VA
the tax-free allowance ($24,000) and calculating how much salary it would take to earn $24,000 tax free, provincial MHAs make about $95,000. Cabinet
WWW.TAGHEUER.COM
From page 1
ministers get an extra $49,000 on top of that. “Once (pension plans) have been published, people just go bananas and they’re changed, so every province that we’ve had an office set up in has changed them to a dollar-for-dollar self-funding,” Lanigan says. Adam Taylor, the federation’s research director, says Newfoundland and Labrador’s MHA pension plan is a little “less outrageous” than the federal or even Nova Scotian plan, but it’s still nowhere near the dollar-for-dollar RRSP style adopted from B.C. to Ontario. “A problem with the federal one is for every dollar the member puts in the taxpayer puts in four,” he says. “So we do criticize that as an excessive burden on taxpayers, the plan itself is too gold plated.” There are currently 111 retired MHAs drawing pensions in Newfoundland and Labrador. Widows are entitled to up to 60 per cent of their deceased spouse’s pension. Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan says the maximum a member can draw out of the plan is 75 per cent of their salary, an amount granted after 20 years
Prov.
Taxable MHA/MLA salary
Non-taxable allowance
Premier salary
Cabinet minister salary
Opposition leader salary
NL NS PEI NB Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alb. BC
23,043 16,628 11,250 20,283 13,379 0 0 5,199 21,576 N/A
66,587 55,737 58,871 54,331 82,830 65,626 46,397 57,393 67,380 45,000
48,276 39,709 41,585 36,222 59,165 35,006 29,001 40,176 52,956 39,000
48,276 39,709 41,585 36,222 59,165 45,682 29,001 40,176 52,956 39,000
Nun. NWT
46,686 33,256 35,967 40,566 78,886 82,757 65,535 63,540 43,152 68,500(gov’t) 72,300(other) 61,800 80,145
63,200 60,952
53,200 42,892
N/A N/A
Yukon
35,664
7,824
21,147
21,147
Senate House
114,200 139,200
1,000 6,208 9,315* 15,570 17,832* 0 0
N/A 139,200
66,816 66,816
32,000 66,800
* Depending on location
— From N.S. government’s Commission of Inquiry on Remuneration of Elected Provincial Officials
“Once (pension plans) have been published, people just go bananas.” Troy Lanigan, Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation of service. In order to qualify for a pension a member must serve at least five years over two terms. Currently government is paying out $4.5 million a year, which works out to an average of $40,000 per retiree. The province recently announced it would be putting almost $2 billion down on the $2.5 billion unfunded teachers’ pension plan, which was the biggest unfunded liability within the province’s long-term debt, which now stands at $10 billion. Despite the high figure, Sullivan says the teachers’ plan was 28 per cent funded whereas the MHA plan — with an
Average annual pension pay-outs MHAs: $39,207. Teachers: $27,405. Uniformed services: $23,178. Public service: $13,318.
unfunded liability of just over $40 million — is only 15 to 18 per cent funded. The same goes for the uniformed services plan, which has an unfunded liability of about $176 million. The public service pension plan is 50 per cent funded and the liability is $1.9 billion. Sullivan wouldn’t comment on whether he has any plans to tackle the remaining pooled pension liabilities, saying he “wouldn’t want to go into details” while still finalizing a new contract agreement with the teachers’ association. clare-marie.gosse@theindependent.ca
Reward for the fish From page 1 stocks have become smart enough to hide out in the bays from offshore trawlers, he says. Jeffrey Hutchings, a professor of ecology and evolution of fisheries at Dalhousie University in N.S., says fish are smart but they’re not that smart. There have always been bay stocks, he says. “What is the benefit of leaving the bay? Unless you’ve experienced that benefit … then how are you going to know there’s something to benefit from
by leaving the bay? If there’s plenty of food around … you don’t have to move very far so energetically why not stay there because the food is coming to you?” Hutchings asks, adding a population boom would pressure fish stocks to leave bays. As for the haddock study, Hutchings questions the teaching methods. “I think on the one hand this is another indication that fish can indeed modify their behaviour. They can learn to some extent but I’m not sure how much it tells us about fish learning to avoid nets and swimming through them on
the bottom,” Hutchings says. The stationary net is nothing like a bottom trawler, he says, and more importantly there was a definitive reward for the fish. “But for fish in the ocean, a net comes along the bottom, they don’t know what the award is. They just know, in general, I should try to avoid this because it’s not something I normally experience,” Hutchings says. “I’d be surprised if there were many fish out there that were out here (in bays) because they learned to avoid nets.”
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3
At risk Province’s endangered species list includes polar bear and wolverine; gray-cheeked thrush may be next
DARCY MACRAE
T
he gray-cheeked thrush recently joined a not-so-prestigious group. Late last month the small bird was listed as vulnerable under the province’s Endangered Species Act. The gray-cheeked thrush — which is slightly larger than other thrushes but a little smaller than a robin — was once common across the island and throughout Labrador. The birds, whose upper parts are olive brown with a spotted breast, prefer to live in older forests and are also known to inhabit “scrub forests” along the coast, says Joe Brazil, the province’s senior manager of endangered species and biodiversity. “Bird counts and surveys have shown over the last number of years that there have been declines in the grey-cheeked thrush population,” says Brazil. “It was
deserving of at least a vulnerable rating. “Anecdotal information from good bird watchers has also indicated a decline in the population. If you go back to the same spot regularly for 20 years, you start to pick up a trend in the population.” Species listed as vulnerable are one notch above endangered. But if the population of the gray-cheeked thrush does not pick up, it could easily find its way onto the province’s endangered species list in the next few years. There are already 21 different species on Newfoundland and Labrador’s endangered list, including large animals such as the polar bear and wolverine and small creatures like the Newfoundland marten. “Generally, right across Canada, we’ve found about 75 per cent of the species are at risk because of habitat loss or habitat disturbance,” says Brazil. “If you asked that question 100 years ago, it probably would have been direct
killing of the animal, but these days it’s more related to habitat.” For some species, their traditional way of life makes them a target to someday end up on a vulnerable or endangered list. “There are species which are just more vulnerable because of their life histories,” Brazil says. “For example, if they only have one or two young per year, or if they can’t adapt very quickly to human induced problems.” In the case of the gray-cheeked thrush, its status will be closely monitored and a report detailing methods of aiding its survival will be completed shortly. However, should it become an endangered species, provisions from the province’s Endangered Species Act will immediately be implemented in hopes of saving the species. “There are automatic prohibitions,” Brazil says. “You can’t kill it, you can’t harm it, you can’t disturb its residence,
you can’t give it grief of any kind, really.” Besides protecting the well being of the species, steps to help the population make a recovery are also taken, says Brazil, including transporting the animal from one area of the province to another. “It can be a whole host of things. Sometimes it’s establishing protected areas for the species … it can mean transplanting animals from the west coast to the east coast, which has been done.” Brazil says he does not know of any animals which have become extinct in the province in recent years, although the possibility of an entire breed of animal disappearing does exist. Quite often he fields questions about animals, fish or birds which are not seen in the province much anymore, but he cannot always answer whether the species is extinct. An example is the Newfoundland
wolf, a species that may or may not have existed on the island generations ago. “The wolf called the Newfoundland wolf … it’s never been clearly defined whether it was a unique sub-species of wolf or if it was just an extension of the grey wolf,” says Brazil. “They may have come across the ice from Labrador … we’ll never know whether we actually have a population that is indeed extinct.” Species currently on the endangered list in the province include the banded killfish, Newfoundland marten, barrens willow, peregrine falcon, barrows goldeneye, piping plover, boreal felt lichen, polar bear, Eskimo curlew, Porsild’s byrum, Fernald’s braya, red crossbill, Fernald’s milk-vetch, short-eared owl, harlequin duck, tundra peregrine falcon, ivory gull, Long’s braya, woodland caribou, low northern rockcress and wolverine. darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca
SCRUNCHINS A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia
P
oor old Ruben John Efford, after 16 or so years representing the good people of Port de Grave in the House of Assembly, his career was shredded when he moved upalong and took Ottawa’s side against his own people over the Atlantic Accord, or so the story goes. You’ll be happy to know Efford didn’t walk away from Ottawa empty handed. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a government watchdog, came out with a report recently on the pension and severance payments to defeated/resigned MPs from the 2006 general election. Efford — who was elected to the House of Commons in a May 2002 byelection, and resigned prior to the recent federal election (meaning he didn’t qualify for a pension) — was eligible for severance to the tune of … wait for it — $106,750. That’s what he was entitled to after quitting his job, albeit for health reasons. Efford’s severance package actually tied three other Liberal MPs across the country in terms of value — Liza Frulla, Tony Ianno, and Andy Mitchell, all of whom were defeated. Considering the expense of running an election, maybe they should have followed Efford’s lead and quit. SEALING NEWS Seals are all over the news these days, but they always are at this time of year. Volume one of The Book of Newfoundland describes the start of the hunt in the 1930s as quite the event. “The present-day hunt begins early in
Quitting does pay Paul Daly/The Independent
March, when, with all due pomp and ceremony, the sealing steamers sail out of the harbour of St. John’s. The ships, about six or eight in all, are decorated with bunting, a band is on the pier playing the national airs, prominent officials of state are among the shore party, the sealing guns fire a salute, the anchors are weighed, and with sirens screeching a farewell, the sealers are off for the great adventure.” Men were known to walk up to 80 miles from around the bay — carrying a full kit of 50-60 pounds — for the mere possibility of a berth on a sealing schooner. “True, the seal fishery is not what it was in the good old days before steam,
wireless and aeroplane had robbed it of the romance which makes the famous sealing toast “Bloody decks and many of them!” sound like a quotation from Treasure Island, but even today the spirit of adventure still lives.” SPIRITLESS STATES That spirit doesn’t live in certain grocery store chains in the United States like Trader Joe’s. Here’s a message on the chain’s website: “It’s been reported that some fishermen off Canada’s East Coast near Newfoundland kill baby seals in the off-season from fishing. “We looked into this, and we think it’s important to tell you that we do not purchase any seafood items from the
areas where the killing of seals is taking place. Our seafood products that are labeled “Product of Canada” come from reputable suppliers on Canada’s West Coast. None of these suppliers are involved in the seal hunt. In addition, we have no plans to purchase any seafood products from the East Coast of Canada.” So much for sealskin key chains, which are all the rage in downtown St. John’s. ATTENTION BAD DRIVERS The Discovery Channel is planning a second season of Canada’s Worst Driver. According to the show, although winter driving can be treacherous, most
serious car collisions happen in summer. With production slated to begin in May, nominations are being accepted in March and April for people “whose driving needs a tune-up.” Andrew Younghusband of St. John’s, the show’s host, is looking for nominations from his native land. “The most recent statistics show that Newfoundland and Labrador had 779.2 traffic injuries per 100,000 drivers — fewer injuries than almost every other province in the country. “But I know from experience there are some very bad drivers in this province and we need them on the program.” SHOVELING OUT Residents of St. John’s had a novel idea last week after three downtown homes were burned in a fire and fire hydrants were buried in snow — maybe they should dig out the fire hydrants themselves and not wait for the city to do it. By law, residents of the City of Halifax must clear their sidewalks of ice and snow. Imagine that … doing for yourself. RECORD SNOWFALL The winter of 2000–01 in St. John’s and surrounding areas was one of the most significant all-time meteorological and climatological “events” on record, according to a report by Bruce Whiffen of the Newfoundland Weather Centre, when more than 21 feet of snow fell. On second thought, maybe digging out ourselves isn’t such a good idea. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 5, 2006
Cheap seats Province saves a buck or two on ministerial travel By Alisha Morrissey The Independent
W
hen it comes to government travel, even the premier flies coach. The Independent tracked the travel claims of five randomly-selected ministers in the Danny Williams administration over the last six months of 2005 through the province’s Freedom of Information Act. All told, the ministers spent $81,513.07 on hotels, meals and entertainment. According to Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan, all government ministers are thrifty, spending tens of thousands less on travel expenses than the
previous government. Cabinet ministers are given a travel budget based on historical spending, Sullivan says, and while the ministers aren’t given a lecture about responsible spending, it’s recommended they book their plane tickets in advance, if possible. Under government policy, spouses can travel with ministers, but the spouse must pick up the tab, and all government travel is done in the cheap seats, Sullivan says. The only way a minister travels in business or first class is if he or she pays it out of their own pocket. “Everybody flies in coach. In fact, the premier is down in the back of the
Travel claims
plane when people in other provinces are sitting up in first class,” Sullivan tells The Independent. The amount of travel spending can fluctuate year to year, he says, depending on departmental issues, whether a minister is responsible for one or two portfolios and where the meetings are held. “Year over year this could get issue driven, like last year, for instance, I did significant travel on the Atlantic Accord and we had a lot of travel … we spent six months steady on that file and the next year it might be another issue,” Sullivan says. “The way it works is you can’t always control that. I mean, one year
you might be hosting meetings … and you mightn’t have any travel, but you might have more spending at home hosting and if it’s in the Northwest
Territories it’s a little bit different than having a meeting in Halifax.”
ic growth, it was good for housing, good for rental units, good for business all around. “We had a number of people from Norway staying here, quite a number
of Englishmen staying here, and they want good houses, big houses, and I would say if something happened at Bull Arm there would be a similar situation … in addition, some of the
people who came to work here opted to stay.” Best says the town council always has its ear to the ground, trying to predict what’s on the way — and to be ready for it, in terms of infrastructure, available building lots, an appropriate business climate, and topnotch downhill and cross-country ski trails. “(Another GBS) will be good for the whole area,” Best says. “Usually the jobs created are high-paying jobs, it’s good all around, for the car dealerships, the grocery stores, everyone.” Joan Cleary, CEO of the Bull Arm Site Corporation and mayor of nearby Come By Chance, says a construction project such as a GBS for Hebron “will have a tremendous impact on the area and the province … but we can’t sit back and wait and just say, ‘Oh, we’re waiting for a GBS.’” Cleary says there are things the corporation and province must do in the meantime — mainly, making sure there are people to work in the skilled trades, and looking for other tenants and projects for Bull Arm. “My job as mayor and CEO is not just to sit around and wait and hope and pray that something is around the corner. Hibernia was a major project for the province; Terra Nova was great for a town like Come By Chance … but we have potential for not only this project, which would be huge, but also for other projects on the Bull Arm site.” Osbourne says he and Arnold’s Cove will be ready for whatever comes their way. “Obviously we’d like to see the Bull Arm site as a fabricating yard, doing more refits and things like that,” he says. “But we wouldn’t be disappointed to see a few more of the Hibernias, Ben Nevis’, Terra Novas.”
Ministerial travel between July 1, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2005
Meals Hotel Airfare Entertainment Other
TOURISM $1,585.52 $3,373.54 $9,821.93 $1,638.53 $3,317.35
PREMIER $1,170.38 $4,770.42 $12,761.37 $1,375.82 $2,729.65
HEALTH $710.82 $2,303.66 $7,229.22 $4,855.28 $2,790.94
BUSINESS $335.19 $1,301.96 $4,095.61 $0 $2,686.89
FISHERIES $853.16 $2,261.11 $3,808.07 $1,664.64 $2,227.74
Total
$21,556.67
$22,807.64
$17,889.92
$8,447.15
$10,811.69
alisha.morrissey@theindependent.ca
‘A boom and bust type thing’ From page 1 province on the project — not including the considerable economic spinoffs to nearby communities. “The development phase of the Hibernia project resulted in largescale employment and business activity in Newfoundland and Labrador throughout the 1990s,” states Mark Shrimpton in Socio-Economic Benefits from Petroleum Industry Activity in Newfoundland and Labrador, a report prepared for Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada. “All the commitments made in the project agreement were not only met, but exceeded, in some cases by a large margin.” (Two of the many requirements: Canada should receive 55-60 per cent of the estimated $5.2 billion pre-production expenditures, and 70 per cent of total construction employment.) That boom couldn’t have occurred at a better time, filling some of the gaps left by the 1992 announcement of the northern cod moratorium. In 1997, as the Hibernia GBS moved offshore, the provincial Finance Department estimated the province lost between 3,000 and 4,000 full-time jobs. “When Hibernia was being constructed, absolutely we saw benefits,” says Osbourne. “Certainly from the job perspective, there were lots of people at the site from the area. Supply businesses did quite well. “The problem with some of these mega projects, you get the onslaught of jobs and business for the supply business … it’s a boom and bust type thing. That’s the nature of that type of yard (Bull Arm).” Fred Best, mayor of nearby Clarenville, says the boom-and-bust cycle doesn’t apply to his community, which acts as a service centre for much of the Bonavista Peninsula. But a big project at Bull Arm — about half an hour away — would certainly be “a boost” for the town.
Hibernia’s GBS.
“We keep hearing that something is going to happen … it would be very good news for us,” he says. “The last time that happened, when they built the GBS there, we had good econom-
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5
Surplus certainty Predictions are province will do better financially this fiscal year than expected By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent
L
Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan in the House of Assembly.
“I would like to see the government stop laying off teachers,” says Bennett. “The public services are really at an all-time low in this province.” Unanticipated expenses such as emergency funding for Stephenville as a result of last year’s flood, the Crab Worker Assistance Program, announced in June, and the negative impact of rising fuel costs on government departments (up to $10 million more than budgeted) will pose fiscal challenges when it comes to balancing the books. Memorial University economist Wade Locke says he’s certain the province will record a surplus in the upcoming budget — particularly as government predictions tend to err on the conservative side. He expects the budget will indicate continued, but less dramatic belt-tightening. “That’s the nature of this kind of government.” Locke says with the healthier fiscal situation and the improvement in the province’s debt-toGDP ratio as a result of $2 billion directed towards the debt, Newfoundland and Labrador’s credit rating will improve. Locke says government will likely start focussing on more strategic investments to boost the business economy — particularly in the energy sector. “With Terra Nova now at pay-out you can expect to see a lot more revenue from the oil and gas sector. This government has traditionally underestimated the amount of revenue … I think what you should expect to see is projections that the economy, Newfoundland and Labrador will lead the country this year in growth.” clare-marie.gosse@theindepedent.ca
Paul Daly/The Independent
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iberal leader Jim Bennett predicts this year’s budget surplus could balloon to $30 million from the $1.5 million forecasted last fall. “I think increases in oil prices have resulted in a windfall for them that they haven’t told us about because they’re saving it as part of a goodnews budget,” Bennett tells The Independent. He expects a substantial surplus based on healthy returns from offshore oil, as well as savings from government cuts and interest accrued from the Atlantic Accord. He warns, however, government’s decision to spend the bulk of the $2-billion Accord cheque to cover the unfunded liability in the teachers’ pension plan may give the province an excuse to shy away from spending more money on infrastructure. The money needed to maintain and repair the province’s aging roads and buildings has been pegged at around $4 billion. He says government should have put the money in the teachers’ pension — a move that will save the province around $150 million a year in debt payments — sooner than it did. Finance Minister Loyola Sullivan says the move to tackle the province’s long-term, $12billion debt has “been fairly well received.” He wouldn’t comment on what might be in the upcoming budget — slated to be unveiled at the end of March. In an interview with The Independent earlier this year, Sullivan said certain needs were becoming apparent through prebudget consultations. The minister said province-wide discussions highlighted the need for a poverty-reduction strategy, as well as stating infrastructure would be a government priority in 2006. The province committed $60 million to roads in 2005, promising a further $50 million for the Trans-Labrador Highway on condition Ottawa match the amount. In terms of unplanned spending, the Danny Williams administration has been dishing out more money on increased salaries for senior managers as a means to attract them (and keep them) to the public sector. The Natural Resources Department has been significantly expanded. In a November press conference, Williams announced the department receive addition funding above 2005’s original budget allocation. He said the undetermined but “significant number” would be included in the 2006 budget. After two cost-cutting budgets, Bennett says he hopes government will put funds into boosting the economy, aiding low-income citizens by providing funding for prescription drugs, cutting back “exorbitant” fees in areas such as vehicle licensing, and removing school fees. He also hopes the province will refrain from any further public-sector streamlining.
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Have you noticed the benefits our oil and gas industry is bringing to Newfoundland and Labrador?
SHIPPING NEWS MONDAY, FEB. 27 Vessels arrived: ASL Sanderling, Canada, from Halifax. Vessels departed: Cape Rodger, Canada, to sea; Atlantic Osprey, Canada, to White Rose; ASL Sanderling, Canada, to Corner Brook. TUESDAY, FEB.28 Vessels arrived: Oceanex Avalon, Canada, to Montreal; Atlantic Osprey, Canada, to sea. Vessels departed: Burin Sea, Canada, from Terra Nova; Atlantic Osprey, Canada, to White Rose; Nain Banker, Canada, to fishing.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 Vessels arrived: Atlantic Kingfisher, Canada, from Terra Nova. Vessels departed: Nain Banker, Canada, to fishing; Oceanex Avalon, Canada, to Montreal. THURSDAY, MARCH 2 Vessels arrived: Maersk Nascopie, Canada, from, Hibernia; Atlantic Kingfisher, Canada, from Terra Nova; Atlantic Hawk, Canada, from White Rose; Atlantic Osprey, Canada, from White Rose. Vessels departed: None. FRIDAY, MARCH 3 Vessels arrived: None Vessels departed: Atlantic Hawk, Canada, to White Rose; Atlantic Kingfisher, Canada, to Terra Nova.
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6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 5, 2006
Not pretty in pink
GERRY ROGERS
Guest column
I
Gerry Rogers
Paul Daly/The Independent
’ve never had aspirations to be a cover girl. And really, that’s not where my “gifts” lie. But there I was, on the front page of The Independent, full colour, with the honour of having my photo taken by the talented Paul Daly. I had never met Paul before the shoot. He’s lovely. It’s a delicate thing to photograph a middle-aged woman with her clothes off. He asked me if I was comfortable, would it be OK to do this or that? My instructions to him were simple, “Don’t make me look pitiful or like a victim.” Because that’s not who I am. And I am not a breast cancer survivor. Breast cancer is what happened to me; it’s not who I am. I don’t wear pink ribbons. I hate the pinking of the breast-cancer movement, although, for the most part, it hasn’t been a movement like the one I’m used to as a feminist activist. Rather, it’s the occasional coming together to walk or run to raise money. I don’t want to be pretty in pink, to be the sweet breast cancer survivor to be admired and coddled. I am a grown woman who’s pissed off! I’ve been pissed off for a while. I’m pissed off that so many women are getting breast cancer and no one is doing anything about trying to prevent it or to figure out why. There’s no real prevention work.
