VOL. 5 ISSUE 12
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ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR — FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 23-29, 2007
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YOUR TOWN
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BUSINESS 13
STYLE 21
Rob Steele on cars, music and business
The return of the hula hoop
AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Negative perceptions Ottawa attitudes affecting province’s bottom line IVAN MORGAN
F
inance Minister Tom Marshall says the federal Conservative government sees equalization as “welfare” and the controversial deal on the Atlantic Accord as merely an “equalization add-on.” Premier Danny Williams goes a step further, saying negative perceptions of Newfoundland and Labrador can be found in the federal bureaucracy and in the Conservative party, which, in the
past, has branded the region as having a culture of defeat. The premier also defends himself against St. John’s South-Mount Pearl MP Loyola Hearn’s accusations that he broke promises on Harbour Breton, Argentia and Stephenville, deflecting the blame to Hearn’s inaction. In his recent budget, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty offered the province a choice between the existing equalization formula and a new one that imposes a cap on provincial earnings through equalization. The premier has tagged that a betrayal.
“Basically, that’s the mainland Canada view, that they look on the Accord as giving us the ability to on the one hand receive what they consider welfare, and at the same time keep our oil revenues,” Marshall tells The Independent. The premier says he has encountered that attitude elsewhere. “It’s an attitude that’s in the federal bureaucracy as well. We came upon it the last time.” Williams says the Conservative’s negative perceptions go back to Harper’s See “We will plod on,” page 11
Memoir of murder Editor’s note: the following is an excerpt from the book, Dance with the Devil, A Memoir of Murder and Loss, by David Bagby.
A
ndrew had been trying for many months to peacefully end his two-year romance with Shirley (Turner), but she kept wedging her way back into his life. On Saturday, November 3, 2001, over lunch at the tiny Latrobe, Pennsylvania airport, he finally convinced her that their relationship was over. She boarded her flight and returned to her home in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Twenty-four hours later, on Sunday afternoon, Shirley took her .22 calibre pistol, her cellphone, and some cash, and she headed east on Interstate 80. Early Monday morning, Andrew was getting ready for work when she presented herself at the door of his apartment, located across the street from his workplace, the Latrobe Area Hospital. He allowed her into his apartment and left her there while he walked across the street and reported for work. At his 7:30 morning report Andrew told his supervisor, Dr. Clark Simpson, the chief resident in family practice medicine, about his early morning surprise visitor: “Guess who showed up on my doorstep this morning?” Clark, who already knew something of Andrew’s troubles in trying to end the relationship, offered the only plausible guess: “Shirley?” “Yup. That psychotic bitch was on my doorstep!” See “Andrew are you sure?” page 11
‘SOB from Newfoundland’ John Lundrigan on politics, politicians, and being sworn at By Ivan Morgan The Independent
J
ohn Lundrigan sits by the woodstove in his home in Upper Gullies, watching Legislative Assembly proceedings from Alberta on satellite feed. His firm handshake and clear blue eyes belie his current illness. When Lundrigan speaks of his political career, impressions of the many great Canadians he met and worked with, and current politics, you can still
hear the passion that drove Canada’s most revered prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, to tell him to “F—k off” in the House of Commons Feb. 16, 1971. Born and raised in Upper Gullies, Lundrigan was elected MP for GanderTwillingate in 1968. He went to Ottawa as one of six Progressive Conservative MPs from the province. “It was an exciting period for us because it was the first time that the Conservatives had any number of seats in Ottawa,” Lundrigan says.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Bud Dalton, a piano tuner from St. John’s, is the winner of the first annual Your Town amateur photography contest. Dalton’s three entries were of scenes around the capital city, including a mounted Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer outside the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, a building on Flavin Street, and a car parked outside The Rooms. See page 17 for the second- and third-place winners.
“St. John’s is extending their runway, Deer Lake is getting a customs office, Gander is going down the tubes.” — Pat Dwyer, organizer of this weekend’s scheduled rally to save Gander airport. See pages 8-9.
He says it was especially sweet, as then-premier Joe Smallwood had promised then-prime minister Trudeau he would deliver seven Liberal MPs “And six of them didn’t come in. As a matter of fact Don Jamieson (a Liberal), one of the great political figures in the province, barely got elected himself,” says Lundrigan. He says the six Newfoundland Tories in Ottawa at the time — Jim McGrath, Walter Carter, Frank Moores, Jack See “He was gunning,” page 4
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2 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS
MARCH 23, 2007
NEW VOICES
The advertising deadline for the April 6 paper (Easter weekend) is Tuesday, April 3, 5 p.m. The Independent will be distributed on Thursday, April 5. The Independent offices will be closed April 6 and will re-open for business as usual on Monday April 9. HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
Two new Newfoundlanders — and members of the New Canadian Voices Choir — prepare to perform at The Rooms March 21. The choir was on hand to support the official launch of the province’s long-awaited immigration strategy, aimed at attracting and retaining more newcomers to the province. The initiative is budgeted at $6 million over the next three years. Paul Daly/The Independent
Poll position
Randy Simms questions how early election results can be prevented from making their way across Canada
W
hen is a law not a law? How about when it can’t be enforced? Last week the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a law could be upheld and kept in place even though the ability to enforce the law is non-existent. It seems to me the Supreme Court is a little out to lunch. On March 15, Paul Bryan of British Columbia went before the nation’s top judges to argue that his conviction for breaking Canada’s election laws should be overturned. During the general election of 2000, Bryan used his Internet site to post results from Atlantic Canada before the polls closed in B.C. That’s a no-no. Bryan was charged with violating article 329 of the national elections act and fined $1,000. Bryan went before the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2003 and got a much better hearing. The conviction was overturned and in British Columbia the idea of broadcasting early election returns from outside the local jurisdiction was suddenly allowed. In the general election of 2004, media outlets across the province reported on the outcome in eastern and central Canada before British Columbia voters had gone to the polls. B.C. voters actually knew who had won before they ever got to vote. After that election things changed again. The court of appeal overturned the province’s supreme court and the ban is back on. According to the B.C. court of appeal, such a ban promotes fairness in the electoral process and ensures all voters receive equal treatment on voting day. This year, the case finally ran its course. The Supreme Court of Canada, the nation’s final arbitrator, voted five to four to uphold the ban on releasing election results early. According to the ruling, banning the early release of election results does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and argues that such a ban should be maintained to ensure electoral fairness for all Canadians. Let’s put it this way: how would Newfoundlanders feel if the role were reversed and the final people to vote in Canada came from here? Would we even bother to vote if we knew before going to the poll that the outcome had already been decided? Would voting strategies change? If we knew that the Conservatives had won a majority government before we even cast our ballots, would we be tempted to change a red vote to a blue one? The court further ruled that the ban was oper-
RANDY SIMMS
Page 2 talk ative for only a few hours on election night and would only impact late voters. The court felt this was a reasonable measure to ensure the protection of Canada’s electoral democracy. I mentioned that the court voted five to four to maintain the law. The four dissenting judges felt that Bryan was correct in his view that technology had rendered the law obsolete and unenforceable. Anyone in B.C. or anywhere else wanting to find results before the polls close in their local area can do so with ease. Think in terms of the Internet, text messaging, instant messaging, cellphones or a simple long-distance phone call. It really doesn’t matter what jurisdiction you are in when the vote starts to be counted. If you want to know the results bad enough you can find out before you go to vote. From the perspective of legal consequences, there seems to be little to none. I believe we should only make laws that can be enforced. The only thing we do by upholding this ban is annoy national media outlets and Internet providers. They have to try and keep such information away from people on one end of the country while informing those on the other end about the results. The whole thing is silly. What is the best solution? I favour a 24-hour voting window. Under such a plan, the polls could open at say 9 a.m. in B.C. and open at 1:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. They would stay open for 24 hours. This has some benefits. Employers would not have to give people up to four hours off with pay to go vote, especially when we know a lot of people don’t go and vote anyway. Political parties would have a much better chance of getting all of their voters to the polls by having a longer time to do it and that might help voter turnout. Best of all, when the polls closed in Newfoundland they would close in B.C. at the very same time. Just like that, one more silly law would bite the dust. Randy Simms is host of VOCM’s Open Line radio program. rsimms@nf.sympatico.ca
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 3
SCRUNCHINS A weekly collection of Newfoundlandia
T
he Globe and Mail really knows how to get under a Newfoundlander’s skin. All Canada’s national newspaper has to do is run a cartoon disrespectful of the seal fishery, one of our few remaining precious ways of life. The cartoon, headlined Landmarks O’ Science, ran Saturday, March 17, and consisted of two panels of the planet Mars, as seen from space. The first caption read: “2007: Euro space probe determines Martian south polar ice cap is over 3 km thick.” Read the second caption: “2025: Joint Innu/Newfoundland space shuttle lands on ice cap to conduct feasibility study of clubbing to death young live forms found there.” As well, a voice rises from the Mars surface to say, “She’s some thick here, St. John’s … ’n’ Bardot-free d’Jeez.” The cartoonist took some heat for the cartoon, to the point that the CBC ran a story on March 19, with the cartoonist defending the controversial seal hunt image. Tony Jenkins admitted he didn’t know it’s Canada’s Inuit people (not Innu) who take part in the seal hunt, but said he stands by the rest of his cartoon. “I respect people’s way of life and the need to make a living, that’s all positive,” Jenkins told the CBC. “But is that worth balanced out — this stain on Canada, which is what it is.” Is your blood boiling yet? Read on … Jenkins also told CBC
he believes the public relations campaign in defence of the seal hunt isn’t working, if he, and the general public are not aware of the true circumstances and practices of the seal hunt. If only they bothered to ask … RUNWAY FASHION Also on March 19, two days after the cartoon ran, The Globe went with an editorial headlined, Save (just) the seals, defending the hunt as humane and well managed. The writing was quite graphic: “Animals are not skinned alive; any occasional twitch is the result of an after-death reflex.” (Which is good to know.) It’s the hypocrisy that’s so jarring, the editorial read, with the European Commission in Strasbourg, France being pressured from European parliamentarians to impose an immediate 27country ban on the importing of seal products, while at the same time seal fur has been the hit of the European runways this month. The East Coast hunt is a profitable, unsubsidized one, providing employment for the outports, the editorial continued. “Meanwhile, those European fashions for fall feature gigantic sleeves, collars, hats and coats, cunningly trimmed with skins from other dead animals. It is peculiar that the European parliamentarians are opposed to a fur that is not harvested in their communities.” Well said, Globe and Mail, but any chance you could stop with the mixed messages?
Basketballer Justin Halleran.
HODDER FODDER Harvey Hodder, embattled Speaker of the House of Assembly, tells The Independent he’s considering retiring from politics, and not running in the next provincial election for the district of Waterford Valley. Harvey Hodder The retired teacher has most definitely plugged in his time, with 14 years in the legislature and, before that, four terms as Mount Pearl mayor. I wonder if anything has been Steve Kent as hard to deal with as the ongoing spending scandal? It was only a few weeks ago Premier Danny Williams said he has faith in the Speaker’s office — failing to mention any faith in the Speaker himself. Hodder says he’s giving it some thought, consulting with family and the district association. Says Hodder, “It’s not a yes, it’s not a no. It’s a matter under review.” He says he should make a decision after the spring session. That leaves the question of who runs if Hodder doesn’t. The obvious choice would be Steve Kent, who replaced Hodder as mayor. Says Kent (ever the politician): “If he (Hodder) runs, he has my full support.
Paul Daly/The Independent
If he announces that he is not seeking re-election, I anticipate that I would have to make my intentions known shortly thereafter. “I’m now in my 10th year on council, and I am as passionate as ever about serving this community. We have accomplished a lot. “Whatever happens in the months ahead, I remain committed to representing the people of Mount Pearl.” Kent’s all right in my books, what with the Pink, White and Green wristband he wears … DARE TO COMPARE Halifax’s Chronicle-Herald ran a feature this week comparing the cost of a university education at Memorial University (one of the cheapest in Canada) verses King’s College. Memorial charges $2,250 for two semesters, compared to $6,840 for two semesters at King’s. Matthew Sheppard, a Memorial student from Clarenville, had some friendly advice for Nova Scotia university students. “Come to Newfoundland,” he says. “You can either stay at home in Nova Scotia and have the highest tuition rates in the country, or you could just take the ferry or take the plane ride to Newfoundland, which has the lowest rates in the country and still get a quality education.” Nova Scotians are apparently taking him up on the offer — 725 students from Nova Scotia crossed the Cabot Strait in September to attend Memorial — up from 540 the year before. Keep ’em coming …
IMPRESSIVE FEET Speaking of Memorial, Justin Halleran of Trepassey, a fifth-year guard with the Sea-Hawks’ basketball team, was recently awarded the Ken Shields Award recognizing excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement. Halleran, if you remember, was in a Halifax training facility earlier this year when he came across a young man missing a shoe (it’s awful cold to walk barefoot in February). Halleran gave the young swimmer, who happened to have Down syndrome, his own shoes (five sizes too big, mind you). Approached by the young man’s father, Halleran wouldn’t consider taking the shoes back. Well done, Mr. Halleran, well done … BETTER OFF DEAD Finally, the Mercury News of San Jose, California reported this week on the new book, Dance with the Devil, by David Bagby, father of Andrew Bagby, who was murdered in November 2001 by Shirley Turner. Turner later killed herself and their 13-month-old son, Zachary, in the waters off Conception Bay South. The Bagbys apparently thought about killing themselves after learning their only son was dead. “We couldn’t live without him,” Kate Bagby told the Mercury News. “We decided that on the plane.” The book is scheduled for release later this month by Canadian publisher Key Porter Books. It’s good to know some good can come from such heart-breaking tragedy … ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
Russian sealers capture whitecoats and hold in cages By Mandy Cook The Independent
R
ussian sealers plan to capture 10,000 pups over a period of two weeks this spring, hold them in open-air cages and kill the animals at a later date, a Russian news agency reported this week. Interfax, reporting from the port town of Arkhangelsk off the northwest coast of Russia, says Greenland seals give birth in the White Sea in late February and early March. The spokesperson from the Beloye More farm says the pups will be kept in cages until they grow up a bit, after which they will be slaughtered. John Kearley, general manager of St. John’s-based seal processor Carino Company Ltd., says he first learned of the practice of farming seal pups to the 25-day-old beater stage at a meeting a few years ago. He says it stems back to the days of Communism when the Russian sealers did not have the sturdy boats used by Canadian sealers and used helicopters instead. Kearley says Russians are now moving in the direc-
tion of the Canadian method of hunting seals by bullet. “They are experimenting with that now as far as I know. There has not been a lot of seals from Russia for the last few years,” he says. “The cost of using helicopters, it becomes very expensive … it depends on where the seals are located: are they close to land or are they far off?” Kearley says the seals were traditionally carried off the birthing ground in cargo nets and airlifted ashore where they would be kept in corrals. He says it is an easier method of hunting as the pups are easier to catch when newlyborn, as they are fat and slow moving about the ice. He says the mature beater seal can swim and hunt in the water during the day and are not as easy prey as the young pups. However, Kearley says the practice is not a common one. “I don’t think there’s much of it going on now because it has raised the eyebrows of some of the animal rights groups because it is not appealing or whatever,” he says. Frank Pinhorn, president of the
A Greenpeace activist stands with a toy seal-calf as a Russian officer passes by during a protest in central Moscow. Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
Canadian Sealers Association, says he’s “never heard tell of” the practice and is looking ahead to this year’s hunt on “the front,” an area off Newfoundland’s northeast coast and southern Labrador. The opening date and this year’s seal quota in Canada’s east coast seal hunt have yet to be announced. A spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says the announcement will be made in “the coming days.” Pinhorn says his association has indicated to the federal government they wish the current quota of 335,000 seals to remain the same until there is another official count of the herd. As for the market for seal pelts, Pinhorn says “all companies are going to be buying.” He says the market is down somewhat, but increased interest in the seal fat will keep earnings near last year’s prices. According to Fisheries and Oceans, sealers earned $52 per pelt in 2005. A 2004 survey pegs the northwest harp seal population at an estimated 5.82 million animals. mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
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4 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 23, 2007
Number of fishing fatalities in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2004: 3 Number of fishing fatalities in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2005: 9 Source: Transport Canada
‘You can always learn’
Fishermen’s union requests extension to safety course deadline By Mandy Cook The Independent
A
lthough Transport Canada insists crab fishermen like Sam Lee of Petty Harbour must take a water safety course, Lee won’t be donning a survival suit and jumping in a pool anytime soon — let alone by the April 1 deadline. Transport Canada is currently considering an appeal by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers’ union to extend the fast-approaching deadline to certify the remaining estimated 2,000-3,000 fishermen who have as yet to complete the safety training. Lee, a 57-year-old lifelong inshore fisherman, says he doesn’t believe in the marine emergency duties training. He cites a heart condition and says any safety protocol he is forced to comply with will not help in case of a disaster at sea. “I knew twice a year those survival suits were on board — once when I put them in the boat when I started fishing and once when I took them out when I finished fishing,” he says. “Other than that I never had occasion to look for them, (they were) put away out of the way and that was it. Now if something should happen, you might think on it (or) you might not.” Because Lee fishes within 25 miles of shore, any training course he registers for does not require jumping in a pool at the Marine Institute, as it is does for those fishermen working further out to sea. But he is still resistant to the idea. He says he took a required radio course before but says he now “knows nothing” about the radios because he never uses them. FFAW president Earl McCurdy says Lee’s feelings towards the safety course are not the norm amongst the estimated 13,000 registered certified fishermen who have already completed the training. He says the overwhelming majority of fishermen contacting the organization looking for course information are receptive to the idea. “We’ve had a tremendous number of calls on the issue in the last three weeks and for the most part the nature of them is, ‘Look we don’t have a problem with the training, it’s a good thing to have but we just can’t get it done in time and we want to have a crew to take on the water in a couple weeks time to go fishing,’” McCurdy tells The Independent in a telephone interview from Montreal. McCurdy says a backlog of hopeful safety course participants coming up hard against the April 1 deadline is due to human nature and a lack of communication. He says there was never a
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direct mail out to vessel owners and license holders to alert them safety training was mandatory. Many harvesters are now finding themselves without a slot in maxed out courses. McCurdy is optimistic a deadline extension will be granted by Transport Canada. He says a year would be sufficient to train the remaining people. A decision has not yet been announced, but a spokesperson for the department says the aim of the deadline is to not penalize anyone, but to increase ocean safety. McCurdy says restricting fishermen will cause undue economic hardship. “You could actually have the perverse situation if there’s no changes made where skipper would have no recourse but to let go of an experienced hand in favour of a green horn because of safety requirements, which would be absurd,” McCurdy says. As for Lee, he answers with confidence when asked how safe he feels working out on the water without a safety certificate. “One hundred per cent, love, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t go out there.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
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Paul Daly/The Independent
‘He was gunning for me’ From page 1 Marshall, Ambrose Peddle, and himself — were called the “noisy six.” He says they were the most vocal “by far” of any of the Conservative caucus. “We pretty much took over the House of Commons and the committee system in Ottawa. We had a very, very strong voice in Ottawa. We got listened to quite a bit.” Especially by Trudeau, who, he says, they loved to bait. Lundrigan says he and his colleagues tried to “hang on him” as an Opposition party because he was “very arrogant.” Lundrigan says Trudeau had just returned from Singapore and had asked his acting prime minister, Mitchell Sharp, for an update on the House. He says Sharp said everything was fine “except for that SOB from Newfoundland, John Lundrigan.” “So he was gunning for me. When he came into the House that day I got on about the unemployment problem and he couldn’t resist,” says Lundrigan. “He told me to ‘F’ myself right there in the House.” That day Trudeau stayed in the House much longer than he normally would. “He sat there for an hour, and the media were abuzz wanting to get at him,” he says. And when they did, Lundrigan says Trudeau managed to turn the situation around, referring to his remark as “fuddle duddle” and making a “quotable quote.” The remark started a minor national craze, launching T-shirts and a thousand jokes. “I got something like 3,000 letters that week from across Canada,” laughs Lundrigan. “Fifty per cent said I was great, 50 per cent said I wasn’t worth a you-know-what.” Lundrigan was defeated in the federal election in 1974, but ran provincially and served in Frank Moores’ Progressive Conservative cabinet as minister of Industry and Rural Development. He says there was a tremendous feeling of political oppression and fear in the province in the 1960s. Frank Moores, Lundrigan says, brought a real air of refreshment to provincial politics. “I always considered Frank Moores to be the leader of what became a grassroots revolutionary movement in the province,” he says. “He brought democracy to the province.” In Ottawa, Lundrigan says he was coached by John Diefenbaker, for whom he had great affection. His party affiliation has never wavered. “I am a Progressive Conservative. When it comes to economic matters I am very conservative, when it comes to social matters I am very liberal.” He says he felt “much more comfortable” being a member of the Progressive Conservative party than he does as a member of the Conservative party. Lundrigan is still a keen observer of politics. On the current relationship between the province and Ottawa, he says it’s a very difficult situation, and a very unhappy one for anybody who has been
Fuddle duddle
Thoughts on the exchange that spawned thousands of jokes “The question I raised to the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada was that the government should introduce some new programs to lift the unemployment burden over and above what has been announced since last March. The Prime Minister interrupted me in a way that you wouldn’t expect on the street, by mouthing a four-letter obscenity … “And I certainly didn’t expect this kind of behaviour from my Prime Minister of Canada, having worshipped and really adored men like John Diefenbaker and Mr. Pearson and a lot of other people in the past. This to me is really inexcusable and, well I guess we’re just going to have to grin and bear it, along with the Lapalme workers.” John Lundrigan, to the press outside the House of Commons, CBC TV, Feb. 16, 1971 “I moved my lips and I used my hands in a gesture of derision, yes. But I didn’t say anything. If these guys want to read lips and they want to see something into it, you know that’s their problem. I think they’re very sensitive. They come in the House and they make all kinds of accusations, and because I smile at them in derision they come stomping out and what, go crying to Momma or to television that they’ve been insulted or something? “What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say “fuddle duddle” or something like that? God, you guys … !” Pierre Trudeau, to the press outside the House of Commons, CBC TV Feb. 16, 1971
around the Conservative party as long as he has — 50 years. “I really pray that this can be resolved so that we are all back together again because there is nothing worse than a civil war in a political party, and that’s what we got right now.” He says that’s what Williams and Harper are currently engaged in, and “there is nothing worse than a civil war in a political party.” Having said that, he says he thinks Premier Danny Williams is doing a magnificent job, and the people of Newfoundland are solidly behind him. After politics, Lundrigan was a stockbroker, a consultant, and for the last 10 years he has been investing in the stock market. “I’m a gambler, first and foremost.” Lundrigan suffers from a terminal lung disease — “the same thing that Craig Dobbin had” — and has had to curtail his activities as the disease progresses. Reflecting on his political career, he chooses understatement. “It was an interesting period, for sure.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 5
‘A lot of dollars’
College of North Atlantic-Qatar, plus the Arab nation’s extreme wealth, pave way for more Newfoundland opportunity
By Stephanie Porter The Independent
All that wealth and natural resources, O’Brien says, “and they’re only supplying the infrastructure for one city … I certainly respect that but I he College of the North Atlantic campus aim to capitalize on that as well.” in Qatar may be bringing more benefits O’Brien tries to put the wealth of Qatar in perthis way than the original $500 million, spective. According to their minister of Finance, 10-year contract between Newfoundland and O’Brien reports, “they have enough cash reserve Labrador and the small Middle in the country that if something Eastern nation. happened and all (oil and gas) According to Business “You must remember, production stopped, the governMinister Kevin O’Brien, the ment would have enough 10 years ago, they success of that distant campus is money in reserve to keep the opening doors to a host of other going for 18 months pretty much had mud country business opportunities — without a glitch. No stopping including more jobs for streets. Now you go in construction, no stopping anyNewfoundlanders and thing … that’s a lot of dollars.” there and see how Labradorians — with the Although Qatar has oil and wealthy oil emirate. gas reserves to take them well they’ve progressed; into the future, the country is O’Brien returned March 16 from a 10-day trip to Qatar and working to expand its reach in it’s wonderful. Japan. other sectors. “It’s a huge advantage “You must remember, 10 Business Minister because (the college has) done a years ago, they pretty much had commendable job in the country mud streets,” he says. “Now Kevin O’Brien and they’re very well respected you go in there and see how in regards to the facility they they’ve progressed; it’s wonderrun,” O’Brien tells The Independent. “Certainly ful. we wanted to capitalize on that.” “They’re doing the same as us, they’re trying There are already dozens of Newfoundlanders to diversify their economy for the time when and Labradorians working in Qatar, most on the there is no gas.” college’s campus in Doha, the capital city. According to O’Brien, the government of While jobs in Qatar are “a part of” the Qatar recently bought a 20 per cent stake in prospects O’Brien is exploring, the minister also Airbus, the Europe-based airline production conpoints to construction and infrastructure opportu- sortium. nities on home soil. “We see opportunity here in the aerospace Even more enticing, he says Qatar has a sub- industry and various other sectors that we aim to stantial investment fund earmarked for foreign key on, growth industries and emerging markets jurisdictions and “we want to make them aware within those industries,” he says. “They would that Newfoundland and Labrador is an absolute- certainly be a great partner because they have ly fabulous place to invest.” great reserves in regards to money and they also O’Brien says searching for outside investors is have great knowledge in regards to the business the “most critical part of the mandate of the world.” Department of Business.” O’Brien says the province’s location is attracThe State of Qatar, bordered by Saudi Arabia tive to the Qatari leaders. There were discussions and the Persian Gulf, sits on the third-largest nat- about a potential LNG terminal here, to help ural gas field in the world. By 2008, reports them reach the marketplace on the northeast coast O’Brien, the total output of Qatargas and Rasgas of North America. — the two largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) “When it comes to their foreign investment facilities in the country — will be 47 million fund, absolutely I’m interested,” says O’Brien. tonnes a year. That’s about a third of the global “Especially when it comes to the respect and the market. knowledge they have for Newfoundland and Meantime, the population is growing at a rate Labrador and understanding the opportunities of about nine per cent a year. Cranes clog the sky- that are here.” line as the city races to expand fast enough. After five days in Qatar, O’Brien and three othThere’s a high standard of living in the country ers from the department of Business flew to and an extremely low level of taxation. Tokyo. There, they met with several representaForeigners make up about 75 per cent of the tives of the aquaculture, agrifoods, and oil and state’s population of one million — and growing. gas industries.
