VOL. 4 ISSUE 37
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ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006
STEPHANIE PORTER
I
t’s time to take a good, hard look at the Terms of Union. Fifty-seven years after being signed, the document that established the constitutional ground rules of Newfoundland’s Confederation with Canada are still much talked-about, debated, and criticized. Who hasn’t wondered about what was given away, what was taken away and what was ultimately gained? Or what Newfoundland could have done differently during negotiations. The problems in the fishery are blamed, in large part, on federal mismanagement — powers that were handed over in accordance with the Terms. Offshore resource ownership rights have been dragged through the courts, and are still contentious. Ferry service to Nova Scotia is heavily criticized — its upkeep is a
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federal responsibility, as outlined in the Terms, but the level of service is not. Taxation, transfer payments, the division of federal and provincial responsibilities — all are outlined in the Terms. As constitutional lawyer Stephen May says, except for a few key items — land boundaries and a guaranteed number of seats in the Senate — “for the most part, the effectiveness of the Terms have been spent, or they’ve done what they were designed to do.” The Independent takes this as the starting point for a new six-part series, digging deeper into the Terms of Union and the evolution of the needs of the province since 1949. The goal is to get people talking about our relationship with Canada — and put forward
specific recommendations of how to make things better. The suggestions will fall into five categories, examined over the next five weeks: oil and gas, transportation, fisheries, finances and politics. The Independent has asked a panel of diverse experts to come together to discuss and offer creative solutions to some of the Confederation stumbling blocks. Scheduled to take part in the discussion are: former Liberal premier Roger Grimes, former federal Fisheries minister John Crosbie, columnist Ray Guy, St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells, activist Nancy Riche, entrepreneur and filmmaker Peg Norman, writer Maura Hanrahan, businessman Brian Dobbin, fisheries advocate Gus Etchegary,
Independent panel to review Terms of Union
and Independent editor-in-chief Ryan Cleary. For the next five weeks, we’ll publish some of the ideas, candid thoughts, and concrete recommendations that emerge from the discussion. At the same time, Independent reporters will tackle a host of relevant stories under each heading. The series is meant to raise awareness, generate discussion, and find solutions. There has been a cultural uneasiness about the circumstances of Confederation, a lingering suspicion around the province that Newfoundland was sold short for a quick influx of money. In a Dec. 31, 1948, column for the Daily News, Albert Perlin wrote, “it can be said without fear of contradiction that the shortterm position (of Confederation) is favourable, but the long-term prospect is discouraging.” See “Lack of imagination,” page 4
OUR TERMS Former premier Roger Grimes
Entrepreneur and filmmaker Peg Norman
St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells
Writer Maura Hanrahan
Businessman Brian Dobbin
Pundit Ray Guy
Retired politician John Crosbie
Activist Nancy Riche
Fisheries advocate Gus Etchegary
Independent editor-in-chief Ryan Cleary
Reaching our readers Independent launches new distribution system, additional features
W
elcome new readers of The Independent. This edition of the newspaper marks yet another turning point in the paper’s short life — provincewide circulation. Distribution of The Independent, which until now has been limited to the northeast Avalon and other select locations, has been taken over by The Buy and Sell, an established magazine known for its reach.
Over the coming weeks, The Independent will be available at more and more locations in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our goal is to be everywhere, in every nook and cranny. We’ve also changed our day of distribution. Instead of coming off the press on Saturday afternoon, the paper will now be printed Thursday evenings, for distribution on Friday. Most retail outlets and home subscribers should have
their weekend paper by early Friday evening. There are other changes … Our regular readers will notice the absence of The Independent Home section. The real estate supplement has been incorporated into the main body of the paper as part of our classified section (see page 32). Our goal is to make rates affordable to advertisers See “Bigger and better,” page 2
QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We (should) just change the name baby seal to ice rats. People don’t want to club baby seals, but everybody wants to put down ice rats.” — Mark Critch, guest column page 6
IN CAMERA 8-9
Selections from photographer Ben Hansen’s portfolio
Paper Trail . . . . . 10 Ray Dillon . . . . . . 13 Noreen Golfman 19
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Bishop’s Falls artist Dave Sheppard
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2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Hear the fishes cry T he Independent has asked me to do a column to be published every second weekend. The column will cover issues of national and provincial interest so I will start with several columns dealing with the fishery, and prospects for the 21st century. In 1849, the esteemed American writer, Thoreau, asked, “Who hears the fishes when they cry?” The answer appears to be that no one from 1849 onwards, until the 1970s, and then few heard or paid any attention to the fishes when they cried, since few, if any, effective steps have been taken to deal with the continuing threats to the survival of fish species. In 1990, the eminent fisheries expert, Dr. Alverson, very familiar with our fisheries, reported that 44 of the world’s 186 major fish stocks were overfished because illegal fishing was the only way to keep an over-capitalized distance-water fishery in business! As most readers know I was involved in provincial politics in our province from 1966 until October, 1976, when I was elected as MP for St. John’s West, continuing in federal politics until the 2003 election. I was Newfoundland’s minister of Fisheries between 1974-75 and minister of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada from April 21, 1991 until June 25, 1993. On July 2, 1992 I had the traumatic duty of closing the northern cod fishery for what I was then advised would be two years, after which time the size of the stock should increase significantly and the spawning stock would no longer be at dangerously low levels. In the 14 years since, however, this has not occurred. The cod fishery was the principal reason for the settlement of Newfoundland and Labrador originally and the raison d’etre for the settlement of most outport communities. There were two fisheries that made it possible for settlers to earn a basic livelihood — the cod fishery and the seal fishery. For many reasons, including the discouragement of settlement by Great Britain, our population numbered only about 20,000 as we reached the early years of the 19th century, but our population increased to 146,536 by 1869 as a result of the successful development and expansion of the seal fishery, which provided the increase in economic growth necessary to sustain a greater population. Even by 1935 our population was only 289,588! It is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of the fishery to the people of this province and to the survival of our society. In 1911, 44,000 men and 23,000 women worked in our fishery. Even in 1992 there were 8,100 full-time fishermen, 8,200 part-time, and 18,600 plant workers dependent on northern cod — not including deepsea trawlermen and south coast plant workers. In that year the fishery generated only 6 per cent of the value of all goods and services produced in our province. There is no doubt that when people thought of the fishery they thought of the traditional inshore fishery — not
JOHN CROSBIE
The old curmudgeon
the highly mechanized, capital-intensive offshore trawler fishery. The fishery is the single most powerful source of our collective memory and cultural identity. That is why — even today — political considerations are of tremendous influence on how the fishery is governed, supervised, and administered through legislation and regulation, as well as how it’s viewed by the people. Business acumen is very important for a fishery entrepreneur in Newfoundland, with toughness and determination, but political acumen is even more essential if a fishing entrepreneur wants to survive. Anyone who is knowledgeable about the world’s fisheries can tell you that it is now quite possible to fish out the world’s oceans. In April 2002, the science section of the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “The world’s fisheries are tanking, going the way of the Dodo and the passenger pigeon. The causes are many, but the primary one is humankind’s insatiable appetite for seafood.” At that time they reported 25 to 30 per cent of the world’s fish populations were overfished, with an additional 40 per cent “fully exploited,” meaning that it would take very little more additional pressure to result in their collapse. While there are other reasons, such as pollution and oceanic temperature fluctuations, the primary culprit in the reduction of the fisheries and their imperilment as far as survival is concerned is overfishing on a vast scale. Paul Dayton, a professor of oceanography with the Scripts Institution in La Jolla, put it this way, “Everyone agrees it’s a desperate situation, but the tendency is to complain rather than bite the bullet and do something substantive about it. The sea is a commons, and everyone is looking out for their own self interest. In the simplest terms the fight is over who will catch the last fish rather than husbanding and restoring the fisheries.” The overall outlook is bleak. Since the end of the Second World War the size of the global fishing fleet has expanded dramatically with the development of long-range factoryfreezer trawlers and other technological inventions all dramatically stimulated by government-aid programs, with commercial fleets now estimated to range upward to 4 million boats. These range from 150-foot long, high-seas factory trawlers that net thousands of tonnes of fish and process them on board, down to “artisanal” small inshore fishing boats fitted with outboards to ply coastal waters in the developing world. All of these exert pressure on the world’s fisheries that is unrelenting. John Crosbie’s next column will appear Sept. 22.
Bigger and better From page 1
across the province, in both rural and urban areas. A basic colour real-estate ad on the back page, for example, costs $35. Our overall advertising rates are roughly half those of the competition. Editorial changes include the addition of three new columnists. Pieces by former politician John Crosbie and historian Patrick O’Flaherty will appear on a rotating basis on page 2. Actor, musician and writer Sean Panting writes his inaugural column in this
week’s Life section (see page 20). This week also marks the launch of a special editorial project — Our Terms, a review of the Terms of Union. Letters to the editor from all parts of the province are encouraged. If you have a story that should be told — but are unsure who should tell it, give The Independent a call. The Independent is locally owned and operated and an independent voice for Newfoundland and Labrador. Ryan Cleary, Editor-in-chief
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3
SCRUNCHINS
A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia
T
he above sign was spotted recently outside a restaurant near the Overpass, the unofficial border between Town and the bay. Wages, even for kitchen helpers, are a lot higher in Alberta, land of milk and money, where restaurants are shutting down as a result of a dishwasher shortage. Wonder if S.O.S. Pads are more expensive in Fort Mac …
for.” Have a look out for Seamus on Canadian Idol. He’ll be in the audience to cheer on our own Craig Sharpe … PLANE DEALER The new president of WestJet Airlines Ltd. is than Newfoundlander Sean Durfy. Formerly WestJet’s vicepresident of marketing, sales and airports, Durfy reportedly just turned 40. WestJet is now Canada’s secondbiggest airline with about 33 per cent of the market, 33 destinations and 5,300 staff. But that doesn’t mean WestJet is prepared to fill the void left by CanJet Airlines, which decided recently to pull out of eastern Canada. “Over the past year, we have doubled capacity to Atlantic Canada,” Durfy told the CBC, adding he would consider further expansions if it makes economic sense. Durfy joined WestJet in 2004 after 10 years in the Alberta energy industry, where he reportedly served as president and chief operating officer of Enmax Energy Corp., the energy utility for the City of Calgary. To quote Durfy: “I’m a pretty lucky Newfoundlander.” And he is … GILLER FILLER Speaking of luck — well, talent more like it — three Newfoundland writers have made it to the long list of the Giller Prize, including Kenneth J. Harvey for his novel Inside, Wayne Johnston for his book The Custodians of Paradise, and Russell Wangersky for his short story collection, The House of Bad Decisions. The 15 books on the long list were selected from 101 titles submitted by 36 publishers from across Canada. The shortlist for the Giller Prize — which pays $40,000 to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English — will be announced Oct. 3 in Toronto. Wonder if Seamus will be there too … AUDITABLE DIRT Speaking of books, Down to the Dirt by Joel Thomas Hynes is now in audio. To quote the press release, “The book that was written out loud finally is out loud!” Hynes does the narration himself, along with Sherry White and Jonny Harris. Another line from the release: “Finally, you can hear it from the horse’s mouth.” NOT FUNNY The Taipei Times carried a story recently about two Newfoundland funnymen — Brian David Phillips, a comedy hypnotist, and Kurt Penney, a comedian. “I got into standup comedy by being born in Newfoundland. (In Canada ‘Newfie’ jokes serve the same purpose as jokes about Poles, Irish or Belgians do in other countries.) It starts right then. You get a lot of training in it,” Penney told the Taiwan paper. Some of his jokes are simple, with sharp turns: “Why didn’t the chicken cross the road? Because they ate his feet.” Or, “How many Newfies does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it ain’t gonna be me.” Does anyone still find newfie jokes funny? ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
‘Idle to this point’ It’s been 18 months since the provincial archives moved out of the Colonial Building, and the space remains empty By Anshuman Iddamsetty For The Independent
S
kateboards and squatters aren’t what first come to mind when the phrase “provincial landmark” is uttered. Yet this is the reality of the Colonial Building — the former home of the Newfoundland government now sits unused, empty, and occasionally vandalized. “It’s a good spot to just giv’er … No one comes around here anyway,” says one of the local skaters, resting back on the worn steps of the old legislature. That may soon change. According to a statement by a spokeswoman for the Tourism department, a “Colonial Building advisory committee” was appointed Sept. 12 by the provincial government. The committee is charged with guiding the restoration of the building and the creation of an historical interpretation display. The committee includes Memorial professor and architectural historian Shane O’Dea, Parks Canada interpretation specialist Marilyn Dawe, and George Chalker, executive director of the provincial Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. The spokeswoman says a “proposal call will soon go out to seek a consultant to develop an interpretive plan for the Colonial Building.” Tourism Minister Tom Hedderson
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was not available for comment. Eighteen months have passed since the provincial archives, once housed in the Colonial Building, were moved into The Rooms, hollowing out the province’s first official legislature. “It hasn’t been left idle,” says David Bradley, chairperson for the Association of Heritage Industries, about the building. “Well, idle to this point … This isn’t to say things haven’t been going on behind the scenes.” The association is an umbrella group of provincial volunteer heritage organizations, and is responsible for most of the provincial government’s interest in preserving the structure. “One of the highest priorities from our point of view was that the Colonial Building be properly restored … and made accessible to the public,” says Bradley, referring to a lobbying campaign to preserve the structure in 2003 from being converted to a provincial supreme court. “In the last spring the government allocated $500,000 in planning for (restoration and interpretation) of the Colonial Building. “We think it was a sensible approach, because in the past — we’re talking the 1980s — all too often the (government) would take over the historic site without any research or planning.” According to Bradley, the advisory committee plans to oversee a variety
Winner
HELLO! SEAMUS There are few Newfoundlanders or Labradorians more photogenic than our own Seamus O’Regan, who was born in St. John’s and grew up in Goose Bay. The 35-year-old cohost of CTV’s Canada AM recently served as master of ceremonies at a children’s benefit gala in Toronto — an event at- Seamus O’Regan tended by the likes of Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz. The handsome Seamus was said to fit right in — he certainly has the credentials. Brad Pitt Seamus, Mr. Centerfold himself, was recently featured in the Canadian edition of Hello! Featured may not be the right word for a five-page spread of Seamus modeling all over Town, from The Rooms and Signal Hill to Quidi Vidi and Cochrane Street (where he spent a lot of time in the summer with his Nan). Oh, and Penelope Cruz was on the cover of the magazine that week. Seamus — who’s currently single — was mentioned not so long ago in National Post society columnist Shinan Govani’s list of 30 most eligible bachelors. By the by, Seamus took his sister Raili to the Toronto gala. Get this, when Seamus was backstage Raili was asked to give up her seat … for Cruz, which she did (like any Newfoundlander would). Quote from Seamus about his Canada AM gig: “Within a two-week period I think I interviewed Prince and Bill Clinton face to face. Nobody gets to do that. And it’s an incredible privilege. It’s worth waking up at 4 a.m.
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of projects to reintroduce the Colonial Building as an important fixture of Newfoundland. This includes hiring consultants to assess restoring such facets of the building as the front steps that were modified by Joey Smallwood to, as Bradley says, “project a better sense of grandeur.” Continuing vandalism remains an issue while the provincial government continues to make plans. “The fact the building is unoccupied is indeed making it worse,” says Bradley. “I suppose I would be more concerned if there was no advisory committee formed, I would be more worried — are they actually going to get started this year?” The association of heritage industries suggests vandalism issues could in part be saved by changes in landscaping. They also suggest that other organizations, such as the Newfoundland Historic Trust, could occupy the building’s remaining office space as a way to fill in space and attract the public. “Between the times the budget was announced and up until this week it didn’t seem as though a great deal was happening,” Bradley says. “Before the end of this fiscal year, I’d say the planning will be done. “You have to think if the provincial government is prepared to invest a half million dollars in planning they would not let the plans sit on the shelf. “Such is the pace of politics.”
4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Millions in default
Thousands of private college students default on federal loans, and the numbers only tell part of the story By Ivan Morgan The Independent
A
lmost 7,000 students of private colleges defaulted on more than $32 million worth of Canada Student Loans in Newfoundland and Labrador over the past 10 years, The Independent has learned. The default figures, broken down by college, were provided by federal loan officials. The statistics were gathered between the 1995-96 academic year and 2005-06. Former students of 10 of the province’s colleges or former colleges owe the majority of this amount. At the top of the list: 1,474 former students of Academy Canada have defaulted on loans worth more than $9 million in total; 1131 former students of Keyin College have defaulted on more than $6.8 million; and 688 students from the now defunct New-
foundland Career Academy defaulted on $5 million (the latest defaults were recorded in 2005-06, nine years after the school closed its doors). But these numbers do not reflect the full story. The total number and amount of defaulted loans is higher — possibly much higher. Federal student loans that went into default between Aug. 1, 1995, and July 31, 2000 are not included. These are privately owned by banks, under an agreement with the federal government: the banks assumed responsibility for defaulted loans in return for a fee. In an e-mail, an official from the federal loan program says they have “limited information on the repayment and/or default for loans issued under the risk-shared regime as once these loans are consolidated they are assets of the financial institutions.” That program ended in 2000.
Source: federal government’s Canada Student Loans Program
The actual number of students who have defaulted on their loans is also artificially low. To protect privacy, the
number of defaulting students for schools who had less than 10 students in this situation for that year is not
given. In those cases, only the total amounts are included. The numbers also do not include defaulted borrowers with a missing provincial government institution code. The federal government estimates this accounts for about 20 per cent of the total defaulters in 1995-96, 10 per cent for 1996-97, 5 per cent for 1997- 98, and under 3 per cent for 1998-99 and on. The numbers given do not include defaults on provincial government student loans. The provincial government will not release its numbers on student default rates, referring The Independent to submit an official request under the provincial Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Attempts to reach the minister of Education and the head of the association of career colleges were unsuccessful.
Dealt similar hands
While similar, PEI, BC and Newfoundland’s Terms of Union also have their differences
OUR TERMS By Ivan Morgan The Independent
N
ewfoundland’s Terms of Union are similar to the terms of two other provinces — British Columbia and Prince Edward Island — which also negotiated their own terms. The differences reflect each province’s historical and regional position in Confederation. Similarities between each of the three provinces
include their having negotiated terms to join; receiving financial enticements from the federal government, such as the assumption of all provincial debt; the assurance of transportation linkages such as ferry service; and the guarantee of a minimum number of seats in the House of Commons. Differences in the terms reflect historical (B.C. and P.E.I. negotiated their terms 80 years before Newfoundland) and regional realities, the most significant of which was the omission of aboriginal people from Newfoundland’s Terms of Union. As well, Newfoundland’s terms, being more recent, tend to play a larger role in the province’s political culture than P.E.I.’s or B.C.’s.
Stephen May, a lawyer with Patterson Palmer in St. John’s, says Newfoundland, PEI and B.C. hold a position within Confederation different from the other provinces “Politically you could argue Newfoundland and Labrador is unique because we negotiated our way in — PEI and B.C. can raise their hands and say the same thing. Alberta, and Saskatchewan (and Manitoba) can say, “Well, hold on, we didn’t have that opportunity,’ because they were created by federal statute. Their position could be, well, at least Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI and B.C. had the opportunity to negotiate their terms, we had them imposed upon us.” In a 2005 report prepared for the royal commission into the province’s place in Canada, May wrote the terms “provided these provinces with an opportunity not available to the Prairie provinces to obtain federal financial assistance and influence federal policies to address their unique problems and concern.” Each province, in recognition of their small size, obtained a guaranteed number of seats in the House of Commons and the Senate. British Columbia’s growth has made that particular term irrelevant. Professor Peter McKenna of the University of PEI notes that this is a lasting benefit of PEI’s terms. “The senatorial clause guarantees each province at least as many members of Parliament as senators. As PEI is guarenteed four Senate seats, we have four seats in the House of Commons, which wouldn’t be warranted by our population — 140,000 people — alone,” says McKenna. He notes that this could be a benefit to Newfoundland if population decline in the province continues to be a factor. Constitutional mistakes tend to be epic. The most significant difference between Newfoundland and the other two provinces was Newfoundland’s omission of aboriginal people from the Terms. This meant they did not receive federal benefits aborig-
inal people in every other province enjoyed — including PEI and B.C. Specifically mentioned in the B.C. terms, aboriginal people are not mentioned in PEI’s terms, but did received federal benefits. Maura Hanrahan, author of a report on the issue as part of the 2003 royal commission, says the exclusion continues to this very day, “with some aboriginal groups still not receiving federal support to which they are entitled.” She says two provincial Mi’kmaq bands are currently suing the federal government for reimbursement for services they were constitutionally entitled to. This draws attention to another difference between Newfoundland and the other provinces with regards to the Terms. Newfoundland’s Terms are still fresh in the political culture of this province, and are often invoked in political debate. As an example, last year’s attempted closure of the Brookfield Road experimental farm prompted cries from politicians invoking the Terms as a means of stopping the cut. For PEI and B.C., Confederation was over 130 years ago. Their Terms of Union are no longer as policially relevant. Fred Cutler, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, writes in an e-mail that he is not aware of any B.C. politician ever referring to their Terms. McKenna says it is rare for PEI politicians to refer to their provinces terms in a political debate, but it is not unheard of. “When there was talk on cancelling or scaling back the ferry service between Nova Scotia and the PEI, the government was looking at that as a possible violation of the terms of union.” McKenna says while PEI’s terms are considered more history than law, they can be quickly ressurected for political expediency. The fixed link, he says, is called the Confederation Bridge, and was built in recognition of the original agreement that brought the island into the confederation.
