2007-02-23 by The Independent

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

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ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007

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BUSINESS 13

LIFE 18

Marystown shipyard in running for biggest project yet

Visual artist Terrence Howell in the Gallery

‘Worse than upper Churchill’ Hydro chair says Grimes’ failed lower Churchill contract ‘s--t deal’ IVAN MORGAN

he chair of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro’s board of directors says former premier Roger Grimes’ deal with Hydro Quebec on the development of the lower Churchill was “a piece of crap.” Dean MacDonald says any development of the lower Churchill must look at the long term, and ideas like undersea cables to get power to market — avoiding Quebec altogether — “might cost us a little bit more” but may garner stronger long-term benefits. Macdonald says he doesn’t think Grimes ever actually read his own deal. “When I went in to see him, he would not tell me he read it. I said ‘Have you read it?’ and he kept saying ‘My people tell me it’s good.’ I was in shock,” MacDonald tells The Independent. “I was like holy smokes, this is the biggest deal that is going to impact this province forever, and this guy will not tell me he read the contract.” MacDonald says he went to see Grimes, told him he had done See “So ugly,” page 2

A national story The Pink, White and Green runs deep in Newfoundland psyche and mythology — not just in recent marketing campaigns By Ivan Morgan The Independent

slogan such as Free Nfld. may sell T-shirts, and the Pink, White, and Green flag may sell rum and newspapers, but the sentiments reflected in those symbols run deeper than marketing campaigns. In a recent paper examining the roots of nationalism in Newfoundland, James Hiller, professor of history at Memorial University, says Newfoundland nationalism and the Pink, White and Green flag — today symbolizing the resurgence of local pride and political feistiness, or “neo-nationalism” — can be traced back to the early 1800s. Hiller says while the Pink, White, and Green has long been associated with Newfoundland independence, the flag is flown far more frequently today than it ever was in the past, and now symbolizes “something rather different.” He says the new nationalism has a pessimistic streak to it, as well as a romanticism that looks back to a world that has been lost. The Newfoundland Liquor Corp. displays the Pink, White, and Signy Gissurardottie in The Gonzaga production of Guys and Dolls at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre. See pages 8-9.

Vacancy at The Rooms MANDY COOK

he director of The Rooms’ art gallery is taking a one-year leave of absence starting June 1, The Independent has learned. Shauna McCabe becomes the second director of the provincial art gallery to exit since The Rooms opened in June 2005. McCabe, a native of Quebec, has accepted a position at Mount Allison University, N.B. as research chair for an interdisciplinary arts and humanities program. She says it is a “significant” position. “It’s an opportunity I can’t pass up, and everyone has been really supportive — the community as well. People recognize it’s

something I should try,” she says. McCabe first took on the mantle of art gallery director in an interim role in December 2005, and was appointed to a permanent position in April 2006. She replaced previous director Gordon Laurin, who was unexpectedly let go July 14, 2005, just weeks after The Rooms officially opened. Two weeks after his controversial dismissal — which occurred after a meeting with Rooms CEO Dean Brinton — Laurin held a public press conference at the LSPU Hall. He told the room filled with members of the media and local arts community that his concerns about proposed bureaucratic restructuring, including job cuts, and institutional autonomy had led to his departure. Asked if she thinks her leaving will create a negative impression regarding the working

environment at the gallery, McCabe says no. “I don’t think so. I think people realize the gallery is in a really good position and we’ve been doing great things. I’m quite confident there’s going to be a lot of support … our programming is in place for the next 24 months.” The Rooms is currently searching for a new interim director to fill McCabe’s role, but she says the transition should be smooth. She will be working side by side with her replacement until her departure this summer to ensure “continuity.” McCabe could not say if she will return to The Rooms once her leave of absence is up. The annual salary of the director of the provincial art gallery is pegged at between $60,000 and $75,000. Brinton could not be reached for comment.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I will dearly miss him, his voice and his wonderful guitar playing.” — Fergus O’Byrne on musician Dermot O’Reilly. See page 11.

The Independent’s amateur photo contest: details on page 9 Noreen Golfman. . . . . . . . . . . Movie review . . . . . . . . . . . . . Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

‘So ugly, so bad’

Ring, ring

Randy Simms wonders what happened to the national do-not-call list

ow many times has this happened to you? You’re sitting down to dinner and the telephone rings. You know it’s some telemarketing firm calling and you know you don’t want to talk to them, but if you’re like me, resisting a ringing phone is simply impossible. You drop your fork and say hello. Sure enough, it’s a credit-card company offering the best rate ever. You tell the caller you are not interested and hang up. A short time later the phone rings again. This time it’s a financial institution wanting you to join their team and earn incredible rates of interest on money you have in the bank. Well, if you’re like me, you have no money in the bank, so they are wasting your time and theirs. You hang up and go back to dinner. A short time later the phone rings again, right in the middle of the news. Damn it! This time it’s a charity offering you a chance to win thousands of dollars by buying a lottery ticket. Someone will even drop by to pick up the money. Are you interested? Sorry, we never give money over the phone. It’s like a government policy. You hang up again. Around 7 p.m. … another call. This one from a group wondering if you have some old clothes you would like to donate. Sorry, but my old clothes are my current clothes. You get the picture. Telemarketing calls are annoying. I, for one, want them to stop and I’m

RANDY SIMMS

Page 2 talk

The commission is hoping to go outside government and find a third party to operate the program but so far nothing has been done to get the thing up and running. not alone. In a recent survey of Canadians a full 97 per cent of those polled voiced opposition to telemarketing calls. Now here’s the sad history. Back in 2004 the federal government was going to do something about it and follow the lead of our American cousins and implement a national do-not-call list. The Americans did it in 2003 and so far 110 million numbers have been registered. The idea is simple enough. The

feds proposed to develop a list where you could place your phone number and telemarketers would be obliged to ignore you. Voila! No more annoying calls. The piece of legislation to develop the list was brought in as bill C-37 in 2005 and on Nov. 25th of that year the do-not-call list became the law of the land. But something happened on the way to becoming a new federal service. For some reason it got stopped. Killed on the law-making highway. How could such a good idea get hijacked so easily? Think lobbying and you’ll find the answer. It seems a lot of people want out from under this new law. For example, charities argued that telemarketing raises huge dollars for their causes so they should be exempt from the law. Certainly political parties and candidates ought to be allowed to call, especially at election time, so they should be exempt as well. Polling companies — even the one that did the poll telling us 97 per cent of Canadians hate these calls — said they would be out of business if they had to follow such a law, so they should be exempt too. How about businesses that want to sell you products? They argued for an exemption as well, especially if you did any business with these companies within the last 18 months. In other words, give your name out to a major retail chain and for 18 months after that date the chain should be allowed to call you with impunity.

The Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission is responsible for establishing the do-not-call list. Parliament has not provided the commission with funding to set up the service and no one has offered to provide policing, even though Bill C-37 has large fines attached for those who abuse the list. The commission is hoping to go outside government and find a third party to operate the program but so far nothing has been done to get the thing up and running. So while our friends to the south can use a national list to get away from those annoying calls we are still waiting and we have been waiting for almost two years now. Let’s say the feds do come up with the money to develop the list and let’s pretend telemarketers try and honour it. Given the number of exemptions involved it’s unlikely to be effective. Of the calls I described at the outset having my number on a do-not-call list would not have helped at all. In other words, this is not much of a law and so far nothing has been done to make the do-notcall list a reality. To me setting up a properly run do-not-call list should be easy for an organization the size of our federal government. On second thought, weren’t these the same guys who gave us the gun registry? Randy Simms is host of VOCM’s Open Line radio program. rsimms@nf.sympatico.ca

From page 1 an analysis — the board hired its own independent legal expertise — and said to Grimes “This is a shit deal and you shouldn’t do it.” “That thing was so ugly, so bad. For Roger at this point in time to say that the only deal that will get done is like his? I can guarantee his deal will never get done as long as sane-minded people are looking at this because it was terrible.” In last week’s edition of The Independent, Grimes said if and when Danny Williams signs a deal to develop the lower Churchill, it will be “almost identical” to the one he nearly signed with Quebec in 2002. Grimes also said the project remains undeveloped because of political games played by Danny Williams’ administration. MacDonald says his memory of what was wrong with the deal is “very clear.” MacDonald says Grimes viewed the deal as one that was going to get the province $100 million annually. “When I asked what Quebec would receive, I was told, ‘Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter what they get, we’re going to get $100 million,’” says MacDonald. “So that’s a really bad way to start, because they were going to get the lion’s share of this. We’ve been through this once. Not twice, thank you.” He says the deal gave Hydro Quebec the ability to provide loans for cost overruns in return for equity in the project. Hydro’s own expert analysis estimated an 80 per cent chance of a cost overrun on a project of this magnitude. “So it was pretty evident to us that they were going to end up owning the whole thing.” He says Hydro Quebec was also given the rights to call the shots on every major expenditure in terms of hiring, and letting contracts. “So basically they had effective control of the whole project.” MacDonald says the rate on which Newfoundland was going to sell Quebec power was based on an average of Quebec’s domestic rates. What the Newfoundland negotiators missed, says MacDonald, was 80 per cent of Quebec’s power is generated within their own province and is covered by what’s known as the Heritage Act, which basically subsidizes their power rates. He says based on that formula Newfoundland wouldn’t have received “even close to market rate. “So we had walked into that unknowingly.” MacDonald says Hydro Quebec’s annual reports of the time said they did not have any requirements internally for power, which meant they were going to take all the power from the lower Churchill and sell it into the U.S. at rates “way more than 10 times” what the province would sell it to Quebec for. MacDonald says the province would have ended up without any benefit from Grimes’ deal. Quebec would have received the full benefit of that project for 45 years. “We wouldn’t have gotten a penny. It would have actually been worse than upper Churchill.” MacDonald says any deal on the lower Churchill has to focus on longterm benefits. “What do we always do as a province that hurts us? We think short term. It always, always bites us in the ass,” says MacDonald. He says he hates the term “deal,” because an agreement on the lower Churchill, when it is made, won’t be a deal. MacDonald says the province will do an agreement on the lower Churchill that ensures that the proper benefits are accrued to this province, in terms of the monetary benefits of such a “dear resource,” and in terms of ensuring the province retains the proper recall rights to avail of that power for itself. Experts who discount the idea of using undersea cables to bypass Quebec and sell lower Churchill power directly to the U.S. market are “ridiculous,” says MacDonald. He points to “dozens” of examples of undersea cables providing electricity around the globe. “I can only assume that they think we are stupid Newfs or something.” MacDonald says the lower Churchill will provide power for 100 years. “If we have to pay a little extra to do it that way, but we end up getting way better benefits — Jeez, if you amortize that over the long term — it’s really sensible.” He says the province “gets the river back” in 2041. So the board is focussed on building a strategy that in 2041 “which isn’t very far away” will make Newfoundland and Labrador a powerhouse “that can really right a lot of wrongs in this province. “We really need to think that way,” says MacDonald. “We can’t think about next year, or the next election.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3

SCRUNCHINS A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia LET US PRAY … Our Danny who art in Newfoundland hallowed be thy principles, thy election come, thy promises will be done, in Ottawa as well as in Newfoundland. Give us this day our daily rations, and forgive those who trespass against you, including Roger Grimes. Lead us not into double dipping, but deliver us from the auditor general, for thou art the dictator, the saviour of Newfoundland, now and always. That prayer comes to you from the pen of Independent reader Harvey Bellows. May God/Danny bless you, Harvey, and your sense of humour. And bless Mary Walsh, too, for taking on the “arse-lickers of Satan,” a.k.a. the federal Conservatives (see page 23) … HAIL MARY While on the topic of the Catholic faith, our Lady of Fatima is the subject of a lovely piece by Marjorie Doyle in the latest issue of Newfoundland Quarterly. The Lady, the same Virgin Mary who appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, has quite the reputation in certain St. John’s quarters, from her rumoured image on a passing iceberg to the statue that was brought to St. John’s aboard the Portuguese hospital ship, Gil Eannes, in 1955. Doyle’s memories of Portuguese fishermen include them playing soccer in their naked feet in the “soggy, slushy damp” that was St. John’s in late spring. Wrote Doyle: “They were swarthy, stocky, curly haired, dressed in rough sweaters and faded plaid shirts. They reeked of the exotica of European cigarettes, and were always in an uproar — or so it sounded to our untutored ears.”

Nine members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan posed recently for a picture with the provincial flag. From left: Capt. R. Matthews from Corner Brook; Cpl. Short, from Port aux Basques; CWO K.F. Lutz, CBS; Cpl. W. White, Stephenville; Capt. C.H. Erault, Corner Brook; Cpl. J. Warford, St. John’s; Capt. R. Wheeler, Corner Brook; Cpl. Jesso, Stephenville; and Sgt. J.F. Sloan of Mount Pearl.

ONE-MAN DORIES The Portuguese who sailed aboard the White Fleet were fishermen to rival our own in terms of strength and character. In 1951, Australian writer Alan Villiers gave a first-hand account of their fishing expeditions in a book and two articles for National Geographic. Wrote Villiers: “A tough life you say? A dog’s life, that’s what it is! My God, there is no harder life upon the sea! All fishing is tough, but that’s the toughest, hardest way to make a living that I know. Those fellows will be lucky to be back home six months from now. Aye, and some of ’em won’t be coming. I warn

you shipmates, things are tough all over Europe now, but don’t even ship in one of them! Those Portuguese use one-man dories. Keep out of them!” J.R. Smallwood had this to say about our own men of the sea in the 1935 Book of Newfoundland: “The bravest, shrewdest, most frugal, hardest-working men in the whole world; such are the fishermen of Newfoundland.” HARBOUR HAUNT Fishermen aside, there are few men as tough as the Fighting Newfoundlander, as soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment are known (see picture). The book, The Fighting Newfoundlander, A history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, includes entries from the daily log of Sir Walter Davidson, governor of Newfoundland, in the days following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 when the German cruiser Dresden was reportedly sighted near St. John’s. Wrote Davidson: “If the German cruiser enters the harbour of St. John’s we shall block the entrance to The Narrows by sinking two of our own ships in the fair way; and if the Dresden threatens retaliation, to announce that in the event of its opening fire on the town and arresting or

By Ivan Morgan The Independent

war of words is forming over “Atlantica,” an economic model proposing a goods and energy corridor linking Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States. Depending on whom you ask, the proposal is either a direct threat to Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil policies and boundary with Quebec, or an economic opportunity too good for the province to overlook. Promoted by business groups in Atlantic Canada, the proposal calls for developing Halifax into a super-port that would channel goods and energy to American markets for the economic benefit of all Atlantic Canada. On Feb. 15, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a report that says the proposal would be seriously detrimental to the region. The concept of Atlantica has been around for a while. It originally referred to the idea of a politically unified “superprovince” made up of the four Atlantic provinces. This Atlantica — with a combined 32 federal seats — would have increased clout in Ottawa where Quebec (75 seats) and Ontario (106), dominate Parliament.

executing the Governor and leading people as prisoners or hostages, the people are armed and will exact the fullest retribution on the whole crew.” DON’T BITE ME Seal Pups Bite, warned the headline of a press release churned out in recent days by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nova Scotia division. “Although these seals look cute and cuddly, it should be remembered that they are wild animals and should be left alone.” No word on whether the release was sent directly to Heather Mills’ fax machine, but then Paul McCartney may have claimed it in the divorce … GRETZKY’S GIFT To another ice now — the hockey rink. The Detroit Free Press carried a story Wednesday on our own Dan Cleary of Riverhead, Harbour Grace. “Once talented but uninspired,” the story’s headline read, “Cleary reinvents himself with the Red Wings.” Cleary tells the story of, at age 15, receiving a gift in the mail from Wayne Gretzky — a hockey stick — and cutting it down to size and using it in his first Ontario Hockey League game with the

Belleville Bulls. He scored a hat trick. Cleary says the stick is around somewhere, probably stashed somewhere in his father Kevin’s house … TERRIBLE WONDERFUL In a commentary for The National to mark the 25th anniversary of the Ocean Ranger disaster, Rex Murphy said, “There is no pretty way to put it. In Newfoundland, one tragedy is always the echo of another one. This both sharpens the sense of loss — can this be happening again? — and because of horrible familiarity, somehow blunts it … “Grief is part of the leaven of life in Newfoundland. It is, as the saying has it, a terrible wonderful place … while it is surely no consolation for so much loss, Newfoundland is wonderful because it has gazed so often on what is terrible. After all the mourning is done, this is the heart of the province. It always finds somewhere in the very marrow of the place itself, a reason to return to what is wonderful even, if I may say it in this context, to a cheerfulness as deep and solid as the rock itself.” Amen to that. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

Atlantica

Battle lines forming over new economic proposal for Atlantic region Atlantica would be more comparable to Alberta (28 seats) or British Columbia (36), and possibly better represent the whole region. There is even a newly formed Atlantica Party. While still in its infancy, party president Jonathan Dean tells The Independent they propose major electoral and political reform in the region, and want “to raise the region up.” Dean says his party will be active solely at the provincial level, but have no contacts in Newfoundland and Labrador to date. Stephen Sinclair, author of the critical report Atlantica: Myths and Reality, says there is “very little” in the proposed economic union that would benefit the province. “It bypasses Newfoundland and Labrador,” Sinclair says. In fact, he continues, the proposal would actually harm the province. He

says the focus of the Atlantica energy corridor being proposed — especially in reference to oil and gas — calls for a “hands-off approach” in terms of government regulation, leaving it to industry and the market to decide development. He says Newfoundland and Labrador’s efforts to negotiate a fairer deal on future offshore development fly in the face of that approach. “I think they are actually taking aim at Newfoundland and Labrador government’s public attempt to get a fair share on future offshore developments,” says Sinclair. He also says people in the province should note that the map of Atlantica displayed on a website promoting the concept (www.atlantica.org) shows the island of Newfoundland as part of the new region, but not Labrador. He says this reflects a “geographical determinism” that ignores the historical

links between Newfoundland and Labrador. Sinclair says “the obvious conclusion” is that Labrador would be associated with Quebec. Charles Cirtwill, president of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, which actively promotes the proposal, says Atlantica isn’t about erasing political boundaries. “It is not like we are going to create a mega-province next week that has all these units in it or not in it,” he says. Cirtwell says Atlantica recognizes “the various opportunities that groups in this region have to take advantage of. “So really it is up to Labradorians how much they partake or don’t partake in Atlantica.” He says proponents are not interested in interfering in Premier Danny Williams’ attempts to get a better offshore oil deal for the province. Williams

is free to take whatever stance he wants. “Is it the right one? Not necessarily,” says Cirtwill. “I think the biggest risk for offshore oil and gas in Newfoundland is this kind of hard-line ‘pirates of the sea’ kind of approach. “The only thing Atlantica represents for offshore oil and gas in Newfoundland is an opportunity to market as much gas as you can find.” He says while most of the “practical investment” in promoting Atlantica has happened on the mainland, the benefits for the province are as many or as diverse as it chooses. Atlantica can offer the province an opportunity to sell oil and gas, or provide access to global trade routes for small manufacturers. The worst thing Newfoundland and Labrador could do, says Cirtwell, is ignore the opportunities — or try to get in the way of proponents of the concept. “Although, quite honestly, at this stage it really doesn’t matter if Newfoundland is on board or not for Atlantica — it’s happening.” He says Newfoundland and Labrador has a whole list of opportunities before it: the lower Churchill, Voisey’s Bay and offshore oil. Cirtwill says the province should view Atlantica as “one more on the list.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

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4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

By Stephanie Porter The Independent

he newest appointee to the board of directors of Marine Atlantic, Nick Careen, says he can’t see any reason travellers should have to pay a fuel surcharge for taking the ferry across the Gulf. “Both the federal and provincial governments as well as the oil companies are doing well out of the fuel prices, so why should they be passed on?” says Careen, a former Placentia-area Tory MHA. “Passing on the surcharges for fuel, I’ll have something to say about that.” On Feb. 6, the federal government announced plans to invest $270 million in Marine Atlantic services over the next five years. At the same time, federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon stated fares — which were frozen in 2005 and 2006 — would be tied to the Consumer Price Index, and increase accordingly every year. He also announced the fuel surcharge, which would be added to fares to help cover rising fuel costs. The year-round ferry service provided by Marine Atlantic is a constitutional obligation of the federal government, assured in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Terms of Union with Canada. Careen hasn’t been to a meeting of the board of directors yet — his first will be in late March — but he’s looking forward to it. He reserves his opinions on the general Marine Atlantic fare hikes until he sees “what kind of parameters are there. “I’ll be sounding off at the meeting,” he says. “I know people who have said that the rates are a bit high. You hear people talking about how flying into St.

