Inside
u Falcons Basketball P. 5 u Hat Lk. FSR a go P. 12
u Strings and Swing P. 8 u Fort skiers wins gold P. 12
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WEDNESDAY, February 19, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS
Minor hockey could win tix to NHL
Your whole team could win tickets to this year’s Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. To apply, just submit an entry to Black Press Contests. Tell us how hockey, your team, or your favourite player has inspired you, and your team could win 25 tickets to to watch the Vancouver Canucks play the Ottawa Senators at BC Place. Anyone can enter on behalf of their team, or their favourite B.C. minor hockey team. Ten minor hockey teams from British Columbia will each receive 25 tickets to attend the Heritage Classic, held on March 2 in Vancouver’s BC Place stadium. This year’s Tim Hortons Heritage Classic will hold up to 55,000 fans, eager to watch a vintage, clearly Canadian showdown between the Canucks and Senators. “Playing in front of 50,000 fans, the atmosphere will be amazing,” Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said in December, when the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic’s arena was unveiled. “Most of us grew up learning how to skate outdoors. We’ve been watching these games for a few years now and chomping at the bit hoping we could get into one.” Kevin Bieksa got his wish. Will you, too? *Submit your entry before Friday, February 21, 2014. Go to our contest page Online by clicking Contests at the top of your local Caledonia Courier newspaper’s website.
VOL. 36 NO. 51 $1.30 inc. GST
Coworkers step up to help Elliot Ruth Lloyd Caledonia Courier Chris Elliot lost his home on Kring Road in a house fire on Feb. 6. Elliot’s home and all his belongings were lost when a blaze destroyed the home. Firefighters were unable to determine the cause of the fire. Elliot, who was not insured for the loss, was at work when the fire took place, and it was residents who lived across Stuart Lake on Lower Road of Nak’azdli Reserve who called the fire department. When f i re f i g h t e r s arrived, it was already too late to save the structure or any of Elliot’s things. Elliot works as a guard at the Fort St. James RCMP detachment and his coworkers stepped up to help when they heard the news and are asking for donations to help Elliot recover from this devastating loss. “It’s pretty much, unfortunately, everything,” said Corporal Svend Nielson, an RCMP member at the local detachment helping
set up the donations for Elliot. “He has nothing.” While Nielson said Elliot plans on rebuilding, first there will be the matter of even clearing the debris of the ruins of the previous house, then he will have to find the basics for the home. While Elliot is getting support from his coworkers, he will be starting from scratch to rebuild and then furnish the home with everything from sheets to a toaster. An account has been set up through the Integris Credit Union to help Elliot and donations of household items are being collected through the local detachment. Nielson said donors can stop into the Fort St. James or Vanderhoof Integris Credit Unions and say they would like to make a donation in trust for Chris Elliot. Household items can be dropped off at the Fort St. James RCMP detachment, and a list will be started of what items have been donated, so he does not end up with eight toasters.
Back, left to right: Chris Greenaway (coach), Cale Skeen, Jayden Greenaway, Janko Spodniak, Liam Willick, Oscar Croucher, Ayden Leon, Maxz Boschman, Sarah Grill (Coach). Front left to right: Jaide Steeves, Grace Willick, Rebeccah Gauthier, Quintanna Paziuk, Gabriela Willick, Kaitlan Goodwin, Mara Martin, Shelby Legebokoff, Sara King, Brooke Dunkley, Kaylee Walstrom, Lissy Kosmick Photo courtesy of Sarah Grill
Ski and board team rock the zones Once again, the Fort St. James Secondary School Ski and Board Team rocked the zones, coming home from Powder King with a pile of medals. The girls snowboard team took first place as a team, and Sarah King once again beat out the rest, with a first place female snowboarder finish and she was the second fastest boarder overall. There were 26 female boarders competing. The girls ski team took second place, with the speedy Gabriella Willick once again near the top as the second fastest female skier out of 30 and she was the third fastest among both male and female skiers. The boys ski team won third place this time around, with Liam Willick as the third fastest
male out of 37. The team only includes a couple male boarders, but Oscar Croucher’s time was eighth fastest among a field of 64 male boarders, and so he also qualifies for the provincials. The team will now be training up for the provincials which take place in Whistler on March 2-5. Coach Sarah Grill said the team could not have done it without the continued support of the community, Murray Ridge, the municipality, regional district and local businesses which for the past five years have helped the team. Traveling to provincials each year is a significant commitment of time and funds and it would not be possible without the community.
Council vows to fight cancellation At the Feb. 12 council meeting, Fort St. James mayor and council decided they will be trying to fight a decision by College of New Caledonia (CNC) executives. The decision to cut
the welding course from the Fort St. James campus in an attempt to centralize some of these courses is one mayor and council found very concerning. “It needs to be a top priority,” said
Councillor Joan Burdeniuk. “The business case is in place for (the course).” Burdeniuk was referring to the high rate of employment of graduates of the welding program in Fort St. James.
Councillor Riley Willick commented he personally knows a number of people who have completed the program and were therefore able to stay in the community and find good jobs using the
skills they learned in the program. Councillor Russ Gingrich said the community needs to maintain these kind of services within the local community and be increasing them, not los-
ing them to larger centres. Mayor MacDougall and council agreed to try and attend a CNC board meeting to voice their concerns and see if the decision can be reversed.