2007-01-26

Page 1

VOL. 5 ISSUE 4

ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2007

Hard sell

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PAGE 2

LIFE 17

The Independent launches Valentine’s contest

Rick Mercer responds to criticism of Afghanistan trip

LUCKY RAT

MP Scott Simms shops fallow-field legislation IVAN MORGAN

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P Scott Simms is selling a private members’ bill that would put a time limit on how long oil companies can leave offshore oil fields without developing them. The amendments would require control of oil fields to revert back to the federal and provincial governments if oil companies did not develop them in a timely fashion, a position premier Danny Williams took last fall. “It’s basically use-it-or-lose-it legislation, which dictates to the companies a reminder that they have to make use of this resource and not sit on it like some commodity that increases in value for shareholders,” Simms tells The Independent. “It belongs to — it is a common resource of — the people. “The purpose, I think, is basically to throw a wrench into the system.” Simms says every other jurisdiction in the world has some form of fallow-field legislation. He says the Newfoundland offshore is one of the last jurisdictions in the world not to. “If you look at the royalty regime in Alberta, it is one of the most generous in the world to big oil,” says Simms. “And even they have a form of fallow-field legislation.” Premier Danny Williams was unsuccessful last year in his bid to have the Harper government implement fallowfield legislation for Newfoundland’s offshore. Simms says the Conservatives don’t understand the legislation. “I don’t think the PMO or the Conservative brain trust has actually looked at this.” He won’t get into technical details of the bill, other than to say it has been finalized now for drafting purposes, and See “Provincial support,” page 2

Memorial University graduate student and rat aficionado Dwan Street holds Sally, her sixth pet rat. Sally was recently rescued from a family who had purchased the rat to feed their pet boa constrictor. See story page 10. Paul Daly/The Independent

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Wait time Ten months after patient’s breast cancer test results arrived, she got the news STEPHANIE PORTER

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isa Morgan knew tissue samples from her breast cancer were sent to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto for retesting, part of Eastern Health’s effort to address possible inaccuracies in hundreds of test results. She watched media coverage of the questionable testing unroll over the past 15 months. Through the hundreds of tissue samples being retested, more than 100 patients were given new treatment regimes. Morgan (not her real name) says she called the cancer clinic regularly, more than 30 times over the course of the year, for an update. Two weeks ago, she met with a doctor at the Health Science Centre. She got the news: her test results had changed, and she could begin new treatment immediately. The kicker? “I had to ask to find out when the results came back,” Morgan says. “And (the doctor’s assistant) went out to find him … eventually she came back and said ‘your testing came back March 2006.’ “I said ‘What?’ … then the doctor came back in, sat next to me, and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ But ‘sorry’ doesn’t cut it.” Morgan says she hasn’t been given

any explanation for the 10 months that elapsed after the arrival of her results. And she’s worried that delay may have further compromised her health. Morgan is one of more than 900 breast cancer patients, dating back as far as 1997, whose tissue samples were sent to Ontario for retesting. The outcome of the test — which examines hormone receptors in breast cancer cells for estrogen and progesterone — help physicians determine what course of treatment the patient should undergo after surgery. A positive result usually means the cancer may respond to hormone treatment like Tamoxifen, taken orally and generally considered to carry less side effects than chemotherapy. A negative result means hormone therapy is not an option. According to the final results of the retesting — released by Eastern Health last December — 117 patients have since been advised they require treatment changes. Morgan was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago. She underwent a lumpectomy and six months of chemotherapy, “which made me so sick I was hospitalized twice.” Now, faced with the possibility of a new and different treatment, she says her “whole world is turned upside down.”

“The gates of Auschwitz were not opened with peace talks.”

— Rick Mercer, responding to a Noreen Golfman column. See page 17

IN CAMERA 8-9

Forgiven Southern Shore woman’s life takes turn after forgiving her father’s killer By Sheena Goodyear For The Independent

E

A wintry trip around the Irish Loop

GALLERY 18

Craft Year 2007 begins with celebratory exhibit Movie review . . . . . . . . . . . . . Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Woody’s Wheels . . . . . . . . . . Power Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20 21 25 29

See “Another year,” page 12

very now and then, Anne Marie Hagan gathers a couple of bottles of homemade bakeapple or blueberry jam and brings them to the man who murdered her father with an axe. The gift is a gesture of kindness. She admires the man for having the strength and courage to rebuild his life, while at the same time knowing he killed her father, Thomas Hagan, 27 years ago. The man will be named Sam for this story’s purposes. Sam, who declined an interview, was mentally ill when he killed Thomas Hagan. “How can I not admire someone like that?” Anne Marie Hagan asks a class of third-year political science students at Memorial University in St. John’s. “When you get past the fact, of course, that he murdered my father.” Sam had a hard life. His mother died in childbirth when he was four years old. Sam grew up in an orphanage in St. John’s while his father worked away as a fisherman. Growing up, he and his siblings would visit their father during summers and holidays in Hagan’s hometown of Kingman’s Cove, a fishing village on the Southern Shore. Sam stayed with his father next door to the Hagan family. Hagan’s mother used to cut his hair.

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Anne Marie Hagan and her father, Thomas.

Sam developed schizophrenia at 20 — a mental disorder that caused him to see and hear things that were not real. His father passed away, and his siblings left town. Sam stayed, his illness worsened, deteriorating to the point that he mistook hallucinations for reality. Hagan, meanwhile, grew up in a happy, healthy family. “I grew up in an environment where us and my mother were our father’s whole life,” Hagan says, smiling. “I grew up with a beautiful childhood.” In the summer of 1979 Hagan was 19 years old and home from her first year of nursing school. See “I went into,” page 4


2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 26, 2007

The FPI saga continues

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t was one of the most exciting business stories of the year. It had all the drama one could hope for and it unfolded before our eyes. The story had everything: backstabbing, greed, politics, a battle for money, and a battle for power. It was a tale of business titans and political warriors. Let’s go back to where it started … late winter, 2001. A group of dissident shareholders — many of them direct competitors of Fishery Products International — had managed to purchase enough company shares to influence the board of directors. The plan was simple: led by John Risley and Derrick Rowe, they intended to take control of the board and increase shareholder value. Vic Young, FPI’s then-president and CEO, was the man at the centre of the debate. He voiced opposition to the proposed change in direction and the fight was on. There would be a shareholder vote in the spring and like any good election, winning the hearts and minds of shareholders would be key to victory. A good business story has to have a wrinkle to make it dramatic and this one has a classic. The provincial government created FPI in 1984 and an act of the legislature rules the roost. Five near-bankrupt fish companies were glued together with government funding to eventually become a real player on the world stage. The wrinkle — the FPI Act — was an obstacle for Rowe and Risley. It could ruin their plans. They had to pull off the takeover and somehow keep government out of their business. When thenFisheries minister Gerry Reid announced the province would not interfere with the shareholder voting process, Rowe and Risley were confident of victory. Young and the board argued that FPI is a good company making good money

RANDY SIMMS

Page 2 talk and should “stay the course.” They urged shareholders not to desert them. Proof of their good management seems evident when they reported a 14 per cent growth in revenues for 2001. Young’s supporters argued the company could make money and meet its obligations to the FPI Act. There was no need to change anything, they said, and they accused the dissident shareholders of having ulterior motives and should not be trusted. Shareholders were urged to vote for the current board. Rowe and Risley came out fighting. The company wasn’t growing fast enough they argued. The board wasn’t maximizing profits. Managed properly, FPI could make even more money and shareholders would benefit the most. They intended to invest in the company and grow the business. It would mean more jobs and a bigger industry. But some people were nervous. Warning bells sounded across the province. A change in direction could mean layoffs, reduced hours of operation and maybe even plant closures. Fish processing is marginal at best and maximizing profits just might mean less for workers and less for communities. Risley tried to be reassuring: “Our agenda is not about closing plants, it’s not about laying off people, it’s about working with people, working with communities.” Derrick Rowe sang the same tune, “We need to communicate to the employees that this is a positive change for the company; things are going to be fine.”

On the morning of May 1, 2001, shareholders discussed the proposed change in direction. One of the views brought forward endorsed the status quo. It was argued that Young and his crew weren’t bad managers and despite the restrictions of the FPI Act they managed to meet their obligations to the province while still making money. Shares traded that day at $11. Young knew when he entered the boardroom that he couldn’t win the fight. Shareholders are a fickle bunch and the lure of more gold always trumps social commitment. When the dust settled Young and his board were out. Eightytwo per cent voted for the change in direction. Risley and his other dissident shareholders had won the day. In short order Rowe was elected the new CEO. He would implement the new growth strategy. Young, whose position was gone with Rowe’s election, told shareholders that the five-week long fight for control of the company had been a difficult time for everyone at FPI. “We have experienced exhilarating successes and tough challenges, but we have always done it together,” he said. “Being a part of the FPI team has enriched my life forever.” The final chapter in the FPI story has yet to be written. Following the takeover came the income trust debacle, a failed attempt to change the corporate structure at their foreign marketing operation. Today, six years later, the company is to be sold “piece by piece” for the best dollar possible. But what of the employees, what of the role of government in this company’s demise, and what will be the future for our primary industry? Another dramatic chapter yet to be written. FPI shares traded this week around the $7.90 mark. Randy Simms is host of VOCM’s Open Line radio show.

Provincial support critical From page 1 that it is tough. Simms says his job now is to sell it. He says he knows it will be difficult. Simms plans to meet with the Canada Newfoundland-Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and Newfoundland Offshore Industry Association to get their opinion on the proposed legislation. He also hopes to meet with the premier. Were the bill to be passed by Parliament, parallel provincial legislation would be

necessary, so support of the province is critical. He also has to sell the legislation to his own party. He says he started this initiative before Stéphane Dion became leader, and he has not had a chance to speak with him yet. Simms says he got the idea during his earlier career in broadcasting. He says the CRTC controls the airwaves as a common resource. CRTC legislation makes it clear to companies who wanted to start and continue to operate a radio station that the

frequency belongs to the public. He says he wants to raise the issue in the House of Commons to get the message across that the oil resources belong to the people. The last successful private members’ bill by a member of the Opposition was Loyola Hearn’s motion to extend custodial management over the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap. While the motion was successful, there has been no official move towards custodial management. ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

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JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3

SCRUNCHINS A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia

were calling. True story, by the way…

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TOP SHELF Our own John Slaney, captain of the Philadelphia Phantoms, is setting records left, right and centre. Slaney recently became the first defenceman (72nd player overall) in the 71-year history of the AHL to reach 500 points in a career. The next milestone for Slaney — his 600th AHL game — will be reached this Saturday when the Phantoms visit the Springfield Falcons. So what’s left for Slaney, who won a gold medal in the 1990 World Junior Championships and the Calder Cup in 2005 with the Phantoms? Slaney’s answer sums up his career and classy character. “I just want to win,” he said. “There’s no question that when I put that uniform on from Day One when I played as a kid to when I play now, I want to win.”

crunchins begins this week on the lighter side. The following story was e-mailed to me by a friend. This being Newfoundland (Town in particular), it may just be true … A passenger in a Gulliver’s cab tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question. The driver screamed, lost control of the taxi, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped inches from a large plate-glass window. The cab was silent for a few moments before the driver composed himself enough to speak: “Please, don’t ever do that again. You scared the livin’ daylights out of me.” The passenger, who was also shaken, apologized, saying he didn’t realize a tap on the shoulder would frighten him so much. “I’m sorry, it’s really not your fault at all,” the driver replied. “Today is my first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for the last 25 years.” John Boy from The Waltons. Premier Danny Williams mentioned the show as one of Saskatchewan’s contributions.

DANNY B’Y I don’t feel comfortable telling jokes, not since the day I met author Malachy McCourt, the younger brother of Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes). Malachy was in Town a few years ago to promote his own book, A monk swimming. The title was a play on amongst women, as in Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou a monk swimming … Malachy was a wicked guy to interview, full of quirks and quotes. He told me he didn’t like to tell jokes … he told stories (see where I get it from). Near the end of the interview, Malachy told me how he was gearing up to write a book about the history of the Irish ballad Danny Boy, which he went on to do. (A folklorist named Jane Ross supposedly first jotted Danny Boy down around 1851 after hearing it played by a blind fiddler, Jimmy McCurry, in Northern Ireland.) The very moment my interview with Malachy was wrapping up, guess what song came on the radio playing in the background? Let’s just say the pipes

Making do

NLTA ad campaign ‘perplexing’: Education minister MANDY COOK

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ou’ve seen them. Images of a lost little school boy, unseen and unheard in a sea of louder and needier children. The teacher is visibly frustrated. The voiceover repeats the refrain: Teachers must “make do.” The advertising campaign by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, which first hit newsstands and airwaves this past December, is garnering reaction in the province for its defiant stance against the provincial government and its putdown of the school system. Kevin Foley, president of the NLTA, says teachers have had to deal with years of stress in the classroom due in large part to the Pathways system — an individual learning plan tailored to meet any physical, mental or emotional challenge a child may have. Teachers say they have to spend too much time making up their students’ lesson plans. “We’ve known it was (a problem) and we’ve made all kinds of inroads and tried a number of different approaches to try and get it fixed and dealt with,” he says. “I think teachers got to the point where they had enough and said, ‘Let’s start doing something, let’s get out there.’” Education Minister Joan Burke’s response to the ads? “It really blew me away,” she says.

Burke says the NLTA gave no indication of discontent at a pre-budget consultation in December. She says teachers clearly stated in their introduction that government had been listening to their concerns, which was reflected in a “re-investment in education.” She says teachers also stated education is a priority for the Williams administration. “This is what came in in December just before the commercials hit,” says Burke. Foley says teachers think the Pathways system is a “wonderful model of service delivery,” which ensures no child is segregated from their peers in the case of a learning disorder. But, Foley says, the program is not working because the provincial government hasn’t properly funded it. He says the amount of work teachers must do to ensure each child is tested and accommodated for dyslexia, fetal alcohol syndrome, hearing problems and other conditions is “bleeding into the personal lives of teachers. “A child has a right to be educated and that’s how it ought to be,” he says. “What we’ve been saying all along is that to a degree teachers are making this work but that elastic band has been stretched as far as it can be stretched.” Whereas Foley says politicians don’t understand the system, Burke says her department has undertaken a number of initiatives to address the situation. She says since the Tories became the government in 2003, they have put a 25student cap on class size, starting with kindergarten. She also says govern-

ment acknowledges the teacher allocation formula — the number of teachers assigned to each school — is inappropriate. “We’ve also gone into a commission to have a study to recommend … a more appropriate teacher allocation formula so we have been working there and I know that deals with workload stress,” she says. Burke also points out the government has eliminated school fees teachers once had to collect from children. Grant money per child now stands at $150, as opposed to last year’s $80 per child, to cover off school supplies. Foley says accommodating a learning disorder in a child usually requires designing a different lesson plan — which could be necessary for each individual subject taught — for every student who requires it. Each child is then assigned their own Pathway. Foley says trouble arises when one classroom has a greater need for more resources. “What about if you’re in a place that has a high percentage of children on different Pathways, Pathway Two or beyond or another part of town where they have mostly Pathway One? Do you give the school with 15 per cent need of Pathways the same as two per cent? “But that’s what they get. Some schools their needs are much greater.” Foley says the “crisis” teachers say is happening in the province’s K-12 school system spans beyond Newfoundland and Labrador. He says it is a problem across the country.

ORE REVOIR Moving on … it’s time we added up the amount of ore that’s been shipped out of Labrador’s Voisey’s Bay since November 2005. According to a spokesperson for the Natural Resources Department, 53,000 tons of nickel concentrate has been shipped to Sudbury (the total amount that can be shipped out is capped at 335,000 tons); and 31,000 tons of copper concentrate has been sent off to Europe (copper isn’t capped). An equal amount of nickel concentrate has to be shipped into the province when our processing plant opens by 2011 to make up for the export. Remember Brian Tobin’s notone-spoonful speech? How many spoons would it take to cart 84,000 tons of ore … NIGHT JOHN BOY Danny Williams gave a 14-page speech this week to the University of Saskatchewan. Can you imagine listening to a 14-page speech on Saskatchewan? (I’m such a kidder.) Newfoundland and Labrador has Great Big Sea, Rex Goudie and Rick Mercer (see page 17) while Saskatchewan has given us k.d. lang, The Waltons and Joni Mitchell.

Top three quotes from premier’s speech: No. 1: “My wish would not be to take more from Alberta but rather to create 13 Albertas for a stronger country.” No. 2: “We fully support the massive financial assistance to the Quebec aerospace industry, the assistance that was given to the western beef industry, and we applaud the money that will go to build infrastructure for the Vancouver Olympics. That is what nation building is all about. All we are asking is for the opportunity to put our own finite resources to work for us.” No. 3: “National unity is absolutely meaningless unless it is backed up by tangible actions that enable each and every one of us as partners in Confederation to live up to our optimum potential and stand securely on our own strengths.” BREAKDOWN Since Hibernia began production in 1997, the feds have pulled in $3.5 billion from that project alone, compared to our $1.2 billion piece of the pie. Ottawa holds an 8.5 per cent interest in Hibernia, but ironically doesn’t support our attempt to gain a 4.9 per cent equity stake in our Hebron field that the oil fields have left idle for more than 25 years. Why is that, I wonder … HAIR TODAY … Finally this week, St. John’s native Fraser Clarke — president and CEO of the Hair Club (formerly the Hair Club for Men) — was recently profiled in the New York Times. His first job was at Tim Hortons ($4.75 at the time) in Town, before he went on to earn a business degree from Memorial. Clarke said it’s especially rewarding helping kids suffering from hair loss. “We carry on the founder’s program of donating hairpieces to them,” he said. “I get letters from parents and grandparents thanking us for raising the children’s self-esteem as they wait for their hair to grow back.” Like so many other Newfoundlanders, Clarke is a cut above … ryan.cleary@theindependent


4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 26, 2007

‘I went into my own hell’ From page 1 While she happily spent time with her family, Sam, who still lived next door, continued to hear voices. “He was deteriorating that summer, in hindsight, but you know he was sick all our lives. We didn’t fear him,” Hagan says. “He was a kind, decent person.” Hagan remembers Aug. 12, 1979, the day of the garden party — an annual fundraiser for the local parishes, and the biggest social event of the year in those times. The Hagan family had dinner together. “We’re talking about going to the garden party. It’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day,” Hagan recalls. “We’re sitting around, laughing and talking, and daddy has got his back to an open door, when all of a sudden this man (Sam) we knew and loved a lifetime burst into the room with an axe and attacked my father. He’s in the door, and he’s axing him in the back.” Hagan stood frozen at the other end of the kitchen. “I remember shaking my head,” she says. “You can’t believe this. I mean you’re living in a community of 21 families. You’re isolated. You’re insulated. Your life is so simple. Sunday is Jigg’s Dinner. Monday is cabbage hash. You’re not exposed to violence.” Hagan’s foster-brother picked up a chair and swung, but the attacker knocked it out of his hand with the axe. He wandered around in the driveway outside. “I go down to try and get him (Sam) away from Daddy, and he axes me in the right shoulder. I remember looking down and seeing the axe go in, but I felt absolutely nothing. “Daddy stays on his feet, and I remember his hands were up, trying to fend off the axe. As he starts to stagger out of the kitchen towards the hallway to free up the kitchen exit, he stops, looks over his right shoulder at me, calls my sister by name, and tells me to save her.” Hagan’s mother flew up the stairs, her kid sister ran for help out the kitchen door, and Sam chased Thomas Hagan down the hallway. Hagan ran from the home and rushed around to the back of the house and climbed on a rock by the oil tank and peered through a window. She went back inside when the attacker left, but it

Anne Marie Hagan holds a picture of her father from 27 years ago.

was too late. She found her father, dead from 16 axe cuts, cornered between the sofa and the coffee table. Hagan called an ambulance and said her father was still alive. She lied so the ambulance driver would come quickly. Meanwhile, the axe murderer walked calmly through Kingman’s Cove, passing children along the way, straight to the local shop. “He went in there — they had a big family, nine kids — lays down his axe, and says ‘I just killed Mr. Tom Hagan, please call the RCMP,’” Hagan says. Hagan says Sam never wanted to kill her father. He believed the voice of his dead mother told him to do it. Sam had seen a doctor 12 days before the murder, but despite a long history of mental illness, the doctor hadn’t sent him to the Waterford hospital. He was found not guilty of the murder by reason of insanity, and locked away in the Waterford Hospital.