Sure there’s great genetic research happening. But only about five per cent of cases have a genetic link. And there’s some great treatment out there that seems to be working. But it’s all about screening, detecting, cutting, poisoning and burning. And a lot of it is a crapshoot. And yes, I’ve had the best of care by the best of doctors and nurses, but that’s not the point. Since my diagnosis six years ago I have had a mastectomy, six months of chemo, five weeks of radiation and another mastectomy. I’ve just got my results back and, sure enough, my pathology had been wrong too. That’s a piss off. My mom’s been diagnosed and has had a double mastectomy, my sister’s been diagnosed and has had a double mastectomy, my aunt had a recurrence and another mastectomy. We call ourselves “the young and the breastless.” I’ve had at least a dozen friends diagnosed since and have lost a few. I miss them badly. One in eight women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and younger and younger women all over the world are being diagnosed. I’ve learned far more about breast cancer than I have ever wanted to know. I have learned that breast cancer is so damn demanding. And life will never be quite the same. And it’s not just breast cancer — one of every two people in Canada will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. We’re told that prevention is the key. See “Cancer,” page 8
YOUR VOICE Andy Wells ‘knows the difference’ Dear editor, I am writing in response to St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells’ guest column (The wages of politics), which appeared in the Feb. 12-18 edition of The Independent. Mayor Wells attempts to misconstrue the truth by suggesting the Mount Pearl city council approved salary increases in a private meeting. Mayor Wells has been in public office for three decades — he knows the difference! No municipal council can pass resolutions in a private meeting. It is rather sad that he would even imply it. Remuneration levels for the City of Mount Pearl are not established in private as stated by the mayor. On July 9, 2002, a motion was duly presented and approved during the city’s regular public council meeting, granting increases of 4.5 per cent, 3.97 per cent, 3.82 per cent and 4.24 per cent to take effect on July 1, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The process followed by the City of Mount Pearl in establishing its
remuneration level is a transparent and public process. In addition, all remuneration levels are established in a timely and open manner during regular public council meetings. Steve Kent, Mayor, City of Mount Pearl
‘Worth beating your chest about’ Dear editor, I certainly enjoy reading your paper, each and every word. The Independent fills a great vacuum that was sorely missing in this province for a long time. However, I couldn’t help but chuckle when I read the line in your last column — “Oh, in case you were wondering, my regular column is on hold this week due to technical difficulties (a broken leg).” — thinking to myself, now that’s certainly something that I would like to see, Ryan Cleary working on his regular column — typing with his leg? Seriously, you’ve got a great paper, certainly worth beating your chest
about. Like Brad Gushue said, it’s not all about him, it was a team effort, and everyone contributed to the win. From my point of view, you are a brilliant writer and editor, and as most successful people do, they surround themselves with the best people in their field, and you’ve certainly got the best reporters. Congratulations, and my point today is — it’s nice to get a chuckle every now and then especially when the world around you is so serious. Thank you for the chuckle! William H. Brenton, Placentia
A new theme song for Sir Paul Dear editor, Shades of Yvette Mimeux and Brigitte Bardot, the latter being famous for her movie And God Created Bedlamers. And now, not just Paul McCartney but Sir Paul McCartney who once sang John Lennon’s creation … Imagine there’s no sealers It’s easy if you try
All fishermen beneath us No codfish we can buy. Maybe Paul should find a new theme song. Oh, how about Hands in their pockets, hands in their pockets, and then dedicate it to all the courageous sealers in Canada. Aubrey Smith, Grand Falls-Windsor
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
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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
All you need is a club M
ake no mistake, it’s no easy thing to say anything bad about the seal hunt, especially when you’re a Newfoundlander who believes in it. A columnist runs the risk of being hated with the intensity reserved for the Margaret Wentes of the world— newfie haters who foolishly think they can get away with describing the outports as a vast and scenic welfare ghetto (not to mention calling us newfies, the bane of our existence). Silly twit, we put Wente in her place; she won’t do it again, not if The Globe knows what’s good for circulation. The few papers sold in this neck of the Canadian woods may not account for much, but there are more of us across the country than you can shake a stick at. Like Danny Williams once said: we’ve infiltrated the country of Canada and are on the brink of taking over. And so, after long and careful deliberation, I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and say what needs to be said: we’ve got to be careful with the seal hunt … if it’s not done right it should be stopped dead in the water. That’s a dangerous statement for a Newfoundlander to make, if he knows what’s good for him and the paper he works for. Disrespecting the seal hunt is like telling Rex Goudie or John Efford they speak funny. Disrespecting the seal hunt is like grabbing the salt and pepper cap off the head of a skipper as he sits on a stage mending a net and slapping him in the face with it (the cap, not the stage). Disrespecting the seal hunt is like spitting on a fresh plate of Sunday dinner with the steam still rising from the peas pudding. Disrespecting the seal hunt is treason of the highest order … mortal sin for a Newfoundlander. The seal hunt holds a sacred place in Newfoundland culture. Remember how the Muslims went off their heads over the cartoon images of the Prophet? Don’t get a Newfoundlander going about seals and his right to kill them.
RYAN CLEARY
Fighting Newfoundlander Disrespecting the seal hunt is like spitting on a fresh plate of Sunday dinner with the steam still rising from the peas pudding. Just don’t dare, or there will be hell to pay in the here and now on our rocky patch of earth. And I respect that — the seal hunt should be allowed to continue for as long as there are seals to be hunted and a body to be clothed or belly to be filled. Other than salt fish and a scattered potato and turnip, seals are what kept us going for the first few hundred years we lived here. The lion that is the start of March would have gutted us long ago had it not been for the seals that floated by on the ice, ripe for the picking. Killing seals is our birthright, which rings a bell now that I mention it. Fishing cod used to be a birthright too — better watch that. But then that’s not my point — seal herds are reportedly healthy enough. Almost a million animals were taken in the last three hunts, without hurting the herd a bit. My point is that seals should only be slaughtered if 100 per cent of the animal is utilized — and there’s no evidence to say it is. Here’s a question: how much of the meat from those one million seals killed in the last three years went to market? In other words, how much of it ended up on someone’s plate or went to some other good use? The pelt and fat was collected and brought home, take that to
the bank, but how much of the meat was left on the ice or allowed to sink to the bottom of the sea? The Canadian Sealers Association says much of the meat is purchased by processors and shipped to Asia. Is it really? Sealer Jack Troake of Twillingate says there’s no need to cart the meat back home when no one will eat it. He himself doesn’t bring the carcasses back with him. Did I miss something, or have all the starving children in Africa been fed, the same children our mothers reminded us about at the supper table? Should food be allowed to rot when there’s a hungry mouth to be fed? Should any sort of waste be allowed in this day and age? One other point, scientists will tell you straight out (when they’re allowed to open their mouths) that what’s missing from marine science is an understanding of how species such as cod and seals and caplin and plankton and whales — the whole damn north Atlantic ecosystem for that matter — impact each other. What happens, for example, when you take caplin or cod from the equation? How does that impact everything else? Our history with Mother Nature isn’t exactly a great one, what makes us so right this time? We have four central arguments in the fight against seal protest groups: the groups themselves are more interested in raising money than saving seals; seals have to be killed to keep them from eating any more cod (as John Efford once said, “They don’t eat Kentucky Fried Chicken.”); killing seals is our right, a proud tradition passed down from our forefathers; and there’s no difference in killing a seal or a cow or a chicken or a pig … My point is that while our right to hunt seals must be respected and protected, we, in turn, must respect the animal. Ryan Cleary is managing editor of The Independent. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7
An open letter to Jim Bennett Dear Jim, ccording to an article in last week’s Independent, you think our investigation of important issues of the day reduces us to the status of the National Enquirer. National Enquirer, huh? You want to bandy about names? OK buddy boy, but remember, you started it. First, let’s get a few things straight. I am delighted that you have decided to come home after an absence of 20 years. This is a great place to live. And I am delighted to see you are a lawyer who has not set up shop downtown. I work downtown. We need more people to clear snow off the streets. We do not need any more lawyers down here. And I am delighted that you have the cojones to take on Danny Williams. However … You need to get a grip on reality. Your recent Liberal coronation has a lot more to do with the fact that your party is in such pitiful shape that even Chuck Furey had to seek out sunnier climes than it does with your all encompassing political acumen and brilliance.
A
IVAN MORGAN
Rant & reason Any number of vastly more qualified local Liberals could have given you a serious run for your money, but they didn’t. They all dipped their toes in the political waters and found it too cold. You, however, jumped right in — where others fear to tread, one might say. Your party is a mess. Even the most shameless opportunists (and your party has its share) are staying home. I guarantee that if you build a bandwagon they’ll jump on it, but from here it looks like yours has no wheels. Your wife is a provincial cabinet minister in Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government in Ontario and you can’t see where some people might see a conflict of interest with her career and yours here in Newfoundland? You apparently thought nothing of cadging a free flight with her at taxpayers’ expense while
she was on government business? And now you can’t understand what the flap is about? Then you decide to give one of our reporters, who asked you about all this, a hard time and call us names. If I were in the higher echelons of the provincial Liberal party that attitude of yours might worry me a little. Let me “dream up” a potential conflict for you. Not that he is that stupid, but what if Danny Williams started flying his family around at taxpayers’ expense? You and your colleagues would have to sit on your hands looking stupider than usual while the New Democrats had a field day. Are you starting to see where there might be a problem? Asking this question does not make us the National Enquirer. Besides, we already have an Enquirer-type publication in this town, thank you. And I am sure they are already grubbing through your muck. It’s what they do. You are no one until you have been slagged by that crowd. Take it from me. We at The Independent, on the other hand, deal responsibly with substantive
issues. Like the ethics of politicians, and whether new leaders of parties really have what it takes to be an opposition leader. Your actions are starting to give me doubts. Hopping free flights and calling newspapers names is not a great start. You are also quoted in our paper as being confident you’ll “lead a government in the 2007 election.” Ha! You’ll understand if I don’t hold my breath. You think you can take on Danny Williams? I am starting to seriously wonder about that. My advice? Pick on a few of the little suckerfish attached to his large sleek self before you decide to go after the big fish himself. See if you can get past the cheery press releases issued by the people his cabinet ministers work for. You, my friend, are going to have to learn to do your homework. And speaking of homework, you are going to have to get some new people. As an opposition, the only thing they have been able to jump on lately is some inconsequential tourism ad flap. If I were to toss insults around, I could note that as a few
of your fellow Liberal MHAs are former teachers, perhaps copying was finally an issue they understood. Your profession is law. Your wife is a politician. Name-calling? Don’t tempt me. Some say the best defence is offence — and your comments were certainly offensive enough. Stop calling us names and show us you can do the job you were parachuted into. Danny is getting a free ride. He is doing his job, and doing it superbly. Your opposition is not. Liz Marshall and Fabian Manning showed us how Danny deals with internal disagreement. Your job is to show us how he deals with people he can’t bully. Your job is to show us all that you have the wit and the intellect to take the government to task. You haven’t yet. So far all you have done is look arrogant and stupid. I hope this makes you mad. It is supposed to. And remember, you started it. Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com
SCENES FROM THE STEPHENVILLE FLOOD
Municipal Affairs Minister Jack Byrne and Joan Burke, MHA for St. George’s–Stephenville East, announced last week the provincial government will relocate victims of Stephenville’s Sept. 27 flood. The estimated cost is $18 million and another $3 million is expected to be allocated for personal property and damage claims outside the designated flood area. The province and the federal government are discussing details of a cost-share agreement. Allison Furlong/For The Independent
YOUR VOICE ‘Blood on the ice always works’ Dear editor, of a small section of the Department Sir Paul and his entourage are of Fisheries. about to grace the ice fields in Throughout the world there are accompaniment with those wonder- many other countries that engage in ful animal rights zealots who make lawful, sustainable harvests of their annual pilgrimage to the cash marine resources — Norway, box known as the seal hunt protest. Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Japan Always a good career booster for and others. The U.S.A. itself has a wannabe or hasseal hunt. The been entertainers, killing of fish or the ice fields will mammals is not see the annual flyattractive work be If this issue has a by of those who the prey cute and see themselves on cuddly or not. The solution it has to a higher plateau province has be one made in than those who allowed the federal hunt or fish from government to keep Newfoundland. marine resources. the sealing issue Facts do not get in isolated from partthe way and withnership with these out challenge to countries when any misrepresentation or deceit the dealing with well-meaning but misseal hunt protest has easy pickings guided protest movements. The for fund raising. Blood on the ice province has been content to pay the always works. Stick a camera in the annual price of damage to its econoface of a sealer and you get reaction. my and reputation without challenge The Government of Newfound- to those who do it. The fishing comland and Labrador is responsible for panies themselves are an embarrassthis portrayal of its coastal people as ment for their lack of support to find barbarians and general louts. While a solution. They are nowhere to be the targets of animal rights groups found. are the fishermen themselves, the Animal rights groups (corporacollateral damage is to the tourism tions) brag of resources in the hunindustry. This will be the annual car- dreds of millions. They brag of peting of the economy and culture of memberships in the tens of thouthe people with cluster bombs of sands. Isn’t it about time the verbal bile consisting of what is province directed its legal represenmostly misrepresentation. After 35 tatives to pursue some of those funds years, the province continues to let as compensation for damages to its the federal government control the reputation and economy? After all, if response. The feds have failed mis- as the protesters say, their activities erably in the past. The sealers have are costing us hundreds of millions successfully raised prices for the of dollars and if as we maintain we pelts and have mostly left the scene. are doing nothing illegal then In the 1970s the federal govern- shouldn’t we pursue a legal remedy ment decided to “hunker down and to this. Some of that money would wait it out.” There was some funding go a long way to offsetting a damto fisherman to enable the feds to aged rural economy. If this issue has have a deflective mechanism to pro- a solution it has to be one made in tect the bureaucrats themselves, but Newfoundland. otherwise the issue has been left to fester on an annual basis. The Mike Kehoe, Paradise province, to its discredit, has treated (Former executive director, the issue as the part-time occupation Canadian Sealers Association)
‘As a Newfoundlander I feel as if I won the gold’ Dear editor, I have no idea how hard it is to win Olympic gold, never having attended a Games or winning a medal, but I have come to realize that to be an Olympic champion must surely bestow upon the recipient the greatest sense of human satisfaction and accomplishment. Who could not be in awe of the miracle on ice in 1980 when the U.S. hockey team won the gold, or be suspended in time by the gold-winning marathons of the great barefooted Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia in 1960 and ’64? A team that wins gold adds something special to its accomplishment that is not present in individual feats. I do not mean to belittle or take anything away from any individual medalist. To win a team event requires the cohesiveness of many, perfected to time and place; individual abilities of self yet at the same time recognize and bring into play, at the correct time,
that which is far more important, the right proportion of unselfishness to make the team function in unison. It is this display of human co-operation and togetherness toward one goal that truly represents the spirit of the Olympic games, the human ability to face and conquer any challenge. This is the feat accomplished by Newfoundland and Labrador’s curling team of Brad Gushue, Russ Horward, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, but they didn’t just win a gold medal. They won it with a magnificent display of skill, composure and unselfishness. On a stage for all the world to see, they were a great example of Olympic and human sportsmanship, grace and humility and they are our boys (Russ now being adopted). As a Newfoundlander I feel as if I won the gold, and I know there are thousands more all over our province that feel the same way. We had a seafaring culture in
the not-too-distant past, one that was full of sailors and seamen who were also the best on the planet at what they did! I can’t help just this one time smiling and feeling a glow in my heart for these Olympians, who they are and what they did. Once more there is a group of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have shown the world they can be as good as anyone else and it can never be taken away from us for as long as we live. The old-timers on the schooners used to have a saying: “I never wanted to be better than any man, just as good.” Well Mr. Brad Gushue and team, you sure as hell pass their test of character. Look what you have done for us Newfoundlanders and Labradorians now! You have made the star shine in all our hearts again! We love you for it. Thank you. Dr. Phil Earle, Carbonear
The Gushue Rink looks through their gold medals following ceremonies at the Torino 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. Andy Clark/Reuters
Rocks solid Gold is great! The god to beat, boys with brooms performed the feat. Canada first for male rock throwers, threw the Rock right off its moors. Proud is not the word, my son,
we’ve caught the rapture on the run. Wholesome newfie noddies knock, the socks off Finns in final rock. Old Howard spiked and spiced the brew, to round off this amazing crew. Felicitations on your win, congrats to all your kith and kin.
This honour’s even sweeter now, that hockey guys can’t take the bow. Curling’s earned its rightful place in Olympic roster’s medal race; this win will woo the skeptics too who do not give the game its due. Bob LeMessurier, Goulds
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MARCH 5, 2006
8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
YOUR VOICE ‘Adding to The Independent’ Dear editor, Just a quick note to say I loved Susan Rendell’s column (Taller than the moon, Feb. 19-25 edition). Good for you — excellent to see one of our
best writers adding to The Independent. Crossing my fingers that it proves a long relationship. Bruce Johnson, Curator of Contemporary Art The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, St. John’s
Sir Paul’s agenda Dear editor, Why exactly is Sir Paul (McCartney) trying to hug wild animals on an ice flow?
Doesn’t he have a castle to build or a bank to buy or something? Frank Hall, Ottawa
‘Hypocrisy is not an option’ Dear editor, Newfoundland and Labrador can draw negative attention to itself like a kick-me sign on the Pope. Internationally, the image of the sealer is as prominent as the Mountie. The campaign that has spread this propaganda must certainly be ranked among the most successful in history. The most recent incarnation of the anti-sealer campaign is in the name of Sir Paul McCartney. He is a rare example in the animal rights movement in that he is an actual vegan. There is a definite virtue in practicing what you preach, but how many supporters of the IFAW, American Humane Society, or Sea Shepherd Conservative Society is vegan? Scratch just a little below the surface of these groups and it will not take long to find a guy eating a box of chicken and ribs. It is Mr. Chicken and Ribs that I have my beef with (pun intended). Why does he support the anti-sealing campaign? Let’s break down the BS and leave the fundamental argument standing: #1: “I don’t agree with killing baby seals.” From this argument I would expect that the lamb industry in New Zealand and the veal industry in the United States would be huge targets for these campaigns. #2: “The seals are endangered.” No, they are in fact thriving. #3: “The seal hunt is barbaric.” Indeed there is a barbarism to killing an animal. So there must be an overwhelming uproar in the abattoirs of the United States with the enormous amount of cattle killed to make Big Macs? The beef industry defends itself with all guns blazing. They have taken on the likes of K.D, Lang and Oprah Winfrey while steakhouses like The Keg and The Outback Steakhouse are cropping up like bull patties in a hay field. The truth is once we remove all of the BS we
are left with one fundamental argument: are these seals killed in the most humane way possible? I can cite statistics and sources on both sides, but in all honesty I do not have strong confidence in either point of view. Statistics are smoke and mirrors for bureaucratic agendas. Scientists are often paid lobbyists. Look up Ranjit Chandra if you believe the hallowed halls of academia are immune to the shit wave. To profess a sound value system we have only a couple of choices. Go vegan. I honestly admire that path, but as for myself I would shit myself inside out if I had to eat that many lentils. The Sea Cucumber can apparently expel its insides when threatened, I’m not sure how that works as a defence but I am not prepared to be the first human to try the strategy. The second choice is to define your protest. If you do not belief that young animals should be killed then the seal hunt would be one of many targets after you have taken on the government of New Zealand over lamb, and France, Belgium, Holland and the United States over veal, etc. Perhaps the humane treatment of animals is your flag? Then you will be fighting against bull fights in Spain, stampedes, circuses, foxhunts, dogfights, cock fights, zoos, aquariums, pet stores, pet owners, and research animals. Oh man this fight is huge ... get started and let me know when you get down to the priority of the seal hunt. What is not an option is rubbing shoulders with celebrities and soliciting millionaires like sheep for their cash while dining on veal parmesan in your leather Birkenstocks. Hypocrisy is not an option. Darren Fancey, St. John’s
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9
Live with Larry King P
remier Danny Williams appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live Friday night with Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, in a show/debate about Canada’s East Coast seal hunt. The following are quotes from the show: Paul: “I’ve been seeing pictures of this for probably about 40 years now and I’m basically involved because I think it’s a cruel practice that should be ended.” Heather: “I couldn’t just sit and watch the slaughter that’s going to go on in the next two weeks with pups under the age of one month old. They say, ‘Well we don’t kill white (coat) baby seals but they lose their coats after 12 days.’ That’s like saying a baby is no longer a baby once it’s a month old. It’s barbaric and archaic and really brutal.” Heather: “We even spoke to Phil Jenkins from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the plane and even he had to admit at the end of the day it’s not doing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans any good because they’re losing sales, they’re losing export sales for a tiny, tiny cruel slaughtering of these poor little pups that don’t even get a chance to swim before they’re clubbed to death, or even have their first solid meal.” Paul: “Anyone who’s ever seen any footage of this … because a lot of us have over the last 40 years … I don’t think anyone has ever looked at
that footage and said that looks humane.” Heather: “The reason they are clubbed to death, so people really understand this, is because it’s less damage to the skins … the reason they’re killed between the ages of 12 and 24, 30 days is because the skin is fresh — it’s unmarked, it’s going to be used for the fashion industry for seal skins.” Paul: “I don’t think there is a huge value placed on seal skin. I think there could be more value based on the attractive tourist industry that Canada could create by turning this whole thing around and banning the hunt.” Heather: “We’re not coming here to dictate things. We would rather be at home watching the telly with our little baby. We don’t need to come over here and stand on the ice for five hours in minus 20 degrees with the wind-chill factor even worse, you know we don’t need to do this.” Larry: “I am told that the prime minister, Mr. (Stephen) Harper, has sent Mr. Williams, who will appear in a couple of minutes, to be his emissary tonight, so in a sense he’s speaking for the prime minister.” Danny: “The information that hasn’t been given is that 90 per cent of these seals are killed by bullet, they’re not all clubbed … it’s effective, it’s very efficient and it’s very quick … this seal herd, since 1970, has grown, has tripled. It’s gone from two million seals to 5.8 million seals, that’s actually 12
A harp seal pup lies on the ice as singer Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather, hold a media briefing on an ice floe in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, March 2.
times every person in Newfoundland and Labrador.” Paul: “What happened in the ’50s and ’60s is that there was an overkilling of the seal population, and they dropped to a dangerously low level, where the government had to step in and stop it from happening in order to maintain the population. What is happening now is that over the last three years that level of killing is happening again.”
Danny: “I can assure you that I’m in possession of all the facts on this, there are about three per cent, and that’s all the seals that are actually being taken.” Paul: “I defy you to show any reasonable minded person this footage, and get them to say ‘You know, that looks humane to me.’” Danny: “What is actually happening on the ground in Newfoundland and Labrador is we are now finding that some of these starving seals are actual-
‘Seal is top’ This year’s hunt expected to be better than ever By Alisha Morrissey The Independent
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ealers are expecting to have another record year in 2006. While this year’s quotas have yet to be set, the total allowable catch is expected to rise. Combined with last year’s record prices for pelts and a high demand for seal oil-based health products, the industry is well on its way to meeting $100-million expectations, industry sources predict. Wade Pinhorn, spokesman for the Canadian Sealers’ Association, says the landed value of the province’s seal hunt is up to about $40 million, and he expects it to do a little better this year. “Ice conditions are improving everyday, the market looks good and the sealers are anticipating a bumper year,” Pinhorn tells The Independent. “The value last year and the prices received were record prices and from what I hear, the market this year is just as good or better.” Last year, sealers got between $50 and $80 per pelt and were paid 20 cents per kilogram for the blubber. The flippers and carcasses are sold cheaply in Newfoundland and Labrador, mostly for personal consumption, Pinhorn says. While the seal penis, used as an aphrodisiac, was once a popular product in Asia, he says the hunt’s focus on young seals (with small organs) and the invention of Viagra has curbed the market.