The Caribou

The Smallwood

‘Sounding off’ Marine Atlantic rate hikes not sitting well in many quarters

John’s is cheaper than to come in on the boat, but I haven’t yet seen figures to bear it out. When I get into it, I’ll be able to say more about it. “Some people say, comparing apples to apples, the rates are cheap. I’m a doubting Thomas about that one, but we’ll see.” Faced with ferries badly in need of upgrades and steep fuel prices, are increased ferry fares inevitable? “We’ve got another election coming up before too long and we’ll see what is inevitable, especially with the chances of a minority government,” Careen answers.

He also points out Newfoundland and Labrador is not in on this one by itself. “We’ve got the mainland in on this, at least Nova Scotia … but now, if we had the numbers (of seats in Parliament) Ontario had, we’d have it made.” Robert Crosbie, chair of the board of directors, says while “it’s unfortunate when rates go up, rates are going up everywhere.” He says rates, if tied to the consumer price index, will increase by 2.1 or 2.2 per cent this year. Having standardized and expected increases in fares, he says, better allows the Crown corporation to plan ahead.

“It’s always a concern as to what the cost is, because marine Atlantic is an important part of the supply chain infrastructure,” he says. “I think management has done a reasonable job controlling costs over the last three or four years … when you add a fourth boat to meet demand, you’re automatically driving up the cost. We need to adjust to make sure the costs are paid for.” Crosbie says Marine Atlantic’s overall operating budget is “in excess” of $150 million. The board’s general target is that 60 per cent of operating costs — not including vessels, infrastructure

or pension plan — be borne by those using the ferry service. The rest comes from taxpayers. “I think it’s recognized the fares will need to go up to a moderate level, but our job is to try and keep that down as much as possible.” The provincial government and a number of tourism operators, including the umbrella group Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, have come out strongly against any rate hikes. Herb Brett, former president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities and chair of a municipal advisory committee on ferries to the minister of Transportation and Works, released a report on the heels of the announced rate increases. Brett reiterated the long-held policy position of the federation that “goods, services and people in the marine transportation corridors should travel at ‘equivalent cost of road travel rates.’” He also pointed to the 2003 PC platform book, in which Danny Williams pledged to adopt the equivalent cost of road travel rate policy, both on the provincial ferry services and on the federally controlled Marine Atlantic runs. Brett says highway driving is costed at 50 cents a kilometre for cars. Marine Atlantic rates will see ferry service cost 60 cents and up per kilometre. Commercial truck Marine Atlantic rates are, he says, already double that of highway travel. “The new federal policy for Marine Atlantic rates will further cripple our competitiveness to export to the mainland, to import reasonably priced goods and will further thwart our tourism leading to greater out-migration,” writes Brett.

Province saves millions from welfare clawbacks By Mandy Cook The Independent

ou may know them as “welfare cops,” but Human Resources Minister Shawn Skinner prefers the term eligibility assurance unit. The eligibility assurance unit, a division within the income support program, saves the provincial government an average of $10 million a year, or 4.7 per cent of the program’s $212 million budget for 2006-07. Meantime, the cost of running the unit, which employs a staff of 30, comes in at $1.25 million.

“We do a fair bit of interaction with our clientele to make sure people are receiving what they’re entitled to receive, but also that they’re not receiving anything they shouldn’t be receiving so they don’t get placed into a situation where they have to pay money back to us,” says Skinner. A spokesperson for his department says the number of people on income assistance in the province is decreasing. In January 2007, 25,828 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians received social assistance, compared with 27,099 in January 2006.

Skinner says the eligibility assurance unit is most active with people new to the system. A new recipient of income assistance will be contacted within two to three months to check if all personal information is up to date, including the address and number of people living in the home. The unit is also responsible for tracking whether a recipient is receiving extra money through parttime work. Some people are monitored on a monthly basis. They are referred to as “mail backs,” as they work part-time on a fluctuating schedule, and must report

an increase or decrease in earnings by mail. Skinner says his department tries to take an “individualized” approach to their clients. He says people’s personal circumstances can change and impact their eligibility for income support. “We try to be very open to our clients … we try to make sure that they understand the potential benefits available to them, such as single mothers or families with children in school or people who live in subsidized housing where there would be rental allowances,” he says. Once someone has been in the system

for 12 months, the regular check-ups become less frequent as a person’s personal information becomes more “stable,” says Skinner. However, each income assistance recipient will be evaluated at least once every three years. “Everybody will be done regardless of how long you’ve been on income support, every three years you would have at least one contact by the department verifying the information you’ve provided to us in the past.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

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FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5

‘One simple word: goodbye’ Stoffer says new fisheries act will privatize fishery; Loyola Hearn has forgotten past promises By Ivan Morgan The Independent

he federal NDP Fisheries critic says the new federal Fisheries act will mean an end to the independent fisherman. MP Peter Stoffer also says current Conservative Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn has completely changed his tune on fisheries policy, promoting a new fisheries act that will permit many of the things he fought against while in Opposition. “Mr. Hearn has fallen into what we call that hole of DFO where all fisheries ministers fall into,” Stoffer tells The Independent. “They start believing what their bureaucrats tell them, and the next thing you know, you have problems. “It doesn’t matter whether it was Geoff Regan, Herb Dhaliwal, Robert Thibault, David Emerson, or Loyola Hearn, the same problems exist, the same bureaucrats are there, and you get these problems.” Stoffer, who served with Hearn on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans when both were in Opposition, has been highly critical of the new act. Another outspoken critic of the bill, Conservative MP (and former fisherman) John Cummins of BC, was recently kicked off the committee. According to Stoffer, Cummins, the most senior member of the committee, was removed for refusing to toe the Conservative Party line. Stoffer says while it was party whip Jay Hill who made the decision, Hearn is just as responsible, as he could have intervened. Stoffer says the new act will have a severe effect on the average Newfoundland and Labrador fisherman. “In one simple word: goodbye. Goodbye to the independence of the fishery.” Over the last 20 years, Stoffer says, the federal government has been moving control of the fishery over to large industrial corporations, such as FPI, Clearwater and Highliner — a move he says Hearn once opposed. Stoffer says the new legislation paves the way for the privatization of a common property resource. Attempts by The Independent to con-

Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn

tact Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn were unsuccessful. Stoffer quotes Hearn from February 2002 when he characterized the corporate owners of fishing licences as “slipper skippers who sit with their feet up, monitoring their two-way radios and talking to the fellows out there making a fortune for them while getting very little out of it themselves. If this continues, the fishery is going to be a joke in a few years time.” Even when Hearn made the remark, Stoffer says he remembers thinking “I’d better keep that one — that might come back to haunt him.” Stoffer also quotes Hearn as saying

Paul Daly/The Independent

DFO should forget about the “quick buck” and forget about “looking after their corporate friends who sit around and drink cognac with them, and (think) about the people they are supposed to represent — the ordinary, average fisherman who should have a clear cut licence if he qualifies, and whose licence should revert the minute he fails to be a fisherman and owner/operator.” The NDP MP says he recently asked Hearn “How’s the cognac?” While DFO claims the new act was the product of extensive consultation, Stoffer says he has not met one person who was involved. He says he’s asked

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for a list of people consulted, but has not yet been given one by DFO. Hearn passed a successful private members’ bill supporting custodial management while in Opposition; the policy was also supported by Stephen Harper in a letter to Premier Danny Williams. But, Stoffer says, the idea has been abandoned now that Hearn is minister of Fisheries. “Gone. That promise is out the door. You will not see custodial management ever with a Conservative government … I suspect (Hearn) has been told by the bureaucrats this is how it’s going to be and here we go.” He says Canadians, once the fishery

is privatized, may end up seeing their resource in the hands of foreign investors. “What’s stopping, in the long run, Clearwater from being sold out to foreign entities?” He says under the new act, the fishery will go the same way as Canada’s forestry and farming industries. “And if that’s the way that people want to go, then they should just say so. Then we could eliminate DFO in a heartbeat, turn the science over to some universities, and let the fishermen catch the last fish. “There’s a way to save money.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

How much is a fair share? W

ade Locke sees the offshore as our “golden goose,” and warns us not to kill the poor bird before its opportunities hatch. The Grand Banks will eventually be cooked, there’s no avoiding that, but the Memorial University economist says if we handle the offshore right it could put a hell of a lot of eggs in our basket before the arse drops out of ’er. Surprise, surprise — we’re on our way to becoming a have province within five years and surviving on our own without handouts from Ottawa for the first time in forever, but only if we don’t shag it up. All we want is our fair share, sure any Newfoundlander will tell you that. But who’s to say what our fair share is? Locke attempts to answer the question in a fascinating article for the Newfoundland Quarterly’s most recent issue. His findings are worth review … It’s easy enough to see where the call for a “fair share” comes from, considering the high price of oil and the profits posted by Big Oil. ExxonMobil recorded the largest annual profit in U.S. history in 2006 at $39.5 billion, up from the previous record of $36.1 billion in 2005. Those kinds of numbers strengthen the resolve of leaders like our Danny to ensure the primary beneficiaries are governments themselves and the people, like

RYAN CLEARY

Fighting Newfoundlander us, that they represent. “It is easier to agree with the view that the owners of the resource — the people of the region in which the oil and gas resources are located — should receive a fair share of the benefits than it is to identify a specific share that is fair,” Locke writes. He asks how much more would make it fair? And more of what — taxes, royalties, jobs, spinoffs? By 2005, Big Oil had invested $19 billion in Newfoundland and Labrador exploring for, developing and producing offshore oil and gas. When it comes to the three fields currently in production — Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose — the province received roughly 40 per cent of the spending associated with developing the projects and 50 per cent of the spending to keep them going. Indeed, the oil and gas industry accounts for 15 per cent of all economic activity in the province and 18 per cent of all government revenue. According to Locke, those numbers pale in comparison to the highs we’re expected to hit

within the next five to 10 years. Based on a barrel of oil at $50 US, over the next 20 to 25 years the provincial treasury can expect to rake in $15 billion in royalties and corporation taxes from the three existing fields, and up to $23 billion should Hebron come on stream. With all four fields up and running, Locke says provincial revenues should peak at $1.4 billion in 2012. That sort of revenue, most people will be surprised to know, will “propel” Newfoundland and Labrador to have status within five years. Which isn’t bad considering we’ve been in have-not status for 57 years. Writes Locke, “This is a significant benefit that is often overlooked when accounting for the impacts of the oil and gas sector on the provincial economy.” But — and this is a big but — those “tremendous” impacts will never be realized unless Hibernia South and Hebron proceed. If they don’t move forward our revenues will drop to $9 billion from $23 billion. “In other words,” Locke says, “while enhanced prosperity is within our grasp, there is real risk that it may not be realized.” He points out that the risk is directly affected by decisions that are within the control of the provincial government. So how does our government’s take

compare to Big Oil’s or that of other jurisdictions around the world? For the three offshore projects currently up and running on the Grand Banks, the oil consortium can expect to make between 45 and 49 per cent of pre-tax net cash flow generated by the projects over the life of the fields. The federal and provincial governments can expect to collect between 5155 per cent of the projects’ pre-tax net cash flows. (Ottawa’s cut is a whole other story.) The government cut, when compared to other countries, is somewhere in the middle, “neither the largest nor the smallest.” It falls short of Norway’s 77 per cent, but similar to the shares found in Alaska, Alberta and Australia, and exceeds the 50 and 43 per cent shares calculated for the UK and Gulf of Mexico. In fact, Locke says our generic offshore oil fiscal regime is one of the most progressive fiscal regimes when compared to jurisdictions that compete for the same investment dollars. Locke says the absence of a clear vision — i.e. energy plan, which Danny is expected to hand down in the spring — makes it hard to assess fully whether the province is getting its fair share Even in the absence of an energy plan, it’s clear the province wants more — not

fewer — benefits. At the same time, Locke says Newfoundland and Labrador isn’t the only oil game in town. Our daily production amounted to one-half of one per cent of world daily production in 2005. As for the argument that the oil should remain in the ground until it’s to our advantage to remove it, the failed Hebron negotiations mean there is now, for the first time in 15 years, no new project on the drawing board. The break in continuity will impact the transfer of technology, translating into lower productivity, as well as the continued out-migration of skilled workers. In the end, the benefits flowing to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will be lower than they could be, even if our share is perceived to be fair. “In other words,” says Locke, “while the pie might be sliced more to our liking in the short-term, it may mean that the size of the pie is smaller in the future and we will benefit less.” He says there are both constraints on how far we can increase our share and consequences for our actions. To quote the great Ray Guy, who also has a piece in the latest Quarterly, “Happiness, to me, is being prepared for the worst and happily surprised by the fair-to-middling.” ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca

YOURVOICE Political pay cuts Dear editor, I sarcastically laugh with amusement at the latest comments coming from what should soon become an endangered species — a Newfoundland politician. Port De Grave MHA Roland Butler has said he does not feel like giving back a $2,875 bonus payment made in 2004 to provincial politicians. Coming on the heels of so many other “surprise” revelations connected to the ongoing financial scandal, nothing should surprise residents of the most easterly province. Even before the announcement was made last June concerning unauthorized payments to some provincial politicians, Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs were the third highest paid provincial members in the country. Their pension plan is also the best when compared to that of their counterparts in other provinces. On a per-capita basis, their existence rivals no other jurisdiction in the free world. For example, if Ontario were to adopt a similar ratio, the current 103 seats in Queen’s Park in Toronto would have to become a 1,000 seat assembly. Saskatchewan is twice the size of Newfoundland but its provincial legislature in Regina only has 10 more seats than Newfoundland and Labrador’s House of Assembly. You do the math then, and look at how much support salary MHAs gobble up for executive assistants, political assistants, secretaries, policy people, receptionists and public relations specialists. The list just goes on and on and on while the people of the province leave in droves and the ones who stay pay the burden with the highest taxes in the country.

Unfortunately, MHAs never put words to action — they just talk, talk and talk. Perhaps, Mr. Butler should ask the many former Newfoundland and Labrador residents, like myself, who had to move away from the province to seek a better life, if he or the others deserve more pay. If being an MHA was ever based on a commission or on performance-based objectives, these guys and gals would be using food banks. Over a decade ago, a judicial report was issued saying the number of seats in the legislature should be reduced to 40 seats from 52. In the end, a compromise saw numbers reduced to 48. Of course, the more stark reality was reserved for provincial civil servants whose numbers were reduced by thousands at the time. Cynics can rightfully point to Butler’s bonus coming as it did on the heels of the end of a provincial labour strike as another sign they are only interested in themselves and nobody else. If Danny Williams is the man of steel some say he is, he should make the prescription of change something that will show a weary electorate how serious he is about real change and not cosmetic adjustments in the face of a crisis. Dust off the judicial report and implement it for the next provincial election. No more studies, commissions, make-work projects for the overpaid, opinion polls or discussion groups. Reduce the number of seats to 40 and reduce politicians’ pay to a level more fitting the economic realities faced by many people in the province. John Lynch, Belleville, Ont.

‘Ignore the bastards’ Dear editor, Here we go again! Seals, protesters, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and you, the media. I personally am sick of it and I’m sure there are many more Newfoundlanders like me. It is like a proverbial springtime hangover. If it weren’t for the media — your newspaper, Here and Now, NTV and VOCM there would be no story. These characters have you by the short hairs.

It’s you and your valuable and “free publicity” they are really after. Can’t you see that? Ignore the bastards and they will go away. They’re not interested in saving seals; they are interested in fattening their bank accounts. That takes ingenuity and free publicity campaigns on prime-time TV, on air and in newspapers like this one. Please, please get off the merry-go-round. Bill Westcott, Clarke’s Beach

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

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The Independent is published by Independent News Ltd. in St. John’s. It is an independent newspaper covering the news, issues and current affairs that affect the people of Newfoundland & Labrador.

PUBLISHER Brian Dobbin EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Cleary MANAGING EDITOR Stephanie Porter PICTURE EDITOR Paul Daly PRODUCTION MANAGER John Andrews ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sandra Charters SALES MANAGER Gillian Fisher CIRCULATION MANAGER Karl DeHart

sales@theindependent.ca • production@theindependent.ca • circulation@theindependent.ca All material in The Independent is copyrighted and the property of The Independent or the writers and photographers who produced the material. Any use or reproduction of this material without permission is prohibited under the Canadian Copyright Act. • © 2007 The Independent • Canada Post Agreement # 40871083

The Independent welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be 300 words in length or less and include full name, mailing address and daytime contact numbers. Letters may be edited for length, content and legal considerations. Send your letters in care of The Independent, P.O. Box 5891, Station C, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5X4 or e-mail us at editorial@theindependent.ca

‘How the little guy often gets overlooked’ Dear editor, I found your column (Ottawa defender, Feb. 9 edition by Ryan Cleary) quite interesting, but I would like to expand on your comparison of the cost of traveling across the Gulf of St. Lawrence aboard a Marine Atlantic ferry to the cost of traveling a similar distance by road. It may be a little off the main topic but related nonetheless. It concerns the provincial ferry service from Little Bay Islands to Shoal Arm.