‘Lack of imagination’ From page 1
Historian James Hiller writes, in his essay Confederation: Deciding Newfoundland’s Future
1934-1949, that time has already shown the process of joining Canada was flawed. “Newfoundlanders were rushed into Confederation — not against the wishes of
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most of them, but in a way that was undignified, and which prevented a full discussion of how Newfoundland and Labrador, a distinct society, might best have been fitted into the Canadian confederation,” he writes. “This lack of imagination and sympathy, in London and Ottawa, has had profound repercussions for the province. Few would want to undo that decision taken in 1948; many with that it had been done differently.” This debate continues today. May wrote a report for 2003’s Royal Commission of Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada called The Terms of Union: an analysis of their current relevance. He points out the Terms were not written in language open to interpretation “in a broad and liberal manner,” and “neither is there language used … to ensure continuous provision of various public services within the province” — which, he says, shows the Terms were designed to have “limited long-term relevance.” According to May, any official renegotiating of the Terms of Union may have to involve all provincial and territorial leaders, as well as certain aboriginal groups given self-governing rights. In other words, it would be a long process, involving many diverse interests. (“One would have to be an extreme optimist to expect that to ever happen,” he tells The Independent.) As he concludes in his report: “Any agreement to revise the Terms of Union may be difficult to achieve. An agreement, however, provides the only means to develop Terms that are relevant to the resolution of current issues facing Newfoundland and Labrador.” Having stated that, May’s work was done — he wasn’t asked how the province should move forward. That’s where The Independent comes in. It’s time talk about Our Terms.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5
FINAL FAREWELL
Hard to open
A funeral service for Warrant Officer Richard Nolan, killed earlier this month in Afghanistan, was held at the Roman Catholic Basilica in St. John’s on September 14th. He was buried with full military honours at a cemetery in Mount Pearl. Cpl Simon Duchesne
St. John’s lawyer says all provinces would have to agree to change Terms of Union
OUR TERMS By Mandy Cook The Independent
T
he author of an analysis of the Terms of Union says the province cannot expect to renegotiate the conditions under which Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada without every other province and territory re-negotiating their own agreements. Stephen May, a lawyer with Patterson-Palmer in St. John’s, released The Terms of Union: An Analysis of Their Current Relevance in 2003, as part of the royal commission into this province’s place in Canada. He says it is unlikely the federal government would re-negotiate the Terms with just one province. “Every province would like to re-negotiate some aspect of the constitution,” he tells The Independent. “Is it realistic to expect the rest of Canada will stand by as one province looks to renegotiate its terms? I think that’s unrealistic.” Any changes to the constitution is a major undertaking, says May. Re-negotiating the existing terms would have to take place as a general constitutional review with all provinces, including territorial governments and certain Aboriginal groups. He says part of the difficulty is that Canada has operated under the same set of constitutional rules for close to 140 years and many institutions and programs have been formulated around those regulations. “To try and negotiate a new constitution for the country, you’d have to unravel all those programs and each province would bring its own views as to what would be appropriate conditions to recognize its contributions to the country,” May says. Stephen Tomblin, a professor of political science at Memorial University, says changing Newfoundland and Labrador’s constitutional agreement with
Canada would only be possible if there was a sense of emergency, such as Newfoundland and Labrador threatening to separate. “If something is entrenched, or if there’s a document where there’s an agreement and it’s considered to be a really big deal, it’s hard to open it up,” he says. “The only reason they would open it up is if there was a sense of crisis — a crisis at which they have no other choice.” Tomblin echoes May when he says that every other province in the country would ask for similar changes to their constitutional agreements if Newfoundland and Labrador changed theirs. For example, Saskatchewan asked for 100 per cent protection from equalization clawbacks in their oil and gas industry such as Newfoundland and Labrador received during the Atlantic Accord dispute in 2005. The Terms of Union have actually been altered twice — to officially change the name of the province to Newfoundland and Labrador, and to strike down the denominational school system in 1997 (Term 17). Even that was challenged in the courts, says May. The Catholic Church argued the change in the Terms of Union (Term 17 protects denominational education) required the consensus of “other partners in the country.” “The courts disagreed — they said it was a matter peculiar to this province so it could be negotiated in Newfoundland,” he says. But, he says, items like Term 17 are few and far between. The province cannot expect to re-negotiate the Terms of Union if the amendments were to “even tangentially affect the rights of other provinces,” he says. “If you’re declaring offshore (fisheries) management rights of one province, and then another says, well, this affects our fishermen, well, one has to query whether the courts would allow such a constitutional amendment to stand.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
More T’Railway movement Some residents in Paradise say they should have been notified about the movement of a section of the T’Railway Provincial Park to make room for the drive-thru of a local restaurant a year ago. There appears to be official confusion over what agency, if any, has the responsibility to notify residents about changes to their provincial park. An article in the Sept. 10 Independent about a segment of the T’Railway in Holyrood being moved to allow an executive housing development prompted calls to the paper from Paradise. Rick Appleby, director of operations for the Town of Paradise, says both the town and the developer went through the proper channels in getting permission from the provincial government to move the park. “Public consultations would only be required if there was a zoning change,” he says. “For that kind of a thing I don’t think there is a legislative require-
ment.” The business has subsequently closed. The developer, Hubert Hussey of Karwood Realty, says he went to great lengths and great expense to ensure he followed all regulations. “On the T’Railway alone I spent $10,000 just to buy trees to plant along there.” A spokesperson with the Department of Environment and Conservation stated in an e-mail to The Independent: “The parks division have not held public consultations on issues like this in the past. “For developments on land which falls within the boundaries of municipalities — such as housing developments — we let these municipalities take the lead on these types of issues with respect to whether there will be public hearings, area resident consultations etc.” The minister was not available for comment. — Ivan Morgan
SHIPPING NEWS Keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the ships in St. John’s harbour. Information provided by the Coast Guard Traffic Centre.
Atlantic Eagle, Canada, from Terra Nova; Maersk Placentia, Canada, from Hibernia. Vessels Departed: Sauniere, Canada, to Pugwash, N.S.; Oceanex Avalon, Canada, to Montreal.
SUNDAY Vessels Arrived: Sauniere, Canada, from Magdalene Islands; Maersk Detector, Canada, from Erik Raude. Vessels Departed: Burin Sea, Canada, to Terra Nova; Cicero, Canada, to Montreal; Maersk Chancellor, Canada, to Terra Nova; Maersk Placentia, Canada, to Hibernia.
TUESDAY Vessels Arrived: Maersk Dispatcher, Canada, from Orphan Basin; Jean Charcot, England, from sea; Ann Harvey, Canada, from sea. Vessels Departed: Atlantic Eagle, Canada, to White Rose; Maersk Challenger, Canada, to White Rose; Erik Raude, Canada, to Orphan Basin.
MONDAY Vessels Arrived: Oceanex Avalon, Canada, from Montreal; Maersk Challenger, Canada, from White Rose; ASL Sanderling, Canada, from Halifax; Maersk Nascope, Canada, from Hibernia;
WEDNESDAY Vessels Arrived: Maersk Chancellor, Canada, from White Rose; Cygnus, Canada, from sea; Atlantic Eagle, Canada, from Terra Nova; Atlantic Hawk, Canada, from White Rose.
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6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Independent business sense F
rom a business perspective, it’s probably not worth the trouble to distribute a newspaper to every nook and cranny of Newfoundland and Labrador. There’s no real money in it. Advertising pays The Independent’s bills and there aren’t that many advertisers left around the bay — that’s the long and short of it. Paper carriers aren’t so easy to come by either, I wouldn’t imagine (we’ll find out soon enough), with so few people left in towns like Harbour Breton and English Harbour, Port au Choix and Burgeo. Not much good of a paper without someone to deliver it. Truth be told, there aren’t that many readers left to deliver papers to, not compared to the age when bays teemed with people. Why even bother with provincial circulation? I’m getting to it … The easiest, cheapest route for The Independent to take is to concentrate our circulation efforts on the Avalon Peninsula — Town, in other words. To most baymen, there’s no dividing line between St. John’s or Mount Pearl or Paradise or Seal Cove … it’s all Town. Growing up, I thought Town began at the Fleetline bus stop in Holyrood and ended somewhere around Bay Bulls.
RYAN CLEARY
Fighting Newfoundlander I remember dating a girl from Port au Port and visiting her home in Piccadilly. “Where ya from, b’y?” one of her relatives asked. “Riverhead, Harbour Grace is where I grew up, sir, but I was born in Gander.” “Sure that’s all part of Town b’y, ya fool. You’re a Townie.” Beyond the Overpass, The Independent might be better off sticking to the “growth centres,” the unofficial hubs that the provincial government is said to be planning the province’s future around. Clarenville, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, Stephenville and St. Anthony have been targeted as urban development centres — communities with a bank and school, medical clinic and hockey rink, Tim Hortons and Mary Brown’s, all the comforts of modern life. The rest of the island is to orbit around these rural suns. Or not. Nature will take its course — death won’t be coming by government
hand. The Conference Board of Canada came up with a similar concept for Ottawa to consider. In that report, Halifax was proposed to be the hub city for Atlantic Canada. It’s not politically correct these days to speak of hubs, which have an unpleasant hint of resettlement to them, as if the satellites are expendable. Rural Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t the same today as when I grew up. There’s less of a future now, and there wasn’t much of a future then. But that can still change — I’m a believer. That doesn’t mean the outports should return to the way they were — based on the same economic model, with a fish plant in every harbour, a last-resort job for last resorters. There can still be a future, based on fish, but the model needs a hell of a lot of rejigging. In the 500-plus years we’ve been here we have yet to learn to respect the fish. Change, positive change, will only begin with respect. The Independent is all about Newfoundland and Labrador. For the people who work here, the paper is more than a business. Oh, we are most certainly that. The Independent shut down just over four months ago
Rural Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t the same today as when I grew up. There’s less of a future now, and there wasn’t much of a future then. because we couldn’t make a go of it. The paper was resurrected because we believe in it, and this place. The Independent is a cause. It is a commitment to quality, to accurately reflect who we are as a people and a place. We have turned The Independent around. We are making a go of it, but that is not enough. We are changing our day of publication to Friday, because advertisers asked us to. They want the paper on store shelves the entire weekend, not just Sunday. Being everywhere may not make perfect business sense, but it is important for us to be everywhere, to unite the province with an independent voice. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating. Most every newspaper in this
province — from the dailies, The Telegram and Western Star, and most every weekly in the land — are all owned by a single, Quebec-based company. That’s not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but the more voices, the more opinion, the more news gathering the better off we’ll be. The Independent is as our name implies — independent. Our first editorial project as a provincewide paper is a review of the Terms of Union. After 57 years of Confederation, it’s time to take a good look at where we are and where we’re headed. In recent years our destination has been across the Gulf, Alberta especially — anywhere else but here. Why is that? Why isn’t Newfoundland and Labrador thriving when it’s the richest province in Canada? The time for answers is now. Last week The Independent sold at more than 240 retail outlets around the province. This week that number may hit 500, by fall’s end we hope to reach the 1,000 mark. It will take time, but we’ll get there. It’s not business The Independent is after so much as a future. For us all. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
YOUR VOICE ‘Send her to a watery grave’ Dear editor, You bring out the best in me and the worst in me. As for the best, when I read your excellent column, A fishing story by Ryan Cleary (Sept. 3 edition), I felt it was so accurate I read it out loud to my wife and daughter and said, “Now there’s an article worth reading and I too hope the Canadian government reads The Independent.” You speak only the truth about this harsh word “rape” and this serial rapist/trawler Joana Princesa and I agree when you say “Diplomacy is a joke — Loyola (Hearn) is a fool if he believes otherwise.” Now for the worst in me. So Mr. Editor and politicians who care, what the hell should we do about this Portuguese serial rapist? Well I’m not a promoter of violence but from my deepest worst self I think we should use one of those almost useless Canadian submarines, assuming it will at least get out to the Grand Banks, and fire a number of shots into
this Portuguese trawler Joana Princesa to show we mean business. Then we should get her fishing crew safely onto the sub and then we should torpedo the ship to the bottom. Good-bye rapist. Simple as that! And I can go lower than that. Get our troops out of Afghanistan, use them and the money saved for better Canadian war ships to protect our Newfoundland fishing grounds and if anyone fishes illegally or crosses that 200-mile limit, blast them out of the water. Yes, of course, we would first take off her fishermen (folk) and empty the vessel of oil and fuel for environmental purposes, then we would blast the living daylights out of her and send her to a watery grave. Keep doing that until we get the message across that Canadian politicians can only “talk” so much. ’Tis time for real affirmative action! Mike Madigan, Pasadena
Power of a picture Dear editor, That photo you used under the letter to the editor, Seal suggestions, Sept. 10 edition, floored me. In fact, I have to seriously rethink my stance on my support of the seal fishery. It is not hard now to say that I support the protesters in their fight to stop the bloody massacre waged each spring on the ice flows off Newfoundland. How could anyone looking into the sad eyes of that seal you showed, club it to death and rip it open? A few months back we had to put our pet Maltese puppy down. It broke our hearts. That seal photo reminded me of the last look he gave us that sad morning we passed him over into the
By Doug Bird
Paul Daly/The Independent
loving arms of our Vet (in Florida) to be euthanized. It is said that a photo is worth a thousand words. Well, on Sept. 10 The Independent sure proved that old adage to me. Bill Westcott Clarke’s Beach
‘Weep in frustration’ Dear editor, You are so bang on that your column (A war that’s almost just by Ryan Cleary, Sept. 10 edition) can almost make one weep in frustration. Not only are all of our politicians distracted by, as you say, “makeup and mirror,” all of them to a man, every single last one have lacked the
political balls to think beyond their own personal political mandates. Meanwhile, what was once the richest fishing grounds on the entire planet, the Grand Banks, lies almost empty. S. Malone, Ottawa
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
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‘The problem with seal clubbing’ M y fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians … or is that Newfoundlanders and Labradorites, I can never get that straight. Anyway – how are ya now? I’m your guest columnist this week. Sorry to disappoint but John Crosbie can’t do it all and I don’t blame him. It’s hard to type when you haven’t fully opened your eyes in eight years. I was asked to write this column when I ran into Ryan Cleary at a rugby game. The Independent at a rugby game, you can’t get anymore Pink, White and Green than that I figure, so here I am. I’ve just left our homeland to head back upalong for another season of This Hour has 22 minutes (Tuesday nights this fall after Mercer, so it’s as close to regional programming as you’ll get from the CBC). I hate leaving but as I sat on the plane I couldn’t help but think that things are good on the Rock. Well, they’re good enough. We seem to like out premier. Danny’s got 78 per cent approval, which is good for him. Danny hasn’t seen grades like that since high school. People seem to be in a good mood these days. But then again, it’s hard to keep us down. We’re an optimistic people. You lose a job and your friends are right there saying, “That’s alright buddy! Now you’ll have more time to go fishing. Oh that was your job? Well, then you’ll have more time to spend with the wife. Oh she left ya, too? Well, more time to work around the house. Oh, she took the house? Well, at least ya got your health. Can’t put a price tag on that.” No matter what it is we’re optimistic. A Newfoundlander could be stuck in a well. “Oh my,” he’d think, “I s’pose there could be worse places to be stuck. It’s cool down here. Lots of water. I’m fine, no rush to rescue me. Don’t want to cause any trouble, and plus, you know, I still got my
MARK CRITCH
Guest column
health.” And even if the health goes we’re still optimistic. The doctor could tell you you’ve got four days to live. “Four days?” you’d say, “Oh my, could be worse, could be three days. I might phone in and take Wednesday off. Help the wife make sandwiches for the funeral.” It’s hard to put us in a bad mood, but then as I sat on my plane and opened up the latest copy of Rolling Stone, as is my want, I was kicked in the face with the worst kind of bad mood. There was a full page urging people to boycott Canadian seafood because of the seal hunt. There was even a list of restaurants that were already boycotting. Rolling stoned was rolling stunned. Then there’s the fake tourism site that the animal liberation front put up. The site — www.tour-newfoundlandlabrador.com — is set up to look like an official tourism site but instead it talks about our “evil” seal hunt and even mentions female infanticide, cockfighting and dog eating for good measure, just to scare away any would-be tourists. But still tourists come. Even celebrities like Brigette Bardot and Paul McCartney flock here. Sure they’re here to protest the seal hunt but still they’re here. We should embrace the tourist protesters. If we can get a Beatle because of the seal hunt, just think of how many of them are going to be here next year for the first annual “punch a beaver in the stomach festival.” Ah, it’ll be fun — we’ll have the puppy toss, kitten-kicking booth, just think of the stars who will come
here for that. Pamela Anderson was in Canada to promtest the seal hunt. She says she’s embarrassed to be Canadian because of the seal hunt. Like we’re so proud of her. She’s one to talk. Think of all the 15-year-old boys who’ve gone blind because of her. She’s walking around with a T-shirt with Save the seals written across her chest, like we need another reason to look there. Save the seals … just three words stretching farther than the Confederation Bridge. I met her at the Junos, and I remember someone telling me, “eye contact is important.” She got all offended, saying, “Hey, my breasts are down here.” I don’t get the whole celebrity-cause thing. What’s the logic, there? Paul McCartney wrote, Hey Jude, therefore I can’t wear seal-skin boots? Do they think our politicians care? It’s not as if Harper’s aids are walking around in Ottawa going, “Mr. Prime Minister, do we need a government subsidized national day-care program or is giving money directly to caregivers a viable solution?” Harper: “Hmm … I don’t know. What does Snoop Dogg think? Get me Snoop Dogg!” See, the problem with seal clubbing is the name. First of all, I think it’d be better if we just said, “We’re putting them down.” And if that doesn’t work we just change the name baby seal to “ice rats.” People don’t want to club baby seals, but everybody wants to put down ice rats. As for the fake tourism site and the animal liberation front, I noticed that www.animalliberationfront.ca hasn’t been taken yet. Some young enterprising web savvy reader should get it and put up a single message. “Thank you but we no longer need donations, we have all the money we need.” That’d put me in a better mood. We’ll see you when I get home. Stay optimistic.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7
The popular vote F
our out of five Newfoundlanders and Labradorians picked Danny Williams as their preferred choice of premier. The comparisons with Joey Smallwood are a lie — Smallwood was never that popular. They didn’t take polls in Smallwood’s time, but if the election results were ever anything to go by, the highest percentage of the popular vote Joey ever got was 65 per cent. There always was a large, Catholic anti-confederate block of opposition to Smallwood, and even in the 50s there were many people in St. John’s who could afford to look down on Joey. No one can afford to look down on Danny. His high ratings more reflect the slim pickings in Newfoundland politics that they do the grandeur that is Danny. Presumably he has the sense to see that for what it is — terrific news. He is a politician and politicians want to be popular. People sneer at them for that, but popularity is what wins elections,
IVAN MORGAN
Rant & Reason and we live in a democracy. I would also hope to presume he sees these numbers for what they also are — people’s desperate hope. Danny is high in the polls because he has tapped into the only renewable resource this province has ever had: hope for the future. The provincial Liberals are old and tired. They have given up a full year before the next election. I would guess recruitment is a bitch for those guys at the moment. The premier’s scorched earth policy (the ground around here is pretty black and crunchy) to opposition is not encouraging anyone to join the Liberal party any time soon. The provincial New Democrats are also in serious trouble, and their policy of whistling past the graveyard is
YOUR VOICE Coming to terms Dear editor, What do the Terms of Union mean? Is Ottawa adhering to the Terms? The answer to that question is clearly no. I believe Newfoundland was misled in 1949 and that the process and procedures to enact the Terms were not properly followed or adhered to, and are still not adhered to today. Canada has circumvented the Terms through regulation and legislation. This is a manipulation and it is wrong. Canada is imposing its will on Newfoundland by force. Only two countries (Canada and Britain) sat at the negotiating table — without Newfoundland — and negotiated the Terms. This travesty of justice needs to be investigated and corrected. In 1948, the Newfoundland Law Society protested to Britain that no irrevocable decisions should be made between Newfoundland and Canada until free negotiations could take place at the government level. Power was to be restored to the people before the decision could be made. The future of Newfoundland was to be decided by elected officials and the people in a general election. It was not. The National Convention recommended that Confederation not be on the ballot but Britain and Canada didn’t care and put it on anyway. Canada wanted Newfoundland’s resources and got them. One consecutive French Canadian prime minister after another acted to circumvent the Terms with Newfoundland. For over 50 years the resources of this province have been mismanaged or managed for the benefit of others — a violation of the Terms. Changes in the Terms can only be made through a referendum. I am now crying foul and I hope people will join me. The loss of our railway, the destruction of the fisheries, the refusal of Canada to recognize the threemile limit, the refusal of Canada to commit to a certain number of federal jobs, a portion of federal services and infrastructure, transportation, etc., here in this province are all violations. No referendums were called. Any side deals made by politicians are actually illegal. Let us demand that these injustices be corrected now. The 2003 royal commission into our place in Canada was set up to look at how to address the major concerns of this province. Some people called on the commission to add separation to the list. Others called for re-negotiation of the Terms. It is clear the union is not working, especially when one partner in a union calls all the shots and disregards the marriage vows. Rick Bouzan St. John’s
already starting to get stale, a full year For those who don’t know, Lord before the writs are dropped. swept to power seven years ago with 44 So Danny has the field all to himself. of 55 seats. Lately he has been managWhich is too bad, as we may never ing a government majority so slim he get the measure of the man. As it stands has to take the health and welfare of now, he will probably every member of his run in the next eleccaucus seriously. And tion and then walk he is out there swingaway at the first whiff ing, fighting towards A gazillion bucks in of real opposition in an election on the the House, leaving an 18th of this month. the bank and every awfully big hole. I’d love to see Danny seat in the House? I have to do that. That’s my guess. And that’s too bad, I’d also like to see should have such because I’d like to see Williams forced to how he handles himmanoeuvre like troubles. self in a real political Stephen Harper. battle. Harper looks like the It’s easy for him prime minister, he these days. If he doesn’t want to deal acts like a prime minister, but he has with opposition, all he has to do is not the flimsiest of minority government read The Independent (although we all — in fact, the smallest since know he sneaks a read when no one is Confederation. I’d like to see Williams around). Or talk to us. Or invite us to have to deal responsibly with real quesanything. But what if he found himself tions and real opposition. But he doesin New Brunswick Tory Premier n’t have to, and probably never will. Bernard Lord’s boots? I have heard some say he is going to
MOTORCYCLE (GRAND)MAMA
Maude Hollett, 89, of Norris Arm gets ready for a ride on her great-niece Michelle's new bike. Paul Daly/The Independent
Victim impact statement Dear editor, In broad daylight, someone on Water Street in St. John’s senselessly smashed out an expensive window in an SUV while pedestrians looked on. A few nights before, a decent man on the same street was accosted by a thief who cut him with a broken beer bottle and stole his money, just withdrawn from a bank machine. Convenience store night clerks, often mere young men or girls, live in fear of life and limb because of gun and knife-wielding bandits staging threatening holdups every other night. Every night the tires of vehicles anywhere in St. John’s are slashed or punctured. Indeed, the sanctuary of the home has become an unsafe haven, especially for seniors. Last week, while the people of
Quidi Vidi Village slept, pillagers broke into buildings, robbed what they could carry, and “just for the fun of it” broke windows in parked vehicles. I’m from Quidi Vidi Village. Two new courtesy benches overlooking river and sea, and placed there (chained on actually) by hard-working, welcoming residents, were recently stolen. The passenger side window of the coup owned by Marilyn and me was smashed to smithereens, yet no attempt was made to enter the vehicle or to take anything. In the more than 30 years that I’ve been living here, I’d not seen the like — until now. When the criminals are convicted I plan to present a victim impact state-
ment describing how their crimes affected me physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and otherwise. And I will be seeking an apology and other redress. I call on the law-abiding, peaceloving men and women and votingage teens to buttonhole every person who’ll be running in municipal, provincial, and federal elections from here on, to articulate just what they will do to help us live under laws of order and good citizenry. Ron Pumphrey, St. John’s P.S. And, no — positively, absolutely no, I am not interested in running for politics. Except for a bit of writing, I’m retired. I’m going on 76 years old, and I have no intention of selling what little active time I have left.