Seal tablets • The three-year total allowable catch of harp seals for 2003-2005 was set at 975,000. • Seal quotas are expected to rise this year as the population has grown to 5.9 million from 5.2 million animals last year. • In 2004, DFO issued more than 13,000 commercial sealing licences.
Fisheries Minister Tom Rideout says market opportunities are on the rise for sealers again this year. The garment industry is demanding pelts and a global focus on the health benefits of omega-3 oils, found in seal fat, are driving interests in seal products. However, because the entire seal is not used, the province isn’t reaping all the benefits of the hunt, says Rideout. “There’s a continued effort to use as much of the meat as possible, some of it I know goes into providing food in the mink ventures in the province,” he says. “We’ve put a lot of effort and research and money into trying to market the meat itself in various countries of the world and I can’t say that we’ve had a lot of success, but we’re continuing to do that.” Jack Troake of Twillingate, a sealer for the past 54
Cancer: the antithesis of life From page 6 Don’t smoke, eat right, exercise. Makes sense, right? But what about the beluga whales in the St. Lawrence that are getting cancer? The incidence is growing — yet they’re not smoking, they haven’t changed their eating habits, and I doubt they’re spending more time in front of the TV. And what about my friends who are doing all the right things and still getting cancer? We’ve got a big problem here, and it’s growing. I want to know what the hell is happening? Don’t you? We can no longer afford to ignore the possibility of the links of environmental factors and cancer by those who have been screaming at us from the fringes, raising red flags about persistent organic pollutants and other carcinogens in our daily lives. They trudge on doing their work. Their research is not funded by the pharmaceuticals that sell the chemo drugs. In many cases, they’re also the same companies that sell pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants that have a direct link to many cancers — particularly breast cancers, lymphomas and cancers in kids. Hundreds and hundreds of new chemicals are released into the market place every year and the companies that manufacture them don’t even have to prove they’re safe. We as consumers have to prove they’re not to get them out of the market place. How stupid is that! Yes cancer is demanding, but we can be demanding too. We have to start demanding that our gov-
ernments on all levels start to act on our behalf and get serious about cancer prevention. We need better legislation that regulates the introduction of new chemicals into our lives. And we need them to take some leadership in getting known and unnecessary carcinogens out of our environment, out of the products we use, out of our soil, food, water and the very air we breathe. And I want some of my tax dollars going towards the research that those big old pharmaceuticals won’t fund. And maybe, just maybe, there’s some way we can have that crowd pay for some of the damage they’ve done and make them more accountable for the stuff they produce. Let’s be as demanding … let’s be even more demanding than cancer. If everyone got pissed off instead of being pretty in pink maybe we’d get past prevention and get down to the real causal effects, the carcinogens that surround and poison our living, breathing world. As for my cover girl stint, that wasn’t bravery. For me it’s about transcendence. Cancer is the antithesis of life. To be able to do something creative with cancer is an act of defiance. It’s pushing back. It’s refusing to die on a number of levels. And I think the challenge is to live fully even while dying. And here’s a tip: the best possible thing you can do with an hour of your time this Sunday night (March 5) is watch Wendy Mesley on CBC’s Marketplace. And Paul Daly, thanks for the honour. Gerry Rogers is an award-winning filmmaker living in St. John’s.
• Seal pelts were worth between $50 and $80 last year, and are expected to fetch the same or more in 2006. • Flippers are mostly sold locally for about $1 each or $10 a dozen. • Seal blubber is worth about 20 cents a kilogram. • Seal carcasses — which don’t sell well — fetch about $5 each. • Government studies suggest the market value of the seal industry will top $100 million in the next few years.
years, says seal meat isn’t a popular snack anymore, which leaves a gap in the industry. “We don’t bring in a lot of seal meat here … seal meat is left out there, but it doesn’t go to waste it goes down and feeds all the little critters on the bottom,” Troake says. “There’s not a lot of meat on a beaters’ (a harp seal about 25 days old) carcass. A good beaters’ carcass is about 10-11 pounds, that’s the bone and everything.” Looking forward to this year’s hunt, Troake says a man can make a lot of money on the ice. “Two days, with a bit of luck on your side, you picks up 1,000 seals you’re looking at $70,000 or $80,000 so nobody can argue that’s not good money,” he says, adding the seal hunt will be the saving grace of their year’s fishery. “Right now, in 2006 more so than in any other year, the seal fishery in this province is the most important rung on the ladder because the crab is in a total mess, shrimp is marginal, we got a crash in the cod fishery —so give it two days with a bit of luck on your side and seal is top.”
ly going into fresh-water rivers in order to feed. That’s actually happening.” Danny: “There’s an unfair comparison here that if you go into a beef slaughterhouse or a pork slaughterhouse or a chicken slaughterhouse and you put white sheets down on the floor, well then you’re going to see blood and that’s not nice and that’s not pleasant but if you take the McCartney’s arguments to the extreme that they’re willing to go, there will be no beef slaugh-
Paul Darrow/Reuters
ter, there will be no pork slaughter, there will be no chicken slaughter, there will be no fish in restaurants, there will be no eggs, there will be no milk for children in school lunch programs …” Heather: “Don’t try and divert it. Rubbish. People eat meat. People eat fish. People don’t eat the seals. And they use it for fashion. It’s not relevant.” Danny: “These organizations, the IFAW (International Fund for Animal
Welfare), Greenpeace, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) raise significant amounts of money. There’s hundreds of millions of dollars that are being raised by these organizations. Let me tell you, the FBI (U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation) right now has a file opened in a terrorism division investigating organizations like this, including the PETA organization, from a terrorism perspective, so there are some huge issues there that if we had a couple of hours I would love to deal with.” Heather: “Why are you going off on a tangent? Why are you not sticking to the seal hunt, the fact that it’s used for fashion, the fact that they’re inhumanely killed and there are hours and hours and years and years of footage to prove it? Why don’t you stick to the subject? You’re such a politician, you keep going off on irrelevant things like beef that people eat, fish that people eat. They don’t eat seals. Danny: “This is about using superstars like your husband … I will provide you with documentaries that will indicate that people from the IFAW who witnessed this hunt and said there was nothing wrong with it were fired by the IFAW. I want you to come to Newfoundland and Labrador. I want you to know the truth and the facts and I am certain that you will partner with us and move this forward.” Paul: “The point we’re making here is that this is inhumane, no matter how much you say it is humane — it isn’t. This is nothing to do with the depletion of the cod stocks, that’s due to human overfishing … this creates a stain on character of the Canadian people internationally.” Heather: “Why don’t you want to have peace talks? Why do you want to be going to war and doing this to animals?”
MARCH 5, 2006
10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
Harbour Breton still working on business plan By Alisha Morrissey The Independent
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business plan for the Harbour Breton fish plant isn’t wrapped up, despite a deal between the town and the Barry Group of Companies. The business plan — which is being prepared by TAVEL, a N.S. fisheries consulting firm — will cost about $250,000, money raised in federal grants to the town. Harbour Breton Mayor Don Stewart says the business plan must be completed under a contract with the consulting
firm, and is hoping the plan will point to diversification in the town’s economy. “We did not anticipate from day one that if we found a new operator here in Harbour Breton that that operator would be able to go in and employ 300-plus people,” Stuart tells The Independent. “If you look at any fish company that has gone under in Newfoundland in the last number of years if a new company moves in then generally they start with 100-120 people and they build from that.” The Harbour Breton fish plant was shut down by Fishery Products International in the fall of 2004, throw-
ing about 300 people out of work. Since then the plant has been dormant and the community has been struggling with outmigration and getting by on makework projects. The Industrial Adjustment Services Committee was set up to investigate ways to keep the town alive, but was disbanded Jan. 31 after the town handed in its preliminary business plan to the province. The plan hinged on a 4,000-tonne shrimp quota and suggested industries like fur farming. Government officials turned down nearly all the proposed ideas in the busi-
ness plan and Stewart says that’s about the time the town got caught up in the plant’s new prospects. On Feb. 7, Premier Danny Williams and Bill Barry, owner of the Barry Group of Companies, announced an agreement between the Town of Harbour Breton and the company. The agreement would see the Barry Group attempt to land a quota for the plant to process mackerel, herring and caplin, with the by-products made into feed for the company’s aquaculture and mink interests. Barry has offered to pay for the stock assessment in the area, in hopes of proving a commercially viable
herring stock exists off the south coast. Industry Minister Kathy Dunderdale says the draft business plan was “full of ifs” and it’s her understanding the completion of the final draft is just a formality. “For them to proceed now working on a business plan for that plant — which was the centrepiece of the piece of work that they were doing — there’s no point to that now that the town has reached an understanding with Mr. Barry,” the minister says. “I mean I’m sure that Mr. Barry doesn’t want the town to complete a business plan for him.”
LIFE STORY
A lovely spirit By Katie Smith For The Independent
H
anna Woodcock remembers the day her husband Stephen died. On Dec. 22, 2005, she returned home after doing some Christmas shopping and was getting ready for company to arrive. Her husband of 30 years, a talented musician and instrument repairman, needed a few things from the store, so off he went. That was the last time Hanna saw Woodcock alive. “He popped out to the store and that’s when he collapsed,” she says. “When he didn’t come back we thought, ‘Well this is a bit long,’ and then the police were at the door and they took us up in the wagon to the emergency room.” News of Woodcock’s death was shocking for family and friends because he hadn’t been feeling bad, and when he left the house he seemed fine. But Woodcock’s heart had been weakened from a heart attack he suffered 14 years earlier and although he quit smoking, started exercising and began living a healthy life after the attack, the damage had been done. “He had stresses with the work, I suppose, and the repairs sometimes, but he did love his work,” Hanna says. “It wasn’t the exercise, it was just his condition.
That’s what the doctor said. He had a condition.” Born and raised in England, Woodcock came to Canada for the first time right before his 12th birthday, when his father got a job as a machinist in Cambridge, Ont. At 18, he returned to England to work as a carpenter at the Old Repertory Theatre Birmingham, where he met Hanna. Eventually the two wed and moved to Ontario. Hanna remembers the summer they turned a bread van into a camper and traveled the United States and Canada. “We were young and foolish,” she says with a laugh. “We decided to try east and when we ended up in Newfoundland, that’s where we clicked and we loved it.” The couple decided to move and for more than 20 years, Woodcock ran an instrument repair shop out of their home on King’s Road in St. John’s. One musician who frequented Woodcock’s shop was Steve Hussey. Hussey, who works at Fred’s Records, says Woodcock was a kind, caring man who was generous and considerate of others. “He was a truly wonderful person,” he says. “The guy just exuded niceness. He had a gentle sort of feeling about him.” Woodcock’s death affected everyone who knew him because they realized what they would be missing, he says. “It’s kind of one of those situations
Hanna and Stephen Woodcock
where you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.” Hussey learned a lot from Woodcock and says he will miss going to his shop and playing music with him. Most of all, he will miss his company. “You know sometimes when you sit down with an older guy, you get intimidated, but he wasn’t like that,” he says. “I learned from him in every way.” Because of how much Woodcock meant to musicians and to his community, Hussey and other friends are organizing a benefit concert in his memory; the proceeds are for his widow. Hanna is still deciding what she will do with the money. “I don’t really want to just take the
Photos by Kent Barrett
money and apply it to my personal debts,” she says. “I must think of a way to use it in Steve’s name somehow. An award or something.” She says the people of her community have been wonderful. “People have been so kind and helpful. The spirit here in St. John’s is lovely.” Hanna is left with a newly renovated repair shop and store and she says the idea of selling it had crossed her mind, but she decided it would be a loss for people in St. John’s who need more skilled work on their finer stringed instruments. “It would be good to carry on what Steve built up. It took him years to get to
this point, really, so it’s a good opportunity for somebody.” She is planning to move back to England this spring, saying it’s just too hard for her to be here without her husband. “I don’t really want to leave because we loved it here, but it was always we you know? It was for us. I can’t see me carrying on living a life that was us on my own.” The fundraiser in honour of Stephen Woodcock will be held at Bella Vista on Torbay Road on Monday, March 6. The doors will open at 7 p.m. Katie Smith is a journalism student from Holland College in P.E.I.
Dail Mail, April 5, 1923
Stephen Woodcock 1952-2005
AROUND THE BAY Headline: News from Fishery Products Ltd. The fish plant is in production five days a week except on statutory holidays. They do not operate on Saturdays due to production costs. During the past month, trawlers landed 1,732,000 pounds of fish. The trawler payroll amounted to $84,926.98. In the plant, employee payroll amounted to $146,711.82. During the month, 303 workers were employed — 220 males, 83 females.” — The Trepassey Tribune, April 1976 YEARS PAST “At a recent meeting the executive government decided to offer further financial assistance to the St. George’s Coal Fields Ltd. in order to enable the company to continue drilling operations. It is felt that with the completion of the drilling as recommended by Dr. Baker no difficulty will be experienced in getting outside capital to put the property on a producing basis. The government’s offer — if accepted by the company — will make it a shareholder in the enterprise.” — The Family Fireside, March, 1928 AROUND THE WORLD “An Anglo-Saxon alliance, backed by the armed forces of the United States and Great Britain would constitute the best guarantee for world peace, said Viscount Craigavon, for 17 years Prime Minister of Northeast Ireland.” — The Bay Roberts Guardian, March 27, 1937 EDITORIAL STAND “How is it that ladies like so much more time to
dress when they go to a ball (even though they’re half dressed) … than they do when they dress in full to go to church. I could address myself to the subject much more, but I fear it would not interest the readers of The Indicator.” — The Indicator, March 30, 1888 LETTER TO THE EDITOR “The stay of the mail steamer with us is so short that I only have to say in reply, that if you feel disposed to tender for the service in question, we shall not close with any other party until a month after this, at least, and that as no fixed time has been mentioned to others to whom we have applied for tenders, yours may be in ample time, although received many days after that period.” Signed, Attorney General of Newfoundland, C. Stephen Esq. — The Record, March 1, 1862 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “There were now more anti-Smallwoodites than followers of the great master. It was just a matter of bringing the various factions together.” Fraser March. — The (Lewisporte) Tide, April 26-May 9, 1979
INDEPENDENTWORLD
SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 5-11, 2006 — PAGE 11
Charest or Klein: who got it right? Harper touts Quebec’s health care reforms; needs time to study Alberta’s proposals By Andrew Mills Torstar wire service
in cases where patients have waited more than six months for treatment and only for hip and knee replacements and cataract rime Minister Stephen Harper is surgery. Unlike Alberta, Quebec has also encouraging the provinces to follow said doctors cannot work in both the pubQuebec’s — and not Alberta’s — lic and for-profit sectors, but must choose proposals for health care reform. one or the other. That was about as far as Harper was “I would encourage Alberta and the willing to go yesterday in pronouncing an other provinces, as they talk about opinion on Alberta’s radical plan — the reforms, to always keep in mind the impor“Third Way” that would, among other tance of access for patients and I would measures, allow patients to pay cash for encourage all of them to look at particularsome treatments, including hip and knee ly Quebec’s proposal,” Harper says. replacements, to get faster treatment. He also reminded the Alberta governExperts say this is a clear breach of the ment that it has “repeatedly committed in Canada Health Act, legislation and elsewhich Harper has promwhere they will respect ised to uphold. Klein the Canada Health “I’m no doctor, but I himself admits the proAct.” posed reforms may vioThe act obliges think that (Ontario pre- Ottawa to withhold late the health act, but adds he’s willing to take cash payments to the mier) Mr. McGuinty’s that risk. provinces if their But Harper, despite health sysgot a case of premature provincial criticism from federal tems don’t meet certain opposition parties and federal requirements, speculation.” Ontario, who urged him including ensuring unito state the proposals versal access to insured Ralph Klein contravene the act, health care and outlawrefuses to say what he ing extra-billing and thinks of the Alberta user charges. proposals, explaining he needs more time Klein told reporters in Edmonton last to study them. week that it may come to the point where For the Prime Minister, using provisions Alberta will have to weigh the possibility in the health act to punish Alberta could of federal penalties against the benefits of prove politically dicey for a number of rea- the reforms. sons. Still, critics are calling on Harper to For one, Harper has promised Ottawa threaten Alberta with consequences if the will give the provinces more freedom to province goes ahead with its proposals. set their own policies. And rapping “We’ll hold the government to account Alberta’s knuckles risks alienating to ensure they enforce the Canada Health Conservatives both in Alberta — Harper’s Act,” interim Liberal leader Bill Graham strongest base of support — and those in says. the party who prefer an expanded role for Premier Dalton McGuinty calls privately provided health care. Alberta’s plan a threat to medicare and But Harper did praise Quebec’s plans for says Harper must act quickly to stop it. health reform, which allow the health system to sub-contract to private clinics only See “Encourage,” page 12
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Quebec premier Jean Charest (top) and Alberta’s Ralph Klein recently released proposals for health care reform. Reuters
VOICE FROM AWAY
The Mennonite way By Stephanie Porter The Independent
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fter a year teaching in Natuashish, Labrador, Chris White moved to St. John’s to try his hand at substituting in his hometown. But by late October 2005 — after two months of sporadic work — he accepted a job offer in a small town in northern Alberta. It’s miles away from his experience in Labrador, he says, but “still very different” from anything he was used to at
Chris White of St. John’s didn’t know what he was in for when he agreed to work in La Crete home. La Crete, population 3,000, is a Mennonite community 800 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Most residents speak plautdietsch, a German dialect,
though all business and education is conducted in English. “I didn’t know what to expect,” admits White. “I was thinking of Mennonites, and I thought there would be no technology or anything … but everybody has vehicles and computers, they play sports, they’ve got everything. “The main difference is values … they teach youth traditional Mennonite ways, there are traditional churches. See “I’m busy,” page 13
Farming in La Crete.
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MARCH 5, 2006
12 • INDEPENDENTWORLD
Canadian Tire eyes mortgages, GICs C anadian Tire Corp., the iconic retailer known for printing its own “money,” is considering offering mortgages, investment savings accounts and other financial products to its customers. The strategy is meant to fuel growth over the next five years for the retail chain, which has about 1,100 stores, gas stations and car washes in communities big and small from coast to coast. “We are evaluating new products and services within Canadian Tire Financial Services to include things like mortgages, things like high-rate savings (accounts)” and guaranteed investment certificates, chief executive Wayne Sales says. Financial services is not a new area for the big-box seller, known for every-
thing from automotive supplies to pots and pans and gardening equipment. It has been in the credit card business since 1997 and has issued almost 2 million Canadian Tire Options MasterCards. This area now accounts for about one-third of Canadian Tire’s earnings.
TRUSTED BRAND “They’ve proven on certain product lines that they can compete very effectively and very profitably with other, more traditional players. It’s just an evolution of a strategy,” says David Brodie, retail analyst at Research Capital Corp. “They will go after it in a very measured way, testing out some products and services to see how well they work,
and roll it out over a controlled basis because they want to make sure there’s a good market out there.” Canadian Tire indicated in its earnings announcement and conference call in mid-February that it plans to expand its financial service offerings as one ingredient of its five-year growth plan. The company also plans to open 285 new stores, renovate existing locations, consider acquisitions and joint ventures and sell off surplus real estate. Products such as mortgages and investment savings accounts would be part of a long-term strategy for the retailer, spokesperson Scott Bonikowsky says. “We do see some longer-term opportunities for two reasons. Canadians have a very strong level of trust in
Canadian Tire. They also have an existing financial relationship with us through their card business.” The Canadian market for mortgages, high-interest savings accounts and GICs is huge, Bonikowsky adds. The retailer is still considering how much of that market it can grab. IT’S BIG ENOUGH “We think it’s big enough that it’s worth our while to at least explore and see if it makes sense for us,” he says. Adding new financial services is a way for Canadian Tire “to leverage its brand,” add incremental earnings and expand and mature its bank offering, says Candice Williams, a retail analyst with Raymond James. It’s also easier for the retailer to get
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customers because they come to the store or are already Canadian Tire MasterCard holders, she says. “They provide an alternative to the big bank. This is Canada’s most shopped retailer,” Williams says. It’s a blueprint that grocery store operator Loblaw Ltd. has followed with considerable success. It offers banking services, credit cards, mortgages and loans through its popular President’s Choice Financial brand. Retailers hope to boost sales as they increase their product array beyond what customers already expect. In the financial services area, Canadian Tire has issued $180 million in personal loans. It also offers accident and life insurance, but does not disclose sales figures in this area.
Conflicts sway world of fashion
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ashion is taking cover. In a CNN world of religious wars and ethnic conflicts, fashion designers in Paris are turning their backs on overt sexuality, preferring to shroud women in layers of heavy, dark clothing, leaving everything to the imagination. Unlike sexually charged trends of the past that brazenly exposed women’s legs, breasts and midriffs with controversial names like “heroin chic” and “porn style,” this new approach to solemnity also has a name that’s sure to raise eyebrows. In a front-page story this week, the International Herald Tribune reported, “There is even talk among some designers about the ‘Muslim-ization’ of fashion.” DARK LAYERS Hot designer labels such as Jun Takahashi’s Undercover premiered its upcoming fall/winter collection Monday with models mummified in heavy knit bandages and scarves with their heads completely covered, like the bags placed over prisoners’ heads before they’re shot. Other designers including Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior and Viktor & Rolf illustrated this new approach to repressed sexuality with voluminous proportions, clothing that drooped from the shoulders into shapeless egg silhouettes and elaborate face coverings. Said designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose own New York show presented dark layers, “If you read the daily papers, you are not in the mood for pink and green.” And this from designer Miuccia Prada, “We have to deal now with a whole world connected.” Hard-core fashionistas, accustomed to wearing clingy dresses with killer heels, may lament the move to modesty. But Suzy Menkes of the Herald Tribune offered some encouraging words, suggesting what is “hidden, secret and interior” will become the new erotica. — Torstar wire service
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“The ball is clearly in the Prime Minister’s court now,” McGuinty says. Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman says the longer Harper waits to respond to Alberta’s plan, the more doubts it could create about his desire to protect medicare. Allowing doctors to work in both public and private care in Alberta will make waiting lists longer in the public system because there’s already a shortage of doctors, and doctors tend to see fewer patients in the private system, Smitherman says. McGuinty says Harper told premiers over dinner in Ottawa he supports medicare as defined by the Canada Health Act, which requires that medically necessary services be made available to all citizens at public expense without regard to an individual’s ability to pay. Alberta’s plans go way beyond the bounds of the health act, McGuinty says, noting Harper “specifically said that he was going to encourage experimentation and innovation within the Canada Health Act.” Klein, also facing a tricky political situation, with fellow Conservatives now in power in Ottawa, took aim at McGuinty, accusing the Ontario premier of overreacting to proposals that have yet to be drafted into legislation. “I’m no doctor, but I think that Mr. McGuinty’s got a case of premature speculation.”
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTWORLD • 13
The ‘T’ in T-bone is for terror Michael Harris says there’s no difference between killing seals and other animals
It’s hard for the hired help to know, given that they often work on assembly lines where 309 animals per hour are “processed” on the way to the grocery store. The “T” in T-bone is for terror. And don’t tell me that large numbers of animals in a conventional slaughterhouse don’t experience dread through those acute eyes, ears and noses of theirs. If you’ve ever seen a tractor-trailer load of hogs parked and shuffling at the gas station while the driver grabs a burger, you know that they know they’re not on their way to Green Acres. The point is this: as spectator sport, mass killing of anything — fish, fowl, or four-footed — is never an agreeable sight. But if the seal hunt ought to be stopped, so too should the operations that supply our barbecues and ovens, that send animals to scalding tanks, and killing floors and dangle them by one leg from chains on their wide-eyed way to the knife. So too should farm operations that force-feed geese to bloat their livers for foie gras. And let’s not forget all those defenseless calves that die in the name of our right to veal cutlets.