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6 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 23, 2007
Clarity act E
xcuse me for a moment, but I have some business to attend to before unveiling my plan to save Newfoundland and Labrador from Confederation’s death grip. A clarification is in order for a remark I made in last week’s column, Byelections, baymen and Beelzebub, a piece about the 1,666 votes that were cast for the Tories in the recent Labrador West byelection, more than enough for the party to win the day, but somewhat disturbing in that the Number of the Beast could be interpreted as a bad sign. Looking back, the humour may have been a shade too dark. Here’s what I wrote (try and guess what needs clarifying): “To be fair, the steady stream of Progressive Conservative cabinet ministers to the district during the byelection (all on the taxpayer’s tab) — not to mention the cut in ferry rates announced the day before the vote (Labrador is “finally” getting its fair share, thank you John Hickey for all that) — may have saved the Tory day.” The premier’s office took exception to that sentence. Try and guess why. Sorry, but no. The announcement of a cut in ferry rates did, in fact, happen the day before the byelection. Hickey himself announced the “good news” for Labrador during the supper-hour news, carried on both local stations. The cost of a return trip from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon will plummet by $17.50, to
RYAN CLEARY
Fighting Newfoundlander $50.50 from $68. How wonderful is that for the good people of Labrador? And what’s wrong with trumpeting the news the day before the residents of Labrador West decide their next political representative? Sure not a thing, to the Tories especially. Guess again. How about the steady stream of cabinet ministers to the district? Sorry again, but no, the premier’s office didn’t have a problem with that. The list of ministers dropping by Labrador West over the course of the byelection campaign is said to include Hickey, minister of Transportation and Works; Trevor Taylor, minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development; Tom Osborne, minister of Justice; Tom Marshall, minister of Finance; Joan Burke, minister of Education; Jack Byrne, minister of Municipal Affairs; John Ottenheimer, minister of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Danny Williams, King of ministers. Tory MHAs Paul Shelley (Baie Verte) and Terry French (Conception Bay South) are also said to have stopped by. “Steady stream” sounds like a fair description, whereas “torrential Tory
downpour” or “PC parade” would be pushing it, which just isn’t me. The problem the premier’s office has, if you’re ready for it, was with the comment, “all on the taxpayer’s tab.” The premier’s office says that’s not true. Quote: “The taxpayers most certainly did not pay for ministers who were campaigning in Labrador West.” A spokesperson acknowledged that Marshall, Burke and Hickey happened to be in Labrador West on government business, but “not one” of the ministers showed their face at the campaign office. “Every other minister, MHA and the premier were paid for by the party.” The premier’s office said the implication was made that taxpayers paid for the travel and lodging of the cabinet ministers, which officials called misleading. Fair enough, sorry about that, politicians have their own problems without me making them up. But the point I was trying to make was this: how many of that torrent of Tory MHAs — not to mention NDP leader Lorraine Michael and the Liberal politicians who also took a shot up to the Big Land — continued to be paid by the taxpayer for the days they worked on the political campaign? Were they docked a cent for their time off the government clock? I’m still waiting for an answer to that particular query. I may be darting out on a limb here, but my guess is they weren’t deducted a dime.
Taxpayer’s tab sounds about right in that context. Our political culture of entitlement needs a shakeup — as the ongoing police probe, auditor general investigation, official review of the political remuneration system, and generally scandal-ridden House of Assembly can attest to. The New Democratic Party may not qualify for official party status and all the perks that go with it, but Danny has seen fit to continue with a special exemption until the October election. It’s only fair, he says, and he’s probably right, although if the electorate thought so they would have elected a few more NDP MHAs to the legislature. Got to watch that bending of the rules though, premier. Who knows where it will end? Politicians haven’t made it to the summit of the slippery slope just yet. On to the points I really wanted to make this week … POINT AND SHOOT Ever since Danny pulled down the Maple Leaf from the front of provincial government buildings in late 2004, the question has been asked what’s his next “or else.” Now that the Stephen Harper Conservatives have betrayed the province in terms of a better equalization deal, what’s the premier going to do about it? Separate? No sir, we can’t give up on Canada just yet, although the fighting Newfoundlander routine seems to be
getting old on the mainland stage. From all indications, the federal equalization program — the Atlantic Accord even — is seen by much of the country as yet another welfare cheque. Fair enough … let’s move on. Forgive the latest cross to Newfoundland and Labrador. That should freak the mainlanders out — Danny turning his cheek. The Harper Conservatives seem to be all about helping provinces help themselves. Fair enough, Danny should go back to the negotiating table and demand Ottawa allow us the means to turn our economy around, to seize our own destiny — control of the fisheries, fallowfield legislation to force the oil companies back to the bargaining table, redress on the upper Churchill contract, a power corridor through Quebec for lower Churchill development, the right to purchase (notice I didn’t say give us) Ottawa’s 8.5 per cent stake in Hibernia. The smart move now, at this point, would be for the premier to change tack. Not bow to a decision of the Government of Canada, not bend to the mainland will like so many of our defeated MPs. But give this country a chance to prove its loyalty to Newfoundland and Labrador. If that doesn’t work, we turn our backs on the Maple Leaf and strike out on our own. ryan.cleary@theindependent.ca
YOURVOICE Is Danny a real nationalist? Dear editor, I believe that we never should have joined Canada in 1949. I’ll believe that until the day I die. Please remember that when you read the following … the Conservative commitment to our province on equalization has been honoured. We have our Accord without a cap, plus the option to exclude 100 per cent of our non-renewable resource revenue. Promise kept … time to move on. The noble principles of Newfoundland nationalism — provincial rights and decentralization among them — are in danger of being abused by our provincial government. As usual, the opposition ignores what it doesn’t understand. Premier Danny Williams remains the most talented of our leaders. He secured our offshore deal, but his actions are not those of a nationalist.
Make tough calls. There’s no point complaining about debt service charges, as Williams did on March 19 when his cabinet attended the 2006 Tory convention in Gander and opposed my resolution for a legislated plan to slay that debt. There’s no point in complaining about post-Accord equalization caps when the premier scuttled the option of having billions in Hebron revenue during the no-cap period. Williams can’t claim to be serious about empowering Newfoundland as long as he won’t pursue the federal Tory promise of joint fisheries management. Most of us want that empowerment. Real nationalists don’t mind paying their own way to get it. Liam O’Brien, Corner Brook
Maybe Danny should leave his mask on Dear editor, Curiosity aroused by your March 16 front-page “wink-and-nod” photo of the premier as a masked St. Patrick’s Day celebrant, I read on. He has just returned from a “successful” visit to Ireland. One can quite easily understand his personal delight in his visit, but what’s in it for us? He says we, here in Newfoundland and Labrador, can be like them. I am left at a loss — they secured “independence” versus our “confederation.” In addition, their eventual “confederation” was with the EU (European Union). Equal move? And the St. Patrick’s Day premier reminds us of the importance of roads and the like, assuring us that these will be kept in shape, indeed improved, all the while we suffer a diminishing demography. Oh, the delight of the self-deception of wishful thinking. Then on a would-be realistic task, our St. Pat’s Day premier stresses the need for research into our condition — as though that has been passed by. All masks off, Premier Danny Williams apparently is unaware of the rather exceptional scale of research — including issues he prioritized —
Dear editor, I appreciate the views expressed by Kevin Heffernan in a March 16 letter to the editor (‘Blah, blah, blah’) even though his views are not based upon factual information. The facts are as follows. The province’s population was growing until the federal Tories — not provincial Liberals — imposed the moratorium on the cod fishery in 1992. Provincial Liberal governments that I was part of implemented a strategic economic plan to cope with some of the out-migration and started providing
Premier Danny Williams
undertaken by Memorial University. Maybe for his own peace of mind “Danny b’y” should keep wearing the St. Pat’s mask. But then where does that leave us … we (some of us) who thought we had a leader in touch with realities? Robert Paine, St. John’s
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Grimes: Premier doing a great job so far?
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
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new opportunities in the areas of aquaculture, tourism, and the oil and gas sector. During my time as premier, with the development of the White Rose project offshore and the Voisey’s Bay mining and processing project onshore, outmigration had actually come to a halt. Just prior to the 2003 election, Statistics Canada reported an in-migration of 300 people — the first growth in the province’s population in over a decade. As well, the commonly referenced CRA polls showed that 60 per cent of the people approved of the government
I led. The public felt Danny could do better and he was elected to run the province. Rather than taking three years “to fix mistakes and blunders of the Liberals before them,” Danny has taken an inmigration of 300 and turned it into an out-migration of over 7,000. And Mr. Heffernan wants us to “leave him alone and let him run the province like we elected him to do!” He’s doing a great job so far, eh? Roger Grimes, St. John’s
‘We will not accept second-rate status in this Confederation any longer’ Editor’s note: the following letter was mailed this week to federal Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, and copied to Fabian Manning, Norm Doyle, Jim Flaherty, Stephen Harper and Danny Williams. I am 55 years old and except for one time in my younger radical years when I voted NDP I have always supported the Conservative party. After watching the federal budget and seeing the utter contempt shown towards Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan on non-renewable resources you have received the last votes for the Conservatives from me, my wife and daughter. I was always taught that a person’s word is sacred and to renege on that promise is tantamount to a betrayal. Stephen Harper’s
refusal to honour his word has confirmed to me, once and for all, that Newfoundland and Labrador plays no part in a confederated Canada, nor will we ever be treated as an equal partner. It is incumbent upon you as our federal member to show your support for our province and resign. Please do not spin the old line that “you can do more for Newfoundland and Labrador inside the cabinet than outside.” I’ve heard that before and it’s a crock. Do your province proud and resign. Your chances of getting re-elected in the next federal election are slim to none anyway. Look what happened to poor John Efford after his stand on the Atlantic Accord. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will not forget and we will not accept second-rate status in this Confederation any longer. You, sir, as
our cabinet representative, are duty bound to show your disgust at the treatment afforded this province and do the honourable thing. Your federal colleagues on the government side (Fabian and Norm) are also duty bound to express their displeasure by either speaking out or resigning. I always believed in Canada and would never consider separation as an option but after the latest budget I’m considering purchasing and flying the Pink, White and Green and will consider any process to pull this province out of the Confederation. Can we do any worse? It seems these days that the words “separation” and “increased federal dollars” go hand-inhand. Brian Mallard, Mount Pearl
‘Stop this anti-everything approach’ Dear editor, I take great exception of Patrick O’Flaherty’s column (‘Turn signals on the cheeks of their arses’, March 16 edition), criticizing the need for added sports facilities in the St. John’s area. I realize that Gordie Howe became a great hockey player by skating on an outdoor pond. I, too, have seen St.
Bon’s senior hockey team practice on Quidi Vidi in 1950. The reason for these two events was because there was nowhere else to practice. Today a great number of our young people are obese and when people like John Breen attempt to start a project to get kids away from the video games and television he should not be shot down in such
a manner as Mr. O’Flaherty has done. We should stop this anti-everything approach and get behind our locals for the good of our children and community. Indoor soccer would be great for this area. Go John Breen go. Ed Abbott, St. John’s
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 7
Critical thinking begins at home
E
veryone agrees education is important, but the irony of the push for a better-educated populace is trying to decide what an “education” is. Is a person with a computer science degree who knows nothing about art, history, science, geography or politics educated? Is a person who takes a twoyear accounting course, but cannot name a former prime minister of Canada educated? Is a four-year general arts degree as “useless” as many think it is? Before I get into this let me state that any education is better than no education — having that computer science or accounting background is great. My question: is it enough? I don’t think so. To me, being educated means having a well-rounded, comprehensive understanding of the world and one’s place in it. It means a foundation in the social, historical, artistic, spiritual, legal and scientific knowledge of our times. It means knowing a little bit about a lot of stuff — especially the workings of our society, which in turn allow us to know
IVAN MORGAN
Rant & Reason a little about ourselves. To me it also means having the curiosity and the motivation to continually pursue these goals. When I was in first-year university, I met a clever fellow who told me the point of a university education was to show me how little I really know. It took me four more years to understand that. Show me an arrogant educated person and I’ll show you someone who hasn’t learned much at all. A lot of what people call education these days is really training. And while training is essential — we all need to make a living — I also think a solid background in the basic sciences and humanities is essential. People need not to just be skilled workers and avid consumers. They need to be citizens. Too many young people today see education as a commodity. At the prices
we charge, it’s easy to see why. Who wants to pile up a $40,000 debt for the privilege of reading and discussing Tennyson’s poems? Hopefully someone does, because it is important. Education — learning — is the essence of what it means to be a functioning member of society. Training is a commodity. Education is a vital human quality. Let me make a case in point. I think a lot of what is wrong with our political system stems from the fact people don’t truly understand it. Would a better-educated populace have stood for the House of Assembly barring the auditor general from reviewing its finances back in 2000? Would the disastrous upper Churchill deal have been signed? Would half the politicians we have suffered under been elected? Education is the only real salvation for this province, not jobs, not natural resources or royalties. Joe Smallwood knew this, and was a huge proponent of education, spending millions making us who we are today. (Ironically it was the first generation of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians educated at
the new university who tossed him from government.) How much potential do we have? The island nation of Japan has few natural resources and 128,085,000 people living in an area of 377,873 square kilometres. Our province has vast natural resources and 505,469 people living in an area of 405,212 square kilometres. Japan’s GDP is $5.76 trillion (Canadian). We have a GDP of $ 21.5 billion. What’s the difference? Take your time. We need to improve our education systems. Grade 12 is not enough anymore. A BA today is the high school diploma of 50 years ago. Quebec, generally light years ahead of the rest of us in social programs, has the CEGEP program, offering pre-university (two-year) and technical education (three-year) for young people out of high school (Grade 11) who wish to further their education. It gives them a solid background, two more years to mature, and chance to learn more about who they are as people, and as Quebecois. Sadly, many of our young people learn a flight to
Fort McMurray at the end of high school is who we, as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, are. A lifetime of believing in socialism has made me realize this is not a problem government can fix. Education is a value that must be instilled by family. Literacy, critical thinking and curiosity about the world begin at home. How we encourage more of this I have absolutely no idea, but it must happen. In the past our much-vaunted local culture has not placed enough emphasis on education. This must change. I have been in homes where the only book I could find was a phonebook. That has to change. Children will read if their parents read. Children will be curious if their parents are curious. Children will do what their parents do. I remember visiting a home one evening after supper. Both parents were sitting on their couch in front of their TV, yelling at their son to go study, and complaining to me about his poor marks and lack of motivation. According to them, all he wanted to do after supper was watch TV … ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
FINAL ARGUMENTS
YOURVOICE Suburbia and public transport Dear editor, In The Independent of March 9, Ivan Morgan wished he could live in the country and take the train into St John’s, reading as he went (Dreaming of an electric train). He said that if public transport were available he would move further away from town. I was disappointed that no one in the March 16 edition took up the juicy issues he waved in front of us, i.e. the link between where new housing areas are developed, and public transport versus car-dependency. Sorry to say the urge to live joyfully in very low-density suburbs or sprawls (a dream I have shared) is incompatible with the yearning for safe, pleasurable, healthy, economical, public transport into the city with its jobs, social services and shops. This is why many rural residents are isolated, being too old, too young or too poor to drive. With regard to new development, architect Jack Diamond in the Globe of Aug. 5, 2006 says, “most new … growth occurs on the perimeter of urban centres and does so at densities that render residents of those areas automobile-dependent — such low densities make public transport uneconomic.”
“Most significantly,” says Diamond, “the cost of servicing such (suburban) areas exceeds the tax revenue derived from low-density development.” The “cost of servicing” includes highway construction, the provision of trunk sewers, water supply and other services, which Diamond names as, “what amounts to subsidies that land speculators and low-density developers receive from provincial and federal governments.” He also notes, “the burden of this cost is not borne by the beneficiaries, but by all taxpayers.” The days of low-cost fossil fuels are in the past, and Diamond asserts that this alone will make “suburban development as we know it obsolete.” He sees full-cost pricing as first among solutions. Each new housing area would bear the full unit cost of services. The market forces would then “exert their logic,” resulting in more affordable housing and densities that would make public transport viable. These issues, under the guise of the Road Pricing Policy, are under discussion beyond our borders. Maybe we should be getting our heads around them too. Joan Scott, St. John’s
Final arguments are expected to take place early next week at Supreme Court in Gander in the case of Nelson Hart, the central Newfoundland man being tried on two counts of first-degree murder involving the drowning death of his twin daughters, Krista and Karen, in August 2002 at Gander Lake. Paul Daly/The Independent
Will Newfoundland caribou survive the coyotes? Dear editor, Ivan Morgan’s recent interview with Eric Patey about coyotes killing caribou was very interesting. As the author of The Newfoundland Coyote, I was glad to see The Independent cover the issue. Research carried out by the wildlife division proves coyotes are killing large numbers of caribou — both calves and adults. Radio-collar studies of three herds showed zero per cent recruitment, i.e. zero calves surviving
to the fall from spring. Similarly, coyote stomach content analysis by graduate student Kim Bridger showed a high percentage of caribou and moose in coyote diets. The main problem is that the eastern coyote’s principal prey — the white tailed deer — is not found in Newfoundland. There is little research into the overlapping of woodland caribou and eastern coyote. One jurisdiction where the two species co-exist is in Gaspesie
National Park. In the late 1980s the park’s small struggling herd was found to have little calf recruitment due to black bear and coyote predation. A predator cull program decreased the bears and brush wolves and calf recruitment increased. There is a lesson in this for Newfoundland. The notion has been raised that coyotes and caribou will reach a “balance,” but I think such thinking is naive. The facts are that we don’t have whitetailed deer, coyotes are preying on both
caribou calves and pregnant does, and there is little hard evidence of the two species co-existing on the same range. The evidence from Gaspe paints a bleak picture for Newfoundland caribou. Thinking that coyotes and caribou will reach a balance is utopian and does not seem to account for the fact that Newfoundland’s natural balance has been significantly altered by human activity. Caribou range has been clearcut and logging roads and mineral
exploration have opened the countryside. Only an estimated eight per cent of the provincial land mass is protected in wilderness reserves. In 2001, there were 7,730 caribou licences issued on the island portion of the province. That dropped to 4,635 last year. Both resident and non-resident hunters are losing access to caribou, which will continue to hurt the provincial economy. Darrin McGrath, St. John’s
Keep wilderness areas wild and free
Rick Mercer should pinch himself
Dear editor, Snowmobiling is a grand sport, opening the joys of winter to people of all ages. All the same, I am well pleased with Environment Minister Clyde Jackman’s determination to protect our three wilderness areas. A glance at the map will show that all three together — Bay du Nord, Middle Ridge, and Avalon — hardly comprise five per cent of our island. The Avalon wilderness is about one-seventh the area of the peninsula and is surrounded on all sides by wide corridors of open country. So more power to Minister Jackman. And I wish he had gone further. Lately, some people — and I hope they include at least a few of your readers — have expressed interest in the idea of an engine-free zone in each of our provincial wilderness areas. Regulations now governing these areas allow the use of aircraft or small outboard engines, as well as snowmobiles
Dear editor, Well, well, well, Rick Mercer is now the poster boy of “principled conservatism.” How ironic. During the Liberal years, Mercer had actually been annoying the hell out of Conservatives with these same childish, hissy fits. These days, however, it seems that Mercer spends his time labeling Canadian University professors as the “crackpot element.” He has even managed to stir up threats towards a female professor in this country. Congratulations, Rick! Who really needs the Taliban in Canada when we have you? The sad reality is that Noreen Golfman pursued a higher education, and now uses her knowledge to better the lives of Newfoundlanders in her role as an educator. Mercer, on the other hand, is a high school dropout who schmoozes at fancy parties amongst the same political elite that he is supposedly there to satirize. I may not agree with a single word that
in a large part of Bay du Nord. In an engine-free zone no form of mechanized transport would be permitted. With certain strictly defined exceptions of dams or power lines, all travel in this zone would be by foot, canoe, kayak, or ski, etc. I have done an informal telephone survey of various provincial governments and tourist agencies across Canada. It appears that only two provinces, British Columbia and Alberta, have anything like an enginefree zone, and in their cases it’s limited to relatively small areas of a few remote parks. Nevertheless, I found widespread interest in the concept and appreciation of its potential appeal to the growing clientele for ecotourism. Our planet is getting smaller and more crowded every year. Ten years ago you could ski from Roddickton to Hawke’s Bay and see only two or three snowmobiles. Now there is a well-trav-
Environment Minister Clyde Jackman
eled winter road. We need to keep a few wild places. John Lewis, St. John’s
Golfman has or has not said, but as a Canadian who believes that freedom of speech and expression is part of what actually makes this country great, I am again appalled at Mercer’s antics regardless of what side of the political fence I may sit on. Similar to his counterpart, Jon Stewart, in the U.S.A., I would like to communicate this message to Rick. Rick, you should pinch yourself because, in fact, you are dreaming. You are neither a real politician nor a real journalist. You should count yourself as extremely lucky to be living in a country that is so obsessed with its own celebrities as to feel that they can do no wrong (unlike university English professors in this country.) In short, you are a comedian who is rapidly becoming a bit of a joke. Canadians deserve better than this from their public broadcaster. Rob Miller, Halifax, N.S.