have to drop in the polls or there won’t be any opposition, and that would be bad. Nonsense. If I was in his boots I would have a “no prisoners” approach too. What’s he going to do? Ask someone to run a half-assed campaign against Lorraine Michael? No way. No prisoners. Winning big is the sort of problem political sorts like me lie in bed dreaming about. A gazillion bucks in the bank and every seat in the House? I should have such troubles. The good news is these numbers give him the political authority he needs to go up against the federal government and the multinational oil companies, wringing out of them the best deal possible. That’s what we keep being told he’s good at. The bad news is these numbers give him the ammunition he needs to squash opposition and bully dissent into silence. He’s a fine hand at that too. Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
Newfoundlanders: cheap labour and cannon fodder Dear editor, How many times when traveling has someone asked you, “Where are you from?” Typically, those from south of the border say, “America,” while Canadians say “Canada,” but there’s one exception. After decades in Confederation, more often than not people from here will respond with, “Newfoundland.” Not Canada, but Newfoundland. The response flows naturally thanks to the strong feelings of pride that run so deep in our people. Like the saying goes, “You can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country (read nation) out of the boy.” Though official nationhood may have been sold or stolen away from us, a nation still exists to this day. It lives in the eyes of those struggling against an often oppressive and uncaring government. It lives in the street styles and T-shirts worn by our outspoken and sometimes rebellious youth. It lives in the independence shown by our entrepreneurs. The need for freedom runs through the veins of our artists, musicians, actors and even some of our journalists. There is a common need to remember who we were, control who we are, and achieve our full potential. Some say it’s as important to our survival as the air we breathe or the water that sustains us. In 2004, The Independent undertook a cost/benefit analysis that proved, regardless of the perception in many parts of the country, that Newfoundland and Labrador is not a burden on the nation. Newfoundland and Labrador is graced with billions in resource revenues and the potential of untold billions more. Newfoundland and Labrador has no control of its ocean resources, neither fish nor fuel. It has a shortage of skilled tradesmen, yet no say in immigration. For decades the people have looked to Ottawa, yet Canada’s leadership is so far removed, both physically and culturally, that the solutions thrust upon us are rarely those we need or want. Due to Ottawa’s meddling, our economy has been stunted and corroded from day one. It’s resulted in unemployment, a mass exodus of people and an above average enrollment in the Armed Forces, one of the few employment opportunities available to those living in a state of poverty. As a result we are now recognized as little more than a pool of cheap labour and a place to recruit fresh cannon fodder. Nations are not born of government. Nations are not born of rock or soil. A nation is born, lives and thrives at the will of its people. Every year that will is gaining strength and momentum in Newfoundland and Labrador. Myles Higgins, St. Philip’s
Remembering Gerry Lahey Dear editor, It was only April, 2006 that I sent a letter remembering one of our province’s greatest local hockey players, Jimmy Dawe. On Sept. 9, his best friend in hockey and another of our very best local players passed away in Corner Brook. Gerry Lahey, a native of Bell Island, provided hockey fans with some of the best hockey seen in its heyday, the 1960s. Gerry was small in stature, but a giant once he hit the ice. Lightning quick and skillful, his teammates nicknamed him “Spook” due to his ability to come out of nowhere and deflate the opposition with his scoring skills. A mainstay with the Conception Bay CeeBees from 1963 until the team folded in 1969, Lahey was always one of the top scorers in the league. With the demise of the CeeBees, he joined the Corner Brook Royals
and retired due to injuries in 1975. A two-time winner of the Herder Memorial Trophy with the CeeBees in 1965 and 1967, Gerry scored the Herder winner in Game 5 against the Gander Flyers in 1967 at Gander in a thrilling 5-4 victory. His 11-year career consists of 257 games played, 232 goals, 205 assists, for 437 points (20th alltime), while accumulating just 86 minutes in penalties. It was a pleasure to nominate Gerry and see him receive the ultimate reward bestowed upon any hockey player, with his 2004 induction into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame. Gerry will be missed by his family and friends, but the memories he left behind for us all to enjoy will be cherished forever. Rest in peace Gerry, and thanks for the memories. Jerry Elliott, St. John’s
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9
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Newfoundland portfolio By Stephanie Porter The Independent
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Over the next several weeks, some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s bestknown photographers will contribute a selection of their work for publication in The Independent. This week, the series begins with a look at the work of Ben Hansen, who has captured the life and landscape of our province for almost four decades. Not content with an easy retirement or the dozen books he’s already published, Hansen is still at work, shooting and travelling, compiling for his next publication.
en Hansen doesn’t even pause when asked his favourite subject to photograph. “It’s the outports,” he says. “The way they were, the way they are … the changes, the people.” At age 79, with 12 books of scenic photography under his belt, Hansen is still travelling the province, looking for new sights to capture — and publish. In fact, the day after speaking with The Independent he planned to head to the west coast with his grandson on yet another picture-taking expedition through Corner Brook and Gros Morne. He plans to return to Labrador soon. “I don’t know if I’m still going strong, but I’m still going,” he says, laughing as he pulls out an envelope of some of his latest work. At the encouragement of his daughter, he’s started shooting with a digital camera, but he says it hasn’t changed the
way he works He talks about improving the “picture literacy” of people in the province — in helping them appreciate the sights and scenes around them. “I guess what it is, is the beauty of it all,” he says. “I think I have helped some people to see things they didn’t realize were there before.” This remains his goal today. Hansen has long established himself as a prolific, prize-winning and dependable photographer, but his career path certainly wasn’t always clear. He moved from Denmark to England to Toronto to Montreal — and many places in between — to, finally, St. John’s, where he’s been for more than 35 years. He retired as manager of photographic services at Memorial University in 1988. A few years ago, Hansen sat down to collect his thoughts and memories in an informal autobiography, which tells the story of the first 40 years of his life. Although meant for family members, it’s
an intriguing read even for outsiders — Hansen’s years led him through many adventures and he doesn’t shy away from stories of partying, dating, failed jobs and self-deprecating anecdotes. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1927, Hansen remembers well moments of the German occupation of Denmark from 1940-45 — German soldiers were a regular presence, and even fired at his house one day. But, as he says, “life went on,” and he has many good memories from that time period too. “We were still able to get some photographic supplies and my friend Helge introduced me to developing film and paper, which I believe was the catalyst to my photographic career,” he writes. “To sit in the faint orange light and witness the magic of an image appearing on a piece of paper underwater in a developing tray is to this day the most memorable moment of my early involvement in pho-
tography.” Between 1945 and 1948, Hansen served in the British Army, and was based in several places in England and Egypt at that time. After some travel and odd jobs, he began a furniture-making apprenticeship in Denmark. “I couldn’t see myself carrying on in furniture making and getting into a rut for 40 years,” he writes. “Demark was rather restricted in its bureaucratic ways, whereas I saw Canada as a freer society, where input might affect life’s efforts in a more positive way.” In search of a new beginning, he emigrated in 1953. He went through a number of jobs in Toronto during his first years in Canada, including a stint as a sleeping car porter on the Canadian Pacific Railway. At about that time, he met Joyce Reed, a nurse, and the two were married in 1956. They lived in Montreal, where Hansen finally turned his hobby into a
career, landing a job as photographer with the railway. In 1961, he started work with Canadair, where he would stay for seven years — his longest time at any one employer to that point. He photographed military hardware and aircraft in assembly, testing and flight. He travelled frequently and freelanced on the side. He also shot video. In 1968, he responded to an ad in the Montreal Gazette — Memorial University was looking for a cameraman in their Educational Television Department. The man who interviewed him, Hansen says, “was a little bit leery, thinking ‘What are we going to do with this guy if he doesn’t work out?’ “Because I had seven kids at the time and he paid for us all to move out. But his wife said, ‘He’s very adaptable, that guy, he’ll work out …’” And thus began perhaps the most stable segment of Hansen’s life, with one
employer and one city of residence for two decades. But it was hardly boring: Hansen worked with many politicians and other important figures of those years, lunched often with Joey Smallwood, who was “very demanding” in his requests for photos for the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland. He travelled to Labrador with thenLieutenant Governor Gordon Winter, photographed royalty, celebrities, weddings and events. Which is one of the things Hansen loves about Newfoundland — the access. “Just try to get in to see the premier of Ontario or Quebec,” he says. “But here, I could just give Joey a call, and go in anytime. And he began publishing books of landscape photography, beginning in 1977 with his Newfoundland Portfolio, then continuing through such well-known coffee table books as One Hundred Outports, St. John’s, Newfoundland, St. Pierre et Miquelon and more. In all, he’s already
sold over 90,000 books and countless photographs, postcards and posters. (His goal is to surpass 100,000.) In 1981, Hansen became Maritime professional photographer of the year, and in 1990, he was awarded the title of master of photographic arts. Hansen’s home is filled with negatives, boxes of prints, and photographs. He’s got an autographed portrait of Joey Smallwood and the mounted poster shots he entered, often successfully, in competition over the years. It’s a treasure trove of history, politics, society, and the province’s ever-changing landscape he’ll be adding to as long as he’s able to. “I’m going to be 80, and there’s no doubt you have to slow down,” he says. “Why don’t people of our age and vintage just pack it in? … You can’t really. “It’s just the nature of the beast. You can’t stop the one thing. Now I say, it’s the only thing I can do reasonably well, to travel and take pictures.”
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
PAPER TRAIL
LIFE STORY
Man of memorials Father Thomas Nangle was responsible for the war memorials in downtown St. John’s and Beaumont Hamel. The St. John’s native ended his days on a farm in Africa By Keith Collier For The Independent From The Daily Tribune, September 1873
AROUND THE BAY Police were called to a Maddox Cove residence Saturday afternoon, after a woman discovered a hunter climbing her fence and firing a gun at a moose taking cover in her backyard. Moose and hunter continued their chase through the woods before police arrived. — Sunday Express, Oct.7, 1990 YEARS PAST “All along this western seashore the American tourist and traveler will find much to interest him territorially and politically. Every mile of it is included, so the Americans say, in the liberty given them to fish under the Treaty of 1815. “The Newfoundland Government, however, claims that under the Treaty of 1818, inhabitants of the United States are only allowed to come to the coast — that is, the outer coast — and that the treaty does not give them the liberty to come into the bays, the harbors, or the creeks. Of course they have no rights whatever on the shore, nor have they ever asserted any rights to the rivers. They are not even allowed to land.” — Bay Roberts Guardian, Oct. 28, 1910 AROUND THE WORLD “The second largest fish firm in the famous fishing port of Boston may be coming to Newfoundland, providing “certain legal obstacles are removed,” Premier J.R. Smallwood announced. The Premier, back from a tour, which took him to Boston, New York and Washington, said that the fishing situation in Boston had deteriorated and believes the company will come to Newfoundland.” — Newfoundland Government Bulletin, September/October, 1950
EDITORIAL STAND “But not even in the wildest dreams of those who write the parody songs sung at press gallery dinners could anyone have come up with the scenes played out in the Senate this past week. Shouts and shrill whistles, screamed insults and loud Bible-thumping monologues followed, drowning out any attempt to get on with the business of passing the Goods and Services Tax. The sight of a 74-year-old senator calling one of his colleagues “a despicable little bugger” strains even the most tolerant image of how a government should work.” — Sunday Express, Oct.7, 1990 LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Dear Sir: I want to be among the first to greet the appearance of your new weekly, “The Newfoundlander,” which is more eagerly looked for than any publication in my recollection of some fifty years. The people, the proletariat, the under-dog, the “forgotten man” are hungry for independent, impartial and unafraid expression of public opinion, which they have not had since the new form of Government was established … The daily press has practically closed its columns to the “voice of the people,” and we get nothing in their columns but fulsome flattery of our new rulers. Everything they do or say is “jake-aloo” with the Telegram and Daily News editors, who appear to be delighted with the new regime. But wait and see … Let her go. Give voice to public protest against our present serfdom. The Commission toadies will do everything in their power to kill your paper, but I predict a strong backing from the province. Yours Truly, NATIVE, St. John’s — The Newfoundlander, October 5, 1934 mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
FATHER THOMAS NANGLE (1889-1972)
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hey say most people will change careers three times in their life. Very few of us, however, will have the variety of jobs Thomas Nangle did. Nangle was born in St. John’s in September 1889. He studied at St. Bonaventure’s College, and later at All Hallows College in Dublin, in preparation for the priesthood. Nangle was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1913. That year, he also joined the Catholic Cadet Corps, a paramilitary corps designed to “minister to the physical, mental, and moral life of the boys who were recently released from the restraints of school.” This early experience as a priest and in the Catholic Cadet Corps helped prepare him for the next phase of his life, during which he would minister to the physical, mental, and moral health of soldiers. In 1915, Nangle joined the British Chaplaincy Force, and travelled to France in the fall of 1916. He joined the Newfoundland Regiment at Ville-sur-Ancre, and served as the Regiment’s Roman Catholic Padre for the remainder of the war. His effect on the regiment was immediate and profound, as he was very likeable and popular with the soldiers. His enthusiasm and energy made a huge contribution to morale. When Nangle joined, the regiment was still recovering from terrible losses at Beaumont-Hamel in July, and during the winter Nangle organized hockey games, Christmas dinners, and other events for soldiers to look forward to. Throughout his military career, Nangle displayed a deep concern for the well-being of soldiers of all religious denominations, both physical and spiritual. He was known to tenderly and carefully gather the bodies of fallen Newfoundlanders and ensure they had a proper burial whenever possible. Nangle was very proud of the Newfoundland Regiment, and saw the need for additional volunteers. In 1917 while on leave in St. John’s, he gave a dramatic patriotic speech at the Casino Theatre in an effort to enlist new recruits, which the Regiment needed to replace the devastating losses it had suffered. When the war ended in November 1918, Nangle, promoted by then to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, dedicated the next decade of his life to ensuring the sacrifices that had been made were not forgotten, and that the soldiers who didn’t come home had a lasting memorial. Nangle was named Newfoundland’s representative on the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, dedicated to the marking and maintaining of war graves of all Commonwealth countries, of which Newfoundland was a founding member. The first monument Nangle was involved in was the National War Memorial at King’s Beach, between Water and Duckworth Streets in downtown St. John’s. The work of the Great War Veterans’ Association and the Newfoundland Patriotic Association, it stands as Newfoundland’s tribute to those who served in the Great War. Nangle was responsible for much of the necessary fundraising, and he supervised the construction. The memorial was unveiled on July 1, 1924, the eighth anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Nangle’s most significant work stands in the Somme, at Beaumont-Hamel. Newfoundland fought hard and suffered great losses in the war, and a fitting tribute was needed. Shying away from the stone obelisks and crosses that traditionally served as memorials, Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel covers 84 acres of the former battlefield. It contains several cemeteries and monuments, including the famous bronze caribou. The park was designed by R. H. K. Cochius, who also designed Bowring Park. Nangle negotiated the purchase of the necessary land from the French landowners, ensuring our most famous battlefield would stand. Many of the design features Cochius implemented were Nangle’s ideas. Thomas Nangle’s third career shift would be drastic. He left the priesthood in the late-1920s, and a few years after the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont-Hamel opened, he left Newfoundland for good. Nangle moved to Southern Rhodesia, in Africa. He married and started a family, eventually having four children. In Rhodesia (what is now Zimbabwe), Nangle displayed the same energy and drive he had in his previous life, becoming a farmer, operating a small community newspaper, getting involved in mining operations, and serving briefly in the Rhodesian parliament. One can only speculate on his motivations for such drastic life changes, but perhaps Nangle’s energy and enthusiasm needed an outlet. After successfully achieving his goals in Newfoundland and in Beaumont-Hamel, maybe Nangle, like so many other Newfoundlanders, left in search of other opportunities. He died in Rhodesia in 1972.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 11
VOICE FROM AWAY
Keeping cozy Kelligrews native Reneta Angus, president of the quilters guild in Dauphin, Man., says her favourite hobby is attracting young folks like her By Pam Pardy Ghent For The Independent
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eneta Angus’ earliest memories are of being wrapped in handmade quilts by her grandmother as they waited for the wood stove to heat the old-fashioned saltbox house at bedtime. Now, the former Kelligrews resident makes quilts — and memories — of her own. Angus, 33, says when she makes her children’s beds each morning, she can’t help but think of earlier days spent with her grandmother, or at her mothers feet as the sewing machine hummed and vibrated. “Nan would cut the fabric out of old clothes, and mom would match the squares up, pin them, then sew them,” she tells The Independent from her new home in Dauphin, Man. “There was a lot of loving labour put into making us toasty at bedtime, and that’s the feeling I try to re-create for my own family.” Angus made each of her four children a quilt with its own special fabric. “Each wrinkle I smooth from a quilt I made on their beds each morning, or each time I see them cuddled under one at night, reminds me of how it felt for me to be under one when I was their age and I hope they feel as cozy as I did back then.” Angus started quilting five years ago when she was pregnant with her youngest child.
“I had a basic knowledge of a sewing machine, and I crossstitched, that was it,” she says. She was, however determined to learn and joined a quilters’ guild. She was the youngest member at the time. This guild — consisting primarily of mostly retired farm wives — made Angus welcome, guided her first cuts, and encouraged her with every stitch. TUMBLING BLOCKS “My first quilt was called Tumbling Blocks and it took me all winter,” she says. She gave it to her parents as a cabin housewarming gift. Her first large quilting project was for her father’s 60th birthday. “It was a memory quilt, and it incorporated the traditional art of quilting with new, and sometimes confusing, technology,” Angus says. She scanned old pictures into her computer, printed them off, and ironed them to each square. “The quilt has Mom and Dad on it, all the kids, our kids, and other special memories all captured in picture patterns on the quilt … I got excited and did a matching pillow with photos as well.” The thrilled reaction she received from her relatives started a new mission. Her goal is to cover each bed of every family member with a handmade quilt. “I have a big family so that’s a lot of quilts,” she says, laughing. Every spare second found her cut-
ting, matching, or sewing. Three years later, she became president of her guild. “This is the start of my third year as president of the Crocus Quilters,” she says. “Since I have joined, we keep getting younger members. The youngest is 27 right now and the oldest is in her 80s.” The guild runs two or three workshops a year. “Our members all volunteer to teach something, they bring fresh ideas in, and we bring in outsiders,” she says. “We have done fabric dying, landscape quilts, fabric bowls, and even quilted vests … quilting isn’t just about blankets.” Quilting today, Angus says, is more of an art form than a form of function. “It’s not about using up old scraps of fabric anymore, quilting fabric is quite expensive, and making a queen-sized quilt can be a huge financial commitment,” she says. Angus now averages seven quilts a year, but has yet to finish her goal of covering each family members’ bed. And there isn’t even a quilt on her own bed yet — something her husband reminds her of often. “I guess that’s like the baker never having any bread,” she says. “I just love giving my quilts away,” she says. “I thrill when I see a finished project on someone’s bed, seeing something I made there in such a special place. I hope it gives them the same feeling I used to get when I cuddled under one of my grandmother’s quilts.”