MICHAEL HARRIS The Outrider
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et me begin by affirming that I am a follower of Marx and Lennon — Groucho Marx and John Lennon. Which is to say, I believe that laughter and music are indispensable to survival on this dear, dirty planet. On the music side, I was the first kid in my school to sport Beatle boots, a collarless jacket, and to sing in a really bad band. And hair? Let’s not talk about hair. So it is with a full heart clot of regret that I see one of the golden boys of adolescence, the incomparable Paul McCartney, following in the highheel prints of Brigitte Bardot to denounce the Canadian seal hunt. McCartney is arguably the biggest celebrity in the world. In the entertainment business such clout is usually squandered. It is employed to either arrange one’s utter dissolution, as in the case of Kurt Cobain, or, like William Shatner, to become a fatted capon of the marketing world when the glory days are over. GUILT COMPLEX But for some stars the cornucopia of their blessings occasionally causes the old guilt complex to kick in. So after ER made George Clooney into blue-chip beefcake, and he got to play poker with Brad Pitt and the boys, he developed a social conscience and produced important movies like Good Night and Good Luck, and Syriana. These cautionary tales traded special effects for especially effective social commentary. It was a nice rest from watching baby pterodactyls burst out of Sigourney Weaver’s heaving chest. So what do Sir Paul and Heather Mills McCartney choose to do with the most powerful celebrity-hood of all, the sublime afterglow of being an ex-Beatle? Do they give a free concert to the bedraggled homeless of New Orleans, make a musical stand in Darfur, or battle nuclear proliferation on the Indian sub-continent? No, they choose to torment the poor fishermen of Atlantic Canada in a cause that is unjust, dishonest, and
Paul McCartney and his wife Heather lie on the ice with a harp seal pup last week.
mercenary to the core. Hands across the water stiffing for the Humane Society of the United States. Paul and his wife took a bunch of helicopters to the ice and played with seal pups in front of the cameras before the guys with less time on their hands begin the real work — harvesting an ocean resource like any other. The federal government has sanctioned the hunt as a “cultural right” of Atlantic Canadians and set a quota — about
Paul Darrow/Reuters
325,000 animals a year since 2003. The seal hunt is as legal as any other abattoir operation. The difference is that this slaughterhouse is outdoors, where you can see — and be seen. Those who oppose the seal hunt insist that it is a heartbreaking slaughter. What slaughterhouse operation isn’t? For cattle it’s either captive bolt stunning, where a metal rod is blasted into the animal’s brain; an electrically induced grand mal seizure; or plain old throat cutting. Do they suffer?
MEDDLESOME IGNORANCE Paul McCartney has spent his influence in a cause where hypocrisy is in a foot race with meddlesome ignorance. If he had bothered to ask, Canadian fishermen could have told him that nature was thrown out of balance when international protests first closed the seal hunt in 1983. They could have told him that you can’t protect one species in the ocean while mercilessly fishing all others without dire consequences to the environment. We got them in 1992 when gross overfishing exacerbated by the explosion of the protected seal herds contributed to the collapse and closure of the great northern cod fishery off Newfoundland. A seal consumes 6 per cent of its body weight in fish every day. There are now five million of them but Sir Paul didn’t stop on the long and winding road to do the math or the thinking. They’re starving in Africa, dying in Iraq, and McCartney makes his stand on Iles de la Madelaine doing photo ops with seals. On the other side of Strawberry Field, Lennon must be cringing. Michael Harris’ column returns March 12.
‘I’m learning a lot from these people’ From page 11 Mostly they teach strong Christian and family values.” For those reasons, says White, there is no alcohol in the community — and no crime. Doors are always left unlocked. “I was kind of worried,” says White. “I was living in a trailer with a roommate and my $3,000 laptop, and the door was always open … the principal at the school I’m working in told me I didn’t have to think about it, there’s no theft, no hostility. “(Some) families have been taught to leave the door open, especially when it’s cold, because someone might be stuck outdoors. This way they’d be able to come in and warm up.” White teaches physical education at a primary school of 300 students. Because the Alberta curriculum insists all schoolchildren have at least 30 minutes of gym class a day, White sees every child five days a week. “It’s really cool to witness that,” says White of the daily exercise program. “I can do so much with them. It’s amazing how good these kids’ hands are, just doing phys ed every day and doing things with balls … they’re very quick to be strategic, do team work.”
Chris White at his desk.
That said, managing energetic youngsters all day can be exhausting. “My job is to make them excited,” he says. “I always have to have my voice elevated.” White says the job is, in many ways, “perfect” for him. He had been a rugby player and coach for years in St. John’s — and a leading member of the chess club. In La Crete, he’s already started teaching his Grade 2 and 3 students to play chess, and will soon be starting with the Grade 1s.
White is well versed in the history of the town. (the 113-km trek to Subway isn’t unheard of) and It was first settled in 1914 by the French, and looking forward to the long days of June. White named for the ridges of land the community is recently moved into an apartment by himself. “It’s built on (La Crete is “rooster comb” in French). wicked, it’s a fully furnished bachelor pad,” he By 1930, Mennonites of Russian, Dutch and says of the former hotel suite. It costs $550 a German descent had come along and started farm- month, utilities included. ing. Farming and logging are still the primary “I’ve been embraced by the community and industries. everyone else I’ve met,” he Although most of the food says. “I was really surprised is familiar to him, there are how friendly people are, I’m “I’ve been embraced traditional dishes he’s come to learning a lot from these peolook forward to: sommer ple.” by the community borscht and komft borscht White will stay in La Crete and everyone else (soups) and kielke varscht at least until June. If he’s able (noodles and sausage). to keep the job — he was hired I’ve met.” White says the first few as a replacement — he may weeks in his new town were stay another year or two. Then Chris White definitely quiet, with a lot of again, if he can find regular time for reading. work, he may land back in St. “I came up here knowing John’s. nobody, to a community where everyone had fam“Like any Newfoundlander living away I want ilies,” he says. Before long, he was invited to to go home,” he says. “I miss rugby and chess in attend church by another teacher from Newfoundland and I miss subbing there too. I just Newfoundland, and has continued to attend the couldn’t turn down full-time work.” Pentecostal services, primarily for the social interaction — and the chance to play bass in a Do you know a Newfoundlander or Christian rock band. Labradorian living away? Please e-mail editoriHe’s forging friendships, taken a few road trips al@theindependent.ca.
MARCH 5, 2006
14 • INDEPENDENTWORLD
Could a little Bono save the world’s fish? Overfishing a global problem few understand, issue could use higher profile ST. LOUIS, Mo. By Peter Calamai Torstar wire service
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CARRIER OF THE WEEK
round the world, the fishing industry cares only about shortterm profit, the supposed government watchdogs are little more than lapdogs and the public finds the problems of ocean fishing boring. That’s why the imperilled fishes of the seas need a Bono or a Nelson Mandela to save them, says fisheries expert Daniel Pauly, a professor at the University of British Columbia. “People see fishing itself as something romantic. They don’t realize this is an industrial might that has been unleashed on the ocean,” Pauly says. “Jacques Cousteau succeeded in making the ocean interesting but he did not succeed in showing how threatened it is.” Vast stretches of the ocean floor are the marine equivalent of terrestrial brownfields, a patch in the Mediterranean that has reverted to primordial ooze, and everywhere giant trawlers must chase smaller and weirder fish because the big and familiar are largely gone. But the oceans have a much bigger role than merely supplying scallops or orange roughy (once called “slimeheads”) for our plates, Pauly says. They are as much our common heritage as the forests, and they’re effectively being clear-cut, bulldozed and burned down all at once. “We need someone like a Bono or a Mandela who can speak directly to people and help them understand how this concerns them,” he says. “It’s very difficult for most people to imagine that the sea is that fragile.
“This isn’t a potential problem. The crisis has hit, the species are going down. The cod doesn’t have a future; it has a great past.” If the public hasn’t got the message, it’s not for lack of trying on the part of the 59-year-old fish biologist. For the past decade, the French-born researcher has been issuing warnings about the depopulation of the oceans from his post at the UBC Fisheries Centre. Pauly’s impassioned crusade has brought honours and recognition: profiles in the top two research journals and membership in the Royal Society of Canada. In October, he won the $425,000 international Cosmos Prize awarded by the Expo’90 Foundation in Japan for research excellence that promotes the concept of “harmonious coexistence of nature and mankind.” There have also been more than 500 scientific articles bearing Pauly’s name, the creation of a global database with profiles of 28,000 fish species, and a hard-hitting book, In a Perfect Ocean, published three years ago. Above all else, there has been this startling statistic that Pauly first revealed in 2001: the yearly catch landed legally by the world’s marine fisheries actually peaked at 80 million to 85 million tonnes in the late 1980s; since then, it’s been dropping about 500,000 tonnes a year, indicating that fish stocks have been depleted so low that fleets can no longer catch their quotas. “The decline was hidden for years because China was over-reporting its catch,” Pauly says. It took more than 10 years for this deliberate deception to come to light because the global fishing statistics, compiled by the UN’s Food and Agriculture agency, are presented in an
U2’s Bono, known for taking on a cause or two.
arcane fashion that few can penetrate. Pauly also blames the government agencies that are supposed to regulate fishing as a sustainable resource nationally and internationally. “It’s not possible for ordinary people to fathom the degree of co-option of the regulatory agencies by the fishing industry,” he says. As a prime example, Pauly pointed to the near-extinction of the Atlantic cod because Canada’s regulators ignored the weight of scientific advice to placate an industry that demanded high quotas because of its big capital investment in giant trawlers. No one in the industry or the government was ever called to account for the decisions that threw tens of thousands out of work, Pauly says bitterly. Once a champion for the fishes is found, there’s lots of factual ammunition for what promises to be a long and rough crusade. The Sea Around Us project, which
Paul Daly/The Independent
Pauly directs at the fisheries centre in Vancouver, has transformed those inaccessible statistics into easily understood maps and graphics revealing local, regional and worldwide trends in marine fisheries since 1950. Rainer Froese says making information about fisheries simple and accessible to the wider public is the only way to stop the current reckless exploitation. When politicians meet to set fishing quotas, they usually ignore the advice from their own government scientists, says Froese, a senior scientist at the Institute of Marine Research in Kiel, Germany. “The biology of the fish becomes negotiable,” he says. Pauly dismisses experts who say more research is needed to know exactly how much to tweak the quotas for each species. “It’s relatively simple to stabilize a fishery,” he says. He says the nets of giant trawlers
aren’t selective and scoop up many different species of fish. If low quotas are set on just a few species in any fishing zone, then the industry has to reduce its overall catch to avoid penalties for hauling in too many of the designated species. In addition to the hard-nosed enforcement of sustainable fishing levels, Pauly advocates creation of no-take zones covering about one fifth of the richest fish habitats and buying giant trawlers with public funds to eliminate excess fishing capacity. “In principle, fish farming is a good thing,” pointing to aquaculture leader China, which focuses on fresh-water fish that are fed vegetable material. Canada and Europe, by contrast, concentrate on fish like salmon, which are raised on fish meal. “It’s the culture of cannibals. The more salmon you grow, the more fish that have to be caught and ground up to feed the salmon.”
101
things to do in Atlantic Canada before you die Our $1,000 prize winner Meet the people behind today’s fishery Easy ways to eat right
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MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTWORLD • 15
Lawsuits mar Crash’s Oscar run By Martin Knelman Torstar wire service
A
few years ago, shortly after his car was stolen at gunpoint, Paul Haggis had a nightmare that inspired the movie Crash, which is up for six Oscars at the March 5 Academy Awards ceremony. Last week, Haggis returned home from a twoweek sojourn in France to find that his fairytale success with Crash had suddenly turned into a nightmare even he could not have anticipated. Just days before the Oscar ritual — where Crash is regarded by insiders as the only nominee capable of an upset win over the favoured Brokeback Mountain — legal battles escalated as Haggis’s key partners squabble over who should get the credits and the loot from Crash. On Feb. 28, the deadline for Academy members to file Oscar ballots, Cathy Schulman filed a lawsuit accusing Bob Yari, her fellow producer and former partner at Bull’s Eye Entertainment, of failing to pay at least $2 million to Schulman and her partner, executive producer Tom Nunan. When Crash had its world premiere at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival, six people had producer credits. But under Academy rules, only two of them — Haggis and Schulman — are eligible to give acceptance speeches and take home statuettes if Crash wins as best picture. Cut to the chase, ending in the kind of bloody three-producer pileup that reveals the seedy, greedy underside of show business just as Crash itself reveals the racist tensions lurking in the shadows of L.A.’s sunlit freeways. Yari had earlier launched a suit against Schulman and Nunan, claiming they had improperly appropriated funds owed to their
Iraq war seen as boosting terrorism: poll
U Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon in Crash.
jointly owned company while denying him the credit for putting together the financing for the $7 million film. The result is just the kind of nasty uproar that horrifies the modest, self-effacing Canadian that Haggis remains even 30 years after moving to the U.S. from his native London, Ont. Last year, ironically, Haggis declined to make a fuss when he was unfairly left off the list of producers eligible to collect an Oscar for Million Dollar Baby (which he wrote) along with Clint Eastwood. “It’s not my way to beat my chest and tell the world how important I am,” Haggis said at the time. Last week, Haggis maintained a dignified silence, hiding out, staying away from his office, and not answering his phone at home. But according to his publicist, Haggis plans to go
through with a packed round of weekend engagements leading up to the Oscars. What triggered the Crash in-fighting: In an effort to curtail long lines of people stepping up to share awards, the Academy in co-operation with the Producers of Guild of America, has limited the number of producers from any given film eligible for awards. In the case of Crash, only two producers were chosen. Haggis personally has three nominations: for producer, director and original screenplay (the only category in which he is favoured to win). Win or lose, it may now be time for Haggis to write a sequel. This one should be a series of intersecting narratives set in the restaurants and offices where Hollywood deals are made. Like Crash, it will have a one-word title starting with C. This movie will, of course, be called Credits.
.S. President George W. Bush said he went to war in Iraq to make the world safe from international terrorism. Most people believe he’s failed. According to a BBC survey done by the Canadian-headed international polling firm GlobeScan and the University of Maryland’s Program on International Policy Attitudes, more than half the people in 33 of 35 countries surveyed believe the war in Iraq has increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks. “The world has come to judgment on the war in Iraq and the threat of terrorism,” says GlobeScan’s vice-president Chris Coulter. “People in most countries feel the world is less safe now, and only a very few countries feel otherwise.” Such a high degree of agreement among so many nations is unusual in international polling, Stephen Krull of University of Maryland told the BBC. Meanwhile, more people than not in 20 of 35 countries think the U.S.-led forces should pull out of Iraq in the next few months. A global majority, too, believe it was a mistake to oust Saddam Hussein: in 21 countries more than 50 per cent view the move negatively, and a majority in only 11 countries think it was correct. The most negative view of the war’s effect on terrorism was in China, South Korea, Egypt, Finland, Italy and Germany, where 80 per cent of people surveyed believed the threat had escalated. The most favourable views were in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania, where about 30 per cent believed the Iraq war has lessened the threat. — Torstar wire service
MARCH 5, 2006
16 • INDEPENDENTWORLD
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INDEPENDENTLIFE
SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 5-11, 2006 — PAGE 17
Construction of the Newfoundland Railway began in 1881
Photo courtesy of PANL
Trainspotting Expat amasses more than 1,000 railway photos; old Newfoundland cars still used in South America JENNY HIGGINS
T
rains haven’t run on the island since 1988, but for Andrew Baird, the Newfoundland Railway is still very much part of the present. Baird collects old photographs of Newfoundland trains. Since he started almost 10 years ago, he has compiled one of the most extensive collections in the world. “My collection consists of about 200 slides, 1,000 photos and a wall full of larger sized photos,” Baird tells The Independent. “The subject ranges from trains in action, stations, scenery and individual pieces of equipment. I’m in the process of cataloguing all photos into various binders for the different subject areas.” Baird says he’s always had an interest in the Newfoundland Railway, but he didn’t become a serious collector until 1997. “It actually coincided with the Internet age,” say Baird, who tracks down many of his photographs online. Initially, Baird used the pictures to help with another pursuit — he builds models of Newfoundland trains and found the photographs were the best reference for accuracy. However, he quickly recognized the photographs as more than just building aids — they are important documents of Newfoundland’s history, which is why Baird continues to collect. “Now that the railway is gone, I hope to save the photos and slides before they too are gone.” Baird’s interest in the Newfoundland Railway dates back to his childhood, when he spent his summers with his grandparents. “My grandparents’ house was on Riverview Road in Grand Falls, right beside the paper mill, which had its own railroad,” Baird recalls. “I spent every day watching the trains from my upstairs win-
Andrew Baird and his grandfather Harry in Grand Falls, 1970.
dow — so much that I chewed all the wood off the window ledge.” But Baird wasn’t just a train watcher. He often rode the rails as a child. “At least once a summer my grandmother would drop us off in Bishop’s Falls and we would take the train to Badger,” he says. “We would also go to Bishop’s Falls to visit relatives and I would head over to the yard and watch the trains and look for my grandmother’s brother to give me a ride around the yard on the locomotive.” All those boyhood summers watching and riding trains in Newfoundland had an impact on Baird that spilled over into his adult years. After 15 years in the military, he joined the
Canadian Pacific Railway to become a train conductor — which he still does today in Ontario, where he now lives. Even though Baird is in daily contact with working trains, it’s the old Newfoundland trains that continue to capture his imagination. “It is very interesting to read about the start of the railway (in Newfoundland) and the decisions they made on the routes … and the personal exchanges that took place upon the conception of the railway,” says Baird. Construction of the Newfoundland Railway began in 1881 and was originally financed by a group of investors headed by New York lawyer A.L. Blackman. When Blackman’s finances eventually collapsed, the Newfoundland government took over. In 1898, a Scots-Canadian contractor named Robert G. Reid agreed to continue operating the line. The railway was initially intended to connect St. John’s to Harbour Grace — but was ultimately expanded across the island. Upon Confederation in 1949, the Newfoundland Railway became part of the Canadian National Railway, but CN terminated operations in Newfoundland in 1988. Even though the trains stopped running here almost 20 years ago, Baird says some Newfoundland railcars are still active in other parts of the world, particularly in South America. “Many of the locomotives were sent overseas to Nicaragua and area,” he says. “Some were painted like the cereal cartoon parrot, Toucan Sam. Also, some Grand Falls Central Railway freight cars are still in use in Chile. “Some work equipment was also sold to the White Pass and Yukon Railway.” No matter where the trains are now, Baird says what fascinates him most was when they were part of the Newfoundland Railway — and he says he’s not alone in that fascination. Baird knows several other Newfoundland Railway buffs and says his fellow collectors often help each other out. See “Internet searches,” page 19
LIVYER
History teacher Paul O’Neill’s first book told the history of St. John’s; 30 years later he hasn’t stopped telling stories about his native land By Darcy MacRae The Independent
I
t’s been more than 30 years since The Oldest City was first published, but it still has a soft spot in author Paul O’Neill’s heart. After seven years of research and three years of writing, O’Neill finally saw the book — which tells the history of the capital city — hit stores in 1975. Although he was proud of the stories it told, at the time O’Neill was just happy the book had been printed. “I was just pleased to get it published because I had sent it to a couple of publishers who turned it down,” O’Neill tells The Independent.
O’Neill, 77, split his childhood between St. John’s and Bay de Verde, and has fond memories of both communities. Shortly after graduating from St. Bonaventure’s College in the late 1940s, he left for New York where he studied at the National Academy of Theatre Arts. From there, O’Neill enjoyed a successful acting career, taking to the stage in several theatre productions in both the United States and Europe. He returned to St. John’s in 1953 when his father became ill, and soon after began work on The Oldest City. “I started writing a little travel book for visitors coming here. As I started to write it and was getting more and more
information, I thought maybe I’ll write a book about St. John’s instead of a travel guide,” says O’Neill. Although he enjoyed the process of putting The Oldest City together, O’Neill says it was also very tiring. “Lots of times I would come home from work and people would say ‘Let’s go somewhere tonight’, but I couldn’t go,” O’Neill says. “So after a while it began to take over my life. I couldn’t go out to the bar for a drink, I had to go home and get to work.” Sitting in a wooden chair in the living room of his St. John’s home, O’Neill gazes out the window and reflects on the many evenings and weekends he spent working on The Oldest City. With
Paul O’Neill.
the Pink, White and Green flag visible over his right shoulder — O’Neill actually petitioned the provincial government to make it the official flag before the current one was adopted in 1980, saying “All of our history is in that
Paul Daly/The Independent
flag.” — he discusses how he often considered quitting. “Many nights I sat there and I’d be so frustrated I’d just drop my hand down See “Research dispelled,” page 19
MARCH 5, 2006
18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
GALLERYPROFILE
Clockwise from top right: Beni Malone and daughter Anahareo; Jim Payne and Kelly Russell; Figgy Duff; Wonderful Grand Band; Lisa Moore; Gerry Squires.