I’ll paraphrase what’s in the column while incorporating some minor corrections: Clarenville to St. John’s: $20/180km = $0.11/km. Port aux Basques to North Sydney: $105.50/170km = $0.62/km. Little Bay Islands to Shoal Arm: $9.25/14km = $0.66/km. End result: on a dollar-per-kilometre basis it costs more to go from Little

Bay Islands to mainland Newfoundland than it does to cross the Gulf, and certainly to drive anywhere via the Trans-Canada Highway. Just wanted to show how the little guy often gets overlooked while sometimes taking the hardest blow. Have a great day! Lorne Rowsell, St. John’s (originally from Little Bay Islands)

‘Travesty’ of justice Dear editor, It is with a heavy heart that I write again, in utter disbelief, that Robert Weston Parsons, the man who failed to stay at the scene of the accident that resulted in the death of Matthew Churchill, has been freed after serving only four months. And the courts think that justice has prevailed? What a travesty! That the life of a precious child has been so demeaned by allowing this criminal to be released after four months is beyond believable. I read recently that a man had been sentenced to seven-and-a-half months in prison for poaching a salmon here in Newfoundland and Labrador. How in the name of justice can one man be sentenced by the courts to a longer term for killing a salmon than for the death of our Matthew? Did the salmon, perchance, have a personal name, and was it christened in a sacred ceremony? Did it have a beautiful personality like Matthew’s? Was it as loved by family and friends as Matthew? On Jan. 11, 2007, Clyde Wells, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, addressed rotary in St. John’s. He said he had assurances from Chief Justice Derek Green of the Trial Division and Chief Judge Reg Reid of the Provincial Court that they would speak publicly about their respective courts. Wells seemed to have restricted their future speaking engagements to recognized non-parti-

Robert Parsons

san organizations such as rotary. It is a good start. However the vast majority of citizens do not belong to such organizations. It would be a wonderful opportunity for those senior justice officials to communicate directly with citizens of this province, and in doing

so explain why the scales of justice are not balanced; how and why they are out of whack. Brett B. Pugh, Matthew Churchill’s grandfather (Pop) St. John’s

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7

Living in a material world P

eople are weird about stuff. In my university days I spent an afternoon with a “famous” Newfoundland writer. I had been hired as a summer student to profile local artists. When I arrived at his retreat, a small bungalow in the woods on the shores of Conception Bay, I found him consumed with the puzzle of cutlery. Materialism, he lectured me, was the bane of society, and he was weaning himself from it. He had divested himself of his bowl, preferring to eat all liquids from his cup. Today’s exercise was cutlery. Which should he get rid of — the fork or the spoon? He felt an argument could be made for the knife — he was keeping that. But both fork and spoon were too much. One had to go. This could have been charming, or even a funny. It wasn’t. It was squalid and sad. I remember thinking, behind my respectful façade, “It’s a fork, dude. Whatever.” But who was I, in my youth, to counter his wisdom of the ages? Me

IVAN MORGAN

Rant & Reason

now, that’s who. It was a fork, dude. Whatever. Ironically, the old writer’s ethical struggle with materialism made him terminally materialistic. I love watching old re-runs of the 1950s classic TV show The Honeymooners — the story of Jackie Gleason’s bus driver Ralph Kramden, and his life with wife “to the moon” Alice (Audrey Meadows) and neighbours and friends Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Trixie (Joyce Randolph). What fascinates me about these shows are the sets. If you ever watch one, look at the background. These people had nothing. Compared to our material world, the Kramdens had nothing. The black and white makes it even starker. Bare dressers, a bare

YOURVOICE Journalism the ‘real argument’ Dear editor, ing them and lending them assault It’s unfortunate that the Rick rifles to pose with for glamorous Mercer/Noreen Golfman racket has photo ops. And as individuals they been blown up to be about boosterism may certainly be admirable, though — or not — for Canadian troops in no more or less so than the Afghan Afghanistan. The real argument farmer who tomorrow may have to should be about Canadian journalism. watch them trampling over his grape Virtually all of the “news” which field. the Canadian media delivers from The problem is that this is the only Afghanistan comes from reporters picture we get (in our media) from who are embedded with Canadian Afghanistan, and it is one-sided. The forces. As a result, what currently force-fed diet from our news media passes for Canadian war reporting is makes it harder to stomach the same the kind of soft and bias from our fuzzy feature that comedians. Christie Blatchford Journalists who Journalists who grinds out for The operate in the field Globe and Mail. independently operate in the field Most of it talks from military sponindependently from about the humanity sorship may find it of our boys in the difficult and danmilitary sponsorship field and there’s gerous — I reportnothing wrong with ed from war zones may find it difficult this kind of writing 20 years ago and I (although it would can vouch for it. and dangerous — fit better in the travThat kind of inforel section) just as mation gathering I reported from war there is nothing can be vastly more wrong with embedchallenging when zones 20 years ago ded comedians flyreporters don’t and I can vouch for it. speak the local laning in to entertain troops in the field. guage and (whether Bob Hope did it for or not it is accuyears for American grunts in rate) are seen by locals to represent an Vietnam. We should not be surprised occupying military force. But this is that our embedded entertainers, like the kind of journalism that we must our embedded reporters, come to demand from our media — an honest admire a military made up of coura- journalism that tells the truth. Perhaps geous human beings doing their jobs Ms. Golfman just got hungry for it. in dangerous circumstances. After all, it is those human beings who are Chris Brookes, hosting them, feeding them, protectSt. John’s

table with four wooden chairs, an icebox and a sink, wooden shelves with some tins on them. Whoever designed the sets felt, to look realistic, the Kramdens apartment should be bare. Yet the characters seem modern in every way. They still seem to live and love one another, to be happy and thrive, without all the stuff we have today. And we have a lot of stuff. To wander through Wal-Mart today is to be confronted with the most astonishing array of stuff. Toasters, tampons, birdseed, bicycles, biscuits, and an astonishing array of gadgets line the shelves. Most people’s homes are cluttered with all manner of contraptions, decorations, and products. I LIKE STUFF I am not one of those to rail about the evils of the material world. I like stuff — but there does seem to be a lot of it, especially compared to Ralph and Alice’s time. Are we better off? Probably not in the spiritual sense. But I don’t think

we are worse off either. There was once a time when most people could never hope to have anything but the basics. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador, one often hears old people reminisce about how they had nothing in their day. I recall a man in his 80s telling my children of the joys of waking, on Christmas morning, to a banana in his stocking from Santa Claus. He and each of his siblings got one. Unaware of what they were, the children had to be shown how to eat their presents. He thrilled, 70-plus years later, as he remembered the taste and the smell. My children listened respectfully. Later, on the way home, I asked my youngest — then nine — what she thought. Looking at me with cleareyed seriousness, she said “Jeez, Dad. Christmas back then really blew.” Pretty much. She is used to lots of stuff. Never before, anywhere at any time, have so

‘Wall o’ Independent’ Dear editor, I just want you to know that The Independent is alive and well in homeroom 126 at Mobile Central High. I cut things out and post on our “wall o’ Independent!” Students enjoy the easy access and I especially like using the photos and art stuff to talk about visual literacy. These lads are fans too! Good luck. Leslie Kennedy, St. John’s

ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

ON THE FLY

Provincial Transportation Minister John Hickey speaks with Hugh Parry, co-founder and managing director of Astraeus Airlines at a Feb. 21 press conference in St. John’s. At the event, Parry announced that his air carrier will operate a direct non-stop flight from St. John’s to London’s Gatwick Airport three times a week. Paul Daly/The Independent

‘Judge them as you see fit’ Dear editor, Soliciting and collecting monies for any number of causes has long been the accepted practice in our province. Charitable organizations have been at it for years, serving their communities and provinces. We owe many of them our gratitude and respect. But my feelings are quickly turning to disgust with the way some so-called charitable organizations are collecting and distributing money. One such organization befitting this

category is the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation and their local snowmobile club members. This group has raised roughly $146,000 for the Children’s Wish Foundation over the last couple of winters. As I understand it, most of the money was never given to the charity. This year’s selected charity for the snowmobile federation’s Rendevous 2007, being held in Gander, is the Lion Max Simms Memorial Camp. Who could be a more deserving

‘Truly one of a kind’

Ron Power of Bay Bulls (left) and David Maher from Tors Cove, Grade 11 students at Mobile Central High, where The Independent is routinely ripped apart … and tacked to the wall.

many people had access to as much stuff as we do today. I wander through the big-box stores, which I love, and marvel at all the stuff. I love it. I don’t want 95 per cent of it, but it is comforting to know, if I suddenly need it, it is there. Almost every plotline in The Honeymooners was driven by Ralph’s yearning for more money, but his plans always blew up in his face and he was left with nothing more than his good friends and loving wife. The lesson? Money and possessions aren’t necessary for happiness. But they don’t have to rob you of it either. I could do without my slow cooker, and my laptop, and my … well, maybe I don’t want to live in a world without television … but I guess I could. I don’t think having material things makes you happy. But not having them is no virtue either. It’s just stuff.

Dear editor, Dermot O’Reilly was one of the most special, caring, passionate, warm, fun, interesting, loving, lovable, knowledgeable, talented, cheerful, uplifting, wise, humourous, insightful, enriching and unforgettable people I had the privilege of knowing. He was the person who everyone wanted to stand next to or be close to. He was always ready for a chat. Through my five years working at Bridie Molloy’s, I got to know Dermot quite well. I have many fond memories and stories thanks to Dermot. He was truly one of a kind. I believe that Newfoundland was very lucky to have Dermot make his new home here way back when he left Ireland. We are truly honoured and forever grateful. My deepest condolences to Ann and family, as well as to Dermot’s closest friends. I have and will always enjoy listening to Dermot’s music. The man was a true legend. Thank you sir, you will never be forgotten. I am currently living in South

group than the Lions? We all know of their hard work and good deeds. They deserve and have my utmost respect. But how many citizens are being told that most of their money is never given to the designated charity? I have passed my personal judgment on the snowmobile federation, you can judge them as you see fit. My opinion of a government that allows this sort of thing to happen is the same thing — disgusting. Bernard Rumbolt, Stephenville

‘You might wonder why obesity is a problem’

Korea. Dermot and I e-mailed from time to time and as you can imagine the cuisine here is quite different than home. I happened to e-mail Dermot to tell him that they eat live fish, octopus and squid here. He wrote back with the greatest response ever. It was so funny, I laughed for a week. Keep in mind I am a Guinness lover too and I had the pleasure of sharing a few pints with Dermot over the years. His response: “Any live pints?” Shane Howard, Suncheon, South Korea

Dear editor, My son-in-law, Art Meaney, passed along a copy of the Feb. 2 edition of The Independent that contained an article on meat cutting and butchering (Get to know your beef, The art of butchery has been lost in the age of big factories and pre-packaging). These were two separate skills in the old trades set up. I grew up in the meat business. My father (same named) operated his own meat market and I had one for 35 years, from 1950 to 1985. First of all a correction: you do not kill cows for the retail trade. Cows are raised as milk producers and generally have a few productive years, before winding up in various by-products. For the retail trade you raise steers. They are under federal inspection and are graded for quality. They must be approximately 24 months old. The colour of the beef must be bright red and this starts at Grade B. It is the same for Grade A, AA, and AAA. They only difference is the fat. I have the book. You may wonder why we only see AAA advertised. So did I. It took me about four years before I got an answer. Apparently we have a big market in the U.S.A., which will only accept AAA. So all beef raising — with the exception of a few independent slaughterers — is mass-produced. Cattle are penned and various drugs are pumped into them to fatten them as quickly as possible. You can take my word for it. You might wonder why obesity is a problem. Jim Shields, St. John’s

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9

IN CAMERA

Take a look out your front window … what do you see?

Staff and students at Gonzaga High School will reveal the results of their last three months of blood, sweat and tears this week — raising the curtain on their version of the musical Guys and Dolls. Photo editor Paul Daly and reporter Mandy Cook drop backstage to witness some excitement and jitters before opening night. They discover a stoked cast and crew eager to make memories that will last far beyond high school.

Lance Aux Meadows, St. Anthony

Photo by Paul Daly

Kids with rosy cheeks and ice crusted, homemade mitts? A group of snowmobilers stoppedÊ for a boil-up? An abandoned saltbox house fringed with icicles? The Independent announces a photography contest Ñ Your Town pen to amateur photographers across ewfoundland and abrador, Your Town is an opportunity to show us your community through the lens of a camera An entry must include at least three photographs, preferably digital (minimum size 5X7@170 dpi) Prints will also be accepted Photographs can be in colour or black and white Dig down deep and reveal, through your photographs, the character and uniqueness of Your Town

By Mandy Cook The Independent

amie Pitt, 15, won’t need to sit for the make-up artist very long prior to show time. She is, literally, pink-cheeked with anticipation for her upcoming debut. Playing one of the lead roles, Miss Adelaide, in Guys and Dolls on the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre stage is a theatrical opportunity she’s been waiting for, ever since she ran off the same stage in tears. “I was singing in my last year of the Kiwanis Music Festival,” she says. “I got up and sang I Feel Pretty. It came out all warbly and I started to cry. It was the worst performance of my whole life. You’re so exposed — it took me a really, really long time to get over it.” Despite the years of stage fright, Pitt decided to put the experience behind her last October, when the call for auditions went out from Gonzaga High School musical theatre teacher Jacinta MackeyGraham. The chance to take part in a version of one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever certainly doesn’t come by very often in a teenager’s life. A voice student since the age of three, Pitt is a natural for the plum role she eventually scored. As a big fan of acting and dancing, too, she says she couldn’t imagine not participating in something so “fun.” “Miss Graham, I’d always heard about her musicals and saw her last two shows,” Pitt says. “My sister had been a student of hers and I’d always heard wonderful things. When I saw the sets, the actors, everything was perfect and it was so polished and were the best shows I’d ever seen. I really wanted to work with Miss Graham.” The sophisticated banter and professional demeanour of the blonde, pony-tailed Pitt belies her young years. Mackey-Graham, or “Miss Graham,” says Pitt’s dedicated and passionate approach to the show makes her a great fit for the demanding role of Miss Adelaide — but she expects nothing less from her triple-threat wannabes. Mackey-Graham has steered the helm of numerous local musical productions since she first started teaching at Mary Queen of the World in 1979, and demands 100 per cent devotion to the show from day one. “If you can’t give us Sundays you can’t do this,” she says, matter-of-factly. “If you don’t have it available, don’t audition.” Mackey-Graham says the production demands an increasing amount of time and effort from the participants as the weeks go by. To be involved, students ranging from Grade 10 to Grade 12 must be prepared to give up their weekends, challenge themselves to learn dance steps and song lyrics, and memorize their lines as their director demands it. Mackey-Graham says a high school musical cannot be successful without the full support of the school’s administration. Many teachers and parents — who helped build and paint sets, make props, and even paint plain shoes white and tan to create saddle shoes for the 1940s setting — volunteered to log the long hours necessary to pull off a show with a cast of 84. “Success is in team work,” she says. “You cannot be a one man team and you have to have good competent people around you and people who will work with you.” Sometimes those people need a little coaxing — as was the case with Jackson Fowlow, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student. Fowlow credits Miss Graham for his role of Angie the Ox, a supporting crapshooter role to gambler Nathan Detroit. “Miss Graham said, ‘We’d like to see you on the stage’ which is good because it’s fun and I love it now,” he says, his smile spreading out over shiny, silver braces. “I’ve never been in a musical of this calibre before. Nothing this big.” Fowlow says he thought doing a musical would be “awesome” and “fun” and has learned a thing or two during his short theatrical career. He says the dance numbers can be challenging — someone got smacked in the lip by what he says was “a flailing limb” during practice — and they’ve learned to always, always keep moving. “You can never look bored on stage,” he says. “If you’re just standing there, Miss Mackey will yell at you.” Guys and Dolls shows Feb. 22-24 at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre. mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

. O

1st PRIZE Nikon D40 W/18-55mm Lens $750 value

2nd PRIZE Nikon Coolpix L6 $200 value

3rd PRIZE LowePro SlongShot 100 AW $80 value

1 The Contest will run from February 16 to March 16, 2007 The winner will be announced in the March 23rd issue of The Independent Entries may be mailed to Paul Daly at The Independent, P Box 5891, Stn C, St JohnÕs, , A1C 5X4, or by emailing paul daly@theindependent ca o purchase necessary to qualify 2 Submissions must be a minimum size of 5"x7" @ 170 dpi 3 The prizes cannot be redeemed for cash and are non-transferable 4 The winner will be selected by a panel of independent judges including photography editor Paul Daly, Ray Fennely and ed Pratt All entries must be received by The Independent by 5 p m ednesday March 21, 2007 and published in the March 23 issue of The Independent 5 The contest is open to all residents of ewfoun land and abrador, with the exception of The Independent, prize sponsors, employees, agents, contractors or immediate family members 6 n accepting the prize, the winner agrees to allow publication of their entry, name and photograph in The Independent for promotional purposes All submissions may be published and edited for length 8 By entering the contest, the contestants agree to accept the rules as stated .

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E-MAIL DIGITAL ENTRIES TO PAUL.DALY@THEINDEPENDENT.CA BEFORE MARCH 21

10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

YOURVOICE ‘How very sad’ Dear editor Anyone reading Rick Mercer’s letter (Fighting words, Jan. 20 edition) would be shaken/moved/altered by what he wrote. My first thought was … how very sad. Sad for the physical and emotional pain being experienced by our brave armed forces. How difficult must it be to give so much for one’s country and still rise with some sense of hope? How sad, too, that two very gifted, talented, sharp minds were having such a public and wrenching disagreement. Emotions often get the better of us. I believe

Aldrich

Interdisciplinary

LECTURE

From Fish Oil to Crude Oil: Newfoundland and Labrador’s Dynamic and Innovative Marine Industries The School of Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the Hon. Trevor Taylor, minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, as the 2007 Aldrich Lecturer. Room IIC-2001 Inco Innovation Centre Monday, March 5, 2007, 7 p.m. Free parking Lot 18 Gate operated parking ($2) Lot 17

Noreen Golfman (Blowing in the wind … Jan. 12 edition) is not anti-military. I know Rick Mercer is passionate about supporting all things Canadian. I like them both. Despite Stephen Harper’s Texas consultant trying to package his Reform Party message (which is not genuine Canadian Conservative) politics like they do America, I like Canada because we can have a free and informed discussion on issues of the day including the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is my opinion that given their attitudes and track record, the Taliban must be stopped wher-

All aboard Dear editor, Kudos to Stephen Nolan and his verve and vision expressed in a recent letter to the editor. By all means, let us develop a commuter and tourist rail line to Conception Bay North. A similar set up runs in the Ottawa area, with a vintage steam train from Hull to the small village of Wakefield. Winding along by the Gatineau River for 64 kilometers, it is a successful tourist draw offering music, and fine dining on board, along with sight-seeing tours and shopping at the end of the line. Obviously our province can deliver comparable scenery, arts and crafts and seasoned performers. Imagine how it would complement the convention trade. Indeed, Mr. Nolan’s points on such a rail line for commuter transport with reduced car usage and the accompanying environmental and safety credits are top-notch as well. The same premise could be expanded outside the Avalon. Why are we one of only two Canadian provinces “sans rails” anyway? Imagine if some of our freight could be removed off the overtaxed indented highways? Consider a tourist rail line in western Newfoundland. Suggest to Ottawa the total man hours such projects would bring to a province whose pre-Confederation rail line was shipped off to South America. If there are budgetary funds to rebuild Afghanistan or commit to space projects, a new Newfoundland railway would be no less farfetched. The business community recently complained about the prospect of offering its workers a mid-winter holiday. This in a province where stores are open more nights and longer hours than anywhere else in the country! Instead of divvying up the same scarce dollars into a maximum sized work week, we need to grow our economic pie. If jobs abound and ex-patriates return, no store would have to worry about catching the very last dollar circulating around the province. Marie-Beth Wright, St. John’s

ever they are. It is also my opinion that Golfman, especially since she apologized for two unsettling words, has a right and an obligation as a columnist to promote debate on issues facing our society — as does Rick to respond. As The Independent will tell you … it sells more papers, but my only hope is that it will eventually makes us all better informed or at least engaged in a discussion. Ray Penton, St. John’s

Speaker must be independent Dear editor, As a follow up to Ryan Cleary’s column (Sue me) in the Feb. 16, 2007 issue of The Independent, I was appalled by Harvey Hodder’s response when asked in an interview if he would be considering resigning from the Speaker position over the additional constituency allowance to members of the House. Hodder had the audacity to imply he would remain as Speaker to introduce the safeguards and cleanup the inadequacies of the internal economy commission with respect to the constituency allowance. How can residents of the province trust the integrity of the same individual to correct an occurrence that had been sanctioned by him and to correct the same inadequacies that occurred during his term. The Speaker of the House must be an independent position, not an elected district member, not a political appointment. Harvey Hodder

Boyd Legge Mount Pearl

‘It’s a 19th century creation’ From page 1 Green on its new Ragged Rock rum label. Marketing manager Greg Kerr says the decision to do so wasn’t based on any nationalist notion, it was just a symbol they felt “represented a uniqueness, and independence, and a strong will, all things we wanted to associate with our unique blend and rum product as well.” Hiller tells The Independent Newfoundland nationalism originated in the 1820s, with local politicians’ dissatisfaction with the colony’s lot. He says issues revolving around “foreign” control of local resources bred resentment among the people who lived here. In the 18th century, treaties with Britain allowed the French

to control most of the coastline on the northeast coast of the island. This, says Hiller, was a sore point with Newfoundlanders, and one local politicians lobbied the British government to fix. Hiller says Newfoundlanders felt they had to carry the “Imperial burden,” for which there was no adequate recognition or recompense. There was a sense among Newfoundlanders that local control would solve many political and economic problems. “I think it (was) really entrenched at the beginning, a feeling that Newfoundland, ever since it was discovered by the Europeans in the 1500s, if you like, has been there to exploit rather than to build,” says Hiller. It was in the context of this political struggle

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..................................... Memorial representatives from St. John’s campus, Marine Institute, and Sir Wilfred Grenfell College will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about programs, student services, scholarships and so much more!