Reneta Angus
Minister wants Penn’s butt
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ressure is building on Ontario’s anti-smoking police to give Hollywood star Sean Penn a ticket after he was pictured lighting up at a news conference. “He should be charged,” Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson says. Sept. 13 marked the first 100 days of the province’s tough new anti-smoking
law. Almost 500 tickets have been issued to smokers and establishments but, so far, not to Penn or the hotel where he appeared during a news conference to promote his new movie, All The King’s Men, at the Toronto International Film Festival. Critics say it will appear the new
Killer loved guns, hated people
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he last online posting by Kimveer Gill on a website that is a popular gathering place for Goths is eerily time-stamped 10:41 a.m. Sept. 13 — about two hours before Gill was shot dead by Montreal police officers at Dawson College. In it, Gill describes little of how the events of the day are going to unfold — instead focusing on how whiskey tastes so good in the morning. But in a detailed user profile, asked how he wants to die, he wrote in prescient foreshadowing of yesterday’s bloody events in Montreal: “Like Romeo and Juliet — or in a hail of gunfire.” The website www.vampirefreaks.com, reveals Gill as a lonely, conflicted, self-described 25-year-old Goth freak from Montreal who hated authority figures like police, principals and teachers and singled out “jocks” for high school bullying. On the website’s welcoming home page is a picture of the Laval resident, his eyes, shaded by his hands, staring intently into the camera. Other pictures on another website show him wearing a black trench coat, holding a semi-automatic rifle with the caption “Ready for action,” beneath it. Writing in the third person, Gill described himself to fellow Goths as someone “you will come to know as Trench,” a chilling reference that was cited again and again by witnesses who described the man that shot at them yesterday. “He is male. He is 25 years of age. He lives in Quebec. He finds that it is an okay place to live. He is not a people person. He has met a handful of people in his life who are decent. “But he finds the vast majority to be worthless, no good, conniving, betraying, lieing (sic), deceptive, mother*******. “Metal and Goth kick ass. Life is a video game, you’ve got to die sometime.’’ A cached version of the webpage shows a tombstone with the name “Kimveer’’ on it Below his name is the epitaph that goes: “Lived fast died young. Left a mangled corpse.’’ In a detailed user profile that usually accompanies the web pages of various members, Gill revealed that he was born on July 9, 1981 in Montreal of Indian heritage, with a weakness for laziness and a fear of nothing. His goal for this year was to stay alive with a self-deprecating dig at his most overused phrase on instant messenger being “Heavy Metal Rulez.” He said he goes to bed whenever he’s tired and his first thought upon waking is that he’s tired, although he doesn’t care much for coffee. A quick perusal of Gill’s online diary shows that just hours before he posted his final entry, he was revealing very little of what he was going to be doing within the next hours to come. At 3.33 a.m., he writes: “As you can tell, I got nothing of importrance (sic) to write about today. Poor me.” His blog also reveals that Gill was a fan of the video game series Postal, a controversial and violent program in which the goal is to endure slights and insults without going berserk. — Toronto Star
Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which outlaws smoking in indoor public spaces, doesn’t apply to the rich and famous unless something is done. “It was such a flagrant breach of the law,” said Michael Perly, executive director of the Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco. “It absolutely should be a target.”
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said it’s up to hotels, bars and other establishments to tell patrons not to light up. If patrons persist, they should be ticketed, Dr. Sheela Basrur says. But it appears inspectors from the Toronto Public Health department have left Penn alone. Basrur says an
investigation should begin immediately. Inspectors should also be more vigilant with major events like the film festival in future, Basrur said, noting tickets issued to individuals are typically for $105. — Torstar wire service
Sinfonia Number One Peter Gardner conductor
An NSO Mystery—
proudly presents
the Great Mozart Hunt! George Zukerman bassoon Ron Halder actor
Sat. Sept. 23, 2006 Cook Recital Hall, St. John’s—8pm Performances for schools in the Arts & Culture Centres: Sept. 19, Grand Falls-Windsor; Sept. 20, Corner Brook; Sept. 21, Stephenville; Sept. 22, Gander. These hour long shows will be during school hours, however members of the public may be admitted depending on availability. Contact your local Arts & Culture Centre for details. Are there works of Mozart yet to be discovered? Is there a score of a missing concerto lying somewhere in a Salzburg attic? The Great Mozart Hunt is on! This fascinating evening features the legendary Canadian bassoonist George Zukerman tracing the disputed origins of a mysterious bassoon concerto that the master may have penned. Single Tickets: $25/$21 St. John’s only
Call 722-4441
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
12 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
Experts thumbs-down on Canadian science Country lagging behind, many believe; survey results in ‘brain trust’ report OTTAWA By Peter Calamai Torstar wire service
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anada’s overall performance in science and technology gets a poor grade in a groundbreaking report card from 1,500 senior science authorities across the country. Fewer than half the experts rated Canada strong in science and technology compared to other industrialized nations. And almost 40 per cent say we’re generally falling farther behind, although some specialized areas are rated world class. Surprising pessimism came from about 350 elite scientists currently benefiting from years of guaranteed federal support as holders of Canada Research Chairs. Just more than a third said the country’s overall strength in science and technology was falling behind other nations. The frank assessment — the first such comprehensive study for Canada — was requested by the Conservative government as part of an overhaul of federal science and technology strategy already underway. Ottawa spends more than $8 billion annually on science and technology, including major funding for research at universities. The 214-page report is the inaugural public effort from the Council of Canadian Academies, a newly formed “brain trust” representing the top minds in science, engineering and health. Council president Peter Nicholson says the report identified issues for the government to consider, including whether to patch weaknesses or build on strengths.
The council did not draw any policy implications from the findings, saying that was the government’s job. The report’s ranking of specific areas of scientific expertise is certain to spark debate among researchers whose disciplines wound up at the bottom of the tables. Areas judged scientifically anemic include much of the manufacturing sector, transportation technologies, most of forestry and pharmaceuticals, which have received major federal patent concessions over the last two decades. “The various scientific communities should dig behind the numbers to get the story of what they mean,” Nicholson says. The report is based mostly on a detailed survey that 5,000 senior researchers, university administrators and government science officials were invited to fill out via the Web. The survey asked the experts to rate Canada’s science and technology capabilities generally and also in nearly 200 specialized topics ranging from shipbuilding to oil sands development. The 1,529 responders identified the nation’s strongest science and technology specialties falling into four general areas: • natural resources • information and communications • health and related life sciences • environment “This report provides the basis for a whole round of fascinating conversations among those involved, among students and among special interest groups,” says Elizabeth Dowdeswell, a veteran science administrator who chaired the advisory committee that shepherded the study. Medical charities that raise money for
research won’t like the survey findings. They got the lowest rating out of 21 “infrastructure components” that support the production of knowledge. Only 36 per cent of the experts surveyed considered charitable support for research as an advantage while 38 per cent said it was actually a disadvantage. The remaining 26 per cent were neutral. Even community colleges ranked higher with just 16 per cent saying they were a disadvantage and 40 per cent saying they helped advance science and technology. At the top of the advantage list were universities, hospitals, the Canada Research Chairs program and the federal Canada Foundation for Innovation, which has spent billions on new buildings and major equipment used by university researchers. In addition to the opinion survey, the Council of Canadian Academies also ranked 125 fields of research based on the relative quality and quantity of published academic papers. These results paint a far rosier picture than the views of the 1,500 senior experts. Publication quality ratings were above the world average in more than two-thirds of the research areas. Another contradiction in the report centres on the survey’s spotlighting of “clean energy” as an emerging area of science and technology where Canada could lead the world. Yet the science experts also said that green energy was not a strong field now in Canada and were split on whether things were getting better or worse. “There is a significant gap between aspiration and current reality,” the report comments. “If Canada is to become an international leader in clean energy, there is much work to be done.”
It started in the spirit of adventure. A desire for a better life. Now... centuries later, we’re here to celebrate the strength of our communities and culture.
Join in the Ireland - Newfoundland & Labrador Festival of the Sea Celebrations September 15th to 24th.
Explore the historical ties between our two great cultures. Engage in discussions on how our communities can learn and move into the future. And Enjoy traditional entertainment, dining and hospitality.
Join in the Celebrations
September 15th - 24th
all along the Southern Avalon
Visit our website at
www.NewfoundlandIreland.com
or call toll free 1.888.438.2898 for information on conferences, concerts and other special events
Jack Layton
Paul Daly/The Independent
Layton stand unlikely to boost NDP in next election By Chantal Hébert Torstar wire service
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f the NDP had ended its national convention a day and a half early last weekend, it would still have accomplished its primary purpose. While the delegates dutifully went through the motions of wading through a thicket of resolutions, the convention’s endorsement of the NDP stance on the Afghan mission was all that mattered to the leadership of the party. Anything short of a massive show of support for Jack Layton’s call for the immediate withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan would have stripped him of his moral authority as party leader. As it turned out, that need not have been a concern. While the resolution triggered one of the lengthiest debates of the convention, its outcome was never in doubt. But despite Layton’s fighting words in his closing address to the convention, his approach to the Afghan mission is not about the NDP taking the country by storm but about the party trying to weather the storm of the next federal election as best it can. If the NDP is so eager to tether its tent to the Afghan mission, it is in no small part because it is running out of other ground to stake for itself. The emergence of Stéphane Dion as the ecological conscience of the Liberal leadership campaign and the advent of Elizabeth May as leader of the Green Party, are blowing away the NDP’s chances of portraying itself as the champion of the environment. The medicare debate has moved into a provincial cycle. The party’s so-called “new Quebec” approach is really a retread of its former attempts at squaring the impossible circle of the NDP creed of a strong central government with Quebec’s resolutely autonomist bent. In Ontario, polls show that voters are taking Bob Rae in his Liberal reincarnation more seriously than they are his former party. The Afghan mission is Layton’s third attempt in as many pre-election campaigns at seizing a wedge issue to set his party apart from the competition. He struck out on the Iraq war in 2003 and then on continental missile defence in
2005, when he found himself in the same camp as the Bloc Québécois and the governing Liberals. That is less likely to happen this time around. But that does not mean Layton is poised for a home run. Some Liberal leadership candidates — most notably Joe Volpe — have taken the same tack. But none of the front-runners has echoed Layton’s call. Given the party’s own past association with the mission, none is likely to do so anytime soon. Although the Bloc voted against the extension of the mission last May, it, too, has refrained from calling for the withdrawal of the troops. Gilles Duceppe may be keeping his powder dry for the time when a Quebec-based deployment heads for the Afghan front. Some Conservative strategists assume Quebecers will rally to the mission if their own are in the line of fire; a prudent person would bet on the opposite happening. But the Bloc’s ambivalence is also because Quebec public opinion on the deployment is hardly as cut and dried as the polls would lead an outsider to believe. Quebecers are no less inclined than other Canadians to want to do good in Afghanistan. A strong majority feel the current government is going about it the wrong way. But even among the latter, many also do not believe that Canada can simply pick up its marbles and go home. They are more likely to use the next election to punish Harper for having put Canada in an impossible position than to support the NDP’s call to terminate the mission. That would make the next campaign a referendum on Harper’s handling of the deployment rather than one on Canada’s presence in Afghanistan. The mission could end up costing the Conservative government its hopes for a majority and even the election. But it does not necessarily follow that it would benefit the NDP in ways other than allowing it to hang onto its core vote. All weekend, the NDP told itself it was a party on the move. Inasmuch as retreating behind one’s lines to reorganize the remaining members of a shrunken regiment involves movement, that is certainly true.
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006 — PAGE 13
St. John’s
Paul Daly/The Independent
RAY DILLON
Board of Trade
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alvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, once said, “collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.” Well, unless City Hall seriously adjusts its taxation formula for 2007, we had all better prepare ourselves for a taxation mugging. Citizens of St. John’s recently received their new property assessments in the mail, and most weren’t exactly thrilled with what they saw. If your reassessed property value rose only marginally, count yourself among the lucky few. Most home and business property owners were greeted with dramatic increases over their current values. A new three-year assessment cycle is set to take effect in 2007, and the reality is that the value of properties has risen markedly in recent times. For the St. John’s Board of Trade, it comes as no surprise. We had anticipated that, with the market and economic conditions we have experienced over the last few years, assessed values would go up by 15 to 17 per cent. Sure enough, the city’s
Taxing times As St. John’s residents receive property assessments, Board of Trade president Ray Dillon asks for a substantial tax cut
assessment division is projecting a 12 per cent increase on average in the case of commercial properties and a whopping 22 per cent for residential, which works out to an across-the-board average increase of 17 per cent. However, the real shock will come if city
council doesn’t respond accordingly and fairly this December by cutting 2007 mil rates by a commensurate level. Barring a fair reduction in residential and commercial mil rates, taxpayers will be hard hit come next year. Take an example of someone whose
assessed property value went up by 17 per cent from this year to next, from $140,000 to $163,800. At the current residential rate of 12.2 mils, that homeowner will pay $1998.36 in property taxes in 2007, up more than $290 from the $1,708 paid this year. Let’s assume council approves a 2007 mil rate reduction of a modest half-point, to 11.7. In that case, the same homeowner would pay $1916.46 in taxes next year. That mil rate cut would save about $81, but the person is still stuck with having to shell out $208 more than the 2006 tax bill. A full one-mil reduction would translate to $1,834.56 in taxes, or close to $127 over last year. What does it mean for tax revenues to the city? Expect property tax revenues to increase by roughly $2 million during this 2006 fiscal year, due to year-over-year organic growth in the tax base from new residential and commercial development and renovation. However, with the new assessment cycle yielding higher property values for next year, it would mean millions more on top of that to city coffers in 2007 alone, assuming mil rates were unchanged. The increase in assessed values isn’t necessarily out of tune with market trends. See “Anything less,” page 14
Deeper cuts, less spending Report says province still suffering disproportionately from federal downsizing By Ivan Morgan The Independent
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ccording to a new report from Memorial University, there’s been a steep decline in employment by federal government business enterprises in this province in the past 20 years. In fact, annual pay for employees of those enterprises, such as airports, dropped to $50 million in 2005 — from $200 million in 1982. The report also found a relative drop in capital expenditures (helicopters, cars, equipment) and current expenditures (office rent, employee travel) by
the feds — and a subsequent lack of opportunity for local business to do business with the federal government. This is in addition to findings (released in November 2005) that cuts in direct federal government jobs — 6,970 in 2004 from a high of 10,250 jobs in 1994 — have been deeper in Newfoundland and Labrador than in other provinces. The final report, published by Memorial University, is called The Federal Presence In Newfoundland and Labrador. It says although there has been a national trend towards downsizing, privatization, and contracting out over
the past decade, the federal government has cut more in Newfoundland and Labrador than elsewhere, and this is especially true in the case of federal government business enterprises. “They (the jobs) are still in the economy, just in the private sector — take for example airports,” says Memorial professor James Feehan, co-author of the report with researcher Alison Coffin. “Even then, there was considerable downsizing, and it was downsizing that was greater than the trend across the country.” The report also says there is an “Atlantic region” mentality that has
led to services in the province being downgraded and federal offices and decision-making centres moved out. The report notes the policy “does not fully recognize the differences between the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador” causing a “greater disconnect” between the people of the province and the federal policy-makers. “If you don’t even have senior analysts and relatively high level people here … then you are not going to get to have input and feedback in Ottawa about decisions you are making here,” says Feehan. The report also states there is a sense
among businesses in the province that local companies are not getting access to federal government contracts. Even the redesign of government procurement process, with the introduction of MERX, an Internet-based electronic tendering process supposed to level the playing field, doesn’t seem to be helping. “I’m not sure if it’s a problem with procurement per se, or if simply the feds were spending less dollars,” Feehan says. “It’s not that they were giving the work to outside (the province) businesses, it might have See “Not a lot left to cut,” page 14
14 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Anything less would be legalized robbery From page 13
With the economic prosperity in St. John’s and all the recent growth in real estate, it’s not hard to see why property values are on the rise so sharply. While it is great to see the value of your property increase over time, the reality is that most of us continue to live in and work out of the property we own, so the increase in value is on paper only,
while the increase in property tax is paid on a cash basis. Now, running a growing city can get expensive. Realistically, the City of St. John’s needs additional revenue to cover costs that rise from one year to the next. Its budgetary pressures are real. Operating costs are increasing and infrastructure spending needs are growing. However, at the same time, the city
cannot ignore the burden placed on taxpayers beginning in 2007, taxpayers who are already absorbing rising water taxes to help pay for substantial capital works related to the harbour cleanup and Windsor Lake water treatment facility. The city has a responsibility not to unfairly and unreasonably increase the tax burden on citizens and business taxpayers while collecting a revenue wind-
fall from reassessments. That’s exactly the message the Board of Trade first brought to council in a meeting last fall, and continues to send. Considering the imminent increase in revenues from property reassessments, we ask they reduce mil rates for 2007 to a level that meets the normal requirements of the municipal operating budget and capital project financing. A half-mil reduction, which means
two or three million less in revenues to the City, just won’t cut it. So, be careful they don’t try to sell us a “tax break” that we’re not actually getting. It has to be a meaningful reduction that counterbalances the significant revenue lift from reassessments. Anything less would be legalized robbery. Ray Dillon is president of the St. John’s Board of Trade.
‘Not a lot left to cut’ From page 13
ly there seems to be a “return to trend,” even though the number of been that they simply spent less federal jobs is not increasing. money.” “If the office is The report also closed, and there is indicates the federno one to rent the al government has building to, and no “The real intent not been making one to provide janitothe capital expenrial services …” here is to inform ditures in the proFeehan is reluctant the debate.” vince it should, to draw any conclubased on populasions from the data in tion. Though his report. James Feehan expenditures have “The real intent been declining here is to inform the since 1995, they’re debate,” he says. still “substantial.” “People have been saying there have “Particularly the tough years — been cutbacks, or there hasn’t been, ’96,’97,’98 — those were tough and there has been major withdrawal years all around for Newfoundland; by the feds, or there hasn’t been. those are years where they really “We are just trying to lay out the dropped off their capital expendi- figures and say it looks like there has tures,” says Feehan. been substantial federal downsizing “The feds have probably been cut- and withdrawals that go beyond the ting back on capital expenditures national trend.” across the country too — even so, As for the future? our share has gone down,” says “Certainly when it comes to govFeehan. “Historically, it has been ernment business enterprises, there much more generous than our has been so much downsizing there share.” that there is not a lot left to cut.” Current expenditure — the day-today spending — is down, but recentivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
Pierre-Luc Bisaillon
Paul Daly/The Independent
Igniting ideas While Pierre-Luc Bisaillon helps local entrepreneurs design and implement business plans, he and faces some hurdles of his own
St. John’s Board of Trade
Public-Private Partnerships Conference 2006 Wednesday, September 27, 2006 Capital Hotel, Kenmount Road, St. John’s, NL The Board of Trade's first-ever conference on Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) will seek to raise greater awareness in the private and public sectors of the risks and benefits of P3s, and will help separate myth from reality when it comes to what P3s can (and cannot) accomplish and where they make sense in infrastructure and service projects. • Are there opportunities for P3s in Newfoundland & Labrador, and if so where may they lie? • What action needs to be taken by various levels of Government to optimize P3 opportunities? By the Private Sector? • What are the biggest risks in PPPs and in conventional procurement projects? • Why take the risks of P3s vs. conventional procurement? • What policies need to be implemented or changed to make it happen, and what conditions need to be in place?