Paul Daly/The Independent

As the years went on, Hagan’s family was eventually able to deal with the tragedy — but not Hagan herself. It was always on her mind. “I went into my own hell,” she says. “He (Sam) was not getting out ... I wasn’t having it.” She put away the autopsy report, prepared to release it to the media if Sam ever tried to get released. Hagan’s life was miserable. She was angry all the time. She didn’t care about other people’s pain. Her husband left her. “I wasn’t exactly easy to love.” Hagan got a call in 1996 saying Sam was about to be released. She contacted a lawyer, who wrote a letter to then-premier Brian Tobin. A Justice department official arranged a meeting between the Hagan family and Sam. On June 7, 1996, Hagan, her mother, her sisters, and their lawyer went to the Department of Justice to see Sam. “I was going to humiliate him,” she says. “I was going to ask him ‘Do you remember killing my father?’ And he was going to say ‘No.’ And I was going to say ‘Really? You don’t remember?’” Hagan then planned to quote specific details from the autopsy report. When Sam walked in, however, he looked young and vulnerable. Hagan asked if he remembered killing her father. “Yes,” he answered. “But Tom wasn’t frightened to die.” Something about that answer touched Hagan. She had always believed her father wasn’t afraid to die. His family was his whole life. He did not scream or cry when he was being attacked. He had enough presence of mind to tell Hagan to save her sister. Hagan asked Sam why he believed her father was not afraid. “Now that was the answer that would change my life,” says Hagan. “ He said, ‘I could tell by

how he was looking at me when I was choppin’ him. Tom knew he was going to a better place.’” That’s when Hagan started to see things from his perspective. “He loses his mother at the age of four,” Hagan counts on her fingers. “He grows up in an orphanage (from age 5-18). He gets an illness at 20 he did nothing to contribute to. He deteriorates to the point that he kills my father, someone he loves, at 30. He’s been locked up for almost 17 years. And, here he is, in front of me, looking for a chance, his first chance, maybe his last chance, and I thought who am I to take it? “But when he (Sam) started to cry and say ‘I’m to blame, I’m to blame’ I rushed around the table and hugged him.” Hagan told him she forgave him. Everyone was hugging and crying. The family told him they’d never interfere with him again as long as he saw his doctors and took his medications. It has been 10 years since Hagan walked out of that room at the Justice Department a new woman. Now she’s a motivational speaker, telling her stories in the hope of making a difference in other people’s lives. “If you saw me before I forgave him, I was different … you’re living with this underlying anger. You don’t know what’s wrong with you.” Hagan doesn’t sweat the small stuff anymore, one of the messages she incorporates into her public speaking. She has told her stories to everyone from junior high students to prison inmates. “It’s such a beautiful feeling to know what you were born to do. I’m so excited the night before I hardly can sleep. When I get up to the microphone I think it’s Christmas morning,” says Hagan. She works as a financial security advisor. Sam spends his days working part-time and taking classes at Memorial University. Hagan recently returned to Kingman’s Cove. About 21 families lived there when she was growing up. The population today is around 30. Hagan points to the house that belonged to the man who killed her father. It is completely different— renovated, modern. Another family lives there now. The next property over, about 50 feet away, is the grassy patch where Hagan’s childhood home once stood. The house was torn down after the murder. Hagan recently had a streetlight erected nearby so people wouldn’t feel nervous walking past. Thomas Hagan is buried just outside Fermeuse, a community across the harbour from Kingman’s Cove. It is a small graveyard, with humble headstones. Hagan leads the way with a flashlight. She kneels down in front of her father’s grave and shines the flashlight on the headstone. There is a space to the left for Hagan’s mother. The headstone shows a lone fishermen at sea. “He died as he lived, trusting in God,” reads the text. Hagan says the quote describes her father’s courage on the day he died. Since she forgave the man who killed her father, Hagan has appreciated every moment of her life. She lives her life trying to make a difference. Like her father, Hagan says she’s not afraid to die. “But I’m in no hurry,” she says, smiling.


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5

On the hook Taxes another concern for MHAs implicated in spending scandal By Ivan Morgan The Independent

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Denis Detcheverry

Stronger ties

St-Pierre looks for closer relationship: islands could be used as tariff-free portal to Europe By Ivan Morgan The Independent

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t-Pierre-Miquelon senator Denis Detcheverry is looking to develop better economic ties with the Atlantic provinces — particularly Newfoundland and Labrador. In December 2006, French President Jacques Chirac asked Detcheverry to explore sustainable economic co-operation between the French islands and the provinces, with a focus on oil and gas, aquaculture and tourism. Detcheverry says using the French territory as a portal for access to European markets for products like fish and software should be explored further by Canadian businesses. He says products shipped from St-Pierre to the European Union can be tariff-free, provided they meet French value-added processing rules. In an exclusive interview with The Independent prior to flying into St. John’s this week, the senator says his visit is not “a flash in the pan.” He wants to foster good long-term partnerships with business and government — but these new partnerships must be win-win for both countries. Detcheverry says Newfoundland is an obvious starting place for his tour, as it has close ties with the province. “Historical ties are the ones that bind,” he says.

He plans to meet with Intergovernmental Affairs Minister John Ottenheimer and Business Minister Kevin O’Brien and with business leaders in the aquaculture, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries. The senator says St-Pierre-Miquelon was hit as hard as Newfoundland and Labrador by the collapse of the fishery, and the potential to exploit possible oil and gas reserves is a real hope for them. He says at a meeting several weeks ago between oil company ConocoPhillips and authorities in St-Pierre, the company indicated they had discovered hydrocarbons. Whether the oil is within French territory is yet to be determined, and the company’s well analysis will take another 18 months. St-Pierre-Miquelon was awarded a thin band of ocean — mockingly known as the “baguette” by residents — by an international tribunal after a dispute with Canada over territorial rights on the Grand Banks. Offshore oil rights remain a bone of contention with Canada for many St-Pierrais. The senator says exploration for oil and gas in their zone has been going on for a long time and hasn’t materialized. With the economy of the islands in hard shape, it can be an anguishing wait. “It is between hope and despair. If there is oil then people are happy,” says the senator. “On the despair side — 18 months? … or more? Will it happen

sooner or later? Will it be too small? Are we insignificant in the big picture of world oil and gas? Can they drill around us? Or under us? The baguette is not very wide.” He says St-Pierre-Miquelon realizes development would certainly be accelerated if it were integrated into the Atlantic Canadian oil and gas industry. “Within a larger context, how can StPierre-Miquelon work within the framework of Atlantic Canada in partnership?” The senator also believes there is an opportunity for partnership between the two countries on aquaculture science. He says he’s looking for ways to include St-Pierre-Miquelon and Canada in a regional approach to research, technology transfer, best practices, and new approaches to marketing. “How can we use St. Pierre as a ‘pivot’ through value-added (processing) to reduce tariffs and have a better exposure of the European market?” asks Detcheverry. The senator says he is interested in expanding St-Pierre’s already strong tourism links with the province. “Perhaps better marketing,” says Detcheverry. “Such as regional packages — six days in Newfoundland or another Atlantic province, and two in St. Pierre to buy some wine and a bit of fois gras.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

College still without president By Mandy Cook The Independent

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he top job at the College of the North Atlantic is still vacant, 16 months after the last president left. Education Minister Joan Burke says the department has been actively recruiting and “engaged” a number of people through the hiring process, but has yet to find a suitable applicant. “A couple of times I was hoping we would be able to make an announcement but things didn’t materialize,” she tells The Independent. The entire board of the college was replaced in October 2005, days before the RCMP launched an investigation into allegations some college officials accepted thousands of dollars from a

member of the Qatar royal family. The College of the North Atlantic has a campus in Qatar as part of a 10-year, $500-million deal between Newfoundland and Labrador and the oil-rich nation. Days after the board shake up, thenJustice minister Tom Marshall said the newly deposed president Pamela Walsh and chair Moya Cahill had accepted $20,000 each from Sheikh Abdullah al Thani, a member of the Qatar royal family. The province said the replacements and the cash gifts were unrelated. Burke hopes to fill the position within a month or so. She would not say if any candidates are being considered. The salary for the position is pegged to be between $115,000 and $135,000, but is open to negotiation. The successful applicant will be post-

ed at the Stephenville campus. Burke says the delay in hiring an appropriate candidate is due to a number of different issues. “(It’s) finding the right qualifications and making sure we’re able to be competitive with other colleges in Canada and all those regular routine recruitment issues that you have sometimes for top level positions.” Burke wants to find someone who understands where Newfoundland and Labrador should be positioned in the future and someone who can negotiate the “gaps” in the province’s post-secondary system. Burke says the new president must be able to work within the structure of 17 campuses — most in rural communities — and to “maximize their potential.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

etiring MHAs under investigation for overspending their constituency allowances may be on the hook for a big federal tax bill. The provincial government has said it is going to act to recoup money improperly spent by MHAs, including retaining severance payments that would be normally be paid to politicians when they leave politics. MHAs are entitled to a severance package of one month’s base pay for each year of service, to a maximum of 12 months. A politician who has served 12 years would receive a severance package of $81,000. Ed Byrne, who retired in January, was entitled to severance pay of more than $70,000, but it has been held back. According to Richard Sparkes, spokesperson for the Canada Revenue Agency in St. John’s, MHAs who have their severance pay withheld by the provincial government will still owe tax on that money. “The severance package is taxed — less than $5,000 is taxed at less then 10 per cent, between $5,000 and $14,999 is taxed at 20 per cent; anything above $15,000 is 30 per cent,” says Sparkes. Under those guidelines, an MHA who is entitled to a severance package

of $50,000 and has it clawed back by the provincial government to put against monies owed through overspending would be on the hook to the federal taxman for $15,000. According to Sparkes, there may be tax issues with overspending as well. Constituency allowances are taxable if the amount spent exceeds half the MHA’s salary. If an MHA overspends to a point where he or she passes the halfway mark of his or her salary, tax is owed. “The part that is taxable is the part that exceeds half of the salary that the person was paid as an MHA.” Sparkes says the tax on overspent constituency allowances would be due in the year it was spent. Five provincial MHAs have been implicated by the auditor general for overspending their constituency allowances: former Natural Resources minister Ed Byrne ($467,653), Liberals Wally Andersen ($344,465) and Percy Barrett ($117,286), former Liberal cabinet minister Jim Walsh ($298,571) and New Democrat Randy Collins ($358,598). New Democrat MHA Randy Collins also recently resigned his seat. Sparkes cautions that these are just general guidelines, as every person’s financial situation is different. ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca


6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 26, 2007

Newfoundland’s old hag T

his column isn’t for the weak of stomach, I’ll warn you now, unless you’re Korean and like the taste of monster. The next species on our stand-it-upand-knock-it-down list may be the poor old hagfish. The hagfish is a step down on the ugly chart from the eel. A hagfish may look like an eel, but it doesn’t really have jaws. Instead, it has two pairs of rasps on top of a tongue. It pulls meat into its mouth with the tongue, then tears it off the prey with the rasps. (“Pass the seafood sauce, and save the deep-fried rasps for Nan, her favourite.”) Hagfish may not have good sight, but they do have a good sense of touch and smell, thanks to the short sensitive tentacles around their mouths. If that’s not revolting enough, hagfish are seen as scavengers and parasites, probably due to their tendency to burrow into dead or dying animals and eat them from the inside out. Never mind the unflattering picture, hagfish are in demand in Korea, where they eat up to five million pounds of them each year. Hagfish skin is also good for making into “eelskin” boots, bags, wallets, purses and other products

RYAN CLEARY

Fighting Newfoundlander (maybe the rasp could be used like a clasp). Trouble is, hagfish has been overfished in Asian waters and markets there are hungry for more, which is where our fishery comes in. Hagfish made the news here recently when the provincial government announced some cash for a study of the stock in our waters. SIGN OF THE TIMES Hagfish is considered a garbage fish; if you scrape the bottom of the barrel in terms of North Atlantic bounty, you’ll find a hagfish buried in the mud. Not many people on this planet besides the Koreans have the guts to actually eat it. Next we’ll be going after jellyfish. When the Irish ran out of potatoes in the Great Famine their mouths were often stained green from the grass they ate. What colour stain would a jellyfish leave? No matter, I’d rather eat a bowlful of jellyfish than a hint of hag.

MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN The Independent ran a story in our last edition on the amount of groundfish quota available to Fishery Products International. The province has said it won’t agree to the sale of any FPI parts unless Newfoundland and Labrador gets its hands on the quotas. So, as a public service, we decided to list the quota available to the company. Mind you, there’s not much left. Of the 41 stocks FPI has dibs on, 21 are commercially extinct, meaning they’re under moratoria. Of the three major species FPI can fish, redfish are being caught about the size of fish sticks; most of the turbot is being processed in China because it’s too small to pass through our plants; and yellowtails are also too tiny to process here. Industry sources say as much as three million pounds of yellowtail is currently in cold storage around the island waiting for permission to be shipped to China. Not much hope for the fishery if you kill all of the babies. I’ve got one last point to make on FPI. All told, the company had about 20,000 tonnes of fish available to it last year. Thirty-five years ago in 1972, FPI caught an estimated 342,000 tonnes.

My my, how the mighty have fallen. If that wasn’t bad enough, FPI’s plant in Burin is processing fish from the Pacific. How cruel is that? With FPI for sale, the idea was tossed around this week of the province buying FPI’s marketing arm or backing fish processors in a potential purchase. Most fishery people I know say our fishery is in desperate need of marketing … take our little bit of fresh fish and market it to the high-end restaurants of the Eastern Seaboard. So such a deal would make sense, but since when was there any sense in the fishery? It was last June that Danny announced the government-led plan to buy FPI’s profitable U.S. marketing division was being abandoned. There wasn’t enough support to make it float. Will we ever get our act together? In their latest move, the feds have appointed Loyola Sullivan as Canada’s new ambassador for fisheries conservation. We’ll take every federal job we can get down here, I suppose, but I wouldn’t be too quick to boast being ambassador for conservation, what

with the federal government’s track record. Attention must not be diverted from the fact our stocks were wiped out on Canada’s watch; the feds have done nothing to turn them around; not a single soul was fired from federal Fisheries for the collapse of one of the greatest fish resources on the face of the planet. Danny isn’t about to forget. During a speech this week in Saskatchewan, he talked about how we lost the power to manage our fisheries when we joined Canada. “Ottawa, in turn, used its control of our fishery to trade quotas to foreigners in exchange for other favours, and it mismanaged some species of our domestic fishery to the point of commercial extinction.” Tens of thousands of our numbers have since out-migrated. Said Williams: “Imagine if one day 300,000 Ontarians suddenly lost their jobs as a result of the federal government’s mismanagement of their industry. These circumstances would rightfully be described as a national disaster.” And we’ve been reduced to hagfish.

YOUR VOICE ‘On the verge of political chaos’ Dear editor, The rush to the public trough, in the wake of so many MHA resignations, is at a record pace. Amazing indeed how quickly candidates are lining up to replace comrades deserting the fold under clouds of suspicion and scandal. Political bodies were barely cool in Ferryland, Kilbride, Humber Valley, and Port au Port before an army of lean and hungry hopefuls filed nomination papers. In relatively safe government seats, candidates smell not only easy victory but also the public pork barrel. Lucrative salaries, pensions, and severance packages, with just a half dozen years in the House of Assembly are causing excessive salivation on the path to the taxpayers’ table. Speaker, deputy speaker, caucus, party whip, committee chairs, free meals and transportation, are extra lures at the workers’ expense. Travel claims are at every fingertip.

Judge Derek Green’s anticipated report on members’ allowances will be fodder for a short time, but members will continue to feast lavishly on our dime. Parliamentarians make, change, ignore, and bend rules to fit personal situations. Green should recommend scrapping all allowances. Meanwhile, as members drop like flies into politician oblivion, potential winners who would pass out cigars at their grandmothers’ funerals if a nomination could be guaranteed, are popping up like pitcher plants on a coastal bog. Our political system should be dismantled and rebuilt from the bottom up. We are on the verge of political chaos, and only a strong opposition — the media — that permits the people to speak, can pull the province back from the brink. Now, that’s worth a cigar. Jim Combden, Badger’s Quay

‘Residents of Mount Pearl are not stupid’ Dear editor, It is with much amusement that I listen to the “self serving” reasons put forth by the spokesmen for the City of St. John’s to justify the amalgamation of Mount Pearl and Paradise with the capital city. Our family built a summer home in Mount Pearl in 1933 and this later became our permanent residence in 1949 when my father retired. During the 1940s and early ’50s, residents of Mount Pearl experienced many problems due to the lack of proper controls of water and sewage and electrical installations, etc. Numerous representations were made to the City of St. John’s to extend its western boundary and take in Mount Pearl. All such approaches were curtly rebuffed and it was made abundantly clear to residents of Mount Pearl that St. John’s would not touch us with a “50-foot pole.” Consequently, Mount Pearl had no choice but to go it alone and eventually the Town of Mount Pearl was incorporated in 1955. The rest is now history. Over the past 50 years the town was successful in solving most of its problems and has now developed into a well-managed city of about 26,000 people. It is easy to understand why the

City of St. John’s would now dearly love to do what it should have done 60 years ago and add Mount Pearl to its municipality — what a prize — carrying with it a huge tax roll, plus the Donovan’s Industrial Park, etc. Unfortunately for St. John’s, instead of wooing Mount Pearl with sweetness and light, their mayor approached the amalgamation issue in his usual “tactful manner” and this has turned off every resident of Mount Pearl to such an extent that a poll on the amalgamation question would probably have about as much chance of approval as the proverbial snowball in hell. Residents of Mount Pearl are not stupid. They can easily see that they would have little to gain in joining St. John’s and indeed could have much to lose. Unquestionably, Mount Pearl should have joined St. John’s 60 years ago. The fact remains that the St. John’s council did not have the brains nor the foresight to seize the opportunity offered to them — tough luck. Perhaps it is now time for St. John’s to accept the present reality and move on. Herb W. Goudie, Mount Pearl

‘It’s called social responsibility’ Dear editor, David M. Duff is a self-acknowledged, Christian-based extremist when it comes to matters of right-to-life. He writes about it, and each year he marches for the right of the unborn to have life, for which he is to be commended. Unfortunately, however, as with all extremists, Christian or otherwise, there is no moderation, and without moderation there is no consistent likelihood of sensibility, and credibility is at risk of being lost. I would suggest that readers of Mr. Duff’s bare-knuckled, no-holes-barred letter to the editor of The Independent (‘We desperately need victims’ right legislation’, Jan. 19 edition) might be left with some serious degree of skepticism as to what exactly his value sets really are. The chilled, burn-them-at-the-stake tone of his letter mirrored those likely

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“execute the worst of them out of moral necessity.” Where is the moderation? Where are the constant lobbies, marches for better education and services around issues of birth control; better global support services for young mothers and struggling families; better, more meaningful resources for youth when they run into trouble, hopefully before he/she becomes one of the worst, and likely executed, which Mr. Duff seems prepared to march for as well. He cannot have it both ways — it’s called social responsibility. If you are prepared to publicly march for the right to life then you should be prepared to have a better adjustment plan for lives that go wrong than simply snuffing them out. Ronald Tizzard, Paradise

Province should buy FPI Editor’s note: the following letter was written to Premier Danny Williams this week, with a copy forwarded to The Independent.

