Inside
u Inadvertant oppression P. 4 u Crime prevention P. 5
u Downtown discussion P. 6 u Local project wins award P. 9
Publications Mail Contract #: 40007759
WEDNESDAY, October 31, 2012
PHONE: 996-8482 www.caledoniacourier.com
VOL. 35 NO. 35 $1.34 inc. GST
NEWS BRIEFS
Turn back time!
Daylight savings time ends on Sunday, Nov. 4 this year. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, the clock will jump back one hour to 1 a.m.. Turn back the clocks one hour when you go to bed and enjoy a little bit more sleep!
Stuart Lake ER to be open most of November The Stuart Lake Hospital emergency room will be open for most of November. The change is thanks to a combination of locum physicians and the newly arrived Dr. Meyer, who will be starting work in the community. Throughout most of November, there will be a physician on call to respond to emergencies. The ER will only be closed on: Nov. 13, 16-18, 20, 28 and 30. The ER is open thre rest of the month. Dr. Meyer will be joined by the two Dr. Van Zyls in January. Dr. Putter has also signed on to come to the community and will be coming here sometime after, potentially in March.
A rally in Spirit Square on Oct. 24 saw nearly 40 people brave a chilling wind to link arms in opposition to tankers on the British Columbia coast and the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.
Fort residents rally in solidarity Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Community members rallied in Spirit Square, braving freezing temperatures as part of a province-wide day of action. The “Defend Our Coast” day of action was taking place across British Columbia, and the Fort St. James event was one of 68 registered actions taking place to show opposition for tar sands pipelines and tankers on the B.C. coast. Around 40 people attended the lunchtime event in downtown Fort St. James, some holding signs, some speaking out and a few putting up 25 metres of black ribbon as a symbolic “wall of opposition” to the proposed
Northern Gateway pipeline which would cross the Stuart and Necoslie Rivers. “We can’t risk our rivers and our salmon,” said Rosemarie Sam, a band councillor for Nak’azdli. She said the reliance of the Nak’azdli and other area First Nations on the salmon for food means they can not afford any risk to the resource. Peter Erickson, known also by his hereditary name as Tsoh Dih, stressed the importance of protecting what he called “the last unspoiled territory in Canada.” “British Columbia is the last threshold,” he said. “It’s really important that we take a stand.” “It’s time to warrior-up,” he said. Organizer Kyla Pollard spoke briefly about the province-wide action taking place and thanked the commu-
Ruth Lloyd/Caledonia Courier
nity members who have spent so much time and effort researching the pipeline proposal to act as intervenors for the Fort St. James Sustainability Group, which Pollard is a member of. Members of the group traveled to Prince Georg to participate in the final hearings and will be questioning Enbridge in front of the joint review panel starting Oct. 29. “I feel proud to be part of this unity and solidarity,” said Pollard at the rally. Also at the rally was Sussanne Skidmore Hewlett, who is seeking the nomination to be the NDP candidate for Nechako-Lakes. Hewlett spoke briefly about her opposition to the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and its lack of benefit to northern communities.
Drug-related home invasion Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Last week, several suspects entered a home on the Nak’azdli reserve in what RCMP believe is a drug-related home invasion. RCMP responded to the incident at a home on the Lower Road at 1:51 a.m. on Oct. 23 Three people were in the home at the time and were assaulted at the time and cash and drugs are believed to have been stolen. While the thieves did have weapons, no firearms were involved in the incident, and only minor injuries resulted from the home invasion.
The house was reportedly known to RCMP, who also believe the incident to be targeted, and based on the items stolen, the suspects are also likely involved in the drug trade. RCMP do not believe others in the community who are not involved in the drug trade will be at risk of these types of incidents. The victims in the case have so far been uncooperative with the RCMP in their investigation. “We’re trying to do our part,” said Staff Sergeant Thalhofer. “We’d like to do more.” Anyone with any information is asked to call the Fort St. James RCMP at 996-8269 or Crime Stoppers.