MARCH 23, 2007
8 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 9
IN CAMERA
Save our airport By Ivan Morgan The Independent
T
he man at the helm of a successful public campaign to bring the weather office back to Gander is planning a public rally to rescue Gander airport. But at least two key players in the negotiations to save the airport say they won’t be there. Pat Dwyer, president of a group that’s “very concerned” about the future of Gander Airport, says he expects hundreds of people to show for the event, including members of the airport authority, local MHAs, the
council, and mayors from the region. The rally is scheduled for March 25, 2-4 p.m., at the Hotel Gander. “At that rally we’re going to be turning it up,” Dwyer tells The Independent. “I would expect to see these people there because the people are asking those leaders to be there.” The Gander Airport Authority is in financial trouble, and recently turned down an offer from the federal government of $5.9 million over two years, saying it was not enough. The authority has made a counter-offer to Ottawa for a one-time payment of $10 million or annual payments of $2.5
million for five years. The operation of Gander airport is guaranteed under the province’s Terms of Union with Canada. Some say the solution to the airport’s woes would be to allow the airport to charge landing fees to military aircraft. Under a NATO agreement, military flights cannot be charged a landing fee, resulting in lost revenues to the airport. Were the federal government to lift those restrictions, Dwyer says, the facility would thrive. Hundreds of military aircraft land at Gander airport every year.
Gary Vey, the authority’s CEO, and Gander Mayor Claude Elliott say they don’t plan to attend. Vey says he will be out of the province on Sunday, but adds he would attend as a private citizen — not as a representative of the authority. He says the board of directors of the Gander Airport Authority believes the rally is a community initiative, and it would not be appropriate for the board to become formally involved. “We’re not going to be a political group, that’s not our intention,” says Vey. “We work with the federal government or anybody else to fix the
problems here, but we are not going to force them by marching down the road. “It’s not that we’re against what Pat is doing. I kind of support what Pat is doing from a community perspective.” The mayor of Gander also says he won’t be attending the rally. Elliott says the Gander town council made a decision when the airport authority turned down the federal government’s last offer to “take their direction from the airport authority.” He says the council does not want to jeopardize current negotiations.
The Gander airport has long been central to the town’s history and well being. No longer an international transportation hub, the facility is quiet these days, with only military flights and a few Air Canada stops to keep it going. Picture editor Paul Daly spent an afternoon looking around the facility. Senior reporter Ivan Morgan speaks to a local activist planning a rally to save Gander airport — and the town itself.
“We have to see if this can be worked out, and showing up at rallies, I don’t think, is in the best interest of council right now. That’s the only reason. We’re not against the committee … they can do some good things. But we’re saying we are going to lay low until we are told otherwise, and let the process take its place. “There are times that we can help that committee and they can help us, but the rally is not one of them.” But Dwyer says he’s been talking to people in Ottawa who are telling him to pull the town together and show the community is serious.
“St. John’s is extending their runway, Deer Lake is getting a customs office, Gander is going down the tubes,” says Dwyer. “Now is the time to make some noise, now is the time to turn up the heat, now is the time to let the provincial and the federal government know we will take this to the election.” Dwyer says their motto is “Save our airport — save our region.” He says he has heard Gander Airport is to be downsized to a regional airport, which will mean the closure of the fire hall and other facilities. “It appears to me that Gander
Airport is designed to fail by the government, based on information that’s been provided to us.” Dwyer says a recent study shows the airport generates $536 million in economic output for the region, including $67 million in salaries, $20 million in federal taxes and $10.8 million in provincial taxes. This economic output, he says, sustains 2,138 direct and indirect jobs. He says he formed the committee because “nobody’s speaking.” By forming a group and having a rally, says Dwyer, they hope to show the federal government that the people of
the region are concerned. “Everybody else is taking a waitand-see, or trying to dodge around, don’t want to piss off the government,” says Dwyer. He says their goal is to get a meeting with the province’s Conservative cabinet minister, Loyola Hearn, and federal minister of Transport, Lawrence Cannon, together with all the local stakeholders. Dwyer says the meeting would help relieve the “tremendous stress” people are feeling about the uncertainty of their future. “Take the cloud away from us and
the stress that is on the employees and on the community and see where we can go from there,” says Dwyer. “I am sure there are solutions there because we have solutions, but you can’t offer solutions if you’re not talking. “I am like the rest of Newfoundlanders. I don’t want my grandchildren in Fort McMurray because I’ll never get to see them. So I’m working my ass off trying to save the airport and build a community so there are a few jobs left here for our children and the future.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
MARCH 23, 2007
10 • INDEPENDENTNEWS Shipping Gazette, March 8, 1859
AROUND THE WORLD Botanists assert that the Great Smoky Mountains comprised the cradle for all vegetation in North America. — The Newfoundlander, St. John’s, March, 1954 AROUND THE BAY The Board of Works hereby give notice that the Light House at Dodding Head, on Great Burin Island was put in requisition the third instant, and the Light will be exhibited every night from Sunset to Sunrise. The light is revolving, catodioptric, of the second order, producing a brilliant White Light every minute, with intermediate flashes, and internals of 20 seconds, burning at an elevation of 410 feet above the level of the sea, and in favourable weather can be seen 30 miles. — The Morning Post and
tions for the relief of the destitute in the Island are being daily received in St. John’s, and almost the whole amount expended there. We think it is high time that the people of the Outports were up and doing. We believe, we voice the sentiments of the people of this town when we request our proportion of such relief. We are yours very truly, E. B. Thompson, D.J. Green, Charles Butler. — The Harbour Grace Standard, March 1, 1895
YEARS PAST Admiration for Newfoundland manpower contribution was recently expressed by Rear Admiral Sir Arthur Bromley to Newfoundland Trade Commissioner D. James Davies when they inspected troops of a Newfoundland Field Regiment. Mr. Davies in presenting cigarettes commented on the record of the Regiment in Tunisia and Italy and said the Newfoundland boys had the reputation of being the best mannered troops entering Britain. — Observer’s Weekly, St. John’s, March 21, 1944 EDITORIAL STAND The infrequent visitor, reaching St. John’s after the long and painful ordeal of a journey on the Newfoundland Railway, will, doubtless, be inclined to praise us for the economy we practice in trains and train-equipment, figuring that we have eschewed the convenience of
St. John’s Daily Star, March 11, 1918
frequent trains and the luxuries of up-todate train service as a measure of wartime self-denial. The drawbacks we endure now are not self-inflicted. We are self-denying in this respect purely and simply of necessity. So are some wartime romances dispelled when the
YOURVOICE ‘Joe was a true pioneer’ Dear editor, He clued me in on many of the good I was away at sea when my good fishing spots in Labrador back in friend Joseph Gibbons of Elmcliff those early days. In later years, Joe Street in St. John’s passed away sud- and I spent many a weekend up at my denly on Feb. 12. Since I was unable cabin near Lethbridge snaring rabbits to attend his funeral, I want to express during the hunting season. Joe was publicly through your newspaper my without a doubt the best rabbit catchsorrow over his passing, extend con- er I have ever known. He often made dolences to his family fun of me for being the and pay tribute to Joe. worst. I met Joe in Goose My son, Adam, said Bay in 1970 as I began that Joe made the best To me, Joe was my aviation career with rabbit stew he ever tastLabrador Airways. Joe ed. My daughter, Lori, a close friend, was a few years my senonce said that Joe a gentleman, ior and already a seawould tell her stories soned bush pilot, havabout me when I was a mentor and a younger. I worked hard ing gained much of his experience flying for keeping them apart. great storyteller. at Eastern Provincial My wife, Marion, said Airways prior to their she will always remembush line becoming ber Joe’s one-verse verLabrador Airways. sion of Me and Bobby McGee. He Joe was a true pioneer in his field, would sing it religiously at the weekcontributing immensely to this ly house parties in Goose Bay in the province’s aviation and transportation ’70s. industries, particularly in Labrador I could go on and on describing the where airstrips and highways were life and times of Joe Gibbons, but this practically non-existent at the time. newspaper’s editor may not be appreHe retired from aviation in the late ciative. I will end this tribute by say1990s after serving a decade with ing that Joe will be greatly missed and Government Air Services out of St. forever remembered by all who knew John’s. him, especially by his many friends To me, Joe was a close friend, a and colleagues in Newfoundland and gentleman, a mentor and a great sto- Labrador’s colourful aviation industry. ryteller. We both loved hunting, fishJed Sampson, ing, aviation and a good cabin party. Port au Port
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bald truth is told about things. — St. John’s Daily Star, March 7, 1918 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir – You would oblige by publishing the enclosed resolutions which explain themselves. Very large contribu-
QUOTE OF THE WEEK Premier Smallwood helped arrange his own kidnapping in a scheme with four Memorial University students to raise $250 for the Newfoundland Red Cross Society. The students took the premier in a car and hid him in a room at the university. They then called the Liberal Party and asked for $250 ransom. The premier phoned a St. John’s radio station to confirm he had been “kidnapped” and asked that the party pay the money. — The Labrador Informer, Happy Valley, April 20, 1963
‘I say good riddance’
MHA Anna Thistle
Dear editor, I see Anna Thistle (Liberal MHA, Grand Falls-Buchans) has announced her departure from politics. Now we will see if all that ranting and roaring by Roger Grimes during the past couple of months means he is going to attempt re-election. I, for one, would love to see him defeated again. I guess Anna could not face defeat in the next election. I say good riddance. She contributed nothing in her 11 years in politics, except to stand in the House everyday and whine about what the government should be doing.
For the first time in our history we have a leader in Premier Danny Williams who is running this province as it should be, even though Roger Grimes says “you can’t run government like a business.” Guess what Anna and Roger — the premier is doing it and it’s working. Good bye, and good riddance to you both. Don Lester, Conception Bay South Editor’s note: Contacted this week by The Independent, Roger Grimes says he’s not interested in re-entering the political ring.
When voters are reduced to zombies Dear editor, A political phrase floating around today is “on the government side” or “you need a member on the government side.” Articulated during recent byelections, it’s a disturbing belief when promoted by government and its supporters. When a candidate tells a community, “You need a member on the government,” a trace of bribery is sensed, implying a termination of services if the government candidate is not elected. “On the government side” should never be used during any election campaign. But we are likely to be bombard-
ed by these words during the October election. Pressuring voters to elect someone to government benches defeats democracy, destroys choice of candidates, makes a mockery of freethinking and decisions based on credentials, character, education, and experience. Taken to the extreme, the next election would elect no opposition if “on the government side” is applied across 48 districts. We would create an absolute dictatorship of mindless zombies. If a road needs repair, or a town requires a new water main, or a school roof leaks, should services be rendered
based on where a member sits? A citizen bleeding by the side of the road should receive medical care no matter on which side of the road he lies. You check his vital signs, not his political affiliation. The next time you hear a party urging you to vote for its candidate for no reason other than he/she will be on the government side, please note that your intelligence is not only being insulted, it is being questioned, and the voter reduced to a zombie. Intelligent people should reject such insanity. Jim Combden, Badger’s Quay
The media is not my conscience Dear editor, The Independent recently published a column by Ryan Cleary (Dare to differ, March 9 edition) in which he came to the defence of his colleague Noreen Golfman’s point of view (Blowing in the wind …, Jan. 12 edition). Cleary also used his privileged platform to continue the attack on Rick Mercer’s response to Golfman’s position (Fighting words, Jan. 26 edition). One of the difficulties I am having with both of these articles — Golfman’s and Cleary’s — is that they both are seemingly strengthened by the ability to personally attack the participants, rather than the issues. Golfman did not attack the government that has sent them into harm’s way. She did not question the values of the country that would have their soldiers fight on foreign lands. She attacked the very people whose beliefs would have
them lay down their lives in order to protect the freedoms you take advantage of each and every day, and to ensure there is a future for our families and yours. If, as Cleary says in his column, Mercer and the approximately 64,000 military members, 27,500 reserve members, their families, friends, etc. have missed the point, than I would suggest that Golfman take a writing course! To have confused such a large audience is not, in my opinion, indicative of strong writing skills. Cleary, let me state it clearly for you, I do not consider the media my conscience, my thought process, or my intellect. In case you have not surmised by this point, I am a serving Canadian Forces officer. I am, however, completely apolitical. I don’t write letters to the editor, nor do I typically comment on what other people say. So what makes this sit-
uation different? It’s funny actually. To think that a political satirist who is friendly to the Canadian Forces, willing to see them as people risking their lives for the betterment of local or global society, could get under the skin of such “out of our league” intellectual philosophers such as Cleary and his colleague is laughable. I can see your method: if you lack the courage to attack the organization, go after its people. When they are defended, attack the defenders. Have we not learned anything from Vietnam? Please continue to attempt to chip away at our resolve and beliefs. I think you will find that we are a much heartier people than you give us credit. People like Rick Mercer already know this, and are trying to bring this information to the public. Capt M. P. Ricard, Canadian Forces Member Serving abroad
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTNEWS • 11
‘We will plod on’ From page 1 Harper’s statement in 2002 that Atlantic Canadians have a “culture of defeat.” “So we’re always seen as the fighting Newfoundlander down here, and they try and portray us as that, as just being isolated, as being over the top, and that’s unfair,” he says. “You know the prairie farmers didn’t have to fight for their billion dollars — they got it.” Marshall echoes the premier’s sentiments. “We don’t object when Quebec is given $3.2 billion — we applaud that. We don’t object when Ontario receives money to bail out its auto industry, we don’t object when Ontario gets $1 billion for public transit. We don’t object when the West gets $1 billion for farmers,” says Marshall “They shouldn’t object when
Newfoundland is given a benefit to help it grow its industry and to help … us get to self-reliance. It’s giving us a leg up — a hand up not a handout. They don’t see it that way, and that’s unfortunate.” Williams says negative attitudes and half-truths can be found closer to home too. He says federal minister Loyola Hearn’s recent comments on promises the premier allegedly broke ring hollow. Hearn says Williams broke his promise to Harbour Breton and the future of the fish plant there. “But you know fish quotas are controlled by the federal Fisheries minister,” says Williams. “So if he really wants to give Harbour Breton a leg up, he can turn around this afternoon and give them a significant quota allocation.” He says Hearn accused him of abandoning Argentia as a site for the Inco processing plant for Voisey’s Bay ore.
He says his government wrote the federal government on Argentia and asked them for an indemnity against environmental concerns on the site. The federal government said no. “That is why the facility went to Long Harbour. So he was in a position to correct that.” Williams says on Stephenville the government “stepped up to the tune of $150 million and the union decided they didn’t want to do a deal with the company and that’s completely out of my hands.” Marshall says the latest equalization set-back is just that. He says the province’s economy is strong and will continue to grow. “We’re going to get there. We won’t get there as quickly, but make no mistake about it, this province will move forward,” says Marshall. The premier is also optimistic, despite all the negativism from the federal government.
Minister of Finance Tom Marshall views the federal budget.
“We’re going to plod on, we’re going to persevere, and we will turn it around with or without them.” He says that is not a separatist comment. “When we’re standing tall and we’re
Paul Daly/The Independent
self-sufficient and we’re contributing, we’re not taking from equalization, we’ll be able to look them straight in the eye and say we did it without you. “And that’s fine with me.” ivan.morgan@theindependent.ca
YOUR VOICE Blade dulled by prosperity
David and Kate Bagby at the Victims of Homicide annual vgil at the confederation building in St. John’s
Paul Daly/The Independent
‘Andrew, are you sure about this?’ From page 1 “So what did you do?” “I let her in.” Clarke tried to convey his concern about Shirley’s erratic behaviour: “Andrew, are you sure about this?” “Oh yeah. Everything’s fine.” Andrew finished his morning duties at the main hospital, drove twenty miles north on Route 981, and reported for the afternoon shift at the satellite clinic in Saltsburg, a neighbouring town. In a quick chat late in the afternoon, Clark thought Andrew said that he was planning to meet Shirley after work in a “bar” and send her on her way again. Clarke offered to go with him, just to help keep things cool, but Andrew once again assured him that all was well. They agreed that, after Andrew finished sending Shirley home again, he would pick up a six-pack of beer and go to
Clark’s apartment for the evening. A little before 5 p.m. Andrew left the Saltsburg clinic, picked up a six-pack at the convenience store, and went to meet Shirley. Unfortunately, the meeting took place in an isolated park, not in a bar, as Clark had remembered Andrew saying. From the parking lot of Keystone State Park, just off of Route 981, Andrew used his cellphone to call Shirley’s cellphone. A witness later reported seeing a lone car in the parking lot at around 5:30 p.m., “dark blue or black.” The description was consistent with Andrew’s black Toyota Corolla. Another witness reported walking through the parking lot a few minutes after 6 p.m. and passing two cars sideby-side, “a small dark colored car and an unknown color sport utility vehicle.” The descriptions of both vehicles were consistent with Andrew’s Corolla and Shirley’s Toyota RAV4.
Forensic analysis later disclosed the sequence of wounds to Andrew’s body. The first two slugs in quick sequence, entered the left side of his chest and his left cheek. The second slug exited behind his left ear. He spun halfway around and fell on his face in the gravel, shoulders hunched forward. Shirley carefully aimed the next two shots at his rectum. Then she stepped forward, bent slightly, and placed a final round in the back of his head — an execution shot close enough to singe the hair. The gun was empty, so she kicked him in the head. She returned to her car and headed back to Iowa. The relationship was definitely over. The same witness who reported seeing side-by-side cars on Monday evening was up well before dawn Tuesday morning, walking through the trees near the parking lot. He saw “the small dark colored car parked in
the same location as the night before but the SUV was gone.” He shined a flashlight at the car, noticed nothing unusual, and kept walking. Just before 6:00 a.m. a man searching for aluminum cans in the park dumpster found Andrew’s corpse, covered in a thin layer of frost, face down on the bloodsoaked gravel. Published by Key Porter Books ($24.95). In August 2003, Shirley Turner killed 13-month old Zachary (whom she had with Andrew Bagby) and then herself.
Dear editor, Having read the somewhat simplistic justification for barring our public from traversing the Avalon Wilderness Area on snowmobiles, I am astounded by the irony of it all. Here we have a so-called wilderness area on the doorstep of the Irish people of the Southern Shore whose ancestors came here to get clear of the cruel British encumbrances on their land back in Ireland. In fact, those ancestors fought a war over it. Prosperity must have indeed dulled the blade. Imagine the arrant effrontery of the interests who put forward the very idea that we Newfoundlanders must purchase a permit or license to snowshoe, ski, hike or canoe through the wilderness. The wonders of camping and trouting seem to have been left off the list. Lord help me if I should mention prospecting. Maybe environmentalists are trying to hide what many friends of mine in the mining business already know — “there is gold in them thar hills.” Keeping the people out of that area has nothing to do with caribou. It has more to do with the fear environmentalists have that mining prosperity might come to the area. How can we keep electing these rubber-kneed popinjays who would deny us our rights to our own land because they cannot crack open the little departmental empires within government? How can we keep electing governments that keep insulting us by suggesting we cannot police our actions and therefore lose access to our land? I fear neither government nor its patsies, the environmentalists. What I fear is that our people have lost the desire for the freedoms that our ancestors brought to this country. And that is far more important than a few sick caribou and the empires built by a few over-blown egotistical civil servants. David Murphy, Topsail
MARCH 23, 2007
12 • INDEPENDENTNEWS
VOICE FROMAWAY
Life in Kayamandi township Amanda Hancock on her first three weeks as a volunteer in South Africa By Amanda Hancock For The Independent
T
he drive from Cape Town International Airport was my first taste of the disparity that seems to be a fact of life in South Africa. The first sign of housing after leaving airport grounds was what seemed like a never-ending field of slums. It was like something out of a World Vision commercial — children without shoes, houses made from packing crates, outdoor bathrooms, houseflies, the whole bit. I asked the driver what it was, and he replied that it was a township. Township. The word sounded familiar, but I was not exactly sure what life was like inside of these informal living arrangements. I dropped the subject and within five minutes we were in downtown Cape Town. The beautiful waterfront, posh restaurants and classy nightclubs made it easy to forget the living conditions so near the airport. Early in the first week, I met the project co-ordinators and the 30 others in my international volunteering group. The majority of participants are from Germany, and others come from Canada, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and the U.S. Our ages range from 18-31, and our length of stay varies from four to 12 weeks. I felt at ease in the introductory sessions on the dos and don’ts of our stay. The “we’re all in this together attitude” led to fast friendships and an instant sense of belonging. I now know each of the international contingent by name and project. Everyone is having a similar — yet unique — experience and conversation comes easily when we meet for weekend excursions. In my first week, I played tourist. I visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during the Apartheid. Apartheid was an official policy of racial segregation that was implemented by South African government from 1948 until 1994. The signs of this racial struggle are ever-present in many aspects of South African life. I drove along the breathtaking coastline of the Cape Point Peninsula, where endless beaches guide you to the most southwesterly point in Africa. I hiked up Table Mountain, an iconic landmark here in Cape Town. I patronized the famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront — a vibrant place any night of the week filled with restaurants, local buskers and souvenir shops. I attended a traditional South African braai (barbecue), and took a lesson on a traditional South African drum. I went on a tour of two of beautiful vineyards — tasting included! Throughout the week of sightseeing, I encountered baboons, wildebeests, zebras, ostriches, cheetahs, antelope and penguin. One of the most interesting things in the first week was the township tour, which took us through the townships of Langa and Khayelitsha, stopping to see a traditional African Sangoma, or healer, a community employment centre, and a local pub along the way. Townships are suburban dwellings in which living arrangements range from falling down shacks (slums) to redevelopment project houses (four-wall matchbox structures built to replace shacks), to
Scenes from Kayamandi Township.