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www.mun.ca

that Newfoundland nationalism was forged, and the Pink, White and Green was adopted as a symbol of that strugge. Hiller says the echoes of that early nationalism, and the idea of Newfoundland as “eternal victim” can be found today. It’s a concept based equally in myth and reality. Like many myths, there is truth at its base, but he says it is exaggerated. “I think that’s a part of the national story — and it’s a 19th century creation.” Hiller says the Pink, White and Green was flown less after the First World War. Newfoundland soldiers fought and died under the British Union Jack, which was adopted by Newfoundlanders as an expression of British loyalty and officially adopted as the Newfoundland flag. Dave Hopley, owner of Living Planet, a St. John’s store, uses Newfoundland nationalist symbols and sentiments in his products. “Some people are openly separatist, but that’s the small amount of people,” say Hopley. “A lot of people are feeling that Newfoundland, I guess, has historically been a bit hard done by the mainland, so it’s a bit of a stab back at the mainland, I suppose. “I think there is a harkening back to a time that never was … I am not from here originally, but I think the ‘Newfoundland as victim’ and hard done by historically is kind of overplayed these days.” He says his products, while appealing to the new nationalist sentiments, are non-committal in their political statement. “You can interpret ‘Free Nfld.’ as you are free in Newfoundland from a lot of problems, or you can say ‘Free Newfoundland from Canada.’ We like to keep that ambiguous.” In an advertisement for Ragged Rock rum, this sense of romanticism and national pride is also reflected. The ad says Newfoundland’s harsh coastal environment has forced Newfoundlanders to develop “an unrivalled resilience” which has “brought its people a sense of independence and pride that still lives today. “For over 150 years the Pink, White and Green flag has been the unofficial symbol of this spirit of independence. It speaks of the greatness of our past, a proud and defiant people with a truly distinct and unique culture.” Hiller says this romantic nationalism is not always based in modern reality. “We have all these sort of images of the idyllic outport, and the traditional songs and celebrations of an economy and of a life that is basically gone,” says Hiller. “We now all sort of live in places like Cowan Heights, and yet that’s a reality that does not seem to be reflected.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTNEWS • 11

LIFE STORY

‘A pity we don’t have a few more like him’ By Stephanie Porter The Independent

their band, the Sons of Erin. “Ralph had placed an ad in the paper looking for a guitarist/singer and Dermot answered the ad,” says O’Byrne. “On the day of our gig at the Windsor House (in Toronto), Ralph went to pick Dermot up, who was living in Hamilton. We had planned a few hours together to figure out keys and songs for that evening. “However, Dermot and Ralph arrived 15 minutes before the gig, while I, a stickler for being on time, waited fretfully at the bar. We quickly figured out what keys we did our songs in and just went straight in front of the mikes, with no rehearsal whatsoever. “It must have worked out fine as we were still on the go after 39 years … “Over all those years our musical paths wandered here and there … between us we’ve seen a lot happen over the years and we’ve both been privileged to have had some influence along the way.” In the last 20 years, O’Byrne and O’Reilly played more and more together, especially on the local scene, with a regular gig at O’Reilly’s pub over the last 15 years — indeed, they played as a duo longer than they’d been with Ryan’s Fancy. “I have to say that we both felt the gigs together over the last years have been more of a getting together with a best friend playing and jamming than actual work … we had many regulars who came in night after night who became friends and gave us great support.”

t’s been a week of sadness and reflection for the many family members, friends and fans of Dermot O’Reilly, an icon in the traditional music scene in the province and beyond. O’Reilly, age 64, died suddenly on Feb. 17 of an apparent heart attack. Known around the world for his music and television work with Ryan’s Fancy (with other Irish ex-pats Denis Ryan and Fergus O’Byrne) through the 1970s and early ’80s, O’Reilly was also recognized for his non-stop solo and duo performances in concerts, clubs and pubs. He leaves a legacy as a respected musical pioneer, songwriter, producer, mentor, teacher — and a gentle, generous soul. O’Byrne played beside O’Reilly for nearly 40 years. “Our last week together was as good as all the other weeks that we performed together,” he tells The Independent. “We played three nights in a row, including performing with the Rankin Family at Mile One to over 2,000 people. “This was a last-minute gig that came up and nobody in the audience realized we were going to be there. I remember distinctly walking to the microphone and saying, ‘Surprise, surprise,’ and the whole place erupted. I couldn’t have wished for a better send off for a man that has been a great personal and musical buddy all these years.”

LEAVING A MARK O’Reilly called Newfoundland home for the past four decades, leaving a mark on musicians and audiences young and old. He founded a video production and recording studio, Piperstock Productions, at his home in Torbay. Since 1983, more than 25 albums were recorded at the studio — famously including Great Big Sea’s debut. The Celtic Fiddlers also recorded part of their first CD there. “During that time we got to know and love Dermot as a loving, patient man whose calm demeanor was an encouragement for us to forge ahead,” the group writes in a tribute. “He was … a positive force for us all.” No doubt, O’Reilly was always interested in preserving and supporting Newfoundland culture. Which included his own contributions. “Just last week,” laments O’Byrne, “we were finally talking about doing a live recording as a duo.” O’Reilly touched thousands more through his performances and songs — West Country Lady, Children’s Winter, Candlelight and Wine … A visit to the Ryan’s Fancy website (ryansfancy.com) shows a guestbook brimming over with personal and touching stories from across the country. “We call him the old philosopher,” Ralph O’Brien told The Independent in a 2005 interview. O’Brien owns Erin’s Pub — where O’Reilly played frequently — and was a founding member of Sons of Erin. “He’s always philosophizing …

Dermot O’Reilly at the St. John’s Folk Festival in 2005.

especially when he gets a few pints in him. The stories go then, I tell you. He’s such an entertaining guy.” Kalem Mahoney, former front man of St. John’s rock group Gearbox, also interviewed in 2005, agreed. “Dermot is always thinking,” said Mahoney. “He’s such a compassionate man. Everybody loves Dermot, from all walks of life … aside from being influenced musically by him, I’ve been influenced as a human being by him. He’s the gentlest soul I’ve ever

met.” Mahoney, 26, has known O’Reilly as long as he can recall — but it was only when his rock band hit the bar scene that their relationship really took hold. “As (music) became my profession, the way I made money, it was great to talk to him — he understood the lows and the highs. It is nice to have people you know tell you the ins and outs of it, (someone) who has a positive outlook on everything.”

Paul Daly/The Independent

Mahoney stepped up on the stage at Erin’s pub and elsewhere more than once, for impromptu performances with O’Reilly and O’Byrne. “That’s as good as it gets here, that’s as high as the bar goes, you know, for me and a lot of people. All musicians in St. John’s look up to those guys.” O’Byrne recalls his first meeting with O’Reilly in the late ’60s, not long after both had relocated to Toronto from Ireland. At the time, he, O’Brien, and Gary Kavanagh were playing in

ALWAYS EXPERIMENTING Although they played many of the same songs through the years, O’Byrne says they were always experimenting with vocals and instrumentation, keeping each night fresh. “I always felt his style of playing harked back to his teenage rock-androll influences and certainly put a unique touch on our performing the old standards,” he says. O’Reilly, O’Byrne, and Denis Ryan — the trio behind Ryan’s Fancy — were awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 2004 East Coast Music Awards. In 2005, O’Reilly underwent quintuple-bypass surgery. Chris Andrews of Shanneygannock organized a concert and fundraiser for him at the time — the slate was filled with the top musicians on the local scene and the bar was packed to capacity on a weekday night. “We were amazed by the spirit, it was the spirit Dermot has and he portrays when he plays,” Andrews said after the show. “Even though he wasn’t there that night, it was his spirit in the room — like there were no problems, and everyone was happy and smiling and singing along and it was a real nice night of music for a good guy.” “Dermot has been a great exponent of (traditional) music,” Ralph O’Brien said. “And he’s written some lovely songs … “It’s a pity we don’t have a few more like him.”

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

12 • INDEPENDENTNEWS

VOICE FROM AWAY

Tough love Ex-pat living in Ireland says between Air Canada and Gulf ferry, province becoming more isolated and inaccessible By Stephen Hayes For The Independent

was born and raised in St. John’s, but I have been living in Dublin, Ireland for about 14 years. I was reading a column by Ryan Cleary online (Ottawa’s defender, Feb. 9 edition) and it struck a chord with me. For the first few years I was away I didn’t have the opportunity to get home, but over the past while I have been getting back almost twice a year. It’s great because for me, like many people, Newfoundland will always be home. My family has been living on the island for almost 200 years. As it happens, my immediate family has been subject to the plague on Newfoundland that is emigration. My mother and two of my sisters live in Ontario. Ireland has already suffered from the scourge of emigration. But here, at least they recognize what it has done to the country and identified it as an historical evil. I don’t know if Newfoundlanders feel that strongly about the impact of people leaving — but I am now just an occasional visitor. I don’t want to voice too strong an opinion on that other than to say that the provincial government doesn’t appear to have any appetite to fight against the drain. Cleary made reference to Air Canada’s

termination of its St. John’s-to-London route and that particularly caught my eye. I can’t understand why there has been no outcry, no protest, no lowering of the Canadian flag in reaction to this measure. It has now become so much more difficult to get to St. John’s from Dublin, and I’m sure other places as well. The connection through Halifax has become a disincentive to traveling to Newfoundland, both in time and expense. How was this allowed to happen? Did the provincial government have no influence? Did they not understand that this is a further step in the isolation of the province from the world? I find it particularly disheartening because the province was really starting to be noticed on this side of the water. There were frequent articles in the U.K. and Irish press about Newfoundland and Labrador, and it was becoming recognized as a place to visit for vacation, and also as a place to do business. A number of my colleagues have bought property in Newfoundland — not on the west coast, but in St. John’s — and many have traveled with me to St. John’s and have plans to return because they enjoyed it so much. In Europe, air travel is easy and inexpensive. When the time comes to decide whether to vacation in Newfoundland

Ryanair and Aer Lingus planes on the runways at Dublin Airport. The Government has recently given the go ahead to sell a majority of the airline by IPO. Photo Photocall Ireland

— and go through the hassle of flying to Halifax or Toronto and connecting to St. John’s — I suspect fewer of them will return. If it becomes harder and more expensive to get to the province by air, and it is obviously getting more expensive to get there by ferry, there will be substantially fewer visitors. These are not just tourists but ex-pat Newfoundlanders like myself who are looking to take our families back and keep the relationship alive with the place that is our homeland. My nephews who live in Ontario spent a month in St. John’s last summer, and I took my 10-year-old son home at the same time. They all fell in love with the place as we would have expected, but it is becoming tougher to get them back. We are not alone in losing our people,

but we are being challenged to even get back to keep our own relationship alive with the place and to expose our children to their heritage. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a rosecoloured-glasses guy waxing lyrical about Newfoundland. What I am doing is wondering why all I hear about is what great survivors we are. Where are all the fighting Newfoundlanders? I am the son of parents who weren’t born Canadians. I am a firstgeneration Canadian. My father’s sisters were married to Canadian servicemen who were stationed in Newfoundland during the Second World War and who were paid overseas rates as if they were in Europe. How in the space of one generation have we lost the ability to recognize

where we have come from, where we should go in the future — and to have some control over that? The federal government is dominated by votes from places with a larger population than Newfoundland and Labrador will ever muster. How can we protect local interests unless we punch above our weight? As I observe from a distance, I see we are not doing that. In a world we often describe as getting smaller, Newfoundland and Labrador seems to be getting more and more isolated and inaccessible. If you make it harder to get home by water and by air, what alternatives are there? Stephen Hayes, a financial planning manager, lives in Dublin, Ireland.

The NF Weekly, 1956

AROUND THE BAY Conception Bay Statistics: Total number of inhabitants is 28,026; of these there are 6152 planters, fishermen and shoremen; 321 tradesmen and 37 farmers; Catholics 11,580; Protestant Episcopalians 8601; Wesleyans 7800; Congregationalists 27; Presbyterians 16; Meeting Houses 16; Churches 13; Chapels (Catholics) 10; Schools 54; sealing vessels 235; fishing boats 2632; horses 949; meat cattle 1576; sheep 2243; pigs 2164; goats 2944. — The Mercury, Carbonear, Feb. 17, 1846 AROUND THE WORLD The General Agent in St. John’s is fully authorized to issue Life Policies in New Foundland without references to the Head Office in Liverpool. Insurance eflected on all kinds of property at moderate rates of premiums — and all losses settled with the promptitude and fairness which has hitherto characterized the Company in all its dealings with the public all over the world. — St. John’s Daily News, Feb. 9, 1869

YEARS PAST The shortage of beer at one nightclub on the outskirts of town was too much for one patron. Eyeing a beer display on the bar counter with longing eyes, he eventually succumbed, leaped over the bar and consumed the contents of two bottles which had rested in the arms of a display penguin for three years. — The Newfoundland Weekly, St. John’s, Feb. 15, 1956 EDITORIAL STAND The Progressive Conservative Party for years has been pumping for conflict of interest legislation and is now committed to introducing such a law at the present session of the House of Assembly. While the importance of such legislation should not be played down neither should such a law be looked upon as the answer to every problem posed by the few who would use public office for private gain. That public office has been so used in the history of Newfoundland is documented, that it will happen in the future — legislation or no legislation — is inevitable. — The Newfoundland Express, St. John’s, Feb. 16, 1973

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Mr. Editor – I noticed a letter in the Daily News signed A. Kean, the Captain is of the opinion that the figures are not correct as stated in the petition. Taking it for granted that they are not, the Captain must admit that the seals are decreasing, and that same has been brought about by the introduction of steamers. Captain Kean has one of the most powerful ships going to the seal fishery, so has every chance of getting to the seals days before the other steamers get there. One is not surprised to find our genial Captain kicking against doing away with panning. Come! Captain, do not be so selfish but give others a chance to make a few dollars. Why should one or two Captains of sealing steamers dictate to thousands of fishermen that know just as much about the seal fishery as they. Equal rights to all! – Yours Truly, FISHERMAN — Trinity Enterprise, Feb. 7, 1910 QUOTE OF THE WEEK There will be a select “Bonnet-hop” in the Star of the Sea Hall to-night. Ask your sisters, your cousins, and your aunts and they will tell you who holds it. — The Morning Chronicle, St. John’s, Feb. 3, 1881

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007 — PAGE 13

From left, HMCS Algonquin (left), HMCS Protecteur, and HMCS St. John’s in the Gulf of Oman. HMCS Protecteur, a joint supply ship, is the type of vessel that will be built at the Marystown Shipyard if Kiewit Offshore Services is awarded a $600 million contract from the Department of National Defence.

Navy contract would bring ‘stability’ to Burin Peninsula, locals say By Mandy Cook The Independent

he president of the Marystown/Burin Area Chamber of Commerce says landing a federal shipbuilding contract would be the biggest thing to hit the peninsula “in decades” — even bigger than the building of the SeaRose FPSO platform. “A lot of people look at this as the answer to the Burin Peninsula’s problems — at least part of it. Obviously the fishery is a big part of the Burin peninsula economy … but this is the two-pronged approach,” Mark Coady tells The Independent. The Marystown shipyard is one of two locations in the running for a lucrative shipbuilding contract from the Department of National

Defence. The $600 million job is for the construction of three new navy vessels, called joint supply ships, which will help assist the armed forces in task-force operations. Ever since Kiewit Offshore Services, the operators of the shipyard, completed and delivered the SeaRose floating, production, storage and offloading platform on time and on budget, Coady says the workers have been eager to begin another mega-project. “Everyone, including people in the industry and other areas of the country and the world, said ‘You guys pulled this off and it’s going to mean big things in the future.’ Unfortunately it didn’t, and we’re in a bit of a lull again. This contract to build the three vessels and the maintenance contract afterwards,

it’s going to allow people to make some long-term plans.” Coady says the area could potentially see 15 to 20 years of work for approximately 600-800 people. In comparison, the SeaRose FPSO employed 1,200 for three years and powered a booming local economy. Coady also says several locals are planning spin-off businesses, such as restaurants and commercial rentals. Kiewit is currently in the second stage of the National Defence bid, or the proposal for preliminary designs. The implementation phase — the building of the ships — will start when one of the two companies are chosen. Frank Smith, director of business development for Kiewit, says a final decision is still a ways off. “The bid goes in January 2008

and we should know within two to three months. Then if you’re awarded the final implementation phase, as it’s called, then you do the detail design and move on to the construction. Cutting of steel in Marystown will probably not be before late 2009, early 2010.” The successful shipbuilder will be obliged to deliver the three ships within four years. Smith says there has only been a small amount of work at Marystown during the past year, just enough to keep a small workforce going. But Kiewit does not anticipate any difficulties staffing the yard if they land the Defence job. The company recently advertised for 150 workers and received 400 applications. “From our observations and analysis, most of the guys who’ve

left the Burin, on the fabrication side, not the fishery, have not taken their families with them and they’re commuting (to) these construction camps and we think if they see three or four years steady work they’ll come back no problem.” In the meantime, Kiewit is bidding on the construction of a midshore patrol vessel for the coast guard at a value of $150 million. Smith and Coady both point to the upcoming additions to the provincial ferry fleet to bridge the gap between now and the joint supply vessel contract award. “We’re going to bid on any major project that comes along,” says Smith. “We’re going to bid and bid until we’re loaded.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

Ottawa misses the boat again Cathy Bennett Board of Trade

he federal government recently released a long-term strategy to revitalize the Marine Atlantic ferry service between Newfoundland and the mainland, and I fear they’ve missed the boat again. As the Board of Trade and other key user groups see it, three of the most pressing and overarching requirements to improve the Marine Atlantic service for the long-term are renewal of the aging fleet; reasonable and stable rates; and essential service designation within federal legislation. Essential service legislation would help prevent the strikes (and the threats thereof) that currently disrupt and deter travel on the ferry on an annual basis.

This issue wasn’t covered by the federal government’s long-term strategy. As for rates and fleet renewal, those areas are integral parts of the strategy. Unfortunately, though, the proposed directions leave a lot to be desired. Transport Canada’s answer to calls from users of the service for more reasonable and stable rates is to put in place steady annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). A fuel surcharge is heaped on top of that. It may be true that setting rates by linking them to the CPI would provide a level of predictability for Marine Atlantic and for its users. Instead of ostensibly arbitrary rate hikes and rate freezes, this new policy introduces an automatic rate escalation mechanism. The CPI is a measure of inflation, meaning that moderate increases in

Marine Atlantic fares will now be a given each year. The implementation of a fuel surcharge, however, is more worrying. The objective of the surcharge, according to the federal government’s long-term strategy, is to cover future increases in Marine Atlantic’s fuel expense. The price of fuel is high, and the corporation must do its best to recover the cost of using fuel. One can sympathize with Marine Atlantic in that regard. But at the same time, how much are Newfoundlanders willing to pay for produce and other goods? The ferry service is responsible for transporting half of all the goods entering the island, including approximately 90 per cent of perishable food items. Manufacturers and trucking companies will have to pass the additional costs of

shipping products to and from Newfoundland via Marine Atlantic down the line to consumers. And, of course, the rising cost of using the ferry service will also deter tourist and other passenger travel. Over

It may be true that setting rates by linking them to the CPI would provide a level of predictability for Marine Atlantic and for its users. 25 per cent of all visitors to the province come by Marine Atlantic’s ferries. Unfortunately, annually rising rates will be a fact of life if the federal gov-

ernment implements this plan, and it will become increasingly expensive and prohibitive to travel and transport goods by way of our constitutionally mandated ferry service. That is troubling. The ferry service is an important part of intra-provincial and inter-provincial supply networks, especially for businesses that rely on just-intime delivery of goods. It plays a very significant role in the lives of Newfoundlanders and in the livelihoods of businesses — small and large — all over the island. It is our economic lifeline to the rest of the country and continent. Then there’s the issue of fleet renewal. On the one hand, it is promising to See “Ferry service,” page 14

14 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

Winners, HomeSense breach bigger than feared Winners, HomeSense customer data hacked 10 months earlier than previously disclosed, but company says little sales impact By Dana Flavelle Torstar wire service

JX Cos. Inc. says more customers who shopped at its Winners and HomeSense stores may be at risk of credit card fraud or identity theft than it previously believed. A computer security breach TJX Cos. Inc. first reported on Jan. 17 was more far-reaching and started 10 months earlier than previously disclosed, the Framingham, Mass.-based company said Feb. 21. The intrusion has so far cost the parent company of Winners and HomeSense $5 million (U.S.) in added security, legal and customer communication expenses, TJX also revealed. However, the company maintained the incident hasn’t hurt sales at its 2,400 locations, which include TJ Maxx and Marshall stores in the United States. Canadian banks said yesterday they continue to monitor the situation at TJX. Some banks have already issued new credit cards to customers as a precaution, while others are monitoring cardholder transactions for suspicious activity. “We are still closely monitoring and have not seen activity directly linked to TJX,’’ said TD Bank spokesperson Kelly Hechler. “We are responding to customer inquiries on an individual basis,” said Scotiabank spokesperson Joe Konechny. “As a precaution, Scotiabank is in the process of notifying customers whose Visa cards may be affected. Replacement cards will be provided,” its website explains. Visa Canada said it isn’t unusual during ongoing investigations for new information to come to light. “We continue to work with them (TJX),” Visa spokesperson Tania Freedman said. TJX declined to say how many customers have been affected. It had previously described the figure as “less than millions.” The investigation, which involves more than

50 security experts from two outside firms, is continuing. “Let me begin by telling our customers personally how much I regret any problems or inconvenience they may have experienced as a result of the unauthorized intrusion into our computer system,” Carol Meyrowitz, president and chief executive officer of TJX, said in the latest statement on the matter. The breach, which TJX originally said began in May 2006, now goes back to July 2005, the company said. As well, store transactions that were “compromised” now include all of 2003 and the first half of 2004, as well as the previously disclosed period from May to December of 2006, when the fraud was discovered. Those transactions include credit card transactions in Canada and both credit and debit card transactions in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the company said. Debit card transactions in Canada are protected by personal identification numbers, the company said. TJX also said it found more cases in which drivers’ licence numbers, names and addresses were accessed. TJX said it would notify affected customers. Also, TJX said yesterday it found evidence of an intrusion into a system that processes transactions in Britain and Ireland from T.K. Maxx stores. So far, there’s no evidence of any theft of customer data, TJX said. The company believes no further intrusions have occurred since it discovered the problem last December. The incident wasn’t reported publicly until Jan. 17 on the advice of police, the company said. Meyrowitz said TJX enjoyed consistent sales gains throughout January, including after the breach was made public. Sales for the quarter, which ended just 10 days after the breach was disclosed and included Christmas, rose 5 per cent to $5 billion (U.S.). Sales at Winners and HomeSense stores rose 14.8 per cent to $494 million.