P.O. Box 5891, Stn.C, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, A1C 5X4 Ph: 709-726-4639 • Fax: 709-726-8499 www.theindependent.ca • editorial@theindependent.ca

published during the notorious medieval times of the Roman Catholic Inquisition. Of the serial killer, he endorses retribution. While I absolutely support the need for our society to develop and embed the victims’ rights into legislation, I do not understand Mr. Duff’s personal departure from his basic Christian respect for the very sanctity of life itself. Consequently, in these more moderate times, he places at risk his credibility as a balanced community mentor in matters of basic human existence. I would suggest that Mr. Duff has soft values when it comes to making tough decisions. He can’t seem to handle the extreme potential negative outcomes of abortion-related issue. Some years later, Mr. Duff enters the lives of some selective fetuses, now adults, once again with a solution to their negative fall-out in life, in this instance

Dear Premier, I have listened with dismay to the prospect of National Sea Products taking over FPI’s marketing arm. It has taken 65 years to develop that organization, which has connected the seafood production of Newfoundland and Labrador with the leading seafood marketing companies in the U.S., Europe and Japan. I entered the fishing industry as an employee of Fishery Products Ltd. in the mid-1940s, when two of the most knowledgeable persons in the business were developing Fishery Products Inc. as a marketing subsidiary to Fishery Products Ltd. This was done in response to the demand created by the major transition from traditional salt-fish production to the new frozen-fish processing industry. Fishery Products Inc. was established

in New England with branch sales and marketing offices in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Jacksonville. Ten years later we established offices in Trondheim (Norway), Cuxhavn (Germany) and in London. In the early 1980s we established a joint arrangement with Japan’s largest fish company, Nichiro Inc., to market our seafood products in Japan. The undersigned was involved in much of the implementation of that marketing structure, which brought us in daily contact with the major seafood companies in the Western world, and close to the senior management of these organizations. While there have been changes in recent years, I am still in contact with senior personnel in that organization. Be assured, FPI marketing is internationally recognized as one of the front-runners in the business. If this marketing arm falls under control of National Sea and interests in the Maritime provinces, our provincial fishing industry will have

lost one of its most valuable and essential components. It cannot be permitted to happen because the loss of contact with the international seafood market will be disastrous. I suggest your government convene a meeting with representatives of the industry with a view to purchasing FPI and establishing it as the marketing arm for the industry as a whole. Without going into details, these companies would establish a separate and independent board that the U.S.based company would report to in the same manner as it reported to Fishery Products Ltd. in earlier times. Having spent a lifetime in this business I can’t think of anything more damaging to the future of the fishing industry than to lose control of FPI, with its enormous marketing and sales potential transferred to Nova Scotia and National Sea Products. It will be devastating. Gus Etchegary, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7

A necessary cost

Ivan Morgan says you cannot place a price on the value of elections

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here has been a lot of criticism of the decision to hold five byelections so close to a mandated general election. People have been complaining about the cost, asking if it’s worth it. With an October election coming, why not just wait? I can understand people grumbling, but the “cost” is not — or should not be — a serious issue. Perhaps I am just a paranoid old fool, but when people start talking about the “cost” of elections, it gets me worried about the overall state of democracy in this province. We are, after all, a people who once willingly surrendered our democratic rights. When we got them back we chose Joey Smallwood’s version. I feel comfortable saying democracy has always had a shaky footing in this neck of the woods. Recently we had the City of St. John’s deciding to “save money” by initiating a mail-in ballot. There’s scads

IVAN MORGAN

Rant & Reason wrong with that system, but that’s a column I have already written. To me the argument that the new system would be “cheaper” was the most distasteful one of all. If there is a problem, it is with the elected people who, for one reason or another, couldn’t find it in themselves to soldier on for a few more months to save the taxpayer a few bucks. If there was a need to “save money,” surely it was the responsibility of the MHAs involved to consider the cost their actions might generate. That some of them were implicated in spending scandals just rubs salt into the wound. I have a huge problem with looking at the “cost” of this. It is fashionable

these days to look to business and businesspeople to solve all our problems. I remember a time when people thought government would. People want business solutions, and looking at the bottom line is considered smart. Part of the trend towards making things more businesslike is looking at the cost of things. That is a dangerous mindset in many functions of government, especially when it is applied to the counting of everyone’s vote. Democracy is the very foundation on which our daily lives are based. It is easy to forget, amid the bustle of everyday life, how fragile our society is. There is no “cost” to elections. They are priceless. Not only are elections a necessary cost, I would suggest that not enough money is being spent on them. The voter’s lists are in terrible shape (I never understand why tax collectors lists aren’t used, they seem pretty upto-date). We need to spend money to

WILLIAMS OUT WEST

‘We all miss home’ Dear Premier, Hello to you, your family, your staff and all of the people of the best place in the world — Newfoundland and Labrador. I am from Mount Pearl, but currently living in Suncheon, South Korea. I am here teaching English along with about 10 other Newfoundlanders who are also in the city, about

the size of St. John’s. I met all the other Newfoundlanders here. BY CHOICE We are here by choice, but we all miss home, especially around Christmas time. We range in age from 25 to 45 and we all get together from time to time and the topic of politics does come up sometimes. We all agree that you and your staff are doing a fantastic job and we think that you are the greatest premier that

we ever had and ever will have. We each came here mostly for the unique experience, but we all will be back home in a year or so. If you are ever over this way on your travels, look us up. South Korean people and food are wonderful. They are very much like us Newfoundlanders … I find in that they are fun, smart, kind, and friendly. Keep up the good work. Shane Howard, Suncheon, South Korea

Tory bobbleheads Dear editor, The apparent failure of the Liberal party to attract delegates for upcoming byelections is not a sign of the party’s demise, as was suggested by MHAs Ross Wiseman and Paul Oram during the talk shows earlier this week. (I am sure there were others who expressed the same opinion.) As the Progressive Conservative party is well aware from their days in Opposition, it is difficult to attract prominent and high-level candidates

with any success when sitting on the opposition side of the House. TOM, DICK AND HARRY The level of support enjoyed by the premier and the success of the Tory party under him has attracted every Tom, Dick and Harry to put their name on the nomination sheet and jump on the bandwagon. However, with so many members presently sitting on the government side, Mr. Williams still finds himself giving

two and three portfolios to one. This suggests the unacceptable qualifications and experience of the remaining PC members in the House — so many members, so few to choose from as cabinet material. However, with the history of the premier during the past three years, these ministers are no more than bobbleheads with little or no responsibilities. Boyd Legge, Mount Pearl

See-through hue Harper green, the newest hue, is meant to colour me and you; hard to fathom this embrace, when usually they are blue in face! Show true colours, one might ask,

so you can prove you’re up to task; killing Kyoto left us cold, that global warming won’t console. No consolation prize for you, if, with emissions, you fall through;

no talk of the cost. I was there. Tossing the Progressive Conservatives out of office was worth every penny. I don’t want to imply that any current politician is like Campbell, but the fact is that fascism finds root in populations tired of democracy. When politics is at a low ebb, when people are tired and frustrated with the poor performance of the political class, when the “cost” of democracy is openly criticized, it is not too far a stretch (at least not for this paranoid brain) to see someone step to the fore with “answers” that include doing away with pesky inconveniences like elections. Without trying to sound too sappy, an awful lot of people have paid a huge price to ensure that we can have elections. Is the price of five byelections high in the year when we know we are having a general election? Sure. But we should all be prepared to pay any price. ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

YOUR VOICE ‘A distraction from troubles back home?’

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert (left) played host to Newfoundland premier Danny Williams at a presentation given by Williams at Place Riel Theatre on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon. Richard Marjan/Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Editor’s note: the following letter was written to Premier Danny Williams, with a copy forwarded to The Independent.

ensure everyone is enumerated. Many people don’t even bother to vote. More money needs to be spent on public education. I have heard people who complain about the cost of elections also state adamantly that Canada must keep troops in Afghanistan. I have heard it said that the war in Afghanistan is the “cost of freedom.” Human lives, and billions of dollars can be spent to try and save Afghanis from themselves, but the cost of allowing a peaceful people the opportunity to pick someone to speak for them in the House of Assembly isn’t worth it? These are priorities? A federal election looms. Some say it will be a while, as people don’t want the fuss and the expense. What people don’t want, I would suggest, is another election where the outcome is similar. The added reason of cost is thrown in for good measure. When Kim Campbell went to the polls, there was

changing colour won’t change spots, as what we’ve seen is what we’ve got! Bob LeMessurier, Goulds

Dear editor, Isn’t it wonderful? Emperor Daniel Williams is off to the tar sands to check on his flock in Fort McMurray. He wants to determine how those of his flock who have strayed from the Newfoundland fold or were pushed out by a lousy basic wage, increasing taxes, a failing fishery and worsening medical backlog are doing. Here’s how he described his intentions: “I want to see how the commute is working. I think it’s working fine for some families, (but) it obviously creates hardship,” Williams said. “I also want to get a feel for the whole social side of what life in Fort McMurray is all about, to get a real sense as to whether people are comfortable and whether people are happy.” (Readers please resist the urge here to hum a few bars of Satchmo’s What a wonderful world.) Williams added he wanted to determine whether there is anything

government can do “as their home province — their true home province — to make it a bit easier for them or to keep them in contact with back home.” To that last concern, I say “Yes boy, provide each family or individual living out of their car with a free ticket on the latest Dream Home draw and wish them luck.” The premier must also ponder the possibility of further trips to Boston, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Korea, Japan and the Middle East to talk with expatriates lost years ago. Yet, any objective viewer of Williams’ beneficent journey must also ask, apart from his discussions with Premier Lorne Calvert of Saskatchewan on equalization, if this is not a distraction from troubles back home? Aubrey Smith, Grand Falls-Windsor


JANUARY 26, 2007

8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9

IN CAMERA

A winter’s drive along the Irish Loop — the 180 kilometres of road between Bay Bulls and Riverhead, St. Mary’s Bay — can be as breathtakingly beautiful as it is in the summer or fall, and even more dramatic. Although many of the businesses have closed for the season, there’s still plenty going on in the communities these days. Picture editor Paul Daly and managing editor Stephanie Porter drove the Loop last week to see the sights, and hear plans for the season ahead. Stephanie Porter The Independent

I

t’s quiet along the Irish Loop these days. After a tourist season that saw record numbers of visitors along the coast from Bay Bulls, around the southern Avalon to Riverhead, St. Mary’s Bay, the winter brings months of relative peace — but not silence. The snow and January skies have done nothing to take away from the unquestionable beauty along Route 10. The cliffs and coves from Bay Bulls to Cappahayden are ice-covered and breathtaking, dark rocks meet dramatic pounding surf — crashes easily heard through car windows. Smoke pours from chimneys and all-terrain vehicles zip along the hills. The barrens of the southernmost part of the

In the Loop Avalon Peninsula are bright and windswept, the loneliness broken by small hunting cabins and the winding road. The Irish Loop is about 180 kilometres long — minus the side roads — and has a population of 8,200, according to the 2001 census. Many of the businesses and services, focused and reliant on the tourist traffic between late spring and early fall, have closed for the season. “Some of them do keep going,” says Pat Curran, executive director of the Irish Loop Development Board. “Some of them rely on local customers, others keep going on the strength of commercial traffic — Light and Power might be doing a job in the area, or Aliant … “But for the most part, from the first of October, the middle of October, the lights begin to go out on these sorts of facilities.” Brenda Molloy, behind the counter in the liquor and convenience store in Trepassey, says things are particularly slow this month. “It’s been quiet,” she says. “But now, not long ago, we had two couples come through from the States. They were birdwatchers, looking for two particular birds. And they found them down here, no problem. There’s been a few caribou hunters

through, too.” Molloy has been living in Trepassey 25 years — and wouldn’t move for the world. “We’re spoiled down here,” she says. “It’s so peaceful.” ••• Curran is in his office in the Opportunities Complex in Trepassey, a community development building right beside the town’s arena. He says this is the season to push paper — to take all the ideas and strategies for the year ahead and turn them into proposals and written plans. “I’ve got my head down, getting proposals into the system, getting ready to get out of the gate running as soon as the weather gets a bit better.” Last year was a banner year for tourism along the loop. Curran says Bay Bulls tour operators reported in the vicinity of 60,000 visitors. Further south, Ferryland’s Colony of Avalon broke its own records, with 20,000. “Then, as you go further, the numbers drop off incrementally until you hit the other side,” he says — the other side meaning Salmonier Nature Park, just beyond his jurisdiction. A new interpretation centre in Portugal Cove South, near Cape Race and Mistaken Point, attracted 6,000 visitors in 2006 — though it was-

n’t open the full season. There is also a new interpretation centre at Holyrood Pond, just on the other side of St. Vincent’s spectacular beach. “The whole strategy is really only built around two things,” he says, “getting people to come, which is a marketing initiative, and getting them to stay longer, which is development.” Curran says the Irish Loop is the second-most visited area of the province, outside of St. John’s. With the East Coast Trail, whale-watching tours, new visitors’ centres, accommodations and restaurants, Curran says the “attractions base” is well on its way. And there are new opportunities ahead — including the possibility of a catch-andrelease shark fishery. “We’re well advanced on our tourism agenda. But there’s more to us than that.” The development board is also looking for opportunities in fishery, manufacturing and processing, and services. Curran pulls out a 2006-07 business directory, just published by the Irish Loop Chamber of Commerce. Almost 250 businesses are listed, from bars and beauty salons to sod, casket and cabinet manufacturing. “You find your little niches that work,” he says. “And we’re encouraging people to ‘keep it

in the loop,’ so to speak, and shop local.” For all his optimism and determination, Curran is well aware of the hurdles his region faces. As in many areas of Newfoundland and Labrador, outmigration — whether to St. John’s or out of the province — has hit hard. The population is shrinking and aging, meaning priorities are fast changing. No more do they fight for basketball courts and softball fields — the focus has turned to 50-plus clubs, indoor fitness centres and dart leagues. The volunteer force is also declining, a result of both age and burnout. “But we’re not as deprived as you might think in terms of things to do,” he says. “In Witless Bay tonight I can register for a karate class, do yoga, play in a dart league, take a pottery class … if you look at the bulletin boards, you’ll see what’s out there. In Trepassey, there’s piano lessons, dance, all sorts of things. “There’s more to do than people realize. I challenge the perception that

everyone just hunkers down and waits for spring … the communities are more vibrant than you think.” ••• Bill Luby, a former school guidance counselor and owner of Tutuit Jewelry (handmade creations by Luby, made from caribou bone and other local found materials), is currently a coordinator for the tourism market readiness program, supported by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador. The object, Luby says, is to enhance the quality of the Irish Loop tourism experience. Which means letting business operators know what to expect, and preparing them to deal with increased traffic. There is a system of mentors and consultants who will help service providers give visitors what they want. “It’s not just putting a mint on the pillow, it’s making sure the sheets are good quality and the bed is comfortable,” he says. “It’s making sure

there’s more on the menu than fish ’n’ chips … or wings ’n’ chips … it’s having the salads and maybe some vinegarette — not just the bottle of Thousand Islands.” It’s not just about upgrading, but also recognizing tourism trends. “What’s making us a hit is the trend toward experiential tourism,” he says, pointing to Peter Sobel, a potter and bed and breakfast owner as an example — guests get a great view of Witless Bay and the chance at the pottery wheel while they’re there. In Ferryland, tourists have the option of making their own toutons. Businesses have to sign up to take part in the program, and it does cost $500 each. But, Luby says, for two years worth of expert advice, it’s well worth it — and he says the program has been proven, working wonders for New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy area. Luby says the tourism season is already expanding beyond the MaySeptember months. The East Coast Trail is proving a draw year-round,

attracting enthusiastic hikers from Europe. There are also plans afoot for a charted Ski-Doo trail all the way around the Loop — which could add a whole new dimension to tourism, entertaining visitors from the province and beyond. “There’s lots of people in Town or nearby, who own Ski-Doos and matching outfits, and now they go as far as Witless Bay Line, stop at the gas station there — there’s a small restaurant, then turn around and go back. “We’re getting a group of businesses together interested in marking a Ski-Doo trail … including from Trepassey all the way up to Holyrood.” The trail will respect the Avalon Wilderness Reserve — and may also prove a draw for cross-country skiers. “Basically, we’re having fun with it all,” says Luby. “It’s a whole lot nicer lifestyle to be here than almost anywhere else … and it’s all part of the challenge we’re facing, living in an

area that the world is starting to discover.” ••• Brenda Molloy, in the variety store in Trepassey, serves a steady trickle of customers. She talks about her son, who lives in Toronto, but returns every Christmas. “He always says, we’ve got it so good down here. It’s so quiet, so much better than running around Toronto.” She pauses. “It is pitiful, though,” she continues. “All the people are gone, all the houses going for nothing … we’re the ones left here, us and the senior citizens, and we’ll soon be there.” In 1990, Trepassey had a population of close to 1,300. Now, anecdotal estimates put the number at 500 — it was one of the hardest-hit communities in the area by the end of the fishery. Molloy is looking forward to spring, when the traffic picks up a bit. “It’s nice to see some people coming through again. It’s getting a little better every year, now.”


JANUARY 26, 2007

10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

SUSAN RENDELL

Screed and Coke The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. — Mahatma Gandhi

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week ago, rats were making headlines in St. John’s. The city sent 160 notices to residents of a neighbourhood behind the Confederation Building, warning them to watch out for rodents. (Giving rise, naturally, to speculations about whether there would be enough politicians and senior government officials left to run the province if the exodus continued.) I had my own rat problem at the time. It began when my sister and I dropped in on friends one Sunday evening. On the counter next to a kitchen table littered with supper leftovers and the scrawl of schoolwork, there was a terrarium containing a large snake, looking like half a pair of the patterned tights I always covet at expensive downtown boutiques. The other resident of the terrarium was black and white, and about the size of my palm (not counting tail). It had fur. I was about to say, “I don’t think snakes and hamsters get along,” when the penny dropped. Actually, my purse dropped, and then I hauled the top off the terrarium and took out a small domestic rat. It was as still as a glass in my hand. Except for its heart, which was trip-hammering. I left the premises with my sister, Sally the rat, and half the things I wanted to say to two adults who thought it was OK to orchestrate a situation in which one animal devours another animal whole in a confined space. And OK to let their children (three, all under 12) witness it. Not exactly Sunday night family entertainment – unless you’re the Manson family. Two days after a hungry, dehydrated and decidedly skittish Sally was settled at my sister’s, she gave birth to 12 pups. We figured we could find a home for one rat, but not 13. So we took Sally’s babies quickly and quietly — but not quickly enough to miss her distress, her frenzied searching in the wood shavings under her bed. LETHAL INJECTION The technicians at The Terra Nova Veterinary Clinic told us a vet would lethally inject the newborns, each about the size of my thumbnail and soft as a rose petal. There was a lot of sombre headshaking about the cruelty of the exotic pet trade. They charged us for one injection. The next day, I returned to my friends’ house. Sally was pregnant, I tell them. The woman’s eyes well up and her husband turns white. “See?” she says to him. “We almost did a thing 12 times as bad as what we were going to do.” It turns out Sally wasn’t the only almost-victim in this case. My friends are obscenely poor.

Dwan Street and Sally.