Photos by Amanda Hancock
villas or bungalows (middle-class housing). It’s estimated that there are approximately 1.5 million people in these informal settlements surrounding Cape Town. The South African government is working to replace the shacks with permanent housing. During this tour I remembered where I had first heard the word. The application for this volunteer internship program asked for my regional preference — urban, rural, or township. After the first seven days of being a tourist, each of the 30 volunteers were shipped to various clinics, hospitals, preschools, primary schools, high schools and crisis centres around Cape Town. I must have ticked all three boxes on the application because my eight-week volunteer placement ended up being in a township. Kayamandi Township is largely made up of informal housing, but my host family lives in a nice bungalow with two guesthouses out back and it’s known as a mansion to other inhabitants.
Kayamandi is situated just outside Stellenbosch, South Africa’s oldest European settlement, 60 km outside of Cape Town. The city shows residual effects of Apartheid, as the city centre is predominantly white and skin colour becomes noticeably darker as one moves further from the city centre. My eight-week volunteer placement is in Zenzele Creche, a preschool for children aged six months to six years old. Zenzele is Xhosa for “do it yourself” — fitting, since the toddlers are more independent than any I’ve ever seen. There are 50 kids, four permanent workers, and three other volunteers from various parts of Europe. The kids come from underprivileged conditions. A certain percentage of them are HIV-positive and, worse, none of the families have come forth to advise that their children have the disease. Perhaps the child hasn’t been tested; perhaps he or she has, but the family doesn’t want to advertise a positive result; or, most likely, HIV and AIDS are simply taboo sub-
UN
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jects. Fully equipped with a kitchen and toilets, Zenzele Creche is one of the richest in the area. Though short on some basic supplies like washing cloths, flooring, and at times toilet paper, the workers truly care and do give the children a fair start. Besides my work in the preschool, the most interesting experience has been playing with the girls’ soccer team. The Kayamandi Hot Spurs is the only organized female team in the township; they practise every Monday through Thursday on a field laden with broken glass. Some of the girls play without shoes and the coaches often use rocks for pylons. One of the most heart-wrenching things I’ve seen since arriving was one of the players removing one of her shoes to share with her left-footed friend — they both completed the practice with one shoe each. The coaches have asked me to help them write a letter to ask for some sponsorship money from local
businesses. As one of 10 white people in the township, I am conscious of safety and rarely walk alone, go out after dark, or use public transport. So far everyone I’ve encountered has been extremely friendly. I’ve even found a few locals to run with in the mornings as I prepare for the upcoming Two Oceans marathon on Easter weekend. I’m not even a third of the way through my journey. My time here is too short to accomplish everything that needs fixing in the Kayamandi Township, but I will do what I can. My main goal is to improve Zenzele Creche in the areas of hygiene and education. I also hope to help the Kayamandi Hot Spurs find some support so that in the very near future the girls will practise and play in proper footwear, with proper balls and proper pylons. Do you know a Newfoundlander or Labradorian living away? Please e-mail editorial@theindependent.ca.
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INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 23-29, 2007 — PAGE 13
Robert Steele, chairman of the Steele Auto Group and president and CEO of Newfoundland Capital Corp.
Reprinted with permission from the Halifax Herald Ltd.
The art of the Steele
Robert Steele combines his passions for cars, music and deal-making to carve out a successful career By Kathryn Harley Haynes
R
obert Steele has two favourite things: cars and music. And as chairman of the Steele Auto Group and president and CEO of Newfoundland Capital Corp., he has succeeded in combining both interests in his business life. Just as well. When you ask the 45-year-old about his work week, he says first he doesn’t really consider it working. And second: “I work all the time. I get up early and I wake up thinking about business.” But as he points out, “business takes time, if you’re going to be successful. You have to have pas-
sion for what you do.” We’re talking in the large boardroom at NewCap headquarters on Windmill Road in Dartmouth, its wall of windows offering a prime view of Bedford Basin. Steele projects an image of hip-edged business — the elegant pinstriped suit combined with the collar-raking hair. He talks with enthusiasm about the upcoming trip to the SXSW (South by Southwest) Music Conference in Austin, Tex., where tens of thousands of members of the music industry have the opportunity to listen to an array of musicians running all the way from The Who’s Pete Townshend to Iggy Pop to Kings of Leon and
Mastodon. For Steele, a conference like SXSW is one of the benefits of heading a corporation that owns scores of radio stations with their need for hours of music. Steele, the second of three sons of noted businessman Harry Steele and his wife Catherine, says he got his initial insights into deal making sitting around the family dining room table as a youth in Gander. The first of those deals was the acquisition by Catherine of a local hotel. That was back at the beginning of the 1970s, when Harry, a career naval officer before he turned to business, was Gander’s base commander. Within a couple of years he had
retired from the navy and founded NewCap, launching a career whose achievements have been crowned by induction into the Order of Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Business Hall of Fame, among other honours. Robert clearly had lots of business inspiration close to hand. So, armed with a bachelor of arts degree from Memorial University — along with a quick realization that a love of music doesn’t easily translate into a living wage — it was business he turned to. The opportunity he found was an Auto Trader franchise. “I’d always loved Auto Trader,” he says. “When I was a kid, when-
ever we went to Florida, I’d pick it up and read it cover to cover.” Within a couple of years of that successful venture, Steele was ready to move to a more challenging enterprise, and bought a partnership in what was then Collins Chrysler, a Halifax dealership established in 1990. At first it was no picnic. Indeed, Steele says, “the first year was awful. I was brand new to the business and it was a baptism by fire.” One of the issues was the structure. “There were three equal partners,” he says, “so there was no deciding voice.” See “Business takes time,” page 14
Equalization: new and improved? The federal government’s new plan may cost province a couple hundred million a year
S
o, Prime Minister Harper, it’s the exclusion of 50 per cent of resource revenues plus a cap that prevents the fiscal capacities of equalization-receiving provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador from rising above that of Ontario. That’s your government’s best offer, eh? Oh, right — either that or, if we want to protect the Atlantic Accord, we can opt to stick with the status quo, the equalization program with the limitation of a five-province standard that you’ve been trying to fix this last year or more. (Anyone get the feeling they’re holding the accord against us?) Either way, forgive us if we fail to see where you’ve fulfilled your prior commitment. Remember? The one in your election platform, the one you’ve said would be kept, to “work to achieve with the provinces permanent changes to the
CATHYBENNETT
Board of Trade equalization formula which would ensure that non-renewable natural resource revenue is removed from the equalization formula.” So much for that. Even with the enrichment to equalization of close to $40 billion in additional money pledged over the next seven years, the federal government really hasn’t done any big favours for Newfoundland and Labrador — or Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and others for that matter. Quebec, perhaps — that province (which is closing in on its own elections, not coincidentally) will get roughly $1.5 billion extra in
equalization money slated for the 200708 fiscal year. “Mr. Speaker, the long, tiring, unproductive era of bickering between the provincial and federal governments is over,” Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in Ottawa as he brought down the latest federal budget. He spoke too soon. Way too soon. Minister Flaherty hadn’t even wrapped up his budget speech before Premier Danny Williams and Premier Lorne Calvert of Saskatchewan decried the “new and improved” equalization program. They both knew the commitment to ensure full exclusion of non-renewable natural resource revenue from the formula wasn’t part of the new deal. The argument for removing non-renewable resource revenues is based on the rationale that these resources are incor-
rectly accounted for as income, when they should be treated as capital assets. When a non-renewable resource is developed and depleted, the asset is converted to cash, resulting in no net fiscal gain to the province. When it is developed it is essentially liquidated. Once the oil is gone, it’s gone for good, unlike other sources of revenue that are constant. The federal government’s measure of capping fiscal capacity at the level of that of the lowest non-receiving province (which happens to be Ontario) makes things even more problematic for provinces receiving equalization. This provision was in line with the recommendations made last year by the O’Brien expert panel on equalization. The federal government’s justification for the cap is that it is unfair for socalled “have-not” provinces to reach a
greater fiscal capacity than provinces that don’t receive payments. It might sound reasonable. However, what does it mean when your “fiscal capacity” rises, largely due to revenues generated from developing a nonrenewable resource? If Newfoundland and Labrador reaches the fiscal capacity of Ontario, surely it doesn’t automatically mean the gap between the levels of public services and infrastructure provided in those two provinces — and the levels at which their respective residents are taxed — is suddenly eliminated. Heck no. The gap still exists and it is still very wide. We are still grappling with a much higher tax burden than Ontario. Our treasury isn’t nearly as rich and our service and infrastructure levels See “Ontario cap,” page 15
14 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
MARCH 23, 2007
‘Business takes time’ From page 13 Steele solved that by buying out the business. As sole owner of the renamed Steele Chrysler, he not only forged a success for the dealership but also laid the foundation for what became the Steele Auto Group. “By 1997 the business was going well,” he says. “I was getting itchy and looking to expand.” He explains that the car franchise circle is “tight.” As the owner of a successful franchise, he was well known in that circle and when he went looking for more opportunities, they soon began to turn up. Today, as well as Chrysler, the Steele Auto Group includes Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mazda, Kia and Porsche
dealerships. There are also two Steele Collision Centres and an in-house leasing department, Dynamic Leasing. In 2001, Steele’s business life changed again when he succeeded his father as president of NewCap, with the senior Steele remaining as chairman. “When I first went to NewCap,” says Steele, “it had transportation, printing, publishing, some radio and some high-tech. I wanted to keep what was profitable and get rid of those businesses that didn’t have good potential.” The result has seen NewCap focus on broadcasting. Indeed, as early as 2002 NewCap became a radio-only company, with the sale of Optimedia Inc., its publishing and printing division. And by June 2004, Steele was
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE MINISTER’S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION The Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation (ACAT) advises the federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Its membership includes seniors, persons with disabilities, and representatives of the passenger transportation industry under federal jurisdiction. A maximum of nine volunteer positions from the public are currently available for a term of three years. What is the role of ACAT? This committee: • identifies obstacles and emerging issues in the national transportation system that impact on accessibility for seniors and persons with disabilities; and • advises on accessible transportation issues and initiatives as requested by the Minister. Who can apply? Persons with disabilities who are 18 years of age or older and senior citizens who are 65 years of age or older are invited to apply. Individuals with specialized knowledge of disability issues are also invited. How can I get more information and apply for membership? Details on the responsibilities of members, meetings of the committee and applications are available on Transport Canada’s website at www.tc.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-665-6478. All information is available in alternate formats. TTY service is available at 1-800-823-3823. Applications must be received by April 13, 2007.
YOURVOICE telling Toronto financial analysts that NewCap’s aim was to be a consolidating force in what he called the “very fragmented” Canadian radio business. Today, NewCap’s website describes the company as “one of Canada’s leading small and medium market radio broadcasters.” NUMBERS JUMPED Since Steele became president, NewCap’s broadcast licences have jumped from 14 to 76. Most of the stations are in Western or Atlantic Canada, including St. John’s stations K-Rock 97.5, VOCM and 99.1 HITS FM. The company also has an increasing Ontario presence, with stations in Kitchener, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. It’s a presence Steele would like to grow, not least because he’d like to close some of the gaps in the current wide geographic spread. Certainly NewCap, publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NCC.A and NCC.B, appears to be thriving under the presidency of Steele and the chairmanship of his father. In 2004, the Financial Post quoted a financial analyst as saying: “I think it’s a great little company, they have a good management team. Radio is a great business to be in, in terms of the pure cash flow associated with the assets, and capital expenditures on an annual basis are extremely low.” A NewCap release last month announcing its fourth-quarter earnings reported a 17 per cent increase in yearover-year revenue, up to $93.9 million, and credited station growth, acquisitions and investment earnings for the rise. Whether it’s car dealerships or radio stations, Steele says: “You’re not good at everything. The day-to-day management skill set is very different than doing deals and building a network.” So Steele, who describes his management style as casual, makes sure he has the right team around to him to handle operations, while he focuses on what he likes best — the skill he started learning as a boy in Newfoundland — the art of the deal. “Business takes time, if you’re going to be successful. You have to have passion for what you do.” Freelance writer Kathryn Harley Haynes lives in West Porters Lake, N.S. This article originally appeared in the Halifax ChronicleHerald. Reprinted with permission.
‘John Risley has won’ Dear editor, I find the recent news and the response from the provincial government concerning the sale of FPI to be very alarming. When FPI was set up in 1983 with a great infusion of public dollars, it was in response to the financial collapse of the Monroe group of companies. At the time it was said that the cyclical nature of the fishery and fish stocks needed to be protected and nurtured. The formation of FPI was seen as the safeguard that would protect fish and fishery workers in this province from the vagaries of nature and the marketplace. It was highly successful, so successful that other players in the fish market were eager to share in the “good times” profits enjoyed by the governmentlegislated company. The newly formed Fishery Products International Ltd. operated as a Crown corporation until it was privatized in 1987. This was the beginning of the fishery’s other cycle — from government handout to corporate abandonment. FPI was restructured and in an attempt to preserve local interests and prevent private control of a government-funded company, the provincial government passed the Fishery Products International Limited Act, restricting FPI’s share ownership to 15 per cent. The act stated no shareholder could own more than 15 per cent of the shares of the parent company FPI Ltd., nor could they combine resources to acquire control of FPI. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, FPI faced ongoing struggles. Over time, FPI responded to these resource issues by sourcing fish internationally, by adding more value to its codbased products and by moving away from cod towards other types of seafood such as shrimp. The 1989 purchase of Clouston Foods Canada Ltd., a Montreal seafood brokerage, was an example of this shift in strategy, as was the company’s 1992 purchase of Halifax-based National Sea Products’ U.S. food service operation to use as a shrimp plant. The creation of an American secondary processing and marketing arm in Danvers, Mass. opened the American markets to product. Since 2003 FPI has been in the midst of a hostile take over orchestrated by John Risley of Clearwater
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
PROGRAM AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST (TEMPORARY)
DRAFTING TECHNICIAN III
Strategic Planning Division, Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Building, St. John’s, NL DUTIES: Develop, lead and coordinate processes for the development, implementation and monitoring of strategic and operational plans for the department and its associated agencies; Coordinate and manage processes for the preparation of the department’s Annual Performance and Accountability Report and prepare the Report based on input received; Represent the department, coordinate departmental responses, implement a process and provide for ongoing monitoring of various internal government initiatives including the Red Tape Reduction exercise, strategic human resource development, access to information and protection of privacy and the Commitments Database; Provide lead direction in managing and implementing processes relating to departmental cross-cutting policy issues, prepare briefing material, reports and presentations relating thereto; and Lead intradepartmental teams on specific projects associated with the above. QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge of Government’s strategic planning and policy development processes, key issues in the various resource sectors within the Department of Natural Resources, briefing note preparation and format and project management are required. The successful candidate must have the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment and demonstrate initiative together with strong oral and written communications, computer, organizational, research, analytical, presentation and interpersonal skills. The above qualifications would normally have åbeen acquired and demonstrated through graduation from a recognized university with a Degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Commerce or other relevant field supplemented by thorough responsible experience in planning, policy development, research and project management. SALARY: COMPETITION NUMBER: CLOSING DATE:
$50,045 - $65,058 (HL-21) NR.PPDS(T).060156 APRIL 13, 2007
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS: Applications should be forwarded to: MAIL:
FAX: Email:
Garfield Dart Manager of Strategic Staffing Public Service Commission c/o Department of Natural Resources P. O. Box 8700 Natural Resources Building 50 Elizabeth Avenue St. John’s, NF A1B 4J6 709-729-1860 resourcesectorresumes@gov.nl.ca
Please note - the competition number MUST be indicated on your application / resume / subject line of e-mail. Applications should be received before the close of business on the closing date either by mail, fax or e-mail. (If forwarding by fax or e-mail, an original copy is not required). Late applications with explanation may be considered. For additional information on this position, please call 709-729-5082.
John Risley
Foods. Risley’s plan has been clear from the beginning. What he wants is the lucrative Ports of the World label and marketing arm in the United States. He is aware that the plants and fishing fleet require large injections of investment and he will cut these loose as lost leaders. He has already sold two of FPI’s recent additions to its fleet at over $1 million a piece. John Risley has won. Government admits they see no solution other than to sell the company, and they do not feel that the company should have to operate under the FPI Act. It is time we realized that the fishery is the backbone and the lifeblood of rural Newfoundland. When we attempted to privatize Newfoundland Hydro there was a hew and cry. As a Crown corporation and regulated, publicly traded company, FPI provided for the vagaries of the marketplace and industry by allowing for modest profit for shareholders while investing in infrastructure that continued to tie the fishery to the communities dependent on it. Once it is sold and those regulations are removed it will only be a matter of time before the industry will have to be bailed out again with public funds. Save rural Newfoundland and stop the privatization of the fishing industry. Rick Boland, St. John’s
One (1) Temporary position of Drafting Technician III with the Highway Design Division of the Department of Transportation and Works located at St. John’s. DUTIES: This position involves advanced drafting work to prepare engineering drawings for new construction and rehabilitation projects on highways, marine facilities, airstrips, buildings, bridges, causeways, drainage and retaining structures using AutoCAD 2006 or later, computer software; makes complex engineering calculations; interprets preliminary field and geotechnical survey data for the preparation of preliminary project plans; applies standard formulas and tables in making design determinations and recognizing possible design anomalies; develops quantity estimates of projects, attends meetings in regard to assigned projects and regularly consults with design engineer(s) on assigned projects; maintains and participates in management of the file storage system for engineering plans and related tender documents; maintains associated files of assigned responsibilities; liaises with regional and associated division staff to co-ordinate project drawings and mapping to ensure drafting standards are consistent with department practices; assists in the maintenance and revision of the Department of Transportation and Works Specifications Book. Performs related work as required. QUALIFICATIONS: Considerable drafting experience in architectural and engineering design work and experience working with AutoCAD 2000 or later. The successful candidate must demonstrate good planning, analytical and communication skills, as well as the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships. The successful candidate will also be required to demonstrate their ability to work within a team environment as well as working independently and meeting deadlines. Qualifications for this position would normally be acquired through graduation from a recognized college with a program in Engineering or Drafting Technology, supplemented by responsible related work experience. SALARY:
$19.16-$21.28
COMPETITION NO:
HO/DTIII/HD/2006-294
CLOSING DATE:
April 2, 2007
GS-30
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS: Applications should be forwarded to: Mail:
Fax: Email:
Manager of Strategic Staffing Public Service Commission c/o Strategic Human Resources Management Division Dept. of Transportation and Works P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6 (709) 729-6463 wtsjobs@gov.nl.ca
Applications should be received before the close of business on the closing date – either by mail, fax or E-Mail. Late applications with explanation may be considered. A separate application must be submitted for each competition. For additional information on this position call 709-729-5483
MARCH 23, 2007
Atlantica proposal ‘cause for concern’ Dear editor, The Independent’s Feb. 23 story on the little known Atlantica initiative (Atlantica, Battle lines forming over new economic proposal for Atlantic region, by Ivan Morgan) was timely and alarming. (My response is less timely because things happen more than half an hour later on the mainland, including my weekly Independent fix.) As your article noted, the Atlantica scheme would draw Newfoundland — apparently minus Labrador — into a dubious economic and political integration with the Maritimes, the Gaspé Peninsula and the northeastern U.S. states. The concept is being vigorously promoted by the right-wing Atlantic Institute for Market Studies and the Atlantic Provinces Chamber of Commerce. But there’s a great deal more to the Atlantica story that I hope The Independent will explore. Atlantica’s big corporate sponsors owe no allegiance to Newfoundland and Labrador or to the Maritimes; their only allegiance is to their own vested interests. Their plans would reduce wages, expose our health and social services to for-profit privatization, intensify the concentration of economic activity around the biggest urban markets, and “harmonize” labour and environmental regulations to the lowest common denominator. The purported benefits would flow — not to the people of the region — but to the biggest companies, the biggest ports, the biggest offshore freezer trawlers, to the Clearwaters, the Irvings and WalMarts. FLASHY PROPAGANDA Proponents like to point out the many commonalities Newfoundlanders and Maritimers share with the people of the Boston states. But the Atlantica plan isn’t about people and communities sharing and co-operating. It’s about rich and powerful companies getting free rein to pursue their global interests. Most of the flashy Atlantica propaganda doesn’t even deign to mention fishing, farming or forestry. Their grand scheme would ignore smaller communities and rural areas and leave them further devastated. Last June, Atlantica’s corporate backers held a conference in Saint John, N.B. to advance their plans. Heavily sponsored by the Bank of Montreal, Irving Oil and other big business interests, the conference was entitled Reaching Atlantica: Business Without Boundaries. Sound familiar? Vested interests have been pushing continental integration schemes for a long time, and Atlantica is more of the same. The big boys of Bay Street and Wall Street haven’t yet quite gained the complete control they seek, the total freedom to do as they please. So they’re trying a different tack, starting piece by piece with populations that are relatively small, and, too often, desperate for some promise of economic salvation. The next Atlantica conference, focusing on energy, defence and corridors is to be held this June in Halifax, a city whose expansion to mega-port status under Atlantica would supposedly enable it to reap the questionable benefits of the proposed corridor. In an approaching future of climate change and post-peak oil, this “corridor” vision might be more accurately described as tunnel vision. In any case, Atlantica gives real cause for concern for citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador and of the other provinces affected. Yes indeed, let’s connect with each other across borders, and share the many strengths we have, but let’s do so as people and communities, not as sheep being led to the slaughter in the interests of rich CEOs and distant shareholders. The Atlantica scheme demands public attention, the kind of courageous and intelligent investigative reporting that The Independent is known for. I hope you will follow up. Helen Forsey, Ompah, Ont. and Biscayan Cove, Newfoundland
‘The height of nitwittery’ Dear editor, Perhaps you will allow me a little space to reply to the president of the St. John’s Board of Trade on the subject of Air Canada’s service to and from our city (Use it or lose it, March 9 edition, by Cathy Bennett). As an Air Canada employee, I know that bashing the airline is a time-honoured tradition and I also know that not all the bashing is groundless. On the subject of the Heathrow service, I will say that I was as disappointed as anyone to hear of the cancellation, and while not privy to the decision-making process of upper management, I think I have a reasonable idea of why the decision was taken. The problem lay in trying to fill a 230-seat Boeing 767 from two cities (Halifax and St. John’s). Often bad weather would preclude a landing at one or the other and changes in security and customs regulations presented further problems. When it came to choosing one city over the other, Halifax’s larger size was the deciding factor. FLIGHT RETURNING Anyway, the good news is we have our flight back. (This little omission by the good president was, I have no doubt, the merest of oversights.) Starting around the end of March, an Air Canada A319 will leave St. John’s for Heathrow three times a week, increasing to daily later in the summer. The flight is due to finish in late fall but that will depend on bookings. As Ms. Bennett says: use it or lose it. To those who will complain that the A319 is smaller than the B767, see above. It’s roughly the same size as the B737 used by Astraeus and I would be willing to bet that the Halifax-Heathrow service will eventually see an A319 as well. As for convenience, I will leave it to the individual traveller to decide whether they would rather go to Heathrow or Gatwick. On the subject of Air Canada service here in general, in comparison to similarly sized and larger Canadian cities it seems St. John’s does rather well. Ms. Bennett refers to the loss of the B767 service as a “slap in the collective face.” She may be interested to know that the new A319 service involves a number of expensive measures by Air Canada: No. 1, expensive modifications to a number of A319s to meet ETOPS (Extended range Overwater Planning) requirements; No. 2, the procurement of an expensive landing slot at Heathrow; and No. 3, expensive training for roughly 150 pilots (also for ETOPS requirements). Did I mention that considerable expense was involved? No doubt Ms. Bennett will pronounce these measures a “caress on the collective cheek.” As a businesswoman I’m sure Ms. Bennett will assess the two new flights on a dispassionate basis and this is all I ask. Well, not quite all. I would also ask her to consider the 100 or so Air Canada employees who live here, pay their taxes here and spend their paychecks here. When this issue first arose, some people who should know better advocated a boycott of Air Canada, the height of nitwittery in my opinion. David Paddon, St. John’s
INDEPENDENTBUSINESS • 15
‘Ontario cap’ From page 13 pale in comparison to Ontario’s. Isn’t that why equalization was created? Under the constitution, the aim of providing equalization payments is to “ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.” It’s also why it is critical we maximize the benefits from our finite oil and gas resources while we still have them. And, that’s where the logic of the “Ontario cap” doesn’t pass muster. All these arguments boil down to one fundamental point: a commitment was made but wasn’t kept by the federal government. It may not break us, but it’ll cost us a couple hundred million dollars or so a year. Cathy Bennett is the president of the St. John’s Board of Trade. Her column returns April 6.