KENT BARRETT Photographer
K
ent Barrett has always been a photographer, but he scoffs when asked if he’s made a living with his camera. “A living? I don’t know, but this is what I’ve always done,” he says with a shrug. He learned through diligence and experimentation. “I spent every dollar I ever got on film and paper and developer. If it came down to the choice between a can of beans and a can of fixer, I’d take the fixer.” Through the late-’70s and early-’80s, Barrett was involved with the arts community in St. John’s, spending time with and shooting actors, singers, writers and artists: Mary Walsh, Beni Malone, Scott Goudie, Mary Barry, Chris Brookes, The Wonderful Grand Band, Figgy Duff, CODCO and more. Then Barrett moved away from the province — and left more than 20,000 negatives behind. “I didn’t intend to be gone very long,” he says. “And under the circumstances, I just kind of said, ‘Throw everything away, throw it away or give it to the university, I don’t care.’” But some “hero friends” decided to hang on to Barrett’s work. Tucked into plastic bags or boxes, the negatives, film and prints stuck around, in basements, under stairs, tucked in corners. After two decades away, Barrett recently moved back to St. John’s and the negatives started coming back to him. “Some were publicity shots, but many had never been seen,” says Barrett. “And I realized if I didn’t show them soon, they’re never going to be seen.” The result is The Way They Were, an exhibition of photographs — some printed directly from a scan of the negative, some digitally enhanced, others turned into collages. “I was a black-and-white purist for 30 years … and then I decided I’ve been pure long enough and now I’m going to have some fun,” he says. “You have to know the rules before you can break them and now I feel fully qualified to.” Barrett has added a few recent shots to the show as well — photographer Mannie Buchheit and actor/director Charlie Tomlinson get the “before-andafter” treatment, for example. “Some people, when they heard I was going to do a show of old photographs, were like ‘Uh-oh’ … but I’m not out to embarrass anyone,” Barrett says. Going through the negatives stirred up plenty of old memories, sometimes of friends who have since passed on. Other subjects are still around town, and seeing them gives Barrett pause for thought. “Part of the condition of being a photographer is this is all yesterday, this is not 30 years ago,” he says, gesturing around the room. “Sometimes it’s hard, when you meet people today, to relate to adults 30 years later in their lives because in my mind, they’re still these people.” Barrett’s next show, Downtown Up and Down, will be straight colour digital photographs, looking above and below the average person’s line of sight. He is currently planning to exhibit the photos at his art gallery and framing shop, the Aart Gallery, on Duckworth Street in downtown St. John’s. The Way They Were is on display at the RCA Gallery, LSPU Hall. — Stephanie Porter
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19
Goodwill on tour
Potluck Singers to bring their love of music and friendship to Ireland’s ill and elderly By Stephanie Porter The Independent
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fter 20 years of food, friends and song, the Potluck Singers are heading across the Atlantic for their first official tour. It’s a big step for the volunteers involved, marking the first time the St. John’s-based group has played beyond Avondale. The Potluck Singers have made a name for themselves performing at seniors’ homes, hospitals and charity events. When they hit Ireland next month, they’ll be performing their “specialty” in some familiar venues. “I just thought, we have so many Irish connections in our repertoire, and there are all these connections to Ireland here,” says Laura Jackson, a long-time member of the group and tour organizer. “I just thought, wouldn’t it be fun if we could sing to the same clientele there as we do here? It’s a way to connect to people, to get beyond the usual tourist layer.” The organizations and homes Jackson contacted in Ireland were enthusiastic. Starting with a concert for Friends of the Elderly in Dublin (just hours after their plane touches down), the Potluck Singers are fully booked for more than a week. The tour ends with a busy day of four performances in Galway. The singers will cover the cost of their trip, helped along by a handful of fundraising events. The group was born from two traditions, says director Eric West: getting together with friends every Christmas to go caroling; and gathering occasionally for informal dinners and sing-alongs — no public performance required. The singers still go to HoylesEscasoni in St. John’s every Christmas,
and they still like to share food, but other traditions have sprung forth as well. “I guess over the years, the groups blended, and some of each group got together,” says West. “And then Isabella (St. John) joined our group six or seven years ago and spread it beyond Christmas, she gave us the push we needed.” Now the Potluck Singers are a more regular sight about town. “We also perform in hospices and palliative care units,” says West. “You feel that you’re doing something valuable, but it’s very emotional. You have to know how to deal with certain situations but it’s a positive experience.” Though the group constantly changes in number, shape and demographic, West is always there with his guitar and sheets of music. Between three and 20 other singers may show up — from eager amateur to professional musician, from teenager to senior. “The Internet has really made this group possible,” West says. “It’s not practical to be phoning everyone, but that’s the beauty of e-mail, you can just send out one message to everyone. “We call ourselves the Potluck Singers, you don’t ever really know who’s going to show up. Everyone is so busy with their different schedules, and some people live outside the city.” West says almost a dozen have committed to the Ireland tour. They’ll bring their regular songbooks with a repertoire of about 60 well-practiced tunes. “This is what makes the Potluck Singers unique,” says West. “The type of music is all so varied, we do classical, country, pop …” There’s also a healthy smattering of war songs and Irish and Newfoundland traditional
Accepting the award …
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n some households, the evening of March 5 will be reserved for worship at the altar of popular culture. It’s the 78th annual Academy Awards ceremony, a ritual of vulgar excess. For over three hours, around a billion people all over the world will pray to the icons of Hollywood Babylon. To put that figure in some perspective, it’s worth noting that many more billions are estimated to watch World Cup Soccer matches. Nonetheless, a billion humans watching other humans give witless speeches is impressive. Perhaps it is not surprising that the Academy Awards, an often tedious and painfully laboured event, attracts so many viewers. When we go to the theatre, we invest not only in the right to claim a seat in the dark, but in the pleasure of the flickering images. We feel intimately connected to the stories on the screen and the actors who perform them and we have a sense of ownership about the prizes. We often wonder, will “my” film win? Part of the immense appeal of the annual awards ceremony is that it is live, unlike almost everything else on television except sports. In an age of grotesque media manipulation and lavish contrivance, there is an undeniable thrill in watching celebrities face the risk of walking, talking, and gawking without a net — that is, having to carry themselves as real people in real time, just like us, if better dressed. No matter how rehearsed their appearance of relaxed spontaneity, we know they are nervous wrecks. Being beamed into about a billion lives will do that to anyone, but there is a delicious cheap thrill in watching celebrities pretend not to notice we are watching. That’s why they call them actors. Every culture breeds film snobs, and there are many people who refuse to watch or pretend to refuse to watch the awards ceremony, as if taking note of Speilberg’s graying beard or Jennifer Lopez’s cleavage is beneath anyone’s dignity. Who cares? Get over it. It is harder not to pay attention to this singular media event than it is to indulge in it. Witnessing the spectacle won’t put civilization back any further than it already is and, if anything, the experience might bring some snobs out of their elite circles of detachment and closer to friends and colleagues who shamelessly participate. What virtue is there in not watching what everyone else is watching? Besides, we have a lot to learn. Film continues to be the dominant medium of the entertainment industry, marrying art to pleasant distraction at the best of times, boring us at the worst. It is an old story in this country but it is worth repeating that many films nominated for Oscars simply do not find their ways into our theatres. This year is a little better than most, but the situation is still unstable. The odds are very much against Newfoundlanders, including Townies, seeing all five of
The Potluck Singers
favourites. “We’re never going to polish it all so we have to be able to improvise. We’re constantly improvising, trying things in a different key … it’s fun but you never expect perfection, and we have a pretty forgiving audience.” “We ask for requests,” adds Jackson. “And then we cross our fingers we know them.” This will be Jackson’s first time in Ireland. West has done a considerable amount of touring during his career
Standing room only the films nominated in the best-picture category. Settling for the DVD release just doesn’t cut it. Crash, a film this column once raved about, occupied some local screens for a while in 2005, but it disappeared before enough good word of mouth could build a larger audience. Capote has been playing in St John’s for a few weeks, but only after a measure of hype and the Oscar nomination for best picture nudged the programmers in this region to bring it to a theatre near us. Who knows how long it will last, although lead actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is bound to get a best actor award for his tour de force impression of the neurotic author whose soul he seems to be channeling. Good Night and Good Luck, George Clooney’s debut directorial effort, is a beautifully crafted and modestly conceived film about Edward R. Murrow, a heroic figure in American broadcast journalism. Only a few hundred people in the entire province have seen it. It is in many ways the tightest, finest, and most poignant offering of the pack but it has as much chance of winning the best picture award as I have of dating George Clooney. Brokeback Mountain, a beautifully shot but relatively chaste western featuring two good looking guys who share the love that dare not speak its name, has been the mainstream favourite. It has been playing for several weeks to relatively crowded houses. You’d have to have the heart of Dick Cheney not to appreciate its languorous rhythms and its tragic story arc, but is that all there is? It will likely get the best picture award, queering Hollywood for a moment, at least. Munich, Steven Spielberg’s hugely ambitious drama about the slaughter of Israeli athletes at the 1972 summer Olympics, deserves to be in this category for its sheer audacity and its seriousness of purpose, not to mention its elephantine budget, larger than the budgets of the other four pictures put together. It has already been consigned to the outer reaches of Mount Pearl, a sure sign of a lingering death. Compared with the head-spinning figures generated by these films and the industry they bolster, our own province’s annual $20 million-plus film industry activity is pathetically sweet. But to understand that industry and to learn the brutal rules of its game, it is imperative to see the big picture(s). Like a billion others, this columnist will be happily doing her homework on Sunday night. Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial. Her column returns March 19.
(“I’ve busked on the canals of Venice and the Underground in London … been a bit of a vagabond”) but is looking forward to the upcoming experience. “As you get older, all that gets less practical,” he says. “So getting to tour with a bunch of singers and musicians is a great way of getting into the culture and I think we’ll see a part of Ireland that very few people are able to see.” West says he’d never thought of the Potluck Singers as candidates for an
international tour. “But nothing surprises me about this group,” he adds with a laugh. “It’s always been a fun group, we didn’t want to make it too serious. It’s a chance for friends to get together and share a love of music and to have a good time.” The Potluck Singers are holding a fundraising dinner and concert, March 24, St. Theresa’s Parish Hall, St. John’s. Tickets available at Fred’s Records.
Internet seaches essential to hobby From page 17
NOREEN GOLFMAN
Paul Daly/The Independent
“One friend ended up getting detailed maps, drawings, blueprints and other information that was getting tossed out as the railway was shutting down,” he says. “He is a valuable source of information for me.” Alongside fellow collectors, Baird says libraries and museums also help with his search. “I also went to the Canadian Railway Library in Ottawa where some collections are donated,” he says. “I went through every album and purchased copies of each photo, slide and magazine article.” Baird’s most valuable collecting tool
is his computer. He says the Internet is making it increasingly easy for him to track down old photographs, meet fellow railway buffs and research the history of the Newfoundland Railway. “Internet searches now are the biggest searching capability, and online auctions like eBay,” he says. “The photos and slides can be expensive, depending on the subject and quality. The biggest problem is getting into a bidding war with someone. “I lost a bunch of photos of passenger/mail cars. I e-mailed the fellow who won and he had a lot more money than I could ever afford.” Baird offers one word of advice to his fellow collectors: patience.
“If and when I find someone that visited the island and has photos of the railway, be patient,” he says. “Some people have no care in the world to try and find the photos or slides. I just tell them it’s for personal use only and will not be published — just using it for my personal collection.” Even though Baird has tracked down pictures from people all over the world, he says his most prized possessions are two photographs that took him no effort at all to acquire. “I have two photos of myself with my grandfather on the front of a snowcovered Grand Falls Central locomotive when I was one year old,” he says. “That is where it all started.”
Research dispelled the myths of St. John’s From page 17 and my little dog would lick my hand as if to say ‘Come on, get back at it,’” says O’Neill, who received the Order of Canada in 1990. “He died a month before the book was released, and I said with him I buried the memories of writing the book.” While researching The Oldest City, O’Neill listened to many wonderful and entertaining stories about the history of St. John’s. To his disappointment, some turned out to be urban legends. “There were a lot of old wives tales,” he explains. “When I began researching, people would tell me things and I would just write them up. Then I would find what they said prob-
ably didn’t happen or couldn’t possibly have happened. I realized I had to research everything, I couldn’t just take everybody’s word for it.” When volume one of the book was published in 1975 — volume two came out a year later — O’Neill was congratulated by many readers on a job well done. However, he says there were some who weren’t fond of the way he put the book together. “Some people criticized it for not being chronological; I didn’t start at year one and go from there,” he says. “I wanted to write a book where … if people weren’t interested in sports, they didn’t have to read about sports. If they weren’t interested in government, they didn’t have to read about government …”
In 2003, Boulder Publications approached O’Neill about launching a new edition of The Oldest City. O’Neill agreed, and was quick to add some new photos and a bit of new information. He also managed to convince his publishers to make one more change. “I really wasn’t very happy about having two volumes,” he says. “I said (to Boulder Publications) ‘Can we do it in one volume?’ They said yes, so it’s now 800 pages.” O’Neill, who worked at CBC for 32 years, has published 15 books in his career as an author and poet. His latest book, titled 1,000 years of stories from life in Newfoundland and Labrador, is set for release early next year. darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca
20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
MARCH 5, 2006
IN CAMERA
Cha cha
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTLIFE • 21
cha Harold Loveless of Goulds has been dancing for eight years, Sylvie Fortier of Quebec City has been dancing two-and-a-half years.
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t don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. The level one class of Memorial University’s Ballroom and Latin Dance Club doesn’t have the swing of the waltz just yet. Women line the walls chatting and watching their male partners, who stand in neat rows in the middle of the dance floor practicing their steps. The men slide clumsily around the floor, following a few steps behind instructor Nikki Haire, who shouts directions. They move a little faster on a second pass before being banished to the edges of the room so the women can have their turn. The men vary in ages from 20somethings with dreadlocks and goatees to grey-haired retirees in plaid shirts. The women, too, are of no particular age or stature. Some of the couples are actually couples, while others are friends. Still more are singles set up with a partner when they come to class. Phillip Baluk smiles when he says it’s his 15th lesson, but has to think about a response when asked if he’s a
With more than 200 members, Memorial University’s Ballroom and Latin Dance Club is ever expanding, constantly adding more classes to teach people — university students and members of the public — the art of dance. The Independent’s picture editor Paul Daly and reporter Alisha Morrissey spent an evening in the ballroom/cafeteria at Hatcher House on the university campus. good dancer. A student of folklore and employee of Memorial, Baluk says he began the class because it looked like fun and a good way to meet people. The club is planning a social event soon and Baluk says he’s looking forward to it. A waltz begins and the couples move together. Haire again shouts encouragement and directions. Some couples move clumsily,
looking at their feet or staring at the walls. A slow pop song rises from the speakers and the couples move fluidly around the room until Haire says it’s time for the rumba and changes the music. The 30 or so couples seem to know the dance well and no toes are stepped on during the evening’s last dance. The pairs separate and collect their
coats — everyone is smiling as the first of two classes leave the building. The club has 200 dance students, says Haire, who has taught most of the classes herself for a year and a half. The class is growing in popularity. “A few years ago you had Irish step dancing because of Michael Flatley and Lord of the Dance and then you had Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin and the whole Latin thing,” says Haire, pointing out the growing popularity of Dancing with the Stars, a televised ballroom dancing competition with celebrities. “Besides that, I think it’s a lot of women’s dreams too … it’s like a little girl’s dream of being a ballerina, seeing it on TV and Fred Astaire and all of that.” The second class, with older, more advanced dancers, comes together slowly. Kim Clarke, a teachers’ assistant and veteran dancer, has been with the club since its inception nearly a
decade ago. The men are usually dragged in “kicking and screaming, and thinking that it’s way too sissy for them,” she says. “Until they get in the door and then they go ‘Oh, wait this isn’t as easy as I thought’ and then they realize ‘Hey, I get to dance with my girl,’ so this is a good thing.” Marian Hayden certainly didn’t have to drag her husband to class. In fact, it was Cyril who had to convince his wife to come. He dances the cha cha, swinging his arms and bending his knees, making cha cha sounds. Marian says the retirees have learned about 10 different dances in the six or so years they have been dancing. The couple already knows the waltzes, foxtrot, rumba, samba, salsa, and are now learning the tango. “We used to go socially to a dance and I didn’t know how to dance,” Cyril says. “We thought we’d take 10 lessons and know how to dance,” Marian says with a laugh. “There’s so much to learn.”
MARCH 5, 2006
22 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
SOLO PIANO
EVENTS MARCH 5 • Let Haiti Live, an educational public rally, 2 p.m., Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street, 739-5120. • Groovin’ and Improvin’ workshop/jam sessions presented by the St. John’s Jazz Festival, Sunday 2-5 p.m. at Rabbittown Theatre, 106 Freshwater Rd, 739-7734. • The Avalon Unitarian Fellowship’s regular Sunday service 10:30 a.m. at the Anna Templeton Centre, Duckworth Street. • Concert Crowd presents Cross-Hares at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • RCA Theatre Company presents a night of readings by Robert Chafe, Agnes Walsh, Ruth Lawrence, Sara Tilley, Ben Pittman, Théa Morash, Meghan Coles, Krista Hann, Mark White, 7 p.m., LSPU Hall, 753-4531. MARCH 6 • Fundraiser and tribute in honour of Steve Woodcock, the Bella Vista, Torbay Road, 7 p.m. MARCH 7 • Lunch with traditional music featuring Frank Maher, Rick West, Stan Picket and Andrew Lang, Auntie Crae’s, 272 Water St., 12:30 p.m. 754-0661. • 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. • Sursaut Dance Company presents Family Portrait for young and family audiences, at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre.
Bill Brennan will host a concert to celebrate the release of his CD, Solo Piano, March 7, 8 p.m. at D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University School of Music. Pat Boyle will open the show. Paul Daly/The Independent
Feeding the staff H
alfway through my culinary schooling I worked at a winery called Vineland Estates. It had a four-star rating and was heralded as the most picturesque winery in Ontario. While I was there I was under the direction of a wonderful chef, Mark Picone. He forever changed the way in which I handled, plated and cared about food. He taught more than just physical cooking, he taught me that food is to be respected. He would ask all his apprentices to cook staff meal. In culinary terms, staff meal is the meal cooked for all kitchen and service staff. In most places, staff meal would be the ends of meals past, but not here. At Vineland we were told to be creative and we were told to make a lot. I remember my first turn to make staff meal. Chef Picone turned to me and said, “Mr. Nicholas (as he always addressed me) you will make staff meal. Risotto I think, don’t you?” “Yes chef,” was my only answer. Needless to say, he was a picky eater. Very fastidious about how to make, cook and finish the risotto. The only thing I remember was that he ate my risotto, and smiled. He smiled in a way that led me to believe I had made it correctly. Not once did he tell me to do it again, or that it was bad. He just smiled. So here is a risotto recipe. I hope it makes you smile. Get a large sauté pan with a heavy bottom, place it on the hob and add some olive oil (2
NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the Eating Path tbs). Wait for the oil to warm up and put in some onion or shallot and some garlic (1 small onion cut to small dice and 1 clove of garlic, minced). Heat them until you can smell the garlic but watch out or else it will burn — if that happens you will have to start all over again as you cannot cook out the taste of burnt garlic. Now add 1 cup arborio (short, fat rice), and toss it in the remaining oil, garlic and shallots. Keep the pan moving, use a spoon if you wish but do not let the rice burn. We are looking to cover the rice with the oil and slightly toast it as well. Continue to cook it until the oil has just about gone or the rice is on the verge of browning. Next, add 1 cup of hot chicken stock. Hot stock incorporates faster and makes it easier to cook; cold stock just takes more patience, but I digress. Make sure the stock has been fully incorporated into the rice before adding another cup. Do this for about two cups of stock. At this point, add a sprig of thyme. Try not to use the spoon to stir the risotto. Try just shaking the pan across the hob to keep the rice from sticking.
Now add a third cup of stock and you can start to stir the rice with a spoon. You should see a thick starch forming as the rice is stirred and the rice should be nearing the final stages. Stir until the stock has incorporated fully. Taste the rice, it should be soft but still have a bit of a bite to it. This is called al dente or “to the tooth.” This is the perfect consistency for the risotto. Now, take the pan off the heat and add 1 tbs of whole butter and stir it in. When it is just about finished, add a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir that in as well. Finally, taste it again and check the seasoning. Not enough salt? Needs pepper? Correct the seasoning and then serve while hot. The risotto should be rich, creamy and have a shine to it. Risotto is such a versatile food — by simply changing one component it becomes something different. Add seafood stock and then finish with fresh sautéed shrimp or scallops and you have seafood risotto. Make a mushroom stock and add slightly sautéed forest mushrooms of your choice and mushroom risotto is yours. Just play with the ingredients and have fun. My only advice is to limit the number of ingredients to a maximum of three — you will never have a sad face at the table. This recipe makes 4 sides or two healthy bowls for a main. Enjoy. Nicholas is an erstwhile chef and food writer now eating in St. John’s. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com
MARCH 8 • c2c theatre presents The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, directed by Brad Hodder, featuring Neil Butler and Phil Churchill, 8 p.m., Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street. Continues until March 12. • Ladies of Misrule: a tribute to pioneering women in the arts in Newfoundland and Labrador featuring Anita Best, Anne Budgell, Donna Butt, Tessa Crosbie, Amy House, Vicky Hynes, Ruth Lawrence and more, 7 p.m., LSPU hall, 753-4531. • Folk night featuring Jenny Gear, Ship Pub, 9:30 p.m. MARCH 9 • MUN Cinema series: C.R.A.Z.Y., 7 p.m., Avalon Mall. • The Morrisseys, Irish folk group from county Tipperary, St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • The Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Health Centre hosts Women and Words, 8 p.m., Martini bar over Peddler’s Bar, 579-1009. MARCH 10 • Benefit concert for John Lush with performances by Liz Pickard, Jody Richardson, Blair Harvey, more, Ship Pub. • Big Brothers/Big Sisters’ annual Celebrity Secrets, St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 7:30 p.m., 368-5437. • Poetry reading by Ross Leckie, director of creative writing at the University of New Brunswick, 7-8:30 p.m., Petro Canada Hall, MUN School of Music, free. MARCH 11 • All day OTE Snowboard Jam and all night Chill on the Hill (with great bands featuring 1/2 Way There) in the lodge, www.discoverwhitehills.com or 1-888-466-4555. • Sinfonia #3, The Wind Serenade, D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN music school, 8 p.m. • Hawksley Workman, Delta Hotel, 10 p.m. IN THE GALLERIES • City on the Edge by Ilse Hughes, at Red Ochre Gallery, Duckworth Street. • Where Wonder, What Weight by Will Gill and Beth Oberholtzer, The Rooms. • Internal Lndscapes, by Diana Dabinett and Comfort in Place, by Cara Winsor Hehir, Craft Council Gallery, Devon House. • 4 points of view, exhibition showcasing Denis Chiasson, Michael Pittman, MJ Steenberg and Taryn Sheppard, Leyton Gallery of Fine Art.
Neil Butler and Phil Churchill star in c2c theatre’s presentation of The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, directed by Brad Hodder. Runs March 8-12, 8 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street.
POET’S CORNER Jamie
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Now it is Jamie’s turn — he is the littlest one. He’s lost his love of books, and he doesn’t care for fun. He wastes away his time down on the beach all day And his eyes are full of dreamin’ when he gazes cross the Bay. We never thought he would go the way the others went We planned to keep him at school, and after that we meant To get him a lawyer’s job — in fact we even wrote — But there’s galls on Jamie’s fingers from scullin’ a dory-boat. Boy with the dreams in your eyes and the song on your lips, With the care of the sea in your blood, and your longin’ for ships Better to stay at home, safe at home on the land. But there is the wind and the spray, little brother, I understand. By M.M. Brown from volume one of The Book of Newfoundland, 1937.