For registration and a full conference agenda visit: www.bot.nf.ca/PPP.pdf or call 726-2961
By Anshuman Iddamsetty For The Independent
P
ierre-Luc Bisaillon encourages all entrepreneurs in the province — including his clients — “to have a BHAG: a big hairy audacious goal.” And he and his company, Ignite Partners Inc., are available to help those goals become reality. Bisaillon, 32, is founder and president of Ignite, a St. John’sbased marketing consultancy firm now in its second year of operation. “We help businesses grow,” he says. “A lot of times business owners and managers get too tied up with running the day to day operations … It’s the old ‘we’re too busy chopping trees to sharpen our axe’ scenario.” And this is where he steps in. Ignite Partners is a service designed to cultivate new business growth, to help enterprises reach their potential. “Our clients are typically launching new products, entering new markets, looking to finance their next stage of growth or are simply considering their options to grow faster,” Bisaillon says. The key for his work as a consultant, says Bisaillon, is listening to a client’s concerns. “We spend a lot of time on-site (with our clients) … We will interview key personnel, partners and relevant stakeholders to collect primary data. Then we conduct our own market research and produce rigorous analysis, based on reliable data sources.” The end result is a business plan tailor-made to optimize a specific company’s goals. The firm then works with the client to oversee the execution of this plan. Although central to the survival of any new business, cultivating growth often presents its own challenges. “It’s true that we usually get clients with ideas more than full plans,” says Bisaillon. “But that’s what Ignite Partners does — realize those ideas.” An electrical engineer graduate from McGill University, Bisaillon pursued his MBA at the University of Toronto’s
Rotman School of Management. He’s worked alongside private think-tanks and overseen product launches for Matrox Graphics. He’s also the business advisor for CBC-TV’s upcoming series The Dragon’s Den. “I simply knew the producer,” jokes Bisaillon about the series, which launches Oct. 4. The concept for Ignite Partners emerged during Bisaillon’s time working in Toronto with marketing consultancy giant McKinsey and Co. “It was a great experience but I’ve always had a passion for smaller, higher-growth companies,” he says. “I (found) that the early stage of a company is the most creative and exciting of the business — it’s like working with a blank canvas … In the end you have created something that wasn’t there before.” Setting up a base in St. John’s hasn’t been entirely easy for Ignite Partners, as the province’s location provided a new set of problems. Bisaillon says his frustration is the result of two issues widespread in Newfoundland’s business climate: a scarcity of skilled workers, and the inherent local skepticism towards consultants. “I think the greatest challenge is access to human capital. It’s very hard for growing companies to find qualified and experienced people, especially in business development, sales and marketing (here) — areas that are critical for growth. “Because the business community is still fairly small in St. John’s, we’ve had to spend more effort educating our clients on the value of hiring a consultant … It’s important to be motivated, but to be successful you have to be realistic about what you can and can’t do yourself.” Despite these issues, Bisaillon says the St. John’s business community faces the same basic problems as others across Canada. In his eyes, the city remains a key area for unprecedented market activity. The fortunes of companies such as Fortis, Rutter and Consilient prove “it is possible to (build) worldleading companies in the province.” He currently has no plans to expand the firm beyond St. John’s. In the new Water Street offices of Ignite Partners, it’s hard for Pierre-Luc Bisaillon not to be optimistic about his future work with local entrepreneurs. “Be bold, think big, and give us a call,” he says.
Pay will rise: experts
S
alaries in Canada and the U.S. are forecast to increase by 3.7 per cent next year, according to a study conducted by an international human resources company. In Canada, employees will see more of this increase than in the United States because of the impact of inflation. Inflation rates here are projected to hit only 2 per cent whereas they are expected to reach 2.4 per cent south of the border. That’s good news for Canadian employees, says Iain Morris, a principal at Mercer Human Resource Management Consulting — the organization that conducted the study. “Canada has been relatively stable, but this is the highest projected increase since 2001. We’ve had a period of relative stability. If inflation kicks up next year, however, the real gain might not be a high as this year.” Some areas in Canada, like Alberta, may actually see a higher salary increase next year — perhaps as high as 5.6 per cent — because of the oil and gas sector, he adds. The report says salaries globally will outpace inflation by 1.9 per cent. The study says salaries are expected to rise worldwide by 5.9 per cent in 2007. The highest pay rises are expected in Venezuela with a 17.4 per cent increase, according to the company’s annual worldwide pay survey. The lowest are forecast in Germany with a 2.3 per cent increase. “Pay increases tend to vary significantly around the world, depending on inflation, economic growth and unemployment,” says Steve Gross, a worldwide partner at Mercer. — Torstar wire service
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 15
16 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
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INDEPENDENTLIFE
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006 — PAGE 17
The ghost that haunts us Artwork featuring 1949 Smallwood quote offers insight into a moment of history and a ‘grievous action’ By Mandy Cook The Independent
T
ucked away on the top floor of a T-shirt store in downtown St. John’s hangs a picture. A quotation, printed from top to bottom in aged, newspaper-style stencil, reads: “I don’t need you,” said Smallwood. “I’ve been elected, but you need me. I’m sitting on top of the public chest and not one red cent will come out of it unless Greg Power is elected. Unless you vote for my man, you’ll be out in the cold for the next five years. Those settlements which vote against Greg Power will get nothing, absolutely nothing.” It takes a few minutes for the eyes to adjust, but as they do, the face of Joey Smallwood materializes through the lurid, Liberal red splash of ink beneath the text. The picture is entitled The ghost that haunts us. It’s a startling picture, and one has to wonder: Is that quote for real? Who made it? And is it for sale? Dave Hopeley, proprietor of the store, Living Planet, says the piece was given to him by a friend who found it whipping in the wind on a downtown street. He says the artist made a set of lithographic prints — a technique whereby the artist etches a design into limestone, inks it and runs it through a printing press — as a project while he was attending Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook. “Originally it was done by a gentleman named Mark O’Neill,” Hopeley says, leaning back in the swivel chair in front of the frame. “He silkscreen printed these posters of the text of Joey Smallwood with the reddish image behind, and he posted them around town in different venues, outside on poles and sometimes in bars. It was sort of a guerilla art thing.” Jeff Webb, professor of history with Memorial University, says William Browne authenticates the quote in his autobiography, 84 Years a Newfoundlander. Browne ran against and beat out Liberal Greg Power in the district of Ferryland in 1949, taking 2,456 votes of the 3,160 cast, thus securing a seat in Parliament. On five separate occasions See “Quite a grievous,” page 18
The ghost that haunts us
Lithograph by Mark O’Neill
‘We provide music, the party is up to everyone else’ For part-time musicians around the province, being in a cover band is great for a laugh — and some spending money By Pam Pardy Ghent For the Independent
T
yler King of Burin performed for the first time “professionally” on his front lawn. “We had a benefit concert of sorts,” the 22-year-old says. “We made $1,000 that day and donated it to a family who needed it in the area.” That was four years ago and King — with his sister Kersten, 16, and his
father, Winston, 42 — have been playing dances and festivals all over the Burin Peninsula with their band, Power Play, ever since. “Almost every weekend we have something,” he says. King has a fulltime day job, and is happy to have one dance a weekend to play. Anything else would be too much. “In the summer you expect to be full go Friday and Saturday nights,” he says. “So it’s nice when it slacks off a
bit the winter.” King and his family band have to travel for many of their gigs, sometimes as far as Terrenceville. “Even if you charge $350 for three hours, you don’t make a lot when you count in gas and expenses. Dad doesn’t make a penny, it all goes to us,” he says with a laugh. The little bit of money does help keep them in equipment, and takes the edge off school costs. “This, I guess
you’d call it a talent, it comes in handy. My sister gets money to blow, I get some extra money, but we’ll never make a living at it.” It’s excuse to do something they enjoy, an opportunity to spend time together, and there is something special about entertaining a crowd. “We usually have a good time when we go to the smaller outports,” he says. “When the people are dancing and they don’t let up, we are asked how much
we charge to play a little longer, and we usually do.” The nights can get late, especially when you factor in taking down the equipment and the drive home, but they have no plans to stop. Aubrey Greeley, 53, of the band Greeley’s Reel, started in the music business late — but that hasn’t slowed down the Upper Island Cove native. As See “I’m still challenging,” page 20
A stunning collection of photography from the portfolio of The Independent’s own Paul Daly. Available this fall. To preorder your copy, contact
Boulder Publications at 895-6483
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
GALLERYPROFILE
Blood from a carrot
Releasing a fish
A Decision Made
The Muse II
Gasping for Breath
A
frequently recurring image in Dave Sheppard’s work is a man with a goldfish where his head should be. There are also figures with deer, rabbit and seagull heads to be found — and, now that Sheppard has moved to Ontario, he’s thinking about working with squirrels and other mainland animals. He says the animal head idea came to him randomly; it’s an image he enjoyed working with. “And then, over time, as I began to understand it a bit more, it became part of my own sort of Visual visual language that I was exploring,” he says. “In time, I’ve developed this language that I’m able to use over and over … so, hopefully, people can look at the work I’ve done over the past five years and see these recurring images and motifs” — including crabs, seashells and bullet wounds. Sheppard says his newest body of work, now hanging at the Emma Butler Gallery in St. John’s, is his most personal to date. The oil paintings are richly coloured and immediately affecting — jarring but captivating, full of feeling and stories. “I’m very conscious in my choices of symbols,” he says. “All of my work so far has dealt with my observation of others or my understanding of certain psychological conditions or emotional or cognitive experiences … some of it was based on a period of time I went through. Not to say it’s directly about it, but it influenced the pieces I made. It’s a very strong subject matter.” Take Gasping for breath, which shows a man — with a fish for a head — in a rumpled bed, surrounded by water. The body looks restless and awkward; the fish is looking for a way out. “It deals with separation anxiety, in a nutshell,” he says. “Being surrounded by what you need or want, but are unable to attain. The fish is in a bed, gasping for breath, but he’s sur-
rounded by water … It’s about loss, and dealing with that period, the grief and anxiety of being without something you’ve had for so long.” Sheppard, born in Fort McMurray, moved to Bishop’s Falls at age five, where his family still resides. He graduated from Sir Wilfred Grenfell’s visual arts program in 2001. He focused on printmaking while in school and has since been artist-in-residence at Grenfell and at St. Michael’s Printshop in St. He designed the town flag Artist John’s. for Bishop’s Falls, and received an Arts and Letters award and a nomination for emerging artist of the year by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council in 2005. Thirteen months ago, looking to live somewhere new and explore further opportunities to sell and promote himself, he moved to Toronto. “I just wanted to be somewhere I could be active and sort of live my life.” Although he’s recently been focused on painting, he says he’d like to return to printmaking soon. He’s also investigating the possibility of doing a bronze edition of some of his work. Moving has provided him with both a new audience and inspiration. “Newfoundland and Labrador is a big influence,” he says. “But I consider myself a naturalist in general — I’ll be influenced by what I see on the mainland, whatever is around me. “I do have some ideas for squirrel-headed figures and different animals up there (Ontario). I’m not still creating work that’s inspired by Newfoundland — I’m creating work that’s inspired by people in the environment that I’m in.”
DAVE SHEPPARD
New works by Dave Sheppard and Lori Doody are on display at Emma Butler Gallery until Sept. 21. www.emmabutler.com — Stephanie Porter
‘Quite a grievous action’ From page 17 during the campaign, Smallwood attempted to bully the people by insisting they would not receive “one red cent” if they defied his demands. In the end, Joey’s threats alienated voters and they subsequently snubbed his man. Webb is equally aghast at Smallwood’s heavy-handed threat. “To be so naked in your partisanship,” Webb muses. “Some people say Joey wasn’t always corrupt, that it happened over time. But this speech was in 1949 — the very first election after Confederation. It’s quite a grievous action.” The artist thought so, too. O’Neill says he was familiar with Smallwood’s character and notorious thirst for power, but was still shocked. Once he stumbled upon the Ferryland speech, he started looking for a suitable picture of Smallwood to fit his concept. He chose the picture the then-premier picked to illustrate himself in the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland. O’Neill is not sure if the image is the picture Smallwood commissioned by famed portraitist Yousuf Karsh (famed for his grumpy Winston Churchill portrait), but he was interested by the fact Smallwood chose to be remembered in Newfoundland’s history books sporting a
different tie. “When you look up Joey Smallwood in the encyclopedia, this is the picture that’s there,” O’Neill says. “I was quite intrigued by this one because he’s got a long tie on, he don’t have his bowtie. “Some people will say, ‘The dictator we had, we remember him by his bowtie.’ It was quite different and this is how he was representing himself in the history books, if you will.” O’Neill says he’s amazed how some younger Newfoundlander and Labradorians are unaware of Smallwood’s era and how Newfoundland and Labrador became part of Canada. His own thoughts on the matter are implied in the title of the work. “It’s reflecting of the image where he is somewhat ghostly,” O’Neill says. “But it’s also of Smallwood himself. He does haunt us. He’s long gone but the decisions that he made are still here — we’re still living with them.” O’Neill didn’t keep any of the 15 prints he made of Joey’s head — he says he doesn’t want Smallwood staring at him all day. But Hopeley, reflecting on the picture in his shop, points out that the picture serves a purpose. “It’s part of the history of Newfoundland,” he says. “We can’t forget about stuff like that.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19
That star-making machinery As the next Canadian Idol waits in the wings, Noreen Golfman looks behind the popular songs NOREEN GOLFMAN Standing Room Only
Y
ou following Canadian Idol? Of course, you are. You’re alive. Your musical taste might not extend beyond opera but it’s practically impossible to avoid the fact that an 11th grader from Upper Island Cove is now a semi-finalist on a show watched by an average two million viewers. We’ve been here before, well within earshot of the final countdown. First it was Jenny Gear, next Jason Greeley, followed by Rex Goudie, and now Craig Sharpe. It’s become a patriotic duty to enlist a Newfoundlander in the top five, by which time one can safely say she/he has already won, even if that’s merely a self-assuring stretch. It’s so easy to dismiss the whole contrived phenomenon of Canadian Idol as another cheesy commercial spectacle, and of course it is that, let’s be clear, but all that does is make you a snob. Almost every casual conversation these days turns to the subject of the show and almost everyone is both delighted and surprised Craig is still in the running. His talent is obvious. He sings like one of those golden-haired creatures that have big white wings and live on puffy white clouds. It’s just that there is something vaguely unsettling about watching a 16-year-old compete in a racket designed to steal his soul. Watching Craig croon, for example, Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight (“Yes you’re lovely, with your smile so warm/And your cheeks so soft/There is nothing for me but to love you”) or Foreigners’ Cold as Ice (“You’re as cold as ice, you’re willing to sacrifice our love …”) you have to wonder what he’s thinking when he moves through the lyrics. Does a 16 year-old-high school student inhabit a world where “soft cheeks” and sacrificing love means anything? Maybe, but it’s probably safe to say not in the way Sinatra or even Foreigner conceived of these words. On the CTV Idol website, Craig says his favourite foods are pizza, chicken and
Irene’s on Water Street in St. John’s
chips and his two favourite TV shows are House and The Simpsons. No pretensions there, God love him. Typical of the earnest rhetoric of competitors on all such reality shows, he demurs, “I can’t be anyone else but myself.” It’s hard enough knowing what being oneself means as an adult, let alone as a youngster, but it’s the kind of comment that speaks to Craig’s understandable naiveté, perhaps even a winning naiveté. Indeed, already speaking in the past tense about the influence of the show on his personal and professional development, Craig says, “It taught me to be myself.” That self thing keeps coming up, like a useful, quotable tic. When do we start using such phrases as if they meant anything? Craig’s competitor is equally cheery, if a more self-assured 19. One of Eva Avila’s favourite words is “authentic,” a suitably banal variation on Craig’s con-
Paul Daly/The Independent
ceit of the true self. The Quebec songstress declares she would love to meet Michael Jackson, prince of weirdness and suspected pedophile, and believes Canadians “stay true to who they are and they don’t imitate any other artist.” That Canadian Idol is directly derived from its American uncle and that she and Craig cover songs made famous by anyone from the Rolling Stones to Willie Nelson seems to have escaped her. But then, she is only 19 and these kids aren’t playing Jeopardy. The driving principle of Canadian Idol is to produce a winner who does, indeed, sound just like anyone else, or anyone else in the mainstream, that is. That’s why Jenny Gear was so unusual a choice in the first cycle of the show. Of all the contenders then and since, Jenny really did sound as if she had a self to be true to. Both the quality of her expression and the uniqueness of her on-screen performance
POET’S CORNER Where Hurricanes Come to Die By Ed McCann The mighty force of nature, Moves across a southern sea. It grows in strength and power. A hurricane, force three!
It rolls across the Florida Quays, Leaves nothing in its way, Then heads north along the coast, And turns night into day.
For eons it has stood its ground, And taken many a hit. Though bloodied many, many times, This place will never quit.
It snags a tiny island, And rips into its heart. With its mighty strength and power, It tears the place apart.
Along the continental rim, It devastates the shore, Until it passes by New York, Then puts to sea once more.
The mighty hurricane grows weak. Across the Burin now, As it bears down on the Avalon, Its head begins to bow.
Heads west toward a headland, The winds howl more and more, Leaves devastation in its wake, A hurricane, force four!
Northeast now, in a frenzied rush, It spirals strong and grand, It heads in a determined way, For the cliffs of Newfoundland.
It staggers as it comes ashore, And is pounded by the rock. On the east side of Placentia Bay, It succumbs to the shock.
It roars along like some great beast, Then trapped, no place to go. Caught now in a bottleneck, The Gulf of Mexico!
Great damage done, it surges on, ’Til the two titans clash. These cliffs have seen this all before, And is ready for the crash.
It drags itself across the land. It knows its life it through. It rears and staggers on a bit, And dies near Baccalieu.
Desperate now, it rears itself, In a bid to stay alive. It turns its path toward the east. A hurricane, force five!
The hurricane withstands the blow, But does not understand, The mighty strength and power, Of this place called Newfoundland.
The Independent invites poetry submissions from all writers. Please e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca
appealed to the judges but made audiences very uneasy. It’s actually impossible to imagine Jenny posing sultry and commanding the stage the way Rex Goudie has obviously learned to do, bless him. In the short year since his second-place triumph Rex has acquired the kind of confidence that comes from friendly photographers and smart packaging. He is probably a nice young man and has a smile that could light up Burlington, but he seems to be working on an authentic self that only a music producer can manufacture. And so here we are, the contest coming down to a young Quebecer and an even younger Newfoundlander. By now you would think the producers would venture beyond the repetitive patterns of the spectacle and dare something fresh. They have the opportunity. They could stage the two singers in front of some large-scale blow ups or
moving shots of Churchill Falls, turning the competition into a serious geopolitical slug match. Neither performer would necessarily get the context but mature audiences would recognize something more serious happening than just some youngsters imitating Tony Bennett. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Well, there’s nothing to do now but wait for the results of the vote. Craig may or may not win the final round, and odds are he won’t, but you have to admire his 16-year old guts, warbling his sweet heart out to the likes of all of us cheering him on and the curious persona known as Ben Mulroney. You go, Craig, make that star-making machinery hum. Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial. Her column returns Sept. 29.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
The enemy In his inaugural column, Sean Panting points a finger at artists — including himself
I Greeley’s Reel
I’m still challenging myself From page 17 he watched his son and nephew get interested in music, he decide to pick up the fiddle himself — at age 40. Greeley’s Reel is made up of six performers ranging in age from 21 to 53. They play 85 per cent traditional Irish and Newfoundland music, and perform regularly at O’Reilly’s Pub on George Street, and festivals and private functions on the Avalon and in the Trinity region. “We try to play a few times a month … we all have day jobs, so we have to have a balance.” Greeley labels his band “semi-professional,” but, like King, says the revenue isn’t there to make performing their only source of income. “You’d never make enough money in Newfoundland to give up your day job,” he says. “You can keep yourself in strings and other equipment, and there is no doubt it can be a nice second source of income, but that’s not why I do it.” For him, it’s more about the challenge. “When I started this eight or nine years ago I was in my mid-40s and music didn’t come naturally for me … doing this takes time and commitment, and it was something I had to work at, and now we have our own CD out and I’m still chal-
lenging myself.” Ruff Waters has been playing together for a few years now, and their mix of traditional Newfoundland, country and soft rock has kept folks in the Baie Verte area dancing and singing along. Guitarist and singer Jim Stone, 49, says they had a busy summer. They charge between $250 and $300 an hour for a dance and the profits go into a kitty to keep the six-man band in equipment. “We are all business owners, so this is a bit of a break for us,” he says. Stone says members practice two nights a week to keep their music in shape. Their favourite tunes to perform? “Jack is every inch a sailor, Peaceful easy feeling (The Eagles), all our jigs are popular … we try and mix it up and keep people on the floor all night,” Stone says. “I enjoy the music.” His son’s wedding this past summer was an opportunity for the band to perform. “When I took off that fancy jacket, I was up in the band and ready to go,” he says, laughing. “We provide the music, the party is up to everyone else … we entertain, and the crowd responds and that makes it something we look forward to.”