Memorial’s Faculty of Business Administration
rd 23
Annual Partners Dinner 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the first graduates from the bachelor of commerce undergraduate degree. Join us as we celebrate this milestone and the successes of our friends in the business community who have helped make Memorial's Faculty of Business Administration a leader in management education. This year, we will highlight the accomplishments of: 2006 Alumni Honour Award recipient Mr. Ken Marshall, B.Comm. (Hons.) '84; MBA '85, vice president & general manager, Rogers Cable and the P.J. Gardiner Institute's 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient, Mr. Leonard Pecore, Genoa Design International Limited
23rd Annual Partners Dinner Tuesday, April 3 Fairmont Newfoundland Reception at 6:45 p.m. Dinner at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $90. Corporate tables of eight and ten are available. RSVP before March 27 by calling Wanda, 737-2182 or e-mailing wwhelan@mun.ca
16 • INDEPENDENTBUSINESS
MARCH 23, 2007
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INDEPENDENTLIFE
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 23-29, 2007 — PAGE 17
Shelley Bryant’s law practice has gone to the dogs — and to the kids SUSAN RENDELL Screed & Coke “I hate mom. I hate dad. Dad hates mom. Mom hates dad. It simply makes you want to be so sad.” — Kurt Cobain
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ver since Shelley Bryant started practising family law, she’s been trying to ensure the children of this province won’t be in whatever place nine-year-old Kurt Cobain was when he wrote those words on his bedroom wall. Cobain’s parents were divorcing, and although his pain may have ultimately been Nirvana’s gain — and ours — many studies show divorce can be harder on children than growing up in an intact household with parents who hate each other’s … everything. The Canadian divorce rate is about 40 per cent, and Newfoundland and Labrador is on par with the national average. Over a thousand couples go through St. John’s Unified Family Court every year seeking to split. And more than a thousand children suddenly find themselves in a no-man’s land between two angry, vengeful — or at least stressed out — individuals who used to be their parental unit. Since last August, family court has been offering free mediation services to divorcing couples in an attempt to minimize the damage to those children. Mediators include counsellors for both the psyche and the pocketbook; issues tackled include child support, parental responsibilities (custody and access) and spousal support. On March 1, those services became mandatory. Bryant, a St. John’s lawyer, has been a major player in changing the face of provincial family law. Bryant was a member of the Department of Justice steering committee that brought in mandatory mediation, and also the first lawyer in Newfoundland to practise collaborative family law — “no-court” divorce. No-court divorces, which allow clients to find their own solutions to unshackling, range from $2,500 to $5,000 and are settled within two months to a year. A conventional divorce costs $15,000 (and up), and may take four years. Divorce has traditionally been an adversarial game, often debilitating to one or both sides, and almost always to the children. When Bryant opened her law practice in 2005, Newfoundlanders were the only Canadians without access to a saner alternative. Bryant came to Newfoundland from Nova Scotia in the ’80s to do a master’s degree in psychobiology (animal behaviour) at Memorial, after completing an undergraduate degree in psychology. Her pre-law background undoubtedly accounts for the “greeter” I encounter the moment I walk into the office at 4 Bates Hill: Sally the golden Lab (mostly), one of Bryant’s three dogs. Sally is part of an ambience that makes Bryant’s law office feel like anything but. Earth colours, candles, art from Tibet, a round table made of blond wood: it seems like a dining room, especially when the tea is poured and Bryant and I settle down for a talk that ambles well past the scheduled hour. (Sally, whose eyes are decidedly non-lupine, settles down too, after some initial head-nodding, tail-wagging braggadocio over the stuffed lion in her mouth.) “I’ve had a lot of clients comment on how comfortable the space feels, and I try hard to keep it that way,” Bryant says. “I enjoy having a dog here at the office with me, and the clients like it very much as well. I’ll see people, especially if they’re really stressed, absentmindedly reaching down and petting the dog.” Sally and Annie (Bryant’s black Lab, Sally’s mother) are registered therapy dogs who visit local nursing homes and psychiatric facilities with their owner. But they do some of their best work at the office. Bryant tells me about the time an elderly client who was dying of cancer came to sign his will. Annie walked over to him, put her head on his lap and left it there for the entire session. “She never did it before, and she’s never done it since.” It turns out Bryant is a “métis,” like me — the daughter of a Newfoundland father and a Nova Scotian mother. We both grew up in Halifax, and even played in the same graveyard, a bit of country in the city — big chestnut climbing trees, a brook, lilies of the valley running away from the plots they were grief-sown in. See “Champion,” page 17
Joe Chase photos
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hotography from Goose Bay, pictures from the south coast and Southern Shore … shots of Town and the Great Northern Peninsula and all points in between. The response to The Independent’s first annual amateur photography contest — Your Town — was overwhelming, with more than 1,000 entries received from the length and breadth of the province. “I was thoroughly impressed with the submissions,” says Paul Daly, The Independent’s photo editor who organ-
YOUR TOWN ized the competition. “I’m glad I wasn’t one of the judges.” First place went to Bud Dalton, a piano tuner from St. John’s for his shots of the capital city (see this week’s front page). Second place went to Joe Chase, a salesman from Paradise, for his series of three shots of fireworks on New
Year’s Eve over St. John’s, fishing boats on a wharf in Quidi Vidi village, and Cape Spear. Third place went to RCMP Const. Tony Seaward for his photographs of Bonavista, where he’s stationed. His shots included Bonavista harbour, a “drafty door,” and fences.
Ray Fennelly, a photography instructor with the graphic arts program at the College of the North Altantic’s Prince Philip Drive campus, praised the work of first-place winner, Bud Dalton. “I can honestly say I would put his work up in any competition. I think he’s a fellow competitor,” says Fennelly, who judged the competition along with Ned Pratt, a St. John’s-based commercial photographer. See “Popularity,” page 20
Tony Seaward photos
MARCH 23, 2007
18 • INDEPENDENTLIFE
GALLERYPROFILE
Just Thinking of You, Sylvia Bendzsa
Flower study in blue, Elena Popova
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lena Popova, one of Red Ochre Gallery’s core artists, says participating in The Colour of Spring show at the downtown St. John’s art gallery evokes, appropriately enough, “a bouquet of feelings.” The group show is a spring collection of colour-inspired works from Red Ochre’s repertoire of 12 visual artists. Slated to open just before Easter, the show is now in its fourth year of gently coaxing local art-lovers to believe winter will cease and spring will return to our frigid shores. Brenda McClellan, Red Ochre’s curator, says the timing of a spring-themed show is only natural. “The emphasis is on a lot of colour because I think we’re all starved for a bit of colour at this time of year,” she says. Popova, a visual artist living and working in Flat Rock, is in the process of whit-
Rainy Day at Rose Garden, Natalia Charapova
The colour of spring tling down the numerous works she has produced for the show. She says art allows us to “bring inside our homes what’s out.” She says the best compliment she’s ever received was from a woman who banished her winter blues by gazing upon her work. Flower Study in Blue, a still-life floral arrangement by Popova, is a passionate blast of colour. Heat pulsates from red roses arranged in the cool blue vessel, while the frame is bordered with seedlike spots of black and white. The show encompasses numerous styles and mediums, ranging from
Popova’s monotypes to etchings to water colours to silk paintings. Although most images are based on spring flowers — many germinating from last year’s sketches or even from store-bought arrangements during the long winter months — the artists are free to submit other springthemed subjects, such as vivid landscapes. Calypso, by west coast artist Urve Manuel, is one of the pieces the stained and fused glass artist will be showing in her first group show at Red Ochre. The berry-stained wild orchid is simultaneously delicate and full-bodied in lucid glass. The finely rendered flower would brighten any window, filtering streaming daylight into a bustling kitchen or quiet study. Manuel says she found the blossom on one of the many treks she makes in her hilly home. “I found it in a secret bog,” she says, “in
Iris and Fruit, Ilsa Hughes
Calypso, Urve Manuel
one of my secret little caches and stashes.” Manuel says she is entranced with the varying quality of light, and how her medium of choice reflects it. She says it’s another way to appreciate and interpret scenes of natural beauty. “Sometimes you have to look at a painting for a long time to get it. “Depending on the time of day and the weather … glass changes. It’s very alive — the way light hits it and refracts it.” Sylvia Bendzsa, a longtime painter and resident of St. John’s, submitted two pieces to this year’s show, one of which is entitled Just Thinking of You. It’s a sun-warmed, meandering view of islands off the coast of Tors Cove. The disappearing ribbon of road curls around a thick stand of trees, echoing the curve of the harbour formed by the islands. The sky is traced in circular tufts of
white cloud. “I just like people to look at it and enjoy it,” Bendzsa says about the piece. “I try to do something that really strikes my soul … I like listening to jazz when I’m painting. Working out the formula how elements go together.” As Popova puts it, spring, in all its lifeaffirming beauty, is a continuous source of inspiration for anyone who has endured the harsh months of winter. “The light is changing, buds on the trees are starting to appear, life is starting to manifest in all its forms all around us. It’s an absolutely beautiful moment in life, the cycle of life that’s so fascinating.” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca The Colour of Spring opens March 23 and continues until April 18 at Red Ochre Gallery, 96 Duckworth St., St. John’s.
‘Champion of all creatures great and small’ From page 17 (Bryant was bolder than I was, though: she and her friends held séances there at night.) Bryant worked as a wildlife biologist for the provincial government while completing her master’s. She was responsible for the seabird ecological reserves, and drafted the first management plans for Cape St. Mary’s and Witless Bay. “I also had a craft business, Salt Water Moon Designs … hand painted clothing and ceramic jewelry, and I also started doing environmental consulting work. My halcyon days … I got to use both parts of my brain, the creative side and the academic.” I ask her what she thought of Newfoundland when she first arrived. “I fell in love with it,” she says. “I still have fond memories of Halifax, but this is my heart’s home.” I second that one. After completing the degree that brought her to the province, Bryant started doing local and national environmental work. This led to two things: “a combination of being intrigued by how the law can help protect the environment … and also, quite frankly, I became burnt out.” Bryant says defending the environment is arduous and often fruitless work. She assures me, however, that law wasn’t a second choice. “A lot of environmental work is about the law. And that’s where my initial interest came from.” Bryant returned to Halifax in the late ’90s, long enough to obtain a law degree from Dalhousie. “Even though I had the environmental work in mind, I knew that once I started law school that there would be other aspects that would be attractive to me. I did the family law course, and then I
worked at Dal Legal Aid. “I started to realize how incredibly adversarial and litigious family matters are. I had done a lot of mediation training when I was doing the environmental consulting work … I had a really strong interest in that.” In trying to put yourself and your fellow lawyers out of business? I ask. “There will always be a place for litigation,” Bryant says. (Her laugh lifts off lightly, like one of the storm petrels she calls “fabulous little birds.”) “But it’s a very blunt instrument for dealing with family issues. The courtroom is not the place for looking at the subtle but important gives and takes that may have existed within a relationship. You’re not able to get that before the court in a way that is satisfying to clients.” Not every splitting couple is a candidate for the collaborative process, Bryant says. She believes, however, that “by far and away the majority of couples have the ability, innate and inherent, to come to a resolution themselves. But in times of emotional and financial stress — and with the fear of losing children — they need guidance.” Bryant tells her clients, most of whom have children, that an adversarial approach “is not going to help. It’s just going to fuel animosity, and the child is in the middle of it … They absolutely have to be kept in mind, first and foremost.” Bryant says non-adversarial law is becoming popular in areas other than family law. “Lawyers are trained in the adversarial model, and it truly is a paradigm shift,” she says. “It’s very forwardlooking, and litigation is very backward looking. Collaborative law is snowballing globally.” I ask Bryant what she likes to do in her spare time. “Hike and snowshoe and
Shelley Bryant
read. And play scrabble with Bernard.” Bernard is Bernard Martin, the crab fisherman and award-winning environmental advocate with whom she has lived for 11 years. Bryant spent a season fishing with him before she opened her law practice. “I needed to do something physical to blow the cobwebs out of my hair.” (Twenty-two-hour days on a crab boat sounds like a holocaust solution for hair cobwebs to me — but she says not even Aveda’s new line of conditioners work for her.) Bryant and Martin live in Maddox
Paul Daly/The Independent
Cove, in a house Bryant designed. A salt box with interior (salvaged) stained-glass windows, she says it’s “a new house built from old materials, R-2000 and quasipassive-solar … really energy efficient.” The couple’s 100-year-old pine floors come from Bishop Spencer School for Girls, which was destroyed by fire in 1999. I figure they must have had some sanding job on their hands — all that wood marked by scuffing generations of Anglican girls in Oxford shoes. Bryant’s next project is to get the word out about collaborative family law. She
and other local lawyers who practise it (and for whom she arranged the training) plan to strafe doctors’ offices and other public areas with brochures outlining the benefits of the process. On my way home, I think how much television will suffer if non-adversarial law becomes the norm. And how many non-traumatized, snot-nosed Newfoundland children will be boring themselves silly watching it, thanks to Shelley Bryant, champion of all creatures great and small. srendell@nf.sympatico.ca
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTLIFE • 19
Don’t touch that dial …
The zombie-Canada connection TIM CONWAY Film Score
Will upcoming CBC changes attract a new radio audience or merely alienate the old?
Fido Starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly 1/2 (out of four)
NOREEN GOLFMAN
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Standing Room Only
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he world naturally divides between those who listen to CBC Radio and those who don’t. Listeners stick to their preferred broadcaster with the loyalty of hockey fans. Viewers of television range openly over the channels with anarchic disregard for any particular network, lighting on whatever distraction suits them in the moment. Listeners of radio fix themselves in one place and tend to stay there, like doves, swans and bald eagles who mate for life. Every radio in my life is tuned permanently to CBC and has been for all of my adult life. I turn on the car; I’m already home with the CBC family. During the week I wake up in the morning to CBC radio and weather reports. On the weekend I indulge more leisurely in informed interviews and arts reports. The only energy I might expend in the direction of my listening pleasure is whether I switch from Radio One to Radio Two or vice versa. I don’t necessarily like all the programming or the hosts and reporters whose voices I could identify through a noisy traffic jam, but like millions of other Canadians I remain fiercely committed to the public broadcaster. There is simply no alternative in commercial radio to the quality — depth and breadth — of CBC Radio programming. CBC Radio has long been a unifying and an ordering force in this country. When I lived and taught in the state of Maine for a year, I was horrified to realize I might as well have been in Timbuktu, not a mere few hundred kilometres from the Canadian border. In the dark age before the Internet, I had to rely on a shortwave radio to hear any news of Canadian politics. Even National Hockey League news wasn’t easy to come by in those days. My sense of order was shaken and my connection with Canada strained. I tried to naturalize myself to the smart voices on the National Public Radio band, but I never did fully warm to their Boston-centricity or their smarmy earnestness. I wore a Habs sweater to social events and chided my American colleagues that they wouldn’t know good radio programming if they heard it. And so it is no surprise that dedicated listeners are freaking out as CBC Radio is dramatically overhauling its programming this week. Forcing a change in people’s listening habits is dangerous and, many would argue, reckless. Whenever CBC Radio shakes itself up there are cries of indignation from the loyal listening base, many of whom feel like blindsided victims of irrational decision-makers. Radio Two, where some might argue the fans are most dedicated, is undergoing the biggest changes, and the complaints were rising well before the switch date. It would be a fascinating study to trace the changes to CBC Radio over the last two decades, in the interest of measuring the degree to which the broadcaster’s improvements have enhanced or dumbed down the network. Consensus would probably favour the latter interpretation. The program mavens seem intent on building new, youthful audiences, thereby alienating the seasoned adults who have always comprised the bulk of the listening audience. Most listeners would argue that you come to an appreciation of CBC by degrees, like acquiring a taste for asparagus or brie. The core of CBC Radio Two has long been classical music. Almost any time of day you knew you could tune in to the FM channel and hear opera, a full orchestra, or a single guitarist filling your car or living room. But apparently things really do change. Now when you tune in between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. you might hear anything from “jazz, contemporary and live music from a wide range of genres,” as the Radio Two website boasts. Broadening the scope of offerings does not necessarily mean dumbing down the network, but it does signal significant change of audience. The old audience believes it ain’t broke and so why is anyone trying to fix it? Especially aggravating many long-time listeners like me is the loss of the late evening jazz program, After Hours, hosted by Andy Shepherd. The substitute is an eclectic, non-genre specific disc-spinning mix, the success of which remains to be heard. Radio Three, which has been available to listeners via satellite and podcast, has been steadily building a younger audience through its alternative music programming, but much of that indie material, all Canadian, will now be carried over into the Radio Two lineup. Perhaps it will work, and listeners will carry themselves over to Radio Two, as well. At this moment, call me skeptical. In keeping with the trend to youth, the newscasts will be shortened or removed altogether, so that listeners who wish to be informed of the World at Six will have to change to Radio One. They might never come back once they leave, who knows? The implication is that younger audiences do not want to have their ears pierced by talk of war or crises. Is there an insult or a shrewd programming strategy in the works here? Personally, I am willing to give the broadcaster a chance. If I end up being more informed about contemporary Canadian music then all the better. But if I don’t like that music or the new voices who will be introducing me to it then I am not sure what I’ll do. Retire to my private disc collection? I doubt it. For better or worse, CBC is an addiction I am not willing to be cured of. Noreen Golfman is a professor of women’s studies and literature at Memorial University. Her column returns April 6.
Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) dances with Fido (Billy Connolly).
elcome to life in the town of Willard in the 1950s, a place and time that seems incomplete without Wally and “the Beav,” where young Timmy Robinson has gotten himself into a bit of trouble. Picked on by a couple of bullies at school, he’s gotten his shirt all dirty. Fortunately, his embarrassed mother is quick to solve the problem — a kiss on the cheek, instructions to change his shirt immediately, and he could forget
all about those bullies. Mrs. Robinson, herself, is skating on thin ice, for she’s gone against her husband’s wishes and procured the latest fashionable addition to domestic domains: a zombie. Everyone else on the block has one, and the new neighbours have at least a half-dozen. What was the poor woman to do? In a way, Fido picks up where Shaun of the Dead left off, although the comedy is a little less sophisticated. The gags are directed more towards lampooning the culture of American entertainment in the 1950s, so the result comes across like a spoof of Lassie Come Home, with zombies. So the story goes, the Earth has passed through a cloud of cosmic dust, which has brought the dead back to life. A company called ZomCon has devised an electronic collar that pacifies and See “300,” page 20
MARCH 23, 2007
20 • INDEPENDENTLIFE By Kyla Bruff For The Independent
among the group’s influences, saying Texas Chainsaw’s songs are like “the blues played with Pearl Jam’s amps.” According to the band members, they aren’t talented enough to play true country, yet they say they have the boomchicka guitar rhythm down pat and love what they’re doing.
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ne of a the very few country bands on the downtown St. John’s music scene, over the past two years the members of Texas Chainsaw have been attracting all kinds of crowds to their late-night lounge acts. Whether it’s an old man waiting in the back of the club to hear a Tom Waits cover or girls dancing the night away in the front row, the five members of Texas Chainsaw have a reputation for always entertaining their audience. With an easy-going attitude and a mixture of unique musical stylings, the “Chainsaw boys,” as they’re fondly referred to, are setting themselves apart other young local indie bands. Texas Chainsaw’s beginnings stem from Johnny Lonesome, a cowboy front man Adrian Collins met while in Ontario. Taking Johnny’s name, attitude and style back to St. John’s with him, Collins founded the group with drummer Alex Cornick and guitarist David Banoub. “The thing about Johnny is that he never made it famous but he always played rock and roll,” says Collins. “To this day he still plays rock and roll because he just loves the music. That’s the attitude that I think a lot of us have.” With the addition of a bass player and a backup vocalist, Texas Chainsaw played its first show in March 2005. As it celebrate the two-year anniversary, Texas Chainsaw is happy to continue playing, though the band’s lineup is ever changing. Daniel Banoub has replaced older brother David, who moved to Ontario, on lead guitar. Known to turn a twominute song into a nine-minute epic, the younger Banoub’s solos have character-
Daniel Banoub, Adrian Collins, Lee Hanlon, Alex Cornick, Mara Pellerin are Texas Chainsaw.
