InteriorNEWS THE
Rotary Auction Wed. & Thurs. B3, 4 & 5
108th Year - Week 47 •
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
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www.interior-news.com
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PM 40007014
$1.30 (gst included)
The Steelheads’ Calvin Johnson tussles with Chapin Leblond. The big third-period fight saw both players get kicked out with game misconducts. Johnson also received a 12 penalty minutes for fighting, headbutting and instigating, while Leblond got five minutes for fighting. Story, page B1. Xuyun Zeng photo
Smithers is ready to Cuba celebrates latest Latin Grammy award help Syrian refugees By Alicia Bridges
Smithers/Interior News
By Chris Gareau Smithers/Interior News
Smithers and the rest of the Northwest is ready to accept Syrian refugees that wish to resettle here say area service providers and politicians. The backlash from the terrorist attacks in Paris and suggestion by B.C. Premier Christy Clark that Syrian refugees may be better suited to settle in northern British Columbia has led to a petition calling for a referendum on allowing refugees in the Northeast. It has been signed by over 1,500 people. Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer then wrote an open letter last week to Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau asking that the goal of accepting 25,000 refugees by year’s end be reconsidered. He cited security and logistical concerns like housing. “Context is everything,” said SkeenaBulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen, referring to the shift on attention from helping as many refugees as possible to security in light of the Paris attacks. None of the terrorists in Paris have been identified as being from Syria, but investigators there have said one may have used a fake Syrian passport to get into the country. Cullen said despite concerns, church and local community groups have approached him on how to sponsor refugees. See SCSA on A10
Alex Cuba has a long list of awards and accolades but the Smithers-based artist said his latest Latin Grammy, which he received at the gala event in Las Vegas last week, is the most meaningful. Cuba, whose real name is Alex Puentes, last week received the best singer-songwriter award for his album Healer. It was his fourth Latin Grammy title. In 2010, he won the award for best new artist and the following year he won the Best Tropical Song category for a song he co-wrote with Yoel Henriquez. His music video for Eres Tue, which was produced in Smithers, won another
award in 2013. But Cuba said last week’s Latin Grammy was a bigger accolade than the rest. “I won best new artist in 2010, which is a huge award but it doesn’t have anything to do with an album really,” he said. “I feel that for the best singer songwriter they look at it with more of an intricate eye. “Also the category was loaded this year with great music and great artistry.” Cuba was so moved by the recognition that he shed tears in an emotional acceptance speech at the ceremony in Las Vegas, where he dedicated the award to his wife Sarah Goodacre-Puentes. See MOVED on A23
FREE CBC TV SERVICE TO END National broadcaster to end its local overthe-air service in 2016.
SMITHERS GETS TO KNOW SYRIA Fundraising dinner and information night raises $11,000 to sponsor refugees.
SHARED HISTORY PROJECT Documenting the shared history of Wet’suwet’en people and settlers.
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Wednesday Nov. 25 to Tuesday Dec. 1
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