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 5-11, 2006 — PAGE 23
The big O Organic food is big business; province has some catching up to do By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent
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ny wild blueberry picker knows organic food tastes better and ingesting chemicals and steroids is obviously unhealthy. So when will Newfoundland and Labrador jump on the organic bandwagon? The United States is currently leading the world in terms of certified organic retail sales, with the industry pulling in over $10 billion US annually. The United Kingdom isn’t far behind. A Brit consumer can walk into a regular supermarket and pick up anything from organic wine to organic tomato ketchup. Canada has some catching up to do — Newfoundland and Labrador in particular. Nancy Maher, owner of Food for Thought health store in downtown St. John’s, says compared to many provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador has a low variety of available organic products (vegetables aside) — particularly when it comes to supermarket selections. She says the industry is alive here but more on an “underground” level, with small local farmers producing and selling free range and hormone-free items such as meat and eggs, which are close to organic but without the official certifications. To be classified organic, animals have to be raised in a controlled environment with access to organic feed only. “I think the supermarkets here could do a better job,” Maher tells The Independent, “because I’ve been in the same sections of those big supermarkets in other provinces and it’s much bigger. I really think the problem here is the shipping.” MOSTLY IMPORTED Apart from vegetables, almost all other organic products available in the province have to be imported and local supermarkets like Dominion generally import all their organic items — vegetables included. Consequently, it’s relatively easy to find organic flour, rice, tea and coffee, less easy to find yogurt, fresh fruit and eggs, and virtually impossible to find milk and meat. Both Maher and Neil Tilley, the province’s inspector for organic farms, says the answer is to produce local organic products. “I was told one time by the marketing vice-president of McCain that Newfoundland should become the organic island,” says Tilley, who works for the national Organic Certification Protection Program. “My philosophy would be yes, go ahead and make it the organic island.” He adds market prices are good for organic items and with more local producers, the price for local consumers would improve. Tilley, a “hobby” vegetable farmer himself (organic but uncertified because he can’t legally certify himself), says he and other organic farmers have a tough time holding onto their stock, which is snapped up by eager, health-conscious customers. Maher says she has “line-ups of people” every Saturday morning for fresh, free-range eggs, which are dropped off by a local farmer. She’s convinced products like organic chicken and milk would be just as popular, particularly as the items taste so much better. “In here I see an awful lot of people with allergies and they try to be as pure and organic as possible because it makes them feel better,” says Maher. “I get all kinds of people coming in here, they have a list — how much of this stuff can I get organic?” She says people become converts — particularly to free-range, chemical-free meat. “It tastes completely different from the stuff you buy in the supermarket. It tastes better; it’s like you’re not eating the same thing.” Cities such as Vancouver and Halifax not only have bigger organic sections in their supermarkets, but they also have larger health food stores and farmers’ markets, which allow local suppliers to offer products directly to the public.
Organic benefits • It’s healthy. Organic foods contain higher levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and zero additives. • It avoids pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are commonly used in conventional farming and are subsequently present in the food we eat. • No genetic modification, antibiotics or growth hormones. • No hidden costs. Taxpayers pay for chemicals and pesticide runoff from conventional farms to be removed from drinking water. • High standards. Organic food comes from trusted, highly regulated and inspected sources. • Animal welfare is high priority. • It’s good for wildlife and the environment. • It tastes better.
“Farmers can go and avoid some of that bureaucratic stuff when there’s a farmers’ market, which we don’t have,” she says. “That’s an opportunity for farmers to be able to break a few rules.” Tilley says there are currently four certified organic farms in Newfoundland and Labrador (which produce predominantly vegetables). The process to become certified under federal government standards can be quite in-depth and he says the “transitional” period usually takes around a year. Tilley says farmers have to ensure their land has buffer zones to guard against any outside contaminants and no genetically modified organisms or chemical fertilizers are allowed. “We’re allowed to use limestone, we’re allowed to use some kinds of bone meal; basically we encourage people to compost and if you use manures we try to get people to age the manure at least six months.” More and more locals are showing interest in farming organically and one such person, environmentalist Stan Tobin, is attempting to set up a certified organic milk operation. A European study in 2005 discovered organic milk can have as much as 50 per cent more vitamins, omega-3 essential fatty acids and antioxidants than non-organic. STUDY UNDERWAY Tobin already grazes beef cattle and produces butter. He’s currently having a feasibility and marketing study conducted to convince the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador that he deserves a fluid milk quota. Tobin says he ultimately envisions splitting his some 160 acres of land in Ship Cove, Placentia Bay, to accommodate organic beef and organic dairy cattle. He says he would market his milk in the Atlantic provinces, including Newfoundland and Labrador. “I think this is an ideal place to do it … and if we don’t do it, in five years time it’s going to be made in Halifax or produced in Fredericton.” But first Tobin has to convince the old fashioned bureaucrats, which Tilley warns can be the biggest hurdle. “We have to get our department of agriculture thinking that way. Nothing against them, but they’re trained into pretty big agriculture … the fastest way you can make the dollar is use the chemical fertilizers and the chemical pesticides. Of course that brings certain kinds of return, but at the end of the day, the question you’ve got to ask yourself is: what’s it doing to us as people?” clare-marie.gosse@theindependent.ca
Scenes from harvest time at the Rabinowitz organic farm in Portugal Cove-St. Phillips. Paul Daly/The Independent
Class action
Keep an eye on Inco, Ontario mother warns By Clare-Marie Gosse The Independent
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ast week, Diana Wiggins, a mother and business owner from Port Colborne, Ont., visited Memorial University’s Inco Innovation Centre to speak about what has become the largest environmental class action lawsuit in Canadian history. The $750-million suit accuses Inco of widespread nickel, cobalt, copper, lead and arsenic contamination in Port Colborne, where the company operated a nickel electrolyte refinery for over 65 years, and where they now operate a precious metal refinery. Wiggins tells The Independent the
reason for her visit to Newfoundland and Labrador (and the reason for a previous visit and press conference two years ago) was to spread awareness of the possibilities of contamination from corporations like Inco and to encourage preventative action. Inco began production at its nickel mining operation in Voisey’s Bay, Labrador last year. The company recently opened a hydrometallurgical test plant in Argentia to asses the viability of building a full-scale plant using a new chemical extraction method for processing ore. Voisey’s Bay Nickel Co. officials have since stated the site is environmentally unsuitable and the nearby community of Long Harbour
has been chosen to house the nonsmelter facility instead. Wiggins stresses communities with an interest in both the Long Harbour area and the current mining operation in Labrador need to be vigilant and monitor the company. “Keep on top of them with an environmental EIS (Environmental Impact Statement),” she says. “Make them do an environmental study to make sure that there isn’t going to be any issue … check everything before they come in so you know what the background levels of contaminants are. “Make sure that they don’t back down on the government policies and check what the government policies are
and see if they’re stringent enough.” Wiggins first became involved in a fight against Inco in 2000 when her son’s school held a meeting to discuss potential contamination issues with parents. Contamination was discovered — as it was all around the community — and eventually the school closed down. A community-based risk assessment study was carried out and Inco officials admitted responsibility for nickel, copper, cobalt and arsenic contamination, which is present in the soil, water and air of Port Colborne. Inco is also charged with lead pollution, but refuses to accept liability. See “Lawsuit,” page 24
“Make them (Inco) do an environmental study to make sure that there isn’t going to be any issue … check everything before they come in so you know what the background levels of contaminants are.” Diana Wiggins
24 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
MARCH 5, 2006
Flights up down south
T
he number of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians heading south this year appears to be up, with locals taking advantage of all-inclusive trips and direct flights. Statistics were unavailable as of The Independent’s press deadline, but Mike Donovan of LeGrow’s Travel in St. John’s says over the last few years the number of travellers heading south has increased, especially from January through May. He credits the rise to direct flights leaving from St. John’s to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. “When you got the right charters it makes it easy for people to travel.” He says the convenience of direct flights appeals to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. “It’s easy when you’re leaving from St. John’s and returning to St. John’s,” he says. “There is no question. The charters have helped.” Miranda Maddox, a second-year hospitality tourism management stu-
dent at the College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s, leaves for Cuba in April, taking advantage of the accommodating flights and reasonable prices students can afford. “I chose Cuba because it was convenient. A direct flight leaves a day or two after my last exam, and it’s cheap,” she tells The Independent. The travel package includes a return flight, accommodations and food, meaning little money is required while on vacation, she says. “I am taking one of the direct flights. The idea of hassle-free travel, no waiting around in airports and less chances of my luggage getting lost were motivators for me.” Maddox has been south before, but never to Cuba. “This is my first time going to the Caribbean,” she says. “I am looking forward to just having a week to unwind after a full year of school.” — Katie Smith
Charge more for winter power By Bruce Bartlett Telegraph-Journal
C
harging higher rates for electricity in the winter than in the summer would be like a cold medicine — awful, but good for you, argues an expert hired by Enbridge Gas New Brunswick. Alan Rosenberg presented evidence for the gas company as the Public Utilities Board resumed hearings on an application by NB Power’s distribution company to raise rates for 2006-07. Seasonal rates would give customers a more accurate signal of the actual costs of producing power and encourage them to either use less electricity or switch to other fuels for heat, he argues. Prices for the fossil fuels NB
Power burns to produce electricity do rise in the winter, so that should be reflected on customers’ bills at that time of the year, he says. But NB Power averages out its fuel costs over the year, ignoring the fact that power produced in the winter actually costs more. Enbridge Gas believes electricity is still priced too low for natural gas to compete as a source of home heating for many New Brunswickers, even with an average rate hike of 11.4 per cent. The PUB has indicated it is interested in looking more closely at seasonal rates for New Brunswick. Rosenberg urges the PUB to think carefully about the implications for the economy of raising power rates by the proposed 12.1 per cent for large industries.
Jordan Chafe
Paul Daly/The Independent
Pink, White and Green opportunity Grade 8 student creates business making colourful bracelets By Katie Smith For The Independent
J
ordan Chafe is a typical 14-yearold with a lot of diverse interests. Unlike other girls her age, however, Jordan has turned one of her hobbies into a business. The Grade 8 student at Brother Rice Junior High in St. John’s recently placed second in her school’s heritage fair for her project about the old Newfoundland flag. As part of her project, Jordan made hemp bracelets in the colours of the Pink, White and Green. Jordan says the flag represents Newfoundland’s past and future. “It stands for peace, pride and independence,” she tells The Independent. “It shows potential, that we’re not just forgotten.” Jordan wants people to learn about what Newfoundland and Labrador could and should be. “It shouldn’t be seen as only a little fishing island, because it’s much more than that.” The Petty Harbour native began making the hemp bracelets when she
was in Grade 6 as a way to raise money for a class trip. After receiving positive feedback for her bracelets, she turned her fundraising project and hobby into a business called Twisted Roots. Jordan plans to sell the bracelets at a provincial fair this coming May, donating any money raised to cancer research. Her goal is to raise $300. Jordan decided on cancer research because the disease has affected her on a personal level. “There are people in my family who have passed away from it and who have it. I just really support (the research),” she says. Jordan’s parents, Roger and Peggy, are pleased with their daughter’s accomplishments. “We’re really proud of all she’s done. There aren’t too many kids her age who are so committed to something,” says Peggy. “She’s a hard worker and involved in a lot and very committed in what she takes on.” Last summer, Jordan made about $1,500 selling bracelets. She sells them to 10 different stores across the
province, as well as at summer festivals. Tourists purchase the most bracelets, and Jordan has spotted people in the streets wearing them. “It was cool,” she says with a smile, flashing her braces that are in the colours of the flag. Jordan has made so many bracelets over the past few years it has practically become second nature. It doesn’t take very long to make one of them, she says. “Probably 10 minutes while watching TV.” Jordan received assistance from an organization called Youth Venture, which helps youth between the ages of 12-20 to create civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses by providing them with the necessary tools. Jordan’s hemp bracelets are for sale at various stores around St. John’s, including Downhomer, Wild Things and the Newfie Shoppe at the Avalon Mall. Katie Smith is a journalism student at Holland College in Prince Edward Island.
Retired Nackawic mill workers’ pensions safe, for now By Shannon Hagerman Telegraph-Journal
R
etired Nackawic mill workers are claiming a legal victory after a judge temporarily halted a government order that would have cut their monthly pensions about 30 per cent. Court of Queens Bench Justice David Russell granted an injunction last week that will delay today’s scheduled redistribution of money in two underfunded St. Anne-Nackawic pension plans until an ongoing lawsuit is settled. “There’s a weight that has been lifted off our shoulders, but we realize that it is only the beginning,” says retired Nackawic mill worker Craig Melanson. “This will tide us over until we finally get our day in court.” About 250 Nackawic mill pensioners are fighting the Conservative government’s decision to redistribute pension funds evenly, on a pro-rated basis, to former workers of the defunct St. Anne-Nackawic Pulp Co. Ltd. A statement of claim, launched on Feb. 20, states the distribution order breaks their Charter rights. The
“There’s a weight that has been lifted off our shoulders, but we realize that it is only the beginning. This will tide us over until we finally get our day in court.” Craig Melanson, retired mill worker suit also alleges the provincial Superintendent of Pensions failed to safeguard their retirement assets. The group is seeking a court order forcing the province to repay any deficiency in both the union and non-union pension plans. If their lawsuit is successful, the provincial government could be on the hook for millions. Meanwhile, a
cabinet decision to distribute underfunded pension plan assets evenly among workers, regardless of age, would be ruled illegal. Judge Russell ruled pensioners will continue to collect 83 per cent of their monthly earnings until the lawsuit is settled. The retirees would have collected between 65 per cent to 73 per cent if the government distribution was allowed to immediately proceed. Pete Mockler, the lawyer representing the pensioners, says the redistribution would have cost some retired mill workers their homes. The St. Anne-Nackawic pulp mill shut down in September 2004, throwing about 400 people out of work. A few months later, workers and pensioners learned their retirement dreams had been shattered because two company pension plans were significantly underfunded. Workers under the age of 55, some who worked at the mill for decades, were told they would lose their entire pensions, while pensioners and those of retirement age were warned their monthly cheques would be significantly reduced.
‘Lawsuit isn’t about the money’ From page 23 Wiggins says the health ramifications for local residents are still being scientifically assessed, but anecdotally there is massive evidence of cancer, fibromyalgia, kidney problems and rashes. Lawsuits against Ontario’s Environment Department, the local health board, education board and City of Port Colborne have already been settled, but Inco is currently appealing the class action filed against them.
“The lawsuit isn’t about the money,” says Wiggins, “it’s about awareness and it’s about making corporations like Inco — and they’re not the only ones — held accountable and responsible for their actions.” Wiggins was asked to visit Newfoundland and Labrador by Memorial University student group, The Society for Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility, to open a speaker series called INCOnceivable: Living and Dying with Big Nickel. The speak-
er series was arranged to hear stories from Inco-affected communities around the world. The 100-year-old Canadian company failed The Globe and Mail’s corporate social responsibility report card for a second year in a row in 2005 and both Memorial’s undergraduate and graduate student unions passed resolutions that same year denouncing the university’s relationship with Inco. clare-marie.gosse@theindependent.ca
MARCH 5, 2006
TYLER HAMILTON
Torstar
I
f you’re a little baffled by Research In Motion’s strategy — its game of chicken with patent nemesis NTP Inc. — then join the club, because you’re not alone. On the one hand, Waterloo-based RIM contends that its immensely popular BlackBerry e-mail device has become so vital to the business and government operations of the United States that banning the product would have a $50 billion (U.S.) impact on the American economy. And given that 70 per cent of its revenues come from U.S. sales and subscribers, the impact on RIM would be equally devastating. No argument there. It’s not just lawyers and big-shot CEOs who have become addicted to their BlackBerry, or “CrackBerry.” Healthcare workers, academics, sales forces, military officials, defence contractors, soccer moms — and, well, reporters and newspaper editors — have grown equally enamored and, for some, disturbingly dependent on these thumb-cramping gadgets. Crush the BlackBerry, RIM argues, and the mobile-working world as we know it will go to pot — though millions of thumbs and marriages might be saved. On the other hand, you’ve got RIM co-chief executive Jim Basillie playing it cool, assuring his base of loyal customers and BlackBerry wannahaves that if a U.S. district court does impose an injunction then a simple software upgrade behind the scenes will overcome this patent roadblock and everybody can get on with business. NTP could then crawl back to where it came from. So here’s the question, pointed out by the U.S. judge overseeing the case: if RIM’s contingency “workaround” plan works as well as promised, then why not use it now? “I must admit I was somewhat surprised at RIM’s argument, which seems to me to be inconsistent on the one hand, that if the court was to impose an injunction, that it would have a catastrophic effect and the very foundation of western civilization would be shaken by wireless email or the absence of it,” says U.S. District Court Judge James Spencer, in concluding the hearing. “On the other hand, from some of the stuff I’ve read, it’s a minor inconvenience. They’ve got a workaround. Nobody will even know that a stone has cast into the sea.” To be fair, Balsillie has no choice but to play both sides of this messy legal game. Talk strictly catastrophe and economic meltdown and you’ve got millions of customers and investors freak-
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 25
RIM in monster pickle The ‘CrackBerry’ has become a way of life for many. What happens now?
Maurice Luque, media services manager for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, makes a phone call on his BlackBerry.
ing out, going to competitors such as Palm and Microsoft, dumping stock, staying up all night obsessing over the risk of sticking with RIM. Put too much weight on the workaround, however, and you play with fire by committing to a massive and untested IT undertaking that might work flawlessly — but then again might not. RIM, during the hearing, couldn’t help but point out the daunting task associated with its contingency plan. “It’s estimated, for each BlackBerry Enterprise Server, and for each handheld in the United States, that the time (it will take) the technician to implement the work-around will be about two million hours,” says RIM lawyer Henry Bunsow. If you figure the average IT worker
doesn’t make less than $25 an hour, that works out to about $50 million in costs for RIM, its carrier partners, and the various companies — large and small — who must take the time to upgrade the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is the software that interacts with an organization’s internal email servers. This likely doesn’t include the time it might take to recall and redistribute all the BlackBerry devices a company has issued to employees, or the time and cost that RIM has expended until now trying to craft this workaround and test it out under confidentiality agreements with select customers and carrier partners. It also doesn’t account for the flood of customer support calls to the wireless carriers, or the cost of troubleshooting when an upgrade doesn’t
work quite the way it should. RIM knows these risks, and at the same time it doesn’t want to ruffle the feathers of key partners and customers that represent the company’s past and future sales. And don’t let the poker faces fool you, RIM’s wireless carrier customers aren’t happy. Even the Canadian ones are miffed, given that a workaround will also be necessary for customers who want to travel to the United States. “This is going to cost tonnes of money and resources that could have been devoted to bringing out new products,” says one telecom industry source, adding RIM has yet to talk about how carriers will be compensated. “Everybody is talking nice, but behind the scenes there is a war here with RIM.”
Fred Greaves/Reuters
It doesn’t help that carriers are already frustrated that RIM commands $10 for every customer they sign up. By burdening companies such as Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and Bell Canada with a workaround — not to mention its much larger U.S. carrier partners — RIM may be asked to take a little less in the future from each BlackBerry subscriber who signs up. Again, that’s assuming the contingency plan is the chosen path. Yes, indeed, RIM has gotten itself into one heck of a pickle. And the next chapter in this unusual patent case is tough to predict. Jaw-dropping settlement? Catastrophic injunction? Throw-the-dice workaround? More delay and uncertainty? There’s always room for surprise.
26 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
Location: St. John's, NL
MARCH 5, 2006
Mobile Computing Analysts Ad #: Mobile Computing Analysts-CB
Mobile Computing Analysts
Creative Graphic Designer Ad #: CB-CGD
Charles River Consultants has provided Technical Help Desk Support, Application Development and High Definition Imaging personnel to Major Corporations for long-term assignments for over twenty-three (23) years. We are currently searching for two additional Mobile Computing Analysts. Responsibilities include: • Mobile and Remote Access Platform System Configuration • Work in conjunction with the Mobile Remote Experts group to identify and resolve issues with remote remediation efforts to patch and update remote machines • Trouble Shooting remote connectivity issues • New and Emerging Technology Evaluation/Piloting • Off-Site Conference Remote Access Solutions and Support • Training users on procedures and policies, as well as the use of Firm's remote access tools • Train divisional helpdesks on supporting all remote access methods and tools • Mobile System and Technology Administration • Advises client users on the capabilities of client Mobile Computing and Remote access capabilities and recommend the best fit for their requirement - Supporting Dial up, Broadband, VPN, Citrix, and various other remote technologies • Administration of authentication tools such as SecurID and Active Directory • Application support including but not limited to Windows XP, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and various other browsers, VPN, Firewall, and Antivirus software • Supporting high profile clients including top level executives and managing directors • Supporting wireless devices such as RIM Black/Blueberries • Assisting users with the post cloning process to configure freshly built machines to connect properly and carry over their settings from regular profile.
Skills/Qualifications • Computer Science Degree or Diploma in Computers preferred - Certifications would be considered an asset • Minimum of 5 years experience required • Extensive knowledge of the following: • Windows XP • VPN • Broadband(DSLCableISDN) • Active Directory • Wireless (802.11 b/getup/IP) • Blackberry • Candidate has to pass security background checks, including financial • Documentation experience with a minimum of 5 - 10 years business experience
Perry & Butland Communications is a full-service communications and marketing firm located in St. John’s, Newfoundland. We are looking to expand our diverse team and are inviting applications for the following positions:
Creative Graphic Designer Producing materials that stand out is essential to the success of our business. If you have a passion for creative design and strategy, as well as the ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines and produce exceptional marketing and promotional materials, then we have a position for you. We require 4-5 years of agency experience and a diploma or equivalent from a full-time graphics program. Skills in website design, production experience (working with electronic pre-press and print specifications) and proficiency in Quark XPress, PageMaker, Photoshop and Illustrator are essential. Computer programming and technical experience are assets. Please send us your resume. Only people scheduled for interviews will be contacted. Forward resume to Sarah Kean on or before March 10, 2006. Perry & Butland Communications Terrace on the Square 8 Rowan Street P.O. Box 23150, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J9 Please quote CB-CGD
Account Executives (2) Ad #: CB-AE/0227
Please email résumés with salary range expectations to hrtech@crc.net and include Mobile Computing Analysts-CB in the subject line.
Financial Advisors Ad #: 04-227-CB
Location: St. John's, Gander, Marystown and Bay Roberts, NL, Canada Company URL: http://www.lfs.ca Contact Name: Geraldine Sturge, Senior Administrative Assistant Optifund Branch Manager Contact E-mail: geraldine.sturge@LFS.ca Be Daring! Join the LFS Team! Laurentian Financial Services (LFS) is part of Desjardins Financial Security, with assets of over $80 billion, the 6th largest financial services organization in Canada . We are a Canadian leader in the financial services industry with a dynamic coast-to-coast network, comprised of 43 financial centres and more than 1,100 associate partners. LFS is a full service financial services provider with access to multiple insurer and investment fund products. Our track record is based on the quality of support services delivered to associates with a company wide commitment to professionalism. We believe in listening to our associate's needs for providing the products and tools needed to maximize their value in meeting clients' financial planning needs. Due to our exceptional growth we are looking for individuals to join our newly established financial centres in St. John's, Gander, Marystown and Bay Roberts, NL in the role of Financial Advisors. Join the LFS Team and improve your business by: 1. Staying independent, while maintain access to a multi-disciplinary team and qualified experts 2. Receiving financial backing to purchase viable blocks of business 3. Having access to multiple insurers and products and more than 60 mutual funds and segregated fund companies 4. A competitive pooled compensation bonus structure and immediate vesting 5. Incentive plans based on multiple insurers' products, mutual and segregated funds 6. New associate training and mentoring programs which are unique in the industry 7. Market planning and support 8. Business continuation support 9. Leading edge technology
We are looking for people who are: • Entrepreneurial • Problem solvers • Out-going • Commitment to quality • Hard working • Professional • Service oriented • Computer literate • Committed to continuing education and personal development • Experienced in sales (an asset but not necessary)
Perry & Butland Communications is a full-service communications and marketing firm located in St. John's, Newfoundland. We are looking to expand our diverse team and are inviting applications for the following positions:
Account Executives (2) Responding to the needs of our clients, you will be responsible for working with senior members of our team to develop and execute stellar communications and marketing products for our clients. Working in a fast-paced environment, you will be an integral part of the account process, managing client needs and expectations with exquisite attention to detail. If you have experience in advertising, public relations, media buying, client management, print production, combined with a bachelor of commerce or related degree, you are the right fit for the job. Please send us your resume. Only people scheduled for interviews will be contacted.