Paul Daly/The Independent
For the love of ‘bluntry’ Texas Chainsaw has been bringing their version of country to St.John’s listeners for two years ized him as a top guitarist on the local scene. On bass is Lee Hanlon, former guitarist with another local band, The Nordic Beat. Hanlon brings a new dynamic to the group — along with his girlfriend Mara Pellerin, on back-up
vocals. Although there’s plenty of kidding around and light-hearted rivalries with other local acts, the members of Texas Chainsaw assure their audience they’re not a “joke.” To the average listener, Texas
Chainsaw might get away with a simple label of country. However, when asked to describe their style, terms such as “rock and rollabilly” and “bluntry” come up. It’s rock and roll, rockabilly, blues and country all at once. Collins lists The Band and Pearl Jam
‘BEST B-BAND AROUND’ Calling themselves “the best B-Band around” — meaning they’re a perpetual opening act — Texas Chainsaw band members are happy with where they stand in comparison to other groups. “We’re all just buddies, we have fun, and we just like having a good time,” Collins says. “We don’t take it too seriously cause everybody in this town seems to take it way too seriously … nobody in this band wants to be famous and make like $9 million.” “In the end, we’re just trying to break even,” adds Banoub. Texas Chainsaw is ready for the next step, and will be recording a full-length album of originals this summer. In the meantime, the band continues to play around town, including showing up at a variety of benefit shows for the causes they support. Although there has been talk of Hanlon moving to Germany, and Banoub going to the States for studies, the band has no intentions of stopping. Cornick says the slow rotation in members only serves to add a new dynamic to their songs. As a line from one of their original songs says: “Don’t keep complainin’ if you’re not into changin’.” myspace.com/texaschainsawband Kyla Bruff is a level three student at Holy Heart of Mary in St. John’s. kylabruff@hotmail.com
Popularity of contest leads to new section in The Independent From page 17 Given the tremendous response and quality of entries, The Independent will run a weekly feature starting next week called Your Town, showcasing a selection of some of the best photographs submitted to the contest. “I encourage any amateur photographers who would like to present their work and their towns to submit pictures to The Independent,” says Daly. “Here’s an opportunity to show Independent readers why they should drop by your town.”
Ned Pratt
Contest brought to you by The Independent and PhotoTec.
A wounded Leonidas (Gerard Butler) roars his defiance at the Persian invaders
300 is pure visual spectacle From page 19
Ray Fennelly
domesticates zombies, allowing them to be controlled and used for menial chores, the latest laboursaving device. Of course there are occasional problems, but ZomCon seems to be able to jump on them quickly, and with a tight control of the media, damage control isn’t a very big challenge. This is a meticulous production, featuring winning performances especially from Moss, as the mother, and Connolly, as the zombie Fido. The gleaming cars and bright colours help resurrect our impressions of Everytown, America in the ’50s, and the dead resurrect themselves in a not very scary way. Hot on the heels of Bon Cop, Bad Cop, Fido is another made in Canada feature film with commercial potential. Unfortunately, landing not too far behind Shaun of the Dead, this one seems a little less clever, and not as funny. It is consistently amusing, and it does have a certain charm to it, making Fido a picture that rises slightly above the average comedy.
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300 Starring Gerard Butler
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(out of four)
Continuing the zombie-Canada connection is a motion picture filmed primarily in Montreal and directed by Zack Snyder, who made a name for himself with Dawn of the Dead a few years ago. This time around, Snyder takes on one of history’s most famous military stand-offs, when 300 Spartan warriors attempted to hold off the advancing Persian army at Thermopylae, in the 5th century BC. While the Spartans were trained, accomplished soldiers, capable of dispatching forces more numerous than themselves, they were significantly outnumbered in this instance. Counts seem to range
between the hundreds of thousands to the millions in describing the size of the invading army. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), 300 is more attuned to the task of adapting the book to the big screen than a meticulous re-enactment of the Battle of Thermopylae. Miller’s fictionalized account, further interpreted for the medium of commercial film, is not intended to be a history lesson, so leave your notebooks at home and your brains in the charger. Gerard Butler, whose breakthrough role was the titular character in Attila (as in the Hun), and who recently assumed the role of Beowulf, in Beowulf and Grendel, is an obvious choice for King Leonidas, the King of Sparta. Ripped poster boy for testosterone overload, Butler brings the heroic figure to life with all of the bravado and bawling one rarely finds outside the arena of professional wrestling. A pure visual spectacle, 300 owes much to computer graphics and the sprawling epics of the last decade as it does to Frank Miller or ancient Greek warriors. There’s hardly a frame of the film that couldn’t be enlarged into a catchy comic book cover or cool poster. The characters’ lines are almost always short enough to capture within a cartoon speech balloon, and few of them, properly punctuated, would end with anything other than an exclamation mark. Sure, the story could have been more accurately told, with more attention to politics and characters, offering a more insightful portrayal of Spartan culture. It’s a compelling tale, and hopefully that better picture will be made a few years down the road. For now, and for pure entertainment, 300 holds its own. Tim Conway operates Capitol Video in Rawlin’s Cross. His column returns April 6.
Wheel-O-Fortuna
Where else can you get Carl Orff’s CARMINA BURANA, Clifford Crawley’s BAN RIGH OVERTURE... and bagpipes? Vanier Elementary School Choir NSO Philharmonic Choir MUN Festival Choir Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra
Jane Leibel soprano Brian Roberts tenor Calvin Powell baritone Heather Wright piper
Marc David conductor
Friday & Saturday, March 30 & 31, 2007 Arts & Culture Centre—8pm Prelude Concert 7:15pm: the NSO Winds
Tickets: $35/$29; $27/$23; $21/$17.50
Call 729-3900 Peter Gardner General & Artistic Director Principal Conductor Marc David
INDEPENDENTSTYLE
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 23-29, 2007 — PAGE 21
HOOPLA Professional “hooper” Allison Collins
By Mandy Cook The Independent
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ver since Wham-O patented it back in 1958, the hula hoop has been a staple of backyard childhood fun. Which means unless you’re younger than 12 — or practise rhythmic gymnastics — gyrating your hips to keep an undulating hoop about your waist is not something you’ve done lately. Not only does 23-year-old Allison Collins, a professional St. John’s “hooper,” hula hoop all the time, she is encouraging anybody of any age to sample the joys of one or multiple hoops, maybe even twirling a hoop set on fire. She says spinning hoops is highly entertaining and easy to learn.
Paul Daly/The Independent
Retro kids toy re-emerges as giddy activity for grown-ups “It’s really, really fun … once you learn the basic movements. The hoop tells you what it wants to do. It’s so fun and rewarding and you can come up with your own tricks and styles. And there’s no competition.” Collins’ classes will start up the first week of April and she says interest is at an all-time high. Unlike the hula hoops you can buy at toy stores, Collins’ are larger, allowing the user more time to perform
tricks as the hoop revolves more slowly around the body. Once someone nails the basic rotation, the hoop can travel from the waist to the chest to the neck, arms and legs. Ryan Davis, a dedicated hooping fan, gets together with a group of fellow hula hoopers every Monday night at what they term a hoop jam. It’s an opportunity for enthusiasts to socialize, move to music and have fun. He says it’s been a great way to
while away the winter, indulging in creative movement that, to him, is almost “addictive. “I find moving your body freely with very little thought without any inhibitions — it’s a really thrilling thing to do. A natural high almost comes from doing it … it’s very freeing.” Davis says it doesn’t take long to move from the basic waist spin to behind-theback grabs to high tosses. He says he’s only been practising since last summer but was part of a trio of hoopers in this year’s Santa Claus parade — complete with red and green striped hoops. Like Collins, Davis encourages everyone See “It’s infectious,” page 22
MARCH 23, 2007
22 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE
‘It’s infectious!’ From page 21 to give his new pastime “a whirl” and although he doesn’t go looking for a workout per se, he says he always works up a sweat. Collins will travel to Europe this summer to participate in circus workshops and to develop her fire hoop techniques, but will be in the province to offer outdoor classes in local parks, an increasingly common phenomenon in many North American cities. She says the world hooping community has seen much growth in the five years she’s been practising and perfecting her craft — there are magazines dedicated to it and video postings of performances are now commonly found on the web. But it is the fun and foolishness that keep the hoopers coming back for more. Both Collins and Davis say it’s normal for those involved to sport a silly grin the entire time they’re playing and practising. Collins describes the phenomenon simply: “It’s infectious!” mandy.cook@theindependent.ca
Croutons: not just for garnish NICHOLAS GARDNER Off the Eating Path
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or most people, croutons are the dry, hard-as-rocks lumps of bread sitting solemnly atop poorly made Caesar salads hoping beyond hope that some dressing will fall atop of them and turn them into soft mushy messes. I think differently. I think of croutons as crunchy, but delicate, morsels that can accompany anything from soups to starters and beyond. Auguste Escoffier, who brought cooking out of the palaces of France and into the streets, liked croutons. Escoffier also penned some 300 original recipes, all of which are part of the foundation of modern cookery. Croutons elevate the dish in both function and elegance, raising it above the plate and giving us crusty little bread bits to mop up sauce. Before you think of croutons like those mentioned above, think of big, round, fluffy, crunchy discs full of flavour and exceptionally delicious. Bored with basic appetizers for a fancy meal? Give your guests fancy mushrooms on baked croutons. This is a simple dish using things easily accessible in the kitchen. There are lots of different kinds of mushrooms on sale in the supermarkets these days. Choose a variety for texture and taste. Button mushrooms: basic white mushrooms. Portabella: large brown mushrooms, sometimes more than 10 centimetres across. Thick and meaty, these can be grilled and served like
Crimini mushrooms
a vegetarian steak. Crimini: small brown button mushrooms. Crimini are actually Portabella mushrooms which have not fully developed. For this dish I use four slices of basic white bread. With a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter — or if you don’t have that, a round water glass works wonders too (just be careful not to break the glass) — cut the centres out of the bread so that you have a round disc. Do this with all four slices, one at a time. Butter both sides of each disc of bread, heat up a sauté pan, and brown both sides of the crouton. You can, if you have to, do these in batches. Set aside on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425C. Clean the mushrooms if needed, but do not wash them because they are like little sponges and will release all their natural flavours as easily as they absorb new ones. Use a dry piece of paper towel to gently rub off any dirt. Then cut or tear up the mushrooms into pieces. They don’t have to be even, and for this
look, rustic looks great. Take a look around the kitchen. What do you have? Maybe some onion, garlic and tomato? Cut or mince the garlic and do the same with the onion. Dice the tomato. Look for liquid for the base of the sauce. How about that last little drop of brandy sitting in the bottle or the last bit of a bottle of wine? For a thickener you can use tomato paste or pesto if you have some. Place the pan with the croutons in the oven to brown. It should only take five or six minutes. Preheat the pan to cook the mushrooms. Add a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat oil. Toss in garlic, onions and tomatoes to hear a sizzle. Stir around for one minute. Add the torn mushrooms. Sauté for two minutes until they start to soften and cook down. Add a bit of the tomato paste or pesto and stir it into the mixture. Cook for another minute. Take the pan off the heat and add the liquid and then back onto the heat to cook for one more minute. Season to taste and turn off the heat. Take croutons out of the oven. Place one in the centre of each plate. Put one spoonful of mushrooms on each crouton, and do not allow it to drip onto the plate. If there is any liquid left, take up the juices and sprinkle in a circle of drops in a counterclockwise pattern around the crouton and make sure there is enough for each one. Remember: just because it looks like a dried bit of bread doesn’t mean it is a dried up bit of bread. Nicholas Gardner is a freelance writer and erstwhile chef living in St. John’s. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com
TASTE
Roasted delights By Jennifer Bain Torstar wire service
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ife is so crazy busy, I gravitate to quick recipes. Some deliver a flavour punch, other are refeshingly simple.
MUSTARD-ROASTED POTATOES “Roasting potatoes at high heat makes them crisp on the outside and tender inside,” reports Ina Garten in Barefoot Contessa At Home: Everyday Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over Again (2006, $45). • 2 1/2 lb (1 1/4 kg) small red or white potatoes, halved or quartered • 2 large onions, halved, thinly sliced • 3 tbsp each: extra-virgin olive oil, whole-grain mustard • 2 tsp kosher salt • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves In mixing bowl, toss potatoes, onions, oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake, tossing potatoes occasionally with metal spatula, in preheated 425F oven 45 minutes to an hour, until potatoes are browned outside and tender inside. (Reduce heat if onions start to burn.) Transfer to serving bowl. Toss with parsley. Makes six side servings.
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VIDALIA ONION FRITTATA A superb showcase for sweet onions. You can easily double or triple this recipe. One onion should yield six thick slices. From Brunch: 100 Recipes from Five Points Restaurant (2005) by New York restaurateur/chef Marc Meyer and writer Peter Meehan. • 2 slices vidalia onion (each about 1/2-inch thick) • Olive oil for drizzling + 2 tsp • Salt + freshly ground pepper to taste • 3 large eggs • Chopped parsley (optional garnish) • Grated parmesan cheese Lay onion slices on baking sheet or pie plate.
Drizzle each side with oil. Generously sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated 350F oven 30 minutes or until golden, browned in spots and tender. Preheat broiler. In small bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Heat two teaspoons oil in small, seven-inch, heatproof skillet over medium-high. Add eggs. Reduce heat to low. Let eggs cook, undisturbed, until set on bottom. Use spatula or wooden spoon to pull eggs away from rim of pan; let uncooked eggs run underneath. Top eggs with onion slices. Transfer to oven. Cook three to four inches from broiling element for one minute. Garnish with parsley and parmesan (if using). Makes one to two servings.
It’s a small, smaller world
What does ‘size 00’ mean exactly? And why are sizes getting smaller as people are getting bigger? By Erin Kobayashi Torstar wire service
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here is a myth that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 16. Measurements from her dressmaker reveal Monroe was actually 3522-35 and wore a size 8 pant. Today, she would fit size 2 jeans at the Gap. Some things should never be carved in stone — particularly women’s clothing sizes. A quick survey of my old pants proves why. But first, I have to come out of the closet: I am a size 00. Now, you should know that one year ago, I was a size 0. Three years ago, I was buying size 2. Five years ago, I alternated between sizes 3 and 4. Recently, I found a pair of size 6 shorts I wore when I was prepubescent. I could barely squeeze into them, despite dropping six pant sizes. Nobody has noticed that I am the incredible shrinking woman — because I’m not. My real size hasn’t changed since high school. Give or take half an inch, I’ve had 33inch hips and a 24-inch waist all that time. These days, not only do brands matter to consumers, size matters, too. Now, retailers are zeroing in on women’s desire to be thin by churning
out clothing in absurd sizes such as “double zero” and “extra, extra small,” contributing to a manufacturing phenomenon dubbed vanity sizing. Although the waistlines of Canadians are expanding, sizes on labels continue to shrink at a rapid pace, creating a shift in all sizes and ultimately leaving shoppers baffled. More and more, the clothes are doing the work for wearers. Instead of losing weight through healthy eating and exercising, shoppers can drop dress sizes just by buying. Toronto-born Ilora Foyer, founder and president of Shapely Shadows, a California-based company that makes fit forms for the Gap, says the shift in sizing within the past two years has added a complicated dimension to her business. “Vanity sizing was put into place by the retailers to get more clients and to make the women feel good.” Or bemused. I noticed that one independent retailer has a size chart that reads: 0 = 3/4. “If you look from the marketplace’s point of view, if people raised a fuss, it would change” says Bob Kirke, executive director of the Canadian Apparel Federation. “But at this stage, we are in a disaggregated market ... maybe to the extreme, like this double zero phenom-
enon.” At the Eaton’s Centre, Marie Eve Lauzon, 19, looks through a rack of skinny blue jeans at American Eagle Outfitters. Skinny jeans, any teenaged girl will tell you, look better on toothpick legs. Lauzon doesn’t like being worked by clothing manufacturers and retailers. “I used to be a size 0 but around two years ago, I developed hips,” says Lauzon. Though in fact her body has changed very little, now she’s a size 6. “It says a lot about the society we live in. How much smaller can you get?” It’s hard to say how much further downsizing can go when 00 marks the lowest point. Carla Rice, a women’s studies professor at Trent University, is troubled by the language used to describe this downsizing trend. “The word vanity sounds really superficial and makes the woman sound narcissistic,” she says. “It’s not about vanity, it’s about wanting to fit and feeling afraid of fat. The size indicates that you are actually safe, that it’s OK; you are not fat. It reflects women’s fears as much as their desires.” Rice thinks the message retailers are sending out is, “No size is thin enough; no weight is low enough.”
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTSTYLE • 23
DRINK
Southern charms
While waiting for the local stores to bring in new varieties of product, Nicholas Gardner celebrates the gift of bourbon By Nicholas Gardner For The Independent
must spend a minimum of two years in new oak barrels for aging. My visitor had presented me with two different bottles: Knob Creek Bourbon and Maker’s Mark Kentucky Bourbon. Nine-year-old Knob Creek (LCBO $45.15) is a rich amber coloured drink. It is fairly strong but also slightly sweet with honey and vanilla overtones flicking across the tongue. It is a fairly long finish, as is expected with a beverage with an alcohol content tipping 50 per cent by volume. This is a drink for those who like to linger over their beverage for some time. One good drink is enough as the taste lingers for a long time, giving a very warm and satisfied feeling until the glass runs dry. The six-year-old Maker’s Mark (LCBO $44.40) is a little different. It’s not as potent as the Knob Creek and slightly less refined in the palate. It’s certainly a good start for someone who has not tried a bourbon whiskey before. It could be compared to a blended Scotch whiskey. It has multiple layers of flavours, all of which are equally good, but it fails to beat the unified flavour of a single malt. While light, it has a spiciness magnified slightly with the hint of toasted oak — the remnants of its six year interment in fresh barrels before bottling. While these are certainly not beginner prices, I found them to be reasonable for the quality of the product. Perhaps over time, these will be added to our choices in our local stores, so those of us who like new things don’t have to wait for pigeon post to give it a try. nicholas.gardner@gmail.com
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he meet happened in the kitchen of my parent’s house. “You got the stuff?” I asked. “It was expensive.” “I don’t really care. Let me see it first.” The words came out like a script from some badly written cop show — the buy was going down. It came to me in a plastic bag. The lettering on the outside proved it wasn’t from here but it was instantly something I recognized — a bag from the LCBO or Liquor Control Board of Ontario — my order had arrived. I sometimes ask people travelling out of the province to bring me back wine or spirits that I can’t find here. Since my sister was coming for a visit I asked for a treat or two from her local LCBO. I like Scotches, single malts mostly. I like the changing complexity of the drink as it moves from region to region. The local NLC is really trying to develop the depth of product on the shelves. This is clearly evident in the range of Scotch as you can go from $27 to more than $250 a bottle, with a decent selection in between. Where I think they should go next is towards bourbon — a little southern bourbon if you please. So what is bourbon anyway? Well, bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskies are bourbon. Bourbon is one of the five major types of whiskey (bourbon, Irish, Scotch, Canadian, and Tennessee). A whiskey becomes bourbon with the use of 51 per cent corn in the mash before distilling. As well, it
Labour pains
The adventures of giving birth on the mainland and other mild matters of judgment
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or his upcoming 10th birthday, my son asked for a BB gun and a copy of the movie Borat. I agreed with the gun — every bay boy needs one — but Borat is a definite no-no. His protests fell on deaf ears. “Mom knows best,” I told him. I have a confession to make. My kid wasn’t born in Newfoundland. He was conceived in a provincial park outside Ottawa, and born at Trillium Health Centre in our then hometown of Mississauga. Realizing I was to have a child that wouldn’t be born a Newfoundlander was difficult at the time — as I imagine it is for others who live off The Rock. My family decided to come be with me since I couldn’t go to them. I was due March 17. One sister flew down from Alberta with her baby, another left her near-by live-in to stand vigil at my side. My mother flew up from Newfoundland. All arrived a week before I was due “just in case” I went early, and my father came on my due date. My mother didn’t want him in the way, but no one wanted him to miss the blessed event. My family put the finishing touches on a Christening party I had been organizing at the local Anglican church. The event was booked for March 30, Easter Sunday. To prepare myself for labour, I had been working hard to stay in tip-top shape. I planned to refuse all drugs and filled out a “drug free” labour plan at the hospital. I attended yoga classes that focused on pregnancy and childbirth and I was ready to birth with peaceful mental images to get me through the worst of the labour pains. My sister, who had delivered 18 months prior, mocked me. “Peaceful mental images?” she scoffed. “Trust me … you will go blind with this kind of pain.” Besides yoga and the standard Lamaze classes, I also worked out at a gym. I was planning to deliver in a squat position — some book or another had told me this was the “easiest” and “most natural” way to go. While it looked bizarre, the gravity of the thing made sense, so that’s what I wanted. I had calves of steel and thighs that would make Mary Brown envious. The morning of March 17, I was ready to go, but the baby wasn’t. The day passed without so much as a gas pain. We tried to keep busy, but for the most part, everyone just looked at me and waited.
PAM PARDY GHENT
Seven-day talk A week later, enough was enough. This kid had to come. I was admitted and induced, not once, not twice, but twice a day for six consecutive days. We all waited for a labour that refused to start. By the 28th, we had to concede that the Christening wasn’t going to happen. Even if the kid did come, “it” and I would still be in the hospital. My family made the calls and cancelled the celebration. The next morning I was no longer fit. I had spent so much time in a hospital bed being examined for dilation that “spreadin’ ’em” had became an automatic response whenever someone entered my room. A poor fella wandered in wearing what I thought was a lab coat, so I yanked my blanket up over my knees and got into position. “I’m getting used to this now,” I sighed. “Give me some good news, tell me I’m finally ready.” The man hesitated, entered sheepishly, picked up my wastebasket, shook his head and said, “I’d like to help you luv, but I’m only here for the garbage.” Flashing the janitorial staff was the last straw. I had dilated a total of two centimetres, and I needed to get to 10. Besides being frustrated and exhausted, I wasn’t actually in
any pain. When they broke my water, things changed. My sister was right. This sucked. My plans for a drug-free labour flew out the window and I screamed for meds — whatever they had. I was still in pain, but at least I felt happier about it. My father had to fly home the morning of the 31st and when he came to say good-bye he found me in such a state that he left without saying much of anything. That night was a bad one. My husband couldn’t do anything right, my sister was convinced she would never get home again (she wasn’t leaving, she said, till this kid came), my mother had to leave in 24 hours and my father was already gone. What a disaster. “You never did like to follow the rules, Pamela,” my mother teased. “Looks like you’re having a kid who will be just like you.” True to my nature of not listening, I was breaking into Easter chocolate I had stashed in my hospital bag when no one was looking. The mix of drugs and milk chocolate finally took its toll and I became ill. It was time to get this kid out. At 5 a.m. I was rolled into the operating room and, with my exhausted husband standing near and what was left of my family waiting outside the operating room doors, the little bugger was delivered. All 10 pounds, nine-and-a-half ounces of him. My mother flew home later that day. My sister lingered for two more weeks. She would have
stuck around longer, but the baby was colicky and she couldn’t stand the screaming — his or mine. We wondered if he was protesting his mainland birth with all that bawling and bellowing. Perhaps holding on long enough to miss his Ontario baptism was his way of sending us a message that “up along” would never be home. To appease him, the Holy Water that eventually crossed his crooked forehead came from an Island font, and our lad was baptized in the Newfoundland church hubby and I were married in. Shortly after setting paws on homeland soil, the colic disappeared and our kid became likable. We moved back to Newfoundland for good when he was five and he embraced outport life immediately, never once longing for the land of his birth. I have one more confession. We almost named our son “Oliver.” Oliver was a great name for a mainland fella, but my mother urged us to reconsider. Remember your roots, she warned, you might return to them some day. “So?” I said, wondering what that had to do with anything. “H’awl-liver,” was all she needed to say. We named him Brody instead. See, mothers are always right. Pam Pardy Ghent lives in Harbour Mille on the Burin Peninsula.