have seen the enemy and it is us. If there’s one thing Newfoundlanders really excel at, it’s complaining, and in my experience, few complain more heartily than artists. I should know — after 20 years working in the arts around here, I can complain with the best of them. We all have our favourites: under-funding, lack of respect, shortage of workspaces, but I’m here to add one more to the pile — artists. I’d say we are without a doubt one of the greatest obstacles in our own quest for more money and recognition. SEAN By the government’s own reckonPANTING ing, cultural industries employ 4,200 State of art people and generate $289 million annually. You’d figure with numbers like that we’d have no trouble making the case that ours is a viable industry and that artists deserve to be paid properly for what we do. Unfortunately, given the opportunity to make that case, we all too often abandon facts and figures in favour of what I like to call the Quaker Oats defense, saying art made in Newfoundland should be supported because (like the breakfast cereal) it’s the right thing to do. It’s true, of course. Making sure Newfoundland’s cultural workers keep doing their job is absolutely the right thing to do, but you don’t have to believe in the intrinsic value of the music or dance or literature they produce to think so. With a fishery that’s as good as dead, an offshore industry that will — like it or not — run out of oil one day and out-migration threatening the very existence of rural Newfoundland and Labrador as we knew it, our art could be just about the only sustainable and (gasp) profitable industry we have. There are times when complaining is necessary. Being the squeaky wheel is often the only way to get attention when you’re a small group without a whole lot of money or power, but there has to be a limit. By breaking out the brother-can-you-spare-a-dime routine every time someone points a television camera our way, we create an image problem that hurts our case more than it helps it. As a result, the population at large continues to think of investing in the arts as a charity. You can hardly blame them. That’s all they know because that’s all we tell them. Of course, governments do bear a big chunk of the responsibility for the situation as it now stands. In our capital city, a city with more artists per capita than any other in Canada, artists have to deal with a council that is often openly hostile even as they sing the praises of our vibrant cultural sector to every tourist from here to Japan. If you’re looking for examples, witness the Independent Artist’s Co-operative’s continuing struggle with council over their space, or the Peace-a-Chord committee’s shameful treatment at the hands of councillors who should know better. Provincially, Danny Williams Ltd. (a.k.a. the government of Newfoundland and Labrador) has come a long way toward correcting the long-standing practice of ignoring art and culture on the one hand, and taking credit for it whenever it becomes politically expedient to do so on the other. For starters, they’ve hired more music and art teachers and increased funding to organizations like the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the music industry association. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a big improvement. They didn’t do all this out of the goodness of their hearts. Obviously, someone somewhere in the bowels of the Confederation Complex actually dusted off a calculator and did the math, figuring out something most people would never imagine in their wildest dreams: while it may be well-nigh impossible to make a profit in the art business, the province can and regularly does make money from it. In the end that’s all they need to know. This is a province run by businessmen. They don’t care if a new painting or play or TV show is going to enrich the cultural life of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and they’re not qualified to make that judgment anyway. That’s what organizations like the arts council are there for. Right now it’s up to cultural workers to lobby for better arts funding in the only terms our leaders can understand — profit and loss. If we start there, we pave the way for all the other benefits — decent wages, security, respect — to follow. The province will get to enjoy a clean, profitable, renewable resource and we as artists will be able to stop wasting our valuable time complaining and get back to work. Sean Panting is a musician, actor and writer from St. John's. His column returns Sept. 29. www.seanpanting.com
EVENTS SEPTEMBER 16 • The Studio’s annual fall photography flea market, 272 Water St., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. • The Grand Old Newfoundland Opry dinner and a show, Majestic Theatre, call 579-3023 for reservations. • Festival of the Sea continues until Sept. 24, with concerts, lectures and other events. Continues until Sept. 24; for a full schedule of events, please call 576-8106. • Welcome to Gayside installation and Stationary sound performance opening reception, Eastern Edge Gallery, St. John’s, 3 p.m. • Ocean Net celebrates its 1,000th cleanup at Topsail Beach, CBS, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. SEPTEMBER 17 • Beagle Paws annual Pooches in the Park, all dogs welcome, Bowring Park, St. John’s, 738-7297
or www.beaglepaws.com. SEPTEMBER 18 • Granny Bates Children’s Bookshop’s book club for grown-ups meets 8 p.m. to discuss Jenny Nimmo’s Midnight for Charlie Bone. SEPTEMBER 19 • Book launch: What if your mom made raisin buns? by Catherine Hogan Safer, at the Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street, St. John’s, 5-7 p.m. SEPTEMBER 20 • Folk night with Maggie Meyer at the Ship Inn, Soloman’s Lane, St. John’s, 9 p.m. SEPTEMBER 21 • MUN cinema series shows An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s documentary on global warming, 7 p.m., Studio 12, Avalon Mall, St. John’s.
INDEPENDENTSTYLE
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006 — PAGE 21
LOCAL COUTURE On model Kathryn Byrne: Sara Hodder fall cotton/lycra coat, $160; Living Planet bunny t-shirt design by Marie-Suzanne Desilets, $30; Charlotte Street panel skirt, $55, and legwarmers, $60; Fly London boots courtesy Twisted Sisters Boutik, $385. Hair by Krista Power and Nicole Winsor-Howard of Sound Salon and Spa. Aveda cosmetics applied by Sound Salon stylist Krista Power. Paul Daly/The Independent
Want to change up your look? Skip the chain stores for once — there’s plenty of cutting-edge fashion being made right here MANDY COOK
F
or those of you sick of shopping for shapeless, cookiecutter clothes at certain,
to-remain-nameless chain stores at the mall, not to fear — you do have options. Want a pretty, frilly top with a tie at both shoulders and a polka-dotted waistband? Or how about a warm and fuzzy mini-skirt to wear with leggings and fall’s must-have boots?
Then finish the look with a purse reworked from an old pair of corduroys and a reversible stained glass pendant. All this — and more — can be had locally, made right here by our own Newfoundland designers. One young up-and-coming seamstress, Sara Hodder of Sech Designs,
can’t keep up with all the special orders pouring in for her individually-tailored pieces. Her design skills date back to when she was a little girl teaching herself to sew pants and shirts for her Barbie dolls on her See “So many pluses,” page 24
Food myth-takes
S
o, have you heard that searing meat “seals in the juices?” Sure you have. It’s a myth as old as cooking itself. But is there any truth in it? Some of the wackiest food myths are scare tactics to keep you away from certain foods. Like the one about KFC breeding foul-looking bio-engineered chickens which are genetically not chickens at all — the reason behind the name change from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC. That myth is debunked on their corporate website, and is just plain weird. There are many myths about food and food use, some based on a hint of
NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the eating path fact, some on none at all. Here are several for your enjoyment. Myth 1:Eating carrots help you see in the dark. Truth: Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses? (Insert canned laughter here). While that’s a joke, it is certainly based on some fact. Carrots are filled with beta-carotene, the pigment that makes a carrot orange. This is
converted by the body into Vitamin A, required by your eyes to control your retinas. However, beta-carotene is found in your liver and more foods than just carrots contain it as well. So eating carrots alone is no way of improving your vision. Seeing an eye doctor regularly is your best bet. Myth 2: Don’t use a wooden cutting board for anything other than bread. Truth: So what have professional chefs been doing all this time? Hardwood boards made of oak and cherry have been used in professional kitchens because of their durability and their safety. In fact, in a 1993 research project at Wisconsin’s Food
Research Institute they purposely contaminated a conventional plastic board and a wooden board with all manners of bacteria, which would cause food poisoning. The results changed the myth forever. They found the wooden board dried quickly and killed most bacteria while the plastic board stayed wet, contaminated and even caused the malignant bacteria to multiply. So a wooden board is perfectly safe, and can remain so with minor work including washing it with an antibacterial cleaner. Myth 3: Frozen vegetables contain fewer vitamins than fresh ones. Truth: Busted. While fresh vegeta-
bles are preferable because of flavour, texture and quality, don’t discount the benefits of quality frozen product. Modern methods of freezing vegetables and fruits ensure the minute the vegetables are picked they are blast frozen, thereby keeping all nutrients preserved. In addition, the product is picked at the height of freshness and sugar content, so you can enjoy premium, healthy vegetables all year long. Myth 4: Brown eggs are better for you than ordinary white ones. Truth: An egg, is an egg, is an egg. The difference lies in the chicken that See “Chicken or the egg,” page 23
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
22 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE
DRINK
TASTE
Thinking outside the (lunch) box St. John’s native Dreena Burton has made a career from cooking without meat or other animal products. While not everyone will adopt a completely vegan diet (no meat, eggs or dairy), studies have shown all can benefit by including more vegetarian meals in their weekly eating. Now based in British Columbia, Burton offers some healthy lunchbox suggestions that can easily be adapted to suit the tastes of children of all ages — and the needs of all families.
I Paul Daly/The Independent
Flights of Fancy By Nicholas Gardner For The Independent
I
t’s hard being in a room where people are talking about you. Apparently, people were “on the lookout” for me, but my disguise held fast. I feel like an impostor, a fake, a fly on the wall watching and waiting to be noticed, but it didn’t come. My assignment: to attend a Burgundy tasting of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines at the spectacular Winterholme Heritage Inn on Rennie’s Mill Road in St. John’s. When I heard we were going to do four flights, I thought I would never get this column filed in time. A flight is a series of wines that generally have something in common — grape varietals, country of origin, vineyard or any other category you choose to create. Tonight, we had a series of flights from France, specifically from Burgundy and more specifically than that, from Bouchard Père & Fils. Originally founded in 1731, for nine generations they have held on to the traditions of winemaking and have grown the fruit, and business into the largest domain in the Côte d’Or. One of our hosts for “A Night in Burgundy” was Luc Bouchard, a ninth generation Bouchard of Bouchard Père & Fils, and was generous enough to tour us through some of the finer points of his family’s wines. Thanks to the tasting evening, we were fortunate enough to taste some exceptional examples of archetypal Burgundy wines. Some of my favourites: Meursault les Clous
2003 was a near golden colour and was round and supple, with an almost silky mouth-feel. The Meursault Genevrières 2003 had spicy notes and was lively with acidic content. This is a wine, which from all indications, could use some time aging to become suppler. However, the Pinot Noir wines were the anticipated favourites. There was an exceptional collection of wines, each building and caressing the palate to accept the next one. Each successive wine was rounder, more refined and ultimately more drinkable. Some of the reds held distinct Pinot traits, simple to start and soft to finish. One stood out amongst all others: Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus 2004. It was a beguiling wine. In comparison to the rest of the fantastic wines, this was a slap in the face — a different wine, unexpectedly good, and decidedly more complex. Every fibre in my being wanted to fall in love with the Pommard or the Monthélie les Durgsses with its supple and soft textures and a delicate finish. But I resisted and went back for more of l’Enfant Jésus. Each taste was more complex than before and at the end, it was a more beautiful wine. For me, the complexities were indications of the great wine hidden by youth. Give it time and the l’enfant will grow into a strong and interesting man. This tasting put on by David Greene of Great Vintages was a true learning experience. Who knew you didn’t have to leave the country to find a genuine flight of fancy? nicholas.gardner@gmail.com
t is a common misconception that a diet without meat and dairy cannot provide children with the necessary nutrients for proper growth and development. Also, children raised on whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and many obesity-related illnesses compared to their counterparts raised on the standard North American diet. As parents, we guide our children’s food choices. So start thinking outside the (lunch) box and get on a healthier road by making some simple changes to the sandwiches you pack for lunch. But … if you don’t make ham, egg, cheese, or tuna sandwiches, and your school doesn’t allow peanut butter due to allergies, what are you left with? Answer: Plenty! A few of which are listed below — and not just for sandwich fillings but also for the bread itself. When choosing breads, be sure to pick whole-grain varieties. You can also choose non-wheat breads made from spelt, oat, and kamut flours. When you tire of sliced bread, try: Whole-grain pita breads. Whole-grain bagels, sliced in thinner rounds if very large. Whole-grain hamburger or hot dog buns. Whole-grain flour tortillas. Brown rice cakes. When buying these breads, and particularly flour tortillas, avoid any with hydrogenated oils. Flour tortillas often have hydrogenated oils, but if you check several brands you will find one without them. Next, the sandwich filling: Nut butters: Just as peanut butter is made from peanuts, you can find butter made from almonds, cashews, and even hazelnuts and macadamia nuts. Schools may allow these butters, since they are not related to the peanut and do not have the same allergenic potential. Children particu-
larly like almond and cashew butters because they are naturally sweet. Nut butters are very nutritious and pair just as well in sandwiches with jam, slices of banana or apple, or a sprinkle of cinnamon and raisins. Nut butters also work fabulously in “tortilla rolls”. Spread the nut butter on a tortilla, sprinkle with cinnamon or spread on jam, roll up and cut into bite-size pieces. You can also spread the butters on rice cakes and top with dried fruit. All of these nut butters can be found in the natural foods aisle of your grocery store. Veggie burgers: Choose veggie burgers made from grains, legumes, nuts, soy, or a combination of these ingredients. Leftover patties are perfect in a pita or bread with condiments your child likes. You can also mash cooked veggie burgers with vegan mayonnaise (brands such as Vegenaise or Nayonnaise) and ketchup. Soy “deli” meats and “hot dogs”: If you are concerned your child’s sandwich doesn’t “look like the other kids,” try out some veggie bacon, veggie turkey slices, or similar alternatives. Pile them with veggies and condiments on whole-grain breads, hamburger buns or hot dog buns. Vegetables: Pile on their favorite veggies along with the fillings mentioned above, or all on their own. If your child loves cucumbers, for instance, then make a cucumber sandwich! Hummus and other bean spreads: As long as it isn’t too spicy, children love hummus. While you can buy prepared hummus, the flavor does not compare to homemade, and children may find it too strong. Below I share a recipe for a true kidtested hummus that is delicious, nutritious, and a cinch to make. Use the hummus to spread in pita breads or on slices of bread. Hummus and other legume-based dips such as black-bean dip, are also excellent for a savory variation on those tortilla rolls. Spread the hummus on the tortilla, sprinkle with finely chopped veggies, olives, or grated non-dairy cheese. Again, roll up and cut into pieces. Dreena Burton is the author of the bestselling cookbooks Vive le Vegan! and The Everyday Vegan. Visit her vegan cooking blog at vivelevegan.blogspot.com. For more references related to the health benefits of a plant-based diet, visit www.pcrm.org.
Creamy Hummus This recipe is from my cookbook Vive le Vegan! This delicate hummus is creamy with a good amount of lemon and just a hint of garlic, unlike some versions that are overpowered by garlic and/or tahini.
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.
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (rinse and drain if using canned) • 3 1⁄2-5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust to taste) • 2- 2 1/2 tbsp tahini • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1 small or medium clove garlic, sliced • 1⁄2 tsp toasted sesame oil • 1⁄2 tsp sea salt • 1⁄4 cup water (or less/more as desired for desired consistency) • freshly ground black pepper to taste In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and purée until smooth, adding just a little water at first, then more if desired to thin it. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times throughout and purée again until very smooth. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice. If not using right away, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTSTYLE • 23
Smooth operator
DETAILS
It took many phone calls and lots of complaining, but Pam Pardy Ghent’s phone is working again — for now
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Kim Winsor, co-owner of Johnny Ruth on Water Street, St. John’s is taking a stand against sweatshops, trying to make a difference one article of clothing at a time. Johnny Ruth carries clothing for men, women, boys and girls. Photos By Paul Daly/The Independent
A designer Paulina Rucco armband: silver infused in glass with leather.
The Black spot boots are an anti-logo sneaker. Union made in Portugal from organic hemp and recycled car tires.
don’t know if I should laugh or cry. Neither seems appropriate, yet I feel I should do one of the two. What has caused me these extreme emotional responses? My phone line — also the only link to the Internet out here — is, once again, screwed up. Since July 7 I have been without reliable telephone and Internet service for a total of 17 days. It has been happening since I moved here three years ago. In the beginning, I accepted it as a fact of outport life and waited for the problem to fix itself. Sometimes it did after a week or more. I have noted this phone problem only happens after it rains. Not long after a cleansing from the sky, my phone goes mental. I am not the only one out here affected, but most say they just don’t bother to report the problem anymore. I don’t blame them. Sometimes I lose my dial tone and am left with a dead line. That’s always a great feeling. You wonder, briefly, if you paid your bill. A few times I actually checked. I cursed myself as I dug into the pile of unopened mail tossed behind my toaster. Nope, no cut off notice. I wander to my mother’s, or to the shop, to call Aliant. I spend way too much time on a phone that isn’t mine with a company that seems it could care less. No matter what day I call on, it falls on the day after a technician has been in my area and I have to wait almost a week for the next available appointment. I always say the same thing — after I am done cussing, yelling, crying, hanging up, calling back, and demanding a supervisor, that is. Why, I ask, do I have to wait so long? “Because, my dear,” I am told by the always polite agent, “you live in a remote area.” “Well then dear,” I always ask, “why is it that I don’t pay for remote service?” They never have an answer for me. Sometimes, the phone still technically works, I just can’t hear anything without straining my brain. The line cracks and buzzes in my ear. It’s impossible to hear conversations
Chicken or the egg From page 21 produced the egg — white eggs from white chickens, and brown eggs from brown chickens. Nutritionally, all experts agree, they are the same. Myth 5: Does searing meat “seal in juices?” Truth: The process of searing is a Maillard reaction, which was discovered in 1910 by Louis Camille Maillard, a French physicist and chemist. The Maillard reaction is essentially the changing states of natural sugars throughout the roasting process. In the process, hundreds of different flavour
compounds are created. These compounds in turn break down to form yet more new flavour compounds, and so on. Each type of food has a very distinctive set of flavour compounds that are formed during the Maillard reaction. Still, the question remains, why do we sear meat? The simple answer is flavour — pure and simple. Does searing seal in juices? No. There is no way a sugar crust can be a perfect seal — juices will escape. However, allowing meat to rest after cooking allows the juices to redistribute and create a better product. As long as there are unanswered
questions people will make things up as a plausible answer in hopes someone can come up with the right one. The great myths of Greece tried to explain away the mysteries of the universe and the fate of mankind. Food myths exist because we fear the unknown. We have food myths to keep us vigilant and to question what “experts” believe to be truth. If only someone could explain to me which came first — the chicken or the egg? Nicholas Gardner is a freelance writer and erstwhile chef living in St. John’s. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com
A LITTLE OF YOUR TIME IS ALL WE ASK. CONQUERING THE UNIVERSE IS OPTIONAL. Think it requires heroic efforts to be a Big Brother or Big Sister? Think again. It simply means sharing a few moments with a child. Play catch. Build a doghouse. Or help take on mutant invaders from the planet Krang. That’s all it takes to transform a mere mortal like yourself into a super hero who can make a world of difference in a child’s life. For more information...
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Newfoundland 1-877-513KIDS (5437) www.helpingkids.ca
PAM PARDY GHENT
Seven-day talk clearly, and I cut in and out with the people I speak with. Not the most pleasant way to try and have a good old yarn with my sister about my mother’s latest fit or my father’s newest ailment. It’s also not the best to use for work. Interviews go something like this: “What??? Sorry, I didn’t get that … can you repeat it, and this time yell your loudest so I can get that last quote … if you would be so kind, please and (big sigh) thank you.” Because my line is so crackled, the Internet has a heck of a time connecting. It’s a crapshoot if I get on, and a miracle if I can stay on. GIVING IN Sometimes I just give in and leave my outport home and go to my place in the city or use the computers at the College of the North Atlantic in Marystown. I don’t suppose Aliant will ever pay for my gas or for my long distance cell phone bills. Sometimes I make my phone calls from the shop, or from my mother’s, tying up those lines for much too long. I have a package I pay for on my phone so I can make the calls I need to. My mother doesn’t have a package, neither does the store. I have to pay full price for daytime long distance calls I make on those lines, and pay for a package I can’t use at my own home. I also pay for Internet service that isn’t available to me half the time. Every call I make outside of the Bay L’Argent exchange is long distance. Aliant is making a killing off outport folks like me. We need to make appointments and stay in touch with the world outside our little village. I don’t think that access to a phone line that works is too much to ask for. My phone went down on Sept. 5 and I was told I would have to wait until Sept. 12 to have it repaired. The nice lady I swore at and called ugly
names said she would try and “escalate” the issue and get someone sooner. Aliant did issue me a credit for my phone days down — $1.18 this month for my service, or lack thereof. I would rather be paying a $100 phone bill and have the service I deserve than have a free month. That buck of credit just doesn’t cut it. Update: Aliant came to fix the problem the day after I called. The technician replaced an outside cable that ran into my basement. The drill he had didn’t work. He asked to use mine. I didn’t get him one. I didn’t know where to look. He made do and ran the cable through an old vent instead of where it “should” go. He said it “shouldn’t” matter. Things seem to be working for now. I’ll see after the next rainfall. The gentleman who came to my home seemed knowledgeable — as all have been — and took the time to explain what he was doing. He also indicated the problem was not unique to me, and that the cables in my area are “old” and need to be replaced. He indicated that, until that happened, I would probably continue to have the same problems after each rainfall. I called Aliant to check on my credit and make sure I didn’t owe a bill this month. I was offered a “customer satisfaction” credit of a further $50. This was a first for me. I accepted the credit. However, when I mentioned I would like to speak to a media relations person, I was asked if I “really want(ed) to do that” since they had spent “a lot of money and time” to get me back up and running. I said I did. Peter called me back, and then Pam. Pam will look into the situation for me, and I believe she will do what she can. It just doesn’t feel “quite right” that it took this long to get this far. I wonder about all the “others” out in outports like mine who just put up and shut up. It took a lot of vocalizing to get listened to. I hope it’s worth the aggravation it took to get me here. Pam Pardy Ghent lives in Harbour Mille on the Burin Peninsula. Her column returns Sept. 29.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
24 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
High fashion ‘just one of my lives’: designer By Bernadette Morra Torstar wire service
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Actress Mischa Barton and fashion designer Christopher Bailey arrive for the annual Fashion Rocks concert in New York September 7, 2006. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
y the time guest of honour, Burberry designer Christopher Bailey, finally raced onto the red carpet outside Holt Renfrew at 12:30 a.m., most rain-soaked stargazers had packed it in. Making the rounds during the Toronto International Film Festival last week, Bailey, was showing remarkable stamina. He was coming from cocktails with 100 of the country’s best Burberry customers, many of whom were flown in by Holt Renfrew for the evening. That was followed by a screening of Volver with Reese Witherspoon and Christina Ricci, in a pretty gold Burberry dress. “I don’t think I’ll be having dinner tonight,” Bailey, a charming Yorkshire native, had stated earlier in the day during an interview in one of Holt Renfrew’s glossy private shopping salons. It wouldn’t have been a problem except he had also missed dinner the night before, when he had taken to the stage with Brittany Murphy at the Fashion Rocks gala in New York. But Bailey wasn’t complaining. He’s not the type. Ask anyone — former Gucci designer Tom Ford, who Bailey assisted from 1996 to 2001, Donna Karan, who he worked for after fashion
“There is nothing that makes any of us superior.” Christopher Bailey college, or anyone he now deals with and they will all tell you the same thing: Christopher Bailey is fashion’s Mr. Nice Guy. “I try to treat people the way I would like to be treated,” explains Bailey, 35, the son of a carpenter, and a mom who worked in visual display for Marks & Spencer. “This is just one of my lives. I live in London and I work very, very hard. But I also have a home in the country with family and old school friends who don’t know anything about this international life I lead. They see pictures of me in the newspapers and laugh, and then we talk about what’s going on in our little village. So I have a very cosmopolitan life. And I have a very provincial life, too.” Toronto is Bailey’s third stop in a whirlwind jaunt which also included L.A. and tea with Selma Blair, Mischa Barton and Witherspoon at the Beverly Hills mansion of Juicy Couture cofounder Pam Skaist-Levy.