Interested individuals are invited to apply directly to Geraldine Sturge, Senior Administrative Assistant Optifund Branch Manager via e-mail at geraldine.sturge@LFS.ca quoting Ref#: 04-227-CB.
Forward resume to Sarah Kean on or before March 10, 2006. Perry & Butland Communications Terrace on the Square 8 Rowan Street , P.O. Box 23150 St. John's, NL A1B 4J9 Please quote CB-AE/0227
Call Center Management Positions (various levels) Ad #: CB-0209-CCM Help Desk Now is a growing company and requires qualified individuals for various management positions at our call center location in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland. We are seeking career-minded, experienced and self-motivated individuals to help manage our business. We are interested in candidates who have at least 3 years relevant experience, are focused, can demonstrate effective communications skills and are able to work flexible hours. Experience in a call center environment is preferred. HDN is a large outsourcer providing inbound customer support solutions to clients. We offer opportunities for advancement, a competitive salary and benefits package. If you are interested in becoming part of our dynamic and growing management team and willing to relocate, please send your resume: • By email at: careers@helpdesknow.com • By fax at: (709) 292-8709 Please quote #CB-0209-CCM We thank all applicants for their interest in our company, however; only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 27
Senior Software Developer
Financial Planner - Investment & Retirement Planner, Grand Falls, Newfoundland Ad #: 50826
Who we are The Canadian Personal and Business (CPB) segment consists of our banking and investment businesses in Canada and our global insurance businesses. Our 30,000 employees provide financial products and services to over 11 million personal and business clients through a variety of distribution channels; including branches, business banking centres, automated banking machines, full-service brokerage operations, career sales forces, the telephone, Internet channels and independent third-party distributors. CPB is comprised of the following business lines: • Personal Lending focuses on meeting the needs of our individual clients at every stage of their lives through a wide range of products including home equity financing, personal financing and credit cards. • Personal Payments and Client Accounts provides core deposit accounts, transactional payment services, foreign exchange and other related services to individual clients. • Investment Management provides full-service and discount brokerage, asset management, trust services and other investment products. • Business Markets offers a wide range of lending, deposit and transaction products and services to small and medium-sized business and commercial, farming and agriculture clients. • Global Insurance offers a wide range of creditor, life, health, travel, home and auto insurance products and services to individual and business clients in Canada and the U.S., as well as reinsurance for clients around the world. Position Overview: Successful candidate will service the Grand Falls, NL market. In this role, the Financial Planner - Investment and Retirement Planning contributes to meeting area/centre sales plans by acquiring and growing profitable client relationships. Provides solutions and financial advice designed to satisfy the client's investment and retirement needs, leveraging RBC Financial Group expertise. Seeks out new clients by developing relationships within the community and local centres of influence. Enhances the experience of existing non-account managed investment centric clients providing accessibility and proactive client-focused investment solutions and advice. Anchors clients with the appropriate delivery channel within RBC Financial Group. This role also balances the rewards of meeting business objectives with the risk of loss to the client, employee and shareholder by following corporate compliance/policies to maintain risk exposure and to operate within a legal framework and in accordance with securities regulations.
Ad #: CB-SSD-0206-SJ
Come work for one of Canada's Top 100 Companies. And live life on the most easterly point in North America in historic St. John's, Newfoundland! Consilient (www.consilient.com) develops award-winning wireless software for mobile devices and phones. By building software using open standards and push technology, Consilient is changing the mobile email landscape. And we're winning awards for our work. We were recently named a Top 100 Employer in Canada, Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young and an Innovation Leader by the National Research Council (NRC). We offer a generous compensation package and assistance with re-location costs. Consilient's work environment is dynamic and energy-driven and innovative thinking is our strong point. If your passion lies in developing new, wireless technologies for mobile phones, we'd like to hear from you. Job Location: St. John's, NL, Canada Description: As Senior Software Developer at Consilient, you will contribute to the overall design and architecture of our wireless products for messaging platforms with the primary focus on email, calendaring and contact integration. You will help build high-performance, highly scalable operator and enterprise client-server software for mobile phones. Keys to success: • Strong system programming and design skills in server-side environments • Strong debugging skills, ability to organize and write clean, maintainable code • Passion to work in an exciting environment Educational Requirements: • BCS/MCS or BCE/MCE or related technical degree(s)
Note: Compensation will be "commission only" following training period (maximum training period is 6 months). Required Skills: • Demonstrated sales success and the ability to build rapport quickly with prospects. Excellent communication, time management, organizational, networking and relationship building skills. The position requires a flexible work schedule. • Must be an accredited Financial Planner, or working towards accreditation, and licensed to sell mutual funds in accordance with provincial regulations (CFP or PFP designation). Mutual Funds Licensed for 1 year either IFIC or CSC. We thank all interested candidates, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. If you are interested in this dynamic role, please go to www.rbc.com/careers and submit your resume and cover letter to us quoting reference # 50826.
Required Skills & Experience: • 6+ years minimum industry experience working on full software development cycle from concept to product deliverables through system deployment • Solid system programming experience with C++, Java, multi-threaded programming, API programming Good knowledge of: • Database programming interfaces and database usage - My SQL, Oracle, or other RDBMS • Internet technologies – e.g. HTML/XML, HTTP/HTTPS, JSP, Servlets, SOAP • Email, calendaring and messaging technologies – e.g. IMAP, POP3, MAPI, OMA DS • Network technologies – e.g. proxy server, Load Balancers, TCP/IP, UDP Contact: Please send cover letter and resume stating competition # to: careers@consilient.com
Financial Planner - Investment & Retirement Planner, St John's, Newfoundland Ad #: 49156
Who we are The Canadian Personal and Business (CPB) segment consists of our banking and investment businesses in Canada and our global insurance businesses. Our 30,000 employees provide financial products and services to over 11 million personal and business clients through a variety of distribution channels; including branches, business banking centres, automated banking machines, full-service brokerage operations, career sales forces, the telephone, Internet channels and independent third-party distributors. CPB is comprised of the following business lines: Personal Lending focuses on meeting the needs of our individual clients at every stage of their lives through a wide range of products including home equity financing, personal financing and credit cards. Personal Payments and Client Accounts provides core deposit accounts, transactional payment services, foreign exchange and other related services to individual clients. Investment Management provides full-service and discount brokerage, asset management, trust services and other investment products. Business Markets offers a wide range of lending, deposit and transaction products and services to small and mediumsized business and commercial, farming and agriculture clients. Global Insurance offers a wide range of creditor, life, health, travel, home and auto insurance products and services to individual and business clients in Canada and the U.S., as well as reinsurance for clients around the world. Position Overview: Successful candidate will service the St John's, NL market. In this role, the Financial Planner - Investment and Retirement Planning contributes to meeting area/centre sales plans by acquiring and growing profitable client relationships. Provides solutions and financial advice designed to satisfy the client's investment and retirement needs, leveraging RBC Financial Group expertise. Seeks out new clients by developing relationships within the community and local centres of influence. Enhances the experience of existing non-account managed investment centric clients providing accessibility and proactive client-focused investment solutions and advice. Anchors clients with the appropriate delivery channel within RBC Financial Group. This role also balances the rewards of meeting business objectives with the risk of loss to the client, employee and shareholder by following corporate compliance/policies to maintain risk exposure and to operate within a legal framework and in accordance with securities regulations. Note: Compensation will be "commission only" following training period (maximum training period is 6 months). Required Skills: • Demonstrated sales success and the ability to build rapport quickly with prospects. Excellent communication, time management, organizational, networking and relationship building skills. The position requires a flexible work schedule. • Must be an accredited Financial Planner, or working towards accreditation, and licensed to sell mutual funds in accordance with provincial regulations (CFP or PFP designation). Mutual Funds Licensed for 1 year either IFIC or CSC. We thank all interested candidates, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. If you are interested in this dynamic role, please go to www.rbc.com/careers and submit your resume and cover letter to us quoting reference # 49156. We thank all candidates for their interest, however only successful candidates will be contacted. Customer Service Ad #: MB0601274321
We've got people talking!
• Now hiring for opportunities in customer service!
• Inbound calls only!
What would you say to $8.50/hr to start and the potential to earn even more based on your performance? TeleTech, the leading global provider of customer care solutions, offers this, plus good benefits, an internet café, and your own headset! If you have proven customer service experience, MS Windows skills, scheduling flexibility, and the ability to obtain a criminal abstract, Let's Talk!
Management Ad #: JAN09M-CB
SS Subway Ltd established in 1986 with the first Subway restaurants in CANADA, is now hiring: • Location Management • Assistant Managers • Night Management for their multi-unit operation in St. John’s, Mt. Pearl, Paradise. Successful candidates would have experience in the food service and/or hospitality industry, demonstrate mature business judgement, and hold strong problem solving and ommunication skills. Responsibilities may include: • Maintenance of all standards relevant to the franchise • Financial record keeping & banking • Marketing • Human Resources • Cost Control Competitive Remuneration may include: • NEW Progressive Salary & Quarterly Bonus structure • Health & Dental Insurance • ADD & Life Insurance • Health & Fitness Benefits • Flexible Scheduling • Professional Development Training benefits To arrange a confidential interview, please forward your resume and cover letter, quoting JAN09M-CB, to: SS Subway Ltd Human Resources Dept. 25 Kenmount Road, Suite 204 St. John’s, NL A1B 1W1 Or by email subway@nfld.net
Could You Be Our New Sexual Health Advocate? Take This Quick Test and Find Out… 1. I am comfortable discussing products of a sexual nature 2. Others consider me friendly and energetic 3. I take pride in being reliable and punctual 4. I will commit to working 35+ hours per week 5. I am 19 years of age or older 6. I have no other schedules to work around 7. I am willing to participate in company training
Yes ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
No ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
If you answered “No” to ANY of these questions then being a part of our dedicated team is not for you. If you answered “Yes” to ALL of these questions you have what it takes to be a valued professional with our growing company. We strongly suggest you submit your resume “in person” to our Mount Pearl location before 5:00pm on Wednesday - March 8, 2006.
Please join us… We are hiring for full time positions! Learn about our worldwide operations and discover the many advantages of being on the TeleTech team. We're also hiring for a Talent Acquisition Manager, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Training and Quality Manager, and Operation Supervisors! As one of Mount Pearl's largest employers, we offer great pay, excellent benefits including health, dental, life, retirement, and tuition reimbursement programs - to enthusiastic, service-focused professionals who go the extra mile to satisfy our customers. Comprehensive benefit plans are available after a brief waiting period. Apply online to: www.hirepoint.com Act quickly… these newly created opportunities are sure to fill up fast!
50 Commonwealth Avenue • 745-LOVE • www.ourpleasure.ca What’s Your Pleasure?
28 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
MARCH 5, 2006
WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Fold over 5 Key ring tab 8 Crazy about ___ (William Weintraub) 12 Married woman’s title 15 Jordin Tootoo and family 17 Ultraviolet rad. 18 Roman poet 19 Hawaiian island 20 Grind (the teeth) 21 Man. town with garter snakes galore 23 Fat chance! 24 Painter of B.C. landscapes: E.J. ___ 26 Sun sign 27 Unmitigated 29 Indecisive end 30 Gibbon 32 New Brunswick export 36 Capri and others 37 Camp shelter 39 Mar. follower 40 Sudan’s neighbour 41 Absurd pretense 44 Predatory fish 46 He fought for NHL pensions: Carl ___ 47 Actor Chaykin (“Whale Music”) 49 Treat badly (2 wds.) 53 Wedding fling? 54 Aboriginal TV network
55 Sleeve card? 56 Tibetan gazelle 57 “___ not for whom the bell ...” 58 Multimedia bearer 60 Glacier-deposited ridge 62 Do something 63 Zero 64 Ability to hit a target 65 Prov. with Rosemary, Millicent and Patricia 66 Not repeatedly 67 Fly to avoid 69 Singer Sainte-Marie 71 Eight-legged one 73 Nfld. village 75 Crescent-shaped 77 Gull-like predator 79 Greek dawn goddess 80 Victorian expletive 81 Sound of bagpipes 82 She wrote Deafening 85 Holed up 86 Yodeller’s perch 89 River in N Ontario 91 I problem? 93 Group of Seven painter 95 Tots up 96 Hawaiian guitars 101 Snow (Fr.) 102 It sometimes comes from the blue 103 Get up 104 French assent 105 Criminal groups
SOLUTION ON PAGE 31
106 Bean 107 Words of refrain 108 Frequently, in poetry 109 Kiddy litter? DOWN 1 Snake’s ___, Nfld. 2 Boredom 3 Cloud over Quebec 4 Satellite ___ 5 Jollies 6 Racetrack shape 7 Exposed 8 French law 9 Med. feeders 10 Fleur de ___ 11 Brainwave 12 Spice mixture (Indian cuisine) 13 Kaput 14 Uses a sieve 16 Dramatic arts domain 19 Army rank 22 Neck (Fr.) 25 Most easterly point of N. America: Cape ___, Nfld. 28 Mordecai ___ 31 At the ___ of my tether 33 Bear’s retreat 34 Frisky, for a fogey 35 Age of note 38 Characteristic rhythm 41 October 1970 situation 42 Harass
43 Electrify 44 Play on words 45 Mediterranean resort 46 Noted Mohawk chief of 18th - 19th c. 48 Banking convenience 50 Its capital is Kampala 51 It’s not cricket! 52 Diner 54 Toogood ___, Nfld. 55 Abbreviated alias 58 Informal wear 59 Ration one’s rations 60 Mischievous mite of myth 61 Fashionableness 65 Toward the stern 66 Peanut product 68 Traveller 69 “World’s largest Western ___” (Edmonton) 70 Bear with us at night 71 Shell dweller 72 Nfld.’s “bangbelly” 74 Province with an official soil 76 Exclamation of disgust 77 Noisy winter vehicle 78 Considerately 81 Mops 83 Whose maiden name was 84 Snow shelter 86 Type of acid 87 Tall and spindly
(plants) 88 News reporters 90 Browning on skates
92 French egg 94 Chair 97 White wine and cas-
sis 98 NAFTA partner 99 The (Fr.)
100 Gain a lap Solutions on page 31
WEEKLY STARS ARIES - MAR 21/APR 20 Don't worry when a conflict arises at work, Aries. Things will simmer down rather quickly, so don't spend much time thinking about finding a resolution. TAURUS - APR 21/MAY 21 There's no time like the present to embark on that home improvement you've been considering, Taurus. Encourage others to give you some friendly assistance. GEMINI - MAY 22/JUN 21 If you've been thinking about taking a trip, now is the time to do so, Gemini. Grab a friend or family member to take the ride with you and it will be much more fun. CANCER - JUN 22/JUL 22 You've been feeling under the weather, Cancer, and you can't seem to bounce back quickly. Rest is key this week. There's no point getting even more run down.
LEO - JUL 23/AUG 23 Lions may be the kings of the jungle, Leo, but this week you can't even muster a meow. No one is taking you seriously, and that has you angry. Rethink your strategy. VIRGO - AUG 24/SEPT 22 A move you made a few weeks back is not panning out as you had hoped, Virgo. You just can't seem to get along with your new housemate. It may be time to pack up once more. LIBRA - SEPT 23/OCT 23 You've been taking advantage of loved ones, Libra, and it has to stop. There's only so much they will take before getting angry. Start reciprocating instead of just being greedy. SCORPIO - OCT 24/NOV 22 You'll want to run the show this week, Scorpio, and others will be anxious to let you. Don't let the
power go to your head, or else you'll make enemies very quickly. SAGITTARIUS - NOV 23/DEC 21 A friend in need has you running, Sagittarius. But don't be so quick to jump every time this person beckons or else the situation could get out of control. CAPRICORN - DEC 22/JAN 20 You've been doing too much at work again, Capricorn. If you don't slow yourself down, you're going to find yourself physically and mentally worn out. AQUARIUS - JAN 21/FEB 18 Stop being so controlling of the finances, Aquarius. Putting the spending blame on others is not accurate - you're involved in that situation as well. PISCES - FEB 19/MAR20 If plans don't work out the way you expected this week, Pisces, don't get discouraged. Bounce
back and set a new agenda. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS MARCH 5 Kimberly McCullough, actress (28) MARCH 6 Moira Kelly, actress (38) MARCH 7 Wanda Sykes, comic (42) MARCH 8 Freddie Prinze, Jr., actor (30) MARCH 9 James Van Der Beek, actor (29) MARCH 10 Sharon Stone, actress (48) MARCH 11 Johnny Knoxville, actor (35)
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
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 29
Leafs might trade McCabe Stalled contract talks could force deal By Ken Campbell and Mark Zwolinski Torstar wire service
T
he Maple Leafs have less than a week to decide whether they will be a buyer or a seller at the March 9 trade deadline, and in that time they must decide what they are going to do with star defenceman Bryan McCabe. Sources say the Leafs started negotiating with McCabe and Tomas Kaberle earlier this season. The talks with Kaberle resulted in a four-year deal for the Czech defenceman just before the Olympic break. But the Leafs have yet to sign McCabe and there are growing indications he and his agent, Jeff Solomon, are intent on testing the free agent market July 1. With the prospect of signing McCabe dwindling and teams such as the Vancouver Canucks desperate for help on defence, the Leafs have precious little time to decide which way they are going to go at the deadline. If McCabe wants to test the free agent waters and the Leafs are not going to make the playoffs, it would make sense to trade him rather than risk losing him with no return in the summer. And if McCabe doesn’t sign by July 1, trading him at the deadline would not preclude the Leafs from taking a shot at him once he’s a free agent. They’d just have more competition. But if they feel they can make a run for the playoffs, they are obviously far better positioned to do so with their best defenceman in the lineup, and would presumably put more pressure on them to sign McCabe. The Leafs managed to get Kaberle under contract for four years at about $2.25 million. It’s believed they have budgeted about $9 million per season to spend on Kaberle and McCabe, which would leave a yearly stipend of about $4.75 million for McCabe. But McCabe, who is enjoying his finest offensive season and could break the franchise record for goals (22) and points (79) by a defenceman this season, reportedly wants a Sergei Gonchar-type contract of about $5 million a year over five years. McCabe would also likely want a notrade clause in the deal, something
Washington Capitals forward Brian Willsie (right) flips the puck over Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour (left) and defenceman Bryan McCabe for a goal during their game in Toronto last week. McCabe is the centre of many trade rumours. Mike Cassese/Reuters
Kaberle wasn’t able to land. Kaberle was able to get some restrictions on the Leafs’ ability to deal him, though. His contract says if the Leafs fail to make the playoffs in 2008-09 or in 2009-10, the team has a window of approximately two months following the draft to deal him. Heading into negotiations with both players earlier this season, the Leafs
were reportedly more willing to part with McCabe than Kaberle, whose puck-moving skills are at a premium in the new NHL. Should the Leafs not sign McCabe they could use that money, plus a little more, to sign the likes of Jay McKee and Mattias Norstrom, two defencemen who might become unrestricted free agents this summer. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertain-
ment president Richard Peddie and Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. refused to bandy names or reveal their trade deadline strategy, but both admitted a high dissatisfaction with “several” Leaf players, and a willingness to redefine the club through “the right” trade. Neither Peddie nor Ferguson wants to make the McCabe negotiations public. But the two have met recently to
talk about the trade deadline, and both were candid afterwards about the deadline and its impact on a Leaf club that sits in ninth place, three points out of a playoff berth. “You are what your record says you are,” Ferguson says. “You have conversations going on with so many clubs. If the right deal is there, we’ll make it.”
Canadians open doors to ball hall By Allan Ryan Torstar wire service
T
ommy Lasorda, long noted for his ability to bleed Dodger blue (unappealing as that sometimes sounds), found kinship last week with London, Ont.-native Ron Stead, among the first baseball players to bleed a little red and white for Canada. Lasorda, of course, can also turn on the ol’ red, white and blue when required — such as when he managed the U.S. to Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000. Which is why he’s none too happy
with those players, particularly the Americans, who were asked but declined participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. “I don’t understand why anybody who was asked didn’t want to do it,” says Lasorda, who, with Stead, shared a conference call announcing their induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. “I’ll say one thing: I’ve lost a lot of respect for them.” The formal induction is set for June 24, in St. Mary’s, Ont. They’ll go in with Saskatchewan native Ron Hayter, a force in the game’s develop-
ment in Western Canada, and the late Larry McLean of Fredericton, a 6foot-5 catcher who played 862 games in the majors (1901-15). Lasorda played nine seasons with the Montreal Royals of the old International League. Stead, who pitched for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1957-58, eventually became one of the greatest pitchers in Intercounty League history (a 10-time all-star and still No.1 alltime in games, wins, strikeouts, etc.) and started the 1967 Pan Am Games for the first-ever baseball Team Canada.
NO ONE IS ALONE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER. Behind every person who is touched by cancer, there is a growing force fighting all types of cancer in communities eve r y w h e re. The Canadian Cancer Society is leading the way through research funding, information services, support pro g rams – and we advocate for healthy public policy. Together, we’re growing stronger. To volunteer, donate or for more information, visit cancer.ca or call 1 888 939-3333.
30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS
MARCH 5, 2006
That’s New Brunswick’s Russ Howard, thank you very much By Peter McGuire Telegraph-Journal
W
hen is a Canadian a Canadian? Or a New Brunswicker a New Brunswicker, for that matter? It’s a detail that can be manipulated. We’re talking about someone’s hometown. If a person is born in New Brunswick and they flourish in the sporting world, New Brunswickers are quick to claim them as one of their own. Simple. But what if a person is born elsewhere and relocates to New Brunswick? Much of it has to do with perception. If that individual is a success and embraces his or her new hometown, it’s an easy marriage. The best national example is reigning NBA most valuable player Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. He was actually born in Johannesburg, South Africa but moved as a toddler to Victoria, B.C. Because Nash is a likeable superstar, he’s all Canadian all the time. On the other side of the coin we have someone like PGA Tour star Stephen Ames of Calgary. Ames, who was born in San Fernando,
Trinidad, recently became a Canadian citizen after marrying a woman from Calgary but still hasn’t been totally embraced. Some sports networks still call him “Calgary resident Stephen Ames” rather than “Canadian Stephen Ames.” Ames’ inability to win over the crowd and his inability to choose his words carefully stand in the way of getting a nationwide hug from golf fans. Brett Hull was born in Belleville, Ont., but since jumping ship to represent the United States — he has dual citizenship — after what he felt was a snub from Canadian hockey, Hull is considered American by most. The latest person to ponder is curling legend Russ Howard of Moncton. That’s right, Russ Howard of Moncton, N.B. Howard, part of the Newfoundland-based Brad Gushue rink that won gold at the Olympic Games in Italy, actually moved to Moncton in 1998 from his hometown of Midland, Ont. but rarely is it mentioned he hails from Ontario’s Georgian Bay. It’s been “Moncton’s Russ Howard this” and “Moncton’s Russ Howard that.” Howard is the first New Brunswicker to win an Olympic gold medal and the province glad-
OF THE
DEVIL WEEK Paul Roebothan, RW Age: 18
ly calls him their own. Despite what appears to be an intimidating on-ice growl/scowl, he’s genuinely a nice guy who loves his adopted home. Those who know
New Raptors GM in no rush to make changes Signing brings stability to franchise
Hometown: St. John’s
Height: 5’10
Russ Howard and Brad Gushue Paul Daly/The Independent
him or have even met him in passing will be quick to point out what a charming individual he is. That makes it easy for the people of New Brunswick to claim him as their own. The Olympic gold just allows them to squeeze him a little tighter. Next up for Howard? How about membership to the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame? Does Howard deserve immediate induction as New Brunswick’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist? Only time will tell. Induction ceremonies will take place just a little more than three months from now. It’s important to keep in mind that Howard will be judged by what he has done since arriving in New Brunswick. His two world championships and two Brier championships (1987 and 1993) will not be considered. Still, he should be a shoo-in. “I would suggest they do it sooner rather than later,” says New Brunswick sports hall of fame executive director Kathy Meagher. “I would suggest that if it (a nomination) was received in a month or so, it would be too late for this year.” In other words, “Hurry ... hurry hard!”