MARCH 23, 2007
24 • INDEPENDENTSTYLE
EVENTS MARCH 23 • Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellas, Gander Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. Continues until March 25. • Viva Lost Elvis, a dinner and comedic musical tribute to the late great Elvis Presley, Majestic Theatre, Duckworth Street, 7 p.m., 579-3023. • Téâtro presents Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Ste. Exupéry at the Centre des Grands-Vents, 65 Ridge Road, March 23 and 27-30 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., 579-0932. • The Colour of Spring, featuring work by Elena Popova, Julia Pickard, Natalia Charapova, Ilse Hughes, Terrence Howell, Sylvia Bendzsa, Ying Tian, Veselina Tomova, Jennifer Morgan, Urve Manuel and Brenda McClellan. Exhibition opening at Red Ochre Gallery, Duckworth Street, 58 p.m. • Lizband, Roxxy’s Club, George Street, 11 p.m. • 24-hour music marathon begins at noon at MUN School of Music’s Petro-Canada Hall, Admission by donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, music continues until noon, March 24. • Gothic Vibrations concert series continues, 8 p.m., Anglican Cathedral, St. John’s, 726-5677. MARCH 24 • Morgan Brothers (gospel music) in concert, 7:30 p.m., St. James United Church, 7:30 p.m., 722-1881. • Overeaters Anonymous public information meeting, 11 a.m., St. Thomas’
Anglican Church Hall, Military Road. MARCH 25 • Avalon Unitarian Fellowship service, Gower Street United Church Lecture Hall, 7 p.m. • Annual Sharing Our Cultures/À la découverte de nos cultures fair featuring Chinese lion dancers, Aboriginal drummers and games from more than 25 cultures from around the world, 2-4 p.m., Delta Hotel, St. John’s, 727-2372. • Music at Memorial presents the MUN Opera workshop, 7:30 p.m., D. F. Cook Recital Hall, School of Music. MARCH 27 • Shanneyganock begin a provincial tour, St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellas, Gordon Pinsent Centre for the Arts, Grand Falls-Windsor, 8 p.m. Continues until March 31.
• Shanneyganock in concert, Labrador West Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • Live presentation of An Inconvenient Truth with Peter Corbyn, Inco Innovation Centre, Memorial University, 7:30 p.m., 737-2637. MARCH 29 • MUN Cinema series presents Snow Cake, Studio 12, Avalon Mall, 7 p.m. More information about this film and the season’s schedule is at www.mun.ca/cinema. • The St. John’s public lectures in philosophy continue with Restorative Justice: ShapeShifting the Adversarial Process, a talk by Dr. Scott Kenney, 8:30 p.m., Ship Pub.
MARCH 28 • Rising Tide presents Kevin Major’s No Man’s Land, Gander Arts and Culture Centre, 8 p.m. • Vince Collins, with Glen Collins and Rick West at Folk Night, the Ship Pub, 9:30 p.m. • 2006 Winterset Award readings by finalists Ken Babstock (Airstream Land Yacht), Kenneth J. Harvey (Inside), and Russell Wangersky (The Hour of Bad Decisions), 4 p.m., Masonic Temple, Cathedral Street. Reception to follow. A scene from Feel The Earth Move: The Gros Morne project, directed by Anne Troake airs on CBC-TV’s Opening Night March 29.
GALLERIES
Today, even tea drinkers are going green
• Exhibition by The Open Window Studio Group, Leyton Gallery of Fine Art, until March 31. • Michele Stamp Portraits, 32 works in graphite on paper, RCA Gallery, LSPU Hall, 753-4531. • Kinetic Portraits of 12 Canadian Writers by Peter Wilkins, The Rooms. • Michael Young (NS), Let me tell you and Kim Waldron (QC) The Dad Tapes/The Mom Photographs, Eastern Edge Gallery. • Aleks Rdest, new body of free floating colour forms in luminous colours, at the Flower Studio 124 Military Road, until April 7. • Fish by Janet Davis and Finding my Place, by Stephanie Jayce Stoker, at the Craft Council Gallery, Devon House, until April 27.
By Kate Robertson Torstar wire service
CRAFT AND ART CLASSES Printmaking, knitting, felting, quilting and more: the Anna Templeton Centre has a host of classes for young artists and adults starting soon. Call the centre for details, 739-7623.
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hances are, if you crashed the Mad Hatter’s tea party with Alice or were invited to afternoon tea with the Queen of England, you would be served black tea and offered a spot of milk and one lump or two. But these days, a cup of tea is looked at for health benefits more than a softener for cookies. All kinds of tea-based beverages exist, from the Indian spicy chai to the Asian creation, bubble tea — even Starbucks has a green tea frappuccino. Though the concoctions seem limitless, they are most often made from one of the three main varieties of tea: black, green and oolong. The major difference among the three is the processing methods used. The Tea Association of Canada explains that black tea is harvested, withered, rolled and set to oxidize or ferment. The length of time depends of
the variety of leaf. The tea is then heated to dehydrate and is then ready to drink or ship. Oolong is produced the same way but oxidized for a shorter period of time. Green tea is not oxidized at all. “Green tea is unfermented, so it is almost in its most natural form,” Marisha Golla, owner of House of Tea in Toronto, explains. “It has more antioxidants, flavonoids, catechin and chlorophyll than black tea.” In turn, there are two main processes used to prepare green tea, depending on the region. The Chinese, for example, pan roast it while the Japanese steam their green tea. These methods give “a huge differences in character,” says Golla. There are other teas, of course. White tea, which has been a specialty tea in Asia for hundreds of years, has in the last few become popular in Canada because it is high in antioxidants — higher than green tea. However, because the leaf is harvested just
once a year, it is much more expensive. The price of tea you choose to steep depends on the region where it is grown, how often it is harvested and whether it is loose leaf or bagged. Ceylon tea, for example, is harvested year round, so it costs less, says Golla, who enjoys a robust Assam tea with milk. Darjeeling tea, on the other hand, is harvested only from March to October, so the price is higher. Quality wise, loose-leaf tea is best. “Rip open a tea bag and have a look. With loose tea, the leaf in whole, not in the bag.” The abundance of antioxidants that scientific studies focus on show us that tea, the second most popular beverage in the world (water is No. 1) may be the health drink of the future. Studies of green tea extracts reveal that they may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke and cut the risk of some cancers, could prevent Alzheimer’s-like brain damage, as well as boost exercise endurance.
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MARCH 23-29, 2007
What’s new in the automotive industry
FEATURED VEHICLE
Beater fever T
CUTTING-EDGE ENGINE TECHNOLOGY Introducing the all new Volvo C30 – the first Volvo of its kind. This new hatchback uses Volvo's in-line five-cylinder turbocharged engine producing approximately 220 hp and 258 lbs-ft of torque, all of which is routed through a six-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to our cutting-edge engine technology you can enjoy rapid acceleration, high torque, excellent fuel economy, low emissions, a selection of transmissions and much more. With the Volvo C30's standard 160-watt Dynaaudio® stereo system you can listen to the radio or plug your MP3 player into the AUX socket. It goes without saying your safety is also a priority in the C30 — the unique frontal structure and intelligent safety features confirm that. The new Volvo C30 is available at Global Imports located at 934 Topsail Rd., Mount Pearl. Paul Daly photos/The Independent
here’s a change in the air — I can feel it. A pregnant pause like something spectacular is about to happen. Used cars will soon return to spawn on the lots of car dealers all over the place, ensuring a thriving population of new vehicles for all to enjoy. MARK Salespersons are crouched WOOD behind their desks with sharpened pencils, hungry after a WOODY’S short but intense winter and WHEELS eager to process credit applications. They’ve all got quotas to fill while prosecuting the inland vehicle harvest and hoping this year will be better than the last. Protesters could possibly put a damper on things, especially if Heather Mills shows up, decrying the senseless slaughter of used cars, or “beaters” as they’re known. I’d love to see her and Danny Williams debate on television again, although with William Shatner moderating this time. Mills: “There’s oil all over the shop floor, some of these cars are still running when they’re disassembled. It’s brutal.” Williams: “Heather, you’re going to get dirty working on cars, that’s just a fact of life. They’re shut off before they’re salvaged … it’s safer that way.” Shatner: “Ms. Mills. You’ll never understand common people, will you?” Mills: “Rubbish. It’s all rubbish.” Williams: “These cars are a lot like seals, Heather. At these prices they can’t be beat.” Mills endures yet another public humiliation, while Shatner and Williams share a joke off camera, something about an ass-kicking contest. A teary-eyed Shatner offers the premier a guest appearance on the Boston Legal television drama but he politely declines, citing an overwhelming sense of personal satisfaction. It could happen — Mills really is that stunned and Shatner would do anything for a buck and a laugh. My main man Dan loves cars and apparently fears no man, let alone misinformed celebrities. One thing’s for sure. There will be an unprecedented tide of used cars being traded in very soon. Dirty big banks of winter are carted off in the snow-suckin’ fog and sideways glances are cast on the old reliable family vehicle. They’ve survived another winter but look a little worse for wear — chips of paint off the fenders and dings in the rocker panels from scrunching over icy banks. The suspension’s softened up from road ruts and potholes, maybe even a crack in the windshield that creeps across your conscience. You could put another $1,000 in the old machine and make it go around for another year until you remember that those studded tires have to come off before the end of April. The price of another set of tires may be just enough to tip the balance in favour of another car — if the wife will let you. It’s all right to admit it, everybody knows this and we’re perfectly fine with it. But this time, do it right. Technically, shopping for a new car isn’t a night on the town, unless you incorporate it with some other reliable wooing tactics. Try taking her out to lunch first and casually drive by the dealership where there just happens to be a convertible available for a test drive. This will only happen if you phone ahead and make an appointment with the salesperson (car harvester?) who will act surprised when you show up. Pretend to introduce yourself, get the keys and go for a spin. Your wife will naturally be entertained with a nice cruise after lunch and even if you’re not going to buy the convertible, consider it a starting point. Work your way down to what you’d like to buy and you’ll always remember the day you had lunch and a cruise. Maybe you’re considering a second vehicle. This would be an excellent time to pick out something economical for zipping out for groceries. Grab yourself a little red number with a sunroof, there’ll be lots to choose from. I guarantee it. Let me put it this way: it’s a spring cleanup but instead of gutting the basement, people will be cleaning out their driveways. Everybody’s going to be upgrading their fleet and there’ll be cars going everywhere. I kid you not. If you don’t even have a single car to your name, now’s your chance. You wouldn’t believe the table scraps and drippings available from the industry this time of year. Step up to the plate and buy yourself some wheels. Damn the protesters, full speed ahead. Tell ’em Woody sent you and ask for the discount. Mark Wood of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s obviously knows nothing about wooing.
26 • INDEPENDENTSHIFT
MARCH 23, 2007
New blood
THE 2007 FORMULA ONE SEASON REVVED UP LAST WEEKEND. HERE ARE SOME PICKS FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD
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ith Michael Schumacher retired, Rauter wonders how Alonso’s going to and two-time world champion do with his new team (the champion comFernando Alonso switching mitted to McLaren while he still had a year teams in an effort to maintain his motiva- left on his contract with Renault; Renault tion, the 2007 Formula One season, which won the manufacturers championship opened March 18 in Australia, is while McLaren didn’t win a shaping up to be one of the most race last year). interesting ever, the experts say. “McLaren struggled last year Or is it? and are rebuilding, so it’s going Will it be wide open, as some to be interesting to see if he’ll say, or just another year of same be as quick. But the thing about old, same old (as in, a dominant Formula One is that it’s so Ferrari team challenged on occatough to catch up if you’re not sion by whoever’s in second quick right out of the box. place — McLaren some weeks “From looking at the pre-seaNORRIS MCDONALD and Renault the others)? son, Ferrari looks like they’ve To find out — and to sublimate got it together, which is pretty my own opinions, which are ususpectacular considering ally wrong anyway — I called up Michael is gone, as is Ross three people willing to offer an Brawn (technical director on a opinion: Vic Rauter, host of leave of absence). Toyota looks TSN’s Formula One broadcasts; three-time good but Honda, not so good. In fact, they Canadian driving champion and three-time might even have to bring out a whole new F1 Canadian Grand Prix driver, Bill Brack; car in time for the second race. and one of two Canadian drivers to com“Toyota, I think, made a huge mistake pete in the first F1 Grand Prix of Canada by signing the two drivers they have — 40 years ago at Mosport, Eppie Wietzes, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli. They who also won a couple of national driving seem to have the car, but I don’t think the titles. drivers are up to it. Ralf, for instance, just Rauter says hosting the F1 shows is doesn’t have the killer instinct that his more than a job; he freely admits to being brother had.” a motorhead. Rauter worries despite the promise of an “My dad used to take me to the stock car exciting season (so far as the championship races down at the CNE back in the ’60s,” is concerned), F1’s “processional” racing he says. “And when I got old enough to might be a turn-off. drive, my idea of the perfect first date was “You know, they could improve things to take a girl up to Pinecrest Speedway for tremendously if they eliminated the carbon the evening.” fibre brakes and went back to steel pads. Rauter says the TSN pre-Grand Prix That way, the braking distance would be programs will again include overseas 200 feet instead of the two feet it is now. It reports from Canadian F1 expert Gerald would take instinct and guts to make a Donaldson. pass, but it would be possible and the races Says Rauter about F1 in 2007: “With would be more exciting.” Michael gone, I think the season will be as The TSN host has a surprise pick for the wide open as we’ve ever had. I like the fact championship. that the engines are evenly matched (natu“I think Felipe Massa will win the title,” rally aspirated V8 engines with 2.4 liters of he said, and then it’ll be a toss-up between displacement) and having just one tire Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) for manufacturer (Bridgestone) is a good the runner-up position. I don’t think anything, too. body else has much of a chance of being up “Some of the drivers have reported some there. problems with the tires — the cars get a lit“It’ll be fun to watch the new guys, tle twitchy — but I find that interesting though, and see how they make out. because it puts a little of the human ele- They’ve got a couple of great looking kids ment back into the racing.” in Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) and Lewis
TRACK TALK
Renault Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy signs autographs for fans as he arrives at the pits for the second day practice session in Melbourne, Australia, March 17, 2007. Mark Horsburgh/Reuters
Hamilton (McLaren).” In August, 1967, the cream of the world’s racing crop came to Mosport for the inaugural F1 Grand Prix of Canada. Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, Dan Gurney, Chris Amon, Bruce McLaren, Jochen Rindt — the legendary list went on and on. In the mix were two Canadians — Wietzes, now a Toyota dealer in Thornhill, in a spare Team Lotus 49 assigned to Clark and Toronto commercial artist Al Pease, in an old Eagle-Climax he bought from Gurney. During his career, Wietzes won in just about every category of racing car he entered, whether it was a sports car or a single-seater. He won back-to-back Formula Atlantic championships in 1969 and ’70, drove in Formu8la 5000 and the original Can-Am series, and won the Trans-Am championship. Wietzes agrees it should be an exciting F1 season.
In 1968, as proprietor of Sports Car Unlimited in Clarkson, he was the importer of Lotus Brack, who went on to drive BRM F1 cars in Canadian GPs in 1970 and ’71 (he finished seventh in the ’70 event), disagrees with Rauter and Wietzes, so far as this season of F1 racing is concerned. “No, I don’t think it’s going to be all that exciting,” he said. “All the good guys — the stars — have retired. Michael’s gone and Montoya’s gone and who else has their flair? “Montoya was a bit like Villeneueve (both Gilles and Jacques) in that he could put a show on for you. He’d charge in there and make things interesting. The other drivers don’t do that.” When pressed, however, Brack finally said: “Well, I guess it will come down to either Alonso or Kimi. Who else is there?” OK. I can’t resist. I say Giancarlo Fisichella of Renault will win the world championship this year, with Massa second and Alonso third.
“Before, when the new guys would see Schumacher coming, they’d move over. He’s gone, so they won’t feel as intimidated.” He doesn’t think Alsonso will have as easy a time at McLaren as some people have suggested. “The Mercedes engine hasn’t performed well for them in the recent past,” he said. “So that’s something to think about. And I don’t expect much out of the new fellows immediately because you really have to understand the technology before you can really race a modern F1 car.” But when it comes right down to it, Wietzes thinks the championship will be between Alonso and Raikkonen. Brack is the only driver to win three Canadian Driving Championships and he did it three years straight — 1973, ’74 and ’75. To win those titles, he had to beat future stars like F1’s Keke Rosberg, Indy champion Bobby Rahal and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve.
TV show looking for bad drivers — starting in Ontario By Mark Richardson Torstar wire servce
played bumper tag on the 401 — he’d get in front of you and hit his brakes at 110 km/h if you ticked him off. And we had a kid last year from Whitby who was in training to be a cop. He used his cop badge to get out of tickets and boasted about it on television.” He knows that much of the reason for this is Ontario’s congestion on its highways, but that’s no excuse for poor driving, and Canada’s Worst Driver aims to improve the abilities of its contestants until, finally, the least redeemable person is left and declared “the worst.” Along the way, says Younghusband, others learn from their mistakes. “People who do watch the show a lot
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f you’re a really bad driver, and you don’t mind the whole country knowing about it, then Andrew Younghusband wants to hear from you. He’s the writer and host of Canada’s Worst Driver, which is now looking for candidates for its third season. And since the “winning” losers of the previous two seasons both came from Ontario, Younghusband says he wants to start looking there first. “To tell the truth, some of the truly most shocking drivers do their most shocking driving on the 401,” he says. “We had a guy in the first season who
will say to me, ‘I didn’t know this, I didn’t know that, that’s a good tip.’ People who watch this show look farther down the road now because that’s something that Scott Marshall (senior instructor with Young Drivers of Canada, and show judge) constantly hypes. “I can really honestly stand behind it and say that I think it’s a good learning tool for an audience and it’s an amazing learning tool for the people who get to go.” There’s little incentive to appear, but people still apply. In the eight other countries that broadcast local versions of the show, every contestant but the eventual winner will win a car so they
really do want to improve. But because the show in Canada is produced for the Discovery Channel — which is not allowed by the CRTC to make game shows — the only recompense is to cover missed earnings during filming. Even so, some 400 people were nominated for the first season and 200 for the second season last year. These were whittled down to short lists of 40 people, and a show producer drove with them all to make the final selection. “If you’ve ever been a passenger in a car and thought about the driver, ‘they should not have their licence,’ whether it was with a grandparent, brother, sister, friend or relative, we want to hear from you,” says Younghusband.
Andrew Younghusband
“Bad drivers should not be denied this high caliber of driver training. I say that for all of us who share the roads with them.” Nominations are being accepted now through the end of March, for filming that will take place this summer. You can contact the show at driver@propertelevision.com, or phone 1866-598-2591.
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INDEPENDENTSHIFT • 27
Billboards, BlackBerries and other bad distractions
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watched a guy driving the other day. His left hand was on the wheel and his right hand was furiously poking away at the Lilliputian keys on LORRAINE his BlackBerry SOMMERFELD while he alternated holding the device at arm’s length so he could see what he was doing. I’m not sure why he believed his middle-aged eyes would ever be able to perform this task, and especially not while driving. And yes, that’s even taking into consideration that a 55-year-old man is middle-aged, while for women it’s 40, even though we live longer. Much as I wanted to watch him make his series of wrong numbers, I kept my eyes on the road. I also have a tendency to have my attention drawn to sudden movements or shiny objects, not unlike a bird. Does anyone else think electronic billboards, the combination of these two things, are not just a little bit stupid? Like reading maps and eating soup, scanning these signs is an activity that should be left to the passengers of the car. But they are specifically designed to grab and hold your attention, driving be damned. I know this. I once worked, for a very short time, for one of the places that created some of the first boards in this area. Computer graphics were in their infancy at the time, and I’d design an ad with as much movement as possible. It had all the finesse of an Etch-aSketch, but the idea was to have people think they were actually seeing a motorcycle or a shoe flying across a billboard. This was so long ago, the motorcycle and the shoe looked quite similar. I was told to have the words scroll up or down, slide across, sparkle in and out, and zoom here and there. You could always tell when a newbie had designed one of these ads — you had to take a Gravol just to watch them. Back then, I’m sure people caused traffic problems just trying to figure out what they were seeing.
POWER SHIFT
Today, it’s worse than that. The technology is so great, traffic gets bungled up as people actually become involved in what they’re watching. Studies are ongoing to try to determine just what contributes the most to driver distraction. When statistics from those studies become available, everyone will do what they always do with statistics: twist them into origami shapes to suit their purposes. I’m uncertain how an advertiser is going to get away with the conundrum of trying to say that the fabulous ad they’ve created to draw attention, doesn’t.