Paul Daly/The Independent

Sally: a rat’s tale Susan Rendell knows most people don’t gave a rat’s ass about a rat’s ass — but maybe we should

Occasionally, they’re able to get much-needed work from a guy — we’ll call him “Brad” — who exploits people like them (low pay, long hours under dangerous and unsanitary conditions — I’ve seen the exhaustion and the burn marks). When Brad’s girlfriend objected to his impulse boa buy, the snake got dumped on his reluctant employees. Brad said the snake had to be fed a live “baby” rat. The husband, feeling he had no choice, went to Pet City. “I told them straight out I wanted a baby rat for my snake,” he says. “When the young one come back from her break, the elderly woman asked her to pick out a rat I could feed to it.” Half an hour later, Sally had a new home — and a roommate. Freaky, a seven-month-old boa constrictor. For the next two days, the pregnant rat was continuously put in the snake’s cage and taken out again. Freaky wouldn’t bite,

but Sally did (twice — you go, girl!). Before I leave my friends’ house, I ask Kimmie, their eight-year-old daughter, what she thinks of it all. She manages a few words in her Elmer Fudd lisp. “I was…sca-wed. I was woe-weed…” Suddenly, Kimmie’s glasses turn bright — tears are on the way. NEXT STOP My next stop is Pet City. I ask if they have rats for sale. “Sure!” says the clerk, in that overly chipper manner typical of some sales representatives. “Did you want one for a pet?” “What else would I want it for?” I ask. “Some people feed them to snakes,” he replies, decidedly less chipper. A couple of days later, after some research, I go back to Pet City with my sister to buy a frozen mouse for Freaky’s fortnightly feeding. (Sally, live or dead, would have

been too big.) A clerk goes into a back room and brings the mouse out, cupped discreetly in her hand. “I guess you don’t want to upset the rest of the clientele,” I say. She agrees, and slips the packet quickly into a brown paper bag. “It’s like buying pornography,” my sister says. I ask the clerk if they’d sell me a rabbit to feed live to a snake. (Adult boas eat bunnies too.) She tells me no one’s ever asked for a rabbit for that purpose. Besides, she adds, they cost $50, and in her opinion no one would spend that kind of money to feed a snake. What she doesn’t say is “No.” LIVE FEED As it turns out, Freaky doesn’t need a live, terrified small animal to prey on. In fact, live “feed” can destroy a snake’s digestive tract, according to responsible snake owners. A rat can also kill a snake from the outside. “I’ve seen a snake with its verte-

brae ripped out (by a rat),” Dwan Street says. “You should never feed live.” Street, a graduate student at Memorial, is Sally’s new foster mother, owner of five domestic rats whom she likens to “small dogs” in terms of their intelligence and playfulness. Street says her mother told her not to come home when she found out her daughter had rats for pets. Now her mother has a rat of her own. “A wild rat isn’t even close to a ‘fancy’ rat,” she says, as we discuss rats’ bad press. In the wild, a snake-rat fight to the death is called survival. In a suburban home, it’s a form of barbarity. A child could figure that out. Kimmie did. So did the English: it’s illegal in the U.K. I talk to Deborah Powers, local SPCA executive director and recent recipient of the Order of Newfoundland for her decadeslong work in animal rescue. “We absolutely loathe the sale of exotic animals. It’s tragic,” Powers says. Powers loathes pet stores, for sure. “I’d shut them all down if I could — don’t we have enough unwanted animals as it is?” She says they get complaints about another local pet store “practically on a daily basis.” What I witnessed was cruelty, I say — are domestic rats excluded under animal protection laws? No; as invertebrates, they’re covered, she tells me. But it’s not only rats that are treated…well, like rats. Federal and provincial laws are “too loose, they have no teeth,” according to Powers. True: last fall, when two dogs were tied to trees in Edmonton and beaten to death with a baseball bat, the judge let the accused off because a vet testified the dogs probably died after the first blow. My last stop is the web, where I check out the Criminal Code of Canada and animal abuse. Powers is right: current federal legislation, which dates from 1892 and is big on preventing cattle poisoning, is pretty lame. A Liberal bill that would have seen those Edmonton sickos heavily fined if not put behind bars — and prevented rats from being fed live to snakes — died in the last election. Stetson Steve Harper’s new animal abuse legislation still reads like The Prairie Home Companion, with cows still at the top of the list and a few short, equivocal paragraphs dealing with all other critters underneath. I know most people don’t give a rat’s ass about a rat’s ass. But that’s not entirely what this piece is about. We live in a country where you can get away with bashing a dog’s head in with a baseball bat, but if you have sex with it you can go to prison for 10 years. (Too bad animals can’t vote.) The Liberal legislation would have transferred animal abuse from the property section of the Criminal Code and placed it squarely in the “harmful to society” section. If I hadn’t already known, Kimmie’s puckered-up little face would have told me how that legislation should read — and just where it belongs. srendell@nf.sympatico.ca


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 11

LIFE STORY

A legacy of beautiful buildings SIR GEORGE GILBERT SCOTT (1811 – 1878)

By Keith Collier For The Independent

AROUND THE WORLD I would observe to you that Newfoundland appears to stand alone among the Western Colonies of the British Empire in several very essential respects: 1st — That she is without practicable Roads of communication for connecting the various settlements of the Island with the Provincial Capital, and themselves with each other; and 2ndly — Without a ‘Militia Force’ of any kind. So long as this unexampled state of things, more especially as respects the ‘Roads,’ is suffered to continue, this Colony must remain, what it would almost appear to have been designed to keep it, little beyond a “Fishing Station.” — The Royal Gazette and Newfoundland Advertiser, Jan. 17, 1843

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aybe you can recall the video for Wannabe, the Spice Girls’ hit song from the late-’90s, where the Spice Girls sing and dance inappropriately around a stereotypically stuffy British dinner party? That video was shot at St. Pancras Station, London, in the Midland Grand Hotel. The Midland Grand was one of architect Sir George Gilbert Scott’s masterpieces, and as the name suggests, was one of the grandest hotels of its day. George Gilbert Scott was born in 1811 in England. He was the son of a parson, and grew up in impoverished but culturally rich surroundings. He was well educated, and by age 14 his interest in church design had lead to a decision to become an architect. After a period of training and apprenticeship that lasted almost 10 years, Scott went into business as an architect. He was helped along a little by the new Poor Law of 1834, which meant that Britain suddenly needed hundreds of new poor- and workhouses. The structures were relatively easy to design, and the newly established architectural offices of Gilbert Scott and his partner produced over 50 of these structures from 1835 to 1845. During and after this work, Scott often found himself restoring and reconstructing buildings damaged by fire, particularly churches. This helped form the beginnings of Scott’s reputation as a church architect, and as David Cole, a biographer of Scott, writes “fires gave Scott many of his best opportunities.” It is fitting Scott’s work should find its way to St. John’s. St. John’s is defined by fire. There have been many over the centuries, most notably the great fires of 1817, 1846, and 1892. It was the fire of 1846 that sent Bishop Feild to England to seek help with relief, and while there he met Gilbert Scott, and commissioned him to design the Anglican Cathedral in St. John’s. In 1839, the Bishopric of Newfoundland was created, and the humble wooden building on Church Hill that had served as the primary church was suddenly promoted to a Cathedral. By 1846, plans were well underway to construct a cathedral that the clergy and congregation would find appropriate. Architect James Purcell had drawn up the original plans for the cathedral, and a cornerstone had been laid by Bishop Spencer in 1843. For various reasons, however, construction of Purcell’s cathedral never proceeded beyond the laying of the cornerstone. Three years later, the wooden Church of England on Church Hill was completely destroyed in the great fire of 1846. Bishop Feild’s relief trip to London also raised money for the new cathedral, which was now desper-

AROUND THE BAY Our Fancy Fair opened, according to the posters, on Monday evening last. It being held in St. Patrick’s School Room it offered a chance to the numbers who wished to patronize it. The receipts much exceeded their expectations. — The Carbonear Herald and Outport Telephone, Jan. 12, 1882

YEARS PAST Mr. Winton, finding that his sneers, and his forced and unbecoming laughter, would fail to divest us from the subject we had brought before the public for a full and thorough investigation,

Sir George Gilbert Scott

ately needed. Purcell’s original plan was abandoned in favour of a larger design by Gilbert Scott, who by now was one of the up-and-coming young architects of his day. Scott’s plan called for a majestic structure in the early English style, 188 feet long, 99 feet wide, and 80 feet high at the roofline. The nave was completed in 1850, but after that construction proceeded slowly, and the rest of the cathedral was not completed until 1885. It was not to last. The cathedral that was born of the great fire of 1846 was destroyed by the great fire of 1892. Although not a total loss, the roof had collapsed and the interior was completely destroyed. Only the walls were left standing. The building was eventually restored, but the huge crowning spire that Scott had originally envisioned has never been completed. Nonetheless, Scott’s grand design has been a landmark in St. John’s for over 150 years, and there are few structures in our province to rival it. The City of St. John’s was shaped throughout the 1800s not only by fire, but by a wave of ecclesiastical construction that drastically changed the

skyline. Scott’s Anglican Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Basilica are the two structures that stand out the most, but these decades also saw the construction of St. Thomas’, St. Patrick’s, St. Bonaventure’s College, George Street United Church, and others. George Gilbert Scott continued to design and restore buildings. By 1878 he had worked on over 750 of them, and had been knighted for his memorial to Prince Albert that stands in London’s Hyde Park. Not only would Scott leave behind a legacy of beautiful buildings, but a legacy of architects as well. His sons John and George Jr. were both architects, as were his grandsons Adrian and Giles, the latter of which designed the famous red telephone booths that are synonymous with London. Some of Scott’s work is gone and much of it is now in disrepair (the rich tapestries hanging from the walls of the Midland Grand in the Spice Girls’ video are there to cover the holes), but the cathedral in St. John’s still stands as a monument to Scott’s work, and to the men and women who built it not once, but twice. Sir George Gilbert Scott died in 1878.

attempts to silence us in the last Ledger by an implied threat, which being interpreted is, that if we persist in exposing the nefarious transaction to which we have alluded, he wilt wring our nose. — The Morning Post and Shipping Gazette, Jan. 22, 1848 EDITORIAL STAND We, on this day, present to the Public a new Weekly Journal. In the first place, it shall be a fixed principle with us to keep our columns perfectly free from all personal revilings, and from those improper commentaries on the private life and personal character of individuals, however opposed to us in Religious or Political views. But, thus deprecating the slightest wish to deal in personalities while canvassing political subjects, we shall never shrink from dauntlessly exposing every abuse with a view to its removal, nor denouncing the public delinquencies of those who would make high station and Official position the pretext for oppression. — Newfoundland Vindicator, Jan. 16, 1841 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir — Could you please publish the address of the “cat-house” mentioned in your paper last week. I would like to find a nice warm place for my “Tom.” Signed, Pussy Lover — The Labrador News, Jan. 25, 1965 QUOTE OF THE WEEK But who at St. John’s trouble about the baymen? Those dogs are only men a month before an election. — Fishermen’s Advocate, Jan. 14, 1911


12 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

JANUARY 26, 2007

VOICE FROM AWAY

The John Kenneth Galbraith Lecture in Public Policy Dr. Margaret MacMillan Provost of Trinity College, professor of history at University of Toronto and warden-designate of St. Anthony’s College, Oxford and best-selling author of Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World and Nixon in China: The Week that Changed the World

The Shadow of the Past: How History Shapes the Present Monday, January 29, 8 p.m. Inco Innovation Centre Lecture Theatre 2001 St. John’s Campus, Memorial University Free admission and free parking in Lot 18 (between the QE II Library and the Prince Philip Parkway) Reception with Dr. MacMillan to follow; all welcome

www.mun.ca/harriscentre/

Real Action = Real Change January 27 is Family Literacy Day

The provincial government believes that education is fundamental to both individual achievement and the overall success of our province. For literacy, the provincial government has invested: • $6 million to College of the North Atlantic for literacy, including $1.2 million to increase Adult Basic Education programs • $250,000 for early childhood grants • $454,000 for community-based literacy programs Unprecedented investments and steadfast dedication – an equation that results in much to celebrate.

Government believes in Education

South African President Nelson Mandela talks to Bill and Hillary Clinton March 27 from inside his former prison cell on Robben Island where he spent 18 years. Clinton said he was glad Mandela survived the experience without "having his heart turned into stone." At right is Mandela's partner Graca Machel. AFRICA CLINTON

Mind the gap For 20-something St. John’s resident Amanda Hancock, an excursion to Africa sounds like just the eye-opening experience she’s looking for By Amanda Hancock For The Independent

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call it a gap year, others call it a year abroad, and some simply say they’re taking a year off. Whatever it is, there are many 20-somethings who look to travel either before they start university, while on hiatus from an ongoing degree, or even to bring about change in their life’s direction. Some see gap years as a waste of time, a pause from real-life decisions concerning academia and careers. I disagree. I am of the opinion that gap years are the ultimate learning experience, building character and resulting in a stronger sense of self. There is no better time for such an experience than in one’s youth before delving into professional life. Traveling as a tourist can be an eye-opener, working or volunteering in a foreign country can be monumental. Work opportunities abroad are endless for young Canadians — as English teachers, ski instructors, servers, hostel workers, translators, the list goes on and is even longer for friendly Newfoundlanders. I’ve heard the odd story about a trip that turns into a new life — some people find a niche at their initial destination and spend years away. But even if time abroad does not turn into a prolonged, meaningful endeavour, a significant change in life and career interests could transpire. Even if the return is followed by slipping back into the old pre-departure routine, time for development and reflection between school and working life is time well spent.

I am one of these 20-somethings. After obtaining a four-year undergraduate degree and working in my field for nearly three years, I was looking for change and I’ve found just the thing. On Feb. 18, I am going to Africa on a volunteer internship. I will be in Capetown for nine weeks, followed by independent travel to other countries on the continent including Tanzania and Kenya. I hope to take a trip to Robben Island, where former president Nelson Mandela was held prisoner, scale Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, and learn a few words of Kiswahilli, one of many national languages. When I explained the Africa plan to friends and relatives over the holidays, the No. 1 question was “Why Africa?” My answer to that was, and continues to be, because I want to make a difference. Cliché, yes, but it will be a far cry from the all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic that I visited last spring. I really could have been anywhere in the world wearing my neon pink bracelet that entitled me to unlimited food and drink and not known the difference. The Student Work Abroad Program (SWAP) has placements that will allow me to participate in such efforts as HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness and working with local children and charities. Following my explanation, the reactions from friends and family typically included standard health precautions, safety warnings, the odd rape statistic, and some remarks about life with tribes and elephants. Normally, hearing this information repeat-

edly from panic-stricken confidants would have made me nervous to the point of dread, but going through SWAP has provided me with a sense of security. The program has put me in contact with thousands of others who have done similar excursions, and upon arrival I will have access to the hosting centre with phone, fax, and Internet services. There is a fee for this service, but knowing it is a non-profit organization owned and operated by the Canadian Federation of Students takes the sting out of paying. Other organizations that offer gap year opportunities include Canada World Youth, Katimavik, Right To Play and Cross Cultural Solutions. So the gap in my everyday will be spent in Africa. I will not be compensated, I will not be furthering my education through traditional means, and I will definitely not be wasting my time. Planning the trip has been a learning experience in itself and I am looking forward to every minute of it. While it may not be a traditional destination, any fear of the unknown has been quelled by dealing with a credible organization and the knowledge that people do this all the time. I’m not sure what’s in store for after the journey — maybe it will turn into something epic and I’ll end up a resident of Africa. Or maybe I’ll return for a new job or more school. I do know that I’ll have brought a piece of Newfoundland to people that may never walk the streets of St. John’s, and learn a thing or two in doing so. Stay tuned: Amanda Hancock will write updates for The Independent from Africa.

‘Another year’ added From page 1 More than 40 affected women, including Morgan, have signed on to bring a class action lawsuit against Eastern Health. They’re represented by St. John’s lawyer Ches Crosbie. Oscar Howell, vice-president of diagnostic and medical services for Eastern Health, says he was just as surprised by Morgan’s wait as she was. “It was our understanding that all individuals impacted by the review had been contacted,” Howell tells The Independent. “The process of notifying individual patients has involved numerous individuals, physicians and specialists, both within and outside the organization. “Eastern Health is now rechecking the list to verify with the physicians and specialists involved that these patients have all been contacted.” Morgan is determined to receive an explanation. Somehow, she says, her file was overlooked — despite her efforts. “How does a report go missing for 10 months? I didn’t move, I’m in the same place, I have the same phone number … I’d never received a letter, never been contacted.” Crosbie wonders if other patients out there have fallen through the cracks. “The main point is that she would have had the protective effects of the Tamoxifen for the past eight years,” says Crosbie. “Because it has very definite protective effects against the recurrence of cancer. That’s the main issue. “And now this delay has added another year to that … “The moral of all this that may be of interest to people who have been tested (and not contacted) is … don’t sit back and wait for them to tell you.” Any individuals who were in the retesting group and have not heard from their physician or from Eastern Health can call the client services officer at 777-6500. stephanie.porter@theindependent.ca


INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2007 — PAGE 13

Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale

Paul Daly/The Independent

‘Not just rhetoric’ Province needs more answers on Hibernia South; Wells questions board’s ‘competency’ By Ivan Morgan The Independent

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he province did not approve the development application for Hibernia South partly because it didn’t want to transfer its authority to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. “I am not prepared to abandon that responsibility,” Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale wrote in a recent letter to petroleum board head Max Ruelokke. The board recommended the federal and provincial government approve Hibernia’s application as long as certain conditions set by the board were met. Dunderdale says the province had con-

cerns regarding the application, and made those concerns clear early in the process. She says the province wrote the board in December outlining its concerns about gaps in information in the application, and copied that letter to Hibernia Management Development Company, as well as to the federal government. “So we have been very upfront through this process,” says Dunderdale. When asked why the board would approve an application without addressing the province’s concerns, Dunderdale suggests consulting the board. Ruelokke would not comment, but a spokesperson for the C-NLOPB said it would be inappropriate to comment on the government’s decision, other than to say the process was followed, and government

has a right to make a decision. Board member and St. John’s Mayor Andy Wells says the board wasn’t aware of the implications of their recommendations. “I don’t think that this application was handled properly,” says Wells. “We had a communication from the province in early December outlining its concerns … “I can’t speak for (the board). They felt that the province’s concerns weren’t of sufficient import to be addressed before the recommendation to approve was made. I disagreed with that. “As far as I’m concerned, when the province sends you a letter detailing a number — three or four — of major con-

Province’s reasons for rejecting the development application for Hibernia South • Unclear about the size of Hibernia South • Unwilling to transfer authority to board • Information gaps on mode of development of new oil: GBS, tieback, upgrade to the existing Hibernia platform? • Technical concerns about production, drilling, and development of the natural gas reserves • Questions regarding benefits to the province in terms of employment, industrial benefits, technology transfers

See “A creature of the province,” page 15

The very least taxpayers deserve Rising taxes, skyrocketing expenditures: new St. John’s Board of Trade president Cathy Bennett says City Hall should be more accountable

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ecall a month ago, when St. John’s City Council rejected calls from numerous citizens — including well over 100 members of the Board of Trade — for a meaningful reduction in residential and business property mil rates for 2007. Instead, council approved a small cut for homeowners, and an even smaller cut for local businesses. I call it a “cut,” but in fact the change in mil rate wasn’t nearly enough to offset our rising property values. As a result, we all have higher tax bills this year — in many cases, considerably higher than 2006. The main reason given for not dropping taxes by a fair margin is that more of our tax dollars are needed to cover infrastructure and capital works requirements. While councillors went to great lengths to justify the tax increase, it was discouraging to hear almost no acknowledgement of the need to take a hard look at the annual rise in the city’s expenditures. Do councillors feel taxpayers are just supposed to grin and

CATHY BENNETT

Board of Trade bear it? A week or so ago, council approved a record-high budget for 2007, with an increase in total revenues and expenditures a full eight per cent, or $12 million, over last year — almost triple the projected cost of inflation. This time, we started to hear more noise from some councillors who feel year-over-year increases of this magnitude aren’t sustainable — a point the Board of Trade harped on in midDecember when council set tax rates (even before that, in fact). These are the same councillors who supported the less-than-fair mil rate reduction in December. Remember, the vote for a smaller mil rate cut was a vote for higher taxes and higher spending. Unfortunately, some councillors seem to think current costs are entirely

outside of City Hall’s control — mean- shot up 22 per cent and municipal water ing, to them, any effort spent on curtail- taxes have more than doubled since ing spending would be an exercise in 2001 to $400 (and are set to go a lot futility. higher in the coming years). Frankly, that should be a little too It’s true that much of the rising opermuch for citizens to ating and capital costs accept. After all, at the are for items over It seems a tad ironic which City Hall has end of the day, it’s the taxpayer who’ll pay very little influence, the councillors now for that eight per cent things like fuel and increase. If we accept construction materiquestioning budget that those kinds of als. expenditure increases However, in the expenditures … seem will be the norm, then interest of accountI’m afraid in a few to be the same ones able, responsible fisshort years, when the cal management by real estate market hits who stood steadfastly our municipal governa valley and organic ment, citizens have by a token mil rate expansion of the tax every right to ask why base is considerably expenditures are reduction. slower, we won’t be increasing so sharply squabbling over how — and what council much mil rates should be cut, but how plans to do about it. Tax hikes like the much they’ll be going up. one we just experienced can’t become Citizens, residential and business the norm. owners alike, are taking a substantial Last fall, the Board of Trade let counenough tax hit. The average increase in cil know its position: that a year-overassessed residential property values year budget increase that covered typi-

cal inflationary cost increases (i.e. somewhere around three per cent) is reasonable and would allow the city to spend and tax responsibly. Judging by the debate that ensued around the 2007 budget, at least some members of St. John’s City Council are ready and willing to look for ways to better control spending. That’s the right and responsible direction to take. It seems a tad ironic the councillors now questioning budget expenditures and calling for cuts seem to be the same ones who stood steadfastly by a token mil rate reduction. Is an eight per cent, $12 million increase in expenditures from one year to the next honestly the best we can do? Is this the sort of steep and slippery course we’re going to follow? C’mon councillors. Give it the old college try. It’s the very least that taxpayers deserve. Cathy Bennett began her term as president of the St. John’s Board of Trade on Jan. 24.