Ferry service From page 13 see a proposal for renewing the aging fleet has been set in motion by Marine Atlantic, Inc. But the corporation and the federal government have known for years that replacing old vessels has become a necessity. And as those vessels continue to move beyond their lifespan, the detailed plan — including the costs and configuration (how many brand new vessels, how many refits, etc.) — is still up in the air. The federal government’s long-term strategy calls for more study and then, if all goes as planned, a proposal for replacing vessels will be submitted for approval at the ministerial level. With a minority government in place, there’s def-

initely still some uncertainty there. Fleet renewal is critical, and it’s important for the federal government to give the thumbs up to move forward with, and execute the plan, sooner rather than later, a process that would perhaps start with chartering a vessel in a year’s time to fulfill the traffic offering while an existing ferry is decommissioned and the first new vessel is constructed. Unfortunately it appears that the most concrete commitment contained in the federal government’s long-term strategy is the guarantee of rate increases. Happy sailing. Cathy Bennett is President of the St. John’s Board of Trade.

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

How to strengthen the welfare system By Harry Tucker Guest column

read a shocking statistic the other day that over five per cent of the population of Canada is on welfare. For many of us who feel that we are not touched by this and therefore it is not something for us to think about, I ask you to think again. Consider this: if nine out of 10 drivers are bad drivers and you are the only good driver, your insurance will naturally also rise to cover the risk to the insurance company, which means that other people’s bad driving habits become your business. By the same token, the money spent on welfare recipients reduces the amount of taxpayer dollars that can be used to pay for ever-increasing healthcare, education and infrastructure costs for everyone. Now, before you assume I am criticizing the need to spend money on the welfare system, consider this. I believe we need to spend more money, at least initially, but in a different way. We also need to empower the great people who are on the front lines and support them in different ways as they work with those who need assistance. I have met many wonderful folks on welfare and there are some underlying themes that seem to permeate many of them. Many have taken extra training in this, that and the other thing under the tutelage of various social programs. Many have received assistance with finding jobs to offset their social assistance payments. People feel great that they have provided this assistance and the recipients momentarily feel excited about the potential before returning to the realities that they face as they discover that the current round of training is not helping as much as they hoped. For all the help and assistance they receive, many have a common underlying theme that undermines all of this investment — a lack of belief in themselves, a belief that they are worth something, a belief that they are as empowered as much as anyone on this planet and a belief that worthy goals are within their grasp if we show them how to execute towards those goals. For many of them, the welfare system seems to be where they intend to spend their lives. This does not provide a solution for the taxpayer nor for the recipient. Many people assume that if a welfare recipient receives very little money, then their pride will be an incentive to do better. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Many do not feel like they have the capability to escape the system that they are in and so they resign themselves to making the best of where they are. This unfortunately creates the same feelings in their children and the cycle continues. I would suggest that rather than spend money training people in skills that they will not leverage because they believe they can’t, we need to expand the training program. Let’s continue to train them with the skills they can use to earn a satisfying income. Let’s also look at their backgrounds, to understand why they believe they cannot achieve, and provide them with the tools and skills that will empower them to set lofty goals and meet them. Providing them with skills without addressing the underlying belief that they are not worthy or capable is merely addressing a symptom and not a root cause. Let’s be open to trying a different approach and not waste time defending an approach that is not working. If the system is working so well, why is the number of welfare recipients not decreasing and why are the ranks of the working poor increasing? I suggest it is because we have a lot of activity around addressing the immediate needs of the welfare recipient and not holistically around addressing the life of the welfare recipient. For the wonderful people who are working with welfare recipients, they do a great job given what they have to work with. Many of them acknowledge that our system can do better. What I would suggest to them is this: imagine how great you would feel if you provided expanded lifestyle empowerment training and actually lifted families right out of the welfare system. That would produce a “high” that simply could not be beat. To do this, governments and other institutions need to provide you with the extra support and tools you need in order to accomplish this greater level of success. The question I present to everyone, since we are all part of the solution, is this: what can each of us do to work with those around us to effect change and to truly improve the lives of those on welfare and not just help them to survive? We need to influence public and private enterprise to start making a difference, otherwise our ability to reach our ultimate capability as a society will never manifest. Harry Tucker is a businessman and entrepreneur originally from Bell Island who feels passionate about linking corporate intentions with social responsibilities. He lives in the New York City area. htucker@dynamexconsulting.com

INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 15

16 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS

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INDEPENDENTLIFE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007 — PAGE 17

From left: Ariane Alexander, Spring Burke and Alison Corbett on violin; Matt Hender on bass; Adam Baxter on guitar; percussionist Richard Klaas; Erin Sharpe on trumpet; and Celina Barry on tuba. Paul Daly/The Independent

Da B’ys in da Shtetl The province’s first klezmer band gathering enthusiastic, ready-to-dance fans By Heidi Wicks For The Independent

t. John’s music goers have been on musical rides everywhere from Lukey’s Boat to the Babylon Mall, but it’s only recently they’ve had the opportunity to go to a shtetl. A shtetl is a small, traditional Jewish community or neighbourhood in eastern Europe; Da B’ys in da Shtetl are the latest band to bring another genre of tunes to local ears. Minnesota-born Christine Gangelhoff joined the faculty at Memorial University’s school of music in September 2006 as a visiting professor of world music. She’s now the maestro behind the university’s — and province’s — very first klezmer band. Da B’ys in da Shtetl is an 11-piece crew of young musicians, thrilled to have the opportunity to explore a new (to them) musical genre. Although klezmer is a relatively unfamiliar word in this province, the band is already gathering enthusiastic fans. Originating in the shtetls of eastern Europe, klezmer refers to the

conglomeration of Greek and central or eastern European music played at Jewish celebratory occasions such as weddings or Bar Mitzvahs. Some pieces begin with a taunting violin melody, or moody string bass plucks, almost as if a voice is warning of the rambunctious party about to follow. The quick-moving, vivacious oboe lines flow like a trickling river — getting the audience up and dancing in a bar. The brash, dizzying trumpet anthems and the thumping, jovial tuba — played in polka-with-punch style — warrant slamming that pint down on the table and shouting “Ooompa!” This music originated at parties, and has sustained and evolved to tickle the fancies of music-lovers around the world. Those who hail from the land of kitchen parties and mummering soirees are certainly no exception. Gangelhoff says there has been a revival of traditional music in the United States since the late 1970s. Klezmer is very much a fusion genre, combining elements of jazz, rock and other types of music.

Beautifully harmonic and deliciously danceable, it’s Fiddler on the Roof meets Miles Davis; gypsy guitar prince meets Dixieland king. Da B’ys in da Shtetl have added more fusion to the revival movement — they play Mussels in the Corner with their own klezmer twist, replacing “mussels” with “matzos.” They’re also planning an upcoming collaboration with local DJ Russtafara (a.k.a. Russel Soper), in which the turntable will be another instrument in the band, adding both rhythmic and melodic elements. Because of the nature of the music, pretty much any instrument can enhance the repertoire. “When I first looked at the sheet music, I didn’t know what to think,” says Gengelhoff. “There were all sorts of requirements for instruments like mandolins, and so many instruments that the school wouldn’t have had. But the music is such that we were able to substitute various other instruments and still make it sound great.” They recently played a gig at the Ship Inn

that broke attendance records for the weekly folk night. There are more gigs on the horizon for the band. On March 22, they will take part in the MUN Folklore Society’s Mary Griffith’s bursary fundraiser at O’Reilley’s Pub. Gangelhoff has also applied for the group to perform in the St. John’s Folk Festival in August. Gangelhoff’s contract with Memorial expires at the end of April, and klezmer band will no longer be offered as a credit course in the curriculum. However, judging by the level of giddy in the room, it appears that some students are interested in playing after the last exam has been written in the 2007 winter semester. Greg Bruce, who plays tenor sax with Da B’ys, says he would “really like to see a bunch of us to get together and jam it out, a few of us who are really enjoying it and are really serious about it, if we could get together and do some three-hour shows.” heidirwicks@gmail.com

‘Very welcoming’ Zairab Jerrett and the local African Canadian association plan events to celebrate Black History Month and growing immigrant community By Stephanie Porter The Independent

T Engineering instructor Dr. Jacob Aremu, Dr. Zainab Jerrett, and engineer Michael Atrsele will participate in panel discussions marking Black History Month Feb. 23. Paul Daly/The Independent

he African community in Newfoundland is growing steadily — it’s estimated to now stand at about 600 members — and has been embraced by the people of the province, says the president of the African Canadian Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. “I find that Newfoundlanders are very open-minded,” says Zairab

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Jerrett, who came to St. John’s from Nigeria as a student in 1992. “Very rarely in the African community do you hear that they’re being ignored or that people are not friendly to them.” She says new arrivals to the province are always greeted at the airport by caring locals; even the first association social event she attended 15 years ago was full of people of both Canadian and African descent. Today, the local music and dance scenes are

filled with people playing, learning, and moving to beats from a continent half a world away. Many of the province’s finest doctors, professors and engineers are African immigrants. But Jerrett says the cultures aren’t so different as one might think. “Maybe there are some similarities between the Newfoundland experience in Canada and the experience of Africans,” she says. “It’s a generalizaContinued on page 14

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

GALLERYPROFILE

‘The environment has definitely rubbed off on me’ TERRENCE HOWELL Visual Artist

ld Perlican native Terrence Howell says his years living in Korea and southern Louisiana are “directly evident” in his latest work — though that won’t be obvious to all viewers. “The environment has definitely rubbed off on me,” he says. “There aren’t necessarily any of the icons that reflect directly, not that you might know … it’s more of what the environments do to my head and my thought process, when you’re struggling with a new space and a new environment.” And it has been a struggle, he says, to find the time, focus, and inspiration to work while living in different countries and communities. Fortunately, he’s kicking back — his new work, on display at the Red Ochre Gallery as of Feb. 23, is accomplished, vivid, and speaks loudly to both his Newfoundland roots and his experiences away. A graduate of the visual arts program at Sir Wilfred Grenfell in Corner Brook, Howell, 36, is known primarily as a printmaker and painter. In 2002, he moved to Korea to teach English. He stayed in the country for the better part of three years, and met his wife while there. Howell’s partner then headed to Chauvin, a small community south of New Orleans. “She’s working there, trying to deal with the flood problem,” says Howell. “First as a volunteer, then as a team leader for a coastal erosion and outreach disaster.” Howell “went down there to get married,” started volunteering, then realized he had to get back to his own work.

“Paintings will be destroyed a few times before I get a grip on the material and I feel I’m going in the right direction.” Terrence Howell

The Collectors

We are not yet undone

Listen

Phantom Pains

The Bends

Genesis II

“I still say I’m kind of feeling my way again — because I have been away for a bit, in terms of producing the way I’d like to. I’m finding my feet again.” The 10 pieces he’s created for his latest show are either oil paintings or mixed media, showcasing his diversity and range, from Genesis II, a dark abstract work, to the exact and almost playful The Collectors, to We are not yet undone, a piece about Newfoundland, as seen from a distance. “It’s seeing the hope and potential in Newfoundland, especially when compared to a place that’s literally sinking into the ocean,” Howell says.

“You can see that we’re on solid ground and the economy is getting better and we’re standing up more. “One thing we have in Louisiana, it’s an impoverished area, the people, they struggle, and there’s always this inferiority complex mixed with a pride in their area. It’s an inferiority/superiority complex that I find Newfoundlanders tend to have too and that’s kind of interesting.” Howell is well aware of the variety in his work — and it’s something he’s learning to embrace. “I’m often criticizing myself for a lack of cohesion in my work … but when I look at them, I don’t think

they’re unrelated, because they’re autobiographical. I’m trying to see the positive side in that, because I don’t think there’s an option for me. “I find I’m a bit of a player. Experimentation is a lot of what I do. Paintings will be destroyed a few times before I get a grip on the material and I feel I’m going in the right direction.” Back home for a stint in Old Perlican, Howell is looking forward to spending time outdoors, in his most beloved and grounding environment. He’s also got some work to finish. With the movement between the deep south and the northeast Atlantic, the

themes he’s working through — of displacement, echoes of home, and relations to different communities — could be as vivid as ever. “It all about a connection to home and place,” he says. “It’s kind of mixed, but there’s a little bit of a tale about why people stay where they are, where that life and that attachment come from.” Different Visions, featuring new work by Terrence Howell, Elena Popova and Frank Lapoint, opens at the Red Ochre Gallery, Duckworth Street, Feb. 23. The show continues until March 21. — Stephanie Porter

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

POET’S CORNER

Sunday Morning You pulled your frail body Along a grassy slope Between the highway and the fence That housed your land. In that private space, Attired in dark coat and hat You moved with your white cane Carrying a smile as old as the icons At the altar of your faith. I wondered where you were going. Then out of the bright southwest

By Larry Small Radiance of a Sunday morning I heard the faint bells of St. Peter’s. As the single sound Became louder and louder, So did the caricatures Of all the years your body Languished along the same path, Your faith still intact. Reprinted with permission from Around The Red Land by Larry Small, published by Breakwater Books, 2007.

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19

Another

NOREEN GOLFMAN Standing Room Only

nd now, as Monty Python used to say, for something completely different. Regular readers of the St John’sbased alternative newspaper The Current will know the paper has just been sold to James Baird. The local entrepreneur and arts patron has reincarnated himself more often than Prince, which is more than the rest of us one-trick ponies can say. In taking over The Current, Baird has said publicly that he is interested in making it less “sophomoric” and “rude.” No shrinking violet, I often wished the paper would aim for being truly alternative, not merely downmarket. Over the eight years of its existence you could see it sliding towards more and more salacious material, its cover images often sporting a scantily clad young woman in search of a break. Those feminist-baiting images, and the sex- or gossip-heavy content of several of its feature pieces, have had the deleterious effect of labeling the paper as a cheap shock sheet. The Current has been more than that, of course, but it has often been hard to see the good stuff beyond the picture of His Worship with a ball gag in his mouth, a persistent symbol of the paper at its most puerile. By definition, alternative newspapers offer unconventional viewpoints and a refreshing focus on the local that is usually lacking in the bland mainstream dailies owned by national conglomerates. When the alternative seems to be all about escort services, sex advice, and happy endings, then you’re inclined to look for another alternative. Baird promises to give The Current not only a new and elegant look but also much broader content, drawing on both local and international talent for features and stories. We will see well-known authors and artists contributing to what promises to be a smart, lively conversation about what’s happening in and around town. With so much going on in the bars, galleries, and theatres, it is practically a

alternative Remarkably, St. John’s boasts a number of alternative papers — with a new Current about to be added to the mix civic responsibility to be commenting on it. And, as must be the case in an electronic age, the paper will have an enhanced, interactive website, the only way to stay really, truly current. Alternative papers are free, but they cost their owners a lot of worry trying to drum up advertising dollars to sustain the enterprise. A glance at the most successful of these papers in urban centres in Canada reveals how dependent the papers are on the sex biz for

‘I feel very lucky’ From page 17

tion, but people don’t always appreciate the ability and the courage and the desire to work hard … Newfoundlanders have these qualities, so do we.” To mark Black History Month — not an event often paid much attention to in this province — the African Canadian association, supported by Canadian Heritage, is staging a day’s worth of educational and celebratory activities Feb. 23. During the day, documentary screenings and panel discussions for high school students will be held at The Rooms; in the evening, a free, familyfriendly African cultural night is scheduled for Holy Heart of Mary auditorium. An important part of the events, Jerrett says, will be building awareness through the sharing of personal stories of trial and triumph. For her part, Jerrett came to Memorial University to study folklore as a Commonwealth scholar in 1992, going on to earn her doctorate in 1998. Although her dissertation was on the traditional music of her ethnic group in Nigeria, she also studied Newfoundland folklore. As a sessional teacher in the department for several years, she taught about the cultures of the world, including that of her adopted home province. Her commitment to remain was solidified in 2000, when she married a Newfoundlander. “I’m a Newfoundlander by marriage and by naturalization,” she says, laughing. “I must say that I really like it here. I feel very lucky.” In 2005, unable to secure a tenured or permanent position at Memorial, Jerrett decided to start her own business, importing products from Africa. Again, she was surprised at the reaction of locals. “I thought the Africans

here would be my primary customers. But when I started selling the African products, the majority of my customers were Newfoundlanders … they love it.” She tells her own story with the same sort of happiness that’s in her voice when she reports that the owner of Toya International — a small African grocery on LeMarchant Road — has regular and curious Newfoundland customers who come in and ask for recipes. Or when noting that Mopaya, the very popular local African dance band, is made up mostly of local musicians. “And there is a particular dance group here that is all Canadian,” she adds, “but they do African dance and songs.” There are countless other examples of African culture becoming part of the landscape of St. John’s and the province. That’s not to say the members of the African community in this province do not face challenges. The population of refugees and immigrants spiked in the 1990s, caused by civil wars in Sierra Leone, Sudan and Liberia. Many had to move on before long, in search of work. “Alberta has been a place where a lot of the African immigrants move to,” she says. “A lot of them have been shuttling between Alberta and St. John’s — they have a job and they’re not happy, or the cost of living is so high, especially the cost of renting places, and they will come back here. “And some just wish they were here … it’s very welcoming to Africans.” The African Cultural Night features performances by Mopaya, Jimmy Lee Howard and traditional dancers. There will also be personal stories, a fashion show, and light refreshments, 7 p.m.— 11 p.m., Holy Heart of Mary auditorium, 726-7666.

their income. Phone sex, tattoo parlour and bondage site ads usually dominate the back pages of Montreal’s Hour and Toronto’s Eye, compelling an emphasis on self-help articles like this month’s Just an Old Fashioned Hooker and Getting it Online. One doesn’t want to sound like a prig but shouldn’t the managing editors just get a room and chase down a broader range of sponsors? Remarkably, St. John’s now boasts a

number of alternative papers, all more or less free so far from a dependence on the love bite trade. The fledgling biweekly “entertainment magazine,” The Scope is a particularly welcome addition to the newspaper bins at the corner store. Run by an irrepressible team of young enthusiasts and devoted to full coverage of the club, arts and performance scene in town, The Scope is both charming and comprehensive. Scan-

ning its listings you are bound to feel plugged in without even getting up from the couch. For instance, the clever cover of the current issue of The Scope is a glorious red Asian reminder of Chinese New Year. The feature article is a rich interview between editor Elling Lien and historian Robert Hong, who has relentlessly lobbied governments to compensate the Chinese community for the infamous head tax of the last century. How clever and timely of the paper to link Hong and his mission, not to mention his articulate expression of racism and discrimination, to the Chinese New Year. The entire issue reminds readers how convenient it has been to ignore diversity in the definition of the “Newfoundlander.” Now there is an alternative viewpoint worth thinking about. The Town Cryer, self-described as “your best entertainment guide,” has been thriving a few years longer, largely offering useful bar band listings and generally celebrating the culture of George Street which, let’s face it, is a world unto itself. That it has created a Bartender Hall of Fame tells you a lot about its orientation. Shrewdly business savvy, The Town Cryer has always been identified by its helpful website, a welcoming and colorful splash of events calendars and ads. It sure is an alternative to the entertainment section of the well subscribed daily. Of course, the paper you are reading at the moment was born out of a need to offer an alternative view to the insipid sameness of The Telegram. Certainly it has done that, although not to everyone’s taste. James Baird must be feeling like the young citizen Charles Foster Kane who, in the famous movie bearing his name, wrote to his fussy old benefactor, “I think it would be fun to run a newspaper.” Good luck to him and the transformation of The Current, surely a sign of what Baird rightly calls “our dynamic culture.” Time, the great leveler, will sort out which papers endure as the desirable alternatives. Noreen Golfman is a professor of literature and women’s studies at Memorial University. Her column returns March 9.