The party, with Holt’s stripped of its third floor clothing racks and entire shoe department to make way for bars and a dance floor, marked Burberry’s 150th year in business. Bailey has helped propel the firm from a stodgy British raincoat company to a $1.3 billion juggernaut embraced by hipsters and grannies alike. His strategy is much like that of Ford who did the same for Gucci: take the brand’s signatures — in this case the trench coat, a beige and red check, and a knight on horseback logo — and make them cool. A key look for fall is the quilted leather Manor Bag ($1,425 to $1,850 at Holt’s), Burberry’s latest entry into the status handbag market. But the whole my-purse-is-better-than-your-purse game isn’t one Bailey condones. “There is nothing that makes any of us superior,” he says. “We are all equal in life and death.” His face darkens, because that’s a lesson he learned the hard way when his partner, MiuMiu brand merchandise director Geert Cloet, succumbed to brain cancer last summer. “When you lose someone that you love more than anything in life, you realize that you can have all the privileges in the world, but unless you have your health, you have nothing.”
‘So many pluses’ From page 21 nan’s pink and purple sewing machine. Now 25, she is startlingly proficient at selling her wares. Her webpage (where she sells most of her clothes) is modern and slick, she hosts “Sechions” where customers can come and peruse her clothes and be tailored to fit, and she just launched her ’06 fall/winter line in a roving fashion show where models sporting her new pieces catwalked from bar to bar in downtown St. John’s. Women who don’t fit the mould established by franchise stores are snapping up the made-from-scratch pieces. “That’s how it became a business in the first place,” says Hodder. “I was making clothes to order for people with different body types. Like women who had really tiny waists and big bums that couldn’t find pants to fit — I would make something for them.” Charlotte Reid, of Charlotte Street designs, is fast-becoming the poster girl for St. John’s independent design. Her clothes can be found at Living Planet’s new upstairs boutique, Johnny Ruth on Water Street, and Devon House on Duckworth. Her signature style is recycled items, reimagined from clothing culled from second-hand stores. Paneled skirts with serged seams of every incarnation can be found, many bearing the Newfoundland Liberation Army graphic (a musical army bearing fiddles and guitars instead of swords and guns) on one side and a silhouette of a rocker chick on the other. Sleeves salvaged from old sweaters become legwarmers and wrist warmers, and her winter line will include cozy wraps to remain fashionable even in the dead of winter. Reid says there are many reasons to buy her unique creations. “There are so many pluses!” she
laughs. “I’m recycling, plus I support local charities because I’m buying all their clothes, and I try to keep it within a reasonable price point.” Dave Hopeley, who sells Reid’s designs at his store, Living Planet, says he is more of an editor than a designer, but he has proven himself instrumental in altering the wardrobes of countless locals and tourist alike. From the iconic “Free NFLD” tshirts to the “I ♣ Baby Seals,” his ideas have created so much buzz that national media have come looking at what all the fuss is about. He says sales this summer are on par with last season’s and both locals and tourists are snapping up their tees. “Tourism keeps going up every year so we keep seeing new faces and then we are also trying to put out new designs for our own local market,” he says. “In fact, we won’t put out a design if we don’t think it will appeal to the local market. We don’t really cater to the tourists. Incidentally, we get a lot of tourist sales because the tourists want to buy what the locals are wearing.” Hopeley says local designers are enjoying more shelf space in downtown St. John’s because storeowners are confident sales are good and can try out riskier clothes. That’s great news for young designers like Hodder and Reid. Not only will shoppers be able to pick up vibrant and exclusive designs locally, the women can build on their next career moves: Hodder is starting to export her clothes internationally, and Reid will travel to Ireland to attach Charlotte Street to a European label for international distribution. Read: Spurn the prefabricated fashions of clothing giants (you know who they are) and doll yourself up in a vital, one-of-a-kind wardrobe. Then boast proudly and claim you wore them when. mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
Weigh out
O
h, no, I’ve gained a tenth of a Britney Spears today! Better than that half a Lindsay Lohan I put on last week (I think). The Celebrity Weighing Scale from Angry (http://www.angryretail.com/store/index_flash.html) will keep you from obsessing over numbers but appeals to your celebrity addiction. Now you can compare yourself to Roseanne, Mr. Ed and King Kong (on the heavy side) or Baby Jesus and Oliver Twist (lightweights). The online Angry company, which is based in Ireland, appears willing to ship to Canada. Price is 30 Euros plus shipping. And for those more attuned to nature than celebrities, the company offers an animal scale — are you akin to a duck or, er, a pig? — Torstar wire service
Thinking outside the box
L
et’s face it, the average funeral is a dreary affair. And the coffin, that boring wooden box with the gilt handles — surely there’s something cooler than that to be buried in? Trust the designing Europeans to come up with a whole new take on burials. The Cocoon, made by the German firm Uono, is a coffin made of natural materials that biodegrades in 10 to 15 years and can also be used for cremation, the company says. It comes in a bunch of great colours, even a custom one if you choose. The price is around 3,000 Euros — in Europe, that is. Andreas Spiegel, who founded Uono in 2005, said by e-mail, “We are planning to enter the U.S. and probably Canada (by the) end of 2006 or beginning of 2007.” Before that, sorry Canucks, you’re probably stuck with the wooden box. — Torstar wire service
On a roll
A
re you old enough to remember coloured toilet paper? Those pastel pinks, yellows, greens were just so tacky and unnecessary. Well, they’re back, sort of. But forget the pastels — this is in-your-face red, orange, green and black. Your guests will certainly notice a roll of this stuff in your bathroom. And the product is so colour-appropriate for Halloween and Christmas, too. A brief in the Los Angeles Daily News even burbled that the sheets are “so fabulous they can even do double-duty as cocktail napkins for parties.” Pulleeze. (Though the company does claim its vivid colours meet environmental standards and don’t bleed out of the paper in water.) Available from http://www.renovacolors.com (which ships to Canada), the coloured paper costs $150 U.S. for a carton of 45 rolls. Let’s see, that’s $3.33 U.S. a roll and, hmm, it doesn’t say how many sheets in a roll, so the President’s Choice stuff is a better deal, but pallid in comparison, of course. — Torstar wire service
What’s new in the automotive industry
SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006
FEATURED VEHICLE
DEFINITION OF ELEGANCE Refined performance. One-of-a-kind presence. The 2006 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas (VDP) is a truly modern update of a timeless classic. The flagship of the Jaguar line, the XJ8 is where high style meets the height of luxury. With a 300-horsepower V8 engine, ZF six-speed automatic transmission, 3-stage heated front and rear seats, 320-watt Alpine Premium sound system, touchscreen DVD-based navigation and luxurious extras this vehicle combines luxury and performance in one package. The Jaguar XJ8 is available at Global Imports, 934 Topsail Rd. Photo taken at the Basilica in the heart of St. John’s. Paul Daly/The Independent
Keep on truckin’ Truck: To exchange; barter. Trade goods; to have dealings.
T
hat’s exactly what it means to have a truck. When you own one someone is always calling you up to move something. I always remind them about the exchange and barter clause in my dealings with their truckage. Truckers, especially in Newfoundland, are fond of hobbles, which is defined as “a small job” but actually involves “a huge undertaking.” I’ve had a lot of trucks and in turn
have enjoyed all the emoluments and privilege of hobbling. But my favourite combination of skills includes: TREE REMOVAL HOBBLE Is there anything a guy with a truck and a chainsaw can’t do? I’m wearing the plaid shirt, the ball cap on “lock” and a big pair of boots for taking over the world. (Yes, I have pants on, baggy black track pants covered in
MARK WOOD
WOODY’S WHEELS
sawdust.) People call me up and say, “I have a tree that needs to go.” “Wood is my middle name,” I like to reply. Trees shake to their very roots when I walk by. Next thing you know I’m out on their lawn waving around my chainsaw — the bayman’s light-sabre. Yep, you called Dr. Wood, I’m going to have to amputate that tree. Every now and
then there’s a delicate touch required — try not to land on the flowers and naturally miss the house. You have to check wind direction and velocity. A 40-foot tree is just like a kite and the wind can take it regardless of the felling notch. If it all works out I could quite possibly attain one of the highest status symbols in any small town. TRUCKLOAD OF WOOD GUY You see them on the weekend, load of wood in the back, truck sagging on its springs, going slowly up the road.
Men stop in their tracks to admire it. Women hanging clothes on the line, gossiping, inhale a sharp breath and exclaim, “Dassafineload!” You never go straight home with a load of wood. Nooo, you cruise around for a while (drives the “wimmen mad”), head on over to the store where all the other truckloads of wood are. The b’ys all mill about sizing up the quality, quantity and variety, making discreet inquiries. Allow me to transliterate, I’m fluent See “Women blushed,” page 27
26 • INDEPENDENTSHIFT
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Retirement sets stage for comeback M
ichael Schumacher, who Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham, said last week he’s retiring Jochen Rindt and Pedro Rodriguez — at the end of the season, will every single one of them an F1 race now likely win his eighth world winner. championship. How about Jackie Stewart He, and Ferrari, appear to in the 1971 season? He won have defending champion six of 11 races that year for Fernando Alonso and Tyrrell. Look who he had to Renault on the run (and ratbeat: Ronnie Peterson, tled, to boot). And, as a Denis Hulme, Emerson result of the team’s Fittipaldi, Jacky Ickx, Mario announcement following Andretti, Jean-Pierre his retirement statement, Beltois, Clay Regazzoni, he’ll now have both current and those were just the guys NORRIS teammate Felipe Massa and in the top tier. MCDONALD new Ferrari hire Kimi Also out there were Raikkonen riding shotgun Francois Cevert, Jo Siffert, for him in the last three Chris Amon, Rolf races. Stommelen, Mark Donohue, Eight world champiTim Schenken, Howden onships. Wow. And all those other Ganley and Peter Gethin. They might records, too. He really must be the not have been first across the line in best of all time. F1 races but they were sure nipping at Or is he? Is it because he drove for the heels of the front-runners. the best-financed team in Formula How about Alain Prost in 1985? One that he was almost unbeatable? Driving a McLaren, he won five of Or is it because he raced in an era the 16 races that year. He had to beat when the F1 talent pool was not what Michele Alboreto, Keke Rosberg, you could call top-notch? Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Elio de For fun, let’s take a quick look at Angelis, Nelson Piquet, Jacques some former world champions and Laffite and Niki Lauda. the people they had to beat in order to And after those guys came Trevor get to the top of the mountain. Johansson, Patrick Tambay, Philippe In 1965, for instance, Jim Clark in a Streiff, Steffan Bellof, Andrew Lotus won six of 10 races to capture deCesaris and Rene Arnoux, to name the title. But look who he had to beat a few more. to get there: Graham Hill, Jackie Like Clark and Stewart before him, Stewart, Dan Gurney, John Surtees, Prost had to beat off challenges from Lorenzo Bandini, Richie Ginther, some formidable foes.
TRACK TALK
German Michael Schumacher celebrates after he won the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at Montmelo racetrack near Barcelona June 2, 1996. It was Schumacher's first win for Ferrari. Manuel Lopez Figueroa/Reuters
And then, how about Ayrton Senna? In 1990, he finished first in six of 16 races for McLaren. En route, he had to beat Prost, Piquet, Gerhard Berger, Mansell, Thierry Boutsen, Jean Alesi, Alessando Nannini and Derek Warwick. Schumacher? Two years ago, in 2004, he won his seventh world championship. He won 13 of 18 races. Two of the other five were won by his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, main-
ly because he let him. The remaining two races were won by McLaren drivers Juan Montoya and Raikkonen. Every other driver in that 2004 F1 field (except for Fernando Alonso, who was starting to come into his own, and Jarno Trulli, who still has flashes of brilliance) is popular in some circles but is still, when it comes to the big picture, largely forgettable. I include here names like Jenson
Button, David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Antonio Pizzonia, Christian Klien, Cristiano da Matta, Timo Glock and Zsolt Baumgartner. Oh, and Takumo Sato. I could go on, but I think you get my point. Having said that, I was surprised for a couple of reasons when Schumacher announced his retirement. First, he’s still the best driver in Formula One (even if it is watereddown; he’s still the best of the current bunch). He’s physically fit and mentally sharp and still has the killer instinct to win at all costs (witness Alonso’s mid-week diatribe about his ruthlessness). Second, great athletes are very reluctant to give up the glory. They usually leave the arena when their bodies can’t take the punishment any more, or their skills start to deteriorate. Wayne Gretzky was nearly in tears in New York that day seven years ago when he had to hang up his skates for good. Ditto Larry Walker at the end of his last baseball season. But Schumacher didn’t seem to be upset at all. Why? Because he’s not really leaving; he will remain with Ferrari in an as-yet “undefined” role. Translation: he’s going to be at the factory and he’s going to be at the test track and he’s going to be looking over the shoulders of Raikkonen and Massa. And when things just don’t seem to be going right next season, or the season after, you can bet that Michael will take the car out for a test run. And I’ll bet you he drives it really fast. And then he’ll make his comeback. CASCAR & NASCAR The deal announced Sept. 12 by NASCAR Canada and the Canadian Tire Corp. is a win-win for just about everybody involved in stock car racing in this country. The renaming of the CASCAR Super Series — it will now be called the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series — had been expected for the last two years, ever since NASCAR established a Canadian marketing arm and teamed up with TSN to promote racing on TV and the NASCAR brand. And that brand is magic. It screams out Big League and it will do for stock car racing in Canada what it’s done for the sport in the United States. You know, people look at the Goliath that is NASCAR today and say it became huge as a direct result of: a) the fight between the Allisons and Cale Yarborough at the Daytona 500 in 1979 that caught the eye of mainstream America; b) the TV camera in the car when Yarborough made a last-corner, last-lap pass to win at Daytona in 1983 (“Country rides with Cale,” said one headline); c) “foreignborn” drivers taking over the (at the time) more-popular Indy car series after American-born drivers like A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford and Al Unser Sr. retired. I say bosh to all of those reasons. Here’s what did it. In 1990, Bill France Jr. announced that the post-season awards banquet would no longer be held in Daytona Beach or Charlotte or any other southern U.S. city. Instead, from then on the gala ceremony would be held in New York City, in the famous, and ultra hoity-toity, Waldorf Astoria Hotel ballroom. And it would be black tie. That simple geographic relocation, complete with dress code, signalled to Madison Avenue and the rest of Corporate America that NASCAR was no longer a regional racing series populated by good ol’ boys. At that moment, NASCAR announced to the world that it was goin’ downtown. It has not looked back since. And Canada is now officially in on the action. Hold on. It’s going to be a great ride.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTSHIFT • 27
Women blushed and clutched children to their mothers’ aprons From page 25
Chevy Tahoe
What’s in a name? JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO DRIVE A BIG TRUCK, WRITES LORRAINE SOMMERFELD, DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD NAME YOUR CHILD AFTER ONE
I
once worked for a very nice man. He was about 45, had a you off a light like they’re in a top fuel dragster, and cut you wife and two kids, and even after he fired me, I liked him. off on the highway like they’re in a Maserati. I mean, you wouldn’t be reading this today if he But I’ve noticed something weirder still over the hadn’t. OK, you may get different mileage out of that past few years. Instead of actually buying these last sentence than I do. vehicles, people are now just naming their kids He pulled up to the office one day in a new van. As after them. While it’s nice to give Junior a distinche came through the door, he looked mighty cresttive name, cruising a car lot for ideas is just nuts. fallen for a man who had a new vehicle. Remember when celebrities started naming their “Hey, Pete,” I greeted him. “Nice van.” kids after countries and cities and states and plan“MINI-van,” he corrected me. And looked at me ets? Odd, but I figure if you can afford the therapy, with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen that weren’t on you can do whatever you want. Some offered up a basset hound. way too much information, claiming their offspring LORRAINE I’m not sure who was more shallow: him for havhad actually been conceived in these places, but I SOMMERFELD ing such disdain for a vehicle I would have been never bought that. All the kids were hatched in thrilled to own, or me for thinking men are idiots Ireland or China or Dayton, but never Beirut or when it comes to minivans. Poughkeepsie or Pittsburgh. As if. As he moped around, I tried to point out that his Names have been filched for years from luxury life at that point, with kids and sports and a cottage, cars like Mercedes and Porsche (though almost demanded a minivan. I told him when I’d had Shakespeare can take credit for most of the one it had been fabulous. When he started crying in earnest, I Portias). Might as well announce straight up that your daughknew I’d finally gone too far. It was fine for me, a mom with ter is going to be major high maintenance. It pretty much kids and sports and a cottage, to need a minivan. He didn’t stopped there though; I don’t recall meeting any little Lexus’, care how domesticated I looked. He cared how domesticated Jaguars, or Cadillacs. he looked. But now I think men have discovered there is more than one As I handed him a tissue, he leaned in close and whispered way to get a Tahoe. Or a Dakota, a Ranger, a Sierra, a Sonoma, something in my ear I have never forgotten. or a Scout. And of course then you have all the fun of mess“Tahoe,” he whimpered. ing with the spelling, so that little Dekoada meets up in kinderHe wanted a Tahoe. A Tahoe was the symbol of all things garten with little Seeayra. I wouldn’t name my kid after a truck, if for no other reason manly. He wanted a trailer hitch, a winch and a lift kit, not a makeup mirror, cup holders and stowaway seating. I told him than there will be 20 other kids with that name when he gets to school. The other problem is that if I’m going to covet a truck to suck it up and wait until the kids moved out. I know we’re surrounded by road rage, but I swear the mad- I can’t have and foist my wishes onto my offspring, he’ll have dest people on the road are middle-aged guys in minivans. I to wear the foolishness of my whimsy for the rest of his life. “Come here, little F-150.” call it Tahoe Syndrome in honour of Pete. As if making up for www.lorraineonline.ca the fact they’re driving a mom-mobile, these guys will drag
POWER SHIFT
in almost every nuance and shade of dialect: “Whadda ya at?” (Hello.) “Nudding.” (Greetings fellow countryman.) “Ladda juniper in dat load, ye must be cuttin’ in d’mash.” (What we need is a proletariat revolution.) “I got datoff m’bruderinlaw’s hill.” (You’ll never do lunch in this town again.) They all have the sweet smell of fresh cut wood on them and leave a trail of sawdust in the store. Later, you’ll see them leaning on their trucks in the driveway, framed by a neat row of wood drying in the sun … absolutely basking in their wood-cutting trucking glory. The last bit of trucking I did was a personal best, I’ve been waiting for this chance all my life. There were maple trees in St. John’s that needed to go. After all the fridges, furniture and friggin’ around I finally got to truck a tree that I
couldn’t even get my arms around. My chainsaw has a 16-inch blade and I had to stick it in the tree trunk and walk around to cut the 100-yearold beast. It was quite a show, cars slowed down to watch and someone always asked what I was doing. What is it with people and a load of wood? Three pieces filled the truck. Blocked solid. It took two people with rope and a ramp to move them. Weighed a couple of hundred pounds each. B’ys at the store were speechless. Eventually I took seven truckloads home, they’re absolutely beautiful. One has to admire the deep rich whorls in the fine grain. I sip coffee in the mornings, basking in the massive maple trucking sunshine while you drive by. Mark Wood of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s hails from generations of mill-workers and tree harvesters in Grand Falls-Windsor and is probably the first of his clan to work on the ink side of newsprint.