14 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

JANUARY 26, 2007

Janet O’Reilly

Paul Daly/The Independent

Winners, losers Department store security scare increases identity theft awareness By Mandy Cook The Independent

C

areful! E-thieves are about. Electronic crime can happen anywhere — behind you at the ATM, while you give a store clerk your name and address, lurking online, and even electronically tracing your favourite shopping haunts. So was the case recently for as many as two million Visa credit card holders who shopped at Winners department stores between 2003 and 2006. A computer hack was discovered in December that may have compromised credit-card holders whose personal information was stolen from the retailer’s computer system. Janet O’Reilly, an insurance examiner in St. John’s and regular Winners shopper, checked her answering machine recently to hear an automated message stating her credit card number may have been stolen. It also said her old card would be cancelled and a new one sent in the mail. “So of course I panicked, as you would, and immediately called the 1800 number they provided.” O’Reilly contacted her banking officials who said her credit card number had been produced as part of a list of numbers from Winners that had poten-

tially been compromised. Luckily, everything checked out on O’Reilly’s banking history. She already has access to her new credit card number online while waiting for the card to show up in the mail. Jonathan Miller, an IT administrator in St. John’s, says private and corporate citizens must be diligent in protecting themselves against e-crime and identity theft. He says keeping a “strong” password is key. “It only takes one password for somebody to actually get into the organization and start snooping around.” Miller says if one employee reveals their password to a hacker, there are a number of ways customer data can be uncovered. The e-thief can then connect with the network through a webpage, email or file transfer protocol (a system allowing the transfer of large amounts of information over the Internet). After that, it’s a matter of trying common user names (eg. J Smith) and a dictionary of passwords. “So if an organization doesn’t enforce strong passwords you could have somebody using something as simple as just ‘password’,” he says. Miller recommends businesses enable strong passwords by locking a computer if the wrong password is entered multiple times. Users should change their

passwords on a regular basis — and not repeat the same one or use their name. Miller says don’t to assume companies will follow these security practices. “You would hope to see it in some of these places that are actually collecting Visa numbers and everything else but it may not be the case.” Lisa Riggs, executive director at the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Better Business Bureau, says the best defence against identity theft is education. She recommends keeping the paper trail of every transaction and then checking it against monthly statements. Never give out personal information to an incoming call — and ask credit card companies what they will do in case of a breach in security and what kind of questions they will ask. “One thing we all need to be aware of as consumers is the information we give out. We are far too quick to just give over whatever information we’re being asked for,” she says. As for O’Reilly, she says she will be much more cautious regarding her personal financial information from now on. “I’m like most people, statement comes, I check my balance, what’s my minimum payment? I never check my statement. But I will now.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

POWER LINE HAZARDS TRAINERS’ COURSE Certification Training Communication

The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (the Commission) has the legislative responsibility of developing standards for power line hazards training and certifying trainers. The Commission will be providing a Power Line Hazards Trainers' Course for individuals who are qualified to become certified power line hazards trainers. This three-day course will cover basic, practical knowledge of electricity as it relates to power lines; adult learning principles; presentation skills; the revised course content; and the new delivery method. Anyone who intends to deliver power line hazards training must complete this course. The prerequisites for the trainers' course are: a. Current certification in power line hazards (completed power line hazards training within the past three years) and b. High school graduation or equivalent and c. Either (i) Demonstration of related work experience (working on or near power lines) or (ii) Experience delivering training To be considered for this course, please contact the Commission for an application or for further information (709) 778-1552, TOLL FREE 1-800-563-9000 or email kconnors@whscc.nl.ca Priority will be given to PLH trainers who were previously certified through an audit of their training and who have delivered PLH training within the last three years. Other applicants will be accepted based on availability of space. If your application is approved, you will be informed of the dates and locations of the training. THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FEBRUARY 16, 2007

PRIME


JANUARY 26, 2007

BUSINESS • 15

‘A creature of the province’ From page 13 cerns, it seems to me before you would proceed with the application you would address the province’s concerns, respond to their letter and respond to their concerns and say ‘this is how we feel in response.’ “And that wasn’t done. They just went ahead and said they were satisfied that these concerns can be addressed after the fact. That is not the way you should proceed.” Dunderdale says the province has been clear on what the terms and conditions need to be around development of offshore resources — and the kind of information they require to make these decisions responsibly. “And we believe it. I guess that might be the piece that takes a little while to sink in,” says Dunderdale. “This is not just rhetoric with us. We really believe that we have to get the best value for the people of the province and we are going to do whatever it requires to make that happen.” Wells says the board does not seem to understand the procedure. “The board is a creature of the province and of the federal government, so there is no question who has the upper hand. And I think any member of the board, or any collective, who thinks that they can have any upper hand are dreaming in Technicolor. I just think it is a question of competency. “It’s clear to me from my observations that even though some of them have been around a long time they don’t know much about administrative law.” Hibernia Management and Development Company said they would not be commenting on the issue.

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INDEPENDENTLIFE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2007 — PAGE 17

Fighting words Newfoundlander Rick Mercer defends his decision to visit Canadian troops in Afghanistan over Christmas, a move criticized recently by Independent columnist Noreen Golfman. She questioned why ‘star’ Newfoundlanders like Mercer failed to raise a hint of dissent over the value of the mission. Writes Mercer in response: ‘Holland was not liberated by peacekeepers and fascism was not defeated with a deft pen.’

P

oor Noreen Golfman. She wrote in her Jan. 12 column (Blowing in the Wind … ) that her holidays were ruined by what she felt were incessant reports about Canadian men and women serving in Afghanistan. So upset was Noreen that, armed with her legendary pen, sharpened from years in the trenches at Memorial University’s women’s studies department, she went on the attack. I know I should just ignore the good professor and write her off as another bitter baby boom academic pining for what she fondly calls “the protest songs of yesteryear,” but I can’t help myself. A response is exactly what she wants; and so I include it here. After all, Newfoundlanders have seen this before: Noreen Golfman, sadly, is Margaret Wente without the wit. Dear Noreen, I am so sorry to hear about the interruption to your holiday cheer. You say in your column that it all started when the CBC ran a story on some “poor sod” who got his legs blown off in Afghanistan. The “poor sod” in question, Noreen, has a name and it is Cpl. Paul Franklin. He is a medic in the Forces and has been a buddy of mine for years. I had dinner with him last week in Edmonton, in fact. I will be sure to pass on to him that his lack of legs caused you some personal discomfort this Christmas. Paul is a pretty amazing guy. You would like him I think. When I met him years ago he had two good legs and a brutally funny sense of humour. He was so funny that I was pretty sure he was a Newfoundlander. You probably know the type (or maybe you don’t) — salt of the earth, always smiling, and like so many health-care professionals, seemingly obsessed with helping others in need. These days he spends his time training other health-care workers and learning how to walk again. That’s a pretty exhausting task for Paul … heading into rehabilitation he knew very well his chances of walking again were next to none, considering he’s a double amputee, missing both legs above the knee. At the risk of ruining your day Noreen, I’m proud to report that for the last few months he has managed to walk his son to school almost every morning and it’s almost a kilometre from his house. Next month Paul hopes to travel to Washington where he claims he will learn how to run on something he calls “bionic flipper cheetah feet.” The legs may be gone but the sense of humour is still very much intact. Forgive me Noreen for using Paul’s name so much, but seeing as you didn’t catch it when CBC ran the profile on his recovery I thought it might be nice if you perhaps bothered to remember it from here on in. This way, when you are pontificating about him at a dinner party, you no longer have to refer to him simply as the “poor sod,” but you can actually refer to him as Paul Franklin. You may prefer “poor sod” of course; it’s all a matter of how you look at things. You see a “poor sod” that ruined your Christmas and I see a truly inspiring guy. That’s why I am thrilled that the CBC saw fit to run a story on Paul and his wife Audra. I would go so far as to suggest that many people would find their story, their marriage and their charitable endeavours inspiring. Just as I am sure that many readers of The Independent are inspired by your suggestion that Paul’s story has no place on the public broadcaster. Further on in your column you ask why more people aren’t questioning Canada’s role in Afghanistan. I understand this frustration. It’s a good question. Why should Canada honour its United Nations-sanctioned NATO commitments? Let’s have the discussion. I would welcome debate on the idea that Canada should simply ignore its international obligations and pull out of Afghanistan. By all means ask the questions Noreen, but surely such debates can occur without begrudging the families of injured soldiers too much airtime at Christmas? Personally, I would have thought that as a professor of women’s studies you would be somewhat supportive of the notion of a NATO presence in Afghanistan. After all, it is the NATO force that is See “The gates,” page 19

Cpl. Paul Franklin, who lost his two legs following a suicide bomber attack in Afghanistan on Jan. 15, 2006, walks with his son Simon a day after leaving the Glenrose Rehabilitation in Alberta. Bruce Edwards/Edmonton Journal

Transplanted to Toronto, St. John’s rockers the Coast Guard to make port of call in their hometown By Mandy Cook The Independent

R

The Coast Guard, clockwise from top: Jimmy Rose, Dennis Keough, Rhiannon Thomas, Justin Mahoney. Corey Goodyear photo

hiannon Thomas — the blue-haired pixiesinger, songwriter, guitarist and sometime bassist of pop-rock band the Coast Guard — is beyond excited to bring the latest incarnation of her band back to the city from whence it came. “I am completely and utterly stoked,” she says, carefully measuring out the words in her crafty Virgo nature. This weekend marks the first time the band will play their hometown since Thomas and fellow bandmate, guitarist Jimmy Rose, up and left to broaden their musical horizons in the “United States of Ontario” in the fall of 2004.

Rock the boat

Thomas is the sole original member of the band first known as The Co-stars. Formed in 2000, many a bandmate has come and gone since then, but the rocker chick whose original songwriting was first informed by Neil Young, Björk and the requisite broken heart, is the one constant the band has known. Now consisting of Thomas, Rose, Dennis Keough on drums and Justin Mahoney on bass, the Coast Guard can still claim an all-Newfoundland pedigree despite their Toronto address. Whereas Thomas and Rose hail from St. John’s, Keough and Mahoney are from the west coast of the island. “It really kinda happened by accident,” says See “Everybody,” page 19


JANUARY 26, 2007

18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

GALLERYPROFILE

Breathe by Cara Kansala and Pam Dorey

The Woodcarver, by Kevin Coates

Shift, by John Glendinning

Net Worth, by Urve Manuel

Celebrate craft

F

or the first exhibition of Craft Year 2007 — so named by the Canadian Crafts Federation — executive members of this province’s craft council decided to open their arms (and gallery) to craftspeople from coast to coast. “We decided, wouldn’t it be great to see some work from away? Because we don’t see that much of it here,” says Sharon LeRiche, director of the craft council’s gallery at Devon House. “So we sent out an invitation, saying we’re going to have a show to launch the year

here in Newfoundland … it happened fairly quickly, but we got a good response.” Artists were asked to keep their works under 36 inches — though there were some welcome exceptions — and to submit digital photographs of the pieces. A craft council jury made the final decisions on which pieces to include. Opening Jan. 28, Celebrate Craft features work by some 60 artists, about half from Newfoundland and Labrador. Every province except P.E.I. is represented.

Celebrate Craft, like Craft Year, is about raising the profile and awareness of crafts, in all their many forms and functions — from Quebec woodworker Tom Littledeer’s perfectly shaped and smooth maple Collection of Serving Utensils (“to me, that’s sculptural,” says LeRiche), to Saskatchewan potter Carole Epp’s pretty and petite Snow series: Tea set for two to local artist Don Beaubier’s breathtaking neckpiece, Lemon Lime Flyer. There are pottery platters, ceramic canisters and grass baskets, some to be

used, others for décor. There’s exquisite jewelry, a stained-glass window, quilts, wall-hangings, sculpture and clothing. Pieces made from fibre, clay, metal, wood, glass, paper and stone sit comfortably side-by-side. “Sometimes craft doesn’t get the same preference we think it should,” says LeRiche. “People forget about its place in history, look at anthropology … look at the history of Newfoundland, from the boat builders to the mat makers, it’s such an intense and important part of everybody’s life, from ancient

history to today. “And it’s so important today. It’s such a beautiful way to liven up your life. I think the art of the craft sometimes gets missed. Plus the range that it has — it can be functional or it can be an idea that someone wanted to express.” The other purpose of the exhibition, says LeRiche, is to introduce craftspeople to each other — though not all participants will visit St. John’s for the show, LeRiche expects the artists from near and far will research their coexhibitors and peers. “We hope they’ll start to get to know what’s happening here, and to make that connection with us,” she says. “Right now, a lot of Newfoundland artists don’t get known outside the province, I hear that a lot.” Besides, as LeRiche points out, looking around the gallery brimming with colour, texture and artwork with plenty to say, “it’s good to see the Newfoundland and Labrador work mixed in with (the pieces from away). And you realize we’re pretty good.” Celebrate Craft is on display at Devon House until March 9. For more about Craft Year 2007, visit www.craftcouncil.nf.ca/craftyear2007 — Stephanie Porter

POET’S CORNER

Iced Up She is sluggish and rolls tender now, like a careful drunk. The foredeck is a white field. The wheelhouse glistens, a giant wedding cake adrift in a turgid sea. Spray has frozen streaming from the windows. Guardrails are a solid barricade, perceptibly growing — half inch wire; big around as a barrel. “Makin’ ice, I believe, Skipper, b’y.” “That’s right, old dear. ’Ave to get this off ’er later on, I s’pose.” Blue Mist rolls heavily through my mind and is gone. He lost people on her. So did I. “Goin’ below for tea, Skipper.” “Finest kind, old dear. Fill up me mug, would you?” By David Benson From And We Were Sailors … published by Killick Press.


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19

No reason to be bored L

ooking for something to do? As always, Rising Tide’s Revue is hoovering audiences into Arts and Culture Centres all over the island, whether the sketches flail about or hit the mark. In the realm of higher art, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra’s series of concerts and recitals continues, marrying local ability to guest talent in innovative, exciting ways. Reliable cultural institutions, like Revue and Rising Tide, hardly stand alone as calendar events. These examples of high and low forms of artistic expression have been actively competing all month with an impressive excess of readings, theatrical and musical performances, film screenings, CD/DVD launches, art openings, and special lectures. January used to be notable for the white linen sales at Sears. Now it’s a month of stuff to do and see. On one evening you had your pick of hearing Gerry Squires speak lyrically to the Wessex Society on Newfoundland through the eyes of an artist, or going to The Rooms to hear CBC Radio Ideas program host and producer Paul Kennedy entertain his audience with stories about food and art and the mysterious menu of The Last Supper. Both houses were packed and anyone who went to one of these talks came away boasting of how good it was. On another recent, frighteningly cold weekday night, a screening of a British

NOREEN GOLFMAN Standing Room Only comedy at the MUN Cinema Series at the Avalon Mall sold out 220 tickets in less than 20 minutes. Coming up is a public lecture by best-selling historian Margaret MacMillan, the featured speaker for this year’s John K. Galbraith lecture, sponsored by Memorial University. MacMillan is guaranteed to attract a standing room only house, since she has done for history what Sydney Crosby has done for hockey. Clearly a lot of people are hungry for something besides American Idol. If there is another city in North America the size of St. John’s with as many “what’s happening” guides to art and entertainment I don’t know about it. Consider the overnight success of The Scope, an alternative information magazine, free to anyone who sees it on a newsstand. Blocked with weekly listing of bands, bars, and bustle, and enhanced by a constantly updated web site (www.thescope.ca), The Scope is a terrific indicator of the rich creative life of the city. Scanning their site and reading the many lively blogs therein is bound to make you feel young and plugged in — if not pathetic and out of

it, that is. Note, too, the workhouse events listing that is The Town Cryer, whose web site (www.thetowncryer.ca) is another colourful source of cultural events, featuring anything from belly dancing to bingo to organ concerts. You can get lost and excited in these pages. Notable among all the hot culture porn in the urban landscape these days is a new set of shows on the fourth floor gallery of The Rooms, well worth climbing the stairs for. Cleverly juxtaposed in adjoining spaces are Peter Wilkins: Kinetic Portraits of 12 Canadian Writers and Notes on Location: Sampled Sites in Books by Artists, curated by Shauna McCabe and Craig Leonard. If the titles of these exhibits scare you, then get over it. You’ll get more pleasure sampling these fresh, original shows than in all the bingo in Christendom. At the lively gallery opening last week it was obvious that the Wilkins’ show generated a more immediate response and an easier connection than did the glass encased artists’ books of Notes on Location. The main hall where the portraits graced the walls was buzzing with comment while the spaces where the beautiful, precious books were displayed was quieter, inviting a slower and more hushed approach to the material. The differences between the two shows are just as interesting as what they have in common, and tell us a lot

about our role as viewers and consumers of art. Wilkins not only had a great idea, but he acted on it. Lining up 12 accomplished Canadian writers — Margaret Atwood, David Adams Richards, Wayne Johnston, Yann Martel, etc. — would be difficult enough, but he managed both to interview them about their lives and to shoot them reflecting silently, posing for the camera, as it were, for a full five minutes.

January used to be notable for the white linen sales at Sears. Now it’s a month of stuff to do and see. The result is uncanny and a hell of a lot of fun. Framed like canvases, the video screens stare out at the viewer, seducing you with their flat, impenetrable gaze. You looking at me? There is Can lit diva Atwood and her famously coiled hair, looking at once uncomfortable and playful at the camera you are now standing in for. There is Wayne Johnston, looking shy and remote: is he feeling awkward or is that just the way he is? There is

Rasta-haired Austen Clarke, determined to have a serious staring contest with the lens/viewer, until he cracks a little smile and betrays his game. You can keep walking around the room and see something else each time you stare back at a literary icon whose fictions you’ve devoured or maybe only heard about. The art book exhibit is also playing with sensations of the familiar and the strange. Here you gaze at books you’ve never imagined, their hand-wrought paper as fragile and natural as onion skin. Each boasts the precious individual markings in word and image of its author-artist, but there is nothing of the electronic technology next door. Each book, gorgeous and sacred, demands reverence and respect, its unopened pages just out of reach, as teasing and remote as Wilkins’ portraits but in very different ways. There is much to think and say about these two shows and their dynamic relationship and so the best thing to do is make some time to visit the gallery and soak it all in. On your way up, be sure to catch the last fleeting moments with the glorious paintings of Mary Pratt, exquisite experiments with light and paint. Winter trudges on but there is no reason to be bored around here. Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial. Her column returns Feb. 9.