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE

Volver takes root in your heart Meanwhile, Ghost Rider distracts the eyes and batters the brain TIM CONWAY Film Score Volver 121 min. Starring Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, and Lola Duenas 1/2 (out of four)

aimunda is a busy woman. It’s not just that she works six days a week and has a teenaged daughter to care for — she’s the kind of person who seems to slow down only long enough to sleep. Even then, her mind races with worrisome thoughts. Raimunda’s carved out a place for herself and her family in Madrid, quite a ways from the village of her birth. Perhaps it was a good idea at the time, but these days, geography is central to her greatest concern. Following the tragic death of Raimunda’s parents a few years back, her aged, dear aunt has been left on her own, and her health has begun to decline. Raimunda probably wouldn’t sleep at all if it weren’t for Augustina, her aunt’s next-door neighbour, promising to keep an eye on her. Without warning, like the troublesome wind of her village, one of those days comes along that changes one’s life forever. Suddenly, Raimunda, and her sister Sole, are unwittingly about to say good-bye to life as they knew it, as each of them is presented with an almost surreal turn of events. Dark, yet comic, Pedro Almodovar’s (All about My Mother) latest motion picture, Volver, (“to return”) works off a contrived, yet complex and often hilarious plot. While the pace is sometimes slower than we’d like, Almodovar uses these moments to impart details that contribute the resolution of the story, so our eyes and ears must be glued to the screen at all times. This isn’t a difficult exercise, however, as the world of Volver is populated with endearing characters brought to

life by talented players offering fabulous performances, collectively the winners of the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Although the Oscars, as well as a number of other awards circles, have singled out Penelope Cruz to nominate in the category of best actress — and rightly so — no conversation about the film is complete without paying tribute to the rest of the cast. By the end, we’re completely won over by these women, and despite a few moments of restlessness early on, we’re reluctant to leave without them. Days later, however, we find out that they’re still with us, and are likely to be for a while. Everyday events and remarks are sure to take us back to Volver, a motion picture that makes a place for itself in your heart without you being aware of it. Ghost Rider 114 min. Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes and Peter Fonda (out of four)

Young Johnny Blaze works alongside his father in a motorcycle stunt show as part of a carnival. One night, shortly after discovering that his father has been hiding the fact that he is terminally ill, Johnny is approached by Mephistopheles, who offers him a deal: in return for the young man’s soul, his father’s disease will be eradicated. Like so many of us would, Johnny sees this as some kind of cruel gag. Humouring his visitor, just to get rid of him, Johnny agrees. Years later, Johnny seems to think he’s cursed. Regardless of the tumbles and spills he experiences doing daring stunts, he manages to survive. Finally, his suspicions are confirmed when Mephistopheles reappears with another deal. This time, Johnny will get his soul back if he does the demon a few favours. Thus, Johnny becomes the Ghost Rider, a collector of souls — but on a slightly different mission, preventing an impending Hell on Earth.

Penelope Cruz in Volver.

To put things into perspective, let’s remember DareDevil. Bad (and don’t blame Mr. Affleck). Then there was Elektra, not as bad, but kinda dull. Both shared screenwriter Mark Steven Johnson, and the latter was directed by him. So, in a move that can only make sense in Hollywood, we find Mr. Johnson writing and directing another Marvel comic book super-hero motion picture, Ghost Rider. Thanks to a financial commitment that seemed to be lacking in DareDevil, and a bit of inspired casting, Ghost Rider does offer a number of exhilarating moments, is

mostly entertaining, and bearable at its still-too-frequent worst. Badly written lines, contrived quirks, and cheap melodrama threaten to send us screaming towards the exit, but the stunt work and visual effects manage to sufficiently distract our attention, and counterbalance our misgivings. The action sequences, regardless of their appeal to our brain cells, do get our pulses quickening, and that whole “flaming skeleton on a motorcycle” thing is pretty cool. Although he’s probably got the worst line in the whole picture, Sam Elliot, as the Caretaker, adds an element of class

to the production that it probably doesn’t deserve, but that we as the audience certainly appreciate. By the end of the film, we’re more likely to mention his positive contribution before addressing any of Ghost Rider’s deficiencies. Beyond the movie’s visual appeal, there’s no argument that given the character, this could have been much better, but as a descendent of DareDevil and Elektra, Ghost Rider could have been so much worse. Tim Conway operates Capitol Video at Rawlin’s Cross, St. John’s. His column returns March 9.

INDEPENDENTSTYLE

FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007 — PAGE 21

C is for cookie NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the Eating Path

was very young when I got the book, and I have cherished it ever since. The yellowish cover is starting to fade, the inside pages are stiffer than they were when it was new, and the writing on the inside is, well, childish. The cartoonish picture on the cover says it all. I’m talking about Big Bird’s Busy Book, an activity book for kids written in the ’70s. It’s as hard to find as any vintage children’s book these days. Copies were distributed all over (mainly through Scholastic Books), but few have survived. Mainly because, like most children’s books, they were meant to be used — I mean abused — and have been destroyed. Mine’s in pretty good shape, if you discount the Dali-esque scribbles in crayon and pencil. Inside this book are all sorts of wholesome activities ranging from making an egg container and pipe-cleaner bug to a recipe for cookies: Cookie Monster’s Famous Cookies. There is something really special about baking in a kitchen when kids are around. Sure, we know it will get dirty and flour will inevitably get thrown around, but it’s good clean fun — and a learning experience, too. I’m thinking about kids more and more these days, only because my nephews are coming to visit next month. I can’t wait to see the wide-eyed moment when they realize these cookies are not going to come out of a storebought package, but the oven. I can’t wait to try Cookie Monster’s Famous Cookies with my nephews. They’re excellent treats and come out perfectly every time. This no-fail cookie recipe was the standard cookie for Christmas time when I was young. Decorated with a coloured sugar icing it is a sure-fire winner on those snowbound days we seem to get a lot of right now. Here’s the recipe, adapted just slightly. COOKIE MONSTER’S FAMOUS COOKIES • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature • 1 cup sugar • 2 eggs • 1 tsp vanilla • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt Put butter into a mixing bowl. Add one cup of sugar and beat with a fork, hand-held mixer, or wooden spoon until completely blended. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients — flour, baking soda and salt — and mix until just combined. Put dough in refrigerator to chill at least one hour. Roll out dough on a surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Using your favourite cookie cutters, cut cookies and put on a sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees for six to eight minutes. Let cool on a cake rack. THE ICING ON THE COOKIE Once the cookies have cooled, you can use a whole host of things to ice or decorate the cookies. One cup of icing sugar mixed with three tablespoons of hot water is a good base for icing. For those of you who would like to be more adventurous, divide the batch and use food colouring to change the colour. When looking for colouring agents, try to find colouring pastes instead of liquid colour. The colour in the paste is brighter and makes for better colour after baking. If you have really intricate cookie shapes, a lot of time and some creative children, maybe you could do some paint-box cookies. This is more suitable for an older child activity (or adult activity for that matter), because the cookies must be uncooked before they are painted. The cooking process bakes in the colour and makes it shiny, much like a pottery glaze. • 1 egg yolk • 1/2 tsp of water • Food colouring My recommendation is to use one batch of this recipe for each colour you want to make. You want to be quite liberal with the colouring as the more colouring in the “paint,” the deeper the colour is when it is baked. The other thing to keep on hand is a little glass of water to clean the brush between choosing colours. Then set your little Rembrandts loose upon the unbaked canvases to paint their masterpieces. Cookie Monster was right. “C is for cookie, it’s good enough for me” and you and …

Save the date Newly engaged? Totally overwhelmed? A wedding planner can help the most frazzled of brides-to-be By Mandy Cook The Independent t long last, after months or years of wondering, “Will he or won’t he?” your darling lover has led you back to the very spot where you first locked eyes and you just knew he was The One. Dropping to his knees, he flips open the tiniest of boxes to reveal a diamond ring nestled inside, glinting in the fading sunset. Fat tears spring into your eyes as you say, “Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!” A pair of lovebirds fly by, carrying ribbons in their beaks and a rainbow appears. Wake up, because the fantasy part of getting married is now officially over.

The harsh reality of scheduling nightmares, tacky swatch samples and ballooning budgets present a real challenge to you and your betrothed. Why not allot a portion of your wedding fund to wedding professionals? Wedding planners and decorators are increasingly becoming the go-to people to inject sanity into what can be a chaotic affair. Wedding decorator Lynn Cooper, based in St. John’s, has been designing weddings for about four years. She says most of her customers find her through word of mouth or by attending other weddings she has decorated. Cooper says by choosing a decorator, couples can access a professional who has been through the wedding experience many times over.

“Every couple is trying to find the right decorator for them,” she says. “People gravitate towards me — they come looking for my expertise. It’s their first experience at this.” Cooper says bridal parties used to be responsible for attaching bows on the pews in the church. Nowadays, the extra touches fall into Cooper’s job description. She is responsible for designing centrepieces for the tables at the reception, arranging what can amount to hundreds of candles and choosing linens and flower accessories for sit-down dinners. As for the cost, Cooper says to expect a base fee of $850 and then “there is no ceiling to it.” Terri Lynn Rowe, a wedding conSee “No down time,” page 23

Nicholas Gardner is a freelance writer and erstwhile chef living in St. John’s. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

Wedding magazines offer many choices for brides-to-be.

Paul Daly/The Independent

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

22 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE

EVENTS

FEBRUARY 24 • The Positive Thinker’s Club monthly breakfast with guest speaker Barbara Janes, Bally Haly Club, 726-3819. • Debra Power and Chris Kirby in concert, Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts, Grand Falls-Windsor, 8 p.m. • Let’s Rock Poverty (Engineers Without Borders) Hey Rosetta!, The Human Soundtrack, Texas Chainsaw, So Says Jane, The Mountains and The Trees, Ally ’Oop, Melanie O’Brien, Jerry Stamp, 9 p.m., Majestic Theatre. FEBRUARY 25 • Feed the Birds: explore what birds like to eat and where and build a simple feeder in the museum, The Rooms, 2 p.m. • Walk on Water: get fit and learn about downtown St. John’s, meet 10 a.m., rain or shine, at Auntie Crae’s, Water Street. • 2007 Miss Teen Newfoundland and Labrador pageant, St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m., 729-3900. • Avalon Unitarian Fellowship’s weekly service, Gower Street United Church lecture hall, 7 p.m., 726-0852. • Memories, a tribute to Dolly Parton, Stephenville Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • The Atlantic String Quartet, Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University School of Music, 8 p.m., 722-4441. FEBRUARY 26 • Irish session with host Fergus Brown-

O’Byrne, Bitters pub, Memorial University campus. • Barenaked Ladies, Mile One Stadium, St. John’s, 7:30 p.m., 576-7657. • Find out about WWF Canada’s program and priorities in the Northwest Atlantic Ecoregion, 11:30 a.m., the Gathering Place, next to the Basilica, 172 Military Rd. Light lunch provided. FEBRUARY 27 • St. John’s Public Lectures in Philosophy: Bernard Wills of Memorial University’s Department of Philosophy on Vampires, Elves and Struldbruggs: The Case Against Immortality, 8:30-10 p.m., Ship Pub, Duckworth Street. FEBRUARY 28 • Dave Panting and Tom Boland at Folk Night, the Ship Pub, 9 p.m. • Al Antle’s money management seminar continues, 7-9:30 p.m, sponsored by MUN Division of Lifelong Learning, 737-7979. • Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers’ Dirty Big Tour at the Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre. Performances continue until March 7. MARCH 1 • c2c theatre presents Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, directed by Lois Brown and featuring Bryan Hennessey, Mary Lewis and Charlie Tomlinson, Rabbittown Theatre, 8 p.m. Continues until March 4. • MUN Cinema series presents Volver, Studio 12, Avalon Mall, 7 p.m. More information about this film and the season’s schedule is at www.mun.ca/cinema. IN THE GALLERIES • Different Visions, new work by Elena Popova, Frank Lapointe and Terrence Howell, Red Ochre Gallery, until March 21. • Kinetic Portraits of 12 Canadian Writers by Peter Wilkins, The Rooms. • Shift, an exhibition of new 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. • Celebrate Craft, a juried group exhibition at the Craft Council Gallery, Devon House, Duckworth St.

TASTE Spice up your meals By Jennifer Bain Torstar wire service To get you through the February blahs, here’s an easy and warming meal. SPICY PEANUT NOODLES Boston chef Joanne Chang offered this recipe in Food & Wine. She rinses her version after cooking to serve cold. I prefer my noodles warm. INGREDIENTS • 1/4 cup peanut oil • 1/2 cup unroasted, unsalted peanuts • 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, minced • 1 clove garlic, halved • 3/4-inch slice ginger, peeled, chopped • 2 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce • 2 tbsp water • 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar • 1 tbsp chili sauce • 1 tbsp granulated sugar • 1 tsp Asian sesame oil • Salt to taste • 12 oz (350 g) fresh chow mein noodles

Wedding tip(ple)s Champagne for toasts, wine with dinner, open bar, cash bar …

ACCOMPANIMENTS • Toasted sesame seeds • Chopped cilantro leaves • Cucumber matchsticks • Thinly sliced green onions • Lime wedges In large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium. Add peanuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about eight minutes. Let cool five minutes. Transfer peanuts and oil to food processor. Add jalapeño, garlic and ginger. Process until minced. Add soy sauce, water, vinegar, sriracha, sugar and sesame oil. Process until smooth. Season with salt. In medium pot of boiling, salted water, cook noodles as per package instructions (usually one minute). Drain well. Toss with peanut mixture. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass garnishes separately.

By Nicholas Gardner For The Independent

o, you’re getting married and the church has been booked for months. The photographer/videographer/blogger has done the preliminary consult and is ready. The venue for the reception is booked, the space is decorated, the band is warming up in the corner and ready to start as soon as the speeches are over and the wine is freely flowing — on your tab. Welcome to weddings. Weddings are the best. I love going to them. I enjoy the pageantry of them and I enjoy a good party. With spring (almost) around the corner, the planning part of the wedding season is starting. One of the most costly parts of any reception, including weddings, is the bar tab. What you have on hand to serve is really important. If the bar tab at the end of the night is one you’re going to be paying, there are some things to consider. If you’re serving wine, allow half a bottle for every person attending. So, if your reception is for 100 people, then look at having 50 bottles of wine, split between red and white — two bottles of white for every bottle of red. Nothing says wedding like a glass of champagne for toasts. It is a classic and elegant drink. Only products made in the Champagne region of France can be legally called champagne, and all others must be labelled “sparkling wine” or “method champagnoise” (in the style of Champagne). Most, but not all, champagnes are expensive, but there are some sparkling wines from all over the world, which can rival even the biggest of

names. One such product is Codorniu Pinot Noir Rose (NLC $19.06). This is a rosé fit for a king, and a pauper’s budget. Think Crystal but without the price tag. When I had it earlier in the year, I was amazed at how much fruit came out — passion fruit and melon, mostly. It was clear and sweet but not overbearing. This is a good product for those of you who want the bubbly, a little rosé bling without breaking the bank. Sparkling wine goes a little further, about one bottle for three people. Order accordingly. With the big ticket items looked after, think about the rest of the evening. If you are splitting the night between an open and a cash bar, you could add that little bit of information on the invitation to avoid any confusion. “Cash bar after 8 p.m.” may be all it takes to save a lot of friendships down the road. When everything is said and done, and it is time to leave the reception and head off, don’t forget to pack a romantic drink for the both of you. For champagne, nothing is better than Dom Perignon Champagne (NLC $186.64). Yes, this is a hefty tab to pay, but believe me, once that perfectly chilled bottle is popped and the tall, crystal flutes are filled, you’ll forget about everything. Dom is one of the greatest pleasures. The bubbles are so tiny they tickle as they pop under your nose. They dance around your tongue and give a heady aroma of lemon, grapefruit, apple and minerals. It’s worth every penny. A wedding is supposed to happen just once, so live a little. Enjoy yourself and each other with a little tipple. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com

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FEBRUARY 23 • Halifax’s Jimmy Swift Band at Junctions, Water Street, 10 p.m. • Gonzaga High School presents Guys and Dolls at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m., 729-3900. Also Feb. 24. • Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers’ Dirty Big Tour at the Labrador West Arts and Culture Centre. Also Feb. 24. • RCMP’s annual Klondike Night, an evening of music, dinner and dance, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters, 100 White Hills Rd., St. John’s, 772-7334. • Gothic Vibrations concert series begins, 8 p.m., Anglican Cathedral, St. John’s, 726-5677. • African Cultural Night with Mopaya, traditional dancing, stories, fashion show, refreshments, 7-11 p.m., for all ages and free, Holy Heart auditorium, 726-7666 • Vocal music with Newman Sound and Shallaway Boys’ Chorus, 7:30 p.m., Gower Street United Church 738-6792.

DRINK

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FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTLIFE • 23

When six degrees isn’t enough

No matter where you go, you’ll always run into someone who knows someone who knows you

was three sheets to the wind in a bar in downtown Ottawa one night, acting like a total arse, when out of the blue this fella says, “I knows you. Aren’t you one of Ches’ girls?” Crap. There I was, “up along,” in a club with a bunch of strangers (and a husband who was getting pissier each time I refused to leave), and here was someone who not only recognized me, but also my lineage. Being full of black rum and curiosity, I said the only thing I could think of: “I’m his youngest girl,” I lied. The fellow and I spoke a bit and I asked how he knew my family. He lived in Newfoundland and was in Ontario for business. My father — who owned a taxi company at the time — had dropped him off at the airport the day before. He was heading back to Newfoundland the next morning, and my father would be picking him up. “You look just like your father. I knew you had to be one of his daughters,” he said. I smiled, grateful for once that “us girls” all look alike. Hubby, tired of my drunken/surly ways, was outside hailing a cab.