By Doug Smith Torstar wire service
Weight: 190 lbs
How acquired: Roebothan was the Fog Devils 10th choice, 163rd overall in the 2005 QMJHL midget draft. Last year’s team: Cumberland Grads of the Central Junior A Hockey League in Ontario. Fog Devils’ first: Roebothan played his first game with the St. John’s Fog Devils on Jan. 3 in Rouyn-Noranda. Change of heart: Roebothan made the Fog Devils’ roster out of training camp, but decided to play division one prep school hockey with Holderness Academy in New Hampshire in pursuit of an NCAA scholarship. After Christmas, he left Holderness and joined the Fog Devils for good. Past success: during the 2003-04 season, Roebothan played right wing on the top scoring line in the provincial Midget AAA league, teaming with current Fog Devils Wes Welcher and Ryan Graham on the St. John’ Midget AAA Maple Leafs.
DEVIL STATS NAME Oscar Sundh Scott Brophy Luke Gallant Nicolas Bachand Wesley Welcher Zack Firlotte Marty Doyle Olivier Guilbault Ryan Graham Sebastien Bernier Anthony Pototschnik Pat O’Keefe Matt Fillier Pier-Alexandre Poulin Jean-Simon Allard Rodi Short Ivo Mocek Josh McKinnon Kyle Stanley Jonathan Reid Paul Roebothan Matt Boland
POS. LW C D RW C D RW RW LW D RW D C LW C D LW D D LW RW D
# 10 12 6 23 14 5 43 21 16 44 24 11 27 18 4 15 9 8 3 n/a 19 26
GP 48 59 61 62 62 61 62 62 51 62 56 47 52 63 58 27 30 32 60 2 16 31
G 14 21 21 25 23 8 12 17 12 6 12 3 5 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
A 42 32 30 22 17 29 21 12 14 18 5 12 9 7 9 3 2 1 1 0 0 0
GOALTENDER
W
L
GAA
S.PCT
Ilia Ejov Brandon Verge
13 10
16 18
4.09 3.98
.886 .889
A
rmed with a vision to create “success and excellence,” Bryan Colangelo has assumed control of the Raptors, vowing no immediate or drastic changes as he tries to restore some lustre to an NBA franchise mired in something just below mediocrity. The 40-year-old NBA executive of the year (2004-05), architect of the current Phoenix Suns, comes into his new job as the Toronto Raptors’ president and general manager fully confident the Raptors can become a winning team. “I want to change this franchise,” Colangelo says. “I want this to become a destination for free agency; I want people to understand what attributes Toronto gives to players.” He will start doing that by doing nothing drastic. Colangelo says he won’t come in and start knocking things down or showing people the door. Raptors’ head coach Sam Mitchell, who has another year to go on his contract, will be given every opportunity to impress his new boss. “I have no predisposed position on who he is as a coach, what type of basketball he should play,” Colangelo says. “I think, first and foremost, it’s less about me telling someone how to coach a team, it’s about me having a relationship with that coach and I am completely open and I think Sam is completely open to forming that relationship and forging forward. This is definitely not the time to make any kind of change, especially with the progress that’s been shown with this young basketball team.” Colangelo’s expertise, gleaned in a decade of upper management in Phoenix, will be to build on that core. The executive who drafted Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire and watched
them become all-stars, the guy who plucked unheralded pieces like Joe Johnson, Raja Bell and Boris Diaw off other teams and watched them flourish, says he just wants to give Mitchell the right kind of player. Mitchell says Colangelo’s history in building the Suns franchise will attract the kind of good free agents the Raptors have never been able to sign. “People have to understand, it’s not always about money when you’re trying to attract guys, it’s other things and what they’ve done in Phoenix is incredible,” Mitchell says. “I’m excited. You know that when we sit down and talk about players and trying to get better, he’s done that, he’s put those type of teams together.” BIGGEST TASK One of Colangelo’s biggest tasks will be to persuade Chris Bosh to sign a lucrative longterm contract extension when the Raptors have an exclusive negotiating window with him this summer. Colangelo was in precisely the same situation a year ago in Phoenix with budding star Stoudemire and got that extension signed just before the training camp deadline in September. In bringing Colangelo to Toronto, the Raptors did give him a hefty contract. Sources put the deal at four years and more than $12 million (U.S.) with perhaps an option on a fifth year. Colangelo, however, says money wasn’t the reason he left the Suns after 11 seasons in the front office. The timing was unique, though. Seldom do NBA front-office types jump from team to team in the middle of a season, but the Raptors first approached the Suns about talking to Colangelo days after Rob Babcock was fired in late January and the speedy process was completed last week.
‘I like helping out the little guys’
PTS 56 53 51 47 40 37 33 29 26 24 17 15 14 12 12 5 2 1 1 0 0 0
From page 32 “I like helping out the little guys,” he says, looking out at a group of pre-teen boys preparing for an evening of gymnastics. “It’s rewarding to just pass on what you’ve learned, especially for the guys because I know what they’re going through right now. I’ve gone through it as well.” Before moving to St. John’s, Stritt admits he had never heard of Newfoundland and Labrador. When he first applied to the exchange student program, all Stritt knew was he wanted to come to Canada. While the language barrier (Stritt spoke
German and French back home) was an obstacle at first, he basically mastered English within three months of moving here. He says the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are a lot like the folk of his home country and provide just one of many similarities between here and Düdingen, Switzerland. “It’s not that different, really,” Stritt says. “The only thing is the ocean — we don’t have an ocean in Switzerland. But the weather is fairly the same … we have a lot of snow, too.” Darcy MacRae is The Independent’s sports editor darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca
Curling cannons roar From page 32
Stats current as of March 3
HOMEGROWN “Q” PLAYER Robert Slaney Ryan Penney Colin Escott Chad Locke 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 Cape Breton Gatineau P.E.I. Halifax Lewiston Rimouski
GP 51 16 40 24 33 59 61
G 3 1 4 5 3 15 25
A 4 4 9 7 1 36 24
PTS 7 5 13 12 4 51 49
GOALTENDERS Ryan Mior Roger Kennedy Jason Churchill
HOMETOWN St. John’s Mount Pearl Hodge’s Cove
TEAM P.E.I. Halifax Saint John
W 18 9 14
L 36 4 37
GAA 3.94 3.65 4.04
S.PCT .895 .885 .899
sticks and wearing his old Jofa helmet as a crown, Gretzky sentenced each figure skater to a lifetime of torment and torture — they would have to watch a documentary on how the New Jersey Devils perfected the neutral zone trap, 24/7, 365 days a year. From a distance I sized up the situation: it was apparent hockey players had taken over the world during the new ice age, and had made other athletes their captives and slaves. In one corner Mark Messier mercilessly poked Mike Weir in the ribs with a hockey stick while the golfer was forced to wash Tie Domi’s jock strap. Just a few feet away Bob Probert was utilizing Vince Carter as a punching bag — although none of the other captives were bothered by this, some even found it funny. NOT A PLEASANT PLACE The planet of the hockey players was not a pleasant place for figure skaters, skiers, snowboarders, golfers or basketball players. In fact, it wasn’t a very nice place for anybody not familiar with stick handling, shooting, passing and body checking. Although I suspected a sports journalist of my pedigree — with my background, accomplishments, and hey, who are we kidding here, this face — would be readily accepted by the powers
that be on the planet of the hockey players, I wasn’t taking any chances. I decided to make a run for it and try to get my ship started again. But before I could a loud commotion caught my attention. Storming the ice palace was a group of renegade exiles, led by the Olympic gold medal curling team of Brad Gushe, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab, Mike Adam and Mark Nichols. Carrying their brooms and a cannon that fired curling stones, Team Gushue attacked the hierarchy of the planet of the hockey players, attempting to free their captured comrades. While Gretzky screamed out for Dave Semenko to protect him, Gushue and company pressed forward, in search of victory, in search of freedom … I wish I could tell you just how the final battle ended, but sadly I cannot. Just as Gushue hauled Semenko’s jersey over his head — he should have worn a tie down — I was awakened by the alarm clock. Although I was happy it was 2006 instead of 2016, I admit to being curious as to just who would have prevailed in the final showdown. Odds are before the winter is over I’ll have another snowed-in weekend to see just who won the battle for the planet of the hockey players. Darcy MacRae is The Independent’s sports editor. darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca
MARCH 5, 2006
INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 31
No shortage of issues facing Canadian officials By Randy Starkman Torstar wire service
W
hile winning a gold medal as the host Olympic country no longer seems an issue for the 2010 Vancouver Games, the jury is out on just how good the Canadian team can get. With the ink barely dry on all the stories churned out at the Turin Games, here’s a look at some issues Canada needs to address moving towards 2010. There’s been a lot of talk about conversion rate — turning excellent World Cup results into Olympic medals. But the Canadian Olympic Committee also needs to be concerned with the retention rate. There are many athletes facing what is almost assuredly their last four-year Olympic cycle — a pair of sliding silver medallists come immediately to mind, bobsledder Pierre Lueders and skeleton racer Jeff Pain. It’s clear now the “Own the Podium” program blew it when it didn’t target either of their sports as medal producers for 2010. It is important athletes like these are retained with assurances of reasonable support for not only equipment and technology but also financial. With home track advantage absolutely huge in their sports, these athletes would be locks for medals in Vancouver. Speaking of home advantage, Canada must be ruthless and strategic in exploiting this. No Mr. Nice Guy. We have something the other countries want desperately — access to the tracks, hills and other facilities where Olympic gold will be won. There should not be an extra minute given to anyone who doesn’t have something to offer in exchange. The mighty Austrian ski team let the Canadians train with them last fall because they want extra access. Deals like these make sense. And lets hope Canada’s Olympic fans can grow beyond being a nation of puckheads. As new Olympic crosscountry ski champion Chandra Crawford aptly put it: “There’s value in our national sport and there’s pride in it. But I don’t think it would kill us to branch out a little.” Crawford, Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes, Duff Gibson, Jennifer Heil and Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue have gold medals and compelling stories. Wouldn’t it be great if the Canadian Olympic Committee set up a national school tour for Olympic athletes to inspire kids by sharing their stories and letting them touch their medals? It’s time to start awarding prize money to Canadian athletes for medals. There should also be bonuses for coaches, who get ignored too often. Some unsung heroes who immediately come to mind are cross-country ski coach Dave Wood, speed skating coaches Xiuil Wang and Neal Marshall, and skeleton coach Willy Schneider. There are many others, too. It needn’t be big money, but recognition of the principle of rewarding people for hard work and dedication with something other than a pat on the back and a team uniform. Surely, a sponsor could be found to put up the prize money. There’s going to be a lot of cash flying around the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games — our athletes and coaches should at least see a smidgen of it. Solutions for sudoku on page 28
Ryan Graham
Paul Daly/The Independent
‘Best feeling in the world’ By Darcy MacRae The Independent
Mount Pearl’s Ryan Graham lucked out when he was traded to Fog Devils; fills roles of power forward, team prankster
R
yan Graham didn’t begin the season as a St. John’s Fog Devil, but his thoughts were never far from the team. The 18-year-old started the 2005-06 campaign with the Gatineau Olympiques, his second year with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team. Although Graham gave it his all during games and practices, when he returned home in the evenings he would turn on his computer to see how his friends in St. John’s were making out. “I would have liked to play with St. John’s right from the expansion draft, but Gatineau kept me (on their protected list),” Graham tells The Independent. “Up in Gatineau there really isn’t much to do, so I’d be on the Internet every night checking to see how the boys were doing. The night (Fog Devils’ defenceman) Patty O’Keefe had his first goal, he had two goals that night, I gave him a call. “I read it on the Internet and I was bored out of my mind so I gave him a call to congratulate him.” Early in December, Graham — born and raised in Mount Pearl — had a meeting with Gatineau general manager Benoit Groulx during which the GM asked the 5’11, 195-pound left-winger about rumours he wanted a trade. At the time Graham hadn’t approached any member of the Olympiques about a move, so he assured Groulx the rumours were false. But after further thought, Graham approached Groulx later in the month. “I mentioned that maybe it would be best if I was traded.” By the time Graham was back in Mount Pearl for the Q’s Christmas break, he knew there was at least a
chance he could become a Fog Devil. Then, on Christmas Eve, he received word he had been officially traded to St. John’s. “I think the best feeling in the world was on Boxing Day when I didn’t have to pack all my stuff. That’s when it really hit me, that I wasn’t going back,” says Graham. “The previous year on Boxing Day I had to pack everything and it took me a couple of hours to put every thing together and I didn’t get a lot of time to spend with my family or go visiting, which was hard. “This year I got to go out with my family on Boxing Day and have a good time with them.” Although he missed a few games late in December while recovering from a concussion, Graham made an immediate impact with the Fog Devils. Lining up on left wing with former Midget AAA Maple Leaf linemate Wes Welcher at centre, Graham helped give the Fog Devils a second line that could score. Acting as the line’s official power forward, Graham has combined a physical style with solid offensive instincts to become more of an offensive threat than he was in Gatineau. In 25 games with the Olympiques, Graham had 10 points. In his first 25 games as a Fog Devil, he had accumulated 16 points (five goals and 11 assists). “It’s nice being in a place where I know I’m going to play a lot,” Graham
says of his time in St. John’s. “And it was really easy to come to this team. I knew a lot of the boys — there’s a lot of Newfoundlanders on the team.” Besides the skills Graham brings to the Fog Devils (both on and off the ice), he’s also the team’s unofficial “class clown.” “He’s the type of player who will keep the gang loose,” says Réal Paiement, Fog Devils’ head coach and general manager. “Sometimes you get into a situation where we all take each other too seriously and Ryan has that knack to be able to loosen things up. He’s learned as time goes on to do it at the right time.” During one of his first home games as a Fog Devil, Graham dropped the gloves to fight Rimouski enforcer David Bouchard. After a spirited bout, the two were jawing at each other from their respective penalty boxes when Graham began flexing his biceps in response to Bouchard’s taunts. The Fog Devil winger then began shaking his right hand in Bouchard’s direction, insinuating he hit the Rimouski tough guy so hard he hurt his hand. “That was the fourth time I fought him this season and after one of the fights in Gatineau he did that to me,” Graham says of the bicep flexing. “So this time I beat him and did it back to him.” Graham is also known for his elaborate goal celebrations, although he insists these are purely spur of the
moment. “My post-goal stuff is mostly … I’m just so excited,” Graham says. “There’s no real thought process behind it.” Graham says although he appears to be the ring leader of any Fog Devils’ shenanigans, his teammates deserve a lot of the credit — or blame, depending on how you look at it. During a recent contest at Mile One, Graham was announced as the game’s first star. After completing his curtain call, Graham turned to exit the ice when he noticed St. John’s goalie Brandon Verge — the game’s second star — sitting on one knee pretending to take his picture. Never one to shy away from the camera, Graham began posing for his personal paparazzi, bringing a round of laughter from the remaining fans at Mile One. “I’m not taking any credit for that, that was all him (Verge),” says Graham. “I went out for the first star and looked over and he was still on the ice. I was like ‘Oh no, Réal is not going to like this.’ “I’m always going to have fun with these guys, especially Wes. And Guilbiult is a clown too, he’s an undercover clown. And we’ve got guys like Brophy, Vergey and (Marty) Doyle — guys that are just hilarious.” Graham’s highlight since joining the Fog Devils has been playing in front of family and friends on a regular basis. He fondly recalls his first game as a Fog Devil in St. John’s and says the feeling he had that night is still with him whenever he plays at Mile One. “I always say it’s weird looking up in the crowd and seeing your family and friends up there laughing at you.” Darcy MacRae is The Independent’s sports editor. darcy.macrae@theindependent.ca
stories from here Petro-Canada is a corporate sponsor of Sinfonia, the
Solutions for crossword on page 28
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SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MARCH 5-11, 2006 — PAGE 32
No competition
Luke Stritt came to St. John’s as a high school exchange student;
five years later he’s the province’s top male gymnast.
By Darcy MacRae The Independent
swing himself on the rings while at the same time preventing the rings from swinging. He draws stares as he spreads his arms straight out to the sides and holds himself eight feet above the ground for several seconds, with muscles twitching in his shoulders, back and sides. On the parallel bars, he moves with speed and grace while performing a series of swings and balances. After such a display, it’s not hard to see why Stritt has had such success both in the province and on the mainland. In 2005 alone he dominated the local and provincial scene, winning first place in the all-around, floor, pommels, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar at the provincial championships. From there Stritt travelled to Charlottetown for the eastern Canadian championships, where he took second in rings, third in parallel bars, fourth in horizontal bar, fifth in floor and sixth in pommels — good for third all-around. At the Canadian championships in Vancouver, Stritt was again on top of his game, taking fifth place in both rings and parallel bars. His 13th place finish in the all-around was the best for any gymnast from Atlantic Canada. “It was very rewarding. It’s also a surprise,” Stritt says. “I don’t compare myself during the year to those people. Then you go there and say ‘Oh, I’m not that bad really.’” Stritt was also named the 2005 Newfoundland and Labrador male gymnast of the year and was the recipient of a Premier’s Athletic Scholarship Award. As well, he is a finalist for the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador senior male athlete of the year award. Growing up in Switzerland, Stritt always hoped he would find success in gymnastics, he just never thought it would happen in another country. He says the skill level and method of training is almost identical between his home country and his adopted land, although competition isn’t optional in Switzerland. “The skills are the same,” Stritt says. “But the structure is different. In Switzerland, everybody in a club competes, no matter what level you are at. Here, they make a split between competitive and recreational.” Stritt doesn’t mind lending a hand with the young gymnasts at the St. John’s club, as he tries to not only develop their skills, but also give them the confidence they need to stay with the sport.
L
uke Stritt is a long way from home, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. The 22-year-old gymnast first arrived on the shores of Newfoundland in 2001 as a 17-year-old high school exchange student from Düdingen, Switzerland. But after just one year at Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John’s, he decided to extend his stay. “I was like ‘Why not finish high school here?’” Stritt tells The Independent. “It was a year less for me because we have Grade 13 in Switzerland. “I did (think about returning to Switzerland for university), but I looked up the phys ed program at MUN, and it looked really good.” Now in his third year at MUN, Stritt is a dedicated student on the verge of a degree in human kinetics. He’s also found time to maintain his focus on gymnastics, a sport he’s been involved in since the age of six. Although he has gone on to become the province’s top male gymnast, Stritt’s success here did not come without challenges. Growing up in Switzerland, many boys his age were gymnasts. But upon arriving in St. John’s, he was one of very few 17 year olds who partook in the sport. In an area of the world where hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer and rugby are the main sports for teenage boys, Stritt says he was often on the receiving end of jokes. “In high school, sometimes people would go ‘So … you’re a gymnast.’ But not now, it’s fine in university,” he says. While the occasional teasing didn’t deter him from the sport, a serious lack of competition has made it difficult for Stritt to fine tune his skills. Whether it’s working on the parallel bars, perfecting his floor skills or taking to the rings, Stritt rarely faces a competitor of equal skill level or age in the province. Although it’s tough for Stritt to properly gauge his skills when his competitors are few and far between, he’s hesitant to be overly critical of the situation he finds himself in. It appears he enjoys living here too much to say a whole lot negative about the place. “It gets frustrating at times, but …” Watching Stritt manoeuvre on the rings and parallel bars at the St. John’s recreation centre, onlookers would be hard pressed to believe he sometimes finds it difficult to focus. Muscular but lean, Stritt uses great upper body strength to
See “I like,” page 30 Photo by Paul Daly/The Independent
Planet of the hockey players C
an you imagine a world where figure skaters are hunted for sport, golfers are nothing more than glorified butlers and those carrying a puck and stick call all the shots? This was the world I was faced with last weekend during a vivid, surreal, snow-storm induced dream. Like everyone in the greater St. John’s area last weekend, I spent virtually all my time indoors while a blizzard hammered the city. I spent Saturday and Sunday drinking endless cups of coffee and watching whatever movies lay around the house. The films that had the greatest affect on me were definitely The Planet of the Apes movies — all five of them.
DARCY MACRAE
The game Starting Saturday morning and concluding Sunday evening, I took in the entire series. By the time my head hit the pillow Sunday night, I had visions of Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall and Linda Harrison — who played Nova, the “savage beauty” from the futuristic ape world — dancing in my head. Combined with the colossal amount of caffeine in my veins, the road was paved for some bizarre
dreams. Shortly after dozing off, I found myself in a spaceship that was about to crash land into what I thought was the Atlantic ocean. When I climbed out of the ship, I discovered we were not in the ocean, but on a sheet of ice. All the better I thought, since I can’t swim anyway. But soon bizarre occurrences began taking place, and I was looking for the first ship out of town. It turned out the year was not 2006, but 2016. A planet-wide cold snap has transformed the earth into a giant sheet of ice, and only those with skates had a chance to survive. The first moment of horror occurred just seconds after I stepped off my fall-
en ship. In the distance I could see Emanuel Sandhu, Kurt Browning and Nancy Kerrigan feverishly skating for their lives. To my amazement, chasing them atop of snowmobiles were Eric Lindros, Jarome Iginla and Peter Forsberg — each of them wearing their entire NHL uniforms. With a nasty laugh and even scarier snarl, Lindros was the first to reach the trio of frightened figure skaters. With three quick slashes to the ankles Lindros toppled all three, but before he could finish the job the Big E tripped over a bump on the ice and broke his leg in 16 places, ruptured a tendon in his wrist and separated his shoulder. It appeared he also gave himself another
concussion, but with that dazed look Lindros routinely carries these days, it was really hard to tell. Just as it appeared the figure skaters might escape, Forsberg emerged and quickly covered all three with an authentic NHL net — goal posts and all. I watched with sheer amazement — and a bit of amusement, I admit — while Sandhu, Browning and Kerrigan were hauled off to an ice palace shaped like the Stanley Cup. Inside, the three figure skaters were presented to the emperor of this planet of the hockey players, Wayne Gretzky. Sitting on a throne made of hockey See “Curling cannons,” page 30