‘The gates of Auschwitz were not opened with peace talks’ From page 17 keeping the Taliban from power. In case you missed it Noreen, the Taliban was a regime that systematically de-peopled women to the point where they had no human rights whatsoever. This was a country where until very recently it was illegal for a child to fly a kite or for a little girl to receive any education. To put it in terms you might understand Noreen, rest assured the Taliban would frown on your attending this year’s opening night gala of the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival. In fact, as a woman, a professor, a writer and (one supposes) an advocate of the concept that women are people, they would probably want to kill you three or four times over. Thankfully that notion is moot in our cozy part of the world but were it ever come to pass I would suggest that you would be grateful if a “poor sod” like Paul Franklin happened along to risk his life to protect yours. And then of course you seem to be somehow personally indignant that I would visit troops in Afghanistan over Christmas. You ask the question “When did the worm turn?” Well I hate to break it to you, but in my case this worm has been doing this for a long time now. It’s been a decade since I visited Canadian peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and this Christmas marked my third trip to Afghanistan. Why do I do it? Well I am not a soldier — that much is perfectly clear. I don’t have the discipline or the skills. But I am an entertainer and entertainers entertain. And occasionally, like most Canadians, I get to volunteer my professional time to causes that I find personally satisfying. As a Newfoundlander this is very personal to me. On every one of these

Rhiannon Thomas

Corey Goodyear photo

‘Everybody in Toronto is so stiff’ From page 17

Thomas, in a phone interview from Toronto. “Everyone we’ve played with (here) has at least been an East Coaster, but it was a coincidence. Dennis was moving up here at a time when our other drummer was leaving. We thought he was a really cool drummer and a cool guy and he knew Justin from Corner Brook and it all worked out.” Having lived, worked and played amidst the Toronto indie music scene for over two years, the Coast Guard is ready to drop their self-titled EP. The recording process began last August, and the album was mastered in December. Thomas says her No. 1 goal was to make a record everyone can enjoy. “I wanted to make a really great record, one I would buy and listen to,” she says. Keough is excited about the new album too, but is just looking forward to playing for a passionate audience. He says the regular bar-goers in Toronto are lacking in enthusiasm. “Everybody in Toronto is so stiff,” he says over his cell phone, riding the Queen Street streetcar. “Even when

“I wanted to make a really great record, one I would buy and listen to.” Rhiannon Thomas they love things at a concert they don’t show it. Nobody expresses themselves. If you get applause for more than five seconds, it’s amazing, really.” Torontonians may be too blasé to appreciate the copious available entertainment in their bursting party town, but the touring musical acts are not wasted on Thomas. She says she feels her music has been most influenced by the local bands she takes in — in St. John’s and Toronto — but having the opportunity to witness some of her alltime favourite bands compares to nothing else. “Yo La Tengo was such a good show at The Phoenix, they have a good mix

of pop songs and the drawn-out jam/noise songs. I really dig that kind of vibe. And I saw Bettie Serveert twice — I’m very influenced by them.” When asked where she visualizes the band going, Thomas is quick to pipe up with her next goal: a world tour, of course. “I’d love to play Japan and Europe,” she says, laughing. “But Canada is the most basic and obvious place to start. I want to play and visit other cities and play constantly.” For now, Thomas is content to tour her freshly-minted record to her hometown fans. Local music aficionados yearning to hear the Coast Guard’s special mix of wicked hooks, clever lyrics and inspiring vocals are in for a treat. For those hoping to see the band relocate back to Newfoundland, well, the likelihood is not great. Thomas is thoroughly enjoying how Toronto affects how she “outputs creatively.” “Newfoundland is where I’m from,” she says, “but Toronto is where I live.” The Coast Guard CD release is at the Majestic Theatre, Jan. 26. The band will also play the Ship Pub, Jan. 27. mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

trips I meet Newfoundlanders who serve proudly in the Canadian Forces. Every day they do the hard work that we as a nation ask of them. They do this without complaint and they do it knowing that at every turn there are people like you, Noreen, suggesting that what they do is somehow undignified or misguided. I am also curious Noreen why you refer to the head of the Canadian Forces, General Rick Hillier, as “Rick ‘MUN graduate’ Hillier.” I would suggest that if you wish to criticize General Hillier’s record of leadership or service to his country you should feel free. He is a big boy. However, when you dismiss him as “Rick ‘MUN Graduate’ Hillier” the message is loud and clear. Are you suggesting that because General Hillier received an education at Memorial he is somehow unqualified for high command? We are used to seeing this type of tactic in certain national papers — not The Independent. You end by saying you personally cannot envision that peace can ever be paved with military offensives. May I suggest to you that in many instances in history peace has been achieved exactly that way. The gates of Auschwitz were not opened with peace talks. Holland was not liberated by peacekeepers and fascism was not defeated with a deft pen. Time and time again men and women in uniform have laid down their lives in just causes and in an effort to free others from oppression. It is unfortunate, Noreen, that in such instances people like yourself may have your sensitivities offended, especially during the holiday season, but perhaps that is a small price to pay. Best wishes for the remainder of 2007; may it be a year of peace and prosperity.


JANUARY 26, 2007

20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

TIM CONWAY Film Score Letters from Iwo Jima 140 min. Starring Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Yihara 1/2 (out of four)

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n February of 1945, following months of aerial bombing missions, the United States launched an invasion of Iwo Jima, a small island some 700 kilometres from Tokyo, Japan. By the time American soldiers landed on the beach, it was assumed that the bombs had inflicted heavy damage to both personnel and equipment, and that the operation would take no more than five days. More than a month later, the Battle of Iwo Jima concluded, an Allied victory that came at the expense of many lives on both sides. A counterpart to Clint Eastwood’s recent Flags of Our Fathers, which he also co-produced with Steven Spielberg, Letters from Iwo Jima recounts the horrific battle and the six months leading up to it from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. In stark contrast to the kind of propaganda that rolled out of Hollywood during WWII, this film portrays the men of the Imperial Japanese Army as human beings in uniforms, credible individuals who are left to defend their country, despite the knowledge that they’ll likely never see their homes again. Central to the story are the characters Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya) a regular soldier whose only desire is to return to his family, and Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe), commander of the island’s defences, who’s also deeply devoted to his wife and family. Unlike Saigo, however, who has little interest in his military duties, Kuribayashi sees his role in terms of the safety of those at home. The longer that he, and the men stationed on Iwo Jima, can hold off the American forces, the longer Japanese civilians live without the danger of Allied bombs. We don’t have to look closely to see American roots showing through, and perhaps greater participation with Japanese filmmakers would have tweaked the script to offer more insight into the attitudes and customs of the day, especially the officers who question Kuribayashi’s methods. Clarification would also be handy in terms of time lines, since when we occasionally encounter a verbal clue to indicate that a significant period of time has passed, it’s usually startling. Even the battle itself plays out like it occurred over a few days. These are minor flaws in what is otherwise a stunning and affecting motion picture. Arguably an instant classic, Letters from Iwo Jima isn’t just one of Eastwood’s best efforts, it’s one of the

Ken Watanabe as General Kuribayashi and Hiroshi Watanabe as Lieutenant Fujita

Oscar race heats up Finally, two of the most talked about movies of the year come to local screens truly remarkable films of 2006. Already the recipient or runner-up in a number of awards ceremonies, it has been nominated in four major Oscar categories. Time is likely to view this as a grave oversight, but whatever the case, you’ll regret it if you don’t catch this one on the big screen. Dreamgirls 131 min. Starring Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, and Eddie Murphy (out of four)

Based on the 1981 Tony Award-winning musical, Dreamgirls follows a young vocal trio, The Dreamettes, out of Detroit in the early 1960s during the rise of Motown and the development of R&B. From their initial incarnation, on to their back-up work for James “Thunder” Early, and through to their “reinvention” as The Dreams, the film is an homage to the early years of Soul. The resemblance of The Dreams to the Supremes, and that

the record company executive, like Berry Gordy, Jr. also happens to be a Jr. and the number of other similarities are likewise “homages.” If you’ve had your TV or radio turned on in the last few weeks, you’ve doubtless heard a lot of buzz about the film, especially Jennifer Hudson’s breakout performance. If you’re following the Oscar race, you’ve noticed Dreamgirls has landed the most nominations, yet none for best picture. Three of them are for songs, one each for sound, art direction, and costumes, and two are for acting (supporting). With no nominations for writing, editing, cinematography, or directing (and rightly so), there shouldn’t be any surprise that this is omitted from the best picture category. The first third of the film plays out like great drama set in the music business, but just when we’re in the groove of the story, the musical performances that had heretofore been part of stage acts or studio recording suddenly work their way into the action. It’s as though

everyone had forgotten that this was a musical until this one point at which the “musical” switch gets turned to the “on” position. Spread out over the entirety of the film, this could have worked, but jammed into the last two-thirds, many of these musical numbers come across as unnecessary, and some, unnecessarily long. While there isn’t much that one would call “inspired” to be found here, there are great moments, enough of them to warrant a trip to the cinema, and almost all of them relate to the performers. Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles, often billed as the stars of the film, turn in solid work, and more than one memorable moment of the picture can be ascribed to each of them. Perhaps she’ll never get another role like it, for Hollywood has problems with genuine talent, but when Jennifer Hudson is on the screen, you’re watching, and you’re listening, and you’re incapable of doing anything else. Regardless of how they want to categorize it, this is one of the year’s most

powerful and electrifying movie performances. Then there’s Eddie Murphy. As Jimmy Early, Murphy reminds us that he’s one of the most talented people on the planet, and the strength of this performance will hopefully lead to the kinds of roles that only he can wrangle. James Brown with a dash of Chuck Berry, Jimmy Early is almost as powerful a screen presence as Hudson’s Effie, and when neither of them is on screen, Dreamgirls struggles to maintain our attention. Overall, Dreamgirls is a good film, especially if you’re prepared for the length of it and the awkward change in rhythm as the picture blasts into “musical” mode. In the last hour, it seems to feel a little bit like too much of too much, but by the time you get home, you’ll be treasuring the film’s many memorable moments. You’ll be glad you went. Tim Conway operates Capitol Video in Rawlin’s Cross, St. John’s. His column returns Feb. 9.

YOURVOICE Writers’ alliance ‘notes with concern’ Bowdring’s resignation Editor’s note: the following letter was written to Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Tom Hedderson, with a copy forwarded to The Independent. Dear Minister Hedderson, The Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador notes with concern the recent resignation of Paul Bowdring, co-vice chair of the New-

foundland and Labrador Arts Council. Over the past four and a half years, Mr. Bowdring has dedicated his time and professional experience to the council. WANL believes that Mr. Bowdring, like the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council itself, is committed to the development of the arts in this province. Mr. Bowdring asserts that the Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador is frustrating the arms-length process vis-àvis the council by both vetting potential council members for their suitability or otherwise delaying the appointment of new members, and by screening the arts council’s annual report prior to its official submission to the minister. Mr. Bowdring adds that the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council funding is “woefully

inadequate” to fulfill its mandate. In light of these assertions, the writers’ alliance reaffirms its support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council as an autonomous organization meant to function free of interference, as stated in its mandate. The writers’ alliance also wishes to emphasize the importance of individual artists as stated in the provincial government’s creative blueprint, and

asks what actions are being taken to improve the overall economic status of artists, including increased funding for the creation of new work, so that the province continues to develop and nurture its own unique, vibrant culture. Michelle Butler Hallett, President, Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador


INDEPENDENTSTYLE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2007 — PAGE 21

LEMON BOMB • 2 oz Gin • 1 oz Limoncello • 3 tsp lemon curd (recipe to follow) • Sprig of fresh mint or a slice of lemon Place ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake

until very cold. Pour into chilled martini glass. Garnish and serve. We used Iceberg gin (NLC $13.20) and Luxardo limoncello (NLC $16.65) for the drink and I thought it turned out well. You could, however, use any gin — with the exception of lemon gin, which I think would be lemon overkill. This is a great drink, particularly to serve as an after-dinner cocktail. I will warn you that they are very good — and also very filling, due to the lemon curd in the recipe. Lemon curd is a thick lemon sauce. It is much See “Add a little zest,” page 22

s

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ome friends come and go but some friends stay forever. I am fortunate enough to have a couple of friends who are more than friends — they’re family. We see each other often, catch up on what’s going on in our busy lives and sit and have a drink. Our wives exchange drink recipes via e-mail and we have a good night at each other’s houses — pouring over the menu of drinks and then trying them all. In the middle of this fun night is a game or two. Fun, and old fashioned, wholesome entertainment — who could ask for anything more? This past weekend we had inspiration. My wife is on an e-mail list giving a daily injection of

style suggestions, and this week a drink recipe was included: the Lemon Bomb. So we decided that this would be the prefect drink for our cards night: zesty, potent and colourful, just like our card playing.

nd rew

By Nicholas Gardner For the Independent

by tion llustra i o t o h P

nA Joh


JANUARY 26, 2007

22 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE

No time? Reach for the slow cooker D

uring this past Christmas, my wife and I saw family we haven’t encountered since last year, which I think is really sad. What was great, though, was the food. Good, solid food. My wife’s uncle loves his game meat and this year there was a moose roast, and some chili made of moose. I didn’t grow up with big game on the table, but I have spent years cooking in restaurants and eating in good places. Whenever there is venison or game meat, I am sure to give it a go. When I got up to leave this particular party, my wife’s uncle pulled me aside. “Did you like it?” he asked. “Sure,” I replied. “I passed almost everything and went straight for the moose. I loved it.” “Look, why don’t you have this.” He handed me a plastic bag from the freezer. “You have this … I’ve got more coming.” “You’re sure?” “No problem. We’ve always got some moose.” So the package came home with me and into the freezer and there it sat until now. Slow cookers are a godsend. I had no

DRINK

NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the Eating Path experience using one, but I got one as a present last year from my mother-in-law. I have been eyeing them for a while, wondering about the mysteries of easy “set it and forget it” cooking. Does it work? Is it good? I’m skeptical because I like the immediacy of a smoking hot pan. You know what you’re dealing with. The slow cooker is a mystery. It just sits there percolating away, and you don’t know the outcome for a long time. The thought of moose combined with the slow cooker was an opportunity I was not going to miss. I made a moose stew — here’s my recipe. • 2-3 lbs moose, either steaks or in a roast, cut into cubes • 3 moderately sized organic carrots, peeled and cut into thirds • 3 organic Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and cut into quarters • 2 small onions peeled and cut in half

• 4 whole cloves of garlic • 1/2 bottle of red wine (I used an Italian Sangiovese) • 2 cups of water • 1/2 small can of tomato paste • 2 tsp kosher salt • 1 tsp cracked black pepper • 2 bay leaves

sure there are no lumps. In three to five minutes, the sauce becomes thicker and glossy. To finish, add two tablespoons single malt scotch, if you have any on hand. It adds an earthy sweetness that really works with the game. Pour liquid back into the crock pot and you are ready to serve. I served it as is, in a bowl, with some warm crusty French bread and a glass of the red wine used for cooking. This was my first moose stew and I was amazed at how tender the meat became. It was falling apart. I didn’t have to touch a knife and ate it with a spoon. This is comfort food like no other comfort food. Good and good for you. What I love about the slow cooker is that you can get the ingredients into the pot the night before and store it in the refrigerator and then into the heating unit the next morning. Then all that is left to do is set the timer and by the time you’re home, supper is done. So if you think you’ll have no time to cook, reach for the slow cooker — it will save you time.

Place the whole lot into a slow cooker or crock-pot and cook on the low setting for eight hours. When the cooking is done, there is a lot of liquid. Strain the meat and vegetables out, reserving the liquid and putting it in a large saucepan. Put the meat and vegetables back into the crock pot on warm. Bring the liquid in the saucepan to a boil over high heat. Add half a cup of red wine, a splash of Worcester sauce, two to three teaspoons salt and one teaspoon pepper to the pan. In a small bowl or cup add three teaspoons cornstarch with two tablespoons cold water and mix to a slurry. If not entirely combined, add a little more water until it pours and there are no lumps. With the liquid boiling, add to the hot liquid stirring it in with a whisk. Continue to stir while boiling to make

Nicholas is a freelance writer and erstwhile chef living in St. John’s.

Add a little zest From page 21

richer than a filling for a lemon meringue pie and has a decisively stronger lemon taste. This is because the addition of the zest of the lemon boosts the overall citrus flavour. Below is the easiest recipe for lemon curd I have ever seen. LEMON CURD (MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS) • 1/2 cup lemon juice • zest of two lemons • 3 eggs • 3/4 cup of sugar • 2 Tbs butter (unsalted) Beat eggs and sugar in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for two minutes. Add juice, zest and butter and combine completely with whisk. Microwave for two to three minutes while stopping every minute to stir it with a whisk.

The sauce is done when it easily coats the back of a spoon. This means dipping a spoon into the mixture and drawing your finger horizontally across the back of the spoon. If the line remains and is not covered by dripping sauce, it is done. If not, then back into the microwave for one more minute. ICE BATH Remove from microwave and put in sterilized jars or allow it to cool to room temperature using an ice bath to cool it quickly. When cool, place a film of plastic wrap over the container, making sure the film is in direct contact with the curd. This is to prevent a skin from forming. When not in your drink, lemon curd is great in pre-baked pie shells for a quick pie. Add a dollop of whipped cream and to it and you’ll always have a full house. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

EVENTS JANUARY 26 • 6 Very Short Plays by Robert Chafe, Andy Jones, Ruth Lawrence, Mark Bath, Lois Brown and Justin Simms. Rabbittown Theatre, 8 pm, 739-8220. • Independent Artist Cooperative presents the third annual Rock Can Roll Music and Media Festival and conference, Jan. 2628. Full schedule available at h t t p : / / w w w. i n d e p e n d e n tartistscooperative.com/schedule2007.html JANUARY 27 • Banff Mountain Film Festival, Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University, 745-6626 or visit www.ucs.mun.ca/~outdoor. The festival continues Jan. 28 with a different series of films. • Church of the Good Shepherd annual arctic char dinner and fundraiser, 7:30 p.m., Reid Centre, Mount Pearl, 364-3406. JANUARY 28 • Tune in to Both Sides Now, a two-hour documentary produced by Battery Radio about the life and music of the great Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell. Airs on CBC Radio Two at 2:30 p.m. and repeated on CBC Radio One at 8:30 p.m. • Avalon Unitarian Fellowship’s weekly service, 10:30 a.m., Anna Templeton Centre, 278

Duckworth St. • Knit Wits Café, a relaxed gettogether for knitters (and knitterwanna-bes) at the Anna Templeton Centre, Duckworth Street, 7-9 p.m. JANUARY 29 • Play or listen at The Bitter Sessions with Fergus BrownO’Byrne, 7:30-10 p.m., Bitters Pub, Feild Hall, 216 Prince Phillip Parkway. Free admission. • Galbraith Lecture: historian and author Dr. Margaret MacMillan, will deliver a talk on how history shapes the present, 8 p.m., Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University, IIC-2001. JANUARY 30 • Rising Tide Theatre’s Revue ’06 at the Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts, Grand Falls-Windsor, 8 p.m., 292-4520. • MUN’s Division of Lifelong Learning web design classes (level one) and introductory knitting classes begin, 737-7979, or see www.mun.ca/lifelonglearning. • Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers’ Dirty Big Tour starts at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre. Performances continue until Feb. 10. JANUARY 31 • B’ys in da Shtetl at Folk Night, the Ship Pub, 9 p.m.

FEBRUARY 1 • MUN Cinema series presents Death of a President, Studio 12, Avalon Mall, 7 p.m. More information about this film and the season’s schedule is at www.mun.ca/cinema. • Revue ’06 at the Gander Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m., 2561082 • RCA Theatre’s SOS production of In On It starring Philip Goodridge and Jason Card, directed by Mark White, LSPU Hall, 8 p.m., 753-4531. IN THE GALLERIES • Aviation paintings and portraiture by Kent Peyton, Eastern Edge Gallery, Jan. 16-Feb. 2. • Simple Bliss: The Paintings and Prints of Mary Pratt, the Rooms, until Feb 4. • Kinetic Portraits of 12 Canadian Writers by Peter Wilkins, The Rooms. • Shift, a new exhibition of art by Kathy Browning and Susan Jamieson, until Feb. 25 at the RCA gallery, LSPU Hall. • The Death of the Party, Part Two, (the counter ironic-contrarian-hipster-remix), by Les Newman (Manitoba) and Taking Care of Business by Mira Lyn Lu and Immony Men (Quebec) at Eastern Edge Gallery until Feb. 24.