PAM PARDY GHENT

Seven-day talk “Tell Dad Kelly says hello and that she misses him terribly,” I called without guilt or second thought as I hauled my lying self out of the bar and back into matrimonial favour. My baby sister was forever tarred with that night’s antics. She was in college in nearby Cornwall and was known to like the drink, so it was quite easy to shift the blame. I was pretty good at keeping my own shenanigans under wraps — but that had been a close call. Truth is, when you’re from rural Newfoundland, there are many close calls. If it isn’t your looks giving you away, it’s your family tree or someone who knows someone on some branch of it. My mother used to warn me (and still does) that one’s reputation has the tendency to travel much further than its owner ever will. You will have to travel far, she would warn with finger pointed

and eyes a-slant, to find someone who doesn’t know someone who knows someone you know. It’s that damn six degrees of separation thing, or the small world phenomenon, that has busted me many times. Six degrees are bad enough, but around here it’s usually only one or two. No matter who you get in a conversation with on or off this island, if you are talking to a fellow Newfoundlander or somebody who knows one, you discover someone in common pretty quickly. We can’t get away with a darn thing. My family was on the ferry from Argentia to North Sydney one time and while us kids were free to explore, we were warned not to go on deck without a grown-up. Outside was the first place we went. I leaned out over the railing. SPLAT! Someone on the deck above took ill and I was coated. Not wanting to get in trouble and be forever cabin-grounded, I hurried to rinse the gunk out of my locks in one of the washrooms. A lady came to my aid (since none of my siblings would touch me) and helped me clean up. As I raised my sopping head out of

the basin, I called my sister by name. “Reneta, hand me a paper towel,” I demanded. The woman studied our features in the mirror. “You must be Ches’ girls,” she declared. The unique name and our dark features gave us away. She was my father’s cousin and she wanted to see him right away. Her visit did include how we became acquainted that day, but thankfully my mother was ill and my father was in charge. He took pity on me for being barfed on and left me to run free. Of course, there are times when this small world thing comes in handy. I was in a mall shortly after moving to Ottawa when a woman ran up and grabbed me from behind. She was one of my mother’s many relations. I don’t know how she recognized me. She had left Newfoundland when I was three, yet she had no doubt I was who she thought I was. While she said I hadn’t changed a bit, meeting her changed my lonely mainland life. I now had family in our country’s capital, and she took care of me as if we had always known each other.

While Ottawa never became home, she did make it homey. I took my son to a pre-teen dance in our outport the other night. He danced more than the other boys his age and you couldn’t mistake his crazy movements nor his fearless antics on the dance floor. All around me I heard the chatter. “Oh yeah, he’s Pam’s kid all right,” they said. There is no doubt in my mind that one night, while he is out and about — seemingly free from his mother’s watchful eye — someone, somewhere, will say the same three words to him that have haunted me my entire life. One “I knows you,” will bring him to his senses pretty quick. My son is an only child and has no younger sibling to blame, as I did that night in a bar in Ottawa so many years before — but there is still hope. If he is anything like his mother, he will do the right thing, and promptly introduce himself as one of his many cousins. Pam Pardy Ghent lives in Harbour Mille on the Burin Peninsula. Her column returns March 9.

‘No down time’ From page 21 sultant at Party and Wedding World in Mount Pearl, says there is “no down time” when it comes to planning a wedding. Once the question has been popped, a couple must choose where to hold the ceremony — church, city hall, a park or backyard — and then book it as soon as possible. Many weddings are scheduled two years in advance. Rowe says couples must then decide on a budget which will dictate how many attendants to include in the bridal party, what kind of reception to have (a meal or hor d’oeuves or just cocktails) and the all-important dress. Then comes flowers, photographers, guest books, guest favours, invitations, music, cake … the list goes on. Rowe says she’s getting “pretty busy” with brides gearing up for their summer wedding dates, but

Mary Walsh

says fall and even winter weddings are popular. Ellen Foley, a professional bridal consultant in St. John’s for four years, says she is currently planning a “grand, English country kind of affair” for a native Newfoundland couple returning home from the mainland to get married. It will take place under a large white tent on the Bowring Park bungalow grounds and will feature a four-course meal, jugglers, fireworks — plenty of entertainment for the 300 invited guests. Foley says the bride gave her creative “full-rein” but says the most important part of planning a wedding is familiarity with the clients. “I need to get ideas of the couple’s likes and dislikes, get to know them and their tastes,” she says. “From there, I try to help them achieve their vision.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca

Paul Daly/The Independent

Peter vs. Mary

MacKay accepts heat after cheeky ECMA rebuttal By Susan Delacourt Torstar wire service

oreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay says he doesn’t mind being called an “arse-licker” for the sake of comedy. MacKay became the butt of jokes, so to speak, at the East Coast Music Awards Feb. 18 after he flubbed his own presentation at the Halifax gala, welcoming the Maritime audience to Toronto and almost to Ottawa, too. Mary Walsh, the veteran CBC comic famed for her ambush interviews with politicians, delivered a colourful riposte when she took to the stage, slamming “that crowd of Conservative arse-lickers of Satan who can’t even remember what

town they’re in.” She wasn’t the only one. New Brunswick soprano Measha Brueggergosman said: “Somebody should tell that guy to stick to the teleprompter.” MacKay was shrugging it all off yesterday. In an interview, the foreign minister said he wasn’t offended and he wasn’t looking for an apology. He even poked a bit of fun at himself for provoking the comments, introducing himself as the “foot-in-mouth minister.” “I’ve known Mary as long as I’ve been in politics. She’s a comedian,” he said, noting he chatted with Walsh only a couple of hours before the show, when they ran into each other in Halifax. Even though this seems the season in

which every politician is looking for an apology, MacKay doesn’t expect one. “There’s no need for it. She (Walsh) saw an opportunity and she pounced.” Only a few months ago, MacKay was in hot water when several Liberal MPs said they heard him refer to his former girlfriend, Tory-turned-Liberal MP Belinda Stronach (Newmarket-Aurora), as a dog. MacKay admitted he often gets confused about where he is these days, given all the travel his job entails. He told reporters in the Commons foyer yesterday: “We’re all human, and you know when you’re tired and travelling a lot, sometimes I get up in the morning and I have to look at a phone book and see which city I’m in.”

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24 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

FEBRUARY 23 MARCH 1, 2007

What’s new in the automotive industry

REFINED LUXURY

FEATURED VEHICLE

The Kia Amanti gives you refined luxury inside and out. The advanced safety systems protect everyone from all angles with a comprehensive range of standard features. The smooth suspension and performance of the 3.8 L DOHC 264-horsepower V6 engine provide a silent and stable driving experience. The interior, both stylish and spacious, offers more conveniences than you would expect. The driver is fully equipped for the ride with a wide-range of easily accessible controls. Available at Penney Kia, Kenmount Road. Paul Daly/The Independent

Missing link

Can-Am Spyder Roadster

Jim Brown/Graphics Plus/BRP

adies and gentlemen, the picture accompanying senses wheel lift and will instinctively decelerate and this column is the Can-Am Spyder Roadster apply anti-lock braking to each of the three wheels to manufactured by Bombardier Recreational restore control. Products in Valcourt, Que. It’s also equipped with a traction-control The vehicle is the first of its kind in the system to keep the rear of the vehicle in line. category of street-legal motorcycle. The The Spyder may have a certain juvenile Spyder could almost be categorized as a charm but it’s engineered with ample selfcross-over vehicle, the missing link of recrepreservation. ation vehicles. The concept should look The heart of the Spyder is a liquid cooled, familiar — picture a set of skis up front and V-twin, double-overhead cam, Rotax 990cc a track on the back and you’ve got a snowengine with multi-point fuel injection, promobile. ducing 106 horsepower. There’s a choice of Anyone familiar with other Bombardier transmissions, a Sequential (manual or elecMARK WOOD products (for the purposes of this column, tronic) five-speed with transmission-based I’m talking about the company’s recreationreverse. WOODY’S al products division) such as the ATV, snowAll braking is actuated by a single-foot mobile and personal watercraft would find lever, fully integrating the hydraulic threeWHEELS the Spyder to be a natural progression. To be wheel disc braking system coupled with so bold by creating a high-speed, street-legal electronic brake distribution and an antimachine like this though, is nothing short of genius. lock braking system. In Canada people will require a motorcycle licence Even the steering system is computerized and conto drive it, but the Spyder is designed to be as safe as trolled by Dynamic Power Steering whereby handling it is exhilarating, keeping with Bombardier’s vision: is increased during slower speeds and lessened at “To bring you the most innovative, the most exciting, higher speed to increase road-feel. and most responsible recreational experience.” See “Clean design,” page 27 The vehicle is equipped with a stability system that

26 • INDEPENDENTSHIFT

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTSHIFT • 27

Clean design

This ain’t socialism; it’s car racing N

ASCAR, which for years and years has been all about the racing, is becoming just about as political as any of the other major racing series in the world. Two stories in particular have tongues wagging: a) the family feud involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa, and b) NASCAR welcoming NORRIS Toyota to Nextel Cup by punching it in MCDONALD the mouth. Before we take a look at those two controversies, let me get the bread-andbutter stuff out of the way. 1) I predict Tony Stewart will win the Nextel Cup championship this season. Although he’s getting older, the two-time Nextel Cup champion is also getting better and he’s started the 2007 season on a roll: he won the Budweiser Shootout for 2006 pole-winners but before that he won the Jan. 12 Chili Bowl indoor midget race on dirt in Tulsa (270 entries) and two weeks prior to that he won the annual Rumble in Fort Wayne indoor midget event against many of the top U.S. Auto Club open wheel stars. 2) Juan Montoya (the NASCAR folks are starting to call him “Monty,” by the way) will learn how to fight back real soon. When that happens, the man who’s one of the most talented drivers in the world is going to be very hard to beat. When I say fight back, I mean that somebody will crash “Monty” on purpose and that fool will then come to regret it at the very next race. Montoya is not someone to be trifled with. Unlike the aftermath of the incident with Ryan Newman at the end of last season (when Newman put him into the wall at Homestead-Miami), there will be no more Mr. Nice Guy. By the time he asserts himself, however, it may be too late to take a run at the championship — this year. 3) There are only 43 starting spots in a Nextel Cup race. Many more cars will try to qualify each week, as many as 50, in fact, which means lots of teams and drivers and sponsors will be disappointed. You’ll hear all sorts of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth over this. And I say, who cares? This ain’t socialism; it’s car racing. 4) Denny Hamlin came out of nowhere last year and won the Bud Shootout and finished third in the championship. This year’s out-of-nowhere driver is Brian Gilliland, who finished second in the Shootout and then won the pole for the 500. Robert Yates Racing was so bad last year that the drivers and many of the crew abandoned ship. Now both Yates cars (with Gilliland and Ricky Rudd aboard) are on the front row for the Great American Race. These are wonderful stories. A cynical person might be wondering if all of this is really coincidence … OK, now to the really important stuff.

From page 25 The Can-Am Spyder is an extremely intelligent and powerful machine but it’s also pleasing to the eye. People notice tires and the Spyder boasts a fat, low-profile 15-inch out back and a pair of proportionate low-profile 14s up front. The front fenders thoughtfully steer with the wheels to keep the vehicle clean as well. Vehicles like this don’t just happen, they have to be imagined by brilliant minds, and encouraged in a positive, challenging environment. Bombardier has cultivated this philosophy by recently investing $15.6 million in partnership with the University of Sherbrooke to create the advanced technology centre. Research teams will develop engines, transmissions and other systems including technologies that are respectful of the environment. On the business side, their latest product will be their first global launch. The Spyder the a potential to be marketed from over 5,000 dealers world wide, over 150 in North America alone. It’s completely embraced in California where it will only require a regular driver’s licence to operate.

TRACK TALK

FAMILY FEUD Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never liked his stepmother. In an interview once, he talked about how difficult it was for the three kids (he has a brother and sister) to move into a house in 1982 with his father (after Dale Sr.’s second divorce) and “that woman.” They’ve been at loggerheads since. Dale Jr. is in the last year of his contract with the family firm, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., which Teresa owns and operates. Negotiations to renew are under way. They are not going well and both sides, starting with Teresa, have said unkind things about the other. Both are stubborn, but Dale Jr. has the upper hand. If he leaves, DEI’s sponsors (primarily Budweiser) are going with him and if Teresa doesn’t realize that now, she will soon. But here’s the rub: before he signs any new contract, Dale Jr. wants to assume majority ownership of the company. Teresa can hold the minority share and she can continue running the firm but Dale Jr. wants his legacy and he wants it now. If not, he’s going to — guess where — Richard Childress Racing, where his dad became a star. And if that happens, DEI could very well go out of business. TOYOTA’S SNUB NASCAR rolled out the red carpet for Toyota by leaving its name out of the live Internet timing and scoring report during Daytona 500 qualifying (driver’s name, Ford; driver’s name, Chevrolet; driver’s name, Dodge; driver’s name, blank) and then seizing Michael Waltrip’s entire car after “detecting” a substance other than oil in the intake manifold. They disqualified Detroit iron wheeled by Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth, too, but just relegated those cars to the rear of the Twin 150 races. Waltrip, of course, is the guy Toyota hired to pave the way for its entry into the Cup series. This has made him, in the short term, a marked man. This harassment is also NASCAR’s way of sending a message to Toyota: “We’re the boss and don’t you ever forget it.” NASCAR is already getting it in the ear from fans who are very upset that this “foreign” automaker has even been allowed to enter what’s supposed to be (in their eyes) an allAmerican series. You can bet that this is behind a lot of what NASCAR is doing to Toyota these days. Incidentally, many people are worried Toyota will eventually outspend the American manufacturers and come to dominate the series. Maybe so, but it must be pointed out that the gobs of money Toyota has spent in Formula One hasn’t helped them much there, has it? OOPS Last week, I wrote about a number of people who were inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. In detailing the records of rally team John Bird and Bruce Simpson. I published some incorrect information about Mr. Simpson. First, I said he was an electronics technician; he was an elementary school teacher. Second, I reported that they had entered the Shell 4000 six times and won it twice, being the only team ever to win it back-to-back. In fact, while John Bird did compete in the Shell 4000 on six occasions, Bruce Simpson was never in the event. Klaus Ross (driver) and John Bird (navigator) won the rally in 1964 and 1965. Last, I said they were all business, competing while wearing white shirts and ties. In a note, Mr. Simpson said: “John wore a shirt, tie and suit coat when he rallied. I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing the same.” I apologize for the errors. I was supplied with incorrect information, but that’s no excuse.

‘TRUE ENTHUSIASTS’ It’s a success that Jose Boisjoli, Bombardier’s president and chief executive officer, credited to his workforce in his presentation launching the new brand and signature in 2004. “What we build, we build for first for ourselves, for we are not only experts, engineers and innovators we are true enthusiasts, adventurers and pleasure seekers whose mission it is to thrill the world.” Chris Dawson, vice-president, strategic planning and head of the Spyder program, recently deployed the first phase of Bombardier’s marketing strategy: 12 selected American states and four Canadian provinces this year followed by France and Spain in 2008. The second phase will include more states and provinces, Europe and other countries. Worldwide presence is expected within three to four years. We certainly won’t have to wait too long to see the Spyder Roadster — it’s currently on tour in North America and scheduled for exhibition in Corner Brook on April 20 and St. John’s on April 23. Stay tuned for updates.

Can-Am Spyder Roadster

Jim Brown/Graphics Plus/BRP

Mark Wood of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s wishes he was a Bombardier test pilot.

Storm coming? Use your driveway

hate dusting. But we all know that no mat- around the offending car, which of course leaves ter how many stupid little dusting things that unavoidable wave of snow across the next they invent, the only way to do it properly three driveways. I come out in the morning and is to take all the clutter and junk off the dust need a Sherpa to help me make it out. plagued surface, thoroughly clean it I understand sometimes you can forand then put the stuff back. get your car is on the street. But how Which brings me, of course, to can you miss the plow coming people who insist on parking on the through, lights blazing like something street even when they know there is a out of Close Encounters of the Third snowstorm. Kind? Guess what? If the driver sees My kids go to school in an older you running out of the house in your section of town, with beautiful crossbathrobe and snow boots, waving your hatches of narrow streets, and wonkeys like an idiot, he’ll wait for you to derful old houses. Regardless of the move the car. LORRAINE “no parking” signs, there never fails I knew a guy who drove a plow SOMMERFELD to be cars parked up and down both once. Yes, it’s as much fun as it looks. sides, and driving down any of them And like the Zamboni driver, most is like threading a needle with your want to do a perfect job. But by the eyes closed. time they end up having to noodle When the weather is good, it’s just around the umpteenth parked car, it annoying. But my heart goes out to can get frustrating. the snowplow drivers who must look down these We have to juggle two cars in and out of the corridors in dismay as they figure out how to driveway, trying to figure out who’s driving what zigzag their way through the obstacle course. and what time everyone is leaving. So what? It’s I live on a court. One car left out the night of a pretty First World problem to be having. a storm wrecks the whole process. The plow I’m sitting here watching the storm gather, and can’t do a loop, so it’s forced to cut a berm I know our already clogged roads are going to be

POWER SHIFT

in terrible shape because of all those orphaned cars. Too many of you will go out to find your car buried, and start the avoidable process of digging it out. I save my most earnest scowling for the owners of the outsized SUVs that just climb out of the mess and leave it behind like a teenager in a hotel room on spring break. We spend a great deal of time complaining about the lousy services we get. But let’s own up, shall we? If I didn’t stack my blue boxes wrong, papers wouldn’t blow around and make a mess. Garbage collectors aren’t going to take away your Ikea wall unit, no matter how many weeks you leave it out. A handful of salt on your front steps for delivery people wouldn’t kill you either. If I can’t implore you to move your car off the road for the sake of snow clearing, how about another reason: emergency vehicles can’t manoeuvre around illegally parked cars in great weather, and they’re far more likely to get called out in a storm. I love winter. It takes a little more effort, it takes a little more consideration and it reminds me why I like being Canadian. I don’t even mind being snowbound with the kids. Maybe I can make them do the dusting. www.lorraineonline.ca

28 • INDEPENDENTFUN

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Their language is Michif 6 Attack with a knife 10 Uncle ___ 13 Hurry 17 Unaccompanied 18 Villain in Othello 19 Start for centre or dermis 20 Needle case 21 Irish police force 22 Part of a suit 24 Green citrus fruit 25 First Nations people in Quebec 26 Make into leather 27 Retina receptor 28 Incarcerated 30 Like some office work 33 Stomach malady 34 Private teacher 36 Signal from the stranded 37 S. American mountain range 39 Electrically charged atom 40 German composer 42 Prepares to plant 43 Taxi 46 One with light blond hair 48 Gaspé coast town 50 Lisa of the Louvre 51 Bar perch 52 Quebec game

54 Belonging to: suffix 55 Not on time 56 Women sent to New France by Louis XIV: Les filles du ___ 57 Coffeepot for a crowd 58 Hated rodent 59 Tee preceder 60 Tall spruce of B.C. coast 62 Earl Grey ___ 63 Virtuoso 64 Still wet behind the ears 67 Greyish 68 Baby food created in Canada 70 Lures 72 Affectedly shy 73 List of dishes 74 Abduct 76 Summer time in Peggy’s Cove 77 They’re pushed in supermarkets 78 Employ 79 Inuit sea goddess 81 Japanese gateway 83 Blue-flowered shrub 85 Formal attire for men 86 Witness 87 Building extension 88 National force 92 Pelvic bones 93 Remove hair from 96 To have, in Le Havre 97 Purges 98 Anger

CHUCKLE BROS

Brian and Ron Boychuk

99 Stretches (out) 100 Archaic: prefix 101 Duel tool 102 Gentleman? Not! 103 Coronavirus of 2003 (Toronto) 104 African antelope DOWN 1 Christmas trio of legend 2 Verve 3 Ripped 4 Admit as a new member 5 The bounding main 6 Lute of India 7 Blacken 8 In the past 9 He was the youngest Quebec premier 10 Sesame ___ 11 Mar. follower 12 Underestimate, e.g. 13 Bones of dead saints 14 Useful 15 It was part of Mesopotamia 16 Hastened 23 The sun (myth.) 26 ___ firma 29 Tavern tipples 31 Small blue flower that cats like 32 For common use 34 Palindromic honk 35 Not deserving of respect

37 Sask. town named after Canada, sort of 38 Legal drinking age in N.B. 39 That thing’s 41 Assistant (milit.) 43 Like Napoleon 44 Conjunction 45 Hudson or James 47 What a truant plays 49 Coffee-flavoured Italian dessert 50 Cattle-herding African people 53 Long-lost ship of Arctic explorer Franklin 55 Camping necessity (2 wds.) 60 French bag 61 Equal: prefix 65 Hindu scriptures 66 East in l’Estrie 68 Recurring at intervals 69 Hawaiian guitars 71 Like some French vowels 73 ___ of the Mist (Niagara Falls) 75 Greek goddess of grain 77 Area in front of hockey net 80 Montreal airport, once 81 Spring flower 82 Oxygen compound 83 Prov. with Anglo Tignish