28 • INDEPENDENTFUN
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Duel souvenir 5 B.C. neighbour 9 Ship’s heading 12 Ancient grain 17 Tosca tune 18 French park 19 Pod vegetable 20 Relieve 21 Inconsistent 24 Focus of Ottawa spring festival 25 Clerical office 26 Meech ___ 27 Ancient Persian 28 Exist 29 Unclothed 30 Tells all 33 Position 36 Chief 37 Witty remark 38 Unruly crowd 41 Road ___ 42 Disfigure 43 More certain 44 Japan’s capital, once 45 Non-aviating avian 46 English noble 47 National symbols 48 Ready for the OR 49 Rouse to action 51 Screwdriver 52 An educated ___ 53 Having many colours 57 Yukon’s official
bird 60 Hind part 61 Sask. town with “world’s largest grasshopper” 64 Corner of a sail 65 Has on 67 Papa’s spouse 68 Hasty escape 70 Damage 71 Moon closest to Jupiter 72 Pot de ___ gras 73 Early worm eater 74 Greek letter 75 Kind of cod 76 Place in Parliament 77 Slope 78 Coronet 80 Vocalist Arden 81 Ghostly greeting 82 Comedian Cullen 84 Enormous 85 Of delicate beauty 88 Photo holder 90 500-channel receiver (2 wds.) 93 Sauce for nachos 94 Mick Jagger’s title 95 Kiln 96 Thought 97 Prepare to be knighted 98 Chapter in history 99 From soup to ___ 100 Socially inept genius
DOWN 1 French bag 2 Gator’s cousin 3 Japanese aboriginal 4 The old 9-to-5 (2 wds.) 5 With speed 6 Woman 7 Start of a threesome 8 Plaudits 9 Orated 10 Dried out 11 “I did it my ___.” 12 Used the chairs 13 What the tower of Pisa is not 14 Our most northerly island 15 Put down 16 Hunt and peck 22 Hard to find 23 Mountain lake 29 Remove water from a boat 30 Town or city 31 Can’t stand, perhaps 32 Spring mo. 33 Before: prefix 34 Ovine young 35 Shivering fit 36 Wed 37 Misgiving 39 Poetry 40 Hits 42 Letters 43 Single-masted boat 46 Gentry’s “public
school” 47 Moulds 48 The ref drops it 50 Eject forcefully 51 Fri. preceder 52 Venomous lizard 54 Lauzon of “Air Farce” 55 Expect 56 Measure of duration 57 National force 58 Lament 59 Genuine 62 Pelvic bones 63 Receive wages 65 Golfer Mike 66 Italy’s highest volcano 67 Wordless complaint 69 Alta. summer time 71 Provincial rep. 72 “The Jewel of the Kawarthas”: ___ Falls, Ont. 73 Frenchman who crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope (1859) 76 Wise one 77 French silk 79 Occupied (2 wds.) 80 Director of “Mon Oncle Antoine” 81 Rolls of furniture stuffing 82 Prov. with Athabasca Sand Dunes wilderness park
83 Flair 84 Locks 85 Area: abbr.
86 Beach sweeper 87 Belgian river 89 Bad: prefix
90 Wind dir. 91 She wrote Runaway: Diary of a
Street Kid 92 Once owned Solutions page 30
WEEKLY STARS ARIES (MAR. 21 TO APR. 19) An offer to help with a stalled project should reassure you that you have a workable plan in spite of the problems in getting it up and running. The week’s end brings more positive news. TAURUS (APR. 20 TO MAY 20) A past problem about a workplace situation re-emerges early in the week. Talking things out helps ease tensions by midweek, but some hurt feelings could linger a few more days. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) Optimistic aspects dominate your efforts. However, expect to confront some criticism, some of which might be valid, so keep an open mind. But overall, it’s your views that will count. CANCER
(JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) Social interaction with new people, especially on the job, could be a bit strained in the early part of the week. But the awkwardness passes as you get to know each other better. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Expect news about a follow-up to a workplace change that could make a difference in your career path. Meanwhile, new friends widen the circle for all you social Lions who love to party. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) Enjoy your well-earned plaudits for a job well done. But be aware that some people might not share your colleagues’ admiration, and you might have to work harder to win them over. LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) It’s a good week to recheck your
probably already overlong to-do list and decide what to keep and what to discard. Lose the clutter, and focus your energy on what’s really important. SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) This is a good time to take a new perspective on what you’ve been offered. Expanding your view could help to uncover any plusses or minuses that weren’t apparent at first. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) Applying the usual methods to this week’s unique challenges might not work too well. Instead, use your creativity to find a way to resolve any impasse that develops. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) So what if fate throws some obstacles in your path this week? Just keep in mind that the sure-footed
and resolute Goat can get past any barrier by focusing on the goals up ahead. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) This week calls for better communication with people in both your private life and the workplace. Start by asking questions, and then pay close attention to the answers. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MAR. 20) Potentially beneficial workplace changes could be closer than you realize. Make sure you know what’s going on so that you’re not left high and dry when the good things happen. YOU BORN THIS WEEK: You’re not timid about pushing to have your aims realized once you’ve set your mind to accomplishing your goals. (c) 2006 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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 30
INDEPENDENTSPORTS
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006 — PAGE 29
Paul Daly/The Independent
By Paul Smith For The Independent
T
he leaves are changing colour and there’s a nip in the morning air: it’s moose hunting time again. “Got to get me moose, b’y,” sings Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers. Old friends meet in the mall and what’s their first line after “what are ya at?” “Got either licence this fall?” Moose hunting has become a rite of autumnal equinox, a celebration of the season, a reaping of our island’s wilderness bounty. Maybe it’s less ritualistic but more fundamental. Newfoundlanders just love the outdoors and take every opportunity to get out on the country. The venison’s not bad either. For certain, moose hunting is woven tightly into the fabric of Newfoundland culture. Not bad for an ugly duckling cousin of our majestic Woodland Caribou — and not even native to our fair land. Alces alces Americana, the eastern moose, first set foot in Newfoundland near Gander Bay in 1878. A pair of moose were imported from Nova Scotia and released into the wild, but their final fate remains a mystery. In addition to our ever-present bears, there were wolves roaming the island in those days. In any event, our ancestors wanted moose and were characteristically persistent. In 1904, four more moose — two males and two females — were brought in from the Miramichi area of New Brunswick. This time they were released near Howley, and flourished. The first moose ever shot in Newfoundland was a lone bull beside the Gander River in 1912, possibly a male from the Gander Bay pair, but we’ll never know for sure. In 1935, Newfoundland had its first legal moose hunt and we’ve never looked back. Through the decades moose have colonized every nook and cranny of our province, including many offshore islands. Their population currently stands at
Moose capital of the world
In honour of the big game season upon us, outdoor enthusiast Paul Smith takes a look at the history and significance of moose about 150,000. There are estimated to be 500,000 or more moose in Canada. That means Newfoundland could have 30 per cent of the whole Canadian moose population. This is truly a phenomenally successful and beneficial wildlife introduction story. We have become the moose capital of the world. Newfoundlanders love to hunt; indeed we have the highest number of hunters
per capita in North America. We even hunt more than our gun-toting neighbors to the south. For this fall, wildlife managers have issued 26,255 moose licenses in this province. With an estimated success rate of about 66 per cent, that’s 17,330 moose butchered into steaks, roasts, burgers and sausages. The average moose produces 330 pounds of fine-tast-
ing table fare … that’s 3,000 tons of meat in total for the hunters of this province. Moose meat is high in protein, minerals and vitamins and low in cholesterol. The health benefits might be difficult to quantify, but are tangible for sure. The moose is the biggest member of the deer family. They inhabit the boreal and mixed deciduous forests throughout the northern hemisphere in Alaska, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia and all the way to Russia. “Moose” has descended into English from the Algonquian “mus” or “mooz,” which means twig-eater. Moose seem to influence culture wherever they roam. Check out the foolishness of Monty Python: “A moose once bit my sister and mynd you, a moose bite can be pretty nasty.” Vehicle safety is determined in Scandinavia via a “moose test.” In an ad campaign, Volvo warned drivers choosing Japanese cars: “There are no moose in Japan.” The prestigious automaker Mercedes was quite embarrassed when its Benz Aclass failed the moose test. Engineers embarked immediately on modifications. There’s also a famous moose in astrophysics — scientist Tycho Brahe had a pet moose that died when it fell over the stairs in his castle observatory. Newfoundland might have one of the densest moose populations in the world, but we haven’t quite monopolized its cultural influence. With little regard to auto marketing or Monty Python, Newfoundlanders young and old, male and female, will take to the woods this fall to kill a moose. There will be boil-ups with strong steeped tea, homemade bread, and tinned beans warmed in the fire. The meal will surely include banter on hunts gone by, shots made and shots messed up — all goodnatured of course. Some hunters will be lucky and get See “Hunting choices,” page 30
‘I’ll leave it to a duck-hunting poet …’ Paul Smith thinks back to the first day of his first duck season, 30 years ago
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he summer has passed by so quickly. Trouting season closed Sept. 7 and that sickening “never did enough” gnaw in my stomach followed me around all day. I know it’s crazy. I did more than my share of fishing this summer. I’ve consulted with my wife and she agrees I’m crazy, and she’s positive I spent sufficient time up to my butt in water. She always seems annoyed when I bring this up — guess I’ll just have to keep it bottled up inside. Yesterday I detailed my annual endof-fishing nausea to a psychologist coworker. He was quite amused and bluntly told me it was all in my head.
PAUL SMITH
The Rock
Outdoors That, after I had wasted my whole coffee break on a dead-end quest for help, instead of reading the Fly Anglers Online Forum or chatting with my fishing buddies. “Ten years in university and that’s all you can come up with? Not even any psycho physical manifestation mumbo jumbo?” He did refer me to an acquaintance of his who was in the
middle of a doctoral thesis on addiction. I decided to pass on professional help, and opted for self-therapy. I went back to my office and surfed the Internet for the latest in all-weather camo jackets and shotguns. Duck season opens Sept. 16 and I need to be ready. Like a kid on Christmas morning, cliché I know, but that’s me on the opening day of duck season. I could attempt a detailed description how I feel when daylight breaks on opening day, but it would take way too many words, and still I could never do justice. I’ll leave it to a duck-hunting poet to tackle that one.
I’m 46 years old and I’ve never been anywhere but beside a pond at daybreak on opening day. I’ve hunted in the tail of hurricanes and through ferocious stomach cramps. But those are stories for another time. My first duck season was 1976 and I was 16 years old. I had my first job that summer — construction work. It was tough work for a kid but it paid well; eight bucks an hour for 40 hours a week. That’s $320 a week and I was living with my parents. I arrived home that first Friday evening tired and hungry but with enough cash in my wallet for a new shotgun. In those non-wired days, outdoor
catalogues and magazines were all we had to browse the latest offerings from Winchester, Remington, Browning and Berretta. My copies of SIR-mailorder, Outdoor Stores and LeBaron were well worn. After a hearty supper which I’m sure included gravy, I retired to the living room couch to make my final gun purchase decision. After 30 years, I’m fuzzy on supper that evening, but I remember clearly my dilemma in choosing a shotgun. Although there were many fine shooting irons, I narrowed it down to Browning or Remington. See “Life and gun orders,” page 30
30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS
No holiday for Argos’ brain trust
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he Argonauts scattered across the continent to enjoy a weeklong vacation offered by a break in their schedule last week. However, coach Mike Clemons and general manager Adam Rita, the acting offensive co-ordinator, hunkered down at the team’s Mississauga practice facilities trying to figure out ways of getting the football into the end zone on a more consistent basis. On Sept. 9, the Argos didn’t get across the goal line at all. They only emerged with an 11-9 victory over the dismal Hamilton Tiger-Cats thanks to their league-best defence and place kicker Noel Prefontaine. That has temporarily, at least, lifted them into a firstplace tie with the Noel Prefontaine Montreal Alouettes in the East Division, both with 14 points. However, the Argos have played one more game. But the minds that devise the Argo offence know they can’t continue to rely solely on the defence and Prefontaine down the homestretch to the season. When they return from their bye week, the Argos will face the Calgary Stampeders in back-to-back encounters and then meet the Edmonton Eskimos in a similar doubleheader before ending the regular schedule with single games against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Alouettes. “The biggest thing for us offensively is that we have to go back and take a real good look at finishing,” Clemons said. “We have really moved the ball well at times, but in a couple of our games we just weren’t getting the ball into the end zone. “(Opposing teams) are doing some things to counter what we have been successful at. We have to be ready to counterpunch.” Rita agreed the offensive playbook would have to be “tweaked.” “This coming week, we’ll have a chance to look at ourselves,” he said. “We haven’t had a chance to do that.” — Torstar wire service
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Signing goalies always risky By Damien Cox Torstar wire service
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nce bitten, and still not shy. That’s New York Islanders owner Charles Wang, the erratic Mark Cuban wannabe who has set out to re-invent the hockey wheel. It was Wang, after all, who five years ago created a horrendous financial albatross for the once-proud Islanders to bear by falling in love with the perennially underachieving Alexei Yashin and giving him a monstrous 10-year, $87.5 million (all figures U.S.) contract. The club sacrificed Jason Spezza and Zdeno Chara to get Yashin from Ottawa and the new salary cap system has made the millions owed to the untradeable Yashin each season a major impediment to roster improvement. So you think Wang might be careful of such long-term snags in the future. Not so. On Sept. 12, the Islanders signed an unprecedented and rather bizarre 15year agreement with goalie Rick DiPietro worth $67.5 million. Nobody else signs contracts for even half that term in the NHL. For the next five years, the Isles are now committed to paying a combined $12.1 million per season for Yashin and DiPietro. That’s 28 per cent of the current NHL maximum allowable payroll right off the top for two players, neither one an all-star. But let’s be open-minded for a moment. If Lou Lamoriello, after all, had decided to make this kind of commitment to Martin Brodeur in 1996, it would have proven to be a magnificent piece of deal-making. If the Chicago Blackhawks had signed Ed Belfour to a 15-year contract in 1991, they probably would have got their money’s worth. So if DiPietro develops into the equivalent of either Brodeur or Belfour, then Wang and his hockey cabinet have made a shrewd move indeed by correctly identifying and locking up marquee talent. But look around the NHL. Montreal made Jose Theodore a rich man after he won the Hart Trophy and ended up getting rid of him at a discount last season. Anaheim is now going through the same process with Jean-Sebastien
New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro (R) shakes hands with team owner Charles Wang after signing a landmark 15-year contract with the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, September 12, 2006. DiPietro's salary for each year of the term will be $4.5 million. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Giguere three years after he won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Giguere lost his starting job to Ilya Bryzgalov last season, while San Jose saw the same thing happen to Evgeny Nabokov last season after he signed a lucrative long-term deal. Projecting goalies, even over a three or four-year basis, is a tough, tough business, and those with true lasting value are the exception. The Maple Leafs, you may remember, once sincerely believed Felix Potvin set up their goaltending picture for a decade. What if they’d given The Cat a 15year contract in 1993? But perhaps Wang is just that smart and knows hockey talent that well. The Long Island strategy is to commit to DiPietro for $4.5 million per season, and then hope that as the cap rises — as it did this season to $44 million from $39 million — the contract will provide a fixed cost and an increasingly smaller percentage of the Islander payroll. Most believe he is a good NHL
Sure DiPietro’s promising, but you can bet the cross-town Rangers wouldn’t trade Henrik Lundqvist even up for him, regardless of salary considerations. goalie, close to being in the top 10 in the business but not quite there yet. DiPietro had the 31st-best goalsagainst average in the NHL last season and the 25th-best save percentage. The former Boston University standout has a losing career record with one playoff victory in six appearances. His calling card was once his snazzy ability to move the puck, a skill of reduced value in the NHL these days
due to rules restricting the ability of netminders to roam. Sure DiPietro’s promising, but you can bet the cross-town Rangers wouldn’t trade Henrik Lundqvist even up for him, regardless of salary considerations. Wang will characterize this as a calculated gamble. Well, compare it with the gamble the Flyers took the same day by submitting a one-year, $1.9 million contract proposal to Vancouver winger Ryan Kesler, the first offer sheet for an NHL restricted free agent in eight years. If, as expected, the Canucks match the offer sheet, the Flyers have lost nothing. But if Vancouver, a team right up against the cap, doesn’t match, the Flyers get a solid, young player and give up a second round pick. That’s a smart, calculated, hardnosed hockey gamble. The Islanders, by contrast, are taking a wild and unnecessary flyer on the limited possibility that giving DiPietro an extraordinary contract will ensure he becomes an extraordinary goalie.
Life and gun orders slower in those days From page 29 Browning made a beautiful over and under double barrel with a gold trigger and engraved receiver. Remington excelled in their pumpaction design. The 870 Wingmaster model was crafted from the finest walnut and blued steel, more typical of high-end doubles and semi-autos. I wanted both but had to choose. The price tag on the Remington was $285 at Outdoor Stores in Winnipeg and I had enough. The higher-priced Browning would have to wait for another day, which incidentally hasn’t come yet. Best of all, my father, who was almost as excited as me about a new gun, approved of me spending my full first week’s pay on a shotgun. (My mother was not quite so impressed.) Saturday morning I went to the post office and sent off the money order. Life and gun orders were slower in those days. The big green box from Remington finally arrived mid-August. At least I had time for some pre-season practice, which in those days consisted of cans tossed in the air and clays slung wildly from a hand thrower. I honed some neophyte measure of shooting skill, at least on inanimate objects. I thought I was ready for ducks. Duck season came and detailed plans were meticulously executed. I had been studying The Duck Hunters Bible all summer, but as experi-
ence has painfully taught me, putting theory into practice is often problematic. My buddy and I were in a duck blind, two hours walk from the road, on the western side of a shallow gully, when daylight began to streak across the sky on opening day. We had set our decoys the evening before and there was just enough light to see them bobbing in the earlymorning breeze. We shivered and drank hot coffee from a thermos to combat the morning chill. In a flash, the morning’s silence was broken by the whistling of wings overhead followed by splash after splash as ducks hit the water just outside our spread of decoys. I can’t find words to describe my excitement. I had read all about staying calm and waiting for the ducks to come within that magic 30 yard shooting range. Cool heads did not prevail on opening day 30 years ago. Our shotguns blasted away even before all the birds were on the water. In spite of our folly we managed to down a duck apiece. We were ecstatic and hooked for life but there was much to learn. Paul Smith is a freelance writer living in Spaniard’s Bay, enjoying all the outdoors Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer. flyfishtherock@hotmail.com
Solutions for crossword on page 28
Hunting choices From page 29
Solutions for sudoku on page 28
their moose on opening day; others will have to endure more treks into the country and more smoky boil-ups. Some will hunt using their granddad’s old .303 British Enfield, battered and rust pitted from decades of rough hunting. The neoteric amongst us might choose stainless steel synthetic stocked offerings in the latest hard-hitting magnum calibers. The challenge seekers might venture afield with a compound or longbow, putting meat on the table without the assistance of chemical propellants. Purists like Chris Coombs and Frank Samson of Plum Point wouldn’t dream of harvesting a winter’s meat with anything other than the ultra dependable lever action .30-30, and from a canoe at that. They invariably spot a moose taking an evening drink. Coombs paddles stealthily from the stern at half speed and Samson takes careful aim in the bow. If all goes smoothly, the moose remains oblivious to its sudden demise. Coombs and Samson just toss their quarters of winter meat in the canoe and paddle home. That’s simply the way they choose to hunt. However you choose to hunt, do it safely, and savor your moose and onions. flyfishtherock@hotmail.com
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 31
Davis bio-pic set to make waves
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eteran Canadian director Jerry Ciccoritti has a definite cinematic vision for the swimming scenes he’s filming for the TV movie on Olympic champion Victor Davis — Raging Bull of the pool. That seems an apt choice for a biopic on Davis, an explosive athlete inside and outside the pool who was tragically killed at age 25 by a hitand-run driver in Montreal. Among Davis’ pre-race antics, which included spitting in an opponent’s lane, was to make like a prizefighter, shuffling around and throwing punches. The film is scheduled to air on CBC in March 2007. Starring as Davis is Mark Lutz, a former swimmer whose career was cut short by a
bum shoulder. Lutz penned a first-time screenplay on Davis that completely blew away both Ciccoritti and producer Bernard Zukerman, two Canadian film-making heavyweights. “There’s a certain solitude and intimacy to swimming that is never seen by the general public,” says Lutz. “So much of your time in training and races is spent staring at the bottom of the pool. There’s a lot of stuff that plays inside your head. The fact that he said Raging Bull, (Martin) Scorcese just captured the intimacy of boxing in a way that no one else had.” Once Ciccoritti set himself the goal, he had to figure out how to
achieve it. He notes that swimming presents much larger obstacles compared to many other sports. “Because hockey or boxing or basketball in every movie, you can see everybody’s faces and there’s a different movement and gesture every millisecond,” says Ciccoritti. “But in swimming, somebody dives and they swim to the left, they turn around and swim to the right. You think to yourself, ‘Wow, OK, I got to make that look sexy and hot and really, really, cool …’ But I think we’re figuring that out.” The big plus in having Lutz as the star is they don’t need a body double. A former age group star who got as far as the Canadian Olympic trials,
CLASSIFIED Lutz has worked himself into incredible condition, so much so that when his sister showed up on the set last week she declared he’d have gotten a lot farther in his swimming career had he been as fit then. Davis was a physical specimen in a Speedo and there was conjecture about whether Lutz could fill that bill. “Are you kidding?” Ciccoritti said. “Have you seen our boy without his shirt?” This is a big step up for Lutz, who played Jukka (Brainiac) BrannyAcke in CTV’s Power Play, but is mainly know for playing Groosalugg or Groo, on the WB series Angel. — Torstar wire service
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INDEPENDENTCLASSIFIED FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2006 — PAGE 32
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