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTSTYLE • 23

Live dolls As local designers host more fashion shows, the chance of getting nabbed to model their creations is going up By Mandy Cook The Independent

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he Majestic Theatre in downtown St. John’s is gearing up to show clothing collections by local designers — like Sara Hodder of Sech Designs, Barry Buckle, and Michelle Wright — at the kick-off to the third annual Rock Can Roll Music and Media Festival Jan. 26. And several brave but amateur models are about to make their big debut — unpaid, untrained, and perhaps unprepared for the glare of the bright lights. What does it take to step into the high heels of high fashion? Jill Porter, 29, a local musician and first-time model who will be wearing Charlotte Reid’s clothing, says her strategy is not to think about it until the moment she hits the catwalk. “I will panic,” she says, laughing. “I’ll be nervous. I know I’m in front of people performing, but not modeling clothes. It’s not my normal thing to do.” Although modeling is out of Porter’s comfort zone, she says she decided to give Reid a hand

because the designer made a shirt for her one time — and Porter wanted to return the favour. Reid also probably recognizes some stage-worthy qualities in the powerful singer. “I think that’s why she asked me — my sassy attitude! I’ve got the right attitude because I really don’t care,” Porter says. That adventurous spirit is a must for those who sign up for a modeling event. Kimmy Byrne, 22, found that out the hard way. As a volunteer model for a fashion show benefiting a local dance school, she discovered upon arriving at the event that her pre-arranged outfit of a reasonable skirt and shirt had shrunk to a t-shirt and underwear. “My wardrobe ended up being smaller than expected,” she says. “For someone who is less carefree it might have been a problem, but everyone there knew sometimes at fashion shows stuff can get switched up, go off the rails. It’s kinda exciting.” Peter Simms, 30, also got roped into strutting for charity. Simms wore a three-piece suit from a high-end men’s clothing

store, funky t-shirts from a print shop and a gorgeous locally woven sweater. He wanted to help out a friend organizing the event — and satisfy his own “curiosity.” He says it was somewhat surreal but had fun anyway. ‘LIVING MANNEQUIN’

“You’re very much on display as a living mannequin,” he says. “It’s a bit weird as well, especially if you’re not into that industry or kind of stuff. You still get a bit nervous about it at first.” All three amateur models easily admit their initial hesitation to showcase their bodies publicly on stage. Even if it was for a good cause and an unusual experience — or maybe just to snag some sweet swag — Simms says he’ll stick to his day job. “I have no desire to make a career out of it.” Rock the Runway, where independent designers meet independent rockers, starts at 8 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, Jan.26. mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

Left: Jill Porter Paul Daly/The Independent

You might need us, someday It’s not always cheaper to buy locally, but it’s important — small businesses need a community to survive

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ome people never run out of toilet paper. Ever. They also have a limitless supply of taddies and all the other fixings one may require for just about any type of mug up imaginable. Sugar? Check. Milk? Got it. Salt beef? Figs? Juice? Check, check and check again. Well, that’s just somethin’ else. I suppose there are people out there who have the almighty foresight to stock up or the stubborn determination to do without. While that is most whoopdiedo-goodie for them, it is not so good for a local shopkeeper. My father and I have co-owned Harbour Mille Grocery and Convenience for over three years. I think it’s safe to say that any of the 180 or so people who live here or in the twin outport town of Little Harbour East who planned on entering our store has done so. It’s probably also safe to say that those who have yet to buy so much as a scratch ticket from us probably won’t be having a change of heart in the near future. While my father may pass out and my mother might give me “the look” for writing about such a topic (“Now dear,” my mother reminds me, “we live in a small town”) some things just have to be said. There are people in the community that we call home who don’t support

PAM PARDY GHENT

Seven-day talk us being there. If they did, they would march their behinds down and buy a thing or two, wouldn’t they? You have to understand where we live to realize how amazing it is that some people never drop in for a bag of onions or a bit of bread. Our outport is an hour from Marystown. Our store is the only one for three communities. The employment rate here is 30 per cent (so many folks are around — not like they pick up groceries on their way to work in the mornings) and 22 per cent of our population is over the age of 65. We don’t expect anyone to buy all their groceries from a local convenience store — it’s a given that the big chain stores in Marystown will have specials, and that if you bulk up you can save a few pennies. The part I don’t understand is how so many can never need a thing. They never get a craving for a bit of chocolate, they never have the urge for a salty chip. Incredible. It’s not like our prices are too high. We know, we have compared them with other stores like ours. We use the same formula that our distributors rec-

ommend when we do our mark up. Our frozen dinners might be more than at Wal-Mart, but that’s all you could expect with the bulk those big fellers buy. Our prices go up and down depending on costs. Once my father spent the afternoon peeling the price tags off a case of beans and weiners and replacing them with a lower cost sticker. Our cost had gone down by a few cents per can and I didn’t bother to adjust the price when I put them on the shelf. “If it cost us less to buy,” my father scolded, “it will cost less for our customers.” Our markup covers our heat and light. It keeps the phone paid for. It pays for maintenance and new equipment. It lets us put gas in our vehicles when we have to drive to do banking or pick up some stock. We have to travel “up around” to pick up our milk, sub and paper deliveries. That’s right, we are so small it isn’t “worth” the drive down and the gas it would cost for dealers to do business with us, so we go to them. Because we operate on credit, we sometimes have limited cash flow and we have to keep our beer orders smaller than we would like. To make sure we don’t run short, we often make a mid-week run to Marystown to get more — when we get the cash to pay for it.

While our markup takes care of a few things, it doesn’t make us rich. If it did, do you think my husband would be working away from his family in Alberta? Our shop has things to offer that larger stores can’t. We will take orders. We will pick up. We will deliver. Hell, we will even lock the shop up for a few minutes and come get you if you want to get out of the house and wander the aisles a bit. I have a nine-year-old who is always ready to run an errand for a quarter. If you see him, call him over and send him to the store to pick up your eggs or your milk. If you aren’t coming over because you don’t want to, that’s one thing. If it’s because you think you can’t, we would be more than happy to fix that. I am not putting this out there to piss anyone off. We value our customers more than you could imagine. While the money the faithful spend with us is gravy, the joy and fun of working in a small community store is priceless. Tormenting, laughing, gossiping, and getting caught up on each others’ lives is the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon in any town, big or small. What gets me is the people who — either because they don’t understand, or because they intentionally stay away — are not only robbing us of our right to earn a living in the town we call home, but they are also hurting

their fellow community members. When you don’t support local business, you are not supporting your community. Small stores like ours need a little bit from everybody to stay in business. It takes effort to buy locally. Gas is cheaper in the city centres, but I always make sure I put at least some local petro in my tank before and after each trip. I could buy my wine anywhere, but there is nothing like droppin’ in to visit the gals at the Peninsula liquor outlet for a laugh as I get my weekly supply of cheer. You chose to live your life in an outport, and so did we. At a time when rural Newfoundland is struggling to survive, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say that you do your part to keep it alive and well? If small businesses like ours can’t squeak out a living, or at least pay our bills with a little left over, we will have to shut our doors. Doesn’t affect you because you don’t use us anyway, you say? Perhaps. But someday you might. While it hasn’t happened yet, one day you just might run short of toilet paper. Isn’t it comforting to know that, if you ever do, there is a place you can go and get a few rolls? Pam Pardy Ghent lives in Harbour Mille, on the Burin Peninsula. Her column returns Feb. 9.

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24 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE

JANUARY 26, 2007


JANUARY 26 FEBRUARY 1, 2007

What’s new in the automotive industry

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Fridge worthy T

his past year was pretty good for my personal fleet — I retired one vehicle and acquired two more. It comes with the territory, I am, after all, an automotive journalist and require the experience of extraneous machinery for research. Like my esteemed colleagues on the other pages of The Independent, we write about what we know, so I’m destined to look under the hood of my truck and declare that it is indeed dirty and drive it around in the woods, just for fun. There aren’t too many jobs like this around. No sir, I get to hang out in sheds with people who talk about fixing machinery instead of actually doing it. I was practically laughed out of a double-car garage a little while ago. There were a few of us hanging out and I was introduced as the guy who was actually there in the professional sense,

researching the scene. guages. Another journalist inquired if I “And you went to school for that?” was still in the trade, to which I replied was the retort that set off the laughter. the affirmative, but deflected attention No, actually I didn’t, but if to my friend, who I assured, there were such a thing as a was truly a writer. For my honhanging-out-in-shedsesty I received a jovial nod from drinking-beer-and-workthe journalist and warmly ing-on-cars school, I’d be encouraged with the statement, teaching there. “At least you know your place.” Have you ever vowed to I do, and it’s lonely here atop crawl to the top of a dungmy wind-swept peak, on a clear heap only to find yourself day you can see others who standing atop a dung-heap? would try to knock me off it. MARK Me neither, but that’s Under these rough but crysWOOD where I am and the air’s tal-clear guidelines I find not so bad. WOODY’S myself on weekends basking in The reality struck me a the glory of my thin journalistic WHEELS premise by a shed’s roaring few months ago at a soiree. I was chatting with a brilwood stove. A copy of one of liant, young, local writer whose impres- my previous columns, The immaculate sive volume of work is transliterated contraption (Dec. 1 edition), is taped to and appreciated in a dozen or so lan- the fridge. Whether you’re four years

old or 40, if you can do something that’s worthy of the fridge, well, that’s quite an accomplishment. All the visitors here at the shed love to tease me, they actually know someone who writes for a newspaper and are fascinated with the process. So am I actually, and I’m always curious to know what they like about a story and why it appeals to them. If I’m really lucky, someone will read my story out loud and give it life. There’s a certain flow to a sentence. “Cadence,” they call it, the rhythmic flow of speech. When writing anything it’s imperative to find your “voice” to set the tone of the piece and establish yourself a little platform from whence you can pontificate. Then I step down from it to meet my well read and most vocal of critics — gas station attendants. These wily creatures get the first copies of this fine

publication as soon as it’s delivered and find the time to proofread every single page before I arrive. I’m usually greeted with a sly grin and counter-attacked on the finer points I may have raised in print. They may take issue with a turn of phrase or attempt to derail my train of thought on … something. These are the trenches where literary battles are won and lost. In order to be accepted as a columnist I have to bridge the attention span of the mercantile public before my story can even hope to be welcomed into a home and make it through the narrow, hallowed halls to the most personal, private library — the bathroom. Mark Wood of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s will be reappearing at the double-car garage this weekend as a guest speaker.


26 • INDEPENDENTSHIFT

JANUARY 26, 2007

‘Like you, I get a little bored …’ BUT RACING FANS ARE MORE THAN SPOILED WITH ALL THE TELEVISION COVERAGE THESE DAYS

T

he auto-racing-on-television season gets under way Jan. 27 on Fox and the Speed Channel with 15 hours of coverage of the Rolex 24 Hours of NORRIS Daytona. MCDONALD The show starts at 1 p.m. on Fox. At 2:30, when the race is about an hour old, the signal will switch to Speed, where it will stay until 6 p.m., resume for two hours at 8 p.m. and then return at 6 a.m. tomorrow until the conclusion. This is one of the reasons I love getting the Speed Channel. Yes, like you, I get a little bored with what seems-to-be an overload of NASCAR programming. But 15 hours of coverage of the Rolex 24? And about the same amount, or more, from the 24 Hours of Le Mans? I mean, we (meaning race fans and no one else) are now officially spoiled with all that’s available on the tube these days. Twenty years ago, we got next to nothing and very little of that was live and in colour. Remember when we had to wait till midnight or 1 a.m. on Sunday for the CBC to show a tape of that day’s Formula One race? So let’s stop complaining. Between Speed and TSN (with help, on occasion, from the traditional networks), just about every race in every major series is going to be on the air this year and how can you beat that? You want Formula One? Both Speed and/or TSN will carry all the races this season. Want to follow the progress of young Canadian speedster Pete Shepherd III in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series? You can, because all those races will be on Speed starting at Daytona on Feb. 16.

TRACK TALK

NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Jeff Gordon

Here comes the really good stuff. TSN will televise 28 (count ‘em, 28) NASCAR Nextel Cup races (up from 21 last year) starting with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. OK, so you expected that. But how about all 35 Busch Grand National Series races going from Daytona on Feb. 17 through to Homestead-Miami on Nov. 17? And here’s the really big surprise: TSN will be carrying all of the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stock car races (nee CASCAR) — or most of them, anyway. IndyCar Series races (this used to be the IRL) will be featured on TSN, with the showcase Indianapolis 500 on the

Mike Stone/Reuters

schedule for late May. (No word yet on a Champ Car TV deal for Canada; most of their races this year will be on ESPN2, which we can’t get.) Now, there will be the odd negative. Some of the above-mentioned races (in the Busch series, for example) are going to be shown at what can only be called odd hours — like 3 a.m. or 4:30 a.m. But they will be available. You can program your copying machine and sail off into dreamland and not miss a yellow flag. ALL-STAR RACING The Rolex 24 boasts an all-star lineup of talent that’s probably the best of

any race anywhere in the world. In action will be Paul Tracy, A.J. Allmendinger, Max Angelelli, Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Carpentier, Scott Dixon, David Empringham, Jeff Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Max Papis, Buddy Rice, Tony Stewart, Alex Tagliani and about three dozen other big names … Oh, and a guy named Tony George, who owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway … Champ Car’s Katherine Legge has a ride but there’s no Danica … Canadians, in addition to Tracy, Carpentier, Empringham and “Tags,” include Mark Pavan, Dave Lacey, Mark

Wilkins and Greg Wilkins of Toronto, Michael Valiante of Vancouver, Pierre Bourque of Ottawa, Frank Rossi of Kleinburg and Jean-Francois Dumoulin, of Trois-Rivieres. Tagliani, incidentally, drove the new Rocketsports Panoz Champ Car at the Sebring test this week but doesn’t have a contract with the team yet … The Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship presented by Wheels handed out the hardware last weekend: Formula senior and F1K senior, Michael Vincec; Rotax Max Senior, Eric Gerrits; World Formula Senior, Chris Holman; Canada senior, Pearce Herder; Rotax Max Junior, Cory Luciano; F1K Junior, David Ostella; World Formula Junior, Joshua Korenyi; Canada Junior Heavy, Kevin Monteith; Canadian Junior Light, Ryan Klutt; F1K cadet, Anthony Furfari … The Brian Stewart Karting Championship by IndyCar and the Indy Pro Series honoured its winners: Cadet class: Nick Stott; Novice class, Kyle Edgar; Junior light, Tyler Weber; Junior heavy and Rotax junior, Jonathon Treadwell; Senior light, Alison MacLeod; Senior heavy, Marc Stehle; Masters, Glenn Butler; World formula, Nicola Narini; Formula 125, Rene Silva; Rotax senior, Michael Glaze … Congratulations to Oakville’s James Hinchcliffe for driving Team Canada’s car to a sixth-place finish in the A1 Grand Prix race in New Zealand last weekend. “Hinch” has signed with Sierra Sierra Enterprises for this season’s Formula Atlantic championship. His teammate at Sierra Sierra is Raphael Matos, who finished 14th in that New Zealand race, driving for Team Brazil … The newly-formed Canadian Touring Car Championship, which will be a featured race at the Grand Prix of Toronto (nee Molson Indy) next July, has launched a new website — www.touringcar.ca

New gasoline rules take effect in Ontario By Tyler Hamilton Torstar wire service

A

ll gasoline sold in southern Ontario must contain an average blend of 5 per cent ethanol as of this month, but don’t expect every gas station to carry the cleaner-burning fuel. And for those that do, you won’t necessarily know it. “What’s going to be visible depends on the retailers,” said Bliss Baker, a vice-president with Toronto-based GreenField Ethanol Inc., the largest ethanol producer in Canada. Ontario’s new biofuel mandate, known as Regulation 535, doesn’t require gasoline retailers to advertise that the fuel they sell contains ethanol, typically made from corn. Suppliers also have the flexibility of choosing where and when ethanolblended fuel is sold, as long as the total volume sold in Ontario over the year contains an average blend of 5 per cent. “Given the complexities of introducing ethanol into the market, we found the most efficient way to meet the regu-

lations is to focus on larger urban areas,” said Michael Southern, a spokesman for Petro-Canada, the country’s third-largest oil company. Southern said Petro-Canada is targeting the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding communities, such as Hamilton and Kitchener, with ethanol blends of up to 10 per cent. Stations located in less populated areas will probably not carry the new fuel in the short term. “But, over the course of 2007, we will meet the 5 per cent average, for sure,” said Southern. He added that Petro-Canada does intend to notify customers if the pump they’re using contains the renewable fuel. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. will have a similar disclosure policy at the gas pumps located near some of the company’s grocery stores. Spokesman Geoffrey Wilson said the retail giant is at the mercy of the refiners and their ability to supply the fuel. “Where we can get it, we will pump it,” said Wilson, adding that wholesale suppliers have indicated the new blend

will be ready for GTA distribution in February. Ethanol is a type of alcohol made mostly today from grains such as corn and wheat. Enzymes are used to turn the starchy material into glucose, which is then distilled into oxygen-rich ethanol. Newer, more economical methods are also being developed for turning agricultural waste, and so-called fuel crops such as switch grass, into “cellulosic” ethanol. The high oxygen content in ethanol means that adding it to gasoline helps achieve a more complete burn of a vehicle’s fuel, leading to lower emissions. John Steele, a spokesman for Ontario’s environment ministry, said all gas-powered vehicles sold since the early 1980s are capable of using fuel containing up to 10 per cent ethanol, or E10, with no impact on performance. Blends containing a higher concentration of ethanol, such as E85, can be used only in so-called flex-fuel vehicles. Steele said the new mandate in Ontario, which doesn’t apply to north-

The high oxygen content in ethanol means that adding it to gasoline helps achieve a more complete burn of a vehicle’s fuel, leading to lower emissions. ern Ontario until 2010, will require 850 million litres annually to meet market needs. The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association is expecting about 750 million litres in new production capacity to come online in Ontario toward the end of 2007 and into 2008. Until then, the industry will rely heavily on imports. “In the first months of 2007, you’re going to see a big spike in ethanol

imports while additional plants are being built,” Kory Teneycke, executive director of the renewable fuels association, said in an interview. GreenField, formerly Commercial Alcohols, produces 215 million litres a year at Ontario plants in Chatham and Tiverton. Two more plants in the province are under construction in Hensall and Johnstown, while another facility is slated to open in Quebec in February. Last summer, oil giant Suncor Energy Inc. opened a facility in Sarnia that can produce up to 200 million litres, making the operation the largest single ethanol plant in Canada. Suncor has voluntarily sold ethanol-blended gasoline at Sunoco stations for several years. The mandating of ethanol in gasoline has been the subject of considerable debate. Critics argue such regulation and associated incentives amount to a subsidy for corn farmers, and that the production of corn-based ethanol consumes more energy than the fuel gives back.


JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTSHIFT • 27

W

elcome to Canada! All this the jet thing is out of the question. time you’ve been hearing My heart really went out to you stories, seeing news clips when you nearly slid off that long, icy from blizzards past, and watching the on-ramp. I realize it might be your unpredictable weather systems pass first go-round with black ice, but you us by. Maybe you even began to think really have to ease up on that accelerwe were lying, making it all up to pre- ator. Maybe you didn’t realize that’s serve our crazy Canuck reputation for why everyone ahead of you was takhauling out the army and cancelling ing it slow. But we appreciate you everything but breathing. honking to let us know you’re OK. Yep, we assured you that first blusSince we can hear you, you might tery taste of winter would surely want to know it’s a good idea if we arrive, and it finally did. I know it can can see you, too. In this part of the catch you off guard — it’s hard to world, the winters can be a little dark, believe how quickly the weather can especially in the morning and turn. This year has been particularly evening. Pull on headlight system. crazy — sorry for that. From Just because you can’t see green lawns to snowstorms us through your windshield, overnight can create a little doesn’t mean we don’t want anxiety for someone who’s to see you! never driven here before. You should take care in At least now you’ll know that passing lane you to go and buy a decent snowhopped into immediately. brush. When I saw you sailThat berm of snow that ing down the highway yesbuilds up can really grab terday, it was obvious you your tires, and well, let’s LORRAINE thought a credit card could just say if you get a little SOMMERFELD scrape a decent hole for you freaked out, we all do. to peer through. And as you There’s a reason most folks no doubt discovered, squirthave dropped their speed — ing the blue stuff around just you need to drive for the makes a mess through the conditions. That’s not just veneer of ice. Give it up — you’re some catchy slogan they toss up on going to have to scrape. those digital signs when they run out What do you mean, your squirter of pile-ups and amber alerts. thingy is empty? Oh well, another Oh, and those huge trucks that were first-timer lesson. Keep that thing travelling down the highway yestertopped up. Without it, it’s just like day? With the flashing lights? Those driving around inside a big hairball. were snowplows. Yeah, you have to You can’t see a thing, and waiting for let them do their job. Trying to squish some truck to hit the brakes and throw your way in between them is not recsome snow on your windshield is like ommended, though at least it gave refuelling a fighter jet at 20,000 feet. you another chance to figure out that I’m thinking if you’re wrestling with your brakes work differently on ice. basic driving rules since your arrival, Of course you also got to see why the

POWER SHIFT

Be careful and take care SOME ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME WINTER DRIVERS — OR THOSE WHO ACT LIKE IT salter bringing up the rear has that ‘stay back’ sign on it. If you’d put down your cell phone, you may have heard the salt pellets peppering your car. SLOW DOWN I know you were equally peeved at the car ahead of you that wasn’t going the limit. It was because he knew to safely take his exit he would have to

slow down before he got there. I was hoping you’d learned from your onramp experience the rule applies for off-ramps too. You might have a chance to discuss it with him, however, seeing as you both took the same exit. I’m sure he’s recovered from the stress of you cutting him off at the last second — we do try to accommodate first-time drivers in these conditions. I even saw him waving at you as you

sped away. I wish there were a faster, less painful way to get used to our Canadian winters. But the truth of the matter is that experience is everything, and until you get it, I just want you to be careful and take good care. What’s that? You were born here? www.lorraineonline.ca

Ford unveils ‘plug-in,’ fuel-cell hybrid

F

ord Motor Co. unveiled a firstof-its-kind test car powered by a combination of compressed hydrogen and a “plug-in” battery pack that can be recharged with a standard home electrical cord. The concept vehicle — a modified Ford Edge — is one of several technologies Ford and other auto makers are showing off at the Washington, D.C., auto show intended to highlight their progress in pushing into alternatives to gasoline, including ethanol and clean-burning diesel. Ford said its Edge was the first driveable hybrid vehicle with batteries that draw power from a hydrogen fuel cell and can be recharged by a conventional electric outlet. General Motors Corp is pressing ahead with a plug-in hybrid of its own designed to run on electric power with a small combustion engine to provide a charge as needed. GM has said it will begin making its Chevrolet Volt as soon as it can produce the lithium-ion batteries needed to run the vehicle at a lower cost and with higher performance, a development not expected before the end of the decade. Ford also said it had significant technical hurdles to overcome before

it could sell its new electric and hydrogen car, noting that any fuel-cell vehicle costs millions of dollars to develop. “Commercialization ... remains a tantalizing but distant goal,” said Sue Cischke, Ford vice-president of environmental and safety engineering. The push to develop environmentally friendly cars by Ford and GM comes as the U.S. auto makers look to break an association with gas-guzzling trucks that executives and analysts say has hurt car sales and the image of their brands. Ford said the “HySeries Drive” technology developed for the Edge test vehicle was capable of delivering the equivalent of 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres running on compressed hydrogen. The vehicle is powered by a 336volt lithium-ion battery pack capable of travelling 40 kilometres on stored electric power, Ford said. The vehicle is capable of accelerating up to 137 kilometres per hour, it said. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. also have fuel-cell prototypes in development. — Torstar wire service

Executive vice president and president of the Americas Mark Fields introduces the 2007 Ford Edge crossover utility vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. General Motors/Tom Pidgeon/Reuters

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28 • INDEPENDENTFUN

JANUARY 26, 2007

WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 They’re above the abs 5 Focus of early trading 8 Fat chance! ( 2 wds.) 12 Wharf 16 Moonfish 17 Story 18 Brigitte’s bike 19 Wind up on stage? 20 Galileo’s birthplace 21 Armoured mammal 23 Stand 24 December perennials 26 Bit of foliage 27 Dinosaur remains 29 India’s neighbour 31 ___ Spear, Nfld. 32 Turn into bone 35 Once-abundant fish 36 Long-distance race 40 Accent 41 Dent 42 Competitor 43 Age 44 Equal: prefix 45 Campus club, briefly 47 Tendon 48 German river 49 Wild primrose 51 Is wild about 52 Like Santa 53 Attention getter 54 Party spreads 55 Dagger handle 56 Summer camp craft 58 To wash (Fr.)