84 Sneeze follower: ___ you! 85 Spare change?

86 Went over the limit 89 Soft drink 90 Look or bearing

91 Poke 94 Epoch 95 Short alias

96 Do the same as Solutions on page 30

WEEKLY STARS ARIES (MAR. 21 TO APR. 19) The adventurous Aries won’t be disappointed with taking on a new challenge, despite some initial misgivings. Look for this move to open other opportunities down the line. TAURUS (APR. 20 TO MAY 20) Let that beautiful Bovine smile not only put you at ease, but also show that you’re ready, willing and more than able to confound the naysayers around you. A new admirer has important news. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) Be careful how you handle a relationship that you’re hoping to save. You already have the facts on your side. Avoid weakening your position by embellishing it with unnecessary dramatics. CANCER

(JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) Taking definitive stands isn’t easy for the often-wavering Moon Child. But you not only need to stay with your decision, but also to reassure others it was the right thing to do. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) As a proud Lion, you’re right to be upset about those who might be lying about you to others. But the best revenge is proving them wrong by succeeding at what you set out to do. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) Caution is still advised before making a financial commitment to a “promising” project. Look for the facts behind the fluff. Devote the weekend to loved ones. LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT.22) A Taurus offers comfort and

advice as you deal with an upsetting event. Use this as a learning experience that will help you avoid similar problems in the future. SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) A romantic situation creates some chaos for single Scorpions. But it’s well worth the effort to work things out. A trusted friend can offer some helpful advice. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) Expect to make new friends as your social circle expands. Also, remember to tell that family member how proud you are of his or her achievements. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) New ventures continue to be favored. And with your self-confidence rising all the time, you’ll want to see how well you can do

with a new challenge. So, go to it. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) This is a good time for the usually serious-minded Aquarian to let loose and enjoy some fun times. Expect to get good news about a workplace issue. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MAR. 20) Changed plans might upset some people, but your needs should be respected. Offer explanations when necessary. But don’t let yourself be talked into changing your decisions. YOU BORN THIS WEEK You have a gift for bringing people together. You would make a fine judge or counselor. (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, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007 — PAGE 29

In the (time) zone By Don Power For The Independent

rian Bonnell knows that if his speed skaters are going to do anything at the Canada Winter Games, they need to improve their times. He also is fully aware that with the distance his athletes are travelling before they get to the Games in Whitehorse, they’re going to

have to adjust to the time difference. That’s why for the past week or more, Bonnell has had his skaters live life a bit differently. Instead of eating dinner with their families at our regular times, Bonnell has his kids eating at 9 p.m. He then has them staying up late and sleeping in, not a tough chore if you’re a teenager. But there’s a method to

Bonnell’s madness — he wants to get his athletes’ bodies adjusted to the four-and-ahalf hour time difference between Newfoundland and Whitehorse, Yukon. “Eating is the big thing,” Bonnell said from Corner Brook last week, before his team left for the Games. “Eating has a big impact on acclimating yourself to a time

change. Everybody worries about sleeping at different times to adjust your body clock, but eating is just as important to get into the rhythm of your new surroundings.” The most difficult part, Bonnell acknowledged, was the fact his athletes, ranging between 14 and 19 years of age, are mostly high school students, making changes in their schedule diffiSee “Being prepared,” page 30

Photo illustration by John Andrews/Reuters photo

TEAM NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Representing Newfoundland and Labrador for synchronized swimming: Charlotte Allison; Kimberley Burrage; Sarah Burrage; Allison DeLong; Shannon Driscoll; Shaleeza Kaderali; Laura O'Leary; head coach Laura Cole; and coach/manager Eryn Wall, Holly Whelan.

Newfoundland and Labrador will be represented by close to 300 athletes, coaches, managers and mission staff members during the 2007 Canada Winter Games, scheduled Feb. 23 through March 10 in Whitehorse. The Games are split into two weeklong events, and the province will send 19 teams, participating in 17 sports. Week one athletes, who left Wednesday, Feb. 21, will compete in badminton, biathlon, female curling, male hockey, judo, shooting, short-track speed skating and synchronized swimming. In the second week, the provincial contingent will compete in alpine skiing, boxing, male curling, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, female hockey,

cross-country skiing, squash, table tennis and wheelchair basketball. Newfoundland and Labrador will not participate in two sports, archery and ringette. Opening ceremonies for the event take place Feb. 23. Luke Adam of St. John’s, a student at Gonzaga High School and a member of the men’s hockey team, will carry the Newfoundland and Labrador flag and lead the team into the event. Great Big Sea will entertain on the last night of the Games, after the closing ceremonies, as a thank-you to the many volunteers who will help during the event. — Don Power

Curling a made-for-TV sport But only national championships capture the attention of casual fans

rowing up, I don’t ever remember my mother talking about sports. She’d never concern herself if the Habs or Bruins won or lost (this was the ’70s, so the Leafs generally lost) or what the Expos were doing. I’m not certain she knew who Jack Nicklaus was or is, and I can guarantee she never knew about Tom Clements’ touchdown pass to Tony Gabriel to win the Grey Cup for Ottawa on Nov. 27, 1976. (I’m full of useless information.) Come to think of it, I’m not certain she knew — or cared — who Jack MacDuff was. Although I’m certain that in the spring of 1976, after he won Newfoundland and Labrador’s only Brier, MacDuff was on everybody’s radar, at least until the team imploded in Duluth, Minnesota. Perhaps that’s because as the mother of six, who sometimes took work as a

DON POWER

Power Point substitute teacher (having left the fulltime profession years before), she probably never had the time to care. Another reason she wasn’t totally consumed by sports was the lack of television coverage. TV, after all, is the easiest medium to use. Click a button, plant your arse in a chair, and you’re all set. And with today’s all-sports networks covering everything from poker to dog shows, you can be informed on any number of useless topics. Since the kids have grown and moved on, I guess Mom has a bit of time, and she’s taken to baseball with a

passion, and has since before the Jays won their two World Series. But it’s curling that gets her animated. Every year at this time, it’s a waste of time to phone or look for that free meal kids always seem to expect from mom. She’s busy. The Scott Tournament of Hearts has set her heart aflutter for years. After that, she takes in the Brier. Every game is on at the house; twice a day, three times if there’s a morning draw. She sits and watches intently, listening to Vic, Linda and Ray dissect and explain the game. I think it’s the pace of the game she enjoys. It’s slow with plenty of replays and reasons for particular shots. (I also think that’s why she likes baseball; same slow pace.) But more importantly, I think she enjoys curling because it’s a sport made for TV. The game is, in fact, ideal for

television. All eight players shoot, getting plenty of face time, which gives the telecast an identity, someone for the fans to get to know. Throw mics on many of the players, and you get to hear their thoughts on particular shots, bringing the fans closer to the action than the people at the venue. I’m convinced of this because during the past couple of years, when big curling events were held at Mile One, she went excitedly. But with four games being played simultaneously, side by side, no less, she — and I’m sure many others — found it difficult to watch. Then there’s the added peaceful feeling at an arena watching curling. There’s no announcer telling you about every shot, and you find yourself jumping from sheet to sheet, which leaves you missing everything. Despite curling’s popularity on tele-

vision this time of year, it often doesn’t translate to other times. The World Curling Tour has been a boon to players, allowing the top teams in the country to compete at various stops for big dollars. Top teams like Kevin Martin and Glenn Howard have already topped $100,000 in winnings. Still, the WCT hasn’t caught on with fans like the national events. Even curlers say getting to the Scotties or the Brier is the pinnacle of the year (excluding Olympic years, obviously). Part of that is patriotism. Curling fans here are often joined by casual fans who just enjoy cheering on Newfoundland teams, no matter how poorly they may be playing. When a WCT event is televised, there’s no reason to cheer for (or against) a certain team. See “Made for TV,” page 30

30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

Being prepared From page 29 cult. It was, however, necessary. “It won’t take as long to adjust,” says Bonnell of his seven team members. “They’ll be fairly tired when they get there anyway, because it’s a long day of travel. As least this way, we hope we’re better prepared.” Being prepared is something most coaches contacted worried about prior to making the cross-country trek. Chris Whelan, head coach of the Canada Games women’s hockey team, is totally prepared. As part of its four-year cycle, Whelan and his staff anticipated the time zone difference and initiated a plan that would see his charges commit to not one week for the Games, but two weeks. “The idea was to start to adjust early,” Whelan explained. “When we go to bed at 2 a.m., we’re staying in bed until 10:30 or 11:00 in the day. From our experience, the first night with the players at these camps, they’re so excited it’s real easy to stay up late. They’re excited about seeing each other.” In addition, Whelan says next week’s camp will feature some different practice times. “We’ve got a camp starting Feb. 27, and we have practice time at 11 p.m. The idea was to adjust, so the 11 p.m. time represents 6:30 in the evening in Whitehorse. The next day we have a 2 p.m. skate and an 11 p.m. skate. The 2 p.m. would represent the 9:30 a.m. skate, and the 11 p.m. would be the evening time.” The veteran hockey administrator says all players knew about the extra commitment required, as they were told prior to this school year. The schools were also contacted — and all have complied with the request. “We talked about the school thing,” he says, “and we’re actually asking our girls to get out of school for two weeks. We’ve made a huge request of these girls. We’ve prepared them for it for a long time. “We’re also lucky in that we’ve got two teachers on our staff, so we can provide some tutoring if need be, and we’ve told them to bring their books. There will be study time and we expect them to take advantage of that.” Other teams have made similar requests of their athletes. Brian Ash’s table tennis squad has also adjusted their eating schedules to represent the Pacific time zone. And as Solutions for crossword on page 28

a sport scheduled for the second week of the Games, Ash says their travel schedule will allow them to adapt. “The time shift is an issue of course but a difficult one to overcome when you consider that our players are on tight school and practice schedules here,” said Ash, a veteran of several Canada Games. “The players will set their watches and some home clocks to Yukon time this weekend, so that they are at least aware of the time shift on an ongoing basis. “We will be on Yukon time exclusively as of March 1 and we do not compete until the evening of March 4.” The time shift is doubly difficult for the synchronized swimmers, who will compete in the first week’s activities. Coach Laura Cole says her team normally practises at 5:45 a.m. each day, but will compete in the team event at what amounts to midnight, Newfoundland time. “We practised until 9:30 each night leading up to the Games,” Cole said before leaving St. John’s Wednesday, “and asked the girls to stay up when they got home, so they could get their bodies used to the time difference. “This is a necessary step for us (but) the athletes are all in high school, so it is difficult for them to sleep in. When we are not swimming in the mornings at 5:45 a.m., they are sleeping in as late as they can so they will not miss the morning session of school.” Downhill skiers from this province will compete in the second week of the Games. To assist with the transition, coach Denise May says they’ll travel to Calgary Feb. 24 to race and train at Mount Norquay, just outside Calgary. “The benefit will be twofold,” May said. “It will give the athletes a tune-up with race starts and training prior to the Games, and it will give them time to recover from the long flight and time change.” Despite all the preparation, the coaches all say what the athletes do in Whitehorse and the friends they meet is what they’ll remember — not the change in their schedule. “We know it’s a big request,” Chris Whelan said, “but for most athletes, Canada Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s going to create other opportunities for our athletes, be it in scholarships or whatever. “We weighed it out and made the request.” donniep@nl.rogers.com Solutions for sudoku on page 28

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Why you should give snowshoes a try O

n Christmas morning 1970, I was quite surprised to find a finely crafted pair of Algonquin style snowshoes leaned up against the Christmas tree. They stood in stark contrast to the typical 10-yearold’s festive treasure trove of G.I. Joes, board games and hockey equipment. I’m reasonably confident Santa’s elves were not responsible for this peculiar and unsolicited delivery — my father was surely the culprit. Although I was a bit taken aback, my snowshoes turned out to be one of the finest Christmas gifts I’ve ever received. They weren’t ordinary, run-of-the mill snowshoes. Rather, they were ornately decorated with wool tassels whose colours matched every bulb on our Christmas tree. The bindings were of polished black harness leather, and the white birch frame glistened with fresh spar varnish. They were a fine example of resourcefulness and craftsmanship. In retrospect, my Christmas snowshoes were really too nice to use, but there was snow on the ground and I was the only kid on the block who possessed the ability to walk on top of it. These were full-size man’s snowshoes, nearly as tall as me — you can imagine the spectacle. I secured my boots in the bindings and began to ascend of a snowdrift that lay curled across our back yard. I didn’t get far before I stepped on one shoe with the other and went arse over kettle into the snow. The snow was deep and my extended arms found nothing but powder. A minute or so of thrashing about and yelling at the top of my lungs brought my father out of the house in his slippers. He pulled me to my feet and instructed me to walk bow-legged. Easy for him to say! It took me a while to get that going, but with encouragement and guidance from my father, I soon managed a full round of the yard without falling. By the time darkness fell on Christmas Day, I wasn’t quite ready for the back woods, but I was getting the hang of it. At least I was ready for a Boxing Day demonstration for my friends. In the years that followed, I logged plenty of memorable winter miles on those old racquets. I retired my Christmas snowshoes in 1990, when I bought a new bearpaw style pair from S.I.R, an outdoor mail-order company operating out of Winnipeg. Not that my old snowshoes were worn out, but I

PAUL SMITH

The Rock

Outdoors decided that they were indeed too unique, rustic and charming to abuse any further. I hung them on the wall, tassels still intact. I truly believe that snowshoes can make the difference between loving or loathing winter. In my mind there are two key items that provide ultimate outdoor freedom: a canoe in summer and snowshoes in winter. In a land like Newfoundland and Labrador, you certainly wouldn’t get very far off the beaten path without these seasonal necessities.

Only the stealth of snowshoes and a heavy blanket of sound-absorbing snow makes this extreme game of chase possible.

Of course, modern technology has altered just about everything, and wilderness travel is no exception. But if you’re really interested in woodscraft, and you don’t mind a little exercise, you should really give snowshoes a try. There are activities for which the modern world offers no substitute for racquets. If you hunt rabbit in winter, you need snowshoes. How else could one possibly negotiate the thick woods and snow-clogged trails? And don’t forget those remote gullies, full of trout but surrounded by waist-deep powder. But most important of all, sometimes it’s just nice to get away from the roar of snowmobiles and quads and enjoy a quiet peaceful walk in the snowy woods. The exercise and tranquility does wonders for the body, mind and soul. You’ll be surprised by how much you can actually see and experience over just a few isolated miles on snowshoes, away from the roar and bustle of the main winter trails. On racquets you

can meander into thick woods and isolated valleys where powered transportation is totally impractical, if not impossible. This is typically where moose and other critters take refuge in winter, away from human activity. Especially when the trees are laden with fresh snow, a man or woman can move through the woods in almost dead silence on snowshoes. These days are ideal for moose stalking. The object of the game is to get as close as possible to a moose — or at least as close as one dares. Only the stealth of snowshoes and a heavy blanket of sound-absorbing snow makes this extreme game of chase possible. Last winter, on a cold crisp Sunday morning I was out for an early morning trot on my snowshoes. I walked about two kilometres into the country, breaking fresh trail and working up a hearty sweat. Each step sunk about eight inches into the fresh powder. I was about to call it a morning when I crossed a single set of moose tracks headed into a heavy stand of thick woods. Sunday dinner would have to wait. Off I trudged in silent pursuit. Apparently moose don’t mind snow falling down their necks. This critter, for whatever reason, stuck to the thickest woods he could find. I alternated between walking, listening and looking, hoping to find Mr. Moose around the next bend or thicket. After an intense session of looking and listening I started forward again, dipping my head under some overhanging evergreen boughs that were particularly heavy with snow. While my head was still down under, a commotion broke the dead silence and startled me right up into the boughs. There was snow going down my neck and snow flying off the trees just ahead of me in the trail. My quarry had been resting no more than 20 feet ahead of me, maybe taking a nap in the cover of thick spruce. I have no idea who was more startled, and both of us ended up buried in snow. If the hunt had been real, there would have been no gravy for me that night; but I had a close encounter I will always remember. I’ll tell you more later about the history and style of snowshoes from the days of the voyagers to the space age — from wood and rawhide to aircraft aluminium and synthetics. Paul Smith lives and writes in Spaniard’s Bay. flyfishtherock@hotmail.com

Made for TV From page 29 However, when you put provincial colours on their backs — which is also beneficial for the casual fans, because provinces all wear the same basic colours — you can choose sides. World championship events fall into the WCT category, except when Newfoundland and Labrador teams represent Canada, such as Gushue’s 2001 junior crown and last year’s

Olympics. (How many local casual curling fans were caught up in Shannon Kleibrink’s gold medal chase? How many could have remembered her name?) This is prime season in curling. Sure, there’ll be WCT Grand Slam events over the next month or more, but for now, Heather Strong, Brad Gushue and Stacie Devereaux are all chasing their goals. And you can follow along on television. donniep@nl.rogers.com

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 31

NHL status quo not such a frightening thought NAPLES, Fla. By Damien Cox Torstar wire service

here was a hint of frustration in John Ferguson’s voice as he evaluated the status of his efforts to bolster the Maple Leafs lineup after four days of hanging around with his fellow general managers. “If anything, things seem to be going backwards,” he sighed Feb. 21. “The teams that were asking too much two days ago came back asking for exactly the same things today.” There were no deals made at all, and the rules and style of the on-ice product, supposedly the primary reason why these folks convened in a swank Florida resort in the first place, also went virtually untouched. But unlike the depressing poverty of hockey trades — we all love a swap or two — the absence of significant tinkering with the game itself was very, very good news. Like, enough already. The GMs toyed with the instigator rule, and they had deep discussions over possibly eliminating the “soft hook” from nightly activity, although how that can be accomplished without heading down the slippery slope to a return to rodeo hockey isn’t clear. A little more fighting, then, and maybe a little more hooking. That’s it. All the more ambitious schemes in the hockey winds — bigger nets, mandatory visors, the so-called “three-point” game — gained not a centimetre of traction. Indeed, while the intriguing concept of giving teams three points for a regulation victory, two points for winning in overtime or the shootout and one point for losing in either of those post-regulation scenarios seemed to have some support going into the meetings, it fell absolutely flat yesterday. One GM estimated the matter was discussed for only a matter of minutes. “That’s because it’s a terrible idea,” said Anaheim GM Brian Burke, typically reluctant to share his intimate feelings. “That’s why it didn’t have support. It’s dumb for me, just dumb.” The NHL game appears to have broad support these days across the

Toronto Maple Leafs' Wade Belak (L) and Florida Panthers' Bryan Allen exchange punches during a second period altercation in NHL ice hockey action in Sunrise, Florida Jan. 18, 2007. Hans Deryk/Reuters

hockey world. In Canada, for example, the six teams are all doing tremendous business, and the alterations made by the NHL have all trickled down to grateful junior leagues and minor hockey loops across the nation. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, with his team defying analysts by proving to be just as competitive in the “new” NHL as it was in the old, said the league has already gone through two waves of substantial change. First came the revolutionary changes to rule standards coming out

of the lockout — elimination of the red line, the shootout, introduction of new rules stopping goalies from playing the puck — and the second was the adjustments made when the shortcomings in some of the initial changes became obvious. “There’s nothing wrong,” said Lamoriello. “It’s maintenance now, tweaking little things that come up.” Agreed. Even the annoying instigator business resulted in such a minor recommendation to the league’s competition committee that it was barely worth a breath of dis-

sent. The missing element that would help the game most of all, however, remains elusive, and it has nothing to do with the style of hockey being played in NHL rinks these days. That element is the absence of good, popular teams in the major markets of Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, a problem that could be made worse if the New York Rangers can’t get their act together and qualify for post-season play. Imagine the NHL if teams in those cities were soaring. The league’s

media profile would be higher, those teams would be welcome visitors to every rink and the problems in towns like Pittsburgh, Nashville and Atlanta would be minimized to the larger hockey world. Problem is, there’s not a darn thing the Bettman administration or the most innovative GM can do about the Bruins, Blackhawks and Kings. So the thinkers decided not to tinker. Like the big trade many would like to make, help selling the sport from the league’s biggest markets will simply require patience.

INDEPENDENTCLASSIFIED FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 1, 2007 — PAGE 32

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