I still believe that cell phones are the most dangerous distractions for drivers, though someone wielding a mascara wand or digging around in the glovebox for a Nickelback CD is a close second. In 1965, the Americans announced a highway beautification program — a program that apparently skirted Florida. Regardless of the intent, the highways are still pretty much a riot of ads for outlet malls and Denny’s locations. In Canada, we are able to “adopt” a highway, which means we plant flowers under the signs. Nowadays, those types of billboards look positively
quaint. If you can’t say it with thousands of pixels, don’t bother trying to say it at all. It doesn’t matter how much clutter we line our highways with, it’s always up to the driver to stay focused on the ever-changing conditions. I’ve started receiving junk e-mail on my cell phone, which isn’t set up to receive e-mail or text, so I don’t know how to clear them. Then they started calling me (“Not interested in declaring bankruptcy, but thanks so much for asking”). The apparent urgency of advertising means we don’t even have to open a paper or look out the windshield
anymore — they’re bringing it right to us, wherever we go. As I sat at a light reading an electronic billboard advertising a psychic fair the other day, my BlackBerrybinging buddy pulled up beside me. The good news? He never once looked up at the creative display promising to reveal his future. No silly moving signs to distract him from the important task at hand — dialing frantically while eventually moving off from a green light, alerted to the signal change by the car behind him. www.lorraineonline.ca
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MARCH 23, 2007
WEEKLY DIVERSIONS ACROSS 1 Small scented pouch 7 Pace 11 Name of some pharaohs 17 Magnetism 18 Jellied consommé 20 Eaves dropper? 21 Large pitcher 22 Subarctic zone 23 Pilgrim’s goal 24 European beetle 25 Flag’s maple leaf designer 27 Elly and John’s son in “For Better or For Worse” (FBFW) 29 Like: suffix 30 News piece 32 Please in Puerto Vallarta: ___ favor 33 Teensy 35 P.E.I. redhead 36 Large properties 38 Criminal 39 Cap part 40 T-shirt too worn to wear 41 Medication 42 P.E.I.’s tree: northern ___ oak 43 Killed 46 Noxious shrub (B.C.) 47 Fiddler MacMaster 51 In addition 52 Distance around a thing 53 Non-clerical
CHUCKLE BROS
54 A Canadian lang. 55 Tattler 56 Ire 57 He shot the big shots 58 Joker 59 French pal 60 Sharpen 61 Calcutta coin 62 N.W.T.’s official tree: jack ___ 63 Judy Loman, e.g. 65 A square has four 66 Gave medicine to 67 Possessive with no apostrophe 68 Russian author 69 Indecisive end 70 Tremble 73 Equine hybrids 74 Shania Twain’s hometown 78 Jose’s house 79 Saskatoon’s Bessborough 80 Bill 81 Cease 82 OR personnel 83 “World’s largest Western ___” (Edmonton) 84 Basketball’s inventor: ___ Naismith 86 Ruckus 87 Moneylender of a kind 89 Dog in “FBFW” 92 Suit maker 94 Lament
95 Sonata movement 96 Jean-Paul Riopelle, e.g. 97 Scoffs 98 Bird feeder treat 99 Brother’s daughters DOWN 1 Habitat architect 2 Sets out portions 3 Dry red wine 4 Embrace 5 Libido 6 Camping need (2 wds.) 7 Lustful, goatlike creature (myth.) 8 A Romanov 9 Upon: prefix 10 Glutton 11 Hazardous 12 Throb 13 Russian space station, once 14 Descendants 15 Troublesome ocean current 16 Planter 19 Small roles 26 Romaine 28 Traveller’s stopover 31 “The Magnificent” Lemieux 33 Of Wales 34 Her to Hervé 35 Verdi opera 37 Summer shade 38 Yukon river,
Canada’s oldest (est. 100,000 years) 39 Small purple wildflower 41 French door 42 Pay hike 43 Singer McLachlan 44 S. American ruminant 45 On the move 46 Like IMAX films 47 Nostrils 48 Stephen ___ 49 Silly 50 ___ on (incited) 52 Actor Paul (“Due South”) 53 Poppy place 56 Satirical singer Nancy 57 Praise for achievement 61 Orion’s brightest star 62 Works of P.K. Page 64 Rockies rodent 65 Only fish in the sea? 66 Ill-lit 68 It’s beside the sidewalk 69 The Dalai Lama, e.g. 70 Surgeons’ wear 71 Man in Motion 72 Suppose 73 Bossie’s bellow 74 Bagpiper’s beret 75 Sloping letter 76 Knotty 77 Hockey and curling
79 Honkers 80 Deck with a fool 83 Endure
84 Chinese good-luck stone 85 Delhi dress
88 Caviar 90 Two (Span.) 91 Oxlike antelope
93 Mineral: suffix Solutions on page 30
Brian and Ron Boychuk
WEEKLY STARS ARIES (MAR. 21 TO APR. 19) New opportunities spring up for the Aries. Kick up those heels and go, go, go for them. Remember: Someone special will be rooting for your success. TAURUS (APR. 20 TO MAY 20) Indulge your love of beauty. Buy something marvelous for your home, then plan a romantic dinner at a special place with that special person. GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20) Your diligent search for the truth pays off. You can now go ahead and make that decision fully armed with the facts. Expect some resistance to your plans. CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22) Travel is favored. But be pre-
pared to be flexible in planning your trip. A family situation might cause you to delay your original departure date. LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22) Be careful in whom you confide your secrets. While you certainly have your admirers, you also have detractors who would love to puncture the Lion’s pride. VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEPT. 22) That family problem still needs your attention. It would be unwise at this time to let things slide. Things start to look more promising on the job. LIBRA (SEPT. 23 TO OCT. 22) Your mate seems to feel increasingly ignored. Try for a better balance between your home and work commitments.
Start with a romantic weekend getaway. SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21) Missed opportunities usually come from miscommunication. It’s not too late to correct the wrong assumptions. A timely call can help re-establish important contacts. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21) Your usually keen sense of direction needs some sharpening this week. Stay focused on your goals despite those pesky distractions. Your efforts will soon pay off. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19) Don’t automatically reject suggestions from friends and family members. Some of their ideas might be helpful. Check them out before you decide to
chuck them out. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18) Expect to be pleasantly startled when a promise from the past finally comes through for you. Use this as an opportunity to restart that long-delayed project. PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MAR. 20) An air of conspiracy dominates the workplace. Avoid taking sides. This is one time when you need to concentrate on being your own best friend. YOU BORN THIS WEEK: You despise hypocrisy. Your honesty is admired, although your friends sometimes feel you could be less blunt and a little more diplomatic. You love living life to the fullest. (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, MARCH 23-29, 2007 — PAGE 29
Spring cleaning A mental cleansing of the thoughts stored through winter DON POWER
Power Point
S
pring arrived on our shores earlier this week, although from the sub-freezing temperatures and snow squalls Wednesday, you’d never say it. However, the expeditious departure of snow is a sure sign that the dead grass, half-buried under brown mounds of crusted ice, will be green before long. That can mean just one thing: the Master’s golf tournament is just around the corner. OK, two things. It also means springcleaning, that time when men of all shapes and sizes return to the outdoors and repair the mess the winter left around their houses. For guys like me, it’s spring cleaning of a different kind; time to clear away winter notes that I have tacked up, taped down, jammed together and crumpled up but have yet to throw away …
It’s time to return to the old intermediate set-up, allow local guys to play a game of hockey for their hometowns, and provide some local entertainment.
Brad Gushue’s Olympic gold medal victory in curling in Turin last year was just one of the many national or international sporting highlights from 2006.
Andy Clark/Reuters
Provincial honours; international calibre
Quality of nominations for provincial athletic awards continues to rise, says committee chairman By Don Power For The Independent
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arch 31, 2007 was probably the last thing on Brad Gushue’s mind when he and his Newfoundland and Labrador curling rink won an Olympic gold medal last year in Italy. But Feb. 24, 2006 — the day Gushue beat Finland’s Markku Uusipaavalniemi in the Olympic final — will be front and centre next week when Sport Newfoundland and Labrador holds its annual athletics awards banquet, and Gushue walks up to accept a couple of prizes. The St. John’s curling skip is nominated for a pair of awards at the provincial banquet, scheduled to take place at The Colonnade in Pleasantville next Saturday. Gushue has been selected as a finalist for the Ferd Hayward Senior Male Athlete of the Year Award and his team is in the running for the Edward Brown Team of the Year Award. Of course, 2006 was a special year for the St. John’s Curling Club rink. They represented Canada at the Turin Olympics and brought home the first gold medal for a Canadian men’s curling team. “Our province witnessed some memorable sporting achievements in the past year,” says Trevor Paine, chairman of the annual awards banquet. Last year was also special for a couple of other teams who may have the misfortune of enjoying tremendous success in Gushue’s shadow.
The Kelly’s Pub Canadians men’s softball team won the Canadian junior championship last summer, riding the strength of tournament most valuable player Sean Cleary’s pitching arm to the title. And The Rock Rugby Club demonstrated to the rest of the country we do know how to play rugby in this province. The Rock successfully defended its Rugby Canada SuperLeague title with a convincing win over Saskatchewan’s Prairie Fire at Swilers’ Complex. Those two teams are the other finalists for team of the year. In the senior male athlete category, Gushue is competing against a runner and a rugby star. Colin Fewer of Harbour Main qualified to run for Canada with a strong 2006 season. His performance at the national cross-country championship in December, as well as strong finishes in Vancouver and Ottawa, highlighted his year, which included being named provincial road race champion. Rod Snow, who retired from professional rugby in 2005, returned to provincial play and led the Rock to a 60 record in the Eastern conference of the SuperLeague before a total dismantling of the Prairie Fire in the title match. Snow was also instrumental in leading the Canadian rugby team to a qualifying win over the United States — again on Swilers’ pitch — that put Canada into the next World Cup. Snow capped off that match by scoring a try in front of the hometown fans. These are just a couple of examples,
Paine stresses, that show the magnitude of the accomplishments in 2006. “Once again this year the quality of athletes, coaches and volunteers are of an extremely high calibre,” Paine says. “The group certainly represents the progress our province is making when it comes to competing on a national and international stage. We have Olympic gold medal winners, twotime national rugby champions, national softball champions, a world ranked swimmer and a nationally ranked tennis player … to mention only a few.” The senior female honour, the Elizabeth Swan Memorial Award, will go to rugby’s Charlene Barter, soccer’s Laura Breen or basketball’s Katherine Quackenbush. Barter captained the Rock senior women’s team at the nationals last year, and was selected to the tournament’s all-star team. Breen is one of the premier soccer players on the island, and showed that last year. She was named the Jubilee Shield’s most valuable player in the regular season after leading the league in scoring and her team to a first place finish. Following that season, she led MUN to the semifinals in AUS play, where she was named first team Atlantic all-star and second team Canadian all-star. Quackenbush was named the AUS defensive player of the year as a MUN Sea-Hawk. She was also named to the league tournament’s all-star team. She led MUN in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, the first Sea-Hawk to ever accomplish that feat.
A short while ago — Valentine’s Day to be exact — the provincial government announced plans to build a hockey rink in Torbay, for the towns and residents of the Northeast Avalon. Since then, there has been much speculation about how the rink will look, and how much the locals will benefit. There’s also been talk of a potential merger between two minor hockey associations — Northeast and Avalon have discussed joining forces for next year. Avalon has already approved the deal; Northeast members vote Sunday night. (A lengthy meeting Wednesday night discussed a lot of issues about the merger. I’m still on two minds about the deal, but must decide soon. I’ll keep you informed next week on the vote.) But one thing that will happen when the arena opens is the return of the Avalon East name to the Avalon East. Way back in 1966, the Avalon East Hockey League started, and since then teams from Torbay, Outer Cove, Flatrock, Pouch Cove and Portugal Cove — even Bell Island — have played in a community-based league. When this arena opens, look for community-minded individuals like Craig Legrow, Ron Cadigan and Carl Doyle, to name three, to look to restart the Avalon East, and reclaim the name. The Avalon East of 2007 is not the Avalon East that residents know. It’s time to return to the old intermediate set-up, allow local guys to play a game of hockey for their hometowns, and provide some local entertainment. Whether you need 1,250 seats for that — the proposed seating in the rink — is doubtful. But if the folks involved in Northeast minor hockey have their way, there’ll be two ice surfaces constructed in Torbay, not one. That’s probably a pipe dream, since government has already committed the funding for one, but it’s a thought worth pursuing down the road.
Rugby is also prominent in the junior male athlete of the year category. The Joe Mullins Memorial Award will be presented to tennis player Kendrick Au, rugby player Adam Paul or figure skater Joey Russell. Au is one of the top tennis players to ever come out of Newfoundland and Labrador. The provincial singles and doubles under-18 champion, Au is ranked top eight in Canada in that category. Paul, although still in his teens, was a regular member of the Rock, the Rugby Canada Super League champions, for the second successive year. He was also starting scrum half for Atlantic and national teams last year. With the national under-19 squad, he played in the World Cup in Dubai. Russell, from Labrador City, placed fourth at an international skating junior event in Budapest, Hungary and 11th at another international event in Norway. He was also the provincial junior men’s champ. Volleyball player Maura Hayes, swimmer Katarina Roxon and basketball player Victoria Thistle will compete for the Margaret Davis Junior Female Athlete of the Year Award. Hayes was a member of the Team Canada at an under-16 volleyball event in Florida last year. She was named to the team after an all-star performance at the Eastern Canadian championships. Stephenville native Roxon set seven senior national disabled swimming
••• Sometime this weekend, perhaps as early as March 23 in Deer Lake, the champions of the West Coast Senior Hockey League will be crowned. Across the province in Harbour Grace, more than 1,000 Cee Bees followers will cram into SW Moores Memorial Stadium Saturday night for game three of the Conception Bay North-Southern Shore Avalon East final. CBN can wrap up that series with two more wins, Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, in Bonavista, the St. John’s Midget Maple Leafs are one win
See “A credit,” page 30
See “The charade,” page 30
30 • INDEPENDENTSPORTS
MARCH 23, 2007
I
often wonder at the catastrophes we humans mete out to the earth, water and air that sustain us. And we justify our actions with some flavour of economic development and collective good — faster transportation, cheaper power or more jobs. Not that these aren’t good things, but more often than not progress stampedes forward with little or only spurious efforts to protect the environment. Planners and policy makers focus on short-term benefits while ignoring long-term consequences. Boardroom decisions are guided by the bottom line. Sometimes the politicians we elect to protect our interests see no further than the next election. Voices that expound the pitfalls of unbridled progress are trampled, labelled as extremists, or at the very least not elected. But there is a bright side. Some voices — Dr. David Suzuki for instance — are being listened to and respected more and more. Maybe we are beginning to see the damage that has accumulated since the industrial revolution. Perhaps, just perhaps, we are collectively wiser. Maybe politicians with an environmental conscience now stand a chance in the political and economic fray. More than likely, planetary calamities like global warming have brought us to our senses. Prospects of whole cities under water by century’s end have convinced all but the most right wing of politicians and oil company executives that climate change is for real. Maybe we’ll begin to do something about it. Although doing our part to save the planet is good and noble, there are tangible and practical projects that need attention right here in Newfoundland right now. Newfoundland Power is in the process of refitting its Little Rattling Brook power plant, providing a choice opportunity to right a 49-yearold wrong. Little Rattling Brook is a tributary of the Exploits River, the largest and most prolific salmon river on the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador. Nearly 30,000 salmon swam through the counting facility on the Exploits in 2005. Back in the 1950s, when the
Little Rattling Brook near Norris Arm.
Al Paddock photo
Saving Little Rattling Brook After 49 years, the time is right to bring back this once-popular spawning ground Exploits supported less than 5,000 fish, the tiny tributary, Little Rattling Brook, was home to 1,100 salmon. In addition to this, 35 per cent of the brook’s stock was two and three-winter fish; 20-to-25-pound fish were common and an occasional 40-pounder came ashore each year. For those who aren’t deep into salmon fishing, two and three-winter fish, or multisea winter fish leave their native rivers early in the spring as smolt and stay at sea for several winters before returning as chunky well-nourished salmon. They’re genetically programmed to do what they do and are an invaluable resource. The smaller (four to six pound) and
PAUL SMITH
The Rock
Outdoors more common fish are called grilse and stay at sea only one winter. Unfortunately, while grilse have faired well in recent years, two and three winter fish are in steady decline — but Little Rattling Brook had the highest percentage of those fish in all of Newfoundland. With such a prolific run of big salmon, Little Rattling Brook attracted anglers from all over the world, anx-
ious and grateful to test their skill and luck against the king of game fish. But in 1957, our insatiable thirst for energy destroyed the river. A hydroelectric project dried up the river to the point salmon could no longer reach their spawning grounds. The immediate benefits were 20 jobs for the residents of Norris Arm and more power for the paper mills. The jobs have since dwindled to two and anglers are noticeably absent. Fortunately, a few salmon continued to spawn downstream from the hydroelectric plant and are trusted to preserve the genetic purity of the original Little Rattling Brook stock. With the help of the same powers that destroyed their
river, they just might succeed. The town of Norris Arm has officially realized the importance of Atlantic salmon as an economic, ecological and recreational asset. Like the rest of rural Newfoundland, Norris Arm has been devastated by the collapse of the commercial fishery, lack of employment, and out-migration. In August 1999, the Norris Arm economic development committee identified the restoration of Little Rattling Brook’s once magnificent salmon run as their top priority. The committee has been lobbying for support and negotiating with Newfoundland Power and DFO officials ever since. The project has been endorsed by the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, Trevor Taylor (former provincial Fisheries minister) and former federal minister of Fisheries, Gerald Regan. Allan Paddock, resident of Norris Arm and member of the development committee, says the project is technically feasible and ripe for the doing while the power plant is being refitted. Water spillage tests were conducted during the fall of 2003 and the summer of 2005 through the combined efforts of Newfoundland Power, DFO, and the committee. The purpose was to ascertain just how much water is necessary to restore the almost dry river bed to a viable salmon river. What a joy it was for local residents to hear the roar of the river once more. All that’s needed now is the sacrifice of water by Newfoundland Power and a fish ladder to facilitate fish passage. In my view, it’s a small sacrifice to restore and nourish a unique stock of wild salmon that have been deprived of their habitat. There will surely be long-term and sustainable economic gain as anglers return to cast their lines and savour the swirl of Salar’s broad powerful tail as it negotiates this tiny jewel of a river. Paul Smith is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast living in Spaniard’s Bay. flyfishtherock@hotmail.com
‘A credit to the coaches and volunteers’
‘The charade is over’
From page 29
From page 29
records last year — four in long course swimming last year (50-, 100- and 200metre breaststroke and the 1,500-metre freestyle) and three in short course (50-, 100- and 200-metre breaststroke). Thistle of St. John’s is one of the province’s top female athletes. An allstar soccer player, she was also named most valuable player of the local Division I Ladies Basketball League. At MUN, Thistle played for the varsity teams in both soccer and basketball. There are also two awards to be presented for individuals off the field of play. The John Drinkwater Coach of the
Year Award finalists include Michael Bursey of gymnastics, Pat Parfrey of rugby and Paul Power of rowing. Bursey was named that sport’s coach of the year, and was awarded by coaching the provincial team at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. Parfrey was instrumental in The Rock’s rugby success and developed two senior national team players. Power coached 12 crews to provincial titles, setting five provincial records in the process. He also led the province to seven gold, seven silver and five bronze at the Atlantic championships. The finalists for the Graham Snow Executive of the Year Award include Mel Osmond of 5-pin bowling, Judy
Solutions for crossword on page 28
Solutions for sudoku on page 28
Pittman of soccer and Beverly White of gymnastics. “Of the seven categories,” Paine says, “there are 13 sports represented. This speaks volumes to the quality of athletes, coaches and volunteers we are producing. “As well, no less than 12 nominated athletes have either varsity or national team experience in 2006. That’s a credit to the coaches and volunteers that are training our athletes.” Tickets for the banquet are available for $25 each at the Sport NL office (5764932). donniep@nl.rogers.com
away from the provincial midget title, and a return shot to defend their Atlantic championship. A win tonight against Tri-Pen Frost would send the Leafs on to Cornwall, P.E.I. for the Atlantics. While a hockey fan can’t really get to all events, there’s hardly any need to go. That’s because the outcome is not in doubt. Nobody will be shocked to learn that by Monday, Deer Lake will be the West Coast champ; the Cee Bees will top the Avalon East, and the midget Leafs will once again be provincial
champs. In fact, you didn’t even need to wait until this weekend to foresee that outcome. That forecast could have been made in October and, in fact, probably was. And that, more than anything, is why nobody watches local hockey, at least over here on the east coast. It’s also why the time has come for one provincial senior hockey league. Keep two divisions, and only play a home-and-home interlocking schedule, but the charade is over. Time for provincial senior hockey to resurface. donniep@nl.rogers.com
MARCH 23, 2007
INDEPENDENTSPORTS • 31
#10 Burdrew Place, KELLIGREWS
#119 East End Road BELL ISLAND
The perfect retirement home: 1/2 acre lot, large eat-in kitchen, 2 lg bedrooms new bathroom, 6 jet tub
$39,900
This valuable piece of real estate just became available for purchase. It is a registered 2 apartment for an unbelievable price. This home has new windows, doors, siding, roof etc. $149,900
#82 Murphys Lane BELL ISLAND
Great Starter home. Located on a quiet street: beautiful kitchen family room, 3 bedrooms presently rented.
$55,000
A brilliant oppotunity for the smart first time home buyer, have your tenants pay your mortgage! This 1500 sq foot home has 2 in-law apartments with their own private entrances and bathrooms. Amazing 1/2 acre mature lot with beautiful trees, shrubs and parking for at least 10. Call for the more details.
$142,900
COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY! #215 Water Street Would you like to own your own Franchise? You can now! We can make your dream come true. International News, Atlantic Place is now available.
$179,000
BELL ISLAND, NEWFOUNDLAND Denise and Irene have listed and sold many properties for the community of Bell Island. They still have a long list of buyers waiting, “for just the right home.” It could be yours, are you ready to sell? Call your Professional Partners in Real Estate.
Burke Realty The Kingsley
6 Coronation Street
Executive Lease The ultimate in condominium living with a panoramic City & Harbour view that will leave you breathless. Over 2,000 square feet of living space with top quality furnishings and fixtures throughout; includes a private, in-house garage.
Located off popular Patrick Street area of downtown St. John's, this very attractive home has hardwood and ceramic throughout, completely renovated inside and out, open concept, 1.5 baths, main floor laundry. Master has patio deck overlooking garden, cherry oak kitchen, backyard access to street for possible driveway, new windows, siding, and pressure treated deck. Whirlpool bath and 5 appliances.
Call
Carol Burke at 757-3721
INDEPENDENTCLASSIFIED FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 23-29, 2007 — PAGE 32
F E A T U R E D
H O M E
7 7
B R O U G H A M
D R I V E BEAUTIFUL 2-APARTMENT HOME!
$219,900.00 Beautiful 1,150 sq. ft. split-entry home with a registered two-bedroom basement apartment and in-house garage. Main floor features include: large country kitchen with stained birch cabinets and peninsula, hardwood flooring in the living room, dining area and hall, ceramic flooring in the kitchen, bathrooms and foyer, wide trim package with crown mouldings, door toppers and wide window ledges in the main living area, French doors between the living room and eating area, exterior pot lights and the list goes on. The property is complete with front and rear landscaping, patio deck, two-car paved driveway and a 10year Atlantic Home Warranty.
113 Topsail Rd.
41 Warbury St.
Wheel Chair Accessible main floor bedroom with ensuite - Handicap lift to basement and back yard - 5 bedrooms - 4 1/2 baths - 2 F/P $229,00.00
3 bedroom home with much potential - Immediate possession - WE HAVE THE KEYS - $79,900.00
Southcott Estates
North Side Beach
Approx 3 acres front the main road to Burnside - Over looking North Side Beach and the ocean - $79,900.00
1200 Main Rd. Dunneville
Ideal for residential or hotel site Approx 5 acres backing the old railway line - $89,900.00