59 Like many calendars 62 Enormous 63 Destroy documents 64 Stand up to 65 Adversary 66 State of seeing red 67 Use 68 Vast time frame 69 Big horn 70 Composure 72 Here in Hyères 73 “The Song of the Earth” composer 75 Kournikova of the courts 76 Timetable 78 Cleaned up 81 Go away! 82 Sloping 85 Eight: comb. form 86 Man. town with giant Rolls Royce 89 Afternoon do’s 91 Not fat 92 Bergamot-scented tea: ___ Grey 93 Like backs after a bonspiel 94 Make angry 95 Renowned Canadian scholar Northrop ___ 96 Christmas in Québec 97 Affirmative vote 98 Fashion magazine DOWN 1 Explosive sound 2 Sweeping

3 Spanish house 4 Alert, quick-witted one 5 It’s spoken in Iran 6 Einstein’s birthplace 7 One with lots for sale 8 Pertaining to birds 9 One’s own person 10 Ailing 11 Major fuss 12 Arctic society that preceded the Inuit 13 Kabuki fasteners 14 “___ Fan Tutte” (Mozart) 15 Keep things on an even ___ 17 Like some radio hosts 22 Like the dodo 25 Lout 28 Type of basil 30 Bear droppings 31 Early abodes 32 Ear-related 33 Comme çi, comme ça 34 Winter art made lying down 36 Digs out coal 37 Conducive to wellbeing 38 Dental exam? 39 Not a 41 Tourist’s need 42 The Red or the Carrot 45 Take off

46 Outer edge 47 More than satisfied 48 Best type of landing 50 Bata ___ Museum (Toronto) 51 Author Edeet (A Wall of Light) 52 Urbanist Jacobs (Dark Age Ahead) 54 “The last time I saw ___...” 55 Ad ___ committee 56 Well put together in 54D 57 It may announce a migraine 58 ___ Apso 59 Home prov. of Margaret Laurence 60 Piercing spot 61 365 days, 3 times out of 4 63 Author of Marine Life: Linda ___ 64 Liver in Lévis 67 A Brontë 68 Ont. town with big loonie (2 wds.) 69 Dramatic venue 71 N.S. bay near Lunenburg 72 Important cultural figure 73 Sentimental 74 100% 76 Phony fan (of a product) 77 Russian country

house 78 Never Cry ___ (Mowat)

79 Maple tree genus 80 Remain 81 Dried up

83 Author Bissoondath 84 Kind of order 87 Eastern way

88 King topper 90 Notice Solutions page 30

WEEKLY STARS ARIES (MAR. 21 TO APR. 19) Taking some time out of your usually busy social life could be just what you need to help you focus on putting those finishing touches on your plans for a possible career change. TAURUS (APR. 20 TO MAY 20) A misunderstanding about a colleague’s suggestions could create a delay in moving on with your proposal. But by week’s end, all the confusing points should finally be cleared up. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) You might feel overwhelmed by all the tasks you suddenly have to take care of. But just say the magic word — “help!” — and you’ll soon find others rushing to offer much-needed assistance. CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22)

Finishing a current project ahead of schedule leaves you free to deal with other upcoming situations, including a possible workplace change, as well as a demanding personal matter. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Turn that fine-tuned feline sensitivity radar up to high to help yourself uncover any facts that could influence a decision you might be preparing to make. Devote the weekend to family activities. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) A state of confusion early in the week is soon cleared up with explanations from the responsible parties. Don’t waste time chastising anyone. Instead, move forward with your plans. LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) You might feel obligated to help work out a dispute between family

members. But this is one of those times when you should step aside and let them work out their problems on their own. SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) Your ability to resolve an on-thejob problem without leaving too many ruffled feathers earns you kudos from co-workers. You also impress major decision-makers at your workplace. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) Newly made and long-held friendships merge well, with possibly one exception. Take time to listen to the dissenter’s explanations. You could learn something important. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) Be prepared to be flexible about your current travel plans. Although you don’t have to take them, at least consider suggestions from the

experts in the travel business. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) A problem with a recent financial transaction could lead to more problems later on unless you resolve it immediately. Get all the proof you need to support your position. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MAR. 20) Daydreaming makes it difficult to stay focused on what you need to do. But reality sets in by midweek, and you manage to get everything done in time for a relaxing weekend. YOU BORN THIS WEEK: Your ability to reach out to those in need of spiritual comfort makes you a much-revered, much-loved person in your community. (c) 2007 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, JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2007 — PAGE 29

Strong performance Curler Heather Strong’s talent for throwing rocks earning her multiple diamonds By Don Power For The Independent

H

eather Strong admits she’s not big on jewelry. As aquatics director at New World Fitness, it’s not something she wears on a daily basis. However, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy a nice necklace or bracelet adorned with diamonds. As one of the most successful female curlers in the province, Strong has won six provincial Scott Tournament of Hearts championships. Because the Scott presents jewelry as a prize, Strong has her fair share. “I’ve got a necklace (with a pendant in the fourheart Scott logo) filled with diamonds,” Strong says. “Then I got a bracelet that comes with a diamond in it, but there’s room for multiple diamonds. I’ve got a

bracelet with one diamond in it and I’d like to see it go a little lopsided this year. “That jewelry is like having a medal, more than a piece of jewelry. It’s like having a medal you get to wear year-round.” Strong gets her opportunity to add to her collection this weekend, as the provincial Scott takes place at the St. John’s Curling Club. Although there are just three teams in the event — Cathy Cunningham and Bobbie Sauder are the others — Strong still needs all of her competitiveness if she hopes to emerge as champion. “It’s still just a team with eight rocks each end that we have to try to beat,” she says, “whether it’s the same team twice or a bunch of different teams, it’s still a game you’re going out to have fun at and win.” And that’s what the 29-year-old Mount Pearl native loves. Competitive by nature — she hates

even losing a game of cards — Strong is a former synchronized swimmer who took to the sport of her father, Carl, a former participant in the Brier, Canada’s men’s curling championship, like a fish to water. “The beauty of coming from that sport, which is so incredibly physically demanding, to go into a sport that’s not judgmental is quite refreshing,” she says. “I really love that about curling. “I like that it’s not subjective. I like that you can breathe, so many people take that for granted, but synchronized swimmers can always appreciate being able to breathe — and I particularly like how no two situations are ever alike. “You’ve thrown the same shot over and over but maybe not in the same circumstance, or with the See “It never gets old,” page 30 Paul Daly photo/The Independent

Remember, hockey is still just a game Minor summit a colossal waste of time; kids just want to have fun

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espite constant reassurances from coaches and administrators that minor hockey is for the kids, I have yet to see any proof of that at an arena. However, I can see many instances of minor hockey being for everybody but the kids. Maybe it’s for the hockey dad who paces about the building upset unless his kid gets the big goal, or extra ice time. Maybe it’s for the adult administrators who follow rules written by adults that benefit other adults but often hurt the child who only wants to play hockey. Maybe it’s for the executive members who get their trips to any number of destinations paid for, or get gas

DON POWER

Power Point money for going to various arenas. But I’d be hard pressed to find anything to substantiate that minor hockey is for the kids. In fact, as minor hockey week draws to a close, I can guarantee my son has no idea this is minor hockey week. He was in the arena last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and will be again this weekend. But there were no banners proclaiming the week. The kids weren’t

presented Timbits or given a Gatorade to celebrate. There were absolutely no references to the “special week” designed to celebrate the kids. And this Saturday, Jan. 27, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador will hold a minor hockey summit, designed to “facilitate the possibility of finding new opportunities to manage amateur hockey to the benefits of all participants.” What?!? Tell that to the children who need their parents to tie their skates each week. Here’s more from an HNL press release. “We have decided to deliver a number of regional summits over the next

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few months to give the community a voice in how the game is currently managed and to define ways in which innovative ideas may provide new directions for the development of the amateur hockey in a particular region,” said HNL executive director Craig Tulk. All Saturday will bring about is a lot of talk, months of preparation before a report is written, only to be distributed and put on a shelf while the complaints and moronic decisions continue. That’s not a knock on Steve Power, the technical director of Avalon Celtics who will act as the moderator, but when all the notes are taken, there’s a good bet nothing will change. Innovative ideas? You don’t need a

summit for that. Here are some that’ll save you guys your Saturday. 1. Let the kids play. If you’re my vintage — think Bobby Orr, Guy LaFleur and Darryl Sittler as childhood hockey icons — you can remember actually calling your buddies and organizing your own game. It didn’t matter that the ice wasn’t frozen. That meant there was a vacant parking lot or tennis court somewhere. Leave the skates at home, and play street hockey. Everybody throws in their sticks, sides are chosen and the game starts. If it’s uneven, 10 wins and we start over. 2. Keep the parents out of the arena. That sounds harsh, I know, but have See “Kids play,”page 30


30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

JANUARY 26, 2007

‘It never gets old’ From page 29

emotion, because you wanted to do well for them. They were giving us all same degree of pressure or with the this energy, but it wasn’t piecing same turn on the same ice. Every shot together properly. is always a little bit different, and on “I almost wished that the crowd any day anyone can beat anyone would turn on us, so I could go back else.” to the hotel room and throw my hands While that adage may be true, in the air.” Strong has been successful more often A week like that can devastate some than not, at least locally. In addition to athletes. Strong, however, took it and her six Scott championships (four turned the negative into a positive. consecutive from 1998-2001), Strong “We’ve had a sports psychologist skipped her junior team to four working with us since that Scott. She provincial junior titles. There was one helped us see that despite that record, stretch of seven straight years where there were still people who would Strong was Newfoundland and have traded places with us. It was still Labrador’s representative at a a set of experiences that are unique to Canadian curling competition. the five of us who were part of that “It never gets old,” team.” she states. “If you And it hasn’t enjoy playing the dampened her enthu“If you enjoy game, then you enjoy siasm for getting playing at any level playing the game, back to the Canadian any number of times. women’s champiRepresenting the onship. then you enjoy province is always To help in that playing at any going to be considered process, Strong’s rink an honour. We’re anx— which includes level any number ious to get back and third Shelley Nichols, compete against the her sister Laura at of times.” other top teams in the second and lead country.” Susan O’Leary — Heather Strong Unfortunately for has played a solid Strong, she hasn’t World Curling Tour translated her success schedule, the only to the national scene. In her six Scotts, local female rink to do so. Strong’s record reads 4-7, 6-5, 3-8, 4Strong says those high-level games 7, 1-10 and 7-4 last year, where she are very beneficial for her rink. The tied for fourth place and lost a team also plays in the local tiebreaker. SuperLeague, often against male It’s that 1-10 debacle that hurt the teams, but likes the competition the most, because it happened at Mile WCT provides. One Stadium in front of her homeIt’s a road Brad Gushue’s team has town fans. Strong’s rink didn’t catch a taken to obvious success. break at all during the week. In curl“No one has said we’re taking a ing, where many games are often won page out of his book, but we know or lost by one point, Strong lost five they’ve done that and seen that it’s games on the last rock and almost got worked for them,” Strong notes. desperate. “We’d like to go the same route. At “There was a point,” Strong says, least this gives us more exposure for “where I wished on Water Street that our sponsors (Rodrigues Winery and there was a manhole cover slightly Best Western Inn) and more opportuajar and I could jump in.” nity to grow. It’s not that Strong wanted to disap“For us, we enjoy playing the game, pear. Quite the opposite, she wanted and we enjoy playing it at the highest to play well for the fans, who stood level our talent will allow, and up behind her despite the terrible week against some of the best teams. By she endured. playing the best hopefully we can “The crowd was so supportive,” she become the best we can be.” says. “It was just overwhelming as an donniep@nl.rogers.com Solutions for crossword on page 26

Solutions for sudoku on page 26

Seasons come and go S

ome readers might remember how I lamented the end of summer’s fishing season. And now I’m mourning the end of hunting for another year. I never feel I’ve done enough fishing or hunting. It’s time to oil up the shootin’ irons and stow them securely in their cabinets. Sure there’s a little rabbit, turr and sea duck hunting left, but for the most part the fun’s over until next fall. Autumn passes so quickly! We hunters look forward to September with such anticipation, but heavy fall dews soon turn to frost at daybreak. I love the smell of a frosty October morning, it stings your nostrils and cleanses your soul — prime time for moose hunting. Then leaves begin falling and the forest radiates the sun’s light in brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange. Imagine boiling a pot of tea amidst a sea of silver birch, while earthy yellow leaves shake wildly to the tune of a late October breeze. November brings the first snow and you discover that your non-hunting neighbours have erected effigies of St. Nicholas while you’ve been off caribou hunting. And it’s still November. Domestic pressure mounts steadily, urging you to take a Saturday off from tramping the woods and decorate the old homestead for the festive season. Finally there’s the community Santa Claus parade that is invariably scheduled for a crispy, cool Saturday morning in December. Damn those non-hunters! The life of a nine-to-five weekday worker/weekend woodsman is no picnic. Life is busy and short; the seasons (hunting and fishing that is) fly by oh-so-swiftly. But there is salvation. The end of one season signals the beginning of another. On Feb. 1 we are again permitted to fish. There’s a whole season ahead with not a single day yet accounted for. I’m boiling over with excitement — tying flies and preparing reels, lines and rods. What am I talking about? Fly-fishing in winter? Why not? The saltwater estuaries are mostly open and there’s

PAUL SMITH

The Rock

Outdoors

The Canadian Red Cross recommends a minimum of 15 centimetres of ice for walking or skating. That’s six inches of solid ice and that would be a sensible standard for ice fishing. sea-run brown trout there for the taking. If you are up to braving the cold and clearing ice from rod eyes, give it a go. Winter fly-fishing is catching on all across North America and not just on the Florida Key’s bonefish flats. February is prime time for steelhead in British Columbia and fearless Ontario anglers are wading the trout rivers that feed the Great Lakes. In regions like the Avalon Peninsula — where winter is sometimes half-hearted — there’s plenty of opportunity to cast a fly. MUFFLED-UP Yellowknife? Maybe not. But here on the Avalon you’ll see plenty of muffled-up winter fly-anglers from the Waterford River to Avondale, Colliers and all around the bay to Salmon Cove. The die-hards over in Trinity Bay will be at it as well — New Harbour, Hopeall, Heart’s Delight — unless we get a good old-fashioned winter and everything freezes over. But the way it’s looking now, that’s unlikely. The earlier I get started, the less regret I’ll feel in September.

But maybe wading up to your caboose in icy water to cast for winter trout is not your thing. Maybe you’re into ice fishing. I mean traditional ice fishing: cutting a hole in a pond and dropping a baited hook and line for winter mud trout. There’s nothing much better than a pot of tea and a pan of trout fried in fat pork on a crisp winter’s day. My earliest outdoor memories are of ice fishing with my father on one of his favourite ponds not far outside St. John’s. His big hand around my mitten-clad fingers calmed my apprehensions about walking on water, even if it was frozen. My father was convinced that trout couldn’t resist potted meat and invariably would give Maple Leaf a go on each and every outing. The greasy meat left an oil slick in the hole that produced lovely shades of blue, pink and green. I was intrigued with the colours, but always caught more trout with worms and I haven’t fished with potted meat in ages. Please beware: Feb. 1 is just around the corner, and only a few days ago many of our ponds were wide open. We’ve had a cold snap and now there’s a sheet of ice on all our still-water ponds but please be cautious and check any ice you venture onto very carefully. The Canadian Red Cross recommends a minimum of 15 centimetres of ice for walking or skating. That’s six inches of solid ice and that would be a sensible standard for ice fishing. If snowmobiles are used, the ice needs to be substantially thicker; at least 25-cm or 10 inches. In addition, be wary of moving water, including run-ins and run-outs that sometimes don’t freeze safely even during the coldest winters. If you are in any doubt about ice that you intend to walk on carry an axe and check the ice every 10 feet or so. Never venture on ice alone and play safely. Paul Smith is an avid outdoorsman and freelance writer living in Spaniard’s Bay. flyfishtherock@hotmail.com

Kids play hockey for fun From page 29 you seen some of these parents? It’s a difficult remedy to tar everybody with the one brush, but you can’t banish one parent, so tell everybody to stay home. Just for practices. You can watch the games, but drop the kid at the rink, tie his or her skates and go get a coffee, buy groceries or take a nap in the car. Who cares? Leave the rink. If you’re not coaching, there’s a good chance you’re not watching anyway. If you are closely monitoring practice, you take the game too seriously. (I remember a long ago story of a kid in Conception Bay North area who played all-star through midget. At the

provincial midget championship, he captained his CBN team to the title, accepted the trophy and — as the story was relayed to me — skated directly over to his father, thrust the trophy in his face and said, ‘Here. This is what you wanted,’ and promptly hung up the skates. Is that sad or what? Good news: the former player has rediscovered the game as an adult in a scrap game.) 3. Ban summer hockey, and all these private enterprises that offer “elite competition.” It’s crap. Let the kids play soccer or baseball, or goof off around the house with friends. Too many kids are burnt out from hockey at 14 or 15, and it’s no wonder. I’ll give one example that summer hockey

is not necessary, and it should end all the debate: Wayne Gretzky played baseball until he was 16, leaving his skates in the bag until Labour Day weekend. 4. Relax. It’s still just a game. I read a stat that only one per cent of the kids who ever make major junior hockey have an NHL career. And very few kids ever get to reach major junior. Kids play hockey for fun. You can see it at the squirt, novice and atom level. But then the fun gets removed for the sake of “competition.” You can do both, without removing the fun. Now, what did I do with my snowmobile helmet? donniep@nl.rogers.com


26 Jones Place

JANUARY 26, 2007

INDEPENDENTCLASSIFIED • 31


INDEPENDENTCLASSIFIED FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 1, 2007 — PAGE 32

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